michelleoc
I was annoyed a lot watching this
This was a cute friends to lovers story. I liked watching them getting to know one another, but wow, the repeated scenes in such a short drama, getting different points of view, I know, but come on! I liked watching the leads together and even though the editing was pretty choppy, I liked watching the progression of how they came to like one another.However, I hated the evil girl/triangle story. For being such a short drama, she got too much time in the story. I didn't like the bullying or how the FL never told the ML what was actually going on. Learn to communicate! I was also bothered by the fact that the evil girl started these terrible rumors, which everyone believed, and they spread like wildfire, but there were no consequences for the evil girl. Also, if everyone is very vocal in trash talking the FL, there is no way the ML wouldn't have heard anything.
The time jump was necessary but confusing in that the characters looked pretty much the same and hadn't aged at all.
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If you've ever developed second lead syndrome, this one is for you!
I watched this last night on YouTube, and at just seven episodes it's a quick watch. It was very cute. You don't necessarily get attached to the characters much, because each male gets the opportunity to be the male lead - Rowoon, Zuho, Dawon and Chani each get to win the girl. Ultimately, it's up to you to decide who she should be with. Clever, actually. It doesn't happen often, but I hate when I'm watching something, and I think that the FL should be with the 2ML.The acting wasn't as cringy as I was afraid it would be. I thought the guys did a better job than the girl did. She spent a lot of time pouting and pursing her lips to be cute.
Because it was so short, there wasn't much opportunity to show how clumsy she was. They spent quite a bit of time at the beginning basically warning the whole school to stay away from her for their own safety, but then that wasn't really addressed.
Since it's an older show, it was fun to see actors/actresses that I've since seen in other roles (mainly the teachers talking in the office).
It's cute and it was fun to watch on the heels of a drama that I was very disappointed in.
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Getting friend zoned
This was a short, four episode drama. Whenever I watch older shows, I get stuck on the fashions and the graininess of the camera work. This is a good show to watch when you don't want to make a big time commitment, or if you need a break from heavier shows.Everyone in the world knows that the ML likes the FL, except, apparently, the FL. She's a little dense that way. For how short the drama was, there was certainly a lot of drinking going on.
"I don't know how I feel" is a phrase that I never like to hear in a drama, right up there with "I THINK I like you". I couldn't quite see what the FL's confusion was regarding her feelings.
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Short, sweet and to the point
I didn't particularly care for the character of Woo Ri. I think because the series was so short, it was hard to flesh her out. She definitely had self-esteem problems (loser boyfriend!), but once she ran into Park Jun Seok, she found herself again, and I think she was able to remember what she used to like about herself.I'll be honest, I watched this for Kim Young Dae, and he didn't disappoint. There is something very charming about him, and I'm sure he doesn't want to be pigeon-holed as an actor, but he should always play the nice guy male lead. He's a natural at it. For anyone that has not seen him in Sh**ting Stars, watch it!!
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Oh, how I wish they'd ended the drama with episode 19!
A complicated, convoluted, interesting, fast-paced story with lots of characters, CGI, stunts and color. It was beautifully filmed. I loved the color palettes used, the juxtaposition of the lights and darks to represent good and evil. The scenery was beautiful, the stunts and CGI were really good and I was all in until the end of episode 19. I will come clean and say that I’m not a historical drama lover and I don’t go out of my way to watch action/fantasy. Give me a good romance and we’ll call it a day. I loved how we got a bit of 21st century in the way they talked at times, as well as with the hair and makeup for the cast. THANK YOU for not putting all the men in the giant, ridiculous hats. The hairstyles were pretty much current, without all the extra, complicated ornamentation that they tend to use in historicals.THE CAST was really good overall, but the standouts for me were:
Lee Jae Wook as Uk. Played immature very well, and I really liked watching him grow into his powers. He’s gorgeous to watch and he’s subtle. I am fascinated by him for some reason, I've liked him in everything I've seen of his. PLEASE make him a ML in a true, honest-to-goodness 21st century romance!
Jung So Min as MuDeok. She did amazing things using only her eyes and facial expressions. I could totally buy into her role, and becoming more human as she went along. She was able to change from being the master to the servant in such a way that you weren’t pulled out of the drama. I have liked her in all the roles I've seen her in, she's very natural.
Hwang Min Hyun as Seo Yul. For the first few episodes, all I could think of was Che Eun Woo every time he was on screen. That eventually went away, and I loved his acting. This was another part that required subtlety, using eyes and micro expressions. My heart hurt for his character. Strangely, I cried for him.
Shin Seung Ho as Go Won. Initially, he was kind of a caricature, larger than life, obvious makeup, stiff hair that looked like a football helmet. I thought, “Oh, I’m going to hate him.” His character was wonderful, and I liked the bromance between him and Uk.
Jo Jae Yoon as Jin Mu. I think I’ve only ever seen him as a bad guy, but boy, does he do it well! With that silver hair and that ice stare of his, he was creepy.
Characters/writing: There was a lot to keep track of, but I didn’t really feel like anyone was a throwaway. The writing was necessarily confusing, with all that was going on and I felt like I needed a flow chart for the towns, the characters, and the convoluted love stories (past and present). I loved how the characters called each other by their first names.
Chemistry: I can see why romance is third on the list of tags. If asked, romance wouldn’t be the first word I would use to describe Alchemy of Souls. However, the romance was wonderful from the standpoint that the leads had absolutely no idea how to go about being in a relationship. Their foreplay was arguing, and they did it well. Kisses – just wow. I also really liked the chemistry between MuDeok and Seo Yul, and MuDeok and Go Won.
Music: Fabulous OST. From the haunting opening song, the powerful instrumentals that sound like they are making use of Taiko drums, to the vocal tracks, the music fit perfectly. BIG Naughty’s Love Letter, is beautiful and dreamy. Gummy whispers her way through Raindrops. Car, the Garden’s Scars Leave Beautiful Trace fit perfectly with the Joseon feel of the drama. Jeong Sewoon, Just Watching You – I think he could sing the dictionary and I would be enthralled.
Rewatch value: This is low for me, because romance wasn’t the driving force.
Ending: RANT and SPOILER!! From a romance standpoint, episode 19 was wonderful, because after all the darkness, bloodshed and evil, we got an episode full of sweetness and light. This drama could have ended on episode 19 and I would have been perfectly happy. But noooo, you had to go there, you couldn’t let people be happy! The ending was set up specifically for a second season, which really irritated me. I hate open endings, I hate cliffhangers, and I hate being forced to watch another season of a drama that pretty much tied things up. So, I’m thinking season two will create more of the same problems that our main characters have already gone through. Of course, I have to watch it just to see what happens, and I’ll try to reserve judgment.
Should you watch it or not? I’d say definitely, especially if you are into historical dramas, fantasy and action.
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It should have been called Love to Play You
If you don't want to take the time to read my long-winded review, I can recommend this show if you want over-the-top characters. Sometimes the characters seem like caricatures of real people, but that is for comedy effect. This rom-com could actually be called a rom-com. There was romance and a lot of comedy, which is refreshing if you are trying to cleanse your palate after a serious show.There were a number of things I liked about this show:
-Yoo Teo as Kang Ho. I enjoyed the way the actor played the part (doppelganger for Ok Taec Yeon, so what's not to like?!) as well as the way his character was written. I liked him almost from the start, he was wound a little tight, granted, but quickly redeemed himself.
-Kim Ji Hoon as Won Joon. Him and his beautiful head of long hair! I liked the way his character struggled to straddle the line between manager and friend, not always being successful. When, in the last episode, he said to 2FL "Are we still in our same life?" that gave me all the feels.
-Kim Sung Ryung as Soo Jin. I love her in everything I see her in. With her distinctive voice and the way she always plays slightly off center, I always enjoy her performances. I loved the character she played here - being the underdog and then standing up for the underdog. She seemed like the kind of woman that never had a woman friend before, and was glad of her friendship with Mi Ran.
-That it was only 10 episodes. It wasn't long and drawn out, with tons of filler.
-The playfulness of Kang Ho and Mi Ran in later episodes. Their chemistry was fire.
-The director that didn't speak throughout the whole show.
-The last episode was cute. This made me rate it a bit higher than I was planning to.
-The lawyers in Mi Ran's office, including the ex-boyfriend. What a misogynistic bunch of Neanderthals, but they redeemed themselves in the best way at the end.
However, there were some things that I didn't care for:
-The character of Mi Ran. Throughout this show, I didn't like her. First, her saying that she'd been with 100 men. I struggle with this in romances (for the women AS WELL as the men). Romance is about finding that one special someone. I've heard that you have to kiss a lot of frogs to find your prince, but that doesn't mean you have to sleep with them. Her reasoning for sleeping with them was lame, and as a potential partner, I'd insist upon a clean bill of health before I got too close. I was hoping for some hate turned to love (tricks played on one another, etc.), but that wasn't the case. She found out early on that he wasn't the way she thought he was, but even after he confessed his feelings, she was still playing him. She continued to talk about a 3-month (maybe a year) relationship limit, and her not wanting to get married made me feel like she wasn't totally committed to him. They were awfully cute together toward the end, but I still felt like she wasn't willing to totally trust and invest in the relationship.
-The massive amounts of drinking done.
-It is possible to portray a woman being strong without her being a b*tch and beating people up all the time. I felt like she needed to get some anger management counseling.
-Why, oh why, do they need to bring in an ex-girlfriend all the time?!?!
I really struggle with shows where one of the main characters is not likable. That affects my enjoyment of the show in a big way.
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A very hypnotic, relaxing watch
I can't get over how much I enjoyed this show. I mean, c'mon it's a reality cooking show, for heaven's sake! That said, I've been recommending it to everyone. First, I'm fascinated by the Korean culture. What got me watching K-dramas to begin with was their culture - I love the way they interact with one another and their respect for each other. And the food, of course!I've watched the previous iterations of the show and enjoyed them for the most part, but there was just something different here. I looked forward to the episode every week and just watching them cook made me so relaxed. There was no stress or drama (for me at least)! Bacalar was a beautiful place and we got to see a little of it through their eyes.
I also loved how people recognized Woo Shik from Parasite. They were impressed and then went back to eating. I DID love the one older woman that was ARMY, with her eyes trained on the kitchen door to catch a glimpse of Taehyung. That was pretty much the only fangirling moment.
I hope they can do another season of this someplace else, perhaps in upstate South Carolina?
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Binge watched
This was a surprisingly enjoyable web drama. I started watching it in the afternoon and my life basically stopped until I finished it. I'm not going to reiterate the storyline, but just give my feelings for the drama. I know that a lot of people felt that it was boring. I didn't find it to be so - there were periods of slow pacing, which I found to be a relief after the tough-to-watch scenes.I struggle watching bullying of any type, whether it be between teens or being perpetrated by adults. Da Hee's mother was very controlling, and I felt very uncomfortable watching these scenes. I vacillated between thinking that Da Hee needed to grow a spine, to understanding that even though she was an adult, she had no way to support herself, so was pretty much stuck in her situation. We got to see some of the reasoning behind the behavior of the mother, but I still didn't think it justified her behavior.
Han Sun Min as Da Hee. She was pretty expressionless throughout the whole series, but I felt her hopelessness. She was able to convey that hopelessness, along with her desire to be like others, very well. Later, when a few of her issues were resolved, I was glad to finally see her smile.
Kim Woo Seok as Hyun Jin. I definitely got Park Bo Gum vibes from him. He and Da Hee were an awful lot alike, each with their own traumas, skirting around all the others, pretty much emotionally removed from deep friendships. Granted, he did have a couple of friends that he spent time with, but even with them he was not transparent.
Park Sang Nam as Ha Jun. This was a surprising character, one that seemed to have it all together, but was really just holding it all together by compartmentalizing his life. I though his character change was chilling to watch.
Chan as Hyun Jin's friend was funny and over-the-top. "Ketchup? Ketchup? Ketchup?" At the beginning he irritated me because he was so 'much', but then he really grew on me. He was able to provide a lot of comic relief when things started to get really heavy.
I thought the romance was sweet. Da Hee and Hyun Jin had known each other briefly in high school so this had kind of a "fated" vibe, which I love. I loved watching their interactions, and how they were trying to figure out how to navigate liking someone. Him taking texting advice from his clueless friend was funny. A couple of good kisses.
As mentioned before, I don't like bullying. The bully that was always around causing trouble, especially taking pictures and posting videos, I just wondered if he ever went to class.
OST was nice.
So, it wasn't rocket science. Being a web drama, it wasn't supposed to be, but I enjoyed watching it.
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Soothing but somewhat lacking
I watched this movie on a long-haul flight last night. It was a slow and peaceful watch, but it didn't wring any emotions from me.They liked each other in high school but have been apart for 10 years. This was problematic for me from the standpoint that he could get training in cello pretty much anywhere, and she had the type of job that could be done anywhere, so the distance for that long period of time didn't make sense. There were a couple of phone calls, but that's it.
I did like the flashbacks, though neither one of them looked much different, just in hairstyle.
Since the whole of the movie was of them apart, trying to realize their own dreams, I couldn't feel their love. I honestly thought it would end differently than it did. It was a cute ending, but again, nothing tugging at my emotions.
The ML did say something to one of his orchestra friends about the FL that was very swoony, but again, didn't he think he should share this information with the FL?
The filming was kind of sepia toned, which I thought was interesting. Basically, for me, it was something to pass the time.
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Charming and funny historical (an oxymoron?)
First, I'm no expert on Chinese dramas, especially historical ones, because they normally aren't my cup of tea. They tend to be too angsty, too overdone, too dubbed, too costume-y, too long, too slow, etc.I happened upon this one accidentally after watching something else on Disney+. What a pleasant surprise! This show was very light, funny, and enjoyable to watch. And when I say funny, there were numerous laugh out loud moments for me. Add to that the fact that it was only 16 episodes, I'll give the editor kudos for keeping the editing tight and managing to leave out most of the filler.
There was so much to like about this show, I'll name just a few of my favorite things.
-Wang Xing Yue as the Prince - this actor is only 22! I think he will probably go far in the business. I loved the character he played. He was cold and reserved, as befit his station in life, yet meeting Xiao Xiao turned him a besotted, sometimes clueless, man. I loved how his eunuch was so supportive, giving him a "thumbs up" when he did something right. There were times that he behaved in an immature way, but that really endeared him to me. He was in uncharted waters, but was forging ahead in his feelings for her. His broken heart was heartbreaking to watch. The way he looked at Xiao Xiao, he didn't care who knew he was in love.
-He Rui Xianao as Xiao Xiao - though I didn't always love her character, I thought she did a fine job with her part. There was a stillness about her, a quiet determination in her actions. She had a goal and wasn't going to let anything get in her way. However, I did find it interesting that when she was upset her food tasted bad, but she didn't notice? Did she not taste her own food?
-The Queen - random, I know, since her part was relatively small. However, I LOVED how supportive she was of the Prince. So many historical dramas have the evil queen character, and it was refreshing not to have it here.
-Side characters - especially the kitchen staff. They started out with tension but grew to trust and care about one another.
-The food - this was a plus and a minus for me. Food porn is an apt description for the abundance of food cooking, food presentation, and food eating. The eating part is where I had a problem. Were they going for ASMR? The loud sounds of them slurping, chewing, swallowing, with the extreme close-ups of their mouths, was disgusting.
Ending/alternate ending - this confused me. I had been reading that episode 16 was an alternate ending, but it was almost a carbon copy of episode 15. There are basically two endings in episode 15. SPOILER: In one ending she leaves the palace - watching the Prince's heartbreak was so sad! He "pretends" to die so he can go and be with her? I had a couple of problems with this. I love a love story, and the fact that she could walk away without a backward glance made me think that she couldn't have loved him that much. Also, she can't have gone too far from the palace because she heard about his "death". Did he not go and look for her? Also, in that day and age, would she, as a woman, be able to open her own restaurant? Where did she get the money for it? THEN, she's wasting away when she thinks that he has died. Seemed a bit much since she had no problem leaving him. THEN, when he shows up and stays with her, I didn't like how their relationship was presented - she was always nagging him to do some work, and he was just lazy. Their personalities had changed so much. The other ending was unsatisfying as well - if they married and stayed in the Palace, I would have liked to have seen how she adjusted. We are just shown a brief snippet of them when they are old. END SPOILER.
So, I'd have to say that the ending/s were the weak link for me. Thankfully, the rest of the show made up for it. This is an easy, funny, fluffy, low angst watch when you need a break from heavier shows.
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The Princess and the Matchmaker
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Somewhat uneven watch
I'll start by saying that historical dramas are not my favorite genre, so ratings for these, for me, tend to be lower. That being said, I think one of the problems I had with this movie was that it was uneven. At the beginning it acted like it wanted to be a comedy, then the writers gave that up midway through. It moved along rather quickly, since it was a movie rather than a serial drama, and I was thankful for that. I have to be totally enthralled with a story to put up with all the filler that the dramas include, and this was far from an enthralling story.The acting was okay, I don't know if it was the actors or the script that didn't draw me in. There was something that kept me from being involved in the story. I found myself look at the time a lot, and that's never a good sign. I also wasn't "feeling" the romance at all. The chemistry was lacking, as well as the fact that the romance was definitely on the back burner compared to the palace intrigues.
I did, however, REALLY appreciate the way they wrote the king. Finally, a king that makes some of his own decisions, rather than being led by his untrustworthy cabinet.
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I laughed, I cried, I re-watched
For me, there are seasons for certain types of shows. My main focus is romance with the much-needed HEA. That being said, sometimes you need a slice-of-life show where you come to know and love the characters, and this was perfect, I must say. I really liked season 1 a lot, but season 2 is on another level. We already know how close all the characters are, and it was so enjoyable to learn and grow in their relationships with each other and those outside their little circle of friends. Extremely well-written and with well-rounded characters, I watched this in three evenings. There were undercurrents of romance for each of the characters and it was refreshing to see mature relationships, with nary a stupid breakup in sight (Jun Wan and GF are somewhat of an exception, but I'll forgive that). I could go on and on about this show, but I'll just give a couple of my highlights.Jung Kyung Ho as Jun Wan - love his knowledge as well as his sometimes immaturity. One thing I found fascinating about him, did he lose weight for this role? He was SO thin and I just kept thinking that because of how busy he was he didn't have time to eat. Granted he's a small-boned man, but he can sure wear his clothes! And in scrubs, his "thinness" is really obvious. It was a good look for him.
Bromance between all the main characters. They had each other's backs but weren't above wrestling for the remote control!
Kim Hae Sook as Rosa (Jung Won's mother). I love her in anything she is in, and her character, as well as her storyline were wonderful. It's refreshing to see a mature person in a good story.
The love/hate relationship between Jun Wan and Jae Hak. There was something kind of stalker-ish about Jae Hak, which brought a lot of humor to the show, as well as their relationship. I also loved the storyline of Jae Hak and his wife.
Jun Wan and Song Hwa are the piggies of the group, constantly eating more than their weight in food. They thought about food, talked about food, and planned what they would eat next.
Sung Hwa as a bad singer. This was so cute to watch and hear, especially since she has such a lovely singing voice.
All the music. I REALLY appreciated that they said what the songs were and who was performing them. I also liked that the actors did a lot of the music.
The medical aspect of the show was often heart wrenching, but it was more about the characters than the medicine.
*If I had to voice one complaint, it would be that, as a health care worker, the first thing we learn is how to talk to patients, compared to other medical staff. The doctors in this show often used medical jargon that no layman would be able to understand. But, that's just a slight blip in an otherwise stellar show.
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Fun watch
Rated down strictly because this show was entirely too long, with too much extraneous stuff. Aside from that, this was a wonderful drama. The two main characters in this were lovely. I loved their relationship. His dialogue with her after he finds out that she's a robot? He was absolutely wonderful and my heart broke for both of them. His friendship with the team was fun to watch, they were all misfits in their own way, yet they found friendship with each other. The ending was cute, though somewhat rushed. Definitely a good show to watch, though. Great chemistry between the two main characters, no "fish face, open eyes kisses".Vond je deze recentie nuttig?
Older but cute show
Song Joong Ki travels to Japan for food and fun. It was interesting to see all the various types of food that Japan offers. I was amazed to find out the number of food places there are in Japan! I don't eat fish, so a lot of the foods I just didn't "get", but it was worth it just to watch Joong Ki eat oysters!This show is 12 years old, but Joong Ki's cute aura shines through. You just want to squeeze his cheeks. His interactions with his staff, as well as fans and others that he encountered was fun.
Every so often (unfortunately, it's happening frequently these days!) I have a run of bad luck on the shows that I watch and I just need to turn off my brain for a while. This was perfect for that.
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Sweet
What a cute movie! I wasn't too sure at the beginning, because it seemed so outdated, the film quality was a little iffy.I didn't care for the ML or the FL at the beginning. He was just a sad sack, and she was completely materialistic. I was wondering if I should continue, and I'm sure glad I did. The growth and development of both characters, both individually and as a couple was lovely to watch.
The concept was slightly like Il Mare, with the two mains being in 1999 and 2018, but here, they end up inhabiting the same apartment. I thought the special effects were well-done, and what they did to the apartment so they could inhabit the same space was really clever.
The ending was bittersweet, but based on the clips following the credits, I choose to believe in a happily ever after for them.
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