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  • Laatst online: 9 uren geleden
  • Geslacht: Vrouw
  • Plaats: bet you can "hear" my profile picture!
  • Contribution Points: 39 LV1
  • Verjaardag: February 19
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  • toetreden op: december 19, 2021
  • Awards Received: Finger Heart Award1 Flower Award1

omo-omo-omo

bet you can "hear" my profile picture!

omo-omo-omo

bet you can "hear" my profile picture!
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A Business Proposal
3 mensen vonden deze beoordeling nuttig
mrt 21, 2022
12 van 12
Voltooid 0
Geheel 8.0
Verhaal 7.5
Acting/Cast 9.0
Muziek 8.0
Rewatch Waarde 8.0

Dopamine-inducing Cliched Rom-Com ❤️❤️❤️

❤️ INGREDIENTS USED in DRAMA

♥ Contract Relationship ✓
♥ Loveable Characters ✓
♥ Cliched Plotline ✓
♥ Good Kissing scenes (non-cardboard stiff ones) ✓✓✓
♥ Hot Male Leads with a mysterious past ✓
♥ Pretty & Awkward - Getting into Embarrassing Situation Female Leads ✓
♥ Loud and Comedic Support Cast ✓
♥ Breezy Music to download in your playlist ✓
♥ Happy Ending ✓

❤️ PRE-REQUISITES:
• You love cliched love dramas/rom-coms, cause this is a tried and tested plot
• You don't mind silly illogical situations, cause you are here for the toe-curling, giddy romance
• You need a dose of dopamine
• You love pretty drama settings and of course, hot and beautiful leads ♥

❤️ FAQs
• Will I guess the plot? YES
• Will I end up laughing and snorting at the awkward situation? YES
• Is the Male Lead Swoon-worthy? YES (By all standards)
• Is the Female Lead Cringey? NO (Not by usual standards)
• Is the drama too cute to ignore? YES
• Does the second ML have the cutest puppy eyes/face? YES
• Will I have a goofy smile on face while watching this? YES
• Is this worth the watch? ABSOLUTELY YES

❤️ WHY I AM NOT BIASED? [okay maybe a little biased :P ]
• I prefer to binge-watch completed dramas ( I am a woman of little patience, and cannot handle suspense)
• The only 2 times I watched ongoing dramas - MR QUEEN & TRUE BEAUTY - both great in their own rights
• The drama spoilers/reels on Social Media compelled me to watch it while it is airing ♥ ♥ ♥ too cute to ignore ♥ ♥ ♥
• Just 7 episodes down - but this is breezy, light, will make you smile and fall in love with the fluffiness!
• Till now - 8-9 out of 10 (See my rating criteria on my profile: https://mydramalist.com/profile/omo-omo-omo )

Personally very pleased that Ahn Hyo Seop & Kim Min Gue are getting the recognition as main cast they deserve.
Especially, Ahn Hyo Seop - been his fan since - Queen of the Ring, Abyss, Thirty but Seventeen, Splash Splash Love - and finally a deserving lead role!

Going to update it, when I complete the drama - but if this helps you or you like it - drop me a message or like
Would love to discuss this drama with fellow MDLers!

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From Now On, Showtime!
2 mensen vonden deze beoordeling nuttig
jun 14, 2022
16 van 16
Voltooid 0
Geheel 8.0
Verhaal 8.0
Acting/Cast 9.0
Muziek 6.0
Rewatch Waarde 7.5

Magical Story with a Poetic Ending - Prime Showtime!

SHORT REVIEW

♥ Plot:
The show uses the background of past and present lives mixing in, as a haughty magician and honest policewomen join forces with ghosts to fight evils of society. With each episode you get to discover the main leads past lives, the ghosts' lives and how they overcome their regrets, deepest wishes and have a happy ending.

♥ Recommended:
Definitely worth a one-time watch if you like comedy, mystery, mythology, historical elements - all tied in a magical story and great acting!

LONG VERSION

♥ Notable Characters:
• Haughty magician ML who disregards his roots of being a shaman and employs ghosts as his apprentices for magic shows (also disregarding labor laws :P ). Over the course of the story, with help from people around him, especially the FL - he realizes his destiny, how he cannot live alone and must protect the ones he cares for.

• The FL is vivacious and honest policewoman, who is on her own revenge path, but meets the ML and his ghost apprentices - ultimately realizing how she is a part of the past life, falling in love with ML, avenging her father and continuing to help people around her. She is the moral compass which keeps this Magic Factory going in the right path.

• The Helping Ghosts & Spirits: Initially provide a comedic relief and bring the ML and FL closer, but overtime, we see their own stories, their own desires and the unfair hand they were dealt. But in spite of that they did not resent their fate, but chose to rise above it and truly attained Nirvana.

Special mention of Ah Reum - she herself was shown to be specially abled in her life, and so thought to help people around her as she got help when she was alive. Alas, her death was unfortunate, yet she does not resent any of it - instead chooses to help people as ghost and as her last wish!

♥ Random Notes:
• I always wanted to see PHJ in action, always knowing he is a good actor but dropped the idea after seeing him in Cheese in The Trap (blame the story execution). Finally glad that I watched this drama and saw his acting skills.
• Love Jin Ki Joo - beautiful and what an amazing actress. Other recommendation: The Secret Life of My Secretary, Midnight
• I saw Jung Joon Ho, first and last in True Beauty as father of the ML, and that was nothing in comparison the great actor he is.

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Cheese in the Trap
4 mensen vonden deze beoordeling nuttig
jan 20, 2022
10 van 16
Gestopt 0
Geheel 1.0
Verhaal 1.0
Acting/Cast 2.0
Muziek 4.0
Rewatch Waarde 1.0

Directionless Plot & Main Leads

I had wanted to watch this drama since the time it had come out, but had been putting it off cause of the mixed reviews. Finally decided to pick it up but could not go beyond Episode 10. I have not seen the movie or read the webtoon, so my opinions are completely based on this series.

Issues:
1) Why is the ML like this? He is not a black and white character, but nor is he a gray one. Just don't know why and what is he doing? The purpose or why he is the way he is did not come out, neither does it seem justified early on, which made the plot drag and slow. Plus he looked pained/constipated rather than cold and creepy. (When I see cold and creepy, it would be like Strangers in Hell characters, or Yoo Ji-tae in Old Boy, Park Solomon in The Guardians etc.)

2) Why did the ML like the FL? That progress, that gradual story development was missing. It is not a Hate-turned-Love, but just randomly one day ML decided FL is like him, when there is nothing for audience to see and understand.

3) Why is Baek In Ha like that and why does everyone let her get away with it?

There are just so many questions and I was hoping there would be answers as we progress ahead but none.

The Saving Graces:

1) Baek In Ho (Seo Kang Joon) - because of his gorgeousness, acting as a wild hot blooded second lead yearning to chase back his dreams. (You can feel that yearning at times, sense of loss at times). His affection towards the FL were cute, but not oh-so-swoon worthy.

2) Hong Seol is good in terms of the puppy character look she pulls off, but she seems aimless for someone who is supposed to be hardworking and go-getter to be employed ASAP. And all of a sudden, she fell for the ML when she knows there is something off about him and he hated her a year earlier. Like why? Why would you do that? Especially when she is supposed to be smart :(

3) The friends, especially Nam Joo Hyuk - plays the character like you'd usually expect him to (read: Weightlifting Kim Bok Joo, side character in The Idle Mermaid).

4) Oh Young Gon (Ji Yoon Ho) - he plays a good twisted, narcistic and obsessed character quite well (as far as I could see till Ep 10)

I know it is supposed to be a slice-of-life, coming of age drama - but the message didn't come across at least till now.

Suggested Alternatives:
1) Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok Joo
2) True Beauty
3) My ID is Gangnam Beauty

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Wonderful World
4 mensen vonden deze beoordeling nuttig
apr 19, 2024
14 van 14
Voltooid 2
Geheel 7.0
Verhaal 7.0
Acting/Cast 7.0
Muziek 6.0
Rewatch Waarde 5.0

Vengeance can give Justice, but real peace comes from forgiveness!

⭐PROS:
The story's main theme is vengeance by a mother who lost a child and a child who lost a parent - who make questionable decisions while blinded by anger & grief, unaware that there is a bigger mastermind behind the injustice they are going through. As the drama progresses & unravels the mystery - it beautifully showcases characters coming to terms with their loss, grief, loneliness & finally peace - in varying degrees.

The latter is a great point shown in the drama - cause while the incident (loss of a dear one) may have been a common point for many characters involved, each of them has their own way of coping with it. And in doing so it shows the growth and strength of that character. Love the ending - I like how realistic they kept it without making it flowery in the end, cause such stories are raw emotions throughout which you cannot tie the ends with a flower and bow. Really likes how each character comes to together in the hour of need - in spite of the bad blood they had before.

⭐CONS:
The story is not new - and while the actors are all great names of the industry and deliver their role well, it was not remarkable/memorable for me. I have seen all the actors in other dramas and know how powerful they can be - here they felt weak in comparison. Not that they are bad - just that they are doing this for the sake of it - they are actors here, they did not live the characters - as per me.

Also, the pacing of this drama was a con for me, and this is a personal opinion. I'm someone who enjoys dramas having breakneck speed, but I believe while this drama maybe tagged as thriller, mystery - it was that but also healing and wholesome, hence for many the pacing would not be an issue but rather a very emotional ride.

⭐OVERALL:
Hence, rating this is a 7 - which in my books is a good drama. Not a masterpiece or something I'll watch again, or recommend greatly to anyone. But rather it is a good watch one time watch if these are the themes that interest you.


⭐ MILD SPOILER - to highlight some great work / small things but went a long way:

- Love how the son-in-law comes to take care of the mother-in-law. And even before that while his mother was earlier a cold character, it is amazing to see how in her heart she actually a warm person and is just looking out for her family - immediate and in-laws too.
- The sisters, tbh, it would not work the way it did in real life; but it was a beautiful relationship and very well done by both the actresses.
- The brother-in-law had a very minimal screentime, but still was so crucial at important change of scenes. Usually in dramas crucial information is lost because main characters "miss" each other and then cause a lot frustrating misunderstandings. I like how here the brother-in-law was the narrator in a way who kept the information flowing from one character to another. Eg: how he tells his sister-in-law about the reality of Cha Eun Woo's character. Also how in the end - he tells his sister-in-law about Eun Woo's mother etc. Also his mother acted as a conduit to relay the information to her elder son about his mother-in-law 's dementia.

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Een goede dag om een hond te zijn
1 mensen vonden deze beoordeling nuttig
jan 28, 2024
14 van 14
Voltooid 0
Geheel 6.0
Verhaal 6.0
Acting/Cast 8.0
Muziek 6.0
Rewatch Waarde 6.0

Started Out Great - Made Average by Past Life Story & Airing Schedule

This was one of my highly anticipated dramas of 2023 cause of the story & Cha Eun Woo. The downfall of this drama was its airing schedule (frustrating) & the past life storyline in last 4-5 episodes (complete snooze-fest). The drama starts off very well - with the mystery of the FL's dog curse, romance & comedy that plays out as she tries to break the curse with the ML & the supporting characters who add to the crazy, witty and cute storyline. They should have stopped it with the curse breaking & modern love story - cause the historical/past life was just unbearable. It was the same old story of revenge/past lovers/misunderstandings and executed very poorly (I literally 2x speed watched it).

❤️ What I Liked:
- Modern Storyline has a good mix romance, comedy & mystery (FL's dog curse, ML's fear of dogs & how they come together)
- FL's Acting is Amazing: even her human personality was dog-like which made it endearing, believable & not over-the-top.
- Main Leads have good chemistry & great visuals (making you scream internally at the cuteness)
- CGI was remarkable, one of the best technology + acting harmony!
- Support Characters are good, not overshadowing the main plot or leads but doing what they should: support & did it well!

? What I Didn't Like:
- Past Life/Historical Storyline: Complete snooze fest, did not even excite or intrigue me
- Past Life Characters: Because of the storyline, their presence seemed not required.
- Airing Schedule: It won't matter for the new watchers, but this was a very big factor cause the continuity was broken. So all the feelings that I felt - excitement, suspense, cute/happy were lost cause the wait was too long, frustrating.

⭐OVERALL:
- Good one-time watch, cause the plot is nice and delivered well (modern > historical)
- My rating is low cause it is not a earth-shattering-never-seen-before story + last episodes & airing schedule made it worse.
- Hence, 6/10 | Above Average Drama for me. Would have been a 7-7.5 had it aired more frequently, or binged it at one-go.

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Death's Game Part 2
1 mensen vonden deze beoordeling nuttig
jan 6, 2024
4 van 4
Voltooid 0
Geheel 9.0
Verhaal 9.0
Acting/Cast 10
Muziek 10
Rewatch Waarde 9.0

Nearly Perfect Drama, Reaffirming the message "Life is a Gift. Don't Take it for Granted"

Death's Game on face-value may seem like a thrilling survival game between the human & the supernatural but is in fact a humbling take to address the rising suicide rates, especially among the youth and the impact it has on everyone. It is not an easy topic to address, therefore I must praise & thank everyone involved in this show for their brilliant writing, direction & acting to depict this difficult message. I have not read the webtoon hence my anticipation was exceedingly high with this drama given the premise & talented cast it signed on (The latter delivering more than what they promised). The drama is brilliant start to 2024, my only minor complaint remains with the ending episodes which makes is "Nearly Perfect"

❤️ The drama is literally flawless 10/10 for PART 1 & till Ep 6 and half in PART 2:
With its gripping narrative as we see how the ML tries make the best of each new life he is given, banter with Death and tries to beat the game. It slowly takes the shape of a revenge plot, as the ML realizes all these different lives are in fact connected to a single antagonist, who also had an impact to his life & those who he holds dear.

✘ Issue 1:The revenge plan that takes up half of Ep 6-7:
The conclusion is satisfactory cause it is another good vs evil battle. But the execution of it seems over-the-top heroics, illogical explanations & just too basic especially for a plot that had build up the expectation for a grand conclusion, to fall flat at the most important moment.

❤️ Ep 8: Mixed Feels, Predictable & Confusing Ending:
The last life might have been done as a shock-factor, but by now we can see it coming. It is still powerful in driving across the messages of - how our actions in life & death impacts others, how time is never enough to express your love to those you care about, how some people even in the face of adversity keep trying harder while others give in. Again - this is a grey area, but the drama delivers it with a heart so kudos!

✘ Issue 2: The Last Scene
We are at the finale - hoping that the ML finds redemption & has a happy ending. But the way it is executed feels very rushed, with no preamble whatsoever and basically goes against Death's initial words/rules? I know that this drama addresses a social problem, but the ending left me crushed/puzzled than feeling good. Guess I will read the webtoon in case there is an alternative ending, but the drama ending had a meh effect for me.

❤️Overall: 9/10 (Part 1 is 10/10, Part 2 is 8/10)
Personally it is one of the genres that I enjoy along with a cast that I love. The BGM score is too addictive & I hope to discover it soon in a music app. The stories individually are a mystery & when tied together overall and with the ML's life it just takes it to another level. Wish the issues that I had were not there, and it would have been simply flawless. But even that, it is one of the best dramas I have seen for 2023/2024.

If not the whole series, I will definitely rewatch the episodes/scenes where the characters gets their way through wits or action, making you pump your own fist in the air for their wins!

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Useless Lies
1 mensen vonden deze beoordeling nuttig
sep 21, 2023
16 van 16
Voltooid 0
Geheel 6.0
Verhaal 6.0
Acting/Cast 8.0
Muziek 5.0
Rewatch Waarde 4.0

Promising Premise & Cast - Plot/Writers Failed to Deliver

I had picked this drama for the fresh storyline, promising cast and hint at the mystery element. It never started off on a ground-breaking level but was decent till the first half. Post that is when it went downhill - in terms of romance and mystery which even the good actors could not salvage. Sharing my take - short and detailed review, on whether you should binge or skip it ....

❤️ Nutshell Review:

My Lovely Liar is a drama about a woman who can hear lies and runs a successful business to help people detect lies and save themselves from fraud. Despite her unique abilities, she struggles with trusting people – unable to make friends and form relationships easily. She meets a famous music producer with a mysterious past who she is attracted to. She is wary of starting a relationship with him but to her surprise, the guy is genuinely very truthful making her comfortable and they embark on a relationship while growing individually. But their relationship is tested when in a turn of events the guy shares about his past – which rings a bell (quite literally) in the girl’s ears, which can only mean one thing - he is lying!

The drama goes on to explore how the woman understands this guy (her Lovely Liar), investigating the mysterious past with him while discovering the nuances of her unique ability. Together they also navigate romance, past relationships, family, friends, new acquaintances and how it all shapes up their lives for better or worse…

❤️ What is Worth Watching:

♥ Good-Looking Leads: Kim So Hyun and Hwang Min Hyun
♥ Depiction of how social interactions and power of belief helped the main leads overcome their inhibitions

(works only for the first half though - the above formula cannot save the whole drama)

❤️ What Does NOT Work:

✘ Second Half of the Drama
✘ Wasted opportunity to utilize a good cast
✘ Wasted effort on romance and mystery – directionless since second half.
✘ Missed using drama to drive a social message on – habitual lying, frauds, dirty games in politics, police, music/media industry, journalism etc.

❤️ My Call - Binge or Skip:

SKIP IT! - Unless you have started it already and want a closure – then finish it (on 2x speed, maybe?)
OR you are a fan of any of these actors and just want to watch it for their sake.


---------------------------------------------------- ✧❅✦ DETAILED REVIEW ✧❅✦------------------------------------------------

✧❅✦ WHAT WORKS ✧❅✦

♥ Good-Looking Leads: Kim So Hyun and Hwang Min Hyun
♥ Depiction of how social interactions and power of belief helped the main leads overcome their inhibitions

(works only for the first half though - the above formula cannot save the whole drama)

They are a good-looking pair and delivered well from their end (can’t help if the writing is poor). Kim So Hyun is renowned for her acting skills, but this was my first time watching the ML. To me like many idol-turned-actors, he is not just a pretty face but was decent. Not groundbreaking but not a carboard cutout either. Sure, he has room to grow, I will not watch any new work of his solely for him, but he is someone who can do well given a good plot and directions.

Through each other and the support from friends and acquaintances, the main leads see that while there is still a lot of bad in the world, they can still open to each other and many more and not everyone will betray them. They grow as individuals as they support each other, get support from some people around them and in turn manage to support others who can use their respective talents.

✧❅✦ WHAT does NOT WORK ✧❅✦

✘ Second Half of the Drama
✘ Wasted opportunity to utilize a good cast
✘ Wasted effort on romance and mystery – directionless since second half.
✘ Missed using drama to drive a social message on – habitual lying, frauds, dirty games in politics, police, music/media industry, journalism etc.

The first half was decent & I expected it to get better, but rather it gradually becomes worse with the last 2 episodes just being super-meh, Especially feel bad for: Kim So Hyun (FL) | Seo Jung Yeon (ML Mother) | Ahn Nae Sang (FL Father) | Park Kyung Hye (FL Friend & Tarot Reader) | Jin Kyung (ML Mother) – because they are popular and some senior talents of the industry.
Also, Ha Jong Woo, Lee Si Woo – they were new for me but under-utilized else had so much to offer.

Worst misuse of Yun Ji On's talent: Have seen him in Tomorrow and he was remarkable. He was going to be here as well but the writers did him dirty with the latter half and ending.

✧❅✦ My Take on Themes ✧❅✦

Like countless recent dramas, the story progresses quite well in the first half (till Ep 8) and goes downhill after that in terms of writing. Therefore, even good/decent performances of the cast are not able to leave an impact both in terms of romance and mystery, which I felt were the two focus themes of this drama. Given the fresh storyline and some renowned names in the cast lineup, the expectations and excitement were high, but the bad writing could not sustain it and hence the ending was weak.

• Romance - 6/10

Could be an unpopular opinion but I liked the romance build-up in the first half. Not everyone can have the heart-and-flowers, bring you the moon kind of love story. I liked that the protagonists were wary of romance given their past experiences, but eventually believed in each other. They were awkward at first but that added to the charm. Neither were they boring as we witness some hot kisses (well, thankfully they were not the usual fish face/cardboard kisses of drama land).
But perhaps the writers & audience wanted more in terms of toe-curling, fluff romance and that is what degraded the romance angle for me as it lost the point how they were as individuals, and it looked very out-of-character to me. Even the romance of the supporting characters seemed strained and forced. Rather the writers gave us romance where it was unnecessary (parents of FL, other store owners) and forgot where required (ML/FL, Syaon/Chi-Hoon).

• Mystery - 4/10

The title "My Lovely Liar or Useless Lies" initially intrigues with questions like: who is the liar? what is he lying about? is her power foolproof? What is the past incident? But the initial anticipation dwindles after Ep 8, with random cliffhangers, changing suspects, plot twists deviating from the who-dunnit theme and making it boring. Even when the curtain is lifted to reveal the culprit & motive; it does not have a shocking impact, rather is quite expected at this point and therefore dull.

Hence Final Verdict:
SKIP IT! :(

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The Demon Judge
0 mensen vonden deze beoordeling nuttig
feb 25, 2022
16 van 16
Voltooid 0
Geheel 7.0
Verhaal 6.0
Acting/Cast 8.0
Muziek 10
Rewatch Waarde 5.0

becoming the Devil to banish the Evil?

► What Makes it Worth a Watch

+ Ji Sung acting as Kang Yo-Han (fall in love with his voice, acting and looks all-over again)
+ OST worth adding to your favorite playlist (one of the best in dramas, transitions well for scenes and characters)
+ The mystery behind Yo-Han's backstory (a little Who-dunnit?)
+ The visuals, the concept of the live court show & filming locations

► What Could Have Been Better

• Not a fist-pumping, victory lap worthy finish
The whole process of rooting out evil - the plot could have been a bit more tighter and edgy. The ending doesn't make you jump up and say they got what they deserved, unless you like more bitter-sweet, philosophical endings.

• The Antagonist - Jung Sun Ah & Co
The bunch of them were greedy with low-key plans for world domination. No chilling, blood curling performances.

They were not evil to the core, rather puppets at one point or the other and seemed just plain lazy with carrying out their evil plans. Jung Sun Ah - tries to be the psycho villain - but neither can you sympathize with how she turned evil, not can you say her deeds were pure evil. (Thought some of the Yoga scenes and facial expressions were trying to imitate Yoo Ji-Tae from Oldboy but no where the same impact)

• Kim Ga-On
Expectations: smart, young judge who will use the right path and bring justice, influencing Kang Yohan in his endeavor as well.
Reality: Confused, Naïve character - who was neither good throughout and changed characters around him, neither was a good-turned-slightly evil character to deliver justice cause the powerful don't play fair either. Should have been a Watson to Yohan's Sherlock, or Robin to his Batman - it just wasn't built well.

Flawed character, but Jin Young still shined in scenes where he had to show conflict of thoughts and anguish.

► What Could Have Been Avoided?

- Yoon Soo Hyun & the little-lived romance with Ga-On
The entire character was unnecessary and drama would have been better without it as well as the forced romance between her and Ga-On

- The Doppelganger Effect: Ga-On & Issac
While we see in the end, that it was to affect Yo-Han to take notice of Ga-On, but he would have anyways because of the show they were working on. Eventually because of Ga-On's past history, Yo-Han would have worked with him. Neither does the resemblance affect any of the family members or in the plotline, hence unnecessary.

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Lovely Runner
31 mensen vonden deze beoordeling nuttig
mei 28, 2024
16 van 16
Voltooid 2
Geheel 9.0
Verhaal 8.0
Acting/Cast 10
Muziek 10
Rewatch Waarde 8.0

Honest Review: Not Perfect, yet one of the best of 2024!

There have been moments in my 18 years of drama-addicted life, where I have been obsessed with a drama - its plot, actors, characters, scenes - to the point that made people question my sanity. But never have I come across a drama, that too airing, that has impacted me so much from Day 1 like Lovely Runner! I hardly have time to sleep/eat managing my work-personal life, but for this show - I decided to throw it all away to engage in MDL theories, comment and even create a Insta page dedicated to this show!

Now that you have got an understanding of obsession, and I know this is going in the HALL OF FAME as one of the best K-dramas I have seen till date BUT it is IMPERFECTLY BEAUTIFUL. Hence, please read my un-biased review of this drama:

❤️ Ep 1-10 - Literal Perfection
Heart Fluttering Romance ✔ | Well-Timed Comedy ✔ | right amount of fantasy, suspense & angst ✔ | Music that heals ✔
Basically these episodes had sugar and spice - think of everything that you like in a drama, irrespective of genre, and Lovely Runner has it. The hype it initially created deserved every bit of recognition - and everyone in the cast and crew gave it their heart, which made the final presentation something to look forward to even on dreaded Mondays!

❤️ Byeon Woo Seok & Kim Hye Soon
I cannot even begin to describe the love & pride I feel for these two. Those who are acquainted with their journey would understand how long it has taken for them to be recognized as main leads in this industry. They literally breathed life into their characters - making the chemistry palpable that I won't be surprised if they share they are dating IRL. I think when we say that you cannot imagine anyone else doing these roles OR their character names is recalled more than their real names - it is a testimony of a job fabulously done. They were both amaJING and unbelieBUBBLE and I cannot wait to see them in new projects. Literally the example of #onwards-and-upwards - I am rooting for their success & happiness, and grateful that they took this project and gifted me with such a beautiful experience & memory.

❤️ Music:
I really love how they used the plot story and band - Eclipse and released the OST. Really love these kind of witty nuggets - am such a sucker for it. Thinking from a business perspective - this opens so many doors for BWS who has sung these tracks - to host concerts or sing in his fan meetings. I guess the sharp minds of the industry and agency must have already thought of it.

But I feel the main track - Sudden Shower (Sonaki/소나기) is so damn beautiful and I loved how catalytic it was in the plot.
Other favorites: Spring Snow by 10cm, Like a Dream by Minnie. Already a part of my playlist, and I know it will stay for long.

Now, onto what could have been better? Ep 11 and onwards
Please note that I write this with the mindset of "WABI-SABI" i.e. Beauty in Imperfection. The drama is still is great, but it is not without flaws:

✘ Character Development:
Harsh but true - the leads were uni-dimensional, having only one goal throughout FL wants to save ML, ML is all about puppy love for FL. Not bad per se, but by stretching this overkilled what was initially cute, heart warming, toe curling into fillers. Even the support characters (brother/best friend, In Hyuk, Tae Seong, FL & ML's parents) & villain were not judiciously used to their potential. They were enjoyable whenever onscreen, but the same kind of comedy due to repeating timelines killed the initial excitement thereby not leaving with the greatest impression.

Had this been a 10-12 episode drama format, it would have more impactful, as the repeats/fillers would have not been there. I quote this from a fellow MDL user, Kate's review: it did seem like that they ran out of what to create, in the second half and therefore repurposed many of the epic scenes in new timeline packaging. (Read her review here: https://mydramalist.com/profile/Shini/review/363193)

❤️Overall
In the end - the anticipation and fun that we had as we watched while it aired might not be felt by those who binge it. Hence I am fearful the high ratings we see now, might dwindle. But honestly, this has been a very refreshing, feel good, guilty pleasure drama (thirst trap - included: BWS shirtless scenes, them veiny forearms & hands, long fingers, ability to catch a woman by her waist - OOOHLALALA!) but mainly a show that has after a long time: made me smile in a way that split my face in half or snort like a goofy person at the antics the drama characters played. And what else do you want from a drama : Other than the fact that it makes you feel happy from the bottom of your heart! Lovely Runner did that and more and hence recommend it to be watched at least once ❤️

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Gestopt 10/16
Frightening Cohabitation
2 mensen vonden deze beoordeling nuttig
feb 5, 2022
10 van 16
Gestopt 0
Geheel 6.0
Verhaal 5.0
Acting/Cast 6.0
Muziek 3.0
Rewatch Waarde 1.0
Deze recentie kan spoilers bevatten

Good-looking Cast, Decent Acting - Story Falls Flat

Why I wanted to watch this drama?
• Jang Ki-Yong (wanted to see more of him after Kill It and Go Back Couple)
• Fantasy set-up, Gumihos/Kitsune are one of my favorite mythical characters

What WORKS?
• The actors are very good-looking and do a good job playing their characters well and staying true
• The set locations are very beautiful
• The clothes are pretty

What does NOT WORK?
• The Story Falls Flat and Too Draggy
• It should have been more fast paced given there is an underlying mystery of Gumiho, whether the lead pair end up together, will the lead accomplish his goal to turn human?
• Even with the murder mystery, the episodes don't have a cliffhanger, any sense of urgency that will keep you hooked
• The side characters' (Kang Han-na & Kim Do-Wan) budding romance is more warm and cute to watch
• The SML - totally unnecessary and cry-baby, whining - which is totally opposite of his narcistic personality. Even if you want to believe that he changed cause of the FL - nope, not developed
• The main leads are cute together, but its just lackluster - doesn't make you curl your toes and root for them
• Action is missing, big time
• ML - is just getting objectified as a model-turned-actor, you can feel he is an ancient being - but not romantic, or action-savvy. And when he tries to, it seems forced. :(
• FL - Hyeri's role seems like a 21st century version of her Reply 1988 role. :(

No matter the genre, I like dramas where stories are fast/mid paced, that urge you to watch one more episode.
Expectations from Rom-Com+Fantasy was that there would be great chemistry between the lead pairs and a mystery that keeps you at an edge - which is where in my opinion, this drama under-delivers greatly, sadly. Quite disappointed .

Would recommend only if you want to look at good -looking cast & don't mind a slow, dragged out storyline.

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Hierarchy
14 mensen vonden deze beoordeling nuttig
jun 8, 2024
7 van 7
Voltooid 0
Geheel 5.0
Verhaal 7.0
Acting/Cast 7.0
Muziek 5.0
Rewatch Waarde 1.0

Hope the writers have a sense of "noblesse oblige" & not make Season 2!

This drama fails on so many levels, the only reason I endured as I wanted to know whether my theory on the culprit was right or not. Otherwise this drama has no arresting factor on why you should watch. When it was announced, I called that it seems like a cross-over of Elite, Gossip Girl, Penthouse, Glory & related shows. But this more like watered down version, where the writers picked bits and pieces from all of it and made this total HOT MESS of a show.

The plot was shallow - it depicted the glamour/bullying but had no substance/depth to keep the audience engaged. The acting was "cardboard" stuff, no character arc was built & their motives had no logic - running around the 7 episodes like headless chickens. I literally fast forwarded episodes just to get to the end to know the culprit & whether justice is served. But neither the show throughout nor the finale had any power/impact to wow me at any given second.

The genre/theme is already saturated but clearly this is one of the worst dramas of 2024 so far. Nobody gave it much thought and probably banked on marketing alone - as people would watch it for the hype. Calling it an average drama, is me being kind & for the sake of the artists who took a risk to act in this HOT MESS!

✘ Highly Recommend to SKIP IT & watch other shows in this genre/theme! Remember: Your drama time and braincells are precious ❤️so think carefully before watching!

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I, a Gangster, Became a High Schooler
0 mensen vonden deze beoordeling nuttig
jun 21, 2024
8 van 8
Voltooid 0
Geheel 9.0
Verhaal 9.5
Acting/Cast 10
Muziek 10
Rewatch Waarde 7.0

Righteous Gangster teaches about Life & Friendship! (A Short, Must Watch Drama)

This drama is heart-warming with tinge of action & comedy focusing on deep topics of bullying, child abuse, chaebol politics, family, friendships & life! Not your general soul/body swap drama, this one takes you on a ride in a crisp format of 8 episodes, that is satisfying in terms of plot, acting, music, visuals - putting it my list of best dramas of 2024, and definitely one of the best in short drama category.

➥ Best Parts:
• ML Yoon Chan Young's dual role as an ahjusshi possessed high-schooler and emo-high school kid. Perfect Voice & Acting!
• Perfect action sequences!
• Great depiction & addressal of issues of school bullying, child abuse - with actual and hint of remorse & reformation.
• The gangster sidekicks were amazing - scary, charismatic, comedic but overall loyal. Delight to watch!
• ML giving love/care/respect to those who deserve it, and kicking as where needed.
• ML relationship with SML: starts on the wrong foot but quickens to a great bromance, making SML overcome his own fears.
• The ending - bittersweet, but happy and satisfying!
• The antagonist is a killer actress, even in less screentime, she gives a mean hateful aura. Shows a job done well!

➥ Special mention: Won Tae Min playing Dong Soo is handsome & talented, looking forward to see him in other dramas

➥ Weak Parts:
None - speaking in terms of Story, Acting, Cast, Music and every other metric. But feeling-wise, it was not a masterpiece when I compare it to other dramas I have seen in my life. Still a very, very, very good drama especially done well in a short format.

➥ Overall: Highly Recommended to Watch!
8 Episodes + Good Plot, Acting, Music, Visual + Satisfying Pace & Ending. Also, Yoon Chan Young is an actor to watch out for - his voice and visuals are definitely noteworthy! ❤️

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