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what... a MASTERPIECE... just BRAVO!
“There’s a saying, ‘A mother can replace anything in this world. But nothing can replace a mother.'” – Mr. SonIn general, you know that a drama will be one of your all-time favorites as soon as you watch the first episode. I had this feeling with this drama. The pace is exactly what I love. In two episodes only, we already had a grasp of the situation. There wasn't one episode that was boring, and it's really hard to make an episode as thrilling as possible especially when it exceeds 1 hour.
First and foremost, let's talk about the story itself. It's mainly revolving around the utterly complicated relationship between a mother and her son. What I liked about this drama is that as the episodes go by, we felt like we grew up with them. We see Kangho's birth, his first steps, his traumas, his love-life, his true passion (drawing), his coldness, his cuteness, his kindness. It's really rare to have such a complete character. We basically know everything about him and it helps us understand him more and be more invested in the story. We also have a grasp of Youngsoon's story and her reasons behind her abusive behavior towards her son (I do not condone this type of behavior whatsoever and whatever the reasons may be) . Besides her bad acts, I still like her as a human being. She suffered way too much in her life. From losing her parents and brother, her husband, her pig farm, and almost losing her son, I'm really wondering how she was able to maintain a kind soul. She is a bad mother indeed, but she isn't the type to do it willingly and without any emotions. Kangho's accident was a way for her to redeem herself. "Please let me be a bad mother once again, Kangho", she said while teaching him how to eat after his accident. She is fully aware of her doings and isn't proud of it. When she hit Kangho's calves, she healed it while he was sleeping, when she ripped his drawing, she sticked it back. Kangho is fully aware of this and this is why he doesn't hate her this much.
“What I really wanted to avenge was your life they utterly destroyed, and the pain you felt living as a bad mother to your most beloved son.” – KangHo
However, what gives life to this drama are the supporting characters, especially the Jouri village. I really got a "Reply 1988" vibe from this, and funny thing is that the trio "Kangho-Mijoo-Samshik" is born in 1988! We had different families reunited in a tiny village growing together, bickering, laughing, crying, they truly rely on each other and love each other. Each character had its time to shine, even Tiger the dog and Lion the pig had their time to shine! I really like the fact that they put up the tiny-village-family-looking trope in this drama, it lower our heart rate and makes us laugh for a tiny while. I'm personally a big fan of dramas with a variety of genres, I don't remember liking many dramas sticking to a single genre. Hence, if you're like me, you will absolutely love this show. Thriller, mystery, family, life, romance, comedy, law, and i'm sure that I forgot other genres.
Let's get into the acting. Wow... just wow. Ra Miran, Lee Dohyun, Ahn Eunjin, Choi Moosung, Jung Woongin, Yoo Insoo... and the list goes on and on. The cast was perfectly chosen. Every single actor nailed their role, every single actor was able to depict the role and give life to it. A little thing I want to add, THE TWINS ARE SO CUTE. I wish them the best in their upcoming endeavours and hope they will become amazing actors in the far future! I hope this drama will get a lot of Baeksang nominations!
A good bad mother may not be perfect, but she does her best and sacrifices everything that she has just to see her child succeed in life. Taking a step back, Youngsoon loved Kangho to death and could do everything for him, her approach to show her love was wrong. I'm just glad that during that dark time for both Youngsoon and Kangho, Mijoo was able to be his ray of sunshine that made him believe that life wasn't that bad. Love can do wonders.
“One day, when everything ends and I can return to your side, I wish to lie in your arms and eat mung bean pancakes just as I did when I was a little boy.” – KangHo
"I wanted to become the best mom for you, but you only get one life and it was my first time being a mom, so I'm sorry that I wasnt good enough. I prayed that I'd become your mom once again, and if that ever happens I promised I'll do better" - Youngsoon
I hope that Kangho and Youngsoon will reunite one day and do as Kangho and Youngsoon wished, to eat his mom's pancakes and be pampered by her. After all, we will all always be little children to our parents.
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What a wonderful healing show
I've been waiting every single week just for this show to air. Every time I saw that the latest episode has been subbed, I become so happy. Every single girl in the cast has a unique personality and is irreplaceable. I'm so glad a second season is in the making, PLEASE KEEP THE SAME CAST!! Anyways, it's healing, SO FUNNY, entertaining. It's been a while since I've seen a nice variety like this. They also did amazing for casting women from diverse backgrounds: you have idols, dancers, actresses, MC, and this diversity brought a fresh air to the show!Vond je deze recentie nuttig?
The storytelling is disappointing. I was expecting more.
The first episode gathers the main cast that unfortunately couldn't be together due to conflicting schedules, and they answered questions like "What is your favourite epilogue?" "Which character would you have loved to play except from yours?". We saw glimpses of behind the scene, we saw bloopers and all of this was narrated by actress Kim Jungnan (playing Hong Beomja). The first episode is good, we got to know the actors' perspective and delved a bit deeper in their character.The second episode is a big letdown. They showed the power of CGI, two seconds of Hyunwoo and Haein behind the scenes and the viewers' tearful reactions to the drama. However, literally 80% of the second episode was just a replay of the drama scenes, as if we weren't traumatized enough by them.
I'm a bit disappointed with the storytelling of these two special episodes. I would have loved to see more behind the scenes, more interesting questions being asked to the cast instead of making them read cheesy pickup-lines written by fans, maybe the screenwriter's thought process behind the writing of this traumatizingly good drama.
Are they trying to gatekeep the good content and will end up putting everything in the Blu-ray?
Overall, watching these two episodes won't change your life, you are better off watching another drama or sleeping.
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A distinctive story and a captivating cinematography.
“Just as I was getting bored of repeating life after life, I met Seoha.” – Ban JieumBan Jieum's 17 lives were exceptional. She danced the flamenco, she fought the war, she was in a circus. Yet the life that impacted her the most was her 18th life, her life as Yoon Juwon. Those 12 years as Juwon made her forget the fact that she remembers her previous lives. And this is because of a little kid named Moon Seoha. Her 19th life was then a life of reminiscing and reuniting. She wanted to meet and gather with her loved ones. Aegyeong, Chowon, Seoha.
On top of an impressive cast, this webtoon adaptation has a unique story-line and a mesmerizing cinematography. Howeverm what stroke me the most in this drama are the diverse dynamics we had between Jieum and other characters.
Jieum and Aegyeong, uncle and niece relationship: Aegyeong is truly my comfort character. She exudes tenderness, care, and even motherly love. She's taken care of Jieum ever since she was little and never judged her or questioned her about her previous lives. She just believed her and called her "삼촌" as much as she could. Aegyeong was there when Jieum needed it the most and that's a proof of her fidelity and reliability.
“Living a safe and ordinary life together with you. That’s all I want.” – Aegyeong
Jieum and Chowon, sisterhood: Chowon was the second person to know and accept Jieum as she is. Chowon has always been Jieum's little baby. In the 18th and 19th life. Even though she still hasn't told her about her remembering her past lives, she looks at her with such devotion and melancholia and she pats her when she's asleep. Even though Chowon still didn't know about it, she felt the sisterly connection between her and Jieum.
“Why does a stranger feel so much like my sister?” – Chowon
Jieum and her 18th life mom, a solid and deep bond: In episode 3, we witness and devastatingly beautiful scene of Jieum embracing her mother while wailing. However, this was only part of her imagination. This is what she wanted, her previous life's mother to remember her and to understand that Juwon is still here, but in another form. The mom wants to believe that Juwon will come back to the point of keeping Juwon's room untouched. She was bound to believe Jieum. Unfortunately, Jieum never told her about her previous life as Juwon.
“There are people I can share my secret with and people that I should never open up to.” – Jieum
Jieum and Doyoon, underappreciated and a lost potential: In the Webtoon, the only one who was connected to Jieum in her first life was Doyoon. They were twins. Unfortunately, it didn't happen in the drama and they remained strangers. He's only seen as her sister's lover, not as her brother. I wanted to see their sibling-like bickering. It's a pity.
Jieum and Mingi, a best-friend turned into an enemy: another wasted potential. I really wanted them to remain as best-friends and wanted Mingi to be that chaotic funny best-friend. I wanted to see comedy since it's one of the genre in the show, but we got angst. They turned him into a key character in Jieum's first life and made him a grey-ish character. They handled the story pretty well tho, Mingi being in her first life and killing Seol (Chowon's name in the first life), was consistent and understandable. Thus the reason Jieum remembers her past lives in the drama is because she held a grudge against Mingi in her first life.
“Can you even say that this life is a new life for you? Aren’t you just clinging onto your past relationships?” - Mingi
Jieum and Seoha: an unfinished and unfulfilled love bound to flourish again: what a wonderful dynamic. One of my all-time favorite couple. Their backstory is so emotionally beautiful, their love is pure and they only have eyes for each others. Jieum, previous Juwon, will be the sun that shines over Seoha's pitch-black life and the moon that enlightens Seoha's dull and traumatic life. Seoha's innocence and playfulness made Jieum feel truly alive, not just going through another life.
Swimming together, reading together, laughing together, those very simple things made her feel like an actual 12 year old girl.
“I’ve always wondered why I could remember my past lives. I couldn’t forget them even if I wanted to. But the most memorable life out of them all was the warm and ordinary summer days with you.” – Jieum
Seoha's innocence remained even when he grew up. He's still a child in his heart because his soul died as soon as Juwon died. He felt his soul reviving as soon as Jieum appeared in his life.
“When I was with Seoha, I felt like I was actually 12. He made me forget that I had died and lived again seventeen times in the past.” – Jieum
“When I’m with her, my worries melt away and I feel relieved. If this is what love is, can I let myself feel it?” – Seoha
On top of the wonderful dynamics, the cinematography. Alluring, breath-taking, ethereal. I watched every single scene with glowing eyes because of how enticing the cuts are. Not only the dialogues are beautiful, the cinematography adds a dreamy-like perspective to every single word they utter.
I also want to highlight the impressive performance of Shin Hyesun. I'm so glad she's getting more love as she's doing more works. She's a wonderful actress and the perfect cast for Ban Jieum and for Su (her name in the first life). All of the actors did an amazing job portraying their own character, the performances are top-notch.
I really loved the OSTs, I liked some BGMs even though they put comical BGMs in serious scenes. The staff did an amazing job overall.
Also if you expect watching the exact same adaptation of the webtoon, it will not happen. Significant changed have been made. It personally didn't affect me that much, I liked the changes and it also made those who read the webtoon clueless about what was about to happen. It was a stressful but fun ride.
As expected the ending was not shocking. Jieum forgets her past lives forever not only to protect her loved ones, but also to protect herself from the torment she's been living throughout these centuries. Little by little, her loved ones approach her like she did first and will slowly get close to her. Jieum has a fun personality so it will be easy to get close to them once again. Seoha is now the daring one, he's the one who's about to ask her out three times and she will be the one who'll accept his request.
Overall, this drama was amazing. I really loved it. I don't usually watch fantasy shows and the last romance fantasy I watched was Hotel del Luna back in 2019. This was a big surprise and I don't regret watching it. It's a good short drama with a cast and staff that did an outstanding job.
“I don’t know whether I was startled or simply wanted to live. But I just started running. All the longing and heart-wrenching memories must’ve vanished in the wind while I ran. I found the will to live once again. That was when I realized that if I run, I can live.” – Jieum
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People who think that social medias and real life are two contrasting things... watch this show.
"Every choice in this world comes with its consequence, but a lot of people seem to be oblivious to that since it makes their life easier not to know what they've actually done. But we must be aware of our actions. We must know that we can't escape from what we've done. And we must pay the price for the choices we've made. We shouldn't avoid it, and we cannot avoid it."This show tells us all about the blemishes of a world that pretends to be so perfect and pretends to be teeming with honest people. In a country like South Korea, where one's appearance defines whether the latter will be among the elites or serve the elites, a drama like this needed to be done. Although I felt like the drama lacked realism from time to times, it's a succint watch to get a grasp of a world that one would prefer not to interfere with.
The power of social medias, where someone can rise to fame incredibly fast, but fall to doom utterly fast too. The new trend of influencers, who can even make poop sell out if they want to. They're able to afford luxury brands and luxury service, but they can even be paid to be pampered up. But at what cost? Getting tons of hate comments, hate accounts about you getting tons of likes, always having to be at the best shape... is this a life? Seo Ari will live that journey: from being a rich ivy-schooler-to-be, to selling stuff, to rising to fame as an influencer, to the utlimate fall. One thing the drama was good at is showing us how destructive fame is and it can lead to someone's doom.
Through the show, Seo Ari talks about the behind the scenes of a world that at first glance very tempting, but let's not forget that curiosity is what killed the cat. She exposes that world through a livestream while everyone was thinking that she was dead. Up until the penultimate episode, the livestream is on.
What did I like in the show? The casting. The guest roles. The cinematography. The BGMs. Yoon Sihyeon.
What didn't I like in the show? No deep description of a single character. No male influencers. A bit of a rushed ending.
The budget of this drama must be huge to invite celebrities like Aiki, Yuqi, Seol Inah, Lee Junho... I liked it that they brought real celebrities so that we feel like the world they're describing in the drama is the world we live in. It brought a bit of realism.
The cinematography is nice, especially for those who like fashion and beauty, you would like this.
Yoon Sihyeon is the best ever, that's all I have to say about her.
- As for what drew me back. The lack of description. We get a clear and precise description of the events, but no precise description of a single character. Description as in details about their personality, their life, etc. That made it hard to understand them or just to relate to them in some way. I guess that was the purpose of the writer: our world and theirs isn't the same whatsoever, so what is there to relate to? We're just spectators of their misdeeds just like those people who were glued to their screens througouh the show.
- No male influencers. I didn't like that part of the show. The fact that there were only female influencers. It would've been more interesting to see how male influencers behave, how different they are from the female influencers that we've seen in the show. A nice idea would be to make a second part of Celebrity but this time with Lee Junho as the main character (since he was the last one to appear in the show with the ipad that had Seo Ari fan account in it and with a smile on his face). Being overly superficial and caring about oneself appearance isn't a feminine trait.
- A rushed ending. A bit disappointed about the fact that we didn't even see the whereabouts of Jin Taejeon (he's in jail for sure but i wanted to see it), the mastermind of it all, and the whereabouts of _bbbfamous (also in jail for sure). It just ended with Taejeon smoking and _bbbfamous with wounds that aren't so fatal. I wanted to see their sentence. I also wanted to see the scene of Seo Ari and her mom's encounter after all this time.
Overall, this drama is a nice watch since it's short (12 episodes and ~40 minutes per episode), it has its few imperfections but it's a nice watch for those who like fashion, makeup and all that stuff, and for those who want to know more about influencers in South Korea (you should still watch other documentaries and read articles about it, don't limit yourself to one media to learn more about that two-faced world).
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The eerie journey of two women striving to live as their true selves.
Moon Jooran's seemingly perfect life started crumbling down because of a stench coming from the backyard. This suspenseful thriller will then revolve around the reason of that smell. Moon Jooran ends up discovering throughout the show that she has been too weak of a person and has turned a blind eye on many details that could've saved the victim, her son, and herself.Chu Sangeun's life has been hell on earth. She's beaten by her husband, she's poor and her family can't be deemed as one.
Although both of these women come from contrasting backgrounds, they have a similar marital pattern. Both of them have an awful husband: one's husband is openly a jerk, and one's husband is a sly jerk. We'll see how these women will handle them and bring them to their demise.
What I liked in this show:
- Casting -
Let's be honest, I think most of us started watching this drama because of the insane cast. Kim Taehee's first work after many years, Lim Jiyeon's "TaeHyeJi" collection, Kim Sungoh and Choi Jaerim who are outstanding actors. The casting was perfect, they embodied their role with brio.
- Cinematography -
There has been a very few dramas where the cinematography got me dazzled. It felt like I was watching a very long movie. I got Parasite vibes. The shots were all so well-made and suit the vibe of the drama.
- OSTs & BGMs -
Listening to the opening alone captivated me and got me invested. Music plays an important role and can itself stop me from focusing on the show. Kudos to the composer and everybody who contributed to the soundtracks, they did great.
- The last episode -
The last episode, especially the ending, was satisfying to me. Jaeho's only way to atone for his sin was to perish six feet under. What he did is unforgivable, regardless of the reason. He is a very selfish person and hides behind that perfect fatherly image to get away with his horrendous acts. We FINALLY managed to see in the last episode both ladies helping each other out to both be freed from that suffocating life of theirs. At the end, both ladies manage to live as their true selves. Sangeun is finally smiling and living, I'm happy for her, she lived a hard life. Jooran on the other hand lives with her son and stopped being cooped up in her house. She is no longer a weak mom, and I am proud of her for trying so hard to become stronger for her son's sake but especially for her sake.
What I didn't like in this show:
- The pace -
It was slow, incredibly slow. Not a captivating type of slow, a boring type of slow. I had to put a 2.0x speed during some scenes, which is something I never do. The long pauses between lines are good since it's a thriller, but doing it in every single scene becomes boring. Things are then not moving, it felt like we were going back to square one countless of times and it felt like everything that we watched until now was a waste of time.
- Many plot-holes -
The drama left many unanswered questions to us. Who killed Jooran's sister? Why? Was Soomin really pregnant? What happened between Sangeun and her mom? Why would Jooran still live in that house where many atrocities happened?
Many plot-holes and I really hate when this happens. Thankfully, this didn't negatively impact the drama since the main questions have been answered.
Overall, it's a nice watch. Make sure to fasten the pace of the scenes from time to times because you'd feel like you're just looking at pictures. Good job to all the cast and the staff for making a good drama.
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A healing story taking place in Jeju-do, a haven for the exhausted dragons.
“I’m going to become a dragon that rises from a small stream.” – Cho SamdalA hometown (고향) is not just a place, it's a root, an identity, an experience, an memory. A hometown allows somebody to feel a sense of community and belonging. The story primarily unfolds in a hometown called Samdalri, nestled in the enchanting destination of Jeju-do.
“Yong-pil once told me no dragon can rise from a small stream by themselves. They get help from the loaches, mandarin fish, and frogs in the streams.” – Cho Samdal
This drama is about healing, forgiveness, family, friendship, love, and selflessness. Cho Samdal left behind her thriving career as a photographer in Seoul and moved back to Samdalri after 8 years of vacancy. By doing that, she also left behind her identity as Cho Eunhye, the workaholic tsundere, to find her true self as Cho Samdal.
“The migratory birds pursued their youthful dreams, but they eventually flew back to Jeju, their home.” – Cho Samdal
However, this drama doesn't only follow her path, but showcases the healing journey of all Samdalri's people.
- Ko Mija: A mainland lady who became the leader of the Haenyeo (해녀) mourns the loss of her old friend, Bu Mija.
- Cho Sangtae: A fool in love who saw his world shattered after the loss of his soulmate, Bu Mija. Since then, he is blinded by hatred towards Ko Mija, thinking everyone forgot the memory of his wife.
- Cho Haedal & Cha Hayul: Haedal was pregnant with Hayul at a young age and put a hold on her promising swimming career. She is also a widow. Hayul is a thoughtful and mature child who wants to protect her mother. The dynamics between them was my personal favourite.
- Cho Jindal: The eldest out of the three sisters. She married into a rich family and was mistreated. She always stands against unfairness and persecution, never failing to protect those weaker than her. At the price of her career, she denounced her family in law and their heinous actions.
- Cho Yongpil: The embodiment of selflessness. He always had a knack for helping and saving people. From decorating Ko Mija's buoy with a floral pattern, to pushing away his dream of joining the WMO in Switzerland, he always thought of his loved ones before himself.
“Your dream doesn’t always have to be a job. You two are my dream.” – Young Cho Yongpil
I mainly loved this drama because it tackles a topic that has rarely been addressed: Haenyeos.
Inscribed on the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage List since 2016, Haenyeos belong to the heritage of South Korea. The soaring Hallyu (한류) Wave is a great opportunity to showcase the culture of Haenyeos to the world through media like Korean Drama.
You won't see vengeance. The female lead is not a proactive character hungry for revenge. She is passive and doesn't want to retaliate against those people who wronged her. Whenever Bang Eunju looks for more ways to stain Samdal's reputation, Samdal chooses not to react. She tried to tell everyone that it's not true when she was in Seoul, but everyone turned their back on her already. Her friends and family, however, can't stand seeing Samdal be wronged when she didn't do anything and will do everything to free her from the dungeon of malicious articles and comments.
Throughout her journey in Samdalri, Cho Samdal realized that there are people who loved her. This is why it is important to go back to our roots, to remember where we came from and who we were before. Dwelling in the past isn't a good thing for sure, but it's unhealthy to completely erase it from our memory. Nostalgia isn't a toxic feeling when moderately consumed; it is a proof that we have accomplished beautiful things in the past that should inspire us to accomplish beautiful things in the future.
This story moves us, much like the azure waves of Jeju Island, and reminds us that it's okay to not be okay.
“The sea is the best place to be when you’re troubled. It’s peaceful and no one bothers you there.” – Ko Mija
“As always, we’re going for only as long as our breath allows without being greedy. And whenever we’re out of breath, we’ll come back to that place. Our small stream, Samdal-ri. Having a place to return to is an incredible relief.” - Cho Yongpil and Cho Samdal.
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I'm Serious About Dating
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We wanted more!
I started this drama mainly because Yoo In Na was in it and because the drama's synopsis reminded me of 2010s romcoms. The story was off for a very promising start, but they kept on dragging it. We only got the genuine confession in the final episode, and a short scene of Bora and Suhyeok being lovey-dovey at the very end of the last episode. There should be a special episode dedicated just for them, because I think that the other couples (Bomi/Jinho, Yujeong/Jinwoo, even the divorced couple) had a more interesting story. There was a lot of tension between our main couple, but that was it. If they wanted it to be slowburnish, it should've gone smoothlier, not make them mistakenly kiss at episode 8 and then make them beat around the bush during the following episodes. Still, I'm happy Suhyeok mustered up his courage at the end and said it literally that he loved Bora. This drama was a nice watch, but has a poor rewatch value. I also really enjoyed the comedy and the acting of the cast, I wish them the best for their upcoming projects!Vond je deze recentie nuttig?
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Started off well, but didn't end well.
First off, I was so excited about starting the show since the plot was so appealing. A woman that was stuck in a dungeon being treated like garbage by her own family for decades ends up wanting to fulfill her teenage dream of becoming a doctor. The plot was fresh and was starting off so well. It was good... until it wasn't.The issue with trying such plots is that a good screenwriter has to do it. Everything depends on how the screenwriter will think. It's up to the screenwriter to either make this plot an amazing life lesson, or screw this plot up and turn it into a soap opera. If I wanted to watch a makjang, I would have just found one on KBS and watched it.
The issue with "Doctor Cha" is that its initial aim wasn't to be a makjang, but a medical romcom. I don't see the romance, I don't see the comedy.
I really feel like they forced the comedy into this drama. Some scenes that clearly weren't supposed to be funny in the drama had a comical bgm, as if those matters weren't serious and were to be taken lightly. We're talking about real life issues, I believe that the life Jeongsuk used to live is something a lot of Korean women and women in general live.
Not being considered as a human being, having to abandon your own career to look after domestic chores, being trampled on, being cheated on, your husband having a love child, this is too much for me to consider this drama a comedy.
Now let's talk about the "romance", where is it???? Oh tell me where is it??? WHERE IS THE LOVE??? (this is from a song called "where is the love", please don't think i've gone crazy ^^')
Now more seriously, except Jungmin and Sora, where is the romance? And please don't tell me that Seunghi and Inho was romance. To be frank, I didn't expect Jeongsuk and Roy Kimberley to be endgame. Even tho it clearly shows that they like each others, they just can't be together. Anyways, with how the drama turned into a makjang, I didn't expect any romance so for me this drama is everything but a romcom!
Now, another thing I'm pissed off about. WHY DID ROY GIVE HIS BONE MARROW TO THAT OLD MAN??? I just can't buy the "I didn't do it as a son, but I did it as doctor line". Maybe that's just the way I am, but if someone that abandoned me when I was a baby shows up 40 years after just to ask me for my bone marrow WHILE SLANDERING A DECEASED PERSON, I would have thrown a huge fit.
Anyways I'm just utterly disappointed with how the drama was written. Many unecessary scenes were added like Roy giving his bone marrow, Jeongsuk being sick for the second time, the "which liver am I going to choose?" part, and... THE DIVORCE THAT WAS DRAGGED FOR TOO LONG!!! I think what would have been a better option is to focus on her life as a resident in the hospital, not in her love-life. I really wanted to see more scenes with patients. I loved her human and kind way to deal with patients, like that chairman or that pregnant woman for instance. It would have been amazing to see her growth, her worries, her happy moments with colleagues, but that love triangle and divorce took the spotlight and it's such a pity.
To finish this (long) review off, I'm just glad that Jeongsuk is at peace now at least. She doesn't seem to hold a grudge against the people that hurt her, to the point that she's cool with her ex-mother in law and ex-husband and meets them often. She just wants to stay far away from drama and conflict, so she's in good terms with everyone. We might all have a different approach in life, some might resent people forever, some might take revenge, some might stay in that toxic place, and some might just be free from all of it and be at peace with everyone including the ones that made them suffer. Jeongsuk belongs to the last category, that's just the way she is.
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A drama about each people's conception of happiness.
The story-line of this drama is deeper and darker than I would have thought.This drama revolves around the Bannae-dong murder case, which Oh Yujin, a famous influencer, is the victim of. Throughout the drama, a witch-hunt is occurring to unveil the truth about the whole case. The whole circumstances that led to this tragic event are utterly horrid. This drama is also about people hiding their true happiness, forgetting their true happiness, ruining someone's true happiness, looking for their true happiness.
"What Yujin wanted to hide giving up her own life, true happiness. What she wanted to protect giving up her life, fake happiness."
Each of the character had a different approach with happiness.
- Miho's true happiness: Yujin, Jiyul and Hayul, and Jinseop.
- Jungah's true happiness: Her people.
- Nayoung's true happiness: Arin, and the baby she's carrying in her belly.
- Jiye's true happiness: Sowon.
- Yujin's true happiness: Miho, Jiyul and Hayul, Jua, and her first love.
Each one of them made choices to preserve their true happiness and their peace of mind. Nayoung firmly chose to divorce Taeho while Jungah decided not to divorce Subin even though he betrayed her. Two different choices and two different approaches in life. Even though we might not agree with their choice, it remains their choice, it remains their life.
"The scar you left, it won't ever go away. I will resent you and hate you and be heartbroken all over again. But I decided to continue to live with you. And that's my choice" - Jungah.
Now let's delve into the most important plot of the show: the murder case and who was behind it. As expected, Yujin's evil husband, Kang Dojun, was the mastermind behind it. "You can't even be a proper man." was his turning point. This sentence said by Yujin made him commit the worst. He is willing to kill the mother of his children over a mere sentence. That's how frail of a person he is and how fragile his manhood is. But what made Yujin burn with rage? Something that would make any mother see red, he committed the worst atrocity. The girl who was in the explicit video with him was Yujin's daughter, Jua. He tormented his step-daughter. The moment I realized it was her in the video, I had to stop the episode for a second and breathe because that was too much to take. Also the moment I realized this, I wanted to see his comeuppance, something that we unfortunately didn't get to witness.
The last scene we see Kang Dojun in is him entering a police car while looking at Miho, pretty underwhelming I may say. We should have seem his trial and his demise. This is why I have to remove points.
The thing that increases the score is the sisterhood between Miho and Yujin. Man these girls love each others so much, talk about a bad timing. They didn't get the chance to properly say "I love you" to one another. The only way now of Miho to show her love towards Yujin is to shower Jiyul and Hayul with love.
Ever since the moment Miho got the hold of her folder in Yujin's USB and read that "Complaint" file about her, I knew she didn't read it all. I knew there was more to it. There was no way Yujin's last words regarding Miho would be negative. As soon as I saw that she didn't read everything, I felt relieved. I wanted a good ending for these women.
"You were everything to me... You were my only family. No matter what anyone else said, you were my family. You were my sister and my best friend." - Yujin to Miho.
Miho's way to apologize to Yujin for being too clueless and ignorant was to investigate Yujin's case and properly send her away. Even though Miho's detective work was too emotional and clumsy, I have to give her the fact that she never gave up and stayed brave until the end.
Now the past is past, it's time to move on for all of them while reminiscing the good memories. Miho needs to change her environment and Jiyul and Hayul really need therapy because what these poor girls went through must have taken a toll on them. I hope they all find peace and end up being a happy family. Real Aunt Miho, Real Uncle Jinseop, Jiyul, Hayul.
"I'm happy with just remembering them. The feeling of happiness. The memories that I don't want to forget. The moment that I don't want to miss. Maybe I should try to capture them forever... for my true inner happiness." - Jang Miho.
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A whimsical, refreshing and fell-good drama. Hermès until the end!
How long has it been since we've last had a real romcom, without any thriller plot, exhausting angst, pointless break-up and misunderstandings? King The Land overrides these and it's what makes this drama amazing to watch.As expected, this drama follows a pattern that is well-known in romcoms: they don't like each others first, they meet pretty often so they get closer, the tension begins, they kiss at episode 8, their lovey-dovey journey begins and their love lasts forever.
No complicated plot-line, not far-fetched plot-twists, no serial-killer, no secret villain, pure and simple feel-good drama.
Hence, people might deem this drama as boring, but I didn't find it boring whatsoever. I actually think the story-line is pretty solid. It's not a rich man/poor woman trope (Sarang is FAR from being poor), it's a man/woman trope. What I loved in this drama is that their status was overshadowed by their unconditional love. I never thought once about the fact that Guwon is Sarang's boss, I only saw them as two youngsters in love. This is the first thing that makes this drama refreshing. The second thing, COMMUNICATION. What made this drama amazing is the way the leads sort everything out the moment a misunderstanding tries to take place. Guwon is always trying to make Sarang aware that she can trust him and she can rely and him, Sarang too. This sorted out the unnecessary break-ups and feuds.
Aside from the ROM in romcom, this drama is COM as in really really comical. It's been a while since I've laughed this much while watching an ongoing drama. From Guwon/Sangsik amusing quarrels, the 6 siblings trip in Thailand, Sarang's grandma's nagging, I kept on Hermès-ing throughout the drama.
This drama also enlightens us about how thankful we should be to all the workers and how hard the conditions are for them. It's hard for them, but they always have to keep a smile. Be a Guwon in a world full of Hwarans, make sure your workplace is one without any fake smiles but only genuine ones. I always see one's worth when they interact with workers. If somebody is nice to you but treats workers in a condescending and rude way, this person's soul is dark.
YoonA did an amazing job at portraying a worker who always has to look nice and smile, but is actually tired and drained inside. I loved how Sarang voiced out her tiredness in the last episode saying that she's no longer happy in King The Land and wants to try new things. Sarang is the embodiment of independence, strength and self-reliance. I aspire to be as cool as Sarang.
Junho was also amazing in his role as Guwon, it was like this role was made solely for him. Guwon is the perfect example that no matter how hard your life was, no matter how much people deceived you, this isn't a reason not to be a good person. If you didn't have an amazing person to rely on, be that person. Guwon is such a pure, nice and selfless person. It's rare to see a male-lead which such power in a company like this. He also knows what he wants and knows how to respect and provide for his significant other. He's perfect.
All the other actors were amazing, I know most of them so I'm not even shocked, I knew they would do an awesome job. The one actress that caught my attention, is Kim Sun Young playing Gu Hwaran. She's a famous musical actress, and I can see why she's famous. King The Land is her first drama. I was impressed, I hope to see her in other dramas. It feels nice to see new faces in dramaland, and it feels nice to see a woman that tries new things. Life only stops when you pass away, so it's always time to try new things without worrying about age. Wish her the best!
Overall, I loved this drama. I had a heartwarming moment and it's with a lot of sadness that I am letting go of this drama. I hope we will have nice rom-coms like King The Land in the near future. Wishing all the best to the cast, the screenwriter, the directors, and the whole staff!
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What an amazing moment I spent watching this drama...
Unless three dramas I've completed, I've been in a kdrama slump for years... I then tried to give a go to The Glory since it was the first time Song Hyekyo acted in such drama and the trailer was interesting. I am not regretting this AT ALL!! I'm so glad I chose to watch it since the ending was perfect to me. The drama was well-structured and there aren't any major plotholes like we can encounter in most dramas. I'm so glad that I was finally watching a drama with a decent ending. Good job to everybody, from the screenwriter to the actors who did an amazing job making this project an amazing one.Vond je deze recentie nuttig?
Untitled Park Ji Eun Project
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Queen of Tears : The lachrymose ode to this miracle called life.
"Queen of Tears" is portrayed as a romantic-comedy, depicting a tale of the reversed Cinderella love story between a heiress for whom money has never been a concern and a brilliant lawyer who was born and raised in the village of Yongduri. At first glance, this story-line may appear superficial. However, a question arose throughout my watching experience: How could this seemingly simplistic romcom encompass such complexity? Watching this drama also led me to ponder a naive yet profound question: Is it possible to love this much?I experienced a roller-coaster of emotions while watching this drama. Their joys, their sorrows, their fears, their love. I became privy to their inner thoughts and feelings, just like a personal diary. Each character, though it can differ in intensity, has a story to tell, feelings to share, wounds to heal. You will cry tears of joy, of sorrow, of anger. Watching this drama will make you become THE queen of tears.
While the story unveils a significant number of typical K-drama scenes (Amnesia, Accident...), I suggest you give this drama a chance for the showstopping acting performances that have led to an excellent execution of the scenes.
The drama heavily emphasizes the "Miraculous" side of their love. This malignant brain tumour was the catalyst for Haein and Hyunwoo to rediscover and redefine the essence of love. What is better: living as they did for the past two years, eventually divorcing while burying their unspoken words and feelings, or experiencing a sudden event that teaches them how to love again? This illness happened for a reason; thus we learn that the things that hurt you in the present might offer you a grandiose gift in the future. The things you think are good to you might be the cause of your demise in the future.
The blind yet comfortable trust Hong Mandae gave to Eunseong and Moh Seulhee led to his death. The blind yet comfortable trust Haein's family gave to Eunseong led to their destitution. Haein's tumour led to cherishing this miracle called life.
I see this drama as a celebration of life. Getting older is a blessing. However, ensuring that you lived your life how you wanted it to be is the greatest accomplishment. Hong Mandae, who died at age 80, but has so many regrets; Hong Soowan, who is forever young and never got the chance to experience what life had to offer to him; Baby 1031, who became a star in the sky. They are all examples of life paths.
"I spent my whole life saving money, and I did everything I could to keep it from being taken away from me. [...] I want to leave you this confession that I have lived wrong [...] I want you to live a different life than I did. And I sincerely hope that you will have an end that is not in vain." - Hong Mandae, to Haein.
Haein, who was once a middle child, suddenly had to go through the hurdles of an oldest sibling. The relationship with her mother kept on worsening. She is married yet she is estranged to her husband. She was given three months to live. Three months to supposedly prepare to leave this earth. Three months to bid farewells. Death doesn't knock at people's houses and ask for permission to enter, it can snatch your soul away in a second. However, Haein was given a deadline, she was given a chance. The chance of reviving the hibernating passionate, yet pure love between her and Hyunwoo.
Haein and Hyunwoo retraced the beautiful moments of their past, returning to their haven called 'Sanssouci", walking together in the lavender fields, searching for the padlock engraved with their names. However, sacrificing their past was the only way for them to have a present and a future. Haein had to make the most difficult choice of her life: passing away with her memories, or doing a surgery leading her to start anew with her loved ones like a tabula rasa. As her three-months deadline draws near, Hyunwoo exhibits desperate behaviour, proving to Haein that he would go crazy if she were to pass away. The scene where he breaks the car window with his bare hand, thinking that Haein is trapped in the burning car, was one of my favourite scenes. It was always him, her reason to live.
"He's the reason why I didn't want to lose my memory. And even if I did, he's the reason why I wanted to live. Baek Hyunwoo is the person I want to remember forever." - Haein.
I am thankful she was given three months. In such a short period, Haein and Hyunwoo learned about one another more than they did in four years. It doesn't matter how long you know a person; what matters is how you spend time together. How you communicate with one another. How you can sacrifice anything for this person, even your life. In the finale, Hyunwoo taking the bullet instead of Haein to protect her was the climax of his love for her.
Another aspect of the drama I loved watching was the surprising yet endearing dichotomy between Hyunwoo's family and Haein's family. It was a pleasure to watch. The Napoleon painting in Hong Mandae's place being replaced with a family picture showcases how Haein's family managed to redeem itself. From aspiring to thrive and dominate the economy to cherishing the greatest gift life has to offer; a loving family.
"Queen of Tears" offers a heartbreakingly beautiful story. The ending shows Haein and Hyunwoo returning to "Sanssouci", this time with a baby girl. Their time has come to become the greatest parents. Their 1031 baby shines bright like a star on them. It is followed with, I think, one of the most beautiful scenes ever: Baek Hyunwoo walking on the staircase of "Sanssouci", a place that has lost its warmth. Haein's grave is shown afterwards, with an epitaph saying "The time I spent with you was the miracle of my life." All of this accompanied with Kim Soohyun's OST, a heart-shattering yet beautiful song.
Although Haein managed to overcome the torments of her illness, she was the first one to walk the eternal path of bliss 50 years later. She indeed will be the one who will pick Hyunwoo up, to live a long and beautiful life elsewhere, where there are no worries - a "Sanssouci" place in the sky.
Fly high, Hong Haein. You did well, you were a wonderful character until the end. 22/08/1990 - 07/04/2074.
I would like to conclude this long review (although i would love to discuss about this drama even longer) with a quote from the movie "A Walk to Remember" (2002).
"Love is like the wind. You can't see it, but you can feel it."
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