Better than you expect..

Master's Delicacies is a finely produced and directed miniseries that shows the positives and negatives of having a career as a Mukbang YouTuber. Some of these themes I did not expect but they were met with open arms. I initially watched this just purely based on episode length, but I was still sceptical as miniseries with the same type of episode length have been very hit or miss in the past. This is a hit. It's not perfect, but it is definitely a hit. I was debating on what rating to give this, and I believe an 8 is about right. For example, some parts I felt were added by the writer for a plot twist, but they didn't need to be added.

Acting was surprisingly amazing, as I am not familiar with anyone in this beforehand. It makes me curious about their other work. OST was great too, it didn't show up too often, but it was nice when it did. I noticed sometimes the sound-effects were a little out of place but it did not hamper my enjoyment. Re-watch value is higher than normal just based on episode structure.

All in all, if you like a good miniseries, or if you want to try out a miniseries, this is a good place to start.

Leia Mais

Enjoyable to watch

The Japanese version of Holy Land is enjoyable to watch. Since I watched the newer Korean version first, I'm assuming I have a different perspective for both. If you're looking for a quick answer, this is the better version (although it is close, and both versions are good and if you like a good story with a theme of martial arts, you will easily enjoy both).

The main positives here are the fact that the 13 episodes (although only about 20 minutes long) enable for better character development and a greater storyline so it makes you feel more invested. It didn't feel rushed and actually the pacing with every episode was perfect. The theme song is catchy and for 2005 standards the production (camera work) wasn't half bad either! Also, I felt like each character had their own time to shine, even the supporting characters, which was a nice thing that I didn't expect.

The main negative is the cast. Don't get me wrong, their acting was very good, but I had difficulty believing they were supposed to be in school, when they looked more like teachers than students. Another negative, although small, would be the directing.

I think both versions had great fight scenes and action. Both enjoyable and would recommend. Try this Japanese version first though.

Leia Mais

Great surprise despite the slow start

For someone who went into watching this without knowing what to expect and instead decided to watch this to see if dramas with a huge amount of episodes can remain entertaining, I was greatly surprised with 'Once Again', despite a really rocky, slow start. However, after the rocky start, I would say nearly all episodes kept me highly entertained and made me want to watch more. Sure, some episodes were slower than others, but I was still entertained. When it comes to the family genre, since I don't really seek out dramas specifically in this genre, I recommend watching this if you are new to this type of genre.

I loved nearly every single character, and the fact that many characters had their own times to shine respectively made this such a great drama. There were a couple of storylines that I did not like, mainly due to reasons of cringe. However, apart from that, I would say that I enjoyed all other storylines. The moral of this drama is perfect. Also, it shows what life is all about. The ups, the downs, the good times, and the bad. The hardships and the opportunities.

While I knew a few members of the cast, I was also unfamiliar with a few. However, after watching this drama, I can clearly say that I am a fan of everyone, and I am looking forward to seeing them in other dramas in the future! Some of the cast members have made me such a fan that I will be actively seeking to watch a drama that they are starring in.

The OST was also good, perhaps a little overplayed at some points, but all the songs involved were really captivating. The re-watch value.. I have inflated it a little. Basically, I probably wouldn't watch this drama from start to finish again, but I wanted to give a high re-watch value based on the fact that, for so many episodes, except from the rocky start, kept me entertained. That is something only a select few can achieve for me nowadays.

All in all, I recommend 'Once Again', especially if you haven't watched many dramas in the family genre before! This would be the perfect start!

Leia Mais

Reset. Resetting the Time Loop device for better.

Time Loop dramas are my favourite. However, they are difficult to come by, especially good ones that uses the time loop device in such a setting to be taken so seriously, and to feature so much screen time in regards to the story. In regards to this, I must thank the creators of Reset for doing something that I believe should be done more frequently. To make something that is normally used as a comedic or "silly" writing device into something so serious yet beautiful.

By the way, if you would like to get into more "time loop" related dramas, please check out this article I co-wrote with user @goxia - https://mydramalist.com/article/why-you-should-check-out-time-loop-dramas

Other beautiful things about this drama were the acting, characters and OST. This is the first C-Drama I have ever completed so I was not sure what to expect in regards to anything. All cast members were new to me, but every single person acted perfectly. The characters were also perfectly written and the perfect mix to encaptivate the viewer. Also, as previously mentioned, characters were also perfectly portrayed by their acting counterparts, making me believe that time loops are a real thing! (FYI: That is when you know a time loop in a drama is great!). OST was absolutely beautiful, just perhaps a little inconsistent. I remember hearing lots of music in some episodes, and hardly any in others, but that may just be speculation on my part.

So, why is the overall rating an 8.5/10 and not higher?

This is probably going to be a highly unpopular opinion, but for me, what let 'Reset' down first of all, was the pacing. During the first third/first half of episodes, perhaps for three episodes, the pacing felt extremely off, which actually made me put 'Reset' "on-hold" for a while. Could this be one or two episodes shorter? I wouldn't guarantee it, but I can say maybe.

The only other thing I wasn't to keen about, was a few bits of the camera work. It felt a little basic. (Not talking about the bus scenes, obviously there is a limited amount of what you can do on a bus).

All in all, I highly recommend Reset. Just potentially prepare for some bad pacing in the first third/first halfway through.

Leia Mais

Great, but forgettable

'Two Hearts' is a great, short-length sports drama that actually focuses on: guess what - the actual sport it is portraying! (Unlike other short-length sports dramas I've been a fool to watch in the past) a great bromance, the perfect amount and style of romance, and other issues such as teamwork, never giving up, fighting to the top of the ladder etc. which is quite prominent in this genre.

The main things I liked about Two Hearts were the acting, characters and story: in that order from first to third. The acting has to be good with short-themed dramas, and everyone delivered above and beyond my (already high) expectations. There was a perfect blend of characters that gave a perfect balance of underdog athletes, jealous girls, genuine girls, strict coaches etc. which is what is needed in a sports drama. The story isn't the most unique but it is unique enough to warrant it a mention. It wasn't anything breath-taking, but it was admirable and it made me feel good.

Two things that have decreased the rating for this drama: editing and directing, also, the fact that this will be quite a forgettable drama, which I can tell that it will be already, unfortunately. Editing and directing seem a little amateurish, and while the majority is fine, there are definite points where it is hard not to notice the mistakes or amateurish work.

All in all, I do recommend watching 'Two Hearts'.

Leia Mais

Insane

My first J-Drama completed, and perhaps the most insane Asian drama I've watched to date. Coincidence? From what I've heard about J-Dramas... actually, enough said, let's talk about Mosaic Japan. It was such a completely bizarre drama. But it can easily be loved, as long as you don't take it at all seriously. Throw all logic out of the window, and just sit back and take in whatever crazy thing is happening. It's a great drama for those times when you feel like having a "stupid day" or if you feel like watching a "stupid drama".

That being said, the story did feel very rushed, which is easily the biggest downfall of Mosaic Japan. It's so rushed that it feels like this should be a 10 episode drama, but the editors accidentally permanently deleted episodes 2,4,6,8 and 10. It had such great potential. I did like that there were some quite serious aspects of the story which was nice and unexpected. What I also liked about the story was how the company tried to find loopholes with their distribution and editing, the "mosaic" features due to Japanese law etc.

I absolutely loved the characters in this. Absolutely crazy, nearly all of them loveable. All having really interesting personalities and outlooks on life which in turn made for the conversations between them all really enjoyable and unpredictable. I am unfamiliar with all the cast, but I enjoyed the acting too. Especially from the main three characters (if you want to know who they are, feel free to message me, but you can just as easily watch it - which I do recommend, even though the overall score is just 6 out of 10). The OST was small but sweet.

Leia Mais

Short but Sweet

You & It, despite some problems with dialogue flow and camera work, is a short but sweet piece that was enjoyable to watch, and could have scored higher if the story was allowed to develop more. The story isn't the most original, but it is told in an original way to make it 'original enough'. The moral of the story was also something to appreciate.

Despite a few glaring moments that were too hard to miss and ignore, acting can be considered average. Like I said, most times the three actors did their part and performed well, but there were parts that they tried hard to keep professional, but whether it was due to bad dialogue or directing, couldn't do so, and unfortunately, definitely failed.

I think this is something to watch to kill time, honestly. It wasn't good, it wasn't bad, it's just something to watch, to kill time. If more time was allowed for the story, it could have gone either way. It had the potential to be something greater, but I could also see it nosediving into the 'terrible' category. The OST was very impressive, and fit well with the themes of the story.

Leia Mais

Extremely Disappointing

Thumping Spike 2 is the perfect example of an unneeded and irrelevant sequel that unfortunately tarnishes the 'Thumping Spike' name so much that I'm not surprised there hasn't been a third season. This second season felt so forced, and with the removal of the three previous leads, was destined to fail. Maybe it's just me, but the chemistry between the ML and FL in this season felt non-existent, perhaps the least amount of chemistry between a ML and FL I've seen so far in my life. I could go on and rant about how disappointed I have felt over Thumping Spike 2, but, I need to give credit where credit is due. There are a couple of things that I liked, even more so compared to the first season (if you haven't seen my review for the first season of Thumping Spike: spoiler alert, I actually genuinely enjoyed the first season and gave it an overall score of 8/10).

The most notable thing I liked, in fact I think it actually did better than the first season, was the focus on the volleyball/sport aspects. The story was definitely focused more on the playing aspect which I enjoyed, and I quite liked the camera angles and how they filmed the volleyball sequencing. I also loved the OST, which I prefer, only slightly, compared to the first season (although they are both a 10/10).

However, weighing these things that I like, and the things that I disliked, Thumping Spike 2 is a seriously disappointing sequel that I wouldn't recommend. If you haven't watched the original however, I still suggest you to watch that, just do not watch this abysmal of a sequel that feels like a chore to watch by the end.

Leia Mais

Has the ability to make your heart 'thump'

Thumping Spike, apart from a few notable cringe scenes and minor plot holes, is a decent and heart-warming sports-themed short-length drama that can easily be binge-watched. When it comes to the typical drama in the sports genre, the storyline isn't too unique but it wasn't predictable either, which is what I think was needed here. When sports dramas are either too unrealistic or predictable, it can ruin the drama for me, or at least the sporting elements and thankfully, Thumping Spike and its' creation of the Daehan Volleyball Team (the name of the volleyball team in this drama) had the right characterisation and chemistry to avoid this potential catastrophe. It wasn't perfect though, I would have definitely liked to have seen more screen time regarding the playing of volleyball - I understand that due to shorter episode length, this is a difficult feat to get everything right, but there was at one point when I told myself while watching "Oh, wait, they play volleyball, don't they? When will we see that again?", which is something a viewer shouldn't really be having to remind themselves of.

Acting was mostly solid, with a few exceptions, which can also be said about the casting choice. Maybe it is just me but when it comes to a school setting, I do prefer actors who actually look like they could be in school. One cast member was purposely chosen to look older, which I did find funny, but there were other members who were put in there seriously, but I wasn't too 'fooled' by it, if that is the right term or phrase. OST was absolute perfection however! Every song made my heart flutter, and I cannot wait to listen to each amazing song on this OST as soon as possible. I was also pleasantly surprised by the production value, I thought the camera work was done perfectly. Re-watch value may be 'low' in your terms, but I am known to have a lower-than-average 'rewatch value' rating so don't look into that too much.

All in all, would I recommend this drama? Absolutely. Check it out right now!

Leia Mais

One of the greatest surprises ever

I can understand why many people may dislike or even feel uncomfortable watching Tree of Heaven. However, for me, I found everything to complement each other perfectly, especially by making characters with totally different personalities and ideals to be mixed with one another, and the situations that resulted in this creation. I love this sort of 'slow burn/is it romance/what is this' type of romance, and the combination of this and the unpredictability of other events in this drama made Tree of Heaven something I didn't want to finish (because I wanted to savour every little moment), but was too brilliant not to binge by the end.

Park Shin Hye (FL) deserves an individual shout out for her phenomenal performance here - and this is even when the acting by all of the casted members was a great sight to see. This compliment is coming from someone who thought she was just a 'good' actress. Now I know she's definitely more than good! This character helped her performance shine so bright, a perfect casting choice.

OST was absolutely perfect too, there's even a 'song' that contains whistling only, and still manages to fit into the story perfectly and is so catchy that I kept humming or whistling during the times I wasn't watching Tree of Heaven. Also, I'm not much of a 're-watcher' but even I was replying scenes in my first watch through as I just loved watching the repeating moments.

Like I said before, I understand why people may not like this. But I definitely recommend people to give Tree of Heaven a try, and find out for yourself.

Leia Mais

Improved Story, Dialogue seems to be repetitive

Chief of Staff 2 succeeds in having a greater story compared to it's first season, but it's enjoyment becomes a little weakened due to repetitive dialogue that eventually becomes tiresome. The story connects greatly from the first season and answers many questions viewers may have had after the final episode of the first season, along with many twists and turns to keep the viewer on the edge of their seats (some twists and turns were predictable, but others really weren't, which I really enjoyed). One thing I love about both seasons of Chief of Staff and Chief of Staff 2 respectively is the realism in their story, alongside greatly built characters and character development.

Even though it was ten episodes, some episodes, like in the first season, did feel quite slow, and that's the reason why the re-watch value may be a little low here, but I still recommend people to check this series out, especially if you enjoy dramas in the politics genre etc. Acting was again great, although the tiniest bit weaker compared to it's first season in my eyes, but nothing of a major difference so don't worry! OST was also amazing, so no complaints about that. All in all, again, a decent watch.

Leia Mais

Good Action...

Holy Land had some great action scenes, and is definitely a nice watch, if the only thing you crave is the fighting scenes, because in terms of an actual story, it doesn't offer too much - which unfortunately is a downside to having a drama with few episodes, as characters do need more time to be built, especially with a story like this one. However, the acting was great, and while I am unfamiliar with nearly all the cast members, has made me intrigued regarding the cast, to say the least. If Holy Land had more episodes, this could have perhaps had more potential - but then again, during the last episode, boredom was creeping in, so who knows what would have happened if there were more!

The OST was sublime until the very last song made me go 'What the - is this?!'. Rewatch value is low, but I still recommend people to watch Holy Land, like I said before, if they are craving some pure action, and not wanting too much (story-wise).

Leia Mais

Nice Surprise

Pinocchio was definitely a nice surprise, and if I hadn't found the last few episodes a tad underwhelming, could have scored a 9.5 or even perhaps a 10 as a final rating. The story was easy to follow, made sense, and had the right amount of characters to keep the interest going. The chemistry between the two main leads was definitely there, and while I did lose the connection with Pinocchio when it came to the final few episodes, I still have to admit that the two main leads here are one of my favourite on-screen couples I've witnessed to date. I also really liked the OST and acting and chemistry of nearly all the other cast members.

Pinocchio was definitely a nice surprise and I am sad now that I have finished it. There were a few cast members that I were unfamiliar with before watching this, and now since watching Pinocchio, I am interested in watching their other work. I recommend this drama to anyone and everyone.

Leia Mais

If you know the cast, you'll know it's a great watch

Just considering the fact that Healer was released in the year 2014 amazes me considering how far ahead of time it was and how much of a trend-setter this drama became for many future releases in the same sort of genre. Acting and casting was perfect - if you are familiar with the cast you'll know this is a great watch anyway - OST was surprisingly superb too! I wasn't too sure on the 20 episode length at first but Healer was never boring so the 20 episode length was a success!

I did get K2 and Vagabond vibes from this however since Healer was released first, I should say the opposite now! I am not surprised that Healer is in the top #10 most popular K-Dramas on MDL right now. Simply amazing!

Leia Mais

Ehh.

First things first, for me, the first two episodes of Lovestruck in the City were so slow I think I would have preferred to watch paint dry. I was heavily considering to drop it after watching the first two episodes - but decided to give the next episode a chance before I did. Thankfully from the third episode onwards - improvement! While I still was never really truly brought into the universe of Lovestruck in the City there were good parts - most notably the acting and chemistry of the cast.

I don't think there should be a second season, but it's possible. I might check it out but it won't be a high priority for me. Also, I think people who watch romance dramas on a regular basis compared to someone like me will enjoy this more, so check it out!

Leia Mais