Reviews

This is definitely one of my favorite drama specials. I've seen it at least four times now, and it just never seems to lose its charm.

The synopsis given here is a little misleading, in that it doesn't seem to be his fear of losing face that drives Duseop. Maybe there's a hint of that in the very beginning, but it soon turns to some pretty intense moments of introspection. The ghost, and his attempts to get rid of her, drive the story, but it's about much more than a fear of looking like a crazy person.

Tonally, this drama special is rather unique. It mixes funny and poignant, sometimes swinging wildly between them, and sometimes managing to do both at once. And it does it well. Lee Won Jong is fantastic here as the powerful yet psychically (and physically) wounded gangster Duseop. Park Ki Woong is reliably awesome as the diffident Yong Soo. An hour or so long drama special doesn't allow much time for character development, but both main characters are fleshed out nicely here, thanks to excellent writing and acting.

Director Kim Yong Soo (known for White Christmas, Equator Man, etc.) brings his trademark flair to the table. This drama special is an excellent example of how good his directing can be. The music is definitely non-traditional, but used very effectively in setting the mood. The screenplay is written by Park Yeon-seon, who later re-teamed with the same director for White Christmas. (If they ever work together again, I'm in, no matter what it is.)

I won't give away the ending, but I will say that it stays true to the tonal wackiness of the drama as a whole. And for me at least, it made me want to watch it again almost immediately.

So if you're a fan of the actors, or the director, or the writer, or are none of the above, but just want something interesting and different to watch for an hour of your life, try this.

Leia Mais

First, I just have to let you know that the music in PNB is excellent. It really helped make this drama. The story isn't anything new or different, but it is completely interesting to follow the lives of these boys/men. I commend the director for the ability to balance four stories without leaving the viewer confused or wanting more of any thing. There is great flow and character development.

The actors and chemistry are what makes this drama fun to watch. Oh Jung Se portrays a mature yet still naive Gu Kwang Sul. For all his success in life he is still lacking in love until he finds the beautiful Ju Da In played by Yu Da In. They aren't my favorite couple but I definitely enjoyed their story line. Kim Young Kwang is mistaken player Kang Jin Gu. Poor guy has already grown as a person when we meet him, but the director shows us what he grew from with flashbacks to how he was. I loved to watch his interaction with his love interest Ma Se Young played by Kyung Soo Jin. They are my favorite couple. Next we have teenager Kang Min Gu played by Yook Sung Jae. Surprise...he can act. I know some people don't like idols turned actors, but I think they will make an exception when watching Sung Jae as he chases his lady love, Su Ah played by Park Cho Rong. Last but not least is the cutie Choi Ro Woon as Kang Dong Gu. He is so adorable and he has two love lines...one with his mom and one with tiny cute actress Lee Chae Mi. They are so adorable and bring a light hearted feel to the drama. I enjoyed them all immensely. I think each viewer will end up picking a favorite.

Again, the music is top notch.

I may rewatch this at some point.

This is an easy to watch romance. I recommend it to everyone.

Leia Mais

I want to start off by saying that Plus Nine Boys might be the most underrated drama this year. I haven't seen a lot of attention around it, but everyone should give this one a shot. While the story itself isn't anything special, the execution of it is. Tasking the PD with finding a way to balance screen time between four separate love lines is no easy task, but the PD exceeded my expectations in this sense. However, since there are four separate relationships to juggle, the gist of each relationship's plot is standard. Despite that, the cast is where this drama truly succeeds.

What stood out to me was each couple's chemistry. Each couple was cute in their own way and the entire cast seemed to click. Everyone looked like they were having genuine fun with their roles. I originally thought I would end up watching this drama only for my darling Chorong, but I was proven wrong within the first couple episodes. I found myself picking my biases and obsessing over certain character's appearances. Not only that, but the men in the drama have dynamic personalities and are also all good-looking lads.

As for the music, I fell in love with Standing Egg because of this drama, and I found myself downloading dozens of their songs. As a matter of fact, I frequently paused episodes in order to Shazam a lot of songs or try to search for them. The soundtrack and BGM were pleasant to my ears, and I must say that I favor this drama's soundtrack second only to 'It's Okay, That's Love' and that soundtrack was a masterpiece (in terms of K-Drama OSTs).

In terms of re-watch value, I normally give low scores for this part since I never think to re-watch dramas, but I'm thinking of adding this to an eventual re-watch list because I always looked forward to weekly releases, and I was a wreck waiting for them.

Overall, what sells this drama is its amazing cast and chemistry. Each viewer will have their bias couple, but that doesn't mean the others are lacking in any way. With that being said, I must emphasize that if you love the cast, you'll definitely love this drama. However, if you aren't fully convinced by the cast and are expecting an innovative, extraordinary plot, you might be a tad disappointed. The momentum of this drama is carried depending on how one feels about the cast. In other words, if you love the cast, episodes will fly by but feel draggy if you don't. In the end, I recommend this drama for anyone needing something light and easy-going.

Leia Mais

There are a LOT of gender-bender/girls in pants titles in Dramaland, and I love just about all of them, but if I had to pick my favorite it is definitely Coffee Prince. Aside from the obvious awesome set up and favorite tropes this drama plays to, what cemented my love for this thing is the fact that the series wasn’t afraid to actively utilize the subject of homosexuality for the plot. Most of the time this trend makes me feel a bit uncomfortable because it’s often handled in a very badly done way, or for the purposes of comedy that falls flat. Not the case for Coffee Prince. Why? Well, the answer might be considered a spoiler, but the fact is the script writers don’t just toy with making the hero briefly question his sexuality, but that this is a huge point of conflict for the plot that resolves itself in one of the most beautiful scenes I have ever frackin’ witnessed. I also adore the fact that heroine opens the drama as a tomboy AND closes the drama as a tomboy, that she doesn’t magically get femininized just because she’s got a guy. The script handles the issue of homosexuality and gender roles in a very respectful manner. Add in the glorious sexual tension between the two characters (notice that’s becoming a recurring theme in my recommendations) and this ranks really high in my favorite dramas, no question!

Leia Mais

Aside from how refreshingly unique the plot is, the tone of the drama is both terrifying and hilarious, emotional and yet silly, and incredibly sexy. It’s so much fun to watch the hero stumble his way into pursuing the heroine, and the unique spin the story takes to force these two together is as fascinating as it is different. While I wish there had been more chemistry between the leads, it’s unquestionable that their acting, and our heroine’s unique dynamic with the hero, more than made up for that lack. Add in the fun side-plots of the ghosts storylines, and how literally every secondary character achieves their own happy ending and arc, and The Master’s Sun definitely ranks right up there with my favorite dramas!

Leia Mais

K.O.3an Guo is part of a chain of series called "Zhong Ji" or in english "K.O." K.O.3an Guo was the first one and only one I have watched so far. I'll start by telling you that it is not a follow up story. Although, they have the setting (7 dimensions blah blah blah), you don't need to watch the preceding K.O. to enjoy this one.

This is one of the few modern wuxia (martial arts) dramas. In this drama, there's some law that the police can't get involved in school affairs. In each school, it's like normal school except it houses martial artists. Some of them are "ma gua" which means they have no martials arts. They have this whole hierarchy which isn't explained very well. But basically, in this drama, school and people are fighting for power. It's also loosely based on the Romance of The Three Kingdoms and all the characters are named after characters from the novel.

Weird isn't it? That's my reaction to the first episode. The series was meant to be comical although the comedy subsided a bit later in the show when things got serious.

Story: The story was much better than I expected. It actually kept me hooked. That they actually had plans for this drama. Though sometimes things were resolved in a weird way. But that's what this drama is..."weird". For example, in this drama, chickens are extinct and they're treating like precious, godlike animals. The emperor's seal is even a golden chicken. But chickens turned out to play a good part in the drama. The first couple of episodes made you think that this was mostly a gag drama but it evolved into much more than that. The character development was beautiful <3. Each of the main characters had their own story and their own issues and we got to watch them overcome those issues.

Acting: The acting is bad. But since this drama isn't very serious or there is little to no serious acting to be done, it's fine. Also the reason that the acting is bad, is because the cast are minor celebrities (except George Hu) and mostly musicians/rockers. Such as Dong Cheng Wei.

It's a wuxia drama, therefore terrible CGI effects. But the story, the friendship, the bromance, the romance- you can look past all the flaws.

Music: Like I said, the cast are mostly musicians so the music is great. I have downloaded most of the soundtrack. After watching this drama, I grew a love for chinese rock music. The background music stuck with me many months after completing this show.

The drama is long. But don't let the number of episodes and the weirdness turn you away. It suprised me how good this drama was.

Leia Mais

Surplus Princess was a drama with great potential.

And don't get me wrong. It delivered in all 9 of the 10 episodes. My only concern was the last episode.

In terms of story, it was a brilliant idea. A mermaid who has a crush on a human she pretty much knows nothing about, solely because he has nice assets. All puns intended. It had infinite potential and the comedy was fantastic. The lead character was bubbly and took nothing from anyone: If someone said something mean to her, she bit them right back! It was quite refreshing to watch; She was also more perverted than most characters tend to be, there were several moments when I was gasping from the things she was doing/saying/thinking. Fantastic! If I had to be picky, I'd say she made a couple of dumb decisions every now and then, but that's to be expected. If she was perfect, there'd be no plot.
The rest of the characters were great too, the girl best friend is a wonderful actress and added even more flavor to the drama, along with the funny and quirky ways of the other characters. So. Much. Potential. I'm still sad.

The acting was great, the humor was great! It did not lack in that department in the least bit! The music was also cute, very upbeat and adorable, suited the feel of the drama.

Honestly, I would probably rewatch 3/4ths of the drama again, with friends. It was so funny, and I would love to see their reactions to the outrageous and perverted humor the lead character has.

My only issue is that this drama was cut due to low rating in Korea (even though it had high ratings abroad). Because of this, we lost 4 episodes of development! 4! Which means the ending was rushed and nonsensical, which is typical of dramas that get cut. It's just so sad because this drama had such great potential. This actually reminds me of what happened to Nail Shop Paris. Oh gosh. It just struck me. IT'S THE CURSE OF SONG JAE RIM! Hahaha!

Anywhoo, still, I would recommend it to friends for the humor and wonderful acting. Go ahead and watch it, it's only 10 episodes anyways, unsatisfactory ending or not!

Leia Mais

This drama started out so well. Then the story line got so draggy. This drama could have easily been completed in 20 episodes. The ending for me was sooooooooooo disappointing. Why waste almost half of the drama giving impressing that Joon Young and Jae Ha are going to get together? Why does Do Yoon continually show up wherever Joon Young is? This was so unrealistic.Sorry but Do Yoon's acting was so robotic and emotionless I could barely stand it. What a waste of one of my favorite actor Joo Sang Wook's time. This drama could have been great but the ending was topsy turvy.. No one is really punished for their criminal acts. I'm somewhat sorry I watched this.

Leia Mais

I have shied well away from Korean historical dramas since I started watching Asian shows. I did try out a few in the past and by the end of a couple of episodes at best I was bored to death, mighty frustrated, totally confused or an unpleasant combination of the three.
Why I decided to watch The Moon/Sun is a long story which I'm kindly going to spare you. Suffice to know, 20 minutes in and I was hooked. This review is therefore dedicated to viewers who, like me, have never been fond of the genre.

Captivated by the details of folklore scattered throughout this drama, I decided to read up on their historical dependability. I so found out that the Saeguks of the past were all based upon true facts derived from Joseon annals, while the newer productions often deviate from this norm, by either introducing a few fictional facts on a documented background (fusion Saeguks) or creating a fantasy world in terms of characters, plot, even costumes. The Moon embracing the Sun falls into the latter category, so if what you look for is a lesson on how royalty lived in the Joseon era, you'd better forget this drama. This isn't a perfect Saeguk by far, possibly not a perfect drama either. It is, however, a perfect fairytale and in this light I believe it fully deserves the high marks many of us awarded it and the success it attained in Korea.
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The fairytale elements are all there from the very beginning. Prepare yourself for a journey into magic, undying love, friendship, betrayal, hate, tears, laughter, curses and so on and so forth. A childlike approach to the viewing is needed, lest you want to spend your time wondering at its credibility or lack thereof. And because a work of fiction should never be judged outside its narrative context, it is undeniable this story works, and works well. Now that I have completed it, I fully understand the complains of those who wished for a different epilogue for some of the characters, but personally I was prepared to face losses and would go as far as to say they were a necessity induced by the premises of this story.

I won't spend too many words on the acting. Everybody has sang praises for the teenagers' cast, which I second. Nevertheless, the adult cast was outstanding, Han Ga In included – it was truly hard to surpass the grace, beauty and artless charm of the 13 year old Yeom Woo. Han Ga In didn't steal my heart at first but sneaked into it with steadfast progression. She has one of the most pleasant voices I know. I was literally mesmerized by Kim Soo Hyun, but I won't lie: I have a hard time separating my hormonal reaction to my logical thinking, when it comes to him. Whatever the case, he gave life to a multilayered, unforgettable character.
I'd love to talk in detail about each and every endearing character – see on top the Eunuch and Wun – but I fear this is becoming long enough.

I thought the transition from children to adults was marvellously made, and not surprisingly my very favourite scene is the 8 years jump, both on a visual as well as an emotional and symbolic level.
There have been times when I wished they had made use of more open-space sets, but not only I have not enough experience in period dramas to know whether this is often the case, but following what I wrote before, the enclosed setting works well in creating a sort of fantasy bubble out of time and reality.
Little visual details made my day, and I have no qualms in declaring this drama displays the most beautiful letter ever shown on screen.

A huge part of this drama emotional impact is played by the music. Mainly instrumental and with lovely insertions of traditional instruments such as zithers, harps and lutes, it would be perfectly fit for a grand period movie. Notable mention for the minor key pieces, especially 'Like Petals, Like Flames', 'The Sorrow Song of Love' and the enchanting 'Butterfly Dance'. They all play on the viewer's emotion and are wonderfully suggestive of the scene they soundtrack.

As for re-watch value… I am toying with the idea of starting afresh next week. I suppose this says it all.

Leia Mais

It is such a waste that this drama has come to an end. It was originally planned to be a 16-episode drama, but then it was shortened due to low ratings. Personally, I see so much potential in the drama, and it is such a waste that its never given a chance to shine. I'll have my opinions on its potential on the different categories:

Story: The story itself gives off a unique vibe. it is refreshing to see a fantasy movie having a good dose of drama and comedy. This is not your usual Korean romantic-comedy drama. While the story mainly centers in romance, some themes such as camaraderie, friendship, and fighting spirit can be seen, which is not commonly paired in Korean Rom-com dramas. This is what gives the story much potential. Its lighthearted atmosphere makes it easy to watch, the little crossover parodies would totally nail the spotlight, the little doodle markings gives a cute tone to the drama. The plot pacing was actually nice, I like how confusing the plot is as deeper the story would go, but when it was cut down to a rushed end, it made a big change in the story and is therefore the impact completely disappeared. The characters are totally one-of-a-kind, especially the surplus friends and the mermaid. They are fun and entertaining to watch. I actually like the romantic part of the show, and in contrast to the public demand OTP (chef guy and mermaid girl). I wanted to see more of the other couple (surplus boy and mermaid girl). I'm not contented with the amount of chemistry they had, especially when it looks so forced at the end. The side couples are pretty cute to watch too, they could totally steal the spotlight in doing so. In conclusion, as much as the story and romance has such potential, it was cut down to 10-episodes, and the plot and romance totally suffered from it.

Acting/Cast: I can say that the acting is a bit over the top and annoying at times. However, even with this said, the cast is actually good. Personally I love the character portrayal. They did a nice job in portraying the character quite well. Its like they can make the character real funny and dramatic in the given appropriate atmosphere. Song Jae Rim, was especially a good actor that totally gets into his role as the sweet chef guy in the drama. I like it that he's the second lead, but that he's acting would totally convince you that he can be a main lead (and thus second lead syndrome).

Music: I gave music a higher rating, I like it that there are some crossovers of some OSTs from other dramas, nice Korean songs (some even made to be parodies), and even an anime opening song (anime fan here). The music totally contribute to the lighthearted atmosphere of the show and the comedic aspect of it.

Overall, I felt disheartened that this show has come to an end. As I have emphasized, the show has so much potential, yet it was never given a chance. I would love to see the complete bloom of this show. Nevertheless, It wasn't really a pain to watch, I enjoy watching it. It gave me a good laugh and some feels. I love the pairing even though I feel it is not justified and was forced in the end. There is so much potential in the chemistry of the pairing, and again, it was never given a chance.

I would recommend surplus princess for a nice change of pace in dramas, but don't expect much from it. Just watch it with an open mind, go with the flow of the story, engross yourself with the characters and it will be fun to watch! :3

Leia Mais

I have seen absolute darkness. I know what it's like to lie in bed, unable to leave, trapped under sheets of sweat-drenched anxiety because every single movement feels heavier than you are. I've lived for the moments you reach the surface and gasp for air, only to slip beneath the waves. Most importantly, I know how a single hand can reach into that darkness and pull you to shore.

For sake of argument, I am going to share something very personal. In 2009 I was diagnosed with bipolar disorder. This isn't a condition that you catch like a cold, but rather one that manifests at a certain age and snowballs until it's nearly impossible to function. You can't prevent it through proper care, you can't always predict its onset and you certainly can't run from it. Essentially, bipolar disorder means I suffer from violent mood swings - severe bouts of depression and self-destructive manic states. Most people are familiar with depression on some level, but the idea of a manic state is foreign so I'll take a moment to explain it. If depression is an extreme state of sadness or hopelessness, you can think of mania as an extreme state of happiness. It's generally characterized by impulsive (and often destructive) decisions, lack of sleep and is almost always accompanied by the physical feeling of euphoria (you can think of this as something similar to the effects of several drugs like ecstasy.) This state is the most dangerous and, for me personally, meant that I would blow through money on drugs and alcohol, ostracize my friends and family because of an uncontrollable temper and sail off into the sunset feeling invincible. These impulses left my life in ruins.

I crashed hard during my third semester of college and had to withdraw. At my worst I was suicidal, faced with a crippling loneliness that I had never felt before. You can think of it like standing knee- deep and staring into a dark pool of water. The only light is the reflection of your own eyes and even those seem foreign to you. If you shout you're greeted by a distorted echo that you recognize as your own, but it's masked by an alien quality. In this sense, mental disorders create two yous; the you that you're familiar with and the stranger you can't recognize beyond a silhouette and the stain it leaves behind. You're a prisoner in your own body and every single day you feel yourself inching closer and closer to the water.

If there is a single safe harbor in all of this, it's love. When two souls dredge through the fire and connect, the bond can become unbreakable. Empathy is the great uniter; shared pain is like cement. Love will harden through pain. Two souls become pillars, lifting the other out of the water and into the sky. This is what separates this drama from the rest. This is why It's Okay, That's Love is a masterpiece.

Mental health is not a topic that is addressed very often in Korean dramas, and when it is it often comes across as comical. Mental health balances between something people think of as self-imposed, something you can shrug off if you try hard enough, and something to be afraid of. Because of this, it's usually presented as one of the two extremes: something too light, often existing as comic relief or a silly quirk meant to add flavor without substance, or as something too heavy, existing as some ethereal force that twists the mind into something less than human. It's Okay, That's Love is able to present something serious and keep a lighthearted tone without being insulting.

If you're looking at the melodrama tag and expecting something that borders on makjang, this drama is not that. The feeling of melancholy threads this drama together, but it does not weigh it down. You won't find endless sobbing, misunderstandings or two-dimensional characters. Instead, this drama showcases the marriage of two souls through unconditional love and growth. Love is strongest when flaws can fit together like a jig-saw puzzle, and the characters in this drama compliment each other perfectly. It's important to emphasize that these characters are flawed. Too often dramas shy away from characters with real problems and instead settle on external conflict to move the story in its entirety. The characters in these dramas are perfect outside of the experiences they undergo and the forces that act on them and it makes them two-dimensional. This is not the case in this drama. Most of the conflict is internal, but it's relatable and organic. Every single character is presented in a manner that allows you to love and empathize with them - it's a multi-layered story, the supporting cast is also very well-developed.

In addition to a perfect atmosphere, this drama does something almost unheard of in a Korean drama. It presents a love story that is not about the chase, but rather endurance. Adult topics such as sex, intimacy and trust are at the forefront and allow the drama to paint a picture of actual couplehood instead of traditional guy-chase-girl or girl-chase-guy fare. You'll watch the couple grow not only as individuals, but as loving creatures. It doesn't stop at love, either, the concept of friendship as a refuge is just as strong. The entire cast grows over the course of the show, and if you're anything like me, you will grow along side them.

I really can't gush enough about this drama. It's been a very long time since I watched something that resonated within me with such perfect harmony. The soundtrack captures the moods perfectly, the actors (from main to supporting) have realistic and beautiful chemistry. The melancholy is haunting, but it won't overwhelm you. I cried, I smiled, laughed and lived with this drama. I saw those two souls grow into a love so pristine that you honestly believe they cannot live without each other. The term soulmate can only apply when two people love each other unconditionally, and they both crossed the sea in a rowboat to reach it.

Leia Mais

If this show had not been drastically cut by six episodes I am fairly certain that I'd be giving it a higher rating. I'm still giving it a fair rating because of the potential it had to be great. This show was cute, funny and silly (which I enjoyed). The acting and story were all good and yet it did not receive high ratings and ended up getting cut early. What makes the cut even worse then your typical cut is that 8 out of the supposed to be 16 episodes had already aired when it was announced that the series would be ending in 10 episodes instead. Thus, leaving the wirters with just two episodes to wrap everything up. The show was going so great and then all of a sudden you are hit with a rush job that did not do the show justice and frankly ended in a bit of confusing matter. The show is still very watchable though and I really enjoyed it minus the last two rush episodes.

Leia Mais