King the Land

King the Land is how romantic comedies should be done. Of course, it was filled with all the usual K-Drama cliches that you can think of, and of course, there were corny + cheesy parts but it all worked for the most part.

Sarang is one of my favorite FLs. She was not immature or created misunderstandings out of thin air. Yoonah does a great job expressing her emotions. I love her relationship with her grandma & her friends. Her friends and she were always having the times of their lives in this show. I love a good sismance.

Jun Ho as Gu Won will go down as one of the greenest flags in all of K-Dramaland. I mean I cannot resist my toxic king obsessive CEO troupe... hehe, but he might be the healthiest CEO ever. Of course, he had the usual CEO trauma, but the way he allowed himself to heal did not affect his relationship with Sarang or his bestie, Sangsik. His smile was also so healing... I mean I love watching him be happy. This is my first Junho drama & my 2PM guy can ACT. I need to watch his other dramas.

THE RELATIONSHIP WAS SO HEALTHY. No unnecessary misunderstandings that drag on for eternity. Whenever something came up, the leads COMMUNICATED. It was so refreshing. I love how they always support one another & always down for one another no matter what hardships come our way.

Of course, the OST was elevating all the scenes... highly recommended for a light, fluffy healthy romantic comedy. 9/10

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Tragic Misunderstandings... but the chemistry kept me going.

STORY: A woman goes back in time to defeat a demon lord who caused so much chaos and death in the future. She plans to humanize him so she can kill his demon bones and then kill his actual body. So, you already know heartache ensues.

ACTING: As soon as my favorites were announced as the leads in this drama, I was HIGHLY ANTICIPATING it because I love them in Love Is Sweet & I love any of my favorites in a good costume drama.

Luo Yunxi + Bai Lu owe me some money for the therapy sessions because from beginning to end this drama made my emotions go on an intense rollercoaster ride. I barely caught a moment to breathe when they were happy times in here then we were back to angst.

Let's talk about Luo Yunxi as Tantai Jin. He is the BEST character in the show and low-key saved the whole show. I always knew Luo Yunxi could act, but he showed out in this drama. He expressed his emotions so well in his eyes and voice so I always feel so deeply any emotion he is conveying. I dare say... he is the best when it comes to that. He completely won me over with this performance as all 3 characters... TOP 3 C-Drama actors. I even love him over my fave Bai Lu now.

Bai Lu as Li Su Su | Ye Xi Wu | Sang Jiu. So, first things first Bai Lu is tied as the #1 favorite C-Drama actress… so any role she plays I am going to try my best to love... and that was the case for her role in this drama. I understood her character's role in avenging her people and I had no problem with that, but it got to a point where I was a bit exhausted. Luckily, her character "redeemed' herself. Besides that, I did love how fun and spunky her character was and how creative she was in coming up with plans to make Tantai Jin fall in love with her.

Deng Wei. I am always rooting for his success in Dramaland since I loved him so much in Miss the Dragon. I liked how honorable and kind Xiao Lin was, but hated Gongye Ji who was so pretentious.

Ran + Qing Yu were the dark horse characters and couples here and deserved so much better than what they got.

MUSIC: The intro song (The World I Love by Liu Yuning) sets the tone for every episode while the outro song (Black Moonlight by Zhang Bichen + Mao Buyi) leaves us in our somber thoughts with all the misunderstandings that goes on in here. The OST was so top-tier & memorable... I pretty much added them all to my list. My favorites were Boundary by Tia Ray, Let's Be Like This For 1000 Years by Huang Xiaoyun & Silent Moon by Hu Yanbin because these 3 songs played during my favorite scenes.

RE-WATCH VALUE: I low-key already re-watched my favorite parts already, but I can see myself re-watching this for Tantai Jin, one of my favorite male lead characters ever.

OVERALL: I say this was more of a character-driven story than a plot-driven story which can be good or bad depending on what you are looking for. Luo Yunxi + Bai Lu did what needed to be done for me to love this drama & I really hope they bless us with one more drama with them as the leads.

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My Lovely Liar

Sol Hee was the female lead who heard lies and came across Do Ha who does not lie. Sol Hee never became whiny or annoying. I loved her interactions with all the cast. Her friendship with the tarot reader & her bodyguard was so sweet & funny. I even loved when she had scenes with the second male lead who was such a cutie. I will admit they would have been great together, but I was firmly on the male lead side. I love how the SL never became hateful or obsessive instead he applied the concept of "if you love her, let her go" to his situation. I really hope I see more of the actor. As for Do Ha, I felt so sorry that he was a victim of so many people being so obsessed with him... all he did was be kind, caring & handsome while minding his business.

Of course, I picked this drama up for Minhyun because that is my WannaOne/NU'EST guy & I definitely inhaled My Lovely Liar. It was super easy to binge. The unique plot caught my attention right from the beginning. So, add the unexpectedly amazing chemistry of the leads, humor, great supporting cast friends, and OST with the twists and it is a great overall drama. Also, I did not feel as though I was left hanging by the ending because the ending was so complete and satisfactory!

Minhyun reminds me so much of Eunwoo with his looks. He gave me my much-needed Eunwoo fix, but he & Kim So Hyun were so great together.

Definitely recommend 8.5/10

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NOT FOR EVERYONE -- BUT, MY TYPE OF MAFIA DRAMA WHERE THE "RIGHT" VILLAIN WINS

Why did I not watch Vincenzo earlier?! I usually do not write reviews, but I HAD to for one of the best Korean dramas I have EVER seen! I will say if you do not like mafia-related movies or shows, THEN THIS IS NOT FOR YOU! Because Vincenzo Cassano gets down to business... he is with ALL THE SMOKE!

STORY: Vincenzo Cassano is an Italian consigliere who comes to South Korea only to retrieve bars of gold hidden beneath a temple. As he is trying to figure out a way to take the gold without anyone knowing, he finds himself in unfamiliar territory when he assists good-natured lawyers Yoo Chan and his daughter Cha Young in obtaining justice against a corrupt company.

ACTING: It needs to be known that Soong Jong ki is my favorite Korean actor. So, I expected nothing but the best from him and I got above and beyond that in his role as Vincenzo Cassano. It is probably his best and my favorite role by him! Yes... even over Reborn Rich. I love a good mafia man in a show/movie so I am not sure he can top this one, but we shall see! I have never seen Jeon Yeo Been in anything before, but I loved everything she brought to the table. What a hilarious queen! His partnership with Cha Young was so hilarious yet deadly and they have so much chemistry even though this is not really a romance. Also, I love the ragtag family team who always helps + supports him no matter what.

As for my 2PM bias TaecYeon, I had to keep reminding myself I absolutely love him because this charismatic yet psychotic role he played was played TOO brilliantly. He is really a great actor! I will definitely be watching all his dramas. I love when a K-Idol can act. Also, a shoutout to Kwak Dong Yeon's role as Han Seo. I need him to finally play a role where his character is finally happy though!

MUSIC: Is this one of the best OSTs out there? No, but the soundtrack highlighted all the romantic, dramatic and intense parts of this story!

REWATCH: I could honestly re-watch it now. It is that amazing!


OVERALL: I love how this show keeps me on my toes. It can be a thriller or comedy with some romantic aspects. While this does have that comedy tag and believe me it is hilarious, especially with the ragtag team BEWARE of the CRIME tag because when Vincenzo starts his mafia works, it is no joke. So, this show is not for the faint of heart because there are some very INTENSE + DARK moments in this drama. I thought I was watching an American version of blood & gore for a moment. I am not complaining though because of the way justice was served... It was Perfezione! I mean this is a story about how the "right" villain wins!

Is there such a thing as the "right" villain? Who knows? But, I am in my villain era so I ate every single bit of this drama up!

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One of the best rom-coms out there!

I was not expecting much from this drama, but it gave me the same vibe I had with 'Shooting Stars'... just wholesome and filled with all the sweet cliches I love in a romantic comedy. Yeo Mi Ran + Nam Kang Ho progression from enemies to lovers was both hilarious and so romantic. I loved how mature their love was & there were no misunderstandings once they got together!!! Thank goodness!!

I absolutely loved Kim Ji Hoon as Do Won Joon. I was waiting for him to play a character I can root for since Flower of Evil and he was perfection in her. He ALMOST stole the show from the ML for me, BUT the Kang Ho just kept making me swoon. Speaking of, I never heard of Yoo Teo, but he needs to act some more because I am ready to devour any drama he has. As for my girl Kim Ok Bin, she did her thing! I have loved her since Arthdal Chronicles and feel as though she needs to act more as well!

The bromance & the sisterships were top-tier. The soundtrack elevated every scene and great acting. from the 3 main leads! I can see myself re-watching this when I am in a drama rut!

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STORY:
A girl get drawn into a comic book, falls in love with the main character & has to deal with the mysteries of it all. SAY NO MORE !!! I am in !! I felt as though the writer went into my brain to see what I like in a show & made W. It had everything I love it a TV series: a intriguing plot with twists & turns, comedy, fantasy, action, drama & suspense. The only genre missing that I love is adventure. How could she fit all those dramas so perfectly & make it flow so well.

ACTING:
The main reason I was watching this was for Han Hyo Joo who is my favorite Korean actress. And, boy did she not disappoint as Oh Yeon Joo. I felt all of her emotions. Lee Jong Suk as Kang Chul was the first role I see him in & he was FLAWLESS. This role made me love him for life. Park Soo Bong was the hilarious comic relief we needed after all the drama. As for the rest of the cast, they all fit together so seamlessly. Whoever picked the cast did an amazing job.

MUSIC:
The OST is so good I had to download it. It worked so well with the show. I think my favorite was Please Say Something, Even Though It is a Lie, which made me emotional every time it played.

RE-WATCH VALUE:
This was my second completed drama ever & since watching it last year (2018), I have re-watched it three times. It is that great !! I can probably see myself watching this at least 2 times a year going forward.

OVERALL:
One of the best dramas/tv shows I have seen. It is in my top 3 of favorites of all-time of tv shows. I SAID WHAT SAID.

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My Roommate is a Gumiho

This was a well-produced drama. A great main & supporting cast, an amazing OST, a good plot & the humor was the best part of this drama. Hye Sun stole the show from everyone because she was definitely the best character. She kept the show afloat when the main leads decided they wanted to be a drag during some parts. I usually love only focusing on the main lead relationship, but it was fun to watch her developing romance with Jae Jin who was another highlight of the drama.

Onto the leads, Jang Ki Yong & Lee Hye Ri had great chemistry, and their kiss scenes were top-tier. I absolutely loved the silly dynamic in their relationship that kept things interesting. The only thing I did not care for was her calling him sir.

I LOVED IT!! 9/10

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I have finally tackled this Korean classic. Without a gentle push from my sister, I am not sure I would have made it to the Korean version of BOF as quickly as I did. She felt as though I had to watch it since I loved the Japanese one so much, but ultimately I decided to watch it for Lee Minho. Will I compare it to Hana Yori Dango? You betcha !!

STORY:
This story definitely kept me engaged with all the angst, ridiculous scenarios, bromance & sweet moments. I was on the edge of my seat with every cliffhanger acting as though I did not know see this story-line before. That is how great the writers were & I really liked some of the stuff they added from the original story-line to make some of the characters more developed. There was pretty much never a dull moment & it was an entertaining & emotional roller-coaster ride.


ACTING/CHARACTERS: I thought the acting from everyone was well-done with the exception of Gu Hye Seon as Geum Jan Di. Honestly, Jandi is one of the reasons this drama is not rated high. Her actions & the way she talked were so extra. I never really connected emotionally to her character, hence I never really cared for her character. I tolerated her presence for Jun Pyo. I will say the scene where she jumped in the pool to make Jun Pyo remember her was my favorite part.

Lee Minho as Jun Pyo is dreamy & fantastic. He really captured all the emotions he needed to & when he cried I cried. At first as with Dom in Hana Yori Dango, I hated his guts because he was such a jerk. But of course, he won he over after a few episodes because I am a sucker for a lonely, rich guy who has never experienced love & needs it badly. I chose my side (Jun Pyo) when I realized he has been treated like property his whole life & just needed someone to show him what happiness was.


Kim Hyun Joong as Yoon Ji Hoo. You know, I was rooting for Jihoo in about 2 episodes, but when he left to go after the so-called girl he loved my feelings changed as Jandi started developing a connection with Jun Pyo (same thing happened in the Japanese version). Everyone felt sorry for him, but to me he had his chance when she clearly liked him before he left. And, the fact that he still went after her knowing Jun Pyo loved her will always rub me the wrong way no matter what version it is. But, it bothered me more in this version than the Japanese. I guess Jihoo fans got something when she claimed him as her soulmate. Whatever I guess.

Kim Bum as So Yi Jung. Here is where the writers did an amazing job adding original content that worked. Yijung worked his way into my heart before I even knew it, especially with that charming smile. I loved how he & Ga Eul ended up together because they were the couple I rooted for until the end.

ENDING:
I am not sure why, but I felt as though the ending was lukewarm. It was happy, but Idk I do not feel full closure.

MUSIC:
Downloading all the songs... I will always feel nostalgia when I hear it now.

RE-WATCH:
It really depends. I might come back for some of Minho & Bum's parts because they were my two favorites.

BOF vs. Hana Yori Dango: I am sure I will always think Hana Yori Dango is the superior version over all others, but here is a quick comparison.

Jun Pyo = Domojyui. Pretty much equal. I love them so much.
Jandi < Makino. Makino got on my nerves as well, but I will take her over Jandi anytime, anyday !!
Jihoo < Rui. Rui is going to be the best second lead in all the versions. I actually felt sad for him unlike the one in here.
Yijung > Sojiro. I liked the both, but Yijung charming smile stole my heart.
Woobin < Akira. Akira seemed more useful than Woobin.

Jun Pyo/Jandi < Dom/Makino. The best rich girl & poor couple ever.

OVERALL:
It was great !! I would recommend for those who loves drama, angst & Lee Mino ;)

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It had countless misunderstandings & twists & turns, which will have you in complete angst & at the edge of your seat. In the end, it is all worth it though because of Lee Min Ho & Lee Joon Hyuk and their superb acting. The performance by these two guys is exceptional and their relationship take you through a severe emotional roller coaster ride.

STORY: It is about a man who is involved in a conspiracy with his country & the revenge he takes against the politicians who turned against him. Revenge story-lines are one of my favorite plot devices, especially when it is done correctly & this story kept me on my toes. The action scenes are some of my favorite parts of this drama. For those of you who want to watch this for the romance, I suggest you reconsider because it is not the main focus & you MIGHT be left frustrated if you solely concentrate on that aspect of the story.

ACTING: Although there were quite a few annoying characters because of their character's nature, there is no weak link in here when it came the acting. Everyone brought their A game. Lee Minho continues to show me why he is one of my top favorite actors in South Korea. I hope me makes more dramas soon.

MUSIC: The main City Hunter theme song really takes this drama to a different level because it makes me feel as though I am right there in the drama. It gives me goosebumps.

ENDING: There are many who say that they did not like the ending, but I found it gave me just the closure I needed. Although, there are some plot holes from some side stories that are either rushed or not resolved properly, but I do not think it took away from the drama as a whole.

RE-WATCH: I do not see myself re-watching this because I do not want to be emotionally drained again.

I RECOMMEND if (1) you are a huge Lee Minho fan (2) love revenge dramas & (3) love the dramatic twists & turns of K-dramas.

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If you are looking for a series with one of the best romances, look no further because this is it. This is my first Korean drama & I will ALWAYS hold it dear to my heart. There are so many reasons for everyone to drop what you are doing &watch this right now.

(1) THE OST (Original Soundtrack): Breathtaking. That is all I can say about the music in this show. It elevates the drama to another level & I became emotionally-attached to the characters.

(2) The Actors - Song Joong-ki: This guy commands the screen every time he is on it; Song Hye Kyo &
Kim Ji Won were amazing as well. I love their sassiness. I will pretty much be watching anything with these 3.

(3) The Chemistry. The dynamic between the four main leads with the secondary characters is one of the best I have seen in a K-Drama… whether it was romance, friendships/bromance or frenemies… it came together flawlessly

(4) Secondary Characters: I know sometimes the secondary characters can be there to just fill space, but these characters added more to the story & helped to develop the main characters.

CONS: This dramas was pretty much perfect with the exception of the kiss scenes. I was not feeling to those, but luckily their chemistry made up for that. Other than that... I had no problem.

I recommend to all romance drama lovers !!

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A Charming Timeless Romance that will leave you wanting one of your own

After watching Strong Woman Namsoon, I needed to see more of Wooseok because I loved his portrayal of his villainous character, Ryu Shi Oh. His character was so charming and his acting was the saving grace that saved the whole show for me. Naturally, I went through his filmography to see what other dramas there were but realized he was never THE male lead, but he had Lovely Runner (I think it was titled Run Away with Sunjae then). I say all that to say that this was my most ANTICIPATED drama of 2024. Needless to say, the expectations I had for this were through the roof!

Did it meet my standards? ABSOLUTELY!! It completely blew away all my expectations and surpassed them. It is the best time travel drama I have seen, top 3 K-Dramas & top 5 Asian dramas ever!! Let me break it down!

STORY:
Im Sol, an aspiring film director and a stan of her K-pop idol Ryu Sunjae, finds out he died and it was apparently via suicide. Through one of her personal memorabilia (Sunjae's watch she bought in an auction), she can travel back in time to attempt to change his fate and she has only a certain amount of times she can go back in time. As she is trying to save her favorite's life, she eventually learns she has to deal with an unlucky and tragic part of the original timeline that she did not know about before.

ACTING/CAST:
PHENOMENAL CASTING + ACTING!
First, I will talk about the leads. Wooseok as Sunjae is genius casting & I could not see anyone else playing him. I loved watching all the different sides of him: the comedic side, the emotional side & the serious side if he has to be. As for Kim Hye Yoon, we know what she brings to the table with her acting and she did not disappoint. I do feel as though her acting helps to elevate all of her co-stars & brings out the best in them & that is why these two are a match made in heaven. Wooseok is always looking to improve himself & she has the tools to do so. Their romance is one for the books & it took me through a rollercoaster ride emotionally, but it had its funny moments too that perfectly balance it out. I ADORE the way they looked at one another & the chemistry along with those kissing scenes were so top-tier. One of my favorite K-Drama couples!

Now for the supporting cast! A good supporting cast can take a drama to another level & make it feel like it is not dragging without seeing the main characters! For the most part, I appreciated them & they made for HILARIOUS moments!

First up are the MVPs of the drama: Song Geon Hee as Kim Tae Sung & our N.Flying leader Lee Seung Hyub as Baek In Hyuk. At first, I was not sure how to feel about Taesung because I am a ML type of gal & I have no room for 2MLs in my heart, but I am appreciative of how he stood by our FL side and is supportive of her relationship with our Sunjae! He is probably the best 2ML in K-Drama history because he helps the leads TREMENDOUSLY to achieve the lives they want! You have my thanks, Taesung! Now for Inhyuk, he was THE comedic relief outside of Sunjae and I love his friendship with SJ and the advice he has to continuously give him because SJ is so clueless.

Shoutout to Im Sol's grandma... you made everything possible & Sol's mom & Sunjae's dad added their charming humor. Although Im's best friend & brother had their funny moments. there were times I felt as though they were taking up screen time in almost every timeline, but thankfully they toned it down a bit in the last timeline.

MUSIC: Lovely Runner OST has been on repeat ever since all the part one songs came out. I get intense goosebumps when I start listening & remember all the scenes the song plays in. Since there are 15 songs, I will list my top 5: Sudden Shower, A Day, I Think I Did, Run Run & Star (HONORABLE MENTION: Spring Snow). But, ALL the songs are good!!!!!!!!! It puts you in such a good mood!

RE-WATCH VALUE: 10/10 I was re-watching every episode every week to prepare for the next episodes because the wait for the episodes was literal torture. I have not felt this obsessive about a K-Drama in a while. I love that I have another comfort K-drama to add to my list: DoTS, W: Two Worlds, WFKBJ, Shooting Stars & LoTBS

OVERALL: A wholesome drama that will fill you with overwhelming happiness & leave you feeling satisfied. This drama came to me in a time when I was not in the greatest of places so I do feel more emotionally attached to it than others. If you love romantic comedy with a dash of overcoming tragedy, this is for you. If you are not a romance fan, give it 2-4 episodes and if you do not like it by episode 4, then maybe it is not for & that is okay. Move on. You do not have to finish everything you start.

ANYWAYS, WATCH THIS DRAMA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It has a special place in my heart because of the beautiful love story between Sunjae + Sol. It was an emotional yet fun ride. I will never forget Soljae & the supporting cast because everyone played their part so perfectly!!! I loved that Wooseokie got the popularity he deserved with this drama! I am so happy for the success of this drama, especially for the leads who worked so hard over the years. I am looking forward to their next drama & the many re-watches I will be giving this drama!

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