It went downhill fast

I seem to be in a minority when it comes to how I felt about this drama. I think it had a decent start, and I liked several of the earlier episodes. About halfway through it felt like it had a tone-shift, and it barely seemed like the same drama anymore.

The first half of the drama felt like a youth, or coming of age drama with a heavy focus on the police academy. All the main characters are young, playing university students. It portrayed quite well, the feeling of pride in doing what you love, and studying to become somthing you've dreamed of. As well as the helplessness and the injustice you feel when seniority is prioritized over right and wrong.

The first half battles getting accepted to the school of your dreams, youthful crushes and also. corruption within the school hierarchy. It shows both the highs and the lows of studying to become a police officer. The highs being the wonderful camaraderie developed between the student, and the lows being the abuse suffered as a new student in a highly hierarchial climate.

The second half however, completely shifts focus, from the school to real life crime. It is no longer a drama about being young, and university life. In fact, the school barely features at all in the second half. Instead, our main characters, while still being university students, go on to solve all kinds of crime outside of the school. They tackle everything from low-life loan sharks, to psychopathic CEOs.

Now, don't get me wrong. I like crime dramas, so it is not the fact that it turned into a crime show that annoyed me. It is the fact that this drama wants us to believe, that these students, who have no prior experience and are not yet police officers, go around solving crime on their own. They recieve very little to no help from actual detectives. They carry out high-stake plans and manage to solve widespread corruption all on their own. All while the actual police sit around and do nothing.

I'm sorry but I just cannot make myself believe this. So for me, this show was a massive disappointment.

Citeste mai mult

Extremely boring

I don't have much to say about this short series aside from the fact that I'm extremely underwhelmed. I had high expectations. Since there was only 4 episodes I figured they had to get things going fast. I also really liked the cast. I'm a fan of both Park Hyung Shik and Han So Hee; so finding out that they were starring together made me excited.

That excitement sadly fizzled out pretty quickly. There is nothing wrong with this drama per se. It's just that nothing much happens. It would be odd to say that a drama that only has 4 episodes was dragged out. But that's how I feel. This should have been a movie. Or better yet. Not have existed at all.

I can't point at any specific thing and say that's bad. In fact, there were several scenes that I actually enjoyed, But there was maybe 1 or 2 such scenes in every episode. Which left about 35-40 minutes each episode that felt wasted. Those 35-40 minutes felt like fillers.

So much of this drama felt unnecessary. This could have easily been wrapped up in 1 episode, and still have been boring.

Now to the acting. I like both Park Hyung Shik and Han So Hee's acting. They are both fantastic actors. Seperately. Together, they just don't have any chemistry. I can barely believe these two are friends, let alone lovers. I think they both would have benefited from a more dynamic drama.

Oh well. That's 176 minutes wasted.

If you are fan of slow dramas, where nothing much happens. This might work for you. But if you're like me and actually want something to happen. You would be wasting your time with this.

Citeste mai mult

A bit cringy, a bit boring

Sadly, this korean bl suffers from what most korean bls I've seen suffers from. Low budget. It is so painfully obvious that they're just acting, it is almost impossible to imagine, even for a second, that it could be real.

No offense to Ok Jin Uk and Kang Hui, who did the best they could with what they had. But something about their interactions always feel off. I think it has to do with the sound. The sound of their dialogue sounds so harsh in all of their scenes. The drama in general sounds as if it was filmed by a couple of high school students. It feels cringy watching two people supposedly fall in love, when I'm constantly aware that they are just actors, who, let's be honest, are probably straight.

That coupled with the awkward script, and the too short episodes. As well as music that feels disjointed in the scene; makes you constantly aware that this is just a drama. Not once did I get lost in a scene because of how good it was. Not once did I feel giddy, or sad, or annoyed, or any other emotions. No feelings were evoked watching this.

So, although I am happy that SK is progressing so far as to produce lgbt dramas at all. I can't wait until some major networks greenlight lgbt dramas. But until that happens, be it 1 year or 10 years from now. I suppose I'll just have to abide by these web dramas.

And unfortunately, I usually find them very hard to watch. A for effort, but C for everything else.

Citeste mai mult

Great acting meets somewhat weak writing

This show had a fantastic start. As I begun watching it I was certain it would be one of my favorites of the year, a certainty that slowly waned over time. Now it's solidified as a wonderful drama, I will probably never revisit again. The first half was really strong, but it was after the 10 episode mark, (when one of the supporting actors, who in my opinion shined brighter then all the others, left the show) when the writing became repetitive and boring. It was however rescued by a powerful ending that left me in tears.

The premise of the drama was what drew me to it. I was led to believe it was about terminally ill patiens who goes on a killing spree to rid the world of evil before they die. This is not quite what we got. Am I disappointed? Only slightly.
I personally love moral dilemmas, and watching dramas that make you question what's right and wrong. This one wasn't as morally grey as I'd hoped, but the wonderful acting and heartwarming story more than made up for it.

The strongest point this drama has going for it, is the representation of female friendship. It delivers it with lots of tears and laughter. The women of this drama carried it on their back since the beginning. Their ride or die friendship more than made up for some of the boring parts of this drama. I loved how with Seyeon and Mido's help, Insook found the will to live for the first time in her life. Not just survive. Too bad it happened on her death-bed.

If you are like me, and hate dramas where the police are bumbling idiot, leaving the main characters to deal with everything, then you won't be disappointed with this drama. The police are intelligent (aside from a select few), and work hard to sove the case. They were in my opinion a delight to watch (especially you Cho Shiyoung, I fucking love you). The sad trade-off is that the main characters lack a bit in the brains department. I blame Insook's brain-cancer. It messed a bit with her critical thinking skills.

The acting was what in my opinion made this show worth watching. Everyone was believable in their role, to the point I cried when they cried, and laughed when they laughed.

But I would like to finish of by giving special appreciation to Do Sangwoo who played Detective Cho Shiyoung. This is the first drama I've seen him in, and I've truly found another actor to look out for. For many of the episodes I found his scenes to be the most interesting, and I was sad to see him go a little more than halfway through.

All in all, a good enough drama that I'll recommend to everyone who likes this genre.

Citeste mai mult

Sweet fluff with very little substance

This is a cute show; perfect if you're only looking for something short and sweet to pass the time. If you're looking for a masterpiece however, this is not it.

I found very little credibility in the story itself. The idea that someone could just pretend to be a doctor and no one would catch on is a little too ludicrous for me to accept. But if you shut off your brain for the duration of the drama, it isn't that bad. It has plenty of sweet moments and some are even a little funny. The interactions between the members of LUNA and the main character are fun to watch.

The acting isn't the best I've ever seen, but it also isn't the worst. They did the best they could with the script they were given. As I stated above, if you have some time to kill and are in the mood for a silly rom-com, this could very well float your boat. But if you're looking for a drama that is objectively good, then this is not it.

Citeste mai mult

This drama is like sticking a needle into a balloon

You expect it to pop, but instead the air fizzles out. Sadly deflating like a bouncy castle at the end of a birthday party.

It had an exceptionally strong start, with me at the edge of my seat at the beginning of the first episode. It was creepy, it was atmospheric; the manic laughter of the not-main-character's-parents ringing in my ears long after the first episode was over. It seemed like the perfect start to what I was sure was going to be a wonderful drama. Sadly, this is the only good thing I have to say about this train-wreck.

There were some fantastical characters/creatures that were genuinely intruiguing and that I would have loved to know more about. Especially in the earlier episodes. Of course, the drama writers and creators recognized this and therefore decided to have as little screen-time for them as was possible without removing them completely from the story. Instead we are supposed to care for the main couple were one is a pedophile and the other is about as interesting as a mildly funny rock; quickly forgotten about once you've left it behind. Obviously one of these is a lot worse than the other, but I truly am trying to care equally about them here.

As the episodes dragged on, they went from wonderful to okay to is it over soon or am I going to have to break my rule about dropping dramas. The side characters were infinitely more interesting than the main ones. Had clearer motives, better character development, intruiguing pasts and more chemistry with each other than the main characters could even dream of replecating. (This goes for all side characters as the main ones were the only ones I genuinely didn't care about).

Tale of the Nine Tailed isn't beyond redemption but there are several things that could have made it the masterpiece I hoped for after the first episode was over. The villain was a lot scarier when we didn't know who or what he was. When the only thing we could see were the consequences of his evil-doings. Playing a little switcheroo and having literally any of the side characters be the main one would have also greatly improved this drama. (And by any I mean Rang or Yuri or both).

Watching this isn't a mistake, as the first episodes are genuinely worth the watch. However, once you start feeling bored you might as well drop it immediatly. Trust me, it isn't going to get any better.

Citeste mai mult

Good concept executed poorly

I know this drama is highly beloved by the people who've watched it. And I understand, there are certainly many parts of it that are lovable. However, I don't think it managed to carry the wheight of what they set out to do, all the way to the end. The beginning was brilliant, but ending did nothing for me personally.

The best part about this drama was the acting. All the actors played their characters like they were real people. They all felt so incredibly real. Even when they said and did and thought things that didn't seem like someone would say or do or think in real life, they still acted it very believably.

I even enjoyed the overall concept of the drama. A story about ordinary people trying to make the best out of their own situation.

What made me dislike this drama however, is that too many episodes, especially in the middle, felt stagnant. They did not further the story very much, and was mostly the inner musings of the main characters. I understand some people like that, but I mainly watch dramas for the escapism. And there was very little of that in this drama. You can't fault it for its realism. But you also can't fault me for finding it very boring.

The final nail in the coffin was the ending though. The entire drama had about the same pace all throughout. But suddenly in the last 3 episodes or so they sped it up way too much. Entirely skipping over some important conclusions, to get to their final ending. I would much have preferred it if they'd shortened the middle part and lengthened the ending parts. That way it would have felt less boring during the middle, and less rushed at the end.

I understand why people love this drama so much. But I don't.

Citeste mai mult

Wonderfully entertaining

This seems to be quite a polarizing drama. And although I agree to some extent with the haters; it is an incredibly confusing drama. I can't help but love it anyways.

I can't claim to understand everything that has happened in this drama. And my current rating does rely on an eventual season two. If it turns out that this is the final ending, then I'll probably lower the rating a little bit because of lack of conclusion. But with the way it ended, I have to assume that they're planning a season two, and if that's the case, I truly think this drama deserves a 10.

I'll be completely honest, I rate dramas based on how much I enjoyed them, not how "good" they actually are. A "shitty" drama that entertains me is going to get a higher rating from me than a "good" drama that bores me. And this drama kept me highly entertained. As to how "good" it actually is, you'll have to ask someone else.

But I found this to be just the kind of sci-fi I enjoy. It coupled a concept that was easy to understand (solar wind causes massive radiation on earth. In order to stop this from affecting the population the grid is created. To create the grid, someone from the future has to travel to the past, to implement it in time.), with a mystery that was hard to solve (who is the woman time traveler, and why is she protecting a murderer). It kept me at the edge of my seat every week, wondering what was going to happen next.

I love the characters. And even some of the characters that I initially found annoying, grew on me eventually. The acting was superb, and I truly hope to see these characters on screen again.

Now to my one major gripe with this drama. I really really hate having multiple seasons. That's one of the reasons I was drawn to kdramas in the first place. They finish the story in one season. Because the korean entertainment market is expanding, and become more and more popular overseas, it is also slowly adapting to a more western market. This is a disney+ drama so I shouldn't be surprised they've chosen to take this route. It is however slightly disappointing. Because now, if they don't renew it for season 2, we're never going to get all the answers.

Oh well, I sincerely hope they choose to renew this drama for a second season, so I can get the answers to the questions posed in the finale. Otherwise, I suppose I'll have to coma back and lower my rating.

Citeste mai mult

Surprisingly bland

I had higher expectations for this drama, ngl.

This drama felt boring to me from the get go. I wasn't fond of the first few episodes, but I persevered since I'm a fan of both Nara and Yonghwa. The plot also seemed really interesting. And once I got past the first 2-3 episodes, the drama picked up. And I thought, maybe I was right to stick with it anyway.

Sadly, I lost that conviction a little past the half way point. It has taken me a lot longer than usual to finish this drama. I've procrastinated it so much. Because it is just too boring. It is a very episodic drama, the only overarching plot point there is doesn't really kick in until the last few episodes.

At first I thought that I didn't want it to be episodic. Because all the episodes followed a similar structure, and it got quite repetitive. But then when the main plot finally started I found myself missing the more episodic episodes. At least those were entertaining.

Though it does appear I'm in the minority. Most people like this drama, but to me it was very boring and not worth the time spent watching.

Citeste mai mult

Infuriating

Had I watched this when I was younger, I might have actually liked it. It has all the elements of a kdrama that I normally love. However, it just didn't work for me.

The main reason I disliked this drama, is because I don't buy the love between Bokgu and Eunseok. From her side, yes, I do believe it. Bokgu came at just the right time for her to fall in love with him. She'd just been disappointed by her first love as she believes he's extorting her for money. And she's stuck in a situation she has very little control over. Since she's engaged to someone not by her own choice. Of course, she falls for the handsome bodyguard, who somehow manages to do all the little things her first love did for her. And who becomes a sort of refuge for her. Her way of acting out against the predicament she's in.

But I don't buy his love for her. In the scenes leading up to the big reveal, I simply don't read his actions as that of a man in love. Though she obviously loves him, the same feelings are not visible in him. And after the reveal, they barely spend any time together.

I also hate the way they've completely removed any agency on Eunseok's part. She's the damsel in distress through and through. She doesn't take any actions to try and resolve her problems. She's supposed to be helpless, but I can think of a number of different things she could have done to get herself out of her engagement. But she doesn't do anything, which leads to bigger consequences for her, when she finally does stand up for herself.

As for the ending, I don't hate it. The only thing that really bugs me about it is the redemption her fiancé got. He should have been punished for his actions, which were vile. Had this drama given him a bit of poetic justice, perhaps I would've liked it more. As it is, the good people got pain and suffering, and the bad ones got their happily ever after.

Truly an infuriating drama. There are better love-revenge dramas out there.

Citeste mai mult

Heartwarming feel-good

It is strange how much I love stories about parenthood given that I have no interest in having children. But here I am, and I love it soo much.

I was hesitant to begin watching this drama because it is really old, and I tend to find older dramas outdated and boring. But I decided to give it a chance anyway because I am a huge fan of Shin Sung Rok and I want to get through all of his dramas. He has done a lot of serious/villain roles, and I was in the mood for something light. So I'm incredibly happy that I picked this drama up.

The story is about a husband and wife who are struggling to concieve a child, so the husband asks his three friends to secretely donate sperm. But then the husband passes away in a car accident, and the three friends are left to take care of the wife and her daughter. All three of them wondering who the actual father of the child is.

It was really fun watching the three bachelors going from reluctantly taking care of a child they don't really want, to actually loving that child and fighting over who is the biological father. This story has no real villain, but despite that it never fails to entertain.

I watched this drama in 2 days, smiling the entire time. It's funny, it's heartwarming, and it still holds up despite being almost 15 years old. If you're in the mood for something light-hearted I cannot recommend this strongly enough.

Citeste mai mult

Objectively good, subjectively devastating

If I were to rate this drama purely based on how good I think it is, it would easily get a 10/10. It is masterly crafted, a powerful story about an actual event told with incredible cinematography, acting and with lots and lots of heart. However, I rate based on enjoyment, not on how objectively good I think a drama is. And I did not enjoy this drama at all.

It starts out light enough, but it gets rough pretty quickly. I normally don't mind tragedy if at the end of it all I feel like I've gotten something out of it. That's not the case with this drama. I'm not usually a skipper, but I had to skip many scenes because I mentally could not handle watching it. It was suffering, upon suffering, upon suffering.

If you're interested in history, and don't mind watching a devastating drama, then I can definitely recommend this one to you. But what you'll get out of it is anxiety and worsened mental health. If that's a price you're willing to pay, then it's definitely worth it. I for one am probably going to watch some comedies now to purge this sorrow from my mind.

Citeste mai mult

A mess is what it is

I will be completely honest, I have not watched the prequel. Mainly, because I didn't know there was a prequel until after I finished watching this one. Had I watched Kinematics Theory, perhaps my opinion on this one would have changed. Maybe the context given in KT is enough to outweigh how terrible I found this one. But I didn't watch it, and after seeing Ambiguous Focus and how much I disliked that one, I'm also not going to watch KT.

The main reason why I disliked AF is because of the way they portrayed homosexual relationships, their flippant attitude to cheating, and also because it was just really depressing. I often like watching controversial media; I like to have my opinions challenged. But only when it is done well, and I come out of it with a new perspective on something. That did not happen with AF. I found myself despising pretty much all the main characters, I could not relate to their decisions at all.

I found myself hating it even more, because I've watched a lot of lgbtq media, and this specific genre, or trope, of lgbtq media is the worst. I hate it when homosexual relationships, and gay people always have to be miserable and problematic. It feels cheap and overdone. Give me more lgbtq stories where the main conflict does not involve cheating or emotional abuse please.

I'm sorry but I cannot recommend this drama to anyone.

Citeste mai mult

The most unforgivable thing a drama can do, is to be boring

There are many things wrong with this drama. The incestual themes and the "fat" shaming (fat in quotation marks because the fl is in no way fat. Is in fact quite thin), being just the tip of the ice berg. I can however forgive a drama for being taboo, or controversial. I have no problem watching a piece of media about something that I'm not okay with in real life. Dramas about controversial topics can be thought-provoking and interesting. I think that is the point of filming stories like these; to question why something is wrong or immoral and to see if there are situations were a wrong can make a right. Not in this case however. This drama is just boring.

The story revolves around a girl whose grandma passed away, so she moves in with her mom and her half-siblings. Unfortunately though she ends up falling in love with her half-brother.
Before I began watching it, I found myself wondering how they were going to turn such a revolting premise into something we viewers can accept. I will admit to watching this out of sheer morbid curiosity.
I quickly found out however that the biggest sin this drama made, is not the story itself, but how they executed it. After the first 10 or so episodes, the rest is just like watching paint dry. The drama dragged on for way too long, the story repeated itself a million times over. With an endless amount of crying, second-guessing, pushing someone away just to pull them closer in the very next scene. Oh, how I wish I had just stopped watching this after the first episode.

If you are like me and likely to press play on taboo dramas such as this, just out of curiosity. Trust me and stop now. There is nothing worth watching about this drama. The acting is bad, the writing is bland and repeats itself over and over. It's probably one of the most boring dramas I've ever watched. And they do not manage to turn the controversial storyline into something a reasonable person might accept. Also, I generally see myself as quite an empathetic person, but watching the fl cry for the 1000th time, made me want to punch her in the face.

The only reason I did not give this drama a 1 star is because at least the first few episodes of this train-wreck were somewhat entertaining to see. If you do decide to start watching this, my tip to you is: As soon as the drama starts getting boring, stop watching. It does not get better.

Citeste mai mult

Visually stunning but pacing is off

This is my first time watching a c drama as it's currently airing. And I can easily say that it has reignated my love for c dramas, and has made me want to watch more. Especially ones in this particular genre.

To start with the good we have Zhao Lu Si's incredibly acting. I'm convinced she would have chemistry with a rock should the story require her to. This is my second time watching one of her dramas, and it certainly won't be the last. She's accompanied by Yang Yang, who albeit is a little more stiff in his acting, nonetheless manages to convince us of their undying love for each other. It was refreshing to see a drama without any unnecessary breakups or confusing love triangles. They supported each other from beginning until end.

It was also lovely to see a female main character who wasn't only supposed to be strong, but actually showed us that she was too. Unfortunately in dramas we're often told that the main character is supposed to be strong or powerful, but none of her actions showcase it. This was not a problem in this drama. We were quickly introduced to her character, and her moral compass. But even though she tried to be rightous and value all human life, she wasn't hesitant to get her hands dirty when the situation required it. Kudos to the writers and Zhao Lu Si for accomplishing this.

It wasn't all good however. One thing I always have some trouble with in chinese dramas is the over-the-top cgi they tend to prefer. It makes the show seem silly, even when it isn't supposed to be. I will also never understand why they insist on dubbing a show that is in their own language. Perhaps there is a reason for this that I just don't know about. But it still strikes me as odd.

The main problem I had with this show however, is the inconsistent pacing. Though it was enjoyable throughout, it felt like the middle part was dragged out unnecessarily long. The beginning was fast-paced and then it mellowed out into episodes that didn't feel like they furthered the plot very much at all. Which in turn made the ending very rushed. It seemed like they tried to cram 80% of the story into the final few episodes.

All in all, a very enjoyable drama. But one that definitely could have benefited from tighter writing or more episodes. Something I never thought I would wish unto a c drama.

Citeste mai mult