Not overly bad, but boring

Nail Shop Paris isn't overly bad, but it can be quite boring. It has a lingering slow pace that appears in nearly all episodes, and even more considering this is more episodic based, can be quite a chore to watch through until the end. But there were definitely some positives that made me want to watch through until the final episode (which unfortunately, was the biggest bore fest of them all).

The main positive was the performance of Song Jae Rim, an outstanding actor that, despite given a cold and somewhat 'shaky' character to portray, managed to hit another home run with his excellent portfolio that hasn't missed so far. He was easily the biggest highlight.

Another positive was that whilst I did not enjoy the pacing at all, there were some more serious themes that were handled well, which I was surprised about. I also enjoyed the brief moments of when the FL was visualising her novel into an over-dramatic movie, it reminded me to not take the drama too seriously and try to have fun with it - which is what I suggest you do too!

Negatives include the aforementioned pacing, but also the acting of the majority of cast members (not trying to offend you if one of your favourites is included here - just my opinion), and I didn't feel any chemistry between many of the actors. It just felt like an awkward pay-to-appear gig that sometimes happened at a nail shop, sometimes happened at a restaurant type thing.

Would I recommend Nail Shop Paris? I mean, I would, just as long as you don't mind something that is definitely slow paced most of the time.

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Is it more about the journey or destination?

Surplus Princess is a perfect drama until the last episode. It's a fantastic journey that featured a great and mysterious story that had unique themes and characters, but ultimately led to a failure in the final episode, which was just a complete rushed mess. Unfortunately this drama had been cut by six episodes. If it hadn't been cut, I'm pretty sure my overall rating would be higher. Actually, it definitely would have been higher.

Anyways...the thing I was sceptical about first, when starting to watch this drama, was the mermaid theme. I have only known the mermaid theme to be either cringe, childish, or boring (or a combination/full mix of these three). But for the first time ever, it was neither of these things. Even the "filler" scenes actually didn't feel like "filler" scenes. While all characters (like previously mentioned above) were unique, some could have been written better.

OST was great, although a little overplayed at points.

I've just finished this drama, and I still don't know what to feel. I wish this last episode didn't exist, or at least made better. It just feels uncomplete. The characters are not where they are supposed to be! Well, well. If anyone ever writes an MDL Article titled "When the drama end with the wrong couples together" don't be surprised to see 'Surplus Princess' mentioned!

You'll enjoy the first nine episodes without a doubt!

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The wait is worth it

The wait is worth it. I found Goblin incredibly slow for the first twelve-ish episodes and boring in regards to the first six or seven, but the last four episodes were so great that my initial rating transformed highly, and I'm so glad I was patient with this, instead of dropping it.

However, Goblin still has things I didn't like. Like I said, the pacing is the by far the biggest problem, but there were a couple of obvious plot holes I didn't like, plus the character of the FL until she becomes more mature was very irritating at parts.

But these are no problem in the last four episodes. In fact, the last four episodes showcased the potential of the story, characters and acting abilities into action. I think the main thing I liked about Goblin was the star-studded cast and their brilliant performances as always, and the other cast members I hadn't seen before or wasn't too much of a fan of, well, guess what, Goblin changed my opinion on them too, in a more positive fashion.

Another brilliant thing I must mention is the delightful OST (although in my eyes, a little bit overplayed).

All in all, it is a very, very slow start, but the wait is worth it. Can I recommend it though for others? Only for people who can never drop a drama!

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Makes you think about what is truly important in life

'Hi Bye, Mama!' is a very thought provoking drama that gives stimulating feelings regarding life as we know it and makes the viewer really think about what is truly important in life, and to appreciate every second you are on this planet. This drama was really helped by the amazing performances of the cast, which helped encapsulate some of the things that perhaps people take for granted.

Now, after reading that, you may wonder why the score isn't a 10/10 for all score rankings. The first criticism I have of this drama is that I feel it could have been condensed down easily. Perhaps instead of 16 episodes, it could have easily been finished in 12. The episodes didn't feel long (which is actually quite a strength considering, before starting this, the stretching of air time was a big potential worry for me). All in all, episodes didn't feel long, but the story was stretched out.

Another criticism I have, albeit quite a minor one, was the story involving the ghosts, specifically the baseball player. It felt quite irrelevant in the end, they were building it up for so long, just for some small screen time by the end.

Like before, the biggest strength of this drama is by far the amazing cast and each of their respective performances. In second, I would say the production value. The directing, the camera shots of the actors and of the nature, were purely amazing. They really know how to set out the scenes for each perspective mood they wanted to make the viewers feel. Thirdly, I would say the characters, nearly all of them likeable, and easy to like.

I would suggest to everyone, no matter what genre you usually like to watch, to watch this. Do not miss out!

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Good, could have been greater

Mad Dog - a drama in which its' plot was built with one too many clichés, but eventually became original enough on it's own to genuinely enjoy. The majority of dramas similar are most likely going to be better but Mad Dog is still a decent watch. I think the greatest thing in regards to this drama was the fact that the cast selection was perfectly orchestrated. This means that you can expect (nearly) all characters to be acted out to an immensely impressive level. The story starts out quite boring but eventually becomes interesting enough, and I would even say 'binge-worthy'.

A few things did bother me, such as some characters sudden and one-time action's not matching their personalities, forced romance (not much romance but you'll understand what I mean if you end up watching Mad Dog), and some over-the-top scenes trying to display the 'emotions'.

I do like the easiness of the story in the sense that it was easy to follow, especially in the later stages where things started to be a good level of 'complex but not confusing'. Oh, and the CGI, especially with the plane crash, was very impressive work, it actually looked real. I don't say that at all when it comes to CGI, so props to the person or people in charge of that!

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Different, mostly in a great way.

Chief of Staff is definitely different, 'mostly' in a great way. It managed to pull of a serious story that illustrated many issues in the world we live in today, with a hint of realism that isn't apparent in other dramas of it's kind (politics genre etc.). I really liked the production, especially in filming and editing of this too, and while, story-wise, I felt like I desired something that wasn't there, I was still impressed from the end. The first couple of episodes are quite slow but eventually by the third/fourth episode you'll get into the story more. Acting was top-notch quality by nearly everyone, accompanied by a great OST.

Re-watch value is normally low for me anyways, so don't read into that too much. If you are a fan of these kinds of dramas, I definitely recommend watching Chief of Staff. If you are new to this genre, of haven't watched a great deal, I would suggest something different for you as it may not be to your taste. All in all, a decent watch.

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Started Slow, But It's Worth It!

While I found the first quarter of episodes rather quite slow, I did eventually find Coffee Prince to be a solid drama with some greatly built characters and OST, which of course was helped alongside an all-star cast. (R.I.P. to Lee Eon). In all honesty, I could have perhaps even given Coffee Prince a higher rating, if one thing was changed - that being the character of the FL. Don't get me wrong, the character wasn't horrible, but I did get a little tired of the same thing over and over. Thankfully however, the story, while not insanely impactful, kept giving little twists and turns which kept it fresh, and the majority of the characters excluding the FL, were enjoyable to watch. I would have in-fact liked more episodes by the end - perhaps like a spin-off that featured more limelight of the supporting characters based in the Coffee Prince café.

All in all, while the start was slow, I still definitely suggest people to watch Coffee Prince. I'm not even the sort of person to enjoy 'contemporary romance/slice-of-life type' dramas, and I thoroughly enjoyed this, especially when it comes to the second half of episodes.

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I'm glad I watched

While the story isn't a masterpiece by any means, 'Feel Good To Die' did two things perfectly: their characters and comedy. This was the first ever K-Drama to make me laugh out loud - in fact I laughed out loud multiple times watching this, so if you're in need in watching something funny, look no further. Another really strong thing going for 'Feel Good To Die' is their amazing OST, which by the end is so catchy and memorable that I instantly recognised the rhythms, melody, flow etc.

There were a few issues, the main issue being the pacing. Some episodes felt really quick and were enjoyable to watch, yet others were a drag to watch and were boring. Thankfully though, the 'boring' episodes were only a few, and were mainly towards the start. (Re-watch value for me is normally quite low anyways so a 4 here isn't the best, but isn't too terrible).

The character of Baek Jin Sang (early version especially) was perhaps the craziest lunatic character I've seen ever, which was a delight to watch.

In short: I recommend this to anyone who likes a good time-loop drama like myself, or who wants to laugh.

Enjoy!

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Simply Lovely

As someone who hadn't watched the trailer before the release and wasn't too sure of the concept when reading the synopsis, Move to Heaven is one of the greatest surprises I have ever had. The story was simply a masterpiece, thought-provoking and makes you really think about life - which I love to think about. I also love the different characters, and how they are with one another. The acting was great, apart from a couple of scenes, but nothing major here. The OST wasn't too noticeable but instead I felt was used very appropriately to hype up suspense or mystery (another great choice here). The re-watch value is high due to the fact that there are only 10 episodes, which some only lasting about 45 minutes (but only feel like 20 minutes or so!).

I highly suggest that you watch Move to Heaven. I hope you enjoy watching it as much as I did.

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Surprisingly Great!

The overall rating for Birdie Buddy on MyDramaList is definitely a mis indicator, because while it isn't world-class, it still has a very nice and meaningful story that will make you feel many genuine emotions towards the characters. I honestly have no idea why it has such a low overall rating in the first place considering the reviews made beforehand too, perhaps because it was made in 2011 perhaps, nearly a decade ago when this review is being made? Honestly the only thing I didn't like in this sports drama was the acting skills of one of the main characters (wont point out any names as I don't want to be too harsh).

If you like sports dramas I definitely recommend Birdie Buddy, and if you are not a fan of sports dramas I still think there is enough non-sport story for you to like it, but bear in mind this is still a sports drama, if you know what I mean! I liked the OST too and it did give me some nice nostalgic vibes somehow - even though this is my first time watching!

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amazing, although some parts don't make sense

While I found some parts of Black confusing, (although this could be due to my lesser experience of watching the supernatural genre) I really loved this. The acting, the chemistry (the chemistry between the two main leads for me definitely took longer than what I thought to 'click' but by 6/7 episodes in I could finally see their great chemistry together too), the OST, the rewatch value, all amazing! Even though some episodes were roughly 1 hour 20 minutes long, they really felt have that amount of time. Inserting the good ole' saying of "Time flies when you're having fun" here!

The first two episodes really made me get involved in the story from the get-go, and whilst I found the third and fourth episodes the slowest out of all of them (but still not that slow), I understand why. These were basically episodes to world build and basically tell the viewer what is going on. I really like all members of the cast here and because of Black I will always remember each and everyone's great performances. Due to Black, I think I'm going to watch more dramas that involve members of this cast, especially the two main leads. Black = Brilliant!

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A perfect historical drama for beginners to the genre!

The Nokdu Flower is such an incredible drama- and the fact that it's based on real life is even more overwhelming. To think this really happened (I don't know how accurately as I wasn't obviously alive in 1894/1895) in real life, makes me even more emotional upon completion.

The drama is so amazing, the choice of cast was great - surprising to see actors I know in this drama - but then again I rarely watch historical dramas so I can obviously say this. The OST, while at first I believed to be a little underwhelming, turned out to be one of my favourite themes in a long time. The rewatch-value is a little lower than what I had thought, but please bear in mind it's more than the usual, that's literally the only reason why.

The Nokdu Flower has really made me interested in reading about this real story into an even more depth - if that is even possible? I guess I'm going on Amazon after I write this review to check it out! While I do that, watch The Nokdu Flower! You will not regret it!

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Great but a little confusing at times

The story of The K2 is great. It's just hard for me to invest in it at times as I'm not sure (with some of the characters) how I'm supposed to feel/who I want to root for. Don't get me wrong, the acting and cast was superb, it was just a little confusing as my emotions for certain characters changed episode by episode. The OST also pointed out to me as quite unique for a drama which at times was very gritty. I liked most of the OST by the end, but at the start it actually quite startled me with the selections of songs/music. I feel like I may have rated my rewatch value too high however as this is another drama I am watching during the lockdown, these dramas have an advantage of a higher rewatch value as I have more time to watch them.

The K2 is definitely a solid drama to watch, as long as you are able to get your head around the great but quite-complex-at-times story.

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Good Start - Boring Middle - Great Ending

Before I say anything I just want to say that the OST for Kkondae Intern was surprisingly amazing. It's perhaps one of my favourite OST's out of all, at least in my top three of all time.

Anyways, regarding the drama itself. It's definitely something that you can easily watch, just sit back, relax, smile and laugh a little along the way. It started of good in the first couple of episodes, and then the next three or four episodes were quite dull, but the last half of episodes were pretty amazing and made me binge-watch the whole way through the second half. I also like the twists and the turns of the story.

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Stranger. Perhaps the greatest and most consistently good drama in television history.

Wow - and I thought they couldn't live up to the hype from their amazing first season! So, what did I prefer in each season of Stranger? Firstly, what I prefer about the second season. The plot has so much substance and thickness, such realism and emotion behind it that I felt even more sadder compared to the first season, because I didn't want it to end! An unexpected storyline. It keeps you guessing and guessing.

I think the second season did take a little longer for me to get into compared to the first, plus I think the first season there were more characters you could connect to just because their personalities were more explored, however, there was at no time watching this I became bored, so that's always a good sign. Like I said before in this review, you won't want this to finish at all!!

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