Save Me is an amazingly well-rounded and well-executed drama. Simply put, this is not your average drama, and I highly recommend it to anyone looking for something intriguing, thought-provoking, and captivating. It's filmed like a movie, and the writing hones in on quality.

The pacing and plot are well-thought out, albeit it starts off slow, it really drives forward after a few episodes. There are certain scenes that just really hit the mark (and even ones that made my jaw visibly drop). Both the spoken and unspoken parts of this script really shine. The cinematography is also astounding. Aside from the technical stuff, the themes and characters of this drama are just incredibly well thought out.

As for the acting, I truly must give a hand to the entire cast for bringing such a chilling narrative to life, because this fictional cult's story is unfortunately very similar to many real life events. Some may disagree, but for me, Seo Ye Ji made this drama. I've heard that some viewers may find her expressions to be bland or dull, but I strongly disagree. She displays a wide variety of emotions, and has great control over even micro-expressions; the only reason why it may have seemed dull at first is because her character is written in such a very conservative manner. The next outstanding performance came from Woo Doo Hwan. Not only is his character written to be so generous and wonderful, but Doo Hwan's ability to capture heartwarming, blood-chilling, raw emotion blew me away. Definitely rooting for this guy.

The music is suitable to this drama, but it's not really that good standalone.

Overall, this drama has been one of my favorites in terms of cast, character, and impact so far. I'm looking forward to the cast and crew's future endeavors, and I certainly hope this drama gets more love!

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Truly a Shadow of Part 1

To preface, I gave part one 9 stars — I absolutely adored it. Part 2 lacked compelling characterization, had a plot that made zero sense, and just overall felt directionless. That best part about it was staying with endearing characters like Lord Park and the Crown Prince for just a little bit longer. The female characters were completely diminished and there was no real weight to any of the "danger."

Also, while I appreciate GYJ, there was a huge hole in part 2, and that was the gap left behind by the absolutely show-stopping Miss Jung Somin. Her performance carried audiences through the endless laughter and excruciating tears of Part 1. Part 1 had it all: novel world-building, suspenseful plotting, and intense chemistry. This season, while adequate, had none of that, and Jung Somin and her character of Mu Deok tied so much of that together. It's not just that I miss the actress — I miss the CHARACTER. Her persona, the way she was written, and the way she loves. GYJ as Bu Yeon was fine, but her character and performance weren't magic like JSM's Mu Deok was.

BUT ten stars to Lia's OST — I loved that.

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Hate on me all you want, but I stand by my opinion that this is a sub-par drama at best.
I enjoyed the serial-style crime show that composed the first half of this drama, but it the writing wasn't particularly clever or fluid as other crime dramas I've seen.
The story felt dragged out and not as cohesive as it could have been, and it overall lacked substance. Crime shows deal with heavy themes of humanity, but this show was just dark without social commentary and had too much cheesy romance. On that note, the chemistry was spicy, but the romance itself was rushed, unbelievable, and not well paced. Even without substance, shows can be saved by fun and action, but again, there wasn't enough feel-good vibes or humor for it to pull that off, so it was just straight-up dark and cheesy from there.
The acting here was pretty good, but acting can't save mediocre writing, and the acting did become sloppy at times. The best performance here was probably Wang Kai's; his character was the only likeable one in the end.
On another note, I understand Chinese patriarchal culture as someone who is indeed ethnically Chinese, but a viewer can't deny the awkwardly sexist writing here.
Overall, I can say that viewers can pass on this drama. It's very highly rated and well-reviewed, but I think reviewers may just have found a show to their tastes rather than a show that actually measures up to the other brilliant crime shows in the drama industry.

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A rare gem

Idol: The Coup is a rare drama: it's relentlessly dedicated to telling a deep story rather than leaning on flashiness. The acting is incredible (a true idol acting breakthrough), the writing is super detail-oriented (the writers did their research!), and the music is surprisingly excellent (fictional idol music has never been so good tbh).

Every single one of the girls was well-written and well-acted. Anyone can see that this was an incredibly tough script to act, especially for Hani, Solbin, and Exy. Kim Mingyu and Kwak Siyoung also performed excellently. Soeun carried well as both an actress and a fictional idol, and Jiwon was simply made for her part.

Attention to detail that made this drama so enjoyable: the five girls feel hand-picked and cohesive as a real girl group: Jenna the fearless leader, Stella the visual eldest member, Chae-ah the cute sub-vocal, Exy the fierce main vocal, and Hyunji the fiery maknae. Now that they feel like a real girl group, seeing the nuances in their character and relationship arcs becomes so much richer. Its difficult to go too deep into any single thing within 12 episodes, but they touched upon mental health in the entertainment industry, brutal working conditions for agency staff (with Duho), Businessmen praying upon young girls, the burden of being in a team, failed trainees, and even the stress of established idols. It was also an appropriate blend of 2nd gen and 3rd gen Kpop narratives, as pinpointing which era of Kpop to focus on is important too.

While I don't claim to be an absolute expert, I've been into Kpop for a long time—I've seen endless shows and documentaries that peek into these agencies. Most of them are in basements, and it's just so hard to survive in a brutal and oversaturated market. I've heard all the scandals, and I've seen so many promising girl groups be pushed aside because boy groups tend to be a safer gamble with dedicated fanbases. It's hard, but it can be beautiful when you see how wonderful the connection between an artist and their fans is. I appreciate this drama, because it's written with a perspective that feels true to my experience as a Kpop fan. It's on the side of women, of the unheard and the unsung. It's on the side of those who've failed, but did such a good job on their own terms. As a fan of countless disbanded and forgotten girl groups, this drama was very special to me.

As other reviewers said, this drama definitely flirts with makjang more than it needed to — but what makes it real and true is that the melodrama was simply an extension of everything that genuinely could've gone wrong, going wrong. I could tell that the melodrama was a result of the writers wanting to fit everything they wanted to say about idol life as possible.

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The shining part of this drama was IU, if I'm being completely honest. Her acting has improved tenfold since she entered the game, and she's just such a captivating lead. Not to mention, her makeup, styling, and wardrobe team were absolutely on fire for this drama — props to them for dressing and styling her so gorgeously and uniquely for every single scene.

As for the overall drama, while it's not bad, it's really not anything super captivating. It was also definitely way longer than it had to be. Most conflicts were either too easily resolved, or resolved in a way that I didn't understand why there was a conflict in the first place. And while I loved the cast, there was just a huge lack of chemistry between them for some reason.

I loved the was Man Wol was written, but what lost me was the romance. The romance really lacked progression. Suddenly Man Wol and Chan Sung were in love and I had just zero idea why. There was just no real process to it, plus the leads had NO chemistry. I'm sorry y'all — I love IU and Yeo Jin Goo, but just not together.

What saved this drama was nice production quality, a killer soundtrack, and great acting from IU though.

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Wow, where to begin? This is what I would call a "once in a lifetime" drama. Some dramas just cut deeper than others. My Mister left me laughing and crying, all at once, and the slow pacing never bothered me – in fact, it just drew me in even more.

This drama is so exquisitely written, from how tightly the plot is drawn together, to the perfectly uplifting yet melancholy dialogue. I love how carefully this drama redefines what an "ahjussi" is and what a meaningful relationship looks like. This drama has so much pain in it, but it heals you through that pain.

While the plot wandered, it came back to center, and the character development really shined. Every single character had a duality that made them so empathetic. The main cast is written with dimension and duality; we see them in moments both problematic and progressive, pathetic and admirable, weak and strong. I think that while it's easy to admire a perfect hero, it's the characters that invoke both pity and joy that we can relate to the most. The only thing I would ask for if anything, was for Dong Hoon's relationship with his son to be more clearly written, but this show wasn't about parenthood really, so it's understandable.

The filming itself was done very well — you could tell that the crew put in the time to make it quality. The editing was a little bit awkward for some episodes, likely due to time crunch, but these are minor issues.

The best part about this drama was probably the casting/acting. Lee Sun Kyun just has a look that breaks your heart and warms it at any given moment. His empty stare and heavy sighs echo louder than any of his yells, and each tear he sheds feels like a waterfall. Less is more in his case, and I bought into every moment of his performance. IU really surprised me this time around with Ji An. Ji An is already such a mysterious and complex woman, and IU really gave this abstract character grit and darkness. Seeing her with Son Sook as her grandmother was also so sweet – they had great chemistry.

As for the soundtrack, they absolutely nailed it, 10/10.

I loved this drama. It taught me two things: good storytelling and how to cope with the traumas of life.

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Argh this drama is such a mess that I don't even know where to begin. First of all, the story is incredibly disappointing: predictable, filled with plot holes, conveniently lucky at times to save the protagonist, and overall filled with frustrating pacing.
The characters that began with promise quickly lost their luster, with probably only Hwa Gun becoming an actually well-written character by the end. Yoo Seung Ho is an outstanding actor with both talent and heart-melting looks, but his character is inconsistent, annoying, and stuck in a plot that doesn't seem to go anywhere until the end. Same with Kim So Hyun- I absolutely adore her in her previous works, but Ga Eun is written so blandly that I really could retain interest in her. As for L (Myung Soo), he actually exceeded all expectations in his performance, but again- his character had many inconsistencies in writing to be of interest.
THE SOLE REASON FOR WATCHING THIS would have to be Hwa Gun. Now, Yoon So Hee isn't the greatest actress out there- she does need some work on her annunciation and just more experience in general. However, she did a great job as Hwa Gun and certainly improved from her past roles. It seems that all of the character development that was supposed to happen to everyone else just poured into her instead. Solidly written and developed, Hwa Gun is a character balanced in virtues and flaws who becomes vital to both the story and the audiences attention. One of my all-time favorite characters.
Dae Mok began as an interesting villain, but quickly fell into the category of antagonists that I like to call "Fire Lord Ozais". [Note: If you've seen Avatar: The Last Airbender, you'd know that the overarching villain is Fire Lord Ozai. However, throughout most of the story, Princess Azula is the truer and much better antagonist with clear complexities and motivations, reducing Ozai to more of a figurehead.] Dae Mok does get some backstory, but it's vague and undeveloped, making him a simplified figure of evil that our boringly righteous protagonists may fight with.
There may be solid actors in this drama, but not even they can save poor writing. The music was amazing, but it's not particularly memorable nor surprising for a high budget sageuk.
If you enjoy overly dramatic sageuks with actors that are easy on the eyes, go for it if you have 20 hours to spare.

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This was an incredibly well-done mini series. It didn't have the feel of a typical kdrama; it was incredibly nuanced and I felt that the pacing was very appropriate.
While the story is not anything particularly special, certain scenes were written and shot in a way to be very heartfelt, and the overall tone of this drama felt slow and very real. It's not a happy drama, but I think that adds to the slice-of-life effect; it wasn't a happy ending per se, but I felt an odd catharsis watching this. Shim Hee Sub was amazing in this, and I'm glad he's getting more gigs after Rebel. Lee Won Geun is an adorable actor, but I felt that his performance was just okay in this (mostly due to how his character was written). Sooyoung still has a lot of room for improvement, but I applaud her for taking on a role that requires a lot of emotional investment such as this one. The music was very fitting, but didn't stand out. Overall, this drama might not be for everyone, but I don't regret watching it! Very beautiful.

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Wow....where to even begin with this incredible and amazing drama? It was incredibly balanced with progressivism and realism.

The writing was truly on another level; organically-written, deeply thoughtful, and incredible humorous, all at the appropriate times. It follows the stories of 3 couples in their 30s: a house-poor man with a monotonous life gets tangled up with an assistant drama writer in need a place to stay, a turbulent 7 year relationship with an unclear trajectory, and a female professional who deals with workplace sexual harassment and her romance with a submissive CEO. There's themes of family, romance, marriage, friendship, success, and Korean tradition. There's endless book quotes, film allusions, and references to sociologists that enrich the narration and the dialogue. You can just tell that there's intellect and talent in the team behind this drama, as it's incredibly thoughtfully crafted. Even though I'm only 18, I truly enjoyed the more mature/adult vibes of this drama. No spoilers, but I can safely say that if you want a drama that makes you squeal out loud, cry actual tears, and stays in your heart even after it's over WATCH THIS SHOW.

As for the cast, I couldn't have asked for a better cast or more convincing acting, truly a 10/10. Not only was each character thoughtfully written, but I could tell each actor immersed themselves in their individual character's narrative. Lee MinKi outdid himself with the nuanced emotions of Nam SeHee, and Jung SoMin's ability to be cute, fiery, passive, and flustered all within the same episode really charmed me. Everyone was awesome.

I'm not going to lie- I have super high standards for soundtracks, and while this one didn't absolutely blow me away, it was really nice and fitting for the drama. It was cute and light, and I really enjoyed the original score!

I don't typically rewatch dramas, but I can definitely say that I would have no problems watching this one over and over again- it's just so darn good!

I honestly don't think I can ever look at kdramas the same after just how amazing and gratifying this one has been. It was cute, deeply reflective, and overall a fun ride. I'm a slice-of-life fanatic, but I genuinely recommend this drama for everyone of all preferences! A game-changer!

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You know it's all over when you literally cannot sit still for more than five seconds throughout an entire drama. This was what School 2017 was to me. A great story, a phenomenal cast, fantastic character development, and amazing relationship dynamics that left me screaming and on the edge of my seat every monday-tuesday. While not my personal #1 drama of 2017 because I have particular tastes, it's my #1 must watch for everyone else of 2017. I go into specifics but scroll down to the last paragraph for my verdict.
In regards to the story, it begins a bit rocky and a bit lacking, but the narrative really grows into itself with a charming ensemble and careful articulation of relationships.
If I could give a standing ovation to these new young actors, I would. The biggest surprise I think no one saw coming was Kim Sejeong nabbing a a leading role as her first, and then owning it so well. The lack of experience was apparent, but not an issue considering her ability to charm and her great connection to her character. Kim Jung Hyung was absolutely a show-stealer. From sageuk to high school slice of life, I'm so glad he's gaining more roles and recognition because I sincerely love his expressions.
The music was probably the weakest point of the drama, but in a way I'm glad they didn't capitalize upon it too heavily because it could have distracted from the other good elements of the drama.
Overall, this drama didn't hit deep, but it hit where it counts: the issues we encounter daily, and the brighter side of every situation. The characters are absolutely lovely and swoon-worthy (in terms of personality, not just looks!) and the leads have crazy chemistry.

VERDICT: This is wonderfully fun (like Fight for My Way), coming of age (like the Reply Series), and has the cutest romance (rivaling Weightlifting Fairy and SWDBS) I've seen in a while. I also find it to be an incredibly refreshing entry in the school series and overall genre and it could have eaily fallen into tropes and traps but remained refreshing and exciting! 10/10 would watch again!
***this has no spoilers as its for MDL, but I will be posting spoiler reviews on my blog that I'll link in my profile!!

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A rare and FANTASTIC drama

Wow. AOS is truly, truly the most spectacular production I've seen in a while, especially from a rather dry K-Drama scene on the action romance side of things.

First off, I just want to applaud the Hong Sisters for crafting yet another masterpiece-- Hotel Del Luna was a huge disappointment to me writing, acting, and directing-wise, and I just feel like they made all the right moves with Alchemy of Souls. Not to stir up a fanwar, but Alchemy of Souls turned out to be the Hong Sisters' high-profile magnum opus that I thought HDL was supposed to be. And I couldn't be happier that it was a sageuk-style HIGH FANTASY! I have not seen this level of tight-pacing, enticing plot lines, affectionate characters, and balanced humor in a LONG TIME. And to top it all off, there's wonderfully appropriate acting levels here, as well as glorious CGI and art direction. I haven't seen a project so committed to a sense of epic grandeur since Moon Lovers (and say what you will about ML's plot, but the production was breathtaking).

Next, I would like to talk about how satisfied I am with the casting and acting. Not every single performer was a standout, but GOD I love Jung Somin. Truly, it's a relief they casted a veteran actress who's able to hold all the bubbling and conflicting emotions of Mudeok, Naksu, and Buyeong altogether. She has considerable depth, range, and truly immerses herself into her character in a way that is hard to find amongst seas of wannabe-starlets. The other standout performance I would like to name is Hwang Min-Hyun, who genuinely surprised me. Perhaps the character of Yul was so perfectly-written for him, or else he's talent that no one had recognized before. I had my doubts about yet another it-boy idol actor, but his calm tenderness and quiet strength are so delicately delivered. And man-- what GOT me was that teary-eyed stare he always held at Mudeok. His pitiful looks of longing were insane, I'd think he was actually hopelessly lost in a first love if I didn't know any better. 10/10 for him.

Now for my favorite part -- the creative decisions. I won't be reviewing the plot, because it's honestly a scaffolding that holds up everything else that makes this production great. First off, the lore is incredibly refreshing, as they've decided to go full high fantasy rather than historical fantasy, but still reserved some sageuk-style embellishments for the sake of genre stability -- very Tolkien style with an Asian twist. Going full fantasy allows them to write their own tales, to make their own rules and conventions-- even if they are inspired by Confucian civilization and existing superstition.

The next thing I would like to praise is actually how skilled the writing and execution is format-wise. What bumped it from a 9 to a 9.5 was solely the fact that they very cleanly wrapped up a lot in Part One, but set up SO much for Part Two, with the brave decision to have two separate female leads (especially in a romance!). I think what the Hong Sisters did SO right this time was, rather than center the story around lovers, to center the story around HEROES that are in love. The romance is there, but its not what everything hinges on. And before Uk and Mudeok are lovers, they share bonds of so many different dimensions: master and student, master and maid, savior and executioner. It's a fondness that is deeper that attraction -- it's respect, affection, survival.

And boy oh boy, I am PUMPED for the upped stakes of Part Two, especially with the return of Naksu via Go Yoon Jung. I'm counting on Jung Somin staying on to play her part as Jin Buyeon, because it would be a complete disappointment to see AOS without her incredible performance.

In terms of why I didn't give it a 10, I reserve that for my absolute favorite dramas that move me deeply (make me laugh and cry), so that's usually for more slice of life ones and so forth...but this drama makes me VERY optimistic for the future of Korean cinematic fantasy, all wrapped up in the Hong Sisters' satisfying writing. Yes, it can get a little predictable and some plot points seem a little too convenient, but that's what a fun story is all about! And honestly, the grim suspense and "realistic" tragedy that dominates television these days that was once a refreshing defiance against happy endings has become a tired and trite convention that just feels like a carrot on a stick these days. I'll gladly take happy endings (hopefully!!!)

Also, I think a whole star of my rating needs to be devoted to (1) the ambiguously lovable crown prince who is a fantastically confounding character and (2) the classical version of Oh My Girl's Nonstop-- it's gave Korean Bridgerton, and I mean that in the best possible way...

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Web dramas kind of have this stigma of being less serious and really just insignificant in their storytelling, but Dating Class really surprised me in its quality. Kudos to tvND for stepping it up and using the web-drama platform to tell refreshing and genuine stories.

I started Dating Class thinking it'd be a typical web drama, rife with cheesy and predictable tropes. Instead, I got very real (well, as real as you can get in a short, lighthearted series) college characters that sort of defied the typical romance tropes set up for them.

I also thought the acting was really great, and think the idol actors really pulled through here. The entire cast was just so wonderful and charming.

While I really thought the ending was lackluster, I loved a majority of the episodes, and would love a season 2!

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This drama was overall very mediocre— not exceptionally horrible, but certainly not good. I had a feeling that much of the issues were in the production of the drama itself because the acting was completely fine, wonderful even. The cast was lovely, but the writing was very poor even when based on an existing intriguing story. Also, the editing was shoddy, and the post-production seemed to cut the story in a way that really didn't take it anywhere interesting.
The good: the characters were wonderfully complex and the acting was good. The music was also okay.
The bad: MBC really doesn't know how to produce an interesting melodrama.

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I must say, Circle is the closest to a near-perfect minidrama that I've ever seen. In just 12 episodes it succinctly and cleverly delivers a solid and captivating story without being overly ambitious nor disappointingly sparse. Was is my favorite drama of 2017? Probably not. So why do I pretentiously name it as a near-perfect minidrama? Because despite it not being my personal favorite (I still thoroughly enjoyed it), it is the pinnacle of what a minidrama should be. Usually, due to limited runtime, 12-episode dramas either are too ambitious and fail to properly articulate the story/message, or they just forego substance altogether. Circle's writing, editing, and formatting is able to present a story, message, and impact that balances pace and relevance.
It's easy to mix up sci-fi and fantasy. In my dictionary, fantasy tends to focus more on lore, while sci-fi is more focused on the consequences of human's actions. I'm not going to spoil anything, but I will confirm that this is sci-fi. There's action, tech, and definitely some curveballs, but if you're looking for something more fantasy, this drama may not be what you want. If you're looking for some action and thought-provoking narrative, I'd highly recommend this.
Now for the best part: the cast and acting. With such a short and fast-paced drama, a huge burden shifts from the story to the actors; they basically have to carry the story along. I've watched some of Yeo Jin Goo's child acting, which was enjoyable, but him as a lead was very impressive. Aside from the fact that he's just so darn pretty, he's able to express emotion far beyond his young age. The biggest surprises here were Kim Kang Woo and Lee Ki Kwang. I must say that Kang Woo stole the entire show (sorry Jin Goo). I've never seen him before, but I plan to keep watching his works; I haven't seen an actor display such raw emotion in a long time. He even moved me to tears in my favorite scene of this drama. As for Ki Kwang, I didn't know what to expect from an idol actor, but he blew me away. I felt every emotion he expressed, when he smiled, I found myself smiling. When he was distressed, I felt his frustration. Absolutely amazing. As for Gong Seung Yeon, I recently became a HUGE fan after Introverted Boss and My Only Love Song. This girl will make it big. She's absolutely charming.
As for music, there's only 2 songs on the OST, but they're solid. Not the best, but definitely enough for this drama.
As for rewatch value, I think this is the only drama I would give a 10. It's so complex that I'm tempted to go back and find clues.
Overall, a very good drama. Some may find unsatisfying plot holes, but I had no problem with the omitted information. It's heavy on action and humanity, and light on world-building and lore.

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