What time is it? Oh, it's 11:30am!

This was my gateway into the kdrama multiverse and I would highly recommended it for most newbies in the space. The story is intriguing enough to make you keep watching but it has a few clichés and typical cringe moments well known in the community.

Story
Loved this story line. Hindsight it 20/20 and our FL was able to go back and see all the red flags. Who wouldn't want to rewrite their fate? I enjoyed the way they played with the butterfly effect and how destiny will always find someone. Ji-Won was Our precious Ji-Hyuk was literally a Green Forest.

Acting/Cast
While there is so much uproar over the ML and FL, I thought they were both pretty good. The villains were also very well casted. I was definitely rooting for them to fail at every chance.

Music:
Not my favorite. The main song kind of ruined some of the romantic moments for me.

Rewatch Value:
I happened to rewatch for the review and would say it is one I could revisit again later down the road.

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Ha Ru is the female Clark Kent

This was the perfect pallet cleanser. A K Drama amuse bouche. After being sucked into so heavier storylines, this was the best way to refresh the mind. Going into this drama, you have to set the bar low. The cliches are abundant and loud. The characters aren't all relatable but they do offer some quirky moments.

Our FL is using a wig (which looked more like extensions) and some blush to trick out ML chaebol into thinking she is someone else. If you are willing to overlook this, then you should be good to go for the remainder of the series. If not, put it on hold, as this train leaves the station and doesn't come back.

Again, I appreciate how light the storyline and characters are. The darkest moments are when they talk about Tae Moo's parents but even then, they glaze over it comparison to what other dramas tend to do. I do feel the ending was rushed and strange but when you think about it being only 12 episodes, it's clear they preferred to wrap things up quickly and provide more screen time for other things.

I'm very shocked at the high rating but I think it shows that sometimes, we want our dramas to be a complete escape of fluff and cringey behavior. That's what this is.

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How did she climb those rocks in heels?

The premise of this drama is very interesting. It had me asking my co-workers and friends 'what would you do if you found out that you are just a character in a story (and not the lead/?' It brought about some interesting conversations about free will vs destiny as well as showed me how many rebels I keep in my circle. All of that to say, I would have loved for the drama to have dug deeper into that aspect. Dan Oh was a set up for a marvelous stand off with the writer but her character seemed to become weak once she fell in love. A lot of her spunk went away, which caused the second half of the drama to feel so depressing. I think E32 was incredibly sad. I found myself missing the girl who checked out the guys while they were changing (for her mystery man, of course) and ogled Ha Ru has he sat next to her removing his shirt. Who wouldn't take a good look at those abs?! Hye Yoon did a great job of making me laugh and cry, regardless of how annoying Dan Oh's decision making became.

Speaking of Ha Ru, he had the introduction of a Greek God. The glimpses of him which led to the umbrella reveal were some of the dreamiest I've seen thus far. But they dragged out his storyline a little too long. The pace didn't seem to match what was happening in the current story so the end felt rushed. One of his best scenes was when he confronted her on the steps are loosing his memory. Being frustrated and showing some emotional range gave him some dimension and growth. Otherwise, he was stuff in an odd child like state that didn't match with any of the other characters.

Baek Kyung on the other hand reminded me of every jerk in high school. He needed therapy and some anger management. Even when he was having better moments with Dan Oh at the end, it was hard to see past the guy with the daddy issues. This is no reflection on the actor. As with Rowoon, this was one of their first roles so you can really see they were relying on the script/writers.

Do Hwa was a surprising stand out as the 'second ML.' I found him to be the right amount of comedy to help balance out Dan Oh/Ha Ru's emo moments. His storyline with Joo Da was very cute and, again, a good balance from the other character's chaos.

The end felt thrown together and I had more questions than answers. While quick ending can be a thing in drama's, we did not go thru 32 episodes for you to have them meet under a tree and fade to black. No ma'am or sir. If we could have gottend even 5 more minutes of dialogue, maybe Ha Ru explaining what it felt like when his story ended? Maybe Dan Oh catching him up on what happened after he left? Anything. But instead, we got a tree, that didn't even make sense until the last third of the drama.

I'd recommend this to someone looking for a serious MELOdrama. Now excuse me while I go cleanse my pallet with The Business Proposal.

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Stay away from my girl, you bastard

This instantly became a drama I would place in the 'comfort watch' bucket. As someone else mentioned in their review, the plot isn't over complicated. This isn't a thriller or murder mystery folks. This rom com leans more into the melodrama space for me, although I will say the office staff did an excellent job of bringing in some comedy to an otherwise emo story.

I've seen some mention Hyun Seung was like a stalker but I did not get that vibe at all. If anything, he seemed a lot like me and my friends in our early 20s with our office crushed. Learning to love her 'strange' coffee order, stealing glances at her phone, being overly attentive to anything she did. It felt to me like more of a role reversal. Traditionally, females are the ones who tend to pick up the habits and likes of the person they are attracted to. Also Song Ah was easily one of the most clueless FLs I have watched. Your coworker sparks up a conversation about office romances (while looking at her with hearts basically coming out of his eyes) then proceeds to pretend your dating as a cover. It's no wonder Jae Shin was able to literally be engaged and she didn't have a clue.

I will say Hyun Seung has some of the sassiest dialogue in the early episodes. Homeboy was so ready to deliver that line at the end of E3 to Jae Shin. Their little passive aggressive rivalry was interesting to watch as Song Ha was paralyzed in her inability to process what was happening. By the time she caught up with the timeline, her self loathing and self sabotaging kicked in at full speed. How are you going to watch that man dance from pure happiness that you aren't going anywhere only to tell him 'I don't deserve the feelings you have for me.' Girl, pick yourself up off the floor!

I have a note from E8 that the 'eat a lot of Italian food.'

I totally understand why some people want to shake/slap/be violent towards Song Ah. I also get her trauma from her mom/dad deeply influenced her thoughts on love. She mentioned not being about to understand her mom and how she gave everything up for love. This seemed to influence her decision to go to Europe (at least for me.) When she was starting to really like Hyun Seung, she bolted.

E14 has one of my favorite endings or cliff hangers. The way he walks away *chefs kiss.* I need that cast and crew to know that I personally give that scene a standing ovation. So well done. I would have loved if they would have provided a look into how hard things were for Hyun Seung after the break up. It would have played nicely to the fact that 2 of his girlfriends commented that things are so easy for him. Having a true sad boy moment would have really helped shown even more growth/development in his character. I did love the scene with him and Jae Woon sharing a drink and talking. It made me want to know more about how some of the other relationships grew in the time jump. I had a soft spot for the older sister and CEO from the beginning. I found the younger sister to be unlikable so I was less invested in her messy marriage.

The ending is dreamy but I do agree seeing the wedding with the coworkers and family would have been great. The song from the last scene (which plays throughout the series) has been stuck in my head for days. Overall, I will most likely be re watching this one again as either a pallet cleanser or for the cozy vibes. Maybe even with a coffee from McCafe.

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Twenty questions, we tell the truth

The story of a human lie detector and the most emo guy I've seen yet in the drama space...

Story
The plot was intriguing while still sprinkling in some good food for thought. I appreciated the fact the they really leaned into the gray space of how not every lie is wrong. This lesson was slightly refreshing in the space of perfect virgin 'I've never had a boyfriend but I'm 30 years old' female leads. Can I also take a minute to discuss how this seemed to be one long commercial for Maseratis and almonds? Easily the strange PPL I've encountered. While the plot was predictable (I don't think s single person thought Do Ha killed his ex gf) I think what made the drama feel flat was the ML seemingly stuck in his sad boy era. The B story characters were also one dimensional with no real purpose other than filler.

Acting/Cast
The main reason I watched this drama was the two leads. Having seen them in other series (bats eyes at Alchemy of Souls, then hisses at Love Alarm) I was excited to see them both again. It was nice to see Kim So Hyun playing a sassy/lively character vs the last role I saw her in. Hwang Min Hyun on the other had was dealt a less kinder fate. Do Ha is easily the most boring ML. Predictable, flat, and with the wardrobe to match.

Music
I did enjoy the 'Run' by Woody, so for that I will give them decent marks.

Rewatch
While it was cute (at best) it was forgettable. Nothing work revisiting.

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Good for filler

If you are looking for something fluffy but also a little strange, do I have the drama for you!

Story
The story line is semi interesting. I particularly the little jokes about Cha Min coming back to life in a more 'handsome' body BUT I think it is a bit of a stretch to say that Se Yun comes back in an 'average' looking body. Bo Young, girl, don't let these men write you like that! Anyways, the story was interesting enough. I did enjoy the ending but wished there was more of an explanation about his return. It was just 'oh his back' one day.

Acting/Cast
This is a well stacked group of actors. As I've said in previous reviews, I will not fault an actor for taking a job. They are merely able to control so much about the story and character. None of the characters sat badly with me but aside from the leads, everyone else was not that memorable.

Music
Also, no memorable.

Rewatch Value
I'd be willing to give this a rewatch down the line. A good refresher or gap filler in between other dramas.

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The one with the dog...

I was warned that this one would be really heavy and they were right. I'm a binge watcher. Give me everything all at once, please and thank you! But this one I had to have some space in between episodes to process. The subject matter is clear based on the synopsis but I could see how some would find this to be a bit of a torture fest.

Story
Each episode is it's own story, with the past of reapers sprinkled in. Episodes 6, 10, and 13 really gutted me. Full on sobbing. While those stories were painful to watch, they needed to be told. Episode 9 was also hard to watch and I'm pretty sure I disassociated for some of it as my dog was on the bed while I watched. The ending was bitter sweet. I was hoping they would have Joon Woong use his 'freebie' with the Jade Emperor to stay with the RM team. They had a few great gateways as in the marketing episode he commented on the plight of working in a traditional job. I will give props to the writers for the way they handled Ryeon and Joong Gil.

Acting/Cast
*Takes Deep Breath* Now I know there is a lot of back and forth over a certain actor but I think this was casted very well. Hee Sun was a badass. She made Ryeon human but also powerful. Soo Hyuk always gives villain vibes which worked out so well in as Joong Gil is the perfect gray character. Do we like him? Do we hate him? That depends on the episode. Rowoon/Joon Woong was the perfect balance that the show needed. He was the over emotional and immature human (he coworkers were over 400 years old.) He offered comedic relief but also true emotion. I'm pretty sure I sobbed even harder when he saluted the guy at the end of episode 6. I can't imagine this work was easy for the cast to complete. These are the stories that weigh heavy on a person and they have to live them (to an extent.)

Music
I enjoyed the intro and epilogue music. Was it memorable? No. But that isn't a bad things as in these case the stories needed to the be the star.

Rewatch Value
I'm torn on this one as the content (again) is heavy. This may be one of those that you can go into select episodes for a quick hit. I can see re watching this with a friend to generate some conversation or see what their thoughts are on these social topics.

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How did we get here?!

I went into this one open minded. I wanted to like it as I have a soft spot for In Woo but this one missed the mark for me. Specifically the ending. The rage that followed watching the final scene took hours to calm.

Story
Not my favorite but it has some potential. Most of the time it felt like they were starting really interesting story lines then tying them up abruptly. The characters (which I'll talk about next) all felt one dimensional which made them hard to relate to, even during their hardships. Finally, the ending. I don't think I've seen a drama conclude in a way that made me that upset. She lost her memory, neve gained it back and they just got married. Oh, and they have a child. I'm sorry but no. Absolutely not.

Acting/Cast
I'm going to be honest, these actors were only doing what was written. I blame them for 0% of why I didn't like this drama. Seul Bi is not only the least relatable character of the bunch but Seo Hyun could only do so much. This was the case for all the actors. I've seen some of their in other roles and they have range. At the end of the day, actors are sometimes going to take roles that aren't great because they have bills to pay.

Music
The only high mark for me was the Music, specifically Lee Solomon 'Please Know My Feeling.' That song ear wormed it's way into my head for days, which only reminded me of the ending and cycle of anger started all over again.

Rewatch Value
*Walks away and shuts the door*

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Hit me like white wine

This was a lovely surprise. The world building was fantastic along with the a interesting story line. I would easily recommend this to anyone, in or outside the drama community.

Story
I love a strong female and Naksu/Mu Deok was not playing around. I enjoyed watching how everyone dealt with her constant scheming and involvement. I found myself slightly annoyed that Jang Uk was always on the edge of being a badass but didn't get his full moment (see season 2.) I also loved that there was more that one villain. As in life, there is usually more than one person willing to stomp on others to get what they want. Someone commented on how they felt sorry for the Prince and I totally agree. That continued into S2 for me. The ending on this caught me completely off guard. My jaw was on the floor. I was not well. I don't think I ever rushed to start another episode faster that Season 2, Episode 1.

Acting/Cast
High rankings here as well. I found myself really into the the B stories and characters. So Min nailed the sassy spirit of Naksu stuck in the body of MuDeok. You could feel her frustration with not being able to do what she was use to. This drama also gave me a while new appreciation for Jae Wook's range. I'll be doing a deep dive on his filmography for sure. I also had so much sympathy for Seo Yul. Probably the only second ML that I almost wish would have gotten the girl. Special shout out to Seung Ho who surprised me as the Prince/Go Won. Just enough arrogance to be royalty but human enough to fall for MuDeok's mischief.

Music
The music did help push the tense moments along. The funny affects added to the comical moments were also well timed. I also recall enjoying the outro music, strangely.

Rewatch Value
This definitely has rewatch potential. As a spoiler to my review on season 2, I'd say season 2 is the one I would actually prefer to rewatch vs season 1.

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Cause the sign on your heart said it's still reserved for me

*Walks out nervously* I enjoyed Season 2 more than Season 1.

Story
In a way this was a continuation of S1 but also a different story. This is a great example (for me) of why the multi season arch can really work in the drama space. As with Dr Romantic, which had 3 seasons and I would love a 4th, there is something comforting about knowing the characters and seeing them grow beyond the 10 to 16 episode lifeline. In this season we get the very satisfying badass version of Jang Uk right from E1. The joy that I felt from watching him in the first scene was euphoric. His brooding was not only deserved but was the perfect amount. The person you loved literally killed you. Go sit with the rocks my little emo man. But also, can we talk about those steamy scenes when he finally gives in to being 'crazy' with Bu Yeon?! The lantern?! I need the other romance dramas to take note! Loved the play on soul shifting with Naksu/Cho Yeong/Jin Bu Yeon. It kept things moving along but played with the gray molarity of the characters as they find or, or helped. Again, having more time with the characters gives you the ability to see how the previous actions butterfly affect to their decisions later on.

Acting/Cast
I'm ready for the pitchforks that will come out with my next statement. I'm saying this with my full chest. Go Youn Jung was perfectly casted for this role. She brought about an ethereal lightness to the character. I loved So Min in Season 1 but for the story to play out, they needed someone else. Ideally it would have been the actress who originally portrayed Bu Yeon but whatever. In my S1 review I shouted out the Prince and Seo Yul but I forgot about Mr Dang Gu! He was fantastic in both seasons but also had a bigger role in S2, which I appreciated. To be fair, this cast is loaded with so many actors that I've seen in other roles that I respect (Seo Hye Won, my English/Korean queen from Business Proposal and Lovely Runner, I see you!)

Music
As with the first season, I really liked the music.

Rewatch Value
I am going to rewatch season 2. There is no doubt in my mind.

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