Reviews

I never expected I'd like this drama so much, I mean love with a robot seemed weird, but as soon as I watched the first 2 episodes, I really understood the angle this drama explored and I fell in love with it!
I was glued to my pc and watched the bloody thing in a day and a half , it was that captivating for me lol.
What I enjoyed was the great acting, I found most roles were distributed quite well, especially the leads. The multitude of funny moments were stellar, as well as the ' awww, so cute!' moments, because it is more than a robot discovering its human feelings, it's about a human discovering it's humanity and true self with the help of a robot, and that made it such a captivating story.
The ending was perfect, although I wept like a baby, even more than I did after watching 49 days, I think, I was just sucked into the story really well, and although it was a sad ending, it was well suited and perfect.
A word of advice : DO NOT WATCH THE SPECIAL !!!!!!!! It was a huge disappointment to me, it ruins the whole story and it has a very weak script.

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I really enjoyed this drama, it was funny, with a lot of silliness and foolish behavior, the story wasn't credible, the series did not portray some romantic real life happenings, but I guess that is why I enjoyed it so much!
If you are looking for something relaxing and you're aren't concerned with how a show usually tries to make the story a tad bit credible, than this drama will be to your fancy!
The whole script is fairy-tale like, an impenetrable handsome, smart and charming prince and the ugly duckling, silly, baka, but honest and with true innocent love for the prince.
If one were to over-think this drama, sure the female character would be considered clingy, a simpleton with no self esteem and will or pride, but the show is not a slice-of-life, it just overly conveys the idea that the characters are fairy tale depictions ( as suggested from the very first few minutes of the show, with her chasing the unicorn).
I loved the characters interaction, I loved the lengths to which the female lead went to show her love and support, I really enjoyed the story development and the silly comedy, the supporting cast was extremely good, especially the mother and her 2 best friends, and I loved how the series was just so well rounded, with a great ending and and awesome character evolution.
It isn't a life changing drama, but it gets you to laugh and forget about real life worries, intricate problems or what-nots.

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Such a wonderful drama, at the beginning is really funny, and the character development is really good, you see their whole journey from prey and predator to friends, as the drama approaches it's end, it gets more and more painful, and I found myself crying through the whole last 2 or 3 episodes.
The soundtrack is just so addictive, there are such beautiful songs, and it fits so well, even parts that may be a bit boring, because of the background music it becomes magical.
In my experience with Kdramas, the action and special effects are not really that good, in this drama there were pretty much amazing, only one or two failures.
The actors are perfect for this one, the "villains" really have that bad guy/girl look, and the main role actors fit so wonderfully together.

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I was looking for something relaxing, funny and just silly comedy after watching the emotionally draining '49 days', and I have to say I hit jackpot with this particular drama.
The female lead was extremely enjoyable, she played her role to the letter: a ditzy, emotionally immature, obedient teen that tries to make amends with both her family and her own choices in life, both professionally (through the music she chooses to play), and romantically ( by choosing a boy that her grandfather disapproves of).
The male lead appeared dull and emotionless, but that was due to the nature of his role, also: a young man that had been scared emotionally by the absence of his father, striving to make a name for himself by distancing from his mother's successful career.
Really enjoyable were also the supporting couple, the teachers of the two, which offered an interesting idea of how immature love has kept blossoming through the passing of time and how the silly reasons for breaking up had been resolved by the passing of time.
The supporting cast in the whole was excellent, loved the drummer boy and his ballerina, they acted really well and gave the show a much needed quirky romance.
The music was great, really enjoyed the Gayageum, which I discovered through the show ( I had only listened to the Chinese 'version' of the instrument), and the combination of pop-rock and string instruments was nice and innovative.
All in all, I found this drama very enjoyable, relaxing and not at all sluggish in evolution, and I think it is perfect for those looking for a silly, uncomplicated, music-bathed romance.
I could really compare this drama with the equally entertaining, if not more-so, Playful Kiss, which I absolutely recommend.

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God, this brings back memories...

A little bit of a throwback to my past, I went searching for a "GARO" review, found there was none, and decided to write it myself.

There is not much I can say for plot because the synopsis given pretty much tells you what the deal is (a but too much in my opinion, but meh) so I will just be jumping into my thoughts on the show.

Man I loved this show. First of all, creative director should get an award. I'd hate to compare this to Power Rangers because it'd be like comparing a slingshot to a gun, but this is like that genre for a more mature crowd. The "Horrors" are splendidly created with interesting diversity. I loved the mermaid episode costume, and the main boss near the end. Animation sequence could have been better where used but you get so wrapped up in the story that you forget/ignore it.

Konishi Hiroki as "Saejima Koga"... honestly I found him adorable in the broody-type-of-lead way. He didn't kill it and made "Koga" likable (trust me folks, harder than it sounds sometimes, this type of hero you tend to bore of). As Koga, you kind of like the fact that "Kaoru" (played by Hijii Mika) has that way of putting his knickers in a bunch. Her character surprises you towards the end.

"Rei" (Fujita Rei) was probably my favorite for character writing because they made him so bloody interesting right from the get-go. I actually liked Fujita Rei in this. I have seen him in other shows, but hadn't really taken a liking to him like I did in "GARO".

Character development wasn't too rushed, and they didn't flood us with angst.

Story, honestly, wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be going in. I had tried to watch Kamen Rider to no avail, and stumbled into this and got sucked into the story. It's an interesting ride as we see our Hero try to live up to expectations, stay true to his sense of right and wrong, and still do his duty as Garo within the span of the 25 episodes. Oh, and keep "Kaoru" alive.

Music.... ok well, the first opening... to put it gently got annoying fast, which is why when they switched the theme song for the second opening I was so glad.

As for re-watching, up until last year I was still re-watching the series. I don't know, there is just something about this show that gives this sense of nostalgia when remembering it that brings on the urge to re-watch.

So to conclude, Great show with a interesting take on the whole "magical/transforming armor" genre. Do not be detoured by the whole Transforming bit! It surprisingly gets under your skin for a great 25 episode run. Good story telling and great art make it worth the time.

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Wow. There are literally no words that can do justice to this drama.

Story. I give it a solid ten. This was another drama I was hesitant to watch. Why? Historical drama. I was never really interested in those. In fact, it took me four months to get myself to watch it. What happened then? I finished it in two days. I couldn't stop myself. It was a great drama, and although it has the cliche storyline of two guys fighting for a girl, the context that it was put in made it simply amazing. Even more amazing, I actually thought that the ending pair actually deserved each other. In most dramas, it's either the girl who's not worthy, or the guy, but in this drama, they deserve each other, and their love for each other match. There are twists and turns, but then again, I sort of did expect everything that was going to happen. Was it because I watched Iljimae first? They have around the same storyline, and even the young actors were the same ^^ So, while I did guess the ending, and what was going to happen, the producers still managed to pull off another great drama, full of suspense, action, love, and betrayal.

Acting/Cast. Well, first off, let me just say that most of the dramas I watch, I watch because of the actors. I was just going to pass this drama while I was searching for a new drama to watch, but the actors held me back. I recognized Kim Soo Hyun from Dream High, and Jung Il Woo from Flower Boy Ramyun Shop (which I had just recently finished), and decided to give it a try. I set my standards very high for actors whose other dramas I've watched before, and I wasn't in the least disappointed by their acting. I admit that Prince Yang Myeong's transition from a teenager to an adult did take a while to get adjusted to, but Jung Il Woo hasn't disappointed me yet. And surprisingly, neither did the teenage actors. From what I could tell, they were amazingly mature for their acting, and

Music. Well, music is one of the smaller things I pay attention to when watching a drama, so I can't rate this category very well, but since the music always seemed to match the mood beautifully, I also give it a ten.

Rewatch value. I have rewatched very few dramas in my life. I have explained in my other reviews why, but I do not feel the need to explain it here. It was an outstanding drama, and I might watch it again in the future. If I have time, or if I get bored. I just want the impact of the full drama to stay with me when I watch it, and if I rewatch it, there's a chance the impact won't be as great.

Overall, I believe this drama deserves a ten.

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It Started With A Kiss is one of my favorite dramas. I just fell in love with the sweetness of the story and everything about it. The first season was really nice, and I finally got around to watching this one recently.

The story, I gave it a 7 because truthfully - it's a lot like the first season, but then it also drifts off into a lot of side stories with the supporting characters. Some were nice, but after a while I just wanted to see more with the main couple. Also there were parts that I felt they should've shown more with. Later on in the drama it kind of felt like some characters just disappeared and were forgotten about. I did enjoy it for the most part though.

I did love how Xiang Qin seems to grow up. She has a lot of silly and dumb moments just like the first one, but she does start to mature. Zhi Shu also grows up and you start to see his real feelings.

The acting between the leads was terrific! Ariel Lin and Joey Cheng really have wonderful chemistry, and they really pulled off their parts and especially the romance and love they were supposed to share. Some of the side characters though…they weren't as good at acting. Jiro was hilarious, I wish I had gotten to see more of him but he was only in about half the drama. I also loved the friends that Xiang Qin made later on, Qi Tai was my favorite. Christine was nice, but to be honest, the actress wasn't that good at acting.

I loved the music to the first season, and after a while the music for this drama grew on me. And I loved the upbeat songs they started playing in the later episodes. Really nice!

I can see myself rewatching both seasons of ISWAK someday, just probably not for a long time, haha. Too many dramas I want to watch.

Overall, if you liked the first season you'll most likely love this one as well. There's definitely a LOT more kisses and sweet moments than there is in the first season.

My one problem I started to have towards episode 15 is the fact that they change the actor for Yu Shu. I understand that time progressed in the drama and he had to get older, but the way they place the new actor in the drama is quite random, and I had a hard time adjusting to this random guy they changed him into.

Towards the end I did find myself skipping through some scenes to hurry up and finish it. The ending is nice, and they leave it unfinished just like the manga (which I haven't read). I don't know if they'll ever make a season 3 because of that, but I love how they paid respect to the original author of the story.

Anyways, fans of ISWAK you'll find yourself liking this version. To be honest I think I prefer the first season, but there's a lot that enjoyed the second season more, so give it a try yourself and see if you like it (:

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Finally. Korea has finally come out with a top notch police/procedural drama. It's also from a cable broadcaster,which says a lot. Cable in Korea is really stepping it up recently.

The plot follows a special team of detectives that work together to solve cases that only have a "10%" chance of being cracked. The cases are dark and twisted and wonderfully portrayed.

Each member of the team has an interesting backstory and is played to perfection. Joo Sang Wook was amazing as the "less than noble" team leader with the soulful eyes. My favorite character overall, was Kim Sang Ho's lazy bum-detective character who is actually quite clever.

TEN has amazing cinematography and visual effects ... it seems a lot more artistic than the usual cop drama. The music is also lovely. BREATHE by Mad Soul Child is a hauntingly amazing song.

Overall, a slick and exciting mystery series that features great acting. Can't wait for the movie that will conclude the cliffhanger at the end of episode 10.

;)

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The storyline may not seem like something that is unique; a rich guy falling in love with a poor girl. The scenario is overused, but just because it's a commonly used theme that is the main focus in Protect The Boss, this drama has it's own unique twists. I know many people didn't like the extension, but I thought it was cute. The extended 2 episodes might not have had drama, or any important defining moment, but those 2 episodes still had some great moments between the 4 leads, and it had a great ending for this drama. The characters were what made this drama unique. Each and every character was like a big kid. They were constantly fighting with each other over stupid things, and annoying each other, just like elementary school kids would do. That may seem like something that would make this drama a turn off, but it is what kept the drama funny, and made me want to come back and watch the next episode. The character's personalities were hilarious, and no matter how evil the character is suppose to be, you can't hate one character at all. Jaejoong did one of the songs in this drama, so of course the music was great, a lot better than most dramas. Protect The Boss is definitely something worth rewatching. The story was cute and light-hearted, and totally worth your time.

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OK I was trying to find a short-ep drama to watch and I stumble upon this one!! and BELIEVE ME WHEN I SAY IT WAS WORTH IT!! **Yeonjin was always a rebel even at school but when her mom was killed, she became an assasin while still at school.. **

If you are sick of girl-lead playing cute and goofy then try this one!.. c'mon a teenage chick still at high-school kicking serious butt and I mean seriously mad-fighting skills GUNS AND ALL!..You will fall in-love with her from ep1.. Dont expect romance up in here too, I mean there will be romance but only for 10 seconds or so!.. If you love "The Man from Nowhere" with all the actions, GUNS, AND MARTIAL ART but with a girl-lead then you will love this one...100% GUARANTEE!! ..ACTING WAS SUPERB FROM EVERYONE and hope to see HAN GROO in more movies/dramas!! SHE WAS BLOODY AWSOME!..

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Story: Each episode has it's own mystery story, some are better than others.
-Some of the prizes/rewards got predictable, and by the 7th episode, I could guess what would happen (pertaining to the 'treasures' or 'prizes', at least).
-There are several deaths in this drama, but none are very graphic. (The 'example' imaginings with "X" are cute and funny)
-the antagonists are easy to guess in some of them, but rather obscure in others, it's episode/mystery dependent.
-That being said, you may need to be familiar with the language to truly follow along with this and keep up with the characters. References to kanji and radicals are in abundance.
-I didn't like the last episode, it didn't have an "end" feel to it at all. It left me rather unsatisfied.

Acting/Cast: The acting really saved this drama. The scheming girls make you want to hate them, the teacher is funny and oddly endearing, the boys are hilarious, and the relationships between all the characters seem to be very real. Even the background characters that appear for one episode are completely submerged in the perfect roles.
Sometimes the teacher can come across as being cheesy and fake, but those are mainly during the times her character calls for it.

Music: The background music during the drama was suiting and didn't stand out, so it was fitting and appropriate. I really don't focus on the music in dramas, because that's not the important part to me. If I don't notice it (yet don't notice the lack of it), it's doing its job perfect. I did feel anxious and jumpy during some parts of this drama (much like the feeling of a thriller/scary movie), and that was probably thanks to the music.

Rewatch: Might be worth it, to be able to focus more on the acting and relationships than the mysteries. Possibly seeing things previously missed that could be plot holes or something... But I'd rather watch something new with Yamamoto-san in it.

Overall: I liked it. It entertained me and ate about a day out of my life (just like a drama should). I feel it could have been better, somehow... but that could just be because the last episode is running through my head and I didn't like it much (again, no "end" feeling to it. Very open). I would say it's worth a try, if nothing else~

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Wow. This drama is fantastic. It's definately in the more in the viewpoint of the younger generation's 'eastern style' sexual revolution. I've always thought of Korea as being more conservative, but you can't catorgorize a country-everyones different. Anyway, the story was amazing. I loved the characters and the actors and their acting. This drama was addicting, I watched it throught the night on a school night because it's so good. I'd definately say it's a new favorite. I absolutely recomend it. I actually liked to see a more promiscuous side of Korea. The characters, I feel, were beleivable and realistic. It presented the good and bad sides of a person which made the characters more three-dimensional. I'm so excited to start the second season!

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Not your average Rom-Com!

Takeuchi Yuko plays "Aoi Yoshiko(Jinko/Gene)" a woman scorned by her ex in the most inventive fashion and the drama is the sometimes hilarious, sometimes serious journey of growth she has to walk as he suddenly reappears in her life again.

As one commenter mentioned this is a more "mature" rom-com than the norm. While still sharing out it's own funny, it questions a lot about life, love and occupation. The way it goes about doing that (tying it in with the main characters research on bugs and the like) is a refreshing take on occupational Rom-Com. Directing is about average, but the writing is gold.

My only annoyance was that they didn't end with an episode 12.

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When I first watched this, I was back in college, and I have watched it twice more since that time.

Nice little rom-com about a female Chef and a business man who meet under strange circumstances and keep bumping into each other and bumping heads. This was the description I got when I watched it the first time, man was that understated.

This little gem was just what I needed on a boring afternoon after studying. The female Chef, Suzuko (Hasegawa Kyoko) was just so damn cute, and the business man, Haruki (Koide Keisuke) was funny as mister suave business man with a not so suave lover lurking inside him.

Supporting characters were great too, especially Haruki's father (when you watch the show, you'll understand) and the staff from the restaurant.

Not the greatest, but if you are looking for some lightweight rom-com that's not necessarily fitting the mold to fill in between shows, try this one out.

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