Great time travel crime drama

9/10 is my rating. This is a 2017 South Korean crime drama based on true murders (Hwaseong serial murders). It consists of 16, ~60 minute, episodes.

While on the trail of a killer (they avoided calling them serial killers) in 1986, detective Park Gwang-ho (Choi Jin-hyuk) is attacked and when he comes to and emerges from a tunnel he is in 2016. Those he left behind are left wondering what happened to him. He does not, at first, realize he has time traveled and goes to his station where he encounters Kim Seon-jae 9Yoon Hyun-min) an elite lieutant detective who has more rank than respect from his fellow ditectives (the old made an officer versus worked your way up through the ranks controversy). Shin Jae-yi (Lee Yoo-young) is a consult on the cases as a "visiting"/cooperating criminal profiler. When Gwang-ho realizes he is in a different time he is able to blend in a there was a detective, due to report, who had the same name. No-one, including, Gwang-ho knows what happened to that detective (but it seems he thinks it may be tied to the whole time travel event - they never directly say that but that is what it seems like).

I really like this. It was suspenseful the whole way through. The clues were intriguing and there were lots of plot suprises. The filmography was great as you really got a sense of the different times from the way the way the footage was shot. A great crime drama!

#Tunnel
#ChoJinHyuk
#LeeYooYoung

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The female lead character is rage quit level annoying

6/10 is the rating.This is a 2019 South Korean crime drama.  It has 16, 70 minute episodes.

First I provide a unique synopsis then review

Synopsis

Ryeong (Moon Geun-young) is a traffic cop who desperately wants to work with the subway crime unit.  Despite being ignored by investigators at the time, she is convinced her twin sister was a victim of a serial killer they call the subway ghost.  Go Ji-Seok (Kim Seon-ho) was promoted to be a metro police officer partially due to how handsome he is.  But he was also an extremely talented officer who could have clmbed the ladder if it weren’t for his responsibilities with his mother who had severe dementia or alzheimers. The metro freuqently bolsters their image by highlighting the metro police officers and their successes in fighting crime on the train system, so a good looking police officer in a prestigious position is considered a bonus for the optics of the force.  He tends to be very cautious and by the book.  Which is why when out for justice at any cost Ryeong starts "solving" cases to try to impress him, he is reluctant to have the over the top officer join his team.  She wears him down though as her steadfast ability to root out criminals has him joining in to deliver justice.  The unlikely pair soon find themselves not just tackling the string of robberies that have "haunted" Ji-Seok's team but crossing over into the business of the crime unit and pursuing the subway ghost.  Can Ryeong prove that her sister was the victim of the infamous subway ghost?  Can the two solve the case and stop the brutal killer?

Review

I thought, from the title that this would be a supernaturl story. But the “ghost”is a serial killer the nicknamed the ghost. I liked the overall premise but found the way the female lead character was written very annoying. I would not watch this again, found it only mildly interesting the first watch, and do not recommend it unless you are scraping toward the bottom of the barrel for serial kiler dramas, are interested in the subway police slice, or are big fans of one of the actors.

Spoilers

Ryeong was supposed to be a gutsy cop who would get so blinded by justice she cut corners. I think that is what the writers were going for. Instead it seemed she decided in any situation what the right course of action was and be dammed the consequences for everyone around her. She got Jiseok, the male lead character, in trouble multiple times and only showed minimal remorse. Then she would just turn around and do it again. It made no sense to me that he found her attractive with her doing that to him on regular. I would not like someone that continually got me in trouble with my superiors. Jiseok was her boss but she rarely listeed to him and jst did whatever she wanted. I really did not like when she stole the keys from him. It was sneaky and dishonest.

I also thought the leads were very mismatched on the attractiveness scale. A female or male lead can be less attractive if they have something that balances that like a really great personality or wealth. But she had neither. So, I could not by him liking her so much when she was not super beautiful and was constantly getting him in trouble.

To me it was also weird he was having this relationship with someone who was his subordinate and he called “the rooky.” Most professionals keep a separation between themselves and those they supervise.

The lead female character also put herself in grave danger time and again and got others hurt because she would blaze in without being able to take care of the situation. Like she goes in the tunnel where she thinks the serial killer is hanging out, he attacks her, and she just hovers in fear into the main guy saves her. That made her character seem not very bright and extremely foolish.

#CatchTheGhost #MoonGeunyoung  #KimSeonHo #JoJaeYoon #AhnSeungGyun

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I dropped it half way and I rarely drop anything

4/10 is my rating. This is a 2016 South Korean Romantic Comedy drama with 16, ~60 minute episodes. Also known under the title "The Man Living in Our House."

First I provide a unique synopsis then review

Synopsis

Leading the glamorous life of a flight attendant Hong Na-ri (Soo Ae) and with a handsome fiance, Na Ri feels like she has it all.  But her life crumbles apart when her mother Shin Jung-im (Kim Mi-sook) unexpectedly dies, she discovers her fiance, Jong Dong-jin (Kim Ji-hoon) is cheating with her co-worker Do Yeo-joo (Jo Bo-ah) and the house she thought she inherited went to a step-dad, Go Nan-gil (Kim Young-kwang) she did not know she had. At first Na-ri is started by this stranger/step-dad who is possibly younger than her and definitely younger than her mother.  She doubts his motives and cannot understand why her mother hid her relationship and left everything to this stranger.  But, as the layers start to peel back, Na-ri learns that her and Nan-gil have a much deeper past than she realized. 

Review

I wanted to like this one so much. But, I found very little to like about it. I do not recommend it as there are so many better options. If you are super fans of any of the cast maybe watch for them but I cannot recommend it for anything else.

Spoilers

Did it end happy/well? I have no idea. I made it through episode eight then realized there were eight more and could not do it to myself. I rarely drop a show. Out of the nearing 400 I have watched I have dropped only a few. They had confessed to each other and she broke 2nd guys heart, so there did not seem to be anything of substance for the remainder of the show. I was not at all interested in the mafioso loan sharks. So there was not much if substance left to fill eight more episodes.

I disliked the premise, so it is hard for it to improve from there. I thought the whole him being younger yet her stepdad was weird. When I read a synopsis I thought it would seem like that but turn out he was not married to the mom. It is disturbing that a mother figure would marry her son figure. Then he says for half the show that they have to keep up the ruse to keep the sharks at bay but decides half way never mind we will be together and deal with the consequences.

For me the chemistry between the leads was off. There were no longing looks almost kisses or any of that which shows they liked each other all along. So there sudden kiss seemed weird.

I did not like any of the characters. FL was such an absent daughter she did not even know something so important about her mom. And she was so soft on her ex and cheater colleague it annoyed me. The cheating colleague was just completely selfish. She seemed remorseless about ending a nine year relationship. And so fake. The ex also acted remorseless. He apologized but it was such a weak apology and he never said why. The little sister was a creepy psycho. Bth things she did to main girl could have led to death or worse injury. And she doesn’t think she should apologize?

#SweetStrangerandMe  #TheManLivingInOurHouse  #SooAe  #KimYoungKwang  #LeeSooHyuk  #JoBoAh  #KimJiHoon

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Well written coming of age, time travel, romance that is heartwarming

9.5/10 is my rating. This is 2023 South Korean Coming of Age, Time Travel, Fantasy romance.  It has 16, 59-73 minute episodes.

 

First I provide a unique synopsis then review.

 
Synopsis



Han Eun Gyeol (Reyoun, Go Yoon-hwan) grew up in a household where the other family members, his dad, mom and older brother were all deaf and he acted as the interpreter and spokesperson for his entire family.  It was a large burden for a young person, so he found refuge in the company of a grandfather figure who taught him to pay guitar at a local music shop.  Growing up, he continues to pursue guitar but keeps it a secret as his father, Ha Yi Chan (Choi Hyun Wook) is determined his son become a doctor, or something else, to elevate the status of the family.  Just when Eun Gyeol’s secret is discovered by his father, and they are amid a huge falling out, Eun Gyeol is transported back in time to 1995. A magical music store appears, because it has musical instruments he goes in, sells one of his guitars, then he steps out back in time.  In the past, he encounters the younger version of his father, who is forming a band but is also very interested in a beautiful but icy cellist, Se Keyong (Seol In Ah) who is problematically not Eun Gyeol’s mother.  To get his mother, Cheong Ah (Shin Eun Soo) and father together Eun Gyeol he has to join his father’s band and make it successful.  Will he succeed in uniting his parents in this new past and can he return to his own timeline?

 

Review

I did not fully read the description before starting this series, so I was surprised it turned into a time travel show.  I thought the main element was just going to be a family where most of the members were deaf.  That would have been enough to write a compelling story, so when it switched to time travel, I was surprised.  The switch from a family centered drama to a time traveling drama, would have been okay, but I did not feel they did it well.  It was confusing a lot of times.  The switches back in forth in time were not very clear at times. But then it got really good. It had a bit of a rough start, but the latter half of the series was very good. There were a few, relatively minor, issues in terms of time travel concepts. I liked it a lot and I am not a huge fan of time travel. The romance was not completely central to the story, it was more focused on the family relationships. But there were two very heartwarming romances. I liked this a lot, would definitely rewatch it and recommend it to anyone that likes time travel, romance, stories about musicians, magical content, or are fans of any of the actors.

 

Spoilers

 

I am not a fan of time travel series.  I like things to happen in the order they occur.  Switching back and forth between timelines can be confusing and I felt like this story suffered a lot in that process.  For instance, when the younger version of the dad was first introduced, we were simultaneously following the main guy in the current time and I kept wondering who that character was and how they fit into the story.  We hadn’t yet been introduced to the time travel so I was not considering the possibility it could be a younger version of one of the characters.  After the big reveal on time travel, and I realized that was the younger version of the father, I had to mentally review what happened with that character.  There were times when, rather than just abruptly change the scene to something that transpired earlier, they could have had a character reflect back so it was clearer the events happened in the past.  Instead they just throw a scene in with past events and you wonder if that is present or past. 

 
I found it annoying how oblivious the main character was to the fact that the people, in the past version of themselves, would not know who he was.  I get it would be exciting to come across a young version of a parent, other relative, or close friend but you would have to temper that with the knowledge they haven’t lived the future yet.  If they were time travelers too, sure call someone “dad” or “ajumma” but if you call someone that, who you are a stranger to, they will think you are crazy.  And he didn’t just call them like that once, realize his error, and act like you would towards someone you just met, he continued to call them familiar titles. He persisted even when the person would say I don’t know you or why are you calling me that.   I’m like dude they don’t know who you are.  No wonder he is running from you, you seem crazy.

 
The main character, who is supposed to be super smart, not only didn’t realize people in the past wouldn’t know him, he was also really frustrating in getting practically any point across.  Like when he is trying to convince the younger version of his dad he can play guitar, he doesn’t say let me play guitar and show you.  So, they would be arguing about whether or not he is telling the truth about his musical abilities and there would be a guitar right there.  I am like grab the guitar, and do a riff, that would convince your “dad” way more than any verbal argument.  But they tease that through scene after scene until they finally have him playing and the dad hears him from a distance.  There was the same frustrating situation with the past version of his mom.  She is deaf, and the dad keeps misunderstanding her because he doesn’t know she is deaf, it has to be apparent to her that is going on yet she never grabs something and writes “I am deaf.” In both situations the situation could have been resolved quickly. And I get it is entertaining to have that carrot move as you are just about to grab it, but if you do that too much it quits being amusing and just becomes frustrating. And both were such smart people, it is not credible within each character that they would fail to think of something so obvious.   

A “hole” in the time travel concept was when one of the main female leads traveled back in time and people mistook her for her mother, she let them think she was her. The grand plan was, she wanted her mom not to fall in love with her dad but with someone else. She was suicidal and figured if her “mom” fell for someone else, then she would never be born. But, the problem with that was, people thought she was her mom, but she wasn’t really her mom. Her mom was studying abroad. They never explained how her getting someone else to fall in love with her would have any impact on her mom’s future. So that was an inconsistency, to me, with the theories around time travel.


#TwinklingWatermelon  #Ryeon  #GoYoonHwan  #JungHeyonJun   #ChoiHyunWook  #ChoiWonYoung   #SeolInAh  #LeeSoYeon  #ShinEunSoo  #SeoYoonHee 

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An anti-romance between two very broken people who “complete” each other

6/10 is my rating. This is a 2020 Japanese Romantic Drama with a run time of 3 hours and 52 minutes. Known under the Japanese title "Honki no Shirushi: Geijoban". This is an adaptation of a 2000 era manga by Fukada Koji that originally aired as a 10 episode mini-series.

First I provide a unique synopsis then review.

Synopsis

Tsuji Kazumichi (Win Morisaki) is in upper management at a business that sells toys and fireworks. His daily existence is very calm, ordinary and too predictable and he has several casual relationships. His life takes a dramatic turn when he encounters a troubled woman and saves her from tragedy. While he could have turned away after his heroic act he is drawn to the little bit of chaos that surrounds the beautiful and intriguing stranger. What follows is a tumultuous, and at times dangerous, romantic interlude that leaves them both forever changed. Prior to his encounter with Hayama Ukiyo (Kaho Tsuchimura) he spiced up his existence with romantic interludes with a couple of his office co-workers. He has a flirty relationship with his 24 year old Minako (Fukunaga Akari) and allows his more steady friends with benefits co-worker, the older woman, Ms. Naoko Hosokowa (Kei Ishibashi) to play housewife.

Review

This film was ranked among the top foreign films so I thought it would be heart-warming or at least an emotionally compelling romance. But you wind up asking yourself what you just watched. Early you may form an impression of Ukiyo as a damsel in distress and Tsuji as a knight in shining armor but that does not characterize either of them well. So you start out thinking you are watching one kind of movie and, mid-way, you realize it is not what you originally thought. It is an emotional ride but not, in my opinion, in a good way. I would not watch it again nor would I recommend it to anyone that likes romances or dramas on the lighter side. It has been termed an anti-romance and I would agree with that assessment. Some people like the darker content, exploring difficult topics, and/or experiencing many different realities. If you are okay with weighty emotional content and fractured personalities, you may like it. It just wasn't for me. I avoid these types of movies when I can as I am an empath, so I absorb a lot of the emotions. Which is okay when it evokes light-hearted emotions but not so good when it elicits darker emotions.

Spoilers

From the title you might think that Tsuji is going to move from the rather shallow relationships he has been participating in, to a deeper, more genuine connection. But you would be wrong. Actually, the bond between Tsuji and Ukiyo is toxic as neither of them turn out to be as noble as they first seem. They play this long push and pull game that is often as frustrating as it is un-nurturing. There is nothing wholesome or heart warming about the two of them together. I do not like dramas or sad movies and this is very dramatic and it is actually sad to see two people who are broken in so many ways bring out some of the worst aspects of each other. The movie attempts to show that only the two can truly understand one another as they come from a similar mental place but, from a psychological perspective, that type of relationship is always unhealthy.

The portrayal is the main characters are the users, but a closer examination reveals that the other people take advantage of the vulnerability of the two. This is alluded to when others say Tsuji is "too nice" and how Ukiyo is always compliant and apologetic. Tsuji and Ukiyo are both damaged in that they do not know themselves well, allow themselves to be steered by people and events, and are not happy in their current lives.

#TheRealThing #WinMorisaki. #KahoTsuchimura #FukunagaAkari.

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Documentary meets game show meets comedy act - liked it more than anticipated

9.5/10 is my rating. This is a 2022 reality variety show with 8, 41-52 minute episodes.

First I provide a Unique Synopsis then Review

Synopsis

In each episode Yoo Jae-suk, Kim Yeon-koung and Lee Kwang-soo travel to wherever a master of a traditional process resides to take part in their craft. They are taught and perform each process from beginning to end. It is naturally comedic as they obviously are not masters themselves so they struggle and make errors all the while competing with each other to earn the distinction of the master declaring one of the best at that craft.

Because this series centers around these three participants a little about each person:

*Yoo Jae suk was born in 1972 and would have been about 50 when the series aired. He is a popular Korean comedian, presenter and tv personality.

*Kim Yeon Koung was born in 1988 and would have been about 34 when the show aired. She is a pn accomplished professional volleyball player. She has a large social media presence with many followers (over 1 million) on her sites and channels.

*Lee Kwang Soo was born in 1985 and would have been about 42 when the show aired. He started as a model but quickly got into acting and also participates at various levels in variety shows.

Review

One if the most fascinating aspects of this series is seeing and learning about these processes from start to finish along with the participants. They go to Junghueng to learn how to make Giwa which are traditional clay roof tiles. They struggle on the mud flats of Shinan they pursue the Getbal, baby octopuses. They go to Seocheon to harvest plants to explore mosi, traditional woven fabric. In Damyang they discover that Jang traditional sauces are very difficult to make. In Namihae they find out how anchovy, Jukbangryeorn, anchovy are trapped in a traditional tidal weir and processed. Korean Jjock comes from the indigo plants in Naju and the three discover making dye and dying cloth is a seriously taxing process. Even the makgeoli, sweet rice wine, made in Busan is a laborious process.

The locations are beautiful but you can see evidence of the heat (they comment but you can also see their flushed faces and them sweating through the processing) the participants are working in which lends a greater appreciation for those that do it for a living. It is all very hard work but the results are beautiful/wonderful.

Spoiler

The only critique was the masters decided, in the presence of the participants, who deserved the thumbs up for that activity. An honest assessment of how each one did would have made that aspect more meaningful.

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I had high expectations from other reviews but found it slow and drawn out

7/10 Season 1. 8/10 season 2. This is a 2020 South Korean medical drama with 12, 73-113 minute episodes.

First I provide a unique synopsis then review

Synopsis

The series centers around five doctors who have been friends since medical school. Lee Ik-jun (Jo Jung suk) is balancing a busy career as a general surgeon and medical professor with the demands of single fatherhood. Despite the many challenges in his life, his magnanimous personality makes him well liked by fellow doctors as well as patients. His son, Woo joo (Kim Joon) is growing up well in the extended family he is experiencing among his father’s close friends despite the absence of his mother. Ahn Jeong-won (Yoo Yeon seok) is an assistant professor of pediatrics but his real passion is Catholicism. He is considering focusing on the clergy as he has a difficult time dealing with patient suffering. Chae Song hwa (Jeon Mi do) is a brilliant neurosurgeon and her amiability and pleasant disposition often draws the group together. Kim Jun wan (Jung Kyung ho) is admired but his austere domineer also prompts fear, particularly among the interns. His career is on the move as he achieves the head position in cardiothoracic surgery. He has known and been friends with Ik jun since childhood and is also close to Ik jun’s pretty and energetic sister Ik sun (Kwan Sun young). Yang Seok hyeong (Kim Dae myung) is also among the divorced. He is perceived as cold and distant because he is quiet and shy particularly compared ti his more outgoing friends, but he is a very caring doctor and professor of obstretics and gynecology.

Review

Comtrary to a lot of other reviews, I found it slow and I forwarded every time they did the band practice. In the first season it really just goes from one tragic medical case to another. They often had good outcomes but it still was emotionally a bit of a downer. The friendships among and between the five doctors were nice and heartwarming and it was clear their mutual support is what helped them weather the emotional storms to excel in the areas of medical expertise. But their romances were less believable as the focus seemed so strongly on the friend group you did not see full development of the romances. So when they started having a romance it felt abrupt. Woth the exception of two of the couples but there were still some aspects that felt unfinished where there would have been more time to develop aspects if so much time was not spent on band practice. I am glad the second season was out when I watched it or it would have been a sudden and incomplete end. That is why liked season two better, it at least wrapped up loose ends.

Spoiler

Jeon won and Jang Gyeo-ul (Shin Hyun been) become a couple but there was no lead up of significance. She confessed and he at first rejected her feelings. Then he basically had his friends and his mother Jung Ro-sa (Kim Hae sook) say they would be a great couple which I guess made him reconsider. Then he suddenly reconsidered, and when she confessed again, kissed her and then they became a dating couple. But it was like she confessed the first time and then he goes back and hangs out with his friends and it doesn’t seem like much developed between the two of them and then later he’s like “oh wait a second you’re right I do like you” and then they are together. It just seemed weird.

Jung Kyun ho (Kim Jun-wan) and Lee Ik-sun’s (Kwak sun young) relationship also felt just out of the blue. He had a girlfriend he broke up with because she seemed to have alcohol issues. Then what felt like all of a sudden he expressed interest in Ik sun. There was no build up. Just, bam, suddenly he is really into her. I got angry with her when she selfishly broke his heart because she decided her illness and the distance thing were too hard on him. Since she told him she was in love with someone else, she lied to him about her real reasons. They seemed to be dating again in the end but they were never fully back together which made the whole relationship seem pointless. Ik jun obviously came to know one of his best friends and his sister were a couple but neither of them ever talked about it to him. It was weird and also felt like it did not reach a logical juncture where one of them would have “come clean” to Ik jun.

Song hwa was my favorite and it was easy to see how someone like her would be loved by her patients as well as her students. It was also believable that two of the men in her friend group had feelings for her beyond friendship, and why all her male friends looked to her for companionship, comfort and advice. That was why I absolutely loved her and Ik jun’s romance. They were perfect together and made so much sense. It was sad they liked each other all those years and had their early romance derailed because of their mutual friend, Seok hyeong’s confession to her. I wish they had further closed the loop by showing Woo soo’s reaction to Song hwa and Ik jun becoming a couple. Song hwa and Woo Soo already acted like mother and son so I think he would have been very happy to have Song hwa as a stepmom.

I was suprised that I very much liked the romance between Seok hyeong and his intern, Choo Min ha (Ahn Eun jin). She did not like him at first, got to know him and fell for him and then pursued him diligently. It was slow burn and very believable when they finally started dating. His mother, Jo Young hye (Moon Hee kyung) was something else so I wish they had shown Min ha either win her over or tell her off but we did not get the satisfaction of either. And the whole gold digger suspicion his mom had around his ex wife, Yoon Shin-hye (Park Ji yeon) was never resolved. They show Shin hye with this large diamond necklace that could have been from the ring Young hye thought she stole but was it? If it was the same diamond then it would have vindicated Young hye and laid the ground work for Min ha and her to have a good relationship. I did not like that aspect of Young hye’s character, her as a horrible harpy of a mother-in-law. They spent so much time early in the series portraying her as a character we should sympathize with because of her husband’s flagrant affair, that switching our feelings for her as a mean mother-in-law seemed to be an inconsistency in the character. Were we supposed to like her or not?

Overall it felt like there was a heavy focus on the friends. I liked that but did not like there was so little time spent on the romances. And too much time spent on band practice. They did some awesome songs and one or two would have been okay but it was a lot more. And hearing Song hwa sing off key was not enjoyable at all. I know it was supposed to be comedic and it was, the first time, but they had her sing off key a lot.

They spent a lot of time playing music. I found we fast forwarded a lot not because we did not like the music but because we wanted to watch the drama content.

#HospitalPlaylist #JoJungSuk #YooYeonSeok #JungKyungHo # KimDaeMyung #JeonMiDo #KwanSunYoung #MoonHeeKyung #AhnEunJin #KimHaeSook

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Revolving door of single men which is too quick for any depth to occur

7/10 is my rating. This is a 2024 Japanese Reality dating show with 10, ~42 minute episodes.

First I provide a unique synopsis then review.

Synopsis

Singles join the show looking for a partner to marry or at least date with marriage in mind. The men feel some urgency to court their romantic interest as they know they may be asked to leave the show at intervals. The women can continue the relationship with a man by proposing once the man is asked to leave. The singles travel to a variety of nice locations where they can interact informally as well as through formal match ups.

Review

When a man leaves they basically send them a text and ask them to meet at a location away from the other participants. That is the last time the others see that selected participant. Any woman interested in that man must propose to him by 10 AM the following morning to be able to continue a relationship with him. Whether the man accepts or not both the man and the woman leave the show. The first male who left it seemed very abrupt as it was only like four days in. What is surprising is, as that participant is leaving, a new participant arrives. I liked a lot of elements of the show. It mixed free interactions with more formal dates quite well. I could not take it seriously as the interactions were relatively brief. All of the beautiful locations were enjoyable to see and the interactions were interesting. I would not rewatch it and would only recommend it to die hard romantic reality show fans.

Singles

WOMEN

Sora Shibata (26) Social Media Influencer. Sales.

Nona Konona Shiba (35) TV personality. Actress.

Anna Tsumara (28) Works for foreign marketing company.

Saki Kamata (27) Yoga Instructor

Shizuka Eto (32) Spa Owner. Model.

Sayu (29) Nurse. TV personality.

MEN

Keisuke Tsumara(34) Works at a fund company.

Taka Toda (29) Cosmetic surgeon.

Okapi Okane (37) Model. Actor. Event Manager.

Yuta Yanagawa (30) IT Professional

Yuki Fukuda (31) runs a marketing company

Kiichiro Sakamato (29) Pharmacist. Model.

Keijuro (32) Owns fitness gyms and clinics for acupuncture and osteopathy.

Yushi (34) Martial Artists

Spoilers

It did not feel the show allowed enough time for most to develop any deep feelings. Some of the couples seemed to be making a connection only to have the man abruptly leave. I also felt like some of the singles were not serious about finding a lasting partner. They never paused at all about stopping someone from keaving even thise they had a deeper connection with. I was surprised at the degree of plastic surgery some of the singles had and that they were the more popular singles. In the US and what I have seen of Korea, looking too plastic is not a good thing. So it was a different beauty standard.

I do appreciate that Asian dating reality shows tend to be more wholesome. There was one female single in this who came on to the men in a cringy forward fashion. I actually felt sorry for them because it was assuming they wanted the physical contact and it did not seem like they did.

I was not all in for any of the couples that formed and did not feel like there was muxpch romance.

#LoveDeadline

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Disappointing. One of the few where I feel like my time was wasted. Sad.

3/10 is my rating. This is a 2019 South Korean coming of age romance drama. Based on a webtoon of the same name. There are 8, 42-55 minute episodes in Season 1 and 6, 43-71 minute episodes in the 2nd season.

First I will provide a Unique Synopsis then Review
Synopsis

A brilliant student app developer, Cheon Duk-gu (Lee Jae eung) releases an app called Love Alarm that is a huge sensation in South Korea. A heart signal is displayed omn the user’s phone app if the app is active and someone feeling the love is within 10 meters. Kim Jojo (Kim So hyun) is more focused on earning money and attending school than she is in worrying about some app. Besides she already has a boyfriend, Jang Il sik (Shin Seung-ho) and does not want to reveql to him that she does not see him romantically. But things get complicated when she stumbles upon a phone with the app and finds herself caught in a love triangle with the unapproachable god of campus, Hwang Sun oh (Song kang) and his best friend Lee Hee Young (Jung Ga Ram). All the girls hope Hwang sun will set off their love alarm but Jojo and he develop interest in each other at first sight and he only sets off Jojo’s love alarm.

How do things change when technology reveals things that might be best hidden? And what if only one side is hidden?
Review

To say this series was disappointing just barely skims the surface of how awful it turns out to be. It does not end happily in my opinion and what could have been a good story takes a surprising and horrible turn. It made me sad. I would not rewatch it nor would I recommend it. I am baffled how anyone thinks this was a good romance. It portrayed such a twisted sense of what love should be I am still annoyed at the mere thought of this terrible series.
Spoilers


I seriously dislke sad movies and series. Some sad content is okay as long as it is brief and it turns around and winds up happy. With this series, it started with a heartwarming romance between Jojo and Sun Oh and, just when things are going well, they get into an accident and she decides to brutally end it with him. Lie and say she doesn’t care about him at all. It was a pointless break up for very selfish reasons. I thought they made a great couple he was lonely and sad from always being treated like an object by his parents and she was lonely and sad because she was an orphan, whose parents tried to murder her, and her aunt and cousin treated her like a lesser human being. They were able to comfort and provide solace to each other and they were all laughter and smiles when they were together. Their love made sense and was happy. If the show had kept that trajectory and even if they did that stupid break up but they got back together and made up later I would still have liked it. But the writers decided that would be the end of it for them as a couple even though they teased us with the possibility they would get back together. The scene where the Sun Oh’s mom, Jeong Mi-mi (Song Seon mi) talks about Jojo and pretty much points out she is still the one in his heart is pointless because they never get back together.

Another pointless story line was the whole conflict with Jojo’s best friend, Kim Jang go as they never reconciled and she just disappeared from the story line with no resolution on her crush nor the rift in their friendship. No big point to having either the best friend or ex boyfriend characters. Unless the point of thise two characters was other oeople thought Jojo could be a jerk, because later I wound up thinking so too. The way she ended her relationship badly with her boyfriend, Jang Il-sik (Shin Seung Ho) was a good indicator of the way she did things, If she decided it was over she did not care who got hurt.

Many commented that Sun Oh betrayed his friend when he went after the girl he had been crushing on for a long time. Hee young had been around Jojo because he liked her and would deliberately do things to bring himself into her presence. But that was it. He never acted on any of that and it made his admiration for her seem very shallow. Sun Oh asked him multiple times if he liked Jojo so he gave him ample opportunity to say he did and act on his feelings. So I wasn’t bothered by that because I felt Hee young had his chance and never took it. Just liking someone does not put your mark of ownership on them in my opinion. Those feeings have to be expressed and reciprocated.. So, I did not fault Sun Oh for liking Jojo and following through with his feelings. I found it incredibly sad that such an unlikable female lead became the one to create a large rift in the brotherly like friendship the two men had. Once again how lonely for Sun oh to lose his friend who eased his loneliness.

That whole “shield” so the other person cannot see how you feel about them thing just ticked me off. It was an incredibly selfish thing to know how the other person felt but have that shield deceive the other person into thinking you had no feelings for them. The fact that Jojo used that showed how selfish in love she was. She was perfectly fine with them exhibiting their feelings for her. Even reveled in it. But she was okay with never showing her feelings and being dishonest with them about why. Okay you cannot get the shield off your phone but how about you tell the other people you have the shield? It was selfish, narcissistic and made me not like her character at all. Oh I am so damaged I cannot show love even if I feel it? Find a shrink lady and quit using people to make yourself feel better.

One reviewer said all the relationships were very superficial. I have to agree. The software developer, Cheon Duk gu (Lee Jae-eung) liked Jojo’s cousin, Park Gul-mi, (Go Min Si) because she was pretty. And really that could be the only reason because she was an awful person. Hee young liked Jojo from afar, until they got deep in their relationship he only ever liked what he saw of her and it didn’t seem like he really knew her. The influencer that loved Sun oh, his new girlfriend, Lee Yuk-jo (Kim Si eun) did not need him to reciprocate which means she was with him for other reasons. Maybe the optics?

The one sided love thing portrayed as romantic was annoying. It was not romantic that Hee young loved Jojo from afar and was willing to be with her even though she said she may never ring his love alarm. That’s okay babe I will just continually stroke your ego by ringing your love alarm all the time. I found that disgusting and selfish of her. Sun oh found the love of his life in Jojo and you had the sense he would never love anyone else that deeply. He seemed sad and unhappy in the “fake” life he was living with hus new girlfriend. All of that being in the spotlight and objectified was exactly what he hated and found lonely in his childhood. But now we are supposed to believe that he will grow to love someone where he did not have those feelings in the beginning, when you are most likely to feel romantic love? So I did not find it romantic that eveyone woud up in these one sided love relationships and we were expected to believe the love would grow and everyone would wind up happy. That so rarely happens you can say it doesn’t happen. The person who loves more winds up hurt and emotionally starved all the time. The person that does not have that romantic love feeling feels guilty for being unable to feel that way about the other person. Love is not something that can be manufactured or forced. So I seriously disliked that this series tried to romanticize such a deeply painful and harmul relationship dynamic.

I could go on and on about how horrible this series was. But, to sum up my discontent, they Netflixed it, the female lead character was unlikable, everyone winds up in superficial substandard relationship and they lied about love. It made me sad for Sun oh that he ended up with someone he was not deeply in love with (they would have made awesome friends, Jojo is taking advantage of Hee young in a relationship where the love balance is so horribly off just to gratify herself and feel safe in the relationship. The horrible cousin winds up with a chance to be with the software developer who she treated like dirt early on and she never changed to become a better person. I strongly disliked every outcome. I never thought there would be a situation where I would be unhappy the second guy got the girl but they made it happen. Those two being together just made it so everyone would wind up miserable.

#KimSohyun #JungGaram #HwangSunoh #GoMinsi #LeeJaeeung #SongKang #KimSohyun #JungGaram #LoveAlarm #GoMinSi #LoveAlarm2 #SongSeonmi #JeongMimi

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Strong female character who is a super hero level martial artist

10/10 is my rating. This is a 2024 South Korean period costume comedy romance drama with 12, 64-72 minute episodes. Based on a webtoon.

First I provide a unique synopsis then review

Synopsis

Cho Yeo Hwa (Lee ha nee) was widowed after never even seeing her husband on her wedding day. As the daughter-in-law of of the most prestigious noble family, her mother-in-law forces her to follow the most strict rules that applied to widows of the era she must spend many hours at the shrine honoring her husband and cover herself modestly in public. She cannot wear anything but the drab mourning attire and must always conduct herself in such a way to be beyond reproach. That is the day time version of Yeo Hwa, At night she dons ninja like attire and rights injustices. After 15 years of keeping her night persona a secret, she runs across Park Soo ho (Lee Jong won) a by the book military officer who does not appreciate Yeo Hwa’s vigilante ways. At first he is determined to bring that masked menace to justice until he discovers the man is actually a woman and a very attractive and intriguing one at that. The more Soo ho learns about the mysterious martial artist and that her actions are actually noble, the more he finds himself helping her. They also share commonalities around events in the tragedies of the past. Intrigue turns to like then possibly something more.

Review

This is one of the best historical dramas I have seen because the focus isn’t on the politics, even though the politics are a part of the plot there’s so many other interesting things going on that it isn’t central. If you like action dramas with strong central characters and leads that are very interesting in their back stories, this would be a good one for you. The romance element is there but it’s certainly not highlighted and that could be a plus or a minus depending on how strong you want the romantic element to be. The series ends well and happy with all major plot points resolved.

I highly recommend this series and will likely watch it again.

Spoilers

The only critique I have of this, as somebody who likes romance, is they never fully kiss. That disappointed the romantic in me. I like displays of affection, to see chemistry, or lack there of. In the end they’re together, but it’s not like any level of commitment is made. She just reappears and it’s pretty obvious they’re going to be together from that point forward, but you only get to see just a few seconds of that reunion. After waiting through all of the episodes for them to be together, only getting a few seconds at the end of the final episode, just wasn’t enough to satisfy my desire for strong romance. Honestly, the show was so good though I couldn’t decrease how I rated it based on that small aspect. It was just something that would’ve made it even better if they had given a little more time for the satisfying union of the two main characters.


I felt so sorry for the widows in this and I was curious how real the severity of the social restrictions were. I’m sure some of it was accurate but I’m not sure how overblown the sacrifices they had to make in this series were. I have the sense that it could be individuals’ families deciding how the widow could behave. I was glad Yeo Hwa helped the other widow escape with the man she loved. I also liked that she broke free if that miserable existence.

Personally, I really like characters that are strong physically and I enjoy complex martial art scenes were the good guy defeat the bad guys believably and repeatedly. Yeo Hwa was super hero status in her martial arts ability and it was fun to watch.

#KnightFlower

#LeeHanee

#LeeJongWon

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If you can accept this is almost a decade old then you will appreciate it more

8/10 is my rating. This is a 2015 South Korean Romantic Comedy Legal drama with 18, 70 Minute episodes.

First I provide a unique synopsis then review

Synopsis

Go Cheok hee (Cho Yeo jeong) was a take no prisoners divorce lawyer at the height of her career when she crossed paths with a legal rival with the power to take her down. Her much beleaguered office manager, So Jung woo (Yeon Woo jin) are not exactly sorry when Cheok heo has her law license suspended as she was a tyrant as a boss. Years go by and Jung woo is now a lawyer determined to do law from a more ethical perspective than he felt Cheok hee operated from. Most of her staff including Jung woo are working for a chaebol who opened a law office to rival hus father’s. Out of friendship and perhaps more he hires Cheok hee to be the office manager. Sparks fly between Cheok hee and Jung woo when they discover they will be working together in reversed roles.

Review

If you know what to expect from the time period then this is, on surface, a fairly simple and straight forward romantic comedy. Male to female relationships were still a little unequal and filial behavior was carried out to a fault. Depending on where you stand in your thoughts on those social relationships, you may either find this refreshing or irritating. It was good not great and I think some of that had to do with things have just changed a lot socially in a relatively short span of time. I would recommend it to those that can appreciate it as something that existed during that timeframe. In terms of rewatching, wouldn’t turn off of it if it was on, but I wouldn’t seek it out to watch it again.

Spoilers

While I thought having the divorce cases be part of the show was interesting, I certainly did not agree with the outcome and resolution of some of them. Like there is one where the wife is making the husband an abusive number of meals and side dishes per day. The compromise that kept them married was make less but we thought “free the elf”. She was sill his house maid and chef. If all he based his love on was how much food she made him, what a horrible relationship for her. Divorce would have been better on that one.

Cheok hee’s sister was a completely unlikable character. The sister acted like a spoiled, petulant child with anger issues the entire show. At the end, she admits that the mother probably would’ve died anyway, and that she was somewhat using her sister as a scapegoat, but then said she was just gonna continue, hating her her whole life. Which made her a pointless character.

Cheok hee was a complete bully when she had her own practice in the beginning. Completely horrible to the male lead and all the staff, and there was no good reason for her to have ever been that way. If she had changed or apologized in any meaningful way. Her character may have been redeemable, but all the changes that happened were by a very small degree . She became a little more humble and generally nicer, but simply changing like that much when you haven’t gone back and apologize to those you injured. Even after her transformation, she was still bullying her one male subordinate. They had the mail we join in, as if that somehow just made it funny or not still bullying behavior. It made no sense for him to do that because they had always been on friendly terms.

A big barrier to the relationship was what the mother thought of the female lead. No one ever effectively explained to her that Cheok hee thought he had told on her and gotten her suspended. Even if they had revealed that fact, it still would not have completely excused her behavior, but it still would’ve been better than she was like that towards him for no reason. he never fully stood up to his mother and said he wasn’t OK with her acting towards someone he chose that way. it was 100% about changing her mind and there was nothing about changing her bad behavior. I found the male lead character’s mother to be a completely unlikable character, because she was mean to her son about his romantic choices and acted like she liked the second female lead better than her own son. I also thought it was completely wrong for the mother to accepted loan. When her son didn’t even know about it, she made him oh, the second female lead. Then for her to later, use that, as a reason why he should be with the second girl was even more abusive.

Their break up was stupid I thought perhaps it would’ve been an opportunity for him to stand up to his mom and tell her that even if the main girl wasn’t around, he was not gonna just marry somebody because she wanted him to.

Not all plot lines were completely closed either. The main protagonist was taken down, but we never fully saw what happened to him. He went iff in hadcuffs but that could have been short lived.

With the second male lead we saw where his father was punishing him by taking all of his assets away and then it seemed like he was redeeming some of that but it left us with him still walking to work and living with less than what he had previously. I thought perhaps he would wind up together with the second female lead and that would’ve made sense. It did show the 2nd leads interact with each other in away that may have been leading to more than friends but that was it. The second male lead was such a likable character it would have been nice for him to have a happy outcome.

They made the being a divorce lawyer such a huge part of who these characters were but there was no backstory on why they chose their professions. FLs impressions on marriage were weird even for a divorce lawyer and it felt like they needed some sort of trauma to explain why she was so passionate about divorce. Everything revealed about the FL’s parents’ relationship was her parents loved each other. They only separated because the FL’s mom tragically died. Divorce law is a very specific niche and it needed clear indication of why they chose it.

The big reveal, the big backstory centered around the subway accident and the “magical” peppermint candy. The whole peppermint candy thing was just weird. It’s not a medical device. I tried stretching my thought to view it a little like smelling salt. But they did not even spin it that way. It was silly and not credible. They also did not explain why the FL didn’t have subway trauma when ML did? I mean she had it but very minimal.

I think the cherry on top of my mountain of discontent was the completely unromantic way the FL acted toward their wedding. I get not everyone wants an elaborate ceremony but FL’s complete disregard for ML and their family and friends’ desire for a ceremony was selfish and disappointing. This was further highlighted when her office was congratulating her and she was being a difficult and wanting to leave. FL was frugal to an annoying degree.It killed the romance.

It was hard to buy off on two men being so into the lead girl when she really had nothing spectacular going for her. That was a bit mystifying. And with the second guy, it wasn’t clear why he was originally giving her a place and a job, and supporting her other than he was just her Sunbae.

#ChoYeoJeong

#YeonWooJin

DivorceLawyerinLove

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Fairly formulaic and good but why oh why the separating for your own good trope

8.5/10 is my rating. This is a 2024 South Korean romantic comedy medical drama with 16, 60 minute episodes.

First I provide a unique synopsis then review

Synopsis

Nam Ha neul (Park Shin hye) is an intern on the path to being a professor and practitioner at a major medical university. The problem is her supervisory professor steals her work which keeps her from advancing. When she complains about her professor’s unethical behavior he becomes physically and emotionally abusive. After a period of putting up with him, she finally reaches a breaking point and has a screaming argument and resigns. Not seeing what went on behind closed doors, everyone blames her for the incident sending her career into a downward spiral. The abuse and her dying career prospects put her into a state of depression and anxiety. At the same time, Yeo Jeong-woo (Park Hyung-sik) was a successful, near celebrity, plastic surgeon until a tragic medical accident causes his career and his life to fall apart. Needing to live more modestly, he moves into a roof top apartment not knowing his high school academic rival, Ha neul, lives with her family in the building which they own. Once frenemies can these two doctors, who have hit a slump, recover their careers? Can both overcome their mental issues that developed from their highly stressful careers? Will rivalry turn to friendship then something more👅?

Review

It was a feel good romantic comedy. In some of the reviews I read others felt there was no chemistry with the leads. I thought they had chemistry, it wasn’t over the top burning chemistry but, given the show is a friends turned lovers premise that level of chemistry makes sense.  The plot was well developed, the characters were interesting, and the premise had some unique twists to it.  It ended well and happy with all major plot points wrapped up.  I might watch it again if it was on and I would recommend it to others that are fans of the actors or that like this genre.

 

Spoilers

The pace for me was a bit off. I have to admit I am a bit Goldilocks in my determination of when the couple should get together.  If the main couple gets together too early the rest of the series can feel somewhat pointless.  On the other hand, if they get together too late it feels rushed.  So there is a happy medium and many are able to find that balance.  In this one it felt like they got together a little early and the only thing that saved it was there was enough story about the medical accident that it kept the plot moving.  They may have gotten them together to build another plot point where she breaks up with him because the guy he sees as a great friend almost brother is the same person that mentally tortured her.  It completely devastated her when she found out he did all that to her, kept her from becoming a professor, only so he could build his resume to do something else.  I get that would be devastating. I had research stolen from me and it basically made someone else’s career so I know, all too well, how that feels.  But, her being so devastated that she breaks it off with him made no sense and was unnecessary. I know it would have been hard at that point to tell him the person he thought so much of was not the person thought he was.  I get she might have been afraid if she told him he would be conflicted and she did not want to add to his burden.  But breaking it off?  She just broke his heart at a time when it was hard for his heart to take it. I was disappointed they developed that point as I do not view that as something someone would do to someone they really loved.

 

The South Korean view on depression is interesting. The way it was portrayed in this show you would think she had some horrible, terminal disease. Her brain was “broken” she said in so many words. Depression is horrible.  Anxiety is even more so. But it is not a fatal disease. With the right counseling, most people can recover from depression well. At times it is looking at what is going on with the person’s life and balancing nutrition. Some of the recent findings on medication indicate that may not be the end all.  But there are things that can be done. I think her slump was completely driven by very real events as was her depression. But I did like they showed her recovery.  It was just an interesting way to look at depression. His Post Traumatic Stress Disorder was well portrayed and completely valid for what he went through. The way she helped him was actually perfect. They both would be dealing with forms of PTSD for the rest of their lives.  Depression, anxiety and PTSD are all things that don’t go away but you can learn to manage them.  Part of the battle is how you view yourself and how you view those conditions and I thought the show talked about that very well at the end.  It ended on a message of hope for those suffering from those conditions.  I liked that.

 

The second couple was so cute!  I loved their story.  The way they started noticing each other just by helping out with single parenthood is such a solid foundation.  It also showed something I strongly believe, that kids benefit the most from having each gender influence.  The little boy needed and craved a father figure and the young girl needed that female influence. I loved how it showed us pictures of the four and how they had formed a family. The personalities of the two characters were such a perfect fit for each other.  He was such a nice guy.  And I liked that the female character specifically mentioned that about him. The fact that he and main guy patched up their broken friendship was a super bonus. I think love and friendship are such wonderful and unique human conditions that it is heartwarming to me to see those friendships and relationships restored.  And main guy needed that friend.

 

They seemed to like the “we need to separate” trope because first they did the unnecessary separation early in the series and then they were threatening another one later when she was going to take the overseas assignment. I guess they wanted us to be happy that her assignment was cancelled and they were able to stay together.  I would have preferred that she chose not to go.  Careers are important but I do not think anything like that is more important than the person you love. Life is too short and precious to waste a second doing something that is not essential.  Doing that tour was something nice to do and may have helped her career minimally but you can never get those six months back.  If something happened to the person you love or even at the end are you really going to look back and think man I am so glad I spent that six months away.  Nope.  Very few people would think that way.  I want to see the best romance and to me the best is where those in love realize how precious that is. They protect it and they do not do unnecessary things like separating just to build their career.  Especially when the relationship is new. That initial period when they are first in love and you are presenting the very best of yourself to the other person is fleeting. That period of newness and romance does not last, for many people, beyond the first year. 

 

I loved main girl’s family. They were just eccentric enough to keep it interesting. I loved the way they embraced him and treated him like a son. He needed a real families’ support and they provided it.  

So often they either show someone wronged either being completely vengeful or totally forgiving. In this one they struck a balance. And that was the advice mom gave him. You don’t owe anyone forgiveness and you don’t have to forgive now. If not forgiving helps to heal you, then be angry about it. If forgiving is what you need to heal then do that. Maybe you forgive some things someone did but not others, that is something that can be done as well. The show did a good way of depicting that forgiving or not forgiving is up to the individual and there is no right way or right mix of forgiveness and anger or resentment.

 

I was worried when it was approaching the ending, that it would be one of those endings where they were together but hadn’t actually did a solid commitment. In their case that would not have been a satisfying ending because she had a tendency to be on a solid path and then just break up or change course. So I was happy when it said they had the wedding shoot and the epilogue showed wedding shoot photos.  I wanted to know with them that their relationship was solid after all they went through.  That made it a happy ending for me. If they ended it with them just going out that would not have been very satisfying. 

#DrSlump
#ParkShinHye
I’m #ParkHyungSik

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Answers all the questions and beautifully continues and nicely ends the story

9/10 is my rating. This is a 2022/2023 South Korean Action, Fantasy romance drama with 10, 69-87 minute episodes

First I provide a Unique Synopsis then review

Synopsis

If you watched the first season and experienced the cliff hanger and tragedy that was the ending, be reassured season two will resolve all that. One could just let things end where they did but why? This continues the story. Jang uk (Lee Jae wook) survived but is now dressed and acts in a very dark manner (shadow). As the most powerful mage in Daeho, he is charged with hunting down and executing soul shifters. Doing so takes an additional emotional tax on him as he is able to see who that person was before going “wild” and erects rock cairns to honor the departed. His nights are spent being “haunted” by wraiths and the memories of his love he lost. When chasing a soul shifter into Jinyowon leads to a chance encounter with Jin Bu yeon (Go Youn Jung) the recently found daughter of Jin Ho Gyeong (Park Eun Hye), the two form an unlikely alliance. Bu Yeon has spent the last 3 years locked in Jinyowon to hide her true identity from the other mages. Jang uk knows that if he can get rid of the ice stone his life will end and he believes Jin Bu yeon will be able to do that. Jin Bu yeon wants freedom as her mother’s plan is to keep her locked away yet have her marry and produce offspring to continue the Jinyowon.

Season two continues the story with all the characters and you find out what happened with them in the three years since the events that happened at the end of Season 1.

Review

I loved this series. I highly recommend it and will watch it again. I am a huge fan of Star Wars and Star Trek and other such otherwordly shows so the complete other world built in this seres greatly appealed to me. I was concerned that the main actress in this second season was different than the primary actress in the first but in the context of this show it makes perfect sense. It did not disrupt my like or feeling for that character at all i just found myself waiting for the aspects that were Naksu like to emerge.

Spoilers

I seriously liked the complexity of the soul shifters in this series. In Season 1, Mu deok (Jung so min) is a character unlike either her original self, Cho Yeong, the assassin Naksu (Go Youn Jung) nor the soul from the body she inhabits, Jin Bu yeon. It was so skillful both in the script and in the way the actresses portrayed these characters how you could, at times, see aspects of each of those souls and, other times, see a individual that was all of them and none of them. Finding out, towards the end, that because Jin Bu yeon lived and didn’t die as a stillbirth only because Seol ran, the original and very powerful priestess actually controlled a lot of what happened with those souls. It is why Bu yeon was born blind as Seol ran was blind, and also why she was more powerful than any of the priestesses in her blood line.

It was my fond wish that others would learn the truth about Naksu and I was very happy that it was revealed that she was tricked into being an assassin and then used as a murder weapon through sorcery by Jin Mu (Jo jae yoon). There was so much hatred toward even her memory that I found that incredibly tragic. I was sad that Seo Yul (Hwang Min-hyun) had planned to kill Bu yeon when he discovered she had the soul of Naksu as his view on the situation was so cut and dry. It made sense for his character to thin that way and actually was the reason I felt less sad he never got to be with the girl he loved. He was one of the few loose ends in the story as it would have been even better if he would have found someone who loved him enough he would get over Cho Yeong (young Naksu).

I have to commend Do Sang-woo the actor who played the soul shifted Jin Mu. The expressions on his face and even his voice transformed to Jin mu and that took a lot of acting skill to carry that off so well. He was an annoying side character as Seo Yun oh that was power hungry and arrogant and was able to kick that up to the level of Jin mu’s evil sorcerer level in a very believable way.

The friendships that developed were such a wonderful part of this series. Jang uk was already close with his childhood friends Seo Yul and Park Dang-gu (Yoo In-soo). But, as the series develops his relationship with Crown Prince, Go Won (Shin Seung ho) becomes closer and friend/family like (and he is sort of the cousin of the Crown Prince depending on whether you consider the father the soul or the body. Go Won seems destined to befriend Naksu as he is intrigued by, and befriends her, in her many forms.

I really liked that he became the King and that Jang uk wanted him to be the king and fully supported him. The writers and creators had an well executed twist when they led viewers to think that Go won had joined Jin Mu’s dark plans.

There are a lot of flashbacks that seem unnecessary and disrupt the flow of the show but that is just Netflix. When these shows are created or sponsored on any of the streaming platforms I expect there will be certain deviations from the formula that has made Asian dramas so successful. There will be flashbacks galore (that does happen in the Asian shows but it is an order of magnitude), the scenes with kissing or skin contract will be a degree more risque and it will end with question if there will be additional seasons or not. I read that the Hong Sisters themselves indicated they did not plan beyond Season 2 so I think any indicators of a Season 3 are likely rumors. There is so much they could do with Daeho, prequels and side stories, but I hope they let the main story remain completed as it is.

I could continue on about this excellent series but will stop there. I just finished Season 2 and miss Daeho already.

#LeeJaeWook

#GoYounJung

#AlchemyofSouls2

#ShinSeungHo

#DoSangWoo

#JungSoMin

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Very good. If you read the Webtoon you will notice there are a few changes that were unnecessary

9/10 is my rating. This is a 2024 South Korean time travel, revenge romance with 16, 70 minute episodes.

First I provide a unique synopsis then review

Synopsis

In 2023 Kang Ji won (Park Min Young) is married to Park Min Hwan (Lee Yi Kyung) and is living a miserable life where she is emotionally abused by her husband his mother. Things worsen for her when she is diagnosed with terminal stomach cancer. The one bright light in her life is her “other half”, her childhood friend Jung Su min (Uhm Seo hyun). Or so she thinks. What remains of her life is completely shattered when she finds her husband and best friend in the midst of an affair. Even worse they are not remorseful and mock her poor condition. Things get physical between her and her husband and he winds up pushing her, in her weak state, into a glass table. As her life light dims, she hears her best friend and husband talking about life insurance and how she was just going to die anyway. She comes to finding herself having traveled back in time to before she married her murderous spouse (2013). Fate has given her the opportunity to change her life path and get revenge on those that wronged her. You want my husband? Well you can have him. She discovered she can change her fate by having key events transfer to someone else. And she cannot think of anyone who deserves her horrible husband more than her former best friend. Can Jiwon get revenge, change her fate and find love in the second chance?

Review

This is an interesting and unique time travel romance. It ends happily. I would watch it again and recommend it to others. I read that Park Min young went on a very restricted diet to be even more thin for her role as a cancer patient and want to say she just, overall, did an outstanding job of portraying the role. I think she is a remarkable actress and I seek out series where she is in a lead role. Having seen Lee Yi Kyung in comedic roles, I was unsure he could play the sleazy, evil ex husband well, but he did an incredible job making the viewer loath the character.

Spoilers

I think it is a dramatically different experience watching this after having read the web novel and/or webtoon versus never having read either. It does follow the webtoon closely, which is good, but there are some deviations I do not think improved the story line or made it better adapted to a live show. I think they did it to add intrigue but, to me, the events from the webtoon were compelling enough.

The things that were different from the comic to the webtoon:

1. In the comic the Yoo Ji Hyuk (Na In woo), her former college classmate, who harbored an unrequited love for Jiwon, discovered her body after realizing she was missing from the hospital. He was so devastated by her death that he killed himself in the ocean. He didn’t ever have a fiancé and Jiwon was his one true love. He always knew he loved her but stayed away because he thought she found happiness elsewhere and didn’t want to interfere. That’s why he made an effort to get closer to her when they regressed. He wasn’t going to let her husband ruin her life again. In the live action version they chose to have him die in a car accident which, I felt, was less impactful.

2. In the Webtoon version, the lady supervisor, who becomes a good friend of Jiwon, had a very different romantic story. In the Webtoon, Yang Juran’s (Gong Min jeung) love interest was younger than her and had a fun, carefree personality. Because her married life was so difficult and she was so serious at work, it made sense for her to fall for the younger man. There was some moral conflict in the comic about whether it was okay to fall for him, but she lost out at the end. In the live action, Mrs. Yang’s love interest is Lee Suk jun (Ha Do kwan) who is an austere, older executive who is unapproachable to most but shows a softer side to Mrs. Yang. It took out the whole Noona trope and added in a cold executive vibe which I did not feel was a good fit for a side romance.

3. In the webtoon, Jiwon convinced Mrs. Yang to get tested for her stomach and that’s how she found out early enough to fight the cancer. It became a plot hole, in the live version, when Mrs. Yang’s cancer was not terminal like Jiwon’s was in the Webtoon version. Yet, in the live version, Mrs. Yang caught the cancer early, without any intervention from Jiwon. That type of cancer is infrequently caught in the early stages so it made less sense for Mrs. Yang to catch it early all on her own.

4. In the live action version, I didn’t like how active of a role Jiwon had to take to take down Minwan and Sumin. In the scene where she catches them cheating, she gets in a physical altercation with Sumin and Minwan which makes it look like she was the aggressor and the push that wound up ending her life was just them fighting back harder than they should have. They did not highlight, in the live action, that she was still alive after she fell against the glass table and they did nothing to try to save her life. The moral ambiguity continued through the live action when Jumin was completely willing to let Sumin die in her place. In the comics, once Minwan and married, they continued to attack each other. They self destructed. Minwan’s azoospermia took a more active role. After su-min “lost” her fake baby, the mom was a nightmare about conceiving and blaming her all the time. The home life was hell with the mom. She went to get fertility testing at the moms behest and demanded Minwan get tested too and that’s how she found out. She brought it to the mom and the mom was so angry she had a stroke. In the webtoon , Sumin became her mother-in-law’s sole caretaker and tormented her to get revenge for the way she was treated. But she was also was cruel to the mother-in-law after the stroke simply because she was not a very nice person as evidenced in the way she treated Jiwon when she had terminal cancer. Sumin’s evil nature was further revealed in the Webtoon when she resolved to kill the mother-in-law by putting air in her IV line. There was a witness and she was caught and sent to prison. Meanwhile Minwan decided to get ride of Sumin for insurance money and cuts her brakes. He hears about his mom and rushes over, forgetting about the brakes and dies. Sumin then escapes from custody and tries to run over Jiwon with a car but Mr Yu jumps in front to save her and goes to the hospital. SuMin is captured again. In the webtoon, Sumin, the mother, and Minwan bring about their own destruction while the Jiwon and Jihyuk build their relationship and remain happy. I liked that the Webtoon did not make Jiwon actively steering events so that others died. Having them self destruct made her a much more heroic and sympathetic character.

5. In the comics the characters weren’t quite so intensely bound by the concept of “transferring fate”. No one died by a coffee table again. Their actions had a real impact on the timeline and they weren’t as helpless.

6. There was no ex fiancé in the Webtoon. It was a huge cliche and caused way more drama than necessary. Oh Yu Ra (Kwon Bo ah or simply BoA) was a bland, stereotypical spoiled chaebol type with little dimension beyond “she’s just crazy”. It created a love triangle that was completely unnecessary to the plot.

7. The twist that Mr Yu regressed as well was made way too early in the show. In the comic it was a last reveal, and done through a letter while Mr Yu was in the hospital. Jiwon learned everything he had done for her and how long he loved her and why he died before. Her father brought him back from death. He overcame his fate to be with her.

8 The romance between the sister, Yoo Hui yeon (Choi Gyu-ri), and the chef, Baek Eun Ho (Lee Gi Kwang) was way cuter in the comics. They barely developed it in the show. She tried really hard to win his heart and he had lingering feelings for Jiwon but eventually came around. They shared a love of desserts.

#ParkMinYoung

#ChoiGyuri

#LeeGiKwang

#KwonBoAh

#UhmSeohyun

#LeeYiKyung

#LeeGiKwang

#MarryMyHusband

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How did they make a fascinating premise so boring in parts?

7/10 is my rating. This is a 2023/2024 South Korean supernatural romance drama with 16, 67 (average) minute episodes.

First I provide a unique synopsis then review

Synopsis

Do Do Hee (Kim You Jung) is the adopted daughter and heir apparent to a conglomerate company called the “Future Group”. She is known as a devilish, hard hitting, and “take no prisoners” executive who has won many awards. Her adopted mother, Joo Chun Sook (Kim Hae Sook) made it clear, when she was alive, that Do Hee would take over after she passed. This does not endear Do Hee to Chun Sook’s children who consider it their right to inherit all of their mother’s assets. The obvious solution to some of them is to get rid of the problem. In this case the problem is Do Hee. When a serial killer is hired to kill Do Hee, he nearly succeeds until Jung Koo Won (Song Kang) appears in his role as a Demon who strikes deals with mortals by granting wishings in return for their trip to Hell 10 years later. He originally plans to only save Do Hee if she enters into an agreement but then agrees to save her and then talk about the agreement. In the chaos that follows they both wind up nearly drowning and the tattoo that gives Koo Won his supernatural powers, transfers to Do Hee. Koo Won finds that he can still perform his role and have access to his power by holding Do Hee’s wrist where the tattoo is located. When Jun Sook tragically dies a condition of inheriting the business is Do Hee must marry within a year. Koo Won agrees to a contract marriage for mutual benefit, he needs to be close to her to touch her tattoo and she needs a husband to secure her inheritance. The two have twisted fate in the present, but things get even more fate based when it appears they also had a connection in the past.

Review

When I looked at reviews there seemed to be those that really loved this series but there was a near equal number that did not like it well. I am in the “did not like it well” camp. I think it is worth watching for the two talented actors, great chemistry and interesting premise if you can relax your expectations for a sensible plot. I was actually bored at times because the progress would hit a stall. I would recommend drama fans watch it once but I wouldn’t rush out to watch it.

Spoilers

I have seen hundreds of dramas at this point and that could be why I am among those that found this one very underwhelming. The main couple got together too early in my opinion. Then was no sense of anticipation. It did not make sense to me that she was so driven and determined to be the heir and then she just gave it up. I know they were trying for the “anything for love” angle, that she was willing to give up all the power and money to protect herself and the person she loved but it was out of character in my opinion.

The serial killer bad guy who was hunting her died too early. I was wondering what they were going to have happen next. It was just odd to have that particular bad guy gone so early in the story.

Two very annoying things in this one. Usually you feel somewhat sorry for 2nd girl or guy and I did like second guy but the 2nd girl was one of the most annoying I have experienced to date. They tried hard to gain our sympathy for her in showing how he saved her from abuse but, even that, did not excuse her toxic behavior later. She even tried to get main girl to drink poison so that the main guy, who is a demon who already lived hundreds of years, could live. Although she had hung around him for over a decade and he showed no interest she still blamed main girl for wrecking her chance. What chance? Her jealousy was misplaced and annoying.

The other annoying thing was the romance between the elder couple. It was fine they liked each other, even cute, but them hiding it for so long became ridiculous. I think it was supposed to be funny and they definitely did the big reveal where they thought they were hiding it but everyone already knew. Oh ha ha! Like we have never seen that play out before. It was unoriginal and just not funny.

When Netflix gets ahold of something I know it is going to be drawn out too much and there will be way too many flashbacks. That was the case in this one. The plot would already be dragging because so many of the major conflicts and reveals already happened and then, oh great, let’s rehash the whole script again.

They, of course, had to do the separating from you for your own good trope. I don’t like that trope. It is right up there with the amnesia trope for me.

I believe it was confirmed the leads were dating in real life and they definitely had that level of chemistry. It is not their fault the script was just awful at some points. Their acting was excellent but the content was off.

There was so much potential in this one. With a great cast and interesting premise this could have been a great addition to the supernatural genre. I am not sure how they managed to make it so drawn out and boring except the pacing and when they chose to do reveals.

#MyDemon

#SongKang

#KimYouJung

#KimHaeSook

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