This is not what I expected, I thought this was a series that I might watch while I was doing other things. In other words, a boring series. But I was wrong! I end up finishing up this series within a day or two.

What I like about the series:

The fluff, this was the cutest light romance I’ve seen in a while. It was a bit awkward with how quickly the ML fell for the FL but I think that is where the story gets interesting. I love how it creates the storyline of ML chasing after the FL, lots of charming, teasing, and great kissing scenes with fluttering hearts.

The cast and character. Xiao Tian does a great job on his character here. I’ve seen him in a lot of support roles and I’m glad to see him doing a main role and damn well good job at it! This is my first drama of Xing Fei and I like her character. She is not like most annoying, trying to act cute and innocent FL. She is a hardworking lawyer who trying to do a great job at being a lawyer.

Did I mention the chemistry between the leads?!? I also love that they had this mature understanding of each other. I often thought a lot about when the natural disaster happened, and they were separated for a while. Just the thought of missing each other and just lingering feeling of wanting to see each other.

The bad:

I didn’t like the second lead, which is funny because usually I adore the main cast or the second lead. Occasionally even both but this time it was the opposite. I just found their characters to be SUPER annoying mainly because they felt like this young bickering couple. For an old man, he was very annoying...handsome annoying old man

Re-watch value: I definitely can see myself watching this again!

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The Confusing Myth

It's been a while since I’ve been so intrigued by a k-drama, especially one that stars Park Shin Hye. She does a lot of popular series, but I feel like there are some parts where she doesn’t show her full potential therefore, I pass on a lot of her drama. Surprisingly, this is one of the series that I think she did an awesome job on her role!! I like her as a badass strong female lead rather than a timid typical teenage girl in love. I would like to see her do more action roles.

What I like about the series:

The way how this was directed, written, and how it was edit was brilliant. It kept me watching from beginning to end. I typically skip “thriller/mystery” Korean series because they don’t give me the same excitement. To want to see this series to the end was kind of a shock to me.

The characters. Most typical Korean series has this tough acting man who can solve all problems with his fist, his looks, or his money. Han Tae Sul solved everything with his brains and well his money. I like to say he doesn’t have the typical eye candy that most Korean leads have but that is not a bad thing. He is super charming, and I adore his character! Plus, Park Shin Hye is a sassy female lead who knows she can win a (gun) fight with anyone.


The bad:
I still haven’t figure out what with the ending. The ending between the leads felt like a dream. Also, you get this glimpse of Sigma who is a better person but yet he still has a bit of crazy and plans to go after Han Tae Sul as a stalker??

One of the things that K-drama does well is dragging on plots causing confusion, cliffhangers, and excitements to get your peak interest. In Sisyphus, I was close to saying "forget about this" and read the recaps. This was a point in the series, you felt you were just being drag along and you still don’t have a clue about why this all started that it was starting to be upsetting but you kept watching. I’m glad I did because it was a change of pace and it was something that you just have to be patient about. Personally, I would have preferred a little snippet of the “why”.

Again this is personal preference but I don’t think there was a lot that leads to the romance of the lead characters. I know when you’re put into a situation where you’re fighting to survive and you only have each other to depend on, romance can develop but I was expecting a bit more than just that.

Overall I say 8/10 because of the excitement I got from watching a k-drama in a while.

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I stayed up all night and woke up early anticipating the final release of the last episode, only to find that Netflix didn’t put it on right away. I probably wait till like midafternoon before I can finish it. I still have lingering thoughts of the what-ifs. There were a lot of sexual tensions to begin with but I enjoyed watching the cliché ending.

The Good:
I think this series did a pretty good job of portraying friends of benefits and the thin line of falling in love with them. I am probably one of the very few that was rooting for the bad-boy-falls-in-love-with-good-girl-leading-couple. Yes, I understand it was a toxic relationship with Jae Eon. He made our heart race, his intimate touches, he kept drawing the line but “nevertheless” Na Bi was still attracted to him. I have many theories as to why Jae Eon loves Na Bi, one being she called butterfly. We know where his obsession lies with it but as the series goes on you can’t help but think “cliché but oh dear, he is really falling for her”. Again, wondering theories and debates for another time.

I love this intimacy between them and I’m not talking about what they did every night. Their lingering looks and this burning passion they couldn’t hide were shown through a lot of non-gesture and both actor and actress brought it out very well. There was a lot of heart racing and exciting push-and-pull.

I also like how the writers incorporate Na Bi’s art as a reflection of what she felt during the emotional roller coaster ride. She did well on her projects when she got along with Jae Eon. But when her sculpture was smashed into pieces, it was like her world also shattered as she tried to end her feelings for him.

The cast, I didn’t know what to think with the innocent-looking Song Kang to begin with. I kept wondering how he was going to pull this “bad boy” character but he did it! It is different from what I usually am used to, but I like it! I also look forward to seeing more projects from Yang Hye Ji, Lee Ho Jung and Kim Min Gwi!

One of my favorite things to watch is character development. In this series, there were a lot of character developments between the leading couple and the side characters. I like how Na Bi narrated most of the series in the beginning and towards the end, Jae Eon started voicing his thoughts.

The Bad:
I had to skip some parts of the side characters, I felt like some of them were cliché and a lot of parts were cut out from Bit Na and Kyu Hyun. I didn’t realize the scandal with this until my sister told me. I was rooting and hoping to see more character development with Bit Na and Kyu Hyun. I think they were an adorable couple.

Personally, I was very bothered by that fake butterfly tattoo that looks like a stick on.

There were parts in the series where I had questions that were unanswered and probably will never be. Like who was that guy that randomly showed up and punch Jae Eon? And who was that girl he met at the café the following day? What about the story between him and his ex? I just found out this is based on a webtoon, maybe answers might be found there.

My rating: 8/10 Without watching this carefully I think there are a lot of symbolic things that could have been missed and I think that is what makes this series captivating to me. Even though it did have a typical storyline, each character was enjoyable to watch.

Re watch value: 4/10 – there were many things I love about this series, but I don’t know if I would be re-watching soon.

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This is a series not for everyone. For those familiar with screenwriter Kitagawa Eriko you know how her love stories develop and they are not everyone's taste. I personally love the slow build because it makes the relationship so much more meaningful and interesting. 

Things I love about this series: 

The cinematography is so beautiful and the color makes the series so homely. You know that feeling that gives you comfort and warmth. I love some of the color settings for the scenes, it just draws you into the moment. Personal favorites are when she is inspired by her theme “live in the moment, not the days” and when Oto and Soremame hang out in the yard either playing with bubbles or running into each other after he moved out. 

The cast especially the soremame. I just adore her playfulness, creativity, and the attitude to never to lose oneself. I personally haven’t watched much of oto works so I think he’s a new face. I didn’t know what to expect with his character in the first few episodes but after a while you realize just how comfortable he plays his character and the conversations and the spark between the two just made everything better. And because of that, I can’t hate his character or his acting. Maybe his character was just an average Joe kind of guy?? 

And as I mention the relationship between the two. I especially love the lines they have. Eriko always just knows when to tug at your heart with some of these lines. First episode the line I can’t stop thinking of is “a person’s back is so warm” for those who know you know. 

And lastly, if you’re a fan of the screenwriter like me, you just have to watch this. There are so many tender scenes that I missed so I know I have to go back and rewatch and just enjoy the moment. 

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Has potential

I don’t know how I feel about this series. It has potential, a strong and amazing cast, lots of beautiful cg, and a solid beginning storyline. But it leads on to these hints that underline the issue of reincarnation of immortals and how there this big bad guy, both main leads always injuring themselves and giving up their lives countless times for the three worlds. I don’t know how many times I was like again?? He going to give himself up and she going to do something stupid again and he going to save her. It got boring…very boring fast but I stayed for the second lead and second couple. I was rooting so hard for A Fu and Luo Ning. I knew it was going to be a sad tragic love story between the two of them and it was. I personally like their story way more than the main couples.

The other downside was the ending. Maybe I did skip too much but how many of you were just as confused about the ending and what was going on? Like did time rewind and skip what happened after He Na died after attempting to kill the moon god? Or were they stuck in a dream of a realm of another realm?? I don’t think I want to go back and find out.

This series had potential, it really did but the connection between the storyline and the characters just feel flat. I couldn’t bring myself to give it more than 5/10

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Too much into a small movie

This had potential. The cast is fantastic and I really wish this was a series rather than a movie. There were a lot of details as to what could have happened between the two main leads, but you can only fit so much into a film. As I am writing and deleting what I want to say about this review, I'm starting to understand why the short film. I think the impact of a short film with all the details that could have been expanded in a series was shortened here. But I was left unsatisfied and empty. The unknown as to why the ML died still doesn't make sense to me. Did I miss something? Did I overlook symbolic meaning? Was there a sentence that explained this but I skipped it? Also, what was the reason to film the sunrise? So many unanswered questions that I just didn't understand which is why my rating is low.

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What I like about it:

The fresh faces and the side characters. Often you get too many side characters that it drags away from the main story and causing the series to lose its main purpose and drag on. But the side characters added on to the story, surprisingly they made it work! The two stories that come to mind are the south sea emissary and Qian Mei and Huang Quan and Zi Mo. I think there is something going on with Bi Luo and poison girl but that is probably just my imagination.

Jessica Hsuan playing as the bad guy. The last time I watch any of her works was a long time ago and she was the main lead. So, it was interesting and refreshing to see her play as the bad guy.

The chemistry between the main leads. At first, when I saw who played the ML I was a bit disappointed, maybe it was because I just got done watching good-looking Xu Kai that I was expecting that same kind of wow factor. But he one I like to describe as good looks based on character. I always give characters a chance to “wow me” and boy I’m glad I did. I really enjoy his acting and his character. I know that the story really revolves around FL but I think ML kind of took the spotlight.

I love love LOVE the outfits! I adore the colors in here, especially the red that they had the FL in the entire time. This bright red made me focus so much more on the intensive action scenes. Talking about the action scenes, the cinematography, and the action….what a visual feast! What a wuxia without its awesome action scenes!! I’m a bit bias but I did get a tiny spark of excitement when I saw the ethnic minority outfits in here, mainly because it is close to my heart.

What I found annoying:

Of course, in every series, there has to be that annoying character you despise. I found Xiao Tai to be super annoying, her innocent, selfish, bratty attitude and thinking caused her to lead a rebellion and the guy who adores her to follow suit. It wasn’t until his death that she realized what she did. The only reason why I put up with her was because of Qing Yu or Meng Fei was super cute!

The poisoning, I should stop holding my breath each time ML or FL gets poison or injury. They were continuous injury/poison that I had to fast forward through some of these parts.

Everyone wants FL dead, first it was Moon sect leader and now the daughter wants her dead too because she wants to covet “senpai” to herself.

And I know this is just a pet peeve, but I often was upset at the choice that ML made even though it was thoroughly thought out and meant to be the well-being for everyone. As a leader, he shouldered a lot of the decision-making and burden. I had hoped they would have this selfish getaway, to blossom the romance between ML and FL. We only got a small taste of this when FL injury ML for a small getaway to heal him.

What makes me often think about this series after it ends:

The chemistry between the main leads. I like this mature feeling of mutual understanding of one another, making sacrifices for one another, and this natural love that doesn’t seem to be forced. I love just how simple their love is.

Re-watch value: as much as I love the characters in here, I probably won’t be re-watching it.

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Why is the rating so low?

So this is probably one of my current favorite series that I am rewatching. This reminds me a lot of the genre slice of life, something I haven't watch in a while. I am not usually into watching Korean drama because of the eye candy with bad acting but this blew me away!! Park Bo Gum do you have to drive me crazy each time you cry, smile, or just do what you do best! :D

I totally recommend this if you're looking for something that is different. It is not your typical k-drama. The stories between the characters felt so real. Their struggles, their weakness, their relationships, and how each individual portrayed them was probably one of the biggest reasons why I kept watching this series. I can't say enough about how much I love the chemistry between the characters, especially the female and male first lead. It is so beautiful and light-hearted, definitely reminds you of youthful love. I like that it wasn't "wow you're so beautiful and now I'm in love", it wasn't a shallow chemistry between characters. The development of understanding what you like and dislike, coming to understand and come to terms with why the relationship grew apart, I love everything about it.

Story-wise, I think it's a simple story of struggles youths have to go through. They're trying to find their next steps in life, either they're a momma boy living under the light and the protection she gives, or you're struggling to try to live your dream regardless if you young or old like grandpa. Most people probably hate the ending but I found it beautiful and different. The ending was open-ended, left a lot to your imagination. In my mind, it was still a happy ending!

Music I am pretty bias when it comes to this because I love Wheein from Mamamoo. Beautiful voice!

Overall, this is probably not for everyone but if you're looking for a good slice of life, family drama, great chemistry between leads, and acting give this a try!

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Why is the rating so high?

I was super excited about another Jerry Yan series. I haven't watched anything recent of his so I was excited when this show was airing. Sadly, my excitement died down and I could not digest what I was watching. It's slow...like super slow. A story about a young girl falling in love with a mysterious man. I'm in 6 episodes and I'm sick of the long scenes of Jerry Yan looking hot. In my head, I'm playing behind the scenes of him crackling up as they film these.

I read an article that the directors were fans of his since Meteor Garden. I felt this was just a fan girl directing a fan service show. I had the impression that this was meant for them to reminisce about him during those years, especially his headband...he wore a lot of headbands during MG. And those slow supposedly sexy scenes of him... I was laughing the entire time. I think they were trying to make him look good but I couldn't help but shake my head.

The FL was very disappointing. For someone young and daring and wanting to fall in love I didn't sense that. Instead, I felt she was like a little girl just curious about a mysterious man. Also, another disappointment that I was rolling my eyes at half the time was the foreshadowing of her having cancer or some sort of sickness and was going to die soon. It is SLOW and BORING. I wouldn't recommend it even if you like Jerry. Dropping this series.

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Dropping the series

I came for Simon Gong but leaving because of Lu Fang Ning. I really want to enjoy this series, my sister enjoyed it so much because the FL was a strong independent woman. She gets want she wants. I was really expecting more but halfway through I find her action wasn’t one of an independent woman but rather it a childish, spoiled girl.

I'm at a point where I'm debating if I want to keep the series on hold or if it should be dropped. I love Simon Gong, have since Word of Honor, but even his charming smile and good looks won't save me from watching this. I'm planning to drop this.

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On hold....

I started watching this because I thought the storyline was interesting but I had a hard time trying to finish up the second episode. I'm putting it on my hold list and I'll think if I want to come back and re-watch the series.

Thoughts so far:

I get that he has to become a hitman, kind of the main reason for the story but the one thing that I couldn't stop thinking was "how did he become a hitman without going through proper training?" Don’t you need years to become a professional to "maybe" be an accurate hitman? But as you continue watching, you see this hilarious off-timing when he tries to shoot her.

There was also a reference to karate kid wax on wax off. I couldn’t stop laughing. I knew this was going to be more of a funny series rather than serious. Maybe this is why I'm putting it on hold, I was expecting a sad hitman love story. I don't know what to think about it so far so I'm giving it a 5/10. I hope this rating changes if I ever go back and watch.

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On hold...

I came for Steven Zhang and screenwriter Wang Xiong Cheng. I just finished Go Ahead so I was very excited to see that they had another show out there. I truly was excited seeing some of the same actors and actresses in this series but I am kicking myself after watching the first episode. I did not look to see who was cast or read the summary.

First off, I have a very bias opinion of Liang Jie. I have seen two of her dramas and her acting just annoys the heck out of me. She has the same personality, characteristic and I just can't see her improvement so therefore I'm putting this on hold. I'm so disappointed and upset because I think this series would have been up my alley but they chose the wrong actress.

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