Crouching Prince... Hidden Maiden

When I absolutely love a K-drama I wait before I write a review. The reason I do this is I know repeated viewings often change my opinion of the drama after the newness has worn off. For this reason, I waited a LONG time before writing my review for The Red Sleeve. I wanted to see if once the newness wore off I would feel the same, and I am happy to say after repeated viewings I still love "The Red Sleeve".

Seriously, there is just so much to like in this drama. The music is sublime The scenery is vivid and stirring. The acting takes you to another level, and the chemistry between the ML and FL is so potent you will feel it!!! Particularly, the scene where Jun Ho confronts Doek Im in a fit of jealous rage in the library. That scene set the internet on fire because it was 🔥🔥🔥 Seriously the chemistry between Jun Ho and See Young was so potent I frequently rewatch that scene for the buzz of their chemistry.

But... what makes this drama great is the addition of other fine actors who fill their roles capably and evoke presence and gravitas when they are on your screen. Lee Doek Hwa is a joy and terror to watch. Jang Hee Jin is powerful, while being understated in her role as Queen. Plus, the humorous presence of other side characters, like Doek Im's friends and the Prince's scheming aunt--who gets the shit slapped out of her--makes this a joy to watch on several levels.

One of the beauties of The Red Sleeve is it played up the dramatic politics of the women within that era while never overshadowing them with larger male-dominated political plots. You understand why every character does what they do because there are no villains or heroes. It's just people trying to live and love as best they could during a very turbulent period.

Is "The Red Sleeve" perfect? NO...it's not, but it's damn near perfect, and entertaining on so many levels that it is worth your time, and I highly recommend it.

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Great Opening Hook and like One Kiss

This drama has one of the best opening hooks in a television show. It's a meet cute and a falling in love at first sight (literally) all in one, and it's accompanied by a sweet song that will have you rewinding that scene a few times because it's very cute. That hook is what reeled me into Happiness, but unfortunately I wanted to unravel myself from that noose after I got to the 10th episode. Overall the show is entertaining and it has a lot of positive things going for it, like the acting, OST, and some decent directing. It seems like this may have been filmed during the pandemic as there are several reference to Covid-19, which of course makes this drama very meta to our current times. Again, there s' a lot to like, but what doesn't work is the story and characters. I've never met a zombie story without plot holes the size of the Grand Canyon, so that's not my main complaint. My real issue is the theme of the drama is lost amongst the repeated antics of characters who surround the main couple, and because of that there are only three likable characters in the ENTIRE drama. The ML, the FL, and the Kid. You start actively rooting for everyone else to die around episode six if you have a heart, and far earlier if you're heartless like me. By episode 10 I started leaning on the FF button because I was ready to get to the end, and to my disgust far too many of the unlikable characters were still alive by that point. The sweet moments between the main leads and my desire to finish this in drama in its entirety kept me through to the end. It wasn't a bad ride once all was said and done. The acting was was top notch, which is why I hated so many of the side characters. They did a good job of making me hate them, and of course the ML and FL have really good chemistry, which was shown very well throughout all the times they worked together as a team, and during their one kissing scene...lol. Would I watch this again? Probably not, but I would watch the actors again in another drama.

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Lot of Unnecessary Drama

I'm still new to C-dramas, but I've been working through a few recommendations from friends. Boss & Me was recommended via a list for office romances since I like the trope. Unfortunately, the only thing I enjoyed about this drama was the quirky FL. She was cute to watch, but it wasn't much fun watching her act next to the ML. He reminded me of a well-dressed wooden board; though, all props to the wardrobe team because his suit, jacket, and jewelry game was on point in every episode! Still, the lack of chemistry and the addition of all the other couples and sub-plots was just too much. Add to that the excessive monologuing from the FL for nearly every scene, and this drama is like watching a block of ice in winter--BORING. It might have been more bearable if the chemistry between the ML and the FL was entertaining, but there's no spark between them. If you want to kill sometime (32 episodes at 1 hour) then go for it, but I don't recommend it unless you just want to be bored.

Edit:
I watched this again recently because I felt like I didn't give it a fair shake the first time around, but it made me realize why I didn't really care for it overall and gave it a six. Both the ML and FL are decent actors and both characters are interesting to watch on screen. Yet, the lack of chemistry between the ML and FL (for me) was because I could not understand what the ML saw in her. She is just a complete airhead for most of it, so I never understood why he was attracted to her in the first place. No matter what type of growth happens for the FL, I'm so stumped I'm never able to buy into the romance from the get go. Then add in the fact the FL is just as confused as to what the ML sees in her and she is so confused (airhead) that as a viewer I am again wondering what he sees in her and vice versa.

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A Very Soapy Ride

When I first started this drama I was unaware there were two other versions, but since I am a completist I took some time to check out the other versions before deciding on the one I would watch. I wasn't going to watch them all because there are other dramas in the world . The Korean version was too slapstick for my taste, and the original Thai version was too outdated. The switcheroo romance plot has been done and redone so many times and in so many forms, that there 's nothing original to be found in any of the versions. It really all comes to down to the execution. and IMO the Chinese version is the best executed. This version has a strong narrative plot from beginning to end and that's probably because it embraces the melodrama. The OST which is full of sad piano melodies and moody guitar riffs fits the story, so it does feel like watching a daytime soap. There are tense stand offs and "oh shit" moments a plenty to keep you entertained. This version also has better supporting characters, which speaks to the stronger narrative structure of the entire drama. There were times where I was a bit bored while watching this, but generally speaking I didn't FF through much of it because it plays well in the background; and, there were times I was glued to the screen because I couldn't tear my eyes away. At 36 episodes ranging from 45-55 minutes per episode, this is a drama that requires a time investment, so I wouldn't recommend it unless you specifically like the rich man/poor woman trope and or second chance romances.

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Light Hearted Fun

I ran across this on Viki and decided to give it a go based on the premise alone. I am an absolute sucker for love at first sight stories and I don't mind any of the inevitable cheesiness that comes with it. Thankfully, this is light on the cheese because the ML and FL don't spend that much romantic time together. He meets her and falls in love and then spends the ENTIRE movie trying to prove himself worthy of her love. Whole months elapse during this period, so you can assume this is a long term effort because everyone around him says so. Again, there aren't that many scenes between the ML and FL, but you know the ML is working hard for her love because that's they whole point and plot of the movie. Because this is an an action/comedy/romance then there are some fight scenes, which are surprisingly well done all things considering. Overall, the movie had a nice blend of everything I liked. I wished there was more chemistry between the ML and FL, but again that's not really the point. We aren't meant to understand why this particular woman lights his fire, you just know that she does, so really you don't need that many scenes with her to convey that point. If you're looking for an out and out romance with all that entails, then you should probably pass on this; though, you may want to give it a try. I laughed at loud at certain parts and the ML is quite easy on the eyes. Theres's also a nice height difference between him and the girl, which looks very cute on screen, especially when she calls him a yeti...lol

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Quick and Cute

Beware of Spoiler:

This review took a while to formulate because I wasn't sure how I actually felt about this drama until some time had passed. Like many in the beginning I found the first two or three episodes to be very entertaining and funny, but by the fourth episode the antics had ramped up to make it too slapstick. While I enjoy the comedy aspect of Cinderella stories, where the FL is hiding in plain sight, there's a fine line to the antics that can be played over and over. Thankfully, that didn't go for too long before the ML was in the on the secret, but then he decided to get revenge, and instead of a well-earned conversation about lying and deceit, we get his petty antics for an episode or so. Then the secret goes into overdrive after both ML and FL decide to keep it a secret from everyone who doesn't already know or guess. At that point the drama just stalls and repeats gags again and again. What saves this from being too ridiculous is the actors themselves. Even though you've seen the gag before the actors make you like watching them do it again and again. There's also a lot of great chemistry between the ML and FL, the 2ML and 2FL, as well as the sismance and bromance. The people on the screen make this in enjoyable...not the story. My only real complaint is for a predictable drama, it tried to be unpredictable to its detriment by not going for an established HEA. Instead of having the couple get married so we could get the ultimate payoff, the drama decides to separate them for some useless reason for a year and then have them come back together at the end...so they could hold hands??? I'm not sure why it went in that direction instead of tying things up with a nice bowtie. Anywho, the drama itself was enjoyable and it kept my attention span long enough for me to finish it.

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Excellent Contribution to the Temple

Yes…the monks of Shaolin would be proud of this contribution to the legend of Shaolin. Of course, like a lot of Chineses martial arts movies based on the past, there is a small kernel of truth to this. The monks often resisted occupying forces with their legendary prowess. In this entry, you have a great cast which you will easily recognize. Jackie Chan is in this, but he’s not the star. The story revolves around the early republic period and the our star loses his family when he is double-crossed during a double cross. He then goes to the temple and finds peace and justice. Now…as for the fight choreography… it is stellar. I had forgotten how good it was. You get every type of battle you could imagine as well as some great forms done by a bunch of talented and skilled kids. Of course, their part is the BEST part as it should be. Considering how long this is (it’s a healthy two hours) I was surprised that I was not bored at all. Even with the typical cliches and tropes it’s still watchable and rewatchable. 9/10

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Entertaining Mystery with Humor

This drama had been hanging in my Netflix queue for a while, so I finally got around to watching it. Even though it's 18 episodes, I finished it in two days over the weekend, which is pretty good for me. Most dramas start to lose my attention by the eighth episode, but I was engaged in this enough to want to finish. The synopsis for Black doesn't do justice to the amount of twists and turns in this drama. There is a lot going on...sometimes a little too much, and it's clear from the outset the creators have a lot to say. The show deals with some sensitive subject matters like rape, prostitution, domestic abuse, and a host of corruption which amounts to a lot people doing bad things for money and power; but, if you like a decent mystery then this will be right up your alley. As a bonus there is a lot of humor and some great characters, including a rapping grim reaper and a detective named 'Crazy Dog'! The ML is the star of the show. You can't help but watch him when he's on screen. He's cool, funny, sarcastic, and easy on the eyes. He absolutely makes the show! My only real complaints about Black stem from the FL. She is poorly written and poorly dressed. She starts off as a noise machine who spends most of her time crying, whining, and screaming. She does all this while running around like a chicken with her head cut off in the dazzling assemble of a trench coat, long sleeve shirt, full length dress, AND a pair of blue jeans!!! Her wardrobe was seriously distracting and I kept wondering if the actress was pregnant during filming because I couldn't understand why they would dress her that way. Thankfully, she gets sidelined quite a bit, and it's clear at the end the writers realized they needed to do a hard reset for her character, which essentially is how Black ends. I hate endings like that, but thankfully there was enough good before to make it all worthwhile.

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Terrible

I really enjoyed the fist hour of this show, yet since it is broken into 20 minute segments per episode, I finished it easily….and that is a good thing. If this had been 16+ hours my rating would -10. However, this is a very short drama that relies on the comedy from ML because the FL is a terrible actress. This is like the third drama I have watched with her as the FL, and I can confidently say she has only three expressions. The ONLY reason I am giving this 5.5 stars is the ML is great, and he tries his best, but even his phenomenal talent can’t work with a blank, expressionless stare. 😒

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Pretty…but insubstantial

This should have been a great drama for me. For one, I love rich guy, poor girl tropes, and the ML/FL are pretty to look at, but this dram, Noble, My Love, has nothing more to offer. Again, while pretty to look at, the acting from the ML and FL leaves a lot to be desired.

Sometimes, decent direction can make up for bad acting, but that is not the case here. On literally every level this drama fails. Again, if the directing were better some of the faults could be excused, but combine that with bad acting and even worse direction, and you have something so boring, I decided to finish it in my spare time.

The ML is handsome and the FL is pretty. Together they look great, but unless you plan to watch this on mute, then skip it for something better.

On a positive note, it is very short…so there is that.

Cheers 🥂

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Chinese Christian Grey????

Okay, let's get to the nitty gritty. This drama may not be for you. If you like possessive and obsessive male leads you may think this drama is for you, but the ML in Well-Intended Love is more like Christian Grey from 50 Shades, or the Italian dude from 365 DNI, so bear that in mind before you decide to watch.

Personally, I enjoyed Well-Intended Love. It's actually the first C-drama I've been able to finish in its entirety without skipping through most of it. I also don't mind a side of crazy when it comes to my ML's as long as they aren't physically abusive. You may characterize what he did as physical abuse, but I don't. In fact, the story reminded me of a lot "dark" romance novels where the hero is so in love with the FL and emotionally damaged to boot. I don't need to give spoilers because there are a lot of other reviews that do that. What I will say is I enjoyed the chemistry between the ML and FL. They look good on screen together and both actors are good enough to give a lot of believability to their roles. There's also a lot of cute moments and kinship. Plus, the drama itself sells its concept well and the direction doesn't rely on stupid, gimmicky camera tricks, or a corny OST.

Overall, it's C-drama where the ML is OTT when it comes to his obsession for the FL, but I enjoyed it! Watch it with an open mind and see what you think.

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Real Life from Manga

I could have enjoyed this drama, aside from all the bad, I could have enjoyed it. However, what bothered me so much while watching is the “look” of the actors from their hairstyles, outfits, to the excessive aura/shine surrounding them. There is something to be said for literal translation from page to screen, but for me the look of almost every character in this drama is so OTT, its too fantastical to be taken seriously. Even the steamy skin-ship is ruined from the bizarre on-screen caricatures. Overall, it was just too much.

This is/was my first J-drama so maybe it has some intrinsic value I am unaware of. Don’t let my bad review deter you from making your own decision.

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Very Messy Drama

I very much wanted to like this, but I really couldn't find anything redeemable about it. The ML is cute, but he looks so young it was hard to buy him as a CEO of a huge company, not to mention he is a bad actor. The FL was cute, but her acting was also terrible. The plot of the drama is...rich guy, poor girl, and family drama. There was so many thing happening like faked-amnesia, secret crushes, adopted kids, motherly hate and a bunch of other crap I don't remember. I leaned a bit heavily onto the FF button, so I can't recall it all. On the plus side this drama was only 16 episodes on Viki, and with the help of the FF button I finished it fairly quickly.

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