I have to be honest, at first I only started watching it because Lee Joon was in the cast and it was short. But I was given a nice surprise.

I don't think this was among the best things I have watched, but it was light and funny which is just what I needed after watching "heavy" shows for the past few days.

I, also, liked Yang Mi Kyung in this. I loved how she played her role of a housewife gone fan-girl.

The song which made the protagonist into a fan wouldn't be called a masterpiece by any standards, but it was very catchy and I found myself singing along whenever it was played.

I would watch this again since it kept me entertained and gave me a few laughs.

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Everyone, and Their Mother

This story is definitely not new. We often see the “during the Republican Era the female lead enters the home of male lead to exact revenge for this or that family member” storyline in mini dramas. Feng Yu Ji, the female lead, although had a knack for becoming a damsel in distress, didn’t irritate me as much as some other female leads, actually had some plans, and managed to put quite a few of the culprits on the spot. Shen Tan Qian, the male lead, although suspicious of the female lead at the beginning because of justifiable reasons, wasn’t a whole fleet of red flags all by himself. That is not true for almost everyone else, with the exception of a few allies. Everyone and their mother (possibly quite literally) in this drama were out to get the female lead and were dark and twisted characters, except for the little sister.

The acting and chemistry between the main leads was good. This drama wasn’t high in the level of intimate spiciness. Instead, it gave you the spice in the form of blood and violence, which to be honest, I wasn’t put off with. Give me death and blood is my motto. The show’s cinematography was visually pleasing as a whole. The ending scene, similar to other scenes throughout the show, had a beautiful composition and felt soothing and nostalgic at the same time. The OST was nice too.

And I guess it can be considered a happy ending for the main leads. Although, ‘m sure they will have nightmares for the rest of their lives. Was this show a masterpiece? Definitely not. Did it do the job of keeping me entertained? Yes, it did!

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Nostalgic

This was such a great little drama. I had never heard about it before and I'm glad I came across it.

The drama features good acting, story, cinematography, and OST which pairs well with the story. The story is not told lineally and uses flashbacks as one of its main storytelling devices. I greatly enjoyed it in this show because all the regulars got a backstory and it showed how characters developed into who they were in the present. The ones who did not get a fully fleshed out background story, still received a little attention in the future. This was one of my favorite things as it really helped me care about each and every one of them. Even the most hateful one had my sympathy, for about 2 seconds, but still had it.

It was also interesting for me to see similarities in the way the characters grew up, going to the corner store, getting cheap candy and thinking it was the best, and playing in the streets with friends. The traveling grocery van Jun Long came up with is especially nostalgic. It brought back memories of "la guaguita del pan" from my childhood. Its main product was the bakery bread, but it was like a traveling grocery store. We would all run to the corner while yelling, "we we we", so it would stop when we wanted to buy something. The prerecorded message was similar too.

My main complaints are that, even though I enjoyed the flashbacks, they repeated some of them one too many times, some closures were half arsed, and that extra scene after "the ending" was unnecessary. Especially, if there is no season 2, even almost 5 years later.

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I hesitated a lot to watch this movie. I had only Shim Eun Kyung's "Running Man" appearance as a reference to her and I didn't like what I saw. There was also oorie gunnie, Kamz, who kept raving how great an actress she is, and I think I kind of wanted to say she wasn't. I, also, wanted to stare at Lee Jin Wook. So, I ended up watching it.

And omo! Why was this girl so hilarious?

"Miss Granny" doesn't have a unique concept and it doesn't give a lot of info on the cosmic mechanics of the change, but it still worked for me. I thoroughly enjoyed watching SEK acting like a halmoni in a younger female's body. She had the mannerisms of the character's older version down to the last "T", which made the change from old to young seem more seamless. This is definitely not easy to do and requires a lot of skill in acting.

I also enjoyed the rest of the cast. Sadly, Sung Dong Il and Lee Jin Wook don't have a lot of movie screen time. Somehow, this didn't bother me in the least, especially when they absolutely shone in the scenes they did have. I absolutely adored Hyun Chul's and Mal Soon's mother-son moment. The things they said to each other made tears fall from my eyes without me even noticing it. And Lee Jin Wook's last scene filled even me with longing and nostalgia.

This movie also has a great OST.

Miss Granny is funny, yet touching. It shows how far a true mother's love will go.

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I've always been interested in the story, but only watched a couple of episodes of the anime. So once I saw that there was a drama special, I had to see it.

Overall, I enjoyed it. I really liked how it begins with a mysterious situation taking place and then going through a series of flashbacks and forwards to tell the story. Also, I think the "speed" at which the story is told is good, since my interest in it didn't waver and I tend to get easily distracted.

I think Okada Masaki did a very good job at showing the different aspects of Jack Black's personality. We see him looking detached, but then acting contrary to his attitude when he decides to save people's lives. On the other hand, I tend to be an easy crier when watching emotional scenes (especially if the music which accompanies the scene helps to set the mood), but his show of emotion in the "tearjerker" scenes left me unsure of whether to cringe or just laugh.

The main actress, for some reason, I didn't like her too much, but I tried to overlook it as much as possible since I was interested in the story.

The one thing that left me really dissatisfied is that it's just one episode. It left wanting more. Hopefully there will be more in a near future.

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Story: I've always liked Long's "Madame Butterfly" story. This version seems to be based on the Opera rather than the short story. Even then, it has a few differences, but it doesn't take away from it.

I thought the story was well played out. And although, it was not a terribly exciting drama, I thought it had a good pace and the time jumps were very easy to keep up with.

Also, I loved the way they showed different traditional aspects of Japanese life during that time setting and the way they managed to allude to some of the ones which were not shown.

Music: The music was great, it never felt like it didn't belong in the scene.

Acting: Miyazaki Aoi did a good job playing Chou-Chou, I think most of the Japanese cast was pretty good too, but the ones playing the American roles were a little stiff, although their English speaking was very good.

Overall, I thought it was a good drama and I would watch it again sometime in the future since it's only two episodes long and I didn't find it boring.

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Light & Heavy at the Same Time

This drama had been on my plan to watch list for a while, but I had been putting it off because I was worried the comedy would be too in your face or forced, which usually makes it unfunny for me. However, and even though I was watching/started quite a few dramas already, I decided to add one more to the list on a whim. This was because the ones I really wanted to watch had entered their multiple day breaks and the other ones I do have episodes available to watch aren’t keeping my interest.

During the first episode, or at least the first 30 minutes or so of it, I thought I would end up dropping this because the beginning of the episode wasn’t appealing to me and the comedy did feel a bit forced. But this soon changed as I kept watching.

For me, the comedy handled the comedy aspects of it well. Even when the comedy was too far out there, it had the right amount of angst, mystery, action, and seriousness to balance it out. This for me worked well because they didn’t overdo it on either the comedy or the tragedy. Another issue I encountered was a bad case of second lead syndrome. Don’t get me wrong, the king was endearing in his own right, but I felt the second male lead was better as she would have never have to guess what was in his heart. However, in the last episodes, I am glad he didn’t do what I was yelling at him to do and get what I wanted because the female character introduced then was perfect for oorie second male lead. She was as gentle, honest, protective, and fierce, in her own way, just as he was in his. I would have honestly loved to watch a few more scenes with them interacting, but I am glad they didn’t give him a miserable ending, of dying, becoming a villain, or eternally longing for someone who didn’t love him back, as they sometimes do in other dramas.

This drama was light and fluffy, while also being angsty in the right amount and at the right time. I enjoyed watching a grand queen dowager who, albeit trusted the wrong individuals, was not a raging evil plotting monster. I also enjoyed watching that the king’s main court lady and eunuch were loyal and never betrayed him. And most of all I loved that everyone received their just desserts at the end. The OST was nice and for me this is worth rewatching.

Was it a masterpiece? No.

Was it what I needed at the moment? Definitely, yes.

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I don't know about anyone else, but the reason I started watching this drama was Kim Hee Chul. Yes, I know he's not a good actor. BUT he's one of my two biases in Super Junior (Si Won being the other). He's also the reason why I even gave the group a second chance. "Sorry, sorry" is just not my thing... Sorry! Not really. I also like Lee Soon Jae, I think he's one amazing veteran actor.

To my surprise, "Flower Granpa" was really funny. I enjoyed it so much that I went through the first seven episodes really fast. The premise was also interesting and I liked that all the grandpas had their own concepts. I called them "grumpy grandpa", "cute grandpa", and... "delusional grandpa". And while Hee Chul and Lee Soon Jae were the main driving force which made me watch this drama, I ended up loving "cute grandpa" Kang Seuki the most. Although, it was kind of hard watching a grown man, who is old enough to be my father, around so much... pink. Did I just show my age? Jijiji.

But as it was nearing the ending episodes, it kind of went down a small hill. The story got rushed. The things Lee Joon Hyuk, grumpy grandpa, started to do made no sense at all. I mean, come on! He's supposed to be a smart police detective! I can't really say much more without adding a plethora of spoilers. Another thing which bothered me was the "main villain". Although I have nothing against the actor who played him, I thought he was too mellow. He didn't give me that "I'm a mastermind" vibe. I just wanted to smack him over the head and tell him to "straighten up" as if he was a teen misbehaving. I just couldn't buy him as a villain. *shrugs*

Although I thought "Flower Grandpa Investigation Unit" was really light and funny at first and I really enjoyed it, I have to say I was somewhat of disappointed with its last episodes. It became too over-dramatic and rushed.

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I finished this one after months and months on my on hold list. I also debated, with myself, whether I should even bother writing a review or not since there is only one thing I really want to say and repeat over and over. But for the sake of reviewing, I'm adding two, maybe one, sentences more. Short review ahead.

This drama had all the elements, in theory, to become one of my favorites. It's supernatural themed, it had action, and the effects while not mind blowing awesome were pretty decent. But it failed to make it into my top list of awesome dramas I just have to watch now!

The dialogue... It seemed like they were reading their lines from cue cards the writers were holding up for them. There was no feeling/emotion behind the lines. I just couldn't care less about what happened in each episode. While the action was alright, I felt sleepy all through out the drama. Which basically means the acting was definitely not good and the actors failed to make their characters come alive.

How can an action packed supernatural drama about a ghost seeing detective be so frigging boring?!?!?! How? It's just beyond me.

Also, the OST didn't help.

Oh, look! It was more than 2 sentences.

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“Do You Know How Much I Adore You?”

I have been watching mini dramas because the angst in the full sized(?) ones that have aired this year are not doing it for me. Or better yet, the lack of angst in those is not doing it for me. This drama delivered what I needed! The story is nothing new. They are basically star crossed lovers to whom fate, and their siblings, played a cruel joke to.

The acting was pretty good, except sometimes when it was just okay. Yan’er, the female lead, is a mix between a submissive and headstrong woman. I found this understandable because she does mention the circumstances she grew up in. I actually liked her character and could empathize with her. She was in a very difficult situation since she was devoted to carry out her sister’s last wishes, even when that witch did not deserve her loyalty, but also wanted and was unable to express her love for Yuan. Yuwen Yuan, the male lead, was a perfect example of a red flag at the beginning. I really loved to hate him. However, throughout the show he has more colors than the wind (shoutout to Pocahontas’ OST: Colors of the Wind). He was almost like a chameleon changing his colors with the situation. He was never consistently a green flag though. The chemistry between them was perfectly hot and, at times, heartbreakingly sweet. There were some scenes where I needed to remind myself to breathe. While the main leads’ acting was not perfect, I felt the actor who played the second male lead, Emperor Yuwen Yingren, had the most flaws in his acting as he could be overly exaggerated in his portrayal. However, then there were times when his acting was so on point that I wanted to transmigrate into the show and get rid of him. Like for example, when he started shouting and interrupting the main leads’ moment in ep. 17 (Tencent)/Ep. 9 (Viki). I wanted to appear behind him and push him off where he was standing. He was just a delusional pile of stinky trash.

That scene in ep. 17 (Tencent)/Ep. 9 (Viki) was so well done and it was hauntingly beautiful. I loved, loved that scene. I tell you, I had to hug my pillow for emotional support. I wanted pain and misery, didn't I? This scene definitely gave it to me. Still, I rewatched it because it was beautifully done. While my favorite parts were the angst filled ones, the show does have a few comedic scenes sprinkled in, it was just enough to relieve some of the tension and never over the top. I have to say Zhu Li’s, the male lead’s subordinate, comedic timing was just right.
I only remember a few of the instrumental(s) playing songs, which really fitted the scenes, so I guess the OST could have been better.

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Decent But Flat

The story is one we all know by heart by now and it was executed in an okay way. The acting and look of the drama had a full length drama feel and the way it was edited didn't leave that choppy , "what in the world is happening?" feeling. I also liked OST. However, by episode 9 I was bored, possibly because their infatuation... I mean, their precious love seemed to blossom too fast. Some of the characters, like the female main character, were also initially irritating. Also, watching this on Youtube did not help as they tend to do weird things to the audio or remove it altogether for extended periods of time. I have no idea if Youtube does this automatically or if someone does it, but how are you going to remove the sound in key and climax points?How am I supposed to feel excited with garbled sounds or no sound at all? I wasn't moved at all by any of the events and there are both happy and tragic events that happen as the story moves.

In short, the drama was actually decent, but I did not enjoy it. This is my personal opinion and it's not meant to dissuade others from watching the show.

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Besides being completely disappointed (after waiting for months for it to be subbed), I was confused as to what was the point of this movie. I didn't understand why I was supposed about to care the friendship of these four women since it doesn't give a back story as to how their bond began and developed.

The acting wasn't bad, I actually liked it, but the story was completely ordinary and it didn't hold my interest. The music doesn't really stick with you either.

The only scenes I truly remember are the ones DongHo from U-Kiss is in and I don't think that was what was meant to be remembered from this film.

I won't be re-watching this movie.

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Hmmm... How to start this?



I had originally planned on starting before it ended airing so i could finish with "everyone else", but Park Min Young and all the spoilers flying around made me hesitate. But I finally got enough courage to watch it and I dramathoned it with all my might. Not because I was hooked and mesmerized but because my "real life" dongsaeng was.



Get your rotten gogumas ready because I think a lot won't like what I have to say. And that's ok.



The show, it was... Ok! I'll blame myself for not enjoying it as much as so many others seemed. I expected way too much from it because of all the praise it was receiving from my eonnis and other members and it didn't meet my expectations. I was even bored halfway through it and started to look for other things to do while "watching". So while my sister was excitedly yelling "DID YOU SEE THAT?" or cooing over the "real couple like acting", I was browsing through GR to see what else I could add to my already bloated reading list. Some might think I got bored because I basically just took breaks to sleep, but I once watched a 108 episode drama (it was only 35 minutes per episode, so it would equal like 54 episodes) in around 5 days and it never bored me.



The OST. It is pretty forgettable. I remember hating the music, but don't remember what it sounded like in the least. I, especially, hated the music choice they used for action scenes, it made those less exciting.



The acting. It was good, really good, for the most part. Park Min Young didn't even bother me... that much. And Ji Chang Wook keeps growing on me. Also, there were so many tearjerking moments in this drama, yet I didn't shed one single tear. It was upsetting to say the least. I'm a crybaby when it comes to dramas, yet... What happened? Good acting and touching moments, but I wasn't moved one bit. Well, that's not true. There was one moment that did shake me up a bit, but I still didn't cry.



The drama wasn't bad. If I hadn't fallen for the, I don't want to call it hype... The excitement most other viewers felt, I would have probably enjoyed it more, or maybe I wouldn't have. I'll never know.



I rated it an 8 because the acting wasn't bad, but I still feel I can go lower.

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Not All that Glitters Is Gold

Fox Spirit Matchmaker: Red Moon Pact wows viewers with rich, vibrant colors, gorgeous CGI, an emotional and addicting OST, a beautiful cast, and…that’s it.

While I was hesitant to start this installment because I am not a fan of Gong Jun’s acting, I was highly anticipating the Fox Spirit Matchmaker series as a whole since many of my favorites are part of the cast across all three installments. Who would have thought Gong Jun was going to be the least of my problems when it comes to this show? Certainly not me. The story is slow and tedious to get through. I had serious issues staying awake through most of the episodes unless I was multitasking. The villains were a joke. Their actions are repetitive and tiring. I hated them not because of their villainous nature, I love extra villainous villains, but because I was tired of watching them.

While the side couples oozed chemistry even in the background, the main couple’s love story fell flat. I do not care that Yuechu was a sweet baby angel when he met the much older Tushan Hong Hong. Both Yuechu, and herself, never saw her as a mother figure. So, if I don’t have an issue with ancient gods who are thousands of years old falling head over heels over a human with their short lifespans, I did not have an issue with this. However, they lacked that addictive chemistry I love so much which makes me yearn for love even when I don’t really want it in real life. There were no real fighting scenes, it was all “hand choreography” as some members called it. Dull “hand choreography” at that. Even the last showdown was so… spiritless that it did not feel like there was ever a real build up or climax. In fact, I recently saw a lower budget drama and their fight scenes, while not the best, were still significantly better than Fox Spirit’s. The story simply lacked depth in every aspect, whether it was the plot, the characters, and relationships.

I’m hoping that because this installment flopped, despite it being highly anticipated and featuring many popular and highly coveted actors, it does not affect whether the other two will see the light of day or not. However, I hope it does serve as a learning lesson; not all that glitters is gold.

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