Whistleblowers dilemma

I really like this drama. It has layers and depth because we are not spoon fed all the issues and have to wait for the reveals. Leo's role is intriguing and a warning for anyone that wants to be rescued as he shows he needs Jung Woo to fail so he can keep this role.

The premise of being a whistleblower for corruption in the publishing world and the severe backlash he suffers is very real. ***
Jung Woo is a timid introverted character who uses his writing to express himself but after the whistleblower incident he retreats into the arms of Leo, his professed protector.

After years of isolation from his craft Jung Woo meets the sunny optimistic publisher Tae Young and he begins to heal and believe in himself again.

The reveals are done well and outcomes were not predictable as all invested parties could be swayed. I liked that the plotline was the focus more than the relationships.

The acting was okay but could have been more animated with greater use of micro facial expressions and definitely some coaching around the DFK. The BL aspects were somewhat wooden, however, in context with all three main actors having very little acting experience I think they did okay.
NB
The director was also a producer on the drama "Kissable Lips" that suffered the same issues.

Well worth watching.

***A quick search and I found;
"South Korean whistleblower Kim Yong-chul, who has written a book about his efforts to expose alleged corruption and greed at Samsung, faces censure and isolation.
The former Moon Jae-in administration announced in June last year a series of measures to help protect whistleblowers by stressing the importance of such people in making society better. But now the government has gone on to sue Shin (Shin Jae-min, 32, who identified himself as a former deputy director of South Korea’s Ministry of Economy and Finance), for leaking classified information. The irony is self-evident."

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Love can be messy

The two main leads have a lot of complexity written into their characters and they portray mixed emotions very well. My take on the drama;

I see Mark as a person who knows he can love wholeheartedly and when he is disappointed in not winning his intended love interest he backs off and tries to deal with the aftermath of feelings by drinking and looking for random hook-ups. The scene of drunken mistaken identity is more a fanciful wish on his part and gives Mark the chance to act out the passionate love scene he has missed out on.

Vee is in a long term committed relationship with his girlfriend and has a strong need to be helpful and have others like him. He assists the very inebriated Mark and when Mark throws himself at him he finds himself turned on and reciprocates. This sexual encounter affects both of them badly. Mark is angry and hates Vee for the encounter. Vee is confused and begins to realise he is sexually attracted to Mark and then the story unfolds.

Youth in university exploring their sexuality without yet fully understanding what is required to maintain a relationship. Friends adding their own input to the confusion. Jelousy, judgements, sacrifice and selfishness overlaid with raging hormones and insecurities.

The parents add some interesting dynamics to the mix and the two male leads are influenced by their attitudes.

As a love story it has fulfilled this role. The two MLs have a strong chemistry and they are sufficiently different to add the angsty thought that maybe they won't be able to stay together.
Very watchable and rewatchable.

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Dream like quality

After watching this beautiful film I was blown away by the fact that this was Kim Go Eun's first ever acting role. Playing a younger (she is 21) role as a schoolgirl, Han Eun Gyo, she is incredibly natural and at ease in the part. Park Ha ll creates the elderly 'grandpa' figure Lee Juk Yo but is actually a revered poet laureate who has mentored a bitter, jealous Seo Ji Woo played convincingly by Jim Mu Yeol.
The chance meeting of the ML and FL is a catalyst as they create a relationship based on unspoken needs. For Han Eun Gyo, lacking affection at home, the 'grandfather' allows her to express her kindness and makes her happy and a little bit competitive with Seo Ji Woo to gain Le Juk Yo's affection. For Le Juk Yo he is transported back to a more youthful time and creates a romantic fantasy that he then channels into a beautiful story.

The plot is about art and literary posturing. It is about how, even when we age, the mind remembers our youthful selves. It is for each character about yearning.
Yes there is a sex scene. The depiction is summed up by the rhetoric question, mid coitus, by Han Eun Gyo "do you know why teenage girls have sex? It is because we are lonely". Reflecting back to Seo Ji Woo his own words and summarising it is just sex.

Loneliness is an underlying theme but the creative fantasy of the poet for the young girl is set in a dreamlike idyll and captures feelings of lost love.

Note to the wowsers; The female is a character, written by a writer, produced by a producer, directed by a director, acted by an actor.
If the part played by her offends you check your own moral compass. The role of Seo Ji Woo is quite despicable but his actions are not questioned. Sexism is alive and kicking - mostly females.

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a short, refreshing palate cleanser

Very short episodes, however, also fast paced and loads of fun.

Our heroine is fixed on the fact that this is her storyline so is unable to comprehend the constant changes and has the added plight that she will suffer dire circumstances if she does not complete the tasks allotted to her.
The ML is forced into this marriage and trying to manage an imminent war so he is very distrusting. The sudden ability to hear the FL thoughts adds to the confusion and humour.
Cute couple hate to love trope done well.
I also saw ML in “The Killer is also Romantic” this kind of role is where he shines.

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Exploring the aftermath of affairs

There are some parts to this drama that had me gnashing my teeth and shouting at the screen so of that was the scriptwriters intention it worked.
The sweet married couple that discover each other and what it feels like to be in love and loved were mesmerising. Both passive people pleaser types that had allowed themselves to be disrespected by their spouses and carrying major guilt for illicit love. Try counting the amount of times "sorry" is said - sheesh.

The alternative couple are startlingly different, almost. We have an attractive woman who has become a classic trophy wife so she takes casual lovers to spice up her need to be loved. An artist who enjoys his own company and is somewhat jaded about relationships who is still friends with his ex wife due to business connections.
The dynamics here are more complex. There are children, an overbearing husband and a manipulative ex wife, plus random ex lovers.

The action is always mesmerising and frustrating and edge of the seat stuff that also manages to touch your heart in unexpected ways. Some of the cinematography, depicting the love is gorgeous

I kept expecting tragedy as payback but they managed to edge past that cliche. Our poor main leads are the last to find closure and that takes place in the final moments so fast forward if you must but go to the end for final sweetness.

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A satire about stalking

I cracked up laughing and I could tell the politically correct part of my brain was trying to get offended but the acting is comedy so as in all good comedy taboo subjects can be lampooned.

The Fl has some awesome, nifty martial arts moves and is constantly flooring her boss.
The ML is suitably in awe and finds everything she does is wonderful and fuels his adoration more.
The two second lead actors are okay too not too nasty and adding to the plotline.
If you can embrace the comedy and want a laugh I recommend this for the 'non precious' audience who don't mind when borders are crossed in aid of entertainment.

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Strong female killer finds romance

This is a fast paced action romance with plenty of smiles and laughs.
I liked that our strong FL decides he is the one for her and pursues him. They are both hiding their secret identities so the decision to marry carries some danger and they both need to hide deceive the other.
Our FL is a very competent businesswoman and used to giving orders and sidelines as a very good assassin.
Our ML looks like a sweet gentleman and is a clever doctor who sidelines as a bodyguard.
Their marriage interactions are funny as the FL tries (often unsuccessfully) to appear as a demure and agreeable lady.
The action scenes are good and the overall look is well done for a budget drama and it has fast paced action to fit in the short series of episodes.
The FL's sister is given the added interest of blindness and her protector is very sweet to her.
This is entertaining and easy to watch - perfect as a foil to the more angst inducing Wuxia dramas.
It would be nice to have a second season as I don't think our heroes can maintain domesticity for too long.

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A wholesome BL

This slow burn romance could not have been sweeter. The two main actors are very attractive and display opposite character traits. Takara Shun has a reserved manner and expression yet is often straight forward in his speech. Taichi Amagi is naive and childish with a strong insecurity because of his experiences as a child. This sense of less worthiness adds some of the storylines tension but it is mild and the two continue to tentatively explore this secretive romance.

The story is not rushed and there are no distracting sub plots so it fits the short timeline.

Others have mentioned the cringe factor perhaps in relation too Taichi Amagi being overly animated I however think it is in character with a young, self conscious person who is trying hard to attract someone. I liked the use of internal dialogue to display the inner turmoil of these two shy teenagers. Overall I liked the respect shown by the more experienced ML and also the support of the friend of the shy Taichi Amagi character.

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Top Drama

I just finished watching the Goblin Special (lots of behind the scenes moments and bloopers) it reminded me how much I loved this drama so I felt compelled to write a review.
This drama was outstanding for me. It was directed by the talented Lee Eung Bok and it has a level of plot complexity that really appealed. I was hooked right from the start the music and cinematography brought the standard to a high level. In the early episodes the laugh out loud moments were wonderful and the ML's especially good at the deadpan, fast delivery and comic timing.
Special mention: Goblin has the most perfect OST ever!
The script writing is excellent apart from the humour there are also some esoteric ideas that are handled well.
I felt the pace of the episodes was steady, not too rushed and allowed me to care about what was happening. I felt for the characters and cried buckets over the painful parts.
Gong Yoo makes this drama outstanding (yes I am biased towards every role he has ever played) Kim Shin endures so much and does it with dignity (and a great wardrobe) he has lived over 900 years and never been in love so some of his reactions to the FL are quite clumsy and youthful. He has been focused on his plan without a thought for the 'goblin bride's involvement so initially comes across as very unfeeling.
Kim Go Eun is a brilliant actress and as Ji Eun Tak meets Kim Shin when she is a high school student studying to get into uni. She has led a very sad life with almost no support since aged 9 when her mother died. She is very believable playing this 19 year old who has been told repeatedly she is to become the goblin's bride so she latches onto him very strongly when they meet. Later she plays her own age of 29 and this transition is also well developed.
The Grim Reaper (Lee Dong Wook) builds a close friendship with Kim Shin and their antics as flatmates, together with Yoo Duk Hwa (Yook Sung Jae) add some of the cutest and lighter humorous elements and assist later when some of the darker history is revealed.
The rest of the cast are also stand-out for me.
I do think I will rewatch at a later time because there is so much to take in and I must make a special mention that the baddie Park Jung Hun is particularly scary.

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Sunshine faded to dreary rain

My recommendation is enjoy the first 8 episodes and then skip to the last one to finalise.
Jung Hae plays, 24 yr old, Seo Joon Hee convincingly as the besotted younger lover. He shows cuteness and strength of character that is very appealing. His romance with Yoon Jin Ah (Son Ye Jin) is sweet and believable. As the older lover Jin Ah is lovely in the beginning, however, the writer/director input to her character fails to keep this drama on track. Filler issues are over the top and frustrating for the viewer - the ex boyfriend turned dangerous stalker, the bullying abusive mother and the toxic workplace environment leave a very bad taste in my mouth as the hapless Jin Ah remains passively observing or avoiding or deliberately lying to keep reality at bay.
There is a repeated OST that becomes as annoying as the situations depicted.
I felt that the watcher is pulled along and not invited to learn any of the backstory or what drives the decisions being made.

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Sweet clown face

Sun Ze Yuan playing the male lead You Xi is adorable and bratty and sweet and annoying in equal measure. His goofy smile had me grinning even with some of his OTT selfish attitudes. His character hints at what becomes of a young, successful actor whose every utterance and action is on display for comment.

The FL Hanna, played by Yuchi Yao Yao. comes from an intellectual background following in her fathers footsteps studying Chinese history. Held back from a teaching role due to an earlier tragedy she is coerced into tutoring this intellectually lightweight actor.

Lots of humour and I found myself giggling often at the characters antics. A lot of the sweetness shows up in our MLs headwear and clothes and his very animated facial expressions make a welcome change to the frozen face style adopted by some of his colleagues. This is ultra sweet fun with the usual restrained romance expected by Chinese censorship.

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A modern twisted fairytale with great humour.

For me this was, unexpectedly, a laugh out loud Rom Com. The absurdist humour was very good at poking fun of fairy tale romances. The setting is modern day Cinderella with the FL living with her step mom and step sisters with the twist that they are not bullying our cinders.
FL has realised, through a hint from her deceased father, that instead of trying to succeed in business she may as well nab herself a wealthy prince charming. this naive worldview is the basis for the drama. In reality it proves to be much harder to execute.
The ML is very quirky and also has a naive worldview "follow your Joy" is his catch phrase, however, as the plot unfolds we realise he has hidden emotional scars and is really hiding behind his wealthy lifestyle, including a fake fiance to keep husband hunters at bay.
Despite the light hearted frivolity and steamy kisses, real and imagined, the two leads do have good chemistry together.
I liked the twist where our FL decides to not wait to be rescued by prince charming but embraces her earlier memories of boldness and uses this to help heal the ML and win him over.

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This drama was a delight for the eyes and ears.

The FL, Shen Li, is a petite and ballsy character with a masculine "yang" mindset. The ML, Xingzhi, is an aloof and esoteric character who has refined his ability to not be affected by his emotions over 1,000's of years and in the ensuing relationship demonstrates a softer more "yin" aspect.

Both characters are wonderfully written and brought to life on the screen. They have a development arc and their bantering and affection is very endearing. Supporting actors are also 3 dimensional and given sufficient exposure to assist with the overall story line.

There all the successful Wuxia elements of beautiful costumes, terrific dream like sets, over the top CGI, gorgeous lighting and beautiful settings. Comedic actors and situations break up the grimmer battles and villain actions so that it has good flow of interest despite the length. I liked the ending it has a modern twist and wraps up their relationship nicely so don't skip this.

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This is a story about fated love

Just finished watching this very sweet and excellent fantasy drama that left me in tears and with a big smile.
Everything about this production was well thought out and flowed. The BL relationship issues were tastefully handled with great sensitivity. Both ML's were invested in their roles and very believable. Some of the other characters were also top notch and overall the standard of acting was very high. There are side characters and other family dramas playing out but the focus remained firmly on Jom and Yai.

It was interesting to get a glimpse of an older, more feudal, Thai family of the 1920's and the dependence of their servants.

I was very invested in their love and anxious right until the end to know how they could resolve this time-span issue. The intrigue and suspense is masterfully maintained and I love that there are not trite answers, I was left happily wondering ................
Simply wonderful and raises the bar for future BL's

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Art is the theme

I really enjoyed how this fantasy drama was portrayed.
The emphasis on painting and the different styles and interpretations of how to depict a theme was very entertaining and educational.
The FL is caring for her artist father who has been driven mad. We later discover how and who was involved. Meanwhile his daughter is following in his footsteps. The back story of how she was blind and then became sighted is also part of the flashbacks that weaves together elements to bring us to the dramatic latter half.
The actors did a great job with special mention of the young actor playing the tiger demon. The ML, Ahn Hyo Seop, has different characters to play and is excellent in each.
As the blind scholar Ha, astrology advisor favored and funded by the king, he portrays a quiet dignity and elegance very appropriate to this role.
As the mysterious masked Ilwolseong he has built a network of spies and informants so is able to sell information to the wealthy.
As the Demon (Mawhang) and the use of CGI, he becomes a dangerously strong mythical creature.
The FL is a plucky character who is devoted to her father and desperately seeking a way to cure his mental illness. Her attraction to scholar Ha is very sweet and believable. She displays astounding ability to paint and to copy masters. This is her fate so that she can be chosen as the divine painter tasked with creating the portrait needed to use in a ritual to capture MaWhang the demon.

Visuals and attention to colour palette help to create the atmospheres of painting, love and crisis. The costumes and settings are done well and will be appreciated by anyone who enjoys costume dramas, The traditional Korean paintings a re a bonus.
If you are still hesitating about watching have a look at the extensive picture gallery.

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