Funny and entertaining with a bit of a drag towards the end

Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed watching The Forbidden Marriage a lot. It had a strong start and I'm glad I watched it. But somewhere in the middle it lost a bit of it's steam and funny moments and felt like it was moving far too slowly for my liking.

The comedy is amazing at the beginning and I loved it a lot and I can't say that for many shows. It has a lot of references to other dramas and present world situations which is where the joke lies since this is a HISTORICAL setting. Later on, the jokes were very subdued though they still managed to make me smile.

The romance is good. The story is predictable so you are just in for a fun ride. Yes, there is a love triangle and I did actually like the second lead a lot so I was partially rooting for him too. Both male leads and nice. The main male lead did a wonderful job with his role playing a man who is broken to one is who more capable of being a leader. Kudos to him. The female lead is fiesty and charming as heck. It's lovely to see her in a completely different role than where I first saw her in Mouse. I love when actors take different kinds of roles. That's when they stand out the most for me. So the only thing I didn't like is that she was more subdued towards the latter half of the show. Guess you can call it "growing up".

There have some actions scenes but it's limited. There are plenty of dramatic scenes and mystery which I enjoyed.

The big finish was great. Just what we deserved but I just wished for a few more scenes of romance. A happy ending nonetheless. If, at times, I didn't find it too slow for my liking, I would have given it a 10. Either way, it's between an 8.5 - 9 for me which is still great.

Read More

Dramatic at times but meh

I went into watching Little Women blind with only the idea that it's based on a book that I hadn't read but had heard was quite good. I don't find this Korean adaptation to be special. It left me questioning many things that didn't quite make sense.

Yes, Little Women has wonderful cinematography and the director knows how to build suspense and anxiety but at times I felt like the motivation behind everything lacked any kind of logic and the end folded so neatly, it was actually both a relief and disappointing.

I wish I could make sense of why the society functioned the way it did. Felt meaningless and unbelievable that no one questioned a thing.

Although the Oh sisters irked me in many instances, I was genuinely rooting for In Joo and In Kyung. Oh In Hye will go down as 2022's most annoying main character. So selfish and ungrateful! I prefer any of the villains over her because at least you understand them to a degree.

Loved the mysterious Choi Do Il and it was fun reading viewers speculate. It's unfortunate that the other male character is nothing to write home about.

If you enjoy suspense, then you might enjoy the rollercoaster ride this show takes you on. However, the ending is not very dramatic. If romance draws you in then you might want to give this one a skip.

Read More

"The aliens came to clean up the trash"

I loved the first part so I don't know how the writer/director failed to end this series well in such a terrible way. Spoilers towards the end.

The 7th episode starts off on a high note and a time jump. Our students are far better at killing the aliens and have developed good survival kills. This episode is a bit fun to watch after all the dread, fear and sadness of the first part. But we don't know why the students are living off base? Where did the other soldier in charge (Won Bin) go? None of it is explained.

Getting credits for their time served for the CSAT is what was keeping the students fighting and this is still a major discussion in part 2. What doesn't make sense is half the students still want to go home. It's not possible that their memory failed them of how they nearly died at their school and just barely made it out alive. Because why would you leave a place where there are less spheres and thus less danger? Especially since the first part also showed them how spheres were about to target a place where families were put up as a safe house. So it's very likely that that many of their families may have been attacked.

It also doesn't make sense that none of the adult soldiers are in the picture anymore. Why didn't they give them the opportunity instead to talk to their families over the radio? Or at least provide some kind of update. Missing them made them want to just run away even more. So as the series went on, it got more and more unbelievable.

At one point they have to deal with prisoners left behind. The biggest wonder is how did these people even survive without any water? They seemed to have a lot of energy despite being starved for days. No logic there. Only one of the prisoners talked sense on the condition of humans and humanity.

Themes of distrust are a major component in the final two episodes. Hiding the truth never ends well. And this is where the downfall of the show began. It's like the plot took a sudden detour and crashed into a wall. Details with spoilers below.

MAJOR SPOILERS NOW
- How was electricity running at the theme park for the rides but they couldn't heat their food? And all the food stored had gone bad?
- How does a scrawny kid having a psychotic break manage to tie up a body with rocks and drown it in the ocean? Where did he find ropes and a rock that heavy? The kids almost immediately ran there. How did they not catch him in the act and how was he not soaking wet?
- The main reason this show is a disaster is because they turned it into a sexual assault and school shooting episode rather than stick to the the main plot. All those "good guys with guns" lost their lives because of the "one bad guy" they didn't see coming. Would have been a great show but this is not why we were watching. They really did them all dirty with this plot move.
- And to add insult to injury, the aliens were all quickly destroyed soon after. No one talked to the students that they were even close to developing proper weapons which would have given them hope and a boost. And in the end, they didn't even get told if their points would matter. Plus, they made the exam extra hard.
- Honestly the ending was so bad that it would have been better if it were all a dream.
- A good alternate ending would have been that they find out he was the killer but then an alien actually comes and kills the psychotic student. And they kill the alien, mourn their loss and survive.

SPOILER FREE
The biggest plus points of this show are:
- The CGI is still wonderful
- The bonding between the students during their lighter moments
The only reason why I even gave this part any points.

For fans of the first part, this one will really leave a bad taste in your mouth so brace yourselves.

EXTRA CREDIT SCENE:
There is a scene/song at the end of the final episode. Almost missed it because I was so upset with the ending. You can be the judge of how you feel after this bit.

Read More

A fantastic ride

I had been waiting for this series for a while now and it's certainly lived up to it's expectations!

The best part for me was not being able to guess who the killer was easily. Sometimes you just know it early on but this show keeps you guessing until the end. And even then, many fans were doubting it... waiting for some kind of plot twist. That's the sign of a good mystery where the audience isn't sure until the big reveal!

I loved the time travel aspect of the show as well. Although they don't do too much of it but they have scenes of the male lead travelling in time to the future as well as the past. But the main setting is in the past. The town they created and the look and feel of 1987 was great!

All the actors performed really well. Though Yoon Hae Jun's character feels a bit cold at times, he has depth and is frank with his thoughts and feelings. He also plans things out before acting. Baek Yoon Young is, in contrast, loud and rash. They make the perfect pair for the job they've set out for. I also loved the Baek brothers' plot line. It was quite touching with one of the episodes being a difficult watch. It was good insight into how things might have been for people at the time.

The series also explores a lot of different relationships and family dynamics and how a moment in the past can have a ripple effect. This is the best aspect of My Perfect Stranger.

You can expect some romance in sprinkles in several later episodes. Though there is no full blown romance, the chemistry between the leads is undeniable. And there is a special reveal in the final episode that really got me excited.

The ending has so many sweet and satisfying moments so I hope it finds more viewers.

Read More

Second half better than the first

When I first started watching Unlock My Boss, I was slightly disappointed because it wasn't as interesting as the promos made it seem. It has some comedy elements but not much. It's more of a mystery revolving around what happened to CEO Kim Sun Joo and how did he get stuck in the phone. If you can speed through the earlier parts of series at 1.25x, you'll start to really enjoy the latter half of the show. But because of the slow nature, I am not giving it more than an 8. That's the criticism, now onto the stuff I enjoyed.

Loved the male lead, Park In Sung, right from the start. He's a good guy and he certainly charms you as the series progresses. Same goes for the female lead, Jung Se Yeon. She has a tough exterior due to the nature of her work but isn't a bad person and we see that right from the beginning when she exchanges shirts with the male lead after she spills coffee on it accidentally. They make a good team. They have good chemistry too but the romance is hardly there, if at all. Mostly towards the end because rest of the time, it is too intense for anything to happen.

Then there is a 3rd character, Ma Pi, who was an interesting addition. We delve a bit into his background and his interactions with the male lead brings out a new side to him as the story progresses. He is also involved in several action sequences which were fun to watch and at times a little hard as well.

There is also a cute girl, Kim Min A, who is the young daughter of CEO Kim. Scenes involving her were sweet and tugged at your heart strings.

Of course our CEO in the phone is pretty cool too. And it's nice to see some comical moments involving him.

Coming to the main plot, I loved that our heroes were clever and their work towards the answer was bearing fruit step by step. To be real, the conspiracy was fairly obvious as you get to know the characters. But it was still enjoyable to see how the leads slowly unpack everything with limited resources. The show, unlike other kdramas, doesn't leave everything for the very end.

I loved the little things too:
- The way each episode is "unlocked".
- The integration of AI and VR tech especially Baro the robot.
- The little jokes and moments of positivity. This show is not a depressing one even though there are some sad moments.
- The interactions of every cast whether good, bad or grey really made this show a good watch.

I know a few people were upset with the way the show was ended but if we're honest with ourselves, that was the best way it could have concluded. There was no need to draw things out and we can imagine how things could have gone further. All the important aspects were shown.

If you can be a little patient with it, you'll have fun!

Read More

Brilliant show with a terrible ending

I was prepared to give this show a 10/10 rating until I saw episode 15 and 16. So bizarre! I've adjusted my pre-final rating of 9.5 to 8.5 just because of those last 2 episodes.

The story begins with a national level fencer, Na Hee Do, who is now retired dropping her daughter, Kim Min Chae off to perform in a ballet contest. However, seeing her competitor's performance, Min Chae runs away and eventually goes to stay with her grandmother in Hee Do's childhood home. She discovers her mother's diaries and learns about Hee Do's passion for fencing, her rivalry and friendship with Go Yu Rim and her first real relationship with Baek Yi Jin. Most of the story revolves around these characters growing up in the 90s and how they deal with hardships and forming a strong support system for each other. This journey (until episode 14) is the most beautiful part of the series. The realism and the positivity is inspiring.

Then from episode 15, everything starts to spiral downwards eventually crash landing in episode 16. Ep 15 was a drag. There was a huge build up surrounding what happened between Na Hee Do and Baek Yi Jin and who is Kim Min Chae's father? The answer is weak to non-existent. Of all the obstacles, both endured, the result does not make sense. Even if the writer did not want to deliver a positive ending, which not all stories and real life experiences have, why not answer some questions as to who Hee Do married and why focus on this elaborate story if it was all about the kid going back to ballet?

Overall:
The Good
1. Na Hee Do's fencing moments are thrilling.
2. The rivalry and friendship between Na Hee Do and Go Yu Rim are beautiful! I adored the development and result.
3. The way Na Hee Do and Baek Yi Jin's relationship develops and their journey as each other's support system is endearing.
4. Baek Yi Jin's struggles from his family facing hardships and his growing responsibilities as the new head responsible for bringing his family together is worth watching.
5. The friendship between Moon Ji Woong and Ji Seung Wan is adorable and provide a lot of comic relief!
6. The coach and Hee Do's mother are wonderful characters and their relationship with Hee Do is interesting to watch with plenty of ups and downs.
7. The OST is wonderful.

The Bad aka the parts that are left unanswered:
1. The writers wanted a sad ending but Yi Jin's choices did not make sense since he switched fields just to avoid ever hurting Hee Do and in the end completely avoided her.
2. Why send a rookie in local news to cover a major international event? This is entirely illogical in the real world setting. It does not sit well with me progression wise.
3. Why did Yi Jin leave coins over the telephone booth at the beach? It wasn't clarified who it was for.
4. Who is Kim Min Chae's father and what was the need to hide his identity towards the end? There is no communication between the family and the father over a call either which is bizarre.
5. Why was Kim Min Chae and the older Hee Do required for the story? Was it all just so that Min Chae is motivated to pursue ballet? Could Min Chae not have the same life experiences without it?
6. The unnecessary dramatic departure that was stretched way too long.

I wanted to rewatch this series but after this ending, I might skip it. I would only recommend this show until mid ep 15. Don't bother with the rest.

Read More

Fun and Satisfying

I picked up Miss Night and Day with 0 expectations and it has been a fun ride. I especially liked that the female character was shown as a smart capable person who unfortunately was struggling due to other circumstances and shined when given an opportunity.

Jung Eun Ji and Lee Jung Eun both portrayed the FL character well especially the veteran actress. Enjoyed all her fun moments and she made me forget the outer appearance and made me believe this was a 29 year old woman. It is definitely difficult to perfect two people playing the same role but they definitely did well.

Both male leads did well but I often got second lead syndrome because of his helpful yet unimposing nature.

Though the leads share chemistry, they aren't given too much time to explore it. So there isn't much romance. But I enjoy mixed genres so it wasn't an issue for me but it could be for some people who prefer more romance.

I also enjoyed the roles of the supporting characters. They did great!

One thing I found strange is the leads did not discuss the connection they discovered at the end. And they also decided to write the leads apart when they would need each other the most emotionally. Withholding the secret for so long would also be one of my main gripes.

Overall I found the ending wonderful and satisfying. The series is a good source of entertainment.

Read More

Slow yet Enjoyable

Miraculous Brothers is a slow paced story about a murder and how 3 men get embroiled into the case spanning 17 years. The second mystery revolves around a teenager who seems to appear out of nowhere in front of the ML's car and can't remember anything about himself. They discover he has some special powers that allows him to see more than what others let on.

Both mysteries are good and overall plot is interesting with a satisfactory ending as long as you are patient. Even the bromance takes time to develop. Sometimes a few characters can feel annoying, eg. ML's mother, but one can look past it. Unlike plots of other shows where things get left out, the writers don't leave any plot holes with this one. Just don't watch this show because of the sci-fi element as it's not present throughout the show. Whenever it is there, it's enjoyable and I do wish we got a bit more of it at times. Miraculous Brothers has a bit of a Signal feel to it. But instead all the work is being done by ordinary citizens and the police is terrible at their job which can be frustrating to watch at times.

Apart from the pacing, I don't really have any complaints with the story. So if you feel the same at any point, just watch on 1.5x speed. That was the biggest drawback for me. While watching the finale episode at normal speed, I noticed that many of the characters, other than the main leads, would all talk slowly with unnaturally long gaps between their dialogues. It's not one particular character but way too many of them which is clearly the director's instruction to the actors. Because of which I wasn't sure if there would be enough time to cover everything but they did.

The ending seemed to tease the possibility of a second season or to just say that more adventures await. :)

Read More

Immensely dull in between

When the series started, it was great... for about 4 episodes. I loved the comedy, the breaking of the fourth wall, the genius straight-faced confident female lead and the idea that it was the male lawyer who was the emotional one was also a great change of pace. I also liked the involvement of the SML cop character. But the story sharply declined after that with nothing happening and everything like I was enjoying about the series had turned into the most dull plot to the point that I kept falling asleep while watching it. There was no chance of me speeding up the show because there was a lot of complicated points being discussed which I would have then missed.

It's only from the 12th episode that the story really picked up again. It was funny again. The breaking of the fourth wall was back and the story was FINALLY moving forward. And even though I loved the last four episodes as well, I was just annoyed the entire time before this because I couldn't recognise the show. I really wanted to see things through and I'm glad I persevered because it has a satisfying ending.

I get that they wanted to build up the story, the suspense and the drama but from episode 5 - 10, it was a struggle. 11 th was good at first and then had a boring second half again. This caused me to avoid watching the drama and I fell back and only when I read that the show finally picked up did I finally binge the remaining 6 episodes. So the team basically is struggling throughout this time and it feels like there is no momentum to the show. I feel like many episodes can even be skipped as you won't miss too much.

This drama would have been better as a 10 - 12 episode series rather than a 16 episode one and then my rating for it would also be far higher but considering how difficult it became for me to continue, 7 is fair on my part.

Some additional points to help you make your decision - I liked the mystery element despite the overcomplicated story; there isn't any romance but there is a some good teamwork and friendships established; the actors did a good job and there was no character that I hated though one of the "kids" was slightly annoying.

Read More

Beautiful but Incomplete

Twinkling Watermelon has a lot to love about it. I love Time Travel tropes already and I am happy they chose to introduce deaf characters and depicting family bonds and friendships. Despite it having several heart touching moments there is still something missing.

Ha Eun Gyeol is the only hearing member of his family. He has seen a lot of struggles as well as had to put aside his own dreams for the sake of his family. He is carrying burdens and is scarred without realizing what he means to his family. Travelling back in time helps put a lot of things in perspective and he hopes it is also an opportunity to save his father. It is only when he goes back in time, he realizes that his father was also once a teenager who had dreams of his own as well as struggles of his own. The same with his mother and he still desires to carry his family's burdens. But in the process he also ends up sharing a strong bond with his father, Yi Chan. One that he never expected. His moments with Yi Chan are the highlight of the show so the ending does leave you with a little more to be desired.

With regards to his mother, Cheong Ah, again he forms a protective relationship and a lot of instances made me tear up. The depictions are beautiful. Yet again, the ending speed runs through their reintroduction.

Eun Gyeol also meets Eun Yu. I found the chemistry between them quite lacking unlike Yi Chan and Cheong Ah's. The former's relationship didn't really develop well and felt quite choatic. We also don't see Eun Yu overcoming her own trauma rather running away from it. The series also completely skips over Eun Yu's family reunion which was disappointing.

There were moments that felt like the series was dragging and if they had simply reduced those, they would have had the time to give us a more complete picture and then I could surely rate it a 10.

The OST is nice but other than the final song, nothing really blew me away which is disappointing since music is such an important aspect of the plot. The final song is catchy but not exceptional.

Overall, the series is good and heartwarming. The actors have done a fine job in their portrayals and make this series worth watching.

Read More

Controversial

To be honest, I enjoyed the show except for the very end. Perhaps if they had ended it differently, I would rate it higher. But it would also be no different from other shows and be easy to forget. I can see the writer's dilemma.

Nonetheless, I've rated it as a work of fiction. I enjoyed the acting and the story telling. I do understand that such lifestyles work for some people. Just like polygyny, polyandry exists. Men bragging about threesomes gets brushed away as normal/exciting. But women having several partners or partners simultaneousy is viewed as immoral or shameful. Such is the reality of most patriarchal societies that are especially worse in the continent of Asia.

If those involved are in consenting relationships, should we be offended is what it ultimately comes down to. It is possible to have your own set of beliefs without imposing it on others. In order words, live and let live.

Read More

Action-packed entertainment

This is one of those rare shows where I couldn't wait for the next episode! It is a crime drama with action, comedy, heartwarming moments and you can't help but applaud every character for their performance.

The story introduces a male prosecutor, Do Be Man, who reluctantly joined the military to only make money by throwing cases. During the first episode or so, you might destest the male leads actions but don't give up on the show.

Soon he is teamed up with a new female prosecutor, Cha Woo In who appears naive and helpless but Do Be Man doesn't quite buy it. He turns out to be right because she part-times as a red headed vigilante to fight bad guys that the law can't reach.

Eventually she manages to get him to team up to take down the entire unjust and corrupt authority figures in the military. The entire process is exciting because the female lead has been given equal relevance in the show which is rare to see. She can hold her own both in fights as well as the court of law. And the male lead is flexible in both guiding her with his experience in the courtroom as her senior as well as following her lead in the fight against justice behind the scenes. A very healthy relationship is seen between the pair.

Besides the strong female lead, we also get to see a strong female in a negative role that manages to scare even the men. Not only is she strong physically but also cut throat and an intelligent adversary. It was a wonderful portrayal!

A third strong female was Do Be Man's aunt who played a police captain and also provided many light moments in the show.

One thing that truly impressed me is that the show doesn't shy away from presenting the negative aspects of the military that can plague any institution like corruption and bullying and how the military court is required to be impartial in order to serve justice.

A final bonus is that not only does Do Be Man's sound like doberman, a breed of a dog, but an actual doberman also features on the show adding more joy to the wonderful show.

There are many other wonderful characters on the show that add to the brilliance of it through their depictions of positive, negative and grey characters. The show might seem predictable but the journey has many surprises in store and will make you rethink your position on some of the characters and situations. Please give it a watch!

Read More

Even with the lows, the relationship is worth watching

I'll be honest, the reason why I rated it this high is because of the relationship between the couple is so mature that it is one of the best I have ever seen. The understanding that the male lead has towards the female lead genuinely touched my heart even towards the last few episodes. The ending of this show didn't make a lot of sense but I still cannot take away from how much I enjoyed the show to score it low. Either way it's still an 8+.

Things I loved:
- The strong female lead. She is a working woman and has to deal with a lot of misogyny at her workplace despite being incredible at her job. However she has a knack for dealing with people and it made me want to save the dialogues. I loved the way, the writers wrote her lines.
- A male lead that is understanding. Not just in a superficial sense but in a deep sense. He knows why the female lead is the way she is. And when he doesn't, he is guided into understanding her by his father.
- The couple's relationship itself.
- The lines are powerful. I genuinely enjoyed so many different dialogues.
- The OST.

Things I disliked:
- The brother and his relationship with his wife. It is toxic and I never quite got why he is the way he is.
- Though I love that the show covers the life of the female lead in her law firm but the name of the show is "She and Her Perfect HUSBAND". For whatever reason, they don't show much of their time together at all compared to the law cases. The male lead's character has less screen time which I didn't appreciate.
- SPOILER: The ending. The husband and wife get a divorce at one point because the female lead cannot accept that she has feelings for the male lead. I'm not sure why when she can admit it to everyone else. The male lead decides to wait until she is ready to accept him and her feelings for him. However, that never happens. He just moves next to her and they hug and everything is resolved. It was so rushed that this is the main aspect that didn't make any sense. I am not sure if it has anything to do the editing or they just ran out of time (they had 40 episodes) but that was nonsensical in an otherwise perfect show.

I still recommend the show for the highs. For those who aren't interested in the law aspect, it might not be suited for you but it's worth skipping parts to where the main leads are with each other or discussing each other.

I will rewatch parts of this show that I loved for sure.

Read More

Kindness always wins

Enjoyed the story a lot. Sometimes things that seem small build up in a relationship making you feel completely alone and unloved. That is how the female lead started to feel. She also saw the loveless marriage her parents had and wanted different for herself. Everyone deserves to be cherished.

I am glad she didn't give the male lead a second chance. Old habits die hard. He would have only changed for a short while and then they would have gone back to their status quo. The biggest mistake most women make in relationships is hoping men will change and they never do. Instead she decided to give a man who truly cared for her well being a chance. In the end, kindness goes a long way in showing you care about your partner.

Read More

Mind blowing ending

This series is proof that even dramas with short episodes can be amazing! This should be on everyone's must watch list.

Though the show has a fantasy element to it with the face swapping, the show is mostly depicting human emotions and relationships and character developments as well. The evil characters are actually grey. The story is actually simple but presented in a wonderful way. The relationship between the main couple is very sweet and will make you smile. The female lead is not powerful per say, but she is not feeble-minded or presented as helpless. She knows how to solve her own problems. The male lead is also intelligent and kind which really shines. The side characters, be it the military adviser, the child, the friend from the brothel house or the head maid, are all lovely and add their own charm to this show. The negative characters also add a very interesting element. I enjoyed the role of the prince quite a lot.

Episode 17 is probably the best. It moves super quick and brings some unexpected insights that tie the whole plot together.

The OST is very memorable and catchy. This is definitely much more than a romance drama with the mystery element but it will give you enough of both.

Read More