Promising Beginning but Don't Expect so High

IC got a promising start but went downhill later on. That's one of the flaws of most kdramas, they give you a very good start then mess it up in the later parts.

The things that I personally find that ruined the drama are these:

1. nonsense love triangle

2. Saeroyi achieving his goal through luck and connections

3. ridiculous characterization for Geun Soo (I feel bad for him, his initial character got so much potential but there's not quality development)

4. time skips

5. lack of chemistry between Saeroyi and Yiseo, I like them better as just business partners and friends

6. Soo Ah, Ho Jin, Hyun Yi and Toni's grandma are the key characters to actually destroy Jangga (especially Soo Ah), not Saeroyi

7. the nonsense kidnapping and fighting scene on the last two episodes

The things that I like:

1. strong and motivating beginning
2. versatility and inclusivity of issues
3. marketing strat (in the first half)
4. Dae Hee's kneeling
5. actor's acting
6. Saeroyi's consistency with his beliefs and attitude (except w/ the romance part)
7. APPEARANCE OF PARK BO GUM (LOL)

How I wish it happened this way:

1. Saeroyi learned business and marketing while reading books in the prison (I was expecting that at least he learned something after going out of the prison, it turned out that he just read Dae Hee's book. He just turned out to be a clueless businessman with a high dream but didn't even know the "basics" if not because of Yiseo).

2. Soo Ah being front to her feelings (I can't blame Saeroyi why he fell for Yiseo in the end, bcoz Soo Ah did nothing for Saeroyi).

3. No love triangle (or at least just subtle, but the drama gave emphasis to this).

4. Geun Soo's drive to be better so that Yiseo will see him, not an evil kid that he become like his dad (his character is so lame, I had so much hope for him at first bcoz he's different from his family, but he turned out to be one of them still).

5. Saeroyi destroyed Jangga bcoz of his beliefs that he learned from his father and from his life, his hard work, his knowledge, and most importantly, HIS COOKING SKILLS. He's given the potential to be a good cook and make signatured dishes. Unfortunately, it is Hyun Yi who made IC get its first investor.

6. Romance would work out better if they stick out with the initial expectations.
- Saeroyi being faithful to his promise to Soo Ah
- Soo Ah being transparent even a bit to her real feelings and helped Saeroyi behind still
- Geun Soo not being so blinded to his feelings toward Yiseo, and
- Yiseo respecting Saeroyi's space and appreciating Geun Soo

7. If not the number 6, at least they should have developed Saeroyi and Yiseo's relationship better. It felt forced and sudden. It didn't feel so natural for me.

I enjoyed a lot of Park Seo Jun's dramas, and Itaewon Class is pretty decent. But it's memorability and impact are not that much for me. I expected too much after enjoying watching Fight for My Way and Hwarang T^T

Read More

I loved it but how I wished the production executed the 20-episode time frame a lot better T^T

This drama was once a part of my youth like what most people around my age say. The first time I watched it was from the local TV in my homecountry and it was dubbed in our language, not Korean. However, I did not understand it that much because I did not keep up with the episodes aired at that time. The second time I watched it was in its original dub and this is the first Korean series that I completed with its original dub. I loved it tho, but the memorability was not that high, unlike the time when I watched 'Faith' for the first time later on.

Now, it's my third time watching it. As an adult, I'm now more aware of the real world and politics. Finally, I came to understand this series more and its memorability seems to be higher than before. Unfortunately, despite having a full 20 episodes, the last two episodes were rushed. No proper pacing and resolution, especially in the last episode.

I needed more to see the president's point and view and how the city hunter turned out after his life's endeavor. I did enjoy this series a lot, I just don't understand what happened later. I felt so lost, especially after eliminating the third prospect. The half of the story went well but then the plot became a bit rushed, disorganized, and went nowhere later on. The 20-episode frame was not managed well. The number of episodes should be enough to cover all the five politicians' arcs, but this was not put into proper pacing, not divided well, and the last two most important politicians were not highlighted that well. I want to see more from the president's point of view, but I felt like the first three politicians' parts were the most well-executed.

There were some questions my mind thought of after re-watching it:

- Where was Chun Jae Man's bodyguard? The one that Yoon Sung kept in his house? Nothing was shown about him after he told Yoon Sung to get rid of his former master.
- What was Kim Na Na's father's purpose for being bedridden in the hospital all throughout this series?
- Did the president's family, especially Da Hye, that the city hunter is a family? Did Da Hye know that her tutor is her half-brother?
- What happened to Na Na? Why did she quit being an agent from the Blue House?
- How did the public respond to the president's corrupt acts? Was there some sort of understanding, or was he just judged and impeached without the public knowing his side?
- Were there any legal consequences or punishment for the city hunter? Did the public find out who the real city hunter was? Or did they just think that it was Lee Jin Pyo?

Also, Park Min Young's role, Kim Na Na, whom I thought was the best character, felt discarded in the last few episodes. Even the ending for her was too sudden. The role of her father felt so useless all throughout the series. Her character and skill as an agent felt so useless as well (after the part when she took the bullet). When the male lead decided to be thrown by her, her role started to be kept in the shadows. Kim Na Na's character had so much potential and she really gave off that cool female lead vibe, but that had gone to waste. Actually, she could be my favorite character here if she was just properly highlighted. It felt like she became just a supporting character.

Another character that went to waste in the last few episodes was Prosecutor Kim Young Joo. There was no sense of fulfillment in his role, he just ended like that without any strong reason to be taken out of the story. I was so hopeful about his character that I thought he and the city hunter would work together until the very end. Poor Se Hee for being left behind like that without any proper screentime with her ex-husband.

Nonetheless, I still love the overall plot and theme of this drama. This is actually one of the most decent action dramas in Korea in my opinion. I haven't seen the original yet, but so far, I'm still satisfied with this version (just the last two episodes were not just really enough for me). 'City Hunter' is still highly recommended. Actually, this is one of Lee Min Ho's best dramas alongside 'Legend of the Blue Sea' and 'Faith' (I am eyeing Panchinko now. Gonna check it out when I feel like it). I hope to see him more on-screen with a different kind of role (like what Kim Soo Hyun and Lee Jong Gi do). I want to see if there are more of his acting skills that he could bring out.

Favorite scene: Grown Poochai in Thailand part. The action scenes were so satisfying.

I used to rate this drama 8 out of 10. But now, I'm rating it higher to 8.5. Good watch.

Read More

My 2016 review and my 2024 review. Read until the end.

THE BEST DRAMA I EVER WATCHED SO FAR!

The plot/story is great. It might be cliche but still unique because of its sudden twist and turns. It's somewhat like you don't want to miss any of the scenes. Moreover, the story has used car racing, fraud acts, handcuff and jewelries which aren't usually used in most of the dramas.

The characters are pretty good. ^^ Jimmy Lin (Tian Qi) and Hana Yoo (Xia Zhi Xing) has the chemistry and they are suitable. Jimmy's acting is pretty cool. Hana's acting is natural. The actress portraying Ya Ruo is amazing, too. Her action suits the character, a sophisticated yet a liar woman. It's like viewers wants to kill her because of her good acting. XD Of course for the other casts, too like the ones who acted Tian Jun and Zhi Yin. And oh!! At such young age, Nini has the potential in acting. She's great and yeah, CUTE! ^_^ Hana Yoo is the best in acting. Amazing. :D

For music, well I didn't give perfect rating but 9 is high so its okay haha. I love the closing song (I don't know the title but it's sung by Jimmy) and also the Our Memories (it usually moves me to tears). T^T

It was 5 years ago when the first time I watched it. In that five years, I watched this drama many times (I think 3 or 4 times already?) and it feels like it's new. I laughed, quivered and cried because of this. I had watched many Asian dramas and this is really the best! I HIGHLY RECOMMEND IT TO EVERYONE!

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Edit (2024): I submitted this review in 2016 and I am watching it again this year in 2024. It's funny going back to my first review, so cringed and the grammar was not grammaring.

As someone who has watched tons of dramas from East Asia for the past few years, and since this is a classic old story, I am going to rate this lower than before. This is the first time I realized that a different person dubbed Ah Xing's voice since the actress is Korean, not Taiwanese. I was wondering if they picked another actress for this, Ah Xing's speaking might be more natural. But still imagining it, I guess Hana did well portraying the character. Despite being Korean, she carried the role well so it would be hard for me to think of another Taiwanese actress playing Ah Xing. There are also things I realized are pretty cringe and the acting was not as superb as I thought it was, especially Jimmy Lin. Anyway, I love Jeniffer Hong's acting as Ya Rou. The ones also who played Han Zhi Yin and Nini also nailed their acting.

But I must admit that the feeling I got the first and second time I watched it is still there. THIS IS STILL ONE OF MY FAVORITES AND I STILL HIGHLY RECOMMEND IT.

How I wish there would be a decent remake of this, a kind of remake that would give justice to the original. I am trying to watch the Thailand version, but given the ratings and reviews, I am very hesitant. Maybe I'm gonna watch it when I feel like it in the future. They said the Chinese one is trash, so I won't bother watching that. I wish that there would be a Korean version of this with quality production and nostalgic and heart-touching OSTs like in this original drama. I think it's possible since K-drama adaptations like Moon Lovers are pretty good.

My ratings:
10/10 - year 2016
8.5/10 - year 2024

Read More

Second Time Watching It, First Time Appreciating It

This is the second time I watched it but this is the first time appreciating the series overall so I am writing this simple review. It did not have an impact on me the first time I watched it when it was released. Now, I feel like this is my favorite Jun Ji Hyun's drama, and this is one of my favorite Lee Min Ho's dramas alongside City Hunter and Faith.

The chemistry is top-notch. Jun Ji Hyun is so good at carrying her male lead the same way she did with Kim Soo Hyun (My Love from the Star). She's my favorite character here, very funny yet charming.

What I love about this the most is the parallel-world concept of the plot. My grandma usually has a hard time understanding the changing of timelines in a series, but she seemed to be enjoying this.

OSTs? The best here.

A little downside for me here is how Sung Dong Il's role (Ma Dae Young) felt discarded at the near end of the series.

Still worth watching.

Read More

Not the best... not the worst either. Just something simple and refreshing. ^^

I've been trying to finish all of Kim So Hyun's dramas and so far, this is one of the decent dramas she had. The good thing about this drama is it's simple, nostalgic, and short. If the story were extended up to 12 or 16 episodes, this would drag the beauty and simplicity of this story.

This is my first time seeing Chae Jong Hyeop's (Kang Hoo Young) drama. I was not that impressed with his acting, good thing I did not have a lot of expectations regarding the acting and its overall production. His visual is good, too, but not my type, tbh. His chemistry with Sohyun is great, tho I kinda expected it since Sohyun has always had good chemistry with her co-actors. Sohyun's acting meanwhile, it's still a bit disappointing to me. While I did not have any high expectations regarding the acting skills of the male lead and the other characters, when it comes to Sohyun, I always have higher expectations and hopes that "Is this it?" or "Will I finally be able to see again the true potential of the Kim Sohyun when it comes to acting?"... but unfortunately, this is not it. I've never been moved by her acting here, I was actually moved more by Kim Da Son (Kim Hye Ji) and Yun Ji On (Bang Jun Oh) with their skills here, or maybe because I did not know them that much, I only saw Ji On once from 'My Lovely Liar'. Overall, the acting is pretty decent, not overly dramatic, and not also that bland.

Unexpectedly, it's the supporting characters that added more to this drama. Without them, I would have dropped this already around episode 3 or 4. This is one of the few instances where I loved the supporting characters more than the lead ones.

Its OSTs are the best here. Well, I guess when it comes to OSTs, Korean dramas do not disappoint most of the time. The OSTs here fit the atmosphere of the drama, they give you a feeling of cozy and nostalgic feeling.

My favorite character: Kwon Sang Pil (he's adorable!)

Is this highly recommended? Not really.

Is it worth to watch? It depends. If you just want to take a break from dramatic, heavy, and complicated stories, then give this a try.

For you to enjoy watching this drama, DON'T EXPECT TOO MUCH. Again, this is just a very simple romantic comedy drama.

Read More

The plot is great and is interesting. It was made impressively. The idea is unique. The story has a lot of twists and turns. There are episodes that break my heart as well. I always feel intense whenever there's a fight.

At first I was a little bored since historical drama and politics aren't my cup of tea but I already got adjusted in it and understand the concept of kingdom and it's pretty amazing! Another thing is, the two main characters portrayed their role very well. Kim Hee Sun is such an impressive actress especially with the last episodes. Her acting is full of emotion and it's like for real. Lee Min Ho is a talented actor. From Jeo Gol Dae's cheerful youngest head, to stoic, serious Wu Dal Chi's captain and finally, to a warrior who came back to life (not literally since he's been like dead for the past seven years) who falls in love with a girl from the future and is even willing to risk his life to protect her and the palace as well.

Music? Well, one of this drama assets are their original soundtrack. I love the music played in here. My feels~

I was kept thinking why is it entitled "Faith" XD But good thing it was answered as I finished watching it.

Anyway, totally recommended especially for those viewers who like action, fantasy and romance! ^_^

Read More

This is about the message behind, not the demand ship

The turn off about this season is the execution of events (everything is way complicated, rushed and flat) and how everything made it so unclear for two guys especially for Sun Oh who waited for a proper explanation so that he could move forward. I thought he just got stuck with his first love and can't love Yuk Jo back bcoz he had lots of questions for four years, thus making him unable to move on for real. Jojo didn't explain her side clearly to him. In the first season, I didn't like Sun Oh's character, but in this season, can't help to feel so bad for him and my hatred towards Jojo grew more.

Above all, I felt so so so bad for Yuk Jo among the characters here (but hey, even though she did not deserve it still Sun Oh still tries for her. I think Sun Oh likes her, but the disadvantage of Love Alarm is that maths can't actually measure accurately someone's soul (feelings), adding also that Sun Oh has a set of feelings towards Jojo that's why it's hard for him to like Yuk Jo completely) T^T

What's more is that Jojo didn't understand herself why she desparately used the spear feature just to ring Hyeyeong's love alarm, which made Hyeyeong get confused and made him question her sincerity to him. She said herself that she wants to get rid of the shield bcoz of Hyeyeong so she should understand better and let Hyeyeong understand her real motive. Jojo wasn't able to come up with her inner conflicts until Duk Gu came just to give a good and sensible explanation to her and Hyeyeong ?‍♀ And what lacks about this season is the character behind Duk Gu and his story with Gul Mi. End game aside, everybody is curious about Duk Gu but the film didn't show him that much.

Though genre and message wise, this isn't a typical love story and I like it. This drama is all about overcoming anxiety and the impact of social media and technology to everyone's life.

Without looking at the actors and just focus on the characters, the season 2 delivered what it is to love without the reliability of the Love Alarm app (since the girl can't ring either of the two guys' love alarm bcoz of the shield). The girl ending with the fine and understanding man who respected her, didn't touch (kiss) her, and courted her until she could finally say that she loves him, is much better.

If you guys can't appreciate Jung Ga Ram (Hye Yeong), just appreciate the maturity of his character in the film and also the beautiful message behind this series. It's not just bcoz Song Kang (Sun Oh) has better chemistry with the girl and is more handsome (and he suffered "more", they said), he would be the one. Remember, it takes a good foundation and maturity for a relationship to become pure and strong and that's what Hyeyeong x Jojo portrayed in this season. It's not all about the sudden feelings and "kilig", it's all about patience and understanding each other's feelings which both Sun Oh and Jojo failed to do when they were together. Jojo felt so inferior and Sun Oh failed to see that. Sun Oh just hated Jojo and didn't patiently work out his feelings and waited when Jojo did not ring his love alarm anymore (which Hyeyeong did even though he did not receive even a single ring from the beginning). Their relationship started as just selfish feelings of lust and infatuation.

For music, I love it. For me it feels so nostalgic and beautiful and they really suit the scenes in the film. For acting, well, I love Sun Oh's acting best. You can see how he portrays a broken man.

To be honest, this season is not highly recommendable to watch given the plot made. If they just made it more detailed and time-oriented as how it's made in the webtoon, maybe people would understand and accept more why it should be Hyeyeong, not Sun Oh. Or if it would have shown more of Hyeyeong in the first season, not only focused on Sun Oh and Jojo, maybe they may have considered Hyeyeong as a better choice. As for me, regardless the acting and chemistry between the actors, I've always been rooting for Hyeyeong. I write short novels too and I understand why the author of the original story made it this way. Good thing also that the director and staff considered the original and did not follow fans' demands and bandwagon or else, this series would have been a more turn off for me.

Read More