When I started this, I didn't have an idea that I would be rating this this low. I started this with high expectations and now, when I finished it, I'm utterly disappointed.

The story was full of cliches. Selective amnesia, psychological problems etc. The only thing I actually liked in the story is the absence of the usual love triangle. Usually, in most c-dramas, the 2nd leads are used for creating a love triangle. I really appreciate this drama for excluding this. If the love triangle was also present in this drama, I, who don't drop dramas, might as well have dropped this.

Another reason I pushed though this drama is the cast. I'm a fan of Xing Fei and I liked most of her dramas I watched. But, this is an exception. She acted as usual like the clumsy and cute FL. I liked Hu Yi Tian in A Love So Beautiful and again, he also acted like usual, as a cold, handsome and popular ML. There was no change in their character traits compared to their previous dramas. I really hope they can widen their horizon by taking up different kinds of roles in diffefernt kinds of dramamas

The character of the FL, Tang Xin, has phychological disorder, the character of ML, Shen Qingyuan, has selective amnesia and psychological disorder, the character of 2nd FL, She Xiaoci has a psychological disorder. In short, most of the character in this drama has a psychological disorder and this made me really annoyed.

An overall summary:

WHAT I LIKED:

*Good characterization of 2nd leads.
*Absence of the usual love triangle in c-dramas.
*Past stories of the character, especially, the 2nd FL's
*The brotherly love of Tang Xin's brother, Tang Liqi.
*Acting

WHAT I DISLIKED:
* Sloppy character arcs of the main leads.
*Most character having psychological problems.
*Poor excecution
*Number of episodes. The drama could have been just 24 eps after removing the unnecessary fillers.

Watching this drama was torture. I just pused through because of the cast and some supporting characters I liked like Tang Liqi, Shi Xiaoci and the cute hedgedog. I should really have dropped this and I regret completeing this. Anyways, this would almost be a good watch for Xing Fei or Hu Yi Tian fans.

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Life's twists and turns can be unexpected.

I chose this drama because of its unique concept. This drama takes place in a world where cisgender men can give birth as well. This concept initially creeped me out. But then I thought, "Why not?" So, I decided to give it a try. And I’m so glad I did. 

The drama is one-of-a-kind and extremely well-executed. The story raises awareness about a variety of issues that should be taken seriously, as well as teaches us some valuable lessons:

1. The roles that a man and woman "should" take on when having and raising a child. Is it really required? Should there be a division of responsibilities?

2. This refers to the difficulties that a person faces when preparing to give birth, whether it is a man or a woman.

3. It also teaches us the importance of staying true to ourselves and how it shapes who we are.

4. Last but not least, the implementation of transgender people's pressures. This is not said directly, but this sure magnifies this. People should accept and value a transgender's individuality. Transgender discrimination, in my opinion, should be considered a crime punishable by law.

All of the actors and actresses in this drama are excellent. But, in particular, for the male lead, who played the pregnant Hiyama Kentaro. He was a perfect fit for the character.

This is unquestionably a must-see. This may not be much of an entertainer for some, but it does provide us with a glimpse of the reality faced by trans men, but from the perspective of an ordinary man. I wholeheartedly recommend this drama to anyone and everyone.

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Love as vast as the Milky Way

Love Like The Galaxy was one of my most anticipated c-dramas of 2022. Because of China's new rule that dramas cannot exceed 40 episodes, the drama is divided into two parts with 27 and 29 episodes each. I had high hopes for this drama because of its star-studded cast and intriguing storyline, and it did not disappoint!

STORY AND CHARACTERS

Love Like The Galaxy is based on the novel 'The Stars are Brilliant, Fortunately Even Wow,' written by an author going by the pen name 'Guan Xin Le Luan,' who also wrote the novel that was adapted into the popular historical C-drama 'The Story of Minglan.'

Love Like The Galaxy is a story about love and its importance in all aspects of life. Insecurity and vulnerability can result from a lack of love. This was the case with Cheng Shao Shang. 

Cheng Shao Shang is the daughter of Colonel Cheng Shi and Xiao Yun Xi. Her parents left her behind after her birth to fight in the war. She was raised by her grandmother and her scheming aunt into what was supposedly a good-for-nothing. However, she is not a useless person. She pretended to be ridiculous and absurd but was extra cautious and meticulous to protect herself. The lack of parental love, as well as lack of love from those who raised her, made her think that there were more people who despised her than loved her, and this made her feel unsafe. She does, however, have an amazing brain and enjoys building things. She is not at all ladylike. This adds to the intrigue of her character. She longed for her parents to return from the war so she could live a happy and carefree life, but she had no idea that they would never be a family again because of their estrangement from one another. Despite the fact that her brothers and father immediately loved her, her mother, Xiao Yun Xi, was slightly annoyed by her un-ladylike behaviour and took to regulating her. This did not sit well with Shao Shang. She was obstinate, just like her mother. She despised being regulated or mocked and seeing others bullied. With her amazing wits, she is always ready to fight back against anyone. She is always willing to harm herself in order to help others. She is honest and admits her mistakes, even if it means getting punished. However, this does not mean she did not attempt to avoid punishment. Once, she even ran away from her home to avoid punishment!

This drama also shows the importance of expressing our feelings honestly and openly, because you may not get another chance if you don't seize the one you have. This was the case with Ling Bu Yi.

Ling Bu Yi is the emperor's adopted son. Ling Zi Sheng is his courtesy name. He is a General who is attempting to uncover the conspiracy behind what happened in the past. Ling Bu Yi is an efficient officer with a strong sense of duty. He is both passionate and menacing. He also has sharp wits and is not easily fooled. In some ways, the female and male leads are similar: they are both extremely stubborn and witty. He is cold and ruthless, and he rarely smiles. He regretted not expressing his feelings for Shao Shang because of his introverted and commanding personality. He was unable to express his feelings for Shao Shang because of his introverted and imposing personality. He did not seize his opportunity, instead allowed others to do so. Bu he is not like this when it comes to his job. He never leaves a coin unturned and alway seizes all evidences he can get.

CAST AND THEIR CHEMISTRY

This drama reunites Leo Wu and Zhao Lusi, who previously worked together on the drama 'The Long Ballad,' though not as a CP. Zhao Lusi and Leo Wu did an excellent job portraying the characters they were given in this drama. They convey the characters' complex emotions beautifully and sincerely, taking great care not to leave anything out.

It is common knowledge that Zhao Lusi has incredibe chemistry with who ever she is paired with. But, this drama is evidently a slow-burn and therr isn't much progress between Cheng Shao Shang and Ling Bu Yi in this part 1. But, even though they didn't have many interactions in the first few episodes, we can still sense their chemistry. And it grows even more with each episode. Furthermore, their interaction appears to be natural and realistic and the tension between them is interesting to watch. 

WHAT I LIKED:

We are promised a very entertaining and enjoyable show from the beginning of the drama. One of its strengths is the occasional comedic scene. At times, it may appear that this show is even more comedic than a true comedy drama!

The drama begins on a lighter note and stays that way until episode 10. This helps the audience in understanding the flow of the story and getting to know the characters well. Unlike in other historical c-dramas, the numerous characters are not introduced right away. On the contrary, this drama introduces the characters at a slow but not too slow pace. As a result, there is little to no chance of the audience becoming confused.

Each role is meticulously portrayed so that the audience can visualise them alive. The characters are three-dimensional and multi-faceted. The screenwriters have done an incredibly good job.

The drama's cinematography and costumes are both fantastic. The colour grading in scenes such as the lantern festival and the aftermath of the battle with the bandits leaves a lasting imprint on the viewers.

The music in this drama is fantastic! The music scoring used corresponds to the situation and atmosphere of the scene in which it is played. The final theme song, 'Splendid Stars,' is very soothing and pleasant. The music and songs help the audience get into the mood and feel of the drama.

WHAT I DISLIKED:

There are not much things I disliked. But, here are the two things that annoys me the most:

The lack of interaction between the main characters and some of the other characters causes the characters to feel distant at times. The main characters require more interaction because that is what we as viewers expect from a drama. Hopefully, we'll see more of it in the 2nd part of the drama. There are another 29 spisodes to quench our thirst!

There are too many irritating characters in this drama, such as Cheng Shao Shang's aunt and grandmother, as well as some other female characters who constantly irritate Shao Shang or  who have feelings for Ling Bu Yi. Even though these characters are common in dramas, they are abundant here! Even Cheng Shao Shang's mother can be annoying at times! Thankfully, they only little screen time! However, we are indebted to them in some ways because they were the source of some sweet moments between Shao Shang and Ling Bu Yi that almost made me swoon.

OVERALL

With its occasional comedic scenes and small twists and turns, as well as its star-studded and talented cast, their wonderful chemistry, and amazing cinematography and music, this drama sure can keep you fully immersed in it, making one unable to escape. I can give this drama a strong 9 out of 10, taking everything in accordance. The only reason I knocked off a point from it's rating is indeed because of the lack of interaction between the leads. Hopefully, it get better in the next part!

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Only the cast, costumes, and food earn this drama 5.5 out of 10. Otherwise, a waste of time!

Royal Feast was one of the most anticipated dramas of 2022, mainly because of its star-studded cast. I believe the majority of the "Yanxi Palace victims" have come to see this to heal their broken hearts. I, too, came with high expectations, only to be disappointed by the poor screenplay and writers.

From my point of view, the entire show was about some people cooking and delivering food, jealousy, plotting, stupid cooking competitions, characters being stupid, and so on. To be honest, this drama doesn't deserve to be classified as a romance because the leads had so little screen time together. Most of the time, one would be resisting the other's love, and when they finally get together, they would either quarrel or become sassy. They don't understand each other, and I'm not sure how they fell in love!

Let's move to the characters. The character of the FL, Yao Zi Jin, irritated me the most. She's far too nice for her own good. She got herself into trouble most of the time because of her annoyingly forgiving nature. I sometimes wonder why she did this or why she did that. I agree that this is most likely due to the fact that this drama is based on true events and real people, which cannot be changed at will, but I couldn't stand her.

When it came to the ML, he was more tolerable. But,  I got annoyed with him from time to time because of his lack of tact and his treatment of his cocubines. When his father became Emperor, I burst out laughing. How could a king behave in such a way? He was a complete moron.

Except for Meng Shang Shi, most people in the food bureau were annoying as well. I believe she and the ML's grandfather were the only two rational characters in the entire show. Su Ye Hua and Yin Zi Ping were complete idiots, constantly quarrelling, plotting, and gossiping behind each other's backs.

In short, this drama is full of idiotic, annoying, and stupid characters.

Of course, the acting was superb. The performances of Xu Kai and Wu Jin Yan, as well as the supporting cast, were outstanding. However, believe me when I say that this drama plot does not deserve their acting abilities. What a waste of talent!

The only things that I believe the production team put a lot of effort into were the costumes and the food. I'm sure the actors ate well while they were filming. The food items looked delicious, and I think I was drooling over the food they were eating. (I'm not sure because I was sleepy most of the time.) The costumes were stunning. I particularly liked the war costume that ML wore in the final episodes.

This appears to be a large-budget drama. It's a shame it goes to waste. I think I would have liked this drama a lot more if the writers hadn't been so confused most of the time. I'm giving this drama a 5.5 just for the cast, costumes, OSTs, and, of course, the food. This drama is nothing more than pleasing to the eyes and stomach. If you like any of the actors, this could be a good drama, but if you came here for the plot, don't waste your time.

P.S. I think this is the first time I'm using this much 'annoyed's, 'stupid's and 'moron's in a review.

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Sometimes, you may need to believe in magic to get through dark times and make your life colorful. 

The Sound of Magic is based on Ha Il Kwon's (하일권) webtoon "Annarasumanara" (안나라수마나라). This was one of many dramas I was looking forward to in 2022, and I had high hopes for it. I'm pleased to say that my expectations were not crushed, and that it delivered far more than I expected.


This drama is about a high school girl named Yoon Ah Yi who is struggling to support herself and her sister. Her mother had abandoned her, and her father, who was in debt and had fled to make money. She had to work part-time to make ends meet. Despite having many adult responsibilities, she always managed to get good grades and was near the top of the school. She believed that poverty was the cause of her misery and her ambition was to become an adult as soon as possible and to acquire more wealth.


One fateful day, on her way home from work with her earnings, her money flies and flies and takes her to an abandoned amusement park, where she meets the mysterious magician of rumours, Ri Eul. The rumour was that the park is home to a handsome magician who performs real magic and will ask anyone who visits if they believe in magic. He asked Ah Yi the same question, and the terrified girl ran back to her house. Then they had numerous encounters, which helped him gradually gain her trust. But she still didn't believe in magic, which she thought was childish and that the fleeting joy it provided couldn't change the harsh reality. But, as the end approached, she began to believe in the magician and his magic, which also led her to believe in herself.


Yoon Ah Yi had a rival at school, Na Il Deung, whom she always beat in maths alone. They were in the same class and shared a desk. Il Deng always followed in his parents' footsteps and studied hard not to disappoint them. But, after meeting the Magician, whom he initially did not believe and even resented, he realises how trapped he is. He shows him how cold and dark the path he is on is. Il Deung has feelings for Ah Yi as well.


The mysterious aura surrounding this magician holds us spellbound, making the drama really interesting, and because the magician's true identity was concealed until the end, he poses many questions, even questioning whether all of this magic was truly real. When I first started watching the drama, I was concerned that the story would be weak because there are only six episodes. But this is completely false. The story and script were both intriguing and fascinating! It had the potential to keep viewers guessing about what would happen next.


As a musical, this drama worked well. The drama's start took me by surprise! For a brief moment, I almost mistook this for an Indian film disguised as a Korean drama, because the characters were singing and dancing, as is common in Indian films. In any case, the musical aspect was not perfect because some of the songs felt awkward in their creation and placement. But I really liked the music and the lyrics, which were some of the most meaningful and thought-provoking. Furthermore, the majority of the sound tracks were sung by the leads themselves, making them feel more realistic when the characters sing them.


Should I really bring up the cast? They were, as expected, fantastic! True, there are some scenes that made us cringe in between the songs, but overall, they were fantastic! Ji Chang Wook's performance was the one I most enjoyed. He captured Ri Eul's mysterious aura as well as his childishness.


The visual effects were incredible and mesmerizing! The scenes with the blue butterfly fluttering around are especially lovely. I couldn't take my eyes off the screen because they were so beautiful. This exceeded my expectations!


Finally, I really enjoyed this drama as a whole (very typical of a Netflix drama). Anyone can watch this drama in a single sitting without becoming bored.

P.S. May be edited afterwards.

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Enchantment + Chemistry + Magic = Alchemy of Souls

There have already been numerous lengthy reviews criticizing and praising this drama. So, I don't think I'll need to write another lengthy one. But I couldn't help but write one for this drama because I needed to make my points about why it's so good and deserves what it's getting. I'll try to keep this brief and to the point, but please forgive me if it gets out of hand. : D

Alchemy of Souls is a Studio Dragon and High Quality action + fantasy k-drama written by the Hong sisters (Hong Jung Eun and Hong Mi Ran) and directed by Park Joon Hwa. I'll give you a quick summary of the story:

The story takes place in Daeho, a fictional land centred on Lake Gyeongcheondaeho, where mages with the ability to control vast amounts of energy from the lake live. The plot revolves around our heroine, Naksu, the Shadow Assassin, who is regarded as a major threat to Daeho's mages. A situation arises that forces Naksu to perform the Alchemy of Souls, a forbidden magical art that allows a person to transfer their soul to another person's body. Sadly, she becomes trapped in the body of Mu Deok, a mysterious girl. Her weak body prevents her from using her abilities. Then she meets Jang Uk, the young master Jang, who is considered one of Daeho's 'Four Seasons' (Winter), along with Seo Yul (Autumn), Jin Cho Yeon (Spring), and Park Dang Gu (Summer). Jang Uk had been looking for a master who could teach him how to use spells since he was forbidden to do so from birth, which caused many scandals. Naksu agrees to teach Uk  because the deal benefits Naksu as well. Then, they work together to achieve their goals and uncover dark secrets buried deep in Daeho's history.

So, that's what the story is about.


Now, I'll focus on the plus points and short comings of the drama and justify why AoS deserves the rating I have given it.

PROS:

*AoS has an amazing story line. It's new and original. The Hong sisters created a whole new world with their imagination. The whole thing is new to us, and we can't help but watch it.

*The plot is so very intriguing with its twists and turns. The way each revelation is made is gripping. It always succeeded in keeping me on the edge of my seat! I can justify that because you'll be left with many questions as the 1st part ends. My mind is burning to know everything!

*The characters in this drama are as intriguing as the plot. They are three-dimensional and multi-faceted. We can see that the characters are built with great care so that they remain true to their original selves till the very end of the drama.

*Another positive aspect of the drama is the chemistry between the characters. Whatever their relationship was, all of the characters on screen seemed to have amazing chemistry with each other.

*The plot did justice to all of the drama's genres, whether it's comedy, action, suspense, or fantasy. The comedic scenes, particularly those between Mu Deok and the Crown Prince, were fantastic! I laughed quite a few times. The action scenes in this drama were excellent too! I liked it very much!

*The complex CGI used in this drama is spectacular! We can't take our eyes off the screen because it's so stunning! This was a visual treat to watch.

*It was a pleasure to watch the cast's acting! The majority of the cast delivered outstanding performances. They made the characters seem real. They made us feel their emotions and live with them, especially the main characters. Actually, this is my first Jung Su Mo and Lee Jae Wook drama. But this single drama has made me fall in love with them! I was astounded by Jung Su Mo's ability to portray so many different personas with so many different expressions! Lee Jae Wook was also fantastic! Despite being a relatively new actor, he seemed to outperform veteran actors! Hwang Min Hyun and Shin Seung Ho's performances have also impressed me. They both played quite difficult characters, and they nailed it! Yoo In Soo, of course, is the person who has most impressed me. I saw him in All Of Us Are Dead, where he played a very different character than he did here. To be more specific, the two characters were like night and day! The majority of the other leads have also done well. Let's give them all a standing ovation!!!

*Another thing I liked about this drama is how different it is from other wuxia dramas. Men with long wigs and women with complex hairstyles are common in Wuxia dramas. But, here, most men here have short hair and various hairstyles, whereas most women have modern hairstyles such as bangs, short hair, and so on. Some of the characters even have coloured hair! At first, I was annoyed by this, but then I realised that the variety makes this drama more memorable. *This drama's sound effects are undeniably beautiful. It provided me with the right vibes for each scene. The OSTs were all excellent as well! Scars Leave Beautiful Traces and You Are Everything To Me are some of the drama's most memorable OSTs.


CONS:

I'm not denying the drama's flaws. Everything has some drawbacks. Some of the things in the drama that irritated me the most were:

*Excessive scene repetition. After all, we are not idiots. We don't have such a bad memory that we need to be reminded of what happened every time something is mentioned.

*Another undeniable flaw in the drama is the underutilization of the female lead, Nak Su. She was introduced as a badass fl, but she was gradually reduced to being the ML's love interest only. Perhaps we'll see more of Nak Su in the coming season. So let us just wait.

*There are undeniably a lot of romantic elements in this drama. They could have given it less screen time and instead focused on improving the drama's other flaws.

*During the middle of the drama, there were numerous filler episodes. During that time, nothing actually happened. This has also turned off a lot of people. They could have finished this in 15 or 16 episodes.

*Another undeniable con of the drama is its underusing of the female lead, Nak Su. She was introduced as a badass fl but, slowly, she was sidelined to being the ML's love interest only. Maybe we'll get to see more of Nak Su in the next season. So let's wait.

*Undeniably, there are more than enough romantic elements in this drama. They could have given less screen time for it and instead focused on improving the other lacking aspects of the drama.


Overall:

I don't think I have anything more to say about the drama, but I can say confidently that this has become one of my favourite dramas, which will live on in my memory for the rest of my life. Hope this review has justified the drama.
If you like fantasy, action or adventure, this drama is highly recommended. The time invested will be worthwhile.  Let's all look forward to the Part 2 of the drama and get the answers for all our questions!

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Better than I expected

I started watching this drama just because of Luo Yun Xi (Leo Luo) and Cheng Xiao pairing. I just wanted to check how well it worked. The whole drama turned out to be better than I expected.

Plot (8.5 stars)
------------------
I am quite disappointed by the plot. The synopsis had much potential than the actual drama. The romance is given more importance than mystery. The amnesia plot was rather disappointing as it only lasted for a few episodes. The truth that LZL was not instigator wasn't revealed little by little. So, the SXY's hatred towards LZL did not last for long. As said in the synopsis, SXY didn't have to try 'desperately' to save their relationship as LZL was always ready to go back into her arms.
The romance plot was quite interesting. It is not much of a 'hard-earned romance' as it is mentioned in the synopsis. The only disappointment is that it was there throughout the drama, for almost the beigining to the end. Had they given more importance to the mystery pIot, the romance could have been more sweeter. Also, have not seen much dramas like this, in which the FL usually initiates kiss.
The drama had many nice quotes too..

Acting or Cast (9 stars)
----------------------------
I would have given the cast 9.5 or 10 stars if not there were scenes where the FL cries lol. Cheng Xiao had improved but she has yet to study how to handle emotional scenes. Yun Xi nailed his character perfecty as usual. The chemistry between the leads was quite lacking. And there is Gao Han and Tian Yi Tong. Their acting also was really nice and I really liked Gao Han's character very much.
Then, Chestnut. I don't know if he could be said as a pact of Cast haha.. He was the cutest of all and the most sensible one!

Music (10 stars)
---------------------
The music was superb. The title song really blended with the theme of the drama. Music was played exactly where it was needed. Some songs I like:
Meory of Last Life by Curley Gao
Circle of Love by Tien Chong
Venus by By2
This drama had many songs and I like most of the songs in English.

Rewatch value (5.5 stars)
-----------------------------
The rewatch value is actually quite low. I don't think I would rewatch this drama at any point of time.

Overall (7.5 stars)
----------------------
I liked the drama eventhough it is not one of my top favourites. Overall, it turned out to be better than I expected. I am also at ease seeing Cheng Xiao improve in this drama. This drama is an enjoyable watch.

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One of the best modern c-dramas in the recent years

Among the normal youth c-drama, there might be some dramas with unexpected depth and warmth. Lighter & Princess is one such drama. Great acting, amazing chemistry, good soundtracks, and wonderful cinematography - this drama has everything the audience needs to enjoy it.


Lighter & Princess is adapted from the novel The Lighter and the Princess’ Gown, written by Twentine. The name is taken directly from the story. 'Lighter' symbolizes the ML, Li Xun. He always carries a small lighter along with him, which he got from his father. 'Princess' depicts the FL, Zhu Yun. Li Xun always used to call her Princess and also gifted her a 'princess gown', when they were in college.


L&P proves that rather than an over-the-top plot and dumb comedy, a simple plot and depthy characters are enough to make a drama loved. Lighter & Princess is actually a hard-hitting drama with a slow and subtle plot build. It touches many real life problems as well. The pace of the story was perfect and catchy. The drama started in the present day and shows flashbacks to the past, when the leads were in college and, in Li Xun's case, when he was a high schooler as well. I won't talk much about the plot because of the risk of spoiling something, since the synopsis barely says what actually happens in the drama. The thing about the story that wowed me the most was how everything has a rich backstory. Everything is explained without loopholes. The reason why Li Xun always carries a lighter, why he dyed his hair blonde when he came to college ( yeah, we get to see Chen Fei Yu in blond hair, and believe me, he looks awesome in that! ), and why he always calls Zhu Yun "princess" or "your highness" etc. Everything connects with each other and makes the story beautiful and moving.


The romance in the story is another aspect I liked. Li Xun is an arrogant but brilliant student, who is very much ahead of his class in coding and programming. He was even more gifted and talented than his teacher. He's handsome as hell and attracts many girls, whom he drives away through humiliation. He's always been confident in himself and hasn't had even a bit of self-doubt. Many people admire him for his brilliantness and good looks, but they hate him for his arrogant attitude. He never trusted anyone but himself and always acts like he's the king. He doesn't abide by any rules and thus becomes completely opposite to Zhu Yun's character. Another aspect of the story that I enjoyed was the romance. Li Xun is a conceited but an intelligent student who is well ahead of his peers in coding and programming. One could say tha he I as gifted and talented even more than his teacher. He's  also handsome as hell and attracts a lot of girls, whom he drives away through humiliation. He's always been self-confident and has never had any doubts about himself. Many people admire him for his intelligence and good looks, but they also fear and despise him for his arrogant demeanour. He never trusted anyone but himself and always pretended to be a King. He does not follow any rules and so becomes the absolute opposite of Zhu Yun's character. Zhu Yun is the ideal daughter that any parent would desire. She's beautiful, innocent, and pure as well.


When Zhu Yun first meets Li Xun, despite despising him, she's attracted to him by his carefree personality and confidence as well. As far as she could remember, Zhu Yun had always walked along the path that her mother had paved for her. She hasn't made a single decision for herself before and came to study programming because of her mother as well, not because she likes it. Thus, when he, Li Xun, entered her life, Zhu Yun had an urge to step out and experience life by herself. Because of Li Xun, she even started to have a liking for programming as well. Slowly, she saw herself falling in love with him. Li Xun noticed himself caring for the 'princess', who suddenly barged into his life, giving off warmth in his cold life. The romance was kinda slow burn and we got to watch how they warmed up to each other and dealt with every difficulty together.


The side characters were as interesting as the main characters too. No one felt unnecessary, and everyone had their own individual stories even without much screen time. The side characters were absolutely necessary for the plot. My favorite side character is, of course, Ren Di. I love her personality and how she deals with problems and follows her heart. In a way, she's similar to Li Xun but more open and friendly.


Now let's talk about the acting. I have not watched any works of Zhang Jing Yi or Chen Fei Yu before, but I have heard people say that Fei Yu's acting was lacking in Ever Night, his first drama. I don't know about it, but in this one he was absolutely phenomenal. I like actors who portray emotions through their eyes, and Fei Yu is one like that. He has gotten on my list of favorite actors with just this drama. Just through his gaze, one could decipher what he's feeling. That pain and anger that had been inside him for solong, we could see it. Zhang Jing Yi's performance made it seem like she was born for this role or that the character was made just for her. Her innocent appearance is perfect for the character and makes it believable.


The cinematography in L&P was simply beautiful. Each and every scene was aesthetically pleasing and very pretty to watch. It's rare to see such top notch cinematography in a c-drama, unless it's historical or xianxia.


The songs and background music used in this drama were catchy and very much in sync with the actual drama. I especially liked the song "Fireworks" by Zhou Shen and the opening theme.


Finally, it has been a long time since I properly liked a modern c-drama. I was disappointed in almost all the modern c-dramas I have seen this year. But, thank God, this came to my rescue. I highly recommend this drama to everyone who has been disappointed in the quality of recent modern C-dramas because I'm sure this won't disappoint you!

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Short and Sweet

Soundtrack #1 tells the story of two individuals who have been best friends friends since childhood and are now in their early thirties. They've been through a lot together, through many ups and downs in life. However, certain circumstances led them to live together for two weeks. Is it possible that these two weeks will help them realise their emotions?

Soundtrack #1 feels like a typical romance drama, except it's only a few hours long. But, t he portrayal of the "friends to lovers" trope feels very realistic and pragmatic. The story is straightforward, but the manner in which it is told is entertaining. The story moves at a good pace, which, combined with the cast and their performances, makes it enticing to watch.

Han Sun Woo and Lee Eun Soo are played by Park Hyung Sik and Han So Hee, respectively. Han Sun Woo is a charming and attractive photographer who struggles to conceal his feelings for his best friend, Eun Soo. Lee Eun Soo is a lively and straightforward budding lyricist who is still unaware fo her feelings for Sun Woo.

Their acting was excellent, and they were able to accurately convey the emotions of the characters. I don't have much to say about their performance. I enjoyed their chemistry and hope to see them in more dramas.

The music was lovely, and I have grown fond of it. The soundtracks are fantastic, with a well-balanced selection of songs that fit the story's mood. There are 12 tracks in total:
 "Love beyond words" (사랑은 말로 표현하는게 아니래요) by KYUHYUN
 "Want to be happy"(행복해지고 싶어)  by Park Boram
"Your tender heart hurts me" (소녀 같은 맘을 가진 그댈 생각하면 아파요) by DAVICHI
"My Love" by Kim Jong Kook
"Talk to me"  (나에게 말해요) by KIM JAE HWAN
"Prettiest One" (너만 예뻐) by Standing Egg
"A little more" (아주 조금만 더) by DOYOUNG
"Wanna be your lover" (이젠 친구에서 연인이 되고 싶어) by Monday Kiz
"We'll shine brighter than any other stars" (우린 어떠한 별보다 빛날 거야) by Lee Hi
"Love Love Love" by SEOBIN
"Miss you more, I'm sorry" (더 미안하고 보고 싶고 그래) by Lee Yejoon 
"Love beyond words" by DOKO
 "I'm more sorry and miss you" (더 미안하고 보고 싶고 그래) by Twenty
All of their songs elicit such vibrant feelings in the listener that he or she can't help but love the music. My personal favourites are Love Beyond Words and Wanna Be Your Lover.

Finally, there isn't much else to say about this brief drama. This drama was enjoyable and satisfying. Everything went off without a hitch. I'll gladly rewatch this drama at some point in the future, owing to its length. This is a good drama to watch if you want something short and sweet that will captivate you to the heart.

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LEGENDARY

Not gonna lie, this drama, from script, direction, and acting, up to CGI and editing, was just legendary. But how did this become legendary? This season continues the story where it was left off in the 1st season, which I rated 9.5. So, why did I rate this 8.5 instead?


To be honest, the first season is far superior to this one, and the reason this season has become so successful is clearly due to the first season. Let's look why:

First of all, this lacked the punch of the 1st Part. The 1st Part introduced us to a whole new world, and much time was used to build the lore and the details. This kept us engaged and interested. However, nothing much happened in Part 2, in general. Everything was established in the 1st seasonitself,f and this 2nd part didn't have much twists and turns like the 1st.


The pace of the story was another problem. This problem had been there in the 1st season an well. The starting episodes were amazing, but somehow, after some episodes, it felt like the story was moving downhill. The plot was, like, not moving at all. But they picked up the momentum in the later episodes, nonetheless. Honestly, they could have done the whole drama, I mean, part 1 and 2 together, In just 15 or 20 eps.


This is another issue I've had since the first season. They promised us strong, witty, smart, and brave female characters. However, all we got were sidekicks. Let's take a look at the main female characters in the story:

1. First of all, Naksu/Cho Yeong- I really wanted to see her fighting with her sword again. I wanted her to be like how she had been as Mu Doek. Don't get me wrong, I honestly loved how they separated the real Cho Yeong from the Naksu that Jin Mu created. All I wanted was for her to be as sharp-witted and as quick-witted as her older self. That Naksu was more interesting than the present Cho Yeong. In Part 2, Naksu seemed to be reduced to a one-dimensional, not-that-witty, not-that-smart person who was really only meant to host Jin Bu Yeon's priestess powers and to mend Uk's broken heart.

2. Jin Bu Yeon/Jin Seol Ran - She seemed like just a background character, appearing here and there. She was a character with much potential, but sadly, it was wasted. I would have loved to know more about the time when she was Seol Ran, how she went through what they call the Great Chaos, and all. Also, it was entioned in almost all episodes about how powerful she is. But, pity that we didn't even get a glimpse of it.

3. Maidservent Kim - She had no powers whatsoever. She had been just a mother figure for Uk and a love interest for Park Jin, right from the start to the end. But I did love her, nevertheless.

4. Jin Cho Yeon - She was introduced as one of the Jin clan, with great powers, but we didn't actually get to see even one scene where she was using her powers usefully. Again, she was reduced to just a love interest for Dang Gu.

5. Jin Ho Kyung - Again, another character with great powers. In the end, she couldn't even protect her fortress. I know she was ageing and eventually losing her powers, but when Park Jin didn't have any problems while ageing, why does she?

6. Heo Yoon Ok - Okay, I didn't like her. She wasn't said to have great powers, but what made me dislike her was that she was overcome with jealousy half of the time, going after Uk and attempting to separate him and Naksu in both the 1st and 2nd parts. And her happy ending was jsut seeing someone.

7. So Yi - She was another great character with great potential. I really liked her character. She is one of the strongest female characters in the entire series, in my opinion, whose potential got wasted. She could have been developed into a GREAT character. But...

This drama would have been even better if the FLs were as strong as they were said to be. Now, that's all about the female characters. Let's talk about other problems.


They dragged out the amnesia plot for too long. This is one of those common, clichéd plot lines that I hate. But, if executed well, it could become a masterpiece too. Sadly, this wasn't the case with AoS Part 2. They could have either made Naksu remember it earlier, or made Uk realise that it was Naksu all along. And, when they did realise it, it felt really underwhelming.


I really hated to believe that Uk had finally forgotten about his Naksu/Mu Doek and moved on to fall in love with another woman. I know it was her all along, but I just didn't like the feel of it. That ruined the whole point of this romance, for me.


Underwhelming villain characters - this was one of the main things that bothered me. The villains, especially Jin Mu, all had proper goals and objectives and plans to achieve them, but I felt like they were all acting behind the scenes. I would have liked them to be utilised more and build more tension between them and the heroes. Towards the end, Jin Mu seemed reduced to one of those cartoonish villain charactes with just an evil smile and no brains.


Now, enough with the bad points. Let's start with the good points that make this drama stand out from the rest;

The chemistry:

1. The Crown Prince and the Turtle: We can't help but love the Crown Prince. He was the best character in the entire series for me, and I was rooting for him until the very end. He and our MVP Turtle were truly the best duo in the entire series!

2. Crown Prince and Jang Uk - I really really loved the dynamics between Crown Prince and Ukkie, in the 1st as well as 2nd part. Even though it cannot be considered as a real bromance, I loved it, and I would watch an entire series with just them without any complaint.


The comic relief - I laughed hard enough watching this to add comedy as one of its genres. Those scenes were like breaths of fresh air in an intense plot line.


I loved how they explained the meaning of the title. Jang Uk being the light that protects Cho Yeong and Her being the sadow, embrassing him. It was so endearing!


Acting - DO I NEED TO SAY MORE?? The perforance of the cast was impeccably beautiful. I was initially quite disappointed in the replacement of Jung So Min with Go Yoon Jung, but after the first two episodes, I was convinced that she deserved the role. She really is a gifted actress with great potential. Even though she didin't quite manage to catch So Min's charm, she was great in her own accord.

Jae Wook's performance shook me to the core. He was a new actor to me, and I haven't seen any of his earlier works, but this drama alone is enough for me to make him a part of my list of favourite actors.

I had seen Shin Seoung Ho in A-Teen before, but I didn't even realise it! I figured this out recently, and I'm blown! I hope he gets more great characters like this in the future so that he can showcase his great talent! He really does have an acting genre in him!

All the others did a good job as well. Out of the supporting cast, the one who stands out is Do Sang Woo, who played Yul's uncle. His last scenes as Jin Mu, after the Alchemy of Souls were mind blowing. He nailed it. He really did give off the original Jin Mu's vibes!


Music - The music score and OSTs used in the drama were perfect! It gives us the right vibe for every scenes. Some of the OSTs are still on my Spotify favourites list.


Lastly, I enjoyed most part of it. Even with the slow pace, this is a good watch, nevertheless. I would surely recommend this drama to people who love fantasy and heartbreaking romance, original plot lines, amazing cast and chemistry, etc. This drama is legendary and will live on in my memory.

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"Reality is that which, when you stop believing in it, doesn't go away" - Philip K. Dick

Confused by my title? You will understand after you watch the drama.

Our Beloved Summer is the first modern rom-com drama I'm rating 9.5. I don't usually rate an ordinary modern romance drama more than 9, unless it has some fantasy in it. But, this isn't any ordinary slice of life rom-coms that we see here and there. This isn't ordinary at all! This beloved drama just came, stole my heart and went. Let's look why:

THE STORY

This drama is inspired from a webtoon 'Our Beloved Summer' created by Han Kyoung Chal and original work by Lee Naeun, who is also the screenwriter of this drama. The webtoon can be considered as the prequel of this drama as it focuses on the high-school days of the characters. Honestly writing, I haven't read the webtoon. So, I came here with am empty slate and went away (I don't think I'll be able go veryfar. I'll soon come back.) with my heart full of love.

This drama is a coming-of-age, which tells us the story of ex-lovers Choi Woong and Gook Yeon Soo (will hereby be mentioned as CW and YS). They had broke up with a promise to never meet again. But, fate brought them together again. They were forced to come in front of the camera and into eachother's lives as a documentary that they shooted 10 years ago, in high school, goes viral. This series shows their complicated feelings for eachother and their growth, how they managed to organize their feelings.

The thing that I loved in the story was how the story is said. The perspective of the story changes throughout the drama, which helped to focus on all the four main characters's emotions. Also, the portrayal of the relations between each characters is done so amazingly that we could relate to our real lives. This is what a true slice of life really is.

This drama also had many realistic quotes that are hard to realise but will make you stronger.

I also liked the titles given to each episodes that is a summaryof the whole episode. Though we don't get why the episode it named such at the beginning of the episode, we would surely get it at the end. This helps us to digest the whole meaning os an episode.

CHARACTERS

I have never seen such cute wand warm chacarted in any modern romance drama. In most of the modern rom-coms, either the female lead is annoying or the male lead is a goof. I'm not saying I don't like these types of dramas but that the main reason I most of the times give these kinds of dramas a 9 or below is because of the characters of the story. But, in this drama, I saw the kind of characters that can be related to real life.

The character growth in this drama is another aspect that made me give this drama a 9.5. YS was an independent, no-nonsense, aloof and hardworking girl. She was the top of her class. She cared about everyone but was forced to wear a cold nature in front of others due to her poverty. She didn't want others nor herself to be bothered about her feeling. She thought she could handle everything by herself but, ultimately, found out she was not the master of her own emotions. SHe also realised her mistakes and realised that her life too is beautiful.

CW was a free-spirited and unruly last ranker who always avoids doing works. He loved drawing buidings from high school. He was the type of person who don't bother being hurt or uncomfortable, if he can hurt the people around him. As the story went on, he changed into a more matured and understanding person. He, for the first time in his life, followed his heart.

Kim Ji Woong (KJW) was the type of person who is almost like YS, although he is poor. He too didn't want others to bother about his feeligs and always confined everything to himself. He also changed in many ways. He understood his mother, most importantly.

NJ is a kind of person who is always excited and kind. She always want everything to go her way. She is cute and friendly. Also, I have not seen any SFL who is less annoying than her.
The other supporting characters also have fully formed characteristics, which helped to enhance the story line of the drama.

This drama is all about realising mistakes and finding our trueselves.

ACTING AND CAST

I just recently ventured the lands of k-dramas. So, I was utterly umfamiliar with the cast. Through this drama, I became the fans of both Choi Woo Shik and Kim Da Mi. They nailed their character with such degree of emotional depth that there is an intensity of the convincement that touched my heart. They are simply perfect for the roles and their chemistry made me think they are meant for eachother.

And as far as the other characters are concerned, I can say that they all did a good job in portraying their characters. Supporting roles like Ahn Dong Goo and Park Jin Joo madethe drama lively. Also the actors who portrayed Choi Woongs parents did a commentable job.

THE MUSIC

This drama have a whole lot of OSTs, which were just amazing! There were OSTs in English as well as Korean languageThe is another thing that raised my rating for this drama. Most of the episodes introduced new OSTs of the drama. Christmas Tree
and Home are my personal favourites. Some of the notable OSTs:

"Drawer" (서랍) by Kwon Jung-yeol (from 10 cm)
"Maybe If" (우리가 헤어져야 했던 이유) by Bibi
"Squabble" (티격태격) by Ha Sung-woon
"There for You" (이별후회) by Kim Na-young
"Christmas Tree" by V (from BTS)
"Home" (집) by Janet Suhh
"Why" by Janet Suhh
"The Giving Tree" (언덕나무) by Lee Seung-yoon
"Summer Rain" (여름비) by Sam Kim
"Even Now" (아직도 좋아해) by Yang Yo-seob
"I Will Make You Happy" (행복하게 해줄게) by Jang Beom-june
"Our Beloved Summer" by Kim Kyung-hee
"Red String of Fate" (우리가 다시 만날 수 밖에 없는 이) by Kim Kyung-hee

All these OSTs also have their own instrumental version too.

OVERALL

I don't usually favour rom-coms, especially the ones without any special elements like sports, crime or supernatural. But, I'm glad that I didn't avoid this by categorizing it into an ordinary rom-com. Although, primarily looking like an ordinary romance drama, this thakes us through a roller-coaster of emotions, without wasting its potential. It beautifully captures different perspectives of life and thus lives upto its slice-of-life tag. As I said before, I went in with a blank slate and this show truly went beyond by expectations.

Thanks for reading!
Please notify me in case of any mistakes and errors as this is my first long review.

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"Time you enjoy wasting is not wasted time." -Marthe Troly-Curtin

To be honest, I enjoyed the entire series. I'm not sure why people are so offended by the ending. Why can't people cherish and appreciate both happy and sad endings? Life is always bittersweet. So don't expect this drama to be all epic and happy.

Twenty-five Twenty-one is a coming-of-age drama that follows the journey of the female lead, Na Hee Do, from a regular fencing athlete to South Korea's "Fencing Queen." This drama began the story of Na Hee Do from a unique perspective: that of her daughter, Kim Min Chae, in the present day, who begins reading her mother's diary, which He Doo wrote when she was younger.

Though romance is one of the drama's genres, it is absolutely not the main theme. It's about friendship, youth, and passion. This drama explains why these are significant and why we should treasure them. The five member squard of Na He Do (Kim Tae Ri), Baek Ye Jin (Nam Joo Hyuk), Go Yu Rim (Bona), Moon Ji Woong (Choi Hyun Wook), and Ji Seung Wan (Lee Joo Myung) was phenomenal, and I enjoyed each of their personalities in their own way.

In my opinion, Na Hee Do's character was the best of the five, and I believe most viewers of this drama will also agree with me. She rose from irrelevance to become one of the most recognisable names in the fencing industry thanks to her fighting spirit and perseverance. She is strong, brave, and full of energy and passion, which are all the qualities I like in a female lead. I like to see female leads who change their world rather than being changed by it and the circumstances that surroundes them. Hee Do is prepared to go to any length to ensure that she and those around her have a better future. She is not afraid to express herself, not even to confess her feelings to the one she loves, and she fights for what she believes in. He Doo's character is one of the best I've seen in a long time.

After that, there's Baek Ye Jin. During the IMF crisis, his family was forced to split up. He was in distress because of not finding any job and wanted to reuniting his family soon. He, too, was persistent, but in a different way that caused him to crumble easily. That is, until He Doo came into his life. Because of her liveliness, he learned to treasure and enjoy his life. He became more optimistic about life and more confident in dealing with any situation. Although he still had the fragile part of himself, He Doo made him a happier young man, and he eventually fell in love with He Doo.

Go Yu Rim was the most famous fencing athlete until He Doo appeared, and she was the one He Doo idolised. She came from a poor family and was also a friend of Ye Jin's. Although Hee Do and Yu Rim initially despised each other, they developed a rivalry that was stronger than any hatred because they loved and respected each other. She and He Doo have a love-hate relationship, but they also have one of the strongest friendships.

The characters of Moon Ji Woong and Ji Seung Wan felt like a breath of fresh air to me. They were incredible in their own way. Ji Woong was the most popular boy in the class, with a crush on Yu Rim, and Seung Wan was the class monitor, who was always at the top. They were childhood friends with a good reputation in their class. These characters' presence did not feel extraneous or unnecessary (which would have been if the storyline was not this beautiful).

What made all these characters more and more memorable were their choices. As the Harry Potter quote goes, "It is our choices that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities."

The actors did an excellent job of bringing the characters to life. Kim Tae Ri was fantastic. I couldn't believe she was over 30 years old. She was perfect in the role of He Doo. She not only looked like a teen, but she also acted like one. Nam Joo Hyuk's acting was incredible. Despite the fact that he was younger than Tae Ri, the two had great chemistry on screen. They won many people's hearts, including mine.

Bona, Choi Hyun Wook, and Lee Joo Myung were also outstanding. They were excellent in their roles, making us laugh as well as cry. Of course, Kim Hye Eun as Yang Chan Mi, the fencing coach, and Seo Jae Hee as Shin Jae Kyung, He Doo's mother, deserve special mention. Without them, the drama would have felt incomplete. They did an excellent job portraying their characters and fitting them into the story.

When it comes to the plot, I enjoyed the fencing theme as well as the story's pace. It wasn't too quick or too slow. It was perfect. The drama explored various emotions while maintaining the suspense for its climax. The drama really did have some problems when it neared the end, which was mostly because of the screenwriting, I guess.

The first issue was that the drama, which had been so upbeat and optimistic until the 14th episode, abruptly turned negative and hinted at ending on a sad note (and so did it). Some audiences found this difficult to accept, and as a result, they deducted points from their ratings. Also, in the last two episodes, the characters felt a little disconnected from themselves, as if they weren't their true selves.

The second was that by not introducing some characters, such as Kim Min Chae's father, and this made some characters, particularly the older Na He Doo and Kim Min Chae herself, feel out of place and unnecessary. Furthermore, they could have ended the drama on a happier note by showing that He Doo and Ye Jin were happy and had moved on from their breakup. Even if the leads did not end up together, there would have been no problem for the audience. Any way, let bygones are bygones. Personally, I liked the ending and appreciate the fact that it wasn't a fairy-tale ending.

This drama had really good OSTs that evoked the audience's emotions and brought a 90s vibe into the presence. There are nine tracks in total, and nearly all of them have a very passionate, nostalgic, yet profound feeling:
"Starlight" (스타라이트) by Taeil (NCT)
"I'll Shine on You to Dazzle" (눈이 부시도록 너를 비춰줄게) by Bae Ki-sung
"Very, Slowly" (아주, 천천히) by BIBI
"Your Existence" (존재만으로) by Wonstein
"Go!" by DK (Seventeen)
"Stardust Love Song" by Jihyo (Twice)
"With" by Kim Tae Ri, Nam Joo Hyuk, Bona, Choi Hyun Wook, Lee Joo Myung
"Free" (가보자) by Xydo
"Your World" (너의 세상) by Seol Hoseung (SURL)

"With" and "Starlight" are my personal favourites.

Finally, I would recommend this drama to anyone looking for a good youth rom-com with a strong FL and an excellent depiction of friendship. However, if you believe that the ending is the most important aspect of a drama or if you dislike sad or bittersweet endings, this drama is not for you. I thoroughly enjoyed this series and would gladly rewatch it at some point of time.

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A surprisingly wholesome movie

Coming it to think about it, I don't even know why I started this. It was just a whim of mood that I actually started this. I didn't know most of the cast (even if I had heard of them, I had never really watched any of their dramas or movies) and the plot seemed cliché and wasn't remotely tempting. But, now that I finished it, I totally don't regret starting it in the first place!

Honestly, the story isn't anything new and one may come across tons of this kind of storylines in the dramaland, but you won't come across a movie with a better execution of such a storyline that this one. This movie has many of the most over used troups and tags in dramaland like 'first love', 'time skip', 'makeover', 'coming of age' etc. It even has a love square, but it's not frustrating at all! In fact, they make your heart flutter as these helps the leads to come closer to eachother and recognise their love for each other. The way in which Truly and Tsu Tai Yu fell for eachother without even realising it, and when they finially realised it everything was too late... I really loved such cliché parts of the plot! But, had this been a 20+ episode drama, it might have ruined everything. The pace of the story was perfect to evoke a kind of nostalgia in the audience. The story is extremely simple yet so good and this is one of the plus points of this movie!

As I said before, I was unfamiliar with the cast of the drama. The only person I had heard of was Darren Wang and I had watched Jerry Yan's Meteor Garden. That was all.
I rarely get impressed with actings in movies since they are short and don't explore wide varieties of emotions of the actors and actresses. Now, after watching this movies, I'm really tempted to watch other workes of Darren Wang and Vivan Sung! They were truly awesome here! Darren was amazing portraying the bad boy Tsu Tai Yu and Vivan Sung in portraying the clumsy Truy. There were rooms for improvement for Dino Lee and Dewi Chein, but the over all performance form the whole cast was great. Even if Joe Chen and Jerry Yan were just cameo of the adult version of Truly and Tai Yu, I could feel their dynamics with eachother in the last scenes. I really wish it were longer!

Music was great and apt for the scenes. The rewatch value's fairly high too, compared to the ones I have given to other movies.

I don't usually rate dramas or movies 9.5, let alone a movie with a cliché plot. But this somehow is an exception. I can't even explain why I rated in 9.5! It's just my mind and heart telling me to do it even if the brain's not.

Overall, this is a surprisingly wholesome movie with a roller coaster of emotions portrayed It's a highly recommended movie
if you are someone who is past his/her school life for this movie, I believe, would take you back to your childhood days, when you were crushing on a hansome popular boy.

P.S. Don't mind any typos. I tend to have many of them.

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At least for our Priest boy, it's worth it.

I'm conflicted about how I feel about this now. Thought that I'll be rating this drama lower, but the last 2 eps have changed my opinion completely.


I think, they should have spent more time on world building and other details. This is primarily a fantasy drama, so they should take time for such things. Instead, they dove right into the main plot, leaving those who hadn't read the webtoon (me, for one) at a loss. The first two episodes were as uninteresting as they could be, if not worse. It was frustrating to watch, to be honest. They wasted almost 3 hours and nothing much was going on. The story wasn't moving as strongly as it ought to have. I would have really dropped it if it weren't for the cast and the short run time. I expected this drama to be more impactful and intense. But, something felt missing here and there... Like, the flow of the story was kinda bumpy. But toward the end, the story did get better with the appearance of Goong Tan. The last 2 eps were darn good! And that cliffhanger at the end has me expecting a better and more engaging second season.


Speaking of characters, it was Eun Woo's that spoke to me the most. Sure, Van and Won Mi Ho were good, but they sometimes seemed really boring to me. Mi Ho sure was funny, but she laked depth. She felt too flat or one-dimensional. While Van's character had depth, I couldn't empathise with him, even with his tragic past. He is silent and brooding but, sometimes I get the impressions that he is so full of himself and isn't really feeling guilt as he is said to have. But, I didn't have a single boring or dull moment when our Priest boy came on screen. He literally owned this show, in my opinion. But I'm looking forward to Van's and Mi Ho's character development in the next season (if it does happen).


The cast was fantastic. They made the best of the mediocre scripts they were given. Ki Nam Gil slayed his character, his look is perfect for it. Lee Da Hee was good too, I have no other comments. But Eun Woo! Honestly, I wasn't even his fan before! He was FANTASTIC in this drama! I haven't seen any of his past works, but I think he isn't really as bad at acting as some people make him out to be, or he must have really improved. Mind you, I don't tolerate bad acting even if oppa has a pretty face and defined abs XD. I'm being honest here.


Oh girl, I've lost count of the amount of times I cried laughing while watching this drama's CGI monsters! They were not at all scary, and on the contrary, they were funny enough for comedy genre to be added to this drama! The CGI is an absolute failure. It's so fucking bad that after some good CGI dramas, I really can't accept this one. I might have overlooked this defect if this had a much more interesting story line, but sadly, that isn't the case with Island.


Overall, this is a one-time-watch, for me. I'm not sure if I'll ever come back to this drama (maybe I'll if the 2nd season is a blast). Considering all the aspects, this drama is basically a 7/10.

0.5 points extra in honour of our eye candy priest boy. ;D

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A good and enjoyable psychological-romance drama with amazing lead chemistry

Actually, I watched this drama for Yang Zi. As her fan, I am satisfied. I have not watched any psychological dramas until this drama. I did not expect to enjoy the show as much as I did. I thought psychological dramas are not my type. But, this drama changed my opinion about these kinds of dramas. It took me a few episodes to get completely hooked. But, now, I can confidently say that this is one of the best Yang Zi drama I have seen to date. At first, I thought that 40 eps will be too much for a morden c-drama. But, now, I will be perfectly fine with another 40 eps. This drama got better episode by episode and left a deep impact about mental health in my mind.

Story: 9.5 stars
The course of story is just nice. I liked the way all the knots untied slowly. The stroy was neither draggy nor too fast. This drama is a psychological romance drama and it had just the right amount of psychology and romance.
This story shows us how important our mental health is. I also shows us the hardships faced my psychologists. This drama helps us to understand our mind, how it works and why it works like that.
Also the comedic scenes in the drama gave me relief after each serious psychological case.

Acting and Cast: 10 stars
I think I don't need to explain why I gave 10 stars. Yang Zi and Jing Bo Ran are veterans in the feild of acting. Intially, I wasn't familiar with JBR. I had only seen in the move One Smile is Very Alluring. At that time, I really didn't like him at all. But, this drama changed my perspective of him. Now, I think he is a versatile actor who is capable of acting comedic scene (which only some actors can manage perfectly).
I n this drama, YZ plays He Dun, a psychologist who faced a trauma when she was young and JBR plays Qian Kai Yi, a lively radio host. Both the lead were once highschool classmates. I won't say anymore or it would be a spoiler :D
The leads had great chemistry. It puts a smile on my face everytime they are on my screen together. :)
Also, the actors who played side characters like Ye Jia Hui and Tang Li Li did an amazing job. I especially liked the acress who played He Dun's mother, though I didn't really like her character.
Anyway, through this drama, I understood that YZ can nicely portray drunken scenes with kisses lol. (Those who have seen Go Go Squid! can understand me).

Music: 9 stars
I really like the OSTs of thsi drama especially the song Little Secret. The link to the song is given below:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O0J8dE5TU9E
Also the songs sung by YZ was also great, especially, Flower House Cafe. The link is given below:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o6fQvo9kWzU

Rewatch value: 8.5 stars
I don't really rewatch dramas. I don't have the time for that at the moment. But, I really don't want to admit that the rewatch value is so low for a Yang Zi's drama as she is my fav actress. If I rewatch any drama at any point of time in the future, the probability is less that I would pick this drama.

Overall: 8.5 stars
I have given the darma what it deserves: 8.5 stars. I am not being partial, but, this drama deserves it. I hope the rating of this drama increase in the coming days.
This drama is an enjoyable watch. There won't be a dull moment for you in this drama if psychological dramas are of your type.

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