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KimchiByTheSea
This drama addresses the very real societal pressures directed toward beauty and how it influences our daily lives and thoughts. While the acting definitely isn't groundbreaking, the actors/actresses did a good job conveying the message and relationships throughout the drama. This drama also shows the uncertainties of growing up. Many think that once you reach of certain age, you have to have reached certain milestones. In reality, everyone is different. All in all, a good noncommittal drama about loving yourself for who you are and to just enjoy yourself instead of worrying what other people might think.
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This review may contain spoilers
This is such a beautiful story of a friendship and love so strong that it transcends even time. Even almost a month after finishing it, I still think about it. It's one of those rare stories that stay with you. It starts with a writer who is having trouble writing his next book, but keeps remembering snippets of his past life. A ghost comes into his life then, and helps him on his journey to remembering. The ghost also brings Seol back into his life. Slowly, over time, the three get closer and the deep friendship that they had in their past lives continues in the present.
The OST, the deep relationship between the three main characters, and the determination to free their country keeps you riveted. I felt every single one of their emotions throughout this. The acting is superb and raw. Definitely don't hesitate to watch this.
"Hwi Young prayed to the skies just before he died. He prayed and asked to be with Soo Hyun and Yool even in his next life. The skies answered his prayer."
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Cute But Short
This is a really short, but cute BL story. It's a miniseries that really should have been a movie at eight episodes, each about ten minutes long. While I enjoyed Mr. Heart, the plot was not fleshed out, and I would have liked to see more in depth scenes between the two. We get a couple cutesy kisses between the male leads, and the two definitely have chemistry. I would not have complained in the slightest if this had been extended for a deeper story, and getting to know the characters themselves. Their motives and such. They gave us quick glimpses into their home lives and backstories, but it was merely that. A very short glimpse. At the length, it really should have been just a quick, cutesy miniseries. Barring that, it was a nice filler watch, and I hope for more Korean BL's in the future.All in all, I would say give it a watch as it's short and sweet.
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Second chances don't come often.
A journey of life, love, and a little silliness.Focusing on Im Sol, this drama follows her from the middle of her story and travels through time as she gets a new chance to save the person who saved her.
Lovely Runner was incredibly refreshing. Everything was balanced really well, the romance was sweet and angsty. If you're a sucker for leads who have complete loyalty to each other bordering on a (healthy) obsession like I am, then this has it in heaps, fits of laughter, and tears. All the side characters meshed well with the story, and there was neither too little nor too much of them. I loved watching the relationships grow and coincide with the story as it progressed, but this drama is about Im Sol and Sun Jae and they kept that focus for the most part throughout.
There was also enough plot to give everything in this meaning, and I really enjoyed how they paced it enough that with every change, it still kept us on the edge of our toes without being overbearing. Im Sol does get annoying at times with how sacrificial she is, but honestly both the leads share the burden of this mindset and it only helped to enhance how much they cared about each other. The humor in this was an absolute delight as well. If my heart wasn't hurting, I was laughing and it was a great pallet cleanser from more serious dramas.
All in all, I recommend this if you're looking for something refreshing, light but with plot, a great love story, and a little cringe in the best ways possible. This was a great watch and one I was unable to stop thinking about the entire time it aired.
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A Slice of Realism Pie
TW for a verbally and borderline physically abusive relationship.This drama confronts some issues head on and it really does it well in my opinion. The main message is to be your own star, stand up for yourself, and that it is okay to be different. There are many romcoms out there and very rarely does one shine out from the rest with nary a need for the skip button. This drama filled all my romcom needs while still portraying realistic (or as real as it gets in drama world) characters, relationships, and outcomes. The characters can be eccentric but still came off as refreshing and fun.
There isn't much in the way of a in-depth storyline with Run On if I'm quite honest. This drama is entirely character and relationship motivated. Even though there wasn't much happening outside of the characters daily life, I found myself enjoying the simple moments and becoming attached to the characters. I was happy to watch them grow together or just maintain their wonderfully down-to-earth relationships. There are so many points to this drama that are in the quiet moments or between the lines and I love how honest this drama was.
The acting was wonderful. I laughed, smiled, was angry, and cried along the way. Every person was portrayed well and conveyed the emotions perfectly. The chemistry between all of the actors really carried the drama and made it easy to watch. The OST is lovely and resonates as well.
All in all, a really lovely and simplistic drama. I would say this is a drama for rainy days or when you want something sweet but deep. This is entirely character motivated so it might not be your cup of tea if you prefer storyline motivated dramas.
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Humans are the scariest of all...
Disclaimer: I have not read the webtoon so this is an unbiased review of the drama as a standalone piece. Also, TW's for excessive blood and gore.This is definitely an apocalyptic go-to, and one that integrates monsters and some deep questions very well. We start in a seemingly normal-ish (heavy on the ish) apartment complex with an introduction to all the central characters. It's a relatively easy drama to follow as the group we get to know is small and each introduction is integral to the story. At only ten episodes, every minute counted here. The acting is incredibly on point, and I really believe that is what brought the story to life.
The CGI in SH leaves much to be desired, many of the monsters coming off as almost laughable, but everything else was spot on. The OST was perfect for this and is definitely one I will be coming back to. My biggest complaint would be the length of this, as we don't get to explore the various backgrounds, and we only got to skim the surface of motivations for each character. The episode count sadly limited how in depth the plotline was, and I wish we had dived deeper into the story that was Sweet Home. However, each person was interesting and played an important part in SH. I don't think there was an actor who fell behind or let someone else outshine them, and that doesn't happen to often. Although there were ghost ships, there is no prominent romance here, which is a relief because there's enough going on everywhere else. It would have only detracted from the story time. Also, shout out to all the badass women characters in here. They really held their own and I appreciated everything they contributed to the story. In its essence SH puts forth many questions about what makes us human, our deepest desires, and what would kill our humanity. It was executed well and never posed a dull moment.
All in all, a phenomenal drama in an us versus them scenario that questions if we're our own monsters in the making. I would recommend if you're looking for something more serious but weirdly wholesome. I'm already hoping and ready for a season two.
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Obsession
I haven't read the book so this review is only based on the drama. TW's for attempted suicide.The premise is captivating right off the bat. This is set in a world where there are Mono's, which are people that can only see the world in shades of grey. Then there are Probes, who can make their Mono see colors. This leads to an obsession in which the Probe are in danger. The whole world is built on fear of Mono's and really just paints them in an awful light. Enter our main couple, who are of course are a mono and a probe. This is really their story and how they overcome the stereotypes related to their labels. The main couple has good chemistry in my opinion, and there are light moments and fun moments. The cinematography in this is really quite beautiful. They captured colors in a way that magnifies their qualities and I honestly found it quite beautiful to watch. The music is lovely and fits the drama well. The acting is done well, and I appreciated the two main character's scenes. There is a lot going on with this series and a lot of deeper meanings/questions lurking beneath the surface.
Where this fell short is the length. This is the curse of Korean BL's at present, so I'm used to it, but as always I wanted more. There's so much to delve into here with the mystery and the obsession between the boys. The length doesn't really allow for too much depth unfortunately. The story itself was great and the actors brought it to life, but the bones behind the story were missing and so it lacked some of the meatiness it needed. However, I did enjoy it for what it was and don't regret watching it.
All in all, a good and intriguing short BL, but it may leave you unsatisfied and wanting more. The cinematography was worth the watch and the chemistry was good too. I'm already ready for season 2.
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