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bedofroses

Saturn

bedofroses

Saturn
Completed
Summer Strike
0 people found this review helpful
Jun 27, 2024
12 of 12 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 9.0
Story 10
Acting/Cast 10
Music 8.0
Rewatch Value 8.0
This review may contain spoilers

What a beautiful piece of work that just feels like a warm hug

This show is such a positive breeze of tranquillity and calmness that is reflected in the setting, story and acting. First things first, the story is well written, keeps you hooked and engaged and does not get boring or stretched out at any point. So while some people feel like there could've been more, I feel it is the perfect length and I'm happy that it is not stretched to include unnecessarily old and boring tropes. They have nicely depicted the calmness of a rather rural setting, the kind of bonds you find there which are rather difficult to find in your average city life and I have loved the entire concept of a rather simple living and enjoying your life, the harsh reality our female lead faces after facing certain setbacks in life. I also quite enjoyed the storyline with the boss and the brother, for once I did not see the female lead being stepped upon left right and centre by all the possible characters. She stood her ground. Hence, the story has been well written in these aspects. I also quite enjoyed how the whole thriller aspect of it was not overdone and was easily hashed out. Sometimes, shows get so entangled in it that you fall short on everything else in the show, in this case, the simplicity of life in general. So, the balance between the genres was perfect, for me.

Secondly, I quite enjoyed the acting of all the people involved. There was no one I found overbearing or expressionless. I've thoroughly enjoyed the journey of these 12 episodes with these brilliant actors who have wonderfully portrayed these characters, some of whom, I've grown to absolutely love. I also quite like the character development of some of the people like Kim Bom and Ji Young. These were slightly different characters, very well written and nicely portrayed. Though, special mention to a.mond and Kim Yo Han for their stellar acting, I've become a fan!

Overall, I'm quite happy with the show and I've already watched it twice without skipping. I like such shows that provide me a respite from the otherwise overdone and usual tropes and hence this is a very peaceful watch for me. I wish more people find solace in this show and come across this quite underrated gem of work. A must-watch as per me!

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Completed
Hospital Ship
0 people found this review helpful
Jun 27, 2024
40 of 40 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 9.0
Story 9.0
Acting/Cast 9.5
Music 7.0
Rewatch Value 10
This review may contain spoilers

Lots of medical drama, slow beautiful romance and brilliant character development

Medical dramas are my kryptonite so much that I think most of my favourite shows are medical shows. Similarly, I did not find much to fault in this show as well. Having watched this over ten times, I like various aspects of this show and find quite little to crib about.

Some of my favourite aspects are:
1. The brilliant acting by almost the entire crew. There were very few characters that irritated me, tbh. Ha Ji Won has always impressed me with her works and I was so happy to see her, but oh my god, I was so surprised with Min Hyuk. As a BOICE, I was so happy to see him deliver so well. I have heard of him so much but this was the first show where I saw him and he has done complete justice to his character.
2. I like how the romance was subtle but there. The emotional support provided and companionship portrayed here is brilliant while giving personal space to each other. Found many green flags in their relationship and that is what makes me happy.
3. The amount of medical drama I get to watch, I love it.
4. Character development of most characters, but especially Jae Gul and Eun Jae. You see them grow so much into better and more understanding human beings who can overcome the darkness and look to a brighter future, I love it.
5. The bond that you see between all the colleagues of the hospital ship. Working in corporate, it is not easy to relate but when you work in such a small space with limited supplies and the same people all the time, it is bound to feel like family. And that was portrayed very well here.

Now what I don't like
1. While I really like Jae Gul's character and the acting, I'm so annoyed with the unnecessary love triangle. That storyline was not needed at all. Well, at least we get some redemption in the form of his easy acceptance of his fate and his immense help to the lead characters and couple. But nonetheless, even the two episodes of his baseless love (I mean there is quite literally no basis to it, however cute it might be) annoyed me a bit.
2. The ending of Yeong Eun - she deserved to be outed as a liar who has been unnecessarily gaining sympathy and acting as a lame and horrible human being.
3. Quite a lot of tropes are introduced. The show could've done with a little less drama.

If you like slow romance, then this is a great watch for you. But if you don't like watching medical things, then it would be better to avoid it as there's lots of it and barely anything else here. All the beautiful individual stories are also built around medicine so I would say that is quite intrinsic to the show.

One of my favs, forever a gem for me!

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Completed
The Day of Becoming You
0 people found this review helpful
Jun 6, 2024
26 of 26 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 9.0
Story 8.5
Acting/Cast 10
Music 9.5
Rewatch Value 7.5

An easy, hilarious and beautiful watch through and through

I was quite apprehensive of this show because I do not watch fantasy elements at all like time travel or body swapping or whatever. But I'm glad I saw this (mainly because of Steven Zhang) and this will probably go down as the ONLY body-swapping show I will ever have had the courage to watch but it was just so peaceful and good. No extra unnecessary drama, a sweet and hilarious story, absolutely stellar acting and chemistry and just a brilliant fun mood-uplifting vibe throughout.

The highlight of the show is the superb acting of all the actors, especially Steven Zhang. I've been a fan for such a long time and he totally did not disappoint. The way he enacted when he changed bodies was also superb. I'm more in love with this man. As for the show, this is such an easy, pleasant, cute and uplifting watch. They tackle certain themes nicely without making a super huge deal out of them, so, kudos for that.

I'd seen the comments here because of my averseness to the fantasy element and hence I was prepared for the ending and hence even that did not bother me much, tbh. I was laughing, crying, and swooning with our actors throughout the show. Yes, I literally cried towards the last few episodes and skipped some parts just because I didn't want to hold onto the sadness. What a ride this has been.

My only complaint remains that for the fantastic chemistry we saw throughout the show, the ending was such a letdown and like so mellow. I wanted it to be fun! Also, I'm super annoyed with the mother angle and the importance she gets but I think everyone finds their closure in their own way so if our character found his closure by some magic, who am I to complain?

Also, just FYI and TMI, my favourite character has to be Le Yi without a doubt. What a hilarious and thoughtful character. Loved him!

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Completed
Master of My Own
0 people found this review helpful
Jun 5, 2024
32 of 32 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 6.0
Story 5.0
Acting/Cast 8.5
Music 7.5
Rewatch Value 1.0

I found this to be the most boring show I've seen in the last month or two

I actually love watching business plots but this show had nothing more to it than a boring and way too dragged-out business plot. I have literally fast-forwarded more than 25 episodes of this show. That's how boring it was for me, personally. I'm so angry at the unnecessary 32 episodes, that just adds to one's misery.

There is barely any depth to the characters. More and more side characters keep getting introduced without any proper story or need. Even the love triangle seems to be so forced. It was not at all needed to be extended for 20 long and boring episodes.

The only thing going for this show that allowed me to finish all the 32 not-needed episodes is the beautiful female comradeship shown in the show. I love how women support one another throughout the show whether it be in friendship or work. Very nice to see! Another saviour was the brilliant acting by all the actors. I can't fault them at all. They had great chemistry and skill but the script and direction was just too faulty and did them really bad. I hope I get to see them in a better drama soon!

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Completed
Hot Stove League
0 people found this review helpful
Jun 3, 2024
16 of 16 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 9.0
Story 9.5
Acting/Cast 10
Music 7.5
Rewatch Value 7.0
This review may contain spoilers

A must watch with a brilliant story and first-class acting by all the characters

There are so many things to love in this show.
1. It's an almost perfect watch. A well-written story with great acting from the actors. I did not feel disconnected with any of the characters which goes to show that all of them did a great job.
2. The story in itself is pretty good. For someone who does not know baseball other than the fact that Moneyball was an amazing movie, I did not feel lost even once. Yes, there were terms thrown here and there like ERA (or something) but you don't need to understand them to understand the story. I love that I did not have to learn about the sport to enjoy the drama. It was a perfect depiction of sports management, and I loved it.
3. It is one of my favourite genres: politics (internal politics) and business. I loved watching how they did not bring in fancy tropes, try to unnecessarily bring in some romance or just try to throw off the show using some cliche drama. The focus was clear since the first episode: the show was about a sports team that will be disbanded and how will we prevent that. While sticking to their concept and plot, they depicted various beautiful stories through the different characters and it was a very pleasant and easy watch.
4. I actually enjoyed watching the individual stories of most of these people. This show has made me laugh, cry and be in awe - all at the same time. There was no over-the-top reliance on any one character and equal importance was given to all of them to depict how a team works together and what goes on behind the scenes. It was fun watching that.

While all of this was good, I have two problems with the show which made me deduct some points from the rating:
1. I do not like the demonisation of Kyung Min. If it was my team that was causing me only losses and had such grave mismanagement for multiple years, I would pull out my investment as well. I'm running a business, not a charity. If he was unable to sell the team, he is TOTALLY justified in disbanding the team. His only fault was that he was so muddled up in his own prejudice that he employed the wrong means of achieving his goals. So, this entire comments section seems pretty harsh and unrealistic to me where he is being vilified.
2. Towards the end, it got caught up in so much politics that I did not enjoy the last two episodes much. In fact the end was so underwhelming that I was wondering if it had been conceptualised by the same person who wrote the other 14 episodes. I was also thinking about how childish it seems.

It is a brilliant watch and I believe it is quite underrated looking at its rating here. It is a fresh break from usual rom-com kdramas and is very well acted and narrated. Loved almost every second of watching this one!

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Completed
Live On
0 people found this review helpful
May 31, 2024
8 of 8 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 9.0
Story 8.5
Acting/Cast 10
Music 9.5
Rewatch Value 7.0
This review may contain spoilers

Short, cute and very engaging

First things first, I absolutely like how to the point and straight forward this drama is without having unnecessary cliche plots to extend the episode count.

This feels like a warm hearted hug that envelops you in the cuteness of it all. The actors have all done justice to their roles. I'm new to all of these actors and it was very refreshing to see their work, all have been good. It's cute how all the three love stories are nice, not overdramatic or unreal and have no third party tropes like second leads. As for the third couple, the story itself revolves around her meeting many men, so I don't count that as second lead. It's multiple leads. xD

I also quite enjoyed the friendship between all the people and how their characters developed over time. It is very heartwarming to watch. I also enjoyed the true friendship between the three women and how you see them supporting one another at different times. Though my fav friendship has to be the one between Yoo Shin and Ho Rang. It is hilariously cute.

For a change, we see a cold and aloof female lead as compared to the usual male leads and I quite enjoyed it. They have nicely developed the story and shown her diversity and range. I liked her chemistry with the ML although I would've preferred more hands-on romantic scenes but with her being underage (apparently) at the time of shooting, I'm glad they didn't.

Lastly, I'm at crossroads whether I liked the way they handled the bullying plot or not. At times I feel like it was well handled because it was shown as real as possible with showing the difficult choices victims make when speaking about their experiences. It throws light on how it is not easy to open up and come clean, all of which people think is very easy when they keep asking people to report such issues. However, at the same time, I do not think the FL's attitude and behaviour at most times was justified because of her experiences. She might not be a bully but she definitely comes across as one which is not a good place to be in specially when you've experienced it yourself. There is a thin line between ignorance and arrogance and this one leaned very heavily on arrogance for me which is why this does not get the perfect score from me.

Overall it's a very pleasant and enjoyable watch, 100% recommended. Very underrated. :)

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Completed
Love in Contract
0 people found this review helpful
May 27, 2024
16 of 16 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 8.5
Story 8.5
Acting/Cast 9.0
Music 7.5
Rewatch Value 7.0
This review may contain spoilers

A fresh concept with lot of cute moments and angst!

Okay, hear me out first. I loved this show and I feel like I’m a minority view here, lol. But, I just couldn’t find much too hate.

I have actually not seen this concept before even once in a k-drama so that was the first selling point for me. I enjoyed how they handled the concept of a woman's agency to do whatever she wants, in this case make marriages/dating her career. While doing so they very nicely depict the kind of outlook Korean society has on such things where they start evaluating her mental health basis her work, harsh reality women in such situation face. Never have I seen such an evaluation for all the chaebol men who have 3 wives, often the age of their grand daughters, and 2-3 mistresses. Goes to show very beautifully just how patriarchal the Korean society still is. So that was probably one thing I enjoyed the most.

The second thing I absolutely loved was Kang Hae Jin. I can’t recall a character I’ve loved as much as I loved Kang Hae Jin. He's positive, a major green flag, respectful of the FL's wishes and also not vengeful like your usual second leads in most East-Asian dramas. Like, there are 2-3 episodes where he hangs onto her and tries his best, but once its absolutely clear to him who the FL chooses, he does not push her or use cheap tricks to make her his when he has numerous opportunities to do so (through their family, the lawyer who wants to do it, excuse of public image since he's an actor and she's selfless, etc.). The way he looks at her and thinks of her before doing anything has me swooning and I'm definitely looking for my own Kang Hae Jin now, possibly at he main character, lol. :P

I also enjoyed how PMY was her usual cheerful, bubbly and pretty self. They've shown her as this selfless, easygoing and perky woman that although seems impossible but is a dash of energy to this otherwise quite heavy show as we see the ML (and also the second lead) struggling with his personality a lot. The show is not dark in the sense of how we use that genre but like the feelings are so heavy that it feels like a layer of gray coating everything, so, PMY's character brings a dash of light to their everyday lives and conversations. Also just a side note, but she's still so pretty and wears such great clothes , I love it!

Lastly, Jung Ji Ho was a depiction of a real man and the problems one faces in life. My main issue here was that throughout the show nothing has been revealed as to what made him the way he is today. I know there were previous marriage issues but we don't know the issue or what he was feeling. Like, we don't know any relevant background to understand his character more. I enjoyed his blankness but it would've been better to know why he was being so. At first, this ambiguity put me off and I dropped this show for a year. Rewatched it and was able to get over this monotonous aspect thereafter. This might be a dealbreaker for many people.

Other than the leads, my favourite characters were of Gwang Nam and Mi Ho. What stellar acting. The relationship between Gwang Nam and Sang Eun is gold. I love how they support one another and stand up for each other. That is how we describe bond more genuine than even blood bonds. Absolute magic.

In the end, I would definitely recommend watching this show. It's been a really enjoyable and great watch for me.

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Completed
Doctors
0 people found this review helpful
May 2, 2024
20 of 20 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 8.5
Story 7.0
Acting/Cast 8.5
Music 9.0
Rewatch Value 9.5

A medical drama giving Grey's Anatomy vibe with balanced fun, angst, romance and chaebol-ness ?

Growing up in a family of doctors, I have immense fascination and affection for the profession, for which reason I have a slight bias for medical dramas. Not bias in judging, but bias in the priority for watching the show.

I have watched most Chinese, Korean, English and Hindi medical dramas, and there's something about this show here that has brought me back to it several times for a rewatch. This show has now become therapeutic for me, wherein it would play in the background on a hectic day and I would relax to the beautiful melody of "It's Love" by Jungyup. Just the starting beats of the OST have me smiling and I can see every single moment between Hye Jung and Ji Hong flash before my eyes.

I like the character development of Hye Jung, and to be fair, PSH is one of the biggest reasons for me to keep watching this show. That coupled with excellent acting by some characters like Yoon Do, Seo Woo, Soon Hee, and Kang Soo keep me going. Soon Hee plays the role of Hye Jung's best friend beautifully and it is so amazing to see their bond traverse over the years. Similarly, LSK has delivered a powerful performance, like always, to the extent where she made me hate her character the first few times. You see her develop from this aloof personality to this strong woman who learns to prioritise herself, which is commendable. I also quite enjoy the cute and hilarious banter between Ji Hong and Yoon Do, kudos to both KRW and YKS for the amazing bromance!

In terms of the story, I like the swift shift we see in terms of the time period from Hye Jung's high school days to her life as a doctor. I also thoroughly enjoyed the storyline revolving around the grandmother and malpractice issue. What lifts it even more for me is LSK's brilliant portrayal of a person involved in the entire issue in some capacity. I also like how they keep it real by not giving it a fairy tale ending by putting the people behind bars for the main issue (not side issues like embezzlement). Hye Jung's acceptance of the issue and how her character derives peace at the end is very beautiful to watch over the span of the show and makes me happy for her. Totally love the grandmother, granddaughter bond. Though, I believe the show could've done without the unnecessary storyline of the stepmother and stepsister. Maybe even water down the story with the father to some extent. They seem like irrelevant characters to me and hence wasting so much time describing feelings related to them seems like unnecessarily stretching the show to me.

However, it's not all rainbows and sunshine. I am all for "age is just a number" and "age is no bar for love" but I'm just not able to understand the development of romantic feelings between the main leads here. He is a qualified and practicing doctor when he is teaching Hye Jung in high school. Which means she's a minor (if I'm not wrong) and it just gives me quite "pedophile vibes". Although it is not a huge age difference per se, it's just the timing of when it seems to begin that makes me uncomfortable because she was just so young. Although nothing happens, and it doesn't actually begin, so it's all okay. It's just uncomfortable in my head.

Another problem I face is the constant neglect of Ji Hong's feelings by Hye Jun. She seems to be walking all over him for most part of the show which really puts me off. Her aloof character begins to annoy but PSH's beautiful expressions make up for it and do not let me dwell too much into it. However, the shift we see in her character and the growth is commendable, which saves this show from going all downhill for me.

All in all, this is definitely worth a one time watch if you're into dramas with conspiracy, medicine and rom-com. It is not the slow burn or way too fluffy kinda romance, so, please keep that in mind when you go ahead with this wonderful piece of work!

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Completed
Embrace in the Dark Night
1 people found this review helpful
Aug 15, 2024
24 of 24 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 6.5
Story 7.5
Acting/Cast 8.0
Music 5.0
Rewatch Value 5.0
This review may contain spoilers

Guilty pleasure but so brainless

Okay, so I have to admit, there are way too many plot holes here for there to be any coherent story tbh. Most of the things make no sense, are quite brainless and make you lost. Half of the story is just the leads making out (hence, guilty pleasure) but the acting by Jesse and Tian Yang is top notch.

Also, it gets quite repetitive. In the sense, majority of the story entails FL doing stupid shit (one after another) and the ML saving her. There's nothing new. The suspense gets lifted early on, so you're just left wondering as to who will win this game. So many things do not make sense. So, do not watch this for the story.

However, do watch this for the chemistry. The leads are fantastic together and for people out there who seek skinship, this is it. Though, mind you, the romance is also very very toxic and abusive. If it was happening to anyone I know, in real life, I would 100% report it for harassment, lol. Have fun watching, shall you do that!

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Dropped 13/29
My Fated Boy
2 people found this review helpful
Jul 11, 2024
13 of 29 episodes seen
Dropped 4
Overall 2.0
Story 1.0
Acting/Cast 2.0
Music 1.0
Rewatch Value 1.0
This review may contain spoilers

What nonsense; Super cringe, horrible plot and even more horrible is the acting!

Dropped it at Episode 13, so this review is based on that.

First, I seriously do not understand how this drama is rated anything above 7 considering how some literal masterpieces out there get half the attention than this. Also, I see this listed on no-cliches and healthy romance a lot but I would 100% (politely) disagree. This is as trope-y as any average C/K drama. There is an unnecessarily rude and annoying second female lead who does not take no for an answer and harasses the FL. There is also the overdone trope of age which leads to the FL treating the ML like a doormat. Then you have the brooding SML and this unnamed relationship between him and the FL. If that is not trope-y, I don't know what is.

My biggest problem is with the way the FL acts (in general) and treats the ML. The way the FL just keeps on humiliating him, shouting at him, letting her insecurities get the better of her and lashing out at him is too much and no one should tolerate that, especially under the garb of love. Just because you can't deal with your feelings (coherent or incoherent) you do not get the right to take it out on anyone else, which she does again and again. That's just plain abuse.

Also, I've not seen other works of the actress, but I find her acting here to be extremely horrible. In the sequence where she acts drunk early on, I was getting second-hand embarrassment with her poor acting and how she seemed more paedophile trying to attack the guy than drunk.

I regret wasting even a single minute of my time on this show. It is not worth it and I would not recommend this to anyone. I was willing to drop it at Ep 1 but all these positive comments had me thinking maybe it gets better. Almost halfway through, it DID NOT get even 1% better and was such a painful watch throughout.

I'm giving this a 2 only because I enjoyed He Yu's acting quite a lot. He was quite fit for the role, I only wish the role was better. Whenever he was on screen, it became a little bearable.

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Completed
When the Weather Is Fine
0 people found this review helpful
Jul 23, 2024
16 of 16 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 10
Story 10
Acting/Cast 10
Music 9.0
Rewatch Value 10
This review may contain spoilers

I love the calm, the healing and the slow-burn romance this show brings with it.

Mind you, it is a very slow romance, which I’ve realised is not everyone’s cup of tea. So, one might want to keep that in mind going into this show. But slow or not, it is a beautiful story of love, support and healing and I’m all for it. The show uncovers the demons of our two leads and also the supporting characters like the aunt and mother of our female lead and masterfully shows how they deal with them (successfully or unsuccessfully). I also quite like how they keep the show real. They don’t show some magical healing journey where the characters reach enlightenment at the end of the 16-episode journey. In fact, you don’t see many of the characters getting a proper closure in terms of healing, some of them even run from it but that’s what makes it so relatable - just how human it is. Healing is a journey and they have all started on it and that’s wonderful in itself.

I quite like the chemistry between the leads - it seems very awkward and natural at the same time - just how their characters are supposed to be. I like how they are not overpowering with their support for one another and instead give each other the space to heal and grow as they like instead of forcing them to simply move on. Also, while they respect one another, you see them having their own individualities. For instance, the FL does not forgive her ex-friend (very rightly so) but you see the ML maintain cordial relations and conversation with her instead of being mean to her just for the sake of the FL. I like how that depicts a very healthy take on relationships.

I also quite like the ending. While I acknowledge that running away was not the best move for the FL, that definitely happens in real life and it was endearing to watch her grow from it. I also liked how the ML’s feelings are vocalised about the same and how he seems to complain (rightly) yet does not seem to complain. I don’t know if I’m able to explain it, but it is beautiful.

I am not a journaling person but ML’s cute way of journaling definitely has me interested in the idea. It’s so heartwarming and beautiful. Also, random, but absolutely love the name Irene - it matches the aura of the show so well.

Everything about this show is really great and I would highly recommend this to everyone. It is very heartwarming and endearing.

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Completed
Youn's Kitchen Season 2
0 people found this review helpful
Jul 22, 2024
11 of 11 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 10
Story 10
Acting/Cast 10
Music 10
Rewatch Value 10

This has to be without doubt my favourite one of the series.

I actually saw Jinny's Kitchen first because of Wooga Squad and only later watched all the previous versions now that Season 2 of Jinny's is airing. And I have to say after seeing them all (barring Youn's Kitchen 1), this has stood out the most for me. I absolutely loved the subtler product placement than the other seasons and the genuine relationships they formed in the neighbourhood in this season. We saw some great bonds on all the other seasons too, but they were quite commercialised in a way. Here, you saw genuine friendships between the team and locals, the actual work that goes behind running a restaurant and also how they rallied together to make it a success. Also, this has by far been the only one where I saw someone actually react to the food negatively, which made it much more realistic. They are not professionals and are cooking for people with a different taste palette, of course, they will make mistakes. Love how they recover from that first disaster!

I also quite enjoyed the behind-the-scenes and the amazing chemistry between the team. It has been interesting to get an insight into their day other than the restaurant like the washing fairy Yu Mi and running Seo Jun. Also, the beautiful scenery of Tenerife adds to the charm of this variety show.

My favourite episode was the one with the people from the Square Restaurant. Loved the friendship between these two teams!

A must-watch for anyone who likes watching variety shows!

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Completed
The Midnight Romance in Hagwon
0 people found this review helpful
Jul 3, 2024
16 of 16 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 8.5
Story 8.5
Acting/Cast 10
Music 10
Rewatch Value 8.0
This review may contain spoilers

An engaging plot developed alongside a healthy, beautiful romance

Full Disclosure: I watched this show as the new episodes were released and dropped this at Episode 10. It took me over 3 weeks to muster the courage to watch thereafter and completely hated Episode 11. But the redemption thereafter was enough to bring this show back into my list of favourites for various reasons. :)

1. The Aspect of Romance
This show is not for everyone. As a person who absolutely loves slice-of-life dramas and slow-burn romance, this show was absolutely perfect. Furthermore, there were certain aspects I was expecting, knowing the history of this team with shows like One Spring Night (my absolute favourite) and Something in the Rain (a show I eventually put on indefinite hold). I actually never thought that the romance was too little or started only at a particular time because for me even the start had enough romance to build the impactful storyline. Romance for me does not mean only passionate scenes. Supporting one another, respecting one another and having a healthy relationship classify more as romance for me, which is why I loved this one. This is one of those rare East Asian shows where however much I prepared myself for a break-up, it didn't come. No unnecessary fights, ugly breakups, bad second leads or mean in-laws. Just a very healthy, communicative and modern/mature relationship and I'm all for it. Having said that, if you do not like slow-burn romance with stories that have a topic other than the clueless romance, you WILL 100% NOT LIKE this show.

2. Acting by the Actors
I have to say, the acting by everyone was really great here. The villains made me hate them to the core, we saw character development for some really great characters like Mr. Pyo, Ms Nam and Jun Ho. And the chemistry between the main leads was absolutely phenomenal. I am in love with this pairing and I'm so happy with how nicely they've delivered. I was never out of touch with them, even when I was absolutely frustrated with them. I have laughed, cried and enjoyed with these actors and I cannot fault any of them, to be honest, in their acting.

3. OST
One thing I was looking forward to with this show was the tranquil English OST - something this team is well-known for. And my god, did they absolutely deliver. Right out of the park. What a stunning, soothing and peaceful OST collection. I absolutely loved it. I mean, I love Korean/Chinese OSTs so much, but it's so much better when I can actually understand the song and get double the feels in that perfect melody at the time of watching itself instead of googling the translation later.

4. The Storyline
I actually quite enjoyed the story of the show and I believe it was quite decently written and narrated. One, it was a somewhat fresh concept that provides good insights into the education system of Korea - a topic that although covered before, is not mainstream. So, I appreciated the use of a new concept instead of rehashing those same old cliches. Second, I liked how other than the politics, there were no unnecessary tropes in the show like cunning second leads, memory loss, or even mean in-laws. It was a very non-problematic show in that sense and nothing seemed like not needed to me. I also quite liked how all the characters have been written, I enjoyed most of them other than the FL. I also liked how everyone had their individuality and how all the individual stories tied in together. As someone who does not appreciate romance without good plots, I was very very satisfied with the plot here which was strong enough to keep me going and enjoying the romance, I often drop shows with stellar chemistry if the plot is lame af. So clearly, I have a preference for a stronger plot, and this show had just that!

5. Insufferable FL at times
If everything is so nice, then why a lower score? Because of the FL's character. In many instances, I found the FL to be manipulative, cunning and also downright demeaning when it came to the other characters like the ML and Mr Pyo. She was quite narcissistic in her behaviour and as I've said in the comments before came off as insecure about her job. The last part was further corroborated by how she talked about her job in the last episode, and her dissatisfaction with her work was leading her to be hypocritical to others like Mr Pyo, who honestly has been shown to be a great teacher. As for the ML, she has been downright insulting towards him multiple times. And while I call this relationship healthy and mature, it's only because, in reality, such issues do emerge in a relationship. It's how they tackled it together and did not give each other up for their own egos that stood out for me. But that does not mean that how the FL was acting was acceptable in any sense. She was the reason I dropped this show for a while.

6. Ending
Another aspect that leads me to deduct points is the ending. While it was really great and sensible for the main leads, I just do not see how it is a complete ending in any sense for all the other parties involved. As I recently noticed in another show, an open ending is a very different concept from what we see here, which is much more incomplete than open. An open ending is what we had in Marriage Contract where you know all the facts and then leave things to the imagination. But here, so many plot holes remain at the ending that you would be left to imagine so many possibilities on your own to come up with an ending for yourself. That is never a sign of an open ending or a good ending. It just seems super rushed, not well thought out and leaves me with a deep feeling of being robbed of a great drama. You do not know what happened to the two ladies in terms of business since that was the main plot (other than the possible lawsuit part), if the instructors stayed or left, how the academies were impacted, where Jun Ho stands, and so much more. All we know is that the leads are together and she is pursuing her goals. NOT ENOUGH!

All in all, it is a great and entertaining watch that will make you love and hate parts of it at the same time, that is, keep you engaged throughout. My favourite character is Jun Ho (who is so mature and did I say hot) and Mr Pyo (who had the best character development tbh). I have enjoyed both of them thoroughly. The show while had its flaws, is one of the better ones that I've watched. It is a must-watch for everyone who enjoys this genre! Love it!

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Completed
Jinny's Kitchen
0 people found this review helpful
Jun 18, 2024
11 of 11 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 10
Story 10
Acting/Cast 10
Music 10
Rewatch Value 10

My first variety show other than idol shows, and I absolutely loved it!

I have loved every second of this show. From the beautiful shoot to how nicely they've captured the beautiful town and our wonderful cast, it's fantastic.

I like how they always give recipes for whatever they're making so it's a good way to be introduced to Korean food, especially in today's time when more and more people are attracted to kdramas, kpop and Korean culture in general. I also quite enjoyed how they gave whatever Mexican/Latin reference they could find for quite a few dishes/ingredients. Being a fan of Mexican cuisine, I loved that element.

I also quite enjoy the comedy of it all. The entire cast has fantastic comic timing and they never fail to make you laugh with their antics and overacting. Plus all of them are just so good-looking that you never get tired of them having fun, achieving their goals, tricking one another and just enjoying and having fun together.

One specific thing to comment upon, it hits so close to home when in Ep 10 Taehyung says my fans are gonna cry when they see this that I’m all grown up. Having been an Army since their debut days and watching the hyung line always cook for our Tae Tae, I was actually so proud of seeing his growth. So much love for this young man.

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Completed
Fanletter, Please
0 people found this review helpful
May 31, 2024
4 of 4 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 9.5
Story 9.0
Acting/Cast 10
Music 10
Rewatch Value 7.5
This review may contain spoilers

An absolutely heartwarming piece of work

This is a flawless piece of work, and I have enjoyed watching every single second of this show. It has a well developed story with great actors doing justice to their roles. As a Soo Young fangirl, I was so happy to see her act out the role so beautifully.

The story is nice and does not have any never ending tropes or plot holes. Being a short drama, nothing is too stretched out and every minute feels necessary instead of fillers. You won't have to skip to watch a beautiful story between our two leads and the cute child! I also liked the wonderful role the old friend from school plays. Took me two seconds to recognise her though. :P

My only complaint is that because it was only 4 episodes, the last episode (specially the second half) felt quite rushed to me. It could've had 1-2 more episodes. I totally wouldn't mind seeing this adorable couple for another episode. The entire US and return happened so fast that you just don't process much while watching. None the less, a happy and beautiful end for our characters, so, I'm happy. :)

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