I understand how many would rate this drama under 8 but under 5, no. I admit the story had a few gaping holes front and center and I was not a fan of second lead’s story nor of the second FL acting either. However there was substance enough to keep me going till episode 16. More than I can say for Heirs which I dropped at episode 2. I have learned to accept that chaebol tropes will always be unrealistic in terms of how the spoiled kids squander money like it will never run out. If you can see past that then you can see how the heartwarming relationship between the two main leads develop. It was honest, it was raw, it felt real. Their story is like a lost jewel imbedded under piles of loud and colourful confetti, find it and it will capture your attention and if you are no too careful, your heart. The actors did such a great job, they are so cute, love them to bits!

I liked the sensitive and thoughtful top star idol cousin. Why he wanted to go back to busking, if that would even be possible considering his status, is beyond me. I adored the maid, I feel the story could have given her character a more substantial role and screen time. The second FL backstory is unnecessary and confusing (too much wasted screen time) , and I did not care at all for the step mom and sister, not one bit! The confession OST will now be included in my favourite list.

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Something light, something funny, and a lot of SWOON! For me these words best describe the overall feels of this drama. Don’t look for a whole lot of substance because apart from the never ending pressure of becoming the “best of the best” mindset in SK (or anywhere else in the world for that matter I guess) there really isn’t much here. I was initially drawn in by X but the the lovable characters pulled me in and made me stay. Loved the music, the cinematography, the friendship and the natural banter back and forth the main leads the most.

I did not like the almost non-existent character development of ML’s dad nor the rushed development of the father-son relationship. The relationship between the second leads was lacking in chemistry and substance too. I also found the female cop role just auxiliary overall, did not bring any direct impact to the story. In fact, she was just another pretty face added in the mix of already pretty faces. The writer could have made the home room teacher have a stronger personality instead. Like I said, not a lot of substance in the story....but for the entertainment the main leads brought I would not hesitate to recommend this to anybody’s PTW list...this ahjumma is officially now a Kim Se-jeong and Kim Jung-hyuk fan.

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Love how this drama showcased real struggles that teens face, marginalized or not. Some kids are just strong-willed while others need a lot of handholding. I liked how the mother-daughter relationship was so honestly portrayed although I really can’t wrap my head around the reason why mom was so against her daughter’s college education. I find it contradicting that she fought for the principle that her husband is not a selfish person to take his own life and leave his family. She went through hell and high water to prove that his death is the company’s fault, and yet she won’t let her daughter go to college because they would be separated? Isn’t that SELFISH? I sincerely hope the subs may just have lost the real meaning in translation.

I love love the acting! Some folks have mentioned the FL was so disrespectful to mom. I agree she was but that was partly brought about by her frustration. It gives her no excuse to judge mom (the slap from sister is well deserved) but mom should have been more supportive too. How would you feel if your older sibling was given the opportunity and just because unnie chose a different and not so glamorous path that the only one option for a better life was pretty much forced on you? Because of her youth, the FL’s idea of happiness was initially naive and immature, I was glad she concluded that no matter how little happiness it is still happiness in the end, so it’s okay to pursue it for whatever it’s worth. It’s just heartbreaking how many times she broke our sweet ML’s heart in the process.

I DID NOT LIKE the ending, it was definitely rushed. The writer could have easily added another 2 or 4 more episodes. There are so many loose ends that it is confusing! What about Hye Jin? Did Eun Shi ended up in Geoje (she opened her window to the familiar shipyard view in the last scene)? Was she really told not to date the ML? Did mom and the manager just continued hating each other till the end,? The writer did not really show how close her husband was to the manager, I could have understood the mom better if the backstory was told but I guess I could read between the lines. The short-lived happy and sweet couple moments made up for my frustration but if this was real life, I don’t think those two would end up marrying each other.

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This is Justice 101 and if I was professor of the class everyone gets an A+, from the screenwriter to all the runners and behind the scene peeps. This drama is brilliant, thought-provoking, emotion-filled and all around entertaining.

The plot was simple but the storyline was unique. How the writer intertwined one criminal case after the other was flawless. Lead actors were all so fluid but that’s not to say that the supportive cast weren’t. I hated the chief police so much, every time he smirks my blood just boils over and the sweet dad conveyed all his emotions in his eyes and eyebrows, not too many words were needed to know he was in agony.

What’s not to like is more the question for me. The ending perhaps but, there really is no good ending for time travel stories so it’s not a deal breaker for me. Oh, maybe the teeny bit of the love story, felt a bit forced at the end however it was so minor I could overlook it :). In any case, I think it’s safe to say that this drama has littlest number of cliches usually imbedded in kdramas. Justice is served in this one so watch on fellow justice leagu-ers!

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It surprisingly took me over a week to finish this drama. Until the last 5 episodes I find that it just didn’t have the cliffhanger effect that makes me want to hit the next episode button right away. Don’t get me wrong, the plot is very unique and engaging - in a different way. I just find that there was no need to hide under the blankets to cover the tablet’s glare at 2am because it can wait the next day....gah, I mean IT IS YAI ya’ know!

The writer was brilliant at how and where the twists in the story happened, made me think of who did what throughout the drama. I also like how I kept asking who did the FL shot instead of who did she end up with - very smart way of dangling the carrot I’d say. I think my favourite part is the ending, so beautifully done! All emotions were honestly laid on the table for everyone to choose how they will take it. I choose complete satisfaction, very similar to what I feel after savouring every word on the last page of a wonderful book followed by the momentous closing of the cover.

Don’t hate me too much because I, too, am a huge YAI fan but (pause, insert deep sigh) I find the chemistry between him and the FL here is lacking, I had a hard time finding their connection or the “feels” except maybe on the first kiss in the old life . YAI did not disappoint in his “solo” scenes, I especially felt his deep agony looking at the FL’ s pic, he is so torn between love and keeping the organization’s code till the very end. The banter between the two friends is refreshing and feels so real you can feel it, Go Kyung-pyo is adorable as always and couldn’t be a more perfect fit for the role.

The music was perfect, props to the music director, great job!

This drama taught me a lot of Korean history, it made me pause and look up historical facts along the way. I have now added the Japanese embassy in Seoul and sit beside Sonyeosang in my bucket list when I visit SK. If you feel the need of knowing some Korean history in an entertaining way, this drama is for you!

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This drama started really slow for me which was a surprise given that it is only 12 episodes. I wasn’t impressed with the acting in the beginning especially the main lead but as the story continues to unfold I started to understand the characters better and was more forgiving. What I don’t get is how silly Ma Ru can get one minute and then quite deep the next. I have to say though that our San Ma Ru definitely have his heart in the right place, he does not compromise giving him his quiet strength. I love his friend at work :).

Story touched almost all relationships here and at one point or another gives the viewers a peek at their own lives. I took some time reflecting on So So boss’ words about the traveling bag, what’s important and not important to you.... I like the ending, not forced but not hanging either, just right! However, I would really like a side story of the brother and his bride to be ;)

The music is on point and perfect. It was fun, sad, cute all rolled into one. The cinematography was stunning and the director was brilliant in making this drama as if the viewers were walking and enjoying the sights of France themselves. I swear I felt the breeze blow my hair, the smell of the water, the feel and sound of cobblestones under my shoes and the sweet smell of the English flowers including the fermented kimchi ;). France is not in my bucket list but I may just put it in there after watching this drama.

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Stayed for the story of the second lead

While the story is not realistic (or maybe makeup can really make a person’s face beyond recognition?) it was likeable enough. It was interesting at the beginning, started to fall apart somewhere in the middle and by the end it was a mess.

This may be the first kdrama I’ve watched thus far that the secondary characters outshone the main leads. I don’t know what it was that made me cringe at Moon Ga Young’s crying scenes, they were awkward and annoying to be honest. I adore Cha Eun Woo but he really needs to stay away from the cute but angry at the world characters or he will be typecasted. Thank goodness Hwang In Yeop saved this series for me, now he has a bright future in the acting world. Honorable mention in the acting department were the sister and her funny relationship with teacher. The dongsaengs’ in this series were also cute.

Watch if you’ve got nothing else to watch but I promise you there’s so many that’s well worth your 16 hours or so.

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anticlimactic ending

No doubt that this is one gripping and edge of the seat thriller of a drama. I loved how I kept pressing the next episode button after promising the last one was “the” last for the day, it’s been a while that a drama has done that to me. I kept thinking what drama have I watched that has a climax on episode 6 of 16? But it kept getting better and better until episode 14. I thought how much trust does one give back to the relationship after a traumatic reveal of the truth? Let alone how soon do you regain that trust back? Not in a matter of days for sure. Episode 16 to me was a convoluted and a drawn out closure of the characters and ending to the story. This is where less is more would have worked wonderfully.

Lee Joon Gi have always talked with his eyes and FOE is no different. He’s brilliantly good as always but I do feel that he had too many crying scenes here that his artistic rendition lost its steam , it felt forced in the later episodes. Moon Chae Won had her moments, I believed her when she cried but thought she tried too hard when she showed affection to LJG especially during their pre-marriage years. Their daughter was sooo good though. I adored the light moments with Reporter Kim and the even more subtle funny moments with Police Chief and the station gang.

The ending did a good job of making me forget why I got hooked watching this drama in the first place. Usually after the ending episode I would go back to earlier episodes and get my “ahhhh”, “ohhh I see” and “how could I miss that?” moments but this one is the opposite, I would give it a lower rate but because it is LJG and it is honestly a good drama overall I decided to give it a 10. Have at it folks and enjoy the ride.

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Cute and fluffy. This definitely fits the rom-com genre. Nothing too heavy nor thought-provoking here. I have to admit that it’s actually boring at times especially the 2nd couple’s story, it never sparked any interest in me. The main couple though is sooo cute. The female lead may be a little over the top at times but she kept the character real all throughout. The male lead’s nerdiness is just adorable, looking up every little thing online, literally. I am officially impressed with acting chops of the actors. The music is so catchy, it sounds very similar to the current famous tiktok meow meow song.

Have a go at it if you are in the mood for a good laugh.

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Innocent, light and refreshing

This series is a breath of fresh air, literally! The country setting and the vibe of the small rural community brings back memories of summers in my grandparents village. The story revolves around ordinary people with extraordinary hearts. In a time where people are cooped up in tiny spaces and in isolation because of Covid, the camaraderie and warmth of local folks caring for each other, even going out of their way to lend a hand, was heartwarming, refreshing, and hopeful to be honest.

The sport itself is not the most technical so if you want to watch it for the sports side be prepared to be disappointed, however, it would be unfair to judge it only for that. What you will witness instead is the development of friendship that was brought together by the sport and one can tell that this relationship is for keeps! From the awkward first introduction to the proud and trusting faces in the final games, these boys are bonded for life!

The only thing I thought awkward was the dad/coach, I couldn’t quite understand what his role was exactly. It would seem that he’s vested in the team and in the next episode it doesn’t seem like it. This made it hard for me to relate to his character. It seemed like the writer needed a coach but can’t seem to decide if he is to be strict or be the easygoing type and yet the boys needed to get to the final game. That is just my own opinion and in no way reflect his acting ability. Speaking of which, the young cast was just perfect and the acting chops are impressive. The FL, though, I thought was a little on the flat side but maybe this was just her character no? The adults were all good too!

My final say is go and watch this without delay if you like something light, innocent and funny :) Don’t forget to thank me later, lol ;)

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Cute couple but a draggy plot

I have to say the acting chops did not disappoint.! The FL was very good at what her role called for- cute, childish, innocent and immature. It is special talent when an actor plays with the viewers emotions using only a few words and the ML totally nailed this one! In fact his character development is my most favourite part, Lin Yu Shen captivated me throughout the entire series and will now look up his other projects.

I was disappointed with the story itself, there was nothing new and quite frankly I find it draggy especially in the later episodes. The plot for the love triangle was out of the blue, didn’t really do anything for the story except make me feel so sorry for the second lead, he was such a nice guy! This is a typical rich guy, mean mom, poor female cliche so if you hate this trope then you won’t like this one either. What I did like was how the main leads developed their feelings towards each other. I thought that dating in their house was unique and these two sure made it swoon-worthy,

I was really hoping to like this drama given the high ratings and the rave about the chemistry between the leads. I sort of do but not one that I would watch it again. Great OST though and fantastic cinematography especially of the food.

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A pleasant surprise

I was looking for something light and easy to watch and I happen to come across the reviews for this drama so I decided to give it a halfhearted shot. What a nice surprise! The plot is nothing out of the ordinary by any means but the main leads performed the most natural acting I have ever seen for their age and for this kind of genre. They both carried the series with such ease that I found myself cheering for them each time they encounter a conflict or a problematic person. There weren’t too many push and pull with regards to their relationship which is probably why I consider this drama fresh, I particularly like how they respected and handled each other’s personality with the utmost understanding but without the patronizing. The series showed how they gently and patiently earned each others’ trust, emphasis on the gently and patiently, which I don’t see a lot in real life or in other dramas so to speak. It also helped that the character development progressed just at the right pace. While the leads aren’t the most good looking by the industry’s current standards they are the most lovable and endearing faces I’ve watched. I fell in love with their love, if you know what I mean.

If you are looking for a feel good feeling at the end of a drama this one will be it.

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Lots of life lessons

Whew! I just finished E52 and it was quite the ride. I can’t say I love every minute of it because I find the last few episodes were a bit too dramatic for me but I am pleased with the overall story and production. I fell in love with big sister’s romance so much that I would likely rewatch those scenes whenever I need a good laugh. Lee Yoo Ri is the overall winner of this drama, she was such a natural at the funny scenes without even trying but it was her melo/crying scenes that truly showcased her talent. I’d be surprised if she didn’t get any award from this drama. Ryu Soo Young was the perfect actor as her partner, their on-screen chemistry was off the charts! Somehow watching both of them always leave a warm fuzzy feeling in my heart. Every time. The other siblings’ story were so-so while the in-laws provided some comedic touch which I welcomed.

Such a kind father and loving mother with a realistic portrayal of their love to the kids, I think, is what drew most of the viewers here. There’s some screaming but not the loud kind. The drama covered many sub-topics, one of which was bullying and I thought the closure for that was tastefully done. I have not seen so many weddings in one drama but if truth be told I would have liked to see one more added to it, lol!

I would recommend watching this drama but I advise that you do it slowly, don’t rush like I did and you would be guaranteed a satisfying entertainment that you will go back to time and time again.

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Not bad

I am quite surprised how this movie made me feel. The cinematography is not the best but it’s definitely one of the better Filipino ones. While the plot isn’t that unique and the presence of typical Filipino cliches (overbearing mom in the beginning and then apologetic in the end) is somewhat annoying, the actors made up for it. I’m no fan of Filipino dramas/movies, they are longggg and all seemingly have the same theme (rich vs poor) over and over again, plus the unnatural and cringey acting of some makes them so hard to watch. The ML and FL here are surprisingly different. Julia Barretto’s acting skills have improved, more natural, and since this is my first time watching Gerald Anderson act I say that he is actually good. These two were not overacting (well Julia in some scenes but I chose to ignore) and they actually have chemistry that is fun to watch. My hubby actually watched with me and romantic movies are typically a no-no for him, ha!

Good job director, hope to see more of your work!

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Lacking something

I am not quite sure what to say about this drama. The plot overall in in one sense is truly relevant to present times and to a lot of married couples and in another sense it’s ...disjointed for a lack of better word. I have nothing against time travel plots (Signal is one of my 10/10 ) but somehow in this drama it’s just a means to an end for me. Maybe there’s just too many characters who knows about the time travel “secret” that it kind of lost it’s novelty in the middle of the story?

Dislikes: (1) portrayal of mom’s dementia is out of tune with reality. People with dementia forget their past, they do not act like little kids again. They lose their way around, they don’t “escape”. (2) No chemistry between the two main leads and the cringey relationship between the ML and the second wife. (3) don’t hate me but I find the FL acting here as “trying too hard” to be chirpy and energetic but somehow did not meet the mark

Likes: (1) Ji Sung’s acting chops did not disappoint, this guy is talented period. It’s a shame that the projects he’s done (that I’ve seen anyway) doesn’t really give his skills the spotlight it deserves. (2) The teasing of the office crew when they tried to bring the leads together, now that made me laugh silly. (3) The youngest male employee character “Hwan”, this kid portrayed the role impeccably, he’s a natural. (4) The best part I think is the bromance, their friendship was genuine despite of the “betrayal”, the actors were so good I feel that they were just playing with each other on the set during filming.

In summary this drama highlights the working mothers and wives and for that I appreciate the story but it failed to show how marriage is a two way relationship. It just won’t work any other way.

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