I've no idea what happened. I was completely hooked after watching the first 2 episodes - it started with loads of action, tragedy, and steamy excitement! Once Ji Sook started living with Min Woo's family in the SJ home, things started to slow down a bit and got rather repetitive: the villain, Seok Hoon, would threaten or manipulate Ji Sook, Ji Sook would hate it, she'd try to get around him, but ultimately it would backfire, she'd get terrified, and then Seok Hoon got what he wanted anyways, which led him into using her again in his next ploy. It was a vicious cycle that I was willing to witness if it meant that it shaped Ji Sook into a stronger character able to endure such hardship, learn how to play the political game to then stand on her own, amass power, and take down Seok Hoon.

I watched the first 11 episodes with sincere patience in the hopes of witnessing this kind of development, but it still turned out to Ji Sook being terrified and just going along with the villain out of fear over and over again with minimal character development. I was thankful around episode 11 or 12 when it looked like Ji Sook was finally going to fight and I thought, "Yes! This will be her turning point - FINALLY - and she's going to destroy Seok Hoon and take vengeance!" But it fell flat. She fought for a little bit but then regressed and got scared again. All the while, it's implied that Ji Sook and Min Woo were "falling in love"...

But for a melodrama, I was expecting a steamier romance between the 2 MCs but I never really bought into their romance. They didn't appear to have chemistry and so that made it hard to believe their love/interest in each other. They just didn't do enough together to really justify their growing feelings. And they didn't seem to get emotionally involved with EACH OTHER to really illustrate their "growing" feelings for each other. It felt superficial.

In the end, the take down of Seok Hoon was okay but I had envisioned something more climactic. And the ending was dragged out over 3 episodes, but not much of anything happened during that time, so it didn't feel satisfying. Seok Hoon didn't get what was coming to him until the very end of the last episode which was super anticlimactic.
Also, involving Mi Yeon as a petty villain in the final stretches of the drama was really annoying and frustrating to me. She really loved her brother, Min Woo, but her chronic habit to be blind to her husband's (Seok Hoon) evil and treachery was baffling. According to how Mi Yeon and Seok Hoon were portrayed, she didn't really love her husband, she was in-love with the idea of someone loving her (and if her character was really supposed to love him, they did a poor job writing their relationship). My point is, Mi Yeon wanting to protect Min Woo, but also trying to terrorize Ji Sook makes no sense - she knew Min Woo "loved" Ji Sook and that Ji Sook was just trying to protect Min Woo so her malicious interference is contradictory. That was messy and just another "twist" planted with no real purpose. And then they killed off Mi Yeon, which I did NOT see coming. 0.o

And how could Min Woo's father, President Choi, and step-mother be so completely oblivious to what was going on the whole time?! They all lived in the same home and President Choi had to have many resources at his disposal as president of a huge conglomerate, there's just no way he's that dumb. That was just another plot convenience that got on my nerves by the very end.

Overall, I had high hopes for this drama, having over an 8 rating on MDL and such promising reviews and trailers. People seemed to really eat up this drama. But I don't see it. I wanted to enjoy it, but for me to overall enjoy it, the second half of the drama desperately needed to pack a bigger punch. Ji Sook needed to get smarter, amass more power of her own, and take down Seok Hoon (slowly would have been fine if it meant that we got to satisfyingly see his world crumble slowly). Ji Sook's lack of concrete character development as well as poor writing of the romance between Ji Sook and Min Woo are what ultimately bring this drama down. Even Seok Hoon, the villain, was not well flushed out - his desire for vengeance was rather superficial (all over the fact that President Choi smiled at his mother's funeral...really? That's it?).

So anyways, no, I would not recommend this melodrama - the ending, while having a "happy" epilogue in the very end for the 2 MC's, the journey to get there lacked the oomph to make it worth the emotional investment.

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I really enjoyed Love in the Moonlight and I was very glad that I finally got around the watching it. The plot was fun, but had some serious pieces to it. The pacing was good and the OST was WONDERFUL! The OST song, I Miss You is literally one of my new favorite songs to hum just because of how beautiful it is.

Toward the end of the drama series, I bawled for 1 specific character, but I absolutely love how the writers redeemed themselves for my heartbreak. The ending was very neat and tied up well.

This was the first drama I have seen with Park Bo Gum and I found his acting to be very nice to watch. He isn't my favorite actor, but he is a really good actor. The way he smiled at the female lead would just melt my heart. The chemistry between both MC's was absolutely there and the way they could "speak" to each other with their eyes was sweet and believable.
Kim Byung Yeon was my absolute favorite character - he was the dark, mysterious, brooding character and I simply couldn't get enough of him!

I know some reviewers found Love in the Moonlight to be an amateur historical drama for beginning K-drama watchers, but please don't let those reviews deter or dissuade you from picking up this drama. It was well-paced with sweet romantic elements as well as the political side of things without being too serious or cruel.

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Sang Goo's character development makes it worth the watch

Move to Heaven was just an okay drama for me. The plot moved at a consistently slow pace because the story for the main characters was regularly interrupted with each episode's sub-plot for the trauma cleaning service.

I was most interested in the story of the uncle, Sang Goo - his history with the cage fighting and his pupil, and then his history with his older brother, Han Geu Ru's father, were interesting to me. These curiosities were well satisfied, but I found that some of the characters were lacking - Na Moo and Yu Rim (the social worker) were the potential love interests for Geu Ru and Sang Goo, respectively, but they wasn't developed really at all. Madam Jung also wasn't caught in the end - satisfaction-wise, this was not okay for me as the viewer.
I also found the ending to be a bit frustrating - it's obviously left open because Netflix wants the possibility of a season 2, but it's ambiguity was not appreciated.

Overall, I was not expecting the kind of drama I got from Move to Heaven - the tone was much sadder than I had anticipated, especially based on teaser trailers. There weren't laugh-out-loud moments (maybe just moments that made me smile here and there?). But at the same time, I didn't actually cry with this drama, nor did my chest ache for the characters, which I'm completely surprised by...I think this story just failed to move me the way I had anticipated. It's a quick drama to watch and the character development for Sang Goo was definitely worth the watch!

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I really liked the beginning of this drama, but when the plot completely twisted with Cha Yool Mu, I had trouble remaining motivated to watch. I simply didn't like him as the antagonist (even though it's loosely based on historical context). His character change/reveal drastically changed the tone of the drama in a way I simply didn't enjoy nor find pleasant. I struggled getting through episodes 20ish through 31 - episode 32 as a finale was pretty nice. I didn't see the final plot twist with Cha Yool Mu either - well played. :D

Overall, I genuinely enjoyed the first 2/3 of this drama much more than the last 1/3 (though the last episode wrapped things up nicely, with the balance I found so enjoyable in the first 2/3 of the story). The first 2/3 were entertainingly comedic with cute relationships building. The last 1/3 was much darker with all the fighting over the thrown and people trying to take their revenge, which makes logical sense, but I missed the light antics from the series that seemed to be lost in the political struggles towards the end.

The OST was pleasant. Actors were also enjoyable, but no one really stood out to me one way or another. I'll likely never rewatch this drama, especially with how difficult it was for me to finish the last couple of episodes. Would I recommend it? Hmmm. It wasn't a bad drama... If the trailers intrigue you, give it a shot, if they don't, I don't necessarily think you're missing anything.

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I ended up watching You Drive Me Crazy because I was kind of in a slump with what I should watch next and I wasn't impressed honestly. I think the story had a lot of potential to be so much more, but it just didn't meet those expectations for me. I know that this was supposed to be a slice-of-life with no-insta love, which I was totally cool with, but I don't think their was enough plot there. We barely got to really understand how close the characters really were, so their relationship was kind of abrupt. The romance was okay, but it was the ending with the 1 year gap that kind of felt like a cop out to me and overall unrealistic. The pacing wasn't too slow but it just wasn't quite what I wanted either. I was expecting 4, 1 hour long episodes, not 4, 30 minute long episodes (I know, I should have checked first)....why didn't they just make this a movie if it was going to total to 2 hours anyways? I think as a movie it would have probably been executed smoother rather than breaking everything up over 4 episodes. I wasn't disappointed in the drama nor do I regret watching it, but it's not something I would rewatch or recommend either.

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I'm not really sure what got me interested in My Golden Life, but man oh man am I disappointed in how it turned out. I knew some people who watched it and said they enjoyed it, there were a majority of good reviews, and it was available on Viki, so I decided to give it a shot.
So many regrets. I wish I had listened to my gut and dropped it around episode 35-38 - I wasn't fond of where I saw the plot going. My mother, who started watching My Golden Life with me around episode 25 was thoroughly hooked and convinced me to continue watching it with her because she wanted to see how it turned out. *sigh* I really should have dropped it.

Honestly, there's too much wrong with this drama to be able to explain them all here. In a summary, the biggest issue was that there were too many sub-plots that weren't concluded by the end of the series (the relationship between the grandfather and grandson of HaeSung, the relationship between Ji Soo and her biological parents, the relationship between Ji Ho and Seo Hyeon, the relationship between Ji Soo and the Baker, the relationship between Ji Soo and the Baker's wife, how Do Gyeong's secretary's mother/family were doing now that he was successful, how Ji Tae and Soo Ah were doing with their careers now that they "moved", the relationship between Ji An and Do Gyeong's mother, the relationship between Ji An and Do Gyeong, all the stories for the friends who lived in the sharehouse, such as, Yong Gook. These loose ends might seem unnecessary to wrap up, and while there were *some* glimpses of slight implications as to how SOME of these characters turned out, there wasn't nearly enough wrap up. They jump ahead a year and just expect us to swallow that all these characters have moved on and are "fine". Well, I'm sorry, but I can't just accept that. For a 52 episode drama, when you're investing so much time and emotion into it, the directors should have most definitely dedicated more energy into making sure each introduced character was given closure due to them to help leave the viewers with some satisfaction after finishing the last episode. The ending felt incomplete.

Another thing worth noting that bothered me the most in regards to plot development/characterization was that the father, Seo Tae Soo had an extremely poorly written character. I adored him in the beginning (first 25-30 episodes), but after Ji An moved back to Seoul and he found her and went into his depression and became bitter because he felt "betrayed" was nonsense. Sure, after shit hit the fan with everything that happened with the HaeSung family, their family being chaotic and having marital problems makes sense and would be reasonable. But dragging out his nastiness was absolutely OUT OF CHARACTER, distasteful, and unnecessary (it goes on for about 10-15 episodes!). With everything learned about him prior to that point, he was a very understanding, supportive, and loving man. His character shift didn't make logical sense, especially to the extreme and length of time it lasted. Additionally, his tragic end was just insulting. Dangling hope but still having a sad ending for him was insulting and all I could do was shake my head.

The only other thing that I really feel worth mentioning is the fact that Ji Ho and Seo Hyeon not ending up together is really upsetting and unfair. They should have been a happy couple. They were really my favorite characters to watch and they complimented each other so well. And Seo Hyeon really was looking like she'd rebel because of the lack of attention and affection she was receiving, but NOTHING. She went forgotten, by both her parents AND the writers of this drama. It was a disservice to such a sweet and capable character.

The OST *was* particularly note-worthy and will likely make it onto my playlist.

I would NOT recommend this drama to anyone, unless they've seen ALL the other long family dramas and are absolutely bored and have nothing but time on their hands. For me, it was a waste of time - the drama loses control, direction, timing, and organization around episode 35. They tried to refocus in the end, but it was already too late. Please note, there WERE some good times and there were things that I enjoyed seeing, but the poor resolutions written in this drama outweigh the drama's good points.
In the future, before starting a terribly long drama, I will give more attention to reading the reviews and spoilers to determine if I want to invest myself into such a drama. Unfortunately, it's dramas like this one that give a bad reputation to long family dramas and cause so many people to be weary and hesitant/intimated by them. I'll be keeping my fingers crossed for a better one in the future...

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An under-appreciated, family-oriented drama

The Great Show is a very wholesome drama. It is very family centered and the ending was really perfect - it was strong and wasn't dragged out at all! I mean, it was paced so well that poor Wie Dae Han can NEVER catch a break! There's never a dull moment with this drama. XD

For those of you who are interested in romance: there wasn't really any development of romance the way a normal rom-com does. Wie Dae Han and Jung Soo Hyun dated briefly about 15 years prior to the beginning of the story but she disappeared abruptly due to a tragic incident in her family. They bump into each other at the beginning of the drama and they both still have feelings for each other, but neither of them focus on their feelings for each other actively because the orphaned children take such priority.

Jung Soo Hyun sincerely cares for all of Wie Dae Han's new children, but specifically grows very attached to Wie Dae Han's oldest daughter, who ends up being pregnant, which obviously complicates the story since she's only a high school senior. The story's main focus ends up being about how Wie Dae Han and Jung Soo Hyun (and her parents) support each other and become a family unit - the oldest daughter with her pregnancy (and integrating her boyfriend into the family), the teenage son going thru his angst, the youngest siblings (twins) adjusting to their new life, Wie Dae Han trying to fix his career as a politician, and Jung Soo Hyun trying to support her parents who run a restaurant in the old market.

Through the drama, Wie Dae Han and Jung Soo Hyun become close because their lives and emotions continued to entangle while taking care of the kids. By the end of the story, it's implied that they're together but there's no kiss or romantic confession. But honestly, I was fine with the way their "romance" was handled. I really liked how they took care of the kids FOR the kids and they cheered each other on and supported each other selflessly.

I personally found The Great Show to be refreshing, even if some parts were predictable. It wasn't over fluffed with forced romance and instead it's focus was all about family. I really liked how the oldest daughter was pregnant (as a senior in high school) and decided with her boyfriend to keep the baby. The baby's father adores her and takes care of her and her younger siblings throughout the whole story. It was so nice that he didn't turn into a shallow character that ran away or did something shady just because things got complicated with the prospect of having a baby. The story didn't romanticize teenage pregnancy, it just presented that if you have a strong family unit, it's possible for things to work out.

Upon reading the synopsis, The Great Show definitely appears like the story revolves around a shallow man using children for his political career, presented with slapstick comedy. And yes, maybe the first 5 episodes, Wie Dae Han is doing some pretty immoral things, but he sincerely changes and does right by his family. He grows to love them so much that it breaks his heart. He's ready to throw out his own dreams to protect his kids and *that* is what made this drama so worth watching.

OST - I wasn't a fan of the opening song (it has a circus feel to it), but it enjoyed all of the other music. They were all pleasant sounding, catchy, and felt endearing in tone, which matched the drama very well. Wing It by HoooW was probably my favorite.

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I don't usually watch any dramas other than K-dramas, but the trailer for Dr. Cutie was very enticing! I enjoyed the drama, but it definitely isn't perfect. This drama is EXTRA CHEESY and the acting is really not good at all. The silly moments are overly exaggerated (goes beyond slapstick comedy), the crying/tragic(ish) scenes aren't convincing - the facial expressions associated with strong emotions were not expressed authentically by the actors. In this sense, Dr. Cutie felt truly inferior to K-dramas.

So why did I continue watching Dr. Cutie when the acting was so lacking? Because in all honesty, I found the plot intriguing, the pacing excellent, the OST enjoyable and well-fitting, and the overall drama to NOT be bloody or violent (which is not a common quality of historicals).

I also found that even though the facial expressions were forced and the overall acting needs sincere improvement, the writers did a good job developing and portraying the development of romantic relations between Commander Ji Heng and Tian Qi. Their relationship was not rushed and the overall change in Commander Ji Heng was well paced.

What I didn't like in regards to the romance was how Commander Ji Heng's brother, Ji Zheng was shoved into their romance to create a love-triangle. I was initially okay with it when Ji Zheng bowed out of the triangle, but then he discovered that tragic secret and decided he too was going to seek out revenge. I don't like being yo-yoed back and forth with plots like this...I actually really appreciated that the brothers had such a close relationship and that he was initially graceful in recognizing and sincerely wanting his brother and Tian Qi to be happy. By forcing the love-triangle a second time in the plot, it ruined his character for me and added an unnecessary squabble which could have been used to deepen the larger villain plot.

Which brings me to my next point - the mountain village villain felt really flimsy. The mountain village survivors had been playing a role through the entire drama, which I thought was great, because it would lead to what I anticipated to be a well though-out overarching villain plot. But by the end, we didn't really get anything specific about what went down at the mountain village to help viewers understand the deep ploy for revenge by their survivors. The time used to shove the love-triangle into the story a second time should have been replaced with these details in my opinion.

While I was dissatisfied with the above criticisms, I really appreciated how Commander Ji Heng's mother was written to be remorseful and NOT inherently evil - she even apologized in the end! She wasn't constantly scheming for her own purposes and she genuinely loved her sons and recognized when her desires could ultimately make her sons unhappy and stepped back to allow them to handle it themselves. This really sat well with me. This is so uncommon to see in any drama that it was refreshing!

In the end, I'm overall disappointed with the ending due to how it was executed. I didn't like how Tian Qi stabbed Commander Ji Heng (which was around the same time Ji Zheng's character also started to deteriorate for me). While she thought she was exacting her revenge with Ji Heng admitting to being responsible for her childhood tragedy, once the truth is revealed in the very end, she doesn't admit to her mistake and betrayal. So in the end, where Ji Heng is essentially trying to win back her affections to make their happily-ever-after, I personally feel like in the least, Tian Qi should have been trying to win him back too. Yes, I know he felt responsible and felt like he deserved Tian Qi's revenge, but at the end of the day, her love was not unconditional for him the way his was for her (you know, for example, when he discovered she was a girl and should have had her reported and executed and didn't).

But again, what kept me watching this drama even though I found the ending execution of plot particularly flawed, was the excellent pacing (even the ending epilogue was not rushed!), the great build up in tension between Tian Qi and Ji Heng, and the overall message that revenge is not something that is necessarily clean-cut as we would like.

I would likely not rewatch this drama, particularly because the acting is so incredibly cheesy compared to having so many other better quality dramas available to steal my attention. But I don't think it was overall bad either. There were definitely moments that had my chest tight with anxiety/sadness for the characters and there were some seriously beautiful fangirl-worthy moments (thank you Huang Jun Jie for being so handsome, especially in costume!).

My best advice if you are trying to decide to watch this: if you like relatively casual historical dramas that include cross-dressing heroines, love-triangles, and aren't too tragic/violent, this will fit the bill, even if not the best acting quality!

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Predictable but entertaining

I sincerely enjoyed this drama. As usual, I only really picked it up because I saw a funny clip from it and impulsively decided that I needed to watch it.

The drama is well balanced in tones - it maintains humor, mild mystery/thriller, and romance very well. At no point did it become too dark or too sad without some comic or romantic reprieve.

There *is* a small love triangle and Soo Chang *does* get kind of petty out of jealousy, but it wasn't dragged out terribly long, thankfully, because I could have seen myself getting annoyed with both these factors.

The story is very predictable - I knew who the murderer was behind all the "mystery murderer" cases when the character was first introduced. I also knew how the ending would generally play out. But while Two Cops was predictable, it was particularly enjoyable. I did not find myself bored even though I had a pretty good idea as to what would happen.

This is directly due to the fact that Soo Chang's character was particularly entertaining when he was in Dong Tak's body (so really, I found Jo Jung Suk to be a great actor portraying 2 different characters!). The dynamics between Dong Tak and Soo Chang was also pretty hilarious (with Dong Tak having relative meltdowns thinking he was crazy being frickin hilarious!). And I also really enjoyed seeing all of the "gangsters" and "thugs" become sidekicks to the investigations. They were pretty cute! Even the side stories were pleasant to watch (Ko Bong Sook and Dokgo for example).

Overall, this drama was well paced and a great balance of tones and genres, even if relatively predictable. Not the best drama of it's genres out there, but worth the watch for sure! Also, Jo Jung Suk and Hyeri have some HOT kisses - I'd love to see them as main leads in another romantic relationship in the future!

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So I've been procrastinating to watch this because it looked kind of scary, but my husband wanted to watch it and my mother was dying to see Gong Yoo (her favorite Korean actor) in something new, so we finally sat down to watch it....in broad daylight. ;P And I actually really liked it! My mother had a heart attack about 10 times while watching but my husband helped keep the atmosphere much lighter by cracking jokes throughout the movie.
It wasn't *as* scary as I thought I'd be but it still had more scary moments than I usually go for in a movie (if you've read my other reviews, you'll know that I'm not usually a fan of horror/scary stuff). I think the plot was pretty well written and the acting was pretty great. I also think it's superrrrr f-ed up that the bus-rider CEO literally was responsible for EVERYONE who died. He was soooo selfish and self-centered. If he had just been more caring and less self-serving, everyone would have been fine. Personally, I think Gong Yoo should have ringed his neck from he beginning to save everyone.
The little girl singing the song in the end which helps the military realize that they're actually humans was soooo tragically sweet - that part really stuck out to me.
Overall, I liked it! I'm not sure if I'd ever watch it again, but I definitely thought it was a well done movie!
It also had a lot of famous actors in it, which I didn't realize so that was nice.

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So I ended up watching this all in one sitting and didn't expect to get so severely hooked to the story, characters, actors, and OST. The OST was refreshing and upbeat, which kept me tapping my foot to the beat while watching without being annoying. I really enjoyed the opening song too! Seeing all the actors smile to the camera along with the song had me smiling too for some reason! I also didn't know so many actors I thoroughly enjoy were in this one drama, specifically, Kim Min Jae, Lee Yi Kyung (after seeing him in Go Back Couple and Euchalala Waikiki, I'll watch anything he's in!), Cho Hye Jung, and Choi Min Ho. After seeing all these familiar faces in just the first episode, I new I'd absolutely love something about the drama. By the end of the drama, I was left with some mixed feelings because there are some things that I wish were done just a little differently OR as least clarify some things by creating a sequel.

I was so relieved and happy that the love triangle ended in the way it did, but I was also sad for the guy that didn't get the girl. I think I would have been left more satisfied if he had gotten some kind of happy ending rather than just him moving on in a bittersweet way. What made me so happy though about the love triangle resolution was that for once, the heroine wasn't jumping back and forth between men - she knew who she wanted and stuck to him and remained faithful through and through. And I respect the writers and the girl for that fact immensely. I think the writers could have simply improved the story (maybe by making the drama a little longer or making a sequel) by giving the other guy his own happy ending. Something else I'd have liked to see was the side character's relationship blossom too. Those are the reasons this drama didn't get a 10/10 from me - I think there were some areas it could have been improved to take it up to a higher level of satisfying.

Since it was such a quick watch and overall a good story, I'll probably rewatch it some day. An important thing to note is that this drama isn't really plot driven, but rather character driven, which I usually don't like. But for some reason, this story was written in such a straight-forward and quick-paced manner that I found it satisfying to (binge) watch.

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Healer is a very good drama and Ji Chang Wook is a GREAT actor! The plot is interesting and the story is really moving. It does take a couple episodes to really get into the story, but once you meet Ahjumma and get to know both our MC's, it flows so much better. Honestly, I was more interested in the romance and relationship between the MC's rather than the mystery behind their parents and the group of friends from 20 years prior. The ending was super dooper sweet and cute, which left me super satisfied. I will probably watch again, but not necessarily soon. I really liked the comedy intertwined in the series. Beware: the plot may seem straight forward but it only continues to thicken.

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Unexpectedly golden!

I watched this movie with low expectations because it looked funny. But about half way through I realized that this was an unexpectedly great movie!

The 2 main characters are a humorous pair - unexpected best friends who have each other's backs, through serious and dumb situations. :D

I love how the 2 main characters weren't really sure what they wanted to do with their lives, but by the end of the movie, they found their passion through the events of the plot. The ending was perfect. Bittersweet, but perfect.

The action was so well choreographed and the soundtrack was good too!
The actors in this movie were all well suited for their roles - absolutely on complaints from me there either. XD

I 100% recommend this movie to people who enjoy action and/or investigation themed stories - it's fast paced, action-packed, and has a great moral to the story. An impeccably satisfying watch!

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Took me a while to get through, but I kept coming back :D

It's a really good thing if: a drama is long and therefore I don't necessarily binge watch it in one sitting, BUT over the course of *months* I keep coming back to watch more. I am one of those people where if I step away from a drama, it's highly likely that I'll never get back to it - it's a bad habit that'd I'd like to fix, but it's an honest truth. With The Long Ballad though, I would watch a couple episodes, then take a month break, and then I'd watch 10 episodes, and then take a week break. It had no rhyme/reason, but the point is, I *wanted* to come back to it, which is a huge deal for me. A testament of the strength in the story, acting, and effects.

On a whole, Chinese dramas tend to be a bit slower paced and it takes a while to get into the story - it's the same here. The first 10 episodes had some dull moments that made me wonder if I really wanted to continue watching this drama. But then things really take off. Personally, my favorite arc was when Changge was taken to live in the Eagle Division - the tensions, the plotting! It had me at the edge of my seat!

While I obviously loved our MCs, Changge and Sun ( *v* ), I really liked the supporting cast too. Leyan had such a beautiful metamorphosis that had me in tears. Sher also had a tragic transformation that was sad, but necessary and satisfying.
My favorite character dynamic to see resolved was the animosity Changge held toward her uncle, Li Shimin. The way Li Shimin cared for his niece throughout the drama broke my heart and when their relationship is finally repaired, I was so satisfied!

The OST was great - I WANTED to watch the intro and closing song just to listen to the music! All of the accompanying instrumentals were fantastic too - they were perfect and building the emotion in the moment.

The biggest drawback of the very good, The Long Ballad is that it's LONG and there's not much skinship at all. Some parts of the drama are not as exciting or thrilling as others, but they're all necessary to the overall story, so pay attention!
I would recommend The Long Ballad to those who enjoy historicals with some romance and have the patience for longer dramas.

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Casual, entertaining, family drama - not heavy with melodrama

I feel really torn as how to rate this drama because there were characters that I really adored and then parts of the story that I simply did not enjoy and could have done without. With the drama being 100 episodes (50+ hours!), it makes it even more difficult to give it a fair rating reflective of the overall drama. I have settled on a 7.5, not because it wasn't very enjoyable, but because it simply wasn't perfect - if I were to rewatch this drama, I would only watch for the characters/parts of the story I liked and skip through the rest.

My absolute favorite thing from this entire drama was the relationship between the Yoon doctor brothers - Yoon Gyu Jin and Yoon Jae Suk. These brothers are the epitome of what it is to be a sibling; you love each other, but show it in the oddest ways, bickering like children every chance you can. If you are a sibling, you will definitely associate with these siblings. They cracked me up with their antics, while simultaneously leaving me full and happy with the authenticity of their sibling relationship. The way the writers wrote their relationship dynamics were perfect. I could watch a drama just about them and their lives and be so very happy and entertained.

I also really enjoyed Kang Cho Yeon. Yes, she was very much a bull-in-a-China-shop, but finding her family really helped mellow her out and she became so much more beautiful because you could really tell she became happy. And while I felt her and Song Young Dal recognizing each other as siblings was a bit drawn out in the plot, it was still wonderful once finally established. Seeing everyone together as a huge happy family was really satisfying.

In regards to the romance in this drama (there were a CRAP TON of pairings) I think the couple that carried this drama was the doctor couple, Song Na Hee and Yoon Gyu Jin. They were a couple with serious issues in the beginning even though they still sincerely loved each other (buried deep beneath all the accumulated miscommunication and resentment). Over the 100 episodes, they grew and changed to take care of each other, learning how to love each other again. It was a really well written evolution between the two of them. Their story was what I really kept watching this drama for. I just needed to know how things unfolded for them.

So, the things I didn't like? Hmm. To keep it brief and general:
I felt like some of the romantic pairings were rushed and therefore had no real substance to their attraction. I also felt like some of the romantic pairings were alluded to, but were never confirmed on screen (which, as you can imagine, is super frustrating when you have invested so much time). And then I felt that some of the romantic pairings were simply all wrong and they shouldn't have been put together at all. There were also some characters that I just didn't like, even if the writers tried to "redeem" them. These might seem like small things, but when there are so many romantic pairings, characters, and episodes, these flaws build up into a larger mass of dissatisfaction. Perhaps I'm being too picky, especially for a family drama?

There's so much more I can say about this drama in regards to specific details, but these were the important parts that really stood out to me. The things I loved, mentioned above, were obviously enough to keep me invested in watching all 100 episodes, regardless of character/relationship/plot flaws. I wouldn't necessarily recommend to binge watch Once Again, but I would recommend watching it with a buddy, as I did. Having someone to bounce thoughts off of while casually watching Once Again was the perfect way to enjoy this drama without taking it too terribly seriously. While my 7.5 rating appears mediocre, please recognize that due to the nature of longer family dramas, it is rather inevitable that the story is a bit messier and therefore, not flawless, but enjoyable all the same. If you enjoy family dramas, I would say, give it a chance - there's nothing too heavy or melodramatic in this family drama, which I think makes it a safe family drama selection.

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