Amazing series! A must watch!

This series is truly breathtaking and keeps you in the edge throughout the whole run.

Every actor in this series have delivered in the most impeccable manner and no one falls short in delivering. Yet, a special shout-out to the two main actors (Shin Ha Kyun and Yeo Jin Goo) must be given for their baeksang worthy performance. The bromance are intricately developed and I like how their relationship develop throughout the series.

I truly love this series because there are no unnecessary romance or any unnecessary theme, and the darkness in the story is carried out without being cheap or silly.

It drags during the first episode but after that it has been nothing but a gift that keeps on giving. I will definitely rewatch this series, and as much as I'm wishing for another sequel, the series has given us a truly satisfying ending.

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Characters are annoying

I came to watch this expecting to like it. But, Nagisa is an extremely toxic person.

Instead, I'm just amazed at how irresponsible and entitled Nagisa is. I can't help fuming at him the whole series.

In my opinion, the wife and Shun are both victims of Nagisa's selfishness which I find extremely horrible. I understand that he is also a flawed and insecure human being but I felt bad for Rena and Shun for having to deal with the aftermath, especially Sora as well.

If he wanted to marry someone, he should have been completely open with her instead of deceiving her all along and divorcing only after he has Sora. Shun is also only treated as a second option, something Nagisa only considers when he has no one left. That's a romance I simply cannot root for, because I felt bad for Shun for having to live with someone like that.

Horrible show that left a bad taste after watching it.

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Masterpiece

When I started this drama, I remember watching it non-stop because I was sucked into the story like nothing else.

I learned to love all the characters, who acted very well and appreciate the nuances in each of them. The storywriter is absolutely brilliant, and I find myself on the edge of my seat all the time when watching this- I think after all, this drama helps to teach the most important lesson of all- to not be afraid of change and stop suppressing one's own feeling.

Oftentime, people tried to ignore their feelings in order to keep the peace and status-quo they are having at that moment. While it might not seem bad in first glance, it resulted in a lot of buried emotions and feelings that is like a ticking time bomb.

It's one of those dramas that kept you wanting for more, and absolutely something that each family must watch.

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Scary but brilliant

This movie is one of those movie that can make you squeamish and helpless, especially since the background felt as if it was a living character, as if you are watching while expecting an impending horrible car crash about to happen.

The ambience and the music is absolutely wonderful, and the cinematography is brilliant. "Eden Studio", the place where the main character lived in, is a horrible place and the series did a great job in showing it. It emphasizes the feelings of the main character towards a place, including its dingy walls and dirty background, as well as the offensive and the mentally unsound inhabitants. In a sense, Eden studio is like one character encapsulating the helplessness of the main character's flight.

Throughout the series, I sometimes find it hard to watch because I felt really bad for the main character. He is someone who has a lot of pride, and struggles to make his bread due to his literary career and would feel relatable to everyone starting out in life. We can see how he is a flawed character with a lot of anger and suppressed feeling as he grew increasingly isolated in the place he lived in, with his girlfriend treating him coldly and his coworkers bullying and humiliating him. Moreover, his only place of solace, Eden studio further exacerbates this condition by being so claustrophobic and morally unsafe.

The way the movie is set is like a horror movie, with a lot of suspense as you await the main character's unraveling sanity and the evil that exist in the studio.

Lee Dong Wook's acting is superb, it is amazing how he is able to be so creepy while still being so charismatic and handsome. I especially like the interactions between him and the main character and how he is trying to mold the main character into him. However, the situation the main character is put in is similar to how a toxic relationship works- he is isolated and was gaslighted several times (by the inhabitants and his own girlfriend), and was made to question whether he is overthinking and overly sensitive, and each of his step is controlled (as he had no financial independence).

It is a very good psychological drama in all aspects, and bordering that of a horror movie.

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Amazing story and characters

This is one of the best drama I've watched.

I love most of the characters, but mostly Park Moo Yul and Choi Chi Hoon. I like how the series used a lot of symbolism and analogies to discuss the prevailing question of whether a monster is born or raised. The acting of all the actors are superb and the characters are deep and complex, each with their own trauma and psychological issues.

There are a few plot holes but I'm willing to look over it to ponder the story further. The pacing might be a bit slow and I almost wanted to drop it during the first episode but I'm glad I continued as this series is one of the most memorable one I've ever watched.

I also think that the cinematography and music is beautiful, and the story has a beautiful ambience found in no other place.

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A story filled with lessons

This series is like an emotional rollercoaster.

I almost dropped it when I was watching the first two episodes, and if you're having the same thought as me- don't do it.

It gets immediately interesting after Park Hyeong Soo (Kim Woo Bin) showed up.

The relationship between the two main characters are a delight and there's a lot of bromance. The lack of generic romance is great as it keeps the focus on the main education issues.

But, I also adore the relationship between the two teachers, even though the female teacher is a bit annoying at first. I am quite sure Kang Se Chan has a crush on the female teacher.

I like how the series discusses issues such as bullying, child neglect, momager, and even suicide through two people with completely different standpoint, with the two characters gradually learning more and more of each other.

It's a must-watch series for those who like school dramas and this has a lot of complexity in term of character development, though admittedly some scenes are simply too much or unrealistic (like they should have handled On Jung Ho better) and I am so frustrated when there are misunderstandings arising from people who refuse to speak up.

Overall, an amazing series.

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Not for the faint of heart, but a true masterpiece

It's one of the dramas where the drama is actually better than the novel.

If you're looking for a dark psychological drama where the thrill never ends, this is it.

I remember watching this drama years ago, but it still remained my favorite Japanese drama of all times. The acting of the casts (even when they were kids) were absolutely wonderful and I remember sitting in the edge fearing for the leads at all times. A lot of things could actually have been avoided had they not pile up secrets after secrets, which end up swallowing them in a quagmire of despair and could also cause you to pull your own hair in frustration.

But, what the characters did are understandable when you look at it from their perspective. There are times where I felt really bad for the ML but the FL and ML are truly horrible and broken but relatable people, which makes this an enchanting psychological thriller and emotional rollercoaster. Haruka Ayase shone really well in this series, and she portrayed Yukiho really well as a flawed, selfish, independent, perfectionist woman who seemed to be envious and heartless but at the end still relatable. I half despise and related with her at the same time. I also really like the detective character (despite how he is sometimes annoying) as he is after all, a part of their journey, and a necessary plot-mover.

It's a series where you can't help but understand the troubles of each character and where you'd eventually think that it's all just a result of bad decisions and ugly circumstances. Story can sometimes be too coincidental and unrealistic, but still good and well-paced.

This drama made me cry a lot because it has lots of moving scenes and wonderful acting. I like the references to Gone with the wind and the poetic beauty of the series but it becomes a little too much sometimes and because the FL is nothing like Scarlet except for her realism and selfishness (let alone the male lead, who the series try to portray as Rhett, but instead is an Ashley at best).

This is not a drama you should watch when you're depressed because its dark. But, it's a drama with a good lesson in it, and that is to be honest and pay for your sins instead of running away from it.

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Heartwarming and meaningful

I really like this drama and it's a shame there are no reviews.

When I started this drama, I never thought I would like it this much.

I like how unlike normal legal dramas, it deals with something as mundane as divorce but makes each episode fresh and deal with an important lesson in being a better person and a more understanding person in general. The main character is a classic impatient, ambitious, strong female lawyer who is betrayed by her colleague (who I suspect she has a crush on) and has to survive on her own.

I really like how she grows as a person with each episode and learned to be more empathetic, caring and understanding. The supporting cast is also funny and hilarious, but also gave a good foil to the main character's personality.

The soundtrack is also awesome. A must-watch for those who are looking for a heartwarming and wholesome drama. :)

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Starts good but is frustrating throughout to watch

When the episode first started, I had high expectations for this series.

The revenge plot seems interesting and Yang Hao Ming's acting is amazing- I was impressed and it was my first time seeing him in a tv show (and no, I did not know him from anywhere before). He is intelligent and cunning. So, I had high expectations until Long Xiang appeared. ong was one of the characters that made this show hard too watch. He is spoiled, arrogant, dumb and had no regards for his subordinates' lives (even Yaya, whom he is closest with). While very toxic, I could still tolerate him if he is still intelligent, but no- this guy is reckless and dumb, which causes the show to fall into a drain for me. And no, he does not get redeemed.

While the bromance moments are interesting, I can't help but feel it's extremely toxic and one-sided. I was expecting a show with a lot of tactics and strategy, but the show is just about Long and his dumbness and how everyone around him tolerates his behavior and do not admonish him. Everyone around him is an enabler, and far from having a character development, he still ends up that way and everyone encourages that behavior (including his father and Yaya).

I worry for the Long family's future if he is to succeed the family. As for the acting, Yang Hao Ming's acting is really good, and so is the actress who plays Yaya. Some others are just over-the-top. I hope that the story had focused more on the revenge on the Man family, which seemed to have been forgotten over the series.

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Strong start but weak follow-up

I've watched Joy of Life and I think I like this series better!

The main character was a bit disappointing at first as I assumed it would be Zhang Ruo Yin, but his amazing acting and characterizations succeeded to capture my heart. I also really like the female lead and how she is not weak but can stand on his own right (definitely not a damsel in distress type that makes you frustrated). Kudos to the guy who plays Ning Yi, who will be compared to Zhang Ruo Yin (who I've liked since the Dr. Qin series) regardless of what he did, but I surprisingly ended up liking him more than the previous male lead in Joy of Life.

He seems less cliche and perfect and that makes him and his struggles much more relatable.

Romance is really fun and I like the playful chemistry between the two leads. Definitely a must-watch series :)

Sadly, the show lags and kind of loses its point from ep 12 onwards, but I still really really like the start of this drama.

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