Poor Hyun Bin. I don't even know where to begin with this review. Let's see...if you drop the first four episodes and the last four episodes, then it is a pretty decent drama. The writing is just horrible. I can't write spoilers so I can't go into it all, but if you want to know more, then PM me. First, the female lead character is horrible. I can't stand her from beginning to end. Selfless my ass. Everything she did was selfish under the guise of selflessness and she is stupid. The male leads in one person may sound interesting, but it is the stupidest thing I have ever had the misfortune to watch. What was the purpose of the circus or any of those characters that add nothing to the story? What is the purpose of the cousin or whomever he was trying to out Seo Jin? What was the doctor's purpose? Forget it. I'm done.
EDIT: OMG...I forgot about the over used hypnosis. Great idea, poorly executed.

Hyun Bin is great and some of the side actors are good. I don't know what happened to Han Ji Min. Did she always act that horribly and I just didn't notice? Sung Joon was beautifully "bad".

The music was ok sometimes.

I will never ever rewatch this.

Don't watch it. Watch something else!!!

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I know my review won't be received well by other viewers, but I have to be honest. My sister says I'm never happy with a melodrama unless everyone dies at the end. That isn't all together true. I like happily ever afters if they make since with the story. I guess I just don't understand dramas that have 14 episodes of lead up to a tragedy, then everything changes.

I also dislike a story when the writers have the characters do something that is totally out of character. I felt like in episode 15 and 16 that the writers did that with Young and Jin Sung. Honestly, after episode 15 I could care less what happened to Young. I hate wishy washy characters...Is she strong? Is she weak? The writers should have just picked something. It is like they thought they needed to add something to make it more interesting. I felt more deeply for Moo Cheol than Young and that is sad considering I saw a heck of a lot less of him in this drama than her. Beyond that, I think most of this drama is well paced and the cinematography is out of this world. I enjoy the basic story line. There are just so many things that I would change. I just felt disappointment as I ended this drama.

As far as the acting is concerned, it is excellent. Jo In Sung as Oh Soo is by far the best acting that I have seen in a long time. His facial expressions, the use of his hands, and the way he speaks just brings the character to life and I feel deeply for Oh Soo. Song Hye Kyo does an excellent job playing a blind person. I have seen her in other dramas and I think her acting improves with each role that she takes. If I didn't know better, then I would have thought she was blind. Of course, it is good to see Kim Bum again and I hope he gets a main lead soon so I can see more of him. I loved Kim Tae Woo as Moo Cheul and his character is by far one of my favorites in the drama.

I think the music was beautiful.

I won't rewatch this.

If you like melodrama, then this is one you should watch. Most people like it, so don't make a decision to watch it or not based on my review.

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Ok...now I must watch all the Japanese adaptations. I can't compare it to the Japanese version so this review is based only on this version. This is a really good psychological thriller. It is a very interesting plot. I wonder how many of us can lie convincingly. I have passed a lie detector test before. All the students in one of my college classes took one. Out of 27 students, me and this guy were the only ones that passed it even while lying. 27 students were told to lie while the other 27 were told to only tell the truth. I think it is strange, because I rarely lie and am known for my brutal honesty. Can you tell when a person is lying to you? I don't think I'm very good at it, but I also don't trust easily either. Wow. I love dramas that make me think.

Lee Sang Yoon, Kim So Eun and Shin Sung Rok are great as the main leads Woo Jin, Da Jung and Do Yeong respectively. However, the character and actor I enjoyed the most is Lee El as Jamie. She was too much fun. The other actors were good too.

The music is appropriate.

This is definitely rewatchable.

If you like psychological thrillers, then you will like this.

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I admit that giving this drama all 10s is probably over rating it a bit. However, I enjoyed this drama so much even with its flaws that I am just going with my feelings instead of picking it apart. Some people may find this scary, but it isn't to me. It is romantic and fun. Even with the girl seeing ghosts, I find it to be realistic about love. There is never a time when love is perfect. We all live in our own worlds. The trick is to combine your world with the world of the one you love. It is a well written story with great character development. The Hong Sisters have redeemed themselves.

Anyone that knows me from MDL, knows that I think So Ji Sub is the best. I was so glad to finally see him in a romance (although, I wonder still if I will ever see him in a drama where he doesn't get hurt...LOL). His hand gestures and way of speaking as Joong Won is very charming. For once I got to see that beautiful smile for longer than a minute. I absolutely adore Gong Hyo Jin as Tae Gong Sil in this. I wonder how she makes looking tired so adorable. The chemistry between her and So Ji Sub is perfect. Seo In Guk was also good as Kang Woo. He is amazing as someone that has only done a few dramas and being a singer turned actor. The other actors were good also. There were also some great guest appearances. For all of you Infinite fans, L is in this a little also.

The music is daebak!!! Even if you don't watch this drama, you have to listen to T Yoon Mi Rae's "Touch Love" and Gummy's "Day and Night". I'm putting "Touch Love" on my mp3 player as soon as I'm done writing this.

I will rewatch this eventually.

I recommend this to everyone no matter what genre you prefer. If your done reading this, then "get lost". LOL Peace

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There is something about this drama that drew me in. The story isn't anything new, but it isn't typical either. The main character's optimistic struggle to find his dream and keep his love was somehow touching. It is refreshing to see the "little guys" win a few during this drama even with the "big guys" trying to push them down. The romance was sweet in that they enjoy each other. It isn't some weak minded girl falling for a jerk. The characters are smart. I liked even the ones that I'm probably not suppose to like (ex-girlfriend and second male lead).

I think ALL of the actors were enjoyable and some absolutely charming. Jin Goo as Lee Tae Baek played his character with just the right amount of kindness and strength proving that you don't have to be a jerk to be a romantic male lead. My favorite actor is Ko Chang Seok as Ma Jin Ga. His character was just so sweet, caring, and funny. The women are smart and beautiful. Smart female leads are the best. Park Ha Sun as Ji Yoon depicted her identity struggle really well.

The music was good.

Eventually I can see myself watching this again.

If you like dramas were the underdog succeeds, then this is one you should watch.

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If I was rating this for Rain alone, then I would give it all 10s. LOL The story is good, but so drawn out. They could have easily done this in 16 episodes. It is funny, romantic, sad, and action packed, then there is all this unnecessary story with unnecessary characters. At times I was bored out of my mind and toward the end I skipped pretty much everything with Nakamura and James "Bong". It ends well though.

Rain is just too cute playing the funny and smart Ji Woo. The way he speaks in this drama is charming. I enjoyed his character development from materialistic to a caring depth. Lee Jung Jin is also very charming and has a beautiful smile. I appreciated his down to earth portrayal of Detective Do Soo. Yoon Jin Seo is too cute as Soran when she is chasing her “oppa”. Jin Yi was an obviously deep character that is just wasted by Lee Na Young's horrible acting. She had no chemistry with Ji Woo or with Kai. I'm a Daniel Henney fan, but his portrayal of Kai leaves a lot to be desired. I really didn't connect with his character at all. The rest of the characters were just a waste of time except the "bad guys" who are necessary.

Even if you don't watch the drama, then you should check out MBLAQ's "Running & Running" and Jae's "Poison".

I might rewatch parts of this to see Rain's smile and goofiness.

If you are looking for something that isn't very deep and you need a Rain fix, then I would recommend this drama.

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Queen of Ambition is no joke. I really wanted to give it top scores, but there are some things that are missing. BTW...this has a lot of adult content, so I wouldn't recommend this for just anyone. Joo Da Hae is the epitome of evil. I understand that she goes through some major horrific moments when she is young, but wow... I really can't explain this story without spoilers. It has murder, attempted murder, kidnapping, twin switching, etc. Ha Ryu is so pitiful and sweet that it is hard not to fall in love with him. I enjoyed the ending. They took the time needed for the main characters before spending time on the side stories. I really appreciate writers that do that.

Ok. Now for the acting. I will tell you the bad first and why I couldn't give this drama higher scores. Soo Ae to me is just not the femme fatale that I thought was needed for that role. I get that she is supposed to be cold-hearted, and I did see her expressions change, but there just seemed like she was missing something. Honestly, I just don't think that she was pretty enough to ensnare all of the men that she did...especially since she was never sincere. Is that too superficial? I would think that Kim Tae Hee or Chae Jung Ahn would have been a better casting choice. They are prettier and their acting abilities are better.

On to the much better...Kwon Sang Woo was daebak as Ha Ryu. I felt so deeply for his character even when I was mad at him. There were times when I blamed him for what he was going through even as he blamed himself, then I would realize that he is just too kind-hearted. I also thought Yunho did well in his role as Do Hoon. I kept yelling at him to wake up and realize who Da Hae really was.

I also liked the other actors. I'm not much for extra characters, but all of these were needed to add to the story. I really liked Kim Sung Ryung as Do Kyung.

The music was good.

I probably won't rewatch this just because I already know what will happen.

It is full of angst and at times I was just yelling at the characters. If you like melodrama, then you will love this.

Edit: After watching Soo Ae on 1N2D Korean variety show, I realized that she seems to be a soft person and that may be why her role isn't really that believable. I give her props for trying something that seems to be completely out of her element and doing a passable job.

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I admit that I may be over ranking this drama by giving it all 10s. The story isn't new or epic. The actors aren't the best there is. The music isn't mind blowing. However, I felt GREAT the entire time I was watching.

There is suspense, romance, a little action and the trials aren't boring. The way the writers use the fact that So Ha can read minds is excellent. I enjoyed the small things like when Hye Sung's mom wrote on her hand and then later in the drama we see Hye Sung writing on her hand. There are morals to the story as it tries to convey a way to live life. I like what Hye Sung's mom says about not hating and that from birth we have a limited time to love (paraphrasing). Even though it is intense at times, I still came away with an over all good feeling. The character growth is the highlight as all the characters stayed true to their personalities as they learned hard lessons and go through some pretty horrible traumas and grow. Even though there was an extension of episodes from 16 to 18, it was well done and the ending was great.

The acting is daebak!!! Lee Bo Young as Hye Sung was perfect. She plays an excellent flawed character. She is really pretty too. I think her chemistry with both the leads was good. Lee Jong Suk as Park So Ha is a character that I will remember for a long time. I think he really came into his own as a male lead. His chemistry with Lee Bo Young although she is older (I don't know why so many people have a problem with age difference) was good. He was definitely a man. I have read that a lot of people don't like Yoon Sang Hyun. I don't really understand that. I have loved him since Take Care of the Young Lady. His portrayal of Attorney Cha was right on. Lee Da Hee as Do Yeon was also good. I was prepared to hate her, but ended with respecting her. I think Jung Woong In as Joon Kook would rival Yoon Je Moon in the bad guy department. He is really good at making a person hate the character.

As for the music. Even if you don't watch this drama, then check out Jung Yup's "Why Did You Come Now?" and Echo's "Every Single Day" and Shin Seung Hoon's "That Word You Cannot Hear".

I will probably rewatch this at some point.

I recommend this drama for everyone...no matter what genre you prefer.

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I have never called a drama epic before. I think that word is over used. However, if there was ever a drama to be called epic, then this is the one. From the very first episode this drama will draw you in and not let go. It is political without all the jargon; it is action packed; it has romance without sappy scenes; there are happy occasions along with tragedy. The cinematography and action sequences are off the hook. Everything that you are looking for in a drama can be found in Bridal Mask.

The story is very suspenseful. I watched this as it came out and every week I was left wondering what would happen next. The only weakness in this drama is that the people that are told to follow someone aren’t very good at it. There is no ninja stealth in this drama. Although, I guess you could look at it as the people that are being followed are just really good at giving the others the slip. Also, they aren’t very good shots unless they are pretty close. I read somewhere that the guns used in that time period didn’t have very good sights. Maybe it is just part of keeping it real??? LOL I usually don’t like dramas that are this long because the story gets bogged down, but this is an exception. Every episode added to the story and there is very little flashback filler. When they do flashback it has meaning.

What makes this drama great is the acting. I gave it a 10 because of Joo Won and Park Ki Woong. Joo Won’s acting as Lee Kang To/Bridal Mask is amazing. He really should get some kind of an award. He has an uncanny ability to make a person feel what the character is feeling. Park KI Woong plays Shunji to perfection. I’m completely captivated by this actor. The character is so intelligent. I have a love/hate connection with this character and that is a tribute to Ki Woong’s acting ability. The female lead character of Oh Mok Dan/Boon Yi is played by Jin Se Yun. I wasn’t really that impressed with her acting until the last two episodes. However, looking back maybe she felt that her character couldn’t show emotion and that is why she was stilted in the beginning and then showed her emotions at the end. Han Chae Ah who plays RaRa is really good. All you had to do was look at her face to know what she was thinking even when she was trying to hide her emotions. I loved her character and her acting. The side characters were really good too. Special mention for Ahn Hyung Joon who plays RaRa’s bodyguard Katsuyama. He has skills. I hope to see him in more dramas in the future.

The music for this drama is fantastic. I love the theme song.

I will probably rewatch this at some point.

I think this is a must see for everyone. It is defiantly a heart wrenching drama of epic proportion.

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I just marathon rewatched Secret Garden. I looked at my rating for this drama when I watched it back in 2011 and was not sure why I gave it an 8. I have watched a lot of drama since then. I would say this ranks as an outstanding drama. Sure Joo Won is a total jerk at the beginning of this drama, but he more than redeems himself by the end. Some may feel like Ra Im lets him walk all over her. I think she stands up for herself and finally can tell the difference between him being an ass and just stating facts in his own direct (sometimes harsh) way. I prefer harsh truth to kind lies...those lies would have hurt her worse. Plus this drama has one of the best endings ever.

The acting is, of course, off the chain. Hyun Bin and Ha Ji Won had great chemistry and they both played the body switch to perfection. I usually hate body switch stories, but because of the great acting, I really enjoyed it. Yoon Sang Hyun as Oska and Yoo In Na as Ah Young were also good and I loved their story. Lee Philip as Jong Soo is just too manly. I liked the other side characters also. I had forgotten just what kind of evil mom Park Joon Geum played as Joo Won's mom. Total crazy.

The music is good.

It is rewatchable. Obviously, since I just rewatched it.

I think every one should watch it.

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All About My Mom needs a WARNING label. This may be kinda spoilerish, but I think the information needs to be provided. If a person has ever lost a parent from an illness, and doesn't want to vicariously experience the same emotions and pain, then this drama is not to be watched. I wish I had known, because I wouldn't have watched this.

Now on to the story. It is a well written family drama. It isn't that makjang since there are no birth secrets, amnesia and other type Korean troupes. I have a few complaints about how the parents sometimes treated their children even though they went through the same thing. There are a few unnecessary characters that make unnecessary grief for some of the characters. But I guess there were side story lines needed. However, the character development is extremely well done and I became invested in the lives of the family. I like the pacing and the ending is daebak!

Each actor took on their role splendidly. I don't believe anyone could complain about a single person's acting. Go Doo Shim is amazing as Im San Ok. Watching her progression and seeing her life felt real. I didn't realize Oh Min Suk was such a versatile actor. He impressed me the most.

The music is good and appropriate.

I will never rewatch this.

If you like family dramas with deep emotions, then this is the drama for you.

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First, the cut short ending was totally disappointing. I know it isn't conventional, but I liked the "bad guy" and to end the story with out total resolution for his character makes me angry. In my mind they left several unresolved issues. I have a great ending to this drama in my mind.
Second, there were a lot of extra unnecessary characters and dialogue where the obvious story is repeated.
Third, nevermind...this list will just get too long.
There are some good things that kept me interested, but I'm still disappointed. A rating of 6 may be too high.

The acting is ok. Jun Kwang Ryul as Moon Doo stole the show.

The music is ok.

I won't rewatch this.

I don't recommend this drama unless you have a good imagination.

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This is a very cheesy, twisted, melo, love story. I love melodramas, but I have seen better. The story is pretty easy to figure out from the beginning. I found myself frustrated at times because it felt drawn out. I think it would have been better in less episodes. I can't write spoilers, but the back and forth inconsistency of the way Soo Wan's character was written just got old. After a while I was so bored with it. I guess the ending was ok, but anticlimactic.

I have to admit that part of my frustration with this drama could be Koo Hye Sun. I swear she has got to be the worst actress ever. I felt nothing for Soo Wan as an adult. Nam Ji Hyun as the young Soo Wan was infinitely better. I loved everything about the young Soo Wan. I'm not sure if it was the writing of her character or Koo Hye Sun herself that made me just want to yell at her to wake up. SPOILERISH>>>I was cheering on the island ahjussi at the end when he lectures her.<<<END SPOLIERISH Both Kang Ha Neul and Lee Sang Yoon did Dong Joo's character proud. His story and character were consistent through out. He never wavered even when he learned all of the horrific truths. He was a loving and kind character.

Now, for the reason I watched this drama...Kim Ji Suk. He is such a wonderful actor. He needs to be cast in a leading male role where he gets the girl immediately. Kang Ji Woon was such an honest, loving, tragic character that Kim Ji Suk played excellently.

As for the other characters, mostly unnecessary, but not annoying.

The music is really pretty.

I won't rewatch this.

If you like melo, love stories, then you may like this more than I did. However, I don't necessarily recommend this to anyone.

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