Adorable and Intriguing

I went into this drama with zero expectations and WOW I was just blown away by all of it.

The first thing to talk about is of course, the main lead. He's eccentric and intelligent and just so lovable. Following the ML and seeing him randomly roped into mysteries was super fun and it never felt convenient. I loved his interactions with every single side character. The way the ML perceives the world is so interesting too; there are a lot of memorable quotes in this show.

Speaking of side characters, the drama also did a really good job of giving every single side character, even if they only appeared in a two-episode case, backstory that actually makes you feel for them. The acting is fantastic for every single one of them. I was really impressed with how fleshed out the subplots were and how they ended up tying together.

The plot is just super smart. This is one of those dramas that gives you pieces of the puzzle out of order, and everything becomes clear once you keep watching and start piecing it all together.

Such a great watch and I can't wait to watch the movie and see a season 2.

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Well-paced, but just okay

Objectively I think this was a well-written drama. The mystery subplots were interwoven well with the main story, and I liked how they gradually added more characters to their party.

However, I did find it difficult to connect with the main characters and was very confused about the story until many episodes in; I do want to say that a caveat is that I haven't really watched historical/costume/wuxia/xianxia dramas so the language was something I wasn't that used to.

In terms of romance, the main one was decent, particularly because I enjoyed the FL's strong, no-nonsense personality. The secondary romance was less enjoyable though — the SFL's motivations and emotions were kind of unclear throughout, and overall the dynamic just felt uneven. I didn't really want them together and didn't really understand when development took place.

It's really the bromance that stands out in this show. The relationship between Jian Buzhi and Zhao Wohuan has its ups and downs but it's clear how much they grow to care for each other and it's really great to see that the unconditional trust they have in each other.

Another thing was I wish there were higher stakes. Sometimes it felt like the deaths didn't hit hard enough, or there wasn't a feeling of real danger for the leads.

Nevertheless, ultimately, I do think this was a decent drama — but someone who enjoys wuxia might enjoy this better than me.

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Disjointed from the drama, but has the best moments

This definitely feels like a TV movie and I have very mixed emotions on it.

Just to get it out of the way, I don't think this HAD to be a movie — it could've been added as a few more episodes for Liar Game 2 and the story might've been better for it, as I'm not sure the story or game was mind-blowing enough to warrant its own film.

The first thing that I didn't like was that some of this felt disjointed from the drama. I'm not sure if I missed something, but characters who had gone through development in the show backslid or completely felt like different people. I felt like some of the character relationships that grew on me were lost, or some scenes felt random.

The best part for me, however, is what we saw between Nao and Akiyama. Yes, some scenes were still disjointed and I felt like I missed something, but my absolute favorite scene between them out of the ENTIRE two seasons takes place in this movie. It is probably the clearest depiction of how much they mean to each other, and for once I really felt like the stakes were high.

Other than that, the ending is satisfying (albeit a little confusing where I felt like some dialogue just missed the point of everything), the editing is still very campy and hilarious, and I think the game was one of my better liked ones.

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Still intriguing, but a little confusing and repetitive

I'm giving this the same rating as the first part. To start, I'm a huge fan of films and shows about high-stakes games, and this was no different.

A lot of the things I said for Season 1 still apply: This is a little cliche in terms of its characters: the ML is smart and cold, while the FL is bright but naive. With that being said, I really think the drama could have focused more on character backstory and growth. While I liked the contrast between the leads, the ML was the most interesting character of all, while the FL felt like she was there as a plot device, just for his character development, to get him and all the side characters to open up. To add, I still don't fundamentally agree with some of the messaging here; Nao really feels naive and trusting to a fault, and it felt more frustrating than inspiring.

Where my review differs from the first part is on the games. I liked the ones in S1 that were more simple and psychological, and while the ones in this part also had the psychological "lying" aspect, some of the games got way too confusing and I found myself not really using my brain as much as I would've liked. It was hard to follow and you could really only just sit back and watch things play out.

I also noticed that some of the games were very similar to those in part 1 — it felt kind of repetitive to watch the same games again, even with different characters.

Sidenote, again: the editing is still SUPER dramatic and it's still hilarious.

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A Good Start, An Intriguing ML

I'm a huge fan of films and shows about high-stakes games, and this was no different.

It is a little cliche in terms of its characters: the ML is smart and cold, while the FL is bright but naive. With that being said, I really think the drama could have focused more on character backstory and growth. While I liked the contrast between the leads, the ML was the most interesting character of all, while the FL felt like she was there as a plot device, just for his character development, to get him and all the side characters to open up.

And to be honest, I just don't fundamentally agree with some of the messaging here; Nao really feels naive and trusting to a fault, and it felt more frustrating than inspiring.

Still, I liked watching the games, particularly the earlier ones that were more simple and psychological. I love thinking through my own potential solutions and it was actually possible to do that at the start, whereas the later games got more confusing with a lot of rules and loopholes. If you're like me and like being able to treat shows like puzzles, this show is good for that at the start but starts diverging from it. Overall, it became a show where I would just sit back and watch things play out.

Sidenote: the editing is SUPER dramatic and it's kind of funny sometimes.

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Great chemistry, odd pace

Review is for WBL Special Edition: I wish so much that this drama was longer because the pace was way too fast and all I kept thinking was that I loved the chemistry and I loved the main leads together and wanted the development of enemies-to-lovers to be more slow. I probably could've done without the side characters getting so much screentime, and even more without the string of misunderstandings at the end (even though I know the drama is setting up a season 2). The chemistry is great, the OST is catchy, the acting is pretty good, and the dialogue is beautiful — sometimes it's just a little confusing how the characters got to where they were because we didn't have time to show the "in-between" moments.

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Great chemistry, odd pace

I wish so much that this drama was longer because the pace was way too fast and all I kept thinking was that I loved the chemistry and I loved the main leads together and wanted the development of enemies-to-lovers to be more slow. I probably could've done without the side characters getting so much screentime, and even more without the string of misunderstandings at the end (even though I know the drama is setting up a season 2). The chemistry is great, the OST is catchy, the acting is pretty good, and the dialogue is beautiful — sometimes it's just a little confusing how the characters got to where they were because we didn't have time to show the "in-between" moments.

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Mystery > Romance

I rarely find myself preferring the thriller to the romance in a thriller romance, but that was definitely the case here. So it was kind of a shame that this drama only really doubled down on the main mystery plot in the last few episodes, which turned out to be my favorite.

I really didn’t connect to the romance for multiple reasons, the first one being that the main female lead was possessed by someone else for much of it. I found myself constantly questioning who the ML was really falling for and when it was all reasoned at the end into “it was her all along,” it didn’t really feel earned. Other than that, the chemistry between the leads wasn’t really there and it felt like there was a large age gap (or at least maturity gap) between the leads.

My main issue with the romance and general plot, though, happens during those moments of possession. The second female lead (the ghost) thinks the reason she can’t pass on is because she died a virgin, and so she spends all of her screen time trying to sleep with the ML by touching him, climbing into his bed, etc. It’s really uncomfortable to watch, especially since all of it is just played off for laughs. I don’t think this aspect added anything to the story either — she could’ve very well thought she had another grudge and still made her personality loud and bubbly so that the ML would notice her acting different.

If they had spent less time with the romance, we could’ve really gotten more time expanding on the mystery, which was the most interesting part. The unearthing of the backstory is satisfying, but I wish we got more reactions from other characters, or some explanation about character motivations and plot developments.

Still, this is pretty light-hearted and fun watch. It feels like another 2010s drama classic, for sure.

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Typical but fun

This is pretty much as cliche as you could get but it was still a pretty fun watch. My favorite part of this is the reversal of the typical roles — the girl is headstrong and popular, the guy is quiet and shy. It was really refreshing and the chemistry was there for sure.

I really wish the plot was more down-to-earth because the second half devolved into more tropes; the evil second female lead trope is really outdated, and the stalker trope also seems randomly dramatic.

Other than that, it was fun and it was cool to see the references to Best Mistake too.

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Like a warm hug

Add this to the list of dramas that make me want to move to the countryside and run a little bookstore.

I loved almost everything about this drama. The yearning of the main couple is impeccable, the warmth of the bookstore and the town was so comforting, and I grew to love all the side characters as well, from the family members to the book club. The show handles darker and heavier topics of domestic violence and familial issues relatively well.

With that being said, this drama still fell victim to the episode 15 curse. The last minute separation trope is one of my least favorite plot devices of all time and this drama is an example of why. The plot started falling apart with the characters' (particularly the female lead's) decision-making around those heavier topics, and the time jump felt underdeveloped and unnecessary.

Still, this was an amazing watch; I know some people complained that it was too slow but it was perfect for me. It's one of the dramas you watch wrapped up in a blanket with a cup of hot tea, and you just let it warm you up.

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Adorable, wish it was longer

This was adorable and I loved the bright vibe of the entire film — it really looks and feels like a manga come to life. The friendships were really beautiful to see and the romance was pretty cute. Sometimes it's a little cringy but overall it was actually refreshing that there weren't any terrible villains in the entire film.

This is a film I think would even be better as a drama or even an anime simply because my favorite parts were when everyone was spending time together and I wanted more of it. There are also these "transition" moments that I think were missing — sometimes the development of character relationships or times just felt a little jumpy and sudden. A longer runtime could've helped develop the main conflict more too because I felt like the lessons and growth were so rich.

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Hits so close to home

The best films are the ones that creep up on you and this did exactly that. It's a slow burn for sure but it never feels that way and every scene hits really close to home. As someone whose immigration journey was the other way around (Taiwan to the U.S.) I honestly expected a little bit of distance between me and the content, thinking that Fen's experiences would be very different from mine.

So imagine my surprise when watching this movie felt like reliving memories; the feeling of being a fish-out-of-water, of missing home, of feeling lonely — I've felt that before. The ugly words that uncontrollably come out of your mouth during a fight with your parents — I've said those before. And at the end of the day still knowing you love each other, that "can you clean my ears for me" or "I cut a plate of fruit for you" means "I love you and I'm sorry" — I lived that too.

This movie is beautiful and I cried my eyes out. I didn't expect it to end when it did, but in hindsight I'm kind of okay with it. The film is a snippet of the life of a family against a historical backdrop and even after the movie ends, real life goes on.

這部影片就是那種會悄悄的走進你心裡的那種。劇情的速度緩緩的，但永遠不無聊，也不停的讓人念舊。因為我的移民方向是反的（臺灣到美國），我錯以為我和女主的經驗會有距離。

看這部電影的感覺反而跟回想自己的回憶一樣。那種不自在，想家，寂寞的心情我感受過。那些失控中說的難聽的話我也說過。那句『媽媽，妳可以幫我掏耳朵嗎？』中的『對不起，我愛你』我也都體會過。

《美國女孩》真的是一部溫馨，令人感動掉淚的電影。結局是有點突然，但越想越有理。畢竟，我們看到的是一家人的一時刻。影片結束了，人生卻不斷持續的。

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Healthiest relationship ever

There is so much to love about this, but I think my favorite part is hands down the relationship between the two leads. It was just so comforting from beginning to end. As a child the FL showed the ML warmth and he protected her, and throughout thick and thin she never ONCE blamed him for what his father did; the communication between them was great and the fact that his father murdered her parents and still break-up trope stood NO CHANCE against them...it was just insanely refreshing to see a couple like this in drama-land.

I do think plot left a little bit more to be desired. I absolutely loved the serial killer father and the tension it instilled through the series, but there were some subplots and character arcs I think went in different directions. The reporters and public eye was something I thought would play a bigger role — instead the characters involved seem to simply teeter on the line between irrelevant and annoying.

I also want to give a shout out to Kim Kyung Nam as Yoon Hyun Moo, the ML's brother. I'm always a sucker for morally gray characters and I think it was not only written perfectly (even more heart-wrenching than the leads' story) but the actor did an amazing job at pulling off conflicting emotions. He was possibly my favorite character and I also wish we got more of him.

Overall, I wish this drama pushed the limits a bit more and upped the stakes, but the main leads are still amazing and I love them for subverting all the bad tropes. Would recommend this drama for sure.

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