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Completed
Because This Is My First Life
0 people found this review helpful
Dec 15, 2022
16 of 16 episodes seen
Completed 1
Overall 10
Story 10
Acting/Cast 9.5
Music 10
Rewatch Value 10
This review may contain spoilers
A heartfelt drama that starts out as a contractual marriage that blossoms into everything and anything. So sweet and follows several couples navigating the social norms of people in their 30's in Korea.

-- Spoilers Below --

Yoon Ji Ho is a single, drama writer who is trying to live out her dream as becoming a lead writer on a show. She has worked and written for several, but hasn't gotten her big start in the scene yet. While working on one of her dramas, she's needing a cheap place to rent but cannot find any within her price range. Eventually, she's set up with someone else who is looking for a roommate to help pay for his apartment. She moves in, not knowing that she is sharing her now apartment with a man, and enjoys the space she now has. They run into each other and start becoming somewhat closer due to their shared liking of several things and her being an easy roommate. This leads to them starting a contractual marriage between the two because of his parents constant pressure due to him being older than 30. It's awkward and new, but new feelings begin to blossom between the two and Ji Ho slowly falls in love with the enigma of a man. Everything is going great, minus Nam Se Hee never speaking his mind or true feelings, but she gets put through the ringer several times. She quits writing because of one of her coworkers attempting to rape her one night while she was staying late. She gets offered a new job with amazing pay, but her boss is Se Hee's ex-girlfriend that took him forever to get over, and last but not least... Se Hee's parents try to bribe her with money to get her to stay home and have his children. They overcome all of this though, officially filing for their marriage and creating a new contract just for them. She ends up following her dream and writes her first big drama: Because This is My First Life.

Nam Se Hee's character is exactly like I said - an enigma. He is quiet, mild-tempered, and keeps to himself. His goal in life is to live peacefully with his home and cat. Se Hee finds it hard to find roommates that fit his exact needs and likes, but settles on Ji Ho after looking at all the pros and cons. They eventually contract marry and begin living together as such. He slowly realizes that he loves her, but finds it hard to truly accept that fact due to his past relationship. Se Hee and Go Jung Min were lovers who had moved in together during college. Jung Min eventually falls pregnant and the two promise to marry and live together as a family. Due to their age and See Hee's overall maturity and selfishness, they lose the baby and Jung Min leaves him. She curses that he'll never love again and doesn't deserve to, and he truly takes this to heart and blames himself. Slowly overtime, he overcomes those feelings and realizes that he does deserve love and that he truly loves Ji Ho. After she leaves him due to his parents giving her money for a baby, he finds himself in the same spot after Jung Min left. He sells his apartment they once shared and moves into her friends place not being able to be in the space him and Ji Ho once shared. They eventually make amends and confess their feelings to one another, officially becoming married and living happily together. He lets her pursue her writing job, just as he promised.

This drama also follows 2 sets of Ji Ho's friends. Ho Rang and Won Seok have been together for 7 years and are school sweethearts. The only problem in their relationship is Ho Rang's constant need for marriage and more. The first conflict is with her wanting a couple's couch that all the newlywed's are buying. Won Seok plans a huge thing with their friend Soo Ji, which Ho Rang see's and believes he's planning a proposal, to buy her the couch she wanted. When she gets home to see the surprise, she's devastated that it's not what she was expecting. This leads to more feelings of pressure on Won Seok and the immense feeling that he is constantly making Ho Rang unhappy. Se Hee tells him that he needs to be more honest with his feelings towards her. The two have a romantic dinner, Won Seok beginning the conversation with that he would love to get married, but doesn't see the difference between love and marriage at the moment. He also adds that he wouldn't want to get married until 5 years later. With this news, Ho Rang is devastated again (I really did not like her character at all) and tells him that she doesn't want to date for 12 years. While at play together after the dinner, her phone goes off when she's in the bathroom, and Won Seok finds that she had downloaded a dating app and was talking to a man on there. This leads to their actual breakup, which begins Ho Rang seeing the guy that she met on the app. The two realize that they are actually meant for and love each other and get back together, eventually marrying and having a baby.
The other friend that was my favorite was Soo Ji. A confident, yet intelligent woman who works amongst men in the corporate world. She navigates the mysogynstic, sexist workplace and never shows that she needs help from anyone. Her and Ma Sang Goo start up a flirt-mance, but she doesn't want to take it to the next level. With time her mind changes and they become more, but she still has a wall up that he cannot get past. While trying to get closer, he believes that she's cheating on him with another man. He races up after her and finds that she truly just lives with and takes care of her disabled mother. He learns that her mother is single and lived working to take care of Soo Ji. The two eventually tell her mom and Soo Ji accepts that she truly loves Sang Goo and doesn't necessarily need him around - but want's him around. I loved their romance so much and the stark difference between their personalities added such good comedic relief between all the heavy storylines that were going on.

A beautiful, well-written story that I could watch over and over.

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Completed
Just Between Lovers
0 people found this review helpful
Dec 15, 2022
16 of 16 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 10
Story 10
Acting/Cast 10
Music 10
Rewatch Value 10
This review may contain spoilers
A cute, fluffy romance that quickly became a favorite and comfort of mine. The drama follows 2 people who were caught in a tragic mall collapse years ago, each losing someone important to them and being trapped themselves, dealing with the rebuilding of a new structure on the same land. If you're looking for a slow burn, a troubled male lead who comes to terms with his emotions, and a great female lead then this is for you.

-- Spoilers Below --

Lee Kang Doo is a young man who has a trouble streak and an "I don't care" attitude. He doesn't have any close family, just his sister who he financially supports to be a doctor, and lives with a friend he had made. His father was in the mall collapse years ago and ended up losing his life, which his dad was not even supposed to still be in the structure. They were supposed to go to a soccer game after, but work got in the way. He was waiting in the mall and got trapped with Ha Moon Soo and a boy she was supposed to meet at the time. As he learns they are rebuilding a new structure on the same plot of land, he begins obsessing over what happened again and begins working for the construction company. There he begins having PTSD flashbacks of the boy who was trapped and struggles with being a survivor of the tragedy while others died. Kang Doo falls hard for Moon Soo and they eventually begin a relationship. It is one of the most obvious things in the drama, but I loved them together regardless. Towards the end though, I felt that the drama was just pulling him through the ringer for no real reason other than drama itself and to keep the storyline going. After dealing with the loss and grief of losing the grandmother figure in his life, we learn that Kang Doo's liver is failing and he needs a transplant or he will die. This leads to them realizing that they can't live without each other and ends happily with him alive and well.

Ha Moon Soo was also in the mall collapse years ago, leaving her star sister on the lower floor as she went to meet a boy. Her sister ends up dying in the collapse and Moon Soo holds a great deal of guilt over this because she feels she is partially at fault for leaving her sister. Her mom and dad separated after the death, grieving in their own ways, and Moon Soo grows up isolated. She has a best friend who she met in the hospital while recovering and spends most of her free time with her. She works as an architectural builder. Making models of structures that are going to be built and making sure they are up to safety code. Moon Soo is one of the people working on the project for the new structure where the mall once stood. Instead of working on the actual structure itself, her and Kang Doo are put in charge of making a memorial for the collapse victims. This brings her and Kang Doo going door-to-door to victim's families and loved ones, gaining memories and pieces of them along the way. They design a beautiful park and together learn how to deal with their grief of losing loved ones and surviving themselves.

Seo Joo Won is Moon Soo's boss, and although he was a huge side character, I didn't care for his story line as much. His father was involved in the building of the mall and he was the one who was blamed for the collapse and deaths of hundreds. Due to being the companies scapegoat, he ends up taking his own life and leaves behind Joo Won. He follows in his father's footsteps and becomes a builder as well and is taking on the task of building the new structure where the mall once stood. Joo Won struggles with the grief and secret of losing his father and this comes out in many ways of him being extra cautious with every part of the building process. One of the things I didn't care for was his liking of Moon Soo. It added in a drama element of a possible love triangle, but wasn't needed because he knew Kang Doo and Moon Soo liked each other and he had his own girlfriend on the side. He eventually learns to get over his grief as well, accepting that his father's death was not his fault, but due to the negligence of the company.

All in all, I loved this drama from start to finish and a huge part of that was the 2 main leads and their friends. The story line with Lee Jae Young, her webtoon best friend, and her enemy to lover boyfriend. Plus you cannot forget about Kang Doo's wonderful "brother" Sang Man. Every character has such a good side to them that makes it hard for you to not like them in some way. A great romance drama that can quickly become a comfort/binge show.

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Completed
Strangers from Hell
0 people found this review helpful
Dec 14, 2022
10 of 10 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 9.5
Story 10
Acting/Cast 10
Music 9.5
Rewatch Value 8.0
This review may contain spoilers
Twists and turns around every corner and an ending that leaves you with your jaw on the floor. A creepy hostel where everyone in it is harboring some dark secret or evil side of themselves, but inside there are no rules. Yoon Jung-Woo moves in and slowly begins his decent into madness.

--Spoilers Below --

Yoon Jung Woo when he's first introduced is a handsome, smart guy who is pursuing a job in tech. His girlfriend lives in a different city and is working for a large company. Jung Woo finds everyone in the hostel creepy and somewhat strange, but cannot find another place cheap enough, so he stays there. He slowly begins making friends with some of his neighbors, particularly a handsome dentist: Seo Moon Jo. As the months go by, Jung Woo finds his life dreary and finds everyone around him annoying and beneath him. His coworker speaks down on him, but is secretly a pervert. His boss who is supposed to be his friend... is trying to steal his girlfriend behind his back. He cuts every one off and begins spending more time with Moon Jo. Their relationship, although odd, was one of my favorites in the show. As more and more time progresses and the longer Jung Woo stays in the hostel, the more his mind goes crazy. It's hard to tell what's real and not real and in the end, he's the one who pays the price fully.

Seo Moon Jo is a serial killer who has been hiding in hostels with other killers moving around for years. He works as a dentist for his ordinary life and comes home to the hostel and is cannibal by night. He found solace in Eom Bok Soon and they begin running the hostel together as a cover for killing and eating people. They kill tourists and random people who come through, never being enough evidence for the hostel to be considered or they leave before the cops can come for them. He is more controlled with his killing and methodical and also wants to find a prodigy to pass on his talents and live on in them. Moon Jo slowly brainwashes Jung Woo and falls in love with him, making him do whatever he wants, and Jung Woo not even knowing. He knows what Jung Woo is capable of and brings it out of him. Towards the end as the cops zero in, he gets Jung Woo to kill him and completing his wish of living on inside of Jung Woo's mind.
I loved his character and the way Lee Dong Wook played him. Such a dark and evil character, but has such a charisma that even pulls you in as a viewer.

-- End of Spoilers --

I didn't care for the cop side of the story at all because the more interesting side of the story was in the hostel, in my opinion. I skipped through most of it and stuck with watching the main plotline. Other than that, I would say it's not one that you would be able to re-watch since the main mystery and thrill is gone, but it's still a great, easy, short watch.

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Completed
Mystic Pop-Up Bar
0 people found this review helpful
Dec 14, 2022
12 of 12 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 10
Story 10
Acting/Cast 10
Music 10
Rewatch Value 10
This review may contain spoilers
A punishment given to a woman who commits the ultimate sin. She is to run a bar and help as many people as she can get over their hardships through their dreams. If you're looking for a heartfelt, subtle romance, and found family tropes then this is the one for you! The ending is very happy and leaves you feeling very satisfied with the whole show. I could watch this one over and over with how much I fell in love with all of the characters and their bar.

-- Spoilers Below --

Wol Joo is probably one of my favorite characters out of any kdrama I've watched so far. She's so strong, confident and stubborn, but can come off rude to others. She is very strong in her hatred for all people, this due to her terrible past, which led to her suicide. Now, she has to run a bar and help the very people she hates: Humans. Along the series, you slowly watch her open up and learn that things get better and to truly accept her feelings. You learn that her and Chef Gwi were actually supposed to be together in their past lives and now finally get to be together in their present while still running the bar. The slow burn and realization of their feelings was one of the best parts of the show, but didn't overpower any of the ongoing story already. Her relationship with Han Kang-Bae is so cute and I loved seeing her journey to actually getting to see her child and correct his soul. She took him in without even knowing it and to watch the 3 of them get closer was the best.

Han Kang-Bae has had a "power" or a curse as he would probably say that when he touches someone they have to tell him everything wrong going on in their lives. It's drained him from all of these years and he avoids any physical touch with anyone due to it becoming a huge problem. He finds it hard to build relationships and only really has a few friends from work. He lives a mundane life and eventually comes across the pop-up bar. You watch him slowly come to terms with his power and learn how it can actually be used for the better and can also help the bar as well. He also becomes super close with Wol Joo and Chef Gwi, learning that she is his mom, the ending becomes super perfect when he realizes her sacrifies were not in vain and they can continue to live happily together and continue to help people. He eventually also finds love with a security guard he meets on one of the calls for the bar and then eventually while she starts working at the store. She is immune to his touch powers which makes it easy for him to actually open up and be around her genuinely without the trauma dumping.

I do wish there was more of the storylines with Chef Gwi's backstory (even though his is technically tied with Wool Joo's) and definitely more with Kang Yeo-Rin. Both of their characters were so likable and played such great supporting actors that it left me wanting more from them! Especially after the romance between Yeo-Rin and Kang-Bae sparks up. I loved them together so much and same for Chef Gwi and Wool Joo. All relationships in the show are so close and sweet that it made it an even better watch. The chemistry between all of them was incredible.

Will definitely be re-watching this one and it quickly became a favorite of mine.

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Completed
Method
0 people found this review helpful
Oct 21, 2022
Completed 0
Overall 10
Story 9.5
Acting/Cast 10
Music 10
Rewatch Value 9.5
This review may contain spoilers
This movie was pretty good although the ending was a little iffy because it was not what I personally wanted, it ended perfectly. The pace is fast and quick and gets right to the relationship immediately. I will say there are a few spicy scenes and it's not mature, but it definitely is more than I have seen in most k-dramas. If you are looking for sweet romance then this is NOT for you. Would definitely rewatch for the actors and their characters together.

-- Spoilers Below --

Jae Ha is a seasoned actor who takes his job and craft seriously. He is a method actor and gets deep into his characters and who they are and literally becomes them. He is harsh and cold, openly showing his disdain towards Young Woo in the beginning of the play. Young Woo is a famous idol who is tired from his daily schedule and then adding the play on top of it. He starts out super childish and very obviously does not care about the play nor what any part of it. That all changes when he starts taking a liking to Jae Ha, wanting to be around him and wanting to take in and learn everything he can from him. Jae Ha pushes Young Woo to take the play seriously and while doing so, ends up falling for Young Woo himself.. getting caught into a whirlwind relationship between the two. It's hot and sneaky, and you can see them falling for each other more and more as they go deeper into their characters and play. Jae Ha becomes cold and angry towards his wife who begins to have doubts about Jae Ha and how he is dealing with his character Walter. She sneaks around to try to read his method acting journal, which she finds blank, and even tries to catch some practice scenes to which Jae Ha tells her to just stop. She eventually catches them kissing in the theater and stays quiet about it. After her catching them, she tries to initiate sex with Jae Ha but he refuses and shows no interest. My one downfall with the plot and storyline is, they run away and go on a day adventure out to a beach and Young Woo posts pictures to his Instagram. They find him and Young Woo cuddling together in a van sleeping and accuse him of kidnapping Young Woo. The rumors of the dynamic of their relationship and "supposed" kidnapping gets out to the news outlets and they become slightly distant. How exactly did he kidnap Young Woo if he went voluntarily with him and is an adult? - His wife finds him at the beach too and gets into an altercation with him alluding to that this isn't the first time that Jae Ha has gotten too deep into a role. Things start escalating as their home is broken into and things start getting darker between the 2. Young Woo wants to be in a relationship with Jae Ha and to be out and open with him, to tell the truth to the press and let it be known how they feel, but Jae Ha doesn't want to do that at all. He pushes his feelings for him down, so Young Woo does the same and puts on the "chains" of hiding his sexuality and never getting to be with the person he loves. During the play, Jae Ha shares a passionate kiss that wasn't in the script with Young Woo, and continues on. The play is dark, emotional, and heavy, but has a great reaction. After the play, Young Woo coldly says that he is the best Singer and Jae Ha is just Walter. It ends with him getting into his limo and driving off obviously saddened and still with his feelings for Jae Ha, while Jae Ha's wife shows up to the theater and they leave together hand in hand.

Most of the reviews I read before watching were mostly about how the ending could've been better and I want to agree because the few "love" scenes we did get between Jae Ha and Young Woo were passionate and left you yearning for more, but I can also see the realism in their love story in South Korea. Especially in the year this came out, LGBTQ+ is not totally accepted there and is looked down upon, and I can imagine that is even more-so true for idols and actors. They are left with their feelings that they both obviously fell for each other hard. The play is called unchained, which I feel hits the story in another way meaning their feelings, but in the end they are both still chained due to them.

Would 100% watch again, I loved all the actors and characters and just couldn't get enough of it in the hour that we did have.

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Completed
Tomorrow
0 people found this review helpful
Sep 17, 2022
16 of 16 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 10
Story 10
Acting/Cast 10
Music 10
Rewatch Value 10
This review may contain spoilers
Tomorrow was an emotional rollercoaster that I am glad that I got on. It was from the very beginning, full of lore and story to unpack and instantly had me hooked. According to statistics, Korea is the leader in suicide rates and this group of Grim Reaper's help to bring that down. Dealing with heavy topics such as sa, bullying, miscarriage, etc.. it can be draining, but rewarding to watch.

-- Spoilers Below --

Goo Ryun is one of the most bad-ass female front leads I have ever seen in a drama. The way her character is written and her backstory adds such a layer of depth and Kim Hee Sun did an amazing job putting that all on display. Her pink hair and eyeshadow sticks out and her attitude is cold, but she cares deeply and loves saving others from the Hell that she went through.. literally. When it finally came to figuring out her entire backstory, I felt for her on another level than I already did. Her committing suicide, feeling like she had no other way to end her suffering, helped so much with how she saw and dealt with the people she was trying to save. I wish that her and Park Joong-Gil had gotten together in some sense again, but it felt good with the story as to how they left it since their fate had been severed when she died.

Choi Joon-Woong was an amazing character and I loved how deep he felt his feelings and let them show. He wasn't afraid to stand up for what he thought was wrong and right, and was never hesitant to help someone in need. Although he is only in the group temporary until his life is over, I wanted him to stay there forever sadly. I know he wanted to go back to his mom and live out the rest of his life, but being with Goo Ryun and Ryung-Gu he seemed to be so happy. I feel that although he is one of the main characters, the story doesn't follow his mysteries as much as it does the other reapers and their backstory. They just use him to tell and put together the puzzle of what happened hundred of years ago for them to get there. I did love how they threw in that he himself also had lived past lives and was intertwined with both Goo Ryun and Park Joong-Gil.

Lim Ryung-Gu had to of been my favorite character besides Goo Ryun. His backstory was incredibly heartbreaking and had me sobbing the entire time. His desire to see his mom and lead her safely and happily through her lives was so incredibly sweet. I wish that he could have been a little more prominent in the first few episodes, but after his backstory he pops up a lot more. Him finally getting to tell his mom and reunite with her and apologize was heartwarming and I was so glad that after many decades he was able to get the closure that he needed to end his pain. I loved his attitude that he had for the victims, and would do anything to make sure they were safe. He takes matters into his own hands, but always looks out for his friends and coworkers like they are family. I love how close he was with Joon-Woong and Goo Ryun. Her leading him to his end and to eventually work under her definitely added to their already close bond.

I had such a hard time liking Park Joong-Gil and then I started to like him right at the last 2 episodes. He is the collector of souls.. a very cold man that hardly shows any feelings other than distrust, disgust and disdain for anything and everything that gets in his way. I had hoped that they would get to his backstory and why he felt so drawn to Goo Ryun sooner, but it ties all up at the end of the show. He has been battling nightmares.. one that has Goo Ryun in it, but through constant miscommunication between the two of them and Goo Ryun making a deal to keep it a secret from him it ends in a mess that could've been awful. He has resentment for people that take their own life, and takes this out on Goo Ryun. Forcing her to watch a car run over the woman she is trying to prevent from taking her life. While she gets her revenge and he gets her almost sent back to Hell, Joon-Woong tells him to look for himself. He eventually figures out him and Goo Ryun were married and lovers, but when she took her life it wounded his soul so badly that he was still not over it 2 reincarnations later. He helps her to save the woman and they eventually forgive each other and end it on that he finally understands the importance of their team.

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Completed
Extraordinary Attorney Woo
0 people found this review helpful
Aug 23, 2022
16 of 16 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 10
Story 10
Acting/Cast 10
Music 10
Rewatch Value 10
This review may contain spoilers
Wow! I know this drama has gotten a ton of great reviews, and I hate to just add another one to the long list, but this drama is so well done. The writing and characters are so natural and they all flowed so nicely with each other. I didn't feel as though the story jumped too much, but the main part of the story does become a background point towards the end of the show. I also felt as the episodes went on, the cases became not as interesting as starting out, but was an amazing end to a wonderful journey with Attorney Woo.

-- Spoilers Below --

Attorney Woo's character was so refreshing and constantly had me smiling and laughing. The way she holds herself and knows that she has autism and what comes with that, but still makes a conscious effort to be aware of everyone else was one of my favorite things about her. The ups and downs of her and Jun-ho's relationship is rocky and hard to deal with, but in perspective flows with how she is dealing with learning to love, accept love and her autism all in one. Everyone constantly looks down on her and views her as weird, but she is incredibly smart and knows + loves the law. I just kept wanting more and more of her on screen, and I can't wait for season 2.

Jun-ho's character is so sweet, but I felt like he was mostly just there in some cases for the plot of them falling in love. While he does work with them, he is in a completely different department and you only hear from one other person in this in just 1 other cutscene. I also felt like he was never straight-forward with his feelings and emotions until it was the very moment that it needed to be said, so much so to the point that his friend thought he was talking about another woman. My one actual flaw with his character is that while he falls in love with Young-woo and loves her even with her autism, he never stands up for her until it reaches a point. His friends he runs into call him her caretaker and he doesn't put a stop to that chat until he meets up with them again. Same with his sister, she was talking about Young-woo and how he shouldn't let his parent's meet her, but he barely said anything to stand up for her.

My favorite side character was Jung Myung-seok. The way he cared for each of his lawyers and listened to their ideas and jumped off of them to help teach were some of my favorite moments. I also loved his character growth of being very wary of Young-woo and her autism, to fully embracing and accepting her and offering a full position on his team. I was very upset when his stomach cancer popped up and was hoping they weren't going to just kill him off for the sake of the drama of it. I'm very glad they kept him alive, and added some very wholesome moments of him and Young-woo in the hospital. The backstory of him and his ex-wife added such a piece to his character that truly showed you why he was the way he was. His love for the employees and Young-woo at the end just fills your heart, and I loved seeing him happy on his trip to Jeju.

Choi Soo-yeon and Kwon Min-Woo are great side characters, but I feel that Min-woo's development is very late into the show. Soo-yeon starts out very wishy-washy towards Young-woo as they went to law school together, so she gets how she is. She warms up quickly to her and they become friends, helping each other on several cases and getting them done well together. Her search for love was so funny, and while I was sad her and Hairy's date didn't work out; I was glad that her and Min-woo finally realized their feelings. The one downfall to her storyline I feel was her dating the guy who used her for money.. I feel it didn't fit too much into the story line and was just used as a bridge for her to get to Min-woo. Now, I had very up and down feelings on Min-woo. He would do something that would make me so mad, but then redeem himself by being sweet and charming...just for that to get shot down again by him doing something awful again. His hatred for Young-woo makes no sense other than he wants to be the best, but can't with her there. He also does many things to get her behind and get ahead even though they are a team? He figures out that her mom is a famous lawyer for the opposing company and writes a huge blog post that he DOES NOT get in trouble for writing, all the while constantly asking whether Young-woo is going to get in trouble or not. He doesn't get a great development until the last 3 episodes when he finally realizes that standing up for your friends, even if you look stupid, his more courageous and sexy than being the worst person and a "good" lawyer.

The small story line with Han Seon-Young and Tae Soo-Mi and their hatred of each other made no sense to me especially in terms of story aside from Young-woo being related to Soo-Mi and the world doesn't know. She wanted to use Young-woo to get her back, and even had her dad's permission to do this which I thought was also another random thing to add into the story right at the end. Nothing comes of this storyline either as Seon-Young doesn't publish the article and Soo-Mi goes on to become the Minister. She does get her karma when her son commits a crime and actually has to get in trouble for it and she has to own up to it as well.

All in all, this show was really great and I can't wait for the 2nd season as it's been announced already.

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Completed
Mad for Each Other
0 people found this review helpful
Jun 2, 2022
13 of 13 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 10
Story 10
Acting/Cast 10
Music 9.0
Rewatch Value 10
This review may contain spoilers
Mad for Each Other was a random kdrama I picked up after seeing it on Netflix. I wasn't expecting to fall in love with both characters and relate so closely to them dealing with life, trauma, ptsd, depression, and more.

--Spoilers Below--

I love Lee Min-Kyung. Her character is so lovable and comforting. The actress who plays her does such a good job with showing emotion and getting that across in just her facial features. While her backstory was sad, I loved watching it slowly unfold and her work through her trauma. A guy lied, took advantage essentially, and then started becoming abusive... all the while his family stalking her. I could feel her pain through the screen every time a member popped up. I hated the way even her mom viewed the situation and didn't even give her daughter the benefit of the doubt. She only listened once Hwi-Oh talked to her. It made me feel so awful for Min-Kyung and it also helped show how truly alone she felt with her situation. Her slowly opening up to Noh Hwi-Oh and trusting him, but also being weary and still scared from her last relationship was so relatable.. I was rooting for them all the way to the end and almost got tricked by it.

Noh Hwi-Oh's story is interesting but doesn't give you too much to go off of. He treats Min-Kyung so respectfully, but also playfully bullies her. They bicker like little children, but he loves and cares for her. One of my favorite scenes is him trying to teach her self-defense just in case. Him speaking to her mom and telling her that he looks out for her and takes care of her warmed my heart. He was always there whether she knew or needed or cared. The tie up of him catching her ex who was also a criminal was really nice, and it helped catapult him back to the police. I'm glad he got to be with her in the end.

The side characters I feel deserve a thumbs up as well. You get small glimpses of their lives, especially Soo-Hyun. Her many jobs put her everywhere in the story, and all her mini plots add such a nice distraction from the other story. I loved her struggle with money and how relatable it felt that she was working so many jobs just to be able to live comfortably.. I loved her and Samantha's friendship and how much it blossomed. Soo-Hyun didn't judge Samantha at all and saw her as a normal human. The wrap up of their story and them running her singing channel made me so happy and was a good addition even though it didn't tie in too much to the main plot.

The 3 land-ladies were annoying but added nice feisty characters that matched well with the depressed and sad ones. They had some funny moments, but the most memorable moment of them for me is where they overhear the conversation about her past and judge her immediately. They didn't ask or try to clarify at all.. just kicked her out without hearing her out. After Hwi-Oh talks to them they come around, but them even kicking her out in the first place was ridiculous. They help him get with her at the end and make sure they end up together which helps make up for it.

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Completed
Crash Landing on You
0 people found this review helpful
Mar 27, 2022
16 of 16 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 10
Story 10
Acting/Cast 10
Music 9.5
Rewatch Value 10
This review may contain spoilers
This show is one that had me so happy, in tears, and just on the edge of my seat.

Each of the plot lines and stories going on are so interesting from the initial crashing into NK, to her family, the military group, etc. It all shows each side really well and gives so much screen-time to each story. The "falling" part of the story didn't take too much time and most of it was spent building towards the main two falling in love and dealing with all their seemingly endless problems being hurled at them.

Her family story line and the contrast of them just accepting her death because of greed and money versus the group of soldiers taking her in as their own grabbed my interest immediately. I couldn't wait to see how shocked they looked when she showed back up alive. The story line of Ri Jung Hyuk being engaged was a little hard to sit through just because I wanted him and Se-Ri to be together so bad, but Dan plays a villain well - she was just forcing relationships and looking for love that wasn't there. The background story that I feel like didn't get too much spotlight that I feel deserved more was of The Rat. Him hearing his brothers death, the watch, him looking over Ri Jung Hyuk. I would have loved for that to get more screen-time.

The characters are so easily likable and lovable. Se-Ri is funny, smart, and she always gave me a laugh when hanging out with the guys. Ri Jung Hyuk was handsome, sweet, easily lovable and him slowly falling for Se-Ri was such a cute thing to watch play out. Every scene with them had me glued to the screen because of how well their chemistry was and how perfect they were for each other. All of the side characters are such great additions as well; From the military guys, their wives, Se-Ri's family and assistants - They all played such a huge role and have such a spot in my heart. I looked forward to every scene of Se-Ri and the military boys eating or their award ceremonies.

I loved this show and I would definitely give it a re-watch.

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Completed
Nevertheless,
0 people found this review helpful
Jan 15, 2022
10 of 10 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 5.0
Story 6.0
Acting/Cast 7.0
Music 4.0
Rewatch Value 2.0
This review may contain spoilers
I'm not entirely sure how I feel about this one honestly.
At times, I loved the main character and the beginning back story of her got me hooked, but it didn't really have much of a payoff in the long run. I feel like the story goes no-where and just staggers, all while the characters do all the wrong things.
The actors that they chose to play them were okay at times, I did enjoy the narration of the main character a lot to give a more inside look of what her thoughts were. It helps make it feel more relatable like I'm also experiencing those emotions and feelings with her. The guy was okay, he's definitely good looking but I feel like they gave him no back story at all and just used him for the romantic part of the story.
As always, I loved the side characters and the way they were all styled. Bit-na's style was so eccentric and different than what I was used to seeing in the k-dramas that I've watched and it was really nice. Sol's story I wish got more screen-time and looking into because I love having the LGBTQ+ representation and story. I feel like a lot of people can relate to them on that and I just wanted more.
Overall, I feel like I wouldn't re-watch at all. I loved the art school setting and the potential, but the payoff was eh. I wanted to like it more, but it just dropped off at some point and became super predictable.

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Completed
Tell Me What You Saw
0 people found this review helpful
Dec 23, 2021
16 of 16 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 10
Story 10
Acting/Cast 10
Music 10
Rewatch Value 10
this show was my very first kdrama and it was amazing. the twists and turns had me so shocked and the acting is unbelievable. i laughed, i cried, i got angry, it was the best show. the characters were all so likable in their own ways and just so badass. i loved the relationships they all had with each other. if you are looking for a show that has a super good story, with amazing twists you never see coming i would def watch this one. there is a lot of violence and gore, but it is easy to get past.
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Completed
Daily Dose of Sunshine
1 people found this review helpful
Nov 7, 2023
12 of 12 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 9.5
Story 9.5
Acting/Cast 9.5
Music 9.0
Rewatch Value 9.0
This review may contain spoilers

The smallest of ripples is enough to cover us in cuts and bruises - that's how weak we are.

Daily Dose of Sunshine is an incredibly beautiful story. While it does have its ups and downs, it ends on a happier note that makes up for the slow middle.

The FL really does a great job of breathing to life the character of Da Eun. Kind, selfless and empathetic. She does everything she can for her patients and while on her journey as a psych nurse, she learns that not only she but others around her suffer from other mental illnesses.

The story and writing does an amazing job of portraying mental illness and how everyone deals with it differently. Others may learn to cope and their medicine regime works, while others struggle to adapt and don't make it out of the cycle. It has beautiful characters and their stories are super relatable.

It does get a little slow towards the middle as the story pans from the patients and their stories to Da Eun and her learning + managing her depression. Towards the last few episodes everything gets back on track and ends perfectly. I loved seeing all the paths that everyone in the hospital takes and how their stories play out. While some weren't too interesting, their endings were good for them.

An incredible watch. I loved it the entire time I was watching it and couldn't get enough of the FL.

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Completed
Call It Love
0 people found this review helpful
Jun 26, 2023
16 of 16 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 8.5
Story 8.5
Acting/Cast 9.5
Music 9.0
Rewatch Value 7.0
This review may contain spoilers
This is a feel-good revenge drama, but honestly the revenge is forgotten about early into the show. While it starts out strong, I felt myself skipping through a lot of the smaller storylines that are weaved throughout. There are no secret murderers in this slice of life, but many love triangles, relationships, dating and finding yourself going on.

One thing that needs to be pointed out is: Lee Sung Kyung... Wow! She did such an incredible job in this drama. The character of Woo Joo is amazing and I kept seeing myself in her so much. A strong, beautiful, focused woman who doesn't back down to life and the people who walk all over her. The way she holds herself and the way she speaks yet cares about everyone around her, especially her family all really helped me relate to her. I loved her acting so much with Woo Joo. The emptiness that you get from her in the beginning and even towards the end that all ends whenever she is around Dong Jin. It's incredible, honestly. I can't think of another actress that has had me so wowed from a drama in a while.

Now for the story, I did love the main plot going on that followed with the lead's relationship, but I really didn't care for all of the siblings stories playing out. I found Woo Joo's sister to be kind of annoying and it was hard for me to follow her relationships or sink any emotion into them at all. Especially when it started to become a 3 person love triangle that I just couldn't follow. Jun was basically in love with her and Woo Joo, so the whole thing seemed pretty weird. I was finally glad when it all settled and they wrapped it up. The brother's story is really a backseat honestly and doesn't really serve a purpose to the overall plot other than him wanting to follow their father's career path and not the one Woo Joo set up for him. As for the lead story line, it was pretty dragged out and I hate when dramas wait until episode 15-16 to start dropping truth bombs that prevent us from getting more of the relationship we watched for. This one does exactly that.. I felt like right when it was starting to get to the happier part of everything, it came crashing down with them trying to wrap up the house story.

I do slightly find the step-sibling relationship slightly weird, but it was easy to look past when you realize they didn't know each other at all in their lives growing up. His mom just so happened to marry her dad. I just found it really weird that was the main story line going on with them also having a romance.

I could see myself re-watching this if I wanted to watch a nice melodrama slice of life. One that gets you thinking about life and its ups and downs. It was almost a favorite for me, but the slow pace of everything with the story just didn't grasp me as much as others have. It's still such a good watch.

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Completed
My ID Is Gangnam Beauty
0 people found this review helpful
Apr 27, 2023
16 of 16 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 8.0
Story 8.0
Acting/Cast 7.5
Music 8.0
Rewatch Value 7.5
This review may contain spoilers

"You think we're products displayed in a showroom?"

This drama was such a swirl of feelings for me. I loved the message and the overall story that it tells of loving yourself and finding the beauty in YOU, but I feel like it took a long time to even come off with that message if it even did at all... While you never see her old face, it takes until literally episode 15 for her to accept that she looks the way she does and feel comfortable in showing that to everyone. So it doesn't even feel like in the entirety of the show that she truly loved herself. It just screamed the message looks are everything and if you don't like yours change it. I wish we could've gotten her finding love for herself and keeping that, or even realizing that looks aren't everything in a person even if it's your own looks.

The acting in this drama is also such a hit or miss. While I can see that she is playing an awkward character who has never been in social situations like these before... I just found the acting of the FL super flat. She never really shows any range of emotions, it's always linear and no emotion almost. I'll have to check out some of the other dramas she was in to see if that is her or just how she was playing Mi Rae.

I did love Eun Woo's acting in this a ton, even if he also just stares and has a quiet and shy character as well. He showed more range of emotions and definitely was the piece that got me invested in the overall story. I loved seeing this after I watched Island because you can really see how much he has grown as an actor.

There were such good messages written into the script though about body image and how people view women and the way they look. I wish that was pushed more instead of the plastic surgery aspect of the story. One of them that really stuck with me was: "We're all forcing ourselves to cheer up and carry on."

Overall, I think this drama was a pretty good watch but I wouldn't rewatch it. Just beware that really nobody in this drama has character development at all, it's all just settled and moved on from to finish the show on a happy note.

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Completed
My Liberation Notes
0 people found this review helpful
Jan 23, 2023
16 of 16 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 8.5
Story 8.5
Acting/Cast 9.0
Music 9.0
Rewatch Value 7.0
This review may contain spoilers
My Liberation Notes was a super-realistic story about people making their way through life and trying to come into their own during. A conventionally poor family, where the kids are trying to become their own people and break free from the village life. Most of the plot lines were about them trying to find romance, themselves, and better their job situations. Due to pressure from society and them moving out of their "peak", they struggle and find it hard to break out of the chains.

What kept me interested in the drama for the first part, was the overall backstory that everyone had going on. While everyone was doing their own thing, the stories never got too mixed and confusing. It tells realistic stories of trying to find someone perfect for you and someone who will be a perfect life partner, but sometimes things fall short for us and we're met with problems we never saw coming. If you're looking for something soft, cute and happy... this is definitely not that drama. While their are happy notes, it's mostly about finding yourself and coming into your own in life. It deals with heavy themes of crime, loss, and life in general.

The acting of everyone involved was incredible and I really fell in love with the FL and Lee El's character of her sister. I felt that they both did such a great job of capturing the feeling of being lost in life, looking at others around you as ahead, and trying to find love. I didn't see much chemistry between Gu and Mi Jeong, but was still really interested in their weird dynamic.

The downfall was the ending of the show - I wasn't expecting a totally happy ending, but it would've been nice to have at least one end of the stories tied up happily. Although it's arguable that Yeom Mi Jeong and Mr. Gu did set out what they were wanting to do... the entire ending for each of the siblings just left me wanting more. The random time jump and the last 2 episodes trying to fill in that time also added to me falling out of my interest with it.

If you want something realistic and about the societal pressures of finding love, a good job and starting a family but with a more realistic ending, then this one is definitely for you to watch.

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