Reviews

magisterial, upsettong and complex

Auspiciously suspicious beginnings. One shot -- a line of stewardesses wends its way into the terminal, crossing the drop off lane, timed to synchronize with the taxi pulling up, in which the journalist who will bear witness is arriving. Like a fish on a line. Perfect opening credits follow sometime afterwards.

Wow. Magisterial, upsetting and complex. The script, acting and direction act as one gripping whole -- I cannot say much more (my rule, no spoilers). Against my will I ended up in love with Fei Ke, totally seduced by the sensitive curve of Jing Bo Ran's upper lip; inexorably I was forced to look at each character from at least two different points of view. This is a mystery/crime thriller, so perhaps I can say that we are also forced to confront whether or not truth and legal consequences compensate a viewer for what feels more real -- several human tragedies.

I would like to say that I loved the way Viki dropped one episode per day for 10 days -- a super experience -- just enough time to digest the previous episode and wonder what was going to happen next.

first posted on viki june 3rd 2024

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imaginary history but still tugs at yr heartstrings

I cried tears of happiness at the ending -- one through-line from pansori to kdrama! The drums, some poetry, flashbacks, magical events, a family reunites and right on cue, we weep!

A great watch, imaginary history of course with a nice back-and-forth between the "invention" of the second great pansori tale, the Simcheongga, which involves a dragon-king under the sea and a noble self-sacrificing maiden with a blind father, and the plot of this movie, involving a blind daughter, a mother kidnapped to be used as slave labor and a poet-singer father. Not to mention a gosu drummer, a very shabby monk, an aristocrat in disguise as a drunk and many good pansori village audiences. Eolsigu! (yippee!) Jalhanda! (well done!)

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I randomly stumbled into this show, and I'm so glad I accidently found this gem. This show makes you feel warm and cosy when you watch it. The same feeling you get when it's raining outside and you're at home, wrapped up in a blanket with a warm drink. As soon as I hear the opening I smile, looking forward to the story the episode is going to tell.
Each episode tells you a different story about people that come to the midnight diner. The premise of having a diner where Master makes his customers whatever they want so long as he has the ingredients is an interesting one and makes it feel so homely. I just wish I could find a diner that felt so intimate and friendly in real life!

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Home Sweet Home

I placed spoilers at the end of this review.

Here is my usual warning that I am a sucker for series with a paranormal/strange element to it. This was a fun series. The first few episodes were a little rough around the edges, but the following episodes get better. Overall, the script was funny and heartwarming. I really liked the mini storylines involving the guest roles. The script also did a great job tying all of the various storylines together. Three out of the four main characters started off a little annoying and/or unlikable. However, the script did a great job explaining reasonings behind their behaviors as the series progresses which made them more likable. My only minor complaint is that I was able to guess some of the plot twists beforehand. As for the entire cast, they were amazing and did an incredible job with their characters. The cinematography and special effects were also amazing.

Random Notes:

The closing credit scene showed various stages of the team’s relationship development was very cool. I normally don’t watch closing credits, but found myself doing so because of this.

The saying on the neon sign with the burned-out letters was hilarious.

Home’s condo in America is the same one used in the series “Wandee Goodday”, “Only Boo”, “My School President”, and “Good Old Days”.

The smaller globe next to the one Home was staring at in episode 8 was the same one used in the series “Be my Favorite”.

******Spoiler Alert******

The beginning of the first episode threw me off because I didn’t realize that Home was in America. They could have incorporated some other hints to this other than the news. It did not help that I recognized the place from other GMMTV series.

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Outstanding GL with high performance leads

Saying that I’m obsessed with this show is minimising the impact it has on my brain.
I’ll start by saying that I DON’T LIKE CHAO PLANOY’S adaptations (haven’t red any novels) because they have so many toxic and poorly written characters.
But this one took me off guard.
First of all, just so you know, this is one of the few GLs out there (at least so far) where the two leads (Namtan Tipnaree and Film Rachanun) have a pretty solid background in the industry and had many main lead roles in straight shows, and they have been professional in each of them.
GMMTV combined two strong women with completely opposite personality irl and they are absolute fire together.
On a professional level, the actresses (esp Film at the very beginning when the Pilot trailer was released) were very shy around each other, but they requested to have workshops even before filming, while they were filming a straight show (in which they also starred together “Ploy’s yearbook” but they were “enemies”) so that they could build up the chemistry and get rid of the shyness during working. And they succeeded marvellously.
They are still a bit shy around each other but when they act together you doubt they are not lovers in reality, meaning they are high performers in what they do.
Not to mention they cried when they watched the official trailer for the first time, they really care about the project.
So given that, they are (at least to me) the best in acting I’ve seen in a GL so far, their characters even if they are not green flags, are very compelling and honestly well crafted.
Snap25, the company producing this show, has done an amazing job with the dialogues, twists (so many, like every episode you have more questions than the previous one, but it keeps you HOOKED) and the main love story.
The two main characters May Metawee and Ai-Oon are just two broken souls who are desperate to be loved and loving someone. Their relationship (although is packed with lies and secrets for now) is a slow process of falling in love and understanding of each others.
We all know it will have an happy ending because it’s Chao’s novel and GLs are still new so they wouldn’t dare not to give it to us. Meaning that the two main characters are falling in love and they will overcome all the obstacles and lies surrounding them.
The story is flawing, the twists are exciting to see, the love May and Oon are having is so soft it melts your heart and the two leads are just incredibly professional.
It’s a lethal mix that I personally found myself drown to.
I recommend everyone to give it a go, despite the fact that none of the characters are green flags but they are well written.

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a wasted story

A love story between a man who doesn't know what he wants and a woman who thinks she knows exactly what she wants. Even after more than ten years together, they don't truly understand each other and fail to share the truths about themselves, making them a flawed couple from the start.

Their imperfections are certainly rooted in nonsensical details within the scenario. In this drama, everyone except the main couple behaves as they should. The other characters are well-developed and consistent in their actions and behaviors. However, the two most important characters in the series are written in a completely incomplete, absurd, and inconsistent manner. It seems the writer intended to showcase their emotional ups and downs in a peculiar way.

The female lead is a strong divorce lawyer, initially presented to us as an intelligent woman, but she ultimately lives completely by her emotions, appearing quirky and even a bit foolish. I found her actions, especially in the second half, to be truly absurd. Her pursuit of her ex-husband, who treats her poorly and shows no signs of affection, cannot be explained merely by love. At the very least, it doesn’t align with what an intelligent woman would do.

The male lead is the most absurd character in this drama. He seems to have no emotional ties left with his ex-wife. He has no qualms about starting a job at her workplace, and on top of that, he arranges a date between his best friend and his ex-wife, helping them become a couple. What? Even if there's no love between them, this would still be quite strange. Despite exhibiting numerous red flag behaviors, the woman shows no reaction to any of this.

The male character orchestrates a fake game of infidelity to get a divorce from his wife. Really? Is it that difficult to explain to someone you've known for over ten years why you want to get divorced? Moreover, the reason for the divorce presented to us felt quite forced. Yes, I admit that even after years, one might not fully know someone, but come on, have you only gone on ten dates in ten years? Is it possible that a couple together for such a long time never discussed whether or not to have children? When they get back together in the series, the woman suddenly finds out that the man doesn’t want kids. It’s revealed that he has hidden his childhood trauma and relationship with his mother from the woman he married for all these years. Seriously, what did you talk about during that time?

I also want to touch on the mothers. While it's a common theme in Korean dramas, I still find it odd how intrusive and authoritarian mothers are in their children's lives. Both of their mothers were quite disturbing. They constantly interfered in their lives, relationships, and characters like children who cry when they don’t get their way, and in the end, they faced no consequences and were simply forgiven. I didn’t like them.

Although I was initially intrigued by the legal stories in this drama, as the episodes progressed, the topics began to reflect their lives more and more. This led to a repetitive cycle, and aside from a few, most of the storylines felt very dull. This isn’t a romantic comedy, but it also didn’t succeed as a drama. At times, it was quite tedious and overwhelming. Especially in the first half, since they hardly came together physically or emotionally, it didn’t feel exciting at all when they decided to reunite. I didn’t think they loved each other enough for that. With so many dramas waiting in the queue, it would have been better if I had postponed watching this one.

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Full of heart.

Heart! ❤️❤️❤️

This series definitely has a heart.

Due to its genre, I never thought I would shed tears for this series. ? It has comedic value, It is scary and thrilling and filled with emotions.

Tay and New is very much commendable. As well as the supporting characters.

The story is very well thought. I had a hunch of the twist that will happen when I began watching, I was correct but I am very much satisfied how it went on.

Good choices of guests as well. Every episode surely gives you a surprise.

Overall, I will definitely recommend this series. ⭐️

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Super Cute Drama!!!

This drama is a breath of fresh air. Ever since watching Till the end of the Moon. I have not watched any other Chinese drama since it’s always been the same generic theme. However when I decided to give “Smile Code” a try I got hooked. I loved the concept and storyline about a male figure not being able to express any feelings to love another person. I have to admit the drama started slow and I basically skimmed through scenes about the company but whenever Shenyue and Lin Yi appeared on screen I find them so natural and adorable with one being so happy and bubbly person which resonates to Shen Yue personality in real life and Lin Yi haha, I always pictured him as a cool and collected person who no reactions to anything and this fits him haha. And for him to making jokes with a straight poker face. I can’t haha, one minute he compliments and treats the female lead with care, next minute he says something that sounds offensive ?. I don’t know whether to laugh or cry seeing Lin Yi ? I can’t wait for upcoming scenes where he rejects her and he start to really have feelings and don’t want to lose her. Not looking foreword for the main lead female boss. Not liking her too much. She’s so passive aggressive to my female lead. But our FL is strong, she has so many people backing up and supporting her (SML, ML, ML friend). Can’t wait to see what the rest of the episodes will bring us!! Can’t wait for our ML to make his move once he rejects and pushes her away, he’s going to work really hard to win her back

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Feels very scripted

1st of all, I tried two times to get into the show because of how highly rated this is. But acting feels very scripted nothing natural. Why the ml pays attention to her from their meeting??. Was it something significant?. No. Because script says so. Actor who plays ml, I think is highly overrated. His acting is almost same in every show , be it fantasy or Modern. He looks quite good in historical dramas but acting wise, quite flat.(Same few expressions,). FL was ok. Nothing special...
I came for noona romance part, I don't feel the charm or spark that i get from other legendary noona romances(witch's romance, I hear your voice etc).
Sports wise , I wasn't interested.
So dropped

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33 Episodes of Perfection

Love Me, Love My Voice is a refreshing and heartwarming drama that kept me hooked from start to finish. Every episode felt like it was worth watching, with each moment contributing to the development of the story and characters. It's so rare to find a drama that maintains such a positive and uplifting atmosphere throughout.

The characters truly brought their roles to life, making it easy to invest in their journey. The chemistry between the leads was palpable, and their growth over the course of the show felt authentic and satisfying.

While I thoroughly enjoyed every moment, I can't help but wish there were more episodes. At just 33 episodes, the story wraps up too quickly, leaving me wanting more. A longer run, maybe 50 or 60 episodes, would have given the characters and plot more space to explore, and I would have gladly followed them for much longer.

In conclusion, Love Me, Love My Voice is a beautiful drama that left me wanting more. It's a must-watch for anyone looking for a feel-good series without unnecessary drama or negativity.

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PERFECT SHOW you should watch it 100%

After watching dramas for quite a long time, I can say that to me there's a lot of good shows but few that I can confidently say perfect. And that's why, this is the first drama that I'm re-watching.
You will be addicted from the first episode and it manages to keep the quality the whole run. Looking at the tags, seeing trauma and mental illness you might think it's going to be overly dramatic and at time hard to watch, but you will be surprised, since the plot is actually very funny and wholesome. There are so many questions and motive that you will start guessing from the episode one, be it from main character or side characters. Even small characters have such strong personalities that you can't just ignore them, from the quirky doctor at the hospital to lovable couple of patients. The lead couple hold a interesting relationship, the ML despite being a "good" person, is broken and lives a very limited life, because of that he starts to be moved by the FL, who is after him from the first moment they met.

ANOTHER STRONG POINT. THE. OST. IS AMAZING!! I have it saved and whenever it comes up, I get the feeling I need to re-watch the whole show...

(somewhat SPOILER)
This is not to degrade the show but some of the situation cause by the characters with mental illness were a bit hard to watch again, not sure if its a good or bad thing (example: I was hoping his brother would act differently sometimes because I knew he was causing a problem that would be solved soon, so it felt like a bit of a waste of time( BUT THATS ON ME 100%))
deer jokes never got old!

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It's a cool story that holds the attention

It's a dorama that starts slow, but it already starts well. As the episodes go by, you can easily get attached to the characters and the story. There are some slower scenes (like most doramas), but nothing that hinders the development and timing of the plot.

The novel, as for, is nice to watch, but don't expect something hot and a breathtaking chemistry. It is built little by little and in a subtle way.

The secondary characters are great, fill the story well and are well explored.

In general, the story has no errors and holes, and manages to hold a lot of attention.

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