Reviews

Even Sakamoto Yuji messes up

This drama has all the potential to be a great drama. Brilliant writer with a beautiful setting (Hokkaido/Fukushima), star-studded cast (who can all act), beautiful OST. But none of those things could have salvaged the really really weird, convoluted plot. Way too many characters vying for the "main character/main supporting character" spot, I don't know if it's because they're all prominent actors(ress) that he felt compelled to tell all their stories - which means no one's story got told well.

The relationships here are so convoluted for no reason. By the time the 100th love triangle popped up I was so done, I thought surely this has to be a joke. Multiple love triangles/interest CAN work well as shown in Sakamoto 's very own Quartet later that year, but they have to be lighthearted and cannot be serious the way ItsukaKoi was, otherwise it's just a tangled mess.

The acting is all solid, and I really enjoyed Takahata Mitsuki in particular, but even that and the beautiful OST could not possibly have saved these convoluted shenanigans.

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The meaning of love

"Ashes of Love" tells the story of a girl named Jin Mi who's born without the ability to love, because of that she's always naive, happy and free, but everything changes when Xu Feng falls in the Floral Realm and meets her unexpectedly.
Jin Mi and Xu Feng become closer and eventually are involved romantically, still Jin Mi doesn't understand what's love. There's also Run Yu, Xu Feng's half brother who falls in love with Jin Mi at first sight.
The three characters are connected with each other and when Jin Mi finds her real father, she discover that she's the lost fiancee of Run Yu. That causes the conflict that changes their lives forever.

I liked Xu Feng, but to be honest, Run Yu is a better character, his life story, his traumas, all that makes him more appealing to audience, when Xu Feng was always the favorite son and treated with more care, but Run Yu's jealousy was his doom, when he basically forced Jin Mi to kill Xu Feng with her own hands, making her think that Xu Feng was her father's killer. In that moment, Jin Mi broke her Yun Elixir, realizing what's love and what's she done.
Jin Mi's sacrifice at the end was to make amends, since basically everything was her fault, the brothers fighting because of her and destroying all that's in the way... I really loved Jin Mi's phrase when she's dying: "If your heart is filled with love, why would you be afraid of sadness and fear?"
Of course there's a happy ending for Jin Mi and Xu Feng, it would be too sad if that didn't happen.

The drama is truly amazing, the story, the characters, the development, the actors, it's one of the best cdramas that I have ever seen. It's really worth the watch <3

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An underrated drama, with an amazing story

"Becoming Witch" is a dark comedy drama and honestly, an amazing surprise. When woman get married, they don't enter in a fairy tale but rather in a horror movie, instead of becoming Cinderella they become witches! HAHAHA'

The story follows three women: Ma Ri, Hee Soo and Jin Ah, they are in their 40's and none of them is happy being married. Ma Ri has a cheating husband, Hee's Soo husband is always away and she has to take care of her sick mother-in-law and Jin Ah is a widow, who gained a lot of money from her husband's death. She's the only one who's remotely happy, but that won't last long, since her husband comes back... alive.

Ma Ri is a total badass. I think she's one of the best characters I ever saw in a drama, there's no other woman like her. Her crazy eyes telling the whole world she won't divorce Nak Gu or when she dreamed about killing him. There's also the car accident and the whole "Misery" act in the hospital. But the interesting thing is that despise everything that Nak Gu did to her, Ma Ri still loved him, because he's the father of her child. The scene when she finally confess that, Nak Gu is holding a gun and he shots her, the gun didn't have bullets but, that moment is really the end, he killed every last inch of love that she had in that second.
The ending is very satisfying, Nak Gu is a freaking bastard, so he really deserved all that... karma is really a bitch.

Hee Soo's ending was the only sad thing about this drama. She is a beautiful woman, who wanted to have a child her whole life, but instead she got cancer. The good thing is that she finally had some good times with her husband and enjoyed her last moments on earth, leaving behind the memories with her friends, that won't ever forget her.

This is really an underrated drama, I don't know how people aren't talking about it, it's an amazing story. Lee Yoo Ri's acting is simply spectacular <3

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A fun story, but it lacks depth in the girls past

"Catch The Ghost" follows Yoo Ryung, a young cop that starts working in the Subway Police with the purpose of finding her twin sister that disappeared and it is most likely a victim of the subway killer, a serial killer that targets people on the subway and leaves their bodies inside the train.

The chemistry between Yoo Ryung and Ji Seok is really good, but the drama doesn't give the couple a chance to be together, literally that happens only at the ending and for me, that wasn't enough. They do have some sweet moments.

Yoo Ryung's journey to find her sister is the main focus of the drama, along with her solving the cases with a lot of enthusiasm, she's a lively character and always gives great scenes, with her crazy ways to stop the criminals, dragging poor Ji Seok along. I think the drama should have put more effort into showing the relationship of Yoo Ryung and Yoo Jin, we only see little flashes of their lifes together and to understand Yoo Ryung's pain and how could she do that mistake, of leaving her autistic sister behind, it should have more background on the story about them.

The funny moments it's what makes this drama worthwhile, also the friendship between the Subway Police. The romance stays in second place, but still a really good drama.

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One of few best cdrama of 2024

I really like this show and mainly because of lead chemistry the story is refreshing and it's progressing naturally and slowly and I really like the plot when male tried to kill FL in start it's not like that falling in love frist time which I like both fall for each other slowly and her evil stepmother ending is so satisfying though I feel sad for her sister and and one of the thing I like most is that leads get married after half of show it's not like that they married few episodes before ending and they wrap up show quite nicely one thing that I didn't enjoy is song mo brother song han arc but it's important to show it because if they don't show it we didn't know that why song mo killed his brother in last life I like his ending from miao ansu hands now final thing I watch li yunrui in last immortal in which he is fine the reason I watch this show is that I watch frist trailer months ago in which his looks in white hairs really attracts me and atmosphere but li yunrui and meng ziyi really attracts me and I'm going to watch their upcoming historical dramas.

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Bad characters, with a confusing story and a weird romance

"Chronicle of Life" it's a drama about a love triangle between Liang Er, Ye San and Rong Ruo.
Liang Er and Rong Ruo are childhood friends, they have always spend time together. One day, Liang Er loses her entire family when her father is framed for a crime he didn't commit and Liang Er loses her memory. Rong Ruo's father takes her in as a maid and the two have a secret romance growing up.
On the other hand there's Ye San, he's the emperor. He meets Liang Er when they are kids and she leaves him with a great impression, making Ye San search for her basically all his adult life. They reunite when Liang Er comes to work in the palace.

The three people are connected. Liang Er and Rong Ruo like each other, but they don't stay together, even with Ye San's permission to let them marry, Rong Ro ends up getting marry to Liang Er's friend, but keeping Liang Er in his heart. Liang Er falls for Ye San by spending time with him. That's the part that upset me, there's no moment that define the beginning of their relationship, Liang Er just loves him, suddenly. At least with Rong Ruo, the romance made sense, but with Ye San, it's strange.

I really thought the twist that technically Ye San is to blame for Liang Er's father's death would be something more important in the story, but it's put basically at the end and doesn't ruin their relationship at all. I thought it would be something like in "Goodbye My Princess".

The story lacks dept and the drama's colors really annoyed me, everything is too bright, too exaggerated.

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The best kdrama of 2024

I don’t use the word “masterpiece” easily because it’s no easy to create a film or tv show that’s literally perfect but that’s the only way to describe Disney+ kdrama Light Shop.

Actor turned director Kim Hee Won makes a perfect directorial debut with this very human and heartfelt Korean gothic ghost story.

Light Shop is a masterfully crafted production, every detail full of significance and important to understand the story as it progresses. No character is unimportant, all playing a key role in the lives of each other; and the performances of each actor nuance. Never giving away too much but managing to connect with the audience at the same time.

The technical aspects, such as cinematography, lighting and special effects, are simply some of the best you will ever find in a Korean drama.

This is the kind of kdrama you want to watch without knowing anything beforehand, but you should know the first four episodes are key for the world building and then, it twist and turns in order to take you on one of the most beautifully made ride.

Perfect.

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Where's the music? What should have been the focus, it was left in the background

"Trot Lovers" it's a drama about Chun Hee, a young woman who has to take care of her father and young sister. She meets Joon Hyun, a former popular singer and in the beginning the two fight like kids, but then Joon Hyun decides to her help become a trot singer.

The drama was supposed to be about music, but there's just a few moments with Chun Hee singing. I really thought it would have more competitions between Chun Hee and Soo In, to make sense about the rivalry, but there's only one. The songs are really good, that's why I wanted more. If the drama had focus on that, I honestly think it would have been an amazing production, to focus on the trot music, explore more about that.
The whole amnesia thing was just ridiculous and unnecessary.

The romance just didn't work, the two actors don't have chemistry in scene. I actually liked Chun Hee more with Geun Woo.
There's nothing really bad about the drama, it's easy to watch, but also there's nothing impressive. It's something you watch and forget very easily.

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Under Construction

Don't be confused by the headline, it just means that the review is under construction. I was going to wait until all of the episodes were out to write my review, but it is a three couple arc. And one just got over, and it felt right to leave a review for that one as the fuzzy feelings are still fresh, because truthfully, I see a ton more fuzzy feelings on the way watching this.

So this will be almost like three different reviews in one entry, one for each couple, in the order of their appearance. And first up..

♡ Arm and Arc
I loved it.
Everything about it. A perfect score to start this off because honestly, it doesn't deserve anything less than that from me.

The story - so simple, yet effective. Just two people falling in love after starting off on the wrong foot, but not just that. It was the losers in love energy that absolutely sold me on them. The way everyone but the two of them could see they were head over heels for each other. Seriously, even guest characters figured it out two seconds after their appearance, took Arm and Arc eight episodes.

I exaggerate, of course, but that dynamic they brought, being unbelievably in love with each other but at the same time not being able to acknowledge it (for very good reasons actually, I was impressed), it made it so much more real and romantic. The initial animosity never really went away either, it just translated into a lot of flirting and misplaced feelings. They argued like children and flirted like teenagers, and even this had me swooning and waiting for them to get together. And the wait was worth it.

The anticipation, the pushing and pulling, the tiny jealousy flaring, and so much flirting was all worth it. Because even when they weren't together, they were together. And the chemistry between Force and Book?! Click - Click - Click!!! They brought it. The perfect mix of excitement and safety, you could feel that with every one of their interactions.

Not just them though, everything was amazing. The little glimpses of the other two couples, the supporting characters with their adorable and funny quips, the comedy, the guest characters and best of all, the side couple. Sand and Pond have interactions that make you want to sigh in happiness and wrap yourself tighter in your blanket because their relationship is like a warm hug.

I have no complaints about this one, their story will obviously continue in the next couple's arc (obviously, again, not as prominently), but they wanted to tell us tve story of how Arm and Arc began dating (they actually said this in the series), and they did.

I, for one, am incredibly satisfied with how they did it. I just love Arm and Arc.

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Some scene are just unnecessary but story itself and main cp were amazing.

It was really memorable and beautiful story to watch. Type of series that you can easily tell someone as bed time story. One thing I find unnecessary is that Theo went back to French. I think it would be more suitable for last episode if Theo didn't go back to French, or , if directing team was planning to make that scene, they should add more episodes to show how many months or years Theo spent in French. 12 episode will more than enough to show their long distance time and make more sense for Theo staying in overseas also akk trying his best to get scholarship. Other than Ep 10, I was enjoyed watching Enchanté. Another thing I personally doesn't enjoy was side characters having unnecessary pairing. I am kinda person who doesn't enjoy watching side CP so this sentence is personal. Also, last but not least, Force and Book acting are so good and they totally deserve more dramatic series. Looking forward for them.

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Finally not a c-trauma!!!

It's been AGES since I found a C-Drama that doesn't have a sad or a sh*tty confusing open ending. It got a good story line and I was so hooked. When I heard about the main leads, I was also surprised because the only time I watched a drama with these actors are when they were support actors in other C-Dramas, so I decided to give this drama a go. I am not disappointed at all, the actors did a phenomenal job. The chemistry here is just fluffy~, had me kicking my legs like a little kid. If you want something that is "light-heart" I recommend this drama. Oh my heart~~~

Just to mention, if you want a drama like the K-Drama "Marry My Husband", I recommend this Drama "Blossom". As it has a more complex story line with badass main couple. Their love language is just adorable throughout the whole drama.

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when you root for them individually and together... it's magic

ohmygoodness this put me through it (and i love it). don't you just love it when the main leads are both hot, smart, skilled and can be funny too? then it even gets better because they have so much chemistry! that's song mo and dou zhao. i've never rooted for a couple's happiness and triumph so hard. i admire their resilience and how they actually made each other better. every wins our leads get, it was so satisfying. that's also thanks to how good the antagonists in this story and man, we got multiple villains here and when i tell you my blood was boiling everytime omg lol i don't know how i'll rank them but wang ying xue that bitch (she's so freaking good). so yeah from the acting to the story to the romance, this delivered for me. at first, i was overwhelmed with the politics and the names but once i got the hang of it, i was good. this brought out the emotions in me. i cried, i laughed, i got mad and i cheered.

meng zi yi and li yun rui are officially on my favorites list now. they did so good. but even the supporting actors are amazing. again, the villains! especially the women! also shout out to ming (again wang ying xue you stupid bitch lmao) and ansu (i, too, was heartbroken when i saw how song han started changing. their ending! sad but incredible).

ps: it's actually the king and duke of ding's love story if you think about it lol

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A Heartfelt Masterpiece

Queen of Tears is an absolute masterpiece a drama that touched my heart in ways I didn’t expect. From the very first episode to the last, it delivered a perfect blend of humor, emotion, and heartfelt storytelling.

Kim Soo Hyun’s performance was a revelation. His ability to balance comedy and deep emotional scenes was stunning, making his character unforgettable. If I could rate his acting, it would be a thousand out of ten. Kim Ji Won, on the other hand, brought a unique charm to her role, and her chemistry with Kim Soo Hyun was electric. Together, they created a pairing that felt fresh, relatable, and iconic.

What truly sets this drama apart is its storytelling. The narrative was full of moments that made me laugh and cry, often at the same time. The way the characters evolved, particularly Hae In and Hyun Woo, was beautifully done. Hae In’s journey of rediscovering love, even after losing her memories, was breathtaking. Watching her fall for him all over again, with the same innocence and determination as the first time, was a joy to witness.

The symbolism in the drama like the four-leaf clover and the diary added depth and meaning to the story. Each time the diary appeared, it was a poignant reminder of their love, and it brought both tears and smiles.

The family dynamics were another highlight. The contrast between the two families added layers to the story, showcasing different perspectives on love and relationships. It was heartwarming to see how these differences ultimately brought everyone closer.

The most beautiful moment for me? When Hae In kept saying Hyun Woo’s name. That scene encapsulated the essence of the drama: love that endures, heals, and transforms.

Queen of Tears is more than just a drama it’s an emotional journey. The Ice Cold Princess and the King of Tears have left an indelible mark on my heart. This is a story I’ll cherish forever.

To anyone who hasn’t watched it yet, you’re in for a treat. And for those who have, let’s keep celebrating this incredible team and the magic they created.

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