Reviews

Clumsy at Best

I pushed through two episodes of this one, so it's possible there might be, however unlikely, something redeeming showing up later. The awkward directing, acting, script, and ersatz music at times don't bode well and can't be fixed by some later plot twist because they are the problem.

The marketing spin and basic elements promise something interesting, but the execution is amateurish and clumsy.

When the lead character was introduced with three different angled shots I got a really bad feeling that the director is to put it politely, full of himself, and most all that followed confirmed that.

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The Definition of "Average"

What do you get when you take a vertical micro-drama plot and stretch it out to make it fit a Mini-drama standard? You get The Silent Wife.

Take all the bingo cards and tropes, tone them down and there you have it. This show was THAT boringly predictable.

Now don't get me wrong, if you HAVEN'T watched a bunch of vertical dramas and/or read a bunch of "bad" fiction then this may still get your blood pumping and you might even like it as novel and exciting. But don't expect the FL to be a smart person or learn anything 🤷‍♀️ It's a VERY specific niche fantasy show and that NEVER happens in these unless it's a Reverse Uno trope.

6.5/10 (Could have written almost the entire plot synopsis without watching it)

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Sweetest Family Drama (minus creepy villain)

Among the dramas this year, Rise of Ning seems like a breath of fresh air. The main characters Luo Yinning and Luo Shenyuan are, as you can guess from there surnames, siblings (But not really!) A lot of people might feel uneasy shipping them but I do think there's not much problem. First, the Fl lived separately for most of their lives. Once they met again ML almost immediately found out they are not biological siblings. From FL's pov it can be a little grey but then again it doesn't really affect much. I love love love the family. Lin Hairu, ML's (and FL's) sort of step mother is much better than most bio moms in cdramas! The grandmothers are absolute OPs. This story has all the things I love, the trope of di daughter takes revenge on concubines, and a ML that's not cold for once. The villain is the only part that kinda irked me but that only shows his great acting. The villain Lu Jiaxu is a creepy, stalker that obsesses over Fl but still hurts everyone around her. Overall, I really enjoyed this simple and sweet drama. Nothing too melancholic, just fun and enjoyable.

P.s: the side character's romance is soo cute. I love how they include body positivity and show the chubby sixth sister is lovable inside out.

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A Virtuous Watch!

When I first started watching A Virtuous Business, I had a hard time connecting to the story but I don’t like to give up on kdramas right away because they usually take from two to four episodes until the viewer can start to see the bigger picture of the story. And this was absolutely the case for this particular kdrama.

I also think there’s an added issue with the way it was promoted, mainly because the team behind this kdrama didn’t want to give the story away and it worked a little too well.

A Virtuous Business it’s so much more than a story about four women empowering themselves. I don’t think this kdrama is given enough credit for how progressive it actually it’s when you take into consideration the time and country it takes place, or the cultural impact the reinterpretation of Confucianism had in South Korean values, believes and relationships.

This kdrama might be set in a particular time and of course things have changed, but I think it’s fair to say there’s still some relevance in the experiences of these characters. There are very specific scenes that come to mind about this issues but I would hate it to spoil it for anybody.

The story also has a secondary subplot about a very dark and heartbreaking part of contemporary korean history, and that many people are still reckoning with to this day. This part is well balanced with the main story and the comedy, so it never takes too much (which easily could) and instead only gives the kdrama more gravitas.

The relationships are at the heart of this story, with the four female leads front and center but the other women, kids and men around them get their chance to shine and make this world feel lived-in, their dynamics real and development earned. The story ask some hard questions about women’s issues, it questions the definition of what is a “good family man”, the best way to connect with your partner and how to raise children.

I highly recommend giving A Virtuous Business a chance, I think you might be pleasantly surprised!

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Wonderful and believable chemistry that carried it

I’m not super picky with my dramas. I generally like tropes and enjoy a huge variety of styles.
For me, the two leads’ chemistry is what kept me watching. I loved how comfortable they seemed to be with each other and nothing felt forced. That part was endearing to watch (even during the happy couple moments I found myself smiling when typically I feel those lovey-dovey times in dramas can get over the top and annoying).
Overall the serial killer trope ruined a lot of it for me. I feel they could have had a wonderful story without that aspect entirely and I found myself rolling my eyes any time he was involved. As a result there were several large plot holes left that would have benefit from having more focus.
I don’t regret watching it. It was cute for what it is and I really appreciated the wonderful chemistry as well as the starring of some of my favorite secondary actors, but it lost a lot of points relying too heavily on tropes to propel what otherwise would have been a wonderful plot if given a bit more thought

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An amazing drama that I would want to watch again one day

I watched this drama a year ago (I just found out MDL isn't just for reviews) so I might not remember everything. Sorry if my English isn't too great.

The story is amazing. The ML is a Joseon righteous attorney who defends victims because of his own traumas in the past. In the drama we see his cases, and his romance with a princess. The FL is a very kind and empathetic princess unlike her family which is obviously bloody so she ran away and started to live and work at a hostel or something like this and started to live a modest but pretty comfortable life.

The story is very unique. It's a very good thriller with a lot of suspense, so much that you just have to watch the next. Usually with dramas I feel a bit bored sometimes because the episodes are a bit long but I don't remember doing that for Joseon attorney. You can see the plot was very well written and high quality as well.

As for the romance it's honestly really good. I don't remember much but I remember going crazy for Bona and Woo Dohwan's chemistry. They have some steamy scenes as well relating to Woo Dohwan's body. They were so cute together.

For the cast I honestly really liked it. But I felt like Bona was a bit plain. It didn't bother me that much because she was so cute though (she improved a lot in Pyramid Game though). Except for this I love the cast. They acted well.

I dont remember the OSTs so I chose a random number.
I really want to watch the drama again because it was a very pleasant watch. Greatly recommand this masterpiece. They don't deserve their viewership ratings and even MDL ratings, they deserve much more!!!

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MASTERPIECE ???

I just can say WOW!! This is a really masterpiece in all the extent of the sentence 👏 👏👏👏

The way you can experience the different genres as you watch the episodes and the way that make you have terror in the first part of the serie are the same things that makes you cry in the second part of the story... just GENIUS ✨️✨️

The Scene of the mother that can speak and what to save her daughter WOW!! the emotional they need to give her an OSCAR!!! and the plot twist of she and the guy with glasses didn't see to come.. and gladly have my eyes like waterfalls and its ok!!! ❤️‍🩹❤️‍🩹❤️‍🩹🔥

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UN DRAMA DIFERENTEMENTE PICOSO ??

si estás pensando si ver esta serie NO LO DUDES 🔥🔥🔥🫦🫦🫦💯💯!!!

Que historia más refrescante y diferente, el modo de hablar de los temas sexuales me encantó que se habló sin tapujos y se sintio para nada incómodo el tema cómo supieron integrarlo que se sintió muy natural..

Se tocan temas super interesantes y diferentes a todo lo demas y se agradece este tipo de contenido mas adulto, se pensaría que se queda en un nivel superficial del tema sexual pero super sorprendida del plot twist del final y lo real que es... creo que toda mujer en su vida ya fue AMBAS! Y ESO ME ENCANTÓ

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Not for me...

Yes, I'm in the minority. I'm not here to change anyone's mind, so take my review with a grain of salt.

Personally, I felt that this drama was overly complicated with an overabundance of names to keep track of. It also felt that some of the issues were never resolved, and we never got the complete back story on some things.

It was good from the standpoint of shifting alliances, and it keeps you guessing as to who the culprit is. It was intricately woven with a lot going on.

Strangely, I was bothered by the many times that Kim Bum smiled at inappropriate times. I don't know what was going on with that. I also felt that the very end was flat, and a bid for a second season, which is not needed.

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Nine minutes of film sunshine

Hand Sign: I’ll Be Your Ears aka Boku ga Kimi no Mimi ni Naru was based on a true story which made this sweet short film all the more poignant. In many ways it was a music video as there were very few words spoken out loud by the characters. Set at a university, two students met and despite their differences found they had something in common.

A new deaf female student hands out fliers trying to find someone to help her take notes during class but has no takers. One day a male student in her class sees her frustration at attempting to read the professor’s lips and steps up to help her. As the two spend more time together, Rika wants to learn more about the joy of music and Wataru wants to learn more about sign language.

I don’t know the name of the band playing but I loved that they signed the lyrics and of course this played into the budding love story. Rika and Wataru did a fine job portraying the steps in the relationship, from tentative greeting to eagerly wanting to know more about each other.

While the story was sweet it avoided being saccharine, especially knowing it was based on the experiences of two real life university students. Those little extra efforts at communication people often avoid can lead to friendship and even love. How many interesting relationships do we miss out on by not stepping out of our comfort zones? The real people who inspired this hopeful and sunny film discovered the rewards and were generous enough to share them with the rest of us.

20 December 2024

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Marie Kondo Would Be Proud!

My Housekeeper popped up on my Netflix feed and I had a feeling straight up I would like it - and I did. So much so, I finished show overnight.

So, what’s to like. Firstly, the characters. Each character is given room to breath. There is no over the top character, which is a welcome relief regarding this type of jdorama. The blend of senior actors and the younger actors works.

Secondly, the workplace. It seemed normal, supportive and deals with the current issues - psycho social health. We see how leading up to this, the pressure on workers, the lack of time and a key stress indicator - super messy apartments - it felt like home, actually!

Thirdly, I felt the story addressed a very real issue in Japan: that marriage is still valued and that age gaps are no barrier to this. I did have thoughts of papa katsu running through my mind but show is not that. We have two lovely people who somehow, bit by bit, fall into each other’s orbit.

Fourthly, it deals with family separation in an even handed way. It even shows how it is possible to mend fences, to bridge that gap.

Lastly, I liked how the focus was on that it was okay to have a job that suited you. There was no need for everyone to aspire to be a professional corporate, a lawyer, a doctor and so on. In fact, hiring a housekeeper is a smart move because it gives you your life back and room to breath, to be human.

Take show for what it is - it’s a nice show. Enjoy 😉

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