Reviews

Beer n Healing...

This is a story about a bunch of very different people brought together and brought down by the less fun sides of society... or something like that a show of opposites attract and united by barely and maybe wheat toasts.

The female lead is cool and fun to watch most of the time, she has a bunch of diffent sides to her : sweet, tough, hard working understanding, kind... But lets face it she is there to show a different way to be a woman

The male lead is soft n cold, sweet n fragile... and tries to show us the dangers of gender conventions and toxic masculinity.

The second couple is there to show family and flaws, playfullness and tthe dangers of fragile felinity.

And the third and fourth mains seem to balance between hetero and non hetero vibes without reaching the gay the whole way...

The amount of annoying elements, characters and slapstick contrast moments are a bit overwhelming at times but htey are not as bad as the preachy educational tone the drama gets from time to time reminding to stay away from any title that has the word healing amoung its tags. Seriously what was I thinking...

That said there is enough good in this and I did love enough of the characters to give it a 7,5 but if you too are allergic to healy preachy and annoying village people you should probably run away...

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It just keeps getting better!!

Wow! What a journey!! Season 1 was really good, but season 2 was exceptional!! Faster pace, more intrigue, suspense and nail biting situations. I have seen Zhang Ruo Yun in only Joy of Life, and it seems he and the character of Fang Xin were made for each other. The actor has totally owned the series and this character, his acting was simply amazing and this show cannot be imagined without him. The other important characters were awesome as well, but the ML actually carries the show all by himself. I hope season 3 comes out soon, I’ll be rewatching both seasons several times during the wait!

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you must find your light with your own will

light shop
BUHAY NG LAHAT/10000000

— the light bulbs represent people’s souls, with the light shop keeper really being the keeper of these souls.

some lights are barely hanging on, some already out. some are dirty and worn, most bright. they all probably feel the pull of their own soul

episode one gives me so much chills, imagine 1 am ko to pinanood tas ako lang mag isa sa taas ??? ang mysterious every character kaya nakaka-entertain sya panoorin and papanoorin mo talaga sya dahil curious ka every character eh, sa ep 3 naman superb sa detective, ang galing mag ano ng crimes although lahat naman pero kasi if ako yung kasama nya mag identify don hahahhaa di ko rin yon mapapansin, ang galing !!!! every small details putcha lopit.

OMGGG sa season 5 ko narealize lahat lahat, nandon lahat kung bakit yon nangyari kung ano dahilan at kung bakit, euueueueue super gandaaaaaa. Ang hate ko lang is yung mother ni hyungmin, why did she do that :( hindi niya manlang inisip yung consequences nung text na binigay nya dun sa deaf na gf ng anak nya, nagsuicïdé tuloy yung girl, super sakit non. kaya naman pala sya laging nakaupo ron sa bus stop kasi inaantay nya si hyungmin, ang last kasi na interaction nila ay pasakay na ng bus si hyungmin kaya hinihintay nya yon, kahit ghost na sha :( tapos sa ep 6 naman yung deaf na gf ayaw nya pa umalis like meron kasi sakanilang 3 day funeral which is parang 40 days ng mga patay sa ph, pero ang kaibahan nasa chamber or may fridge na lagayan yung mga patay sa korea, so after 3 days hindi mabuksan yung fridge ayaw pa pala umalis nung deaf gf sa world, tapos ang ginagawa pala is tinatahi nya si hyungmin para mabuhay yon :(((( tapos dun naman sa nasa apartment yung nanay nya pala nagligtas sakanya sa accident, super sakit ng episode na to, iba talaga ang grief. madami pa ako gusto sabihin kaso i can't put it into words 😭😭

the way the bus driver kept trying to find his passengers to take them to the light shop so they could survive even tho he himself was dead, my tears literally burst out, he died out of guilt my heart aches BEST CHARACTER EVER! IM SO SORRY FOR YOU.

THIS IS SUPERBBBBB !!!! ROLLER COASTER EMOTIONS WHATTTTTT, SUPER GALINGGGG, YK THE FEELING NA MANONOOD KA NITO SA MADALING ARAW NG HINDI NATATAKOT KAHIT HORROR GENRE SYA? ITO YON EH, GANDA NG PLOTTTT, CONNECTED LANG SYA SA LAHAT !!! DESERVE NA DESERVE ANG HYPEEE 😜 SEASON 2 WHENNN????

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~ To The Victors GLORY ~⚜️~ To The Viewers ~ How Glorious! ~ °7.9° °Excellent°

KA has many problems, which is why I can't understand myself.

The muted voice track at times sounds like a dub over, & at others like they are talking in the bathroom. Many characters' voices are two short steps removed from toneless & emotionless. Not all viewers care about sets, but highly visual people do. KA's sets feel sanitized. There isn't a speck of dirt anywhere in 40 entire episodes. The sets either made my 💓 race from the savvy style, or I blanched at the suppressed sterility. Many of the sets have an over-exposed whiteness to them. If they were going for real-life to appear dreamlike & Glory to look more real, it would be brilliant. Let's choose the doubt's upside & deem it by design - a breakthrough of subconscious genius, at a minimum. Team HQs are very🆒 & the Shanghai cityscapes are impressive w/ stunning architecture lit in a dazzling display.

What about 💘? No couples form? C'mon, how hilarious would it be if 🗡Shaotin made a pass at Lil🔱Tang? Forget that; nobody even seems °interested°. Clearly, Glory suppresses hormones. It's almost as if these people are in 2D. Wei🔮Chen is the only male protag that displays any moxie. Lil🔱Tang is next😜. This isn't to say that characters should be snogging in every corner; it shouldn't be the centerpiece, by any means. As is, it's strange to see the young-beautifuls hanging out together without checking eachother out.

Maybe they're too saintly. KA has some fantastic players, thankfully. They provide a little cover for its issue w/ 😇saints. The many saintly characters, including ones that grow from odious to 😇like, are a prevalent flaw. Like GOT author, GRRM, states: There's only 1 thing worth writing about, and that's the human 💔 in conflict with itself. As we need flesh-&-blood characters w/ whom to identify, there's no room for 😇s in good drama (unless it's a plot device). Please tell me it's not sending a message about the glorious collective in order to mollify the 🇨🇳 censorship machine. I hope not: Hearing the paper editor lecturing the intern reporter on remaining impartial, to only report the facts, is a little too ironic. Be that as it may, propaganda machines are 🌏wide, not just in closed off countries. Not far removed from the above, are weird moments where Glory is portrayed religiously, & Ye☂Qiu as its prophet. Mercifully, it's only scattered instances.

Moving on, players that had great reluctance to join the team, & other characters that were infested with hate or anger, come around too easily. In 40 episodes, they have time for more of an arc, to allow progression to unfold gradually. They could have been recruiting more than 1 at a time, for instance. This would allow space for the more difficult cases to have a credibly phased growth process.

The cast is keek, but couldn't they have a couple chubby players? (Ok. Perhaps the reporter w/ the 'Elmer The Elephant" jacket fits that. He's sorta cute, though, like a 🐼). China has a vast populace consisting of the colors of the human 🌈, yet there's only a couple token medium skin-toned actors, w/ nary a dark skin tone. In fairness(ha!), many media outlets are guilty of the above. Being beautiful & light-skinned doesn't guarantee success, but it can certainly fill in any potholes for a smoother ride. It's something that we should all be aware of & fight against in ourselves.

The most significant flaw is the soundtrack. Don't underestimate this. The ruined portions are the flashbacks & sentimental moments. Not only did the sound kill them, but there's waaay too many of them to begin with! These scenes, many of which would have transformed w/ more energetic 🎵&🔊, are 😶. Their attempt to mfr emotions failed. Tragically, when KA is not snappy teammate repartee-filled interplay, or Glory drama-filled conquer mode, it's too often sentimentally simplified. Obviously, that has no place in such a show. Infused sparingly - fine, but there are too many sappy scenes w/ sappy music. Information-wise some are useful...except when they are__ DUPLICATES⁉ I started to ⏩ through them. It gets even worse at the end. Most of Ep40 is a sap fest w/ painful 🎶. The pain is from "over-sapuration" of sappiness. It hurts. Thankfully, the action🎵 is catchy & seamlessly bolsters gameplay.

Finally, I don't even play computer games except for the occasional trip to Freecell. So, help me out: Why do I ♥ this show so much?

🕹1st, KA is fun to watch!

Ep1-40, @45min ea, go fast💨. Nothing feels like useless stuffing (sans f/backs); the series flows. The competitive atmosphere is exciting. It's like an anime tucked into a live-action feature.

Yes, there's stereotyping:

☂ The intrepid, all-wise, near perfect leader, who can kill all day in a game, yet still have a tender disposition. {Lo, he was brought down by capitalism. He's one that's too 😇like - nobody can relate. He should be humanized a tad more. As he never brags, it's not until the last competition, once he verbalizes his analytics, that we see how brilliant, how very 1-in-a-billion, he is.}

☂ The cheerleader🔫 onto whom h/h idol falls.

☂ The struggling🚬player who needs the right coach.

☂ The loaner⤵🕳

☂ The 🤓geek, who is unparalleled in analytics + he happens to be hanging out precisely where they do. It's like Little Giants; I was waiting for "The Annexation Of Puerto Rico" play. When playing, the🤓 meets Chuck🤾Bricks in a hidey-hole. He's astounded. Analytically, it's nearly impossible for anyone to find that spot! In fairness, 🤾 actually fell in. He's not the team's genius, but he excels @ being lucky. "I'd rather be lucky than good,” MLB player, Lefty Gomez, famously said🤔}

☂ The once stellar, now washed up player🔮 w/ the surly attitude & gravely voice. He's akin to a Dennis Hooper type, so he should be a heavy drinker. Esporters don't drink, though. There's a hilarious bit when they go out after a win; most of them pass out before getting a full🍺/🥃/🍹down.

☂ There's even a scammer🛐. For them to hire him w/o more analysis is odd.

It's difficult, at this stage in 📽/📺, to come up with completely original characters for a feature. Should that be a priority? People have many commonalities; criticism for 'replay' types isn't so damaging, really. Is the journey fresh? That's what matters. 🤾 & Tang🔱 are not stereotypical. As is, 🔱's a bada$$ in her own way & 🤾 just runs around & makes things happen. {Speaking of bada$$↪ Let's put Youming "Yummy" GU (captain of Team🥊Tyranny) on the short must😍watch list〰 Excuse me. Where was… am I?}

🎮2nd. This team & their journey works.

The characters are fun & interesting, even in their incompletely molded states. The actors are solid; it appears any "narrow range" is due to the direction. The character who is most delightful is Shaotian, the Sword🗡Saint. Now °here's° a saint with no flaws. Every moment he's on screen is a rare joy. His blithely indefatigable trash-talking character is perfect.

Though 🚬Yifan, 🔱, Bao🤾Zi, (GO Steamed Bun Invasion‼) Mo⤵🕳Fang, and Gou🔫Gou, (and that Team🥊Tyranny hunk) are all loveable, next for me, is the great trash talker & warlock, Wei🔮Chen. Cheerful trash-talkers are the best. His feigned boredom is another asset. They squandered good screen time: He should have come to the team sooner. KA is stingy w/ his successful exploitation of every chance to rattle opponents (as well as Ye🌂 & 🔫 😅). Heck, he should have gotten farther w/🔫, the team manager. (He was getting down to it during that team outing, but he passed out mid-sentence). That's a flaw they need to rectify in S2↪They left us wanting more. That's not always a bad thing. Still.... More, please.

They did leave plenty of room for the team to grow, & for 💗 to 🌸 (I'd take a mere glint in somebody's eye). The show screams for a S2. From what I've read, covid caused the initial delay, & the next hurdle is scheduling the actors, who are all quite busy now. (I wonder what "Yummy"🥊GU's been in lately?) There's disappointing reports that Shuying Jiang, who plays 🔫, cannot reconcile her schedule, so she's being replaced in S2. She is likable in her role; it's not her fault that they gave her too many of those Hallmarkie scenes.

🖱3rd. Technically, KA is superb. It is said to be the only show that depicts actors as both real-life & animated (it's double the work). The graphics are nothing short of outstanding. The game Glory is real, w/ a real professional league in 🇨🇳, where it is immensely popular. So, while they may not have made up the game's graphics & rules, they incorporated all of it in a way that viewers who know nothing of Glory can still 💖 to watch. Every time they played Glory I was into that action anime within the story. Each round was always exciting & often tense.

🖲4th & final is the show's popularity. It set records for overseas markets & is rated highly by viewers, including moi.

Naturally, KA won't be for everyone. Don't retreat if you are thinking that you don't know enough about Glory to enjoy KA. That's just a backdrop. The real story is how a family forms. Some of the best 📽/📺 ever done are about people banding together & forming a family unit to face the odds together. I adopted them as family for 40 episodes, despite our differences. The fun I had watching makes me feel rewarded.

S2 would be even more rewarding...

QUOTES📢

☂ I don't think these ashes can ever be lit again

☂ Life gets easier when you're on the floor

☂ Was this intentional, deliberate, or on purpose?

☂ Any skill is meaningful only when it is used at the right time. Otherwise, it will become a flaw.

☂ Isn't it satisfying to chuck bricks?

IMHO 〰🖍

▫🎬7.3 sans f/backs 🤔5 🎭7 ⚡8 🎵7 sans sap music 😅 5.5 💤4 (f/backs) 🔚 9 w/o those wretched f/backs▫

Age 12+

👁📺again? I already did and would again w/ ⏩handy

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All the stars - if I could, I’d give 1000 stars!

This show gave me everything I wanted—and then some! I loved every bit of this story.
I don't know what to say.
There is anguish. There is grief. There is sorrow.
I won't give away anything about this series for those of you that haven't watched it.
This series is many things. It is a tribute to friendship. It is а story about the bond between a parents and child. It is a verse to an impossible love between two people.
This is a great combination of fiction, mystery, crime thriller, horror and supernatural with multiple perspectives taking us on a tour through mysterious places, wandering around the destinies of very different characters, seeing the world from their points of view.
I tried to pick a favorite character, but honestly, I just couldn’t. Each one is so wonderfully interesen and exciting, you can't help but fall in like with all of them.

I loved every minute & word of it am sad it’s over.

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What is love?

Is love the need to be close to each other and see each other all the time, or is it simply the feeling you have when you think of the other person?
These questions crossed my mind as I was watching Crash Landing on You. This series is the perfect example of how people can go from being enemies to friends, or in this case, to partners. It’s a beautiful story of a love that blossoms amidst the tensions of a “paused war.”

Is it the lead and supporting actors who make this drama so great, or is it the storyline? I believe this question can be answered with one simple word: “Both.” The actors, whether they’re in supporting roles or leading roles, play their parts so convincingly that you feel the entire story could be their own. This is especially true when you consider that the two lead actors are now married and have a child together.

The conflict between North and South Korea is portrayed exceptionally well. It’s neither exaggerated nor over-dramatised, but it is ever-present and addressed clearly in several scenes. The prejudices both sides hold against each other are also seamlessly woven into the narrative. My issue with most series set in a similar context is that they tend to portray one side as the villains and the other as the heroes. These series focus solely on the positives of the “good” side against the “bad” side, without acknowledging that the reverse can also be true, and that the stark distinction between good and evil doesn’t really exist. These nuances are so well handled and executed in Crash Landing on You that I believe this should be the standard for all series.

Even though some viewers were not entirely satisfied with the ending, I personally think it was a well-chosen conclusion, because reality rarely allows for a truly happy ending. The fact that they can see each other at least once a year doesn’t erase the pain of their separation, but it does make it slightly easier to bear.

In conclusion, I would count this series among the top K-dramas. I would give anything to be able to watch this series for the first time again.

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Such a great watch!!!

Don't think anything I said is spoilers if anything is I'm sorry.

This drama almost had everything I love in a drama if only it would of had a better romance story my rating would of been a 10. I feel like that was the only thing missing in this drama which is disappointing and a waste of chemistry between Neo Hou and Chen Du Ling, but even with that being from me it was still so worth watching.

The three actors I really enjoyed watching was Neo Hou, Tian Jia Rui, and Yan An. Their characters were my absolute favorite in this drama and their interactions together. That is what really shined for this drama was the friendships that formed with all characters and the way they all grew to understand each other. Also the fights scenes were really incredible to watch.

One thing I do want to put in this review is that I absolutely fell in love with the character Li Lun played by Yan An. Yes he is the villain (mostly), but his story and watching how amazing the actor portrayed him I just loved. He will definitely be one of my top characters. Yan An is just way to pretty!!!

Now on to just a few nitpicks that even got to me though I did really enjoy watching this drama.
1st: All the crying is most of the scenes. I do think they did go over board with it and it was really unnecessary. Especially when you can tell it is fake crying with the way the tears fall down the face.
2nd: The over done music, and I really do enjoy the songs for this drama. It was just one song really that got to me I felt like they played it over and over again that I actually didn't want to hear it anymore. Wished they would of played Liu Yu Ning's song more but maybe that is just me.
3rd: Not hating on the actresses so don't hate me but I didn't really enjoy the two main girls in this. Chen Du Ling's character was supposed to be this powerful goddess but it felt like she spent most of her time on the ground. Cheng Xiao's character felt kinda incomplete like they didn't know what to do with. She is an incredible fighter but she does a lot of standing around and being in the background. She also didn't feel like part of the group a lot of the times.
I really think this is worth the watch though even with my little nitpicks. If you are a romance lover and that is the only thing you really enjoy this may not be it for you, because they do have a little bit of a love story but it could of been better. They really could of done more with it, but the friendships of this story is worth it. The three actors I mentioned are worth watching.

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Masterfully Done!

A rookie detective & an aspiring actress. They were each other’s first love. Now reunited as adults, can they finally be together?

This show will forever hold a piece of my heart. I was immediately hooked & I thoroughly enjoyed watching this. I often return to rewatch them fall in love because they’re just so perfect for one another. The story is beautifully told with the pacing of the past & present mixing, the raw emotions in each scene, & the unforgettable & irreplaceable bond the Leads share. ❤️‍🩹

This show tugs at the heart. Our Leads experienced a horrific event as teens: his father murdered her parents in front of her, but he arrived in time to save her from the same fate. He chose her over any familial loyalty & protected her by having his father arrested. In the aftermath, they’re separated & kept apart because everyone blames him for the sins of his father. Everyone except her.

But a victim & the criminal’s child can never be together. … or can they?

When they meet by chance again years later, the sparks of their long ago bond are once more fanned to flames. They fight the pull due to the feelings & expectations of those close to them, as well as from a desire to protect one another from society’s ridicule. But their bond proves too strong to ignore so they ultimately choose to follow their hearts & finally allow themselves to be with the one they love.

The ML’s constant devotion to & protection of the FL is perfection! 🔥🫠 His strength of character makes him a man amongst boys. He’s the knight with dented armor from all the battles he’s engaged in, but he’s still standing & continuing to fight for what’s right. He’s faced constant prejudice & bullying/attacks from those who don’t know the full story. He’s had very few people take his side even though he never did anything wrong. He does his best to be an upright citizen & quietly prove he’s nothing like his father. But when the FL comes under attack, he vows to protect her at any cost. He’ll stand between her & any threat, no matter who that means he’s standing against. *so much swooning!*

The FL is absolutely perfect for him. While she understands the reasons for the distance between them, she’s never forgotten him. She once told him to come to her if it ever got too hard & she meant it. She has such a big heart, filled with a pure love for the ML. She always trusts him in every situation they encounter & she’s never once blamed him for what his father did. This fact is so refreshing to witness & makes her totally girl-crush worthy! 🫶🏻 People often mistake her as weak & naive due to her kindness, but she’s got this quiet strength about her that they’re overlooking. It begins to shine through, though, when she refuses to walk away from the ML again & proudly stands by his side.

These Leads are phenomenal together. Truly one of my favorite kdrama couples. They’ve managed to stay such good people even as they struggle with the lasting effects of that horrific night. They don’t take on a victim mentality & they’re determined to not be defined by what happened back then. The villains never want to let good people live in peace, though, so they’ve still got demons to conquer. And together, that’s exactly what they do. ❤️‍🔥

_________\\__________//________


-⬇️ S P O I L E R S 🚫 B E L O W ⬇️-


.


…


….


……

The things I always want to know 😏😉…
- First(real)Kiss : ep.21 💋
- Together : ep.21 👩🏻‍❤️‍👨🏻
- BreakUp : Nope 🫶🏻

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Raised my standards for dramas to an unhealthy level!

[Contains only minor spoilers, e.g. what I didn't like]
It's been only a few months since I entered the cdrama world, and this was the very first drama I finished watching. Right now I regret making this my first drama because it raised my standards too high!

Jokes aside, let's get to the point. There are many good things about this drama (some flaws too) but the one thing that captivated me and still has me in grip is the ACTING. It's absolutely marvellous, every actor here is just amazing. I can't remember the number of times I cried when another character did. Duke Su, Shen Yurong, Princess Wanning, Jiang li, Jiang li's father, and everyone else did a fantastic job. There wasn't one scene or one dialogue that didnt have me engaged. Though I'll admit the female character, despite having a strong backstory, felt pretty bland. But after the first half I think that fell into place.

AND DUKE SU???? DONT EVEN GET ME STARTED??? CUZ IDK WHEN I'LL STOP??? I WILL NEVER STOP FEELING ANGRY AT MAKERS FOR NOT EXPLORING AND DOING JUSTICE TO HIS CHARACTER AND BACKSTORY!!! Every time he entered a scene, every time he spoke, it literally had me screaming internally!! THIS GUY SPEAKS WITH BOTH EYES AND EYEBROWS DAMNIT. Though his expressions fell static sometimes, nontheless Wang xing yue has absolutely great potential and I will most definitely follow him from here on.

THE SONGS??? CAN I TELL YOU HOW OBSESSED THEY MADE ME???

And the chemistry. THE CHEMISTRY?????? I will shut up and let you see it for yourself.

I also disliked how overly female centred this was, though I know it's her story, it shouldn't have been at the cost of the opposite character that is Duke Su. The ending also could've been executed in a much better way rather than adding something absolutely unnecessary (not mentioning it cuz major spoiler.) The open ending was also unnecessary, though the meaning was made clear by the special episode as well as the makers and Xing Yue himself. But it shouldn't take viewers the words of makers to receive clarification of the ending of a drama.

Anyway, I don't think I will ever forget this drama. It was so hard to watch another one after I was done with this one. For days I couldn't move on from it. It's a must watch!

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#NotMyDragRaceTH

It was not the return I hoped for Thailand, I think beyond the very clear issues with the low budget production, the season suffered from what I believe was an attempt of following the Drag Race formula, instead of allowing it to be its own unique thing, because it's been a while, but I do remember seasons 1 and 2 feeling different from the main franchise, which is what attracted the fans in the first place. But after watching Global All Stars, it seems to me that the people behind Drag Race don't have much respect for cultural diversity, and would rather uplift westernized ideas of art, beauty and comedy.

Removing Art Arya from the presenter and lead judge position was mistake n. 1, her and Pangina had an amazing chemistry that worked perfectly for the show, and scheduling season 3 of DRTH to come out right after season 3 of DRPH was mistake n. 2. Right now Philippines is the best version of Drag Race out there, even better than the original American franchise, any other season that comes out after PH will look bad in comparison.

But I'm glad Thai queens get to have this amazing opportunity, and regardless of the quality of this season I do hope we get a season 4, and that Drag Race continues to expend itself outside of European countries. Recently it was announced that a South African franchise is in the works, which I'm so excited for, and I think a Drag Race Japan next would be perfect, considering there's a momentum for marriage equality in the country.

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The will to live is not always just our own.

What a pleasant surprise this show is. Though pleasant might not be the right word to describe it. Touching? Heartbreaking? Hopeful? Enlightening?

What started as a fun eerie monster flick, turned into a deep and enriching exploration of the meaning of life, will to survive, depth of connections and consequences of choices. In just 8 episodes the drama presented well structured, well paced stories of 12 unique and relatable characters. We’ve got the answers, but we are also left with questions that reach beyond just the plot - questions about our lives, experiences and ideas.

What’s even more surprising, how detailed the lore of the afterlife was. Light Shops being the borders between life and afterlife - shop keepers being the guides for souls. People who are still alive become a sort of ghost in the afterlife, seen only by people who are not willing to move on and accept their death. Delirium after near death experience is nothing else, but the memory of the life in the afterworld - memory that keeps you connected to the afterlife that will let you see the ghost in the “real world”.

The shopkeepers help the dead move on, or the alive to wake up. Those who decide to not forget their memories from near death experiences can become helpers in the living world - either dealing with ghosts like Yang Sung Sik or guiding the lost souls like Kwon Yeong Ji.

With all the vague clues and more questions, I was honestly doubtful they would be able to explain all the mysteries. What is this place? How do people get here? How can they leave? Where are they leaving? Who can live? What choices do they have? What are the consequences of said choices? I honestly feel like I’ve got a proper answer to all of these. But it also left me wondering about the actions of the characters, their choices and what I would do in their place.

❔How much we are willing to sacrifice to protect people we love.
Jung Won Yeong the shop keeper who was willing to give up the peace of afterlife to help his daughter survive. A character that seemed stoic to the point of feeling emotionless. Initially I did not know how I should feel about him. Ju Ji Hoon can deliver quite an emotionally rich performance so this role seemed to fit below his capabilities. Little did I know he would deliver scenes utterly devastating and heartbreaking. The way he broke down after finding out he died and his daughter is left alone. How desperate he got to help her. How he was willing to sacrifice himself to make sure she could make it.

❔How once being lost can lead to us finding the right path.
Kwon Yeong Ji found her calling after her near death experience. With her newly gained knowledge of the afterlife and the struggles one can face to find their way home, she put it on herself to become the guiding presence helping others find their light. Similarly Yang Sung Sik after losing everything, was able to gain new motivation. Combining his expertise as detective and the ability to see ghosts, he took the role of a guardian - keeping the balance between the world of living and dead.

❔How sometimes other’s will to keep us alive is more important than our own.
The question that kept coming back during the first half of the show is: what keeps them alive? The answer, as heartbreaking as it was, it also became one of the highlights and most touching aspects of the drama.
The visual presentation of Lee Ji Yeong sewing Kim Hyun Min back being compared to keeping his heartbeat, keeping him alive. The determination she went through to make sure he can survive. The hope that he will remember. Jung Yu Hui who kept sending her daughter for new light bulbs with hopes she will be able to find her one light in the process. How Park Hye Won tried to do her best to make Yun Seon Hae leave the house, because only if she leaves she can find the light shop. Seung Won carrying Heo Ji Ung on his back, Kim Sang Hun guiding Yang Sung Sik.

All these stories broke me to pieces. I cried with every new revelation. I cried with every new person waking up. I cried with every goodbye. Honestly, the whole second half was just a crying fest, and I’m happy I was able to experience it.

❔How not every situation can have a happy ending, and sometimes the negative consequences will haunt us forever.
Lee Ji Yeong at the end became a vengeful ghost. The sadness of being forgotten by the man she loved, by the man that she died for was too much to handle. When I watched where her and Kim Hyun Min ended, I kept thinking: maybe her determination to keep him alive was just a selfish act? Maybe he should have died? Maybe them staying together in the afterlife would be their happy ending? Now all that’s left is pain and regret.

Then we have Ju Hyun Ju - what seems like a good resolution, weirdly feels incomplete, without the closure for the teen. Being separated from her mother, when she desperately wanted to stay in the afterlife with her makes me question if she even can live a normal life. Not getting treated for delirium she lives in a constant state of confusion - what is real, what is not. She is in a daze, not being able to connect with the people around her, she refuses to connect. She lives in her past memories that block her from moving on. I sadly struggle to see how she can reach the point of living a normal life.

❔How sometimes the choice we make can seem like giving up, while for us it’s starting over.
Yun Seon Hae chose to die. She found the shop, she found her light and then she made the choice to destroy it. There was nothing waiting for her in the world of living and there was so much she would lose if she left. She decided to stay with her girlfriend Park Hye Won and somehow it felt like they truly started living only after their death.

At the end of the day, Light Shop is a tale of love, care, devotion, desperation, regret and choices. Brilliantly acted, stunningly shot, perfectly directed (cannot believe this is Kim Hee Won’s directorial debut) and carefully crafted in any and all areas. It’s a story with many twists and surprising cohesiveness. Giving you the sense of hope, dread, sadness and happiness. The true portrayal of what it means to live, to die, to survive and to give up.

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You have to find your light , No matter what !

Every once in a while you come across a show where you have no idea what is going on but you hang in there curious enough ...and oh man ...a lot of disappointments but once in a while you end up in "absolute awe of what you saw" and that my friends brings us to light shop !!

Light shop is not just an everyday drama about what happens in the afterlife ...yeah well no one knows but if a speculation as believable as this is put across I wonder do we actually not know ?

okay so I have no idea how am I to convince you for watching a show without giving away about it (I think that's why all the synopsis about the show are just so fucked up) ...and can't you all take my word for it ...COME ON GO WATCH IT ...PLEASE ...!!!

if that didn't work, then you are just being mean ...but let me try again -

Light shop is a show about the dead but also about the living ...it is a show that promises hope ...a light, in the darkness that surrounds ...it gives you a way to believe that you can make it ..that in fact ,if you " will" ...you will make it ! But it's not your happy go lucky show ...and tragedies aren't just one sided ..they mostly do never have "a happy end" so what do we get then ...
what remains is -- the infinite hope ! Hope of the living ...hope of the dead !
Enough of the poetic expression of my love for the show ....

Light shop is the brightest shop in the dark alleyway that is somehow (ask geometry) situated near everyone's home ...you pass by it a lot of times but only if you "will" you shall find your light here...managed by a suspicious enigmatic man this shop is your one stop solution for lighting ....and oh the aesthetics. While the dead look for their own stuff and the living look for their own this shop is not just lights ...it's stories ....stories that are heart wrenching and stories that promise hope ...stories that are lot more than just stories ....

Here you sign up for a tightly packed mystery driven narrative with a horror backdrop garnished with tragedy and chills, you are in for the emotions it promises.
While initial eps might seem a bit difficult to follow if you let curiosity take the better of you ...be prepared with tissues for the finale !

There are a lot of them that will not seem connected initially and you may not be initially interested in any, but give it time ...as the layers unfold you will reach at a point where even if you were not paying a lot of attention you will be able to connect the dots. It will be easy enough to figure out and while you come up with your own conclusions you will deduce that a lot of them were there served to you right from the beginning.

what made me the most interested was the realization that 72 hours ...the 3 day Korean funeral which I think everyone follows in different forms actually relates to the 72 hours post operative care, 72 hours the golden period of making it through (i hope the lil fact check that I did ...had me with the correct facts) ....This show brings this forth so beautifully.

The depth in the narrative where every detail is paid attention to (another example like ...you have to find your light on your own)...all the answers are handed out by the end very subtly ....you still crave for more ...in a way that you didn't know ....this is a must watch !!
....so when are you visiting the ....the light shop !?

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Soup and Fried

Hats off to the wise, unknown regulator who banned Chinese showrunners from indulgently long seasons.

Fry Me to the Moon (yes, quite punny) is a walking advertisement by the Sichuan Tourism Board that would have likely overstayed its welcome under the past regime. However — in the new era — coming in at 24 episodes, it was tightly plotted, superbly cut and highly enjoyable. It singlehandedly cured me of my snobbery towards the Slice of Life genre. There is something to be said for low stakes and cheery —especially in 2024!

Fry Me to the Moon (FMTTM) is about Chuan Bai Lo. It’s a restaurant representing an idealised communal, relaxed, distinctly Sichuanese (which means numba one in China! (and the world!!!)) depiction of a dying China. Literally dying. Gu Da Peng (Zhang Guo Li), the restaurant’s head chef and owner is indebted and fatally ill. But he carries on, smiling through it all, hoping against hope that a changing world will leave his oasis untouched. That was not to be! Capital was coming.

The relentless march of capitalism’s drive for efficiency —turning all that was once solid into mist!— arrives in sleepy Chengdu in the guise of Liang Qing Ran (Charmaine Sheh). She’s the regional boss of Zhongting Capital, and she’s got a plan for Chuan Bai Lo that is at odds with the traditional view of what a restaurant should be.

Chuan Bai Lo must change. The question is how? FMTTM takes a side, and I very much enjoyed its story. I had minor quibbles over business terminology and the acting is merely competent, but everything is forgivable when you’re having fun. And that I did. So, yay!

I’ll flag that it’s a chick-flick —written and directed by women. I swear I did needlework unprompted afterwards! If you’re cooties-averse, this definitely isn’t for you. Otherwise, stellar! Also, Gu Man Ting —one of the show’s triumvirate of leads — is played by Li Chun. . .you know, Chun Li from Street Fighter! I ain’t got no jokes, sorry. Ahh, but Gu Man Ting was the best part of the show. At least, I think so. She’s its emotional core. And since princess-type characters aren’t easy to like, I think the show wouldn’t work with a less likeable actress in the role. Bravo, casting director!

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