Reviews

Captivated by the light

The cutest heartwarming onscreen fluffs have the right CP (chemistry) between the leads. And in Moonlight, we got Esther and Ding Yuxi featuring the romance between Chu Li, a newbie editor and Zhou Chuan, a talented up and rising novel writer.

While the love troupes for this story are nothing new, the show is a fun watch thanks to the chemistry between these leads. Their actings are natural. Zhou Chuan’s character, in a lesser actor, will make him rather annoying unless tsundere male lead is your thing.

What’s extra lovable is the characterisation of Chu Li - she was kind, but not a Mary Sue, she was persistent, but respectful, she looked idealistic, but grounded-ly worked hard for her dreams. After gotten the editor job at her favorite publishing company, Chu Li treated all books and authors that she signed with utmost sincerity and responsibility - be it the up and rising author, the outdated author or the newbie.

Tune in to Moonlight if you are in a rom com drought. Perhaps you will find yourself slowly captivated by it - like how Zhou Chuan is drawn towards Chu Li.

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?Snap Crackle POP IT! ?°8.2° °Excellent°

🍹This show is a long cold draught on a hot day: Refreshing.

MPUB (2020, 12 1hr eps) is a story about the workings of the Afterlife, both up⬆ there, and down⬇ here. Many Afterlifers have jobs, while others have to do community service. Due to the creativity of writers Bae Hye-Soo (webcomic) & Ha Yoon-A, and director, Jeon Chang-Geun (What Happens to My Family?), it's fun to watch them do what they do.

Weol-joo (Hwang Jung Eum from Kill Me, Heal Me) runs a tent bar in Seoul as a front for her real job (eh, court-mandated community service, ahem), which is resolving grudges. She discovers that a local boy, Kang-bae (Yook Sung Jae from Goblin & The Golden Spoon), would be the perfect helper at the bar. That is because Kang-bae has a special talent for getting people to open up - No soju needed. Kang-bae has never been happy about this special talent of his, however. A gig is a gig, so he goes to work with Weol-joo and her bodyguard/Chef, Gwi (Choi Won Young from Under the Queen's Umbrella & Twinkling Watermelon).

Kang-bae is immediately plunged into hazardous assignments. Training is all on-the-job-as-you-go. It's hilarious when they step into a client's deep subconscious, without warning Kang-bae of how wildly and inappropriately dangerous their venture is. Only after he screams "BUG!" and almost drops them down the !!🕳🕳infinite abyss🕳🕳!! do they tell him the downsides of the J😱B. I did, actually, L🤣L! at that scene.

Another 🌃night, when Kang-bae comes to work, he walks through the tent door and enters a 🌞 field. In the background a jaunty band plays. It's the Afterlife Lottery Games! Next they have him partake in a criminal act that jeopardizes his 😱WN afterlife. Kang-bae can't even begin to get his balance🎢

The first few episodes mostly deal with stories of various clients. Some are amusing and some are tragic. Later, things take a more personal and dangerous turn. There are quotas to be met. There are bad guys to catch. There is Soju to drink. There are mysteries to be solved. Some have links to events 500 years past.

🍺There's a couple small logical chips on the glass, but the flaws are minor and few. This story is bright, full-bodied, and original. What imaginative delights the writer gave us. The acting and directing are a perfect pour. The cadence is also perfect.

So...pour the Soju and give it a shot!

IMHO...
🎬8 🤔6 🎭8 ⚡7 💓6 🦋3.

Age 13+

In order of ~lite&trite~ to ~heavy&serious~ you may also like:

Modern Day:
Mad For Each Other 7.8 ~silly fun;
A Witch's Love 7.8;
Love to Hate You 8.9;
Her Private Life 8;
Touch your heart 8.2;
Crash Landing On You 9.1;
Oh My Ghost 10;
It's Okay Not To Be Okay 9;
Love Struck in the City 7.3;
Hospital Playlist 9;
My Mister 9.5;
I'll See You When the Weather is Fine 9;
Something in the Rain 9

Historical/Period:
My Only Love Song 8.7 ~ excellent comedy;
Live Up To Your Name 7.6;
Mr. Queen 8.5;
My Sassy Girl / Yeopgijeogin Geunyeo 8.5;
Saimdang 8.5;
The King's Affection 8.3;
Mr. Sunshine 9

Action/Sci-fi/fantasy:
K2 8;
Private Lives 8.1;
Sisyphus 8;
Tunnel 8.1;
Signal 8.6;
Black 9;
Squid Game 8.4;
Kingdom 8.3;
Sweet Home 8.4

Consider a Chinese historical fantasy romcom: The Romance of Tiger and Rose (9.8), Love Between Fairy and Devil (8.9) or Japanese lite romcoms: Maid Sama (10), Mischievous Kiss Love in Tokyo (7.8), Love, Chunibyo And Other Delusions (8.4), or Toradora (8.5)

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I like this series so far. Each story have their own impact n values to me.. from the mermaid, tiger, bee, dragon n now rosefinch bird.. people do critic about the gci since this series is release bit late but for me it is still lovable fantasy n legendary story to watch n i do enjoy watching each episodes of it.

I just cant help on how taotie is so blind to see chang qing’s heart towards her until almost half of the story n still so clueless on how he willing to sacrifice even his own life to safe her. Idk what can make someone that old 500years still can see that 😢 n even mistaken someone else as his former lover. I hope taotie can realise this soon.. n it will be happy ending for them plssss

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A fun take on historical fantasy romance

Watch it if you like historical fantasy with a twist - this is a story that doesn't take itself too seriously.

Brief synopsis:
The female protagonist is a screenwriter who gets transported into her story as a side character who gets killed early on. Since she knows how the story is supposed to unfold, she does her best to change the events to stay alive so she can get back to her reality. It turns out it isn't that easy to control events, and when real feelings start to develop, how will that affect her actions?

This is a fun take on the historical fantasy genre where modern day persons travel to historical times. The FL is a refreshing character, and the ML does a good job of switching between devious and "puppy-eyed loveable".

All in all, this was an enjoyable viewing experience.

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Could have been 4 episodes shorter

As my headline says: I kind of thought this was coming to an end in episode 16, but then it kept going for another 4 episodes.

Brief synopsis:
The male protagonist, Moon Soo Ho, was as adopted into Jung Hae Ra's family when he was in his adolescence after his father died in a mysterious fire. He later disappeared abroad, where he became very successful. Jung Hae Ra on the other hand met misfortune, her family loosing their fortune, and both her parents dying.
She now works as a travel agent, working hard to advance her life. By chance she gets a job trip abroad, where she happens to meet Moon Soo Ho, without recognizing him from her youth. He on the other hand finds out who she is, as he has been searching for her for many years. He pursues her. Back in South Korea their paths cross with his wife from a past life, who was cursed to live forever after her evil deeds back then. She is still obsessively in love with MSH, so how will this love story unfold?

I have a bit mixed feelings for this. I kind of liked it, but then it did go a bit heavy on the scheming and the plots. I thought it was a little confusing in the beginning with the jump between times.

The cast was good. The main couple played by Kim Rae Won and Shin Sae Kyeong had some sweet scenes - they showed intimacy in an affectionate, sweet way.
Seo Ji Hye as Sharon really plays her villainous role well, as do Kim Byung Ok in the supporting role as director Park.

The music was a bit different, but I wish they could have used it a bit more subtle, maybe; I felt it got a bit too much in length.

All in all, when the story threads fall into place it works for a while, until it gets a bit too heavy on the plots. I think it could have been simplified a bit, and I didn't quite see the point of the aunt; her character felt a bit redundant, to be honest.

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The never-ending drama

I enjoyed many things about this drama. ..but it should have ended at 26 or 28 episodes. By the end, I was so over watching the same things happening again and again. A good story does not usually need to have it's characters coming back to life one after another. In the last few episodes, I was actually happy if a character actually died, and then stayed dead. And honestly, I only finished the drama because of the actors. They were great in my opinion. That being said, I personally didn't see any chemistry between any of the couples, which was disappointing. The FL had better chemistry with her keeper than with her ML. But that's nothing against the acting. And the story isn't even complete, but I don't see there being a second season since the timelines for story completion and actors ages won't match up. Which, of course, is fine, I wouldn't come back to this story. I will follow up with the actors though.

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Seems Deep in the end its just hollow

I have major problems with this show. It is wishy washy in the execution. Kidnapping is all cool. The female lead just changes sides like it's no major issue man, you gotta feel for the second male lead. What was even the male lead planning to do...he just roams around for the 10 ep and just dies. The second male lead runs away from home and can't stop thinking about the female lead but then the second when the FL and he meets they are all good. Bro was just used and thrown as required. Overall not happy with how they dealt with many of topics in the show, they just scrape the surface and move one. I don't seem to understand why the show is rated 8.7. Genuine disappointment.

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C-drama another attempt into futuristic/ scientific genre

It had potential of being a good drama.

Its either limited time or the writer and producer couldnt figure a proper ending in tying the loose ends.
The production to the series seems like there wasnt enough effort in differentiating a bionic person and a real person. what was the reason for hatred between the two. Also is this euphemism between foreigners vs residents intermingling with each other. (maybe cause they make it in a way that real people were the superiors and the bionic people were the inferior...)

We see a bionic person raising a child better than a biological parent. Two bionic people falling in love and and out of love, and one ending the life of their counterpart. The man-hunt of illegal biotic peoples. (this part did not make any sense, as where did that come from???).
Where did these bionic people come from, at first the story makes it sound like they were made in a lab. They are then sold into the market as nannies, lovers, workers, etc.
The next they just happen to be there , and you can alter a bionic person's memory into thinking that they are a real person from the beginning.
Another issue was that, telling the difference between a real person vs. bionic person. As side from a little programing "magic" and their eyes turned white. Otherwise you really cant tell them apart. Really disappointing that they didnt put any effort in that part to make it obvious.
The whole series was just a incomplete and had too many stories with many plot holes and not alot of time to properly answer them.

I was hoping that they were able to answer as to why, where, what cause the rift between the two species. With soo few episodes to this drama. It doesnt make it a proper drama. They just jumble some stories together and left it like that.

Dont get me wrong, the acting between the two leads were fantastic. Them stepping out of their comfort zone, I give them props. I just felt unfortunate that they were given a half-written script and had to act and guess/ab-lib the rest to present this so-called "drama"

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"DARE I SAY THIS IS THE BEST KDRAMA OF 2024....''

WOW! JUST WOW!! I've got no words for this kdrama, honestly. I am just flabbergausted such a drama had to wait till the end of the year to be released, like why?? But, let's start first with the cast, GOD DAMN! The casts is so unexpectedly amazing, i didn't expect the chemistry between Yoon Yeon Seok & Chae Soo Bin to blow up this big, like the chemistry is TOP-TIER, the tension between them is ONE WORD- INSANE, despite the 10 year gap, they proved all haters wrong with this acting. Just them too looking at each other already bring so much passion and butterflies in the stomach as a viewer. Who knew their chemistry will really explode like this? I'm so really happy for them....
Also, the plot, damn, the plot...is INSANE...

PLOT DEVELOPMENT
The story begins with Baek Sa-eon and Hong Hee-joo, who have been married for three years but live in silence, largely due to their mutual disdain for each other. Their relationship is strained further when Hee-joo is kidnapped by a masked man who uses malware to hijack her car. This kidnapper demands Sa-eon’s attention and threatens Hee-joo’s life.

As tensions rise during the hostage situation, Sa-eon faces immense pressure as he navigates his responsibilities as a government spokesperson while dealing with his wife’s kidnapping. In a critical moment during a phone call with the kidnapper, Sa-eon coldly tells him to kill Hee-joo if he wishes—words that deeply hurt Hee-joo when she hears them.

After managing to escape temporarily from her captor, Hee-joo’s anger towards Sa-eon intensifies. The couple must confront their feelings and decide whether they can overcome their past grievances and work together to resolve the crisis. The narrative delves into their emotional struggles as they grapple with issues of trust, love, and redemption amidst external pressures from politics and personal trauma.

Ultimately, “When the Phone Rings” is not just about the kidnapping but also about how this traumatic event forces both characters to reevaluate their lives and relationship. It raises questions about what it takes for them to acknowledge each other publicly and privately while dealing with the demands of their respective roles in society.
Thanks for taking ur wonderful time in reading my review. Hope you have a nice day and stay safe.

*Also the ending of ep 6 is so ICONIC*(WATCH IT TO KNOW)

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Don't need to have the romance

Every young entrepreneur should watch this drama. It's excellent "teaching" for all young start-ups
There's also lots of life lessons from the second and third couples which is realistic,well written and mature
I actually prefer the second and third couples more. The main leads seems a bit mismatched, both acted very well but just mismatched with zero chemistry.

The stylist/dresser is extremely poor especially for the FL. Shorts and short skirt don't suit her, just have the skirt 2 inches longer and adding black lycra tights will totally transform her from ugly short legs to posh classy elongated legs (don't understand why Chinese and Korean like this look, no European designers go bare legs and up to the groin, it's fit for evening not work) and that Zeng Di wearing evening dress with huge pearl earrings for breakfast in Germany? Hello? Having said that,the menswear are all very good including the flamboyant Mr.Lu

Anyway I enjoyed the drama thoroughly but I needed to edit out the romance or lack of for the main couple. Other than that it's a good drama and I learned a lot about start up and investment

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10/10!

First of all, i’m watching this because i really like Oh Yeju, so i don’t really have high expectation towards the drama itself. But after finished, i cried really hard 😭
The drama had really good approach about the plot and the story, they also makes really good decision to pick all of the cast especially the Yoo’s sisters, Oh Yeju as Yoo Ha Neul and Yang Uijin as Yoo No Eul.
I’m glad that Yeju potrayed Haneul because she expressing the emotion as Yoo Haneul towards us (the audience) really well. I wish after this Yeju can do another hit acting project to showcase her talent and hardwork as an actress. I hope she could be bigger artist in the future🧡

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