Reviews

They Tried Too Hard

This drama is, as what Min-Ju keeps saying to Yong-Ju, "trying to hard". The romance comes in very late and instead, this drama mostly tells you about a business story, or maybe a life at work. I must had high patience because I keep watching it until finish, while I think some people will start dropping it since the build up phase are long and boring. Final two episodes are really the star of this series.

They develop a lot of conflicts during the first half, and still building another more up until episode 10! Thankfully they don't create a new conflict in the last episode. However as expected, some of the conflicts have rushed resolution, while some other disappear like dust. For example, the way Min-Ju reveals the blackmail news by making him turned from a hypersensitivity person into a mind reader which seems unrealistic. Also the idea of this drama focuses on each characters own struggles in their past. However they decide to develop more on the office problems. It pushes aside the story that we want to see clearly such as what happened after the death of Min-Ju's mother, why did he try to suicide, and why Yong-Ju gave him a camera. They should develop around those premises, so they can embrace these memories altogether with the one they love in the later stage.

Even this drama is directed by the sama person who direct Business Proposal, it is definitely incomparable. The romance comes in late, while the comedy is mostly came from the villagers, thanks to them. As much as I love Se-Jeong, I don't think they cast the leads correctly. For me, she has a cheerful persona that doesn't suit the character with such struggles as Chae Yong-Ju. Second Leads are a really sweet couple, yet they didn't even get a proper character build up. Their love stories are all outshined by all of the "office issues", which are not even related to the main idea of "emotional struggle".

To me, the story fails to focus on the main idea that should be. Rather than focusing on the idea of healing an emotional struggle itself, they develop too much story around the ML and FL (the office, the work, the village).

Read More

Yaya is a Goddess! Perfect drama for romance-lovers.

Subjective Gut Rating: 8.25

“My Cherie Amour” is a very romance-focused drama. If romance isn’t your thing, I think it’s best to stay away from it. The love story of the leads, Anong (FL) and Wichai (ML) is central to the storyline from beginning to the end. I really enjoy their opposite-attracts romance, though not without frustrations.

Beautiful Yaya, how can an actress be as beautiful as she is? How can you not love her character, Anong, as well? Anong is the youngest of the siblings, spoiled by 4 older brothers. She’s rich, beautiful, smart, kind-hearted, witty, sassy, flirty and a little egoistic and pushy. Despite having flaws, she is just so likable. Yaya is perfect for this role and she’s so charismatic. When she’s onscreen, all eyes are on her. I also bet half of “My Cherie Amour’s” budget is spent on Yaya’s beautiful outfits. She changes outfits 3 times a day and looks gorgeous in everything. I really can’t stop gushing!

This is my first Tor drama, and he and Yaya make a perfect couple. It did take me a couple episodes to get into Tor’s acting. I am not sure if it’s him, or how reserved his character, Wichai, is. But as the drama goes on, I warmed up to him and his subtle micro-expressions do not seem as emotionless. He also looks dashing in all his suits and casual wear. I really enjoy all the scenes he has with Yaya and quite like their chemistry. The kisses are decent but I wanted longer and more kisses!

The drama makes us romance-lovers suffer a little in the first half. The push-and-pull, the low self-esteem, and Wichai’s mixed messages frustrate me. But it’s worth the wait because once the leads get together, there are plenty of sweet and cute scenes. Kudos to our female lead’s persistence and loyalty. If it’s not for Yaya’s acting, I might find the character annoying for not taking “no” for an answer. They also have a very healthy relationship, supporting each other unconditionally, and with open and honest (for the most part) communication.

But a lakorn is not a lakorn without a family member that annoys and pisses me off. This award goes to ML’s mother. If it’s not because I enjoy the romance so much, I am not sure I can sit through this mother’s so-called love. The drama can disguise this tough parental love as love, but I see it as emotional abuse and neglect, mixed with verbal abuse. Wichai is a saint for tolerating his mother and taking in all her bullcrap in the name of love. Additionally, FL’s brothers are not that great either. The way they make fun of, talk down and disrespect Prasit (the youngest brother) is also mean and difficult to watch.

“My Cherie Amour” also goes into family responsibility and complicated dynamics/relationships, the pressure of marrying up and well, societal pressure and restrictions for women. All these are weaved into the two main romance storylines and how the couples fight through challenges before they can live happily ever after.

I will only recommend this drama if you are up for some romance. I rated “My Cherie Amour” somewhat high at 8.25 because I enjoy the main love story and the acting from start to finish. The drama is also able to keep my attention for the whole 19 episodes.

*update* I forgot to add that I really love the opening theme song "The Trouble Is.. ." (https://youtu.be/VwmyFCFYcZk?si=ZILnjm7R3TliWKei) The song sounds so romantic, it's perfect for Anong and Wichai.

Completed: 12/6/2024 - Review #524

Read More

Onsen (Japanese hot spring) is not a place to make love.

I'm a fan of JaFirst and I mostly enjoyed this drama.

However, I have to say as a Japanese, that the onsen (Japanese hot spring) is not a place to make love, especially from a hygienic standpoint. Sometimes the water is circulated.
And also, there was a scene Ashi and Title went together in a small onsen, but the situation never happens in reality. Small onsens are for families or lovers, not for friends.

Another point is, Mr. Tanada was really weird and looked like a swindler or something rather than a film director. I want to ask writers why they made him like that.

Read More

Not everything is black and white in a marriage.

I really enjoyed this drama and felt it was written well. I’m with a partner whom I enjoy life with and raised pretty good kids. As good as it is, definitely it’s not free from rough edges and heavy patches. I think though the key is honesty and willingness to compromise…of course love isn’t questioned. This drama at least put perspective into what Not to do for a healthy marriage so if anything, learn from this relationship.

Hallelujah we have a very strong minded smart female character. I’m very satisfied with her performance and I’ve been on the fence with this actress until Fake It Til You Make It which I feel her character is similarly acted(Elvira Cai) . Male lead (Shao Feng) was good acting as the pompous ass jerk. His credit though is that he adored his son.

@Dedra70 in her review has an excellent breakdown of this drama if you want to know more. I just wanted to give credit to the cast and producers/writers of this story and hope that more people will give it a chance. It’s not rom-com, rather, it’s a look at how to build good and better relationships. Give this show a try as there’s some things to take away.

Read More

Perhaps if I hadn’t watched Mr. Queen, I would have given this drama a higher rating. I’m not saying these dramas are related, but this drama gave me the same vibe. Both dramas feature strong female leads as rulers of their kingdom, both had gender-bending or swapping as themes, and both have comedic elements. Basically, this drama is like a cross between Mr. Queen and The King’s Affection.  

While I was impressed with both aforementioned titles, My Uncanny Destiny perhaps has a less intricate plot and less developed secondary characters. I would say that though the comedic timing of the show is on–point, I believe this is due to the lead actress’ delivery and performance. Zhang Yue Nan’s solid portrayal as the formidable Lord of Mu Xi City is very convincing. This made me enjoy the character more, especially when she switches between Zhao Nan and San Mei, and yet still displays that same wiliness in her demeanor. The amazing dialogue helps a lot too. It looked like the writers sure invested a lot of thought into the FL’s lines that they perhaps forgot everyone else’s.  

Although adorable, Yan Zi Xian was disserviced by a FL so strong, that his character paled in comparison. Though he tries to hold on his own, he could not catch up. The rest of the characters were not as memorable as Qi Meng/Hui Rou, and it is for the wrong reasons. She’s just like a nasty bug that wouldn’t die, no matter how many times you try to kill it.  

Otherwise, if you have time for some light drama, this may be a decent show to watch.  

Read More

Long time ago see the short clip of this short drama, but unknown what drama is this. I'm happy I can watch this now...

Story about unconfident girl name Mo Nan Hee (NH). In Korea, a country where beauty is more precious than personality, NH was never the attractive girl whom guys would show interest in, cause she's not pretty, short and a little bit chubby. But later we find out, this girl has talent & greater personality of her own.

One day, she's really attracted to one man, Park Se Gun (SG) & start question herself how to attract this man attention. By frustration, she's asking her mother how to catch such a handsome man like her father, cause her mother also not a pretty one too... And turn out, none of the woman in her family is an attractive woman, but all of them can get a handsome man as their husband. Finally her mother reveal her secret to catch a handsome man like her father. A ring, that can change your appearance accordingly.

This ring can change your appearance ONLY to the eyes of person that put this ring in your finger. The ring change the appearance of the person who wear it into the ideal person for the one the ring to your finger. Haha... Hope my explanation not confuse you...

SG on the other hand is the most popular guy on campus for his looks. SG is known to be shallow, and only dates attractive girls. He falls head over heels for NH after her transformation. But soon, SG also find himself attractive to NH personality. Cause he's soon realize NH is not like other shallow and pretty girl that he's date all this time.

After everything look fit in their place, the chaos start to begin. NH found out who SG see as the girl when put the ring, and that's evoke all the jealousy in NH mind, cause NH know this girl is none other than her close friend, Kang Mi Joo (MJ) & MH always been jealous for MJ's appearance. Everything really crumbling down, when the MJ also know, SG see NH as herself. Try to fix everything, NH decided she back down from the picture & give the spot to MJ herself. And that's when SG start to notice than NH is changing... And SG doesn't like it. Instead SG feel more attractive to MH herself. So... How will their love story going forward from this....?

That's pretty much the story without giving any more spoiler. Sorry if you feel a little bit confusing reading that one. Cause it's really hard to separate the story from spoiler for this one..

Overall this really a good short drama about self acceptance. Maybe there's some lack in some aspect, but since this only a short drama, I'll turn a blind eye for that & just give this one a perfect score...

Below is SPOILER ALERT!!! Read it at ur own risk.












==================================================
SPOILER ALERT!!!
==================================================

In the end this really one good short drama about self acceptance. MH who's finally accept who she is & SG who's finally realize his feeling & decided to look more than appearances. This short drama really teach us to embrace our shortage & focus more of our superiority.

Read More

A one-time watch that's it !! Nothing more... nothing less...

Finally I finished it!!!
One more happy ending is story that revolves around the idea of a second chance at love. It talks about the life of a disbanded girlgroup "The Angels" the FL seems to be immature for someone in their mid 30s :] the show dragged on for so long that I had to drop it and then picked it u as I ran out of kdramas.. lol... Ifelt like the show did not respect feelings of anyone... how the hell can one fall in love so fast.. I seriously do not get it. But the ML and FL only realize that their in love only and at the end of the show:( mahn what a dissapointment. I felt like the ML 's son is way matured than any of the adult's in the show:/
So if you are out of anything to watch and completley bored yeah do give it a watch

Read More

One of the best Japanese queer story

First off, I want to remind readers that this is a queer drama, not just a simple BL. BL focuses solely on the romance between two men, while this drama is much more nuanced. The story is realistic and quite heavy, and it takes place during the characters' junior high school years, not high school, as in the manga.

Story
I really appreciate how this drama adapts the manga's plot so faithfully. I’m also in awe of the mangaka, Saburō Nagai, who created four main characters with the same struggles but different fates, all shaped by their surroundings, particularly their families.
The friendship between Mishima and Kirino is something I truly value. It's rare to find such a sincere, supportive gay friendship in queer stories, especially in BL. Their bond is heartwarming—they explore shared interests and accept their differences from what society deems "normal." Unfortunately, their paths diverge because of the choices they make in life.
The ending of this drama is strikingly realistic. Each character has a different conclusion. Two of them end up with happy endings, while the other two face sad endings (in my opinion). The contrast between Kirino and Yanagi’s sad outcomes is especially notable.
Both Kirino and Yanagi deny their true selves to fulfill societal and parental expectations of "normalcy," eventually marrying women. However, their futures turn out very differently. Yanagi ends up divorced, becomes a teacher embroiled in a scandal, and lives a directionless life, while Kirino manages to build a small family, have children, and make his mother happy. This is a significant, meaningful contrast.
As for Mishima, he succeeds in becoming himself, supported by his accepting mother. The scene between Mishima and Kirino on the school rooftop is deeply bittersweet because the life Kirino longed for is lived by Mishima, while Kirino takes on the "normal" life Mishima had planned. It’s a heartbreaking moment.
I hope that, even though Kirino isn’t able to live his truth, he finds happiness in fulfilling his mother’s wishes. Kirino’s mother had given him the freedom to be himself, but perhaps Kirino had his own reasons for choosing to live as his mother expected.
Yumeno, who wasn't initially gay but chose to love a man, perfectly embodies the queer experience. He starts out following societal norms but ultimately follows his heart. Love knows no gender.
Yumeno is my favorite character, and I am pleased with his character development. He starts off as a rebellious teenager, but by the end, he matures and takes responsibility for his past mistakes. He’s determined to understand the world that Mishima and Kirino inhabit. I admire how, after making the decision to be with Mishima, he keeps his promise for years.
Yumeno’s family is also a highlight. They’re humorous and supportive, and they accept Yumeno’s choices. For me, Yumeno is the shining light in an otherwise dark and complex story.
Manga Story: 10, Live Action: 9.5
The adaptation is almost perfect, just like the manga, though there is one thing I wish had been included: the elevator scene and the extra part where, as adults, they return to the village and Yumeno talks to Mishima’s mother about the struggles they’ve faced in their relationship. I was hoping this would be shown in the drama, perhaps a bonus episode could have been added for this.

Acting/Cast
The acting from all the cast members is stellar. They each perfectly convey the essence of their characters, and I was deeply moved by their performances. I greatly appreciated the chemistry among the cast, to the point where I couldn’t move on from the drama. In general, I’m not very familiar with the actors, so when I started watching this drama, I only saw them as their respective characters. But after learning more, I was surprised to discover Araki Towa. He’s a well-known actor for many notable works, and he perfectly portrays Mishima, a beautiful teenage boy. Araki Towa nailed the role. Sono Shunta and Abe Alan, both seasoned actors, were also impressive. I’m in awe of how much thought the production team put into casting the right actors for each role.
Fujimoto Kodai, a newcomer to acting, was also outstanding as Yumeno. I can’t imagine anyone else playing the role as well as he did.
The rest of the cast did a fantastic job of bringing the manga’s characters to life.

Music
The song There for You by Lead is incredible. I was moved to tears, especially by the heartfelt lyrics, and the music video is beautiful—it perfectly conveys that love has no gender. It’s definitely one of my favorite songs now.
I particularly love this part:

"No matter where you go
Baby I will be there for you
No matter where you are
Baby I will be there for you"

It truly describes Yumeno’s love for Mishima.
There’s also a scene from the manga I wish had been included in the drama. If you read the manga, you’ll know how Yumeno spent years choosing to stay with Mishima, even rejecting a girl who confessed her love to him in high school when Mishima was uncertain about their relationship. Yumeno didn’t want to give up and convinced Mishima that his decision was final. Yumeno even moved to Tokyo to live with Mishima. This really proves that no matter where Mishima goes, Yumeno will always be by his side. I can’t help but cry every time I think about this while listening to the song.

Rewatch
I don’t typically rewatch dramas since I’m selective, but when I find one that resonates with me, I watch it over and over.
For this drama, I’ve already watched it more than five times and will continue to rewatch it because it’s just that good, especially because of the actors’ chemistry.
It’s absolutely worth rewatching, and I really hope it gets picked up by international platforms like Netflix so that more viewers worldwide can enjoy it.

This drama is outstanding, and I highly recommend watching it. You will experience bittersweet emotions by the end of the series. It has also become one of my favorite queer stories, alongside the film Monster.

Read More

A great comedy turned into a mess

The series starts strong as a lighthearted comedy, but it takes a dramatic turn that undermines its initial charm. The shift into a complex political game lacks the necessary depth and consistency.

The plot suffers from several inconsistencies:

* Plot Holes: Critical plot points are resolved off-screen, leaving viewers confused and unsatisfied.

* Inconsistent Character Behavior: Characters often act irrationally or contradict their established motivations.

* Implausible Power Dynamics: The series oversimplifies complex power struggles, making it difficult to suspend disbelief.

* Deus Ex Machina: Convenient solutions and unexplained events undermine the narrative's tension.

While the first half of the series offers enjoyable humor, the latter half's serious tone is marred by poor execution.

Read More

I didn’t expect to enjoy this drama, but I did. I’m a sucker for friends-to-lovers, with a sprinkling of slow-burn, so I’m as good as dead. 

For starters, I’m rooting for a main character who is not your typical “hot Oppa“ lead, without needing to subscribe to beauty standards in order to be “accepted” by society. I find Tubby Kang so much more adorable before he lost weight because he was truer to himself and less conscious of trying to please others. And his chemistry with the FL before his transformation was palpable.  

Jia Wei and Jing Jing was an accidental pairing that neither could have predicted. They were constantly at each other’s throats, but we all know that all this is just play-fighting and nothing serious. Their banter was so fun to watch, but when push comes to shove, they motivate each other to become better people.  

Throughout the drama, we see both being oblivious, especially in the beginning, and both were also pinning their hopes on other people. To this end, Gao Zhan and the other Jing Jing become receptacles of the MC’s misplaced feelings. Neither memorable for their acting, nor essential to the plot, except perhaps to give platform to the MC’s stories.  

Speaking of the plot, I must say the final episodes did not impress me. It seemed like the writers didn’t know what to do with the material, so they threw a wrench in or two, just to give a conflict that was really petty to begin with. And because of this, these supposedly BFFs became incommunicado for like some years, and you expect me to believe that once they saw each other, all is well in the world? If they wanted to do this prolonged silent treatment as a sub-plot, they must also do a gradual progression on how both came to terms with their feelings, and not just slap a bow with no explanation whatsoever, except for some cringe-inducing finale. This really put a dent on an otherwise good drama.  

 

Read More

RAINNNNNNNNNN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! You and your face card!!!!*soul sigh* I luh you but...

Listen...listen...I LOVEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEee me some Rain...LOVE me some Bi Rain. LOVE him.
However...not even his perfect face card, body, and charismatic allure can make me say that I LOVED this dang haberdashery of a trope-filled to our eyeballs genre action-melodrama-thriller-comedy-romance-Micheal Bay-inspired tomfoolery!!!! NOTHING! I turned this on for pure, PURE support as a day-one Bi-Rain/Rain fan, and sat there slack-jawed and laughing my butt off at the writers playing around with this man and his FL, who both were grasping for whatever meat, potatoes, kimchi, and pantry seasonings of sauce that they could find to keep this hot mess of a written show together. This mess was clearing a check grab for our two popular and strong leads, as well as work/checks for everyone else in it who must have needed it due to recessions and past pandemic woes. LIKE....WTH was I watching!! It hurt my feelings to the bone! I do not recommend UNLESS you want to watch for Rain's deliciousness, and if you want to predict the outcome of the whole show by the time you finish episodes 1-3 thanks to every dang predictable trope that the writing room threw in this show, and then some. Errrmahgawd!

Read More

Surprised this poorly written story was written by women.

This story was written poorly! The first episode alone had multiple plot holes. I made it through 11 episodes and surprised that I did because it was getting worse as the story progressed. The acting was bad, the plot wasn’t very logical and the characters weren’t very interesting.

I’m actually surprised this show was written by women screenwriters because they don’t seem to grasp the basic idea of a woman with a crush; even more, the directors are male but didn’t grasp the concept of how to act like and pretend to be a male. They didn’t even try.

The FL character seemed to have low self worth as she accepted the ML character’s poor treatment of her through out the show and built her whole existence around the ML. The ML wasn’t even remotely like-able and it was hard to understand why she even liked him since she didn’t really know him.

I don’t usually mind the contract marriage tropes but this was one of the worse.

Read More

The Group the World Forgot

Each episode of this drama gives you a glimpse 7 years ago into the people who crossed paths with Lin Rulan and were drawn into her battle as helpless witnesses to her injustice

The experience negatively impacted each of them, with them feeling the brunt of corruption and set them all on a course to gain control of their own lives.

Now 7 years later, after her death, they all return, intent on seeing the justice she couldn’t achieve done on her behalf.

Meng Wan was a force to be reckoned with. A silent and incredibly patient storm.

When we meet her, it’s clear that her temperament is very different from rulan’s. She’s very calm, and quiet. Where Rulan was a free spirit, Meng wan carried the burden of a girl forced to grow up too quickly.

Rulan was her safe space. The bright and shiny girl who pulled her out of her misery, if only momentarily.

But that too was stolen from her as she watched as bit by bit, Wu Lian and their community drained the light from Rulan’s eyes until there was nothing left and so she set off in a course for justice… or vengeance.

Waiting, watching and biding her time.

This was an incredibly heavy story about a woman’s fruitless attempts to gain justice for her rape in a society where a woman’s morality is tied to her “purity” (not unlike our own).

Rulan fought and lost.

Meng Wan fought and won.

But it was clear that this win isn’t because society changed but because they were unable to look away.

She forced the world to see the ugly so that they wouldn’t be able to sweep it under the rug any longer.

It also highlighted different aspects of their society’s impact on the lives of women and how limited they felt their choices were as a result.

From the woman who remains in an abusive marriage to a drunk because she doesn’t know what she’d be in their society without a husband, to the woman who sacrificed others to gain respect and maintain relevance after her husband’s death because without him, she cannot stand on her own and finally the woman who sold her soul to have a place to stand in this world because she believes that the loss of her virginity renders her unclean and underserving of a proper place in this world without the mercy of a man.

It was gripping from start to finish.

Solid writing, no distractions and very few problems.

This was a really good use of episodic storytelling. Every episode served the characters and the plot.

My only issue was how lenient the story was with his accomplices.

They somehow made it seem like he was the only wrongdoer in the end and everyone who assisted him were simply led astray or victims themselves

While it is true that one can be both a victim and a perpetrator, that does NOT mean absolution.

She told the wife that from the beginning to end, nothing was her fault, and I shit you not, bile rose in my throat.

She had fault. She fed him new victims every year. Women who trusted her. Whose families trusted her. Her family and her reputation were his access to a steady supply of these girls and she knew it, knew what was happening and was still complicit.

Madam Ning sacrificed these girls and many other people that Wu Lian harmed in order to maintain her fickle relevance in society and Meng Wan didn’t consider her a villain. She was the reason he was able to get away with his crimes for as long as he was but all we asked of her is that she stop assisting him??

Prefect Chen’s ending also wasn’t all that satisfying.

The only people I could kinda understand were the servants because they aren’t servants but slaves. They didn’t have a choice and even then, I still blame them. Years of helping this man rape the young women in your care, covering up for it and not one of them strayed or attempted to help until it was convenient for them.

He was the bad guy. He was the rapist.

I agree wholeheartedly.

But he didn’t do this alone and pretending that because the women who assisted him in his deviancy were prisoners of their society counts as “time served” is despicable. They are guilty and hateful and should’ve been punished accordingly-or atleast there should’ve been a proper acknowledgment of their guilt and complicity instead of absolution.

I do want to point out an appreciation for the realism of the story as it relates to his victims-their willingness and their hesitancy. As well as how it highlights that rape isn’t always something done through force-sometimes it CAN be that nuanced and not as clear cut but that doesn’t make it any less rape…but this seems like a good place to stop no?

Read More