A MUST WATCH!!

This is a MUST-WATCH Kdrama!! Every episode gets more and more interesting and gripping (I’ve binge-watched until Epi 18! ><.. update: now completed!)

I’m not one who fancies Korean fantasy dramas, I don’t really care for goblins/ magic etc.. I didn’t finish Goblin, Tale of the Nine Tailed, Korean Odyssey... but this one has captured my undivided attention!!! :):):)

The storyline is riveting, each episode gets better and better, and the character development is so good! It probably reminds me of The Lord of the Rings (there’s one scene where all the mages were arguing about the Ice stone, it’s like when they were arguing what to do with the One Ring).

The only small dissatisfaction I have is the FL Jung So Min. As Mudeok she is fine (which is her primary role) but as the Shadow Assassin she doesn’t quite pull it off. Even with her serious trying-to-be-ruthless expressions, mehhh, it didn’t quite cut it for me. However, she pulled it off quite well for the final episode. Every other cast member was fantastic!! I especially love the love triangles!! 🤣❤️

A definite on your watchlist!!

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The best of the 3

If you’ve watched all 3 seasons, I think you’d appreciate this season the most.

The first one was kinda boring to me. Maybe because they had to lay the groundwork for the storyline? S2 was intense but S3 was the best. Not because of the actors, but because each episode had very interesting cases- very outrageous cases; just like Grey’s Anatomy! Things like forest fires, a tree branch stuck in the abdomen, building collapsing and on-site medical rescue etc.. so kudos to the writers for being very “American” in a sense. The pace is fast so I liked it. Minus the sleeping around with each other kind of antics.

If you’re looking for romance per se, it’s not so evident here. Just a hint here and there but it’s not the main focus. What I didn’t particularly fancy was how in every season, it’s the same ol ’ trope of higher uppers trying to disdain Master Kim and take over or close down Doldam Hospital. If there is a S4, I hope the writers come up with a different and new plot.

If you like medical dramas, this is a definite watch. Enjoy!

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CRAZYYYY GOOOD!!

The realistic thing is.. our “good” cop Ryu Soo Yeol is not thaaat upright or honest. He’s also a little corrupted and accepts kickbacks, but he has morals and a good heart. He’s somewhat of a coward and does (and says) whatever it takes to survive in that situation, but he feels remorse and tries to make up for it... which makes him lovable and human.

The entire drama is very fast paced.. there are layers of villains as the story unfolds, and if you like crime-solving mysteries this is a good one. I would say it’s fairly predictable although my predicted plot for the end was not quite accurate ;) It’s hilarious and many outright LOL scenes; one kissing scene (which was a steamy one;)) and the bromance was one of a kind haha. Plenty of kung-fu style fight scenes, but also many punch-in-the-face/ beat up/ kick-in-the-ribs scenes which were too disturbing for me. A lot of swearing also;)

I haven’t seen any of Lee Dong Wook dramas- I dropped both Goblin and Tale of the Nine Tailed. So I enjoyed watching him in this one! I was happy to see Wi Ha Joon in a comic/ out of character role, other than the love rival roles he has played and that in Squid Game.

All in all it was a very good watch! Have fun with this one ;)

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A slow melodrama... not romance

It may seem like a teacher-student scandal relationship based romance drama, but it’s really not. In fact there is hardly any romance until the last 2mins of the final episode ;) So that was a let down for me.

The main storyline focused on the corruption and ugliness of the high society parents and ministers/ CEOs etc... and what lengths they would go to to get ahead and receive preferential treatment. Even pay to get answer sheets for their kids.

I would say the first 6 episodes is SLOW... really slow. A lot of Math talk and build up of character. I did skip and FF quite a bit. The good thing was that I watched this simultaneously with Happiness (so that was a good contrast haha). I put this one on hold and finished up Happiness first. Episodes 7-14 got really really interesting. The last two were ... just getting annoying. Like time to end this drama.

[SPOILER: I don’t think the villains would have been caught if they had not been betrayed by the ppl closest to them. If they kept their mouths shut, they would have been able to get away with it... again and again. END]

I’m a fan of LDH... and his acting didn’t disappoint. Im Soo Jung was dull... similar to her acting in Search WWW. Lacking contrast and any sort of highlight. Her acting in The whole drama was just one monotonous rhythm. Music also was dull... I would classify this drama as a melodrama. The principal was overly dramatic lol.

I would suggest you watch this together with something else, so you won’t get bored easily ;)

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PDA and sweetness off the charts!!

First of all, I don’t agree with most of the other earlier reviews. This is a very sweet drama, no-frills, yes a little typical, but it’s genuine and very touching. I didn’t like Forever and Ever or You are my glory- those two dramas were too hyped up and too fake.

The story, character and relationship development were all very good. It seems rather long with 41 episodes, I wasn’t bored until probably the last 10 episodes. It then got a bit repetitive. 41 episodes is too long for a rom-com, cos you can’t go any further with the comedy or the storyline. It would have been better to finish it off by 30. There were however many touching scenes which surprisingly made me cry!

The love story between Sheng Jing Chu and Cheng Liao was very sweet. The PDA and romance was off the charts :):):) Lots and lots of it! So unlike Forever and Ever which was SO HARD to come by, even though that couple was older and more matured? Yes the FL can be overly cute, but I didn’t find that annoying at all. The ML (he was one of the guys in Love O2O) yes he was stiff, but I believe that was the portrayal of his character.

I also particularly liked how the scenes from the GO competitions would change to virtual Kung-fu battle scenes! I enjoyed that very much! Good blend of comedy and some wrongdoings as well.

Ignore the other reviews. GO watch this for a lovely sweet drama :):)

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B-grade Romance drama lol

A likes B, and B likes A; but C likes A and D likes B; also E likes D and F likes C! Hahahaha what a mess!!! Yep- that’s what you get from this drama.

Ok let’s break it down- what I liked was the pace. It was fast, not draggy as they covered a lot in 24 episodes. It did get rather repetitive after episode 14- esp with Gu Xin Er repeating herself again and again, so I skipped most of her scenes and with Ling Sheng. Last 2 episodes summed it up pretty well and a happy ending.

Main couple was cute, although I thought it was rather B-grade, and I’m surprised Zhao Lusi acted in this (I thought she would choose better scripts). Their love story development was too fast (they kiss in Episode 5!:)) which was fine but I would have liked to see more of the chase. They did have their ups and downs/ lack of communication/ 3rd and 4th party interference; the usual angst. Any problems they faced was very quickly overcome. I loved Ling Yue’s bodyguard Ai Li! Very cool;)

Worst characters- Gu Xin Er. Hung up on a guy for ten years, knows he’s already in a relationship, still want to repeat herself again and again. She kept blaming everyone else for all the problems she faced- whether personal or work related. For goodness sake, take responsibility for your own choices! Just felt like slapping her.

Another lousy character- the brother Gu Ansheng. Like sheesh... also blame Ling Yue for everything. What’s wrong with this brother and sister?!! And he liked his adopted sister growing up... errr creepy!

Ling sheng- what an idiot following the girl like a puppy. Spoiled brat- get a life! Be a man! Sigh... in my opinion these characters were written very poorly.

All the problems in this drama could be summed up in one word- jealousy. So jealous that you would go to great lengths to destroy that person, then claim it’s their fault. UGH! Plot twists- quite predictable. Nothing new there. Also why wasn’t Madam Ling at her son’s engagement party, or at the hospital with her husband? She was missing in the last few episodes.

Anyway, you will get a lot of angst watching this. There were some funny and light moments, but all in all it wasn’t that great. Music background was the best! I loved the piano tango accompaniment- so funny! And sometimes the music was so epic and dramatic, like something from LOTR hahaha.

OH! And the product placement RIO- in every single episode! You open the fridge and there are at least 30 cans in there :P face palm

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Melodrama with some sports and romance elements

This started off quite well; it had a lot of promise and I liked it better than 2521 ( which I dropped at Ep 14) It’s not a rom-com, that’s why I say it’s a melodrama- which means there’s a lot of crying, relationship problems, unresolved past issues and wait... more crying.

The FL is an ex-national team badminton player. She “ran away” for three years because of an incident and has never resolved it. The ML is a promising badminton player who had been hiding behind his sister’s shadow his whole life and is desperate for his parents and the world’s attention. Both found solace and comfort in each other, and eventually love starts to develop. They are quite cute together, and there is some skinship ;) but it’s not the centre of the storyline.

You have your typical side couples, side teammates who initially hate you, treat you badly then after a long while start to stand up for you and encourage you. Some issues with the writing and characters eg the coach. Head coach and assistant coach are pretty incompetent- very old school kind of training, not encouraging nor inspiring. [Spoiler: Male doubles team- one player pushed his partner to the floor, grabbed his racket to hit the shuttlecock. Umm.. I don’t think that kind of play is EVER allowed on the court. End spoiler]

Initially rated it a 8/10, now dropping it to a 7.5. It’s getting kinda slow and draggy. Let’s see how it develops and ends. ;)

Update: Ending was a nice wrap up of all characters. I still didn’t like the mother: it remained quite draggy throughout the last 5 episodes which was unfortunate. I did complete it but ff here and there.

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Great acting, storyline doesn’t make sense

Then again, most things in drama land doesn’t make sense ;);)

It’s the kind of drama where the bad guy will win win win all the way to the last episode, then he will fall or get justice in just 10mins! Yeah, I hate dramas like this. There’s so much more could be done, build and focus on, but unfortunately the writing did not support the hype it’s receiving.

First 3 episodes I found annoying; 4-12 were riveting, interesting and intense; last 4 episodes were a bummer. This is mostly where a lot of scenes didn’t make sense. Both lead actors did a great job though! And the ending was wrapped up quite nicely. I didn’t really care for the other side couples and other storylines. Found them redundant and boring.

Watch if you must, just don’t get your expectations too high.

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Not that great ;(

It started off quite interesting, with FL confessing and giving ML a strong forced kiss. She liked him, but he rejected her. Up to this point, the storyline was quite interesting and I liked the FL’s strong character.

After rejecting her, he realised he also had feelings for her (which took him quite long to admit). Then he started pursuing her like a puppy, and she kept rejecting him, being hot & cold. This is where it starts to get annoying. Then finally when they get together, it gets boringgg. The focus then shifts to the 2nd couple which are very boring.

So it’s just a 6/10 for me. Last few episodes were dull, I was just FF to complete it :(

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You will love to hate this? ;)

Actually no, you won’t hate this. :) It’s like the old-style kind of Kdramas, the kind I used to make fun of years ago lol.. It is quite additive watching this, so my suggestion is to binge- watch!

The storyline is pretty cliche, a typical revenge drama with a time travel twist. You have the evil stepmother and stepsister, and you will love to hate them. Somewhere in the middle your blood will start to boil watching each episode, but not to worry the good guys always win.

The chemistry between the main leads are pretty decent, and there is one really good kiss/ bed scene ;);) it’s a happy ending as well. So have a go at this and enjoy it :)

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All about spoiled brats?

So, are influencers really like that? Rich wannabes, using each other to get ahead, rich spoiled and bi*chy? The drama seemed more like a campaign to promote Instagram lol…

I liked the idea of showing the bts of influencers. However it portrayed such a poor side of these catty bratty females with so much time on their hands to backstab one another instead of working hard to promote their brands. The plot and storyline is classy and very up-to-date with our times now, but again the execution was too one-sided- the FL against the world kinda theme. The twist at the end was quite predictable, but generally it was quite engaging.

Couldn’t stand the character Chae Hee- it’s like all her script was just basically bitching, shouting and yes having an overdose of narcotics. Seriously? I started skipping more of scenes where she was off ranting. The romance between leads were not the main focus, evident but not much real development.

To watch or not? Yes definitely, but no real essence.

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A little dull but overall good

The first few episodes I found a little slow. Some parts were meant to be funny but i didn’t find it humorous.

What I liked was that all 4 main leads had a distinct history and character. They all came together by staying at the same guesthouse. I also liked the history between Dan O and Kang San, how they met as kids, and how he remembered her but she didn’t until later.

I liked the character of Si Yeol- a carefree scholar by day and a dark watchman sworn to protect the deposed / future heir to the throne by night. I would have preferred more of his “dark side” with more sword fights scenes.

The King was annoyingly spoiled. If he had been wiser, I think he could have killed all those who opposed him much sooner lol.

The romance was not too bad. One kiss scene only, and we didn’t even get a wedding scene of the main couple, but of the 2nd couple. It’s like a PG-13 historical drama, so nothing too gory or raunchy haha.

A pleasant watch. I did ff here and there but overall it was good.

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Gripping and yet disturbing

Gripping? YES!! It’s one of those where you have to binge watch. I waited for quite awhile to watch both seasons at one go. Also, you have to be in the right frame of mind (ready to watch a revenge drama) to fully appreciate it.

Disturbing because the scenes are quite graphic. It’s rated 18+ and has lots of vulgar language, sex scenes, and multiple violent scenes including using hot curling iron and domestic abuse. Most of these scenes I had to fast forward, because I myself couldn’t stand to watch. I couldn’t understand why and how those bullies could get away with it; plus the home room teacher who just slaps the victim multiple times in the staff room! I read that this drama was based on a true story. I’m not sure how justice was carried out, but if it was not, the police and education system in Korea need to buck up!!

The two actors that stole the show imo were Lee Do Hyun and Shin Ye Eun. LDH played the ML, a young doctor who lost his father in a very tragic way. Haunted by the perpetrator, he was living in hell and wanted to help the FL (song Hye kyo) with her revenge plan. He managed to pull off a variety of personalities in this drama- the professional doc, the caring and protective man and (this is the best part!) the devil in him who will seek revenge and dreams of killing the murderer. His acting was top notch!

Shin Ye Eun played the teenage Park Yeonjin, who is the ring leader of the 5 person bully gang. I read that the director chose this actress because of her smile, and man was he spot on! Her eyes and smile in the most eerie and condescending manner gave me the chills just watching her! Her acting was just right, unlike Lim Yi Jeon who played the adult Yeonjin, whom I felt overacted wayyy too much. In fact the 5 gang bullies were quite ridiculous and overacting most of the time imo. Too much cursing, shouting and throwing rich kid/ can’t get my way tantrums.

Another character I liked was Ha do Yeong, the husband of Yeonjin. He in all his sophistication did everything right- gave her many chances to repent, and be remorseful of her past actions- but all he saw was the devil in his wife. I’m glad he had a happy ending.

The production and music background was just fantastic! Very modern and updated, chic and sophisticated. The music is like those you will find in US dramas, extremely compelling and draws you in. There were times where the plot became quite predictable, whereby the good guys “always win” and even when it seems they were losing, they were somehow one step ahead. Haha..

It’s a very good recommended watch. Again, be in the right frame of mind when you start this. The first episode is the most difficult as it has 90% of the bullying school scenes. :)

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