More revenge than romance

"Revenge is a dish best served cold." This certainly applies to Zhao Yi Ting (Marcus Chang), as he coldly goes about exacting revenge on someone that ruined his family. He's been slow and methodical about it (12 years), and to hear him talk, nothing is going to stand in his way. That is, until he meets Lei Xin Yu (Eugenie Liu) - the innocent, naive and optimistic daughter of his target. This show is about how love can overcome revenge, but only if you let yourself be open to it.

The storyline and script were good, though drawn out at times. There were twists that kept cropping up, keeping me interested.

Marcus Chang was very good in this role. He had that hard, distant stare down to a science, but when he smiled, oh my!

I felt that Eugenie Liu overacted quite a bit, especially during the scenes with her mom. She cried A LOT, and it got to the point that I was wondering what calamity the writers were going to put her through next.

Their chemistry was good, the romance was very subdued (just a couple of kisses). I really did feel this was more about revenge than romance.

The music was good and the vignette they showed at the beginning of each episode was very dramatic and you got a feel for the actors' chemistry here as well.

I loved the secondary characters of her roommate and his family. There are mysteries surrounding these people that you find out as you go along, but the love was there, when they were fighting for each other, or just kidding around.

I also liked a technique that I don't think gets used enough in Asian dramas. We always have an overabundance of the girl/boy (usually girl) that likes the main lead and is willing to do whatever it takes to be with them, even knowing that they don't like them or are in love with someone else, and they do all kinds of evil/underhanded things. In this show, there were a couple of instances of someone liking someone else, but their motivation was happiness for the object of their affection. They put their own feelings aside to help the person they liked. I love that!

The ending was happy and sweet and the writers did a wonderful job of including his family in their "happily ever after". I would have liked at least a kiss, but I'm just being picky.

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Wallace Huo saved this from being rated lower by me

I would have given the first half more than 10 stars, if possible. Wow, was it ever good! So well-written, with smart dialogue, excellent acting, mystery and tension throughout. The music was very successful in addition to the tension.
Their voices were good and not screech-y (why do most C-dramas insist upon dubbing?). This was my first time of seeing Wallace Huo in anything, and I was impressed. his character, Simon Bo, was a criminal profiler and seemed able to pull the answers to clues out of thin air (suspend disbelief here). The developing relationship between the male and female leads was a pleasure to watch, and so amusing, since he had no people skills whatsoever. I didn't feel that them sleeping together that first date made any sense, since she could barely even kiss him on the cheek. However, her describing to him how he kisses? That was hot! The writers would have been better served to extend that "will they/won't they" tension, because the couple got boring after that. I loved that they were working on new crimes every couple of episodes, which kept it fresh. I also really enjoyed Andrew Yin as Simon's assistant/secretary. He and Simon had a wonderful bromance relationship going on and a lot of his lines were very amusing. I had to downgrade my rating because of the second half of the story when they were in America. Really bad American actors, and they kept changing the female lead's name. And the Chinese actors spoke in only Chinese, but everyone was able to understand one another? However, I'll definitely be watching the first half of this again sometime soon.

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What took me so long to watch this?!

There was so much to love about this show. I have literally skipped over this show dozens of times, strictly because of the picture that goes along with the synopsis. I'm so glad I finally gave it a chance. It is a slow-moving drama, but the characters are developed very well, and because of the slow pace, you feel like you are coming to know them and learning to care for them at the same time.

The first four episodes set in the 70's at University - there was a sort of yellowish tinge to the film quality that I really liked, giving evidence to the time period. I loved the 70's fashions (which at the time we thought we were rocking!), and hairstyles and the overall feel. I also appreciated that they did a jump forward into the present time, rather than the endless flashbacks, which really take you out of the story.

The current time was filled with beautiful scenery, comedy, drama, and the usual K-drama angst. I did lower my score one point due to the fact that there were multiple episodes where the main couple broke up and made up over and over again. That, to me, said the show could have been edited a little more tightly and made shorter.

I thought it was well acted for the most part, but I must especially give shouts out to Im Yoon-Ah and Jang Geun Suk. Im Yoon-Ah played the shy female lead in the 70's, and her daughter in the current time. In the 70's her character seemed a little one-dimensional to me, but I think that was to contrast with the vivacious person she was in the current time. Her character was sweet and likeable and not a complete doormat (though when she kept lowering her eyes in front of his nightmare of a mother, I wanted to smack her).

Jang Geun Suk - oh my goodness, his performance was impressive! Since I hadn't read much about this show before I watched it, I was quite a way into the show before I realized that he played two parts as well! In the 70's he was a shy artist. He falls in love in three seconds and this is basically the story of that love. His character was sweet and tender in the 70's, contrasted by his character of the son, who was bitter, cynical, and didn't believe in love. His hair and his costumes in the present time were ridiculous, but he was wonderful. I loved watching him becoming aware of someone other than himself, especially since he came out and said he didn't believe in love. The voice-over work he did, especially during the 70's time frame, was lovely. He has the perfect voice for it. Add to that the Love Rain song that he sings throughout the show, and he just gave me all the feels.

For Seo In-Guk fans, he plays two unusual characters in this show. They really downplayed his attractiveness.

The relationship between the two leads was wonderful to watch. It was especially fun since they started out so antagonistically toward each other. For those enquiring minds, there are a couple of lame kisses, and a couple of very good kisses, that make you think that they actually like each other. Also, I understand that the Koreans say they "like" each other rather than using the word "love", which I'll admit can be overused. So, when they said they loved each other, it was so wonderful. The show has a happy ending, but I would have liked the ending to be a little bit longer.

Another storyline that I really liked was in the current time between the female lead and the young doctor. He really put himself out there to be her friend and stuck with her throughout, even though he was in love with her himself. He only made a couple of vague references to it, and she was completely clueless.

Other than the multiple episodes toward the end that had the "will they/won't they be together" thing, this show was a slow, calm, peaceful view into two different developing relationships, and the effects that others' decisions can make on those relationships. It showed the power of friendships in both eras, and I think that applies to the main leads as well. In addition to being in love, I think friendship and maturity played important roles in them sticking together and not letting others tear them apart.

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Original concept

Lovely, lovely show! The two main actresses did a wonderful job playing Sumika, especially the young woman. She portrayed the feeling and mannerisms of having a 65-year-old inside her body. This was also enhanced by the script, saying things that an older woman would say, as well as being dressed in a more matronly manner. She was able to teach the younger generation about manners and caring for one another. The love story was just precious, I smiled throughout the whole things. Very happy ending. My only complaint would be the production value/sound quality, which made this seem like a much older show than it was.

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My rating seemed to change with each episode

First, I'll just admit I'm a total romance fan. I like lighthearted, fun, easy to watch romances with good kisses and a happy ending. At the beginning of this series, my rating was probably close to a 10. It was funny, with quirky characters. Then we hit the midway point - it felt like they threw the standard tropes in just to move the show along. Arranged marriage, evil controlling family, jealous co-workers, it had it all, but each difficulty was so short-lived and easily resolved, that they just seemed pointless. As I watched, I could feel my rating lowering. Then came the last two episodes. These episodes had a lot of heart and I'll address some of them below.
LOVED:
1) Lee Jun Ho. Call me superficial, but man, he is a beautiful hunk of eye candy. Seriously, I think he could probably have chemistry with a rock. Watching him relate to the FL was such a treat. And my romance meter was on high alert through all the stares, I laughed as he tried to figure out how to date, and those kisses? Yes, thank you. That's what they should look like! His character arc was such that he moved from cold, impersonal and not caring about anyone to thinking highly of his employees. I loved that. He and the FL were absolutely adorable together...lots of sweetness to go around.
2) Two of my favorite actresses, Kim Young Ok as FL's grandmother, and Han Mi So as ML's mother.
3) No evil ex-girlfriend or wanna be girlfriend to muddy the waters.
4) Did I mention the kisses?
5) Kim Sun Young as ML's older sister. Loved to hate her. Early on, I kind of wished that a white truck of doom would make an appearance, but in the last few episodes I just felt for her so much. I wish that someone would have told her that she was allowed to let others in.
6) The "six siblings". Friends that you want to have. I also liked the storyline of the two flight attendants. Cute.
7) A non-rushed happy ending with a wedding. Thank you very much!!! I get so tired of watching a show that's billed as a romance where the couple spends more time apart than together and the ending is rushed in the last 10 minutes. That was a beautiful wedding venue!
8) No time skip.
9) Breaking the fourth wall at the end.
10) Loved the nods to The Red Sleeve and Squid Game.
COULD HAVE BEEN BETTER:
1) Im Yoon Ah as the FL. There was something off about her to me. I couldn't quite put my finger on it. She was beautiful, to be sure. The couple was cute together, but there was just something missing from her. One thing, her character was just TOO perfect, she kept getting ahead no matter what people threw at her. Her facial expressions often seemed "off" to me. I understand that the "fake smile" was a plot device, so I had to let that go, but she looked terrified during the wedding scenes, which made no sense whatsoever. I felt a lack of energy in her acting, that's the only way I can describe it.
2) Da Eul's husband - that was a waste of storyline.
3) This show had more product placement than I have ever seen in any other show, and it was extremely irritating.
4) When she was in the countryside, she mentioned that she had sent him pictures of the food when she initially went to the restaurant. How could she have? He didn't know she was in the countryside.
5) Who thought that Love Hotel was a good name for her hotel? I think maybe it's because I'm American, but unfortunately that name makes me think of places you rent by the hour.

So, overall, I was treated to the romance that seems to be so sorely missing from the "romance" shows. I just wish they hadn't tried to make it more melodramatic in the middle. I'm certainly glad I watched it, and I can recommend it. It's not one of the best I've ever seen, but it's definitely re-watchable to see Jun Ho fall in love.

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So much good stuff!

This was an amazing show and I'll tell you what I liked and leave anything negative (which I felt there was) for the end.

STORY LINE: though not necessarily totally original, was very well-done. The old story of being bullied because of not being "pretty enough" was pretty hard-core in this one and, for me, those scenes were very difficult to watch. This is one of those shows that speaks to a serious topic, but you are enjoying the ride for the lessons learned along the way. There was always a lot going on. I'm not patient for shows that have a lot of "dead time" in their stories, where you could skim a lot and still not miss anything. This was not one of those shows. It actually took me longer than normal to get through, because I kept going back and re-watching episodes. There were many, many laugh out loud moments (Moon Ga Young is excellent at physical comedy), and yes, some very touching scenes. I absolutely loved the way they had the main lead know her secret early on and the things he did to protect her. This show made me question, as so many other have - do Korean women really fawn all over handsome men and talk about how handsome they are right in front of them? That always seems so strange to me. The story delves into the lengths we are willing to go to be accepted by others, the criteria for friendships, an interesting family dynamics. There are multiple families shown here, and a couple of them I thought I would have to disown myself from that family! I felt, at times, that the female lead was too weak and was upset that she never stood up for herself, but I'm speaking as an adult. I know that as a teen you look at things differently. She wanted to be accepted.

MUSIC: It seemed to me that there were just a couple of stand-out songs, but they fit perfectly in the show. As the second male lead was a singer, this got to be highlighted.

ACTING: Moon Ga Young as Lim Joo Gyung was excellent! As the "ugly duckling" (I hate to even say that, because she wasn't ugly even without makeup. But those ridiculous eyebrows!!), you really felt her loneliness and need to belong someplace. The bullying was extreme and hard to watch. She's a good crier and did a lot of it. She was good at the physical comedy aspects, especially the scene where she went home and just laid, dejected in the doorway. I loved how, through everything that she went through, she was so positive and sweet.
Cha Eun Woo as Lee Su Ho - he started out extremely cold (which I never could totally figure out the reasoning for it) and as he got to know Joo Gyung and other people at school, he warmed up. He portrayed an almost perfect man/boyfriend. He was sweet and caring and always watching out for the girl he liked. And can I just say he has the deepest voice I think I've ever heard?
Hwang In Yeop as Han Seo Jun - he started out with a chip on his shoulder, he was hard and kind of gangster-ish. But when he started liking Joo Gyung, things really changed. I have to say that I suffered from second lead syndrome. It was under control pretty much until the last two episodes (addressed later in this review) when I was re-thinking who she should end up with. In the last episode when he is on stage and the camera goes up close on his face, oh my!
Park Yoo Na as Kang Soo Jin. Joo Gyung's first friend at her new high school. Yoo Na played this part excellently. She had a big shift in her behavior and I have to say there were some scene where she actually gave me the creeps.
Jang Hye Jin as Joo Gyung's mother. I love this actress. I first saw her in CLOY and loved her in that. Here, she's kind of an overbearing and bossy wife/mom (though some of it is understandable), but when she finally discovers what has been happening to Joo Gyung, her protective instincts kick in and she becomes a total mama bear. The scene when she apologizes to Joo Gyung had me sobbing.

RELATIONSHIPS/CHEMISTRY - Joo Gyung and Seo Jun were totally cute together. He opened up and she could be herself. As their feelings developed and when they held hands, etc. it was lovely to watch. Their kisses were kind of hit and miss, and it's really unfortunate when the last kiss you see of theirs is totally without chemistry and obviously fake.

Joo Gyung and Seo Jun - this was another darling relationship and I would have to say that their chemistry was amazing, since they were only friends. I loved seeing the exact moment that he realized he liked her. I loved that she was so clueless to his feelings. I loved that they usually bickered like brother and sister. I loved that he was always looking out for her, going to her when he thought she was in trouble, and defending her when it was needed. I also loved that he usually didn't know why he was behaving the way he was. Upon writing this, apparently this was the relationship I liked the best.

Su Ho and Soo Jin - they used to be friends, became enemies and, once secrets were revealed, developed a bromance that was fun to watch.

WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE/THAT IRRITATED THE HECK OUT OF ME: At episode 13/14, everything was wrapped up nicely. The writers felt that they needed to add a couple of episodes. My problem with this is that all throughout the show, the male lead had been there for the female lead, caring for her and supporting her. Episodes 15/16 brought about a STUPID two-year time jump which had the male lead behaving in a preposterous way. He just left the country and broke up with her?!?! Though episodes 15/16 worked to bring him back to Korea, etc., my problem is, he's been gone for two years without contact at all and comes back and expects to pick up where they left off. Add to that, she's had two years with the yummy second lead, who is obviously interested in her (she was clueless, however). They do have a conversation about how they should have stayed together and had a long-distance relationship, but if he realized that while in the US, why didn't he call her?!?! I felt that he was totally in love with her up until he left and it derailed at that point for me and I was angry. The last two episodes show what happened with everyone else, which was nice, but I just lost respect for the male lead.

That being said, I'm SO glad I watched this, and perhaps when I watch it again, I'll just watch it without the last two episodes.

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Very sweet

This was a very sweet show. I loved that it had no major conflict and/or angst. There were no overtly evil characters. I don't typically like the gender bender shows, because it's always so obvious that the "boy" is actually a girl. It was obvious in this one as well, but what saved it is that Darren Chen's character knew from the beginning that she was a girl.

The friendships between the hockey players was a pleasure to watch. I actually teared up a little toward the end, it was so sweet.

I liked the character of his mom, she started out with the "I'm going to control my son's life and keep the evil girl away from him" but she wasn't over the top and redeemed herself rather quickly.

There were a lot of pranks going on, which made this show seem immature, but they were supposed to be college freshmen, so that can be excused to a certain extent.

The main couple was absolutely beautiful together, just all around very attractive people. I wish that the Chinese dramas would 1) lose the terrible dubbing, and 2) give us some kisses that don't look completely fake/unemotional/fish-like.

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He's hoping for a season 2, and so am I!

Where do I even begin. When I first read that they were going to do this show, I wasn't too sure. But Suga is a natural. He's playful with his BTS mates, yet still manages to bring out new things that we didn't know. They are goofy together, dancing, cutting up, and laughing about silly things they've experienced. He also gave an opportunity to spotlight some other bands that we may not know and then moved to actors.

I love the idea of every guest bringing their favorite beverage, and it was funny to me that Suga didn't quite know what to do with the ones that didn't bring alcohol. Then, when you add that each episode basically turns into a mukbang, what's not to love?

Each episode had something special about it, but the last episode with his best friend Jang Yi Jeong was especially touching. When Jang Yi Jeong touched on his problems with his voice and difficulties mentally because of it, there were moments of silence that Suga didn't feel the need to fill, because it's well-known that Suga has had his own struggles in the past. Their support of each other was obvious.

Suga is respectful of every guest that comes on Suchwita, and manages to draw things out of them that fans, or people that will become fans, want to know.

This is another good show to watch if you are at all interested in BTS, not just their talent, but their personalities and their camaraderie.

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Emotional story

I wasn't going to watch this movie. It looked depressing, there seemed like there was going to be a lot of violence in it, and those aren't the types of shows I like. Well, I'm going to have to modify my first impressions, for sure.

The story itself it heart wrenching. Have you ever known anyone that, no matter what they did or tried, they continue to live under a black cloud of misfortune? That was Kiwan and Marie both. They lived lives that we can't even fathom, the kind of lives we wouldn't wish on anyone. This was a story about going on, about not giving up, and also about the strength we get from others. There is romance, but it isn't about the romance at all. That seemed secondary to me. If this is something that matters to you, it has a good ending.

The acting was amazing. Song Joong Ki was mesmerizing, not only from the fact that he looked completely different than anything else I've seen him in, but his deep quiet voice, his economy of movements and his soulful eyes brought Kiwan to life. I really felt for him and kept wanting things to get better for him.
Choi Sung Eun as Marie. This was a character that we've seen in countless dramas, but she played the part without the extreme hardness that I've seen elsewhere. I was rooting for her almost from the beginning, wishing she could catch some kind of break. The love between Kiwan and Marie actually redeemed both of them.
Jo Han Chul as Marie's father. He's very versatile. If seen him in many things where he's the comic relief, or the bumbling fool. I saw his in something else as a psychopath. In this movie, he was a man living with his grief, trying unsuccessfully to have a relationship with his daughter.

The cinematography was interesting. It was darkly filmed, to go along with the darkness of their lives. Early on, on the few occasions that we it lighter, it was more of an artificial light, the kind that gives skin a yellowish hue and you can't tell what color things are. Counteract that with the ending, out in the sunshine (and freedom), it was very effective.

Though they were supposed to be in Belgium, shooting actually took place in Budapest, which was a treat for me after vacationing in Budapest.

My only complaint was the translation done by Netflix. I don't speak a lot of Korean, but "thank you" is not "I love you". Also, when they were attempting to speak English, by saying "I do not speak English", Netflix translated it as "I don't speak French", and then when they were speaking in Korean, the subtitles said, "Speaking in English".

Don't pass over this just because it's not your usual genre. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised.

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Not for me

I'll say up front that you should give this show a try yourself and come to your own conclusions.

This was a really hard one for me to rate. My rating is based on the way this drama made me feel. I found myself unable to separate my feelings from the overall intent of the show, thus the low rating. As I feel I have to say so people don't attack me, this is just my personal feeling/opinion. This rating serves the purpose to remind myself what I liked and didn't like about the drama.

Story: Very interesting concept. I thought the way the story was woven together, with people's lives intertwined, was well done. As you go further into the story, we find Yi Jae inhabiting bodies of people that he's encountered before. We also see that his downward spiral was the result of his first encounter with someone's death. This drama embodied the concept of "every action has an equal and opposite reaction". I thought the story became more meaningful when it was personal, concerning his girlfriend and his mother. I just couldn't get past all the evil/darkness/bullying/violence. I probably would have enjoyed it more if time was taken to develop some of the characters more, to see why they became the way they did.

Acting: Can we just talk about the cast? I'll admit, that's what drew me to this drama. Each person was excellent in their own right, but the standouts for me were:
1)Kim Mi Kyung as Yi Jae's mother. I love this actress in everything she is in. Here, she embodied someone carrying the weight of the world on her shoulders after her son's death. Her slightly stooped posture, her slow, mincing gait, and her facial expressions (or lack thereof) showed us that she was walking through the world by herself, after losing the person most important to her. I felt her despair. Watching her face, her flat affect, a lone tear running down her cheek, it seemed that it was all she could do to just keep living.
2)Seo In Guk as Yi Jae. I'll admit that he's one of my favorite actors. Here, he hit all the emotions (even if there were only brief moments of happiness shown in flashbacks). Anger, fear, frustration. Watching him moving from hopeful to hopeless, wow.
3) Kim Ji Hoon as Park Tae Woo. Sociopath? Psychopath? His portrayal of an evil man masked as a successful businessman just gave me all kind of creepy vibes.

This was filmed in a very dark way. I understand that it was part of the whole experience, but some scenes were so dark, that if you watch it in a well-lit room, you won't be able to see what's going on. So, watch it in the dark.

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It's a 30-minute movie on YouTube

I happened upon this gem quite by accident. I almost don't know what to say. Start with the fact that Park Hyung Sik is in it, need I say more? But that's not the point (well, not totally).

This film was quiet, slow and calm. It was beautifully filmed in blues and grays with filtered and hazy camera work. Close up camera work made me feel like I was in the world of the visually impaired. We only got a token look at a couple of the characters because of the time constraints, but this film demonstrated the difference between assisting those with disabilities and pitying them.

I loved seeing all the classmates interact with one another. I appreciated those that are willing, able and have the heart to work with the disabled. Also, the hidden heartbreak - pay special attention to when the middle schooler is taking a picture of his mom - her face just brought me to tears.

I was tempted to rate it a little lower because it WAS so short, but then thought that they probably would have made it too long anyway, with too much filler, and all the magic would be lost.

This is one I will definitely be revisiting.

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I liked it, but...

I don't care for bullying, corruption, violence, and gore. If you like all those things, definitely give this show a watch, because it is extremely well-written. It's fast-paced (a little draggy toward the end), and pretty interesting throughout. There's a lot going on at all times, and I think you'll have a hard time deciding who is worse, humans or demons. This drama really highlighted man's capacity for evil. Personally, I think there was too much evil coming from too many places. It might have been better if there had been one Big Bad, as opposed to multiple bad guys.For the aforementioned reasons, my rating is lower than I'm sure most people think it should be.

However, can we just talk about the cast? I'm a sucker for found family, and this drama really did a good job of demonstrating that. The Counters are people that, in normal circumstances, might never even travel in the same circles, let alone be friends. Once they got together, they truly were a family, bickering and all. The bickering was so great, because that's what real family does, "I can badmouth you because we're related, but no one else better say anything bad about you!" There were numerous emotional scenes that really worked - they made you feel their pain, but they also brought something that made you root for them.

Cho Byeong Kyu as So Moon - he's the newest Counter. He did amazing things with this role. His grief, his anger, his disability, and portraying teenage hormones all worked together to make him so interesting. He's a beautiful crier. Trying to learn his powers, then trying to control them, often skirting around what Counters are allowed to do. I loved his relationship with his grandparents, as well as his school friendships. The transfer of power from them taking care of him, to him watching out for them was really good. Also, I liked that, for the most part, he and Ha Na had a sibling relationship, and the writers didn't try to force a romance.

Yoo Joon Sang as Mo Tak. He's the strongest Counter. His character seemed to be the most fleshed out, since a lot of the show was about corruption, and he had been a cop. The romance aspect was a waste and completely unnecessary. He becomes the father-figure of the group of Counters, and he had some amusing scenes.

Kim Se Jeong as Ha Na. Angry Counter (that's what I called her). She had a chip on her shoulder a mile wide. She doesn't like to be touched, she doesn't attach to people and she's got that "keep away" vibe going on. First, this role was completely different than her role in Business Proposal (of course!), and if I didn't recognize her voice, I might not have known it was her. This was a character that, if not played well, you would totally hate her. She made it work, and I enjoyed watching her coming to terms with letting others into her life.

Yeom Hye Ram as Mae Ok. I hated her so much in Goblin and loved her so much here. She was the mom of the Counters, looking out for the others. She formed such a strong bond with So Moon, and when she had to heal him of his wounds, that just wrecked me. I loved her character.

There were some beautiful songs in the OST. As for re-watch - no. I'm not even sure I'll watch The Uncanny Counter 2. Just a little too much darkness for me.

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I couldn't get past the student/teacher relationship

This show was totally played for laughs, thankfully, but still... why couldn't they have made her just a few years older than him, but still in school? The low rating by me is pretty much due to this, it was uncomfortable for me to watch. That said, you should try it if...

1) You want somewhat over the top humor.
2) Don't mind overacting (purposeful in this case, I think)
3) Like the "fated to be" trope
4) You are in the mood for something light to watch, without angst
5) You don't like 2FL storyline. There is one, but it is resolved really well
6) You like to watch shows about friendships and the importance of friendships
7)You like some fantasy in your shows. I mean, she thinks she's in love with a manga character!
8) You like a cute ending.

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