Nothing new here

**If you tend to always adore Chinese dramas, especially those about kids in school, pass by this review. Upon looking back at my other reviews, apparently, I don't care much for Chinese high school dramas. None of them has been a stand-out for me. I don't think I'm terribly picky, but they've all seemed pretty immature to me, and I didn't feel that this one was any different. I tend to really like the friendships that develop, but the romance never works for me.

This show had a somewhat good premise with the idea of the "brains vs. brawn", but I didn't really feel that the way that they portrayed either group was very realistic. The cast was very large and quite a few people weren't used to their full potential. There were MANY places that the acting it was so bad it was cringe-worthy, and don't get me started on the voices that they use to dub the dialogue. I didn't feel the chemistry between the leads, and the development of their relationship didn't capture my interest. There was quite a bit that I fast forwarded through, because I just wanted to finish it.

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If you want to watch A LOT of on line gaming, this might be the one for you.

There were some cute things about this drama and it didn’t have a “typical” evil character, but, for me, this show was just too long and drawn out. There were so many scenes of the gaming battles that were just a waste of time. I get it, it’s a show about gaming, but come on! This show would have been so much better if they had done a better job of editing and decreased the episodes by half.
SCRIPT: The script was okay, but too long. Rather than the evil parent or the evil girlfriend, the evil in this show was social media. It really addressed the issues that pervade our society today, and how social media can not only make or break someone’s career, but can totally affect the way you see yourself. It was an effective hook, but it went on so long I wanted to tell the female lead to just turn off her phone. This script is more about gaming, some about friendships, and I would have to say that romance comes in third. The team friendships were fun to watch, and their responses to having a girl in their midst was amusing. The progression of them accepting her into their circle was handled in a realistic manner. I didn’t find the romance totally believable – the progression of this wasn’t written in the best way, and I felt that it wasn’t clear why they really liked each other. I did, however, appreciate that there wasn’t the obligatory time jump where they are separated for an extended period of time. The ending was very abrupt and unfulfilling.
ACTING: I thought that Xu Kai (as Lu Si Cheng) did very well. I didn’t see him as a “cold” character, but more as a driven and responsible leader for the team. He looked out for all of his teammates, he took his job seriously, and he was fair in his dealings. I've not seen Xu Kai in anything before. I'll have to keep an eye out for any contemporary dramas he might do in the future. He's done quite a few historical dramas, but they are not my cup of tea. Chen Xiao (as Tong Yao) was not impressive to me. First, the fact that her online name was Smiling made absolutely no sense. She hardly ever smiled. She spent an inordinate amount of time either looking surprised, confused, cranky or pouty. She seemed weak to me as well, placing so much value on the online comments and she let these comments affect how she dealt with Lu Si Cheng.
CHEMISTRY: Some very good kissing scenes that seemed realistic in the context of their relationship. I hate the shows that have the woman, even after admitting that she likes the man, act like she’s terrified to be touched by him. There were some hand-holding scenes that went well in line with the progression of their relationship as well. Secretly holding hands was a cute touch. Once they were a couple, I really liked his character. He was all-in on this relationship, while she seemed to be on the fence for quite a while. Xu Kai’s smiles alone are worth spending the time to watch this drama. There were a couple of episodes toward the end that were very sweet to watch.

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My opinion strictly based on my lack of enjoyment

When I first heard about this show I was so excited. Honestly, Ji Chang Wook could read the phone book (do they still make those?) and I'm all in. However, his character in this show was just pitiful! He was such a sad sack of a character, it was really hard for me to watch. Everyone just ran all over him. A spine was needed for his character.

I didn't care for the "bad girl" image of the female lead. Her toughness I found to be very off-putting. I didn't like the way she treated others. Unlike a lot of others, I couldn't really feel the chemistry between these two, maybe because I just didn't like either of their characters.

And I know it's a given if there is high school involved at all, but I'm honestly so tired of bullying.

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Didn't feel the love

So, I was looking for a romantic show that wasn't filled with too much angst. Based upon the reviews, I felt that this might be a good fit. It was a disappointing watch for me.

Jeju Island - beautiful. For me, the high point of the whole show, other than the So Ji Sub cameo.

Acting/casting - The acting was okay, except for the second female lead. Her acting felt really wooden to me, but the script certainly didn't help. I felt that the mayor of the town was miscast - he looked like he would have been a good "bad guy" but I didn't buy him in this role.

Writing - this is where the majority of my complaint lies. Sometimes it was somewhat slapstick, then it would move to melodrama, then move back to a typical romance. What did it want to be? I did not care for the male lead character at all. He was all over the place as well, but what stuck out to me most was that he was a doormat and I couldn't respect him. He's liked a girl for years that is an absolute nightmare (how anyone with any intelligence could like her, I have no idea), even goes so far as to say that even if she marries someone else he'll still like her, but then almost immediately switches to the female lead. Wait, what? Then the contrived situations that keep the leads apart were just unnecessary, it was one thing after another, including the "separated for a year" trope. When I'm watching a romance, and they are apart more than they are together, can that really be called a romance?

Chemistry - I didn't feel the chemistry between the leads (which is partially a problem with the script). Consequently, I didn't feel too invested in wading through the show until they got their happy ending (which was rushed, by the way). Some really bad kisses, but then they finally got a clue.

I realize that reviews are based on personal opinions, but if you are looking for a show that is really romantic, this would not be one that I would suggest.

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Oh my gosh, what happened at the end!?!?!

The acting was okay, the story was okay. The leads had good chemistry, and their story was sweet, but took a back seat to his mom's story line in 1989. I had to drop this score due to the last two episodes. What the heck!?!?! Episode 21 recapped what had happened throughout the show and led you to believe that they got a happy ending, until the very last, short snippet of a scene. Then, episode 22 recapped the show again, then showed him trying to get back to 1989 and going back to the place/time when he first met her, and that was the end. What about the butterfly effect? What about two of him not being able to be in the same time continuum? I was so frustrated that I wanted to throw something at the tv.

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Watch this show!

THIS IS NOT A ROMANTIC COMEDY! The photo, the descriptions, the trailers, all lead you to believe this is a romance. It is not. What it IS is a brilliantly crafted police/crime/psychological thriller. This is a show that will draw you in at the outset and not let you go until the very last notes of music have died down. I'll warn you up front that you really have to pay attention, because there is a lot going on. A lot of the names were similar and there were a lot of flashbacks. This show really speaks to nature vs. nurture, how much our environment contributes to who we become, choices that we make in our lives, and different components that can make up a family - straying from the traditional thoughts of Mom, Dad and kids to a family of friends, a brotherhood, a dysfunctional coupling of wounded/broken people.

Let me get the female lead out of the way - Jang Nara. She was very good as a tiny but somewhat tough police officer. I did wonder why so many Korean dramas use the "stalker" storyline.

The male actors in this make the show. Seo In Guk is good in everything I've seen him in. In this show he's got that cool demeanor down to an art, but when he shows his vulnerability, it's so touching. Park Bo Gum - WOW! He was absolutely perfectly cast in his role. That beautiful smile and the ability he has to switch expressions on a dime. When his eyes turned cold, I got chills. His character was immature in a lot of ways and he played that very well, looking to others for help and validation. The scenes with Seo In Guk and Park Bo Gum together were enthralling and oh, so powerful.
I've seen Choi Won Young in quite a few shows, and he played a completely different type of character than I've ever seen him do. He was excellent and I found myself fascinated in a weird way.
Min Sung Wook was the comedic relief in a lot of the scenes and was really good.
D.O. as the young Lee Joon-Young was chilling.
This was a great Bromance-type show, between the men in the police squad, the trinity of the three male leads, Seo In Guk's character's friendship with the art dealer. There was a lot of good-natured joking around but there were many instances that showed the real bond between the characters.
The writing - oh my goodness, there were more twists and turns in this than driving on a winding mountain road. Just when you think you've gotten something figured out, the writers correct your assumption by throwing something else at you. A few of the characters kept referencing a "happy ending" and I didn't see how that would be possible with this show, but I thought the ending was just perfect. There was the typical "gone for a year" storyline (so, are the majority of people in Korea just alone, waiting for someone to come back from where they disappeared to? When someone leaves for a long period of time, don't they call? What's up with that?!?!)
Finally, the music - in the BRIEF time the main couple was together (remember I said this wasn't a romance), the music was light and airy. Then there was the suspenseful music woven throughout. But the best thing about the music was when they used that one-note discordant tone, it just spoke of the evil that was coming. Very effectively done.
I, of course, would have liked more romance (there was one very well-done kiss to appease me a little bit), but that would have taken away from the effectiveness of this show. Everything about this show was amazing and I was surprised to read that it didn't do well when it came out. This may be because they didn't do a good job of explaining what to expect. This was a smart show, and if you're not in the mood to have to think, you would find this disappointing. I was power-watching this ("just one more episode") because I was so invested in the characters and wanted to know what was going to happen next. After taking a huge sigh of relief that I was finally going to be able to relax, I was sorry that it was over.

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So Ji Sub - 'nuff said!

I enjoyed this show for many reasons.
1) So Ji Sub - I've got to admit, I love this actor. I love his chiseled good looks and how he can emote the heck out of a storyline just using his eyes. This part was perfect for him, plus we got to see something a little bit extra. I knew he'd be perfect as a spy, but I was surprised how much I loved watching him with the children.
2) About the children - W. C. Fields said never act with children or animals. At the beginning of this show, I couldn't have agreed with him more. These kids were a nightmare! But once they got to have Kim Bon as a babysitter, they were a joy to watch and so flipping cute.
3) Neighborhood secondary characters - oh, my goodness, they were a hoot to watch! There were a lot of laugh out loud moments with them, and I liked how the writers also got them involved in the spy side of things.
4) The spy team - there was good chemistry between these people. They looked like they'd have each others' backs in a dangerous situation. I enjoyed watching them, but I have to be honest, Im Se Mi and her beautiful short hairstyle kept grabbing my attention.
5) Jun In Sun as Go Ae Rin - I felt about her kind of like I felt about the kids. She was a mess at the beginning, I just wanted to sit her down and talk to her about providing some discipline for those nightmare children. The writers wrote this character well, she progressed in knowledge and maturity as the show went on. Granted, she made some poor choices, safety-wise, but those choices often furthered the storyline or provided comic relief.
6) Son Ho Jun as Jin Yong Tae - I kept going back and forth - bad guy? Not a bad guy? How can I enjoy watching a bad guy? He provided a lot of the comedy in this show, and every time he said something in English, it just cracked me up, for some reason.

This show seriously requires suspension of disbelief, which I knew going in. The comedy parts were very funny, the action/drama parts weren't too heavy. For some reason, I can't even find too much fault with the lack of romance (because that's what I want most in my shows). If you go into this show just for enjoyment and your expectations aren't too high, I think you'll love it.

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I can definitely recommend the last two episodes!!

What I liked:
1) Chemistry between Yang Zi and Ziao Zhan. I loved watching them together. Okay, to be honest, I loved watching him. He was a serious character, but when he met her, he really started to smile. Those smiles were so endearing.
2) The last two episodes really did an excellent job of finishing off the long-winded storyline without rushing through it. I was tempted to rate it higher because of that, but I just couldn't. Love for one another, love for family, and friendships are all addressed in these episodes. I got emotional they were so well done. I love being able to actually see a wedding, since we, as viewers, are usually deprived of that. And their oaths of love were very well-written.
3) The music was sweet.
4) When he asked her to marry him.

What I didn't like:
1) The character of Lin Zhi Xiao. She was pouty, immature, and pretty whiny. I was willing to try to be patient with her until "the big breakup". It was unreasonable, unnecessary and went on too long. In addition, she treated him terribly and then suddenly made up with him and didn't apologize for anything. And from an aesthetic standpoint, her haircut was driving me crazy! It was usually back in a ponytail that stuck out, or when it was down it was all stringy.
2) Uneven pacing. We had the rivals that were willing to do anything to get the person they liked. I really don't care for those types of storylines, but both of them just kind of all of a sudden went away. There was SO MUCH wasted time in this drama, multiple episodes could probably have been deleted and they wouldn't have been missed at all.
3) Secondary couples - one-dimensional and I didn't care about either of them.

If you are a patient person and aren't bothered by a lot of nothing going on, I'd say give this one a try, just to see how cute the main couple is together and to see how everything gets tied up.

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Too repetitive

I had to rate this drama lower once I finished it. It started out SO strong, but there was so much repetition that it was frustrating. This show could have been so much tighter if there were fewer jumps and fewer episodes. It got to the point that I was, "Here we go again." It also would have been better if the coloring in the comic world would have been different somehow. It was really hard to track which world they were in. I felt like the ending of the show (the last few episodes) just kept wandering, because they didn't know how to end it. By the time it did end, I didn't much care, I was just glad it was over. Highlights of the show? The two of them together at the beginning when they were getting to know one another. Lee Jong Suk was even more emotionless than he usually is.

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Don't pass up this movie!

This was an excellent movie! Think "12 Angry Men". I'm not used to seeing Park Hyung Sik as a timid person. He, and the rest of the cast members, did an excellent job. This movie is about a juror that takes being on a jury very seriously.
Even though everyone else initially just wants to quickly submit a verdict so that they can go home, Park Hyung Sik's character wants to ensure that justice prevails. They upon listening to his thoughts, the other jurors finally decide to take their job seriously and ensure that they bring back the correct verdict for the man on trial. This movie was full of suppositions, partial evidence and twists and turns. I got emotional watching this, I became so invested in the jurors and their quest for justice.

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This was a painful watch for me

I'll be honest, this was on my To Watch list for the longest time. I started the first episode multiple times, didn't like it, and gave up. I picked it up again because I'm hoping for better from seasons 2 & 3.

SPOILERS! SPOILERS! SPOILERS! SPOILERS! SPOILERS! SPOILERS! SPOILERS! SPOILERS! SPOILERS! SPOILERS!
My issues with this drama were many:
1) A lot of overacting for the sake of "drama". I like Han Seok Kyu (though he tends to play this type of character a lot) and Yoo Yeon Seok was fabulous in the Hospital Playlist dramas, but even they over-acted at times. Tons of yelling by everyone.
2) For the most part, pretty unlikeable characters. It starts in episode 1 when Dong Joo says he wants to sleep with Seo Jung and that he likes her. Why? Dr. Kim is pretty insufferable throughout the whole show, constantly yelling and demeaning the staff. Dong Joo - self-serving person with a chip on his shoulder the size of the Grand Canyon.
3) Romance was half-baked and unnecessary. I'm usually into shows for the romance, but I didn't buy the leads as a couple from the very beginning, and I never had any reason to change my opinion. I had no idea why they liked each other, I felt that she was playing him a lot of the times, and I actually got mad during the bonus episode when she was saying that she was "letting him go", thinking that he was going to the US. She was very immature.
4)The storyline was fragmented. Seo Jung has hallucinations and tries to kill herself. She had no business being in the hospital environment until she had gone through extensive therapy. Master Kim demotes her to intern, but she's allowed into surgery. The small hospital was associated with the big main hospital (the staff came from the main hospital to the small hospital) yet no one knew Dr. Kim was there? I mean, you can change your name, but background checks still need to be done.
5) I felt that the medical aspect of the drama fell very short of the mark. There was no getting to know the patients (I refer to Hospital Playlist that shows how to do it right). The patients were just moved through to show the medical team in one crisis after another. Almost EVERY patient needed CPR. I was tempted to make a drinking game of it (and I don't even drink!) - every time someone does chest compressions on someone, take a drink! This show was from 2016 - was the timeline in the show supposed to be different? Because the AIDS storyline was ridiculous for 2016. So much more had been discovered about AIDS and caring for patients. This might be different in Korea, but in the US public hospitals can't refuse to treat people. Then there's the fact that Dr. Kim had a pretty severe wrist injury (which there was no scar from), he could hardly move his hand, but he was insisting on doing surgery. Granted he backed down, but it never would have even come to that. There is a case in an early episode about not treating patients if you don't have privileges there, but this rule is thrown out the window in the last couple of episodes. Then, there was cross-contamination going on in the operating room by handing instruments over open wounds, crossing arms in front of themselves to get instruments, etc. Granted, maybe it only bothered me because I'm in the medical field and it wouldn't have bothered others.
6) The bad guy. and his henchmen. I felt like he was evil for the sake of being evil, I didn't get the motivation. I was also bothered by the fact that he had people in the small hospital as spies for him, and no one seemed to notice.
7) Kim Min Jae as Park Eun Tak was criminally underused. Hopefully that will be rectified in Season 2, if I can manage to get through it.

I realize that I am a minority of one with my feelings on this show, but it's been quite a while since I've watched something that has made me say "that's time I'm never getting back".

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Okay, disagree with me if you must, but this is the first show I've ever had to drop

I pretty much disliked everything about what I saw of this show. The mood/filming was kind of dark, and it seemed like everyone was living a miserable life. The ML was non-descript with absolutely not expressions. And could someone please explain the haircut to me?!
The FL - when they write synopses for these kind of shows, this is someone that they would describe as quirky, or strong, or passionate. I would just say she was irritating.
You could see the graft of the government employees from a mile away and it appeared that was going to be the focus of the story. I was looking for romance. Every one of the characters was unlikeable, and I didn't feel like wasting my time to try to see if this show would redeem itself.

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