Reviews

It Started With a Kiss and It Started With a Kiss 2/They Kiss again are two of the most amazing dramas I have ever seen, and I've seen a lot. The story in They Kiss Again was basically the continuation of the first one. This drama was perfect the way it was, and really proved that you don't need a fancy storyline to have a great story. They Kiss Again was just about the married life of an unlikely couple, and it was truly beautiful. There were times when I absolutely hated the drama, and others where I loved it to pieces. It starts out great but after 5 or 6 episodes, the story starts to lag. The main character Xiang Qin (I know I totally messed the name up) was really annoying, and I couldn't stand her, and Zhi Shu (Again, I don't know how to spell their names) was colder and colder than he ever was, and seemed to lack personality that he sort of gained in It Started With a Kiss, but despite the lack in character development, the story was beautiful, and the actors did a fantastic job. I loved the music for the 2nd drama, it was good, and very catchy. I will most likely watch both dramas again, because they were so amazing, and explain a lot about love, and make you want to go out and get married (if you aren't already) Great drama :) that I'm sad to see end :(

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I enjoyed watching this drama.The story maybe nothing new, but the characters are quite unique and well written.

The lead characters are people who carry many scars and pain in them, with no thought of finding love, yet they find a love that heals their heart.

I really liked the character of the female lead. Her background, profession, the way she behaved and the people in her life were very interestingly drawn. Lee Ji Ah who played the role was very good. Her body language and expressions were perfect for the role.

I have watched the lead actor Yoon Shi Yoon earlier in King of Baking Kim Tak Goo. He does a very good job in this drama too, though I felt he looked much cuter in the earlier one.

Among the others, there were many endearing characters. Even Hwa Young who makes us want to hate her most of the time with her larger than life ego, has such a side to her.

The only annoying element in the drama was probably a song that played in somewhat angsty times and was grating to the ears.

The ending theme is beautiful too- that love can heal us all.

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This drama is a great one to watch if you like a very well thought out and planned story line, this definitely isn't your typical K-drama. It's full of so much emotion and I'm sure it will pull you in right away and you will get attached to the characters of the story.

The only reason I give the Acting/Cast a 9 is because of Yeonwoo's character....She seemed very emotionless the majority if the time and honestly I wasn't a huge fan of her acting in this drama and I believe it could of been done better.

The rest of the cast brings it all together and makes it worth it though, they did an excellent job! Absolutely loved them, especially the younger casting actors and actresses, so cute!

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The story may not be something 100% new but it involves you in such a way that you fall in love with the characters riht away.
It really is both romance and horror! I got chills down my spine with the ghost scenes and your are drawn to feel the pain and loneliness of the female main character.
The comic scenes are... how can i say this... the chery on top of the cake! It's brilliante, hilarius, sweet, spooky, dramatic and at the same time... addictive.
Great soundtrack, great choice of actors, outstanding preformances, the supporting cast is amazing... TOTALLY want to watch it again (with proper subs, when i find them! XD)

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I have to be honest, at first I only started watching it because Lee Joon was in the cast and it was short. But I was given a nice surprise.

I don't think this was among the best things I have watched, but it was light and funny which is just what I needed after watching "heavy" shows for the past few days.

I, also, liked Yang Mi Kyung in this. I loved how she played her role of a housewife gone fan-girl.

The song which made the protagonist into a fan wouldn't be called a masterpiece by any standards, but it was very catchy and I found myself singing along whenever it was played.

I would watch this again since it kept me entertained and gave me a few laughs.

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Admittedly, I only stated watching this drama because of Yoon Eun Hye's main role. For those who are her fan, this drama displays a "fresh" new role for her as a princess-type-brat; worthy of seeing as she plays it very well. As for the chemistry between the main couple- I'll confess it was lacking, however, the storyline made up for it as it was a surprisingly easy drama to get through. The comedy in the drama left no room for any dry bits and the overall story came across as very touching. Ironically summarized, the drama is about growing up and gaining independence through unexpected love. What I really enjoyed about this drama was the selfless love it seemed to portray from many angles, I recommend you give it a shot.

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The One Missed Call final is the third and last movie in the One Missed Call trilogy. In the main role as Asuka, starring Horikita Maki. A young girl who looses the grip on herself aswell as her own life and soul after remaining the victim of Bullying for a long time. The One Missed Call final takes place in a different way than it did in the two previous movies, And this time Mimiko chooses her victims through Asuka's computer. I'll be writing a spoilerless review.

Asuka is used to a life with nothing but bullying, Her only friend Emily as far as she knows just overlooks the fact that she is being seriously bullied. One day she has had it, After school is over she decides to end it all, She is no longer going to be the victim of people's bullying and harrasment. Slowly hanging a rope around her head and trying to commit suicide, Only to be found by the janitor and saved being partially kept alive in a coma. Little did she know, that this very event would be what triggered the awakening of a dark and somewhat possesed self she has. With the help of a ghost, She is looking for revenge and tried to kill the classmates one by one. Confronted with what she is doing, She decides to try to fight the evil powers influencing her with the help of her old friend Emily and Emily's korean boyfriend An Jinu. What started like a game filled with only revenge and fun on her behalf, Will conclude with what will be a nightmare for her aswell as for the remaining students.
True Love isn't shallow, You'll be loved despite of any disability or problems you might have. The Death Call who will lead to deeper feelings in love, tears and horror... Who will be the next victim?

This was in overall a really great movie.. I couldn't have been anymore happily surprised as to how it ended. The Only reason as to why I really checked out this movie, Was Because of Jang Keun Suk acting in it, And I am glad I did.. It made me cry my eyes out. The movie had a great soundtrack. The Themesongs really fit with the movie.. I would really recommend this movie at the highest..
Unlike the other two movies, This movie doesn't have much of the other movies in it. It feels like a alternate version.. Watching the other two first is recommended, However, It is not needed in a high degree.

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So , okay . Well , when this first came out I was like eh .. I'll watch it because it seems interesting . Well . The first couple of episodes were a KILLER . They were GREAT ! But then as it progressed I felt like the acting got a little worse and the storyline really just faded .

I felt like .. There really WAS no storyline as the drama progressed . I never actually KNEW what the storyline was . I thought it was about bringing the school back it's popularity and fame . But it turns out to be something TOTALLY different ...

I thought the music was great it was really nice and the voices are beautiful.

I probably wouldn't watch it again , like i said the acting wasn't all that good and i feel like the storyline just FADED .

Overall I give it a 6. Storyline is a little iffy and acting is not that good . The only reason why some people are still watching it is because of new IDOLS and Idols . So yeah . But I do recommend for the music(;

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If you want to watch this because of the six pack of bachelors, DON'T! This story centers around the crazy mom. Seriously, she gets more screen time than the main characters. I have to admit that I usually have a problem with the parents in the series, but this is ridiculous. Those who have watched Secret Garden knows that mommy dearest is pretty horrible in that one. Well, This one is fifty times worse, at least. The writers ruin the entire series because they make her such a large role. It could have been SO much better, but no...
I don't know what else to say.
Basicly the writing was bad, and some of the cast wasn't great either. Hence, a messy story, overall mediocre acting, annoying music and just overall boring. And then you have he evil monster (mother) who carries the entire plot, not the six good looking guys, the guy or the girl. Seriously, the mother is a HUGE issue.
And when it takes me 15 minutes to watch an episode of this, it also means that it's rather boring.
Just don't watch this. Don't.

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WOW! All I can really say is that the storyline is amazing. The whole idea of forbidden love is a very intriguing aspect probably since it is not so common and is quite controversial. I thought that story had so much to give and teach; how love conquers all, and living your life the way you want. It seemed to me that all through the drama there were many political points. There wasn't mention of politics at all, but the way things are played out or some of the lines said take a true political turn, which I thought made Majo no Jouken even more fascinating. I did like the actors, but I didn't like them together. I didn't see any chemistry between the two leads at all, which is so frustrating since this drama deserved the best in all aspects, including the acting. The acting was great, it was just that I couldn't imagine the two leads together at all. The music was great, although it was only one song,I never got tired of the song, and still find that I want to listen to other than while watching the drama. I would definitely rewatch this drama. It was amazing, and such a sad but sweet story. Great drama, and totally worth watching. No one could finish this drama not being touched.

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One Missed Call 2 is the 2nd edition to the original One Missed Call series. In the original version the character Yumi Nakamura was played by Kou Shibasaki, Here in this direct sequel to the first movie Kogure Mimura starrs as the main girl Kyoko Okudera who gets the call. I'll be writing a spoilerless review.

Kyoko Okudera is a young female with an occupation as a grade-school teacher. Her life is proceeding just like anyone elses, Until the strange event takes place. This event, The one who would change her future as she knew it then. As she herself is a bookworm and a person who spends most of her time studying to make it better, Her friends drags her out for one night by using the argument you never have any fun. A death takes place in this night suppossed to be nothing but innocent fun. the death of a close friend of her's relative.
Upon this event happening it doesn't take to long before the call forwarded to her own phone. A Call to her phone, from her own number with a ringtone she never choose herself.
Not to mention, This tone.. It sounds like something she has heard before in the past. After lots of thought she comes to remember where she heard it and how this urban legend takes place. The first victim to survive this curse, Nakamura Yumi.. She's dissapeared without a trace.
One Missed Call 2 is a story filled with horror aswell as tears, as Kyoko finds out who she really can trust in life. Maybe her true love, Was right by her side all along?..

The music in the series was great, The score was dramatic and good.. And the original soundtrack had songs filled with theme-songs who fit the series. This series is the original sequel to the original 1st movie. You'll need to have seen the first movie to be able to understand everything here..

If you are into horror movies, this movie is a mustwatch. However, It includes romance aswell so if you are a fan of romantic stories this movie is also a mustwatch... This story about the life of young Kyoko, will make you appreciate what you have in life.

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Okay, some of you may disagree with me on this, but there were some down sides. I really liked this drama because
1) It left me with a good feeling at the end. You know how at the end of some dramas you're still kind of 'wtf just happened, how did it end like this' feeling? Well, TMTETS did a good job of completing the whole story
2) The actors were outstanding in how they acted and their reactions to the things that were done. Even though I hated the queen, I still felt sorry for her since her father, or no one, loved her at all.
3) Even though they aired two episodes in one week, their cliff hangers at the end of every Thursday episode was the worst to wait for. Especially when something REALLY exciting happened, it just turned out to be the Thursday episode. And the solution was a week away, leaving viewers to hold their breath until the next one airs.

However, some things I didn't particularly like were things like
1) The casting. I know they all did a good job, but I wanted a more suitable couple pairing. I just keep on remembering how when they first turned into adults and they showed the 'grown-up' version of everybody, the brother didn't look like how I imagined him to be and they were kind of off on some other things too. Like she looked a bit too old for him even though they were the same age, etc. But I'm not saying they weren't great, I'm just saying that the casting could've been better. The actors and actresses themselves were outstanding, but some things could have been changed.
2) The dramatic irony is unbearable for the viewers! I mean, there were so many times that the characters could've just done one thing to solve all the problems that would come, but nooo they had to, HAD TO do it the harder way and keep secrets and cause all of these problems. Sometimes, there were times when I even started cursing at my computer screen because they were being so dumb; not to mention the considerable acts of violence that have befallen on my laptop because of it. -__-"

In all, there were more good things then bad for this drama, but it was all worth watching! Have fun and don't break too many things while you wait for the plot to unfold. I like complete and happy endings that make sense, so if you're like that too, it won't disappoint. ;D

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First off, I felt the story was an interesting one, but it wasn't too good. The only time the story got good was during the last few episodes, which I believe should have either been the whole premise of the story, or was a bit more drawn out. The writing for the drama was pretty bad. There were overly drawn out monologues, and really cheesy lines. I thought that the acting was really mediocre, which wouldn't make since for Rainie and Mike He. I didn't like either of their characters, and their acting for those characters wasn't good at all. I felt like Mike He's character was just whining all the time, and Rainie's character just seemed unstable. I love the music, which was done by Kingone, and Rainie. The theme song was super catchy, and even though I didn't like Rainie's song, I found that I was humming along to it. I wouldn't rewatch this drama, because I was sitting there waiting for it to be over. Overall, I give it a 6. It's not a drama that is a must watch, but it's not too bad. It's something that's not bad to watch if you are really bored.

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My Mini Back-story:

I was on Korean/Asian drama hiatus for about a year, until I came across The Moon that Embraces the Sun (TMTETS). Initially, Han Ga In drew me to watch the drama. I wasn't extremely familiar with the rest of casts, but they were definitely eye-candies. As I began to watch, I was drawn back to Korean’s nostalgic mellow land. Thank you TMTETS (for that much)!

Storyline:

To be honest, I started with episode 7. I usually do this when I’m unsure about Korean dramas. I was also curious to see the how the older actors looked like, especially Han Ga In. I haven’t seen her in such a long time! Not only were /are the older cast spectacularly gorgeous looking, but the storyline piqued my interest. Hence, I decided to give this series a try by going back to episode 1. I thought to myself that TMTETS might very well be the drama to call me back to my Korean-obsession-mode.

I’ll just go right ahead and dive into my mixed feelings (mostly negative, but I have my reasons!) about the plotline/story/characters.

a) Too many unnecessary flashbacks at the beginning. I’m typing about the repetitive flashbacks from the young versions of the characters. After what happened to the female protagonist, they had to show flashbacks of most, if not every, single character in relation to her. I mean, we literally saw those scenes a couple of episodes ago. We get the point.

b) Pacing was all over the place. Episode 10 (or so) up till the female protagonist’s realization was extremely draggy. Other important supporting characters could have been further developed within those episodes. Instead, we get fillers. On the other hand, a lot of parts were skimmed over too quickly, especially the ending. I thought the first half of the drama had a better pace.

c) Let-down cliffhangers. They make it seem like something extravagant will happen in the subsequent episode, but most of the time they are a let-down. Nothing big happens.

d) Lots of major/minor inconsistencies in terms of plots/characters. I believe at some late point, they finally realized that they’re on a time constraint; hence, they try to cram. The sad part - they combine unnecessary scenes that stray away from the core conflict. So they end up discarding/disregarding important scenes that should have been there instead! Whatever happened to Hwon’s illness? Whatever happened to the King’s mother? Did anyone find out about Granny? Those are just a few.

e) Nice incorporation of humor. I extremely loved the eunuch and his smile - haha. The eunuch and The King/Hwon really complemented each other whenever they appeared together. They never failed to impress me from episode 1 all the way to episode 20.

f) Semi-pathos driven. There were a lot of scenes that were required to be executed properly in order to sway/move the audience with the correct stroke of chord. In replacement, we have to overbear (endless) crying scenes that don't move us as much as it should have. I’m specifically typing about the last two episodes (perhaps because it’s still somewhat fresh in my mind). Nonetheless, there were moments of strong emotions coming from less important characters. I was deeply touched by the Princess’s riveting scenes (despite many people hate her).

g) Story that focuses on romance, yet lacks chemistry? Yes, bash me all you want. I still can’t feel the energy/sparks between our OTP till the very end. I honestly had a stronger connection with the two younger characters/actors. I even thought Yang Myung matched more with Wol at some point.

h) Unpredictability at its worst. The ending totally threw me even further away from the bell-curve. The twists and deaths that occurred to people seemed very random and out of place for me. There was no mention/reasoning as to why those had to happen. There were more ways/logical reasons as to why they could have avoided them altogether.

i) Illogical actions/plot. That’s correct. I’m thinking about the ending. I know that a lot of Korean dramas tend to butcher their endings, but this was just not acceptable.

j) Family relationships – meh? Originally, there were a lot of ties between different characters that started off interesting. I was waiting for it to blossom over time (would have been heartfelt), but instead, the relationships dispersed even more over time. Some characters should have reunited A LONG TIME AGO.

k) Love conquers? Not when so many people have to die for that. C’mon! The King functions only for love. After Yeon Woo came back, he completely disregards the well-being of his citizens. At first, he looked like he was going to make huge improvements.

l) Plot a little too simple. The “bad guys” were let off the hook too easily. I actually felt like the writers degraded our intelligence. I don’t care what I’m watching, but I can’t stand when writers throw things at us and expect us to accept them blindly.

m) Weak friendship build-up/crumble. I wish they went more in-depth with the F4. Though, that’s not one of my major concerns.

I’ll just stop here, since my review is already too long and I haven’t even gotten to the other parts/sections yet. I know that some of these are really nitpicky, but if you think about it… the cons outweighs the pros and it surely adds up. It could have been a mind-blowing/smart story because TMTETS had all the correct elements to begin with. The storyline/premise originally had love, vengeance, family, friendship, honor, interesting lot of characters, great tension, and so on…

Side note: The last half of the series feels completely different from the first half. They feel like two different dramas.

Acting/Cast:

Wow! What a huge/great cast ensemble.

Let me just start off by saying that the children actors were awesome! I actually preferred their story than the latter half.

Like I typed, I was originally drawn to this because of Han Ga In. I know that she’s not the best/good actress, but she was never too shabby. Her beautiful/striking looks somewhat compensates for it as well. Anyway, I just liked her presence/demeanor. I don’t know how to describe it. However, I cannot pardon her in TMTETS. Despite how much I like her (she’s one of my favorites); I cannot turn a blind-eye and type she did fine. No, she didn’t act horribly in TMTETS, but it was bad enough. I’m sure people are sick of seeing my username and me referencing to Han Ga In’s lifeless performance, but I’m going to have to spill it over here as well. If it bothers you too much, skip this part because I’m not sugarcoating anything.

Han Ga In who plays as Wol/Yeon Woo made me bored, and that’s a bad start since she’s supposed to be the main female star of the show. Her monotone voice doesn’t help either. In fact, it adds to her emotionless/expressionless facial expressions. She has beautiful/round eyes, yet she cannot convey any sort of emotion through them. If I was to look at her with no subtitles, I would have no clue what on Earth she was feeling or what her character wants at particular times. I can never tell when she’s truly happy or sad. I have no clue if her character is supposed to be submissive looking all the time, but I remembered she was once a strong/intellectual/willful young lady. Whatever happened to that?

Kim Soo Hyun who plays as The King/Hwon was one of the factor that partially saved the show. He’s the one that shined the most IMO. And no, I’m not bias because I never knew who he was nor was/am I a crazy fan-girl. I just thought he stood out the most, in terms of posture/acting. His acting skills/maturity is beyond his years. He’s actually a lot better at conveying his emotions compared to other older actors in the business. Kim Soo Hyun has a wide range of emotion. Some of his crying/yelling scenes amplified the whole tone for me. Sadly, his character was also a let-down. I’m not talking about the romantic parts because he has certainly tried his best (from the looks of it). I guess it is awkward to act intimate with an older and married woman – haha. I didn’t feel the reciprocated connection from Han Ga In, so the chemistry wasn’t there. I mean, no matter how romantic tries to be, if she’s not going to respond then there’s a problem for our OTP. Aside from Hwon/the King’s romantic side, I thought he would be able to do something more meaningful, but he only thinks of Wol. Is it just me or the whole world revolves are the Moon? All the characters’ world/existence seems to revolve around Wol/Yeon Woo… which brings me to my next character…

Jung Il Woo who plays as Yang Myung was kind of annoying. I didn’t find he was too annoying, since Jung Il Woo played that role nicely. Though, if another (bad) actor were to take his place, I would have second thoughts. The ending just totally butchered his character for me because of the decision he took. Originally, his character starts off as a troubled/rebel, but later strays far away from that. Once upon a time he was interesting! Yang Myung only follows Wol/Yeon Woo blindly later on that he has absolutely no other purpose other than that. So then there’s the whole love triangle. I would have preferred if Yang Myung was more focused on rekindling his bromance with Hwon. It’s just too bad that they never fully developed it. Instead, his character gets to mop around and stare at the moon once in awhile to reminisce about Wol.

Why does everyone stare into the moon once in awhile and think of Wol? They all seem to do the same pattern. Anyway, the supporting characters such as Seol, Mother Shaman, Yeom, Janshil, Woon, the Princess and the Queen were never fully developed either. It seemed like the writers just built a skeleton of their characters and fooled us into the paths they’ll explore in the future, but obviously they’re never touched upon. They made a huge emphasis on the F4, but decided not to expand on the matter. Seol and Janshil didn’t even get to have a story of their own nor did they get individuality. Yeom was also a very smart character, at least when he was younger. It seems like that (Yeon Woo’s) whole family has been regressing instead of progressing. And Mother Shaman had absolutely zero purpose, aside from hiding the truth all these years. Everything could have been resolved sooner, but no, she had to hide all of this. I think the outcome would have been the same if she had revealed everything sooner. Anyway, the only character that stayed consistent was the Princess. A lot of people seem to dislike her, but I thought she was one of the better characters along with the Queen. Nam Bo Ra and Kim Min Seo did a phenomenal job at portraying their characters. They deserve two thumbs up. There was so much more depth/range of emotion compared to Han Ga In.

Now onto the “bad guys”… they initially looked all bada**, but later on they did nothing. Absolutely nothing. The writers make them seem like they’re really conniving/evil/strong, but apparently they’re just plain stupid. If you’ve seen the last few episodes, you’ll know what I mean. It’s such a let-down that they’re not on par with the “good guys”. It’s always more exciting to see a tug-of-war.

Music:

Awesome music scores! The ballads truly touched my heart. In fact, some of the songs are still haunting me. I especially loved the new addition to the OST. It’s called “Only You, One Person”, specially sang by none other than Kim Soo Hyun himself. It’s always a nice bonus to have one of the actors singing a soundtrack for a particular work they are in. It adds another level of emotional impact/love for the drama. I didn’t even recognize his voice at first because the man/guy sounded like a professional. He has such a warm/soothing voice. Kudos to him! It’s so unfortunate that they never even played it once.

In fact, their songs are extremely underused. The only two vocal songs that we hear from time to time are “Back in Time” by Lyn and “Under the Moonlight” by Heora. I wouldn’t have known about the rest of the amazing soundtracks if it weren’t for youtube.

“Back in Time” is such an enchanting and melancholic song. When it played, it matched the mood/tone of the scene. Though, I wished they would mix around with their songs and gave others a chance in the latter half of the drama. The other songs only seem to appear in the credits.

As you can tell, my three favorite songs are “Only You, One Person”, “Back in Time” and “Only You, One Person”.

TMTETS had a variety of songs to choose from, yet they decide to undermine them in the desert instead.

Bonus:

The clothing/hanboks are extremely beautiful. It very well complemented the already good-looking casts. I especially loved the Queen and Yeon Woo’s outfits. All their outfits have contrasting colors which makes them stand out even more.

The scenery were very vivid. Loved the colors pop-out. I also liked the areas that were shot in the palace (wasn’t almost the entire series shot there anyway?). Though, I wished they shot the outside a little more often.

Honestly, the outer appearance of this drama can be your one excuse to watch this drama. The cinematography is so nice. It makes you feel mellow – haha.

Overall:

It’s not a horrible drama, but it’s definitely not one that I will immediately go around to recommend to others. If people want to watch a “real” historical drama, then don’t even bother with this. TMTETS is the very definition of “fluff”, compared to its other sageuk competitors. There are many historical elements in it, but they’re not executed properly.

Want to watch something of proper sageuk standard? Try Jumong, Queen Seon Duk or The Princess’s Man. I admit they are different in terms of genre. And yes, maybe they’re a little too raw compared to TMTETS, but even Dong Yi and Yi San are better off.

I might/try (to) understand why people are emotionally driven by TMTETS. Don’t get me wrong, some parts were very endearing, but looking at it from the whole scope… not so much. I didn’t even get time to feel invested in these characters. In fact, some characters took up too much time, yet wasn’t able to sway/move me. So how can I feel emotional over these characters’ problems/deaths? If someone gave me a synopsis of this drama, I would surely find that it sounds so epic/bittersweet. It’s true, the overall story is epic, but when you’re watching it (especially the latter half)… not so much. Some parts feel very separated and unattached to each other. There are moments of sheer brilliance, but they often crush your hopes when you’re expecting the series to turn around and go uphill.

So beside those factors, if you’re not used to sageuks give TMTETS a try (I don’t consider Sungkyunkwan Scandal a historical one, but I enjoyed that one a lot more). It might blow your mind away like it did to many others.

Too bad the good aspects of this drama could not overshadow the rest.

No way will I marathon this. It will remind me how I was originally invested in these beloved characters, but only to be disappointed by their short outcomes. I might watch some particular scenes, but never will I watch the entire unorganized drama again.


Overall rating for review: 5.5/10

Purely for entertainment: 6.5/10

My Dramalist rating (avg): 6/10

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