Reviews

I love this drama! Hungry! is so much more than originally meets the eye, and there is a little something for everybody to love.

Hungry! includes your typical "love, happiness, family" themes (and pulls these off very well), but my favorite was how they handled following your dreams. Sometimes, dreams change, and even when you do settle on one the path may change and evolve over time. I love this drama for the realism. The challenges the main character, Eisuke, has to overcome (in both his personal life and starting up a restaurant) are very real and handled in a very human way. This adds so many bonus points because dramas have a bad habit of problem solving through Deus Ex Machina and it drives me crazy.

But what makes this drama top notch is the humor. Several moments had me laughing out loud and I typically had a smile while watching. The writing is great and (most) of the actors did a fantastic job.

Check out Hungry! I highly recommend it!

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I've always wanted to see a real, full-blown love triangle in Korean dramas. The regular kdramas never quite satisfy my triangle-loving side. So I can say happily that Spring Days quenched my thirst for such a drama. I marathoned it like crazy finishing it in less than 3 days. In fact I am so satisfied that I'm not sure if I ever want to watch such an angst fest again in near future.

I enjoyed hating parts of this drama more than I enjoyed loving them. How ironic, I know! It had me pulling out my hair, screaming and cursing with frustration. I almost wanted to give up watching, and for some reason I couldn't. I was addicted badly to it. The characters were all crazy and nobody is normal in this drama. All their lives suck and every character suffers from deep guilt, abandonment issues, mommy issues, daddy issues and what-not. Plus, it being a melodrama had the tragic makjang also. All this craziness is what makes this drama complete. Perhaps all this seems a bit too much for me since I am not a melodrama loving person. For those who do watch melodramas, I can guess it won't be a big deal at all.

The acting done in this drama is way above than normal ones. The main leads are perfect at playing their roles. This drama does have a lot of crying in it, but some scenes have been done beautifully. Especially Ko Hyun Jung- who I've seen for the first time here was outstanding. She really knows how to pull off emotional scenes with perfection. In fact, I've not been so impressed with an actress in a Korean drama before. Jo In Sung went way overboard at times when he was crying or yelling, but at least his emotions came through to me as a viewer. Plus he's so good to look at. :D I liked the other actors too especially Han Go Eun who always plays her characters well.

As for the overall story- I thought it was good. It does have flaws and boring parts in it but it manages to be decent enough. I suppose I loved the characters most. This one is an entirely character-driven drama. I loved the fact that the characters were messed up and there was no good guy here. All characters were flawed- especially Jung Eun and Eun Sub.

Jung Eun is at first a female who has been closed off and living in a shell for years due to her sad past. Then she meets Eun Ho who helps her open up and they fall in love. She also meets his younger brother- the hot, self-centered and childish Eun Sub who also falls for her. Then you have a complicated story with brothers in love with the same woman. The only question here is who she will go to in the end.

I thought Eun Ho was perfect in the beginning but later on he sort of became redundant to me. I couldn't root for him as much as I did for Eun Sub. I didn't even love Eun Sub entirely. He was too flawed. But I have to say that Jo In Sung suited the role. Eun Sub makes for an interesting literary character who has an unhealthy, all-consuming love for the woman. Not just that, he needy and desperate for love and he shows it time and again. He was unlike other Kdrama guys that I have seen till now who usually remain closed off. Here you have a guy who shows that it isn't easy to close off once you have opened up. Apart from these characters I LOATHED their mother. She drove me crazy. She was beyond INSANE, I tell you! I didn't get why she kept beating up whichever female got close to her son. Crazy, crazy woman!

I think every person would want to root for the brother that I rooted for. He's the one who suffers like hell and also gets his deserved happy ending. In fact the ending is happy for almost every one. Sort of. That is why this is one of the best melodramas according to me. :)

This drama has an outstanding background score. I also loved the main song which they kept playing in every episode. It was simply perfect.

Since it was so tiring to watch, I will never rewatch it. Ever.

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Sea God/Emperor of the Sea is an amazing lengthy drama. We follow the life of Goong Bok (later named Jang Bo Go) who is a slave at a shipyard and wishes to escape the horrible life of slavery with his close friend Jung Nyeon who is somewhat a stereotypical side-kick character (the I'll-die-for-you-and-follow-you-wherever-you-go type). They are pleaded guilty for crimes they are innocent of, learn martial arts together, go through many near death experiences and later advance through ranks to become important people.

The story starts a little slow but is still interesting right from the first episode. Its the kind of drama you could marathon but personally I didn't because although it gets really interesting, it was never so addictive that I couldn't stop watching (guess thats a good thing? Hehe). There are many unpredictables in the drama all around. Things that you'd usually want to happen in dramas but never happen will happen here and things you'd probably not want to happen will happen as well. You might like it because it feels fresh tries to avoid the stereotypical stuff rampant in dramas but you might also detest it and curse the writers for not allowing things to go the way you want. This might especially apply in the romance department, it never really goes in the direction the romance lovers would want it to (especially the way it ends).

Some nitpicks for this drama (why it doesn't get 10/10) would be for one, I couldn't agree with actress Chae Si Ra being cast as madam Jami (the main female antagonist). According to the drama madam Jami is supposedly beautiful, seductive, intimidating and at times, scary. When the drama tries to give you any of these impressions from the actress, it just falls flat. Also, I found some of the fight scenes hilarious with all the unnecessary jumping and funny sound effects but overall they are actually very well done (also considering the year it was done, the experience the cast had at the time with fight choreography and just the overall fact that Korea has never been on par with China when it comes to martial arts in films or dramas). Anyways the hilarious parts are few. The ost in the drama are ok. Sounds like typical stuff if you're a k-drama veteran. You either like the ost or dont really care.

As a whole this drama has amazing production, excellent actors, deals heavily with themes of dirty politics, merchants & trade, pirate battles, country wars and is highly recommended to all k-drama lovers especially those who like the historical & martial arts blend and the rise of an underdog.

POSSIBLE SPOLIER BELOW:
The ending is why a lot of people might rate this drama poorly and I'd have to agree that it was a bit bad. Not anything I couldn't swallow so it didn't weigh heavily on me like the ending of Queen Seon Duk did (maybe because Ive seen worse or maybe because it seemed ridiculous). You could say the ending is similar to Bad Guy with a little extra. It sort of makes sense but if the writers wanted to, they could've made it happier.
POSSIBLE SPOLIER END

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Among the many Korean rom-com dramas Soulmate is one that really stands out and will probably stay with me for a long time.

The story involves different couples, some of them believing in fate and some not. The thing I really loved about the drama is that it treats the fate/soulmate topic in a very lighthearted way because the characters weren't forced onto a certain path by fate, they were still free to make their own decisions. The drama made me laugh a lot but also had its share of touching moments without being overdramatic or angsty.

The cast was really outstanding for me. They portrayed their characters very realistically and there's not one character I disliked.

If you're searching for a drama that focuses on one couple falling in love this might not be the right one because it takes a long time for the main couple to even meet. But if you're looking for a refreshing drama that's different from your typical romance storyline I highly recommend to give Soulmate a try!

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So let me begin this review by saying I read the manga and watched the anime before I found out that there was a drama, and that that was the reason I watched this.

The story was very faithful to the manga and anime, and I was glad that they hold on to some funny and touching parts exactly as they were. This way I think they were able to put the best parts of it in here and even added to some cenes but I think the feelings could have been slightly stronger. Then again the story is a drama but not a go to tears, rethink you life choices drama!

It has a funny and soft feeling around it. It is placed on the perspective of a teenage boy, so we follow the way he treats his friends, the way he deals with his sickness, and most importantly we can see little by little every thought of his turning to Rika,
and we can see how that afects him and changes him bit by bit.

I think the casting was very well picked. They were all exactly as I pictured them, from the main leads, to the most secondary roles. Even though the leads were very young, and even the suporting roles too, they played their parts very well.

Usually I fall in love with the musics that I hear in dramas but in this case it was just ok. Not bad, but ok.

As to watching it again, well I think there were some parts that I may likely go see again. It has very funny and very sweet moments.

If you are looking for something dramatic but still funny and light to watch this is for you.

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I absolutely positively love and adore this drama it is currently first place in my heart and it took the place of princess man which is an extremely significant feat since that drama is on a whole other level as well. what put this drama over the top for me was the acting talent that was casted. the child actors were simply amazing and beautifully casted to compliment their adult counter part which I have rarely seen done with so much success in my eyes. and the adults acting was not lacking what so ever. the story was good I liked it and kept me well engrossed and coming back for more at the end of each episode which I love my dramas to do. I highly recommend seeing this drama maybe three or four hundred times lol

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The story line for this drama isn't anything new, but I thought it was going to be great for the first six episodes. Then it was just a drawn out mess. The story gets so convoluted that I was just tired while watching it. I could have skipped from episode 6 to somewhere around 13 or 14 and been fine. Not that there aren't some wonderful moments that are so touching especially with that adorable child, Bin Xiao Xiao. One of the scenes with his "fairy grandmother" on a park bench is just so adorable that he thaws her cold heart. Episode 17 in particular is a really great episode. I think that if they had just shortened the length and not put in so many flash backs that I would have enjoyed it a lot more. I enjoyed the character progression, but it took so long to get from point A to point B. The ending was cute though.

Bin Xiao Xiao as little Xiao Le makes this drama worth watching. He is so adorable. They make him a little mature for his age, but considering he is raised in a single parent household that seems legitimate. I have never seen Wu Vanness in anything else. I never watched Meteor Garden or Meteor Rain. I think that he did a great job as Guang Xi. As far as his character is concerned I believe he showed the appropriate emotions for what he goes through. I can't really go into it because we can't post spoilers, but dang...How much lying can one person take??? He has a really nice smile too. An Ady is really beautiful and I have no problem with her acting, but her character is just too bothersome. It isn't her fault though. It is the fault of the writers. I admit to having second male lead syndrome for part of this drama because Wu Chris's character Tuo Ye is so likable.

I don't really remember the music.

I will NEVER rewatch this.

There are many, many positive reviews for this drama. So, don't decide to watch this or not based on my opinion. Watch it for yourself and decide :-)

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(Read the full review on my review blog, Re(mAAArk)able Reviews!)

I can't say I was totally on board with the story immediately, but when the kids are put through their first competition where they have to rearrange Park Bom's "You and I," I found myself really rooting for these silly kids to get what they wanted. There are admittedly too many characters, which makes each of their plots hard to hold on to, but you still love them for their interactions with the handful of leads.

The series starts with what appears to be a funeral and the song "Vois sur ton chemin" from Les Choristes, which gives What's Up a much darker atmosphere from the start than its idol counterpart Dream High. While most of DH's stuff is newly composed for the drama, What's Up borrows from just about everywhere, but most especially from, well, musicals. There's a lovely group singing of the Korean version of "Seasons of Love" from RENT that, whenever it comes up, makes me teary-eyed. And just about everybody gets a chance to sing in this show, even Im Joo Hwan, who I was not aware had a voice but nevertheless tries his damnedest.

Park Tae Yi is a bit dim, but her earnestness and ease in being manipulated make for both cute and awful moments that really drive the story. Im Joo Hwan acts with her with this remarkable ease, and their chemistry was really lovely.

There wasn't much of an overarching storyline through a lot of the episodes, which I think was another reason that I paused my watching about halfway through. When I did end up finishing it, I found that the last few episodes were a cohesive whole that matched the first episode, but that the rest were mostly vignettes in the lives of these students. Cute, heartwarming vignettes, but vignettes nevertheless.

Having watched all 20 episodes I can't say what the writers were really going for, but I do believe I fell in love with all of these characters and their interrelated (and more often completely unrelated) stories. What's Up probably could have worked better as a film, cutting away some of the excess, but that excess is still fun to watch and I'd probably sit through it again anyway.

Overall, What's Up has a grandeur that's kind of missing from Dream High. There's a gritty reality to it, as well as this amalgam of lives and situations that clash and bang that were just really intriguing to watch. It's hard to put into words, as you can tell, but I think it's worth more attention than it's gotten. The music alone is beautiful, the arrangements stunning, and the performances by the cast all the way around should be award-winning if they weren't already. Definitely give it a try. And don't give up on it.

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I've completed a drama after a long time and I feel bad rating it just a 7. The fact is I knew this drama wouldn't be great and it actually isn't. My sole reason for watching this meh of a drama was purely Lee Donghae. I think this drama is meant for only two kinds of people: one is the Donghae fangirls and the others are those who enjoy fluffy no-brainers.

The story is boring but the characters are very funny. This drama has some great LOL moments. However after episode 10, it is a complete snoozefest. I could go on till then because of the anticipation of how the leads would get together. When they did it was like the drama held no more appeal. There was hardly any to begin with in the first place. This is really the first time I ever watched a drama just for one actor, especially after knowing that it won't be great. I tend to be very choosy while watching but this time I couldn't resist because it was Donghae in a lead role. ;)

Panda's character was very annoying in the beginning but she sort of improved later on. Hedgehog was nothing great except to gawk at. I was blinded by his looks for most of the part, but as the episodes progressed I thought he did a good job of his character. He isn't that bad. Plus Donghae has naturally expressive eyes so he needn't act for the most part. At least that is how I feel. Apart from that the second lead was also annoying apart from his hilarious sister. She was the highlight was the whole drama and a true scene stealer.

The best part about the drama was probably in spite of mediocre writing an average cast, it was very heartwarming. Especially the relationship between Hedgehog and his Grandfather. I really loved that. And of course, those laughs in every episode certainly lifted up the whole mood. The characters in this drama were all like a big family and it was really nice to see that. These great moments save the whole drama from being terrible.

It definitely has no rewatch value and even the OST was forgettable. Only recommended for Donghae fans.

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"Insurance was the last love letter."

..is one thing that I've learned and reflect from watching this drama. This is hauntingly beautiful story that brings you to a world of dark mystery of a young woman Egi Touko. There aren't that many mystery or suspense dramas in Japan. Usually, you'll get an episodic drama with a "detective-genius-who-solve-all-case" so when a good one like this, it should deserve a good rating. Well, just because the genre is mystery doesn't mean it's always an episodic. Sometimes, it was to confuse and leaves to audience to think for themselves about the events regarding of what the conclusions will be.

The script was very well-written that gives a chilling feel and yet captivating. The actors did pretty well in portrayal especially Matsushima Nanako. She has this cold and creepy aura in this one that her acting transitions made me "never-to-be-forgotten" of her. Eiki and Touko has a very good chemistry, well.. this is not just an eye candy drama though.


Now, in this drama.. YOU are the Detective! :) I advise you to just go with flow in it or else, you may lose concentration to the story. Do not "overthink". :DD

I recommend you to watch this drama, nothing to lose if you try.. Who knows? You'll never know that you're missing. :)

ENJOY! ^_____^

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i cant even, how do i start. i almost dropped this like a bad habit. lemmie get to the good parts first GONG YOO SHI this man is overly talented. he was my favorite out of soo many shows av seen. he acted two people in one and i could see the difference that was BRILLIANT. suzy was just a natural bad evil girl in like all her shows. da rans family was pretty entertaining. so lets get to the main point here, wtf was this about. da ran needed to be recasted coz that was just horrible. she tried her best in some parts but her childishness couldnt save me. i think its her actual facial expressions that dint help so she was unreal. i dint/dont even care to remember the rest of the plot. i was just disappointed but not as bad as some others. thanks to gong yo i finished

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seriously, this was just so hopelessly hopeless romantic. shin min ah is so beautiful and my fkn rain jinjjaaa. the beginning of the show was great when rain was the bodyguard and in revenge mode. several kiss scenes which i spazzed about. after that it just got dragy when she found out what rain was doin. shin cried every last bit she was on screen and fell down and fainted and all that hopelesness. i was gettin tired and wanted to forward through all the sad moments. that is why i cant give it any higher points. mi sook and da jeong were great side actors and made it interesting. the very last bit of the show was just ridiculous, i wanted to scream and throw my pc coz we were left hanging. i cant even say what it is but seriously how could they. its not funny to do that. so wot happened to the two!!!!!!!

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The storyline of this drama series was extremely and ridiculously cute and I looked forward to each and every episode with a smile. Nothing starts getting too serious till later episodes (since the eps are only 20 minutes long there isn't much space for outstanding rising actions or climaxes) however it was quite relaxing to watch this drama as things were quite predictable in the end.

As for casting and acting that was uhhh...cute is the only word that comes to mind. It's almost overly-cute and anime-like but still enjoyable. I didn't know any of the cast before watching this, and was satisfied with the acting I saw from them (mainly because it was cute).

Overall, I'd recommend this series to anyone who wants to watch a simple and short drama yet is not expecting much at the same time.

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Tiamo Chocolate makes you want to become addicted to chocolate (if you aren't already) and transform into their family.
I must admit that I got into this story because I thought it was a Taiwanese version to Coffee Prince. I am not the biggest Korean drama fan, but I love Coffee Prince. Besides the real Taiwanese version of Coffee Prince is horrible. The story starts off similar to Coffee Prince where Fang Jia Hua leaves the house because he hates his father and tries to buy a chocolate shop. Alas someone else wants it as well (Ge Jia Yi) so they have a contest to see who will get the shop. Jia Hua lose the contest and begins working in the chocolate shop. Hong XI En is a skilled worker who needed another job to help her family and decides to pretend to be a boy and work for the chocolate shop.
Once I started watching the story I felt there is no way the can make 80 episodes off of this alone, but I was proven wrong. Like I explained before this show seems similar to Coffee Prince, but it is not at all. To avoid spoiling the show I will just say things happen at a faster paste for the love interest of Jia Hua and Xi En, there is another romantic story between the Xi En younger sister and Zheng Ting, and the people who are trying to break the happy couple up are more cunning ( and crazy in the head). It is a different story all together and you grow to love the chocolate shop and its characters. The only problem I had with it is the fact that the love story between Xi En younger sister and Zheng Ting is more interesting then the main love story. At least in my opinion.
The characters are amazing! Xi En is very stubborn, headstrong, and independent. She is the ideal lead. Jia Hua is a guy who despite his background is not a spoiled brat and actually has compassion. Zheng Ting is the sexy bad boy and Xi En younger sister is the airhead (there is always an airhead in these shows). The only characters I struggled to like is Jia Rui (younger brother of Jia Hua) that is afraid to do anything to get the love of his life and Zheng Jun( younger sister of Zheng Ting) who would do anything(in a scary way) to get the love of her life.
The acting of course was awesome especially Vaness Wu and Dou Bobby. The music was repititive, but it played at appropriate times. Overall, I loved this show and I would watch it again.

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