Reviews

I had watched a dozen or so dramas before I stumbled upon Secret Garden. Before, my favorite Asian Dramas had been Hana Kimi and Personal Taste. However, Secret Garden is my new favorite. I'm not sure what other Asian Drama fans look for in dramas, but what I look for is character chemistry, a good balance of unrealistic and realistic plot lines, and a dash of honesty amongst all of the silliness that is usually found in these productions.







Secret Garden had almost all of those things. The actors were really, really good. And not only did they have chemistry, and some sexual tension (unlike many dramas I've watched), their characters actually develop fully. I was astonished. So far, all of the K-Dramas I've watched had next to no character development. This was different, and I was impressed by how much growth took place. I wanted to quit watching halfway through - that stubbornness that is inherent in what seems to be all Korean characters was getting very annoying. But I pulled through and am very glad I did.







As for the plot, it definitely wandered and had little focus. I was left wondering what the writers were aiming for. However, the love story is sweet and the end is worth the wait, I thought. There are even some very funny, sad and cute scenes that are unique to Secret Garden, which is something that can't be said for every drama.







Conclusion? I recommend you watch it! :)







One more note about this... The characters are in their 30's, which helped to keep the entire drama more mature and sensible than dramas I've watched about 20-somethings. Just a note! :)

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This was one of my first Jdramas and till this day remains to be one of my favorites. The story kept me intrigued and best of all, showed me the amazing acting skills of Yamapi. The entire cast did an amazing job. The music was alright but it served its purpose. I'm not big on rewatching anything, but i'm sure after 1-2 years i would definitely rewatch this drama. Overall, i'm giving this drama a 9. If you're a fan of Yamashita Tomohisa(Yamapi), definitely watch it. If you're looking for a drama that will keep you interested and on the edge of your seat for every episode, watch this.

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First of all, when you are watching this drama prepare for heartbreaks. Now that's out of the way, I have to say this is my favourite Kimura role to date (and I'm the type to pick a good romcom over any melos). Kimura and Eri as Ryo and Yuko have chemistry that absolutely sizzles onscreen and unlike any other romance you will find in most jdramas. But more than their chemistry, the supporting casts also does a great job rounding out each of their characters. You will find that this is not just a drama written in black and white, everyone is more than they seem and no one walks out innocent and unscattered. The drama starts off puzzling and slow but picks up and positively explodes toward the end.



I rated the re-watch value quite low because this is still a mystery drama so once you know the big revelation, the impact won't be quite the same as the first time but there are plenty of compelling scenes that makes up for it.





Overall, I'd definitely recommend it to any Kimura fans who haven't seen this yet, as well as anyone looking for a compelling story about love, betrayal and redemption.

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Why are you reading this review and not watching it?! This is one of my all time favorite dramas. While at times the characters can be a bit frustrating, they do a really good job playing them. The romantic scenes in this drama are very romantic and rememberable (unlike the Korean version...). I could on and on about what I like, but I would spoil it for you. The only thing I can honestly say I didn't like was part of the end, so thank goodness they have a season two! The second season of this drama is also very good and doesn't ruin the first season (unlike Meteor Garden II...).



There are also two versions of this drama, the 30 episode verison and the 20 episode version. If you are the kind of person with a lot of time to spend watching dramas, consider the 30 episode version. But if you are the kind that has little time or doesn't like really long dramas, the 20 episode version is good too and really doesn't leave out much. I forget which version, but one of the two cuts off the ends really weird (probably the 20 episode version.)



What are you waiting for? Go watch it! (I've seen it twice!)

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Minus Wu Chun's hair, this drama was pretty good. This is a pretty typical romantic drama, but I really do enjoy the story about that dress and the struggle the two face. My all time favorite thing about this drama is the opening theme song. I STILL know it by heart and I saw this drama years ago. One of the reasons I like Taiwanese dramas is for their openings, and this is probably my favorite. The acting by Ariel was much better than Chun, but he wasn't all that good... I honestly don't remember the friends and the side story at all. The main story was enough to make me like this drama though.



Don't decide to not watch it just because it's older and the video quality isn't stellar. I think this drama is worth a watch if you have time.

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This is one of my favorite Taiwanese dramas. Unlike most Taiwanese dramas, this is set when they are in high school. While the main story isn't very clear, the overall drama is fun to watch. The romance is more innocent and cute, which is good for this type of drama. It could have easily have been a typical romantic comedy drama, but I feel it was pretty imaginative. While there were definately some things I did not like, for example, their uniforms, there were a lot more things I loved. The actors and actress are both from idol groups and are not originally actors, so the acting was just ok. At the same time though, they are just playing awkward high schoolers anyway, so their lack of skills are pretty much hidden and some actors, my favorite was Gui Gui, did a pretty good job. The ending was a bit random, and almost made me feel like their could have been a season two. They did make another drama with most of the actors in this show, though I don't think it's a second season (more like ISWAK and Love&Bread).



If you enjoy idol dramas and romantic comedies, you will love this drama. Definately worth a watch!

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I am not a fan of dramas lasting more than 20 episodes. This is due to my experiences with Brilliant Legacy and Boys Over Flowers. They both went on longer than they should have. That's why even though I came across Queen of Reversals several times, I kept passing it up. However, after watching Jung Joon Ho in Iris, I needed to watch other dramas he was in. Therefore I decided to give QOR a try. The first two episodes were messy and confusing. But, after you get over the time jump in the third episode, the drama starts to find its legs.

What makes this drama is cast of different characters. You got the 2 male leads and the 2 female leads. JJH starts off as this immature wishy-washy character that you just want to punch because he is so clueless. By the end of the drama, his character grows into a mature, caring, successful in love and work. Park Shi Hoo doesn't have much as much character growth as JJH but you can see that his acting chops have improved since Prosecutor Princess. This is my first time seeing KNJ in a drama. She wasn't very impressive but she managed to play her role well. CJA from coffee prince did excellent as a vixen. She kind of reminded me of her role in CP though, a bit whiny. Somehow she manages to make the audience like her though in the end (although the cop wasn't a bad choice=( !) We can't forget the supporting cast who make the drama excellent. They all have different personalities and I like that although they aren't the main focus, they stay relevant throughout the entire drama so you can't forget about them.

The last 2 episodes were brilliantly written. Be ready to cry at the end of episode 30. All in all this drama is filled with many lessons so I think everyone should give it a try!

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Okay, so I have been thinking about writing a review for 'Goong' since a long time but for some or the other reason, I always tend to forget about it, and it is only after shutting down my laptop that I remember that I was supposed to write it :\ Ah, well, let's move on now that I am actually writing one!

'Goong' happens to be the first K-Drama I watched :D I started watching it because I had read the manhwa and was curious as to what the drama is like. And I feel, the drama is better than the manhwa. That's just my opinion. Yoon Eun Hye (Chae Gyung) and Joo Ji Hoon(Shin)'s acting impressed me. Overall all the actors, whether they are in the lead roles or in the supporting roles, have done a great job. But I especially salute JJH considering he was formerly a model and was not much recognized in the field of acting but his role in this drama as the Crown Prince- Lee Shin gained him many fans (including me). Among the supporting characters, I liked Chae Gyung's mom and dad the most.

Speaking of the story, it is unique and interesting. I mean, I could never have thought of using the setting of modern day Korea where monarchy still exists for producing a drama series if I had to. Since the drama is based on the manhwa, the credit goes to the author of the manhwa. There are parts which I did feel like skipping. Maybe that's because of my disinterest in politics, but other than those, I enjoyed watching each and everything this drama gave. I liked the romance between the two main leads. Not to forget, the comical situations which made me giggle. I learned some stuffs about the Korean culture. Speaking of the Korean culture, this drama portrays it quite well even if it is not a period drama. The characters are such with whom you can laugh along when they are happy and feel sympathy when they are disappointed.

The OST is good as well. The traditional sound tracks are just perfect and I often listen to them on my iPod. My fav sound tracks are 'Perhaps Love' and 'Ice Pond'. The latter one is heard in the last few episodes. Every time I listen to it, there is a tear in my eye because it is just too heartbreaking.



I feel if you love K-Dramas, this should be in your list because it is a good watch. It may not be your favorite by the time you finish watching it, but you won't be disappointed either.

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Its been awhile since I watched this drama. So I just write down what I remember. But then again, most of the time you only remember the important stuff. ^_^ I really liked the story because it isnt your usual love story and you cant really predict what's gonna happen next. (It surely isnt a comedy.)

Something special about this drama is certainly the scenery they used for some scences. Just Beautiful. (Next to other awards this drama got Best Picture Award). Some thing else that is special about this drama is the ending (which I loved). I am sure you cried while watching a movie before, not because you're actually sad but because it was so emotional. And when the movie ended so did your tears. Here, I cried because I was actually sad. That's how attached you get to the characters.



But dont let that keep you from watching it. It has a great male lead. good story that keeps you interested.

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Given the hype of Secret Garden, I was quite disappointed when I actually watched it. Ha Ji Won and Hyun Bin were both amazing in their roles (especially Hyun Bin) and the supporting casts were solid as well. However, the storyline just felt really unbelievable at times (even for a kdrama) and although the leading casts had great chemistry, the storyline didn't really provide any base for a compelling love story. To be honest, the side pairing of Oska/Seul was a much more compelling and interesting love story, in my opinion. In the end, it was the acting and the chemistry between Ha Ji Won and Hyun Bin that convinced me to finish watching the drama.

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This is a very simple, almost mundane love story between a rich, spoiled girl and a poor but principled boy. Nothing new under the sun.
And yet, it's a little story not easily forgotten, one I fell in love with at first sight and rewatched with equal pleasure. To me, Nao and Hiroto are an assumption, one of those couples I have stored away like a cameo.

The progression of their love story is narrated with sweet candour, acted beautifully and without needless exaggerations. It's the first role I saw Kamenashi Kazuya working in and even though in the meantime he's matured, I still consider this to be his best interpretation. Ayase Haruka is so believable in her whimsical pouting one can't help becoming extremely fond of her too.
And although the plot may seem ordinary, the small details of their interaction, the friendship, Hiroto's narration in first person, their young enthusiasm and depth of emotions are memorable.

The music by Ike Yoshihiro is wonderful. Possibly the best drama original soundtrack ever.

I recommend this dorama to those who still remember their first love and will relate to it, and to those who have forgotten it, as a mean to recall its bitter-sweet flavour.
I have watched this drama... 4 times: no need to explain why I gave it a high re-watch mark.

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It has been a while since I have seen this drama, but I remember loving it. If you or a loved one is an otaku, you will find this drama hilarious! It also has a bit of "action and mystery." I thought this drama wasn't going to be good and only watched it for Ikuta Toma, but it completely surprised me! The actors did a really good job in their roles too. There is one episode that I just absolutely love, but I can't spoil it for you so you'll just have to watch it. There are some moments that are just plain random (in a good way.) If you are looking for an interesting drama to watch, this is it!

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