Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo is a VERY complex drama. And therefore, it left me with very confused emotions in the end.

For start, the entire plot of the drama had incredible potential. But somehow it got weary in the middle, ultimately losing its charm. I love a good tragedy and this could've been a good one. But the drama's failures and flaws outweighed the good ones and ended up with a quite mediocre output.

Lee Joon-gi as the male lead was on-point. He fit the character so well you couldn't imagine any other actor to play Wang So. He was mainly the reason why I stuck up until the end of the drama. The way he delivered all sorts of emotions in a still, close-up, continuous shot is just pure brilliance.

IU as the female lead was likeable. She was adorable in the beginning. However, as the plot thickens and the drama unfolds, her repetitive sad, longing puppy-dog eyes became too exhausting to watch.

The premise of the drama had a bit of a fantasy, which I personally liked. The concept of time-travelling was loose but easily grasped. However, there were no further explanations on why IU travelled back in time. And as the historical part of the drama rolls, soon the concept of time-travelling faded away into the background and the drama completely forgot about it.

The drama was obviously a reverse harem intended for viewers, mainly women, who can swoon over the gorgeous princes through the entire drama. But the charming faces of the princes weren't enough to compensate the plot's shortcomings. The subplots became repetitive, with all of it being an "ordinary woman falling for the high prince but ended up tragically because of that unrequited love" story. Although, there were two of these subplots that definitely moved me, namely Lady Hae & Wang Wook's complicated subplot and Wang Eun & Park Soon-deok's growing yet bittersweet love. Other than that, everything else was a lackluster.

Also, one flaw that I wasn't able to fully ignore was that countless time jumps in the middle of the drama. A few would've been okay. But with it continuously leaping through time, it felt like that drama was playing in fast forward that we couldn't catch up to the story and the emotions it was trying to convey.

With such a dynamic story, it was very hard to pinpoint the direction of the plot. It was so inconsistent all throughout that I couldn't decide if it was a story of Hae Soo's journey from the modern time to the past, her star-crossed love story with Wang So, The Wang Princes' complicated brotherhood and the harsh reality of the monarchy that tore it apart, or the all the romantic links Hae Soo forged in every prince (which I personally think was a bit unrealistic).

Overall, Moon Lovers was quite a ride to watch. It wasn't perfect, to be clear, and had some obvious flaws. A promising plot of a cheesy, forced reverse harem, with a bucket full of flaws and a bunch of bitter, over-repeating endings. But it was a drama you wouldn't want to miss just because of all the emotions you can get by watching it.

Leia Mais

I decided to watch The Universe’s Star because I needed a light and short drama after going through a long and complex drama such as A Korean Odyssey. And after stumbling on this drama’s blurb, I decided to give it a go.

To be honest, I wasn’t too excited on this drama based on its premise. I knew I had to lower down my expectations. I mean, another Grim Reaper drama? I guess Koreans do love their Grim Reapers.

But the poster did an incredible job at luring me in completely into the drama. I mean, look at that poster. Wouldn’t you say that it’s a poster fit for a catchy drama with an adequate length?

I didn’t realize it was Exo’s Suho playing the lead, at first. I actually didn’t bother to check the cast as I know that for a short drama like this, it doesn’t have a lot of budget for a bigger production. And they actually advertised Suho as Kim Jun-myeon, which I think was the right choice. It’s a big step in separating himself from the boy group he was in.

In the first episode, we immediately saw how Byul died. Although it was hazy and unclear, we already got the gist of how she became a Grim Reaper. A few years later, we see Byul as a Grim Reaper who, let’s just say, isn’t a good one. She failed to guide the souls assigned to her as she always let them live at the last minute.

Can I just say that this drama portrayed Grim Reapers a little differently? Unlike the preceding dramas with bigger productions, Grim Reapers are usually portrayed as supernaturals who can transport anywhere, wipe out the minds of humans, and possess incredible fighting skills. In The Universe’s Star, however, Grim Reapers are portrayed as almost like ghosts who have been recruited in a “Grim Reaper Agency”. No supernatural abilities and such. They almost felt like normal people except their invisible to the living. And I think that’s what they actually did.

In all honesty, I wasn’t too thrilled with Ji-woo playing the female lead. She seemed to be too average and lacks charisma. However, I was proven wrong. She was actually perfect as Byul. Her reactions were realistic as it should be. Unlike the female lead in the webdrama, Exo Next Door (who can I just honestly say was bland and unnatural in the webseries). Ji-woo is truly an underrated actress.

And I can’t help but compare the two dramas as it almost have the same plot. Both dramas tell about the love story of a cold-hearted and emotionless famous singer and a die-hard fan who wished to be the former’s lover. And both have Exo members as their leads.

But what set The Universe’s Star apart from Exo Next Door is its originality and complexity. Unlike the latter, The Universe’s Star delivered more than just simple fan service drama. It brought us a mixture of emotions, a well-thought plot and a bittersweet ending. It truly packed a punch for a six-episode drama.

Now, as for Suho, I never imagined that he would go for the acting industry. He wasn’t my bias in the boygroup so I wasn’t too familiar with him. But seeing him in the The Universe’s Star made me like him more. He wasn’t the best actor in the drama. Let’s get that right. But he does have potential. A potential that needs a lot of training and experience. And I can actually appreciate him in this drama as you can clearly see him trying hard as an actor. I was actually surprised by his acting and wondered why wasn’t he cast in a bigger role in his group’s webdrama.

This drama made me like Suho more than I did before. And it made me realize how I, or perhaps some of us, underestimated him both as a singer and an actor. So it was actually nice seeing him explore into the acting industry as it gave him the spotlight that he needed.

The Universe’s Star actually became Suho’s platform to showcase who he is and who he can be without depending on the worldwide famous name of Exo. Also, we can actually hear him sing for himself and not get washed away by the voices of his other members.

The plot was decent. Actually more than decent even with its cliché premise. While there were cringe-y moments scattered all throughout the drama, there were also golden moments. Moments of genuine comedy, fluttering love scenes between the OTP, and heartbreaking conflicts. The backstories were actually brilliant. I was actually a bit blown away since it was supposed to be a light and comedic drama. And even if the heartbreaks were simple and uncomplicated, if you put yourself in the characters’ shoes, it is just as painful as any other heartbreaks. It brought us complexity and depth. Something I wouldn’t expect from a drama such as this.

The writers also did well in intertwining all the characters in the drama. For someone who has watched a lot of dramas before, I could’ve predicted how every character is related to one another. But I wasn’t able to. In fact, I predicted it wrong. And that’s what I liked about The Universe’s Star. It gave us loving characters that grew on us as we go along the drama. And I especially liked the friendship between Byul and the ghost Gak-shi.

It is strange for a Grim Reaper to be best friends with a ghost, considering that Byul was supposed to guide Gak-shi in the afterlife. Both of them shared the same love for the popular Woo-joo, which was so entertaining and funny to watch as even though they’re a couple of supernatural beings, she still act like normal, living, die-hard fans. I adored watching these two best buds so much that when it was time for them to have they’re goodbyes, it made my heart ache.

The OTP was also lovable. They were both cute and, at times, funny. And even if there were a few cringes in their love story, they were also been able to give us heartwarming and heartbreaking scenes. Despite their weak chemistry, the OTP surely grew on me.

Also, the soundtrack was beyond my expectations. As I have lowered my expectations on this drama, I didn’t expect to enjoy this drama as I would’ve had.

If there’s one thing this drama lacked is clarity. There were a lot going on in the drama, and even though they were able to pull it off in six 20-minute long episodes, I wished they would’ve stretched the story more in order for them to fill the plot holes that were left unfilled.

I didn’t dare nitpick the flaws of this drama as I know it would ruin the drama for me. I know that this drama has a lot of flaws, but I was willing to overlook all of them as I did enjoy the drama.

And let me just point out how clever the writers are in coming up with the title? If you haven’t noticed, The Universe’s Star, is the literal translation of Woojooui Byuli. In other terms, it can be understood as Woojoo’s Byul. Cute, isn’t it?

Leia Mais

After watching Cruel Romance, I was craving for more rough-edged and complex male leads who constantly acts tough and cold but is actually madly in love with the female leads. And so this is why I decided to watch Le Jun Kai despite its weak synopsis.

The characters lack depth but was able to deliver the right emotions and the right moments. Le Jun Kai seemed like a sadistic son of a b–. However, once you look into his character deeper, you’ll find that his character is so complex. You’ll eventually find his character as a sad one and you’ll emphatize with him throughout the drama.

And some of you might find Li Ye as a weak female character but honestly, I don’t think she’s a weak character. To be able to leave the love of his life, live poorly, and raise their son was as strong as she can get. It is not easy to take the path Li Ye has taken and I believed that was courageous of her.

Their love story was so complicated and tragic–the type of story that I would want to hear. Uncommon and emotional. And even though we mostly got tear-jerking scenes from the two, we cannot deny the mixture of complex emotions the drama had.

The story was pretty much condensed as it was a 20-minute nine episodes. It seemed like it was a movie cut into tiny pieces. Which was probably why the entire plot was not as strong as the other dramas. It was too fast-paced for some but it had potential if it had been stretched out into a full drama.

However, in my opinion, its compact and fast-paced story was its charm. Even though there were tons of plot holes left, the drama was able to convey the right emotions. Still, I just wished they could've elaborated even a little bit more on the story in order for us, viewers, to get a clearer view on its entirety.

Overall, it was a decent melodrama that is not for the weak-hearted. A drama that deserved a far better ending scene than the one it had.

Leia Mais

I am a sucker for rough-edged and complicated male leads and so after reading its synopsis and watching a few clips of it on youtube, I finally decided to watch it. By the end of it, I was only left with mixed emotions.

The start off was pretty strong. We got an innocent but strong-willed female lead and a good-looking rough-edged male lead. The story seemed to be solid as it took off with a concrete conflict.

However, as the drama went on, Rong Jinxiu, the female lead, became too naive for my taste. And I tried too hard to understand her situation and her character as to why she made such terrible decisions in the middle of the drama. But there were just some points that was just a bit too dumb. The good thing was her character developed quite a lot, although it was more of a roller coaster ride for her.

Zou Zhen was just dreamy. He was a tough guy yet a charming little pup when he falls in love. There were moments, though, when he was too blindsided because of his love that he dismissed all logic just for Jinxiu--a dumb yet somehow romantic move.

Maeda Ryuichi/Qian Tian as the main antagonist was a feat of the drama. His character was so complex and unpredictable and ruthless you would have a hard time loving and hating him at the same time. I just loved his character development despite some flaws. Plus, Maeda Ryuichi is one of the sexiest antagonist I have ever seen.

The story had its ups and downs. Like I said, it started off with a strong point. But it slowly got lost along the way as side stories overshadowed the main plot. Halfway through the drama, the plot dragged so slow I was a bit reluctant to continue on.

The OTPs' story got lost (literally) in the middle and came back only with 10 episodes left. There were a little too many side stories for us to handle and the plot became way too complicated and messy.

But the plot twists were at least unexpected. And with such a complex story, we expected it to have a decent and just ending. Instead, we were given a mediocre and anticlimactic one, which I think was the result of rushing the rest of the untold story and condensing it all in the remaining episodes.

The relationship and chemistry of the OTPs were strong. Yes, they had bad times, and I'm not talking about the conflicts in the story. But they were lovable in the end.

Overall, the drama was quite a delight. Although a bit sloppy at times, I still enjoyed watching it. And I wouldn't deny that Cruel Romance has left an impression, strong enough for me to have the urge to revisit it some day.

*note: for a detailed review on the characters, plot, relationships, points and flaws of Cruel Romance click here https://tinyurl.com/y935e3vq

Leia Mais

What's Wrong with Secretary Kim is drama which I normally won't immediately jump into, mainly because it has a light tone to it. Since I prefer fantasy with a lot of unpredictable plot twists and complicated storylines, the drama did not meet my usual tastes. However, there comes a time when I need a good break from all the heavy dramas. And this drama was definitely the break that I needed.

The plot was not complicated. It could be easily grasped by the viewers, even with its major conflict touching a dark and sensitive topic.

Park Min-young and Park Seo-joon as the main characters were the perfect choice. They delivered their respective characters so fluidly and naturally it was a delight watching them throughout the entire drama.

The drama was basically a bunch of cute, cheesy, and sweet rom-coms. A genre that's hard to pull off than most of us would think (as it can get too cringy if overdone). But that crew and the casts did spectacularly in the drama.

The comedy was definitely on point and wasn't exaggerated. I was having way too much fun watching it that I didn't realize the comedy was light and could easily turn cringy with one wrong move. But they did it so naturally you wouldn't even dare to cringe with the scenes. And to be able to tie a neat bow at the end was so clever. Not all dramas can give a good, if not great, and satisfying ending.

Overall, What's Wrong with Secretary Kim is a precious gem in the rom-com genre. An fresh and absolute delight to watch.

Leia Mais

Goblin is one of those ground-breaking, exceptional drama that everyone, no matter their genre preferences, will surely appreciate, if not love.

The drama provided us with not just romance, but also fantasy, history, tragedy and comedy at once and nailing them all in one go. It delivered an outstanding and picture-perfect plot that will leave an unwavering impression on you in the end.

The plot was the absolute star in the drama. It was so complex yet so brilliantly woven. And not all writers could do that. It was honestly, one of the best plot I've ever known. It delivered everything you would want from a well-written background story to the plot holes and cliffhangers, the unexpected plot twists, the intricate mixed emotions delivered in every scene, to the moving romances.

Gong Yoo paired up with Kim Go-eun was surprising and refreshing. It was a pairing we did not see coming but it was a perfect pairing for the drama. I was initially relecutant with the two as their huge age gap was evident in the beginning. But the drama and the story were able to ease up that awkward phase and soon faded away. It didn't matter anymore as the plot was just too good to even nitpick those very few flaws.

I have high respects to the writer, Kim Eun-sook,for creating such an original, quintessential script. I fell in love with the story before I even realized it. And the way she carefully and cleverly weave the subplots to the main plot was a stroke of genius.

And with strong leads, it would've been easy for the minor characters to fade into the background. But with the drama, everyone seemed to be the main character. Each character had a story to tell that is relevant to the entirety of the plot. Every one was charming and ultimately earned a place in my heart.

For one, Lee Dong-wook's brilliant portrayal of Grim Reaper was hard to miss. He was first introduced with a villainous vibe but soon became a loving character that tugged our hearts in the most beautiful and tragic way.

Even with a minor character such as Yook Sung-jae's Deok-hwa, he definitely delivered like a main character in the drama. He stood side-by-side with the bigger characters and earned his own spotlight. An artist cannot always be a good actor, but Sung-jae was an exception.

The OST was also one of the best I've ever listened to. I was never into a drama's music, much less the entire soundtrack. But with Goblin, every song was a perfect hit. It was melodious, haunting, eerie, and beautiful.

Overall, Goblin is a picture-perfect drama that definitely deserves a spot right next to the timeless classics. It was pure poetry painted exquisitely for everyone to indulge.

Leia Mais

I was completely disappointed by this after watching the first episode and so I dropped it afterwards.

For those who loved it, I'm sorry for not giving this a chance. But the main reason why I disliked it after its first episode was because it strayed light years away from its original source material.

I have read the manhwa before this came out (and I probably shouldn't have since it resulted with a terrible reaction to the drama) and I loved it. So with the hype (and the poster) going around the internet before it premiered, I had high expectations on it. And it was such a disappointment to finally watch it only for it to deliver such a far off plot.

I was reluctant to continue watching the first episode but gave it a chance. However, its huge gap and differences eventually turned me off to the point of dropping the entire drama.

For one, the manhwa was melodramatic and tragic with less comedy in it. It was nothing like the drama that forces comedy in every "I am Habaek" introductions of the first episode.

The entire premise of the manhwa was far from the one in the drama. For those who didn't know and read the manhwa, here is a list of the differences between the source and the drama (as far as its premise goes):
1. Habaek's bride was supposed to be the sacrifice of her village in order for Habaek to end the long drought. Therefore, anyone could be Habaek's bride, not just So ah (as the drama highlights her to be his destined bride). He did not know who could his bride be until So ah arrived in his world.
2. Habaek was actually a little boy in the morning and his true, older self at night (and there's some background story that explains that).
3. The setting of the manhwa mainly took place in habaek's world and not in the mortal world. There were no "travelling betwen worlds".
4. The manhwa's a romance tragedy NOT rom-com (which has a very different tone).

Those were a few differences but it felt that the drama has robbed the manhwa with its characters and concept and created a whole new story, claiming it their own. It was somehow disrespectful to the writer of the manhwa (as how I saw it) to rewrite the entire plot and leave only the characters. And those who have actually read the manhwa will understand where I'm coming from.

Leia Mais