Reviews

I was very skeptical at first of this drama. Having big name actors typically means that they forsake the actual acting to have popular actors in it. Despite this, this drama has become my favorite drama I have ever watched!

IU had fantastic chemistry with all of the actors, whether that was platonic or romantic! Lee Junki and Kang Haneul did especially amazing portrayals of their characters. Kang Haneul had me actually scared at some points in the drama and Lee Junki managed to convey every emotion perfectly. The acting in this drama was amazing, the best I've seen. They could not have picked better people for the parts!

Rookie actors Jisoo, Nam Joohyuk, and Baekhyun all did really well too, despite being new and never having done a historical drama before! I really enjoyed watching their characters and can't wait to see them in more things!

The OST's were so beautiful, AKMU and Davichi have such lovely voices and I've been listening to EXO-CBX's "For You" since it came out!

Overall, this drama is well worth the watch and I can promise a rollarcoaster of emotions. Praying for a Season 2!

Leia Mais

PRC television is quickly reaching the high-standard for cinematography set by Korea. The advent of affordable & small high-definition cameras RED ($7,000) and BlackMagic ($2,000) plus HD television creates a home cinema experience. Viewers do not seem to want a standalone episode. With on-demand viewing, characters can be developed over a season. Last year Netflix’s focus on international expansion soared membership. K-dramas leads the industry with shows like “Descendants of the Sun”. Nonetheless, PRC is quickly adapting with “The Snail Who Fell in Love”. If you like Indiana Jones, TWD, “Night at the Museum” plus female action hero “Lara Croft: Tomb Raider” then you will enjoy “Candle in the Tomb”.

Leia Mais

I have to say, the summary is quite misleading; it makes the show seem like any other comedic Japanese drama with a role reversal. While that does sound interesting enough, there is a lot more to the story than just that.

I DID question the existence of some characters, but they were all so lovable that I can't bring myself to say that they were unnecessary. The best part is that there is no 'bad' character- people who you think are going to be complete jerks turn out to be pretty awesome. The main characters have only one enemy: themselves. This is one of the very few dramas where I liked EVERYONE. Like, literally EVERYONE.

Our main female lead, Wakaba, is an ambitious, smart and hard working young woman. She went through a harsh childhood with nearly nothing and practically made her own ladder to climb up the ranks. Hence, she consciously looks down on people she deems 'ambition-less', which includes our male lead, Sota. Sota, in fact, DOES have ambitions of his own, which he unfortunately had to give up to take care of his incredibly adorable son.

Thus, the whole story revolves around each of them finding what really matters: being honest to oneself and following their dreams or going with what they think is the 'right' way.

One of my motivations to watch the show was Aragaki Yui, who was great as usual, but what surprised me was Nishikido Ryo, of whom this is my first drama. He blew me away with how adorable he was (I paused like, 10 times just to stare at his smile), not to mention how well he acted as a naive, caring father. DEFINITELY watching his other stuff.

Leia Mais

If you're here for the romance, well you might be a little disappointed because you won't get much of that.
But if you're watching this for the story, the development of the characters, and for the medical story itself, you would be fine watching this.
Some may find this drama boring, maybe I am just used to watching Japanese drama that I am certainly not really expecting too many romantic moments, plus this is a supposedly slice-of-life / medical drama, so I can say I enjoy it as much...
I like Kimura's character here as Dr. Okita. He went from an ordinary doctor of Danjo Hospital, and went abroad to further his skills and went back for a mission to operate the director of Danjo. I like how he always look so relax for a doctor.
One of my favorites characters is Dr. Igawa, he is so bubbly and adorable. The way sometimes he deals with situations like he is totally clueless or can't read the atmosphere, but when a situation needs to be more serious or requires a sensitive moment especially when calling out for Okita's behavior, he gives him a scolding.
I used to work in a hospital, but not on the Medical Department, but somehow watching this drama makes me want to be one. I can't guarantee accuracy of the terms and medical procedures here, but it feels great and amazes me watching it.
Also I love how the friendship of Okita & Masao showed in the end. They may have some rivalry in the romance side, but their friendship and the way they cared for Mifuyu prevailed in the end.
The only thing I wished for this drama is that I hope there more episodes, or at least a side-story for the other characters.
For rewatch value, I might pick it up again sometime.

Leia Mais

There aren't many dramas that intrigue you immediately. The moment I watched this I was very into it and I didn't expect that Feng William was acting in it (LOL). He's reallllly handsome and he portrayed his character very well and I love the actress she was cute and love her personality that fit with him.
I love the ost and the theme song was really good..the voice!... the lyrics that caught me were "..even if love is a dream, we won't mention the sadness of parting.." I just..idk..there's no word to explain!
I have to say that Love is the most powerful feeling in the world and the main characters have perfectly portrayed that feelings.
I personally enjoy all of the hero saving the mistress scene ;D (you know, kekeke)
They show the meaning of true love and that you don't have to believe in true love, you can just believe in the person. Trust is the key to long lasting love.
The ending will definitely make you cry so don't say I didn't warn you

Leia Mais

Rating should be 10/10 my phone is playing up (argh!)

This drama DDay is one of " D"best I have ever seen! Their acting is indeed impressive especially Kim Young Kwang! The Doctor role suit him so well!!! Such a great actor !! he's indeed my favourite. Oh gosh Dr Lee I fell in love with you instantly!

I like the concept of this Drama because its something different, yet they pulled this off and created a phenomenal one!

I get excited to watch each episode. Thrilling, moving, you get different emotions just watching it. I didnt mind bawled my eyes out every night watching it and come to work the next morning with puffy eyes just because I got carried away and cried too much from most of the scenes. Seriously! Thats how great actors and actresses they are!!! Maybe thats why I like it so much! Because the drama itself allowed me to be part of it somehow. Its absolutely moving!

There are so much to see in this drama. Its worth watching. Thumbs up!

Leia Mais

The story itself when compared to the Chinese version of scarlet heart, is very lacking. But then again the Chinese version is also much longer than the Korean version. The story itself was acceptably good, but since I have watched the Scarlet Heart (CN version) I found it hard to accept the story. It is very mediocre compared the CN one, the CN one had many scenes where everything broke my heart, this one is more "cutesy" and it is too easy to do some of the things like raiding the castle. While the development of the characters could be extreme and somewhat inaccurate, this is still quite a good drama to watch. The music is amazing and has a perfect mix of modern and ancient. I would rewatch this, simply because it is less heart wrenching than the other version.

Leia Mais

In a sometimes overwhelming world of perfect faces and scripts that are best described as "meh," Dear My Friends stands out to me because it highlights real people. Real problems. It's proof that you don't need flawless visuals or idol actors to move an audience. It's proof that you don't need switched-at-birth reveals for breakfast and the white truck of doom for a late-night cocktail to create true angst and emotion.

Story:
This was a story of love, its inherent sacrifice, and a story of forgiveness. It was a story of friendship through the ages and family. I couldn’t watch it without relating to the story in some way. It was impossible.

Every character was written in a way that engaged my understanding and sympathy but tested me in all the right ways, as real people always do. For example, Kim Suk Kyoon, a crusty and cantankerous security guard that often took his wife for granted, was a product of a generation with bread-winning men that made all the important decisions and women who did most everything else. Would it be right for him to take all the blame for everything he did if he was raised a certain way? He tested me (a lot) and my modern views on women, but his character evolved with the story as it should. Just like every single one of the others, he made mistakes, he regretted, and he emerged at the end, embracing the truths of his life in a realistic way. Unlike some dramas, the characters in Dear My Friends didn't lose their personalities by the end of their journeys. They all had the same frustrating, lovable quirks that made them unique while they simultaneously accepted their true selves. That's good writing.

Dear My Friends handled tough subjects with a perfect combination of pragmatism and empathy while also blending in humor and heart. I very (very) rarely enjoy korean drama humor, but this was an exception. The writer wove in the usual drama tropes but simultaneously brought in atypical characters and situations to freshen them up or poke fun at them. For those of you curious about romance, there were several couples written into the story, young and old, and each of them had their own set of issues that fed into the main themes of the story.

The only gripe I had (if it could even be called that) was the lack of flashbacks, and I am still shocked that I felt that way. I HATE flashbacks because of how often they slow the pace of a story, but I wanted to get a better grasp of who the characters were before. It didn’t have to be every episode - just a little more for perspective and all that. But, to be honest, this is personal preference. The story didn’t HAVE to have them.

Acting/Cast:
Absolutely no complaints. These actors embodied their roles to the point that they imprinted themselves on my heart, flaws and all. I will forever remember their roles as if the characters were real people that I met at my local convenience store (in my dreams, where I live in South Korea, of course). That's the beauty of slice-of-life stories.

There wasn’t a standout performance, and I mean that in the best sense. Each actor supported the rest of the cast, and the audience got to reap the benefits of experiencing seasoned actors. I love a good newbie actor that wows me with unexpected talent, but sometimes I want to trust that I'm in good hands. And I was.

Music:
I will remember the intro music the most, and I might recall one or two songs from the drama. The OST won’t be something that I’ll obsessively listen to for months to come, though. Perhaps one day I will look back on the drama and get nostalgia goosebumps when I hear the theme song again, but it won’t be more than that.

Rewatch Value:
This is a good example of a lower rewatch value that proves the strength of the drama, rather than any weakness. I don’t need to obsessively rewatch this. Once again in a few years may do the trick, but the heartwarming rawness of the story will stay imprinted on my brain for a long time.

Leia Mais