Reviews

Overall, this is a really lovely drama but it won't suit everyone's taste. It has a very laid back feel and has strong indie vibes. It's not really a rom com, but on the other hand there are some parts that are absolutely hilarious. It has some melodramatic tendencies, but the drama as a whole is very uplifting and encouraging. The character's are very down to earth and very likeable. I like the fact that the character's weaknesses show, but that they also grow as individuals, learn about themselves, get happier and grow stronger as a result.

The romance is unique. In many ways I find it extremely realistic. The actors made the romantic scenes look fun and the chemistry was strong. The type of love they portray is very meaningful too, because it's a couple that was first friends, and really consider each other family. It's not a flighty love, but a deep rooted love of loyalty and understanding. But even knowing this, love is challenging and there are often obstacles.

I think the re-watch value of this drama is high, because there are subtle things that can be missed. A lot of imagery and symbolism is used. The side stories and side characters were also really good.

I think if you're in the mood for a very artistic style drama which focuses on characters, it's a good way to go. If you want something fast paced where you don't have to think too much about it, Bubblegum might not really hold your attention for all 16 episodes. There's so much love and beauty in this drama though. I personally feel it's worth watching. I really enjoyed it a lot. I guess what I really loved is, it doesn't feel like every other drama I've watched; it has it's own lovely vibe. It pops and makes you feel happy, want to smile - like bubble gum.

Leia Mais

What can i say about I Hear Your Voice? IHYV was a brilliant drama, that could have been a serious masterpiece of the genre if not for some minor errors that, even though they weren't important enough to break the overall awesomeness, they were enough for me not to give it the, otherwise, well-deserved 10/10. More specifically:

STORY
The base story is rather complicated and the description does it no justice. To be honest, the description sparked no interest in me at all, the overall rating and people recommending it made me watch it. So how can i make things simple in this one? We basically have 2 stories that collide. Story 1: The male lead, Park Soo Ha, his father gets brutally murdered in front of him and he obviously wants the murderer to rot in jail. Story 2: We have 2 girls, Jang Hye Sung and Seo Do Yeon, they have a missunderstanding (... of some shorts, you'll get what i mean when you watch it) and they get involved in the murder case as in, they are witnesses of the murder. This is your very base story, i don't think i spoiled anything, more like i made that confusing description make sense. This is the first 10 minutes of the pilot... interested yet?

After that we go 10 years in the future to see what our leads are doing today. Soo Ha is in high school, Hye Sung is a public lawyer and Do Yeon is a prosecutor. It is fairly obvious that we have a legal drama in our hands. The 2 girls are enemies for... reasons, and Soo Ha has been in love with Hye Sung ever since his father's trial because she gave the decisive testimony that threw his father's murderer in jail. So the show starts from here and develops.

I feel the need to establish the main meaning of the show, or at least what i got while watching it, from now. REVENGE ISN'T GOOD! The whole show revolves around the idea of revenge, and it tells you that revenge has nothing to give you, revenge brings nothing good to the table it just brings more and more pain. Moreover, it says that there is no need to spend time hating someone for something he did to you, you gain nothing from hating, just keep moving and life itself will get in the way of that someone's life. If you try to do something to get revenge, that bad action will come back at you, so there is no reason to push it. Seriously wonderful food for thought, amazing moral standards that we all should follow (especially me who have/had quite a different take on revenge)

Apart from the idea of revenge, the show, being a legal drama, adresses several moral questions of the law, how it works, and what it means to be a lawyer. Example: Should a lawyer believe his client no matter what? What if the client is lying? If they are a murderer should the lawyer try their best to keep them out of jail, or they deserve to be locked up? Even if they did murder someone, what about their reasons? Do they justify what they did? You get the idea... The legal part is like the 40% of the show. Basically we see Hye Sung deal with several separate legal cases where each case wants to make a point about law and all the questions i mentioned above, and at the same time we get some relationship and love triangle development.

The rest 60% of the show revolves around the backstory of the murder i mentioned in the beginning. The murderer gets out of jail and he wants revenge on everyone and everything. At the same time we get several backstory reveals on all the characters which was refreshing and great.

Now that i mentioned everything this show did right, time to discuss what this show got wrong, at least in my opinion. I basically had 3 very simple problems with the development of the show.

Problem 1: Boring legal cases. Episodes 2-7 are filled with 3, quite interesting, but unrelated to the main plot, legal cases. Yes they were interesting, but this isn't a procedural show, i hate when they do that. Episode 1 was AMAZEBALLS, like at-the-edge-of-your-sit, mind-blowing, screen-punching amazing and then we get 6 episodes of basically nothing. Yes, i liked them, but what i would have liked more? Episode 8 as episode 2 or 3....

Problem 2: Something i have faced before in other kdramas. Silly reasons for the main couple to not be together. C'mon who likes that? We all know they will end up together, if the writers can't find some serious reasons to have them apart, then don't play with out nerves and hearts and let them be happy as soon as possible! This really, really got on my nerves when the show started pushing us to cry because of the silly conversations that lead to the main couple to keep breaking up and hurt each other. Unnecessary as.... you get the idea....

Problem 3: Ok, halfway through the show, on episode 9 happens a huge game changer. I won't spoil what it is. Anyway, some people might love it, i was in two minds about it at first, but in the end i ended up to the conclusion that it was unnecessary and brought nothing to the show but unnecessary couple drama, and it basically served as a plot-slower (does this word even exist? I mean they wanted to slow down the plot since the show got extended because of high ratings). Many people argued that this 'game changer' was used to establish that the main couple really loved each other. Guys, c'mon i understand you wanting to defend your favourite show, i've been there, but this is not the way. It was well established that the couple was crazy in love almost from the beginning, this was purely unnecessary. Anyway, at least, it gets resolved fast -thank god-. Lastly, since i didn't want to give this a separate 'problem' mention, there were some minor but very obvious plot holes to conviniently help the story develop. Example: it is said that the male protagonist needs to look in someone's eyes to read his thoughts, but there are quite a few times he suddenly hears thoughts without looking at someone's eyes. Stupid plot hole that could have been avoided, but this isn't enough to kill the overall vibe of the show.

Taking problem 3 out, i have faced the 2 other problems in other kdramas, and i need to accept that this is how kdramas are written, so i need to stop whinying, but i won't! :P Other from these 3, everything else was completely on point, apart from some boring conversations here and there (i have to confess there were some episodes that nothing really happened, i will dub these episodes 'filler episodes', there weren't many but they were there).

One more thing i feel the need to mention is the supernatural element. I generally like when dramas give a supernatural twist in their stories, but they still keep them real. However, i know there are people who feel reluctant about watching a drama because of these supernatural twists. Here the supernatural element doesn't bother the development of the show, it doesn't feel fake or forced at all (ok maybe during the middle because of problem 3), in the contrary it helps the show develop and move forward and it is sweet most of the time too!

Giving the show an overall look, what i possibly liked the most was the incredible character development, all of the characters mature, i mean we get a bitchy shut down prosecutor with daddy issues who grows into a woman who owns who she is in the end. We get a shut down bitchy lawyer who only does her job for the money and sucks at it, and in the end we have a great woman who values people and their opinion. You get the idea. Another thing i loved, and i will stop there because noone will read this long ass review, is the fact that almost all plot insidents are important and are connected. I liked how every action of the characters had a reaction of some kind. I won't say anything more because i don't want to spoil anything. What you need to understand is that the writing and backstory here is perfection, possibly the best backstory i've ever seen in a kdrama thus far.

ACTING
I felt like acting was the weakest part of the show. it wasn't bad in any way, but to be honest i was expecting better.
Lee Jong Suk, looked great and i appreciated it, but i wasn't there for the eye candy, his acting was weak imo. He was alright, but i know korean actors can do more than alright.
Lee Bo Young, was great, especially her mother-daughter scenes were perfect (you'll get what i say when you see her)
Lee Da Hee, in my opinion she was the true star of the show, at least acting wise. I loved her acting from head to toe, she was flawless, especially the way her acting changed along with her character development. Wonderful actress
Yoon Sang Hyun, even though i disliked the character there is nothing bad to be said about the actor, he was the 'funny' one, but serious and emotional when he was supposed to be.
The supporting cast wasn't excuisite, but they were above average. Overall a great job.

MUSIC
I only have a separate music part in my reviews when the music is very good, here it was very good, i loved the OST!

RECOMMEND/REWATCH
Definately a must watch, to be honest normal people wouldn't even care about the 3 problems i named, i know most people like those silly problems that keep the couple apart, and a lot of people like separate cases that keep things interesting. I don't, it is a matter of preference, what was supposed to be great was here, so definately watch it!
Would i rewatch it? Yeah, why not, if there was an episode on tv i'd definately would rewatch it. I doubt i'd watch it on purpose alone again though

Leia Mais

There are dramas such as this, that pierce your heart deep. This is such drama. I don't have words how beautifully these series are created. This is not cheesy story plot, unrealistic plot or fairy tale - this is real life. Real life in Korea, from a perspective of parent, educator, neighbor, family member... This is one of those dramas I have to give rating of 10 in all categories. Kim Hee Ae should get an Oscar for this performance - it was so real, it became scary! This drama covers mature subject matters, emotions that will shift you right and left, and finally choices that would lead to consequences. This drama is a must to watch. There are few like this one - that if you watch it, your life would never be the same!... I can't give any spoilers, but all I can say is that, from the fist episode it grabbed me and could not let go. Perhaps for a young adult this would be too heavy to watch, but anyone who is married, have kids, especially a woman, should watch this. The affair did not become a main concern for me but what did was psychological effects of it, peer and neighbor pressure, various "polished" relationships that made this drama whole. Everything done here was brilliant, and I am not just saying that, it truly is a sad melodrama that no person should miss out. The female lead growth was spectacular. Brilliant "jewel" drama hidden among all other dramas, so please if you want something really mature - this one should be your next!.... tip: drama is available on dramacool

Leia Mais

This drama was cute at times and annoying at others. Exo is probably the only reason I sat through it entirely. I am not sure any one who is not a fan of Exo would even enjoy this or even consider watching it.

The story isn't that good, except it's like a fangirl fairytale. I would be lying if I didn't at least admit I wanted to be in the main girl's shoes. Being a maid at Exo's house with Chanyeol and DO pining for me? I'd take that any day over my current admiring-them-on-my-screen position (obviously). While I liked the idea of the story it was a poor execution. It was boring and bore no laughs after the 12th episode.

It's amazing how Korean dramas manage to drag even in these super-short series. The characters were much like any Kdrama with the jerky main lead, dense girl and a pining second lead. I don't know why they took Baekhyun among the four main guys. He was awful at acting and Kai would have been a better choice as he was at least less annoying. The four guys makes it, what- E4 (Exo4)? BTW the wannabe-martial arts brother was mildly humourous among the cast.

I love the song sung by Baekhyun for the OST. I'd recommend it as a listen to everyone. Watch this drama only if you have time to kill else don't even consider it. A 7 rating for bringing Exo onto my screen and making a fangirl's wishes true on TV.

Leia Mais

I have to say that I didn't want to watch this drama at the beginning. Well, I had read the starting plot and I thought that there was a lot of "supernatural" things and it didn't convinced me... After a year from when it was aired I decided to start it.
I've NEVER NEVER NEVER regret it!
This drama is funny, romantic, with a little bit of supernatural, ok, but not too much...
Jeon Ji Hyeon is absolutely adorable. Her character is super funny, and you can't not to love her.
And... KIM SOO HYUN!!! Do I have to say more???
Also the supporting characters are good, and the story, as I said before, is funny, but not crazy or demential.
I think I've watched it in more or less 5 days! And when I finished it I felt like an hole in my heart!
I strongly recommend this drama if you are in a romantic but funny mood! ^^

Leia Mais

I really enjoyed this drama, the subs took FOREVER though, I watched up 'till episode 29 then had a LONG break before I could finally finish it b/c I was waiting for the subs. I wish the subs would have come out sooner lol It's a good relaxing drama that can stir you up and calm you down lol

Story: About a woman who runs a small restaurant right outside of the school her son used to attend, she feeds the kids and helps them in their personal lives, she meets the school's math teacher Jinwoo and they start becoming friends and eventually fall in love. His son is troubled. Then we have Jinwoo's parents and his brother and sister-in-laws stories which made me feel at times like I was watching 2 different dramas in one lol - I'd get invested in one story and forget the others existed. lol.

Cast: Jung Deok-In was a pretty bad-ass ahjumma - she reminded me a lot of Kim Hee Sun's character in Angry Mom, what with her fighting skills and such and her protective spirit of the school kids. She runs a restaurant and gets harsh treatment from her lousy excuse for a "husband", she's an orphan and only knows her spouses family until Jinwoo comes along and loves her in a beautiful sweet way <3 Jinwoo is the son of a chaebol who doesn't want the family business - he's the youngest and wants to be a teacher, he is also widowed and has 1 son that disses him all the time :'( Jinwoo also suffers from a secret that he has kept that involved his older brother. (He's my favorite character). Then we have Hongran who I absolutely loved! She was a bit stupid, rude, and made me laugh like crazy lol - I loved her wacky character! She also acts the way she does b/c of everything she knows about her "sister-in-law" and even her own husband (who was a real jerk btw). Eunsoo who I nicknamed "the evil sea witch" I hated her guts - such a deceptive, manipulative evil wench >_< I wanted to claw at her so many times! Everyone but Hongran was blind to her real nature - that is until she reveals it little by little. Kyungchul (Deok-In's spouse) was a real loser! The things he said to Deok-In made me furious! He was another character I hated a LOT. *I didn't feel sorry for him in the least* I also loved our younger cast, the school kids, Yoonsuh (who at first you kind of hate b/c of how he acts and treats kids, the ahjumma and even his own dad & then you find out one more thing to dislike about him but eventually you start to care for him and see all that bottled up hurt and anger that he had kept buried) and in the end you just love him <3 Hyunseo & Nurse Park were cute but awkward - I did ship them though ^^ Kyungtae (Ji Il Joo) *remember him as Healer's daddy?* I was happy to see him here! He's SO handsome ^_^ although he was pretty immature in this drama - especially toward his girlfriend who he chases away *stupid boy* lol

Music: I loved 2 songs in-particular: "You Like Me" by Hwayobi, & "Have You Ever Loved" by Han Kyung Soo. Other songs I liked: "Game Set" by DIA, and "The Darkness the Starlight" by Kim Wan Je

I would re-watch this drama (I re-watch most dramas at some point) and I do recommend it - to anyone who likes romance, makjang or melodramas and or family dramas with a bit of action lol

Leia Mais

Plot:
This was a cute kind of drama. There were a few moments of cringe worry misunderstandings but nothing quite like more well known dramas - it was a pleasant change. I started to watch this drama mainly because it was a gender bender, I'm quite partial to a classic gender bender, but I believe that this drama can also be classed under Wuxia. I've read novels in this genre but I normally avoid the shows because the fighting is so horribly unrealistic. I didn't find this an issue with this drama though. The fight scenes weren't over done, and they were nicely choreographed! Which is awesome!!
The only disappointing part of the plot was the end.. I don't know why I didn't like it, it just felt a bit different... I think it's cause the guy gave up way too easily.. I'm not saying which guy. I just felt a bit 'meh' when it finished. The rest of the plot was awesome though :)

Characters/Acting:
1st brother kind of appears at the start then disappears off to France.. I admit I was disappointed that he never reappeared..
2nd brother is a indecisive peanut.
3rd brother is a sad monkey.
And 4th brother/sister is one of the more free willed female roles in drama land. She has a few moments of stereotypical female wiggles - it a eastern show and I've never seen one without females acting weak at some point. But in the whole she actually uses her brain and wits. Her disguise as a boy both providing heart, comedy and romance!!

Music:
I like the string thing (I think it's a zither but I could be wrong) that plays a recurring part with in the drama. Providing symbolism as well as background music. This drama has made me love the instrument, but gonna lie.

Overall:
I'd recommend this drama if you're looking for a vaguely strong female role. There is a small amount of fighting, which is nicely choreographed. Don't be put off be the many episodes, they're only 45 minutes each - I finished the drama in just about a week. It's a nice drama to watch, plus gender bender always has comedic moments.

Leia Mais

First of all, I'll just say that I started watching White Lab because I'm a huuuuuuge Hey!Say!JUMP fan and I'm Yabu Kota biased. Seeing screenshots for the show on tumblr, I decided to watch, even though Yabu had a minor role.

This show is amazing. Each mystery is compelling and interesting, and I kept finding myself yelling &amp;quot;OOOOOOOH MAN&amp;quot; at multiple points during episodes. The plot of the show as a whole is pretty simple but each mystery has multiple layers of complexity and makes you not want to look away. This also allows you to dive in at any point in the show because there isn't necessarily an ongoing story, but I still really recommend that you start at the beginning because then you can watch each character's growth throughout the show.

Really really great show. It's probably my new favorite drama.

(And Yamane is my favorite character, lol. I'm a liiiiittle biased.)

Leia Mais

This drama is short and sweet and two episodes was all it really needed. Honestly I skipped most of the first episode because the start was just so slow. However, reincarnation is one of my all-time favorite plot lines so I didn't give up on this. And I'm glad because this was a very nice short drama ( drama special? )

Story: As I mentioned, I love the theme of this drama. It's done well and there's a good balance between the scenes in present time and those in the past. It even has a nice twist at the end and the ending is satisfying. The only reason why I can't give this a 10 is because some things were a bit over the top -- and it did get on my nerves at times.

Acting: I won't say that Ahn Jae Hyeon completely redeemed himself but I didn't mind his acting here. As for the other actors it was my first time Ji Jin Hee (weird, I know!) and Lee Ji Ah. They played their characters well but it was nothing special. The chemistry felt a bit forced at first but by the end it was ok.

Overall: I'm giving this drama a 9 because it was nice and I'd definetly recommend it. I don't think its worth re-watching just because its such a cliche drama, there's not really anything new and exciting going on. Watching it again will just not be that fun.

Leia Mais

Considering the fact that this is only 3 episodes long with 8 minutes each, this short series is worth a rewatch. It could simply be a short film. Anyway, because of the shortness of it, the story cannot have a lot too it or it would become complicated and probably not as fun or happy. In truth, this series is not that funny, but it is quite sweet, and if you are an ANGEL (fan of Teen Top) this is a series for you.I am not even an Angel and haven't really listened to any of their songs, and I enjoyed this series. L. Joe has not been in much so far and most have been cameo appearances, but, I am looking forward to his future work in acting. I think he could do well, and I wish to see him in more.

There are a few cliches in this series as to be expected but, not much time is given to dwelling on these cliches because the series is pretty short in itself. If you only have 30 or so minutes and you wish to watch something cute and sweet, consider this series.

Leia Mais

This was my third drama I think. After seeing "Playful kiss" that really pissed me off I needed something different so I chose this one.
The story is a little bit strong, mostly at the beginning. That is not the usual drama with the funny girl and the two boys. Here the girl is not funny at all (but she have a really great style, I envied all her wardrobe for the entire drama, and she is beautiful even when she cries - namely for mostly the entire drama!)
Park YooChun is really good at acting even if his carrer started as a singer, I've seen only this drama with him, so I was really surprised!
By the way the story is a little bit dark, but if you are able to overcame the first part of the drama you will become addicted! I swear! :)

Leia Mais