Reviews

I have just finished this drama and am writing this review basking in the afterglow of a really good drama.

I liked the story it was compelling and well thought out. The dialogues particularly resonated with me. I really admired the direction and cinematography too, as it took risks at times and was little unusual for a sageuk.

It was interesting to see the story from the servants perspective, all too often in sageuks the servants are just minor background characters and here we see their daily struggles, desires and hopes.

The acting of the whole cast was brilliant. The only exception being Oh Ji Ho who was quite wooden and emotionless throughout, (I have seen him in other dramas and he is similar) although it suited his character somewhat in this drama so I am willing to overlook it on this occasion.

Special mention to Jung Yoo Mi who was outstanding she played the character of In Yub perfectly. She goes from being a rich, privileged young woman who has a dramatic fall from grace and becomes a servant when her father is accused of treason. She managed to imbue warmth into her character so that even when she was rich and conceited you still felt affection for her, It felt like she wasn't evil or malicious but rather ignorant and oblivious to the plight of others around her. She really comes into her own when she falls on hard times and her struggle and endurance is admirable.

This was my first time seeing Kim Dong Wook act in a drama. He played Eun Ki and I am very impressed with him. His character probably went through the most upheaval next to In Yub and his nuanced performance stole the show. Part of that was the writing, he was given some wonderful poignant lines but of course a lot hinges on the delivery, in which he excelled!

There aren't any songs in this drama which is unusual for a sageuk as they tend to have ballads but the music that is used throughout is beautiful and fits very well.

Overall if you like sageuks this is one of the best that I have seen. I cannot say anymore without spoiling :)

Leia Mais

This was such a cute drama. I feel like that's the only word to describe this. There were many aspects of the drama I loved and some I couldn't stand but still, I already feel like rewatching it.

The plot is kind of typical, strict male lead, bubbly female lead, certain circumstances happen and they end up living together. Not going to lie, the first few episodes, though interestingly funny, nothing much happens. You kind of just wait for the story to move along, but after a certain episode everything just started to move along nicely.

Acting/Cast I seriously loved! I loved all the officer workers, the families, the randoms etc everyone! Everyones role was perfectly scripted and they were a big part of this whole drama. By the end of the drama I felt so attached to all the character that their happiness low-key made me a little teary eyed :'D but I especially liked Kate & Princess. It was refreshing to see friends being a strong support system (not sure how to describe this without spoilers).
Though Puff's character was a bit annoying and naive at times, I liked her character and her acting wasn't half bad, this was the only drama I've watched her in so based on Just You, i liked her. Now Aaron. Woo. That is a handsome man. I haven't really watched a drama with him in a long time. I love his acting. The process of his character changing was perfect to me. It wasn't anything too obvious or too slow. I think that's a big part as to why I liked this drama too.

Music overall was nice to listen to. The them song was cute but I think my favorite was the insert song (I'm Your Cat) I liked how the beginning was played in certain scenes. Sounds weird but I like weird things like that.

Definitely will be watching this drama again ~!

Leia Mais

WOW WOW WOW WOW WOW WOW WOW WOW WOW WOW WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I've never watched a programme this amazing in my entire life, it really has changed my perspective on the power of people. I love Kamiki Ryunosuke and he was spectacular in this drama. This is the first time I've ever watched a drama with Hirose Suzu but I now hope to watch more dramas that she featured in as she was simply riveting. Both their words sent chills down my spines, they were such fantastic characters. You must watch this drama, I promise that you will never forget it.

Never be oppressed, speak your mind, words have as much or more power than actions!!!!

I love this drama!!!!!

Leia Mais

I did not know what drama I wanted to watch next, so I picked Birth of a beauty. Was not sure what to expect so I read the reviews first. From many people I got a sense that the story should be shorter, it was boring, acting was not so good etc. I decided to watch it, and to my surprise I liked it much better than expected! Actually the end did not drag and it was quite interesting. Of course a lot of things were kind of out of reality aspect but that did not bother me at all. Master's Sun was unreal too and I loved it! LOL
I loved both male leads - they were handsome, acting was good and plot too. For me 21 episodes was just right, and I did not skip. In fact I think people who skipped the episodes missed a lot as there was quite few interestings things to the story, so don't skip even if it seems slow to you.
This drama made me satisfied, the ending was as I would like, the main leads acted ok and the topic was interesting. I would like if she did not have so many plastic surgeries and instead perhaps went through half half of exercise, diet and reconstructive surgery, but it is what it is.
For me I have nothing negative to say about this drama. It was good. It did not grab me like other dramas, but I also have seen worse dramas than that.
I gave 8 rating value because I think if you give it a chance you will like it.
I loved the music in this drama. It grabbed me as OST from Secret Garden or Master's Sun. I really like the lyrics and the songs :)

Leia Mais

I hate to have high hopes about a show, and as we have been proven before, I have all right to be. How many times haven't we've seen shows with great potential getting obliterated by the end. So I was as prepared as I could be when I started watching this little show here, leading me to not have high hopes at all. But ohohoho I had no need to be worried really because... Master's sun, it's as good as they come.
And Why?

Firstly, the story:
I have to point out that when i read the plot summery for this show I was a little wary about actually watching it. Was it the whole ghost thing? Was it the actors? I can't put my finger on it but there were just something about the whole thing that just felt no good. However I decided to just watch it and oh dear was I lucky I did.

Yes the story differ from your other typical korean dramas out there. It takes a different and more bold turn compared to other romantic comedies out there. This is not one of the many love stories of boy meets girl and love arises. The whole story depend on the scars of our two main leads and how they grow as people. Also how important they find the other person to be. Sure one of the biggest storyline factors is the whole - Let's talk to ghost and solve mysteries. Ending up helping the both of them and they come to make a deal to aid one and other. It's not dark tho, even with all the ghosts. It's also an extremely funny series with a lot of interesting and cute catchphrases. The show hold up so well on what it want's to be. Its romantic, funny and interesting but also include the darker and more sadder parts, that comes naturally when death is part of the whole deal. It's about moving on and and letting go, which I find to be a good balance.

Secondly, the cast:
Here's the true shine of the drama. The actors and actresses are making such an amazing job at being the characters they portraying. They make me believe they are real and that this story and the lives included in it are all part of the reality, at least it makes me wish it was.
Gong Hyo Jin plays our female main lead, the ghost- stalked medium. She starts out as the scared but brave woman that is in this bizarre situation but still tries her best at helping the new people that she encounters. By the end she is more comfortable and seem to have gotten used to being what she is.
I must say that she is amazing, not just as Tae, but as an actress. She really bring this character to life and I found myself to sympathize with her rather often.
Our main male lead, So Ji Sub had me confused in the beginning. After all, I couldn't get if it was he's acting or the character that was stone faced and inexpressive, but as I continued watching I realized that it really didn't matter. He gave the character life and I ended up loving him alot.
The other characters, like the Aunt, The uncle, Model and rival, security guard and all them ghosts could be mentioned and talked about, but for me, they never seemed to matter sense all my focus was on the main characters and their wonderful chemistry. All in all I would say that all of them did a great job and fitted perfectly for their roles.

Funny thing to point out tho, I talked about the generic love story in my latest review and how in that show it was executed poorly and all. Fun thing is that Master's sun does the same kind of cliche generic love story concept too, of course with it's own twists, but you don't think about it really.
Joo Goon actually symbolizes a savior in Tae's eyes. Because with him near her she can rest without having ghosts bugging her all the time. And putting it that way than she kind of looks like the weak and klutzy, not to say odd, female lead. But all that ends up just being the concept of the characters. They end up creating something more, and less generic and typical.

I can finally say that I stumbled upon a show with an epic and outright wonderful OST! The music in this show is by far one of the best one. It captures every feeling and tone of the show, whether it's the dramatic scenes, the ghostly moments, the "Epic and awesome" timing or the romantic themes. All music is there and all fits precisely right! I have found so damn many soundtracks that I love to listen to over and over again!

When you watch a show that leaves you empty, excited and overly in love with it then it's easy to say that you'll watch it again, maybe more than once or twice even. And that is the feeling I'm having about this show. I really want to sit down someday in the future and just watch it from beginning to end, all over again. Because I just know that when I've done that I will feel just as amazed and happy as I did the first time.

Overall and lastly, Master's sun is so many things at the same time and I've seen shows that have done the exact same thing before and fell down... like waaaaay down. However this one didn't fall, all these themes and emotions made it fly up instead. You get thrown around an emotional roller coaster, but by the end you feel it was worth the ride and that you wouldn't mind doing it again.
Master's sun is different, odd and unique, but it's beautiful and it gives you a story that doesn't leave you disappointed.



Mivaaaa

Leia Mais

Please forgive me if this review's going to be a little unconventional, I'm in no mood for serious considerations on a drama that doesn't take itself too seriously. The followings are random conversations between me and my watching partner, aka my husband (H). Try to imagine us as the two old men at the end of The Muppet Show.





H: Why the heck is he (Seung Gi) pining for that almost sister of his when he can have the prettier and much nicer one (Suzy)?

Me: He thinks she's a boy.

H: Rrrrrright. And the winner of Genius of the Year is…

[Kang Chi finds out Yeo Wol's a girl in a slightly unorthodox way]

H: Ok, I take back everything I've said before: the guy IS a genius!!!!



°°°°°°°°°°°°°

[scene: Kang Chi and Yeo Wol are staring into each other's eyes]

H: Whoa, he's finally going to kiss the girl

Me: Hmm, I wouldn't be that optimistic.

H: Trust me, he has that glint in his eyes. He's going to kiss her, I tell you!

Music: "Saranghaee, saranghaeeeeeeeeee, SARANGHAEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE…"

[more staring followed by sudden wrist grabbing]

H: Finally…

[off they go eating]

*collective and colourful grunts from the audience*

Me: He clearly hasn't taken after his father

H: Yeah, daddy knew his business. Save the girl, hide the girl, kiss the girl, ta-da… a BABY!



°°°°°°°°°°°°°

[the monk urges Kang Chi to flee for the nth time]

Me: Is that monk ever going to give a valuable advice? Nobody listens to him anyway.

H: Ikr? That monk is as useful as a concrete parachute (he used a different simile, but it can't be repeated here)



°°°°°°°°°°°°°

H: His eyes turned green! What do you think, is he going to morph into Perry Parky now?

Me: Sure, Perry Park would bomb them all, but if you want him to kiss the girl, Shin Se Gi's definitely the one to morph into.

H: Shin Se Gi had red eyes and eyeliner.

Me: True. Like daddy gumiho, now that I think of it.

H: Daddy again. Are we sure Kang Chi's not the monk's child?

(references to Kill Me, Heal Me are sort of involuntary. I hereby decline every responsibility)



°°°°°°°°°°°°°

Me: What do you think is that Gu Book about?

H: A kissing manual?

Me: A recipe for Kimchi, more likely.

"Saranghaee, saranghaeeeeeeeeee, SARANGHAEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE…"



°°°°°°°°°°°°

[Kang Chi, his face half covered with a scarf, is surrounded by his comrades, all demanding to know who he is]

Me: Are we the only ones who would recognize him from a 10-km distance? I mean, the clothes, the hairdo, the bracelet…

H: I know. Perhaps they think it's the head Gisaeng incognito. After all, they share 1 neuron among the 20 of them.



°°°°°°°°°°°°°

Me: LOL, now that thug thinks his dongsaeng Kang Chi's gay. A gay gumiho is an interesting take of the trope

H: So he too thinks Yeo Wol is a boy? This drama should be called "The Goofy Family Book"



°°°°°°°°°°°°°

H: Ha, now he's really going to kiss the girl!

Me: You may be right this time. The moment is perfect and the song is clearly suggesting romance.

[7 and a half minutes later, the scene is still frozen like it was 7 and a half minutes before]

Me [making coffee]: Are their heads a little closer now?

H: Hmmm, I'm not sure. 2 cm closer, maybe?

Me: All right, I'm making sandwiches. And please mute that misleading Saranghae song before I explode.



°°°°°°°°°°°



To give this review some semblance of usefulness, let me conclude by saying this is a highly entertaining drama, with a good, rounded-up plot, lots of fun – although laughter is often involuntarily induced - a Seung Gi who never fails to put me in a good mood by simply existing, a lovable Suzy, a despicable villain with a certain, almost compelling elegance, good romance and a fairy-tale feel that won't let you down. Recommended to everyone looking for a light watch with glints of unexpected depth and an awesome finale . If you have a watching partner to frolic with, so much the better.



P.S. Allow me a tiny spoiler: the kiss does come, after all, much to the joy of the two Muppet Old Men.

Leia Mais

I don't watch Taiwanese dramas on a regular basis and to be honest it's because I never really find one that speaks to me as being both entertaining and good. However this doesn't mean that I haven't found a couple of good ones because I have. So is Miss Rose one of them? You would think that it would be. The cast is quite good and the story seem to fit me. But no, Miss Rose is not one of the better ones. I would rather explain it as me still sitting on the fence but facing the side that says that Miss Rose in a rather dull series.
And why?

Firstly, the story:
I know that there are plenty of people out there that really enjoyed this show and loved its story, but I'm not one of them. I really got bored of this dated plot that goes by with;
Girl is poor and weak but a reaaaally good person.
Boy seem to be jerk but proves to be a total good guy.
Boy with his own troubles saves girl and "teach" her to believe in herself.
Boy falls for girl.
Girl falls for boy.
Ect. Ect.
I'm not saying that this classic tale is bad, I would be a hypocrite to say that, since I have multiple dramas that I love using that exact build up. However it is how it's executed in Miss Rose that's what makes the show rather dull. The conflicts and drama is not very deep and unserious (not in a comedic way but as not dramatic enough) so in the end, the climax just stays uninteresting, in which it shouldn't. The romantic plot that supposedly drive the story forward is either boring or, for me, seem to be dead and unchemical. When our main couple can't aid the shows poor storyline, than it's bad. It's sad for me to admit as a person that mostly talks bad about sidestories, but in this series the sidestory about Sheng Jun and Xiao Ke was THE ONE THING that kept me going til the end.

Secondly, the cast:
As I've said before, if the story is bad then it's the characters assignment to carry it and somewhat save it from doom. Sadly that's not how it ended up being. I'm not saying that the cast is bad, no, I feel that the most of the actors captured their individual roles rather good and portrayed them well enough. It's not their fault that the majority of the characters are either hateful or just a complete bore. Yes I said it! Sorry! But really who can for real say that Si Yi is an interesting character!? Sure she is a good person and all but she's sooo boring, I feel mean to admit that I didn't feel bad for her at all because she just welcomed the shit thrown at her, being the resident doormat of the show. I have far to much problems with that kind of character to even remotely feel a tinge of sadness for her.
Cheng Kuan, is harder for me to hate and that basically because I just love the bromance he shares with Sheng Jun. Both actors really have a good chemistry while acting together, at least compared to the non existing one between our main couple. Truth to be told I had no problems what so ever with Cheng Kuan in the most scenarios he was in, in exception to the so called romantic moments with Si Yi. Their so called love just fell flat on its stomach and was, by the end of the drama, painful to watch.
The love rivals are not anything to brag about. Vivian is annoying and the typical mean b**ch like in so many other shows, but really her character is to much a cut out so it's not even interesting to fallow her evil scheming, reason being that you probably already seen it a hundred times before. The guy rival, Yi Zun are less of a son of a B**ch, but that doesn't matter considering the fact that he possesses the same amount of bore as our main female lead.
As I've already said so is it thanks to the funny Sheng Jun and the easygoing Xiao Ke that I even finished the show. I loved them both as individual characters and as an item. So cute and adorable.

The music in a show is very important. It's there to enhance the emotions in a scene and make the watcher feel the drama and suspense. And just because of that, I'm picky when it comes to this subject. I have to remember the OST and feel that I can save it on my phone for later enjoyment. It's to bad that I've still to find an breathtakingly amazing OST in a Taiwanese drama. Miss Rose OST does not bring anything more to the table than what I've heard before. Either its the actors singing the main theme or the generic and boring insert-dramatic-music- here kind if bullshit. But considering the story, it's not weird that the music couldn't become something greater.

Rewatching is right in the middle. How come? You know when I seem to really be bored by this drama... Because I have seen it more times than one. Ok maybe "seen it more than once" is to overdo it. I've technically only watched it fully once. But I've skipped and seen moments (Sheng Jun Xiao Ke moments) quite a few times now.
I know that I won't ever actually sit down and watch this drama all over again. It didn't bring me any reason to sit through that one more time and so I wont.

Overall and lastly I will say that this show is just as cliche as the name of it. A supposedly romantic and cute story of a odd couple and all that. For me this was a total snooze fest that I've fallen asleep to a few to many times which says a lot about how I feel about it. But this is just me. I don't like to recommend or unrecommand dramas because I feel that each and every one should try things and see for themselves. After that we'll see who agrees with me and not.

Happy watching!


Mivaaa

Leia Mais

Story: Two socially inept people meet:- one a woman who relies on math to solve all of life's problems and another a man who perfected the 'art' of being a NEET and leeching off his mum for a living. The woman decided she need to marry herself off by 30 and the man decided he needs a wife to leech off when his mum passes on. These two individuals meet and hilarity ensues. The comedy in this drama is not the 'at your face' type comedy. It is subtle and implied while also excel in some good ol' straight forward fun. It is a jibe at societal perception on lowly educated and unemployed men versus highly educated and employed women. It makes you question the famous question repeated by the male lead, "Why can't men stay at home and take care of the kids while leeching off his wife? Why is it ok for women to do so and not men??" At the same time, it explores the theme of realistic love. Is love the increase in your heartbeat, being comfortable with a person and having similar outlooks in life or is love messy, unexpected, unplanned and furiously frustrating? Personally, I like the storyline and once again find the no-nonsense way of the Japanese in telling a story a score in this drama. I love how the leads banter and how subtle comedy was inserted quickly in their snide remarks to each other.

Acting/Cast: Excellent acting and cast.

Music: Love the 'aunty' feel of the music - old school and adds to the humour and charm of the drama.

Re-watch value: I can imagine myself re-watching this during the year end holiday but not immediately. It has one of those 'relax, sit back and enjoy the show' feel to it that suits a lazy holiday afternoon, though it is not in the "OMG! I gotta re-watch this ASAP!" category.

Overall: A worthy entertainment and time spent. Short, sweet and direct with a good and suitable ending. It is a concise, compact product that will suit your basic entertainment need. Give it a try and let me know what you think. :)

Leia Mais

Honestly speaking, this drama isn't very good if you look at it technically and critically. The plot was a bit of a mess, and the story dragged on for the entire first half of the show. HOWEVER. I still really really enjoyed this drama. For some reason, I just kept watching without getting bored. As you watch more dramas you realize that your purpose for watching isn't just simply for writing a stone cold review, but for entertainment and relaxation. So, I'm going to look at it from both perspectives.

The plot of this drama was a bit...well let's just say it definitely wasn't the best. It didn't really have much depth, and a lot of things that were introduced the writers just never bothered delving into later on. Still, it was a single story kind of plot anyway. There were multiple obstacles that had to be overcome to reach the climax of the drama, but it was just that one event. Truthfully I think they could've done better with the fake musical. Even if it wasn't real, it should've at least made sense. They only showed like 3 minutes of it but I'm still thoroughly confused about 95% of it. It was still nice though, just a bit anti-climactic. I think the main thing that kept me watching is how utterly cheesy, cringeworthy (in a good way), and agitating this drama was. There were so so so SO many times when I found myself yelling at my phone or banging my head against the wall or punching my pillow because of how stupid or idiotic or frustrating the characters could sometimes be. Like just. WHY. Why would you do that. Do you need to go back to grade school. At any rate, you'll see what I mean. There were also warm fuzzy moments too, those extra cheesy lines or actions that make you what to scream and bite your lip and laugh maniacally? Yep, full of those. The love lines were pretty cute too, especially Joon Hee and Hee Joo, the most unlikely pair of 2011.

Oh dear the characters. Don't get me wrong, there was great acting in this drama. Yonghwa didn't disappoint, and Park Shin Hye was Park Shin Hye. It's just wow whichever writer wrote this drama needs to get strangled. Shin, the narcisstic prince, spends half the show pining after someone who obviously would never end up with him? Gyoo Won had pretty much no spine at all, and spent the entire time getting mad at Shin for no reason while he had to apologize every single time for something that wasn't even his fault. I don't think he's ever gotten genuinely mad at her once during their actual relationship. It's always been Gyoo Won making a ruckus over nothing. Not to mention, the both of them are so stupid and bipolar. I'd be spoiling if I gave reasons as to why they're stupid, but you'll see pretty soon once you start the drama. As for bipolar, well it's pretty much what it means. One moment Shin thinks this, the next he thinks this. One moment Gyoo Won says she hates Shin, 5 minutes later she smiles at him......OKAY. Are you planning to kill him with love? Cause it ain't gonna work. Lastly what you've all been waiting for, drumroll please......Park Shin Hye's kissing. Since I watched this drama after watching Pinocchio, I'll cut her some slack. She could actually kiss in that drama. Maybe she was tense and shy in her other dramas, but DANG that girl could not kiss. With a grand total of two (not) kisses in the drama, it was more like they were just brushing lips. I could stick a feather in between there seriously. And that deer in the headlights look for their first kiss? With both of their eyes open? Oh my god I had to look away. Seriously why would you open your eyes I do not understand. I mean her eyes were already big but when they were kissing (brushing lips) I could've sworn they were going to pop out. Just. Jesus. I mean I understand that Kdramas like to portray that innocent thing, but please director both of them are fully capable of a decent kiss, why are you torturing us like this seriously wtf.

The songs I really really really reaaaally loved. From You've Fallen For Me, to Because I Miss You, to Star, they're all perfect. I just love the OST for this. A definite A+ from me. Yonghwa's vocals are most definitely out of this world, so be prepared.

I will definitely re watch this many times before it gets too old for our time and turns into a grainy mess of pixels. It's a nice drama that really aggravates you and gets you involved, which I like. It's better than sitting there staring at a screen for 16+ hours with a blank look on your face hiding in your dark cramped closet right?

Overall, this drama was really refreshing. Although it wasn't the best ever, I thoroughly enjoyed it. Be prepared to yell and scream at the stupidity of all the characters, and cringe from cheesiness. If you'd like something that you can just watch lightly, without too much angsty stuff, give it a try. There will be crying though, but don't worry it'll pass. You'll most definitely LOVE the OST, so be prepared to sing along. ^.^ (And yes, I am watching it in 2015. You've gotta watch all the old ones so you can enjoy the new ones right?) Wow this was loooong, for the people who actually read through this, thank you and I hope you watch and enjoy the drama :)) Yonghwa, Shinhye fighting!

Leia Mais

This was a decent show overall. It had some good life lessons that I could relate. The one thing that bugged me was that most of the time when they used English songs in the background, the songs didn't really match the scene which was a little distracting. However the Korean songs were always on point. The stand out performance came from Soo Ae. There was not one time that I thought she was lacking in acting ability. As for the male lead, he didn't capture my fantasies like he should for a male lead. My fantasies were captured instead by one of the minor characters played by Lee Sang Woo. This man is gorgeous and definitely swoon worthy. The plot lagged in some areas and certainly some episodes could have just been cut but they did tie up all the loose ends in the end. The ending was not exactly what I hoped for and yet I was happy with it. They got to the destination but with some extras that I didn't really feel were necessary.

Stand out episodes: 8 & 13, with the 13th being just a hair better to claim the Best Episode Award.
Let down episodes: 2, 4, 7, & 16; with the 4th winning the Worst Episode Award due to being boring with no real plot development. This show probably could have been condensed to 12 episodes.

Leia Mais