Reviews

I had no idea when I started watching this drama that I would love it. Also, my girlfriend who has never watched a drama with me actually watched this entire drama and liked it. She was really annoyed at some of the angsty parts, but enjoyed it over all. This drama is well written and the directing and acting is excellent. I think this has a good balance of silly vs angst. I am not a huge fan of rom/com, but this had just enough melodrama also. I really love how the writer has the main couple communicate and that their issues don't last very long. It makes for a nice paced drama. I really think it is hard to go into much of the story line with out revealing spoilers. However, there is one point that I think is really important. Holding in secrets and lies will eat at your soul. Also, no one can be happy with you if you aren't happy by yourself

Side note: I have read people that are upset because Yi Seok calls Hong Do ";ugly" through this drama. Normally I would agree, but he is doing it at first because she wouldn't believe him when he said she was pretty so she wouldn't trust him and follow him to recovery. Later he calls her that as a form of endearment. I don't think in any way the writer meant that as Yi Seok putting Hong Do down.

Chun Jung Myung is one of the most natural actors. His portrayal of Yi Seok is emotional and I was completely invested in his character. Choi Kang Hee is not everyone's favorite actress, but I like her. She was perfect as the troubled and quirky Hong Do. Poor Lee Jae Yoon as Detective Jang. Will he ever be in a drama where he gets the girl? Or at least the girl he is originally in love with? Ahn So Hee is so cute as Se Ro. I enjoyed her character immensely. She seems cocky and shallow, but she is really caring. It is amazing that she came from that family.
Jin Hee Kyung really knows how to pay the crazy biatch mother (I'm not even sure or her name). I really hated her from beginning to end. The other actors are good too.

I really enjoyed the music in this drama.

I will probably rewatch this at some point.

If you like a good love story with some comedy and some melodrama that is paced well, then I think you would enjoy this drama.

Leia Mais

H:H was a well told story of how family secrets crush the soul of any family, and how the closest circle of people are damaged by the selfish decision of keeping a secret.
Story: Not new just better told of an introvert-social phobia meets psychologist who is need of psychologist quickly realizing they are match. What made this story right was the pacing, great dialog and overall tightness of script. Not any storyline stray, simply watching these three characters develop within the 16eps was GREAT!
Acting: the onscreen chemistry & acting of the two leads was "spot-on" and totally believable. Their growing relationship was like watching a tadpoles grow into frogs. The actress who could not act (sister) was cast perfectly, she could not act - thus totally believable.
Music: Done well and matched the mood and feel of the actions on screen. Well done!
Would I watch again? Yes
H:H was a surprise hit for me in this land of dramas this season. Mostly all dramas have family secrets, but this story dealt with the severe emotional toll secrets have on all involved - voluntarily or NOT. Rec. this for those wanting something light BUT with a heavy undertone message and solid acting.

Leia Mais

This drama not sure how to start this review...I started watching thinking I would use it as a filler while watching other dramas but it quickly became the drama I was looking forward to each week. This isn't your typical romantic comedy but you will fall in love with all the characters.

The store revolves around a young girl that has issues being around people and how a chance meeting with a doctor starts of a sting of events that changes her life. Pretty simple storyline but devil is in the details...please watch this drama without prejudice because it will surprise you.

In my opinion its my favorite drama of 2015 so far

Leia Mais

This was one of the strongest dramas I have watched in a while. The characters were intriguing, it wasn't very suspenseful but at the same time it did not drag out story lines too long which was a nice change. All too often with melodramas the plot lines just seem to take so long to wrap up, and I feel that things wrapped up rather quickly for each twist.

With out spoiling the plot it was nice to have a character with integrity. I actually did not care for PSH character In Ha as much because she seemed to hiccup too easily, even if she wasn't "lying". I liked that while there was obvious romance here it wasn't the overly romantic drama, romance was almost like a supporting character, explaining their roles and characters without being overwhelming.

One of the biggest problems/best things was that I did not hate the antagonist. I actually felt bad when they got in trouble at the end. In fact none of the people who did "wrong" in this show were very "bad" at least not to me. I actually really liked a few of the antagonist like the Chairman.

Overall I liked this drama, it was an easy watch, not something that maybe kept me "really" fascinated but at the same time it was smooth.

Leia Mais

Ever since Triangle, I have been a fan of Kim Jae Joong. He really proved he was more than a pretty face in that drama. He blew me away with his acting. I started SPY expecting to see it again. Action, romance, drama and JaeJoong. I was super excited. Unfortunately, it never, ever delivered.

The story seemed like it would be action packed, what with the spy theme and all. It wasn't. Yeah, there was fighting and shooting in most of the episodes, but how it was managed to make them so boring and uninteresting is beyond me. I literally caught myself yawning more than once while I watched this drama.

The story is supposed to be suspeseful. I never found it so. I found it repetitive and extremely predictable from episode 1. There for a while, around ep 4 or 5, I did start hoping for it to pick up and get more interesting, which it seemed to do, but only barely and then it fizzled. Also, the ending was, again, predictable and anti-climatic.

Now, I rated this a 7, which means that I did find some good qualities to redeem it a bit. #1. JaeJoong. It's not his fault the writing sucked. While he was not at his Triangle caliber, he pulled his part off very well and his performance was more than decent. #2. The music. I really enjoyed the OST for this drama, especially Reuby's Key To Her Heart. It fit the theme well. #3. Short episodes. I liked how each episode was only about 45min. each. Any longer and it would have been even more drawn out.

I would only recommend this drama to other JaeJoong fans. Like I said, his acting is decent in this. However, if you are looking to watch a well written, suspenseful, action packed spy drama, you'd do well to skip this one.

Leia Mais

I love sageuks. I always do. When they come in with romance and eye candy I just end up loving them. Jang Ok Jung is one of such sageuks. Is it brilliant? NO. Is it entertaining? Hell YES. This is why I gave this drama an 8 in spite of the things that bugged me about it.

Firstly, the plot is fictional as well as realistic. It presents you the love between King Sukjong and Jang Hee Bin as epic and legendary irrespective of what happened in reality. It was a controversy in Korea but hell I don't care- I am not a Korean. It presents me a history with all the twists and tropes of a formulaic Kdrama. However whatever it presented was cute, sad and likable. But I have to say I was yelling in some parts because of having seen Dong Yi before (they are related, you see). So separating Dong Yi and Jang Ok Jung is crucial when you watch either of the two.

I loved the romance between Lee Soon and Ok Jung. Both Yoo Ah In and Kim Tae Hee are ridiculously good-looking people and had believable chemistry together. Their romance was for most part cutesy and angst-ridden. It's been a while since I've seen a drama like this one. I also liked the male second lead in it and plan to stalk the guy from now on. :D

There were moments when this drama had me tearing out my hair in frustration or left me plain annoyed. Similarly it left me very high when it had its good parts going. So this drama managed to make me feel a variety of emotions. It is even cheesy at its best in many parts where you just wanna LOL but it is so DAMN entertaining!

For me the drama was an interesting one-time watch. The OST wasn't great but I didn't hate it either. Overall, this drama is good and definitely worth the time.

Leia Mais

I actually started this drama when it first began airing but at that time I was distracted by other dramas (mostly Pinocchio) and gave up on it after watching only half of first episode. I picked it up again after a couple of months. 14 episodes were out by then and I remember dramathoning the whole thing in two days straight. This drama is seriously addictive and edgy. The plot is fantastically written and every ending makes you want more. And apart from the amazing action and thriller sequences, this drama has a great romance. There are no second leads annoying you but there are those terribly sweet jealousy moments. I love mysterious sexy male leads who turn clingy and cute. I can't believe the ratings for this drama weren't sky-rocketing in Korea. I really don't understand Korean preferences. They watch makjang shows one after the other but when gems like Healer turn up, they switch the channel.

Coming to characters, Healer. God I love healer. I love how he's jumping around buildings and coming up with these exciting plans. I love what he does for a living and I love his little high-tech shack. I love that he's a loner. I've only watched Ji Chang Wook in Empress Ki other than this drama but I must say he is always a delight to watch.

Park Min Young. I must admit that the only reason I ever hesitated to watch this drama, it was because of Park Min Young. I've watched many of her dramas and I've generally not cared much for her roles. But it was Kim Nana in City Hunter that ticked me off. God I hate Nana. She's a bodyguard who needs a bunch of bodyguards. In fact, I think it would be better if someone locked her up somewhere far, far away until everyone's done with whatever they're trying to do. She seriously messes things up and then goes around acting cute about it. So, yeah, basically I was weary that Park Min Young is going to play a role like Nana here. But I guess 2015 is the year of Reinvention for Korean actresses (with Park Shin Hye also winning hearts for her performance in Pinocchio). Park Min Young not only did a wonderful job in this drama, her character Cha Yeong Shin was a delight to watch. There were a few times in this drama where I held my breath because I was afraid that Yeong Shin would make a terrible choice that would create a havoc and make me hate her. But she was so awesome at those points that it really made me love her character overall.

The rest of the cast was great too. My favorites were definitely ajjumma and Yeong Shin's family (her dad and the rest of the criminal staff). I really held my breath there towards the end when I had a feeling Ajjumma is going to die. My Eun Shi Kyung feels were returning to me, I was all set to cry. I'll never forget that moment of relief when I realized she will escape. Thank you writers for not killing her off. I wish they had shown an emotional reunion of mother and daughter though. The ending was just a little rushed. Or maybe it's just me never wanting Healer to end. lol.

The music was great. I have the whole album on my phone. My personal favorites are Eternal Love and When You Hold Me Tight. I like that song by Ji Chang Wook too, although I've only heard it a few times.

Overall it's a masterpiece and even though the ratings in Korea weren't all that great I'm so glad it's getting it's due on MDL (9.2 avg yay!) and other internet portals. It's doing well in China too, with Ji Chang Wook being one of the most searched Korean actors there these days. I guess a good story would always find it's worth one way or the other.

Leia Mais

I loved this series. I never thought I'd find such an interesting take on female characterization and deconstruction of female stereotypes in this drama by the time I started watching it. I was faced with my own pre-conceptions of internalized misogyny more than once and I thank it for showing me better. The sisters seemingly represent prototypes of female characters, showing in the surface what the viewer can easily assume, whereas the only character who really knows them fully is non other than their mother, whose figure is extremely important. This drama works on the value that women give themselves versus the one society gives them in a lot of moments, especially in Takemi's character but also in every one of the sisters. Takemi superficially seems the careless gorgeous heart-breaker, Fujiko seems like the obsessive over-achiever, Sakurako seems like the girl who just wants to settle down in the most traditional way and Ume seems like the artsy teen with low self esteem. And they are that. Only in part. Discovering these characters throughout the series is like seeing the tip of an iceberg to then explore what's lying beneath. And, as a girl, I felt very deeply many of the worries and tribulations these girls go through. Yes, there are some plot-lines that could have been better taken care of and some characters that could have been more developed, but all in all, it's a drama where girls are the center and they're realistically portrayed, all funny exaggerations and caricature moments aside. I really loved this drama.

Leia Mais

Honestly, the only reason why this drama dragged a bit was because the concept was waaaay too simple. A guy was a coward and never confessed to his first love and now she's getting married to another man, so he travels back in time and tries to change things. In my opinion, this would've been great for a mini-series, but not a drama. Basically, the writers had 16 episodes on their hands with one simple storyline, so they had to keep stretching and stretching and repeating and repeating until finally, whew, the ending yay. There were many moments in this drama when it was like he purposely CHOSE the harder path for himself. It seemed that no matter what he did, he never. got. the girl. Why? Because if he did, what the hell were the writers gonna do for the rest of the show? Write 5 hours worth of them cuddling and being all romantic? Still, I found myself rooting for Baek Ho all the same. There were many times where I have wanted to slap him for being an idiot, or yell at him for being an idiot, or beat him up because HE WAS AN IDIOT. It's like, does he not remember what he went through to get to where he was? He just goes and throws it away like it's nothing? Oookay. There was this one time that I legit spit out my water mid-drink and started yelling at the screen upon hearing a facepalm worthy thing happening. Just prepare yourself.

The actors were definitely not the problem in this drama. Everyone was great. Yoo Seung Ho never disappoints (as always) and Park Eun Bin matched him pretty well. I don't know if it's because they were childhood friends (ok let's be real here it's because they were childhood friends) but they had heaps of chemistry. I didn't like Yi Seul (portrayed by Park Eun Bin) towards the end though. It was pretty obvious in the beginning that she was someone with a spine; a girl who spoke her thoughts and definitely wasn't shy. However, towards the end its like someone reached inside and completely crushed it. She was told time and time again "I like you", hints were dropped, actions were done. And yet. Your crush for 2 decades confesses to you and you say "Nice joke"?! Wow. Anyway, it's all good though, because she grew her spine back pretty quickly. Overall, everyone was amazing, even the small supporting roles.

If you read my other reviews, you'll see that music almost never stands out to me in dramas unless its from a historical drama. I don't know, I'm just like that haha. For me, I either like really kpop-y songs or deep emotional songs. There is no in between ;)

I also don't tend to rewatch dramas, simply because there are always scenes in dramas that I don't like but watch anyway because it's my first time and I need to know everything, but the second time around I just skip. What's the point of watching if you're just gonna skip everything, right? But who knows, maybe one day when I've forgotten about it I'll come back.

Overall, this wasn't a bad drama, and the actors certainly weren't bad either. The concept was just too simple. There were too many times where I was like if only you had done THIS, or if only you had listened to her, or if only you didn't misunderstand so easily. But, give it a watch. I find it kind of fun when dramas aggravate you, and this one definitely will.

Leia Mais

Healer is really an unexpectedly amazing drama, because I really didn't expect it to be as nice as I imagined it to be initially! It's a drama that don't draws your attention just by watching first or second episode, but you will get hooked eventually as you continue watching.
WHAT I LIKE ABOUT THIS DRAMA: HOLY MOLY CAN I JUST SPAZZ ABOUT THE SOUNDTRACKS FIRST?! The OSTs are super duper perfect - they just fit into those scenes whenever they are played! I got myself grooving along the songs especially Eternal Love. And I have got to say this song really has got the power that makes me feel like crying whenever it is played. (":
Okay, moving on, yes the casts. Even those villains are really great because they make us hate them so much especially that annoying Secretary Oh HAHAHA! And I'd really want to compliment Ji Chang Wook for his acting skills! I admit that it is really my first time watching his drama and one word - DAEBAK! His facial expressions really tells it all how he feels - especially the scene when he wanted to cry but had to hold it in. )': The actress played as Choi Myung Hee is another one I would like to praise. She just somehow attracts my attention because of how she could actually portray the character very well, making me want to love her yet pity her at the same time! Hope to see her in future dramas! (:
And yup, the story plot is what that makes this drama receiving so many likes! EVERY SINGLE EPISODE IS JUST FULL OF EXCITEMENT, TENSION... YEAH JUST 20 STRONG AMAZING EPISODES. Really expected a few episodes to be draggy like some dramas, but it really didn't happen.
WHAT I DISLIKE ABOUT THE DRAMA: Hmmm... I would have to say that the ending was really a rushed one though. They didn't show what happen to Ahjumma and MyungHee and other small characters which was slightly disappointing.
Overall, really worth watching drama. And please don't compare with City Hunter because it is definitely and way different! Honestly, this drama attracts my attention more than watching City Hunter. OKAY I AM HAVING WITHDRAWAL SYMPTOMS NOW ):

Leia Mais