Reviews

So... This was an amazing, awesome drama.
It's full of great actions, some daebak fighting scenes (even if it took me some times to accept the fact that it was mostly like a choreography than like a real fight, I finished to really appreciate the beauty of those scenes), the characters were great, especially Daegil and his buddies, loved so so much Wangson and the general Choi (one funny, carefree but with a friendly side, one serious, proud but with a cute childish side), each other character had a little something that made me react (in a good or in a bad way) and they were so true that I sometimes can feel that they could be real, the music made me travel, dream and was always really well choose for each scene, the story was absorbing even though I missed a real ending for some second leads, I also missed a real link between the two main stories (The one with Daegil and Song Taeha an the one with the slaves).

About the two main leads, first, Daegil... He's so powerful in so many ways, his story is deeply moving and he managed to become one of a great person, with a bad boy side but a heart bigger than anyone ! I was so touch by each little action, each little detail that no one can see but only discover later.. Even if he might look like a bad guy, an unscrupulous person, we happen to realize little by little that he has the most generous and amazing personality ! And no one can miss the fact that Oh My God, he's freaking gorgeous !!!!!

Song Taeha, I first liked this character so much, his good personality with many principles. He's the opposite of Daegil, like the bright side and the dark side. But he's in a way too ideologically bound that he didn't fit in this world. I had times when I hate what he said or how he acted, like a narrow minded person but I never really dislike him.

Those two guys were perfect for this drama, perfect for each other and I liked their actions, their fights and their talks.

A real bonus for Wangson, the general Choi and Seolwha who made this drama funnier and greater to watch !!!
Another bonus for the ending of each episode with this daebak music and this beautiful painted picture !

I'm gonna miss so much Daegil, Taeha, Wangson, General Choi, Seolwha, Chobok, Keutbong, Baekho... And this music !!!!!! Now that I finished this drama, I feel like a void inside me and can't stop listening to the music just to stay in the same mood !! kekeke

Leia Mais

I simply loved this version of Nodame Cantabile. I only watched the anime, and struggled through the japanese version till I ended up dropping it. This one was simply perfect. The story itself isn't too complicated, but entertaining and easy to keep watching without major efforts. What I loved the most was the music, I love classical music and enjoyed every bit of it, some performances even had me in tears. Would I rewatch this? A thousand times, no doubt about it.
Even though many didn't like the addition of the cellist, I have to say it was refreshing and enjoyable. Loved the guy too :P

Leia Mais

Pinocchio, Pinocchio I thought you were going to be a stupid show. But I was so wrong...I should have known better you had Mr. Tall, talented and sexy as your main man. Lee Jong-suk ....wow. He just continues to showcase his talent. Spoiler: He is responsible for Ms. Park Shin-hye finally, I mean finally having a realistic kiss. She also matured into this role really well. The chemistry between the two was great. The supporting cast is top notch. The plot and storyline had you engaged from the start. It made you sit up and say "oh wait...so this isn't a comedy..." (for those of us that don't read in-depth previews before a show and it had Park Shin-hye. I was expecting some funny in the first epi.) Spoiler: the only part that wasn't so believable or I missed something in translation, was the whole phone/stolen text piece, maybe it's just me. There were parts towards the end that I wanted a little bit more, something fell flat a little? Overall I was satisfied. This was a great show. If I say anything else, I will spoil it for you, so watch it for yourself.

Leia Mais

Love this series. The suspense...yes. Plot...yes. Action...yes. Romance...yes. Sexy....yes, yes.As soon as you finish 1 episode you'll crave the next episode, I mean crave like a fiend. The plot keeps you in it and the romance is just right. Spoiler!! Who knew holding hands could sizzle like this? 1 item though...they overdid the Parkour in one of the episodes and after all the build up there should have been a little more meat for the, I'll just call it, "the true reunion" towards the end. Also, Moments of the last episode felt a little hurried. This is the only reason this wasn't a puuuurfect 10...it's a 9.9! Other than that..it'll keep you on the edge of your seat. It's a fantastic journey. My recommendation? ---Just watch it!! Healer is the cure for the common KDrama!

Fyi: . I'm now going to be looking out for more shows with Ji Chang-Wook. Empress Ki...you and I will be in for a looong binge.

Leia Mais

If you're thinking about watching it, or even just bored, do it. I did and it was totally worth it, don't let anything detour you.

Overall: 8.5. Good mystery's and murder's, great geniuses that make you want to be a genius (almost in a sherlock style, but softer.... much softer), and agonizingly wonderfully slow relationship development (this is great because although a lot of people want a quick romance development, going slow makes it even sweeter in this case. It really portrays how much the two mains love each other even before they really discover they are "in" love with each other.)
The main plot is very...clever, brilliant, almost to an unrealistic sense... but still very good. (Perspicacious, would be the vocaby world to describe it.)
(It probably, truth be told, is an 8, but I really enjoyed this drama and so, even though I try (key word try) to be a tough rater, I give it an extra .5)
= Definitely a watch, even if its just an episode on a whim :)

The opening scene hooks you. Your introduced to the show with a blank scene; you know nothing. Not whats going on, not what it means, and not why it would be used as the prized opening scene in a drama. This absence of knowledge makes it a great start. (Honestly I watched this on a whim, and was hooked in the first minute. Plus the hint of romance totally did it for me.)
And then, your introduced to the seemingly main plot of the show, two geniuses solving impossible murder cases, and a small dash of romance. Personally, the romance drew me in more than the crimes themselves, figuring out the relationship between the two mains was definitely a great plot line (though they could've execrated it a little more, but of course, in traditional JDrama fashion they made it slow as hell. Anyway... back to the main point(s):

Story: The main plot lines, both the mystery and relationship, were well planned and well executed. I gave the story an 8.5 because, like most dramas with varying plots, there was definitely room for improvement. One being they totally could've lengthened the romance plot, and intertwined it with the main mystery plot in a much better fashion, but it was exhilarating and agonizingly good they way it was officially done.

Acting: Overall the acting was pretty darn good. I really liked the main actress, and although her acting wasn't perfect, it was almost there. As far as the main actor... I really liked him too, he was really cute, very good at being both lively and brooding at the same time (I know, I don't know how it's possible but he did it and he made it look damn adorable), but I feel there were definite moments that his acting could've been better during the more serious scenes. I do acknowledge the fact that his role was harder the main actresses though. Everyone else was more of a side character and I can't really judge them, first of all they're either to small to have a difficult part, or are just not super good/professional actors so... (I mean that in the nicest way possible...).

Music: There wasn't much music in this particular drama, but I really enjoyed the opening and ending credits songs. Also they made good use of suspenseful and creepy music when the need showed itself so... B+...(more like a B, but I really liked the opening song so..... + for personal preference!!!!)

Rewatch Value:
Ok, so I would probably re-watch this if it was on in the living room or something, but I'm not sure if I would ever intentionally re-watch start to finish.
Reason 1: It's a mystery drama. And I'm really good at remembering plot lines and endings, so, I would probably remember who killed who and how, in order for me to completely re-watch it, I would have to wait a couple of years. That's basically the only reason...

Leia Mais

This was originally set for 12 episodes and they cut it in half and only made 6 - but it's not like any of the stories are connected so I can't say that they rushed it or anything like that. Honestly if there were more than 6 episodes I don't think I could watch much more of this - It deals with so many different relationship problems and tries to find solutions for them - It was interesting but maybe a bit tiring too...They re-used the same cast for each episode and each episode told 2 different relationship issues - most of them were open ended (making us the viewers decide what the person would choose in the end). It made me think relationships are hard work and involve lots of trust....

The cast all did a pretty decent job portraying all sorts of characters, from goody-too-shoes to cheaters and everything in-between. When I watched the first episode I was a bit confused about the re-use of the same cast - so I thought it was a continuation of the first episode when I moved on to episode 2 but every episode is different.

If you want to explore different relationships and want something short to pass time - and especially if you want something you've probably never seen in drama-land - then you could give this a try - it's not my favorite drama out there b/c of these reasons - but it was a decent to watch once (for me personally I won't re-watch it - once was enough).

Leia Mais

OVERALL
If you want a show with mystery, some humor and ongoing intrigue, even if it comes with uninteresting characters, boring or confusing plot elements and a lacking love line, watch it. If you’d rather good relationships and character development, then skip.

THE STORY
I’m very torn about this drama. On the one side, the main leads suffer from a serious identity crisis. Dongchi starts out looking like pompous player, and ends up being devoid of any personality. Yeolmoo starts out being, let’s say it as it is, unbearable, then loses all character, then somehow ends up showing a cute side completely at odds with her initial portrait. I get turned off by shows with titles out of nowhere, and let me tell you that there is no pride in this drama; nor is there any prejudice, or any resemblance with Jane Austen’s novel. And the love story, although coherent, lacked fluidity and romance. We don’t know why Yeolmoo likes Dongchi (except that he’s dashing and confesses his interest for her every other day), and instead of gradually giving into her feelings, we just get the impression that her love is a switch and one second it’s off, the next it’s on.

On the other side, Pride and Prejudice is a good example of suspense and mystery gone right. Cases that the characters investigate are all connected, slowly weaving a huge, dark and complex spider web. There’s never-ending plot twists, breaking the assumption that dramas can’t escape some predictability, and the main conflicts that the characters face, namely corruption among the political and legal elite, are both daunting and realistic. The secondary couple is also cute and fun, even though the characters separately are not very likable. So the bottom line is? Although I wasn’t in love with this drama, it still peaked my interest enough to get me to watch it all the way to the end.

THE ACTING
Mmm…I hate to say it, but I feel the same way about Choi Jinhyuk as I did with his character, Dongchi. He’s handsome and might have some good acting skills, but he doesn’t know how to show them, because all the roles I’ve seen him in look similar, not to say identical, and lack some unique character. Baek Jinhee I know can act well, anyone who’s seen her in Empress Ki knows it. Why she would take on such a bland role, I don’t know. Well, I do. I would take it too, if I had to be with Choi Jinhyuk, but you know what I mean. The rest of the cast did quite well though, especially the older generation. And you can expect a Good kiss (notice the capital G) between the leads.

THE MUSIC
Nothing great, but alright in context.

REWATCHABLE VALUE
I’m going to say just average. The intrigues might be interesting, but the drama is not gripping. I wasn’t dying to watch each episode then, and I’m not dying to rewatch the show now.

Leia Mais

Like the driven business professionals it chronicles, Misaeng pays attention to detail. It understands the importance of the little things, capturing its characters’ everyday epiphanies with the lapidary precision of a miniaturist. Some are painful, some sweet, some hilarious, some surreal, but all are written, acted, and filmed with care. The tight ensemble cast mixes promising newbies with skilled veterans to create a lived-in world that feels larger than the cramped cubicles that define it. There are also refreshingly few drama clichés as the show builds a love affair between a renegade manager and his star-struck young temp that, while completely platonic, is every bit as fraught and passionate as a standard romance.

While Chief Oh and Geu-Rae’s relationship forms the backbone of the show, the overall structure is fairly loose. This fits the slice-of-life style, but can make the drama a slow watch. It also means that issues and characters come and go, sometimes drifting away with little resolution. Individual episodes are gems of close observation and visual inventiveness, but don’t always build into a single compelling through-line. For me, the small moments resonated far more than the drama’s grander pronouncements about life, the universe, and everything. But, then again, maybe that’s the point. Perhaps a show about incompleteness can be forgiven for being more compelling in its fragments than for the bigger picture that it tries to draw.

Leia Mais

I'm Lovin this drama soooo much!!! This is my first Taiwanese drama and it did not disappoint. The couple has such great chemistry, I have not seen such a compatible couple in a while. I'm now more into Korean dramas, but this one also kind reminds me of Korean drama's than HK dramas. The story is nothing unusal, rich guy disguises himself as a ordinary poor guy and tries and gets girl that way. But the drama is written in such a sweet way, I am enjoying it so much. I laugh, I cry, and I sigh.......so romantic, Aarson such a hot dude, I highly recommend this drama. I will look forward to seeing more dramas by Aaron Yan and Tia Lee.

***Addn'l comments:

I wrote the above review while only half way thru the drama, something which i probably do again. I still liked this drama very much and look forward to more dramas by both main actors/actress and contrary to most of the bad reviews I understood why the 2nd half of the drama was written this way. It was not boring nor did it drag for me. Having said that I did understood everyone's frustration with how the main characters reacts while being manipulated and abused by family members. They became like doormats especially the female character. It became really hard to believe someone can accept some of the stuff being dished out to her and she not only does nothing, but also says "it's ok". Being a hot headed person myself, it was very frustrating to watch to the point where I wanted to either throw something at the screen or just scream at her. Ending however was to my satisfaction, I'm a big believer in Karma and the belief of "be careful of what you wish for", lol. Final ending sceen was VERY CUTE! all in all, I still liked the drama and would watch again.

Leia Mais

Writing a review on this is a hard job. I myself cannot express how I felt throughout the show in words but I'll try my best. It's not only me who thinks this but this show is not for everyone. Not just because of the nature of the relationship of the leads but the production, the acting and the storyline is on a different level. Mmm like Classics, not everyone can read between the lines or enjoy the depth of them. Anyhow I started this because of Yoo Ah In, who no matter what others might think -though I don't give a damn- is a genius actor. I'm glad I watched it.

I'm not a fan of affairs stories, but I AM a fan of freedom tales. The drama is not about Oh Hye Won cheating on her husband and giving up on everything for a young pianist. The drama is about her breaking away from all the restrictions, prejudices and stereotypes of society. If you read Kate Chopin's The Awakening you'd understand what I mean. Lee Soon Jae was only the trigger, the hope and the strength that helped her throw herself in the vast ocean so she can be reborn again. The drama is a brave attack on the world of the corrupted rich and how low they can stoop to protect what they believe is theirs. How such people can strangle others' dreams without feeling the slight regret.

Full of deep, mind blowing and heartbreaking music; the drama sneaked into every cell of my existence.

Kim Hee Ae was the perfect actress for the role and I can't imagine anybody else playing it. The pain her whole body portrays is nothing I've ever seen. That dignity she upholds and that charisma! She mesmerised me.

Now comes Lee Soon Jae. I don't know what the writer had in mind when she wrote the character of Lee Seon Jae but i'm sure Yoo Ah In surpassed anything the writer had in mind. For the first time in a really long time I cannot find words to describe a character. I cannot pinpoint the reason I find him irresistible and i'm sure Oh Hye Won didn't know either.. at a moment i'd be sure he had some psychological issue, in the next moment he's just an innocent , simple-minded and outright young man, then he's a crazy passionate man in love. He's never normal but i can't tell why he isn't.. This character acted by this actor is completely putting me in Oh Hye Won's shoes.. Her facial expressions as she watches him are not forced at all. I guess anybody would have felt that insane rush of emotions if they were with him...

Again; if ur not a non-conformist, don't start this.

Leia Mais

Do you have regrets from the past? Things left unsaid or sorrys undelivered? This drama is all about that.
I really connected to the drama since I was in an all-girls school and the concept of uniting two schools into co-ed sounded fun to me. And the best part is that they made it fun. All the students were shown struggling with their own battles, and I really loved how they together with the teachers could sought them out. I loved how the teacher was more of a friend to the students. It was really touching to watch him struggle to atone for his mistakes by making sure that he could bring happiness to the school.
I am in love with Nishikido Ryo. He was adorable! I don't really fall for sissy characters but he totally won me over. The way he adapted into the role of an innocent teacher trying his best while carrying the weight of the past was commendable.
Amazing acting and perfectly executed script. Though in the beginning I thought it was slightly perverted, there wasn't a second that I got bored.
It had a lot of good things to learn but what I found best was: Stop carrying the baggage from your past. If you have to say sorry, say it soon. If you want to say i love you, say it soon. Because with time, others might forget your mistakes, but you won't. You will have to live with them every single day. So the sooner you let go, the better, and then you can happily spend the rest of the time making things right. I loved how Hara Sensei turned into this incredibly amazing person with a warm heart in order to make up for his mistakes but through out the series I wished he didn't have to suffer so much.

A must watch! Beautiful story. Beautiful Cast. Beautiful Acting. Beautiful emotions.

Leia Mais

This is definitely more of an action/comedy series than a serious police procedural. The stylised kakkoii shooting scenes and Oguri Shun being all droolworthy in suits make for enjoyable eye candy, and the bickering bromance between the two leads is the definite highlight of the show. All in all I found it fun to watch, but this is not a dorama that tugged at my heartstrings or gave me any feels or taught me anything about life. It's cliched but entertaining and can definitely be watched with half a brain (not being disparaging, such doramas are a real relief after a hard day's work!)

Leia Mais