The writers just had no idea what to do to finish it off

The show was good for I'd say 25 to 30ish episodes, depending on who you ask, where it was a fairly solid show that kept me interested enough to come back each week for more. This was however where the good times ended and every possible nonsensical thing that could have happen happened. Every single character's reasoning ability went out the window and logic or common sense had no meaning in this drama. It was just about getting to the end and filling up time that was left with random fill ins and drawn out plot lines. I get it's a 50 episode drama so there will be a notable amount of filler to eat up 50+ hours of drama time but there was so just so much filler that I found myself fast forwarding for maybe 80% of an episode. It really is bad that a drama pulls you in for months just for you to have fast forward through an incredible amount of it in the back half just to see how it ends to get at least some closure.

Yeon Doo and Tae Kyung's chemistry wasn't terrible for me but it definitely could've been better. At times they were great to watch and at times you couldn't tell that they had emotions. It just seemed like they weren't so much lovers as they were legally contracted roommates (I saw the first review say this and I don't think it could have been more spot on).

There was a few nit-picky things that left for bad taste at the end of the drama like the continued pattern of introducing things to try and spice up the drama and then never acknowledging them again like it never happened. Yeon Doo's career as an instructor after being ended prematurely was completely put on the back burners with her I think not ever once fighting for it until the very last episode where she they just had her end up as an instructor again with no build up to fighting her way back to that position. The insane amount of trauma Se Jin and Joon Ha caused that went almost entirely unpunished where all it took was a 'I'm sorry' the last episode or so for it all to be put in the past. When someone actively tries to ruin your life for months on end even to the point of where Yeon Doo could have miscarried and almost did actually from the amount of stress, it felt insanely light. At least from what I've read, family dramas for whatever reasons tend to let the villains of a show get off pretty much unscathed with at most an apology and just saying they'll leave to give the main leads peace. After making the audience hate them for 50 episodes, letting them have their actions have no repercussions in the end is a pretty big insult to the intelligence of the viewers on how things actually get handled.

This is a drama that although a good start just couldn't figure out where it wanted to go and just kept trying to introduce shock value to catch a viewer's attention. When the reason you come back each week is just to get to the end and see what the writers could ending up coming up with (not in a good way) you probably aren't watching the drama because it captivates you.

50+ hours is a big commitment and if you want to use those 50+ hours on this show get ready for the randomness. Godspeed to the fast forward button.

First half: 8/10
Second half: 4/10

Read More

A comfy family drama with some fast forwarding

Homemade Love Story was a very comfy watch that was heartwarming with amusing and interesting stories along the way. There are characters both to root for and root against in this drama that keeps you in it until the end. There is also lots of moments that emphasizes the love of having family to support you, even if you are not of the same blood. It was also really nice to see the development of the villains in this this drama learning to be loved and that it doesn't have to feel like the whole world is against them always. It was also great to see that the villains were able to gradually look upon their actions and understand that they were actually bad and do what they can to be good to protect the ones they love. A lot of dramas either have villains go down as a villain the entire way or have them be a villain until the very last episode where for an action show it fits the genre but for family dramas it can sometimes be out of place. Before starting this show, I was undecided about starting it because a 50 episode drama can be a lot to take on but I am glad I made the decision to do so and will remember this one dearly.

Few things I disliked:
1. Both of Bit Chae Woon's moms were nice people but they were both pretty frustrating to watch at times with the back and forth thinking. They probably could have saved themselves a good amount of headaches with some stuff like Soon Jung being truthful a lot earlier than when she finally told the truth and Jung Won understanding that her daughter, who already tried to sabotage Bit Chae Woon early on, isn't someone who can be given the benefit of the doubt. Again, it's a 50 episode drama so they needed to extend the story into that many episodes but it was exhausting with the back and forth sometimes.

2. Seo Ah was a character that had to deal with a lot with so you could somewhat understand why she was the way she was with the pain she felt but even though that was the case it felt that she got off way too easy with the amount of hurt she caused others. She made Bit Chae Woon's and Jae Hee's lives as tough as possible every very chance she could since the beginning of the show. In the end, all that really ended up happening to her was her feeling sorry for her actions and apologizing to Bit Chae Woon and which felt like very little for what she did.

Read More

Underrated gem

This was a drama that I was on the fence about getting into and after starting it I have to say it is one of the better dramas I've watched in a long while. I'd put it in my top 10 with how enjoyable it was to go through. A great thing this drama does is it touches on a lot of heartfelt moments that happen in each life and even though there is a goal of accumulating as much good points as possible it also showed the struggles with with that on how Asami's even doing good it sometimes was all that was wanted. Both the adults and the child actors did a great job in each part of their story. I was curious with how this drama would be able to work with main character would coming back after dying multiple times and how they would manage to make each life distinct and not just repetitive but the writers did a great job again making each life interesting and unique while still leaving the notion that each life can be different but can lead to similar paths. The plot twists in here weren't just there for shock value but actually had meaning which is a nice addition. Just because something is avoided, in this case death, doesn't mean it won't still happen or change something else around Asami or others.

10 episodes was a good amount for this shows and its story-telling without having to stretch it out with unnecessary plot lines to fill time in. The multiple lives she had to live helped with that a lot because it didn't have to focus on just one story of Asami's life which made the show that much more enjoyable.

This is easily in my top 5 dramas for 2023!

Read More

Great show all the way to the finish

Was an incredible watch covering bullying and the horrors it can bring not just during when it happens but for and endless amount of time afterwards. It is definitely a tough topic to cover and watch but the writers did a great job with this one. This was the first k-drama i ever watched with my mom and we were both amazed at how great the drama was. It was her just her second one she has ever watched and ended up being one of her favorite shows she has seen. Revenge type dramas aren't usually my focus on shows i watch because i have found myself sometimes getting bored after a while with revenge plots being poorly written by the conclusion of a show but the story and incredibly acting for this kept me interested the whole way. The cast did a great job with making every character so well portrayed to give us the feeling of begging for a character's downfall or rooting for their revenge.

Part 1 and 2 are definitely a need to watch

Read More

My favorite family drama I've watched

From start to finish this this show is incredibly heartwarming and lets every character have their story told in a way that lets you connect with them and not just skip through their scenes to get past the filler parts. No ultimate revenge from characters who have a vendetta that drags out for an entire drama and no clingy exes from the past that won't let the leads move on. This drama is such a comfy watch that just lets you enjoy the drama and the family as a whole and have an enjoyable watch without all the stress from worrying about disaster striking.

I really enjoyed how it showed each character's flaws and let them explain their story about why they have them and how they work over the period of the drama to get to a place where they can accept their flaws and still experience love with their partners who they divorced or with family.

My only complaint, and it's a small one, is that both moms Ok Boon and Yoon Jung were a bit unbearable for a 5 or so episode stretch in this drama where I was begging for them to have the scene be over. Thankfully it doesn't last long but I wasn't that much of a fan with how the moms handled their kids like complete traitors instead of being logical and not just angry.

Lots of laughs and cheerfulness in this drama with a lot of great characters that will grow on you from the start and will leave you with a happy ending! Will definitely rewatch some day!

My first family drama that I give a 10! :D

Read More

Fun family comedy that is light-hearted even during survival

Survival Family was a fun and unexpected take on the post-apocalyptic world where everything doesn't immediately go to mayhem and last man standing. The Suzuki family is suddenly thrown into disarray when a mysterious blackout quickly starts to impact electrical systems that they are all attached to and finding themselves not able to live without. Seeing the panic in the city setting, the Suzukis decide to make way to Kagoshima on a journey of survival that is both entertaining and heartwarming adventure as they find themselves confronted with many challenges and discover newfound strengths within themselves. From scavenging for food to dealing with quirky characters along the way, each encounter gives amusement to the story.

The scenery in this movie shows the beauty even in a time of distress of Japanese landscape, making the backdrop on the family's journey pleasant to see even during a global pandemic (which is kind of weird but keeps you attentive haha). I personally think the director's decision to keep the tone of the movie light-hearted, even in the pressing situation, is refreshing and sets Survival Family apart from the more intense post-apocalyptic dramas where it's survival of the fittest and immediate chaos with trying to outlive the bad guys for the entire movie.

All in all Survival Family is a great watch that combines a family comedy with the urgency of survival, making it an entertaining and fun sit down when pandemic movies don't always ending up leading that way.

Read More

I watched this back during covid after needing a show to watch during the lockdown and come out of it with a big smile. This is a very warm drama with a good story that I'll admit got me a bit bored towards the backend of it but was still throughably enjoyable to watch.

I wasn't that big a fan of the love triangle but I do think that Dal Mi and Do San were the best option to be together because of how they could relate to one another and although she found a deep friendship with Ji Pyung it felt more of a platonic friendship between them. Dal Mi never really showed a love interest in him despite the reveal of he was who she was really talking to. Do San loved her from the beginning without even knowing a single thing about her other than the letters and did what he could with her best interests at mind even with some lies involved. He never had an intention of completely fooling her with who he really was but with everything getting caught up in another lie it was sometimes hard to tell the truth but through his actions toward Dal Mi and her grandmother his good intentions were easily seeable as good.

I wish we got to see a bit more at the end of the drama with how they built up their company they showed at the end to it's big success from small start-up office because we didn't see much really happen in that office and the self-driving company and even a bit of the wedding would of been fun but so and so.. Also, I really enjoyed Dal Mi's mom and grandmother's relationship after they got together again. They didn't show a whole lot of it but it was super nice.

This is a good drama to sit down and watch with good acting and great OST, bit disappointed how people didn't end up liking it too much because they didn't think Dal Mi ended with the right person. I think people got hit super hard with second-lead syndrome.

Read More

Zombies and politics in Joseon Dynasty makes this show really unique

My best friend and I found this show back late 2019 while we were looking for something to watch without knowing a thing about it and with no expectations. Even with no expectations, I can confidently say that this show blew us away. It is such a good blend of a historical drama while battling an unheard of disease bringing the the dead back to life, making it unique and a nail-biter.

A Joseon period zombie show is something I never really anticipated, but Kingdom introduces us to a world of political turmoil, conspiracies, and an unknown plague that brings back the dead as monsters. The incredible storytelling and historical context is was i think sets Kingdom apart easily putting it up there as a top zombie show for me. Plus the cinematography was spectacular.

The pacing of Kingdom was great with each episode ending on a nail-biting cliffhanger that left us anticipating for more with each episode. The writers found a good balance between the intense action and moments of quiet tension with the politics side of the show that keeps ya on the edge of your seats, making it a binge-worthy.

The character development by the end of the 2nd part of the full show, shows how each character's motivations and conflicts are distinct to each character making each one connect with the viewers. The cast delivers great performances, bringing life to characters that could die at any given moment given the greed of the people in power and the uneasiness of the zombies attacking.

This is a show that has a great catch that makes it not just about surviving against the dead but also surviving against the living. This show will take you on a rollercoaster where with each minute of the show you will be amazed. Definitely watch!!

Read More