Not for me

I'd say give it a try and don't go by what I say. I write reviews mainly so I can remember what I liked or disliked about a show.

When I saw the cast for this movie, I got so excited. I mean, really! However, I had to drop this due to coarse language, female objectification and continuous sexual references, talking about sex, thinking about sex, etc. There are just certain things I choose not to subject myself to.

Kim Woo Bin is true-to-form and looks really cool with all his hair combed forward. He usually plays characters that are pigs, and you shouldn't like him, but there is something just so sweet about him.

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Soothing but somewhat lacking

I watched this movie on a long-haul flight last night. It was a slow and peaceful watch, but it didn't wring any emotions from me.

They liked each other in high school but have been apart for 10 years. This was problematic for me from the standpoint that he could get training in cello pretty much anywhere, and she had the type of job that could be done anywhere, so the distance for that long period of time didn't make sense. There were a couple of phone calls, but that's it.

I did like the flashbacks, though neither one of them looked much different, just in hairstyle.

Since the whole of the movie was of them apart, trying to realize their own dreams, I couldn't feel their love. I honestly thought it would end differently than it did. It was a cute ending, but again, nothing tugging at my emotions.

The ML did say something to one of his orchestra friends about the FL that was very swoony, but again, didn't he think he should share this information with the FL?

The filming was kind of sepia toned, which I thought was interesting. Basically, for me, it was something to pass the time.

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I liked it a lot more than I thought I would

Sometimes I read reviews, sometimes I don't. I love romance, melodrama, not so much. I don't know what made me start watching this, especially after reading so many negative comments. This was the classic chaebol melodrama, class separation, back-stabbing family, etc. I liked the main characters for numerous reasons, however.

Uee as Yoon Ha. This character could have been a spoiled rich girl. But, even with all the money and status, her family was a nightmare, each and every one of them. She tried so hard to get a scrap of affection from each of them, but they were so busy trying to climb their way to the top they had no use for her. She decided to break free and work as a part-timer at a grocery store. She has rebelled against her status and wants to live like a "regular person" (though she's still living in her family home and living off their money, so how free could she be?) I liked her. She appreciated and was true to her friendship with Ji Yi. (there was wonderful sismance here).

Sung Joon as Joon Ki. I really liked his storyline. He wanted to be in the upper echelon and wasn't above trickery to get there. I loved watching his interactions with others, I was never quite sure about his motives, if he was being truthful, or if it was all to get ahead. His character grew a lot throughout the drama. Plus, he has a beautiful deep voice.

Park Hyung Sik as Chang Soo. I had a love/hate relationship with this character. Multiple shower/workout scenes - loved. He's a beautiful crier. He is so cute when he is drawn to a woman and I really liked his surprise at liking a woman "for real" after having just been a player previously. Chang Soo and Ji Yi had a very cute relationship that was, for the most part, fun to watch. He's got that sarcastic humor down to an art. Good romance and good kisses. My problem with this character was his being a total doormat to his mom. She was going to decide who he married, she threatened Ji Yi multiple times and made no bones about the fact that marriage was for status. I absolutely hated how weak he was. It reminded me of the ML in Boys Over Flowers, who I hated for the same reason. You're absolutely in love, but going to marry who mommy tells you to. Even toward the end, I felt that he was compromising with his mom and felt that there would always be a problem there.

Im Ji Yeon as Ji Yi - effervescent personality. Loyal friend. Forgiving soul. I didn't like some of the conversations she had with Chang Soo - "I've decided I'm going to like you", etc. I went back and forth between admiring her and thinking that she needed to get a spine.

Jang Hyung Soon as Chang Soo's mother - Surprisingly, I loved to hate her. She was a force to be reckoned with, but her scenes between her and her son were fun to watch in a "there's an accident on the other side of the road and I don't want to look but I can't help myself" way. And when she met Ji Yi, you always felt that Ji Yi had the upper hand and Chang Soo's mom was busy trying to figure out where she went wrong. Funny!

I went back and immediately re-watched the final four episodes to see again the growth in the characters. They learned from their mistakes and were moving forward. I liked how none of the main characters were over-dramatic, for the most part. The ending was kind of love/hate for me. As usual with K-dramas, the ending was kind of rushed. We got a proposal (loved) but we also had a married couple that went through so much to be together, but now all they do is squabble. That was a letdown for me.

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Charming and funny historical (an oxymoron?)

First, I'm no expert on Chinese dramas, especially historical ones, because they normally aren't my cup of tea. They tend to be too angsty, too overdone, too dubbed, too costume-y, too long, too slow, etc.

I happened upon this one accidentally after watching something else on Disney+. What a pleasant surprise! This show was very light, funny, and enjoyable to watch. And when I say funny, there were numerous laugh out loud moments for me. Add to that the fact that it was only 16 episodes, I'll give the editor kudos for keeping the editing tight and managing to leave out most of the filler.

There was so much to like about this show, I'll name just a few of my favorite things.
-Wang Xing Yue as the Prince - this actor is only 22! I think he will probably go far in the business. I loved the character he played. He was cold and reserved, as befit his station in life, yet meeting Xiao Xiao turned him a besotted, sometimes clueless, man. I loved how his eunuch was so supportive, giving him a "thumbs up" when he did something right. There were times that he behaved in an immature way, but that really endeared him to me. He was in uncharted waters, but was forging ahead in his feelings for her. His broken heart was heartbreaking to watch. The way he looked at Xiao Xiao, he didn't care who knew he was in love.
-He Rui Xianao as Xiao Xiao - though I didn't always love her character, I thought she did a fine job with her part. There was a stillness about her, a quiet determination in her actions. She had a goal and wasn't going to let anything get in her way. However, I did find it interesting that when she was upset her food tasted bad, but she didn't notice? Did she not taste her own food?
-The Queen - random, I know, since her part was relatively small. However, I LOVED how supportive she was of the Prince. So many historical dramas have the evil queen character, and it was refreshing not to have it here.
-Side characters - especially the kitchen staff. They started out with tension but grew to trust and care about one another.
-The food - this was a plus and a minus for me. Food porn is an apt description for the abundance of food cooking, food presentation, and food eating. The eating part is where I had a problem. Were they going for ASMR? The loud sounds of them slurping, chewing, swallowing, with the extreme close-ups of their mouths, was disgusting.

Ending/alternate ending - this confused me. I had been reading that episode 16 was an alternate ending, but it was almost a carbon copy of episode 15. There are basically two endings in episode 15. SPOILER: In one ending she leaves the palace - watching the Prince's heartbreak was so sad! He "pretends" to die so he can go and be with her? I had a couple of problems with this. I love a love story, and the fact that she could walk away without a backward glance made me think that she couldn't have loved him that much. Also, she can't have gone too far from the palace because she heard about his "death". Did he not go and look for her? Also, in that day and age, would she, as a woman, be able to open her own restaurant? Where did she get the money for it? THEN, she's wasting away when she thinks that he has died. Seemed a bit much since she had no problem leaving him. THEN, when he shows up and stays with her, I didn't like how their relationship was presented - she was always nagging him to do some work, and he was just lazy. Their personalities had changed so much. The other ending was unsatisfying as well - if they married and stayed in the Palace, I would have liked to have seen how she adjusted. We are just shown a brief snippet of them when they are old. END SPOILER.

So, I'd have to say that the ending/s were the weak link for me. Thankfully, the rest of the show made up for it. This is an easy, funny, fluffy, low angst watch when you need a break from heavier shows.

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Somewhat uneven watch

I'll start by saying that historical dramas are not my favorite genre, so ratings for these, for me, tend to be lower. That being said, I think one of the problems I had with this movie was that it was uneven. At the beginning it acted like it wanted to be a comedy, then the writers gave that up midway through. It moved along rather quickly, since it was a movie rather than a serial drama, and I was thankful for that. I have to be totally enthralled with a story to put up with all the filler that the dramas include, and this was far from an enthralling story.

The acting was okay, I don't know if it was the actors or the script that didn't draw me in. There was something that kept me from being involved in the story. I found myself look at the time a lot, and that's never a good sign. I also wasn't "feeling" the romance at all. The chemistry was lacking, as well as the fact that the romance was definitely on the back burner compared to the palace intrigues.

I did, however, REALLY appreciate the way they wrote the king. Finally, a king that makes some of his own decisions, rather than being led by his untrustworthy cabinet.

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I laughed, I cried, I re-watched

For me, there are seasons for certain types of shows. My main focus is romance with the much-needed HEA. That being said, sometimes you need a slice-of-life show where you come to know and love the characters, and this was perfect, I must say. I really liked season 1 a lot, but season 2 is on another level. We already know how close all the characters are, and it was so enjoyable to learn and grow in their relationships with each other and those outside their little circle of friends. Extremely well-written and with well-rounded characters, I watched this in three evenings. There were undercurrents of romance for each of the characters and it was refreshing to see mature relationships, with nary a stupid breakup in sight (Jun Wan and GF are somewhat of an exception, but I'll forgive that). I could go on and on about this show, but I'll just give a couple of my highlights.

Jung Kyung Ho as Jun Wan - love his knowledge as well as his sometimes immaturity. One thing I found fascinating about him, did he lose weight for this role? He was SO thin and I just kept thinking that because of how busy he was he didn't have time to eat. Granted he's a small-boned man, but he can sure wear his clothes! And in scrubs, his "thinness" is really obvious. It was a good look for him.

Bromance between all the main characters. They had each other's backs but weren't above wrestling for the remote control!

Kim Hae Sook as Rosa (Jung Won's mother). I love her in anything she is in, and her character, as well as her storyline were wonderful. It's refreshing to see a mature person in a good story.

The love/hate relationship between Jun Wan and Jae Hak. There was something kind of stalker-ish about Jae Hak, which brought a lot of humor to the show, as well as their relationship. I also loved the storyline of Jae Hak and his wife.

Jun Wan and Song Hwa are the piggies of the group, constantly eating more than their weight in food. They thought about food, talked about food, and planned what they would eat next.

Sung Hwa as a bad singer. This was so cute to watch and hear, especially since she has such a lovely singing voice.

All the music. I REALLY appreciated that they said what the songs were and who was performing them. I also liked that the actors did a lot of the music.

The medical aspect of the show was often heart wrenching, but it was more about the characters than the medicine.

*If I had to voice one complaint, it would be that, as a health care worker, the first thing we learn is how to talk to patients, compared to other medical staff. The doctors in this show often used medical jargon that no layman would be able to understand. But, that's just a slight blip in an otherwise stellar show.

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Fun watch

Rated down strictly because this show was entirely too long, with too much extraneous stuff. Aside from that, this was a wonderful drama. The two main characters in this were lovely. I loved their relationship. His dialogue with her after he finds out that she's a robot? He was absolutely wonderful and my heart broke for both of them. His friendship with the team was fun to watch, they were all misfits in their own way, yet they found friendship with each other. The ending was cute, though somewhat rushed. Definitely a good show to watch, though. Great chemistry between the two main characters, no "fish face, open eyes kisses".

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Older but cute show

Song Joong Ki travels to Japan for food and fun. It was interesting to see all the various types of food that Japan offers. I was amazed to find out the number of food places there are in Japan! I don't eat fish, so a lot of the foods I just didn't "get", but it was worth it just to watch Joong Ki eat oysters!

This show is 12 years old, but Joong Ki's cute aura shines through. You just want to squeeze his cheeks. His interactions with his staff, as well as fans and others that he encountered was fun.

Every so often (unfortunately, it's happening frequently these days!) I have a run of bad luck on the shows that I watch and I just need to turn off my brain for a while. This was perfect for that.

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Sweet

What a cute movie! I wasn't too sure at the beginning, because it seemed so outdated, the film quality was a little iffy.

I didn't care for the ML or the FL at the beginning. He was just a sad sack, and she was completely materialistic. I was wondering if I should continue, and I'm sure glad I did. The growth and development of both characters, both individually and as a couple was lovely to watch.

The concept was slightly like Il Mare, with the two mains being in 1999 and 2018, but here, they end up inhabiting the same apartment. I thought the special effects were well-done, and what they did to the apartment so they could inhabit the same space was really clever.

The ending was bittersweet, but based on the clips following the credits, I choose to believe in a happily ever after for them.

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Easy watch

This was a quick binge watch of easy sweetness. You know how you sometimes just want to watch something purely for enjoyment's sake, not having to think too much, keeping characters straight or being let down by a confusing or open-ended conclusion? That's what I found here. For the first time in a long time, I looked forward to watching the next episode in a show. Call me superficial, but there you have it.

The story surely wasn't anything that we haven't seen a million times before, but there was something so endearing about the characters here. I thought the actors all did an adequate job, these weren't roles that required a lot of acting skill, so I'll address the characters themselves. I find that, for the most part, when I watch something, I have to care about at least someone, to want to see what is going to happen to them and how they are going to develop. I found that in this show.

Seung Min - your "average Joe". This was a character that was not popular, not unpopular, but just someone that no one would give a second thought to. He was perfectly content to like Ji Na from afar. I liked how the character was not a social outcast and how he just seemed to feel comfortable in his own skin. And once the contract began, I really enjoyed watching his enjoyment of being a boyfriend. He was excellent boyfriend material, and he did some very sweet things for and with Ji Na. The couple of interactions he had with his dad were sweet as well.

Ji Na - the popular idol trainee. Beautiful, sure. At the beginning she seemed lonely to me. She had a couple of friends but the way it was filmed, we saw that everyone else just watched her from afar. I think she was popular for how she looked, not for who she was. She was nice and didn't seem to bask in her popularity.

Hyung Tak - the baseball jock, inconsiderate boyfriend. Even though he thought that Ji Na couldn't possibly like someone else, I really liked this character and the way that he matured. You never know what you have until it's gone.

Han Na - though she looked like she had just sucked on a lemon for most of the show, this was a character that I just wanted to slap. Toxic.

Ba Ul - This character was all kinds of over-the-top. Initially, it was off-putting, but then I got used to him and enjoyed his cuteness.

Min Ji - the friendly, supportive best friend. Sweetness and light and enjoying Ba Ul.

So, this isn't a show that's going to tax your brain or change the world in any way, but I found it to be a fun and peaceful watch. I laughed, I teared up, and I'm glad I took the time for it.

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Tsundere and girl with no self-esteem

I'm not going to reiterate the other reviewers. For me, the rating is mostly for being able to look at Dori Sakurada - oh, my goodness! That said, there really wasn't too much of a story line, other than repeating over and over and over again how low the girl's self-esteem was. I was so tired of "I'm not good enough for him". Actually, she said that so much I had to agree with her. She never even really talked to him so I don't get how they could be in love. He was aggressive, which if she was as innocent as she kept talking about, she would have run for the hills. I just kept waiting for her to get a spine, and it never really happened.

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Kim Soo Hyun is magnetic

Likes:
1) First and foremost, Kim Soo Hyun. It's like he's got a tractor beam engaged any time he is on screen. My focus was solely on him. To become enmeshed in a country and environment that are not your own, for years at a time, to completely blend in, I could feel his loneliness. And yes, he will always be associated with green track suits! His cameo in Crash Landing on You was hysterical. Hopefully it brought new people to watch this movie after seeing it.
2) I felt that the storyline was original and well-executed.

Dislikes:
1) The ending. Granted, I think it ended the way it had to, but it left me with a blanket of sadness, and I really don't like to be sad!

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Take me to France!

BEAUTIFUL scenery - it made me want to hop a plane for France! The cast was good. I especially liked the developing friendship between the older woman and the shopping girl. When the older woman smiles, so cute! I didn't care about the father/daughter storyline. The main couple were cute. I rated it lower because of the premarital sex, that's just a personal bias of mine.
This wasn't your typical Korean drama. Often, when you have multiple characters, the stories are very surface, and you don't have time to know more about them. That was not the case here. I'll say again, it made me want to go on vacation!

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Poor sound, editing and acting

I came across this last night and started watching it without knowing anything about it. Initially it gave off a What's Wrong with Secretary Kim -vibe, but then moved to Groundhog Day. Secretary Bai wanted to resign because she hated her boss with a passion but was frustrated by being stuck in a time loop and reliving the same day over and over again. She learns how to anticipate the needs of everyone because she's already lived each circumstance of the day. It's a cute premise, but not well-executed. The sound production is awful! The sound cuts out suddenly periodically, sometimes it becomes loud, and often the voices sound like they are coming from a tunnel. The "special effects" with the elevator were awful. The way it was edited was odd too. Sometimes we saw how she changed things, sometimes we didn't. Quick cutaways that were jarring "oh, I guess we're moving on". It really felt like I was watching a movie of an amateur that had some free time and just decided to make a movie.

The ML was a complete narcissistic jerk. Apparently, he acted the way he did because he's liked his secretary all this time...sure, it makes sense to make her life a living hell, that'll prove you like her.

I do have to say that the last 10-15 minutes of it are cute, once his true feelings are known.

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I'm glad I stuck with it!

It was a rocky start for me. Four things almost made me give up early on.
1) Joseph Zeng in the lead as Lu Zhao Yi - I wasn't too sure. He seemed inordinately young, not only to tackle the part of the male lead, but he's supposedly the company president? I put aside my pre-conceived notions and settled in and he was absolutely one of the high points of the show.
2) Liang Jie as FL Ye Shi Lan - I found her character to be very unlikeable at the beginning. Cold, hard - thankfully that didn't last long.
3) She's a pediatrician but she works as his assistant?! Wow, I SERIOUSLY had to suspend disbelief here.
4) Typical Chinese slow-moving script. I felt that it struggled to find its footing in the beginning, but once the two leads started interacting, all was forgiven.

However, once I got involved with these characters (and the script, for the most part), I was in love. And there were SO many reasons why:
1) The main couple was just so darn cute. Really, I really appreciated the script writers here, in that they showed a natural relationship progression. We got the initial misunderstanding (which was taken care of quickly), which was followed by being able to watch them become friends, and then more. I really appreciated that we knew they liked each other before they did, that made it even more fun. There was a lot of heart and a lot of humor with these two. I felt that their chemistry was realistic and amazing. Good kisses and not a lot of push and pull between the two.
2) Zhou Zi Han as Kevin and Li Lin Fei as Yao Jia Jia - as friends of the main couple they were supportive and likeable. But once they got involved with one another? Oh my gosh, I loved their screen time as well. Even though his facial expression never changed much, you could feel his emotions. He had a kind of secret hobby that brought him into her sphere, thankfully. And her? She was the sweetest, most supportive friend, and she was just precious, with her cute hairstyles and that beautiful smile. I loved watching these two get to know each other, again developing a friendship first, before moving forward.
3) I smiled through most of this. It was very low angst, which I always appreciate.
There were just as many things that this show DIDN'T have which made me like it:
1) No evil ex-girlfriend trying to get back with him.
2) No evil parents trying to break them up.
3) No constant making up/breaking up/misunderstandings. Let's be honest, most romances have a certain amount of buildup, but then they spend more time apart than together. Not here. There was only one "fake" break up, and it kind of made sense and didn't go on forever.
4) No time jumps.

So, I'd say, if you want a feel-good show, with two healthy relationships and a lot of heart, you really should try this one.

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