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  • Last Online: Oct 11, 2021
  • Gender: Female
  • Location: Somewhere in Asia
  • Contribution Points: 26 LV1
  • Birthday: July 27
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  • Join Date: November 3, 2020

Samona

Somewhere in Asia

Samona

Somewhere in Asia
Completed
Mr. Queen
106 people found this review helpful
by Samona
Feb 16, 2021
20 of 20 episodes seen
Completed 2
Overall 9.0
Story 9.0
Acting/Cast 9.0
Music 9.0
Rewatch Value 8.0
This review may contain spoilers

In Love With Mr. Queen!

This drama really exceeded my expectations. As a person of being choosy regarding comedy genre who would have thought this drama had so much potential! Surprisingly I enjoyed It throughout. But the results are soaring with high ratings making it the 5th highest rated TVN drama and 7th highest rated cable drama. Can't be happier!

South Korean chef Jung Bong Hwan finds himself transported into Kim So Yong, the queen of Joseon era. While Joseon is beset with corruption Cheol Jong is a king for namesake. Queen Dowager Sun Won and brother Kim Jwa Geon are the main power holders and the root of corruption. But things are not as they seem. King Cheol Jong is a capable king but in disguise.

After the soul transfer, the antics of the queen will surely entertain you. The twist and turns are so satisfying. The intriguing struggle to gain power gives another dash of emotion. The plot itself is interesting.

The cast did a brilliant job. The King and Queen were adorable. I loved how they portrayed the friendship between the queen, courtlady Choi, Hong Yeon & another trio Prince Yeongpeong, Hong Byul Gam, Kim Hwan. Courtlady and Royal Chef Man Bok's romance was another thing. The ending was good. At least it did not have a sad ending like the parent story "Go Princess Go!". Although I felt sad for Kim Beong In, he loved & protected the queen till his last breath.

The OST's deserve separate appreciation. I personally loved Xiumin's "To My One & Only". It was so soothing. Others including Kim Jong Hyun's tracks were also good. They captured the essence.

I can't get enough of this drama. The lines of Jang Bong Hwan "You can make a change in the world by changing yourself" was adept. I'm gonna now keep myself busy in the spinoff. Hope 2021 gives us more dramas to binge.

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Completed
The Sweet Blood
26 people found this review helpful
by Samona
May 12, 2021
15 of 15 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 5.5
Story 5.0
Acting/Cast 5.0
Music 6.5
Rewatch Value 5.0
This review may contain spoilers

Vampire Drama Gone Horribly Wrong, Could Have Been Better

Song Meu Ru, born with special blood has classmates Son Yeon Seo, Yoon Chi Woo who are vampires. Also Do Hyun Jae, a werewolf managing their school store.
To start neither the story or acting was strong enough. Maybe expecting logic is foolish in fantasy genre. But this had no explanation or anything. The plot was too weak and seemed tacky. You can't accept this in 2021. If it was 10-20 years back, it would be somehow acceptable. Storytelling and direction was weak too. Only the OST's were nice.
The cast was fresh. Most of them just debuted. Only Kim Ji Woong as Yoon Chi Woo did a noticeable job despite that over the top vampire makeup and matrix coat look. Others were barely noticeable.
If you have absolutely nothing to watch. Just want to skim through any drama. This is it, a lite version of Vampire Diaries.

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Completed
Unspeakable Love
7 people found this review helpful
by Samona
Jun 27, 2021
1 of 1 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 8.0
Story 8.0
Acting/Cast 8.0
Music 7.0
Rewatch Value 7.0
This review may contain spoilers

Sometimes Loving Is Healing

'Unspeakable Love' portrays the sweet love story of Li Bin and Zhou Chun. Unfortunately Li Bin can't hear and Zhao Chun can't speak. They bond over a live session of Zhao Chun and start contacting each other. And one day they finally decide to meet.
In the short span of 9 minutes the actors successfully portrayed their emotional connection, their childhood sufferings and adversities, how they could find solace through the phone screens. They could confide in each other. As if they could heal or fill their emotional voids.
I'm still confused if this was a short film or brand advertisement for Oppo Reno 5. Whichever this is, it's a pretty decent watch. What are the odds of not liking a real life inspired love story!

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Completed
Emperor or Boss
7 people found this review helpful
by Samona
May 2, 2021
18 of 18 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 7.5
Story 7.5
Acting/Cast 7.5
Music 6.5
Rewatch Value 6.0
This review may contain spoilers

Time-travelled Prince In Modern Era, Cliché Rom-Com

I started this web drama with very low expectations. Surprisingly it was quite good. A mysterious notebook fulfills Fu Bao's wish that she had written in a drunken state. On her birthday the wish came true. But prince Li Ming Shi appeared in front of her and claimed the notebook to be his. Fu Bao takes advantage of the Prince's situation and casts him as an actor in her drama. While Wei Lei, the boss of Fu Bao starts to pursue her. Time travelled prince faces difficulty to adapt the modern life style. Facing all these Fu Bao & Ming Shi fall in love. Suddenly Ming Shi's brother appears in the modern world in order to kill Ming Shi for power.
The drama had 18 episodes and the running time was approximately 10-11 minutes. In such a short time they conveyed the story pretty well. The drama had a lot of clichés but luckily it didn't get laggy. The chemistry between the leads were good. The couple seemed natural. If you're not a fan of clichés, fluffy romance then this is not for you.
As a web drama, considering running time this one is pretty good. I would have rated 7.6 or 7.7 but as it's not possible I'm gonna rate this a 7.5.

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Completed
You Are My Hero
6 people found this review helpful
by Samona
Apr 9, 2021
40 of 40 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 8.5
Story 8.5
Acting/Cast 8.5
Music 7.5
Rewatch Value 7.5
This review may contain spoilers

A gem of 2021! No nonsense but profound romance

What a treat it has been to watch "You Are My Hero"! The story of a special police officer and a doctor encountering situations at work and personal life will leave you with sweet emotions. To be honest first I thought it might be similar to 'Descendents of The Sun'. But trust me except for the job description both are totally different and treat to watch.

The leads were adorable. The FL wasn't nagging and clingy like other stereotypes. She was a strong woman dedicated to saving lives. Even the ML had a strong aura serving the nation. Both complimented each other perfectly. Xing Kalei and Mi Ka met each other in an incident and fate brought them together at the training of Renxin. After that their interactions started, both began to discover each others nature and dedication causing them to fall for each other.

The second leads were so cute. Xing Keyao and doctor Shao, got separated because of a past situation and finally met again. Flirty reporter Xia Xia and slow regarding romance Shu Wenbo had their own happy ending. The fellow police officers were adapt in their roles. Even the sibling quarrels between Keyao and Kalei will entertain you. They all balanced the mood.

The OST's were pretty nice. I liked the cinematography as well.

If you're trying to find a drama without unnecessary misunderstandings between leads, families trying to separate them, trust issues, annoying third party then this is for you. Hope you enjoy their cute yet profound love.

More than thousands of people are risking their lives to save a nation. They have our respect and gratitude.

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Completed
Koi wa Tsuzuku yo Doko Made mo
4 people found this review helpful
by Samona
Jan 21, 2021
10 of 10 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 8.0
Story 8.0
Acting/Cast 8.0
Music 7.0
Rewatch Value 8.0
This review may contain spoilers

Need a medical drama with fluffy love then add this to your watchlist

"Koi Wa Tsuzuku Yo Doko Made Mo" starts off with the meeting of our two characters Sakura Nanase and Tendo Kairi. Sakura instantly has a crush on the brilliant and apparently friendly doctor and sets her goal to become a nurse so that she can get closer to Kairi. After 5 years of wait she meets cardiologist Tendo Kairi. But his personality changed, it is way different, he's known as 'Devil' in the whole hospital. This was shocking for Sakura.
But Sakura Nanase actively pursues Kairi. The medical incidents provide a slice of life. Although the secondhand embarrassment upsets me little bit but lessenes as the story progressed. The co workers provide a friendly environment in the hospital. The interactions with the patients were satisfactory. You'll keep smiling through the journey of icy cold devil falling in love with our 'warrior'. The sweetness will make your tooth ache. The supporting cast did a decent job. Tendo Ryuko leaves a mark with her quirky character. Kisugi Koichi ,another cardiologist although had a crush on Sakura helped her throughout. You can witness how Kairi and Sakura finally falls in love and reciprocates afterwards. After stressful or unsatisfying dramas refresh yourself by watching this sweet, fluffy romantic medical dorama.

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Completed
Rattan
5 people found this review helpful
by Samona
Apr 29, 2021
30 of 30 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 9.0
Story 9.0
Acting/Cast 9.0
Music 9.5
Rewatch Value 8.0
This review may contain spoilers

One of the best & refreshing fantasy drama of 2021!

The story starts with our main characters eventful meeting, Si Teng, our strong, badass female who is a plant-human hybrid and charming architect Qin Feng. The story progresses as Si Teng tries to discover the mysteries of her past. During this past demons reappear in their life. As time passes Qin Feng and Si Teng develop feelings for each other way above life and death. But the situations weren't in favour of this beautiful couple. At a point only one of them could live. Qin Feng, sacrificed the power of Yi tribe bestowed on him by Si Teng in order to save Si Teng. As a result Qin Feng becomes bed ridden and Si Teng also losses her memory due to transfer of power. Luckily Si Teng finds Qin Feng again in the form of Xixi and the couple has a comparatively happy ending.
The plot itself was interesting. The animations were satisfactory. Both actors and production team did a great job. Zhang Binbin and Jing Tian was a treat to watch as a couple.Qin Feng's character transitions were smooth. He could be a soft person and in a moment a domineering person to protect loved ones. Traditional dresses of Si Teng were gorgeous. Yan Furui added the funny moments. Child actors as Xixi and Wafang were adorable.
Not to mention Shen Yiding's story. Though she just wanted to lead a normal life with the love of her life, her obsession and lies made her a demon that even her love feared.
Hands down for the OSTs. They were so lovely and soothing. Even Zhang Binbin and Jing Tian sang for this drama.
The dramas ending was enough perfect for me. The alternate ending was beautiful too. The only reason I deducted a star was this drama was adapted from a novel and the alternate ending could not justify some facts from the novel. Otherwise everything was beautiful.
I didn't feel bored while watching this fantasy drama. It could easily maintain the mystery and suspense. For me it was one of the memorable fantasy drama of 2021.

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Completed
Perfect Formula for Love
2 people found this review helpful
by Samona
May 5, 2021
18 of 18 episodes seen
Completed 2
Overall 6.0
Story 6.5
Acting/Cast 6.0
Music 5.5
Rewatch Value 5.0
This review may contain spoilers

Noob Math major meets Math spirit

The story tells how Ye An An accidentally gets into Math major having no base in it. On the first day she challenges the top student of her class claiming she can catch upto her. But studying seems harder than challenging. Trying to cope up with studies she becomes frustrated and prays that a spirit or God of math might help her. The spirit of Math, Shu Xue comes to her rescue and makes her go through difficult tutoring. An An tries to escape this training several times but ends in despair. While tutoring they fall for each other. Completing his target, could Shu Xue stay by An An's side?
This is one of the typical cold male lead and bubbly female lead stories. The plot wasn't that interesting. A lot of things seemed unclear.
As this is a short web drama a few things are ignorable. It had 18 episodes each having 10-11 minutes. So for me it was one of those dramas you could watch once but not worth rewatching.

Interesting fact: The ML's name Shu Xue is similar to 数学 (shùxué) meaning Math in Chinese.

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Completed
The House Arrest of Us
2 people found this review helpful
by Samona
May 16, 2021
13 of 13 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 7.0
Story 7.0
Acting/Cast 7.0
Music 6.0
Rewatch Value 6.5
This review may contain spoilers

Cringey Yet Wholesome

Found this drama on Netflix recommendations. I'm not a big fan of purely comedy genre so I'll try keeping it short.
Q and Korics wanted to make their engagement official but pandemic forced them to quarantine under one roof with their families. While staying disagreements between the families aggravate. Q & Korics try to convince them but paranoia also engulfs them. When one of their family members develop COVID-19 symptoms the families stay separately. Though this distance bring their hearts closer. Korics tries to win over Q again and guess what.. their families unite over the same fact.
This drama had typical cringy comedy. A lot of those slapstick moments and some wholesome moments. Though this drama is purely based on comedy but the serious transitions didn't seem out of space. Kathryn and Daniel's references were spot on. The families at first seem to despise each other but as time goes by they face the problems and challenges head on together.
The cast did a good job portraying their characters. Specially Korics & Q's moments were their relation hits the rough patch. Their insecurities seemed relatable. The OSTs were average.
If you're a fan of comedy genre or family drama try watching this. I'll say it again it has a lot of slapstick even lowbrow moments but at the same time some wholesome moments.

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Completed
Use for My Talent
1 people found this review helpful
by Samona
Jun 25, 2021
24 of 24 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 7.0
Story 6.5
Acting/Cast 7.5
Music 7.5
Rewatch Value 6.5
This review may contain spoilers

Better than the original, pretty decent adaption

Gu Ren Qi is a CEO of a cleaning company but he's suffering from extreme mysophobia. Quite opposite of his character Shuang Jiao enters his life and both affect each other for the better.
Original vs. Remake:
This is a remake of the original story 'Clean With Passion for Now'. If I had to choose one I would go with the remake. Because the remake had the change that I expected in the original one. The original one portrays the FL in a very unhygienic way. Also the cause of the ML's mysophobia (the playground incident) was disturbing to watch. Other aspects were way to melodramatic and the couple didn't seem compatible. The Chinese remake smoothened those parts for better. Although the Chinese adaption has some unnecessary
fillers.
Story:
Going to the story nothing extraordinary. Just another romcom. At a phase the story telling seemed plain more like inconsistent. It had a lot of clichés. Specially the proposal dance.
Acting:
Jasper Liu and Shen Yue gave their best as usual. They portrayed their characters decently. All other characters were satisfactory. Psychiatrist Lu Xian seemed irritating at a point (at initial episodes I thought I might get 2nd lead syndrome for his unrequited childhood love. I gladly take back my words). His methods felt contradictory to medical practice. Mostly cdramas have multiple couple, who sweeten the story more. But the 2nd couple didn't create that much impact.
OST:
The thing that was impressive other than acting was the OSTs. The visuals were pretty nice.

To sum up it's a decent watch. The couple are nice to watch. If you're up for fluff it's worth the watch. Ignoring a few clichés it's not a bad choice for romcom.

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Completed
Oh My Drama Lover
1 people found this review helpful
by Samona
Nov 29, 2020
24 of 24 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 7.0
Story 7.0
Acting/Cast 7.0
Music 6.5
Rewatch Value 6.5
This review may contain spoilers

Different Chinese Drama

"Oh My Drama Lover" basically tales the story of a third-rate mystery novel writer Li Chunxi, who gets transported in her own novel 'Detective CEO' after a car accident. In the novel Li Chunxi (Claire Jia) has no memory of her former self and becomes an antagonist named Qian Zhenzhen (Zhu Li Lan).
Qian Zhenzhen confused and gets a character reformation. She becomes totally a better person. In the process she also falls in love with her assistant Lu Li (Zhang Meng), who seems to have his own story. Li Chunxi having the same name and face as the writer end up with her love Ouyang Chen (William Lou), where the past Qian Zhenzhen acted as an obstacle. In the last this drama has an open ending.
"Oh My Drama Lover" is not a fluffy romance drama. It also conveys a serial murder mystery. Although the plot was not so strong and kind of predictable. But in a Chinese Drama it is kind of new and fresh. The moments between Lu Li and Qian Zhenzhen were sweet. The supporting cast did a decent job. If you are looking for a fresh concept in Chinese drama you could give "Oh My Drama Lover" a try.

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Completed
Miss Crow with Mr. Lizard
2 people found this review helpful
by Samona
May 27, 2021
36 of 36 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 7.5
Story 7.0
Acting/Cast 8.0
Music 8.0
Rewatch Value 7.0
This review may contain spoilers

Just Another Light-hearted Drama

The story starts with an accident where the FL's family and ML fall victim to. Due to the accident Gu Chuan's heart gets completely damaged and he survives replacing with a complete mechanical heart. Due to the side effects Gu Chuan shuts his emotional side and leads a robotic life. Jiang Xiao Ning, queen of bad luck with a lot of positivity meets Gu Chuan at workplace. Slowly passing time romantic conditions develop between them.
The plot had nothing refreshing, a typical rom-com. It was evident who was behind the accident from the beginning. I'm not going to judge on medical facts because it's a drama.
All the actors did a good job. Fair Xing brought most of the fluffiness and cuteness. I liked the chemistry more between the secondary couple Xu Cheng Ran and Zhao Yan. The office workers also did a good job.
The OSTs were so good. They deserve appreciation.
I would have liked if the duration was 24 or 28 episodes because the starting came of strong then weakened in the middle and again the ending was rushed. If you're looking for fluffy rom-com you could check this out.

~the drama had a lot of Meco grapefruit and self heating hotpot c̶a̶m̶e̶o̶s̶ endorsements XD. Well they must have been producers ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

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Completed
Lost Romance
1 people found this review helpful
by Samona
Nov 12, 2020
20 of 20 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 8.5
Story 8.5
Acting/Cast 8.5
Music 8.5
Rewatch Value 8.5

A different shade of Taiwanese drama

The story plot of "Lost Romance" starts with the real life incidents of Zheng Xiao En (Vivian Sung) and He Tian Xing (Marcus Chang). Daydreaming about the handsome overbering CEO one day Zheng Xiao En finds herself transported in a romance novel. As a surprise she comes face to face with her crush He Tian Xing. But in this fiction CEO He Tian Xing is Si Tu Au Ran with a different character. Also she's not the female lead but a evil side character! Can she flip her character and get a happy ending?

Not only fictional romance but also the corporate struggle, family feud, forsaking relationships over power everything is shown. The rigid feud to blissful romance "Lost Romance" portrays it all. The chemistry between the characters of Marcus Chang & Vivian Sung is worth mentioning. You can enjoy some recreated iconic scenes of 'Guardian:The great & lonely God' and 'Desecndents Of The Sun' in this taiwanese drama.

The supporting cast did a fantastic job. You cannot but love the warmth of the Duan Mu Qingfeng (Simon Lian). Kiki Chen pulled off the contrasting characters in both worlds really well. Jason Hsu and Kelly Liao complimented the storyline. Pii as Ling Chun Tian / Ling Qiu Tian supported Zheng Xiao En as a cheerful, bubbly best friend.

The OSTs portray the feelings of the characters smoothly. 3 of the OSTs were sung by Marcus Chang himself. These are 'Lose to you', 'Talk to me', 'Tonight I'm here'. This drama ended with the highest rating of 1.27 with it's last episode ranking number 1 at the chart (according to wiki).

If you are looking for a drama with love, romance, feud & twists to binge I would recommend this drama worth your watch.

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Completed
Miss Hammurabi
0 people found this review helpful
by Samona
Nov 26, 2020
16 of 16 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 7.5
Story 7.0
Acting/Cast 7.0
Music 6.5
Rewatch Value 6.5

Enjoyable Courtroom Drama

"Miss Hammurabi" revolves around three judges. Park Cha Oh Reum (Go Ah Ra) a new appointed judge, Im Ba Reun (Kim Myung So) and Chief judge Han Se Sang (Sung Don Il) assigned to 44th Civil Affairs Department of Seoul Central District.
Im Ba Reun is a cold-headed, logical and nonsense judge. On the other hand Oh Reum is always on a lookout for injustice and overly sympathetic to cases. Chief Judge Han Se Sang appears non chalant, short tempered but is really warm. Their journey is reflected through court trials. Determined to deliver justice they face many obstacles. Can they make the right judgements from the court arguments?
This drama is for those who want to enjoy strictly courtroom dramas. The supporting roles added much needed eliments. Jung Bo Wan (Ryu Deok Hwan) was a supportive friend. His journey of persuing Lee Do Yeon (Lee Elijah) is pretty enjoyable. Lee Do Yeon is a strong, smart, independent woman who seems mysterious at first. Day to day in the courtroom brings new challenges. They all strive to deliver justice in the court and make efforts to change the internal judiciary system for better.

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Completed
Vincenzo
1 people found this review helpful
by Samona
May 8, 2021
20 of 20 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 8.5
Story 8.5
Acting/Cast 8.5
Music 8.0
Rewatch Value 8.0
This review may contain spoilers

Fast Paced Cathartic Drama but Not for Everyone

"Vincenzo" has been a total treat to watch. Song Joong Ki has been blessing us with his unique charm.

PLOT: Consigliere Vincenzo Cassano, a powerful name in the Italian Mafia returned to Korea to recover hidden gold over 300 million dollars. Guemga plaza, the basement where Wang Shaolin's gold is secured using advanced technology is in the risk of getting demolished by corrupt 'Babel Group'. The basement also contains 'Guillotine File', a file containing misdeeds & secrets of higher officials. This is how our consigliere get involved with the countries major & corrupt in every possible way 'Babel group'. The group is backed up by law firm Wusung. Hong Yu Chang has been fighting for justice for a long time. But power oppresses him. He dies in a conspiracy of Babel regarding narcotic painkiller RDU-9 The main culprit behind of Babel kept his identity and his hideous past hidden using his step brother, Jang Han Seo. The tenants were hostile at first, then they collaborated with Vincenzo their corn salad (misinterpretation of consigliere). Vincenzo believes only evil can erase evil. Amidst all these can the Mafia recover his gold teaming up with Lawyer Hong Cha Young & others tenants.

CAST: The cast did an amazing job. The funny and quirky incidents were enjoyable to watch. Also Kim Sung Cheol's cameo was hilarious. The FL's character initially came across irritating to me but as the story progressed I seemed to like her sassiness. Each tenants were a hidden gem.

OST & PRODUCTION: The OSTs and visual effects (specially scenes in Italy) were pretty nice. I loved the fact that they used some classic Italian songs as background music.

The reasons why I deducted stars:
Inzaghi scene- as a watcher I giggled & enjoyed a lot. But this scene could have been more improvised so that it seemed more logical.
In the last episodes when Jung Joon Woo tries to murder Vincenzo, he seemed to escape with Cha Young. There were various scenes where the situation was way worse and he overcame it. But at this point the fleeing scene did not fit for me.
I get it Jung Joon Woo wanted to kill his brother using his own gun. But in such a prime moment, you've killed many before, now you're somehow free from jail, you just come with 2 bullets!

In short "Vincenzo" was really enjoyable. If you're expecting gore and extreme violence hearing 'mafia' from this drama then sorry to disappoint, this was more like a dark comedy. If you liked "Chief Kim" or "Fiery Priest" you're gonna love it. This was fairly a 8.6 or 8.7 rated drama to me.
I would recommend giving it a try.

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