Reviews

It is a good coming to age melodrama about friendship and community.

Wind Direction is a melodrama about growing up between Cheng Miao Miao and Li Si and their families in a small town where everyone knows each other. It starts with Sun Qian as Miao Miao, Zhai Zi Lu as Li Si, Liu Lin as Jia Dai Yu, and Tian Yu as Cheng Peng Fei.

The entire ensemble's acting was exceptional. At times, it was quite draggy as the plot unfolded, but overall, it was a great story about growing up as they learned how to maneuver over life's unexpected events.

Synopsis: 17-year-old Cheng Miao Miao and her brother, 16-year-old Cheng Ya Ya, were born in the No. 1 Oil production plant of Linqi Oilfield. Three generations of their family are oilfield workers. Their father, Cheng Peng Fei, is an otolaryngologist, and their mother, Jia Dai Yu, is a team logistics. The family moved from the northwest to the seaside base, Heping Town, in the late 1990s. Miao Miao, with a yearning for the outside world, pulled her childhood sweetheart Li Si and her best friend Hu Qiu Min, intending to use the summer vacation of her first year in high school to start the adventure of "going to Hong Kong to welcome the city's return to the motherland," but failed.
On the other hand, her brother Cheng Ya Ya went to the back mountain for archaeology. He was almost mistaken for a tomb robber. Mother Jia Dai Yu often felt worried, and the siblings began their high school life full of chaotic moments. Cheng Miao Miao fell into a friendship crisis with Li Si. In Cheng Ya Ya's class, a newly transferred student named Yuan Shan Qing is the daughter of a wanted criminal. Ya-Ya was the first to stand up and resist the hostility from all sides against Yuan Shan Qing. The children ushered in growth in the changes.

My Reviews:
1. Great acting from the entire cast and a good storyline.
2. It has so many twists that it was unexpected.
3. It also shows how Miao Miao, her brother, and Li Si dealt with life's difficult situations.
4. The community supported each other in bad times and good times.
5. It is a good tears jerker as well.
6. I give it a 7.5 rating.

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Same old story with wives, concubines, and offspring bickering at each other. Overly done

The Rise of Ning is a custom drama about wives, concubines, and their offspring bickering at each other. It has been done so many times with other Cdramas. It starts with Zhang Wan Yi as Luo Shen Yuan and Ren Mi as Lou Yi Ning.

I watched about 17 episodes, hoping the storyline would improve as it progressed, but it didn't. I am dropping it for the following reasons:

My Reviews:
1. The same old story that has been done with many other Cdramas.
2. I like Zhang Wan Yi; he is a good actor, but his character could be stronger in this drama, and his onscreen chemistry with Ren Mi could be better.
3. I don't like Ren Mi's acting ability. She has the same expression with many emotions.
4. It is draggy and slow. One cannot repeatedly take 40 episodes of the same type of bickering and jealousy.
5. I give it a 5.0 rating.

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A good action crime drama with many twists. Acting is okay not great but plot is good.

The First Shot starts with Johnny Huang and Wang Zi Qi as policemen in a Narcotics Control Bureau as they investigate, solve, and arrest the drug lords.

The plot is good, with many twists, but it is a typical role that Johnny Huang is good at. He has no range as an actor, and this type of genre best suits him. The bad guy was unexpected until the end.

Synopsis: Tells the story of Halan in the Northeast in 1997, before the establishment of the Narcotics Control Bureau. Faced with a sudden drug crisis, a makeshift elite team is assembled, each with their own strengths but clueless about the new drug... As they confront the ruthless drug trafficking syndicate and unravel their devious and bizarre drug trafficking schemes, they must also navigate the moral dilemmas of love and law and the tests of justice and humanity. They stand by each other and overcome all obstacles and challenges, forging a heroic legend of fighting evil and upholding justice.

My Reviews:
1. Good acting from the supporting cast; the two MLs did an okay job.
2. The story is good but needs to be clearer, and it takes too long to get to the bad guy.
3. There is good action and a storyline, but it would be better to do it in 24 episodes instead of 32. I watched in 1.5 speed
4. I give it a 7.5 rating.

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Inside the lives of female actors...

I am a massive Taiwanese Drama fan because I find them to be particularly naturalistic. By that I mean that the ACTING is rarely visible. The characters are played as true to life, rather that as tropey stereotypes or parodies of real people. There is an interest in telling true to life stories, regardless of the chaotic settings. Don’t get me wrong, there is still a whole lot of over the top stuff coming out of Taiwan - I’m looking at you Trick or Love! But even the OTT shows tend towards realism in the supporting characters. And this show, Born For the Spotlight, is a great example of the more naturalistic style, that I have come to love Taiwan for.
The gist of this is the real lives of female actors, be it washed up wunderkind or newbie wannabe. The story is set around the production of a couple of a tv shows and finally a movie, starring all of the female actors we follow. But the shows and the movie are background to the day-to-day interactions and relationships of these women.
Each episode manages to balance the perfect mix of comedy and pathos, in the typically realistic way, that I find TW-Dramas deliver. I personally, found no particular overall message or moral, for me, in this drama. But, despite the fact that their lives are completely removed from my reality, I found each of the characters VERY relatable. Angst, fear, despair, triumph, joy, and all of the day to day moments that each of us experience in whatever we are pursuing, are all laid bare, with each of these women. It is a satisfying watch from start to end.


*** Spoiler ahead***
My one irksome point is the undertone of portraying the youngest of the group as a kind of Lolita type. She uses her seemingly innocent sexuality to gain position and power. I do find this quite problematic. AS with any proper reading of Lolita as a character, we should be very aware of the power differences between Shih Ai-Ma (Emma) and those she interacts with. The power imbalance could have been more openly acknowledged, to make the portrayal more fair, BUT the positive here is that the assumption is; the audience is smart enough to figure this out for themselves.
Definitely worth a view! Highly recommended.

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Kill me, love me, just don't bore me

I knew nothing about Kill Me Love Me when I started it. The beginning intrigued me with a black-hearted prince and a tough as nails female assassin. It didn’t take long to figure out that they were both working on the same side in the first episode. If you are a fan of red flag male leads, you’ll be disappointed. If you are a fan of badass assassin female leads you’ll be even more disappointed. Honestly, this is the type of drama that I normally wouldn’t write a review for, but I promised myself this year I’d review everything I watched, so here goes.

What I liked/disliked:

I’ve liked Liu Xue Yi since Ancient Love Poetry and Wu Jin Yan since The Story of Yanxi Palace. The two had a nice chemistry whether adversaries or lovers. I’m not a fan of red flag leads, but have seen that most of the time they are a bait and switch and rarely stay villainous so I expected him to lose his fangs. I’m also used to badass female leads being defanged but was still disappointed when Mei Lin became pretty window dressing.

Baron Chen is a fave and even with his chocolate cupcake frosting hair, he was still handsome. The Crown Prince came across more whiny than menacing though.

I’m a sucker for bodyguards and Qing Yan was the pretty, loyal bodyguard I’ve come to expect. He proved his loyalty in an explosive manner moving him closer to the front of the line of dutiful bodyguards. No notes on him.

Speaking of baddass females, I had high hopes for General Yin, but found her to lack the gravitas and stage presence such a role required. Her one facial expression regardless of the situation began to wear thin. Also, her 180 on her love interest defied logic as well as her devotion to him. Apparently, getting laid made her lose not only her sense of independence but also her reason-at least for a time.

I didn’t mind the romping through the countryside for Jing He and Mei Lin but when the badly dubbed side characters later started taking center stage, my fast forward button or mute button came into frequent use.

The Xiyan characters were mostly useless. Prince Yue Qin could not have been more bland. The kooky Xiyan royal family and retainers were mind numbingly boring to me. Zi Gu looked and acted very, very young which made her relationship with grandpa Yan Emperor creepier than sweetly romantic.

The story went off the rails with the detour through Xiyan when the characters became bogged down in border trade talks after the natural ending to the drama. The writers vastly overestimated my attention span for ancient economics.

In the end, I did find around two-thirds of this drama entertaining, mainly because I enjoyed the performances of LXY and WJY. Despite the red flag transforming into a white flag and the assassin turning into a baker. 7.25 rounded up to 7.50

14 November 2024
SPOILER NOTES:



The most disappointing part to me was Mei Lin. She suffered and trained for 10 years to have her revenge. When the time came, she was shuttled off screen. This happens too many times in dramas. If anyone deserved to deal the final blow, it was her. Also, “If this is the price I have to pay for meeting you, I have no regrets.” Really?? Jing He poisoned Mei Lin with a poison that had no antidote. Who does that? Everyone knows the Puppet Master for assassins holds the antidote for compliancy. Especially a guy trying to prove he’s not a monster. So, she’s dying, suffered brutality for 10 years, didn’t get to take part in bringing down the Big Bad, and she has no regrets. Girl, no matter how rich or good looking he is, I’d have a list of regrets. When they took away her martial arts ability, I just rolled my eyes. Why can’t badass female leads stay badass to the end? And apply their lipstick only to their lips and not in the dip above them? If she was reduced to baking cakes and offering moral support she should have had time to check her lipstick in a mirror. But I’m not bitter. lol

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Decent actors in a bad plot line drama. Production quality is also bad.

Smile Code is a Rom-com starting Shen Yue and Lin Yi, my favorite actors. However, I could not see myself continuing with this drama for the following reasons:

1. The production quality is so bad that it is difficult for the eyes.
2. The plot is so stupid, and seeing two good actors in this drama is sad.
3. After two episodes, I am dropping this drama. Their onscreen chemistry is so bad that it is unbearable to watch.
3. I give it a 3.0 rating.

Synopsis: It tells the story of a down-and-out part-time talk show actress and an aloof male audience member suffering from alexithymia—also known as "emotional blindness"—who get close to each other and heal each other. A love story of a woman who is funny to the end and a man who can't laugh, and a love contest begins. However, the romance is connected to the emotions between men and women and the struggling urban youths living in Shanghai. On and off the stage in the play, the spicy yet observational complaints hit the pain points of life, and the humorous ridicule is light. Still, it is also full of optimism and open-mindedness.

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Many times love is there, in front of you. All you have to do is open your eyes and see it

At times told with subtlety, other times with symbolism, 'Phupha | Nanfah' tells us a story of an interrupted love and reconciliation of two best friends in love, who due to misunderstandings and lack of communication will not dare to confess their feelings.
Directed by Choi Sittichai ('21 Days Theory') in 2022, the story tells a story based on real events, collected in a novel of the same name written by Thanyathorn Siwanukroh, and adapted by screenwriter Eakarong Coompromboon.
The beautiful soundtrack, composed by Sompob Pokepoom (Boy), is performed by the actors who play the main characters. These manage to convey to the viewer that tension between friendship and the love of a couple that is not always easy to manage.
With good production values, beautiful photography, vibrant cinematography, precise artistic direction in creating a heartbreaking and nostalgic atmosphere, a successful placement of flashbacks to mark the two timelines in which the story is told: past and present, and the electrifying chemistry of the two main actors, ''Phupha | Nanfah' tells the difficulties that occur when one of the lovers believes that love is not possible and chooses to put distance between them.
The story focuses on Nanfah/"Nan" and Phupha/"Phu", two young university students who, in addition to being single, physically attractive, enigmatic personality, dreams, professional goals and adventures, share a dormitory and have built a solid friendship.
The two promised each other that they would never leave each other's side, but Phu has developed feelings that go beyond those of one friend for another, and assuming that Nan does not reciprocate his love because he is in love with a fellow student, decides to break the promise, lie to his friend about his whereabouts and walk away from him.
Divided into two episodes, each focused on one of the protagonists, the miniseries tells the love story from their respective perspectives. The first, titled 'Phupha', introduces us to a heartbreaking but romantic story.
Through a fascinating emotional arc told in just over thirty minutes, we discover that in the present, Phu runs a coffee plantation with his uncle. Through a photograph in its frame that breaks the glass when it falls to the floor, as a symbol of their broken relationship, this character remembers his university years and his friendly relationship with Nan.
In this way, we travel to the past to observe an emotionally charged story, with heartbreaking confrontations, and powerful performances by Wattikorn Permsubhirun (Kiak) as Nan, and Kittikun Tansuhas (Kun) as Phu.
The viewer can appreciate how, despite their times not coinciding due to studying different careers, although they do study at the same faculty, both young people seek to enjoy moments in each other's company.
Their close relationship causes others to speculate about the nature of it, but both will deny having romantic feelings. Gigi (Heidi Amanda Jensen) interested in winning Nan's love, is one of those interested in discovering the essence of the bond that unites the two boys. On the other hand, Deena (Marima Suphatra Kliangprom) has set her eyes on Phu and hopes to get closer to him to win him over.
The relationship between the two protagonists becomes much more strained when Nan asks a reluctant Phu to help him learn the rudiments of the dance so he can participate in a competition. Seeing in this a possibility to strengthen the relationship with his platonic love, Phu finally agrees to be his rehearsal partner and attend professional classes together.
Through misunderstandings, and lack of communication, Phu perceives that Nan's interest in participating in the contest with her friend Deena is because she is in love with her, and this suspicion will generate jealousy, anger, arguments and new tensions.
Through his actions and a gripping inner monologue, the viewer easily comes to understand that Phu doesn't just see Nan as a friend. The episode satisfactorily shows a boy in love and tormented by realizing that his infatuation is not reciprocated, while Nan, unintentionally, breaks his heart, when in truth she also wants to share time with the boy with whom she has built a great friendship.
The audience will live, along with Phu, his intense journey of ups and downs, anguish and heartbreak, as well as incomprehension on the part of Nan as she cannot understand Phu's reactions to her actions.
Both actors are magnificent, one conveying his secret infatuation, jealousy, desperation, and rage resulting from unrequited love. It seems as if Phu's love for Nan flows like the grain of wood. Meanwhile, the other convincingly conveys the nostalgia, melancholy and pain of not being able to hug and laugh with his friend, the impossibility of putting his nose close to his friend's neck to smell the aroma of the freshly sprayed perfume, of capturing it with his hands to preventing him from getting out of bed and forcing him to lie down next to him again, the anguish of not knowing..., the suffering of waiting for the longed-for reunion and the long-awaited reconciliation.
The distressing tension between the two grows even more when Nan introduces Phu to Deena so they can meet, so the troubled lover assumes that Nan is looking to match him with someone else since she has no romantic interest in him. Later, Phu watches from a distance as Nan and Gigi talk and hug. Although Nan has no feelings for Gigi, Phu misinterprets Nan's action, so he decides to break his promise and walk away from him, but not before lying to her about where he is heading and the reason why, according to him, he unexpectedly must leave for Australia.
The second episode, 'Nanfah', which presents us with two young people who are no longer friends, because contrary to their promise, each one has taken different paths, masterfully portrays the suffocating anguish of a friend in search of the other, a friend in need of reconciliation and reunion.
Between them there is an abyss of silence and incomprehension. In the present, Nan still does not know the real reasons why Phu broke the promise and is no longer part of her life, so she tries to bridge the distance that separates them through constant messages through a computer screen or mobile. But his words and tears are met with only silence in response.
In his memory, he travels to the past, to the exact moment he discovers Phu's absence, just on the day of both of their college graduations. He remembers that Phu had promised to confess something important to him after finishing the formal act, a confession never expressed due to his departure.
In this way, the dramatized story tells how, through conversations held with the janitor of the building where the two young people sleep, Nan will suddenly understand the reason why Phu has abandoned him. This truth takes shape in his mind, and will prompt him to travel every year, for a decade, to the Australian city of Melbourne where he believes he will be able to find Phu.
That is, during his pilgrimage, Nan has discovered that Phu has secretly loved him for years, and that misunderstandings and lack of communication between the two are the cause of the separation. Therefore, at this time, Nan is not just looking for a friend. He is aware that he also loves Phu and wants him to return to his life.
On this journey of desperate search, Nan will find an ally in Khunkhao (Seagames Teerapat Angkanit), a young man of Thai origin born in Australia, who will develop unrequited feelings for Nan.
With an open ending, 'Phupha | Nanfah' leaves tensions and undefined relationships to be taken up in a series filmed in 2023 by Kongkiat Khomsiri, known, in addition to his work in horror and action films, as one of the directors of 'KinnPorsche' , and written by Thanyathorn Siwanukroh, who is also the screenwriter of the adaptation.
Kuk and Kiat once again shine as Phu and Nan, respectively, while the character of Khunkhao, with an unexpected turn that will pleasantly surprised everyone, and Deena and Gigi, return to provide diversity and color to the remake.
Like 'Phupha | Nanfah', its prequel is an ode to love and true and sincere friendship.

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Good melodrama about family and the support of siblings when they deal with life's curve balls.

Our Days is a melodrama about three sisters who experience difficulty in their careers and marriages and how they come together to support each other through difficult times. The drama starts with Bai Bai He (as an older sister), Li Chun (as a middle sister), and Wang Yu Wen (as the baby sister.) It was refreshing to see Wang Yu Wen plays a domestically abused wife, which is different from her other rom-com characters.

I enjoyed the drama very much, especially the acting of the three female leads. Overall, I give it a 7.5 rating.

Synopsis: Xiang Zhi Jun has three daughters living in cities: Shanghai, Kunshan, and Suzhou. His eldest daughter, Xiang Qian, is 35 years old and has made significant progress in her career. The middle daughter, Xiang Zhong, is 31 and is actively striving to build her future. The youngest daughter, Xiang Nan, is 26, with a pure and romantic personality. The marriages of all three daughters face setbacks, leading the sisters to support and encourage each other. With their parents' guidance and advice, Xiang Zhong breaks free from her unreasonable in-laws and regains her confidence in managing her marriage. Xiang Qian sees through the hypocrisy of her husband, Gao Ping, and rediscovers her direction in both her career and life. Xiang Nan also overcomes her confusion and gains a more mature and clear understanding of marriage and herself.

My Reviews:
1. Good acting and script.
2. It is refreshing to see Wang Yu Wen in a mature and weak role.
3. The male characters in this drama are useless men. This is a good 4. lesson for women to choose the right mates; otherwise, their lives will be miserable.
5. I give it a 7.5 rating.

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The acting was exceptional by main CP but the storyline went downhill at mid-point.

Kill Me Love Me is a WuXia drama that starts with Liu Xue Yi (as Jing He) and Wu Jin Yan (as Mei Lin.) The drama begins with a good story of rivalry between the crown prince, Xuan Lie, and his brother, Jing He. The Qingzhou princess (Mei Lin) tries to seek revenge on her parents, who were burned to death.

The acting was exceptional between the main CP however, the acting of the 2nd CP was awful, especially the acting of Baron Chen (the crown prince). He only has one expression and the same stoic looks for a dramatic and cold demeanor. His lover, the female general, did not act well either. After the crown prince's death, the storyline went downhill from there. It was so stupid and unbearable. I finished it quickly just to see the acting of the main CP.

Overall, I give it a 7.0 rating. Wu Jin Yan's character is much better in The Double Drama.

Synopsis: Prince Murong Jing He of the Great Yan Dynasty led his Weibei Army to reclaim Qingzhou, a lost territory. His triumphant victory should have been a moment of glory. Still, soon after his army entered the city, a devastating fire broke out. Whispers spread throughout Qingzhou, accusing Murong Jing He of harboring a grudge against the people for their alleged betrayal of Great Yan. Rumor had it that the prince, now known as the ruthless "Butcher General," ordered the city to be burned. In the flames, a young girl named Mei Lin lost her entire family. Heartbroken and consumed by vengeance, she vowed to kill the one responsible for the massacre. She joins a secret organization known as the Shadow Works, where she undergoes years of brutal training after consuming a deadly poison that turns her into an unstoppable assassin. Mei Lin's first mission is finally assigned: to assassinate her greatest enemy, Prince Murong Jing He himself. Disguised as one of a hundred Xiyan beauties sent to the Great Yan as part of a political marriage alliance, she patiently waits for her chance to strike. But Mei Lin doesn't know that the man who masterminded her entire assassination mission—setting her on this path of revenge—is none other than Murong Jing He himself.

My Reviews:
1. Good acting but a bad script.
2. The 2nd CP cannot act.
3. The storyline went downhill after the mid-point
4. I give it a 7.0 rating.

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Unrealistic storyline and so cheesey with mediocre acting, but watchable.

Go-Back-Lover is a rom-com that starts with Xu Ruo Han and Li Yun Rui as high school lovers who fell out of love during their university days. They got back together on a reality show where the ML is one of the investors, and the FL is the producer of its reality show. The story is unrealistic, and the 2nd and 3rd couples were annoying and unnecessary; their storylines were ridiculous. The acting of the entire cast was mediocre.

It is lame and cliche. If you want to kill time, engage in this drama. Else, don't do it.

Synopsis: Upon returning to her old high school, Shen Xing Ruo moved into her father's friend's home, where she met his son Lu Xing Yan. While the two didn't initially get along, they became closer as they spent more time together, eventually deciding to date. However, the relationship didn't last, and they broke up during university. Years later, now both adults with their own lives, they reunite - on a dating reality show. Despite the passage of time and their rocky past, they can't ignore the sparks that still fly between them. Will Xing Ruo and Xing Yan manage to make things work this time? Or is their romance best left behind?

My Reviews:
1. Mediocre acting and a bad script
2. The plot is unrealistic. All 3 CPs must be on a reality show to Go Back as lovers.
3. It was not funny, and so cheesy and cliche, and the acting of the entire ensemble was so-so.
4. I give it a 5.0 rating.

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It is not a typical Republican-Era drama. Lot of actions and good acting from two ML

Dark Night and Dawn is a Republican-era drama that starts with Chen Zhe Yuan and Nie Yuan. I liked the drama; Chen Zhe Yuan played a different character from his usual rom-com. He is mischievous, talkative, street-smart, and kind-hearted in this drama.

Xing Fei plays a minor role in this drama, and there is no romance between her and Zhe Yuan's characters. The drama focused more on the work of the two ML characters (Lin Shao Bai and Lu Zheng Yang.) The acting is good, and the plot is okay. It is a bit long, and the bad guy, Zheng Lan Ting, took too long to capture because they dragged the drama longer than it should have been. It would be a better drama if it completes in 30-32 episodes.

Synopsis: It tells the story of the first generation of public security soldiers in Shanghai around 1950, who struggle against Chiang Kai-shek's secret agents' attempt to overthrow the New China. It revolves around two men teaming up: an intelligent young cop who is unsuccessful in the old society but is reborn and matures in New China and an old and experienced Chinese Communist Party agent.

My Reviews:
1. Good acting and a decent script.
2. The story focuses on the two ML characters and their working relationship as they investigate and capture Zheng Lan Ting.
3. No romance at all between Lin Shao Bai and Jin Yan.
4. Overall, it is watchable. I give it a 7.5 rating.

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Don't waste your time. Bad acting and bad script. I can't get past 2 episodes

A Beautiful Lie is an idol melodrama with two good-looking actors and actresses who cannot act. After two episodes, the acting was so bad; the same goes for the script. I dropped this drama.

Synopsis: A disaster-stricken area in southwest China welcomed a rescue medical team and volunteers, with actress Qin Fei accompanying the team. Everyone said that Qin Fei's volunteering was merely for show. Still, Qin Fei was earnestly committed and even risked her life to save others in a critical moment. During their time together day and night, the medical team leader, Xing Zhi Zhi, saw the resilience and kindness in Qin Fei's heart, deepening their mutual understanding. Qin Fei also discovered that many years ago, Xing Zhi Zhi was the young doctor who saved her life and reignited her hope during a dance competition accident. Their fate was already intertwined long ago.

My Reviews:
1. Bad script and bad acting. I dropped after 2 episodes.
2. I give it a 4.0 rating.

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We will never know the value of a moment until it becomes a memory!

We will never know the value of a moment until it becomes a memory! This drama leaves many lessons, leaving hurts and resentments in their rightful place, which is the past. And enjoy the things that "destiny", as Hae Jo says, is providing. And that was how, before his last journey with his beloved, he realized that there was no reason to look for answers if all that mattered was the good feeling he carried, but inside him he screamed that his father was and would always be the one who had raised him until he graduated from high school. That his great love would always be her, that his true friends were always there by his side I liked the drama, a death is sad but being abandoned is very cruel and painful!

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