Reviews

Brilliant show

The NEW CDrama of 2024, "Smile Code" has awakened Fans from around the world to watch this upcoming story about a young man played by Lin Yi who suffers from Alexithymia. What is Alexithymia? It is a condition where a person is unable to express emotion, and 1 in 10 people suffer from it and their unable to "LAUGH". It is common condition with people that suffer from depression and Autism (ASD).

Next, comes the witty, clumsy, and humorous Shen Yue who makes everyone laugh except Lin Yi. They develop a friendship based on coincidences and it sparks a new relationship about Love while still dealing with the aftermath of their past family trauma and circumstances. This is another beautiful love story with 34 episodes and is a must Watch series. This is a drama that is unlike any other drama because it deals with a condition that is not talked about and the only cure is finding another person who has the opposite personality.

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TayNew DELIVERED

Peaceful Property was not a show I expected to like all that much if I'm being honest. Based on the trailer, it looked to be a monster of the week-style horror/comedy ghost hunting show, and I wasn't sure that the jokes would land all that well given the language barrier. However, this show was so much better than I expected!

Peach (Tay) and his sister Pangpang (Jan) are struggling to make ends meet after Peach lost his job as a chef due to a car accident that left him unable to work in the kitchen. Pangpang has been trying to make it as an influencer, which ends up working in their favor when Home (New) discovers their ghost hunting show. Ever since the accident, Peach has been able to see ghosts - which is exactly what Home needs after inheriting multiple haunted properties from his recently deceased grandfather. Home is trying to sell the properties asap, and needs Peach's help to exorcise the ghosts; Pangpang plans to film everything and start up their ghost hunting business. Peach and Home don't get off to a great start, but through working together on the exorcisms, they start to understand each other and bond more. However, it seems that there's a lot more hiding in the secrets of Home's rich family, and he has unknowingly dragged his new friends into a bigger mess than any of them could have expected.

While the show did start off very episodic, it perfectly transitioned into drama that spanned for longer. It managed to use the first few ghost hunting adventures to help flesh out the characters themselves, making the twists in their relationships and backstories more interesting and engaging. I love a found family, and that's exactly what this show delivered. If GMM wanted to, they easily could have made this a BL - Tay and New were absolutely wonderful in their arcs and the tension between them was excellent. Even though some of the twists were expected, the way they were done still left me surprised, and there were plenty of instances where I had no idea what was coming next. A really fun watch overall!

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I actually ended up watching When the Weather is Fine during the summer, but it was such a perfect cozy show that I’m going to have to do a rewatch in the winter. I was shocked at how much I loved this one from the beginning because it’s very slow but it was so atmospheric and beautiful that it really drew in. The cinematography of this show is gorgeous, the winter scenes especially.

This show was an introvert’s dream. It takes place in a small bookstore during winter, the town moves at a slower pace and the characters are more reserved. The scenes in the bookstore felt so cozy and comforting. The main characters are both quieter and more introverted but they really open up throughout the show. The romance was extremely sweet and their evolution from acquaintances to friends to lovers was beautifully done. Eun-seop could come off as cold or indifferent but it became clear that he just struggled with expressing his emotions. He did so many little things to show Hae-won how much he cared for her. The bookstore blog posts that they put at the ends of the episodes added so much to the story and you got to see everything from Eun-seop’s perspective. Those little bits made me fall in love with him. Even though Eun-seop fell first, Hae-won was the one moving the relationship forward. Her character was willing to put it all out there when it came to love and Eun-seop really needed that. I was so invested in their relationship.

The storyline with the mother felt kind of boring at first but it ended up going in an interesting direction. There were a lot of great side characters, especially Eun-seop’s family. The one character that I truly hated was Hae-won’s ex best friend. I’m glad the show did not entertain a true love triangle but she was such a terrible and deeply self-centered character.

I loved this show and can’t wait to watch it again while it’s snowing outside. This is absolutely a show to be enjoyed during the winter. Even if you usually like slower shows, this one is still worth a shot.

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GMMTV and TayNew has don it again!

I just started this series on a whim, and honestly, I am glad that I did. It had me coming back every week because I wanted to know what will happen. Might I say, that I actually enjoyed this series more than their last project (and that's saying a lot for me as I totally loved and adored 'Cherry Magic.' I believe that seeing this was an original work and I did not know what was going to happen made this series have a special place in my heart.

All of the actors did a stellar job—from the main actors to supporting actors and even actors who guest starred in a few of the episodes—all of them were excellent. They were able to get from me emotions from laughing, (a wee bit) scared, and even sad. I must also add that I honestly thought that about halfway through this series, it would have lost some steam because I thought at the time that they had discovered the big plot point for this series. but, no! This was not the case, as it still powered on, carrying me on a journey that I totally did not expect to occur.

I don't want to give away any of the plot, because that's just how good it was that I want people who have not watched this series to go now and watch it. I really recommend this series to you guys out there and (hopefully ) you guys enjoy it as much as I did.

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Not the typical Idol Drama

This is not the typical idol drama because it showcases complex emotions of people and depicts the reality of life for people with different situations. As a viewer of Shen Yue’s dramas, I can vouch that her acting improved so much. Her lines and emotions are well delivered. There are just a few times that I did not get her punchlines, but maybe it got lost in translation. But overall the comedy scenes will really make you laugh and the sad scenes will sometimes make you cry. The cinematography, shots and color grading are movie like, the OSTs are all great and above all she has amazing chemistry with her real life bestie Lin Yi on this drama.

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JOINING HAE JO IN THE FINAL DRIFT OF HIS LIFE

The day we are born, our date of departure is also decided. Death is something we all know is inevitable, yet we're never truly prepared to face it. Without giving away too many spoilers, this is the first time I've seen a story where, instead of seeking a cure, the protagonist opts to do some last-minute homework. Out of the blue, he decides to find his father (a sperm donor), convinced that his disease was inherited from him—despite never considering that his mother could have been the carrier.

Anyway, moving on, he ends up kidnapping his ex to accompany him on his adventure. Why? Because she's dealing with premature menopause, and somehow he decides to take her along. Logic? Don’t ask me. Maybe he just wanted to try his last shots at fertilizing her fallopian tubes before his time runs out—who knows?

Yet, despite all this absurdity, the story is surprisingly captivating. It made me laugh like crazy and cry like hell.

What I liked best:

1. Actors: The cast is incredible—seasoned artists, many of whom have been in the industry for decades.


2. Character depth: The leads, in particular (and everyone else, in general), have their own backstories that genuinely make you feel connected to and sympathetic towards them. For instance, the second lead, who has always been timid around his mother, undergoes significant character development. By the end, he transforms into a confident person unafraid to speak his mind.


3. Plot: The storyline is focused and concise, with no unnecessary detours. In fact, such narratives don't have room for conspiracy theories or melodramatic suspense.


4. Realistic ending: The male lead doesn’t survive. It’s tragic but also very realistic. Writers can pen countless miracles, but we know that in real life, such situations rarely end in a fairy tale.


In terms of the music, it was decent—perhaps not entirely to my taste, but it wasn't bad either.

I'm genuinely glad that Korean writers are experimenting with their typical storytelling tropes. We're moving away from the heavy makeup and designer outfits to something more raw, with imperfect backgrounds. Even the actors are expanding their range, taking on roles that go beyond merely being eye candy.

However, the re-watch value is zero. No matter how good it was, I wouldn’t recommend sticking to this gloomy story a second time.

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Noona/Office romance with perfect cast and production

This could have been just like any other noona romance but it was not.It solery focused of business
and then the romance came in after.
If you are not a patient person,I wouldnt recommend this drama but unffortunetly you would miss out
on a very good project that was excuted with care and high intelligence from both actors and writers.
Its a slow burn,they spend most of the time really conducting business and somehow you find yourself
sacked in the boardroom with them,watching the bad guys skimming and loosing which gives you a silent
satisfaction.
The FL is the main character,she is carrer driven,goal setter,with an ability not to crack under intense pressure
in an industry that is designed to give one high blood pressure.But she navigates the corridors of power with
ease,a fake sime and a problem solving attitude.
She gets paired up with a young ML who by "accident" finds himself thrown into the battle ground and early
on he understands that he has to protect the FL from the wolves who have nothing in mind but to kick her out.
When she gets demoted,he follows her and stick with her till the end of his term.Did I mention he also falls in
love with her and they have to fight another battle outside the office beacause of their age difference..and win
her mother who from my opinion stood between a thin line of weird and psychopath.I have seen share amount of
mothers in asian dramas but this one took the trophy,the only difference is that she would get a quicker redemption.

This is one of thosse drams you watch slowly,with your own pace. but I commend the directors and writers for giving us
a solid show.ther ewas no dragged story line.And it was an educational piece on the world of business and environment.

Also Hallo Dylan Wnag..I trust him with any role,He will deliver and give you more than you bargained for,I call him the male
version of Zhao Lusi.I lowkey wish his potential chemistry was reciprocated but acting with someone 20 years older
than you in real life,creates some sot of invisible boundaries.But he is acting was kiss chef that this lack of chemistry
was not visible.

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Freaking Ice queen and her Plastic tears

honestly, this show left me wondering why it has so much hype in the first place.it delivered nothing of the sort. The entire plot was surrounded by a failed attempt to capture the boring family dynamics and romance which is entangled in melodrama and cliches. The fancy lead couple felt more awkward than emotionally connected. till episode 12 i actually felt no couple(married) vibes through them.. after that it was all wrapped around the tragic memory loss plot that gave that barely there true love feel to it.

Rn i am so bored to even write this review so you can fathom the dept of my disappointment in this show .. anyways..
the narrative is so overwhelmed by unnecessary melodrama, meanwhile the scenes where rather strong emotions were needed, the reactions felt flat and dull. the pace of the plot was snail sped too much content and time was wasted on things which were adding no concrete substance to the story ..for example ML's father's scenes about his election campaign were extremely stupid and forced funny.

Not only this but There were literally way too many characters and side stories, making the whole thing feel messy and hard to follow. Hong Hae In (played by Kim Ji Won) finds herself caught in a whirlwind of health problems and family betrayals, which should be touching, but instead, it’s a mess of unneeded drama. first she wanted surgery to escape death then she started overreacting as soon as she heard of the potential memory loss after treatment which was so unrealistic .. i mean come on .. anyone will prioritize life over memory cause if you live you can rebuilt those memories ..but if you die memories die with you .. her character remains so damn irritating till the last min ..like she literally gives no straight answer to any question/statement no matter how serious the matter or feelings are involved she always answers in an 'as if i care' roundabout manner ... i felt even more bad for kim soo hyun , his character was so weak and unlikeable in the first half of the show and the second half was so packed with melodrama that there wasnt much for him to do other than using tear drops. his character kind of lost its spirit in all the chaos and mess. Well ..to be honest this screenwriting did no justice to his talent as an outstanding actor.

Background music was possibly the best thing ... Secondly the wordrobe ..may be not the best but still good ( IMO judge from hell has best wordrobe and styling so far)

in the end i am still not convinced by the level of marketing they did to promote this show .. or may be they knew the show is lacking at good writing so atleast lets promote it good.

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