2020

A pretty typical mid-2010 TW drama. Gender-benders aren't my favorite to begin with, but this one came pretty highly recommended, so I checked it out. I liked the literal "bromance" (the 兄弟 relationships) of the show the best, for sure. It could've gone deeper, though, and not all the storylines were fleshed out to their completion.

This was overall a fun ride. It had a good mixture of humor and drama, and the comedy was just my style (had me laughing out loud a lot). The story was all right, got a little draggy with the extension in the middle, but it had a good (if predictable) ending. The character growth of the students was especially nice to experience.

I enjoyed this way more than I thought I would. The characters captured my heart pretty early on, and I liked how the drama addressed the issues the characters had and needed to grow from. Overall, a surprisingly well-grounded and thought provoking drama.

I really enjoyed this drama. It was slow and thought-provoking with strong characters.

I really wanted to like this drama, but the tone at the beginning was so off-kilter that it was hard to take it seriously when it wanted me to. I had difficulty buying into the lead's romance and my dislike towards to FL didn't really change from my initial impression. It was pretty predictable overall, and it didn't go in the directions that I wanted it to.

I enjoyed this drama overall. It was very well paced throughout and the characters were interesting. There were some points where I felt things would just suddenly happen out of nowhere just for the plot's sake, but mostly things made sense. I feel like this one would need a rewatch to get all the nuances and small details sprinkled throughout. Also, it was very touching, especially towards the end with some good twists and unexpected events that happened.

The characters in this made it enjoyable, but the story overall was a bit of a mess. It had this weird habit of building up to an event, having a cliff-hanger-anticipation scene just before the climax, and then just cut to someone reacting to the resolution. It was very jarring. Like, where is the payoff? We need to see the characters react and grow from these situations!

That's the biggest qualm I had. The second was Qingqing's story. It was one of the most head-scratching scenarios I've seen in a long time, and it didn't play out the way I was vying for. Just... I would watch her scenes and think, Why? Why is it happening like this? Who am I supposed to be rooting for?

All in all, the friendship between the three was really fun to watch, and the other two romantic leads (excluding Qingqing's) were interesting, fleshed-out people. The acting was really good overall (one of the strongest points of the drama), and I liked Ben Wu in this a lot more than in Love and Pi; he emoted much better.

A rewatch. Still as wonderful and endearing as before. I could rewatch this many times over.

What an excellent drama. It is well-paced, thoughtful, and executed brilliantly. I was genuinely surprised at some of the twists and felt for all the characters: good, bad, and all the shades in between. It also had an interesting commentary on the state of corruption in Korea and how often loyalty clashes with morality within the legal system.

Hwang Shi Mok has become one of my favorite characters ever. Jo Seung Woo played him brilliantly; it takes serious skill to make such an emotionless character sympathetic. Shi Mok had a very believable character arc and I loved his scenes with Lieutenant Han; they had a very endearing friendship.

This drama was very beautiful. It was like a love-letter to Taiwan, both the people and the environment. It explored themes related to grief and finding your place in a world that is not inherently kind. How you have to be a reflection of the life you wish to live. Like Cheng Nuo, the male lead, says at some point (paraphrased): "You go through life, and maybe people are around you, maybe not, but nobody is going to grow up for you. It's up to you to face the world head-on."

All of the characters had strong arcs that were very touching, and I loved the opening that ended with quotes by Chi Po-Lin that tied into elements of that episode - everything was just done very meaningfully and thoughtfully.

Beautifully shot, but it lacked strong characters and an overarching plot.

This was a fun watch. It had many clichés and tropes, but I thought it poked fun at itself and was self-aware enough to make it not too over the top. I liked the humor and felt like the pacing was good. The side characters were also developed nicely alongside the leads. I also liked that it wasn't too dark but also not too light-hearted - it had a good in-between balance. Wasn't totally impressed with the ending.

I was overall impressed by this show. It took about 11 episodes to get me really hooked, but it had some thoughtful messages and interesting themes throughout. It definitely veers on the side of reality, which at some points I found myself disappointed by, but understood. We want fantastical results in dramas usually, but real life just doesn't work like that.

This one is a strong eight. What a lovely drama with a wonderfully charming and loveable male and female lead. They have one of the most balanced and understanding relationships I've seen in a long time. It was really heartfelt.

Other elements kept me from giving this a higher score. The story was a bit mismatched, though it was obvious they planned it out from the beginning, which is nice. I didn't really like either of the Deok-Mi's side character friends, either, and felt their romantic storylines were a bleak contrast to the leads.

Those main leads, tho... I could watch a full-length weekend drama just about them. I'll miss getting to see into their world.

This not a genre I usually watch, and I'm a total scaredy-cat when it comes to horror, but I decided to give this one a try, and I'm glad I did. There were some predictable moments, but also very surprising and edge-of-my-seat ones as well. I really liked all of the allegories between the disease and real societal problems. I was also pleasantly surprised at the humor interspersed throughout.

This was a rewatch, but I hadn't watched it in maybe eight or so years, so I was quite curious as to how it would hold up. For a drama that was made 20 years ago now, I'm happy to say it holds up quite well in my opinion.

It's funny how time can change your perspective. I definitely sympathized and understood Gong Chan's pov a lot more this time around. I also had remembered the grandpa being a lot harsher and more stubborn, but now I get where he's coming from a lot better this time around. My understanding of the cultural circumstances surrounding everyone's decisions is a lot more acute, which helps significantly. I also felt like it didn't drag as much as I remember it. I think I'm a lot more patient with the "dilemma" scenes in which characters sit around the contemplate their next course of action compared to before where I just wanted the romance to quickly spark!

All in all, though it has an overall weak standing in my favorites list, it still holds a place of its own, and I'll look forward to rewatching it again in the next ten years or so. It's just such a classic.

I connected and empathized hard with the male lead and his situation. I liked the slow melting of his outer shell and felt the depiction of his emergence from the dark place he was in was done so beautifully. But his actual character and how he acted on a daily basis? Especially how he treated the female lead? Not a fan. This drama definitely suffered from a typical tsundere, never-show-how-you-really-feel male lead and a perky, candy female lead. While they did have some layers to their character, it didn't go deep enough for me to be fully invested.

All in all, the drama went places I appreciated and had some touching moments, but its overall arch, supporting characters, and depth weren't as satisfying as they could have been.

I thoroughly enjoyed this drama. Even though it could be a little melodramatic and over the top at times, it had a lot of heart and I really liked the directions it took.

What stood out to me the most was the character development -- all the major characters went through major characters arcs that made them all the more interesting and compelling. I especially liked Sarut's storyline.

I also liked that the story never got stuck and kept progressing forward smoothly. There were some points it slowed down, but for the most part, it was executed nicely.

I'm going to miss this story and characters a lot.

Nok was like looking in a mirror. A mirror that pulls your deficiencies out from the shadows they've been hiding in and lays them bare in the bright sunlight, squirming and uncomfortable to see but all too necessary. The self-sabotaging, the lashing out, the unrelenting wall of pride that comes crumbling down only after you've ruined everything good you have -- it was so exhausting to watch, yet so exhilaratingly satisfying. I connected to Nok on a personal level I have only experienced a handful of times in my drama-watching life.

As for the rest of the drama: Nai, of course, was amazing, and I liked how he wasn't the infallibly perfect style of lead like I suspected he might be; he was just really calm (which is one of the top personality traits I admire) and reasonable. Someone who can take in the chaos around them and ponder through the panic before taking action.

Nok's parents were amazing as well, in particular her mom. The other characters were a little black-and-white in their actions, but some like Penny and Wes have some nice little growth moments. There were also some tropes I didn't like much and the "game" premise was a bit silly, but overall the good outshone the bad. I shed a few tears in that last episode, not going to lie.

Was going to give this a lower score, but the sweetness of the last episode won me over (+.5 for the "stone on a flower" metaphor. It was beautiful).

What a drama. It reminded me of late 2000s kdramas - just completely dedicated to its melodrama. I can usually accept that to some extent, but there were too many silly scenes that made no sense that I couldn't give this one a pass. Evil characters being evil just for the sake of it, totally incompetent police and authority figures, and just completely nonsensical decisions abound. By the end, I wasn't even rooting for any of the main characters, just morbidly interested in how their story would come to a close.

I felt like this drama was missing a beat with every string it tried to pull. From the action scenes, the revenge, the redemption -- none of it lived up to its potential. I don't know if it was the writing or the directing - probably a combination of both - but there was an "off" feeling throughout, at least for me. The actors gave their best, though, and I appreciated that.

What a lovely drama. It's apparent how much the makers of this drama love Thai history and wanted to share it with the audience. I loved every aspect of that - it was thoroughly fascinating to learn about Thai culture from that time period.

The characters took a bit to warm up to, but I ended up really liking them in the end too. Especially Dech's emotional change throughout the drama, it was really touching and beautiful to watch him fall for the female lead. Karaked I had more mixed feelings for, but I'm glad her character stayed consistent throughout. The side characters were also interesting in their own rights and had me looking up and learning more about the historical people they were based off of.

I was also worried they were going to leave some plot holes unanswered, but they ended up explaining most of my questions by the end, which was very satisfying.

This was a very solid adaptation that I enjoyed a lot. It still suffered from some of the same dragging elements of the original, but I overall liked the characters and flow of the story better in this version.

I enjoyed Adachi Rika's portrayal of Yo, in particular. She was good at showing both the strength and vulnerability of the female lead. Shirasu Jin was also a pro at brooding, though I felt his portrayal wasn't quite as versatile in comparison.

The story also had two parts where I felt the story didn't flow well and was missing a key scene to tie big events together. I wish the leads had gotten together quicker and we had more time to see them together as a couple as well.

This was a fun ride. I really enjoyed the storyline and the developments of the characters. The male lead in particular put on an outstanding performance.

What I liked most about this drama was its sincerity. It addressed some pretty deep issues using the dream-solver plot, and many of those topics hit me pretty hard. I also liked how the romance wasn't at the forefront, and it was more about finding camaraderie and what an utter relief it can be to finally find people you fit and belong with.

Seung-gi and Jasper were excellent, loveable, and adorable hosts, the challenges were interesting and highlighted not only the host's personalities but also the countries they were taking place in, and the result of the challenges was very touching. I could watch this again and again without getting tired of it.

Momo reminds me so much of myself for much of my childhood and teenage years -- shy to the point of it being a disability, only able to express herself in bursts of uncontrolled emotion, and prefers to just live in a fantasy world that's much easier to control than the real world. Momo was the first fictional character I ever saw who had such similar traits to me.

And this time around, I appreciated her character and her arc even more for the sole fact that /she isn't forced to change!/ She isn't "transformed" into a suddenly outgoing and perky girl. She is who she is, and the people around her slowly come to accept and really appreciate her for that. All her arc encompasses is ironing out some communication flaws and become more comfortable expressing herself. But the traits of being on the quiet side and preferring to stay in the background? Just the way she is, and /that's okay./ I really praise the writers for letting her grow in this way.

The platonic relationships. When I first watched it as a teenager myself, I remember being keenly honed in on the romance. It took up the core of my interest and all the other scenes were left to the wayside. But watching it now... my goodness. While the romance is a good slow-burn, the friendship between Mars and Yi Zhi, between Momo and Jia Sen, the sisterhood between Chuchu and Momo, and most of all, the heart-wrenching relationship between Mars and his mom -- they're all just so touching and meaningful. I laughed, I teared up, and my heartfelt bursting with warmth. These characters really care about each other and truly want the best for one another.

A wonderful drama full of heart-warming messages without being overly preachy. I was a bit worried at the beginning because the main female lead seemed like the spunky, nothing can bring me down type of character, but she got her humanizing moments just like almost everyone else in this drama.

I like how all the problems weren't bow-tied off and solved at the end, it was more of a reflection of how the way you choose to live your life and your outlook subtly affect the people and events around you. (The writer is the same as Soratobu Kouhoushitsu, so I'm not surprised at the nuances sprinkled throughout).

This is probably one of the most thought-provoking and important drama I've seen addressing this sort of topic. It's even more impressive coming from a country like Taiwan, where dramas are usually not so serious and heavy-handed. The topics it covered were fascinating and I fell in love with all the characters, despite how flawed and human they were.

What I liked most about this adaptation is how they didn't make Zhi Shu such an unbearable jerk, and instead did a good job of showing him slowly melting his barriers and falling for Yue Qing. Instead of being a cold, off-standish genius, he resembled more of a real teenage boy who isn't used to being pushed and prodded in the way Yue Qing does. He felt like a real human than a caricature.

I really liked Yue Qing in this one too, but I usually like the Kotoko in all the stories, so that's not really a big surprise. Her earnest nature and the way she keeps going forward despite what happens to her are qualities I always admire.

The first third was quite uninteresting and meandering (ep 1~8, I'd give a score of 4), the second third was surprisingly good with some deeply emotional scenes and interesting commentary on social status in Korea (ep 9~12, I'd give a 7), and finally, the last third was a mish-mash of throwing any plot point possible against the wall and going with what stuck easiest without thinking about expanding on the story as a whole (ep 13~16, back to 4 maybe even 3). As many others have commented, there was a severe lack of character growth throughout this entire series, which heavily impacted the last third.

The best part of this drama was its actors, hands down. The final scene with Ji Chang Wook and Kim Yoo Sung had me smiling just because I like them as actors, not because of any lasting impression the drama left on me. Overall, I wouldn't recommend this drama, but I highly praise most of the lead/support actors for the hard work and effort they put into their otherwise shallow characters and storylines.

I enjoyed the journey of these characters. It was very heartfelt and their transformations were tremendous, but also paced nicely. The plot wasn't as complete and well planned as it could be, but serviced the character growth well enough.

The first half I felt was a bit bland, and while there were some plot points that took me by surprise, it felt a little too formulaic. But the second half really came through and shined (with the exception of one very small detail added in that quite disappointed me), especially with the message it evoked in the last episode -- it was very touching and meaningful. All the actors also did a wonderful job portraying their characters, especially the male lead Joseph Chang.

The second half of this drama deserves a 9 or 10 score, especially Weber Yang's performance as Jiang Wei Cheng -- just absolute perfection.

I learnt a lot from watching this drama. It's my first TW historical, and while it definitely has a different feel than K-historicals, it seems to stick a bit more faithfully to actual events and takes fewer liberties with the facts, which was really appreciated in the last third when they got to Taiwan and White Terror started.

This is a story about how characters are shaped by events out of their control. Thus, the characters were definitely the strongest part of this drama. They were very real, almost painfully real, full of bad habits and flaws, but also beautifully filled with love and loyalty for the people around them.

This was definitely a fun watch, though the beginning genre is much different from how it ends. It's missing a certain specialness or unique aspect that makes it stick out from other dramas. It's fun to watch through once, but there's not really anything particularly outstanding. I'll remember it for the fun ride, but there's nothing to draw me back into rewatching. I do wish they had delved more into certain issues and that the conflict had been resolved differently.

I liked the flow of the story and didn't mind the extension like a lot of people seemed to. I enjoy stories more that delve into what happens after the main couple gets together, I feel that lends a more realistic approach to the story. There were some unrealistic plot points and a lot (a lot, a lot) of cliché situations and tropes sprinkled within, but the acting was done with such sincerity and genuineness that it didn't bother me as much.

I was also touched by the evolution of the characters and felt like they did a good job exploring various themes such as moving on from grief, what makes a family (blood, loyalty, or something more), and the tricky balance between love for your family and romantic love; touching on just how much you should give and take in each instance. Taiwanese dramas are just so good at taking a central theme and really exploring all facets of its application.

This drama was a mixed bag. There were some parts that it did really, really well. For example, expounding on character's backstories and how they came to be in their current situation. This relates to the theme of the drama, which is definitely that every person comes with their own backstory no matter how currently broken/thriving they are, and you shouldn't judge without the complete picture.

At the same time, there was a lack of connection between the past and the present. They would present these really heartbreaking past scenes, then cut to the present and not have any commentary or reflection from the character. The past and the present just kind of existed parallel to each other without really intersecting enough for it to be meaningful. It had a great lead up, but not a good execution.

Also, there were some scenes that just made me feel outright uncomfortable and were really out of place. To say more would be spoilers, but there's one scene in particular that just had me scratching my head and wondering why they would choose to portray such a serious topic in this way.

I liked the main characters and felt everyone, even the child actors, even the foreign actors(!), did a really great job, but it wasn't enough to make up for what it was lacking in the end.

Still great characters and commentary on the imperfections of society, though, and how it takes hard work and grit to keep society running on its best ideals and principles instead of slipping down the easy road of corruption.

I liked the story, thought it was well-planned, and the explorations of grief and depression were good, but putting those parts together into the whole just didn't wow me. I wanted some parts to be expanded on, for them to be the essence of the drama instead of constantly going back and forth to further the main lead's eternal angst.

Wrote a review for this one, but basically: Liked the ideas behind the plot, some scenes were good, but the characters ranged from bland to unlikeable.

I think what touches me most about this drama is the utter humanity of its characters. This has a lot to do with the strengths of the leads, but man, did Vic Chou dominates as Chen Ling. The vulnerability, the hard edges that ever-so-slowly soften as he learns to let go of his past and embraces the person Qi Luo believes he can be. It's magnificent. Chen Ling, though falling into the stereotypical "bad boy" persona at the beginning, doesn't fall victim to the tropes that surround that caricature. Rather, he's held up as an example of a flawed person, someone whose actions you should not admire or pursue.  He's given the time and space to develop and grow.

Luo Qi's growth and development is just as beautifully laid out and developed. She had a good pace of slowly opening up and blossoming into the person she could have been all along had those terrible things not happened to her. Their love story is one of the most beautiful I've seen, but also very realistic and deals with issues in, while not always the most mature way due to their age, at least in a thoughtful and meaningful way.

This was a good drama. It was very quiet and didn't have a lot of drama, but explored a lot of deeper and more difficult topics like how to move on from grief and the lines between morality - what separates a "good" person from a "bad" one. The characters were also really strong and well developed. The story seems a bit silly at first with animals being able to talk, but the way they portray it and its role in the story was done in a thoughtful and meaningful way. A good drama if you want something a bit slower and non-romance centred.

I can boil the things that made my rating fly so high to three points:

(1): The mix of fiction and real-world and how they interacted with each other

(2) The plot. I can't say too much without giving spoilers, but the way the plot went full circle to collide with where it began was really beautiful and went in ways, though unexpected, I fully appreciated.

(3) When the male lead, our stereotypical "overbearing CEO," begins reading the trope-ridden romance books published by the female lead, I readily anticipated the typical reaction of underlying mocking or scoffing. But his reaction was something I didn't realize I needed, a sort of affirmation of sorts, that he also enjoyed the books in his own way.

Good first half, disastrous second. I liked the characters; they were good people and treated each other with such warmth.

The biggest problem with this drama is the lack of communication. I thought we were past "noble idiot" type plotlines? Why can't you respect someone enough to tell them when you're in trouble and let them make the decision for themself about how to deal with it? "I don't want them to see me suffer" is such a selfish reason for hiding important information from someone you supposedly care about. More like you want to feel like then "hero" for saving them from the pain you didn't even let them in on in the first place!

The last two episodes had a lot of tropes I absolutely abhor, so pretty disappointed overall. At the same time, I can't forget the memorable lines and fluffiness of the first half.

I generally enjoyed this drama. I felt the middle was stronger than the beginning and ending, and there were some thread points that I wish had been explored further - especially concerning the female lead. I also kind of felt similar towards the male lead, but he at least got a bit more fleshing out and further growth after his big reveal. I  do wish they had spent more time focusing on the production of live streams and what actually goes into having that sort of company and the ups and downs of broadcasting. In the end, my favorite characters didn't even end up being any of the leads, but the supports.

The two leads were really adorable, both as a couple and as themselves. They had good character arcs and their feelings for each other once they got over their obstacles felt really genuine. I liked the side characters as well and the explorations of real love vs. expectation, dealing with the trauma left from the previous generation, letting go of hatred, etc. Lots of good topics.

The one big qualm I had with the drama is that sometimes characters would make decisions too abruptly or suddenly change their entire thought processes, things that had been building up for episodes, at the drop of a hat, or due to a single line of dialogue. Also, the process of falling in love was a bit abrupt, not like the slow-dance, lovely build-up we're used to in more modern dramas. Sometimes I only realized characters had fallen for each other because they explicitly said so.

Goodness. I haven't disliked/felt so uninterested in a main couple like this for a long, long time (probably not since 2013's The Master's Sun).

There are exactly four things I liked about this drama, thus my final rating.
(1) Kim Seon Ho/Ji Pyeong. He was wonderful, a layered character who often made me feel things deeply during his scenes, especially when compared to scenes without him. His scenes with Kim Hae Sook were lovely, and his final choice with what to do with his investment brought tears to my eyes.
(2) The family side-plot. Starting with the visually-stunning first episode and ending a very touching scene near the end (trying to avoid spoilers), it circled back to its beginning beautifully and meaningfully.
(3) The side-characters. I liked Cheol San and Sa Ha the best, but Yong San's story was also interesting (if a bit underdeveloped), and the evolution of Do San's parents was also rewarding.
(4) The directing. Probably the main reason I kept watching. It was a very beautifully-shot drama for sure.

What I liked most about this story was its emphasis on understanding. The basis of the business the characters create together was "Don't judge a person by their cover," which was thoroughly explored throughout the drama. There were many "mini-stories" that interplayed with the core theme and central story nicely, interwoven with the radio show offering extra insights. Also, the main stories involving our main characters, especially towards the end, were beautifully done and encompassed me in a wave of emotions.

It's a drama full of heart, and while I do think some parts could've been done better, and some performances weren't quite up to snuff, I'm glad it turned out contrary to my expectations - the final result was much better than what I had initially imagined.

Wonderful drama. It slowly explores the different aspects of loneliness and being alone, both the loneliness afflicted on us by others and the loneliness we thrust upon others in order to protect ourselves. Both lead's journeys were very touching and thought-provoking. I really loved the themes explored.