This harrowing crime mystery is YEAAAA!!!

Premise: When a narcotics investigator Jang Jae Kyung (Ji Sung) finds himself forcibly addicted to drugs, he must fight to maintain his sanity, all while uncovering the truth behind the suspicious suicide of an old friend which brings intrigue to hidden connections that stem from the past.

An action-packed, suspenseful & endless riddles. I had a blast each week, feeling the “excitement-satisfaction-discussion-confusion” cycle on repeat! The story is dark and juicy. Full of enjoyable twists, well-shot scenes, so many characters who are connected to the main storyline. I get fully invested, each episode leaves me thinking out loud long after watching and craves the next episode. The stakes and emotions are high, unpredictable until the last moment. 99% of the reveals are well-done! Only one that is underwhelming to me, but by the end everything turns out satisfying. It has one of the most refreshing conclusion I've ever seen.

Although it is dark & intense, there's a lot of heart and lessons to the story motivation. It felt cathartic watching how things went down to the characters, both in good or bad ways. Also impressive that they insert some funny moments, not in the form of comedies, but in how the scenes were set up, the dialogues and the confrontations.

The entire cast take the lead and works well together. Be it lead role or supporting role, everyone brings their character to the fullest, making the entire watching experience enjoyable. Me and friends had fun giving nicknames to all of them for their unique traits and actions. Special mentions to Kwon Yool, Jeong Jae Kwang, Jung Soon Won and Yoon Sa Bong for their memorable performances and of course, Ji Sung is magnificent on screen. I love him weak and I love him strong. His pain and despair are contagious and really broke my heart. His portrayal struggling with withdrawal due to his drug addiction was scary and realistic, but not overly sensational. Only a very controlled & skillful actor can do so.

Connection is now sitting on top as my best drama in 2024 and one of my all-time top thrillers. So if you want to watch something intense, gritty, and mind-boggling, with a great cast that literally set things ablaze, here it is! Have fun!

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it has such an interesting concept for the plot, but... :(

Mokha and Kiho are schoolmates who ended up supporting each other due to their dysfunctional family situations. Mokha dreams of becoming a singer since childhood, but failed to be one due to her abusive father, and she ends up surviving alone in a deserted island. When she's finally rescued, she has to adapt to this modern society that she has left for over 15 years, while keep pursuing her dream.

This first episode got me connected to Mokha and Kiho, it was sad but I love it, including Mokha being alone on a deserted island. My appreciation goes for the young actors, they were so good. Lee Re really looks like young Park Eun Bin and did very well. Moon Woo Jin is such a scene stealer in anywhere I've seen him in. I love his gaze and serious and empathetic looks. I wish there's more to their story, with the time jump and there's almost no island story, we moved on so fast that my emotional investment drops a lot. I find it hard to believe that she is so childlike, like a country-bumpkin in Seoul, and the show is trying to make me feel that way but it didn't feel genuine enough. I get that she doesn't have anyone to develop her social mannerism on the island, but her past-self is even more mature than her adult-self. What I enjoyed in the present time is when Mokha gets to actually connect with her idol and her plot with her idol. I like the Kang brotherhood moments as well, but even with those pros... the cons outweighed the pros; Her career journey should had been more highlighted, but that got sidetracked by a uninteresting love triangle. Another thing, I can give a pass to Mokha's acting but not to her reactions to the plot point reveal, that's just annoying because it seems so out of her character. It might be that the show is written as it airs? I'm not sure. it has such an interesting concept, but this show is just meh.

-Oct 2023, Yovita
Find me on Instagram: @kdramajudge

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It's heavy on the politics, but the smart leads kept me excited.

Blood Free (BF) is a biotech company that has dominated the lab-grown meat market. Despite its' success, this movement is considered controversial and has put the CEO Yoon Ja Yoo (Han Hyo Joo) at risk to some opposing threats. Woo Chae Woon (Ju Ji Hoon) is recruited as her bodyguard, but with a mission to bring her down.

The sci-fi aspect and the politics were complicated and not that exciting to me, and I wasn't fully drawn by the first impression of the leads. Later, their dynamic becomes much more interesting. Both Ja Yoo and Chae Woon have mutual goodwill but haunted by their past, that keep each other distant. They both are smart and excel in their solitude. Ja Yoo is awesome! Even as she is caught off guard and injured, she is unshaken. Her thoughts and decisions kept me rooting for her win. I don't quite understand Chae Woon since he's hard to read, but his action was daring he kept me engaged.

Pacing-wise, this is fast, we don’t catch a break until the last episode, where I felt is losing momentum, and it ends a bit creepy. But I have to say it’s a great experience overall. The consistent elevated stake was suspenseful, thrilling, and the twists were unpredictable.

Thanks for reading!
Find me on instagram: @kdramajudge

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drag drag dragg

Sajo Hyun (Park Jihoon) suffers from his father's tyranny and due to this upbringing, he develops another personality, who goes by the name Ak Hee. Yeon Wol (Hong Ye Ji) comes from a supportive family and she’s trained to be a fighter since young. Sajo and Yeon Wol shortly-met when Sajo's father did something evil to Yeon Wol's family, which led Yeon Wol to run for her life. 10 years later, Yeon Wol returns and ready to take a revenge.

The leads were introduced well, their childhood backstories set up the tension and stake. But once they grow up, I don't feel connection to them anymore and didn't feel any chemistry between Sajo Hyun and Yeon Wol, so sad :(. The palace intrigue are boring and I didn't get the comedy although I can see them trying. I was bored out of my mind seeing the king being drunk. When his arc was eventually resolved, plot moves along with another villain, whose storyline was annoying and dragggss.. dang!

The whole thing with Sajo and Ak Hee fighting in another dimension is weird and felt detached to the historical setting world. What kept me watching was solely to support Park Ji Hoon. Him as the fierce Ak Hee was exciting to watch and his actions kept me rooting for both him and Sajo Hyun's redemption. His duality acting was great, and he did the best he can despite my disappointment with the script and story execution. With one more episode to watch, I hope we get a satisfying finale and good ending for him.

-Feb 2024, Yovita
Find me on Instagram: @kdramajudge

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Missing a lot of beats along the way

A modern woman fell into a river and wakes up in the Joseon period inhabiting another woman's body, Hae Soo. She gets involved with five princes whom she becomes friends to lovers, whilst enduring all sorts of palace political stuff. This is her story of being a very naive woman with modern sensibilities struggling to survive in palace life.

The show is really beautiful and the music is really good, it's very emotional and elevates this show as a whole. The first 11 episodes are the best in my opinion. I like how believable all the character's motivations are, even the villains you understand why they're doing what they're doing. Afterward, there are a couple of time jumps and characters change, relationship dynamics change quite a bit, and it feels very detached from the first 11 episodes. Everything just kind of gets murky and lost its' focus. I don't think the time jump is suitable in this show because the first 10 episodes built my interest to see these characters' journeys in progress. I lost a lot of interest in the show and just stuck it out because of all of the goodwill for the characters. I needed to watch the to the end but the ending just wasn't satisfying. I was just unsatisfied with the conclusion of the relationship. I like their dynamic in the beginning much more and then it sort of changes like it just kind of happened. I didn't see her go from one love to the other, I didn't appreciate it. I feel like they're wasting such a great foundation they have built in the first 11 episodes.

(Spoilers ahead, rants ahead... XD)

I feel that the show as a whole is kind of missing the point as I don't feel like there was a reason for our female lead to go through all this hardship. She goes through so many sufferings and it just at the end there is no point in it all, especially if she wasn't gonna end up with her true love interest. Yes, she learned about ambition and the consequences of power but that is more relevant for the 4th prince. So it's just like I can't pinpoint exactly how the female leads character arc was. The show changed a lot and I am sad that it didn't leave a good impression on me at the end.

To not end up on a negative note, some of my favorite moments from the show. These are actually the little moments... so the first one is when Hae Soo makes the decision not to tell the 8th Prince when the king has died and she actually tells the 4th Prince I really enjoyed that part because she has some agency for herself in making that decision. I thought about the moment between her and the 4th Prince when she looks at him and she's like yes I'm gonna tell him the truth and like he recognizes the significance of her telling him the truth, I loved that entire scene!

OK, another moment is when she cuts herself to give herself a scar so she can't be married off to the 1st King. Oh! like the sound of the vase breaking and then she got a cut. That whole moment I thought it was really well done, it was so juicy. There's a lot of agency there that I really appreciated because she found a solution to her problem even though it wasn't the greatest solution but solved the problem.

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Lots of satisfying punches

When Ji Young was a child, his mother was beaten, the criminal was caught but only receive light punishment. So when he grows up, he took revenge on him and continue beating other criminals on the weekends. He's known by public as the mysterious hooded vigilante.

Right from the get go, I see a proper action thriller of an underdog beating up criminal whom the justice system doesn't do justice of their crimes. The show is very fast-paced as the plot thickens by ep 3, becoming even more interesting beyond the main story of a mysterious Vigilante being hunted.

Kudos to Nam Joo Hyuk who is doing the heavy lifting carrying his character's inner struggle and action. He did a great job of showing us Ji Young’s motivations. We understand why he's doing this. It's hinting at neo noir genre because on one side he is supporting justice but also he's in murdering people, so isn't he evil or not? That's the aspect that makes me excited to find out what happens next. This show is very violent and vicious, but it is targeted to one on one combats not like chaotic crowd fighting. Another stand-out character for me is Cho Kang Ok. He provide the thrilling momentum throughout. The closure was quite simple and it’s a good thing! It concludes on a realistic and not-over the top note. I enjoyed it overall, just there's something minuscule off about the show as a whole for me and I can't put my finger on it. I love the premise, thrills and satisfying punches, then for some reasons when I leave it, I have no drive to talk about the plot besides thirst-trapping on Nam Joo Hyuk’s cool and badass actions.

-Nov 2023, Yovita
Find me on Instagram: @kdramajudge

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Ji Sung's mission impossible: accomplished!!

When a psychiatrist Oh Rijin meet a man with dissociative identity disorder, Cha Do Hyeon, she gets fully occupied with each of his seven identities from a man-child troublemaker, an eccentric old man, to an obsessive fangirl. Before she realizes it, she falls in love with one of his egos.

This is a great mix of melodrama and romcom. It’s my go-to show whenever I need a good laugh. The story makes me sympathize with the characters without using cheap tricks. The three leads have the best chemistry! Above all, I'm blown away with not one, but seven characters of our male lead. Casting Ji Sung turned out to be a bullseye! His Baeksang is well deserved! It’s my intro to Ji Sung and I'm happy to be alive. His unpredictability draw me in more than the story does. Shin Se Gi, despite his toxic masculinity spreading, I always anticipate his next moves. And of course, when Yo Na strikes, I was losing myself laughing too much! I also love the OST, Auditory Hallucination.

Kill Me, Heal Me wasn’t without its flaws: the CGI looks messy and chaotic. I also don’t think they need to emphasize the make up and tattoos when he changes personality. I can recognize him changing without all those touch-ups, even from only his gaze. Another con is the repetitive flashbacks and how Ri Jin was bullied by her family. She has the heart of a saint and stubbornness to stick by him even when he was literally changing in front of her eyes, she deserves better! Overall… Fun, heartbreaking, and unpredictable! It's the best guilty pleasure ∋━o(｀∀´oメ）

-Sept 2023, Yovita
Find me on Instagram: @kdramajudge

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The trio's friendship makes it really fun to watch, but I have my complaints!

The head chef in modern-day Seoul fell into a pool, hit his head and went into a comma. He wakes up in the body of a soon-to-be Joseon Queen right in the middle of the palace scheming dangerous plots and meets a king who hides dark secret.

Mr. Queen is poking fun at sageuks with good intentions, it's clearly coming from the love for the genre. Production-wise, everything looks nice, the costumes look nice. Fans of palace politics will find this to be refreshing as they'll probably get a kick out of many moments, while viewers like me who shy away from the heavy-politics will find this to be fun. The palace intrigue is not innovative in general, it deals with two powerful clans fighting over throne, but the pacing is fast, so it sets up its stage very well.

Mr. Queen is portrayed by the magnificent Shin Hye Sun. She's an actress but she's man spreading really well so I'll use 'He'. Even if he looks like a playboy, he's so kind towards his female servants. Their friendships are wholesome and provide a lot of comedy. The trio plays off of one another so well that both the parodies and serious plot real good.

I think the first 6 episodes have nailed the sweet spot. The comedy is landing for me, it's rare for me to appreciate funnies from a k drama that is intending to be funny since I'm leaning much more toward the comedy from quiet and situational moments. Also, the infusion of modern music is adding to the comedy as it fits our male lead's background as a modern-day man, so there is one scene where he's dancing to a Black Pink song and I thought that was just hilarious.

While the comedy really worked in the first 6 episodes when the stakes hadn't developed very much, as those stakes get higher and higher, the comedy starts to feel really misplaced. It feels like an intense story is being told and then it breaks into a funny scene suddenly, so it wasn't as natural for me who prefers fewer funnies that suit the situation. The way it's presented feels very rhythmic like they switch back to back between an intense scene and the next comedy. Well, this show is supposed to be a comedy so I can give it a pass, that's not that big of a deal.

(Spoiler part) The biggest issue that I had was the subliminal problematic messages in the drama.

I would have preferred Mr. Queen and the King to develop a friendship and mutual respect. As this is a story about a woman being possessed by a man's spirit, I didn't expect Mr. Queen to have romantic feelings towards the King because he isn't perceived as gay. My problem is that this show is showing that hormonal arousal determines your sexual orientation. It's jarring to see a man who never had any gay thoughts would be so influenced by female hormones to switch his sexual orientation.

I think the romance plot does not benefit the plot at all, it has very little consequence on the story, in a way if it is excluded, things would end up the same with our characters. When Mr. Queen goes back to his male body, he's happy that the King is fine and safe. But there's no indication that he's heartbroken or romantically lost something, pointing to the fact that the romance was really unnecessary. Although back in the past, the King mentions that he felt something is lost but he's still with his queen, he does not notice at all that the queen's personality has changed! It's like downplaying characters' personalities and identities over the body that they're born with being the most important thing in a romance and relationship. It kind of derailed the show for me and hence the ending left a sour aftertaste.

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An underrated gem. It's a well-written story with lovable characters.

38-year-old married couple raising a toddler were considering a divorce because they are burdened by years of their weary marriage life. But one day, Ban Do (So Ho Jun) and Jin Joo (Jang Nara) wake up to find themselves in their 20-year-old selves, the time just before they meet, with the memories of their 38-year-old. They can choose new love, but if they do their beloved son will never exist, except in their memories

A fun and fresh second chance romance with a fun fantasy twist. Right off the bat this is a fresh, entertaining easy show to binge. The drama is really funny, but it also gets emotional in the right way. Because of their present memory when they go back to the past, it was interesting to see what they’re going to do to change or not to change their fates, and seeing them considering the consequences their decisions.

For me, Jin Joo is the best-written character among all. Jin Joo shows how lonely parenting can be without making fun of it. Her mannerisms bring a lot of depth to every scene. Her relationship with her mother is one of the most grounded representations of mom-daughter relationships.

I also enjoyed both second leads' romances for both Ban Do and Jin Joo, especially Jin Joo and Nam Gil (Jang Ki Yong) together is so swoony. Their scenes made me feel a bit nostalgic with the 2017 kdramas' camera shot style, where they show us all the angles. Second lead romances usually bring syndromes, but here, the ending for everyone is wonderful and hopeful. A very good show! It deserve a praise for the well-written characters and consistent story.

-Jan 2024, Yovita
Find me on Instagram: @kdramajudge

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Intriguing at first, but the suspense fell flat around halfway.

A violinist Cha Se Eum (Lee Young Ae) returns from her study abroad to conduct the Han River Philharmonic orchestra. When Yoo Jung Jae (Lee Moo Saeng), an unwanted man from her past, returns to her life and becomes the new owner of this orchestra, he threatens Se Eum: either the orchestra never plays again, or she divorces her husband and gets back together with him. Thus, Se Eum has to survive in her cutthroat profession while protecting her passion and secret. All that while resolving her personal relationships that have gone awry.

The premise is intriguing, it sets a good tension. I liked how Se Eum is ruthless and fiery, stands out for herself. Also, I was curious about Jung Jae, who seems so crazy and obsessive over Se Eum because of their past, and Se Eum's husband was very suspicious.

However, plot becomes predictable from ep 5 and the suspense really fell flat through the end. I feel the characters become one-note and just written for a plot device. Although the final climax is quite stylish, I had to suspend my disbelief and rolled my eyes at how 'convenient' the closure is. The most interesting character to me was Lee Ro Na (Hwang Bo Reum Byeol), a violinist who idolizes Se Eum. Her performance is excellent, despite my overall impression of the drama.

-Jan 2024, Yovita
Find me on Instagram: @kdramajudge

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Yoh and Mizuki are each other's home

When an aspiring manga artist Tanada Yoh (Mashiko Atsuki) was in a tight spot in his job, he agreed on an unusual contract with a weather forecaster Segasaki Mizuki (Higuchi Kouhei) to live together. In exchange, he cooks and cleans for him. What comes from such a contract is a codependent relationship that makes them both happy and anxious.

At first, Yoh was basically a slave of Mizuki, who later implements a way to earn Mizuki's sympathy and possessiveness so that he can indulged in Mizuki’s gentle yet "rude" behavior. Since the two never communicate well, they often misunderstand day-to-day situations. Most often I find this frustrating, but here it allows for Mizuki's character to be fully fleshed out as story goes. It was so heartwarming when I saw the kind of person he really is.

Of course, this won't be as satisfying if it wasn't for the engaging dynamic between the timid Yoh with his dark quirkiness and a drunk clingy Mizuki. The fact that each of them has a peculiar personality makes it an engaging watch. From them provoking each other so casually, the sunny day lovemaking, to the ASMR scene of them doing finger in mouth thing... Their sweet and romantic moment was a delight every time! Even when they are just eating dinner together, clearly crazy in love, like how newlyweds are. Yoh and Mizuki are each other's home. This is just the beginning of their relationship. If season 2 is coming, I hope to see more on Yoh and Segasaki improving their communication with each other.

-Jan 2024, Yovita
Find me on Instagram: @kdramajudge

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Worth watching for the beyond magnetic chemistry.

An intense melodrama of a rich man falling in love with an innocent woman, imprisoned for her boyfriend's hit-and-run murder. This is the plot of the drama. Seems like a straightforward plot?

The incident involving the two leads made their love very unlikely, and it set up my curiosity to see if they can pull it off or it will be ridiculous. Well, they did pull it off, believe me! The writers took a somewhat weak idea, and crafted something definitely worth watching. They showed that love can come from hate very naturally. Congrats.💕

Pacing-wise, it was boring in the first 8 eps, better when the leads are together, and the last episode was F-L-A-W-L-E-S-S! It rewards my patience with amazing plot twists and shocking reveals. The romance feels normal, it feels right to see hate turns to doubts, doubts if she is actually guilty, and why he started caring and loving her.

Subjectively, this is not a type of genre I enjoy. I’d hate this story if it wasn’t for the couple. I think they overdramatized the female lead, they put her into too much messy situations, and the male lead is your rich-naughty man archetype; He's that toxic male lead in kdrama world that I never approve to exists.

The main reason I kept watching is the acting; Hwang Jung Eum pulls all my heartstrings. I felt every scream, every cry, even when she was smiling, I felt her pain behind that smile. Ji Sung, as you might already know…💕 He’s my #1 💕 Although he's great, his role here is not my favorite compared to others where he’s in the spotlight. But him with Jung Eum shared a shivering chemistry! Special mention to Bae Su Bin, for he delivers! I hated him passionately!

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it's the perfect action-romance show and the other ones are not as good! hehehe >:D

Seo Jong Hu, a nimble fighter who goes by the codename Healer, leads a solitary life working as an errand boy for various tasks. When he was asked to collect DNA from a young woman, Young Shin, he discovers her connections to his father's past. Intrigued to uncover this mystery, he disguises himself as an intern at her newspaper agency, while falling head over heels for her. However, the more he investigates, the more he put them both in danger.

Healer gives me unforgettable characters, cute romance with all the butterfly feelings, fun parkour action, unexpected comedy and angsty conflicts... all presented very cohesively in this 20-episode-show. Every emotional scene hits the way it should, I enjoyed every episode equally. Even after months, I still love it as much and keep coming back to rewatch specific scenes.

I love how authentic Healer and Yeong Sin's personalities are, their quirks, their flaws, their chemistry... played to perfection by Ji Chang Wook and Park Min Young. Their romance felt fitting and never take me out of the angsty part. They respects each other and their relationship is based with consent and trust. Their hand skinships scenes are so memorable, I love every second of it. Aside from the romance, the action is full of comedy and thrills! I'm addicted seeing Healer's running sequence, it's like art! As far as ending goes... I like how 'simple' it is, there is nothing grand happened but most characters are given proper closures.

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"It's time for you to stop playing hard to get" -Jang Hyun

My Dearest is about a noblewoman who is separated from a mysterious traveler upon the Qing invasion.

The pacing is great and I like that the external conflict is quickly set-up, along with Jang Hyun mysterious background. The fact that he’s a stranger coming to a new place is intriguing. The most enjoyable part in the series was the invasion, especially the one in ep 4. Regarding Gil Chae’s character, I’m a bit lukewarm to her as she’s a bit wild and too proud of herself.

Production-wise, it is stunning! Seeing as it is a miniseries, it doesn't have to worry about stretching its budget so every single shot looks like a movie. There are a lot of breathtaking scenery, everything is so wonderful. The use of color was both very artistic and engaging.

But to be honest, I was a bit struggling as I don't fall in love with the main plot which is the romance T.T
I enjoy the couple when they're together, but I was not enjoying their constant push and pull. So in most episodes I couldn't feel the emotional engagement of their scenes. Since the closure doesn't feel very "ending" as it is a two-part show, I'm curious on how the story goes; more on Jang Hyun’s story and I am anticipating for on point romance beyond all these emotional sufferings.

(SPOILER part) I think both of them need to be more honest. Gil Chae keeps in denial and does not confess her thoughts to Jang Hyun, while desperately crying for him when he's not around. However, I understand her hesitation because Jang Hyun chooses not to marry, so I agree with her final decision. Even though Jang Hyun finally shows his true feelings too, he still chooses to consistently leave, without enough explanations and believable promises.

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Yuan & Qian is each other's home

Wei Qian (Chris Chiu) was the breadwinner of himself and his sister. One day, he took a pity on a homeless boy, Zhi Yuan (Kurt Huang), and welcomed him to his home. Qian & Yuan gets united in a family-bond, but overtime Yuan starts falling for Qian. It's hard to confess their feelings but it's impossible to hide it. Will there be a chance for them be together as lovers?

Although coming from a poor background, Qian didn't hesitate to embrace the homeless Yuan, that, I found interesting. Both Qian & Yuan were dealing with harsh realities and it’s heartwarming to see them find solace in their found family. I like their give & take relationship, as Yuan was not only be grateful and receiving, but he tries to contribute to the family’s income, moreover fills the loneliness in Qian's heart. Though I wish he was a bit more straightforward, I completely root for him. It was cute watching him starts crushing on Qian and clings to him.

The acting was good, especially Kurt Huang who played Yuan really shines in his performance! His emotional burst was so profound, also his gaze and weariness of his unspoken feelings makes this drama much more compelling, along with the beautiful OST. Through the beautiful lyrics of the songs I felt the leads' burden. I don't get why the premise and characters emphasize their relationships as brothers turning into forbidden love as they’re not related by blood anyway. It feels unnecessarily conflicting. What I didn't enjoy was the gangster part that felt jarring, like watching another drama. Nevertheless, the finale was great, makes it worth every moment!

April 2024,
Find me on Instagram: @kdramajudge

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