Sweet but could have been better

Being a remake of a cdrama, naturally this series will be compared a lot to the original. The Thai remake is far from being a perfect adaptation but in many ways, I find that to be a good thing.

One of the aspects that I disliked in the original is that I grew tired of how many episodes the series had and how long they kept the main leads separated. The SML had more of a presence in the original. Though he was a better character than this version, it still irked me to have to wait for the leads to find each other again. This was the biggest negative of the original for me. Made me feel like watching that series was pointless. But because the Thai version has cut down episodes to 16 instead of 41, I quite enjoyed the pace of the series.

The other thing I disliked in the original is the FL's brother, who original was a wonderful character and I loved the siblings together, turned into a massive hypocrite regarding his sister's relationship. Though the brother's character was not as fleshed out in the Thai, at least you don't start to hate him. At least I didn't. He showed growth towards the end.

The negatives of the Thai drama are that the chemistry is not great between the couples. The best moment was when the FL got drunk. And no, there is no RAPE scene or non-consensual sex happening in this show. All will be cleared regarding that situation if you continue watching.

My favourite secondary characters were the office staff. The leads also did a good job considering the script.

I loved the OST - I'm Missing You. It's really beautiful!

Hope people give this version a chance.

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Excelled in every aspect

From the plot, the acting, the cast, the production, the CGI, the action sequences, the comedy, the romance and the OST have all been top notch.

I consumed this drama so quickly, it was hard waiting for more episodes to come. It is ideal to binge watch because you can't stop once you start watching.

I enjoyed the strong FL and mature depiction of affection between the two leads. But romance is more subtle and the story deals more with the responsibility these two characters carry. It had a strong start and I don't believe any point of the plot did I find the story boring. There are some interesting plot twists so avoid spoilers. Some of the comedy towards the end was most enjoyable. The action sequences paired with the OST is thrilling. The CGI is quite beautiful in those moments as well.

I enjoyed most of the secondary characters as well especially a female character towards the end - lady in red. But Shen Li definitely is the show stealer and it is nice to see a female given such a strong role.

I happened to watch this drama by chance and I'm glad I started it. Will definitely be recommending to others as well.

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Not predictable but not exceptional - trigger warnings discussed

I enjoyed the series considering a lot of people didn't. Most didn't seem to like the directing style which didn't bother me. The show wasn't boring at any point but the focus of the show seemed to shift drastically towards the middle with the male lead being sidelined. The other characters are also interesting but it felt odd by the end. The story direction took away the impact of their lead.

The other thing that bothered me is there is a blaring female full frontal nude scene disguised as a sex scene. Meanwhile the male is cleverly hidden and wearing full clothes. It felt like a cheap attempt at gaining viewership. Such a Netflix thing. There aren't any strong female characters in the series unfortunately or at least not for very long. Mostly the women are side characters. The show does deal with sexual assault but despite being a show surrounding justice, the audience isn't given much time to empathize with the victims. They are almost secondary to the plot. The story just skips over quickly to the next case. It feels like the production didn't care too much about those victims. The focus was mainly on the men and their way of handling situation.

Another trigger warning for those sensitive to such topics - suicide and attempted suicide has been depicted. Sadly I can't really applaud them for the way it has been presented as it doesn't really deep dive into the emotions of the characters. Everything is shown in bites and then the story moves on.

The gore is just bearable, I'd say. They somewhat toned down the brutality of the murders by slowing scenes down or cutting to a different moment in time, imposing other shots in between to take you away from the moment of horror. The story also showed less and less on how murders impacted the male lead and his psyche. There was a drastic shift from his world view to story of the other characters.

I binged the series in about a day. It's got a decent pace for the most part. But if you enjoy thrillers or plots revolving around killers, vigilantes, and justice, etc, then this show is one of the weakest since it leaves you longing for something more. Nothing exceptional has been presented here. However, if you do watch, you certainly won't be bored.

Nothing really stood out from the OST for me.

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Action, Rage and Friendships

What a powerful series! I heard of it only a week prior to it's release and when I started watching, I couldn't stop. I binged the whole show in one sitting!

Don't be put off by the bullying and high school storyline. This is more than the average revenge drama. There are many layers to our 3 main characters. The story revolves around 3 students, one is a studious kid, the other sleeps through most of his classes and an excellent fighter and the last a transfer student. The three end up forming a deep bond over the harassment by their class bullies. I found myself cheering for them with every obstacle that they encountered. The action scenes are incredible. Some are a little gruesome. You really have to wonder if bullying in Korean schools really as bad as the claims are.

The show is not all dark. It has it's sweet moments as well as moments that make you sit at the edge of your seat in excitement.

I genuinely loved the series but I have to deduct 0.5 simply because of what happened at the end. It was extremely frustrating and upsetting for me to watch.

The acting of all the actors (including bullies) is simply top notch. Although there were a few times when I felt like the storyline defining the characters was a bit extreme. I didn't pay much attention to the music but whatever I did hear, it was quite enjoyable. I hope people give this series a try and I hope you will be pleasantly surprised just like I was.

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Left me confused

I have to admit, Grid started off really strong but towards the end, it lost it's steam and the ending was just confusing. I'm all for mysteries but the audience should have some understanding of where the plot is going even if you want to end on a cliffhanger.

Grid is an electromagnetic field around the Earth created to protect life from harmful solar winds. The mystery surrounds a "Ghost" woman who appeared out of nowhere and created the shield just in time to save humanity. However, in the process, she left a man dead by burning him with a futuristic device leaving his minor son in trauma. Decades later an Administration Bureau is created to monitor and maintain the grid. Behind the scenes, the team has also been investigating the "Ghost" and trying to capture her throughout the decades whenever she emerges.

This series is slow-moving for the most part with the story being revealed in bits with every episode and revealing more about the Ghost. By the 8th episode, the story starts moving at great speeds but fails to explain a lot of things by the finale leaving you to come with with theories about what could be happening. In a normal mystery it is fine to do but in the case of a sci-fi, time travel story, you, the director, have to provide at least some clues to build a basic level of understanding for your audience. Instead I am left with more questions and confusion wondering if I missed something because of the incorrect translation or if it was the series itself. If I find a satisfactory explanation, I might upgrade my review.

Just a plus point to the story were the visuals which is what attracted me to the show to begin with. I also enjoyed the acting of the main cast overall. The problem more or less lies with the progression of the show. I hope season 2 will release soon and will redeem this series.

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Equal parts enjoyable and frustrating

Probably the biggest drawback for The Atypical Family is that the FL is unlikeable at first and then the ML starts becoming more and more unlikeable so I was never excited for them to get together. I was getting frustrated first with the FL's character and then annoyed with the ML because of his callous behaviour towards his daughter. For that reason, I could not properly enjoy the series as a romance.

On the plus side, I enjoyed many of the side characters especially the daughter. What an amazing potential she has. I am glad she got a good chunk of the storyline. Else the main plot would have been more boring. I also loved the sister Dong Hee and Grace's back and forth. They livened up the series.

The plot itself was good. Pacing is slow but 12 episodes were good for it.

Personally, the ending was a bit over the top. There was no need for that but if you like fluff then you might enjoy it because if you want logic, it leaves you with many questions. You will just have to accept it at face value. Let's just say I didn't hate it.

Till the end, I wasn't super thrilled with the ML. I find him quite clueless, stubborn having a one-track mind who did just the bare minimum.

The OST is nice. Nothing exceptional that stood out for me.

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Messy plot twist and lots of plot holes

The first episode frankly was boring until the time travel element started. But it was getting better until the "plot twist" that ruined the entire show. Even the comedy was good at the beginning and then the series became serious and senseless.

The grandfather made no sense to me. Why was he cruel to the ML's mother? Then why was he cruel to the ML's step mother and her son? Why did he think the ML was deserving but not his step brother? Why was he obsessed with the painting? Why was he kind to the FL and then later wanted nothing to do with her? Why did he need the ML to be married? The step mother being the villain made more of a sense than the grandfather. It felt like poor writing to force a last minute twist on the audience without explaining why.

The FL time travelled and thought ML was her husband. Then she got confirmation later that he was the reincarnation of her deceased husband. Later she time travels back to the past again and stays away from the past version of her husband because she is in love with his future reincarnation but acts like they are two different people. They could have let the past version die sooner instead of this confusing behaviour from the FL. The past ML died thinking his wife was in love with another man. The other man being him in the future. Bizarre!

The lady who controlled the time travel disappeared from the story after the FL travel in the past. There was no explanation why she vanished. Why did the servant girl/sister not travel back along with the FL? Why did everyone retain memory of the FL after she returned to the past? Meanwhile in the past, FL's mother forgot about the servant girl's existence. The same amount of time that FL lived in the past, passed by in the future. FL falls in the water and reappears in the future out of thin air completely dry. The man who killed her in the past - no elaboration on whether he got punished. FL's parents would have still been heartbroken that their daughter was killed or committed suicide the second time. The rules of the time travel were truly vague.

The actions of the past characters made more sense than that of the future. For example, the man working with the step mother had grievance with the grandfather but was trying to kill the FL and then the ML instead of the man who was actually the problem - the grandfather.

ML was destined to die if the FL stayed in the future. When she leaves, he is magically cured. But when she returns, his illness doesn't return. No explanation on what the rules were for this to happen.

I found these things made the plot really weak and ruined the essence of the show that seemed to be decent initially.

The positives where the leads chemistry, some of the earlier comedy when FL is adjusting to the future, the OST and theme are stunning, the designs are pretty, the FL's savvy servant girl, and the ML's assistant's smart sister who I wish had more of a role. Even the step brother was an interesting and neglected character.

I wish I could rate this higher but too much of the series made no sense towards the end. If you don't mind illogical storylines, you might be able to enjoy this. But this is one of the weakest shows if you are a time travel plot lover. I would suggest to skip this one.

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Pulls at your heart strings

A slice of life drama that almost doesn't feel as one so it's perfect for those who dislike this kind of genre or feel like it won't appeal to you. You'll be surprised!

The story is about a mother who first loses her husband and farm and raises her son alone is then forced to look after her adult son all over again when an accident not only debilitates him physically but also sends him into his childhood mentally. This plot might feel depressing but the beautiful way in which it is presented, it actually has more light moments than you would expect. And one of the reasons is the naughty twins and their little interaction with Kang Ho. The series is not trying to get you to cry but to show how people live and enjoy life despite their circumstances. We also get two unlikely funny characters that work for the bad guy and their scenes make you laugh.

As the title suggests, there are many moments where you feel that Kang Ho's mother is horrible to her son, both during his childhood and when he is unwell. But you also understand why she is the way she is. And with their interactions you understand the bond between these two characters which you fully feel towards the end of the show.

There is also a revenge plot taking place but it is not the focus of the series. It's just enough to keep you hooked till the end. Though there isn't much romance, you certainly won't be starved.

I picked up The Good Bad Mother for Lee Do Hyun and am glad I did. The show is quite uplifting and beautiful. I have not yet been disappointed by the project Lee Do Hyun picked that I chose to watch. He manages to become each character in such a perfect way. A man of many many talents! So if for no one else, watch it for his portrayal.

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Misunderstood

To be honest, I nearly dropped this series. I thought I was misled into thinking it's about aliens when it wasn't. Also, the first two episodes didn't hold my interest much as it progressed very slowly. And the third was interesting but not why I was watching the series so for a month I didn't continue until I finally decided to and I am really happy I completed it.

The story begins with the female lead seeing what she understands as hallucinations. She is seeing an alien in a green helmet everywhere yet no one else seems to notice this alien. She is also struggling in her relationship. Her boyfriend wants to get married and despite showing disinterest, the pressure from her boyfriend keeps rising until she finally breaks up with him. Shortly after he disappears and when trying to retrace his steps, she experiences a strange phenomenon that leads her to belief he was kidnapped by aliens. Her desperation to find him and figure out what is going on with her lead her on a strange journey.

The thing about this series is that although there is a connection with aliens, there is a long journey to any answers. To be fair, I thought the plot was interesting in hindsight. What ticked me off in the third episode, turned out to actually be a clever twist. If you are expecting a story filled with aliens, unfortunately that won't be the case. Instead it is a journey of ordinary citizens trying to make sense of what they know/experience and how easily people can be misled by scrupulous people.

I would urge viewers to not give up midway. The end will be worth it.

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Watch for the character Jayden Lee

I can honestly say I enjoyed the start and the end of the series the most. The show slows down a bit towards the middle albeit I won't say that it's bad but at didn't excite me during those times and I was not eagerly awaiting the next episode.

Basic plot summary:
Han Yihan is a cardiothoracic surgeon and an exceptional one at that. Unfortunately for him, the head of the hospital uses him for his son's ghost doctor secretly when he is in trouble in the operating room. One day a patient that Han Yihan operated on tragically dies the next morning due to questionable circumstances. The hospital decides to place the entire blame on Yihan under the accusation of medical negligence. With no one on his side and no proof, he is forced to accept blame and his medical license is revoked. 4 years later he emerges as a lawyer who specialises in medical malpractice. This is where our story truly begins.

Review:
The plot has a very strong start but the story might seem a little cliche as revenge dramas go. But, the true hero of the story is this mysterious character by the name of Jayden Lee who adds unpredictability and spice into the show. Where Han Yihan's seriousness and lack of charisma can lead to detachment from the character and the female lead (prosecutor) leaves much to be desired, Jayden brings drama and suspense. No one really knows or understands his motives. Is he a good guy? Is he pretending? And it is also because of him and the dilemma that he adds that you feel more supportive towards Han Yihan.

There is no real romance in this drama from the main leads but Jayden and the second female lead, Im Yoona, have a fun chemistry. Add some jealousy to the mix.

I won't give away the finale but the last two episodes, in my opinion, were edge of the seat entertaining. And that is part of the reason why I am willing to give this show a 9. Shows like these deserve an ending on a high note.

I don't usually comment on the OST, but Freedom is a nice exciting track. I enjoyed it. Didn't listen to the others.

Regarding rewatch value, I would probably speed watch the show or select some of the major episodes to watch. It's not that high on my priority list. Then again there has only been one revenge drama I've seen twice and that is Taxi Driver which I love and there aren't many shows I would actually watch as of now. I would still recommend Doctor Lawyer at least once for Jayden Lee.

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Magic, mystery and plenty of music

The series reminded me of the musical Mary Poppins but instead of a nanny, Yoon Ah Yi meets a mysterious magician who keeps trying to get her to believe in magic whenever she's at her lowest thereby alleviating a little bit of her misery.

Yoon Ah Yi is a highschool student struggling to look after herself and her younger sister after her parents abandoned them when they were children due to debt. Ah Yi is a meek child who longs for the return of her parents or to grow up. Due to having no guardian in her life, she is forced to work odd jobs while trying to do her best at school. In trying to pay the rent and provide for herself and her sister, she lands herself in trouble and makes uncomfortable deals.

The positives:
- Her classmate and also the topper, Na Il Deung, begins to have feelings for Ah Yi but finds it difficult to express them. Those moments and the ups and downs of their relationship is interesting with cute moments.
- The magic depicted has both stage level magic and fantastical elements. So when the magician asks, "do you believe in magic", you want to believe him.
- The mystery element added as a side plot is intriguing.
- Unlike Mary Poppins, there are some very nasty natures of people depicted and it's very realistic and a contrasting element.
- Several good messages are shared throughout the series especially the end.

The negatives:
- The story slows down several times throughout the show. Some episodes have a lot happening and are enjoyable but other episodes seem to be dragging.
- I generally enjoy the soundtrack of shows. Unfortunately didn't enjoy this one as it's quite slow and brings the story to a standstill many times and I had to skip ahead.
- The idea that parents can simply abandon their young children and leave them to fend for themselves in their home is infuriating. There is no explanation how Yoon Ah Yi survived all these years. She seemed under 10 years of age and her sister might have been 3-4 years old. It was bizarre storyline.
- There is no explanation of what happened to the mother.
- Bella, the parrot. Watch till the end to understand why.

Overall, I liked the drama but with so many dramas releasing, I would probably not come to this one except maybe to parts of the last episode as I enjoyed some of the dialogues. Very meaningful.

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Lovely - if I say so it is!

It was one of the best shows currently airing and a breath of fresh air. The plot of pretty simple really - FL can hear lies in real time and ML is overly cautious of people.

I enjoyed figuring out the mystery behind the ML and the whole what-happened or who-dun-it scenario. Though I figured it out relatively quick, it didn't seem obvious to others so it's a decent mystery.

Watched this for Hyung Min Hyun. His role is similar to that of Alchemy Of Souls where he is a quiet and decent guy who falls in love. We get some nice action sequence initially as well and I hope he does such roles in the future too. I also enjoyed his cute comedy.

Kim So Hyun - I loved her line - if I say so it is. I started using it in real life for fun. I liked her strong yet soft personality. She has empathy for others. The leads had good chemistry.

I love mix genres that mix romance with mystery and if you're like me you might like this as well.

The OST is nice and there are lots of different songs included since it covers a music company and Min Hyun plays a songwriter.

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Enlightening and Enjoyable

Apart from a few episodes in between around the earthquake where the story feels a bit slow, the show as a whole was amazing and worth watching till the end.

Keeping this review simple, I'll list out some of the highlights of this show for me:
1. The firefighting was what attracted me to the show as there are not many shows that cover this line of work (The First Responders kdrama also do an excellent job). The show detailed all kinds of rescue work that firefighters are involved in and the kind of equipment and techniques used in their missions along with use of technology making it quite fascinating.
2. The romance plot is a bit of a slow burn but was also an interesting addition to the show. Highlighting the professional and personal lives of both the main leads and how they maintain a balance as well as how one impacts the other giving a well rounded idea of both characters.
3. The strict mother plot also gives another interesting perspective to Asian families and how even adults are forced to juggle between independence and not upsetting their parents with their personal decisions.
4. The portrayals by the actors were interesting and memorable. I also noticed that the female lead would change her mannerisms while at work, dealing with her mother and her boyfriend. While at work she was strong, reserved and unflinching. With her mother, she was quiet and timid. And later with her boyfriend, she was happy and almost child-like and carefree. I loved all these sides to her and the actress did a very realistic job with it. Similarly, the male lead was strict and stern at work, unwavering almost as the leader who is responsible for everyone's safety but with the female lead, he was protective, caring and playful in the latter half of the series. Even when they were trying to hide their affection for each other, they had moments where they let down their guards.
5. Each cast member also had some part to play in the story and made it quite a strong performance and an outstanding series. The sister, the firefighters and the medical staff added a bit of comedy and fun so it was not as serious as one might believe.

I don't have too many complaints.
1. Somewhere in between the show was a little slow so I wish that was cut shorter and other scenes that were cut out were added back instead.
2. No wedding scene. Though it's not a big issue but I would have liked to see that.
3. The second male lead (portrayed by Vin Zhang) had a very short role.
4. I wish we could have seen Da Peng and Dr. Li Nan's story move forward. That was disappointing.

The series also has lovely, soothing OST. I hope more viewers give this series a try. It's certainly worth your time.

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Brilliant cast and edge of your seat suspense

The emotional rollercoaster this show has taken me on has been spectacular! Though the second part was a tad slow at first, the writers managed to keep us in suspense until the very last 2 episodes on how everything will come together. So for those watching and worrying, just sit back and let go of your anxiety and have fun with every moment.

Go Youn Jung had very big shoes to fill after Jung So Min charmed us with her sass and wit in season 1. But this season is not about the actress replacing the other. It is about growth and change. What you will get it hints of the same character yet different. And the main moments are the chemistry between the male and female lead. We also see hints of the special connection she has with the other male characters.

Crown Prince Go Won has been a lovely character once again. And Jin Mu has been the bad guy this show needed.

The only flaws with the show are the slow momentum, much less action and CGI. However, the ending will still leave you satisfied.

The OST of this show is one of the best! I can listen to it on repeat endlessly.

This show is worth rewatching and probably one of the few shows that I actually went back and saw multiple times in the process of waiting. Will definitely recommend it and whoever I did recommend the series to, have thoroughly enjoyed it. Hope you do too!

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Beware if you can't stand cruelty

I truly loved the first 2 episodes. Until about episode 4 I found the show exciting and then things took a turn for the worse. Life can already so miserable so if you're looking for an escape, this show isn't it. It depicts the worst of human nature, frustrating characters, the insanity and of course the sadistic aspect. It was extremely hard to stomach. It hit me like a gut punch and that's where I started to lose interest and had to speed up just to get through to the end.

Would a show with pleaasant people have been as entertaining? Perhaps not for such a genre. But then I also do not find these kinds of horrific shows entertaining and I keep forgetting to check details of Netflix Korean dramas which tend to contain nudity (male in this one) and extreme forms of violence (torture) compared to what ordinary Korean dramas would consider depicting. Basically I just read the synopsis and went in blind.

Another aspect that I disliked is the awful ending that is quite underwhelming but teases a second season. I'll pass thanks.

I have rated it a 6.5 because I thought the concept was quite good (a bit like Squid Game - similar set-up but worse in many ways). Also because I enjoyed the first half as well as the mystery behind each character. However I still don't understand the actions of some of the characters while some were just a victim of lazy writing or ignored entirely. The only positive is the unpredictability of many characters and the perspective and conundrum of a very ordinary unspectacular male lead.

If you aren't triggered easily then you might find this show more enjogable than I did. Personally, I will never be able to rewatch this.

I didn't notice the OST other than the "i'm so lonely" sped up as the intro. It was meh.

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