visually stunning filler

[Before we begin I have to shout out that intro. Never skipped and even replayed it sometimes. The visuals and vibes go too hard]

I'll be honest, I wasn't on board with the show until about ep 4, but that proposal really sped things up for me. The story has your typical problematic chaebol family but some twists here and there. The jokes weren't landing in the beginning but things became funnier as this progressed.


The acting was ok. The FL carried hard. The visual chemistry is insane, and the romantic chemistry is good too. I'm still on the fence about SK’s abilities as an actor. Either the roles he's getting aren't challenging or he simply doesn't have the range. Either way he wasn’t the best here and at times I thought he forgot how to act. KYJ has such a charming face. The directors knew what they were doing casting her in this. Seok Hoon, Madam Ju, and Seok Min’s actors were good. Everyone else was just ok.

This was better than I thought it was gonna be but nothing to rave home about. I actually found myself looking forward to the ep drops, tho this had more to do with the fan service and visual aspect. I had to be honest with myself--this was a filler show. Visually pleasing but filler nonetheless. Everything else was what you'd expect from a fantasy drama with crazy rich people in the mix. I was never really invested in the overarching story at any point. We also got the predictable happy ending which is good for general kdrama viewers but bad if you expected more plot execution.

Lire davantage

What True Beauty Should've Been

Good premise with a bit of unpredictability. The plot was actually focused and every episode was engaging. The dark tone and lighting choices contributed positively to the overall vibe of the show. Tho this might've been disappointing for some, I appreciate the romance not overshadowing the larger story at hand. Had that been the case it would've been a disservice to the subject matter. I might even look into the webtoon...

The characters were decently fleshed. Their arcs were a bit rushed but ig that's to be expected with thirteen 20 min eps. The execution made Koo Ae Jin's character far more believable than the FLs from True Beauty or MIIAGB. Kudos to the casting team for prioritizing realism, at least in that aspect. The standouts were Shim Dal Gi and Bomin.

CONCLUSION --I'd recommended this show for a quick binge. My only real complaints are 1) This could've been longer so the characters could cook more and 2) The ending felt rushed to the point where impact was subtracted heavily. Would've bumped this up an 8 if the ending was satisfying and something truly thought provoking was left behind but the average rating is appropriate.

Lire davantage

good core story but a bit dragged out

I wasn't sold on the title but PEB’s acting in recent projects(TKA & EAW) influenced me to start this. She is that good.

The plot was pretty original. At its core this is just a story about a girl with a dream and an unexpected friend who helps her achieve that dream. You could say some aspects were unrealistic but the whole “I survived on an island alone for 15 years” thing was done rather well imo. The plot with Kiho’s dad and LRJ dragged out a bit longer than they should have. Ideally this show could've been 8 eps with far less filler but then it would've run the risk of rushing the finale. The writer did her best to subvert expectations about which brother was Kiho but it was obvious early on. I did second guess myself a few times. I'm sure others did too.

The characters were fine. Younger Kiho and Mokha are the story, and they beautifully set the tone for the story going forward. It's a shame the momentum they set up faltered. I wasn't impressed with the progression of RJ’s character. Her motives towards MH were selfish but I don't blame the FL for puting putting up with it. She was too pure in that sense. I don't like how they ended Bong Wan’s arc. I understand him not being seperated from his family but his last actions were a bit much.

The acting was good from everyone. PEB really immerses herself into her characters. Shout out to those kid actors. They really set the emotional tone and brought so much weight to the story with their heavy performances. N surprised me with the few emotional scenes he got. He had a bit more to work with than in Mine. As much as I dislike their characters, the actors depicting Kiho and MH’s dads played their roles really well.

The finale was ok. The longer the show dragged on the worse it became. This was 12 eps and yet I felt even that was too long. This felt similar to Start up. Both shows have the same screenwriter and it shows...Strong start but rocky finish. And waaaaay too much filler. At its core this is about a girl with a dream and an unexpected friend who helps her achieve that dream. In the end we got to see Mokha stand on stage and make it as a star, which was a bit emotional. PEB did a phenomenal job with the singing. She's in her idol era here and I love to see it.

Lire davantage

a lot of inconsistencies toward the end

I like the vibe of the show. There's something unsettling about each main character and the dark gritty undertones add to the atmosphere of the watch. The cinematography style was also well done. The parasite vibes were strong in this.

I read another review that said this would’ve been better as a movie and I absolutely agree, especially after the finale. Even with 8 eps this had a lot of stalling and unnecessary scenes that didn’t serve any point besides being creepy.

The cast was very good. Kim Tae Hee’s performance was so good. She didn’t do much but the way she channeled that timid, reserved person who is easily startled was so great to watch. 2023 really was Im Ji Yeon’s year. I like her performance in the glory better but she’s pretty good here too. Looking forward to her future projects! Kim Sung Oh as the husband was an intimidating performance, but his character wasn’t as much of a standout as the FLs. I also have to give props to the actor who played the son because he was also good. Wish I got to see more of the son. His situation was kinda depressing.

The finale was quite satisfactory but didn’t go the way I thought. I def did not expect the twist with the wife and Sang Eun, but I thought it was a bit out of character for the wife specifically. I would’ve preferred if the husband managed to kill himself but idk how that would’ve happened. Apparently the teacher was responsible for Joo Ran’s sister’s death but what were her motivations? I would’ve liked to know, even if it had nothing to do with the main characters. The fight between Sang Eun, Joo Ran, and the husband was so wild but at the same time dragged out and got nonsensical. How did that baby survive?! That’s the real question. I’m glad that Joo Ran and Sang Eun got a somewhat happy ending. I hope the son got some help for his depression. Still, for some reason I feel that this wasn’t supposed to end as happily as it did. The writing for the second half of this wasn’t as strong and started to show inconsistencies toward the end.

Lire davantage

Acting is better than the show itself

The premise was interesting and it had such a strong start but it soon turned into a meddled mess. Literally what happened?

Given the plot I couldn't help but think of Love Alarm while watching this. When you mix technology with murder things can get interesting, and for at least the beginning of the series the killings were enough to sustain my interest. However as time went on the buildup towards that last episode wasn't satisfactory AT ALL. I'm not gonna get into the ending for spoiler reasons but with such a good setup, why was the ball dropped?

Kim Young Kwang was captivating as Yun O. I don't think it's unpopular to say that he was the best part of the show. His natural performance made me feel like the killings were a part of his everyday routine. I also have to commend how raw and intimate his sex scenes felt. Especially the ones between him and Kim Sum. They were so good I felt like I was partaking in something I shouldn't be. Their chemistry and honest acting together carried the show. Gi Run was pretty good. She played a disabled person extremely well and despite the character's shortcomings she was still very capable. Wish she had a bigger role in catching the bad guy. Mok Won was rather forgettable and her storyline was difficult to keep up with but I'll give points for representation. Overall the character's could've been better fleshed out because the skeletons were pretty good. We just needed a bit more flesh to complete them.

I wouldn't recommend this tho. The payoff isn't worth it at all. There's better thrillers out there so def skip this one.

Lire davantage

This one really takes you on a journey with the twists and turns that are woven into the plot. The first few episodes of the drama appeared to suggest that the plot would become messy, and given the vagueness of the plot, I thought things would go wrong very quickly, but I was wrong. First off the story was executed so well. Its very hard to write a compelling show about a protagonist that may or may not be a good person and keep the audience's attention at the same time, so hats off to the screenwriters.

Lee Joong Ki is riveting as Baek Hee Sung. He's really such a great actor. The way he was able to portray an emotionally detached individual with a complicated past. He added dimensions to the character that added to the experience of the show and prevented it from becoming predictable. I loved both the husband/father side just as much as the psychotic side. LJK was truly something to watch. Moon Chae Won as Detective Jiwon was amazing in her own right. The level of emotions she was able to deliver, from happy to angry to resentful, was great to watch. 10/10!

Lire davantage

rushed and ridiculous end to an amazing show

After everything I've been through watching this show I really expected a better ending. Seriously wtf was that finale?! I'd be lying if I said there was no payoff at all but the execution for the last part of this series really fell flat. The writing for this show had ways been batshit crazy but it used to be the fun enjoyable kind of crazy. After a while the writers prioritized outsmarting the audience over plots that make sense. Also the whole "x character died but they're not actually dead" trope got so dragged out throughout the series that by the 3rd installment I just gave it the dude eye. But the way they wrapped things up was just rushed and so laughable. My biggest gripes are how they killed off OYH, SSR, JDT, and SJ. Just plain lazy. JDT needed a more satisfying death! everything was leading to his demise and once I watched him die I was mad because the way he went out was so stupidly done it was laughable. And why would SSR just kill herself like that?! I was rooting for you! we were all rooting for you! it literally made no sense for her to do that. why take your life after you've made it this far to avenge your daughter? Logan was def better in the earlier seasons. after a while his fake deaths got annoying. I'm glad that the penthouse kids got SOME sort of healing from the trauma they shared. SK prob had the biggest character development out of everyone and her brother right behind her. EB is truly a sad story. What her parents did to her is unforgivable, but it's sad that she threw away her bright future because of her family's issues. out of all the villaians SJ had the best written end. Her last scenes where she watches her daughter from afar after hitting rock bottom was heartbreaking. Even after everything she did I felt bad for her in those moments. I didn't dislike everything in the last episode but overall I just wish it could've been better.

Lire davantage

A bit boring but great metaphor for wives

The strongest part of the show is the metaphor about goldfish. Like pets, humans need love and care in order to thrive. Without TLC any relationship is bound to fail.

Tbh the only wife I cared about was the fishbowl one. The goldfish boy was cute. The other wives just didn't interest me that much. I ended up skipping a lot of scenes to finish quickly. Not the best infidelity drama I've seen but it was my first real Japanese drama.

The ending was ok. Kinda bummed the fishbowl wife didn't end up with her fling but I'm glad she was able to reconcile with her husband and start anew. For some couples it goes to show that sometimes you can get back to a happy relationship if you work at it and truly listen to your partner's needs. Not everyone needs the same thing but there has to be compromise and balance for things to be healthy.

Lire davantage

Writing wasn't as strong as S1, but this season we still full of surprises. This time all the sins of the people at Hera Palace came back full circle and no one was spared.
For one, SSR was not dead and was impersonating NAG to stay alive so she could complete her revenge plan of bringing JDT down. While some people found it annoying that she was killed off only to be brought back to life, I was relieved that SSR was still alive. She was one of the only few characters I had respect for and could root for.
Logan Lee was ok this time around. He wasn't nearly as strong as he was in S1 but still good. He kinda got weird towards the end tho. It feels like his feelings for SSR came out of nowhere. I prefer them as revenge partners, not lovers.
HSJ has had zero character development. It's like she hits rock bottom, or further rock bottom, then she gets on her knees and begs for help, but as soon as she gets dealt a damning card she abandons the act and goes back to her old ways. Maybe the cycle will break in S3. As for her relationship with HEB and her husband, things aren't good at all. HEB hates her and she only wants her husband back when things are going south for her. It's clear atp she never actually loved her ex. She only married him because she wanted to make OYH miserable. Also stealing HYC away would subside her insecurities for a bit, that is until she found out that HYC never got over OYH. But perhaps she always knew HYC never really loved her. She probably thought she won in the end because she was the one with the ring.
OYH was just meh this season. I wanted to root for her but after a certain point she just got on my nerves. I get that shes grieving because she thought her daughter was dead, but to just kill yourself before the revenge plan was completed? She lost her mind for a good few episodes. One she found out Rona was alive she somewhat came back to her senses. It is still a mystery as to whether or not OYH actually killed MSA bit given the way things played out I don't think she did that. I strongly believe JDT was behind that death but we'll have to see in S3.
HYC was so likable in S1 but this season made me lose my respect for him. He betrayed OYH so many times it's not even funny. But what sets him apart from the others at HP is that he is the only one besides OYH that is self aware and has somewhat shown remorse for his actions over the course of the show. When he confessed in the courtroom I almost gained my respect back for him but he's going to need a bigger arc than that for me to completely forgive him for his treachery. However with the biggest conflict (regarding the penthouse residents getting what they deserve) solved, how much longer will this show run? 9/10.

Lire davantage

a decent binge-watch with a cute

I probably won't watch this again but it was bingeable for one day and I saw a few clips of the kissing scenes and was interested to see what the show was about(this was my first Japanese show btw.) I watched this purely for the erotica, so I wasn't surprised about the lack of depth or development in the characters.

The plot was full of cliches and isn't really that strong. It’s very fan-fictiony but that works for a lot of people.

The characters were ok. The ML was such eye candy. I don't blame the female lead for being shy in front of him cause gurl same. I was like 😳 whenever he had any scene with Risa. I personally like their intimate scenes. They're not bad at all. I read complaints about Risa being too stiff and unnatural but that's in line with her character. She's supposed to be shy and innocent and inexperienced with intimacy, so her actions are kinda on brand. She becomes somewhat mature and starts to take stepping stones to adult moves towards the end so that's good I guess lol. The boy who had a crush on the FL and the FL's best friend were kinda just there. And that other CEO guy was just plain weird. I have no idea why he would try to kiss Risa.

The romance is undoubtedly the strongest point in this drama. The skinship was great too. Although it was excessive I really like how Fukami gives Risa back hugs almost every time he sees her. Dori Sakurada was so natural with the kissing and intimate scenes. I'm sure he's very experienced in real life(just an educated guess). Giving this a 6.5 out of 10.

Lire davantage

each episode never fails to shock and surprise

I can’t believe I hesitated to watch this show. I’ve heard things about it but the plot seemed too much like Sky Castle to me. Or at least I thought it did. Oh my god this show was probably the craziest emotional roller coaster I’ve ever been on from a show. And it only shares some of the same themes Sky Castle had, but this show is in a league of its own. It had so many twists and turns and each episode didn’t give you a break. Each episode was shocking and revealed something that furthered the plot. I ended up binge watching the entire first season within three days. This show legit gave me anxiety during certain scenes, but the intrigue of the characters was so easy to get caught up in. Absolutely addicting.

I really have to give it up for all the actors involved-including the teen actors(they took what was given to them and really made an impact every time they were on screen.) But the standouts for me were Lee Ji-Ah, Kim Young-Dae, and Park Eun-Seok. Lee Ji-Ah was able to bring so much passion and emotion to her role, and Park Eun-Seok masterfully pulled off the personas of Gu Ho Dong and Logan Lee. Kim Young-Dae was the cold but handsome Nam-Joo in Extraordinary You, but in this he was unrecognizable to me. Out of all the kids in the Penthouse, he impressed me the most. I am biased because he is so good-looking, but his acting in this impressed me. He doesn’t have to say much when he’s on screen because his gaze is powerful and his eyes are so expressive. Even if he has no lines during a scene his eyes tell you what he really wants to say and that is a great skill to have as an actor. An honorable mention goes to Kim So Yeon. She played the hell out of her role. But in all honesty all the actors involved did an amazing job with their characters.

I’m surprised that the first season ended with the bad guys winning. It was an interesting choice of writing and it subverted my expectations for the finale. It was reported that it was planned at the beginning for Penthouse to have 3 seasons, so I’m really looking forward to how the characters will develop. I hope the writing keeps its quality. 10/10

Lire davantage

A story about emotional healing and self identity

What would it be like if you were in a relationship with the son of the man who killed your parents? And how crazy would it look to the rest of society? would you be able to stand the judgments of strangers from your decisions? And would a couple who went through such events ever be able to overcome their crippling trauma? These questions will be explored in this. I know the term “underrated” is overused these days but it reigns true for this drama. It’s a slow burn, and while the series of events could be perceived as predictable, the emotional payoff for the viewer is incredibly satisfying and the ending was done so well.

Jang Ki-Yong and Han Jae Yi really deserve recognition for their actions. They did inexplainable justice to their characters and portrayed their emotions in a way that was so realistic and compelling. Na Moo and Nak Won have grown up physically, but mentally they are still the traumatized young teens who are stuck in the night of the murders that tied their souls together. One of my favorite parts was when they were finally able to admit how they really felt about each other and were honest about it. It would be no easy thing to love a man whose father ruined your life but this drama instills that it’s not about who you are but what you do that defines you. It is indeed possible for a person to rise from their past and become something that is better than what you know. It was very touching to see them cry, laugh, smile, and heal together as they move past the tragedy that scarred them. I have to shout out to the actor who plays Na Moo’s father. What a villain! He was so creepy and intimidating, yet he did so little. He definitely had a presence on screen. 9/10

Lire davantage

well developed characters that portray mental trauma in different scenarios

I'm glad I jumped on this train while this drama still has hype because the content is truly something. The first thing that stood out to me was the title. Mental health and overcoming the past are the two most important themes in this drama, but the way they were handled by the writers is really remarkable. Just about anyone can pick out a character that relates or speaks to them because they were created so realistically and they are so humanely flawed that anyone can resonate with at least one character. In one way or another they are struggling to deal with traumas from their pasts and they are all crippled because of it. I'm pleased that the writers committed to the theme and the episodes were very in-depth when it came to dealing with mental health. This drama provided so many scenarios that showcased the many different types of trauma, and executed it in a way that goes straight to the heart and leaves you breathless.

The leads, as well as the others are so well developed. This is my first Kim So Hyun drama, and I'm so impressed with the range and raw emotion he was able to show through this role. I'll definitely be checking out his other works in the future. Oh Jung Sae as Sang-tae was amazing. His portrayal of an autistic adult deserves an award and I mean it. Gang-tae's relationship with his brother was so pure and wholesome. I smiled a lot during this because of them. Munyeong was truly something. She reminded me so much of myself. This wasn't just a love story about two broken people fixing each other, but a tale that teaches us to not only remember our past but to overcome it. After all, the past shapes who we become. For "if you can't overcome it, you'll always be a kid whose soul never grows."

Rewatch value is strong. I'll definitely watch this again in the future. Definitely recommend. 10/10.

Lire davantage

The premise of this movie intrigued me upon reading it so I decided to check it out. I wasn’t disappointed at all. This one has a bit more sexual content than the average Korean movie but it was handled in a mature and realistic way(not just the sex scenes but the kiss scenes as well). The humor was a surprise because I didn’t expect to laugh during some scenes but I did. My favorite part was the wedding crash scene where Hyun Seung busted in the ceremony singing that crazy but amazing provocative song. I laughed so hard at that.

Jisung and Kim Ah Joon had great chemistry. I have seen Jisung in Kill Me Heal Me, but I didn’t really like his role in that. I much prefer him in this. He wasn’t playing a stereotypical asshole who treats his girlfriend like shit but instead a cute kinda needy guy who just wants his love life to work out. I never realized how handsome he was lol. I really liked Kim Ah Joon’s character in this. Her scenes with Jisung were both sexy and amusing to watch. Especially the phone conversations. I love how their characters went from a sort of “friends with benefits” situation to a place where they got to know each other intimately and develop real feelings for each other. Ther relationship felt natural and well-paced.

I will definitely watch this again. I can’t believe I hesitated to watch this cause I was missing out. Definitely recommend to those who are looking for a sweet mature rom-com.

Lire davantage

Simple story but very effective

This movie was touching. A simple story but very effective. It really shows you the pain and sadness that comes with the mind-robbing disease that Alzheimer's is. The ending is sad but beautiful. I also really like the soundtrack for the film. It gave off a western feel which was comfortable. Son Yejin and Jung Woosung had so much chemistry and their performance was believable. And Son Yejin-that woman does not age, like I've watched Crash Landing On You and she's just as beautiful as she was back then. Overall I give this movie a 9.5/10

Rewatch is high. I can definitely see myself coming back to this one in a few months. It has a timeless feel to it.

Lire davantage