OldGuyUS

Hen xiang hen xiang ni (2023)

Super Cute without trauma (clearly marked spoiler)

I'd just like to second what some other reviewers have said (much more eloquently than I will): This is a light, trauma-free series that is a great respite from all the dark trauma-driven series out there. If you want to just relax and enjoy a bunch of people being super kind and understanding, watch this!

The Good

• Beautiful cast all around.

• Many couples getting together with no pointless blowups or breakups
• Loads of people in their social groups - all of who are kind and supportive
• The FL managed to be young, innocent, and cheerful without overdoing it and spoiling the role. And she has a gorgeous smile :-)

Why not a 10?

I am tempted to give this series a 10. I didn't for two reasons: 1) There were some of what I consider plot holes that I couldn't help think about. (Spoiler) For example the FL's big performance and her family was not there. This did not jive with her healthy and loving family dynamic.

2) I think they should have maybe squeezed it down by a couple of episodes, or given more time to two of the other couples, who seemed to get together all of a sudden which had me thinking, "Wait, what? How did that happen?"

So overall a 9 and highly recommend.

My Man is Cupid (2023)

Cute but with a pretty heavy dose of trauma (Mild spoiler)

Executive Summary Watch it. It's really pretty good and has a very nice ending. I don't agree with the very low ratings, although it is not a "great" series.

Fantasy is not my thing, but I did enjoy this series.

There is a mystery running throughout the series and they don't reveal what is really up until near the end, and it was a bit of a surprise. So they did a good job.

The cast is great, especially the main couple (Nana and Jang Dong-Yoon) and the FL's roommate (Gong Min-Jung). The main couple is pretty dour most of the time, because of their sad past. And that may be why some folks think the main couple lacks chemistry. But what makes the series work, for me, is that the lighter moments are really cute. When the FL is happy she lights up the room and steals the show! I would love to see her in more of a RomCom role where there is more happy and less sad. I think she would absolutely knock it out of the park in such a role. I'll cross my fingers :-)

(Spoiler Alert) And super extra points to the writers for giving us quite a few minutes of happiness at the end, and glimpse into the future of the couple after they are able to reunite. We need more of these types of upbeat and more complete endings. Yay!

Mai Demon (2023)

Stunning Lead Couple with Great Chemistry (Small spoiler that is called out)

Spoiler Start I think this is a 9 rating show on the merits, which is great. But I am going to give it a 10 because we got pretty much a whole episode of happy to wrap things up! They didn't just give us happy for 15 minutes at the end like so many dramas. Thanks to the writers and director!

Spoiler End

What can you say about the lead couple. They are so cute and have such great chemistry. They both did an incredible job that made this drama work. I'll watch anything with Kim Yoo Jung in it because she is so beautiful and has such an incredible smile. And, yeah, she is an awesome actor as well :-)

The story was fun and a bit different so I enjoyed it even thought fantasy is not really my thing.

My recommendation is watch it for sure!

Ni shi wo de cheng chi ying lei (2021)

Cute and Mature characters elevate a standard story

I really liked this series! The main couple was just so darn cute, and the secondary couples were also great.

The story is not something really new, but what I really enjoyed was the fact that the characters were really mature in how they interacted with each other. They had flaws, and din't always make the best choices, but overall this show lacked the many of the silly tropes that most Asian dramas resort to.

When the main couple had a disagreement or misunderstanding, I'd get ready for the big blowup and resulted in a pointless breakup. But NOPE! They communicated, expressed their disappointment, but apologized and moved on. I just think this is a very good role model for how couples should treat each other and we don't get a lot of this maturity in modern dramas. They feel they need the artificial tension to keep folks interested. (Well, OK, people do dumb stuff in real life, and the series can mimic that, but it gets old...)

So, a good story, with healthy mature characters. So a rating of 10 for me.

My one complaint, although I won't take a point off for it, is the ending was kinda of weak. I am seeing that a lot these days. The ending wasn't bad, or dumb, just kind of weak. I wanted a bit more to happen to round things off.

But watch it!

Kudos to all the actors for making this believable and enjoyable.

Bing Tang Dun Xue Li (2020)

Feel Good, Inspirational Sports Story and RomCom

Review This was a fun watch. I really enjoyed the main couple (played by Zhang Xin-Cheng and Janice Wu) and the second couple (played by Qin Tian Yu and He Xuan-Lin). The writers invested the characters with interesting and non-vanilla personalities.

My main point is don't expect something really different or with too big an emotional impact, but just watch it to enjoy the story.

The Good Stuff

• Pleasant story and fun characters
• One of the story's goals was to be inspirational
• Trauma, but not too heavy IMHO

The Sub-Optimal Stuff

• A bit too long. At the end I was kind of glad it was wrapped up
• Some uncharacteristic choices by the characters, such as a pointless lack of communication leading to a break up. I think what the FL did was wrong (if understandable) and this was never acknowledged.

• End was a nice wrap-up but... a tad weak - like I've seen in a lot of dramas recently. I don't get it. We need a bit more of a splash for an ending!

Chocolate (2019)

Great acting but mostly depressing

This is another KDrama that is hard to rate. It is so well done, but whether you would like it is very dependent on what you are looking for. For example, are you looking to be subjected to hours of sadness? Then watch it. :-)

I usually point out the good before the not so good, but I'll reverse it this time since the not so good is the determining factor for me.

Sub-Optimal

• Sadness. Hours and hours of sadness. Too much for me, honestly.

• The writers were like, "We gave 'em a few minutes of happiness, time to kill off someone!" Gads.

• Inexplicable choices by the leads in the last couple of episodes. Even for a KDrama, and their normal tropes, the leads' choices seemed to not fit the characters as we knew them. So unnecessary and did not add to, but only detracted from, the story.

• What we were all waiting for pretty much came in the last couple of minutes. Too late.

The Good

• Great acting! By absolutely everyone.

• Great cinematography!

• Ha Ji-Won is the reason to watch. So beautiful and so talented. Her small and subtle, cute and comedic scenes made the series. There was just not enough of them.

So, all in all a 7. With less depression and less buffoonery at the end, would have been a 10.

Castaway Diva (2023)

Beautiful Actors, Great Singing, Interesting Story

Summary: We really like this show and recommend you watch. Overall an 8. Good but not great

We watched this because of Park Eun-Bin who was so great in Attorney Woo. It turned out that Chae Jong-Hyeop, from Love All Play, stared as well and we really like him too.

The Good Stuff:

• Beautiful actors
• Really good casting and acting
• Interesting story
• Most of, but not all, the serious trauma is in the beginning, but it doesn't drags the whole series down
• Some great songs for the OST
• Ms. Park - beautiful and so talented. Watch it for her smile.

The Sub-Optimal Stuff:

• Somehow the story did not draw us in and get us as emotionally vested as the best series do.

• Not enough romance between the leads. Their relationship is caring and sweet, but lacked passion. It was fine for this story, but was a bit too low key for us.

• Pointless love triangle-ish setup. Why do KDramas insist on this plot device?

• Pretty predictable story. Enjoyable, but you'll know where it is heading most of the time.

Myeongbulheojeon (2017)

Cute and the leads have great chemistry. Watch it!

Summary This is a cute and fun series. The leads had great chemistry. Watch until past the credits for a nice surprise, which I was bummed about NOT happening until after the credits rolled :-)

The Good

• The leads are both really good looking and make a great pair
• The leads had really good chemistry
• The leads played their roles really, really well.

• The plot was not TOO complicated and in its own way made sense
• The acting was good all around
• The FL was very good at displaying the full range of emotions, from happy to tragic
• The ML was funny!

• Overall just cute

The Sub-Optimal

• The series did drag just a bit in the middle, for me
• It is a tad dated, but not too bad. Less so than some series from that time.

• The ending was too abrupt for me. I wanted more happiness!

Doctor Lawyer (2022)

Too Much Plot, Too Many Plot Holes

I'll try to keep this spoiler free and simply make some points to help you decide if you want to watch it.

Summary The review with the title "Nope" is good and on point. :-) The plot was so complicated it was tedious, and the plot holes were gaping. I loved Im Soo-Hyang in her assertive role (compared to Gangnam Beauty), but she wasn't enough to make the series compelling. She needs better roles!

The Good

• Im Soo-Hyang. I watched this because of here.

• Acting was generally good

The Sub-Optimal

• Overly complex plot. If you are into that type of things this could be good for you. But, for me, it was more like "give me a break!"
• People on the "good" side constantly were underprepared for what was coming, despite being so smart. Like in a horror movie where everyone is screaming "Don't go into the room!!!" And then they do. LOL.

• So Ji-Seob was just too flat in his acting. I know that was the character that he played, but... it drug things down. (Others have noted this as well),
• The ending... Lame. Totally unnecessary ambiguity. KAS cut-off sentence crucial to the ending? Gads. I just don't get why they don't work the Plot to give us a bit more reward, and the characters a bit more reward, at the end.

Quan shi jie zui hao de ni (2020)

Sweet and Cute

Recommendation ============= Overall it's an enjoyable friends-to-lovers story. If you are ok with young adults acting like silly young adults please watch it. It is cute and sweet and a bit different.

The Good ========= The story is pretty believable. Nothing really weird and tragic (e.g. Kidnappings, murders, etc) happens. There are only believable family issues. Even the fact the ML is super good at archery is plausible.

I accepted, after the first couple of episodes, that the kids were goofballs who were a bit immature. They matured over the series, in a believable way, but stayed true to themselves. I liked that.

The FL did not act in a very feminine way, but that is reality. Not everyone in this world is elegant and classy as most Asian dramas like to portray women. I liked seeing this type of uncommon character. And Song Yi-Ren pulled it off very well.

The ML (Zhang Yao) also fulfilled his role really well, as the more serious and mature partner. But he was willing to accept the FL as she was. Big points for him!

Sub-Optimal =========== At first I was a bit dubious about the acting. It smoothed out over the series, however.

There were times I felt a bit old watching this. :-)

There is a lack of communication trope that is annoying. Why why why don't they just talk about their issues from the get go rather than waiting for things to blow up.

The other trope is one of the leads having to go overseas for some reason. Let's give this plot divide a rest as well.

Doona! (2023)

Incredible Acting Makes This a Must See - But The Ending...

Rating: I would love to give it a 10 because of a well-crafted story and seriously top tier acting. But I've got to go for a 9 to show my being bummed by the ending. If they come back with a season two, and wrap things up nicely, perhaps I'll come back also and up this rating to a 10.

Recommendation: Watch it for the acting, especially for Suzy. Just be prepared for a lack of real closure.

Commentary: When I first heard this series was coming, I was very stoked. But I thought (for no good reason, I guess) that it would be a RomCom and that it would be a lot of fun. This series is NOT that. It is very much a drama. And even though I was surprised and in a way disappointed, I found this to be a very compelling watch. My wife and I blasted through the series because we could not wait to find out what happened next after each episode.

Suzy's acting here was just incredible. It was literally fascinating to watch. Not to take away anything from all the other great performances, but holy cow was Suzy good. Her ability to portray sorrow and depression, and then happiness without really leaving all the sadness behind... Incredible.

This is a character-driven series, and the writing is superb. You can't help but be drawn in to the characters' lives and feel for them, even when they are behaving badly. That is an accomplishment.

But like many others have noted, the ending just drove me nuts! What the heck??? How can they leave it seemingly open-ended like this? I know this is a thing with KDramas, but in this case it just hurt because the actors were able to make us really care about them. They dang well better come back for a season two or there will be a LOT of really pissed off fans out there. Like me!

Final Note: Will some awesome writer please offer up to Suzy a fun, rainbows and unicorns part to play? I'd watch it in a heartbeat. :-)

The Good Bad Mother (2023)

Too depressing for too long for the payoff at the end

The executive summary here is that there was too much sadness and trauma for too long for the final payoff. I don't like series that give you happy only in the last 10 minutes or some such. This series did that

Others have written excellent reviews, as usual, so I'll just put a few points out there to perhaps help folks decide if this is their cup of tea.

The Good ========

• The acting!

Ra Mi Ran is great as the mother, although the role was really annoying to watch.

The twins were, as everyone said, adorable.

Ahn Sun Jin was fantastic, We watched this series because of her, after seeing her in Hospital Playlist.

• The few, and unfortunately only a few, funny moments were done well.

The Not So Good =============

• As noted, too sad for too long. We needed more of the happy times with Mi-Joo and Kong-Ho after the trauma was (mostly) resolved.

• Not enough Ms. Ahn! She is great and we did not see enough of her in this series.

• Something about Young-soon's mourning was just off. I can't place my finger on it, but that scene just did not work.

• The side characters were too over the top. For a very serious series, they may have wanted some comic relief , but it was often out of place.

Recommendation ============== This is actually hard to recommend, which really bums me out. But if you are looking to being bummed for the great majority of the series, and need a big dose of sadness, this may be for you.

Dan, Hanaui Sarang (2019)

Ms. Shin is amazing, but too much sadness for not enough payoff

Editing this review to up the rating to an 8. It is just too well done to rate it that low, even though I still wish it had more time in the happiness zone.

====

As usual, great acting from everyone involved. It just wasn't enough to make the series compelling.

Ms. Shin is amazing. This is the 3rd series I have seen staring her - each role was very different. And she totally nails it every time. Mr. Kim was also excellent, portraying playfullness and sadness with equal dexterity. But...

This series was mostly sad from beginning to end. It does have a happy ending, but way too late to make the whole thing worth it. In addition it felt like it was too slow in taking its time to get to that ending. We just felt let down when it was over instead of feeling like we will miss the characters.

So, despite our love for the leads, we won't be rewatching this one.

Doctor Cha (2023)

Decent Show with Good Acting

No Spoilers, just some pros and cons.

Pros

The acting was very good. I would call out Kim Kyung-Chul for his portrayal of Sea In-Ho, the jerk husband. Of course we don't like his character, but he did a truly superb job of navigating jerkiness and having regret. I would also call out Jo Adam for her role as Jeon So-Ra. It looks like she does not have a lot of acting experience, but the way she portrayed a cranky, domineering personality was quite subtle and skillful.

I liked the storyline and the message they were trying to communicate.

Everything that happened in the story was believable, even if unlikely.

Cons Somehow the series did not draw my wife and I in as much as our favorite KDramas. Despite some touching scenes, we were not too emotionally invested in the characters.

The ending was O. K., and I think sent a nice message, but again we were sort of just, "Oh, it's over. What will we watch next?" Rather than feeling like we would miss the story and characters. The story just sputtered to a halt. There a number of things they could have done to tie everything up to a greater extent.

So overall, not bad, but not great. So a 7 ranking.

Geu hae urineun (2021)

Incredibly Well Done - But Not a RomCom

I don't have a lot to add beyond what other reviewers have already said. But I'd thought I'd make a few points to perhaps make it easier for folks to make a decision to watch, or not.

This series is not a RomCom. While there are comedic moments, most of the time this is more of a drama. There is lot of sadness as things don't go well for the main couple. The picture on IMDB makes the couple look super happy. This was not the case for many episodes.

Having said that, there are quite a few positives aspects to the story. For example the ML's family is a very positive storyline (with some backstory, or course).

The storyline is intricate and well crafted. The different threads weave seamlessly together and come together well at the end.

The acting is really good. I think this was a tough assignment for the actors, but they pulled it off so well. I'd also call out the casting as superb.

I think I could point out a few things I would like to have seen come together a bit differently, but that does not at affect my recommendation. Despite the fact I thought this might not be my cup of tea:

If you OK with a story that some might consider a bit "slow" and that is not very happy a lot of time, then by all means watch this series. It is well done, well acted, and quite touching. I give it a 9/10 rating.

Yeoshingangrim (2020)

Absolute RomCom Masterclass by Moon Ga-Young (Only mild spoilers.)

We all know just how incredible the acting is in KDramas. So I want to first note that all the main, secondary, and tertiary actors were awesome. Can Eun-Woo, Huang In-Youp, Park Yoo-Na were great! Super casting.

But what makes this one of the ***best RomComs ever*** is Moon Ga-Young. Her performance is just insanely good. The subtle voicing, the expressions, the range of emotions (from giddy to traumatic) - utter perfection. Simply put no actor could do better. Then only performance I can compare it to is Yoo In-Na in Touch Your Heart, which also was perfection and basically untouchable. TYH as a drama wins out because of the overall story and the performance and chemistry with Lee Dong-Wook. So a huge shout-out to Moon Ga-Young. She made this laugh-out load hilarious and so captivating. Oh, yeah, and she is beautiful on top of all that talent.

The story is fun, and cute, and holds your attention from start to finish. And of course this drama has an important, positive message. The full package, for sure.

Mild spoilers alert.

Here are my only negative thoughts:

• It is super frustrating to wait for Lee Woo-Ho (Cha Sun-Woo) to express his feelings. Argh!

• I HATE HATE love triangles, but give the writers credit for Han Seo-Jun's manning up (so to speak) and realizing it was not to be. Hwang In-Youp pulled this off with great aplomb.

• The KDrama trope of things falling apart near the end, only to be rescued at the last minute. Enough already!

It is an awesome drama that deserves better ratings that it gets due to the acting if nothing else. Nonetheless, just watch it! You won't regret it.

Overall: 10/10.

Keureiji reobeu (2022)

Gotta make through the first half, then gets good

My wife and I bailed on this after 4 episodes. We just found the fact that the ML was a total jerk, and the FL was, perhaps for good reason, trying to torture out male lead. It just went on so long and got really tedious.

Since I actually bought Blue Rays (it didn't appear on streaming until after I bought the discs ha ha), we thought we'd give it another chance to try to get our money's worth.

The bottom line, is that it gets better in the second half, and lands a bit more in the romcom category. The is still some trauma coming from a side character, but it is not too bad.

The acting was generally good. We love Krystal Jung. She did a great job. Kim Jae-Wook was also good, although I can't put my finger on why I wasn't happier with this portrayal of the mail lead. We really like him a lot in Her Private Life.

So overall, an 8 for us. If the mutual harassment between the leads had not gone on so long, it would have been a 9.

Ta Zai Ni Guang Zhong Gao Bai (2021)

Good acting, run of the mill story

Let me first say that I thought the acting was quite good. Any issues I have with the series lie elsewhere. I especially like the female lead (Yue Yu, I believe). Her acting was spot on, and she is very beautiful.

The second leads were great also, and I like their story.

The story was predictable and brought nothing new to the table. You could guess where the whole thing was headed pretty early on. The action scenes were pretty lame, actually. Again not the actors fault. It seemed like every good guy was getting stabbed all the time, and not bringing a knife or gun to the fight. Although one good guy has a gun at one random point, begging the question of why they didn't have them during the other fight scenes. Go figure.

There we a number of plot holes. And it was pretty annoying that the bad guys were always one step ahead of our supposedly super smart hero.

By the way, I watched a trailer for the sequel and it looked better. Maybe. The ML's fighting skills seem to have been upgraded :-). Although I didn't get how this was really a sequel based on the plot, but maybe I'm just dense.

So, for me, a 7 overall. If it has not been for the nice acting, I would have rated this a 6.

Yu sheng, qing duo zhi jiao (2022)

Comforting, Believable: One of the best CDRamas!

This series is excellent. It engaged me emotionally and had me rooting for the main couple throughout the whole show. If you want to watch something positive, where the leads respect each other and treat each other well, this is for you.

The Good Stuff

The production was excellent. Nice visuals, well done sound.

The story line was, relatively, believable. The trauma was there, but not so bad that you had the feeling this would never happen to anyone IRL.

The acting was good all around. The FL was incredibly good! She is a very talented and natural actor. Watching her you never get the feeling you are watching a TV series - rather you are just observing a slice of someone's life. I think Zi Yan brings us one of the top performance by an Asian drama FL that I have seen. I think the ML and the FL's father were also great.

The lead couple's chemistry was off the charts. It might not have been the intense, sexual chemistry you see in American dramas, but they (in the good times) were so sweet together and so relaxed and comfortable with each other, that you will root for them all the way. And you'll also wish you could be in such a relationship.

The writing was very good. There was some great, witty dialog. There was some heartfelt compassionate dialog.

They gave us a wedding! In so many shows the story stops before the wedding or they skip ahead to the future and never show the wedding. So kudos to the writers for a wedding!

The Sub-Optimal

I hate love triangles, and this show had two. But compared to many other Asian dramas, these love triangle were not too bad. They didn't add a ton of tension for too long a time. But as if often the case, the second male lead was a selfish jerk given he knew the main couple's feelings for each other.

The story might be a it slow for some folks, although the pacing worked very well for me.

Mild Spoilers Not all the story lines were wrapped up nicely. I'd like to have seen one of the second couple's get back together. (But not the other second couple - they guy was a jerk.) I would like to have seen another character find someone to love.

Overall a great show. I give it a 9/10 since it is really good, if not perfect.

The Law Cafe (2022)

Fun, Heartwarming show that has it all: Drama, Comedy, Romance

This show does have it all. Romance, Comedy, Drama. It was fun to watch and kept my interest from the start to the end. I heartily recommend it.

To Good Stuff The lead couple had great chemistry. Their emotions were believable for the most part. There was some (for a KDrama) pretty steamy scenes and dialog that kinda took my surprise. While it took my by surprise, I had no problem with it at all. It fit the characters and fit the story. The kisses looked invested by both parties, btw :-)

The FL , Lee Se-Young is beautiful and has a radiant smile. My wife also noted she has a really cute smirk :-). He acting was great. Interestingly, I was unsure about that for the first couple of episodes, but grew to really like her as the series progressed. Ms. Lee is super fun to watch and has a lot of positive energy.

The story was interesting, and I liked the legal scenarios our leads had to deal with. These were very socially aware, and I appreciated that they tackled these subjects head on. They were also well integrated into the overall story. I felt the same way about the non-legal subplots as well. Very well done!

We got to see the wedding! Woo Hoo! Oftentimes Asian dramas stop before the wedding or just skip past it. Not here! Thanks to the writers!

The Sub-Optimal (Mild Spoilers)

I like this series a lot, so why "just" an 8 and not a 9?

There was one plot fail near the end that drove me nuts. IRL things just would NOT have happened that way. But I guess they needed to up the tension and the drama.

Speaking of which, there are traumatic scenes. They were integral to the story, but sometimes the way the Asian dramas need to include Very Bad Happenings can get a bit tiresome. The best series (other than purely action series) create interest and tension without kidnappings , childhood trauma, etc.

Depending on your taste, the FL's personality could be a bit over the top. This was also integral to and a driver of the story. And I liked it. So although my wife also rated this series an 8, she would have liked to see that character toned down a tad. This is just a matter of taste as I said. Not a flaw at all for me.

If it were me (LOL) I would have written one story line a bit differently. I don't want to spoil the show by giving too many details, but I would have had the male lead react differently to the FL's feelings about marriage. I think it would have been believable without adding *unnecessary* negativity/angst.

When I really, truly, love a series so much to give it a 9 or a 10, I often get cranky that we don't get a season 2. Sometimes shows are just wrapped up so nicely that a second season is not necessary, but often I want more even so. For this series, they wrapped it up nicely, and I have no complaint. I don't feel the need for more of this story.

So, overall a really good show and a rating of 8. I'll rewatch it in perhaps a year's time.

Once Upon a Small Town (2022)

Short and Fun, But Not Great (Small spoiler)

My wife and I started this series a few months ago, and gave up during the second episode. It just seemed slow and the acting seemed a tad off. We recently decided to give it another try.

We found it to be pleasant and light, but not great.

The Good Stuff ============ When I first started it, I felt the acting was sub par. Now we finished it I think the acting is mostly fine. The FL (Joy) did a great job, actually, despite not having a ton of acting experience. She is also quite beautiful.

Like in every KDrama we have seen with kids in it, the kids are super cute and do an amazing job with their acting.

The story is nothing new, but it was fun. A pleasant diversion.

Spoiler The ending was happy.

End Spoiler

The Sub-Par Stuff =============

As I noted the acting was mostly fine, with Joy being the best. The ML's ( Choo Young-Woo) acting was usually pretty good, but there were some scenes that he just did not pull off well. They were a tad cringey, I think.

Kind of a ripoff of Hometown Cha Cha Cha, but not as good.

Lack of communication. This is a thing is so many Asian dramas. Here, half of the issues between the leads is because of a lack of communication. The ML is kinda an idiot - when he could explain something that just happened, that bothered the FL so much that she walks away, he just stands there. Duh. GO EXPLAIN! Nope, lets just let things fester! Gads.

Spoiler: The ending was happy, but kind of weak. It's just meh. You'll be like, "Oh, it's over." But you won't be missing the characters all that much.

Overall ====== So, overall a 7 for me. A pleasant diversion, with a wonderful FL, but nothing too special. Worth a watch, especially since it is pretty short.

Your Playlist (2021)

Fun, nice acting, but the ending?

This is a very short drama. Easily bing watchable - or watchable during a couple of exercise bike sessions :-)

The story line was cute. The acting was good. I think the young actors very accurately portrayed what it is like in those years of your life.

I was surprised that San-Ha Yoon's role was not a bit bigger, even though it is a very short series. But he did a good job.

I enjoyed it - or almost all of it.

The issue is the end. There are strong hints it is a happy ending, but it is ambiguous. I feel we do not get closure and as far as I could see there is no second season. So I am not sure it is worth watching, tbh, just because of that. Even one more episode could have been used to wrap things up.

If not for that, I would have given it an 8 rating.

Gan Tteoleojineun Donggeo (2021)

A fun series with a cute premise that is mostly executed well

The Good: The female lead (Hyeri Lee) is so cute and has a positively radiant smile. You really wanted things to work out for her. Her energy was infectious.

The 2nd female lead (Han-Na Kong) is truly beautiful and her acting deftly navigates the line between being worldly and a bit ignorant. That must be really hard to pull off, but she does it so well - it was a lot of fun to watch! I just loved her expression when she realized she had said something silly or ignorant. I'll look for her as a lead in other dramas.

One of the second male leads, Do-Wan Kim, also really helps make this series work. His character is kind of a dork, but you can't help but love him and root for him.

One thing I did appreciate were the comedic elements. They really kept it fun even when (as noted below) things tended to drag a bit.

The Sub-Optimal The story dragged a bit in the middle. My wife and I both thought that they could have cut a couple of episodes. For a few episodes it just felt like it wasn't going anywhere, or maybe it went back and forth. It was actually a bit hard to remain invested in the main couple. In fact, I found myself caring more about the second couple (Do-Wan Kim and Han-Na Kang) and rooting for them to get together! :-)

The love triangle. Gad, I hate love triangles. Although I think In-Hyuk Bae's acting was great, and his role was pretty critical to the story, it still annoyed the heck out of me. But that is probably just me and I know lots of folks are into the tension a love triangle brings. It happens All The Time in KDramas, but IRL not too much. There is enough drama in couples' relationships that adding the love triangle element is mostly just a distraction. Oh well...

Overall I liked the series and was glad I watched it. Parts were very fun and it wrapped up well. But it could have been more tightly written.

Bo-ra! Deborah (2023)

Gifted Acting, Finely Crafted Story, Best yet of 2023

When I read that this series was coming, I was truly excited. Touch Your Heart is my all time favorite KDrama. While everything about that show was great, it was Yoo In-Na's acting - her interpretation of her role - that was genius and made the show truly special. Could she pull it off again?

And I was not disappointed! Once again, she was the true driving force behind a series and elevated it to be as good as it possibly good be. Her ability to communicate emotions. The uniqueness of her expressions and the inflections of her voice... Amazing. Thanks to the those who cast her as Deborah!

I fee a bit like a broken record, because Kdrama acting is often so good, but I just have to say it. Everyone cast in this series was phenomenal.

Yoon In Na... Well, I've said it. She makes this story shine and we feel for her throughout the arc of the story.

Yoon Hun-Min as the male lead was so good. Dang, watching his character was so frustrating! So obviously he nailed the role and made it believable no matter how unbelievable it could have been.

Hwang Chan-Sung's role as the ex. I hated his guts! His acting sparked the feelings we were meant to feel.

Park So-Jin was sooo good in Sh**ting Stars.** And she was fantastic here. Her portrayal of a women in a listless marriage truly had our sympathy. I hope to see here as a lead in series to come.

Let's hope we see so much more of Kim Ye-Ji. She is so cute and really did well in what I think is a difficult role - both strong and unsure of herself at the same time.

The story: Once again the Koreans' writing craft is so amazing. This was a tightly woven tapestry of multiple couple's evolving relationships. There was not a dull minute for my wife or I and we could not wait for each new episode. As the story was coming to an end I could not believe we had seen 13 episodes already and we were almost done. No feeling of, "This is starting to drag and I need to fast forward" in this series! I know we won't get it, but Season 2 please!

My one complaint is that at key points, the Male Lead did not communicate and it was just hard to believe. I am sure there are people who are, in a sense, broken like that. But he was given so many chances... Yeah, I know it can happen, I was pretty much that screwed up when I was young. But watching it drove me nuts! Then again, the story had me locked in so the writers obviously know what they are doing. :-)

If you want to read a good review of the story itself, check out ameerahcarol's review. So good it reads like a professional review.

Watch it!

Ban shi mi tang ban shi shang (2020)

Bailing 'cuz ML yanks the FL lead hard by the arm - a lot

I am bailing on this series during episode 6. The reason is that the male lead has a habit of jerking the female lead around by the arm - hard! This is a show from 2020 and I can't believe this type of behavior of a man towards a woman is depicted in this way. The FL should have slapped him in the face and told him to go to h*ll*. But no, she just puts up with it. Gads!

Otherwise the story would have been interesting and fun (except for the stupid love triangle which most asian dramas have.) It is really too bad, but this verging-on-assault behavior by the ML is just super annoying.

By the way, the 2nd female lead, played I think by Xiao Yan is so beautiful - and cute and adorable, I wanted to watch the series just to see how it turned out for her! Too bad :-(