Mickey

환영합니다 여러분! (Welcome everyone!)

About Me

I unofficially started my Kdrama journey after watching a dubbed version of Boys Over Flowers back in 2010, and I loved it at that time. At that point, I was only able to watch them through local TV channels. Officially, my Kdrama "addiction" started because of Crash Landing on You during the pandemic.

200+ Kdramas and Kmovies later, I suffered from burnout and didn't have motivation to watch them anymore. Then, academic obligations and preparation for a licensure examination (board exam, as it is called in my country) became reasons for a hiatus. Now that I finished said obligations, I have renewed this "hobby", by making reviews each time I finish a Kdrama or Kmovie, which I did not do previously.

Also started to venture out to Chinese movies, although for now, I have only watched one and created a review for Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.

By the way, the origin of my username Mickey is my dog, who is also named Mickey, hehe.

UPDATE: Currently, I can update my watchlist only once a week due to work obligations. I still watch some dramas sparingly, but the good thing is that now I am actively venturing out from just Kdramas as I add them on my watchlist. Can't wait so discover other shows aside those from South Korea. Meanwhile for my reviews, I just save them on my notes, but still have to polish them before posting.

Thank you for visiting my profile and happy watching!

Rating System

I am keen to details and ultimately, I just want to experience a smooth and spontaneous journey when watching something.

This is a simple explanation on how I rate a drama/movie, which is the basis for my reviews:

STORY/PLOT - this is always the "emphasis" for my reviews; has good story build-up; plot twists not always necessary as long as it does not affect the pacing; does not plateau on the middle part/arc; no filler scenes; satisfying ending whether happy or sad. 0.5 point deduction every plot hole or unanswered questions at the end/finale. (10.0 points)
ACTING/CAST - believable acting based on character and emotions as portrayed on the scene; will consider the acting prowess not only of the main characters but also the support characters as well; has good chemisty among the cast especially if its an ensemble; will score high here especially on instances where acting/cast carries an otherwise mediocre plot. (10.0 points)
MUSIC/CINEMATOGRAPHY - this is where I deviate my scoring from MDL standards since it doesn't take into account the overall cinematography so I divided it into 2 (5 points for music; 5 points for cinematography; appropriate on the scene/theme of the story; in sync with the scene; OSTs (in Kdramas) that are catchy and provides message that is in line with the plot through its lyrics; music score (in movies) makes a movie memorable. (5.0 points)
- NOTE: this is also where I put my score for the cinematography consisting of screenplay, camerawork/angles, and production value. (5.0 points)
REWATCH VALUE - if a Kdrama/Kmovie is unforgetable; cannot move on after watching it; basically gives impact to my watching experience. (10.0 points)
OVERALL - my overall thoughts on a Kdrama/Kmovie; most often average score from story/plot to rewatch value. (10.0 points)

I really like to make my reviews as objective as possible, but I also have to recognize the effort given by the whole team in order for us to watch their shows/movies. With that, I may add 0.5 points depending if it is worth it or not. This is where my "personal bias" comes in. Biases are inevitable, but I try to minimize it as much as possible.

Overall Score & Meaning

Prior to December 2022 (when I came back on watching dramas/movies), my ratings were too stringent since I went by "strict perfection, Hollywood-level critiquing".

Since then, my watching perspectives/habits were drastically changed, and currently, I really want to savor and understand the point of view of the director/writer, instead of my own. With that, I don't watch just for making my own rating, but to really know and enjoy what I watch.

Looking on my previous ratings, one might question why I scored quite low for something that I found great. My current rating system, unfortunately, does not apply on them anymore.

The present scoring has already started last December 2022, but it is only now that I had the time to make a table here on my profile LOL (April 10, 2023).

10.0 (⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ )	Perfection, masterpiece, classic/future classic; just no criticism to think of other than it's faultless.
9.0-9.5	Very minor, trivial criticisms; still among the best of the best drama/movies that I have watched.
8.0-8.5 (⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ )	Minor criticism/s but somewhat noticeable that affects the overall quality of the drama/movie.
7.0-7.5	Noticeable flaws/plot holes that affects my watching experience.
6.0-6.5 (⭐ ⭐ ⭐ )	Major flaws/plot holes, has to skip scenes already; fairly boring and can't wait to end.
5.0-5.5	50% of the time, I skip scenes/watch this in 2x speed; noticeably boring, and is excited more on the ending.
4.0-4.5 (⭐ ⭐ )	75% of the time, I skip scenes/watch this in 2x speed; boring most of the time, and is excited more on the ending.
3.0-3.5	100% of the time, I skip scenes/watch this in 2x speed; very boring, and is excited more on the ending.
2.0-2.5 (⭐ )	What did I watch?
1.0-1.5	Regrets watching
0	No criticism to think of other than it's trash; doesn't deserved to be rated.