The ending is what diminished it for me

7,5/10 is my rating. This is a 2019 (Josean era) fictional drama with 16, 60 minute, episodes.

Ha-seon (Yeo Jin-goo) leads a relatively care free life traveling around performing comedic skits that primarily make fun of the royalty. Yi Heon, the King (also played by Yeo Jin-goo) was a benign noble as a Crown Prince but became a paranoid, vicious and crazed king. He is bloodthirsty which is driven by opium induced delusions about being killed. When one of his close advisers comes across Ha-seon by a chance encounter, he is stunned to realize the clownish actor looks exactly like the king. The king has become increasingly concerned about assasination attempts and has tasked his close advisers to find a way to get him out of danger. The adviser who encountered the look alike proposes to the king that he be used as a stand in and the King is more than willing to have the doppelgänger stand in for him. Through a combination of coercion and persuasion they talk Ha-seon into playing the greatest role, that of the king, while the real king slips away to a quiet retreat. As Ha-seon becomes acquainted with palace life and gets to know the inhabitants, Queen Yi Kyu (Kim Sang-kyun) quickly steals his reluctant heart and is surprised herself to find that this new side to her husband is stirring romantic feelings for him she did not have before. Nothing could go wrong - right?

spoiler 🚨 I liked the first half of this very well I thought the male lead did an excellent job playing both the clown who was kind and the king who was bloodthirsty and crazy. I like the female lead who played the queen as she was calm and kind. However, the way the king was and all the palace intrigue reminded me of the American show “Game of Thrones“. As is often the case in Royal courts, it seemed as if everyone was out to poison or kill everyone else for the throne. In the middle of the show, there was a part where the Crowned Clown bowed down to one of the evil villains and I wound up fast forwarding because I knew that eventually he would win out and I couldn’t take watching it go on for so long. After that part it got good again and I thought “well there’s just that one part that doesn’t detract from the movie too much.“. At that point, had it ended well, I probably would’ve given it an 8.5 or possibly a 9. The show literally went down in the last episode or so when it seemed like nearly every character I liked had something tragic happen to them or someone they cared about. Then to top it off, the male lead steps down and gives the crown over to someone we were barely introduced to. After everything that he had gone through as well as all the people that supported him it seemed like a waste for him not to reign longer. The Queen also had been made barren and it would’ve been nice if they would’ve found out that wasn’t true after all. Because it felt like Ha-seon did in part step down because she was unable to bear an heir. Then they aren’t done with the tragedy because as he steps down and leaves the palace, one of the last characters that I still liked gets killed as some crazy ninjas say they are avenging the dowager queen who died a year before and we never really got to know these people to know why they would be so loyal to her even a year later. In fact, when the dowager was alive you didn’t really see her do anything all that great nor did they refer to any great things she had done in the past. Then they make you think the male lead is dead and you get to see the queen, who had stepped away from the throne to be with him, grieve for over two years. Then he just suddenly shows up and says he’s been in what would amount to a coma (how they would’ve supported someone in a coma in the Josean era is a bit of a mystery) and they have this long emotional moment. Rather than being heartwarming, their reunion felt a little bit cheesy and over done. It is a shame that it did not end better because it could’ve been a good show. This is the third TV series I’ve seen with this male lead and I have to say all three have not ended as I like them to. It is to the point where if he is in something I will likely read spoilers to make sure it doesn’t have a poor ending. If you don’t mind tragedy and like things that are a bit nebulous, you may like this better than I did. It is worth watching because a lot of the show is quite good and if you’re able to look past that middle part and the end then you may enjoy it.

#TheCrownedClown
#YeoJinGoo
#KimSangKyun

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Lighthearted romantic comedy centered in convenience store

8.5/10 is my rating. This is a 2020 South Korean comedy romance with 16, 70 minute episodes.

Choi Dae-hyun (Ji Chang-wook) encounters a gang of female high school students after suffering a setback in a relationship. The leader of girl toughs, Jung Saet-byul (Kim Yoo-jung), Saet-byul tries to bully Dae-hyun Into buying cigarettes but instead steals a kiss from him. She was immediately attracted to the handsome young man who made a sweet gesture of flowers and a stuffy to a girlfriend who obviously did not appreciate it.

Three years later, Dae-hyun has resigned from the corporate world and is running a family owned convenience store. A chance encounter brings Saet-Byul back into Dae-hyun’s life and when she notices he is looking for a part timer she persistently seeks the job to be closer to the man she likes. Da-Hyun is two years into a relationship with another girl who does not see his worth. Saet-byul is determined to show she is no longer the troubled young girl Dae-hyun first met and steal his heart in the process.

Spoiler alert! I really loved the female lead character Saet-byul she is basically a street toughened kid in the beginning. Being poor is hard wherever you live and it was admirable how she sacrificed herself to give her sister a stable teen age life and start on adult hood. The sister acted just as expected when she was young but showed great character growth when she expressed to Saet-byul that she knew and appreciated what she had done for her. I liked that the younger sister was able to be successful as an idol. I liked all of both of their friends and it added a lot of interest with the things that happened in the multiple relationships. Choi Dae-hyun was perfectly sweet as the male lead character. He was responsible, stable and noble. The second guy was a gorgeous idol who was hopelessly in love with the beautiful Saet-byul he credited her deceased father for the foundation of his success and felt responsible to watch over the two girls. I did get a little bit of second guy syndrome. I loved how Choi Dae-hyun‘s family took Saet-byul in when she had nowhere to go and even later took in her little sister. It was something my parents would have done so I could identify. The love story was sweet and the two looked amazing together. Kim Yoo-jung is so pretty that she was an incredibly believable pair with handsome Ji Chang-Wook. I highly recommend this as a light hearted feel good romantic comedy.

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Good for its primary focus which is monster/horror genre

8.5/10 is my rating. This is a 2023, South Korean historical, action, suspense, thriller, horror and romance series with 10, 65-73 minute episodes.

First I provide a Unique synopsis then review.

Synopsis

Jang Tae-sang (Park seo-joon) runs a very successful Korean business in Japanese occupied Gyeongseong (later renamed Seoul) occupation. He is determined to survive in an environment that is hostile to Koreans by amassing wealth and influence as a form of protection. Known as Master Jang he is perceived as selfish and uncaring if his fellow South Korean’s plight when, in reality, he takes great care of all his friends and family like associates. If you need something in the way of information he probably knows a guy or a girl. That all changes when he is blackmailed to locate a woman who went missing. He is skilled at using his connections to broker information but this time his livelihood is at stake. His mission puts him in contact with Yoon Chae-ok (Han So-hee) who is part of a team who are experts at finding people. During the spring of 1945, lots if people are going missing after visiting, or being taken to, a Japanese run hospital. Seems more than just medicine is being practiced there, people are being used to run experiments with a violent creature.

Review

It is a great addition to the monster “movie” genre. The monster in this is terrifying and seems invincible. It has exciting action scenes, edge of your seat suspense and fingernail biting horror. If you are a fan either leads, they do an excellent job in their roles. It can be hard, emotionally, to watch realizing the Japanese did occupy South Korea and they did perform horrific medical experiments on the Koreans. It is a lens on how occupation forces dehumanize their “enemy.” The romance is there but it is not what makes the series stand out. It is complex enough I would watch it again to catch things I missed. I would recommend it highly for those wanting great monster, suspense, historical backdrop, and/or action series.

Spoilers

Prepare for a gore fest. I lost count of how many people the creature killed. I was a little disappointed that the Korean prisoners were killed indiscriminately by the monster when, later, we discovered the creature maintained enough of its original humanity to recognize its daughter.

I wonder if they misinterpreted Anthrax because that is what they said they injected the creature with that caused its horrible mutation. Then, the creature emitted bubbles of Anthrax in a “sleeping” state but it wasn’t characteristic of what we know of Anthrax. This “Anthrax” causes acid burns when it hits the skin. It did not seem like Anthrax so I wonder if it was a translation issue.

Several people betrayed their friends under torture and I liked they called it out and Tae-sang and others acknowledged it was not the fault of the victim as they temporarily lose their humanity.

I feel we never got the full back story of what kind of revenge was being exacted on Chae-ok’s mother that she was turned over for medical experimentation. There was mention of betrayal and I suspect it was also jealously on the part of Yukiki Maeda (Soo Hyun) as she mentions their association when they were younger but that situation was only vaguely explained.

The ending was mostly up in the air with the main creature still alive, a second creature having just delivered what appears to be an alien baby and Chae-ok now revived from death but infected with the parasite. It is clear there will be another season and I think there is a confirmed 2024 production date. I do not trust Netflix though so prefer a well tied up ending. WhatI love about South Korean shows is they rarely leave cliffhangers. Netflix is all about profit and leaves the endings open so, if the series does well, they can do additional seasons. A lot of Asian drama fans likely find leaving it open like that annoying.

#GyeongseongCreature

#ParkSeoJoon

#HanSoHee

#SooHyun

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Great slice of the Fan Girl Life with a sweet romance

9.5/10 is my rating. This is a 2019 South Korean television drama with 16, 60 minute episodes.
Fangirl of a boy band by night and hard working museum curator by day, Sung Deok-mi (Park Min-young) works hard to keep the duality of her nature a secret. Deok-mi originally meets the arrogant and standoffish Ryan Gold (Kim Jae-wook) when they are opposing bidders for an art piece. He later becomes Director of the museum where Deok-mi works and becomes her "cover" when she starts dating an idol. The plot twists when Sindy, who runs a fan girl site, gets a job at the museum and has the goal of exposing that Deok-mi is dating a star. Not easy to keep such a big thing a secret - especially with embedded spies.

Spoiler ? This is one of my new favorites. I wasn't too sure about this because a 30 something fangirl was a little hard to envision from the premise but it works. The characters are all very well developed and acted and you really feel like you get to know them and care about the outcome. The romance is perfectly paced, credible, and the chemistry between the two is amazing. You could really see them as a couple. I loved the ending too - so many do not end neatly wrapped up and this one did. I highly recommend this one to anyone who likes a sweet romance with that little bit of intrigue.

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Cute Romance with a unique lens on a "crystal ball" way of seeing how that guy really is

9/10 is my rating. This is a 2020/2021 South Korean Romantic Comedy Drama with 10, 70 minute episodes. It is also known as "Please Don't Meet that Guy".

Seo Ji-seong (Song Ha-yoon) is a information technology engineer who works for a development company that adds artificial intelligence components to household appliances and other technology. When a smart refrigerator she is developing goes beyond its programming to not only make meal recommendations but to provide a complete background check of the person input, Ji-seong covertly tries to figure out what the gliche is and stall her boss for time before the product is marketed. As she is testing the refrigerator's AI, she uses people around her as inputs and finds out information about men in her and her friend's lives she is not sure she wanted to know. It reveals a dark secret, Ji-seong's fiancé had been keeping, and causes Ji-seong to break off their long term relationship. Fate steps in and Ji-seong finds herself crossing paths with Jung Kook-hee (Lee Jun-young) multiple times and even has occasion to work with him through a project with her company. She growns close to Kook-hee but is disturbed by his reluctance to have his photograph taken and his avoidence of technology. Having been burned in a relationship once, the secrets Kook-hee is hiding might keep their relationship from moving forward. Can Ji-seong resolve the problems with the AI and solve the mystery of Kook-hee's absolute avoidance of technology?

Overall I liked this. Usually I would think 10 episodes was too short but they were able to develop and tell the story in this number of episodes. I thought the relationship between the ML and FL was believable and they had great chemistry. I really liked Ji-seong and the fact that she was a female IT/engineer was cool because I have personally known a lot of person(s) in those fields and appreciate their analytical thinking. There are always difficulties in translating between different cultures and it was hard for me to understand Kook-hee's guilt over the fire as it was not his fault the firefighter decided to go in thinking he was still inside when, in fact, he went to a soccer game. That is not something individuals are likely to feel guilty over in US culture. I also did not see a lot wrong with Ji-seong finding out about her friend's boyfriends and warning them. She was not doing it intentionally, she was trying to get the refrigerator to simply provide menu suggestions based on a profile. She had to run it to sort the glitch. She may have ran it a time or two when not actively working on the issue and just to find out, but it would be no different than hiring a private detective at that point. I liked that she never forgave the ex boyfriend for betraying her by sharing her pictures with his friends and making comments about her body. That is not something someone who cares about you should ever do. I liked that Ji-seong's mother stuck up for her and told her ex's mother off when she tried to put the blame for the failed relationship on Ji-seong. I was disappointed when Kook-hee turned away from Ji-seong when he found out she might have dug into some personal information. It was right after she stuck up for him without even knowing the whole story. He "came around" but it still felt like a bit of a betrayal that he did not stand with her when she was having a hard time as a result of information being sent to him. Overall it was good and entertaining. Just a few, somewhat minor, "flaws" in some of the characters. It was also a unique story with the refrigerator acting like a "crystal ball."

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Starts slow but good after it gets going

this 2019 South Korean romantic comedy. it has 12 episodes of around 60 minutes each.

An Dan-Te (Sung-Hoon) heads up a company that brings a management team to change things up for companies that are on the verge of going bankrupt. He is almost robotic in his actions and with his emotions. His next project is one he is reluctant to take on until he encounters Shin Yeon-Hwa (Han Bo-reum) who just so happens to be the head of development at Joybuster, the gaming company he is being encouraged to take on. A series of encounters outside of work do not put the two on the best footing so when An Da-Te shows up as the new CEO and one with no gaming experience, Yeon-Hwa is less than thrilled. The bright and outspoken Yeon-Hwa is quick to tell the CEO just what she thinks of him.

Spoiler ? The first episode of this was a bit slow and failed to grab my immediate interest. I decided to give it one more episode and was glad I did. I have seen Sung-Hoon in a variety of lead roles and I enjoy watching him. He usually plays a socially adept and dashing character but in this had I not known otherwise I would have thought he was a robot. It made it very comedic to see him struggle to understand someone very full of emotions. I thought the leads had great chemistry and the surrounding characters were interesting as well. There were even some surprising plot twists. It was a great slice of the competitive gaming industry and the central plot was interesting and flowed along nicely. The ending felt a bit rushed but not so much it ruined the story. For me there were several laugh out loud moments and nothing was very sad throughout. It is a nice, feel good romantic comedy.

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Comedic brilliance

This is a 2018 South Korean television drama with 20, 60 minute, episodes. Main cast:
?Kang Dong-gu (Kim Jung-Hyun) wants to become a movie director. He is kind hearted but unlucky.
?Lee Joon-ki (Lee Yi-kyung) He is the son of a famous actor who hopes to mirror his father’s success but is only able to land small roles.
?Bong Doo-sik (Son Seung-won) A mostly unemployed freelance writer.
?Han Yoon-ah (Jung In-sun) A single mother with no family or resources.
?Kang Seo-jin (Ko Won-hee) An aspiring journalist and Dong-gu’s sister.
?Min Soo-ah (Lee Joon-woo). A beautiful girl and famous model who is Dong-gu’s ex.

Three friends decide to go into business together in Waikiki and buy a guest house. Their business is failing until one day an unlikely source of fortune, a single mother and her baby, show up and things turn around.

spoiler ? I loved this for sheer comedic appeal. It is a little like Seinfeld in that the characters do the most outrageous things. I seriously have not laughed so hard since I do not know when. There is friendship and romance and that is also great but the comedy steals the show. My daughter and I both thought it was funny so the humor spans generations. If you need a good laugh then treat yourself to this wonderful series.

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A solid dating reality show with a slice of dating life in the 20 to 30 age ranges

9/10 is my rating. This is a 2018 South Korean Reality Dating/Game show. There are 13 regular and 3 special, 54-102 minute episodes.

This is a dating reality show where the participants live together for one month. They cannot reveal their age or occupation but can reveal interests and other aspects of their personality. Participants work during the day and go back to the house they are occupying together in the evenings/weekends and other times off work. There are originally six occupants but two more occupants are added through the course of the show. Each night the participants anonymously send a text to the person they found most interesting and the panel has to guess who texted whom. Panelists who guess right are given a token. They act as a 4th wall, commenting on what is going on, analyzing participants behavior and interests in each other, and competing to get the most correct guesses on who is contacting whom. Participants go on dates but are not allowed to directly confess their feelings.

Panelists

Yoon Jong-shin is a South Korean singer and song writer. He is also a record produceer and is the CEO of Mystic Story. He was born in 1969 so would have been 49 when the show aired in 2017.
Lee Sang-min is a South Korean singer, song writer, record producer and television personality. He is a former member of hip hop and dance group Roo'ra. He was born in 1973 so would have been 45 when the show aired in 2017.
Kim Eana is a South Korean song writer who wrote hit songs for some of the top singers in South Korea. She was born in 1979 so would have been 39 when the show aired in 2017.
Yang Jae-woong is a South Korean psychiatrist, motivational speaker, You Tuber and entertainer. He was born in 1982 so would have been 36 at the time this aired.
Shim So-young is a South Korean stage, drama and film actor. He was born in 1970 so would have been 48 when the show aired.
Jung Jae-won (One) - is a South Korean rapper, singer, song writer and actor. He was born in 1994 so would have been 24 when the show aired.
Kang Ji-hyun (Soyou)- South Korean singer best known as a member of the K-pop group Sistar. She was born in 1992. So would have been 26 when the show aired

Participants

Kim Do-gyun - born in 1988 Korean medicine doctor. He would have been 30 when the show aired.
Jung Jae-ho - born in 1990 CEO of a startup company. He would have been 28 when the show aired
Lee Gyu-bin - born in 1993 preparing to join the South Korean public service. He would have been 25 when he show aired.
Kim Hyun-woo - born in 1985 chef and restaurant owner Joined the show in episode 2. He would have been 33 when the show aired.
Oh Young-joo - born in 1991 marketer at Microsoft. She would have been 27 when the show aired.
Song Da-eun - born in 1991 aspiring actress. She would have been 27 when the show aired.
Im Hyun-joo - born in 1992 work as an actress and was a student at Kookmin University. She would have been 26 when the show aired.
Kim Jang-mi - born in 1989 fashion boutique owner Joined the show in episode 6. She would have been 27 when the show aired.

Ages are based on when the show aired not when it was filmed and are aged where birth is considered 0 years old.

Review
All the same elements that made the first season an interesting watch are in this second season as well. I liked more of the couples in this second season and found myself way more emotionally invested. If you enjoy reality shows and those that focus on relationships you will enjoy this show.

Spoilers*

Do-gyun was one of the males I found the most interest in him finding the right one. I had to laugh when Jang-Mi's friend said if he would use some common sense or something like that as she was implying that he did not make a sound decision in how into Hyun-joo he was when Jang-Mi and he got along and had so much in common. I too felt disappointed because Hyung-joo was just stringing him along, just showing him enough attention that he thought he had a chance when he never really did. He also was not seeing the real her - she had a way of being whomever she thought that person wanted. And her cutesy and cheery persona was an act. So, it was disappointing he did not choose Jang-Mi. Jae-ho and Da-eun chose each other a lot but I had the feeling she wasn't as into him as he was into her. I really felt like they wound up being a couple just on the show and it wouldn't go very far after. Young-joo was really into Hyun-woo and I could not see what all the women found so profoundly appealing about him. He was a bit more aloof and mysterious than the other men but, at least with Young-joo I thought he was very inconsistent. He never understood why she was so upset when he chose Hyung-joo as his second for the trip at the end, but I think most women would have been bothered by it. Young-joo felt like Hyun-woo had Hyung-joo waiting in the wings and there wasn't anything Hyun-woo did that would have convinced her otherwise. I felt like Hyun-woo was a bit manipulative as he never fully committed to either woman. I think it was bad for him in the end because he chose Hyung-joo not because she was the one he really wanted but because he thought Young-joo was not going to choose him. It was apparent when Young-joo called him, choosing him, and he just looked disappointed after that. The most frustrating participant to me was Hyung-joo, the reason all the men selected her is she had this way of being whomever each of them wanted and also making them all think she was considering them. Her tee-hee laugh seemed very feigned but it sure drove the men in the house wild. Hyung-joo inserted herself in the obvious interest between Young-joo and Hyun-woo from the beginning, stepped back when he was being aloof to her, then stepped right back in when she saw the least crack. For house members were having a tough time because of what I felt were her selfish actions. But, really she was a good litmus test for how much the others liked each other. She was a wedge between both Young-joo and Hyun-woo as well as Do-gyun and Jang-mi in that she was cutesy to both men and made them think she was all into them and not just pursuing them as a trophy over the other women. But the fact that she was able to be that wedge was actually a positive for the other two women because who wants a man that let's someone who is so obviously fabricating a persona and leading them on become a barrier to a budding romance. I thought Gyu-bin was really sweet to Young-joo and she may have given him more of a chance if Hyun-woo would not have kept vacillating. I admired that he chose her and stuck with his decision.

Although I would like this show to be more than it is being a romantic at heart, it is clear that all the participants wind up viewing it as more of "the game of love" than a true "love match." I look up how and what they are doing after the show and some of them may keep in contact on a friendly basis but most of them return to their daily lives. Instagram is a good indicator it seems and some of them follow each other but there are no couple pictures that would indicate they pursued anything beyond the show. So love it for what it is, a slice of these folks lives and honest attempts to learn more about themselves while developing their dating style and romance skills. A true love match may eventually occur but it would be the exception rather than the rule. Most are going to interact while and for a short time after the show runs. If your realize that, and that it is a competitive/game of romance like situation for most, you will not be as disappointed if the couple you think would work do not wind up together.


*Deep Spoiler
Heart Signal 2 cast member Kim Hyun-woo was arrested for drunk driving in April 2018 while the show was airing

#HeartSignal2
#YoonJongShin
#LeeSangMin
#KimEana
#YangJaeWoong
#ShimSoYoung
#JungJaeWon
#KangJiHyun
#KimDoGyun
#JungJaeHo
#LeeGyuBin
#KimHyunWoo
#OhYungJoo
#SongDaeUn
#ImHyunJoo
#KimJangMi

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Story about the band and the music are great - the romance is "incomplete"

8/10 is my rating. This is a 2021 South Korean romantic drama with 12, 70 minute episodes. It is alternatively known as "I will Be Your Knight."

While trying to revive his band and get them topping the chart again, the stress and pressure triggers the lead singer, and genius song writer/composer of the band, Yoo Tae-In (Lee Jun-young) to have sleepwalking episodes that he had not experienced since childhood. Idol bands have to be very careful to avoid scandal and Tae-In's sleepwalking episodes threatens to create episodes that could be scandalous for the struggling band. The band's manager/CEO enlists the help of a special doctor to "cure" and monitor Tae-In's condition as a secret live in physician. Due to a mix up, it is not the world famous sleep doctor who "treats" Tae-In but her struggling twin sister, In Yoon-joo (Jung In-sun). Fate may have known what it was doin gthough as Yoon-joo seems to be just what the band needed to pull together as a cohesive unit and to heal the key member of the group. It is lonely at the top, but can these idols find love without losing all they have strived for?

I like this trope a lot. It shows that being an "idol" or just an artist in general can be a very lonely life. Famous people are still people and have the same wants and needs as others but, due to their need to avoid "scandals", it can be very lonely at the top. I really liked each of the characters in this series as they had all of the issues and problems you would imagine with a band trying to maintain their relevance. The growing pains they had and the fact that she became the thing that knit them all together was interesting to see develop. Spoiler alert* I would have rated this much higher if I didn't find the ending as frustrating as I did. It seemed that he liked her a lot more than she did him and she never fully came out and confessed her feelings for him. She was cruel to him, in a way, when it was more her insecurities than any thoughts or feelings she had. I also did not like how we followed 2nd couple for so much of the series only to have them break up never to get back together. In that case too it did not seem she loved him enough to fight for their relationship. To me the plot felt a bit "woke" like they were trying to show the women did not need the men or that they were able to make the more mature decision to preserve the career over the relationship. I am somewhat of a hopeless romantic in that I think love is rare enough, and fulfilling enough that it is worth giving up other things for. I think the only way things will ever change for famous people is if they start to draw the line very firmly between their artistic life and their private life. I think they are moving in that direction, more and more, and some are more succssful at it than others. In the end, they meet up at the house she hoped to buy, he apparently bought it and got her sister in on having her go there. But, it wasn't clear whether or not that meant they were getting together or not. I know some writers like to leave it like that, like you decide whether or not they end up together, but I don't watch shows to have to "write" the ending myself. I like neatly wrapped up and clear in terms of the relationships. This was good, the music was amazing, their chemistry was solid, but it was disappointing at the end. Still I would recommend it for the overall story, the music, and the actors.

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Cinderella esque but with more depth and intrigue

9/10 is my rating. This is a 2018 historical romance with 16 (+2) 67-85 minute episodes. Alternate titles are 100 Days My Husband and The 100 Day Husband.

As the nephew of the king, Lee Yul (Do Kyung-soo) is told to keep a low profile and not do anything, such as excel in learning, that would make the king feel threatened. So, instead of studying he spends his days playing and unintentionally bullies the other kids. When Yoon Yi-seo/Yeon Hong-shim (Nam Ji-Hyun) notices Yul’s behavior, as a fellow noble, she scolds Yul for using his authority to make the other children do as he wishes. Yi-seo also teases Yul for his lack of knowledge. Yul has an immediate crush on the pretty and spunky Yi-seo and starts studying to impress her. Before the children can become closer friends, Yul’s ambitious father participates in overthrowing the royal family and killing them and all their supporters, including Yi-seo’s father who was a right hand man of the king. The intent was to kill the entire family but Yi-seo’s brother helps her escape. is the King's nephew who enjoys spending his days playing instead of studying.

10 years later Yul is a cold, distant crown Prince who is reluctantly married to Crown Princess, Kim So-hye (Han So-hee). The marriage was a condition of Vice-premier Kim Cha-eon (Jo Sung-ha) who carried out the overthrow of the former king which allowed Yul’s father to ascend to the throne. There is a lot of pressure on Yul to consummate the marriage with the Crown Princess and the current claim is he must to end the drought. His response is all unmarried people in the kingdom should become married instead. The punishment for not following the royal decree is flogging. Before Hong-shim can be punished for resisting marriage, an assassination attempt leaves Yul with memory loss and he is saved by Hong-shim’s adoptive father. To keep aging-shim from being flogged, her adoptive father hides Yul’s identity and tells the two they are affianced. Will this pretend relationship become real love?

*spoiler alert. I really liked the premise that he loses his memory and lives as a commoner. I like the backstory with the evil left chancellor and the fact that Hong-shim was also nobility that had to live as a peasant. I liked how his character develop from a cold noble to a person that wanted to be a contributor. I thought their relationship was really cute and believable and I loved her adopted father. The timing of when he discovered who he really was worked well. The only part that I found a bit disappointing was toward the end when Yi-sei was like we can’t be together because of what my brother did. I did not think that was a good reason for them not to be together and I felt like she was more using it as an excuse because she was intimidated by the fact that he was the crown prince. To me it made it as if she dId not love him enough to overcome that which conflicted with the relationship they had as commoners in the village. I also thought he should’ve insisted they be together more and reassured her when she was stubbornly insisting they would not work because of past events. I wished Yi-seo’s brother would have lived and fought with the prince to redeem himself. What he did was wrong but I did not feel there was any way he could’ve helped it. I was really happy that the king did not kill the crown princess. That was consistent with his character. The part where they finally got back together felt rushed after all they had overcome to be able to be together. I would’ve liked to have seen them together and maybe the wedding with the king there. Despite the small drawbacks it is overall a very entertaining and heartwarming story. I highly recommend it for romance, light humor, and historical components.

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This was a wonderful spin on a fairytale like story

10/10 is my rating. This is a 2006 South Korean television series, with 24, 60 minute episodes. starring Yoon Eun-hye, Ju Ji-hoon, Kim Jeong-hoon and Song Ji-hyo.
a spin-off, Prince Hours, was broadcast in 2007.

The show is based on the premise and a "what if" scenario of modern Korea having retained its monarchy - much like England. The series centers around the royal family and, primarily, the lives of the young royals. Crown Prince, Lee Shin (Ju Jii-hoon) is being positioned to take on the role of Emperor as his father, the current Emperor, is ailing. This rushes the need for Shin to find a suitable marriage partner as he is on the verge of stepping into the role he has been preparing for nearly his entire life. Shin had the opportunity to select a bride of his choice, but his girlfriend, Hyo-rin (Song Ji-hyo) rejects his proposal as she knows becoming the Crown Princess would necessitate her giving up on her dream of becoming a famous ballerina.

With no other personal marriage prospects, the crown reverts to fulfilling a promise made by Shin's grandfather (the former Emperor) to his friend, to have one of his heirs to the throne marry one of his family. Shin Chae-kyeong (Yoon Eun-hye) is a commoner who is of marriage age in the line of the former Emperor's friend. Her family and her are struggling financially so she accepts the opportunity to marry the crown prince to better her families situation. However, Chae-kyeong has a long way to go in training to fill the role of Crown Princess and, eventually, wife to the Emperor. Word spreads that there is soon to be a succession in the throne and Lady Hwa-young (Shim Hye-jin) decides to return from a 14 year exile with her son. Royal matters are complex and Lady Hwa-young was actually the crown princess with her son, Lee Yul (Kim Jeong-hoon), the crown prince and next in line for the throne. However, Lady Hwa-young's husband, Crown Prince Lee Soo, died in an accident and the royals had to leave the palace based on the royal regulation which required no two Princes reside in the castle. Or at least that was the reason provided at the time (that mystery is revealed throughout the course of the series). Lady Hwa-young deploys a series of plots designed to return her son to what she feels is his rightful place as next in line.

The life of a royal is not always easy and isolation is a big problem for some. Loneliness drives Shin to develop an arrogant, cold and aloof exterior. His mannerisms are very hard for his young wife who is a newcomer on the royal scene. Her loneliness and sadness leads her to befriend Lee Yul who experienced similar loneliness in his exile. The young married couple are very different in their life approach and Chae-kyeong finds herself repeatedly drawn to Lee Yul as someone she can more easily relate to, whereas Lee Shin finds himself drawn back to his love, Hyo-rin. Having a change of hear, Hyo-rin is determined to win Shin back and is ready to give up her dream of being a ballerina to take on the role of Crown Princess. Through all the push and pull of outside forces, the young couple begin to develop feelings for each other although each is not fully aware of the other's feelings nor fully in acknowledgement themselves.

Can love grow and survive in such a turbulent environment? Scandal after scandal follows the young royals as they learn how to navigate the social realities of being a royal. Who will be next in line? Does anyone want the responsibility that goes along with the heavy crown?

Spoiler ? I really liked this series. So much that I was sad when it was ending. It is a little bit Cinderella in nature - but not quite. It gives a real sense of what it might be like to be in a position, such as a royal, where you cannot think and act outwardly, as everyone else does. The saying "it is lonely at the top" definitely comes to mind. In the United States the closest thing we have are celebrities and I observe that young celebrities are subject to a high degree of criticism when really they are acting no different than a lot of young people their ages. You give a young person a lot of power and money and the chance they will make mistakes just magnifies. The love story is well developed, believable and cute. This is one of my favorites!

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Interesting premise, compelling murder mystery but the other elements were sloppy chaos

7/10 is my rating. This is a 2023 South Korean Romantic Comedy, suspense and thriller drama. There are 16 ~60 minute episodes.

First I provide a unique synopsis then review.

Synopsis

Bong Ye-bun (Han Ji-min) is a veternarian in a small community where she, much to her disdain, primarily cares for farm animals. Her life dramatically changes when a meteor strike imparts her with a rare form of pychometry. Embarassingly, she has to touch human or animal butts to get visions. A series of murders leads her to work with homicide Detective Moon Jang-yeol (Lee Min-ki) who was sent to the smaller community from Seoul after making an error with an investigation. When Kim Seon-woo (Suho) comes to town, Dr Bong is immediately attracted to the incredibly handsome yet mysterious stranger. Problem is the Detective has Seon-woo at the top of his suspect list for the serial murders. Dr. Bong has checked out Seon-woo and believes he is innocent. But if not him, then who and why are the bodies stacking up?

Review

Chaotic is the best way to describe it. My impression is the writers were not sure if they wanted it to be a slapstick, regular or dark comedy. The story also switched between romance, mystery, comedy and supernatural but not in a smooth manner. The serial killer mystery was good and I thought it was what made it watchable. If you like murder mysteries it is worth a watch for that. If you like "silly" comedy you may enjoy that element. The psychometry portrayed is different and if you like supernatural you may find this portrayal interesting. I am unlikely to rewatch it because I did not feel it was well written. There is a sad element that hits about episode 14 so if you are one that gets really attached to characters be aware there are a lot of murders. It is sad in parts.

Spoilers

The early episodes were the worste of it to me. They set it up as she is a veternarian who takes over her grandfather's clinic as if that will be an important element but it really isn't. After she starts working with the detective its as if she just closed the doors to her clinic. I guess it was so she had critters early on that would not care if she touched their butts so she was able to discover and develop her ability. They did circle back later where her whole pet psychic thing got her on the talk show circuit.

I felt like nearly all the characters were weird. She was weird because when

she discovered she had to touch butts to use her ability she went about it as if she somewhat enjoyed it. It was no wonder the detective thought she was a pervert at first. But he was also weirdly quick to judgement and violent. He was super violent with Dr. Bong at first. Even if he thought she was being a pervert the way he body slammed her to the ground on several occasions was completely wrong. And he had her do dangerous things on her own so he could get information. The chief was weird and rude to main guy from the outset. Main girl's best friend was also weird she was hostile to nearly everyone and mean to Dr. Bong. Her Aunt though was the weirdest of all. The weird way she acted to the Chief was cringy. Who locks someone to a bed frame then throws the key out the window?

I do not know who did wardrobe but it was horrendous. The best friend looked like she bargain hunted fashion items and sort of threw them all together whether they matched or not. Dr. Bong looked grade school sheik. And the collars on some of her outfits looked like she could take wing.

With all the early physical violence and him treating her so carelessly through most of the show, there was no chemistry with the detective and Dr. Bong. Her best friend's crush and claim on the detective was also ridiculous. No chemistry with Seon-woo because she looked like an old bag lady or a preschooler at various times. No one kissed either. So the romance element was thin.

I did not like how they portrayed her as an idiot. She is a vet, which takes a lot of really difficult coursework and yet she is too stupid to even render first aid when someone is hurt, She saves one of the victims from being stabbed but then stashes her in the vicinity while she looks for help. Then she runs into a bus load of men who could have helped but wastes time looking for the detective. Her absolute ineptitude allowed the killer to get the girl again. Then she runs away when Seon-woo is fighting the killer rather than stepping in to help. There is a scene where she fins what she thunks is the murder weapon, a knife covered with red chili from kimchi (looked a little like blood) and she ripuns down the street and even gets on the bus with the knife extended. When she gets to the police department and they ask if she ran all the way with the knife like that she says she did. A smart person would know that is not how you would take a murder weapon to the police.

The Shaman's son was introduced as if that was an important element of the story, but then he just drops out of the story line with no explanation where he went. I think the sole purpose was to allude he killed his wife and that is why the son was there. It was just weird not to indicate what happened with the son.

#HanJiMin

#LeeMinKi

#Suho

#JooMinKyung

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Surprising complexity buried in a straight forward romance with a happy ending

9/10 is my rating. This is a 2021 Chinese romantic comedy drama with 24, 44-57 minute episodes. Also known under the alternate titles: “Accidentally Found Love”, “I Accidentally Picked Up Love”, and “You Succeeded in Attracting My Attention”

First I provide a unique synopsis then review.

Synopsis
Gu An Xin (Zhao Lu Si) is leading a simple, though impoverished life, as a delivery driver when she accidentally hits Ling Yue (Liu Te) when he stumbles into the road. She does not realize he is crawling out of an accident where rival heirs tried to get rid of the heir apparent. Ling Yue allows An Xin to think she is the primary cause of his injuries in order to use her as cover and her apartment as a hide out while he investigates who is behind the attempt on his life. AnXin also has a secret and is hiding. As they live together and get to know each other it seems fate may have had a hand in things. Can two who seem so opposite actually be each other’s ideal?

Review

Overall it is a good, heart warming romance with some surprising plot twists and complexity. There were some minor plot elements that were not neatly resolved. But the main story is interesting and compelling. It ends happy for all but one side couple.

Spoilers*
I have to say when the apartment flooded that whole incident was a little unbelievable just because of the amount of water and how easily she cleaned it up. In fact, she was never very upset when he did major damage to her apartment like the kitchen fire and the flooding. All of that would’ve taken a lot to repair. Also when she listed the expenses related to that it wasn’t anything about the water damage that that would’ve created. It made it a bit silly in those parts that her response did not mirror reality.

This one takes the cake for most surprising plot twist. At this point I’ve watched over 300 dramas. Because I have watched so many dramas it makes it to where I can predict a lot of the plot twists. So I usually have figured out who is doing what to whom by halfway through. In this one when it turned out it was the little brother behind all of the attempts on main guy I was completely surprised. That level if surprise us rare..

They made such a big deal out of Anxin being kicked out of her family I wanted her to have a big revealmwith her dad. She did not get a chance as he wound up with a brain tumor that led to dementia. That was disappointing. He also did not understand how ,essed up the actions of the current wife were. She denied him his daughter by swapping the paternity test and essentially drove his wife to end herself.

I wish the brother never expressed romantic feelings for her. They had such a cute brother sister relationship before he made it all weird and awkward by telling her he was interested in her romantically. It was ironic to me, because early in the series I kept saying Ling yue was being unreasonable toward Anxin’s brother because that was just her brother. Turns out he sensed all along that he had more than brotherly feelings for her. I was glad the two men mostly bridged their differences at the end and became friendly with each other.

Anxin’s sister was just straight up cruel to her so I did not feel warm fuzzies when she started being nice. I thought she was horrible to both men too, Ling yue and his little brother. She would work on Anxin and get her doubting herself in the relationship and it would either cause problems or break them up temporarily, and there was no reason for it because he had all the opportunity in the world to get with her previously and didn’t.

I did not like how they were willing to forgive the little brother and say he’s just young. The fact that he tried multiple times and showed no remorse would be highly indicative of a sociopath.

An Xin’s sister was a bit redeemable because at least she showed remorse for her actions at the end although I thought Anxin forgave her way too quickly. The little brother and the mom, on the other hand, never showed remorse so it was wrong for them to forgive them, or seem willing to forgive them when they did not even sorry themselves. They were only sorry that they got caught and so they felt bad for themselves.

Two of my favorite characters were his bodyguard and his doctor best friend and I thought the romance between the two was so cute. When he went into the boxing ring to defend her honor and show his sincerity and took a serious beating for her I thought that was so cool. I really started rooting for them then.

It was complete bonus round that Anxin’s manga business took off. It was really cool to see her be successful in her own, right.

#PleaseFeelAtEaseMrLing
#Zhao Lu Si
#LiuTe

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Its Rowoon watchable for that alone. But it is also an interesting premise with a nice romance.

9/10 is my rating. This is a 2023 South Korean romantic fantasy drama with 16, ~60 minute episodes.

First I provide a unique synopsis then reviewyj

Lee Hong-jo (Jo Bo-ah) is a lonely civil servant who does not realize her life is about to get a whole lot more complicated. Jang Shin-yu (Rowoon) is a rich chaebol but also a very talented attorney. The two hVe very little reaskn to cross paths if fate was not at play in their destiny. Hing-jo finds that she must get a property demolished that Shin-yu owns and when she goes to discuss the matter with him itis dislike at first site. As the situation unfolds they discover they are linked through a 300 year old forbidden book that was sealed in a wooden box awaiting Hong-joo. The book seems to be some silly compilation of spells but Shin-yu knows too well the curse filled darker side of the book. Can the two lift the curse and unravel the mysteries of the past? Are they destined to be together?

Review

I started this immediately following having watched Rowoon in “She Will Never Know”. In that role, he was super sweet and very demonstrative with his affection. In this series he is serious, cold and aloof. The two roles are night and day and yet Rowoon plays them equally well showing he has exceptional acting talent. It is hard to rate anything he is in very low because he is a very handsome and talented actor.

The paranormal, quasi magical back story adds a very interesting element.

Overall I liked it and it ends happy with major plot elements resolved. I recommend it for those that like reincarnation, cold male lead who falls hard for the girl, revenge in bullies and heart warming romance. I might rewatch it some time in the future.

Spoilers*
They seemed to build a lot around the spells and spell book early in the story but then it had no great validity later on. Did the spells work or not? It was like they were going to go that direction then changed their mind.

There were several people that existed in their past life that reappeared in this one with no clear reason why they were around her in the current life. Like her psycho stalker, he was in her past life. Did that have anything to do with his obsession with her in the present? Like Kwon Jae-kyung (Ha Jun) her downstairs neighbor, he drove the incident leading to her death in the past life, in this life he is a romantic interest. Why?

The bloody red hand he had a lot of episodes with that happening early on then he just did not. Even before the curse was broken he quit having the red hand episodes. It would have been better if the characters had talked about it.

He was so dopily in love with her in the beginning supposedly because of the spell. Later when it seemed it was not a spell at all there was no real explanation then for his earlier behavior. It was out of character for him.

I liked when Hong jo finally stood up to her bully Yoon Na-yeon (Yura). I wish though Shin yu discovered more how his ex girlfriend had treated Hing jo back n their younger days. He broke up with her for cheating but I felt like he never fully understood just how awful she was. He stayed in that relationship way longer than it seemed he should almost as if he was reluctant to let go. And never stood up to his dad to say look you are being harsh with my current girlfriend but look who you picked.

For some reason there was this focus on a second couple’s romance to the extent they showed their wedding near the end of the series. Which would not have been odd except they did not show a wedding with the lead couple.

#DestinedWithYou
#Rowoon
#JoBoAh
#Yura
#HaJun

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If you like heart warming romance with a happy ending this is it

10/10 is my rating. This is a 2023 Chinese modern romantic drama with 28, 45 minute episodes.

First I write a synopsis and then review

Synopsis

Xin Qi (Wang Zi Ki) was once a romantic young man with a heart condition who dreamed of making good on a promise he had with a girl who grew up in the same orphanage. A series of errors leads to him mistaking Min Hui (Wang Yu Wen) as that childhood love. They fall in love and Min Hui tells Xin Qi the truth. He does not take it well and vows to never forgive her then lands in the hospital clinging to life. Min Hui stays long enough to see him through surgery and on the road to recovery before disappearing while pregnant with the child she kept secret. Years later, Min Hui and Xin Qi reunited when their professions bring them together through work. Min Hui is a brilliant medical software programmer and Xin Qi is the CEO of a company that holds many investments in medical technologies. They did not part on good terms and Xin Qi is not ready to give up on the resentment he harbors toward the woman he thinks betrayed his trust even as he grows curious about the age and similarities to himself of her young son, Min Quanquan (Cui Yi Xin). Could he be the father? Did he really want Min Hui out if his life forever?

Review

I loved this show and my only sadness was when it was over. The female lead is smart, strong and courageous. She does not allow the male chauvinists in her work and beyond to get away with sexually harassing her or anyone else on her watch and gets them back in the most delightful ways. Yet she is not an over the top woke feminist she just wants mutual respect. She also does not let the men in her life treat her poorly. The male lead is just the right combination of serious and very capable businessman and charming and engaging human being. I disagree with others that thought the side romances were annoying. There was one side character, the ballerina, who started out a bit whiny and clingy but she underwent great character development and turned out to be a character I was rooting for. I looked up what it is like in modern China because these shows make me curious if it is only the elite that has this type of lifestyle but there is actually a growing middle class in China. So the characters may not only represent the elite. I loved the little boy character as he was so smart, cute and funny. I highly recommend this to anyone that likes heart warming romance. As someone who hates sad or nebulous endings I can attest that this has a very happy ending and the story line is well wrapped up.

Spoilers*
My greatest concern was that either the dad or the little boy would die or suffer very ill effects from their heart conditions but they both live and have their heart issues managed through surgery and seem as if they will live healthy lives. I loved that when main guy treated the female lead poorly because he had doubts about her from the past she was basically like I don’t need you and he had to work to prove to her that he would stand by her and trust her moral character. When the female lead character thought he was trying to take her son from her she gave him no quarter. I think you let people in your life know how you are willing to be treated and she was really clear that she wanted him to love her for her and not just as the mother of his son. She made it clear she would not let anyone, even him, come in between her relationship with her son. I liked how he so quickly accepted he was a father and his initial surprise turned to delight at the thought. The interplay between the father and son and the son and the mother was so delightful. Dressing him up in matching outfits and playing super hero with him are things that a father who truly loved their child would do. But he was a perfect partner for the female lead too, when he found out she was sexually assaulted his response was absolutely perfect. He supported her, empathized, and helped ensure the man who assaulted her was punished. I loved his assistant too. I loved how much he cared for his boss/friend and the relationship his assistant developed with the little boy. Even the second guy in this one had a happy ending. It is a rare case where you feel the second guy has a great outcome but in this case he did. The persistent ballerina was probably the only one who could have won him away from his pursuit of lead girl. And it all ended perfectly for me. I love happily ever after so seeing the wedding was a very happy moment. I liked that we even saw the little family two years later and that they had another child. It was just enough without being too much.

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