Reviews

This show delivered everything I wanted and more. Incredibly well made and executed. Give it a chance, girls (and turn off the English dub)!

Despite the overdone & stereotypical plotline... the production, acting, cast, music, and most importantly the seriously electric chemistry between the two main leads all made for an addictive show with a non-toxic relationship dynamic that I couldn't stop watching until 5am last night. We need more than just 6 episodes; I need season 2 now!

For the record, I'm a film snob and I have refused to watch many rom coms like the Kissing Booth and To All the Boys I Loved Before because they're painfully corny and badly made; I usually can only stomach old period pieces and Kdramas.

Maxton Hall is not in that corny genre, though, despite setting itself up to be pretty predictable... it's just too well done, and the characters are very well executed. I loved the main leads. Make sure you watch with the original Deutsch audio and English subtitles; the automatic English dub that plays is awful.

The setting is as follows (hear me out, I know this sounds familiar): poor, selfless, and smart heroine Ruby attends private elite high school Maxton Hall on a scholarship alongside popular lacrosse team leader and luxury fashion company heir James. Ruby has been purposefully living under the radar, avoiding elite bad boys like James, and focusing on her studies so that she can get into Oxford University and become successful to take care of her disabled father and poor family. That is, until she witnesses too much, and James makes it his personal mission to ruin her in order to save his sister's reputation--especially after she shows that James' money means nothing to her. The one thing James doesn't have is what Ruby does: a loving family that will support each other no matter what. You see, James doesn't actually want to go to Oxford or inherit his family's business... and he hates his father (this story's main villain) who demands so much self-sacrifice from him... and the only one brave enough to call him out for living a lie is... Ruby. Which he ends up at first hating... and then loving her for.

We love a good enemies-to-friends-to-lovers plot line! And yes, it's spicy and sweet, for those who wait 6 episodes... with some heated kisses and moments of intimacy in between. I highly recommend this series, it was such a breath of fresh air amidst a lot of rare finds in romance shows and movies lately, excepting the Kdrama scene (watch Lovely Runner if you haven't). If you like Bridgerton, Outlander, YA romance books... you'll love this. Just trust me!

"A Good Day to be a Dog" is a lovely *TREAT* for avid Kdrama watchers who just want a nice romance Kdrama following a beautiful couple that have funny banter, extremely cute and butterfly inducing moments, and maybe a deeper, interesting plot as well. I was pleasantly surprised at how intimate, funny, passionate, and deep this show would be. 9.5/10.

There are some stereotypical plot points (dopelganger second life for this one), but this still feels very much like a "new wave" Kdrama in that each episode feels more purposeful and less like dramatic fillers to waste the audience's time and string them along. If you enjoyed Hidden Love, Hometown Cha Cha Cha, Twinkling Watermelon, you will love this. I'm hooked and I've still got 6 episodes to go (at the time of writing this I've finished episode 10).

The main leads have fiery hot chemistry, just give it a bit (episode 6-8). The kiss scenes are some of the best I've seen! No spoilers but I caught a glimpse of Eunwoo's tongue in there... scandalous!!

It definitely has the "written by a woman" vibes, and since it's based on a Webtoon, that checks out. Every episode more that has passed I've felt more and more like I was being handed a personal gift by the creators of this show, who clearly took time to understand what Kdrama watchers enjoy before setting out to make this. Again, I felt that with both Hidden Love and Hometown in similar ways.

Speaking of Eunwoo, this is his best acting work ever and I love seeing him shine in a role very literally tailor made for him, featuring serenading singing scenes, a fittingly reserved/shy but passionate and loving character, and always, always outfits that expose his glorious forearm veins. He is perfect, perfection in this, and his female lead is also perfect.

The side characters are interesting and lovable as well, and I've yet to be bored. I usually watch Kdramas at a bit of a fast pace (literally, I will increase playback speed sometimes), but with this, I've been taking my dear time and savoring it. I highly recommend this to anyone and everyone.

I love wholesome shows that also help educate the world on a minority group. Love on the Spectrum was a great example of this. Down for Love is another great show that succeeds in this. I loved the whole season and cannot wait for more. There were many funny moments that I shared with friends as well. Carlos was such a sweet, romantic, and funny part of the cast. I also got the warmest feeling in my heart watching Lily's bowling date. I need to see more of these sweet people living with Down's syndrome. Netflix, please create more shows on people living with disabilities, the world loves to watch them!

I've been watching Asian dramas since 2013. Hidden Love shows just how far dramas have come since then. Gone is the era of corny, unrealistic, over-done dramatics and toxic bullying relationships. Nowadays, the reign of realistic, feel-good dramas with healthy adult relationships and no villains or cliffhangers is in. I haven't been this impressed with dramas since Hometown Cha Cha Cha and Reply 1988, both of which Hidden Love reminded me of in parts.

The male protagonist, Jiaxu, is realistically perfect, a great man, a walking green flag, who is caring and loving to everyone around him and especially fond of Sang Zhi and her family (HCCC vibes). The female protagonist, Sang Zhi, is not a dumb damsel in distress, she makes reasonable decisions for her life and falls in love due to relatable circumstances. Even as an innocent teen, she is relatable (a sweet, honest, reliable, and attentive friend of her brother treating her well as a girl). The actors that play them clearly have real-life chemistry as well... the looks that Jiaxu gives her are a little too loving.

This drama is so good because it's so simple, yet completely free of anything problematic, corny, or unrealistic. It's grounded in reality and what real love looks like! There are no ridiculous villains, no over-done dramatics, no cliff hangers needed to keep you watching. Instead, the focus is on the family and friends surrounding the main characters and the highs and lows of their very real life through different eras of adolescence and adulthood (R1988 vibes).

Here's some progressive themes that I was so happy to see brought attention to in this show: menstrual cycles (normalization), predatory relationships (inappropriate age gaps between adults and minors), consensual acts (asking, can I hold your hand? Do you want to..?), prioritization of family, health relationship dynamics (always putting the other person first, anticipating their needs and wants), supporting the other person's dreams and growth.

Yes, it may be slow, but it's totally worth it. I was actually impressed with how short the "will they, won't they" waiting period of the plot lasted; Jiaxu is such a good guy that we don't wait long until he makes his intentions known to now-adult Sang Zhi. Additionally, despite the kid-friendly rating... the couple got shockingly spicy and handsy for an Asian drama (mostly suggestive moments, but plenty of intimate on-screen kissing and hugging).

Hidden Love is complete and well-thought-out. Nothing was rushed, everything was given its time, and I felt rewarded for watching. The effort put into this was apparent, and it's clear that women directors and writers were behind it all. 10/10, easy. I recommend this to every lover of Asian dramas as a MUST watch.

It's been so long since I've watched a show with such great premise, execution, fairness, rivalry, and camaraderie. I absolutely fell in love with the firefighters, and they have inspired me so much to be stronger myself. This is a show for people who love rooting for underdogs! For such a competitive and at times anxiety-inducing show, the ending was also very heartwarming. You can tell the women really enjoyed their time on the show and genuinely loved competing against one another and with one another. Even in the last moments, they were smiling at each other while proclaiming that they were excited to go down fighting together. THAT is a great reality survival show! I was yelling and freaking out and celebrating audibly at many different times; I recommend this to everyone.

I watched this for recommendations based on how funny it was. I do have to say that it still unfortunately falls into the slump of many similar Joseon dramas... once happy-go-lucky characters crying every other episode towards the latter half due to murder plots and class differences. Thankfully the ending was actually pretty happy with a minimal amount of death. However, I don't think it lived up to the hype I had for it. The first 3 episodes are the best of the series because of how lighthearted and comedic they are, and after episode 6 it slows down considerably in pacing and loses its charm. I just want one Joseon drama where there are no villains and it's pure happy-go-lucky cuteness and comedy!

Sometimes I need a break and just want a cute lil romance with a unique plot line, and I don't mind the Kdrama stereotypes or corniness.

My Holo Love is an easy watch and heartwarming for most of it. I enjoyed it. Of course, the ending few episodes dragged out the story in unnecessary ways-there was a lot of filler and face-palming moments where you didn't understand the stupidity of the main leads and they were making themselves depressed for no good reason. Additionally, the overall ending was more focused on the depressing parts to the plot (villains, death) than romance. This is the same issue I had with Crash Course in Romance, another seemingly happy go lucky Kdrama with murder as a plot line, and S2 of Alchemy of Souls. The happy ending only got 15 minutes dedicated towards the end. I wish there was less of a focus on this uninteresting dramatic villain arch.

However, if you go into it knowing not to take it too seriously, its weaknesses are forgivable.

This was a very unsexy letdown, due to completely lacking writing and plot. I watched this for Richard Armitage who is, frankly, too good of an actor for such a lame script: 2 stars for him alone. If you want sexy Richard Armitage, stick to the safe-for-work North & South miniseries.

I understand that it's labeled a thriller but for such ominous music to be playing during supposedly passionate scenes is just bizarre and a huge turnoff. Am I gonna be jumpscared? It's confusing. Blue Velvet, Cruel Intentions, and Handmaiden are good examples of movies that successfully toe the line between sexy and unsettling; this wasn't it.

The female lead came off as super creepy due to the unrealistic and lacking writing of the show, so it was hard to want to watch past the first episode. On top of that, there was just very little chemistry between the leads. The man had more onscreen chemistry with his wife than on the woman he was supposed to be cheating on her with.

My Mister ends up being a raw exhibition of one man, Dong Hoon's, life after an indebted and desperate woman, Ji An, is hired to constantly monitor him in order to get him fired. Incidentally, the audience, alongside Ji An, can't help but fall in love with Dong Hoon, a deeply moralistic, humble, and hardworking man who is simultaneously taken for granted and relied upon by everyone in his life.

Despite trying desperately, Ji An can't find any fault within Dong Hoon and incidentally finds fault with everyone else in his life instead of him, setting out on a journey to right it for him. At the same time, Dong Hoon is the only one to notice Ji An's struggles and attempt to help better her life. Through the course of the show, they both bond over their shared disappointments and heartbreaks in life in what can only be described as the meeting of two soulmates who understand one another without words.

Having said that, I found this show heartbreaking because I went into it expecting romance; this show can be incredibly tender-hearted, human, and touching ONLY if you go into it knowing that it isn't a romance. Take that as a warning. This show is about life, all of its heartbreaks, and all of its bittersweet endings. Prepare for a long ride.

The title is the review. This is not a good Kdrama and has aged poorly. Besides for the amazing kiss scene which you could watch on its own, there's nothing special besides the regrettable fetishization and objectification of a gay man, played by Lee Minho, to keep the plot going.

Beyond that, it's boring and lackluster with very forgettable side characters. Truly just the romance and the lies it's built on is what drives this show forward. This is one of Lee Minho's worst, in my opinion. Even though I was a young teen when I watched this, I still knew it wasn't good, appropriate, or kind to the LGBTQ community.

Coffee Prince is an early Kdrama that has aged amazingly, unlike many others. It truly was a show ahead of its time in terms of protagonists and themes. In modern terms, the female protagonist might be considered non-binary, and the male protagonist pansexual, as he proudly states "I don't care if you're a guy or an alien." Of course, in 2007 America, much less Korea, positive discussions and visibility of gay characters was close to nonexistent; this show was truly a trailblazer, alongside being pure and wholesome cuteness.

Additionally, Coffee Prince handled these deeper topics in such a wholesome and realistic way without it feeling political. Truly, viewers are just watching the lives of very real people play out, with hip 2007 indie tracks playing in the background, no overly dramatic evil characters in sight, no dramatic replays, and no cliff hanger endings. Of course there's plenty more subtle dramatic moments, but always more lifelike in their drama.

Before watching this show, I had been watching Kdramas since 2012; this was the only remaining iconic Kdrama from the 2000s that I had put off watching. My hesitancy to watch was due to the gender-bend/gay character stereotype, which I'd seen done in less than tasteful ways before ie: Personal Taste, To the Beautiful You, Secret Garden. Especially in To the Beautiful You, presenting as a male is a costume for the main character instead of a lifestyle. Not so with Coffee Prince; in this case, it truly is a woman who likes presenting as male with androgynous clothing-it's not just an entertaining gimmick with the gay community held up as a joke.

However, it's also not shallow in how it approaches this subject. The main character understands that she'll be negatively viewed for being a woman who isn't female presenting, and that's exactly what happens; to the dismay and anger of the dashing male lead, thankfully. In this way, it subtly taught a nation to understand the plight of non-binary and LGBTQ people.

In another way, the female protagonist is also extremely independent and feminist-not falling into the trap of living for romance, but instead choosing to live for her career and future-themes that later shows like Boys Over Flowers handled poorly. To put it plainly, everything great about Kdramas-their wholesomeness, their ability to tackle difficult social subjects, their cast chemistry-Coffee Prince did it perfectly first.

First and foremost I loved Alchemy of Souls and was its biggest fan, after finishing the first season I had given this show a 9/10 if not a 10/10. The first season had plenty of fight scenes, great character dynamics, interesting plotlines surrounding magic and world building, CGI magic and monsters with no expense spared in production, and complex female characters with their own powers. It was truly a feast for the eyes. Unfortunately, season 2 had to happen, and that gets a 7/10, maybe.

Season 2 immediately changed the tone from happy to sad and emo, leaving many plot loopholes never fully answered. Additionally the plenteous fight scenes, world-building, soul shifters lore, and magical elements were all but gone.

The new season also changed the female lead completely under confusing and illogical circumstances that I won't get into... but watchers were left with no longer a strong female lead but only the teasing description of one with "untapped potential." That potential was disappointingly never reached throughout the end of the series, and I never was able to see a strong female character again after the first few episodes of Season 1.

Instead in Season 2 we were left with an all-powerful male character going through a depressive crisis, with some cute moments mixed in. Still, that story line and the confusing and unpredictable drama tied to it, was dragged out for way too long; especially considering this was a 30 episode drama. Simple issues ended up taking forever to resolve, and I was at the least hoping for a long and satisfying conclusion or maybe another season by the end of it. Wrong. They ended up dragging out that unfulfilling and overly-dramatic plot line-will they or won't they all die-until the very last episode. The happy ending was an afterthought, thrown in for possibly 10-15 minutes at the very end.

Don't get me wrong, I am a sucker for a GOOD drama that plays with my feelings the whole while and then gives a long, satisfying, and good conclusion (Scarlet Heart Ryeo, Vincenzo, Itaewon Class). But this drama didn't do that, instead everything about the second season seemed like an afterthought that wasn't properly planned out. At this rate, just give me one season and don't waste my time with a second.

I want to underline that this is no fault of the amazing cast of the show; I am still their biggest fan, but I am disappointed in the sloppy writing and production for what could've been so easily great. And furthermore, I am disappointed that certain characters were abandoned completely with no real reasoning.

This serves as a warning for anyone going into this show, maybe stop after Season 1.

I'm still holding out hope that the show will be picked up by another company or Netflix will renew it. So disappointing that we were given every story line from the books except the most important, Anne's career as an author and life with Gilbert... The finale shows how great this could've been and still could be.

The chemistry between the cast members is undeniable. Although I am a huge fan of the books, this was an updated and changed adaptation done EXTREMELY well, everything was in the spirit of the original. Anne and Gilbert forever. I'm glad for what this show gave me even though it could've continued to be so much more!

What a wholesome cast, I'd love to see their stories continued in Season 2. It was so heartwarming and I loved them all! Finished Season 1 in one day!!

In Hometown Cha Cha Cha, community is family, and this story is truly slice of life, giving a window into the lives of various people living and working in a small coastal town in Korea.

Many K-dramas fall into the romance trap: that is, focusing only on a romance between the two leads while foregoing all else, and all other characters. Hometown Cha Cha Cha, similar to Vincenzo, doesn't fall into this trap at all, but seems incredibly aware of the importance of a cast with chemistry and equal character development.

The characters are real, they make mistakes, they grow, they evolve in their relationships. The audience slowly learns more and more about the townspeople and gets attached to them just as much as the main leads.

This K-Drama was incredibly wholesome, cute, and progressive.

Featured heavily are feminist principles such as a working woman as the female lead who often takes the first step to pursue the male love interest, who doesn't fit into the stereotypical mold of a working man, but instead is carefree, troubled, complex, emotional, and sometimes even weak.

Additionally, later on, audiences will find out that a side character is gay, and see her history of alienation for it, but also acceptance by townspeople when she comes out about it.

These themes and more are what make Hometown particularly wholesome, but also unique in that it is not afraid to tackle hard, nuanced, and complex subjects in ways that most K-Drama fans are not used to. 9/10.

Every so often we get a movie with good acting and videography, raving critical reviews, but very little interest in the way of plot development or characters... ones that have us on the edge of our seats for all the wrong reasons, questioning: "when is this finally gonna get good and make sense" "maybe they'll die? Or they'll kill them?" "is this a dream or delusion?" and then nothing happens.

I read the critic reviews and complex explanations for the ending, and I think it's ridiculous. A movie should show you the deeper meaning, not have you constantly searching for it. It feels like wasted time to me, and I love weird indie films usually.

To put it plainly, the movie fell flat: the main character was easy to hate and never was there a moment of explanation for her actions or clear atonement in the present.

This is a classic example of when critics overhype a movie that is severely understated, unclear, and badly carried out. Yes, this is probably a story and point of view that needs to be discussed. Yes, the acting and videography was great, but most everything else was severely lacking and UNENJOYABLE to watch. At the very least movies should be entertaining, right? Well, to each their own.

Unless you're watching for nostalgia, which turns even the worst movies into 10/10s, don't bother.

It's awkward, badly paced, not funny, and the plot makes zero sense by the end, especially when compared to any other Christmas Carol movie adaptation. I'd recommend a Muppet Christmas Carol over this version any day.

This is heartbreaking to say, but I wasn't convinced by Bill Murray's acting portrayal of this character at all... he has great movies, but this isn't it. His acting was awkward and seemed forced, probably due to the underwhelming writing.

Groundhog Day could be a better Christmas movie than this, if not for the winter spirit then for the amazing performances, execution, and acting: everything this movie doesn't have.

Purely for how progressive this Kdrama was, it gets a 9/10.

The good: the cast that I got incredibly attached to, the high level acting and character progression, the plot of a strong and masculine woman and a gentle and kind man being in love, the plot of the woman saving herself and others and not being saved by a knight in shining armor, I love complex female characters!

The neutral: the pacing was average, certain plot points dragged on for too long while others deserved more time (like the ending), I felt like I wanted to see more happy moments instead of going from extreme happy and to sad and violent at the end.

However, having said that, I enjoyed this Kdrama and I don't end up finishing many, but I finished this one! I was determined!

Beautiful movie through and through. The contrast of cruelty and sweetness throughout was palpable, I identified with the heroine even though I had little in common with her.

The overarching feeling was one of being stuck between a rock and a hard place, with no way out, and no way to yell for help. Such is the lot that women are given, in the past and now. Sometimes all that can be hoped for is to chase the single source of light, and hope it spreads.

There are many things that could be criticized about the plot of this story, but I don't think it was meant to be comfortable or politically correct. It was meant to show the uncomfortable yet beautiful reality that many women are subjugated to. This one, luckily, had a rarely realized happy ending for the time.

I started watching Outlander many times, but the slow pace of the first episode stopped me for many months... what a mistake that was. Outlander is a masterpiece like no other, especially the first four seasons; if you like Doctor Who, Game of Thrones, or historical fiction/romantic dramas/fantasy, this show is an amalgamation of all of those. Above all, it is a love story that surpasses time and feeling, with an intimacy and chemistry between the main characters that is tangible even through a screen. Outlander's characters are real and raw, and so is its story line.

From the beginning, it does not go easy on its audience and there are many scenes that are hard to get through; in this way, Outlander's unbeatable cinematography and acting is both its greatest strength and the greatest struggle of the audience when more disturbing topics are being covered in the same amount of detail. But in that is one of the qualities that is in all my favorite movies and shows: it reveals something deeper about the condition of humanity. Human beings are sometimes loving, sometimes cruel, sometimes deeply evil, and sometimes deeply merciful... all of these are topics and traits to be found through watching Outlander.

It is a show that is fantastical, explicit, intimate, and one that never ceases to keep me completely engrossed in the story and characters.

Try it, watch three episodes, you won't regret it.

This movie starts off with a seemingly predictable start, a poor kid pretends to be a college student in order to be an English tutor for a rich girl. But what unravels is an extraordinary story of power, greed, insanity, manipulation, and false appearances. It's a slow rise to disconcerting, uncomfortable, and then all of the sudden, it is disturbing and gory and... insane.

There is no way to see what's coming next, I promise you that. Now that's a real thriller.

Highly recommend. The ending leaves questions unanswered, but many opportunities to philosophize on humanity and class.

Star Wars movies always have the potential to be something great, and the reason I was hopeful for the sequels was because they kept teasing at something great happening. I was looking for a solid ending, a moral, something for me to feel satisfied with. What I got was predictable, a disappointing and unnecessary rehash of the ending of the originals with nothing new or unique. Simply a cash grab of a series that was scared to do anything actually groundbreaking.

I kept thinking "this is when it's all gonna start making sense," and it never did. There was no plan, no reasoning, no moral to take away from all of it. If anything, it was completely separated from human reality and experience.

The creators of this trilogy had so many opportunities to impress, but they fell flat time and time again. Dare I say, Marvel does a better job at fulfilling storytelling than this. What a shame.

The characters of Star Wars, past and present deserved better than that empty and shallow ending.

The dialogue and writing of this show is so predictable and vomit-inducingly cringeworthy. Everything that was said has been said before, every situation is stereotypical. I kept yelling out throughout it because I felt like I was going to combust from how corny it was. It wasn't badly-made persay, but everything looked very set-like and fake.... fake snow, fake town, fake country, fake ballroom, fake decor. The only saving grace is SOME of the cast actors. Half of the cast is perfect and actually does a semi-good performance, while the other half looks more like robotic models than real people.