Reviews

Disappointing

For me, Circle was disappointing. The first half of episodes especially were quite weak and I was considering dropping it at many times. I decided to keep on watching because of the great acting and cast, despite the poor story which I felt was really boring (and when it was enjoyable I kept on finding little plot holes). I'm glad in one way that I kept on watching because the characters were interesting enough for me, which meant that by the end I was more interested with what was going to happen to the characters compared to the actual story.

I must admit however that the second half of episodes were stronger than the first. This drama mainly is split into two 'different' parts. For pretty much every episode, I preferred the second part over the first. I also liked the moral questioning of the technology and I thought the OST was nice, although there were times when there was too little, and then times when there was the odd placing of music.

Re-watch value is extremely low here, but it's because of how boring I found the story. The acting by the cast however I really did enjoy.

I think it's a predictable thing to say, but I do not recommend watching Circle. Yes, some great performances by the cast and the characters were interesting, but the story is simply too boring, and plot holes are present.

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A green flag drama that's so nice it's sometimes boring

I've watched this drama and while I really like how wholesome it felt I'm not sure if I really like it so much.

It's great to finally see a Chinese drama where villain characters are normal, not obsessive and even show some inner growth. Total green flags.

I loved how groups of friends were portrayed. It was really nice to watch their playful banter.

At the same time the banter between the leads didn't feel half as good. I don't know if it was because of the translation but their dialogue felt quite stiff. It was difficult to see when they (supposedly) build their deep and trustful relationship. It was never showed how their connected as an adult couple (not students that are just going out). So it felt as if it's enough to spend a lot of time together to be a great couple;)

Also there were some moments when ML felt more like a stalker than a love intrest (the FL gets to know him in 9th episode). Side character KO felt creepy through the whole drama (was it supposed to be hinting some romantic interest with another guy?).

My main problem with this drama is that ML was just too great. He was great at everything and with everybody. There was not a problem he couldn't predicted and solve before the problem itself was even revealed to the audience. In the end it was somewhat boring. On the other hand, FL (who was supposed to be his female counterpart) wasn't given any challenge to show off her skills. In the end she was reduced to ordering food and playing the online game according to his instructions.

All in all, it was a good, nice watch. Although I would enjoy it more if the FL was portrayed more lively and with more occasion to show her wit.

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The K-drama of the Year!

After all the disappointments in K drama this year, this drama is a redemption ... It makes me want to watch K drama again. It has all the classic elements: the humor, the time travel, the suspense, the chemistry, the good actors, the good plot, etc.. what it doesn't have is the abusive relationships and predictable stories that started creeping up everywhere starting last year (after the glory)!

I didn't know both lead actors when I first saw episode 1. Not knowing what to expect, I was very patient to watch ep 1. I think the lead actress makes this story so interesting! The way she acts is so perfect for this role. She makes it funny without being too overacting. This story was written for her.

The main leads have chemistry.
The story has logic and every time she travels, it changes accordingly.

Highly recommend this drama. If you haven't seen her in Extraordinary You (2019), she acted similar and made that story interesting too.

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Cute...Interesting....Weird... and Creepy

What attracted me to watch “Memory in the Letter” is the interesting plot. What’s going to happen when you move into a new apartment and find someone living inside the mirror in your room? What’s even more weird is that a novel is detailing your experience with the guy in the mirror and you have no idea how that happens and who the author is.

The two leads, Parky and Beck, are pretty new to dramaland. I think their acting is decent for newbies. This is Parky’s first ever acting gig, and he’s done a lot better than others. Beck is adorable and is able to shoulder his first drama as a main lead pretty well. Can Atirut is quite a handsome guy, but he seems to always have a fake smile on his face with too much makeup.

There’s enough story to make this short drama into a full length one. Because there are only 6 short episodes, everything happens very quickly. In the first episode, not only have the leads met but they also fell in love right away. The first four episodes show us the quick romantic development, and they are really a cute and adorable pair. When a handsome stranger approaches you at a coffee shop and is super kind and helpful, one starts to wonder what his motive is. The mystery of the novel is interesting and is solved rather quickly.

Episode 5 tells us Songjam’s side of the story. Even though it’s important to learn of his experience, I miss Aksorn here. I think the best part of this drama is when Aksorn and Songjam are together and doing little romantic things. With Aksorn’s absence, I lost a little interest.

Spoiler……Episode 6
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This is when the creepy part comes in. It’s an interesting twist that we finally find out the identity of this mysterious kind stranger. But if I do the math right, he’s at least 40-45 years older than Aksorn. I cannot for the life of me see him acting all smitten and lovey dovey with Aksorn. This age gap is quite hard to accept when he’s the one who helps bring Aksorn into this world, literally. The romantic feelings I have in the first 4 episodes are all gone. What’s left is a creepy old guy (who looks the same for the past 20 years with a fake smile) trying to rekindle old flames and flirt/court a 20 year old.



I am not sure if the drama follows the web novel well and if it also feels creepy in the end. It’s unfortunate as I really enjoyed the first four episodes despite everything happening at lightning speed. But this is a low budget Thai drama, so I am willing to overlook that because Songjam and Aksorn are adorable with good chemistry, and it has a couple nice songs. With that positive note, I am not rate this lower than 7.5.


Completed: 5/21/2024 - Review #441

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Just Okay

Now I’m going to start this review by unequivocally stating that the age gap controversy in many other reviews is sheer nonsense. Kim HaNeul looks absolutely stunning at 46, and she is only a few years older than the male leads, (Jang SeungJo - 42, and Yeon WooJin -39), who in my opinion aren’t exactly the most handsome men in Kdrama land, though I do think they are attractive. These reviews out here acting like she’s wearing dentures and diapers, when the woman has literally no wrinkles and a figure to die for. What a disingenuous and garbage thing to bring up in a review. If there was any lack of chemistry perceived, it is probably because 2 of the 3 leads are married (to other people) and don’t let themselves go all in on passionate scenes. I can live with that. I came to this drama for the plot, not expecting a young adult romcom.

That said, the other points validly open for criticism, do carry some weight. This drama had plenty of potential, but it somehow kept slipping through the cracks. The story on its own is interesting, but the execution felt kind of low-budget and poorly directed. I’ve seen all 3 leads do better than this, and many of the supporting cast were not utilized as well as their talent is worth. Han ChaeAh being the exception - she was extremely convincing and I’m now a fan.

I felt KHN didn’t emote well in many scenes where some more depth was certainly called for. In contrast, YWJ and JSJ were quite good, if a bit limited in what they could do given the dialogue and directional style.

The two things I was impressed by was the disturbing dynamics when a power imbalance exists in friendship. And the unintended/ worst time possible event angle was tough, especially in their culture. I actually appreciated that the drama didn’t shy away from the discomfort those topics bring, and their wistful and incomplete resolutions, in the long or short run.

Anyway, I’m glad I watched it. It was a good vehicle for many things and showcased several memorable scenes. The ultimate product was lacking overall and I don’t see myself watching again, but it’s not a waste of your time, so I do recommend at least giving it a chance. Maybe not as a binge, but it’s a nice filler drama, especially if you like the mystery/crime genre.

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Love this drama, and the on-screen chemistry and acting are undeniably awesome with main CP

Will Love in Spring is a melodrama about two people who have known and loved each other since high school. Life curve balls separated them, and now they want to rekindle their love as they face life's difficult moments and support each other to overcome them.

My Reviews:
1. I love this drama. The dynamic duo of Li Xian and Zhou Yu Tong was fantastic and awesome. Their on-screen chemistry was great, and their acting was exceptional.
2. The supporting cast is awesome, especially Liu Lin and Fang Fang, who played the mother and grandmother, respectively.
3. The story's flow is good and engaging. It shows the main CP's insecurities and how they leaned on each other for emotional and moral support.

I give it an 8.0 rating for good script and good acting.

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Story about life choices of being content vs career driven in a fast-paced big city.

What If is a melodrama about life choices that Xia Guo needs to face and accept between being content with her current life in a small town or being a career-oriented woman in a fast-paced society in Shanghai. Does the grass seem greener on the other side?

My Reviews:
1. The plot is okay. It is about life choices, and it does test one's ability to be content or to chase the dream of living a fast-paced life in a big city.
2. The acting is good from the entire cast, especially Elaine Zhong. She is a good actress who can play both emotional and strong-minded girls.
3. It is predictable because, in the end, I know that her character is content to be married to her childhood sweetheart and build a family with her.
4. The bottom line is her character is more family-focused rather than career-oriented focus.

It is a decent drama with good acting. I am giving it a 7.5 rating.

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Wow what a mind boggle

To what I initially thought would be a boring crime story, ended up being quite a thrilling and well tied together story.

This would not be considered a comedy, as it focuses more on the dramatical aspect of the crime scene. It does have its few little comedic moments which relieves tension from the mystery unravelling at hand.

As you watch, more elements are added, and perspectives shown. The reveal in the end was quite the shocker. The actor Lao Li does a brilliant job acting, especially considering his character who's will to live is motivated by his son.

It's hard to not say much, definitely at the beginning it was kind of slow and you wonder what was the point of it all, but at the end all characters are explored and made sense as to why their fate's met in this one room.

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This Republican Era genre had less propaganda, good script and acting, especially from Li Zhi Mo.

Shooting Stars is another Republican-era melodrama genre. I wish China stopped producing so many dramas for this era. The plot is pretty much the same for every Republican-era drama. This one focused less on the communist party and more on the relationship between the Unit 4 police station and their friendship.

My Reviews:
1. If you are looking for romance in this drama, you will be disappointed because there is very little romance between the main CP and 2nd CP.
2. The gits of the story about espionage and the intro and recruitment of the communist party.
3. I adored Li Zhi Mo, who plays Li Qiu Shi / Meng Duo Ci's character. This young actress has great potential. She acted so well in the first 10 episodes.
4. In this drama, she acted better than Ren Mi, the FL. I don't like her acting ability, so I dropped most of her dramas where she is the FL.
5. It has an interesting twist about Li Xian's character as he discovers his own journey and how his family was involved in smuggling weapons and selling them to the Japanese. It went against what he believed and eventually went against his brother and family joining the community party.

I give it a 7.5 rating for decent scripts and good acting, especially from Li Zhi Mo.

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A tale of love and loyalty only on ML's part.. Dropping it the second time

I watched this drama a month ago and dropped it on the second episode ..cause honestly the type of pick up of the story is not something I enjoy watching. Second reason is I absolutely don't like ming Jia Jia .. her looks her acting doens't appeal to me at all and for someone like me who gives equal importance to FL she just doesn't serve the purpose.
Now coming back to the ridiculous plot ..the character who are dead or dying are more influential than those who are living ..a crafty dead woman traps her own sister for the sake of her husband's power and her child's safety while her sister the FL is just the opposite she gave up on her potential family/lover to fullfill a promise from a sister to whom she owes Nothing .. and this doesn't end here even after betraying her lover she shamelessly calls him to save her ... Pathetic
This was my limit but then I promised I give it a second chance so I started watching it again after a month ... To my surprise she character turned more selfish as she promised her so called husband that she will win the lover's trust and will manipulate him into things ...
Now this was the threshold of my patience .. I don't mind selfish characters ..but there is a limit the hypocrisy..this character is well made to be an anti lead ... Keep it that way ... What is the meaning of portraying such a pathetic character less character as the core of the show ...
Anyways this crap is not worth my time

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Mediocre about marriage story, but the acting was fantastic, especially the main CP

Queen of Tears is a melodramatic K-drama about the love story of Baek Huyn Woo and his wife, Hong Hae In. A boy meets and falls in love with a girl from a well-to-do family, and the dysfunctional dynamic that their family embarks on ruins their relationship.

My Reviews:
1. The main CP acted awesomely, especially the ML, Kim Soo Hyun.
2. The story is okay, nothing special. Typical Romantic Comedy with a melodramatic twist.
3. I didn't like many of the side characters in this drama, where I FF their scenes and only wanted to focus on the main CP.
4. The story started slow and draggy in the first 7-8 episodes. It gets more interesting when FL is diagnosed with a brain tumor; through the matter of life and death, she and her husband rediscover their love for each other.
5. It is a good drama, and the acting is exceptional, especially the main CP. I wish they had more screen time instead of too many supporting casts who steal their screen time.

I give it an 8.5 rating for exceptional acting from the cast.

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