Bibiliography Reviews

I Have a Lover (2015–2016)

Too long and too repetitive

[5/10 · 5 June 2023]

I believe in the theory of six degrees of separation as much as the next person; however, the sheer number of coincidental meetings between ALL the main characters just left me gobsmacked.

The ex-wife had an identical twin sister whom she'd never met but suddenly they run into each other at a car park and end up switching cars. The ex-wife is on the verge of a breakdown and the twin is heavily pregnant and was being pursued by dangerous people who wanted her dead, instead, it's the ex-wife who gets pushed down a ravine. Even though she survived she had no memory of her past and when she runs into a guy who turns out to be an ex-boyfriend, he took her into his home and gave her employment at his law firm.

It turns out this ex-bf is the brother of the woman who had an affair with ex-wife's ex-husband. Ex-husband is the CEO of the company that employed the pregnant twin and it was ex-husband's brother-in-law who had attempted to murder the pregnant twin.

Still with me?

Ex-husband's BIL had a brother who was a doctor who rented a room from the ex-wife's mother. The pregnant twin had by now given birth to a daughter who needed serious medical care for a rare disease and it just so happened that only the BIL's brother offered this treatment.

Even writing this review is making me chuckle because what in the af were the writers inhaling?

Anyway, now the ex-husband sees his ex-wife, only she's lost her memories and no longer remembers him. Meanwhile, he's still dating the woman (the aforementioned sister of the ex-BF who took ex-wife in) with whom he'd had the affair, and this woman was hell-bent on ensuring only she got the ex-husband.

And so the wheels went round and around for fifty episodes. Rinse and repeat. I was cursing the me who decided it was a good idea to watch this. Oh, well.

**English Title**: I Have a Lover.

House of the Dragon (2022– )

Lower your expectations to basement level.

[2/10 · 5 June 2023]

I got to episode 6 and decided life was way too short to watch something this mind numbingly stupid, so I read reviews and recaps for episodes 7-10 and called it a day.

Since I haven't read the source book (Fire and Blood) I can only surmise that HBO didn't stray too far from it, but whether it was their interpretation that was lacking or it was GRR who wrote such shallow characters (save for Ser Otto) I'll probably have to take a peek at the book itself.

Bottomline is the director told a rushed story, where almost all important interactions and confrontations were either abruptly transitioned to or they made sure it happened off screen; like when Daemon stole the dragon egg. We only ever saw these characters talk and talk and then talk some more. Daemon and Corlys went to war with the crab eaters but the audience only saw it in abstract. Apart from Daemon in the first half and Aemond in the second, no other character convincingly rose above the shallow foundation laid out by the show's creators and screen writers.

In GoT the production team had enough time to establish secure footing and foundation for the different families in the seven kingdom. Here all we see are petulant characters who don't seem all that comfortable with each other despite what the director tried to convey. It was a classic case of telling and not showing. All the characters ever did was talk us to death.

I know there will be civil war in season two. Whether it will be another season of tell and not show where we get the news of important activities only after they've happened off screen, then only time will tell.

John Wick: Chapter 4 (2023)

Wick's all burned out

[2/10 · 28 May 2023]

This is laughably bad. My second hand embarrassment threw up its hands and died of shame.

I adore Keanu but my god he failed at even the most basic fight choreography; although the fault is shared equally with the script writers, the editing team, and the director who all decided we needed almost 3 hours of whatever this was.

If anyone believes that a half bent over John Wick could kill 100s of super trained assassins all by himself, then have I got a bridge to sell you in Laos.

Look, KR is like a 100 yrs old and should have long retired from doing any film that requires hand-to-hand combat.

Note to Keanu's agent: get this man into a zombie/apocalypse movie, ffs.

Immortal Samsara (2022)

It took six months to get through this series.

[4/10 · 10 February 2023]

Xianxia is quintessentially a contrast of light and dark, good and bad, gods and demons, and it is stylistically depicted by monochromatic character and color themes with slight differences in plotlines. If I'm being honest, this genre is my least favorite; notwithstanding, I have seen a couple that are slightly less ridiculous than most with my fave being Love Between Fairy and Devil (LBFAD) and my least fave being this tedious and pretentious Immortal Samasara.

Firstly, Yang Zi, the lead actress, is such a one-trick pony who seems content to play different variations of the same "dim and somewhat smart" character which she played not only in IS (Immortal Samsara) but also in Ashes of Love and Legend of the Dragon Pearl. If someone edits clips of her performances in these dramas, I bet you wouldn't know they were three different series.

And therein lies the problem not only with Yang Zi but also with Xianxia as a genre. It's too stylized with little to no room for maneuvering of plots or themes. There's the demons are bad and heavenly beings (HB) are good trope where the heavenly beings fight endlessly for dominance with a side plot of some HB prince who happens to fall in love with some lower HB twig or leaf spirit. Like clockwork, the writer never misses to give us the useless fairy with the baby voice (one of the worst aspects of LBFAD) who later comes into her power after being tossed around and abused by the higher HBs. Toss in a love quadrangle, some men in bad wigs, and the most watered-down set props which, given this is all CGI, seems like a wasted opportunity to liven up an otherwise bleary set of white clouds and grayscale.

Did I mention how much I hate the color and style? Sigh.

Anyway, IS is about a HB prince who falls for a flower; sadly, love is forbidden in heaven and they have to go through three different time periods of heartbreaks and forgotten memories whilst fighting some obscure bad guys who did some bad things. That's all.

My Sunshine (2015– )

Dreadful

[1/10 · 8 February 2023]

What in the fresh hell is this and who tf thought having a FL who was afraid of her own shadow would be good drama? My heart hurts from having to self-flagellate since I kept watching episode after episode even though I knew nothing would change. The FL would still be a walk over and the ML would still be a verbally abusive jerk. It's kinda shocking that this series is just 7 yrs old because the story is dated and unrealistic, and no woman born north of the year 1990 would put up with all the crap that was thrown at the FL by what seemed like all the female characters and the male lead.

Next, what's with the ridiculous hairstyles of both leads? Wallace looked old and Tang's head and body looked like a mushroom cap and stalk respectively.

The Empress (2022– )

Bleh

[3/10 · 12 December 2022]

Visually stunning yet vapid in execution, this fictional story of Franz and Elisabeth could have been so much better had the writers fictionalised it completely. Perhaps I had undeserved expectations since it billed itself as a historical romance or maybe the plot progression was too quick-which is understandable considering it only has six episodes- whatever the case, it needed more although I'm uncertain which part in particular needed more exposition. In any event, neither the politics or love story were satisfying.

Nonetheless, it's been renewed for a second season so we might just get something with more depth and emotional connections between our protagonists.

Legend of Miyue (2015–2016)

I've developed a deep aversion to Betty Sun Li's dramas

[2/10 · 7 December 2022]

With increased irritation, I'm trudging through this dense and boring historical drama hoping something remotely interesting happens, however, it's taking for-fu@king-ver to get plot advancement. It doesn't help that I seem to have developed an intense dislike for, Sun Li, the lead actress who- with all apologies- can't act her way out of a paper bag. I'm sorry but Ms Li's acting is the same in every period drama she's been in. She always does a doe-eyed ingénue who, despite being unfairly treated, goes through life singing kumbaya and has never met a potential enemy she didn't love. Also, she looked her age- mid 30s- and was hardly convincing as some teenager...the men were all old as well. Seriously, who wrote this screenplay? Sigh.

I'll give it a dozen more episodes to see if the pacing and story development move faster otherwise it goes in the dropped category pronto.

The Story of Ming Lan (2018– )

I understand the appeal but it just wasn't for me

[5/10 · 20 November 2022]

There was such a dissonance between the story and the actors. Did the director and casting unit not read their own script before they congregated 40-year-old men to play the role of boys on the cusp of manhood? I could forgive most things but this one issue completely drew me out of the story. To compound that, wardrobe choices in the first half had the men in ill-fitting clothing and atrocious hair pieces. Again, that diluted the authenticity of the story.

The best part about this was watching the family dynamic, especially Minglan's relationship with her grandmother. So precious. Likewise, Ming's sizzling relationship with Gu Tingye in the second half. So hot. Yet, even these couldn't offset the evil that permeated the entire story. It was too much and it dragged on for far too long. Yes I know, the villain is very villainy but did we need to see her repeat the same playacting over the course of 40 or more episodes?

Did we need all that back and forth at the Gu mansions? Did we need to see the minutiae of their daily lives, especially the ubiquitous eating? Did the characters in the Sheng family have to speak obliquely when they all could have benefitted from some showdowns and home truths? Minglan's father was a waste of space and to think three women were actually fighting over him. Why would Tingye risk the lives of Minglan and his children just to save the Emperor? Have the heavens fallen?

Seventy-three episodes is a lot no matter how lovely or compelling the story and sadly this drama was unconvincing.

My Love from Another Star (2013–2014)

My Dud From the star

[3/10 · 16 November 2022]

I have sadly come to realise that some Korean women simply do not have an inside voice. They speak so loudly and for no good reason. Why? Even when whichever friend they're talking to is right in front of them, that's when they crank up the decibels. Is this supposed to make them seem lively? More fun? Or did the actress, Jun Ji Hyn, not know how to interpret Cheon Song Yi since all she did was scream-speak, simper or smirk? There was a lack of subtlety and authenticity in her acting. It could also just be the writers sucked and decided they'd compensate the viewers by casting attractive leads hoping we'll overlook their crappy plot. Despite being annoyed by the FL, I was really looking forward to sizzling chemistry between her and the ML, however, that never materialised. I dislike stupid scriptwriting and this one was a dud.

Empresses in the Palace (2011–2012)

Interesting story marred by a subpar screenplay

[2/10 · 10 November 2022]

Admittedly, Yanxi Palace raised the bar in that I need all historical dramas to pull me in and keep me engaged and immersed in the lives of the palace characters and it is with that expectation that I went into LOCZH; alas, all I heard were words and words and even more words. The script was so dialogue-heavy with a lot of telling instead of showing that, in many ways, it ended up overshadowing the actual plot. Perhaps if I hadn't seen the perfection that is Yanxi or the witty and eminently watchable 'Love Like the Galaxy' I might have given LOCZH a pass. As it is, I'm just in it to finish it and hopefully move on to something much more entertaining. I do not care if it's historically accurate or whether the creators imagined they could school the audience on a bit of history, whatever their motivation, the execution was lacking.

Kiss Sixth Sense (2022– )

So good then it turned awful really quickly

[3/10 · 5 November 2022]

I understand this is based on a webtoon series that underwent major changes for this drama. First off, that ending was a whole load of cr*p. In fact, the essence of the fantastical love story was lost by episode 6 and all that was left were three story arcs that never managed to converge into any meaningful finale. My god, wtf happened to the writer? For a series to open so solidly and with such sizzling chemistry between the two main leads only to have it cave in on itself is astonishing. Why would the ML suddenly do a 180 just because he got laid and why was the FL written as a shrew? I lowkey hated both of them by the end of the series. If you want a nice romcom with great chemistry between the leads then please watch 'Well Intended Love' or 'You Are My Glory'.

Master of My Own (2022– )

Nicely done

[7/10 · 5 November 2022]

Refreshing and mature take on the hate-to-love, rich CEO vs poor employee trope.

(Synopsis: For as long as she can remember, Ning Meng has dreamt of becoming an investment director, but since graduation, she seems to be drifting farther and farther from that dream. Currently working at an investment firm under Lu Ji Ming, Ning Meng has never once been given a chance to advance in her career. Believing Ning Meng doesn't have what it takes to become a qualified investor, Lu Ji Ming keeps her stuck in a dead-end job.

Finally fed up with a position that's going nowhere, Ning Meng decides the time has come to seek employment elsewhere. Applying for countless jobs, Ning Meng finds the search for a new position to be difficult at best, but despite the setbacks, she refuses to give up. Finally landing a job at a new investment firm, Ning Meng takes the lessons she learned while working under Lu Ji Ming, and applies them in her new position.

Secretly helping Ning Meng from the sidelines, Lu Ji Ming learns a few lessons of his own while watching Ning Meng grow into a talented professional. Both influenced by the other, will these two unique investors use what they've learned to become the best version of themselves?)

Donggong (2019)

I don't understand how this is on the best drama list

[1/10 · 3 November 2022]

I dislike Goodbye, My Princess for an array of reasons

1. The 9th Princess is an idiot who gets more idiotic as the plot unravels 2. The actress looks and acts like Dilraba who happens to be my least favorite actress 3. It takes a while for the plot to gain momentum 4. Did I mention the Princess was an idiot?

5. It features a love triangle that was both forced and unnecessary

Now, on to the pros.

1. Top notch set design 2. Beautiful scenery

To conclude, if you like dramas where motivations are lacking and the characters act solely for their self interest regardless of who gets destroyed, then by all means, dive right in. Otherwise, there are several C-dramas such as Ever Night and Joy of Life that are worthy of your time.

The Queen's Umbrella (2022)

Shake my dam* head

[5/10 · 3 November 2022]

The overarching issue is the plot itself which is fundamentally flawed and laughable, the only way I could stop from rolling my eyes every 5 minutes was by playing it at 2x speed. I had so many questions.

1. Why didn't the Queen have a palace support system in place? After all, she's been TQ for almost 20 years.

2. How could she have been so complacent about the history of the palace that she didn't even know how her husband (the King) ascended the throne?

3. As a mother, what was she doing while her first son was fainting all over the place and the other Grand Princes played truant? Did she not have caretakers who reported to her? And if she didn't, what exactly was she doing with her day? Arrrrrghhh...I'm so mad that these writers imagined everyone would swallow their BS just because they snagged Kim Hye-soo to play the Queen. In addition, if the writers want us to believe that this is a take-charge-no-nonsense Queen then they should show us her antecedents or at the least, her sphere of influence. Is it the Concubines, courtiers, ladies-in-waiting, etc? What power does she wield?

4. What is her relationship with her husband and how on earth do you sit aside and allow him to acquire nine concubines and other companions? More importantly, why didn't she just tell the King that the Crown Prince was ill, and for that matter, why didn't she simply tell her sons their lives were in danger and they needed to shape up and be on alert?

5. With each episode we're drip-fed new info with hardly any forward momentum which I suspect is a consequence of the scriptwriter's attempt at some sort of psych-thriller; however, the story is particularly cruel and vicious in that the lives of these fictional Princes hold little value to the palace machinations. Personally, I feel nothing but disgust that the writer couldn't or wouldn't choose an intelligent method to introduce shock and intrigue without losing its soul.

Finally, I know there're fourteen or so episodes left and these gripes might be addressed in time, still, I feel like fewer episodes, a tighter plot, and fast-paced storytelling would have been better.

Beauty Hao Lan (2019)

Legend of Hao Lan aka Beauty Hao Lan

[4/10 · 3 November 2022]

I was reluctant to let go of the characters from Story of Yanxi Palace and was hoping The Legend of Haolan would sate said longing. WRONG!

I understand this was an adaptation of true events which meant the writers and creators were restricted in what could be changed, however, the plot was needlessly dragged out with each episode seemingly a reoccurrence of the previous one. Li Hao Lan, the titular character, was played by one of the best Chinese actresses yet even she couldn't breathe life into such a mundane character who was 1-D and completely inept at palace schemes. Time and time again, she's framed for some crime and is saved by either of the two male leads and obviously, this got old very quickly. The actors were hampered by the bad script and nothing could save the series from being just slightly above average.

Story of Yanxi Palace (2018)

Stop the press and shout it from the rooftops...perfection

[10/10 · 23 October 2022]

Story of Yanxi Palace is a gold tier, award winning, impeccably crafted, and brilliantly acted drama with an eye watering 70 episodes that will keep the viewer enthralled from the first to the last second. This is not hyperbole. It's beautiful beyond any words and the lead female is such a badass that not one moment of her screen time was boring. I truly view this as THE best historical c-drama I have ever had the pleasure of watching.

(Synopsis: During the 6th year of the Qian Long's reign, Wei Ying Luo finds her way to the Forbidden City as a palace maid to investigate the truth behind her older sister's death.

Novoland: Pearl Eclipse (2021– )

I'm vexed

[3/10 · 23 October 2022]

The biggest gripe I have with Novoland Pearl Eclipse is the poor transitioning of scenes and the general lack of situational props that one ordinarily finds in dramas of this magnitude. There's hardly any external street shots and some internal scenes are so sterile and devoid of props that otherwise should lend realism to the ambience.

Likewise, the plot, which seems to be the standard in most palace intrigue c-dramas. The stoic male lead and the feisty female lead coupled with throne grabbing games and bad faith palace officials...it's all just so stale and unimaginative especially given the fact this is a made up historical setting that the writers should have exploited to the fullest extent knowing there would be minimal censorship by the Chinese government. In addition and I say this with all due respect to Chinese drama script writers....no one buys the female in male clothing disguise. I mean not one person on earth would ever think these scrawny, limp noodle, 40kg actresses can ever successfully disguise as a man without being found out in a second. Stop insulting out intelligence with this trope. Either find a female actress willing to bulk up or pretty please with a cherry on top stop with the madness.

Secret Love Affair (2014)

Eeeesh, the side characters made me so angry

[1/10 · 22 October 2022]

Juxtaposing the main leads' relationship with the seediness of the other characters completely pulled me out of their love story and diminished any enjoyment I would otherwise have had. I hated the supporting characters with a passion because their actions made no sense. Perhaps the writers of the script had a bad experience within the art and music world which they felt needed to be explored and exposed, however, the ways and manner in which the plot unraveled were so amateurish and obvious to the viewer. There was no suspense or twist that wasn't already foreshadowed. I mean, seriously, even I knew from episode one how the entire drama would unfold. That said, the male lead, Yoo Ah-in, gave a really good performance and was the sole bright light in this silly drama.

Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha (2021– )

A big disappointment

[1/10 · 16 October 2022]

Utter tripe! What on earth did I just watch? Hometown Cha Cha Cha is overhyped and boring with leads who have zero chemistry. Watching them made my heart sink particularly the 34 yo female lead who ffs should have had a semblance of common sense. Whoever wrote and casted this series must have gotten their break via nepotism because nothing about this story resonates at an emotional level. It's a shame the high ratings misled me to watching this slower than molasses series. Can honestly not recommend to anyone.

(Synopsis: At a crossroads, a dentist moves to a seaside village where she meets a handyman intent on helping his neighbours.)

Clean with Passion for Now (2018–2019)

Not feeling it

[2/10 · 16 October 2022]

Clean With Passion For Now follows the tried and tested poor girl who can't catch a break and the rich unfeeling male lead who eventually falls for her, however, while some series are worth watching this one was in dire need of a re-write because it came across as insincere and hammy. The only original thought is the ML who developed early childhood OCD due to mistreatment by his grandfather. I really tried to like this because of Yoon Kyun-Sang who is one of my favorite male actors but everything about the plot, execution and acting felt like a parody. How does a filmmaker produce a series with such a low emotion quotient?

Love in the Moonlight (2016)

A bit slow

[8/10 · 16 October 2022]

Park Bo-Gum's smile should be packaged and sold as an instant mood lifter because that man has the sexiest lips and teeth. I wonder how K-drama actresses feel when they see that their male counterparts are actually prettier than they are. Anyway, I'm not a big fan of the female disguised-as-male storyline since it's always obvious the woman couldn't possibly be a man; despite this shortcoming, the series (Love in the Moonlight) was actually really good.

(Synopsis: Hong Ra-On disguises herself as a man and counsels men on dating. Due to a love letter she wrote for a client, she meets Crown Prince Hyomyeong (Park Bo-Gum). Hong Ra-On is unaware that he is the Crown Prince and Hyomyeong is unaware that Hong Ra-On is a woman. The Crown Prince becomes interested in Hong Ra-On. His eunuchs become aware of this and attempt to get Hong Ra-On to become one of them.)

Guardian: The Lonely and Great God (2016–2017)

Beautiful story

[10/10 · 15 October 2022]

Guardian: The Lonely and Great God is exceptional in all aspects. Be it writing, directing, atmosphere, acting, ambiance, and even wardrobe. Nothing was left to chance and with a story this fantastical and emotional, it could easily have been careened into fluff and cliche, however, the actors all brought their A-game which made every second captivating and beautiful.

Special shout out to Gong Yoo who gave a brilliant performance; likewise, his wardrobe director who made his character stunningly gorgeous. Also, whoever styled his hair deserves an award.

If you're looking for an emotional and heartrending series then do not miss this. I absolutely recommend to those looking for a mature and beautiful story.

Cinderella and the Four Knights (2016)

Nope

[2/10 · 13 October 2022]

Cinderella and the Four Knights is tacky and chuck full of all the K-Drama cliches. Someone said this is similar to Boys Over Flowers and in some ways, yes, however, BOF had an emotional depth that made all the characters feel real whereas CATFK is merely superficial. The rich boys slash poor girl trope is overdone and needs incredibly tight writing and acting for it to not end up as just a cheesy facsimile. Personally, I didn't feel a connection to any of the characters and must have rolled my eyes dozens of times as the poor girl attempted to corral the boys into a semblance of a real family. Ehn, it's not something I would recommend.

One the Woman (2021)

I only had eyes for Jin Seo yeon

[8/10 · 8 October 2022]

Jin Seo-yeon nailed the complexities of the cold, murderous villain. She just oozed power and glamour together with a ruthlessness that was never manic or overwrought unlike, Kim Min Jung's coquettish villain in The Devil Judge.

(Synopsis: Jo Yeon-Joo is a corrupt prosecutor. Due to a case, she loses her memory. She begins to live as daughter-in-law Kang Mi-Na (Lee Ha-Nee) of a chaebol family, who looks just like Jo Yeon-Joo.

Meanwhile, Han Seung-Wook (Lee Sang-Yoon) is the son of a chaebol family. He hasn't gotten over his first love. He gets involved with Jo Yeon-Joo, who lost her memory).

Military Prosecutor Do Bae Man (2022)

K dramas are slowly pushing racist stereotypes that must not be ignored

[1/10 · 8 October 2022]

Military Prosecutor Doberman is yet another Korean Drama made in the year of our Lord 2022 that continues to perpetuate the racist stereotype that Black men are thugs who listen to rap music and rob people. It is insulting, dangerous, and disgusting. As another reviewer mentioned, South Korea is a homogeneous society that only sees Black people through the lens of the US media whereas BP in Africa and parts of the Middle East have cultures and communities that are completely different from the US. It is damaging and I urge K and C drama producers and writers to stop using these racist stereotypes. Do Asians like it when they're portrayed as drycleaners and beauty massage therapists in American movies?

I stopped watching and will ensure I skip other dramas by the studio and writers who created this series.