In between start and end: kdrama

Definitely ain't yo average kdrama.

'Memories of the Alhambra' (or 알함브라 궁전의 추억 which is the literal Korean translation) is a 16-episode drama aired late 2018 until early 2019 on tvN and Netflix starring Hyun Bin and Park Shin Hye. It's also the drama with EXO's Chanyeol.

Poster credit goes to MyDramaList

Note: This is an old review post that I decided to publish a year after watching. Don't mind the lateness.

Ep 1

It starts off interesting since the setting of the drama is already different than usual kdramas. Suspense aspect is really good. The kind of episode where you need to hold on for a little longer only then you'll see it all make sense. Somewhat not so light-weight but ain't that heavy as well for a first ep. A bit dark for a beginning and that really surprises me. Brilliant concept, another level of futuristic and something I'd never seen before. Lastly, funny how it all started of dark and gloomy like smtg you'd see out of a Harry Potter movie to the expected twist of fate in a way you'd least expect the leads to be.

Ep 2

Here we know that the male lead character isn't living our typical perfect guy life, failed marriage... not once, but twice. Ooh I'm so curious on how his new love life gonna be developed. That little on-the-phone bickering scene between the leads was funny. Now is when the mystery begins. I'm dying to know about the brother and how is it possible for someone to vanish like he did. The game and reality concept is starting to confuse me, I'm looking forward to the logic behind it. But then the ending is another question, why did he ended up limping?? Is he gonna be a CEO-turned-flop next? They are really throwing us backward and forward in time with this drama.

Ep 3

Lemme just talk about the ending... this new kind of logic is getting a bit creepy. Another level of mystical I tell ya. Like damn, what a death.

Ep 4

This time it is getting much more intense. Like is2g my heart almost dropped at the last scene. This drama is really making me lose my logic lol. How can a dead person came back to life and even harm someone even though it's meant to be part of the 'game'? No... how can a person die through the game in the first place? But the preview for the next ep is really tempting my tired self to continue watching ugh.

Ep 5

One thing we found out is how he became limp. Can we just talk about the preview?? Chanyeol's character Se-ju is INVISIBLE but alive and things seems very complicated now. Something is fishy about the passing-by part between CEO and the foreigner who shared the same train room with Chanyeol... why was it being slow-moed? Another heart wrenching ep where we witness the painful fall. Not to mention, that hospital duel scene which felt so scary huhu. But the logic behind the game was very funny, when the 'obstacle' mention could be a human too. So far, it's on a good-pace.

Ep 6

I can feel his fatigueness and cluelessness about this whole Mr. Cha as NPC all. Like I wanted to tell everyone not to leave him alone, but that's what exactly happened - everyone leaving. Not gonna lie, I want this reappearing to end soon, but at the same time, pretty sure it's gonna last all the way through. Damn it. But we are served with a little appetizer on the romance part. Good start for that tho, good start.

Ep 7

Everything is back in Seoul. Somehow it seems like things is falling back into place in this ep. But I doubt that would last long. I don't know about this but I feel like there's smtg with the ring Mr. Cha is wearing bcos cinematographically speaking, the camera has always aimed at his ring. I might be wrong ofc but we'll see.

Hee Ju is cleverer than I think. Halfway through out this ep, I thought she was completely fooled by the emails from her "brother" but boy the ending had me wrong. I didn't expect truth to be uncovered so fast. So now, the mystery of Se-ju's disappearance continues...

Ep 8

A lot of things is explained in this ep. The alliance, Marco, the game dealing... there are still some question marks but we're getting there. I haven't noticed this earlier but I looove when Jinwoo talks to Hee Ju, Hyun Bin played his character so charmingly well. His voice sounded like a true gentleman's and I can't help but to fangirl every time he talks to her awwh. I am also beginning to see where things will go south in the drama. Jinwoo will be kicked out by his company and the train scene we witness in ep 2 will happen soon. All bcos of that Professor Cha. I can't even tell whether he is good or bad, or what does a professor even have to do with the game company. Jinwoo is showing signs of interest to Hee Ju but we need a couple more scenes for them to make up and finally let her understand the situation. Jinwoo is really smart and strong-willed for finally reaching lvl 90 in the game. I wonder what was the message he got from the eagle.

Ep 9

It's clear now how bad Professor Cha is. When he tried to matchmake Jinwoo with his first wife, I was disgusted. What kind of dad would let his son's widowed wife remarry her ex-husband?? He wouldn't expect them to be happy after that would he? It'll probably just benefit the dad but idek how lol. Let's talk about the ending. After Mr. Cha was killed in the train at Granada, it was like an apocalypse. The secretary Jeong Hun seems to be dead when he got off the train and swarmed by enemies, but I doubt so. I feel like killing a character that fast is very abrupt and off. I can see the look in Jinwoo's eyes when he read that his ally was dead tho and I think there's more to it than we think.

Ep 10

Probably an ep where you need the toughest heart to get through. So I was wrong about the secretary in the previous ep. Apparently things didn't end well for him. Back in Seoul, they showed a scene where Hee Ju met Se-ju outside of her house but they took us back to 8 hours before and never got back to us since. Hmm. We arrived back at the 'present' time continuing Jinwoo's monologue from ep 2 while he was in the train fighting off terrorists. For him to continue the quest on his own is such a crazy thing to do and this meant that the game would really get crazier. 3 people died bcos of the game so far, and it has only been pre-released. Augmented Reality (AR) could actually be very scary. Pity Jinwoo, people are dying around him - first his ex-best friend and now his devoted secretary. On top of physically drained from killing people everyday. I would've turned heartless if I were him.

Ep 11

An ep about losing the people who once trusted you. I can see how miserable Jinwoo's life is right now. The feeling of hopeless, and seeing the secretary genuinely crying for him while looking after him when he was at his lowest is really sad. I'm just glad Jinwoo is thoughtful enough to notice that. All of his effort for a year just to find Se-ju but only ended up being labeled as crazy, a murderer and now everybody turning their backs on him, not realising what he did was for a greater good. He could've just gave up on Se-ju altogether but he didn't. IS2G I NEED TO SEE PROFESSOR CHA PLAY THIS GAME. He needs to see the actual 'flaw' of the game. I'm sick of hearing they investigated the system without even testing it outside of Seoul or even fight against another user. Like hello... not all bugs are visible yknow. Nobody is listening to Jinwoo and when the secretary finally experienced it too, people still not buying it. Now the secretary's dead... PEOPLE SHOULD HEAR FROM AN ACTUAL PLAYER WHO RANKED MORE THAN THEY DO FOR ONCE!!

The last scene is their first kiss. The beginning of it was kinda awkward, the usual Park Shin Hye kiss hahah but it got a little more bearable. Please be a good love story, don't disappoint uri Jinwoo like his other wives.

Ep 12

This ep is a less intense one. I like this ep so much cos there's more affection and less fighting scenes. But hands down, the ultimate scene is when Professor Cha sees his son. Taste his wrath yourself, you heartless man!

Another of my personal fav, is when Minju (Hee Ju's adorable sister) was left alone in the house bcos her grandma and Hee Ju had to stay at the hospital overnight and Jinwoo came home to accompany her. Then the next morning, he prepared breakfast for her bcos he thinks that "he shouldn't let her go to school on an empty stomach" AWWWH #husbandmaterial and even complained how she was hard to wake up. They felt like an actual couple. I'm in love. If only a guy as gentle as him truly exists, I would fall immediately for him hahah.

P.S. I can't help but to notice the sponsored content in this ep tho. Hee Ju's makeup, earrings, even drink. There's Mamonde, Swarovski, Toreta... full-on sponsors back-to-back during Hee Ju's grwm scene lol.

Ep 13

I feel sad watching Se-ju being betrayed by Marco. That game was entirely his and just bcos Marco could speak for them, he's taking more reward out of this?! Greedy much? I couldn't believe how Marco was hit by random bullets Se-ju shot while he was scared tho. On top of that, it was a headshot??

Now I see Professor Cha repenting a bit, but dat bitch Yura is now the big bully. What else does she want from Jinwoo? Fame? Money? She's already well-known as it is gdi. The character Emma is the gem in this ep. Who would've thought that hand accessory she wears while strumming the guitar is a symbolic to a legendary hand? The incorporation of history is pretty cool here. We are now moving from fights using body to fights using our heads now. Thanks Se-ju.

Ep 14

Finally, this is the episode we've been waiting for. A completed quest. Well, Go Yura is a mess and Su Jin is a silent mess also. I don't know what I want from the characters, I wished they disappear from the story sooner bcos they bring nothing but disappointments hmm. When Jinwoo reached level 100, it was a reliever. But when Jeong-hun reappeared, that was the highlight. I miss him. And ofc, the ending in this ep meant things will get better... right? I hope so. Finally, Se-Ju is back. For reals. However, the preview is showing another problem, probably involving Professor Cha. I wonder what could that be.

Ep 15

Se-ju's back but the whole thing hasn't end yet. So many unfinished business with the game, the reinvestigation and the problematic wives... but then Professor Cha never seems to make things any better. I take back all my nice thoughts on him. He is the most fake, hypocritical scumbag who's selfishness level couldn't even compare to a devil's. He shouldn't even be allowed to breath and I thought I would have to see him commit another heartless crime after sending troops of high-level NPCs to Jinwoo. But boi, am I glad when Mr. Cha appeared. I feel like the Heavens helped Jinwoo so much when that happened lol. The unfortunate part is, he wasn't the one to end the mess after causing so much of them. SATAN. Mind the anger...

How can somebody be as patient as Jinwoo tho?? He kept all of this misery to himself, bearing the pain physically and mentally for more than a year, nobody believed in him when he was trying to protect everyone, getting backstabbed again and again... yet he still gives second chances to people he cared for even when they didn't have the slightest care for him. And now you're telling me, HE IS THE GAME BUG?? AND THAT HE NEEDS TO BE KILLED FOR THE GAME TO RESET?? WTH MAN. Honestly, the saddest lead I've came across in the kdrama history. He deserved all the happiness in the world, not another misery smh.

Ep 16

It's the last ep.

The last time this post was edited.

Sorry for the mood hindrance but.... today is 31st August 2020 and I honestly have kept this post dusted for more than a year. I was probably too overwhelmed by the ending lmao 😅

Anyway, I remember really liking this drama and would recommend it to anyone! I even recommended it on my Instagram before (refer pic below at no. 8) cos this drama was really remarkable.

I wish to do this ep-by-ep review again soon, even though it's honestly tiresome as I always watch dramas halfway in one sitting nowadays. BUT I'll try. It's actually fun when reading things back hahah 😂

Thanks for reading this different style of review!

Dropping by,

Melynn.

No comments

This post will be my hot take on some of the best and worst boy group's idol acting. It is my own honest opinion and this doesn't mean I am biased against the idol. I may think differently on their acting but as to other things too, we have our own different preferences. Even though they are from an idol group and just because I think a certain way on their acting, doesn't mean I have ill-feelings about them or their group ok?

We'll start with my worst because it's better to get it down and over with first hahah.

Disclaimer: Just because I labeled them as "worst", I don't intend to say it as the worst acting I've ever seen or something like that. I just needed a way to describe the opposite of "best". Hope you understand.

So in no particular order, let's go!

Worst Idol-Actor

1. SF9's Rowoon

Rowoon is one of the idol-actor that seems to be blooming in the kdrama world. As he represents SF9, I think it's great for him to get SF9 more known to the public.

However, based on his acting on 'Extraordinary You', I can't help but to feel like his acting is dull and somewhat forced. It's so weird because Rowoon's chemistry off-camera with his co-star seems great but when he's into his character, something feels off.

Poster credit to MyDramaList

The female lead did such an amazing acting that Rowoon's seems to look meh. I tried to think that it's maybe because of the character that he's portraying but then I can't help but to see otherwise. The love interest that he showed was very awkward. Maybe he gotta lose that I'm-tryna-look-good look and starts to focus on the real feeling. Bottom-line is his acting in that drama made me quiet disappointed considering he's the main lead.

2. INFINITE's L

L's acting has honestly been one of the cringiest to me. I don't really enjoy his acting but I can't help but to watch his dramas til the end lol... Maybe because of my desire to support INFINITE. Well, the drama that got me to stan INFINITE was in fact L's. But still, I wasn't truly a fan of his acting.

I have no clue why it is so disturbing to me but one thing I notice is the way his lips move and his eyes look, always seemed unnatural. I really can't take in his acting and I wish I could see why people enjoy it so much.

3. Wanna One's Ong Seong Wu

I only watched one of his drama which is 'Moment at Eighteen' and I wasn't fond of his acting in it that much. He lacks soul in his acting. Made me wonder how he could land a lead role without much experience as it is. I get that his character was meant to be innocent and quiet but he seemed so "blur" instead.

Poster credit goes to Dramabeans

At parts when he gets angry, those are the only times that makes his acting a little more bearable. His angry scenes were good but overall, I still wasn't impressed with the acting and the facial expression that he had most of the time. When he couldn't portray an average character well, the whole drama eventually feels uninteresting to watch.

Best Idol-Actor

1. EXO's D.O

D.O is a raved idol-actor and I could totally understand why. He plays deep with his emotion and could literally make us weep with his acting. To think that he's such an emotionless person in EXO, his acting is one of the best I've seen. He seems to express beyond his facial expressions and it's amazing how good his acting, his tone and his body language gets. He could pull of a range of characters very well and there's no going back when I said, he's a natural born actor.

2. GOT7's Jinyoung

I always love his acting! Jinyoung has a knack on making people fall for him whether it is through his singing or acting. So far, in all the dramas I watched him in, he is one of the actors with consistent charms and always gives audience a rollercoaster of feelings with his character. His dramas definitely resonates well with me.

3. 2PM's Junho

Junho is one of the most underrated idol-actors in my opinion. I always anticipate Junho's comeback into the dramaland. I've grown love for him ever since 'Just Between Lovers' and I can't believe his acting was so pure. When I watched him again in 'Wok of Love', it was such an unexpected experience because his character is so different but boy, he killed it. It's unfortunate that he doesn't act in dramas much. I believe he should get more roles considering how good he really is.

4. Super Junior's Siwon

If you don't think he's one of the best idol-actor there is, we can't be friends. Nothing can go wrong with this man's acting. His acting is so natural and he really own his role. When he acts like he's hiding his feelings, I could feel it too. When he's sad or happy, I cry and smile together with him too. He's just the kind of actor where it just warms the heart whenever we look at him and to me, that is what a good actor does.

------------------------------------------------

That is it for this love-hate post. I am by no means an acting coach or am good at acting myself, but I'm just an ordinary person who tries my best to enjoy different kinds of acting. At times, I have my own opinion which goes against the crowd and I think me justifying it makes me lesser of a bad person hahah.

Tell me if you agree or disagree with me on this list. I'm always open to other opinions and any recommendation. The rest of the idol-actors not mentioned are probably somewhere in between the love-hate spectrum 😅

Thanks for reading!

Dropping by,

Melynn.

No comments

I'm not really fond of historical drama but I knew I wanted to watch D.O's acting cos my EXO-L heart is begging me to... so I had to make this one an exception.

This time I'm reviewing tvN's "100 Days My Prince" (or also known as "백일의 낭군님" which literally translates to "100 days' husband") starring Do Kyung Soo (EXO's D.O) and Nam Ji Hyun. Both are famous for their acting and again, they never fail to impress me. The men in this drama are also such eye-candies too. There's Kim Seon Ho as the second male lead and Kim Jae Young as the female lead's brother.

I gotta say, this drama has a somewhat cliche but interesting plot at the same time. For a start, the drama title really says a lot. But unlike any other prince-falling-in-love-with-a-commoner story, this one is a fresh one. I like dramas where the girl aren't any less superior than the guy and this definitely matches that thought. The girl is from a noble family and so is the guy. A change of situation causes the guy to become a Crown Prince... when he wasn't supposed to and the girl ended up as a peasant. And if you are an avid fan of kdrama, you might know or seen that a lot of times, the King is either always sick but still have to rule the kingdom or is too greedy to leave his spot. In this case, the King are neither bcos he knew that the spot wasn't meant to be his but he ended up being ruled instead.

So in this post, I just wanna share some interesting things about this drama that you might also found eye-opening and maybe would want to consider watching it too.

1) Savage-level: INTELLIGENT

I love the lines used in this drama. It's hilarious to watch. You get to see a lot of bromance but also dissing among the characters.

When the dad first found the Crown Prince and started asking him about himself - to which he can't remember.

When the second male lead who was a Governor asked the Crown-Prince-now-peasant to do something to which he refused, they then started name-calling each other to which I found very amusing to watch.

When the second male lead tried to help the Crown Prince remember stuff, but had to check whether the Crown Prince is still 'intelligent' first.

I know the screenshots above doesn't seem so funny, but trust me IT REALLY WAS A GOOD LAUGH!!!

2) Love after marriage

It's very rare to see in ANY kdrama that an adult guy and adult girl falls in love after they get married and are faced with trivial mundane lives. However, this is what makes this drama so lovely. I have never seen such a noble guy (and probably would never) who respects a girl by his subconscious virtue rather than what he was told to do. You see, he lost his memories so people around him were telling him how he used to be when they were clearly fooling him, cos nobody knew who he was. Despite that, he trusted his guts and acted rather noble-like. This drama actually made me have hope in love after marriage.

3) Sweet betrayal

The Crown Prince had a Crown Princess but they didn't have the best relationship. Little did we know, she cheated on him.

Look at D.O's facial expression though????

But honestly, one of the saddest love story and it was one I didn't wish for a happy ending too, until the Crown Prince told them to live happily. That's when we know it's not actually that bad of a forbidden love. Though it didn't end as well as we hoped oops.

4) Cinderella

A noble lady became a peasant then he met a ~~Crown~~ Prince and fell in love with him. Please don't tell me this isn't another Cinderella cliche? But what surprises me most, is how long it took for me to realise that! I was halfway through the drama that I started to see the similarities. They didn't make a stupid clock-strike-12 rule or even a cruel-step-siblings rule so it wasn't totally a knock-off.

5) New Joseon fact!

I bet I'm not the only one who just found out that maidens back in Joseon era braids their hair and leave them like a ponytail. But once you are married, you bun your hair. And that my friend is how you know whether or not, a girl is taken.

6) Wise words

As always, dramas aren't just entertainment. You can actually learn a lot from it. Like how I learn the Korean vocabs being used, kdrama lines and quotes are also ones I always look forward to.

A very well-made drama by tvN!! 박수!! I would rate this drama a good 9.5/10. Highly recommended. It's nice to see every question given to the viewers ended up getting answered. A good plot indeed.

My only complain? I wanted to see the female lead become the Crown Princess huhu 😭😭

Dropping by,
Melynn.

No comments

I watch dramas for many reasons, one drama after another one and the cycle barely stopped. And after so long that it made me see that these dramas aren't just for pleasure of simply watching people's love life and their struggles. Which I gotta admit, those alone are already entertaining to watch.

More to that is the appreciation for not just the acting but also the script writing, the cinematography and also the editing that creates these masterpiece.

My kind of drama is the romance, comedy and melo type. Recently, I've came across wonderful real-life dramas that made me appreciate life a little more. There's 3 on my list - Just Between Lovers, Because This Is My First Life and Go Back Couple. These dramas reflect my entire taste in Kdrama tbh. FYI, they are in chronological state of my watchlist with Go Back Couple being my latest watched drama. I also provided random screenshots of the dramas below so check it out!

What I'm tryna share is basically the kind of things I am appreciating by giving examples out of these dramas, starting with Just Between Lovers. If I were to describe this drama in 3 words it would be, "traumatized puppy love". It's because the whole story is about their trauma of the same incident (sound cliche af), but yknow life is all about the process and character development so that's what makes it so wonderful. They portray the kind of innocent love of these 2 young potatoes and delivers the sincerest yet most passionate feeling that you may want to experience yourself bcos it is so pure.

It's when I realise the strongest kind of people aren't always born that way. We are all born weak and only trials in life can strengthen us. Also depression comes in many forms, and just because they seem to have it easier doesn't mean it is. Some people struggle to live just another day but others just want to waste their life away, and it's sad by how true it is. Your age don't matter, who you are also don't matter because anyone can get traumatized and depressed. Then when you do, it won't affect just you but also the people you are closest with and you probably won't even have thought it that way.

In my opinion, I neither struggle nor dread each day just as bad but I believe each of us have that dreadfulness sometimes that we can't really help with.

Next, will be Because This Is My First Life. Just wanna lay it out that this drama has a bunch of clicheness but it is still very much pleasable and very funny to watch. It's about a marriage contract between 2 people who strive for different life goals but happened to complete each other's needs. However, the thing that open my eyes most about this drama is about the female lead and her 2 friends who came from the same hometown and school, but later move to Seoul to chase after their dreams. Each one with a different dream.

It's sad how we all have passion on different things during our teenage days and slowly they died off once we work and had to face reality. And people can sometimes just want simple things in life, but it would hardly turn out simple in the end, like getting married and just be happy. I guess there will never be a short-cut in life's ~~or drama's~~ dictionary. But of course, the hardest choice in life is usually the best.

To also make up for the title, most things we do are based on a first time decision so even if you don't end up where you wanted in the beginning, don't always beat yourself up because you may never know where it might take you instead.

Lastly, it would be about Go Back Couple. This drama is the opposite of the previous one, it's about a divorce. A real life lesson thrown by this drama is the importance of communication and the fact that young marriage may not be for everyone.

Marriage is truly a big thing and settling down does not take its literal meaning seriously, but instead it's the start of a real sacrifice. Your life will no longer become solely yours and sometimes you just need to reminisce the beautiful times to move on with the hardship of life. At the same time, it made me see what a beautiful thing marriage is because you would end up caring for the other person more than you think you ever would. Nobody can know the inside out of you and still tolerate with you the same way your love does, even if it means not crying together but laughing it off instead because you don't want to make them sad, or not telling about your work stress because you know they had it hard enough but eventually it boils down to sharing your sorrow and pain on top of the happiness you had. Of course, divorce is never a good experience for both parties so the reason to everything always matters and finding out the "why"s to everything is always eyeopening for me.

I guess once the focus is no longer for the right person, the whole point of work or marriage won't ever be the same. I may sound like a hypocrite saying this but sometimes telling people what you truly feels is probably the only thing you gotta do.

Dropping by,

Melynn.

1 comments

See, another drama update. This is how free I am right now.

I shall continue my review with another not-so-recent drama known as 'Uncontrollably Fond' starring Kim Woo Bin and Bae Suzy. This drama aired on KBS2 from July til September 2016 for 20 episodes.

Credits to Asianwiki

Ok, some clarification. So even before I started watching, I am well aware that the ending will be very very sad. *cough* Woo Bin dies *cough* However, I decided to see their sadness for myself and tbh, it is my first time watching Suzy's drama lol.

The first few episodes of this drama is filled with flashbacks. The beginning was a bit confusing on how Shin Joon Young (Kim Woo Bin) and No Eul's (Bae Suzy) friendship started back in high school. It's the kind of melodrama that has so many tragedies happening at the starting. He has a freaking cancer, she is being chased by loan sharks after her dad died in a hit-and-run accident... Haih baru mula tengok, dah sedih dah.

The butterflies started forming when the second male lead appears. Meet Lim Ju Hwan as Choi Ji Tae @ Lee Hyun Woo a.k.a Joon Young's half brother. Hahaha the fact that it's another fight between brothers over a girl ahh #drama. And if you've watched Scarlet Heart Ryeo, does this drama remind you of something? Like maybe the fact that both the girl in these two dramas have an initial interest towards the second male lead instead of the main lead AND that the male leads' mum both despise them... WAH SIMILAR GILA!!

Additionally, I wanna say smtg about Suzy's acting. I didn't expect anything good from her, bcos all I know that she's pretty and many Korean guys (especially idols) like her kind-of-look dunno whether it's true but I heard about it before... Fortunately, her acting in this drama wasn't as bad as I thought it'd be. I kinda dig her cute acting. Her character does whine a lot and it can sound a bit annoying but really though, she can pull it off so well. Her facial expressions are funny too... really made me laugh in between the heart aches.

Kim Woo Bin's character is simply hot, both hot looking and hot tempered ahah. His acting was pretty impressive when portraying somebody who's in a lot of pain and pitiful but at the same time showing off his trademark character - a jerk. The beautiful side of Shin Joon Young is his love for his mother and all his efforts to please her. He took a turn on his life when he chose to go against her wish of wanting him to be a prosecutor. But even though his mum disowned him, in the end the story unravels itself to why he did what he did and things fall back into place despite being too late. It pains me to see how regretful he is, yet he couldn't do much to mend all of it.

One thing I am very surprised to see in this drama is when ditching the girl was taken to a whole new level. Joon Young not only seduced the other girl - Yoon Jeong Eun, but also (SPOILER!!!) ..... freakin kissed her! ARGH WHY WOULD YOU GO THAT FAR?!? 😱

But believing he still do love No Eul, I kept my thoughts positive thinking it's for her sake throughout the rest of the episodes. Joon Young was seen so clueless to whether he should be with No Eul or not, and I love when his mum cleared it up saying smtg like "You don't have to hold yourself back. We don't have any relation with Choi Hyun Joon".

I somewhat felt like the suspense was held for too long. It took his biological father so long to figure things out, but only took his wife and son quarter the time... -_-" But even after finding out, the father is so irresponsible is2g, his character was seriously unexpected - the devil in disguise.

One thing I love is how Joon Young's brain disease causes him to forget all his past worries and make him think he's still living in those glory days when he was healthy and younger. Pretty sure we all prefer having the thought of him having a happy life better than having him die suffering.

Every thing fell perfectly in place and all the characters made up to all their designated ending. It's just a well-ended drama. Also the fact that they actually implanted the idea that Joon Young is dying and will die since the beginning, then after being constantly reminded of it made the expectation on him not able to survive bigger within the viewers. Again, not much of a surprise there and it was wrapped up neatly which made me rate it a 7/10 for satisfactory in plot (though cliche la jugak) and for acting purposes.

Dropping by,

Melynn.

No comments

Yo! I'm back with another drama update.

After The K2, I decided to go further back in time and by that I mean a thousand year worth of time, into a different era - Goryeo Dynasty. This review is for the oh-so-famous drama titled 'Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo' and damn that's one long title. It aired on SBS since the end of August until October 2016 for as long as 20 episodes. The drama stars MANY hot guys or princes but the leads are mainly Lee Joon Ki, Lee Ji Eun @ IU and Kang Ha Neul.

Credits to DramaFever

I'd separate this post into 2 parts. One is a review up until episode 10 and the other continues til episode 20. The pretty obvious reason why I separated it like so is bcos the Second Lead Syndrome is TOO REAL HERE. The first half of the drama made me cringe and getting all confused like who the hell is the real main lead... But they made a good job at making us feel like there is smtg wrong with our understanding and the way we think lol.

There are so many things to love in the first half. The plot as in the beginning where they meet-up, their bonding, their humour and the best of all is the casts' acting. IU portrays a miserable girl from future who ended up in the Goryeo era - Hae Soo. She lives among the royalty and the princes. Hae Soo is very close to the princes made the whole thing such 'friendship goals'. My fav character is probs IU's and Baek Hyun's, THEY ARE VVV CUTE AND HILARIOUS I KENOT.

The romance however is where the second lead syndrome takes over. Ha Neul's character - Prince Wook happened to have feelings for Hae Soo (like duhh, that's what second leads do) and so did Hae Soo towards him like awww. But the fact that Prince Wook, is (SPOILERR!!!).... married. Wth like waeeee!! I feel so wronged. I pulak yang rasa camtu haha. I still like their relationship up til then though.

The second half is where things get messy and complicated and hurtful. Right thru the interval between part 1 and 2 is where basically the climax when Hae Soo is at her lowest. Prince Wook is so disappointing but at the same time, it wasn't really his fault. His commitment was towards something far more important than a mere girl. Yet he pushed her away - pretty harshly the way I see it. It breaks my heart to see Hae Soo in such condition but this is where the hero comes in for good THANK GOD. Joon Ki's character - Prince So is practically a mysterious guy full of hatred but in reality, just someone who are lacking of affection. The definition of tough on the outside, soft on the inside implied so well here.

Credits to Dramabeans

Sadly enough, Hae Soo rejected his love (so weird like isn't this supposed to be a second lead syndrome thing ugh idgi). She, being someone from the future, able to see things flashing in her head of what soon will probably happen. I don't like the fact it's the reason she feels disturbed around Prince So knowing he will probably turn evil. However, I do love how they make her feelings for Prince Wook fade and shift to Prince So!

I'm loving and appreciating every bit of the complication. It's funny how we are progressing as king-by-king die but at the same time we aren't, bcos the problem just keeps getting twisted. Too many antagonist in a drama... sakit kepala. Both Hae Soo and Prince So developed such a great character. Their sacrifices for each other are so unpredictable.

For the ending, I really thought it would be somewhat similar to the ending of the short kdrama 'Splash Splash Love' (if you haven't watch it then go watch! It's one of my faves plus, it's only 2 ep) but damn this is pretty rushed. Truthfully, I wouldn't mind if they show Prince So existence in the current world just to make us feel better for them hmm. The saddest part is that Prince So's life sucks so bad up until the end. His fate sure isn't doing him a good favour. Why must everyone he trusted leaves him?? I feel like cuddling him up or take him thru a portal into the future or smtg. He deserved a much much better life.

"If I had not met him, I would not yearn for him. If I did not know him, I would not think of him so much. If we had not been together, I would not have to disappear. If I did not treasure him so much, I would not have so many memories. If I did not love him, we would not need to throw each other away. If we had not been face-to-face, we would never have been together. Perhaps if I had not met you at all..." - Hae Soo

All in all, love the drama so much!! The ending wasn't as bad as I expected, enough to make me feel ok. Though my heart had been broken countless times but it's alright I'm still good. Til the next drama, thanks for reading!

Dropping by,

Melynn.

No comments

In between start and end

About me

Labels

Popular Posts

Song Inspo 🎶

Come Drop By

Followers

Blog Archive