karenwalsh-28241's reviews

Yet another masterpiece of poignant and meaningful storytelling from South Korea.

You know what you're signing up for when you read the short synopsis. You will cry, and there are scenes that will break your heart, but what the writers manage to do so amazingly well is, in the midst of watching a woman we all come to love, die, manage to also gift us an uplifting story, not about death, but about life, grabbing hold of it, and living it well.

The performances of the two leads were phenomenal. Totally expected from Min Nam-koong, but I was blown away by Jeon Yo-been. I so hope her performance is rewarded. Special mention to Kwon Hae-hyo, who played Da-eum's dad. I think I cried during every scene he was in and their talk on the beach.... gulp... oh the tears.

This will definitely be deserving of a re-watch because the quality of the writing was that high and I know I'll pick up on amazing lines that I missed through the sobs.

One of the best dramas of 2025 for sure!

I'll think about this series for a long time. It's left its mark on me in so many ways. The title suggests this is simply about an affair. It's so much more than that so don't let the title put you off.

For me, the main theme is moral corruption vs integrity. Degeneracy vs goodness. How do we judge a person's worth? By their character or their possessions? And to what extent would we be willing to lose ourselves, to live shallow, unhappy lives in order to accumulate wealth? Then how high a price would a person pay to maintain or regain their moral compass?

Yoo Ah in gives a mesmerising performance as the poor student turned teacher & Kim Hee ae is also brilliant. I want to give a particular shout out the the director Ahn Pan suk and screenwriter Jung Song joo for their intelligent script and superb direction. I know I'll give this a second viewing in the future and that I'll see even more depth and subtlety in the superb drama.

On a final note, I so hope we see a comeback from Yoo Ah in. He's too big a talent for us lovers of great acting to lose.

This is the sort of drama that the Koreans do best. It's just beautiful. The director and screenwriter get just about everything right and the young cast do an amazing job. Kim Min ha in particular is mesmerising. Her portrayal of love, grief and depression is so moving. You almost feel her pain yourself. She really is a great actress (Pachinko, Light Shop - both highly recommended) with fantastic range.

I had no idea what I was getting into ahead of watching this, so I'm issuing a warning. Buy a box of tissues because there are scenes that are heart-rending. The heartbreak is so worth it though because the writing and performances will stay with me for a very long time.

I really hope this reaches a much wider audience because it's up there with some of the best Korean dramas of recent years.

I don't know how they do it, but the Koreans continue to come up with the most beautiful television in the world. No-one does it like them.

The writing in this series is sublime. The best way to describe it is poetic. The depth of the characterisations is amazing. Over 16 episodes you grow to love the main characters, empathise with them, root for them in their struggles and in loving them, you feel both their joys then their heartbreak. In at least 2 of the episodes I cried for the entirety of the episode, so hankies at the ready is good advice.

This is way more than a conventional love story. It will resonate with you, touch you on so many levels, as a lover, parent or child, a person in the summer of your life, or the winter. You may see your parents differently. Appreciate them more, wish you'd had a Gwansik in your life. Yep, that'll be a universal sentiment, Gwansik will be loved by everyone who watches.

There's not a thing I'll criticise about this series. The writing, directing and acting is of the highest standard you'll see. The biggest compliment I can give it, is that it stands with My Mister as one of the best Korean dramas ever made.

Standing ovation to all involved.

... as this series definitely deserves to be in the 8 plus range.

Nevertheless had been on my watch list for nearly a year, but the low rating put me off. I decided to read some of the criticisms, "toxic ML, glorifying casual sex and bad decision-making.

Intrigued, I decided to give it a watch. To me, none of these critiques have a leg to stand on. Is the ML toxic? No, not at all. Has he been hurt by poor parenting rendering him unable to be open to love, or to be vulnerable? Definitely, yes. He's respectful of women at all times and never promises more of himself than he's willing to give.

As to the glorifying of casual sex... this made me laugh. University students having casual relationships as they find out who they are and what they want. The outrage! Watch your average kdrama and you'd think young Koreans don't have sex prior to marriage. Hmmmm, I'm betting they all do.

And the making of bad decisions... they're young adults and that's what young adults do in real life. Bad decisions galore. Was the FL wise to get into a no strings relationship after being cheated on by her ex? Hell, no. Was she wise to want more when more wasn't on offer? Again, no.

But did she grow in strength as the series progressed, and did he begin to see how shallow his life was? I thought the character development here was fantastic.

To sum up, this is a series well worth watching. The 2 leads do a great job, as does the whole ensemble cast. There's not a wholly unlikeable character in the entire series, so don't mind the rating and just give this a chance. You'll be glad you did.

Edited to add... The OST alone makes this a worthy watch. One of the best in kdrama history. Just beautiful.

...in this series and steals every scene he's in, but his cuteness isn't all he offers as the second half gets deeper and he really gets to show off his acting chops.

If you're expecting something silly & lighthearted, you'll get that, but way more too, as there are explorations of loss, grief, depression, loneliness & vulnerability.

The series follows lovable Go Gyeom, (Woo-sik) a seemingly happy go lucky young man who can charm the birds from the trees, who falls for Kim Moo-bi, (Park Bo-young ) an aloof assistant director who carries the weight of the world on her shoulders, and who isn't willing to let love into her life for fear of being left.

Is Go Gyeom as carefree as he seems? Why is Kim Moo-bi as she is? The supporting cast are excellent as we delve into the family & friendship dynamics of the 2 main characters. I laughed & I cried, I cried quite a bit actually, but I found this series to be delightful & at the same time, thoughtful & meaningful. Shout out to the writer & director for pulling this off.

I absolutely recommend this.

... and I sort of despair that the viewing public demand more shows like Lovely Runner which get made so frequently at the expense of quality dramas like this. Not that there isn't space for the Lovely Runner type programmes, but why when you have the quality of writing, directing & acting from dramas like this, do they fly so far under the viewing public's radar? Moan over & on to my thoughts about this drama!

If you loved My Mister & My Liberation Notes & enjoy being immersed in the lives of realistic characters in realistic situations, then please watch this. The backstories of the characters, their motivations, their pain are revealed so very slowly yet I never felt there was a pacing issue at all. I loved the study of these people and could have watched their lives playing out for 16 episodes more. Why do we act as we do? Do we judge too quickly? Who determines what a successful life is?

The series raised some profound questions, particularly around the emptiness so many people feel while on the treadmill to 'fulfilment and success'.

There is much discussion of suicide which at various points troubled me a little, but I think the writer's ambition was to show there is life & hope after depression, that life can get better if we just hold on. By the end, which was hopeful, I believe he'd achieved that aim.

All in all an exceptional series which deserves a far wider audience.

I don't know how they do it, but you have to hand it to them, they continue to make the best dramas in Korea with the best writers, actors, directors & cinematographers. Hats off to them.

If I tell you you'll cry buckets, I won't be spoiling anything. The first scene is the ending scene. You know what you're going to get and no amount of willing it not to happen is going to stop it happening.

Be warned, your heart will be broken, you'll curse at the unfairness of life but you'll love that these characters, whether abandoned, mistreated or simply lonely can find family, love and support with each other.

The cast is excellent. Not a single offbeat role. The ML & FL give this drama their all and deserve the plaudits coming their way & a special mention to the location manager and cinematographer. The series was a treat for the eyes.

Loved this despite the heartache.

Wow! I could end the review here, but won't as I need to share my thoughts on this masterpiece. I came to this drama late & already knowing the ending ( it's probably the most talked about ending in kdrama history) and I thought that might save me from the trauma of which others talked. Not a chance. I knew what was coming yet I was still devastated. I didn't hate the ending as so many others did though. I appreciated it and the lesson we all can take from it.

The song 25,21 by Jaurim which was apparently the inspiration for the series is about impermanence, the Japanese concept of "Mono no Aware" beauty in the transience of life, an appreciation of the moments, times, people that come and go, leave their marks and make us who we are. Do all beautiful things last forever? No. Does the fact they're impermanent make them less beautiful or meaningful? Again no. Youth is fleeting. Life actually is fleeting. Savour it. Devour it. In fact appreciate all experiences because they too shall pass as shall we.

I was bereft for days after ending this series, but in the melancholy and sorrow there was also peace, acceptance and serenity. It made me think about my life in ways I hadn't previously. Most credit must obviously go to the writer, but the two lead actors were exceptional in bringing their characters to life and making us viewers care so much about them.

An unforgettable drama that will always have my heart.

I'm not sure I've ever wished more for a love story to have a happy ending, and yes, the writing of the characters is massively important in viewers becoming attached and wanting things to work out, but equally important is the actor's portrayal and both Sakaguchi Kentaro and Lee Se Young deliver flawless performances as a young madly in love couple driven apart by poor communication, cultural differences and the loneliness one of them faces living in a different country.

Five years after their separation they meet again but will they overcome these differences or accept their love was a blessing best left in the past?

Both actors are so impressive in this drama, but I also have to mention the direction. Wow! Just stunning. Visually beautiful and with a depth that you don't always get in a love story. I'll be looking out for more work from all 3.

This is yet another top class Asian drama that will live long in the memory. Please watch.

I read that it took the writer 5 years to finish this project and all I can say is thank you for every word and for the care and time you took with them. You've delivered a masterpiece.

Writing of this quality deserves to be delivered by the best actors, directed and filmed by the best directors and cinematographers and enhanced by the best musical scores. All were more than delivered. The 2 main leads were mesmerising and were more than well supported by the rest of a superb cast.

This is an epic story of love and not just romantic love, but of familial love, love of ones community, selfless love,and how love perseveres and impacts others through the most traumatic circumstances.

This deserves a much wider audience than it's received so I'm thrilled to read it's finally been picked up by Netflix for October 2024.

Watch if you like an epic and beautiful love story. Watch if you like political intrigue and watch if you love dramas based around true historical events. You won't be disappointed by this and it might even go to the top of your most loved series. Cannot recommend enough.

I might run out of superlatives to describe this series. It's as beautiful to listen to as it is to watch & if you're reading this, wondering if you should put it on or not, I implore you to get straight to it.

I was astounded when I found out this series was written & directed by the same person, Yuri Kanchiku. Hats off to her because she delivered a mesmerising piece of television.

We follow Yae & Haramuchi over a period of 20 years from teenage first love, the consequences of the decisions we all have to make to the harsh realities of adulthood.

The standout actors were the young Haramuchi & the adult Yae. Amazing talent, but all the actors deserve praise for delivering such understated yet powerful performances. Another hat tip to the director for not succumbing to the temptation to add unnecessary drama. It was never needed here because of the quality of the writing & the portrayals of the main leads.

It's so beautiful to watch that you can't take your eyes off the television, then there's the soundtrack which may be the best I've heard. Combined it's just a blissful balm to the soul. A joy from beginning to end.

Really... Brace yourselves for total heartbreak. If you can bear to spend almost an hour sobbing, wondering if your heart will ever heal, come the finale, then this drama comes highly recommended.

Firstly, the plethora of "1" ratings. Ignore them. The show was controversial ahead of airing because people assumed it would portray the SK military dictatorship and its secret police in a positive light. Slight spoiler here... it absolutely doesn't. Not a hint of it. Shame that so many came here to down-rate the series without even watching it. Weird behaviour.

Now for the plot, it has holes. A fair few. Does that spoil the series? No, and really all credit to the actors for carrying those holes, and ensuring I don't really care too much about them.

Jung Hae-In gives an incredible performance. What that man can express with his eyes is just beyond my understanding. Jisoo is good enough despite her character being fairly undeveloped. The supporting cast do a great job. Really I'd say it's an ensemble piece.

This is a great watch, even if it left me traumatised for days. Another fantastic kdrama that will live long in the memory.

I loved Something in the Rain & adored the male lead, Jung Hae-in (who doesnt?) so I wouldn't have missed this for the world.

It's adorable, but that's not to say it, like SITR, doesn't have an important message to convey.

The way some people, especially women, but not only women, are looked down on in South Korean society is deplorable and the writer of SITR & OSN quite clearly wants to open these issues for debate.

In SITR, it was conservative mothers. In OSN, it's fathers that we focus on.

How a father can want an abused daughter to stay in a violent marriage, just to save face, is horrendous. That a father, diligently bringing up a child alone can be considered so flawed as to be shunned is mind-boggling to western eyes. How men can simply refuse to accept relationships are over. I mean, really?

So if you're thinking you'll avoid this because it's fluffy romantic nonsense, then think again. It's not. It is at the heart of it though, a beautiful love story, beautifully delivered by the writer, director and actors.

Another kdrama gem!

Hold onto your seats! Korean dramas are known for being slow paced. Well this is anything but and given it's over 25 hours of television, that's some going. I was on the edge of my seat (often literally) for most of those 25 hours and I've no idea how the writers accomplished that. Quite remarkable really.

Do you have to suspend belief at times? Yes. Could you criticise it as far fetched? Again, yes. But it's entertainment and bloody good entertainment too. Even though the subject matter is dark, very dark, it's a thriller of a ride I didn't want to get off.

I also felt ALL the emotions. Every single one, especially in the final episode by which stage you know what's coming, know it has to come but also feel conflicted that it has to end in such a way. I dare you not to feel even a little conflicted.

Don't miss out on this. It's excellent.

So I finished watching this a couple of days ago and needed to properly gather my thoughts before posting a review. Firstly, I couldn't decide whether to give this a 9 or a 10. My Mister, written by Park Hae-Hung, who also wrote this is a definite 10. It's a masterpiece. I had no issues determining it as one of the few series deserving of a 10. Is this as good? Does it deserve the same rating? Even if MLN doesn't reach the dizzy heights of MM, should that mean it can't be given a 10. Maybe MM is really an 11? Hmmmm

To the review; I found this series riveting. Yes, it's slow. Yes, it does at times seem bleak. Yes, there are long periods with little to no dialogue, but strangely some of the best acting is during these moments.

I found the character development among the best I've ever seen scripted. If you like character driven dramas that allow actors to slowly reveal their stories and you like to be treated as an intelligent person by a genius of a writer, then you can't fail to love this.

Every single character is flawed, some majorly so, and their flaws are laid out for us all to see, but we see ourselves in them and that's the beauty & genius of the writing. We watch this and through it see ourselves more clearly. There are moments of real profundity that are life lessons and stay with you long after you finish watching. The sign of a remarkable TV show, one that should be watched widely.

There have been complaints about the ending, but there are none from me. I didn't find it to be disappointingly open to interpretation. To me it was perfect. Realistically perfect but written in such a clever and subtle way that you might miss the clues that giveaway how the writer sees the ending if you'd not paid attention. I'll watch it again one day. It's really that good.

I'm honestly not at all a fan of the rom com genre. Well I wasn't until I started watching Korean Rom Drams. Beware they're addictive. This one particularly so.

Firstly, the male lead is absolutely fantastic. Totally charismatic. I defy you not to fall head over heels in love with him. The chemistry between him and the female lead is just perfect. That hand holding scene is just perfection. Chef's kiss!

There are claims that the second half of the series is less good than the first. I think the evil mum has much to do with people not being over enthused with it, but the actress's portrayal of toxic parenting Korean Conservative style was realistic, if not slightly over-egged. I will say that the ending felt slightly rushed... or was it that none of us wanted it to end? The series just gave us too many beautiful heartfelt moments.

The only negative was the constant playing of "Stand by your Man". Why play it over & over & over? As annoying as that was, it wasn't enough to make me mark it down to a 9.

I'll definitely watch this again sometime.

I'm late to this, having just found out how good Korean television is, but I couldn't pass on the opportunity to leave a review and express my love for this series. It blew me away, broke my heart and healed it again, all in 16 fantastic episodes. I'll miss it, will miss the characters, but I'm sure I'll think about them often.

It has everything, literally everything. Writing, acting, directing, cinematography, all sublime. The theme of healing through kindness is so uplifting. The difficulty of the lives of all these characters does not detract from the beauty of the message. You'll be rooting for all of them to find happiness and while they don't necessarily get the all American happy endings, they all end up in a better place, and at peace. I loved, loved loved it.

On a final note, RIP Lee Sun-kyun. An amazing actor who gave an outstanding performance and so didn't deserve what happened to him. Some of his scenes in this broke me.

I'll start by saying that if you've watched the first two episodes and are wondering how the hell this can stand with Band of Brothers and The Pacific, I'd say keep with it because as ordinary as the first couple of episodes are, the last couple are amazing and justify sticking with it.

Controversially, I enjoyed The Pacific slightly more than Band of Brothers, though both are brilliant. Masters of the Air is, I'd say, the weakest of the three but still very much worth watching. The last few episodes are worthy of a 9 rating. I gave it an 8 because of how slow the series was to get going and also because there were a few cheesy lines/moments that I think detracted from the show.

The ending had me in floods of tears and even though this isn't as good as its two predecessors, I'm thankful to have learned of the heroics of these amazing people and grateful their stories are still being told.

This really didn't seem like it would be my sort of thing at all so I'm late to watching it and I went in with zero expectation given the 6.4 rating.

It was one of those days though. Time to fill and not wanting anything that would involve either engaging my brain or worrying about how crappy the world is right now.

I have to say, this was perfect. A really sweet distraction from all the awful things around us. Were parts of it reenacted? Possibly. Does it detract from the story? No! Shame on you cold dead-hearted cynics marking it down. Everyone's an influencer now, but I felt positively influenced after watching this and don't we all need a bit of that. Wishing Matt & Khani all the happiness in the world.

So I watched season 1, loved it & rated it a 9. Watched the beyond excellent season 2, and had to increase my rating to a 10. This show is really THAT good.

I didn't think Succession could possibly be rivalled in 2023, but The Bear gives it a run for its money. Which show is going to get all the awards? I honestly don't know.

The acting isn't even acting. It's like nothing I've seen before, it's so real. Kudos to the actors but also the directors. All those close up shots, the pain, the angst. Family disfunction & the trauma of mental illness laid bare. Wow! Just wow!

Hats off to every single performer, but special mention to Jamie Leigh Curtis in the Seven Fish episode. I couldn't take my eyes off her. Riveting. And cousin (Richie)... Who wasn't rooting for him on his journey in season 2? I had a lump in my throat during every scene he was in. Amazing.

Finally, I have to mention the writing. It's perfection. On a par with the writing on Succession. I just love this show & cannot wait for season 3.

... that a disservice was done to this story by painting all the Germans bar one as unhinged psychopaths. It wasn't necessary. Pantomime villains are nowhere near as frightening as the everyday guy who turns out to be capable of the worst cruelty. The banality of evil, as written about by Hannah Arendt surely elicits more fear/loathing in the audience?

Moving on, I wanted to love this but by the time I'd finished it, I only liked it and I think my score of 8 is a little generous. It could & should have been better, which is a little frustrating given the money thrown at the CGI, which was great by the way.

Some of the acting, apart from the two leads, who were fantastic, was, shall we say, sub-optimal. I cringed at some of the dialogue and let's not mention the accents (Mark Ruffalo, what was going on with yours?). As for the final scenes on the beach, it would have made more sense had Hugh Laurie not previously delivered the monologue about it being worth his entire family dying for, curse or no curse.

Is it worth watching? Yes. Dont set yourself up for watching a masterpiece, or it being anywhere close to as good as the book though as you'll likely be disappointed.

This is beautifully made and equally beautifully acted television. If you suffer with a poor attention span this might not be for you, but if you love a slow-burn character driven piece then give this a chance.

Sigourney Weaver, as you'd expect, is magnificent as June, a woman with demons, on the face of it, cold, stubborn and unlovable but with a story of resilience and a deep desire to do right.

The rest of the cast give good performances, but the revelation is the little girl who plays a young Alice. Wow! What a superstar in the making.

I loved this and it definitely deserves a wider audience than it seems to be getting.

A masterpiece. I'm still shaken & processing what I've just seen 24 hours after watching it & I'm going to have to watch it again to fully take it all in. It was THAT good, and that 27 minute single take scene! How? I mean, just how? I'm gobsmacked.

Phenomenal acting, the best writing, and superb directing to get those performances from the entire cast. Kudos to Jeremy Strong, Sarah Snook & Keiran Culkin as they give lifetime best & award winning performances but let's not forget that every single supporting character in this episode was superb. I don't think this hour of television will ever be bettered.