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“Crash Landing on You” (CLOY) crashed in as the highest rated drama in TVN history, surpassing “Goblin” with a viewership rate of 23.249% for the final episode. It ended on an all-time high note, rendered viewers with mixed emotions of happy, poignant moments & “Post Drama Withdrawal Syndromes”.

A team of delectable stellar cast, star scriptwriter Park Ji-eun, North Korean Defector consultant, Kwak Moon Wan, make what is seemingly “impossible” into a “fantasy drama”.

Other than heartthrobs Hyun Bin & Son Ye Jin’s impeccable chemistry, the intense story line that causes you to grapple with fear of losing any of the characters, Se Ri’s self-exploration and healing journey with the accidental landing, Jeong Hyuk’s determination to not lose another person that he loves again, the wise quotes by Seung Joon that led to food-for-thought moments, Seo Dan’s 敢爱敢恨, the many hilarious and heart wrenching moments with the supporting characters, made the drama so much more captivating.

It isn’t merely the romance that melts your heart, but to a great extent how the relationships forged and 浓浓的人情味 that’s heartwarming.

CLOY’s theme revolves around “LOVE”.

It teaches one the meaning of self-love and loving others, to forget hurt and only remember people you love (and vice versa). There’s self-reflection on what is important to us, learn how to appreciate simple things in life and to show more care & concern to the ones we love.

No matter how tough life is, there is always a reason to smile. This smile is the answer to why we are pressing on. When there’s love, there’s hope.

While most would swoon over Jeong Hyuk & Se Ri’s love line, the budding romance between Seung Joon & Seo Dan grows on you over time.

It isn’t just about finding true love in times of adversity, but also forging unforgettable friendships with people they would never have known otherwise. We should all live each day to the fullest as if it is the last & tell the people we love how we really feel.

This drama has received much rave, but also backlash over sensitive political issues. North Korean defectors have complimented on how close the settings are to North Korea in reality, from frequent electricity cut off, kimchi caves, costumes, furnishings down right to the North Korean accent.

We could see the contrast in the leads’ respective lives, the environment they grew up and the circumstances which shaped their personality.

There is an interesting “role reversal” when they went to South Korea, where Jeong Hyuk became her “bodyguard”, with the 5th Infantry soldiers trying to adapt to cosmopolitan life. One would fondly recall the Jjimjilbang scenes and them trying to dress up like South Koreans with fake branded clothing.

We meet the people we meet for a reason. They found true love and healed each other in the process.

What we learnt from Jeong Hyuk is that we should always 从日常生活中，寻找那些小小的幸福。

Karma goes one round to teach Se Ri a life lesson about love, sacrifice, friendships and not to take simple things for granted. She never knew how fortunate she was before this predicament.

The love line between a conman & a proud, rich girl is not unheard of, but we love the 2nd love line so much that we wished they had more screen time together.

You will undeniably grow fonder of Seung Joon , so much so that you might have teared a little after knowing what he has gone through.

He’s one with the wits and wisdom, especially when it comes to giving love advice to Seo Dan. Seung joon reassured that she is a capable & attractive lady who is deserving of love no less, even if Jeong Hyuk loves another. We should remember, that we are all worthy to be loved.

Good things don’t come easy. You will learn to fight for it and appreciate them more. We witnessed how they gradually opened up to each other, with Seung Joon wanting to become a better person, in order to be worthy of her.

CLOY is no doubt a big scale production, from overseas filming in Switzerland and Mongolia, to having so many supporting actors. Be it the villains, 5th Infantry guys, village ajummas, Seo Dan and Se Ri’s comical family members, big name cameos like Kim Soo Hyun and Choi Ji Woo, the drama would not be as intense, exciting and “flavourful” without them.

The village ajummas did a great job in throwing us into fits of laughter. They may seem mean at first, but they are kind-hearted and would help anyone in need.

While the ending for some characters is less than satisfying, these 16 ep of “paragliding” experience with Se Ri, all cast and crew involved in “Crash Landing On You” have brought us an emotional roller coaster ride filled with much joy, warmth, solace and some tear-jerking, heartbreaking moments.

We learn that we need to be strong and believe in ourselves. If we have enough faith, we will ultimately meet the people we wish to meet again, someday.

It is a wonderful drama that has crashed deep right into our hearts and will remain deeply embedded in the many years to come.Read More →

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如果能够回到1999年，那美好的年代。。

你会试图改变些什么? 最想做的又是什么?

I may be slow to jump onto this journey to the past with “Go Back Couple”, but it’s better late than never. It’s a 温馨小品 that you should watch, or even re-watch since it relates so closely to our daily lives.

A trip back to 18 years ago could be nostalgic, but it also brings back bittersweet memories.

This drama is not just about dealing with marriages, but all your interpersonal relationships. It’s about every aspect of life, the rationale behind your decisions and their consequences, youth, first loves, growing up, dreams, passion, etc. It makes you reflect and laugh at the same time. 充满感触和感慨。

I’m not a fan of drama themes with going back to the past or future, for the ending is definitely about parting and returning to where they belong. You can relate well to the drama because of real life struggles that we face in our 30s, the many regrets and “What If”s in life. Traveling back in time allows the leads to revisit, mend or rekindle relationships with their family members and friends in the past.

人生就是一段旅程。能够回到过去，或许就像戏里说的”也许我们只是暂时去了一趟旅行，而所有的旅行终究是为了回归。是为了更爱惜自己的所有，才选择出发的。 ”

If you like 那些年 or 我的少女时代, you should like this too. I like how they go back to the past and look the same as they were in their 20s but with a more matured mind set of a 38-year old. You would laugh at yourself for all the silly things you did when you were in your 20s.

The breaking point of their relationship is the death of Jin Joo’s mother. It is a painful void that cannot be erased from their hearts.

我们常听说”时间是最好的良药”，但并非所有的情况都是如此。有些事情放在心里不说，以为时间会冲淡一切。但其实只会让彼此间的疙瘩越来越多，像雪球一样滚。

I like how the story started with the wedding ceremony that was so sweet & comical, for we know the “happily ever after” in romance comedies don’t exist in reality.

接下来的画面就是14年后离婚，摧残的模样，形成了强烈的对比。结了婚之后, 爱情会由农转淡，渐渐转换成亲情，感情和责任。这是种相呼应的关系。或许小时候童话故事看多了，听多了，人们都会对婚礼和婚姻有着不切实际的憧憬，但慢慢长大之后，许多人都会对婚姻有莫名的恐惧。

婚姻是爱情的结晶，终点。。还是坟墓?

之前浪漫的二人世界，被现实狠狠不断冲击着。天天只为了赚钱养家，照顾家人和孩子，几乎没了原有一个人时的自由和自我。所谓的”梦想”更是不复存在。开始埋怨对方，厌倦彼此，有了倦怠感，互相折磨。

夫妻之前少了沟通，也就变得很少会体恤对方，站在对方的角度思考。

Jang Nara still looks quite pretty and youthful, though she made herself look like a shagged housewife. She portrayed the agonizing parts about being a mid 30s housewife vs a 20-year old college student very well. Son Ho Jun is very comical but he can also make you tear with some of his more somber moments.

They both experienced heart thumping moments again when they met their first loves back in varsity days. Well, it does take you on a memory lane.
Their chemistry is very much on point, not overly dramatic or lacking. They are definitely a “make-believe” couple that we see in our daily lives.

After being together for 18 years, they lost the passion and took things for granted. They tried to avoid each other at all costs when they returned to the past, but they eventually realized they still love and care for each other.

Jang Ki Young did a pretty good job too. It’s a 10 yrs difference between him & Jang Nara. You fully understand why Jang Nara thanked him at the awards for being able to look at her like a college girl.
Love is never about the conditions or how well someone treats you. It has to be something reciprocal.

故事策划方面还挺 detailed 的，例如90年代发生的大件事和许多90年代流行的发型和服饰，还有当年的 Pager, Flip hand phones, cassette, video tapes, movie DVDs.里头也看到了”阿飞正转”的 DVD, 听见红极一时的”Titanic”主题曲”My Heart Will Go On”，还有1999年的”世界末日”论。

回到1999年在念大学时，珍珠变年轻，肌肤紧绷，没了鱼尾纹，恢复纤细的身材，应该是所有女人都向往的。但看见已逝去的亲人的那份悸动。。会令人感觉既温馨又心酸。

那些念大学时的校庆和 Open House，还真的让人仿佛回到了学生时代。他们当时最想做的是即兴旅行。The carefree days when you could just go BBQ, camping and have fun with your friends. 顿时，好想脱离只有还贷款的年代。

It’s a chance for them to regain those feelings they had when they were younger, so that they understand why they did what they did.

这也算是上天想给他们重新认识彼此，也更了解自己的机会。

他们两人都很勇于地争取自己想要的。但这一切也会连带地影响到其他人的未来。

我想除了半岛和珍珠的感情线，最感人的就是珍珠和妈妈的感情线。

The scenes on how she tried to make up for the lost time and cherished every single moment and create more memories with her mum, would grip your hearts. The final scene when they bade farewell and her mum finding out that she came from the future, was heart breaking enough to make me tear nonstop at 3am.

珍珠20岁时是”校花”类型，但成了 ahjuma 后，别人都只是为了卖保险而靠近她。

崔半岛年轻时血气方刚，脾气火爆，容易闯祸，长大后却得看别人颜色受人凌辱来谋生。

其实踏入社会多年后，我们都只是忙着赚钱，而忽略了自己和深爱的感受，也变得不那么经常沟通。有些时候，放慢脚步，试着从不同角度看事情，会让我们变得没那么暴躁，也更懂得体恤别人。

大家对初恋的定义都不一样。是第一个令你怦然心动，第一个接吻，或第一个交往的人呢?看到主角们在争论自己那最美丽的初恋时, 嘴角会不禁的上扬。

一个想要的是陪着她，不是守护她的人,不是顾着赚钱而是陪她一起吃饭，一起哭和悲伤的人。另一个则只想让她笑, 再也不想看见她哭。

两人都以自以为是为了对方好的方式来相处，却不知这却渐渐地加深恋人之间的磨擦。
Communication is the key to any relationship.

世界上没有什么是理所当然的。我们往往对于习惯的事物，别人对我们的好，都习以为常。不是所有事情都 comes in a package.

这戏想带给大家最大的message 就是人与人之间最重要的就是沟通，不要把一切都当作理所当然，要珍惜现在和眼前人。

This is a heartwarming drama, which gives us some important life lesson. The script is meaningful; the main and supporting cast delivered their roles well with good chemistry. It gives you a warm feeling after watching the entire drama.

希望大家都有所领悟和收获，也能把受益的运用在各自的生活里。Read More →

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Jae Joong’s back with his much anticipated post-military comeback drama “Manhole: Feel So Good”. The comedic time travel drama did not reap in high ratings but scored as the 3rd lowest rated drama of the time slot.

Nonetheless, I pretty enjoyed the drama, which brought me some laughter & entertainment value. There’s a little of 那些年, but also a lot of fun and energy with its young and energetic cast.

It is interesting to discover many things that he had missed out through the years and while trying to put things right, it creates a ripple/ butterfly effect and would affect the future.

It’s pretty entertaining when you see Bong Pil becoming an entirely person after he returns from the past every time, such as being a gangster, someone in comatose with his soul wandering around, policeman, etc. It also alters the future and relationships between his friends. It’s pretty hilarious when you see him “living” a life that is so diverse beyond his imagination, every 12 hours.

You also feel his exasperation and turmoil when no one else believes whatever he said, because no one will remember what happened after he returns to the present. He just kept repeating his life in a different manner and it just draws Soo Jin apart from him as time goes by with all the misunderstandings.

是否回到了过去，就能逆转人生呢? 若人生能从来，你会做一样还是不一样的选择呢?

在几次回到年轻时候的过程，丰必也发现了许多事情绝非”偶然”。

每个人都有”邪恶”的一面。即便是最好的朋友，也有可能在某一瞬间，为了私欲，做了某件事情，而阻挠了你们的未来。

当然故事也想告诉我们，若有什么话想对身边的人说，就应该尽早告诉他们，不要等到一切都来不及了，才来后悔。

If you remember the villain in “Strong Woman, Do Bong Soon”, Jang Mi Kwan is back as another 令人咬牙切齿的 antangonist. He’s really got the potential, and gives you the chills sometimes as someone with anger management issues and would turn very violent when things don’t go his way. We may see another “Namgoong Min” in the making, in terms of his potential in attempting “villainous” route.

While this drama may not be that well received, it still serves as a nice 无厘头 rom-com. It’s good to be able to re-live your adolescent years from high school to university, etc and all the excursions you had with your friends.

A little bit of 那些年 is good. The skies, the sea and your bunch of friends…

That’s typically heaven already.

If you are a fan of Jaejoong, I’m sure you will pull through it and be thrilled with all the surprises he would give with his new outfits and images.Read More →

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What is your one wish, if it would be granted by the Water God?

While there are reviews that the drama is not living up to viewers’ expectations and its initial hype since it is often being compared with “Goblin”, fans of Nam Joo Hyuk, Krystal and Gong Myung would be delighted to see them donning pretty outfits that make them look like models on the fashion walkway.

While chemistry may be lacking in various forms between Nam Joo Hyuk and Shin Se Kyung, there is still much entertainment value in earlier episodes, especially when the divine Water God lost his powers in the mortal world and created a fool out of himself and the people around him. The bickering and chemistry between Krystal and Gong Myung is not to be missed.

Lim Ju Hwan’s acting as the main antagonist is pretty commendable as well.

Despite it being a not so engaging drama that couldn’t leave footprints in your heart even at the end of the 16 episodes, there are pretty funny and entertaining moments that we should give them credit for. I think it is still worth a watch if you need your fix of fantasy romance idol dramas and if you are a fan of any of the above cast.

Perhaps what they could have done was to strengthen the storyline and add on to some intensity with some CGI and fighting scenes, to make up for the lack of emotional engagement.
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Unlike most “peak hour” dramas, The Master’s Sun has an interesting horror genre, with funny, heart-thumping, sad, yet touching elements. Each episode comprises of a “moral of the story”, with regards to the respective “ghosts” featured.

Adding horror to the pot of “rojak” mix, gives this drama a refreshing twist.

It’s So Ji Sub’s 1st romantic comedy drama. Because he’s just so good in melodramas, I’d never thought that he could literally make people laugh in his dramas.

Your heart cringe if he tears but you will roar into laughter if you see him trying to act AEGYO, and yet you would still find him cute when he asks people to “Get Lost”.

So Ji Sub’s chemistry with Gong Hyo Jin is just so on point. Their camaraderie made the drama so fun and enjoyable to watch, that it was typically so hard to click the “stop” button.

When 2 opposite poles, with a domineering CEO (Master) being put together with someone who has such a bright and sunshine personality like Gong Shi (Tae Yang aka Sun), there’s bound to be plenty of sparks and chemistry.

You just gotta watch it for yourself to really feel the impact.

Sometimes it is not what you can see that is the scariest.

The scariest are those that you can see, but you never know what they would do or think behind your back.

It is important that we need to seek a closure for our hearts (pertaining to some chapters in our lives), not for anyone else, but for us to be able to move on.

“The Master’s Sun” is bound to bring you on an emotional roller coaster ride while braving through some scary scenes, yet you would just hang on to it till the very end.Read More →