ellenj-11573

Wow! I have never seen so much crying, wailing, gnashing of teeth, and rending of garments (the two sisters do a little rending with a pair of scissors in one scene). Episode after episode after episode of misery and regret. As others have said, this series is slooooowww.

If you find yourself asking: Why is this drama sooo slooww?

I've got an answer for you.

Product placement. Capitalism at its finest, folks. There's actually a disclaimer that flashes on the screen for half a second, if you're paying enough attention to catch it. It's one long advertisement pummeling your unconscious brain.

But I digress. Back to the trauma and the drama...

If you've ever lost someone and want to revisit that aching sorrow at the unfairness of death-have a go at HI, BYE MAMA.

But wait! In the middle of this sob-fest, they, the producers, realized that this was all too much, so they sent two of the ladies zooming off in a hot car for an afternoon of ziplining. Then back to the never-ending tragedy of life.

Other viewers have criticized the feckless males and their total incompetence in the face of so much female grief. But I thought Lee Kyu-hyung rocked as the hapless, depressed husband who always does the wrong thing.

And then there's the repetitious dialogue. "I feel guilty." "I'm to blame." "No, you haven't done anything wrong." "I'm sorry." "I am so sorry." Sob, sob, sob. The point is not to have a logical plot. The point is to keep viewer's neurons susceptible to the main message.

Speaking of the plot: the holes are big enough to swallow the planet Jupiter, so I won't name them all-just a few. Why was that creepy exorcist out to kidnap little Seo-woo? Just to recruit her for Shaman school? Really, deities? What kind of a world are you running?

Is it really worse to see a few ghosts here and there, than it is to grow up without your "real" mother in your life?

As for Seo-woo, when the series opens she's four--but 49 days later (towards the end of Yuri's stint as a revivified human) Yuri says she's six. OK.

Then there's the episode where the three main characters attack another group of mothers at the preschool with paint and assorted objects. And no one gets expelled? And Yuri, the employee, doesn't get fired? I've worked at preschools and, generally speaking, they frown on employees who attack the parents.

Apparently Yuri doesn't care for shamans. But when you see that Mi Dong-daek has to justify the rules of the Big Bosses to the hoi polloi while corralling the chaos-I, at least, had sympathy. No wonder the deities are having a recruiting problem. Who wants to herd ghosts for a living?

A-list Korean actors in this series save it from being another banal treatise on the excesses of the super rich. Kim Ji-won does an outstanding job as the brittle, cold, and superficial FL (Hong Hae-in) who is fabulously wealthy and--as it turns out--tough as nails. The ML, Kim Soo-hyun plays the kind, honest, handsome, athletic, intelligent Baek Hyeon-woo, who (for some reason) can't get enough of Hae-in, who deigns to throw him a crumb now and then. In spite of the threadworn plot, the writing and acting give this drama a boost and elevate it to a higher level.

Unlike other Korean series, this one showcases some secondary characters who can actually hold the viewers' interest. Eight stars.

The contradictions in the fantasies being sold to young girls have never been as in-your-face as they are in this K-drama. But the mesmerizing acting of Seo Hyun-jin somehow holds this hot mess together.

Her love interest is a robotic, poker-faced, rich dude who suffers from the "disease" of face blindness or prosopagnosia. Not to worry. He's found his perfect mate in the FL, who suffers from a condition that changes her into some random-looking specimen of humanity every so often-be it a child of 10 or a sore-encrusted old bald guy.

Whatever the case, folks, True Love conquers all. The most ludicrous scene in this series is the pledge of eternal love between the ML and the aforementioned bald guy. Not that bald guys aren't lovable! But even Lee Min-ki, the ML, who has serious acting chops (see his performance in BECAUSE THIS IS MY FIRST LIFE), can't bring himself to gaze enthusiastically at his newly transformed sweetheart. There's a Japanese proverb that says: "If there is love smallpox scars are as pretty as dimples." Ah! If only it were true.

The other over-the-top romance--like an impending car crash you can't look away from--is between an actor who could pass for an sweet-faced 14-year-old boy and a troubled, but fabulously rich older woman. To be fair, it's not clear how old these two are supposed to be. (In real life, they're almost the same age.)

The dialog between these two is beyond idiotic. "I'm bad, but you're good." "I love you because you're so pretty." Not since Scrooge McDuck have the rich been such an easy target. As in most K-dramas, they're all greedy and offensive. But there's hope for those who recognize True Beauty.

More than once, my suspension of disbelief was hanging by a strand over the Grand Canyon. When the FL transforms from one body to another, do her clothes change with her? The 10-year-old's duds conveniently enlarged when s/he changed back into adulthood. Not so with some of the other transformations.

The last two episodes are 90% filler. Don't waste your time.

The schmaltzy song that played over and over and OVER in the background getting louder and louder and LOUDER was enough to drive me screaming into the night.

What I liked:

1. The wooden box and the book of spells. Audience never quite knows if the spells worked or not-but they were lots of fun.

2. Kim Ro-Woon transforms from a cold-hearted attorney into a spurned lover and a kind-hearted boyfriend. Jo-Boah was cute and appealing at times. The romance between these two was a little clunky, but if you don't look too close, it's believable.

3. The co-workers in the Environment and Greenery office weren't funny. But I really liked the buffoonish Mr. Gong

4. The Environment and Greenery Department-a government department with a focus on plants, flowers, and greenery. The cherry blossoms, the walk in the meadow at the end were gorgeous-nice to get away from the unrelenting urbanization in some of these dramas.

5. Appropriate and tactful sex scenes.

What I didn't like

6. Jo-Boah's acting was over the top and way, way too self-conscious. Never-ending mannerisms, posturing, simpering, and over-acting. Tone it down, Girl!

7. Too many plot elements borrowed from other Chinese and Korean series (My Demon).

8. Hey, K-drama writers...there was one scene that was really stomach-churning. It shows a certain character grabbing an octopus and throwing it in boiling water. C'mon. Octopuses are sensitive and intelligent. If you have to keep eating them, at least don't show people torturing them. Thanks.

WHAT I LIKED

Although metaphysically confusing, this one had its moments.

I liked the idea of the ghost doctors.

The "coma ghosts," haplessly waiting around for a return to a real life were a nice touch.

The love-hate, sometimes abusive, relationship between the two male leads was the most entertaining part of the story.

WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE

Too many episodes with little or no drama or tension.

Waay too many scenes of Dr. Cha staring mournfully at Dr. Jang-and a whole lot of nothing going on - episode, after episode, after episode.

Seung Tak's smile which curdled my blood more than once.

This drama crossed over into silliness way too often. For example...

A man sick with love, who's been mooning for his sweetie for sixteen straight episodes, finally is close enough to hug her.

Then...

What does this person do? He cruelly turns away, rejects her, and basically tells her to get lost. Why? Well...ha, ha! It turns out to be a big joke.

Yeah, right.

...so why not a good fantasy?

What I liked:

1. I love these old Chinese myths. And the computer graphics, while pretty klutzy, gave this story a beautiful romantic feeling.

2. Loved the Buddhist philosophy of kindness and compassion woven throughout.

3. I'm not a reptile person. But the snakes shown here were really appealing. They had sweet faces and a soft, gentle demeanor - at least when they were small. Even the large snakes weren't particularly scary.

4. There was something innocent and touching about this story.

What I didn't like

1. THE PLOT - Holes galore. Mind-numbing repetition. You've heard the saying: "Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me." In this series, the same character pulls the same stunt over and over.

And the same oblivious fools go for it every time: "Oh, woe is me. I'm to blame. You tried to tell me, but I didn't believe you. Can you forgive me?" After the third or fourth time, I, for one, was praying for a divorce.

2. BAI - uncommunicative, and unknowable. Her ability to effectively state pertinent facts and feelings ranges from zero to none. Not a good idea to marry someone without first telling him/her that you're a demon, a snake, and 1000 years old.

3. XU XIAN - yes he's virtuous, yes, he's likable. He's also weak, feckless, boring, and something of a dimwit. He shows as much passion as a dried up prune. He's continually manipulated by the same whining, sniveling lowlife.

4. THE ROMANCE - These two (you know who I'm talking about) act like an old married couple before they're even married. "Dear, will you pass me the salt?" "Of course, Dear."

5. DEITIES - They act like arbitrary bullies. When justice is finally dispensed - a certain snaky character who has always been honest, sincere, kind, reverent, loving and virtuous is sent to the pokey. Another reptilian individual who frequently indulges in murderous rampages gets off scot free.

6. ENDING - rushed and inexplicable. Certain characters (Zhang Yutang) disappear without a trace and are never heard from again.

This series tries to be all things to all viewers-and fails.

THE TITLE

This is pretty nitpicky, but it would be nice if someone who understands English a little better reviewed the titles of Korean movies and series before they get translated. The word "Rookie" comes from American sports culture and means a whole lot of things in English that make it a problem here-mostly because this is a drama where women are trying to be treated seriously as professionals.

HISTORICAL DRAMA

This series, like Frankenstein's monster, is made up of a whole lot of pieces stitched together into a mishmash. Is it a historical drama? A romance? A mystery? A social commentary? Or a farce?

Let's start with the good. Shin Se Kyung (female lead) is sweet, spunky, and believable. She's age appropriate, and doesn't look like a twelve year old. Officer Min (the younger Min) is played by an impressive actor. And a few others are OK.

True historical accounts were being written in the late Joseon era, but we don't get any of that here. Instead the focus is on the "historians" of the "Office of Records whose job was to record the literal facts and words spoken in official transactions--with no bothersome interpretation. For example: "The prince turned the page." "The king took a dump" But it's confusing because, nowadays, this is what a stenographer does-not a historian.

FARCE

The antics and slapstick humor indulged in by the male historians are just plain tedious. I fast-forwarded through a lot of the hijinks.

But I really liked the klutzy doofus Prince Dowon, especially when he first fell in love. Haven't we all known someone like that? (Some of us have even been someone like that.) I thought he was pretty funny-but most of the other secondary characters, not so much.

Prince D., can't you take that headband off? At least when you go to bed?

SOCIAL COMMENTARY

Real historical controversies--immunization and book burning--are plopped into the fictional story in a way that doesn't feel natural. The audience never gets to see the mayhem, torture-or real brutality and suffering of the era. We get a lot of poorly rendered violence. For example, a character gets stabbed and dies--sort of. But it's pretty clear that the blade went under the victim's arm, not through his body.

A frenchman wanders in out of the blue, and the writers make up a far-fetched reason for him to be there-apparently so they can show how most of the citizenry hatred of strangers. But racism is never shown in its full ugliness. Disease, inhumanity and death are hinted at-or happen offstage. Even the arrows shot at Prince Dowon by the bad guys are blunted--so no real harm done. Noble sentiments and self-sacrifice abound.

All this virtue signaling felt heavy-handed, and preachy. For a much more skillfully acted and plotted Korean series--without the pretension--don't miss MISAENG.

What I liked:

1. I almost missed this marvelous series because-who wants to watch a drama about the daily grind of a bunch of ordinary office workers in a large corporation in Korea? I gave it a try because of the high ratings, and I'm so glad I did. This story is absorbing.

2. It's hard to single out any one actor because everyone's work was outstanding. How Ling Sun-min is able to convey a whole world of emotion with his poker face is almost beyond comprehension. Im Si-wan's acting was also remarkable. His character and confidence level subtly changes as the story progresses.

3. The plot was unpredictable, but believable-at least until the ending, which I'll get to below.

4. Another great feature is that the cast consists (mostly) of characters who look like ordinary people, not glamorous movie stars.

What I didn't like:

1. Hey guys! Movie makers have an unwritten contract with the audience. If the film starts out as a horror film, it shouldn't suddenly change into SNOW WHITE AND THE SEVEN DWARFS. If it begins as a musical comedy it shouldn't suddenly turn into a crime drama.

Sure, surprises within certain boundaries are fine, but you don't undermine the fictional world you've set up by pulling the rug out from under the viewers. This series does that.

For some reason, the directors decided to change things up at the last moment. And suddenly we were all watching RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARC.

Next time wait until the credits roll before you move on to the next project. I deducted one star because of episode 20.

This series definitely deserves a higher ranking than it's getting from the viewers, probably because it's not your typical fantasy romance (which female viewers, in particular, have come to expect). What I liked:

1. This show portrays sexuality in a realistic and frank way. Also, not all the relationships are heterosexual, a refreshing rarity in a Korean drama.

2. Anyone looking for violence or action/adventure won't find it here. The conflict between the two main characters is emotional and subtle-and not always obvious. Jae-eon, while a bit clueless, isn't the unfeeling, cruel heartbreaker that everyone around him keeps accusing him of being. Yu Na-bi has some contradictions too.

3. The secondary characters are silly and infuriating--but charming. They mostly seem like real people. Han So-hee was really convincing as Yu Na-bi. The actress who played Bit-na was also impressive-and very funny.

4. Loved the setting. The tribulations of the art students seemed realistic.

What I didn't like:

1. Why do the minor characters in Korean dramas have to remark endlessly on the good looks (or lack thereof) of the main characters? It's really off-putting and seems contrived.

2. I sometimes feel that the subtitles aren't getting the real meaning across. (Not just in this series.)

This series definitely deserves a higher ranking than it's getting from the viewers, probably because it's not your typical fantasy romance (which female viewers, in particular, have come to expect). What I liked:

1. This show portrays sexuality in a realistic and frank way. Also, not all the relationships are heterosexual, a refreshing rarity in a Korean drama.

2. Anyone looking for violence or action/adventure won't find it here. The conflict between the two main characters is emotional and subtle-and not always obvious. Jae-eon, while a bit clueless, isn't the unfeeling, cruel heartbreaker that everyone around him keeps accusing him of being. Yu Na-bi has some contradictions too.

3. The secondary characters are silly and infuriating--but charming. They mostly seem like real people. Han So-hee was really convincing as Yu Na-bi. The actress who played Bit-na was also impressive-and very funny.

4. Loved the setting. The tribulations of the art students seemed realistic.

What I didn't like:

1. Why do the minor characters in Korean dramas have to remark endlessly on the good looks (or lack thereof) of the main characters? It's really off-putting and seems contrived.

2. I sometimes feel that the subtitles aren't getting the real meaning across. (Not just in this series.)

Very nicely done. WHO RULES THE WORLD was an extremely fun and enjoyable Chinese drama. The acting, pacing and characterization were impressive. Both main characters had admirable qualities, but they also had their weaknesses. It's hard to write humor for an international audience, but some of the scenes where Feng Lan Xi was trying to declare his love to Bai Fengxi were truly hilarious. The actor who played the little boy adopted by Bai Fengxi was amazing.

Viewers were spared most of the tired cliches that plague long dramas, with some exceptions. For example the scheming stepmother and the conniving, murderous villain who thinks he's smarter than everyone and pulls the wool over everyone's eyes until the end when he finally confesses his dastardly deeds-where have we seen that guy before? Oh wait...about a million times.

But mostly the plot kept me guessing, which is hard to do in a 40 episode series. The only real problem was that toward the end, the writers' fatigue began to show. I'm referring to the two almost identical battles, where a certain character was injured and then revived through magic-twice. Give me a break. Nevertheless I've seen very few Chinese dramas with so little redundancy. Also I should mention the elegant costumes which were stunning, but never so garish and heavy-handed that they detracted from the plot.

Big parts of this series were tedious and mind-numbing. The endless office politics and discussions about the automotive industry made this painful to watch. I read that the producers stretch these dramas out on purpose to make more money and do more product placements. So I guess I'm not going to watch the long ones anymore.

The only thing that cut through the crap was the energy and charm of Dylan Wang. He's totally likeable as Qi Xiao. It's amazing how he can always show emotions playing across the face of whatever character he's supposed to be.

Lan Qin also did a great job making the role of Ruoxin sympathetic and believable. And the other secondary characters were appealing. But...from about episode 27 to episode 31, something was off. Dylan and some of the others seemed to be over-acting. All the manipulations that the writers forced Qi Xiao to go through seemed silly and even pathetic. Also, the kissing scenes in Dylan's series often are robotic and lack any true passion-only the kiss at the very end seemed realistic. I don't know why, but maybe Dylan should take on different kinds of roles in the future.

Characters need therapy

As of Episode 32:

Another series that takes 50 episodes to portray a simple mis-communication between two equally confused and immature characters. The drama is stirred up by the advice, threats, and manipulations of the people around them. Lots of problems with this series-mostly, a lot of tired old tropes. They get together, they're driven apart, they get together, they're driven apart. Ho hum.

1. I'm SO TIRED of being told in K-dramas and C-dramas who's pretty, who's handsome, and who's ugly. And there's a whole lot of that going on in this series. Let the viewer make up her own mind. No one person gets to decide what's beautiful for the rest of us.

2. Shan Cai. This actress who plays her looks and acts like a 12-year-old and pouts like a 7-year-old. She's as charismatic and assertive as a wet noodle. Si keeps calling her "stupid." Is she? Anyone who knocks on the front door can push their way into her home. Anyone who says they want to be her friend, is treated like her best buddy. Si grabs her, takes her things, puts his hand over her mouth, pulls her this way and that, slaps her--and she just lets him do...whatever. Is she madly in love? Who knows? Her standard expression is blank, and the kisses between her and Si seem really contrived.

Her idea of a fun date is to feed her face with, not one, but four obscene desserts slathered in whipped cream and syrup while Si watches in disgust-and this girl is a nutrition major. No matter how many of the other characters call her "fierce" or "incredible," she isn't. I read that Dylan Wang wrote a letter to Si when the series ended. Among other things, he said, "I don't understand one thing. Why don't you just get another girlfriend if she's so indifferent to you?" He has a point.

3. Si. This dude (the character, not the actor) is seriously disturbed. He's rigid, violent, abusive, and a bully. But he's sometimes the only person speaking truth. He's right when he accuses Shan Cai of dodging questions, being evasive, and changing the subject whenever he asks her a straightforward question. He's frustrated, and I don't blame him.

4. The couple together. Their toxic relationship is ruining the lives of everybody around them. Wake up Lei, Meizuo, and Xi Men Yan! Don't let these crazies mess up your entire college experience.

Here's what needs to happen. Shan Cai should say: "I appreciate your good qualities, Si. You're loyal, generous and brave. But if we keep going like this, ten years from now, we'll either be divorced or one of us will be dead.

She should add two things:

A. Please deal with your crazy mother. She has to stop trying to intimidate-or destroy--me and my friends. Just get it done. If that's not possible move out of your family's house. Otherwise: good-bye.

B. From now on-no violence, no bullying, and no physical abuse. When I say, "Stop!" you need to stop. And you'll treat the people in our lives with kindness and respect. Got it? In return, I promise to answer your questions in a straightforward and honest way.

5. I'm a little disappointed with Dylan Wang. This role is too much like LOVE BETWEEN FAIRY AND DEVIL. A socially retarded and emotionally damaged dude finds his one true love, manhandles and bullies her. There must be other scripts out there that can show-off this guy's amazing acting skills.

What I liked:

1. Dylan Wang as Dongfang Qingcang completely nailed it. In the beginning he's robotic and unfeeling. Later he's depressed and angry. Finally he's loving and self-sacrificing. Wang delivers the many comic scenes with impeccable timing-and even plays a woman in a man's body without missing a beat. ADDED LATER: I just found out that a "line actor" dubbed Dylan's voice in this series, so maybe not as great an acting job as I thought. But his visuals and expressions are still quite good.

2. Other actors also do a stellar job: Yu Shuxin as Orchid was warm, loving and believable as Dongfang's love interest. Although I agree that her nasal, whining voice almost made me change the channel in the beginning. Another great performance was that of Charles Lin who played ShangQue, Dongfang's faithful servant who is sometimes a man and sometimes a dragon-mobile. His facial expressions and general cluelessness were a wonder. Also Hong Xiao added feminine guile and energy along with a good dollop of humor. And I have to mention Zhang Linghe who goes from earnest to dissipated and back again--and is as charming as they come.

3. Costuming, CGI, and set design were gorgeous and magical. While the story got a little tedious with all the misunderstandings and downright deceit, plus the breakups and reconciliations between Dongfang and Orchid--the pace never slowed.

4. This is the first Chinese series I've seen that was genuinely both touching and funny. The humor worked seamlessly, which is rare with international dramas. Yes, it got a little sentimental in places, but otherwise-- not many missteps.

Things that could have been better:

1. A few blunders. I love the mournful flute solo that Rong Hao plays intermittently throughout the series. There's one scene where he's playing his song and then puts the instrument down-and the flute melody (at least on my screen) keeps playing. What happened to the spikes in Dongfang's body? They're supposed to cause him excruciating agony every night. We see them once, and then suddenly they're gone. Also some plot devices got recycled a bit too often. Repetitive ordeals of pain and suffering start losing their impact after the third time.

2. PUH-LEEZE! Don't give away the plot in the (English) title. The word "between" is a spoiler-telling us that eventually the FL is going to reciprocate.

3. The music, in general, was OK, although some of the songs got a little tiresome by the end.

4. Speaking of the ending--there were a few dangling threads. For example, what happened with the romance between ShangQue and JieLi? They seemed happy, but were they dating? Were they married? Get with it, guys. It's been 500 years. Also, one of the main characters is supposedly gone forever, but then abruptly comes back. Why? How? Enquiring minds want to know.

Overall very enjoyable.

...but at least the Titanic had a band.

MY DEMON is a series with no organizing theme. Is it about the migrating tattoo? A would-be killer on the loose? A dysfunctional family drama? What we get is a number of false starts that lead nowhere. It feels like too many writers were pulling this mess in different directions.

Hey, everybody--your homework is to read the green DEMON'S MANUAL. The rules keep changing, but it's got to be in there. Here's the question: Can demons be shot and killed--or not?

The attraction between the two leads is all about physical appearance. These generic lovers do generic things: he brings her flowers, they watch a horror movie, they ride a bike, she cooks, etc. Etc. I couldn't find any convincing individuality-or chemistry. In fact, it sure looked like Song Kang used his hand to block their first kiss.

And Do-Hee isn't the brightest cookie in the jar. It takes until Episode 14 for her to show the slightest curiosity about her husband's day job. She's horrified, of course, but she sure gets over it quickly. "Oh, you take the souls of desperate people who are then tortured forever? And one of them's my dad? No problemo."

And I'm sorry--because I really like him-Song Kang is totally miscast as a demon. For most of the series he's sweet and loving or having a fashion moment. He's just not the baddy the audience deserves. I blame the writers because Song Kang can ACT when he's got a good script (see Navillera).

The secondary characters engage in a lot of silliness that never adds up to a single genuinely funny moment. As for God, s/he just bloviates about all the things she can't do. No help there, though I have a feeling she'll come through in the end.

Later: I finished the series, and while a lot of the silly stuff was wrapped up, I can't see that anything important was resolved. A minor character is going to be damned for all eternity--someone who absolutely didn't deserve it. But no one in this series has a moral compass, so no one cares--as long as the big romance is saved. A lot of filler in the last two episodes. I was so ready for this one to end.

Some of the C-dramas offered by Netflix are based on traditional Chinese stories and folklore that are difficult for people from another culture to understand. The plot twists and motivation of the characters in this series seem abrupt, capricious, and unnatural-at least they did to me. While the CGI, costuming, sets, and other elements are lavish and gorgeous, the interactions between the characters are often allegorical, mythical, or incomprehensible. For example, we're told at the very beginning that the FL has been magically transformed. She appears to be a man to almost everyone who sees her. But, even though other magical objects and events are rendered realistically, the audience just sees a tiny child-like woman in traditional male garb-imagination has to do the heavy lifting. As a result, it doesn't seem visually credible that she's so irresistible and alluring to so many people.

I realize that the FL's excessive drinking is supposed to be endearing, but to me because of my cultural conditioning, it just seems tawdry.

For a Chinese series that covers similar material much more effectively than this one, see THE LONGEST PROMISE, a C-drama that is nuanced, comprehensible, and emotionally authentic.

A delightful, escapist fantasy from Studio Dragon. A little bit illogical, but it's a fantasy-so I went with it. I did NOT find it slow-moving, but I'm not 100 % OK with the casting. The FL just didn't seem as young as she was supposed to be-more like 35 or 38. The ML who is described as being a one-in-a-million romantic partner wasn't the incredible "catch" he was made out to be. For most of the series he was morose, drab, stiff, and unsure of himself--but he perked up toward the end. The child actors were all excellent. Nevertheless, this series deserves a higher rating than it's getting on IMDB. Hint: Hey, Studio Dragon--make the English titles of your series more enticing.

There's a lot to like here. The special effects are impressive, and the sets, while artificial looking, are gorgeous. The actor who plays "Master" (Xiao Zhan) can convey a world of emotion through a glance or the slightest expression. But the actress who plays Zhu Yan is often wooden and unconvincing. She pouts and simpers and her childlike voice and silliness makes her sound and act like a ten-year-old child. "Master," on the other hand, for the first half of the series, supposedly hasn't even turned 18. But he looks like a 30-year-old and his demeanor is that of a 65-year-old sour-faced, old man. In spite of this, little by little, both characters take on some nuance and appeal. The endless fighting, battles, and politics were mindless and boring and without impact. Also, the ML kept rejecting the FL to "save her", and his treatment of her was cruel, belittling, and offensive to my modern sensibilities.

Still, the story is extremely touching and brought me to tears more than once.

Historical dramas like this one can be made to work for a modern audience-another good example is the K-drama, Alchemy of Souls.

The actors and characters are appealing, and I like that they feature a strong middle-aged woman as one of the leads. She even occasionally gets a few good lines, although basically she's there to play den mother to the rest of them. This series started as an interesting fantasy that turned into (yet another) variation on a police procedural. Too much school bullying and endless fighting scenes. The vision of the afterlife is unimaginative and ludicrous. Everything is white, including the file cabinets and there are some crazy rules: "We want you to catch the evil spirits who are embedded in bad, bad human beings, but, hey, don't get involved in human affairs." And what is all this stuff about the "territory" boundaries moving around. Nonsensical twaddle. I know the tousled, disheveled look is in, but it's not working for Ga Mo Tak. He needs a better hairdo.

All in all, this was a very solid series.

What I didn't like:

1. The music was intrusive and sometimes schmaltzy and sentimental.

2. The plot had touches of Hallmark hokiness.

3. At times, the writers pounded the message home with a lack of subtlety.

But what I did like far outweighs the negatives:

1. Convincing acting featuring likeable characters. The secondary characters were appealing and had interesting stories of their own, more than just placeholders.

2. This series showcased different kinds of human love-not just romantic or parental love-but love between friends, love between student and teacher, or siblings-and even love of craft.

3. In spite of a few false notes, this story was extremely effective. No easy answers to life's problems here. Just flawed human beings doing their best in an indifferent world. Touching but realistic

4. Unusual subject matter-how many ballet movies or series focus on male dancers? None that I can think of. And the theme was an important one and worthy of the lengthy treatment it got here.

One caveat: While I think it's wonderful that some people can defy stereotypes and achieve great and marvelous things, there's something to be said for accepting reality and not chasing impossible dreams. The fact is that no 70-year-old man nor woman in a wheelchair will ever attain the level of proficiency to be a true ballet star. We can applaud such a person's grit and courage, and let them have their moment in the sun, but isn't it also admirable and inspirational to say, "That path is now closed to me. Where else can I go to use my talents?" Because we can all learn from people who admit their limitations and find a way forward in some other domain.

I prefer series with a bit more depth than this one. It was a bit saccharine and sentimental, but for what it was - it worked. Even the sound track was enjoyable. I'm a sucker for magical special effects, so I was able to excuse the simplistic message and just enjoy the visuals. I know the poor kid didn't have a mother, but someone needed to tell Ah-Yi to keep her mouth closed and trim her bangs. For 4/5ths of the series she could have done with a personality transplant. She was a little too bland and vapid for my taste. On the other hand, Ji Chang-Wook more than made up for it. When he says, "Do you...believe...in...magic?" It's to die for.

Way too sentimental-sometimes the writers didn't seem to know how to add variety to the plot. Having not one but TWO reunions with the parents was a bit much-even if one reunion was a fantasy. Jia seemed childlike and one-dimensional-and it wasn't believable that she was the object of Yeon's fascination for 600 years. I did appreciate the fact that Yeon wasn't your standard pretty-boy Korean hero, and that he had a unique look.

Special effects were lacking. If you're going to do a series about a nine-tailed fox, the audience should catch a glimpse of him looking like an actual fox now and then. Same goes for the serpent. Endless, endless threats to the lives of Yeon or Jia throughout the series made the ending a tedious anticlimax. Too much concentration on food in scene after scene. Whenever one of the bad guys was supposed to be in "evil" mode he/she smirked constantly--an overused device. The background music was saccharine without being moving and effective. Seemed like a fairly low-budget production.

I wasn't happy when this series turned into a police procedural, but it redeemed itself in the end. What I like about many of the Korean series is that they have moral heft, and this was a good example of that. For me, the most interesting elements involved the relationship between the brothers and between Yook Dong-Joo and Kang San. But I was confused in the middle, and although it came together, it dragged a little. The acting was impressive, the ending was satisfying, and the main characters, as well as the minor characters, were likable. As an author, I could really relate to Yook Dong-Joo's publishing insecurities, Nicely done.

WOW! This series is astonishing. And yet you never see My Mister listed on "best of" sites that promote K-Drama. Look at the user ratings and believe them-this one is truly superb and outshines almost all the others (with the possible exception of MY LIBERATION DIARY). My favorite character was the grandmother, who really touched my heart. The quality of the acting, the subtlety, and the depth are unsurpassed. What I especially like about KDramas is that they explore all varieties of love, and not in a stereotyped, cliched way like American dramas usually do. I've only given a couple of 10-star ratings, as I can be picky. It's a series that's a little slow to get started, but it builds nicely.

Great series for introverts!

What I liked:

1. The quality of the acting was impressive-in particular that of Son Suk-ku, Lee Min-ki, and the actor who played the father.

2. The story held my interest -- a low-key drama about ordinary people.

3. Funny, engaging, and extremely touching, especially toward the end.

4. Creative touches here and there: the glow of the green bottles, the fantasy (dream?) of the robot carrying Gi-Jeong .

5. The episode where Gu showed his incredible ability (no spoiler here) was amazing and beautifully photographed.

6. A sweet, simple story that became more profound as it progressed.

What I didn't like:

1. The first two episodes were slower than a snail in molasses. Slice of life is one thing, but this series needed a good edit-especially in the beginning. Did we really need to see twenty or thirty scenes showing the family eating silently together? Or ten or twelve scenes showing Gi-Jeong fussing with her hair? A bit much.

2. A couple of missteps. The decision of one repressed, exhausted character bursting out with a sudden strange demand directed at another repressed, silent character - just didn't seem believable (Episode 6). Maybe it was the word choice. Or maybe something got lost in translation. Didn't work for me. (Some of the other conversations throughout the series didn't make sense.)

3. Alcoholism presented as no big deal -- everyone seems to think it's acceptable. There's no way Yeom Mi Jung could ever find happiness with someone like Gu. In fact, he warns her. As Maya Angelou says, "When people tell you who they are, believe them."