rawarauf Reviews

Heartless City (2013)

The World is Like a Mirror

[10/10 · 24 March 2021]

"The world is like a mirror. If you spit and curse at it... the world will spit and curse back at you. If you laugh... I'm sure the world will follow and laugh with you, too. "

So don't be so serious... just laugh. You're prettier when you laugh. -Shi Hyun

AN ABSOLUTE MASTERPIECE! It's DARK, and HEART-BREAKING! IT'S SOUL CRUSHING!

MUST-WATCH, even if you don't like detective, action dramas, you will enjoy this, it's such an exception!

STORY: I loved how it's realistic and doesn't shy away from violence!

CHARACTERS: I loved them all, and despite the weak start, I loved Soo Min's character just so much. her development was the best and her chemistry with Jin Sook (My favourite character after Doctor's Son) was stunning beyond words!

MUSIC: "LoVE iS dEAd" speaks for itself... it's DEADLY.. it's never lovely!

REWATCH: I only reviewed this drama after I did a rewatch, and got to say, the 2nd time I enjoyed it even more, there were stuff I missed out in the first watch, so I'm glad I did rewatch it whole!

OVERALL: I will, for life, keep this drama in my heart, and remember the cruel fate that happened to befall the beautiful soul, I admired, Jung Shi Hyun...

Shi Hyuna

Doctor's Son.

To.Jenny (2018)

I heard Grown-Ups by "Sondia" here. And the mini series itself was SOO CUTEE!

[9/10 · 24 March 2021]

Just finished watching this drama special and it was so much fun! definitely recommend it for a fresh breath after heavier stuffs.

Acting was superb. the characters were very lovable, and the story is simple and cute!

I really loved the songs especially the use of already existing hits like Taylor Swift's "You Belong With Me", they just fit so perfectly and nice!

I was also very excited when I heard Park Jung Min singing the song "Grown-Ups/Adult" which is by "Sondia" from "My Mister", It's such an awesome song but the lead doesn't sing it to the end cuz of his anxiety issues. I was really hoping there would be more of that! But anyways everything ended really well I'm grateful for that.

Four Sisters Before the Wedding (2020)

"I wish I had the same maternal instinct as you all"

[10/10 · 24 March 2021]

It's a story more about reconciling, understanding and accepting one's reality! Four sisters put an emergency plan to save their now-fully grown baby brother from marrying a girl from presumably not a good family (or maybe just too different) to them!

Story is awesome, It's funny yet at times heartbreaking! I totally adored Bobbie's and Alex's character, they seemed much more mature than the other siblings... and Gabbie, the quiet girl was brilliantly played, you could only love those sisters after watching how they act to protect their brother.

Totally recommend this movie! Even if you haven't tried Filipino movies yet, I wold recommend you start with this as it has a good balance of light and heavy moments!

Love Me If You Dare (2015–2016)

Mind-blowing turns of events! Amazing mix of Comedy-Romance-Suspense.

[9/10 · 24 March 2021]

Since this is one of my earliest review, it tend to have many mistakes here and there, I am sorry about that .

As for the TV show, its just reallyy amazing, a great Comedy-Romance-Suspense mix. Everything about the drama feels great , it has elements of suspense and crime , strong emotion and funny moments. make you laugh many times, the feelings is easily felt and reach your heart.

Story 10/10 - Its a unique story - I cant say anything that might spoil the story, but its more than a typical love story, nothing complex or boring, It is full of thriller ,suspense and deep emotional moments that keeps you wanting more and more of it.

Acting/Cast 10/10 - the acting is perfect - both the male and female lead do a great job at expressing what they have to express , they totally fill each others gap (emotional and intellectual lacking).

Music 8/10 - OP/ED theme is just amazing, it give the right feeling to the show, background music is amazing, thrilling at times, and comfortable , dialogs are as clear as it can get (NOTHING LOUD THAT DISTURB THE DIALOGS).

Re-watch 5/10 - I don't usually re-watch dramas, and there is lots of other dramas waiting for me to re-watch this again.

Overall 9/10 - It was my first Chinese drama and I'm glad it turned out to be something amazing which made me Wanting to watch other Chinese dramas ( I hesitated to watch them before). I RECOMMEND it to ANYONE interested in MYSTERY/CRIME dramas to watch it, its like reading Sherlock Holmes books to me (I haven't watched movies or dramas of Sherlock homes ).

A Really Good-Watch.

The Genius (2013– )

THE BEST VAREITY SHOW EVER, PERIOD.

[10/10 · 24 March 2021]

Amazing Show, really one of the best! Similar to Liar Games, with lots of Original Games and smart people.

Music and Opening is awesome, and lots of metallic style songs are used, the music touches your heart real well when the eliminators are decided and say their last words usually accompanied by a sad music...I still can't get enough of the songs and listen to them on my smartphone every once in a while.

3rd season and 4th season are much more enjoyable than the 2nd season , but it was still a really good season. recommend it highly . a Must-Watch Series and an amazing as always production. really well done.

Hope we get more of it Someday

Soul Mechanic (2020– )

This was the Soul Repairman, with you just now!

[10/10 · 24 March 2021]

"Is there no full recovery? " Just how healing begins when you acknowledge your illness, the moment of full recovery... definitely exists.

There is a condition to full recovery. It's that you must not try to forcefully erase your wounds. You must embrace, accept and love them. Each of our wounds become a map for each of our own lives. So, rather than trying to overcome the wounds, how about trying to embrace them? Because our scars are like a GPS to our lives.

Someone told me that... every human being is a universe. today I'll close with that quote. This is the Soul Repairman.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Soul Mechanic was a such a stellar portrayal of people who were in much pain! It had lots of heartbreaks, many thoughtful surprises and so many awe-inspiring & healing moments!

My absolute favorite moments from this drama could be the podcasts Lee Si Joon was presenting! it could as well be the crazy laughs, dance and singing moments when the main leads were acting in them! Such healing and heartwarming scenes together!

The character development is one aspect this drama excels at! from the main leads to Woo Joo's best friend, the hospital director, the head nurse, Si Joon's father, Dr. In Dong Hyuk, Cha Dong Il (the fake police officer) and 'Resident' Neu Ri. the supporting cast were just as amazing and surely will be remembered for a long time.

The OST is warm and beautiful! I adore the song "Confuse" by SURAN and I really loved the song "Lean on me" by Ha Hyunsang. It fits so perfectly with the sweet moments. The calm nature of the rest of the songs too makes them healing and soul touching!

As for re-watching, I already did once and I think I'll re-watch it yet again very soon!

Hope many of you reading this review are already convinced enough to watch this drama! It's gonna be such a shame if you decided otherwise! Since SOUL MECHANIC is such a unique experience that words alone can't ever do justice to it!

Thank you very much for reading this to the end! Written by one of the Soul Repairman's biggest fans.

18 Again (2020)

"We need to love our decisions, and never regret on things that made us happy. " -Dae-Young

[10/10 · 24 March 2021]

Eighteen Again, is a tearjerker, I came to say this upfront of a lengthier review down below! As long as you don't hate getting wet eyes, you will enjoy this drama a lot, feel sad and sad, and sad again, and cry like a baby, within every episode, every time the lead interacts with his kids, comforts his sweetheart and is reminded of his past, the flashbacks, the epilogues!

STORY:

THIS IS A VERY BEAUTIFUL FAMILY DRAMA! It's deep, relatable and heart wrenching!

From the lead's relationship with his Father, with his wife's Mother. to his friendship/ father-kids relationships, to the heart-breaking relationship of him as a high school minor who is always there to comfort the mom of his two kids. Each and every bond is carefully written and the result is something very precious. full of life lessons.

Characters/CAST: Great job done! Kudos to LEE DO HYUN, I couldn't hold my emotions in check whenever I looked into her eyes, which were frequently red and in tears, yet sparkling as bright as a star other times!

Kim Ha Neul was simply gorgeous, Yoon Sang Hyun very charming, Roh Jeong Eui cute and sweet, Ryeoun, calm and a bright star.

I also want to praise the young actress portraying teenager Jung Da Jung. Her expressions were so sincere and genuine. Every time she was on screen, my heart felt her pains, and ached for her. She did a stunning performance! She deserves lots of support and love!

Soundtrack/Music:

Hello, I'm telling you With a trembling smile, that I love you Hello, that in these dazzling and beautiful times It's you I will remember forever"

I would rate the music 10/10 even if "Hello" by Sohyang, was the only song/instrumental piece used in the whole drama. It was such a heavenly beautiful and perfectly emotional piece. It's a legendary soundtrack.

RE-WATCH: Surely, if I get times, I'll re-watch this, probably with my cousin who recently got into KDRAMA, and already have great taste.

OVERALL: Surely there might be some unnecessary plot devices, cliche and even extended 2nd lead screen times, but it's just I don't care at all, I was so invested in these characters, and loved them sincerely and was rooting for them all along, I couldn't bring myself to rate it below a perfect 10! It's highly recommended, EVERYONE and ANYONE can get hooked as they're done with the first episode, and fall in love with it as soon as watching 3rd episode's epilogue.

I can guarantee that. 99.0000000000000000%

Beyond Evil (2021)

All he wants is to resolve his deep sorrow!

[10/10 · 24 March 2021]

I have been waiting for this drama since they announced it, and I wasn't disappointed! In FACT, It's already made it's way to my all time favorite drama, regardless of how it will END...it really doesn't matter since it's gonna be LIT!

Psychological Thrillers are always a treat to those who love suspense and making things out in your mind before stuff happen on screen! To top that with a heart-wrenching emotional ride isn't the most common stuff coming out these days, so I urge you please, DON'T miss THIS ONE!!!Without further ado, let's get to the actual review,

STORY: It's a very DARK STORY-LINE. The main character (Dong Shik) who is a demoted detective, is suspected of killing his own sister, and the others on his team aren't totally innocent. The drama unfolds when a frightening murder happens which resembles ones happening in the span of 20 years to the past! And the young detective from Seoul vows to catch "Dong Shik" for he thinks it must be his doing and he must be the culprit of the serial murder case!

Acting/Characters: Lee Do Hyun gave an outstanding (tho very short) performance as the young Dong Shik.

Shin Ha Kyun's acting is stellar! Once again beyond words! His voice is so fitting, calming and apologetic, as if he have done the world wrong! Yet his laugh is so creepy, it's quite a thrill to look at him smirking. Jin Goo's character is usually cold and unwavering... yet with is amazing acting, he manages to make way into anyone's heart early in the drama! All the rest of the cast are doing immensely great job, with their acting naturally flowing in, very realistic and never feel forced! Special thanks to the lovely rookie actress, Choi Sung Eun as "Yoo Jae Yi" and much respect for the amazing portrayal of "Park Jung Je" by Choi Dae Hoon and "Oh Ji Hoon" by Nam Yoon Su.

Music: The score is DRAMATIC, SUSPENSEFUL and very pleasant to listen to. The main theme grabbed my attention from the opening scene, with the beautiful blend of the violin and the percussion. and as for the songs. The song "THAT NIGHT" is the PERFECT music to give anyone chills watching this PERFECT DRAMA! It feels like a sorrowful man's screams and says letting out his long held grudges to be heard by someone in a corner... An absolute classic masterpiece that would easily have won best music awards, was it released in 1990s! With those said, I just love the theme song so much I want it to win some awards of 2021 too! And the rest of the songs are all amazing, especially love "Timeless" by BIBI, will surely be in my playlist for a while!

LAST WORDS: This drama is GREATNESS beyond WORDS! and I'm quite bad with crafty expressions, so all I can do, to give this drama justice, is ask you to start watching the first episode RIGHT AWAY, and don't let anything get your attention till you're done with the first! The rest will be history, as a matter of fact, you won't be able to stop watching! Guaranteed!

**Unless you're the type who can't stand very dark and regretful stories!**

A MUST WATCH! If you're looking for a DEEP and FASCINATING HUMANE STORY.

Flower of Evil (2020)

" I'll like you alot from here on, I'll be good to you for real..." Moon Chae Won

[10/10 · 24 March 2021]

IN SHORT: It's an amazing humane drama with an incredibly beautiful narrative. The dialogues are so well versed they hit right into the heart! The quiet heartwarming background piano (sometimes violin mixed too) makes the past flashbacks scenes very alluring and majestic. Those first scenes (the flashbacks) are one of my top favorite bits of each episode!

The production was the definition of perfection till the drama's last breath! Kudos to Directors, Screenwriters, Composers and Actors, especially our beloved Moon Chae Won and LEE JOON GI. They did an outstanding job bringing the characters to life, Do Hyun Su's character was an especially hard one to pull, he truly deserves much love!

IN LENGTH: The story takes it's time to develop the characters in the first few episodes, and the situation quickly escalates! You'll be surprised how much you're invested by the time the tragic strings of events begin!

The plot is about one man who wants to find the meaning of happiness for once, after dress rehearsing tragedy, in his entire life before! And a woman who wants such happiness for the man she is head over heels in love with!

After turning over his life, 18 years later in the present, he is pretty much what a perfect husband is expected to be! Doing too well to say! Everything is about to get ruined by a sudden turn of event that leads to uncovering his past! which seems to be filled up with misfortunes in more than one way!

The drama takes it's time to develop the main characters in present, while hinting about what could have happened in the past without giving too much spoiler early to fuel our adrenaline secretion, then suddenly we are thrown back to the past to only realize what actually is important is not what we were looking forward to the most! It's a whole different disheartening story that takes a creative take on self-inflicted misery, taking blame, and finding a middle ground for one's well being and happiness!

Acting is top notch! Lee Joon Gi as Baek Hee Seong is top notch! He looks totally dependable, manly and more than anything, a lovely dad! Whereas portraying Do Hyun Su couldn't be better executed! He looks so much younger now, and has a gaze that says the world about him, adorable and painfully cool in his yellow hair style!

Moon Chae Won is doing wonder with her acting! She has the kind of shaky, mellow voice that has emotions breathing out while she talks! She is an amazing actress who wonderfully fills the role of a very caring strong woman, Cha Ji Won, seeking happiness above all else for her family! She looks beautiful and mature, it's always great to see her again in a new drama!

I'm just gonna say! the music is just too perfect! From the incredibly suspenseful tracks "Flower of Evil" and "Switched Destiny" to the melo tracks "Upcoming Shadow" "Hard Relationship" to my most favorite track in this album "Cherry Blossom Kiss" which starts weird, mysterious and full of anxiety and emptiness, then it paces up to a sweeter tone then a more joyful and bright tone, which goes perfectly with Do Hyun Soo's character journey within the drama

We also have the feel nostalgic poetic piano track "Someone to Be Remembered" by Jung Se Rin (I noticed he has also composed the unbelievably beautiful track "When Mind Wants to Rest" from Naui Ahjussi)

There are only three songs on the entire album. (One of them "Psycho" by DOKO, being used only as an ending theme for the episodes and it's very catchy and goes well with the epic clifhangers.)

I have to say the remaining two are the most beautiful songs released in a drama this year! They aren't ever overused and it only plays when you really start to crave a song! They have that kinda impact!

"Feel You" by Shin Yong Jae is one of those two songs and it really deserves all the awards! Mark my words! An unexpressed love confession with lyrics beautifully wording out the feelings he has no idea sorting out for himself! The melody is especially sad yet thrilling and makes our heart skipping beats! You can't tell what it exactly makes you feel, probably to reflect how Hyun Su can't distinguish between his own emotions, even in those moments his heart races like he is in pain!

"In My Heart" by LIM YEON is also a wonderful love poem, describing what Ji Won is feeling towards Hyun Su, and how even if her heart comes crashing down, she will face it, as long as it's love, she will be there, for her love!

I would probably re-watch this drama many times! It's that good. Tho the mystery element will be gone, it still has lots of suspense and drama to enjoy.

Highly recommended for fans of psychological thrillers and those who enjoy subtle romance plot-lines! A Must Watch Definitely.