silvanet-308-669505 Reviews

Severance (2022– )

Less a review than a question and comment

[10/10 · 3 June 2023]

Why is Dichen Lachman so beautiful and so hot in every single role she plays? Well, seriously, Britt Lower is also terrific as Helly; and what can you say about. Patricia Arquette that hasn't already been said? All the casting is excellent.

This is one of the absolute best TV series you can watch. I DO give ratings of 10, and this series definitely deserves it. Simply WOW. You'll be surprised and delighted at every turn. This is one of those special gems that comes about rarely.

Look at the nominations and wins in awards in detail. It will leave you aghast. I stayed away from this for the longest time, but when I finally started watching, I couldn't stop. Every superlative I can muster is not nearly enough. I hope they know well enough to end it before the writing becomes predictable and stilted.

The Rise of Phoenixes (2018)

This is one of the best TV dramas I have ever seen!

[10/10 · 10 February 2021]

Here it lists 56 Episodes, but I've been watching in on Netflix and there are 70 Episodes. I posted a comment that IMdb didn't even have a photo of Hao Xu, who plays Princes Shaoning, when they actually had her listed as an actress with a profile and credits - not including this one. She plays a prominent role through a great number of Episodes, although they only list her as being in 3.

This feature received 10 nominations and won 8, including Ni Ni for her leading role as Feng Zhi Wei (who by the way is in every one of the 70 episodes. First of all, I have to giver my great thanks to the wonderful people that translated the subtitles because I don't know Chinese. No problem, as in the fabulous Korean movies and television, reading the subtitles is completely worth the effort.

The breadth and depth of this series is phenomenal. Yes, there is some great acting, spectacular costumes, hairstyles, scenery, a plethora of strong female characters, amazing historical background, good battle & fighting scenes, a lot of treachery and Machiavellian maneuvering and scheming, murders, frame ups, twists and turns, cold heartedness, tenderness, whimsy, light humor, this has it all.

When I finish watching all of it I'll make an attempt to collect better information on some of the main and my favorite characters and a more accurate listing of their presence in episodes. Wikipedia has a helpful summary. I see this is still rising in popularity. I highly recommend it. In fact, I'm rating it ten stars, subject to the final ten episodes I'm on now.

Spend the time. This is much better than a great deal of the stuff we're getting on American television.

The Rise of Phoenixes (2018)

Wow, Ni Ni's beauty and sensational acting are breathtaking!

[10/10 · 4 January 2021]

If this is the kind of drama Chinese people are watching on television, they are blessed with world class products. I know it's difficult to watch something for which you have to read subtitle translations, but holy cow, make the effort! The beauty of the foundation for the interaction between the Prince Chu and Zhiwei is riveting from the start. I'm only in the third episode and I unequivocally rated this a ten. Yes, I read reviews finding reasons to downgrade this but it is still flying in popularity.

Thank you Netflix for all your fantastic oriental presentations. I'm already 100% a fan of Korean drama, but Chinese productions like this one are quickly winning me as well. This is phenomenal.

Descendants of the Sun (2016)

Response to first review I read, from 2016

[10/10 · 2 May 2020]

Excellent review and observations. Thank you so much. Just one thing, the age difference between Song Hye-Kyo and Song Joong-ki (four years) is insignificant. In America a great deal is made over this nothing. At least in S. Korea film regularly has romantic dramas with much larger age differences. The difference is that in American film and tv it is almost a cultural construct that every male who meets a girl is motivated solely or primarily by one thing, sex. You almost never see that in Asian, and certainly in S. Korean romantic screenwriting.

S. Korean "everything" has taken over the world today. They truly are the descendants of the sun. The talent and confidence that exudes from S. Korean youth is exhilarating and inspiring. Everything from food, to fashion, to film, art, design, on and on, puts them at the top of the world. American parochialism has kept them thinking they're the best in the world, when they no longer are.

I'm so glad "Parasite" got the recognition S. Korean film (and television) deserve. When I was young, Paris was my number one city to visit. Today, it would be Seoul and Busan. This series SHOULD have great appeal to American audiences.

Repeatedly and consistently S. Korean drama portrays great models of human conduct that should be emulated. I've said this before but it bears repeating. There are so many S. Korean actresses that superbly play roles of women every man should fall in love with. It's not just their physical attractiveness. The courage, sass, confidence, compassion, loyalty, determination, persistence, warmth, tenderness, wisdom, strength, impenetrable wall they manifest in their characters, often without saying a word, is what has become the essence of Korean beauty.

Their male characters do the same for that archetype as well. Don't encapsulate yourself in American only film, television, literature,art. Follow Bong Joon-ho's advice. Get past the subtitles. This will open up a world brighter than your wildest dreams. And "Descendants of the Sun" is an excellent step into that world. You will not be disappointed. Pay attention. You. Will. Be. Blown. Away. This is THAT GOOD.

Descendants of the Sun (2016)

I thought "Guardian: The Lonely and Great God" was a perfect ten, but this may be even better

[10/10 · 2 May 2020]

Finally had the chance to see "Descendants of the Sun." Wow, what a super experience. I'd always loved the OST music, and that elevates the total experience even more. The chemistry between Song Hye-Kyo and Song Joong-Ki is mesmerizing, and it's more easy to relate to the story than even a great fantasy. I love this on so many levels and can see why so many rate it as the best romantic drama. The mixture, contrasts and comparisons of healthcare experience and military service is pure genius.

The King: Eternal Monarch (2020)

Had to watch first episode twice but it was worth it

[10/10 · 29 April 2020]

It seems as if I've been waiting forever for this, and I wasn't the least bit disappointed. Like many I fell in love with Go Eun Kim from her role in "Guardian: The Lonely and Great God." She is one of my favorite S. Korean actresses. Kim Eun Sook is simply a superb screenwriter. The end of the first episode grabbed me. I couldn't go on. I had to replay it. It's that packed and good. I encourage you to resist moving immediately into the second and watch the first again. You'll thank me. This is going not be one of the best ever -- again!

Romance Is a Bonus Book (2019)

Beautiful Writing Right From The Start

[9/10 · 17 April 2020]

I just began watching this and by the middle of the second episode I was ready to jump and rate this a ten. I'll temper it just a bit and see if I feel the same by the end. After ending "Itaewan Class" and "Hi, Bye Mama!" I love Lee Hye Min's Soundtrack rendition of "Walking on Sunshine." Stunning talent. The words put in the person of Kang Dan-i (Lee Na-Young) are so touching and moving. I already know this is going to be a favorite of mine. Another Super S. Korean Romance.

Itaewon Class: Episode #1.14 (2020) Season 1, Episode 14

Da-Mi Kim is the glue that makes this series Itaewon Classy

[10/10 · 20 March 2020]

Yi Seo has been working herself to exhaustion. She faints and falls and has to go to the hospital. Finally Sae Ro Yi has begun to see her as a woman and struggles with the feelings for her in him. Is there someone he is grateful to? Who is the first person he wants to apologize to? What is the scariest moment that comes to his mind? Who is the best luck in his life...Is he in love with Yi Seo? Is it all her? But is it too late? With the Jangga Co. treacherous win at any cost tradition scheming, resentments, and revenge, tragedy seem close at hand.

Itaewon Class: Episode #1.13 (2020) Season 1, Episode 13

Great scene of Yi Seo confronting Soo Ah

[10/10 · 18 March 2020]

Just want to add that in this episode you get the best critical examination of Soo Ah. Yi Seo pegged her perfectly.

Itaewon Class: Episode #1.11 (2020) Season 1, Episode 11

Yi Seo comes back like a wildcat

[10/10 · 17 March 2020]

At this point I'm rooting for Yi Seo and she doesn't disappoint. Without her there would be no DanBam Pub. Hyun Yi consoles and encourages her. She's not giving up. Hell no. Geun Soo is turning into a horrible person.

Itaewon Class: Episode #1.10 (2020) Season 1, Episode 10

My heart broke for Yi Seo

[10/10 · 17 March 2020]

What Geun Soo did in the Truth or Dare game was so cold, heartless, and so wrong. I'm with Hyun Yi on that. I was also shocked to see no compassion from Soo Ah, as she must clearly have known what was coming. But of all the clueless and unfeeling things, the way Sae Ro Yi handled the situation was most surprising. Only Hyun Yi demonstrated character. She knew the right thing was not to let Yi Seo cry alone, but he did just that. He must have known she had feelings for him. Even if it were a believable discovery to him, he ruthlessly cut out her heart. Yes, more to come, but I pained for Yi Seo, who went for Plan B and vulnerably poured our her feelings. This is still such an awesome story and again Da-Mi Kim's acting thundered.

Itaewon Class: Episode #1.9 (2020) Season 1, Episode 9

Yeah, I was worried, too, but Yi Seo rocked!

[10/10 · 15 March 2020]

Nara: Oh Soo Ah had been growing admirably as a character, showing maturity, geniality toward her competitor Da-Mi: Yi Seo, who displayed some immaturity, insecurity and mean pettiness. Seo-joon: Sae Ro Yi, as always, remained calm, respecting and valuing his team's freedom to make their own decisions, inspiring them to be their best.

The interrelation of the three had the viewer on edge with tensions, then that interview where Ahn Bo-Hyun: Jang Geun Won tries to lure Yi Seo and make the team lose her -- wow, simply, wow! Should have expected that awesome punk girl to shine like a comet, and she did! Such great actors, such a great story, such fabulous characters, magnificent dialog executed perfectly -- I'm once again dumbfounded. In all the little side stories and references, this is so damn good.

Itaewon Class: Episode #1.4 (2020) Season 1, Episode 4

I knew I would love her by the end of this episode

[10/10 · 12 March 2020]

That little 20 year old Yi Seo is really impressive. Da-mi Kim is impressive. Her exchange with Soo Ah at the coffee shop after Sae Ro Yi helps her is superb. She really did have a spectacular coming of age day. She's dazzling. Please IMDb get a profile pic of her up. That girl is a rocket.

Itaewon Class (2020)

Two Episodes in and I'm ready to rate this a TEN

[10/10 · 12 March 2020]

Korean Drama is absolutely THE BEST. Every time I watch a new one I fall in love with the leading actress and many supporting ones...they're all SO DAMNED GOOD. If Seo-joon Park's role isn't best actor quality, I'll eat a gallon of hot habanero pepper kimchi. In the first episode I fell in love with Oh Soo Ah and by the end of the third one I hated her. In the first I hated Jo Yi Seo and by the end of the third I loved her. Each episode I keep saying to myself "This is the best effing show ever."

Because This Is My First Life (2017)

It just kept getting better and better

[10/10 · 8 March 2020]

This is so good. If you miss watching, you're depriving yourself of one of the best shows you'll ever see. The main story line develops beautifully and keeps you engaged through every single episode. The supporting characters are superb and all the side stories illustrate profound human relationship lessons. There are so many excellent references, great dialogues, uplifting humanity moments, The emotional growth of So-Min Jung's character and astounding observations could carry the program all by itself, but every character utters words that go to your heart and are certain to remain there "as a last will and testament." From Jiho's mom, to her friends Horang and Sooji, even the nerdy to jaw-dropping Bomi, and spectacular reintroduction of Jungmin in the later episodes all make this production one of the best love stories ever. At every step, it's spiced with perfectly empathetic content. I loved the entire cast. What a sleeper!

My Holo Love: Episode #1.3 (2020) Season 1, Episode 3

I'm in love all over again

[10/10 · 23 February 2020]

I thought there couldn't be a more beautiful woman on Earth than Ji-Hyun Jun when I saw her in My Sassy Girl. Then I saw Suzy Bae in While You Were Sleeping. Then I saw Ji-Hye Seo in just about anything, especially her role in Something in the Rain, and recently in Crash Landing on You. And I'm still not over Go-eun Kim in Goblin. I don't think I ever will be. I was mesmerized by just about the entire beautiful Korean women cast of Mr. Sunshine: Tae-Ri and Min Jung's amazing Hee-Na. I loved Ji-won Ha in Chocolate. And Yun-ah Song was about the best badass beautiful woman ever in the K2.

In almost every South Korean romantic drama there are so many characters exemplifying beauty inside and out that it's easy to conclude that country as being the greatest source of feminine beauty on Earth. There are so many gorgeous talented actresses that I could fill pages and pages describing their roles and how they captured my heart and soul for ever.

But this is primarily about this episode in this drama and the actress Sung-He Ko in her role as So-Yeon. Oh. My. God. Just go look at her in the one scene where So-Yeon is having dinner with her mother and Nan-do in her apartment. Sung-He speaks an incredible dialog with her facial expressions, body language, and her eyes - Oh her eyes - alone. That is simply superb acting.. I'm not done watching the series, but through the first two episodes she was growing on me, and by this episode she completely won me over. As I said, I'm in love all over again. Now I'm glued to her every look, every movement, every word (and I have to read subtitles).

I'm going to try to submit a list of favorites to substantiate what I'm saying about S. Korean actresses. They're ALL Miss Koreas. These people are making the best love stories you can experience...and so much more.

Chocolate: Episode #1.8 (2019) Season 1, Episode 8

Ji-Yong, Iron Ranger Number 3 had me in tears

[10/10 · 5 January 2020]

The adorable spaceman from planet Iron 130 sent to Earth with a mission to make sure we are able to keep peace: listening to nurse Ha tell him how thankful everyone was for him and how much joy he brought and what a much more peaceful place Earth had become for his coming, and what great changes he brought warmed my heart, filled my chest with inspiration, and welled tears of happiness. This series has been full of treasures of the heart, and this episode so far has been to me the most moving. I too wish his spaceship would have gotten lost and come maybe 100 years late.

The K2 (2016)

"It's only after girls grow up, they become witches?"

[10/10 · 1 January 2020]

This is positively one of the BEST ass-kickingest one season dramas ever. If you don't realize that the role played by Song Yun-ah (maddam Choi Joo-Jin) is one of the best strong female anti-hero characters ever created, you haven't watched movies your entire life for over 50 years.

Jun-ah kills it. She is not only elegant and super-gorgeous, but deliciously malevolent and bad-ass smart, anybody's great companion to the underworld. The end of the second and beginning of the third episode is a phenomenal thumb sketch of both her and Ji Chang Wook's (Kim Je Ha) characters.

In the tradition of fair suspension of disbelief I'll overlook obvious gaffes such as Yoona (Goh Anna) leaving the house with her hair cut short and arriving the next morning with it fully grown out again.

The soundtrack deserves much more love than it's getting on YouTube. I love Kim Bohyung's "Same Day" (Everyday). I see this is currently losing popularity. Wow, give it another chance. I know its from 2016, but even in 2020 it's a winner.

Arthdal Chronicles (2019–2023)

Please update and expand the Cast, including pictures

[9/10 · 10 July 2019]

I became interested in South Korean film and television a couple of years back and I'm so glad. They have an excellent array of motion picture and television offerings. They also have some great directors, actors, and actresses as good as any in the English speaking world. This program introduces talented and beautiful actresses in every episode. Many of them aren't even credited here in IMDb although a little searching can confirm they are well known. I've been surprised to see some really great performers without even pictures, and some with not even a bio. Please do us all a favor and correct that.

The Truth Beneath (2016)

And I thought Noomi Rapace was badass!

[8/10 · 20 February 2019]

Female director Lee Kyoung Mi Lee is badass, and superb actress Ye-jin Son shows why she is one of the best in the world. You really must check out all of her work. The review by mrrcott is pretty much spot on, but I think rated the film low at 7/10. This is really a great movie, riveting, well edited, well paced, anchored by one of the best actresses on screen today. I'd give it a solid 8/10!

Tunnel (2016)

Mind-blowing awful ending

[5/10 · 17 February 2019]

Apart from the failure to take GPS into consideration and the ridiculous phone call to Mina's mother without knowing her number, there's the obvious assistance and companionship of Tengie to the end. Lee Jung-Soo doesn't even ask about Tengie. Remember that he told his wife he'd buy his daughter a puppy? The bizarre heartless failure to connect Tengie to the ending other than at a pet store is incredible. What terrible writing.

The acting was good. Doona Bae is good. I could accept her acceding to pressure to stop the rescue, especially with the actions of the rescue chief. With a better ending could have accepted higher than the average rating at the time of my watching (6.9), but that complete failure to write in an ending showing more humanity towards the dog knocked the wind out for me.

No way in hell I'd rate this 7 or above as others did (some even 10). I've seen some Korean movies by highly rated and award winning directors with the most incredible tasteless inhumanity to dogs. Maybe it's a cultural thing? I can't believe it. The best and most helpful review to me had great criticisms, but still rated it 8!

I do like Korean movies and think many Asian films are highly worthy of watching even if you have to read subtitles. Yes, they're that good. The three main actors are really good and carry a badly written and poorly directed story. Just minor care in both those aspects could have made this a very good movie.

The Captive (I) (2014)

This could have been a great movie

[7/10 · 6 May 2016]

The editing is TERRIBLE. The flashbacks are OK, but at least at one point they are so badly disjointed that they make the movie extremely hard to follow and make no sense. Specifically, it jumps from Nicole abducted in the van to her inspecting & finding the hidden camera in the hotel room - a scene that seems totally out of whack and very confusing. This especially since the time sequence then takes one to the police rescue and back to Nicole not yet found. It had what I think was a great story line and I liked the actors. I would have given it a much higher rating if it weren't for the AWFUL job of editing. What an incredible shame.