Luisa Macklin

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2024-12 How do I begin to do justice to this MASTERPIECE that should have been titled - The Sound of The Flowers - rather than My Dearest... 'According to writer Hwang Jin-young, it is inspired by the 1936 novel Gone with the Wind.' I was very young when my mother and aunts (who were very young) introduced me to Gone with the Wind. My memorable and first exposure to an epic romance outside of the fairytales. Namkoong Min, like Rhett Butler, is compelling, powerful, commanding and utterly and completely courageous. He is so handsome that I could not believe that I have never come across him. Yet, I hadn't. He is much more than wickedly good looking. He is deeply in love with Yoo Gil-chae and yet star crossed. He is brave and fearless. I could go on and on but what I am in no doubt of is that he deserved the Daesang and more i.e. like global recognition. Ahn Eun-jin grows into her role as the FL guided so beautifully by Namkoong Min. She is a non-conformist, has incredible resilience and strength and finds her way and her love to Lee Jang Hyeon. It took me to my deepest love and my unbearable heartbreak. An incredible supporting cast. This deserves to stand next to Mr Sunshine. 'My Dearest is a masterpiece that seamlessly blends emotional depth, historical context, and stunning performances to create a compelling and unforgettable narrative.' I am completely distraught that it is done. It has gone into my TOP 10!

2024-11-30 Mr Plankton is a SUPERB piece of work. A VISUAL MASTERPIECE! It is new refreshing and totally different to any Kdrama I have seen this far...and I have watched 186 (with some 20 rewatches). It has the feel of a Quentin Tarantino... Nonlinear narratives Pop culture references - California Dreamin Stylized violence Extended dialogue Gripping and immersive worlds Distinct and memorable characters Nonlinear storytelling structure The visuals speak as loudly as the dialogues! "The cinematography doesn’t just show us the world—it makes us feel it, from every sweeping landscape to the quietest moment of solitude." "Every shot feels like a work of art, meticulously crafted to evoke a visceral reaction." EPIC!

2024-11-25 I have lost count of how many times I have watched this beautiful piece of work. IT IS KIM WOO-BIN'S SIGNATURE ROLE! What an incredible performance! AND the chemistry between him and Bae Suzy is palpable! They are breathtaking together! Superb supporting cast! for the first time in all the times I've watched it I believe that the ending has many possibilities... I still sobbed... I have completely changed my mind about the ending from the first time I watched it for the first time in all the times I've watched it I believe that the ending has many possibilities... I still sobbed... 20240416 I sobbed and sobbed and sobbed at the end…this really is one of my all-time saddest stories…the total and complete tragedy of what can happen in life… I've just watched it from beginning to end for the 2nd time and It took a lot of courage because even though more than a year has passed since I first watched it I haven't forgotten how devastatingly sad it is... The whole time I was watching it (and I've now watched 125 kdrama's) all I kept thinking was Kim Woo-bin deserved a Daesang and shame on those who overlooked him. He is imperial in his role. He has a stillness that is magnificent. He brings out the best in every one involved in this production and yes, there is palpable chemistry between him and Bae Suzy but he also makes this happen. That scene in the last episode when his mother comes to see him and she says, ' when you miss me my door will always be open...when it rains...when it snows...' this in itself deserved an award... EPIC! This story, got muddled in the middle, but it takes you to the deepest, saddest, broken parts of yourself... It takes a helluva storytelling and acting to do that... and so I apologise for my harshness in my first review (which I'm leaving here) because it IS a very powerful piece of work and one day, when I'm feeling particularly melancholy, I will watch it again... 2023-03 How did Kim Woo Bin NOT win awards for this true to life role? Writer Lee Kyung-Lee you let this cast down! The first time I watched this I was really upset by the ugliness that this series portrays. I have just finished watching Marriage Contract, which is an incredible piece of work and acting, and so decided to go and rewatch Uncontrollably Fond Episodes -1 to 5 and episodes 17 to 20. It is a very disturbing piece of writing and an absolute shame on Korean Society. Kim Woo Bin is BRILLIANT! Superstar! A man is dying (and let's not forget that this was really happening to Kim Woo Bin (of whom I am a huge fan) and you turned it into a story of power, greed, horrible mothers, shouting and screaming, cruelty and what's worse... Flippant! A total lack of empathy and sympathy for a young dying man! Park Hyun Suk you FAIL! If you're going to watch then watch the first 5 episodes and the fast forward to episode 18. EPISODE 19, especially the birthday dinner, is ONE of THE MOST POWERFUL...MOVING...HEARTBREAKING moments in all of the Kdrama's I've watched todate. Kim Woo Bin and Bae Suzy deserved much more respect than many reviewers gave them. Lim Ju-hwan; Yu Oh-Seoung; Choi Moo-Sung; deserve acknowldgement. BUT a very poor and frivolous ending! What a shame...

2024-11-19 Master's Sun was entertaining but a bit puzzling... I found solace and hope in the fact that Gong Hyo-jin could see ghosts as in my own life my mother was dying and died today. Once again she is a sweetheart bohemian... The love story between the leads is quirky... There are other love stories in the story and they all come together. It was my first viewing of a much younger Seo In-guk. It's not one of the greats but I would recommend it.

2024/11/04 I've lost count of how many times I've watched the last 5 episodes but once again I was deeply moved. It remains in my Top 10 and I've now watched 182 Kdrama's of which 22 are rewatches. It is EPIC! It is so well written; so well enacted and with a SPLENDID cast! It's a must!!! I can't wait to see what Park Ji-eun writes next. She really takes us to the many scenarios of life and reminds us that sadness takes us all out. 20/10/23 Just watched the last 5 episodes and reminded myself that it is in my Top 10 for a reason - it remains SUPERBO!!! Amongst the Best of the BEST! Wow...Wow...Wow... This was my 3rd Kdrama. and now I have just finished watching it for the 3rd time. Right up there with Descendents of the Sun and Legend of the Blue Sea as my top 3 to date. An utterly gripping narrative. The chemistry between Hyun Bin and Son Ye-jin was palpable. It was gripping, funny and heartbreaking. This is storytelling on a grand scale. A marble cake of characters. Drama... Love... Tragedy... Humour...oh such great laughs especially with Captain Ri and his Company 5, delightful, troops. Yang Kyung-won as Pyo Chi-su, Yoo Su-bin as Kim Ju-meok, Tang Jun-sang as Geum Eun-dong, Lee Shin-young as Park Kwang-beom! They take this story to another level! What a combo!!! It made me go and inform myself more on both South and North Korea. I utterly loved it and would highly recommend it. It is a love story on a grand scale. However, be prepared for an unexpected ending. I was saddened by it. I cannot wait to see what Park Ji-eun writes next. She is in the same league as Kim Eun-sook! ...and I know that I will watch it again...

2024-11-02 I nearly gave up on Hyde, Jekyll and me because the timing and pacing was just out! I persisted because of Hyun Bin and Han Ji-min and the rest of the cast. As always an incredible cast. It was a very brave story of DID - Dissociative Identity Disorder - and the complexity of more than one personality. Hyun Bin was excellent! He gave the Disorder credence and respect; portrayed the fragmentation, amnesia and trauma connection so well. Sung Joon as the tortured psychiatrist was excellent! Unfortunately there was never closure for him in the story. Then the final 10 minutes which were so rushed. However, it is a worthwhile watch.

2024-10-26 It's 2 years since I watched What's Wrong with Secretary Kim. I have watched the odd higlight but this is the 2nd time that I've watched it from 'cover-to-cover'. The reason I came back to it was quite simply Park Seo-joon having just watched him in Gyeongseong Creature. I watched him with intent and awareness that he has grown older and more mature...much more mature! I enjoyed it but found myself disturbed by the choices his parents made for him and his brother. I also found myself disgusted by the greediness of his mother. BUT the chemistry between the leads made it ALL worthwhile! Oh and I just love Kang Ki-young who plays another beautiful part. 2022-10 It is delightful to watch a series that is well written, well acted and well produced. This is a love story with a beautiful story line. Some might call it 'cheesy' but I would argue against that. It is a very well done Rom-Com with all the magic of a fairy tale that is so lacking in the world we live in. The best kind of escapism. I highly recommend it.

2024-10-20 I DON'T do horror et al... BUT I DO, DO Park Seo-joon! So I took the leap and watched Gyeongseong Creature. Season 1 is excellent and lives up to the rave reviews and acknowledgement it received. It captures the horrors of the Japanese occupation of Korea...and it is as horrible as their allies the German's did. It is about the absolute depravity of man. It captures a mother's memory of her child eventhough she has been mutilated. Park Seo-joon is definitely a man in his thirties i.e. the young man of Hwarang and What's wrong with Secretary Kim is gone and a mature man has grown. He is riveting in this role and the chemistry with Han So-hee is palpable and breathtakingly emotional and charged. They are GREAT together! The supporting cast are excellent and in their performances highlighted this great piece of work. UNFORTUNATELY Season 2 is an almost complete let down. It jumps 79 years but never tells us what happened in those 79 years. The acting was as good as Season 1 but the story line is a complete let down. Where Season 1 was totally plausible and we know that humans were experimented with Season 2 was just too far fetched. It ends with the possibility of another season. A lot of repair work will have to be done.

I put off watching this Kdrama from its inception because of its title. It has absolutely no relevance to Louisa May Alcott's classic. I will go so far as to say it is a great pity that the title wasn't given more thought. It should have been titled - The Blue Orchid or The Ghost Orchid or something to do with the orchid. It is very good! It's a thriller, gripping and riveting in every single episode. Every episode is a well written, well thought out cliff hangar. An excellent cast. I could see that Vincenzo's director was involved. I highly recommend it!