JadeDarcy
Los Angeles, California
I recently watched Nagareboshi and really liked it. I was impressed by the main cast, specially Aya Ueto. I found her beautiful and talented. Of course I fell in love with Yataka Takenouchi in one fell swoop (so handsome!)Anyway, I wanted a Japanese drama with a similar feel.
Juunen Saki Mo Kimi ni Koishite fit the bill perfectly. This drama was a very quick watch at just 6 episodes. It was nice, sweet, romantic and well acted.
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Overall, I highly recommend this drama. It worked great for me. It will now be placed in my top 5 dramas.
If I may be arrogant enough to hope that if you read this review in the future, while wondering which drama to watch next, this will convince you to watch "The Master's Sun". I'm certain you'll be entertained and perhaps fall in love with these characters as much as I did. Enjoy!
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"This episode cemented my belief that this is the best rendition of "Mischievous Kiss" [for me].
1.The pacing is great. They cover so much ground in each episode, while keeping and emphasizing on the important areas of character/arc/relationship development.
2.Even in the instances when Kotoko becomes a bit childish, they never really cross the line into cartoonish and overly annoying. As much as I loved Tversion, and Ariel Lin, it was painful to watch her character sometimes. I won't even mention the Korean one!
3. The characterization of all characters just seems richer, deeper and more realistic. Kotoko and Kin Chan have shown more skinship,friendship and awareness of each other. Irie is not so cold and is more complex in this version.
Kotoko is not as annoying, dumb and helpless as in the other versions.
[There were times in the story I thought they were finally going to cross the edge on too corny, silly or angst, but somehow it was always reined in, even if at the last second. I thought that was an attribute to the story]
4.Irie's mom is just: QUEEN. She is so adorable,funny, loving, manipulating and nosy. I love it.
Kotoko's dad's is also less pathetic.
Overall I think this show is doing a great job in keeping all the original elements of the story that we love, yet is bringing new life and dimension to how the story is represented, thus keeping it fresh and addicting."
As much as I liked the drama I have to say I was a bit disappointed with the ending. It felt a bit rushed and by denying to show us the consequences of Irie's decision I felt a bit robbed. They took away an opportunity of some angst (I'm not a huge fan of unnecessary angst), but I think it would have added a level of more sincere resolution. The ending felt a bit too...Sugar, spice, cotton candy and everything nice...for me.
Still, I would highly recommend this drama to fans of the other versions, or anyone looking for a sweet, breezy, light drama.
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If you are considering finding out why this drama is so popular you should definitely check it out.
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On the one hand this movie is a really sweet, young love, romance story. I liked that a lot. It was so cute and both main characters did a very good job portraying their age and love for each other.
Now, on the other hand, the love and story seems incongruent to what is actually happening. Jenny is 15?Korean years? and she becomes pregnant. This is where I had the problem with the story. When it ended I really was left wondering what the point of the whole movie was.
The pregnancy situation was EXTREMELY UNREALISTIC,IMO.There were no consequences to becoming a teen parent. No moral, physical, social, etc. consequences. The girl didn't even get morning sickness or lose her flat stomach. Having a baby is a beautiful thing, but it is also difficult and a huge responsibility. The movie showed none of that. Everything was sweet, rainbows, and roses.From what I could see. There was really no conflict, and the little conflict there was, was not presented strongly enough.
Were they promoting teen pregnancy? Sex education?.IDK Even the sound track was very childish. There was even a scene were they show a video on what happens in an abortion that was very one sided. I'm not saying that I agree or disagree with abortion, just that the scene was presented in what in the USA is called, ProLife, kind of way.
Anyway, it was sweet, but the topic was handled in very unrealistically.
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I really enjoyed this drama. The acting was very good from everyone, but Ariel Lin's was outstanding. She really made me want to go look for everything else she has acted in. She made me LIVE her character. could have sworn it was real.
Actually, one of the best things about this drama is how rounded and developed all the characters are. The relationships and interactions among friends and family were very real and healthy -for the most part-.
One of the main complaints I've read of this drama is how the relationship between the Main OTP took so long to develop, but I found that the other side stories and lessons were strong enough to support the drama outside of the romance.
I recommend this drama if you liked 9 ends 2 outs or I Need Romance 2012. It is mellow, funny, sweet and well acted.
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This show is greater that the sum of it's individual parts. Despite it's many flaws in logic and writing at times, once you diluted it you were left with story gold. This was an intense, well told/acted/directed/staged, etc. story. It was well worth the time spent watching it.
I learned so much in the form of Korean/Japanese history that I did not expect to learn when I first started this show. I feel grateful for the introduction into these tough and certainly painful parts of world history. Learning about comfort women and their plight has been quite eye opening.
This show left me with a better educated and thoroughly entertained mind.
If you happen to read this review while wondering whether to watch this story or not, I would say: DO IT!, but be aware of it's intensity, complexities and context. It does not pull punches and it really takes you through the ringer, but it will most certainly earn, deserve and be worth your time.
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I absolutely loved it. It was a re-watch for me. I'm not much of a re-watch anything person, but this drama was totally worth it.
The first time I watched this drama I was too new to the Korean Drama world. Even though I liked it, I felt that there were too many things that I did not understand and did not allow me to enjoy it as much as I did this second time. This time, it has moved up to become one of my all time favorite.
I decided to re-watch it mostly because I felt that watching Gong Yoo in "Big" twice a week, was not enough. I needed a higher dose and more exposure to that face and talent and *cough body cough*. It was during this re-watch that I discovered why this drama is so popular, timeless and overall a star making drama.
This is what I would call an "slice of life" drama. Nothing big or major happens. There are no huge plot twists, evil second leads, plotters to set the main couple apart or anything like that. The story is very subtle and deep at times, poignant at others and over all very funny and heart warming. These characters really make you feel like they are so real you might see them walking down the street -or maybe working at their coffee shop.
The acting is SUPERB. Sometimes I wondered if they were adlibbing. The conversations, the reactions seemed so realistic and flowed so well, it gave it an extra layer of believability.
The main couple is of course one of the major reasons to watch this drama. Ah- to be loved that way. The way Gong Yoo portrays it and smiles....(I'm fanning myself already :). That is all great and all, but really, this drama is an ensemble drama. What gets you and sucks you are the interactions these characters have with each other. How they become better persons from when they met, thanks to knowing each other, working together and caring for their job and each other. Even the grandmother and relationship between the main characters and their respective families was awesome. There was character development all around. I liked that.
The music was awesome too. The whole drama and the music itself gave me a very Indie feel. It reminds me of Juno, 500 Days of Summer, or books such as "Whatever Happened to Goodbye" by Sarah Dessen. All of these stories get you so involved in the subtleties of these characters' daily life that you feel a bit of a voyeur, a friend or someone who comes to care so much about them, that you do not wish the story to end.
Lastly, as sweet and romantic, well acted, funny and great music as it had, I do not think that this drama should be taken lightly. As subtle as it was it did feel very adult like in it's themes. They touched upon sex before marriage, gay relationships, cheating and forgiving, etc. I did not know before how many of the topics dealt here are not ones that -at that time specially- were usually touched upon. If you want to, this drama makes you think and analyze it.
I highly recommend this to anyone looking for a good story. Like stated before, don't expect a lot of action or plot twists, but this drama is really worth watching. This drama absolutely deserves the title of "all time classic".
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I liked and enjoyed this movie. I like well made action movies and this one did a wonderful job with their action scenes. The scenery was incredible and the story was interesting enough. The characters and depth of the story I felt was lacking a bit of weight, but overall I felt it was all well acted and made.
The movie is 2 hrs+, but I did not feel it. That time is mostly made up with the action. I had honestly never watched a movie in which arrows were central to the story. This movie did an amazing job with it.
I recommend it if you like fast paced action movies, have a couple of hours to spared.
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I reviewed the first drama and thought it was impressive for the realistic way it dealt with strong and sometimes taboo subjects. This drama continues that trend, but it's not as strong as the first one.
Still, this drama really is worth watching. The story continues to show the lives of our characters and the consequences of their actions.
There is this one new girl whom I don't like pretty much from beginning to end. But true to her character, neither the drama or the character made any apologies for her flaws. There were a couple of characters that can be considered villains in this one. The one from the school, I could not understand. It was a plot device I found unnecessary and cliched.Otherwise, I have to admit I was hooked.
I wish there was another season in the future. The ending was left open for that possibility, but somehow doubt it. Again, not as strong as the first one, but still enjoyable and worth watching. Enjoy!
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What does this have to do with 'Little Mom scandal'?. The only reason this background nonsense is relevant is because this was another shocker- but in reverse!
I'm so used to seeing all of this lack of physical contact,virginal characters, spoiled chaebols, etc... there is really none of that here.
This drama would not feel out of place in a telenovela (it would probably seem too mild :), or show in the US.
This drama deals with strong subjects such a sex in a young age, sex outside of marriage, teen pregnancy, abortion, dating age gap, the practice of golddiggers and much, much more. Even though this drama deals with strong issues, it is done in an appealing, tasteful (as it can be, for the issues its dealing with), realistic and compelling way.
I think the acting is done well, the editing as well. It has a good pace. This is absolutely not a rom-com, but is not a melodrama either. It has a good balance. It does not over dramatize any issue, or does it take it lightly either.It had me hooked from episode 1 and I finished the first 8 episodes in 2 days.
I would recommend this drama if you are up for something different. There is more skinship and sex scenes (not explicit)but it's still there, than what most people are used to. I find it worth watching. There is a second season I'm about to start right now. Enjoy!
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This drama was different from other Korean and Asian dramas that -I- have seen. The premise alone seemed daring and atypical to what I'm used to watching. One modern woman living independently with her boyfriend while not being married and then dating 12 men in one year? I believe that brakes a lot of drama cliches just right there. That alone made this drama worth watching.
I feel the drama was executed well. This is a story that deals with the question of what happens when love is not enough and does not last forever. Actually, I feel like it deals with the topic of love in a very modern and pragmatic way. It shows many forms of love in an interesting, funny and often touchy way. There is love of parent and child, friends, first love, etc...
I felt the drama was acted well enough. But, I felt the main character was overshadowed by that of the girl who plays her best friend. The way that character was written, acted and even physically, out shined the lead. There were some parts where I thought that Mi Roo was behaving like a total B...rat!. I was never really able to connect or really fully like her.
There are really no bad guys here. Everyone has their good and bad qualities in different proportions at different parts of the story. I liked that.
Now, as I said, it was not perfect. I had issues with a few things.
1. Was that by episode 4 I felt the drama lost a bit of its steam. I don't know how they were doing ratings wise or how it was received in Korea, but I felt like they decided to stop and look for that line they wanted to step on but not cross. It had this feeling of uncertainty, like for a second they were not sure how they wanted to continue. This was not really detract me from enjoying, but I did feel a change.
2. It did not feel as though the main girl had a lot of character growth. She pretty much felt the same from beginning to end.
3. I hated the main character's sense of fashion and hair cut. IT DISTRACTED ME!. At times I was busy thinking how much I disliked it and had to rewind the episode.
4.The ending felt a bit rushed.But it did tie and tell you what happens to all the important characters. I did not know who she was going to end up with.Well, I think that was not necessarily a bad thing, but it did feel underdeveloped.
Again, if you want a good rom-com, with a good story and don't mind the main girl kissing more than one man, this is a story worth watching. Enjoy!
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When a young trouble maker -whose parents pretty much run away from home because they cannot stand his bad behavior- finds a baby in his basket, he has to face the realities and hardships of becoming a single parent, with no support, while going to school.
This story made me laugh and cry. It's very cute, light, but not TOO fluffy. This was a very enjoyable movie. The baby is absolutely cute. My newly found love for Jan Jeung Suk continues. He is REALLY pretty to look at. I'm not going to tell you that this is the greatest movie out there, but it was extremely enjoyable from beginning to end. I was not bored at any point of the story and was touched by it. Highly recommend.
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The only downside I found was the second lead. He seemed very one dimensional. Even his facial expressions did not change much. Other than that, it was a wonderful watch. Highly recommend.
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From the first episode I was sucked in and curious as to what was going on. I did not understand much, I did not know what was happening or where it was going, but I was somehow captivated and hypnotized and could not stop watching. I mean, KIM NAM GIL - I had never seen him before in my life but I was instantly enthralled by him. It was love at first sight. Until this day I do not know what it is about him that I like so much. In this drama his character was mysterious, we are supposed to think he is bad and yet his actions seem contradicting. Each character makes you wonder who is really the "bad guy/gal" in the story.
The best part of this drama is that I do not think I would have been as enthralling without its OST. It is A.M.A.Z.I.N.G. I downloaded it right away and play it often. Even the instrumental pieces are excellent. They really add and create the atmosphere in this drama. I'm so certain that if I would have watched this muted with just the subtitles my opinion of this drama would have been different. It is that incredible.
Again, this drama had me hooked to it, but the last 3 episodes and most specifically the last 15 minutes of it had me breathing hard and chanting: "This is not real, this is not real. It's only a drama. Your husband will kill you if you break the TV"
Overall, even if the ending was not to my liking I do not regret watching this drama. It was one of the first Korean ones I ever watched and because of the music and maybe even bc of the ending I don't think I'll forget it anytime soon.
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