KangHae
Cast in action is worth it!
The cast is the main reason, I've been waiting for this movie for a long time and couldn't wait to watch it the moment it came out. Well, I was kinda disappointed but enjoyed it nonetheless.Story:
Tbh, the story is a mess. They've touched on a wide and complex topic, added in too much only to deliver a portion of it. The first half was a complete mess and I had a difficult time making sense of the story while it straightened out in the second half.
Ji Kang In operates a black team in China and our main lead, Han Ji Hoon is sent there to make a report on him. Well, imagine an office guy stepping into the world of spies and war. He has no choice but to become a part of the team and gets dragged on their missions while making sense of what's going on.
What I didn't like about the story is, that it's too predictable. This pretty much killed all the thrill one can feel in such movies. A couple of twists could've been nice despite the story being too simple.
Acting:
With Park Hae Soo, Lee El, Song Jae Rim and Jinyoung (these are the only familiar faces in this movie for me =D ) in an action movie, how can the acting not be great? They're best suited for such films, especially JaeRim!
Rewatch value:
Nah, not going to watch because the story is all over the place and the action scenes are the only ones worth watching which are too short as well. Yeah...
Conclusion:
If you're up for good action films, do watch it. But be prepared for the story to make a mush of your brain in the first half of the movie!
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It had potential but terribly written & executed.
Story: 6/10The story was super cliche. A novelist gets into a contract marriage with a CEO who also happens to be her childhood friend. And this friend of hers has loved her for years, so he's internally celebrating. The female lead has no idea, of course, but she starts falling for him as she works on her first romance novel and experiences it with her husband.
(x . x) ~~zzZ
Characters: 4/10
The characters were terribly written, in my opinion. Su Jianan was way too selfish, too invested in her what she wanted that she was blinded to the feelings of those around her. Her development didn't convince me, no. Lu Boyan was controlling, kinda obsessed with his wife. He wanted to do everything for her. I know some people admire this trait in men but in my opinion it kills the sense of privacy which everyone needs. The supporting characters were just ok. Ruo Xi was the perfect example of an obsessed girls and Rui Cheng had potential as second lead before his character was butchered (I'm really angry, lol)
Acting/Cast: 8/10
Thank heavens the acting wasn't terrible but just OK. It was watchable but there isn't anyone who stood out for me.
Music: 4/10
I saw this drama on youtube and I think they've muted some scenes to avoid copyright. So, there wasn't enough music and the scenes were too quiet (Yeah, they were muted).
Rewatch: 4/10
NEVER, EVER!
Conclusion: 6/10
I would've dropped it around episode 8 or so but I didn't because I don't want my dropped list to increase. But, if you're in the mood to watch something light, the contract marriage kinda thing (it's my guilty pleasure but this one ruined the impression on me) then this drama is for you! (o^-')b
P.S: I know this is a very angry review but I was so annoyed by this drama that I wanted to let it out, lol. (´∀｀ゞ
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◢ Story: 9.5/10
Yes, it's brilliant. Yes, there are loopholes but they're so tiny that you'd barely notice. The story is captivating enough that for someone like me who leaves drama hanging after a few minutes of a boring episode, I binged it. It's unexpected, you'd find characters doing everything you'd expected them not doing. They're extreme in their actions and this is what makes this story intense and interesting. At least for me. This drama is full of moral/life lessons. You'd find a lesson in almost every character which varies a lot.
Now there are some elements that bothered me, and they're the reason for -0.5 from the total score. The men, in this drama, are abusive and extreme. I find their hitting women disturbing. Even women hitting women was disturbing for me. Maybe it's the way lakorn is or maybe it was what this drama required but it unnerved me.
◢ Characters: 10/10
Tor/Sila: A GOLDEN, GOLDEN character to exist in the fictional world. What happened to him as a child left him with this rage which is his only driving force in life. He's blinded by it but that doesn't mean he loses rationality and this is what makes his character a whole lot different and priceless. He doesn't smile, he just goes around blowing away your mind by doing everything you didn't expect. There's so much that can be said but I'd restrain myself because I don't want to spoil for those who haven't seen it. He's just THE BEST.
Min: As much as hot-headed Sila is, Min is that much calm and a cool person. Her character compliments Sila's really well but that doesn't mean I liked her much. She was judgemental and pushy in the beginning but I'm glad she grew as the story progressed. But that's all there was to it.
Pinsuda: Another GOLDEN character. Best Aunt in the drama world. This woman was badass and had such a BIG HEART. She's honestly a gem.
Villains: SO, SO, SO BAD. The villains in this drama are real definition of villains. Even though they have their own traumas that made them act the way they did but damn, they've crossed all the limits. Though the villains were played perfectly. After watching this drama I realized, once again, that how people differ. For some, urge to destroy everything for everything is the thing they think they'd find solace in and for some, they realize their mistakes and immediately try to amend them. They try to forgive and find happiness. You'll find different kinds of villains in this. They vary on the scale of villain-hood. Sida was ruthless and she knew what she wanted. In a way, her character had depth too. Her hatred was driven by rejection she'd suffered and this hatred blinded her to the point that she ended up losing everything. Her belief, 'the only ones we can trust are ourselves' tells much about her character. Her evilness had no limits, I swear which is why I felt nothing for her in the end. No, I wanted her closure even worse than it actually was.
◢ Acting/ Cast: 10/10
This high rating is all thanks to Tor (Thanapob). As complex as his character of Sila is, this guy has done justice to him in the best way possible. He is the kind of actor who portrays his emotions through face expressions which is rare. I loved his acting, I loved everything about the way he made Sila to be. Its my second lakorn and first drama of Thanapob so he's left quite an impression one me.
Min played by Fern was just an okay for me. Her character was subtle and quiet enough that I didn't feel her stand out. Moreover, I didn't feel enough chemistry between the main leads till the end episodes. She did a good job but not enough to leave an impression.
Wattanajinda who played Mam/Pinsuda was so, so damn cool. She truly gave this bold and courageous woman vibe with a mother's heart. Ann Siriam played the best lady villain out there. Her portrayal of Sida was spot on. I hated her so much which points towards how convincing she really was.
◢ Music: 7.5/10
Don't get me started on this. I didn't like the music. AT ALL. One background music track was good but others, nah! Sometimes they played the music which did NOT go with the scene. It ruined the effect >< Ending OST was good and imagine my surprise when I found out that Thanapob sang it.
◢ Re-watch Value: 9/10
YAS! Totally worth it. Its intense and I love intense shows. Its one of those shows which would make me coming back to it every now and then hence the high re-watch value.
◢ Conclusion:
This drama blew my mind away. Quite literally. Sila is the kind of character that I love. They're flawed and closer to reality than any other. His journey towards acceptance and forgiveness left a deep impression on me.
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Despite everything, I liked its basic story. Could've been catchy if written well. The story focuses on a gem buried in an ancient city that is known to have magical powers so will its holder. As the plotline states, our main lead embarks on a journey to find the hidden gem with his sister when they are threatened by the general. They're to find and deliver the gem to the general in exchange for their father under the pretense that the gem is to cure their town of plague. Well, they run into many different hurdles as they go.
Characters are just okay. It's a very short movie so there isn't much about the characters but I liked Wu Nian best. She has a past and she's different. She intrigued me the moment her character entered the movie and the mystery surrounding her unfolded really nicely but I wish there had been more to her. The rest of the characters are just there to fill the required roles. Wu Nian and Tian Yu are the only important ones here. And Master, Tian Yu's dog. He's badass XD
Pros: I loved the cinematography. Nicely done though sometimes it looked so fake, but then, it's ok.
Cons: There are too many things that didn't even make sense. The fight scenes for example and the sudden changes in the scenery. I mean, one moment they are traveling through mountains the next they are in a desert and within a blink of an eye, they're in a dense forest with heavy mist and a huge lake. Yeah, it didn't make sense.
So, if you're bored out of your mind and want to watch something adventurous with good cinematography and which doesn't make you think much then this movie is for you. But if you want something intense, which makes you ponder and question, then don't!
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Story: 8.5/10
Theme = The main story of this story revolves around a group of fresh graduates who strive to find internships in good companies and start making a living. This is a sensitive and very important topic of our lives and I could relate with all the characters as I'm sure many of the viewers would. The companies and the employers are, most of the time, horrible. They treat the interns as pieces they can easily dispose of after using them and this is exactly how the employers are shown in this drama albeit writers went a bit too far on some occasions and I wonder if this is how it actually happens in the world? Then there are parents, who show love for their children in their own way. The parents in this drama are, well, too much involved in their children's lives and it is exactly how Asian parents are, lol. Like other Chinese dramas, this one also focuses on the friendship between the co-workers, slow romance, struggles of the interns, and their hard work. Anyway, all the minus points are because, in the end, I felt something missing. I know what it is but mentioning it here would be giving a spoiler d(-_^)
Characters and their development: 9/10
I liked the characters, to be honest.
Starting with the female lead played by our very own Zanilia, Song Nuan is a very hardworking and honest girl. She's stubborn but in a good way. In other words, she's perfect (like most of Cdrama heroins). The only thing that she's lacking is, confidence and the ability to reach her true potential and that is exactly the road the writer has taken for our main character. There's only one person who realizes her true potential and pushes her into circumstances where she can utilize it.
Our main lead, WOW...Ok. I really, really hated Zhang Sheng in the first ten episodes. He was the worst kind of character, a bully with no sense of regard for the others. His character development was the thing that I looked forward to, the most. I was not disappointed but I wasn't completely satisfied either. He changed as a person, he changed so much by the end and this development was really smooth and gradual.
Then are the other two characters, Zhou Ge Ge and Zhao Xiao Chuan. Where Zhao Xiao Chuan's development was like Song Nuan's, he developed confidence which is the only trait he lacked in my opinion, Ge Ge's development was another good point of the drama. In the beginning, she's just suspicious of everyone, misjudges easily and throws tantrums, I loved to see her grow as a person and as a friend. Sometimes, she annoyed me a lot, and sometimes, I loved her to bits. Like Zhang Sheng, she was a complicated character whose character development was done nicely but a little more work would've been nice XD Supporting cast was good, too especially the parents who, most of the time, were more immature than their own kids.
Acting/Cast: 7/10
It was just OKAY. I've seen Zanilia's work, her modern dramas, and let me just say this: WHY ALL OF HER CHARACTERS ARE SAME? Why does she always play this meek and shy girl who grows with the story? Aside from her, others were ok. Elvira Cai who plays Zhao Ge Ge went overboard some times (maybe her character was written that way but still, it was a bit uncomfortable to watch XD ) but she was okay overall. Nothing special in the acting category, I'd say.
Music: 7/10
It was typical rom-com music at the beginning but later, it changed as the story changed and the characters developed. I loved the theme song they used but I can't find it, lol. The background music is nice too. A bit dramatic for the scenes but I like this kind of music so I didn't mind ɷ◡ɷ
Re-watch Value: 7/10
It's NOT must re-watch kind of drama but some scenes make you feel optimistic a number of times and these can serve as a good source of motivation if you're feeling down. The scenes from their military training are so darn cool. Aside from this, there are many scenes that I'd love to watch again someday.
Overall: 7.5/10
Not perfect, not bad but just right kind of drama. It touches reality in a way that makes characters relatable. I liked it, enough to binge it despite a pile of pending assignments （─.─||）
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It is the perfect portrayal of so many things: How far one is willing to go when he/she has nothing left to lose, how low humans are capable of falling for their greed, and the way humans are capable of becoming monsters for it.
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Plot: 10/10
Hats off to the writer of this masterpiece. This drama was so well written that for someone who gets bored/distracted easily, I binged it. 102 episodes in 10 days, is a new record for me. Right from the first episode, the plot pulls you in if it doesn't by the summary. There's something happening in each and every episode. I've read many comments about it getting draggy in the middle but I didn't feel it, maybe because I was watching episodes after episodes without a break? Anyway, the plot and characters are enough to keep you hooked up till the very end. Sometimes it gets predictable and sometimes, it's hard to predict what the characters would do. All in all, its a good Makjang.
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Characters: 9/10
I LOVED THE CHARACTERS!
1) And hands-down, there's no one better than our main lead Lee Nayeon. She's the sole character who shines brightest. This character went through SO MUCH, SO MUCH in this drama. What I loved the most about her character is; even though she seems timid and polite girl, she has this fire inside of her that intrigues viewers right from the start. Whether she's 12 or 32, she's something to be reckoned with. She's the kind of character who won't hurt a bug but is capable of bringing down a mountain if someone is to hurt her loved ones. And THAT is exactly what she does. She's the gold of a character! Lee Nayeon's character is followed by Baek Dohui's who's such a precious character but.... I cried a bucket!
2) Then there's Kang Taejun! DUDEEEE!!! He is the perfect example of someone who's leading a blessed simple life but keeps eyeing the stars and forgets what he has while he does. His character deserved everything he got. What's interesting about him is, HE KNOWS!! He is not oblivious to what he's doing and what might happen to him for it but he still pursues what he believes in. He's actually a wise character who just made unreasonable/stupid decisions to get what he THOUGHT he wanted. Enough said.
3) Don't get me started on Jang Sejin!!! DAMN!! I HATED THIS GIRL WITH PASSION! You greedy witch!! And here I'd say, she didn't love Taejun, SHE WAS OBSESSED with him. Kdrama writers tend to confuse obsession and love and this is exactly what they did in the case of Sejin! This issue should've been dealt with properly. She was obsessive, immature, and threw around words without care of what words might do. And her words did TONS! Those who've seen this drama would know what I'm talking about.
4) Park Yugyeong: *insert shudders* THIS WOMAN IS SO DARN EVIL. She is the example of those people who commit errors and instead of owning up to them, they bury it and they try to bury it deep. This woman is the root of all, ALL evil in this drama, and I loved how Nayeon pulled the world from under her feet. She took her time doing so. Park Yugyeong is one of those women who are obsessed with their children. I pity the people who have moms like this woman because while the world sees it as love, it is something much dangerous and unhealthy.
5) Park Hwiyeong: Ok, he's the most innocent character in this drama. He's just a tall teddy bear who wants to console everyone and help everyone. He trusts easily and has a big, big heart with so much love for his family. Even his witchy sister. But I loved how he could set his priorities right and knew what he wanted. I loved how he grew a backbone and started fighting for what he believed in and wanted. Now that I think about it, he's the only one who didn't hurt even a fly in the drama =3
6) Others: Taejun's mom was TERRIBLE! Nayeon mothers were the BEST. Her sisters were PERFECT and their boyfriends meh. Ahjussie Jang Gyeongwan......I have no words for this guy. WHAT? HE TRIED BECOMING THE VILLAIN FOR THE PEOPLE HE LOVED? Dude, grow a backbone first. But he got what he deserved. Hwiyeong's mom is THE BEST and Dohui's parents are the sanest people in the drama!
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Character Development: 7/10
Not much of character development except for Nayeon. Other than changing a bit due to their circumstances throughout the story, everyone remained pretty much the same.
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Acting/Cast: 8.5/10
Lee Yoo Ri rocks this show. She outshone everyone and everything. She played three different types of characters and nailed each of them. She just became the actress I'd definitely check out the work of. Others were okay. I'd say Park Ha Na who played Sejin is awesome too considering how much I despised her character.
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Re-watch Value: 5/10
I don't do re-watches, nope and there's no way I'm going to put myself through the anxiousness I felt while watching this. This drama drained me emotionally and it was well required too which is why it's going to have a special place in my heart.
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Music: 7/10
Except for its main OST, the rest of the music tracks were just okay. None out of ordinary kdrama makjang tracks ;)
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Conclusion:
This is my second Makjang and the first show I've binged since ages ago. I loved the characters, the intensity of the drama, and the way it kept me absorbed into it for ten long summer days.
If you're looking for something intense, something to test your emotions with a little bit of romance then this drama is for you. And I'd say, this is not for the weak-hearted or you'd cry an ocean.
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P.S: I hope people would read this long essay than a review xD
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Story: 9.5/10
The thing that I love MOST about crime/thriller dramas is the unpredictability and suspense. The ability of a drama to keep me hooked and on edge till the very last minute and let me tell you, Memorist has that.
The story, is complex. I won't sugarcoat this. So complex that if you're not into it by episode 4 or 5, this drama is not for you. What I loved most about it is, the way the pieces from all the cases connected to form ONE GIANT picture and it wasn't totally what I didn't expect, really. And the identity of Eraser which kept me suspecting each and every face on the screen and still, was shook down to my core at his/her real identity when it was revealed in the last episode. In short, this drama had all those things that I want/like in a drama except....except romance. And that's where I won't give it 10/10. Honestly speaking, this drama is a gem without romance in it but a girl can expect, right? I mean, I would've loved something other than very subtle hints (Hey, even if they might not be, I'd take them as such).
Then there's main theme: Punishing the evil by becoming evil. I kinda don't hate our main villain here. I mean, what else are you supposed to do if the government itself is ruled by criminals? But then again, its a strong reminder why governments are formed in the first place. Because regular people are not meant to pass judgements and because justice exists but you need to find it. This, is the main theme.
Characters: 9/10
Okay, I loved the characters and their chemistry is no joke.I'm talking about the avengers, as Captain Goo called themselves, which consist of Captain Goo, Our Dong Baek, Superintendent Han and precious Se Hoon. I swear, these four are the best thing in the entire drama and their friendship is so adorable. We can see how they love each other in their arguments and teasing on the guys' parts. Where I do feel something lacking in the characters, I'd ignore it because its a crime/thriller drama where the story focuses more on the cases than their personal lives. Again, if you're into romance+action then this drama ain't for you.
Acting/Cast: 9/10
Here I'd say something I've been itching to say since I started this. YOO SEUNG HO NEEDS TO KEEP ACTING IN ACTION/CRIME/INVESTIGATION/LAW etc DRAMAS. HE'S MEANT FOR THESE. I've not enjoyed his simple dramas as he's been awesome in action/crime/investigation dramas. He's so badass, I swear. He's WOW. Like, I have no words.
And I've loved Lee Se Young in other dramas of hers but action/thriller was a first of hers that I watched and let me say, she aced the role. Damn, she also needs to work in more such dramas.
Music: 8/10
Originally I look forward to music in such dramas but music in this one wasn't as compelling as I'd expected. It wasn't bad but it wasn't PERFECT either. It just was good.
Re-watch value: 7/10
Dramas such as Memorist are not meant for re-watching because the whole story rides on the mystery that are the killers or the main plot. Once you've seen it all, I suspect any one would want to go back to it again with no suspense or anything to keep them there except for our talented actors and coooool characters.
Conclusion: 9.5/10
I LOVED IT. I loved it enough to ignore a bit of things and here. AND I feel sad on finishing yet another drama of Seung Ho's!! I WANT MORE OF HIS WORK!
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Novoland: The Castle in the Sky Season 2
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I have a lot to say about this show - good and the bad both. I hope you stick till the end of the review ಠ‿↼
Story: 7/10
As someone who's watched season 1 and loved Feng Tian Yi, I was looking forward to this one since forever so, started it as soon as it started airing which, in my opinion, wasn't a good idea. Anyway, the base of the story and the way it connected with its prequel was 'a job very well done'. The start of the drama was awesome, enough that I ditched other dramas on my CW-list to focus on it. Where friendships were fantastic, romance sucked. Big time and since romance was one of the MAIN ELEMENTS of the show, I was disappointed. Till around episode 25, the pace was good before the writers/producers/directors or whoever realized that they only have 9 episodes left to wrap it up and so, they did everything to collect the scattered pieces of the plot. You can imagine what became of the story. It was chaos. I was confused and then I was angry. They shouldn't have dragged the plot in the first place. They wasted so many episodes on FL's character development, which were necessary, I know that but they could've shown it without teeny-tiny details. And not to mention, the Cdrama/Kdrama cliches the writers pulled. Will there ever be a romance story WITHOUT THOSE DAMN CLICHES?
Characters: 6/10
In my opinion, this figure is just because of 4 characters only. 4 for whom I watched the drama till the very end. Feng Ru Che, Fang Qi Mo, Lian Yi and Lin Yue Cong.
Feng Ru Che has one of the BEST character developments in the history of character developments. Her journey and development was worth it. From the girl on streets to the throne and from there, to the camp and then back towards her throne. Damn, I was in love with her. The only time I DID NOT like her was when she was with the ML. I get it, that she had to be different with him but both of them made me uncomfortable in a way. Xue Jing Kong was a century old magician and watching him act like a teenage boy in love with a teenage girl was weird. Somehow, I didn't feel the chemistry between the two or maybe their romance wasn't the kind I enjoy? Well, whatever it was, sucked. BIG TIME.
Then comes Fang Qi Mo. Poor guy. He was an amazing friend and matured faster than the ML. I didn't feel any SLS for his part because he deserved better. Sorry Feng Ru Che, he's better as a friend.
Then comes Lin Yue Cong. From overachiever mean girl to Feng Ru Che's best friend. I loved her. I loved how mature she was, how understanding. If you hate her at the beginning, just hold on. You're gonna love this badass fighter.
Then comes Lian Yi. I loved her the moment she came on screen. But I pitied her more and was furious because of the injustice the writers delivered to this precious girl. She was emotional and an angry girl, begging others to just look at her. Mainly only one person but I can't give spoiler, now can I? The people around her weren't ready for her, tbh. They did not deserve this precious being.
Rest of the characters were good but lacked certain details. The characters I despised(strong word but even this isn't enough to show how I feel for them! AGGH!): Yun Mun Yang & Du Xian Yin & Xuan Ji. God, I was so, so angry because of these characters. They're the kinds of characters that make you want to break things. They just got on my nerves. One of the reasons why I rated the drama so low is because of all the screen-time WASTED on these three!!! Enough said.....
Acting: 7/10
Sadly, no one's acting stood out for me but Xu Xiao Nu who played Lin Yue Cong, maybe? I was looking forward to Daisy Li's acting since she's so pretty and was so cool in King's Avatar but I'd say she still has room for improvement. Other than these two ladies, our FL's actress Uvin Wang was really good if not 'the' best. Acting was good but not remarkable enough to leave an impression. And I'd love it if Jeremy doesn't play such roles again, like NO.
Music: 7/10
OOooooo boy! I don't care about the OSTs but the background music tracks were SO BADASS and SO ON SPOT. There are certain scenes where the music was simply EPIC!!! I'm rating it 7/10 just because of these background tracks otherwise the OSTs were simple for my taste. Same tone as other such dramas. None out of ordinary.
Re-watch Value: 6/10
I'd certainly never sit down and watch all 34 episodes again but there are a few episodes and clips that I've saved and definitely will watch from time to time. Heck, they kinda inspired me in my own story writing. I can't list the scenes because I don't want to post spoilers but if you want to know, you know just in case, you can ask!
Conclusion:
I'm more disappointed than happy after seeing third drama in the Novoland universe (I love the concept of this universe) just because of all those stupid cliches. I hope writers take a step out of those and give us something worth the concept and cinematography they've shown us in the dramas based on Novoland universe.
Thanks for reading too darn long review and putting up with my curses for the story that you MIGHT love.
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Story: 8/10
I had a lot of problems with the story but overall it has a very attractive story line.
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1) Plot:
The basic plot/story is one of my favorites. Of a guy who has 8-years of his life missing from his memories and not just that, he might've been a bad guy in those 8 years. Moreover, its crime/investigation/drug trafficking plot which means every other scene might be a climax but....it isn't. Overall, I loved the drama but I have serious issue with the sequencing of the story. It would've been more thrilling had we not known about those 8 years of Liu Zi Guang. The viewers knew but the characters didn't. For me, it killed the thrill that we could've felt otherwise. The mystery of those missing 8 years and the snippets of what he did would've been hella more attractive only if we hadn't known those scenes in detail. I wish the story would've started from when Liu Zi Guang came back to Jiangbei and progressed from there since we had our share of flash backs of the starting episodes later in the drama.
2) Characters:
The characters....were normal? Too normal for my taste? I mean, this kind of plot requires thrilling characters, right? Anyway, I absolutely LOVED Liu Zi Guang in those 8 years. He was entirely a different character from his goofy present self. What irritated me the most were the stupidity of the female lead at number of times and Liu Zi Guang's over protectiveness. Maybe the writer had intended to make his character 'manly' and he succeeded in making him so only, he felt fake at times. He was...too darn perfect. And too darn immature. It was uncomfortable, to see someone like William Chen acting like a teenage boy.
If I'm to talk about my favorite characters of the show, I'd say Captain Han without a second thought. He was...the most sensible, passionate, rational character and I absolutely LOVED him. As for Li Wan, she became my favorite because of her character development and...the actress is gorgeous (；・∀・) I loved Liu Zi Guang's friends. Damn, they really loved him, didn't they?
3) Character Development:
Surprisingly, the character development on the main leads part was...crappy. It was there but wasn't enough. Both the leads were too perfect and aside from changing because of their feelings for each other, they remained pretty much the same. The most character developments that I got to witness were in case of: Captain Han -> He went from crushing/cool captain to someone understanding and his friendship towards Liu Zi Guang was one of my most favorite things. The way he stood beside him till the very end. The guy deserved a hug but... Li Wan -> She, like Han, was harboring massive crush on Liu Zi Guang but I loved she went from crushing on him to loving him and learning what true love actually is. I absolutely adored her. Xiao Shuai -> A playboy and typical bad boy but I loved how he learned that his loved one suffered because of his actions and changed accordingly.
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Acting/Cast: 8/10
The acting was great, especially on William Chen's part. The way he went from mob member to a clueless hero was noticeable. I literally felt the change in his demeanor. Other than him, everyone else was just...okay. Sandra Ma was great at number of places but overall, her acting didn't pull me. Oh, I absolutely LOVED Sophia Hu who played a guest role of Lisa. Damn, she was badass and so, so cool. Wish she'd been there most of the story-line.
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Music: 9/10
I loved the soundtracks AND the background instrumental tracks. I wish Chinese released WHOLE albums （πーπ）
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Re-watch Value: 7/10
For starters, the drama is too long for a re-watch. If not for middle 25 episodes, I would've loved to watch it again some day because of the action parts! They were nicely done.
Conclusion:
If you love fluff amidst action then this drama is perfect for you. Out of 47 episodes, 30 are full of fluffy moments while rest 20 are action packed and intense. If not for the sequencing of the story line, I would've rated it higher than I have.
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Story: 6/10
1) Plot:
I have so many complaints regarding the story line. It was typical, too predictable for my taste. Actor gets into some trouble and the main girl steps in to help i.e via pretending to be his fiancee. Ok, this far it was good but things went downhill when they got married. It was abrupt and lacked chemistry between the main leads enough to make me keep expecting something like: 'hahaha, I was just kidding.' To be honest, I watched it till the end just because of the side characters who were pretty interesting but their story lines, even though were interesting, were rushed. This is the kind of drama which can be summed up in one sentence and that's all you need to know to understand all 24 episodes.
2) Characters:
Poorly written. Simply terrible. Especially the main lead. Maybe people enjoy characters like him but I'd use 2nd ML's words for him: 'He's a Giant Baby'. Yi Han really is a giant baby from the start till the end. If he wants something, he'd throw tantrums to have it and would bother his agent Kan Di (I loved her) till our FML comes along. Only one word to describe her: Moneygrubber. She's not exactly greedy or bad but her world revolves around calculating money all the time be it her own or her husband's. Like, seriously. Don't we earn for ourselves? I hoped for her to change by the end but she didn't. The main leads were already lovey-dovey and married by episode 14. Rest of the drama was THEIR drama which was pointless and stupid. Here, where the stories for the second leads started and much to my dismay, these got swallowed by the MLs drama that was supposedly the climax of the story.
=> The only thing I loved about the drama were the Inspire squad. They were precious friends of Youyou and then there was their shop. It was so cute and nice.
3) Character Development:
If there's one thing I appreciated in all the mess, it was a little bit of character development on the main lead's part. Where Yi Han is a giant baby, he changes to become a baby by the end. He grows out of his throwing tantrums and deals with issues in a bit more maturer way. Just a bit. Youyou on the other hand remained the same throughout. That's all. Other characters remained the same from start to beginning.
Acting: 7/10
Disastrous on the main leads part in my opinion but...I think they did their roles so well that I actually don't like them (＞ｍ＜) So, basically I'm complimenting by not complimenting them XD
Again, the second leads' acting was tons better and I enjoyed their scenes. Tbh, I was looking forward to Kido Gao's role for he's the only one among the cast I'm familiar with. Lu Zi Zhen (Kan Di) impressed me though. She's GORGEOUS and was PERFECT for the role of Yi Han's agent, Kan Di. I understood the feeling of guy's crushing on her because, hell, even I fell for her (´∀｀)♡
Music: 7/10
Bubbly and nice. That's all. Nothing about it stood out.
Re-watch value: 5/10
Nah, not the kind of show I'd sit down to watch EVER AGAIN.
Conclusion:
If you love the shows with bubbly characters who're on the borderline of being immature while being adults then this show is for you.
I'm not judging or anything but I well understand that everyone have their own preferences. This drama, simply, wasn't my cup of tea.
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Story: 9/10
Twins - Separated at birth - Raised to kill each other.
Yes, the plot is really captivating. I was attracted by the mentioned three things and I don't regret diving head first into it. So, here's my detailed review:
1 - Basic Story:
If you ask me what the main story is about, I'd say the story of this drama is built on obsession, greed and power. These are the three main things that caused the downfall of our main leads' parents, made our one of the bad villains cause an uproar in the martial arts world and for our lady villain to scheme and lose everything while doing so.
Where as the basic story isn't as powerful as some would like, it was still a good one.
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2- Execution:
One of the things that I loved the most about this drama is the execution of the story. It was so well done for a Chinese drama. Around episodes 14 to 25, I felt it was going downhill and sitting there going through 11 boring episodes is a good test of one's patience level but I' glad that I continued watching it instead of putting it on hold. The story picks up after episode 25 and it's worth binging from there till the end. Like many Chinese dramas, our leads go through one adventure to another before meeting each other. Even though those adventures were silly with pointless issues but somehow I felt as if they were necessary for building up the characters. And later, trust me when I say I was very surprised to see all these pointless story lines combine together for the climax. Every little action and hints here and there meant something BIG by the end. It was really beautifully done.
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3- Characters and their Development:
Unfortunately, this is where the story lost that one point from me. I'm sucker of character developments more than the story and Handsome Siblings fell short in this. Yes, there was some development in Han Yi Tian's character Hua Wuque but it wasn't much. Xiaoyu'er pretty much stayed the same smart ass as he was since the beginning maybe because he didn't need the development like Hua Wuque did. I guess this makes Xiaoyu'er a very unique character. The only thing that he really needed to learn was to trust others and the way he is, I doubt he learned it but I bet he did at the same time. He's the life of the show in my opinion and his camaraderie with other characters is one of the most beautiful things ever. Coming back to the development, there was some on Tie Xinlan's part as well. Her journey of finding herself and her true feelings shaped her character really nicely by the end. As for Su Ying, this precious girl came in so late but she was worth the wait. As for the villains, two of the three villains are tragic villains. I felt bad for them yet I didn't. They were not bad because they WANTED to be like million other villains. Tragic villains make sense and seem more human so, I'd say even the bad characters were nice to some extend.
Overall, the characters are life of the story. They're so beautiful and varying. The love/friendship between Xiaoyu'er and Hua Wuque is the BEST thing ever. Their scenes together are PERFECT and makes you wish for more. Their love and trust regarding each other is PRICELESS.
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4- Ending:
I feel that its really necessary to say something about the ending. I wouldn't have asked for more perfect ending other than what Handsome Siblings delivered. It was so, so perfect. Proper enclosure to every character we'd come across during these 44 episodes. I've rarely felt as satisfied as I felt watching this ending.
Acting/Cast: 9/10
Tbh, it was my first time seeing all these actors. Yes, I haven't seen Yi Tian's work before and Handsome Siblings was where I discovered him. He gave me Lan Wangji vibes. A lot. He's how every insanely good characters are. He's such a cute and precious character throughout and I wondered if that's how Yi Tian is or was this how his character was supposed to be? I guess this is me complimenting his acting! xD
Tbh, more than Han Yi Tian, it was Chen Zhe Yuan who blew me away with his acting. Yes, I felt number of emotions watching his character 'Xiaoyu'er' which is one of the complex characters I've seen. He's hilarious, he's smart (too damn smart), he's a trickster and he's kind and loving at the same time. He makes people laugh, he gets under their skin (a couple of times, he got under mine as well LOL), he gets angry and he loves passionately. He's a lot of things and he's my favorite kind of character and I salute Chen Zhe Yuan for bringing the character to life. This kid is so underrated tbh. I'd love to see more of his work.
Music: 9/10
I rarely love Chinese drama OSTs for they're usually slow for my taste but I loved all 4 (ONLY 4) OSTs of this drama. The background tracks were insanely good (I WISH THEY"D RELEASE THEM OR SOMETHING).
Re-watch Value: 8/10
This drama is safely tucked away in my 'DON'T DELETE STUFF' folder where it'll stay for a long, long time for me to keep going back to it every now and then. With such precious characters and light story line, who wouldn't want to see it every now and then?
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Story: 7/10
Plot - This drama is a good portrayal of what people can do just for their ambitions or desires. Parents are capable of discarding their children and vice versa. Greed for power is something which makes us blind to what we already have and the ones in power, end up destroying nations for it. Well, its a strong plot but what made me rate it so slow? Unfortunately I didn't like the execution of it. The characters and the story both had potential before it started falling apart after 6 episodes. The story was scattered all over the place in my opinion. The plot only moved when someone died but otherwise, it seemed to be staying still. There was no character development, none. All I felt was that if characters made some progress, next moment they took tons of steps back. If I'm to summarize it, tons of people were after the throne and revolting all over the place. There's too much of slaying and stabbing if you'd ask me.
Characters - I loved most of the characters but I didn't like Seo Hwi's. At the same time, I was glad that the writer didn't make romance the main element for the show. If you're here for Seo Hwi x Seon Ho then don't get your hopes up because they have few brotherly scenes together. As for the side characters, they were a nice distraction. They were more lively than our main leads. One character which stood out the moment he was on-screen was Lee Bang-won before his character become victimized to the writing. Those who've seen the drama would know what I'm talking about.
Acting/Cast: 10/10
The only part that made me keep going till the very end. I love Woo Do Hwan and Yang Se Jong and them together in this was what pulled me in like many others. Woo Do Hwan didn't disappoint, like always. For Yang Se Jong, he's done better. But, Jang Hyuk was the best, hands down. His portrayal of Bang-won was....perfect. He played most complex character of the show and nailed it.
Music: 9/10
Overall music was really nice. Enough to make me go search for the whole album, which is a rare thing in my case.
Re-watch Value: 5/10
Nope, never gonna happen. Too darn depressing to watch again.
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Story: 8.5/10
For starters, I'm glad its standalone! Kind of! XD
As someone who isn't related to medical field, I don't watch medical dramas for they revolve around different medical cases. They use medical terms I've no idea about so its hard for me to watch them. Considering these two points, I liked the drama a lot. Many people, I noticed in comments, didn't like the political aspect of it but let me tell you, I enjoyed it though I wish it had been a bit more organized and powerful if they were going to make it a part of it anyway.
The winner was the bond between the characters. I loved how they had each other's back and how they strived for their hospital because for them, it was their home and they were a family. The downside was the character development. I'll write it again; I haven't seen season 1 so I'm just interpreting what I saw in season 2. I saw a little character development in most of the characters. In this regard, Park Min Guk and his team were the BEST.
Plus, bad guy was more of a child dreaming for a big, big amusement park and I failed to understand why was he so darn crazy? If he was in season 1 then that's another story but if he isn't, then writers failed to explain his character altogether.
Acting: 9.5/10
It isn't my first time with 90% of the actors in the main cast. Where Ahn Hyo Seop has improved a lot, Lee Sung Kyung was more or less the same as her character in Doctors. She's gotten a tiny bit better but then maybe her story line demanded what she delivered. Of course, Han Seok Kyu outshone everyone. In short, the cast didn't disappoint.
Music: 10/10
Its one of those dramas for which I searched for WHOLE album and by whole album I mean the background music tracks as well =3
Re-watch Value: 7/10
I don't re-watch anything but in this case, I've kept a few episodes downloaded in my laptop to watch again sometime ^^
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Story: The story, is very simple. Too damn simple yet it portrays the life of an Asian family & everyday life at a police station beautifully. All of the characters belong to different society classes and struggle through different issues. But mostly, the story focuses on portrayal of parents' love for their kids which is the main theme for this drama. The children are what makes the parents strong no matter how good or bad the parents/children are as people. One thing all the living have in common is the love for their children. And how this love sometimes make them controlling and blind to what their children want or what kind people they become. It is that love which makes the future of the children or destroys it altogether. You'll find many version of this love in the drama.
The thing that bothered me the most is: What's so wrong with marrying/falling in love with a person who has a kid from previous relationship? Its something a lot of people suffer from in Asia or maybe the whole world and the only solution lies in forgiveness and understanding.
I rated it 7/10 because although at first it was somewhat interesting, by the second half I was mostly annoyed at all 3 main characters. I felt no such chemistry between the leads which was a bummer. I hated how stupid the characters were most of the time but all's well if it ends well ;)
Acting: The reason I went for this 120 episode drama -> Do Ji Han x Im Soo Hyang. It's my second drama with both of these actors and let me say that Im Soo Hyang is so damn talented. She portrayed the role of a single mom really well. Had I not seen her acting in Graceful Family, I wouldn't have noticed how much she's improved. Do Ji Han, having nailed it in Hwarang, is really good here as well but he still needs more experience. He portrayed the cold-hearted police officer role really well (his character was annoying as well tbh) but he needs more experience if we compare him with his co-start in this drama!
Next, I liked actor who played Jin Dohyeon. His portrayal of spoiled 30+ year old rich person was spot on and I loved his character development the most before it became victim to the writing. He's a jerk, mind you but he changes in around episodes 70 - 95. Other actors were fine, good if not the best. Huijin did her role of annoying older sister so well that I actually hated her. I'm finding myself annoyed by the actress too. LOL.
Music: It was fine. Nothing that stood out for me ;)
Re-watch Value: Nah, nope! It already took me over 3 - months to finish this drama so there's no room for re-watch!
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Story : 10/10
Chen Nian is a good student and by good student I mean the kind of student that is quiet, obedient and spends all her time studying. Even when she sees bullying taking place around her, like many others, she chooses to stay silent. At first, I hated her silence. I wanted her to fight back, report to the adults but there is only so much adults can do, only so much protection they can provide from what would come 'after'. This is exactly what is shown in this movie. Every child needs someone in their life with whom they feel safe, protected and here is where our hero comes into the story. He's also someone who was abandoned and is just living till he meets Chen Nian and wants to protect her. The second half of the movie had me in tears at realizing how honest children are in their feelings and how far they can go to protect their friends. Anyway, this movie has one of the BEST story lines ever.
Acting : 9.5/10
Whole of the cast was new for me except Zhou Dongyu who I saw in 'Sparrow' after which I'd vowed myself never to see her work again yet here I am. She proved me VERY wrong regarding her acting skills in this movie. She portrayed Chen Nian and her struggles perfectly. Honestly, she looks like a vulnerable child in this movie, enough to want viewers to protect her and root for her. Though the person who impressed me the most was Jackson Yi. His character Xiao Bei was perfect for Chen Nian and portrayal of his expressions was spot on.
P.S: HE'S ONLY 19!!!
Music: 8/10
Depressing as ever. Maybe the movie and the scenes demanded such background music but it made me even more sad than I already was while watching this.
Re-watch Value: 5/10
WHO WOULD WANT TO WATCH SUCH A SAD AND DEPRESSING MOVIE FOR 02:15 HOURS?
Overall: 9.5/10
-0.5 mainly because I was super annoyed at the camera angles. On top of it, it moved a lot in multiple scenes.
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