Mango0519
visually stunning filler
I just have to shout out that intro. Never skipped and even replayed it sometimes. The visuals and vibes go too hard.I'll be honest, I wasn't on board with the show until about ep 4, but that proposal really sped things up for me. The story has your typical problematic chaebol family but some twists here and there. The jokes weren't landing in the beginning but I thought things became funnier as this progressed.
The acting was ok. The FL carried hard. Everyone is right. The visual chemistry is insane, and the romantic chemistry is good too. I'm still on the fence about SK’s abilities as an actor. Either the roles he's getting aren't challenging or he simply doesn't have the range. Either way he wasn’t the best here and at times I thought he forgot how to act. KYJ has such a charming face. The directors knew what they were doing casting her in this. She just has the right look. Same with SK. Seok Hoon, Madam Ju, and Seok Min’s actors were good. Everyone else was just ok.
This was def better than I thought it was gonna be. I actually found myself looking forward to the ep drops. Def pick this up if you're looking for something nice with little complications.
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good core story but a bit dragged out
I wasn't sold on the title but PEB’s acting in recent projects(TKA & EAW) influenced me to start this. She is that good.The plot was pretty original. At its core this is just a story about a girl with a dream and an unexpected friend who helps her achieve that dream. You could say some aspects were unrealistic but the whole “I survived on an island alone for 15 years” thing was done rather well imo. I felt that specifically the plot with Kiho’s dad and LRJ dragged out a bit longer than they should have. Ideally this show could've been 8 eps with far less filler but then it might've run the risk of having a rushed finale. The writer did her best to subvert expectations about which brother was Kiho but it was obvious early on. I did second guess myself a bit as I'm sure others did too.
The characters were good.
The acting was good from everyone. PEB really immerses herself into her characters. Shout out to those kid actors. They really set the emotional tone and brought so much weight to the story with their heavy performances. N surprised me with the few emotional scenes he got. He had a bit more to work with than in Mine. As much as I dislike their characters, the actors depicting Kiho and MH’s dads played their roles really well. I don't like how they ended Bong Wan’s arc. I get that he was never gonna be with his family but his last major actions felt like too much.
The finale was ok but I couldn't help but feel that the longer the show dragged down the worse it became. This was 12 eps and yet I felt even that was too long. I felt similar with Start up. Doesn't mean this wasn't good but waaaaay too much filler. I also didn't care for the progression of RJ’s character. At least at the end we got to see Mokha stand on stage and make it as a big star and that was a bit emotional. PEB did a phenomenal job with the singing. She's in her idol era here and I love to see it.
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Everybody is worth of human decency
"If calling someone ugly was enough to kill someone then everyone in this country would be dead"What a line.
Well this did not go the way I thought. At least up until ep 2. Ngl I considered dropping when I got to that point cause I wasn't seeing where they were gonna take this but in ep 3 things got more interesting. MoMi's journey definitely had some surprises. Her story didn't develop the way I thought I would but in the superficial sense, she is a reflection of what many people deal with irl. With South Korea being the plastic surgery capital of the world and how common beautifying procedures are there, I've noticed a lack of empathy and cruelty towards those who are different and fit an ultra specific mold of beauty. All the main women here have tragic ends but I found it fitting to end the series with the first we saw of MoMi: a happy young girl that wanted people to love her back. The character-threaded episodes and how everyone's backstory leads them to Mo Mi was done well. Though the lookism commentary could've been a little stronger, I like the points that were brought up. Simply put, attractive people will always have an advantage but a person's value doesn't lie solely in their appearance. One thing I noticed while watching Nam Joo's mother's long and tiring revenge was that she used Christianity as some sort of twisted justification for her plan. She also never once reflected on her son's life or the events that led up to his death, which would've provided some context that perhaps could've led her down a different path.
SPOILER ALERT:
Why didn't Bomi just tell Nam Joo's mom that the reason why she killed her son was bc he tried to rape her? There was a bit of rage but it was mostly self defense. His mom would've still been angry but all she knew was that some girl killed her son and she ran with that.
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a lot of inconsistencies toward the end
I like the vibe of the show. There's something unsettling about each main character and the dark gritty undertones add to the atmosphere of the watch. The cinematography style was also well done. The parasite vibes were strong in this.I read another review that said this would’ve been better as a movie and I absolutely agree, especially after the finale. Even with 8 eps this had a lot of stalling and unnecessary scenes that didn’t serve any point besides being creepy.
The cast was very good. Kim Tae Hee’s performance was so good. She didn’t do much but the way she channeled that timid, reserved person who is easily startled was so great to watch. 2023 really was Im Ji Yeon’s year. I like her performance in the glory better but she’s pretty good here too. Looking forward to her future projects! Kim Sung Oh as the husband was an intimidating performance, but his character wasn’t as much of a standout as the FLs. I also have to give props to the actor who played the son because he was also good. Wish I got to see more of the son. His situation was kinda depressing.
The finale was quite satisfactory but didn’t go the way I thought. I def did not expect the twist with the wife and Sang Eun, but I thought it was a bit out of character for the wife specifically. I would’ve preferred if the husband managed to kill himself but idk how that would’ve happened. Apparently the teacher was responsible for Joo Ran’s sister’s death but what were her motivations? I would’ve liked to know, even if it had nothing to do with the main characters. The fight between Sang Eun, Joo Ran, and the husband was so wild but at the same time dragged out and got nonsensical. How did that baby survive?! That’s the real question. I’m glad that Joo Ran and Sang Eun got a somewhat happy ending. I hope the son got some help for his depression. Still, for some reason I feel that this wasn’t supposed to end as happily as it did. The writing for the second half of this wasn’t as strong and started to show inconsistencies toward the end.
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I see the potential but it just never got there
This was an exhausting watch. I suppose you could say that with the heightened world of social media, it was warranted given the subject matter, but I found the feeling more annoying. I wanted to keep watching but at the same time no.I mainly watched for the social commentary but that felt very flat. Rather than adding something new to the social media/consumerism conversation the same points were repeated and got stale. It’s a shame bc these things should be talked about(especially today)but the script just didn’t deliver. I was confused about exactly what Ah Ri was trying to accomplish. She wasn’t like the other influencer girls and yet still I felt like she was a bit hypocritical because she decided to imitate the actions of the people she claimed she wasn’t like.
The actors were all ok. Nobody was outstanding, just ok. This is the second Park Gyu Young drama I’ve seen where she’s the FL, and I didn't like either of them a whole lot. She suits a side character much better, and personally I think she lacks the charisma it takes to be a FL. Kang Min Hyuk was so mf fine here but I’m afraid that's all he was. Why people saying the leads had such good chemistry, I don't know? Chae Hee was a CHILD. Shi Hyun was supposed to be the opposite of the two extremes I suppose, but she wasn’t giving me anything to work with. She wasn’t annoying so that’s good. The other influencers were forgettable.
This drama obviously had a lot of effort put into the production, and you could feel the weight of the materialism through the screen. However I think it missed the mark in terms of what it was trying to accomplish. This show wasn't inherently bad but my gripes mainly lie with the execution and delivery of the plot. Also, rather than being 12 eps this could've easily been 10. Hopefully another social media drama happens in the future and one with much more substance.
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Entertaining but went downhill quick
Came for Yeri and stayed cause this seemed like an ok watch. First few episodes were entertaining but went downhill pretty quickly. I should've known they wouldn't be able to create a satisfactory finale within 10 eps. I think this drama's theme shoulda purely focused on class and got rid of all the half baked mystery stuff.Also why were the writers tryna make Baek Jena likeable when she's been so nasty from the beginning?I didn't find the FL annoying but I did grow tired of her antics as well as the rest of Jena's clique. Do Eon had potential but he just wasn't giving what he needed to give.
Class of lies is a murder mystery school drama with way better writing and more intrigue. Watch that instead.
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the romance was so precious here!
What a beautiful way to tell a story about the precious time that passes between people that are in love.I can totally understand why some would think the time logic is confusing but after exposition from the FL I pretty much understood it. The acting was good. Fukushi Sota was so cute as Minamiyamai. His performance from the beginning was so endearing and you could really feel his love for Fukuju through the screen and that was amazing. Komatsu Nana was also good tho I liked Fukushi’s acting more. At first I wondered why it seemed like Minamiyamai liked her more than she liked him, even one sided at times. After her secret was revealed her behavior made much more sense and you saw exactly how much Minamiyamai meant to her. That ending was so abrupt bc I really loved every moment the leads were together and wanted to see more of them but I am happy we got to see their timelines collide again as we know they do have a happy ending.
I def recommend this movie if you’re new to Japanese movies/shows and you're a big fan of romance or destiny-trope stuff. I was quite pleased with this and loved the romance aspect here. Am open to watching this again in the future.
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calming and mellow film!
I might need to watch this again but it was quite a beautiful movie. I love how all the piano pieces played were different and created such vivid scenery each time. I also liked how you–the viewer–got to see how much intricate work goes into tuning and fixing pianos. The subject matter should've bored me but it was actually very interesting. You could feel the passion from all the characters, especially the girls whenever they played. It was inspiring in a way.Although the script was poetic at times, what I took away was more of the nature scenes that accompanied the piano scenes. This isn't really plot-driven at all and not much happens, just a lot of pianos. I'd recommend this if you just wanna get swept up in the pretty music and lovely scenery of the lush green forest.
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Ending was predictable yet not…
The concept was so intriguing and I'm currently in my Kento Yamazaki phase so I had to watch. I ended up finishing this over the span of a few days.Todome no Kiss is my first jdrama, but its premise is one of the weirdest I've seen from an Asian show. The production value looks hella dated(this show is from 2018) and some parts are a bit cheesy but I'm not above cheese if the show pays off. I think this did. I will say the last two episodes were a little draggy and could've easily been reduced to one hour-and-a-half finale that ties up loose ends. This show is predictable yet unpredictable. Some things you see coming and some things you don't. I was pleasantly surprised at how this turned out. I love how a person that only cares about themself learns to value other people and ends up sacrificing their happiness for the chance that someone else will have it. Good stuff.
Now unto the CHARACTERS. Kento Yamazaki as Otaro, though not impressive acting-wise, was entertaining and charismatic in the role. I also have to gush a little about the man's visuals cause Yamazaki is FINE ASF. This is the best he's ever looked. There were times where I wanted to be seduced by him cause damn. Anyway his redemption arc was great and felt very natural considering how hopelessly selfish and hedonistic he was throughout the show. Ngl towards the end I was kinda losing hope that he could be redeemed lol. Mikoto felt more like a plot device than an actual person and I blame the writers. And why was she so aloof at times? Saiko was ok but she was stale and cartoonist at times. Mackenyu's character storyline was kinda interesting but got a little annoying towards the end. He's intrigued me so now I will add some of his projects to me PTW.
Def recommend this if you're new to jdramas or need something fun to watch in between serious shows.
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The best acting from Kento Yamazaki so far
Just finished and I must say, the probability of me watching this again is pretty high.The story follows two individuals, Nagata and Saki, from their weird first encounter to their ill-fated relationship that changes one another for the worse. Both individuals have big dreams. Nagata is a struggling theater director who's awkward and standoffish to everyone around him but dreams of making it big and coming into a lot of money through his plays. Saki is a kind and considerate girl who wants to be an actress in the great city of Tokyo, but life has other plans in store for her.
In the beginning it seems like this will be a cute little love story where the good-natured girl falls for the quiet boy but things take a quick turn as Saki comes to terms with the person Nagata really is. She did state that she knew what kind of person he was from the beginning, but a person can only put up with so much for so long. Though the movie never elaborates, I thought perhaps she stayed with Nagata so long because there was a certain comfort in being with him and it's hard to let go of the people you grow accustomed to. The highs were really high and the lows were so very low. I do however like how this movie didn't shy away from the toxicity that many people face in relationships and the strain it causes on the partners involved. This demonstrates perfectly that just because you love and deeply care about someone doesn't mean they are good for you and they should be in your life. Although it was unclear and never voiced by either of the two I personally believe that Saki and Nagata loved each other. It wasn't the bike scene that had me crying but the convo they had that turned into the play. It was so well done and the dialogue was great. The script for this movie was really good.
I came for Kento Yamazaki and heard he had some good acting chops in this. I wasn't disappointed. This is hands down the best acting I've seen from him so far. He looked unkempt and messy for the part but it was the instigative attitude and seemingly nonchalant front he portrayed that kept me enthralled. I would love for him to do more projects like this. Matsuoko Mayu was just as good.
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Cute musical bits and cheesy fun
This was nowhere near as bad as the reviews said this was gonna be. I thought the musical parts were enchanting and super cute. The CGI bits were ehh but nothing too crusty. Mitsuki's voice is quite beautiful and I'm impressed at her contributing so much vocals to the film. Her acting was ok. The critics however were right about Kento Yamazaki. He is just eye candy here and his acting is non-existent but he looks so mf good in a suit and glasses that I'm ok with it. He was the only reason I watched aside from the premise but I may look into the FL's music and other works as her voice impressed me at least. I knew exactly the kind of movie I was signing up for with this one and I wasn't disappointed. It's good for a movie to know what it wants to be and be aware of its purpose at that. The only thing I didn't like was I think Narumi's boss. His voice was really annoying. Def gonna watch the anime soon!Was this review helpful to you?
THE STORY - The blending of law into a prestigious school full of privileged kids with clear-cut agendas. As a matter of fact I think the strongest parts of the show were those little probings disguised as lessons between Mr. Temporary and the Verida 4 in the classroom. They were entertaining and we got more of a feel of the main kids and their personalities. Wish I could say the same about the others. I do wish that other students or the student body as a whole got more focus outside the Verida 4.
THE CHARACTERS - LJY as Beom Jin was undoubtedly the standout. What a performance. He looked familiar as I watched but I was pleasantly surprised to find out that he was an actor. My only complaint with his character is that very abrupt ending. I’m not saying it’s not less of what he deserved but I so badly wanted to see him in handcuffs after being recognized for what he did. His murder felt like a cop-out though you could see it as him getting his commuppance.
Tae Ra’s demise is not what I expected at all but tbh I would’ve liked it better if she and her mother were exposed for fabricating her academic rewards and records. She was just as rotten as the other 3 but the way she went out was…wow.
Kyu Jin really was down bad for Su Ah, to the point where he started making irrational decisions that had him looking crazy. He had the strongest arc out of the bunch and was able to somewhat redeem himself(could’ve done way more) but he got off way too easy for that SA incident and the stalking. I was getting vibes that he was only upset about what happened between Soo Ah and BJ’s dad but he did apologize for the role he played with her so idk. I get that the victim is dead but not even a suspension or getting kicked out of that club? Yeri started with her 3 buddies and ended up alone which is rather fitting for her character. She also got exposed for her online crimes and lost out on debuting so she got her payback. I did think it was weird that she didn’t appear to be that sad when her supposed best friend Tae Ra died so suddenly but perhaps she was so caught up in her own ambitions it didn’t hit her until long after the fact.
Now unto the adult mains: Temporary was such a fun character. I enjoyed his screentime so much and relished in his ability to take whatever the kids threw at him. He was no fool and he didn’t underestimate them for one second. I think he realized the first day of his job that he would have to get into a basket of vipers to get to the truth. Ngl I was kinda scared for him cause man was being way to bold dancing around these powerful people. However he proved multiple times he could hold his own and that nothing was going to stand in the way of his goal. The teacher lady was so annoying and didn’t think before she did things which was super frustrating. I get her being mad about Moo Hyuk lying about his identity but she didn’t even really try to get to the bottom of it and find out why. I couldn’t wait or them to just join forces and move on with the story cause the constant misunderstandings and jumping to conclusions was starting to piss me off.
P.S The guy who played Lee Tae Seok did the part way too well. He has that…face lol.
Overall this was a really great show. I do think there should’ve been one more episode to even things out and get a follow up with the characters but the last scenes were satisfactory enough for me to be content with. The ending was incredibly satisfying and I will def watch this again just for the thrill of it all. I think the overall theme was just as Gi Gang Jae said: Finding out the truth is more important than winning the case. Of course irl things aren’t that straightforward, as corruption eventually seeps into those places where justice is supposed to prevail. I may not become a lawyer but that saying however did give me a new perspective for when I view cases as an outsider, low profile or high profile
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acting and action scenes on point!
{It only took one clip to convince me to watch this and I was not at all disappointed! Give one of the best series of 2022 a watch!}THE STORY - I like to watch underdog stories from time to time, and this one was no doubt one of the best I’ve seen in kdramaland. The bullying and cruelty was handled well as it was extremely hard to watch at times but I’m glad it wasn’t shied away from. The realism in the series is what I really enjoyed watching. It was great to watch the theme of friendship and how it can strengthen the people involved manifest throughout the story.
THE CHARACTERS - Park Jihoon being cast as Si Eun was as genius as it was clever. This was my first drama with him and I truly wanna commend him for how well he portrayed his character. He looks weak and cute on the outside but when crossed he turns into a totally different person. The facial expressions were on point. He came off as numb but never indifferent. Choi Hyun Wook really shined in this show. He was far more charming here than he was in 2521. His chemistry with PJH and Hong Kyung was really good. I hope he gets bigger roles in the future. Hong Kyung’s character had a real twist that I did not see coming. It’s interesting to see how his demeaner and actions differ when he wears his glasses and when he doesn’t. His fall was unfortunate but made for good storytelling. The bullies did their thing. If anything they showcase the common idiom “hurt people hurt people.” Some people are so weak that they prey upon others to feel some sense of power or stature in society.
On a side note I have to acknowledge the fights! The action scenes were really cool and filmed so well. Def exhilarating to watch and even had me on the edge of my seat at times. I actually might rewatch this because of the fights alone.
Overall this was a great watch. Will def be checking out the webtoon soon. The ending for season 1 was open-ended enough for a second installment. I really hope thats the case cause this was so good.
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grief gets better overtime
I did not read the webtoon so I have no reference but I liked this one. I was a bit hesitant to start it as I mostly avoid high school dramas. The premise however led me to believe that this one might be different. Of course it still had the typical hs stuff but at the core of the story is a woman whose grief has consumed her and put her life on pause because of it.What I really liked about the show is how it went to the past for flashbacks and back to the future. That way it was easier to see how previous words and actions affected the lives of the characters involved. I knew Hamin was gonna die but I got the cause of his death spoiled for me online. I don't think that impacted the story for me as I still felt strong emotions.
Kim Mingyu and Kang Hyewon were ok. It was clear they were just there for visuals but Hyewon was rather decent and natural for the role she was in. Mingyu widened his eyes too much and often came off stiff. He has room to improve though. I've heard some people criticize the kind of relationship he had with So Mang and how their "closeness" was a little inappropriate. I somewhat agree as there were times when their grief caused that line between teacher and student. The excessive touching and intimate moments between them were understandable but So Mang is still in a position over Jaemin and should act accordingly. I really liked Hamin's character. I think the events leading up to his demise could've been tweaked for more emotional impact, especially the argument scene between him and So Mang. That part kind of made his decision look petty when in reality his situation was much more complex than that conversation. At least from the perspective of the drama, it was unclear as to what exactly pushed Ha Min to that point of no return. Maybe the webtoon is more focused. Ju Yeon brought the emotion and tenderness that was needed for this role and she got me teary-eyed at times because of her performance. My only other complaint with her character is the fact that she didn't read that last letter Ha Min had for her. It would've been painful, but it felt right for her to have unpacked the contents and accepted whatever last words Ha Min left behind. It was interesting for me to see how the characters dealt with loss differently. Ha Min's parents seemed to avoid the topic all together whereas So Mang constantly lived within the days leading up to the tragedy.
I think the ending is relevant to real life when So Mang is forced to really move on and let go of what once was with Ha Min and begin living her life in a way that would make him smile. Even upon going back to her old school she was still living in the past and refused to move forward. Doing right by Jaemin on behalf of Ha Min was a part of the grief process and that in itself was nice to watch.
Overall I liked this one. Def gonna check out the webtoon now :)
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Acting is better than the show itself
The premise was interesting and it had such a strong start but it soon turned into a meddled mess. Literally what happened?Given the plot I couldn't help but think of Love Alarm while watching this. When you mix technology with murder things can get interesting, and for at least the beginning of the series the killings were enough to sustain my interest. However as time went on the buildup towards that last episode wasn't satisfactory AT ALL. I'm not gonna get into the ending for spoiler reasons but with such a good setup, why was the ball dropped?
Kim Young Kwang was captivating as Yun O. I don't think it's unpopular to say that he was the best part of the show. His natural performance made me feel like the killings were a part of his everyday routine. I also have to commend how raw and intimate his sex scenes felt. Especially the ones between him and Kim Sum. They were so good I felt like I was partaking in something I shouldn't be. Their chemistry and honest acting together carried the show. Gi Run was pretty good. She played a disabled person extremely well and despite the character's shortcomings she was still very capable. Wish she had a bigger role in catching the bad guy. Mok Won was rather forgettable and her storyline was difficult to keep up with but I'll give points for representation. Overall the character's could've been better fleshed out because the skeletons were pretty good. We just needed a bit more flesh to complete them.
I wouldn't recommend this tho. The payoff isn't worth it at all. There's better thrillers out there so def skip this one.
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