NutsyNoona
Dramaland
I remember watching the trailer and thinking that I needed to see the movie because it looked hilarious and now that I finally watched it, well it was funny but that's it. The story in itself is good but the way it was handled was definitely not so appealing. The movie fails to make you want to invest yourself in it. While watching, you can enjoy the movie but nonetheless once it ends you won't have any emotional link left between you and the characters, the soundtrack won't be stuck in your head, you won't be blown away by anyone's acting. You're just going to go on with your life.
This vampire movie is nice but very forgettable so if you are searching for a gem, keep looking.
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STORY: The story is plain to say the least.
It feels like the screenwriter said "Hey, I'm a sadist and I want to make bitches cry. What's the best way to make bitches cry? I just have to put a guy on the edge of dying, some unselfish love on top of that and, of course, a loooooooooot of crying scenes. Bitches love this kind of things." And maybe he was right since so many people seem utterly in love with this movie but I personnally think it's not enough.
The dialogues are plain but I guess it's logical since every single character is plain with no real personality...so don't expect to find any witty quotes in this movie. Of course the main character uses pretty good metaphors to explain love (and damn doesn't he love toothbrushes?) but even this isn't enough.
And all these unneeded scenes. It feels like they wanted to fill the lack of action by adding random scenes. And, once again, it failed.
Honestly speaking, the more I look at it, the more I feel like the screenwriter really thought a movie only needs someone dying, some twisted way of loving and, of course, crying scenes to be a good movie. But it doesn't, it simply doesn't.
And talking about the crying scenes, all this makes it so obvious that they want to make you cry your soul out and so we have a epic fail because all this is just ridiculous...story why you so plain and obvious?
However, I have to say that the base of the story wasn't bad, it had some potential but still, not enough is not enough.
ACTING/CAST: I have to admit the cast was good. Not flawless but good. But, again, it's hard to judge since the characters were so plain. It would have been hard, even for a outstanding actor, not to look just "okay" in this kind of movie. Because of the storyline and the way it's handled, everything is dragged down.
MUSIC: There are movies that when they end you just search like crazy for their soundtrack...More Than Blue isn't one of them. The soundtrack is just average. It goes well with the movie and this is it. It's not bad but it's not exceptional either.
REWATCH VALUE: Personnaly, I will never rewatch this movie and if I do, it will only be because I really love the way it was filmed...which leads us to my last point.
OVERALL: Everything is average in this movie. Everything? Maybe not...
Indeed, you just can't deny the film director has some really good ideas: the random beginning which leads to the story being told, the silent countdown, the use of the clocks...I have to say I really enjoyed it. It's too bad the rest didn't follow because More Than Blue could have really been a masterpiece if they handled the story differently. So to put it in a nutshell, yes MTB is bad, no it won't make you cry (except if you really feel like crying...but if it's the case, I guess even watching a tomato on a table can have the same effect) but you should still watch this movie because:
1) I have my opinion but I'm not you
2) The realisation is really good
3) I'm a troll and I want you to suffer as much as me from all this plainness
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At first, I liked this drama best for its fun simplicity. It was "warm and cozy" at the beginning as well as at the end. The OST was also nice to listen to, almost soothing. This drama feels like an open love letter to Jeju-do with food as its main theme. What not to like really?!
Unfortunately, problems reared their heads around episode 10 and stayed until episode 14 or so. All the dragginess and useless overcomplication made the drama lose most of its appeal. It felt as if the writers were suddenly displeased with doing simple and decided to overdramatize everything. A 12-episode format would have fitted this drama way better in my opinion.
Because of these problems, it's easy to get frustrated by the main couple but thankfully other characters are here to save the show. Except Mok Ji Won who is awfully one-dimensional, her character is so awful that I'm not sure if the actress that played her was really bad or if she did really well with what she was given. Overall the acting was good but I wasn't totally sold by it; my main complaint lied with the kiss scenes that felt so stiff it took away most of the charm of the scenes (thankfully it got better in the end).
To conclude, the Hong sisters didn't try very hard with the plot and although there are a few gems here and there, the drama is "warm and cozy" but in a very forgettable way. It's an enjoyable watch during a lazy summer week, nothing more. A nice little summer fling.
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This may not be the best drama out there but it sure does have many positive qualities that make it both addictive and endearing. Looking for this one strong and independent main female that Korean dramas seem to leave aside? Your prayers have been answered for Hwang Tae Hee is literally a queen. She knows what she wants and what she doesn't, she has pride, she is good-hearted. She is flawed but that makes her even more likable. Actually all the characters feel authentic. Every relationship as well. That is maybe why even if you want Hwang Tae Hee to end up with Goo Yong Shik, you actually wouldn't mind it that much if she were to rekindle her relationship with her husband. There is no manichean portrayal. The portrayal of the daily life of these characters -although obviously focusing mainly on Hwang Tae Hee- is thus simple and you have real life drama. That is to say no misunderstandings that drag for 10 episodes, no main lead finding out he has a cancer and dies leaving his girl crying on his grave, no one falling in love with his long lost sister and thankfully no psycho ex-girlfriend making a scene everytime she is on-screen. This is a simple story that portrays the reversal in Hwang Tae Hee's life and it is refreshing.
The actors did a great job portraying their characters. Even Chae Jung An, which I never could manage to stand was it on Coffee Prince or Cain & Abel, succeeded in making me like -little by little- her shallow-looking character. As for Kim Nam Joo, she was shining here as Hwang Tae Hee (though from time to time I felt like burning her wardrobe down). She managed to make a seemingly haughty ice queen a lovable character, which is not as easy as it sounds.
The soundtrack fits the drama. The tracks are not awe-strucking but you end up liking them nonetheless, maybe even putting three or four of them on your phone because they are catchy or just give you the warm feeling especially on a cold winter day.
Even though time flies while watching QoR, 31 episodes is still a lot of episodes to digest. I loved this drama and I don't regret any second spent watching it, yet it is true that the fact there is no big plot twist, no mystery to undiscover, no epic romance probably makes it harder to rewatch this drama daily.
To conclude, Queen of Reversals is a drama that you should at least see once because it is refreshing and well-written and warm and -bonus point- you have a strong female lead that knows her worth and doesn't let people messing with her.
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STORY: I won't lie the "lifetime best friends fall for each other" kinda plot is not what I would call my cup of tea. That's one of the reasons the Kdrama 9 Ends 2 Out didn't strike me as more than average. This is the kind of story that needs to be handled carefully for the viewer to accept that there's more to the friendship that the two friends are willing to admit (and by that I mean a romantic vibe), to understand why they didn't act on their feelings so far and thus to root for them. In Time With You handled it flawlessly. I felt like there were some few holes in the plot, the story seems a bit rushed near the end BUT overall the screenwriter(s)did a pretty brilliant job. The story has a "genuine" touch that makes it even more endearing. You just end up invested in this drama and all the characters. It even gets a bit infuriating at times because you feel like they don't tell you enough about the supporting characters when you just want to know everything. Is that too much to ask dammit! I guess that's the price you have to pay when your drama is only 13-episode long.
ACTING/CAST: Ariel Lin and Joe Cheng's chemistry made you drown in an ocean of feels since It Started With a Kiss and you can't picture her with anyone else? Well, I'm glad to inform you that the day has finally come. Ariel Lin and Chen Bo Lin's chemistry is just undeniable. The acting is just as strong both from the leads and the supporting characters. The actors make you "feel" for their characters and that's what makes this drama so "human".
MUSIC: I personally love it. Simple and soothing, yet also bittersweet, it gives a "mature" kind of vibe that fits the drama like a glove. It's definitely one of those soundtracks you don't get tired of easily.
REWATCH VALUE: Like I said earlier, I feel like the drama was a bit rushed near the end, there was so much more I wanted to see but except for that I loved ITWY to pieces. This tiny issue however will still be there to annoy me even if I watch the drama for 3 or even 100 times...
OVERALL: I'm not usually a big fan of Taiwan dramas but In Time With You has definitely won me over. It's both sophisticated and childish. There's no useless scenes. There's no useless complications. It's just a simple drama about love and understanding. Now please tell me where I can find my very own Li Da Ren.
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And I won't lie, at first I was not sold. AT. ALL. KSG’s character is supposed to be ugly, so ugly there’s no way anyone would fall in love with her, especially not a “pretty boy”. It would have made more sense to describe her character as “average” but irradiating such a low self-confidence that it would impact her relationships and how others see her. Also her character keeps wallowing in self-pity, especially at the beginning of the drama. It was just very cringeworthy.
However, once I passed the first half mark, I started really getting into this drama. After all, the aim of this series is pretty sweet: it essentially criticizes the fact that “beauty” is so predominant in our society - and in this case especially in South Korea. Also they managed to wrap up the drama in a sweet way, instead of the hot mess I was dreading.
So yes, it was far from perfect, but I still don’t regret watching this drama. Actually, I may even rewatch it, bc I’m cheesy trash.
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This drama is a ball of fluffy nonsense. Far from flawless, it still manages to grow on you nonetheless and to leave you in a cheerful mood.
Story-wise, it is pretty simple and consistent, so don't expect any major plot twist. The story is centered around the main couple's relationship and their loved-ones. That's it. A no-brainer (except of course if you take into account the "angsty" moments of this drama that are quite far-stretched to say the least).
As for the acting, yes it was over-the-top (especially with Liang Liang, the female lead, her friend Princess, and Dean) but since it fits perfectly with the atmosphere of the drama, somehow you end up getting used to it (and even enjoying it). Also can we talk about how great the chemistry between the leads was?!
The soundtrack of Just You is my favorite thing right now, tho it's rather a question of taste. My only complaint is that during some scenes of the drama, the songs played didn't always fit the mood.
Overall, it's a light romantic comedy, which is full of crazy and fluffy. It might not end up in your Top 5 Dramas but it will certainly find a special place into your heart if you're ready to look past its flaws and extravagance.
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