A drama ruined (again) by its ending (no spoilers)

I'll just be honest here. I hated this drama. The more I watched, the more I hated it. Then I started to despise it with some serious fire.
And here's why:
1) I hated the rich, spoiled, entitled, and bitchy main character(s) - (one, mostly) - who were often bratty dicks to people they supposedly loved, but got all the props because they didn't have jobs or any responsibilities of any sort and could just show up everywhere at a moment's notice (unlike other characters who actually had to work and couldn't just ghost whenever they wanted to.)
2) The FL was stupid at times, and I wasn't expecting that. Like she would do really dumb stuff (like stupidly get into a stalker's car) and I found myself starting to dislike her. But it was her choice at the very freaking end that really made her dead to me. Like done.
3) THAT was one of the worst endings of any dramas I've seen in years. All that build-up, all that relationship work, all that fooling us that this wouldn't end up being a stupid drama with a shitty, cliched ending, but one that could actually make sense. But no. The writernims ruined it with the ultimate reward going to a wholly undeserving character in the end.

What I did like:
1) The music! The music was first-rate, all the way around.
2) The acting was generally good - a little overacted, but not the worst I've seen.

Read More

Watch this...like right now. Ignore all of the negative comments and the low rating. Watch it.

This has proved to me - maybe once and for all - that MDL ratings don't mean a damn thing and are pretty much irrelevant and meaningless. 7.9 for this gorgeously acted and emotional gut punch in all the best ways....no frickin' way. This has become a new favorite - Matsuoka Koudai is an absolute revelation, and Nakao Masaki continues to hone his craft in masterful ways.
This is one of the best BL's I've ever seen - and I will hear nothing else that could possibly change my mind. The fact that this story was written by a mangaka who is himself a part of the queer community makes me love it even more.

This short drama is one of the best portrayals of depression and social anxiety that I've ever seen on screen. He was morose for a reason...which was one of the whole plots of the drama. Other commenters have called Mamoru an unlikable tsundere character. In my opinion he wasn't tsundere in the classic sense, he had significant depression and anxiety. I'm not saying that he was easy to be around, it was obvious that everything in his suffered from his illness, but as he learned to love and accept himself (and someone else) more, his mood and his environment lightened. The lighting even went from pretty dark in spots to much lighter by the end.

I love J-dramas, firstly, because they're quirky and interesting and pack a lot in about the human condition in a few episodes. JBL's tend to be the same - they're witty and funny and sometimes they're emotionally intense and angst-filled, but they more often than not say things that we didn't even know we needed to hear. This one is no exception.

Read More

It's a mixed bag, but a drama you should watch regardless

After rewatching a second time, I can confidently say that the FL and SML are two of the most unlikable, disagreeable, and unprofessional, and frankly, unethical characters I've seen. I disliked them both even more the second time through. I still rate this drama high because of the ML (who is frickin' amazing) and because it says some important things about mental health and self-acceptance but wow, they were terrible.

Here's the spoiler-y part:

Honestly I wish that Yong Shik would have ended up with Jennifer - she was an amazing friend and support all the way through. I just didn't buy Yong Shik's and Ru Da's love, (and I hardly ever say that. ) What the FL and SML did to Yong Shik in the beginning was so unethical and wrong that if there was any justice in the world they should have lost their medical licenses over it - I was just as incensed the second time about how they treated him. Also there are so few dramas that portray issues of trauma realistically and sensitively (and this isn't really one of them either, unfortunately,) but there were a few moments that shined. So all in all, it's a recommended-watch, but Dr. Do is an absolutely terrible example of a mental health professional!!

Read More

So this drama ended up having two things: some of the most heartfelt and well-written scenes in dramaland: between the King and his beloved, between the previous King and the new King, between the King and his friend, between Hang Ah and her father, etc, etc, and 2) some of the poorest execution of a portrayal of international folks out there.

I loved King2Hearts a lot, (like a lot), but it had the MOST ATROCIOUS "American" "actors" I had ever seen....then and still now. I don't know where they found those people, but they weren't American, for sure. However, what was even worse was that they were such bad actors it was embarrassing, and it made their scenes unwatchable. The villains were so bad it became cartoonish (and not cartoonish like anime or something cool.)

And I want to go on record here disagreeing with anyone who is being negative about the FL's character - either her accent or her voice or how she looks. Ha Ji Won could turn her character from cutesy and sweet into a badass in seconds - that's acting skill, folks.

Read More

It pays to ignore negative reviews and just watch it yourself sometimes

I loved this drama!! It makes you crave sweet and sour pork like crazy. Junho is SEXY AS HELL here and he shows off his superb acting chops again and again. He isn't an "idol actor" - he's an actor. Period.
The FL was completely adorable and grew into a fierce, opinionated, and talented woman and partner for the ML. I loved loved loved them as a couple. I also loved how the bromance developed, and how much love and trust there was between the men.
I'm not sure why commenters are saying there wasn't adequate character development - we must not have been watching the same drama. The characters at the beginning were not at all where they ended up at the end. There's not really a spoiler here to say that the gang turned into real chefs at the end, because that was a main point of the drama to begin with. The secondary romance was also sweet and a pleasant surprise. No spoiler here either, but there was a twist in the middle that was heartfelt, sweet, and extremely touching.
I loved the supporting cast and we could clearly see growth in all of the characters...except one. I hated the mother with the fires of a thousand suns. She was a Horrible. Selfish. Person. I actually found myself screaming at the tv whenever she came on. She started the drama selfish and entitled, and ended up being selfish, entitled, bratty, dumb, and just plain mean. She wasn't evil like other K-drama mothers, but that didn't make her meanness and selfishness any less easier to take. Gah, I hated her.
Sure, this drama wasn't perfect. I wished for a wee bit more of a resolution for one of the main characters at the end, and it's hard to fathom ex-spouses as ridiculous as the ex's of the main characters'. (I've already mentioned the mother.) There were a few plot holes, but let's be honest, what K-drama doesn't have a few plot holes or characters who drop out of sight? That said, any time you get three main characters who all sparkle on screen, a passionate romance without too much melodrama, some amazing-looking food, some very satisfying payback, and the CUTEST KITTEN EVER...I've got all I need.

Read More

Just wonderful

From the second half on, I just cried - not because it was overly sad, per se, but because it felt SO REAL. For those of us who have survived the pandemic (so far!) while still trying to work and keep our children (and ourselves) safe, this was a kick in the feels. It was done so well, and so authentically, and it took a long time for me to finish it. But I'm so glad I finally mustered up the courage to just sit with the feelings and the memories of those first few awful months (and what it feels like to STILL be in it now.)
This was the perfect addition to an already-amazing drama - one that skillfully navigated so many societal issues and challenges, with humor and love. Just wonderful.
It got straight 10's across the board from me, with the exception of "rewatch value" - because it was so poignant and real, it will be a while before I can watch it again. But all of you need to watch it for the first time!

Read More

You should watch this.

This was a whole drama packed into just two episodes. It's a talented writer than can say as much as they did in just two short episodes - it's more like a movie than a drama. Stunningly beautiful and profoundly romantic without being overly sentimental, it packs an emotional punch. It's a redemption story without sliding into too many cliched tropes. Lee Dong Wook knocks it out of the park again, and Park Joo Mi is brilliantly understated and says more with her eyes than with words. The title is also interesting - Kang Koo's Story isn't what we necessarily thought we were watching at the time, but it starts to make sense the more the story unfolds.

Read More

A standalone film with a lot to offer

I honestly don't understand the negative comments about this film - it's frickin' beautifully written, acted, and filmed and is a very important and timely addition to other LGBTQ+ media being produced around the world at this moment. There's also no reason to draw too many comparisons to its prequel because these characters are not the same people they were much earlier - obviously. We get to know who they are right now, which is more important. And while there might not be fanservice and skinship every five minutes, the characters deeply love each other (that's obvious), they are there for one another when it matters, and they plan their lives around each other. Do they make mistakes? For sure...and they pay for them, in various ways.
I believe that this film is ultimately about the ways we can atone for the selfish mistakes we make in our lives and how they affect those around us. But, (and this is big,) sometimes the mistakes that humans make are because the societies that they're in do not have their best interests at heart, and do not allow for folks to live fully into who they are, (and that includes issues around both gender and sexuality.)
This film gets ten stars from me, and I hope more people watch it.

Read More

WATCH THIS DRAMA...LIKE NOW

I loved this so much. I loved everything about it. I loved the concept, the writing, and the twisty nature of the plot, I loved the characters, and how awful and awfully flawed and wonderful they were all the same time. I loved the acting - OMG, I loved the acting. All of the leads earned their paychecks in spades, but even the supporting cast were top-notch. First of all, Yamazaki Kento and Kadowaki Mugi were just flat-out BRILLIANT, but Mackenyu was a huge and welcome surprise. My perennial favorite Shison Jun never disappoints, and Suda Masaki......Suda Masaki, my word, he electrifies and just *possesses* every role he plays.
I am actually sad that I finished this, I need more from these characters and from this story - it deserves more than ten stars.

Read More

It's actually better than its rating here

Sometimes I skip all reviews and just watch the drama I want to watch. In the case of Good Morning Call: Our Campus Days, I am so glad I didn't read all of the negative reviews first. I loved it WAY more than I thought I was going to! I thought the first season was ok, but the second season hooked me almost from the beginning and then on to the end. I thought the acting was better, the writing was tighter, the characters were more developed, and they were less immature than when they were in high school. I loved the addition of cutie Sugino Yosuke as Natsume and I loved seeing characters from the first season like they were old friends.
After I finished this, I read the reviews here and (slight spoiler but not really) people didn't like Natsume because he chased after Nao even though she had a boyfriend. But if you paid close attention, you could see that Natsume really didn't want to like Nao - he fought it and fought it, until he couldn't fight it any longer. That doesn't mean that he should have gotten the girl in the end - but it made his character more understandable than I think people gave him credit for.
I was rooting for Uehara and Nao to get their acts together and I think this season showed real growth for the couple. People grow up in fits and starts and none of us were fully formed humans right after we graduated high school - especially ones that basically had to raise themselves. Both Uehara and Nao showed real growth through this season, and I was here for their partnership. Both characters referenced needing to expand their worlds throughout this season - and that is often not easy. They both had to learn how to communicate better (and more often!) but that's life.
The first season was incomplete in my opinion, and that's why I like multiple seasons so much - we had more time to spend with these characters who just needed time to grow up.

Read More

I wasn't going to watch this...but I'm so glad I did

I've heard about this drama for years now, and I thought that I had no interest in it at all. I don't always love melodramas, even though I've seen quite a lot of them, and I don't always like revenge dramas...and this one was both. So I had this drama under "Not Interested" for a long time and I thought that was that. But I recently read an article about hate-to-love dramas and there were so many comments recommending this, that I reluctantly said that I would try it. And MAN. I am so glad the drama fairies made this happen. WOW. I knew that all of the actors involved were top-notch but I had no idea that this drama would bring as many feels as this one has. This was a roller coaster ride and one that I'm thrilled to have finally decided to jump on.

Read More

This was pretty good....until the end

Up to the last two episodes - which were THE WORST - this drama was pretty good, especially the characters themselves. I liked that it showed that everyone lies - to themselves, but especially to their friends - and that everyone is insecure inside and even hates themselves sometimes. It's what we do with that insecurity and self-hatred that really matters. If we use it to better ourselves and the world around us, then that makes it worth it. If we use it to destroy ourselves and the world around us...well, then that's not good, obviously.

I watched this for my faves - Kiriyama Renn and Yoshizawa Ryo and I was reminded that I really like Kojima Fujiko as well. (She was great as Mana - scrappy and loyal.) I liked their characters, even though they were all a hot mess of contradictions and each had a heaping dose of emotional instability. However, I could not stand Miki's character and I actually had a hard time watching her - that syrupy sweet naiveté made me want to scream. But the acting all the way through was really solid - the young actors all really delivered. And for this being seven years old already, the production quality was really good and the OST added the right touches when needed.

But even with the excellent acting, there were significant plot holes left open- like holes big enough to drive a truck through. Besides the obvious gaping holes which I won't spoil here, there were other smaller pieces that all added up by the end- like I kept wondering if they were producing extra food out of the air, like the loaves and fishes, to feed all those people for so long without going back to the grocery store. :-)

It's already been mentioned here that the ending was just the worst. At one point I wondered if the writer had been replaced at the end because everything sort of fell apart and nothing made any logical sense anymore. While it was a shame to have such a bad ending, the rest of the dorama was enjoyable enough to make it worth a watch. We'll just pretend that it all ended differently.

Read More

This drama doesn't age well

There are great dramas that are ten years old, and then there are some that have not aged well. The themes and messages here - especially for women - are spent and should be retired immediately. I am SO OVER the tired, cliched, and frankly unhelpful trope of the cold, mean, and bordering on abusive ML, as well as a FL who basically spends the whole drama getting berated, shamed, and publicly humiliated by the ML. Not to mention being called "stupid", "not pretty", "dumb", and "only cute sometimes" by multiple family members throughout the drama - including the ML. Also, and this might be the worst for me, (slight spoiler), we get to witness a few other women make moves on the ML in front of the FL, and the ML did nothing, or next to nothing, to try to stop them, and on multiple occasions played along. (Slight spoiler: this could have been excused at the beginning of the drama, but most certainly not toward the end, where it became seriously inappropriate.)

Much of the problem was also that not only did we hate the ML for being so nasty so often towards the FL, but the writernims did her not one single favor and made her about as ditsy, clumsy, clueless, and ridiculous as any character I've ever seen. There were no explanations given for why the FL was so "stupid" - but I imagine she had an undiagnosed learning disability, and it affected the way she learned and acted.
Everything she could possibly screw up, she did, everything she could drop, she dropped, everything she could be blamed for (even if it wasn't remotely her fault,) she got blamed for it, any situation could be turned into an opportunity to publicly humiliate her because of her actions, etc. She spoke like a baby for much of the drama, and at one point the sound of her voice actually started making me angry. It was like the viewers were being asked by the writers to join in the hate-fest for the FL because they just made it too easy. (That's not the actor's fault, necessarily, it's how she was directed and how the character was written.) These were not likable characters, in my opinion. And believe me, I tried.

There was also precious little overt kindness shown to the FL by the ML, and we didn't get much affection until the very end. (Again, slight spoiler: a very big life transition, which is supposed to be joyous, instead was permeated with coldness, and meanness, and even dread - it frankly ruined the whole thing for me.)

The cautionary tale here is that for 99.75% of the drama the FL had no life of her own, no ambition outside of orbiting around the ML like a planet, (that was even explicitly referenced), no capacity to exist outside of, or away from the ML, and no way to change his often-hateful behavior towards her. She was so insecure that she resorted to openly stalking the ML and exhibiting behavior that the viewers were expected to accept as cute and funny and romantic from her, but not from the SML or the SFL. It was a ludicrous way that women were treated in dramas, even just ten years ago, and I am so glad that we see less and less of this trope at present. It's just too damaging. To quite Kimmy Schmidt: "Females are strong as hell" and our media is starting to reflect that more, thankfully.

One positive thing I can say about the drama, is that it portrayed perseverance well...well, mostly well. I did not love that the FL was rewarded for her behavior during the years she had a one-sided obsession but I really did love her explanation of her nickname: Noah's Snail. Many of us have felt that way, and I did love that. But that was honestly the only thing.

Read More