blackstar_aria
313
The good: the best thing about this drama was the very witty female lead Ye Jia Yao. She was never a damsel in distress, never waited to be saved by a man, made use of her skills and was i-n-p-e-n-d-e-n-t! (Hooray Girl power!). Honestly not many dramas have a smart, funny and non-annoying female lead.
Almost all the men in this one are HOT… in the best way possible! The majority of the male characters are learning to acquiesce to Jia Yao and her thoughts on women empowerment. In such a crossover historical drama I liked the use of modern terminology, and how the main characters would be lost while Jia Yao was explaining 21st century concepts; it just added congruity. It was cool that Jia Yao used her knowledge of historical dramas to help her through… that was cute!
The way the lead characters were written was magical, like a realistic couple, complete with quirks and trust and issues.
The Bad: The villains. Every drama can have a horrible step mother, an evil ex-girlfriend , awful sisters or in historical dramas an evil queen/king, and some really pointless self sacrifice. This drama had the worst combination of all of the above plus extra girlfriends and a troublesome kid. Delusional wickedry was the main theme in this drama and it was aggravating… to the point where I started to skip.
While I said the leads weren’t annoying with a drama this long they start to get a little aggy too … I guess to draw out the story lines? The story line was great at first but around episode 44, it started getting weird and dragging. It was almost as if they were piecing bits together to make sense. Towards the end the story that was already a fantasy became more incredulous.
Speaking of incredulous, Jia Yao was darned near in haute couture the entire show, where did you get those fabrics and those pumps sis? *side eye*. I am not even mentioning how the prince started in on 19th century inventions… *double side eye*. I guess some things are added to the fantasy part.
The verdict: There were tons of characters that were annoying, but as long as the leads are not its watchable. The lace front wigs were on point, and I loved Jia Yao’s costume changes even if they were not time period appropriate. The story line seemed to fall apart at the end and to be honest Jia Yao wasn’t really a Cinderella. A really good drama, if you like the first 3 episodes then you will like the rest certainly worth a watch.
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The Good:
Its hard to find good, clear, interesting, recent lakhorn fully English subbed so when I find one I get super excited. I like watching the different life styles in Thailand and this drama showed a full range of social classes. Not just rich or poor, but in between too. There were a lot of storylines going and I liked that the writers weren’t afraid to make fun of how ridiculous some of the storylines were. There were parts where characters said “that would only happen in a lakhorn” lol. The story lines were interesting but still “lakhorn crazy” and made sense to the character development. Unlike the other lakhorns that I have seen there were subtle twists and turns to the plot which made it more interesting than the typical lakorn, with the typical lakhorn story. The majority of actors did a pretty good job of acting and some of them were almost believable. There were so many women in this drama but the “evil girlfriend/wife/mother/step mother” thing wasn’t really present. The last thing I loved was the hair styling…tons of baby hair!
The bad:
I never understood why the women on set with the MOST annoying voice is ALWAYS the female lead. UUGGGHH (we are watching a lakhorn so its really par for the course). This one used a lot of violence (I was super surprised). I felt uncomfortable with the ease men literally slapped the taste out of women, the violence against them was really disheartening. The clothing and style was epic hit or miss, the gay characters were essentially “props” and there were a couple of repeated and reused story plots which annoyed me.
The verdict: In judging lakhorns you have to remember many things are different than in your typical K Dramas/J Doramas/C Dramas or even Taiwanese Dramas. Understanding that there will be a bunch of evil women characters, scheming men characters, and annoying lead females sometimes will help you get through the times you want to pull your hair out. I felt this was a really good lakhorn because I wanted to see who was going to win, who was going to end up together and what happens to the fun gay bff?! The ending didn’t disappoint and there was a variety of storylines going to keep me interested- needless to say I thoroughly enjoyed it and marathoned it! If you are into lakhorns, like lots of drama and suspense with your romance and don’t mind seeing guns- I would suggest this to you. If you are new to lakhorns, cant stand violence against women, only like seeing strong female leads sit this one out.
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The good. Lots of interesting story lines it seems like the drama was structured to go on for a really long time. Although the story is ridiculous and interesting at the same time there was a lot of really good character development. I really liked the usage of location and special effects, not to mention the fight scenes were interesting too. It felt like a super hero- martial arts comedy at first and that was really what made me like the story. Lin Yi the main male character is hot and there were lots of good fan service shots at the beginning. The actor who plays him did really well and made the character pervy, strong, funny, kind, intelligent, complex and interesting= a.k.a. perfect boyfriend material! :)
The bad. None, and I mean none of the story lines ended with a conclusion . In the beginning our hero is given a purpose that never comes to fruition, a mission that mysteriously changes, a love interest (kinda), and a secondary charge that we never see completed. I blame the writers. Around episode 17-20 the feeling and themes seem to change to include more martial arts, vendettas and focus on supernatural powers. Around these episodes there is certainly less lighted hearted comedy, and some characters never appear again. It was almost as if the side story took over and incorporated the main lead.
The characters were all good except the main female lead Chu Meng Yao, she was one of the most annoying damsels in distress. Aside from that I was really annoyed how the stylist didn’t match her weave to her hair (personal pet peeve).
Oh the music! The ending and theme songs were equally annoying so I ALWAYS skipped them.
The verdict. This drama broke my heart. I watched it, and fell in love with the light hearted comedy, the fluffy romance, cool martial arts concepts and abundance of cute guys. Alas it was all stolen from me, and although the story was good the ending was AWFUL. No one should have to deal with an ending that bad where there is no resolution at all, so I would not recommend this drama to anyone unless you want to torture yourself or you know there is a second season.
p.s. maybe they ran out of money?
p.p.s. I probably would have given this a higher rating if LinYi was shirtless more.
p.p.p.s at the end I audibly said "wait! what?! is that the end?!!" s.m.h.
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The good: Lots of flower boys, butler costumes, short episodes, and a supernatural flair. There are some funny references to current shows and the cast seemed to do some pretty good acting.
The bad. Well where do I start? First- from the summary the story line seems interesting and like it would make an awesome show, but maybe the episodes were too short or something? At any rate the script/dialogue was awful; every episode began without explaining how the characters got to the location, or got information. The middle of the episodes would just happen… no “hey guys lets go over to this time/world and check it out” the characters are already there in different clothes. The end of each episode would leave you wondering “so what did I just watch?”
Second- The production. Call me drama privileged but years of watching kdramas, tdramas and the ever evolving jdramas must have me spoiled. I can only imagine the budget was spent on the flower boy actors because the set, design, special effects and wardrobe were all awful. I felt like I was watching a even worse version of yokai nignen bem.
Third- I was roped in by the promise of vampires and I felt betrayed. I love my supernatural just as much as the next gal… but the supernatural characters lacked awesomeness in this drama.
The Verdict. Don’t watch this one, unless you WANT to waste hours looking at pretty boys (are they part of a boy band or something?) and figuring out the whole drama. I was convinced that I wouldn’t let the drama beat me so I watched till the end. In hindsight I don't think that was the best stance to take. :( The really good news is that even though the end left an even bigger question mark on my face, they really tried to explain the whole point of the show.
p.s. every time I read the title I laughed… did someone spell Untouchable wrong?
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The Good: This is a great mini-series to get away from a long drama! There is lots of comedy and it hits on serious issues. The cast was really good, I believed all of the characters were who they were playing and Kim Sung Oh was astonishing! There are some predictable plot twists, but there are also some really unexpected plot turns that really make things interesting. And best of all there is a happy ending!
The Bad: The majority of the story surrounds why Baek Hee left and the misconceptions regarding her leaving, so there are lots of flash backs. It took me a while to figure out whose story this was, and who was the main character in the story. The plot moves very fast and initially it is unclear if this is a family drama or a rom-com. There were tons of loose strings at the end and after I fell in love with the characters, I really wanted to know more.
Verdict: I was shocked at how much I liked this drama. The cast was spectacular and really shone through in a story that could have been mediocre. While the story line wasn’t extraordinary the issues touched on were important and I had lots of feels watching the characters come to terms with each other. Keep in mind the story is super short so there are lots of strings hanging; but use your imagination.
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Although the ending seems premature and leaves a ton of loose ends; the series, the story and the acting were all done beautifully.
Notes: This is not my first lakhorn so I have a little understanding on the really bad ones and some good ones. Additionally, after Tao (the actor who plays Khun Na) epically lost the girl in Kiss Me, I think he deserved a chance at getting the girl in this lakhorn; or that could be my SLS talking (second lead syndrome).
The Good: Unlike other Thai dramas I have watched, Kiss was full of drama but more “realistic” drama.
I liked how the characters are constantly growing and evolving even if they are annoying. The story line seems to pressure and challenge the characters into being honest with themselves and others about how they feel.
Although this is a dramatic lakhorn there are a lot of funny moments in it, and a lot of comedic relief. To my surprise at least 40% of the supporting characters were gay men, plus the cute guys were plentiful, gay or not. However, do not get your hopes up for fan service.
There were no evil stepmothers and the crazy ex-girlfriends were somewhat understandable. The second male lead (Thew) was a bad actor so no SLS!!
The Bad: I didn’t like the long dramatic lakhorn pauses, but I feel like its part of the deal. There were a ton of flashbacks scenes that did not progress the story. The writers often left the ends of side stories inconclusive, but the annoying “beside the scene” promo segments help to clear up loose endings. Speaking of the behind the scenes…. I have never in my life seen such aggressive in-show ads and ad placements. In addition to the ad placements the placement of music did not match what was going on in some scenes… that was strange. They blurred out a bunch of things including wine in a glass…. I mean really?
In the story Sanrak is super annoying at first but she gets better, they never show the other sisters, and they never explained who the brother/cousin/shop owner was.
Although there weren’t a whole lot of answers given, I still loved this lakhorn. The story shows how beneficial it can be to be true and honest to yourself and others. I recommend this story to drama lovers who like romance and family dramas.
P.S. In the last episode in the last “beside the scene”, there is a book clip holding Sanrak’s skirt up…. Smh
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The Good: Fake couple has an awesome cast. The acting was totally believable, and it felt like the actors were lost in their characters.
-The character development is second to none with the lead characters going through numerous transformations (thought process changes, style changes, ideal changes, partner changes).
-The story takes twists and turns
-The supporting cast storylines are not a distraction, but teach the lead characters important lessons
-There are many “end of the day” lessons of accepting each other’s differences, loving your self, understanding you are not alone, speaking from your heart and being open to receive love.
The Bad: The story has many interesting parts, but I found it to be boring. The plot moves slow, the character development takes a long time to happen, and there are few little moments to rejoice in the lead character’s (Hiro’s) triumphs. I do not like family dramas and this had the "family drama" feeling.
Even though the ending is bittersweet, the constant losses the Hiro character takes throughout the whole series make the ending feel sour.
I love a strong female lead, I like a story that has a different angle or perspective, but I felt the ending pandered to a more conventional audience while the purpose of the series was to be less conventional. Again, I had a really hard time making it through this one, the whole series was devoid of eye candy and romance (the things I thrive on!). The series seemed to show and compare aspects of heterosexual versus homosexual relationships....but it felt like a family drama. Unless you like family dramas, I don’t know if I can honestly recommend it.
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The Good:
1. The main actors are tremendous! I started watching because I liked Wallace, but in the end I fell in love with Cecilia. They played the main characters perfectly portraying the chemistry and forbidden romantic tension between the emperor and the doctress. Although these actors were awesome, just like in any other drama some of the supporting cast got the side-eye.
2. In a long drama like this it is difficult to tell if days, months or years are passing, I liked that the drama gave hints to the timeline of how much time had passed so we wouldn’t be confused.
3. Overall, the story line was particularly thoughtfully written and didn’t stray too much from the main story of the happenings around the doctress. At every turn she was learning something new, meeting new people and being a total bad a@#.
4. I love a strong female lead character. This drama had one of the strongest female characters I have seen in a long time. Once she learned how to bat an eyelash and flirt a little she was unstoppable!
5. The character development was remarkable and well planned. I was so happy to see so many characters developing and having “life”
The Bad: Well… There isn’t much bad to the drama but in 50 episodes you find stuff wrong.
1. I HATED their lace front wigs, they didn’t match the hair colors for women and above all I saw clothes tags. smh. I couldn’t focus on what some of the characters were saying because of bad lace-mustaches… and don’t get me started on Essen’s drawn on eyebrows!! Hair and makeup should be ashamed, but the costumer was extraordinary.
2. Plot dragging- While the story line was good; there were some plot drags after ep 25 or so. The emperors temper tantrum would last way too long, or the empress’ despicable plotting would go on for way to long and I would be forced to jump ahead.
3. The evil stepmother. There were so many evil stepmother/evil women in this story I was sick of them. These women were overly evil, cunning and had poor excuses. I understand that this is historical based but the evil women in this were almost overwhelming.
Overall- this is worth the time! This has a unique somewhat happy ending but don't get your hopes high. If you like historical dramas with strong female characters, or if you just like strong female leads this one is for you!
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The Good: This drama is addictive with cliff hangs at the end of each episode. I must admit the story was well written. Avoiding almost all of the clichés you see in a typical drama, Marry me or not? Is a very refreshing take on various male-female relationships comparing the lead’s parents relationship, the side character relationships and the lead couple relationship. This story is meant to tell the watcher that love comes in various forms/ways and doesn’t require perfection. The lead characters were awesome, with some extremely believable chemistry and acting. ROY! Was as handsome as ever and we did get a little fan service, but its never enough- his smile melts my soul. Wardrobe was really nice, and scenery was great. The secondary characters provided much needed comedic relief on what otherwise could be titled a “Romantic Melodrama”.
The Bad: My only gripe with this drama was the blatant stupidity of the female characters. Although the main character often broke the 3rd wall (looking and talking to the audience) which is annoying, in the beginning she had great commentary and insight that left her once she fell in love. The second female lead was as equally stupid throughout the whole drama and was ridiculously selfish. Occasionally I became confused about the purpose of the second male lead; his part was minimized making his antagonist role a bit confusing until the very end. There was tons of crying and these people cried on cue… idk how – but there was constant tears in the beginning and in the end. Lastly the ending ties up all the loose ends ok, but it leaves a unsatisfying taste in your mouth.
Verdict: I liked this drama enough to marathon, wait and then marathon it again to find out what happened to these characters. While the portrayal of women in the drama is not a positive one, it was sometimes realistic and very entertaining. There are no real slow parts or slow episodes and the production was really good. If you like Roy, you want to see a heartbreak to love story, or you just want a grown up romance story… this one is for you.
P.s. over 16 please- this one gets a tad on the graphic adult situation side.
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The Good: The main actors playing Yu You Wei (li Qin) and Han Ming (Ron Ng) had some really cute, sweet and heart wrenching moments. I really like strong leading ladies, and this drama definitely had one. Yu You Wei had a strong personality but was a well rounded The acting in this drama from the whole cast was good on a whole and you really believed their performances. The costumes and wardrobes were cool, the water scenes were pretty, and the ending was nice.
The Bad: the story line was awful. I think the writers quit around episode 20 and the staff figured they could keep the same storyline circulating for another 20 episodes. This isn’t the first prince/pauper drama I have watched but this is the first that has drug the concept on for 48 episodes! The antagonists in the story are too plentiful, have senseless reasons for their actions and throughout all of the episodes the main character is tormented. Although the story was awful, the initial concept and planning was good so I thought this would be a really good drama at first.
Bottom Line: This drama was riddled with evil plans, deceit, amnesia, a super long and repetitive story line, non developed characters and all of the drama clichés you have come to love/hate. I was addicted to the first 10 episodes, anticipated episodes 11-15, and then started to have to push through the drama. I fast-forwarded and skipped my way through to the last episode. I was not happy with the way they beat the main character down with “life” events into a completely different person so I do not recommend this drama. I especially do not recommend this drama for people who have to finish a drama, or to people who are not looking for a serious drama. To be honest I really wish I had back those hours of my life!!
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Pros: there are a host of characters with unique personalities and methods. The acting is superb and totally believable. You completely believe these characters are who they are. This drama allows a cool inside look into crime, loan sharking, corrupted officials and the underworld.
Cons: The lead female is clueless and is constantly tricked. Each episode is the same, a problem is presented the lead tries to solve it, she requires someone’s help to resolve the problem, they solve it together, and she is tricked again. Although the lead character attempts to be a robin hood; it seems like she is constantly thwarted and is unable to accomplish any real goals. What annoyed me the most is there are no characters who have positive relationships and everyone seems to be very selfish.
The verdict: This drama was bleh. I fast forwarded my way through it unable to take how bored I was with watching the same person being tricked over and over again. Additionally I have begun to appreciate the side stories that other dramas usually develop. I think this drama is best for people who like problem solving and trickery; as for someone like me who likes dark comedies or rom-coms this wasn’t a good fit.
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Pros: Jiro. I loved Jiro in this! While he isn’t the best actor we got see a few different sides of him. There was cool fighting that wasn’t corny but very interesting and some fan service (yea for abs!) The supporting characters were really good and experienced some character development. The story lines were really good, and all of the romances were sweet and not annoying. AND the theme song is boss! :)
Cons: all of the female characters (except the nurse) were very annoying. Nikki’s pouting and voice got on my nerves. The wardrobe department was MIA; lots of repeat outfits, ugly stupid outfits and lots of sweat stains.
Overall: I really liked the drama, it was well done and it avoided almost all of the drama clichés I see in T or C dramas. The problem and the story resolution were all understandable and reasonable. It was fresh, interesting and pumped full of eye candy. I would have given this a 10 but the story ending was so "arrrgghhh! I need more" it got a 8.5. I hate loose ends, and hope this has a 2nd season. i need a second season!
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The good: The storyline is very good and if the execution was a bit better it would have been awesome. The basics- a 400 yr old vampire is looking to undo the vampire curse and ends up getting help from a pretty and young artifact restorer. There are no evil mothers, not a whole lot of typical clichés, and some funny parts. The romance is legit and the chemistry is off the charts (the leads were actually former lovers). The ending is a good, sweet ending that ties up all the ends.
The Bad: The worst non-evil clueless family ever they are incredibly annoying and are super over protective. I don’t know if its just me, but all of the women in this lakorn were super whiny, omg it was so annoying! While I love a strong female lead character, this one was unable to admit her mistakes, pretended to be strong, got into trouble and needed saving, and talked way too much.
Typically I have second lead syndrome, but all of the other men were depicted with some major personality defect that you could only root for the main male lead. Part of the fun is being torn between two hot guy characters for the female lead- but our only choices were a perfect rich guy with a dark secret or a nosy, overbearing, childhood friend who is fixated on one girl. Of course there was very little character development, and it was only for the two lead characters.
All in all: I am a sucker for hot guys, romance and vampires- but I won’t come near this one again. There were too many flash backs, way too much time given to long contemplative glances, and the most I have yelled at my computer in a long time. By the end I loved the end characters, loved the story, hated all supporting characters, and hated the theme music. I wish someone had told me how annoying the people were before I dove in.
p.s. I have never seen such shoddy police work in my life- literally the police made unsupported guesses all 11 eps!!
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The good: In at least 4 different episodes I had laughing fits, the uncomfortable nature of the comedy in the beginning had me literally rolling on the floor. How hot is No Min Woo? I needed a few more fanservice shots, but we have a topless No Min Woo, a wet No Min Woo and a guitar playing No Min Woo. No Min Woo was so believable, that I thought he was playing a mentally challenged adult. But No Min Woo is not the only actor that stood out, the whole supporting cast was really good with few exceptions. I felt as if every character in this story had some development, change or epiphany, and unlike many other dramas the change was so gradual, realistic and well planned. In real life every event or situation we encounter challenges our way of thinking and sometimes our mode of operation causing us to evaluate ourselves- I liked that the characters also went through the same. The ending was sweet, but it should have taken 2 more episodes to complete.
The Bad: The first episode turned me away from this drama because the main female lead appeared to be manipulative (but she wasn’t).The second male lead looked so old in some shots and I could not connect with his acting plus occasionally Yang JinSung’s face looked frozen (maybe it was the makeup used?).
I would really recommend this drama as a rom-com that is funny, a little raunchy, written for folks over 17, and No Min Woo stans . The story has a great message, a great cast and a really good ending. There are no evil mothers, spiteful ex-girlfriends, and the love triangle formed was so super weak that there was no real need to “fight” for love. I liked it give it 3 episodes and you will too!
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One of the best things about this drama was the inside look into Kyoto; however, I felt as if this drama was sponsored by a Kyoto tourism group. Mainly because in the beginning of the series the tour highlights were more prevalent than anything else. The cast was neatly put together and I think Watanabe did an awesome job. The characters each had an episode or two that showed their individual growth so kudos to the writers.
The worst thing about the drama is the pace. It took me forever to finish it because each episode had a 10-15 minute lull where I nearly fell asleep from boredom. The pace of the show is weird, although it is a comedy the progression of each episode is very slow. I don’t want to offend any Yamamoto fans out their but I felt his character was the exact same in this as in Ouran host club and Yamada-kun to 7 nin no majo.
I would barely recommend this drama. I don’t feel like it is a complete waste of time because I now understand a little more about Kyoto, and it was my first time seeing a bigger girl lead a j-drama. But this drama was the least on my list of things to watch and I did a lot of fast forwarding through episodes. If you plan to watch keep in mind that EVERY episode ends exactly the same as the last so aren’t any real twists or turns. Except the disappointing end that eludes to a movie; not sure yet if I want to try and see the movie.
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