emily235's Profile - MyDramaList.com

11 days ago 1 of 1 episodes seen 3 of 3 people found this review helpful

Three... Extremes

by emily235
- Overall 9
- Story 9
- Acting/Cast 9
- Music 8
- Rewatch Value 7
Well. First of all let me say, that this is a very good movie. It is also for MATURE audiences only.

Okay, well first of all, I'll say this; there are three stories to this, so you may be tempted to compare them (or look for connections, even) and just let me advise you to not. I'll also advise you to let yourself be lost in each story, to really understand what's going on.

So, in my personal opinion;
Dumplings- This one was by far the most disturbing, in my opinion. It's predictable, but that doesn't make it any less chilling. The cast was quite good. Nothing too outstanding, but they all played their parts well. Aunt Mei is a brilliant character. I think this one was my favourite out of the three, just because of the way that you're just so completely engrossed by the story and the twists.

Cut- I was surprised to find out that Lee Byung Hun was in it, and as expected, he didn't disappoint. This was a great segment, with a psychological battle taking place between the director and his captor. This one is quite gruesome, and shocking. The end can be interpreted in different ways, and I have seen people that disagree with me, so I recommend you watch it yourself and come to a conclusion.

Box- This one had a sort of dark appeal that I can't accurately describe with words. It pulled you in, and then confused you, and then pulled you in again, and then confused you. But when you take a step back and think about what happened, you realize the truth. The acting in this one was my favourite. It wasn't too subdued, and it wasn't too manic. It was simply perfect. This one was also the most reminiscent of horror films- which I wouldn't describe this entire film as.

In total, I was deeply engrossed by this film and it's story, and impressed by it's cast. The music was always fitting, but nothing too stupendous. I would not, however, rewatch this movie any time soon. Some of the shock value would be gone.
But still, I highly recommend this. read more
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Mar 14, 2013 16 of 16 episodes seen 3 of 4 people found this review helpful

Reply 1997

by emily235
- Overall 10
- Story 10
- Acting/Cast 9
- Music 10
- Rewatch Value 10
This drama was simply outstanding. I'll be honest here. OUTSTANDING.

I watched the first 2 episodes and really enjoyed them, but I sort of got caught up in other things so it took me about a month before I came back to finish it. And boy, did I finish it. 8 episodes one night, and 6 the next. This drama really knows how to hook the viewers, let me tell you. They use a really interesting plot device/way of making a majority of the cliffhangers, which is a school reunion taking place in 2013, while the rest of the drama takes place in various times in the 90's/early 2000's.
The Story: Besides the description, I'll share how they convey the plot. In a nutshell- really well. The story and episodes flow extremely well, and although some parts seem a bit random while you're watching them, as the episode progresses their purpose is revealed. Most of the episodes had some sort of underlying message that was relayed this way.
The Acting: I'd say it was pretty good. Most of the main characters were either fantastic, or at least did a pretty decent job. Some of the time the acting seemed to be a bit forced, or occasionally a BIT too much, but the way it came off just made the plot seem more real. That's something this drama did really well in general, to be honest- making the situations realistic.
The Music: If you weren't paying attention, the music may seem like a smaller part of this drama then it seems like it would be. But if you DO pay attention, you'll realize how well the music fits into this drama. Not even with the brilliant OST, (which used almost(?) all songs from the time period they were supposed to take place in) but the pop culture behind the music. The fandoms were a beautiful thing to see conveyed in a drama.
Rewatch Value: To be honest, I rewatch a large majority of the dramas I watch, so a '10' isn't exactly difficult for me to give out, but I feel like it deserves it anyhow. The story and characters were loveable enough that I would watch this again in a heartbeat.
Extra Notes: WOW The nostalgia of this drama. It reminds me of a manga in the way the storyline flows, and the storyline in general. A lot of family moments, family values, heart-stopping romance, strained friendships, and well-remembered school moments. (Those hit me the hardest- the fun times they had at school were wonderful. Then again, I'm a sucker for dramas like that.) I mean, this drama gave me nostalgia for a period of time that I was sucking my thumb during, and that is impressive. A particular example of this is at one point, when Kim Jong Kook's 'Loveable' comes on, even if just in the background- it made me so happy, I can't even explain it. The chemistry between the main couple (which I feel like is a spoiler to give away?) IS PHENOMENAL. They are seriously adorable. So adorable. While, I must admit, the other corner of the triangle. (And yes, there is a love triangle) made me a tad uncomfortable. Yes, see, in this drama, while their are two love lines, one of them is perfection, and the second is mildly unbelievable. But it still has it's moments, admittedly. If I were to say only one negative thing about this drama, it would be that it jumps around too much (and yes, I said that it flows well, but the jumping does get a BIT confusing) and, in the jumping, I feel like some loose ends are left untied. But that might just be my personal opinion, or perhaps the result of me not paying enough attention.
Ah well, nevertheless. I extremely enjoyed this drama. I highly, highly recommend it! read more
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Feb 2, 2013 16 of 16 episodes seen 5 of 6 people found this review helpful

Cheongdamdong Alice

by emily235
- Overall 7
- Story 8
- Acting/Cast 8
- Music 9
- Rewatch Value 7
Well... this drama is a bit different. The story is an interesting one, with a lot of potential. I feel like in this aspect, the writers really didn't disappoint- they milked it for as much as they could. But looking at this drama as a whole, it wasn't amazing. In the beginning (VERY beginning) of the drama, I wrote an episode review saying that this drama wouldn't be anything special. But after the first episode, it starts to get really good- quite addictive actually. And funny! It's quite funny. The romance was cute, the characters weren't complete morons, the story was constructed quite well, and all was good in the world. BUT THEN THE LAST TWO EPISODES CAME. Honestly, it was such a disappointment, those last two episodes. The way the drama ended was so boring. It was really an un-creative, un-special end to an otherwise fun, breezy drama.
The cast.... I don't know. I think most of the characters filled their role quite well. (Mostly the side characters.) To be honest, the main characters were cast reasonably well, but they were so awkward. SO awkward. More so in the last quarter of the drama, but they didn't really portray much chemistry in the entire drama. They played their characters well, but not together.
The music was really good. Very stereotypical drama OST-y, but that isn't a bad thing. I enjoyed it.
I put the rewatch value as higher than I would have with the ending (4-ish) just because of how funny and fresh the beginning of the drama is.
So overall, I give this drama a 7. Nothing stupendous, nothing completely terrible. Worth watching, at least. read more
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Dec 27, 2012 1 of 1 episodes seen 2 of 3 people found this review helpful

Love Exposure

by emily235
- Overall 9
- Story 10
- Acting/Cast 10
- Music 9
- Rewatch Value 6
Wow. I have a lot to say about this movie, and I shall attempt to let my thoughts out in as organized of a manner as I can.
FIRST AND FOREMOST: THIS IS A MOVIE FOR MATURE AUDIENCES ONLY. I'm sure you may have grasped that already, but I'm just reiterating the fact. It deals with mature themes such as extreme violence (not so much for the graphic nature, but more for the how disturbing it is.), sexuality (once again- not very graphic, but still a bit disturbing), the psychologically shaking nature of some parts of the movie, and other general things.
I shall go with the usual review format, but may have some extra points.

Story: A well deserved 10. The plot was extremely unique- I can honestly say I've never seen anything that compares in the slightest. It had a wide range of emotions and themes that I found slightly surprising (at least, to find them all in one movie) such as humour, (sometimes dark humour, but humour nonetheless) romance, (sort of? I don't know, for a movie with love in the title, I can't say it's overly romantic, but it does exist in an odd sort of way) religion, family, friendship, the uselessness and futility of life, yada yada yada. This movie is also really shocking and surreal. The movie starts off pretty messed up, gets more normal near the middle, and then everything goes freaking haywire near the end. And the ending- it was so good. For a while I was a bit weary, but I ended up loving it.

Acting/Cast: AN EASY 10. I honestly don't see any bad parts to the acting in this. There were some extremely difficult roles in this movie to pull off, and yet they did it. That would be enough for my 10. But the skill with which the pulled it off? It makes the value of the 10 so much higher. I could honestly believe that I was seeing real people while watching this, no matter how absurd the circumstances became. It was truly brilliant.

Music: While watching the movie, I actually stopped to think about the music several times- not something I usually do. Now, music wasn't a huge part to this movie- I think there may have been only about 2 songs played(?), I'm not really sure. But the music always fit the scene, and even added a little something extra to it. For me, that's all music has to do in a movie like this.

Rewatch Value: Now, I gave this movie a fairly low rewatch value. And yes, I have been ranting on about how wonderful this movie was. But let me explain- this was a wonderful movie, it really was. But honestly, it was like... 4 hours long. A good four hours, but still. Ain't nobody got time for that! It may be a nice thing to watch again when I get really, desperately bored, and a rewatch might help pull the chaos that makes up some parts of this movie together, but I can't see it happening any time soon.

NOTES: This movie was a bit of a surprise, in the sense that I honestly didn't know if I would like it for a long period of time. It took until the very end for me to decide that I did. Whether that's a good or bad thing, you can decide for yourself when/if you watch this. Just know that when you watch it, you really can't expect a movie like anything else you've ever seen. Is that a good thing or a bad thing? Once again, find out for yourself.
Enjoy! :) read more
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Dec 7, 2012 10 of 10 episodes seen 4 of 4 people found this review helpful

Mop Girl

by emily235
- Overall 8
- Story 9
- Acting/Cast 9
- Music 9
- Rewatch Value 7
Skip to the Overview if this is TL;DR.
This drama very much fits the usual standard for Japanese dramas; a series of events, usually with a pattern, and an underlying storyline.
SPECIAL NOTE: I cried in 3 episodes. In a 10 Episode drama. Usually, the only dramas that get me crying are the epic 25 episode long ones- and even then, they have to have POSITIVELY HEART-SHATTERINGLY SAD ENDINGS. Or no tears are shed. In this way, this drama is impressive.

Story- It had a very good idea for the story, but I don't know if I agreed with how it was executed. There were definitely some loose ends I would like tied up, and the ending wasn't satisfactory.

Cast- I thoroughly enjoyed the cast, I think they all did very well. :) The lady that plays Momoko is a very good actress; I'm currently watching her in another drama and she plays the polar opposite character of Momoko, to the extent that I can barely believe it's her.

Music- I actually remember a lot of the music from this one, which is a little bit of a surprise (in a good way). It was really quirky and it always fit with the scene. Sometimes funny, sometimes sad, and sometimes tense. The intro song is beautiful as well.

I wouldn't watch this drama again any time soon, although I enjoyed it. It simply isn't a drama made for rewatching is all.

Overall, it's a little bit of a frivolous drama, very funny (I legitimately lol'ed several times) and heart touching. Don't watch it if you're looking for romance, a completely sensical and complete storyline, or a particularly unpredictable or serious drama. read more
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Dec 4, 2012 1 of 1 episodes seen 2 of 2 people found this review helpful

A Cheerful Gang Turns the Earth

by emily235
- Overall 8
- Story 9
- Acting/Cast 10
- Music 8
- Rewatch Value 7
This was really an interesting movie...
I originally watched it for Matsuda Shota after watching him in Liar Game, but he's so much younger and adorable in this.
This movie really shouldn't be taken all that seriously, as it is first and foremost, a comedy. The main characters are all unique and important to the story in some aspect. The story can be a little confusing from time to time, with a complete things that I don't feel are completely explained, but besides that it's an interesting concept that I think they pulled off well. (Although I feel that the characters really held this movie together)
I gave the music an 8 just because I don't remember it very well. I don't think it didn't fit at any point in the movie, so that's good. But anything special? I don't remember.
I would rewatch it again, but not anytime in the near future.

I recommend it if you're looking for something other than the usual romantic comedy when you're bored. read more
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Aug 31, 2012 20 of 20 episodes seen 8 of 8 people found this review helpful

King2Hearts

by emily235
- Overall 9
- Story 10
- Acting/Cast 9
- Music 9
- Rewatch Value 9
This drama is really quite good!
I was expecting it to be more of a romance than it was, though, to be honest. It is really more City Hunter/Iris-ish than, perhaps, Spy Myung Wol, or other romances masquerading under a serious premise.
I give the story a 10 simply because it is SO good. The pacing of the story is good, save a slow last few episodes, and the romance is believable. It also has motives behind everything people do, for the most part. Quite a thrilling story line that goes well above what you think it will.
I have to give the casting and acting a 9. The KOREAN actors were wonderful, and reminded me of the reason I started watching the drama in the first place- Ha Ji Won and Lee Seung Ki. And then I saw another actor I recognized from What's Up, and knew it was going to be great. But, as most dramas do, it had TERRIBLE white actors. Seriously, I don't know where they find their white people. They speak English, but it doesn't sound natural at all. And the black haired chick? Ugh, she was terrible.
The music was good. I don't have much to say about it. It never failed to fit the mood of the drama, and didn't suck, but it wasn't particularly memorable, so a 9.
Rewatch value is a 9. I'm probably going to watch it again, but not any time TOO soon.

I just have to give this drama a special mention because of the AMAZING lead couple. I know both of these stars from elsewhere, as you should too, but their romance in this is so convincing and deep that it has convinced me that they should just get married ASAP. Great chemistry.
All in all, I recommend this highly :D read more
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Aug 18, 2012 1 of 1 episodes seen 8 of 9 people found this review helpful

Mulan

by emily235
- Overall 10
- Story 10
- Acting/Cast 9
- Music 10
- Rewatch Value 10
This is a very good movie. A very, very good movie.

The story is flawless- or am I just saying that because it's so well known? No, I'm pretty sure it's flawless. If you've seen both of the Disney movie, you'll notice certain aspects that join together in this movie, only with a much more serious tone added to it. The story was paced incredibly well considering the span of time with movie goes through, and still packed that emotional punch.

The casting got a less than perfect score for just one reason, which I shall get to after I rave about the main actors. The actress that played Mulan fit the role incredibly well in my opinion, although I have seen some that disagree. She's feminine, yet can pull of being a man. And Wentai? Not only is he a brilliant actor, but his looks grow on you so that by the end he's the hunkiest man alive. There were no significantly amazing or terrible actors elsewhere in the movie, but my problem with the casting lies in the actor person cast, not their acting abilities.
The white guy. If you've seen the movie, you know who I'm talking about. He's just SO out of place! I think his existence is justified in the movie, but I don't think he really belongs there- he didn't really contribute much tot he story.

The music is wonderful. It fits the mood, it's nice to listen to, and is not overly cheesy. What more can you ask for? I recommend sticking around for the credits, like I did, just to listen to the music.

I'd rewatch this right now, and I just finished it- so YES. Definitely worth rewatching.
I highly, highly recommend this movie. read more
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Jul 30, 2012 10 of 10 episodes seen 8 of 9 people found this review helpful

Muscle Girl

by emily235
- Overall 5
- Story 5
- Acting/Cast 7
- Music 7
- Rewatch Value 3
Lee Hong Ki. Why!?
I'll be completely honest here, I watched all 10 episodes straight. I literally watched them side by side, with few breaks. But now that it's over? Ugh, I regret it. It wasn't worth my time.
I thought the story would be more of a 'Girl is rough yet lovable, boy is spoiled egotistical idol.' But it wasn't like that.
Honestly, while I loved the cast, and most of the acting was good (the antagonists were dreadful. 'Yes.' 'Yes.' You know what I'm talking about if you've seen it.) the characters weren't really how you'd expect them to be. But that was the writers fault- there was a lot they could have done with this that they just didn't, instead opting for the traditional Japanese drama style of several unrelated story lines with one underlying story line. There were several times when Hongki's idol status is completely forgotten.
HK's Japanese is great. It sounds almost completely natural, at least to these ears which have been listening to anime and Jdramas for a LONG time. His mother's Korean? Ugh, not so much. I honestly cannot comprehend why they didn't get a Korean actress, seeing as how his mother did not have any Japanese lines.
If you're watching this for romance, stop now. You will be sorely disappointed, as I was. Here I was, hoping for a happy Lee HongKi would gets the girl, but no. Any romance is too insignificant to call romance.
As a hardcore LHK fan and Primadonna, I have to say that I liked the music. The whole...two songs? Yeah. I'm pretty sure they only used two songs the entire drama. They were good songs, but come ON. Honestly?
Another thing about this drama that upsets me is the 'Pro Wrestling' aspect of it. It was a joke. I don't know wrestling, but this was SO bad.
Basically, I don't plan on ever watching this again. I don't plan on getting anybody I know to watch it. It's not even worth watching it to see HongKi being adorable. read more
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Jul 30, 2012 1 of 1 episodes seen 1 of 1 people found this review helpful

The Suicide Song

by emily235
- Overall 7
- Story 8
- Acting/Cast 9
- Music 7
- Rewatch Value 7
I have slightly complex feelings on this movie, so bear with me. Skip to 'Overall' if you want to know whether this movie is for you or not.

Story- It was a good idea for a story, quite interesting. The story is actually the reason I decided to watch the movie- not because I'm a big AKB48 fan or anything. Honestly, the plot is interesting, complex, and it definitely captures your attention start to finish.

Cast- I actually am not familiar with any of the actors in this movie, so I'm not biased in the least. I have to say, most of the roles were EXTREMELY well cast. The roles that weren't, did what they had to do anyway. Particularly two of the main males- Taichi mainly, and Riku. They pulled off the attitudes their character needed with skill. The females are nothing special- they do what they have to.

Music- Although the title in itself should imply it has good music, it isn't outstanding. Honestly, I didn't really notice music in this movie. There was the 'Suicide Song', mainly. The song itself is a haunting little tune when you first hear it, but as the movie goes on you learn to see it in a slightly different light. It isn't a piece of amazing music artistry, but it definitely fits the theme of the movie. One of the characters had a classical music ringtone? In all honesty, that's the only other thing I can tell you about the music of this movie.

Rewatch Value- There were a couple extremely cool parts editing wise in this movie, that I feel would not have the same cool effect if this movie was seen a second time. The ending of the movie as well. No spoilers but it was unexpected for sure. I would watch it again if I were trying to get somebody else to watch it, but I can't see going out of my way to see it again.

-->Overall read more
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