Simple films with a clumsy protagonist.

It's a movie with a simple premise and a well-known cast. We have to praise Yoo In Soo's consistently exceptional and well-developed performance as the villain in this film. Everyone knows that this actor usually plays comedic roles, but whenever he portrays villains, he transforms himself. In other words, he's an actor with great stage presence who can seamlessly transition from humor to drama and vice versa.

Now, it's necessary to mention that Yoo Sun Ho's performance as the film's protagonist is very lacking and stiff. It seems like he's holding back. He portrayed a very monosyllabic and emotionless protagonist.

The film has its flaws, for example, what's the backstory of Da Young's "stalker friend"? In three minutes, that could have been explained and developed. It felt somewhat random. What's the significance of that epilogue? What important post-film finale factor does that scene have?

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FINAL WORTHY, BUT DULL...

The last episode was out of sync with the others, it was a dull, slow episode with no great depth to the story. I think episodes 9 and 10 could have been combined, the makeup of the old and bedridden Anjin made me laugh, which is a shame because it was the only technical slip-up in this remarkable drama, and it didn't even impact the logical experience of the drama, but I thought it was worth mentioning.

The story, development, and pace were well done and detailed, we had competent art direction that accurately studied Japanese culture at the time. As for the story, I was a little frustrated because I thought we would have the war in the last episode, but instead, we had an excessive amount of dialogue and the closure of some character arcs. I still want to reflect on whether we had an open or semi-open ending because we now know that he managed to return to England and took memories with him, but Toranaga said he would never leave Japan, yet as we observed, he did leave.

The highlight of the acting and deserving of award nominations for best actress goes to Anna Sawai, who played the unforgettable and masterful Mariko.

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Um drama bem desenvolvido e bem dirigido

Foi uma excelente experiência assistir a esse drama. Gostei de como o enredo foi construído e desenvolvido, e a atuação dos atores foi sempre segura e bem conduzida. Quero destacar os atores que interpretaram Sato e Shinzo Tozawa; eles deram uma aura mais realista aos seus personagens, o que foi muito valorizado.

Sobre o drama, eu não li a obra do jornalista onde a série foi baseada, mas não percebi nenhuma brecha para uma continuação. O arco Tozawa foi concluído com sucesso e a história, ao meu ver, se fechou. Há empolgação e possível enredo para mais temporadas? Acredito que sim, mas como telespectador, estou satisfeito por agora.

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IN SEARCH OF THE WONDERFUL WORLD...

I think the best way to praise this drama is to say that it was a competent and well-built drama. None of the episodes were irrelevant or unimportant; all episodes were complementary to each other. In other words, we had an excellent execution here.

The conclusion was very conclusive and without loopholes. My last doubt was regarding the gate video and what an irony of fate, it was the controversial Soo Ho protecting his wife from the certainty that he had closed the gate. I found this explanation excellent and very consistent.

I will praise Cha EunWoo for accepting to play a character completely outside of his comfort zone and I confess that I saw positive acting points in the last episodes. I hope he continues on this path and challenges himself as an actor.

In a final analysis, the drama taught that the WONDERFUL WORLD is built daily and with small achievements. After all, life is not built only of victories and happiness.

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A protagonist extremely weak and irritating.

I don't want to be offensive to fans of this manga, but based on this trilogy of films, I'd like to express an opinion and question: is the protagonist really so irritating and weak in the manga? Because, let's face it, he only relies on the power of love and dialogue, constantly getting beaten up by everyone, allies or enemies alike. He can't fight, can't persuade, just shouts, cries, and complains.

Since the first film, there has been no evolution whatsoever; the outcome is just beatings, tears, and more beatings. His body must be made of titanium, as in all three films he has been beaten in every possible way, it's a miracle he hasn't suffered a cranial trauma.

Anyway, I can't judge the protagonist in the manga because I've never read it, but Takemichi in the films is a naive, complaining, weak character who believes the power of love can fix everything. If there are no more sequels, that's fine by me.

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Excellent synopsis, but poor execution.

First and foremost, it is necessary to say that Lee JunYoung and Lee JaeWook are among the pantheon of the best Korean actors in their twenties. It's even embarrassing to compare some actors of the same age group with them. That being said, let's move on to the final evaluation. So, does this mean that Tae Oh had no ulterior motive or hidden secret; he was just another one who wanted professional success and money in an honest way, and saw Kang InHa as the ladder to such goals? Confronted about why he did all that to Tae Oh, Kang InHa responded by saying: "I don't know, that's it, I guess it's because you were Tae Oh." That's what's called lazy writing and writers with little creative intelligence. The family's mother, Jang GeumSuk, was arrested for concealing a corpse. I was waiting for the episode to find out whose corpse it was. What's the story behind this? Was the butler also arrested? It was a mess and nothing was clarified. Our protagonist is beyond comments; we've already made enough comments about her during the drama.

They turned Kang InHa into a monstrous psychopath who spares not even the relatives of his enemies, and it became clear that Tae Oh was an imaginary enemy he created. Also, that toxic romance between Tae Oh and HyeWon highlighted InHa's unbalanced emotions, and he felt betrayed and isolated. I'm not justifying, I'm just saying that the creation of the monster InHa became has shared responsibility with TaeOh and HyeWon.

The positive highlight goes to the interpreter of Hee Joo, actress Choi Hee Jin, who had little screen time but was the only one who managed to connect with the audience. The moment of reflection was the suicide of now Baek InHa. I confess I was choked up.

Anyway, this drama came with high expectations and an excellent plot, but an execution to forget.

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IT'S NOT OVER YET......

The first season surprised me on several levels. It was a drama that had no episodes without importance or dragging. The whole story had good dynamics and followed a well-defined course. I always appreciate dramas that use episodes 15 and 16 to conclude the story. Most dramas use episode 16 for conclusions full of amenities and frivolities. However, FlexXCop used it differently, dosing its story effectively in 16 good episodes. It is a drama that deserves the success it achieved in South Korea and has the energy and potential for its second season, which I believe will only be released in 2026.

I liked the villain built in a complex way and shaped by the ambitions and neuroses of his mother, brought to us by Shi Yang with his character Seung Joo. This drama has a high level of quality and deserves only praise, there is nothing to criticise.

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Very corny Western cast.

Yesterday, while watching this movie, I made an interesting self-discovery. To be blunt: I prefer Song Joong Ki's acting in movies more than in TV dramas. His acting in TV dramas is below average, and his facial expressions are the same for sadness, anger, happiness or emotion. In the movies, I see it differently; it seems that the director extracts all the artistic quality he has, and I consider that commendable. Anyway, now I have discovered what bothered me about his acting: the pasteurization that Korean TV dramas suffer. Korea is always more concerned with what the public thinks or will think than with the art itself of the product it broadcasts.

About the drama, I found the synopsis interesting and the events very well developed and dynamic. However, it is necessary to mention the terrible acting of the Western cast of the film, all acting in a very corny way and causing embarrassment in every speech. I wonder how NETFLIX selected this cast, based on what?

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A very satisfying ending.

Although I find some things there surreal and nonsensical, it was a drama I enjoyed and thought it presented a solid storyline, without the usual drag found in dramas of this theme. Suzuki Kyoka deserves positive mentions for her portrayal of the nonsensical and narcissistic villain in the drama; she was restrained and exaggerated just right, as her character aimed for every step of greed and acceptance from others. I found Anzu and Kiichi's ending together cute, and I found it bold and amusing that she asked to take care of him for the wicked mother.

I understand some might have wanted imprisonment or death for Makiko, but I understand the drama wanted to give a realistic tone to this ending, showing that evil may not always be eradicated but can be defeated. I am currently watching Japanese dramas and am enjoying them immensely; I currently prefer Japanese dramas to Chinese ones.

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Uchikawa Reo was the biggest highlight.

It's necessary to say that Uchikawa Reo's acting level (Satoru - child) is much, but much higher and better than the performance of his adult version, which isn't exactly hammy, but falls quite short. Uchikawa managed to show us a protective Satoru, someone who seeks to fill others' voids without worrying about his own life and setbacks, someone who from the initial episode dominated the drama from start to finish. It was a pleasure to get to know this actor; it's a shame he hasn't acted for years, but he is fantastic. Also deserving of praise is the actress who played Kayo in the childhood phase, she managed to convey sensitivity in all her scenes and scenic care in her lines, it was another pleasant surprise. From the adult cast, although he had very little screen time, we have to praise the Kenya played by Shirasu Jin who did very well and in his few scenes gave an emotional and sincere tone to his character.

A well-rounded and flawless drama, I liked it a lot. I watched it because of a friend's recommendation and it was a beautiful suggestion.

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Very common drama with Jung Suk in a state of grace.

There are actors and then there are actors, but without a doubt, Jung Suk is at the top shelf. I believe that in the awards season, he and the leads of "A BLOOD LUCKY DAY" will be vying for the Best Actor award for drama. Returning to Jung Suk, he began the drama portraying himself as a sweet and simple prince, but upon ascending the throne, he transformed into a paranoid and suspicious king. However, as the episodes progressed, this image softened. Although I still believe that the crimes he committed three years ago have not been fully justified, I understand that if the characters affected by it have come to terms and moved on, I won't dwell on it.

It's incredible how Shin Sae Kyeong's acting falls short, it's uniquely hammy. The female highlights in terms of acting, for me, are the veterans Park Ye Young (Lady Dong) and Jang Young Man (Queen Park).

My favorite character without any reservations was Kim Myung Ha, who was dismissed by the protagonist early on in the drama and moved on without trying to create a love triangle (thanks to the scriptwriters for that). Many times, he brought Hee Soo back to reality. Usually, secondary protagonists are persistent, but Myung Ha was different; he immediately stepped aside and even helped the couple get together in the end. Yes, I still find the lead couple extremely toxic, but that's a discussion for another topic.

It was an interesting drama that delved well into palace intrigues, and Jung Suk was the maestro behind it all.

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A FORGETTABLE DRAMA.

Before anything else, it is necessary to say and repeat a thousand times that Park Ji Hoon is a beast of acting. At just 24 years old, he dominates the scene and has a striking voice when he acts, unlike colleagues of the same age or similar, whose ham acting is totally evident. I only watched this drama because of him. After this brief preface, let's talk about the drama itself. It's very easy to talk about this drama because it has an excellent synopsis, but the execution was terrible, with quite lazy narrative resources, to say the least. The use of the memory loss trope by the protagonist was quite anything, and the screenwriters did not use creativity to create more innovative situations in Korean drama. Another fact that bothered me a lot and was quite exaggerated were the excessive screams and shouts of the protagonist. In episode 14, for example, it was 60 minutes of just him screaming and writhing. The villains were all well below criticism. Personally, I can't see Hwang Hee playing villains. His comic and charismatic character in "Tale of the Nine-Tailed" mentally marked me, but that's just me. What annoyed me the most was that in the initial episodes, the screenwriters treated us to a cunning, intelligent, witty, comic, and fighting Ak Hee. However, to maximise Sajo Hyun's protagonism, they turned Ak Hee into a greedy and childish idiot. Anyway, it's a drama I'll forget after typing this review.

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HATTORI HANZO FOREVER…

I started watching this drama without any expectations and, before I knew it, I was completely hooked on the story and the characters. The drama, created and developed by the excellent Dave Boyle, presented a sense of common reality of Japanese everyday life in a family composed of “shinobis”, and the storyline was well tied and conducted in just 8 episodes, unfortunately. The fight choreography was so realistic that it became unnecessary to use visual effects to speed them up, where the viewer gets lost in the performances and ends up not watching anything but a bunch of fast movements. Here, Boyle took care to let us enjoy all the choreographies. As for the actors’ performances in the drama, it is noticeable that they were restrained and within the Western standard of acting, far from the theatrical performances that are trademarks of Japanese dramaturgy. Now, I confess I am looking forward to the second season and hope Netflix renews it, however, Japanese dramas tend to end with open endings and continuations simply do not exist. I hope it’s different here.

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A happy ending their way…

It was a drama I followed eagerly from the start, trying to craft theories, and it was excellent how the writers developed all the plots in 16 well-constructed episodes. The villains had good developments. The most assertive criticism is that our villain Yoon-Jin tormented for 15 episodes and, in the end, decided to apply the death penalty, which I find unusual for someone so envious, narcissistic, and egocentric, but it was the appropriate way the writers found to end her cycle of suffering and obsession. In terms of acting, I really liked the duplicitous scoundrel Nam Tae-Joo, portrayed by the veteran Park Ho-San, and the simple portrayal of Lee Ki-Taek, being an unconditional protector when playing Yoo Teo. As for Na-ra, she interpreted the central protagonist of the drama well and carried it through to where we are now.

Regarding the romantic part of the drama, the writers’ fanservice treated us to a bittersweet and open-ended ending between Jae-Won and Yoo Teo, and I think they were happy with this action. Finally, as I’ve always said since the review of episode 2 that I do here: A fully happy ending doesn’t exist; there’s the one that God or the Universe provides us, and we have to be wise to value and try to understand that not everything in life is simply complete or entirely happy.

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