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i watch too many dramas
in my Pillowfort
Weird, remarkably consistent -- and can make you think if you look beyond the Pork Blood Soup
For vampire Pun, only meeting Yo makes his own life meaningful. Only when they are together, during the all too short span of a human life, there can be happiness. Pun will enjoy every single second with Yo, it doesn't matter if these seconds are good, bad, or deeply absurd.For those who seek help in deciding if they should watch this series, this might be important to know:
* Take all of your ideas what a vampire story should be like, and put them away, because this story either discards them or at least subverts all the vampire tropes.
* Almost all of the characters are weird in some way. If you can't handle "cringe" (whatever that is, because I still don't understand the word), then this might not be for you.
* Blood Pork Soup sometimes feels like the main character of the show. This is what brings the group together.
* This is not a fast-paced romance. At times, it seems as if this show is not about the romance, but about the absurdity of life. Which also means that sometimes it seems that nothing is happening at all. Relax, follow the flow of the drama, enjoy every scene on its own, without expecting it to advance the story -- and you'll enjoy this show.
* Pun is, and that is important to notice, usually at least an unreliable narrator -- inconsistencies in what he says are not plot holes. Take everything Pun says about himself or other vampires with a grain of salt, he has his reasons.
* You *will* get a common trope used in stories about humans and immortals at the end.
* And last, watch the trailer https://youtu.be/5ekNPUazAmA. For a trailer, this one is pretty much accurate. If you like what you see there, you might like the series.
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Now, the things I love about the series:
1. The series tries to do something different.
While I can love a tropey rom-com, I don't want only that. I love when somebody does something new; when tropes are discarded or subverted. Actually, I was deeply sceptical before I started watching this serie, because I DON'T like vampire stories and their tropes. Dark and brooding, cruel and mysterious, erotic blood-sucking included? No, thank you. But this one is different. This is colourful, and bright, and everybody enjoys the absurdity life can bring.
"Different" always gets bonus points, even if other aspects might not be good.
2. The characters are weird, and so, so loveable.
Pun, of course, the good vampire who loves Yo and Pork Blood Soup, who once wore braces as an accessory, whose assortment of colourful umbrellas shade us from the harsh sun of reality.
Yo, who is obsessed with aliens and fascinated by the weird, who likes wearing his beaded bracelets and, of course, loves eating Pork Blood Soup.
Kamsai, whose main goal in life is to have a Pork Blood Soup stall, and who is the most pragmatic of them all at the age of 16.
Yam, Yo's little sister, who seems to be a no-nonsense kind of person but ultimately gives in to the weird obsession of Yo's, and who is the one who has a good sense for people and is the first to point out the attraction between Yo and Pun.
Shin, of course, who is hard-working, always full of energy, and who seems to have a slight humiliation kink.
And then there are the side characters; the alien-obsessed Pak and her mute girlfriend, the nosy but courageous auntie, Gyoza and her elderly grandma, the small and cheeky landlady.
3. The series is consistent:
When I watched the series for the first time, I waited for the plot to fall apart very episode. It didn't. Actually, after rewatching, I can say, the plot and the worldbuilding is remarkably consistent -- there are no glaring inconsistencies, no obvious plot holes. I do wish the writer had put more obvious clues about Pun's backstory in earlier episodes. As it is, the last episodes reveals *two* crucial pieces of information about the past and has to resolve all of it in half an episode -- this might be one of the reasons some people find the ending rushed.
I also have to mention that this is one of the few Thai BLs that actually give us dates! The main story starts shortly before Valentine (episode 1, the couple's discount at the food stall) and ends shortly after Songkran, then there's a time-skip of a year, after which follows a montage over the next fifty-four years (this can be easily calculated). So, and I think that's something a lot of people haven't noticed, the main part only takes just over two months -- that's actually not that long.
I also feel that the characters are consistent in their actions. There wasn't a scene when I thought that someone was out of character. Even the side characters had, well, *character*.
Look at Chalui / Luis for example. He's part of "UFO and the gang" (Yo's college friend group) -- if you observe him, he's obviously not as into alien hunting as Yo and Pak. He rolls his eyes continuously, he doesn't want to get involved with that vampire nonsense. He points out that their thesis in the next semester will be a solo project -- and consequently, disappears from the moment the break starts and doesn't appear again. (And, let's be honest, friend groups at college form and disband all the time.)
4. Something that also impressed me were the props and sets.
Seeing the Pun and Yo's rooms, they fit their characters. None of those soulless condos and houses for the super-rich that look as if they were just rented spaces for a series. I can see Yo and Pun *living* there, surrounded by all the things that are important to them. The roof-top restaurant, too, evolves over time, from a neglected space to a place where our group regularly meets and eats their pork blood soup -- props were added over the course of the series, changed places, were *used*. That shows what you can do with a small budget, if you know what you want.
5. The music.
Most of the songs are sung by Boy YourMOOD, who also plays Shin in this show, they are as up-beat and colourful as the whole series. And I encourage you to pay attention to the songs at the opening and closing credits!
6. The plot, in all its consistency, leaves some questions unanswered. (Yes, I'm still at "things I love")
I don't mean the important questions -- the main plot itself is resolved in the end; we get to hear the reasons for the main obstacle, we know why Pun acts the way he does. But there are some minor plot points that are left open -- I won't talk about them here, I try to keep this spoiler-free.
The thing is, I like it when I can think and theorize more after a show has ended. When I can have my little fantasies about what happened before and why, about what someone did or said between scenes, about what will happen after the last scene. Bonus points for that!
7. Below all of the quirky weirdness, there lie unexplored depths of existential questions.
Throughout the series, it feels as if the mood is just one turn away from shifting into the dark.
The drama asks: What to do when everything falls apart and the thing / the person that gave meaning to your life is gone? What will you do when you are the one who will outlive them all?
And: How much do you let yourself be defined by what you are? Can you go against your very own nature? Against what everybody else says how you should be? How long will you be able to defy expectations?
And: What makes a good life? Can happiness be a bowl of Pork Blood Soup?
________________________
The acting by all of the actors was not something exceptional, but we've all seen much worse in Thai BLs. Both main actors did a good job -- especially Pun's besotted stares and Yo's laugh whenever he was embarrassed or confused were very well done. The comedic timing was usually spot-on for me, and where it wasn't. it seems mainly be a strange editing choice. Somchai could have had more range -- the clapping and laughing got samey after a while, but in other scenes the actor was good enough to make everybody hate his character. Special mention goes to Mild who played Kaemsai, what a remarkable scene in episode 11! And she was only 16 when they filmed; I'm looking forward to following her acting career.
__________________
And, at last, the not-so-good.
Because everything cannot be perfect, and we can love something while also be aware of the flaws.
I already pointed it out earlier: There are two crucial plot points that answer questions that are central to the whole plot; and we don't even get real hints before that. While rewatching, I noticed that, at least for one of those plot points, there are actions that make much more sense now that I know what I know -- during the first time, I felt that there was something ... not quite off, but strange about them, but I couldn't put my finger on it.
In my opinion, it would have been possible to place more and stronger hints in earlier episodes, without revealing everything. It might also have made the series more palatable for the people who felt that it was "too slow" or that "nothing is happening".
To everyone who made it to the end of this review, I say:
โบกมือลา ... แล้ววันหน้าพบกันใหม่ --- Wave goodbye ... and meet you again in the future.
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What I liked best:
* The initial premise is different and interesting, the story arcs well paced and in the end, all story threads are neatly tied up. Even if they ended the series with a glimpse of a new plot, it felt more like a "this is not the end" than a cliffhanger.
* The main character was extremely well acted, I loved the facial expressions (or, sometimes, the lack of them) and how the actor moved his body, we never forget that this is actually a dead body, not a living being.
* The comedy was there duiring all the episodes, and varied between spoofing Zombie movies and the detective genre, slapstick-y routines and just plain hilarious situations.
* The mysteries were not too simple, but simple enough for a comedy.
* Some K-Dramas I've watched have a weird slump in pacing or story in the 9th to 11th episdes. This one doesn't, every episode was interesting or funny enough to keep me watching.
* There was no romance between the two main characters, only a hint of interest on the woman's side, which is not even recognized by the zombie detective.
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"The world is complicated and ambiguous. In this world, we mix and connect."
Have you ever looked at a Wimmelbilderbuch? These are books for children, where every page depicts a scene -- a market, a school, a street, a park -- with lots of people. You look at each person and discover a bit about them. Then you turn the page, and there's a new scene. Sometimes you'll meet some of the same people, and can continue their stories. Sometimes, there are new people. On some of these pages, the little people meet (or miss each other by seconds), which changes their course for the next pages. At the end, you close the book, but the stories about the people will never be finished.This show is much like that. We get to see episodes of the lives of several teenagers, glimpse into the wide universe of their thoughts and emotions, turn the page -- and someting new might happen. That something new is more often than not hilariously surreal in this show, but -- like in other Japanese Dramas -- deeper than it seems at first glance.
Release all your preconceptions about how dramas are supposed to work, and look closely.
Look at another person, really look beyond what's immediately visible; listen to them, and you may find that you are Captivated, by them.
"Even so, you'd throw yourself into the world, in secret, with all your might, in an ambiguous form, in a complicated straight line."
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The target audience is definitely much younger than me, but I liked it.
Technical aspects of the production were fine. Overall, the acting was good, especially since the actors are all really young. Directing was fine also -- I always have an eye on how ensemble scenes are done, and I did not notice anything missing here.
There are quite a lot of songs in the series, which is appropriate, since it's about a band -- not too many (and that's coming from me, who thinks that there's too much singing in Disney movies), and all of them fitting the band's general vibe and the plot.
Regarding the plot, it is a slow burn with lots of pining, and I tend to love this trope. Yes, it's a bit ridiculous at times, and also a bit cheesy, but that makes the series so charming. Even though some more serious issues are addressed, it's never high-stakes for the audience.
A lot of the good tropes are used liberally, some are there just to be subverted (an episode at the beach, but the young people get only five minutes to actually enjoy it?) -- and there are none of the trope I hate (e.g. miscommunication because some character is lying, love triangles, traumatic childhood experiences, jealous female characters...).
I also loved that there's so much time dedicated to the bandmates' friendship and the highs and lows they go through as the school year progresses. They are all young boys who enjoy life, and are not ashamed to act silly when they feel like it.
The parents also got some character development, and enough time to show it.
There really only two very minor points that could have been better:
a) I wish there were more female roles. I know it's a BL, and BLs have to have a majority of male characters, but why not have a girl in the band? Or a female Kajorn? Or female MCs? Or a female Yak? (Though, I admit, the last one is maybe a bit more difficult.)
b) I would have liked to see a bit more story for Tinn, whose main role is to support Gun, his love interest. He does have his own insecurities, his own questions about his future -- it's all already there, just underdeveloped and glossed over.
One last thing, because I waited for it but it never came: There is absolutely none of that old and tired top/bottom-dynamic in this show! None of the boys have any characteristics that trope would demand (difference in age, status, experience, body type etc.), none of the "pushy top" and "reluctant bottom", their body language and whole demeanor are always "typical boy" and touches are very much mutual and equal in reciprocation. I hope we'll get to see more of this kind of relationship dynamic in future Thai BL shows.
(They even make fun of the trope at the end when they talk about ship names!)
So that was a very nice surprise.
All in all, the show is light-hearted and funny, even silly at times, with great friendships -- it made me smile throughout the whole series. So I recommend it as something to watch on gloomy days. Characters don't take themselves too serious, and the audience should do the same.
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This review may contain spoilers
Forget it; I did.
This show is forgettable. And I mean this in the most literal way: I first watched this series some time the summer of 2022. When I came across the title again in the autumn of the same year, I had no idea what story this was supposed to be -- only during watching had I the feeling that I knew it somehow. And that happened again a few weeks later.I have no idea why the series was such that I forgot about it -- even after I watched it a fourth time. This is what could have contributed:
* The storylines are stereotypes -- friends to lovers / trusting a new relationship after a bad one / secret identities; they all seem to develop slowly but fast at the sam time? Maybe three couples was a bit much for 6x40 minutes. I am not even able to give a description of the stories (see above).
* The actors all look the same to me. Not only those who are brothers IRL, but also Chris and Ton Fah looked rather similar.
* The music was amazing in itself but made the whole show feel a bit dreamlike and apart from reality. I think a second soundtrack for the more dramatic and the emotionally heavy scenes would have helped.
* It feels as if there's a lot of backstory that we don't see, and there are also several inconsistencies.
All in all, I don't think I've made a connection to the characters in the series, maybe due to one of the points above, maybe not.
That said, the show is not bad, even mediocre is not the right word for it, it's just ... bland.
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It's a slow and gentle story -- both the school bullying and short violence in the beginning and the initial coldness of Tae Seong's make the thawing of feelings and the beginning warmth between the couple clearer.
I really like the progression of the story, the pacing is right, the camera work is solid. I like that the young men change their hair style and their clothing when starting university. I also think both their body language changes with their changing feeling, though that point is more subtle.
There's one thing I wish would have been different. I feel that the sets and the colour palette of this series are very cool, too white, sometimes even a bit sterile. While this makes sense in the beginning (Hae Bom's room looks more like a guest room than a teenager's room -- but then again, he feels like a guest in this house), I would have like a shift to warmer colours in later episodes -- spring colours to go with the plot. Unfortunately, Tae Seong and Hae Bom's flat still looks impersonal and cold -- personal effects, a bit of untidyness could have helped. The strings of lighting, I'm sorry to say, only feel artificial to me. Still, this is something that I only can put in words now, after having watched this series several times, so it's really only a minor thing.
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Zettai BL ni Naru Sekai VS Zettai BL ni Naritakunai Otoko
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The tropes quickly come one after the other, and the whole drama is very fast-paced.
I loved all the side couples and the couples in the background. Also the parents really are the epitome of "mob"!
There is one, maybe a minor, point I did not like:
* I don't understand why "Mob" is so desperate to avoid a romance storyline -- I get it in the beginning, when he's reading about "Meriba"-endings, which I wouldn't like for me either, but after a while it just feels a bit homophobic, especially as he doesn't want his little brother to end up with a guy too! I wish we'd get a better explanation for that. As it is, the whole thing feels a little off for me especially regarding the ending, which kind of comes out of nowhere.
Recommended, if you need a laugh and if you know a lot of BL tropes.
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Not really about psychological cases
I must say that the title and the first episode deceived me as to the content of this series.I thought that this would be a more light-hearted series with interesting cases, like the one in the first episode, cases that actually could be considered psychological.
Mostly, cases in following episodes were based in familial conflicts, poisoning etc. -- they also felt samey after a while.
I did not care for the court intrigue at all, and so I needed about two months to get through the second-to-last episode.
I also wished that we got to see more of Gye's family, I think the characters could have been really interesting but they remained rather one-dimensional. Overall, I enjoyed the interaction between the family members.
One last addition: The poisonous plant ("Dansacho") shown seemed to be Cyclamen, which is native to Europe and to the east up to Iran, NOT Korea. If it is, the symptoms are not what characters experience in the series. That fact makes me question the reliability of other medical practices in the show.
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One main reason for this is the main male character, Lee Ahn, who I thoroughly disliked. He is cocky and self-assured without having any abilities to support it -- and it feels that he thinks it's enough that he is himself and has this psychometry to be allowed to flaunt rules.
Another is the romance, which felt forced and superfluous. Is it not enough to share the same traumatic childhood exerience? To have the same goal? Why does it have to be romance, when partners and eventual friends would have made enough sense?
I did not feel any sexual or romantic attraction between them. For the longest time, Jae In seemed to be more annoyed than romantically interested.
They wouldn't do a romance arc if the young people had the same gender, so why force this into a good mystery?
Because the mystery plot was quite good otherwise -- the storyline of the dangerous stranger whose identity is slowly revealed and how he connects to the mysterious Kang Seong Mo was delightfully muddied by the storyline about corporate fraud.
It seemed that we knew everything already in episodes 11 to 13 or so (which is also part of why I had trouble continuing at that point) -- but then there's a surprising plot twist!
(The story telling though was a bit too slow in the last episodes.)
Kang Seong Mo was by far the most interesting character, and his actor subtly portrayed his emotions -- emotionless robot, even though it seems to the other characters, he is not. Without him, I would probably not have made it through the drama.
An honourable mention for Jae In -- one of the few female characters in a drama who can hold her own -- yes, she "needs" to be saved by the male lead at least once, but other than that, she is indispensible to the plot, and actually more competent than Lee Ahn.
Overall, it's not bad -- just not something I liked. If you don't mind romance in your mysteries, cocky male characters and slow pacing, then it might be for you.
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Compelling -- until episode 42.
If they'd stopped after episode 42, this series would have earned a solid 9 from me. As it is, the last story arc was crammed into 4 of the last 6 episodes, with the last 1.5 episodes dedicated to flashbacks and battle scenes. That last story arc had scenes cut, which made it almost incomprehensible. I wish they'd cut some of the romantic flashbacks, of which we had entirely too many, instead.Other grievances:
* The show is, like all of the Lost Tomb series, quite misogynistic. All of the women are only there to serve the men's plot, one of them is even a classical case of fridging. At least they put the female characters in less revealing clothes, but that was probably because of the historical setting.
* Clichéd depiction of non-Han, "tribal" minority groups. Why would you think that they all dress the same? And what's with the face paintings? (Although, tbh, C-Dramas tend to be Han-nationalist, so it's not every surprising.)
* I would have liked to see more of the other families. Why is the drama called "The Mystic Nine" if we see three of them only in few short scenes?
But:
* The sets are better than some C-Dramas, the acting is superb, the mysteries are compelling -- all in all a great watch. If you liked the other Lost Tomb dramas, you'll like this one.
* Ba Ye and the lieutenant held the story, they are hilarious together.
Recommended, if you like action and mystery and also don't mind some romance or if you want to collect all you can from the Lost Tomb Universe.
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What I liked:
* The main lead's acting. I loved how he portrayed his character's emotional turmoil and, especially in the first half, his confusion about his feelings.
* I liked the pacing overall. There was a bit of a drag around the 2/3 mark, and the last episode felt rushed, but I really liked how the story, the parent's history and the love story, unfold.
* The action scenes were well done, and there was no excessive violence, only what was needed by the plot.
* I like the underlying message. Namely, that a free press (Free of politics and free of commercial restrictions) can be very powerful and that is why we need it.
* Something which I loved: At the beginning of each episode we were shown the last scene of the episode which came before -- which is not that new, but that scene always had something new, either just an extended version or the pint of view of another character, which sometimes even made me re-evaluate what I saw before. I don't think I've seen that done before, at least not that consistently.
What I did not like:
* Maybe I'm spoiled by dramas like "The Good Detective" or "Stove League", where there are multilayered characters and no clear line between good and bad, but I was disappointed by the "mystery", which was basically the "evil group who controls everything with an even more evil leader" trope. That trope is old and overdone, and I think audiences can and should expect more respect for their intelligence.
* I especially don't understand why they had to introduce a new plotpoint in the last two episodes. I'm sure they wanted to resolve the "item" and the murder of the first episode and maybe they wanted to finish with a bang, but it did not feel as an organic part of the rest.
* The female characters (apart from "Ajumma") also stayed remarkably passive during the whole show. The plot was mainly driven by Healer and the male reporter, while the young female reporter and the lady in the wheelchair usually followed behind, although both women's lives were equally, if not more, affected by the bad guys. Also, they are meant to be reporters! I expected them to take the lead at least in the later episodes.
All in all, it wasn't a bad watch but I'm not sure if it's worth a rewatch.
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This review may contain spoilers
Excellent drama with one flaw
THE STORY:I started this thinking that we'd get to see detective stories, where I could solve cases together with the heroes. The cases were, although interesting, not of that sort. They all made sense, but the audience often only got to see the clues at the time Li Lianhua or Fang Duobing revealed them to their co-characters. The cases themselves were overshadowed by the overarching plot relatively early, so for me, they did not have too much merit by themselves, and only served as a vehicle to move the story forward.
The overarching story wasn't that complicated, we got to guess the main villain quite early, and some of the plot twists weren't that twisty for me.
(Also, the main plot point -- evil people from a defeated foreign country try to overthrow the mighty and just and overall better [China] and fail -- is typical Chinese nationalist fare.)
What makes the story interesting, is the journey of Li Lianhua, both in the past, which is revealed to us in increments, and in the present -- Li Lianhua, who is terminally ill and is pulled into the Jianhu after ten years of solitude, whose journey is one of finding closure, of forgiving or avenging, of finding meaning in life and death.
A plus, for me, is also that the series has little romance -- most of it finds it conclusion within three episodes or so around episode 20 (they decide their romance will stay in the past only). Unfortunately, most female characters' motivation still circles around love, more on that see below.
The story unfolds over 36 episodes, which never drag or feel rushed. The series kept my interest throughout -- the pacing was always just right.
THE CHARACTERS:
Li Lianhua is a wonderfully human character. He is flawed, he lies, he deceives but still seems to be a person who has his values he lives by. He is a miracle doctor and a horrible cook. He is someone who pushes others away, and it's never quite clear if it's to protect the other person or himself. He is selfish in his last decision, and at the same time sacrifices his life (essence) for others over and over again. Li Lianhua is world-weary but can still find solace in the little joys in life and seems to believe that most people are ultimately good.
Li Xiangyi was young and inexperienced. He trusted wholeheartedly -- but also judged hard. He thought he was the most important person in the sect -- and died because of it.
I also loved the other two main characters -- loved their banter, of course. They both had their distinct personalities and unique goals. Fang Doubing and Di Feisheng had good character development -- more time to show their personalities and their inner life would have been even better.
The one thing that irked me for the most part of the series was the portrayal of the female characters. Their motivations mainly circled around "love" (or a version thereof), and usually, they had no agency without a man. Let's look at the four most prominent women:
Jiao Li Qiao: Her motivation for anything is to get Di Feisheng as her husband. That's it.
Qiao Wan Mian: She is important as the past love interest of Li Xiangyi, who waited for ten years for him. Later, she gets a bit more agency, but it remains half-hearted. Has she left Zijin or not? Why does she take his Sect leader token but does not take on the role herself? (He is obviously still the sect leader later.)
Master He (Fang doubig's mother): She's the only woman without an interest in pursuing another man; the only one who is shown with significant skills who can contribute to the fight. She is also the only married woman, and the only middle-aged woman, so it's probably just that she's "too old" to be a potential love interest who can be heroically disregarded.
The princess: Her interest in marrying Fang Doubing is somewhat understandable -- as a princess she lives a highly regulated life, and probably knows that the only chance to get a bit of freedom is as a married woman. (Of course, her interest has to take a backseat next to her fiancé's desires.)
There's also the young girl who we first meet when she disguises herself as a man -- she could have easily been a cunning woman with a network of informants or a vast library. But no! She always gets her information from her grandfather and she is allowed to bring Li Lianhua to her brother for treatment.
That's enough of a rant for this review. Let's close with another excellent aspect:
THE ACTING:
I did not find one actor unsatisfying. The minor characters were all right throughout.
All three main characters were portrayed incredibly well. Especially Chen Yi (Li Lianhua) who needed to show his multi-layered personality without words had excellent micro-expressions. Di Feisheng is probably more interesting than the script itself has provided because Xiao Xun Yao manages to hint for underlying emotions of his character from the first second we get to see him on screen.
And a special mention has to go to Rain Wang (Jiao Li Qiao), who, despite her single-trait character, shows how chillingly deranged Jiao Li Qiao has become over the course of the series.
OVERALL:
This is, despite the one flaw, a series that tells a story about friendship, betrayal and revenge -- and a man who just wants to have a quiet death.
Recommended!
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This review may contain spoilers
This is so short, it was possible to watch it to the end, without getting tto annoyed.What I liked:
* Jang Eui Soo's (Chef Choi) acting. He did what he could with his script.
* The waiter and the sous chef were not just there but had their own characteristics, at least as much as they could within the short time.
What I did not like:
* Almost everything else. Examples:
* Empty scenery: Empty restaurant, empty beach, empty luna park... Where are the people?
* Overexposure does not make scenes romantic if there are no feelings. Same with montage + music.
* I think the main problem is that the script was faster than my emotions while watching. We have the rivalry / antagonistic beaviour in the beginning, that's okay. But when chef Choi acts like an arse during the first meeting and is shown to be the one who will maybe end Chef Yoon's employment, we, as the audience, need something to empathize with Chef Choi. We did not actually get it. I still don't know why Chef Yoon would fall in love with him.
* I have no idea why Laura (the restaurant's owner) wants to get rid of Chef Yoon. She says she wants to expand (he doesn't) but he's the one whose dishes people like?
* There's not enough restaurant and kitchen scenes -- show us how they work together, how they get closer doing their work.
* If the restaurant's so busy that Laura wants to expand, why are there no customers, why do the two main leads have enough time to hang around beaches and amusement parks and so on?
Both the world building and the relationship building is severely lacking in this movie. If I can empathize with the waiter and the sous chef more than with the couple, then something is very, very wrong.
It wasn't bad enough to stop me watching, but there wasn't anything to like it either.
Not recommended.
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So, if you want to choose, I think the movie is a bit too long to watch it in one sitting (it's easier to find your place again in a series). Forthe series, I found the flashing light and the electric noise at the start of each episode grating, especially when I have a headache.
Things I liked:
* To do an "enemy-to-lovers-trope" is not easy. You can easily draw things out too long or have a power imbalance -- if the relationship reads more as "bullying" than as "mutual antagonism" it's really hard for me to understand how they would ever end up as lovers. (Looking at you, Make Our Days Count) But here, it ends relatively early, both give as good as they get -- and especially Jang Jae Young as the first instigator backs off when he realizes that he's crossed the line.
* I also loved Chu Sang Woo's character, which reads as somewhere on the autism spectrum for me. It's done better that in the original material, imo.
* The supporting characters were great in rounding out the story.
Things I did not like:
* I think I'd have liked to see the discussion about excavators and the subsequent drawing of one on Chu Sangwoo's arm (rather than the ugly veggie thing).
Overall, the pacing was good, and even if the general storyline was predictable (which is par for the course in romance dramas), the journey of both protagonists was lovely to follow.
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A court / crime drama that combines serious cases with slapstick humour.
Does the combination of serious cases and humour work? Yes, for the most part.If you don't like the Japanese style of comedy and typical Japanese acting, then this show is probably not for you.
There are a few scenes when the slapstick comedy is a bit too much for me, but I thoroughly enjoyed the puns.
Things I liked:
* The cases are not too simple -- although the clues are usually quite obvious, it's not always clear on the details, so they stay interesting.
* This does not matter actually, since the main point of attraction are the lawyers and their team of paralegals and how they interact with each other.
* Especially Miyama and his "boss", Sada, who absolutely do not like each other at the beginning, start to respect each others strengths, even though their professional ethics differ.
* Regarding Miyama, the show manages to balance on the fine egde between making him eccentric and unlikeable -- usually landing on the side of eccentric. I think the humour in this show makes his quirks endearing rather than obnoxious.
* A huge plus is that there's no romance plot. Yes, there are two people with enormous crushes on another person, but these are only played for laughs, and it's very clear that the other party will never be interested.
One minor thing I did not like as much: The prosecutors' side stayed too one-dimensional; I would have liked more development for them.
Recommended!
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