Firstly, this is not a drama to me this is a web series. I don't honestly know if it really was a web drama but everything about it from production quality on screams mediocre to lower end web drama. I'm not saying that web dramas are bad, on the contrary I prefer sweet fluffy romantic comedies so I really love a good short sweet squee fix! I also love supernatural/fantasy genre, webtoons/manga and anime so I actually really like some of the storylines in web dramas more than what you can find in most regular drama. I really just needed to put that out there because of the series length, media and other creative marketing it seemed like it was a shorter higher quality production (at least shorter than most regular fantasy Chinese dramas). Unfortunately, I bought into the hype and was slightly disappointed.
After you realize what it is the second most important thing to know is that the production was failing before it finished. The number one comment you'll read is that the first and second half of the series feel like entirely different shows and it's 100% accurate in a very literal sense. The show started filming at least two weeks behind production schedule because of casting and other complications. Unfortunately, the lead actors schedules were fixed to begin with and couldn't be altered so somewhere an executive decision was made to start with half the story and write as they went to fill in the gaps where the leads could not be. So essentially the story initially is being told from the lead characters perspectives but switches to being narrated by secondary cast mid series.
It's very unfortunately that all this backlot stuff happened because the story was very interesting and actually pretty entertaining to start with. The fated romance story and even the intricate mythology really gave me high expectations. I really love how the current and back stories weaved into each other, the younger versions of themselves were especially adorable. To be very honest I almost wish if they had to fill the space with secondary characters they would have just stuck with the younger actors for a clearer narrative. At least it would have kept the intimate perspective of the lead characters. However, instead the lead interactions become scarce and nonsensical in much of the conclusion.
Because of all the mentioned above the main storyline lost most of its initial momentum and really started feel draggy. The chemistry of the leads started becoming more frustrating/awkward and by the end there was so much that was left unresolved or quickly concluded it was very disappointing. Everything ended tragically anticlimactic from the initial build up and they threw away much of the potential subplot and interesting details for a quick ending. If you dislike plot holes, open endings and storylines that dead end for no good reason you will probably not like this drama. It really had some good ideas but because of poor production choices it just ended in an odd and disappointing way.
I wanted to comment on the drama introduction before I concluded my review. I really don't comment much on opening/closing montages because honestly they are often long and are victim to my fast forward button after the first few episodes. (Unless the music is good and then I might play it every other episode) The repeated narration on every every episode as the introduction was so damn annoying! I understand the need to fill space and the mythology was very unusual/complicated but that introduction made the beginning feel unpleasantly longer to me. I'm not against providing background details but that was just not flattering. I think the reason I wanted to mention it was because on the flip side I loved the closing montage! (It really had the supernatural vibe of show introductions like Forever Knight, Charmed, Angel, etc if your familiar) I wish they would have made the ending montage the introduction because it was much more appealing. I was actually more excited by the ending sequence and it made me want to continue watching the show. It really isn't anything important but i thought it really just highlighed all the wasted potential this show had and that makes me both sad and pissed off.
So in conclusion this show isn't the worst but it isn't great. My rating might seem extreme but I feel it really is called for here. I'm okay giving a mediocre story or low budget production a better rating because it is what it is. However, to me this was not really a complete story. I don't want to be to savage with the writer but it felt like the story just gave up instead of resolved. To me that is unacceptable if you want sympathetic consideration for trying. As completely insane as it sounds I'd rather have seen them bring in the younger cast and have had them add another lifetime onto the final half of the series. I mean it's a fantasy and the possibilities are limitless! Body switching, alternate reality, time jumps, etc you can easily use other actors and keep the lead perspective focused. I mean really the final special was pretty absurd and lackluster. If you are going to go out cray cray go all out and regret nothing unapologetically. Ha ha!
Was this review helpful to you?
I really enjoyed the storyline and the acting was surely great, the whole cast was very good, especially Park Bo Young, she did an awesome job portraying both characters perfectly.
For those interested in watching this, i can assure you that this drama isn´t a waste of time, if you enjoy a fairly good romantic comedy ( by the way, i really liked Jo Jung Suk character despite trying to look stern and being cocky, his hilarious jealousy moments and cuteness overload will make your heart melt) mixed with paranormal/ghostly stuff (not scary at all,really) this is a MUST. Also, one of the highlights of the show is it´s unexpected twists and the bitter sweet ending will make you feel all the feels!
God, i miss it already xD Enjoy fellas!
Was this review helpful to you?
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
Ugh, I have so many mixed feelings about this show. Where it really excelled in some arenas it royally dropped the ball in others. Honestly, I wish this were a parody then I could laugh and give it a 10/10. I'll start with the things that I enjoyed.I have been a fan of Saint's since LBC and truly he has grown as an actor. I really enjoyed his portrayal of Tutor I'd give him a 8.5/10. I liked Fighter a lot, more than I thought I would based on episode 1. Zee is really a very talented actor. I thought their chemistry was incredible and overall enjoyed them as a couple although I hated how hot and cold Fighter was in the beginning. Tommy did a great job as Zon although I thought from a writing standpoint that his character was so so. I think all the actors did a great job with what they were given. I also really loved Japan, but felt that it was such a terrible waste to include him in the show. The production was out of this world. It was so good that it makes me more than a little upset that the rest of the show did not live up. I had to chuckle because someone said the show seemed like an advert for Thai tourism, and while I needed no persuasion to visit Thai beaches, I can see how it comes across that way. I personally enjoyed the scenery because it's more than I can say about the plot.
Which leads me to where is the plot? Really, look at the show past it's shiny exterior of attractive actors, production, and scenery... the plot does not exist. Rather what we have is a premise (Zol writes a BL that comes to life) and no delivery of any plot. I think Zol only appears once after episode 4 and they only make vague references to being in a BL novel after like episode 6. The writing and direction is where all the problems lie in this series. From episode 1 we are led to believe that Zon will be the main character (so subsequently his pair will be the main pair) but Saifah and Zon's storyline take a HUGE back seat to Tor/Fight. It's hard to have two main couples and give them equal screen time so I really for the life of me cannot understand why they felt the need to have SO MANY tertiary and quatenary couples. At times it didn't even feel like Tor/Fight and Zon/Saifah existed in the same universe. They really felt like 2 completely separate storylines. As I said I thought Tommy did a great job, but Zon's character was poorly written in my opinion. The complete 180 in Zon's character from episode 2 to 3 still has me scratching my head. The enemies to lovers trope is so old and I have never seen it so poorly executed. I feel bad any time I have to bring up the quality of subtitles in shows, it makes me feel ungrateful, but the subtitles in episodes 1-5 were a special kind of terrible. Not to mention that there were entire exchanges without subs at all. I was really dumbfounded I couldn't believe that with a seemingly decent sized budget that was the best they could do for inter fans. I also felt like the directors tried too hard to make this show compete with Tharn/Type. The bed scenes were INTENSE. A little too much for me personally. I'm sad for the way the show was impacted by COVID-19, however, I'm not persuaded that the last 3 episodes would've flowed any better or that the show would have had a better ending otherwise.
There's a lot more I could say, but I don't like my reviews to be crazy long. I'm not saying don't watch it, because it definitely has it's moments, but it really was an underwhelming show in my opinion.
Was this review helpful to you?
A perfect drama to distract yourself from bad moments!
I was surprised because I wasn't expecting it to be so cute, I didn't find everything rushed like in other web dramas, the story flowed well and despite not being as developed, the main couple was really cute and the kissing scenes are definitely something to draw attention to. ! Jiyeon is perfect in the role, she really has a lot of talent and just her looks get you caught up in the drama! I think the entire drama is about two hours long so it's more like a 12-episode movie!It's a perfect drama for you to watch over lunch or dinner, when you want to see something but don't have time, so I definitely recommend it!
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
Mother isn't movie only about parental abuse but a also a story about psycho mother who loves entertaining herself with poisonous men. Rather than "slice of life" story, it's telling more toxic relationship between them. The level of cruelty of a mother who only thinks about herself. My heart is breaking every scenes her children had to move to another places, get involved with debt collectors and waiting for her psycho mother.
It's really hard to imagine children needs to go through manipulating, cruelty and abusive mother that he will never abandon her.
The great performance from Nagasawa Masami and Okudaira Daiken told the audience how wild and chaotic the movie is; not to mention the audience couldn't stand to watch it.
I remember once said on Shoplifters "You can't choose your own parents" and the director told us by that love is somehow default. she will never give him his own space and her son will always part of her.
Overall, this movie is the most sickening and depressing no moral values at all.
Was this review helpful to you?
A very beautiful one of a kind movie
It is one of those unique movies which are hard to come by but leaves you wanting more when you finish. It is a very very very beautiful movie, both cinematically and emotion wise. The movie gives off a earthly feeling with it's 1980s setting in a village. Coupled with the beautiful sceneries with the amazing lighting I was literally mesmerized. If you like unique movies full of emotions, then this is a great movie to watch.I don't want to praise the movie so much that it gets the expectations too high. But for my sake, I want to praise the movie some more .
This drama has a nice plot to it. And the execution of the plot was so good that it left me speechless for a moment. Don't get me wrong, the plot isn't too deep or that amazing, but the way they progresses the plot and the way it makes the viewer change their view on the whole movie is the amazing part.
After watching so many movies and dramas, these days I don't really find any new characters that I truly find memorable. But I think I will remember Bo-Kyung. I hope when you - the reader - watch the drama, find Bo-Kyung as beautiful as I find her. The actress Lee Soo Kyung seemed natural in this character and made the movie so much more better. I love it.
There was some romance to it as all k-movies have, but it wasn't overbearing and had a fresh feel to it.
If you are contemplating whether to watch this movie or not then you should give it a try. I found it very beautiful, maybe you will too.
Was this review helpful to you?
A vastly different story in the Novoland universe which might not sit well with everyone...
There are vastly polarised opinions regarding the faithfulness NPE holds towards the original source material. Not being a fan of the original novel, this review may seem biased to a few of you. It also doesn't help that the summary for this drama is somewhat misleading. So here's my version for you -Drama Summary:
NPE tells the story about the court & harem of the last dynasty in the eastern lands of Novoland, the Zheng dynasty. As Emperor Xu pines for his dead empress and neglects a lot of corruption there are political undercurrents threatening to upend his rule. Meanwhile, Fang Zhu a minister and his best friend rescues a girl Haishi; who has a strange encounter with a Naga, from a coastal town. He makes her his disciple and the drama focuses on her life as a undercover male who eventually becomes the personal guard of the Emperor Xu.
There are very few fantastic elements in this drama and it focuses mainly on realistic fight scenes, relationship woes, political history and angst.
Now, here are 5 reasons why you should watch this drama:
1. The female lead is strong minded and doesn't lose her maturity or senses when she is around the object of her affection. She appears capable and intelligent.
2. The secondary leads look good and the plot is interesting as well so I don't fast forward the secondary storyline.
3. Politics and military action are well balanced in this story. Neither of the two overpower the 'drama' that is happening between the various characters.
4. The romance is a slow burn and no one falls for the other at first sight. I'd rather say this drama is about yearning & the longing for love rather than any romance.
5. The production value is pretty good and so is the music.
And yet there are many reasons why you may not want to watch this show. I have kindly enumerated them for you:
1. The male lead is no longer a eunuch as in the original material & neither is he uninterested in the female lead. All of this means we end up hating on the ML for emotionally torturing the FL. And it doesn't help that a woman in her 30's is forced to act like a naive girl/man in the initial episodes.
2. The second male lead apparently needs to work on his line delivery (I don't understand Chinese so I cannot judge this but I liked XKC's acting and he made a very interesting King for me)
3. There is quite a lot of physical abuse in the initial episodes which might turn some people off as this drama is based on a 15 year old novel.
4. For people used to watching xanxia/wuxia dramas where the plot moves really fast the relatively slow pace of this drama might get tiresome. Compared to other Novoland stories, this drama has less action and more intrigue. And believe it or not, the pace reduces even further as we reach the climax of the drama.
5. It could be disconcerting to hear the ML's voice as it is dubbed by the same voice actor that dubbed for a major character from TMOPB.
Story:
Read above points to understand how the story is. But let me summarise for you: you don't need to concentrate on this story if you are a native speaker. You could be doing your chores and watching this in the background and you'd be totally fine.
Acting:
Yang Mi was good at portraying her frustrations with her Shifu. Shifu had a wooden expression but since his character is the cliche taciturn ML it didn't really matter. The emperor ZKC looked crazy for the first few episodes (I loved his acting here the best) and then later turned into a sane but frustrated emperor. I think the acting was okay but as mentioned earlier his line delivery might throw native speakers off. Consort Shurang was okay and so were Zhouying & the embroiderer.
All in all the acting was good considering this is a wuxia/fantasy.
Overall:
I found the cast & pairing pretty okay and the story quite interesting. I think if you are expecting a fast paced high fantasy action series or a sweet historical romance it's safe to say you will be disappointed. Personally, I have enjoyed this drama more than I expected to.
While the drama does drag on a bit and the romance (what little is there) is as slow as molasses, the tragic story itself makes one addicted to watching it. The last ten episodes could have been condensed into 4 episodes and this would have received a solid 8.5 from me but unfortunately the scriptwriters didn't ask for my advice.
As it is, this is a 7.5/10. (It's sole grace being none of the characters were irritating so I could finish this series with a bit of fast-forwarding of the last few episodes and yet I enjoyed watching this show).
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
Ennuyeux
Overall: I would call this a traditional Thai university BL (many tropes, poor communication, cute moments). However, with the evolution of BL, this felt boring to me and I didn't like the character Theo. Watched on YouTubeContent Warnings: manipulation, manhandling, vomiting, dub con kiss (half asleep?), punches, student/teacher relationship?
What I Liked
- Akk's mom & sister were great
- the side characters' French was good (likely native speakers)
- Akk was pretty adorable, especially quickly cleaning up his room and being the Flash
- cute moments like the kitchen spoon fight
- the consent before their kiss in ep 8
- that they were physically affectionate with one another after ep 8
Room For Improvement
- the main issue I have is Theo is pretty unlikable. He gets angry at others for treating him like a child but he has the maturity of a child (which was even shown in the last episode with his parents, there was zero character growth).
- the lead actors have a similar look, they should have styled/colored their hair more differently. I was confused when the story shifted location/perspective because I thought it was Theo at first. And the other leads also need more differentiation (i.e glasses, jewelry, hair color, etc).
- do not write in library books, especially "I'm bored", replacing a book also is a bad idea because it isn't processed and can't be checked out (ie no barcode, spine label, etc)
- Theo spoke Thai until 6th grade likely spoke it for the 7 years when he was abroad (with his parents/grandmother) but the one word he couldn't remember was "lost", this just seems odd
- Theo's French was bad for someone who lived 7 years in the country
- the blur filter on Theo was too much, some shaky camerawork and night scenes were too dim especially in ep 10
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
Niini no Koto wo Wasurenaide is a fictional story based on true events. This Tearjerker is the story of the sufferings of a boy which in the early age of 15 was told that he had Tumors in his brain, or braincancer. I Will keep this review without spoilers. Kawai Keisuke is a boy who loves to study. He is looking forward to going to school, Eagerly study and always has fun joking around with his family and friends. Or atleast this is the life he had been leading in the past. Lately he has been having these horrible headaches causing studying nearly impossible, But he doesn't give in. His mother quickly notices that something is out of the ordinary, He never was like this in the past. Trying to talk her son into going to the hospital turns out to be of no good, So only with a twist of fate, He needs to be taken to the hospital.
About to leave the hospital to go home and study, His parents come in quickly while talking to him. They've just gotten the message.. Their 15 Year old son, they have been told that he will have no longer than a year at the most to live. Keisuke figures that having headaches is something we all can get so he doesn't think twice about it. Telling his mother straight out ''The doctor didn't say there was anything wrong with me right, So just let me leave..'' His mother halfway in tears already starts to tell his son about his fate, And from here starts the life of Keisuke, A boy with a life outside of the usuall. How will he live on from here, And will he manage to overcome his hardships along the way the illness?.
This story, I really had big expectations from it after having read the description. And it definately didn't let me down. After only 30 minutes watching, I was left in tears. It didn't change later either. It keeps your tears comming out. Its definately not a mustwatch if you aren't into Tearjerkers..
I'll recommend this drama to all dramafans out there who aren't afraid to shed tears. Even those who doesn't cry easily, Will be able to shed a couple of tears here..
R.I.P Kawai Keisuke..
Was this review helpful to you?
I LOVED IT. I also definitely loved how the grandma kept her speaking ways the same despite how contrasting her speaking ways of an agjussi to a 20-25 yr old. Is definitely a try of movie that is great for a family to watch except for the cussing of the grandma because that her character. It's great seeing the perspective of how miss granny views things as a grandma except through the body of a young girl.
The best part was the ending, probably the best way to end the movie. Its kind of like the ending to freaky Friday. YOU'LL UNDERSTAND IF YOU WATCH IT!!!
Was this review helpful to you?
A Tale of Lost Potential
One of the most anticipated dramas of the year, The King: Eternal Monarch promised a stellar cast and an intriguing, action-filled plot. Unfortunately, it fell short (way short).The idea of parallel universes had so much wasted potential. Not much happened in the first few episodes, which would have been fine, except that the writer chose to explain the two different worlds (and how traveling between them worked) through monologues from the main character, Yi Gon. It was all telling, and no showing. As the drama progressed, it also became clear that there were glaring plot holes and cliches. There were a lot of elements that were introduced to the story, including math formulas, time travel, and doppelgangers, but none of it was explained properly and much of it was forgotten later on.
The style in which the drama was produced/directed made the story even more confusing. In each episode, there were too much going on - the story would jump back and forth between characters, flashbacks, and side plots. Then, it would end on a cliff-hanger, which wouldn't be addressed until nearly halfway through the next episode; not only was this confusing, but this anticlimactic progression of the story made the plot twists less effective, less impactful, and all the more disappointing. And don't even get me started on the Product Placement! So many filler scenes (and lines!) were included just for the sake of promoting a variety of products - if anything, it made me NOT want to buy those products. The special effects, especially those related to the portals, were underwhelming and the OST was not memorable at all.
I also found that few of the character were developed or given proper backstories. The female lead, Jung Tae Eul, had an almost 180-degree change in character - she went from being very confident, strong, and independent to clingy and emotional just a few episodes later. As for the 'villain', his motivation was never clearly explained, and he actually got very little screentime compared to the other characters. The romance was also poorly developed and a lot of the romantic scenes/moments with the main couple reuniting seemed out of place or over the top.
There are some good elements about the drama. I think some of the supporting characters had more interesting and well-developed stories (including Jo Young /Jo Eun Sub, Kang Shin Jae, Goo Seo Ryung, etc). This is the first drama I've seen with Woo Do Hwan, and his acting in a double role was quite commendable. The cinematography, of course, was lovely.
Overall, TKEM had potential to be great, but poorly-developed characters, an abundance of plot holes, and an overemphasis on PPL turned this drama into a complete mess.
Was this review helpful to you?
From the moment Seo Kang Joon entered the story i knew i was going to have second lead syndrom. AND BOY how I SUFFERED. Baek In Ho was the only character i loved with all my heart. Everyone else pissed me off lol. The main male lead was...ummm...unique? The writers romanized his behavior as if he was some misunderstood tsundere character. But you know,i kept watching because i truly wanted to see the ending and i wasn't really hating 100% the plot of the drama but...BUT when i got to THE FREAKING ENDING. I wanted to punch my laptop screen and to rip my wig off. I know the writers wanted to do something different from other dramas and i appreciate that but it was actual trash. I've felt the disappointment in all my 206 bones.
Overall,everyone has different opinions. I'm not saying it was a bad drama because it wasn't but it was definitely not my style. #BaekInHoDeservedBetter
Was this review helpful to you?
Definitely not [WHAT I EXPECTED].....
The main reason I started watching this drama is because of how well they promoted this drama, in those promotions I thought the leads have great chemistry, but that only lasted in the promotion phase(probably fan service). In the drama what I felt is that the chemistry is not up to the mark(is somewhat weak).The story is somewhat unique though the concept is not. And it is not definitely up to the standards of a Taiwan BL. So, since I had good(not high) expectations...I did not mostly enjoy the drama. But thought it might get better at the end..So I persisted and watched the entire drama. Coming to the acting Buxia's acting is all cringy and Jiang chi's is somewhat okay. But got to admit that Buxia's acting got better in the final episodes. And I definitely like Buxia's sister character(an ideal and not so perfect elder sister LOL )!!!
The reason I did not drop this drama is because few things enlightened me about Taiwanese culture. They are - the spiritual aspects in Taiwan, also the dorm culture of Buxia and the basketball games. That's it!!!
If you are a fan of Taiwanese BL and want to watch something if you are bored..Go watch it :)
P.S. - If you are not a fan of logic-less stories then this might not be for you. I am not being harsh by saying it logic-less but this is what I felt.
Was this review helpful to you?
First of all the plot of the drama is very well written. I'm really into these revenge stories where one party is more powerful than the other and A Man's Story is a very good example of that. I loved that the drama seemed very realistic, especially the decisions that the characters made. There's none of those totally angsty "I'll just tell nobody anything and suffer through everything alone"-moments; in a way the drama shows how important it is to stick together in order to achieve anything. This drama also has one of my favourite drama endings because it leaves some things unsaid that make you wonder how the story would continue!
The cast in this drama was truly amazing! Everyone from the lead roles to the smallest supporting roles acted really well and very believable. I loved the group of people around Kim Shin as well as the interesting character of the villain and this is really the most important thing for me when watching a drama because the best story doesn't matter if I don't really care about and can relate to the characters. I was really impressed by Kim Kang Woo's performance as the villain (especially in the last episode) and props also to Park Ki Woong - it probably wasn't easy to act as that character without seeming ridiculous but he nailed it.
After all these positive things I want to mention why I didn't give this drama more than 8 points overall: After watching 2 episodes I was expecting it to be really intense but the pacing of the drama was actually not that fast. It's not like the drama ever got boring to watch but it wasn't as emotionally intense or so gripping that I couldn't stop watching. At the same time the slower pacing has the positive aspect that you got to know the characters better because not every scene was focused on driving the plot forward.
All in all, A Man's Story is a very good revenge drama with a well-written plot and great characters that make the drama definitely worth watching!
Was this review helpful to you?
Recent Discussions
-
The Double Full OST with ENG SUBS + LYRICS6 minutes ago -
-
Xiang Liu and Xiao Yao’s Story and Romance48 minutes ago -
Photos Section Rules1 hour ago -
Last Drama You Completed? #21 hour ago
