Reviews

Fun And Enjoyable

Great story and very different. The story about 2 people that meet and get married the same day. They show how they conquer each other hearts and fall in love. How they survive, understand, communicate to make their marriage last. The characters in this drama are so cute. Both lead characters make this drama, especially when they smile at each other. The chemistry between the lead characters are perfect to make you believe in their characters. The actors performance is great. I like how the writer stay in one subject with no other conflict then what we have in an everyday week as newlyweds. It will put a smile on your face and you will enjoy it.

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This is freaking hilarious!

I have never laughed so hard in the last year like during watching this show.

It is just pure comedy, starting with the intro where everybody is dressed like "Saturday Night Fever" - John Travolta would be so jealous. The music throughout the show is great, the main melody resembles the "Beauty and the Beast" song, I died of laughter every time.

The acting is great and the show mucks like every chliché there is in BL: the bad/good boy falling in love, the "Bottom-stumble", the "oh no there is someone in need I have to take him home"-scenes and so much more . Yes I am a BL fan, but this does not stop me from enjoying a good parody and this is really great.

"Don't miss season 2 if there is gonna be one" (quote): I do hope there will be another season, this is just fun to watch!

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Watched for a mind f*ck, Got a mind f*ck

I saw some edits of this drama on TikTok and saw that it was just a movie. I had been looking for a sad movie to watch so I didn't have to invest 16 hours of my life into a sad Kdrama. And when I tell you this is not the movie for ice cream and cry time, I wouldn't be lying.

The story had a few plot holes and parts where I didn't understand what was going on, but that could also be held to the fact THAT I WAS IN TEARS for a majority of this drama. I really have no room to judge whatsoever on the plot of this movie. Due to that, I gave it a 10/10. I can't rate it lower just because "he died" or "why did it have to end like that" the whole point of this movie was to get that point across. It's not like it was a cute little romance movie and I'm now gonna write a hate review because the couple I wanted to get together, in the end, didn't. This movie was about a serious subject and I shall rate it accordingly.

When going in to watch this movie I was a little worried about Park Jin-Young being cast in it. I was extremely nervous with this movie's serious subject matter, that the movie would try to "sexualize" him too much. But I was very surprised by the fact that he wasn't portrayed as a super hot brother seeking revenge on his poor twin. They didn't make him look flawlessly attractive giving him perfect skin a gorgeous makeup. He wasn't ripped in all the scenes where his shirt was off, and they surely didn't give very many of those scenes. On top of that Park Jin-Young's acting as Wol Woo was unrecognizable. Every signal scene with Wol Woo had me bawling my eyes out. Overall, the acting of both twins was splendidly done by Park Jin-Young.

I think this movie could have been completely ruined if they had added some sappy sad songs over some of the scenes. The lack of music made this movie seem all more real. There was no dramatic fight scene music as Il Woo was fighting for his life. There was no a-cappella being sung over all of the SA scenes. The only music throughout the whole movie that really made an impression on me was the Christmas Carol.

While I do think this was a movie worth my watch to see Park Jin-Young's amazing acting. If he wasn't in it I probably would have never found it or even considered watching it. The chances of me rewatching this again a slim to none but I am thankful that I had the opportunity to watch this one time.

If you do plan on watching this movie I won't stop you, but be warned this movie holds no bounds and absolutely no room for happiness. So grab your box of tissues or your roll of toilet paper as I did, and prepare to be Mind F*cked.

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Friendship, Family, and Love for Career Women

I watched Arc of Life as it aired and honestly looked forward to it every week. This is one of those Taiwanese dramas that feature strong female leads in their later 20's/30's at a crossroads with their career and purpose in life, but it is well-written with unique aspects that set it apart from other dramas (and even from its book source material). It often focuses on making tough decisions in life - whether at work, at home with family, or in platonic and romantic relationships.

It was so refreshing watching the women all work together instead of tear each other apart, the music was perfect (I am a fan of Accusefive), and the directing and cinematography was well shot and well paced. The writing did weaken near the end; however, I found watching to the last minute to be very rewarding in terms of character development.

My favorite aspect of this drama was certainly the characters. The three women - Xiao Niao, Xia Zhi, and Mei Ji - are all very different but compliment one another. They do begin as tropes - the ice princess, the naive one, and the dumb eye candy - but the writing shifts to show that they have more underneath, and the three grow a friendship of respect for one another. But their respect extends also to other "antagonistic" characters - with our leads often taking the high road, instead of bitter bickering like in other dramas. Because of that, I found myself connecting with the characters and rooting for their development.

I also appreciated how the drama touches upon so many different aspects of life - rich parents, broke parents, divorced parents, dead parents, children, children with disabilities, estranged children, corporate life, ethics at work, environmentalism, etc. It introduced the different topics naturally without feeling forced.

I will say, I came into this drama as a fan of the main leads, Roy Chiu, Ruby Lin, and Ivy Chen, and found myself loving the acting and chemistry with the rest of the cast, with Jian Man Shu and Li Yuan Yuan standing out to me as great actors on their part. The entire cast is full of seasoned actors and new faces that blend together well, never over-acting or seeming out of place.

I wouldn't necessarily go back to rewatch this drama, but I do recommend it as a high-quality Taiwanese drama and I very much appreciated seeing each character's growth - especially Xia Zhi :)

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Don't waste your time!

If you like watching a woman be a doormat for an asshole husband, this is the drama for you! He mentally, verbally and physically abuses her over and over again, and we're supposed to like this guy and be happy for them at the end? In what bizarre universe?! Added to this abusive and toxic marriage is a bitchy sister who ML apparently 'loves' and an equally bitchy mom who is a really bad actress. I honestly don't know why anyone would want to watch a drama like this - yes, I watched it (a.k.a. having your finger on the 10 second fast forward button), hoping that at some point, FL would finally become the woman the WeTV description described her as. Nope. Never really happens in any satisfying way. Her actress friend is who her character should have resembled.

FL is just one stupid chick (or a masochist) to put up with this kind of treatment, and supposedly she's putting up with it because she loves ML. Honey, he ain't worth your love, and I have to question what kind of unhealthy love you have for this guy. The message this drama is putting out is terrible - it's basically saying to women - 'If you love a guy, hang in there! Put up with whatever abuse he wants to dish out because he'll eventually love you!' What a toxic message! No wonder we get so many C-dramas with obsessed crazy love rivals! Rarely does this kind of ending happen in real life - you just keep getting abused. It's really disgusting when she tells ML that she was happy while going through all this abuse because she loved him. What?! That's sick, just plain sick that a screenwriter would even write that kind of stuff. And supposedly ML secretly loved her all these years, and he had a 'hard' time loving her, like we're supposed to feel sympathy for him or something? That's a strange looking love, I must say - you love them so much you abuse them routinely and run out to marry another woman as soon as the ink is dry on the divorce papers.

This story could have been a lot better if they'd jump over the abuse portion and went straight to showing us a strong FL who's become successful and takes revenge on the husband and two bitches. Instead of this guy being ML, Xu Wei should have won the woman by showing her what a guy worthy of her love looks like. I don't care if it was all a misunderstanding or not, ML has no right to treat any woman, let alone his wife, like this. Heck, ML on the equally terrible 'Ex-Wife Stop' was better! At least, he wasn't blinded by love for the bitchy love rival and his behavior did improve once he realized what he'd lost.

The WeTV description on this drama was very misleading - I only started to watch because I thought she was going to be a strong FL. I had no idea that she was going be a doormat for 95% of the drama, nor that ML was romantically involved with the bitchy sister. They're also described as a 'lovely couple'. In what universe?!

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Melancholy of May

I really love how they put up the suspense and worry in each and upcoming episode. The story starts with sadness and ends with aloft feeling of being gloomy each cast develops really nice which i love about it. But I am just worried about the upcoming watchers of this drama hope they see an urge to watch this even if the page itself just cry out with sadness. But overall the drama was nice had a very good atmosphere, nice cinematography, good OST it will give you the anxs and the feels in each step of the drama where in your have to second guess if you can still have the strength to watch the next episode but in the end the drama just talks about love is never-ending and love is timeless with the right person. Enjoy

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Not your average sweet romance more family drama behind it all

Be warned! this drama is more than just the romance part of it! Romance between the leads I would give it a solid 9.5, but story wise like 7. Also the story is kinda complicated despite being a 24 ep drama. On the good side, the plot is fast pace and not draggy. Some drama I couldnt even enjoy because the good part came so far in the end. This drama sprinkle it nicely! The leads do end up kissing a lot! >_<

The story starts off well, Male lead is the second son to the Ling family. He is also adopted, but despite that his dad really loves him and basically makes him in charge of the company. He has an older brother and younger. He got into an car accident because he though the older brother sabotage him. In the process of him being hurt, he female lead accidentally runs into him with her scooter bike. She thinks he lost his memory but when in reality he was hiding from his brother. The male lead acted kinda dumb but was doing a lot of things to prepare for his comeback. The pair fall in love really quickly.

I would say that the lead's childhood is pretty trauma lol... The female lead experience the suicide of her mother, but that was too traumatizing and she forgot what happen. She ends up being afraid of the dark, She is the elder? daughter of the Gu family( which her dad never liked her because he thought female lead is not his own) The Gu dad remarried and had a daughter with the wife. The wife had a son from her previous marriage. So in the Gu family there is the elder son, female lead and the sister ( the lesser of the evils) The younger evil daughter has always been jealous of the female lead. The step mom is also an evil lady ( which is revealed later on)

For the male lead he had many traumatic experiences due to his elder brother... HIs older brother seems like a bad guy but in fact he's not the worst! There is someone far worst and I guessed right to who that person was...

The leads romance definitely was cute! It was the male lead leading all the kisses and smooches! I liked their chemistry but it wasnt as passionate. I mean the female lead Chao Lusi has pretty good chemistry will all her co stars!

DIdnt care for the side characters romance as much..... only liked her best friend bickering couple...

This drama is a rather dark drama but a decent watch !Let's just say that a mysterious bad guy reveals himself towards the end!

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Drop your ego and find you own Sumo

This is a brilliant series ... 10/10 for me ... the script, the production, the score, the cinematography, the acting was brilliant.

The cinematography was amazing ... the 'stop action' ... the slow motion which allowed the view to see and appreciate the things you don't get to see in the fast and furious clashes in the rings ... like the way the energy from the clashes pass from one body to the other, the sweat, the dirt, the look in the combatant's eyes ... amazing.

The script was nicely put together ... you could watch the series from a number of different levels. For me, the series is not just about the mystique of sumo or the regimentation and ritualism that it has been steeped in for over 1500 years ... it was about Sumo's descent into hypocritical sanctimoniousness ... the brutal dog eat dog world in the Stables which is the seedy underbelly of all that 'noble' ritual ... it is about the personal stories and drivers behind the rikishi ... young men who come to the dohyo with their own individual baggage ... it is about the true spirit of sumo and what happens when ego's are left behind and these big men find their own 'sumo'.

For the few minutes (but mostly less than a minute) of something that seems so innocuous as pushing someone to the ground or out of a circle ... the lead up to those few minutes is brutal, it is a test of heart and soul and body. These big men are amazing ... it is in no way an easy life that is for sure.

I loved that real Sumo Rikishi also stared in the series like Hishofuji Hiroki (1.92m tall and 201kg ... wow) who played the character of Shizuuchi. When he retired from Sumo he moved to the USA. Even as the scarred Shuzzuchi, that man has the most beautiful face and expressive eyes ... wow. Ichinose Wataru (not a Sumo Rikishi) who played Oze Kiyoshi / Enno, was just brilliant and so believable. He blew me away ... the anger, the rage, the depression, the fear and then the passion and exhilaration of finding his Sumo ... just brilliant. The back stories of these two characters ... both 'bad boys' ... had me reeling. Their lives outside of the Sumo Stables were tragic ... it was interesting to see how each man reacted to the tragedy of their lives. Once in the Stables it was another cruel world for them ... again, it was interesting how they responded to that cruelty.

As for the Ensho Stable ... the evolution of the Rikishi from brute savages to Rikishi who found their own Sumo, was hard to take at first but then became inspiring.

The side stories were interesting too, and while they were not fully explored, it provided the driving context to what drew these big men, Shizuuchi and Oze to Sumo and kept them there. Enya's retirement hair cutting ceremony was very moving ... for something that these men eat and breath for so much of their lives, retirement must feel like a form of death for them ... the hair cutting ceremony for Enya had me in tears as did Ensho Oyakata's response to him just before he finished cutting Enya's Sumo top knot.

All these different aspects ... the best and worst of Sumo, the ritual and spirituality of it; the association that regulates it and the individual stories ... makes this a very moving and compelling series. I especially loved the end ... when I was thinking of Shizuuchi and Enno I was worried about how it would end with these two ... but the end was exactly what I hoped for ... it was a perfect ending◝(ᵔ‿ᵔ)◜

This is an amazing story, brilliantly acted and produced ... I loved it.

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y destiny review

TUE & AKE...STORYLINE WAS HORRIBLE....CHEMISTRY WAS OK( 5/10)
NUEA & SUN...STORYLINE WAS OK....CHEMISTRY WAS GREAT(9/10)
TEAM & MON..STORYLINE WAS GOOD...CHEMISTRY WAS CUTE(9/10)
PAO & THURS....STORYLINE WAS CONFUSING....CHEMISTRY WAS CUTE(7/10)
KAENG & PUTH...STORYLINE WAS HOT...CHEMISTRY WAS ON FIRE(10/10)
MASUK&JIA&TIR...STORYLINE WAS SAD/LOVING..CHEMISTRY WAS EXCELLENT(10/10)
CHOKE/SAT....STORYLINE WAS ALL OVER THE PLACE..CHEMISTRY WAS CUTE(9/10)

Overall the series was really good....kissing scene need to be alot better and more realistic so the audience can feel real love between the characters that are portaying.( if you can't kiss another man while acting then you shouldn't be getting roles in BL series period.)

This is the first all male BL series actors.....all of them are very attractive and they pair them off well.

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It was a simple story of a man suddenly having to play the role of a father for a baby. I was able to finish this because I liked the concept of taking care of a baby and learning to be selfless. If you like that type of dramas you might, just maybe, make it through.

However, it didn't feel as if characters were well developed. We meet so many people but at the same time its like we don't really know them and I could not get attached to the characters. Also his story with his first love, the relationship just suddenly seems to spring, when they had so much potential like involving her five year old and creating sweet moments.

This might have been a lot better as a movie than dragging it on by trying to focus on the other characters. The story was about the baby, uncle and first love so in my opinion it should have stayed focused about them.

I also found it annoying that they made it seem like this new dad was better at what he was doing than all the moms that had useless meetings and his first love raising her kid in a childish manner. I guess they wanted to make the dad look better but doing it by making the other people look bad wasn't the best way because it made characters less endearing.

I don't see any reason to re-watch the drama, but it wasn't terrible, so if its on tv i might just let it play in the background.

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Dear Keiko-chan,

Hope my letter finds you even better than I left you. The journey I spend with you here was most certainly a special one, the one I'll cherish for a long time. I couldn't say goodbye just yet so I decided to write this to you and talk a bit more.

Now where to begin. Surely, a father and his two children coming to a rural place to live in the middle of nowhere would definitely not sound so pleasing to everyone. On top of that when there is a 40 year (not everyone is a fan of age-gaps,okay) difference between us.
I myself wasn't really fond of everyone in the beginning. Just like Jun, even I had a hard time adjusting to the surroundings in the remote Rokugo. Everything felt so boring and mundane. There was nothing happening and all I could do was complain. But soon things changed and everything grew on me. I found a place for me there. The shack started feeling like a home. I wanted to study together with everyone in Ms. Ryoko's class. How I wished I could have fed the fox with Hotaru and have Yukiko beside me to comfort me whenever I was feeling down. And all the little adventures we had here. Like the construction of the pipes and wind-mill, and the time we saw a UFO in the mountains. And not to forget the boat race where everyone had so much fun and Sota was gloomy because he had no partner. Never knew that living in snowy places was such a struggle and is not the way it is generally romanticised.

Talking about all the people here, I think I found a family. They are not the most perfect people and come with a load of flaws and problems. Everyone complains so much and even create many problems at times. But I believe that's what made them special. Because they were like real people, they felt so close and their lives, struggles and happiness felt like my own. Also I think little Jun gets unnecessary hate. I mean he does behave like a brat at times but he was the most relatable person there. Not everyone likes the idea of leaving a life in Tokyo only to settle in a tattered shack with no electricity and water and only bears and foxes as neighbors. And the way he was done with everyone up there in Furano was a mood. But just like the seasons, he too changed and became a more responsible son and a dependable big brother. Though there were not many people up there, but everyone I met will live with me for a long time.

It's already been 3 days since I came back from my trip to Furano but I already feel like going back there and meeting everyone once again. The trip was a bit long but I took my sweet time with everything without rushing and the results left me more than satisfied. Somethings are better enjoyed slowly.
I think it's time for me to end this letter. I am sure I will revisit this place often whenever things become a bit rough and I need a reminder to take it easy. It's good to know that I have something to take me through a trip of heavy nostalgia, back to the simple times where the most mundane things are the ones which give me all the comfort I need.

Goodbye Keiko-chan and until next time.

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Disappointing

First time warching a Korean drama (I am in UK) but when you are under lockdown you have to take what you can.

Very different from English speaking shows, not really helped by some interesting sub-titles. The acting seems overly exagerated and dramatic at times, but that may just be how Korean drama is.

Sets and costumes extremely lavish and overall story good, but tries too hard to fill the time.

Ending was sad for me and not what I was expecting. Was Man-wol a ghost, how did she die?

I read they are making a US version so I expect the ending will be different.

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The New Normal (really only a spoiler about a supporting character)

It's so quirky, weird, oddly relatable, and fun. These two guys were a great dynamic duo. They played off each other really well. Most of this drama's episodes are generally stand-alone in nature, until we get near the end and have to bring about the final conclusion.

I started this because the premise itself was really different: Two Blue Vampires on a quest for blood so they can become full vampires, however, COVID-19 has changed how they live their every day lives and gets in their way (along with many other things, of course).

I loved the repeating of how Aoi and Sou needed to embrace the "new normal," because of COVID. And not only that, it became a sort of mantra for them to step out of their comfort zone, try something new, break old habits, and/or rethink their perspectives and thoughts.

Accepting or embracing a/the "new normal," can be starting a new job, getting used to wearing a mask, standing up for yourself, accepting yourself for who you are, trying to make the world a better place, allowing your mind to be changed about something you used to believe strongly, etc.

This gave me the same inspiring feelings that "Colorful Love: Genderless Danshi ni Aisareteimasu" did.

Even if we've been set in our ways for months, years, decades, or even centuries, it's never too late to start working to make the world better for others or yourself, even if it's in small ways like just being your authentic self. It may be tough for you now, but you will give others the courage to do the same and make it easier for the next person by making society more accepting.

Aoi and Sou have great character development over the course of the drama and don't let the lessons they learned go to waste in the end. Neither should we the viewers. We need to accept the new normal of this pandemic, and aside from that bring about our own new normal by advancing social causes. Older generations (or Vampire Elders) may scoff and tell us what we are doing is wrong because it's not how things have been done, but we are living in the 21st century and it is the time to move forward, not backward by staying set in our ways because, "That's how it's always been done."

I loved how though Aoi and Sou at first act as if their only intention is to get blood so they can stop being Blue Vamps, you can tell throughout each episode that--in the end--they really just care about helping people (as much as Sou wouldn't like to admit it. Lol). And by the end of each episode, we, the audience, and them have completely forgotten/no longer care about them being successful in their original mission.

This drama managed to cleverly sneak in a Lesbian character, feminism, discussions of toxic masculinity and stereotypes, anxiety, the meaning of true strength, the struggles of finding a job in a failing economy, the negatives of peer pressure, the importance of being yourself and accepting yourself, and that to grow as a person you need to leave the bad views of those before you behind and move forward to a "new normal."

Side Note: I loved how when Sou was told by Mia that she thought he and Aoi were boyfriends (she also mentions that she is a Lesbian), he doesn't get upset or offended at all at her assumption or say something like, "How could you think that?!" or, "Of course not!" You know why? Because he knows there is nothing wrong with it so why would he get upset. Exactly, Sou! Exactly!

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An old school drama that dealt with AIDS, dementia, redemption, and single parenthood in a thoughtful and compelling manner.

I loved how this drama did not back away from confronting the stigma HIV/AIDS patients face, especially nearly two decades ago. Once the little girl's situation was brought out into the open, the drama used each episode as a teachable moment not just for the characters, but the audience as well. The scope of her disease was narrowed down for drama purposes but I'm glad they showed how people afflicted with AIDS need support and not ostracization.

Seo Shin Ae, as little Bom, won my heart with her performance. She moved from tears, to laughter, to precocious behavior seamlessly. She was a joy to watch.

Jang Hyuk gave a stellar performance as the closed off doctor who found redemption and peace on a small island. A family of misfits washed him as clean as the shore after the waves recede-a single mother, a daughter with AIDS, and a father with dementia in a remote community was not where this ill tempered doctor ever thought he would wind up. Throughout the drama Jang Hyuk allowed us to feel Min Ki Seo's contempt, his sorrow, his compassion, and his reluctant love developing.

The drawback for me was Gong Hyo Jin's performance. Most of the characters grew and changed, all except her Lee Young Shin. Hyo Jin excels at playing self-sacrificing doormats, but aside from a few smiles with Bom, her performance was rather one note. The writers were at fault as well, they never fully developed this matriarch of misfits. Up until the very end of this drama, I never understood her, never saw a glimmer of affection for the man they told us she was falling in love with. Her mumbling, stumbling, head down performance and frozen expression took away from the emotional depth of this drama. It was hard to hope for a relationship to develop between Min Ki Seo and this woman who could not crack her heart open long enough to share a part of herself with him.

I enjoyed this drama overall and would have loved it more if the writers and actress had let us watch Lee Young Shin grow and blossom, learn to stand up for herself and her daughter, and bask in the love of the imperfect but dedicated man who fought to stand beside her. As it was, I found Min's and Bom's First Guardian Angel and Angel friendship much more heartwarming and engaging.

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Hidden Sitcom Gem

A lot of people compare this to the original, but please don't do that, I liked the original, but the reboot was just as fun. I personally loved the casting, I thought all the actors did a great job, but my standout performance goes to Yuri as Ae Bong, she was so funny and over the top I loved it even though at times it is a bit corny, she has her own charm. I also loved Seok's father, the actor who plays him is usually one of the villains in a political drama, so seeing him as an owner of a chicken shop and arguing with his frugal wife, was a new twist for me, but he was very funny. Another group of characters I enjoyed were the friend groups, of Ae Bong and Seok, especially Seok's friend group. When I watch scenes of all three it's just so relaxing watching 3 idiots just goof off. The show is very laid back with the occasional over the top humor, but taking it at face value as its own show, another family sitcom, not as a reboot, it is very very enjoyable, it reminds me of the 2020 series Hanging On, with a mixture of Waikiki. Each character has their own unique touch to them, there isn't really a dull moment I can think of either. I really hope you guys do give this drama a chance, and enjoy it for what it has to offer.

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