To start out, I wasn't too sure about season 2 after not being a big fan of the summer episodes (season 1). However, I gave this season a chance (after school ended, of course) and ended up falling in love with the show.
It's different than the first season in that the show feels so peaceful and warm in the midst of a cold Jeju winter. Not that the summer wasn't calm, but this season just felt more welcoming, peaceful, and joyful with all the guests that entered the house.
I felt so much joy seeing new guests come into the homestay and felt as if I were one of the workers welcoming the guests to my house. (I even teared up when the guests would leave????)
The workers made me feel at home and even made a huge impact on my life. It's crazy that a show could lift my life but I hope it could leave as much of an impact on you as it did me??
10/10 must watch!! And tell me what you thought about it!
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Uneven but the earlier episodes are incredible
So if this was set in America she 100% would have been shot in the first episode at the police station. Roll credits!Here is a simple fact about this series: Most if not all of the good and hilarious stuff happens in the early episodes! Comical, quirky, unpredictable, and with romantic undertones, right up my alley. Jun Ji-hyun is so adorable, it's her at her highest levels of cutesy buffoonery and dorkiness.
After a number of episodes though, her character loses a lot of agency and it just goes back to average quality.
Quite unfortunate as the writing quality plummets pretty hard in the last episodes, it's like nothing makes sense anymore. This really should have ended after around 14 episodes, not 20.
Would I recommend this show? Yes, at the very least the early episodes are a strong recommend from me. I will absolutely rewatch those at some point. The rest, not so sure. The highs are really high, but the lows are quite low. This show goes from like a 10/10 in the beginning to a 6/10 at best for me by the end.
The OST stood out to me as never being annoying but actually varied and great. Male lead Lee Min Ho was also refreshingly quite younger than his love interest.
So basically this confirms that even when she's thrown in a cheesy drama filled with redundant flashbacks that overstay their welcome, and writing that takes a nose dive in quality in the back half, Jun Ji-hyun really can do no wrong. We don't talk about Blood: the Last Vampire.
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Comforting but a little boring
I think this drama would be good for people who enjoyed Run On, Because This Is My First Life, and Racket Boys — all dramas that were pretty mellow and comforting, where any romance was pretty simple, straightforward, and honestly a little distant. I do love good communication between characters and I also loved seeing strangers get to know each other but I felt like I never really felt giddy or that invested in them. The relationship is almost too mellow for me (as someone who just wants a little more playfulness and casual banter).There are also some cliches in the plot that felt a little out of place for 2021, and the pacing was a little weird with not focusing on the male lead at all until near the last few episodes.
I'm also pretty on the fence about the side stories — there are some scenes that were very touching and heart-warming but overall I definitely wasn't that invested in their stories as much and I even found them a little annoying at times.
I know 6.5 might seem like a low rating but it's not and it's really more out of indifference than dislike; I've watched worse dramas that made me feel more.
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A Coming-of-Age Masterpiece that Everyone Should Watch!
I told sunset about you is an utter masterpiece! It oozes coming-of-age nostalgia with it’s beautifully written story/characters and it’s incredible direction/production. This show has left me speechless and constantly thinking about it and wondering how a show can be this great. It has become my favorite asian series of all time and I don’t think that any series will be able to be at it’s level. My review will basically be an appreciation post for the show and not contain any spoilers!DIRECTING/PRODUCTION: From the cinematography to the color palette to the lighting, everything about this show is so carefully and artistically executed with so much attention to details and feelings. Every scene has a purpose for being there and it can be seen with the beautiful directing, transitions, and frames. There are no filler or meaningless scenes since it’s always building up to an explosive scene revealing new feelings and info. The perfectly shot angles elevate the show and make it seem like an “expensive” movie (compared to other low-budget and awkward thai series). And wow... the color palette makes the show seem so nostalgic and melancholy even though it’s set in the modern time. Such beautiful and awe-inspiring cinematography! Not a spoiler, but the most gorgeous/well-thought out scene to me is the “wall panning” shot at Oh-Aew’s house. Almost every scene leaves me in shock at it’s beauty.
CHARACTERS: All of the characters in this show are amazing! There are no mean or annoying characters put in for drama. I even fell in love with all the side characters, even the ones who we aren’t suppose to root for, because all the characters are truly great friends and people. The male MCs, Teh and Oh-Aew are such deep characters, and although they each have their flaws, they embody what a teenager who is in love feels and acts. Teh is impulsive, ambitious but so so caring. He is also super direct with sharing his feelings (for example jealousy) which is what I love so much. Not a spoiler but although he is portrayed as selfish in the beginning, there is so much character development that you can visually see that you can’t help but fall in love with him. As well, Oh-Aew is such a sweet and understanding person who always knows when something is wrong with Teh and also knows what he wants. He grows alot as well in his journey to discovering who he is and I love him so much!
ACTING: When I first watched, I thought that the 2 main leads were “alright” actors. But as I continued watching, I noticed how natural all the quirks looked and how both the actor’s eyes and actions conveyed SO much more emotion than just their dialogues. There is so much sexual tension and emotion that you can feel in your bones and it’s because of the 2 male leads’ great chemistry and skills! Amazing acting from the actor who played Hoon as well!!
STORY: It is a coming-of-age, friends to rivals to friends to lovers and I am totally in love with it. There are no weirdly fast feelings that suddenly appear and there’s no sexual assault or consent issue. There are so many subtle symbolic references and reoccurring themes/ideas that help to create such a deep and intriguing story. I could list them all out but it’s just better to notice and appreciate them yourselves!
MUSIC: Simply amazing! The ost is so beautiful, both musically and lyrically. I remember looking up the full english translation and I full out bawled my eyes out because it’s so heartbreaking yet real. The melody for “Skyline” is so sweet and pretty, I fell in love with it on the first listen. As well, the theme song “skyline” plays a role in the show and is always played at the right times to enhance the scene.
Overall, the show is such a beautiful yet relatable story of 2 teenagers growing up and coming to terms with their feelings and self-identity. I HIGHLY recommend everyone watch it. If you are on the fence about starting it, please open up your schedule to watch it! You definitely won’t regret it!
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This review may contain spoilers
It was an overall feel-good movie, I enjoyed it.This is what I love with Japanese youth films. They don't stay away from the theme, and just like most of their dramas, their movies are fast-paced, focused yet they don't feel forced.
I simply love the movie because they were able to capture and emphasized the beautiful reasons why "friendship" is all that without losing focus on the cute love story/love triangle. Everyone has great chemistry especially the four boys.
The movie shows me again how nice it is to have this kind of friendship. Watching it made me remind of the friends I had and the moments we share. It was also nice how they were able to add the girl to their clique and they were able to show some real bond among them.
When it comes to the love story, well I didn't technically have a second lead syndrome but I must admit that I was cheering for him (the second male lead Yuta Koseki) and if I were the main girl, I would fall for him for he excels in almost every aspect for me. Plus, I'm not really a fan of the main lead, he slouches at times here and didn't have much chemistry with the main girl and his acting is just so-so.
Also, shout out to Sugino Yosuke here, he stands out even though he is just a supporting actor.
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So lovely!
I loved this show! I'm a huge fan of lots of the girls on it so that was definitely a bonus. I just kept thinking that had a show of this kind been produced in my country (the UK) there would have been such a large focus on creating conflict between the girls, because UK TV producers seem to be under the impression that audiences aren't interested in watching people get along well. This show proves them wrong! It was so nice to see these young women genuinely find comfort through new friendships and their new shared passion for running. I found this show to be heartwarming, motivational, and reflective. So so lovely!Was this review helpful to you?
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PAINFUL AF!!!!!
Typical story where you fall in love with your childhood friend, then when you grow up, a girl comes into the picture.When I watched this, the only thing I thought was 'poor Jonathan'
He deserves better; not a 'friend' who had sex with him even when he's straight and had a gf. The girl's too, she's kinda annoying? Like, she tried to be kind - acting like a best friend, while she's supposed to stay back and let the men cleared things out (glad that in the end, she did it tho)
Anyway, Shane is an asshole. Maybe he's confused idk, but he didn't want to lose Jonathan as his best friend, and his girlfriend. Bruh, you can't have everything in this world. He's even making it worse by having sex with Jonathan then acted pitiful in the end. So, in conclusion: Shane is a red flag walking.
For Jonathan, I was hoping that he had a stronger character in the movie. Yes, love hurts, bae T.T I also felt bad at him because of his father demands for his future. If only Shane understood him better -.- but no, Shane only cared for Jonathan to watch his basketball so that he could act cool blablabla.
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Beautiful but dark
First of all, I want to say a huge thank you to The Japan Foundation Touring Film Programme 2021 Online Special without whom I would not have seen this film.I was very wary of watching this especially due to having watched Miyamoto last night & its blunt nature but this is a beautiful film despite dealing with difficult topics. Yes, there is a scene or two that may be triggering but they are shot in a tactful way with quite quick edits & it doesn't last that long unlike in Miyamoto.
The beginning is intriguing & within around half an hour we get into the main body of the film which is about two young people escaping their dismaying lives as well as the police. There is most definitely a Bonnie & Clyde/Thelma & Louise vibe to it but at the same time it is really different. I believe this is about discovering yourself & a pure relationship/love.
The acting was phenomenal and the scenery is breathtaking; it does have a slightly ambiguous ending but there's also a revelation right at the end which is very emotional and makes you think about fate & life coming full circle. Overall, I think this is a beautiful, emotional, touching & thought-provoking story that will stay with me for a while.
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Emotional rollercoasters of twists and turns
Okay I'm kinda new in writing reviews. So the drama starts just like any other rich manpoor woman dramas. We have a rich man child On and strict and simple kade. On has been admittedfor a minor surgery where kade works as a nurse. There are two other woman who wants to marry On because he's rich but On starts to have feelings for kade as she has empathy towards other people. Dr. Nit has a crush on kade but she always tried to ignore his advances. On starts wooing her to which kade doesn't reciprocate but after continuous efforts by On makes kade fall in love with her and soon they're engaged. There are many twists which changes On and Kade's lives and they end up marrying Cat and Nit respectively.soon kade finds out she's pregnant with On's child and she tries to hide that fact and so there are many twist and turns. Overall the story is good but there are certain things which i haven't liked. Like Cat is a serial cheater which On knows but he doesn't do anything to each her any lesson and another which i didn't liked was On continuous normal relationship with Cat as a married couple even though he has married her only because kade ditches him for Nit.Was this review helpful to you?
The characters are strange, and yet we know them, because we know loneliness. We know what it's like to look into a house and wonder about the lives of its inhabitants. We know what it's like to feel helpless and trapped. And if we don't know what it's like to meet someone who understands us, we want to know, and 3-iron (or "Empty Houses") takes us there. It doesn't shy away from the weird, the violent, or the morally ambiguous, but somehow the main characters' innocence is overwhelming.
Weird and wonderful is the best way I can describe the movie. Highly recommended!
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Getting down to business:
1.Kiss scenes are weak. The passion isn't as believable.
2. Bpee isn't a doormat. She has sass and she's not afraid to use it. She's still too kind, sweet and wants to do the right thing which remains consistent with earlier versions.
3. Razzing Monthai showcased the onscreen chemistry best. Those were magic moments that made up for the lack of sexual tension that 2008 version had in spades.
4. The jealousy moments were...cute. Not raw like 2008.
5. Monthai's mother in the first section of this version didn't live up to the bat sh*t crazy in the 2008 version. But by the middle she was rock'n'rolling in the crazy - it was greatness! 2008's mom was much more consistent in her crazy, but by the end I wasn't sure who I liked better.
Overall I like both versions equally, I just happen to like them for different reasons. (Never saw all of the 1998 version).
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Let me start with the story. The story was good, the development of the story was good also, it's not plain. It's clear already who'll win in the final episode, but you can't guess what every episode has to offer. It's full of surprise in every episode.
The cast is very good. And their acting is good enough.
The music : Everyone has different liking of music. But I think Taiyou Knokku by Nogizaka46 can easily accepted by everyone ears
Rewatch value : Even if I give this drama a good review, I'm not going to rewatch this drama again. Sorry everyone
I hope you enjoy my review. Me myself is a big fans of Nogizaka46, meanwhile while I write this review, I write with my point of view as Japanese Drama Lover
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Decent watch but could have been better
Qiang Ge’s character was well written and the actor really brought him to life. I like that his character’s cowardice, bravery, selfishness and selflessness reflects how complex and contradictory humans can be.Some other characters, however, did feel a bit more superficial/two dimensional. In all honesty, I felt like the story could have progressed without so many players entering the game.
I like that the drama included traditional/older architecture in its filming sets (e.g. Chun Yu’s home), which was quite a stark contrast to the more futuristic VR plot. Kind of helps to ground the story for viewers + aesthetics.
Another thing that I felt the drama missed out was the meaning behind its title “19th Floor”. Chinese literature mentions that sinners are sent to the 18 levels of hell (18层地狱) to receive punishment after death. In a sense, the concept of 19 floors in the VR game trials draw on this ideology but this wasn’t quite reflected in the drama (other than it being the school building’s name). In the novel, there were 19 levels of trials for the players. Granted, this would probably have been a little too much for a 30 ep drama adaptation but okay.
Overall, still a decent and enjoyable watch.
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The best Thai BL of 2022 so far
I think this series is being underrated, seriously, so far is the best Thai drama this year. Is a fantasy and drama, very well conduced.Anytime I see Um Apasiri in a cast, I'll surely go for it, she's an amazing actress, here she shows all her skills as a superb dramatic actress, as good as many overvalued Hollywood star. Not just her, all the cast is absolutely amazing, emotion is on point, specially pointing In and Job, but I'm also happy to see how much Tee has improved his skills since 2Moons.
Screenplay is dense, complex, there's so much humanity and passion, I haven't read the novel but screenwriter did a good job adapting it, isn't easy adapting any novel into a series or movie, there's always comparisons, but here there's so many different emotions to feel and that was perfectly done. Besides the fantasy element that may sound a bit weird at first, is genuinely well done.
Job is so looks so freaking alike my best friend and Nut's personality, the same, same kind f traumas, the show, besides being a fantasy, has so much reality and so many relatable stuff. I'm in love with the characters, specially Taohu, Na, Nat, and Tarn.
OST is also great, maybe isn't as epic as some others series, like I Told Sunset About You, but it fits perfectly, sound effects also had good time and suspense scenes let it clear.
I'm honestly okay with all the romantic lighthearted series Thailand usually does when it comes to BLs, but this one has way more than just a high-school extra sweet love, which I love, don't get me wrong, but it has also social issues, health and mental health awareness. Is a brilliant job of everyone, very deep and meaningful show.
I honestly hope they won every prize this year, is more than deserved. This series can definitely leave a mark on everyone's heart!
For those who haven't seen that, just open your hearts and go for it.
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Surprisingly Delighted
Well I was delighted when I watched this series a week ago. I find it cute and funny. I normally don't get pleased watching teeny bopper shows but hey I liked it. Alright the female lead is slightly awkward. Another reason why I wanted to watch this was probably due to the main lead. I was curious. He portrayed Lao 'Ai in The Legend of Haolan and I found him great there - though short screen time.This is a very light-hearted series that focuses on the story of a lady who became a eunuch. Eventually directly serving the emperor. And obviously the emperor found out and fell in love with the female lead.
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