Reviews

Enjoyable but leaves some important things hanging

I am giving this is a high rating simply because I enjoyed every minute of it more than I thought I would, since I do not usually enjoy Korean suspense/mystery dramas. It was all quite compelling to me from the very beginning. I thought it would be woke, given the title, and full of aggressive feminist propaganda, which I don't normally like in my dramas. (I don't like any sort of heavy political propaganda in stories I consume purely for entertainment), but surprisingly, it's not. The women characters are not perfect Mary Sues portraying women as the better gender and as strong, independent, and perfect. They are flawed and very real and quite relatable. I've never been a fan of Kim Go-Eun (didn't like her in Goblin, but that was probably because I didn't like the way that character was written), but I thought she did a stellar job here portraying the slightly naive, slightly ditzy Oh In-Joo. In-Joo's story is super relatable, especially for those of us who have had to struggle financially. Her choices and her reactions are perfectly understandable, given the circumstances. I thought this character was what carried the whole story for me -- she is a very good depiction of a perfectly real human, not an idealized "woman power" version.

As for the story itself, the twists and turns, even though some a bit sketchy, especially in hindsight, were good enough to keep me glued to my seat and wanting more. Sadly, as with many Kdramas, the ending, although generally okay, felt a bit rushed. There are two particular story elements that I feel were not resolved satisfactorily and/or were problematic:

1. In Joo and Do-Il. This connection goes beyond a superficial attraction. They both help each other grow as the story progressed. In-Joo makes Do-Il care for someone again other than money and vengeance. Do-il helps In-joo navigate through the chaos that she had to go through and come out sane. I would have been okay with them remaining perfectly platonic all throughout the show, but the writers had to go beyond that. They obviously implied that there was something there, a mutual attraction. You can see it in the way Do-il looks at In Joo, the way he smiles when he sees her face, the decisions he made to keep her safe. Setting this connection and attraction up in this way makes the audience expect a resolution, but none were given in the end. They need not necessarily have ended up together, but they could have progressed to more than just a "see you around." I was expecting a progression to at least more closeness and openness about the way they feel. I understand In-joo might not be ready for a relationship after what she'd been through, and probably needs some self-reflection, but that could have been handled with a trusty old time jump, which might be cliche but, if done right, could have give us a more satisfactory ending for this particular story arc.

2. I find it strange that In-Hye and Hyo-Rin, two self-involved minors -- children, for all intents and purposes -- are allowed to roam the world with buttloads of cash and zero adult supervision. I am all for freedom and escaping oppressive situations, but teenagers, especially, need guidance. In-hye, despite her little diatribe at the end trying to justify her actions, is, for me, unforgivable. She is narcissistic, self-involved, and almost psychopathic in her lack of empathy for her loving sisters. Teenagers often go through this phase where they feel stifled by their family's love, but that is just a phase and part of growing up. The fact that she allowed her sisters to feel humiliated, rejected, hurt, just to fulfill her fantasies and desires is extremely self-indulgent, selfish, and cruel. Her lack of empathy is disturbing. Anyway, the teenage fantasy of escaping your family to explore the world is something everybody at some point has probably had, but there are ways to accomplish this while still being considerate. In-hye has no reason to escape her loving sisters. Her life situation is not ideal, but her sisters obviously love her. Instead of indulging in her selfish fantasy and escaping from her family, she should have learned to appreciate what she had and escaped her narcissistic worldview -- I'm going to get what I want and I don't care how you feel or what you think about it. Real progression for her would have been getting past her self-obsession and being there for at least In-Joo, who is left alone in the end. Hyo-rin's case is altogether different, but she still needs guidance, especially after everything that happened. I just find it incredibly irresponsible of the adults, including Do-il, to allow these kids to do what they want with no supervision whatsoever. Teenagers are notoriously liable to making wrong decisions that could affect the rest of their lives at this particularly volatile period of growth, so they do need someone mature to at least guide them. Are the writers campaigning for children to be able to do what they want and to turn away from their families?

There are other loose threads, but these two are the ones that made me unhappy with the ending. Overall, it was a fun ride and definitely worth watching despite the above-mentioned flaws.

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a warm cup of tea on a rainy afternoon

{It will warm your heart like a cup of tea...with youthful laughter and the innocent blushes of first love...yet you will still feel somewhat sad and melancholy...as one does on a rainy afternoon.}

20th Century Girl is definitely a solid high school, nostalgic rom-com. Admittedly, it is nothing original with a cliche plotline, and typical misunderstandings make up the biggest backbone of the plotline. However, the actors give life to their characters; Kim Yoo Jung's range of emotions never fails to astound me, and her co-lead Byun Woo Seok represents his character's subtle warmth perfectly. (AND OMG all the cameos--Han Hyo Joo, Gong Myung, & Ong Seung Wu--were a surprise to me, and all of them were faves, so I was genuinely happy to see them, too <3)

My only gripe is that I don't think it was quite the tear-jerker like fans on TikTok and other social media made it seem. I was definitely not sobbing or bawling at the middle of the movie, and I was not a puddle of tears at the end. (BUT I DO WISH that we could get a happy ending FOR ONCE in kdramaland 2022. Why do writers hate us this year!? Why WON'T YOU GIVE A PERFECTLY GOOD COUPLE their well-deserved happy ending?!? I'm also definitely unsatisfied with the lingering, unanswered threads at the end of the movie, but I appreciate how other aspects did come full circle. )

Nevertheless, the nostalgic color palette and grading of the film make this movie feel like a warm cup of tea on a rainy afternoon, and the overall production quality raises what should be a 7/10 story to a 8.5/10 cinema. (The silhouette scene of their side profiles in the closet? LOVE.) Because even I, no matter how cynical of a critic hat I pretend to don, am a slave to my feelings, and the predictable plot could not prevent my tears at the end. The simplicity of the dialogue still pulled at my heartstrings, proving that a trope done well...will always hit home.

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Amazing C-Drama! Instant classic Xianxia!

This Drama has such a fantastic story.
I thought it would follow more like AOL or EL. But this one was so unique.
The story flowed really well, some people might not like the last 15 episodes.
But it makes sense to me why the main leads does what they do.
I never seen such a drama where the main guy suffers a lot though.
Yet the ending was soo SATISFACTORY, so glad it was!
There are misunderstandings in this drama. But personally for me it wasn't that irritating.
And it made sense, because of the story and the characters personalities.

The acting was really good, loved the main leads. The male lead was so loyal, and the female lead became much
stronger in her character which was great. The side actors also did a very good job. Really liked Teng She and WZQ.

THE MUSIC was awesome. Thousand Years of Love is my favourite one. So Beautiful!
I cant get over that song now! I would definitely rewatch the best moments!

Now go and watch this one! It's the best Xianxia drama I have seen to date!
Because the ending is so satisfying! And the drama concluded wonderfully!

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Revenge has never looked so good

This drama is amazingly good.
I don't really want to write this review because I might not do it justice; how do I express the wonder and elegance that is Money Flower? I'll try
Money Flower has some classic 'makjang' elements, chief among them being revenge and multiple birth secrets. I hope you won't be alarmed by my use of the word 'makjang' no need for you to imagine over the top plot twists or crazy hairpin bend plot development; no, not at all. Money Flower is so elegant, sophisticated, intellectual, watching it is like listening to a concerto, there are many lulling mellifluous moments where the plot is humming along beautifully until it comes to a crescendo which will leave you awestruck and marvelling at the wonderful storytelling.
This script is so tightly woven there is absolutely no room for you as a viewer to lose interest, when you're not riveted by the plot, you'll find yourself admiring the setting, the scenery, the camera work, the lighting, the beautiful people and costumes, there is an incredible attention to detail that was exercised in the making of this drama.

The story of revenge is handled in an intellectual manner, like a chess game it's methodical and well thought out, moves are calculated well in advance, there is very little room for error. The messed up family dynamic is shown to the viewer by the progression of the story and in flashbacks, you never feel as though the drama is telling you something, it simply shows you people's actions and the consequences of those actions.
The overriding theme in this drama is the love of money being the root of evil, as well as revenge and its consequences.

The cast is all excellent and well matched to their roles.
Jang Hyuk carries this show to such levels of acting excellence that I'm inspired to watch ALL his work. I've always been a fan but now I'll probably become a stalker, he's that good. He literally had no expression on his face most of the time and yet you knew exactly what he was feeling at any given moment, his eyes are so expressive, and the minor, barely perceptible shifts in expression were equivalent to a huge grin or frown in their impact. just wow.
The conclusion of his story is cathartic and you can feel his relief and the twenty year old burden being lifted off his shoulders.

Lee Mi Sook perfectly portrayed the power hungry yet fundamentally insecure Mal Ran, she is the perfect example of someone who has all their priorities mixed up.

Park Se Young is good as Mo Hyun, she didn't need to be epic so her quiet, simple straightforward demeanour was just perfect for the role.

Jang Seung Jo is wonderful in his role of Bu Cheon. Next to Jang Hyuk this is the performance and storyline that hit a chord with me. Bu Cheon is so pitiful in that the deck is stacked against him even before he is born, his mother's machinations make it impossible for him to chose his own path in life and ultimately to be happy. Jang Seung Jo managed to convey a sad cheerfulness that broke my heart every time, his acting is really great in this drama.

Finally we come to the root of all the evil in the Jang family: Lee Soon Jae as Chairman Jang. This man is diabolical and will stop at absolutely nothing to get what he wants which is to create a lasting legacy of himself into perpetuity, he is so narcissistic. He uses his company that he founded to manipulate his children and grandchildren, holding the presidency as a carrot stick to keep everyone in line, he employs some very heartless tactics, and is overall an extremely ODIOUS man!

The music is beautiful, beautiful, beautiful.

Overall 10 out of 10. A splendid piece of entertainment.

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A near masterpiece of its genre

It's not really a review, it's a list of strengths (these are not just things I liked – these are the things that made the show successful) and weaknesses of "Bad Buddy". Generally speaking: it was the best BL I've seen, deserving high praise for direction, story, music and - most importantly - acting of Ohm and Nanon.

== Strengths ==
1/ Dynamic of Pat and Pran
(1) Communication. They didn’t overanalyse things nor kept their problems and doubts to themselves – they discussed everything of importance (they argued like twice). Hence the often praised lack of toxicity, jealousy and stupid BL drama over nothing (BTW: a lot was said without uttering a word. I’m glad someone finally realized that on TV you don’t have to say everything, you can show certain things instead – with a gesture or a glance or a flashback). (2) They supported, took care of and respected each other for real. Pran calling Pat back in ep. 8 and making him feel better when he was low after an argument with Ming is one of my favourite scenes of the series – and there’s plenty of other examples of them being for one another. (3) Cuteness and banter. That’s self-explanatory, I guess. Don’t know how much of that was scripted, probably not much or none at all, but it made the two mains even more likeable. No wonder so many reactors called their relationship wholesome and healthy.
2/ Story structure and direction
(1) Simple premise and plot, no convoluted story elements (with one exception) complicating matters for the audience and the two mains. With a simple structure, the show was easy to follow. Not something widely known to BL screenwriters. (2) Focusing the story on Pat and Pran (minimizing plotlines of side characters) and then going one step further: making sure, since at least ep. 8, that no externally caused problems will destroy the relationship of the two main characters – not Pran’s fears about other people finding out about him and Pat from Pat’s IG posts, not the reactions of Pat’s and Pran’s friends, not the feud of their parents nor their wishes. Pat and Pran weren’t able to “change the world”, but didn’t let the world change them. It was their story, their love and they were in control, because they wanted it. And yes, faking a break-up and lying to their parents was an option they had the right to choose and use.
3/ Show’s self-awareness
It was a rom-com with a simple plot – and it didn’t pretend to be anything else. It also didn’t take itself too seriously – hence it was able to keep a light, optimistic tone for most of the time. Product placement was included as a necessary evil and treated as such – by both teleplay and the actors.
4/ Trope and stereotype busting
The show dealt with the “I’m straight, you’re the only man I like” trope in an unceremonious manner – laughing it out loud. It also dealt - in a more polite, but still firm manner - with assigning roles of wife and husband in same-sex relationships.
5/ Intimacy done correctly
BB features real kisses instead of the "traditional" GMMTV awkward lip-pressing. Ep. 5 rooftop kiss (The Kiss, Mother of All BL Kisses, Kiss of the Century) and ep. 11 evening beach kiss were amazing. The show also addressed sex-related issues – sometimes through metaphors, sometimes openly. According to many comments Pran and Pat are both versatile (I got that feeling myself after ep. 11 and 12), which – even if it wasn’t stated directly – is of note, also from the trope-busting perspective.
6/ Inclusion of a GL plotline
Cute, short and to the point. Story-wise it wasn’t a necessity, but it got the deserved praise – which shows that people want GL content.
7/ OhmNanon
I'm mentioning this last, but the casting of the two mains was the shows biggest asset. Would the story work with a different cast? Probably. Would it be a success? That depends. It needed a coupling of two attractive, young guys with enough chemistry to get us emotionally involved and convince us, that we’re watching a cinematic masterpiece. I've seen some great chemistry in other shows, ATOTS chief among them, but OhmNanon’s chemistry was of the charts, beating everything I know (including EarthMix) and lifting this simple rom-com with a basic plot to a cosmic level. With eyes glued to the screen, I followed the show week for week, watched reaction videos to savour OhmNanon's scenes together again and again. Mesmerizing. If you’re not convinced about the importance of chemistry in a production like this – compare BB to “Fish Upon the Sky” (Pond and Phuwin had little to no chemistry) or “Tonhon Chonlatee” (Podd’s and Khaotung’s chemistry was one of the very few good things in that show and the only reason I rated it at 7.0 and not much lower). OhmNanon is a powerhouse and a force of nature. I'll say what I've said elsewhere: OhmNanon is the superior ship. Amazing.
8/ Music
Kacha's "Secret" is an optimistic song appearing several times to indicate that things are improving/the situation isn't as bad as we think (see first use in ep. 6 or ep. 12), I liked it upon listening to it for the first time. All three songs by Nanon are not just part of the soundtrack, but actually get used within the show: the first is "Just Friend?", in-show written and performed by Pat and Pran, and then covered in-show by guest starring Gemini and Ford, the second - though played mainly for laughs - is Sizzy's and Nanon's "Love Score" (the car scene in which Pat - or rather Ohm - interprets the song, is priceless), and lastly we get "Our Song", presented in-show as Pran's work-in-progress since his high school days, completed and performed in ep. 11 (an instrumental version of the same song is used in the opening credits of every episode). I loved how all those songs were not just used, but entwined into the story. In a post-credits scene of ep. 12 we even get a brief callback to "Same Page?" by Tilly Birds, which was used for the first trailer of BB. There's more of good music used in the show - like the musical backgrounds during the rooftop kiss scene in ep. 5 or Pran's and Dissaya's confrontation in ep. 10. Special praise for his input into the shows score goes to Ohm for his xylophone performances - the one in ep. 8 is emotional and powerful (I remember several reactors staying silent for that whole scene – so captivating were the visuals and the music).

== Weaknesses ==
1/ Outing without consequences
Wai in “evil bitch mode” (that's a quote, btw), revealing Pat and Pran to everyone in the theatre, was a scumbag many loved to loathe (Jimmy did a great job there); lack of consequences of that, Pran’s attempts to make up with Wai and Wai’s convoluted “redemption arc” were all let-downs. A short, simple and honest scene with Wai apologizing to Pran and Pat would clear the air. A connected, but smaller let-down: the initial reaction of Korn, Mo and Chang. What was the point of them acting like jerks for one scene - only to be Pat's friends in the next one?
2/ First 20 minutes of ep. 12
Keeping the audience in the dark for the first 20 minutes of ep. 12. Unnecessary and pointless – especially for all those watching the show once all episodes aired. It did – in combination with very manipulative previews for ep. 12 – make a lot of people watching the show wonder what really happened. The sigh of relief when Pat opened the door for Pran and said “You said you’d sleep at your house” (indicating they’ve been together this whole time, with Kacha’s song confirming that everything is okay) was heard all over the planet – but it wasn’t necessary to have us go through what preceded it.
3/ A world without homophobia (again?)
I understand that the tone of the show was meant to be light and there couldn’t be too many obstacles the two mains had to overcome, but – seriously – we got another GMMTV show taking place in a fantasy world free of homophobia. Real Thailand, real Asia and the real world are still homophobic. I’m dragging the real world into this because – once ep. 11 and previews for ep. 12 – a lot of people discussed Pran’s and Pat’s break-up in “real-world” categories, explaining to the wider audience (meaning: to the comment section) that in Thailand/Asia parents have an actual hold on their children, need to be respected and so on. The showrunners apparently shared this attitude (hence the 4-years-long deception explained in ep.12), so I feel like including the lack of real-world homophobia in this list of the show’s weaknesses.

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Yoh and Mizuki are each other's home

When an aspiring manga artist Tanada Yoh (Mashiko Atsuki) was in a tight spot in his job, he agreed on an unusual contract with a weather forecaster Segasaki Mizuki (Higuchi Kouhei) to live together. In exchange, he cooks and cleans for him. What comes from such a contract is a codependent relationship that makes them both happy and anxious.

At first, Yoh was basically a slave of Mizuki, who later implements a way to earn Mizuki's sympathy and possessiveness so that he can indulged in Mizuki’s gentle yet "rude" behavior. Since the two never communicate well, they often misunderstand day-to-day situations. Most often I find this frustrating, but here it allows for Mizuki's character to be fully fleshed out as story goes. It was so heartwarming when I saw the kind of person he really is.

Of course, this won't be as satisfying if it wasn't for the engaging dynamic between the timid Yoh with his dark quirkiness and a drunk clingy Mizuki. The fact that each of them has a peculiar personality makes it an engaging watch. From them provoking each other so casually, the sunny day lovemaking, to the ASMR scene of them doing finger in mouth thing... Their sweet and romantic moment was a delight every time! Even when they are just eating dinner together, clearly crazy in love, like how newlyweds are. Yoh and Mizuki are each other's home. This is just the beginning of their relationship. If season 2 is coming, I hope to see more on Yoh and Segasaki improving their communication with each other.

-Jan 2024, Yovita
Find me on Instagram: @kdramajudge

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Need to turn off my brain to enjoy - then it's a funny, adorable drama.

Completed - 3/12/2022

Watching “My Girlfriend is an Alien” in 2022 might have brought me in a more cynical and critical mood when rating this drama. I might have liked it more if I watched this in 2019 and am a newbie to romantic comedies. Unfortunately to me right now there are elements in this drama that I don’t quite appreciate or enjoy. There are plot holes and inconsistencies but if I could turn off my brain and just go for the ride, it’s enjoyable, funny, low-stress and full of laughs.

I would recommend this drama to those who:
1. Love adorable female leads who are not especially dumb or naive in rom-coms
2. Like bickering between the leads
3. Enjoy a somewhat low-stress, no angst, easy-to-watch drama
4. Are OK with uncomfortable/sensitive treatment of characters
5. Don’t mind annoying 2FL and simple ‘villains’
6. Don’t mind misunderstandings

There are already many reviews for this drama so I’ll just write 1 thing I like best and 1 thing I like the least. I agree with most of the critical/negative reviews in the review section.

(+)
Our Leads:
Wang Peng played our funny and cute alien, Xiao Qi. I am glad that her adorableness did not border on being overly annoying and naive. I have seen Wang Peng previously in “When We Were Young” and “Crush”, and I have to say she looks the prettiest in this drama. I’ve never found her to be that pretty, but maybe her makeup and her character’s personality make her super attractive to me. It’s also funny that you saw clips of “When You Were Young” shown on TV in this drama. Wang Peng’s acting is on her usual level as I’ve seen in her previous dramas. She plays the cute yet stubborn Xiao Qi pretty well.

Bie Thassapk Hsu, plays the cold-on-the-outside but warmhearted male lead, Fang Leng. This is my first drama of his and I am quite impressed with his acting. I didn’t find him bland when he’s playing the cold CEO role, and I enjoy watching his more emotional scenes. Additionally, he is so handsome, looks good in both suits and casual wear, mm… shirtless as well. Xiao Qi and Fang Leng have great chemistry in this drama and is the drama’s biggest selling point. They bicker and fight, don’t really declare their love for each other but you know how much they care for each other.

(-)
As much as I want to caress Fang Leng’s muscular chest as Xiao Qi, I became increasingly uncomfortable seeing him fondled like that throughout the drama. The whole plot with Xiao Qi being uncontrollable with the smell of pheromone just becomes a way for uncomfortable, double-standard sexual harassment. I can’t deny I laughed when it happened for the first couple times, but then my brain cells kicked in and asked, what if it’s a man fondling a woman’s breast, is that funny? Additionally, there’s a lot of wrist grabbing, ML pushing FL against the wall and manhandling her. Some might find this to be romantic but I can’t seem to turn off my brain and just enjoy the ride. Because of all this, I can’t give this drama a rating higher than 7.5. It would be lower if I didn’t enjoy the leads acting and chemistry.

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this drama start so slow. okay let's say it's over all slow drama they force that "we are warm" "that place is warm and people who live in there are warm" in your face in the start with some poems here and there. but honestly that was the weak point in the drama.. but i some how end up enjoying it
if we look in the drama after that warm push, it start give us good story with nice characters. i was surprised that they have good back ground to the characters and why they are like this but they didn't push it on the start instead the push the warm feel that i don't buy..
Honestly i was ready to drop they drama in ep2 but i loved Eunsub character so cute and warm not the usual lead , if not for him i would have drop this for sure especially i'm not fan of the FL acting but then i'm glad i didn't because i love Eunsub back story and the story of the sisters (the FL mom and aunt ) that they tell so late on the show. another weak point to the writer if you have good story use it well.
ah if you going to watch this for Jae Wook don't!!! he appear for 2 min every ep i hate this the most they have a lot of time that he could use but they use it on stupid things.

acting was good for me this is kang joon best acting , as usual Park Min Young just act the same that's why i'm not fan for her.
Music was nice but the osts are forgettable.
over all i don't count it as bad drama

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I really enjoyed this Drama

I have read a lot of negative reviews relating to this drama and though it may not be perfect it still rates high on my list , for the storyline , acting and presentation .
A beautiful picture of the deep friendship between three women who have known each other since they were teenagers , who have laughed ,cried , got drunk together , helped each other over all these years . Then something happened to one of them for which none of them were prepared for nor had experienced before . Suddenly their world is thrown upside down and they have to find a way to adjust , cope , understand and deal with it , while life is going on around them as normal . The story is told by one of them Mi-Jo who takes charge and is trying to stay positive , upbeat and not always succeeding . Anyone who has seen someone dear to them die of cancer , will know that one tries to be strong for them , to be there , to remain hopeful , to stay positive . But it take its toll on you . They also have their own life to live and work to manage . It is this juggling of death amid life and life in death that concentrates their focus and energy . They are supported in the many facets of their lives by three admirable young men who care , who are understanding , patient and loving although they themselves have other issues to deal with . I do not mind having a brief look at these issues even if they are not dealt with fully because we know there is a future for them all . The acting is superb . One laughs , cries , feels . I would have liked to be one of these friends . They all dealt with this phase in their lives with dignity , compassion friendship and love .

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the sister was a jackass, yeah loads of people r infatuated with their bosses / coworkers / teacher etc and someone follow through and send sms's or try to chat-them-up. but building some fantasy relationship in ur mind and then cause - imagination doesn't turn into reality u try to kill ur self - when the one ur infatuated with doesn't even know u exist?!? like WTF. how chemically imbalanced is this b*tch???? and if she is so messed up, why she roaming around and not locked up in a padded room??? especially after trying to self-harm, she needs observation, medication and professional help. don't get this.

then there's the sister who goes to get "justice" for her nut of a sister. when she is confronted with his proposition, she as a lawyer can't come up with the main reason dating/starting a relationship with him would be a huge mistake not only a bad idea?!? i.e. her freaking nutter of a sister, that brought them together in the first place?!???

the way this starts already predicts how its gonna end, all the crying and going on, on Yi-fei's characters part is idiotic. story was trying hard to sell a grand romantic saga. didn't buy why after he asked her on the beach - if he could buy her, and then her finding out he frequented the coffee shop awaiting her every morning, was what flips her switch. hard sell for me.

Seung-Heon is as gorgeous as usual, so if ur only looking for eye-candy, both leads look gr8, but story wise - meh...

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I expected a fun workplace romance but got confusing depression instead

I like PMY but she feels like such a pushover in this drama. At the same time I don't really feel any chemistry between the leads. The "hiding our relationship" part of the drama is not as exciting as in other dramas either. The whole ex husband and ex gf storyline is draggggggging. The pacing of the whole show is just slow :/

I had hoped for as fun workplace romance but instead we get fighting every episode, divorce, cheating and generally just a toxic atmosphere. Do not recommend and instead suggest to go watch a better office romance drama (eg What's Wrong with Secretary Kim, Touch Your Heart or A Business Proposal).

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Entertaining

It's a well rounded story about parallel universes, and if you like these light sci-fi kind of drama (like Someday or One Day and First Love Again) you might like this one as well. The problem here is that the characters lacked emotion. The best one is the female lead's father, but the rest didn't get me attached to them. When the actors changed from child to adults I couldn't feel the connection between them either.

So, if you're looking for a romance to get emotional and root for the leads, I don't think you'll find it here. And I don't believe it's just the actors fault, the script didn't make them close either.. it felt like they didn't really care about each other. At the same time, it's nice to have a romance without it being over the top, I guess you need some balance and for me this wasn't enough.

Despite everything, it's the kind of drama that makes you want to talk about it (hence this review) cause it leaves you thinking and it's pretty interesting.

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CRITICALLY ACCLAIMED DRAMA!!!

Moon Chae Won and Lee Joon Gi both shown so realistic emotional acting and also the supporting actors which makes it a great cast ensemble. The directing, writing, storyline, cinematography, acting, and others (you name it) are worth to watching.
Both Moon Chae Won and Lee Joon Gi brought out the best in each other. They were casted perfectly for the characters they played. The directing is very meticulous which highlights every scene so that viewers can understand the story well. The writer (Yoo Jung Hee), did a great job to tell the beautiful story of the drama where it has many catchy lines, and it flows smoothly.

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Well, where to start...

This movie is a mess. A good kind of fucked up mess. This movie carries on the crazy roller-coaster ride from the anime and bring another kind of horror to the realm of live action. It's very graphic and I'd recommend you to be 17+ before you watch Himitsu: Top Secret. This movie is fucked up and I'm serious.

For the plot and acting, you don't have to worry. You might say that Ikuta Toma wouldn't fit Maki's shoes but you'll be utterly wrong. Toma carries Maki's grief and guilt so well that you won't mind anything else and Okada Masaki is perfect for Aoki. Just don't expect subtle shounen-ai like in the anime because their relationship here is just like any proper boss-subordinate.

The movie itself has squicks that normal human would feel like ready to vomit about. I'm a squeamish movie-goer and I don't regret ever watching this movie, even though I want to throw up my dinner afterward. Let's just say that if you ever watch the anime, you'll get the same sense of dread if not more because hey, we're talking about a live action here.

You want psychopath? You get one.
You want a strong but vulnerable Maki? You get one.
You want a plot worthy of Pink and Gray? You get one.

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