Stunning and Evocative
One of the most heart wrenching and beautiful stories I have ever had the chance to entertain. From the use of extended metaphor to the acting and overall societal lessons, this one is solid gold. I cried tears of pain and joy many times throughout the series. A masterpiece really.The portrayals of betrayal and pain and pure bliss and innocence, not once was I unconvinced by every actor in this series. I truly felt that they were 17 then somehow 40 with the same exact faces. The dot/line metaphor that continues throughout the series felt totally uncontrived and natural, which I have seen hard to do with other extended metaphor. Self-acceptance is always much harder than we think and in that time of not accepting ourselves we lose and become self-destrucive. It’s a lifelong journey and this series did an amazing job of convincing me that it is a journey worth taking despite how difficult things become along the way. We are all dots seeking a cure to loneliness by connecting to other dots, but despite that the series begins every episode with that paraphrased idea, its the fact that we are on our own lines that is the hardest battle. Connecting can only be achieved once we straighten ourselves out.
Again a beautifully told story by all the people involved. Thank you all for this gift.
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Story declined but was still pretty enjoyable
I was so captivated by the first episode that I kept watching but unfortunately, it started lagging starting the third episode. I mostly watched just to finish the court case because I was curious of how Woo Young Woo would resolve it. Other than that, I felt like I skipped through half the drama.First, I'll say that the female lead did such a phenomenal job acting. It also brought lots of awareness to autism that I didn't know before. (As well as a bunch of whale facts). I think I read somewhere that she did a lot of research on autism to make sure she didn't portray the character wrongly or stereotypically. However, the male lead...I felt like he didn't really have a character. I saw on TikTok and my friends were talking about how he's the biggest green flag in korean dramas, but he had no personality. The romance seemed very forced, in my opinion. The way that he was helping her in the beginning as a friend was very cute, but then all of a sudden, he started giving her loving gazes out of the blue. I feel like the romance could've been done more naturally, or even not at all. I really liked the side characters though, like Choi Su Yeon and especiallyyyy Attorney Jung. I think he brought in a lot of the comedic aspect and did well with it.
For the court cases, I love dramas that do one case per episode, but a lot of these felt like they were trying to fill up the episodes with the most random things. I did have a select few that I enjoyed, but a lot of them felt like a waste of time and were forgettable.
I will say that the one thing I liked was the ending with the redemption of several characters, though those were also kind of rushed. I heard that they're coming out with a season 2 and wonder what else they're going to do with this. Probably even more court cases?
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Soundtrack for the movie is really good and it sets a specific mood prefect for the plot.
Park Seong Ung was perfect for the role, I really enjoyed how he presented the inner battle and the forbidden lust for a married man.
O Seung Hun performance was above my expectations. I can't wait to see him glow more.
I would say Yun Seung A had more of supporting role.
Directing was awesome!
Almost everything in this move was 5 stars.
The only think I didn't enjoy was the screaming and the Shakespeare like moments during the play.
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Where do I start?
I came for Alen. I got to episode 6. The only reason I got that far was the comedy. The story is a train wreck though. Too many idiots in a confined space. The third generation of warriors in the Yan Shan sect really aren't smart. How did they ever have apprentices? And their apprentices are smarter than them. Even the Grand Master kept mentally face palming. I kinda get where the story will be going in the future but it will be too excruciating for me to watch. I don't see enough of Alen in this even though he got top billing. I really hate to give such a review. Sorry Alen. I have to wave goodbye.Was this review helpful to you?
If you want to watch this one, make sure to turn off your logical sense!
The story starts pretty well, yet as it goes on the ML and FL become really weird. The ML has a dark past and is punishing himself out of guilt. The FL, on the other hand, seems caring, yet she becomes so absorbed in ML's life that acts out of character most of the time. She does things seemingly unnecessary, and can make you cringe :)Call it love or anything, this pairing is weird :))
The leads have great chemistry, there are plenty of kiss scenes and skinships. It is romantic indeed, but the romance has no depth. it's just there.
The dark past is shown and the problems are generally solved too. it's not one of those so complicated dramas.
I liked this drama for the leads. Both actors are good-looking and cute lol
Overall, a pleasant drama. But don't get too involved with the story :))
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not what was advertised
I feel like there were many more cons than there were pros when it came to watching this show.The pro? the acting was passable...mostly.
the con(s)? almost everything else? the writing and plot were weak and made absolutely zero sense at times. the 'conflict' of the story came out of nowhere and it made absolutely no sense and resolved almost instantly with no communication or whatever between the leads. I also found the chemistry to be lacking between the leads and how they 'fell in love' was so unrealistic and a case of what you would call instant-love which in some stories is fine if it's written well....which it was not in this case.
it was a mess of a show that desperately needed reworking of the script and the chemistry with the leads because none of it meshed well or worked.
overall, I would not recommend this if you're looking for a good BL to watch there are muuuuuch better ones out there.
4/10
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This review may contain spoilers
When Indiana Jones meets Harry Potter and Lara Croft--Great as A Stand Alone
When Indiana Jones meets Harry Potter and Lara Croft. This is a very good stand alone action show. Yes a lot of questions left unanswered as well as a bit of a cliffhanger but there is hope to return Zhang Qi Ling and the team because Wu Xie would never just let his soul-brother perish. I am not interested in any of its prequels or sequels unless the cast was exactly the same plus I noticed that some of the sequels were aired before this which doesn't make much sense. I do wish that for this last expedition, Wu Xie and Zhang Qi Ling weren't split up. I don't think there could have been a cliffhanger otherwise. The con aspects were that there were characters that made an appearance and then disappeared without rhyme or reason that didn't pertain to the show.Though I started watching for LYN and his character Shades or Mr. Black didn't disappoint as an opportunistic dork, it was the actor that played Zhang Qi Ling that got my attention. He did a fantastic job as a monosyllabic Kung fu master because of the way he was able to emote with his eyes be it annoyance, fear for his friends, or any other emotion. That's very hard to do in acting when there aren't a lot of lines. The young man (Xiao Yu Liang) playing this role is a novice to acting as he's part of some boy band but he was very convincing. I wish there were more scenes of him and Wu Xie and they left Fatty somewhere behind. That dude just had way too many lines and got annoying quickly. I saw some ppl complaining about too many episodes. Actually, I wanted more. Joseph Zeng also was able to do a great job as the inquisitive nerd with a knack for solving riddles and getting ppl out of hairy situations. It was great to see him in this role aside from the one he's currently in that's not doing him any justice. I really like all of the special effects in this drama and the martial aspects as well.
I also liked the friendship between Shades and Xie Hua. Though in the beginning it seemed very annoying, it grew and developed into respect even when you wanted to smack Shades upside the head, he was still quite dorky. These actors do a great job portraying their characters and making each scene believable no matter what. I wish they continued this series with the same main actors because their chemistry was undeniable. I know I want to see more dramas with Xiao Yu Liang as he has a future in the industry.
I would highly recommend this as a stand alone drama even though it has a cliffhanger ending; it's one with hope.
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This review may contain spoilers
The End shouldn't define the story, but the Beginning that started the beautiful journey.
We, as viewers often or rather frequently tend to overlook and miss out on all the good stuff when it comes to genres that are angst, sappy or simply tragic, in other words, ones that we know that have a bittersweet, sappy or heartbreaking end. Because why go through all those painful emotions when the sole purpose of watching, be it drama or movie, is to take a break from the reality that we are all living in, and thus, we seek the ever so famous 'happy endings'. We want to be happy watchers not ones who turned dimmed with both our reality and this escape of ours eating us up to dwell in sadness. So, we dare not watch something, like this. I used to have views like that before. The moment I see a tragedy tag on a drama or movie, I would not watch it, but through the years of being a kdrama and cdrama fan, after being able to watch a lot of very good and memorable dramas or movies which mostly had a happy ending, I tried giving sad endings a chance. The first sad ending I ever watched was 'uncontrollably fond', then afterwards, I watched a few more, like 'scarlet heart ryeo', 'youth of may' or c-dramas like 'goodbye my princess', I even got to venture into j-dramas like 'I give my first love to you' or 'Koizora'. Then, as time passed and the more I watched such type of ending, they grew in me, that regardless of the fact if I knew it wasn't a happy ending, I found the value of learning to accept all those kinds of emotions even if I cried dozens over them, because I know for a fact that not all stories are meant to always have that 'happiness' in their endings, and that such an 'end' doesn't make the quality or the beauty of the stories any lesser, because if we keep looking at the 'end' or 'how it ends', we forget the most important part in a drama or movie, it is none other than 'The Beginning' that started all the wonderful and beautiful journey. Just as to how we placed importance to every 'end', the same importance should be placed to every 'beginning' that held the entire journey of the story.The beginning of 'The Red Sleeve' for me was like a fairytale, how Deok Im and San met when they were younger, walking through the lamps and how the young Deok Im even back then was a brave and sweet person who wiped little San's tears, then the first time they ever met as an adult, Deok Im came rolling in to San's life. They had always been meant to be, since the very start. Their fate had always led them to each other. I won't say much or reminisce through every moments they had together. I had finished watching this 3 days ago, and only managed to write a review now because I had a hard time facing reality that such a great saeguk drama as TRS had officially ended (not to be overreacting). All that I will ever write in this review of mine is regarding their love, their heart-wrenching yet touching love for one another.
For me, King Jeongjo and Consort Uibin's love story is a beautiful, heart-burning and touching one (both in reality and drama)....
'The Red Sleeve' is a drama that proved that one should not lose themselves in the process of falling inlove, and Deok Im completely held onto that until her last breath. She was a female lead who knew how important self-worth is, she loved herself and placed value on herself more, which is refreshing to see because there are not many female leads like her. In the drama, she didn't easily give in to love despite how Yi San had already grown a special place in her heart, she stood her ground and turned him down quite a number of times. The only time she ever gave in to him was finally at the latter part, after going through a lot of events throughout the years she had spent in the palace as a court maid, there were also times that she nearly lost her life. I guess we could say, she grew and Yi San had grown in her heart deeply. From the very beginning, she did a lot of things for him, in order to protect him, it was thanks to her that Yi San got to live to adulthood, if she had not torn the forbidden page on the banned book or had she not talked and asked for help from others (mostly from Queen Jungsoon) to help Yi San etc. There would be no story to tell. It was her courageousness, kindness and her loyalty not just as a court maid but as a person, and maybe at some point her blossoming feelings for Yi San developed there too in the process of those actions of hers. She already knew she loved him, and Court Lady Seo knew of her feelings, but Deok Im never wanted to be a royal concubine, she doesn't want to go through the pain, she said it herself during their conversation that "the king is dear, but myself is dearer" and "if I can't have it to myself, i'd rather not have it at all", she clearly knew what she will lose and go through when she said those words to Court Lady Seo. Despite that, in the latter part, she held onto his sleeves, then onto his hand, she knew that she can't live a life not seeing Yi San. They subtly showed Deok Im's real feelings for Yi San during the time she was freed from the palace, what i'm referring to is when she made a pouch for Yi San. Her feelings were so evident there. The other time was when she returned to the palace as a court maid for Princess Hwabin, when she saw how San was with Princess Hwabin, her expression and the emotions painted in her eyes were so evident. She kept tucking her feelings in and pushing him aside, but only for her to give in at the end, she knew her love for Yi San was great but at the same time she loves herself too. She sacrificed a lot, herself, her freedom, her happiness etc. All she ever got to do as a royal concubine, was wait for him to come to her, and the only happiness she ever gained was his love and their times together alone plus when Prince Munhyo was born. She had nothing else. She lost most of herself as she became the royal concubine, the only thing that she held onto were Yi San's love and her love for him which she had kept until her very last breath, her "I Love You" that Yi San never got to hear when they were both still alive. It was shown in those episodes, how her life was like, how it became when she became a royal concubine, she wasn't completely happy but she chose it because she loved. She chose to be Royal Noble Consort Uibin, because she loves Yi San and she chose to seal her love for him, even from him, because she loves herself too. She may seem selfish, but she was actually self-less. It's quite ironic but at the same time that was the only choice she ever had as the man she loved is the most powerful person in Joseon. She loved him, but she didn't give all of herself to him in order not to lose her whole self, that was how much she valued her self-worth and I admire her for that.
On the other hand, some might say that Deok Im or Consort Uibin deserved to be loved by a better man who can give his whole self to her and only her. As much as I agree with such opinion, I also disagree with it too. I don't think there is any other man better than Yi San for Deok Im. Yi San had shown us countless of times how much he had loved Deok Im regardless of her status as a court maid, he loved her for who she is as a person. Like Deok Im, Yi San was also courageous and kind, but what stood out for me the most is his perseverance and patience. He loved her so much despite how many times he got rejected. He didn't force his feelings or himself onto her, he respected her as a woman and still gave her a choice and confessed his love to her a number of times which became chances for their love. He was willing enough to let her go, if that was what she had wanted. He waited and even put her first before his own feelings, specifically the time when he purposely lost the game to Deok Im when they were playing stone-skipping as that time they had a bet with each other, that whoever wins will grant the wish of the other. He loved her dearly, for him she was precious and the only person he had ever loved in his life. Deok Im was his pillar in the harsh life he had to go through as a crown prince and as a king. After their hug at the first part of episode 16, Yi San asked Deok Im if she would be his if he commanded her and Deok Im told him that she would if it was his command, then Yi San asked her if that would be what she wished (what she wanted), to that Deok Im said perhaps it is what she desired (wanted) but she wants to remain at her place meaning she wants to remain as a court maid. From those questions Yi San had asked Deok Im during that scene, we could see how much he truly cared about her, as much as he had valued Deok Im's feelings, he valued her thoughts as a person as well. He must have wanted to respect her decision to remain as a court maid then, but due to the incident which almost caused Deok Im to lose her life, if Court Lady Seo had not seeked help from Lady Hyebin. Although Yi San had trust in Deok Im and knew that she wasn't such a person, the fact that Deok Im had almost lost her life played a huge role in his decision to make her his concubine. Though he did such, he still gave her a choice to run away then, he was willing to let her go if he can't keep her but Deok Im held onto his hand. They both loved each other greatly. Yi San or King Jeongjo might not have been able to give his whole self completely to Deok Im but we cannot overlook the fact that he gave his complete genuine love to Deok Im, only her, no one else, and how he had never truly forgotten her even during the last moments of his life.
In their last moments together, as Deok Im tells him to pass by her if they ever meet each other in their next life, I believe that what she told him wasn't meant to hurt him as she only wanted to be with the man she loved and whom she can have completely as a whole for herself and be able to live the way she wanted to. Although she had said those hurtful words, I take it that in the end which showed them in the afterlife, she chose to wait for him there, because she truly loved him and he chose to stay and join her because he truly loved her as well. The ending of their story is really bittersweet or sappy. The time that they had finally fallen in love into the arms of each other, the time when they finally got to be a family was so short lived. What hurts more is that none of their children had ever survived. Yi San lived devoting the rest of his life to being a good king who completed his responsibilities to his people but he became an empty shell after losing Deok Im. He lived as a great king and died as a great king when he could have lived as both a great king and husband with a happy family. He also never got to hear the words "I love you" from Deok Im, the only time he ever got to know of Deok Im's feelings must have been perhaps when Deok Im told him before she had died that it's not that she didn't like or hate him, she could have ran away but she stayed or the time when he saw the belongings that Deok Im had left behind, the yellow pouch she made that she never got to give but he put that aside because he didn't know, so maybe it was the apology letters which she had wrote the first time they met and which he had constantly rejected and marked wrong. That was the proof of her love but he never affirmed it as what he had always been longing to hear is for Deok Im to say the words he had wanted to hear but never got to hear ever, so maybe he never truly knew, not until the time they reunited in the afterlife.
The fate of their love was so sad and unfortunate, if they were just ordinary people, if they hadn't been born as a king or a court maid trapped in the palace maybe things would have been different. Deok Im went through a lot as she had to share Yi San to others including Joseon itself, all her children died and even her beloved friends, she wasn't truly able to be happy at the same time Yi San went through a lot as well too, ever since he was young he had been scarred because of what had happened to his father, Prince Sado. He had been deemed unworthy of the throne and called as a son of a traitor, many people had wished for him to fail and plotted to kill him. Even his grandfather at some point had emotionally and physically hurted him for he fears that San might become like his son, Prince Sado. Deok Im was the only person who eased Yi San's ache and the only one whom he could truly open up his true self and heart to. He carried a lot on his shoulders ever since he was young up to when he grew up, most especially during the time when he lost Deok Im forever. He was still a good king and she was a good person. During their early years together, Deok Im as a court maid had long knew that Yi San would be a good king one day, and he did became one. Regardless of all that happened, there was still beauty and something touching about their love for one another. I can't imagine Yi San or Deok Im as an ordinary person, being a king and court maid suited them more. Aside from all the sad and tragic stuff they had gone through in the palace, they still had their happy moments and they did gain something along the process too. They gained that one great genuine love which they have for each other. If they were ordinary people, I doubt their love would be that great. Yes, they would have been much happier but they wouldn't have been able to experience the hurdles that enabled not only their love to be strong but also themselves. All in all, i'm glad they stuck with reality because the love of the real king jeongjo and consort uibin is very touching.
Before I end my review, i'd like to commend all the actors especially Lee Seyoung and Lee Junho who gave so much life to this drama. I don't know what else to say but both of them are such brilliant actors, they are a true talent. The fact that some of the scenes from TRS were brought to life by them through their adlibs. I would never forget how amazing they are for being able to immerse fully into their character as if they were really Yi San and Deok Im, plus how they were able to connect the audience through the emotions they had portrayed throughout the drama, making us all feel the roller coaster of emotions and shed tons of tears especially at the end. This is the first time I witnessed Junho as an Actor and I could say that he indeed is a very bright actor and he deserves every bit of recognition, as for Seyoung, I was able to watch her past projects before so i've always knew she was a good actress but her role here as Deok Im really stood out for me out of all the roles she had played before, Deok Im was her best and she deserves tons of praises for that. Ofcourse, I love the rest of the cast too plus writernim for the wonderful storyline. I'm proud of TRS team, they are truly talented people who captured many peoples hearts. I will never forget this drama, 'The Red Sleeve' is the best saeguk drama to have ever come to existence for me. If only I could give them a higher rating, I would have done so but it is sadly only up to 10/10 here in mdl. I don't think i'll ever find such a wonderful drama as TRS. The plot not only revolved about romance but also the realities faced by women during those times which we never really saw in majority of the Saeguk dramas or movies that existed as they had only and always highlighted the kings struggles or the power struggles. I guess, it is also one of the many reasons that made TRS so unique. Also, this is honestly the only drama that made me cry even more and where I felt immense pain like I was the one going through it all. This might not be the best of the best for some but it is definitely worthy of every time and emotions spent. TRS will always have a special place in my heart, even if there will be other great new dramas coming this year or the next next years to come.
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-The main character's parents (Pete and Kao) are some of the best parents in the BL universe. I'm not even exaggerating. Both of them are iconic.
-SunMork. I don't want to spoil it for you but I can't help but praise these two actors. There did a phenomenal job with their characters. Truly amazing. The development is incredible, the fluff is there, the chemistry is outstanding, the acting is great too. I watched it for PeteKao but I'm so happy I loved this couple's story as well.
-PeteKao. Of course, our main couple. I fell in love with them when I watched Kiss Me Again, and they were literally the only good thing about that show. I'm glad their friends and their relationship has another chance and is developed in this show. I reaaaally loved New and Tay's acting, it improved a lot. Also, their chemistry is no joke. I'm just super happy we got a whole new season with just these two amazing couples!
-Realistic relationships. The way the characters dealt with the problems that they had to face was very mature and realistic. I, for once, didn't blame the characters for being straight up stupid. Very well-developed plot.
I think you can watch it without having to suffer through Kiss Me Again! Just go for it and have fun. I'm sure you won't be disappointed.
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I'll start with the story-line. Although this drama doesn't have the most creative of story-lines it makes up for it with good pacing, I never felt bored while watching it (Which has happened with other dramas), developed characters, each one makes a visible journey from start to finish and you never question their motives. And the fact the story-line shows off the raw talent of the actors rather than making it too complicated.
The actors are well chosen, especially the females as I always find that some actresses don't pull their weight in dramas. Nobody's lines felt awkward, and there was chemistry between the characters despite there being little romance in this drama.
The soundtrack is what makes this drama go from good to great. I just wish it was available to download. You'll find yourself bobbing along and singing along to most of the songs. Each song is well-placed and none of it seemed forced.
This drama had me in fits of laughter and fits of tears, but in the end I was left with a warm feeling in my heart. If you liked Dream High then I am sure you'll like this drama too. But even if you didn't like Dream High then give it a shot anyway. I think you'll find yourself pleasently surprised.
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This review may contain spoilers
This was one of the best-written (and executed) comedy dramas I've seen in a long time! If you saw the special that came out about a year ago, you know the premise of the story. For those who haven't, you do need to watch the special first--you can read the plot synopsis on that page. The correct translation of the title would have been Visual Detective Higurashi Tabito.I think what I loved most, besides the compelling plot that threaded through and built up with each episode, was the characters and their relationships. Each was so lovable and unique, even if some were technically stock characters. The casting was perfect in my opinion, and some of the best performances from many of the actors I've yet seen. And Sumida Moeno who played the amazing little Tei-chan was truly incredible in her first main role. The main characters, guest roles, and even the villains and purely comedic characters were multifaceted and had depth, and many of them had really emotionally satisfying character arcs. The relationships were fascinating, enjoyable, and dynamic, and I love how perfectly they fit into certain expected relationships while being totally unexpected at the same time. I also loved some of the societal issues they spoke to in subtle ways, both directly and indirectly; both through satire and serious, idiosyncratic character creation that I felt was a perfect connection between the original novel's author, the screenwriter, and the actors.
Also, the comedy was pitch perfect...in my eyes, at least! The combination of satire, gags, utter wittiness, physical comedy, riffing between actors, timing, and *even* post-production perfection had me rolling. I don't know if everyone would love it, as I grew up with Japanese humor and have realized more recently by way of international comments that sometimes I probably don't have the best awareness if everything is translating cross-culturally, or multi-lingually as well as I assume at first. Then I realize what I am taking for granted as normal or what is untranslatable or whatever, and realize what I think is hilarious may not be to more people than I think. But I *think* a lot of the basic humor would translate...and I even think a bunch of very subtle touches can be appreciated by international audiences, although there probably are many subtleties that might not, that I felt really added to the multilayered brilliance. Again, I may not be the best judge of this. I should probably mention that if you don't enjoy the quick juxtaposition of humor and very serious or even moments of dark drama (as I've noticed quite a few people saying they really don't like that aspect of many J-dramas), you might find parts of this a bit jarring.
As a J-drama genre, this is definitely a comedy and not a dark crime, detective, or police drama (I'm speaking of specific genres, as this includes all of those elements). So if you're a fan of those, don't expect those tonally, if that makes any sense. But I think anyone who enjoys those elements will appreciate the story. As for the mystery, while each of the early episodes has an episodic element, it also has the overall mystery of Tabito's backstory woven through in such a compelling way that not only isn't very predictable, but has a perfectly balanced sinister edge to it than never quite goes into truly disturbing territory and yet creates a unique kind of suspense.
As for his strange condition/ability, I don't want to throw in any potential spoilers, but I'll just say that it's best to suspend disbelief. Each episodic 'case' is satisfying and none are throw-aways. There is that awesome emotive quality to many of them that J-dramas in this genre do so well...touching without being maudlin. Main characters are developed through their interaction with the cases and their personal conflict also builds too. Lastly, for those who care, the romance element is really well done. It's paced just right and feels genuine. For those who are more of K-drama watchers, this is not like your typical K-drama crime comedy-romance (which I also enjoy), so don't expect that.
The music was perfect, imo, with the exception of the very short opening song. The composer got every mood just right, from the lovely string and piano themes to the jarring, discordant guitar when we get hints of the darkness roiling beneath the surface of the storyline. The songs are also great and not melodramatic. Rewatch value...I would definitely watch this again, it was so enjoyable, and I'm not a big rewatcher! But the mystery element is strong enough that a second watch would definitely not have anywhere near the same effect. Anyway, hope more people will take a chance on this drama! If you don't enjoy it as much as me, I imagine you'll find at least something enjoyable in it.
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Anyway, I'm not here to talk exclusively about her. The premise of this film is very similar to most heist films, however - unless there is a director's cut that I didn't watch - there are some flaws of continuity and characters that have a premature ending. Even though it is not a terrible flaw, the film could have been much better.
The acting is very good, funny moments and serious moments are well-dosed - even though Jihyun is mostly seen doing gags.
The music is meh, there are some moments that you can barely hear something and it doesn't mix well with the scene that you are watching and, for instance, an action scene doesn't seem that interesting.
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I’m here for pity fights and family drama.
Not many dramas can make a certified clown out of me, but this one did, and I kind of appreciate that. Countless rants in the first half, but at the end I became speechless - the twist did its thing.What got me to start the show was the premise of the female spy assassins arc. What made me stay were the family drama and pity senseless fights when the focus should have been on the enemy. The dynamics between all the siblings were extremely entertaining to watch. While I still believe some of the motivations were… not the smartest, I don’t think it’s the case of characters being poorly written - it was intentional. Because the reasoning was flawed at times, it made the characters more relatable, even if the setting of the drama itself was something none of us could relate to.
Did I care about any of the romances? No. Funny, because that was also one of the things I actually wanted to watch this drama for. The puppy love was too puppy, the “toxic” romance did not get enough highlight to be well developed, the comedy crush was too much. Personally I would prefer if they switched the pairings around a bit - get the puppy with the cunning one, and the cold and heartless with the good natured one.
What the drama did perfectly though were all the visual aspects of the production - from set design, costumes, make up, accessories to the way it was all shot. The fighting scenes? Perfection. This is how you use slow motion to highlight the sequences and certain moves, instead of overusing it to hide bad choreography and lack of skills. Each fighting sequence deserves to be watched at least two or three times to fully appreciate it.
The acting was great. I was kind of traumatized by Yu Shu Xin in Love Between Fairy and Devil and her toddler character, and I’m glad to see how well she does in more mature roles. Personally, I think they fit her better. Zhang Ling He was fine. I do believe Gong Zi Yu’s character was the most boring, so I never truly focused so much on him… My favorite performance goes to Lu Yu Xiao - easy choice. Ad for Ryan Cheng, let’s say I get why everyone got so obsessed with him in that role.
On the bad side - I hated the line delivery of most of the main cast. Separately, they were great. The issue is: they all spoke with exactly the same whisper, slow mannerism, it became exhausting. Any dialogue heavy scenes between Yun Wei Shan and Shangguan Qian? Close your eyes and it’s impossible to tell which one is speaking - they sounded the same. I get it, they are all mysterious spies, but that does not mean they have to speak in the same way.
At the end of the day, it’s a great show. The middle part is the slowest and probably the reason why someone might drop it (I was close to dropping it too), but it picks up later when a lot of things get slowly revealed and explained.
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CAST/ACTING: I think they did a pretty good job on this one. The actors are handsome, carry their roles well, and I like their chemistry.
MUSIC: I liked it how they used it in the episodes, but I didn't like the OST.
REWATCH VALUE: They were cute, so maybe I'll give them a shot after a couple of years, since there are only 4 episodes anywyay.
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This review may contain spoilers
I started watching Devilish Joy because of Choi Jin Hyuk. I watched him for the first time in 'Fated to Love You' and suffered the second lead syndrome so badly that I wanted to watch him in a show where he gets the girl. This drama captured my interest from the get-go, with an endearing story that started with the two leads falling in love at first meet. The show has all the key elements - great acting, a good mix of romance, comedy and melodrama, gorgeous cinematography, and good-looking actors. However, I have to warn you; it is also a bag of cliches! If you can get past the kdrama tropes, the show may pleasantly surprise you and exceed your expectations.
Choi Jin Hyuk as Gong Ma Sung looked really fine in his suits as the chaebol heir who was also a genius neurosurgeon. However, his character was not the typical cold and arrogant jerk. Instead, Gong Ma Seung was a warm-hearted, generous, and romantic man, who not surprisingly captured the female lead's heart immediately in the first episode. Choi Jin Hyuk did not disappoint, and he was able to convey so much through his expressions and body language. I was really into his character, and if I allow myself some fangirling - I love how his smile reaches his eyes and his voice...oh his voice!
It took me a little longer to warm up to the female lead, Joo Gi Bbeum. She seemed too silly for a 30-year-old top star, but she developed more depth soon after the first couple of episodes. Soon Ha Yoon was very believable as the unfortunate singer, who struggled against all sorts of challenges but managed to maintain her dignity. Her petite loveliness was a great match for Gong Ma Sung, and the chemistry between the two leads was palpable. This is a couple I can imagine as truly dating - their kisses (and there were many compared to other dramas) were so natural.
I also came to like Hoya's character, Sung Ki Joon - uncle/nephew bromance was fun to watch and their reunion scene was perfect!
Besides the leads, I did enjoy watching the other characters like Woo Jin and Nan Joo (the leads' sidekicks), and Gi Bbeum's family. They all had flaws that made them more relatable. However, I found the villains rather one dimensional and there was no character development. They are just shown as evil people with no other motives aside from greed. I found their backstories rather lacking, and not certainly not enough to explain why they hated Ma Sung or Gi Bbeum so much to inflict such terrible pain on them.
The music was good - the songs fit the moods accordingly but nothing memorable. I did not hear any that tugged at my heart strings and made me want to save it to a playlist.
As for the ending, I was very satisfied. Not going to lie, I almost didn't want to watch the final episode. The show went into full throttle drama towards the end and I was an emotional mess thinking that only a miracle can give me the happy ending that the characters deserve. Luckily, it is kdrama land after all, and one can toss all reasoning and logic aside. That said, I like that the show did not wrap up everything too neatly and the happy ending was not overly done with Gong Ma Sung recovering completely from his illness. With that, I ended the show with a feeling of hope, and thinking that there's potential for a season 2.
Overall, this drama is pretty entertaining. Yes, there were plenty of cliches but the story was well developed. The romance, focused on unconditional and timeless love was heartwarming and there were enough subplots to beef up the drama.
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