Reviews

Super great acting!

邱宇辰和黄宏轩把魏谦和魏之远给演活了！虽然剪辑不是很满意，但演技我是非常满意的。很棒的演员们，希望他们能越来越好，越来越火！
Have read the book before this show was released, tbh, it's impossible to use 12 episodes to cover all the content in the book. So, I am open to new changes in the drama. The first 8 episodes were very good to me, while the episodes behind were kind of rush. The editing caused the logic to break for some parts, so you may wonder why certain things happen suddenly.
Overall, I still think it was a pretty good drama. I believe it's not just a BL drama, but a drama that portrays a lot of real-life elements. Thankfully, big brother, Wei Qian, has someone who loves him so much, so he can finally live his life for himself.
Lastly, I must say the actors are too good at acting!! Every eye contact, hug and kiss felt so real. Looking forward to see more of Chris' and Kurt's acting!

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I like the characters

FL and ML fit well.
The FL looks so young,almost childlike.She is very cute. Her character's personality is childish, indicisive but also strong headed and she is delveloping the character quite well.

The ML is good looking and portraying his character very seriously.

There are lots of funny scenes in the drama.
What I don't like, all costums are well decided except the FL's. She seems petit and normally buildt towards other chinese actresses, so she shouldn't wear that kind of clothes with such thick layers and prints.It makes her look so chubby.

All in all the show is very likeable because of the characters.

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Mature Relationship, Mature C-Drama

Well.. at first I just watch the 1st episode of this cdrama because of Li Xian, honestly I just feeling it up whether I'll like it or not. Who knows that I will be hooked by it and directly finish the first 3episodes. This drama give me a mature-vibe drama that I have longed for long, that, and the unique story of the FL, I am shocked to my core to see the surprise that she is a disabled person (I did not read the synopsis yet). And suddenly, I fall in love with Will Love in Spring. To my knowledge that the other title is much more interesting anyway, but it doesn't matter, this drama still gives me a promising track to a SATISFACTION.

For this ratting probably will change, I dunno about that, but I surely will update this review until I watch all the episodes and give you all the overall review. Caooooo and see u later!!!

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IT FEELS ORIGINAL AND UNIQUE

This drama has already won me over with just three episodes I can tell it's going to be amazing...I love how the story isn't told in a fast paced nor slow paced way but rather it's told in a way that's perfectly paced enough to allow you to connect to it and to the characters.

The acting feels subtle yet impactful...and I must say the characters are so far well written..you can tell that each has personality and purpose to add to the plot.

The cinematography makes me feel like am watching a movie and not a series...it's relaxing and warm.....and the direction makes you feel the warmth.

The osts aren't over the top but each creates an everlasting impact on the scene.

I love how the characters backgrounds so far and their stories are kept hidden Ofcourse to be revealed with time....it's intruiging.

Iam looking forward to the romance between the leads because ain't no doubt even with the minimal interactions they have amazing chemistry.

This review is for the first three episodes and I'll be upgrading it with time.

So far this drama brings back the warmth I received from dramas like meet yourself, the forbidden flower, Sunshine by your side, nothing but you( 2023) and my marvellous fable.

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a little touching scene

the storyline was not so bad. I used to be familiar with military dramas in western movies involving women. They were usually nurses or female soldiers. In this drama, getting a female trainee in the dormitory for men could be impossible. First of all, a women would be through the physical checkup. I don't think Chinese military is that sloppy or careless. Though I feel very sorry for Chinese people over the invasion of the Japanese army, depicting our army looks rather too rough. Of course, I like the male lead , but I felt he showed off too much there. His friend's relationship with the flower shop owner was quite touching. Their scene was a minor thing. But, in another site, I found another woman has the same idea as me. Also, the soundtrack for passing by the tomb by her was short but unforgettable. I loved the background scenery such as streets, towns, or the regular pub.

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Sighs in Fantastic!

This is not at all a long review.
All I can say is I screamed at my Mac so many times watching this series.
I was rooting for Lee & Choe with everything in me.
I wanted Choe to get his life together and follow his heart.
I wanted Choe to address his "sister-crush"
I wanted Choe to grow a spine and standup for himself.
I wanted Lee to hold on just a little bit longer for Choe.
I was so hopeful towards the last few episodes, but it was not to be.
I could be in the minority on this, but I felt that displayed true chemistry.

Great series all around and great acting.
I recommend and rewatch.

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Weird & funny!

The synopsis says it all. I just wondered about the LGBT tag: apparently the two women living together are a couple? I think?

The story is told from the point of view of the fan: immobile(just swivelling its fan regularly from let to right and back again) and silent witness to the goings-on in the flat.

An original idea of putting a camera on the fan combines with the actors' perfect timing makes for a funny and a smart watch. The characters are all coolly (blasé) reacting to surprising presences: nobody shouts or jumps. It is more of a vaudeville show with people hiding in closets and behind coat-hangers!

It is a comedy, there is really no deeper meaning or message. A child's voice recites lines from Veda which is supposed to be about the fan, who, Godlike, bestows its silent presence onto the inhabitants of that flat.

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Potholes, tropes and bad writing.

Let me start off by saying that I was hooked for the first 11 episodes. Yes, the story is soap opera-y but the actors and actresses acted the heck out of what was given to them. Kim Soo-hyun can do no wrong and I’ve always enjoyed Kim ji-won so the problem is not because of them (or the production, cinematography, styling, etc). It’s the writing.

The last few episodes were just so painful to watch. Common sense were non existent, villains just did whatever the heck they please, the story just dragged and more and more tropes are being added.

I’m serious - nothing made sense.

Like, how did the SML think that he can just “erase” the FL’s past by throwing away some pictures and mementos. She exposed him on national tv and have recordings of him threatening her! It’s so dumb.

Why is our smart ML not more careful? The SML and his mom literally stole, threatened and put a hit on him. Like maybe get some bodyguards or let the hospital know, “hey there’s this guy that’s dangerous to the patient, beware!”

Why weren’t FL’s family with her in Germany?

Why did it take so long to convince her to do the surgery!? I thought the choice was a no brainer.

Anyway - if I didn’t have only two episodes left I would’ve just dropped this drama. I will finish it.

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It had potential.

There were so many things in this k-drama that I found certainly questionable, but I won't lie, I was entertained most of the time. But here I'm going to mention why I think it could have been so much better:
- It was hard to empathize with the main male character, I didn't feel that the reason he decided to steal (yes, steal) his brother's fiancée moved me enough to get to understand him, therefore, everything he did to achieve his goal didn't seem noble to me and his redemption was resolved so easily, all for the convenience of the plot.
- I didn't believe enough that they were so in love at the time they confessed it to each other, much less on her part. I understand there was some attraction, but directly making it seem like they couldn't be without each other didn't make it realistic, I feel like that wasn't built up very well. When I saw them acting like any couple I didn't believe it.
- The character of the brother and the approach to his sexuality was so superficial, I couldn't connect enough with him either, I think they could have put his story to better use and not just have him be there for plot convenience, again.
- Another thing is that many times I felt that the tone of the plot was lost, I didn't understand if it was a romantic comedy, something dramatic or who knows what else. The truth is that they didn't know how to balance it. Rush and superficial.
- The side stories offered NOTHING.

But I will put as plus points, the OST because I personally liked it, especially the song 'Butterfly', also that I have seen the actors' work previously and I consider them to be pretty good, but of course this is not their best work. And also something in favor were the cameos in the last episode (especially Kim Beom and Lee So Hyuk) lol.
Overall, I wasn't bored, yes, it was entertaining, but I think there was a lot of wasted potential. It wasn't horrible but it certainly could have been a lot better.

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Good drama, but.....

I can see why this drama had mixed reviews. I'm enjoying it so far, but one thing I find frustrating is the class disparity in the workplace. The higher ups treat the subordinates as trash and give them Little respect. And this goes down the chain from the very top to the bottom. I was shocked when that head person drank up the coffee drink of the subordinate and then proceeded to do the same with the manager. And also made a snide remark about why she shouldn't be drinking it. I can see why the ML is frustrated by his half sister and the way she has little regard for the employees and everything is about making money. Even when the ML asks his father have you ever rescued just one person. And his father replied with something like people are preoccupied with making money as if to imply that making money takes priority over saving one individual's life. My question is does this really happen in Korea and is this drama based on reality in terms of how the workplace is run? Or is there is a bit of fiction here for drama's sake? At any rate, will continue watching it as I do like the two leads and I appreciate some of the side stories like the grandma.

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True Love - Strong and Lasting

I am not fond of drama series; but this the best drama series for me. I'm a fan of Xiao Zhan. Started when I watched The Untamed. I'm obsessed watching all his drama series and movies. Watching this many times until now, though it breaks me repeatedly, I couldn't help it. Love their scenes. Shiying 's perfect moves, acting and Zhu Yan's heartfelt emotion. Empathizes me that hits me through the bones. The OST is superb! It's just saddened me a lot with the ending. Hoping there will be second season and hoping the writer may seem to consider the watcher's emotion to twist the ending it was a heartbreak for me. Just watch and don't skip. The best drama for me.

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As a For X, I feel like I have an obligation to watch this drama. It's Hangyeom's acting debut after all! Plus this drama has a pretty good blurb that makes me want to see what's going to unravel.

Overall, I really enjoy the story! There is of course some things that made me scratch my head and feel like it could be better than this, but I'm not disappointed in what I've watched.

What I like:
- Jungha! You see, I never read the manhwa before so I never expected Juha to be a hell of a character. Jungha has a rather gentle face so it's really surprising to learn that his characters is like... that.
- The story. As I said, I really enjoy it. I don't know the technicality, about the pacing or whatnot, but it's really better than what I thought it would be. I guess given the work has longer airing time (30-40 minutes per episode??) so I think some of the main points of the plot can be elaborated pretty well.
- The cast! I think aside of Jungha, the other cast feels so perfect to the characters. Jinkwon to Seheon, Hogeun to Taeyi, and Hangyeom to Doyoon. A special note to Hangyeom tho, I also think it doesn't stray too far from what Hangyeom is like as far as I know him as an idol.
- The reveal of Taeyi and Seheon's brothers' relationship! Did that count as plot twist? Because I never really expected it to be that way. It added spices imo, although the resolution might look too easy?? I thought Taeyi would be angrier about it. But I guess at that point, Taeyi only wanted closure about what happened to his brother and won't bother to point fingers and blame whoever made the event happened. Idk.
- The music theme! Although I'm not super familiar with jazz, but the piano playing is really pleasant in my ear. I especially love the ensemble performance and their fall festival performance! Jazz for Two do sound really good!
- While I don't think Doyoon and Juha's relationship change is the best out there, but I kinda like it! It makes me wait for a second season hoping it would explore their relationship.

What I don't really like:
- Juha. Just... I can't relate to him and why he needs to be that mean to Taeyi, Seheon, and Doyoon. Especially Doyoon cause like you can see how smitten Doyoon to Juha ever since their first eye contact. But after a thing that happened in the locker room, I started to be like, "OK, at least you're showing a bit of development!"
- Not that I don't really like but... it's too surprising how Taeyi and Seheon's relationship dynamics changed. Like, the day before, Taeyi was REALLY mean to Seheon, but the next day he's really mellow and suddenly being a simp??? I guess he actually liked Seheon a lot but he's afraid of something. Like his own feelings, maybe? Since after a tragedy, he's pretty much stuck in the past and his feelings for Seheon was something entirely new.
- I also don't really like Juhee in the first two episodes of the drama. But my impression changed afterwards, especially after the karaoke event. Hopefully Juhee can find a better man :)

I want to end it by saying good job everyone who's involved in this production! Thank you for bringing out a story that I enjoy a lot. Especially Hangyeom, good job on your acting debut!!!

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The best short drama there is

For a short drama, this was amazing. I was impressed with the story, the production value, the OST…everything.

One issue that has plagued a lot of cdramas is draggy pacing — it’s hard to manage when a show has 40 or even 50 episodes. Being so short absolutely worked in Provoke’s favor. Not a single minute was wasted, and it felt like the show trusted its audience enough to pick up on the story fast. It was simply really convincing.

The actors should also get their flowers for this. This chemistry between the main leads is very good throughout every single step of their relationship. The tension, relief, playful banter — it was all there. I really enjoyed seeing their dynamic develop, and the show really hit the sweet spot between making them stubborn and strong individuals and still having them communicate and respect each other.

The humor is really clever and well-timed, and the side characters all played their roles too. Ultimately this was great. It’s probably my new favorite short drama out there.

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"A mother's worries are never over."

"Oshin" is the sixth asadora that I've watched. Like "Ohisama" and "Hanako to Anne," it has been on my radar for a long time. It's considered a classic after all. But, like most people, I thought the 297 episode count was daunting. However, after I decided to go all in with asadora dramas, I knew I wanted to watch "Oshin" early on in this journey. How I approached "Oshin" was that I watched in sets of 2 to 3 weeks at time and then switched to watching "Ohisama" for 2 to 3 weeks. I obviously finished "Ohisama" first with this method. I think this helped "Oshin" feel less daunting at times and helped keep my interest up, instead of giving me burn-out.

The structure of "Oshin"'s story is similar to "Ohisama," being presented as older Oshin (Nobuko Otowa) telling her life story to her grandson Kei (Goro Ohashi). There is an extra layer of mystery as we as an audience are unaware of why she has suddenly left home for her nostalgia trip. The reason is not actually revealed until the final two weeks of episodes.

The first few weeks of "Oshin" covers Oshin's tough childhood during the Meiji period. She is played by an unforgettable young actress Ayako Kobayashi. Many of the lessons she learns during her childhood will be brought up continuously throughout the rest to the drama. Personally, these episodes are kind-of hard to watch. Oshin is the daughter of a sharecropper and sent out to work at only seven-years-old. After several bumps in the road, she finds employment at Kaga-ya. Here we finally meet some supportive adults and Oshin makes a lifelong friend in Kayo (Terumi Azuma). The story then skips to when Oshin (now played by Yuko Tanaka) is sixteen and meets her first love Kota (Tsunehiko Watase), an advocate for the farm labor movement who is constantly hounded by the police. These are the three most important characters of the story.

It will take too long to summarize the rest of the story so I'll just talk about some of the characters. Oshin's husband, Ryuzo (Shiro Namiki), is one of the most frustrating characters I've encountered in fiction. But this series has a lot of similarly frustrating characters: Oshin's father, her son Hitoshi, her mother-in-law Kiyo, her daughter-in-law Michiko, her brother Shoji, and her sister-in-law Tora. The writer, however, does something really interesting with all of these characters. She makes you dislike them so much that you're just wishing that they worse will befall them, but then she'll find a way for you to sympathize with them. These characters also make it easy to appreciate the nice people like the people of Kaga-ya, Oshin's hairdressing teacher, the yakuza member Ken, Ryuzo's servant Geneimon, and Kota's aunt Hisa. I love all of these people.

A little less than half-way through the drama, Oshin was at her in-laws in Saga. This storyline went on for a long time and is hands down the hardest part to get through. I took several breaks during this time and I recommend doing the same. This part sets a lot of context for when Oshin herself becomes a mother-in-law and adds a great bit of irony.

The latter half of the drama (when Oshin is played by Nobuko Otowa) is probably my favorite. I was finally able to relax and just watch Oshin set up her supermarket business. Her son Hitoshi was admittedly annoying, but he's surprisingly layered as a character. Her other children were great for the most part. I will say that the constant changing of actors as these characters aged was a bit confusing. They should've stuck with the old age make-up and grey hair. Kota's actor is never changed by the way; he just gets a mustache that turns greyer with time lol.

I had a great time watching this, even with all of the hard-to-watch parts. Asadora dramas are a truly a unique viewing experience. I've never quite felt like I knew characters so well. The story starts when Oshin is seven and then ends when she is 83 with very few time skips. An amazing epic drama. I see why it's considered a classic, especially within the context of the 1980s. For modern viewers, I encourage to exercise caution unless you're interested in different cultures and time periods. This is not like asadora dramas of today and may have a lot of things you don't like. Compared to something like "Hanako to Anne" (same time period), "Oshin" is a harsh watch.

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