Reviews

Finding yourself through another person’s eyes.

Shorter Chinese dramas are becoming a stable. Also, some of these shorter dramas give new comers, who are not yet proven, a chance to act in dramas before they are called up to the Epic Dramas. What makes the Chinese Drama ‘When You Be Me’ a special gem is the writing. The writing of Pei Li and Hua Qian Ci nail this double body swap of a girl transferred to a male body and a boy transferred to a female body and the learning experiences they get because of it (This writing team also wrote A League of Nobleman). How do men relate to women? How do women relate to men? What are their differences? The drama When You Be Me has unpredictable outcomes that should keep you engaged, unpredictable to the very end. Unlike some Chinese dramas where the writers lose their way towards the end of the drama, this storyline is consistent and has logical order all the way through. Explore unique possibilities in this new Chinese double body swap drama ‘When You Be Me’.

There are so many little things that are great about When You Be Me, besides the two leads (Zhou Yi Ran as Mu Xiang Xiang and Kido Ma as Qiao Nan). It depicts teens in leadership roles, camaraderie among peers, bullying, good parental guidance, good and bad family dynamics, a slew of talking points that will keep your mind occupied for days. You can tell that these young inexperienced actors had a great director (Chen Chang) with great ideas on how to interpret their characters. The writing was believable and inventive, but so in tune with the possibilities of an actual body swap. Both young actors locked in on their character and neither one abandoned it during the body swap scenes, which added to believability and escapism. The male and female characters are polar opposites. Qiao Nan is a brash athletic spoiled second generation rich Plutocrat (Chaebol) boy and Mu Xiang Xiang is a top student who is a timid and introverted girl, and comes from a poor family. This swap makes for hilarious antics, nonetheless.

Ladies, what would be one of the first things you would give into, if you inherited a male body with little fat? I could have just died with laughter when the first thing the girl in the boy’s body did was to go buy a really expensive fancy decadent desert and eat the whole thing, not having to worry about calories. Men are so fortunate to burn calories so quickly. Even as funny was that the boy (in the girl’s body) learns how to use emotional guilt, utilizing the emotional cry to get his way. Nothing beats a try, but a cry.

When You Be Me is a great fantasy body swap drama to add to your binge-watch list.

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Sometimes a remake drama can reach new heights.

Sometimes dramas and their remakes are just different and not better or worse. I am a supper fan of Yoo Seung Ho and Chae Soo Bin who starred in the original Korean Drama RomCom ‘I Am Not A Robot’. This RomCom had lots of laughter and comedic moments and was well acted by these two leads. The Chinese remake of this drama (with Connor Leong from Meteor Garden and Sun Qian from Take My Brother Away) was very faithful to the material, but had significant plot changes to the storyline with certain characters, however. This did not take away from the story, but some choices actually made more sense. In addition, while I Am Not A Robot played more to the comedic side of the story, Robot In The Orange Orchard played more to the SyFy Fantasy of this story.

Connor Leong and Sun Qian vs Chae Soo Bin and Yoo Seung Ho

The story is about a boy (Lu Sen) who is allergic to humans (haphenphobia), an allergy brought on in part by the death of his parents at a very young age. This caused this second generation Monopoly Capitalist (Chaebol) to live in seclusion for 15 years, from the time he was 10 years old, even cooking his own meals. This meant that he had little to no contact with the outside world. Now a genius with an IQ of 159 and lots of money to burn, Lu Sen buys into an AI company which makes realistic looking Robots that he wants to test as a live-in. When test day comes, the robot breaks and the makers of the robot asks the life model of the robot to substitute in for a time as a Robot, until the real robot is fixed.

You have to buy into the fantasy fact that this isolated child-like man would not be able to tell the difference between a robot and a human and here is where for me Connor Leong shined the most. His performance was truly sincere as someone so lonely and disassociated from the world that he does not know a robot from a real human. I cried way more with ‘Robot In The Orange Orchard’ than I did with ‘I Am Not A Robot’. I do think that Chae Soo Bin was a better robot/human than Sun Qian as Yang Shan Shan, but Sun Qian did a good job with the rest of the script.

I would say to put both of these dramas on your ‘To Watch’ List and maybe do a back to back binge and let me know what you thought.

NOTES
I am a fan of the original Korean actor Yoo Seung Ho, and extremely prejudiced.

Chinese

He did a masterful job in handling this character. It looked like he didn’t even watch the original. His own take is evident in the way he approach the character in his own original way.

Orange Orchard was way more sentimental and touching, bringing me to tears often.

Connor Leong gave a very sincere performance. His approach to the character made me more readily accept that he believed she was a robot, but that he was falling in love.

Tweaks to the storylines were realistic and natural. Not prone towards comedy.

She was not a convincing robot, but was stellar in the back half when she was not pretending to be a robot.

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Chinese drama version of My Love From The Stars/Legend of the Blue Sea and supersized.

Moonshine and Valentine or another name is The Love Knot: His Excellency’s First Love

I am having a Chinese blast with Moonshine and Valentine (2018 and PG13), which is a modern fantasy love story with story arcs rooted in the historic past. If the Korean Dramas My Love From The Stars (MLFTS) and Legend From The Blue Sea (LOTBS) had a baby drama together, it would be this fusion Chinese drama. I am surprised at how the storyline so perfectly incorporates the premises of both Korean Dramas. However, Moonshine and Valentine creates a fantasy world which exists alongside the world of humans. You quickly will buy into this world within a world. Throw in a perfect drama music score, then lean to the side and accept this ride.

This is a story about aliens from Another Star Far Far Away, escaping the eminent explosion of their world by settling on earth, which is a sister-like planet. These sentient beings are part of the Fox Clan of beings with higher powers. While being dissimilar to earthlings, these Shape-shifters have learned to mesh into the world of humans and live among them, being unnoticed for millennia (like My Love From The Stars). The second in charge of the Fox Clan on earth is 900 years old and is now an antique dealer in present times. He is He Lan Jing Ting (Johnny Huang). Because of he physical nature, He Lan Jing Ting is blind during the daylight hours, but has super senses at nighttime (Hemeralopia), when he can live less restricted. He Lan Jing Ting has had but one love throughout the millennia (Legend of the Blue Sea). She reoccurs through time and is at present a reporter Guan PiPi (Victoria Song). Guan PiPi has been assigned to cover He Lan Jing Ting for a story, not knowing their past historic romantic connections. As in both Korean Dramas MLFTS and LOTBS, the past historic storyline is served up in delicately and precisely introduced flashbacks. After actor introduction, the flashbacks mostly are introduced at the start of each new episode and will be pertinent to the new episode to follow. I loved how this was done.

Similar to the Korean Drama Arthdal Chronicles, this fantasy world created in the Chinese drama Moonshine and Valentine/The Love Knot: His Excellency’s First Love is totally inventive, highly imagined, and well written and acted. At 25 episodes of 45 minutes each, the time commitment is only 19 hours to binge. The story does detour a bit towards the end, but tries to get back on track by the end.

Moonshine and Valentine/The Love Knot: His Excellency’s First Love stars Chinese Actress Victoria Song as the Female Lead, an actress whom I have noted in the past as having the acting aurora of the Korean actress Jun Ji Hyun from both Korean dramas MLFTS and LOTBS. Therefore, it is fitting that Victoria Song gets the part of the Female Lead in this Chinese Drama. Also, staring as Male Lead is Chinese Drama heartthrob Johnny Huang, and I must say, in all his glory.

The chemistry created between the two leads can only be termed magnetically sensual. Throw in some rocking minions, brothers who are the total opposites. One (Li Jun Xian/Shen as Xiu Xian) has tried to keep up with the changing trends through time and is a loosey goosey rocker. The other is a sophisticated but antiquated ‘stick in the mud’ (Li Jia Ming Leo as Kuan Yong), stuck in the classical past eras. It will be your privilege to try to imagine for which one you would fall first. Of course, there is the usual handsome Second Lead and boyfriend (Xu Kai Cheng as Tao Jialin) to stand in the way of love and the handsome villain (Jiang Qi Lin as Zhao Song [Left High Priest]) to stir up things. For The Ladies: there is lots of eye candy, the whole cast deep. I am going to be shallow here. A lot of times I forgot to read the subtitles, because of gazing, and had to rewind.

Chinese Dramas are known for their second couples. You should enjoy these two Fox Clan supermodel brothers competing for this human chick (Liu Yongxi). Although Liu Yongxi had a difficult choice between brothers in this drama, apparently “stick in the mud” stood out in real life. They are now engaged to be married.

Disclosure: Some of the alien habits of some Fox Clan group members might be disturbing to some.

In addition, Fox Clan might become a phrase synonymous with the word gorgeous .

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Managing Work and Home

Doctor Cha did not pass my 15 minute “love it or leave” test. However, this barometer does not account for dramas which have necessary set up time and/or are slow burns. Nonetheless, there was enough there to keep going with this drama. There was her husband who was a true piece of work and her mother-in-law, whose chippy son honestly fell close to tree. I found by the end of episode 1 that Doctor Cha was an undiscovered gem. Also what helped me to stick with this drama was the fact that although episode 1 only got 5 % viewership nationwide in Korea (10 % is considered a hit drama), Doctor Cha tapped out in episode 16 with a 19 % viewership in Korea. This would make it a mega hit. To be noted, Doctor Cha is one of the most melodramatic melodramas with over the top performances by most of the cast. With touches of dark humor, there is enough to entertain all in this Medical; Comedy Family drama.

Women, we all know Doctor Cha. She is that woman who unselfishly sacrifices her career and life to stay at home with the kids and slave for a thankless mother-in-law and a two-timing husband. Well, after a near death experience, now she realizes that the kids are grown and nothing is stopping her from realizing her dreams. You go girl! Fighting! I invite all to cheer on Doctor Cha, as she learns how to be empowered. It is a go for me.

Quote from Doctor Cha

Mistress of two-timing husband, upon hearing the his wife was in the emergency room with acute liver problems, which is about to cancel their secret get-a-way, “If you are that worried then just go to the hospital”.

Two-timing husband, “It’s not like she is a kid. I have a sense of decency, you know. How could I just leave you here and go (to her)?”

Actors Corner

Uhm Jung-hwa as Doctor Cha Jeong-suk—One of the founding K-pop Artist, she has been an Actress since 1990, appeared in Our Blues. Uhm Jung-hwa is a nine time Baeksang Arts Awards (plus Grand Bell) winner. She would be our Meryl Streep.

Kim Byung-chul as Doctor Seo In-ho (Baeksang Arts Award Winner for Best Supporting Actor for Skycastle)

Min Woo-hyuk as Doctor Roy Kim is a Singer, Actor, and Model (If You Wish Upon Me).

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Try again!

Practically, this drama is just a shirtless men expedition. It featured one of the most deplorable writing efforts and attempts to be edgy and hip with the times (2010). The drama had absolutely nothing to offer other than Jang Hyuk presence. They made Jang Hyuk as an edgy cringey whiny kid full of stupid one-liners and little to no real characterization put into him. This is a prime example for how to NOT write a broken and traumatized character. The drama had no real fights, just a handful of flashy dances in slow-mo with little to no weight to their strikes coupled with unfitting soundtrack for the fight or the moment. To reach the 24 episodes mark they had to stretch it thin, literally, with a lot of repeated scenes, extremely elongated stares and gazes, irrelevant dialogue and random slow-mo shots which all resulted in a poor utilization of the cinematography.

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an unexpected favorite, with an all-time dear character.

disclaimer: if you didn't like season 1, you won't like this season either.
admittedly a show with a lot of flaws. kinda hated it at first. but i grew to like it after a rewatch. now it's become something i'll watch again many times probably. there's just so many favorite moments in it. & i loved the setting right from the start. the weather, the seaside town, the food, the laundromat.. . it's all very refreshing.

honestly, in my opinion, minato wasn't well acted out. i could go as far as to say i really understand the character. and i don't even dislike the actor in particular. but idk, takuya probably just wasn't meant for this character. his acting didn't fit my understanding of minato. (and if i wanted to understand the character based on the acting, minato would turn out to be too annoying of a person for me to like.)
nevertheless, the most frustrating point of this drama is indeed minato, i guess anyone watching can agree on that. and if you can accept him as he is, everything else makes sense, and it turns into a beautiful, albeit comical, cute little love story.

anyways, anyways,, right from the beginning, i loved shin and how the actor portrayed this character. the acting is beyond perfection. it's so on point, i just love every inch of his presence on screen. hell, i actually want to watch more of this pair, like, a season 3, despite the fact that i don't think takuya fits his character. sho literally carried the whole series for me. and made the pair work somehow, i don't mind getting frustrated by minato ten times more if that means i get to watch shin doing what he does. :'D
shin's sister is super cute.
and i also find asuka adorable. tomoya deserves his own show, :-D. in fact, it'd be super fun if he was paired up with sho sometime.. haha.
everyone & everything else is so so. / i don't really care.

p.s. i loved the selective amnesia trope. unlike the popular opinion, i really think it was important to the story, not just to stir up drama.. it showed a whole different side of shin, i fell in love with him all over again. in fact, without it, this season wouldn't progress much.. i just wish it was a longer phase! haha
(ugh, bro i don't care if that made minato suffer a bit. he deserved it for letting shin go through all the frustration all through the series. not to mention, it helped minato take braver steps & realize sht.)

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Watched in Iqiyi

Review is after second attempt to watch. My First attempt: 15 minutes through episode one and I was going to add this to my dropped list however, I read other viewer review first, and it convinced me to give it a second try.

This could have been a good one but.....
The director and film editor obviously didn't give their heart to this project. It reflects no care at all and that they did the bare minimum and collected their paycheck. The editing is horrible. Cut scenes were so obvious, and theres instances of camera not being focused or angled right. Theres scenes that were included that didn't make sense. Cheesy lines caused me to fast forward a lot. Awkward scenes are also included. And come on.... a threesome out of nowhere of people who works closely together???? I truly didnt see the necessity to add this to the story. Piano BGM was used too much in this series that it was hard to focus when hearing same BGM for almost every kind of scene. Wardrobe is off in some scenes and seemed like revolved within just 5 sets of outfits (I may have overcounted).
Ton Saran Anantasetthakul needs to take more acting class. Casting could have been done better; hardly any chemistry within the entire production casts.
This can be a construed as a mean review however this is my honest take for this series. I feel regretful because to me it is a good simple story that could have turned good if directed and edited better. As many negative things I noticed, I didn't drop watching it after my second attempt of watching because it has an "it" factor that kept me in my seat after I finished episode 1.
So give it a try, pass episode 1 and see if you wont finish it. I don't think it is enough for rewatch value tho.

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Almost identical to the Spanish movie The Invisible Guest

Ok.... the movie is highly "inspired" by the Spanish movie The Invisible Guest(2016) which was very popular in China, the plot twist is almost identical. I'm very disappointed as I was expecting something different from this Chinese movie. Acting wise...IMO except for the main male actor the rest felt awkward and unnatural, this is the feeling I usually get from many Chinese actors, maybe their acting is different. Please make sure to watch the Spanish movie before watching this one, even better don't watch it at all. Is this a remake? Hope so, because I personally hate copycat movies.

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The acting performance by the lead actress...
Yasuko matsuyuki in this drama takes her persona with her from case to case . As Professor Amano she makes use of her own personality in playing the role instead of learning about the character she is playing. As a result, her name alone can tell the viewers what to expect from a drama with Yasuko in the lead role.. since she rarely stray from her usual roles. She is known to be versatile but she personally takes on roles which are eccentric and in a position of power like a boss, top Doctor or a Police Chief and in this case a genius Professor..
She is excellent in inhibiting these kind of characters, who seemingly have no flaws and best at what they do and the role of Professor Amano is no exception..

Story..
Accidents or mishaps happen every day and all the time . Some are unnoticeable and some draws international attention , but they are not all unavoidable. some accidents are treated as negligence, while some others get charged with staging a crime as an accident or sometimes even mother nature has a role to play..
The drama primarily focus on the professor who helps anyone who ask for her help to get an understanding of what exactly happened that led to such tragedies, the very nature of the accident or if it was even an accident.. Whatever the reason even if it seems impossible or supernatural, the Professor will find the truth along with the prove..

This is a new kind of mystery drama that describes the cause rather than the effects and the misfortunes that's comes with them for the people involved..the drama emphasis the fact that science has revolutionised modern life, made criminals obsolete and can explain the chain of events that are cause of mysterious accidents and how to avoid them..
I think mystery fans and science geeks will love it..

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"Dance, even if you trip!“

One Day Off aka Park Ha Kyung-travel diary. She’s a teacher at a high school who spend her Saturdays off doing one day trips.

Sunsets, bakeries, and butterflies led Ha Kyung to some of life's small adventure. She walks around, eats, and meets various people. She realizes she receives comfort and empathy through her travels. Each trip felt realistic and strangely therapeutic, highlighting Ha Kyung’s blunt and quirky personality. I like how lighthearted her story is – being a normal person in normal circumstances, taking a break from the busy and overstimulated world.

This short drama feeds me a lot of interesting food for thoughts in a light and heartwarming manner. Each episode is dedicated to different themes, such as reflecting on our past goals and dreams, the role of a teacher, adults' involvement in setting examples for kids, future insights, and appreciating artworks. I think everyone will have their own relatable part of what’s presented in each episode. Although it is only 24’ per episode, it provokes my thoughts for hours.

The cinematography was stellar and it’s consistent throughout all episodes. This is one of the dramas that is more feels and aesthetics than plot. Good casting all around. The soundtrack as sweet and simple, making me want to take days off and take a moment to just relax and go on a daytrip.

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Refreshing, nostalgic & lively!

A young woman moves to her hometown in the countryside to heal her emotional wounds with the help of her childhood friends, nature and food…

This movie captures a realistic countryside life; it’s simple, refreshing, aesthetically pleasing, and particularly nostalgic for me, since I was living alone for a few years in a countryside during my study, before moving to a capital city for work. Watching Little Forest brings me back to those idyllic days, when I feel my absolute best in my favorite habitat. I relate with Kim Tae Ri’s character, living a seasonal life in a simple place.

Aside from my personal attachment, I truly recommend this to all. The leads characters are all inspiring, their moments are never mundane… just the right amount of friendship spice. No angst, no cringe, no tears. Seeing Ryu Joon Yeol here remind me of Jung Hwan from Reply 1988 and I can’t be more grateful J. I love that the director put focus on seasonal appreciation and friendship besides romance, unlike the usual stereotype movie tropes.

Also, you'll be mesmerized by the food shots, so maybe grab something to eat while watching! The cooking scenes were shot with care, they will sooth your souls like an ASMR aesthetics. The thing that I was anticipating is something more intense beyond cooking or gardening. But then, it makes up a great "feel good" bedtime story, feel free to just simply watch and love it!

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One of the better mini dramas out there

Sometimes it is a hit or miss on these mini dramas. This one was a hit for me. It did not hurt that the ML was definitely eye candy and boy can he kiss! lol that said… overall it was well done both in storyline and acting.

Storyline - I honestly thought it was perfectly done. Might have could used a bit of work but overall it is one of the best mini dramas. It had drama, a bit of mystery, intrigue, and best of all… romance! I wanted to jump to the end to find out what happens with the Leads but the story kept me grounded to complete it all. I like that. Most dramas I skip parts/episodes because they have a lot of filler. This one not so much.

I liked the way the two “sisters” ended on a good note. The adopted sister was not really bad just miss guided. I like that the ML did not really give up on the FL and she had brains enough to figure out he was not really as bad of a guy as she thought he was at first. Their encounters were funny at times and melted your heart at others. Great storyline. Was a bit different and unique in some ways.

Acting/Cast - I really liked the ML’s. They had good chemistry and made their parts theirs. They did a great job. Like I said before, the ML was not bad to watch lol. But I liked his acting the most. He did a good job. Hope to see him in more dramas.

Rewatch - Yes! I will put this on my top faves! It is a good mini!

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Not a university BL, but...

So, I stayed away from this so I could binge watch it, and I'm not sure that it was actually a wise choice. I've just started on episode 3 and I'm finding it a hard slog. First of all, I don't think that a 13+ rating is correct. The one initial scenes with the doctor is not something I'd recommend for children, and I'm guessing there will be other similar scenes down the track. At the very least it should be 18+.
I thought the concept was different, but did they really have to make the lakorn they're shooting so cringey? I thought that the behind the scenes shots, where Aschi accidentally hit Title, would have made a more interesting concept - shooting a lakorn about producing a popular TV series.
I like the Thai songs, but I have to admit that I really do not like the use of English songs, which seems to be popular these days.
There are so many actors that I really like in the show - JaFirst, Bosston, Ben, Lee Long Shi, and the very talented Jo, and luckily, I know they can act because of their previous series. One actor I can't seem to like very much, is Kokliang, and I'm sure I'm doing him a disservice, but it's all because of his, in my opinion, miscast role as Tar in TharnType. I really dislike when series recast characters, and I just wasn't able to get my head around his version of Tar. I shouldn't let it affect anything he's been in since, but every time I see him, I can only think of him as Tar. Yes, Ben was a recast Phana too, and whilst he didn't fit the character either, I found his acting decent enough to keep me interested, as long as I could 'forget' the original series. Lee Long Shi was also a recast character, and whilst I don't want to delve into the whole Unforgotten Night.Love Syndrome III debate again, he's another actor who was interesting enough to make me forget that LS III was a recast sequel.
The opening scenes where the younger brother is defiling Punn's personal 'collectibles', and being downright annoying is just plain ridiculous. I know he's Punn's younger brother, but he's obviously not a little child either. But then Punn wakes up... To have one childlike adult son seems unfortunate, but two, makes me question their genes.
I really didn't like the scenes between the constantly bickering managers, which were not only extremely annoying, but also terribly boring. I might have liked Noon's character better if her 'offscreen' character had been even slightly more redeeming than her 'onscreen' character in the lakorn. It reminded me of her OTT portrayal of the titular character in Rose In Da House.
That brings me to JaFirst... It's such a shame that their swansong as an onscreen couple should be in such an unfortunate series. I haven't read the novel, but I'm assuming from the title, that Punn is supposed to be a cute, dopey, bouncy and fun character, much like your typical puppy. Unfortunately, what we've ended up with, is a 3rd year university student, who acts more like a kindergartner most of the time. It's not cute, nor remotely appealing, yet we're expected to believe that this is normal behaviour for a man in his early twenties. If Ja is playing the character as he is written in the novel, then the fact that he's so annoying, is testament to his acting skills, but I still don't like him.
I really wanted this last onscreen pairing of Ja and First to be as good as Don't Say No, but I'm sad to say it isn't. As I said, I'm just about to start episode 3, so there is hope for improvement, but I seriously doubt it. I really wanted to be immersed in JaFirst's story, but I much prefer Dr Ming's story, and he's hardly had any scenes. I know these guys can all act, and I've always believed that what we end up seeing is down to the company/scriptwriter/director and/or acting coach's interpretation. The actors can only do what they're told to do, and work with the script they're given, so I tend to give a lot of leeway to them, especially if they've not had a lot of experience. It's such a shame, because this had the potential to be a memorable series. It is, but for all the wrong reasons.
No one should judge a production by the reviews of others, so I'll always recommend that viewers form their own opinions. I would have missed some of my favourite series if I'd simply listened to other people's reviews, including Love Sick and Secret Crush On You. SCOY also has a childlike and possessive main couple, but there was a lot more to keep me distracted. I also will always watch the whole series, unless it's really bad and that's only happened once - I'm currently struggling to get past ep 5 of Tin Tem Jai, which is another series with 2 characters who despite being men, act like 2 year wolds when they're within shouting distance of each other, but the reason I doubt I'll finish that series, is because the main couple is so totally mismatched and has absolutely no chemistry whatsoever. Though I watched until the end, I struggled to get through Check Out. Even the fairly explicit sex scene in the final episode couldn't save this one, which had such a promising start with episode 0. Apparently, according to Best, his character Daonuea was supposed to be autistic, but that was never conveyed. Knowing that afterwards, still didn't change my opinion of the show. I also struggled through Dinosaur Love, (where all I could think about is that this is how Saifah, Payu's twin, should have looked, instead of being like some random uncle off the street), and Future The Series - again mismatched main couples, with immature and possessive characters. Is this the current trend in BLs now ? If it is, despite so many BLs to choose from, I feel that there will be so many I will be choosing not to watch. After almost 10 years of watching Thai BLs, I'm totally over the cutesy content, and I want something more mature, and I'm not talking explicit...
If you find Ja's character cute and entertaining, then this series is for you.
I probably will re-watch it at some point, but I suspect that I'll be doing a lot of scene skipping, unless someone out there decides to make an edit of the best scenes, then I'll happily make do with that.

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