Reviews

A breath of fresh air

So this drama is amazing.

Acting:
On point!

Music:
Decent

Storyline:
Rollercoaster and engaging. It's not entirely predictable because you can't guess what skme character may or may not do and what side they are on - which is why I call this a breath of fresh air and also its the first time I watched Esther take on a serious role and she nailed it.

Chemistry:
I'll be honest. I started the first episode without any expectations and a few episodes in, boom the second leads chemistry was burning. its an extremely slow burn for them. I wasn't really watching it for the main leads - just the story tbh.

This is quite rare.... I actually liked all the actors involved in the drama as they did superb acting especially the little kid Young Master Xue was it?

I would love a season 2 for this because I feel this can't be the end and pretty much all of the characters need a proper closure and a lot of us have many unanswered questions of what ifs.

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Trillion Game is a hidden gem

"Trillion Game," a delightful Japanese drama, promises to deliver the perfect dose of laughter. Stumbling upon this hidden gem was an unexpected delight and undoubtedly one of the highlights of my September. If you're anything like me, someone who often finds themselves numb to typical dramas and only has limited free time, then this drama is a must-watch. It's a captivating series that can be enjoyed from start to finish.

While "Trillion Game" isn't without a few minor hiccups in its storyline and editing, I can wholeheartedly assure you that investing 10 hours of your life in this series is a decision you won't regret. Meguro Ren effortlessly captures the charisma and poise of Haru, while Sano Hayato perfectly embodies the timid yet brilliantly Gaku.

The show's female characters each possess their unique brand of beauty and charm, with Torinrin and Kirika-hime standing out as my favorites. "Trillion Game" not only offers a refreshing escape from the mundane but also introduces a cast of characters that will stay with you long after the final credits roll.

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Your mind is sick now. You have more choices than you can choose from.

Himizu imo is mostly about nihilism, trauma, and persecutory delusion.
Sumida's distorted outlook on the world perceives an overflow of disastrous consequences if everyone's dreams were to be realized in this small world, that it's okay to not be special, that he shouldn't change the status quo himself and live as if he had never been born; a 'temporary' life.
His familiar trauma through his mother's abandonment and mental illness gives birth to a relentless, stalking monster that grasps at his own mortality, eventually leading him into patricide, vigilantism, self-destruction.

Within this small, monotonous, and confining world, those around him adopt a different mentality. They possess aspirations and the determination to pursue them. Among them is Keiko, a girl in his class, who ardently attempts to shake Sumida from his perilous mindset. Gradually, a transformation ensues as he begins to find purpose in his life - the aspiration to do what is right, for once. Yet, the definition of "right" becomes a complex question. Who holds the moral high ground? Who gets to dictate such judgments?
Sumida's belief in purging the "bad guys" around him stems from his conviction that it will liberate him from his sins and trauma. Obsessed with achieving freedom and reclaiming the image of a virtuous individual, he embarks on extreme measures, driven by a lifetime of self-perceived insignificance.

What I love most about this film is that it ends on a hopeful note rather than its manga counterpart.
However, I will say that despite Sono's captivating directing & the immersive ost, the manga by Minoru Furuya captures this story's themes way better.

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A Spy's Emotional Odyssey

"The Journey to You" combines intense intrigue with a deeply emotional journey. Yun Wei Shan's character breaks the mold of the traditional spy, blending vulnerability with cunning, making her journey inside the Gong residence both thrilling and moving. The house itself is almost a character on its own, shrouded in mystery and constantly challenging Yun Wei Shan's wits.
Her evolving relationship with Gong Zi Yu stands out. Their dynamics are compelling to watch. The series manages to beautifully blend romance, friendship, and personal growth against a backdrop of danger and intrigue. Some subplots may occasionally meander, but overall, the storyline remains tight and captivating.
The cinematography deserves commendation, capturing both the grandeur and the lurking threats within the Gong residence. While some characters could benefit from deeper development, the lead duo offers a strong and engaging performance. The OST is fitting, even if not particularly memorable.
For those seeking a blend of romance, action, and self-discovery, "The Journey to You" is a commendable pick.

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An abomination of an adaptation.

The following review has spoilers on both the manga and both seasons of the JDrama:

As expected, there is the same cringe-awful acting. However, not without high production quality, great set designs, and even clearly articulated game rules.
In Season 1 they actually expanded on the source material and gave the bone some more meat.
In Season 2 they fucked up with the two best games in the entire series 💀💀

King of Clubs
Niragi becomes even more one-dimensional than he is in the manga. Instead of being the MVP of the game, his original 1st phase plan is changed to Arisu's plan instead. Despite his demeanor, his specialty is actually diamonds (intelligence). Here, he's just some dumbass rapist overstaying his welcome. The whole reason why he and Chishiya battled in the beach game is because they're meant to be parallels to each other, but here it's like comparing Einstein to Andrew Tate. Even his conflict against Arisu & assault on Usagi is dumbed down with little to no impact.
Kuina on other hand got it even worse, her opponent clowned on her completely. This is meant to be her peak in the entire series and she gets jack shit. Instead of being beat the fuck up, she gets a simple tackle. Instead of doing a hardcore counter kick where both her and her opponent take each other out for a distraction - she just easily gets swatted away. She is even presented as the one who failed to end the game early and thus eventually leading to Usagi's scuffle and Tatta having to sacrifice himself instead. Heck, instead of being the one to declare that she'll do anything she can to get the final 2500 point item, that speech is passed onto Usagi instead. She doesn't help at all and just waits pathetically for death. Character over lmfao. Epic trans rep Netflix!
Additionally, Arisu's final thank you speech falls flat and he doesn't even make up with Usagi in this game (he just hangs her up to dry until things boil over). Furthermore, the final 10 minutes were literally animanga logic timing, entire important events happening in the span of a single minute. You as a viewer can see the timer at the bottom and these characters have entire 5 minute dialogues and apparently only 2 minutes have passed.

Jack of Hearts
They condensed so fucking much lmfao. Half the characters are just disposable nobodies. Buildup & insight for Banda and Yaba are non-existent. Chishiya is for some reason incorporated into this game when he isn't in here in the manga (which tbh is welcomed as his actor is amazing). But it still feels like he's hamfisted in there because he's a fan favorite. The tough guy at the beginning is a 0-dimensional meathead and his victim doesn't get any agency in the slightest, the intimidation & conflict was even worse than your stereotypical animanga comically evil class of school kids. All the well-crafted backstabbing is dumbed down. Even the Jack himself gets character assassinated with little to no substance. But by far the most egregious is the "equality" speech from Yaba being cut almost entirely, thus falling flat on its face and ruining the keikakudoori moment.

Episode 7 Compilation of off-screened games:
- King of Hearts - ppl are for some reason running around in a tight maze away from unknown creature (lame as shit for a hearts game wtf)
- Queen of Clubs - orb throwing game on a tight platform (how is this any shape or form a team game, 90% of it is physical fitness AGAINST other groups of people.
- Jack of Clubs - a bunch of people climbing numerous amounts of rope (once again, what the fuck does this have to do with teamwork, 90% of this is physical and it even shows us ppl kicking each other off)
- Jack of Diamonds - unremarkable Mahjong game with Chishiya OMITTED
- Jack of Spades - martial arts battle royale with Kuina iirc...yeah that's it
- Queen of Spades - 2 team tag game in a massive parkour arena, barebones writing and minimal substance aside from set design. Only exists to give Arisu & Usagi another game together.
- Queen of Diamonds - Unclear; only the aftermath is shown where a huge number of injured people are seen running out of a car park.

Remaining 4 episodes of season 2:
- Camera guy motivation cheapened and insight into dealers erased
- Doudou does not exist - good choice.
- Heiya's incredible backstory is a lot less substantial, visceral, and cathartic.
For some reason ended up powering through half a magazine close-range m16 rounds for several hours while crawling across cement and rubble instead...ok.
- Chishiya is not present in Jack of Diamonds
- Yuji Mahiru's story is assimilated entirely into Ann but any of that profoundness and nuance is lost to some random ass pretentious landscape shots of some mountains. Actual nothingburger of a character, both in manga and adaptation.
- King of Diamonds: They made the loan shark woman a complete dumbass for some reason, why did they characterize her like it's her first game or something. Aside from her college-level math skills - why in the fuck would this person join the king of intelligence game? And her fun little segment with Chishiya where they help each other is completely removed as well. We just completely off-screen how Chishiya won 2 rounds because they made her a dumbass. Also lmao, Chishiya omitted the 69 comment.
- Kuzuryu's character is also a lot less nuanced with both his and Chishiya's motivations, backstories, and character introspection made ambiguous and up to your interpretation.
This wasn't the producers expecting their fans to have reading comprehension skills in order to come to their own conclusions, this was them making it broad and muted so that it would sound philosophical & deep and the fans would just simply nod their heads to it.
- King of Spades - Wow, while they only slightly alluded to his "mercy kill/ending agony" motivation unlike in the manga where it's made blatantly clear, I actually like how he was handled here. Amazing fight choreography and an actual great culmination of character drama & climax. Mf actually soloed the entire cast and was killed off climatically by Arisu & Aguni. Good shit.
- Queen of Hearts - fucking near-perfect, so masterfully done. Actually got goosebumps even though I knew everything that was coming.

- Ending - R.I.P LMFAOOOOOO FINAL CHAPTER'S MESSAGING COMPLETELY OMITTED, THE BEST PART OF THE MANGA ERASED AND FELL TO NETFLIX CURSE ARE YOU KIDDING ME???
FUCKING "JOKER" CARD SEQUEL BAIT INSTEAD????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????

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Zero star for the depressing female lead

I watched 5 episodes in bits and pieces for 2 years - and then completed the rest quickly.
How?
By forwarding every scene with the depressing female lead who has about two sorry expressions throughout and just drags the drama and every other character down with her.

So why not just dump the drama?
Because of all the stellar supporting cast and their interesting melodramas.

The poor ML.- of course his looks are off the charts, but he is so mismatched with the FL that even his noona's have more chemistry with him.

The storyline had some intriguing scenes - all well played by all the other actors.
But sadly too much emphasis on an ill-fitting female lead made this drama disappointing.

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A complicated hookup with tiny sprinkes of bittersweets

I stopped watching this after the first hour because of the slow and pointless nature of the main couple's actions. The very slow-paced slow motion life did not touch me...

and I'm guessing we are supposed to understand the characters doing mundane stuff. Months later, I came back to the show to be tortured some more. The second couple was less complicated and had hints of hope and something resembling romance. The main couple just sat there being dramatic and well, complicated. The main couple's pointless actions eventually grew on me as the back story was revealed but I never fully understood the why. Like why are we here? And just why, why why

The acting is top-notch, and the visuals are moody and interesting. The story of a hook-up culture trying to be something more is not really a fun watch. But, it's closer to a bittersweet independent film that people force you to watch to say how life is horrible and we will all die alone. And after the torture of watching it you are supposed to be happy about your own life...I guess.

I'm being a bit dramatic, I mean, after all, I gave it a nine out of ten.

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OMG, I expected this so much... And I hated it so much !

Yeah, I know, there's a lot of praises about this drama
But sorry I can't force myself and I need to vent on
Like a lot of people, I waited for this drama for a long time and with a lot of expectations due to the amazing trailer, and the amazing casting.
But oh crap : shitty writing
The story actually started off as really nice. I liked the premices : a pretty young maid who finds an innocent young boy raised by wolves and bounds with him but they get separated by tragedy before reuniting... And that's where it went downhill. Even Li Qin and Xiao Zhan couldn't save this drama (God, I hated their dubbing so much ! it was just too obvious and made them sound like teenagers ! it felt so frustrating when i remembered after hear their real, deep voices in the trailer that sounded so much better than these weird sounds)
First of all, writers : if you want to write a good story, AVOID AT ALL COSTS TO WRITE A SECOND MALE LEAD WHO'S BY ALL MEANS BETTER THAN THE MALE LEAD ! That's my first clue : if so many viewers have a big second male lead syndrome then that's a big flaw and failure to the story as it generates insatisfaction and frustration to the viewer rooting for the second male lead (and therefore hating the male lead). Here, we have the usual male lead who finds nothing better than to hurt the female lead nonstop, insulting her, humiliating her nonstop, sometimes even pretending to be about to molest her, basically does everything he can to let her think he hates her. And for what reason ? Oh yeah : the usual "I hurt you to protect you". OH GOD, I HATE THIS TROPE SO MUCH !!! On the other hand, Ji Chong, second male lead played by Xiao Zhan who starts at the very beginning like a rogue but develops such a cute and sincere devotion for the female lead... I'm sorry, and you still expect us to root for the male lead ? Moreover, I know a lot of people will disagree with me and I apologize in advance for the fans I'm gonna offend but I think that whether in terms of acting or charm, Darren Wang is clearly not at Xiao Zhan's level (actually, I thought Darren Wang was pretty mediocre : please don't kill me)
What was even more annoying is that the lead couple kept going around in circles nonstop : there were so many misunderstanding coming between them AGAIN AND AGAIN. For like two episodes they would be the cutest couple and then suddenly for some stupid reason or misunderstanding, they would have to (pretend to) hate each other for like the next 10 episodes and then they would suddenly reconcile... before falling out again and so on and on. URGH !
Basically the reasons why I fast forwarded the story like crazy and felt the need to rewatch "Youth Begins" to wash my eyes after that
Also, I think the costumes and sets weren't great, especially the costumes... But that's no big deal, I can easily let pass that one. And so many other characters were so annoying (like that bratty princess), barely even showing a correct acting (but then again, that awful dubbing made it even harder to bear... I mean, to judge). And finally the female lead was supposed to be smart and brave... but she was actually quite stupid and weak, she often needed to be saved.
So in other words : WHAT A HUGE DECEPTION !
Now, let's go, come at me, you fans that I must have terribly offended, I'm ready to accept my punishment !

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Superb duo and superb action

Extremely brilliant storytelling and highly intense action sequences, the director who got his fame with Kingdom series surely never disappoints with this diplomat ransom storyline. The chemistry between Ha Jung Woo and Ju Ji Hoon is impeccable as their characters went through an oddball collab to rescue the kidnapping of a Korean diplomat in a war torn country. The humor within it is subtle but cleverly implemented, and the action is packed with strong impact as they've made one of the best car fight scenes ever in the Korean cinematic history. The ending is especially tear jerking, mixing with complicated diplomatic relations while stressing the importance of media freedom and democratic society, what a meaningful action movie this is.

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sad

Ok where do they find these Korean men never seen such a bunch of losers Ever, one 35 can't look any girl in the eye constant head down, women treating him a child, can't take a No im not interested from a women,35 for God sake, one man nice looking changes his love every date, tells one girl (when he talks at all) one thing next week nope got another fish oh the line, one older guy makes like the Joker assuming that role, everybody friend, No love coming his way, Hell even a Dr.cant get over being rejected over and over losing someone who really likes him.The whole group is Sad no wonder they are on this show.

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The Dong Show

Male lead was great but somewhere along the way he began to slowly be left out of most of the drama. I guess since the SML was a bad guy it was fun and interesting to write his scenes. Then after one game of chess with the father he hated he became wholesome. The parts of the drama not about him soon became all about his 50+ yo auntie who gets pregnant. Don’t expect the drama to match the description because it is nowhere near what is advertised. I will avoid these writers dramas in the future. This ended up being a hot mess of crap by episode 121. I was also forced to give at least one star on the story and rewatch because no the deserve 0.

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Better than a sleeping pill if you have insomnia

The first ten minutes of 36 Crazy Fists showcased Jackie Chan working with the actors in the movie. To be clear, despite many posters and VHS/DVD covers, he was not in the movie. He was the martial arts director and due to contractual issues was not allowed to act in it. He dodged a bullet.

Wong Tai Kwong is befriended by two Shaolin monks when they rescue him during a fight. Turns out his father had been murdered by the gang for not paying protection money. The two monks talk their sifu into training him so that he can have his revenge. Most of the time Wong does chores and only when a passing drunk fights with him does he learn any kung fu. Eventually, he has to fight two thugs from the gang in duels and finally the Big Bad at the end. That's it. There was a lot of "comedic" subterfuge thrown in but the story was thin even by kung fu standards.

Aside from Ku Feng and maybe Chiang Cheng, everyone else was about as interesting as wallpaper paste. Tony Leung Siu Hung would go on to act in Ip Man. He also became a respected martial arts director, including working on Ip Man. But this was not Ip Man. This was not even a bad Jackie Chan movie. The acting was abysmal and the story was as slow and uninteresting as the fights.

But @Butterfly this was a movie with Jackie Chan as the martial arts director so the fights must have been great-right? Wrong. The fights were s-l-o-w. It was either kung fu posing or a bad kung fu dance off. The fights used many of the same poses over and over occasionally throwing in a back flip or two. The funniest bit in the whole movie was when they sped up Ku Feng having a meltdown and it made me wish I could do the same thing. Or that they would speed the whole movie up and let it be a Chipmunk Martial Arts Movie Special. At least if they'd sped the action up, the fights would have been normal speed. People missed their marks and one stuntman literally rolled under a fighter for him to jump over. The fights were painfully bad.

If the fights, story, and acting weren't bad enough, at one point they sent a prostitute into the monk's bedroom to blackmail him into training Wong. For way too long her bare breasts filled the entire screen as she shook them, and shook them, and shook them. I truly cannot think of one thing to recommend this movie. Unless you are on a mission to see anything Jackie was involved in or fancy watching the bouncing boobies, I'd avoid this disaster.

9/15/23

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Honestly, there's nothing I can say about this series that hasn't already been gushed about but it is one of those rare gems that I just can't let it pass by without singing its praises.

The stars really aligned for this production with a solid story, great cast and terrific editing/pacing that didn't make it feel disjointed or confusing at any point.

Story-wise, it had a strong and interesting plot that caught the viewers attention almost from the get-go which makes the viewer not only invested but also really caring about these characters early on. Even though Charn is not a good guy, we still want him to succeed and be happy. Tinn is the poster child for naivety and right or wrong which makes him clash in an epic way against Charn's corrupted mind. And yet their attraction and chemistry is undeniable and so fun to watch that the viewer can not help but stare and watch the train wreck unfold.

In that regard, the actors did a phenomenal job at portraying the very different, opposing sides while their flirting was so clever and cheeky. I was actually surprised at how funny the series was, considering the very sad and serious nature of the overall plot. Part of it was the one-liners of the mains bickering and a huge part was due to the actors' delivery that just made it overly amusing. Especially Film's portrayal of Charn was mind-blowingly good with just how crazy of a character Charn is. Film absolutely nailed the persona with his mannerisms and quirks throughout the whole series.

I had actually watched this right after seeing To Sir, With Love which has 4 or 5 of the same cast but each of them played a VERY different role here which was nice to see. It was almost to the extent that I could forget they were the same people. Especially Film and Jam seemed to do a kind of role swap between the innocent and the not-so-innocent type characters. In To Sir, With Love, Film had a lot of sad, crying moments where this, he was downright insane, bordering on The Joker level. I'm happy to see that they aren't being type-cast which I've already noticed a lot of in BLs whether it's a main lead or a supporting character.

If I had anything remotely negative to say about the series is that there really wasn't any need for the second couple to be, well, a couple. It felt a little forced, to be honest. I mean, they were cute together and all, but in their case, the situation was way too serious and dire to throw romance into the mix, at least at the time that they did. Like, guys, wait till you actually get away from Thatthep completely before you get into a relationship. And, of course, I am not a fan of the dead fish kisses which is unfortunately mostly what we got here. I would rather not have it at all than have the dead lips.. especially when the main couple's flirting was so strong and filled with innuendo. If they are going to build it up like that, you'd think the characters would be ready to explode by the time they finally give in and allow themselves the pleasure. We as the viewers also feel that tension and need a release in some way, shape or form to feel complete. If they aren't going to give it, then maybe lighten up on the tension and build-up.

BUT! Really, as I said, this series was strong enough that they didn't need to add that anyway. Oh, and when Nawin shows up?? OMG, and I thought Charn was unhinged... but damn, Nawin was hilarious and very well played by Nat. Honestly, I think he stole more than a few scenes singlehandedly. Even with the smallest gestures (like tossing the brass knuckles away through his legs) was brilliant and had me laughing so much, probably more than it should. In a way, he reminded me of Tankhun from KinnPorsche where he was over the top but in a fun way that never became annoying or out of place. You just come to expect that they are brilliantly insane and adorably dangerous.

I think this show will become a favorite amongst many people.. it's already top 5 status in my book. And the short-ish nature of it makes for easy rewatch, which I'm sure I will again and again.

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:)

um, well, there’s a lot i can say here.
for starters, this wasn’t really anything like the thai version, which i’m not complaining about. it was a LOT less problematic, which is good. i also just liked both of the couples relationships.
to be honest, i couldn’t remember much about the thai version, since i watched it while it was airing and never touched it again after it finished. but i feel like the only thing similar is the fanfic plot. other than that, it felt like a completely different series. i couldn’t figure out which characters was supposed to be who. but hey, maybe that was the point. to take a similar plot but make it it’s own. i did enjoy this more than the original anyways.
it’s definitely not a bad show, i actually really enjoyed it. i binged it all in one night, and unknowingly got caught up. so it was a bit of torture waiting for the last two episodes.
i think the actors all have great chemistry with each other. their relationships didn’t feel forced at all, but if the writing was better they would’ve been more amazing couples. the production wasn’t terrible, but it wasn’t amazing either. the directing was good, and the pacing was pretty ok.
there were a lot of plot holes though. one of the major plot holes that should’ve been addressed was when yugyeom broke up with this girlfriend, and when yiwon and jioh got together.
i felt like yugyeom should’ve told sunwoo that his relationship with doyeon was fake. i really don’t think he would’ve told anyone. it would’ve been much easier for them, and a lot less confusing. their communication was terrible, but so was jioh’s and yiwon’s. but that’s usually a given in bls.
i wish they would’ve shown jioh and yiwon having a conversation or something before they got together.. instead of just cutting to them making out in the hallway.
other than that, i think those two are my only complaints. yugyeom was so stupid for a lot of things but i loved him a lot. he really just needed to talk to sunwoo, he didn’t have to make everything so complicated.
it was an enjoyable series for me. it was really funny and engaging. i liked jioh’s character a lot.
another thing i didn’t like is how the recap’s from previous episodes were almost 2-3 minutes long. that was a bit annoying.
all in all, it could’ve just been written a bit better, that’s it!
also, yiwon’s sister needs therapy. like there is seriously something wrong with her.

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