Reviews

Goes downhill fast

Started pretty good, but by the end, it felt like someone had a jar of suggestions for subplots and they were randomly digging through it to find something for the next episode. The interconnections between the characters became absurd, and they insisted on tying up every loose end in a hurry. Just like your shoelaces, badly tied means a lot of unraveling. By the last 10 episode I was pretty disgusted by it all.

Mostly, the acting ranged from adequate to dreadful. The male lead (Ahn Jae Hyun) looked stoned and zombie like much of the series, but especially at the end. If I'd had to use that dialog, I'd get stoned, too. The second male lead (Jung Eui Jae) played it all very flat, going from nasty to depressing with not much in between - but if the transition in his personality wasn't well written, there really wasn't much he could do with it.

I don't usually pan something this badly, but this was a stinker. Watch something else or read a book.

Read More

A história é tão boa, por que terminar desse jeito?

A história é tão boa, por que terminar desse jeito? Eu não me importo com finais tristes quando o final faz sentido, mas POR QUÊ MATAR O menino lá? Tanto que eles lutaram pra ficarem juntos, para fazer a família acreditar que eles realmente estavam sérios para um com o outro, todo o esforço para fazer o menino lá entrar numa boa faculdade para no final... matarem o menino aos 18 anos, no momento em que ele ia finalmente VIVER, porque vamos combinar, ele tinha uma vida de merda. Sem pais, tendo que trabalhar e estudar, não se alimentava direito... e quando ele finalmente encontra alguém para dividir o lado bom da vida, ele é morto. Poxa cara, sei que o tema da série é exatamente mostrar o quanto temos que fazer cada dia valer a pena, mas que final sem sentido. Triste. Nem consegui terminar. Parei na metade do último episódio, não consegui mais conter o rio de lágrimas que saíam dos meus olhos. Tô desapontada demais.

Read More

Knife fights with a side of kung fu

The Iron Triangle of Ti Lung, David Chiang and Director Chang Cheh set aside kung fu for the most part and picked up knives instead for The Duel aka Duel of the Iron Fist. The grand duel foreshadowed from the start would pit allies against each other in a fight that could not be avoided.

Set during the early part of the 20th century, Ti Lung's Tang Jen Chieh is the godson of a local Triad lord and brother to Ku Feng's Jen Lin. A hired killer, David Chiang's "Rambler," helps Jen Chieh when fights breakout. With buddy Hsiao Mao (Cheng Kang Yeh) they seek to protect Shen Tian Hung, but he is murdered during one of the huge brawls that begin the movie. Jen Chieh takes the fall for the fight, bids his girl Butterfly goodbye, and hides in the south until the heat is off. He returns home after numerous attempts on his life with only Hsiao and his now drunken brother on his side. The former accountant Kan has taken over the gang and is seeking his death. Jen Chieh is devastated to find that Hu Di/Butterfly is now a prostitute. With his world turned upside by treachery and death, Jen Chieh vows vengeance on those responsible.

The Duel's strength was the prickly bromance between Jen Chieh and the Rambler. Their complicated relationship gave depth to the impending collision. I've never been a David Chiang fan, but he and Ti Lung did have a nice chemistry together. I'm always happy to see Ku Feng, especially when he's a good guy. The problem I had with the movie was that the narrative felt poorly paced and needlessly confusing in others. Fortunately, the relationships between brothers and frenemies created a compelling movie when the plot lines didn't.

Tang Chia and Yuen Cheung Yan kept the fights interesting even when they were the few or the one against many. Close-ups were used which meant they couldn't have randomly flying bodies in a huge scrum. The slices and kicks were well timed and for a 1971 Hong Kong film---fairly fast. Instead of fists and kicks most of the fights involved knives or other sharp objects. The duel commenced after another free for all brawl in the rain with the two combatants wielding bamboo poles fighting in a puddle-filled courtyard. The death toll was high for this film, high even for a kung fu flick. I was disappointed that guns were brought in for the final battle. I don't mind trampolines, wires, and creative filming, but for me, guns don't belong in kung fu films. Because of the rapidity of skirmishes it was hard trying to distinguish the faces of the stuntmen extras and fighters-Chan Sing, Jason Pai Paio, and Yuen Woo Ping were among the many familiar names.

The Duel was an entertaining, if slightly different, film for the genre. The action rarely slowed down and the double crosses and revelations kept going until the end. Ti Lung and David Chiang displayed the special rapport that saw them through 20 films together. If you are a fan of old martial arts movies, this is one to try.

9/14/23

Read More

Something made it a miss for me

Firstly, I do want to praise the production for the cast that they selected. This was really an outstanding cast from the teens to the various adult versions of Kim Mo Mi - they did a good job with that for sure. The whole storyline, however, felt...unrealistic and convoluted to me. The beginning I could definitely see as realistic - internet fame, the beauty standards of Korea being as it is, the bullying in grade school, the fanatical obsession by an older, lonely incel - on and on. Yeah, totally get it. But after we got into the mom learning how to use the computer to obsessively find her son's killer without actually considering the actions her son took, his proclivities, and the fact she never questioned why her son was killed in the first place it just started to fall apart. At that point, I couldn't help but put the show on 1.5x to see what nonsense they would create to patchwork the storyline together. I don't think that we actually got to know anything about the characters except their role as it relates to the plot and one or two things that they were fervent about (Kim Mo Mi remaining a loner, the mother being staunchly religious, the other mother being neglectful and uppity, Kim Mi Mo being semi-violent, etc.). They seemed like caricatures, and maybe that's what felt unbelievable about them and how the storyline played out. Idk, I really wanted to like this but...the elements and storyline were too out there for me.

Read More

Even if you’re bored this is worth a watch

I was gonna take a little more time to watch something with Ahn Hyo Seop in it but I was bored and had an open mind so why not? Mann when I tell you I couldn’t stop watching this episode after episode. I had a paper to do while I was watching this and let me say this show definitely distracted me from it with how good it was. Let’s just say I got the paper done mostly? not the point though. This show is really good definitely recommend even if your not bored and looking for a k drama with romance, comedy,and even mystery this is definitely the one. Not gonna lie was in tears a couple time so might cry if your kinda a big baby like me. One thing this show spot on too was the chemistry with the romance in this show definitely makes a single girl like me wonder if I too can find someone and have a similar chemistry as in the show. Enough about me though good show should watch really?

Read More

An Emotional Rollercoaster

Dark, gritty and suspenseful thriller.

Warning: Don't get too attached to any characters. (vibe of this series is very similar to Game of Thrones series, so very possibly a few beloved characters of My Journey to You, may also share similar fate as that one. )

On the surface it is Gong family's males who control everything but real power is held by female characters.... Many species have females that are more devious and vicious than males due to their conditioning and survival instinct and so are the Female Characters in this series. The chief of wufeng is a female, even though the viewers never get to see her face even at the end... Shangguan Qian another great manipulator, even she wouldn't know whether she was telling truth or a lie...

Edward Guo, the director as well as the writer deserves major credit for the aesthetics of the drama. The picturisation has an enlivening effect, making it seem like watching cinema and not just a drama. The story is full of mystique, audience has to remain alert and engaged so as not to miss an important clue because the story is filled with layers upon layers of subterfuge and cunning.

The story starts with Esther Yu/ Yu ShuXin assuming a false identity of Yu WeiShan to enter bride selection process held by the Gong family. She enters under a false identity with a secret mission given by Wufeng, an assassin organization. Due to untimely death of the head of Gong family, Gong HongYu and the young heir, Gong HuanYu, an inexperienced and unambitious Gong ZiYu(Zhang LingHe) becomes the sword wielder(head) of the Gong family.. ....Yu WeiShan now becomes the chosen bride of Gong ZiYu and so starts their journey towards each other while navigating the traps set around them.



Some of the questions that the viewers grapple with from the beginning of the series are:

* What is the real intention of Wufeng organisation? Who is the mastermind?

*what is the real identity of Yu WeiShan?

* Who killed Gong HongYu and Gong HuanYu in the beginning of the series that catapulted a sequence of events?

*what is the mystery surrounding Madame Lan, Gong ZiYu's mother?

* And the most important question..... Who are allies and enemies? (Every character has a secret agenda)

As soon as the audience unravels one riddle another crops up in its place, keeping them on their toes and guessing throughout.


One major drawback that I see is the ending... I was mentally prepared for more mayhem and death but the ending seems more of a let down... The build up of the antagonist was larger than life, however we never got the ultimate confrontation with the BIG BAD... Even the open ending about WeiShan's fate and ZiYu was unsatisfactory, it felt as if the writer wanted to make the network happy so left it upto the audience to resolve it as they seem fit.........MAYBE Edward Guo the director as well as the writer wanted to continue with the stories of wufeng and is hoping for a second season or even if the second season doesnt work out, he is publishing the books so he may continue writing about these characters in his book so in his mind this series is just the beginning and not the end... However if that was the case I would have liked to have a hint at the end that their story will continue either in books or if lucky then in a second season of the series.


All the actors have performed stupendously making their characters come alive onscreen. Yu ShuXin, Zhang LingHe, Ryan Cheng, Lu YuXiao the main leads leave a lasting impression of their characters.


Overall, A good watch comparable with old school Agatha Christie novels(Especially, Then There Were None), the audience is kept entranced with whodunnit along with a good dose of romance taking them on a thrilling ride on an emotional roller coaster?

Read More

Excellent!

This show goes directly to the staple of shows that I liked the most.

It has an excellent and realistic (which is rather seldom to Japanese dramas) story.
It gives a very precise feeling of the corona time, of a difficult life and family,
friends and work hardship. Despite this, it always carries a bit of humor!

The acting is excellent. The main line has Sawa Nimura who gives
an absolutely brilliant interpretation of a role which is diametrical opposed
to that she had in "Watashi no Oyome-kun" but surprisingly close to her role in
"Manatsu no Cinderella". I can't wait to watch her in another show!

I also liked the format of 15 minutes per episode - it is great for practicing Japanese,
though this was a very tough one because it is naturally spoken almost entirely in
Kansai-Ben. It was hard, but very authentic and lovely!

I liked this drama so much, that I wasn't able to wait until it was subbed!
In a word, this drama is 300% worth its time watching!

Read More

It was all I ever wanted from a romance plot

I'm not a big fan of C drama or K drama. I have watched only a few of them during my 6years of following TV shows. So, I almost don't know any Korean or Chinese actors/actresses by name. I'm telling this to make it clear I didn't like “Hidden Love” this much because I'm a fangirl of the cast members or whatever (as some people may assume).
I watched this 2 months ago on my 18th birthday completely by accident. I wanted to cheer myself up on this so called “big day”, and it was recommended on some app, so I started watching it with the expectation of a very ordinary romantic series which is fun for one day or two, and will be forgotten the next week with lots of cliché. HOWEVER, I can tell without a doubt it was one my best experience of watching a series or a movie. It was all I ever wanted from a romance plot. This series is literally a proof that a romance can be engaging and lovable without any stupid unnecessary drama which are only in the story to waste time because the writers don’t have any better ideas. It was pure joy for me.
The plot is pretty simple and not new, but the way it is processed, is absolutely a breath of fresh air.
Although including some cliché, the series broke a lot of norms in romance plots and can be called subversive; The story didn’t include a love triangle; It didn’t have an evil character who would destroy the main leads’ relationship; It didn’t have a bad boy ML who is arrogant about other people’s feelings and depressed and half naked all the time. It didn’t break up the main couple over stupid BS which are unrealistic as hell; It didn’t have unnecessary filler plot only to kill time and have more episodes.
We have a teenage girl, SANGZHI, who’s got a crush on his brother’s friend; she makes every excuse to be around this young man. She does some very stupid things like going to another city all by herself with made up excuse to see him, but at the end she is very realistic about the fact that she can’t be with him and keeps all of her feelings to herself for years (such a big burden for a girl at that age) and moves on which shows her growth despite how hard it can be. When she is actually close to her dream, she acts very mature and careful. quite Opposite from some other female leads, she understands that the male lead can’t be at her service 24/7 (referring to episode 16); instead of nagging or breaking up, she asks about his feelings, make sure if he’s ok, and tries to make him happy and secure.
And there’s our male lead, JIAXU (definitely my new fictional crush lol), who has gone through the worst; He was shammed by everyone for his father’s action; He had to watch his mother slowly dying; He was forced to pay debts at a very young age; but this didn’t turn him to an asshole/bad boy. Instead, it made him more responsible. He is very respectful; He cares about people; He loves to help others. When he becomes sure of his feelings about SANGZHI, He doesn’t hesitate to confess his love for her. And we can’t talk about him without mentioning his flirting ability. It is in another level. Never seen a character being this flirty and respectful at the same time. I know it’s a little cringe, but I want to gush over his appearance for hours. I mean just look at him (SANZHI, sister, you had every right to have a crush on him). His physical look really blesses the eye.
And I adored ML’s performance. His eyes are very expressive. He is surely talented, so is SANGZHI’s actress.
SANZHI and JIAXU as a couple, are definitely one of the best in all kinds of medium I have seen. Their chemistry is out of this world, thanks to the main leads’ acting. The way JIAXU’s actor plays with his eyes and looks at SANGZHI is just amazing (made me want to pause the series and just look at his eyes for minutes). The way they position their bodies shows a deep intimacy and very natural affection. These two will give you gallons butterflies every episode.
Everything about this show, from plot simplicity to actors’ performances and chemistries, really made my 2023 summer. I will remember the time I spent watching it as a memorable birthday “gift”. I will definitely come back to it every once in a while.

P.S. sorry for the bad English. It’s not my first language.

Read More

Bad Yet Good

Before I go on about this one, I myself have not seen the original version (thai.) Therefore, i can not compare this really, BUT this did seem like a somewhat good Korean remake.

I have seen clips of the og, and this one, in my opinion, was pretty good. This focuses on the story of which was the side couple in the thai version. (from what I've heard)

The story was a little boring, and also a bit confusing in my opinion. The chemistry was SOMEWHAT there, but I didn't feel it a whole lot. The actors are cute, I'll give it that. Though, that couldn't fully save this.

The acting was pretty good for what seems are rookie actors, so I won't fully criticize it for that. The editing? Questionable at times, but okay.

It felt more fluffy-ish than anything. It was confusing at times, but pretty cute nonetheless.

I wish I could say more, but considering that I haven't seen the og, WHICH I'LL WATCH SOON?, I can't say much in comparison.

I wouldn't recommend if you were looking for an intense, well put-together kbl. This is more a fluffy, more amateur series. Cute though!!


(sorry if it sounds like I repeated a bunch of things?)

Read More

not sure about this...

so, as my favourite male actor is Park Hee-soon, I was waiting for this drama quite eagerly.
Also several other great actors on the starring list, so I started watching this and...
...I don't know... story is known from other formats before with some variations (x men etc.), the story starts veeery slowly, and I was just waiting for something to... happen really? I have seen 8 episodes yet, not Park Hee-soon in sight? Is he really in this drama?
Not sure about the storyline either, so genetically gifted people have genetically gifted kids and they try to hide and protect them from the evil forces of the North? I will give this another chance and watch some more episodes, but as of yet I am a bit underwhelmed.

Read More