Reviews

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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"Regrets I've had a few"

I have watched the other 2 productions and I feel that they are improving the format with each show.
I think the people who come on the show are very emotionally brave. They are about to be filmed during intimate conversations with their exes and be judged by the viewers.
We, as the audience are given a ring-side view of all these individuals and their past relationships are revealed later in the show so guessing the pairings is intriguing.

I find it fascinating to watch those who come on the show with a clear goal in mind find their determination failing as jealousy shakes their resolve. Few people, I believe, can handle seeing their ex enjoying and thriving in the company of another unless they had already handled a mutual agreement to split up as a couple.
This show sends the individuals into past reflection and has numerous contrivances to trigger this. I personally think this is a good thing because it gives them a chance to appreciate what was good in their relationship and what may have caused the breakdown.
Their are many shifts in the couple emotions and as a viewer, or even one of the hosts, it can seem easy to comment on where the individual is failing to communicate their feelings. As a participant the burden of emotions warring with their logical mind can elicit some poor responses and regrets.

These are real people and even if some participate to perhaps get higher media cover they are reduced to an individual looking for love.
I also like that we get to see that pairings are not always obvious. Brief connections can be as painful, or joyous, as longer term established relationships and offers us a chance to think how we might have reacted in this.

After all the exaggerated emotional dramas I have been consuming this program is refreshingly 'real'.

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OVERLY HYPE

I was excited for this drama for long time because I am a fan of the Main Leads.
And the first Trailers also seem intriguing.

Cinematography is just okay imo - it's beautiful but I do not think it fits well for this kind of drama.

Plot is just so-so it started interesting but honestly speaking, I was disappointed. It was really tough for me to finish each episode without getting bored. And then it became overly convoluted! Too many things happening, too many unnecessary and additional stories.
It would've been better if they focused on the relationship between the main characters because honestly speaking it just doesn't make sense.
They fell in love and then eventually their marriage didn't work, ML started hating FL. He was even happy to hear that she is dying but then suddenly he cannot live without her anymore?
I wish the writers focused more on their relationship instead of mini backslash. Give us a proper explanation on HOW their relationship turned sour.

And honestly speaking, FL isn't likable as well. Almost every character is unlikable in this series. And just like most kdrama - the emotional negligence of parents are just brushed off in the end. They said sorry and it's forgiven and forgotten

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This drama was a delight for the eyes and ears.

The FL, Shen Li, is a petite and ballsy character with a masculine "yang" mindset. The ML, Xingzhi, is an aloof and esoteric character who has refined his ability to not be affected by his emotions over 1,000's of years and in the ensuing relationship demonstrates a softer more "yin" aspect.

Both characters are wonderfully written and brought to life on the screen. They have a development arc and their bantering and affection is very endearing. Supporting actors are also 3 dimensional and given sufficient exposure to assist with the overall story line.

There all the successful Wuxia elements of beautiful costumes, terrific dream like sets, over the top CGI, gorgeous lighting and beautiful settings. Comedic actors and situations break up the grimmer battles and villain actions so that it has good flow of interest despite the length. I liked the ending it has a modern twist and wraps up their relationship nicely so don't skip this.

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Excellent family psychological drama

Twenty-one minutes are enough for South Korean screenwriter and film director Jang Young Seon to present and develop the conflicts of this family psychological drama that revolves around a dysfunctional family that has been trying for more than a decade to compensate for the loss of a child by adopting young people to replace it.
With an intriguing plot, well-developed characters, music consistent with the conflicts raised, and a dark color palette, the short film 'My Eleventh Brother' (형이 돌아왔다), from 2016, begins when the family of high school student An Sung Woo (Kim Myung Kyu) arrives with the newly adopted An Sung Kyu (Lim Ji Hoon), a young man who also comes from a broken world, having spent his life in foster homes.
While Sung Kyu, who recognizes himself as a "nobody", searches for the family he longs for, Sung Woo searches for his place in the world. Both young people have a secret that they have preferred to hide from others: they are homosexuals.
The first thing that catches my attention is that the title of the short film refers not to the eleventh child of the family, but to the eleventh brother of the main protagonist. This tells us that what is intended to be highlighted is more than the relationship of the adopted young person with the family, it is the relationship of the newcomer with the son of the family, that is, with his brother.
The film tells how Sung Woo rejects Sung Kyu, as he surely could have despised others before him, until he discovers, in the midst of a premature antagonism, that between the two there are more reasons that unite them than those that can separate them.
This is how they eventually end up finding refuge in each other. But not only that, Sung Kyu will also manage to bring peace to the family, especially to the mother (Jung Soo Young). The scene of the mother and adopted son sharing games and laughter, which shows a change in the woman's depressive and sad personality, also demonstrates that Sung Kuy is the ideal missing member of the home.
Premiered at the Seoul Pride Film Festival 2016, 'My Eleventh Brother' is a short film with moving scenes, clear development and growth of the characters, which addresses themes such as coming of age, the search for love and happiness, psychological traumas and family relationships.
Despite its disturbing, at times suffocating atmosphere, 'My Eleventh Brother' leaves me with that momentum that makes you want more and more of the show. It's not boring at all, and every scene is suspenseful and will keep you on edge worrying about what will happen next to keep you completely pleased.

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Medical Misfits Turned Heroes?

The stories that took place during this show were nail bitting, gut wrenching, realistically terrifying, and completely had me on the edge of my seat fascinated! I truly never knew what was going to happen next.


At the beginning I was unsure of the cast (like "should so-and-so really be in this story or he/she/they may be better), however as each episode began and the story, as a hole, progressed, I could see how each and every cast member (from the main to the supporting cast) fell in to their own pace and the cast, as a whole, created a rapport with each other so well that it was as if they were truly nurses and doctors. Each case went from calm to terrifying and back to calm dramatically, however that doesn't mean that out of the hospital was a "smooth ride down easy street" either. The balance between work and personal lives was so realistic that I could truly sympathize and empathize with both doctors, nurses, firemen, emt's/paramedics, patients, and the friends and family of each.


The music really helped to fuel a lot of the roller coaster like ups and downs in this show. I really never expected a lot of what occurred throughout each episode; including extreme dislike for two of the characters.


I wish the ending was a little different and the show was a little longer. Japan honestly knows how to create an epic medical drama/movie without it all becoming too cheesy or unrealistic or completely fake. (America not so much...)


I truly enjoyed learning throughout the stories too. Each patients medical care was excellent! Honestly I thought I was watching a documentary or reality show. I like how they showed just enough "gore" to explain/show how traumatic the case was without going overboard; though there were a few cases were I was curious if something like what happened to a patient was writer made or truth.


I believe the cast makes this story excel, though the writing and filming is also extraordinary!

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i wish i could watch this for the first time again

recently stumbled upon the toku genre, and starting with this does not disappoint at all. i have become a little more familiar with the other installments in the kr franchise since watching, which has made the strengths of Kuuga more evident to me.

this is the first kamen rider release of the heisei era, and it was a grounded and high-quality start to the heisei riders. where other installments neglect any explanatory element, simply hoping the viewer will maximally suspend their reality to follow along with the show, Kuuga consistently makes reference to the origins and motivations of the Grongi enemy, their cultural practices and shows the deciphering of Grongi language texts (the Grongi language was even made for the show, as you can hear the Grongi warriors don't speak Japanese :) ) in hopes to better understand Kuuga's enemy, and make combat more optimistic for the humans. the characters are also often law-enforcement, supplemented by linguistic anthropologists, doctors, and police scientists - because of course! there are insane monsters suddenly massacring citizens, how could some authority not get involved? realism <3

the story development and character dynamics are also incredibly high-quality, you really get attached to the characters and their emotions as you watch. i am a bit biased because Godai Yusuke is my favorite kind of protagonist - happy-go-lucky, brave and hopeful. even so, his character is not arbitrary in the least. these traits stand in direct contrast to the bleak brutality of the Grongi, which builds far beyond physical burden as the story develops. eventually Godai and the affected community endure psychological and emotional pains, brought on by the weight of loss, fear, and desperation. the final fight scene perfectly encapsulates the intensity with which Godai fights, and his raw love and weakness for humanity. stylistically, it stands out from the remaining fights scenes - bare, with Godai and Daguva in plain-clothes, and silent but for the sounds of hand-to-hand combat, Daguva's laughter, and Godai's grief. another distinct choice with thoughtful, purposed utility. all-around outstanding!!

final note: what a theme song!

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Boring and overrated !!!

Tired of these completely absurd stories about these "poor" rich chaebol.
A poor script, a drama that relies only on the couple FL and ML A disastrous casting choice, with the father looks as old as the grandfather (Hong family) and the son (ML's brother) as old as the father (Baek family). Useless characters to fill out an empty story. Everything in this drama sounds fake (how can such wealthy people be so naive and stupid?), and due to the lack of content, we're force-fed with repetitive crying scenes, where we are not even able to see the tears roll down on the protagonists' cheeks...

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