Reviews

visually stunning filler

I just have to shout out that intro. Never skipped and even replayed it sometimes. The visuals and vibes go too hard.

I'll be honest, I wasn't on board with the show until about ep 4, but that proposal really sped things up for me. The story has your typical problematic chaebol family but some twists here and there. The jokes weren't landing in the beginning but I thought things became funnier as this progressed.

The acting was ok. The FL carried hard. Everyone is right. The visual chemistry is insane, and the romantic chemistry is good too. I'm still on the fence about SK’s abilities as an actor. Either the roles he's getting aren't challenging or he simply doesn't have the range. Either way he wasn’t the best here and at times I thought he forgot how to act. KYJ has such a charming face. The directors knew what they were doing casting her in this. She just has the right look. Same with SK. Seok Hoon, Madam Ju, and Seok Min’s actors were good. Everyone else was just ok.

This was def better than I thought it was gonna be. I actually found myself looking forward to the ep drops. Def pick this up if you're looking for something nice with little complications.

Read More

Dropping it because the subs are missing

PS. My ratings here are random since I couldn't post a review without them.

I read the comments and seeing two types of ppl : those who struggle finishing eventho it started off well and those who, as well as I, want to make their own opinion on it but can't because of how weird the subs are on streaming sites to the point I'm thinking abt dropping the series since the subtitles are weird asf and incoherent... Characters all had their names written in chinese when here you could clearly tell their names are supposed to be korean 💀 to be more precise about the problem.
Having the subs being off makes the series understanding hard for us since nothing is coherent and relevant 😭. This just destroyed the ratings of the series and even its chance to be well-known

Read More

One of its kind, Unbelievable!

In my part one review I said it was the most unique kdrama but now I believe this is one of the most deepest tv shows to ever exist. I have never seen such emotions displayed with such good acting and story.
This show makes you cry, happy, and most importantly makes you grateful for life. I love every interaction of Death character as her each word is extremely meaningful.
This show reminds so much of rezero anime and it is really refreshing to see such ideas getting life. Even though all of this was fictional don't take any of its moment as a simple TV scene it means lot more.
hats off to complete cast and the director. this is must watch 💯

Read More

If you like dramas about idols it is a good one just do not expect much from the romance

8/10 is my rating. This is a 2022 Japanese romance drama with 10, 57 minute episodes.

First I provide a unique synopsis then review

Synopsis

Asuka Nakamachi (Tsubasa Honda) takes a job as a dorm mother for struggling boy band 8loom. It is a departure from her original dream which was a teacher that was a sunny spot for her students but, when that dream fell through, she was desperate to move out of her sister’s honeymoon house. Her background may be the perfect fit to help the seven-member boy group find their path to success. As the unwavering cheer base, she may even help the leader of the group, her former student, Dan Sagami (Fumiya Takahashi) hit his stride.

Members of 8LOOM

See also: § 8LOOM

Dan Sagami (Fumiya Takahashi). He is the center of the band. The main songwriter. The only group member that knew Asuka before.

Daijirō Naruse (Ryūbi Miyase). Knickname Naru. He is the youngest member. Still goes to high school.

3. Yukiya Furumachi (Keito Tsuna) He is the oldest member of the group.

4. Ēji Ichinose (Rintarō Hachimura) A college student.

5. Ryūsei Hiyama (Shūto Mori)

6. Takumi Kurushima (Noa)

7. Takara Onodera ( Kōki Yamashita)

Review

I like idol dramas especially dramas that are about idol groups. This does a good job of conveying the many ups and downs on the very bumpy road to success. It is more about the group and the process than it is about the romance. It ends happy but not completely clear in terms of their relationship.

Spoilers

I was disappointed that Asuka’s teaching career ended as it did. I think they left a lot if details out but it seemed like she took on too much then let criticism tear her down. It seemed like a weak way out.

Naru looked the part the most. He just had that overall pop look and demeanor. He was one of my favorites through the majority of the show so I was very disappointed when it turned out he turned in Dan and Asuka like he did. He even went so far as to encourage the band to go on without Dan. I was really disappointed in his behavior and it seemed out of character.

There was not a lot to the romance and it ended on a nebulous note. I thought Dan took a step back from 8loom to pursue her but he left her as she was supposedly happy in her new teaching role. I realize that is probably closer to reality for pop stars but it would have been an improvement on reality for him to fully get with Asuka. All of the build up led to a very soft pairing at the end.

I am always drawn to shows about idols and idol groups because it is such a difficult path. For all their emotional and physical sacrifice, few even make it to true fame. I feel so sorry that they become prisoners of their fans and cannot pursue romance and other dreams.

#FumiyaTakahashi

#8loom

#IWillBeYourBloom

#TsubasaHonda

#RyūbiMiyase

#KeitoTsuna

#RintarōHachimura

#ShūtoMori

#Noa

#KōkiYamashita

Read More

monstrous surprise

no spoilers here :)
this is a story of survival & anguish, and follows the themes in all the episode titles.
a father daughter(FL) duo 'sleuths' that finds missing people, including the ML 's mother, missing for 10years. the ML is an orphan who built a 'golden' empire with his shop & ressources. everything is set for a promising journey. and oh how it was!

I watched it as it was released, and the last episodes were released a few days later.

it's not perfect , but its memorable and left a huge mark on me, especially with the state of the world right now.
here are a few things i disliked:
the show felt like a stitch of many tropes, definitely sounding cliché at first but it gets a lot better!! I really appreciated the themes of the show ( usually displayed as their episode titles like chaos, despair, anguish etc)

some negative feedback:
- I never thought a ML could become more AND less shallow at the same time as the show progressed, but he does gain more depth.. so thats a relief
- not enough backstory or evolution of the enemy in the beginning, one has to be patient to get a deeper look there as its not given in the early episodes
- had some stranger things vibe with the sci fiction of the creature, but they sure added the kdrama touch !
- no spoiler but *some* elements don't add up or aren't explained. however its not a lot of things, most of the story holds well

some neutral feedback: i have the biggest deja-vu of the the Kako(Gato) character but i just can't seem to point my finger on it!!!! especially with experimentation & the glasses! i

some positive feedback
- the period style was superb!
-I loved all the characters and their evolution (almost)
- i loved the underground rebellious vibes (Especially the nuance within it)
- main story is very interesting and terrific
-loved the episode titles!! the themes were brillantly portrayed
-a light romance touch, i think it was perfectly balanced neither over/underdone
-the mother theme was deep yet barely put in our faces.
- also... BRILLANT SCRIPT!!! i looooved most of the dialogues especially between the power and the oppressed.

So-hee has come such a long way! been following her since nevertheless , and so much growth in her performances! she has a way of being subtle yet full of emotion & power!
i also am also very impressed with the whole cast! even the evil characters, young joon was so brillant in performing the disturbingly evil character! as well as su hyun!

IHAVE YET TO UNDERSTAND THE ENDING FULLY ( as it may be pointing for a s2, but thats not always a positive thing as they already had a big story in these episodes!)
things to watch out for: the first clue is in episode 7'th ending ( there was a long hiatus before the remaining episodes)
and the scenes in the last episode AFTER THE FIRST CREDITS!
the producers did put some clues but i am not sure about all of them!

brillant show!!!

Read More

Nice short revenge-plot story

This is a nice little revenge-plot story with a fairly simple storyline. The only thing missing is some romance since there is very little - and a couple of kisses would have been nice.
Character wise:
FL is a strong woman thirsty for revenge on the family members who are behind her parents and grandmother's deaths. She accidentally ends up entangled with ML.
ML is a nice and clever man who falls in love with FL, so he makes her quest for revenge his goal too.
Acting wise this is pretty good, but I felt zero chemistry between the leads. Perhaps because the romance-arc was so weak compared to the revenge-arc.
Well, if you like a short story with a strong revenge-plot, this is worth watching.

Read More

Death is not an end its just the beginning

Death is not an end it's just the beginning. Death is a thing that all humans end up experiencing, but that doesn't make it any less painful when it happens and this show perfectly encapsulates that. Because one thing that all humans have in common is death, from the highest in power to the homeless you pass in the street no one is above it.

I am still processing everything that went on in the last part. But one thing I know for sure is that everyone needs to see this show. The message of this show is so important and I hope more people realize. That they are important and that even if it doesn't feel like there is anyone there for you I promise you there is. I promise that someone will miss you when you're gone and that your life matters. It may not feel like it today or the next day but some day you will look back on your days and thank yourself for living to see what you could become. Living to see that there are people who love you and that there are people out there who will cry with you and make you feel so loved. Because one day you will feel so much joy that you couldn't even believe it was possible to.

This show really puts everything into perspective, for its only being 8 episodes it was still able to move me in a way that I don't think any other show has. From the stacked cast which has so many amazing actors and actresses. To the amazing performances that are produced in the span of a single episode. They did so good I couldn't put the show down for a second. Every scene was packed with information leaving the watcher to find out what happened keeping them attached to the very last moment. And let's not forget about the ending I did expect Choi Yi Jae to get a second chance at life But one thing I didn't expect was his mom to be his last life. The performance in the last episode was amazing I think I literally cried through the entire episode. It felt as though I was there to experience Yi jae mom living life without her son. Especially the last scene where she is just sitting in her wheelchair staring out into the vast field.

This drama really makes me thankful for the people I have near me. Because even though right now it doesn't feel as though I have people who will care if I'm gone. I know that my death won't solve my problems it will only leave the people I left behind in pain and misery. Because now I know that I have people in my life who would cry with me during difficult times


Here are some quotes I liked:

“People are happiest when they can truly be themselves. In the end, life would be meaningless if you can never really be yourself.”

“Isn’t that what you humans do? You care more about the thorn in your own finger than the knife inside someone else’s body.”

“The uneventful days when we walked together hand in hand. Those moments alone were more than enough reason to go on. Why hadn’t I realized it sooner?”

Read More

Excellent but with annoying parts at times

Overall, it's an outstanding drama, but with some elements that typically annoy me in such productions.

*** THE SPOILERS AHEAD ***
If you don't like these things in dramas:::
"Antagonists stir up discord among others through an incredible web of circumstances and events, always managing to somehow escape from unbelievably challenging situations for them, showcasing their ability to control the situation as if they anticipate every move the opposing side will make, as if they have insight into the script :).
Also they have immense yet unexplainable power that can land you in heavenly prison without anyone noticing whenever you like and even kill heavily guarded prisoner there, to steal great artifacts right under other's noses, hijack other body without anyone noticing the change for extend periods of time and even possess another body while still possessing the first, etc.
The main male lead performs heroic deeds that his beloved is unaware of, and she ends up hating him, even killed by him while all this is happening, so only at the very end is his sacrifice revealed when he is already dying, and she then forgives him and experiences unimaginable suffering because everything, but if you search for positives there is a message here for couples, talk more with each other or this could happen to you :)",
:::then this drama is not for you.

Other than that it's a highly captivating drama, pleasant to the eyes with top-notch visual effects and beautifully designed sets and costumes.

Story: 8.5
Interesting story, creatively conceived, leaving a beautiful visual impression.
The main characters gradually fall in love through witty moments and events until it becomes genuine love. However, as the story progresses, unforeseen events drive a wedge between them, and misunderstandings grow, only to be resolved at the very end of the drama.
The second pair of lead actors also has an interesting story, but in my opinion, much more unrealistic, while the storyline is fantasy, there are still some laws within that world. It seems unbelievably unrealistic to me that two people could spend 1000 years together the way they did and still be like it was at the beginning. In 10 years, or even 5, everything would have been resolved, whether there is love between them or not. They should make it 100 years at most, but this is way too much.
As I mentioned earlier, the main antagonists, at least in the first part of the drama, seem to have the power to manipulate situations as they please. However, in the second part, this is rectified, showing that even the greatest antagonist has the potential to change for the better, which I found exceptional.
*** THE END OF THE SPOILERS ***

Acting: 9.0
Female lead is great in this drama, if she's not dubbed, her change of voice from the first to the second part of the drama is amazing, and her overall acting is awesome, she is the main star in this drama, male lead was a bit off for me especially in the first part, he acted like a dumb person and always had the same kind of facial expression, but he improves later on.
Supporting actors mainly did nice job in my opinion.

Music: 7.5
Music is ok, not so great as I expected for such beautiful drama, but not everything can be perfect.

Re-watch: 9.0
Even though I don't like those things that I already mentioned at the beginning, it's amazing drama and I will watch it again for sure and highly recommend it.

Read More

OMG THE ONLY THING I CAN THINK ABT

I literally just finished this and all I got to say is wow. This series was something else.
From the first start when I saw the cast I screamed and automatically knew that this series was going to be lit but this lit? Just like we can just start of the acting with THE CAST. Just OMFG THE CAST IS THE CAST. Every EVERY character was on point and was on fire along with the story. Just like Lee Jae Wooks character matched him so well and ofc he killed it but like he killed it SO MUCH. Also Lee Do hyun KILLED IT HIS CHARACTER FITTED HIM SO DAMN WELL! And literally every other. Having Seo in guk as main was a GREAT PLOT HE ABSOLUTELY KILLED THIS SERIES. A clear 10/10 on the acting and cast.

Not even starting at the story cause omg. The story and plot is just so good. Something rare AND I LOVE IT. I can’t describe how much I love them for this story cause it was so good. NOT A SINGLE BORING EPISODE, and I’m also someone how skips like a little here and there but on this I DID NOT SKIP ANYTHING CAUSE OH MY. MY EYES WERE GLUED IN TO THIS.

The ending was just good. Like not bad not kinda opened but I don’t know what I was expecting so I’m happy about it.

I really recommend this series like don’t hesitate if ur trying to choose if ur going to watch it cause ur not going to regret it AT ALL. A clear 10/10 for me l. Want more series like this !

Read More

"Humans don't recognize an opportunity even when it's handed to them"

Death’s Game Part 2 came out of the gate strong, stronger than part one. The question continued to be whether Choi Yi Jae would win the game and what did that really mean?

Starting the second part with Kim Jae Wook playing an evil artist is never a bad place to begin. He has a dangerous intensity hiding behind that chiseled beauty. Once again Choi Yi Jae is thrown into seemingly disparate lives with the orders that he cannot kill-others or himself. This ultimatum becomes more difficult with each life he leaps into. As he discovers the deadly tentacles of Taekang Group’s Park Tae Woo and how it has affected his life and of those he loves, he ventures near the precipice of hell.

The guest stars in Part 2 were even stronger than Part 1. Kim Mi Kyung finally had a chance to shine in the drama as Choi’s mother. The strong older actors threatened to outshine Seo In Guk as the lives he was reincarnated in. The production values were once again high as well.

I was completely absorbed in this tale of what seemed like revenge more than a journey into the soul. The elements of the revenge story were tied together nicely as Choi used what he learned in each life to bring down Park. Ultimately, the game was about Choi Yi Jae’s life. With the pieces finally in place to end a murderer’s reign of terror I still wondered if Choi had learned anything about himself and what the point of the reincarnations was. He was a difficult character to like. Self-absorbed, self-pitying, and arrogant he took a long time to understand that his actions had consequences for others.

***Spoilerish comments below***

Finally, the story took a turn into a path toward enlightenment. He hadn’t learned much in 11 of his lives, only in the last one did he understand what true pain was. I was actually quite disappointed in the final minutes of the drama that undid everything prior to it. And I’m not sure about the message on suicide. Torture people into understanding how their actions have effects on others and that some people have it worse than them? When a person is seriously depressed and suicidal, they may not be able to see that. Therapy and medications, interventions and social/financial assistance may be more helpful than the threat of a worse hell than the one they are in.

The ahjussis and ahjummas did an amazing job bringing their characters to life as well as Kim Jae Wook. The story brought all the revenge pieces together in a satisfying manner although they never did answer who the woman was that died at the bottom of the building with Choi which was disappointing. I honestly thought her death was one of the reasons he was being punished. The last episode was deeply moving in regards to a mother’s enduring love and sacrifice. Having learned how to live his life without being in constant fear of failure and rejection, I only hope Choi Yi Jae took what he learned about the people with their lives in the balance and reached out to help at least a few of them or else it feels like everything he went through was for nothing, to say nothing of the murderous Park Tae Woo being on the loose again. Death’s Game P2 progressed in a strong, emotional gait to the end and then left me disillusioned with the final outcome.

5 Jan 2024

Read More

highly recommended!!

first of all, the acting in this was superior, park seojoon and han sohee did an amazing job they were incredible
overall i really loved this drama it kept me hooked from the beginning to the end, i loved the storyline and the characters, there were some plot holes here and there (like how did they save juntaek from the hospital? one moment he was imprisoned the moment later he was outside of it, and how did he recovered so fast?) but overall it was great, i loved lady maeda character, she is one of the best villains in recent kdramas. the production and the editing, the special effects, everything is superior!!
and not to mention the finale? like WTF??? the scene after the firsts ending credits it was totally unexpected and shocking i’am so excited for season 2!!

Read More

Barely Any Annoying Cliches

The lead couple were kind of bland after a while, it was good to watch them get together in the first 10 episodes, after than it became too boring. They were both good together and good to each other, so a green flag couple.

The second couple was much more interesting however Shu Wen Bo was so damn insecure that he made Ruan Qing Xia cry so many times. This is a perfect example of asking people what they want instead of just making a decision for them.

The third couple, ML's sister and Dr Shao were pretty good together as well. Glad that they got the second chance.

Read More

This drama aired at the same time during Business Proposal, and Business Proposal overshadowed it by a huge margin. But after watching two episodes of both, I found Crazy Love far better than BP. The show is pretty interesting and relatable for students from the beginning. But soon, the plot completely changed to romance. The comedy was great; I really enjoyed it, and the acting was good too. The chemistry was great, and I don't expect any less from Kim Jae Wook. But still the characters Park Yang Tae stole the show, plus Soohoo and Sina's brother.
The revenge plot was kind of farfetched, but still, the pacing was good for me, and anyone who wants to see rom-coms in corporate world can give this drama a chance.

Read More