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An under rated GEM
This show hooked you from get start with a very provocative scene that turned out NOT to be what it seems!The chemistry between the two leads are phenomenal.
It is more the directing and storytelling and as well as the angle and how the drama is shot that is very engaging and entertaining. There are humorous moments, lots of cranked up tensions some are sexual in nature.
It is those that are left unsaid rather than the explicit that are most engaging.
You can tell the budget is low but is very well directed and produced. As the time investment is not a lot, you will find the time spent very gratifying. I enjoyed this thoroughly and believe I will rewatch if I need a filler drama in future.
If you enjoy “A familiar stranger” and also “the killer is romantic” then you will enjoy this . It is same writer and director team.
Whilst story line can be guessed, it is still entertaining as there are satisfying end to the bad guys and there are no super bitchy 2FL. I loved the OSTs and enjoyed the love scenes between the 2 leads.
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Kairos-When the past and future collide,The present changes-Entertaining Roller coaster ride
Kairos is a Greek word meaning “Right Time” an “opportune moment”, and the plot of the drama exactly revolves around this moment,which is exactly for one minute at 10.33 pm connecting two people one month apart in time over a phone call,Meet Kim Seo Jin and Han Ae Ri suffering tragic events in their time,SeoJin in the future and Aeri in past this one minute phone call every day allows them to interact and later co-ordinate and work together to change their misfortunes,while doing this they discover the deeper problems in their life which go beyond the tragedy that have stuck them.A drama involving non linear timeline can be tricky as viewers are smart enough to pick up the loopholes,unanswered questions and lousy writing,but kairos did a overall good job to surpass many of these traps and curses.many points while watching this drama one will encounter such questions and loose ends, but they are mostly answered and closed later on..Patience is the KEY here.
The story is strong and well done, though not completely unique, The cinematography ,sound track are captivating and will keep you hooked.(A special mention to “Can you Hear me” - Kang Seung Yoon Heartening track)The editing is good ,but could be confusing sometimes.Also some scenes might require repeat viewings to actually understand better as to whats going on.
The other strongest point of the drama is the acting and the characters. One is able to feel the pain of the main leads and despise some characters.Also all the main and secondary leads of the drama show character development,especially KSJ, played wonderfully by Shin Sung Rok,who shows his pain,anger,disgust,love and sadness amazingly all by his small movements in facial expressions .Lee Se Young shows her range and maturity in the role,with her small frame and beautiful face she conveys most intricate emotions. Ahn Bo Hyun , Nam Gyu Ri,Kang Seung Yoon all did well in their roles.The small kid Dabin was really cute and acted well.
The drawbacks I think was some scenes involving Han Aeri’s mother could have been avoided her motivations became a bit illogical and messy, I would have preferred more interaction between the leads instead of that.Also the police seems to be mostly clueless most of the time ,I think that a K drama trope, but that could be avoided.
Kairos is undoubtedly one of the best dramas of 2020.It is a silent killer I am sure it will gain more following as time goes on a more people discover it. Definitively a must watch!
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This entire drama made me very reminiscent to Lie To Me, with similar characters and relationships. There's even an Oh Yoon Joo in that one. The characters and story made me think of a few other dramas, in general. The plot and relationships made me think of Lie To Me; Oh Yoon Joo reminded me of Hye In from My Girlfriend is a Gumiho; and Jung Woo made me think of the director from Heartstrings.
The story for this one was nothing too original, but it was interesting and I liked it. There were weaknesses, of course, and I think a major one is the question of why Lee Seol and Hae Young even end up falling in love. There doesn't seem to be any progression until all of the sudden they love each other, which is especially noticeable from Hae Young's side of the relationship.
Also, that last few episodes were kind of, I don't know, slow. The ending was sweet though, and it was satisfying.
The actors did a pretty good job, I'd say. The two leads were good, and I loved their characters. Most of the characters were likeable, except Oh Yoon Joo, and I still can't really see why Jung Woo ever ends up liking her after all that went down, but, um, okay.
Music wasn't very prominent--it was unfitting at times but otherwise was pretty unnoticeable.
I personally wouldn't rewatch it, except maybe the tense scenes or the cute ones.
Overall it was good. Typical, but it held my attention. Some nitpicks I'll just add here: I was hoping maybe Lee Seol would be more assertive throughout a lot of the time when she was whining over things. Also I found her expressions similar to Kristen Stewart at points. Another thing was the kisses, as they would always have jumpy camera shots.
Either way, if you're bored, this is a good drama to watch.
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Acting/Cast: Excellent acting and cast.
Music: Love the 'aunty' feel of the music - old school and adds to the humour and charm of the drama.
Re-watch value: I can imagine myself re-watching this during the year end holiday but not immediately. It has one of those 'relax, sit back and enjoy the show' feel to it that suits a lazy holiday afternoon, though it is not in the "OMG! I gotta re-watch this ASAP!" category.
Overall: A worthy entertainment and time spent. Short, sweet and direct with a good and suitable ending. It is a concise, compact product that will suit your basic entertainment need. Give it a try and let me know what you think. :)
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Weather forecast metaphors can't make shallow relationships deep.
"Forecasting Love and Weather" tries to use weather predictions as a metaphor for messy and complicated love relationships, but that concept quickly became boring to me and the relationships were pretty shallow and not very compelling. In the beginning, I did find the pressure to get weather predictions right interesting, and the office dating drama was fun, even sexy, but as time went on too much focus was placed on the same arguments and petty fights. The relationships in this drama are meant to be mature, and not your typical idealistic love story, but so many of the characters seemed immature, even childish. There is also a ridiculous love triangle/square element to the plot that resolves way too easily and that's partly when I started losing interest. This drama played it way too safe which is what stopped me from caring enough about any of the couples, even the pretty well-matched leads.This drama stars a favorite, Park Min Young as stubborn and guarded Jin Ha Kyung, with super cute Song Kang
as impressive weather expert newcomer Lee Shi Woo. I expected their big age gap to be an issue, but I honestly believed them as a couple. I knew Song Kang could handle a mature plot from watching "Nevertheless", but now I wonder if maybe his ability to flirt so well hides his lack of character depth. Their chemistry was much stronger when they were falling for each other but all the other scenes lacked any spark.
Yoon Park and Yura round out the leads and all I will say about them is that I disliked both of their characters so much! Yura as Chae Yoo Jin eventually became almost sympathetic but Yoon Park's Han Ki Joon annoyed me from the beginning until the end. Any time they were on the screen I could feel myself checking out.
The supporting cast was mostly great. It included another favorite of mine Kim Mi Kyung as a meddling mom, but in her style. There were great coworker characters with their own life dramas and one unexpected favorite in the cast Moon Tae Yu, who was hilarious to me. I admit I liked the weird comic relief relationship subplot way more than the jaded marriage subplots, and at times even the leads, but I still think all of the actors did a good job. Without a strong actual story, they all did the best they could with what they were assigned. The work atmosphere at least felt authentic, although they did seem to overreact in order to force drama into less interesting scenes.
Would I watch this again? No. The parts that I liked, in the beginning, aren't exciting enough to rewatch. The weather room arguments began to feel the same no matter the season or the forecast. I also didn't care enough about any of the relationships to want to watch their struggles again. I appreciate that the end gave me sufficient closure but I was honestly over this drama long before the last episode.
Overall, this drama is a miss. I will definitely never think about weather forecasting the same again, but I will probably forget all of these characters quickly. I think it fails to be romantic enough for romance fans or deep enough for a good slice of life drama. There are certainly far worse dramas, and I was never bored enough to drop it completely, so perhaps it can be a decent filler drama. I just wish it had a stronger story since the first episode seemed like a setup for something great, especially with episodes so long. I expected a mature romance plot, so maybe that's my fault. I know Kdramas more often play stories safe and nice in this genre so maybe that's my fault. In spite of the overuse of weather metaphors, this drama mostly sticks to a mild and predictable temperature. However, enjoying whatever the weather actually is outside right now is probably a better use of your time.
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The story is hardly anything new or different. Yet, it does something to suck you in. The cast is amazing and they make their characters very likable. It's a love triangle and there was sweet romance in it. My complain is that there should have been more time devoted to the romance between leads. There was some very boring office politics stuff after episode 16 that I had no interest in. Be prepared to skip a lot of boring parts in the drama after it runs half its course.
I have to say I love Xiao Jie. She is a strong woman and very grounded. I liked how she gave importance to her professional life over her personal problems. She never sat around moping because her life sucked. Joe Chen's wardrobe was also nice and she looked very pretty in this. My favorite guy was Tang Jun. I have a thing for silent lovers who play Daddy Long Legs to the girl because it's so sweet. Plus, he and Xiao Jie had an actual build up from strangers to friends to lovers. It was long and tiring but worth it in the end. Although Godfrey Gao is very hot, his acting was stiff and his character didn't impress me much, counting out the last episode where I liked him a lot.
In some ways this story reminded me of Hana Yori Dango. In both the dramas the main couple has to go through lots of obstacles to get together. I've just not seen a drama with so much makjang in a while. :D
The Queen of SOP is a happy and relaxing drama. It is a bit slow compared to Korean dramas and such but it has things in it that makes it so cute. At times a bit realistic and at times a bit too dramatic- this drama had it all. The best thing was the absence of melodrama. Seriously. No depressing stuff in a drama is like sunshine on a cold day for me. That alone is a reason to not let this pass up. Watch this drama and give it a chance. :)
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This review may contain spoilers
Sceneries are dead; Only meanings from people will bring them alive. An eternal company she wished.
...............................................................Plot and Brief Introduction to Main Characters :
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Dahuang is divided into three kingdoms: Xiyan, Haoling and Chenrong. Chenrong and Xiyan are enemies and weighed a war but Haoling plays neutral... Chenrong was defeated by Xiyan but a remnant army still refused to surrender....
Xiao Yao is the princess of Haoling and Cang Xuan is the prince of Xiyan....
Xiao Yao and Cang Xuan are cousins lost their parents at a young age.. had no one to rely on other than each other but seperated because of various reasons for 300 years. Before seperation, they made a promise to stay by each other's side no matter what the future holds...
Xiao Yao went missing after she was sent to Jade Mountain.. without leaving a trace.... She casted a magic spell and changed her gender, face and name to Wen Xiao Liu..was living in secluded place, which did not come under territory of any kingdom.. as a doctor....
Living there for almost 20 years, she saved a person.. who was heavily injured by tortures, and then sheltered him... She named him "Ye Shi Qi" because he didn't wanted to reveal his identity, but guessed Xiao Liu's real gender and fell for her.. so determined to stay with her at any cost...
One day when Xiao Liu went in a sacred mountain to pick some good herbs to make money... she accidentally encountered a Nine-Headed Sea Demon named Xiang Liu... the current strategist and General of Chenrong remnant army.. famous for his ruthlessness, great fighting skills and mysterious identity....
Now the relationship between these leads begun to start.
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Main Characters:
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Xiao Yao/Wen Xiao Liu (Yang Zi): The Princess of Haoling, Haoling Jiu Yao.. A brave and clever girl... never gives up and knows how to fight back to survive even after being tortured for many years... Her biggest fear is loneliness.. because everyone she trusted and wanted to depend on, left or abandoned her for various reasons... Aspiring to live a peaceful and carefree life with a man who never leaves her... The one she cares about most is her cousin Cang Xuan...she could do everything to protect him... Xiao Yao developed feeling for Tushan Jing.. and also subconsciously fell for Xiang Liu as well...
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Cang Xuan (Zhang Wan Yi): The Prince of Xiyan sent to Haoling as hostage... Used to be a kind-hearted person but become tough after the death of his parents.... His ambition is to be King of Xiyan, to be able to protect the ones he deeply cares for.... In the journey of achieving this ambition, he struggled hard.... Cang Xuan became ruthless for others but remained soft-hearted for the ones he cared... Due to his closeness with Xiao Yao, he developed some romantic feelings for her but never confessed, and also reluctantly helped her to being with her love....
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Xiang Liu/ Fangfeng Bei (Tan Jian Ci): Xiang Liu, a white-haired, Nine-Headed Sea Demon... tortured for many years in death battling arena... He managed to escape and was saved by Chenrong's Lord Hong Jiang... After being saved, to repay his gratitude.. he took up the responsibility of recovering the land lost in the war and avenging the soldiers of the Chenrong army.. Lonesome inside but still very calculative, never lose in a deal.... Xiao Liu is the only person who never thought of him as a strange creature, so Xiang Liu found a good partner in her...
Fangfeng Bei, another identity of Xiang Liu as Second Young Master of Fangfeng family... He is quite fun-loving person and a known playboy...
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Tushan Jing/ Ye Shi Qi (Deng Wei): A very soft-hearted person and clever-minded in business as he comes from a prestigious business family.. but tortured for years by his own brother and saved by Xiao Liu.... He wanted to give up everything and do whatever Xiao Yao asks for.. to being with her.. as he loves her deeply... Jing helped Cang Xuan in the path of becoming Emperor a lot, with his business skills and influence...
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Chishui Fenglong (Wang Hong Yi): He is a loyal friend and a calculative person, fell for Xiao Yao after she regains her appearance & status and helped Cang Xuan, to become Emperor, the most. He founds a perfect buddy in Xiao Yao more than love, wants to marry her for her status, beauty and personality and promised her to never marry another woman in his entire lifetime after marrying her and will accompany her always. He finally managed to get engaged with her after his proposal of marriage.
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My Verdict:
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The plot is quite different from other Xianxias and it's a reverse harem... I am not into Reverse Harem genre but this one got me in... But still, I enjoyed Xiao Yao's journey and I'm not shipping her with any of them... It's not because, none of them worthy of her but it's because I want to play safe, haha! To be honest, I couldn't decide whom should I choose among them...
They all are amazing in their own way and everyone of them hurted Xiao Yao as well as protected her. Their bonds with Xiao Yao have different but special meanings to her.. Cang Xuan broke his promise to take her back from Jade Mountain because he was sent to Haoling as hostage. But, he still searched for her around the world until he found her.. He is an emotional support to her and a brother...
Tushan Jing broke her heart many times by falling in scheme of his fiancee and never succeed in cancelling engagement, even after made her wait for a long time, but he revived her heart to have hopes in life...
And Xiang Liu often sucks her blood and was rough with Xiao Liu in starting but once he started develop feeling towards her, he fell hard... He never broke her heart; instead he always accompanied and cheered her up when she felt down, hopeless and wanted to give up, and empowered her so she could protect herself. He never gave her hope to being in love with him and made everything he did for her to look like a fair deal.
Xiang Liu... he is my favourite character in the drama as well as book... His loyalty and selfless love wins me over... He never confessed his love to her directly, but indirectly in many ways.... And Fangfeng Bei, he is too, though he is Xiang Liu in real, but there is big difference in behaviour and approaches of both of them...
I loved Xiao Yao when she was Wen Xiao Liu more because of her tricks and free-spirited nature... The deep talks between Xiao Yao and Xiang Liu, every time they met.. and the fun they did together.. these are my most favourite scenes of the whole drama... The first two lines of my review's title are from the conversation between Xiang Liu and Xiao Yao... You can see how deep their talks are... She has a romantic relationship with Jing but she subconsciously fell for Xiang Liu as well.. though she never admitted and thinks of him as her friend, but it is very clear that they're soulmates...
I liked Cang Xuan and Fenglong more than Jing in drama.. I felt very boring whenever Xiao Yao met Jing everytime, just a lovy-dovey couple who has nothing else to do, which is not my cup of tea... though Jing is a good man and I like good men but still I can't help it... I also read the original book after the drama so I have quite a favourable opinion of Jing from there, but in drama he fell short... So I'm stating my opinion about Jing here according to the drama and not book.... Also, I want to make it clear here, all of my takes I mentioned in here about all the characters are based on the drama, so you need not to worry about the opinions formed because of the original book...
I also loved the interactions of Xiao Yao and Emperor of Xiyan.. She's so bold and her grandfather is so understanding of her...
Chenrong Xin Yue and A'Nian are good but not very much interesting or complex characters. Fangfeng Yi Ying and Tushan Hou are quite interesting though but I didn't like them much.
Here are not much fighting scenes, but those are really done greatly...
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Acting:
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Yang Zi as Xiao Yao has a great chemistry with all of them like you can ship her with any of them. Yang Zi did an amazing job portraying her two characters well... The emotional scenes she gave were extremely good.. I had tears in my eyes watching her...
Tan Jian Ci made Xiang Liu alive... The micro expressions... you can feel all the happiness and pain just looking into his eyes.. Jian Ci managed to create a difference between his two characters Xiang Liu and Fangfeng Bei successfully, like even I doubted at first, whether Fangfeng Bei is Xiang Liu or not...
Zhang Wan Yi and Wang Hong Yi also did a great job with their characters...
But Deng Wei, I found him lacking a little, probably he did best he could, but his expression sometimes feel wooden and his character gets boring, I found, he is the reason of my unfavourable opinion towards Jing...
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OSTs and Costumes:
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OSTs are one of the best I have listened in the dramas so far. So pleasing and amazing.
My favourite is Xiang Liu theme....by Tan Jian Ci...
"Wait for the snow to fall, wait for fate to nearly love, wait for your lifetime to come;
I can't wait for lovesickness, can't wait for the flowers to bloom, the waiting that can't be waited for....
Nine songs of the world of mortals, everywhere is envy and self-suffering..
Gentleness is deep, every sound is silence, it is imprisonment..
The heart is like a floating map, the scenes are the coming roads, the returning roads...
Fate is like snow dancing, every step is lonely..."
~The Waiting That Can't be Waited For
Costumes did not disappoint me as these are so beautiful, especially the beautiful white robes of Xiang Liu....
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Ending and Recommendation:
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This was a good ending and not a cliffhanger, Cang Xuan became emperor and Xiaoyao engaged to Chishui FengLong but many things remained unsolved and truth to be revealed so I'm Eagerly waiting for season 2 and loved this one very much.
Highly recommending this to everyone to give it a try. You'll never regret watching, instead you'll become obsessed with it..like me..haha!
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A “ Bloodcurdingly” Dire Drama...
Upon paper, Blood actually has quite a good plot premise; vampires created in a “ I am Legend” - style way by infection (rather than the traditional manner in most vampire shows) , a protagonist infected since birth who wants to defy his fate and help others by becoming a doctor , as well as a female lead who actually had the potential to be a strong and independent asset within the show rather than just a mere love interest .Instead, there is a sense of discordance within the overall drama between Ahn Jae- Sung’s moping upon screen for nearly half the series around a hospital (which after the first few episodes no longer seem to have something called “ A and E” or a regular flow of surgery operations )and Gu Hye Seon raising her voice as she flouts about the hospital stalking Jae-Sung as Yoo Ri Ta, without a second glance at the fact she’s in a senior position and in reality would be inundated in a pool of work requests and submissions.
It isn’t that Jae-Sung is a bad actor as he’s proven his talents before in shows like The Beauty Inside (2018) as one of the suave Male leads who was comically charismatic . Yet there’s no sugarcoating that Jae-Sung ‘s performance as Park Ji Sang was not one of his best and for a major proportion of the show, Jae- Sung came off as rigid and tight. Similarly whilst Gu Hye Seon is renowned for her performance in Boys Over Flowers (2009), she channelled her character, Yoo Ri Ta through a mixture of a deliverance of yelling her lines and stoic expressions as well.
Admittedly this also a fault of the director, the story writing and characterisation of the overall drama as well. Rather than directors Lee Jae Hoon and Ki Min Soo pulling up Hye Seon and Jae- Sung’s performances over minor errors in earlier episodes to improve their performances and avoid later mistakes, they seemed to be too obsessed with the thought of trying to deliver a contemporary drama which they thought that Korean audiences would lap up after recent waves of western vampire franchises in Korea.
Yet the scriptwriters must also be put under the interrogation light here for their part as well in regards to the lack of characterisation and plot as well. Rather than Park Jae Bum actually allowing us to see Ji Sang’s own personal struggles as well as a sense of attachment towards Ri Ta’s own experiences as a development within their relationship, the scenes that viewers do see ‘ moments of the past’ are neither talked about or mentioned again leading to a very rigid “ romantic’’ ( if you can call it that ) relationship between both characters for a major proportion of the show. Perhaps the one saving performance of the show was Jin Hee who was actually fairly good within his performance, however, the same cannot be said for his character Lee Jae Wook who had the potentially to be possibly one of the most intriguing characters of the drama, yet typical to the cliches he was forced into a lacking sense of depth and purpose within the show.
For most of Blood, Jae Bum seems obsessed with trying to cram in a myriad of useless plot points amongst only a couple of useful ones before rushing to the action and ending by the finale. Rather than building or progressing the show over a course of sixteen episodes, there’s little explanation or reasoning behind a lot of the events of Blood; presumably Ji- sang not ageing at the same rate of humans ( and if this applies to all vampires in the show), the actual motives behind our antagonist and of course what was up with the ending as well.
It is wrong to say that Blood is entirely unwatchable as it did actually have some good points such as Kwon Hyung Sang as the much needed comical relief of the series ( for most of it at least) and an intriguing plot premise, yet rather than Blood being one of the best cult classic Korean dramas of all time, it’s a farce of itself with dire acting, directing and writing. Overall it’s fair to say that Blood is a perfect drama to binge watch if you’re bored and looking for something to watch, but it is certainly not worth investing time and effort towards.
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A BLOODED PALACE
The series primarily narrates infighting between Royal wives in the Namyeongbu (Inner Court). For some Reason you get to enjoy watching women vying for power and supremacy and another reason that I loved the series was because I was so caught up with the endless scheming of the female leads and the villains.There is so much Political intrigue and the Constumes were very splendid moreso the dialogue and while the drama tends to depict how strong the women are, for a while they have stolen the show from men who tend to dominate in a number of sageuks.
The Plot too is very original and even though sticking to historical accounts you don't feel the story too boring you are simply caught up in the endless drama and every character is loveable because for some reason the intensity of their ploys got me hooked and on edge.
The drama being 60 episodes isn't as boring and surely you might feel discouraged but I don't know why I am a fan of long series that is between 50 to 90 Episodes, moreso if you feel like tasting what a real poisonous harem is then this is a very good series to pick up courage and watch
Lastly the schemes lack monotony so you won't see them repeating themselves over and over again which makes a large number of them original you won't stop loving them.
I'd highly recommend this sageuk if you haven't yet tried it.
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Summary: This show is perfectly sweet in every way, the storyline, romance, comedy, filmography--literally everything. I feel like this show is pretty underrated, I will admit I wasn't initially smitten by the casting but I feel like they all took me wonderfully by surprise and am so happy I decided to watch this show. And now that it's over I'm going through the stages of acceptance--currently at...depression.
+/- Plot:
The scriptwriters had a way of leaving you wanting more at the end of the episode; and even though they used all of the KDramaLand cliches I actually didn't mind at all. They had a way of not making it overly dramatic and focused more on the characters' growth and developments which are the fortes of the show. They really tugged at your heartstrings with the hardships of the characters and how they overcame the difficulties together. What I really loved is that the theme of each episode was based on an older song--like Vincent, Be My Baby, The Winner Takes It All...etc. I felt that it was a different concept for a KDrama and felt it very reminiscent of some American dramas, which I really loved. The thing that really stands out in this drama is obviously the romance between the leads; they're both such sweet characters that you can't help falling for the two of them. What I think I loved the most about them is how they took care of each other and believed in one another, even when no one else did. Their romance was very sweet and innocent just like the characters. The only disappointment I had was maybe the conclusion of the show--because everything was so sweet and the writers kind of lead you to the conclusion of them settling down with a family, I really wanted a more concrete proposal at the least. However, I overall really liked how they came full circle with the show and was satisfied and very moved by the ending.
+/- Characters/Acting:
The actors portrayal of their characters are what really made this drama a hit for me.
In my opinion, while I haven't seen many of his other shows, this is by far one of Seo In Guk's best shows. I was so surprised that he fit the character so well and really became Louie. His character is the type that just keeps growing on you because of how sweet he is--even if at times the innocence caused him to be a little ignorant. I think what really made him shine in this character is all the small details he added. Whenever he'd remember something new, he would always cover his mouth like a shocked little kid, or when he'd walk he'd have a cute little waddle with little hand movements--they were the perfect touch to his child-like personality. What got me every time were his screams whenever he was shocked or scared. Everything was "Perfect!", as Louie would say.
Nam Ji Hyun is so heartwarming, even through her hardships she’s a hard and diligent worker and those are the types of characters I like the most. I really felt that she portrayed the country bumkin girl so well; never for a second have I doubted her role. She really played out every emotion to the T; one moment you could see the tears well up in her eyes and she’d turn around and be cold as ice. There were times when I was a little frustrated because she would play up the innocence factor whenever there was a romance scene; I felt that if she was a little less timid then I would have loved the scenes even more. But overall, I was really pleasantly surprised with her acting and character as it is the first time I have seen any of her works.
Yoon Sang Hyun is supposed to be a bit of a critical guy with sweet intentions, but at times I was a bit frustrated with his character. I really like him as an actor and am continually surprised in how many shows he's cast in. However, I don't think that this is his best work--I felt that the character was a bit too stifled and a little forced at time. The thing I disliked the most was the constant throat clearing, which got a little irritating half way through the show. But it became the running joke towards the end, which I admit I kind of liked.
Overall, the characters you are meant to dislike; I found that, while I wasn't fond of them I hardly had any animosity towards them. Im Se Mi played the insincerity decently so I wasn't disappointed by her character. I will say that I was kind of let down by the timidity of the "bad guy", but I think with the conclusion of the show and the unraveling of the backstory it made sense of how he portrayed the character.
+/- Music:
I lovedddd all of the music! As I said earlier each episode was based on an oldie song and loved how they weaved it into the background. As for the soundtrack I loved all of the songs and have been listing to the OST on repeat. Every song is the sound of the dusk of a warm spring evening; lovely and reminiscent. I think they really encompassed the feel of the drama well.
Rewatch Value:
Because of the sweetness of the characters and the romance between the leads I'd definitely watch this show again. I think that everything from the soundtrack to the editing and filmography was wonderful and would continue to make this really enjoyable. My two favorite shots of the show would have to be their trip to the beach and to Busan as I thought they were beautiful shots of the scenery as well as their budding romance. Overall, this show was spectacularly made and I really enjoyed it and will be back again in the future to revisit Louie and Bok Sil's romance.
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This review may contain spoilers
New word for meaningful and awesome should be Navillera
Once in a while you come across a drama that is not only well written, superbly acted out and has a powerful message, but at the same time it’s also a drama that comes into your life when you didn’t know you needed it and packs such a punch, that it makes you to re-evaluate your life. This was Navillera to me.The story is incredible – it creates an amazing contrast between a coming-of-age story, and “let’s give it all I have when I still have some time left” story. Navillera shows the perspective of two very specific heroes, with such a different view on life and experiences in it, that it’s just incredible that it manages to work so well. It’s also a prime example of inter-generational learning and shows how beneficial it can be for one’s life.
I found the charm of Navillera mostly in the small things. The dialogue is written very realistically, and the characters interact with one another the way real people would. There is one scene where haraboji receives a gift and he automatically replies: “But orange is my favourite colour.” That made me laugh so much and miss my family in a way – it’s something so familiar to have “assigned” your favourite colour to make picking out gifts easier. The drama also leaves small messages for attentive viewers to pick up on, as well as it does a good job in tying everything together at the end.
Most of that is thanks to a reasonable tempo and twelve episodes. Everything feels just right, there are no filler episodes, and every scene has a meaning. The acting is nothing short of spectacular, even the side characters have their moments. It’s very rewarding to see fully fleshed plot lines and developments in this setting of high-level acting. Not to mention the sheer amount of preparation that both Song Kang and Park In Hwan had to do. I was in awe at some of their scenes. This drama also featured several strong female characters and that made my heart melt.
It will be a long time until I come across a drama like this. It was deeply meaningful and made me look at my life with a different eye. It’s amazing, honestly, how they created this drama in a way that it feels natural for you to do so. It’s almost as if you are a part of the conversation.
Navillera also shows some aspects of family life in such raw state, that I got emotional several times in moments without the main characters present. I would also like to comment on how tasteful and respectful the creators were towards some scenes involving the main heroes dressed in ballerino outfits. Honestly, it was just beautiful.
I liked the OST as well – the contrast of modern music and classical ballet music was excellent.
I know, this drama might trigger a lot of people who have or have had a similar health situation with a family member, myself included. However, it made me think a lot about that certain dear person, I returned to some memories that I have not thought about in years. It made me find a bit of peace and it was healing. On the other hand, be ready to maybe stop watching Navillera for a couple of days when things get though (I did for two weeks) – but please, stick to the end. It’s the most rewarding drama you’ll ever see.
Oh, and P.S. you’ll cry a lot. So switch from handkerchiefs to toilet paper roll. It saves a lot of hustle. You’re welcome.
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