Only good for it's cast?
When starting a new drama I usually go in expecting nothing because the drama ends up being more impressive without expectations and gives me a lot to drool over. But this drama gave me nothing. The twists were expected, the storyline was boring and the characters were less than likable, a big problem because there are so many. It tries to do way more than what it has time for. Just barely exploring the plot points it brings up. Details are just flat out told to viewers via character dialogue/flashbacks (there are so many flashbacks). I wanna see some action not storylines handfed to me. I don't know who the director is but I would avoid future dramas shot by this person seeing how bad and bland the shots were. At times the camera cuts to this first person shaky frame which is so unflattering.As for acting, I think everybody did their best with what was given to them. Though, I did find Kang Sol A's acting way over the top. No show stealers here though. There's a lot of screaming (thank you old office man who has zero significance to the plot), this show seems to think loud equals funny or emotional. You're not delivering anything, just hurting my ears. I can't handle the morally righteousness of the main characters. The one character that strays from that; Sungjae is given the bare minimum. There being so many characters is the downfall of this show. You can't establish an emotional connection with them because of the lack of deep diving characters are supposed to be given. So at the end I don't care about who gets to be happy, I just want the show to be over.
As for music, there are only 3 songs here. It gets really old really fast. It's annoying that the songs come on and basically tell you hey this scene is supposed to be emotional, hey this scene is supposed to be suspenseful, and oh hey look the characters are studying. It's annoying when the emotional music comes on and you're not even moved by the scene. You're stuck there cringing because what the characters said wasn't deep at all and here plays th-We are We are Where are we? We are We are.
With all that said, I don't like this drama, I feel like I wasted my time and was blinded by an all star cast. I would still recommend you watch it, it might be your cup of lukewarm tea. But there are way better dramas out there, enjoy watching.
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Lee Joon Gi & Moon Chae Won were fire in this one!
Once again Lee Joon Gi nails a role. Moon Chae Won was definitely the right fit for his wife because side by side these two fed off each other. Yes that mare their character cry babies at time but it was a tortured cry.The acting in this show in general was really good. Lee Joon Gi nailed his role unsurprisingly but I loved the duality of his character. But the acting of the other cast was amazing as well. It made the story that much better because you didn’t have an actor or actress with phony feels.
Definitely need LJG and MCW to pair up again.
Kim Ji Hoon also did a fantastic job at bringing the crazy. The face was scary but i was in awe in the final scenes with him because him and LJG were both fantastic actors and I was feeling the intensity.
“I can see people that are already dead!” Was the most tortured line I’ve heard in a drama this year and I’m not lying. I was panicked cause I thought he was going to die but the turnout wasn’t that bad.
It’s a KDrama so I can’t be too mad when they go with an amnesia route because when your signing into a kdrama you kind of unintentionally sign that emotional waver right under the signing of “characters may or may not be taken out by unmarked white vehicle”. It was a good way to play it because he couldn’t trust himself that he was true with her and slowly he’ll find that he was. Because he had said his body remembers. And when he hugged Eun Ha that sweet little girl his body remembered that too. He got down and hugged her and like the Grinch his heart became that much bigger.
The OST was awesome I confess I downloaded 2 of the songs. Psycho by Doko and Feel You by Shin Yong Jae and I have no regrets.
Definitely would be wanting to see another season but we know how that goes. And they did a good job of wrapping things up,
I do want to see another Kdrama with a character that has antisocial personality disorder again and that character being the main just cause I think the actor or actress that plays the role has to do a decent job to make it believable.
Long story that became long I think that this one will stay with me. There are dramas you watch and they fade away but this one will stay. When looking for other dramas I will compare.
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This review may contain spoilers
R U Rigged?
This officially takes the number 1 spot for worse survival show. I mean the judges can't judge, and all of them had no clue what they were talking about (especially that mustache guy). Prioritizing visuals over talent and booking on potential is just crazy. International fans carried this show, but yet I don't think our votes really mattered at the end of the day. They actually thought giving Knetizens basically full control on who debuts was a good idea. The final lineup is just bad and there's no other way to put it. These girls will have a really hard time from here on out. The toxicity surrounding this group is just insane and I don't see it stopping anytime soon. HYBE you really messed up this time. Also what's up with that group name I'LL-IT like damn that has to be one of the worse group names in Kpop ever.Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
Since there is no any review about this drama, only comments that formed bits and pieces of reviews, I took the advantage of being the first reviewer, after painstakingly watching this drama till the end. I was following the talented lead actress Andy Yang Zi's works when I found this drama and it took me sometime to find where I can watch it with English subtitle. From a tip given by one commenter below, I was able to track down the raw English autosub of this drama from Huace Global Fun channel in YouTube. Raw English, yes, as literally Youtube translate the Mandarin words word by word which can be very confusing to the conversation, that leads me to 'translate' the raw English dialogues to understandable meanings. They also forgot to sub one episode into Mandarin (which can be autosub by YouTube), but not necessarily lost my understanding as a whole story. STORY: Probably it can be heart touching, if the whole drama was translated to English well, as there are a lot of stories on what happened in the Xia Ran's family. But I skipped MOST of the scenes of the supporting roles to avoid boredom caused by frustration from the inadequate translation. I gave a pretty good score for the story though, as the office stories are quite entertaining, especially about Xia Ran's clients. Every client's case is touching, especially since both main leads actually worked together to solve the proposal/wedding cases.
ACTING/CAST: Definitely Andy Yang Zi is the pull for this drama as well as other cast. She is pretty, energetic, bossy, animated, and sometimes mean. Qiao Zhenyu is a bit stiff as the cosmetic surgeon Jin Zhihao, but can pull unexpected moments related to the female lead. Their chemistry is great, starting with being hating each other due to some misunderstanding, compromising due to some agreements made, room mates, friends or brother/sister when they are forced to live in the same room, and finally (after more than a half drama rolling) they became lovers. The second pair (Xia Ran's boss and Zhihao's ex) is just meh. Notable, is the young actor who plays Zhihao's little brother, who delivers a refreshing and fun acting stood out among the complicated adult's love stories in the drama.
MUSIC: Since I'm not into OST of dramas, I never make notes on OST
REWATCH VALUE: No, unless I find a website or channel where I can watch it again with an understandable English sub,
OVERALL: Again, Andy Yang Zi is the only main reason I (and probably also for many viewers who follows her) I watched this drama, and the attraction of mini stories of client's wedding plans delivered in this drama.
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The one thing I did not like was that when the new episodes were added, it was a bit slow. He also at one point said that a woman is pregnant for 10 months (it's 9...)
If it wasn't so long, I would probably rewatch it. A must watch for every drama fan!
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How much do we need to put this poor girl through?
I stumbled upon this Sageuk in my constant search for something new, and found out that not only was this drama rated really high, but was also historically important for South Korea. Internationally-speaking, it was the very first historical K-Drama to really gain notoriety outside of SK's borders, and one of first one to give an accurate perspective of what life was really like for women under Joseon (a lot of Sageuks, especially nowadays, sugarcoat the Neo-Confucian ethics that dominated the region, sometimes very embarassingly). Knowing all of this, I was quite excited to watch a show about Joseon's first female Royal Physician: Jang-geum.The series actually started out really strong, showing the inner-working of the palace kitchen and the relationships between the women working there and the importance of this department in the whole grand scheme of the Joseon Bureaucracy. More than for "story", I wanted to watch this series to see how an early 2000s-era production of a Sageuk would translate today. Honestly, it looks great! Of course, it doesn't have a glossy sheen that all new Sagueks have, but I feel that if it were remastered into 720p/1080p, it would definitely work out even in today's production.
However, despite me being quite impressed with the production, acting, music, and script-writing initially...something started to make me dislike the series more and more as it went on. The show was no longer about a woman's struggle to realize her passion through a completely male-dominated Neo-Confucian world. It slowly became...almost a torture p*rn of some sort? I don't mean to crude, but really, how much do the scriptwriters want this poor woman to go through? I don't want to spoil anything for anyone who wants to watch this, but let it be known: you will have absolutely no breathing room. Every second, every scene, every sentence, is somehow connected to some woman or some man conspiring against Jang-geum in the most horrible way. Jang-guem suffers through so much in this show, and with absolutely no reward. It's an unforgiving show that will keep you at your seat, constantly trying to keep up with all the schemes people throw at this woman. I understand, what Jang-geum did was legendary and immensely (damn-near impossibly) difficult in the world that she lived in; however, I feel they could have portrayed her troubles in a different manner. The issue ultimately stems from this: were the script-writers trying to be *brutally* honest about Neo-Confucian ethics and hierarchy, or was this more for "show". My later sentences will show why I feel confused about this. Even if you wanted to be brutally honest, I think there could have been a much better way to portray it, with making the runtime of the show less tedious. The only thing that made this tolerable for me was the loyal group of friends Jang-geum kept with her throughout the episodes. Lemme tell you, if you had these kinds of friends in real life, they are 100% worth-keeping for their undying loyalty. Unfortunately, even Jang-geum's friends can't escape the curse of having everything bad happen to them as well.
In a nutshell: from the moment Jang-geum is born to the end of the show, everyone is conspiring against her. And this even applies to her inner-circle of friends as well. Not to mention, is it me, or is nearly every stranger Jang-geum interacts with automatically hostile to her in some way?
Again, I want to stress, I know how difficult things were for women back then, but I feel that this show goes a bit too far, or, at the very least, doesn't give you nearly enough time to swallow what's going on. It's a constant barrage of schemes, pain, and suffering towards Jang-geum. If you think I'm exaggerating, please watch the show yourself.
Also, this show has afforded waaaay too many 'conveniences' for my liking. Everyone seems to be at the wrong place at the wrong time (or the right place at the right time), everything that could go wrong does go wrong, the character constantly runs away only to end up right back where they started, Jang-geum is always right (and never wrong) and the villains are always wrong (almost a cut/paste Mary Sue character), objects that are supposed to be 'hidden' are always found by the villains, the super drawn-out 'forbidden love' in which the male is unable to help the female in much capacity, justice is somehow swift and harsh for our protagonists but the villains are always afforded some leniency, there's always some villain that happens listen on to a 'secret' conversation our protagonist is having with someone else, etc etc. It's tiring. How many tropes can you throw in one drama? I know it's hard to avoid using them, so if you're going to use them, use them sparingly and wisely.
If that wasn't enough, the ending is a complete waste of time. Believe me, once you go through all the episodes of this drama, only to see what this drama's ending has to offer, you will feel like you wasted your time.
I justify my 5/10 rating for this reason. It's a historically important Sageuk with incredibly competent production, with great acting and a sweeping soundtrack. I appreciate the history this drama tried to portray, and I have a lot of respect for the actors/actresses and scriptwriters as well who took on this massive undertaking. A story like this isn't easy to write, especially with a genre that is typically romance-driven or fantasy-driven. The story starts off good, but starts veering off into lunacy somewhere near the middle. The ending, is a complete bomb. There are too many 'conveniences' and cliches for me, and the main character gets abused to a sickening degree. It's a great show and a bad show at the same time.
Proceed with caution.
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Classic Horror
Ok, this is just the genre I love. I strongly believe that only Asians can make - not that original, not that innovative horror...and make my skin crawl nevertheless. That is mostly the reason I am here, watching Asian masterpieces!In my book this is classic.
There is something so cool about Thai horrors, probably the gruesomeness (which is not dominate in this story but they just had to have at least one or two disgusting visuals) all in the purpose of the story of course.
The length of the episodes, the overall length and the open ending, or not that open, if you know what i mean are just right. The story builds fast, no long unnecessary side stories and yet it is full of them.
I do not think I will re-watch it, but in case the 2nd season happens (which is so not necessary) I would give it one more go. It is perfect Halloween season watch. So if you like creepy October this can be saved for then.
Overall: Decent horror story, do not expect something out of this world, but you might me amused. I am rating it high because I enjoyed it a lot.
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and two, I don't know what they teach to all korean writers but they cannot explain their plot in less than 16 eps and they need 100 side plots to distract people from the main plot, so in this it felt like they had a 16ep plan that got reduced and they just picked random events fit the drama.
I'll cut this into 2 story points too,
one is the main plot around the fl and the ml which was ok, they explained well why she used toys and they even gave her a nice solid base that didn't feel flat. she had a past and she didn't just "start" when the drama began, most stories do that they give us a written back story and the main character starts from point 0 when the drama starts so they are as clueless as the viewers -which might have it's charming points but it's over done.
she had friends and a life around her and I really liked her arc with the friend though again like everything else in the drama it was not used well. also she cried weirdly alot, they literally had her flop down like a 5 year old and cry ;)
on the other hand the ml felt flat, he didn't have much base and he just felt like he suddenly manifestation for the fl's story. he didn't have much characteristics, friends or a life outside the fl..
and the other part is the kids..
I feel like they were the weirdest thing, their stories were weird, their actions were weird that they felt exactly like the jellies, they were floating around with their plot moves as if they too only existed for the fl's arc
my favorite part and character was Mr. Mackenzie, not because I'm biased with yooteo, but his character added conflict, mystery and depth to the story. though I think he just disappeared, I didn't pay too much attention to the last two eps..
for acting I think both mains did a better job than their previews works, Jung Yoo Mi was less awkward than her character in live and Nam Joo Hyuk finally broke away from the teen roles they forced him on, he really felt like a nice grownup.
the music was as weird as the flavor of this drama but it was nice and I never rewatch stuff.
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What I liked: While the male lead is brusque, he's not mean, which is a trope that I see slowly going by the wayside (though there are still plenty of dramas with this trope to be found). The male lead just feels like a grown-up, and he won't play with the second lead, he doesn't need to compete, and it's really intriguing (and dare I say hot?) when that kind of confidence isn't confused with arrogance. Also, they don't mess around for too long, doing the usual kdrama dance of "I don't like you" and "You don't like me," they get to it pretty quickly, at least from the viewer's perspective, keeping the right characters in the dark for just the right amount of time-- not so long it's frustrating, not so soon you're bored.
You'll never root for a main couple harder than in this one. I only wish it'd been a bit longer because I just didn't want it to end. I'll follow this writer and director anywhere.
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Well, they tried... I guess.
Now, full disclosure, let me start by saying that I was a big fan of the 1st series and the original couple. Nonetheless, I wanted to give this a chance so that I don't judge the 2nd series prematurely. Unfortunately, it was a bit of a letdown for me. Let me elaborate:Story & Production: IMHO they tried to do too much for the budget and running time they had. The production quality left a lot to be desired and I've come to expect more, even from short K-BLs. The story felt rushed and perhaps not thought through properly. This is something where the 1st series was also lacking a bit, but the issue was exaggerated in the 2nd one.
Actors: I actually liked the new actor (Hyuk), I think MLs had good chemistry and had they been given a completely new BL series, I'm sure they would've been great together. I really feel bad towards them so I hope people will show them lots of love, regardless of their overall opinion of the series.
Rewatch value: To me? None. It wasn't terrible, but the actors (and the OST) were the only redeeming feature.
Conclusion: I don't regret watching it, I just simply liked the vibes of the 1st series better. It was a bit more light-hearted, there was an actual mutual romance between the MLs and while they left some holes in the plot, it wasn't too complicated. I can't say the same for Color Rush 2.
P. S. Huyk really was a cutie, I hope he won't receive hate (all the actors for that matter) for joining Color Rush 2.
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lacks information about Islam and Muslims
OKay, I never wrote a review and perhaps this is my last review too .As a Muslim I was exited to watch a Korean drama discuses Halal food and Muslims but it was a failure because they didn't show us Halal food they just showed that there was something that is called Halal food, I wished it discussed more about it .
As for Jisoo's role I liked that he liked her and how he wanted to show her that by food ,but no he should have known that we Muslim girls can’t marry else Muslim men otherwise it is Haram "forbidden" and that is another point that I hoped they discussed .
I did not like that she wasn’t wearing Hejab I mean it would have better if she did because he would have known from the beginning that she is Muslim and liked her as she was.
I hated that she was thinking about him like come on you can't date him or marry him remember, I know that maybe she liked him but actually neglect your heart for your religion and principles girl .
overall I rewatched this to make this review because I want people when they watch this to know that we are not totally like this or maybe even people doesn't care about how we are, but for those who care this show lacks a lot of information
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What made this drama great and different is the directing. It's a great combination of behind-the-scene documentary, stage-play and an inspirational story. The last two minutes always include some great hit from the past and some stage-dancing. We got introduced to many stars of the past and hits that made them famous. It also teaches you about the history of television in Japan and how that affected the lives of the people.
And WOW dramas were LIVE!!! Everything was live. I think in those times, more than talent, it was nerves and endurance was required to succeed. When the industry was still small, it was always the same people working together, which created life-long bonds and that was very heartwarming. It was all about the group effort to make it work. Even as the industry grew, the bonds stayed as they were.
I don't know where to start with the acting. Mutsushima Hikari is fascinating as the young aspiring
Kuroyanagi Tetsuko, trying to find her place in this world. Even as she grew older, she was great at portraying her maturity as she keeps her playfulness. Mimura as the quiet and attentive Mukoda was effortless. Nakamura Shido as Atsumi Kiyoshi was awesome as someone who kept his country way of thinking and protectiveness as he grows into the industry. Yoshida Kotaro as Morishige with that special character and charm, Matsushige Yutaka as their long time viewer as he follows their careers throughout their lives, Hamada Gaku as everyone's director, all did a great job. Also great guest roles and from famous actors. If you don't look attentively enough, you might miss them.
My only complaint is something I'm been complaining often in many dramas, seeing totto into her 60s-70s still looking like a 30 year old. The way she dresses changed. In a way I understand why they didn't bother in here, felt somehow appropriate in the surrealness of the show, but I have issues XD
Other than that, I wish we had seen Totto's relationship with different people simultaneously, but it could be the way it was portrayed more appropriate.
And of course having the actual Tetsuko in the drama was a delight. She really was an Omoshiroi Obasan!
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This review may contain spoilers
Probably the TAMEST History show of the series yet.
First, this show was not all that terrible. I was expecting worse based on these comments/reviews. It was actually better than History 4, in my opinion.My likes:-
1) Tai Che Ni. He was a high functioning, neurotic mess, but very likeable and funny and I'm glad he released all that energy in taking care of Hai Yi. They had the bickering couple thing going on and it's my fav troupe.
2) Hai Yi. Lips to die for, a big kid, getting through his abandonment issues, but still very sweet.
3) The Time Lord or Time Deity. Whatever the hell he was called, he was funny and his random scenes always cracked me up.
4) I liked how they didn't waste time with Che Ni freaking out when he came to the future. He was adaptable. It helps that it was just 22 years into the future. But yea, they got right down to it.
5) The Sam reveal was a nice plot twist.
My Dislikes:-
1) The second couple really didn't have anything going for them expect for all that company drama and Liang Wen Hsen keeping tabs on Lin Huai En throughout his entire life. But they were cute I guess.
2) Tai Che Ni. The big dummy started to sabotage the relationship from episode 18 and onwards.
😭 Then him asking Hai Yi to go back to the past with him. Child, ain't no sane minded person will go back to 2000 when they have millions and a company to run in the future.
3) The misunderstandings. It's 2023. Time to put this troupe to rest unless it actually works for the story. ALL of these misunderstandings could've been solved if these guys had sat in a room, told their respective partners to STFU, listen and don't walk out of the room, until they had finished EXPLAINING the issues.
4) At one point we got nothing on the time travel element and they just focused on company shenanigans. But this was also clearly soul transmigration since Bo Wei ended up in Che Ni's body. So where's the REAL Bo Wei??? Because they clearly didn't give two craps about what happened to the real Che Ni that must have been trapped in Bo Wei's body back in 2000.
But other than that, this was alright. There was another obligatory History cameo with the stepbrother and psychopath getting their happy ending, but they refuse to give us a proper ending to Hsiao Li Cheng and Teng Teng because their story still felt unfinished. This was possibly the tamest and fluffiest of the History series.
P.S, I liked the main couple's love scene. It was sloppy and more realistic looking.
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I must say this is definitely better than the anime and a little better than the manga. For instance, Usagi is much more serious and not such a wimp or a crybaby like the way the anime portrayed her to be. Ami is actually more fun and not into studyin g so much, Raye is more kinder and less harsh and not boy crazy, makoto is even cooler, and minako is definitely more focused than the way the anime portrayed her.
This is a really good series that is worth watching, especially if your a fan of the anime or manga or a fan of both like i am. You won't be disappointed. You will even love the ending. Watch it if you have a chance.
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To be honest, the show itself isn't necessarily anything special. It is a cliche romance story with cute characters. You have your typical popular mean girl, a handsome guy everyone is in love with, and a female lead who is adorable but not necessarily beautiful by societal standards. But, I don't think the directors or writers were trying to make anything very deep or unique. The show is just supposed to be just a fluffy, quick watch. And I think it delivered it's purpose very well; the characters were adorable and the romance was very very very sweet.
My only complaint was that the ending was a lil incomplete. However, since it is a show that is just two hours long, I wasn't too mad or annoyed. I would definitely recommend this show to anyone who wants a cute lil watch that can make their heart flutter ((:
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