Reviews

Fantastic friendship!!

I liked this drama particularly for its focus on friendship.Court of judicial review and it's six detectives and the bond between them is the main highlight of this drama.
I liked how Chen shi,Wang Qi,Alibaba,Cui Bei and Sun Bao always stood in support for Li Bing even in his weakest and hardest times.
Also,I liked how each of the six members had an incident which was related to the main plot.
Each and every one of them had their own story.In particular,i liked the total episode of Cui Bei.
The plot was intriguing and though was confusing at some times,but still had a good ,warm ending.
All the cast were excellent in their acting.
Overall,it's a worth watching drama, especially for its friendship theme.
Go for it👍

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Purr-fect Detective Uncovers Pawsome Plots

I have been a fan of Ding Yu Xi for a while now and was excited to see him in another cat based role. However, I would have to say I probably will not be rewatching this series as a whole. Personally I don't think there was nearly enough fight / action scenes in this series when you compare it to the how intense some of these cases were. If there was more action other than chasing the criminal down or running away from other authorities, I definitely think I would've been more intrigued.

In saying that I really love series where the main character is either extremely smart or strong, both of this can define Li Bing. The cases that they solve are interesting and I do say that I am glad that he was an extremely smart character from the start and didn't just receive this blessing once he transformed into his cat like state.

The overall story was good with a lot of information being fed to us throughout the series. Nearly all the cases and investigations lead to the final plot and offered support to the main characters development and story conclusion. We also got information and back stories of all the main members, which allowed us to understand the overall side characters better.

** Characters **

I believe the actors in this series were great, but the poor character planning and development sort of let me down. Let me explain:

My biggest let down for this series was Vice Minister Shingguan (Think that was her name ;) ). I would've loved to see her become a stronger and more reliable character in the end of the series.

I also found that the side detectives were definitely the comedic relief for the first 3/4 of the series with their roles only becoming more interesting and useful in the last 6 - 7 episodes. I found some of these side characters to be annoying at the start due to the lack of progress they were making as detectives.

The main roles of Li Bing and Qing Qui were definitely the highlight of the series (as intended) which their roles being clear from the start. Maybe a little too clear if you ask me. If you pay close enough attention for the first 4 episodes, you can essentially identify the overall plot of the whole series.

** The Transformation **

Originally I was thinking that the series would use a common trope of adding a tail and ears to the person to signify that they were a cat demon. So needless to say when I saw a full blown cat head and paws on top of Li Bings body, I can't really say that I was a fan. I find these sorts of Anthropomorphic transformations to be difficult to watch and often find them cringey.

On the opposite side, the slight transformations of the eyes and cat like characteristics when in human form was definitely a fun and interesting side of the story that offered some uniquely fun comedic relief to the story.


Overall I believe this to be a decent watch. As I said, I probably wouldn't be rewatching due to the Anthropomorphic transformation and side characters. But would still recommend anyone to watch this as a side series / filler series.

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An Excellent but Too Short Adult BL Romance

This was very enjoyable to watch. The actors have an amazing chemistry, and whoever the cinematographer was should get an award for how well they made Hasegawa Makoto and Furuya Robin look. There were so many moments where both men were lit with an amazing golden hue that rivals feature film or big budget advertising cinematography. Plot-wise, I must say that there's a nice feeling seeing two men navigating a past shared teenage trauma and trying to figure out if they right for each other as adults. Amidst the drama, there are some nice comedic touches from Takashi's assistant, and Takashi's "brother." It also presents a nice story of gay man standing up for himself in the face of some traditional Japanese conservatism. They did a great job of casting three teenage versions of the adult men, actually finding young actors who looked like the adult actors, particularly the young Miyata. I think that some very talented hair and make-up people also had a big hand in that. Lastly, although there was no explicit nudity, the sex scenes, though brief, were quite frank and passionate.

My only criticism is that six 24 minute episodes felt too short. I could have used a little more delving into Takahashi's psyche and how he was affected by his broken relationship with his family. They explained everything in the final episode, but whereas I felt I really understood Miyata's trepadations about entering into this relationship again, Takahashi was a bit of a mystery throughout the series. I know a big part of the plot was predicated on Miyata not trusting Takahashi's words, and us not completely understanding his motivations helped elevate that plot thread. Miyata's voiceover gave us really clear insight into his character and I think some time could have been added to do something similar with Takashi's character. But this is nitpicking. Koi wo Suru nara Nidome ga Joto is an excellent series and very much worth your time if you like adult BL dramas.

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One of the best BLs I've watched

This is my first review here, sorry if it's bad, but I love this drama so much, I had to write something.
First, I've watched this one I think two times and a "half", and I'm definitely not the type re-watch something, so that tells you something about the story.
The main couple is really sweet, and, even with the obstacles and the clear differences between them, they manage to be one of my favorite BL couples, the actors did SO WELL with them, even when they're not being intimate, you can tell they're attracted to each other. They're lowkey an enemies to lovers kind of couple, but I feel like there was always tension in between them. Also, when the policeman (I forgot their names lmao) started showing signs of liking, he was soooo cute.
Now, my favorite couple is actually the second one. They're so cute so sweet, they're were clearly going to be together from their first interaction, the amount of times I've watched YouTube compilations of those two together... God!! I love them!!! I love the contrast between the cute and naive policeman, with the "dark", clever and dirty minded mafia guy. And I love how they're were not toxic, and Jack never forced anything to happen. He knew exactly how to flirt, and I looooove their ending.
I would love to see a season 2 showing how their lives changed since starting being a relationship with a mafia person. That would be so cool!!!

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Keep giving it a try..

This review is also a LONG time coming and this, like Senior High 2, is a continuation of my review of Senior High. In that review, I mentioned that both seasons had sort of become one in my mind because I watched them at a stretch, but that I did vaguely remember where they made the cut. Now I can also say why my rating has reduced if both seasons really did feel like one.

⚠️ CONTENT WARNINGS ⚠️
The show contains depictions of bullying, violence, SA, murder and much more. I found it pertinent to include this because the depictions are rather explicit, and caution may be exercised before watching.

The reason my rating went down is because like a lot of school based series, Senior High took the decision to have the adults be more involved in the story. Season 1 mostly focused on the students and the school itself, but suddenly you have the adults thrown into the mix in much larger roles, which here meant all the horrible scenes from season 1 were happening double fold.
I always noticed that the viewing experience is brought down significantly once adults are throw into the equation in a thriller set within a school or university, and this was no exception.

All of a sudden, the content was much more explicit, the plot twists that much more improbable and the characters much less likeable. The feeling that they were probably dragging this along far too much started to creep in and by the time the finale rolled around, it was a little dissapointing since a lot of the story had become predictable.

While dragging out the series may have made it a bad, it was still engrossing most of the time. To even out the truly horrible scenes, there were ones that weren't as horrible, and maybe even kind of nice.
It was kind of a step down from season 1 for me, but not by much.

Once again, give it a try and see if you like it. If season 1 was your cup of coffee, this may probably be as well. Maybe it will surprise you just the way Senior High did.

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Give it a try

This review is a LONG time coming because I watched the show months ago, but I couldn't think of what to put in my review once I finished it. I thought giving it some time would help and then I promptly forgot to actually do it.

Since High Street (sequel to Senior High) just started airing, I decided to write it now.
Here's the review:

⚠️ CONTENT WARNINGS ⚠️
The show contains depictions of bullying, violence, SA, murder and much more. I found it pertinent to include this because the depictions are rather explicit, and caution may be exercised before watching.

I started watching this because I came across some clips on YouTube, but I decided I wasn't going to watch an 50 episodes (100+ with both seasons) just to catch a glimpse of two people who may or may not become a couple. I decided the clips were enough until I realised that I didn't really have the complete context of the story, plot wise or romance wise, since both seemed to be integral for my understanding.

I then caved and started watching it, deciding that if I didn't like it, I could just stop. And would you know it, I couldn't stop. The show is dramatic, a little cringey, and downright impossible at times (most of the time), but it keeps you invested.
It's the kind of series where the kids have more common sense, compassion and just plain humanity compared to the adults. It's more dramatic than it needs to be and that's probably what worked.

The story follows Sky Love Cruz, a recent transferee to Northford High, the school which her twin Luna Amore Cruz attends. Not long after, Luna dies of an apparent suicide, but Sky thinks otherwise and decides to investigate. As she rules out suspects and gains allies, she discovers the deep, dark secrets of the school and the people in it.

Without giving away much about the plot (which I won't either way because it's far more complicated than one would expect) the story manages to keep you on your toes the entire time. Yes, the scenes are drawn out, yes plot points could have been concluded much faster than they actually did, but there is a high chance that you'll be invested either way. It very much reminded me of the soap operas we get on television where I live, and maybe the familiarity made me like it a bit more.

Now, I will admit that both seasons have sort of become one in my mind because I watched them at a stretch, but I do vaguely remember where they made the cut, and season 1 provided quite the setup for an even more dramatic, over the top and traumatic viewing.

Give it a try and see if you like it. If I'm being completely objective, this is not everyone's cup of coffee, maybe even not mine but be what it may, it surprised me and maybe it'll surprise you as well.

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Bad and… bad.

This is one of the messiest shows I’ve ever seen. It constantly changes it’s focus and villains, not in a serialized way where there’s a different focus each episode but in a confusing way where we spend multiple episodes following a story only for it to be gone soon after. New characters are always being introduced too. I felt like I was being dragged all over the place- it would always seem to finally find it’s story only to jump into something completely different.

The DID is completely a subplot that adds very little. From the way the show was advertised/promoted it seemed very much like that would be the main point but it wasn’t really. I have only ever seen DID portrayed absurdly (in soap operas for example) so I have no idea how to judge it’s accuracy, but I have seen other people be very upset with it’s depiction here. You’d think they would have done some sort of research on the condition especially with having Ryu Su Yeol constantly visiting a therapist about it in the series, but I doubt it.

The cast makes it semi enjoyable but not enough to warrant the overall watch honestly.

Han Ji Eun is a definite stand out, I hope to see her in more leading roles. That’s all I can take away from this honestly.

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Its never the power, but the choices!

Technically speaking, it's just the same repetitive story of young adults, each with different superpowers coming up together to compete against each other, coming out of their shelled home to experience their world, to realise that just because you are the top of your sect doesn't mean you are the top of the world, there are greater and more powerful talents. Yet at the end of the tunnel lie the challenges that they must face United. Cause no matter how competitive they are against each other, each of them fight for their cause of protecting their loved ones.
But what makes these yet repetitive stories unique, maybe the implementation of it. Was it presented comprehensive enough to make it enjoyable for the viewers? Did it have elements that made it a binge-watch for the viewers? Yes. It was, for me atleast!
Trying out modern martial arts+superpower drama was a new for me. Considering the fact that I already dropped it in first 5 mins for 3 times consecutively, since I wasn't prepared enough to experience something new. But anyways, finally managed to persist this time, and voila! It didn't disappoint, I would have missed such a treasure. The comedy was fulfilling to the point that I am still suffering from stomachache. Yet, the tragedies were sad too! It was so well-put, as if the author wants us to face the reality of tragedies, helplessness, sadness, yet at the end wants to give us hope to live optimistic!
The characters were individual. Normally, some dramas often fail deliver every individual as powerful, just to highlight the main lead, but that wasn't the case here. Besides having different powers, each of them have well set character sketch that integrates well with their powers show casing how their powers influence their personality and vice-versa.
You know those moments, when each character is interesting to the point that you look forward to their scenes, their interactions like everything about them. And ladies and gentlemen, yes, the dynamics between characters never failed, literally never!
The CGI and camera angles were well done. The fight scenes were smooth, and precise! So huge hats off to all the actors as well as the stuntmen, for pulling off their roles so well in these scenes. There were certain editings and inserts in the story that was well done, giving a closure to every single character even in this 27 episode pack! Heavy applauses for this implementation!
There were so many storylines to follow, so it was fun to see these youth reaching the fork path of choices, their growth, their choices. The plot had mysteries to follow which kept viewers intrigued until the end. And still, until the end the mystery wasn't exactly completely solved. There are many questions yet to be answered, many secrets yet to be unfolded leaving a space for season 2. And yeah. I heard they are filming season 2 currently!

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A High End Adaptation You Definitely Need to Watch

Love isn’t always beautiful or happy. In truth, love isn’t really about beauty at all but the depths to which we can fall, good or bad. The beautiful is in the good. The pain is in the bad.

The new Thai BL series My Stand-In cleverly captures these nuanced emotions, highlighting both the good and painful. It follows Joe, a stuntman doubling for the famous actor Tong, who develops feelings for Ming, a complex figure who sees him only as a stand-in for Tong. Tragedy strikes when Joe dies in an accident, but fate intervenes, and he awakens in another man’s body, also named Joe. When he reencounters Ming, the truth behind their love story begins to unfold.

And that’s where Ming and Joe’s painful reality truly sets in. Their story starkly highlights the brutal yet touching nature of love and how it has the power to both lift someone up and shatter them.

Read the complete article here-

https://the-bl-xpress.com/2024/05/09/my-stand-in-first-impressions-ep-1-2/

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A Funky Romance With Quirky Characters

The show opens with a confession scene and it is one of the most hilariously aggressive ones I have ever seen!

The cue to start this romcom was obviously Kim Myung Soo; having watched his recent thriller “Numbers”, I was intrigued with finding out how he would fare in a romantic comedy. So far, so good, Kim Myung Soo does a good job portraying a 21st century Korean Confucian man with a rebellious streak. As for his co-star Lee Yoo Young, I read a lot of comments on MyDramaList, talking about their age gap & how she looked too older than Kim Myung Soo. Is the age gap that viable? Yes, it is but it really doesn’t deter the romance happening in the background and I wasn’t bothered by their age difference. It may be because the female lead didn’t strike me as an odd counterpart to her younger co-star. They make a formidable team while facing their individual problems; the story is not just about their relationship. You can draw your own conclusions after watching the pilot episodes; for now, I’m enjoying the drift!

Read the complete article here-

https://kcdramamusings.wordpress.com/2024/05/15/dare-to-love-me-first-impressions/#more-817

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A Refreshing Gem: "Welcome to Samdalri" is a Comforting K-Drama

I'm compelled to share my thoughts on this delightful drama, which has left a lasting impression on me. "Welcome to Samdalri" is a true gem that has captured my heart with its gentle, refreshing story and lovable characters.

As someone who tends to avoid heavy dramas and frustrating villains, I was thrilled to find that this show exceeded my expectations in every way. The female lead shines brightest, with a growth arc that's both inspiring and relatable. I was particularly impressed by the way the community rallied around her, offering support and encouragement on her journey.

The small town setting is also noteworthy, with its picturesque scenery and warm atmosphere that feels like a cozy hug. It's no wonder that this drama has become a comfort watch for many fans.

What struck me most, however, was the drama's ability to soothe my frazzled nerves after watching another intense K-drama, "Queen of Tears". This show was the perfect antidote to the stress and angst I had accumulated, and I found myself fully immersed in its gentle charm.

If you're looking for a lighthearted, feel-good K-drama that will leave you feeling uplifted and comforted, look no further than "Welcome to Samdalri".

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Maybe it's the best I've ever seen

When I started watching this drama, I didn't expect to be so surprised. The plot is basic and I thought it wouldn't have much depth. I realized it would be the opposite when each episode was 1h30 (LOL). however, even with long episodes, the plot, development and characters manage to sustain themselves. Furthermore, the subplots developed are thought-provoking, and in many moments I found myself tearing up with secondary characters (something that was very well used in this drama). another factor is that I cried even more with the main couple. In addition to the two protagonists having undeniable chemistry, seeing them hurt each other (especially the male character) was something that affected me in undeniable ways. I was on the third episode and I thought DAMN, I'M OBSESSED. result? I marathoned in three days. I agree that some of the solutions at the end were hasty, but damn it I loved it

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Your August is my August

The 2021 of August, you were there, I was there.
This may holiday, my father and I watched"August" at home, he asked me about you, I can not answer, a moment of rapid heartbeat, the familiar fear came to me, i can not face, the injury is a lifetime.
As a bystander I am, but you are stronger than most. For me, after August, I just hope you are better and better, and you are better than most of us expect, whether it's a documentary or a concert, it's beyond our imagination!
"August" is the first film you directed, I always imagine before seeing this film, how will you make it? What will be the subject of this documentary? You can always surprise people, after seeing this documentary my friends and I unanimously issued a"Is really Zhang Zhehan!" Feeling.
Will it pay off? I think time will tell.
Thank you for your strong and firm belief all the way! ! !

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