I've had this on my plan to watch list for a while. So, since I was in the mood to watch a fantasy movie (around 3 days ago) I decided to watch it and I finally finished it today. Yes, it took me that long to finish watching this movie.

When I read the synopsis, the story looked interesting and like something I might enjoy. Sadly, for me, the synopsis was the most interesting and fun part of the movie.

The acting was nothing exceptional. Not awesome. Not terribly bad either. Just standard Japanese acting. Also, I can't really say any of the actors was better than the other because they were about the same for me. I didn't feel they made the characters come to life and, sometimes, it felt like they were just saying the lines they learned. I didn't even believe they were truly in love. But if you prefer Japanese acting above all others, it probably won't be a problem. For me, it was.

The music was also nothing especial, but it made the movie bearable. And the scenery shots were amazing.

The movie wasn't bad and I really wanted to like it. It was ninjas with powers! But I felt it could have been a lot better and I was not impressed in the least. As for re-watching this movie in the near or distant future, that will not be happening.

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Light & Heavy at the Same Time

This drama had been on my plan to watch list for a while, but I had been putting it off because I was worried the comedy would be too in your face or forced, which usually makes it unfunny for me. However, and even though I was watching/started quite a few dramas already, I decided to add one more to the list on a whim. This was because the ones I really wanted to watch had entered their multiple day breaks and the other ones I do have episodes available to watch aren’t keeping my interest.

During the first episode, or at least the first 30 minutes or so of it, I thought I would end up dropping this because the beginning of the episode wasn’t appealing to me and the comedy did feel a bit forced. But this soon changed as I kept watching.

For me, the comedy handled the comedy aspects of it well. Even when the comedy was too far out there, it had the right amount of angst, mystery, action, and seriousness to balance it out. This for me worked well because they didn’t overdo it on either the comedy or the tragedy. Another issue I encountered was a bad case of second lead syndrome. Don’t get me wrong, the king was endearing in his own right, but I felt the second male lead was better as she would have never have to guess what was in his heart. However, in the last episodes, I am glad he didn’t do what I was yelling at him to do and get what I wanted because the female character introduced then was perfect for oorie second male lead. She was as gentle, honest, protective, and fierce, in her own way, just as he was in his. I would have honestly loved to watch a few more scenes with them interacting, but I am glad they didn’t give him a miserable ending, of dying, becoming a villain, or eternally longing for someone who didn’t love him back, as they sometimes do in other dramas.

This drama was light and fluffy, while also being angsty in the right amount and at the right time. I enjoyed watching a grand queen dowager who, albeit trusted the wrong individuals, was not a raging evil plotting monster. I also enjoyed watching that the king’s main court lady and eunuch were loyal and never betrayed him. And most of all I loved that everyone received their just desserts at the end. The OST was nice and for me this is worth rewatching.

Was it a masterpiece? No.

Was it what I needed at the moment? Definitely, yes.

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Lack of Chemistry

The story concept seemed interesting to me since these days a lot of people turn to online dating to meet others. I liked the idea of this type of virtual dating. If it was available right now, I would do it since I wouldn't have to leave my house.

I really wanted to like the show, but it was not enjoyable for me. It is shot well, the idea behind the story is great, and it has some really amazing sights. I also liked that they liked each others virtual selves despite those not being a "mainstream look", this was probably my favorite part of the story. I also liked the friendship between Siwon's and Ahn Se Ha's characters. As well as that of UEE's and Kim Han Na's. Yet, it wasn't executed well enough. It lacked that something that would have hooked me and left me wanting more at the end of the show. Once it ended, I was glad. Another issue I had was that I felt UEE and Siwon lacked chemistry and it made for a hard watch.

If another drama was shot with this concept, but longer and with a different cast, I would watch it. As it is, I would not rewatch this even thought it's only around 40 minutes.

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This a very well done film. The acting was great, especially Yoon Kye Sang. This was the first time I saw him in this type of role and he was simply brilliant since he beautifully conveys all his emotions without uttering a word. Still, I felt something was lacking.

I didn't like the main actress, at all. When her character appeared was when the movie started to drag on and on for me and I practically lost all interest in it.

It did start to pick up a little in the last 20-30 minutes of it, where we are shown a very thrilling scene.

I won't be watching it again since I find the film is forgettable and I didn't enjoy it.

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I thought this movie would be something I would enjoy, plus I hadn't really seen anything with Lee Byung Hun in it. Sadly, I was not impressed by the movie and I was, especially, not impressed by Lee Byung Hun's acting. Sorry Rain unnie...

Story: Typical eye for an eye kind of story. There was something that made it a bit different from the others, but mentioning it in the review would probably be kind of spoiler-ish for those of you who haven't seen it. I'll just say there's a "support group". That was interesting. And I definitely liked the scene prior to the closing one. Not the last one...*yawn* I fast forwarded that part until I saw the ending credits.

Acting: I definitely liked Choi Min Sik's performance. He pulled off his role. I truly believed he was unhinged. It was a nice surprise when I saw Chun Ho Jin appear since I like him. Although in this movie, he had a very minor role. I was not impressed with Lee Byung Hun, but I've already mentioned that, haven't I? I saw him too stiff and the way he said his lines, it was like he was reciting them. Almost as if he was reading from a teleprompter in front of him. I just couldn't care about he was going through.

Music: It wasn't memorable and it actually made the movie less appealing for me.

I will definitely not be watching this movie again.

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What If?

When this show first came out, I had planned to watch it, but ten years later had passed and I hadn’t. I have loved Kaku Kento since I watched him in Asuko March, over ten years ago. It had been a while since I watched anything with him and after watching House of Ninjas, I decided to watch a few more dramas he has done in the past. So, Testimony of N finally made it back on my radar.

I should start by saying the drama is very slow paced. However, it is a steady type of slow pace that kept me engaged throughout the show and made me feel like I was traveling right along the characters throughout their journeys. The acting and emotional portrayal of the characters was great and that along with the mysteries and the heartbreaks they experienced along the way kept my attention. It was truly an emotional roller coaster for me. The drama had complex relationships where they experienced trauma, hardships, laughs, secrets, sadness, understanding, even betrayal, and lastly, forgiveness.

The drama also is not told in a linear timeline. It constantly switches back and forth between multiple key years. This storytelling method is one I usually detest if the whole show relies on it and, while Testimony of N, used it through the entirety of its story, I felt it made me appreciate the story more and made me want to stay tuned to know more.

The OST was decent and the songs felt, for the most part, adequate. For me, an OST can help make or break a drama. Especially when it’s one of this kind.

I cried throughout the drama in different parts, like when they portrayed the struggles of Sugishita Nozomi, Naruse Shinji, and Masato Nishizaki with their families, and probably for the last episode and a half. Even after I watched its last scene, tears were still falling and the feeling of longing, of “what if?”, has stayed with me even as I write this review many hours after finishing the show.

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Terrible Acting Which Had Me Cackling

I watched this on a whim as nothing was keeping me interested. I have to say these shorties get away with so much. This had more kisses than the last regular length romance C-drama I watched. The ending was better than most dramas with similar themes too, but the acting was so cringe that it had me cackling all the way through.

I did like the potential the story had and the OST was nice.

If you are not picky about what you watch, or are bored and want to laugh at bad acting, or just need some background noise, I'd say watch it as it's less than one hour long. I will not be rewatching it though.

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This was a ten episode drama which took me at the very least 7 months to finish. And even though it was only ten episodes, I still "speed watched" towards the last episodes. *hangs head in shame* Not really...lol

The first two episodes were fine and good. I was definitely surprised by how decently good the special Sci-Fi effects were. This is something that always worries me when watching dramas, especially Japanese ones. So I can confidently say, this drama has had the best effects from all the Japanese ones I have watched. But once the surprise wore off, I started to become bored. I just didn't care whether Ando Asahi lived or died. Also, the whole concept of the drama as to why she needed to live, not buying it. Nope. Ando Lloyd may have had more human emotion than I do. *shrugs*

So, I'll just say...

Ando Lloyd wasn't that bad. The acting was decent and the effects were good, but it was boring, except when they were using atomic disposal and stabbing/shooting/dismembering each other. Those parts always got my interest.

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Could Have Been Amazing

Although entertaining at times, I liked the beginning and the competition parts, the story lacked that something something which would have made it a hit for me. It suffered from trying to do too much with too little time. They also wasted too much time on the first part of the story. To the point that I felt it was dragging . I need to emphasize, this is a show with only 6 episodes. So, for me, this translated into the ending feeling super rushed. On top of that, it had one of my most disliked tropes, childhood acquaintances/friends to lovers, which is very difficult for me to swallow because it always seems to turn into insta-love. Or, at least, it does when it refers to the main leads. It was too goofy and the acting seemed unnatural at times I didn't feel the leads had any chemistry. I really liked the potential of the story, so I hope this gets a better and more fleshed out remake.

And I was soooo sick of the OST. Was there only one song?

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Terrible Overall, Easy to Watch

You are on the highway and see ambulances and police cars, possibly even a fire truck. You know there's a car crash and that you should look away. After all, you will only have yourself to blame if you see something terrible, maybe even gory. But you just can't make yourself look away from it. That is exactly how I felt about this drama while I was watching it.

Despite terrible acting, terrible kisses, being full of cliches, it's a super easy watch with some moments I found cute sprinkled here and there. This is my personal opinion and it's not meant to dissuade others from watching the show. If the show is something you think you will enjoy, try it.

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A Short & Fun Watch

I watched three shows about serial killers/murderers back to back. So, of course, a zombie drama was the perfect show to unwind. Although, the show is set during a zombie outbreak, it's not really about the zombies, it's about the people. This also means that although zombies are shown multiple times, they are used for comedic effect more than for horror, except for one event in the beginning.

This drama had it all; comedy, friendship, bromance, girl love, first loves, toxic relationships, insecure attachments, codependency, and even one effective, at least for me, jumpscare. The selfish nature of human beings is also highlighted throughout and it's especially noticeable through an event just before the last scene. Some of the characters, two more than the others, irritated me so much, but, overall, it was a fun watch with a quirky OST.

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