Acting/Cast: I was glad to see that Danson Tang came back to the TDrama scene with a bang. His depiction of the main character was brilliant. I love how Danson was able to act out such a wide range of emotions on his face from sombre, mad, in love, sad, naughty, teasing to just being plain cold and arrogant. His was my favourite character in the drama. This brings me to my least favourite character in the drama - coincidentally, the female lead! Do not get me wrong here. Ivelyn Lee acted brilliantly and delivered an excellent performance. It is her character that I disliked. What I disliked about Ivelyn's character of Guan Xiao Tong was Xiao Tong's cowardice and indecision when it comes to love relationships. She tends to over-analyse everything (like the psychologist she is) and tries to predict how the relationship will end. She failed to just enjoy being in a relationship and just let things develop naturally. She's always putting one foot in the relationship and another foot out (just in case things go wrong!). Therefore, she would always take the first step to end the relationship before she would really get hurt beyond repair. It did not matter what the man did for her or how much he had expressed his love for her...she has her own agenda and has already decided how she will end things with him. And once she had ended things with him, she started to over-analyse and regret her decisions in her past relationships.....the indecisiveness of her character totally makes me angry. Hers is like a pendulum, always swinging back and forth, always trying to take the middle ground but failed. Personally, I dislike ppl who are indecisive and have insecurity issues. I am glad that towards the end, she learns from this flaw of her character and grows more mature in her relationship with the male lead. It is because of my personal dislike of indecisive characters that I rated this drama 8.5/10 instead of the 9/10 I gave for its story. A stronger female lead character would be more to my liking.
Music: Lovely music but I've heard better ones before.
Rewatch value: I love all the lovey dovey scenes and the scenes where Danson acted the jealous and naughty man going after the girl he likes. I am a traditional person when it comes to love and appreciate it when the man is the one who goes all out after a girl and makes it so very apparent to all and sundry! To me, that is very flattering to the woman and very romantic as well. Therefore, this drama has a high rewatch value for me because of all of the romantic scenes between the leads.
Overall: It has been a while since I'd watched a TDrama. The industry has experienced a slump of late but once in a while, you'll find a gem and as of July 2015, this drama is the gem of 2015 TDrama for me. If you like romance dramas with mature story lines with a hint of mature comedy such as 'In Time With You', 'I want romance', 'Gentleman's Dignity' etc - you'll most likely like this drama as well.
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Acting/Cast: Perfect 10 for cast and acting. Ji Chang-Wook was the perfect 'Healer'. Although I watched his acting in Empress Ki and Smile Donghae, it is his acting in this drama that drew me in to this young actor. I am expecting great things from him in the future.
Music: The OSTs are good - if you are into ballads. I am surprised that they did not have at least 2 or 3 OSTs in this drama with stronger and faster tempos for the action scenes - again, a big giveaway that this drama is more of a romance drama than action. The action just spice things up a little (though not too much in my opinion).
Rewatch value: This drama is an easy re-watch despite it being a 20 episodes' drama. Each episode is interesting and has its' 'moments'.
Overall: I gave this drama 9.5/10. It is just a touch under perfect but still a very worthy drama! If you haven't watch it, you need to start clearing your schedule for 2-3 days, sit down and just marathon it. Trust me, once you start this, you are hooked!
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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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The story is typical of 1930s Shanghai romance with the involvement of businessmen, gangsterism and Japanese spies. Personally, I think the entire story can be told in around 25-30 episodes. There were just too many flashbacks and insignificant scenes that distracted from the main story. The main story itself is actually not too bad. Therefore, I blame the lower rating of story and overall on the directing of this drama. If the director had cut down on the flashbacks, insignificant scenes and tightened the drama - the story of Jin Xiu and her sister Ming Zhu would have been better told and Cruel Romance 2015 would have been a better product. If you are planning to watch this, I highly recommend that you fast forward the flashbacks. It'll be less annoying this way.
Acting/Cast: I give 10/10 for the actors and actresses. They all did a superb acting job. The reason for my final lower score of 9/10 is the many obvious errors in directing and editing of the drama. There are parts that seem to drag 2-3 seconds too long - the pause causing a less smooth shifting of scenes. It is not the actors' fault as it is the director and editor's job to make sure each scenes flow nicely into each other without any obvious or awkward pauses. Again, I place this blame on the doorstep of the director.
Music: Nice OSTs:- sad, nostalgic and meaningful. I have them downloaded and am enjoying the OSTs now.
Rewatch value: Due to its' length and the many flashbacks, it is not a good candidate for re-watching. However, there are some romantic scenes between Zhuo Zhen and Jin Xiu that may warrant some re-watching for those of you romantics at heart!
Overall: Considering the directing hiccups, I give this drama 7.5/10. It is a passable drama but not great. Story-wise, it is worth your time watching but only if you are happy to be pressing the fast forward button over tonnes of flashbacks.
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Now, that is what history remembers Wu Ze Tian as - brilliant, perfectionist, strategist & murderer. But is this the personal Wu Ze Tian? This series acted and produced by Fan Bing Bing give viewers a different take on the cruel empress - one that colours We Ze Tian as a kind woman who fell victim to broken relationships, lies and plots of others around her. A helpless and vengeful Wu Ze Tian??? Hmmm....I know many who are skeptical of this! At least I know my aging mum who's a bit of a Chinese history buff cursed this portrayal of Wu Ze Tian. All Chinese knew this empress as a cruel person - why is she suddenly a nice, innocent and victim-of-circumstance person? Perhaps, this is just another perspective - albeit a more feminist perspective of Wu Ze Tian. We all know that Fan Bing Bing's a consummate feminist and this is her attempt to give the world a different portrayal of powerful Chinese female historical figures. Her next project is a drama on Empress Dowager Cixi. The Chinese hated Cixi even to this day. There is a tradition in China where ppl spit at her grave and curse her even to this day - that is how hated this woman is. Like Wu Ze Tian, she murdered many - including her own children and relatives. She's also the woman who signed away HK, Macau and many important Chinese ports to the Brits so she could continue with her opium addiction. Unlike Wu Ze Tian who at least ruled the country wisely and contributed to the expansion of the Chinese empire, Cixi actually almost destroyed it. The Chinese saw the last of the Chinese emperors, partially thanks to her. So, how will Fan Bing Bing portray Cixi as a heroine in her next project? Let's wait and see...
Acting/Cast: Acting is good as all actors and actresses are very experienced. No problems in this department. The costumes are brilliant. Although the cleavages are common to the Tang dynasty's fashion, the elaborated designs, bright multi-colours and accessories may be a little too modern (and fanciful) to the time. There are also many instances when Wu Ze Tian has a more elaborate costume compared to the other women who were higher ranked than her. She even out-shone the emperor's costumes.. which is a no-no. It is obvious that the best costumes are reserved for Fan Bing Bing's main character of Wu Ze Tian which kind of created an unrealistic atmosphere. She should have gone with less elaborate costumes as befitting her station in the palace instead of insisting on being the 'peacock' of the lot.
Music: The OSTs are ok but not the main feature of this drama.
Overall: It's a good enough entertainment but let's be honest here, with 96 episodes... I don't know anyone who is crazy enough to re-watch this again. It is not the 'WOW!' kind of drama that would cause you to re-watch it. It's a once-off drama that is good enough to keep you entertained.
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Acting/Cast: I have no complains for the acting of the main couple. Zhu-Lie seems to exhibit more emotion towards In-Jun who seems to be the naive, honest-to-goodness Busan boy type character. The only person with acting problem is the guy who plays the role of Zhu-Lie's friend who can speak Korean...it was obvious he's new and his acting was odd at places. Other than that, everyone's done a good job. There were a couple of odd 'bridging' scenes where ppl do not speak (or speak little) and just look at each other with multiple expressions on their faces. I put that down to the awkwardness of communication when one is speaking Mandarin and another, Korean. That can be interpreted as a natural scene in real life when you have ppl speaking different languages trying to communicate to each other. You'll end up using nonverbal communication and one letter words instead. The actors and actresses in this movie use 3 languages:- Korean, Mandarin and English. If you ask me, where international romances are involved, this is a very normal situation.
Music: Love the OST sung by Park Si-Hoo and the faster beat ending OST.
Rewatch value: I give this a pretty high rewatch value simply because it's a movie. This is an easy watch -simple love story and just require 1 hour and 45 mins of your time. Some ppl complain about the slower pace but I find the pace acceptable. I've watched many melodramas, a bit of an expert in Chinese movies (hence used to their style of story-telling) and trust me when I say the pace of this movie is much better than a typical melodrama. Everything flows nicely towards an ending that did not feel rushed. If you are bored out in a weekend and just want to watch something passable and uncomplicated, this is the movie for you.
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When I was writing this review, I considered my review of the original Nodame Cantabile and my knowledge of the manga. For the original Nodame, I gave the story and overall score as 9/10. It was entertaining and stuck to the overall feel of the manga as intended by its original author. For this Korean version, I scored it slightly lower 8.5/10 because I felt that the the expansion of the stories of side-characters have reduced the impact somewhat for the storyline of the main couple, their victories and failures. The story of Nodame is special because of this unique and comical interaction and relationship between a handsome, straight-laced, no-nonsense genius conductor with a quirky, messy and 'autistic' young lady who happens to be a genius at the piano. It is also a celebration of the grandeur and beauty of classical music. Somehow, the Korean version did not make my heart race when it comes to the classical music parts as the original Japanese version did. Perhaps, it all comes down to selection of pieces and the situations they were played - it is my opinion that they could have gone with better coordination of the music to produce a better wow! and inspirational effect. In fact, there are parts when the orchestra was playing and the music was cut short, diverted or tapered off (especially when it is near its crescendo)- a no-no for me for a classical music-themed drama.
Despite its weaknesses, this Korean version has its strengths as it has a more well rounded overall story. It's just a pity that the role of Nodame was muted to some point where the Korean Nodame could be deemed as quite a normal young lady with a good understanding of how to function in a normal society (eg: except for the first time, there were no indication that she continued to keep a messy room, she was able to keep a proper job, she behaved like a normal person in a relationship etc). I feel that Nodame (as the title suggests) should be the shining character and at par in relevance with the character of Chiaki. This however, was sacrificed for the more rounded overall story.
Acting/Cast: Joo Won did a great job as Yoo-Jin (Chiaki's character) but he was definitely less resistant towards Nae-Il (Nodame's character). In fact, half way through the drama, he knew he was in love with Nae-Il, simply hid the fact whereas with Chiaki, he did not realise it until towards the end when Nodame left him. Even then, Chiaki had trouble accepting that he actually likes Nodame.
As for Nae-Il's character, played by Eun-Kyung, is definitely hands down, a less impressive and less stand-out character compared with the Japanese Nodame played by Ueno Juri. So far, Ueno Juri tops the Nodame character hands down. Nae-Il is a much watered down Nodame character to the point that she is actually quite normal - which in turn, took away the uniqueness of Nodame's 'autistic genius' character.
The rest of the cast did well. Special mention for Go Kyung-Pyu as Il-Rak. He has an energetic and endearing acting style in this drama. A total likeable character and definitely an experienced actor. I'll be keeping an eye out for him.
Music: I love all of the classical pieces in this drama as I did for Nodame Cantabile. My only complain was the poorer music coordination for the scenes and how certain pieces were cut short and fell flat before its climax.
Rewatch value: Personally, Nodame Cantabile was a much easier re-watch drama because it is more entertaining (as it follows the manga with its exaggerated facial expressions), has fantastic classical musics at the right time and mood and it is shorter in duration. It would be quite tiresome for me to re-watch this Korean version as I would have to know exactly which 'draggy' scenes (the ones involving the side stories of others and talking) to fast forward to get to the interesting parts. Therefore, I will not be in a hurry to be re-watching this anytime soon.
Overall: Considering its strengths and weaknesses, I gave it an overall 8.5/10. This version is certainly a different product that the Japanese Nodame Cantabile and should be watched as such. I made comparisons to the original above so that those of you who had not watched the Japanese version will know exactly where it differs. Rest assured I had evaluated this drama as a stand alone and an entirely different product. It is a good enough drama that it is not a waste of time to watch but it is not a wow! drama.
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Acting/Cast: Acting is good but not amazing. What sets this drama apart from others is the style of filming. The drama has a rather realistic and rustic feel to it. I must admit to frowning a lot in the first episode because I was not used to the way how the scenes 'move' a lot - like how you are watching a semi-professional home-made video. Eventually, however, I got used to this style of filming. There was none of the polished feel of the bigger budget 'mainstream' dramas. Even the special effects were minimal and low budgeted (mostly just light play). Yet, despite all of these, the story was good enough to make you want to click for the next episode (out of curiosity). It also helped that each episode runs for only 30 mins - kept things tight and concise without the audience losing interest in the story.
Music: Music was mediocre.
Rewatch value: This is a drama that you should watch at one go but once you know the story and its plots, you may not want to revisit it anytime soon.
Overall: If you have 6 hours to burn and do not have any excellent dramas you have not watched, this is a good alternative. Takes a while to get used to the different filming style, especially if you'd gone from the highly polished Korean dramas to this one. This drama is neither bad nor excellent. It sits somewhere in between as a fair entertainment.
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Acting/Cast: Mature and experienced actors and actresses. Side characters are very entertaining and they have their own little love stories to add into the story as well. I am not a fan of any of the actors or actresses in this drama, but I'll make a special mention for Eric (as Kang Tae Ha) and Yoon Hyun-Min (as Do Joon Ho). Eric showed a relaxed and natural form of acting. He had totally embraced and live the character he was given. One would even ask, is this his true character in real life that he is so comfortable and natural in portraying Kang Tae Ha? Yoon Hyun-Min as Dr. Do Joon Ho was hilarious, serious, smart and very much caught-in-between. Someone give this guy the main lead character in a romantic comedy already! I am sure he will do well in it!
Music: Nice but forget-able.
Rewatch value: This is a drama made to be watched once. You'll like it (but not adore it) and you'll move on from it. If you have nothing fantastic on your plate at the moment and do not mind watching romance drama depicting realistic struggles of dating relationships, you might want to make a time for this drama.
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Story: It is a simple story about a woman who was once a child star and a man who is the best music producer in the industry. The female lead plays a woman who is always positive and cheery. No matter what comes her way, she would smile and shrug her way through. Initially, her overly positive disposition was criticised by the male lead as he viewed her as being ignorant and stupid to the point of being taken advantaged of. Later, he realised that smiling and brushing negatives aside casually is her way of coping with losses in her life and he developed a respect for her. When he was betrayed by his best friend and rejected by his girlfriend of 8 years, the female lead stayed by his side cheering him on. He, in turned, staked his entire career on coaching the female lead into stardom again.They developed a comfortable friendship at first which quickly turned into romantic interest. What I like about this story is its simple and honest storyline executed in such a smooth and brilliant manner. Some reviewers have commented how the ending seemed rushed but considering it's relatively short duration (16 episodes is 'short' for TDrama), I feel that the ending was executed well. Viewers were not left in the lurch or an open ending. It was a concrete ending. This drama also featured some good kissing scenes... but then again, this is Chris Wu we are talking about. He's a very convincing kisser in all of his dramas.
Acting/Cast: Brilliant cast. No complains in this department. Unlike some reviewers who commented on how annoying the female character was; I did not find her character annoying at all. She played the sunny character well. As she slowly finds her footing again in the music industry, the female lead learned to stop hiding behind her smiles and nonchalant attitude and to take on rejections and challenges face on. As for Chris Wu.... need I say more?? The man's a seasoned actor. I'm glad he choose a good drama. I look forward to his future work.
Music: Well, this drama is set in the music industry where the male lead is the best music producer around. He started his journey as the guitarist and composer in a band he formed with his friends before shooting into stardom. What do you expect if not for great music? Excellent opening OST by Mayday and ending OST by Jia Jia. Mayday and Jia Jia seem to be doing most of the drama (and film) OSTs nowadays (including ones produced by China). Not that I am complaining... both Mayday and Jia Jia have brilliant voices....but it does make me wonder about other artists as well. Can we have some variety maybe??
Rewatch value: Pretty high in my books. TDramas nowadays run into past 20 episodes and it is not always that you get a good story packed into 16 episodes with nice pace, good character, story development and a concrete ending. Not to mention the wonderful kiss scenes. I have a few favourite scenes in this drama. I know many love episode 11 of this drama but besides episode 11, there are many nice scenes (and episodes) I would revisit soon.
Overall: A solid 9/10. To those of you who liked my past recommendations:- you will like this if your preference is anything like mine! Highly recommended.
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Acting/Cast: Love the lead couple. Excellent chemistry! The rest of the cast were brilliant as well and their stories were given adequate weighting.
Music: There is only one song that I liked from this drama. The rest were ok but not outstanding.
Rewatch value: Watching it as it aired was the way to go. If you haven't watch it, you'll appreciate this drama. It is a worthy entertainment. However, I will not be re-watching this soon due to work commitments. It is a drama that you'll like to the point of wanting to finish watching it on one seating but not one that you will be addicted to for months to come.
Overall: I give it a 8.5/10, mainly for its well-written story and excellent cast. Well done! I was definitely entertained!
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Acting/Cast: Biggest brownie point goes to......the main antagonist: Mr. Lee Joong Goo, played by veteran actor Mr. Lee Deok Hwa! This is not Lee Dong Wook's best drama and I find his acting rather stiff with limited range of emotions. To be fair, Lee Dong Wok is not the most expressive actors out there. He's better known for his heavy-lidded eyes, plush lips, height and impressive body than for his acting skills. I am sensing daggers being thrown towards me by his fans now. I will cease to criticise his acting skills. Perhaps it is how the main male character was written:- stoic, misguidedly determined and a tragic hero. There wasn't much to say about Lee Da Hae's acting except that her character was an interesting blend of comedy and personal growth.
Music: Nothing that sticks to mind. Slow and suited to the moods of the drama.
Re-watch value: I would not re-watch this. If it was not because of the lack of good dramas around the time this one was aired, I would not have filled my free time with it. Sometimes, I let the episodes run a while before catching up with it in fast-forwarding mode.
Overall: A fair story that failed to excite. Fans of Lee Dong Wok will probably watch this just for the opportunity to see him in yet another romance drama, but I maintain - this is not his best drama to date. I will not recommend this drama but I will not frown either if you decide to pick it up. The choice is yours.
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Acting/Cast: No complains in this department.
Music: Nothing stood out.
Rewatch value: Since I had watched this a while back, I am currently considering if I should rewatch this for this weekend. However, if you had just finish this movie, you might not think to rewatch it immediately... I certainly did not.
Overall: The movie is a blend of dark humour and romance; somewhat a sarcastic take on professional killers and the idea of committing suicide. Yes, of course you will fall in love with your client if she is the victim you are supposed to do away with as well.....what more, she gives you specific instructions on how to do it! Very helpful! Must be the perfect woman all professional killers are looking for out there..... NOT! LOL
In short, watch it if you have not watch it. Certainly worth your time. :)
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Acting/Cast: I will go out on a limb here and say I am a great fan of Jang Hyuk's work. So, it is no surprise here when I rate the acting/cast 10/10. Mature acting and all experienced actors. Wonderful cast. What more can one ask for?
Music: It is an investigative film - therefore, OST is not its forte.
Rewatch value: Unless you are a big fan of investigative movies or you've got the hots for watching a rugged Jang Hyuk dressed mostly in plain prison clothes, you might not want to rewatch this anytime soon once you know the twist at the end.
Overall: If you have not watch this, I highly recommend it. Just sit back and enjoy the movie. You'll find yourself constantly asking "Is he the murderer or is he not?" Fun stuff. ;)
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Acting/Cast: Superb and mature acting.
Music: Nothing that stood out, but hey... it's a movie, not a drama.
Rewatch value: This is an easy watch and certainly with good acting and a sufficient storyline to grab the audience's attention for 2 hours, it has a very high re-watch value. Great for weekend movies!
Overall: If you haven't watch this, I recommend this movie for your weekend watch. If you are Joo Won's fan, be prepared to fall in love with him all over again. If you do not know who he is, no worries.... just enjoy the movie. :)
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