CiaraRoisin
The Best of Actors Can't Fix a Poorly Written Script
**Disclaimer... This is just my opinion. I recognize and truly appreciate all of the hard work that has gone into producing this drama. Thank you.**There are already many detailed reviews that go over every aspect of the series so I'll keep this short and try to avoid spoilers. The Lovely Runner started out strong but floundered in the end. Though I didn't like the choice of time travel device I was interested in the characters and the female lead's quest to save the male lead. He had inspired her to keep living when she was at her lowest. He was gentle and kind towards a total stranger over the phone and then again when he met her in person. The female lead's despair after her accident was moving. I wanted them to be able to change their fates. Unfortunately, there are so many gaps in logic and my ability to overlook them that I became increasingly frustrated as time went on.
I think that the actors did a great job with what they had to work with. I found Im Sol's immaturity grating. She was supposed to be 34 in a 19 year old's body but she didn't act like it. She had good intentions as far as saving Sun-jae but she was also often unnecessarily mean and selfish. Both Ryu San-jae and Kim Tae-sung are genuinely good guys but their characters and stories were not developed enough.
Lastly, the soundtrack has some beautiful songs on it, particularly the ones by Byeon Woo-seok.
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Well Worth the Watch
**This is just my opinion. I truly appreciate all of the hard work and dedication that went into the production of this drama. Thank you.**I'm going to do my best not to include any spoilers.
This really was a very good drama and is well worth watching. The cast and acting are outstanding. I thought that Dylan Wang did a fantastic job as Xiao Duo, especially in the action scenes. I was surprised and impressed by just how good Chen Yu Qi, who played Bu Yin Lou, was. She really brought her character to life. Peter Ho was great as the emperor we grow to abhor more moment to moment. Guan Chang shone as Murong Wanwan aka Princess Hede (I could have Hede wrong, I don't remember and I can't see where to look it up). Wang Yue Xin, who played Cao Chung Ang, and Li Dong He, who played Yu Qi Lang, were terrific as well. I really enjoyed the action and martial arts scenes. They would have been even better if the fantastical jump/flying thing they added wasn't included but it wasn't as over the top as I've seen in other dramas.
I'm still torn as to how I feel about the two main characters. Initially I thought that Xiao Duo was very aloof (for good reason, no doubt), intelligent, ruthless and clear headed. About halfway through the story, he's completely changed. He no longer displays the clear headed judgement or caution that he would have previously. While I was happy to see things going better for him and to see his softer side, I was disappointed that he didn't use the skills he had when he could have. (I'm trying very hard not to give away anything.) Yin Lou, on the other hand, while a bit bratty and self indulgent in the beginning is infinitely more likeable than who she is at the end.
The story started off well. I was intrigued by the characters and their stories. It had some very funny moments and both the action and drama were done very well. Towards the middle though, I thought that the characters were acting "out of character". More and more of the suspense came from seeing them making very poor/unsafe decisions and waiting to see, with bated breath, if they would suffer the consequences. That isn't the kind of suspense that I like to see.
I think that the soundtrack has some very pretty songs on it. I don't speak Chinese but they do sound pretty and the lyrics are good as well.
The wardrobe and production departments did a good job too.
This didn't turn out to be short after all but I think I managed to leave out all spoilers. As I said, this drama is well worth the watch. The story can be a bit frustrating at times but it keeps your attention. The actors are what drew me to it and kept me watching.
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This review may contain spoilers
An Excellent Adaptation
**This is just my opinion. I sincerely appreciate all of the hard work and dedication that went into the making of this drama. Thank you. **F4 Thailand is an excellent adaptation of Boys Over Flowers. I've seen all of the live action versions, most of them multiple times, and this is one of my favorites. It has a great cast and wonderful characters. I think that Thyme's character is the best version of the ML in any of the versions. I love the depth they gave his character, that he actually tries to make amends and see things from their perspective. Ren was wonderful but not like his character is in the other series. He still has some sweet scenes but there isn't any actual romance to speak of and the part where he shoves Gorya put me off completely. Yes, I know Thyme did awful things in the beginning and yet somehow, in the context of this show, I see them differently. I just do. Anyway... I really liked the character of MJ but wish that he had been given more time. He was intelligent, loyal and supportive while still calling his friends out when he needed to. Glakao, Gorya's younger brother, was a sweetheart, as were her parents. Thyme's mother was also written and performed the best of any of the adaptations.
There were of course, characters that were a bit of a disappointment for whatever reason. The first of those was Gorya herself. Tu Tontawan Tantivejakul is beautiful and did a great job but her character physically assaulted other people for the slightest reason, was rude and whined all the time. She doesn't ever appear to work hard at anything despite having numerous jobs. Being hardworking and having a positive outlook had always been synonymous with the female lead in this series until Gorya. She is loyal and caring though. Kavin, on the other hand, while friendly and happy to lend a hand whenever needed, lacks the charm (once again, I'm referring to the character, not the actor, who did a great job) of his counterpart in Boys Over Flowers Korean version or Meteor Garden 2018. Instead, he has some of the worst lines in the series and ends up sounding like an entitled jerk. Lastly, there's Lita. I usually really love this character and think she'd make a better match for the ML but not this time.
Ultimately this series felt more like one about bullying and being true to yourself rather than one about love and friendship as I expected, having watched the other versions. There's nothing wrong with that. I truly enjoyed it. It was well written, tells a great story and has a wonderfully talented cast that did a terrific job bringing it to life.
My disappointment lies in that I wanted more. I wanted more of the individual members of F4 and Mira. More of the bond between them and Gorya. There weren't any vacations or excursions that would have given them the excuse to play and hang out together. Thyme doesn't play the role of hero as the ML does in Meteor Garden 2018 or Boys Over Flowers Korean version (it's been too long ago for me to remember the others). He does save her once but the writing in the scene lacks the heart of the others. Just watch Dylan Wang as Daoming Si save Shancai in the kidnapping scene and you'll know what I mean. Once again, not a fault of the actors. The writing just seemed more focused on resolving the conflict between the kidnapper and Thyme than on his sacrificing himself to save the girl he loves.
The biggest difference and disappointment of mine is the virtual lack of love triangle between Gorya, Thyme and Ren. Gorya develops a bit of a crush on Ren in the very beginning but it doesn't last. You don't wonder who she'll end up with. He's a good friend and often hero in her time of need, though the reason for their closeness is not explained. Other than crying for him and urging him to go for Mira I don't see what Gorya ever did for Ren. I usually root for Ren's equivalent in other versions of the story because of their deep relationship with the female lead and I believe they are better suited. I can't do that with this series because there just isn't enough there. I wish there were.
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The Worst Cross Dressing/Gender Bending Series I've Seen
**Disclaimer... This is just my opinion. Everyone has one and they are all valid. I know that I'm in the minority when it comes to this series. I appreciate all of the hard work that goes into making these dramas.**I watched this series because I liked Gong Yoo in Goblin. I had high hopes for it because of the positive reviews I had seen. Unfortunately those hopes were dashed almost immediately. The acting was good but the writing wasn't.
The female lead character is so uncouth that I can barely find words to express it. She didn't grow up starving alone on a deserted island but she acts like she did. She takes gluttony to the extreme with a complete lack of table manners and common decency. One or two scenes of her eating would have been more than sufficient to get the point across but there are far too many of them. She is aggressive, rude, selfish, arrogant, ignorant and ultimately, to me, unlikeable that I found it very difficult to care about the main couple. Yes, she is hard working, tough and loyal (in a sense) but that isn't enough to balance out the rest.
The characters and their relationships are unhealthy. There is lying, cheating, using, abusing, stalking, etc. but a general lack of what most people would define as real love. That and a lack of chemistry between the main characters. For all of those reasons I couldn't get invested in this drama and couldn't wait to be done with it.
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This review may contain spoilers
Some Character Flaws Are Too Great to Ignore
**This is just my opinion. Everyone has a right to their own, I'm always grateful for all the hard work that is put into every aspect of creating a drama.**I have watched so many dramas that I thought I couldn't be shocked anymore. I was wrong. There are a lot of dramas that depict a female lead character as physically assaulting a man because he's pushed her too far. I don't agree with them either. This drama takes it to the extreme though and I felt that I had to say something. The female lead character assaults the second male lead repeatedly. Literally beating him up. That is awful enough. What makes it even worse is that he's fine with it. Then, while discussing the assault with the first male lead states that if hitting him "makes her happy" then a man should take it.
I'm a woman and my complaint is not based on my gender. I object to anyone being abused. What kind of message are the writers sending to the viewers? When people watch enough of these kinds of shows they can't help but be influenced by them. I had hoped that there would have been some realization on the part of the female lead character that she needed to change and she would seek help for her anger management issues. I've made it to episode 24 and that still hasn't happened.
If you can ignore that aspect, this series does have some really sweet, touching scenes. The acting is good and although I've got no clue what the lyrics are some of the songs are very pretty.
The clothing and decor though were bad enough to be a distraction even for an older show.
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The Best Coming of Age Drama I've Seen In Ages
**This is just my opinion. I truly appreciate all of the hard work and dedication that went into the production of this drama. Thank you.**To be honest, I wasn't expecting a lot when I started watching this series. I wasn't familiar with the actors and I'm not a fan of time travel in stories. I decided to watch it because I was curious about Eun Gyeol's story. I'm very glad that I did and couldn't recommend it more highly.
It has a phenomenal cast, is very well written and has a beautiful soundtrack. It is heartwarming, funny, sad, suspenseful and ultimately satisfying. I laughed out loud and was moved to actual tears several times, a rarity for me. Viki has the lyrics to the songs translated as well so those of us who don't speak Korean are able to better appreciate the music. If you're interested in knowing them, as I am, I'd recommend watching it on there.
There are already reviews that are very detailed about the plot and characters and I've no desire to ruin it for anyone. If I were to change one thing about the drama, I would simply ask that there be more of it. Especially the ending which felt a little rushed.
I was happy that the writers, cast and production people made a series about a CODA student and his family in such a respectful, yet natural way. It was very well done.
All of the cast did an absolutely fantastic job, especially Ryeoun, who played Ha Eun Gyeoul, Choi Hyun Wook, who played Ha Lee Chan, Shin Eun Soo, who played Yoon Cheong Ah, and Seoul In Ah, who played Choi Se Kyeong. Jung Hyun Joon, who played Ha Eun Gyeoul as a child, and Choi Won Young, who played the older Lee Chan, were amazing as well.
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