Family. This is what this drama is all about. The core of it, actually. Of course that I was the same like all those hard core fans of Nirvana in Fire, all scared and in hesitation and doubt whether to give a chance to sequel or not. We all know how sequels rather rare become good enough to justify all the glory of prequel. But if done right, yes it is possible. Like it’s the case with Nirvana 2. It really succeeded to give me the same vibe like Nirvana, to make me attach so much and care for the characters and their lives, to make me sit on the edge waiting what will happen next. The quality is high and you could easily see that it comes from the same director, the same production team, the same excellent writing and amazing cinematography. Whereas it’s less one character driven and concentrated on more characters and their lives, still it manages to make everything worth watching and full of greatly written characters. It’s important to not compare these two dramas because honestly they are very different, the whole story is different. So I decided to do that and found myself loving every episode, every scene spent with Xiao family.
Let me tell you something about Xiao family. They are certainly for me the best and most amazing family I have ever seen in dramaland. They way they care for each other, the way they protect and love each other, the way they talk and haven fun with each other, the way they deal with problems and the way they are loyal and honest, everything makes you admire them. And makes you love them all. I really like their interactions and how they were also close to the emperor and his son, they literally felt like one big happy family from the neighbourhood.
Drama actually has two parts, you could easily see how before one certain event things were and how they changed completely after that. I can’t say for sure which part was better but let’s say first part was more happy, blissful and joyful and the second more tragic, sad and bittersweet. I felt such huge pain, my heart hurt and I couldn’t stop sobbing while watching some scenes and if you watch the drama, I bet you’re gonna feel the same. I had to make pauses in watching until I got back being myself again.

As for the characters, I think I came to love too many of them. And hate too. If I were to pick one who stood out the most, I’d say it’s Tingsheng. His calm presence, his unwavering mind, his loyal soul, his wisdom out of this world and his unconditional love he had for his sons, everything he was and he felt and said was the core of this drama. I loved intelligent, clever tranquil Pingzhang; elegant supportive skillful Xiao Xue; impulsive, joyful smart fighter Pingjing; brave, loyal Feizhan; wise, amazing emperor, and many others but Tingsheng was the one who carried everything as he was the bond between this drama and original  he was the one who experienced everything. I found so emotional and beautiful each time they mentioned Mei Chang Su or Prince Jing or anyone from the original and it was done in such a wonderful way in many important moments.
I won’t talk about villains, there are lots of them too but sadly they didn’t leave some big effect on me, yes I hated them (specially the empress who was so stupid) but I couldn’t understand their actions and the reasons why they did everything they did. That was a bit let-down in this drama and how they ended with one of the characters- I get it was needed for the story to move on and for our lead guy to mature and take charge and grow up, but still it could have been done lot better. That was the weak part, it felt like a bit lazy writing so I couldn’t give the highest score. But everything else, from the characters, Xiao family, cinematography, music, battle and fighting scenes, I applaud for everything else. And most important, a great ending and closure of the whole story, its protagonists, antagonists and villains. I will leave it like this with my favourite sentence:

"I have seen the coldest aspects of this world. But in my life there are 3 things that I found fortunate to have experienced. First- I received teachings from my Master and that eliminated the grudges and hatred in my heart; Second- I got adopted by the former emperor and experienced two generations of wise emperors. I have never been doubted by anyone. The third thing was that I have a harmonious home- I was able to have good children like you and Pingzhang."
I will remember this for the rest of my life. Personally my favourite scene and moment where I gave all my heart to them, to that lovely and wonderful family, to that goodhearted amazing parent, who is so far, the best well written parent character ever existed in my opinion- papa Tingsheng.
So do not hesitate and give it a chance, do not think in advance how it will be bad, trust me it won’t. You will have your heart broken so many times, you will feel the characters so strong, you will cry with them, smile with them and care so much for their happiness, you will also hate some too and wanting to kill them so much, you will feel a need to grab your family so tight and wanting to protect them forever. All of this Nirvana 2 will give you. And more. Yes I say that prequel is better and nothing could ever beat that drama, that original Nirvana in Fire but if you watch this one and not compare, you’ll see that it’s also one phenomenal piece of art where family bond is everything, loyalty is real and existing, battle scenes executed in amazing way, breathtaking landscapes and where power and greed aren’t everything. Nirvana 2 definitely did become one my all time dearest dramas and I am glad that I gave it a chance and watched it while it aired. And now I don’t think I will be able to watch anything in the near future because of the amount of emotions I felt during the watch. Thank you for that, thank you drama for giving me such an amazing, heartwarming, heartbreaking, beautiful time, I will always cherish that and I am forever grateful to all the people who participated in making this drama come to life. I know I said too much and that my review is a very long one but that’s the case with Both Nirvana 1 and 2. It’s never too much. They are pure love. <3

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This movie is typical romantic comedy. And yet at the same time it's not. I picked it up because of the leads whom I really love and I kinda liked the plot. I was expecting something fluffy, cute and already seen but honestly it was different. The core and essence of this movie is actually quite different than all the other romcoms I've seen.
Yes the main plot is about one couple who were together for so long that their relationship started to fall apart and at one moment the girl comes in possession of magical chocolate that brings her mind when she was 17 to 28 years old herself in the present time. And going like that back and forth she begins to realize her life, her mistakes, she starts to find her old self again and learns what was it that she lost along the way till this day. Whole movie is funny and very sweet, it brings many memories of our own past and it definitely makes you connect with the main girl. She is one beautiful woman who for the man she loves gave up her dreams, her own desires and her own self, she thought that acting that way will bring her marriage and happiness. And that's when Little Liang comes to the light, she awakes in Liang that young spirit, she brings her back her love for painting and drawing, she makes her feel alive and full of life again, to be more brave and relaxed, simply she makes her to learn to love herself and do what she really loves. And that was the strongest part of this movie, the main focus is only on her and her two personalities- young 17 years old Liang and unsatisfied lost 28 years old one. The way they start to interact with each other, in the beginning their bickering, misunderstandings, to the part where they finally accept and learn all the lessons becoming one. The guys were pretty good although I couldn't feel the chemistry with her boyfriend and I find that part of the movie weak- it simply wasn't explained how they feel in love with each other and till the end I think they weren't suited for each other. My heart has won the second lead or should I say the guy with whom Little Liang fell in love with. He was a typical rebel, riding a bike with living his life to the fullest but the one who awoke in her passion and love, they were totally great together. And when you add that Darren Wang was that second guy, well then it's logical that I rooted for him. ;)

The choice of the actors was also good, Ni Ni is one gorgeous goddess and she looks more beautiful by each day. She could really pass as a high school girl. Her acting was very believable and although she is older than Darren, their chemistry was so damn real and fantastic. Wallace as the lead guy was okay but in his typical wooden serious cool style and although in some other projects of his I liked him, here he definitely wasn't my choice nor the right choice for her. Despite that, it doesn't matter in the end because the main thing wasn't in men and relationships, it was in her, her mind and her heart.

" I'm proud of us"- this sentence simply engraved in my heart, the moment she said it, the way how two of them were portrayed and what they said to each other, it was very touching and realistic. As long as we have our own selves, as long as we think with our hearts and do the things we desire, as long as we don't lose ourselves along the way of growing up, we can make it, only then we can be truly happy, making our dreams come true and our lives into the life worth living for. This is the best message one movie can teach us. Despite that we may already know all that, still it means and makes us smile. It made me smile and I fully recommend it for watching.

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So healthy. Kim Bok Joo is one damn healthy drama. I couldn't find more appropriate way to describe it with one word. Drama that will sweep you off your feet with its engaging story, lovely characters, interesting humor, beautiful scenery, wonderful music and amazing writing. I'm not usually good at writing about romantic comedies as I'm not some vivid fan of them but let me tell you that this kind of romantic comedy wasn't seen until now. It really wasn't. On the first look it may seem like a typical Korean drama full of cliches and repetitive plot but as soon as you dive a bit deeper you'll see it's so far from that. I think this is actually the most untypical typical drama that has all kind of cliches packed so great that in the end all those cliches simply disappear and you're left with something different, a breath of fresh air that crawls under your skin and steals your hear for a lifetime.

Being a sport theme drama, it could be a turn off for some of you. But don't let that affect you, just skip that and watch it because sport is there just a setting for real plot. Okay, you have sport university and some competitions in swimming and weightlifting but it really doesn't get boring or concentrate on that. The main focus is on one girl and life around her, her family, friends and love life. How she with help of all those people gets to become confident, mature brave young woman who strives for the best and with hard work make her dreams come true.We follow her journey through all that, her first crush, her first pain, her tears, sweat and fail, her smile, happiness and excitement, her confusion and realization what is actually love and whom she really loves and finally her will to accept herself fully and be the best in weightlifting.
I enjoyed in watching all her journey, in all the details this drama gave me in past two months- Kim Bok Joo with her friends who are best friends one could have- three of them are indeed an epitome of AWESOMENESS, their firm friendship full of trust, care, adventures and funny moments; Kim Bok Joo with her family, her dad and uncle were highlight of this drama and I truly loved watching them love each other that much, one of the best family relationships shown in dramaland; Bok Joo wih her coaches, those two people who helped her and were beside her all the way, who encouraged her and were there in both celebrating and bittersweet times; and finally Bok Joo with Joon Hyeong.
I dare to say that this couple, these two amazing living creatures are one the best characters written out there, couple that really became a synonym of trust, respect, love and untypical uniqueness. I loved them separated and I loved them together, I think both are truly good people who, like any of us have their own insecurities and fears, and who simply wish the best for their loved ones. They really care for their family and friends and they really try and work so hard to become good, better and the best at what they're doing. In the end they left me with feelings of full admiration and love for them. Their relationship is one of the healthiest I've seen, if not THE healthiest. Filled with humor, funny moments, teasing, bickering, great chemistry, with such natural and easiness, trust and without any stupid misunderstanding, whenever you think "oh now they're gonna mess it up like in every other drama", they surprise you with simple and normal way of dealing with all the problems, writing is just too good. And that is the best part of this drama, original, refreshing, atypical, great writing.

The actors are great too, each of them fitted the role perfectly and each of them tried to give a good performance. I really liked them all with some of them who stole my heart in a second -Nam Joo Hyuk, Lee Sung Kyung and Lee Joo Young as Sun Ok, those three somehow stood out the most. The leads were indeed great, actors did a wonderful job in portraying all right emotions when they should and actually they kinda surprised me which is good, I'll be looking forward seeing their work more and more, definitely won me here. But I guess everyone in this drama won me over, that's how much I loved it. ;)

Plus with some positive vibes and melodies, and some great outdoor shots, beautiful sceneries, I think this drama has it all. And it really deserves to be praised.
Where you have friendship that is so raw, real and pure, where you have family bond where nothing could destroy it and where you do all that you can for your beloved creature, where you have a guy who is probably the most untypical male lead in dramaland and who is literally the best guy you could ever meet and when that same guy loves you in such a normal, natural, feel good way, where you have a team that actually cheer for you without any backstabbing, when you have all that plus your own strength and will, I think you have the whole world under your feet. This is the message that Kim Bok Joo left me, simple yet heartwarming lesson- that all the people are ordinary people and that we all with the power that comes from our hearts and from the hearts of our loved ones, we can become extraordinary. Just believe in yourself, never give up and SWAG.

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"And then comes one Japanese slice of life and completely erases all the other movies she has seen in last couple of years..." Pretty much the first thought that came to my mind after watching this movie. It has blown me away. With every single thing in it. I had some idea about the plot and I knew it was gonna be some tragedy and illness thing but definitely haven't thought that it'd be such a gem, such a rare thing to watch, such phenomenal piece of art. Yes I think this movie is art. Poetic, artistic, so imaginative, full of parallels and metaphors, visually stunning, with excellent music and brilliant acting and writing. I seriously feel so weird now, I can not explain, I'm sad, I cried near the end like crazy, I'm devastated, I'm strong, I'm grateful and thankful and above all I am happy that I am alive. Description of the movie is already given on movie page so this won't be a spoiler for what I'm gonna say. Just imagine that you find that you're sick and that you're gonna die and suddenly you can extend your life in exchange for some things to disappear each day. I mean the sole idea is very original and interesting and from the first moment it caught my attention but with this pace and this excellent writing it really hit me hard. With each of those things that were disappearing, also memories with a certain person important in his life disappeared as well. With each day it was a new struggle, a new shock, a new fight in his mind and heart, terrifying knowledge that if you want to gain something, you must lose something, and when that biggest attack came, the most difficult thing he could ever lose, then it comes the final acceptance of his fate and his sickness. It was pretty hard to watch those scenes as they were very emotional and with pure rawness. I can't give enough credit to Sato's performance as he was simply incredible, his eyes, his smile, his way of talking, crying, yelling and dealing with everything, all of it was beautiful to watch. He really showed with this role that now there isn't anything he can't do and I'm glad cause of him. As most of the time he was the only one on the screen, I can't say that the others were in the same spot as he was but Miyazaki Aoi and Harada Mieko were amazing in their portrayals too, which was expected from such huge talents like they are. What amazed me the most is that by each encounter, by each of his choices we learn something new, new life lesson, new meaning of choices we make and consequences of that, we experience everything together with him and so easily imagine ourselves in his place, it was so easy to do that. And in the end what this movie really wants to say to us is what really counts -love, bonds and relationships we achieve in our lives. That even if you come to the most difficult and terrible point in your life, there will be always something, someone to make you feel good. To make you feel alive and realize why you're alive in the first place. That nothing can compare to the people you love and care about. That it is better to be loved, to love your family, friends, children and partners to the fullest even if it means that you'll live shorter, all that is better than being alone in the world without anyone to call to, to watch a movie with, to travel with but live a long life. I finally understand what 'If Cats Disappeared From the World" means. And it is something the most powerful. Go and watch this movie, either you're a slice of life fan or not, you won't be indifferent to this one. p.s. And watch movie till the very end so that you could hear the ending song and read the lyrics, it has such a deep meaning and perfectly goes with the whole movie progress.

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Completely, ultimately and definitely I fell in love with this drama. It is one of those dramas that you won't be able to forget in your whole life. No way. One of the finest gems out there. For me it was a big pleasure watching it and loving every second of it. With music in the main focus it was already destined to be loved by me but in the end music was only there as a reminder, I totally fell in love with everything else.
With Hikuma-sensei on top, each of those characters captured my attention. Those guys who were like some little immature gangsters who deserved to be beaten up, ah those 5 guys, their growth through the drama was amazing, how they become mature, serious young people with dreams, will and persistence, how they opened up to each other and sensei, how they were inseparable as a team, their friendship is for sure one of the most beautiful I've seen.
So many funny moments, sad moments, heartbreaking and heartwarming, fluffy and hilarious, important and full of meaning, this drama simply is a full package. It gives you with such simple, ordinary and already seen plot, everything you need and want to see in one drama. Well except romance, here it just wasn't needed and I'm glad that there wasn't any romance going on cause it would only destroy those precious moments between students and teacher.

I'd like to mention this old man, this fantastic actor who I love since I've watched him in 'Professor's Beloved Equation'. He gives such natural vibe every time, it's like he is there with all his heart and mind, incredible. And in this drama he was marvelous, his portrayal of a teacher who came to school full of delinquents to help them form a brass band was really impressive. I totally wanted Hikuma sensei to be my teacher, to be my friend, I wanted so much to talk to him and be the part of a band, one lovely good man who believed in his students till the end, who fought and didn't give up, who taught them so many life lessons, who helped them and always was there, I don't think that in real life is some teacher like he was. And with Terao Akira Hikuma sensei completely came to life.
Other characters were very well written and developed specially our five main guys, in each episode there is a story about one of them, explaining how and why they're this way in the present and with each episode every one of them grows and matures.

With some really breathtaking sceneries and nice usage of colors, with melodies that will take you to some amazing classical event and bring you vivid imagination, with fantastic script, deep lessons and with great characters, Aegoba will become that kind of drama that will hold a special place in your heart. I know now already how much I'm gonna miss all of them and their world, that wide world Himua sensei showed to us.

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I've actually finished this drama 10 days ago but somehow I wasn't able to let it go, I wanted it to stay longer in my currently watching list. And that's because I completely loved it. Yes I did. With all its holes, stupid, unnecessary and illogically evil Guo family, with less screen time of the Yin's who were the most important folks in this drama, with some rushed moments that looked like they were cut and with very uninteresting villains. And still it was an amazing journey. Because of those details I couldn't give more but I seriously fell in love with this drama.

The plot seemed very intriguing and engaging right from the start and we follow Liu Xiu's and Lihua's journey through the whole drama, from the moment they find each other after long time through many fights together against the current Emperor and for the people till he finally became an Emperor himself and then with classic palace intrigues, we live the life in palace with them. I wanted to learn and find more about this part of Chinese history as I was interested to hear more about her, about that woman who was a true companion for her man and who became an Empress with humble and pure heart. And it did live up to my expectations.



Let me tell you something about the leads and characters they played. Honestly you don't get to see such fantastic leads often in some drama, who carried the heaviest roles, who acted so believable to the point I literally wanted to wipe off their tears, kiss their foreheads, hug them tightly and smile with them when they were happy, they really engraved in my heart for a lifetime. Lihua and Liu Xiu deserve the title of the best couple ever in whole historical dramaland. I simply couldn't take my eyes off of them. Their relationship that is built on ultimate trust and honesty above all, so strong that nothing could destroy it. I really appreciate that between the couples. I became to feel respect for Liu Xiu cause he treated Lihua with such love and care, with such relaxing and positive attitude, he didn't care when she pretended to be a guy as he didn't care when she stopped pretending because for him she was one and only Lihua who he loved since he was a kid, he loved his men all equally and he trusted them, he wasn't jealous when Lihua was alone with them, the only woman between men and still he had real trust in all of them. For me that was the biggest strength of this drama, one big comradeship, men who fight for one cause and who built such powerful friendship along the way. Really worth seeing and experiencing that.

Not to mention chemistry between our leads, it was electrifying, you could feel it in your bones from their every move and I came to wonder how it's possible that Ruby and Justin are only friends? Amazing actors indeed. Justin has been my favourite Chinese actor since Scarlet Heart but Ruby, I didn't think she was this good, the woman is outstanding actress, that's for sure. Her gracious figure when she was a Lady Yin in the palace, her coldness and calmness when it was needed, her passion and courage in battles, her endless love for her family, she was the actual hero of this drama and she carried all of it. I don't think I've seen till now female character like hers, that much educated, smart, brave, loyal, tomboyish yet feminine, strong yet fragile, lovable yet very strict and someone who was selfless when it came to her family and closest people she loved. The one woman I'll admire forever. Yes in some scenes she exaggerated, all of the sudden she acted weird and not like before, that's when I thought that this drama has some flaws but most of the time I could totally relate to her and understand her.



This drama is also very good cause of the females, you get to see many intelligent and strong women who were most of the times more brave and smart than men which is a rare thing to experience in dramaland. Hu Po, Ding Rou I completely loved, those two girls were such support to our heroine and the ones who were beside her all the time never abandoning her. They are supporting characters but they mean so much, without them this drama wouldn't be the same. I enjoyed in their love stories too, one with Lihua's brother who was such adorable and wonderful guy, and the other one with Gongsun, Liu Xiu's best friend and most loyal general.



What was one of the biggest strength of SaA is family. Bonding between members of a family, between Liu Xui and his brothers, sister and mother, between Lihua and her brothers and mother, between them and Deng's, it was such wonderful sight, watching so many family members being so close and taking care of each other. For me Lihua and her family were the ones that captured me, they gave me feelings of warmness, coziness, feeling of home, I really fell in love with them and their relationship, every one of them had important role and each one of them simply crawls under your skin. I cried so hard when some of them died, I felt like my heart was ripping apart when some events happened and the way they happened, I really think that my heart died a few times during this drama and that's when I knew that this drama will become one of my all time favourite.



Many scenes were so real, battles were done in very good way, effects pretty realistic, sceneries breathtaking with beautiful usage of colours-red, blue and green, astonishing costumes, I wanted so much to try at least one of those dresses, everything seemed really on high level with high budget. For that part I don't have complaints.

Also music, opening and ending songs are so beautiful, the lyrics are among the most powerful I've heard and they have such deep meaning, every time I listened to them I get goosebumps. They fit perfectly with the drama and its plot.



I think I said everything I wanted to say, I think SaA is definitely a drama worth watching cause you don't get to see lead characters like that every day. And you don't get to see relationship building like that every day nor such comradeship and brotherhood. Those things are for sure the ones that will win you and keep you interested to watch it till the end. Despite all the plot holes and some really stupid characters and happenings. I would love for more dramas like this one, please.

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If more dramas are like this one, we'd live in drama heaven. I can only say this one is a drama for everyone. This drama became such a little gem for me and it will stay as something golden in my heart. Things inside this drama could happen to every one of us, stories of these gorgeous 5 women could every one of us experience, someone already did and someone will do. Realism that surrounds this drama is so high and you could feel it in your bones. Heartwarming, heartbreaking, touching, funny, beautiful and deep drama about 5 girls living together who encounter so many life situations where they become friends and where they share such deep bond that stays for a lifetime. I am so sad that it has only 12 episodes and that some things I wished so hard didn't happen but at the same time I love it for its cool ending, life continues, who knows what will happen with them, their love lives, etc. and we can only wish for the best for them.

Actresses did a really good job, where three of them really got into me, into my heart for real. Han Ye Ri as Senior Yoon- her scenes were the most heartbreaking to watch, her strength, her will, her on the surface coldness and her good heart were shown in every tiny detail, I admired her from the beginning till the end, and Ye Ri is one of my favourite Korean actresses. ? Ryu Hwa Young as Senior Kang- strong, cool, sexy, feminine, interesting, mysterious and so damn beautiful, this girl has won me and I totally fell in love. She was for me the most caring one, the one who was there secretly for all of them doing all that she could, simply a true friend that I'd be proud to have. And Park Eun Bin as Song- oh boy what a unique piece of art, I totally cheered for her 100%, she is crazy, funny, positive, talkative, confident yet shy, she has such a pure heart and always up for some weird and original stuff, she really steals your heart with her charm and wittiness. Yes all of them have their own flaws which is totally normal and I love them even more cause of that, in the end no living creature is flawless. The other two girls were maybe the weaker part for me, couldn't get into their characters nor the way they were dealing with some situations but hey, it'd be a fairy tale if all the girls are strong, smart, confident and cool. This way we get to see 5 different kind of women that slowly start to like each other and become so close.

Side characters were also good, those men have done pretty good job with their roles and I liked that, how every person in this drama had some importance. I had a real feeling like I was a part of that gang, that bunch of not ordinary women and that I am involved with their family and love lives. And I liked their apartment very much and that Belle Epoque's Landlady, she was so awesome.
Music is very nice with lots of wonderful songs, I really find every melody appropriate in certain scene and definitely added a more beautiful feeling.

This is kind of drama that you could talk about all the time, kind of drama that you could watch and rewatch and that every time you see and feel something new, the kind of drama that gives you such insight in how other women or different age live and it will tell you how the real life works, with nothing to make it bubblier of fluffier. If you're curious to see that, then Age of Youth is a perfect choice. Enjoyable, lovely, amazing and precious ride it was for me and I do hope deep inside of my heart for a second season. ;)

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" It's competition not sympathy. Nor is it modesty. Competitions rely on abilities. Using all of your sweat and desperation, taking out all of your efforts, trying to the best of your abilities to get the champion cup. That's the spirit of competition."- Ruo Bai I loved this drama. Yes I did like it and no I didn't think I would. I love sport so much, I love sport theme and genre in dramas and this one is one of the best in that genre. It was so refreshing, so relaxing, it got me all energetic, persistent, happy and in love. It may seem a bit draggy in first 10 episodes but once the whole story is there it really gets cool. It wasn't some mind blowing drama nor it wasn't some masterpiece but it was clever enough. Why I liked it this much I have more than one reason. First of all, character development is great, I really like the way they made characters grow, become mature and how they changed for the better. I loved many sentences in this drama, I think the script is pretty decent for this kind of drama, comedyromsport drama and two leads are cute and amazing. Qi Bai Cao is brave, cool, impulsive, loyal person who doesn't give up even if she had to die, she fights 100% to become the best, she trusts in her people and her teacher no matter what anyone else says, she is hardworking girl who got there on top with her own abilities, sweat and efforts even if she wasn't the most talented one she believed in hard work and withstanding till the end. Ruo Bai is..well he became my favourite male character from modern dramas (after Mahoro's Gyoten and IWGP's Takashi). Ruo Bai is selfless, intelligent, cold guy who is an ordinary guy without money or prestige or rich family to support him and give him everything. He through hard work got there where he was and through his beliefs he succeeded. I fell in love with him cause of his mind, cause of his selfless deeds, cause for him actions are important, not words, cause he did so many thing for the people he cared about without even telling them what he did. It's when his friend described him "He will always talk less but do more", that was it. In one sentence he actually said everything I thought about him,and that's why he became my dearest guy. The guy has it all. ;) He didn't need any recognition for what he did. Cause it's simply his deepest honest heart. Admirable for sure. I love how slowly feelings are developing by each episode, how story is so realistic and ordinary, I like both of them, they are hard working people who have faith, determination, will and courage to live, fight and strive for the best with their pure, honest and loyal hearts. And their chemistry is so good, I'm so sad they won't be in second season, it won't be the same. :( Side characters are also funny, my cutie pie Wu Leo aka Fei Liu, he is so cool in here and made me laugh, smile and happy all the time. :P He added much more comedy and some awesome bromance scenes too, his relationship with Ruo Bai is one of a kind. There are others who didn't grab my attention, the other two main guys weren't that interesting but they weren't boring to death either. Music was fine, nothing too catchy and some parts did annoy me but considering 32 episodes it was totally bearable. Lots of good feelings, competition spirit, cool moments, great friendships and support, good chemistry and gorgeous beyond words Yang Yang were enough for me to enjoy in this drama and become a fan of two leads.

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Amazing drama. It really is. This is my first taiga and with certainty I can say that I'll never find some better Japanese historical drama than this one. A real epic tale about war, power, family, betrayals, friendship, loyalty and above everything story about three glorious historical figures who made their mark in this world for a big time. Oda Nobunaga, Kuroda Kanbe and Toyotomi Hideyoshi.
I've never watched some drama where the side characters were so interesting too, all of them, where villains are amazingly written, where the whole cast is beyond superb. Kanbee is such drama.

I met one man who was worth every praise, whose mind was so ahead of time, who was loyal, brave, with pure heart filled with love and courage. Yes he was ambitious but never to the point where he'd become sleazy backstabber. In time of war you had to be ambitious and prepared for anything from everyone.
Okada has won me forever, with his portrayal and acting Kanbe really came to life, with all of his expressions, gestures and thoughts, I was glued to the screen 100 % all the time. His three vassals were something the best in drama, they carried the whole show constantly. Relationship between four of them I'll remember whole life and strongly believe that such friendship does exist, with such unquestionable loyalty and care. Yes maybe there was over idolizing Kanbe in this drama but still those men were loyal to him till the end. Zensuke, Tahe and Kuroemon are people whom we all need in our lives. Kuroemon became my all time fav. side character in drama, I like his coldness and emotionless in tough and difficult situations, his intelligent moves, his funny and sometimes sarcastic sayings, he was indeed the sweetest and most caring guy. Like Kanbe said, those three really were his rare treasures and without them he wouldn't succeed anything.

I don't know which actor to choose as the most outstanding one cause it's just impossible. Every one of them was brilliant, all of them gave their maximum without flaw to portray their characters. I love some of them, some I like, some I hate, some I respect and admire so much and for some my heart broke. They all brought all these emotions to me.
Takenaka Naoto, Eguchi Yosuke, Tanihara Shosuke, Tanaka Kei, Shibata Kyohei, Takahashi Issei, Hamada Gaku, Hayami Mokomichi, Nakatani Miki, Kiritani Mirei, Uchida Yuki- just WOW. So many incredible folks in one drama, I still can't believe. They gave penetrating performances, they made all their characters alive in front of me, they manage to pull very difficult performances and to be excellent without flaw.
But one thing is sure- Eguchi-san is the best goddamn Oda Nobunaga ever. EVER. I expected that from him, grand and marvelous performance as usual and he did it, the guy is a genius.

I love women in this drama too, they weren't maybe main characters and they weren't in fights but for sure they carried so much heaviness and difficulties in their lives, standing proudly beside their husbands and sons, always ready for battle and protect their loved ones. Teru, Dashi, One, Nou- amazing women indeed and very smart. ?

Battle scenes were definitely the most realistic ones, pace was very slow and then after some time and certain episode, the next period is after 3,5 or 10 years. But it was nicely done.
There were some things that bothered me but they definitely didn't spoil my excitement and overjoy from watching this astonishing drama.

One thing I specially appreciated here is relationship between Kanbe and his dad, I think this is the most wonderful relationship between father and son I've seen so far. How he always consulted his dad, how he always asked for advice from him, their endless conversations full of wise and caring moments, it got me teared up so many times.

I could write so much and talk about Kanbee all day but I want to leave that for you guys, you just need to watch this drama. Especially if you're into realistic historical dramas with amazing cast and characters. If you give a chance to this drama, I guarantee you'll want more of Japanese history to see and watch and suddenly history will sound cool. ;)

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This is probably the best well done crime mystery Korean drama ever. From the beginning till the end. And probably one of the fewest dramas that actually gets better and better by each episode and not the other way around which is the case with more than 93% of dramas. Personally I loved it from the first episode and was invested by each week more and more until I didn't have what to invest no more cause drama just captured and took my whole heart and soul somewhere in the middle.
What is the most important thing about this drama and from my point of view are its characters and their development. Considering it was announced to be more like thriller, murders, real crimes and more in style of OCN, I honestly didn't expect that human and touching side. But that's the real thing and the biggest advantage of Signal. It managed to affect us, to emotionally put us on hardest tests, to break our hearts over and over again and leave us with so many life lessons and deepness that it'll take a while till we get back to normal. ;)
I loved the main story and plot yet it was nothing authentic or unique; I loved the settings, colours and atmosphere of this drama yet I've seen much darker and similar dramas from that aspect; I loved how they solved the cases and by each episode something new and unknown appears and yet I've seen something similar too. But all that which was good and well done with characters like these, that I still haven't seen and that comes from someone who watched over 700 dramas. :P

Three main characters were..I'm thinking which word to use to describe those characters and actors who portrayed them. I'd say PERFECT. LITERALLY. That word came to my mind cause nothing less simply can not tell how outstanding they were. First of all characters- I loved all three of them in a different way but equally. Little by little they crawled under my skin, engraved in my heart and soul and occupied my mind for a lifetime. Cha Soo Hyun with her past self- so heartwarming, clumsy, brave, naive and so cute and present self- so tortured, devastated, cold and never giving up in search for detective Lee; Park Hae Yeong who was till the end the same guy who wanted the truth, justice, solving murders and finding culprits and giving the bad guys what they deserve, I find him so pitiful cause he felt guilty for everything that happened and you could see how that guilt was tearing him apart, he tore me apart too, I felt every single one of his emotions, his anger, his grief, his disappointment, his determination to save those closed to him; and Detective Lee Jae Han- I think this teddy bear has captured so many women's heart all over the world. I mean it would be weird if he hasn't won cause man is the best and most admirable detective ever written in history of dramaland, the one who went till the end for the price of losing his own life, the one who never wanted to give up, the one who fought against the most powerful ones in the country, the one who believed in justice and truth, the one who never lost hope, even when he maybe looked that way, he still was moving forward. I could never describe him close enough cause his actions, his mind and heart have to be seen and experienced, Jae Han is simply a man with only virtues and with one big huge good heart. I loved his dorky side, his clumsiness in romantic development, his relationship and interactions with Soo Hyun, his ultimate bromance and powerful bond with Hae Yeong, I simply fell too much in love with those three people.

And the actors, how they portrayed their roles it was terrific and incredible. I truly didn't think that they'll bring so many tears to appear in my eyes, so many heart- wrenching emotions, so many strong feelings of sadness, laughing, grief, devastation, desire to just see them alive and fine in the end. Kim Hye Soo, a wonderful and beautiful actress who made her character to come to life, who gave fully enjoyable performance and who in last couple of episode killed me with her raw, honest deepest feelings; Lee Je Hoon, the one whom I loved from way before and here he only confirmed why I love him that much, his natural way of acting, his unique voice, his beautiful profile and nose (I had to mention that too :P), beside him Hae Yeong was a real person whom I could easily meet on the street, he did an amazing and fantastic job in portraying his character, he ripped my soul few times in drama for sure; And veteran brilliant actor Jo Jin Woong who previously won me as Moo Hyul in TWDR, well I can say with certainty that his performance definitely made me like this, that I won't be able to watch some new drama with same excitement as before, I cried, I yelled, I laughed, I wanted to kill those bastards who tried to hurt him and I died, all of these states and conditions I've passed and experienced only because of him and his portrayal of Detective Lee, magnificent and poignant portrayal indeed. ?

Music was the second best thing here alongside the actors. Actually music was one of those best things cause everything was actually so great about this drama. I'm a real music fan and music is very very important to me and truthfully Signal has the best OST ever. (beside ost's from some historical dramas), Kim Yuna's The Road climbed to my top songs and it captured me and imprinted in my soul like no other song, I find it very heartbreaking, emotional, full of pure feelings with such nostalgic and melancholic vibes, so beautiful.

There were some minor things that bothered me and stopped me from giving a 10 (like walkie-talkie, explanation about the very end and why detective Lee done what he's done in the end, too much of coincidences..) but really those weren't things that were huge and some big flaws, just something that came to my mind. The best thing is the script and how amazingly writers didn't mess up the story and they explained all so well, I didn't have any confusion or some big questions, so remarkable.

What else is there to say about Signal? I already told even more but just couldn't write less, that is how much this drama effected me and how much this drama means to me. Most certainly the best drama of 2016., the best Korean crime drama and one of the very best dramas from Asia. I won't ever forget this drama, its characters, actors who played them, music and I don't think in the near future some similar drama to this one will appear. Nor I want that. I want for this one to be unique, original and the one who will have that special place inside of my heart that no other drama could ever take it.
Just watch it. Watch it and see it for yourself, see why all of us think this is a wonderful drama despite how someone will rate it 8,9 or 10, the bottom line is that we all loved it. And it was worth it.

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One thing is sure, I've never had this much fun and laugh while watching some Korean drama. Seriously this drama is hilarious, it has that crazy, weird Japanese touch which lots of people don't like and I'm so glad I randomly picked it up. It was wonderful and hilarious ride, I loved it cause of its characters. Everyone of them was quirky, sweet and a real heart. People from village, so many strange people live there, I love their life, their simple way of thinking, their all kind of crazy thoughts and actions, I love the sceneries so much in this drama with all those fields of cabbages and I love those four main guys. They have incredible chemistry considering the age gap between the actors, I didn't feel that for a moment, they all looked like some young guys full of life. Their interactions were cracking me up, their way of dealing with things, that sarcasm in drama is so awesome, all of them were pretty much psychos together. As Min Ki said " You can't find not single one normal person in this village. Seriously, none."

And it is so true. I like how everything is on purpose somehow, the acting supposed to be like this, with lots of yelling, overreacting but everything in the funny way, no melodramatic scenes at all which is a plus, this kind of specific humor which I personally love but some maybe find it too much or forced, I didn't feel it that way.

The one who has won me and who carried the whole drama was Lee Shi Eon, he was the funniest and his scenes and moments were priceless, when he was alone in some scene he was at his best and that is not an easy thing to do, to stay interesting and funny all the time. His expressions were pure gold, as I mentioned he really reminded me of Ross from Friends with his gesticulations and crazy conclusions. He needs more dramas , main roles and definitely more quirky dramas like this one, he is so natural in these kind of roles like he's born like that. Well maybe he is. :P
Beside him Kwak Dong Yun was the highlight, that kid really made me laugh so much with his wild imagination and moves, he has to be in more projects in the future.

As for romance, it's actually non existing, chemistry zero and bellow, they didn't have none of the interactions she had with second lead who was way more suitable for me both physically and psychical, I rooted for them cause really didn't see it coming with main lead, it happened in the last two episodes practically everything out of nowhere. But it doesn't matter cause it's really in the background. Other couples are way more interesting and have so many crazy and hilarious scenes, I'm still laughing when I think of those moments. :P

Fantastic friendship, amazing family bond, touching moments, heartwarming scenes mixed with so many psycho and weird people and many laugh per each episode. This has to be one of the funniest dramas for me and i wish Korea produces more different and original dramas like this one. Yes it has typical Korean moments, a bit of love triangle, annoying female lead- I didn't like her character especially as drama was progressing but generally it is really good and drama worth watching.
I only didn't like that last episode, it was so rushed and poorly written but I forgive them cause they made me smile for almost 19 hours. ;)

Oh one more thing, music is awesome all the time, so many famous songs and they fitted perfectly with certain scenes, definitely drama with one of the best music in it.

If you like more non typical dramas with lots of uniqueness, quirkiness and many lunatics then this one is definitely a go. Some scenes made me laugh to the point of tears literally. It's not a drama for everyone especially for those who doesn't like this kind for humor. As for me, I loved it with all those flaws which in the end didn't bother me that much.

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One thing is sure- this is the best drama in Reply series and the best Korean family drama I have ever seen. I can't stand makjang, I can't stand Korean family dramas of 50 episodes and I don't watch them. Nor I was some fan of previous Reply series. I find them overrated and not interesting enough but this one really got me. It was on different level in terms of family relationship and bonding, in terms how each member of those families has won me and made me fall in love with all of them.

Honestly, I have never got attached to more than one family in some drama but here I got too deep into the story of every family. Their interactions, their actions, their conversations, it all felt so raw, so real and so damn natural. I totally had a feeling like they're my neighbors and their kids my friends.

The reason why I love this Reply so much is also cause of the '80s, that nostalgic period of time where my parents were young and had their own kids and friends like the adults in this Reply, that period of time where some of the best movies and music artists appeared. I love how they made all so real, like in the real '80s, from their clothes, make up, haircuts, electrical devices, houses to music, movies, cinemas, bars, taverns. Production is awesome for this drama, I don't have one single complain about that. Plus OST is so wonderful, some songs are made to be danced to them, some are so melancholic with some sad tones and some are so beautiful and made for pure enjoyment while listening them.

I didn't care for the husband hunt. I really didn't care. While in other two Reply dramas that romance part was much more important and pretty much the whole drama plot, here it was just on the outside the main plot but actually inside of it that was the least important. Here words like family, friends, childhood, bonding, neighbors are way more big than romance. Which worked totally fine for me.

These families are pure gold. I laughed so much with them, I cried with them, I rooted with them, cheering with them, screaming and yelling with them, I was singing and dancing with them, they did all that to me. One family though stood up the most and that would be the Kim's. Omo, family like that is so freaking rare, I mean president Kim must be the most unique and funny dad ever with most gentle and good heart, his wife, Mi-ran is one hell of a mom, the coolest mom ever and so crazy, I seriously adore that woman, she carried the whole show for me truthfully. And their kids, JB- one big guy with big dreams who always wants to help everyone and always smiles, such a sensitive, romantic and funny soul; and JH- oh well I could talk about that guy whole night and day.
He is for me the most complex character in this drama, the one who was the most selfless, most realistic and strong one, yes the one who didn't show his feeling to the end to anyone ever but through his actions you could feel and see that, sometimes words aren't enough to say and explain what heart feels and agree completely with that saying. You could feel his emotions if you'd want to, that's what I think. And no matter what he was there for everyone, for his parents- how he in one episode did that stupid joke with his dad just to make him smile, how he continued to follow and to accomplish his brother's dream, how he prepared that awesome surprise for his mom's birthday, how he helped Taek in some way in most crucial moment, how he drank with Sun-woo in silence and was beside him to comfort him, I mean he is just too perfect and I was so satisfied and my heart was full when I saw him smile at the end, I knew he was happy. ;)

There are others I loved, Mr. Choi-Taek's dad, very cool and charismatic man, Bo-ra with all her intelligence and vulnerability combined with being strong and tough, DR- the hilarious, funny, crazy and always supportive friend who just knows what to say and when, so many wonderfully written characters are in this drama and that is what captured me. And their friendship, between those little 5 friends from their childhood till who knows when, they had so much fun together, so many sad moments, difficult moment, amazing and adventurous ones, I can only admire that powerful bond they had. And those three women, their craziness in their ages, their full loyalty to each other and care, just fantastic. That is what drama is about. Completely firm and undeniable friendship.

One thing I just didn't like is that romance part. It was weak for my taste and two last episodes were really weak from that point. I didn't mind who was the hubby at the end, well I was sad and cried a little and watched all I could find about other second lead but I accepted as DS's decision and her choice. And that was what actually bothered me. I won't say much cause opinions are so subjective and different so from my point of view I couldn't feel her chemistry in that amount with neither of them. I felt and saw love from second lead's and from main guy but from her head and heart it was too rushed and even after I read many things about clues and all those feelings, yes I could see that he was the one but as for her, it was too rushed and not deep at all. Also what made me angry it was that part when you make some guy to be a main role, having his narrating, voice, feelings, actions, everything from his point of view and then not include him in last two episode with enough screen time, I think it's very unfair and illogical. At least we should see how they stayed as cool as before, how they talked about that what he said even as a joke, at least they should say one damn sentence at the end as adults- like he is there and there,and also about DR, I mean those guys are main leads in this drama, they deserve it. I didn't like how it all came down to the Sung's, DS , Bo-ra and happenings only in that family.
But that is of course my own opinion. As for the rest it is absolutely amazing and outstanding drama and it should be seen most definitely. it is truly one heartwarming, sweet, great story about one little part of the neighborhood, families who live there, their kids, their stories, their adventures, their lives. And everyone of us could easily identify with them. I know I did and it was a great and unforgettable journey.
Kim Jung Hwan, I'll miss you, good bye ;)

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Everything about this drama is superb. Let me tell you that I only had few little times in my life this feeling while watching some Asian or western show, this amount of excitement, fascination and admiration. I've fallen too deep in this endless hole named Nirvana in Fire and I don't want to go out from here ever. No seriously, this is one breathtaking, majestic piece of art, it crawls under your skin so naturally, so addicting and it stays there, I think forever. Every detail is incredible, from such high and expensive production, brilliant idea and intricate plot, amazing script where each episode was heavy and carefully detailed to magnificent acting, character development and music. I don't think I could ever put in words all the praise I have for this drama nor I think it could ever be possible, it just has to be seen to be understood.

I cried, laughed, cringed, shouted, smiled, raged and did all sorts of things while watching this drama, I even had to make pause of few days cause I didn't want to finish it. Ever. I know, it may seem too subjective, I guess it is but if I take out all too attached feelings still this is a drama which deserves to be praised and greatly received.

The cast was brilliant. From Hu Ge as too intelligent and clever strategist with many secrets and Wang Kai as loyal, brave and reckless prince who were the main leads in this woven plot, to other side characters: funny and dense General Meng, sweetie pie and awesome martial artist Fei Liu, astonishing and beautiful princess warrior Ni Huang, calm smart and always looking relaxed consort Jing, joyful, carefree and weirdly intelligent Lin Chen, crazy over power and greedy Emperor, faithful and innocent Jingrui, the dignified Marquis Yan, the most loyal retainers of Su ge ge, all of them were simply outstanding, list is too long. ;)

The one who shined the most in this drama is no doubt Hu Ge as Mei Chang Su, he was truly amazing. Man who lost everything where he was young, who lived and fought with only one purpose- to avenge his family and all those innocent lost lives of Chi Yan's army. He became a grand and calculating man with intelligence higher than everyone's else. I loved how Hu Ge portrayed him, as cold, emotionless man who didn't let feelings get in the way and cloud his judgement not one single moment, always being rational and moving forward according to his plan which he was making for 12 years. Cause in this game he couldn't afford himself that, otherwise his enemies would easily defeat him. But under that shell he was the same Lin Shu, kind with good heart and will to fight against injustice and evilness. I fell so much for him, his gestures, mind, expressions, movement, everything was really powerful about that man.
And the other one who has won me was certainly Prince Jing. He was opposite of Su Zhe, quick-tempered and disobedient, always hot headed and too reckless but loyal, brave and firm in his decisions, I really respected that side of him, his unyielding morals and fighting for justice no matter what. It was so entertaining to watch two of them bickering, arguing and sharing their opinions, prince Jing was always bringing fear to Su Zhe cause he was the only one who could actually make Su Zhe's plans not going in the way they should and mess something up, I loved their bromance, their powerful bonding, their attachment to each other, they looked so cute, sometimes like a romantic couple. ;) And I think that Wang Kai really nailed it, he is such a talented and great looking actor, looking forward seeing him more in the future.

I enjoyed in the feeling they gave me, their characters so endearing and strong, greatly written indeed. I enjoyed in all of them but those two especially captured my heart along side with little monkey Fei Liu. What is so fantastic and attractive about this drama are so many awesome bromances, friendships, funny moments in all that seriousness and revenge fights, many of those characters were like a family, I loved their talking, their joking around the house, their ultimate protections towards each other, and that subtle, little amount of romance I really really loved, it was such a wonderful addition to all those powerful feelings.

Without even one little dull moment, I can only say KUDOS to the whole production team and the writers. Production quality is so high and impressive with great action scenes, wonderful costumes where even the shades of colours fitted perfectly to the characters who wore them and not to mention settings and sceneries, every scene shot outdoor was really delightful for watching and every scene shot indoor also was beautiful. Effects and CGI look very realistic, which is pretty awesome for some Chinese drama. And the best thing of course is the script, it is something the most important that made this drama to be this breath taking, intense and phenomenal.
Oh well what else did I expect when it's the same team from whom big names like Battle of Changsha (personally my fav.), The Disgusier, All quiet in Beijing and Love me if you dare are from? ;)

So if you like badass action scenes filled with fantastic developed story line, interesting plot with revenge, political maneuverings and intrigues, astonishing melodies (music in this show is so beautiful, whole OST is wow) and if you're into The Count of Monte Cristo kind of feeling then you should definitely give it a try. Plus many eye candies who weren't there just to be eye candy, they actually had a role and importance. ;)
It may seem too confusing in the beginning with introducing too many characters but after a few episodes you''ll get used to it, just don't give up.

I got too attached to this drama, too fascinated by its existence and in such an emotional state I dare to say that I'm anticipating more dramas like Nirvana in Fire, more dramas which will engrave in my heart and capture me in their little world for a lifetime. Thank you. Thank all of you who participated in making this grand and glorious show. I'll never be able nor I ever want to be able to forget this drama, the most wonderful Asian drama with most mind blowing script.

";In this world, there’s no carefree person. If you have desires and feelings, you won’t be carefree."

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It was so hard to give rating to this drama, I had a difficult time indeed. Why? Because I've never seen so far combination and mix of horrible effects, awful colours, low budget, terrible production and fantastic, cool and awesome female characters, amazing chemistry one of the best I've seen between all three side couples, the last two were so passionate, I loved that. So in the end I think this is maximum from me.
Main couple- Kevin was actually pretty good, I liked his character and Su Yu was the only male character here who fought and protected the girl selflessly even with the price of losing his own life but the main girl was really bad in acting and I couldn't feel a bit of chemistry between them, they seemed too fake.
Some of the supporting characters who were there I don't know why, too much of idiocy and stupid acting from them, actually drama could be better without them.
Three main couples in each part of the story- I liked all of them, I felt sorry for most of them and I felt love between all of them.
First couple Shen An and Song Ning I loved the most, what angst, passion, what extremely proud people, how they destroyed one each other only cause of misunderstandings, cowardly attitude and pride. Shen An the biggest coward ever and such a stupid man but still how much he loved her, we could see that and feel that. Song Ning- the best female character in here and one of the best I've met, definitely goes on my list dearest characters. It's so rare to see a woman like her, so intelligent, smart, brave, strong with golden heart, unselfish, simply admirable. Jiang Xin and Justin had freaking sizzling chemistry, I have to see them in some other drama together, such talented actors.
Second couple- they were the most realistic, so full of understanding, so cute and sweet while doing some trivial ordinary things which couples do, Ying Ge was such a tormented soul, I pitied her the most in whole drama and still she succeeded to fall in love and be happy even for a short while, Rong Yuan was my fav. male character here cause the man is just too great, he didn't want to hear anything, he believed in her actions, her eyes, her feelings, he didn't listen to anyone and that's why there wasn't some stupid misunderstanding coming from his side, amount of love he had for her was without limit, what a loyal and gran man he was, a real king. Also the actor is very beautiful. ;)
Third couple- personally I was too subjective cause I love the actor, he is so attractive and I love his acting, always full of passion, his character Su Heng and Murong An had the most beautiful scenes together, I loved their scenes in forest, their kisses, their conversations, he was so ambitious, ruthless and selfish cause he wanted to be a king yes but in the end he never loved anyone else beside her and he protected her no matter what. Npt that I approve his actions, I don't and I would run away sooner from him but still I could understand him sometimes.She was a goddess, how beautiful, how gracious, how graceful, a real forest goddess, i was staring at her all the time plus she was so unselfish and powerful in her mind and heart.
All these couples were destructive and in all of them male characters were most guilty for tragic ends and with less love towards their loved ones, women were giving more love, their own lives, more understanding and they were much more powerful and stronger than them.
That's why I loved this drama. And with wonderful OST, the ending song became my favourite song from Chinese dramas, it fits perfectly here with words, characters and their actions, I'm still listening song at least once in a day. Whole ost is really great with many capturing melodies, I enjoyed even more.

I wouldn't recommend this drama to anyone who appreciate the most high budget production, decent effects and good acting from main characters but I'd still recommend to those who look for original idea, great chemistry and more interesting and important side couples with good acting coming from them.
In some way I did enjoy although I really couldn't stand what I already pointed out as bad, these side couples and amazing music managed to keep me going all the way till the end.

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This movie hit me right on the spot. I had to pluck up the courage to watch it cause it deals with very sensitive topic for me and since I've experienced the same thing he did it was one tough, overwhelmed and hearbreaking ride. But I had to do that. It's definitely one of the most emotional movies I have ever seen. Why? Well because it shows not only relationship between him and his mother which was so beautiful, powerful and strong going through many obstacles in life, it also shows the whole process of one person going through cognition, denial and acceptance of being ill from cancer. It shows us whole her life from the moment she got sick while fighting, while bearing alone all that horrible pain always with a smile on her face, surviving and slowly dying from pains of chemotherapy and then in the end sharing that pain and sorrow with her son. She never gave up, she fought until the very last breath, oh how she reminded me of my mom in some moments. it was so so difficult to watch, at many scenes I let my soul cries out and I sobbed and sobbed and sobbed...
Actually it took me 5 hours to finish it cause I had to pause at every few minutes, my eyes were filled with tears. All I can say it was worth it, this is really one of those movies which will affect you no matter what, too many powerful emotions are involved, love, respect, admiration, positivism, despair, devastation, fight, hope, sorrow and grief. Odagiri was brilliant in his expressions, his gestures while holding his mother and being scared like a little child, while knowing that she won't make it but still staying strong cause he learned that from her. She- so full of life, cooking, dancing, smiling, living her life to the most positive way possible, giving all her love to her son, doing everything for him, and still enjoying in her own things. What a grand parent she was, quietly enduring everything, secretly doing things for him supporting him in every way possible- simply cause sacrifice mothers make for their children is really priceless. Kiki and Odagiri felt so much like real mother and son, they had amazing chemistry and all things they did together felt so real and natural, incredible actors for sure.
So in the end no matter how much I felt lost and devastated, I felt even more proud, happy and whole cause I had an honor to have mom similar like Eiko was.
Going through all stages in life, showing us his life since he was a kid until he became a grown up man, this movie simply has one ultimate message: love your mom, respect her, spend as more time as possible with her in as more as possible positive way cause life is really too short and at any moment any one of us could disappear from this world. Appreciate those times, taking care of your parents, cherish them cause family bond is the strongest power of all the powers in the universe.

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