Jeaniessi
here
As typical as this set up may sound, it's so well done and enjoyable to watch it doesn't matter. I've actually never seen a movie premise like this. Well that's not true. A few years back there was an American movie about a ghost writer helping an author to pen a book but it was done poorly and there is no comparison.
Remember that they are writing an adult comic. There are a lot of sexual references but it's done very tongue in cheek as the female writer is faking 99% of her sexual experience. Most of the graphic sexual images are in fact, in graphic (comic book) form.
Watching Jung Bae get wise to her act...I loved it! Dae Rim is such a character and Jung Bae finds her tough to take at first. But when he begins to draw...it's her face that appears on paper. As the two leads gravitate toward each other and their feelings grow...it's so cute!
Lee Sun Gyun and Choi Gang Hee make a great pair. Able to be comedic and have you believe when they are sincere.
I recommend this movie highly.
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The acting and chemistry between So Ji Sub and Han Hye Joo are what make this movie great. It's no secret I am a huge fan of So Ji Sub and I am very glad to see him do such a great job as Cheol Min ~ a man with a violent past who is struggling to rise above, better himself and repent the mistakes of his past. But I couldn't give this movie a higher score than 8.
Only You actually has a really great story set up: The rough, bad boy boxer unexpectedly meets a spunky, upbeat, innocent and mostly blind girl and they fall madly in love. Angst ensues when he tries to raise the money for an operation for her sight. I was thrilled watching the development of their romance. The way this movie played out would have gotten a higher score from me if they wouldn't have added the recycled element of connecting fates. The totally over used plot device of fate tying two lovers together is what drops the overall score for me. Time and again I see this scenario used in Korean movies and dramas and it gets old.
But the scenes between the lovers are filled with sweetness, sizzling chemistry, humor and heart. So Ji Sub is an extremely emotive actor who portrays every emotion in his eyes, expression and body language. He's just plain good. Call me a fan girl if you will but the man is talented. Han Hye Joo is also a favorite. I really liked her in Postman to Heaven and even more in Only You. She's one to watch for I think. I'd really like to see her in a drama again.
All the technical elements are there. Gritty, harsh lighting and gloomy settings and set design are used for his world and warmer light and more lovely settings are used for her world. When they are together everything is brighter. A nice touch by the cinematographer.
The music was very nice. Memorable in the opening sequence, in the love theme and the closing credits. I gave it a 9.
The re-watch value I give a 7 because in my case, the strength of my liking for the lead actor will have me watching this again. Others may feel differently.
Only you is a typical love story: touching, filled with angst but also includes a lot of light moments as well. I recommend it highly for all of us romantics out there.
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What I really found endearing is the frankness of the lead male Shuji and his inner monologue/narration. I like that he was outwardly popular but inwardly unsure, bored, scared and lonely. The theme of this show is a simple one. Finding true friendship...whether you are a popular kid, a quirky loner or a withdrawn, scared and painfully shy newcomer.
Each episode is written to show the development of this core friendship. As the synopsis and title reveal, these three come together to 'produce' Nobuta and make her popular but...wow is that so not what really matters here. I loved the way the story unfolded in such an original manner compared to the way a westernized show would have handled this. Lovely.
The acting is great. Not perfect but very good. My favorite was Yamashita Tomohisa who played Akira. He was so quirky, clumsy and strange but what a loyal and steadfast friend. Yamapi was great. There are a lot of wonderful characters to be found within the setting of their school; teachers and students alike. I enjoyed Shuji's family. They were a hoot! Nobuta was like a flower opening up to the sun when Shuji and Akira found her. I loved the development of her strength and their loyalty to her. Wonderful!
At 10 episodes, this series was a fast and entertaining watch. No story line or plot point dragged on too long or bogged down the pace. The music was fine..not memorable but not bad either. But this drama isn't really about a standout soundtrack so I did not find it distracting or lacking in any way. I gave the re-watch value an 8 because while I might not watch it again this was a very entertaining drama and others might really enjoy watching more than once.
I recommend this drama highly. It's quick, it's sweet, it's touching and fun. Give it try if you are hesitating.
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This drama started out with a lot of comparisons to Romeo and Juliet. It does have the element of two people who fall in love in spite of their family's bitter rivalry. But where the two part company is that in Mr. Shakespeare's original work you don't really get very much back story about why the Capulet's hate the Montague's. You simply know they hate each other and that the love between Romeo and Juliet is forbidden. In The Princess' Man you get a big sweeping story and you know exactly what odds are stacked against these two. They should have called this... "The Princess' Man and Her Father's Single Minded Drive to Be the King!"
The Princess' Man is packed full of action and revenge, sword fighting and battles to the death! What I'm saying is...This drama isn't just for women or those looking for a well told love story. If you are a person who prefers action, you need to know there is a perfect balance of badassery as well as a lovely and sweeping romance.
The acting in this show is stellar. I can't think of a single character in a single moment that had me cringing or thinking they were wrong for their part. Park Shi Hoo is wonderful and forgetting what I said up there...He is actually wonderful in everything he does so I wasn't surprised. Moon Chae Won is luminous as Sae Ryung. She pulls in a great performance. I loved her character's bravery and steadfastness. The plot kept me guessing until the very end and I love that I was never bored watching this show!
There is a lot going on, plot wise, and it is told to us by a writer with real story telling ability. I say that because I was also kept interested by the side character's stories as well. They were an intrinsic part of the tale, perfect satellites to the main characters and plot. I wanted to know their fates as well as the main couple's.
Let me sum up why you should watch this show in one sentence. The Princess' Man has an extremely well done and balanced combination of incredible acting, writing, directing and amazing cinematography.
I felt the music was a perfect fit for feel of the drama. There was only one song piece that felt a little overplayed. This show was so well crafted otherwise, I feel like I'm nitpicking but the music is my one 9 vote in a sea of 10's. I will watch this Lovely Show again. I can't recommend this highly enough!
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Queen of Reversals is one of the best melodramas I've watched. It tells the mature story of a marriage between two people who are struggling to make it work or having to decide to let go. The cast of actors all do a wonderful job. Kim Nam Joo and Park Shi Hoo are stand outs. Kim Nam Joo is wonderful as Hwang Tae Hee. The evolution of her character is a lot fun to watch. Park Shi Hoo is such a scene stealer. He has a great quality and screen presence.
The supporting cast was also well chosen. This was a melodrama but I loved that there were no birth secrets, no one had a deadly disease, no one loved someone they thought might be their sister. It was actually a pretty nice and refreshing change to watch something more real. The plot unfolded very nicely for 31 episodes and there were some real surprises along the way. This also has the funniest bromance between Goo Yong Shik and his secretary...Hilarious.
I ended up loving this show and giving it a 9. A few months later I stand by that rating. If you are looking for a great story about a woman really finding her strength you'll love Queen of Reversals.
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It's breezy and fun to watch. I enjoyed it very much and I think what I liked most is, everyone seemed so real. There were elements to each character that I certainly recognized in friends or loved ones in my life. They were fallable, made mistakes and wrong choices but then worked them out in a believable way.
I love Korean Dramas for their differences from American TV but it is nice once in a while to see a more realistic portrayal of modern romance and its difficulties. The questions that arise from a real romance. Will we get bored when the newness wares off? Can I forgive him if he cheats? Can I be okay with a more casual sexual love affair? How do I tell a man what I want or that I want more? These are only a few of the question that come up for the women. I am glad that every question isn't wrapped up in a neat little fantasyland bow. The plot lines are handled with a serious air but also a wry, truthful humor. This show made me smile and laugh.
I also loved that while the characters grew during the course of the plot, they didn't completely change their personalities. The love stories were fun and sexy too but still not blatent. The writing, acting and directing were all very solid. I very much enjoyed the narration of the lead character, giving us insight into her inner thoughts. I like the freeze frame stills interjected into the scenes to emphasize an emotion or mood. Fun!
Each episode is about 45 minutes or less and they do speed by pretty quickly. I attribute that to the smart writing and zippy story lines of each episode. I doesn't drag. I really liked the music as well.
This is a fun watch. Easy to invest your time in watching. It had me smiling, happy and waiting for the next episode. Pretty PG but with real kisses and frank sexual discussion. Always a plus in my book!
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The thing with these 'Avenging Hero' type dramas/stories is the love story orbiting the hero is always a frustrating dance. Perhaps he has been deeply scarred and/or his mission is antithetic to the love that unexpectedly blossoms between the antihero and heroine. Kurosagi is classic in this respect.
Each episode unfolds with Kurosagi swindling a different kind of swindler and it's fun to watch him get into character and pull off his clever cons. I couldn't help but compare this just a bit to Liar Game, in that you have to use your brain and the hero has to work around the trick of the con. I really liked Kurosagi's little personality quirks and his different 'con' personalities.
Having sung it's praises, I still came away from Kurosagi feeling something was missing. It took a little while to put my finger on just why I can't give this drama a 10 but I've figured it out. It feels incomplete. Usually as I watch and then rate Jdramas, the fact they usually only take 9 to 11 episodes to tell the story makes me enjoy them immensely. This speedy and more concise story telling in turn raises the rating for me. But somehow this was not the case with Kurosagi. I felt this story needed more time, more story and I am left unsatisfied.
The acting was great for the most part. Yamashita Tomohisa has impressed me again. I've watched 4 of his dramas now and I really like when he plays more "character" parts like this rather than straight lead (See Buzzer Beat, which I did love). Somehow even with his handsome leading man looks, he feels more like a character actor to me. I liked the lead actress. Some of the secondary characters fell flat for me.
A word about Katsuragi: He is the most original character I've come across in a long time. He was at once; chilling, pathetic, gross, pitiful and scary. He left an impression with me, that is for sure.
The intro song didn't really thrill me but the background song which I will call Kurosagi's 'theme song' was cool. I really dug it.
I am giving the re-watch value a 7 because I think people will want to watch this again. There are already parts I have gone back and watched again.
I recommend this. It's worth your 11 hours. It's fun and if you get into manga turned into live action, I think you will like this.
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There were a lot of clever, artsy, indy details built into this movie that I got a real kick out of:
1) They played up the fact that this is a movie with a movie in a very obvious and clever way.
2) So Ji Sub's name is Kang Pae (gangster) and Kang Ji Hwan's name is Su Ta (star).
3) The scripts for the "movie" in the shooting scenes were the actual script for the movie.
4) And the ending...
I loved the intensity of both Ji Sub and Ji Hwan, their acting and characters. I loved that Ji Sub always wore black and Ji Hwan wore white. I loved the spoiled angry child in Su Ta and the way he got in over his head so deeply. Kang Ji Hwan always impresses me..Always.
I loved So Ji Sub's anger...his pure rage. His character's desperation and desperate grab for something more in his life, something he wanted, to make a change. The frustration of his inability to understand what to do with it once he'd grabbed on. And how his past, his personality and his lot in life were like a greased palm that made it impossible for him to keep hold. And then the terrible acceptance...He doesn't have to say much. That is the beauty of his acting. (sorry fangirl)
Watch it for the punch...beginning, middle and end.
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Liar Game 2 is a continuation of the first and all the same elements of the 1st Liar Game are in play in this second installment.
The premise is the same but the games are different. I liked that for Nao, the stakes are higher. She gets involved with the games for a purpose and her over the top hope for finding the truth and honesty in humanity becomes a real part of the plot. Again, the relationship between her and Akiyama further solidifies as the games go on. There is character development. Not just for the leads but other character/s as well.
I actually liked the games in this one better; higher stakes, bigger losses, twistier games. All good things!
If you like Liar Game than Liar Game 2 is a natural progression. Why stop at the first when you get a chance to re-enter this strange world? I highly recommend this sequel.
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Set in a mental institution, this movie doesn't hold back on the crazy. The cast of characters is so delightfully nuts. Don't get me wrong, I don't take insanity lightly. There is always a sad undercurrent to insanity because the reality is the reason behind a person's mental breakdown. Those reasons usually being a horrible event or events from one's past or the unfortunate breakdown of the intricate workings of the mind or a chemical imbalance in the human brain. I have a close connection with someone with Schizophrenia and I can't imagine the struggle, the fight, the torture that goes on inside their own mind.
But this movie isn't really about the reality or the clinical aspect of mental illness. It's about the characters and their point of view of the world, how they cope and survive. Off kilter is an understatement. But at the same time it can be delightful. Especially the fantastical sequences that literally put you in the mind of the characters. You get to see what they think and feel; usually through their particular idiosyncracy. The one thing I took away from this movie was the Will to Survive.
Also I loved the way the two leads came together in their own crazy way. The way they sought out ways to accept each other. They weren't portrayed as stupid. They simply saw the world in a different way than you or I. I loved the way Il Soon protected Young Goon and made an effort to learn how she thought so he could keep her safe. He may have been crazy but so wise within that context. I loved that.
I am recommending this movie but really for those who have a great capacity for whimsy. Who may like a little weird with a side of fantasy and looking to watch something very different.
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But once the players entered the playing field…That is when I sat up straighter, started to smile, munch happily on my overly buttered popcorn and get that excited feeling as if I am sitting in a theatre waiting for something good. Let the Games Begin! The game played in Reborn is intricate and will keep you entertained.
The cast of characters in the series are as quirky as ever. Mushroom Head and Gold Tooth both make appearances but most of the characters are new so it kept things fresh. The location is crazy. It looks like a really cool upscale techno nightclub that has been bombed and forgotten. The set design was awesome.
The execution of the game and plot was fun and entertaining. I love how smart Akiyama is when breaking down the game, forming alliances and figuring out his incredibly clever strategies. He is so cool in his plotting, so patient for the outcomes and totally badass when he needs to be.
The one thing that brought this film down a notch for me was indeed the absence of Kanzaki Nao. There was a chemistry between the lead actors and a relationship that developed between their characters that was lacking with this new pairing. There was a special dynamic from the series between Nao and Akiyama; his cynicism was attracted to her goodness. She softened his edges and that little touch made Liar Game a little more than just a drama about puzzles and ultimately enhanced the tension of the outcome. I felt the loss keenly. Matsuda Shota is a very solid actor and the rest of the cast does a great job...I simply missed Nao. I wish that wasn't the case.
The music was actually great. I liked the techno beats and some of the strange compositions that fit the mood and the tension of some scenes. As always, the theme playing when Akiyama enters the game was just as cool as his character. Loved it.
Overall, I totally recommend this film. It wasn’t perfect but it was a lot of fun.
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