I rarely watch dramas longer than 16 episodes by myself. Although I have watched several longer dramas, this is usually with friends who help keep me interested and engaged. However, I watched all 30 episodes of ISWAK and 20 episodes of They Kiss Again on my own, and have since re-watched them several times. I really only have one favorite drama in the different drama genres, and this show (both season) is my absolutely favorite sweet romance. Having watched Playful Kiss first, I was curious to see how this version told the story. I immediately fell in love with the characters in the first season, but I was still worried that the second season would not live up to my expectations. All too often, second seasons falter behind the amazing quality of their predecessors and I am frequently left disappointed. However, I was delighted to discover that this was not true with They Kiss Again. If anything, this story was actually better than the first. It Started With a Kiss gets the main characters together, but They Kiss Again shows them developing their relationship. This isn't the normal story where everyone is more or less perfect and the amazing guy marries that perfectly sweet girl who finally got prince charming. The charm of They Kiss Again is the fact that Zhi Shu and Xiang Qin are more than half of their own problems. Zhi Shu is emotionally stunted, and has to learn that there is beauty in Xiang Qin's simplicity. On the other hand, Xiang Qin has to learn to stand on her own two feet. They learn that they both have weaknesses and that marriage is about learning to love and accept those weaknesses. I have rarely seen such excellent story and character development, particularly in a second season for a show. This is beautifully written, and I freely admit that I still go back to my favorite parts (which I have bookmarked) whenever I need a pick-me-up. This is sweet, charming, intelligent, and well worth the time to watch. It's romance, but it is thoughtful romance. I truly love this show and I recommend it to anyone who enjoyed the first season
Having watched "Playful Kiss" the original, I was a little uncertain how these shorter clips would pan out. Personally, I liked "It Started With a Kiss" better than PK because of the dynamics between the main characters. I felt like Seung Jo, while an amazing character, failed to get as much out of the relationship as Ha Ni in the original show. ISWK does a much better job at showing him falling in love as much as she did. However, this special edition more than made up for that weakness in the original show. I liked PK, but I loved this special edition. They are short enough that I've actually re-watched them several times when I want to see something sweet and romantic. They give Seung Jo a more loving character and he seems to have matured more than he did in the original show. I think this actually went a long way towards developing his character for me, and I feel much better about re-watching the original now that I have seen these specials. If you are watching or liked PK, I would HIGHLY recommend watching these.
Wow...this is just such an amazing show. I stumbled across it after watching Satoh Takeru in Bloody Monday since I wanted to see him in something else. At first I was disappointed that he was only going to play a small part in the film. However, I was hooked on the show itself from the first 15-20 minutes in. It takes about that long to figure out what the heck is going on (the beginning doesn't seem at all connected to the plotline as given in the notes), but then it takes off from there and never stops. I had seen several of the cast in other shows (besides Takeru), and they have always played some of my favorite roles. The show just has such amazing acting. Bad guys, good guys, side-not-really-all-that-important guys--all of them do an excellent job. The crimes are all deliciously difficult to solve (or at least to prove), and I love the scientific facts that they keep throwing in. Mr. Brain's impact on everyone around him is so wonderfully done. The writer(s) so excellently show him drawing the people around him into his positive look at life and the possibilities of science. And in drawing in the characters around him, Mr. Brain attracts the interest of the show's viewers at the same time. This show is a little more dark/bloody in some areas than most crime dramas that I watch (definitely not for little kids), but they are so well designed. No crime is the same (which often happens in crime shows where there is more than one crime to solve) and neither are they the run of the mill crime (man kills mistress or some other cliche mystery). These are interesting and unique stories that drew my interest anew with each episode. I have already re-watched this show, and I really with a second season had been made. If I have one complaint, it is that the end seems unfinished. It was obviously designed with a sequel in mind and the end is a little bit of a let-down because of it. If they ever finish it, the show would be almost perfect.
The film is absolutely superbly done. The acting is excellent--from the major characters to the minor supporting soldiers; everyone does an excellent job. I cannot really say I would watch it again, but that is just because the film is so emotionally draining. This does not reflect the quality of the film. The story's beauty is that there are so many stories wound up in this one woman's life. It isn't just Mulan tale--although that is gorgeously told in an of itself. This is also the story of Tiger and Wen Tai and all the soldiers who follow and believe in her. It is the story of a father and his daughter. A story of several kinds of leaders and the strength of the loyalty which they inspire. Underneath it all, it is a story of love--between many different kinds of people in many different ways. It may sound silly, but at the same time that I watched this film, I was studying Confucius's works in school. We were taught that Confucius spoke of five relationships--parents/children, ruler/subjects, husband/wife, elder/younger siblings, and between friends. In a way the story in this film is an embodiment of those relationships. I watched it with a friend and we spent hours talking about the philosophy and ideas behind this story. This film is worth watching for many, many reasons. I watched it because I love historical films, and this tale has always interested me. But I loved it because it was so well written. This is a fascinating and very well-designed film. I highly recommend it (but have a tissue handy)
While I admit the story line is extremely cheesy in some places, it is just as sweet and touching in others. The relationship between the characters is incredibly well depicted. This is not an indepth story...if you want that go look at Vampire Prosecutor. But neither should you pass it by. Once you get into the story, it's very entertaining and interesting. The characters grow on you with each episode, and you are rooting for their family by the end. Some of the vampire parts are silly, but it was the best for its time. I would actually be as likely to re-watch this as I would be to re-watch Vampire Prosecutor (and in fact I have re-watched this show a couple times). It's short, and is a great just sit back and watch show.
This was a slightly weird drama, and only certain people would enjoy watching it. Some of my friends couldn't stand the basic plotline (one brother giving another his cornea-this is in the description so read that first), but once you get past that, the mystery element is excellent. Each story builds on the previous episode. For once, you aren't trying to figure out who the criminal is, you just want to stop him. It is a fascinating twist on the traditional mystery storyline, and throws in more than enough intrigue and excitement to keep you interested the whole way through. Plus, kudos to the authors for coming up with the unique idea:)
This was definitely my favorite romantic comedy, despite the fact that it was the first Taiwanese show I watched. I had already seen Playful Kiss (which was very well-done), but this version was even more amazingly written. Between this show and the sequel (They Kiss Again), the plotline was far more developed than it was with Playful Kiss. The main characters had more depth and emotion in their roles, and while the quality was not always as good, the story itself was far better. Because it is so long, the writers were able to add more though behind why certain characters act the way they do and to make the whole storyline a little less unbelievable. Plus the two leads always work excellently together. They make the romance seem beautiful and sweet all at the same time. I rewatch this show whenever I want to smile, laugh, or feel that glow inside that comes with knowing there are still sweet, naive, innocent, beautiful romantic stories in the world of film.
Amazing! I don't usually enjoy 2nd or 3rd seasons to shows, because they never quite meet up to the awesomeness of the first season. However, I was happily surprised by the extremely well-done Bloody Monday 2. My first recommendation: You definitely must watch Bloody Monday 1 before this one. While this isn't exactly a continuation of Bloody Monday 1, it is impossible to catch all the nuances without having seen BM1 first. Furthermore, I would recommend not waiting too long in between them. The storyline was naturally not quite as good as BM1, but it was still extremely well-written. The writers threw in enough plausible red herrings and diverging plotlines to keep you satisfactorily confused until the very end once again. The story successfully clears up any remaining issues from the first season, and is much better for having the same cast as the first show. The cast once again play their roles perfectly and believably. It's amazing how well they all work together. This is another definite MUST WATCH, and I almost wish there would be a season 3. Three cheers for one of the few shows where I've willingly seen the second season more than 1ce thru :-)
This is absolutely my all time favorite drama...I've already seen it and the sequel through four times, and introduced several friends to the show. The plotline is fabulously written, and surprisingly believable considering the genre. Some of the scenes are a little forced, but not nearly as many as usually appear in this type of show. The bad guys are not entirely stupid and incapable of winning, which makes the struggle between the heroes and the villains that much more attention-grabbing. The characters fit their parts perfectly, and each one keeps the story moving along until the end. The philosophy that was behind this show is probably what caught my attention the most. It actually raised several concepts that my friends and I spent a great deal of time discussing. It was both entertaining and interesting. Furthermore, this is one of the first mysteries I've seen in ages where I actually didn't know who the bad guys were or what was going to happen until the very end. Bloody Monday is suspenseful, fast-paced, well-thought-out, and wonderfully acted from beginning to end. I watched them all in 2 days and instantly got the second season (which is just as good as the first). Definitely a must watch!
