Absolutely loved it!

To preface, I'm a fan of the original Cold Case. I watched it when it was airing with my mom. So I have lots of special memories of it. When I learned there was a Japanese version, I was curious but also hesitant to start it. I was so scared I was going to hate it. Thankfully, I was completely wrong!

The drama completely captures the vibe of the original from the music to the casting. Yoh Yoshida is particularly great as Yuri Ishikawa (Lilly Rush in the original). I liked that this first season we see glimpses of the personal lives of the main team. Hopefully, they will reveal more in the upcoming seasons. Much like in the original, I liked the dynamic between the main team. One thing I disliked was Yuri's sister, who I also didn't like in the original. I would've been fine if they cut her out.

There's a slight drawback that all of the episodes are based on episodes from seasons 1 to 2 of the original. I would've liked a few new cases. But I still felt engaged during nearly every episode. I will say that I didn't enjoy episodes 4 and the finale that much. This was one of my least favorite storylines from the original. My favorite part of Cold Case is the set-up and pay-off. These two episodes are the only ones where you don't get the usual pay-off.

If you're curious about which episodes correspond with which from the original, I'm including it here. I'll also my thoughts on the Japanese episodes:
Episode 1 = Season 2, Episode 11 - a great episode for the J-drama to start with. Heartbreaking and "Don't Look Back in Anger" has been stuck in my head for several days.
Episode 2 = Season 1, Episode 8 - another gutwrenching episode. I liked that they showed some social issues (such as Japanese Brazilians living in Japan) that you won't see in other dramas.
Episode 3 = Season 2, Episode 10 - we're at a 3 for 3 for great episodes in a row! Keep your tissues handy.
Episode 4 = Season 2, Episode 9 - one of my least favorites tbh, but still a good one. This is one of Cold Case's more memorable original episodes so they sort of had to cover it.
Episode 5 = Season 1, Episode 22 - I cried like a little baby so a good episode. However, it was a little too word-for-word of the original.
Episode 6 = Season 1, Episode 13 - the one instance I think they improved on the original. It covers another social issue (Koreans in Japan) and just feels more impactful than the original. This was the episode I remembered that Japan had a statue of limitations on murder! It was only changed recently and still only cases from after 1994 can be charged.
Episode 7 = Season 2, Episode 6 - like ep 5, this one is very close to the original. That didn't stop me from crying though T_T
Episode 8 = Season 1, Episode 18 - this one was definitely less impactful than the original. I can't really pinpoint what I didn't liked about it.
Episode 9 = Season 1, Episode 14 - another classic, heartbreaking episode. This one was based on the famous "Boy in the Box" case. He was finally identified last year!
Episode 10 = Season 2, Episode 23 - a follow-up to episode 4 that I knew was coming. The ending scene was great, but still one of my least favorites.

Anyway, that's the end of my ramblings! I'm looking forward to watching the next season.

Read More

Not Bad, But Not My Kind of Drama

I was sucked into this drama by the title. My exact reaction: "Korean drama of Little Women? I can't wait!!" I'm not a purist when it comes to book to TV/movie adaptations. So while this drama did not follow my expectations at all, I still found all the changes they did to the source material interesting. Anyway, you can't really top either 1993 or 2019 "Little Women" in my mind. I see that a lot of people have already posted reviews so I'll just include some of my thoughts.

Interestingly, In-joo (Meg) is treated more like the main character than In-kyung (Jo). Sadly like most versions of "Little Women" In-hye (Amy) is given little character development. Her character really seems to be shoved to the side by the end of the drama. In-joo and In-kyung are both clearly outlined characters, but I can't say the same for In-hye. I really enjoyed the two love interests, Do-il (John Brooke) and Jung-ho (Laurie). Neither resemble their book counterpart in my opinion, but I still like them. The great-aunt was also wonderful and a good nod to the book. All I have to say about the villain characters are that I found them both disappointing and forgettable after the first few episodes.

From the comments, I learned this is a "makjang" drama. In all my years of drama watching, I've never heard this term before and will probably avoid any future dramas attached to it. While I enjoyed "Little Women", I never felt really that connected to it. I think that is in part because it is a makjang, meaning it just has some ridiculous/over-the-top moments that I could just not ignore. I also feel the ridiculousness ruined some character development. I will praise the actors who all brought their a-game. This drama was good, but not for me. Had it not been titled "Little Women", I never would have picked it up.

Read More

A true soap opera in every sense

Gets a seven on pure entertainment. Everything that can happen, happens in this show. Literally every week I came back to ride this crazy train and I was still surprised by the storyline.

First, the story. It's entertaining but... not very good. Storylines are only there to keep you watching. There's nothing deeper than that, even though some of the topics are actually quite heavy. As for the characters, only a handful are without sin lol. Most characters you switch back and forth from liking to not liking. The women playing Tawan and Orn were perfectly over-exaggerated for this kind of series. The grandmas, Rut, and Cheewin were also good. For the young people, I'm on the fence. They did a good enough job, but they don't seem as natural in these kind of roles tbh.

Now on to the music. Krist's vocals for the opening song are nice, though I'm not sure I'd listen to it outside of the show. I enjoyed Aye's ending song better. To me she's the OST Queen and I love all of her songs. Absolutely beautiful vocals.

To conclude, this is not the kind of drama I would watch again. Once you know what's going to happen, it's not fun anymore. I do recommend it if you're in the mood for something just absolutely crazy even up to the very end of the final episode.

Read More

What a long ride this has been

I first started looking forward to F4 Thailand when they first announced in 2019! That's how long it has been lol. Then in late 2020 was the cast announcement and first trailer. But then there was a whole another year of waiting because of covid delays T_T Just saying, I and a lot of other people have been very patient.

Anyway, after watching F4 Thailand, I can confidently say that this is my second favorite version behind the Japanese version ofc. I would also venture to say that it's the best written version out of all of them. It managed to avoid a lot of pitfalls the series has without making it completely toothless like Meteor Garden 2018. There's themes and symbolism and sooo many details that you'll catch during rewatches. The cast is absolutely perfect. There's great chemistry between the leads and the double K couple. I honestly cannot praise it enough.

My favorite episodes were "The Glass Mask" (ep 5) and "The Atonement" (ep 10). I love the way this version handled all of the side characters. Hana and Talay, in particular, are my favorites. I also adored Lita and Glakao. Jan's character in MJ's story managed to shine, despite her relatively short screentime. MJ's KFC ad (lol) was one of favorite parts. I looked forward to it so much each week.

Now some complaints: I love Tia, but I wish she was given more of a background. In other versions, we get to know her a bit more. Also, Kavin and Kaning, is a big one for me. I liked how their relationship was handled in some parts, but not others. Kavin's episode "The Rooftop of Tomorrow" (ep 13) was a highly anticipated one for me. But.... I kind of fell flat. I know where they were going with it, but I really thought we were going to get to know him better than that.

Overall, I really enjoyed F4 Thailand. Like versions before it, there's the good and bad. None of them are perfect and I could pick each one apart, even my favorite one! I recommend this version in particular because of the more modern route it took with the story. I will dearly miss watching it every Saturday T_T

Read More

A true classic

I've finally finished "It Started with a Kiss." I found it hard to binge because of the pretty low quality version I was watching. Luckily, GTV uploaded it with subs on YouTube so I was able to watch it without frustration lol. Note: I've read part of the manga, seen the anime and the 1996 drama, so these are what I'll compare ISWAK to.

I absolutely loved "It Started with a Kiss." From the beginning, you can sense the care the production took to be faithful to the manga while still localizing it to Taiwan. My one complaint would be that the drama is quite long at twenty episode with a running time of one hour and ten minutes. I feel the story could've been trimmed down a bit. The last three episodes before the finale I found to be quite draggy too. In terms of writing, "It Started with a Kiss" still manages to beat out 1996 Itazura na Kiss by several leagues and is on par with the anime.

Ariel Lin and Joseph Cheng are perfect as Xiang Qin (Kotoko) and Zhi Shu (Naoki). Their acting was absolutely superb. Ariel managed to be clumsy, dumb, and at times annoying without me absolutely hating her. I could actually relate to her since I sometimes feel useless too. Joseph was able to use facial expressions and certain movements to make his character more likeable while still staying true to the manga. Zhi Shu's and Xiang Qin's families were really on the nose; they all suited their characters perfectly. Watching the family together was my favorite part of the drama. There were some really funny moments.

I wasn't particularly charmed by Ah Jin aka Kinnosuke (played by the good-looking Jiro Wang); I'm afraid I'll find him exhausting in every version. Tiffany Hsu was great playing Zi Yu (Yuko), adding quite a bit of dimension to the character. She had a lot of especially funny moments with Xiang Qin and wasn't just some evil rival. Hao Qian (Sudou) was fun to watch, though his hair was a bit ridiculous. Also, out of the short side stories, I enjoyed Zi Qi's and Wu Ren's parts the most.

Some special notes I want to mention are: I loved that they changed the characters style and hair cuts over time since the drama takes place over five years or so. I guess the only discrepancy is that Yu Shu stays a child the whole time XD. It was a nice touch in the finale to bring back some characters from earlier on, such as Xiang Qin's teacher and Ah Jin's friends. Lastly, the OST of this drama is one of my faves. "Say That U Love" is super catchy and the opening sequence is perfect. Now on to the honeymoon in "They Kiss Again."

Read More

Charming and sweet romance

Liza Soberano and Enrique Gil are a charming pair. The pair perform better here than their slightly problematic "Just the Way You Are" though they're still relatively green here. However, they easily coast through the movie on their undeniable chemistry. It's no surprise that these two are a couple in real life. Gerald Anderson has a stand-out performance, despite being in a coma for the majority of the movie.

The story and characterization feel weak at times in the movie. We're told a lot of details about the characters but not shown. Enrique's character in particular is not fully fleshed out. I think the film shined in its portrayal of Audrey's (Soberano) and Tristan's (Anderson) relationship. Some of their scenes towards the latter half were definite stand-outs.

Overall, this film was not my favorite from the Liza-Enrique pair. However, it's still worth a watch for fans as are all of their films. Their performances in "My Ex and Whys" were quite good, though the story was a bit iffy for me. "Alone Together" is their best film to date and would recommend it to anyone.

Read More

Understated

I had no idea just how many films Akira Kurosawa directed until I stumbled upon this film. I have only seen two, Rashomon and Yojimbo, so far. These two films and his other well known films all seem to be historical dramas or samurai epics. So No Regrets for Our Youth really stuck out to me. It is set during the pre-war period up to the end of the war (1933-1945). Since it was released in 1946, this could almost be considered contemporary.

The film is mostly told through the point-of-view of Yukie Yagihara (played by Setsuko Hara). She is the daughter of college professor ousted from his position due to his views on fascism, sparking anti-militarist student protests. A lot of Hara's acting is subtle, such as her falling for one of the protestors, Noge. She never states her feelings; you can tell from her facial expressions and actions. Hara is one of those actresses that always amazes me. Sometimes I don't understand why she did this or that, but at the end of the film it always clicks.

All in all, No Regrets for Our Youth is a wonderfully slow-paced film. Its portrayal of the anti-war efforts of Japanese people was something I never thought of. Kurosawa's decision to make this film so soon after the war is also interesting to me as it shows his convictions. It's too bad that this film isn't more well known, but I understand. It isn't a samurai epic or anything genre changing. However, it's an honest, understated picture about what feels like real people amidst political turmoil and war. And Hara is an amazing heroine from beginning to end.

Read More

A Story of 'What-ifs'

This is the first Filipino movie I've watched that I really noticed the cinematography, set dressing, and costume design. Honestly, the film was so beautiful in so many subtle ways. The storyline is very slow-paced and relaxed, which I liked. It's also the third film I've seen starring love-team Liza Soberano and Enrique Gil. They were great in 'Just the Way You Are' and 'My Ex and Whys,' but I have more mixed feelings towards the storylines of those movies than 'Alone/Together.'

Enrique takes a backseat in 'Alone/Together,' really allowing Liza to shine. She is really great at showing all those subtle emotions. I appreciated how her wardrobe and hair/makeup changed during the three different points of her life. As for the storyline, it was kind-of a retread of films like 'Starting Over Again' and probably a dozen other movies. Liza and Enrique play lovers that meet again some years later and wonder about the "what-if," you know the story. However, unlike a normal rom-com, 'Alone/Together' focuses more on Liza's character development and feeling fulfilled in a career as well as your love life.

Ultimately, I feel 'Alone/Together' is a very good movie and shows further promise for Liza and Enrique in the future. Next, I guess I'll have to watch 'Everyday I Love You' since that's the only film of theirs I haven't seen and maybe 'She's the One.'

Read More

An average rom-com but nice for one viewing

I was looking forward to "Mr. Lipstick" since Aom starred in it and I loved her in "Girl2K" (which you should definitely watch). The first few episodes were really nice and fluffy, but as a fellow reviewer said the plot went "all over the place" from there. It seems the writers weren't really sure who they wanted to be the villain and the supporting cast motivations were just inconsistent. That being said, I still liked all the characters though probably because there were a lot of familiar faces (Aom, Fiat, Nicky, Vince, Jan, June).

The drama's greatest strength was the main couple, Mod and Kao. They were so adorably innocent together. Their wasn't much skinship so I wouldn't recommend to those who liked more "mature" dramas. I also enjoyed the secondary couples Muek&Pipi, Than&Dao, and Tul&Wi. I wish their was more plot dedicated to them, especially Muek and Pipi. Their interactions were so funny! Now onto the villains, Wi and Kaew. I thought Kaew was written slightly better, though her motivations for disliking Mod were stupid. As for Wi, her storyline towards the end was ridiculous and her motivations flimsy.

Overall, I recommend to those who enjoy a light, fluffy rom-com. I really felt relaxed while watching, even with all the drama and the shenanigans of Mod's brothers lol. I'm not sure I'll rewatch but I'm happy I watched it once. Also, I loved the theme song. It's "Love Score" by Sizzy and Nanon; definitely check out the video on YouTube.

Read More

Very draggy

"Nabi" is my first lakorn. The first few episodes start off well. My only complaint in the beginning was the ML constantly grabbing the FL and dragging her everywhere. A few times would be okay, but I could've started a drinking game with the amount of times he did it. Towards the middle, the show quickly became draggy. The cause, I think, is likely the writing. They obviously had to stretch a simple storyline to 22 episodes and it was tiring at times. I didn't help that what happened to Nabi's sister and Kawin's mother was revealed so early on...

So why did I stick around? Two reasons, really. Fah and Joss had great chemistry and I genuinely like the cast. They were all doing the best with the script they were given. Nat, especially, was able to carry most of the show. Unfortunately, she wasn't able to carry it through that terrible ending. I mean, are you kidding me? Half the characters took stupid pills towards the end and you cannot change my mind on that.

To improve "Nabi," I think the writers should've incorporated more flashback scenes. I really enjoyed the ones they did show and thought it added more depth to the characters. Nabi and Kawin's were particularly touching. Also, more time should've been given to Luke and Jan's characters who ended up being glorified extras. I guess that also goes for Wa and Sirin, who were basically forgotten, despite them being the mystery of the show.

I was entertained for the most part but I was not satisfied with the ending. I will likely never watch "Nabi" again, though I look forward to the cast's other projects.

Read More

Heartfelt movie with solid acting

I really love Sugisaki Hana. She never disappoints me with her projects. Her acting is always nuanced and she seems to inhabit her characters. This movie was particularly interesting for me since she's not really the "main" you know. Nevertheless, Hana was able to show off some really nice acting during her scenes. The film is told through Tabata's point-of-view. He is played by Yoshizawa Ryo who I've only seen in the live-action Bleach movie (which Hana was also in lol). Of course, I was better able to see Ryo's acting ability in this film and I'll definitely keep my eye out now.

Basically, the film follows Tabata (Ryo) who formed a club with the idealistic Akiyoshi (Hana) three years prior. He now feels that the club has strayed from its 'save the world' ambitions and aims to take it down. Tabata can be classified as an unreliable narrator as the way he views events aren't really how they played out and he embellishes other things. Despite this, I really related to Tabata. He was an outsider who avoided people so he wouldn't get hurt, only realizing later that that is impossible.

Ultimately, the movie is about change: "becoming the person you want to be." Akiyoshi goes towards this goal by striving to make the world a better place. Supporting character Mizuki (Mori Nana) must leave the safety of the free school she attends to enter the real world. Tabata must truly open himself to people and emotions. Overall, the movie had a lot of touching moments. It might come off a bit preachy at time, but not much.

Read More

Personal favorite of this series

I have yet to watch "Boys Paradise" (I may update this after I watch it), but "Don't" is definitely my favorite of the "Ugly Duckling" series. I think seven episodes was the perfect amount for this series, while "Perfect Match" (9) was too long and "Pity Girl" (5) too short. The plot for "Don't" is strangely the most reasonable of the aforementioned series'. Yes, it's kind of extreme for Maewnam (Mild) to wear a box on head after being called ugly once. But, I think a lot of people can relate to wanting to shut themselves away from the world.

On to the love interests, I liked both Zero (Mek) and Minton (Victor). I think they both suited Maewnam, though I'm happy my favorite was picked in the end ;) I thought Mek played Zero well, making him a bad boy with morals whose also willing to change. Victor's Minton is funny and sweet as well as ready to protect those he loves. I also loved Maewnam's brother and father. They provided great comedy relief and I loved how supporting they were of Maewnam.

Lastly, I would like to add a trigger warning to those who have been bullied. Though I never have been bullied, the scene where Vivien and her friends nearly drown Maewnam was quite intense. Overall, I really liked this series. The plot is probably the most relatable to me personally as I've often shut myself off from others. As Maewnam learns, the outside world is both scary and wonderful and I would like to thank this drama for reminding me of this.

Read More

Overall a nice time but mixed feelings about the ending

I picked up this drama randomly since I wanted to watch something currently airing at the time. I wasn't too sure about it at first, because I don't really watch fantasy dramas too much. But, I was hooked by the end of the first episode. The premise seems odd at first: Momay is cursed to live forever and now 2000 years later wants to die, but it can only happen if she falls in love. Intermixed with this is a mystery plot involving a string of strange murders.

Almost immediately I was captured by the lead actress, Aom. I'm definitely looking forward to her next drama. I also liked the male leads Toy, Off, and Fiat who I was already familiar with. I was particularly torn between Momay picking Moo Tod (Toy) and Khawin (Off). By half-way through the drama, it was pretty obvious tho T_T. The supporting characters were great too. They provided just the right amount of comic relief and seriousness when the situation called for it.

[Ending spoilers!!]
I think a lot of people have mixed (or confused) feelings about the ending. Honestly, I enjoyed it at the time but when I thought about it afterwards I was like: Wha??? I was happy that Off's character got so more screentime in the last two episodes, but disappointed that he turned out to be the baddie. Nevertheless, his character turned out to be the most interesting and I would've liked more episodes dedicated to his character arc. Also, the reveal around Kam Pan (Fiat) was confusing. I can only guess that he is the reincarnation of Thawin's brother. Last thought, I liked Momay and Moo Tod together and I thought their ending was fitting, but I would've liked to see a romantic moment between them first.

Read More

Messy and forgettable, but not exactly horrible

This drama took me foreverrr to finish, despite being only five episodes. It just wasn't as enjoyable as "Perfect Match." I kind of dreaded watching the final two episodes and eventually just had to bite the bullet. I think it boils down to two factors: story and acting. First of all, the premise is ridiculous and tedious at times. I think GMMTV was overreaching with this amnesia wannabe Groundhog Day plot. While somewhat interesting, the writing and acting was just not there.

I genuinely liked all of the actors, Neen, Mouse, Nicky. They're all adorable. But... Neen was obviously too young for this role. Her acting was so cringey at times, though she had a few shining moments. Nicky and Mouse weren't horrible, but not exactly stand-outs. I wasn't too impressed with the supporting cast either. Though it was nice to see baby New! But not baby Off, I was so sad that his character was so creepy T_T

To conclude, this drama was pretty forgettable and probably not worth your time if you're a seasoned drama watcher. Now, if you're new or just wanna watch the whole Ugly Duckling series, I don't think it's too bad. There were a lot of moments I liked. The ending here was also better than "Perfect Match," though somewhat cobbled together.

Read More

This Is Arashi

In October 2019, Arashi opened a YouTube account. Earlier that year, the band announced their intentions to go on hiatus after December 31, 2020. Honestly, I didn't pay too much attention to the announcement. I'm only a casual Arashi fan because of MatsuJun being in 'Hana Yori Dango.' However, a Johnny's band opening a YouTube account was unprecedented. I HAD to pay attention and discovered some new songs in the process. The following month, they made another surprise move by creating several social media accounts, including Instagram where I followed them voraciously.

Next, came this documentary. When I watched the first episode, I thought it was going to be a one-off thing really. I'm surprised that I kept watching something I started on December 31, 2019! Throughout the series, I was most struck by Arashi's dedication to the fans and how they genuinely seem to care about them. These moments touched me so much that I cried. The episodes where Arashi is trying to break in to the US market are particularly poignant to me. It makes me wonder about so many things that would've gone different if coronavirus hadn't happen. I'm sure Arashi's planned concert here would've been amazing.

I recommend watching the first episode, and their respective "diary" episodes the most. I wasn't so interested in some of the behind the scenes stuff, though it's interesting to see just how much MatsuJun was involved with the concerts. Now after twenty-four episodes, I can say I'm a fan of Arashi and all five of its members. I never would've thought I'd connect with Ohno the most tbh. Now that they're on hiatus, I hope they enjoy themselves but I also hope that they remain close friends and will eventually come back to us as Arashi.

Read More