1
1
Vera
Sweden
This review may contain spoilers
A mature historical kdrama - might or might not frustrate you.
My Dearest is a epic masterpiece most of the time - with beautiful cinematography, interesting plot and amazing acting. Set during 1600s when Qing declared war with Joseon, it tells the tough violent times with many innnocent lives lost, killed in brutal ways… In midst of the tragedy, there is Gil Chae, who started as an arrogant, spoiled young woman from a noble family, but who is forced to mature quickly because of war! And then there is the cynical realist Jang Hyun, who has seen it all. He”s a mysterious man with a dark past who is fascinated by the bold Gil Chae, she who has many men drooling after her because of her beauty and is disliked by other women because of jealousy and because she is not ladylike and is quite ”scandalous” known for flirting around. But she is in love with the scholar Yeon Jun, she tries everything to get his attention, but he’s engaged to her only friend - Eun Ae. Anyways everything is peaceful, but then war starts and it changes everything forever, Jang Hyun falls deeply in love with Gil Chae, Gil Chae however is confused by her own feelings …My Dearest is somewhat loosely based on the classic Gone With the Wind, but it grows into its own unique story without much common with Gone With the Wind anymore. My Dearest is a serious, dark ”proper” historical drama, not one of those youthful lighthearted historical dramas with idol actors. The acting here is amazing and of highest quality, the quality overall is on the same league as Mr. Sunshine! Definitely not a cheap drama! Characters are multidimensional, flawed and complex. Both main leads - Jang Hyun and Gil Chae are very interesting characters. Jang Hyun is anything but naive, he doesn’t live in some bubble, he knows How dangerous, powerful and strong those ”barbarians” are, and that the Joseon men fighting in the war will most likely lose. Because he is not unfraid to be brutally honest, he is not popular among the others. Besides that, he has this playful nature, in order to hide his dark past. He is a womanizer who never wants to marry and he lives without a purpose. Just like Gil Chae, he is concidered ”scandalous”.
When Jang Hyun meets the much younger Gil Chae, he experiences true love. He loves teasing her, which often makes her angry. Just like the others, she looks down on him and is quite mean to him too, he is far from her ideal type…but when war starts she sees another side of him, and gets confused by her own feelings. Gil Chae, who has been in love with another man for years, refuses at first to admit her growing feelings for him, not only because she is in love with someone else, also because she doesn’t see him as serious since he teases her a lot and not wanting to ever marry.
The other characters are interesting too… we have Yeon Jun, an idealist who has studied confucianism all his life, he has been taught to put the King first, having him as the first priority, he is engaged to Eun Ae, an soft gentle young woman who is great at reading other people and a great observer, unlike Gil Chae. However, she is not nearly as strong as Gil Chae.
She loves Yeon Jun, despite not putting her first. But does Yeon Jun truly love Eun Ae?? Or is he with her only because she is the safe choice, while he has feelings for Gil Chae, but won’t act on them because she is too strong-willed for him, not some ”proper” lady. Then there is Ryung Eum, a legendary singer and Jang Hyun’s friend, he has a big Secret that he keeps to himself…
Despite the big age gap between Namkoong Min and Ahn Eun Jin the chemistry is AMAZING! I love their characters banter, how they quarrel and How both are so strong willed, refusing to back down! Sometimes Gil Chae gets a bit too harsh and mean to Jang Hyun, but we see she cares for him a lot. Jang Hyun sees Gil Chae for who she truly is, he admires her strength… would Yeon Jun admire Gil Chae’s strength? I doubt it,while he likes her he doesn’t want to a bold woman, he wants someone submissive. Anyways, Jang Hyun is willing to go so far for Gil Chae, and yes it’s frustrating because she doesn’t know that… but it’s not really her fault, because he never tells her how much he is willing to sacrifice for her. By the way, it’s such a delight to see how Gil Chae develops so much, how strong she actually is… at first you think she is quite stupid, but that couldn’t be farther from the truth… when it comes to surviving she is very smart. I love that.
Jang Hyun really grows on you, at first I didn’t know really want to think of him although I admired him for his brutal honesty and for being a realist, but I ended up really loving him and feel for him. He is without a dobt the best character in My Dearest, for me, and one of my all time favorite male leads in dramaland! Behind his playfulness he is quite vulnerable, all he wants is Gil Chae’s love! Namkoong Min does an outstanding job, he plays his character with so much depth. I’m glad they casted him, besides his outstanding acting he has a mature face, which in my opinion is important , because his character is supposed to be older who has been through a looot, I’m thankful they casted him instead of some younger baby faced actor. And Ahn Eun Jin is also outstanding! She plays her character so well, I’m glad she’s getting more popular. All actors are amazing!
This drama is very realistic, the sword fighting is great and the makers of this drama has done a great job potraying the uglyness of war, how it affects people, how it destroys them. Since My Dearest is for mature audience, it can get very brutal and violent. But that’s How it was during the Qing invasion of Joseon,people were tortured in the most horrific way possible, women were raped, etc. What I love about this drama is that the makers are not obsessed about having the actors look like flawless dolls, the make up artists actually makes them look dirty/ messy. Just as it should, there is no way during wars that they looked perfect and flawless, with make up on. Kudos to the makers of this drama, the make up artists… and kudos to the actors for not being scared of not looking perfect all the time!
Many says that ep 1-2 are not that interesting, that its not until ep 4 this drama gets VERY interesting! I liked ep 1-2 but yeah, it definitely got more interesting in ep 4. But it was important to introduce the characters in the first 2 episodes, so that we get to know a bit what they are like. My Dearest is a very tragically beautiful drama with lots of heart put into it, it’s a roller coaster full of emotions! I have to keep my breath sometimes, it’s a stressful drama because you never know what will happen and you fear for the characters, etc. it’s far from a predictable story, far from being cliche. I love that this drama is quite fast paced, I never feel bored!
Thanks to this drama I learned a lot about Korea’s history, I had no idea prior to this that there was war between Qing and Joseon. And learning about Khan, Mongolians and Manchu people was really interesting, it was interesting to see actors portraying them. They could be really brutal!
Honestly, tho … the love story can be very frustrating , because Gil Chae… For part 2- hopefully it will have the same high quality in part 2 too, which I think it will, because supposedly they split this into 2 parts so that the quality wouldn’t be less. .. I just hope that Gil Chae will realize how much she loves Jang Hyun, who’s done so much for her. So overall, a great watch if you can handle some very frustrating moments.. sometimes I felt like banging my head into wall to be honest, but the greatness is far stronger …
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A BDSM movie done right!
Love and Leashes is a sexy, fresh and delightful movie! I didn’t know what to expect from this movie since it seems to have mixed reviews, but I ended up really loving this. This is actually a great movie to watch for introduction to BDSM… so do yourself a favor and watch this instead of the terrible 50 Shades of Grey. Love and Leashes actually tells how important consent is, about the HEALTHY way of BDSM, not the unhealthy way. I was surprised that Korea made such a daring, progressive and controversional movie, since as far I understand Korea is a conservative country. And also surprising is that this actually potrayed BDSM in a healthy way, since this might be the first BDSM korean movie or one of the first (feel free to correct me if I’m wrong). And the third surprising thing is that the female lead and male lead is acted by a idols, Seo Hyun from Girls' Generation and Lee Jun Young from U-KISS! That’s very brave of both of them. The fourth surprising thing is that it’s the woman who is the dominatrix/master, especially since this is Korea’s first (or one of the first) BDSM movie. It feels feminist, like it breaks stereotypes about men and women, it tells that men doesn’t have to be macho/dominant, and that women doesn’t have to be sumbissive.This is generally a lighthearted and comedy movie, sometimes even silly, but deals with serious and disturbing subjects too… Anyways, this movie despite the theme is not very explicit, but still manages to be sexy! If you are looking for something explicit / almost p*rnish, then you might be dissapointed. The chemistry between Seo Hyun and Lee Jun Young is good. I like the fact that Ji Woo does lots of research about BDSM, which is not always the case when it comes to BDSM movies, and how respectful Ji Hoo is towards Ji Woo, he doesn’t force or nag at her when it comes to BDSM, he is not pushing her into anything… and I like the fact that Ji Woo actually likes to experience new things and is so open minded. She doesn’t judge people for their perferences.
It also deals with other people’s judgement when it comes to BDSM and How they think its just perverted and sick, and the movie wants to tackle those prejudices and tell there is nothing wrong with BDSM - as long as both parties wants it. I won’t lie, this movie is a bit predictable, sometimes I could tell what would happen. Also, the acting is okay but not the best… but other than that, everything was great, it also tacklas sexism at work, and movie wants to lift up How problematic it is. Ji Woo is a strong a character, she doesn’t take crap and is a very modern, liberal woman. Ji Hoo is a nice man who hides his kinky side, afraid to be looked down on, especially because of what happened in the past. The relationship between Ji Woo and Ji Hoo is of course not the typical kind of relationship, it’s pretty unique, of course. And of course they develop feelings for each other.
Some say this movie is very tame, but not for me. Sure there are BDSM movies out there that are a LOT more explicit, but I thought this is definitely not tame since Ji Hoo actually likes pain and we see his wounds after BDSM with Ji Woo, and some scenes are actually very darn sexy, and tastefully so… While not a very deep movie , its definitely not shallow. I give this 8.5/10 whips! ?
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ONE OF THE BEST MOVIES I EVER WATCHED - THE HIGH RATING HERE ON MDL TOTALLY WELL DESERVED!!!
Wow, just wow. This movie is pure amazing. You HAVE to watch it, can't recommend it enough! Based on a true story, the movie tells about bullying in high school, where people are struggling for university exams. High school girl Chen Nian finds her bullied classmate lying dead on the ground on campus after suicide, and then she is subjected to severe bullying as well. She meets a tough guy from the streets, who she later asks if he can protect her, which he agrees to ... and a strong bond between the two grows, but then something dramatic happens.This movie gave me a roller coaster full of emotions, on the deepest level! It made me so angry, sad and disturbed how people can be so cruel and heartless, many finding others in pain just amusing, something to laugh at! And it makes me speechless how people can just take photos of a dead body instead of calling the ambulance! Chen Nian was the only decent one, who covered her dead classmate's body with her jacket. But in midst of all misery, there is a glimpse of light and hope... this movie has lots of ugliness, but also lots of beauty. The most beautiful thing about Better Days, is the deep bond between Chen Nian and Xiao Bei / Bei Shan. Their bond is thicker than blood, they have a deep connection, like soulmates, it goes even deeper than that of lovers (its obvious they are in love with each other), rarely you find a special bond like this! At first, Chen Nian looked down on Xiao Bei for being poor, uneducated, having no goals in life, and just getting into fights. But when Chen Nian cannot anymore handle the severe bullying, she goes to him and ask him to protect her (which he offered her to do earlier but she declined), he agrees. And boy, he takes his "job" as protector very seriously and follows her around, walking always behind her. He is willing to go extreme lengths to keep her safe.
There is one particular scene that touched me so much, it gave me goosebumps! I don't want to spoil too much, but it was after Xiao Bei found Chen Nian all beaten up... so yeah, the scene involves Xiao Bei and Chen Nian, it was that moment that made their bond soooo deep, the deepest kind of bond! When seeing that beautiful, meaningful scene, I knew this movie would become one of my absolute favorite movies of all time and my absolute number 1 favorite asian movie!
I love that this movie is anti-bullying, it never blames the victim, all the blame goes to the bullies. I mean, this movie shows how some people puts some blame on the victim too, but the movie still manages to make it clear that how wrong it is for those kind of people to put blame on the victim. Chen Nian goes through hell, but some doesn't take it seriously and just says stuff like "they are just teenagers, they don't know any better, so let it just be". Luckily tho, not all are like that, for exemple the policeman Zheng Yi who really wants to help Chen Nian. He is speechless how people can defend the bullies, even more speechless how the bullies has not even a hint of remorse!
One evening, something very dramatic happens. And Xiao Bei's pure and deep love for Chen Nian makes him go great great lenghts for her. Better Days deals first of all about bullying, second is the relationship between Chen Nian and Xiao Bei, but I found both equally as important. The acting of Zhou Dong Yu (who potrayed as Chen Nian) and Jackson Yee (who potrayed as Xiao Bei) is amazing, the acting couldn't be more amazing. Actually, all actors did a wonderful job! And the cinematography is A++! Honestly, this movie is pure perfection that touched deeply my soul. There is absolute nothing I would wanna change. This movie made it even more impacrful because its based on a true story, wow. And can you believe this masterpiece almost was never released, because of chinese censorship?? I'm so thankful it was released, it would be like a huge crime to not release a amazing movie like this with such important message. Obs, if you decide to watch this, remember to NOT turn off the movie when the closing credits comes, there is a bit more to come. I will definitely be rewatching Better Days soon again, I can't get this art of movie out of my head.. it's just THAT great!! Everyone should watch this!
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This lakorn was a breath of fresh air,definitely not your typical lakorn. Sure, it had its cliches (like for exemple many times tripping and falling into the hero's arms followed by long stares, or turning around almost bump into the hero followed by long stares LOL) , but all in all the cliches were never overdone. Kadesurang/Karakade is such a refreshing heroine! She's bubbly, cheerful, curious, smart, strong willed and mischievous. She stands up for herself and others and never lets anyone break her. You know, in so many dramas the heroine starts out all strong but as the drama goes on its as if her strong willingness is thrown out of the window and she turns into a weak crybaby. But not here! Kadesurang/Karakade stays strong until the end. However, it doesn't mean she has no vulnerability in her, thankfully she does have it too, she cries/feels sad during the "right" times, for exemple when she misses her grandma and mom... during the times Kadesurang/Karakade is sad you can really feel for her, feel her pain. Luckily, she never dwells on her sorrows for too long and gets back to her usual cheerful self. Bella is the perfect role for Kadesurang/Karakade, such an expressive actress(I haven't seen any of her dramas before) , she gives life to her character and one can tell Bella is giving her all, not just half heartedly, obviously she takes her role as Kadesurang/Karakade very seriously. Bella is such a versatile actress as she is able to perfectly play as a someone cruel (the previous Karakade) and someone lovable, kindhearted (the current Karakade). I will for sure in the future watch more of Bella's work :)
Por Date... Pope was also perfect for the role as an old fashioned, proud gentleman of its time, with authority when needed. He could be strict and stiff, harsh too, but never cruel. What I fond realistic and great is how they never made Por Date modern (which is not always easy, often they make the hero a bit too modern despite its taking place in historical times). He grew up with the ideals and views as everyone else grew up with during Ayutthaya era. Neverthless, Por Date was an righteous man and it was such a delight to follow him from how he first loathed Kadesurang/Karakade to how he eventually fell deeply in love with her, at natural pace - it was never rushed. Whenever he smiled and how his eyes shined - especially towards Kadesurang/Karakade - was so sweet. Pope sure has a wonderful smile. And whenever Por Date was jealous because Kadesurang/Karakade was close to someone else was hilarious. Before Bpoop Phaeh Saniwaat Pope was not very popular, but after this lakorn he gained huge fame and lots of fans. I totally get why, he sure is an charismatic actor. :) I want to see more of him as well.
The sweeping romance between the fated lovers Kadesurang/Karakade and Por Date was subtle, gentle and very beautiful. Since its during Ayutthaya era, their romance was more on the traditional kind. Not much skinship, but still the chemistry between them was off the charts! The secret stares, subtle flirting, gentle touches - everything - between them felt so natural and genuine. They sure make a very romantic pair! And I simply loved it whenever Por Date sniffed Kadesurang/Karakade's hair, I never thought of it as something romantic until now LOL. One of the things I love about this OTP is that how they don't fight for too long and being overly stubborn, they listen to each other and learn from each other. No immature childish stuff with slapstick humor. They both behaved rather maturely and were very compatible with each other, they sure are a match made in heaven, after all they are destinied to be together.
The love story between them is the main plot, and the lakorn never forgets that.
Another thing I love about this lakorn is that all characters (even the supporting cast) are multi diminisional, no one is perfect. No evil characters, but no saints either. Everyone made a strong performance , the supporting cast too! I felt they had their own purpose in the lakorn as well, not just to be in the shadows of the main cast. They were memorable and had all unique personalities. We got to follow the maids/ servants daily life, likewise of the rest of the household. It was as if they all truly mattered... the maids/servants, Por Date's parents, as well as Por Date's previous crush, and his friend (who happens to look like Kadesurang's crush from the future), the king, the corrupted Phaulkon and his wife Maria, etc etc. All roles were memorable in its own right. What I loved is that this lakorn was not too politics heavy, and the politics that took place was quite interesting and was most of the times not too hard to follow. Also, another thing I love about this lakorn is how it manage to balance out so well comedy and drama. I enjoy how we get to learn about old Thailand , the customs, how people lived like back then. And the many real historical important characters we get to see is fascinating. Not to mention, this lakorn is so stunning with its beautiful backround with all the beautiful ancient temples and such...And the clothes are simply WOW~ I love the traditional thai costumes/clothes they wear. So beautiful!
And the OSTs are wonderful too, its more on the thai traditional kind of songs, which is perfectly suitable for this kind of lakorn. I would have been dissapointed if they used modern popish songs.
Bpoop Phaeh Saniwaat is a romantic lakorn full of heart. While I fond the editing a bit choppy (just a little) and some parts confusing like WTF (I don't want to spoil) all in all its a wonderful show and I totally get it why this became such a huge hit! Would I recommend this? Absolutely!! Its not perfect, has its flaws but the awesomeness is far stronger. To this date, this is the BEST lakorn I seen so far <3
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This review may contain spoilers
Last few episodes - a huge dissapointment
Well, well, well.. where to begin? DDSSLLS is supposed to be a cute romcom, which it is... until episode 12. After that it turns into a melodrama, which was not something I wanted! If this drama had continued being cute and lighthearted until the very end, I would have given this 8.5/10. So in short, DDSSLLS started out as cute, sweet and heartwarming, but ended up being a huge letdown, leaving me bitter and dissapointed. It lost its charm and when finishing it, I felt cold. No warmth, happiness or whatsoever (I felt warmth, happiness, giddiness, overall positive feelings, in the earlier episodes, but for the last few episodes I felt nothing). I don't have to go in depth what this drama is about, but in short: Ra Ra is a spoiled, immature pianist who has been living in a bubble all her life. Her father is wealthy so she has never had to have anything to worry about. But one day her father dies and leaves her poor having nothing, she was also left on the altar when she was supposed to get married. The only thing she has left is her super adorable pomeranian Mimi. If that's not enough, she gets scammed. So Ra Ra ends up in a small town, where she meets a lots of new people - including Jun. There she eventually opens a piano academy. Also there is "Do Do Sol Sol La La Sol" (Twinkle, twinkle little star) someone who always is "there" to encourage Ra Ra, but no one knows who that person is, that person is encouraging Ra Ra through media. As the series goes on, Ra Ra matures.I know many people don't like Go Ah Ra's acting. I can't comment on her acting in previous dramas since I haven't watched any of them, but in this drama she does a great job playing the bubbly, cheerful, naive girl. Maybe that's the kind of role that suits her the most because IRL she is also bubbly and cheerful (that's what I heard). Lee Jae Wook, this is his first drama as the ML, he did an amazing job. He is truly a very talented actor... I have never seen any previous dramas with him either, but I known about him because I heard from so many people how great he is and that he should get a leading role. Because of the high praises he gotten, he was one of the reasons I started this drama. The rest of the cast did all a great job as well, so nothing wrong with the acting!
Ra Ra and Jun were so freakin' cute together, they gave me butterflies. And I had a small crush on Jun, so handsome and reliable. Their chemistry was great and I rooted for those two to be together. Jun was such a puppy in love, head over heels in love with Ra Ra. He did so much for her, which was heart fluttering! But, after Jun's real identity was discovered, I felt for some reason that the chemistry between those two began lacking, I became less invested in their romance. I think I know why... this drama started going a bit downhill, it started getting on my nerves. Why? Because Jun and Ra Ra never really had the time to properly date, something always got in their way and they broke up three times! Like, seriously. I wanted to see those two actually be together properly, but they never were not even for one episode! And then we have the overused noble idiocy, having Jun breaking up with Ra Ra for her own "good", but the way he broke up with her and pretending to cheat on her was annoying. Did he really have to go so far?? And don't get me started on last episode... one of the most rushed and forced endings I ever seen! Okay, I can forgive Jun's actions in previous episodes for hurting Ra Ra so deeply, but OMG last episode I wanted to punch both him and his mom! I won't spoil, but let's just say if someone did to me what those two did, I would be furious. The ending, gosh... was SO stupid!
This drama has cliches after cliches in the last few episodes. I don't usually mind cliches - as long as its done in a good way. But for this drama, its done in a bad way. Felt to me like the screenwriter ran out of ideas or got lazy/ lost interest in this drama. And when some even are unsure about the ending, it just shows the screenwriter is bad at her job. This drama was full of heart, so sweet and heartwarming but lost its charm and heart, sadly.
As I wrote earlier, the cast did all a great job. Especially veteran Lee Soon Jae who plays the sweet grandpa. His love story with his dead wife was so so sweet and beautiful. We see flashbacks of young Kim Man Bok and his love in 1960s, played also by Lee Jae Wook and Go Ah Ra, which was cool.
I liked the small community, they all felt like a family always there for each other. The ahjummas of the "divorce club" was fun to watch! And Jin Ha Young, a girl who fell easily in love with guys, who's chilhood best friend was Lee Seung Gi, who always secretly had feelings for her... at first I didn't ship them together because I felt Ha Young could be so mean to him, but when she started falling for him as well, I warmed up to this couple. As for Cha Eun Seok, I was neutral towards him. At first I fond him creepy and I was not sure if he was a good or bad person.
So, would I recommend this drama? No. There are so much better romcoms out there, that doesn't turn into melodramas in the later episodes, they stay good until the end. I loved Jun so much but I don't love him as much anymore. However, I will definitely watch more of Lee Jae Wook's future dramas that's for sure, the way he can express so much with just his eyes is amazing!
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This review may contain spoilers
Loyalty or love - a complex love triangle
HUGE SPOILERS!!!!!I didn’t expect to love this movie so much, but I did. This tells the complicated love triangle between the 3 main leads - Hong Rim (Chief of King’s guard), Gong Min (king) and No Guk (queen). Set during Goryeo dynasty, Hong Rim and Gong Min are lovers, Gong Min trusts Hong Rim the most, and Hong Rim is very loyal towards Gong Min, would do anything for him. But Gong Min, who has no interest in No Guk, is pressured to make her pregnant, so that she will give birth to future heir. But he refuses to sleep with her and orders his lover to sleep with her instead, to make her pregnant. Hong Rim doesn’t want to, but he has no other choice but to obey… neither him or No Guk are happy about it, and it starts out as awkward and confusion when they sleep with each other first time, but eventually comes to enjoy it and their intercouse becomes full of lust and passion. And Hong Rim gets confused by his own growing feelings for the queen while also wanting to stay loyal to the king. It becomes dangerous as Hong Rim and No Guk starts playing with the fire, that could destroy everything…
The acting is amazing by all 3 leads - So In Sung, Jo Jin Mo and Song Ji Hyo! They gave it all and the acting comes off as very natural. The setting, clothes is very beautiful and overall Goryeo is a very interesting dynasty. A high quality movie even tho it’s from 2008…but this movie can be very disturbing , it had Gore and many erotic scenes - so, very sensitive viewers should not watch this. The sex scenes are very intense and realistisic, I started to think that the actors actually Did ’it’ for real. Such a progressive, extremly daring movie as not only violent and erotic - but also because it has homosexuality , in a movie set during Goryeo dynasty!! I don’t want to spoil too much but I have No idea Why so many feels sorry for Gong Min?? Like, seriously!
I was surprisingly moved by the forbidden love story between Hong Rim and No Guk, I truly believe they fell deeply in love with each other, they risked so much just to be together, Chemistry between Jo In Sung and Song Ji Hyo was on fire , it could melt my screen! And I was rooting for the impossible romence. I don’t think Hong Rim was ever in love with Gong Min… he loved him yes, but not romantically.
I love that We have k-dramas that usually are pretty tame/innocent but that k-movies can be anything but tame/innocent lol! If i want to watch something innocent I watch k-dramas , but if i’m in mood for something very spicy, I’ll go for k-movies!
Anyways, this movie is very intense, sometimes I had to hold my breath! It was interesting that when Hong Rim fell for No Guk, his lust/passion/love for her took his mind and thus his huge loyalty for Gong Min started to decline… which of course makes Gong Min in full rage mood!
This movie is almost perfection, nothing really I want to change. I’m proud of the 3 actors who took such daring roles! Kudos to them! I recommend this movie for adults who are not too sensitive, it’s truly a great movie. But don’t watch with your parents!! I truly fell for Hong Rim , who’s Been groomed by Gong Min since childhood , how he Been taught all his life to always obey and be loyal to Gong Min, taught to sacrifice his life for him - taught to always put him first and for Gong Min to be Hong Rim’s whole world. The only one he should ever care about..so when he falls in love with No Guk, it shakens up his life, and him who never before been with a Woman…
Truly a great movie, but no way i feel sorry for the king! It’s all his fault in the first place as he was the one who ordered them to sleep with each other , he should have known that there is possibility for them to develop feelings for each other. This movie … for sure it won’t be the last time I watched it ! :)
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This review may contain spoilers
Best BL/LGBTQ+ show for me!
I love this series, it is so much more than a BL it deals with deep, serious things. Everything feels so real, the characters feel genuine. There is a deleted scene that is not in the series, because it might trigger many / make many feel uncomfortable. Wish the scene had been included in the series, because it was a very important scene. Anyway, this one deals a lot with mental illness / depression / trauma. Don't want to spoil too much but Jae Won doesn't have it easy, but he finds the light again when he meets the innocent Ji Hyun. Here is the interesting thing; even though Jae Won is older and more experienced than Ji Hyun, Ji Hyun is the strong one in their relationship. He doesn't give up. There are a couple of troublesome side characters, namely Jae Won's ex-girlfriend and his friend.But then there are also good side characters, such as Ji Hyun's boss or his newfound friend who doesn't take shit, not even from the seniors/final year students (opposing seniors is a big no no in South Korea, so much respect to her! )
And I like that here there is actually something called therapy, in so many series no one goes to therapy despite mental illness, but here you actually go to therapy. I really like that the directors take mental illness very seriously, they themselves have written that mental illness is nothing to be ashamed of, and seeking help is not weakness.
One of the 2 directors is German by the way, so the series how it is filmed feels a bit western / indie. I like the way it is filmed, you really notice how well planned everything here, how much dedication the directors have put time into the way of filming. Sometimes it looks gloomy, sometimes it looks happier, sometimes it looks almost dreamlike. You really notice how they want to show that Jae Won is the darkness, while Ji Hyun is the light.
Speaking of the two of them, the chemistry is ?? have probably never seen another couple in series/film with more chemistry than the two of them. They actually act like two young adults in love, so this series is definitely not chaste. The songs from the series btw are amazing, l l listen to the songs everyday.
Is there anything I would like to change about the series? Well, no, it's so much fun to see how Ji Hyun develops as a person. The series is my absolute favorite BL/LGBTQ+. it really makes me feel things inside... everything from pain to joy. And you can really feel the attraction (which is often sexual) and love between Jae Won and Ji Hyun.
I love how natural they are together, all their gentle touches is everything. They’re so soft together which makes my heart melt! This BL is exactly my kind of angst, I love everything about this. This is really a high quality series that should not be missed <3
Jae Won and Ji Hyun will forever remain my favorite BL/LGBTQ+ couple.
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To My Star Season 2: Our Untold Stories
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For mature audience.
This sure was a roller coaster full of emotions. To My Star S2 is not for everyone and it’s understandable… It’s much more depressing and serious than the first season. But I gotta say, out of all BLs I watched that has more than one season, To My Star definitely has the best sequel! I enjoyed this even more than first season, because of its depth. Season 2 is for mature people, all characters here are realistic and flawed - especially Ji Woo. You will be frustrated at him, even angry at him, but he is really a complex character that you will also feel for.So… Ji Woo leaves Seo Joon with just a note ’let’s end it here’ and dissapears. Seo Joon, of course heartbroken, tries to find him. After 1 year Seo Joon finds out that Ji Woo has moved back to his hometown far from Seoul. He immediately goes there, hoping for answers. But Ji Woo is cold as ice and is clear that he doesn’t want to go back to Seo Joon. Meanwhile Ji Woo is struggling with his italian restaurant that has not many customers. Anyways, Seo Joon is of course confused and doesn’t understand why Ji Woo is so cold towards him…Seo Joon who loves Ji Woo so much, won’t give up easily.
This is so much more than just a BL - this hit so deep! It’s angsty and sad, and sometimes you wonder ’how is it possible to be so cold and harsh as Ji Woo’? Like I wrote earlier, he can be sooo frustrating! We get to know many new characters from Ji Woo’s hometown. Since it’s just a village it feels like a community, like one big family, although Ji Woo is not really popular there due to his introverted nature and because of what his parents did when they were still alive. We get to know for exemple Ji Woo’s neightbours, a single mother and her 9-year old daughter who he is very close to. Also, his ex-girlfriend who just came back from USA, also appears.
Ji Woo who acts so cold and emotionless towards poor Seo Joon makes one almost think that he has no feelings left, like at all. But if you really pay attention you can see that Ji Woo still loves him, it’s just that he is so, so scared. And then there is his ex… you can’t help but to admire Seo Joon and be so touched by him, because he refuses to give up on Ji Woo, just shows How strong his love is, makes you wish that you had someone like Seo Joon, who never gives up on you. At same time you feel for him, it’s painful to see how Ji Woo treats him so badly over and over again. Some think Ji Woo doesn’t deserve Seo Joon, that’s understandable. But I think it’s more complex than that, you don’t really know what’s going on in Ji Woo’s mind, and that drives us viewers AND Seo Joon crazy! But as series goes on, you will see more of Ji Woo’s inner thoughts and his Vulnerability.
Although the badly treatment of Seo Joon, Ji Woo and Seo Joon remains one of my favorite couples, I love How natural they are with each other, everything looks so real, like it’s not acting. The actors Son Woo Hyun and Kim Kang Min are made for their roles and their chemistry is amazing. This is as I wrote a mature series, so there are no silly or cringey moments here. The passion and desire between Seo Joon and Ji Woo is very strong, even though Ji Woo acts coldly towards Seo Joon, we can he desires him just as much as Seo Joon desires him. And that Ji Woo worries and cares for Seo Joon. We will get to later understand Ji Woo a lot more, where he is coming from, why he left and why he treats Seo Joon coldly.
For me this is a near perfect series, this is the kind of angst I love. There is nothing really I want to change about this one. Seo Joon and Ji Woo two totally opposites - complement each other so well. They’re a match made in heaven and just like what Seo Joon said; I guess we are really meant to be. To My Star 1&2 is my second favorite BL, after The Eighth Sense. I can’t rewatch To My Star S2 often because its just so sad, but if you really want to feel things in a deep level - then this is for you. You will for sure feel all kind of emotions…
Some think Seo Joon is way too forgiving and pathetic for going after Ji Woo nonstop, but for me like I wrote earlier, its admirable. And when Ji Woo starts to show more and more his vulnerable side, you totally feel for him and can’t bring yourself to hate him. You just want to give him a big hug! To My Star S2 hits me all my right spots, and I’m so glad South Korea is becoming more and more accepting of homosexuality. To My Star will always have a special place in my heart, everyone should give this one a chance!
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One of the best korean BLs out there!
To My Star is a beautiful mini web drama that touched me a lot. I loved it even more than 'Where Your Eyes Linger', about 2 hours in total this gem made me feel more than some 16+ hour dramas. In short, this gem is about a famous actor Kang Seo Joon whose career is in danger after a scandal. He ends up living with Han Ji Woo, a chef. They are complete opposites, Seo Joon is bold and outgoing, while Ji Woo is reserved and introverted. Of course they fall in love.I liked both characters, Seo Joon at first seemed selfish and indifferent, and somewhat stupid (clueless) while Ji Woo seemed very cold and emotionless. But then you realize there's more to this than meets the eye. Seo Joon may be completely carefree but he's not stupid, and he actually cares. As for Ji Woo, he's not that cold and callous, he's also a very caring guy but has built walls around his heart.
Seo Joon starts living with Ji Woo and tries to get close to him, while the latter acts cold. But Seo Joon eventually manages to form a bond with Ji Woo, and feelings between them begin to develop. Their relationship developed naturally, it didn't feel rushed despite the short length of this web drama. This is pure romance, so the majority of the scenes are them together, which I think is good, because this is short, if there wasn’t so many scenes of them together, their relationship wouldn't flow as naturally.
I came to care deeply about both characters. They are flawed and realistic, not one dimensional. You just wonder what on earth happened to Ji Woo to became so closed off , and what happened to Seo Joon since he panicks to loud noises… Despite being opposites, I feel they both compliment each other perfectly.
The side characters were great, and Seo Joon’s manager especially… Baek Ho Min was so adorable! The actor who played him was no other than the leader/subvocals of the band Newkidd - Kim Jin Kwon. Newkidd by the way sings the OST - I’ll Be There. Great song!! Kim Pil Hyun (CEO of TB Entertainment) was also great. The other side characters I didn’t care about though…
To My Star is kinda angsty and serious, but full of heart! The actors gave it all. Also, I believe this BL is one of the first korean BLs out there with realistic/ passionate kisses, which of course is a huge bonus!
So… lots of people think To My Star is one of the best korean BLs out there, and rightfully so! It’s a deep mature BL… Seo Joon and Ji Woo are definitely one of my favorite BL couples out there! The road to true love is not smooth, but you can totally feel that Seo Joon and Ji Woo belong together. How Seo Joon didn’t want to give up on Ji Woo is touching. The chemistry between those two men is amazing and it’s nice to see about two working adults, not a BL that is set in college/university!
There is not really anything I want to change about this wonderful series, the pacing was really good. If you are tired of typical childish BLs, then this is for you! No exaggerating over-the-top acting here. This is still a sweet one with lots of sweet moments! It has everything I want in a BL - great chemistry and great acting, nice cinematography, nice and deep and thoughtful plot, realistic development and realistic kisses/skinship… also great OSTs!
I think it's great that South Korea is opening up more and more slowly but surely to LGBTQ, a long way to go of course but it's moving forward! Hope a Korean GL (Girls love) comes out soon. And To My Star is one of the best BLs out there that doesn’t focus on fan services or whatever to sell the the ”ship”. I have never cared about fan service, and sometimes fan service is just so problematic. Anyways, this BL should not be missed!
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