TheJ
Earth
One of my biggest issues with this show was the product placement that was going on. This show felt more like a 20 episode ad for Samsung electronics than an action show. So many unnecessary close-up shots that, for me, it really took away some of the enjoyment of watching.
Another big issue with me was the love story being told. While there was definitely one in Iris, it was nowhere near as prevalent as the one in this. Characters would be idiotic about things and make bad judgments because of some significant other. It was tiresome.
Speaking of tiresome, if you can manage to never get tired of the flashbacks in this show, I applaud you. One of my biggest complaints about Iris was the insane amount of flashbacks they threw in. One of my biggest complaints about Iris 2 will have to be the same thing. A few here and there is okay, but when you start tossing in multiple ones that last for a good 2-5 minutes each time, you just need to stop.
While I liked a lot of the acting in Iris 2, I wasn't really fond of the chemistry with the cast. This was my first time watching Jang Hyuk in something, and I can safely say that I'm now a fan. He had a way of just keeping me glued to the screen when he was on it. While Lee Da Hae herself didn't bug me, the lack of chemistry I was feeling between the two actors did. I simply wasn't feeling it.
I was absolutely loving the rest of the cast though. Whether they were playing a good character, a bad character, or even a neutral character, I loved them.
The OST was boring for me unless it was an instrumental being playing during an action scene. Very repetitive. A couple songs I didn't even like from Iris I ended up having to deal with here as well.
Overall, I gave this a 7 simply because I liked the cast and the action scenes.
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The story had it's predictable parts (like most horror movies), and within the first half hour I was 99% certain on who the killer was, but that didn't really take away from the film; they had a way of making my 1% uncertainty look like it could actually be that.
I really liked the way the stories of each individual in the movie tied in with the next.
Acting/Cast: I liked the acting a lot. The whole cast, I felt, did an amazing job in their roles of adults who still suffer from childhood trauma.
Music: I honestly don't remember hearing any music in the movie at all. A bit during the more suspenseful parts, but that's it. And while I'd usually dislike that in a movie, I thought it fit well with the movie as a whole. I personally find silence to be scarier, so keeping a horror film like that is perfection in my book.
Rewatch Value: I don't really feel like this is a movie I'd watch just for the hell of it again. If I had some free time, and I was in the mood for some horror, then I could see myself going to this.
Overall: Overall, I really enjoyed it. Asian horror films have always been some of my favorites, and this didn't disappoint.
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Acting/Cast: Personally, I feel they really struck gold with this cast. Eun Ji was exceptional in her role as an H.O.T fan. When they were mentioned, she was ecstatic; when they were insulted, she was ready to defend them. Even if I wasn't already like her in that respect, I'd have no trouble believing her acting.
The chemistry between everybody was fantastic. Eun Ji and In Guk played the role of friends from birth really well.
Music: Throughout the show, you hear music from virtually every year between 1997 and 2012, and it's fantastic.
Rewatch Value: I'm not a big fan of rewatching dramas, but I could easily see myself watching this again in the future.
Overall: When it comes to watching dramas, it usually takes a lot to impress me. The fact that I gave this a 10 all-around really speaks volumes.
I loved this drama. The first half was a lot of comedy with some drama thrown in; the second half was a lot of drama (well acted drama [seriously, there were a few times I just had to cry along with the characters]) with some comedy thrown in; the whole show was a perfect mix of both.
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Acting/Cast: I loved the acting/cast so much. So freaking much. I think my favorite part about the cast is that none of them were really overly attractive. In most movies about sex, it seems like everybody is built like a Greek god, whereas this movie had people who just seemed normal.
Yoo Chae Young was, without a doubt, the best part of this movie for me though. She was perfect in her role.
Music: Aside from a few parts of the movie where the actors were singing, I don't even remember there being any music in this movie.
Rewatch: I could see myself watching this over and over again. It had a perfect blend of comedy (seriously, the comedic parts were fantastic) and romance that I really enjoyed.
Overall: Overall, this definitely gets a 10 in my book. Even though it was seriously lacking in the story department, the rest of the movie made up for it.
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Acting/Cast: Most dramas these days seem to enjoy casting idols as one of the lead roles. One of the reasons I wanted to watch this (aside from people always recommending it) was because of the fact that it had trained actors as leads. And you could definitely tell the difference. The acting by the cast of this drama was just tugging at my heartstrings a lot through the middle of the drama. Somewhat angsty moments had me absolutely bawling.
Music: A few of the songs were starting to get really repetitive as I watched this. They weren't bad songs, but they were the kind of songs you could only listen to so many time before wanting to mute it.
The songs were all good; they just needed to cut back on some of the replaying of them.
Rewatch Value: I really liked this show. I would love to watch it again in the future.
Overall: Overall, as much as I loved the acting and the cast, I had to give it an 8.
Much like a few of the songs in the show, the whole thing started to get really repetitive. It was the kind of drama where it was a constant back and forth of I-love-you-but-now-I-hate-you-but-I-really-love-you-when-I'm-not-hating-you a lot of the time. It got old. Very old.
One of my biggest pet peeves about shows that do things like that is that people never try to avoid misunderstandings. Instead of just mollifying the person who's misunderstanding, they just stand there and let the person's emotions fester. That also got very old.
I did love the character of Sam Soon though. Throughout the whole show, she never changed. She started off as a strong character, and she ended the show as one. She fell in love along the way, and had no problems crying over a man, but that didn't stop her from letting him control her life. In a lot of dramas, when a woman falls for a man, it's like she forgets who she is. This drama scored big with me for not going down that road.
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While the main guy of this, much like the lead in BOF, is rich, snobby, and completely unaware of anything other than himself, watching him change is what made his character bearable. It doesn't happen with a simple snap of the fingers, and it doesn't take the whole show for it to finally come about, and that was nice.
I see people comparing this to 'Secret Garden' a lot of the time, and I don't really understand it. Granted, I haven't seen that drama in a while, but what I do remember from that I don't recall ever seeing in FBRS. So, if you love SG, and the comments about that have turned you off from this, don't let it.
Acting/Cast: This was, without a doubt, the best part of the show.
Jung Il Woo was fantastic as Cha Chi Soo, Lee Ki Woo was the perfect choice for his role, and even though Lee Chung Ah wasn't really impressing me for the first half of the show, she impressed me during the last half.
Park Min Woo and Jo Yoon Woo were by far my favoring two members of this cast. They had this amazing chemistry together, and it made watching them interact my favorite thing to do. The relationship between those two completely surpassed the relationship between the main characters for me. Park Min Woo had this one moment during the last episode that just killed me. If I was giving out awards for the best cast choice, he would get it.
Music: A couple of the songs weren't really to my liking, but the music wasn't bad. Jung Il Woo's song got played kind of often the last 1/4 of the show or so, but his voice is really soothing, so I never got tired of hearing it.
Rewatch Value: I've now watched this twice if that says anything.
Overall: Overall, it was an enjoyable drama to watch. It had funny moments, it had happy moments, and it had sad moments. The only two things I could think to complain about would be the ending and the male lead's father.
The last 1-2 episodes felt incredibly rushed. Like they just wanted to toss in everything they could before it was over, and I was definitely not liking that.
As for the father, the actor was good; it was the character that needed to be fixed. He started off nice and adorable, and then turned into the typical rich father of these shows, and I hated it; especially since they waited to long to do it. If it had been right at the beginning, it would've been a lot better.
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Acting/Cast: Fujiwara Tatsuya was the biggest factor when I decided to finally give the movie a try. After viewing Light in a certain way for all of these years, I really wasn't a fan of his portrayal of him at first. But, as time went on, and I continued watching, I really ended up loving him in the role.
Matsuyama Kenichi is the perfect L. Everything from the way he talks, to the way he sits, to the way he acts, was just totally spot-on. I had absolutely no trouble believing he was L.
The rest of the characters didn't get too much time of their own, but when they did, I wasn't disappointed.
Music: Honestly, I don't remember much of the music from this movie. There's the suspenseful music every now and then, but that's all I remember.
After being so used to hearing it every few minutes in the anime whenever Light's coming up with a new plan, it was kind of disappointing to have it lacking in the movie.
Rewatch Value: After watching the anime repeatedly, and reading the manga just as much, I can safely say I would do the same with the movie.
Overall: Overall, the only things I can think to complain about were the music and the occasional slowness. Like I said though, it's pretty much a given when watching a Japanese movie, so it didn't bother me enough to not give this movie a 10.
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Story: The story, sadly true, is about deaf and mute children who suffer constant sexual abuse from the people paid to protect them.
The movie is a lot more graphic than I would have originally imagined it being, and in the end, that's what makes this movie so amazing. It seems so incredibly real the whole time you're watching it that it just breaks your heart. Every scream, every tear, and every bit of abuse you witness on screen just tears you up inside.
I really enjoy the pace of the movie. We get some time to see the main characters, build a connection with them, and see how affected they are by the abuse, and this movie leaves a huge impact on you because of that.
Acting/Cast: Gong Yoo has been my favorite actor from the second I started watching Korean dramas/movies. Given the storyline and his ability to always grab me with his acting, I knew I wouldn't regret my choice to watch this movie. I was definitely not disappointed by this man. His ability to just jump into any role and play it perfectly is fantastic.
Baek Seung Hwan, Kim Hyun Soo, and Jung In Seo all deserve praise for their acting in this movie. They all managed to portray abused children so perfectly that you believe every single second of it. When they cry, you cry; when you have to sit there and watch them get sexually molested, you cry.
If you're anything like me though, even though each of their stories breaks your heart, Baek Seung Hwan's acting/character will just kill you.
Jang Gwang also did a fantastic job in his role. Not only did he have to play twins; he had to play twins that both sexually molested students.
Music: I only remember two songs from this movie, and that's only because they play a pretty vital role. Normally I would score low for that, but the lack of music playing in the movie really helped. Instead of distracting you with music, it lets you focus on everything that's happening.
Rewatch Value: So far, I've watched this twice. I'm sure I'll watch it many more times in the future.
Overall: Overall, this movie is sheer perfection. It's brilliantly told, the acting is spectacular, and it manages to just make you sit there and think long after you've finished it.
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Acting/Cast: I started this score off as a ten, and then docked two points for the leads. When I started watching the show, I was already expecting it to be pretty bad (because Korea's past adaptations so far have been horrible), so I didn't let that cloud my judgement when it came to their acting. As the show went on though, I actually found myself skipping over almost all parts that had Sulli and/or Minho in them because it was starting to feel like watching them was a chore instead of feeling like I was enjoying myself.
Minho seemed to have three emotions at his disposal at all times: happiness, sadness, and anger. I understand that the original character is like that, but the actor, in my opinion, should at least be able to display something else if it's needed. And he just really fell short.
Sulli was pretty much the same way when it came to her acting. In most of her scenes, she just stood there. Just stood, while everybody else acted. It was incredibly boring to watch.
The rest of the cast is literally the only reason I made it through to the end of this drama.
Music: This OST was just a total killjoy for me. It seemed like every second of this show was nothing but an SM concert. I'm a big fan of SM and their music, but even I was on the verge of watching the show on mute just to avoid listening to all of it.
Rewatch Value: Every now and then I'll find a drama I would want to rewatch. This was definitely not one of them.
Overall: Overall, the only reason this drama scored higher than a 5 from me was because of the rest of the cast. It felt like the whole drama was nothing but SM everywhere: The leads were SM artists; the OST was only SM artists; even the school was named Genie (a name all of us know from those horrid ads on SM music videos). If they had focused more on finding actual actors to lead the show, and less on promoting SM (I realize I bring that up a lot, but seriously, it was just everywhere), I feel like it really would've helped this drama.
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I can't really compliment or complain about the acting in this. Much like the movie itself, nothing about the acting stood out either. My favorite person had to be the one in the black rat mask. To me, one of the top ways to make a movie killer scary is to make it seem like they're thoroughly enjoying what they do, and they did that flawlessly. Skipping and jumping around while tossing in cute squeaks of enjoyment every now and then.
Aside from the end credits and a song that somewhat plays an important role in the movie, I don't remember anything about the music here. As for rewatching it, I really don't know. It wasn't amazing, but it was short, so I could see myself watching it again if I ever needed a way to fill time.
Overall, the movie was too confusing to make much sense, so I can't score it high. It just seemed to jump from one scene to the next sometimes. I feel like adding another 20-30 minutes to this would've really helped.
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The speed with which it was told wasn't too bad. The first 20 minutes or so feels a bit slow at times, and their final goodbye was really drawn out. I would've liked it if that had been shorter. Everything else in between felt like it was sailing along smoothly though.
Acting/Cast: It's hard to comment on the chemistry between everybody. A lot of the scenes had Matsushima Nanako in them, and since she's supposed to be dead throughout most of the film, it's difficult to critique that part. As a whole though, it didn't feel too bad. I did enjoy their interactions while watching.
Song Seung Hun. Anybody who knows me knows that I'm pretty much in love with this man and that he can do absolutely no wrong in my eyes. Now then, bias aside, I did like his acting. He had me shedding a few tears at times, and that's always a good quality to have. I loved listening to him speak Japanese as well. I'm so used to hearing him speak Korean that it was a nice switch.
Matsushima Nanako. Other than this, I've only ever seen her in 'Hana Yori Dango.' I loved her in that show, and I loved her in this movie. She's definitely high up on my list of Japanese actresses right now.
Kiki Kirin. It was hard for me to watch this and not compare her to Whoopi Goldberg. Whoopi was what made the whole movie for me in the 1990 film, so it was hard to live up to the standards she had set for me. That said, I did love Kiki in this movie. She was hilarious.
Music: I've never liked 'Unchained Melody.' Since this is Ghost, it's obviously going to be played more than once throughout. If it wasn't for Ken Hirai's 'Aishiteru,' I'd probably score this category a lot lower.
Other than those two songs, I don't remember any of the music if there was any.
Rewatch Value: I wouldn't be against watching this a second time.
Overall: Overall, it wasn't a horrible movie, but it wasn't a gem of a movie either. It was stuck somewhere in the middle. Like I said earlier, the beginning seemed slow at parts, and the end kind of dragged. I feel like if it weren't for the actors that played the lead characters in this movie, I would've had a hard time finishing it.
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The first half of the movie or so went by far too fast in my opinion. I almost gave up watching it. The last half of the movie was better. It slowed down a bit.
Acting/Cast: Song Seung Hun is one of my favorite actors (and the reason I didn't drop this after the first half); this didn't disappoint. I don't know if it was him, or the character he was playing, but I was just totally in love. His innocence when it came to relationships was just really endearing.
Jung Da Bin took some getting used to. Throughout the first half, much like the movie, I just wasn't feeling it. It felt like she was trying too hard a lot of the time.
The rest of the cast, aside from Lee Ki Woo (and that's probably just because he was the only other person who got a lot of screen time), wasn't really memorable.
Music: I honestly don't remember any music from this movie at all. There were some club scenes, but I don't even remember any of that.
Rewatch Value: I would rewatch this simply to see Song Seung Hun again. Seriously, that man is far too gorgeous to ignore.
Overall: Overall, it wasn't good. It wasn't bad. It was stuck somewhere in between. I enjoyed watching the main actors interact, and there were a few comedic parts in there that I was laughing really hard at, but that's really all that I found appealing here.
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As for the story, it really wasn't bad. It showed the relationship between two people who are incredible friends. The friendship between those two is what makes this movie good. The shows that the jesters put on had me laughing each time. Those are really the only two things I enjoyed about the movie.
The last half hour or so had me wondering how much longer it would be until it was finished. It just seemed to really be dragging.
Acting/Cast: Without a doubt, the saving grace of this movie.
The chemistry between Lee Jun Ki and Kam Woo Sung was fantastic. I had absolutely no trouble believing they were best friends.
When Yu Hae Jin, Jung Suk Yong, and Lee Seung Hun come in later, they're another trio of people I could easily believe were best friends.
All five of them together was endearing to watch.
Jung Jin Young is what I loved about this movie though. I've seen quite a few historical Korean dramas/movies, and he was, by far, my favorite king. He was eccentric, and it was awesome. He always seemed to be having such a great time, and it was adorable.
Music: I don't remember a single piece of music from this movie. There was the beating of drums during skits from the jesters, but that's all I remember hearing.
Rewatch Value: The cast alone, unfortunately, is not enough to make me want to ever watch this again.
Overall: Taking into account my love of the friendship storyline, the chemistry between the five main jesters, and Jung Jin Young as the king, that's what gets this movie an 8 from me.
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Jang Geun Suk was awesome in his role as the teenager who suddenly has to take care of a kid he never wanted. I was originally hesitant to watch this movie because I wasn't a fan of 'You're Beautiful' at all, but I'm glad that I watched this anyway.
Moon Mason was absolutely adorable. Park Myung Soo as his voice was equally amazing.
The music was enjoyable. Thinking about it now, nothing sticks out, but I remember enjoying it while I was watching.
Whether or not I'd rewatch this, I'm still unsure about. If I did, I'd have to just go up until the last 20 minutes or so and then stop, but what fun is that when watching something? I loved the comedic parts of this movie though. There were a few times I was laughing so hard that I ended up in tears.
Overall, I enjoyed it. I went into this expecting comedy at the beginning and that abruptly turning into a romance story in the middle. I was, fortunately, incorrect. As much as I loved that though, I could only give this a 6.
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Acting/Cast: I think they did okay with what they were given.
Music: While I liked a lot of the music throughout the show, I scored it lower because, like the story, it was focusing too much on the main 4 characters. There was a cast of skilled people on this show, but when it was time to perform solo, as duets, or as groups, everybody else usually got pushed aside and you never got to see them. If you did get to hear them sing, the camera usually still ignored them.
Rewatch Value: I don't usually rewatch dramas.
Overall: In the end, it didn't rate high on my list of dramas. If they had focused more on the actual performing aspects of a show about performers, instead of the complicated love square of the main people, it would've been deserving of a higher overall score.
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