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  • Location: Italy
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  • Join Date: April 8, 2011

amrita828

Italy

amrita828

Italy
Completed
Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok Joo
130 people found this review helpful
Feb 9, 2017
16 of 16 episodes seen
Completed 33
Overall 6.0
Story 5.5
Acting/Cast 6.0
Music 6.0
Rewatch Value 2.0
The reason why I chose this drama among the lot, is the number of great reviews it got. I've read words like "perfect", "unforgettable" and "awesome" in regard to it, so I started with more than a little expectation. These high praises are also the reason why I'm writing a review myself; because perhaps out there there's someone like me who'd find words like "bland", "silly" or "yawn inducing" much more befitting to this particular drama.

The plot is sweet enough, but I truly fail to see its purpose. The premises, that is, a girly girl who lifts heavy weights, could have been everyone else that comes to mind – a clown, a dock worker, a truck driver or a simple student. The sport of weightlifting itself does absolutely nothing to deeply define this girl, except for 2 details: 1st, the hardship of balancing love for this sport with the basic womanly needs of being pretty; 2nd, the ridiculous choice of main actress, who is as believable as a weightlifter as I am as the first queen of Goryeo.
In Cheese in the Trap, the last drama I saw her acting in, someone called her "a giraffe", which I'd say is quite accurate a description. Lee Sung Kyung is tall, thin and beautiful, and her acting here consists of an alternation of pouts and a goofy gate that should lead us to believe she's not feminine. While watching, I spent a lot of time deciding whether I should raise one eyebrow or both.

The humour is off, at least for my taste. I didn't laugh once. There's too much screaming and wrestling, and most of all, there's too much eating. When I enter the realm of Korean drama, I'm psychologically prepared to see people eat at every opportunity, but here they really don't do much more. The quantity of food – and junk food – shoved into everyone's mouth is such that I got nauseous.

Acting is average. None of the actors shine in his or her performance, possibly because the script has no room for deep characterization. This isn't even a coming of age kind of story, since all characters end up being basically the same they were in the beginning, but with a partner. All the interesting cues, those that somehow delved deeper into the emotions of some characters, are conveniently skimmed and resolved in the space of a few minutes. Everyone lies to everyone else and calls it either friendship or protection. Bah.

There is some music… I think.

Never to be rewatched. Once was enough to establish this is not my kind of drama and simply forget about it. My 6 is due to the fact that I completed it.

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Completed
Rondo
13 people found this review helpful
Oct 29, 2011
11 of 11 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 10
Story 10
Acting/Cast 10
Music 10
Rewatch Value 7.0
I have been literally blown away by this drama.
Discovered by mere chance while following Takenouchi Yutaka's work, it soon proved to be one of my best drama findings. It wasn't even listed on MDL, nor have I ever read a review or a comment about it.
Rondo is a romance thriller. The two aspects are smoothly interwoven and so well balanced that I don't know if I should say it's a romance on the background of a major criminal plot, or a thriller with an undertone of romance.
But let me go in order.

Plot: 10.
Should you decide to watch this drama, don't be deterred by the complex police investigation at the beginning. Slowly but steadily, the jigsaw pieces find their right place and everything becomes clearer and more and more gripping. Never predictable though; on the contrary, there's a twist at every turn.
The love story is simply beautiful. I love the Japanese-Korean interaction between the main leads, it adds a lot of colour to the story and create some very sweet moments. The two characters are a beauty to watch together: both intense and believable, both incredibly good-looking.

Acting: 10.
Terrific performances by all. Takenouchi proved once again to be an outstanding, very expressive actor and, I can just as well admit it, sexy as hell. The only asian man beside Takeshi Kaneshiro who looks good with a moustache. Choi Ji Woo, whom I had never seen acting before, is wonderful. I loved their first encounter and, since I'm very partial to those, I can say it marked the moment I decided I liked this drama. On screen they share the kind of chemistry which is created by tension and suspicion.
I was impressed by Hayami Mokomichi's and Shin Hyun Joon's performances too.

Cinematography: 10.
This is a dark drama. So are the colours, the screenshots, the city views. Black and gray are the predominant hues. The overall photography and direction are spot-on and there were times when I thought I was watching a long movie, instead of a drama.

Music: 11.
Wait... the option is not available. Pity, since the music is a blast, at least for my taste. There's an awesome instrumental piece in between ethnic and trip-hop which is so well used I was always longing for it to play. The music plays a major role in connection with the shooting. Very well chosen.

Re-watch value is obviously a little lower, as it always is with suspense dramas. Once the twists are known, a little of the thrill is gone. Which doesn't mean I won't rewatch this drama when a reasonable time will have passed.

There is only one sad note about this show: the quality of the streaming videos available. Subs: an atrocity. Although I marathoned through the drama, I must say it was an odyssey. The first episode, which is 90 minutes long, is impossible to find whole and in the right order. It almost made me give up the drama entirely, until I decided to find an alternative way... I'm glad I did. The rest of the 10 episodes has to be scraped together here and there. But if you have the patience, you won't regret it.

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Completed
My Girlfriend Is a Gumiho
66 people found this review helpful
May 28, 2012
16 of 16 episodes seen
Completed 3
Overall 4.0
Story 4.0
Acting/Cast 7.0
Music 5.0
Rewatch Value 1.0
I will get so much hatred for what follows, I'll better go on a vacation for a while.

The premise: I dropped this drama 5 times before finally completing it. The reason why I picked it up again is the most shallow and childish you can think of: the crush on an actor. It embarrasses me no end, but what can I do?
I am the cause of my own suffering.
The reason why I didn't drop it a sixth time as every cell in my body screamed I should, is that when I reached episode 11 I was so bored and annoyed by this drama, the desire to write a review became stronger than the torture itself.
Also, I have let some time pass after the watch before I started writing, because I wanted to use my brain and not my stomach (or heart, in this case it's the same thing).

Let's go in order.
The Plot. There is a fantastic word in French to describe such a plot: a bric-a-brac. It is a fairy tale, which is fine, it's full of elements of fantasy, which is fine, but instead of following a cohesive narrative as required by any story, fantastic or real, it keeps on throwing in new explanations and solutions until nothing makes sense anymore, not even in a fantasy world. We have a Gumiho and suddenly we find out she was made out of the ashes/fire of a Goblin. A GOBLIN? You mean legendary little monsters with either green or red skin, pointed ears and tons of malice? That's not how the half ghost remembers her. Wait, this Goblin turned Gumiho turned half human also gave half of her "ki" (another element popped out of the blue on episode... 13 I think) to a human who gave up half of his life but also has half a ki and drank twice the bead and died and came back to life and then the eclipse...
Ok, I stop here before I turn as crazy as the plot. This story is utterly ridiculous, even when, I repeat, I let time pass and somehow digested it all.
Did I mention the cheese, the sugary dialogues, the repetition of lines, flashbacks, situations? Better not.

The characters.
Oh please kill me.
If you think Gumiho is a fox, you're mistaken: she's a dog. She goes from talking about cow meat every MINUTE of every single episode to the middle, to taking about her Dae Woong every minute of every episode till the end. She depends so much on him that even when the stakes get higher and she decides for a sacrifice in the name of love, it's not suspenseful anymore. It's irritating, predictable and humiliating. As a woman, I find her character insulting. Like a dog, she stays glued to him with a persistence and complete lack of reasoning which is the exact opposite of romantic.
She threatens to disappear at least 4 times, and every time she changes idea and we are back to square one.
Dae Woong has at least a little character development, but stays a bi-dimentional person anyway. His losing his parents when he was a kid is mentioned and never elaborated: why mentioning it, then? The zoo trauma is treated in such a superficial way it's ridiculous.
And the fact that he loves a woman who has the brain of a 4 year old child and the attitude of a loyal dog doesn't play much in his favour.
The "half ghost" Dong Joo passes his time watching an hourglass with one eye and his magic knife with another, repeating to himself the same sentences over and over and playing in his mind the same memory at least 12 times. I still have to understand whether his contribution to the plot is to be there and show his sexy emo haircut or add to the comedic.
The others aren't even worth mentioning: the usual, trite, spiteful, envious girl, the always oblivious friends, the silly grandfather, a farting aunt and the bad double of Chow Yun Fat. Oh yes, the dog (the real one) is wonderful.

The acting of the main leads is decent. The others are, once again, not worth mentioning.

The music is repetitive. Very much so. There is one nice song, but by the end I couldn't hear it anymore, so many times it was played.

I know this sounds harsh and I know I won't be received with sympathy. But given the number of good reviews this thing got, I don't feel like I'm doing any harm to it by stating my honest opinion.
If you want an overdose of cheese, watch this.

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Completed
Full House
47 people found this review helpful
Apr 13, 2011
16 of 16 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 4.0
Story 5.0
Acting/Cast 5.0
Music 6.0
Rewatch Value 3.0
Oh, the Boredom!



This was a very popular drama at the time of its airing. The cast is top-notch, the plot has all the premises for a funny, romantic and passionate love story.

Unfortunately though, the viewer is forced to an extremely long wait for something that never happens, or happens on a very low scale in the last 5 minutes of the show.



The rest of it is a sequel of silly quarrels, food preparing and cleaning. I'd say the cleaning is the main character of the show, to the point you start looking around your house thinking that dusting once a week cannot possibly be enough. Yes, because these two, in turn, dust the huge house once a day, and the director saw it fit to show it to the viewer every single time, just in case one might forget how it is done.



The chemistry between the 2 leads is there, and it's powerful. Ironically though, this alchemy becomes the biggest flaw of the show, because it's like a big amount of electricity never conveyed into anything. One waits... and waits... and waits.



Since watching Full House I'm invariably sceptical about any drama portraying two lovers forced in the confines of a house.

Yawn.

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Completed
Reply 1997
38 people found this review helpful
Nov 1, 2012
16 of 16 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 9.0
Story 10
Acting/Cast 10
Music 8.0
Rewatch Value 9.0
Another review of the most popular drama on MDL is certainly redundant; in fact, I haven't got much to add to what has already been so well expressed by many.
However, you could have the same reservations I had before someone recommended it to me, and may end up skipping a delicious drama thinking - wrongly - that it's not for you.

At first I simply left it off my list without a second thought because of the meagre synopsis. What, fangirlism? No, thank you! I'm not even a fan of K-pop, let alone pop from the 90ies, who could care less?, I thought.
If you have the same doubts, please know that this drama proved me wrong: not only "groupies" and K-pop are a simple vehicle to a completely different story, but that same fangirl I thought I would detest became my favourite character and the one I related to the most.

The story is made of small moments, some hilarious, some incredibly sweet, some profound, some all of those. There are episodes, mostly in the beginning, which take place in the space of a few hours and tell of little, at times mundane occurrences. They are the true force of the drama, along with the characters, because whether you're young or old, from one side of the planet or the other, you surely have lived at least one of those situations yourself. All is seasoned with those very Korean peculiarities we love, including huge meals, bodily needs, people losing their temper and shouting around, gossiping ahjummas and overly stubborn ahjussis.

Reply 1997 finally confirmed something I have been thinking about a lot lately: my liking of a drama is directly related to the number of likable characters. The more, the better.
These people are adorable. All of them. And on top of them, let me put Shi Won, an anti heroine full of shortcomings but wonderfully consistent, brave, straightforward and charming. Even when she's wrong, she's reasonable. I dare say, this drama is a celebration of feminism, not the trite and anachronistic one of wild females rotating their bras over their heads and claiming the ownership of their bodies, but the one combining sweetness and strength of will, friendship and solidarity among girls.

The very natural acting of all adds to the general feeling of realism. It's easy to forget these people are staging a drama. Great. At times I laughed hard, smiled or sympathized because I could see that very scene happening live in front of my eyes.

The music isn't unforgettable, but it's used very well and it's so varied it never bored me, nor did I ever think it wasn't properly chosen for the scene.

As I said, another review may not be very useful, but if it convinces even one hesitant viewer to give the drama a try, it'll have fulfilled its purpose. A very sweet and enjoyable ride I am willing to go along for again. Any time.

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Completed
Ashita no Joe
14 people found this review helpful
Jun 5, 2013
Completed 0
Overall 8.0
Story 4.0
Acting/Cast 9.0
Music 9.0
Rewatch Value 7.0
On a super crazy Yamapi nostalgia which propelled me to re-watch almost all he's been acting in, I have finally come around to watch this movie. I was hesitant because, honestly, among all the combat sports, boxing is definitely not my favourite.

Being the movie adaptation of a legendary manga, the plot of this live action would need a 1 page discussion at least. But here's the rub! The movie does absolutely no justice to the cultural reality it was born in. Tomorrow's Joe is originally a story of social redemption that features a very self destructive antihero; it's not your average story of poor guy becomes rich and popular thanks to his fists and strength of will. It is, or I'd better say it SHOULD BE, the mirror of a period, a true social condemnation embodied by a derelict guy who can express himself only on the ring. This is where the film fails big time. The character of Joe is so scantily written one needs to be a seer to understand his motives – unless you've read all 20 volumes of the manga, in which case you'll probably be disappointed anyway by its brevity.
The direction seems to have been so preoccupied with the tiniest visual detail that it completely forgot to tell a story. The same applies to all the characters, whose arc is touched so superficially I had to appeal to my imagination to fill all the glaring voids.

Not to mention the boxing aspect itself. While the actors have done an amazing job at preparing for a difficult athletic task, the combats themselves are visually beautiful but tremendously repetitive. Since so much time is dedicated to the fight, I was hoping for more moves and tricks that never came. Once again, in their anxiety to be loyal to the manga they concentrated on the outer picture, instead of creating a movie which could stand on its own feet, for viewers who weren't yet born in the 60ies or have never heard of Yabuki Joe.

So why am I giving this film such a high overall rate?
Let's say this is my way to pay homage to the cast, mostly Tomohisa and Yusuke Iseya, and the director of photography. As you may have inferred from the premise of this review, I do not belong to the group of those who think Yamapi's just another pretty idol who can't act. On the contrary, I maintain he has what in theatre jargon is called the "physique du role", regardless of the part he plays. He does not express much with his face, he actually uses his whole body to enter the character. From Akira who flaps his arms like a weird butterfly to the über cool flying doctor, from the basketball court to the boxing ring he's always extremely believable. I could mention more roles, but it won't be necessary, I stand my ground: here, he IS Joe. If he had been given the chance, he would have created an unforgettable character.
Iseya did an amazing job too, despite the sad lack of depth the character he portrays is condemned to by the terrible script.

As for photography, it's absolutely stunning. Colours, angles, close-up shots and flashbacks are spot on. It does have a flaw, though, directly related to the abovementioned necessity to stay visually true to the manga: at times it looks as though the story took place in the 20ies, when in fact it's the 60ies and 70ies, as proved by the fact that people watch television, among other things.
The music falls into the same trap, but I'm willing to forgive this detail, since it's very beautiful and suits the atmosphere perfectly.

I may rewatch this movie in the future, just for the visual. I'm not sure I'm willing to recommend it, unless you're familiar with the characters and don't care for the plot.
Let's say that this movie has done nothing to ignite my interest for the sport, but it has confirmed my undying love for Yamashita Tomohisa – as if that ever needed validation.

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Completed
Come Rain Come Shine
14 people found this review helpful
May 31, 2011
Completed 0
Overall 7.0
Story 7.0
Acting/Cast 9.0
Music 1.0
Rewatch Value 6.0
Stay away from this movie if you look for something happening, for romance or for passion. Nothing happens, at least nothing in the eye of the viewer, while everything takes place in the world of the characters.



I knew that Come Rain, Come Shine was an essay movie and I watched it knowing it. I was reminded of some French nouvelle vague film, full of silences and broken dialogues.

It's a slow, sedate film, where emotions are expressed via immobility, instead of events. I read the film didn't get a good reception at the Berlin Film Festival, but then again, I've learnt never to base my judgment on European film festivals, unless I want to end up watching a movie by some unknown Uzbek director with 20 minutes shoot of a solitary ant walking on a roof.

I'm not joking, the movie really exists.



The acting is awesome. I could say that Hyun Bin is his usual gorgeous self, but in this case it would be a very shallow statement, mostly because for a good portion of the movie the only thing one gets to see of him is his silhouette in half darkness. But he's got the chance to use one of his best traits in terms of acting: showing feelings with the mere twitching of the lips, the raising of an eyebrow or a tilt of his head.

Im Su Jung is just as expressive, her mood highlighted by an excessive thinness and pallor which make her look like a fragile doll. Her character is the "guilty" party, and yet one can't help feeling for her frustration in front of her husband's wall of infuriating politeness.



I would have given the music a 0 if the option were available, for the simple reason that... there is NO music. One may object that the absence of sound is more deafening than anything else, which is certainly true about this movie, but doesn't make rating the music any more possible.



Given the premises, I think you will understand why the re-watch value is pretty low. Personally, I was oddly captivated by this movie, possibly because it came after an interesting debate on this same site about marriage and its expiry-date. But I'm not sure I'm ready to recommend this film to anyone, unless you're a Hyun Bin's fan like me and while watching fantazise about having him frolicking in YOUR kitchen, instead of the stage one.

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Completed
Last Cinderella
20 people found this review helpful
Jun 23, 2013
11 of 11 episodes seen
Completed 2
Overall 8.0
Story 8.0
Acting/Cast 10
Music 8.0
Rewatch Value 8.0
Let me start by saying that light rom-coms are not my favoutite genre: I usually feel slightly detached and only watch them for the entertainment and the pleasure to let my brain rest for a while.

View in this light, Last Cinderella is the perfect romantic comedy. It's funny, at times utterly hilarious, it's fast-paced, it's highly entertaining, well characterized and most of all it's sexy.
Therefore, lowering my score because it didn't make my heart pound or didn't make me weep or think and re-think would be unfair towards the script, the cast and the general value of the drama.

If you're looking for a good romantic comedy, this is it. The cast is brilliant, the romance is spicy, the humour is wicked, the kisses are great, the guys are hot and the friendship between the three women deliciously naughty and heartwarming.

This kind of drama doesn't need long academic dissertations. Watch it for the fun and, yes, for Miura Haruma. He must be the hottest thing after chili paste. A shallow statement? Yes, of course, but then again, a good rom-com should stir your hormones, if it pretends to stir the neurons it invariably fails.

The music fits its purpose, it's just as light and summer-like as the drama itself.

Last Cinderella lends itself to multiple watching, hence the high re-watch value. Since I believe it's perfect for the Summer, I suggest you start watching it now. I doubt you'll regret it.

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Completed
That Winter, the Wind Blows
22 people found this review helpful
Apr 18, 2013
16 of 16 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 7.0
Story 6.0
Acting/Cast 8.0
Music 7.0
Rewatch Value 3.0
It's been such a long time since I last watched a drama or wrote a review, I'll be either shot on the spot or given merciful hugs - you know, the return of the lost lamb and all that.
I hope for the last, but given what it’s to come, I can’t be too optimistic. This show has one quality in my book: it prompted me to finally watch an Asian drama to completion, after months of going over all my repertoire of already known by heart dramas. And what better way to come out of a slump, than jump happily into Melo at its highest... or lowest?

Relax, I'm not going to bore you with long explanations as to why I find this drama ranges from interesting to mediocre - suffice to say that it has all your average paraphernalia attached to a melodrama: cancer, stabbing, abandoned children, scheming side characters, the mob, the corporation with its shareholders and a complete absence of logic.
This said, if one enters Meloland with a clear head, one is also prepared for all the above and more.

However, I'd lie if I said I enjoyed the descending curve of both plot and acting, which started well and ended horrible. Beautiful Song Hye Kyo suffered a pitiful case of DAS (Degenerative Act Stiffening), to the point in the end I couldn't help but wonder if there was a real person under that perfect skin of hers. Her behavior was at times so random I had to check whether I was watching the same drama or had been catapulted into another while I blinked.
Jo In Sung is like a shot of hormones through the veins, hence making every other consideration a little hard, at least until my female mind has fully cleared from the fantasy of his km long legs and other amenities. But while I think he’s great in portraying his desperation, I do believe there was just a tad too much desperation as a whole. Why not simply make him play poker, fight and interact with yummy Kim Bum? The ending of the drama would have made just as little sense anyway.
Therefore, the acting as a whole was good, at times incredibly intense, but at others over the top or repetitive. Not the best I’ve ever seen. And as superficial as the issue may be, I found the kisses, all of them, highly disappointing, almost a relapse into K-drama wall-kisses after a series of dramas that made us all hope for a change.

I loved the piano pieces, not so the songs.

On the positive side, there’s a plot that keeps you curious as to what will happen, a wonderful cinematography – I do believe this feature should be given a mark of its own, That Winter would get a full 10 – a pair of lovely side characters, well portrayed by Kim Bum and Jung Eun Ji, and Moo Cheol, one of the most complex and appealing villain I remember . It’s definitely worth a try, granted you like makjang and don’t really care for plausibility in a work of fiction.

Oh, and please someone give me the name of Oh Soo’s coats’ designer, because they are all absolutely gorgeous and I want them (yes, before you ask, I know the coats will not come with Jo In Sung inside them…)

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Completed
Rich Man, Poor Woman
36 people found this review helpful
Oct 2, 2012
11 of 11 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 6.0
Story 6.0
Acting/Cast 9.0
Music 8.0
Rewatch Value 4.0
It's clear I'm treading on dangerous ground here, with a review which won't be generally agreed upon. Not that it has to be, but the fact that so many among the people I value the opinion of, found this drama very good, makes me ponder over my taste and choices. I've read and re-read every review, I've thought the whole drama over and I have tried to find it charming but I failed.
No matter how hard I tried, I didn't like it and I don't know why it encountered such a success.

I have problems with the plot, the characters and the ultimate meaning of this drama.

I found the plot highly un-original. Change a couple of names and the setting, and you're left with a déjà-vu: arrogant successful man is changed by simple, goodhearted woman, there's a second female who enters the picture, the hero's got some unresolved issues with his personal life, a lot of running around the city - for lack of any transport, I suppose - and there's the ever-present shilly-shally which goes on till the very end (accompanied by my yawning).

Fine, a plot doesn't need to be original to be well told. More often than not, the lack of suspense is successfully replaced by a strong characterization. And here comes the true sore spot for me: the characters.

Toru Hyuga is quite the obnoxious "genius", a pity he doesn't compensate his bad temper with any particularly charming trait. He changes, inasmuch as he becomes a little humbler towards the end, but I fail to be attracted to him even by a little.

Which makes it even harder for me to empathize with Makoto, who seems to be bewitched by his creativity and his success-driven nature more than anything related to him as a man. The result, in my eyes, is a badly matched couple of disagreeable people with no love chemistry at all.
What bugged me the most is the way Makoto's character is depicted. By what absurd criteria can a young woman who is good at her studies, has a formidable memory, can compile the income tax return of a little business in one night be called "stupid"? Yes, she isn't a computer genius, so what? Are our IQ defined by how good we are at computer programming? Instead of creating a character who could truly complement Toru's glaring shortcomings with her own talent, they gave us a woman who either laughs hysterically when embarrassed and blurts out the first thing that comes to her mind, or apologizes for... being stupid, of all things! As for character development: none whatsoever.

Asahina? One episode he's black, the next he's blue. Disquieting.
The only consistent, pleasing character is Yoko, but we all know from minute one what her role in this story will be.

On the good side of the charts are acting and music. They all acted their part very well and did their best with what they were given. I'm also ready to grant the drama a couple of intense, heartfelt moments, which manage to raise the overall score by a little.

Needless to say, I'm not going to re-watch this. I'm sure there's more to say about it, but I'm honestly tired of thinking this thing over when in fact I should simply borrow a good MDL friend's definition, call this drama "harmless" and forget about it.

°°°°
Edit: someone rightly pointed out my wrong use of the word shizoid. I apologize and edited to correct the mistake. :)

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Completed
Say Yes Enterprise
6 people found this review helpful
Apr 17, 2011
40 of 35 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 7.0
Story 7.0
Acting/Cast 8.0
Music 7.0
Rewatch Value 6.0
This is not a very popular drama, nor is it well known. I think its having 40 episodes can be a little "scary" at first, the viewer may be led to think it's dragging.

Which is not, thanks to its atypical structure, devided into 7 different stories.

The advantage is, one can skip the story or stories one finds less appealing or interesting and jump to the next without having lost much in terms of development. Even a long break between them is possible, which I personally found refreshing.



I found them all enjoyable, each with a completely different flavour and connected only by the common thread of the Say Yes Enterprise, a pretty improbable cupid agency. The acting is not stellar, but it's solid and realistic and the music varied and very appropriate.



All in all, an enjoyable drama.

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Dropped 16/16
My Princess
24 people found this review helpful
Apr 12, 2011
16 of 16 episodes seen
Dropped 0
Overall 4.0
Story 5.0
Acting/Cast 5.0
Music 2.0
Rewatch Value 4.0
I can be as passionate in love with a drama as I am in hate with another.

My Princess falls in the second category.

It has all the premises for a light romantic, easy and funny watch but it fulfills none to the fullest.



The plot is a silly one, but I can forgive it since it never advertised as anything else than the usual "normal" girl becoming royal overnight and facing the changes.

When a plot has nothing big to offer, I expect at least great acting and, most of all, something original or beautiful in terms of direction/screenplay/music/visuals.

The direction of this drama is, at best, average, at worst atrocious.

The acting is nothing great either. The female lead does her best, but the rest of the cast is better displayed in a wax museum.



The music is the biggest put off. It does nothing to enhance the feelings portayed; on the contrary, it kills them. It seems like whoever had to chose the soundtrack did a hasty job, putting this or that song at random on random scenes.



Although I usually force myself to watch a drama to the end, I dropped this one, since I found that fast-forwarding 80% of an episode is a waste of time and finger-mobility.

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The Man from Nowhere
12 people found this review helpful
Apr 17, 2011
Completed 0
Overall 9.0
Story 9.0
Acting/Cast 10
Music 9.0
Rewatch Value 8.0
Two reviews, two comparisons.

The movie made me think of Luc Besson's "Leon", one of my favourite films ever. The feel is the same, and so is the awkward yet deeply touching relationship between Tae-shik and So-mee.



Won Bin's performance is superb, his misery and loneliness enphasized by the constant darkness of the setting and the few sharp lines he is asked to deliver. But just as brilliant is the kid's acting and that of the two schizoid criminals with their dark humour, one lamenting the blood on his Dolce & Gabbana's shirt, the other toying with eyeballs.



Stay away from it if you are easily disturbed by blood. This movie is violent and pretty graphic, and the ethic underneath the blood shoking and insufferable. The Korean police are doing what they always are in Korean films: nothing. Except being activated to a frenzy by the only hero of the story.

At times, one wishes one could enter the screen ad shake some sense into the police force. I can only hope this is a dramatic device, more than a window on reality.



The action scenes are brilliantly enacted, with enough close cut shots to make them believable and felt.

Overall a superb movie, not to be watched while eating, though.

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Completed
Lavender
10 people found this review helpful
Jun 12, 2011
Completed 0
Overall 5.0
Story 7.0
Acting/Cast 6.0
Music 6.0
Rewatch Value 3.0
This movie is so silly, it's hilarious.

I stumbled upon it a couple of years ago, following the footsteps of Takeshi Kaneshiro. And like any great actor, he has chosen some third-rate roles before turning into the acclaimed star he is now - and rightfully so.



The beginning of the movie is promising, the fallen angel a common enough trait but well done and the interaction with the female lead pretty original. But the more the story unfolds - or perhaps I'd better say that it folds up - the more I found myself either laughing or raising my eybrows in puzzlement. I thought I would understand its meaning or purpose once watched to the end, but 2 years have passed and I'm still waiting.



The acting is average but the chemistry between the leads is good, so that if one is just looking for a cute love story and a decent kiss, this film might be appealing. But do not expect meaningful dialogues, some lesson to be learnt or a beautifully portrayed story because this film has nothing of the sort to offer.

It offers great views of Takeshi Kaneshiro's charms though, which in itself could be the one and only reason to watch this: sit, prepare pop-corn and drool. Period.



I can't remember the music for the life of me.



I don't think I'll re-watch this movie any time soon.

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Completed
While You Were Sleeping
13 people found this review helpful
Mar 29, 2018
32 of 32 episodes seen
Completed 2
Overall 9.0
Story 9.0
Acting/Cast 9.5
Music 8.0
Rewatch Value 9.0
For a change, I've decided to get straight to the core of my enjoyment of While You Were Sleeping: the collective alchemy.

This drama is a constellation of highly interesting characters who shine individually, but are amazing as a group. When talking about chemistry, we invariably think of romance, but I've come to consider this an oversimplification, since the bond between friends, relatives or even respected colleagues can be just as strong and palpable as any romantic relationship, given these characters are well written and acted out.

After watching 4 dramas by the same pen, I can affirm this is the writer's signature. Her characters are always intensely human, imperfect, goofy… unripe even. Then, they grow, they overcome obstacles and they learn but, guess what, they stay human, imperfect, goofy and incredibly relatable.
Therefore, while I fully agree with all the other reviewers here who were not convinced by the love story, I don't consider it a major problem. Hong Ju and Jae Chan are a lovely couple, one we could all meet at the bus stop; they are very real, they talk to each other and their growing affection is not dragged for ages. The only downside of a "feel-real couple" is that it doesn't pierce the screen or our heart.
Again, I didn't really care. I loved the ensemble and was truly sad to say goodbye to them all. Even the main villain had a twisted charm. And although Woo Tak must be one of the dearest, most hug-worthy and adorable character I've come across in a long while, I venture as far as to say that had he got the girl, the end result would have been the same: sweet, but not sizzling.

The way I see it, this has nothing to do with the acting, but the way each character was written. The whole cast played exceptionally well and empathy for them was always high.

I loved the soundtrack too, but not at first. I warmed up to it slowly but steadily and particularly enjoyed Suzy's "I love you boy". Songs and instrumental pieces are used with due parsimony and don't overpower the scenes.

WYWS is sure worth re-watching. I'm already planning on luring one or more of my fellow watchers into sharing the pleasure with me.

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