hardpliers
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Fun fact: this movie came out on my birthday. But then of course, we had to wait a little to finally be able to see the subtitles. A love story? *reads the plot* Love it. The actors? *checks the cast* Yes, two of my favorite South Korean actors, both such beautiful and talented human beings. The decision has been made - I'm watching this!I have a thing for love stories set in the 90's or the early 00's: how the set design is specifically made to reminisce the flip phones, dvd's, etc. I even noticed how the filming style varied a lot in this movie, from shaky to cinematic and professional. So even the little details stood out to me. Now, the main characters and their relationship seemed to genuine. They had amazing chemistry and character development. People gave this film a lot of backlash because of the sad ending, but I found it quite contemporary. The writers of the story didn't want to sugarcoat anything. This movie depicts how relationships in the real world work: people might have a strong belief in fate and how it brings humans together, but love doesn't last forever. Personally, I was balling my eyes out and had a thought that life is, indeed, so unfair sometimes. I'm still convinced that the main male lead Hwang Woo Yeon had the biggest character development. From a stupid jock to a mature and sweet teacher, we all wish him true happiness and to look back at everything as memories that shaped him. Even the female character Hwan Seung Hee changed from someone unapproachable to a loveable and hard-working woman. In other words, the story is important, but I though that observing the main characters was more fascinating. So if you're still on the hence whether this movie should've ended on a bad note, take your time to rethink if it would've been better with a happy ending.
Overall, this exceeded my expectations. I definitely recommend watching this and myself, I'll go and rewatch this movie sometime in the near future!
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Would I suggest watching this? Sure, if you were a fan of the originals. But if are intrigued by the abnormal storyline, definitely start from the manga and climb your way up to this movie.
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I had really high expectations for this and the drama really did satisfy my taste: it was your typical romance series but better, very fluffy, serious and relatable. Definitely the Kdrama diamond of 2018!From the first couple of episodes I became quickly addicted to this and wanted more. I'm a sucker for male leads who are still in love with their high school crushes. Kyung Suk - an unusual male lead, gives off a cool vibe, but in fact he's clueless about love and so called "adulting". The actor who pulled the main character's lead off is by far one of the most handsome Korean entertainment faces ever, so talented as well. Mi Rae - a very strong female lead that was most-definitely needed to make this drama enjoyable. She didn't whine, she stood up for herself and became a role model for many young girls who have a complex about their appearance. In addition, her character was so diverse and I loved how she especially opened up towards the end of the drama. The main couple's chemistry was off the roof, especially during the last episodes when they officially became a couple (makes you a bit jealous of their love story not gonna lie). Other side characters were like little gems and I loved their backstories. In this university setting, you can see all types of students that you might typically meet in real life. Some were hated more, some were adored and made the drama complete. I especially loved Mi Rea's parents. Also, you have to check out the OST because both of the lead actors recorded songs for this series. The soundtrack is a lovely summery blend and perfectly fits the mood of this drama.
In my opinion, this is the perfect drama to watch for this upcoming college and university season. The story delivers a very strong message about looks and personalities and teaches you the new meaning of the word "pretty".
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Maybe I'm a bit generous with the 10-star rating, but I loved this from the beginning to the end. I'm a huge fan of rom-coms and good stories, and even though the plot of this series is not that unique, I think the characters and the side stories made this drama so much more enjoyable. The story was also fast paced, just like in the original manhwa. Some parts were cheesy and predictable, but made the drama very cutesy and even more delightful. I gotta give it to the actors because without them this show wouldn't be the same. Just like in every drama that he stars in, Park Seo Joon steals the spotlight with his brilliant acting and overflowing handsomeness. Even Park Min Young was the star of this drama - such a beautiful actress, this was THE BEST ROLE for her to play. There were just so many brilliant scenes that I could rewatch again and again. I relive this drama by listening to the OST as well - the songs are mesmerizing and really catchy.
I'm extremely happy that I decided to watch this drama and I'm sure that you'll feel the same after completing it. I might just have to read the original comic book now too because I still can't get over it!
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Initially, I heard that this series is very intriguing, but not quite popular outside of Korea. I understand why: this drama depicts main social problems lingering around in Korea that we, as mostly westerners, might think of as a bit weird. Especially sexual assault and lack of leadership of being a woman. Miss Hammurabi - an eye-opening drama that lets you peek inside of the wonderful and tiring world of judges. The characters: unique, a small little family that you'd want to be a part of. Each character of the department has their own little story and problems. But I'm guessing my favorite characters were from Department 44, especially Oh Reum and Ba Reun - two completely different individuals who come to respect, love and rely on each other. There wasn't a lot of romance which is a bit of a bummer, but it didn't ruin the whole show watching experience. It had to be work and case-solving based and not romance. The highlights of this drama had to be and still are all of those little cases and the victims with their unique stories + the stunning cinematography and the ear-blessing OST.
Once again, this drama was really eye-opening and sweet. Maybe a bit too heavy to watch on a hot summer afternoon, I'd say watch it during fall when it's rainy outside to create the best vibe to watch Miss Hammurabi. It's something I'd re-watch myself too, maybe when the weather gets a bit chilly!
(Edit: the ending is very well though-out and quirky, love it so much)
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I'd give this show a 5 or 6 if I had the guts, but you don't even know how excited I was for this drama and I'm still trying to convince myself that I love it more than in reality. The hype was real: the stunning trailer and the cinematography were unbelievable, I saw some of my favorite actors as the leads, the plot summary was something that I'd adore to binge-watch. With much anticipation, I started watching the drama and believe me when I say, the first couple of episodes were spectacular! The chemistry, the colors and the camera skills, the beautiful English soundtrack which was like magic to my ears. Like so many other people, I'd be tired waiting for the subtitles and I'd go on a search to look for some fan subs. At that moment I knew that Something in the Rain would definitely be one of my all time favorite Korean dramas. However, as the series progressed, I was afraid that the love story was moving on too fast. The directors basically compiled the majority of the main plot details into the first half of the drama. Hence, the show got draggy all of the sudden. Some side characters didn't show any development and made me really frustrated. The main couple, however, kept their charm and chemistry right till the very end. This couple is probably the one of the main reasons that I want to love this show so much. In addition, I loved that the problem of sexual assault was brought up as one of the main topics of this drama. Hopefully, it will bring more awareness as it is a huge problem in Korea especially. Some of the other things that made this drama the most enjoyable experience was the music soundtrack and the cinematography. I never even imagined that an English OST would suit this beautifully shot drama so well.
I have every reason to put this drama in my favorites because it's very much fits my liking. I do admit that this series made it into my favorites list, however, it could've been so much better and likeable, I blame the directors for the lack of ideas and poor story planning.
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The Great Seducer has always been in my list of dramas that I must watch. Mainly because I'm a big fan of Joy from Red Velvet and I love her acting. Some people did argue and say that she is an amateur actress so right from the start when this show started airing, I was a bit put off by all of the negative comments. First and foremost, I don't get why so many people rate this series as low as 3 or 4 because there are clearly wayyyy more poorly produced dramas in this world. I'm guessing many wanted to see something familiar with the original French story. It's a shame that I haven't read the mother story of The Great Seducer as a piece of literature so I can hardly compare the Korean TV version with the book. Personally, I was expecting this drama to be intriguing, dark, sexy and overall too melodramatic. This series seemed to have smalls chunks of almost every genre, but comparing the first and the last episodes side by side you could even make a logical assumption that the director became a completely different person. I wanted a heart-wrenching story about something inhumane and this drama did not even come close to exceeding my expectations. The characters were very stereotypical, I even loved the side characters more. However, I did enjoy Joy's strong female character and her development. On a more positive note, the music selection was spot on for this drama with the classical music. The cinematography and the music are what made me stay and finish it.
I could see how this drama could've been so much better, but it's not completely unwatchable as many other people claim. Don't worry and go watch it - you might even enjoy it more than you think.
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I'm a fan of timeless stories like these, especially Itazura na Kiss, which, I think, inspired this drama series. But more than anything, this drama was even better than the original ISWAK story! You cannot state that A Love So Beautiful was an adaptation of the original manga, because it's not. However, the plot is very similar. Stories about high school sweethearts always warms my heart and makes me melt. In my opinion, the early 2000s setting, the characters and most importantly the lead couple - they were more likable than the original cast of any ISWAK adaptation. The thing that makes this drama so enjoyable to watch is the relationship between the main couple - Jiang Chen and Xiao Xi. They show signs of love and interest from the very beginning of the drama. Yes, the story and characters might seem childish and too good to be true at times, however, it's a feel-good type of story that doesn't need to be realistic or mature for you to love it. There are numerous scenes that make you press the stop button and replay the scene over and over again. You've got to give it to the brilliant acting as well, I might even start watching more Chinese dramas after seeing so many pretty and talented actors.
It's still very difficult for me to get over this drama. The episodes are too exciting and some scenes always make me want to squeal, so I'll definitely be rewatching this very soon! If you're still hesitant, whether to watch it or not, just do it! Your heart will flutter - that's guaranteed!
P.S. And gotta mention that last episode. The directors gave us complete fan service. Thank you it was just what we all needed!
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Every single day when I went to check out some news on MDL, Laughter in Waikiki kept on popping up on the main page as "trending" and "highly-rated". To be honest, I was already watching like 3 other ongoing dramas at that moment, so squeezing in this one seemed irrational. But I'm so glad I jumped on this train! Well, fans did promised me seas of laughter, but the humor wasn't my style. Yes, I did burst into tears a couple of times, but that's about it. What really stood out to me was the format of this series. It really reminded me of something that they'd make in Hollywood, a potential sitcom as some people mentioned before. But this drama was WAAAY better than something that they'd produce in the US. I loved how the creators managed to combine various genres together. The storyline was excellent, the character development was wonderfully though-out. Personally, I loved each and every character, but by far my favorite one was definitely our little angel Sol. She's just the most adorable baby ever! In addition, the remaining cast too - spectacular!
So briefly, this was a really enjoyable binge watch for me. Watch it to get your daily dose of vitamin c! I, most certainly, request a season 2 (perhaps when Sol is a teenager?)!
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As a lot of people named it - refreshing, lively is what this movie is. Not only is it aesthetically pleasing with the eye-catching cinematography, but the story itself is very calming and warming. It's simple yet nostalgic. For me, it's probably because I'm also from a small town and I'm moving to a huge city very soon. This movie made me fall in love with the message it sent out - you always come back and feel your absolute best in your childhood home. The cooking scenes were shot with such art, I really want to start making homemade food now! The main character was quite relatable and she reminded me of someone I know personally. The lead female is somehow inspiring, to be honest. I fell in love with the simplicity of her character. The supporting cast was lovely too. They added the right amount of spice to this movie. However, I wanted something more intense to happen between all of the characters. On the other hand, I think that the directors wanted to focus on completely different things rather than a cheesy romance or failing to maintain relationships. That's what makes this movie unique - it puts off all of the stereotypes that you'd except from a Korean movie. To add to this film, the soundtrack was ordinary but very fitting and calming - definitely a nice touch!
A great movie to enjoy before bed, seriously. It captured the modern countryside life realistically and left me nostalgic and my head full of memories about my hometown. It's a "feel good" movie, so go and watch it! But make sure to grab a snack because you'll get very hungry!
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