iindu
India
This time I stuck around till around ten episodes, and that's when it caught on me. It was hard to stop watching from then.
The outline of the story is clear from the beginning. But the narration, the plots and sub plots keep you engrossed.
It's a beautiful story..heart breaking-ly so, told through an awesome cast. There is no comparison to the actors- they fit their roles wonderfully. Especially, the negative roles.. are done to perfection.
There is a love triangle, or rectangle maybe- but between each, we see a different nature of love. The love stories of the two sisters- that are so entwined with the other- couldn't be more different also.
The best part, for me, was that as the story progresses, we see a different side to the characters, and how situations and choices make people what they are. This comes through beautifully.
This drama might take some time to warm up to, but it's definitely worth the ride. I loved it.
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The characters are great..the actors are great. Matsumoto Jun does a brilliant job as the kind hearted Vito. The lawyer and the girl are both central to the drama as well, and their roles and smiles are beautiful. Oguri Shun plays Hayashi, the dark shaded character, with great impact in the drama.
The story is uplifting in the end; ends on a happy note, has a great message throughout and is about facing life's difficulties with a big smile.
So, why was it so difficult for me to smile through the drama? Despite what the ending is, this drama was really difficult for me to watch happily. I had a heavy heart through all of it. There was so much injustice and the good people were too unlucky. Every victory they gained was only to be followed by more heartbreaking troubles.
The characters showed great spirit through it all, but I really couldn't share it. I was heavyhearted and sad throughout, and I was thankful when it finally ended, happy or not. In fact I don't think a different ending would have affected me anymore, I was already feeling so blue.
I definitely wouldn't re-watch it, though I assure you- this is a good drama.
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Probably because the plot isn't well developed. There are gaps in story telling that are never fixed.
The story itself took about 4 episodes to warm up. From then on, it was definitely entertaining to watch. Once Iljimae appears, things become exciting and fun. Everything about the character of Iljimae is very interesting- his adventures as Iljimae, his life as Gyeom and Yong, and the people in his life.
And it would have been great, if only for the blunt and inconclusive ending. Perhaps it is due to lack of time? but the last episode ends like a recap of the first episode, without adding any explanation on what happened or why the characters are the way they are now. It just feels incomplete.
Lee Jun Ki is great in the lead role. He gives the character an undeniable charm and exuberance.
Shi Hoo is a character who is built up almost parallel to that of Gyeom, but his character felt inconsistent at times, as he shifts from one side to the other. More than a sense of being conflicted, he gave a feeling of being closed. I can only wonder what was going in that head.
The music was fine, the stealing and fight sequences are very good. Then again, don't look for logic in the many fight scenes, where he miraculously fights and escapes. It's a wonder he isn't praised as much for his martial arts skills in the drama, considering that he manages to conquer everyone he spars with. (Every time he gets hit is because of his often-proven-wrong-yet-unshaken belief in the opponent's righteousness)
The romance bit starts off very well, and sustains till almost the last quarter, only to peter out to nothing by the end. If the romance bit had been handled better, it would have added to the charm surely, but as it is- When Iljimae himself has no time for romance, why would we care?
Overall, Iljimae is entertaining and has charming actors, but left me unsatisfied.
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The actors.. were really great. Jo In Sung and Song Hye Kyo were both exceptional; all the supporting cast were very good. Kim Bum's character in this leaned towards his role in 'Unstoppable High Kick'.. the unshakeable,loyal friend. He was good, though I didn't really understand why his character did everything he did.
The music was on the spot, without being too much. I liked it.
The story was good. Wasn't overly dramatic. I couldn't digest some things initially- like the weird definitions of love that people held and what it drives them to do, but the story tries to make us understand even that.
I also liked all the very pretty earrings Song Hye Kyo wore in every scene(though it probably has nothing to do with rating a drama).
What I didn't like so much:
Like I said before, many characters(except the main leads), have a weird understanding of love.
And, Though the ending was made out to be picture perfect, it was more like a dream sequence made to please the audience. It didn't answer many questions, or feel naturally arrived at.
Also, it gets a bit slow towards the end, and maybe there wasn't enough 'chemistry' between the leads or what- but I didn't really care if they got together or not in the end. In fact, I think I would have preferred a more real ending to this.
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Takumi-kun Series 1: And The Spring Breeze Whispers
12 people found this review helpful
The storyline is interesting, but the plot was pretty cliched and also very rushed.
The characters are very likeable and just as we start to understand them, they do/say something that makes it feel like we missed something in between. So, it wasn't very believable.
What I appreciated about it was the feel of the movie. Even being about such a different aspect as love between boys, it didn't feel strange at all. Rather it showed a very natural and beautiful relationship.
The cast was very good. The boys were perfect for the roles they played.
In all, here's a movie with lot of potential, but it falls short of being great.
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There are many things I want to say,and I don't think I am biased, but..maybe I am.
About Ikemen Desu Ne:
The story, though the same, was fleshed out and more well rounded overall. This, within just 11 episodes is surely a great job.
The characters were handled well. We see less silliness and for-the-sake-of-humor situations,and people feel more real.
These are the points I really appreciated.
Now, the main problem I had with this drama is the main cast and the music.
The songs were literally the same, but it didn't work for me. I really missed the feel of the music. And truthfully, the songs just did not feel the same without Jang Geun Suk's voice. :(
Then the cast- Everybody was good, except the main leads.. Mio and Ren. I liked them in the beginning, but as the drama progressed I could really feel how lacking they were in emoting.
Ren came across as the perfect haughty, but sensitive and lonely character, but later on in the drama, his mannerisms seemed more forced and somewhat lacking.
The biggest disappointment for me was Mio. And I never thought I'd be saying that I prefer Park Shin Hye over anyone else.
Go Mi Nam was often silly, super naive, and had that shuffling walk that was so annoying. Mio on the other hand, does not shuffle, does not do goofy things and is just a simple and innocent character who does not intentionally annoy.
But Takimoto Miori as Mio also cannot/did not emote half as well as Park Shin Hye. I felt it in the first main emotional scene- I was waiting to feel her sorrow, and though she cried lots, I felt nothing absolutely. And that continued throughout for me. Her acting did not connect with me at all.
The thing about Go Mi Nam was that- annoying as she was, I could always feel her emotions. I literally smiled when she was happy and could feel her pain when she cried. I have to say, after watching this drama, I really appreciated Park Shin Hye a whole lot more. She was great in emoting.
And lastly, I was sad that there's so little bromance within the band. I mean, Tae Kyung, Jeremy and Shin Woo had a sense of brotherhood and friendship no matter what else, but here the feeling was missing. Ren and Shu didn't seem to have any love for the other; Shu was annoying for the most part and only Yuuki was fun enough to lighten things up.
Yeah, so- I really didn't enjoy this drama, independently or in comparison. I would pick 'You're Beautiful' over this any day for a fun watch with better music and acting.
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The main problem- it takes until more than half of the total episodes to get to the main story. That was really too much of a wait.
Once it does get to it, the story moves forward beautifully. But by that time there wasn't enough screen time left of course.
The way that it ended is probably the only sensible way that it could have..on a positive, open-ended note.
The music was great, I liked the characters much and I liked the actors even better. But there wasn't enough of the lead couple for me. For the 22 episodes that they had, I wanted more.
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The story is great- quite different,with interesting narration and well paced, though it does drag a bit in the middle.
The actors were good, almost surprisingly so for me, especially with Micky (having seen him only in 'Sungkyunkwan Scandal', i was unsure of what to expect here) and Lee Tae Sung (who played the polar opposite of his character in Playful Kiss).
There were many things I liked about this drama-
the light heart-ed humor, the past-future lifestyle variations,and especially the three guys, who were cute and fun throughout. The music was good and fitting to the mood of the scene.
The female lead was cute and pretty, more so when she wasn't trying too hard to play the 'innocent' girl. The negative characters were very believable and felt real.
What I didn't like so much are-
the innumerable number of cliched situations, the situations that are made overly dramatic and artificial, the ridiculously obvious way that the 'good' people are repeatedly manipulated by the 'evil' ones (makes you want to knock them on the head and tell them to keep their phones safe and doors locked).
So, if you take away all the minor irritants, 'Rooftop Prince' is a good drama, with enough fun and intrigue to keep it entertaining.
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The first episode wasn't all that promising, with it's stereotyped good hearted,naive girl and arrogant male leads. But into the second episode, we start to see that the female lead isn't just another stupid/naive girl. Her character comes across as a very sincere and simple, albeit unconfident and adds very much to the charm of the drama.
There is plenty of exaggeration in the acting and diversions in story line. I got along fine till about the 15th episode, when the plot felt too forced and became annoying. I felt that this drama could've been neatly wrapped up in 16 episodes at most without twisting and turning the characters so much.
The story was good and the 'fate' between the couple was clear throughout. There was also something charming and interesting about the characters in the drama, which unfortunately got lost towards the last segment of the drama. I would have liked it more otherwise.
The actors were good, especially the female lead. I liked the music. It gave the right feeling for the scenes. I wouldn't re-watch this again, as there wasn't anything to watch a second time.
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Usually while watching dramas, even if the beginning is a bit slow to pick up, as the drama gets into the second half,the plot becomes more captivating and it becomes very difficult to wait till the next episode. This is the first drama that had the opposite effect on me.
The story dragged forever for the last 5-6 episodes and whatever was the meaning for the way it ended, I was just happy that it ended.
Shin Min Ah's character follows the same pattern- from Lively and fun filled to dull and annoying. There was nothing gumiho like about her, except for those tails. Or maybe my expectations were all wrong from watching Gu Family book before, where the gumiho is the star of the show. The saving graces are the two male leads- Lee Seung Gi and No Min Woo. They keep the show from dying out. Most of the supporting cast too did a good job of keeping the humor alive.
Music was good. The songs were enjoyable and easy to recall even now.
Over all, it was a down graph for me. The story went all the over the place, sometimes in circles, sometimes at a tangent, until I wanted it to just stop.
But maybe the positives will appeal to you more- many fun filled moments in the first half, great supporting characters, nice music, and of course, Lee Seung Gi and No Min Woo.
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I haven't seen the japanese drama, so I can only wonder- Maybe the
story needed more time to be developed on screen, or what?
It's bright and cute and there's enough eye candy to tune onto when nothing else is happening on screen.
But from the beginning to end, I couldn't feel any connection to what was happening.
Jang Geun-Suk is cute all along, and that's about it. The scenes moved along sketchily. At no point was anything shown about why or when Momo starts to feel something for his master.Not to mention, there was absolutely zero chemistry between the lead actors.
The first time he kisses her during a fight, the scene was so devoid of any passion or emotion, it was a sham. The ending is equally so,leaving me with no idea of why exactly they got together.
All I can say is, it was disappointing.
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Maybe they wanted to keep it realistic, without giving a fantastic drama ending. Which is exactly the case. There is no photo finish ending, but it's optimistic and everything that Yoon Kang and Soo In stood for throughout the series.
Similarly, the way revenge and violence is portrayed in this series is commendable. Most negative characters get a deserving kind of end, which isn't just violent.
One thing that makes the drama work even through it's somewhat dragging latter episodes is definitely Lee Joon Gi. He comes in many get-ups through the series and looks and performs great in each. My favorite is the gunman which he does with great flair and charm.
Another thing I liked was the relationship between Yoon Kang And Soo In. There was not much stirring passion or great chemistry, but there was a strong kind of bonding and affection. I loved how they almost naturally trusted and relied on the other. It was different from the usual sageuk romances, just as Soo In was not the regular sageuk heroine.
Overall, I enjoyed watching Joseon Gunman. While it isn't perfect, it is interesting and exciting(for most parts). A different kind of historical drama.
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The negatives- the obviously illogical theatrics, like:
The players are mostly in flying mode with gravity defying leaps.(But since we start seeing this from the first episode of the drama, it feels normal after sometime);
Our heroes, be it Jerry Yan, Wu Chun or Show Lou, can fight off fifty plus men without exertion.
Besides these, there isn't much about the show to dislike.
The theme is basketball, and the drama stays true to it to the end. I liked how the team formed and came together while fighting each game as a different challenge.
The characters are very well written. Each had their distinct style and behaviors and each felt true at some level. Even Da Ying, who was annoying in the beginning, became more clear as the story moved on.
The actors were all very good. Wu Chun has a solid role, though his story is not of main focus. Probably the only character that didn't seem to fit in as much was the girl,Jie Er.
The romance is fine..not very typical, but not very moving either.
The review wouldn't be complete without mentioning the music, of course. The OST is very catching and makes you want to watch, even if you aren't that keen on the story itself. Not to mention that the dance those guys do is very eye catching.
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The story is good, though at times, (like after several major characters pass away) it seemed as if there isn't much for the plot to go on. Then new problems were created and the story goes along.
The transformation of Baek Dong Soo from a deformed kid to the stunning warrior is a long journey, and is shown through the course of the drama with realism and beauty.
The character of Yeo Woon, who is the other pillar of the drama, is equally strong and leaves an impression.
Among the characters, The Sky Lord and Sword Saint are very impressive. The female characters are very resourceful, and not clingy or weak.
The negative characters are highly selfish and evil. The main villain is very annoying with his typical "Villain"ish laugh.
The music is pretty good. I especially liked the music in the climax fight scene inside the palace.
The series does drag at times, when it focuses too long on melodramatic scenes, but it's an entertaining watch except for the way they choose to end it. My only suggestion would be to wind up with the second last episode for a good ending, because the last one leaves us disillusioned.
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My main problem with this drama is the plot or lack of it. The scene is all set, you like the characters and you wait for things to happen, and.. nothing much happens. The plot always hinted at some conflict going to happen, but nothing happens.
What I liked most about this drama are the characters- esp. the supporting characters. Almost all of the supporting cast were really good and always lifted up the general stagnant mood. This is probably the only drama so far, where I looked forward to the scenes with supporting cast more than the main leads.
Don't get me wrong- the main leads are very good actors and they look cute together and all that, but the character graph was a let down for me.
Both Kim Soo Young and Noh Min Young started off as unique, strong individuals, but in less than one half of the drama became very mellowed down, boring versions which didn't change much. Comparatively, Joon Ha and Hee Sun turned out to be more interesting characters.
About the romance- there's a lot of cute,'romantic' scenes that were fine to watch. But the underlying equation between them seemed skewed always. Kim Soo Young was always besotted with Min Young and for her, several other things came first. Disappointingly for me, that equation never really changed. Given that, every other lovey-dovey thing they did, didn't convey much to me.
To give credit to the makers- the music is good, especially the fun, perky song that comes in the happy moments. Also, they've tried to give closure to all the characters- and in a happy way.
So, if you like a light drama with good looking actors,fun characters and not much plot- this is a good choice.
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