mediaklan
France
This review may contain spoilers
Villains aren't what they used to be
There's at least one requirement for a villain to be good at his villain's job : it's to be a clever villain - or at the very least - a villain smart enough to give the good guy a run for his money. So when a villain cut clean the breaks wire from a car (in a foolish attempt to make the car 'accident' that results to pass as a suicide), that already tells you a lot about the smarts of the said villain. But when this one CONVENIENTLY drops something personal that he had bring with himself (oO') when he's trying to murder someone with a knife (--')... in a police station (><') ... then I have only one last advice for him :Please stop being a villain.
Seriously, drop it (lame pun intented). Try sewing. Or anything else. Honestly.
And that already resumes part of the show : with these few mistakes that happened quite early in the 1st episodes, there's not so much for the actors to save the drama from its shortcomings. But somehow, that's exactly where the few merits of this drama can be found. Midway, you end up more interested by the relationships between the characters than the story by itself, the issue being that without a stronger setting to backup these relations, it's quite a challenge to keep up the viewers interest. Still, on its way to the ending, there's some valuable twists and scripts progress that could satisfy anyone not expecting too much from this show, as long as the characters don't make you cringe.
But I still think you should reserved this show for a moment you really have nothing more enjoyable to watch.
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Friendly neighbour
This is a K-drama done right, at his best.Everything, from the script, the cast, and the way the show was directed was bordeline perfect. I can't say this show will please everyone - well it probably won't since it's mostly a suspense/detective investigation of sort - but as for what the show was aiming for, this drama close the deal and provides the viewers with a brillant, modern filming and scenario, (mostly) avoiding the useless and the usual fancy stuff. Which is already brillant in its own way (and I don't care if I'm repeating myself).
Well, here you have it : I'm not going to explain myself why this is a very good drama, since I'm quite confident that watching it will give you a lot to think about it, and besides, people here with a much better prose than your servitor have already work to give you enough reasons to jump on the show and appreciate it with your own open mind, so you can stop reading this review now, and enjoy watching "Stranger" right now.
ASAP. Lucky you.
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A drama to start them all
Since almost everything has already been said about Healer, I will try to keep this review as short as possible :So, basically, you need to watch this drama. Right now.
Well, I'm not saying this is a perfect tv-show (slow motion effect abuse, too much emphasis on obvious things...)
But it's really enjoyable... mostly because there's something to see, to hear and to feel for everyone in this drama.
So... basically, you need to watch this drama.
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Warm inside, cold outside
My Shy Boss is a drama that you could find a bit unexpectedly creative. A bit cliché here and there (especially here :p), but overall this warm, kind and exaggeratedly shy boss (to the point it's an illness with quite serious consequences for his entourage) is a character very well written.This shows especially in his work, his one true form, which is clearly the point I liked the most in this drama. A bright and creative man that, despite his creativity, get stucked in a position where his illness is interpreted either as incompetence or intransigence... and even cruelty.
But because of it, it's a real pleasure in this drama to discover the true intentions of this 'super male tsundere' : for the viewers, it almost becomes an exercise, a switch in this drama that lean towards the detective genre with a mystery to uncover.
Unfortunately, that seems to be the cue for the drama to also switch pace and rhythm midway : and with this many turnpoints (a melodrama, then an office romance, then a business drama, then finally a romance ?), it becomes a little harder for the viewers to understand and appreciate where the authors want to go. Especially when the romance, as sweet as it can get, never seems to reach a peak. To me, that's the real reason why this drama isn't much more loved : without reaching a culminating point, the viewers can't address their frustrations as the drama develops further without so much at stake.
Now, I still think you should watch this show for the creativity alone found on the first few episodes, and along with the sweet romance, the funny and mischievious support characters, and some melodramatic punchlines that shows every bit of the efforts put into this drama, this is an easy watch providing that you're not expecting too much from it either.
The actors have done their best to ensure you enjoy the ride on a warm feeling, and that could be enough if you're feeling a bit cold inside.
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The game is afoot
What a funny ride, this drama. As a headache-free tv-show, this drama never intends to get uselessly complicated and simply provide a pure entertainment. It's easy to follow yet interesting, as the plot revenge emerges to link the funny cons and tricks to the lovely characters.And while some villains just can't offer much in the balance against "the good guys", some others are scheming quite the challenge, which offers a good counterpart from the con artists and never gets boring. To me, this drama succeed in making the intentions of every character very clear, but while keeping the tricks used as the mystery element to keep the viewers stuck on the show. Since the show remain simple and accessible, it works quite well even if here and there you end up finding some flaws as the plot favors the main characters a bit too much.
Still, to get the show this enjoyable while avoiding some grandiloquent and over-the-top devices and twists is the sign of a skillfull director and staff, loving what they do and showing it. This is particulary true in this drama, when everyone on screen seems to have fun.
Now, maybe that's exactly what others may find lacking in this drama : a more powerful scenario with more entanglements, pressure or challenges but honestly I'm not that sure, for myself, that I would have loved the show if it was planned as such.
There you have it : a good drama about con artists should be able to con its viewers into thinking that it was at least that good.
I fell for it almost all the way so, you've been warned : you could also get conned into loving this drama.
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Heal me out
'Kill me Heal me' is an awkward drama.It seems to achieve with quite some success what it was aiming for, but doing so by making every possible mistake in its execution it should have normally avoid.
Some of the mistakes were obvious to a lot of people here : The dissociative disorder, for example, is exaggeratedly inaccurate, romanticized and worse, stupidely demonstrated to the viewers in the first episodes by the most ridiculous and useless visual FX probably ever made, with MS Paint, by a seriously drunk assistant FX artist.
But some are also less obvious : mainly, this drama must own its own world record list of clichés and déjà-vus (the main character supposedly flawless has the biggest flaw of them all, main female lead clueless but kind, the unwavering brother etc etc etc). Honestly, for the viewers to be able to get past the first three episodes tells a lot about their open mind, leniency ... and stubbornness ^^.
But fortunately that's also exactly where the viewers will get a small reward, a reward naturally growing into something a bit more beautiful as the plot reveals itself. Because if you're able to get past the few mistakes and awkward decisions that were made for this drama, at least in its execution, you will be reward by the strong emotions, born from the conflicted characters (and I do mean - all - the characters), born from the conflicted situations and scenes that makes this drama whole. It's an awkward and amazing drama because, in its details, it's foolish, a bit naive even, and again the direction and execution seems almost childish at times and then, in its whole, this drama enters a totally different level. The emotions and feelings are so strong that, in a few milliseconds, you're forgetting all these past mistakes in a heartbeat, almost mesmerized by the main leads as they cling to each other, healing each other (and that's important too, in a way they're also healing the audience itself).
True enough, the dissociative disorder seems at times nothing more than a plot device, a tool to progress the story, but the actions and reactions, the conflicts brought by this illness, seems nothing less than genuine and carefully thought, and in time, describe a beautiful example of a love that transcends it all.
So, take place in your most confortable sofa, relax, and enjoy watching Kill me Heal me. This is highly recommanded by your psy.
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Race winner
Not sure if this actually comes from the novel, or the talented writer that adapts it, (probably both), but there's something almost fascinating about this scenario. It's the kind that looks like layers : when the first layer is removed, another one, a slighly thinner one is discovered both by the viewers and the characters (not necessarily at the same moment). To me, a part of this chinese drama success lies there :With a very good sense of pace, just a slight amount of mystery is adding up when another amount is answered, steering up the viewers attention towards the story. And of course, it helps when actors are at their best.
There's no fancy attitude there, no useless gesticulation. Maybe a bit of clichés here and there (the main male lead way too strong, without flaws ...). But then, since there's also something elegant and carefully thought about the characters actions and reactions, finely described by the actors, the drama almost never feels unrealistic or inadequate.
Almost. The only flaw I could find a bit annoying is that since some clichés remains (the smart weak girl, the flawless leader...), when the characters meet an actual problem in the scenario, it almost look like the protagonists are "forced" into making mistakes just in order to tell the story of their struggles and the answers they will find to help themselves. And that's the annoying bit : When you create a character that flawless, viewers won't understand its true nature if he suddenly falls on his face on a flat ground (rest assured, it's a random example here, this specific fall doesn't actually happen in the drama ^^).
Still, in its whole, this is a very good drama, one that can answer a lot of different expectations for very different viewers :
While maybe not the best of his kind, with of bit of romance, action, and mystery, this drama slowly grows and lightly remains in your mind, as the enjoyable moment it provides.
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Mayornnaise
One of the romance I've liked the most. Notice here : "I've liked the most" and not "the best I've seen".City Hall is like a very pretty gem hidden in a little cave lost in the middle of an unknown forest.
And as such, this korean drama is a little more demanding from its viewers, and while to me it's one of its strong point, I can understand it could be hard to some.
First obstacle : Silliness. There's perfectly assumed silliness, in this tv-drama. This aspect is essential to its comedy theme, and the female character is almost perfect in its role, leading the viewers - and the male lead - to progressively fall for her and her crazyness traits. Well, it's OK to create 'larger-than-life' characters, but at this point, that's also a way to discourage some people as it can also bring the whole show on its knees, at least to some viewers, since it's not exactly matching the very adult topic of the drama : politics.
Now while politics in this drama happens to be the main setting, I think it still only serves the backgrounds of the story to be told. You would be very wrong to dismiss a tv-show that also emphasizes a very sweet and touching romance, especially if you're specifically looking for one.
And to convey this romance, the two main lead have just outdone themselves.
My desktop monitor was just not big enough to reveal everything from their characters on screen, slowly falling in love, while they hurt each other, protect each other. This TV show still had plot flaws, inconsistency, over-the-top and exaggerated situations but since the main characters love acted as a 'fil rouge', a red thread that connnects them to the viewers along the path of the drama, it was honestly sufficient to watch the show without boredom, and without hoping it ends faster. So for the touching romance alone, and the awesome feelings the actors were able to describe, a 8.5 rating here is not too much if it connects you to this drama.
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Messing 9
I'm not sure how the drama intented to advertise itself when it was airing, but if it was aiming as the survival kind, it may have mislead a lot of people. And indeed, this is the kind of drama where your expectations are not going to be met.It's not even trying, in fact, and it's not exactly a bad thing : it's an author privilege to get his story take the path he dreamed of (assuming he's not under any useless external pressure). Considering this, only viewers that do not expect anything specifically will get a bit lucky watching this drama, and will be rewarded with something close to a light novel, a comedy/crime story of sort.
To me, this is where the drama falls a bit short : it was not crude enough, not serious enough, and way too focused to please a larger audience (which, as it regularly happens, could be more the production fault than the authors, obviously). While it made the drama easy to watch and understand, it can also create plot holes, unrealistic scenes, inappropriate filming and overall a whole lot of others mistakes. It's not that bad, actually, but again this is where expectations are going to be crushed for the sole benefice of a wider viewers reach.
And this drama had good and strong points too. But a bit strangely, there were not exactly pushed further and stronger.
Romance, while sweet and surprising, never exactly reaches a peak.
Suspense gets cut short, revealing way too many clues.
Dialogs were snappy, until dragged down with some mediocre punchlines...
So, basically, Missing 9 is a kind of a little mess. But it's also a kind of an enjoyable little mess. This drama is not going to be hard on you, but don't expect it to be exactly unforgettable either. To me, that's the major weakness of this drama : while there were some real efforts, for which I'm grateful, in making this drama, I feel like it didn't hit us hard enough. Thus, a 7.5 rating here in this review, with some encouragments to actually watch the show.
But come on, all drama creators ! You can do better. Fight for your stories, don't underestimate us. Hit us with all your might. We can withstand anything.
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