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That said, I couldn't give it this movie a 10 because there are some problematic ideas about beauty expressed, specifically about skin color. As I watch more Thai movies, I'm realizing the prejudice against darker skin is in fact very real and pressing in Thai culture. Although this isn't a focus of this movie, the idea that darker girls are ugly is clearly present (whether it's completely endorsed or not,.) That makes me concerned about younger girls of color seeing this film without discussing it first.
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This story is realistic and bit sad. I don't know what else to say about it.
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The mains are great, but I also need to add that I've never seen such a great supporting cast. The music is perfect.
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I was really confused by the reviewer who said the two leads didn't have chemistry. The scenes between them were hot! My love for Ji Sung has only gotten stronger. I know he's married, but let's be realistic, we were probably never going to hook up even if he was single. Okay, I've gotten off topic...
The music was great and the story was solid. One thing I loved was the little touched of comedy. I probably won't rewatch the jail episodes, but I'll revisit this series at some point. I found the first few episodes a little slow and Min Hyuk a little hard to deal with at first, which is why this doesn't get a perfect score.
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The thing with Binggeure also bothered me, because he was obviously going through a dilemma the show never really addressed before it tied it up nicely with a bow. 1994 had amazing heart and great characters, but the writers decided keeping the viewers in the dark was more important than telling a good story. (Let's not forget that basketball suddenly disappeared, and there are several episodes where a certain baby isn't even mentioned. Plus, what was the point of the scene with the teen in the present talking to that girl?)
But, again on the plus side, a good story is here nonetheless. It;s worth watching. There will be parts, however, where you are banging your head against a table.
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I don't really like stories where you can't figure out why the guy likes the girl, so when I read the synopsis of this drama I was worried this would just be weird wish fulfillment and there would be no reason for the guys to like her. I was pleasantly surprised in that respect. First of all, even really dressed down, the actress is very pretty. I think it's realistic that people might notice that. Secondly, even if she's not very friendly, we as the viewers get to see inside her thoughts which are frankly hilarious. I like it when she is insightful and sarcastic (only inside her head) and the things she imagines make me laugh every time. I think the two guys are attracted to her in part because she has an introverted, guarded personality, and they like the moments where she lets her guard down.
I just wish the leading men were better developed, especially the younger man. I think there is substance behind the character, but you're left to just guess at it instead of seeing it.
Naka Riisa is worth mentioning here because this character, while still comic relief at times, was a more mature character than I've seen her play in a while. She handled it well.
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I doubt I'll rewatch this. For one thing, it's a bit long, aided by those long silences I talked about before. There were long bits of the movie where it felt like nothing was happening. The movie is old so the fashion is also a bit distracting. The main lead always has his pants belted practically at his throat, for instance.
When rating music, my first thought was "Was there any music in this?" So that's why it's such a low score.
Overall, I think people who are more into movies with an independent feel than I am will enjoy it more.
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The main problem I had with the show was the writing- there were too many elements mixed together. The supernatural element especially was only thrown in from time to time- as if someone occasionally remembered it was supposed to be there, but didn't know how to fit it in. The ending felt strange for that reason. The acting was a bit clunky at times, but I felt that the actors did the best they could with a dubious script- or in the case of the actor who played Alex, with a character who was written with very little personality.
But, like I said, I enjoyed this show. The romance was sweet, although I was angry at the main female lead more than once. Jin and Kay had a lot of personality and weren't bad to look at. The case of the day, while usually weird and (for some weird reason) leading everyone to forgive someone who committed a crime, was usually interesting.
If you are looking for something amusing and not overly coherent, this might be for you.
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This review may contain spoilers
I had a problem with the very end of this movie. This movie spent most of it's time suggesting that what is inside a person is more attractive than the outside, and can't be erased. It then tacked on an ending- i mean the very last part- that undid all that. This isn't a spoiler. I'm not talking about the main character at all. Basically, I liked this movie but was mildly uncomfortable with it. Was this review helpful to you?
MUSIC- This show has great music. I cannot recommend the soundtrack highly enough. In fact, I just suggest you listen to the music and just pretend this train wreck of a drama never happened. Have you ever watched a show that was so good in the first half that a bad second half made it you hate it more than if it had just started out bad? That's what happened to me with Fall in Love with Me. The music, however, could always make me feel something. I didn't actually realize Aaron Yan was a good singer until I heard one of his songs for this show, but the minute I did, I was sold.
STORY- Aaron Yan does a fantastic job acting as two different characters for the first part of the show, which is the original main conflict- the leading lady is not very fond of one of his personas but likes the other. When this changes from being the main conflict, the show takes a serious nosedive into melodrama. It isn't unusual for romantic comedies to introduce melo elements, but this show completely changed from one genre to the other. I don't have an issue with melodramas if they're done right, but Fall in Love with Me not only became a melodrama, it became a bad one with a lot of repetition and insane and/or illogical characters. The shift in tone is so drastic and jarring that it really feels like two different shows. (It reminds me of the movie Hancock, which, if I catch it on TV, I watch up to a point and then turn off.)
ACTING- The cast is mostly very good. The second lead female turned- well, you'll see if you watch- was actually very good. And I really like Aaron Yan as an actor. I just started watching Taiwanese dramas less than a year ago, so the only other thing I saw him in is Just You. I didn't really like his look, but after a few episodes I really started to like him. I'm not saying he's perfect, but he's competent. Some actors, especially if acting is not their primary profession, deliver their lines and or expression, and then their face goes back to blank as they wait for their next line to come around. Aaron Yan's always acting, and his expressions always express a great depth of emotion. He does occasionally over act, but not too often. Unfortunately, Tia Li's acting is not to the point were she should be cast as a leading lady. Her facial expression is always the same, whether she's crying, laughing, eating, whatever. I feel like achieving that is actually difficult, so I don't know what's up with that, but it's not great to watch. She was better before the melo came, but she wasn't very good then either. But anyway, there are a lot of good character actors playing supporting roles, also.
Rewatch Value- I almost rated this a 1, because who would want to put themselves through this again? But I have to admit that the first 11 or so episodes were really good, with a lot of cute moments. There is also a cute side romance that managed to stay cute even through the craziness. I am a re-watcher, but if I ever watch Fall In Love with Me again, I probably will not watch the full run and will maybe just find one or two cute moments on youtube.
Other: I love whoever came up with Xiao Lu's look. It took years off of Aaron Yan and created a kind of hip urban nerd vibe that I really, really liked. I would love a show where the lead actually dressed like that the whole time.
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