jjae
the depths of hell
this.
where to start?i am completely convinced this will never be topped. just everything about this is so cute.
let's start with the story. with the first episode everything has already been said. "this is a slightly silly love story about hardworking good-natured high schoolers." and it is exactly that. this is a character-driven drama honestly. the plot is there for the characters not the other way around. like a lot of coming of age dramas, it's about the characters and not the plot. it shows the life of a (struggling and confused lol) bisexual teen in high school juggling new love, friendship and of course, school. it also sometimes shows the persepctive of his love interest, a well-meaning volleyball player who is also new to this whole love thing and bad at expressing emotions.
the acting. the facial expressions michieda shunsuke has done for this show is incredible. it might seem over the top but for those who have read the manga know im not kidding when i say that's practically what aoki is like in the manga too. meguro ren as ida was spot-on. that is the blank-faced ida i know and love brought to life. the casting was just perfection. also ya gotta admit. they're a good looking pair. as for fukomoto riko and suzuki jin, they are also perfect cast. they do amazing as their characters. the casting seriously perfect.
oh the music. oh the music. i love it. i really do. both secret touch and ubu-love. these songs are blasting in my head at all times. they are very fitting to the drama. the lyrics from secret touch especially. secret touch is sung by meguro ren's group (snowman) and ubu-love is sung by michieda shunsuke's group (naniwa danshi).
and the rewatch value? oh darling, i was rewatching the first episode religiously since i saw it. it became apart of my DAILY routine. then the second episode was released. so i was rewatching the first two until the third episode. then i was rewatching the three until the fourth and basically that's how i've been living. easily rewatchable. you will be desperate for more.
overall. my favourite jdrama and probably overall drama for all of 2021. i love a series with heaps and heaps of drama but something like kiekoi has seriously topped. it's a sweet silly love story of two inexperienced teens in high school realistically done. one of my favourite aspects is probably how relatable this was for me. as a bi teen in high school, i have experienced something like this. it wasn't as sweet and happy in fact it sucked. watching aoki and ida navigate their love in a sweeter and happier way despite their ups and downs, makes me like this drama a lot. so. watch this if you need something sweeter than candy.
tldr; one of the best jdramas of 2021. sweet cute love story between two inexperinced teens. 10/10 would recommened. biased because it's personal to me lol but seriously, its really really good.
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strongberry shorts coming for my heart
it's another cute little love story by strongberry so ofc it's wonderful.i always love these little shorts strongberry make. i love watching them they make me so happy. this little short story makes me want to fall in love with someone. i just wish it was longer but i will await for the release of a full length drama or film, and i'll give it all my money lol.
i want the leads to do a full series together like seriously. i think exploring/continuing the storyline with them would be really awesome. they seem to have that sweet awkward chemistry of people who have fallen in love for the first time.
the music choices were really great. whoever chose the music, you're awesome.
i would rewatch it over and over. it's short and sweet, it's an adorable thing that instantly lifts your mood.
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This review may contain spoilers
need more asap
strongberry makes really good short films and i was not disappointed by this one. it's so cute and adorable. the actors have chemisty and they're so cute together. i seriously wish we had more of them. the piano music in the background fits really well too. the reason i rated the story 8.5/10 is because i think it needs more development but that's seriously just me saying i want more of it lol.my fav parts.
(mini spoilers)
literally whenever mingyu gets pouty and then he says "whatever"
the confession scene
jaesung teasing mingyu
it's really cute and sweet. if you're looking for a mini film to cheer you up or just wanna see a sweet couple, watch this. easy rewatch since it's super short but it leaves you want more. like a lot more. i need like a movie and at least 3 seasons of a show about them now. i really hope strongberry continues with this couple. these actors are very attractive and they have a lot of potential. super good, 10/10 would recommened.
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THE HAIRRRRRRRRRR
This little gem right here.At first glance, it's definitely a drama that is completely and utterly cheesy and cute which is right but it grows to show it has a more serious plot to it. There is a solid plot behind it and it's quite enjoyable. It's got a ton of funny moments and is filled with shameless bromance. Yes, the plot is a little predictable at times but it's good if you've just got some time to spare and to have a few laughs without planning a million theories on the plot. It's a good dose of cuteness, humour and bromance.
The acting was very well done. I loved all the actors and I think they did an amazing job. The two main leads have done incredibly well even with no professional training. It looked natural and was convincing. The supporting roles were great and I especially loved the character, Xiao Lin. He was adorable with A Fu. Admittedly, I came for Song Jiyang (I actually ended up forgetting about him being in it and I just saw my watchlist and thought I should check it out lol don't even think I read the summary hah) but I stayed for everyone else in the series too. The leads are beautiful really, they're really, really cute when they smile lol.
Music was really nice. The opening is super catchy and the rest of the songs used throughout the drama was just great. Also, the sound effects of the cat and dog fighting used when the two mains were fighting was actually a really funny thing. I laughed a lot during their fights with those sounds.
Production wasn't very high-budget, we can see that but they did a really good job with what they had. I would just like to mention that I really loved the costumes and the hair. Like, the bloody hair was styled so beautifully. I literally could not concentrate because I was just staring at the hair. It just looked so much better than any other drama I had seen for some reason. It was so pretty? I don't understand, I've fallen in love with their hairstyles HAH.
Overall, this is great as a light-hearted little series for some laughs. It's filled with sweet moments and a strong, shameless bromance. This drama was really good. I know it was based on a BL novel so I actually decided to check it out and for once, I can see the similarities in the drama and novel. Also, I thought I would've ended up dropping the novel like I always do but I'm still reading it so like yeah, the novel's good too. While it's a true bromance, I like it better than some BLs honestly. So, if you ever have time, watch this. You won't regret it :)
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461 Days of Bento: A Promise Between Father and Son
2 people found this review helpful
a story about a son and a father who make a promise to each other.
my heart felt very happy watching this i must say.firstly, this was wonderfully directed. the cinematography was just amazing. all the shots were so pretty. a visual masterpiece imo.
so then what about the story itself? well, in a way it wasn't anything but in a way it was everything. it shows the relationship between a divorced father and his teenage son. it captures the flaws of both of them and the simple life they live. in a way it gave us nothing and everything. there is nothing out of the ordinary, no massive fights, no major drama. it is simply a story about daily bentos made by a father for his son. nothing more, nothing less. and with that, it gave me everything. i loved how simple it was. normally i would find something like this boring but it wasn't. i don't know what about this was so enchanting. it put a spell on me i swear.
acting wise, i must say inohara yoshihiko's performance was perfection. it was delightful. i loved watching him as kazuki. michieda shunsuke...he was the reason i watched this honestly lol. i want to say he was stiff but i think that was just the character. kouki seemed like a very aloof character but when kouki was a bit more expressive micchi did really well. im use to seeing him loud and expressive from kieta hatsukoi so it was a bit of an adjustment lol. everyone played their parts well. i enjoyed the emotions micchi conveyed. i understood him very well.
music. god where do i start? at first, i was like oh, not really my taste but then i really got into it. i want to add every song onto my playlist lmao. the rapper dude? hello? who is he? he was so good? oh in the end when micchi and inohara sang together my heart melted. their voices went really well together. i liked all the songs.
i mean i would rewatch it when it's rainy and i miss my dad (hes not dead hes just a very distant person not like physically we live together lmao but like emotionally yk?)
anyways 9/10. i enjoyed it and i would recommend. it felt like a happy, relaxing buzz.
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still hate love triangles
tbh cuter than expected.the story was eh. namgoong best character hands down. da-on is shallow but finally grows a spine after a while i guess. taekyung...hes based on a dating sim what can you expect. shin woo cute. i got real annoyed with taekyung. i did not like him much until the end basically. the actual story is better developed compared to other bls but i think execution was a bit lacking. like they thought about it but only shallowly. also fucking hate so hee what she did is completely unforgivable. she is fucking delusional.
acting. tbh not bad. yang seohyun cant do emotional scenes but eh i didnt care for them. kang yoo seok can act omg he was actually good. lee sae on was hit or miss. go woo jin? mwah i wanna kiss him. choe chan yi wasn't too bad either.
music. loved that ost. so good. its on repeat. the music in this was on point.
rewatch. some parts i'll rewatch but eh probably only a couple of particular scenes.
overall. its cute and you can binge it. you might get mad at the characters tho. like really mad. cute leads tho.
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This review may contain spoilers
prepare tissues before watching
wow where to start? this was incredible. it was so moving and touching. it made my heart ache in the best way possible.story: it's a bit episodic. each episode you get to basically know about another dead person but it also has a more continuous narrative. things like the build up to understanding why sang gu and his brother's relationship was strained and the development of a familial relationship between sang gu and geu ru. the plot has many messages that make us think about human nature. it's heartbreaking because of how real it is. this was so well written and it shows us the flaws and mistakes humans make as well as the many hopes and dreams we all have.
acting: simply wow. i have no words for how well acted this drama is. every actor played their part perfectly. they captured these characters to the very core. lee je hoon's performance as sang gu was beautifully potrayed. he showed the character's flaws, strengths and weaknesses in a way no other actor could've done. tang jun sang who played geu ru very well done. his portrayl of someone who has asperger's imo is very good. the other actors were of course amazing as well. they managed to play their characters in a way that felt real and personal. well done to the cast, seriously well done.
music: ep 5 :( gonna cry everytime i hear "we wish you a merry christmas".
rewatch: i actually rewatched some episodes to cry because i couldn't cry lmao. it worked btw. great if you wanna cry not great if you dont lmao.
overall: this is a masterpiece. it gives us a glimpse into the lives of others. a hard working man who is taken advantage of, an old couple who want to be together till the end, how greed can cloud a person's mind, a couple who never got to be because of parental pressure and prejudice, and how a misunderstanding can cause years of resentment. there's of course more than just the things i've listed (some with more meaning that what i've put lol) so watch it to find out.
it shows how society views death (and trauma cleaners) as something taboo despite it being something that happens everywhere everyday. death isn't really the end. people leave things behind. what their hopes, dreams and unfufilled wishes were.
each episode has a message behind it. some make you frustrated, some make you hope and some will just make you sad. it charges head first into criticizing society, its controversial issues and prejudice. it really makes you think about a million things and feel a million things. one of the best dramas i have ever seen.
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it makes me feel so happy
here's a tl;dr: short and sweet little gem of a show. a must watch if you like bl or just need sweet romantic drama to watch. also the music is god-tier.story: polar opposites attract. seo jun is like a puppy. ji woo is like a grumpy cat lol. very good characters but some parts of their reactions to things isn't explained whatsoever (hopefully s2 will explain). its a "and they were roomates!" situation lmao. seo jun is famous, scandal happens and he hides with a very annoyed ji woo. good easy plot.
acting: yooo chemistry is off the charts. the damn kissing scene was wow. just wow. are you gonna actually eat his lips or smth? son woo-hyun is an incredible actor. he really shines in this role. kim kang-min is really good too. he has a really sweet smile. the cooking scenes are *chef's kisses*. supporting actors were good too.
music: the osts for this show are so good. i listen to them daily. i fall asleep to it, my alarm is the ost, my study playlist is the ost, my cooking playlist is the ost. what im saying is, the osts are seriously so good. i'll be there (the one that was played during the basketball scene) is god-tier.
rewatch: i resisted rewatching the day after i finished it. but i ended up watching the movie ver which is basically the drama in a movie form so yeah. i also rewatched it again today. yeah i really like this drama. it's my favourite drama now lol.
overall? a must watch. very sweet and it'll leave you feeling warm and happy but also lonely. after watching i was like wow, i want a girlfriend now :'). very easy plot to follow. the characters are great. the music is (im saying this for the 3rd time damn) god-tier. it's a really good drama so give it a watch.
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The storyline was my favourite. Nothing will ever top it. A story about starting over and strong friendships. Amazing. Character development was fast but I loved it tbh. I liked how quick it was. Also I loved how there was focus of the characters individually even though some of it was short.
Acting was great and it really looks like they have great chemistry with each other. They all did great playing their characters.
The music was amazingggggggg. I loved everything about it.
Overall, this drama really surprised me. I didn't have high expectations and just wanted to watch something different. I really didn't know how much I would end up loving it so much. The story was simple and entertaining. The acting was on-point. The music was fabulous. I highly recommend this to anyone looking for a simple, entertaining, and binge-worthy show because this is the one.
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