pattyrn4
USA
Do not watch this if you are an old fashioned conservative. There are several sexually explicit scenes and it is not the typical Korean one love fate. Since it is an Inde movie, I had to rent it from Amazon for $2.99, but it is free on you tube with multiple clips under avi (start with clip 0).
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This drama feels very real and scary at times. There are no silly cartoon characters or fill in empty stretches. Don't let 24 episodes deter you. I didn't want it to end. Also, the loyalty between childhood friends, which extends into teen years and adulthood, is very heartwarming.
Most people just watch new shows, so All In no longer gets attention. But it was a big scale production in 2003 with breathtaking scenes from Jeju Island all the way to the Grand Canyon and Las Vegas. It was extremely well done and is not dated at all. If you are a fan of Lee Byung Hun, you will find his acting, karate skills, and lovemaking exceptional here. All In has it all!
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However, the real downfall is the juvenile story line. Two children fall in love and agree to meet at age 20. Their reunion lacks credence and the double love triangles are very contrived. The best romance is the second leads, the older sister and her boyfriend. They have more chemistry. Unfortunately, their story ends in the middle of the drama. The viewer is then forced to watch episode after episode of misunderstandings with the lead romance and their other partners.
The relationship is best in the last two episodes, but by then I was too bored to care. I felt little angst at the ending. If you haven't started, don't waste your time. My Lucky Star, Fated to Love You, and Autumn's Concerto are much more memorable.
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Besides possessing handsome looks and gladiator strength, LBH is an extremely talented and expressive actor with natural portrayals of a character. His romantic portrayals such as in Addicted are over the top also. J
The only reason this did not rate a perfect 10 was the last scene went on a bit excessive and overkill.
But this is an excellent short version of a Korean Godfather.
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Jimmy Lin is at his best here. In real life he's a professional car racer and international singer. He is the real thing here: sings his own songs and does the car stunts. Can it get any better than this?
The story moves along at a fast pace. I never watched a drama so fast. One thing I hate is watching a long, slow drama just to see the lead couple get together in the last episode for a chicken peck kiss. None of that here. If you are a fan of romance drama, this is up there with Autumn's Concerto and Secret Garden.
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If you are interested in Korean customs about burial and their ceremonies, both for the living and deceased, you will be interested in this drama. There is some interesting philosophical dialogue about how the living deal with separation. However, I didn't feel a great emotional connection between the characters until the last few episodes. Granted, Chae Tae Hyun, noted for his spectacular performance in the classic My Sassy Girl, has a very likable character here. But I didn't feel a great passion with his romantic female lead. Except for the last few episodes, this drama was too slow to spark most people's interest.
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Lynn Hung pretty much steals the show. She plays a gorgeous model who is out to net a wealthy tycoon. She is the discerning buyer who is out for the best deal. For sale is her beauty and charm and she can sweet talk her way into any man's heart. She is friendless: women hate her because of her beauty and success, men hate her because they can't keep her. She's off to a better conquest. The best parts are her manipulation of men. Her rejects are out for revenge. I never laughed so hard at her scheming.
Enter Vaness Wu as the poor, babbling, lovelorn guy whom she falls for. I would have liked him better without the punk rock hair, but he is romantic. Some of his rescue scenes are a bit slapstick with silly suspense music accompaniment. At times it seems the drama is a romance spoof with some of the silly melodrmatic scenes, especially at the end.
But even if you don't like the story, you will feel like you are watching a runway fashion show. In every scene Lynn Hung has a gorgeous wardrobe and unique hairdo. She is possibly the most beautiful actress out there. In real life she is a Chinese supermodel. I wish there were more shows with her devouring men. This watch was delicious!
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If you want to watch this for the romance, it all happens in the first steamy, passionate episode. This is more of a revenge drama, which makes it rather unique. Mi Ran is reminiscent of Glen Close in the American classic, Fatal Attraction. Yes, it's not a relaxing watch, but it is definitely entertaining. The acting is exceptional and the music has some of the best pieces in any drama.
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However, the biggest hurdle to watching this drama is the messed up subtitles. There are no complete sentences and the words are all mixed up.
Despite all these criticisms, the drama is cute with an incredibly good looking cast. I mean, who would not want to watch Wallace Huo and Abrose Hsu in a drama with 3 beautiful women! The romance is sweet, albeit corny at times. It's not often that you get to see a grown man cuddle a stuffed dolphin! This was not supposed to be a rom com but at times seems so. And the music is quite good and varied, however, some of the music is played too often and others, not enough.
If you like t drama romance as I do, try to find the drama with better subtitles than on Good Drama and you may enjoy At Dolphin Bay.
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The story starts with a murder and a dysfunctional family including 2 stepbrothers in love with the same woman. It moves along at an interesting pace until about the last quarter where it turns into a weepy melodrama and screeches to an agonizing halt for about 5 episodes more.
Choi Ji Woo is undoubtedly beautiful, but here she is robotic. A decade ago she was paired with the leading heartthrobs, including Japanese Takenouchi Yataka. She did a decent job acting in Winter Sonata and Stairway to Heaven, my favorite melodramas. But here she was wooden and talked so S-L-O-W-L-Y that you could walk out of the room and come back in and she would still be on the same sentence. She played the kindhearted love interest of the two brothers, so she tried to act soothingly. However, her dialogue sounded monotone, cooing like a mourning dove.
The music was quite good, but the repetitiveness over 24 episodes made it irritating. Also, the drama was a bit long for my taste. You will enjoy it if you want to see Byung in a romance. But to see Mr. Korean James Bond with the full depth of his acting abilities, watch instead Iris, Masquerade, I Saw the Devil. or Iris for action. His best romance is All In (one of my favorites) and the very sexy movie, Addicted.
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Much of the narrative is sung. but do not be put off by this presentation. It will grow on you. The ending is superb and worth the wait.
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Here's what is great about the drama. 1. The lead couple is very dynamic. Lee Seo Jin plays a tough mobster who looks and acts the part with perfection. Kim Jun Eun plays a no-nonsense physician who is both gentle and strong. The chemistry between these two is perfect. 2. There are no boring moments, a lot of good fight scenes, and no silly side story fillers with cartoon characters. 3. There is a great climax-ending the last 2 episodes with fight scenes and a well-defined ending. (I hate it when things are left up in the air.)
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Here heartthrob Takenouchi Yutaka is in the prime of his career. Playing the investigating insurance detective, he believes in his love and stakes his life on it. The romance is hot between Takenouchi and Matsushima, especially the apartment scene.
The rating would have been a 10 had the writer not butchered the ending. I won't reveal anything except to say that the last scenes are ridiculous, in my view. The writer painstakingly has the whole scenario recapped by the murderer to tie everything together for the audience.
Regardless, the drama is so engaging that it wouldn't have mattered much who murdered who. The beautiful music, entrancing romance, and unending suspense will not disappoint.
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There were some very touching moments between the two. There were beautiful scenes where Jong Du helped Gong Ju escape from her lonely existence. He was never ashamed of her in public or in front of his family.
But what horrified me was the brutal, savage way Jong Du had sex with Gong Ju. It seemed more like rape than a gentle sexual love. It was very graphic and violent. In addition, Gong Ju did not stand up for Jong Du. The disappointment in these 2 actions negated the good feeling about their love for each other.
If you like movies with a dark, gritty mood, you will like this. There is nothing uplifting about this that I enjoyed. Society continues to prejudices against the handicapped and this is not an easy one to watch.
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