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Matsumoto's influence is quite visible as the film progresses, with the many comedic skits that Kanjuro, the male lead character, must perform in order to live.
STORY:
The start of the movie is a bit slow. Kanjuro is a worn out samurai on the run with his headstrong daughter, Tae, close on his heels. There are some Kill Bill-esque scenes that were a bit unbelievable to me but once the movie gets into the 30 Day Challenge I started becoming more invested in the movie.
Ultimately, the movie is a sentimental and amusing underdog story with a bittersweet triumph at the end. Also, the movie touches on the honor code (Bushido) that the samurai class in Japan followed, which is portrayed in an interesting manner.
ACTING:
Strong acting across the board. Kanjuro is portrayed by a comedian in his first movie debut and he does an amazing job. Tons of physical humor, very typical of Japanese comedy skits. Personally, I really enjoyed Kumada Sea's scene-stealing portrayal of Tae, Kanjuro's young daughter. Her spunk and capability was really lovely to watch.
MUSIC:
I really enjoyed the music in the movie, especially the touching ending song that sends a message of love, epiphany and sacrifice. I've re-watched this scene several times.
Overall, a heartwarming film that evokes laughter and tears.
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No glamorous idol stars all coiffed and styled. No sophisticated houses and office buildings.
Just funky hair and quirky outfits and ordinary neighborhoods and parks. That was quite refreshing to me.
This drama is laugh out loud funny and random and quirky and fun.
Is there a real, structured plot? Not really. But is it enjoyable and wacky? HECK YES.
Lee Hana and Ji Hyun Woo did a great job as the lead roles and they had fabulous chemistry together.
Also, Ji Hyun Woo's hair was lovely in this drama. Wang Bit Na deserves a special mention because she was amazing as So Ran, the spoiled rich girl. Loved every scene with her in it.
If you are in the mood for a crazy, light hearted drama that doesn't require too much emotional investment, this is a good drama to check out.
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This review may contain spoilers
I finally watched this film after hearing all this hype and hullabaloo about it from my friends. I had the impression that this would be romantic or sensual ... but by the end of the film, I realized that to me, this film was about a deep friendship. STORY-
The plot was interesting. It showed how minstrels exposed tyranny through the shows that they performed. And the shows were hilarious and bawdy and fun and campy.
My favorite moment in the film was when Gong Gil and Captain act out as two blind beggars and end up hugging on a hill top. What a beautiful moment. What chemistry. The cinematography in the film was amazing, by the way. The movie could have used more cheerful and fun interactions between these two main characters.
By the end, however, I got impatient. Maybe I could tell what was going to happen next and I was bored. I don't know. The end of the movie lost its steam.
ACTING/CAST -
Fantastic acting from the 3 main male leads.
Lee Jun Ki is so pretty... it's that great skin and his sensitive eyes. But he really was quite convincing as the fragile Gong -gil who amazingly has a lot of inner strength. It was interesting to watch the lovely Jun Ki sashay around.
Gam Woo Sung is a great actor, this I knew after watching him in the drama Alone In Love. He was really believable as the Captain. And his loyalty to Gong Gil is so touching.
And the King was in a class of his own with his psychotic behavior. Jung Jin Yeong never disappoints me.
MUSIC-
Honestly, I don't remember the soundtrack to this movie.
MY COMMENTS-
Overall, an interesting and lovely film. Great acting, an interesting and unique story line, and vivid cinematography. I don't regret watching this.
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The drama gives viewers an inside look at the life of a hostess. It's a brutal field, with tons of egos and politics and drama. But the script writing fell short. There were too many repetitive cat fight scenes between the hostesses that just annoyed me to no end.
Matsuda Shota was the best actor in the entire drama. No surprise there. He was the only one who managed to pull off his troubled character well. So of course I was super disappointed that by the end of the series, he had very little character growth or meaningful dialogue or scenes with the main character.
Kato Rosa is attractive. But she didn't really portray her character with enough conviction or finesse.
10 episodes, and many face slaps later (the drama has a good number of them!), I was irritated.
With a good lead actress, better script and more scenes with Matsuda, this could have been a decent drama instead of mediocre.
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ACTING - Matsushita Nao was charming as usual.In fact, if her character, Yuriko, was portrayed by another actress, I wonder how much I would have enjoyed her role. Matsushita always manages to give off this wholesome and sweet vibe when she acts. And she was absolutely adorable with Inocchi (V6) as the main couple. The rest of the cast were quite good as well and portrayed their characters well. I would have loved it if the drama had gone deeper into the lives of the 4 brothers.
MUSIC - I really loved the ending credits song, Kono Sekai ni Umareta Wake by FUNKY MONKEY BABY.
Overall, Hayami-san to Yobareru Hi is a heartwarming family drama that really draws you into the lives of the Hayami family.
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The plot follows a special team of detectives that work together to solve cases that only have a "10%" chance of being cracked. The cases are dark and twisted and wonderfully portrayed.
Each member of the team has an interesting backstory and is played to perfection. Joo Sang Wook was amazing as the "less than noble" team leader with the soulful eyes. My favorite character overall, was Kim Sang Ho's lazy bum-detective character who is actually quite clever.
TEN has amazing cinematography and visual effects ... it seems a lot more artistic than the usual cop drama. The music is also lovely. BREATHE by Mad Soul Child is a hauntingly amazing song.
Overall, a slick and exciting mystery series that features great acting. Can't wait for the movie that will conclude the cliffhanger at the end of episode 10.
;)
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Great acting from the cast, in particular, from the leads, in which this film was their acting debut. Shawn Dou was great as the hunky lead male (great smile!) and Zhou Dongyu was lovely as the naive lead female. My only gripe: the male lead character seemed to be a bit too perfect and angelic and it would have been nice to have some more dimension to his character.
Even though the film is set during the end of the Cultural Revolution, there isn't too much emphasis on politics. This is a pure love story at its best with the interactions between the main characters at the forefront.
The film also has amazing cinematography. The color palette isn't striking but there is a nice contrast between the village and the city landscapes.
Recommended for those who enjoy those simple and pure love stories.
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A well-done drama about two lifelong friends, who once they move in together, realize how much they mean to each other. Where does the line between friendship and love start to blur?
This is a heartwarming drama that may seem a bit cliched and predictable off the bat. Can a guy and a girl just be best friends, especially when they start to share a home together? But the journey to the end, with these endearing characters, are worth it.
The main leads have wonderful chemistry with one another and the plot moves along in a natural and realistic manner. The side characters are not just for filler, they are interesting and well-fleshed as well.
I really identified with Soo Ae's character's struggles on a personal level : a lot of the tensions in the drama come from the struggles of a ticking clock (age) and trying to find a place in the world, in terms of love and career.
A highly recommended romantic comedy.
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To be honest, I was laughing non-stop throughout this entire series. Wacky characters and hilarious dialogue and wonderful comedic timing from all the characters. Son Chang Min and Lee Jong Soo stole the show with their comedic prowess. Plus, the baby was super cute.
Just want to mention that there are some mature themes and content, as a warning. There is some potty humor and some crude(ish) scenes. But nothing too graphic.
A cheeky and hilarious drama that shines with warmth and themes of friendship and brotherhood.
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This drama took my interest as I am biology major and I wanted to see how the drama could make bacteria interesting. The drama does a good job of being informative without being too stuffy and ... the bacteria were super cute.
The acting fell a bit short a few times throughout the series but all the characters were interesting enough. The plot was entertaining and seemed to go by smoothly.
Cute and most of all, amusing.
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In particular, Jung Il Woo proved that he does have acting chops and this is his best work so far, in my opinion.
The plot is a seamless blend of action, melodrama and comedy. The story examines the life and history of this "hero" in such a convincing way.
The plot doesn't move that quickly and that may come off as jarring to some viewers. However, this drama is meant to be watched slowly and savored.
The characters are portrayed so realistically and they really remain in your heart even after the drama is over.
A highly recommended drama.
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Kang Ji Hwan was quite lovely as the main character and his acting stood above the rest of the cast.
The plot moves quite well, with plenty of twists and turns along the way. By the last third of the series, however, I started to feel that the plot was getting a bit repetitive and not as engaging. The ending was a bit predictable to me, but, it was still touching and hopeful.
But all in all, a quite satisfying and suprisingly meaningful drama.
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Heartbreaking and exciting all at once. The plot was quite well written and there was good acting all across, but to me, Lee Seo Jin and Kim Min Joon, the 2 male leads, stole the show with their heartfelt acting.
The only drawback was the shoddy action sequences. The aerial flying was a bit amateurish but the plot and the dialogue and the characters itself are all so riveting, that the action choreography doesn't matter.
Highly recommended.
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The plot often turns violent, twisted and sexy as all of the 4 main characters become entangled in this game that is supposedly centered around "love".
The drama challenges you and there are some interesting discussions about this drama on Soompi's forums that are quite interesting to read through. Either you'll love this drama or you will hate it.
There is no stereotypical character. Each and every one of the main characters are imperfect beings, acted to perfection by the actors all across the board.
This drama is also Eric's (Shinhwa) best role to date. His character was hard to really like and his portrayal brought some humanity to his character.
To me, the highlight of this drama was the witty and strong dialogue, compared to other Korean dramas.
All in all, a lovely and intense drama that stands above the other Korean melodramas out there.
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One, I loved the message that the drama brings to the table, which I elaborate on further below.
And Two, it was fun to see some leading jdrama actors (Oguri Shun, Narimiya Hiroki, Yamapi, and Ninomiya) before they hit their peaks of popularity.
STORY-
The drama is about a group of 4 high school friends and all the crazy things that they get into in the process of losing their virginity.
They also reunite with their childhood friend Chie (Suzuki Anne), who seems to have her own reasons for coming back into their neighborhood.
The story is written well, with a perfect balance of comedy and touching moments between friends and family. The plot twists are interesting and I was quite invested in the characters. I usually hate love triangles with a passion, but this drama managed to do a believable and sweet love triangle that I actually connected with emotionally.
At its heart, STAND UP! is a coming of age drama with a focus on sex and friendship.
ACTING/CAST-
Great acting all across the board. Tons of character development and fun minor characters.
Ninomiya really impressed me with his portrayal of Sho: he played insecure, naive, and adorkable very well
Also, Suzuki Anne took the Chie's character and made her into a sweet and endearing female lead.
MUSIC-
Pretty decent soundtrack featuring Arashi.
LAST THOUGHTS-
Though this is a teen sex comedy, there is a good amount of character development, so it's worthwhile to watch. There are also positive messages throughout the drama which reinforce that love is more better than sex. And not to fall into peer pressures. And that sex has consequences. And friends are awesome!
One of my favorite j dramas for its laughs and for its heart.
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