SSKF
DramaLand
Now, the story ... The story was definitely disjointed and I only understood and enjoyed it because I read the manga years ago. Large chunks of the story was missing but I was able to connect it together because I remembered what happened between scenes. The actual story (in the manga) is too large and detailed to fit into a movie like this. However, if they had added it into the movie, the movie would have been too boring.
In the manga, most of the story was about
1) Kouta marrying her because he's an officer so he doesn't want to just date a 16 year old girl. He wants to make it all legal.
2) Kako waiting around for Kouta
3) A triangle with Okami
4) Kouta avoiding Kako so as not to sleep with her.
Hence, boring material.
Music etc ... I don't notice those things.
Acting... Well, it was fairly good acting given the story and plot. Not extremely good, but fairly good.
End scene : Happy, but what the hell was that last few seconds?
Watch at your own risk. I won't really recommend it to anyone given the content. You have to decide if you want to get into this. Leave your western perceptions at the door and acknowledge you are looking into a different culture - as we always do when watching another country's production.
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I also confess to watching pieces of the drama months ago, so I basically knew the stroyline, but not enough to have the whole thing spoilt.
I found it entertaining, the costuming was fabulous, the lead pair were fantastically beautiful to look at, and the ending... I liked it. I really like this movie. One of the reasons I couldn't do the drama was the length of the drama and the too long story. This one was perfect in telling the story in a short time. But if you didn't know the story beforehand, you'd need some real good deduction skills to make sense of it. I guess that's why people called it choppy. But I liked this puzzle piece so much, I don't see a problem with it.
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Acting - Yamazaki Kento has such a wide range of acting emotions and he does them all excellently. He played the nice, caring, hurting guy here. The earnest one with a pure heart and feelings shining from his face and eyes. His shyness is perfectly captured. The actor also plays the cold hearted mean guy in other movies or the brave action star. His range is awesome.
Music - I didn't pay much attention, but the beginning piano sequence was awesome for me.The songs here bring out the feelings the story wants to invoke.
Everything meshed well to make this a wonderful, moving movie.
Story - 9
Acting - 10
Music - 7
Rewatch - N/A
Overall - 8
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Haruka is so so so good looking. I love his "tough guy, do anything to protect my sister, my sister is my soft spot" persona. So sweet and so cool all at the same time.
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The romance in this was real. Others may say the couple didn't have chemistry but I think that's missing sight of what a true relationship is about. Chemistry is one part and that fizzles eventually. This couple had substance and caring between them, were willing to understand, to stick together, to grow together. This is a depiction of a real life couple interaction. They were eager to hold hands, to kiss, to be together and that was one thing I absolute loved about it. There was none of that 'hesitant to touch each other to stand too close' that often happens in kdrama. This was a real couple and the story showed it very well. No separation or dramatic fights here, just caring and understanding for the other person's feelings and perspective. How many kdramas give us that?
The above alone is why this deserved the 8 star rating.
Then there is all the relationships between the characters, all the curves and jagged edges that makes no one a villian and no one perfectly good either. They all had their little problems projected onto one another and they worked through it. This is a reflection of real life. I liked it.
Their acting was very good. They are largely new to this and no one is perfect from the get-go. If you expect perfection from new artists without giving them a chance to gain experience... well that's just unreasonable. They performed admirably for being a relatively new set of casting. I liked all of their acting a lot. Especially the two leads and the male lead's apa.
The music... I hope it wasn't the focus of the show and that the romance / friendship was. The music could have been better. It;s quite forgettable, not as passionate as I thought a top composer would produce - except that first song.
I liked this a lot.
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Those are my purely frivolous reasons for rating this an 8.
It had everything that I liked so I rated it accordingly. When looking for stuff to watch, I don;t always want deep plot lines to go with the romance, just good plotlines.
This had a good plot (fluffy, but good), and it was maybe an episode too long, but who doesn't like longer when there's an abundance of kisses added to the long bits? I have to say, I adored the characters here, not only because Cha Jin Wook stood firm with his feelings on his girl. Not once did he give up on her.
Hearts all around!!
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The subject matter dealt with... life, the uncertainty of the future, disability, friendship, accepting help, giving help, parent-child relationships, whether to stick to your talent or walk a more practical path... this drama was full of more and more good messages.
It helped that the drama was short and tight. There was no room to drag. The ending my not be for everybody. Some seemed to like it, some seemed to hate it. I didn't like it too much, but I didn't mind. It was practical and realistic. What wasn't realistic is that we never got to see the fall out from that big, abrupt finale. Also, who became the award winning pianist? Which one of them, or all 3 of them? The ending just left questions. There should have been at least a 5 minute epilogue (a real epilogue and not a recap of scenes as they like to do in kdrama) explaining what happened after. But I could also understand the way it ended. We saw a little glimpse into their lives and then we left it just as abruptly as we came in. Slice of life literally, I mean.
The music was wonderful to listen to, the acting was superb, the story was lovely.
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Itazura na Kiss: Love in Tokyo Season 2
21 people found this review helpful
This IMO, is a true dramatization of Itazura na Kiss the manga. Irie-kun is not sweet and loving like They Kiss Again, and the story is very true to the original story. So true that I loved it very much. Honoka Miki's expressions and loudness is also very close to the manga. Some people may not like her outrageous and overboard expressions, but I loved her 100%. Irie-kun was cold, but you could still see his love for his wife. I admit, I didn't like his character, but I didn't mind because I never like any Irie-kun characters. I always think Kotoko deserves a better man, one who treats her better and adores her. But actually, Irie-kun always is aware of Kotoko and her wants and needs. Always.
What helped me understand Irie's character better was this video entitled "Why we Japanese can seem robotic" by a Japanese guy whose married to a foreigner in Japan. The link... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m7diGxLECF4
It explains so much about the average Japanese and helped me understand Irie's character better. I still think he should have been more considerate of Kotoko early in their marriage, but I forgive him. Kotoko makes you keep your attention on her and not her husband's behaviour. In fact, I like the love she has for him. She's too dependent yes, but he relishes that dependence and actually drives it sometimes because which guy doesn't like his wife needing him? He loved her love for him. And also, yes, she shapes her life for him, but you have to realise, he shaped his for her too. The guy does whatever she tells him to, even the big, life changing decisions. He does it all quietly. Yes, he pulls a face sometimes, but that's just for posterity because he thinks he has to be cool. The guy is happy to follow her directions. Kotoko is so full of life and love that yo can't help but love them together. She is the main one in that marriage lol, the one that is loved, though she shows her love for him more - her character is more flamboyant.
I adored the rest of the cast - Kinosuke, mom, dad, other dad, the little brother, Christine, her best friends and their boyfriends ... every character had something to love and I was interested in all of them. Every single time. The best parts was where Irie-kun's mom always stuck up for Kotoko - even against Irie lol. Best mom-in-law award goes to her. I want a mom-in-law like her. And honourable mention goes to Kinnosuke for his vibrant, emotional, love. The acting is on point as always. This lead pairing never disappoints. Miki Honoka is fabulously talented for such a young girl. Hope to see her in more lead roles. Honestly, sometimes the music is inappropriate for the scene, but the beginning and ending themes I really liked. Found myself bobbing my head and singing along. Rewatch value of *sigh* over and over and over again.
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Naoki... I still hated him. He seemed to revert from episode 16 to episode 6 in this one. I gave him props for the consummation scene though. ?
I like that Kotoko got fed up with his shit, but I was rooting for that Narita Rikon. I wanted Naoki to hurt.
The family... aww, they are so sweet. Intrusive and bad for the marriage, but still sweet. Especially Yuki.
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I put off watching this for 2 years. I'm glad I did. I was traumatized by Playful Kiss and needed time to get over that. It took me from 2009 until now lol. I loved the manga, loved loved loved it and up till now, I still believe the manga is the only one that truly shows Irie's feelings. When I read it, I didn't hate him. I loved him actually. Playful Kiss was horrible because I hated both the lead characters (not the actors) and the story adaptation was rubbish. I watched ISWAK and TKA years ago and from what I remember (not too much admittedly) Love in Tokyo and Love In Tokyo 2 were much much mucho better. In TKA Naoki was more expressive and I admit, I liked that version of Irie-kun the most, but I think this version really hit the essence of Irie's block-of-wood-with-Kotoko-inspired-feelings perfectly.
Which brings me to this one.
I think this is the only adaptation that truly captures the essence of Kotoko. She's silly, yes, but she's not brainless. She does weird things, yes, but they all have their purpose and they all have their charm. There is nothing she does for no reason and her reasons are usually common sense. She may not go about it as reasonably as you or I, but her reactions are all ours. She's just more dramatic for drama sake and because her character is one of those more expressive types. I assure, you, those epressive types are out there and they're good friends because they can never hide what they feel. They share themselves with the world. That's why I love this version of Kotoko and adored every single one of her quirks and her moments. (And her silliness and the circumstances she creates). Honoka Miki was absolutely the best thing to watch on this show. She's so pretty, expressive, and her acting is above par for so young a person. I'd love watching her in more lead roles. She is absolutely talented.
The only thing about Kotoko I had a problem with was her absolute devotion to Irie Naoki. However, that is negligible because that is the original character that the manga creator devised and that is actually the entire plot of the original story. I honestly didn't want her to be with Naoki, wanted her to forget him and build a life with someone who would adore her rather than someone who wanted to be adored. I had fantasies (just like Kotoko) while watching this that Kotoko should lose her memory and wake up not knowing anything about Naoki, then he'd miss her and start to chase her a little. *sigh* My complaints about this aspect aside, I'm satisfied with the show. Extremely satisfied.
Next up: Irie Naoki. Except for the manga (and even a little bit there too), I hated every version of him I've seen. Some more than others. This one is no different. I personally watched for Kotoko's character. This is not the actor's fault at all. I think he had great acting and I loved watching him with Honoka Miki. Their height difference (as well as age, I'll confess) made this enjoyable for me. The character's attitude towards Kotoko, his selfishness to lead her on, not allowing her to forget him and move on, yet never commit to her, drove me crazy. Kotoko is such a beautiful character with a beautiful, kind, selfless soul that charms everyone around her. She deserved to be loved unconditionally but instead she's hung up over a guy who doesn't know or care that he may have feelings for her.
The actor, however, if you look closely, is very expressive in telling the audience what Irie-kun feels. He distances himself, but he keeps watching her with longing. He always knows when she's near and there are these little smiles he gives when he teases her or is happy that she's around. I liked this Naoki... to an extent. He still didn't treat my precious Kotoko with the love she deserved. I kept wanting her to get into an accident or something so he'd realise what he could lose and would be confronted by his feelings. Dramatic, I know... *eye roll*. However, this version made me understand Naoki better and even like him - just a little. He shared with Kotoko and tried to express himself in the end. It was worth it to watch. The actor was lovely for my eyes too lol.
Kin-chan... my adorable baby. I was on your ship in this one. All the other Kin-chans irritated me. This one was so genuinely sweet and nice and loving that I wanted there to be a plot twist and she marries him. In no adaptation of INK would that happen though. Ever. Poor Kin-chan. He loved Kotoko unconditionally, but she loved Naoki unconditionally. They were both selfless in their love. Watching him and Kotoko made me realise how hard the friend-zone is and that it's kind of wrong to put your est guy-friend there. It also made me understand better when my guy-friends crib about girls overlooking nice guys and going after douchbags. Kotoko was one of those and it pained me to see her like that.
The parents... all three of them were lovely. Some people said these parents were too fantastic to be real but I disagree. In my opinion, they are closer to reality than most that I've seen in dramaland. Think about it. Most parents want the best for their children and sacrifice to make it happen. They let their children's attitudes, wants and needs rule the roost because their children are their lives. I'm not talking about drama parents who think the company is the be all and end all of the universe. I'm speaking of your every-day average (responsible) parent. Those are the kinds I'm exposed to, but I do know there are worst parents out there. Watching this show made me thankful for the kind of people my parents are. Now, that's not to say Naoki's mom is the usual... she's over the top in a good (sometimes not) way. I love how she loved Kotoko, but I also understood that it wasn't actually about loving Kotoko. It was about her love for Naoki and on top of Kotoko's very special personality, it was about the better, more open, person Naoki became when in the presence of Kotoko. He was entirely different in Kotoko's presence than when he wasn't. The details were subtle, but it was there. He was a human because of her and a block of ice without her. Mama saw that and fell in love with Kotoko because she made her son a better person. Don't deny it, we all wish for a mother-in-law like that. I do, *sigh.
The 2 friends... honestly, sometimes I wondered if they were frenemies lol. But they were great and stuck up for Kotoko when needed. I liked them a lot.
This show was a blast for me. I thought I'd just try it out and maybe drop it, but it was too interesting to drop. It's a simple story, beautiful characters, and even more beautiful portrayals of those characters but the acting cast was fantabulous. Loved it. :)
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Don't expect any big commotions or misunderstandings or betrayals from Wonderful Spring. It starts with Ying Er as a nice girl entering a new city and being mistaken for a shipping conglomerate's daughter. She meets Kingone Wan's character, Xin Yu and through a series of bickering moments, fall in love. Xin Yu's mother was a joy to watch. She's the first mother-in-law in any drama that takes the side of the lead girl whole heartedly. She fought circumstances and situations that threatened Miu Miu, Xin Yu's mother stood up and fought for her right to the very end of the drama, just like a real mom. There was very little misunderstanding in this drama because the leads here had trust and truth in each other at all times.
So the annoying parts and characters - Xin Yu's sister was entitled and spoiled and looked too young. She was too immature for my taste. She also had the idea that if she liked a guy then that guy should like her back, no matter his choices. She also betrayed her family (nothing big) on numerous occasions for a guy who was someone else's boyfriend and who didn't want her. I wished someone would give her a slap down or quarrel with her and make her understand how selfish she was. Alas, no character growth for her.
Wu Tong, Miu Miu's best friend, I got annoyed with her too. I kept talking to her through the screen and telling her to dump her bf because the guy is spineless and can't tell another girl no when she chases him. You can do better Wu Tong.
There were other stuff, but those are what I remember. The story dragged a little. Actually, the secondary characters got a little too much screen time. Yes, it was interesting, but sometimes it was boring. The scenes between the leads were never boring though. Kingone Wang and Ying Er have a really good relationship that shows in their acting.
The acting was good, nothing to complain about. The sister though, was a bad, annoying, overacting - innocent, weirdo. That's all.
I liked the theme songs too.
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It did have a happy ending if anyone wants to know.
For Chinese drama, I go for the romance and not the plot so please take this review with a grain of salt. This drama was about a damsel in distress (spunky though) with a protective lover. The script made her seem incompetent to give him the chance to be the hero and to be more manly in front of her. But he was devoted from beginning to end so I enjoyed all the examples of that. Honestly, this was one of the best romance I've seen in a while (until Ep 30 and beyond ep 37), but the plot was horrible. Lucky thing I wasn't in it for the plot. Warning: Possessive male lead who's so obsessive, he's only good in a fiction and never in real life. Which I love.
Acting: Wonderful acting by all. All, I tell you. The supporting cast gave you feels - whether you hated them or loved them, they made you feel something.
Music - Didn't really notice... except for a few 1930s music performed in the show. Those were good.
Rewatch: Yes, I will rewatch the meeting scene, and various romance scenes.
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This review may contain spoilers
This show hit all the spots. It was an extremely good and unusual story with relatable characters and situations. It felt like the characters were real life people experiencing these things that do happen in real life. The acting was excellent as well, but our leads and every body else. There was common sense in this show displayed by the writers, the characters, the actors, the production team - everyone associated with the show. That is rare in kdrama world, which makes this extra special. There's also an overload of cuteness which I adored. 10 for everything. Would give it 100 if I could.First, the romance may sound typical between a Special Forces Army guy and a Doctor (every other romance novel, right?) but in the framework of an Asian drama, it's not. Military heroes are not a thing in Korea that's why Yoo Shi Jin was a ground breaking hero. The romance as well wasn't one where the couple spent time longing for each other and doing nothing about it. They were both always straightforward about their feelings, talked to each other about it, and acted on their feelings like two mature people who knew what they wanted. That's rare in a kdrama. When you get shows like that, it's golden. They spent time with each other, thought of each other, behaved like real people starting a real relationship in the real world. 10 stars.
===SPOILER PARAGRAPH===
Some people didn't like Dr. Kang Mo Yeon's character because she was a little hesitant. At first I thought she was brash and rude, but I warmed up to her the first time she smiled at our military man. I loved her for taking the time to think the repercussions of the relationship through and not let her feelings lead her blindly. That's what a normal woman in real life would do and that makes her relate-able. She had to decide absolutely if she's strong enough to deal with a military man and his secretes and tragedies if it ever happens. She had to make sure she would't end up resenting him and his job. No one can fault her for taking the time to figure it out, no matter how handsome and sweet he is or that the audience wanted him to have everything he wanted. 2 people make a relationship and both have to want to make it work.
===SPOILER PARAGRAPH===
The villain... omg, he was hot. But I hated him. He represented a real, present evil in our world. He's not just makjang or there for the story to have a story. He exists in reality and it's so much worse than this drama could portray. I liked that they got rid of him fast and the rest of the drama was fan service. He was a heavy villain... like looking into the mirror of the world.
To fans who complained about fan-service.... there are millions of people who loved the fan service. We watch dramas for fan service. If they didn't cater to what their fans wanted, why watch dramas? Dramas do excellently money-wise when there's plenty of fan service. The last 4 episodes was so much fan service that I squealed every few minutes lol. Plus I watched the reruns on KBSWorld. Couldn't resist. It was so sweet. Didn't mind the product placement in the show either because it's a show I'm getting to watch free of charge, but somebody had to pay for it. It had great cinematic quality and production, don't be cheap and complain when investors are advertising their products. They paid for you to see this show, you didn't. Stop complaining.
The secondary couple was extra sweet as well. I adored them. I loved the bromance, and the girl-bonding. Loved everything about the whole show. I even loved the mean old apa. This was wonderful, wonderful, wonderful to watch.
Now... the show is full of English, more than in any Korean drama ever. But the English was very good. I had no problems understanding anything and it was music to my ears lol. If you want to complain... remember... they probably speak English better than you speak Korean.
And this show was cheesy. I love cheese. The action was cool and excellently executed, so it was nice to see our badass hero turn into a complete sweet pincushion with the cheesy lines. Some of it was too much cheese, and some had me going... "Ew, did you really need to say that? And in that manner?" ... because sometimes the cheese was delivered with an over dramatic atmosphere. Overall though, 10 for the cheese.
The medical aspect of the show was intriguing as well. Loved to watch that. It was like a mellow dash of Grey's Anatomy, watching a slice of personal and professional lived of doctors. There was just enough.
If you're not an avid romance fan, this drama may seem silly to you. It's barely got any military or war stuff. The military aspect is that the characters are in the military and work around a military aspect. There were a few 'missions' but nothing with gritty meat to catch die hard action fans. This was primarily cheesy romance with a side of military, medical, action.
Kim Eun-sook and Kim Won-seok, please, write another like Descendants of the Sun.
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You know those dramas you anticipate but are afraid to watch because you're not sure it would live up to it's hype? KMHM lives up to the hype and surpasses it.
The story was phenomenal. Ji Sung is a very versatile actor and deserves all the awards he got for his work. He's excellent. Aside from him, all of the cast did excellent jobs. You forgot you were watching acting, because it didn't seem like acting. It seemed like true heartbreaking emotions. I sometimes wondered if the actors themselves haven't developed split personalities, they were that good.
Some people complained about the flashback scenes being too much, too repetitive and making parts of the drama boring. I disagree. The flashbacks were numerous, yes, but each was tastefully done and told a different story every time it was shown.
This drama was worth watching. I think I wanted it to be longer, to go into the origins etc of all the different personalities. I felt sorry in a different way for each of them, and it was hilarious how one of them was jealous of the other. Imagine being in a love triangle with you, yourself, and a woman. Seeing the story, developed by the excellent, flawless acting, makes you understand that each and everyone goes through difficult times and not to judge or treat people harshly. It really appeals to your empathy.
The music deserves Best OST. Jang Jae In is my new favourite.
Writer of the script gets 100/10. It was that good.
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However, I rated it low because it was just not my thing. I watched it, but I thought it dragged in some sections, especially after ep10. The co-orporate espionage thing was underexplained at times, and over done at others. I didn't care for it. Then the leads... all of them were pretty harsh towards each other - except our poor spineless, apologising victim of a female lead. First she was betrayed (after making a stupid decision to take the fall), then she was tormented by the lead. I understand how she developed that woe-is-me, I'm-to-blame-for-all-the-problems-in-the-world mindset, but it became annoying. It still wasn't brain friendly to watch. I wanted her to bitchslap and/or publicly shame some of the people who wronged her at least.
The torture and the stalking... no words. I was looking for a possessive male lead to watch though, and this fit the bill in an unfortunate fashion. I didn't like MH's decisions, especially regarding the 2nd female lead. The four leads behaved bizarrely towards each other. I found myself thinking over and over "So you all hate each other? Why the hell are you trying to hold on to each other." I'm not even going to get into character analysis. When I reached ep 13 or 14, I found myself thinking... "Why am I wasting my life watching this?" That's a bad thought for a drama. However, Ji Sung is a draw so I completed it. Upon review of the show however, I found I didn't like the story or characters at all.
The poor rating is personal preference. I like romantic romantic dramas with leads who show they care and who can't be torn apart by any 2nd leads. Secret was a bit too dark for me. Ji Sung was wonderful to watch though. His possessive, protective, chaebol character was just right... if it was toned down and in another setting lol. I want to see MH's character totally devote himself to another lead in another show (without the torture). But the story is what it is so I must say objectively that Secret was well executed, excellently acted by all the actors, and the story was a genius of a thing for people who like that kind of story. Objectively, I'd give it a 10. Personally, I'd not rate it so high. Confusing.
Music: On spot. One of the best OSTs and the music fit the scenes they were played in.
Rewatch: No, because it's not my kind of story.
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