nostalgic summer

If you're into slow-paced, healing dramas, this series will be the perfect fit for you. The character development/relationship development is fairly slow-paced but it's a good pace especially because they have interesting flashback scenes as well as shifts between the characters. I really appreciated getting to know the stories of the side characters as well as the main characters, the directing and cinematography is definitely top tier as well...

The peaceful and calmness of this dramas as a whole was incredibly healing,, I think the last time I watched something that gave me such vibes was When the Weather Is Fine. The acting, as expected, was so realistic and the feelings were portrayed so well. Kim Dami and Choi Wooshik definitely did the original characters & the webtoon justice. Unlike most rom-coms, the second leads (Jiwoong and NJ) gave such great vibes/characteristics, it was such a breath of fresh air that they were so easy to understand and empathize with.

The OST was also wonderful, everything fit so well with this nostalgic-summer esq vibe that I long to revisit, it's like experiencing sweet first love moments when things were carefree :) Big props to the whole crew and this series overall. <3

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beautifully tragic

The drama is heartbreaking and that's not a spoiler... it's pretty obvious even from the beginning. The ost is so beautiful and goes so well with the series, it's such great cinematography. Bailu once again proving that she's the best actress..there's not much to say;; Bailu's character doesn't have a lot of lines but her emotions and body language convey everything that needs to be conveyed. Surprisingly this was the first drama I watched that starred Allen Ren and his acting is quite spot on as well. The drama as a whole was kind of a slow burn but there were also lots of uplifting parts that lowkey distract you from the painful ending.

Aside from the plot and the series of unfortunate events, the characters were all so well written. I absolutely loved the side plots and chemistry with the other characters such as the advisor monk, Shijies, and Shiges. I wish we were able to get more of that, but all in all, it was a sentimental and lovely series.

Now I'm pretty excited for the epilogue though...knowing that these two characters deserve a happy ending and a satisfying romance that we never was able to get from this drama.

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finding happiness

The chemistry between park hyungsik and han hyojoo was unbelievable and something I didn't know we needed :') The thriller with slight romance has a parallel to Sweet Home, the genres are pretty similar: neighbors in an apartment complex transitioning into the infected. I was really impressed with the chemistry and duality of the power couple though-- the plot didn't have a lot of romantic scenes, but their compatibility was insane and there was definitely chemistry w/o even portraying skinship. This power couple was probably one of the best I've seen;; she's hot headed and aggressive but smart, while he's calm, rational, and logical. They balance eachother out perfectly :))

Superb acting from ALL casts; the variety and diversity of characters was really a breath of fresh air that I needed; there weren't many cliches and each episode was pretty unpredictable. The cinematography and OST was done extremely well; the soundtrack fit perfectly with the overall vibe.

I'm slightly salty that the residents who were incredibly twisted and made selfish choices weren't ever properly punished/got what they deserved but the ending makes up for everything :') iykyk

One of the best dramas I've binged in a while; I guarantee it's worth the watch (unless you're not into horror/thrillers)

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so sweet and wholesome~~

This drama was overall so lovely and wholesome. I enjoyed it a lot; a binged it within a week and all the characters are so lovable it's hard to dislike any characters. The main leads and seconds leads as well had such natural acting and the chemistry between all the couples were no doubt present. It was a really well filmed coming of age series; I'm glad that it was a really open-minded plot. The character profiles weren't cliche; they are actually very realistic profiles; where they pursue their interests along with their relationship with eachother.

I also enjoyed seeing the family dynamic, a lot of comments mentioned that the mother was too harsh on the FL but I think that it was a really accurate portrayal of mothers in Chinese households. Similar with the highschool homeroom teacher; I thought that it was incredibly impressive acting.

The OST was so beautiful; both opening and ending :3

The only issue I had with this production was that I wish we got to see more character development between the other two couples Shadi&Song Ziqi and Keke&JiangCheng,.. otherwise, I really enjoyed this coming of age/rom com drama and I can't wait to see what the future holds for both actors. <3

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w o w

Such a captivating film, the music, the cinematography, the acting...everything just came together so well and told a story unlike any other. The unique tone of voice Wong Kar-wai embodies never fails to surprise me. I came from watching Fallen Angels and I think that Happy Together has exceeded Fallen Angels.
We witness the relationship of the couple and we see how one of them becomes so dependent on the other, all while doing nothing in return. The relationship takes a toxic turn from the beginning and we see how the characters cope with their feelings.
The introduction of a third character into the film was such a brilliant idea and honestly such a breath of fresh air. I really saw no hope and no future for the two mc if they continued staying together, they clearly needed eachother and emotionally relied on the other, but they also clearly clashed and couldn't find happiness in the long term.
The cast was so amazing. Love love love the acting of Tony Leung and Leslie Cheung. I felt empathetic for Tony's character since he was such a great person and easy to soften inside. However, I loved Chang Chen's character the most. He was such a simple guy with a simple mind and good heart. :') the ending was bittersweet but I can't imagine a better one.

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grungy but strangely comforting

I'm a big fan of not only Wong Kar-Wai but contemporary HongKong. This movie was both amusing/comical and heartfelt. The noncholant-ness of the main characters made it felt so cold but at the same time really relatable. The cinematography per usual is pure art. Lots of relations to Chungking Express; the setting, the characters, job occupations, references, etc. The music and soundtracks that are paired with the scenes make it 10x more mesmerizing. Acting hands down 10/10, nothing new. I personally loved Fallen Angels and would highly recommend it to those who want to experience a solid cinematic film in 1 hr 30.

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great cast, eerie story

As someone who's a big fan of Alice in Borderland, this genre suite my taste perfectly. It's so eerie in a nonchalant way, how each individual factor of the cinematography contributes to the unsettling mood. The music fit in so perfectly, I'm honestly such a big fan.
As mentioned in some other reviews, it started off strong and caught my attention however the ending and last few games felt too fast. The ending becomes more and more expected after the halfway mark--which makes it less climatic as it could be. (which doesn't really do some of the characters justice)
On the bright side, the casting is absolutely amazing; I was highkey cringing at the VIPs' acting,,,that english and the things they said were so cringey I would rather have them be Asian people or just Korean. The main casting was really great, I'm glad they didn't decide to cast anyone who was super well known or the go-to norm popular actors/actresses. Seeing new faces (some of them were, at least) was really refreshing :) Also i love how we're seeing more of Wi Hajun these days;; he's very eye candy and gives such manly vibes; i support LOL
This series really makes you question your morals and how you would react if you placed yourself in their shoes... the human instinct and selfishness is very complicated; so I couldn't exactly say I hated any of the characters for acting the way they did (ahem sangwoo smh).
All in all, Squid Game was incredibly good, I'd certainly like to see more of it. The cinematography is beautiful (they understood the assignment alright), the music was such a great contribution, and the casting was the icing on the cake. Great film overall, I highly recommend watching!

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breathtaking and emotional

I think it's pretty clear from the start how there's going to be a tragic ending...Nevertheless the entire series was a piece of art. The shooting style as well as the overall tone the drama gave was so on point. I regret not educating myself more about the Gwangju Uprising and its history before watching this because then things would have made a lot more sense.

The cast was impeccable...expected nothing less from the main leads Dohyun and Minsi (came from Sweet Home aha) as well as the second female lead (she did so well in Class of Lies). This drama felt similar to "When the Weather is Fine" where it was so relaxing and satisfying--until chaos strikes and nothing goes right. This melodrama was great depiction of reality merged with fiction. The harsh reality of what was politically going on especially amongst those who were hierarchically involved.

The joy and sorrow were expressed so well from the characters. I shed a few tears especially towards the ending episodes because the storyline was so moving. The OST played a big part in the success of the film. If you are someone who likes a nice drama with a peaceful and realistic vibe, definitely watch Youth of May.

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your typical coming of age melodrama

I mainly watched this movie because Hsu Kuang-han and he did so wonderfully in "Someday or One Day" which has kind of the same vibes. Both actors did extremely well, there weren't any parts that felt off or cringey at all, and the way they expressed their emotions fit their characters 10/10. However, in terms of this moving being particularly memorable or moving,...it's hard to say that it was. This is certainly worth watching however I've watched way too many coming of age and youth content, and judging from the ones I've watched(ranging from unmemorable to really good), this is definitely mediocre.

This movie leans more towards the realistic side, so it's surprising yet predictable. Surprising that they don't follow the cliche route where the main leads have the easy way out and solve all their relationship issues.

I appreciate the ost and the cinematography during those parts. I'd give it a 10/10. So happy they included 童话and the main ost sung by Eric Chou :) I think my favorite part is when ML sets off fireworks at the campus residential building and then everyone crowds around to see and they're all singing and waving their phone lights (super aesthetic)

Overall, this movie was pretty lighthearted and it was a good watch. Not super emotional or moving (until near the end when both characters, esp the ML, matures), but I'd say give it a shot :)

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a little nostalgic

I have a habit of watching coming of age/nostalgic youth films before going to bed and this was recommended to me since I've watched many other similar films. First off, the plotline is pretty typical, the main girl is uptight and studious while the main guy is rebellious and carefree. The chemistry between the two characters is like innocent, wholesome first love/friendship. It's not really pure romance, but it's definitely more than just friends. Their relationship is pretty subtle and this concept continues all the way even until the very end of the film. The acting was pretty good, it's not super memorable just because the storyline isn't super emotional or deep. The storyline is also your classic, FL and ML turn from frenemies to people who realize last minute how much they've impacted eachothers' lives, only to realize it's too late. The open-endedness of the relationship between the two in the ending is kinda unfulfilling because everyone else got a very clear and straight forward ending while the two aren't seen together at all. Because of the lowkey cliche plotline that was easy to predict and the unsatisfying ending, I'll give this drama a 7.5/10 stars. However, I encourage those who are considering watching this film to give it a try :)

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a light youth drama

Decided to watch this movie because G.E.M. sang the OST and it's honestly one of the most fitting songs. Honestly, this movie was alright, it's definitely kind of predictable but not too cliche. If you're looking for a light romance/youth movie to watch, this is the one. It's not too emotion-heavy or deep, and pretty comedic in some scenes, so it's on the more playful side.

First time seeing the actors/actresses but I enjoyed their acting, it definitely wasn't a let-down, their depictions of their emotion was really convincing, so props :)

If i had to critique it: It's kind of frustrating in some places because misunderstandings between the male and female lead, also it doesn't help that the second lead is the obstacle 99% of the time. (I know this is part of the plot to build up the finale and make the ending climatic)

Overall, though, Do You Love Me as I Love You is a pretty decent movie to watch and definitely enjoyable.

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Powerful Cast Duality

Came from Arsenal Military Academy because both leads have such great duality and chemistry. Surprisingly, it was a lot less cringy than I had imagined, editing isn't as horrid as some of the reviews state. There could be improvements and a lot more focus on the couple's development, but overall, this is a pretty great drama to watch if you love Bai Lu and Xu Kai and enjoy action/romance.

Bai Lu's acting is 10/10 no matter what genre she's acting in (same with Xu Kai) so there's not much to say about the characters. The supporting characters are equally interesting and I'm glad they included side-stories and back stories that involve the relationships of the other characters. Not really a huge complaint but I wish there were more scenes with Qin Qian Xuan and Si Qi (they did not have to do them dirty like that;; literally the most wholesome characters).
This was a good mix of romance, action, and comedy, and lots of angst o.o the female lead literally hates him to death for the first 20 some episodes so be patient :')

overall, pretty top notch acting and even though the plot has some holes, it's worth the watch ^~^

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Must Watch

Not sure where to start since there are so many impressive elements to address for this drama series. Having known Bai Lu was an extremely talented actress already, I came in with high expectations. I wasn't prepared for the amazing cinematography, acting, and storyline the series had to offer. The characters were portrayed so well by the actors, so big big big props to them. I haven't seen a drama that enticed me as much in a while so Arsenal Military Academy really was a breath of fresh air. The set depicted China in the early 1900s extremely well I was pleasantly surprised by the architecture and fashion style. Ngl, I shed a few tears in some scenes but honestly, the audience had it coming...In conclusion, super great and one of a kind film. I've fallen for all of the cast especially Xu Kai and Bai Lu <3

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interesting...

started watching this lightheartedly since I didn't think the storyline would be so interesting. However,
strange enough I actually started enjoying the acting and characters. Not quite sure about some scenes and the super dominant and aggressive actions...not a big fan of that. Male lead tends to force female lead to do things like overpowering her with his physical strength and dragging her into situations she doesn't want to be in. SO basically he doesn't really care about her consent and I found it strange how he didn't care that she was literally almost engaged and still tried to appeal to her (which worked smh). Other than that, the female lead isn't in the right either...she basically cheated on her fiance/bf for a whole 13 episodes ??? so the two characters really confused me and some instances with the second lead and exes really made me cringe. Other than that, the funny and wholesome moments really saved the show. The humor is definitely spot on and that relationship between characters do work. However, I don't quite agree with some actions just because I feel like the male lead just does whatever he wants and the female lead gives in eventually. however, the acting was done pretty well and i do think this is a decent drama for people who like romance and dramatic plot.

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shits wild

well now i NEED to read the manga. came from watching Sweet Home cuz i heard they were suited for similar audience. exceeded my expectations 100%. when did japan live action get this good?? visual effects and cinematography were astounding. seen a handful of the cast before but they did such a great job recruiting the actors. for me tbh it reminded me of mirai nikki and a more messed up and upgraded version of battle royale. suspense was there for sure and looking forward to season 2.
(also noticed that they filmed in pretty iconic parts of Japan. dope edition to the cinematography)

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