This was a good drama with some very emotional, but also heartwarming moments. It also got a serious message across about the problems of growing up part of a gay minority - prejudice, bullying, alienation, just making connections so you can live your life. Pity it was spoilt for me by the tacky ending. I mean, come on, there's a limit to how far you can make up with a guy and his girlfriend/wife who trampled all over your deepest feelings. You can only move on by leaving the unrequited love interest behind! Zhengxi acted the part well, he also has a very sweet expression! I also liked his childhood girlfriend and the guy he finally hooked up with (much better looks than Tao Ye). The Tao Ye character I didn't like at all in the latter part. A true friend would have left Zhengxi alone to get on with his life.

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Really great feel-good movie, just what you need to raise your spirits on a gloomy winter day. For me this movie was made by the gorgeous, sultry Tokuyama Hidenori (Ootani) playing the moody, jealous partner of flighty, upbeat, "everybody's favourite friend", Tachibana (Saito Yasuka). Tokuyama's spoilt brat reactions when MIsuzawa (Matsuoka Rinako) puts in an appearance are priceless. The more serious turn into which this leads the relationship and the way the sensitivities of all three protagonists are resolved is nicely done and gives a bit more depth to the movie without detracting from the happy feel of the movie. For me, almost a perfect score for a movie of its type.

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Quirky romantic comedy

I love the fashion values - and he has two Maseratis in different colors. As at ep. 2 more like "What's becoming of Mr Lee" ? As it develops, the reason the leads come together is highly far-fetched . Apart from that, which is contradictory to the light tone of the drama, this is a good mix of romance, comedy and mystery. It is not just the leads but all the characters in this show contribute to a great mix, really cheers me up. The romance towards the end still has original moments but for me gets boring. Could have been 2 or 3 episodes less imo, but the final episode was beautiful. Music very good. I could re-watch this in future, at least the first half.

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bad Guys＝good guys

This drama I like because it is a real action drama but with interesting idea and characters you want to see how they develop and also there is no romance diverting from the story・ the woman detective is treated equally and she plays an interesting contribution to the story〜I was puzzled by Jun Moon [Park Haee Jin] role in this drama as he is supposed to be this great genius but what was he contributing？ but suddenly I see in episode 8 what his role is in this drama〜still I am disappointed he did not contribute more to this drama but I definitely felt the most for him〜still it is a great Korean drama of this type and the plot of the story is so well put together ・ the fights were in the great tradition of totally unreal odds with the heroes winning・ the trust in each other came out in episode 10 and 11 in a very dramatic turn of the story〜I was never bored during this drama and finished it very quickly〜 what a great action drama！and would join one of few I could watch again in future

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So is that it？ unfortunately another drama promising more than it delivers、the subversion of school rules is really very mild、at times I think the drama tries to be all serious and show how the school can be seen as a small version of the world outside and how rules can be broken there also as a protest against authority to help people keep sanity and self respect〜　well this is my interpretation〜otherwise I can not see how some parts fit in： see for exameple episode 5、 but the rap and the singing work men in that episode really I found just boring〜 seems this drama can not decide if this is school drama or about wider world so ends up neither。 For me other devices in the drama like the discussions between the lead characaters that comment at start of and during the episodes also become rather boring as too the computer games. sorry this is downbeat review but the whole drama I feel is average。

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This started out as a very good movie with a very interesting premiss. Although everything was neatly rounded off at the end, I thought it lost its way and the development of the story became increasingly unconvincing, unrealistic and "off the wall". It also had a big "moral" lesson about the dangers of the ruthless pursuit of excellence, in this case the battle to get into Toudai University and how the system advantages the already privileged. No doubt true, but it's a bit too obvious. So mostly enjoyable, especially due to the attraction of Miura Haruma. Very different story pairing him with Shirota Yu than Samurai High School, though.
P.S. The "hugging" cover photo is very misleading!

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No courage

this began quite well and promised positive development then after half way and the focus on the divorce settlement went completely down hill ruined by Nagisa's character： maybe the intention was to show his magnanimous character so everyone would live happily ever after、 actually for me it showed his real character as completely selfish and self indulgent not to say narcissistic、 that is if we look at the history of the story： first he abandons Shun then appears from the blue and with the child of his marriage ! expecting to be taken back years later〜this may just be credible if we assume Shun could not surrender his love but it says nothing good about Nagisa's character but、 then having settled Sora in a happy household we have the unbelievable denouement in the divorce court： the mother cannot give up her career gets drunk and Sora is picked up on a busy road maybe just avoiding accident it is exposed in the court but then Nagisa who all the first part of the movie shows as a deeply caring father apparently has a dramatic attack of remorse towards his wife based on having taken care of Sora without giving her a fair share in Sora's upbringing！ this is literally incredible nonsense of a story 、of course the reason for that situation was not his selfishness but hers wanting to pursue a career、 so his ：magnanimous： gesture giving up Sora is both stupid and selfish because he is not thinking of the vulnerable child but the ineffectual wife and maybe it's also self-hating if ーwhich the arguments in the court case heavily portrayed ーhe accepts the homophobic premise that a gay family is weird unconventional and will make it difficult for Sora to grow up。 sorry but if this was part of his motivation ー which I think if we think deeply about it the denouement　implies ーit is just an exercise in reinforcing discrimination when the movie could have shown a positive outcome of a happy family based on a gay relationship。 I cannot avoid the suspicion also that it suits Nagisa's selfish character very well to be relieved of the burden of looking after his child to indulge in a "straight gay" relationship [if I may underline with oxymoron]。as noted above the denouement is also based on the completely ridiculous idea his wife would undergo a transformation into a loving and caring mother when she realises Sora is doing badly in her first weeks back with her： completely unrealistic we are not told what happened about the career demands they have magically disappeared it seems with no idea how she will now support herself and her child、 this just does not happen in real life only saints undergo overnight character and personality changes。 in short the whole movie falls apart in a confusion of contradictions and unrealistic impossibilities when it had the chance to make a real contribution to showing a positive picture of a gay family overcoming social discrimination〜 why show acceptance of the relationship by the very conservative village people and then having their support break up the family?? it does not make sense unless lacking the courage to live and work out a happy life as a gay family as part of the society ー courage lacked by Nagisa because I note it was Shun having the courage to declare his love before the villagers but Nagisa who ultimately broke up their family。of course a more positive outcome does not mean taking Sora completely away from her mother but giving her the happiest safest background to grow up in、 but then given the selfish character of Nagisa as ultimately confirmed by the outcome perhaps he could not after all have done that、 but the turnaround completely contradicted the more positive first two thirds of the movie。 I do not know if the writer thought this was some clever artistic twist in the story but it was a complete failure of artistic touch as well as a sell-out reinforcing the homophobia LGBTQ people must still continue to fight against even in western society and still more in Japanese。

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fate and friendship

this is very good drama though it is sad to see from flashbacks and forwards the fate of these friends； some criticise this but for me it deepens the tragedy as most tragedies like Greek tragedy you know the characters are tied to an inescapable destiny〜this drama is dark from the start with violence in korean schools and descends into predictable gangster violence and fight for survival of poor people with only small episodes of relief and hope in romance and loyalty to lighten the story。 I was interested in the school episodes and transition from this to the gangsterism though less in the formulaic gangster drama itself・ taking account of development of many episodes there is a certain sympathy for one of the friends but this evaporates from episode 16 as we see them equally caught in the net [there is a sea/fishing motif appearing at the start and at points throughout the drama] of evil。 part of sang taek coming in later is used to work out broader plot of organised crime and corruption though his move from diligent student aiming at law career to going into the army and journalism for me lacks credibility as with how he is brought back into relation with the other school friends as part of the plot。 the element of romance is rather straining for effect and real purpose in this drama and also seems formulaic〜still a very involving and good drama of its type though I do not think this is one for re-watch

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