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xXabsintheXx
독일 ~ Where the waves gush against your windows
Picturesque, Breathtaking, Devilishly Good~
So, here I am, after finishing Till The End of The Moon, flabbergasted by that abrupt ending. I'm not saying that it was rushed. The finale was indeed well paced and worth being called "finale". I was just so into the story, that I actually expected some more "after effects" after the finale. But it suddenly ended and left me with some unfinished emotions as well as some unanswered questions, i.e. was the last big misunderstanding clarified to the world? That will probably be my only drop of bitterness when I reminisce about this drama.The story itself was a great journey, full of sadness, hatred, jealousy, bitterness but also love (but I guess you can apply that to every Xianxia). It feels like ages since I watched the first episodes (even though it has only been 2 weeks), so it's kinda hard to recollect every moment (guess I have to watch again, lol).
I was able to connect quite well with the characters very early on, even though Luo Yun Xi's character Tantei Jin was hard to grasp at the beginning because his image from Ashes of Love was still dominant in my mind. But he convinced me in no time and before I could even think about it, I was already convinced by his new character. And now, remembering the very first episode with him, I have to say that he introduced a phenomenal, cruel Devil God to the world.
I was always worried that the slow changes in his attitude and mindset caused by Ye Xiwu (FL) would be destroyed again, everytime someone betrayed him. It was completely understandable that he remained so insecure for 2/3 of the story when you think about the way he grew up, although I'm a bit sad that he didn't investigate enough and didn't give the benefit of the doubt at the end of the human realm arc. Same goes for Ye Xiwu. It took her a very long time to actually believe in him. Even the slightest "seemingly" evil deed done by Tantei Jin would throw her back into believing he would never change and always be the Devil God she feared so much.
What the story was also good at was showing how fast people and immortals were to prejudge and find a first obvious culprit without much investigation, instead of believing the truth they should know deep down. At least the immortals should have been a better judge of character. I was also most frustrated with the accused ones to never explain the whole thing or at least enough, always pausing in their sentences, and the accusers to just assume their own truth with only fractions of the circumstantials. So many things could have been prevented.
Regarding the love triangles, I'm glad they didn't give much weight to that part. They were there, yes. They caused some trouble, yes. But they vanished quite fast, too. Much to my liking, since I hate that trope the most.
It's been a day after finishing the drama and the music is still lingering in my head as well as those stunning costumes and breathtaking scenes. You just never want to look away but absorb every single image. Don't know how to get it out, don't want to either. I want to restart it, yet I don't want to. Xianxia always leave me with a weird feeling.
If you look for something similar to Ashes of Love or Love Between Fairy and Devil, then feel free to watch this as well. It won't disappoint, I promise.
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And in that way the drama tells a phenomenal story. Although I wasn't hooked by its first episodes right away, I grew to love it to bits even though the basic summary doesn't differ much from other revenge dramas.
What makes this so special are its characters and the construction of their stories - and the bond between them. Like the plot is built up in layers, so are its partakers. Every detail is played out so well that you're stunned when you reminisce about it. It makes you excited to watch each twist unfold, to guess and to see whether your predictions come true or not. And it never lets you rest. Each turn of events is shocking, moves you to tears or riles up your emotions to an unknown degree.
What I loved so much in the acting of the characters were those subtle, tiny expressions, almost too small to notice but you DO notice them. There is no one who is truly good or bad. Everyone has their flaws and inner fights and struggles, and sometimes the selfish desire wins over. It shows how good this drama is, that it makes you focus automatically, so you won't miss anything. One big strength of this drama is that it makes you try to imagine to be in their shoes. You might think that you will never extort to their lengths and methods but deep down you have to admit that you can't be hundred percent clear about that either. Human instincts are one big mystery and only if you face such situations yourself, you'll learn some new truths about yourself.
Thinking of the cast makes me seriously happy because everyone, and I mean everyone, did such a good job with each and every role they were given. It made you enjoy all their interactions, either good or bad. A big shout-out at the young teenage actors, too, because they were utterly amazing! Also one of the best villains I've seen in a drama. I always prefer the calm, smart ones over the impulsive stereotypes they use so often. And Lookout has one intriguing badass whose gaze gives you the chills because he's just so incalculable. He's like fog where you can't see far enough.
Though all of them were amazing, the one who gets the biggest bouquet of flowers is Kim Young Kwang. He is simply surpassing every role he's done so far. His character was so well written and his performance was mind-blowing. And I'm not even exaggerating. He played Jang Do Han with such perfection and perception that I can't wait to see more of his acting in future roles with likewise impressive characters. I don't even want to talk about this too much, just watch it yourself and let yourself be mesmerized.
Also, Lee Shi Young. I was five minutes into the drama, and she already knocked me off my socks. She's such a badass female lead who makes you root for her almost all the way through. She is strong and no matter what happens stays to her beliefs. And although it might become a lonely fight, she never willingly depends on others but takes matters in her own hand.
I did have some issues with the last episodes which is why I can't give this drama a full 10. But I was still very satisfied with its wrap up, and to know that it's over now, makes me shed a tear or two.
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In the beginning I wasn't really interested in this and then people started to compare it to Signal, calling it a cheap copy of it. That made me curious though and I wanted to see it for myself. Now I thank everyone for indirectly making me watch it - because it's nothing like Signal except the time slip theme.
At first glance the synopsis doesn't appeal very interesting, especially since there are so many time traveling dramas out there recently. But once you give it some time and don't reject it right away, the story will definitely trigger something inside you. That's at least how I felt about this. I started with low to average expectations and ended up with fulfilling satisfaction.
The acting in this started really ordinary. It wasn't bad, but it didn't make me drop my jaw either. It solidly carried the story, as you might say. Choi Jin Hyuk started off quite indifferent, for example. But as episodes went by, he slowly managed to grow on me and make me sympathize with his character alot, especially in the second half. The same goes for Yoon Hyun Min and Lee Yoo Young. Both of them are actors I haven't seen before. I think it's alot more difficult to convince viewers who don't know about a respective cast of a drama and therefore don't crazily fangirl over them. In this case I didn't know about the leads and they were still able to convince me and make me enjoy this drama more than I had hoped for. The more I went into the story, the more I got entangled with its figures - in a good way.
Without telling too much, this drama also has an interesting villain who might not be someone new, but surely piques your interest and makes you excited about his character.
Objectively speaking, I would actually give Tunnel a rating of 8.5. But due to my surprise and personal entertainment I added 0.5 points to it. Hell, this drama is not free from flaws, I admit that. There were some things in the script and about some behaviors, I got angry about because it was flat-out unrealistic or stupid (excluding the time traveling thing, of course :P).
Then again, despite those minor matters, there were other things I happily accepted and which made me overlook the deficits. For example satisfying police work. Hard working officers, most times logical procedures and well done investigations. And the most important thing: No corruption! (a trope I got so tired of). It was also great at connecting and balancing crime and drama, the reason why I got so emotional many, many times while watching.
Other things I really loved were the side love stories that captured my emotions and the background music which was used so well and adjusted so perfectly that you even notice the improvement of the scenes through music while watching and listening.
There are of course also surprises up its sleeves. Some people might be able to foresee them but I also think that the drama did a good job at revealing certain already known or predicted things to its characters. And it did a good job at confusing (at least) me quite well, too. Or let's say it managed to make me think too much about possible turn of events. And no matter the outcome, that feature added completely to my enjoyment.
Cinematography did a really good job many times as well as scene flow and editing/cut. There were moments where I thought "Oh, nice! Well done!".
Conclusion of this one: Tunnel is definitely worth the watch if you are able to overlook some minor flaws. There are still many things to enjoy and be excited about. And one thing: This has one of the best final episodes I've seen so far.
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The story is a common plot among all those revenge dramas out there. Han Yi Soo takes on a new identity after his father was murdered. After years he comes back to Korea with a fully prepared plan in his mind. In order to get the one responsible for his past misery he is determined to use that one's granddaughter Jo Hae Woo, his past first love from his teenage days.
What makes this drama so perfect in my eyes is that every detail harmonizes with the other entirely. The story, the twists, the actors, the music, the cinematography.
Although the basic plot is not an unusual one, it still keeps you chained to your seat. The way the scenes are merging and continuing so smoothly makes you more curious with each passing minute.
But the story itself wouldn't work without those remarkable actors who put so much life in their characters. At this point the first ones who are to be mentioned are Yun Joon Suk and Kyung Soo Jin who portrayed the young versions of both leads. Without them it would have only been half a joy watching this drama. Their chemistry was overwhelming and laid a great foundation for their adult co-actors (Kim Nam Gil & Son Ye Jin) who did an equally amazing job in showing that deep special bond their characters shared from the first minute they'd met. All those moments/scenes where they were together was in a striking contrast to the rest of the story and kinda felt like floating in the air. Their encounters always left a deep impression on me.
What strikes me most is Kim Nam Gil. I've never seen anything with him before, therefore I had no idea what I was getting myself into. But after watching this drama I'm completely convinced by his talent. Not many actors are capable of showing sparse facial expressions and still manage to deliver everything the viewer needs to feel the character's pain, suffering, inner turmoil and determination, or whatever he's feeling.
The most beautiful part of Shark (next to those wonderful tragically romantic moments of the leads) is its unique, outstanding OST. All those well placed songs just complemented this already brilliant drama.
Believe me if you've ever contemplated to watch this, don't hesitate any longer. Just start it.
Like I mentioned at the beginning many people were not satisfied or disappointed with the end. In my opinion it was the most fitting finish I've ever seen in a k-drama. If you pay enough attention right from the first moment, you would see it coming. Throughout the whole story are so many small details that point towards it - like a red thread. You'll see that any other ending wouldn't cope with the rest of the story as well as the actual one did. Not at all.
I for one have fallen in love with this gem. I hope you guys will enjoy this ride as well.
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A weird first episode, a great middle-part and a totally rushed finale
I've only recently entered the Xianxia universe, everything is still fresh and new to me, so bear with me and my totally subjective point of view and rating. My first one was Ashes of Love which I binged within one week (and only two weeks ago at that, hence still present when I started this one), so the bar was set quite high from the very first minute.The story is intriguing and the title itself already hints to what you can expect (even though it sounds a bit cheesy). Two completely different beings fall in love with each other. You can already smell the scandal, the passion and the tragedy. Everyone who's a sucker for starcrossed lovers would take the bait. Me included, even though I didn't want to give in to the hype during its airing time. But the temptation was too big and I didn't regret it afterall. I'm actually glad because I can't be spoilered anymore (the risk was high, believe me).
The first episodes didn't pick me up right away. It was quite slow-paced and the female lead's voice was very high pitched. Many people complained about it. I bore with and got used to it pretty quickly though, until I didn't mind it at all anymore. At some point it started to fit her. It formed her character throughout the drama and became a special trait while she was evolving. It also helped distinguish different sides of her later on. She started off as a somewhat naive young woman who already experienced some hardships, i.e. not being accepted by others but her master, or loneliness. But she also got a sense of responsibility and took care of the destiny books in Arbiter Hall where she lived. Sometimes she behaved a bit childish but at the end she instinctively did the right thing. I wouldn't call her foolish either. She often found solutions on her own, even though those caused inconvenient consequences once in a while and were not always to my liking. But as the story went on, she grew with her tasks. I was really impressed by her resolution whenever she made a life-changing decision. Once she realized her biggest desire, she never wavered. I didn't always know what she was going to do, but I was never let down by her.
Dongfang, the male lead, had a hard time to win me over. But once the ice was broken, it was a pleasure to watch his character grow. In the earlier episodes he was moody all the time, what I could totally understand regarding the situation he was in. Sometimes though I found his expressions somewhat lacking, albeit that part was intended right from the beginning, and got explained later on. The missing emotions had positive effect though. It was quite impressive whenever his cold demeanor unexpectedly burst into fury. In the second half then, Donfang's character also gained a lot more layers and got complexier which made me happy beyond explanation. There was a point that completely changed my impression of the actor himself and allowed me then to fully enjoy his performance while finally wholeheartedly diving into the abysses of the lead.
The God of War, Changheng was never a character, I liked a lot. He was the second love interest which didn't even bother me. But he never thought twice about his implusive decisions. And when consequences hit him or bystanders hard, he rowed back. He decided on his own what was good for others. At some point though, he actually changed to the better, made me like him in some way which I didn't think was possible in the beginning.
The side cast was as intriguing as the main leads, I was invested in their stories alot, esp. Rong Hao's. Without telling too much, his tale was one of the most understandable and heartbreaking ones. On the other hand, Dongfang's brother got a reasonable history on his own. Whether intended or not, he never made me trust him completely though. There were also some loose ends of other people which I had liked to be explored some more, but I guess I can't have everything.
The acting was overall really good, however one or two people still need some fine-tuning, for example Dongfang's ~sidekick. At times he acted really well, in other situations he didn't seem confident at all.
What I really appeciated was that the love story took its time. It was slow-burning and subtle, hence it released a satisfying feeling when it finally bloomed, and got poignant at its climax. Misunderstandings get cleared pretty fast, too.
But as great as the middle-part became, the end itself was a small let-down for me. Alot of things suddenly happened in a really short amount of time. As if the writers didn't have enough time to tell everything. Fast changing scenes and small time jumps that led to a dysbalance of the overall atmosphere. Because it felt so rushed, the tension somewhat abated and didn't touch me as much as previous events in the drama. That part would have been a great finale if they had added one more episode.
As for the framing, beautiful music and CGI, and stunning costumes make this drama a feast for eyes and ears, but my absolute no. 1 highlight is Dongfang's hair. I can't even fathom what spell bewitched me here. I was always in awe whenever I saw it (which happened like... 90% of the drama, yes).
If someone is considering whether to watch this one or not, I'd say yes. It doesn't have that many episodes, the story is easy to understand and the character development is quite presentable. Also, there's a nice shifting of who the actual villain is even though it's predictable (if you include jerks, that damn almighty emperor would get first place, but who asks me).
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I love Jo Jung Suk's acting ever since King2Hearts. There's no denying that he can pull off a far fetching diversity of characters and he will always be one big reason for me to pick a drama. That's why I watched Two Cops, although opinions were definitely not in favor. But as you can see with my rating, the drama still managed to disappoint me big time.
First though, let me tell you what I liked about it (since the list won't be long):
The bromance between Soo Chang (KSH) and Dong Tak (JJS) was blooming slowly, but once they accepted each other, they had some really nice moments together. Chemistry was there and at some point I was even sad that they didn't have more scenes together. There was still a lot of possibilities that could have been used to deepen their bond more.
The criminal sidekicks who were supporting our leads. I loved their scenes and their antics, because it was funny but not exaggerating. Especially the thug leader (Lee Shi Eon) grew on me, as well as the female pickpocket. I enjoyed her story (including her love line) and her attitude towards certain police officers.
One of the bigger villains (played by Lee Jae Won) had an equally interesting part in the drama. His character and the actor's performance made me care for his story, what was all I needed. The main villains were not outstanding, they remained somewhat stereotype-y, but they were still good and their evilness was convincing.
But what I didn't like:
First of all the romance. Seriously, they could have done without it. Zero chemistry between the leads, instead their scenes took away important time that could have been used on the case. Furthermore Hyeri. I haven't seen much with her yet, but this drama definitely didn't make me want to watch something else with her either. Not only was her character annoying, but also the acting didn't reach me even once. Her kisses with the main lead were actually good, but since I didn't care for the romance at all, their "passion" was a waste of time altogether. And another point that made me wince even more was that JJS's character felt all grown up while the female lead acted like a nosy, clueless brat.
Then there was this confusing point about the Korean law here. Most of the crime dramas I watched until now, were always telling me that relatives are not allowed to investigate or prosecute family members. This drama kind of threw that rule over? It's not the only drama with that kind of law display but it made me wonder again...
I was not able to build a bond with the good guys aka the police squad the lead was part of. The characters were average at best. Nobody stood out, it was your usual bunch of lousy officers, one of them rather a model than a law enforcer who did his bit to make the team look like a joke even more. Especially regarding the main case. This one could have been solved so much faster but since the drama wanted to extent the hunt and because their way of investigation had a lot of nonsensical turns, it took them quite a while to assemble the puzzle. And only at the very end they seemed to have gotten some intelligence input, so they were able to create a plan to catch the bad buys. (I do admit that I was a bit surprised about the actual truth that was revealed at the far end)
One of the major flaws in my eyes was how they used their possibilities regarding the core point of the drama. Soo Chang was a ghost and not bound to anything. He was free to go anywhere without being held back by some kind of ghost rule. Therefore he could have listened in to so many suspicious people. He was rather clueless in the beginning (he annoyed the hell out of me) and he was more interested in chasing his useless love interest instead of finding a way to go back to his normal self. Only later on when he got closer to Dong Tak and after he had fixated his mind on catching the culprits, he became a little smarter and grew on me.
The overall construction of story telling was very slow and draggy. Even the finale didn't speed up but was acted out rather calmly. It's such a shame for the drama, it could have been so much better. Miscast, a script with lacking suspense, superficial characters and wasted opportunities put this drama in the lower ranks of crime shows.
Recommending? Well, rather not. Only if you're a hardcore Jo Jung Suk and bromance fan.
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If there's one word that describes this drama the best, it would be "family", closely followed by "bromance". Right from the beginning but even clearer the more you trail the story.
I always prefer those shows that don't seem like something special and later on start to emerge from their cocoon. Even tough I wouldn't say that Mad Dog is a stroke of genius regarding the plot, I'd still claim that the writers were genius enough to make a common plot with clichés into an enjoyable evening pastime.
The summary doesn't reveal much of the actual story and some of you might be slightly disturbed by the starting event later on because of its obviousness to a certain real-time happening some years ago - I certainly was because the drama did link with my country. And I didn't really know how to feel about it. I still don't know how to feel about it after watching the drama and the way it dealt with that issue. But I can say for sure that they handled it the Korean drama way which actually soothed my uneasiness a little, even though it was such a trope.
If I discard that one point, everything else looks like the usual crime drama - and then again it's not really an only crime show. There is more to its charm, more humor, more romance, more shrewdness than necessary. Maybe even a little too much cleverness. It's your common plot of push and pull between the good and the bad. Nothing you haven't seen before already.
But still.
What makes this drama so much fun are the actors and their characters. Conspicuous individuals who look unique (even though they are not). More closely viewed they are actually very predictable and stereotype. But I didn't really pay attention to that because I enjoyed them so much. What's so special about those guys are their team dynamics. I don't even know how to describe it best. They had great chemistry from start to end, and yes, sometimes their actions seemed a little overboard. I still couldn't care less.
If I had to tell who my favorite was out of them all, I'd say Jo Jae Yun. Seriously, that guy is a genius. He can pull so many different characters, making them his own, give them his unique touch, and bait his audience. And I'm so glad that he got the opportunity to show some rarer sides of his skills in this drama. Not always only the joking guy, but also someone who gets really serious about things and people. I want to see him in a romance drama - a serious one, not a comedy.
Of course I liked the other ones as well. Woo Do Wan is definitely next in line (not only because of his sweet attempts at talking German~). I haven't seen anything with him yet, but I'll definitely catch up on that gap. He delivered his role with impressive finesse.
Yoo Ji Tae... The only other drama I watched him in was Healer, and even though I'm not the right one to judge him yet, I think I can still say that I got what I expected of him. As one of the (younger) veterans he knows how to capture the viewers with confidence.
Same applies for the rest of the cast - though I must also say that you either love or hate certain kinds of people. I for myself was entertained quite well by the bad guys as well. It even turned out that the one I disliked the most in the beginning, became my favorite in the end. Hell yeah, he was an annoying guy and that never changed. But he also knew how to counter-attack when it was needed. There was a nice dissonance within that group of evil guys and I found it enjoyable how they always tried to turn on each other.
If I had to name a disappointment, it would be Hong Soo Hyun. I don't know why but her character stayed the same throughout the whole show. Very bland and unmoving. Always the same expression, always the same repetitive acting.
I think what surprised me the most was the romance that suddenly bloomed out of nowhere. Okay, not totally out of the blue. It appeared in small steps early on but never seemed real, so I certainly didn't expect it to become more serious. Maybe I'm the only dumb one on this though, I don't know. Even though I did notice it, I thought the writers were only teasing me. Thank god they didn't... I really liked the development in the end. It fitted the moments, was never too prominent and took its sweet time.
I know this show has some faults and clichés and whatnot. But sometimes you just need something flawed that makes you fall in love with it to remember that there's no such thing as perfect on this earth.
Definitely recommended~
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And that should say something since I didn't get bored until the end.
The summary says it's about two sisters and two men. Well, two men, yes. Two sisters, not really. Well, yes, they are different in looks and success but that's just part of the basic setting, necessary for Gong Shim's story. So, the main story is about Gong Shim, her struggling in the world of work because of her unique appearance, and two totally different men entering her world. Suk Joon Soo, charming and rich, and Ahn Dan Tae, a childish, strange coot who also appears to be a lawyer.
Would you reduce the story to its basic structure there would be nothing new. All characteristics that are needed for your average Korean drama rom-com.
The story still managed to entertain me to the end. Its characters were charming and lovely. It was fun watching them grow fond of each other, following the romance development and even more the bromance in this drama.
But your average k-drama wouldn't be perfect without a family secret that has its roots in the past. And I think next to those charming characters it was that dark family story and the way is was unraveling that made the drama exciting and kept me watching.
Of course, you have your intrigues, your silly dialogues and your stupid behaviors (no matter how much you rejoice, as a grown woman you would still watch out for cars before you run across the street, seriously). But all the characters made up for it. Not only the leads but also the supporting ones. The parents, the grandmother etc.
The acting was really good, esp. both male leads. The female lead was a bit behind but not so bad either.
I wouldn't watch it twice, but it was still an enjoyable ride and I don't regret watching it.
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Park Shi Ho is one of my favorite actors, so watching this movie was a must. And although I didn't really know what I was getting myself into back then, in the end I was convinced to the the fullest. Story, actors and cinematography. I wasn't worried about Park Shi Ho. He's a great actor. But all the other cast members also did an awesome job. They went very well together. And that was one of the most important parts in this movie because at the end it drops a midsize bombshell, putting everything in a new light. There was not one moment where I suspected such an ending. I knew something wasn't right but my suspicions didn't even get close to that solving. The movie definitely surprises with some nice ideas.
Cinematography and scene editing: Thumbs up! No rushing, no stalling.
There's nothing to criticize on my part. The overall package is self-consistent. Lots of action and many thrilling moments, surprising turns and even some humorous parts that doesn't seem out of place. Stunt choreography was brilliant and never looked posed.
I for myself was wholeheartedly satisfied with this one.
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The story was well woven and well told. It was capable of chaining me to my seat and making me binge this in no time. There were minor and major key scenes all the time, that kept me guessing what could happen next and made me unable to stop. They also built up a captivating amount of tension before every event. To say that certain things were predictable might be right. But it's not meant to sound negatively. It's more like you fear what would happen and wait in anxiety.
The acting of almost everyone was soooo good, I enjoyed it alot (except for SML's mother... that was really bad). What I appreciate the most is that the leads never led me down. Not even once. Maybe they didn't always do things to my liking, but it was always reasonable and just the effect of past events. They stayed true to themselves (as far as that was possible considering the Yun Elixir). They touched me with their love, passion and made me feel their pain and suffering, as well.
The side cast did their job well in supporting the leads and the story. Especially the snake, the fox and the phoenix's guard were my favorites. And what I liked about the ending was that every character, good or bad, got one that fit in regard to past happenings. There's no mysterious incomprehensible happy ending for everyone.
What a ride... I'll definitely re-watch this some day!
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Sometimes, esp. in the beginning I contemplated about the rating while I watched this show, because I kept remembering all the things that annoy me in crime k-dramas. But the more I watched the more I forgot about those, and therefore enjoyed this a lot more. There's just no way you can compare this one to a k-drama.
The story is perfectly mixing comedy, crime, mystery, friendship and a bit of romance as well (without focusing on it too much). And I even got all my favorite tropes~.
I usually tend to roll my eyes on dramas that try too hard to be serious and cut to the next comedy scene without a warning. Bitter Blood though managed to smoothly walk that bridge without looking too idiotic. Of course, the cases are somewhat exaggerated and nonsensical, even more so the way the team is handling them. But that's not because of the situations itself - those were actually quite interesting - but more because of the characters. They are however the reason why it makes the whole thing great again.
With their unwavering friendship and unusual teamwork they achieved the most important thing in a drama: Getting the viewer attached. Every single member of the squad team felt unique and showed enough substance to make me care for them.
Most of all Sahara Natsuki and Shimao Akimura. Natsuki with his somewhat clumsy, yet determined way was the perfect fit for the eccentric and fashionable Akimura, and together they formed a great team that supported each other. They were completely different in manners and yet totally alike. No surprise at all since they are connected through a bitter past and share the same blood. I loved their interactions. It showed affection and respect for each other whether they admitted to it or not. Their constant bickering just made it clearer every time.
The finale was something I haven't seen for a long time. There are some basic things you can probably vaguely guess but the actual event(s) totally surprised me, some of it because of little details I didn't see coming, other things because of how they proceed towards a certain... moment where all the threads come together.
The main villain was nuts, insane as you would expect. A stereotypical psycho. I found it funny that they used the opera "Erlkönig" as his distinguishing feature. But if you know what it's about, it actually fits his objective which he was so ambitiously working towards. If I had to complain about one thing it would be the his back story. You get some hints but you never get the actual story.
I might have started this because of Sato Takeru but I stayed because of so many more reasons - most of all because I could loosen up and wholeheartedly enjoy this little gem.
So whether you're already into J-dramas or not. This is a definite recommendation to all of you ;)
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The characters were likeable but totally stereotype. Neither of them had some depth and therefore didn't make me care much (even though I love the leads in general). It would have been nice if at least one of them showed some more traits. The side cast were actually more interesting because of its humorous attitude.
I liked that they added a trope I usually only see in dramas - the ominous past connection of some characters -, because I didn't expect to see it in this kind of movie.
The story development was somewhat slow-paced. We already suspect that not everything is what it seems, so the planning of the heist didn't need to be explained so thoroughly.
All in all a nice watch, but I missed some... peculiarity and substance.
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I can't believe it's over. I want to watch mooore...
I actually wanted to write a review about Leh Nangfah some days ago. But then I started this drama and got so absorbed into the story that it pushed my feelings for the bird's story aside. And now I'm so obsessed with Kleun Cheewit that I would almost rewatch it right away.Of course I liked the story, otherwise I wouldn't have started it at all. Even though it's filled with clichés and over the top situations, nonsensical jealousy, tight-lipped yet provoking characters and unfounded assumptions.
But still. The time it took to tell the story and the path it went, plus the outstanding acting of the cast made this an extraordinary drama that knows how to convince. If I had to choose between the Korean "Secret" which follows a quite similar plot, and Kleun Cheewit, I'd choose the Thai one ten times over, even though I liked "Secret" alot as well.
The main leads were the driving force. There was harmony and balance, not one edgy moment. The back and forth, the unwanted situations they were put into, and the slow progress of their relationship with all the hardships that came along, was what glued me to the screen. Nothing felt forced by the writing, it always made sense within the borders of a lakorn.
Yaya's (Jee) crying skills were so authentic, it flooded my own emotions and made me cry along every single time! And it was not only her crying but the emotions she carried with it. I always knew whether she was angry or sad or happy. Mark (Thit) on the other hand had a very subtle way of showing the feelings of his character. He didn't cry as much and especially in the beginning till the middle the anger and hate ruled over Thit's actions. I also wasn't convinced of Mark right away, it only started later on. But I also felt that he grew with his character and got alot better with each episode, which is why I am quite happy with him as the male lead in the end. Yaya and Mark built two really strong characters who are filled with flaws but help each other heal.
The second leads were enjoyable as well. For real. Usually I get bored after some time with them, because their story doesn't capture my attention anymore. But these two, Chaiyan and Piak were an equally interesting couple, even though they brought along alot of drama for Jee, too. But I liked the friendship between Jee and Chaiyan and that they didn't waver because of Piak's jealousy. Of course, Piak was understandable, but at some point it reached a level that questioned the love they actually had for each other and turned it into a tightrope act. They could have saved alot of trouble and tears, if they had just TALKED to each other reasonably.
And that was an actually problem of the drama. Either people assumed things because of certain situations they "saw" and thought they knew what was going on. Or whenever a problem arose, they never, NEVER talked it out. There was either crying or slapping or cursing or fighting OR silently leaving (but oh well, we all know about those things from almost every drama, right). They never really said what needed to be said. Only a few situations occurred (after the volcano had already erupted, you could say), when misunderstandings were finally cleared. It made me happy again because it was overdue a long time ago, and made me forget all the complaints I had before. The reason why especially this drama heated my emotions so much is because all the characters felt so alive. I saw and felt their yearning for understanding.
Because of this I wanted to deducted half a point but... nope, I got too invested in the story and the characters and was never disappointed (unnerved sometimes, yes, but never once did I thought it was a waste of time). It deserves my 10 and a place on my precious drama list.
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So, what can I say about this drama? Even though Push and the plot were my driving forces, right from the start the one who stole the spotlight was the female lead. It's not easy to enter a new turf (Thai drama) with unknown actors, unknown language and unknown humor. But Gypso (let's cut her name a little here) did everything right from the first moment on and therefore convinced me right away. Even though I can't yet compare her with other Thai actors, I dare say that she's got a unique way of acting. She's charming, her humor is brilliant and she masters this thin line between silly and serious perfectly. And she has this beautiful, beautiful smile.
Don't chop off my head, dear Push-fans. Yes, he only got second place. I'm not saying he was bad, he was great and did everything right as well, was charming, mesmerizing and everything you can think of. He just lost to his female counterpart. But, and that's even more important, Push and Gypso worked damn well together. There was harmony and sparkle and balance. Without these things I wouldn't have been able to root for them. But I did, ohh, how I did, indeed. Who wouldn't?
One might get restless, because it took a while until that dissimilar couple got along alright. It's what I actually liked so much, because during that time all the small things made Win (Push) and WanNeung (Gypso) slowly growing closer. And with that it also made my affection for them growing as well.
As for the second leads. Yes, they were annoying in the beginning and even more in the middle. Most of all because of their possessive behavior over their friend/ex-lover and their "I know what's best for him/her"-way of thinking. In the end though - and I didn't think my opinion about them would change like that - I saw actual character development. The way the female second lead, May, realized that she was living in the past and still didn't see the fault in her actions. Her counterpart, the male second lead, MeeDee, was a weaker character but in the end the key she needed.
And not only them, of course also the leads experienced that noticeable change. The leads did mistakes as well, especially Win. Trying to solve a bigger problem with good intentions, but then hurting other people along the way. WanNeung made her own mistakes, yes she was naive sometimes, but I couldn't really be angry with her. She's young and wanted to achieve her dream, and I would never say that she acted dumb in her situations. The only thing I could hold her up to would be that she was a bit slow in reading her surroundings. So, all known tropes aside, this drama had many moments that went deeper than I'd expected.
When I think about the skinship in this drama, I get all the feels. It's everything for me. Some touching, hugging, caressing, all of those things here and there while the couple is not yet a couple, but their little gestures already show how much they care for each other.
And let me say something about the kisses. Yes, they got frozen ones as well. But funny thing, these ones still look more passionate than Korean paralyzed pecks, because there is still some small but notable movement AND they actually press their lips onto each other instead of just innocently brushing that sensible skin.
I also have to mention what a large group of gay people there was. It was like one big gathering where everyone could have had feelings for everyone, no matter the gender. Some could argue about whether it was too much or just right. I for myself enjoyed it because it was refreshing and opened up new constellations. The whole "innocent girl lives together with a gay male"- thing got new turns thanks to that. And can I say how much I loved WanNeung's gay best friend? For real. I mean, yes, it's not unusual to put the female lead together with such a friend. But you can also overdo it and make it look silly. LukPit though felt real and pure and authentic, that I really wish I would have a friend like that.
The only person that didn't fit in was the character named "Guy". Seriously, where did they got him? He had zero acting skill and only one or two facial expressions which never expressed anything at all. I've never seen such a fail in casting. It's the first time I would indeed think that some very rich connection got the dude that role.
This was my 3rd Thai drama. I shied away from them in the past because of certain violent acts that Lakorns are famous for. But I got lucky with this, like I was with Ugly Duckling: Perfect Match just before, which put me on the Push-train... Damn, that boy got a body and they certainly know how to shape it even more in their dramas. He makes me feel ashamed for drooling over him.
With that said, happy watching!
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Totally mainstream horror movie if you ask me. Nothing new, predictable story with typical horror tropes and characters. Something you can watch with your friends for fun. Even watching it alone wouldn't get you a heart attack.
Slow and calm start but it sped up in the second half. The finale was actually quite entertaining. And sometimes even a bit scarily disgusting to a point where I had to cover half of my face X'D Ah, I'm such a loser... Nevertheless, it didn't give me any lasting goosebumps after the movie ended.
Cinematography was pretty good and I liked the blue overlay onto the scenes. CGI was... completely obvious and almost comical.
Shocking moments relied on the 3D effect. But since I didn't watch the movie in 3D, it failed completely. I'm not even sure if it would scare me that much IF I had watched it in 3D. Everything that was meant to be 3D looked like plastic.
I can't compare this to other Sadako stories, since I only watched the American version of The Ring. This movie was only average and definitely no "must watch".
Sigh... I might even lower the rating although I liked the cast, actually. Ishihara Satomi and Seto Koji did a good job with their roles although there was not much to work with.
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