Amy
I can't say I didn't love the actors, cause I did. Both of the main leads portrayed their roles beyond what I originally expected while going into this movie, as did many of the side characters. Their acting greatly contributes to how you perceive the story and just makes you fall in love with it even more. I mean, Miura Haruma flashing his "Kazehaya smile" is one of the reasons I fell in love with his role and his acting.
The music was more of background noise to me as I was so focused on the story itself but it was still pleasant. It goes pretty standard in terms of music in Japanese movies. That's just based on what I consider as nothing memorable but nothing horrible. Of course, my music tastes differ so you never know.
From Me To You is a movie I would watch over and over. It's got that stroke of something that just draws you in, at least it did for me.
To end, as always, I implore you to watch this movie for yourself and make your own conclusions. I will say that if we were to go off of lists on movies revolving youth, romance, and friendship, "From Me To You" it would be this movie.
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The plot is something that will surely stab your heart a few times and twist it in a full circle. As Kira navigates the reality of his situation, he finds himself befriending the "odd" girl of his class, Ninon. The two protagonists lead the viewers through their woes and their relationship. A rollercoaster of emotions, a few tears, and a lot of cliche romance puzzle pieces and you get the story of Today's Kira-kun. This is just the surface that is developed throughout the movie, and most likely embedding itself in a place in your heart.
Overall, I think the actors/actresses did an amazing job of portraying their respectful characters. I especially enjoyed the rawness of Nakagawa Taishi's acting that's paired with the portrayal of Ninon by Iitoyo Marie. The characters such as Kira's best friend, Yabe, act as a pillar that support the story between the two main leads.
SIDE NOTE: In case you haven't also checked out the actors, their appearing in another drama together (with Nakagawa Taishi being the main lead and Iitoyo Marie appearing as a supporting role) which is the sequel to Hana Yori Dango. Hana Nochi Hare: HanaDan Next Season is also another drama I would recommend to those who like romance genre.
As usual, I find myself simply liking the music in movies/dramas. Although there's nothing download worthy in my fair opinion, there's also nothing horrible. I recommend giving it a listen still (as everyone has a different taste).
To conclude this review, I am most definitely going to re-watch this movie in the future. It hits the heart where it needs to which is what I find refreshing about Japanese movies, they wrangle the viewer into the story.
If you're into the rom-com genre and want to check off a Japanese movie from whatever list you may have, watch Today's Kira-kun. Either way, I recommend it to anyone who is into this kind of genre.
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The story centers around the relationship between Tak and Da In and how far their love really goes. As Tak relives the same day over and over, he realizes that Da In is at the epicenter of it. Although it does have its cliches, the story impacts your heart strings on how Tak truly opens his eyes to the girl in front of him. It portrays their love as a rocky rollercoaster that finds its end, in it's own twist and turns. It brings along flashbacks that show how they first met and how their love slowly blossomed, which I believe added to the ending of the story, one that I was surely not expecting. Love and heartbreak are a destined pair for this romance, and its something you don't want to miss in a way.
NOTE: you will cry, at least I did.
The acting, oh the acting. I've known L as a member of INFINITE and an amazing actor - he didn't disappoint me here either. He portrays Tak so perfectly in every way while executing the emotion of the character with precision. I also can't forget Yoon So Hee who plays Da In. She does have moments (for me) where her acting is kind of bland and basic but then she slaps me back in the face with spectacular acting. The role of Da In and Yoo Tak surely wouldn't be the same without these two, that's for sure.
I'm not really a indie or rock person but boy did this drama turn me right around. The soundtrack per say is filled with amazing songs that I will be listening on repeat (as I ugly cry) for a while. L has a blessed voice and its a blessed part of this drama that he plays the lead singer of the band.
As for rewatch value, I always say "I don't usually watch dramas again but this drama-" but I actually am not kidding with this one. It's got this spark that drew me to it (as I hope it will to you) that just wants to replay in my head no matter what I do. So yes, this is personally a drama that I would gladly rewatch.
To end this review, like I do with all of my reviews, I encourage you to watch the drama yourself.
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The story revolves around the small town girl, Shan Shan, who moves to Shanghai to work for the big shot company run by none other than Feng Teng. Through special circumstances, the two meet and thus start their office romance. Boss & Me does have a lot of the generic drama components but it also stands out when compared to other dramas. It has an intense struggle between the two main leads and the other characters, and builds off of this unique encounter which makes Feng Teng become attracted to Shan Shan, and vice versa. There's a lot of themes revolving family, office woes, and trust between the two leads. Its happy at times, but I will warn anyone planning to watch that I myself felt my heart clench a few times. In a way, this drama also defied the expectations I had and the cliches that you would think was coming, but actually didn't. The real struggle for me with this drama is that the ending is one that leans towards the "hinting" type of endings than the clarified ones, so that's just a personal preference. It doesn't really take away from the outstanding details that bring this drama together in a big way.
The acting was nice throughout, even though I did have problems with Feng Teng's character as the narrative progressed. Shan Shan had a feel to her acting that complimented the story of the character which is something I enjoyed. The other characters, such as Li Shu, pulled an impressive performance also, showing a lot of depth to the acting in my personal opinion. Overall, the chemistry between the main leads was sweet and the acting of the cast was stable.
For music, there wasn't really much to say. It was enjoyable but nothing memorable for my tastes. However, I rarely heard the beginning song since the subtitles I watched had glitchy audio. That's just my experience in terms of music.
I rarely watch dramas again but in simple terms, I would gladly rewatch this drama. It had a subtle sweetness that was also combated with angsty emotional rollercoasters. If I were to have the time, I would probably watch it again just to re-live it all again.
Thus, it is my verdict that if you haven't watched Boss & Me, you're probably missing out on a good drama. If you don't believe me, I encourage you to at least try and watch the drama.
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The story revolves around two leads that are destined to be with each other before they were even born, which is what I found interesting when I initially read the synopsis for the drama. Shao Xi is a tomboy-ish tough girl that's raised in what she considers to be an abnormal family with her mother and father. Li Zheng is a closed off personality that lost both of his parents through a car accident, and lives with his Uncle. When they end up living together, there's this beginning in their relationship that just makes you want to watch more of. The joke on their name, the history between both of their parents, and the eventual bond between the two of them adds to narrative, something I personally enjoyed. The drama focuses more on the one-sided love, it shows the struggles that they face, the cliche misunderstandings, and the growth of both of their characters. I found Li Zheng's growth to show a newer side of the male lead, as he gains the color in his world that he lost after the death of his parents through his relationship with Shao Xi. Of course, there's also the real side of life that the drama shows, which adds the angst to the story on how you could probably (or maybe not) relate to woes the characters face. (I still think that you're able to relate to at least one of the characters, as they're all so diverse in their stories and personalities)
Now, acting? I absolutely loved the main couple. To me, their chemistry seemed just enough where it didn't push the over-the-top need to force anything. It's not perfect at times but it's got a lot of depth to it. I initially had doubts when I first watched the drama but the acting was nothing but on par throughout most of it. The other characters, such as Shao Xi's friends, Jin Li, and Angelina were all good in their respective roles also. Shao Xi and Li Zheng do look kind of older for their age in my personal opinion, but it's less relevant as the story progresses.
I have to say though, this drama did have a lot of my newfound favorite songs to listen to. From the beginning track sang by Prince Chiu himself to Tseng Joanne's beautiful song, I fell in love with a lot of songs in this drama (I also find it highly impressive that both of them can sing). The song that I found was honorable to mention was "Close To You" by Karen Lin (a cover of the original version sang by the Carpenters). Of course, I loved all of the others sounds featured.
S/N: If you do want to check them out, they're all on Spotify (or YouTube if Spotify isn't available in your country).
Funnily enough, in terms of rewatch value, I've already watched this drama numerous times. I never see myself as a person to rewatch a drama as I think it denotes the initial feelings I felt while watching it, but with this drama in particular, I still feel the same way I did when I first watched it. It's not boring (probably will though once I watch it 100 times) but it does take away the surprises I had while watching it the first time, which is reasonable.
To end off this review, I think it's clear how much of an amazing drama this is. The story is love at first sight, which is probably how I would describe the relationship between Shao Xi and Li Zheng. Even so, I recommend it so highly since it's THAT good to me. If you don't believe me, you can always find out for yourself.
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You'll get what I mean when you compare the differing reviews for this drama, some being high scores (such as mine) while others being somewhat low.
The story keeps you on the edge of your seat, or backed up against it in anticipation of what's going to happen next. Si Hyun, Soo Ji, and Se Joo are the three musketeers that act as your love triangle in the story. It's when Tae Hee is added to the equation that a chain effect erupts through all of their lives, acting as the foundation for this drama. The storyline has twists and turns, some predictable and some that are surprising, that just captivate you as a viewer. Although there are many cliches and slight moments that give you true bursts of anger at the writers, the overall story is bittersweet, the good kind at least. It's sad and heart-wrenching while also sweet and full of that kind of love you can't stop watching.
Of course, this is all accumulated by the cast. I personally didn't watch any of Joy's previous acting (which seemed like a big deal to everyone as the drama aired), but I think she's decent for a rookie actor. She's not the PERFECT actress but she's also learning and new to the field after coming from the music industry. So for me, she deserves the credit where she's earned it. Her scenes were not the best at certain points, but overall, it's not the worst acting you'll ever see, trust me. There's also Woo Do Hwan, who I liked as the main lead to contrast Joy in this drama. His acting is good (for me, I've heard others say otherwise) and the presentation of his emotions is surely there. There's also my favorite villain, if you could consider her that, Moon Ga Young. She plays her role so well, it makes me truly hate the character but love the actress even more. Her execution of the "evil" Soo Ji is what adds to this drama a whole lot. Kim Min Jae, aka Se Joo, was also good in playing his role of being the middle between the trio of friends.
The OSTs for this drama were all nice in my opinion, my favorite being the one sang by SEVENTEEN's DK. If you ever have a chance to check out the soundtrack (and perhaps only the soundtrack), I'd highly recommend it.
To end this review, all of the things I've pointed out is probably opposed by others who watched this drama. In my own opinion, this drama was good. I didn't find it to be as "bad" as people put it out to be, even after having judgement before watching it myself. It's a drama that should be watched before making a judgement since it has so many dissenting views from viewers.
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It's a good movie / drama and I would highly recommend watching the prequel before the movie since it adds a lot more context to the story and how everything developed.
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The story is mediocre, with multiple cliches but for some reason, I couldn't personally stop watching it. It does have unexpected twists and turns, and the overall concept of the story is a fresher image to vampirism that I've seen presented in dramas. The acting is minimal, some parts showing amazing acting while others reveal this lack of good acting you'd expect in a way. It's more of a drama where you have to see past the faults of the story, casting, and other variables to enjoy. I mainly continued watching just to finish and end the story that I had begun watching. If you're up to see why this drama is so bad and so good (?) at the same time, I would recommend it. It's an odd thing to enjoy almost, where you know some parts you don't like, such as the acting, yet it's got that drama appeal where you wanna continue watching. Again, Blood isn't the BEST drama I've watched, but I've honestly seen worst.
Side Note: The main female lead will make you want to punch yourself in the face every now and then with her acting, but the eye candy of the main and second male leads will help you overcome the urges to stop watching in my honest opinion.
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I enjoyed the 1st season a lot more than the 2nd right off the bat. The 1st one seemed a lot more interesting to watch and had more depth to it. This season kind of seemed like the typical "let me down" second season. The plot felt slightly brushed over? It wasn't as developed as the 1st season was but still had some qualities that were enjoyable about the 1st one. I think the ending left off on a sweeter note than I expected too (so if you're into a sweet one, try watching it). The actors were the same except the dramatics between Simba and his constant chasing after Shiya situation. My heart was tugged at just as much in this season as the 1st, which is throughly enjoyable and sad at the same time. I wouldn't watch this season again though. It lacked the things from S1 that I enjoyed so much about the series. It seemed to be the extra fat from S1 that was kept on. Overall, a good series.
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My Huckleberry Friends, the second time you get to re-live the life of Zhen Hua in a way with a fresh new set of characters and stories. Yu Zhou Zhou and Lin Yang are this season's Yu Huai and Geng Geng. However, their stories aren't the same. Yu Zhou Zhou, the studious girl who has faced woe after woe is accompanied by Lin Yang who clearly shows his crush for her throughout the entire story. The concept of overlapping the two stories was performed more flawlessly than I had expected which is something I admired and hoped the writers / directors would include - after all, this is just a different story at the same time as With You.
(With You was also a spectacular drama - highly recommend it.)
Zhou Zhou and Lin Yang are accompanied by a group of friends that shape their high school years and go through the struggles of being a teenager in high school. I also applaud My Huckleberry Friends for putting together a seamless plot in my personal opinion, especially one that includes such a huge sense of reality of the challenges teenagers face. My Huckleberry Friends keeps the humor, attraction, and light vibe of With You but with a different taste in how it's executed and the story development. You don't have to necessarily watch With You to watch My Huckleberry Friends, but they're both amazing dramas that I recommend. What's there to like about this drama? Almost everything. It's realistic in the problems that life throws at you, the definition of friendship, and how love can play such a role in your life, even if you don't have the same type of love everyone else does. Personally, I enjoyed the ending to My Huckleberry Friends more than I did with With You, but only slightly. The ending to this drama has more clarity than With You did.
What I don't like as much: ( ! S P O I L E R S ! ) ( Possible for both With You & My Huckleberry Friends)
- The side characters had the similar plot in a sense. In With You, it was Jian Dan and Han Xu. The victims in My Huckleberry Friends were Xiang Qian and Tian Guo. They're both the side characters that have feelings with each other yet end up with the persevering other side lead, who's usually a friend of the main lead some how.
- I know it's not AS big of a deal, but I think if they added even the slightest cameo of characters from With You, it would've been more realistic that the two stories were connected.
- The story, and this is for both dramas, doesn't really show what happens during the 10 years. I mean, it's 10 freaking years. A lot of stuff goes down in 10 years, for both dramas, yet we don't really get any information (or glimpses).
Just watch My Huckleberry Friends, it's worth it. And if you don't believe me, watch it yourself.
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The actors were well suited (even though Tae Woon looked clearly on the older side, I loved Eun Ho) and the overall vibe was nice throughout the drama. The lessons were realistic in my perspective and the story gave a good development for the characters. Eun Ho is the typical bad student and Tae Woon is the typical bad boy. I think their chemistry was nicely stirred in a pot and given a little bit more time to boil than I thought it would. The story of going against the corruption in a known school is centered around these two, along with their group of friends. It felt nice to see relationships grow and fall apart, and how a lot of things are tested in high school. From love, friendships, to family, School 2017 put a lot of it into one big drama.
Why isn't this drama getting a perfect score:
It's not perfect, I will easily admit that. The plot was stable, but did have a few holes here and there. The story could've been slightly better in my opinion. I don't think a lot of things were properly explained throughout the drama which is where the story falls short on the rating scale. It also drags at certain parts of the drama which makes it lose any rewatch value - making it more of a "I just want to finish this already" type of drama. The cast surely could've been more younger? I get Koreans look young for their age and all but I truly believe Tae Woon looked just a little too old. The ending was a little - ill planned? It felt dragged yet rushed at the same time, which was a new for me in a drama.
Overall:
It's a good drama, not too bad yet not the most spectacular one I've watched in my honest opinion.
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