Reviews

I'm human, aren't I? Even though I knew this was pointless, why did I fall in love? - DF, chapter 3.

BL movies aren't a thing these days; poor cast, poor setting, it takes so little to drown everything into a sea of painful awkwardness for the viewer. But there are few to be remembered; well, not exactly for the visual efforts, but for the pleasant acting and the understanding of the plot. Simplicity is always better. Doushitemo Furetakunai // No touching at all is one of them; and hopefully, more to come.

I'm a faithful fan of Yoneda Kou's work, her plots start from seemingly plain points and develop beautifully with characters mingled so well, it has to break a heart or two half-way through the story. The simplicity is the key here as well - motionless, quiet atmosphere. Beneath the mundane way of living, people are far more complicated than they seem. They always struggle with themselves and their wounds left from past experiences every time their encounter new ones. So wouldn't it be worse to fall in love in such wearing circumstances?

Sincerely, I didn't expect much, mainly because the two characters have an unique feel about them. I was afraid of dullness, yet I've been waiting to watch this movie ever since it came out. They did it, they found the actors who, in my opinion, fit fairly well. Not only separately, but together. Acting was pretty good, felt almost! natural, my awkward sensors didn't react - rather, I was kinda overwhelmed by the ball of cuteness named Yonehara Kousuke (who are you again and why don't you act more?), and his bold words to cover it up. Togawa-san is /so/ Togawa too. Wait what. It's tough pointing out what lacks when they have such a chemistry going on.
Also, I appreciate how they kept the important parts of the story, without altering it. True, there some scenes left out (/certain/ scenes), but for a (Japanese) movie it's a decent deal, it feels smooth, feels nice.
So far so good, yet my one complaint is that you can spot the characters from afar and wish to see them closer, especially when they interact with each other. The characters' expressions are so important. That was kinda disappointing at times, even though there were plenty scenes to make up for that, but still. Isn't this an eternal pain when it comes to BL movies anyway? They always leave us begging for more.
While the movie is lacking, as most BL movies do out there, it's a worthy live-action. Maybe even better in some aspects than the previous BL productions, just maybe. I should reconsider my faith with this one and wait for upcoming projects.

If any of you haven't read the manga, you should do it before watching the movie. This way you can value the acting much better and enjoy it. With this in mind, take a good breath, don't hesitate to watch. Chances are you're gonna melt inside anyway.

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Was Definitely A Favorite

Overall: I really enjoyed the balance of realism, the sci-fi element, seriousness and humor. 12 episodes about 45 min each aired on GMMTVs YouTube channel.

Content Warnings: punch, ep 1 very side character intimate partner violence, manipulation, alcoholism, manhandling, two more in a comment with a spoiler

What I Liked
- communication, communication, communication (this was soooo refreshing to see adults communicating with each other)
- realistically flawed characters who learned and grew as the series continued, how Kawi was aware of his flaws and actively worked on them and apologized to others when he made mistakes, Pisaeng also had flaws and needed to work on them
- exemplar for showing time passing without a screen that says "3 years later"
- sweet moments
- Max was a supportive friend (and Pear as well)
- discussing social issues but not in an overly preachy way (examples, I don't think I've ever seen a character discuss the pros and cons of alcohol and I thought it was well done, also the way to show lack of medical privileges for same sex couples)
- Pisaeng was a green flag, he gave Kawi space and didn't constantly push his boundaries like I frequently see other characters do, he stopped something when Kawi fell asleep
- Kawi actively sought communication with Pisaeng instead of ghosting
- funny parts, that dancing was awesome in the beginning
- realistic, shows how our dreams fall apart, not everyone is rich and does great in school, our actions have consequences, live in the present
- touching, the parts with his dad, realizing the mistakes he's made
- the dynamic of the leads
- Pear wasn't a cliche female character, she was a fully developed believable human being
- neutral, I'm not a voiceover fan but it didn't bother me too much here

Room For Improvement
- I wish they showed Kawi checking on his dad first (as I think the majority of people would), he came across as a little too selfish with his obsession of being with Pear
- it dragged a bit in places
- in episode 6, Kawi didn't seem drunk enough to pass out
- there was quite a bit of kissing that was camera blocked/zoomed out
- episode 10/1, Pear kind of threw her friend under the bus, she could have just given her own reasons (and there would be plenty of them)
- episode 10/3, I do not agree with Max, there are people who are asexual and/or aromantic who are dating/in healthy and loving relationships
- freaking out over physical affection felt a bit odd because he was actually 10 years older, also that Kawi didn't have a heart to heart more with Pisaeng about it
- having the Pear scenes interspersed with Kawi/Pisaeng in ep 11 part 1 was strange
- Pisaeng had other reasons and I wish he'd given them instead of "you're cute"

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Establishing love is like the likelihood of a series satisfying the whole community. Impossible.

The first episode gives the wrong impression and doesn´t represent the quality of the entire show. It put a lot of people off and I understand that too, as that's where the production/plot was implemented most problematically in terms of keeping viewers' attention and where the beautiful aesthetic of the series hasn't yet shown its true colours, portraying the summerly love of three young couples, as various as the LGBTQI+ community themselves.

Viewer description is advised if you are sensitive to gray area issues. One of the couples is critically disputed. But these differences of opinion are nothing new for us either, so from that point of view, just give it a try.


PRODUCTION
Positive:
First, the editing is done mostly very precisely and nicely, carrying some vibes of western youth series productions. The warm colours of the summer are the basic aesthetic that sets the series. They consist of a lot of yellow and orange tones which generate a smooth transition. Everything looks pleasingly fresh and warm, and the upbeat music accentuates the summer vibes. As a viewer, you yourself start to feel very alive and can easily understand the atmosphere of the series. The warm, lively mood is only broken by the cool nights and the inner conflicts of the characters.

Negative:
There was just this scene skipping issue from episode 8 to 9, which resulted in a few more mistakes concerning Torn.
Unsteady pacing and the viewer's confusion about the time spans (mostly in episode 9)


PLOT
It's about the life of Sport Science students facing their true feelings. Friends who have known each other since childhood, the pair seems rather one-sided and the pair that, according to other viewers, should never blossom.

The inner conflicts are overall nothing too overdramatic. However, the approach to reality and the taste of uncertainty runs through the whole story. While love is fresh and vibrant, it brings challenges that the aforementioned controversial couple, in particular, struggles to cope with. Vee and Dome. There is no right answer to love, but there is a lot of criticism.

Nevertheless, the series has a good arc of suspense and the main characters themselves are well presented in their own diverse complexity. I would have just hoped that Tupfah and Torn had more tension in their relationship, feel like they were lacking a bit of chemistry.


ACTORS
All actors had a solid performance, and I really adored the unique harmony of the two pairings.
I had a few little issues with Tae and Suar´s acting, but it could result in the two characters Tupfah and Torn being very calm and shy. However, the fact that it was Porsche´s first role (Vee) and that Kris – who btw turned 18 in February 2022 - is also a new actor, amazed me. He's talented and you could relate and sympathize with his role, which by the way wasn't an easy task. Visually I thought all the pairings were well casted...


OVERALL
Well-made show with satisfying shots, solid acting and overall breathtaking editing. The latter could have been better because the entire series had such a beautiful aesthetic, but skipping an important part of the plot is dragging down some points.

Good story about Sport Science students getting a taste of love and attraction. Relatively realistic. Personally, I would have aired it in early summer to undermine the warm summer vibes. Nonetheless. A show I would recommend to anyone, no matter their taste in LGBTQ+ films/series.

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Fun. Touching. Plus light-heartedly questioning the matter of course of human interaction

"The Legend of the Blue Sea" refers to a very old Korean legend that originally tells the lovestory between a mermaid and a fisherman. However, the KDrama is just loosely based on this fairy tale.

In the rich Korean folklore of "Imuldam" (mostly oral shamanic songs, myths, fairy tales and folk tales) which is still very much alive today, there are frequently supernatural beings that move around in the earthly dimension - whether mermaids, a nine-tailed fox, a Goblin, or other spirits. These "Imuldam" are particularly inspired by shamanism and Buddhism. KDramas repeatedly pick up motifs from this tradition and find contemporary ways to keep them alive and reinterpret them. The special attraction arises from the fact that our human world receives a different value, appreciation and perspective through the eyes of those non-human creatures less influenced by time and space.

"The Legend of the Blue Sea" is based on a mermaid caught in a net by a fisherman in the early Joseon era. Then he fell in love with her. However, mermaids rarely feature in Korean folklore otherwise. The topic makes a nice link to western tradition and that's probably how it was intended. Also, parts of the KDrama play outside of South Korea - in Spain.

At the same time, the story takes up another, widespread and popular motif in KDrama orbit: reincarnation. Most of the time it is about souls that were not able to complete certain experiences in the past and are confronted with these or similar situations again in their present incarnation - in order to do things better or differently. In "The Legend of the Blue Sea", the historical fairy tale from back then and its version, transposed into the present day, are developed in parallel in two narrative threads. Just as the protagonist (and also another character) slowly (again) remember their past life, we, too, experience what really happened back then. Eventually the question arises whether life must necessarily repeat itself or else other decisions could be made.

Actress Jun Ji-hyun obviously enjoys her character as a humorous, mischievous mermaid, innocently and ignorantly experiencing the modern human world. With her performance she definitely jazzes the story up. Her sometimes almost naive trust, which is a bit reminiscent of a puppy in places, stands in warming contrast to the distanced, calculating coolness of her Jack of Hearts in 2017. The picture is completed by - here and there - being able to look back into their Joseon past, where he rather personifies an amorous, honorable nobleman.

Ultimately, this KDrama offers a well-designed dramaturgical variety of telling an enchanting love story in two different ways - and at the same time (with a twinkle of an eye) questioning the matter of course of human habits and interaction.

It´s fun and touching.

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Thai Series became more diversified!

Well, 2018 is the year where Thai series became globalized. We have many Thai series on Netflix now and GMM, before better known for light hearted and cheesy romantic comedies, dared to make an audacious decision: invest in diversified genres and try to open up to the international community. The Gifted is the best example of the good results that they've got so far.

First of all, I have to congratulate the writters and the directors. The plot is smart, refreshing and stylish. The tensions and characters are slowly and progressively built, teasing the audience and making us keep watching. The season is divided in two parts. The first one introduces the characters and their habilities while the second portion focus on the secret of the school. Although I understand the reasons they did it, I felt that excepting Pang, Wave and Nantaan, the other characters almost devanished during the second part of the season. We know that all of them were there, but it seemed they became just secondary characters. Probably they were expecting to make another season and the development of those characters will happen on season two.
Speaking about the characters, I have to say that I loved them, specially Pang, Wave, Nantaan and Ohm. Pang is the classic good guy, the hero whose qualities include idealism, courage and morality; while Wave is the charming antihero who is lonely and seeks for friends. Albeit I loved both guys, I feel that they were more effective in creating Chimon's character. Wave's episode showed us his history before the school and made us sympathize with him. Knowing about what that teacher made to him in the past humanized him. Strangely, we don't have a single moment in this series where we can see Pang's life before or outside the school. Why is he so heroic? It is a mystery the show could unravel in the next season. Of course we know the school made Pang loses his best friend, which is a good reason to make him hate the school system, but it does not explain everything. Even before that, Pang was already idealistic and we don't know why. In order to humanize him a bit more, we should know about his past, his motivations, maybe the next season should explore his friendship with Nic when they were kids.

Some people even say that Wave and Pang could date. Well, I generally don't like when BL fans try to put BL plots in every Thai series. In this case, however, I would like to say that a relationship between them, although not a requisite, would be interesting. They made a really good team. During the first part of the season, I thought Pang, Ohm and Nantaam would emulate the classical Harry Potter-kind trio, where there is a male heroic protagonist, a smart girl and a playful boy (Yes, Pang as Harry, Nantaam as Hermione and Ohm as Rony). But after Pang and Wave made a deal, they became closer and I liked a lot their interactions. They could be a great couple if the story chooses a realistic approach instead of a cheesy romance. I would love to see WavePang and NantaamOhm becoming true, but I am OK if it does not happen. The story is good enough withou any romance.

Speaking about the acting, I liked everyone, but I have to say that the three best performances, in my opinion, goes to Bird Wanchana Sawasdee as the director; Katreeya English as professor Ladda; and Gun Atthaphan as Pun. They all made me deeply believe they were not characters, but real persons. Bird was able to be evil without stereotypes, specially when he was smiling. Khun Ladda, despite being a strict teacher, was charismatic in a strange way. I felt bad when she was fired like she was one of the good guys. Technically, she was not. But she was not evil too. Looking forward to see more about her in the future. I hope she will be back next season and we can see more about her past. Finally, Gun Attapphan deserved an oscar for his acting on episode 5.
About the potencials, although I realize that Ohm, Pang, Wave and Pun are the most "powerfull", Nantaam's potencial is my favorite. I am historian. The past is something alive for me. Having her potencial could make me discover so much things about the past. I could go to Egypt, touch the pyramids and discover how they were built! Can you imagine that? I could go to India, touch the Bodhi Tree and discover how Buddha's face looked like. Maybe go to Jerusalem and make the same thing with Jesus. I could discover who killed Kennedy! This would be fucking cool. I even have a heroine nickname for her: The Historian.

About the plot, I still wanna say that the school seems to me a metaphor of Thai society nowadays. The country is facing a military dictatorship for years and a small group of people rules all the nation from the top of the pyramid. For me, Pang is like the thai activists who wanna take down all the corrupted, unequal and authoritarian Thai political system and make everybody equal and free. Like the director, the Thai dictators persecute the ones who fight for justice. Chanon, the studends who got injured by the experiments and that girl who was killed by a gifted student; all of them represent many activists who have been jailed or killed by the Thai military. The school system separate students by their grades and force them to compete each other. The competition between the students is a strategy used by the system to distract them from fighting the unjustice. It is the same thing that happens in Thai society, where the struggle between Red Shirts and Yellow Shirts (if you don't know, google it) made the military dictatorship possible. At the end of the first season, we see that Pang left a video for their fellows, begging them to use their privileges to fight the system, not to collaborate with it. I see that video as a call for fighting against authoritarianism. It is a beautiful message of hope in a country needing it desperately.
There are more things I would like to say, but I think I have written too much. Thx for everyone who have read everything! See you next year!

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I reluctantly fell completely in love with this drama, even though I knew it would break my heart. When a Sageuk is done right it can take me on an emotional roller coaster, and this one did exactly that. On the surface it's everything I expect from an epic historical drama... family rivalries, betrayals and revenge, blinding greed, tragic martyrs, obsessive love, a star-crossed romance... Yet, It also holds it's own among two of my absolute favorite Ancient Joseon Sageuks (The Princess' man, and Empress Ki). Although there are similarities that fans of those dramas can appreciate, I think this drama still stands out on it's own because of it's memorable characters, and touching story.



First, It's not a spoiler to say that this is indeed a Romance-Tragedy. It is inspired by the true story of Queen Dangyeong, who we know from the title, was only Queen for a week. If the title isn't enough to clue you in on what's in store, the show starts by glimpsing into the future, and we see a not so happily ever after moment where she tries to kill her love, the king, but can't. This was the same flash forward method that grabbed my attention in Empress Ki, and I knew that I would need to know exactly what road led them there. That road is not just filled with tragic moments. We actually go all the way back to childhood with the characters, and the journey to the end is more than just tears. There's humor, great friendships, some action, and of course romance, and what I thought was an interesting story of 3 people who's lives are controlled by their fate, in spite of their feelings.



I think Yeon Woo Jin was amazing as future king Yi Yeok. I've liked him in other dramas, but this one is a perfect vehicle for his range. He's matched with Park Min Young as Shin Chae Kyung, who I can say the same about. I think, because their child versions were so good, it gave them a lot to work with as far as backstory, and I truly believed all of their moments together. They may not have the most exciting chemistry, but that didn't stop me from liking them as a couple. The triangle is then made complete by Lee Dong Gun as Yi Yoong. I think his character, and acting, drives this whole drama. He also reminded me A LOT of a young Christopher Walken, and not just because of his big eyes. He has a charm and creepiness about him that made him the kind of villain I not only sympathized with, but sometimes rooted for in spite of myself. Even in his most over the top moments I totally felt for him. I really am a sucker for an actor who's really good at playing evil or crazy or both.



Most of the story revolves around the rivalry between these two brother for the crown, and their love of the same girl, but it still didn't feel too cliché to me. I think it's because every single character in this story, meaning every single supporting character, are so developed and well played, that it gave extra depth to the story and made me care about everyone... EVERYONE... even the Nanny. I would usually give a shout out to awesome supporting characters but there are just too many to name! I also loved that most characters, even if they were minor, had some kind of attention given to their specific part in the story, and some very emotional endings for their characters.



Ok, I will mention just one... Hwang Chan Sung as Seo Noh. *insert my standing ovation here*



As for the story, for me it just kept getting more exciting and addictive as the show progressed. The moments that may have felt slower were more of a build up to more exciting parts. Waiting for new episodes started to feel a little like torture, but sometimes I needed that week to breathe between episodes because the story got so intense. Sometimes characters were frustrating, but I think that's what added to them feeling human. Sometimes the political storyline was upsetting, but because it tied directly to these amazing characters, it kept my interest till the very end. The ending had a lot to live up to, and I think it was well done. I suffered from severe eye rain during the second half of the last episode, but the ending avoided just being completely depressing, which I think is impressive.



The music is beautiful and compliments this drama very well, and Junggigo's song will be on mental loop for a while.



Would I watch it again? Absolutely. I would probably need to watch a few light hearted shows in a row first, but sometimes you need a story that gets you in the feels too. I would just stock pile some tissues.



Overall I would definitely recommend this, BUT if you are not a fan of extreme drama then this may be too much. If you have never liked a sageuk ever, know this is more of the same, so don't expect this one to convert you. If you don't like stubborn characters who make you want to throw things at your screen, you definitely picked the wrong drama. Personally, I think it was beautifully bittersweet, and I I already added it to my favorites list before I even finished it.

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loved it

i just loved it.the acting nd visual is perfect.i want season 2🥺❤️..please give us season 2🥺❤️.it feels empty now that it's finished.i don't know what else to watch next.i am stuck on this drama for now🥺❤️..i have no ideas why some people are giving negative reviews.it was a great drama.though it would have been better if there was one more episode.then the ending would have look more satisfying.i want another drama of both of them together.i wish there will be a season 2.Hu Yitian is soooo damn good looking.Xing Fei is sooo pretty.i loved xiao ci nd du lingfeng's character too.nd the wingmans of captain shen qingyiuan was also cherry on the top.i loved there characters also

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i've never felt so sad i finished a drama before :(((

Absolutely loved the story and the acting. i loved the actress, how she portayed the gestures of men and her facial expressions so easily that we can clearly see when it was the man, or when it was the woman taking over her body. i enjoyed this drama so much i stalled it so many days in fear of parting with it too early...and the actor i;ve seen him before in another drama but in here he excelled his role. Really good acting.
And the music was so good. The transition between dramatic to funny moments was so enjoyable with the accompanying music. Really such an excellent k drama. No one should miss it.

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target audience is me

I am clearly the target audience for this and I didn’t know it.

who would have thought we’d get an adorable penguin themed BL? not me but I’m here for it.

maybe it’s the right timing or what not but this is a super sweet, silly, absolutely ridiculous series and I love it. I had the biggest grin on my face watching it.

sometimes we just need something that lets us shut off our bains and enjoy.

I also gotta give it to wetv they are stepping up their game in their productions this year, knock knock boys, monster next door, and now caged again. my hats off to you.

as for the series we’ve got some mystery and magical moments that intrigue me and I’m curious to watch it all play out. I’ve not come across a theme like this before and it’s pulled me in even though I didn’t think id be a fan of they type of series.

casting was fantastic in this. Jay does a phenomenal job at being a penguin.

I’m seated. I’m excited. and I want more.

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Forget the cheesiness and the cliches....
If you are into serious acting and are looking for a real good story this will exceed your expectations! A roller-coster ride of emotions and a series that takes medical drama to a whole new level! Also unlike majority of the dramas out there, but like good old wine this gets better with time.

Story~
The actual plot is simple enough (even more so if you are used to Korean Melodramas :p). But it's the storytelling that gives the show an entirely different dimension! This is the most well wriiten drama I have come accross! The crew worked hard on the material and it shows thoughout the drama.
Underneath the suspence and thrill this drama explores how people have both sides to them- the good and the bad. Every person has his or her own difficult circumstances and does their best to cope with it. In the process they fight their prejudices and beliefs, or succumb to them and fight the righteous....
One lie leads to another... evil breeds more evil... and over time there is no road back. During the course of this one track 'difficult journey' people tend to forget its purpose. .
When truth comes up against better opportunities or even the greater good it's truth that always fights a loosing battle..... or maybe not?

I felt this drama to have many layers to it and if you are patient enough you may find a Beautifully Different understanding of this.

Cast~
The series boasts an incredible cast and everyone seems to have their moment...
The entire series is quite heavily built upon the acting of the Dr. Lee Young Oh and Jang Hyuk just shattered the roof with his quality and showed why he is one of the best 'Actors' out there! With KDramas being mostly about preety faces these days, this series came to me as a huge relief!

It's interesting to see that the supporting and guest actors getting considerable screentime and even the debuters are surprisingly good actors! I intially felt the female lead to be a bit stagnant but she too turns up nicely as the series progresses.

Music~
Bernard Park's 'Dirt' is on repeat on my phone! :D
I am not a talented judge of music per say. This had the right music for the right scene.
However the Title Track always seemed to up your emotions for the scene! That felt Beautiful!

Re-watch Value~
Over the course of the last few weeks I have gone back and watched the previous episodes a lot. And will surely rewatch the entire series again.

Overall~
The story tends to speed up at the end but the crew managed to wrap it up Beautifully despite 'the unfortunate peril' (the true villain of the series - you know who)
Anyway, this for me is by far the best drama for me this year.
Highly recommened for patient, mature audience willing to try something different. I guarantee you that you wont be dissapointed.

Good Luck n God Bless!

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Autumn Concerto is... a classic.
Not in the negative sense of the word, just the opposite. Watching it feels like reading a novel from centuries past, with all the tragic, the heart-wrench, the twist, the suspense and the sweetness of the most classic romantic literature. A friend compared it to a novel by Judith McNaught, and I tend to agree with her.

One of the things I appreciated the most about this drama is the speed with which the plot is set in motion and the pace established. By the end of episode 1, I was fatally hooked. This is not a show which promises the viewer something, only to drag unnecessary by the middle or loosing consistency and cohesion at some point. If you like the dishes you are presented with at first sight, you will love the whole meal to the end. And a truly romantic meal at that, full of passion and not the usual luke-warm, lovey-dovey chirping.

The acting performances are outstanding as a whole. I have read many complaining about Vanness Wu's broken accent, but since I don't speak Mandarin I didn't notice anything amiss. On the contrary, I felt with his character a lot more than any other in the show, possibly because he has to outshine the delivering with intense facial expressions. Ady An's character can stretch one's patience at times, but this only adds to the actress's skill to make it so. And the chemistry is palpable.
The child is a wonder, no addition needed.

My only complain lies in the editing. This is a general problem I have with Taiwanese dramas: too frequent commercial cuts, filled with those brief reprises in which flashes of scenes to come are shown over and over. Once the viewer is forewarned, I guess it can be overlooked, although I personally find it terribly annoying. The music falls under the same curse: it's very good, but played too often and at times it overpowers the dialogues. If I hadn't liked this story so much, I would have gone insane.

Overall, this is a drama I'm ready to recommend to everyone in search of true romance. It's a timeless story, which does not rely on trend, or shiny, perfectly made-up actors and glamorous outfits. Does it have cliches? Yes it has, quite a few even, but they are well blended into a solid script and a plot which will never get truly old.

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(There are heavy spoilers ahead for those who haven't watched it, since this is a review mainly about the details of the plot.)

Burning is the type of film that has multiple themes but still manages to bring them out clearly through layers of symbolism. Recurring themes are sprinkled throughout the run time, and seemingly unimportant details become essential to the appreciation of this work. The slow-paced, character-driven plotline may be a turn-off for certain viewers, but rewards those who are patient and attentive to details. In this review, I will try to unfold all the themes that I have observed throughout the story.

Theme #1: Fact vs Imagination
A recurring theme in the story is what is real and what not. This is first mentioned through Haemi's depiction of an imaginary tangerine, peeled and consumed between her fingers. "Rather than imagining its existence, you forget about its non-existence... and naturally your mouth waters", she says. Another instance is Haemi's cat Boil, which Haemi tells Lee Jong Soo to feed while she is gone. The cat is never seen in the apartment despite Jong Soo's frequent visits. This could be a reference to the "Schrödinger's Cat", a quantum thought experiment in which a cat is simultaneously dead and alive, until it has been observed. Another reference of this is when Ben says he is "here and there, at home and out travelling, in Korea and in Africa". Haemi also talks about falling into a well at the age of 7, feeling disappointed that Jong Soo doesn't remember him saving her at the time. After further enquiries, Haemi's family claims that there was never a well at their place, while Jong Soo's mother remembers the well having existed. Was there ever a well? Or was it all made up by Haemi? The dual nature of existence expands further to the actions of the main characters -- whether there was truly a greenhouse that Ben burnt down, why Haemi suddenly vanished, and whether Ben was the culprit behind Haemi's disappearance. Did Haemi run away to escape from her debt, commit suicide because of her existential depression, or was she really killed? Near the end, Jong Soo calls Ben's new cat "Boil", and the cat runs into his arms. We never know if this is a mere coincidence, or if Ben killed Haemi and adopted her cat. These events highlight the ambiguity and uncertainty of life, that we can never be sure about what we seem to know, and everything is up for interpretation and our own belief.

Theme #2: Presence vs Absence
Another theme is an unsettling tension caused by the desire for something and the lack thereof. The absence of Haemi and the lust that Jong Soo has for her, the absence of a mother figure in Jong Soo's life and his loneliness as a person living a solitary life in a rural area carrying the weight of his father's prosecution on his shoulders, the absence of the cat that is believed to exist, and the phone calls that remain silent regardless of anticipation. This unsettling tension is evident even to the audience, whose questions about the plot are never answered. Jong Soo fails to find enough evidence to prove that Ben killed Haemi, and it leaves us hanging forever even after the credits roll. Our emotions become one with Jong Soo, and we become Jong Soo himself -- we want to search for truth, to be certain that we know something, to the point we start to believe what we want to believe just for the sake of filling that void in our minds. The movie ends without answering any of our questions, because the essence of this movie is not what the truth is, it's how we and the main character react to not knowing the truth. Something is off, but we don't know what exactly is wrong. It's always the absence of something that makes our skin crawl. We keep answering that anonymous phone calls hoping that someone will say something, so that we can know the "who", "what" and "why", and every time they aren't answered, we feel more impatient and curious, and "burn" with the growing desire of receiving a response -- this brings us to the next theme that we will explore.

Theme #3: Burning
The title of the movie is "Burning", so there are plenty of "burning" symbolisms sprinkled throughout. The burning bonfire of the "Great Hunger" dance depicting Haemi's desperate search for the meaning of life, the burning greenhouses suggesting Ben's unruly and destructive tendencies, the burning clothes of Jong Soo's mother representing the desire to sever ties and erase memories, the burning scene of the crime when Jong Soo kills Ben representing his hatred, and the burning lust and passion that Jong Soo has for Haemi that is never satisfied after Haemi drifts apart from him and eventually disappears from his life. Even the audience experiences a burning sensation of wanting to unravel the mysteries but is unable to -- resembling a slowly burning pot that never gets to boil.

Theme #4: Working class vs The "Gatsby"
There is an apparent gap of living between Jong Soo/Haemi and Ben/Ben's female friends. While Jong Soo is unable to earn a living as a creative writer and Haemi is struggling to make ends meet with all that endless debt, Ben lives a worry-free life cooking pasta at home and blurring the line between "fun" and "work". Jong Soo cannot do anything but frown when he realizes that he has lost his love to a man in a speeding Porche. The way Ben yawns and his friends laugh is almost humiliating sometimes, even though they try to cover up their lack of interest and degrading attitude behind their noble facades. To Ben, people's possessions (and probably people too) are only toys to him, things that can disappear without a trace without drawing any attention from the police, because they are too insignificant to be concerned about. The haunting thing about this is how true it is. When Haemi disappears, nobody seems to notice or care at all, because losing one lonely and ordinary girl does not matter at all to the world. Regardless of whether Ben murdered her, the indifference of the world towards a girl's disappearance is brutal enough, and shows how frail a person's life is if they are a nobody.

Theme #5: The clash of characters
It was brought up multiple times that Jong Soo's "occupation" is a creative writer, yet we never see him writing except in two distinctive scenes. Jong Soo spends most of his time managing his father's farm, passing the time at home, feeding Haemi's unobservable cat, and satisfying his sexual desires. The only piece of writing we see from him is the petition he writes for his father who is being convicted, implying that rather than using his writing skills for creative production, he can only use them to solve his real-life issues. One of the possible reasons could be that he is incapable of writing, because he is merely a mindless empty shell stuck in his past. He resonates with Faulkner's work, because he thinks it resembles his own life (his past), but he has no other thoughts aside from this past, nor does he have enough connection with the outer world to come up with any story for a novel. Due to having a broken family and lacking maternal love he is unable to properly interact with the world and enjoy life, but deep inside he longs for a connection, and tries to address this loneliness through touching himself. He is only surviving, but not living. Haemi, on the other hand, is drowning in debts but living her life in complete spontaneity. She is free-spirited and always has her head in the clouds, as if she is drunk. She smiles at one moment, and suddenly bursts into tears in another. She dances wildly, strips herself naked, without social schema ever crossing her mind. Haemi may seem insane, but she could be the most sane character in the story -- the only character that is truly living, that knows what is real and what is not, and contemplates about life's meaning. Despite having plastic surgery, she is more raw and authentic than those who live wearing a mask. And this is what Jong Soo likes about her, but what Ben finds boring. The three characters have different personalities and backgrounds, which ignites interesting sparks in their encounters.

Theme #6: Gender roles
The movie briefly touches on topics of toxic masculinity and female oppression in society. Quoting from Haemi's friend, "there is no country for women", women are often subject to scrutiny and harsh standards. "You're ugly", "Only prostitutes take off their clothes like that in front of men", Jong Soo is the typical traditional male who applies the scrutiny of appearance and behaviour. To Jong Soo, Haemi is the target of his sexual fantasies, the serrogate of a mother figure, and just an "ugly" girl that he doesn't remember from his past but a smoking love interest after her physical transformation. Ben takes on the role of playboys in society, those who pretend to respect and treasure women because "women like that are interesting", but actually see women as objects of possession, and to the extreme in this case, "trophies" that can be collected.

There could be more themes in this movie waiting to be discovered, but the above is my take on its more easily accessible themes. Burning is a masterpiece when it comes to having multiple themes perfectly woven together and presented through a single sit-through. It is a hidden gem among the countless fast-paced Korean films of this era, as it manages to go against the tides to adopt a more relaxed pace of story-telling, and such attempt was highly successful.

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Not Going To Be For Everyone

Although I enjoyed the show overall, there were a lot of aspects where production fell short.

I believe that this show originally was going to be 40 or more episodes long, but once they were done with editing and going through the censorship board it was cut down to 36 episodes. This was extremely noticeable for those who didn't even know the context of depleted episode count. There were many times it felt disjointed or unfinished. There were whole plots left dangling or completely unfinished. And though the actors worked their asses off, writing & editing stick out like a sore thumb on this one. As they failed the show don't tell rules of film making.

I think my biggest issue came a little past the halfway point with the climax of the 1st daughter and her husband's story. I was really enjoying their screentime and dynamic only for them to pull the rug out from under them completely, and never really put it to rights before moving on to the next storyline block.

4 of the 5(6 really but will touch on that later) Li sisters get to take on a leading role in their story with their husbands/future husbands for roughly 7-9 episodes each focused on a couple's love story. I wont be fully spoiling the finer details of storylines but some spoilers will occur simply because context is needed.

The show first kicks off with a short intro into 2nd daughter's dynamic with her husband of about 2 years, and setting up the Li family business and the personalities of the 6 sisters & mother. It then immediately goes into the 3rd daughters love story with her future husband, the cousin of 2nd sister's husband. The 2nd couple act as supporting characters mainly through this storyline as they are both related to the 3rd couple. I called the 2nd couple "The Double Agent Couple" because he was constantly asking/telling his wife about what goes on with the men & the husband was able to listen in on the sisters' conversations because he was already a member of the family. The 3rd couple I referred to as "The Scheming Couple" - the couple that schemes together, stays together.

The 3rd couple(Li Kang Ning & Chai An) have an Elizabeth & Mister Darcy chemistry with a healthy dose of Tom and Jerry thrown in for laughs. They can scheme against each other, but the second someone else tries to play with them the kid gloves are off. It's harmless pranks, pushing each other in business, and testing each other's limits. The chemistry between Lu Yu Xiao and Wang Xing Yue is great and continues to hold strong even when they take a backseat in the other sibling's storylines.

After 3rd get their happily ever after, the story shifts it's focus to the 1st daughter and her new husband(Li Shou Hua & Du Yang Xi). I call them the Scholarly Couple, because he places 3rd in the Imperial Exam & had she been a man she would have been the top scholar of a generation. All is well and good kicking off with a snub from the husband due to a misunderstanding prior to marriage. As they start to let their walls down and communicate it gets even better....and then the other shoe drops and the previous mature communication completely breaks down and the "self sacrifice" "I'll make you hate me so you can live." tropes come into play. This isn't the first case of abusive tactics used within the show, but it is the first time that draws blood from one of the siblings. In episode 17 to push her away he starts to act like a complete asshole and goes to whip their servant who the girls treat more like family. Shou Hua steps in front of the girl to protect her from the blow that Du Yang Xi is throwing down. He ends on striking his wife with a whip so hard it breaks open her layers of clothing and leaves a open bloody gash on her shoulder of about 6 to seven inches long. We NEVER get a full apology for this behavior. Shou Hua just all of a sudden "knows" that he is treating her like shit to "protect her". They divorce and eventually reconcile, but that scene is maybe 5 minutes and then no second wedding no show of what he did to win her back...nope...he just sort of knelt for a second and then all was forgiven...ick. I could never see him the same way after that. Because we didn't get to see him repent for hurting his wife both physically and emotionally I just never got over my ick.

Right at the tail end of 1st daughters story we get introduced to the future 4th brother-in-law. 4th couple(Li Hao De & Shen Hui Zhao) have the best storyline of all the siblings imo. Somewhat tied with 3rd couple. I refer to them as the "Justice/Truth Above All Else Couple" a Judge and his clerk fall in love. When given the opportunity to lie and be believed Hao De still tells the whole truth. Shen Hui Zhao goes from very strict black and white logic to letting emotions help guide him more. Hao De worms her way into everyone's heart and breaks down any emotional wall that someone puts in front of her. They can't help but love her, and her husband is no expectation. They have amazing chemistry together. It comes from trust, understanding, and faith in one another. When he goes to push her away he is honest about why he feels like he needs to protect her from his line of work. He doesn't ever strike her or fully leave her in the dark about his plans. The one time he does sort of leave her out of his plans it feels more like she's upset that he went off to play with others and left her out of the fun. Would really love to see the two actors Ke Ying and Liang Yong Qi get to play leading roles together in another drama in the future. They were natural and playful. Seriously some give him a leading role already.

The 5th daughter and her husband are a true enemies to lovers trope. Li Le Shan and Yang Xian hate each other on sight...they are the "Fire & Gasoline Couple" they only add to each other's flames, and violence is always the answer for these two. Yang Xian, played by Winwin, has the most character development of any other character in the entire show. He goes from a spoiled rich kid who wants to piss off his father by bringing a merchant woman home as a wife in episode 3 to a self-made hardworking and determined man ready to win his wife's love again in episode 35/36. He has the most complicated family dynamic that showcases the stark difference between a conniving noble household constantly seeking power and the more modest and loving merchant household the Li girls were raised in. You will love Le Shan the second she shows up on screen ready to castrate a man for daring to look at her sisters. She is the most like their mother. She will thrown hands first before trying to talk it out. She matures over time and knows when to use her words and patience over her club/rod. Even though Huangyang Tian Tian is the youngest member of the main cast she acts circles around almost everyone. Winwin, who is 10 years her senior in age,(the couple never kiss in their story as she was actually a minor during the filming so put your pitch forks down), holds his own. This is only his 3rd production, but he already has a good grasp on conveying subtle internal emotions of his character with his facial expressions. I think I thought that his character would be a secret martial arts/scholar just because Winwin himself is skilled in fight choreography due to his classical dance training. They have to repeatedly state he isn't a good fighter or a good scholar.

Major spoilers for last little bit...6th daughter is the adoptive daughter of the Li family and former betrothed of 3rd daughter's twin brother Pan'er. We were ROBBED, I tell you, of a deeper dive into Pan'er(Zhe Cong) and Qiong Nu's story. Because surprise bitches baby bro is alive and just a perfect blend of his mama & daddy. Seriously knight in shining armor should be his character description. They were my "A Very Long Engagement Couple". I don't believe their story was majorly cut down in post production editing so I wish the writers would have given us more of them in the script. They had a more interesting story than 2nd couple.

We were also robbed of the final boss 6 brother-in-law alliance team meeting. I found that whenever all the sisters or BiLs were together they had some of the better comedic/storytelling elements. As most of the guys have all worked together before their banter was seriously under utilized.

Overall I give it an 8.5-9 out of 10. If it was going just off of pure production critique I would be closer to a 5 or 6. The cast and chemistry brought up the score A LOT. I can't say with 100% certainty, but it feels like a lot of the budget went into the cast and not other elements of the show. There is more I have to say, but I've been writing for over an hour and need to start my day, so if you finish reading all of this, thank you for your time. If you have any questions feel free to ask in the comments below and I'll answer as best and as quickly as I can.

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