Reviews

In my opinion, Kaitou Tantei Yamaneko is a truly excellent drama! I thoroughly enjoyed every episode the characters and acting being a high point. The story didn't go in the direction I was expecting - that's for sure, but nevertheless if you want comedy perfectly matched with drama, action, and suspense with real edged-of-your-seat and knot-in-your-throat moments you'll enjoy this!

The Story:
Firstly I've got to say DON'T READ SPOILERS! Don't scroll down to the comments or look for screenshots! You'll thank me later! Some of the best moments come from the crazy twists this drama throws at you. That's partly why the story didn't go in the direction I was expecting.
Episode to episode it's not as over-arching-plot driven as most mysteries. Some may call some KTY episodes 'filler' as it's focus is rarely it's over arching plot. It's focus is instead on it's fantastic characters. You will fall in love with every one of them I guarantee it. No character is cheaply written, every character has real heart behind them and when the mystery does pick up speed in episode 8 you really care about who these people are and what's happening to them.

The Acting:
The acting is phenomenal. Kamenashi really gives it his all and clearly had a blast playing Yamaneko. He goes from goofy comedy, to heat wrenching drama, to back-flippin' action with ease and is supported by a fantastic cast. Narimya perfectly plays the put-upon and abused Katsumura and later in the series really pulls out all the stops. Hirose went way beyond my expectations almost immediately. Sasaki's comic timing is perfect, Otsuka and Nanao also made me love them, and Ikeuchi was perfect. In fact, all these actors and the other supporting/guest actors were so perfectly cast it's astounding!

The Music:
It's certainly not your average jdrama score. The way the orchestral theme music came in every time, either comically or seriously, was perfect and really sets you up for this slightly bizarre drama. The rest of the music throughout the episode is also brilliantly scored, the composer really outdid himself! UNLOCK by KAT-TUN, apart from being one of their best singles (imo), fits nicely into this drama and is never misplaced only ever coming in at the end and never drowns anything out.

Rewatch Value:
While this drama was coming out I was watching every episode two or three times! It's hilarious, cute, and Kame is a lovely bit of eye-candy when he's not acting like a doofus (and sometimes when he is). However as with any mystery once you know then ending and all the twists - watching it from episode one again is a completely different experience. So it's hard to say this is completely rewatchable but I certainly will come back to it in a month or so as it is quite episodic.

Other thoughts:
The ending has been a problem for some people and I can see where they are coming from. When I first watched it I was a bit taken aback. It's not that things are left hanging (though there is room for a sequel). As I said, you really end up loving these characters and to see what happens to them... it's not unsatisfying it's just unexpected. Once I had finally digested the events of the last three episodes I actually think I ended up respecting the show more. As with any show that has twists, things don't always go the way you were expecting.
Speaking of expectations - this drama had far more comedy than I was first l thought it would!

Overall:
This drama really packs a punch. From episode one to ten I was 100% on board loving every second. As a Kame fan I must admit that I sometimes do the very bad thing of skipping every scene Kame is not in. However, with this series I had literally no desire to do that. Every character is well acted and the story is very compelling. I highly recommend this series to anyone be they a Kame fan or not!

Leggi di Più

"Encounter" is 100% romance, with no filler, so if people falling in love isn't your thing then this drama definitely should not be on your list. It's an opposites attract story in some ways, but not in a romcom sense. The vibe is much more poetic and serious. There's also a flip in the traditional Kdrama roles with Song Hye Kyo playing the cold CEO usually played by men and Park Bo Gum playing her younger and quirky love interest. I admit that in the beginning I wasn't sold on this pairing at all, but by the end they seemed extremely genuine, and I liked them together much more than I thought I would.

Seeing Song Hye Kyo as such a mature and straight-faced character felt awkward at first. She's come a long way from "Full House", one of the first dramas I've ever seen, and though this is not the first time I've seen her serious, it is the first time seeing her as a cold and at times emotionless character. There is also such a significant age gap between her and Park Bo Gum, that they initially just seemed wrong together. The early scenes in Cuba are particularly awkward at times, but there was just enough spark to keep me curious and interested enough to keep watching. Eventually, I sensed more of a chemistry between them, not exciting chemistry, but more comfortable and sweet chemistry. Bo Gum's smiles started to feel less forced. Seeing her loosen up to the possibility, made me loosen up to the possibility as well. Next thing you know I was rooting for them with no hesitation. So maybe that means the casting was genius after all.

There's not much to the story honestly, so I couldn't give it high marks. There are a few points in the story about family & business drama, but it really is about two people figuring out if they can make a relationship work. The pace is also very slow, but I was never bored watching because I think the pace matched the drama's mood well. I'd compare this drama to sipping wine rather than drinking soda (for the record I love both!). The wine has to be to your taste in order to enjoy sipping it, and sucking it up fast with a straw would just seem odd. It isn't the most original or exciting premise either, but there's one thing that makes this drama stand out, the visuals!

This drama is completely gorgeous to watch, and not just the scenes overseas. There are moments that are cinematic, moments where a strategically placed painting makes a huge statement, and animated moments before and after each episode that gives the story a whimsical fairytale feel. The soundtrack is also beautiful and matches that mood well. I think the star of this drama is definitely the director, and since one of the main characters is a photographer, the focus on viuals never seemed out of place. I think it raised the bar for this drama, which never would have been as interesting with a more traditional look.

Would I watch it again? Not likely, but it depends on my mood. There weren't enough things that I loved to want to see it all over again. I also liked but didn't fall in love with the lead couple, or the supporting cast. They were all great, but I didn't feel like I would miss seeing any of them once the show ended.

Overall, this is strictly for romance fans. The love was heavy-handed at times, but there were enough moments that felt authentic, realistic, and relatable as well. I felt calm watching, even during more upsetting moments, so I would categorize this drama under "Kdrama & Chill". Just like the title suggests, this was an unexpectedly enjoyable drama that I'm glad I came across, and decided to give a chance.

Leggi di Più

HI! This is my first time writing review, I normally don't like to write a review, I prefer to read other reviews that leave mine, but on this one, I really had to. I saw all the comments and reviews about this drama, about the lack of many things, but in my case I really Loved it! I really love Romance dramas, it just my cup of tea.

I read some reviews about the lack of chemistry or why the ML & FL love each other so much in so little time, I normally see those comments on the modern dramas, but on Costume/History/Period dramas they are just like that , they fall in love at first sight and they barely touch each other hands and they give each other lives like there is no tomorrow and they still get good reviews.

Going to the point, I really liked this drama, the story line, the actors where amazing, they had great chemistry, the OST just beautiful, for the ML & FL I understood their love for each other, I was happy with them and I was sad as well, I could feel how much he loved her, despite how little time they had since they met, every time they see each other again, they hug so tidily that made cry, I will feel the same way if my beloved one is been missing for days with out not knowing what happen to them, for me every time they were together it felt real( I just missed probably few more kisses in the forehead or cheeks every time they meet).

How can someone be so young in his actions and at some point and them so little change to be this strong king like that , but I see why, He loved her, and will fight the world and time for her love. FL has strong character and she is a girl in love as well, she can't act like nothing has happen, when she hasn't see him in some time, knowing that something might happen to him, she escaped from danger and din't back down that easily, and still fight for her love as well, knowing that might not be tomorrow.

The supporter characters where amazing, just on the down side for me, they where a lot of them, sometimes it was hard for me to follow some of their stories, but it wasn't anything major problem for me, the main support characters I liked their stories, and help the story line as well. They only one that I find that has to much screen time was the Prime minister and she didn't help to much in the story, if she would be the main villain that would it be understandable.

The story line about time and parallel universe, I really liked and liked the ending, because I understood why is that ending ( Not a sad ending at all), but I understand, I can see the point of view of the writer. The ML/FL put the well been of everyone, not just their own lives and still manage to be happy.

The OST! I loved it so so much! The song My Love by Gummy, I felt in love with that song and Maze too, they are so beautiful.
Rewatch value, Yes! I probably rewatch it in few days, just in case I missed something the first time and will rewatch all my favorite parts of the drama again, I felt like if there were questions they answered it. If I don't understand a part of the drama, I go back and rewatch again, so I can understand, why not? That is why I like to watch the dramas once they're finish, so I can replay the parts that I might not understand.

I really recommend it, if you really like romance that goes beyond time and space, I wish that they had more beautiful scenes together. they were beautiful on each of them. I really enjoyed this drama!

Thank you!

Leggi di Più

An underrated series that serves as an inspiration to not just women but also life and ones' career

Realistic and Relatable : An underrated series that serves as an inspiration to not just women but also life and ones' career

The best drama that I've watched that truly has an exceptional female lead. Out of all the dramas I've encountered Shen Rouxin is definitely a character that can be an inspiration to not just women but also people striving hard in building their careers. In our society today in which ones' career depends on its success, one may face troubles such as stereotypes, discrimination or even racism in the work place. Every now and then, these situations hinder people's career and I find it admirable that this show has characters that have more depth and that show what really happens in the working industry.

Applause also for the actresses and actors who portrayed their characters well. Not to mention, the cinematography as well as the soundtracks used in the series that fits the theme of the series.

In addition to that, I also love how the main couple's relationship in the series is mature but also adorable. Shen Rou Xin and Qi Xiao talked their problems rather than having miscommunication troubles which is common in most teen / youth dramas. We also get to see the struggles of the other relationships that are portrayed in the show. Like for Song Zi Yan and Zou Cheng, we see the problems they have in their marriage and how they overcome it. We also get to see the insecurities of Su Yang and by accepting and learning from those insecurities, his relationship with You Si Jia had developed. What's more, I also commend the struggles of not just a mother but parents in general in the society - how parents have demands for their children and how these demands affect their child etc.

The Rational Life indeed is a series that gives us a unique taste for it portrays different relationships that are breaking the stereotypes that they have to face in the society while also staying true with their ideals and not minding what society says about their relationship.

Furthermore, the series also gives each characters a time to shine for we get to see their individuality and complexity (how each of them struggled with their insecurities and how each of them grew and develop as a person). Props to not just the main characters (Shen Rouxin and Qi Xiao) but also to the supporting characters Song Zi Yan, Zou Cheng, Su Yang, You Si Jia, Mother Shen and Mother Qi.

While the plot is slow burn and the romance between the main couple takes time to develop in the series, I find this to be appropriate for the highlight or focus of the series is not just the relationship but Life in general : People's career as well as issues in the modern society which can be an eyeopener to young people who haven't yet entered the working industry.

Some viewers may also claim that this show is too old fashioned and I personally and strongly disagree with this one. The reason for it is that first of all, the series shows what is really happening in the real world most especially the working environment. It gives a lesson to viewers that not everything in life, love and work is all about sunshines and rainbows. People striving to build their career may encounter problems and it is important to have a positive mindset about it . There are also the demands and expectations that people have. Not to mention, having a relationship or not even having a relationship can lead people to be prejudice towards others. Moreover, as a person who is still in my youth and who just recently started in building a career, I can definitely relate with the characters in the series for I have also encountered these complications which is why this series is definitely not old fashioned for it is Real and Raw and relays lessons that are useful especially for the youth.

While I also see that this show might be targeted for older viewers / audience, it actually entirely depends on the viewer's taste or perspective. Some youth may like it, others may not. That is why I won't be discouraging people in watching this. If you're interested in watching it then you might as well give this one a try. Don't let reviews or other people's perspective sway you in watching this for its a matter of choice.

In conclusion, The Rational Life is a series that is more of a melodrama than romance for it does not just gives Life lessons but also serves as a Revelation to viewers for it depicts Realistic situations that people face and reflect upon in the modern society.

Leggi di Più

Myung Soo Hyun, babe, we need to talk about that ending you wrote up cause what the fuc-

There are some people in the comment section who interpret the ending as a happy ending. They're right if you think about it, no one died, the characters all became successful ( all owning real estate they wanted which was the primary theme and focus of the drama) and even the leads met again. But boy oh boy do I have a bone to pick with this "happy ending". This is essentially a rant and not a critique. I will not be eloquent with my words, the ending has left me too frustrated for that.

I feel the need to let anyone reading this know how I watched this show. There were two episodes each week and for eight weeks I tuned in first thing in the morning to watch them before doing anything else. This show was a part of my life and routine for 2 months. And I loved it. The show was your standard Kdrama with lots of warmth, love, romance, laughter and in this case lots of pretty houses and many heartfelt insights of home owners living in those varied, beautiful homes. I think I speak for all of us when I say the the numerous cliches used were a bit much sometimes. But a lot of experienced watchers like me who have been watching since before kdramas became more ' refined' and 'palatable' for western/netflix watchers, are very much used to the cheesiness and predictablity of the plot details. I could certainly do without the numerous breakups, misunderstandings, sacrificing love for you friend/ family and all the little chiches in between but I don't hate them. And I certainly won't fault a romcom for being cliched.

SO WHY IN THE FUCK DID THEY NOT TAKE THE CLICHED ROUTE IN THE END????? I can only guess that they wanted the FL to be 'successful' and 'independent' on her own and prove that she did not rely on the ML in anyway for achieveing her dreams. And I suppose they wanted to explain them not ending up together due to their father ( being compulsed I must remind) to run away from paying back the ML 10 years before the leads met. Which the ML understood and acknowledged might I add. Sure, he'll be " reminded of the incident everytime he looks at the FL" but that's how it's supposed to be???? It doesn't mean he'll hate her and treat her badly for her father's mistakes. You can't cut an entire person ( your significant other in this case) just because you don't want to think about it. The show put all this emphasis on " money can't buy happiness" and " House+Love= Home" but at the end completely ignored it at the end. It showed the leads being sad looking loners who live in their big empty houses by themselves with their piles of money and presented it as a 'makeshift happy ending'. It was giving me " See? They can be happy by themselves too!". It's honestly a bit distasteful. These characters were always showed to be hardworking social climbers who always wanted a better llfe for them and their loved ones. And they were shown to be putting a lot of importance on relationships and love for their emotinal fullfilment and happiness. Particularly the ML was shown looking kind of depressed even after three years.

The ending didn't match with the overall theme/vibe of the show at all and was utter bullshit.

If you're going to watch it, go ahead and do until episode 15. I'm sure if you like this genre you'll enjoy it. It was done well and at times REALLY well until the ending. Personally I would like my 16 hours back and a compensations for the emotions I wasted. Thanks.

Leggi di Più

Lighthearted, Witty Republican Era Detective Drama (with beautiful costumes)

Overall, great drama - characters, acting, and cases are all very interesting. It's a fun, light-hearted detective drama set in Shanghai during the Republican Era. Highly recommend if you're looking for a drama with a good story and acting that's not too serious. What I really like about this drama is that it has a more mature undertone against the overall lighthearted, fun vibes - the director did a nice job here. I often find that lighthearted dramas sometimes end up being too childish or immature. I just want to smack some reality into those characters. Here, the characters are more mature. Though the Miss S (FL) is flirtatious and witty, she has her life together. Detective Tan (ML) is also a smart, serious, and hardworking professional. Though there is romance, FL and ML are not running around like teenagers obsessed with love. Note - romance is not the main focus of this drama. There are cute scenes, but this is primarily a detective drama. See below for more details and a brief comparison with other detective dramas.

Acting
Ma Yi Li (FL) and Gao Wei Guang (ML) are terrific. It's so fun watching their interactions. Ma Yi Li plays the witty, flirtatious, and beautiful Miss S. It took me a few episodes to get used to this character because of her lasting impression as Zi Jun in First Half of My Life. Gao Wei Guang's acting has improved a lot since Ten Miles Peach Blossom, and his more serious personality is a nice contrast to FL's. Second leads are also great. They are cute, less mature, but fun. I'm impressed by the number of extras that they have for this drama.

Costumes
AMAZING. FL's outfits are stunning - she has beautiful qi paos (traditional attire) and Western formal wear. Ma Yi Li's outfits are amazing. I don't think I realized how beautiful she is until this drama. ML has sleek attire as well. I would say there not as eye catching as FL's, but then again, Gao Wei Guang looks good in anything.

Story
Interesting overarching story with romance. You learn very early on what the overarching story is and get fed bits and pieces as the drama progresses. The last episode wraps everything up, and I think they did relatively good pacing towards the end. It's a little rushed at the end, but not that bad. Ending is plausible. I wonder if there's a season 2...Regarding the romance mentioned earlier - romance is nicely incorporated but not overpowering either. FL and ML are so fun to watch. I would say that don't watch this drama just for romance. At the end of the day, this is a detective/ crime drama.

Opportunities ("Cons")
- Case complexity: I thought the cases overall tend to be a bit too complex. There was one case that completely did not make sense to me (granted I'm watching raw and Chinese is a 2nd language...). The positive side of complex cases, is that you can't really figure out who the actual criminal is early on. This keeps the case interesting. However, sometimes I find they are unnecessarily overcomplex. It doesn't necessarily give the vibe of 'draggy' but more of unnecessary.
- Music: I found this a bit weird, but most the memorable songs are in English...not sure why this bothers me a little. I give them kudos for finding English singers without an accent. My biggest pet peeve is when they find people to sing English songs but have heavy accents - might as well just use Chinese lyrics instead.

Detective Drama Comparisons (also recommendations if you liked Miss S)
1. My Roommate is a Detective (MRIAD): both are Republic era dramas set in Shanghai. I prefer Miss S 100xs over MRIAD - the only reason I didn't drop MRIAD is because I got really bored during quarantine. Leon Zhang was the saving grace of that drama. FL drove me nuts - she's so immature, noisy, and unreasonable. I almost dropped it because I couldn't stand her bickering. Also, the cases there were too simple. Once you figure out the pattern, you can easily figure out who the criminal is early on. The ending was also too rushed in my opinion.
2. When a Snail Falls in Love (WASFIL): both are detective stories and I think the balance of detective/ crime story vs romance is similar. Romance in both isn't overpowering but a secondary theme. I like both Miss S and WASFIL - hard to choose with is better. WASFIL is more mature than Miss S - I feel like it's a bit heavier, probably because of the types of cases they deal with.
3. Love Me If You Dare (LMIYD): Miss S is much more lighthearted and fun that LMIYD. Don't get me wrong, LMIYD is a really good drama (Wallace Huo is fantastic!). However, it's a bit heavy and has elements of a thriller drama. There are a few parts that are a little disturbing - not to the extend of Criminal Minds, but it's not lighthearted stuff either. Would recommend LMIYD if you're looking for a good detective drama and you know what you're getting yourself into (aka watch the trailer first).

Leggi di Più

UHHHH

Ok, so in all honesty I have no idea how I finished this show. It was a struggle, no lie! Watching it on LineTV there's a few spots in each episode that aren't subbed, but I assure you it's not enough to miss out on anything. Moving on... I gave it a shot since most of the cast were new actors and my ratings isn't caused by their acting, but by the awful storyline. The plot was a hot mess! I mean scattered and smothered all over the place. I legit skipped a good portion and I know for a fact I didn't miss much. The ONLY thing that helped me get by were the sex scenes(no shame)and they were few and far between. The actors were attractive af but that only gets you so far. I wish them all luck in their acting careers but I gotta say....My re-watch value is ZERO but I might consider recommending to my enemy.

Leggi di Più

Found this Japanese jewel and was hooked right off,due to its sheer simplicity of telling a very full story of finding & knowing self. This series artfully deals with a middle-aged 40+ woman who is forced into a journey of finding herself and being comfortable in her own skin. The host of characters who travel with her are quirky yet loving making the entire cast delightful & engaging. This is not for anyone looking for murder, mayhem, romance, and backstabbing - but if you are looking to take a break and partake in something that feeds YOUR inner self, this would be a great break. Easy-going, simple, appropriate soundtrack and just left me feeling good & it's only 4eps. Good story telling does not always needs 16, 24, or 50episode to make an impact.

Leggi di Più

I have a lot of mixed feelings about this drama and even months after finishing it, I'm not sure where I stand in terms of liking or hating the plot twist. Yes, the message is beautiful and all, and yes, that last episode had me crying, but I can't say whether that's because of the writing or my feelings towards Alzheimer's after experiencing it through my grandmother.

And, while the message is important, I would have cared so much more if I knew going into this drama what it was about. Sure there are some people who would choose not to watch it because it is a heavy topic that affects many people in real life. When someone has Alzheimer's, its effects radiate. It affects their family, their friends. It even showed as much in the drama. But the choice of whether or not to watch it should be theirs to make. For some people, dramas are an escape from the hardships of the day. They go into dramas wanting to forget real life and to instead invest in characters that they get to slowly learn and care for. So if they go in wanting an escape, it could be considered cruel to throw away the story they developed over 10 episodes for a topic that hits close to home for many. At the same time, I do understand what they were trying to do and respect that. I'm just not sure I agree with the implementation of it.

If the show was honest from the start, I may have loved it. But it wasn't. It feels like those 10 episodes weren't needed if this was the story they were going to tell. All of those story threads and all of that time invested to get to that point were just thrown away in favour of a slice of life melodrama. The show made me care about the delusion of Joon Ha, and I just didn't care at all for the real him because of it. The fake versions of the main couple were a lot more compelling to watch, and I really did care about them, no matter how absurd the story around them was. It's a kdrama, I'm used to the absurd. But the reality of them just made me numb to it all. When I should have felt the most and been hit the hardest, I didn't feel it. A part of me regrets watching it.

And yet, at the same time, I respect the premise. I think that Alzheimer's should be talked about and discussed more often, especially since early intervention is very important for treatment. But I don't think this story pulled that off as well as it could have. Judging from the polarizing reaction to it, while some appreciated the message, a lot are just upset at wasting their time.

So I'm torn on whether to recommend this or not. I do feel that the surprise is unnecessary, and that going into it understanding what you're going to find at the end is the best approach. You can't be disappointed if you know what's coming, so go into it with an open mind and steel your heart.

Leggi di Più

Great concept, bad execution.

This show is an example of how to ruin a drama with great concept and potential into a mess. The first 5 episodes really really impressed me to the point where I made my own storyline that could have made more sense than the original show.

Acting: I wouldn't say I loved the main character's acting,both dan oh and haru. But lee jae wook, he was extremely good. His character deviates between frustrating and depressing every few episodes, and he showcased that so well. Other than that, I felt absolutely no chemistry, no emotions and no feelings about any character, was dissapointing. April naeun really surprised me though, she acts pretty well and is so beautiful!

Characters: The writer failed in this department. Literally no character has depth, especially haru. He literally has no personality except for ...well.. he like dan oh. Dan Oh's character was bearable for 5 episodes, actually she was cute. But after that I found her lines and expressions extremely cringy. She was trying to sound a little too cheerful, didn't enjoy that. Dan oh starts off as a strong character, then she ends up crying every few episodes, was hard to watch. The other extra characters like the bullies and other classmates were really annoying, they keep doing same shit every day. Every interaction of the main three characters I started to skip by the end of the show, except for juda and lee do hwa scenes( they were cute).

Script: I have actually never seen a drama with so many plot holes,repetitive (even though there is a reason for some of the dialogues being repeated)and extremely cringy dialogues all rolled up into a package so perfectly like this one. After the good 5 episodes, we got into a really bad phase for like 5 episodes and I thought that the show was getting better, but no it ends with nothing.This show explains nothing. We reach nowhere.

Music: The osts of this show are really good though. They had all these idol group like april, stray kids and verivery to sing.

In conclusion this show is extremely frustrating and nothing much to watch. Watch only if you have absolutely nothing to do in life.

Leggi di Più

Would recommend this drama!!! Starts really good. The male lead is a person who seeks for precious gems. He gets into. a car accident and accidentally meets the female lead who is a tribe leader. She takes him in and takes care of him. He finds out she has a precious gem and he wants to take it for himself, so he needs to gain the trust of the female lead. The female lead promise to give it to him only if they get married. He basically teaches her about how to use a phone, eat instant noodle, and take selfies. She has a really good memory. Female lead is a naive, innocent, simple minded girl. The male lead is more dark, cold and mysterious ( he wanted to only use her at first.... but then you know ,... they fall in love)
He basically drugs them the night of the wedding and he escapes. ( lol thats the background)

The female lead tries to find him in the city, there she meets the second male lead. lol he wants her to be in a live stream with him( thats his job) The male lead is trying to find the cave were there is a lot of precious gem. Also the evil characters in the show want to find it for themselves. In the process the male lead finds an elder who once had connections about finding the cave/ he had a secret box that he kept with him. They keep trying to open that box to see whats the secret behind it all.

I really liked the male lead's relationship with his two childhood friends. One is a computer genius and the other is knowledgable in gems, they all help to try to open the locked box.

Some parts in the middle was kind of draggy/ a little slow, like the plot was developing it pick up closer to the end. ( dont want to spoil too much )

What really sold me was the female lead. She is so cute, gulliable, innocent but at the same time smart, brave and honest, speaks her mind. She is the ray of sunshine that melts/ heals the male lead's scar.She brings positivity and genuineness. The chemistry between them is alright. I felt the female liked the male more lol , therefore some of the kissing scenes to me didn't strike my heartstrings as much as some in other drama, but in the end i felt the feelings ( lol watch for yourselves). I also liked how each character was able to get some romantic character development. The story was well rounded and had a happy ending. So please go watch :)

Leggi di Più

“Misunderstandings” with atypical characters just hit different

Hear me out.

While it has all the elements of a cliched contract marriage romcom, the characters’ personalities and values set this story apart from the rest. The male lead is somewhat neuroatypical. He has an almost over-logical way of thinking, and is unable to express himself to others. The female lead is passionate about her career and doesn’t consider marriage an important part in her future plans, which is slightly unconventional in “traditional” Japanese culture. This light romcom when viewed through an atypical lens can make for an easy, yet thought-provoking drama about understanding. The popular song 「Heart」 by Aimyon serves as its theme.

“Misunderstandings” is probably in my top 5 things I dislike about any drama because most of the time it’s used as an easy way to add conflict in a story and separate the couple for no good reason. But here, it’s used to highlight how the male lead struggles to communicate and understand what most consider to be conventional behaviour and feelings. Most of us take this understanding for granted. Think about it - we can say “I love you” to a best friend to mean platonic love, and say “I like you” to a new acquaintance to mean romantic love. How do you *KNOW* when is which?

Aside from the leads, supporting characters also explore their own version of unconventional “love” and “relationships” — which (in my opinion) Jdramas do best! What does it mean to be married? Is that really the only way to be “happy"? [SPOILER WARNING for side characters] A man wonders why his wife wants to get divorced in order to have a common-law marriage (where you are still lovers/partners in every way except on legal papers), A women who chose her partner not based on love, but to start an “ideal family”. A fangirl devoting her love to an idol. I loved these mini-insights that can easily be overlooked.

WHAT I WOULD HAVE CHANGED:

Of course, any drama has its flaws.

The last three episodes might be frustrating and slow for some, but I still found those episodes to be interesting. If you consider these two people not fitting into the mould of “normal”, there’s a need to explore a relationship that works best for them! Isn’t that the most important thing?

I also understood the reasons for the cliched setup and abundance of misunderstandings but could have done with a few less, especially the meddling love interests. And finally, I felt the leads could have had more build-up and chemistry with each other, and I wanted it to end slightly differently, but overall I was still satisfied with the romance.

TRY IT IF YOU LIKE:
The contract marriage trope, 『Nigeru wa Haji da ga Yaku ni Tatsu』 (Japanese, 2016), "Because This Is My First Life" (Korean, 2017)

It’s not a character study on neurodivergence, but if you watch it with this open mind, you might gain a new perspective. Even if you’re not interested in the atypical angle, there are enough sweet doki-doki moments to keep a romcom fan entertained.

Leggi di Più

This is one of shows that sparked my enthusiasm towards anything related to air travel and commercial aviation. And still is. Good Luck is one of those very rare well-written, well-acted, and realistic aviation-related shows. Well, actually few details are not that accurate, but they are just little nuisances among the greatness of this show.

I like the way its scriptwriter measures various contents in Good Luck!! because they are well-balanced. Most of the story lines are revolves around the career of Shinkai. Every details and his job in the airlines (such as safety, seniority, check lists, training, and even periodic medical check-up) are portrayed very well. It's not suprising that this big-budget drama is supported by a premium airlines in Japan, All Nippon Airlines, so it didn't fail its expectation. Not only the pilot's everyday life, but his relation with fellow pilots, family, girlfriend, and neighbor are amusing as well. It's all natural and very realistic. Some anticlimax near the end may have deducting the overall points of this drama, but that's not a great deal.

Perhaps what bring this drama into life are the actors portraying the characters, particularly Kimura as young first officer (one rank below captain) Shinkai and Tsutsumi (my personal favorite actor) as Captain Koda. While Kimura plays his usual style, Tsutsumi stole the limelight with his superb acting and depth. The supporting casts play well too, while the actress playing the veteran flight attendant Togashi deserves honorable mention. Even some actors who are not known for their acting prowess play well here.

Last but not least, this solid drama may make you turned into an aviation enthusiast like I was. If it's not, at least you will be entertained along the show.

Leggi di Più

A drama that literally takes you on a roller coaster ride of emotional twists and turns, Que Sera Sera revolves around 4 young people, all dealing with their own personal struggles, and how they overcome and grow.

Kang Tæ - Joo is a suave, unrepentant lady's man who goes about his romantic liaisons with cool practicality. He's your regular joe with high ambitions. He sees the beautiful rich women who fall over themselves for his manly charms and good looks as his ticket to bigger and better things. He’s a realist, with little patience for idealistic folly.

Some people have described him as a jerk, but to me he isn't. He never misleads the women in his life about his intentions nor does he try to hide the fact that he's essentially a gold digger. He's certainly a lady killer, a breaker of hearts, but not a mean spirited one. Women can't help but fall for him, but to Tæ-Joo that's neither his fault nor his business.

I don't always agree with his methods of achieving his goals, but I respect him. I admire his ambition and drive to make something of his life. It’s far better than the laziness, inertia and complacency that grip today's youth. So what happens when a brutal realist and a starry eyed idealist meet and fall in love? Well, chemical waves short circuit and the whole goddamn house burns down.

The show features an intense love quadruple which serves as the main driver of sending your emotions into a tailspin. Normally I hate these type of romance dramas, but this wasn’t bad at all. It kept me anxious but not angry. And as other reviewers have pointed out QSS isn’t your run of the mill kdrama with chaste kisses and secret glances. It’s wild and it's hot and it’s passionate. Sex is not taboo. The characters are age appropriate in their behaviours, if not always in their deeds. I loved it!

What I enjoyed even more, though, were the extremely valuable life lessons imparted:

- Life is a gamble, you can win a fortune or lose everything.
- Opportunities come only once, don’t pass them up.
- By the same token, know that whatever path you choose in life comes with consequences you have to live with.
- Most of the time money doesn't make you happy.
- Love, though fragile and fleeting, is the most important experience of human existence.
- We want what we can’t have, but don’t appreciate what we do have until it’s gone.

It was just amazing. I felt like by the end of the show I learned and grew right along with the characters. This is why I gave the drama an 8, instead of a 7.

The only downside, and why this drama didn’t net a 9, was that I wanted more ‘happy and in love’ screen time with our leads. There was an overabundance of negative angst. Not the exciting, sexually charged type of angst you’ll experience in say … Lovers. I’m fine with negative angst as long as equal amounts of positive angst balance things out.

Characters, on the other hand, were very three dimensional and human, all having their negative and positive attributes. I have to continuously commend the Koreans for writing such layered characters who I didn't see regularly before my foray into Asian entertainment.

Of the four main ones I felt like the female lead Eun Soo was the weakest link, mainly due to how she was acted by Jung Yu Mi. First of all, the actress looked like an underaged teenager and was much too childlike in her portrayal. As the drama progressed she matured a little and you realize she isn’t completely a pushover, but that she’s written as the stereotypical ‘strong’ Korean female lead afflicted with misplaced pride, noble stupidity; defiant, stubborn, obtuse … for totally idiotic, nonsensical reasons to the very end. Don’t get me wrong she remained a sympathetic figure throughout the show, but there were moments when certain behaviours of hers raised my ire.

Eric Mun as Kang Tæ-Joo was absolutely divine. Eye candy and talent, for a voracious cinephile like me it doesn’t get any better. And you could tell he’s Korean - American too because the guy has mad swag. I was swooning! This is the first time I’m seeing Mun in anything and I can understand why everyone says this is his best role. I can not imagine who else could play this character better than him.

But while Eric swept me off my feet and impressed me, the true stand out was actually Lee Kyu Han who I had recently seen in Smile, You and did not like! I thought his character was useless and a pest, but here wow … he played the ruthless, lonely, misunderstood, vulnerable businessman to a T. I sympathized a great deal with him even when I was supposed to hate him, especially toward the end. Finally, Yoon Ji Hye did great as the desperate, insecure rich girl.

Everyone pretty much threw themselves into their roles to create a truly engaging watch.I wanted a bit more from the ending, but was still satisfied with what we got. This was gooddrama, folks. Romance done right. It’s crazy and a little far-fetched as only Korean dramas can be, but totally worth it. If you don’t already have Que Sera Sera on your list, add it now.

Leggi di Più