Reviews

Rape ignored - Script Writer's shame.

The story is oppressive in its execution, storyboard, and editing. It isn't a romance; it is a reaffirmation of the stereotyping of women and the financially disadvantaged of any gender in society. Meant as provocative entertainment, and not as social commentary. Note: Production missed that mark, too.

By episode six social stereotyping begins to irritate and becomes maddening because the story fails to acknowledge rape, assault, and kidnapping in a criminal way (Two of the main leads, are lawyers). Every gender is a target and women are getting the brunt of it. Men's brutality is portrayed as a given. While women are always jealous and the enemies of other females.

This repetitive; out-dated; poorly scripted; decades-old morality play has no purpose and no entertainment value. Even subject matter, couldn't keep the boredom away. The finale, a karmic joke. I blame the writer. I don't recommend it.

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"Before you start complaining, why not start practicing?"

Yu Yu Hakusho had considerable story to tell with numerous characters in a very short amount of time. For the most part, and for someone completely unfamiliar with the source material, it succeeded.

The story was streamlined and relatively cohesive. The main characters and their characteristics were fired out with the speed of a 22. Yusuke was the tough rebellious teenager who helped out those in distress but didn’t want anyone to know it. Keiko had been friends with Yusuke since childhood and knew all of his foibles and strengths. Kuwabara was Kusuke's rival who couldn’t help but respect the opponent he desperately wanted to beat. After the accident that transformed Kusuke’s life, a plethora of Yokai and supernatural beings were brought in as well as the requisite human baddies.

YYH covered enemies to friends, training sessions, coming of age, and the old end of the world ploy. I enjoyed the enemies to friends and strangers to friends storylines. There were backstories and characters given short shrift, but in a 5 episode drama they did a fairly good job of forming the characters. The hair and costume colors were bold. I have found it helpful when watching dramas or movies based on anime to think of them like Western superhero movies. The flamboyant hairstyles and costumes make much more sense to me now. At least no one was wearing yellow spandex, although Koenma’s pacifier was truly bizarre. One of those things that might work better in animation than live action. The CGI was well done for a drama and there was plenty of it. The episodes kept things moving with fights using supernatural weapons and abilities. The battles pulled double duty by covering up a basic story. If there was a drawback to the fights, a few of them went on too long. The acting was all over the place, from competent to-adequate, completely over-the-top, and barely registering a pulse.

Yu Yu Hakusho felt more like a long movie in some ways rather than a very short drama. As in a movie, characters were given just enough development to differentiate them and understand their motivations. With a myriad of characters involved, both good and evil, the writers managed to wedge in as much backstory and world building as they could. Overall, I found this supernatural fantasy to be comprehensible and entertaining with the forged friendships and creative fights being the highlights.

27 Dec 2023

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Story: This is a story that's been with me for a long time. I started with the anime, and have then watched the other drama remakes over time, so it will be hard for me not to compare in this review.
It's not a unique story to say the obvious. It's very cliche, but it's a guilty pleasure of mine to re-watch different versions of this cute story. I've watched the Korean and Japanese version, but I have to say, I think out of all the remakes, I like this one the most. I felt that the other versions lacked something that this one had, and that's individuality. While the others felt like just another cliche, Miss In Kiss acknowledged that it was a story that's been done before and added it's own tune. The vibe this drama gave off was very cute and light hearted; it was easy to watch, especially with the short episodes. No sub plots were dragged out and the pacing this drama had felt right. I actually don't think there's anything I dislike about this drama other than the fact that I thought a few scenes and reactions could have been done a bit differently.

Acting/Cast: I felt that the characters in this version was the most believable. Zhi Shu didn't act like a cold emotionless psychopath like the other versions portrayed him to be, and I was glad to actually see him smile and cry whenever he needed to. He was much more human and realistic while still keeping the stereotype of an intellectual yet cold guy, I really enjoyed Lee Dino's take on this character. I loved Yue Qin in this as well, she wasn't as obsessed like in the Japanese version. She was just a normal girl who had a crush on a guy, but just couldn't let go. She was a very cute character.
Yue Qin and Zhi Shu's relationship was well developed, in no way did I feel their progress was rushed or could have been done better. I liked Ah Jin and Zi Yu in this version the most as well, they had much more character and I didn't feel that they were just getting in the way of the two leads.

Music: The OST was very cute and matched the vibe of the drama perfectly. I usually don't focus too much on the music in a show unless it really stands out, I found the soundtrack quite catchy and original.

Re-watch Value: If I'm ever in the mood for a light hearted and fluffy story, I might consider watching certain episodes than the whole thing, but I wouldn't mind watching the whole thing again either.

Overall: I feel that this drama did a great job in making it's own version of the story. It didn't feel like just another re-make, it felt original and stood out from the rest. I look forward to a possible season 2.

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Not Me is probably one of the best BLs of all time if not the BEST. (Review/Analysis) (No Spoilers)

I just cannot stress enough how much I love this drama. I finally watched it now that all the episodes have aired and it exceeded all my expectations despite me being a little apprehensive at first considering how it was not marketed very much. OffGun really took this drama and just made it absolutely soar. The plot, the pacing, the tone, the cinematography, the message, just really elevated my expectations for future BL dramas. Like don’t get me wrong I love Bad Bunny, Semantic Error, Theory of Love, and a bunch of other well made and great BLs but this is just one of those stories that didn’t require it to be a BL to be great. I’m a sucker for a good political crime drama and this one just took the cake and it being a BL was just icing on top.

Plot: 9/10

Boy oh boy, finally a drama not set in a college or work environment. Having a story of twins switching places has been done many times in cinema and tv but the reason behind it was crazy. White switching places with his comatose brother after years of not seeing him who is the literal polar opposite in every way is just iconic. Especially with Black being a modern day freedom fighter and White being a upstanding future politician, you just can’t go wrong with that. The Who done it aspect when it came to Black while great actually wasn’t the overall story of the main plot, but White figuring out he can’t bring true change while being a politician and that some roads have to be bumpier to bring long term societal change. The romance plot while slow was so well done and worth it by the end and while I wish it could of been a 16 Ep series like Kdramas to tie up a lot of the lose ends of the overall story, the romance aspect of it was so well done and just absolutely made my own heart soar which entirely made up for the lose ends. Plus this being a political drama really opens up a lot of avenues for a season 2.

Characters: 9/10

Gun really nailed this big time, and if he doesn’t win an award for this I will be very surprised. His portrayal of Black and White was just phenomenal, considering they are literal twins that embody ying and yang to a T. No light without dark and no dark without light is literally these two characters, which Gun is able to portray perfectly. Black is the rough and tumble gangster/modern day freedom fighter who legit takes no shit and is absolutely a complete asshole but despite all that still has an underlying warmth towards his brother and the people he’s actually close to. Not only that Black is a get shit done kinda guy no matter who he has to hurt to get his point across. While White is the polar opposite who originally believes that most things can be solved through words and non violence, and cares deeply for people around him especially his brother despite his conflicting feelings. Though the two of them are sorta strained, you come to a conclusion that despite their differences they’ve truly rubbed off on each other and this allows them to both grow into such complex characters. The gang member especially Offs character Sean is just so well done. Sean comes off very similar to Black but that’s mainly a façade to hide his past trauma and his reasonings resonate way more with you considering his harsh upbringing unlike Black and White. This is where White comes in and slowly and unknowingly starts rubbing off the best parts of his personality and ideals onto the rest of the gang while also coming to realize that the right way is sorta in the middle of his ways and their ways. The rest of the cast and the other side couple are also great and all their back stories really resonate with you and you come to understand that the law doesn’t always give you peace nor justice.

Romance: 9.5/10

A slow burn enemies to lovers is absolutely my favorite trope and surprisingly this dramas story is so interesting that really it didn’t need it but oh boy am I happy it did. OffGun brings the chemistry hot and heavy in this one when they finally get there. They portray this couple so well it is hard to fathom this show without it after seeing the beautiful development both Sean and White have. Especially with the fact Sean absolutely hated Black and is very conflicted with his own feelings and opening up. Plus the side couples are also well done and even sad at times. I saw a post describe the four romances so well as one of True Love, Love at First Sight, Unrequited Love, and Right Person Wrong Time, and the fact we get these stories all in one drama is absolutely nuts to me. All 4 plot lines are so well done and definitely left some lose ends that needed to be tied up in a season 2.

Themes: 10/10

This is where all of it ties together for me. Despite my love for OffGun and the Plot the theme behind it all is what takes this past my standard of what we consider a BL, and I would go as far as to say that despite it being marketed as a BL, if this was a show here in the states it would definitely be seen as a Political Crime Drama. To see the injustice of societal hierarchy, not just in Thailand, but in so many other countries portrayed in such a way is crazy. The most similar drama I can think of with similar tones as that would have to be Chicago Typewriter, which is a reincarnation piece about 3 friends who were freedom fighters in a past life. While the stories are vastly different, the portrayal of social injustice like this always gets to me and that the rich always wins if no one stands up. While the characters actions at first seem minuscule in comparison to what they are up against we slowly get to see the domino affect of change as the series progresses and while I think the story took away from this darker theme with how it ties up the main plot, the development of this theme is still there and again is PERFECT for a season 2.

Acting: 10/10

My god I cannot gush about the raw emotions some of these actors portray. I cannot stress enough how well Off and Gun KILLED their rolls. The raw emotions and personality switches that Gun was able to portray with White and Black, and the sheer inner turmoil that Off was able to bring to life with his characters ideals being questioned when it comes to right and wrong, just couldn’t be topped for me at this point and you could see how much Off has truly grown when it comes to his acting. Their chemistry and real life friendship just really made these characters come to life so beautifully and even melancholy at times. To see the main pair go through this inner monologue of what justice truly is was made to real with Off and Gun. Plus that one scene towards the end with Gun and Sings characters Black and Tod just really made you feel for both sides despite everything happening. One other person that stole a couple of scenes for me was definitely First, my goodness can that boy portray so many emotions with just his eyes. He has one of the most heartbreaking scenes I’ve probably seen in almost any Asian Drama and just nailed the agony he was in to a T. Him and Fluke really nailed their story with their own amazing chemistry. You could really see all the emotions that their characters were feeling, whether it joy, love, betrayal, heartbreak. All of it. Not only that Papang’s portrayal of the lovable boss man Gumpa was just amazing he played this big brother role to these boys so perfectly and while I’ve never seen him in many other dramas his portrayal made you feel that he really did care for these boys and wanted all of them to live in a better society then he did. The main cast was all great but these were the ones that really stuck out to me. On a side note Filmshy who played Nuch did such an amazing job portraying someone who truly saw the right and wrong sides of the law and the fact it was her first acting role, I really hope we can see her back if they have a season 2. Lastly that van ride at the end was so well done by every actor involved in that scene my goodness was it powerful.

Tone/Cinematography: 9/10

I woulda done a 10/10 if the ending had matched the rest of the dramas theme and while I did love the ending it just didn’t match the tone nor the theme that the drama portrayed. For most of the show we had a dark political drama about a gang of freedom fighters with romantic undertones and a who done it side plot to boot and while I love that it was a “happy ending,” for our main cast was it really a happy ending overall? Like one of the characters said, just because you take out one evil, their will always be someone to replace it. Plus it just didn’t seem realistic to me the way the gang was handled due to the overall tone of the show. Again season 2 please. I love my dark atmospheric tones but you must stay consistent for what the overall theme is trying to project. The last episode was the only time I felt this way. Plus the cinematography really did this show justice when it came to its tone and showed us a glaring reality through more muted colors rather then the bright more vivid colors we see in most BL dramas.

Overall: 9.5/10

I hope they make a second season following this gang. I know it didn’t do as well in Thailand due to its political themes but us as an international audience need to hype more dramas like this up. It sends a message and I know most people typically watch BL for the love and the drama and the intimacy, but as I said while the main couples are all mostly homosexual relationships, I don’t see this drama as such, and while I do love the BL aspect, especially how steamy it is due to OffGuns performances, they did this story justice just by being amazing actors. And I have to give this show props for literally having the most iconic scene I’ve seen in any show or movie and that has to be the Pride Flag scene, if you know you know. The power and acceptance of what this scene shows for the future not only for society but OffGuns characters is so beautifully done. The lighting, the colors, the facial expressions between the two actors portraying what their characters could achieve is absolutely phenomenal. I have probably rewatched that scene 10 times since watching this drama, just because of how impactful it is if you look past the “BL” tag. Don’t get me wrong I love a good lighthearted BL with all the mush and gush and skinship. But this show made me feel something and maybe I’m ranting or overthinking, but I truly love this show and everything it portrays. Please GMMTV, make a season 2, because hopefully I’m not the only one who saw how beautiful and impactful this show could be.

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Beautiful and heartbreaking story

This show was amazingly beautiful to watch especially for the first time. It has a great storyline and great actors.

I really loved the second lead couple. I think they 100% outshined the main couple. I did not really enjoy the main couple in this show. I thought that the female lead being a highschool student was kind of weird. The ending was also unsatisfying to me as a person who cannot stand bad endings and usually tries to avoid them. The ending was not the worst possible as it is seen that the second lead couple do meet in their next life.

The drama was visually very satisfying and the music was amazing. I love all the soundtracks in this series. Also I enjoyed the comedy in this drama especially scenes between Deokhwa and the two male leads were absolutely hilarious. Overall its a very beautiful classic Korean drama.

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Unexpectedly Good!!

I would have to say for a short web drama, I didn't expect I would love this drama so much!! It is really like a chinese ancient remake of Mr&Mrs Smith. Although I binged and waited for this drama (even watched it raw), I will remove my rose-tinted glasses to give an objective review.

This drama is hilarious, it knows how to push my humor buttons, but soon it loses the novelty and comedy effect as the jokes become a little repetive. The drama also does a good job in balancing humor and seriousness, the first few episodes leading up focused on it being funny, but after the climax, it tones that down.

As it is a 10-15min drama for each episode, the story is jam packed without any dull moments.
***SPOILER***
However, I do think the part on politics and motivations for their mission could be written better, it seems a little underwhelming and weird to me (or it could be that I didn't understand the politics part using my limited chinese vocabulary).
***END SPOILER***

The chemistry between the two leads was amazing, I hope we can see them paired up in another drama. And their kissess oh gosh!!
***SPOILER***
Their kisses were unlike 2 wooden sticks, it was deep and intense, they didn't shy away!
***END SPOILER***

All the characters even supporting characters like the aunty who sells kite were very lovable except for wen fang. I have this love hate relationship towards him. I think its the way that he was written as a dumb but also very pure character so can't really blame him. So just be warned that he can be annoying, but also cute at times.

The production also seem high for a 180min drama. This drama seemed to have a variety of costumes, pretty good soundtracks and I also do like how the scriptwriter uses the fl occupation to discuss about certain topics. The camera language and editing was decent except for this one / two scenes which the episode ending scene and beginning scene didn't connect, it really takes people out of the story... Apart from that I think the production team did a good job in producing this drama.

Nonetheless, this drama really has exceeded my expectations, I laughed a lot and I recommend watching it after a stressful day, super enjoyable! Its really a hidden gem and should deserve more hype, sometimes all you need is a simple and light hearted story. Definitely recommend! Overall, I would rate it 8.3, so rounding it up would be an 8.5!

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My Cuter than Cute School Band and their President

This drama had me smiling from ear to ear while covering/faning my face with my hands from all the cuteness/cringe/fluff.
The story itself is neither new nor revolutionary and there are even a few highly annoying elements that had me rolling my ayes and complaining about them getting in the way of my fluff but they are so few that the overall fluffiness takes over.

This drama is packed with well written PPL, it is in your face ant there is no way one earth you can miss it it and while being completely misplaced it still mangas to add to the story, the humour and the fluff that it practically stole my heart.

The next great thing this drama has to offer is flirting done well. the flirting in this is playful, creative age appropriate and does not seem to cross others boundaries or make anyone uncomfortable. Offering a nice dare I say wholesome feel to it as well as a process to the development of romance not only between the leads but also between the other characters.

The friendships, the ups and downs and the very human reactions to different situations are also well written and fun. and while I will admit that some of the turns of events where more interesting than others, the less interesting parts took little screen time so I am willing to overlook them. At times it can be hard to distinguish between fantasy/dreams and drama plot letting us not only hear the inner thoughts of the lead but also showing us a bunch of different scenarios. This adds a little bit of spice as well as kept me from trusting what I saw on screen. It also made way for even more fluff... and cuteness. It also nuanced the story, showing that life and fantasy can be both near and far apart... Basically saying reach for your dreams while acknowledging the work and people behind it... thee is also a really good depiction of falling down and getting back up again done slightly annoying but also done right.

The parent-child relationship in this drama make way for quite a bit of food for thought giving us both the fluffy side of parents who love and support their kid no matter what... the whole I love you no matter who you love yada yada.. do not bully your kid... if the world is against them make sure to be their happy place nice to see and indeed the way I hope and wish all parents would be....

The show also makes way to acknowledge the society we live in without letting take over from the fluff.


So basically this is 85% fluff, 10% real and important scenes, 5% annoying highly bingeable 99% lovable. But it will have you cringe and thing oh how cute so many times your cheeks may hurt from all the smiling.


I also want to add a few more lines about the parents, however this may be a spoiler for some, it should not be but just in case it is I decided to add it at the bottom so feel free to not read it.

What got to me the most and probably pushed me to overlook all the annoying elements of the show was a particular scene in this drama that was extremely powerful to me where a parent read the room took a step back with the words. "I was going to ask but I have never seen him look this terrified". Being able to take that step back as a parent, to self reflect and try to figure out how to create an environment where your child is comfortable to open up to you about their sexuality, is a way to show viewers not only what they should do but also a how to change and create a more open environment. Parents are human too and part of the society we live in, but a good parent is willing to be part of the change and so on.

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It take me a long time before I started watching this drama but when I started it... I was hooked from episode 1 and finished it straight up to episode 20 in 2 days.... Every episode keeps you hanging and makes you watch the next episode. Dr. Yoon Ji Yoon was acted well and all the other actors were equally great... The 20 episodes were all worth watching and the final episode wraps it all up... If you're into medical and police stories, this is a must watch drama.. though as a warning this is regarding forensics so expect to see lots of dead bodies and autopsies... Overall, this drama is one of the best that I've seen....

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A Very Satisfying and Full of Fluff Drama

This drama is without doubt the best romance drama in my book. Full of fluffs, hilarious & crazy chemistry is the 3 things to describe The Eternal Love series. I love how the love story of Lian Cheng & Tan'er are told without any pettiness or games, with a lot of hugs & kisses and most of all, they genuinely look and act like a true married couple in love. If you are looking for a great romance drama with a fun storyline, then this drama is for you.

While I love the 1st season, this 2nd season is without doubt miles better than the first one in term of everything. It got better budget, better script, better plots, better acting, better styling, better costumes -- basically better than the 1st season in term of everything while still maintaining the same heart & soul of the 1st season that we all love. I loved the plots involving 2 Mo Lian Chengs, the confusion it caused Tan'er and the hilarity it caused, the butterfly effects, the fight for the throne, basically everything from beginning to end. The plot is very simple but at the same time very fun and interesting.

Lian Cheng is without doubt one of my very favorite drama characters ever. Can you resist his charms? The man is literally perfect! Like the 1st season, he is King of Teasing and in this season, he didn't disappoint either and I personally think he upped his game even more despite being gentler and sweeter. I cant believe how Xing Zhaolin's acting has improved so much than the 1st season in a matter of a year. He acted the 2 Mo Lian Cheng with very subtle differences since they are supposed to be the same person. I can recognize Lian Cheng and the 8th Prince as early as Episode 6 despite both of them wearing the same clothes and donned the same hair styles. Lian Cheng has this gentle and relax look on him all the time while the 8th Prince's expressions are stoic and colder like the old Mo Lian Cheng from the 1st season.

Liang Jie as Tan'er / Xiao Tan is still as awesome as ever. She can definitely survive anywhere and of course where she is, trouble will follow her. Her out of the world thinking and bravery are definitely one of the reasons why both Lian Cheng and the 8th Prince can't resist her. And the 'English' letter he wrote to Mo Yihuai is definitely hilarious -- I'm in stiches while watching the whole scene. When you have this kind of character in a drama, surely, the drama wouldn't be boring and stagnant.

And the ending is literally the best ending for a drama! They dedicated the whole episode solely for the ending. It didn't feel rushed like other Chinese dramas and they gave us enough time and closure for our lovely couple and their happiness. The ending scene is truly perfect! The conversation they had at the lake is literally their relationship in a nutshell. From Lian Cheng brilliant teasing to Tan'er loves for money -- I love the dynamics of their relationship. They are definitely a relationship goal.

'No matter when or where,
Whatever person we become,
I will find you,
Fall in love with you,
Marry you a thousand of times,
For lifetimes, for generations,
Never separating....'

This drama is one of dramas where promises are fulfilled instead of broken. Thus as I stress again and again, a perfect romance drama in my book.

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I can only continue walking forward

Yes it was Great watching it specially the story building and and character building was so good accurate and every single thing in this drama was super good. It make me more sure that one should never think about committing crimes such as killing or suicide. Both can be very dangerous. But the fact they all somehow resolved there 1000 year old beef and tried to be together is so cute. They didn't only focus on main lead but also support lead. I also wanted to see dok hwa getting married or having rebirth with them too. I didn't expected to have such a plot like i was thinking dok hwa is going to be someone bad but it turns out he was not. It was so cute and lovely to have them see together again.

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If you are hesitating to watch this at all, please....just throw out your reservations and watch this. Goblin has just made my favorites list. Even my husband got sucked in and loves this show. The cinematography was gorgeous, the music was amazing, the actors were perfect (Hello, Gong Yoo!), the story was heartbreakingly beautiful.

This is the first time I've watched any of the main actors except Yoo In Na. I have now officially developed a Gong Yoo crush and understand why drama fans are enamored of him. Gong Yoo as Kim Shin/ Goblin was mesmerizing. I could listen to his voice for days. Every scene he was in was a treat. Every emotion that his character had was palpable, and his smiles could light up the sky.
And Kim Go Eun as Ji Eun Tak was super cute. She had a lot of detractors and the writer got a lot of flak for making her so young. But the character and her age were perfect for this story and how it unfolded.
Lee Dong Wook as the Grim Reaper had the perfect deadpan (heh) delivery. And he may be the best male "crier" I've seen yet.

The story will make you laugh and make you cry. Not only is the love story epic, but so is the bromance between Goblin and Reaper. I've found that I'm quite fond of this fantasy genre and this has been done so well. I have hardly any criticisms of this show at all because even the flaws faded into nothing noticeable for me. It's sweet, funny, romantic, sad, tragic, beautiful...

The music was perfect and perfectly lovely. I don't always pay much attention to the music, but this show utilized it so well and chose the perfect songs. So many people loved even the intro song that they made a special recording of it to make it a full length song (Round and Round, but may also be found under Never Far Away). Beautiful by Crush was the best song in my opinion, and I believe that it was the theme song for our main couple. And Stay With Me by Chanyeol and Punch was another favorite.

Rewatch value is high - if not everything, then there are many, many favorite scenes that I'll go back to and relive the feels. :)

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Ju-on: Origins

I understand why some horror fans are (will be) disappointed with this series, even my brother was a bit disappointed, because as far as the usual/traditional horror formula goes it isn’t really that scary. The build up to the jump scares were just so-so.

For me, it’s more psycho triller than horror. Unlike other stuff under the horror genre, in which the “ghost” causes physical harm to the victim, in this one she just mentally manipulated them into a killing spree. As how my brother desribed it: “She shows up in front of the person and then be like: Surprise! You’re a killer now!”

The gore scenes were also deeply disturbing because it’s way way too graphic, censorship and trigger warnings be damned. There were parts that I had to look away because it was a lot to take in.

Overall, I really enjoyed watching it. I like that it’s plot-heavy instead of focusing on the scary parts. It can be a bit confusing at the start tho because there are two different timelines/stories but they were able to connect it smoothly so the confusion was worth enduring.

I also think that it focusing on the story-telling is a major thing that separates it from the early Ju-on films, and yes other fans might see it as something disrespectful (idk) but I’m honestly okay with how they deviated.

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Interesting to Speculate on

I love reading peoples thoughts and saw some here, speculating on what Sung Kyu (the adopted brother) felt especially during the ending scene where his smile disappears. So I decided to give my own two cents. In the beginning it felt like it was already shown to me that Sung Kyu was pretty apathetic and didn't necessarily feel strongly towards acting a specific way to be liked. Barely being able to choke out the words 'it's delicious......... mom'. He wasn't shown trying to connect with Sung woo other than randomly picking him up at school once either.
The first time Sung Kyu shows assertiveness is when the shower scene happens. Because of this detail I didn't feel like he tried to appease Sung woo like someone else did. (which is why I like seeing other peoples perspective since it can be so different!)
I also don't think it was suppose to be about sexuality at all and whether or not Sung Kyu is attracted to men in general. For me this was more an exploration on how Sung Kyu didn't really feel anything and therefore tried to fill the emptiness within him with a new family and the shower scene mostly to me looked like 2 very empty and emotionally tired people that desperately needed to feel 'something', just anything. But just like most one night stands, it didn't fix the initial problem, that Sung Kyu felt a loss of identity and therefore remained apathetic after not being able to find it with his new family either.

Thinking back, Everyone in this movie seemed to fill up the emptiness with something, The mother keeps filling the emptiness the loss of her son caused her, by adopting multiple people. Sung Woo seems to fill up his emptiness coming from a broken home with physical affection from a significant other. And Sung Kyu as a grown man being adopted into a new family with a new identity because he feels like a nobody.

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Du style, du charisme… mais ça manque un peu de mordant...

"Mantis" m’a intriguée, mais je dois aussi avouer que je suis un peu partagée 😏. Im Si-wan est impeccable, toujours ce mélange de cool et de danger 😍, et Park Gyu-young apporte ce côté mystérieux qui m'a direct accroché. Leur duo fonctionne vraiment bien, t’as cette tension palpable, ce petit “je te fais confiance… ou pas” qui a su me garder en haleine 🫶🏻

MAIS… voilà, le film a des défauts qui m’ont un peu freinée. Déjà, le rythme n’est pas constant. Y’a des passages où l’action ralentit et où tu te dis “ok… ils attendent quoi là ?!?”, je trouve que ça casse un peu l’immersion. Et côté émotions, c’est frustrant 😩. J'ai senti que le film voulait me toucher, me faire ressentir la solitude ou le poids du monde de ces assassins 🥷 , mais c'est resté trop en surface... Certains persos secondaires sont peu développés, ils sont juste là pour faire avancer l’intrigue c'est tout, mais honnêtement… quel casting 😍 ! "Sol Kyung-gu, Choi Hyun-wook, Yoo Su-bin"… rien que leurs présences ajoutent un vrai poids et une crédibilité immédiate à l’univers. Même en rôles secondaires, ce sont des acteurs qui imposent leur charisme et tu ne peux clairement pas les ignorer 😅

Les scènes d’action sont stylées, mais parfois trop chorégraphiées... avec des ralentis à gogo qui finissent par donner un côté artificiel 🤷🏼‍♀️. La tension fonctionne, mais elle aurait pu être beaucoup plus mordante si le scénario était un peu moins prévisible... Malgré ça, le style visuel et la bande-son restent réussis, ils m'ont maintenu accroché 🎬✨

Bref, "Mantis" reste un film divertissant, mais je ressors avec ce sentiment de “ok, ça aurait pu être tellement plus intense et marquant” 😌. D'où mon 7.5⭐️, parce que j'ai passé un bon moment mais sans la claque que j’espérais 😅✌🏻

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Acting can make or break a show for me

STORY: I enjoyed the Korean version more, mainly because this version was entirely too long and drawn out. There was so much that could have been left out entirely, without losing any of the storyline. I'll admit, I'm a sucker for the destiny, we knew each other years ago storyline. However, here the male lead was pretty unlikeable, so I couldn't fathom how either woman could fall in love with him. I didn't feel that the male lead's character was as mean as in the Korean version, but that's mainly due to acting...

ACTING/CAST: I enjoyed Dilraba Dilmurat as Li Hui Zhen (though she was considered ugly because of frizzy hair and freckles? Although the freckles were so poorly done, but that's another issue). I didn't think she was as over-the-top as the actress in the Korean version, which I appreciated. Peter Sheng as Bai Hao Yu - his acting was terrible in this. I don't think I've ever seen him in anything else, but here he was wooden with no expressions. There are so many actors that can play the cold hero well, by use of expressiveness of eyes. He, unfortunately, appears to not have this capability. Vin Zhang as Lin Yimu was AMAZING. First, I think his part was really well-written, so there is that. He and Dilraba had amazing chemistry, which was lacking between Sheng and Dilraba. Li Xi Rui as Xia Yiao - she had a few scenes (which seemed to involve movement, so maybe acting and moving are too much) where all you could see was her acting. However, for the most part she did a pretty decent job. The rest of the cast was okay. I did like the progression of the friendships between all the workers in the office.

CHEMISTRY: Great chemistry between Dilraba and Vin Zhang. Between Dilraba and Sheng, not so much. I enjoyed the scene where they were eating together in the car, but I never really felt that they were in love.

This is actually a show that you could watch the first few episodes and then skip to the last 10 episodes and not miss out on anything.

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