Reviews

I haven't watched much of Japanese dramas, but the first episode got me hooked. It was a simple story, about two sisters. And for once I was more inclined on the family part than the romance.I started watching this because of Ishihara Satomi as I loved her in Rich Man Poor Woman, but I must say that all the actors have done a brilliant job in putting life to the characters. If you're looking for a small cuddly family drama with a pinch of romance, this is it.
The only problem with it was that they could have given some more time to some characters and the relationships. Somethings at times felt lost and unexplained.
But apart from that, this drama was sweet. I wish I had a sister. I won't say it is one of those extraordinary dramas, but its a simple story that you can relate to at times and which will move you to tears and make you smile all at once. Oh and I loved the music.

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A beautiful psychedelic tragic comedy is the memories of Matsuko .
This movie is smart innovate, gave me requiem for a dream feels mixed with momento flashes .
I was hooked after 5 minutes.
The story of a young man who is given a task by his dad to go clean up a dirty apartment of his deceased aunt Matsuko.
We watch the movie through Eita's eyes as he cleans his aunts apartment and discover her true identity.
With great comical scenes and depressive nature of the movie it covers a huge part of Japanese society of what was it and how much changed through the years.
As you see Matsukos braveness through out you start cheering for her even though you already know at the starting of the movie she is dead, this movie covers a lot of themes in Japan from yakuza to AV idols to perfect housewives and many more with on going amazing music scores this is a masterpiece.
I think it's the first time a movie made me laugh and cry in 5 seconds intervals, a true gem is found.
highly recommended it's perfect.
I'm still in shock just wow.
http://dramanice.eu/memories-of-matsuko/watch-memories-of-matsuko-episode-1-online

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How would you get someone to fall in love with you again if you died and returned in someone else's body, and as a different gender?

This is a 4-part series, roughly 75 minutes total run-time.

STORY: The first part is wacky and a tad confusing but stick with it because it settles down and reaches its stride rather quickly and carries it all the way to the through the end credit roll. There are also quite a few clichés but this has a HAPPY, even if a somewhat bittersweet, ending!

ACTING/CAST: The cast chemistry was great (well, only 3 people really get any real screen time). The main couple were fun to watch and there were a few hilarious bathroom scenes that as a guy I was cringing and laughing at the same time. Makes me wonder: do women really not know male bathroom etiquette? Well, watch the scenes and you'll see what i'm talking about.

MUSIC: The music was good though I don't speak the language. The sound quality had issues but this was most likely because I saw the English fan-subbed version.

REWATCH VALUE: Definitely will watch this again, next time with a good friend.

TL;DR: Starts out strange, quickly gets good, has some twists, and a happy ending!

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When a live-action version of Ouran was announced, I jumped up and down until I gave myself a headache. I am a serious fan of Ouran High School manga and anime (especially the manga), and I've always thought that it should be adapted into a live action.

I wasn't disappointed, either. The Ouran High School Host Club drama truly was the icing on Hunny-sempai's keki for me. I love the drama, the cast, and the entire adaptation of Bisco Hatori's fantastic manga on screen.

In particular, I find that Yamamoto Yusuke plays Tamaki well (I knew he could do it--he is awesome). I don't understand the arguments about his acting ability based on his hair color--which in the manga isn't blonde anyway. A character which surprised me was Daito Shunsuke's Kyouya. Kyouya was my least favorite character in Ouran until the drama. He's still not my favorite, but I like him much more now (that has nothing to do with Daito's suaveness, whatsoever, lol). I also felt that Haruna was a good Haruhi, and Chiba is an awesome Hunny. The Takagi Twins never fail to disappoint, either.

Plot-wise, I feel that the drama did the best it could with the ridiculous time constraints put on it by the network. As the first drama I've ever watched in Real Time, I never once did not laugh during an episode. Everything worked well, and it could not get me more excited for the movie.

Overall, I will rewatch Ouran again because it's that good, it's my favorite manga, and it's a good drama on sad days.

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Before getting into the review, I would first like to commend Kim Taeri's acting. She is simply phenomenal in portraying essentially 2 different characters. This is my first time watching her (have been meaning to get around to watching The handmaiden...) and I'm simply blown away.

Now on to the plot, I would say it's pretty innovative of the writer to craft a horror story based on traditional Korean folklore. I'm not Korean, and I found it quite educational to learn about the different traditions and how they compare with the traditions from my culture. With that being said, I'm not quite a fan of how plot-driven this show is - it resulted in a lack of character development for everyone except the FL and ML. This series is only 12 episodes; 4 less than the usual length of a standard Kdrama but the showrunners still decided to be ambitious and squeezed in other minor sub plots in the first few episodes. Some of them ended up being rushed through and inadequately explained (the case involving parents abusing and keeping the existence of their daughter for no reason). it also resulted in the minor characters being severely under-developed. For instance, it was never explained why haesang's grandma was so obsessed with becoming rich. She was never shown using her money and spent her days reading books. And godd, don't get me started on Hongsae. He had a RBF throughout the show and an attitude worse than a teenager going through puberty. I would have rather he died instead of Munchun. Oh, and Sanyeong's mother as well. I guessed she was supposed to be portrayed as a weakling so the audience would feel more for Sanyeong's suffering but lord it was overdone. I ended up hoping she would just kick the bucket because she was not helping at all. It was never really explained why she ended up the way she is - only briefly implied that she might have been traumatised from having a miscarriage and then finding out her mother died right after. But I wished she would have been written in a more sympathetic way.

Honestly, I would have given this series a 9 if not for the ending. The acting is great all around (even for the poorly developed side characters, their actors did all they could) and the cinematography, directing and sound design were great. But the ending... to me it came on too strongly as some anti-suicide PSA peppered with cliches of how important it is to love yourself. With the context of Korea's high suicide rate, I guess this makes sense but I can't help but feel like korean audiences would see through the hypocrisy. The only reason why Sanyeong was able to "love herself" and "want to live" was because she was finally free of her capitalistic burdens. With her huge inheritance from her dead grandma and father, she was free to finally do whatever she wanted to do in life. And all of this would not have been possible without the help of the ghost, who gave her the riches through exploiting her weakness and killing those she hated. Without the ghost, she would have still been stuck doing manual labour part time jobs! In fact, she would be blind, poor, and stuck with her lousy-ass mother. Hell, without the ghost, she would not even have known of the existence of her father and grandmother, and criminals such as Haesang's grandma and the voice phishing guys would still be alive. So that whole spiel about preventing the ghost from exploiting her weakness seems through loving herself more while trying to kill the very thing that enabled you to remove the weakness from your life seems very ungrateful and hypocritical.

The other reviews for this show are quite positive and I think I'm the only who gets the "ick" from the cheery ass ending. Oh well, but its on par of the course for kdramas which usually start off strong but end poorly. I do still think this is worth a watch though, especially if you're a Kim Taeri fan.

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This is the best remake I have ever seen. And I have to admit I liked it even more than the original, and I loved the Korean "You are beautiful".

I found FB to be more romantic, which is one of the reasons I love Asian Dramas.
Jiro Wang nailed the part!! But perhaps I am biased becuae I liked him in "It started with a kiss." Here I saw a more mature, manly and serious version of him and I totally loved him!
We can clearly see how he slowly develops feeling for Gao Mei Nam.
He is not so childish as Tae Kyung and more jealous! Always a plus for me!

Lee HongKi will always be my Jeremy , but Evan Yo is adorable!

Hwang In Deok was good, but he did not stand out like the other characters or like Jung Yong-hwa did in YAB.

The main actress was so cute! Even though it was obvious she is still new at acting. But overall I found her adorable!

What I also liked was the way they were dressed, because the clothes they wore in YAB, in my humble opinion were over the top.

The music was ok, but the songs did not move me the way the YAB OST did.


All in all, a great drama! I highly recommend it!

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If one reads anything about Ashita, Mama Ga Inai (“Tomorrow, Mama Won’t Be Here,”) that work will likely focus on the massive controversy shouldered by it. I won’t reiterate the details here; after all, there’s a great article about the situation already posted on this site. But after witnessing the drama for myself, I cannot help but wonder at all the noise. How did so many people work themselves up over what appears to be but a dark fairy tale?

Of course, that isn't to say some of the offense is incomprehensible. To the Japanese, image means a lot. It’s also impossible to control how viewers digest what they've seen on television. "Will they take it all as fact?" With Ashita, typically fantastical and almost always exaggerated, that would be worrisome indeed. But as previously mentioned, best to take it as the last shadows of a child’s dream, a bittersweet fable. Does Ashita seek to impart a worthwhile message? Certainly, and it succeeds; after all, fairy tales were born from the desire to impart morals, and dreams often contain some kernel of truth. But though we can learn from them, we know they don't fully reflect reality.

This drama rolls along a simple format, one often seen in Japanese titles. In the first half, each episode focuses on a different child and their “trials” with foster homes. This structure allows the viewer to uncover character history individually, learning about everyone at Kogamo no Ie (roughly "House of Ducklings") bit by bit. Viewers will encounter a heavy tone, with certain scenes sporting almost horror film-esque attributes. Oddly enough, the home/orphanage itself wasn't depicted as shockingly as one might assume; it was rather the potential adoptive parents themselves.

Each plot thread shares airtime in the second half, building upon and resolving what we've learned until that point. My issues with the drama began at the juncture between these two halves. If changes were indeed made by the network to sooth public tension, I've been told it would have occurred here. The story lightens, allowing for its natural humor to come out much more. Yet I found Ashita crumbling in places, culminating in at least two subplots without satisfactory resolution. There was eventually dialogue that broke my immersion, lines which felt like sermons. Despite these problems, the emotional aspect of the drama works consistently well throughout its duration. Overall an involving watch, to say the least.

Not surprisingly, most members of the Ashita, Mama Ga Inai cast are children. Ashida Mana towers above the rest with a precocious talent, her turn as Post incredible. She begins by acting like a cynical delinquent writ small, yet develops slowly into a “little mother,” to the other children; this is a child too mature for her age, yet still a child nonetheless, and Mana owns the role from top to bottom. Suzuki Rio is another powerful, budding talent, a young lady who excels at the natural expression of a normal child. Her Donki could have been written better, but she does well with what she’s given. The other kids were often hit or miss, sometimes exaggerated to a cartoonish point (Bombi, sometimes Piami), though somber scenes brought out the absolute best in them.

From the adult half of the stage, we’ve scene-stealer Mikami Hiroshi as the darkly handsome yet gruff director Sasaki Tomonori-san (better known to his charges as “Maou/Devil King”). Thundering about on a limp leg, aided by a heavy cane, this is a mysterious character whose almost esoteric motivations lend much to the thought of Ashita as a fairy tale. Is this character a wicked devil or an unexpected angel? Either way, he's wildly interesting... and that "Tch?" Unforgettable.

Like the presence of “Maou,” music bolsters the fairy tale approach of this drama. Most tracks introduce a very emotional tone to scenes, with many sounding very light or magical, often in a melancholy way. For example, the theme “Dare Ka Watashi Wo,” (Kotoringo) sounds just like a lonely lullaby.

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Although I gave this a 9 overall, i feel it really deserves a 10 in my books. Wow okay, where so I even start? This drama has everything, from handsome rich billionaires, to (apparent) ugly poor girls and all the love-triangles and crazy ex girlfriends in between. It is definitely the stereotypical Asian drama but if you aren't sick of that sort of thing yet, then this is the drama for you! If you are, then what are you still doing watching Asian dramas? ;)
The acting was amazing! Especially on Ming Dao's part. He played both Junhao and Da ou so completely well that it actually made you believe they could be different people. The female lead... made me want to throw my laptop out the window and never turn on this drama again. HOWEVER, when i did warm up to her after a few episodes she became one of my favorite characters and most of the reason i continued to watch.
The music was not the best but it fit the mood. I think they had like two tracks, one sad and one happy where they would play each episode at their respected parts. I found this amusing more then anything else. reminded me of bof and 'almost paradise'.. XD
Despite there being 30 episodes to this drama, I enjoyed every single one of them. At episode 15, i remember thinking what could they possibly add to this story to fill 15 more episodes? But they somehow magically did! watching the last few episodes I felt so sad knowing it was ending and wishes there could be 15 more.
I would definitely watch this drama again. I'm not the hugest fan of Taiwanese dramas either because I don't know the language as well as Korean and Japanese but this one surprised me :) I would definitely recommend it ^^

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I picked up this drama randomly at a dark time when not so good dramas were airing and I had nothing else to watch. I didn’t have a lot of expectations, it looked to me as the usual cliché rom-com that I would eventually drop but that would be enough to fill my evening routine.

However, the drama didn’t have any of the clichés I had expected. From the first episode I felt something new and refreshing about this drama, and I liked it immediately. What I enjoyed the most is that the characters, their circonstances, jobs or family backgrounds seemed REAL.

I really liked how the main couples didn’t have the monopole of the storyline as the two side couples were as entertaining as the main. Each story was unique and interesting. I was really curious about the development of their relationship as I could identify myself with the characters even though they are so different from each other.

What I enjoyed the most is that apart of just being a romantic drama, it mentioned some real and important issues as inequalities between man and women in their workplace, women’s sexual harassment, the financial problems to acquire a property in South Korea or the exagerated costs of a marriage.

Finally I think that the cast was just perfect, the acting was on point, not only for the main characters but all the others as well. Lee Min Ki was my personal fave, I found him so convincing and really enjoyed the fact that he was not the usual annoying rich mama boy who bullies the main female. His character was rational and pleasant to watch. I really look forward to see him in more dramas. Lee Som was also one of my fave, not only is she freaking beautiful, her character is the ultimate female bad ass working girl goal. All the actors did such a great job.

I tried to find some flaws because I’m usually really peaky but really, couldn’t find any. This drama is a precious gem. I would definitely recommend it to anyone if you wish to see a quality rom-com drama that is light and funny but also treats of serious issues, portrayed by amazing actors with an original plot.

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Immersive experience that makes you part of the plot.

Incantation is a 2022 found footage horror movie directed by Kevin Ko, loosely inspired by a real life case that happened in Kaohsiung in 2005. That said, the real events give more of a framework for the plot, and nothing that actually happened in the movie was related to real events. Apparently, it’s not easy to find any truly reliable info about it in English.

Incantation might have one of the best opening sequences of any horror I have ever seen. By directly addressing the viewer, presenting the optical illusions in the context of the power of will and personal framing, and by asking the viewers for help - it’s hard not to feel the immediate immersion. Breaking of the 4th wall is an aspect that comes back quite a number of times during the movie, which made me far more engaged than I initially thought I would be.

What about the plot? We are presented with two different timelines - present time of Ronan trying to gain the custody of her daughter and the bond with her, and the past timeline explaining the fear and ritual she was a part of a few years ago. As much as it’s a horror, it’s also a drama - showcasing the variety of emotions a parent can feel in relation to their child, and the actions they are willing to take to help them.

Are the scares actually scary? Truth to be told, the few jump scares I’ve got were a bit disappointing? The core value of the show is the eerie atmosphere, which was built in a perfect way. From the start we know, the plot is leading to some awful events, so even the happy and warm moments between the mother and daughter feel bitter.

Incantation is a movie that obviously cares about the details of world building. The Buddha-Mother, hand gestures associated with it, chant, symbols and rituals were well designed and planned - created a cohesive picture of that fictional spiritual belief. That’s why, even though I knew it’s not real, it was impossible not to feel affected by what's happening on screen - especially during the “directly addressing the audience” moments. The minor detail I was especially impressed by, was the use of the after-image closer to the end of the movie. Small, clever trick that felt like the last nail in the coffin for me.

The acting was perfect. While all the adults did an amazing job, with Ina Tsai portraying the conflicted emotions, fear, desperation and hope in a clear and realistic manner, the one that surprised me the most was the little girl Huang Sin-ting who played Dodo. Not only was her performance great, it was amazing to see a child act like a child in a horror movie. Why they always try to present the kids as demons incarnated with cold and detached behavior is beyond me.

Any flaws? I do believe the movie was slightly too long. Keeping it around 90 minutes instead of 110 would be preferable for the pacing to feel more tight. While I understand it was important to present the relationship between Ruo Nan and Dodo in great detail, the moments diluted the tension quite a few times. Personally, I could do without a few jump scares, especially the “cheaper” looking ones - the movie just did not need them.

Best to watch for scares: alone, evening/night, headphones on, no distractions.
Best to watch for the analysis: buddy watch, talking about the symbolism as the movie progresses, trying to predict the outcome.

Trigger warning; trypophobia, child neglect/child harm, body horror, gore.
The movie has some rather… gross moments. Also, might be too much for people who strongly believe in the supernatural - I can see it messing up with someone a bit.

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for its genre, it's a really good drama

I feel like a lot of people dislike TB because they consider that it's cliché and that's it's been done before. Honestly I don't disagree, but that's just the thing: it's a high school drama about an insecure FL and a ML who helps her gain confidence...
I agree, it's been done before.
But frankly I feel like describing the drama this way doesn't really give credit to the execution.

I loved the main love story. My heart broke for Seojun, like everyone else's did, but I frankly didn't want him to end up with Jookyung. I agree that he practically carried the entire drama on his back and he's the reason why it became this popular, but I didn't mind him as the second lead, I just wish they had worked a little harder for him to have a happy ending. I feel like they used his pain to make the drama more interesting but I mean.. isn't this what writers are supposed to do? Make the story more dramatic? The ending hit hard because it made me wanna sob. That's the whole point.

So back to the main couple, i really loved them. I think they had chemistry and that their entire love story was well-written. At first I was scared they would drag out the whole "he doesn't know it's her" plot line but turns out he finds out rather quickly. People hate on Suho because they love Seojun but i just don't agree i think both characters deserves Jukyung just as much. Suho and her were just meant to be I guess. Suho went through so much and i didn't see him make one decision that was rude or out of line. I also feel like the pure, 100% love he had for Jukyung was exactly what she needed, whereas Seojun teased her too much. Although it's something, as viewers, we love, it might not be as fun for her who literally hates how she looks.

HOWEVER I loved Seojun's character so much that I really hope they write a character like him again as a main lead. Cause i agree, he's amazing. His earrings and hair and personality and naturally smokey eyes are what made this drama what it is!!!!I'm tired of seeing similar ML, although I loved Suho.

I loved Soojin's character, because it allowed a female second lead to pick herself up. I feel like male second leads are always like seojun: jealous of the main couple but still supportive at the end. Whereas the female second lead is always so toxic and manipulative. And sure soojin is all of those things but there's much more than just her jealousy behind it. You can really feel the build-up of her anger and pain because of the abuse she goes through at home. Her acting was great too.

Oh and finally the OST?? chef's kiss. Whether it's how do you do, Missing you, starlight, or even those 1:30 mins of Seojun singing flower pot? I finished the drama a few weeks ago and i still listen to all of these all the time.

Overall, I feel like you need to remember this is a high school drama, okay? It's mostly about the vibe, the outfits, the OST, the love story. Yeah it's basic but i feel like the execution is great, and I rewatched the scenes a billion times. Watch iiit and keep and open mind.

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Por que somente oito episódios????

Para apaixonados por Greys Anatomy, que Chicago Med e tem um caso com Dr. House, vai sem dúvidas amar Heróis de Plantão.

Aqui vamos conhecer o Dr. Baek um médico brilhante e um pouco arrogante, mais que ainda assim conquista a todos com a sua maestria e claro consegue ensinar seus pupilos.

Um ponto forte do drama e o elenco secundário com personagens bem divertidos, e vale um destaque para enfermeira “Gangster” que sem dúvidas consegue roubar a cena em alguns momentos e se mostrar uma profissional tão importante quanto um médico.

Claro que não podemos deixar de mencionar toda politicagem que o drama apresenta, mas um ponto importante e que o drama não fica cansativo ou chato, ao contrário, ele contribui para o desenvolvimento da história, o que torna tudo ainda mais espetacular. Vale ressaltar que aqui vemos uma critica a situação que a Coreia do Sul, enfrentou em 2024, um colapso na saúde pública, devido ausência de médicos, ocasionando na recusa de pacientes nos prontos socorro.

O único ponto que tenho desse drama e porque apenas oito episódios, do meu ponto de vista, poderíamos ser comtemplados com 16, 20 ou 40 episódios, pois foi sensacional acompanhar os passos do Dr. Baek dentro da sala de cirurgia.
Recomendadíssimo!!

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I personally liked it. I have only read chap.1 of the webtoon (b/c I am not someone who reads webtoons) before I started watching this drama, so I can't compare the two. But I thought the drama was made really well and the entire cast did a stellar job.

Story: About a man called Frost who due to an accident when young lost most of his emotions and had his hair turned white. He and his team of "buddies" solve cases dealing with psychology. Every episode deals with a different case - but there is one underlying case involving Frost that starts showing itself mid-way.

Cast: Dr.Frost (Song Chang Eui) This is the first drama I am recognizing him in and I think he did a great job, he's attractive even with the 'white' hair ;) His very rational and thought processing mind was very believable. I liked how I could see the puzzle pieces come together in his eyes. I wouldn't mind working for him myself^^. Yoon Seung Ah (Jung Eun Chae) First time I've seen this actress too, I liked her as the novice apprentice who has a totally different character than Frost - they worked well together. Cheon Sang Won (Choi Jung Woo) was great as the head professor. (I always enjoy seeing this actor in dramas). Song Sun (Lee Yoon Ji) at first I didn't like her b/c of her animosity towards Frost but about half-way in the drama, she stopped acting rude and was then pleasant to watch ;) Nam Tae Bong (Sung Ji Ru) I loved him as the Detective - always bringing new cases for Frost to help solve, he made the drama even better by being there. All the supporting and guest characters did a good job.

Music: It was good and suspenseful at times but I don't remember any actual songs.

Re-watch Value: 5.5 - If I get hungry for some psychological stuff again I may re-watch a couple episodes here and there.

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