Reviews

Love knows no gender

Love knows no gender, literally. Im serious, thats what the series is all about - Love losing her real gender to find her true love, and by the end, her gender doesnt matter at all cause she did find the one she was promised. And yes, this is a BL fans clickbait show, cause this is just a show disguising itself as a BL series.

First of all, i have got to say that the cinematography in this series is amazing. They obviously added an instagram-like filter of sheen/decoloration that gave it a unique quality that perfectly fits the fantasy theme.

Another good thing is the exceptional cast. I cant say much about girl Love cause she wasnt really present much but boy Love is amazing in his small eccentricities and subtle movements and expressions - he is after all a girl trapped in a boy's body. Vier is ok, but Tangmo is such a discovery - his character development from a guy on the sideline to the guy to root for is done quite well. Im sure everyone watching fell in love with him in the end. Great job for the writers for making us believe that Vier is the guy to watchout for.

And oh my Sean, right from the start you know there was something feminine in his actions (and of course i love watching Captain, the first reason i came watching this in the first place). Menn is cute, Nuclear is so so, and Good is just adorable.

The main concept of love knowing no gender identity is a good idea in paper, but for a girl to willingly change herself to stalk a guy is just plain creepy. And, to top that, 2 girls pretending to be boys to stalk this awesomely superduper hunk of a greatest guy is not just creepy but psychward worthy crazy batshit. Is this series telling me that what you are is not enough and that you have to disguise yourself to get that true love?

The subplots (im talking to you ghost Som, and yes that harrypotter talking book, and what is that challenge foe the 7 finalist, how do you judge which are the best 3 based on that) are just ridiculous that i constantly have to remind myself that this is a fantasy show. However if you look beyond the cheap and corny bits, you get a show that is entertaining and quite binge worthy. I also love that there's only 8 episodes. And did I mention about the exceptional cast?

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Enjoyed this drama to the max

I have been watching this drama as soon as its airing because its just so captivating. The pace is perfect, not draggy or too fast. Every scene is to the point. Its definitely worth watching. Female lead is extremely good with her acting skills. Doesn't look her age but can act as a 16yo and 25yo very well. She is a naturalist as an actress!

Story is really well described. How the characters becoming a family. Words and scenes are just so appropriate! And the funny scenes that Jian Jian acted it out. It has really made me roared with laughter.

Having completed this drama as soon as it ends. I rewatched it from the beginning again. Many scenes tag my heart string. My heart ached with ZQ as he said why is he always the one being abandoned. And also once more with LS asking his dad if his passed on sister has forgiven him.

Its really worth watching. Highly recommended.

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"귀신보다 더 무서운 건 사람이에요."

What could be better than Kim Tae Ri fighting demons? Kim Tae Ri, Oh Jeong Se and Hong Gyeong fighting demons. A truly stellar invincible cast.

🔸I feel the beginning could be much more exciting. The story could play with the viewer's expectations regarding the existence of supernatural powers. You could throw in evidence for both humans' and spirits' involvement in a felony, and let the detectives battle with professor Yeom. The middle part is also pretty monotonous and doesn't bear much significance. There is no cat-and-mouse play, no riddles either.

🔸Yet I still appreciate the emotionally and visually beautiful ending. A sneak into the ancient Korean rituals and beliefs made me understand better why many elders believe in spirits and what traditions do they follow.

If you are about to watch Revenant, you might've picked it because of the cast, but be prepared for the thick layer of folklore and many grafic suicides as well.

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First, I just have to let you know that the music in PNB is excellent. It really helped make this drama. The story isn't anything new or different, but it is completely interesting to follow the lives of these boys/men. I commend the director for the ability to balance four stories without leaving the viewer confused or wanting more of any thing. There is great flow and character development.

The actors and chemistry are what makes this drama fun to watch. Oh Jung Se portrays a mature yet still naive Gu Kwang Sul. For all his success in life he is still lacking in love until he finds the beautiful Ju Da In played by Yu Da In. They aren't my favorite couple but I definitely enjoyed their story line. Kim Young Kwang is mistaken player Kang Jin Gu. Poor guy has already grown as a person when we meet him, but the director shows us what he grew from with flashbacks to how he was. I loved to watch his interaction with his love interest Ma Se Young played by Kyung Soo Jin. They are my favorite couple. Next we have teenager Kang Min Gu played by Yook Sung Jae. Surprise...he can act. I know some people don't like idols turned actors, but I think they will make an exception when watching Sung Jae as he chases his lady love, Su Ah played by Park Cho Rong. Last but not least is the cutie Choi Ro Woon as Kang Dong Gu. He is so adorable and he has two love lines...one with his mom and one with tiny cute actress Lee Chae Mi. They are so adorable and bring a light hearted feel to the drama. I enjoyed them all immensely. I think each viewer will end up picking a favorite.

Again, the music is top notch.

I may rewatch this at some point.

This is an easy to watch romance. I recommend it to everyone.

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This drama is light heart-ed fun. I liked the drama initially, but later on I just lost interest, though I can't pinpoint any one reason for it.

Unlike what the name implies, I didn't find anything that romantic about the story or the princess. The princess was more like a child, even with all the fancy clothes. Maybe it was Angela Zhang's petite frame that made me feel that.

Even so, there were things that I appreciated about this drama:

For one, blessedly, there is no love triangle. Which has to be mentioned because the there are four boys in the place when Xiao Mei comes in.

That's the next thing- The actors are good. Almost all the characters in the drama are very interesting and fun.
The four guys,(besides being eye candy)each have good roles.
The grandfather, butler, Xiao Mei's parents are all great characters that add a lot of fun.
Refreshingly here, the grandfather, even when he is being tyrannical, comes across as adorable and with a sense of humor.

The story, is obviously over the top and has holes in logic, but they do try hard to keep up the logic most of the time.

Overall, I guess if what you need is just time pass with some laughs, Romantic Princess might do it for you.

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Although this could’ve been done in a better way, it still managed to win against the first brother’s story.

Khun Chai Pawornruj is the second part of the Suparburoot Jutathep series. It picks right where the first story left off. There were no flashbacks or explanations used; the viewer is immediately thrown into the second brother’s story and struggles. Unlike his four brothers who come from noble descendant, Chai Ruj’s mother was a servant for the first wife until his father raised her rank. So this inferiority complex followed him his entire life with the nickname “Khun Chai in the kitchen”. Although his brothers respect him and love him like an elder and a younger brother, some people outside aren’t of the same view.

Chai Ruj’s love story was in Switzerland with his childhood play-mate that he didn’t recognize. This was practically a travelling love story until the truth unfolds about the identity of his royal girl. The love story was a problem of ranks and some lies when Chai Ruj struggled so much to find love after his first heartbreak. Although he’s a diplomat for the Ministry of Foreign affairs, he was a proud man of his servant bloodline just like his noble side. Chai Ruj is a humble down-to-earth man, the kindest and the most caring between his brothers which made his character show a lot of interesting sides.
There are two reasons why this part managed to raise a little in rating; the first must be the diversity of side characters mainly the fellow travellers in Switzerland and their side love-stories that added a good balance. The second reason was once again, the bromance. The brothers stickled together for Chai Ruj especially Chai Yai (the elder brother) and Chai Pat who’s the closest to him, they showed a lot of caring and support for their second brother.

On the other hand, what this part lacked was the continuation of events; the annoying rejections, developments and some characters. For instance, Granny Oon overdid it with her meddlesome attitude. While the two Taewaporn girls were building that hateful tension which will come in Chai Pat and Chai Pee’s stories. I can obviously tell that Marathee is going to be that evil second female lead type in the upcoming story; I need to brace myself.

The acting was medium; Pope did well while his leading lady sucked so badly, she’s a pretty actress but her smiles, laughs and some attitudes appeared so awkwardly on screen. I know that’s she a newbie so I shouldn’t get too harsh on her but she was bad. The chemistry was good though.

Watch if:
-You liked the first part because this is absolutely better.
-You like travelling romances.

Do not watch if:
-You dislike the push and pulls in romantic stories.
-You’re looking for something impressive.

Khun Chai Pawornruj’s love story was certainly better than Chai Yai’s with little flaws here and there. It was enjoyable overall and I am too darn excited to see the doctor Chai Pat’s share of the series.

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A Mess With Some Good Acting

I only ever wanted to watch this very last minute because it had CHS in an ML role and I was impressed with his acting from 2 previous series. I knew some of the other actors and some did well and others didn't. The plot was decent until the very end when it became a total mess with some good acting.

Pros: CHS needs more lead roles but with good scripts. He can act every emotion and his growth is evident. He is the only reason this show got a 6.5 and not way lower. His character was very smart and that's what I liked about him as well as brave and loyal. The making of some zombie drug and finding out who was at fault for him losing his father and also FL's entire family took all of the episodes but the planning that went into his schemes were pretty impressive. His guard was awesome as were the fight scenes. Other characters that were good were SML though obnoxious at first, did mature and at least could fight. HL was alright too. The older characters both protagonists and antagonists were believable. Costumes and OSTs fit.

Cons: I didn't like the FL; she was brave and smart but the pouting and constant hissy fits just didn't land. I think her character could have been written better or another actress cast. The whole blood transfusion in ancient times thing was completely unbelievable. And they did it twice. Somehow just the blood carried the deadly poison and it didn't absorb into organs, didn't make sense at all. The ending was the worst; they killed off his guard for no reason and then he himself disappeared for a year while she thought he was dead. But literally in the last 3 seconds of the last episode you can hear his voice off screen and her eyes widening and that was it. After a decade he couldn't find a cure for the disease but in a year somehow he miraculously did and was back as the lead investigator of the judicial bureau; like under a different name? Make it make sense. It was a poorly executed OE. It destroyed a more or less decent story. It was lower budget but it could have been written way better.

Would I recommend it? No. ML did very well but unless you can stomach a lot of BS, whining, pouting, arrogance and whatnot, this isn't for you. And that ending absolutely destroyed any hope I had for this show.

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I'M GOING TO MISS THEM SO MUCH :(

I'm not gonna lie, I didn't think I'd watch this at first but then after I knew about Kim Jung-hyun's cameo I had to watch it because of the tragic ending for Seo Ji Hye and him in CLOY.

The drama was sweet haha, in the sense that it's a feel-good 'summerish' drama and I loved it. Been watching this religiously every week as it came and this is such a pleasure to watch. Lightweight and funny. I loved the ML's chemistry and I loved their characters too. But especially WOO DO-HEE PD-nin, she’s just amazing. I don’t think I've ever liked a FL as much as her (maybe IU in Hotel del Luna? And maybe now So Yea Ji in It's Okay Not To Be Okay?) AND KIM HAE-KYUNG, that adorable yet sexy human omg, it was my first drama of the actor and he was really good. But also let's not forget about our KEANU and 'JENNIFER' (sorry, I call her like that after 'Thirty but Seventeen', that name suites her so much haha), they were absolutely adorable and that funny music that used to come every time there was scene with them killed me all the time.

This is a must watch for those who want a little break from all the somehow complicated dramas we had this year but honestly for everyone. This drama offers everything: a good laugh, some dark and heavy topics such as psychological issues, romance, friendship, and really good supporting cast.

The OST was also really good tbh, I listen to the song often. I rarely rewatch dramas, hence the 5 but ignore that and know that this drama came as a surprise and filled my heart with happiness.

I really enjoyed watching this.

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Solid acting, too many plot lines

Positives:
Solid acting across the entire cast. I admit I only watched this movie because of Perth, but I'm pleasantly surprised by the cast too. Bas was really emotive in this movie (which shocked me cos I didnt enjoy his performance in 2moons and Gen Y. The supporting actors were great as well, especially the actor who plays Tai. My heart broke for him.

Despite the title, I don't think it's a BL movie. However, you can sort of feel there's something between Kheng (Bad) and Boang (Perth) that's not explicitly shown. I like their onscreen chemistry.

Con:
There are too many things happening in this movie to the point that it got pretty absurd. If they only focused on the main issue, I'd enjoy it more.

A lot of the issues were also conveniently resolved, which makes it quite unrealistic.

Trigger warnings: lots of assaults, drug dealings and school bullying.

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If you are trying to decide whether or not to watch this based on the seemingly awesome casting (Gong Yoo, Jeong Dong Hwan, Nam Goong Min) then please choose something else. I made the mistake of coming off of a Gong Yoo marathon of Coffee Prince and Biscuit Teacher and Star Candy, both which I loved, and decided to keep going with this. MAJOR MISTAKE.

Story: Don't let the description fool you, this isn't a love triangle drama where the love from the female lead helps to transform her playboy love interest. The plot was unnecessarily complicated and serious dramatic moments were over the top or laughable, there was no in between. And forget love triangles,this was a love hexagon with questionable family ties blurring the lines even further. We get it, everyone is in love with the main female lead. I don't mind that in my dramas, but did they all have to be sorta related to her?! I would try to further explain with examples but I would have to reveal spoilers. And trust me, if you choose to watch the entire drama the only satisfactory pay-off is putting all the pieces together.

Acting: Most of the actors I love in other movies and dramas, so I felt bad that they had signed on to partake in this. Even some of the acting from my favorites annoyed me and confused me: They're SOOO good in other things,,,except this!

Music: It was fine. Oddly enough I have no complaints about the music. It suited the mood when it was present.

Rewatch Value: NEVER AGAIN. Even recalling it for the sake of this review makes me sad.

Overall: I doubt this will ever reach anyone's favorites list, but if you're adamant about watching, good luck. But don't say we ALL didn't warn you.

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I decided to watch this on a whim. I had seen the music video for the song a long time ago, and it peeked my interest. I am just so in awe right now, I am having a hard time formalizing the words.

The story was beautiful. This movie takes us on a journey, the journey of life. By the end of this movie, I was in tears. As, I explained it to my husband, yes they were sad tears, but at the same time they were meaningful tears. I was sitting here thinking, if that were me, could I still smile? Could I still love? I don't know, but it made me FEEL. The final message: Live.

The acting was great. From the pretentious star, to the thug drummer, to the little girl on the keyboard, you are drawn into all their stories and how they come together. Hong Ki showed a lot of potential as the main. Jun Min Suh is a little girl we are going to have to watch out for as she gets older.

The music was perfect, especially the main song.

I won't re-watch this. Once was enough crying for me.

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I have to preface this with a little fact: I hardly watch HS dramas! I'm too old to really get into them and the stories tend to bore me silly! But this? Short, sweet and to the point! Covers everything you need in a drama. The OTP meets, fall for each other, have that antagonist in the background, the piggyback ride, not one but TWO kisses! What else do you need? The acting was superb! The music? I want some of these songs, especially the one that Jung Woo sung at the end at the Contest. I don't know what else to say but this is a must!! I loved the cast! From the leads to the supporting! This was near perfect! It deserved the perfect rating from me!

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So I finally got the time to watch this movie, which they show in cinemas in our country for good of one week, and I watched it on its last day so I barely made it LOL. I haven't seen the anime so I can't compare, I don't know how faithful adaptation it is but I really like what I've seen. I don't feel that the pacing is rushed so it didn't end up confusing and each scenes are so vital to the story like If you remove one the story will be affected so in that sense the movie didn't became draggy. But sadly I felt that the story was told in a simplistic way like there are not enough tensions and characters are a bit one dimensional that made me hard to care for them sometimes.

Before watching I already knew the this would be a sad story but at the same time I am confident that I would not cry, I am kind of immune to that since I've seen a lot of sad movies, and I am right, I didn't cry, but that doesn't mean the story is NOT sad cause it is, but I felt that that they made the ending bitter sweet because based on how people describe the anime it would have been a cry fest.

Now for the thing that I really like, the theme in the movie, I love how the movie conveys their connection thru music, I felt that it is so romantic like it is their love letter for each other, and just like the phrase they say to each other "will it reach you?". With that theme conveyed so well only made their performances so much better, technically they are already brilliant but with so much emotions attached to the performance made that scene EPIC.

Cinematography is beautiful, it is one of those colorful Japanese movies, seems to be the trend nowadays. Music is given to be excellent but what I am surprised is how well they play the instruments, one movie come to mind that could rival this in terms of the skills of playing the instruments in a movie and that is Jay Chou's "Secret". I like the ending song as well, I don't understand japanese but its melody captures the ambiance of the movie.

Great acting from both Kento and Suzu, you can tell that they come a long way especially Suzu but now I can say they are capable of portraying complicated characters. It is reported that they went intense training playing violin and piano for their respective roles and it paid off well as their performance is believable, which is important to be called a good adaptation and they nailed it in this department. Side characters are the issue here like I didn't feel them, probably lack of screen time I guess, such a shame though because I really want to see more of Anna Ishii, I felt that her talent was wasted in her role.

I feel that many guys will love this film like imagine one day you saw a beautiful girl under a cherry tree then from that moment your life change, happens to me (not under the cherry tree though).

Kaori: Did I find a place in your heart?

Arima: You step all over it.

-literally me

Check my Blog for other reviews & other JDramas stuffs. (｡◕‿‿◕｡)
https://thatjapanesedramaguy.blogspot.com/

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In the current trend of crime, medical, or complicated dramas, this show shined because of its simplicity and sincerity. It has such a big heart (just like Kahoko), you can't help but fall in love with it.

From the moment I saw Takahata Mitsuki's transcendent performance as Kahoko, it was love at first sight. From her multitude of expressions to her voice acting to so many intangibles, I have no words. Screen-caps and gifs alone don't do her justice. She made a flawed character like Kahoko feel real and lovable.

I also now have a soft spot for Takeuchi Ryoma, he's such a natural actor, and esp. gifted in comedy. His chemistry and comedic timing with Mitsuki was spot on. Their OTP was too darn adorable. This was such a funny, heart-warming show composed of all these talented actors, who all did such a great job.

Coming of age dramas are usually about school or career, but this is about family, which resonated all the more with me, with life truths that will stay with me long after the show is done. Some may have found Kahoko's childlike innocence and naivety off-putting. But that continuous hunger to persevere, grow and learn, and not lose that endless optimism and positivity for life is the perfect armor in this current world full of troubles. I'll always remember Kahoko fondly for being the beacon of happiness when I needed it the most.

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I think a lot of times we find ourselves looking for drama that is 'different'. Well, here's one for you. This drama manages to be cute and fresh without any makjang, birth secrets, evil relatives, amnesia, tragedy, abuse, crime or unbearable second leads. It felt like a breath of fresh air.

Not to say that this is a story wholly deprived of cliches. Of course, it does have a love triangle/square and some romantic conflicts between the main leads. Refreshingly, for a change the conflict between the leads comes from within themselves and not any external sources (which I usually hate).

What I liked was that the characters seemed realistic and relatable on a certain level. They are both very, very normal people trying to juggle their love lives and careers- like most of us do. So this drama has its relatable aspects to it like career, life, aging and love. But don't worry. It's not a boring drama and there are enough laughs and light moments to keep one entertained. :D

Anyway, it takes a long time for the characters to fall in love. So if you're like me who prefers a build-up before love, you'll definitely like this drama. It is nice to watch these two people become strangers to friends and then friends to lovers. After all, cohabitation between two people of the opposite gender has to lead somewhere, right? This IS dramaland we are talking about here. :D

The story on the whole seemed to me like a mixture of My Best Friend's Wedding and the Taiwanese drama In Time With You (I read somewhere that both shows have the same producers). At times, this story seemed to me like an alternative universe to In Time With You. There's even a reference to that drama in the first episode!

I have to say that I liked all the subplots in this drama. There are many sub-romances also which were all likable. The friends of Ji An Lei were hilarious (Tiffany!) and supportive. He Wei Ting was also a sweetheart for the majority of the show. I did have problems with the female lead's character at times but she grows later on so she kind of redeems herself. I also had doubts about the main pairing but they managed to have good chemistry throughout the show. Also, there is an age difference between them but it isn't so apparent.

I also liked the ending of the drama. Being a Taiwanese drama, it dragged more than required but it didn't get unbearable. Watch this drama if you're bored with usual cliches and are looking for a good story.

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