Reviews

Ahh, I am not biased , I know I love ZLY but this story gives so much of her as an actress. For me, after Journey of Flower this is my next favorite drama of her. This is amazing and this is the only drama that made me on a roller coaster feelings. Watching the ep 42 was very intense. I even hold my breath with the last fighting scene in there. I just hope no one dies in the end, I have this guts that something like that would happen, hopefully I'm wrong. Anyone of you who hasn't watch this yet, please do. This will give justice of all spy dramas. I am yearning to watch the next episode everytime.

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This was an enjoyable watch. The story was simple really, and the best thing about this drama is that they kept it simple. I really enjoyed different interactions between characters, how each character eventually became and individual, and more than the romance, I mostly enjoyed the friendship here.

Of course the main attraction of this drama were the characters. For me it was more how they were easy to relate to more than anything.

-Soo Jin is a hardworking girl who wants to produce meaningful movies. To do that she has to accept working on movies she's less enthusiastic about.
-Myung Soo is a webtoon artist who's getting by (though I don't know how he would afford a Burberry blancket :P). He's a positive person, chill and fun to be around.
-Hwa Yeong is a career woman with a crazy side to her that needs to be kept in check.
-Ji Ah is a woman stuck in the image of a classy madame, but yearns for freedom from it.
-Rara gives off the impression of a loose girl who'd anything to reach her dream when in reality she's a sweet person who needed someone to remind her of her value.
-Jo Geon is an artist at heart, with all the negative and positive that comes with it. He's moody, he's unpredictable, he's got a temper, but he's warm, doesn't judge others and reflective.
-Finally, though we didn't see much of Yeong Jae, I found him much more refreshing now that he got rid of that perfectness when it comes to relationships.

I find those are all traits we can relate to, to some degree and I really enjoyed the focus on it. Any fight, breakup or argument came from within, and not from any flimsy external factor, or stupid misunderstanding. The development in the relationships felt natural, and the characters had chemistry. The friendship between the ladies was a delight it reminded me of one of my favourite high school romcom movies "John Tucker Must Die".

I'm not sure if the episode cut was a positive or a negative occurrence. On one hand there was no time to waste on any extra angst, so even annoying characters had to wrap up their act fast, actually making them more likeable. On the other hand, there were some events that felt got wrapped conveniently fast an could benefit some a deeper exploration.

Overall light watch with relatable characters and unique comedic moment,

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I do not know why no one is talking about this drama because it is amazing. Confession is a Korean law and mystery drama with great lead characters and villains. It's a dark drama that discusses corruption in the court, in the government and in the military, and its impact on families. The cast was amazing in this drama. Thank you Lee Junho and Yoo Jae Myung for being phenomenal leads. The soundtrack was great and it fit the drama very well. I would totally recommend this drama and would totally rewatch it again if I have the time to do so. If you're searching for romance then this drama isn't for you because there isn't any.

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New #1 BL

Never have I felt so down that I've come to the end of a series, and neither have I felt the need to write a review on a show just to let people know how much more this show deserves.
Despite the lack of budget, this show delivers in all aspects.
The focus of the entire series itself (politics, injustice) is just so extremely fresh in the BL industry that makes you doubt how interesting the story can get (imo politics are boring lol). But when such a genre of BL becomes so educational and lets the viewers understand more about the world, you know the director is amazing. The story goes deep into topics like monopoly and impunity and how it affects the society as a whole, and such a fresh take in the BL world really draws you in.
Not to mention, the casting for the characters is spectacular. You know nothing can really go wrong when Gun takes on the main role of Black/White, even though its hella challenging. This show really stretched him as he needed to show the stark difference in behaviours of the twins, and if you ask anybody that watched this masterpiece, they would all agree that Gun nailed his characters. I don't really have to say much about OffGun as a pairing because who doesn't know how good their chemistry is lol.
Moving on to DanYok/GawinFirst damn yall have no idea how hard they robbed my hearts. Every tiny bit they had in the show brought so much impact in the emotional aspect. Gawin did so well in showing his eternal dilemma of whether to follow the system, and First shattered all our hearts by displaying the yearning pain felt by Yok from seeing Dan betray him after putting in all his trust. Really didn't expect the chemistry of this pairing to be so phenomenal, would really like to see them act together again.
Now on to the music, I really didn't notice myself cringing at the background tracks and it shows how well P'Nuchy picked out the songs. Each track helped amplify the emotions felt by the viewer and didn't feel unnecessary (which happens rather often in BLs for some reason). The OSTs suited the show so much too (although the ending track sang by OffGun ruined my crying sessions after certain episodes LOL) Overall the music in the show is amazing.
THE CINEMATOGRAPHY. It reached a whole new level in the BL industry in a way that it perfectly conveys the characters' emotions. The 4Kness of many shots really embraced the idea of 'no filter' and I really sat through the scenes with content. It's just unexplainable. The rawness of the shots really showed how realistic this BL could get (in the aspect of both plot/love scenes).
In conclusion I'm so glad that I watched this show and I think I would have equally loved it even without the love aspect in it because IT REALLY DELIVERED. Would definitely rewatch it if im craving for tears or even just really good acting.

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Best KPOP Travel Reality Show

Frrr, my therapy!! I feel so empty that this was over ㅠㅠ I really love every second of the show. I don't know if this is just me, but this show just allowed me to witness the side of seventeen I thought I already knew. I've been a carat for 7 years, so I know their personalities really well. But Nana Tour made me see them as normal human beings, just a group of friends going on a trip, not celebrities or K-pop idols, and I'm so happy and grateful that through Nana Tour the boys were able to experience new things, be carefree, and get the real rest they deserved and needed for a long time. I'm a bit upset that Cheol couldn't join them, but thanks for making us feel his presence, Cheolie, our bluetooth traveler :P Hopefully, we'll get Nana Tour season 2 with all 13 members. I highly recommend this show to everyone!! They really highlighted the members' personalities and their bonds so well, and it made me realize once again why I love them in the first place and why the love keeps going stronger. A huge thank you to Egg is Coming, na PD, Shin PD, production teams, and all staff for making this happen for the boys. Nana Tour definitely holds a special place in both seventeen and carats' memories. Salute 🥂🍻

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More than a love story

This was a rollercoaster of a ride!

This film had a similar tone to Kimi No Na Wa minus the scifi element. The film's pacing started real fast but gradually became consistent and took its time building and developing the characters.

I loved the film for exploring each characters life journeys. It did not hesitate to show realistic obstacles of children and adults within society. The raw emotions and music played a huge role in bringing a strong, lasting impact on the story. I also appreciated when the film gives a clear backstory and glimpses between the characters.

The chemistry was clearly present between both Komatsu and Suda's performance. The supporting cast nailed their roles and left some strong, lasting moments.

I was surprised the casting director managed to find a child actress resembling Komatsu-san (or it could be make-up).

The story could be rather depressing due to it taking an authentic approach and long duration, which affected my rewatch value. Despite that, I still found the film to be quite inspiring and informative.

If you are interested in a film which explores the themes of self-discovery and gradual slow romantic build up, then I would recommend this film.

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So.... where to start with this?
The first thing you need to know about this drama (you're reading this probably because you haven't watched it, right?) is that it's very fresh, and different from any other kdrama.
For me the most awesome thing about this drama, and the reason why I'm giving it a 10 it's the story. The writing is superb. Each character exists completely, and it's really human. You can feel all they're feeling.
The story doesn't have any cliché and unlike other "musical" dramas (coughheartstringscough)the musical part is really there. Musical is part of the character's lives so it becomes another character in the drama, making it more beautiful and allowing us to feel.
The acting is quite amazing. The performances that, for me, need to be like high lighted were Oh Man Suk's and Im Joo Eun's. They truly stole the show, and their characters were the best.
The music was for a musical but it had different genre and I must say that the vocal part of the songs were great. I hadn't realized Daesung had such an extraordinary voice until this.
I don't think I'll watch this again because this is the kind of drama that you must watch once to be amazed by it and discovering each character little by little, so I don't think I'll feel as deeply as I feel now about it if I watch it again.
This drama left me with a feeling of change, like I was a different person just by watching it, as if by watching it I was somehow becoming part of the story, so I'm happy to say that this is a drama that I won't forget soon, because it taught me a lot, and it definitely has a special corner in my heart, so I hope that by reading this, you'll also want to have that experience! Go watch it! Oh Man Suk rocks! =)

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I began watching this drama back in 2012, yet I never finished it for some reason and so I decided to complete it a few days ago. I am glad I did.

When it comes to story, it's nothing new, but it's done in a proper way. The romance flows so naturally that at one point I stopped to think, 'Okay, when did that happen?', because it was realistic to that extent of making me fully aware of it, without overreacting the scenes and adding unnecessary angst into the cart.

The acting is superb, I can't point out any person from the crew that failed to bring the game. I also grew to love Wang Ji Hye in this drama, because she made her character so cute and likable that I'm painstakingly relieved she wasn't yet another generic second female lead.

Music was interesting, it didn't disturb the scenes, although it didn't make much of an impact either.

Now, I'd like to make note of the shortcomings... such as lack of thrill to the episodes, since there wasn't enough happening for the viewer to be enthralled with the plot, so it was a tiny bit too contained for me. Not saying that it's bad, it's a change for this drama type, but it could've been a bit more exciting to watch. With that being said, it also made the drama a bit longer than it should've been, 2-3 episodes less maybe?

I highly recommend it.

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Overall, Mostly Same Plot to the Original but There are Some Noticeable Differences

I loved the original and this remake. Watching this remake gave me the same feelings I had when watching, "I'm Not a Robot". I like them both to be honest, but despite the same plot, each has their own spin to it. Some of it I liked in the original while there were other things that I found I liked in the remake more than the original.

I'm making note on what's different from the original and the remake. Feel free to skip this part, but if you're interested, have a look at it. It does contain spoilers, so you've been warned.
What's different from the original
* FL's character doesn't have and live with her brother & sister in-law. Remake changes to uncle and aunt.
* Robot & FL's hairstyle are switched. Original: Robot had long hair, FL had short hair. Remake: Robot had short hair, FL had long hair
* ML's assistant was the FL's brother in the original. Here the assistant is his own person
* SFL's character didn't have a big role in the original. She was just there. She didn't really seem that important. The remake makes the SFL more involved and she's very likable.
* Secondary couple changes: Original had the female glasses researcher had a crush and fell in love with the SML (the lead researcher). This couple didn't happen until the very end. In the remake, the lead researcher & the SFL falls in love with each other and a lot earlier.
* Original had (although not as bad as I've seen) more of weak a love triangle. The remake doesn't have this at all.
* In the original, the ML was more furious at the FL, to the point where the FL received a small injury from the ML breaking a glass. It takes a whole explanation from the FL for the ML to finally understand and forgive the FL. The robot group left the ML due to the ML's lost of trust from them. The remake is completely on the lighter side. ML gets angry but the constant visits from the FL and the love ML still have for the FL made him forgive her easily without her having to explain at all. Robot group stays with the ML never leaving him.
* Company and the evil people in the remake are much harsher here than in the original. ML was threatened to lose his title as CEO in the original but still kept his house. Remake, almost everything is taken from the ML.
* In the original, the robot finds her way back home, filled with many sweet encounters the robot has made and the robot is alive. The remake makes this part doom and gloom, only a few quick nice scenes with the robot's encounter. Robot finds her way home only to die due to self-destruct mode, which was never in the original.

Other thoughts:
* Some people said the FL's character was really bad at pretending to be a robot. That was the whole point though. They kept this same character concept from the original and I for one thought this FL did a great job at when she was pretending to be a robot and when she played the actual robot role. While I think the ML, Yoo Seung Ho, from the original outshine more in his character than the remake, the ML here, Leon Leong also did a great job portraying his character as well. I also love how the SFL had more of a role here than the original. The best part is she's likable.
* Romance, while still a slow burn romance, I think this handled the romance better in the remake than the original, though, don't get me wrong, there are still a lot of sweet moments in the original as well.

Final Thoughts:
I feel like the remake of this drama stops around Ep 27. From there on out, it appears to be different content, including a kidnapping scene which just shows how wicked they made the bad guy in this remake. I guess that's what happens when you add too many episodes. You have to fill it with dumb things that strays away from the original story plot, which is why I lower the score for story a bit. That's the downfall of this remake drama but even with that setback, I think this remake gave us more of a conclusion on the ML's story than the original did. I'm very satisfied of how this drama ended. Overall, not too bad for a remake and I may rewatch it again.

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This movie kinda reminds me of the thai movie " A Crazy Little Things Called Love" and a bit of "American Pie"

I think this is my first time that I watched a Taiwanese film.
I read somewhere that this film were a phenomenal hit in their country and in Hongkong too if i'm not mistaken.

After watching several romance flick recently which often left me disappointed or just see them average, finally this one has an edge. Enjoyable, sympathetic and realistic with some exaggerated presentation.

The story is based on true story which i give it a plus. The plot were simple enough but full of substance and disturbing scenes lol. Spoiler Alert!!....no one will die ehehe, there is no pathetic scenes or sudden scenes of twist from nowhere, everything is real and everybody can relate especially "boys".

PS: The film was based on the school life experience of the writer/director himself. ^^

PS2: (= my score rating may adjust in the future, pls comment if you find it not that accurate thank you =)

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A Tale of Potential and Missed Opportunities

Drama set in the Goryeo era, presenting an intriguing storyline with significant potential. The plot centers around a queen who navigates the treacherous waters of political intrigue to protect her kingdom. Despite its promising premise, the series falls short in several areas.

With only 8 episodes, the drama struggles to develop its characters fully, leaving many arcs feeling incomplete. The ending, in particular, fails to provide a satisfying conclusion, leaving viewers with more questions than answers. Additionally, the series includes numerous scenes reminiscent of “Game of Thrones” that do little to advance the plot or deepen character development.

Overall, “Queen Woo” offers an interesting glimpse into the Goryeo period but ultimately doesn’t live up to its potential due to its rushed pacing and underdeveloped characters.

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No Gain, No Love had a lot of promise. It had a lot of classic tropes, it had Shin Min Ah, it was very progressive for a kdrama. But I think that the main issue is that this show tried to do way too much with only 12 episodes.

There were so many storylines that a lot of them didn’t get resolved at all (with Ji Uk’s parents, or her ex) or were so rushed that they had no impact at all. Even the main relationship didn’t feel developed, so it felt like it had no stakes. Kim Young Dae really didn’t work for me as a lead and he did not have great chemistry with Shin Min Ah.

Ja Yeon was adorable and I really wish she had gotten more screentime. The show tried to do too much with her character in very limited time. I liked her arc as a romance writer and would have liked that to be more of the focus. The whole murderer dad getting out of jail and coming for her was a pretty unnecessary plot line. I wanted to like her romance more than I did. The way they met was very hard to come back from and it kind of dampened their entire arc.

The third friend’s storyline was completely forgettable and uninteresting. They should have just written her out if they were going to do a shorter show. Everything with Hae-young’s ex was also very annoying and took time away from other plot points.

I could see that there were elements of Hae-young’s character arc that I would’ve liked and could’ve connected with but the show just never delved into those parts in any meaningful way. Even her relationship with her mom felt like afterthought.

After a somewhat promising start, the show really fell flat for me in the last couple episodes. I’d still say watch it if you love Shin Min Ah, but overall the drama felt pretty shallow in terms of the characters and story.

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A Story of Mental Survival

At first glance, Mo Li (First Jasmine) feels like a standard revenge drama, giving you that satisfying taste of payback right from the start. But as the story unfolds, it transforms into something deeper and more reflective. This shift in pacing might frustrate those waiting for bigger revenge moments, but it allows the story to deliver justice with more depth and realism. That being said, the last few episodes might feel disappointing to some, but I see them as an important part of the characters’ growth, despite the noticeably slower pace can feel dragging at times.

Its most refreshing element is its exploration of mental illness, a theme more commonly associated with modern dramas than historical ones. Both leads suffer in different ways, physically and emotionally, and their relationship is built on mutual healing and understanding. The romance is mature. They heal each other, support each other, and stand by each other. It’s not the kind of romance that makes your heart race, but the kind that makes you feel safe.

On the downside, some of the heavy Tang dynasty-inspired style makeup on side characters felt excessive and distracting, especially compared to the leads. As for the acting, if I’m being honest, while I enjoyed the leads, it didn’t feel particularly remarkable, especially Bailu.

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Probably one of the best cdramas in 2021...

I started watching Rattan purely for the scenic shots, did not have any expectations. Having seen Fairyland Lovers and a few other cdramas with fantasy stories in modern setting, I did not have high hopes that this would be good.... It has a much lower budget, 90 million yuan only, and it is only 30 eps, giving me the impression it is a 'lightweight' fantasy drama.

But Rattan has exceeded expectations and this might be in my list of Top 10 Dramas of 2021! It started off light and fluffy (due to the cinematography and initial slow pace), introducing us to the leads in a dramatic opening-- ML almost died in a car accident but his blood revived the FL, and in turn she brought him back to life. We watch the struggles due to personality differences between FL and ML, and FL's struggle to comprehend the new world while the story brings in a host of supporting characters. FL’s arrogant and domineering manner contrast with ML’s soft and submissive attitude was a refreshing watch! FYI, ML was not a submissive man! He did try to abandon FL initially, but when he realized he couldn’t, he then accepted her and became submissive. The chemistry between the leads were off the charts!! It was a smothering watch, like fire and ice. But in terms of plot, there wasn’t much in the initial eps, the focus was on the leads’ characterizations and the supporting characters. Some might be tempted to drop Rattan in the early eps, but if you are patient and persist until ep 9 or 10, the story gets more interesting. By ep 15 or so, the mysteries will draw you in so much, I won’t be surprised if you binge the remaining eps in one day. I watched this while it was still airing and took almost 2 weeks to watch ep 1 to 9. Thereafter, I consumed the remaining eps within a few days until the final 8 eps, where I had to wait patiently for its release….

What EXACTLY is the attraction of Rattan?
==Okay, some spoilers ahead, do not continue if you do not want to be spoiled==

- The scenic shots. The beautiful cinematography first draws you into the story. Director used a lot of wide-angled shots and zoom to show the beauty of nature and its gorgeous sets.

- FL’s cheongsams. She had at least 2 beautiful cheongsams and dresses per episode. And these dresses are not designed by some branded designer(s), but designed and tailored by the design director. Impressive considering the low budget.

- The story and mysteries. This is the MAIN reason I love this drama! Some supporting characters would go missing/die, and I was left wondering if they would be coming back or really gone?? As a fantasy mystery, it has its usual supporting characters with unknown back story. In the identity revelation of Dan Zhi Gang, I was really caught off-guard! Suspected a few possibilities but failed to guess his identity. And in Bai Ying vs Si Teng fight, I also failed to guess Si Teng’s real plan! In most dramas, we get some hint of ‘the truth’ or ‘the plan’ about 1 or 2 eps prior to it happening, but in Rattan, screenwriter and director kept me guessing, and most of the time my guesses turned out wrong, lol! There lies the master stroke of this drama, it keeps you guessing until it reveals the truth. And the truth is not so far-fetched, but it has been there right in front of you, just that you failed to see it…. Which makes it so interesting!

- The main couple’s chemistry ♥ I wish there were more eps, of them just cooking, reading and doing mundane activities. They look so adorable and sweet together!

Special mention on episodes 28 and 29 ♥
Director really blow my mind here! He turned the drama into horror without making it feel out of place, I look forward to him directing a horror drama in future!

Most fantasy dramas start off strong, with weak 2nd half and a rushed ending. Not in Rattan. It deceives you with the initial slow pace and beautiful scenery, plot and pace picks up and 'hit you in the guts' at the ending episodes. The finale of eps 25 to 30 + extra ep with alternate ending are worth re-watching **thumbs up**

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