Reviews

Mind Blown!! What can I say about this drama! Family dramas are probably the ones I watch the least; however, I have been very fortunately in watching some of the best and this is definitely one of them! Im Soo Hyang as Sa Ran and Sung Hoon as Da Mo, if you don't fall in love with this couple, you're immune to love! I cannot even say I hated a character; even Da Mo's crazy father has his endearing characteristics! My one complaint is the possession storyline, that could have been dropped and condensed this drama below 50 episodes. But what I did like about this drama was that you got to explore their relationship from start, to dating, to heartache, to marriage and finally children! A complete story!! What is absolutely amazing is that this was Sung Hoon's first drama ever!! Sure, he starts out the typical chaebol, spoiled brat but his transformation is like no other. Sure, you are going to look at the 52 episodes and say, this is too long but to give you an idea how well the acting is, just watch the last 10 minutes of episode 33. I guarantee in those 10 minute, you will want to watch the other 51 hours and 40 minute; guarantee!! I call those 10 min my emotionally stunned moments!! Only one other drama has ever affected me the same; one!!

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Spring is just the beginning

Totally, this marks the end of an era, although the story was completed with what we saw in the movie Pornographer: Playback, it seems to me that this short close perfectly with anything that could be left in the inkwell, to begin with, yes, the relationship between Kuzumi and Kijima it is still a long distance relationship but we see that their situation is much more consolidated than before and the most important thing is that for the first time, in the entire franchise, we see them openly happy in their relationship.

One of the things that I appreciate about this epilogue is that we were able to see a little more convenience with the Kijima family and I appreciate how the relationship between Rio and Haruhiko became so natural to everyone, something rarely seen in cut productions LGBT Japanese, at least in which I have seen and although it was a brief moment, it was nice.

After that we have Kuzumi once again asking Rio to live with him and once more Rio putting buts (Rio is enough, don't make me suffer the baby, he's been waiting for a life), however this moment is interrupted when Kido asks him Rio to write the prologue for a new reprint of his Sensei Kamoda's latest work, to which he accesses.

After a talk about Kamoda's latest work and a visit to his grave, by Kuzumi and Rio, Rio reflects on everything he has experienced as a writer, his stormy relationship and subsequent friendship with Kido, his feelings towards his Sensei and finally having met Kuzumi on the way.

In the end, Rio and Kuzumi go to the latter's house, where Kuzumi asks him once more to live with him and stay be together forever to which Rio finally agrees, he asks him to never leave him and the two say they love each other.

Finally giving a conclusion to this story, although I think it is something that was already made quite clear in Playback, it was still nice to see the actors embody their characters one last time to say goodbye properly, giving a definitive conclusion where we see the main characters finally stay together after all they lived through.

In the end Rio achieves a redemption with the most important aspects of his past, writing, Kido and his sensei and it is what allows him to finally free himself to start a life with Kuzumi without so many fears, something it gave a lot of peace to my heart.

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The story could have been interesting - an immortal seeking his reborn former love. Acting was generally good but there was no chemistry between the lead actor and actress.

All the romantic save the damsel-in-distress scenes by the lead actor did not work as it should. Strangely the crippled prince in the story seemed to have more chemistry with the actress instead. The chemistry between the lead actor and actress often play a major part in the success of the drama and this had fallen through miserably. Some parts where the lead actor tried to flirt with the lead actress were quite cheesy.

The ending is rather poorly developed and explained. Mysteriously the hero of the story returned with the heroine waiting for him in this place of a different time dimension.

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his is about obsession and Trauma depicted hauntingly beautiful yet disturbing

Let me start this by saying these actors NEED to get more recognition. Their performance and chemistry was DIVINE!

This story never aims to be a romantic journey of love and trust.

It starts with Fan Xiao, who sees the world as painful and cruel. Good does not excist in his view of the world. When You Shulang shows signs of Goodness Fan Xiao is sure that that cannot be real. And to an extend he is right. You Shulang might be composed and polite, but he too has a different view on the world.
Fan Xiaos hate/obsession/love towards You Shulang stems from a deep hate of the world and his own existence in it.

His fear of You Shulang leaving him ultimately causes Fan Xiao to torture him (more than he already has to that point) by taking away everything from You Shulang including his will to live. But surprisingly that is where Fan Xiao draws the line. Because if You Shulang had committed suicide, Fan Xiaos only reason to be on his earth would have been gone. And as Fan Xiao has so nicely put: Fan Xiao will surely go to hell, but You Shulang won’t be there.

To wrap this very confusing review up: This is a masterpiece in Storytelling and slowly escalating obsession stemming from Trauma. I might even go as far as to say that To my Shore is not a Romance BL but a Psychological Thriller told through the world of BL. And I think it was perfectly executed!

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If you saw the show "2Moons" you know that the characters of Forth and Beam (played be Tae and Tee) barely even spoke, as their story was going to continue in the second season. The characters have gotten their chance, but the actors did not. In a shocking move, the entire cast of "2Moons" was replaced and Tae and Tee lost their chance to show what they can do together on screen. This short film, more a premise for a full series, gives you a clue as to what it would have been like. The idea for "Triage" is that Tae plays Tin, a doctor, who is the boyfriend of Tol, who has a medical condition. The film suggests supernatural elements and a good deal of drama. It would have been interesting to see these two flex their acting muscles. I for one would like to see the series come to reality, as a way of giving all the actors of the first cast of "2Moons" a way of getting revenge for being cast aside. If "Triage" is done super well, and has all six actors in it, that would be a great conclusion for them - redemption. Hopefully, the people who make decisions on these things are watching the numbers of views and comments, as well as this review. MAKE THE SERIES! If there's room for 20 series about engineering students, then there's room for "Triage".

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I assumed, most people found this kind of drama boring, not interesting, scary, confusing. But, not for me. I took virology class, and this drama helped me to reviewed my lessons, as well as comparing it with what I learned (errr, sorry for sounded like a freak)..
Anyway, I started watching first, because it's from OCN. I admire OCN's drama. I mean, it's not mainstream. I really love Vampire Prosecutor (and now dying to watch the 3rd season), and finally I found another drama. And I was interested when I watch its trailer, and so, here I am.

Story: as I said before, it's unique. The virus idea is not-so-original though, since I've watched "L Change The World" which made me fell in love pretty hard. And since, the virus used is kinda look a like, I kinda disappointed actually. But I decided to focus at the story line. And indeed, the story line is interesting. Not only medical, but it involved political issues (which I assumed, also happens in reality as well). Not only that, I spotted a classic scientist's issue - ethics. I'm aware, that ethics always been a sensitive, but important issues. I'm glad that the scriptwriter actually included ethics issues in it - may take that as a moral of this drama. The details also pretty great and realistically made.

Acting: Uhm Ki Joon, no need to be questioned. His acting is terrific, he portrays smart and persistent Lee Myeong Hyeon really well. As for Hyun Woo, even though he only appeared in the first half of the drama, he left a pretty deep impression on his acting for me. Yubin, I'm kinda surprised to see her here. But her acting is pretty good (and I kinda startled to see that she........ *I'm not posting spoilers here. LOL*). Other casts are also great.

Music: nothing notably, really. There are barely any music throughout this dramas. Only opening and closing sequence (same song), and barely noticed instruments as insert songs. Nothing remarkable.

Rewatch Value: basically because I didn't rewatch my dramas. But in my opinion people wouldn't watch this show twice.

Overall, this drama is basically a medical, thriller, a bit gore (a few scenes containing bloods). In my personal opinion, this is a good way to test your knowledge about virus. The story is FAR from romance (moreover comedy). It's serious, dark, unexpected, but pretty realistic. But I do recommend this for those who interested in medical drama.

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Fondant Garden was initially a early season pick up on a rainy weekend. What it turned out to be was quite different--a drama that I really enjoyed for its cute factor and for the most part, its story.

Park Jung Min is seriously adorable in this, so if you are a fan, you will enjoy him in Korean (for parts) and in Taiwanese (dubbed). He brings so much to the character of Han Ji/Pu Xi Huan. Even though this is a comedy, he brings a lot of cute expressions that make him that much funnier.

The music for this drama is fairly well done. The opening theme is very cute, and on film, the opening theme is probably one of the most creative and bright in dramaland. The dramatic moment song is also beautiful. Both songs will stick with you.

The story itself is rather light hearted, although there are elements of melo laced within. Like any rich boy/ not as well-off girl drama with brothers, there is also family drama. Those parts are harder to get through, particularly in the earlier episodes. The drama as a whole doesn't really pick up, in my opinion, until episode 5, but the first four episodes are important for story development (so don't skip them.)

Overall, I found in Fondant Garden a much better drama than I expected from the outset. For a pick up drama (not one I wanted to watch initially), I rank it up there. It certainly is one of my favorite Taiwanese dramas, at any rate.

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Defendant for me was this year's most anticipated drama. I remember that while it was airing and everybody was talking about it, I used to look at it with greedy eyes everyday. I wanted to watch it so bad but at the same time, I knew that in order to enjoy it fully I needed to wait for completion. I'm glad I waited 'cause I truly can't comprehend how I would have withstood the torture that this show's cliffhangers inflicted upon the poor watchers.

If you're like me and you've watched your fair share of crime dramas you won't find the premise of this show exactly unique. You'll be able to guess most of the plot twists (if not all) and see a lot of things coming beforehand. Defendant comes with it's flaws. There are a lot of convenient coincidences that aid both our good guys and the baddies. Sharp tools just happen to be lying around jail cells just waiting to be used by the inmates, a circuit somehow just happens to break resulting in a power black out whenever it is needed, a very useful recording device disguised as a pen just happens to travel around wringing confessions from the evil doers left and right and our antagonist somehow conveniently transforms from an up to no good loser to an identity stealing mastermind overnight.
How very interesting.

However, with its slightly rocky plot comes a masterful execution. Even though you know what's going to happen, when it actually happens it feels like a completely new and exciting experience. Our good guys seem to be trapped in their own version of real life flappy bird. It's one step forward from the abyss of doom and twenty steps backwards. So when convenient coincidences happen to rule things in their favor, I'd be damned if I have a problem with it.

This is the kind of show that banks on the watcher's heart rather than the mind. It will make you blinded with emotion and leave all logic behind. But the real reason this show is a hit is the excellent acting put out by all the actors.

Ji Sung as always is phenomenal. From Secret to Kill Me Heal Me and finally to Defendant, you can see his acting evolve and grow more powerful. He's an extremely skilled performer and many a times I suffered through a serious case of gooseflesh while watching him. By the middle of this show I was completely invested, horribly torn apart and crossing my fingers for him to turn the tables on all the assholes that had done him wrong.

Usually in melodramas, when you see the main character go through tragedy after tragedy, it turns from heartbreaking to frustrating real quick. Soon you go from wanting to wipe the hero's tears to slapping his mouth shut and putting an end to the sob fest. However, Ji Sung got me every time. His pain, helplessness and tears always made me wail like a baby. I didn't realize I was rocking so much H2O in my body until it came out gushing from my peepers. I think I felt quite a lot dehydrated after finishing this show.

Uhm Ki-Joon with his Cha Min Ho put out the acting of his life. He's heartless, ruthless, evil without a cause and at last, pitiful. He's probably one of the best antagonists of Dramaland and undoubtedly one of the most hated characters. His impulsive acts of violence leave you shaking with fury and you'll find yourself thirsty for his demise.
A lot of people thought that his situation was a little unrealistic but as a daughter of a detective, I can say that I've seen many real life cases where the criminals start with seemingly minor and thoughtless crimes and commit far worse atrocities to cover it up. In Cha Min Ho's case, he sticks to it to the very end. His bag of tricks is endless and you never find a peaceful moment with him.

Even though this show truly focuses on the two main men, some other characters will weasel their way in your heart and take permanent residence. These were the characters that I wanted to hide in my back pocket and protect from all the cruelty of the world. And even though my wishful thinking did not save all of them, I treasured every moment they were on-screen.
My precious and loyal Seong Kyu, my shady but hilarious Optimus Shin Cheol Sik, Prosecuter Choi Tae Hong who never once lost faith, Jeong Woo's merry band of prison inmates and the resilient Seo Eun Hye all brought their own flavor to the show.

This drama has a deep underlying message about how family makes or breaks you. How people are willing to go to every length to save their loved ones and how it's never too late for justice. With an extremely satisfying ending; giving closure to all the characters and answer to your every question, Defendant takes a spot among dramas that are consistently amazing from start to finish.

A dark and gritty suspense drama that comes with its share of heartbreak.

An absolute must-watch

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Lupin the 3rd movie is a really good action-packed movie which I would say that can be lined up with other Hollywood movies because of its cinematography and fight scenes. The dialogues are like 75% in English and 25% in Japanese, Korean, Thai and other languages. It's really impressive watching our fave casts speak in English.

The casts fit their roles perfectly and did a very good job portraying it and I heard they really prepared and trained for this movie.

A fast-paced story that fit a 2 hour length movie. The setting went to other countries in Asia which we all looked forward into. So they really spent a lot for this movie and it's really worth it.

The music gives you a modern Lupin the 3rd feel and I think it's really cool and catchy~

A star-studded cast, impressive production and a really great live-action adaptation. It's definitely a must watch movie!! b^_^d

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I love this drama so much I don't even know where to start!

I guess with the leads first. After watching them in The Legends I put them both on my watchlist because their chemistry is through the roof! Xu Kai expresses so much emotions through his eyes alone that I felt what he feels in scenes even when he's not saying anything.

Kudos to Bai Lu also for carrying her weight in this drama. It didn't feel like a woman pretending to be a man as it happens in most gender bender dramas. She really moved and acted like a man, with swagger and all that.

I loved the supporting cast as well, from the classmates to the faculty, and their friends outside the academy. Even the side stories and their missions were interesting!

The weakest link for me was the female antagonist. I felt her character portrayal a bit canned and 2 dimensional, no depth or layers to her personality. I didn't buy into her motivations for being the way she is.

Special mention to the styling - I loved the dresses, and especially loved the trench coats of both the males and females. Xu Kai's trench coats are to die for!

Lastly I would like to give a special mention to the opening OST. Most of the time when I watch dramas I skip the opening song and get straight to the drama, but here I find myself letting the song finish because I loved the beat so much.

A really enjoyable, well thought out production! Much recommended!

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*I can't leave my sons hardly any money, but I do want to tell them to make people their asset.*

This was one of the dramas I wasn't planning on watching, then started out of boredom but turned out to be a pleasant watch. Watching it made me forget all my problems and the things I stress about, and gave me a warm feeling. I enjoyed every second of it. I can't say they it has anything that stand out, but more of a number of things coming together in harmony and giving us this heartwarming fun dorama.

The drama is really about bringing people together. The title is about the ever changing form a family takes as time goes on and how we find ways to adapt at every upcoming change. I love that our hero Daisuke, played by Katori Shingo (my first time watching him - he did pretty well) is a typical introverted who treasures his time alone, only to have to deal with his extraverted father Yozo, played by Nishida Toshiyuki, who has no consideration for such issues. Another highlight is the growing relationship between Daisuke and his new ototo, and mostly the hearwarming relationship between Yozo-san and Kota. Then there's Ueno Juri playing lonely Hanako, with her lazy demeanor that takes out her boredom by complaining about anything, getting nicknamed *Complainer Hanako*. I enjoyed her bickering relationship with Daisuke, her mother, played by the lovely Fubuki Jun. Actually my favourite part of the drama was the relationship of Yozo and Ricchan and how they affected everyone around them with their warmth. Arakawa Yoshiyoshi as Daisuke's colleague doubled the fun, and the addition of Tanaka Kei was a great welcome. That guy needs to get a leading role next!

There were more. It's a huge cast and the drama gave the spotlight to most of them, and we saw both main and supporting characters grow throughout the drama.

Nishida Toshiyuki was at the center of it all. He brought lightheartedness to the drama, but can be a firm father figure when needed to, and when he gets emotional you can't help but get carried away by it. There were many instance I understood Daisuke's frustrations, and it would've drove me crazy if I was in his place, but the moment Yozo-san makes amend or explains himself, I just can't help feel for him and want him to be forgiven.

Anyways fun drama worth checking out ;)

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I just finished watching Woman of Dignity, and I must say that I was positively surprised. The drama is fast-paced and pretty interesting provided that you don't try to take it too seriously. I read it as a grotesque portrayal of the life of the rich and their dysfunctional families. The weirdest part of this show are its characters. Some of them are so ridiculous that you might find yourself wondering if anyone can really be that dumb; however, the two main characters are pretty multi-dimensional and interesting. I thought the plot was the best part of the story. It keeps moving even though almost every episode seems like the story has reached it's climax. There is a bit of a change of the focus in the story, but it's still cohesive. I had no idea who committed the crime till the very end. The acting of the two female leads is fantastic (I'm talking about Kim Hee-Seon and Kim Sun-A), and the development of their relationship is somewhat refreshing to see in a Kdrama. I thought that Seo Jung-Yeon also did a job good, and her character (Joo-Mi) was pretty well written.

I was a bit surprised reading the reviews of the show here on MDL, but it might be because I interpreted it differently than some other viewers.

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Where do I begin? Let me get this out of the way: Queen of Mystery 1 vs. Queen of Mystery 2 have two different feels to them. I know because I marathoned season 1 before marathoning season 2, so I immediately recognized a difference in tone. The first season felt sincere, the comedy came more from the situations Seol Ok found herself in so it was completely relatable and the mini cases not only blended into the main mystery of the series, but also served as a strong foundation for Seol Ok and Detective Ha to build their relationship on.

Unlike the first season QOM 2 really leaned into the over-the-top comedy and all of the cases felt very disjointed. It was weird. Almost like from season 1 to season 2 there were different directors and production teams. There wasn't though, I checked. That seamless blend just wasn't there. Instead it felt more like the series was trying to tell everyone's story in a way that highlighted the individuals away from the rest of the cast rather than having a true feel of an ensemble cast which I loved from season 1. I mean, it's a mystery/police drama: it's all about the ensemble!

Not to mention the sudden appearance of Detective Ha's brother who was never mentioned in season 1, Profiler Woo seemed to become even more robotic in season 2, where he was actually a relatable character by the end of season 1 with a budding bromance between him and Detective Ha, and the most anticipated plot revolving around Hyun Soo was confusing and never really explained in any way to make her story relevant.

I know this might all sound critical but there were some positives: the comedy was good and the individual performances were stellar. If nothing else, anytime the medical examiner, Hwang Jae Min was in a scene I was laughing my head off.


The ending felt very much like they are expecting a season 3, which I'm against if season 2 is any indication. There were so many open ended questions left but I honestly don't care. I'll admit that I only finished the drama because I was hoping against hope that it would all come together in the end, but it never did. So all of the big reveals and whatever closure there was just didn't feel as gratifing as the 1st season. Too bad. for all intents and purposes everything was there, but it was put together in the wrong way.

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Cute, But Not Much Else

As far as GL miniseries go, this one was cute and fun to watch (with plenty of kisses to make my heart happy). The characters were sweet and there was very little conflict, which can be nice to see. I'm not always a fan of miniseries, but this one did a good job in my opinion.

But honestly, there was no real substance here. The characters were all one-note, and I found it hard to care about the relationship when it a.) moved so fast, and b.) there was nothing else in the show at all. Nothing in the characters' lives outside their relationship, and an almost comical amount of people just appearing onscreen because there was no world outside whatever was on screen at a time.

I'm glad we got this show, and I would recommend it for anyone looking for a quick, cute show to watch-- but I'm hoping that one day we will have plenty of GLs that are better than this.

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