Reviews

A Surprise

There has been a slew of dramas which started out promisingly and only to end with great disappointment!BUT Strange Tales of Tang Dynasty does no such thing, its captivating, intriguing and exciting from the first episode! The character development of the character is great, especially LLF, the ML, from a hard and arrogant man to a mature and developed gentleman is quite pleasant. Though there are female interests in the drama, they never became a handicap to the drama's main storyline, which I am very grateful for, as the genre doesn't warrant romance in it. This drama is definitely about two men, the Male Leads and the strange cases they encounter. I am so looking forward to the Second Season! Meanwhile, I shall rewatch the drama this weekend.....

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I've been putting As One off for a while, because I knew I was going to cry rivers. True life stories are always touching to me, a producer really needs to come up with a funny true life story or something.

I gave the story a 10, because it's a true life story, everything shown were real events and happenings......there would be additions or subtractions somewhere. During the whole time I was watching, I was glued to my screen, when they started chanting ''fighting'', I was chanting along. Even though I knew it wasn't a live match, but I couldn't just help it.

The cast are simply awesome, one of the main reasons I watched this, is because of Ha Ji Won. She's an awesome actress. I also love the dialect and the way they were speaking. The various casts portrayed their roles well!!!!

This movie is WORTH it!!!! After watching As One, I really wish NK and SK find a way to unify permanently. A lot of people got and are still getting hurt through this separation.

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This drama has been a privilege to watch. From beginning to the end, you truly felt that you were involved with the lives of the Kameyama family. This drama is amazing because it covers almost 50 years of this family; a multiculteral family during a period when marrying outside your race and culture just didn't happen. You got to witness the bravery of Elle going to a foreign country with a passable understanding of the language and morphing herself into a full-fledge Japanese woman. Catherine Kate Fox did a FANTASTIC job! I can already imagine how well she has been accepted in the entertainment community because she did such a wonderful job in portraying Elle. Tamayama Tetsuji was also sensational as a man driven to achieve his dreams of making Japanese Whiskey. The story itself makes you curious about the real people that this was based on. Even the times through World War II were realistic and definitely made you wonder how this woman AND her family maintained their strength through that turbulent time. So, the question is do I recommend it? Yes. If you are a lover of history, a great story and a beautiful romance between two people who beat the odds and stayed together until death do them part. My first Japanese TV Serial and it will not be my last! It was a labor of love to make and also a labor of time (and love) to watch!

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I was very excited for this drama because the plot sounded interesting and intriguing. Three sisters getting into political grounds, attaining power, how great does that sound?

The drama did not really live up to my expectations; however, i believe that it was worth watching. The legend of Dugu is about three sisters. Out of the three, two of them (Dugu Ban Rou and Dugu Man Tuo) both treasure power and entitlements, while the young sister (Dugu Jia Lou) desires peace and happiness. From my point of view, this drama did not have much to do with politics. It’s more based on the sister’s romantic relationships and how all three of them become successful in their own way (only Dugu Ban Ruo and Dugu Jialou became actual queens).

The casting could have been better, Ady An was the only person who left a great impression on me. Her acting is phenomenal and perfect. Her chemistry with Jeremy Tsui and Zhou Ting Wei was so much more heart warming than Hu Bing Qing and Zhang Andy’s. Honestly, Hu Bing Qing and Zhang Andy had no chemistry at all! Their relationship was not delivering to the point where i shipped her with Ying Jun. This lead me to skipped through all of their ‘romantic’ parts. Another big problem with this drama was Dugu Man Tuo. She is extremely annoying and irritating. Dugu Man Tuo is always trying to strive herself into power, no matter what it takes, including sacrificing her dignity. She neglects people’s encouragements, telling her to stop being evil and even tries to steal both her sister’s significant other. However, she provides the story with a climax, no matter how provoking her character is. I believe it’s both the script and actress which made the character, Dugu Man Tuo, flawed. Also, Yang Jian (Zhang Andy) was so stupid and annoying in thw first half of the drama, he believes EVERYTHING Dugu Man Tuo says his actions were ao idiotic. However, in the later half, he becomes a more decent human being and learns to love Jialou. Another problem with this drama was the amount of people who died! LIKE WTH!!! To prevent myself from spilling spoilers, i won’t mention those who passed away in this drama, but some deaths may include your favourite characters (isnt that great)! So, out of all actors and actresses, my favourites were Ady An, Jeremy Tsui (his love for Ban Ruo was unconditional, even i could feel it), thats about it.

The soundtracks in this drama were fantastic and i was not really irritated by any sort of music displacement (which we all know happens a lot in cdramas). HOWEVER, whenever there is a ceremony or celebration in the palace, it is inevitable for some sort of dancing crew. I am perfectly fine with that, BUT the same instrumental song is ALWAYS being played, IT GETS SO IRRITATING WHICH MAKES ME ROLL MY EYES EVERYTIME.

Overall, as a person who never completes dramas myself, i am actually surprised that i managed to finish this drama (i did a skip through some repetitive and uninteresting parts though). I can almost say that this drama is my cup of tea. Its not anything special and never seen before, but it does have its own magic. I truly do love this drama and it left a very great impression on me. I would highly recommend people to watch it (i am aware that there are no English subtitles, but definitely give it a try when there are).

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One of the funniest dramas I’ve ever watched!

So many people give this drama low ratings because it focuses too much on comedy and romance and not enough on story depth or action. Well let me tell you something guys, that’s what a true romantic comedy is supposed to do. Romcoms are supposed to be focused on romance and comedy. The backstory, underlying meaning of things, character growth, and plot always takes second place to the romance and comedy in a romcom. That’s not to say the drama doesn’t have any depth or good plot lines, it does. It’s just that it’s not the main focus of the drama.

I like that this romcom stays a romcom throughout and never gets too melodramatic or angsty as most dramas do. Yes there are sad parts where I cried, and there was some angst towards the end. But you need a little of that to pull you in and get you invested in the drama. But it never gets too angsty and the comedy is sprinkled throughout the drama to lighten the mood.

One thing about the comedy is that it’s very physical with lots of bathroom humor. It’s not a subtle type of comedy but rather a very silly slapstick style comedy which is not everyone’s cup of tea. You either love it or hate it. I personally found it to be one of the funniest dramas I’ve ever seen. And I’ve watched hundreds of dramas.

I also loved the female leads relationship with her brothers. Her protective big brothers touched my heart and how they all looked out for each other and put each other first was heart warming. But be warned the female lead stands up for herself and is very physical with the people that mess with her. I personally loved her sassiness which she pulled off brilliantly. But some people may not like her strong physical personality.

The male lead is aggressive and tough one minute then a silly little puppy the next minute. Not many actors can play such a diverse character but this guy does it flawlessly.

There is a gay storyline and it’s done very tastefully. I like that neither of the men were portrayed as the typical silly effeminate gay character you see in most dramas. They were very normal everyday guys that were trying to cope with their circumstances. None of the scenes made me feel uncomfortable or awkward. Other dramas could learn a lesson from them. I loved the gay storyline. It was original, sweet, very normal and believable.

If you’re looking for a good romantic comedy then look no further. This is one of the best out there. If you’re usually very focused on depth of plot, action, and want lots of twists and turns then this is not the drama for you.

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Calming and mundane. Wrapped in a thin layer of sadness that gets thicker as you watch.

"People can die of longing. Still, we were diligently making memories that we would be longing for every day."

Even with the heartbreaking theme, the show had this peaceful aura about it. While not much was happening (with half of the episodes being cooking scenes with Han Seok Kyu’s narration over it) it just felt right. This show gives you pause to breathe and enjoy the moment while also slowly taking the breath away when you know what’s coming at the end.

It has gracefully balanced between the warm and happy moments and the harsh truth of the reality the family had to face. Recipe for Farewell does not show you the whole journey. It gives you bits and pieces, the moments, but it’s enough to understand the whole process and relate to the characters.

It’s a small story, happening in a small area with a small number of characters, yet it has a big heart and many amazing messages. It’s going to make you smile, laugh, cry. You are going to feel grateful for what you have, appreciating all the small things we usually ignore and take for granted in life. It talks about loss, grief, accepting the inevitable, maturing and putting aside our egocentric nature, reconnecting with people in your life.

All of that was possible thanks to the great writing and directing, but also phenomena acting from the whole cast. I cannot even describe how amazing of the job everyone did in this project.

Is this show for everyone? No. And I don’t mean it in a rude way, as if only “intellectuals” can enjoy it. It’s just truly character driven, truly mundane and truly not focused on the entertainment aspect. As much as I enjoyed it, I can easily see someone else finding it boring.

Overall, it’s a true gem. It’s not a show you watch for entertainment. It’s not something you put as a background while cleaning. It’s something you should enjoy at your own pace, free from external distractions.

Side note at the end, but Yang Su Won is one of the most amazing characters from all 2022 drama. On the other hand, closer to the end I started to strongly dislike Yeo Jin…

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Entendi pq chamaram de J-Trauma

Glass Heart me pegou de jeito desde o primeiro episódio. Eu nem sei ao certo como colocar em palavras tudo o que senti, mas precisava dizer alguma coisa sobre essa obra de arte.

Quase deixei passar por "medo". Vi alguém chamando de “J-Trauma” e achei que fosse ter um final triste demais. Mas felizmente dei uma chance… e acabei devorando tudo de uma vez só. Que experiência linda. As músicas, os cenários, os personagens, a história... tudo me envolveu completamente.

Confesso que temi um triângulo amoroso, mas graças aos deuses do romance, apesar de esse tópico ter surgido, não foi por esse caminho. Akane sempre amou o Naoki. E ele, do jeitinho contido dele, sempre amou ela também. A forma como eles se desenvolveram foi delicada, intensa, especial. E aquela cena do beijo? Ele cantando pra ela? Eu ainda quero chorar de amor só de lembrar.

Outro ponto que me pegou foi o Toya e o Mahiro. Juro, aquela cena no hospital confirmou tudo. Tem sentimento ali sim, eu não estou doida.

Mesmo com aquele final aberto, Glass Heart é um 1000/10. Parte de mim agradece por não terem escancarado tudo, porque meu coração já tava destruído só com a possibilidade. O resto a gente preenche com a mente, né? Kkkkk

Se você chegou até aqui, só te digo uma coisa: assista Glass Heart. É sensível, é apaixonante, é tudo. E claro… streaming na TENBLANK 🤟🏻

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So first off, this is not a drama for the faint hearted. This is a all in commitment. Initially I was hesitant on the first 3 episodes.. then it started to draw me in and as story unfolded I loved it. It so rare that you get a drama that sucks you in and you are waiting impatiently for the next one finding yourself day dreaming about what’s going to happen next, putting the puzzle pieces together :) it’s an all in fun ride.
You really have to pay attention(especially the uncles evil schemes in the beginning) he is ssoooo evil and did it sooo good) and there’s other side stories.. (which do not take away from the main story but add to it.. ) it should have been 17 or 18 episodes but they wrapped it up nicely in 16. Certain people are fundamental to the story and when you get the flow you start to see how deep/good it really is.
I didn’t get the romance at first.. but then I realized; the King saw the FL as his champion at a very vulnerable sad time in his life and as “she” had saved him from death and killed some of the traitors. She was larger than life to him and I’m sure that looking at her picture everyday... after a while he probably felt like he “knew “ her.
So. when he sees her ; It’s like a long lost friend/savior who means so much to him. Also FL is kind of tough. She’s not a damsel in distress (which I love:) , So until she knows him and can trust that he is for real about his story and his feelings toward her. She’s not gonna give him an inch. Obviously she is somewhat interested in him because she spends time with him and listens to his story (at first she thinks he’s nuts and then she starts to research different things that make her question her reality) I loved that she did that and then you see the wheels in her mind turning and things making her REALLY question that lead her to answers .. soon they are thinking out loud together .. so one more thing about this relationship he’s a really smart wise compassionate capable strong good looking man who is not about power..but about justice.. what’s not to love in him:):):D Omo.. also loved loved his horse :) he was beautiful

Let’s face it, there’s a lot to consider and the writers tried to give you an authentic point of view from the characters personalities Sometimes when we watch dramas we take it for granted that everyone accepts the impossible slightly implausible crazy story that two worlds that are similar parallel and exist.
I liked that FL really did her due diligence and she has a smart mind so the gathers her info. When she accepts that he is authentic and honest with her and she realizes that he is what she has been looking for, she commits to the relationship. I liked the romance, it wasn’t a “needy” relationship it was a “i really like you wanna get to know you but I still have a job a family and a life.(aka I’m a King..hehe) .how do we manage that?” Kind of romance.
Then throw in a REALLY evil homicidal uncle who replaces people from each world ( people swapping killer,) close friends/protectors workers/palace people/ and you got a fun ...all out ....what’s gonna happen next story. Also humor was thrown in so it had some really funny moments :)

The FL as a co- and all her people were excellent and the King in his world with all his people were excellent.. to have friends and people like these in your life really made the story about them all:)

Like I said not for the faint of heart. But the story really comes together and you realize the main couple are in love and they’ve never been in love, /so they are finding out not only about each other but they and others are also threatened and have to save/protect/ figure out the next step in the tine line and solve the chaos in the past somehow.
I thought each actor was really good. I love the Main leads and have seen all their dramas. I must say they have matured and I loved them and totally got their relationship, because it’s not easy to date Fall in love, keep in touch and save two worlds. Once she committed she totally committed ..(it was sweet)

The other leads (FL best friend who is in love with her.. Kings right hand man , nice Uncle , Grandmother ) (I totally LOVE the grandmother.she is the icon for all grandmas in k dramas) I thought all were really good.
SPOILER ** The ending was perfect. It showed you how well the leads understood each other/worked well and independently and did what needed to be done ; how things changed and ended up...(a few of them I LOL’d how they changed)
Once the FL got the gist of how things were panning out she was way ahead of the game and started to work out how she needed to proceed (a woman with a tactical mind herself) and the ML respected her ..her job , independence and her intelligence. You just knew they were gonna enjoy life together:)

Soooo.. what I’m saying is the drama is done you can binge watch it and have fun.. if in the first 4-6 episodes you don’t connect... no harm done but I am so happy I watched it and will rewatch some of the episodes again

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A Warm Island Romance That Feels Like a Summer Breeze

Finally, after so many supporting roles, Winny and Satang shine in their first main roles and they absolutely deliver. Satang as Wave and Winny as Lava are such a joy to watch. Their chemistry feels natural and effortless, and the way their relationship shifts from teasing and bickering to genuine care is heartwarming to see.

I love how That Summer breaks away from the usual university BL setting. The island atmosphere adds a refreshing, breezy charm that perfectly fits the story’s lighthearted tone. It’s fun, simple, and easy to enjoy, a perfect weekend comfort series.

Surprisingly, my favorite couple is the second one, Dr. Wut and Uncle Pheng. Their chemistry is undeniable, yet their love story carries a quiet sadness. Poor Dr. Wut, forced to hide his relationship, while Pheng clearly has his own reasons for keeping things secret. Their moments together add depth and emotional weight to the show.

Overall, That Summer is another solid GMMTV production. It doesn’t rely on heavy drama or complex twists but instead captures the beauty of connection, healing, and love that grows naturally under the summer sun.

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BLOOD

My Golden Blood is a vampiric BL fantasy that’s campy, sensual, and irresistibly melodramatic—packed with intense chemistry between Joss Way-ar (Mark) and Fluke Gawin Caskey (Tong), layered with supernatural intrigue and just enough humor to lighten the gothic tension.

Mark, a 200-year-old vampire heir, discovers Tong—a naive, rare “golden blood” individual whose scent attracts vampires. He protects him from rivals (including cousin Nakan), battling his own bloodlust while their bond deepens. A standout twist: Tong, thought to have hemophilia, learns his blood is coveted—and he becomes strong and confident through Mark’s protection

If you're here for sizzling supernatural romance, dramatic flair, and unapologetic fanservice—My Golden Blood delivers in droves. It’s over-the-top, sexy, and sometimes cheesy, but driven by superb lead performances and heartfelt emotion. Ignore the CGI quibbles (unless you're a perfectionist) and let yourself be swept up in this gothic BL romp.

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EPIC = GIANT!

Giant caught my attention when I added Salaryman to my list. I watched 5 episodes at that time and I failed to continue. In my second attempt I watched 20 episodes and I had to stop after 20 episodes because of exams. This time I managed to finish it within a week! It was really addictive.

Giant is a period drama set in 70s-90s. It's story of development of Gangnam & Seoul, political environment of Korea Republic at that time. Characters' stories of struggle-rise-fall has a base of revenge & betrayal. Giant has a very detailed business & political plot (not detailed realistically but compared to any motion media there is a good amount of detail). Nice representation of business, money, politics, power & greed. All of it was very dirty (not as dirty as reality). Very smart & unpredictable (mostly).
Other than business & politics another major theme is the sweet family & friendships. Alongside them there are little love stories. However, the love stories are not lovey-dovey but perfect amount for romance lovers.
Every character has depth and reason of their actions & ambitions. Male characters are great but I want to highlight the female characters. Females of Giant are very balanced. They are intelligent in their work & self-assertive in nature...in short they're kickass!
You can't categorise Giant in a genre. It has all kind of content except horror & fantasy. No dull & needless moments. Everything was necessary & strong enough to maintain interest. However, I felt a few episodes in the 40s were a little weak; still weakest episode deserves a 9!
Also it gives a rough idea of political situations and changes of South Korea at that time & construction development of Seoul.

Acting/Casting:
Excellent casting. I watched Salaryman so most of them were familiar. Everyone was great. I especially like Lee Duk-hwa, Lee Ki-young, Lee Mun-shik & Kim Suh-hyung.
Actresses were good. Park Jin-hee was fine & Hwang Jung-eum...well, she felt somewhat like a misfit. Her character was cute & naïve but she overdid it...I think.
Joo Sang-wook was really good but who is my favourite actor choice in Giant? Lee Beom-soo...nope. My favourite actors were Park Sang-min & Jung Bo-suk. At the beginning I was excited because of presence of Beom-soo in the cast and he was great but I didn't like him as much as I liked Park Sang-min & Jung Bo-suk. Beom-soo overacted a few times but Sang-min & Bo-suk both were always natural. Bo-suk was always blossomed; so was Sang-min! But Sang-min was extra special in family scenes.
I wanted to go into the screen and beat Bo-suk's character to the pulp & to hug Sang-min's character.

Music:
Soundtrack & songs used in the whole show were awesome. Soundtracks synchronised well with the situations.
Also in the first 40 episodes you'll frequently listen to some parts of classic Korean songs...I liked most of them.

Who should watch this?
-If you like business & political themes.
-Romance fans
-Everyone except following

Who should avoid this?
-Romance fans (those who want lovey-dovey romance in each & every episode)
-Those who can't handle family conflicts (minor)
-Those who can't handle tension (not depression)
-Those who can't breathe in ahjussi/grandpa/ahjumma galore & want pleasant sceneries of actors/actress to survive.
-Low tolerance of evil. Those who think that 'Boys Over Flowers'/'Secret Garden' moms & 'I Hear Your Voice'/'City Hunter' ahjussis or any other popular evil characters are the most evil then you should think twice before watching Giant....because those mentioned characters are just foetus of evil. In Giant you'll face complete evil.

Re-watch value:
Definitely a re-watch material! Despite being a 60 episode long show; I'll definitely go through this excitement many times in future.

Giant has everything...I laughed, cried, became tense &…....cursed like I never did (I realised that my tongue is dirtier than I thought!).
Giant is best in revenge, business & political category (not just Korea) & my 2nd best Korean show!
I recommend this to everyone, if you're afraid of length then don't be; it's addictive and you'll feel 60 episodes are less.

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A wrinkle in time.

This is a surprisingly enjoyable short love story with a novel premise. He Zhengyu, a hot shot lawyer experiences a series of setbacks that lands him in a modest apartment. Every night, he is "haunted" by rookie reporter Chen Jialan, who occupied the apartment four months ago. A wrinkle in time brings them together each night at 10:06pm for 46 minutes. During this time they must solve a few cases that they were involved in professionally that may have set them on the road to perdition.

The initial encounters between Zhengyu and Jialan are hilarious and intriguing as they both scare the hell out of each other. They had me rooting for them from the get go. But as their relationship progresses, I find Jialan remains too sweet, childish and cutesy. I expect to see their chemistry take on a more mature and adult tone later on but this doesn't quite happen. Nonetheless, I stayed invested in their story throughout and kept going even though the whole Jirong saga bored me to tears. I have not seen such bland and monotonous acting in a long time. It is almost criminal to pair up such an insipid actress with such a hot actor as Dai Gaozheng. The cast overall is not strong and it is Yang Xuwen's convincing and charismatic portrayal of Zhengyu and how he is changed by this wrinkle in time that elevates the main relationship and saves the entire drama.

The biggest plot hole in this story is He Zhengyu's lack of curiosity about who Chen Jialan was and why she vacated the apartment he moved into. You would think his first instinct would be to find out everything about her and to try to track her down. But no, he waits till very late in the game to do this. The cases are only mildly interesting and the villains are quite obvious. While the drama does a good job transitioning between the past and the present, the main characters traverse back and forth too often and too inconsequentially. The plot does become slightly convoluted towards the end, with too many twists. Despite some obvious flaws and plot holes, there are enough fresh and engaging moments that make this an entertaining watch. This is a 7.5/10.0 that will nicely tide over a dry spell.

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As an avid fan of Asian dramas and films, ( limited by my lack of language skill to those with english subtitles), I have now seen four versions of this story. Its is impossible to not compare each of them and this definitely did not match the standard of the other three.
The Korean version was the first I encountered and fell in love with the show. The Taiwanese show ( original) was the next to come appear from my searches. It varied the story and how they played the characters and ,except for the final few episodes, I again fell in love. The more recent Thai version again played it slightly different to both previous productions . While I wasn't quite as enthusiastic, it still was quite a good show.
All three had great casts, chemistry between the leads, believable plot, fine production ....actually all the elements required to make an engaging enjoyable show. This most recent version from Japan lacked almost everyone of these elements , except for the female lead. It felt rushed, inexpensive, and amateurish which is not true for many wonderful Japanese shows.
As I watched it felt like there will be no Season 2 to complete the story as the company decided to cut it short because it was just not getting any better. This is of course my opinion. I am now excitedly looking forward to the promised Chinese version due this year starring my favorite couple from The Eternal Love 1 and 2. ( That's the one with the THE in the title)
Please still watch this drama and, if you haven't already, check out the other three, soon to be four!!

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