Reviews

Buzzer Beat is a really entertaining sports/romance drama.

I especially enjoy a drama where the love builds unexpectedly between the lead couple. What I also liked about this drama is that even though there is necessary conflict and a bit of angst between them for drama's sake, they come to the realization of their feelings quickly and that kept me interested. Their chemistry was great and their scenes together so satisfying.

The writing is good. I liked the story trajectory for the main characters. The 11 episodes go by fast. The supporting cast was also fun. Riko's roommate Mei was a standout for me. She was so sassy and blunt. I loved her character.

Yamapi was good. He is one handsome bloke but I liked his acting in Nobuta wo Produce and he didn't disappoint me here either. In watching Kurosagi, I have decided I like when he plays quirky characters a bit more than when he plays a straight lead.

The soundtrack wasn't as standout as other Jdramas I've watched but I did love the opening song and the Beetles and Stones songs in the background.

I give the re-watch value a 9 because this was a very fun watch. I really liked the romance and the friendship of the OTP. Like the Jdrama Pride, this is set in the sports world but there is a great balance of both basketball, character study and romance.

I recommend this drama highly. It's a fast, enjoyable watch. Sweet, romantic and it has something for everyone.

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it's slow drama and usually slow drama either can make you fall in love or feel bored to death..
when my love blooms was Literally both in some episode was so enjoyable and feel love in the air if you into that type of slow run and with the cute youth couple your heart fluttering and see the pain of old couple but in other episode i want to drop because it was so slow but i hold for the young couple.

story as idea was good but i think they get lost as they make it longer this could do a perfect 8 or 10ep drama not 16. also the 90's steal the light as story from the present.
how much i wish this drama was only about the youth couple the are so fresh to watch that i want to give them 10/10 in everything from feel to acting and chemistry. if someone edit their scenes only and make it short drama i can give it 10/10. jinyoung and sonee was the heart of the drama the breath that make you want to watch more and more.
i don't hate old couple don't get me wrong, i loved old jaehyun (yoo ji tae) and can feel pretty much why girls fall for him but the story was so dragged on the old couple part. all that fight in the company and all was useless and old jisoo get into my nerve sometimes.

Acting : i think everyone did pretty good especially Sonee she shine so bright in this character , Jinyoung too beside his good acting i feel that he connected to old jaehyun more like i believed they are the same person more than jisoo don't know if he buy more eye to details of the older move and tone or that Jisoo character change a lot.

i love how they end it the most out of anything that scene was like comforting to all characters. i love when director know how to end drama that's why i rise my rate to 8.

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strongberry shorts coming for my heart

it's another cute little love story by strongberry so ofc it's wonderful.

i always love these little shorts strongberry make. i love watching them they make me so happy. this little short story makes me want to fall in love with someone. i just wish it was longer but i will await for the release of a full length drama or film, and i'll give it all my money lol.

i want the leads to do a full series together like seriously. i think exploring/continuing the storyline with them would be really awesome. they seem to have that sweet awkward chemistry of people who have fallen in love for the first time.

the music choices were really great. whoever chose the music, you're awesome.

i would rewatch it over and over. it's short and sweet, it's an adorable thing that instantly lifts your mood.

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I liked the story but I was disappointed by the ending. I thought it was rly rushed at the end and could have used another epi or 2 to explain things a little better. It killed me how fast Yi Fei's pregnancy went but Mei Le's was not even visible the further along she was. I think Mike He did an excellent job expressing his characters feelings about his loss of independence when he was seen as such a strong person. I rly enjoyed how the music stopped right before a critical answer was given. It added a sense of importance to that answer. I rly enjoyed this drama & it will stick w/ me b/c it dealt w/ so many different issues. I may watch it again just b/c I love Mike He's acting skills. He is sooooo good at being arrogant & sexy at the same time.

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Frustrating!

The Story: The flow was good, it's a good thriller movie that makes you feel like you are the one getting chased. It keeps you on your toes. Although there are parts that made me exasperated because of the stupidity of almost all of the civilians or extra characters. In real life, the reactions of the civilians might not be possible at all.

Acting/Cast: The casts are superb, it's like the movie was tailored for the casts themselves. There are no parts were you feel like their emotions are lacking.

Music: I can't really remember any music being played during the movie. I don't know if it's because I'm too focused on the movie or if it's because the music isn't memorable at all.

Rewatch Value: Personally, I don't think I will watch this again. Movies like these are only good during the first time watching.

Overall: The movie is great, I get the frustration of the other viewers who reviewed and said it sucks because of the lack of realness when it comes to the reaction of the civilians but besides those, I still think this movie is worth to watch.

PS. I kinda don't like how it ended. It feels like the guy had an easy way out of what he did.

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Sweet, Sexy, Smart & Sincere - a Rare Male Lead in Thai Lakorns

This was truly a light and entertaining show. Yes, it was full of cliches - family melodrama due to a stereotypical patriarch with multiple wives and children, with lots of backstabbing and battling for control of the company and wealth, contract marriage, and revenge-crazed villains.

Yet, Wiwa Fah Laep was surprisingly well-balanced, with a good mix of comedy, romance and some suspense. The show was filled with slapstick, clowning, and low-brow and at times risqué dialogue, which time and again hit my funny bone. 

The best part of the show was how good I felt watching it. In most lakorns, the villains always seem to be winning until the very last couple of episodes. Not in this show! Pokpong, the male lead was always a few steps ahead of the bad guys, able to anticipate and sidestep their traps and schemes. It was absolutely gratifying to see the lead couple triumph over the bad guys repeatedly. It was also enjoyable to see the villains unravel as they got closer to being caught, and ultimately punished. 

Not only that, there was no annoying second female or male lead. The audience never had to stress about love triangles and what was more refreshing is that the drama did not drag the plot out with misunderstandings. Even potential melodrama between the main couple was resolved quickly and funnily.

Pokpong and Lin, our couple's romance was overall a slow-burn one. It started quickly with them drunkenly sleeping with each other, to being together in a contract marriage, and then finally culminating in a way that I found satisfying. Even though their coupledom was fake, there was mutual attraction and lots of fun-to-watch flirting. Both characters were likable as individuals, and as a couple, they inspired relationship goals. Those two were sensible and matured enough to come to the right conclusions about each other's actions and words.

Pokpong was one of the best MLs I have seen in a Thai lakorn and Tono played him well! Pokpong was sexy, suave, and charming. Always the gentleman but assertive too, Pokpong never hesitated to express his feelings for Lin and I enjoyed watching her reactions whenever he flirted with her. He was really quite smooth with his bedroom eyes - haha! Pokpong can also fight! Best of all, he was level-headed and patient, allowing the progression of his and Lin’s relationship to happen realistically despite being in a fake marriage. Our amazing ML was also savvy, knowing when to manipulate the situation to his advantage, and I like that he was able to handle Lin’s terrible family without really bending to their unreasonable demands.

Rational, reasonable and resourceful, Lalin was the perfect counterpart to Pokpong. She was no damsel in distress, and did pretty well when fighting the bad guys. She and Pokpong protected each other, and they also understood each other. Pooklook was beautiful and her outfits were fierce!

The cast in general did fine but the acting was so-so. I did like Ak Nimitchai in his role as a villain - he deserved kudos for adding the layers of manipulation and scheming that kept things fresh. He was also the bad guy in “My Lovely Bodyguard” and I wondered if he would be typecasted going forward. Also deserving a shout-out is Nutt Atirutt Singhaaumpol who played Tat, Pokpong’s best friend. I found that character endearing and the interactions between him and Pokpong were hilarious.

Music-wise, there was only the opening song that was memorable for me. The song was fun to listen to and lent the same tone of positivity that was infused throughout the show. For posterity, I listed it here:

รักในวันฝนมา - CINCIN IRADA X DIAMOND LAZ1 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=04wuYj-UVPs
https://open.spotify.com/track/34HpfHhOP7iajSuZHlexDa

Overall, it is a drama that I think most will enjoy. Now that it is fully subbed, do give it a try!

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The idea for "You're the Best, Lee Soon Shin" sounded right up my alley on paper- an underdog story with a heartwarming family dynamic at the center. Of course, the fact that it would have Jo Jung Suk in in was a pretty big plus. I honestly wasn't expecting much, however. I just wanted a drama that would entertain me for it's [incredibly] long run. I guess that was a bit too much to ask for?
Story: The story is hit-and-miss for me. The hits being the sisters and their adorable romances, the misses being the crazy mothers involved. It's actually kind of frustrating when you think of how much MORE time was spent on the mom's instead of the sisters. Really, if the drama had paid more attention to Lee Soon Shin, Yoo Shin and Hye Shin, then I probably would have given this a higher score. Instead, we got buckets full of frustrating mama-drama. Plus, Hye Shin and Jin Wook's story had so much ignored potential. In fact, a whole lot of side stories had ignored potential. It felt like the writer was just making this up as she went along without the foggiest idea of how much time she wanted to spend on story arcs.
Acting: So. Much. Wasted. Talent. Seriously. Jo Jung Suk was perfect here, but his character felt sorely underused. IU had a pretty decent break-out role, and I'm glad this drama was so popular, otherwise Jung Woo would have flown under everyone's radar for his awesome turn as Jin Wook.
Music: Like this drama, it was cute. But when the *same* song repeats the *same* word fifty thousand times at the end of *every* episode, I start to bang my head against the wall.
Rewatch Value: There were a lot of cute scenes in here that I'd like to rewatch, but I will never *ever* rewatch the entire thing. It just won't happen. I don't want to deal with premature hypertension.
Overall: My recommendation is that you have your finger on the fast-forward button while watching this. Otherwise, you're going to lose a lot of hair in the process.

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Taxi Driver 3 – A Moral Breakdown with No Discussion

I loved Taxi Driver Seasons 1 & 2. Vigilante justice with a code. Batman-style revenge: brutal, clever, cathartic — but they didn’t kill people. That was the point.

Season 3? Apparently that memo got lost.

Somewhere along the way Rainbow Taxi stopped exposing villains and started… burying people alive, leaving others to drown, and very much letting characters die without a blink or a single line of self-reflection. No debate. No guilt. No acknowledgement that they’ve crossed a line they spent two seasons carefully avoiding.

And that’s the problem.

If you’re going to abandon the show’s moral backbone, you need to say something about it. Instead, Season 3 just shrugs and moves on. The writing seems to assume “they’re evil enough, so it’s fine,” which is lazy and honestly a bit disappointing.
The plots were darker, sure. Some cases were still compelling. Lee Je-hoon remains excellent. But the emotional and ethical coherence that made this show satisfying is gone.

I didn’t hate it. I just finished it feeling confused, unsatisfied, and slightly betrayed — like watching Batman suddenly become The Punisher and no one mentioning it.

Season 1–2: sharp, righteous revenge.
Season 3: vibes, violence, and a raised eyebrow.
Underwhelming. And a bit shit.

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Well when I found about this pairing i really happy & quite surprise, never expected to watch Xing Fei & Hu Yi Tian in 1 drama together....

I've never laugh so much when I watch Hu Yi Tian drama, because u know with his still face usually he get rather serious drama with no much funny scene that can make me laugh. But here, as Shen Qing Yuan, he is just so naive, flirtatious & have acute level of love sick.... Hahaha.... Let's elaborate more...

What I like:
+ No love rival. I really glad when they decided to make Shi Xiao Ci (XC) only as friend in the club, not another Girl that fall for the idol in the club.
+ They show us the dirty part of spormanship in the sport world. Yeah not all human is pure & can compete with pure heart. Here we can see the athlete still human & sometimes they did dirty stuff to make sure themselves is getting the spot in the competition and even also mean they do anything to make secure the winning spot for themselves.
+ They once more emphasize the importance of mental health in someone heart. Like in here Shen Qing Yuan (QY), Tang Xin (TX) & Chen Hai.
+ Really like the performance of Hu Yi Tian here. QY is a naive young boy at first, he listen to all his friend suggestion about love & relationship & then he like any other man, he quite flirtatious when he tease TX after they're in relationship, he is also one of the winner of jealousy king, yet he is still so kind when he's treating TX....
+ Everyone keep making the other party better. Like XC & Du Ling Feng or how QY making his teammate better overcome in the sport.
+ They show us one of marriage problem, like Dr. Ding Fang & Zhou Zu Guang, & I really like the way Zhou Zu Guang make in the end, yeah sometimes we have to step back so we can go forward.
+ Not too much skinship. Even though QY quite clingy but the skinship not as much as other drama. Sometimes Xing Fei drama a little bit too much skinship...

What I don't too like:
- Yeah the duration is a little bit too long. 40 ep for this kind of story is a little bit much. They kinda stretch it until almost we reach our boring button.
- Once again, why they have to choose 20s almost reach 30s actor & actress to play university student. Although I really like they performance sometimes quite wonder can't they choose actor/ess more appropriate for their age....
- the return memory of QY feel like anticlimactic for me. It just like it happen already...

if you are the fans of Hu Yi Tian this drama you should watch... I really like how he is getting better at choosing the drama where he can act not only one particular role. Overall I really like this drama, this drama make me laugh until my stomach hurt, but I don't think I will re-watch this...

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Well, that was a fun ride!

First off - I really wasn't that interested in "The Player", to be honest. But I like the actors so I thought, "Why not give it a shot?" And I have no regrets. First and foremost, I really liked the script. It is a puzzle that you have to piece together. Scene after scene, episode after episode, the writers and the director would leave out just one small detail...that they would eventually get back to somewhere down the road and, by episode four, you'd be wondering who was lying and who was telling the truth. I'll give you a hint - there is a lot of lying going on. Characters that you would think are just passing through wind up being so vital to the plot. Things that were brought up in early episodes that you didn't even remember suddenly became so important in the end.

Okay. The Acting. First off - there is a clear villain from the get-go. Then another villain shows up. Then another. It got to a point where everything was so shady that I didn't know who to trust. And the actors just throw themselves into their roles. and play it all with so much conviction that you almost start to believe whoever is on and start watching the others suspiciously. By the end of the first episode you swear allegiance to one character but, I guarantee, you will switch allegiances before the end of the next episode. I remember at one point saying, "Is everybody lying?!?" The director does a really good with this great script and the actors are right there with them.

Look - if you're expecting something deep and profound and life changing...this is probably not the ride you want to take. If, however, you're up for a fun ride, just hop on board! A good time was had by all!

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One of the best Japanese dramas I have ever seen. Orange Days is about a bunch of friends in university and it might make you nostalgic about your own college days (unless you're still in college/haven't been to college yet). It'll remind you of your carefree days as a student where you could spend 3 days camped up in front of a university, looking for a violin without worrying about things like (say) losing your job. I loved every second of this drama. There wasn't a single dull moment in the story. I picked up a few things in the sign language department too.

Coming to the characters. I loved them all! They were amazing together but even individually all the characters were so lovable in their own different ways. Kai was my favorite. I've always loved the name "Kai" ever since I read The Snow Queen. But the Kai here is just awesome. He's such a caring and sweet person. You know, the kind of people who just attract you with their personality and you can't help loving them and it's all about the substance, not the looks. Not that Kai wasn't good looking. I mean, he was hot, working those spikes like no other man on this planet (lol)! I loved Sae too. I could go on staring at her all day long while she talks in sign language. Ok, that came out a little wrong. I'm just saying that I'm really intrigued by the sign language. I feel like learning it now! Her character was awesome. So strong, despite feeling the blues of her situation at times. She was pretty funny too.

The music was great for this show and the re-watch value is super-high for me. Total ten. This drama is beautiful and addictive and I think most people would love it and should give it a try.

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Touching, Humorous, Intelligent Characters, Great Side Couples

Many viewers drop this wonderful drama at the beginning episode because they don’t like the main characters – a crass and fearsome female lead and a timid and fearful male lead. After reading my review, I hope viewers give this drama a chance and I hope you would not be disappointed. This drama does remind me of many real couples from the older generations (for younger generations, they would have divorced each other) with strong empress dowagers for wives and scaredy-cats for husbands.

Hu Jiao (Zhang Hanyun) is illiterate, unsophisticated and fierce, for she is a butcher and also a shrewd business lady and knows how to fend off enemies and protect her family. She is betrothed to Xu Qingjia (Tong Mengshi) since both were children. Xu Qingjia is a learned man, poor and rather faint-hearted. He is appointed as a lowly magistrate in another small city, and after their wedding, the couple moves to live in that city. Their relationship started off rather hostile as Hu Jiao is unwilling to marry without love to such a weakling for a husband; she is a lot stronger than him physically. And how she treats Xu Qingjia is almost like a slapstick comedy at the initial part of the drama; multiple times she strikes him faint because she doesn’t want him to get near her. The scenes are hilarious. In their journey struggling through hardship and danger, they grow to trust and love each other. At the moments of despair or weakness, they give each other courage, and energize each other; she's his mental support, and he hers.

Though both female and male leads have totally different traits, they complement and supplement each other like a toothed gear working in harmony and precision. Both are honorable, upstanding, wise, strong and courageous. They believe in one simple philosophy: 尽人事安天命 or “do your best”. With their magnanimity, they convert enemies into alliances, and serendipity follows.

This is a new cast for me but I have enjoyed everyone’s acting here. Zhang Hanyun puts up a very believable Hu Jiao, and her knife skills, either in mincing her pork or shaving the scoundrels’ hair, are very convincing and funny. Tong Mengshi’s Xu Qingjia is humble and lovable. As much as I love the main characters, my favorite character is Gao Zheng (Chen Yilong), the county lieutenant sheriff. This is one of the best supporting actors I’ve seen. Gao Zheng is cold faced with no emotions, and yet, when he’s ticked, by words or actions, the skin on his side forehead jerks subtly, even for an ephemeral moment, showing viewers that indeed this man has deep hidden feelings. This drama also gives us some very lovely side couples. I love the story of Gao Zheng and Yu Niang (Zeng Yixuan); it is beautiful and heart-wrenching. Though kissing scenes are very limited here, the emotions shown in the actors’ eyes, especially in Chen Yilong’s (Gao Zheng) and Zeng Yixuan’s (Yu Niang) when they look into each other, are authentic and believable.

My Verdict

The writer has a great sense of humor. Many of the characters have very funny names representing the characteristics of the characters. Hu Jiao has the homophone of “peppercorn”, Qingjia (homophone) means “in-law”. And there is the Zhen Fugui (Truly prosperous) shop keeper, Jia Yi (Pretend), Jia Quan (Fake Power) the powerless housekeeper, Fei Jing (Strenuous) the failed thief, Hua Tuo the herb collector (Hua Tuo was a very famous miracle doctor during the Three Kingdoms period), and others.

At the beginning while the characters are being introduced, the viewers are not given a hint whether the introduced characters are protagonists or antagonists. Initially I even thought Hu Jiao’s father was bad because he forces her to marry Xu Qingjia. And we have a very funny blackface thief (whom I have thought harmless but turns out deadly) who has never been successful in stealing Xu Qingjia’s umbrella. Then we have a tea house owner whom I had thought a loose woman. Even Cui Wulang and Ning Wang seem flirtatious and unworthy. The writer even teases the viewers with some seeming bromance. All the characters turn out to be rather surprises as they are not what they seem to be.

Do not be deterred by some negative comments here on MDL. This is actually a very good and funny drama with an interesting plot and story. There are very few noticeable plot holes and the logic is sound.

Our characters embrace a courageous risk taking approach as how they perceive what it means to be a worthy human, and that's the message of the story.

Amazing watch. Don’t miss it. Bravo!

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I really enjoyed watching this drama, even though I usually avoid dramas with a lot of episodes. The reason I decided to watch it was because I hadn't watched anything with Jung Il Woo for a long time and I was curious about Uee's acting. c:

Story - For me, the story seemed both strong and weak at the same time. While the concept of the story is good, there were definitely some draggy parts that made me feel the drama was unnecessarily long. This drama is mostly about family, secret birth identity and ambition (that goes very wrong). During the episodes the child actors starred in, it's more based on family but when the kids grow up, the episodes focus more on company-related ambitions where people fight for ownership of the company. If you don't like depressing dramas, this drama can be sad at times because there are a lot of emotional moments in the family that made me cry a lot. It's not surprising that the drama had draggy episodes though, most long dramas do. There are episodes where you can't wait to see the next episode but there are also episodes where you can get a bit bored. There's good and bad about the story.

Acting/Cast - The child actors were incredible and I really enjoyed the episodes they were in, I even missed them when they grew up. But I also liked Jung Il Woo and Uee, they were also good in portraying their characters. Do Young (played by Jung Il Woo) was so funny in the first half of the drama, he offered a lot of comedic relief with of his antics. I love how he acts like he's an idiot (especially during the childhood episodes) but in reality, he's actually really smart. I feel like in the second half of the drama he cried too much for my liking but I think that can be justified since he had a pretty good reason to. Kim Baek Won (played by Uee) was an interesting main character. She's a not intelligent but not stupid sort of character, she's the main character that fights for what she believes is right. Although her inference with things was annoying sometimes (mostly in the beginning). She's a bad ass when hunting criminals down as a police officer xD She can be weak and break into tears though, both main characters kind of cry a lot but in their situation it makes sense. Chun Won, the second lead character... let's just say she's the typical annoying character that gets in the way of things often. She has a serious ambition and does anything she can to get what she wants. She's smart, like Do Young but she abuses her intelligence. She seems to have no conscience throughout the series. Man Won, second lead actor. He's a pretty cool guy, he can be unreasonable and impulsive but he looks out for Baek Won and cares about his family. There are a bunch of characters that you'll hate and a lot you'll probably love. Young Won (Baek Won's youngest brother) was my favorite character, he was so adorable when a child and when he grew up he continued to be awesome!

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