Reviews

standard 08/15 BL stuff...

After At 25:00 in Akasaka - Season 2 - this is the episode most of the girls will prefer. It's just 08/15 stuff, quite cute, not that deep and what's worse, it's the story of the fictional couple of the fictional BL.

How nice would it have been if they were not the fictional couple but the fictional actors having a story and of course much more than just one episode. That would have been much more interesting, but we can't have it all.

I can't write much because it's quite underwhelming compared to the series. We don't have any character development and just 22 minutes is not much time to add depth to a story. So it's just a nice watch and you can escape your troubles for 22 minutes :)

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What a wasted effort

The show started out strong but succeeding episodes failed to impress.

Full of cliches, corny and unnatural script, and the producing company's attempt to include all their talents in the episodes. I also hate the inclusion of the flambuoyant gay friends, not because i hate their gayness that stereotypes filipino gay guys, but because they were taking so much screen time. I went to see the story of the sakristan and his lover and not everyone else's. They are just too much.

The final 4 episodes did become better - it at least gave the 2 leads the platform to showcase what they can do as actors.

However, just like in thai BLs, and im saying this objectively, the biggest thing i hate about their stories is when one sees his bf kissing someone else and then he weeps and becomes angry and just decides they should break up. That is just lame storytelling.

I also dont understand why they needed to make Christian's father gay, and Zach's father a priest. I dont even know why they added them in the first place. What the heck is that- an attempt to stir controversy???

And the ending? Lets not talk about that ending. Lets just pretend Zach wrote that letter and Christian read it and then the end.

Will i watch it again? Not even if you pay me. Will i reccommend it? Only If you have 160min to spare while waiting for your delayed flight or of you are stuck in EDSA traffic. I do appreciate that it is released in Youtube and its free. Overall rating 6.5 and that is me being nice.

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Needed two seasons for the amount of plot it covered (minor spoilers)

Overall: enjoyable but they needed 1 season for high school and a 2nd season for college. I read the beginning of the manhwa but don't remember it well. Watched on Viki.

Content Warnings: non-biological brothers raised as brothers from ages 7-17, bullying, punches, slap (not between m/m ship), manhandling, attempted non con kiss

What I Liked
- sweet moments like that jump hug/kiss
- good production value (except shaky camerawork)
- Hae Bom is a cinnamon roll who has character growth by the end (more confident/takes initiative)
- Tae Sung did apologize for something he did in episode 5 that was bad
- that Tae Sung respected Hae Bom's boundary at the cafe in episode 7

Room For Improvement
- my major complaint is it was too choppy/not fleshed out enough. For example, they say they are going grocery shopping and then the next scene 1 guy is in a shower...
- in episode 5 I really didn't like Tae Sung pushing Hae Bom against a wall and putting his hand around Hae Bom's throat, especially since Hae Bom has been bullied and then the mom's pretty calm about it...
- in episode 5 there is a dream but it looks like Hae Bom is actually remembering something and that would be non con because he's so drunk (but it was a dream)
- cliche evil wannabe girlfriend
- unknown time jump at the end
- the intro was too long/gave away too many future scenes

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Definitely a rage bait show unless you binge it like those chinese short dramas

REVIEW UP UNTIL EP11:
it was interesting until the script was just frustrating to watch… its just annoying when the fl is supposed to be this strong bodyguard but when it comes to defending herself she’s so weak and the choices she (and everyone in this show lol) makes is just plain stupid.

its basically rage bait atp.

i enjoyed the show until she left the village- like genuinely, i was entertained. but if i haven’t watched this much of it i would’ve just dropped it. i would recommend this only if you’re bored and looking for something to binge.

after she went back to the main house it just went downhill. like the script is just so BAD. like when they tried firing people and just idk trying to keep people out of the house- why aren’t the locks changed. why aren’t doors just locked in general. this example of the bad script is just one of so many. OH AND SOMEONE TELL ME WHY the fl always puts herself in such bad situations. it’s happened so many times and SHE FAILS LIKE EVERY TIME?! HELLO?!

i’m just so frustrated atp every single thing is making me crash out. can’t even bother writing a proper review lol

EDIT (AFTER WATCHING FINAL EP):
idk if its cuz the show is over.... but its not that bad... HEAR ME OUT

so it was all part of the plan. that's okay. i see now why the script for the end of ep11 is written how its written. if only i binged this whole show, then i'd prob rate this show higher (maybe like an 8/10).

i enjoyed this ending. it definitely felt a tiny bit rushed but i don't mind it that much. it was funny and lighthearted (after the court scene) and i enjoyed seeing baek hyeji and lee don's storylines. not sure what the point of the time skip was tbh like it felt like it had no purpose other than for the fl and ml get together. and idk the show isn't centered on romance and the only times it was shown was when the mc was in muchang with the ml and ig a tiny bit when he went to go see her in seoul. but like idk it just felt a bit rushed and i feel like the kiss scene was just rushed. instead of the time skip, i would've preferred if the mc just moved straight to muchang lol but whatever. i have beef with some parts of the script so one more wouldn't hurt.

as for the actors, tbh i started watching this cuz of jinyoung (fine shyt) and jeon yeobeen cuz i recently watched our movie and it literally changed the trajectory of my life. jinyoung's acting was okay... i saw no faults and it wasn't spectacular yk it was just alright. and jeon yeobeen was good too. idk what else to say about her acting tho cuz her character is supposed to be this tsundere who is indifferent to everything until she moves to muchang. and she portrayed it well. there were times where i was like iffy about the acting but i'll just blame it on the script cuz it was questionable at times lol. i def stayed for joo hyun young (baek hyeji) she's so fun! i liked her since wooyoungwoo but her character in this show was interesting too it was fun watching her act in this.

anyway, its a fun watch just don't think too much into things and try not to stop during cliffhangers lol

overall: 7/10

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It's like a talented writer wrote the first 24 episodes and then some little kid without any knowledge of writing did the final episodes.It should have been the historical of the year with such a refreshing heroine, and I had been waiting for a Jeremy Tsui led drama since Dugu. But the last ten or so episodes were so bizarre with characters doing weird things you would never expect them to do. The most irritating of the villains, for me it was Qiu Min and Yuan Lang, just get what they wanted without any redemption whatsoever. Introducing unnecessary twists simply for the sake of it at the last thirty minutes just pushed it further into the pit of 7 or below.

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10/10 no notes

I don't know if this is the sort of story that can only truly be appreciated by people at a certain point in their lives, but it hit all the right notes for me week after week. The acting is superb, the unfolding storylines are relatable, and everything feels warm and realistic.

Loving in the wake of loss and burnout might look less romantic on the surface, but it is slower and more intentional... and feels grounded even in moments of desperate intensity. The small adjustments that you make to accommodate an important person in your life, and needing to balance that against other commitments or considerations (without resentment) is exactly the kind of mature love being portrayed. A love that is quieter and perhaps less possessive, but no less deep.

Watching this series has felt like a hug that I didn't even know that I needed.

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*To crave for food is to have the will to live; the stronger the craving the greater the will*

Said by yet another awesome Asadora Obaachan, this summarizes perfectly what this drama is really about. This is my second Asadora, so I'm definitely new to this platform of drama. Still it was yet another enjoyable ride. You might think the overall rating doesn't average out, and that's because my enjoyment has also been taken into consideration despite a bit of criticism here and there.

Gochisousan is about the hardships faced by our spoiled and outspoken heroine, as she gets married and gets accustomed to her in-laws and the city where she's about to start her new life. The hardships doesn't only come from the cultural differences, but also the different baggages the people who surround Meiko carry, including her husband. In that sense, we get to explore many deep human agony and darkness. The main constant theme is how having a meal together makes any agony seem small compared to the joy of eating. In that sense, food is definitely overstated in the drama, but there definitely is truth to this message.

The story follows Meiko through the different stages in her life, as she lives through challenges during a stable era to as she goes through the chaotic era, as she insists on savouring every moment in life, and sharing her bliss. The childhood portion was too adorable, to the point I kept thinking of it throughout the drama. By the time we meet older Meiko, the thought "So soon! I haven't had enough of little Meiko" it felt depressing really. However a couple of minutes of seeing more of teenage Meiko (Anne), and I'm sold that this is the same person as the child I watched earlier. Her Story with Yutaro (Higashide Masahiro - Anne's future husband) was a sweet, albeit typical romcom style one. The setting though, and the pace makes it a pleasant story to watch. Then she moves to Osaka with her husband, and that's when the real challenges begin, with an extremely difficult sister-in-law and unstable family life, Meiko cannot accept defeat. I have to say there are times that the in-laws get on my nerves, but Meiko's hard work eventually pays off.

There are two things that makes Gochisousan a great watch. First is all the colourful characters, from her family, to the people at the market, her in-laws, and eventually her children. The life-long friendships and the quirkiness of the characters really had an everlasting impression in me. Early on I loved every scene of Meiko's father. He was stubborn, but always put his loved ones first, which makes her a great father. The most noteworthy is, of course, Noriko, Yutaro's younger sister. Honestly the drama was as much about her relationship with Meiko. As she retains her thoughtful spirit and delicate character, her growth was evolutionary. Other characters to look out for are Genchan, Sakurako, Muroi, and the greatest Takemoto Yuzo. Later on we have Meiko's children, as each get into the spotlight and forever make a place in our hearts for them. Fuku was inspirational, Katsuo was joy, and Taisuke was everything good on this planet.

Second is the depiction of the the gradual hardship during the war, from the different ingredients that kept on disappearing to the scattering of families, and even the corruption of powerful people making life even harder. And also the realization of what the country has become after the war. As light as a morning drama can be, the portrayal was still unnerving, and at times, shocking. I was also impressed how food was successfully used to convey the characters' feelings and the message of the drama overall. It remained a constant theme that symbolizes the legacy she inherited from her family, and how she changed it, the relationship between her and Yutaro, and eventually all the people that become an important part of her life. The bad thing here is that you will constantly feel hungry while watching this drama.

There were many Laugh Out Loud moments in this drama. Even problems that get to our nerves at one point, become a great topic to laugh about later on. Don't we all have moments like those? It made me change my mind about what an **ideal relationship** is and accept that it doesn't have to be ideal in order to be PERFECT.

As I said earlier, I do have some criticism of this drama. Yes food is overstated. If you're not a foody you might have a problem with that. However if you look passed it you'll come to appreciate the messages there. Another is really how the post-war was shown through rose tinted glass, and of course the Americans dialog were too cheesy. Nonetheless there was a beautiful and truthful message successfully relayed here. Finally, and that was the same issue I had with my previous Asadora, which is not bothering to age the actors to suit the characters. I've come to a realization it's all about keeping them pretty enough for a morning drama. This shallow reason really ruins the art of story telling.

Honestly acting wise, I was mostly impressed with Anne, Takahata Mitsuki, Muro Tsuyoshi, Wada Masato, Yamanaka Takashi, Kimura Midoriko knew how to make herself hated, and Suda Masaki. The rest varied but well fitting for the role. Higashide Masahiro has yet to convince me that he deserves all the leading roles he's been getting. I mean I totally loved him here, but mostly because it suited his characters. And looking so great at it too. I get the appeal, I just don't see him that great as an actor.

Honestly this was a fun ride. There were times that were difficult to watch but was well packaged to make it overall inspirational and joyful to watch. The episodes went by so fast it even felt short. I left it wanting more, which, in my opinion, is a sign of success.

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This larkon can be divided into three arcs.

ARC 1: Episode 1 to 4

The first lifetime where a freshly England returned Thai prince Khun Chai Yai gets told that he is engaged to a Thai princess, Wilailayka, but ends up falling in love at first sight with a Lao princess, Jao Nang Noy, who is staying under his father's guardianship while she completes her education.

Obviously from the synopsis you all already know that Chai Yai and Jao Nang get married and Jao Nang dies on the same night of her wedding from being poisoned in their marriage house. Khun Chai Yai dies soon after as well from a broken heart, staying faithful to his dead wife until his last breath.

What I loved about this arc was the unwavering love and commitment Chai Yai had to Jao Nang. From the moment he fell in love with her, it was just her (granted he didn't even care for his fiancee even before he saw Jao Nang). He made it extremely clear to both of his parents that he was going to marry Jao Nang and no one else, and no amount of pressure from his mother made him give in even for a minute in his intentions. I liked that. A lot.

ARC 2: Episode 4 to the first half of episode 19

Ultimately this is where we see our FL after her rebirth, 20 something years later. Because of the war, her mother dies and she and her father (who is a chief police officer or something) move to the more prominent parts of Thailand where she earns herself a job as an English teacher in a school. This is where she meets the spirit of Khun Chai Yai who has been waiting all this while to see the rebirth of his love.

A lot of things happen in this arc:
1/ Our female lead , now called Rachawadee, remembers her past life
2/ Meets and falls in love with the spirit of Chai Yai
3/ Gets another engaged man fall completely in love with her
4/ Ends up being ordered by Wilailayka (who is quite old now) to live in her palace and serve her

Again, I'm sure you must all understand through practicality that a human and a ghost love story... just does not blend well. Therefore major changes had to occur for both of our main leads.

Personally, I thought this arc was stretched way too far then it needed to. A lot of the major plot points could have been dealt with a lot faster, there was no need for almost 16 episodes to take care of all the things that were taken care of. 10 episodes would have done perfectly without beginning to feel like a drag.

ARC 3: Episode 19.5 to 21

In this arc, Khun Chai gets reborn as our second male lead's son & Rachawadee gets reborn as her best friend's youngest daughter.

I have to say though, 2.5 episodes to wrap up a happy ending? I am disappointed. There was just not enough time to develop the story as much as it could have developed. They could have made a very beautiful arc if they had just managed to shift at least 5 episodes from arc 2 into this arc.

Still, we did get our happy ending . The over-all story left me with a warm feeling in my chest when I was done. Ofcourse, there was disappointment but there often is disappointment when it comes to me. I'm always unhappy about something in a drama. Regardless, the fact that this drama made me feel warm inside trumps all.

Overall, a drama that should not be slept on. Give it a go if you're intrigued !

P.S. Be prepared for the second male lead's wedding night scene. Trust me.
P.P.S. 21 episodes and we finally have a kiss between the main leads. Thank the directors!

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Finally! A Filipino Series I Can Recommend

I was never really interested in wattpad adaptations cause most of them have similar stories and very cliche. But when I saw the trailer of this series, honestly I got interested especially when I saw the acting of Heaven. She was crying at that scene and accusing Kalix of cheating. Never a fan of her and never saw any work of her but I was impressed with her on that scene that made me decide to give this series a try.

The story is not really an original one. The main girl character Luna has a huge crush on Kalix and so she decided to pursue him. She will do things like add him on socials, chat him or go to places where he's also there. It was enjoyable watching her especially whenever her crush is around. I felt that I could relate to her feelings, giddy and excited just to be near to my crush.
However there were some loop holes in the story that I couldn't understand. First was Kalix was still studying Legal Management when he got together with Luna and will still proceed to Law School to become a lawyer. At that time, Luna's cousin got abused by his boyfriend and her family sued him. Luna and Kalix broke up also at that time and Kalix failed that semester so it is expected that he will be delayed. Years later, when they saw each other again, Luna have known that Kalix didn't present Miguel(her cousins ex-bf) on court but instead Kalix asked another friend to do cause he doesn't want Luna to get upset with him. This is where the part I got confused. I know for sure that Law School will take time, maybe 5 years plus the board exam so how come he was already a lawyer that could present Miguel? I don't think his case would went on for 5 years and there are a lot of lawyers if you think about it. Second, the treatment of Kalix's mother on Luna just got a 360 degrees turn on the last part without any explanation at all. Like how come she was bitchy on Luna when she met her a few years ago and when she met her again when she was Kalix's architect. But on the last part, she was already welcoming at friendly like none of those bitchy things happened. She didn't even say sorry. I think that's why those two weren't explained properly was because of maybe the number of episodes. They were trying to squeeze so many happenings on the book into a 10 episode series.

For the characters, I haven't read the book yet but I couldn't think of another actors that could portray Luna and Kalix so well like Heaven and Marco did. Even though there were some scenes where Marco's acting was stiff and lacking in emotion, I just think that its part of the personality of the character. Cold and seemingly detached. Heaven however got the assignment right. She's funny and beautiful. When she cries, its really all out, no reservations. And the chemistry! Ughhh! Their stares alone with each other was enough to make you giddy while watching.
I love the other actors too especially Luna's friends. They were very supportive and ready to be her wingmen anytime. Watching them made me nostalgic and made me think how it was with my friends during college.

The soundtrack, I am in love! Kean Cipriano did a good job. I felt like I was watching a Kdrama, the songs were perfect and were played at the right scenes.

Overall, I really really liked this series. I love how its not like your typical Filipino drama that's super long since it has 10 episodes only. I love Heaven and Marco's chemistry(I'm a fan of them already because of this). The actors were perfect for their roles. The drama was funny and enjoyable but could also make you cry.
Finally, a Filipino drama I could recommend. 😊

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Once upon a time in dramaland in an innocent quiz show celebrities and commoners were striving for their personal dreams by doing a harmless questionnaire. But then- the show was promoted to being a live broadcast and the duck turned into a beast.

Every episode a contestant is interviewed and "incidentially" forced to reveal secrets which should never have seen the light of the day, the disclosures serve a different purpose that remain concealed for the first few episodes but slowly materialise.
The supposedly clever viewer is given baits as to the shape of the final puzzle and might be, just as me, sitting impatiently and waiting for the next clue. Thanksfully, the twists start to twist just in time to divert from the naturally repetitive nature of a quiz show and keep the spirits up.

The cast is well selected and the supposedly clever viewer can follow the little background stories of the crew. Some being more detailed and eleborated, some remaining on a superficially superficial level. The chemistry is superb and the ongoings appear real. The one bringing life to the story is Sakurai Sho, who impresses with a wax face, that seems capable of forming every expression as well as emotion. His ultra smirks might redden the cheeks of one or another old maiden.

The music is there. It usually suits the atmosphere but is neither disturbing nor outstanding, it simply suits its purpose.

Due to the twist plots (and Sakurai Sho's smirks) The Quiz Show 2 has a potential rewatch value. My humble myself thinks it could turn out to be interesting to observe the strings coming together from beginning to end while knowing the general outcome.

A clever, diverting suspense drama with an awesome cast, an intriguing story and Sakurai Sho. Highly recommended. :)

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A Dirty Carnival is everything a mob flick should be plus a little bit.

The movie is appropriately titled because living the life of a gangster is indeed dirty business, and the film neither sugarcoats nor glamorizes this lifestyle (as other, especially Western, gangster flicks are wont to do). Once you become entrapped there are few, if any, routes of escape.

It's a cautionary tale about an underbelly of society that's dog eat dog, where karma is a real bitch. Trust and betrayal thread a very thin line and losing your humanity becomes the only modus operandi to ensuring your survival.

From where I sat the film was brilliantly executed both in terms of story and plot. The pacing was taut, there was never a dull moment that I can remember. You're kept fully engrossed by a stellar cast who made their characters seem real and very convincing.

Jo In Sung, in the role of charismatic, but conflicted Byung-doo, puts on a memorable performance. Byung-doo is a young man whose life has become twisted by fate. A filial son, and still possessing a shred of conscience despite the violence that surrounds him, I was able to sympathize with the character even while I was appalled by the brutality and ruthlessness fueling his actions.

Considering previous events, the big boss singing a cappella in one of the final scenes really struck chord in me. That's pretty much all I remember about the music, but it was effective enough in that moment to warrant a 7.

Overall I thoroughly enjoyed this movie. I wouldn't have minded if certain things went down differently, but I appreciate the film for its realistic portrayal of what I imagine that world and the people who live in it to be. I doubt fans of the mob genre will be disappointed.

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I'm really surprised no one has done a review of this film. I loved it except for the ending. But this actually falls into a genre with a long tradition in poetry and literature - the age old tale of "courtly love" - you can trace it back to Genji or mediaeval Europe - courting the loved one and sacrificing everything for him (or her in the European tradition). Gay lovers were not subject to the same discrimination in the Chinese and Japanese  (until Meiji) traditions (see e.g. Ihara Saikaku's The Great Mirror of Male Love). Plus there has to be a villain - and that music teacher brought something coldly sinister to it (ugh!). The music of Debussy was a bonus. A gem of a movie - but I was hoping he'd match the love shown him and return at last. Life's not like that, is it? Pity. A beautiful movie. What happened to Tsuyoshi Hataya?

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A beautiful epilogue to the story with a strong and important activist point of view !

More than a SP, it can simply be seen as an episode 11 which serves as a beautiful epilogue to the story with a strong and important activist point of view ! As I have already written in my review of the drama, far from being preachy, it opens the door in a mindful way to reflection on the place of gay relationship in Japanese society.

All the qualities of the series can be found in the epilogue : the outstanding chemistry between the actors, the sentimental and sorrowful music, the un-skippable opening song of the introduction generic... I like how water was once again an essential element of the storytelling.

I would recommend this to people that have seen the main series. Do yourself a favor and don't miss the epilogue of this amazing and poetic drama.

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YES! I finally watched this movie!

I had it for a long time in my Plan To Watch list but I didn't want to watch it until I could find a good quality site, and oh boy! the waiting was worth it! Thai films never fail in making me laugh and smile.

I'm so in love with this movie, I loved the story and the way the writers told it. The scenery, cinematography, directing and clothes are beautiful and well done.

The actors made a really good job portraying their characters, I totally could feel sparks between them (which is funny because they know each other and fall in love with each other without actually seeing their faces). The kids did an amazing job too. I fell in love with them, they were funny and sweet.

I also loved the main two characters, I want Mr Song to be my boy!! hehe. He was my favorite character, he was funny, clumsy and kind hearted.
Miss Ann was a great character too, she was always so true to herself and loved her kids with all her heart.

The OST is perfect. It was so beautiful, and catches the feeling of the movie very well.

I would totally rewatch this movie anytime!

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I’m not sure how to rate this show since it’s not a drama.So it is better to read here than looking at the rating.
If you want a lot of drama ,gags,games or competitions...like many of korean’s variety shows, this isn’t it.
I dunno how much of it is scripted (even though they say it is not. )It feels very real . They mainly focuses on the interactions between the 3 cast themselves or between them and the guest and they also showcase a lot of Jeju’s scenery. It is often just simple daily life activies like cleaning the house, grocery shopping,cooking ,eating,walking the dogs....and guest-house type of activies like greeting ,talking with guest,helping them with stuffs. It may be seem slow for some of you and there isn’t much ‘’exciting’’ activities.But personally,i find it very relaxing to watch. 
This show has a special place in my heart along with Ji-eun, hyori and sangsoon. I feel so close to them now,its kinda weird. Lol

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