Reviews

The story was great. It had little of everything. Don't really want to spoil or over rate it, but it left me with very special feelings.
The acting was submerging. Their acting really made me immerse into the mood of the scene. And the main character played two characters very well.
Music was good. There was one particular theme that stood out because it felt unique to this movie, but I feel like the soundtrack fit in pretty well.
About rewatch value... don't even ask. I know I'll be watching it second time this week again for sure.

This was one of the rare movies that I was fully satisfied with at the end in a long while. If you like historical theme with a tiny pinch of humor, watch it. Watch it now. Heck, I even got tear jerked around few times while watching it.


Why are you still reading? Go away and watch it!
You may find it here: www.kr-dramas.org/2012-masquerade

Enjoy~

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unique premise (same actors, different characters/stories)

Overall: this is not a reincarnation/time travel plot as all the stories happen in the present day. Instead, the actors play different characters in standalone plots (episodes 3 and 4 were 1 story, 5 and 6 were 1 story and then 7 and 8 tie everything together in a way). 8 episodes about 55 minutes each. Aired uncut on GagaOOLala (not Japan or South Korea) https://www.gagaoolala.com/en/videos/4812/every-you-every-me-2024 & WeTV
https://wetv.vip/play/296rso568y0ryfg/m4100yjgyjz?ptag=3_5.16.5.13870_copy ; airing cut version on YouTube https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLvw0WLA6w9UQZrmUoifbNDO9S6yUS9ry7&si=JHVZI3-LAPw_9dev Note: watch after the initial end credits as some episodes have a separate plot

Episode 1 - I was a bit confused with the world building but then it made sense. I enjoyed the sweet moments, the friendship (potentially aromantic character as a bonus) and the intimate partner abuse felt realistic. Not a fan of the comedy sound effects and they could have made it a bit faster pacing-wise. Content warnings: intimate partner abuse/violence, manipulation, manhandling, past death

Episode 2 - typical cold CEO/nervous worker plot. That grandma way overstepped boundaries though her heart was in the right place. Enjoyed the sweet moments. Content Warnings: manipulation

Episodes 3 & 4 - I was going to rate this higher; however, I couldn't get into the moping/angst because they explained it much too late. Not a fan of silent simping for years and making a choice for someone without talking to them first. Liked the second couple and the supportive friends/family/coworkers. Content Warning: a major one but I'm keeping this spoiler free

Episodes 5 & 6 - there were peak visuals in this episode lol, I enjoyed the flirting and physical affection. I really disliked the invasion of privacy and the shoehorned plot with the female character. They spent too much time on the past in this episode as well. Content Warning: past death, manipulation

Episodes 7 & 8 - I'm trying to be spoiler free but I had the most issues with these episodes

Watch Suggestions
- end ep 5 at 45min
- watch ep 6 22-35:30
- skip ep 7
- watch ep 8 31 to the end)

What I Liked: I most enjoyed how the actors were able to play such different characters, the styling was great. The commentary on challenges of shipwork towards the end was also unique and interesting.

Room For Improvement: because I didn't see a key aspect of them as an established couple, it was difficult for me to root for them. The non linear storytelling at the end of episode 6 thru 8 made things needlessly confusing. They didn't actually show what didn't work, so I'm not convinced everything has been resolved and it won't happen again. The time jump felt like a cliche way to resolve the conflict.

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For a start, this is my first Taiga (annual historical dramas aired by NHK) and my first Japanese historical drama. For someone who has watched a good number of Sageuks (Korean historical dramas), I can't help but notice how incredibly different the Japanese experience is. The historical accuracy, for one, is on a whole different scale with Taigas being more true to history while Sageuk dramas generally take a lot of liberty with the story.

It was incredible watching Sakamoto Ryoma from childhood to his death, seeing him grow and lose the naivety of his younger years to become the man that history came to know him as. And the fact that this man, who lived only a century and a half ago, achieved so many things before turning 30 is just mind-blowing. He lived for his cause and worked for Japan to become a stronger, more modern country so it would not fall a victim to imperialism.

Ryoma lived in the turbulent period at the end of the Tokugawa Shogunate's rule, the time at which Japan finally revoked its closed country policy because of pressure placed on it by the United States's then president. In the aftermath of such a decision, the country was split into those who supported the Shogunate's decision to open the country to foreigners and those who wanted to expel the foreigners at all cost.

You could just imagine the kind of unrest spreading in Japan during those hard times when Ryoma was in his early twenties.

One of the great things about this drama (and all Taigas as it seems) is the travelogue at the end of each episode, which shows the real places that some of the events occurred at, as well as extra information about the characters, so you end up with a well-rounded picture of the setting and characters. Don't worry about getting lost in all the historical details; the English subtitles done by izumisano are the best that I've seen ever. Terms are explained clearly and the translation notes are very helpful.

Also, the narrator of the story, Iwasaki Yataro, is the lifelong friend of Sakamoto Ryoma and they have one hell of a complex friendship.

Ryoma is someone who inspires all kinds of feelings upon meeting him: admiration, respect, love, fear, envy, hatred, jealousy. All those who meet him can't help but feel something strong towards him, be it positive or negative. That's the kind of man we're talking about here. And Yataro, who came from humble origins and later became a wealthy businessman who eventually founded Mitsubishi never got over his inferiority complex when it came to Ryoma. He was never able to escape his shadow.

It's truly fascinating to see admiration, love, and envy on his face every time he looked at Ryoma. It's a complicated mix of emotions and it feels so real that I have to just kowtow to Kagawa Teruyuki for his intensity and powerful personification of such a difficult character. We see Yataro curse Ryoma many times, claim to hate him but his eyes betray him every time.

Yataro's my favorite character and I don't think that would have been the case had a lesser actor taken the role. Kagawa deserved those three awards he'd earned for the role. I have to include here that he was the only actor from 'Ryoma Den' who had gotten any awards at all.

I have so much more to say about 'Ryoma Den' but I don't want to spoil anything. Yes, the camerawork was a bit messy sometimes (shaky camera, awkward up-close shots of faces) and there was this annoying meowing sound running in the background of the most serious scenes, but I could overlook these minor things when I look at the full picture.

'Ryoma Den' overwhelmed me at times to the point where I got tears in my eyes from being so filled with emotion.

Such a drama should not be missed.

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It was dull and disappointing, Nevertheless

Nevertheless might have been much better, if there was a good storyline, likeable pair of lead characters and a bit decent pacing.

The story never felt like romance, instead it was 90% complications for the leads, which I felt kind annoying and the end wasn't compelling enough. I personally like the lead characters (So Hee Han & Song Kan) but there pairing felt dumb, disappointing and it never kept the show to be interesting. Instead I was quite amazed by the pairing of the supporting characters, which were developed quite well.

The only positive thing about this drama was the music which I felt was soothing to the ears and quite melodious. Along with that, I loved how the relations developed among the other supporting cast, which was way better showcased than the lead characters. It was a wasted potential, Nevertheless.

Cons:
• Unlikeable lead characters
• Weak storyline
• Less of love story, more of irrelevant complications among the pair
• The pacing was very slow, with couple of episodes being flat boring

Pros:
• The OST was soothing and melodious
• The supporting casts had a better relationship development

My Rating : 5.5/10

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This is a little hard to review and even rate but let me try to start with a meaningful sentence: The Yellow Sea is a remarkable Korean Thriller.

This film is written and directed by Na Hong Jin, the maker and the co-writer of the mega-successful thriller “The Chaser”; he even brought back the two main leads from the 2008 film. I am slowly becoming a fan of the director and I will eventually watch everything he did or will do.

So let’s talk about the film; it’s practically a wronged-man thriller style of story. There’s also a slice of the Korean life and society displayed in moderate amounts. For starters, the title “The Yellow Sea” is the passage between eastern China and western Korea peninsula which leads us to “Joseon tribes” the Korean people who settled in eastern border between China and Korea after the World War II, they have closer relationship with North Korea but they often immigrate to South Korea due to the growing economy. Joseon clan people are unwanted by everyone, they’re poor, desperate and often viewed as criminals and thugs. Our two main leads belong to those people.

The story of the film is engaging with lots of suspense and intriguing questions that will be answered in the most unexpected ways. The storytelling is divided into four major segments that narrate the protagonist’s life in details. On one hand, the first two parts were a set up to explain the characters, the main event and the motives but it also throws little hints. On the other hand, the last two parts contained more complications and excessive speedy events. I must admit that I enjoyed the latter half better; it’s not that the first half wasn’t interesting but the second part outclasses it.

The Yellow Sea is a violent film with gory scenes and bloody killings; there are explicit cutting scenes but for me, it wasn’t extreme gore. It’s at the same level as “The Chaser” and “The Man from Nowhere” and falls a little behind compared to “I Saw the Devil”. But that’s a bit insignificant, what really matters in this film are the exciting chasing scenes, the survival spirit and the suspense to find the truth.

Now if I have to list the shortcomings, I will only mention the exaggerated length that bothered me. Two hours and a half is overlong, I would’ve given this an easy 9 if it was a little shorter.

As I mentioned above, the main actors are the ones from “The Chaser” with reversed roles. It’s no secret that Ha Jung Woo is my favorite young Korean actor, the man is so suited for big screen acting and he keeps drawing me in each time I see him. And what makes me appreciate him even more is the fact that he knows how to choose great roles. Then there’s Kim Yoon Suk a veteran Korean films’ star that knows how to make his character feel so vivid and alive. The acting department is simply top-notch; everyone did what they had to do.

The characters, on the other hand, are hateful; there’s no hero here. Our protagonist is not a saint, he makes many immoral decisions and floats between the good and the bad sides but that doesn’t really matter because you will find yourself rooting for him to reach the end line, the guy is a freaking survival machine. As for the villain, he is one of the best I ever saw; he’s vivid, smart and strong. He makes you thrilled every time he appears on screen. The rest of the characters will make you feel unsympathetic towards them but they add a great taste to the story.

The cinematography is intense, dark, amazing and most of all very well fitting. But the camerawork troubled me a little in some of the chasing scenes where Na Hong Jin decided to use the “unsteady camera” technique; those scenes were an uneasy watch to be honest.

Watch if:
-You admire Korean thrillers because this is one of the best.
-You like “chase” films.
-You like the director and the main cast.

Do not watch if:
-You dislike gory films but this isn’t excessively bloody.
-You’re looking for an easy watch.

The Yellow Sea is an interesting view of some of the Korean society slices mixed with suspense and crime. It’s absolutely one of the better Korean thrillers.

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This is the first Philippino movie I have ever scene! I swear this movie happened to be on Netflix and I'm just like "ok what is this??" So I youtubed the trailer and I didn't know what language but I figured it out later.. lol.

Anyways... this movie is just pure amazing! It seems cliche how the Kenji uses Athena to make his EX-GF Athena (a girl with the same name lol) jealous with the nerdy girl. Despite the cliche story, its actually surprising how it all turns out. The twists it had at the end just made me bawl my eyes out!!!

I had been a bit stressed from school and I DECIDED to watch the movie (bc you know netflix likes to take down stuff and add... so I wanted to see it before it happened.) The movie just broke my heart in half and I couldn't stop crying when it got towards the end.. man.... those tears wouldn't stop flowing down my cheek! I could be over dramatic right now.. but this may seem your typical love story... (yes it is...) but the way it happens is just... "wow.... I wasn't expecting that..."

When you (telling the person reading this..) have a CHANCE.... WATCH IT!!.... also keep a box of tissues near by.. I don't wanna spoil anything bc it ruins the whole point....

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Let me start by saying that this show does A LOT of things well, first and foremost: the action. Despite being filmed 5 years ago, its Jason Bourne-esque fight scenes are still the best I have seen in any Action kdrama. I can't stress enough how well choreographed, filmed, and performed the fight sequences are. The style of the main character, Lee Yoon Sung, is based around doing a lot of damage with an economy of moves, only occasionally delving into flashy. He's able to turn almost anything around him into a weapon for hand-to-hand combat, including, but not limited to: a notebook, a suit jacket, and a water bottle. It's as awesome as it sounds. Don't expect this greatness in every episode, of course, but when a fight sequence arrives, you shouldn't be disappointed.

The cast is brilliant here as well. Basically everyone is amazing. Lee Min Ho seems like he has a lot of experience working out the 'likable jerk' archetype, because he nails it here. I called him a moron so many times during the watch and yet found myself loving him and rooting for him all the same.
Park Min Young is divine perfection as always and continues her place in my Top 5 Kdrama Actresses list. Lee Joon Hyuk is probably the best raw actor in this show, and Kim Sang Joon has the sort of charisma you want in a good villain, despite having literally one facial expression for the entire 20-episode run. But even the Supporting characters shone here, foremost among them being Kang Jin Sung, whose voice is like the most beautiful music, and Kim Sang Ho, who proved here that ugly can still be oddly attractive.
Honorable Cast Mentions:
- Chun Ho Jin and his 'intense eyes' should always be in every drama.
- Hwang Sun Hee can't really act well, but she's extremely good at being more beautiful than everyone, so props to her.
- Gu Ha Ra was born to her role here. I never got tired of her immature antics and that bouncy, youthful movement that always sent her too-perfect hair flapping this way and that. Simultaneously annoying and endearing, I always smiled when she was on camera.
- Choi Jung Woo embodies his characters better than most Korean actors. He has more range than you would you think at first glance.

Now, all that being said, unfortunately, despite its amazing cast, the story of City Hunter is ultimately a letdown and makes it a candidate for my Most Overrated Drama.

From a writing standpoint, the first half of the show is a paradise of interesting character moments and interactions. The characters grow, you fall in love with them, you root for them, you laugh and cry along with them, the way every good drama does. In particular, there is one scene where Park Min Young starts crying in the middle of a sentence without showing any other facial indications of sadness. She is fighting to be reasonable, dispassionate, selfless, and brave. Her voice is clear and strong and nary a quiver is to be found in her lips. And yet the tears betray her. It's a powerfully acted sequence that takes you by the heart and screams 'LOVE ME!'

However, the further you get into the back half of this drama, the more disconnected it becomes from anything relatable. All the character build-up you were invested in? Almost completely gone. The intriguing hero? A veritable wellspring of idiotic and inexplicable decisions, especially in connection with the heroine. The likable side characters? Either disappeared or killed off for no reason. The heroine? Used almost exclusively for reaction shots. All of this culminating into one of the most lackluster endings I've yet to experience in a drama. It did a couple interesting things, for sure, but for the most part the final episode just felt like a normal episode and the resolutions were either rushed into unimportance or simply nonexistent. So many story threads simply left dangling. And for what? Longer and more numerous reaction shots, yelling of character names, and oft-repeated plot points. The main plot of the show is well-written and compelling, but the characters are all but abandoned towards the end, which is inexcusable.

Basically, if you want some great action, awesome acting, and a handful of laughs and warm fuzzies, you'll get them from this show. If you want satisfying resolution and characters that do stuff that makes sense, you'll be disappointed. It's a show everyone should see, but not a show that everyone will love.

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-----Story-----

Growing up in a Chinese family, there were so many points of the show that really resonated with me. This show really brings a lot of Chinese culture to the table. I truly, truly enjoyed that aspect.

The depiction of parent, children, and teacher interactions were quite well done. So many different angles of parenting were covered and so many different resulting children personalities. The clashing of these personalities is portrayed very well.  There's a lot of insight in the show about how students are brought up in China and how the system shapes them into who they will become.

The depictions of high school students facing things like relationship issues, academic accomplishment, and their futures, the show really does a great job with fleshing out the students' progression from the beginning to the end of their days as a student. This show goes into some really heavy material as well. I found myself helplessly crying as it was so moving.

Rather important for me, I'm so grateful that this show dedicates time to life after all their struggles in high school. It gives us closure and doesn't just end with some happily ever after, after high school is over. Life's not over after high school.

-----Acting/Cast-----

I'd have to say, there was nothing notably bad for me. I really liked the actors. Their acting was often very moving so I'd have to say it was very well done.

-----Music-----

Arguably, no song felt memorable from the show. None. However, I believe they do the music very well in this show because each scene that needed to hit home hard, is backed by music that seemingly perfectly pairs with the emotions the scene is trying to convey. The music was definitely excellently done.

-----Rewatch Value-----

I'm not really much of a person who ever rewatches anything so my rating for this is rather arbitrary. I think there are a lot of takeaways in this movie. Lots of cultural stuff to be learned, lots of moral lessons, and lots of motivational stuff in this movie. I highly doubt I would watch the entirety of it again, but there are definitely scenes in the show that hit home. There are scenes worth watching again. The movie also links the beginning all the way to the end really well. Often times I found myself thinking, I needed to go back to watch some scene again that had some foreshadowing that I didn't quite remember but it was prominent enough that it left a mark in my mind. It's really a good show. I'm certain many would rewatch it again.

-----Overall-----

I come from the background of being a Chinese American millennial. This show truly did resonate a lot with me. I might not have been born in China and gone through the exact same system as theirs, but I was brought up with similar cultural aspects and similar parenting aspects. If you're someone in this demographic, this show is pretty much  a must watch.

From the beginning till the end, this show was amazing.

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When they show the characters in the end during the last 2 episodes, the time after the Gaokao, It's almost like they didn't even try to make the actors look their appropriate age which is about... 31? Maybe it was symbolism to show that they, despite all the years, are still like themselves from their best time. Their days of the past. But it was just kind of like... hmmm...

Another thing about the ending is that Chinese women age 27+ are called leftover women. The women as depicted in the show are already 4 years-ish older than this age and they're still not married. To me, this was the show kind of fighting against that notion that women who don't marry early are leftover unwanted goods. I really liked that. Times are changing in China.

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Maybe in terms of plot, it is quite non-sensical, or dumb, and sometimes even bizarre, but who says it's not entertaining? if you like a strong female lead (the real one, not the one who's strong as the story wants and then becomes a damsel in distress a second later just for the sake of knight saving beauty), well-written characters, protagonist having minimal setbacks in other words almost winning every time, and clever leads who are always three steps ahead... then just turn off your brain and enjoy it as at the end of the day its main purpose is entertainment, it's not a science textbook where everything should make sense.

It's a character-driven story, as I said before plot kinda sucks coz a lot of time it's very illogical, a bit problematic, surreal. And politics is poorly written... nothing mind-blowing with no What? whoa! moment. It's a rather simple concept of revenge that mostly circles around Jiu Ling, it's her journey. So almost every other character is kinda-not-really-important. On the positive side of the story, I'll say comparing similarly-themed dramas... it's not torturous, or painful to watch, a writer doesn't kill your favorite characters left and right or even adds the most annoying characters taking a looot of screentime. If you are looking for romance, it's merely there but with a lot of chemistry.

Jun Jiu Ling is the heart of the story... and most important aspect as without her brilliant characterization this would fall flat. She's clever, quick-witted, and knows how to use her skills to get her goal.. her every action is planned and she's ready for any consequences. Even without any fighting skills, she rocks, Brain over brawn! I can't think Jiu Ling is without Peng Xiao Ran, she's just amazing as Jiu Ling... seeing her playing the character so beautifully was a pleasure to watch, especially she nails every emotional scene. Though I'm not very fond of super perfect characters, I still liked her... who doesn't love to watch lead surpassing everyone with her great abilities.

Ning Yun Zhao... well why I'm mentioning him even before ML? well non-surprisingly he's my favorite character after Jiu Ling, I bet you'll get the major second lead syndrome. As they match each other intellectually, perfect!... even their first meeting was one of my favorite scenes of the drama. Wang You Shuo did a good job... I truly felt bad for him from bottom of my heart, he did exceptionally well in the rejection scene, you can just feel pain in his eyes.

Here we go... matter of conflict, the male lead. Zhu Zan, not very fond of him... but I did like some aspects of his character a lot, he's not very ideal but I take it on the positive side as we already have 'perfect' FL we need some balance right? Jin Han... even if he's great at playing grey characters, he's pretty good as Zhu Zan with his charm. My only problem was who the heck was his hairstylist? ah, it's worse lol... I can't stand his styling he can look a lot better if they just put a bit of effort.

Lu Yun Qi is psycho... and a sick character, for a second I pitied him than just a later scene... I pitied why I pitied him, mostly he hateable (almost) all time...not a fan of his last-minute-eureka-moment that made his character inconsistent, why build the whole character in such a way if you're gonna give him last-minute development at least take some time or let him be psycho I'm happy with either. Du Ya Fei, never seen this guy before, honestly, I've as his profile says but I don't even remember him, but I don't think it'll happen again. As his performance was most splendid, and it outshined.

As for reverse-harem, as I already mentioned... there isn't much romance here why worry about reverse-harem, plus FLs character is worthy of everyone getting smitten over her lol xD so it's understandable... and other than Yun Qi 'Love' aka obsession no other male character is annoying.

It's a low budget, don't expect much of majestic setting or beautiful clothing, styling as you can see many clothes recycled all time, even lighting is dull, and I personally didn't like color pallet much. Apart from the intro, none of the osts weren't significant enough (for me).

It's not best but not worst either, but surprisingly addictive and intruding... with a femal

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Foundational BL but it's not good

The Takumi-kun series showcases a LOT about origin Japanese yaoi and why it’s troubling, why it’s addictive, and what a core foundation it gave to the modern BL shows coming out of Thailand, Taiwan, and Korea particularly.

Beautiful fragile traumatized Takumi escapes the horrors of his youth by attending boarding school. There things aren’t great because his coping mechanism is touch-aversion, timidity, and fear. Alone and bullied, Takumi is barely surviving until handsome, rich, popular Gii becomes obsessed with him. Oh and they’re roommates.

The Takumi-kun franchise (like 2 Moons/2 Moons 2) shot this first movie and then recast for the remaining adaptations. The second cast is much better. They did not, however, re-film book 1 with the new actors, except as flashbacks. I highly recommend you watch the fan made first movie version (from those flashbacks) instead of this one, and then 3 of the 4 follow ups. So here’s a watching order:

Takumi-kun Series 1 DaiMao Version (Fan Made recut via flashbacks)
Takumi-kun Series 2: Rainbow Colored Glass
Takumi-kun Series 3: The Beauty of Detail
Takumi-kun Series 5: That Sunny Blue Sky

Series 4 is about side characters and doesn’t add to the main story, but it’s fine if you like those side characters.

This original Series 1 with the different cast is okay (I guess?) and a more honest adaptation of the original yaoi (which is NOT good), but not worth watching if you're looking to get into the series.

However, from a heritage BL film perspective this first movie (but also bits of the others) showcases how Japanese framing, filming angles, body positioning (staging), and cinematography for BL using the origin manga as a storyboard. This filming style would go on to influence Korean BL in particular (see Color Rush) and is still used in Japanese BL today (see Love Stage!!).

All that said, if you want a pitch perfect Japanese yaoi manga adaptation with none of Takumi's issues, Seven Days is your jam. Watch that instead.

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This drama has everything a delusion romance fanatic would want. From absolute jerk of a male lead to the most delusional, gullible and thick headed female lead. The storyline is the most cliche thing ever and it's feels like the writers were torn between teaching filial values, adhering the law and giving this story an obligatory happy ending.
What's more, the love triangles (yes there are more than one) for the male and the female leads don't cease to end nor does the jealousy and misunderstandings which occur due to lack of communication. Also, the male lead has his own fan club (which is creepy considering he is not a celebrity) who just like the lead characters are delusional and jerks of the highest order.
Also the female lead's character is the utopia of patriarchy, she's soft spoken, docile, doesn't complain and nor does she believes that she deserves to be treated well.

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Through thick and thin! They loved and suffered and loved some more!

The drama starts off strong with that classic “grumpy veteran actor x sunshine newbie” setup, and honestly it worked. Pei Jia, a scandal-worn ex-idol trying to clean up his image, gets paired with total rookie Su Yi, who has zero acting experience but a whole lot of heart and is a big fan of Pei Jia. They were forced to live together to build chemistry and the tension builds fast from there.

Their chemistry wasn't built on big declarations but on lingering gazes, brushing past each other in tight spaces, turning that shy awkwardness into comfort. They were soft, silly and sometimes airheaded but adorable.

But then... plot twist hits. One moment we are vibing with the soft fluff and the next we’re dealing with a deadly trope and a company executive who is out for blood (not even kidding). The angst comes in hot and heavy and while it keeps things dramatic, it does kind of hijack the romance for a while. Though the chemistry doesn’t disappear. It's just buried under a lot of emotional wreckage. They do try to show the dark side of showbiz but very briefly but enough to stir things.

That said, the drama does loop back around. The bond between Pei Jia and Su Yi holds steady even when things go off the rails. Though I would have liked more of their story ,after the dust was settled.
The editing also seemed a bit incoherent but for the drama on budget, it seemed okay.

Coming to the second couple, sadly I couldn't get on board with them till the end. The back and forth which was supposed to pull me in, made me more frustrated. Not the kind of tension that keeps you hooked but more along the lines of "why will do that??!" or "Why will you say that". I found the director too indecisive not just for his own sake, but for the people around him as well.

Acting wise, I feel the actors did good enough. This is my first time seeing them and while I do think delivery could have been better, I feel it's nitpicking. I would definitely give them another chance if I come across any of their dramas.

Overall, it's not perfect but it's an emotional ride with some really touching moments and soft chemistry. We see a romance bloom through mess and stick it out through thick and thin even though the pacing does get messy in the middle.
I will definitely recommend it even though it might give you heartbreak at times. (The good kind xD)
Plus it's the first singaporean drama on MDL. :)

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THIS IS THE BEST DRAMA I HAVE SEEN ALL YEAR (2014)!!!! This may be from a biased perspective, but I don't care! This is one amazing drama. I have never watched a action/thriller/crime drama before and enjoyed it as much as I did watching this. I couldn't stop watching this and finished it in 2 days (could have been one day but I needed sleep to enjoy it fully the next day). I enjoyed each episode to the fullest. I was never bored! NEVER!

Amazing plot! The truth hidden in the lies/Lies hidden in the truth. The feeling of pain and sorrow, anger and hatred, betrayal and trust, happiness and sadness... All those feelings each character experienced, I felt and it felt amazingly real. A whole lot of action scenes, which I love. The unjust became just! It felt great to see people got what they deserve, although, I felt they should have got far worse. Those criminals wanted to somehow redeem themselves. These bad people wanted to be good. *cries* :')

I didn't think it was possible to feel something for these criminals, but I did. They went through a lot and I know they were criminals but I couldn't help but feel for them. They invoked a lot of emotions in me. I loved all the characters/casts especially Hae Jin oppa, but Jo Dong Hyeok (Tae Soo), had me like woah! He actually looked like a real criminal. He was so bad ass and hot. Always serious and wicked with his skills.
I loved each one of characters' stories and how they were all connected somehow to each other. It was like a puzzle and when it all came together, it made sense. How they were in the beginning up until the last episode, you see a significant change in each of them and their personalities. They are a perfect team. Their strengths and weaknesses, the affinity they had for each other was superb!

THIS NEEDS A SEASON 2. If this doesn't get a season 2 I'm going to go on a killing spree!!!
Hahaha~ Just kidding! Seriously though, I don't wanna get my hopes up but I really, sincerely and truly wish it does get a second season.

The music was totally awesome! It fits perfectly with every scene and it was just too cool. Especially the fighting scenes, when that music starts playing you can't help but be hyped! Even when people are getting their asses destroyed. Haha xD So great!

I WILL DEFINITELY WATCH THIS AGAIN. NO MAYBE ABOUT THAT!
I honestly don't know what else to say cos I don't want to spoil it for you guys. I appeal to you guys who are into action/thriller/crime, I RECOMMEND THIS FULLY! Even if it's not your cup of tea/type of drama. I implore you to watch this! You don't have to if you don't want to, that is your choice. Still, you don't know the excitement and awesomeness you're missing out on. :P

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I wanna start by saying I don't get why people are lashing on this minidrama for being cliche-ish. Well... it's written in the synopsis what the story is all about and if you guys don't read it beforehands, I do. Expecting a drama not to be cliché is like expecting to breathe just fine on the moon or something - all of them have a heavy load of clichés we are all tired of seeing. It isn't different with this show although I find High End Crush to be refreshing. I believe all romcom dramas could be well shrunken down to a 20-episode minidrama like this one otherwise they'll feel draggy, way too melo and boring at some point. This doesn't happen here. Rather than being frustrated yelling "Just kiss already!", I found myself anticipating what his next mistep was going to be.
Good laughs, good laughs... these are rare these days and this show provided me some. The broship going on is also wonderful and funny, you don't feel the need to know their background, there's no rude parenting interruptions or third party's. As for the acting, since this is supposed to be a comedy, the cast is allowed to run it smoothly and whatever would be considered "terrible acting" on serious dramas, is fine in this one. This is my first time watching Il Woo though and I'm completely fallen aback by his skills and charisma. (In the picture below he looks terribly like Park Shin Hye, lol - but in the drama he resembles Lee Jongsuk, I think.)
Perhaps it was the lack of melo that made me enjoy this, I don't know, but I simply loved it! I'm not biased for any of the cast members but I must admit I started this for Monsta X (and got terribly disappointed on that part but.... oh, well.) yet here I stand, in love with the drama. Lee Shieon is amazing and endearing, by the way, pay attention to him.

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This drama has made a serious impact on my life. It made me rethink a lot of things. The story was absolutely beautiful and totally overwhelmed me. The trauma they have and the way the actors portrayed this was heartbreaking.
I honestly am just writing this review to talk about Junho. He made me cry, laugh and love him. The scenes in which he just breaks down, because of the trauma, they were heart wrenching in a very good way. He is an amazing actor, and even those words are not enough to express how amazing he was to me. He broke my heart, mended it, stepped on it and healed it again. He is honestly the best actor I have seen in any film, from South Korea or anywhere else.
I would recommend this drama to anyone, the story was entertaining and beautifully heartbreaking. The way the characters develop is just a down to earth and an original portrayal in my opinion. To me, the characters were in sync with reality, which made me love them even more.

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