Reviews

machinery and the mob

9 / 10

Most dramas are made to help us escape for a bit. This one doesn’t let you do that. It doesn’t try to be clever or self-important. It just confronts you. It pulls a system we’re not supposed to see into the open and holds it there. What makes it uncomfortable is that it doesn’t stop at the industry. It makes room for the audience too, for the way attention, demand, and silence keep the whole thing running. This isn’t really entertainment. It’s a reckoning with an industry that only works because people stay quiet and pretend not to know.

The scandal at its core is not rumor or professional misconduct. It is the systematic suppression of rape and sexual assault. We see multiple victims erased through coordinated falsehoods. Of cousre, who knows how many victim stories never make it to the light. We see media manipulation and suppression deployed as a weapon. A culture so practiced in self-preservation that it pushes victims toward isolation, despair, and suicide. The series does not treat this as some sort provocation... it treats it as evidence that the whole thing needs a reboot or to be torn down.

Haruna's (oh how I love Haruna in everything she is in)character is personally implicated and ideologically committed. Her sister is also a victim, and that wound never closes. But she is not driven by solely by revenge. She is driven by belief. She believes truth matters. She believes journalism has an obligation beyond access, profit, and survival. That conviction is what makes her dangerous in a system designed to bury facts rather than surface them.

At first I was a little conflicted by the sister connection, but I think the writers did a good job of introducing it (I am just very wary of any previous connection trope.... but at least this one isn't that someone in the show crossed paths with someone 47 years ago and now everything is magically connected.)

The scenes with her and Ko hit me harder than anything else in the show. This isn’t some moral showdown. It’s two women who understand exactly how much power a narrative can hold and who gets to tell it. They know what silence protects and what truth can destroy, and neither of them looks away. Watching it, I kept holding my breath. Every word and every move matters. It’s tense, it’s exhausting, and it feels completely real.

What makes the drama so damning is that it doesn’t stop with the easy villains. It doesn’t let us blame just the agencies or point fingers at the media and feel clean about it. Yes, they’re guilty. But the show names the last accomplice too, and it’s the audiencee. Abuse keeps happening because attention keeps paying for it. Lies survive because they sell. People want the spectacle, then punish anyone who threatens to ruin it. So everyone quietly agrees to look away as long as the product stays untouched. Watching isn’t neutral. Consumption is participation. Every view, every click, every excuse keeps the machine alive. We are not standing outside of this.

The series really only slips once for me. The Editor-in-Chief, Kenjiro Goda, changes sides a little too smoothly. In a story where telling the truth always comes at a cost, that turn felt a bit rushed. There are a couple of other moments like that too. I get that with only six episodes there was never going to be time to sit with every character, and I don’t think the show is being lazy. I just kept feeling like a few of those shifts needed another scene, another beat, something to make the change feel heavier. When everything else in the show makes growth feel painful, the easier turns stand out.

For me, the ending doesn’t retreat into cynicism. It refuses the easy lie that nothing ever changes. The truth is dragged into the open, publicly and in a way that can’t be taken back. What happens in the final press conference isn’t abstract or symbolic. It closes the loop that was opened in the first episode, and what’s said there felt exactly right to me. Nothing padded. Nothing softened. I didn’t need to see every villain punished on screen to feel the weight of it. Their downfalls are clearly set in motion, and that’s enough.

The fact that everything isn’t wrapped up neatly didn’t feel like a flaw. It felt honest. This story was never about comfort or clean closure. It was about what happens after the truth is finally spoken, and how impossible it is to pretend nothing happened.

Leggi di Più

I really can't see why no one has written a review of this movie!
I'm not very good with reviews but I thought I had to write one anyway 'cause this is the best movie I have ever seen!

Watched this movie 'cause it is directed by Kim Jewoon and I have always liked his movies.

The story might not be original, but who get's tired of revenge stories?
Really, who does?
For you who likes great action scenes, amazing fighting and bloody tourture scenes mixed with beautiful soundtracks, this is really something for you!

The acting is superb, with two of the best actors I know of. Lee Byung Hun and Kim Yeong Cheol. (Some of you might know the two of them from the IRIS Drama where they have a similar relationship.) They do not act, they ARE their characters in my point of view. That is how good their acting is.

The music is great and really thought trough. Not just some b-class composers work.

I have rewatched this movie four times now and it is still my favorite!

So all in all, it's a huge piece of fantastic art!

Leggi di Più

This is not a formula drama. What I mean by that is that unlike traditional dramas where the story and characters rely on a set formula or trajectory to show them where to go, this drama does it a little differently. There are premises, possibilities, seeming drama conventions set up in the beginning, some of which end the way you expect and some of which do not end up where you think they will. The drama itself has been described as slice of life, and while I don’t know if I totally agree with that label as the drama contains a concise journey for each of the characters all of whom change in some way over the course of the story, the style of storytelling has a very slice-of-life feel to it, so I understand why people would think of it that way. The story has an easy, relaxed way about it, which is definitely one of it’s selling points.

Personally, I came to like this drama a lot more than I initially expected, especially after seeing the first couple weeks of episodes. The female leads, with the exception of the single mother, start out…rather unlikable. They’re selfish and difficult and frustrating, and while I definitely empathized with them both and their struggles, I didn’t relate to them at all. But over the course of the drama, I started to appreciate both of these women better. Neither of them changed drastically by the end, although they did both go through a level of growth as people, but I came to understand them better. They’re both still unlikable in their own ways. They both still have personality flaws, but I came to like them because of that, not despite it. On the other hand, the single mother has somewhat of an opposite trajectory. She starts out seemingly sweet and thoughtful and somewhat meek before revealing a more layered view of herself that I can appreciate from a storytelling point of view, but that left me unsatisfied from a viewership standpoint. I don’t know that this ever made me dislike her as it was intriguing and enjoyable watching her reveal a strong, subtle confidence that lay underneath that surface level demureness, but at the same time, there was this feeling of selfishness in her character that I didn’t like very much.

I was particularly disappointed by how the writers chose to end the potential budding romance between the single mother and her co-worker. In a drama like this, I guess I should have expected as much to happen, but the sting certainly could have been lessened if they hadn’t left me feeling like he had been left with the short end of the stick. Her words to him at the end felt…harsh and unfair and left a bad taste in my mouth.

Overall though, I really enjoyed this drama. I’m nothing like these women, and I don’t know that I would ever be friends with women like them in real life, but I came to love all of them, despite and even Because of their flaws. They felt like real people with real personalities and real struggles and real hopes and goals and dreams. They felt human, and I appreciated being the chance to glimpse into their world for just a moment.

Leggi di Più

Typical misunderstandings......

I started off this series because i like the FL, but after awhile the ML kinda grew on me.

This story had so many misunderstandings and backwardness and forwards between the charterers it was like watching a tennis match, they just couldn't seem to figure each other out.

I enjoyed the second couple, and the friendship between the 3 main guys, they loyalty and misunderstandings were never taken to heart and were always there for each other,

The story line was your typical Palace story greedy empress and her subjects a blind emperor who refused to see the wrong right till the end.

The only sad and disappointing part was the end when the ML lost his true friend.

Leggi di Più

I really appreciated the fact that the FL did her own acr. she had her own enemy, her own fight and she didn't need a guy to save the day or define her character. She was AWESOME!
Kim Nam Gil and the bandits were like the minions, they were loud funny and a whole mess xD

even though I loved the plot, it was kinda draggy and the cgi was horrible xD I wish they focused more on the 2 mains together.. they had sizzling chemistry~
overall the double villain thing was well done, it gave both mains their own identity; the bandits and the pirates fighting their own fights while coming together under one main objective~


the ost was nothing special and I'd just watch the sequel when it's out so there's no need for a rewatch ;p

Leggi di Più

Best Cdrama in a long time, best acting by Seven todate

I was initially skeptical about this sort of costume dramas but as I watched the story line got better. I specially liked the acting capabilities of both the lead actor and actors. I feel that this is probably the best effort by Seven todate. She seem to have matured a lot in her acting abilities.

This is a serious and typical drama with not much comedy. I liked the twist and turns of the story line. Many a times the lead actress seemed caught in the many conspiracies but we get surprises at how smart both the leads were able to jointly overcome their enemies.

For once, we get a good and smart leading actress and it is portraited well here. The story just got better with the episodes and it is worth a rewatch.

I must also comment that the English subs were well done, generally good english used. Thanks to this, I was able to follow the story and enjoyed the show.

Leggi di Più

a quirky and fun ride

Life does not go planned always. But when it takes the biggest twist you start valuing your life a little more....

Haejo has been living carelessly and carefreely till an accident revealed a chapter of his life he was unaware of. Jae Mi's free spirit nature faces roadblocks as a very precedented incident appears early.

Three twists make the journey eventful and rewatchable.
1. The past

Korean drama makers use a heart-wrenching past which builds the character graph with the progression of the story. The past of Hae Jo and Jae Mi keeps them from living through their present. As Hae Jo gets to know he has only a few months to live, his craving for having a real family starts overwhelming him all of a sudden.

Jae Mi's craving for having her own family and children seems to move far away as she tries to cling to it. Hae Jo tries to confront his past but the pain of betrayal comes in every time. The pain of being abandoned by his own family keeps on taking peace of his mind.

2. The Love

As Jae Mi finds herself falling apart, she finds love by her side. We have witnessed different love across Korean drama universe but this love track is going to take the peak spot. Falling in love when you are at your best is easy. But have you met someone who is there for you when you are at your lowest. Jae Mi has that one, who saves her from falling apart.

3. The Pain

It is the most irrevocable and unconditional emotion that stays with us thoughout. Everytime people fall apart they even count the not happened birthday coral from years ago.

Jae Mi did not fall out of love. But the pain of being abandoned again kept on haunting her, pushing her away from herself.

This mini right series is a must watch because of its unique plot and twists.

Leggi di Più

Confusing and Disappointing

I was initially attracted to this drama because of its director who had also directed The Untamed. It has quite similar cinematography for some scenes, and the styling of some actors is also similar. I was very excited and thought it’s going to be another great drama just like The Untamed. I was pretty disappointed with how it turns out to be.

This is a rather confusing drama with lots of plot holes and flaws. There are many tropes. The editing is choppy and disjointed. I cannot even tell if the acting of the female lead is fine or bad because I’m not even sure if her acting is intended or simply just bad acting. Frequently the situations and the emotions of the actors are totally out of synchronization. The logic is inconsistent and befuddling at times, so are the inconsistency of the characters. The dialogues are simple and shallow. There’s hardly a plot, or rather the plot is so simplistic that the writing has made it confusing to try to give it some layers. It fails miserably. It begins to drag a lot half-way through the drama. I’ve almost given it up had I not wanted to know who Feng Wu (Yang Chao Yue) actually is.

I have to admit there are some really good scenes here with beautiful actors, in particular, Wang Hao Xuan. I love his styling and portrayal of the mischievous Yu Ming Ye, and his relationship with Jun Lin Yuan (Xu Kai Cheng). In fact, I find him to have more chemistry with Feng Wu than Jun Lin Yuan has with her. I also enjoy watching the second couple. And I really love the visual of Mu Jiu Chuan (Li Chuan) who is Feng Wu’s shifu, but unfortunately he doesn’t have many scenes. I also love the dynamics of the 3 childhood friends, and the funs they have together overthinking trivial matters, giving simplistic reasoning that leads to jumping into wrong conclusions. These are rather fun watch. The ending is not sad nor happy. It’s just it, and I've never found out who Feng Wu is and where she has come from.

Overall, I’m not at all impressed by this drama.

Leggi di Più

I wanted a romantic comedy to watch but I wasn’t too sure about the storyline. It sounded just plain weird to me…

Story- Really funny in the beginning but does get a bit dramatic towards the second half. The twist involving the female character kind of weirded me out but I guess it made the drama more interesting? I don’t know. While it was something I hadn’t seen before in a drama, I felt uncomfortable at times because it brought the quality of the romance down for me. After episode 12 it did get to be a bit draggy and when the end finally came it was welcomed=)

Acting/Cast- Love the leads. They had a really great chemistry. The acting by the female lead was outstanding. I'm a new fan of hers. Kim Rae Won was Kim Rae Won, not bad but not outstanding either. I didn’t like the supporting characters at all. They were too meddlesome. Park Shi Hoo was quite forgettable in this one.

Music- Very good but not something I will listen to outside the show.

Rewatch- I would watch this again b/c i loved the leads but not for a while cause the story was so average.

Overall this is your average romcom with a twist.

Leggi di Più

Potential Trigger Warning (explained in first paragraph of review) - Excellent Acting all around

Completed - 2/12/2022

Trigger Warning/Spoiler - I didn’t see this mentioned in the reviews/comments and tags, so I figured I’ll mention this. In the last episode of the drama, there was an incident of sexual harassment on the bus. This is a very small part of the show (maybe only 5 minutes), and nothing too explicit (moving close, touching). But just in case, I would like to inform those who could be affected. It made me a little uncomfortable as I experienced something similar many years ago when I was a high schooler. It just brought back some memories. I know many women (and men) experience such atrocity in their daily lives. However, if you are OK, I hope it doesn’t deter you from watching this amazing drama.

Now, moving on to the real review.

Plot - When I first read about this drama, one thing that concerned me was the repetitiveness of the plot due to the time loop. In “Reset”, I feel that it started out with two very strong episodes. However, I do feel some repetitiveness in the subsequent episodes. Luckily, once we learn more of the passengers’ stories and police investigations, the drama’s pace is better and everything becomes more exciting. I think the drama finishes really strong with amazing episodes 12-15 and gives us a very satisfactory ending. I think Ep 12 is the most exciting and my favorite.

Acting/Characters - Great acting all around, from our leads to the minor supporting characters. I’ve seen Bai Jin Ting (ML) in a few other dramas, and am glad to see him branch out to have a different role. Playing the character as Xiao He Yun, a game developer who wasn’t an instant hero. Bai Jin Ting was able to portray some real emotions as someone who was scared to learn of the time loop, and didn’t want to have anything to do with it. Throughout the drama, he slowly grows into the hero that he is. This is my first drama of Zhao Jin Mai (FL) and I like her acting as well. Playing Li Shi Qing, a college student who is caring and innocent, but has a sense of justice. She is more of an instant heroine, compared to Xiao He Yun. With different personalities, our leads complement each other well and each brings something different to the table when solving the mystery of time loop. “Reset” also has an excellent supporting cast of young and veteran actors. I especially enjoy the acting of Liu Yin Jun (as Detective Zhang Cheng), Huang Jue (as bus driver Wang Xing De) and Liu Dang (as Tao Ying Hong). Other passengers or police officers might not have as much screen time but you can still differentiate them from each other as they have such individual charisma and acting. Additionally, I am so glad to see two female police officers who are intelligent and calm, and one of them is the boss!

Production - This has to be the first C-drama that gives me the most realistic color of blood! I know it sounds crazy that I talk about this, but in so many dramas, the color of blood is just not right. It’s either too bright red, too liquidy, too thick or too dark. But in “Reset”, it’s realistic, and especially the realistic injuries of a burn victim. If you look closely at the wounds of one of the major characters after the explosion, you can see smoke coming out of the burnt clothes and wounds. Such details! There is nothing glamorous about this drama, so one can’t judge its production value on nice clothes or nice set design. But you can see the detail in each of the scenes and how real everything is. There’s nothing flimsy or cheap. On the other hand, since it’s a time loop, the production company can save money on a large wardrobe budget. The characters just wear the same clothes everyday!

OST - The background music complemented the scenes very well, and you feel that it’s not forcing you to feel a certain way. There aren’t many songs played in the drama, but when Zhou Shen’s hauntingly beautiful song, “My Only” comes up, you can’t help but feel all the emotions. One of my pet peeves is when music is too loud that it drowns the dialogs. I am glad that it didn’t happen here. The few songs played are nice and I only notice them more towards the last half of the drama.

Other Observations:
1. This is the fanciest Internet Bar/Cafe/Motel I’ve seen in a drama. I think I want to stay in a room like that than in any hotel room!
2. C-dramas really like lovers wearing color-matching outfits. We see that in the last episode - white shirts and blue jeans.
3. No annoying character in this drama! Yay!
4. Slight romance is the correct tag. I would have liked to see a little more glances/hints throughout the drama. I don’t need much, just a little. I feel that either you take out the romance completely, or give it a little more care.

Leggi di Più

This movie is really a phenomenal piece of work. I don't know why I didn't watch this sooner. What a daebak film! :D

This movie is a tearjerker. If you have a heart, you'll definitely weep or at least get teary. The story is nothing too grand, it's rather a very simple account of a spoiled city boy living with his rural dwelling grandmother. What follows is the kid's bratty behavior and a grandmother you just want to pull out of the screen and hug. She was really that cute and lovable. I swear I hated the kid so much till the end. He treats his grandmother like crap, and yet she never gets angry.

The overall pace is somewhat slow, but it has been shown very realistically. Both the kid and the grandmother didn't seem like they were acting at all! I'd give a full 10/10 to the direction. In fact I think the movie deserved a whole 10 if not the ending that I didn't quite like. I would have made it into a very fair ending if I could. Instead it remained as a somewhat sad end if you ask me.

I also loved the fact because it shows us how greedy people have become in today's world. There are many people in the world who come from rural side, get educated and then move to the city for their jobs and settle there. A lot of times they leave behind their parents, never looking twice how they are doing. The kid's mother is an example of such a person. She was downright awful if you ask me. She leaves her child with her mother and it was apparent they didn't have a good relation. Not just that, she's completely oblivious to the conditions her mute mother is living in. Any person with a heart would never do such a thing.

LOL, sorry about my little rant there. I couldn't help myself since the movie so accurately portrays real people that it kicked natural reactions out of me.

Anyway, the other things like the background score and the cinematography were also done well. I've heard that this movie was received well internationally also and now I can see why.

Honestly, if you let this pass up you're missing out something that is very fantastic. Watch this movie with your grandmother if you could. :)

Leggi di Più

IMPROVED, BEAUTIFUL AND BETTER. WORTH YOUR 16 HOURS!

BOYS OVER FLOWERS.. it won't be a lie if we say the story is epic. having Korean, Chinese, and Japanese versions, we all knew that it is difficult to make a new version, especially when it already has a worldwide audience. I was very excited to see what the Thailand version had to offer us this time...

surprisingly!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

IT IS THE BESTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


like, I swear, I don't think I'd ever like any of its versions as much as I've loved the Thailand one...
let's just review the things one by one.

the characters:-----

1. THYME AKIRA- played by bright. I swear I never like this character to this extent.. no matter which version I watched I was always somewhat inclined to the fact that I don't like him.. especially if we talk about goo joon pyo, I kind of hated it it it him, in the Korean version. but thanks to BRIGHT, he has played the character the best. being a bad boy, he has been perfect, being a good boy too, suited him well. his anger, his conscience, and at the same time his soft part were very well depicted.

2. GORYA- I loved her character. the braveness well stored inside a cute little girl was sparkling enough to make you fall for her. the portrayal was beautiful. TONTAWAN did a great job doing it.

3. REN- played by dew. honestly, I was shocked when I got to know that f4 Thailand is dew's debut... I mean, how can someone be so spectacular at his debut.. his skills are commendable. his character of a suspicious and secretive boy was carried out very nicely. his love for Gorya was well hidden and especially there was no kissing scene between Gorya AND Ren. and I loved this part. in the Korean version after the kissing scene of jihoo and jandi, things were messed up to a very another extent. there was only one scene when ren was leaving for France and he gave a forehead kiss to gorya, it was personally, my favorite scene. ren's story was well depicted and the aura he held all along the show was beautiful. I fell for him at the moment when ren rescued gorya from being bullied by giving a false fire alarm in which he has all wet. he looked handsome as crazy and I can never forget that scene..... he was the first one I fell for among the four. there is a lot you can learn from REN.

4. KAVIN- played by WIN METAWIN. I am already in love with him. the depiction of his character was smooth indeed. METAWIN was perfect. considering his character as a playboy but still a person with a soft heart who values love. you are surely gonna fall in love with him.

5. MJ- his presence was felt all along. he looked handsome af. and I just loved how his story was also well shown. because when I watched the Korean version, I always felt that his story was ignored. there was almost nothing we knew about the song woo bin. but the SHORTS of his story at the end of every episode was very impressive and unexpected.

6. KANNING- I loved this girl. her sweetness, innocence, and selfless love for both her friend Gorya and her love KAVIN were beautifully portrayed. I just loved how she was always anxious about her loved ones and she carried herself... one thing which is worth mentioning is her get-up. I loved her floral outfits with her signature hairstyle with a ribbon on them. it made her look even more beautiful.

7. Roselyn Paramaanantra- THYME'S MOTHER- she was outstanding. I loved her display, her emotions, and her terror of hers.

other cast members which I significantly loved were
8. Maria Poonlertlarp as Tia Aiyawarin Paramaanantra (thyme's sister)
9. Niti Chaichitathorn (Pompam) as Gawa (Gorya and Kaning's boss). I loved him .. he was the best
10. Pansa Vosbein (Milk) as Lita Lalita Empicca (thyme's fiancee) was crazy af... and was a little toxic too, but in the end, I liked her



SHIPS:

1. GORYA AND THYME. I think their best work was on them only.. when I was watching the Korean version, in the end, my heart was not convinced, I somewhere believed that jandi would have chosen jihoo. but in this version, I swear, their pairing is the best. I also like their chemistry. in the Korean one, one thing which I didn't like was their height difference but there was nothing to dislike in this one. their love was pure. if we see the Korean version. there was a scene when Joon Pyo forcefully tries to kiss jandi, and she throws Joon Pyo off her, but there is no such scene here, thankfully. they are looking fabulous together.

2. GORYA AND REN- the bond they shared was the most beautiful thing in the story. I just loved the fact that both of them accepted that sometimes loving each other is not sufficient, sometimes two people are just not destined to be together. their bond was beautiful till the very last episode. I cried my eyes out when she danced with him saying he was her first love. they both looked just perfect together. ren never forced himself to gorya which I loved. their ship will teach you a lot about love.

3. KAVIN AND KANNING- oh god! they were so adorable together. they just looked like the perfect couple. they both will charm you out definitely. Kanning's love will show you how to love someone selflessly. their moments are beautiful.

EARLY EPISODES:-
in the early episodes in which thyme is a bad boy, I loved the way how gorya fought against him. the helping of ren, and also how Kavin and MJ advised thyme that he is doing wrong. bullying was well shown and the incidents were worth mentioning. Groya's friendship with a girl who later betrays her is also very nicely shown. Gorya showed us how to be a loyal friend even though your friend cheated on you. Gorya's parents are crazy as expected, I loved her brother. Gorya's brother was soooo cute!!

SOME OTHER POINTS:--------------

* THE OST'S WERE BEAUTIFUL. MY FAVOURITE IS "YOU ARE MY SHOOTING STAR"

IN THE END, I SWEAR, YOU'RE GONA CRY YOUR EYES OUT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!




all over it is worth your 16 hours!!!!


ALL I CAN SAY IN THE END IS..



GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO, WATCH IT NOWWWWWWWWWWW!



-NANDINI SHRIVASTAVA
IG- the_koean_world.12

Leggi di Più

The premise of this show is quite original and different from what I was used to watch and it was the main reason why I started watching it: to go in a different direction.

You have a little girl that can predict the future in her nightmares and a teacher who is a psychopath and finds herself having to help this little girl and the students in her class, even if reluctantly, since each dream normally concerns at least one of her students. But what makes this show so interesting is the mystery that surrounds each dream. As one would expect from a dream, things are not clear as water, and trying to find the meaning behind all symbolism and riddles keeps the mystery till the end of the episode.

But the mystery does not end in each episode. All the characters have a really intriguing personality and past story that will make you hooked. And here the acting is really important. I found Kitagawa’s acting to be the most memorable. Her character that started as a really cheerful teacher who was actually a pessimist unable to trust people suffered a drastic change in personality over the stories and she was really able to portray it. The little girl that played Yuiko also did a good job, although sometimes, especially in the beginning, I could not really feel her emotions, but maybe that was how it was supposed to be. Even Gackt, whom I had never seen in a drama, surprised me in a good way. The way I felt about his character changed so many times in the drama, and sometimes within the same episode, that I found myself confused. Well, at least the fact that you can drool at him never changes. :p

Even the ending left things really well wrapped up and you felt a sense of completion. However, I would not mind having at least a special, but I will not spoil that.

Overall this is really a heart-warming drama, with you feeling sympathy for the students themselves who all have a distinct personality, while also being a mystery drama that will always keep you wondering what will happen next. What else can they do to surprise you?

Leggi di Più