Reviews

This drama, I have no idea why I took the liberty of putting it in my list of “To Watch” dramas for the year of 2009-2010. This is one of the most melodramatic drama’s I’ve seen for that year.

It have made me cry a bucket but it was all worth it. Having seen the show made my sense of Kdrama more diverse, since I tend to choose rom-com to genres like this. My heart is just weak like that, but this show made my threshold on tears much stronger… or so I thought until I saw Cinderella’s sister and 49 days. Heh.

This drama would always be dear in my heart because of the story line. It may sound unbelievable or ridiculous or even annoying for some because everything was such a mess. The main character’s past was so jumbled up that the future became dim for them. You would tend to watch and wait and watch some more, thinking, when would it ever stop?

Until one day, things would just fall into their proper places.

The ending wasn’t that satisfying for me but the whole journey of the drama was worth it. Once again, I got my mother crying out of this drama and she had to point her fingers at me "again" for doing so. I so love my mom when she does that but still continue on watching anyway.

Acting wise was superb, so maybe that’s what got me hooked after seeing the first episode.

Leggi di Più

Ignoring the usual plot holes of a lakorn (direct communication between characters, for instance!), I was intrigued by this drama. How far is someone willing to go for revenge?

Plot-wise, the story of Tawan Tor Saeng is quite believable although it starts out like a typical “meet cute but hot” rom-com drama. Horne Davika plays the lead role of Rasa very realistically. She obviously enjoys her work and her family. She is very caring to her adoptive parents but not a doormat. In the course of her work as an interior designer, she is hired to renovate a house belonging to Pakaphong, played by Lum Pakorn. She’s put off by his playboy lifestyle and they clash. Eventually, though, he is attracted by her warm family life and sincere personality and they begin to date.

Now, here’s the intriguing, almost awful part (and it is not a spoiler) - Pakaphong was an abandoned child and eventually, he discovers his mother is still alive. She refuses to acknowledge him and, in fact, her new family doesn’t even know she’d been married before. Pakaphong’s revenge? He plans to date his mother’s daughter, Prangthip, until his mom acknowledges him.

I think this is the part of the plot summary that turns people off. It just seems so - icky. How far can he take this? What is even worse is that his half-sister is really quite nice and even Rasa likes her, although she doesn’t understand why Pakaphong seems to be stringing them both along.

When Rasa finds out about Pakaphong’s plans for revenge, she is horrified. It is almost like watching a car accident happen in slow motion at this point - she sees him walk this path of revenge and tries her best to save him but he refuses. He’s basically sending himself to hell for this revenge and everyone in the know - his old nanny, his friends - understands this. It’s tough to watch! My only problem with this plot is that in this modern age of emails, texts and Instagram, no one steps up to let Prangthip, the unwitting victim of Pakaphong’s revenge, know about her brother. Like a whirlpool of revenge, Pakaphong pulls everyone down with him.

One good thing about this drama is all the side plots. Oftentimes, in lakorns, the side stories are very slapstick but these secondary actors do a fine job. There’s a troubling romance for innocent Pim, Rasa’s adoptive family’s sister, and a wonderful second lead for Rasa in Chewin. The back story of Pakaphong’s mother is also very well written.

Music wise, it’s fairly typical for a lakorn. There are no standout pieces but there aren’t any obviously innapropriate musical pieces as well.

Rewatching - I’d recommend it. I’m already thinking of doing this. I think I want to go back and see if I can catch some of the subtle cues that indicate the upcoming horrors of revenge. Did I miss how Pakaphong became so determined to hurt everyone, including himself?

Leggi di Più

Reply 1988 is possibly my favourite from the Reply series. Perhaps it is because this series focuses more on familial relationships and friendships, while romantic ones are less in focus.

The running time seems very long, but the writer fills it with plenty of stories from daily life plucked from five best friends and their families in a little community in 1988. At first, it seems there are too many characters, but each are written extremely well. They all have distinct personalities, dreams and goals. These characters are very real and not too outlandish, which allows us to relate to them and care for them. The Reply series is known for its naturalistic tone, poignant and heartfelt moments and the cast were very committed and determined to bring us that same feeling. Except, they outshone their predecessors in the process.

I particularly enjoyed the relationships between our characters. Our three ajummas were the absolute best. They've been through everything together and were closer than family. They were often the stronghold of their family, and they made it look so easy. My favourite dynamic is Bora and her father. Both are very similar characters, both gruff and a little shrewd. But their moments together made me cry the most. Without a word, they are able to communicate their deep love and respect for each other. No matter how prickly their words are, they can always find the underlying meaning. The way the characters endlessly support each other through thick and thin is truly moving.

What touched me is the fact that communities like this rarely exist nowadays. In Ssangmundong, people are good-natured and unassuming. You treat your neighbours like family and you have faith in other people. I watched this series with my mother and she said the show is a true representation of the 80s - a simpler time when hearts were bigger than hands.

I admit I got sick of the husband mystery. I wish the writers did not try to bait us and trick us because it detracted from the story. I also think the last few episodes were rushed, but it efficiently let us see the kind of men and women our lovely five friends had become.

Reply 1988 is also about youth, an innocent golden time that we always reminisce about and mourn. After Deok Sun left her adolescence, she recognises that she is unable to return to that blissful time. It is a reminder for us to enjoy and cherish our younger days while we can.

Leggi di Più

Looking for a quick Jdrama that's got lots of action, solid acting, and overall brilliant plot line? Go for this! Assassins - homelessness - family not always blood backdropped in the underbelly of Japan - yeah it's all in there. Starts off with 'dang' that just happened. With subsequent episodes giving the back story on each character and situation leading to the aforementioned points of assassins - homelessness - family.
If you're squishy about blood and real world happenings - do not watch! Stunning actors who unfolded the storyline with ease and fun. Music was fine, never got in way and complimented the series. Overall, Netflix offered a gem with this series for a mature viewer needing more than the standard fare with a compelling

If you're into tattoos - watch this for sure.

Leggi di Più

I've never written a review before, and the reason I am writing one now is because this show is highly underrated.

This drama is so full of cute I nearly died. The relationship between Tae Ri and Eun Dong is so adorable. They are both stuck at the age of fourteen; Tae Ri is still a lonely little girl who can't grow up, and Eun Dong is aching to become a man and protect the woman he loves.

Eun Dong and the coach were also sweet and the mushy bromance had me wiggling.

The story is really great, with the exception of the weird breakups that happed randomly and passively, and Choi Seung Jae. I don't know what is up with that guy. If his character had been more consistent, I would have given this drama a 10. But his bipolar disorder had me really confused.

BUT this drama is so sweet it will give you cavities. Full of heart and warm fuzzy feelings, I highly recommend it.

Leggi di Più

It was okay, kind of meh...

A very medium series, here are my pros and cons:

PROS

1) OFF'S ASS. I would love to see him in a speedo. Dang, I'll bet he could open a jar of pickles with that thing.

2) FOOD. Most of it looked really good!

3) SHORT. It was a fluffy, sweet series that didn't overstay its welcome.

CONS

1) OFFGUN "CHEMISTRY." Sorry, what chemistry? They've always given me good friend vibes and there was nothing here to make me feel differently. And Gun REALLY can't kiss. (Or won't.)

2) THEME SONG. Hated it with a passion! That baby crush song made me want to remove my own appendix with a knife and fork every time I heard it. The MC was in their thirties, for goodness' sake. "Baby crush?" Eww. They're not 12.

3) FIRE'S MOM. What a bitch. I wanted to slap her and didn't buy her complete 180 at the last minute. I thought she was an evil, bad seed who needed to be taken out with the trash.

4) WASTED OPPORTUNITY. You've got Dome Jawarat in the cast, who just happens to be one of THE best singers in Thailand, and his vocal talents were not utilized (even for the OST)? Shame.

A pleasant but forgettable series. It's a 6.0 from me.

Leggi di Più

This is my first review so please be patient with me :)

I have to say I was hesitant going into this series cause I'm a huge fan of the manga and I didn't want to be disappointed by a poor adaptation and shitty acting as is the case with many live-action adaptations

However I was hooked from episode one because the actors chosen for Takane and Hana actually played their parts so well. Takasugi Mahiro-san completely captured the essence of SaiabaraTakane and was able to beautifully portray his character perfectly. He completely captured Takane's narcissism and his exaggerated way of speaking and acting. Apart from his height, which was a bit short compared to Takane but hey you can't have everything, he was the perfect choice to play Takane. He was really able to showcase Takane's unique traits and also why I found him loveable in the manga. I'm happy to say that I honestly felt like I saw the real Takane come to life

Takeuchi Aisa-san did a wonderful job playing Nonomura Hana. She acted out Hana exactly as her manga counterpart and I never found her acting lacking. She completely captured Hana's spirit, determination, strong will and strength alongside Hana's low-key savage personality which I loved. As with the case of Takasugi-san, Takeuchi-san really brought out the best Hana she could and it totally fit with the character in the manga. Her interactions and relationship with Takane, her family, Luciano and her friends were really well done.

The supporting characters were all played really well too however I wish they had more screen time. My favourite of the rest of the cast in the manga is Luciano and Ito Asahi-san really played him how I wished he was played, he really captured Luci's playboy ways and how he interacted with Hana and Takane.

I also loved Okamo Souma's character. He was really well played and I really could feel his one-sided love for Hana in his actions. I loved how he handled the circumstances and the interruption into his peaceful world. Hana's two friends Ogawa Mizuki (short-haired one) and Fujiwara Hikaruko (megane-chan) were also portrayed well but didn't get enough screen time as to what they deserved.

<<<>>>




Especially Mizuki's relationship with Luciano. In the manga they have a lot more interactions and she falls in love with him, especially after a certain incident that happens, however that was totally skipped over in the drama. They honestly had some really cute moments together, it's a pity we didn't get to see that here

Speaking of the drama skipping over things, well boy did it skip a lot. In fact the last two episodes completely condensed 6 whole volumes (7-12) into two short episodes. Souma's confession which happened end of episode 7 doesn't actually happen till much later. In fact after Takane get's stripped of everything and made to live in that shoddy apartment a lot more stuff happens and it's actually a while before he gives Hana the key. Also with the key the first time Hana uses it is when the whole gang (Luciano, Souma, Mizuki, Hirakuro and even Yukari [Hana's older sister]) decide to throw a housewarming party for Takane and just barge into his place.

Man I have so much more to say but I don't want to spoil even more, however I will say this: Souma confesses to Hana after a certain major event takes place that disrupts the lives of Takane and Hana and her family again. In fact that event is the catalyst for his confession. I'm kinda bummed that they rushed it forward.

Also in the manga Hana does have a love rival (although Takane has no interest in her at all) but she's not too bad of a person, and actually adds depth to the storyline too

What can I say? It was a good adaptation, I loved the characters and the choices of actors but it was still a little too fast-paced for me. If only they had slowed it down a little, or added more or longer episodes, or even made room for a season 2, then it'd be great. Still a solid performance by our actors so a round of applause and a pat on the back to them

Leggi di Più

I have to admit I started this drama because of the mister tall guy Toyokawa Etsushi. ;-) He is for me one of the few actors that capture you right away with their brilliant acting. I saw him in some movies and in drama Aishiteiru to Ittekure where he won me in a second. I fell in love with his acting skills, his amazing power to literally stop to be an actor and become the character he plays and since then I'm stalking him. And I'm in the mood for old J-dramas so finally got to see this one.

First I have to say that music was awesome, that opening song was one of the best video interpretations I have ever seen. Fits so perfectly in the whole story.

Then the story itself was good, nothing too much but different from the other dramas. Scenery was so beautiful, I would have to say I was literally stunned by the beauty of the various scenes. It seemed like the majority of the scenes were directly outside or where you could see outside. I would say this is one of the best shot outdoor scenes I have ever seen.
Characters were fantastic, from him as a main lead to the little girl played by Suzuki Anne, the girl was just so brilliant, she was the light and the sun of the whole drama, I was mesmerized by her acting. Shibata Yoshimori has to be one of my favourite characters of all time. I don't know how Toyokawa Etsushi did it, but I'm in love. Tall and gentle, but strong... and silent. He moved and walked in a quiet space and it was so peaceful to watch him. He had such powerful chemistry with Suzuki Anne, who was serious a child prodigy; the way she drew you in and made you forget you were watching an actress and not a real person...I also liked the character of Kahori, she was like a bird, craving for freedom and wanted to love and to be loved as the purpose of her living. And she succeed in that. You could easily see how she was unhappy in that marriage and how she wasn't in love with her husband, he was more like her savior who helped her and her daughter in a tough time of their lives. I wouldn't say that she was bad because she seduced Shibata and made him to escape with them, she was only very lonely and suffering, you could see that through the end, especially in that most important scene in episode 7, and yet she showed her love for him. I don't agree with that kind of choice especially if you have a child who you love but she was too weak and her love was too strong to continue and accept to get back with her husband, that was something the worst for her and that's why she chose that kind of ending for her, in some way that was her freedom and in the same time she saved Shibata from being killed.
Dramas has two parts, the first part until the episode 7 where Shiori was a little kid, and the second part, after the episode 7 where she was a grown up young woman. First part was so touching, the three of them running and hiding, living a life like a real family, they had such an amazing chemistry. I was hypnotized by the first part of the drama. Also the first part was a true pure romance and the chemistry that Kahori and Shibata had was incredible, I would have to say that those kissing scenes between them went right on the top of my favourite and most passionate kisses. ;-)
And then some tragic happens, everything gets a different sadder, darker tone and you could see exactly all the struggle and emotions of the main characters in that times. I felt tormented and so emotional at the end of the show but I wouldn't have in any other way because that was it, the ending scene which shows you that there are real love that exist on this world and that there are freedom and happiness.
At that same time at the end of the drama, quite suddenly, you realize that the love story wasn't between Yoshimori and Kahori at all...

I would definitely recommend this for any person loving pure human dramas and not afraid of touching moments.

Leggi di Più

When I first started watching this drama I thought it was going to be different than what is really was b/c I read the synopsis which really misleads you - she doesn't get married for a long time and the one who is really "hiding" and showing true colors only to one person was Taejeong Not the leading lady - although she lied to people too - This drama was an easy watch - I could easily watch episodes back to back no problem and the build up was good, the only problem I had was that certain situations that took place were a bit unbelievable - I mean you've got to be stupid to do some of the things they did but that aside as it is a drama and there wouldn't be that many episodes if things went the way they realistically should have...It was a good enjoyable drama from beginning to end - the last few episodes lacked something but the ending was still worth it.
Cast: my favorite character was Jiseok (Kwon Yool) - he looked best to me when his bangs stayed ON his forehead lol - all I wanted throughout this drama was for him to be happy. Seonyu (Yoon So Yi) annoyed me sometimes with the way her brain worked and the way she'd reason things out - but I liked her most of the time - she too looked best with her hair down. Jihui was a good person who deceived herself basically and I didn't like her for a short while but she redeemed herself in the end for me...I loved the grandma and Hyeonsu ;) Aran was pretty spiteful throughout most of the drama, as for Seonyu's aunt and uncle - her aunt was fine most of the time, her uncle though - those faces he would make - all I can say is "oh boy stop" - I loved her cousin Gijin - super handsome and cool ;)
Music: I don't remember anything except for the intro/outro ....
Re-watch: not likely - good for a one time watch though.

Leggi di Più

Simplesmente linda...

Que série linda, triste, dolorosa. Eu literalmente acabei uma caixinha de lenço de tanto que chorei assistindo Love in the Moonlight. Já devia imaginar que ia doer assim, né? Eu sou fã de Khun chaai, aquela belezinha de 2022 que já me destruiu uma vez, e o tema é praticamente o mesmo: época, famílias tradicionais, negócios de família, casamentos arranjados e o peso de uma homossexualidade vista como uma vergonha, uma mancha no nome da família. Eu sofri tanto com Khun chaai que achei que já estava emocionalmente vacinada. Que ilusão. Sofri tudo de novo aqui. A diferença é que, dessa vez, ninguém se transforma num pé de cogumelo gigante. Mas fora isso, é a mesma intensidade: linda, dolorosa, sofrida. E eu tô até agora digerindo o que foi que eu assisti.

Eu até tentei procurar defeitos, mas sinceramente, é o tipo de série tão profunda que qualquer problema vira detalhe. Ela te acerta direto no peito, e quando uma história te faz sentir tanto assim, não dá pra ficar caçando falha. É muito maior do que isso. Se você gostou dessa, faz um favor pra você mesma e assista Khun chaai também. As duas estão no meu top de favoritas, e no meu top de traumas emocionais também.

Falando nos personagens... preciso começar pela Pin. Que mulher, viu? Eu comecei achando ela um amorzinho, mas aos poucos percebi o quanto ela podia ser mesquinha, egoísta, dissimulada. E aí nasce aquele ranço gostoso, aquele ódio bem justificado, porque ela atrapalha o casal por puro egoísmo. No fim, ela se redime, e o mais impressionante é que essa redenção funciona. Não parece forçada. Ela é uma personagem cheia de nuances, que a gente ama e odeia em ciclos. Que personagem bem escrita.

Agora, os protagonistas… meu Deus, que atuação. Eu tô apaixonada. Você sente a dor deles, a separação, o peso da repressão. Eu chorei com eles, de tristeza, de alegria, de tudo. Essa série me fez sentir em profundidade a dor de não poder amar livremente. E é quase cruel o tanto que ela desperta gatilhos. Porque fala dessa dor de não ser aceito do jeito que você é, e isso mexe num lugar muito sensível. Mas, ao mesmo tempo, ela é tão bela, tão encantadora, que a dor vem embrulhada em poesia.

Preciso também comentar sobre o Inthra e a esposa dele. Ridículos. Eu detesto esse casal com todas as forças, mas confesso que ri demais com eles. E a cena final… dela matando o pai da Pin? Eu gargalhei. Era pra ser um momento tenso, dramático, mas eu ri de satisfação. Que delícia ver aquele homem sendo esfaqueado. Eu até me assustei comigo mesma por rir, mas foi libertador.

E por fim, a vovó. Aquele tipo de personagem que entra em cena e muda tudo. Ela tinha tudo pra ser a mais mente fechada da história, mas foi a mais lúcida. Foi sincera, acolhedora, e fez o filho aceitar o neto como ele é. Ela disse as coisas que muita gente precisava ouvir, mas, claro, as pessoas certas nunca escutam. E é aí que a série machuca mais: porque mesmo sendo de época, soa muito atual. O preconceito, o medo, a vergonha… tudo ainda tá por aí a solta, disfarçado.

Love in the Moonlight é linda, e é cruel. Faz a gente sofrer, mas também faz pensar. É daquelas que acabam e você fica ali, com o coração pesado e um nó na garganta, mas grato por ter assistido. Porque mesmo na dor, ela é uma das coisas mais bonitas que já vi.

Leggi di Più

If he's bravery, I must be fear

Every once in a while, a story or show comes along that far and above exceeds the genre and expectations. Not Me perfectly encapsulated that.

The idea of twins and swapping roles has been around for ages (Parent Trap, anyone?), but to see it used in this context and as a BL was completely original and different. Then you take this brilliant idea for twins and you add issues around social justice, ones that two years after airing are still so prevalent around the world. Next, give yourself actors with undeniable chemistry and a cast that fits together seamlessly, and then you add a script worthy of awards. That's where you get Not Me.

Off and Gun have a casual intimacy to them that came across beautifully with their characters. It's the reason why for many they are a top couple, and hopefully will continue to be for years to come. Not only that, but the support roles all served a purpose. Too often there are characters thrown in just because, but that was not the case here. The side relationship involving Yok in particular felt very moving, and it took yet another angle to look at society, the demands it puts on us, and our roles as cogs within the machine -- and what you might do to disrupt that machine.

While not entirely unpredictable, I still found it enjoyable. I saw things coming, but it didn't deter from the overall message or heart of the show, one that has me continuing to think and grateful that a show was brave enough to put spotlight on what others make an effort to hide.

Leggi di Più

Distorted Reality

Dr. Brain is a character-driven story about one man’s quest to unravel a profound mystery through highly experimental science that delves deep into the far reaches of the human subconscious and beyond the boundaries of reality. Simply put, the main character boldly goes where no one has ever gone before, in a metaphysical sense. Watching this drama feels akin to consuming magic mushrooms because I find my entire cerebral cortex utterly immersed into the warped and psychedelic nature of the storytelling.

Co-produced by Kakao Entertainment, the company that owns popular streaming platform Kakao TV, Dr. Brain is promoted as an Apple original series. It is the first Korean-language series to debut on the American platform, where the global premiere on 4 November 2021 coincides with the launch of Apple TV+ in South Korea. Principal photography took place at Daejeon while Daejeon University was used as the setting for the Brain Science Research Centre.

The drama is an adaptation of the Kakao-Daum webtoon Dr. Brain by Hong Seong-hyeok, which was serialized in 2016 (Season 1) and this year (Season 2). The source material is a sci-fi thriller based on the premise that the brain is able to live on for 37 hours after death.The titular character harnesses this knowledge by tapping into the brains of the dead to seek clues or answers for solving mysteries. I haven’t read the webtoon but I can attest that the narrative stays true to the basis of this pseudoscience. I get similar vibes of Flatliners (both versions of the US film) where things quickly escalate out of hand when folks volunteer as test subjects for their own experiments. I find the plot immensely intriguing, complex and suspenseful. The first episode is extremely slow burn where the backstory of the ML is painstakingly established but once the overarching mystery begins to take shape and the mind-blowing action sequences kick off, particularly from the second episode onwards, there’s no turning back after that.

The quality of this drama is top tier, in terms of the production values, technical execution and the reputable production team as well as the critically acclaimed main cast. Kim Jee Woon, the multiple award winning filmmaker and celebrated auteur, serves as director and screenwriter. The influence of his unique stylistic approach extends over the masterfully executed cinematography, which presents some of the most gorgeous visuals seen this year in K-dramaland. I love the cinematic grading, neo noir outlook of the night scenes, and beautiful application of colours, especially in the “mind warped” segments. In terms of the direction and tempo, the director deftly balances the transitions between the quieter introspective and emotional moments with the intensely frenetic parts. Despite the short format of 6 episodes, the storytelling does not feel constrained while the tension as well as plot points are allowed to breathe without giving the impression of being rushed.

The original score is composed by Lee Sung Hyun aka Mowg, another stellar name attached to the production who comes with a long list of achievements and prestigious awards. The music is a blend of suspenseful, evocative and deeply emotional instrumentals that encapsulates the essence of the drama and connects very well to the varied scenes. Elements of contemporary electronic music and orchestral renditions are incorporated into the soundtrack as part of the eclectic BGM.

The cast is headlined by Lee Sun Kyun, fresh from his appearance in Parasite, for which he garnered major acting honours and critical acclaim. He plays the titular character in a performance which he delivers with consummate conviction where he showcases such impressive range that matches the depth of characterization. He not only has to portray an extremely intelligent scientist but also an emotionally dysfunctional man who literally goes through hell and back in both the real world and the surreal state of the human psyche. Add to that his affinity with a particular feline, a truly surprisingly absurd yet incredibly entertaining aspect of the drama.

Park Hee Soon is an actor who won the hearts of many through his compelling performance in the recent Netflix drama, My Name. Here in a supporting role as the side character, Lee Kang Moo, he is much more understated and has limited screen time. Seo Ji Hye, recently seen in Crash Landing on You and Dinner Mate, portrays police detective Lieutenant Cho. She has slightly more screen time than the rest of the supporting cast and gets involved in a number of high octane action sequences. She certainly looks the part and provides a decent account of the rather limited characterization. I would have liked to know more about her character but the focus is very much on the ML, hence the lack of significant character development for the people around him. The same applies to the character of Jung Jae Yi, his wife, played by Lee Yoo Young who almost spends the entire time being comatose, were it not for the numerous “flashback” scenes.

All things considered, along with the well written and executed ending, I would consider Dr. Brain a hugely satisfying entry to the K-drama psychological thriller genre. Kept on the edge of my seat once I was hooked, I simply could not stop watching and anticipating the conclusion to the ML’s search for the truth. My only qualm - I wished it was longer. This is truly one of those productions where I’m hoping for a second season.

Leggi di Più

Great Acting by the Entire Cast But Plot Took a Nosedive in the 2nd Half

I'd seen a retro tribute modern drama already with ZLY this year but this one had a totally different premise, so I wanted to see how she would handle a harder plot and though she and the rest of the cast did a wonderful job in their respective roles, the plot took a serious nosedive towards the second half and the end.

Pros: I can't say enough about the acting of this very professional cast. ZLY did a terrific job as XBX, a stubborn, enterprising, reflective, yet very flawed character and everyone else followed. At first, I wasn't a fan of GXY as she appeared like a spoiled rich girl going through a rebellion but it became clear after a handful of episodes that though she was spoiled and bratty, she had a big heart and really cared about TXQ. The "steel trio" of XBX, TXQ, and CYZ were a great bunch who sincerely loved one another even if that sometimes came across as tough love or protection in the form of lying which backfired more often then not. The intent behind it was real.

Other favorite characters were ZL, President Gao, Dr. Su, Su Computer Nerd, and manager Jia; all were wonderful supportive people to XBX and each other wherever they fit. When it came to the good guys, all of their parts were done accordingly. The scenery and OSTs were on point and appropriate.

Cons: While I understood this was a propaganda tribute drama and that it would have a lot of that included in it, what absolutely shocked me was the hamster wheel plot of the antagonists would completely overshadow even that. There were a total of 4 really bad guys, one coward, and one insignificant idiot that came and went. The plot essentially took a nosedive in the second half when the 3 main antagonists/business partners and XBX plus her ex routinely sent each other to jail. It was a literal revolving door of prison sentences. They'd set each other up, beg for someone else to take the fall, or manage to somehow twist themselves loose so many times that all of their illegal deeds combined would probably equal a 25 year minimum for each save XBX.

Everyone of them ended up with some sort of redemption arc in the last few episodes that they didn't deserve. Even though Mr. Wu did turn himself in, in the final 15 minutes of the last episode, the amount of illegalities he'd done throughout the years should have seen him in prison for more then just a year. I didn't like the antagonists at all in this series, though their acting was on point 100%, it was because every time one would get into trouble, he'd get himself out by setting someone else up, rinse, repeat x maybe 8! The storyline hindered them completely which was very sad because they could have really done something more believable in terms of how the law worked.

Speaking of the law, how is it that TXQ got 5 years in prison for kicking XBX's ex in the balls while the latter was choking her to death (murder attempt number 1) and the ex 10 years later only got 1 month after he ran her off the road and threw a metal pipe at her head causing a head injury (murder attempt number 2)? So saving another person from near death is illegal but actually trying to kill someone isn't. In that second case plus with the antagonists, was XBX Mother Theresa? She gave the ex a debit card that she'd deposit money in each month to help him and the kid he adopted. She felt like she owed him; for what? Trying to kill her? Same with Wu, Qiu, and even Dong, they'd set her up but there she goes trying to bail them out. That kind of backwards logic was confusing. Lastly on this topic, they essentially spent the last 4-6 episodes spouting various domestic and international laws that the average viewer wouldn't have a clue as to what was happening.

Another point of contention was with poor CYZ, once it was obvious he had terminal cancer and had little time to live, they kept dragging his death out. It was brutal to watch; they could have had the pier sunrise scene maybe 6 episodes earlier then they did. Made me wonder if they purposefully did it as filler but that's like the really wrong way of going about that. Because even to the last episode, they brought him in as happy and in flashbacks. That would have been way better then what was done with his character at that time.

The introduction of Russian speaking characters that couldn't speak the language fluently like Nina was ridiculous especially to someone whose native tongue it is. The entire Russian arc in the beginning, I fast forwarded because it was off historically among many other things. The last part that bugged me though it wasn't huge were the costumes especially XBX's wedding dress which was straight out of the 1980s instead of the year 2000. Some ppl said she didn't have enough money for a new one but that didn't jive either as by that time she and ZL lived in a huge house and her car was a Mercedes, she didn't drive herself but had a driver and assistant with her at nearly all times.

So though the acting was very well with a professional cast, the storyline/plot started out strong but then just unraveled. Hadn't it been for the great acting, I would have given it a much lower score.

Would I recommend it? Honestly, only if you like ZLY or anyone else in the cast. Otherwise, plot wise it's not strong at all with many factual and historical errors.

Leggi di Più

You can’t dress up a shopping bag and call it a Vuitton original.

A good drama has to start with memorable characters and an insightful script. Unfortunately, the lead characters lacked depth, which is the hook that gets you intrigued. And early in the drama, when so many of the supporting cast verge on caricature, you are in deep trouble. I finally engaged at Episode 14 and hoped that the last two episodes might offer something good. But unfortunately not.

All the good cinematography, costumes, direction and acting in the world won’t make up for mediocre writing, whereas good writing can sometimes carry a show lacking in other departments. Unfortunately, in the main, the script was bland and occasionally descended into cringe-worthy cliché. It was sprinkled with unrealistic dialogue and spoken thoughts that often sounded remarkably like quotes from the Little Book of Banal.

It took until three-quarters of the way through for me to feel that the writer had any serious grasp of the issues that she was trying to reveal. It’s all very well to explore the concept that letting someone go can be a way of loving them, but you need to convincingly show the whole arc. In so many episodes, only the obvious was presented and if it doesn’t take you by surprise, you don’t feel you have been drawn in. You merely skate along the surface with everyone else and learn nothing. It does not strike your heart as a truth.

We were not given a proper start to the relationship, it seemed to arise fully formed, like Venus, out of the waves of a one-night stand. And somehow, with barely a hint of conversation, a great deal of obstinate rejection and a liberal dose of patronising condescension, love emerged. From Here to Eternity was suddenly swirling on the beach. The explanation? Destiny and a photograph… The actors were given only a tiny fragment of a foundation to stand on and build their parts convincingly. It’s not surprising therefore, that I failed to connect and give the relationship the degree of credibility it was asking for.

There were not many places for JKY to explore in the character of the male lead. For most of the drama, Jae Guk’s inner conflicts and decision making-processes were not really investigated and surely, in the circumstances of the story, there must have been some discordant motivations and doubts. It was Episode 11 before the character Jae Guk got something to ruffle his feathers. As a result I can somewhat forgive JKY for the lack-lustre performance.

The writing was a little better for the female lead and I did feel that SHK was given enough to be able to explore the emotional landscape in a bit more depth. But again, there could have been more in the performance. Perhaps a rather mundane direction by Lee Gil Bok, didn’t help. New to being a director (this is his second drama in that role), I don’t think he had the insight and feel for how to show-not-tell that Ahn Pan Seok so excels at. Actors need help to bring out their best, subtle performances in these more mature, sotto voce dramas.

I felt that the writer, Je In, was more in her groove and had a deeper appreciation to contribute to the sub-plot involving Mi Suk (Park Hyo Ju). Here the reactions and sentiments expressed were more insightful and this is where, for me, the most moving and interesting parts of the drama lay.

Every writer has a genre that they are good at. Misty was a far superior product. Romance has it’s own skill-set and from this offering, I’m not sure Je In has really understood or mastered it.

As for the sound track, even the singer sounded bored. The theme tune homage to Chopin didn’t fit with the other music in the show and seemed uncomfortably out of place.

It was a cast of actors whom I have seen many times before and whom I know can offer up a good performance when strong writing demands it. The performances I enjoyed were some of the supporting cast, notably Yoon Na Moo as Mi Suk’s husband. Only Kim Joo Heon of the leads convinced me and as with everything in this drama, I had to wait for it.

What my rating means: 4+ I forced myself to go through to the end of it, but only because I was committed to writing the review. It annoyed the hell out of me. Actively avoid.

Leggi di Più