Reviews

Best charachter development ?

Really loved how this drama turned out. I really enjoyed the drama. The lessons we get to learn are very good.

I'm also preparing for college entrance so I was feeling guilty that I'm watching dramas and not studying😅. But know I know how my teachers feel and also they are desperate for our success in the exam.

Lee Sina is such a good charachter, in the starting she went crazy when she knew she was going to die and was taking revenge on Noh Go Jin but when she came to her senses it was so emotional 😔 I really felt bad for her..

Noh Go Jin was really so rude in the start, I didn't like him but his character development is one of the best in kdramas.
In the end he turned out to be such an emotional person I really felt bad for him. Glad he found himself and started to open himself more with his surrounding people.

Lee Sina and Noh Go Jin are such a perfect match and sina is such a good gf she was always supportive of him and always believed in him.
Okhee was so cute, I always smiled whenever her scenes came and her relationship with sooho was so cute😭.

Almost every messed charachter got their own charachter development and I'm glad everyone went to the right path in the end.
Overall loved the drama Crazy Love ❤️
Really loved how this drama turned out. I really enjoyed the drama. The lessons we get to learn are very good

Leggi di Più

I am happy I watched this drama regardless of some negative comments. I am so in love with the chemistry between the Young-jae and Joon Young. I have never watched this type of a drama which is so realistic and relatable to the current lifestyle of dating. I really liked the complex character portrayals of both. They bring out the twelve year old love story with three different meetings. I can't think of any other actress who could pull off the female lead's character other than Esom. Her emotions are spot on. The ending is realistic. I recommend you to watch this drama if you are open minded to watch a romance drama different from the norm.

Leggi di Più

I originally watched the Korean Version, Boys Over Flowers (Kkotboda Namja), and was so taken with it, I searched all the other versions and found this one. I was amazed by this version, even though Kkotboda Namja remains one of my faves (and incidentally my first K-Drama) I still have to say Hana Yori Dango and Hana Yori Dango 2 are better in almost every way.

My first thought when I watched the first episode of Hana Yori Dango was that Matsumoto Jun was so physically wrong for the part. But by the end of the first episode, he had captured the essential nature of Domyoji Tsukasa like nobody before or since; from the utter bad-boy prep school hauteur, to the barely hidden sociopathic tendencies springing from a need for love that he had never received whilst growing up. Is there anything sexier than a bad-boy that can be tamed by his one true love?

And speaking of that one true love, we now come to our lady protagonist, Inoue Mao as Makino Tsukushi. She IS Makino on every level, from her uncanny resemblance to the Manga character created way back in 1992 by Kamio Youko.

Special mention to Oguri Shun as Hanazawa Rui, a member of F4, and Domyoji's main rival for Makino's heart. His Rui is sexy and strong and he takes matters into his own hands when he begins to protect Makino.. Bravo for a job well done.

In comparison to Kkotboda Namja, the production values of Hana Yori Dango are clearly superior. Whilst the interiors of the various mansions in Boys over Flowers are clearly cheap sets, most of the interiors in Hana Yori Dango are filmed in actual palatial mansions, and the difference is obvious.

From the opening episode to the miraculous final shot of season 1, with Makino and Domyoji filmed in cameo against a setting sun as they embrace and Makino finally admits to Domyoji how she feels, this drama is special and remains to this day in my top 3 dramas of all time.

Leggi di Più

⚔️ Unbreakable Bonds and Unforgettable Friendships: A 'Fox'-ceptional Sequel

It's rare for a second season to surpass the first, let alone do it in a way that doesn't compromise the canon set up by the original. Tale of the Nine Tailed 1938 does this exceptionally well. It manages to retain all the elements that made season one great: flawed. complex and intriguing main characters (Lee Yeon and Lee Rang) and their wounded but unbreakable bond, the rich fantasy world-building, and the deeply interwoven native folklores. However, it surpasses the original with improved pacing, a tighter plot, and significantly better villains and backstory.

The original's biggest flaw was a weak villain and the vague backstory of FL's parents, which left us with unanswered questions and plot holes. With 1938, the villains are more coherent, although we are still left with some unanswered questions regarding one of them (presumably to be addressed in the third season?). The backstory of the villains is better fleshed out, adding to the compelling threat they pose. Despite being a fantasy where the outcome is fairly assured, the series manages to raise the stakes against our heroes and presents them with a daunting task.

Much of the enjoyment comes from the excellent chemistry between the characters. Beyond the remarkable camaraderie between the Lee brothers, the fellowship among the Mountain god trio is equally engaging. The humour is on point, with comedic situations and witty dialogue. The tone seamlessly shifts between humor and intrigue, poignant and thrilling. No moment is wasted, and even side characters and their stories are well-integrated into the overarching narrative.

I must admit that some of the flaws from the writer are still present in this season, mainly a tendency to leave a trail of apparent plot holes. While it's slightly less overt in season 2, it remains noticeable. In season 1, it mainly revolved around the parents' storyline and the reincarnation concept. In season 2, the lack of clear discussion over Moo Young's brother's atrocities is a glaring plot hole, especially considering the flashback showing him attacking Moo Young himself. It could have been addressed with a scene that demonstrates why Moo Young is confident in his brother's innocence.

The one main flaw of S1 was Lee Yeon and Ji Ah's relationship. It was perhaps a combination of weak writing (it relied too heavily on her past self rather than developing the relationship with the present character) and a lack of chemistry between them. (That being said, I was still able to enjoy their relationship because LDW is just that adorable.) S2 is better precisely because it stays true to S1, our nine-tailed fox loves for life, so his chemistry with Hong Joo make for an uncomplicated, witty and enjoyable friendship. Kim So Yeon steals every scene she's in, exhibiting great chemistry with all her co-stars. The treat was seeing Lee Rang's love story, although his surprise power raises more questions that will hopefully be addressed in Season 3.

As someone who was initially wary of a sequel, I was amazed by the quality of this season and now find myself longing for Season 3.

9.5/10

Leggi di Più

After being partially disappointed with the first season, I didn’t hold much hope for the second one. I was absolutely right with my judgment, Mozu Maraboshi no Tsubasa didn’t add much anyway.

Although this was shorter with only 5 episodes, it felt as heavy as the first season. The reason I gave Mozu no Sakebu Yoru a slack despite some displeasures was because the hope in the second season. The story was incomplete but alas, there’s a second season to make it up for it, the answers weren’t fully provided by TBS but WOWOW will do the job. That’s what most of viewers were thinking after finishing off the first part. It’s safe to say that they didn’t give answers, or better said not satisfying enough.

Mozu is one heck of a high-produced drama compared to other Japanese shows. It’s closer to films’ production value instead of TV dramas which unconsciously built tremendous expectations in viewers’ mind, thinking that this drama will actually change the concept of J-dramas’ making in the future. It’s neither the channels fault nor the audience fault either; it’s the freaking screenwriter’s mistake. This was adapted from novels’ series that were pretty famous so for the sake of dramatization, he could’ve just changed few details and everything would’ve been more than great. But no, he had his own philosophy that we were made to understand. I tried to cope along but that wasn’t fun at all.

Back to the second season, the plot took a major change but the lead’s chase after the truth was still the main point of the drama. A high-scale conspiracy again, a suspenseful race for the truth again, many questions again, too many suspicions again but the outcome was not satisfying…Again! When you play a mystery/suspense game with your audience then you have to put all your cards on the table by the end, this drama only revealed half of its cards by far. And the problem is, the revealed cards weren’t even a surprise. After watching the first season, it becomes so easy to predict the screenwriter’s pattern, which is quite irritating for the genre’s lovers. But thankfully, due to its short amount of episodes; the drama wasn’t slow like in the previous season. Or at least not unbearably slow.

The star-studded cast wasn’t put to its full use and I hate that! Come on, beside Nishijima and Ikematsu whose skills were used, Kagawa and Maki who were marked as main didn’t serve anything but the lead’s supporters. As if they were his cheerleaders or something. Give me a break! Such amazing actors could’ve been better used than that! Now let’s talk about characters, since the plot was too focused on revealing the truth, characters’ development was almost inexistent. Compared to the first season, Kuraki stayed the same without practically any change, Osugi is no different, Akebochi had the chance to change a little due to the events surrounding her but it wasn’t that obvious. Higashi became crazier and other added characters were absolutely useless most of the time.

The dark cinematography still captured me though, it was immensely used in this part and I completely appreciated it. The music note was no different from the first season.

Watch if:
-You liked the first season but don’t expect much.

Do not watch if:
-You didn’t like the first season. It’s a waste of time in that case.

I think a third season should be in the making for this drama, to provide explanation for unanswered questions that it. This season did answer some from the first part but it still left many things opened. Heck, it even added many others to the mysterious cloud.

Leggi di Più

A disappointing waste of a spectacular premise

I don't write a lot of reviews, especially for shows that finished airing more than a couple months or so ago, but I felt compelled to write a review for Chimera because of how disappointing I found the show to be.

This show starts off, in my opinion, really strong. The first couple episodes are gripping, and exactly what I (and what I imagine a lot of people) look for in a show whose two main genres are Thriller and Mystery. Unfortunately, the show gets wrapped up in trying to jerk the audience around and loses all of that great momentum. To me, the best thriller and mystery shows are the ones that, as viewers, surprise you first but later realize you should've seen coming. I.e there are opportunities to piece together the mystery along the way. Chimera lacks that in a lot of its aspects. While there are some plot points that are very predictable, there are others that are entirely unfounded, and to which we don't get the evidence until after the fact. To me, that was the most unforgivable let down of the show. Culprits emerge from seemingly nowhere, and plot twists that feel to be for nothing more than shock value are aplenty. Which of course, made the show frustrating to watch at times.

I doubt I'll ever rewatch this show, but if I do it will only be for the main character trio (Eugene, Cha Jae Hwan, and Lee Joong Yeop) whose dynamic with each other proved to be one of the only things I consistently liked about this show.

Don't get me wrong, I still (partially) enjoyed watching this show, especially in the first half. The acting is fantastic, the characters are fairly interesting (Lee Hee Joon's character is particularly compelling), and I love the scientific approach Chimera took to explaining the murders. It was a refreshing difference that set this show apart from many other murder mysteries. Unfortunately, the second half of this show killed practically all the enthusiasm I had for it, which is a shame because I really believe this show could have been spectacular. I left this show feeling unsatisfied, and I really wish it had gone a different direction, or at least kept the tone and pacing of the first couple episodes.

Perhaps my expectations for Chimera were too high, or perhaps I'm too picky when it comes to what I think makes a good thriller or mystery, but this show could've been so much better.

Leggi di Più

For quite some time I've been stalking Wallace Huo, I consider him a very good actor, he has shown how many various roles he can play and be really natural and believable. I've been waiting especially this drama to be subbed cause I find this period of time very important in history and worth to be seen through television movie and dramas plus last couple of months war dramas really picked up my interest, somehow I got attached to them the most

So finally I was able to find this drama subbed and I was happy cause of Wallace who, to tell honestly, looked amazingly dashing in uniform, and I was confident that this drama was going to be all about love story set in the WWII era, but I was so wrong. Battle of Changsha is one of the most emotional and heartbreaking dramas I've ever watched but most of it doesn't even have to do with romance at all.

What was the greatest strength of this drama are their characters, the whole Hu family, they were the heart and the soul of it. You follow them through all the hardships, you laugh with them, cry with them, watch them as they grow and mature and they slowly grow on you until you realize that they’ve become a part of you and when everything ends you feel so empty, like someone stabbed you with a knife and ripped your heart. And now I’m stuck in Battle of Changsha and I can’t get out nor I want.
Whole drama is filled with so many raw emotions, every single detail of it feel so real, what left me speechless is that none of the characters are perfect, they are all full of problems and weaknesses, they deal with life in monstrous time of war and struggling to survive by any means.

This drama can be separated in two parts, the first half of it is more funny, lighthearted and relaxed than the second full of heartbreaks and overwhelming emotions, especially in the last couple of episodes where you'll start to sob and cry an ocean of tears and where your soul feels like dying and you can't breath. You're kinda expecting that cause yeah no one said war was easy but still you feel heartbroken to the core.

I got attached to many of the characters but there are few of them that grabbed my heart and for whom I ached and cheered the most. First of them as my favourite are the twins, it was impossible to separate them here as in drama too, they were together all the time like one. Xiang Xiang- the bold, confident one, a girl who wasn't afraid to speak her mind and fights for what she believes, I loved her transformation and how her character grew up and she became a mature, strong young woman; and Xiao Man- the immature one and he stayed like that almost until the end but then he also showed how mature and real man he became through many terrible and tragic things he experienced and has gone through. I loved their bond, they have to be my favourite brother-sister couple, the best siblings ever, I laughed so hard with them, I respected them and how they fought for their freedom, I cried so hard with them, they really made me too emotional, even now while I'm writing about them their picture and scenes shared between them are so vividly shown like they're in front of me.
The other character who was the most lovable is their brother in law, that guy who at the first glance looked so harsh, cold, evil but when you got to know him you see how he actually love them all, how he protected them, how he was doing all the things he's done just so they could be safe and have a roof above their heads and food to eat. His unwavering love for the sister was admirable to the core, so powerful and strong, he made me wondering how is i possible to love someone so strong and firm. I really enjoyed in scenes shared between him and the twins, they were at the moments so hilarious and then the next one they made you cry. And when you add to that the character of Wallace- who was also fantastic, his eyes, his expressions, how he secretly protected Xiang Xiang, he simply draws you in, he was a true soldier, brave and courageous worth the praise; you get four amazing characters who made this drama to be so freaking, torturing, astonishing beautiful.

Although a war drama there were a few battle scenes, whole drama is more a family drama in times of war. Despite that special effects for them were still excellent and those scenes in the battlefield and in actual fight were brutally realistic as mush as possible which only made it better (or worse) to the viewer, you tend to be more emotional and involved.

I honestly don’t have any real complaints about this drama besides some very minor things that I can easily overlook. Seriously, everything from the directing to the musical score was wonderful.
Battle of Changsha is a true rare gem. Yes, it has been a heavy, rocky, heartbreaking ride but I loved it completely and don’t regret watching it at all. Simply because a drama as beautiful as this one deserves multiple viewings.

Leggi di Più

This is what I call a sleeper- one that nobody expects it to be as pleasant as it turned out to be. The acting is strong overall with several decent performances and this is impressive in my opinion, despite being a young cast made up of fresh faces. This series may just be the break needed for some of these young actors. The story is interesting, packed with good monster-fighting action and develops at a good pace. Most unsuspecting however is how emotional the story actually is.

I am so glad this series exposed me to Elvis Han who's got this sense of charming maturity and appropriate acting chops to give a very honest performance in his Wu Xin role. But who am I kidding without the following mention: the boy's got abs !!! But the best (and also favorite) performance probably goes to Ian Wang as Commander Gu Xuan Wu. The series wouldn't be the same without him - he is as loyal as a friend as he is obnoxious and grandiose, a comedic relief and above all a refreshing contrast to our main male lead Wu Xin. He dominates the screen with his humor and charisma and his expressions are such a treat to watch.

I did not expect myself to like it as much as I did, since track record for this kind of genre in the past seemed more about eye candy than anything substantial. If that's what you were thinking then be prepared to be proven wrong and taken in for a pleasant surprise . Although categorized as action/thriller and for some - horror, I really enjoy the humor in this. It is smartly done and appropriate. Where they managed to insert humor in the most unlikely or random of places is something audiences do not expect but will thoroughly enjoy.

The soundtrack is great, I particularly love 'The Longest Journey' by Li Qi and the beauty of its lyrics.

Overall I am glad I gave this a chance (the fact that it's a short 20 ep series sold me on it to be honest) and here I am now hoping for a sequel. "Don't judge a book by its cover" is best way to describe this series - get ready to be taken in for a surprisingly eventful and emotional journey, you will not be disappointed. I can promise you that you will be getting more out of it than you ever expected .

Leggi di Più

I've never really become addicted to watching Korean movies just as Korean dramas. I don't know, maybe I've grown accustomed to drama series that the movies just seem too short for comfort.

However, Sunflower, perhaps, is one of the few enticingly dark stories that gets marked in your head. Kim Rae Won portrays Tae Sik, a high school drop-out who paid jail-time (was it ten years?) for 'cleaning up' the neighborhood of high school punks and thugs. We see how he's trying to catch up with the changes around him and how he's sincerely wanting to change through an old dirty notebook where he keeps a list of 'To dos'.

But oh, some people just wouldn't have it. He's been maimed, bullied, pushed to the limit. So much that it makes you want to cringe when he just keeps quiet and walks away. And when he does snap, it was like a volcano erupting.

Story is a 10 - closer to reality.
Acting/Cast 10 - Awesome characters.
Rewatch value - well, if you want a tragedy...

Leggi di Più

Okay so I just finished watching this series and must I say.... it didnt meet my expectations.... it EXCEEDED them!!

At first I was so close to not even watching the show cause it wasn’t properly available for international fans, the bl romance got censored and we never got to see that steamy locker scene so I was kinda disappointed...

But I decided to give it a try and I DID NOTTT regret it! Although there wasnt gay romance and they didnt make it easy for international fans, the story and the plot were magnificent. During the series one by one the characters die in a different way but the way they die is so smart. Praewa makes them think that its their fault their friends are dying and she is getting into their head, brainwashing them so it can be easier for her to kill the others afterwards. In addition, the plot twist at the end caught me off guard as I couldnt even imagineee that!! Like- WHO COULD HAVE KNOWN? It was so smart and the way it ended didn’t disappoint me at all! Not even in the slightest!

The acting literally shocked me. I didn’t except them to be so good!! They did an absolute amazingg job and they couldnt have done it better! I respect them for that!

The ost fits PERFECTLY for the whole concept and the singer is a queen herself so I just love it!!!

All in all I think that everyone did such and amazing job with this series and I definitely recommend it to everyone! Give it a shot and I hope you wont regret it cause I didn't either❤️

Leggi di Più

If you're wondering about the high scores... Well, I guess I have a thing for good acting.



I hardly ever watch movies, but when I do, I read up on them a lot beforehand. This one seemed promising in many ways. Oguri Shun as the director (*fangirl*), good cast and interesting plot. Many reviewers seemed to think this was a good movie too, so I figured 'why the hell not'.



I don't regret it.



The movie is funny, well written and brilliantly acted out. It tells the story of 5 friends in high school who separate and re-unite 3 years later, each fulfilling their own role: The shut-in, the yakuza, the unresistable musician, the pervert and the 'normal' guy who is longing for his prostitute 'fiancé' that he got 'engaged' to at age 10.



The actors are amazing. I can't really underline that any more than I already have.



The music is great. Most songs have english lyrics as well, so they are easier to sing along to if you were to download buy the OST one day. :P



Being a complete shut-in who doesn't share the world of dramas with anyone but myself, I watched this by myself, but the atmosphere of the movie gives off a vibe that it would be great entertainment to watch together with friends or family. (Well, maybe not your dad because of the not-so-subtle sexual references in it. :P)



ALL IN ALL



I fell for this movie.



I love it.

And I'm sure you will too.

Leggi di Più

My favorite part of yumi's cells will always be the fact that it's not a black and white, destiny, love story. There's no past connection. There's no once you date you can't not be together. There's just 2 new people meeting, getting to know each other and starting a relationship

Easily one if my actual favorites this year. I might go back and reduce 0.5 from my other 2022 dramas Since s1 I knew what will happen and that was for the best, since this drama is walking through new territory the anticipation can be dreadful, like Eve's ending ep had me in all types of turmoil 🤣 As an artist, as someone who hasn't found "love", as someone uncertain about alot of things in life, as someone who's alone, afraid to be alone and doesn't want ro not be alone, yumi's cells has been a healing drama for me At times it gave me courage, confidence, relatablility, hope, gratitude, happiness and envy❣


I have high hopes for sunrookie, lol I know nothing of him but I'm anticipating and longing for him😭❣
Maybe babi shouldn't have had a full season for himself, maybe it was better if by ep4 or 6 everything was wrapped up for sunrookie to show up faster and this could've been 16eps. Tho I won't mind a full season for sunrookie, I have high high hopes and I want to know how yumi will be with him


I'm mostly grateful the breakups made yumi stronger. And unlike 2521, she started appreciating her past loves😭

Leggi di Più

" If I am a Weapon, only you can be my Swordsman "

'Sword and Fairy' as a drama, delivers deeper thoughts than it appears on the surface. The characters are deep and complex with an integration of different backgrounds, thoughts and emotions. No matter how different their paths maybe, even if the ending is controlled by fate, they are still willing to overcome the obstacles together, because, there are greater goals to live and die for.
Unlike other wuxias, the drama doesn't really start with a backstory, so viewers may find it confusing. But I won't label it as confusing because the story actually follows the journey of exploring the backstory, the reasons of where they are today.
Still, I will be stating a little bit of introduction ( typically things you need to know) first, before going to review.

- The story basically follows Yue Jinzhao and Yue Qi, two amnesic orphans (NOT SIBLINGS) who neither remember their past, nor their roots were stranded in Wuyan Village 3 years ago. Unaware of their past, both orphans found solace in each other's presence, being emotionally bound, to the point that they could not live without each other. The duo set off on a journey to find their roots and their identity. On their voyage, they encounter evil sect 'Qiyuan sect' who try to scam them. In the process for seeking justice from Qiyuan sect, they discover that the sect may be way more complicated than just scamming. This sect may also hold secrets to their past and origin.

That was an extremely brief introduction, cause anything more than that could be a potential spoiler.
The drama has wholesome level of ANGST, no misunderstandings, and great potential TEARJEARKER!
The main leads are extremely dependent on each other, being each other's support for 3 years, they have grown a level of trust and maturity that no external forces can break.
The angst basically occurs due to the common troupe of 'sacrifice for the better world'. And ofc to protect the world, sacrifices are inevitable. Letting go of somethings are bound to happen. But there are too many sacrifices, too many to bear.

The first half of the drama brews the beautiful relation, friendship, romance, and memories to ensure worser heartbreaks, y'all HEARTBREAKS (plural) in latter half of the drama. So prepare your tissues.
Once again, the start of the drama may not be everyone's cup of tea as I mentioned before, afterall we are so used to knowing the background story in the very first episode before the main story starts, especially in wuxias. But this drama is instead about unraveling the background, the back story, cause we have two amnesic youth who have no idea about their history. Since the journey follows them finding clues to their identity, we know the story only when these two characters unravel them. So this has good amount of mystery too.

Its particularly saddening to certain extent because even the villains have a sad backstory, and so you cannot even hate them. Because their backstory and dark past are gonna rip you off everytime you are about to label them as 'black characters', yet at the end these VILLAINS are the ones who were the most SELFLESS ones from the begining. That is why, the characters are way MORE DEEP and COMPLEX than you could think.
All ' stranded threads' that you encounter in the first half of the story will be woven in the end. Everything will be in place by the end of the story.
This plot of this drama does a lots of play with emotions, so if you are able to figure out the backstory and emotions of the characters, you would actually realise that the plot and emotions run too deep. So you need to keep constant track on the dialogues, understand the meaning and emotions the every sentence represents. We gotta remember the fact that most main characters are basically in their 20s or even younger. They are forced to grow up lonely facing the antics of the society. So it has good integration of thoughts of both old age and young age, making the younger characters appear more mature than their mindset at that age should be.

I personally found the plot quite engaging, especially, since we had little bit introduction of every character posted by other fellow viewers ( I will write up the character introduction in the end), so it made my understanding of every characters' emotions very clear. The past titbits of memories, the timing of unraveling a particular mystery were well timely inserted. The pacing of story was quite good. The cgi wasn't the best, considering the fact that it's a tencent drama, but it has done a way better job than some of its last dramas. Besides the plot and the acting actually makes the CGI problem pretty much unnoticeable, and tbh it's not even that of a major issue, tho- I would label it as, has a room for improvement, since it wasn't the best.

The OSTS are beautiful, like so beautiful and once again, very well timed, earning brownie points to the scenes.
This drama, it's TOO BEAUTIFUL, and leaves too deep IMPRESSION, so do not miss it! You will definitely not regret watching!
_______________________________________________

Now, let's go for a CHARACTER INTRODUCTION ( no spoiler, but I feel you may find it necessary to understand their emotions and thoughts better)

1) Yue Jinzhao - He is a mature thinking and decision maker when it comes to the Yue pair. He has great thinking cognitive skills. But he actually very careful and doesn't trust anyone except Yue Qi.

2) Yue Qi - basically has great IQ, but 3- year old EQ. She may be naive and have childlike thoughts but definitely not on spoilt side, but she is quite thoughtful and straightforward. She values friendship and relations a lot. She appears to be adorable and cute softie, but is quite sharp, strong and powerful. Latter episodes reveal that she is probably stronger than Jinzhao. She is dependent on Jinzhao, when it comes to decision making and taking sides. She trusts Jinzhao more than anyone else and is always willing to Jinzhao.

3) Bi Luohuan - mysterious complicated character? Let's unravel what secrets does his character holds. He basically seems very engaged with the life of Yue-pair, especially Yue Qi?

3) Luo Zhaoyan - A woman dressed on man's cloth. She is an upright head of the family. She puts protection of the people and sacrifice for people above anything else. She is always considerate of others even if that causes neglection of her own happiness. Bound by the curse ' Luo family twin's death, she holds many secrets and complicated emotions'.

4) Xian Qing - A thousand year old wolf demon. Demons are not really favoured in the world of chaos, so he faces lots of struggles in the journey.

5) Ming Xiu - has a dark past, hence she hates demons, but she trusts Xian Qing, since he is her master's friend. Growing up lonely with only her master around, she is emotionally very dependent on her master and doesn't like to approach people. She appears very cold and distant.

6) Ju Shifang - An orphan, who lost his parents at an young age. His mother was a well-known genius in gadgets and mechanics, so he has always lived with the motto, to learn his mother's skill, protect his mother's only gift for him ( DouBao), continue a hierarachy and be a hero who is respected by people, because he has always been neglected and looked down upon, since an young age.
____________________________________________________________
ENDING: (spoiler)
The ending, I personally feel is very satisfying. It leaves us with a message:
" No matter what fate holds for us, in the end, we are still destined to meet "
It is beautiful and leaves a deep impression, basically a happy ending, but in a different way.
They meet again and fall for each other again. But this time, not as a swordsman and a weapon fated with a short life with heavy responsibilities to protect people, instead as normal humans with emotions, feelings and freedom to live and love like normal folks, a carefree life.
So I would conclude it as a happy ending, I mean compared to them forcibly growing up and maturing, and leading rest of their life in such 'sacrifice for the world' like motto, isn't this a better ending. This time they can live a carefree life. No need to care about responsibilities of people, of the world. Just themselves in their own little world filled with peace and happiness.

Leggi di Più

This series is a bumpy and sometimes muddled ride. The production team apparently didn't trust the original novel enough to give it a direct dramatization, instead opting for a "life lesson" approach that is completely absent from the book, and this in itself is done too poorly to have much impact.

The book that this series is based on is a romantic comedy, pure and simple. It follows an outline that the series does keep intact to some degree: despite the bitter rivalry between a high school prince and the school's nerdy top student, the top student develops a one-sided love for the prince that ends up breaking his heart, only to have the situation reversed once both boys get to university. The top student has decided never to fall in love again while the prince (who has now become one of the most popular boys on campus) tries everything he can to win him over.

The book is very sweet and funny, with some touching moments along the way. (While the series was airing I posted a summary of the book's highlights in the discussion section on the MDL page.)

Rather than stick to the novel, though, the series forces two themes into the story that require some unfortunate disruption of the plot and the relationship dynamics:

- Always keep your promises
- Stand up for yourself

(You're forgiven if you happened to roll your eyes as you read that.)

For the "promise" theme, the promise in question is one that Pai makes to Itt under duress in high school, when Itt refuses to return a lost earring of Pai's that Itt has found. In exchange for the earring, Pai tells Itt that he'll do anything that Itt wants. Itt doesn't collect on this promise right away but waits until they're both at university, and what he requests is that Pai represent his faculty in the University Star and Moon contest, and win. (The series doesn't refer to it as the Star and Moon Contest, but that's what it is. The concept should be familiar to anyone who watches Thai BL.)

From there, whenever Pai seems about to fail in his attempt to win the competition, Itt shows up to berate him for not fulfilling his promise (i.e., the promise he was coerced into making to a thief for the return of a stolen item.) The fact that the series attempts to glorify this situation into something profound just shows how dim-witted the writers are. Pai would have been perfectly justified to punch Itt in the nose to get that earring back.

In addition to bullying Pai over the contest, Itt is also the agent for delivering on the "stand up for yourself" theme. Over the course of their freshman year in college he does this by showing up to publicly torture Pai in a number of circumstances. It's all for Pai's own good, you see. Itt's logic is that if Pai gets abused and embarrassed enough he'll finally learn to stand up for himself. (Ironically, when Pai finally *does* stand up for himself by confronting Itt over Itt's constant abuse, Itt gets furious!) (But then Pai immediately breaks down crying, so maybe Itt has a point there...)

Another problem I have with the "stand up for yourself" theme is that I never get the sense that Pai has a problem doing this. In high school, in fact, Pai is the leader of a club that is in direct competition with a club led by Itt, and this requires him to stand up to Itt a number of times.

Eventually Pai's own parents become complicit in this "stand up for yourself" scheme of Itt's, which only serves to make them look like bad parents. We never see how and why they come to do that, so it just becomes more of the series' lack of logic.

An element of the series that does follow the book more closely is the pairing of two other characters, Pure and Folk. Because their side story is not weighed down by any forced profundity, it contrasts refreshingly with the constipated interactions that are foisted upon Itt and Pai.

Pure is an equal-opportunity playboy, seducing women and men alike. After Folk becomes the latest in his string of one-night stands, Pure suddenly finds himself charmed and attracted by Folk's earnest sincerity. Their story becomes a well-done example of the "accidentally in love" trope and in some ways saves the series.

When it comes to the actors and their performances, Fiat is so assured and charismatic in the role of Pure that the other performances pale next to his, with the possible exception of JJ as Pai's best friend, Waan. As a viewer you are left with no doubt as to why Pure can attract others so easily. There's also a lot of good-natured, relaxed humor in Fiat's performance, including some cheerful asides about his own lack of height.

JJ's performance is equally relaxed. His prior experience in other series allows him to make Waan into a naturally chill kind of guy.

(The bromance between Waan and Pure is also a lot of fun. This is another original creation by the series and is something that the screenwriters actually get right, starting with the way in which the two first become friends. The only other thing I'll say about it is to be sure to watch for a scene where Waan takes Pure to see a doctor. These two guys definitely have chemistry, and as a result many viewers end up dearly shipping them as a couple.)

The other performances vary from very good (Marc as Itt, and Aun as Folk) to struggling (Win as Pai). In Win's case I like to think that he was hobbled by the script and direction. There are moments when his talent breaks through, but unfortunately this doesn't happen often, and as a result the chemistry between him and Marc isn't quite what it should be. (For me they don't reach the threshold of establishing themselves as a pairing to be shipped as 'MarcWin'. In fact I won't be surprised if they don't do another series together. 'FiatAun', or 'FAun', on the other hand....)

I hope we'll get to see Win in other roles where he can show his acting chops a little more. In the publicity videos I've watched he is upbeat and energetic in a way that Pai is never allowed to be.

For those interested in knowing how things go in the kissing department, have no fear. The kiss between Pure and Folk is suitably sexy and seductive, while the two that happen between Itt and Pai are plush and soft. For me the amount of lip action between those two was actually a little surprising. Given the tone of the series I expected something along the lines of what happened (or didn't happen) between Sarawat and Tine in '2gether'.

As a final comment, I need to say that it got to where I could no longer stand the endlessly meandering piano music on the soundtrack. I first realized how truly bad it is in a scene where one of the characters is sitting outside a hospital operating room, mourning the death of his mother. The major-key noodling just keeps going and going, as though he's merely waiting on a friend who's gone to use the rest room.

Leggi di Più

Want Something Sizzling Hot? Look Elsewhere

Overall: Well that was a thing. Though it has similar flaws with most Korean BL (rushed/choppy plot), I'm downgrading it because of the odd/bad ending. Watched on Viki.

Content Warnings: there's some manhandling - wrist grabbing, shoving to the ground

What I Liked
- the music
- the original premise of opposite personalities, we have a strict/disciplined guy vs free wheeling/out of the box thinker type guy. (unfortunately it didn't play out as I had hoped)
- that they showed some consideration for one another (not wearing perfume and covering sharp kitchen corners)
- juxtaposition/parallel of the opening scene between the two protagonists
- I did chuckle a couple of times
- that ear nibble/bite

Room For Improvement
- the nonsensical plot: why wouldn't the boss just fire the chef and hire the new one? The chefs should have teamed up at the end and opened their own restaurant together to teach the boss a lesson. There were no people at the fairground, how did the ferris wheel run? How do these chefs have so much free time? Why would the first chef's friends congratulate the 2nd chef???
- choppiness: scenes would just leap from one thing to another, how did they get out of the freezer?
- overdone cliches: "I can explain" (2 minutes of silence and gives no explanation) "I refuse to listen to your explanation (although you had 2 minutes to give me your explanation) and I will never speak or see you again in my entire life even though we work together"
- the flat, cliche evil female character who also has zero repercussions 
- lack of explaining character motivations: why did the 2nd chef sign the contract? He has a really nice apartment so he can't be broke?
- the ending, they didn't talk/date for 3 months, what??? The parallel was nice but we all know they should have kissed at the very end.
- some shaky camerawork
- I felt bad for that octopus

Leggi di Più