Reviews

STORY: Being one of the translators, I've watched this series dozens of times. Some parts of it can seem disjointed but after watching the entire show more than once, I understand it so much better. For one, the black & white scenes are an aside, which was partly confusing at first, but it's like a small narration of the whole story. Again, to fully understand all of the things said, and much that wasn't said, it helps to watch it more than once. If you are wondering about the ending before you watch this, see my spoiler in the comments section.

ACTING/CAST: Some are noobs, all are young, all are cute.

MUSIC: Besides the two different opening songs, which I liked the second one better, there were 3 very good commercial songs. Check the links in the description of the final episode. I really liked the music in this.

REWATCH VALUE: To really understand it, I had to see it more than once. And it's so short, I didn't mind seeing it multiple times. Your mileage may vary.

OVERALL: Well, it's shot in 1080p, which is nice. It's a short production on probably a smaller budget with some young actors, but I did enjoy the show.

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so far (14/20).... it's quite similar to the Korean version, with of course, it's original twists...

I've read some of the Goong manhwa, and I wont complain and say the Prince (Inn) is just the same jerk as Goong (both the manhwa and the Korean adaptation) .. he kinda HAS to be in order to stick to the original manhwa...

but I will say... its cute, it has it's nice moments, and the evil Queen (holy guac, that lady should be asked to play a Disney villain) she's so great for the part.. but doesn't fit in with the rest of the characters... her acting stands out the most, it's too forced, and too wicked, not to mention her makeup always looks flawless!

Other than this observation.. I have found the series so far.. (14/20) to be kinda super extremely slow pace, but maybe I'm not being patient enough.

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Finally the wait is over. Before starting, I'd like to thank the subbing team/group for the good work. This was yet another random find after which I ended up patiently waiting for the subbed episodes every week.

Story: During the Ming dynasty, Hong Xi Dong is the leader of Emperor Zhu Yun Wen’s personal bodyguard detail. Then the 'Nine Turns Luminous Night Pearl' is missing and he's suspected to have stolen it. Two palace guards Peng Ze and Xu Xiao Tian chase him and they all somehow end up in the 21st century, where they meet a lookalike of Xi Dong.

Characters:
Hong Xiao Dong / Hong Xi Dong: Xi Dong is from the era of the Mings and Xiao Dong from the 21st century. It is unclear at the beginning whether they are the same person or reincarnations. Xiao Dong is a former police officer who became a private detective when his ideals about the police force were shattered. He has the ability to read minds and transforms into Xi Dong under specific circumstances, seemingly in the presence of Xian Ting (who he remembers as Xian Er once transformed). But is she the one responsible for the transformation?

Peng Ze and Xu Xiao Tian: Two palace guards from the Ming dynasty who end up in modern Taiwan. The initial episodes focus on how they adapt to the changes in the environment. Though they initially suspect Xiao Dong to be the thief, they are soon convinced (primarily by Mo Han, who undertakes the task of getting them used to the 21st century) that he is, in fact, the good guy. Then they join forces to find the pearl.

Zhang Xian Ting / Xian Er: Xian Ting is the "Go Go Go" poster girl of a news channel who is forced by her editor to wear weird costumes while reporting. She wants to be a principled reporter and report actual news. Seeing an opportunity to interview the palace guards, she contacts Xiao Dong. Though their relationship is strained in the beginning, she falls for him after learning about his past. Supposedly, she's the reincarnation of Xian Er, the wife of Xi Dong. Though Nikki shines in her role, she does look kinda shabby next to Jiro Wang sometimes.

Mo Han: One of the members of Xiao Dong's detective agency. Has idolized and loved Xiao Dong since he saved her from an assailant during her high school days. her image is that of a peppy girl, but inside she's caring and understanding. Once she realizes the love between Xiao Dong and Xian Er, she lets her feelings go and in turn, paves the way for a new love.

There are other characters providing the much needed comic relief. Overall, the casting and performance are adequate, if not exemplary at times.

Concluding Thoughts: The ending was not conclusive and indicates a second season. In fact, without a second season, the ending is downright ridiculous - simply too many open ends to be resolved.

Music: Both the opening (The Great Hero by Jiro Wang) and ending (Love Influenza by Kirsten Ren) are worth listening to a few times.

Rewatch: It is a complete drama with doses of romance, comedy and action. Can be watched again if time permits.

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Great message but delivery wasn't always there.

I enjoyed the show which is why I rated it quite high but I found the storyline a bit all over the place with no real depth.
I loved the message of personality over looks, which can be shown in not only the main leads storylines but with all the characters. The "pretty people" were not all horrible and vain, while the "ugly/inadequate" were not all humble and nice. You were given a full variety of characters which made you really enjoy learning about their personality behind the "face value".

Though I will say I felt a bit disappointed with the main leads since while i did understand why they were both reserved, i was expecting their true personalities to be shown a bit earlier. I also expected more give and take between them, while it seemed like the male lead was extending himself and making a lot more changes within his life vs the female lead. The female lead seemed quite reluctant to help or extend herself to help the him but it is easily can be contributed to her insecurity and being unsure what to do in those social situations. Still the female lead did gain confidence and courage, she learned to find her own happiness that is not based on being "pretty".

In the end I just wished that we got more storyline after the main female gained her confidence, since that was when we got to really see her personality and also saw more of the male leads personality since she helped to bring him out of his shell. Still all in all it was a good series with a good message.

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The core story was strong, but had weak branches. You could climb it sure, and when you reach the top you feel delighted, but you have to be prepared for weak footfalls on the lower branches, at the threat of wanting to jump to the ground, and come back another day.

The main story is of a serial killer, using an iron ball to satisfy his sadistic pleasures. When Jin Hyuk's wife is murdered in the opening scenes, the game is strong and you watch him (Jin Hyuk, not the serial killer^^) team up with Gwon Joo, who's cop father was also murdered by the same guy, as she heads the "Golden Time Team" at their local precinct.

A team that is dedicated to reaching any crime scenes within the golden period before it ends for the worse - 10 minutes.

With this set in place, we have to sit through this team being put into use, with my favourite side story, of a foster kid behind abused by his mum, in a repeat cycle of what happened to her so he called 112, to my least favourite set in a mental centre, where homeless people are being fleeced and then killed. Seemingly random, but providing leads to the serial killer. I didn't know whether to be pissed or happy. Happy, is what I went with. Imagine if I had sat through all those cute, protracted spin-offs and there wasn't a point?

The serial killer does not hide.

No, he is almost luxurious in the way he hunts and reveals himself. Extremely arrogant of being untouchable (typical privileged Korean kid, lol^^) However, he was willing to lose that power, just so it would create maximum torment within the two he was obsessed over. Jin Hyuk and Gwon Joo. One of the best scenes including Mo Tae Gu (and there were many) was when he was wheeled out of hospital, escaping, but yet he roared because he didn't want to escape, but be back in their clutches. Wow!

Kim Jae Wook is excellent, the best thing in the last four episodes.
Lee Ha Na has this breathy style of speech she adopted here, which I grew used too, so I was cool with the girl by the end.
Jang Hyuk was in the middle of these two, somewhere in terms of acting talent and commitment.

I could see myself rewatching the first two episodes, and the last four alone. That's it. For that, I will give a high rewatch score.

If you like crime/detective dramas, this is the best one out of 2017 for sure.
But the year is early yet 8D

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"A Cappella" is a film version of Mariko Koike's novel of the same name. The story is extremely complex, touching on themes such as identity, sexuality, mental health, socio-politics, and coming of age. The trailers do not do this movie justice. It is so much more than what has been presented, and the same can be said once you've watched it. I have re-watched this movie a couple times now and I am still finding subtle things that I didn't see on the last watch I did. I have read the novel and I think that the film did it justice in some ways and in others it didn't. However I will strictly just talk about the movie here. Do not watch this if you're looking for an easy movie to watch and if you are uncomfortable with sex scenes and nudity.

The Story: Our narration throughout the movie is done by Kyoko, whose point of view we mostly follow. She comes from a sheltered upbringing but takes part in socio-political movements and protests. Her participation comes from a desire to be totally opposite from the sheltered environment she grew up in, not necessarily because she believes in the revolution she is a part of. She steps into a whole new world after meeting Wataru, Yunosuke, and Ema at A Cappella, a cafe playing baroque music with its occupants reading literature and lost in thought. They are not interested in the politics and revolutions happening in society, but are rather in a bubble of their own existentialism and self-indulgence. Wataru and Yunosuke have been friends since they were younger and Ema is Yunosuke's girlfriend. The four are entangled in an inevitable destiny that cannot be escaped from.

Characters: Kyoko is an innocent and naive character who yearns to break out of her closed environment. Being involved with the three allowed her to truly be herself, also allowing her to own up to her own ignorance about music, literature, and more. They introduced a world that is free of judgment and prejudice. Vice-versa, Kyoko is a breath of fresh air to the three, especially to Wataru. She is not tainted by the world and represents an innocence that is long gone. Wataru is a mystery to Kyoko, as she is unable to understand who he truly is. Along with Wataru, Yunosuke is a tightly closed book and has a heavier mystery to him. Wataru and Yunosuke are like a glue that cannot be unstuck. Ema is enthusiastic and brightens scenes, her enjoyment displayed with Yunosuke’s presence. She also has a naivety with her love for Yunosuke overflowing for all to see. Ema's purpose seems to only be an admirer on Yunosuke's arm but she ultimately plays a large part in the end.

Acting: I cannot imagine these characters being played by anybody else than the actors in this movie. They embody their characters, almost to a point where it seemed like there was no line between the character and them. I was familiar with Saito Takumi as I've seen him in other projects, but even with that acknowledgment he blended into playing Yunosuke scarily well. He does already have that sultry and mysterious vibe but it was heightened with his acting of Yunosuke, especially with his deep honey voice. Narumi Riko did an excellent job at portraying Kyoko as a naive and innocent character, yet soul searching with her experiences. Ikematsu Sosuke shows Wataru's warmth, insecurity, and pain on a precise level. Saito Takumi and Ikematsu Sosuke are an amazing team together, they feed off each other extremely well and have great chemistry. Their glances and mannerisms show a depth to their characters. There are a lot of sex scenes in the movie, some I felt could have been cut for more characterization but others important for the story.

Cinematography: I really loved how this was shot. They use silence with specific scenes, which creates a subtlety and tension for what’s happening on the surface and below. Their usage of color did well at putting the viewer in the time era. It seems almost like a haze, restricting to less saturation and bringing out the depths of the darker colors. There is importance with the use of shadows for characters and scenes, most notably for Yunosuke and Wataru and at the tea house (a place that represents both a physical and psychological escapism from society). I also found it interesting that they used the actors' bodies as storytelling by showing to the viewer a truth that is unspoken.

A 10/10 movie that I recommend to watch. I think you can personally get a lot out of it, I know that I did. A few days after I watched this I could not get it out of my head. It's that kind of movie.

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It's interesting how having lower expectations increases your ability to appreciate a drama better.
Despite its short length and the limited scope to prove its mettle, Unemployed Romance delivers and how.

In ordinary rom coms, we see that either the male lead is financially in the ruts or it is the heroine who scrounges for every penny and works a million part time jobs. Rarely do we see a rom com in which both the leads are going through financial troubles and have more or less achieved nothing in life and, quite possibly, never will. What do they do in such circumstances? Dare not have a romance because they're poor and unsuccessful?

Unemployed Romance is yet another example of the cliche of 'love conquers all' being stretched in to a realistic story. Jong Dae and Seung Hee overcome various odds from jealous new romantic interests, poverty, sick parents to unemployment and bitter memories of a break up, to finally get together in the end.

The drama has hilarious moments which arrive in the form of Jong Dae's hopelessly silly friends and Seung Hee's irresponsible boss. It also has its fair share of emotionally poignant scenes in terms of Jong Dae's conversations with his hapless, generous and amiable father. And this is not to mention the excellent chemistry between Nam Goong Min and Lee Young Ah - both of them should be applauded for their realistic portrayal of two individuals who have never had it easy in life.
Everything put together, 'Unemployed Romance' is a really cute, funny and heart-warming drama which does not veer off completely from reality at any point.

Definitely worth a watch.

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Candy Eye Male Leads and Dog Trainer Female Lead.

There is 4 Version for this adaptation story and I watched 3 of them including this version (Tian Jiu Luo, Jinzi and Wang Yunyun). For the Stellar Male Cast, This one wins for sure when you can see Lan Bo, Yi Hang, Huang Youtian and Liu Ziheng on the same drama It's like F4 for costume drama in vertical short drama.

All of plot are same with same open ending (There is hint for season 2 as the novel still ongoing) so there is nothing to compare between the version. I will make notes for the main cast.

-Wang Yunyun stills play safe like her usual costume drama. Not too bad but also not great either. At least she are not making Female Lead look like bratty princess and still got the 'dog-trainer' literal meaning. For Yun Qi character, I still like Tian Jiao Luo boldness and she still wins over Jin Zi characterization.

-Lan Bo plays as general who was FL ex husband for two days. For the characterization most of all version are same with forceful attitude. I disliked ML characterization even there is season 2 i wont hope FL ends with him. in all the version. Ming Chuan and Zhang Tingrui are losing with slightly difference with Lan Bo.

-Huang Youtian plays as crippled prince for all the version i quite like FL with him despite calculating attitude and he never force FL and just getting along with her antics. He still win over the three version. I am rooting for FL and this ML to end together.

-Yi Hang well i quite like him in here and he plays FL 'adopted' brother aka Yun Jin Chen while actually he just slave for her family. He suits playing dog prince. For this i favored Yi Hang over other previous versions.

-Liu Zi Heng compares to all these male lead here has most weak advantage due his acting skills and the Xie Lin Yu was supposed to be comedic character while he lack the fun part compared to previous version (The Jin Zi one is the funniest followed by Tian Jiao Luo version).

I enjoy FL can kiss all the MLs like the original version even still lacks of seductress feeling. But I like her chemistry with Huang Youtian in here.

Overall, I recommended to watch this first if you haven't watch the Tian Jiu Luo one.

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Draaaaaged. I liked the first episode and the last episode. But in between I skipped a lot. Daoming Si wasn't even Daoming Si. I mean, he was too mature. I missed the bratty, stubborn, spoiled, violent, Pineapple-headed Si. And I hate how the amnesia thing went on up to the 24th episode. And even afterwards he didn't tell anyone he remembered everything because he wasn't sure who he loved -.- Rainie Yang didn't even turn up! I liked Ye Sha. She wasn't like those wannabe girls from the other versions who pretended to be the girlfriend. And her letter to Loony was the only part in this drama that made me cry (besides Quinghe's Valentine message to Shancai). At least they didn't kill her off. That would've made me boycott this drama altogether. By the way, my favorite part was Vanness Wu and his matchmaking date. That girl was so pretty! I'm so glad he fell in love (: Overall, the series was frustrating but worth the wait. Sort of. Maybe. And I never shipped Lei and Shancai in season 1 and throughout season 2. But after hearing his true feelings that he confessed to Mei (along with flashbacks) I felt so sorry for him! To be very honest, I never really enjoyed his character. Probably because he never expressed his feelings directly and Daoming Si was much more interesting and pretty much overshadowed him. But now I can't wait to watch MARS! :)

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This film No Regret is a rare gem!, it totally blew my mind away, so prepare yourself to watch something who is going to give you a roller coaster of pure emotion. The story is beautiful and heartbreaking, the interpretation of the two main lead (Kim Nam Gil and Lee Young Hoon) is really phenomenal, they succeed to convey so much emotions and passion on the screen that it feels real that you don't see them acting a role which is a true gift for the audience.
Director Leesong Hee knows how to film, the cinematography is exceptional with passages of intense colors for the happy moments and black and white for the sad one.
So please watch this film you will not be disappointed and do not pay to much attention to the previous bad reviews, because each of us has his own sensitivity regarding movies.

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Sad, beautiful story.


I don't think that I ever cried that much for a movie. I'm not really used to cry for movies or drama in general, even if they are sad.


Story:
I really liked the story since it's a bit inusual. It's not the usual movie that makes you cry for the jerkness of one of the two leads or watheva. Both the leads have strong characters and don't get in your nerves with stupid actions.
The story it's more usual of a Japanese movie than a korean, making the disease the focal point of the story, but it gets rid of the slowliness of Japanese movie.
Even if it's a sad story, at the end, it leave you with a smile, when you rethink at the story. Since the characters are really enjoyable!
While watching the movie be ready with the tissues, you will need them!

Acting:
I really liked all the actors, they were really good. I like Baek Jin Hee, and I'm happy that finally she gets the main role (the same goes for Lee hong Ki).

Music:

What to say both baek jin and Hong Ki have beautifull voices! I really enjoyed the hospital band idea!

Rewatch:

I would indeed like to rewatch this movie!
(And I'm happy that is a Movie and not a drama, I think that a drama version would have been rather heavy going)

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A very nice example of live action done right as this one didn't suffer from that thing that most live actions have, this time the story is not rushed but without removing important elements and events in the anime. The first verse is a great set up for the awesome second verse as its theme is somewhat connected with the second verse. First verse created the dynamics between characters well that it felt more natural in the second verse. There's a bit of romance hinted here but that's not the main focus in the story, it's more about friendship and their conflicts. Fan or not this is a must watch as karuta as a game is so fascinating to begin with, it's part of Japanese culture and its poems are somewhat the foundation of Japanese morals and just like as they flick those cards in slow motion, its lessons will approach you straight to your face.

Before watching this I already knew that the director is Norihiro Koizumi, the same guy who directed Taiyou no uta(movie) and the liar and his lover so I am confident that this would be a good adaptation when I first heard about it and I am not wrong. He is great creating meaningful scenes for the reason that cinematography is one of his strongest points especially long shots, people who saw taiyou no uta know what I mean. The other thing is that he is great in showing the emotions of his characters, even an angle where only back of a person is seen. He's an actor's director, the one who makes his actors looks better and probably the reason why Suzu Hirose looks so fine here.

Visuals in this movie is so damn fine as slow motion in those karuta battle works so damn well, it gives those scenes so much impact, also give kudos to editing . The music they use really adds up to the feels of the movie it makes such scenes epic and those battles engaging. The only complaint I have is the song they use in the end, I'm a huge perfume fan but that the song didn't capture the whole atmosphere of the movie.

Perhaps the best casting in a live action ever as all those character are well played, a great ensemble of talented young cast that would probably become A class actors in the future namely Suzu Hirose, Mone Kamishiraishi, Hiroya shimizu, Nomura Shuhei, Mackenyu, Mayu Matsuoka. At first I was bit worried that suzu hirose might not give justice to the role, although I still felt the same in the first movie but this second movie prove me wrong. I think it's just right to cast her as chihaya, she is fun, she's passionate and she has done a nice job of giving energy and freshness to the character. Mayu matsuoka nailed the role as the queen, she really looks like queen, spot on casting, but more than looks it's the acting that makes her standout in this movie, her facial expressions and that way she handled the character change, she's a versatile actress indeed. What I thought would be the cutest card battle ever ended up becoming the most emotional card battle I had witnessed as it serves as a venue for the character development of chihaya and the queen, this is really important because this is the theme they wanted to convey here, like in any sport solo or team and definitely in life "doing it with friends is better than alone".

I agree that most Manga and Anime should not be made into a live action but stories that are so good should be shown in different platforms and chihayafuru is among them. Also, the good thing about watching a live action is that it would be a fascinating experience if the feels from watching an anime translates well into live, I will never get tired of watching live action for this reason.

Check my Blog for other reviews & other JDramas stuffs. (｡◕‿‿◕｡)
https://thatjapanesedramaguy.blogspot.com/

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Rough around the edges

I couldn’t stop giggling from the chemistry in the first 16 episodes. Those two, Gan Yang and Ding Zi Tong, are well matched. The story itself was lacking in parts but the actors and actresses did an astounding job with the script.

I've seen people complain about the misunderstandings but I think that the big misunderstanding that lead to the breakup was understandable compared to some other dramas I've seen.
Both characters had their own flaws but at the end of the day, they just wanted to protect the other. I'd say they acted like each others sheild but ended up as each others enemy.

I didn’t really care about the attempt at making up which was almost completely one-sided sadly. Their sad scenes weren't as good as their cute, lovey dovey scenes and then each of their big reveals to each other about everything that happened during and after that breakup was rushed and neither seemed to care rather than to be silent and "feel bad". I wanted some yearning and begging from both sides because they are both stupid😂

That being said this drama is more character driven than plot driven and the drama does a good job with that. Don't take the drama too serious and you won't be disappointed. Also people need to stop the comparison with lighter and princess to this drama. They are not the same even if they are the same genre. Good bye now👋

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Ditto

Somewhere a screenwriter was watching the movie Ghost for the fifth time and decided it would make a great drama. Just trade out a police officer who can see ghosts for the clairvoyant Whoopi Goldberg and Satoh Takeru for Patrick Swayze. The title I Should Have Told You a Million Times was even reflected in the 1990 movie. If you've seen the movie, nothing in this drama will come as a surprise. Having said that, the characters were all likeable enough to keep my interest throughout the drama.

The story opens with a Sixth Sense beginning, but if you've read the synopsis, the suspense fell flat. Thankfully, they didn't drag it out. Yui and Naoki were childhood friends who reconnected and began dating. On her birthday, he disappears. Along comes Detective Uozumi whose latent spiritual sight evolves just in time to see Naoki. Uozumi works to figure out what happened to Naoki while he's embroiled in another murder investigation. The three become friends as they dig through the past to see how old relationships and old crimes are playing havoc with the present. There were also some Ghost Whisperer moments where they helped a couple of wandering ghosts with their regrets.

Despite some repetitious scenes and obvious borrowing from other sources, I enjoyed the story as it unfolded. The bromance that developed between Naoki and Uozumi helped cover over some of the weaker writing. The suave Satoh Takeru and nerdy Matsuyama Kenichi had a nice chemistry. Inoue Mao showed how hard it is to let go as Yui held on tight to a man she couldn't see. With all the extra time they were given and a translator as well, it was frustrating that Yui and Naoki didn't work through their emotions and regrets. In some ways, their relationship came across as fairly shallow instead of an intimate love---words matter.

The supernatural murder mystery came to its natural ending in episode 9, but then they decided to tack on a wish fulfillment ending for the last episode that almost completely ruined this drama for me. With one little tweak they had the opportunity to showcase the perfect ending for a tearjerker drama but by dragging it out, took all of the emotional punch from the previous episode. In time, I will block out the last episode, grind through the five stages of grief and remember the other episodes and engaging characters fondly.

7/5/23

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