Reviews

Story: This is the Korean version of the popular Nodame Cantabile. Where adaptations go, this one retains some of the important scenes from the original Nodame but also expanded and created a more diverse branch of story involving people to people relationships. Side characters were given more screen time, including the exaggeration of one side character (2nd male lead) that was not in the original Nodame. Needless to say, the Korean version of Nodame stuck to the Korean's formula for drama success - triangle love; hence the need for a more prominent 2nd male lead character. It has all the charms and signature of a Korean production, less exaggeration of actions and facial expressions, a very small dose of 'makjang' where stories on relationships (including those of the older generation) are expanded and has a more realistic feel to it.

When I was writing this review, I considered my review of the original Nodame Cantabile and my knowledge of the manga. For the original Nodame, I gave the story and overall score as 9/10. It was entertaining and stuck to the overall feel of the manga as intended by its original author. For this Korean version, I scored it slightly lower 8.5/10 because I felt that the the expansion of the stories of side-characters have reduced the impact somewhat for the storyline of the main couple, their victories and failures. The story of Nodame is special because of this unique and comical interaction and relationship between a handsome, straight-laced, no-nonsense genius conductor with a quirky, messy and 'autistic' young lady who happens to be a genius at the piano. It is also a celebration of the grandeur and beauty of classical music. Somehow, the Korean version did not make my heart race when it comes to the classical music parts as the original Japanese version did. Perhaps, it all comes down to selection of pieces and the situations they were played - it is my opinion that they could have gone with better coordination of the music to produce a better wow! and inspirational effect. In fact, there are parts when the orchestra was playing and the music was cut short, diverted or tapered off (especially when it is near its crescendo)- a no-no for me for a classical music-themed drama.

Despite its weaknesses, this Korean version has its strengths as it has a more well rounded overall story. It's just a pity that the role of Nodame was muted to some point where the Korean Nodame could be deemed as quite a normal young lady with a good understanding of how to function in a normal society (eg: except for the first time, there were no indication that she continued to keep a messy room, she was able to keep a proper job, she behaved like a normal person in a relationship etc). I feel that Nodame (as the title suggests) should be the shining character and at par in relevance with the character of Chiaki. This however, was sacrificed for the more rounded overall story.

Acting/Cast: Joo Won did a great job as Yoo-Jin (Chiaki's character) but he was definitely less resistant towards Nae-Il (Nodame's character). In fact, half way through the drama, he knew he was in love with Nae-Il, simply hid the fact whereas with Chiaki, he did not realise it until towards the end when Nodame left him. Even then, Chiaki had trouble accepting that he actually likes Nodame.

As for Nae-Il's character, played by Eun-Kyung, is definitely hands down, a less impressive and less stand-out character compared with the Japanese Nodame played by Ueno Juri. So far, Ueno Juri tops the Nodame character hands down. Nae-Il is a much watered down Nodame character to the point that she is actually quite normal - which in turn, took away the uniqueness of Nodame's 'autistic genius' character.

The rest of the cast did well. Special mention for Go Kyung-Pyu as Il-Rak. He has an energetic and endearing acting style in this drama. A total likeable character and definitely an experienced actor. I'll be keeping an eye out for him.

Music: I love all of the classical pieces in this drama as I did for Nodame Cantabile. My only complain was the poorer music coordination for the scenes and how certain pieces were cut short and fell flat before its climax.

Rewatch value: Personally, Nodame Cantabile was a much easier re-watch drama because it is more entertaining (as it follows the manga with its exaggerated facial expressions), has fantastic classical musics at the right time and mood and it is shorter in duration. It would be quite tiresome for me to re-watch this Korean version as I would have to know exactly which 'draggy' scenes (the ones involving the side stories of others and talking) to fast forward to get to the interesting parts. Therefore, I will not be in a hurry to be re-watching this anytime soon.

Overall: Considering its strengths and weaknesses, I gave it an overall 8.5/10. This version is certainly a different product that the Japanese Nodame Cantabile and should be watched as such. I made comparisons to the original above so that those of you who had not watched the Japanese version will know exactly where it differs. Rest assured I had evaluated this drama as a stand alone and an entirely different product. It is a good enough drama that it is not a waste of time to watch but it is not a wow! drama.

Leggi di Più

2 DAYS, IT TOOK ME 2 DAYS to complete this series

As usual I sacrifice my sleep for dramas. And this series was great! I loved the storyline a lot! Its really different from you all fluff rom-com dramas for sure. I felt the feelings brought out by the characters, including sacrifices one would make for he/her loved ones. I really thought it'll have a sad ending, but NO! it definitely has a happy ending!

The acting; c'mon i totally watched this because of Xing Fei and Ren Jia Lun is a bonus.

On a side note, this is the first c-drama i watched with the ML/FL not kissing (on the lips) in it!!! I totally baffles me to no end how complete this drama is even without kissing (I repeat, on the lips! However, we have steamy (imo) kiss scenes by the 2nd couple haha!

Leggi di Più

Madness that does magic

This is that kind of movie where the characters make all the dumb decisions and started the worst situation you could ever imagine, ironically it is exactly the madness that does magic in a sense of who can be the smartest out of all in this mind bending strategy war. What happens afterwards in the movie is pure magnificence, the legal indictment of its murder investigation is extremely detailed and the plot twist within it will ultimately blow your mind away not only once but multiple times. The acting performance is so intense it will pull you into a great deal of attention to determine the truth behind it, the amount of emotion and thrill it carries is unprecedented.

Leggi di Più

If (like me) you are Takeru Satoh trash and think this is a romantic, dark-fluffy, inception-like film of a heroic character who travels into the mind of his beloved to rescue her out of a coma... then I suggest you don't watch this movie. ^-^

If, however, like me, you are Takeru Satoh trash, and have an appreciation for films with a deeper meaning, enjoying unexpected (and extremely sudden) plot twists and a dark and slightly creepy psychological theme... then I suggest you give this movie a shot. ^v^)/

One of REAL's biggest highlights for me was that you really didn't know what to expect next. You just have no idea. One minute, I was focused in the neurological world, and the next I was hiding behind my pillow. And that is how you go through the film - not knowing what to expect next, yet anticipating the conclusion. I give the rewatch value a strong 9*, as it all makes so much more sense if you were to rewatch it, and you can appreciate the thought put into its creation, the jumpy camera angles and script.

The cast and acting were great, although again, initially you might find it a little strange in the beginning. It all makes sense nearer the end. ^^

One thing that did confuse me was the strange blend of both decent CGI, and college-green-screen-quality CGI. I'm not sure if it was intentional or not because of the story line...

Also, plesiosaurs. I love them.
----
*[EDIT: Rewatching is so worth it!]

Leggi di Più

This drama is pretty good as a medical drama. All the medical dramas I've watched, I would say this drama is the most realistic one out of all of them, When I usually stumble upon a medical drama, there is only 1 table death or no deaths at all. Doctors there are magically powerful and can save everyone. Realistically that is not the case. This drama however, displays how doctor can't magically save everyone but they try their best through their trial and error. This drama also gives me the excitement of people trying to be saved. I do not suggest people watching this if you are looking for people to get together,kissing,or any lovey doves stuff. This is only for the sake of medical dramas. If you are starting to watch medical dramas. I suggest to watch to watch this drama first because it's the least gory out of all of them. I gave this drama a low rematch rating because i don't usually rewatch dramas unless it's really funny to rematch again.

Leggi di Più

I watched this movie at a theatre in Tokyo today and really enjoyed it! It’s a charming, simple little film that’s perfect for a lazy summer day. Definitely don’t expect any award-winning plots or performances! This movie is ultimately a very typical Japanese high school love story and it’s going to unfold exactly how you expect. If you like that sort of thing, keep on reading!

Firstly, I’ve got to say that the filming location for this movie (apparently Mie prefecture) is absolutely gorgeous. This movie made me want to drop everything and move there ASAP! If you like movies set in rural Japan like I do, you will by default LOVE this movie for the scenery alone. One word for the cinematography: WOW!

The story itself is honestly nothing that hasn’t been done before. Tokyo girl (Rio) goes to the countryside for her summer vacation and falls head over heels for the local heartthrob. Lots of cute moments and clichés follow. In fact, this movie takes every possible “summer” cliché and throws it in: sunflowers, blue sky, festivals, fireworks, barbecues, swimming etc. you name it, it’s there. One thing I liked about this movie in particular (compared to other shoujo manga adaptations) is that this movie doesn’t get overly bogged down with lots of forced melodrama or antagonists. Problems are resolved pretty quickly and the overall pace is good.

This movie has a lot of young actors. Wakana Aoi is really good here and I liked her character. Rio was gutsy and knew what she wanted. Respect! Sano Hayato is a little less polished than Wakana but he still impressed me. At first glance he’s not conventionally handsome, but his mannerisms were surprisingly cute and he won me over for sure. Their chemistry together was pretty good too.

This is a shoujo manga story so it's not meant to be taken too seriously. It's unrealistic and dreamy but it has its charms for sure! Give it a try if you like summer romance!

Leggi di Più

Urghhh…you don’t understand how much I love this

I’ve only watched up to episode four, but Me and Who has been such a fun ride so far. The production quality is great, the cast is amazing, and the acting is honestly my favorite part — the expressions, reactions, and timing are all so natural.

It’s funny in the best way too. The humor doesn’t feel forced; it just happens — sometimes through a look, a line, or the way someone reacts. The story is interesting, the pacing is good, and overall, it’s just really enjoyable to watch.

I’m genuinely having a good time with this one. It’s light, fun, and easy to get into. Can’t wait to see how the rest of the episodes play out🙂‍↔️

Leggi di Più

Gripping drama on falling in love while facing adversity

I am a massive fan of Guo Yu Xin but I never watched her dramas within 6 hours of release. Instead of adding this drama to my watchlist, I decided to watch it last evening and write this review now at 12.36 am. I finished this drama in one sitting.

Having seen Guo Yu Xin in black sports attire, I would like to see her in action, suspense drama. There are a few espionage vertical dramas so hopefully we get to see Guo Yu Xin as a spy or undercover agent.

What I liked:
1. Acting - Wow spectacular acting by Guo Yu Xin. Her micro expressions were on point. That very first scene already made my heart heavy. I don't watch many Wang Kai Mu's dramas but I think he did well with his role. His acting was calmer and more subtle than Liang Si Wei whom acted with Guo Yu Xin in a melodrama also about terminal illness.
2. FL characterisation - What a beautifully written journey. It was understandable that she went through the different stages of grief upon receiving her diagnosis.
3. ML characterisation - At first I disliked ML for being indifferent in their marriage but my icy heart thawed when he protected his wife from his evil elders. He was calm & collected even in the face of adversity.
4. Romance - Slow burn romance with some passionate kisses. I enjoyed watching the progress of relationship from married strangers to allies and then lovers and family.
5. Supporting characters - I really liked Dr Song, ML's brothers and in particular ML's assistant for being an astute "confidant" to ML.
6. Antagonists - I was relieved that the antagonist arcs were not draggy.
7. Styling - I love the styling for FL! Gorgeous, elegant outfits. The outfits for F4 male characters were stylish as well.

What I disliked:
1. FL's decision - I didn't agree with her decision to drop the bomb on a special day. She should have come clean with ML about her illness but not on that day.

Favourite scene
FL's operation

Leggi di Più

I loved this short film.

From the beautiful poetry. To the fact that Jongin considers both the male and female baristas as potentials for his secret admirer. To the process of elimination.

Everything was adorable. It was a light, fluffy, feel-good short. Worth the 15-17 minute watch! Most definitely.

The actors did a wonderful job. Yoo Kyun Seon was adorable as Jongin the looking customer with a secret admirer who is baffled as to who it could be and wants to find out. The three baristas were adorable. Angelica - the potential female love interest is gorgeous with a mysterious air about her. Shim Min Ki - The potential male love interest is adorable as the shy, introvert who loves always has this dreamy look. And Lee Seul Gi was the possibly the show stealer for me - the bubbly latecomer who is a little bit of a yoda. Love her.

What a great short.

Leggi di Più

Murder and Misdaventures

This was the drama I didn't know I needed or was waiting for but I was hooked from the moment the FL jumped into the bath with the ML. None of us would ever be the same again. :D

At the heart of this crime solving drama is the love story between two larger than life personalities. It begins with an unexpected intrusion, then an almighty clash of wills. All that belied a meeting of minds and a passion for getting to the bottom of inexplicable occurrences that came their way. The two bicker their way to the autopsy table and there they become a formidable pair of ancient sleuths trying to uncover criminal activities and make sense of their growing feelings for each other while navigating a thorny love triangle that includes a former betrothed who has secrets of his own. The show also manages to thrust them into one of my favourite tropes -- the contract marriage -- in entertaining fashion. I admit to cringing at the start with their respective nicknames but came to love them once they evolved into terms of endearment.

The format of the drama sees the two stumbling or being led into cases which may or may not have immediate relevance to the overarching Bad Guy plot. The pair with their combined abilities resolve them quickly but their exploits and romance soon come to the attention of larger forces at work. What I found especially interesting is how these individual cases have direct lessons for the pair regarding their own journey to finding true love.

The star of the show in my book is Xiao Song, a veritable Sherlock Holmes styled character whose knack for deductions earns him the appellation of being the country's premiere investigator ("The Sorrow of Chang'an's Ghosts"), a highly valued official of the Tang emperor's court. He falls for the sassy and skilled Ran Yan who is inevitably Dr Watson to his Holmes. Xiao Song is not one to do things by half. He lives large and loves large but desperate times bringeth forth the man, showing his true mettle. He is played by the wonderful and delightful Toby Lee whose versatility gives flesh to the character beyond the super sleuth template. At times he is the lofty official that throws his weight around barking commands, the next he is a mischievous suitor to his reluctant coroner pushing her buttons to get her to bend to his will. There is however, also a tender almost boyish side to him, glimpsed when showing genuine concern for the people he really cares about. Overall he is really the best written character whose passion for the truth and for the woman he loves makes him someone you can't help rooting for.

Newcomer Pinky Zhou plays the lovely, smart and strong-willed titular character who accompanies Xiao Song on his fishing expeditions ;) albeit reluctantly at first. It doesn't take long before she gets bitten by the bug and becomes an adept detective in her own right. Zhou is generally adequate to the task although I suspect a more seasoned hand would have produced a more nuanced and satisfying performance.

Our main duo are ably supported their motley crew made up of the doggedly loyal Bai Yi, Wan Lu, the cowardly but multi-talented scholar extraordinaire Sang Chen and Uncle Wu, Ran Yan's teacher and mentor. Occasionally the former fiance, SF finds himself on the same side as his bitterest rival.

As a long-time fan of crime fiction, I really enjoyed riding on the whodunnit and whydunnit bandwagon following the mystery of the week while the couple bickered and completed each other's thoughts. But the single most important highlight was discovering Toby Lee who was born to take on this role.

Leggi di Più

How did this drama get pass Chinese censors? ;)

If this Show was made in the West, it would be considered old school, maybe a low budget indie drama. The fact that it was made in China and quite recently is a surprise in itself.

The Show is a black comedy at its core. It is in your face, no holds barred, and then gives you the metaphysical middle finger because it can. I'm not saying that every c-drama is pure as driven snow but when you consider the show's FL is an alcoholic middle-aged rocker, the 2FL is a rebellious high school dropout, then add a whole cadre of deeply flawed characters to fill out the rest of the cast. It is definitely not your typical c-drama casting call. On top of that, the show is overflowing with themes like child abandonment, failed marriage, mental health, bad parenting, drunkenness and other questionable behaviours. It is a wonder how it got past the censors.

It is a shortish rollercoaster ride at 12, 40ish mins episodes, but it is “action” packed. There are many twists and turns. All the emotions are raw, and not much is sugar coated. The spitefulness of the characters is on full display. Most characters have been hurt before and are still smarting after all these years and nobody is getting off easy. All the dirty laundry will take a battery of industrial grade washing machines to get through.

In terms of acting, the veteran actors all turned in solid performances, but the show belongs to the FL. It is her tour de force. She acts, sings, and so much more. I am impressed by her comedic timing as well. It is definitely not a glamourous role, but she is all in. The younger actors pale by comparison but it is not their fault. They did well, but they need more time in the vat to be well seasoned.

In terms of writing, it was hardly original. There are all kinds of tropey plots and plot holes. The Show counterbalances this with its fast pace and boundary pushing edginess. There are surprise twists and some of the black humour is laugh out loud funny. It is rude and crude, but that is part of its (largely) unfiltered charm.

I do find the ending to be a bit of a cop out though. The Show ultimately becomes a healing drama with a long redemption arc that felt too safe. It was a little disappointing when you consider how much energy it expended in dismantling the status quo only to come in for a soft landing. Yes, it was nice to see some resolutions, but I would prefer an all guns blazing finale.
It was a challenge to watch more than one or two episodes at a time. However, once I stopped, I kept thinking about it. I ended up binging the last few episodes. I believe the OST was sung by the FL(!) and the rocking soundtrack is about as fitting as it can get.

Rock it, Mom is a polarising show. Some will hate it, and some will love it. There is not a lot of room on top of that fence. If you can push through the first few episodes, you will find a diamond in the rough. I thoroughly enjoyed the crazy, off-colour ride. I must confess that I did cringe a few times but that's Rock & Roll, baby!!

Leggi di Più

Disappointing drama

Disappointing drama.
Everything is present to make a beautiful love story. We are quickly attached to the story and the characters. But we can guess a little too easily what will happen next, despite a few twists that reinforce the plot. The sentimental hesitations are not convincing. One gets the impression that the writers have done little research on the love triangle when two brothers are in love with the same woman. In this story, the choice for Ye Ji seems obvious after a few episodes, but the writers have reduced the poor heroine to a pretty doll who spends her time hesitating, crying and running from the obvious.
The weight of Korean taboos and social codes weigh on the lives of the characters and the life choices they might make. Everyone seems to carry too much guilt to be believable. The screenwriters lacked a little freshness and audacity to make this unnecessarily maudlin story more original and modern.

Leggi di Più

stalking, obsession, hottest guy on campus, multiple couples, queer affirming

Previously known as Stalker the series, and you can TELL. Co-produced by and featuring (but NOT staring) Saint and directed by Cheewin (sigh) with mostly fresh faces it was pure pulp and... I hated the plot.

In fact I was ALL OVER THE PLACE with this show.

I ADORED both queer friendship groups, and the language use that resulted, and the main character reads as out gay and a bit femme, which is lovely to see. As @heretherebedork​ pointed out this show is basically giving the characters that usually get punch downed on, mocked, side-lined, and pillorized, their own love stories and happy endings - and I LOVE THAT for them. And for Thailand.

But (and you knew there was a big ol’but coming) the stalker aspect was far too much for me. Toh, the lead, was so cringey I dropped it at ep 3 because it had become my personal hellscape of second hand embarrassment. Like Bridesmaids or The Hangover this is NOT a style of humor or romcom that I enjoy at all.

As is often the case with stories of this type, Toh came off as desperate, needy, and awkward while Nuea had no personality. This meant that I could find no reason for Nuea to fall f\in love with Toh (although sexual attraction seemed to play a BIG role and that, by episode 6 started to save the show for me). Self consciously the narrative seems to recognize its own flaw in this matter and sought to address it by hanging yet another lamplight (or two) on it in the final episode but, I was over it by then.

And while Nuea did grow a bit out of his blandness, Toh never stopped being a complete nightmare (for me). Certainly as we got to know Toh better his disposition was better understood (Austen) BUT I never grew to like him, or entirely understand why Nuea liked him, either.

I DID like how very first love and gay sexual journey of discovery Toh & Nuea’s relationship was.

This was one of those rare (and much coveted) BLs where the characters actually do seem to want to bone. In fact SCOY’s Nuea & Toh are the pinnacle of that awkward first-time super-sexualized relationship in university. Like, I REMEMBER what this was like. Knowing how cool you want to be, but also just craving another human THAT BADLY you totally forget your cool.

And frankly, I like that in a YA drama. Really good, adolescent first love, shown in a positive light with a pro-sex message as well a themes of communication and safe sex? We NEVER get that from Thailand. In fact, we rarely get it in any gay shows, anywhere, BL or not BL. Just ANYWHERE. The fact that this show featured a drunk kiss that was NEGOTIATED ahead of time blew my mind. How clever. What a subtle way to address dub con. In this aspect the actors did a GREAT job, especially Billy (who played Nuea).

There was an awkward raw visceral connection going on that really worked and that previously only Taiwan and Japan have ever really bothered with. The other show that got this DOWN was HIStory 3 the BL that shall not be named.

But otherwise, I spent more time cringing than enjoying the mains. The side couples, however.

THE SIDE COUPLES!

I lost my mind first over Sky & Jao.

A confident king who falls head over heals for the sweet scared boy with self worth issues and makes know bones about his interest. Actually we have seen this trope before, but it was so perfectly done with this show.

But then at the very end they gave us Intouch & Daisy. Daisy & Intouch did not have enough screen time and I could watch a full series all about them. Their language alone was a real pleasure to listen to. I think the show didn’t have quite enough faith in standard Thai BL watchers' willingness to invest in them as a couple, over which I am quite sad. Because i get it. But in this matter, at least, I wish the show had been even more brave and boundary pushing.

In the end, for me, this show was a real doozy. It was a mix of Thai cheer meets creepy, Taiwanese in-your-face queer, and Japanese chaos muffin slapstick (like Kieta Hatsukoi). Was it successful mixing these things? Not for me.

It had a ton of things I really did not like (e.g. the humor was crass and awkward, and the whole thing was extremely CRINGE). It also had things that really worked: (e.g. representation of multiple different kinds of queerness, about which it very Taiwanese - in that there was no doubt that the characters really did want to bone). It was the opposite of sanitized gay. Honestly, if you can make it through the first half, and survive the never ending cringe-factor that IS this show, the second half is entirely unique - content we’ve never seen before in BL.

SCOY must be applauded for giving us, without question, the queerest, most honest, most truly gay Thai BL campfest that I’ve ever seen. It has to be praised for everything that it does accomplish:

beautiful peer groups;
all powerful and encompassing friendship support;
those friend’s giving equally bad advice & gossiping;
discussions of topping versus bottoming and safe sex;
examinations of wife/husband language;
concerns around body image and self-worth;
AND the gross, weird, ugly, hilarious side of all of the above.

Did I love this show?

Absolutely not.

Did I want to love it?

Yes.

Do I admire what it was trying to do and, to a certain extent, did do?

Absolutely.

SCOY drove me nuts and made me bush but had flashes of unparalleled genius.

SCOY was many things (a lot of them annoying af) but it what it was, primarily, was actually quite special.

So, I remain conflicted.

SCOY made me feel whiplash and I hate that sensation. But I love what it was attempting. I loved when it was suddenly very sexy but then I hated SO MUCH when it was suddenly not sexy at all. I certainly fast forwarded more than I watched. But when I paused to take it in, it did get fun and enjoyable.

If you like slapstick and you don’t mind cheese and cringe then you might enjoy this BL quite a bit. In the end, this one really came down to a matter of taste. It’s not to my personal taste, the narrative was hit or miss, but its intention was pure gold. This one waffled from 5-9, so I ended up just going with 7/10.

RECOMMENDED WITH RESERVATIONS, just not the usual ones

Final note, the sub team on this one was AWESOME, gotta give them a shout out.

They did mad good work.

Leggi di Più

Compelling idea but lacking any real development

I'd been looking forward to this drama since it was announced and went into it really interested and excited. Unfortunately it didn't live up to what I expected.
Truthfully I wasn't really sure what to expect, but after the writers introduced the several plotlines in the first episode, I was excited to see what they would do, and then nothing really happened. Every single plot point (connect, organ traffickers, serial killer, etc.) was underdeveloped and didn't really go anywhere meaningful. Nothing was explained (I'm guessing they're counting on another season for that) and it just sort of ended.
I also had a hard time liking the characters, which makes it really hard for me to get into a series. The only person I did like was Ha Dong Soo, but even he was a little sad and pathetic that it was difficult to get fully onboard with him. Again, I think this is due to being undeveloped.
The actors did a good job, but I don't think they were given enough to work with. Or maybe it was just how the story was actually filmed/put together. I'm not really sure, but in the end the whole thing felt like it was missing something vital.

Leggi di Più

This drama is one of my favorite light hearted rom-com dramas...The main leads Sung Deok Mi and Ryan Gold had perfect chemistry and it is fun to watch them get close to each other. At times it felt that they weren't acting and that makes it even better. Their relationship was was very mature and sweet and very honest. One thing i loved about the drama was the unique storyline which shows that Deok Mi is a fan girl which is very relatable and it's very fun and interesting to watch. The way this drama was produced, the OSTS, the acting....it was amazingg!!! I definitely recommend watching it!

Leggi di Più