Reviews

With a similar concept as Iljimae, Strongest Chil Woo is action drama that takes place in the 1600s. The drama has a lot of really cool fighting scenes and the 3-17 episodes have a lot of story packed into them. I liked Iljimae better, but this drama was still pretty good. Although the description said its like a Korean Zorro, it really isn't. The drama was more like a robin hood meets three musketeers with different costumes and specialties, than a zorro. I really liked the cast except for Koo Hye Sun's character, which I fast forwarded through all of her parts. I don't know what happened with the writing of her character, but I couldn't even stand to see her parts. Its unusual to hate the female lead but she was so annoying! Anyway, there's a really happy ending, really positive themes, and a few cute guys, so you should check it out. It doesn't drag as much as other period dramas and you can always fast forward through the long meaningful glances.

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STORY: A student is in love with his teacher, which borders on obsession. He chases his teacher in an attempt to get the teacher to admit his feelings. It's a short video and starts right in the middle of the story so it took me a minute to figure out what was going on. I watched it blindly without reading a review.

ACTING/CAST: Decent. There isn't really anybody else besides watching these two interact.

MUSIC: Unmemorable.

REWATCH VALUE: If I'm bored one day, maybe.

OVERALL: I felt a lot of pity for the student throughout the show but the ending is satisfying.

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The Shades of Justice

In this gripping thriller, we delve into a world where the boundaries of justice are not clearly defined. The story revolves around a young servant who masterminds a heinous crime, leading to the murder of his master's entire family, heirs, and servants. With their wealth in his hands, he vanishes for years, only to be confronted by justice two decades later. This short drama, spanning just 12 episodes, is a rollercoaster of enigmas, mysteries, ironies, suspense, and dark humor.

Constable Qu Sangeng, portrayed by Bai Yu Fan, embarks on a harrowing journey to uncover the gruesome murder of his beloved superior, whom he regarded as a father figure. Soon, a string of similar murders emerges, all pointing to a common culprit. Qu Sangeng must untangle the web of connections between the victims and decipher the motive. The trail leads back to an incident that occurred two decades ago at the Lu mansion, which was razed to the ground, claiming the lives of most of its occupants. Only Lu Zhi, played by Yu Yao, and a handful of others managed to escape.

As the narrative unfolds, viewers will empathize with Lu Zhi, understanding the circumstances that drove him to commit these atrocities. As a clever adolescent, Lu Zhi believed he had executed the perfect crime, unaware that someone held knowledge of his dark secret. This mysterious individual resurfaces two decades later to exact vengeance on those responsible.

While Lu Zhi's story is the genesis of these events and the serial killer's vendetta sets Constable Qu Sangeng on his quest for justice, they are not the central characters. The focus of the story shifts to Qu Sangeng and his decision to prioritize justice over personal vengeance, as well as Song Chen's struggles, portrayed by Ning Li. Both the adult Lu Zhi and the serial killer make only hidden or fleeting appearances as the story progresses.

Every character seems to harbor a motive and arouse suspicion. As the present-day plot unfolds and investigators attempt to piece together a complex puzzle, flashbacks shed light on the events from two decades ago. While the drama hints at hidden and illicit affairs, there is no central romantic subplot, reflecting the societal norms of the era.

Without good translations, some viewers may find this drama hard to understand as it is laden with riddles from verses and poems by the ancient sages. Even those well-versed in Mandarin and written Chinese may find themselves struggling with certain scenes and story elements, as the narrative moves swiftly and some details remain unexplained, catering to a more discerning audience. Rewatching becomes essential not for cherishing particular moments or characters but to gain a deeper comprehension and capture the subtleties that might have been missed.

My Verdict

This thriller is an adrenaline-pumping ride, offering a captivating storytelling format, top-notch direction, and commendable performances, with Yu Yao's portrayal of the juvenile Lu Zhi and Ning Li's portrayal of Song Chen standing out the most.

What makes this drama truly striking is its realism, even in today's world, in depicting the complex backdrop of wealth and power. Characters like Lu Yuan Bao, portrayed by Zhang Xi Lin, who transformed from a bandit to a wealthy and influential figure, highlight the murky waters of power dynamics. The story also portrays corrupt government officials who can be easily swayed, and the wealthy who, despite their outward respectability, remain to be despicable and thuggish. The concept of justice is portrayed in shades of gray, demonstrating that what one person sees as justice may be viewed as injustice from another's perspective. This theme resonates with the contemporary geopolitical landscape. For Qu Sangeng, choosing justice over personal vengeance is a wise choice given his superior's role in his father's death which he remains unaware of.

Great watch!

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Wow. When I decided to watch this drama, I didn't think it would be very good. Boy was I wrong. I never cry for dramas or movies any more, but at the end of this the tears were flowing! I never expected how it ended, though I guess I should have seen it coming. I loved the story line, and the change in the characters as the story progressed was significant. The last episode wrapped it all up nicely, though not in the way I prefer since I like "happily-ever-after" stories. Even so, the ending fit perfectly, and even now, thinking about it I feel sad :( . Watch this drama if you want to watch something you'll never forget. It will stay with you for a long time to come. It's sad, but you probably knew that already. Totally worth it. Amazing.

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"I had no regrets until I met you"

Oh Wong Kar Wai, you truly know our hearts and how to play with them and tear them apart into indistinguishable threads.

Happy Together, unfortunately overshadowed by Wong's other beautiful and worthy works like In the Mood for Love and Chungking Express, is a raw depiction of a volatile, chaotic, but passionate relationship of two men from Hong Kong. The film, outlined in a tone of melancholy and loneliness, follows the deteriorating relationship of Lai and Ho, two conflicting personalities that can't seem to find peace. Its not a comfortable watch, nor it is a romcom as its title may suggest.

As with any film by Wong Kar Wai, the cinematography is beautiful and worth re-watching for that alone. Also, Chang Chen is adorable and deserves more love, please watch it for him, please.

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a painful watch

Came here after seeing some recommendations about this on Chinese Youtube. And where to begin... I have so many thoughts and it's just so difficult to put them into proper words...

All in all, an amazing drama with an amazing story that brings out such raw emotions. Each of our main characters have incredibly fleshed out lives, and almost complete character arcs (I say this because I'm looking forward to a second season with recurring characters). They're relatable and human like the rest of us are, and I really appreciate how much show has brought to light some issues that are not always talked about. Social commentary done in this drama was also very well interwoven into our character's lives, and I especially loved how show never failed to steal a jab at widespread corruption issues here and there. I also loved how each scene was a build-up to the big issue. A mere 10 episodes, but each felt so compact and so complete.

My favourite aspect about this drama would be how each character is written. From our main characters to our supporting characters, almost each and every one showed character growth. It really is nice to see change for the better in some characters that I initially disliked. It might seem slightly idealistic, but I'm willing to believe in good.

This isn't one I'd be willing to rewatch often, simply because of how emotionally draining and grounded to reality it is, but it's definitely one I'd recommend. It's a really well-made story with great acting across the board (regardless of how small their role is), and I can't wait for Season 2!

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Reading the other reviews I was really looking forward to this one, but it does not seem to live up to the hype. Someone said that it's as good of a sitcom as Friends, but this is definitively not the case. The show is certainly funny & cute, albeit it has a lot of boring moments, especially in the early episodes. There were a few baby gags, but having seen the american Tv show "Raising Hope" I was not overly impressed. There was a lot of for the lack of a better word "anime" humor, you know the kind of humor where some event repeats 3-5 times during an episode with minor changes, when repetition is used as a tool for extra comedic effect, I'm on the fence whether it was good or not. I liked all the characters, the furry girl was especially awesome. There were some unnecessary kdrama cliches that shouldn't have been required in this genre, such as Sol's father appearing in the last episode, or Yuna having a second love interest for that "sweet" triangle......
Despite all this I had a pleasant time, but I will probably not watch it again, nor am I interested in season 2, because as usual over half of the cast is changed ..

People learning Korean should watch this show, because the pronunciation of this group of actors seems to be unusually easy to understand.

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Psychopath Diary; Where A Loser Can Mistake Himself For A Psychopath...

It’s fair to say that Psychopath Diary is perhaps one of the few Korean dramas out there which actually dares to tackle a genre not often seen in South-Korea called “ Dark Comedy”. Naturally this isn’t a theme which interests everyone out there, however, Psychopath Diary is outrageously funny and equally morbid within its tackling of our Male lead Yook Dong-Sik ( Yoon Shi Yoon ) believing he is a psychopath over the course of the drama.


When viewers are first introduced to Dong- Sik, he is an unlikely male lead. Although respectfully Shi Yoon has taken on some quite suave roles as the “leading”man in dramas such as Hit The Top and My Cute Guys, his drab outfits and curly perm help him to blend into the role as the “ everyday” and “ meek” office worker by appearing in his role as Yook Dong-Sik.

To put it into simple words, Dong- Sik is the embodiment of a “ scapegoat” and a “ loser” ( at least in the beginning of the series); a “ nuisance” to his colleagues and family ( particularly his austere father), depressed and someone who certainly wouldn’t even say boo to a ghost. Ironically his fate changes when a failed suicide attempt leads to him developing retrograde amnesia in the same sight when a serial killer ( Park Sung hoon) left behind his own diary after a murder around the same time . By being given the diary which is mistakingly believed to “ belong” to Dong- Sik, he is ironically led into believing he is a ruthless psychopath.

As you can imagine, this leads to a series of many misunderstandings and dark humour within scenes from Dong- Sik trying to “ remember” his talents by watching a bunch of serial killer movies ( such as American Psycho) to miserably failing at remembering how to lie out some coverings to cover up blood when he attempts to carry out one of his plans. However, as the series progresses, there’s also an added level of surprising progression around some of our characters in particular with our female lead and Police Officer Shim Bo- Kung ( Jung In- Sun) not as a romantic interest, but an intelligent cop in her own right with quite a heartbreaking revelation about her family life , as well of course , Dong- Sik revealing his intelligence when he begins to pursue a cat and mouse game with our charming killer Seo In- Woo ( Park Sung-Hoo).

Yet there’s no denying that whilst Psychopath Diary was a morbidly enjoyable watch, it isn’t a flawless show. The pacing of episodes in addition to the progression of storyline sometimes felt disjointed and a little dragging in addition to the comedic element ( sometimes pushed a little too far in scenes ). In addition to this the cinematography could have been more progressive and intriguing ( specifically lighting) as well as perhaps some more depth into our brushed antagonist Seo In- Woo and what made him actually tick as well.

On the other hand, Psychopath Diary was an undeniably satirical, witty and a social commentary upon many elements of Korean society ( e.g. work , drama cliches and lifestyle). Although not flawless, it is certainly enjoyable for those who are looking for something with edgy comedy, an intriguing plot and of course characters as well.

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JUST STOP!!!!!!!

If your looking for a BL workplace series PLEASE PLEASE go watch Bed Friends or A Boss & A Baby. The story is slow the character development is worse. The side characters are way more interesting. The 2 main characters had no chemistry. Who ever decided to make this show should rethink the people incharge of casting & scripts. I loved the 3 side couples &honestly think they would have developed their stories more because they all had a lovely chemistry.Nothing really happens until episode 8. I have never dropped a show in my life but i found myself fast forwarding through the last 2 episodes & they should have ended it at episode 11 because 12 is just a hodgepodge of randomness.

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So charming and yet so simple

I really liked this story. It was a little simple but so sufficiently well done as to prompt me to watch the entire series in one sitting. I think that speaks volumes in itself. The young actors are nuanced even when the plot is straightforward - adding a dimension beyond the script. I was concerned about the female support role (Winting?) ... and I kept thinking "what is her problem?" and why is she entitled to intrude into another family so rudely. That said, perhaps there is a cultural divide between China and Australia that makes it hard for me to fathom her motivation. It did not ruin the show but it did annoy me a bit.
The boys do carry the show and I like the elements of competition and collaboration that are very reminiscent of how brothers do actually behave. Bravo to the team.

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This drama is great! So beautiful, so touching, so sweet.. I love it!

Story: the story is wonderful, romantic, and dramatic. It's touching, so real. We can find love, true love, this kind of love that stay with you for life. For life, and after.

Acting/Cast: oh, God, Vic is amazing! He's perfect in this role, he's perfect for this kind of roles! He makes me cry so many times.. Eun Hye is really good, too. She plays the role of this little sweet and strong girl, and she can play it perfectly without say a word. Her eyes talk for her.. The rest of the cast is perfect, they're good actors, from Megan Lai, to the stubborn Andy Hui, to the funny Lin Mei Xiu. Thanx to all for their performances!

Music: touching, every song is perfect for the moment and for the emotions our lovers are living.. Beautiful the scene where Eun Hye/Shen Shen sings using sign language.

Rewatch Value: absolutely, I want to rewatch it!

Overall: this is a 9! A different final maybe could turn it into a 10.. But, I know, in the deep of my heart, that this final is a perfect final for this perfect story. This love story is absolutely THE love story.


"For the martians"... I know, we are a lot in this world. I hope we can find soon..

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awww. this is a very great adaptation. The scenes weren't cramped to fit in just two hours unlike other live actions. Such a sweet story where everything I want is happening haha! It's alright if you havent read the manga. You will still be able to feel it. The scenes are whole, I mean, they are connected to each other not just some different scenes put together which is for me, a bad habit of some japanese live actions.
If you try to put as much manga scenes as possible in a two-hour movie, it would definitely be cramped. I liked that this movie focused on one arc then combined it with the last arc (they left out a lot of scenes/arc from the manga but it's one of the reasons i liked this movie). It will make more sense to those who havent read the manga yet. It's like a stand alone movie, with or without the manga, you will still like it!
If you want to see and read more ItoXShimada scenes, then read the manga! hehe.

btw, Ikuta Toma and Hirose Suzu has a 14-year age gap and that struck me hard! Awesome! Sugoi! XD

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Did we need a second season of Eulachacha Waikiki? No. The first season pretty much concluded everything. Now, I am not says that the second season wasn't funny. At that part at least, it followed the first season's footsteps and it had some funny moments.
HOWEVER the romance was weak, at least most of it. The story was okay, but they didn't explain what happened to the other characters from the first season. Especially how Joon Ki ended up with the guest house or what happened to his girlfriend. Plus, the side stories were a bit so so and sometimes, boring. Finally, the story at the end was rushed.
So, six out of ten.

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Wow is all I can say to this incredible story. I watched it all in one day, and it's honestly the saddest drama I've watched to date. I've never cried this hard for any movie or drama until I watched this. The story is powerful and moving, enough that it's so hard to not cry or feel anything. But it's inspiring, the main girl, Aya, how she stays strong for as long as she can, never giving in.



The acting is superb, especially the main characters. They did a terrific job, and it makes me wonder if they had to use eye drops or if their tears were for real.



The music went along with the story, and the main song "Only Human" by K I liked a lot after watching a few episodes. It really fits.



My rewatch value is low, because, like some other reveiwers have stated, this show is very emotional and heartbreaking.



Overall, I think this show is a must watch. Why? It's inspired by a true story, and it's very moving and inspirational, making you wonder about your own place in life. You might not cry 1 Litre of Tears while watching this drama, I didn't, but I still cried a lot, especially in the later episodes. I would say you'd have to be a stone-cold person to not even feel a thing after watching this show.

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There are rarely any movies that I consider masterpieces. This movie just happens to be one of them. Not only did this movie warm my heart, it also made me cry. Lots.

I'm not going to say much but I am going to say this. This movie is a definite must see. I completely recommend it with all my heart and if you didn't like it then there must be something wrong.

This story is perfect but I gave it a 9/10 because it was so sad and it made me so mad....I'm not going to say why. You have to see it to know how I feel.

I would and wouldn't watch it again. If I decide to watch it again I don't want to watch it by myself because at the end I totally wanted to hug my mom but I was alone.

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