Reviews

One more "Flower Boy" series are over... and I am left with yet another broadly smiling face. Though I will not spill compliments that these series left me breathless, like the previous, "Shut Up Flower Boy Band", did, but this drama, in its genre of bubbly, funny, cutey-cutey-cutey, totally had me from the first moment till the last.

First of all, I am now noticing a pattern in the series as I have watched all of them, though they are called "Pretty Boy" and hey, who can say you don't see enough pretty here, but has anyone also caught him/herself on the thought that the characters crated for these series seem very real? I mean, forgetting about the bubbly front, there were real people, real feeling, real problems, and I like it so much, that it feels real watching these characters. I like characters that have depth, and the series have never failed to give me the characters. And though at first you may thing Enrique is the most funny, cute and bubbly character you could ever see, throughout the series he will show you so much humanity, so much sadness, so many unforgettable words... Though Dok-Mi may seem the girl who has closed herself and hasn't thought about her life ever since, will show you so much smile, so much strength, so much pain that she has been through and how much she grows by the end of the series, how much she changes Enrique and changes herself...

As the drama is mostly a comedy, I thought it is important to note that you'll find here not only comedy but also real characters who will make you feel for them, which I really appreciate.

This was the 3rd drama I was watching with Park Shin-Hye, and she again proved her abilities, I adore the girl.
Yoo Si-Yoon was just adorable as puppy-panda Enrique, I hope to watch other things with him.

Music was, like the drama, cute and calm. I really like the slow piece during the sad parts, and Park Shin-Hye's song, so alike her character and warm to my heart.

Leggi di Più

Don't like the ending at all!!!

This drama was great at the beginning but in my opinion she was really mean to him, and in the end he always came back to her i think she was really narcissistic and thinks only on her and not on hyuk feelings for my it wasn't fair or gain at all , and she only said that she loves him in the last episode when all he did for her from the beginning was love .
They deserve better ending, the secondary leads had better ending than theirs this was a complete disappointment for me because it was a great drama.
For me was more gain than love , for the secondary actors than them .

Leggi di Più

pure, healing and beautiful

the plot is nothing special, the story is really basic but somehow this is one of the most beautiful dramas I've ever watched, and not just in 2020.
there are 2 things I love that as long as they don't mess it up then I'll give the drama a 10/10 without a second thought. one is a strong independent smart capable diverse female character, honestly they can never go wrong when they have a female character that carries her own weight if not more.
And two is character driven slice of life healing dramas, I LOVE these types of stories, they are just raw and emotional and sad but beautiful enough to make you feel jealous

at a certain point in the drama they handled the mains "complicated" bickering relationship, they focused on Moon Sang Tae's natural jealous feelings because he was no longer his brothers "one and only" and it could've gone really badly if the writers used it for cheap angst but they handled it so beautifully that the developing relationships became 1000x better.

"mystery" wise I do think they lacked a little, but it's becasue they didn't use it for cheap thrill and looming danger but it was the base for their healing.
even throughout their "inevitable breakups" it was never about their selflessness or selfishness but it was another natural step to overcoming their past and struggles.
I was worried after ep14 that things might get off track but they stayed true to their story and I'm really pleased about where it's going

side character wise, again they lacked in delivery, the side stories and the effects they used to deliver the stories were beautiful and heartbreaking but I felt like they weren't 100% invested in their stories and they felt like mere time fillers, like Yoo Seung Jae never got any character depth and even though Jo Jae Soo was Moon Gang Tae's best friend for 10 years I couldn't understand how they all miraculously ended up in ok town (I'm sorry I don't know the name of their location xD)
that didn't make their unexpected friendships and familial bonds any less meaningful, but I wish they gave them a little more thought

the editing is beautiful, moonyoung's fairy tales and the use of fairy tale resembles, the ost and moonyoung's OOTD's just made this drama more enchanting and amazing~

I never rewatch stuff but it's only ep15 and I already miss them so much that I'm crying so I'd like to rewatch this again and again and again ;D

watching the ending I'm even happier now, this drama didn't use the past connections and the trauma as the main dish, it was always just the spice.
like in itaewon class the revenge and past trauma was the last big fight and the end was just a cleanup but this, it was always about the "cleanup" and I'm really satisfied with everything

Leggi di Più

Rich, atmospheric and utterly entrancing, Blood River is all those things and more.. It’s a fantastic concept that kept me enthralled till the last episode.. Blood River is an adventure in all the best ways.. The characters are interesting, memorable and have quirks and distinct personalities that make them feel vividly alive.. For me, this drama shines.. It’s a world filled with assassins and clans whose loyalties are written in water, where every character seems to whisper an unfinished feud.. It’s a place where righteousness is fragile, trust is a rare currency and the river runs dark with history and betrayal.. The action begins right from the first scene and never really lets up.. There’s no onerous worldbuilding, no tedious introductions, Blood River gets to the good part immediately..

Blood River has beautiful visuals and some breathtaking sequences, along with masterfully crafted fight sequences.. All wrapped in that dark, moody vibe, it was pure bliss.. And in that same vein, this drama introduces a whole lineup of compelling side characters.. While the main characters are good, the side characters are all really interesting too.. None of them are particularly well developed, but there are intriguing dynamics at play..

No idea why Peng Xiao Ran is listed as second lead or even a main lead.. Her only role seems to be lovesick for a character we are barely invested in.. Honestly, she wouldn’t be missed if she wasn’t in the drama.. She is completely underused and her story arc feels disconnected from the main plot.. The supporting cast had far better storylines to be honest.. There’s nothing else to her outside of being the girl who desperately looks for love, she has no real personality, no aspirations and nothing beyond the basic 'love me, love me, look at me' behavior..

Chang Hua Sen was really good here.. I actually felt he was even better than Gong Jun in terms of screen presence and performance.. Gong Jun’s facial expressions looked odd at times.. Even in the final reunion scene, he looked like he had eaten something bad and was wondering why the camera was still rolling..

If I had to choose a favorite character apart from the two male leads, it would be Bai He Huai.. I loved her mannerisms and her costumes were really beautiful..

Now, the world building here is rich, detailed enough and well thought out.. The plot stays consistent and true to itself.. The pacing fluctuates a bit in the last 18 or so episodes but mostly stays fast paced thanks to the huge number of fight sequences.. And that last fight was really something.. I liked that they didn’t show the main leads as overpowered, we actually got a long, hard fought battle where they had to go all out to take down their foe..

Overall, Blood River has the full spectrum of feelings.. From good to bad, joy to frustration, excitement to depression.. It puts everything together in a well balanced plot with a weave of storytelling that pulls you as far away from reality as you can possibly get.. Blood River might not have been perfect and it definitely stuck to some of the mid cliches I expected but I was pleasantly surprised by how much this story kept me interested.. Even with such a large number of characters, it managed to make me care about their lives and the outcomes of their struggles.. Well, except PXR I guess..

Then why did I rate it only 8.5?? Because the last few minutes of the drama disappointed me.. I watched 38 episodes of their struggle to reach the other shore only for the result of all that hard work to show up as a subtitle.. Like you couldn’t give us a 10 minute sequence?? And what was that whole happy ending after 12 years thing?? Just stupid.. There was absolutely no need for it.. If you are going to give us a last minute reunion, why bother separating them at all?? Was that separation even necessary?? I honestly don’t understand this obsession with time jumps for happy endings..

Well, them getting a bittersweet kind of hope instead of a dramatic ending fits the wuxia tradition, since it rarely gives perfect happy endings.. I guess it works as the completion of Su Mu Yu’s journey, with Bai He Huai returning as the light in his life and it gives an ending that isn’t fully happy or tragic, just human..

Leggi di Più

No Tale to Tell Indeed

This drama turned out to be a huge disappointment. I was initially excited to start this drama. Fantasy romance is my absolute favorite drama genre. I thought the first 4 episodes were the strongest. They set the story up nicely and I thought we were going to get a descent story. Unfortunately, after the 4th episode, this drama just faded into a nothing burger. Nothing interesting really happened. There wasn't much growth in the characters. The shaman plot was so ridiculous and unnecessary. The other villain was annoying at best. I honestly should've dropped this around episode 7 or 8 but I felt if I made it that far, I might as well finish the last few episodes. Save your time on this one, there are much better dramas to watch.

Leggi di Più

The revenge was meh.

I love revenge plots, especially in the hands of a highly intelligent and capable female protagonist but with the proper motivation, of course. And, there was no doubt that the people who made Moon Dong-eun's (Song Hye-kyo) life hell on earth were all more than deserving of the kind of old school, biblical vengeance reserved for the very wrathful God of the Old Testament.
And, actually, I thought that the series might have wanted to say something about the hot-button issue of school bullying and spousal abuse but opted instead (in typical K-Drama fashion) to focus on the obligatory fan service of a romantic pairing of the two leads with less than zero chemistry between them.
The level of gratuitous violence on display in both parts 1 & 2 felt unnecessary at times because the payback was nowhere equal to the damage inflicted on the victims.
Maybe if she would've exacted her revenge in the very gym where the majority of the bullying took place I would've felt more satisfied with the conclusion.

Leggi di Più

Only two episodes and I'm already obsessed with them.

Oh my God,
A masterpiece or A legendary drama or what..?? 🤌 What I just saw man. 😍 I just got mesmerized by this Series. I don't know how this story will turn further, only thing I know that I can't wait for the next episodes to be aired.

Both the main characters is likable and not just only the main but the supporting characters also quite fun to watch. When it comes to main characters chemistry and sexual tension between them that is also super fine. I thoroughly love this series .

Just please don't be a sad series don't know why but i'm getting sad vibes. 🥺

Nothing much for now, I'm just in love with this series ❤️ and waiting for more episodes.

Leggi di Più

I only watched this show because Lee Min Ho was in it. The plot did sound funny to me but it turned out to be completely different from what I expected it to be.

Sorry to say, but the pairing is one of the worst I have ever seen. Their chemistry was just lousy and the characters terribly annoying. I stopped caring where the story went after 8th or 9th episode. It got better at this time and suddenly it went downhill again. It seemed more like a sex comedy at times.

Also, this show is poorly written. None of the sub-plots or side characters were interesting. All of them could have been killed in an airplane accident and I wouldn't have cared. I only watched it out of boredom. I absolutely hated the character of Park Gae In. She was clumsy, childish, annoying and dumb. She looked old but acted like a little child. I get that she never had the love of a mother, but that doesn't mean she has to stay crippled like a loveless child for her entire life. The only good quality she had was that she was caring towards the people she loved. Other than that, it was hard to stand her. Jin Ho's character was also boring and lacked depth. He was standoffish throughout the entire show. I really never understood his character. It had a lot of negative traits as well.

The show is not very enjoyable. I would not recommend it to anyone. There are much better shows out there. Go and rewatch your favorite drama than watching this absolute trash.

Leggi di Più

This drama is the perfect example to show you how a drama with thrill, crime and msytery on its genre should be done! I've seen my share of this genre and they usually can't pull it off at least not in a way that would make me anticipate for 16 eps long and to actually work my brain out trying to find answers. The Village: Achiara's Secret promised me a thrilling journey and it definitely fulfilled that promise (that's a tough promise to keep considering 16 eps long).

Story
NO ROMANCE that's the best thing about it because it is fully focused on the story no distractions no useless characters or side stories or scenes. I can't really explain much about the story without spoiling it, I wouldn't say the perfect story cus it's not it actually has holes which weren't covered. However, the story wasn't just about crime, mystery, thrill it actually delivers feelings and meaning behind it all.

Acting
I gave it 9/10 because I think if it wasn't for everyone's FLAWLESS (except for one person) performance this drama wouldn't have worked out. Though all dramas require great cast with great acting skills, a drama with these genres in particular requires much more than great acting to pull it off. No matter how thrilling the storyline is without the right cast it will never work out. I personally give BIG applause to Shin Eun Gyeong, Yook Sung Jae, Jang Hee Jin and Choi Jae Woong the most. Surprisingly though in terms of performance Moon Geun Young was the weakest of them all (I don't know if it was because of the character).

Rewatch
Definitely not, the kind of category that this drama falls in makes it a none rewatchable drama. Once the mystery is solved there is no point in watching it again (at least not to me).

Overall
This drama needs to get more audience on the (currently watching) it's a good one and worth the attention. One more important point it's thanks to this drama I started to like this genre even more now. I highly recommend it

Leggi di Più

A good plot executed poorly!

A compelling synopsis. One more korean fantasy rom-com which I love a lot. A good casting. Handsome and wanna-know-him kind of serial killer. Still, it didn't make me fall in love with this drama. What went wrong?
It has two interesting aspects - Fantasy and Romance. I would have loved it even if one was poor and the other was great.

First, Romance:

The leads fell in love very quickly as it seems like they were forced to love each other. Ok, I kind of accept the reason that ML had, but FL has no reason other than he can see the death of other persons. It was like - he sees death, I kind of feel pity for him, It seems he loves me, and the director asked me to like him, so from now on I'm going to love him. More or less I felt like this when they started to date. If some unknown person who can see the death follows me wherever I go and asks me to stay in his place, I would BLOCK that person forever from my life. But still she UNDERSTANDS him when she knew nothing about him and befriends him and little later fell in love with him.

And the story goes like they love each other to the end of the world and are willing to sacrifice themselves for the other but I couldn't find how they fell head over the heels for each other and why! Don't even start about the chemistry between the leads. They just started to date for all the sh**ty reasons they can find but there was no chemistry what-so-ever. I know, It was not THAT bad, still this is not the romance I would have expected to see after watching many romantic Kdramas.

Next, Fantasy:

I would have loved this drama if the fantasy plot was done correctly despite its romance. But there was full of potholes in the drama that there was no space in the plot without holes! lol If I started to explain, then I would end up by telling the whole story so let me just say that if you have any switch off mode in your brain, then watch this drama. Otherwise this drama is not at all good for your mental health. There's little to no help to the story with ML's ability - a non fantasy murder investigation drama would have moved much faster than this drama. The frustration that this drama gives you is no joke. Especially if you have any expectation. The drama did move much better and use the fantasy plot better at the end of the 15th episode. But isn't it too late?!

Third, Characters:

As I said earlier, not only the leads have no chemistry but the story was also designed like they had no brains too. The idea that ML had to stop the serial killer and the way FL went to CATCH the serial killer were dumbest moves that I have ever seen in dramaland.

The only character that seems interesting enough was the killer who was introduced pretty early. He seemed like he has so many layers that we will get to know about him slowly and Wow! that's a huge disappointment. With all the build-ups they give for him at the beginning and the wonderful acting of him with the face full of conflicts - he was a refreshing role in the drama but they made him nothing but a psycho as the drama progressed. And I seriously don't know the concept of the other characters pitying the serial killer and telling that they're trying to understand him. For God's sake, the writers should wake up from the dream. They are the ones who never explored his character and they wanted us to pity him for now. The only thing I can pity for him is that all those golden acting he gave, got wasted in this drama.

It has a nice setting for the supporting characters but not even one character was explored fully. Thus I felt no connection with them even when their lives were in danger.

Overall:

It has it's own sweet and nail-biting moments, but that was very little that those scenes alone couldn't make this drama better.
If it was one of my first few Kdramas, I would have given a ten. But after watching many kdramas, I can surely say this is not worth that much. So many plot holes, no character exploration and the scenes which were repeating itself made this drama an uninteresting one for me.

Leggi di Più

Right or wrong is only a matter of perspective.

I love a show that makes me engaged. That makes me think and question presented topics. That makes me want to think how I would react if I was presented with the same ideas, what would be my questions and doubts, and who would I side with. That makes me analyze the statements of the characters trying to figure out what flaws they might have, and in what aspects they are correct. Three-Body is all that.

I saw quite a number of people say that you need to be patient with this show to enjoy it. I would honestly disagree. Being patient means you need to tolerate something negative, and I see no such a thing in the show. Slow pace? For me it added to the charm of it. The even pacing, how each time they dropped a new hint, they added a few more questions, the mystery of it all, the lack of answers - for me, these are exactly the things I loved about it. So if someone finds these annoying, I don’t think any level of patience will make them like Three-Body in the end.

My favorite aspect of the drama was how it exposed the limits of human’s perception and cognition. How limited we are by our beliefs, hopes, motives, experiences and even biological aspects. We are painfully biased towards our own species. But it also shows how normal that is and that it can be, at least to some extent, overcome.

Not to mention the diversity of the characters in terms of their personalities, motivations, moralities. It’s truly an art how they slowly showed all the layers of the characters, their perspectives and plans. It was a perfectly crafted journey. They knew exactly when to disclose different information to keep the interest of the viewers.

How hard is it to understand the show? I’m not gonna lie, it’s not an easy watch, but that comes from someone who knows exactly nothing about physics. I had to rewatch a few scenes to understand the theories, some google searches also helped. All that is not needed to get the big picture, but it adds to the viewing experience.

Were there any things that bothered me or could potentially bother others? Yes. Since the drama invites you to analyze everything and pay attention to all the details, it’s also easier to pick up some inconsistencies. That said, a lot of them can be excused by the unreliable narrator at any given moment and their own goals in sharing some, but not all information, and at times even distorting it.

What’s more - we don’t get clear cut answers for a lot of questions asked. Some of it might be the result of the drama being based on just the first book in the trilogy, but some seem to be left vague with no hope for solid answers even in next installments. I can clearly see how this could piss off many people, me being weird, I actually enjoyed it. The fact that I had to form my own theories on why some things happened based on the hints and bits of information was an additional entertainment for me.

There were two moments in the drama that made me go: okay, that’s dumb. That said, two scenes in 30 episodes is a ration of dumbness I can easily ignore.

Last criticism I have is the whole existence of Mu Xing - she did not bring anything new or important to the table. She did not offer an interesting perspective nor a unique take on the events happening. She was there as a plot device and I find it a bit disappointing.

For the performances - some were better than others, but all were great. Chen Jin and Wang Zi Wen did an amazing job portraying the same characters in different moments of her life. You can see the changes in her, but she still seems like the same person. I loved Yu He Wei as Shi Qiang and he easily became my favorite character. I loved his bond with Wang Miao, and even though they could not exist in more different worlds, they formed a perfect partnership.

One performance that seemed a bit flat was Li Xiao Ran as Shen Yu Fei - she was supposed to be this driven woman with a mission, but she overall just seemed numb and detached.

The production value was perfection. I truly have zero complaints. I loved the small animation bits explaining the Farmer and Shooter theories, I loved the game graphics, I loved the set designs. I especially loved everything about how the past story was presented. So many aesthetically beautiful moments.

Talking about Three-Body, I need to mention the soundtrack. I was in awe from the first seconds of any of the songs and even just the ambient sounds used for many scenes. It added so much to the storytelling and perfectly built the atmosphere.

Overall, I could not recommend it more if you like complex stories that require full attention and some additional brainpower for theory making, since they don’t really spoon feed you all the answers. How much you can enjoy the show depends on how much you are motivated to figure out the mystery and story behind the characters.

Ps. Can it be viewed as stand alone? Kind of. Depends on how much of a closure you are expecting.
Ps 2. I need 2nd season yesterday.

Leggi di Più

Mew's Silver Chain Had Me VEXED

Listen,
Being a stupid arse is o-kay, but, being a stupid arse and acting like some sort of saint, is not okay!
GAWDDD Mew had me pulling my hair in this. Dafug you mean your 2-days old boyfriend cheated on you with your thirsty friend so you're going to... *check notes*

1) Become an alcoholic (How's that gonna effect Top's liver ho?)
2) Do drugs (Bish did your mama drop you on your head?)
3) Swing your friend who is in love with you along? (For shame!)
4) Buy an ugly arse shirt and... (Literally, he looked like a divorce dad from Santa Monica.)
5) THAT silver CHAIN... (Boy, if you don't take that shit off!)

It bust my mind. That's it? That's your revenge? Is that suppose to hurt Top? Was that his brilliant plan? And what in the world was that chain???? Was that supposed to be some sort of indication that he's now bad? DUDE!! ARRRGGG. EW. Every time he was on screen I skip forward like... not today satan! Y'all ain't gonna stress me out.

And some people out there making tiktok videos talking about how Boston is a red flag. He was the only tolerable character on that show. Matter of fact, he was my fav, cuz at least, he knew he sucks and should dig a hole and die. But noooo, Mew... GAWWWDDDDD I hated that character so much. I tried but I couldn't stand him and Top.

The other characters were okay. SandRay did not annoy me as much as TopMew. The storyline was nothing to write home about. And that stupid arse silver chain did it no favours. Also, how is Mark in everything? I'm not complaining, he managed to make me love him in 'My School's President', but damn dude, do you have time to sleep?

Anyway, Mew count your days, it's on sight!!

Leggi di Più

The Journey of a Flower is a wonderful drama based on a very much loved book. If you enjoy martial arts, cheesy CG effects, men with long hair and you are new to Chinese dramas this is for you! On the other hand if you are looking for a short, modern and simple romance story you should maybe stay away.

STORY:
The story is one of the strong points of this drama. I rarely watch a drama without skipping at least a few minutes, but there was no need to do that with this one. Entertaining things and characters were going on everywhere and at all times. There are plot holes and very strange moments where something really weird happens, but I found out that 4 episodes worth of material were cut from the aired TV version and the cut material would've made everything make more sense. Overall though the beginning and middle of this drama were almost flawless and the story flowed well and kept you watching... even in the middle of the night XD If the cut material had been included the end part of the drama would've been excellent as well.

ACTING/CAST:
The cast was also great! I especially enjoyed the main actors. Huo Wallace (Bai Zi Hua) did a wonderful job portraying a godlike, statuesque man suffering constant inner turmoil. It is too bad that I don't think his real voice is used in the drama, but I guess this is often done in Chinese dramas. Zhao Zanilia (Hua Qian Gu) was the first female character I've encountered that managed to pull off that perfectly "innocent" & "pure" woman that is so often portrayed in Asian dramas, without being the least bit annoying. She also made her character feel strong at the same time. The supporting cast was also great and certainly offer the female viewers some good options in the male department ;)

MUSIC:
I enjoyed most of the music. Especially the end credit song was a really melodramatic ballad that built the mood of the entire series. There were also some really nice flute themes played throughout the drama that helped you immerse yourself in the story.

REWATCH VALUE:
I've read that there will be a DVD version of the series that will have all the material that was cut out. I will definitely watch this entire series when I get my hands on that DVD... especially since I know that most of the things cut out were cut because they were too risqué! ;)

OVERALL:
You might think that this series does not deserve a 9/10 since they sort of butchered a lot of their good work by cutting out important scenes, but still I was glued to my screen until the very last moment and this series opened the world of Chinese dramas to me. Some of the special effects are terrible, but I don't think they took away from the storytelling. Watch the first episode and you should know if this is for you or not!

Leggi di Più

It just OKAY

Excellent acting,well written plot. The show creates too much question to make the audience keep watching. The whole questions got answered only on the final episodes. Everything fall into place. And you begin to "...oh thats whyyy."

To be honest i enjoy the early episodes more. Its thrilling but in the midst its draggy and quite boring. Mouse is just okay for me. I like it but not that much. Imagine spend around 40+ hours for a drama and the final episode got nearly 2 hours? I feel i aged 20 years by watching it. The romance between Ba Reum and Bong Yi like nah????? Idk.

Would i rewatch or recommend? Absolutely NO.

Leggi di Più