Reviews

The Best Time Travel Mini Mini Drama Love Story You Will Ever Watch

This is my first and possibly last review. The only reason I am writing this is to persuade more people to watch this, in spite of it's low rating of 8, it really deserves 9.5 as a minimum!

I caveat it as a mini mini drama because each episode is on average 3-6 minutes long. There's not even an opening or ending song just a couple of repeated tracks. So you are totally focussed on the drama.

I really like this premise - Zhong Xiao Xiao goes back in time and actually gets to know the guy she has a crush on. She had a longstanding crush on Xu Yang who never knew anything, and I don't think she really knew him either just thought he was cute. Left school, that was it, all left behind.

Won't spoil it except to say she gets to know him and she gets to know other people along the way.

What stands out for this series is they manage to fit in a cohesive time travel story, relationship developments, comedy golden moments and even angst all in a matter of minutes in an episode. No fillers involved, and you truthfully just want more of their story.

Fine nuanced acting is in every second (we only have minutes to play with) here for all the key actors in their stories - you will feel the sadness/elation with the characters for the 4 minutes that the drama is on. I highlight episodes 9, 20 and 24 as great examples of these.

Many seem to think this would make great movie but I beg to differ - the way this was edited and shot was just excellent, drama series style - designed to give you that lingering cliffhanger feeling and wanting more with each episode closure. IN 4 MINUTES! And they achieved it with every episode.

Please, please watch this and give these 2 lead actors and the production crew the credit they deserve. And watch it without spoilers - I mean the drama is pretty short, no need to make it shorter by spoiling it 😆 The surprises/plot twists uncovered were all pretty good/unexpected, rest assured.

GO WATCH IT!

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I was highly anticipating this dorama because it sounded like the cliched rom-com one may want to watch to pass the time, and I wasn't wrong.

The plot is not original, it's something we might have seen a thousand times over. If I had to summarise it in under 50 words, this is what I'd say: ''Tsundere president of hotel company falls in love with pretty employee. He's the best at his job but sucks at love. Mayhem ensues.''
To be fair though, this rom-com may be something more than your usual tsundere rich guy/pretty and pure employee story, but don't expect to find out about what it is that makes it different until the very end.

Let's talk about the characters. We have Ohno Satoshi as Samejima Reji, the brattiest 2 years old in the body of a 30-something years old you'll ever meet. He'll make you root for him, love him, then despise him around the 5th episode's mark, and then kinda like him again in the end. It's seriously a roller-coaster.
Haru plays Shibayama Misaki, Samejima's love interest, and does so convincingly. Amazing at her job, she's capable of standing up for herself when needed, which is good, but her habits of speaking in keigo really gets to you after a while. Overall, a likeable character, though.
Let's move on to my favourite character: Muraoki, Samejima's secretary! She's sassy, independent, strong, amazing, and awesome. She tells it like it is and she's quite simply the best. A+.
Finally, I'm not going to mention the rest of the characters, but each and everyone of them was a nice addition. Shout-out to Miura for being the best clueless buffoon ever.

The acting was good, albeit a little over the top at times (but I kinda liked that because it was fitting.) I loved Samejima's facial expressions so much. They were the funniest hands down.
Also, having watched Haru in some interviews and programs and stuff, where she barely speaks or moves at all, I was pleasantly shocked to see she's a good actress. There's nothing, or little, of Haru in Misaki.

I loved the music! The ending theme is, of course, Arashi, and it's a very catchy song.

I'm not one for rewatching doramas, but this was so good, so I'm definitely gonna watch it again sometimes in the next few years.

All in all, this is a great dorama. Funny as heck. Made me go as far as watching it without subtitles because I couldn't wait - and my Japanese is basic at best! Also, I believe the ending is probably hinting to a second season or a SP (more probable), so I'm holding my breath for that.

Definitely recommended for those of you looking for:
-a (somehow different kind of) rom-com
-a tsundere main lead (it doesn't get any more tsundere than Reiji, istg)
-a funny dorama with typical Japanese over-the-top acting
-(kinda) realistic portrayal of some aspects of romantic relationships

Isanami suyao ;)

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This was an enjoyable movie. There are some cliches which you will recognize if you have seen movies with a roughly similar premise, but to a large extent the story remains unpredictable and full of tension. I particularly liked the first half of the movie, while the second half sort of dampened my interest. Since this is called 'Part I', I was reassured that the missing links in the movie would come. Personally, I think that one weakness in the movie is a strong motivation behind Koo Ja Yoon's actions. Why does she desperately want to live? Is there something she must necessarily do? What drives her?
If you've seen 'The Silenced' starring Park Bo Young, then you might find the synopsis similar, however this one is a more bloody, brutal version. If you don't like blood and gore, I suggest you don't watch it.
Kim Da Mi's acting in this movie was amazing, and I'm glad she's won so many awards for it.

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Do you know this feeling when you just finished watching something completely surprising, unique and brilliant? Right after experiencing something like that I’m always feeling empty inside, like I’ve poured all my emotions and thoughts into this particular movie/drama and it’s the only thing I can think about for days. Well, thanks to Love Exposure I feel like an empty shell again, but hell I don’t regret watching it at all.

This movie is something I would never ever imagine myself watching and liking. Why? First of all, it lasts nearly 4 hours (3h57 to be exact) – why would anybody release such a long movie? "There’s no way that it will keep me interested through the whole thing, it’s just too much!" I thought something along those lines. Now I can tell you all: this movie is not boring even for one second, on the contrary: I was surprised it ended so soon and wanted more! And guess what? The original movie lasted 6 hours (sic!) but the producers forced the director to shorten it so the audience wouldn’t be scared off by its length.

Another thing why I shouldn’t like this movie: it’s plot is completely and utterly ridiculous. How sick has a person be to write a story about a young catholic boy who wants to please his father so much that he becomes a king of perverts? Who would believe that a story about sick ways of loving would ever become popular or awarded? And what about this returning motive of a hard-on; how many scenes of the main guy struggling with an erection can one movie contain?! Also, this thing that it’s based on true story – so there really is a guy who roams around Tokio and takes “panty shots” using kung fu techniques?... You may think this sounds a lot like American Pie or any other movie for horny teenagers - well, you’re partly right, but apart from perverted stuff, this film has so much more to offer.

The acting is simply brilliant. I watched this movie because of Mitsushima Hikari – I’ve seen her in Soredemo, Ikite Yuki where she played a weird, soft-hearted girl and was really convincing as such, so when I saw a poster of Love Exposure with her showing a “fuck off” gesture I was immediately intrigued. Can she really play somebody like Yoko who’s crude, vulgar and provoking? Hell yes! I couldn’t believe she’s the same girl who played in Soredemo, she’s just a completely different person here, both in terms of character and looks. I am her die-hard fan now – she is for sure among the most talented Japanese young actresses.

As for a main male character in this drama I have a confession to make: I had no idea who Nishijima Takahiro was before today. I haven’t seen anything with him and his photo on MDL is not his best in my opinion – he looks too feminine for my taste, so I wasn’t too eager to see him in action. Well, another surprise: I simply love this guy! His smile melts my heart, every time he grins I want to hug him and never let go. He’s just too lovable for his own good, really! Plus he’s an amazing actor, he did a great job portraying Yu and that wasn’t easy, because this character was so exaggerated that if it would be any other actor I guess I would take this movie only as a disgusting comedy (eg. scenes with his countless hard-ons). Thanks to him I felt all kinds of emotions: from dying of laughter or shouting in frustration to holding back my tears; he made this strange king of perverts, Honda Yu, real. But I have one request to this guy: keep your hair black, you look so much better like that!

As for a rest of the cast, they were amazing too. Ando Sakura as a psychotic Koike was just terrifying, I felt sick whenever she was on screen – the things she does here are really disturbing sometimes (or nearly every time). Yu’s father, Yoko’s step mother and Yu’s friends – they all were strong points of this movie too; I especially loved this blond thug friend who was like a tag king or something, he was adorable.

As for a music I already downloaded main song from this movie on my mp3 – it’s really catchy and I swear I have already heard it somewhere before!

To sum this long review up, I really recommend you to watch this movie. Don’t be scared off by lots of weird perverted things that tend to go really overboard, they give this movie an air of originality and some of them are simply hilarious (kung-fu moves for panty-shooting are my favorite!). Also, watch making of Love Exposure on youtube, there are interviews with the movie’s director – this guy is really dedicated to his job, I have to watch other things made by him too!

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At first I really liked this drama. It was fast paced and had interesting plot. The casting is amazing and the acting is really good. I enjoyed the subtle humour and I loved the romance between two of the side characters.

But after a couple of episodes I started to feel bored. Na Yi Je (the main character) was just too smart and too prepared. It wasn't about what is going to happen next, it was about how he is going to outsmart everyone with his new magic trick. It took away some of the excitement. Also the characters were really one dimensional. I found the last two episodes absurd, it was absolute makjang lol.
I was also annoyed with the fact that no one view Lee Jae In as a heiress to the company although she was one of the smartest and most competent characters in the series (second only to Na Einstein - a god among humans).
Also the medical part of the drama was really bad but it probably won't bother too many people.

Overall it's a decent drama and I do recommend it if you have some time to kill and like the revenge genre.

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my interpretation

before i watched this film, i decided to look up the reviews and overall were mixed. this film has its flaws. yet, i don’t considered a bad film. the story to me was about someone’s personal struggles over sexuality, love, lust, & confusion. Shane, one of the main leads, he seems to be confused about his sexuality. not only that, he is in conflict with his feelings between his girlfriend and his best friend. Jonathan, Shane’s best friend, is secretly in love with Shane. He is always there for Shane and can be seen to be very valuable to Shane. I believed Jonathan played such a vital role in Shane’s life that when Shane saw himself losing Jonathan, he realized hidden feelings. I think Shane genuinely loved his girlfriend and Jonathan. he was in a battle with himself. He seemed he couldn’t make up his mind and didn’t want to lose either. Obviously, his girlfriend and Jonathan had to bring Shane to his senses and make him choose. which is where i found the biggest flaw of this film, the ending !! we get no closure or dropped hint of what comes next. we are left with such vague ending.

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Usually japanese dramas are better in the psychological genre, but wow, this drama definitely surprised me.

The story is engaging and fully thought out, every episode unveils its own mystery and sets fire to another. What i enjoyed about this drama especially is how it played with the viewer's mind. The story leads you in one direction until you realize you've been looking at it in an entirely wrong perspective.

The characters are well developed and the actresses/actors were well suited for their role. Angela Chang did a wonderful job playing the identical sisters and i definitely enjoyed Julian Yang's portrayal of Jia Wei.

I finished this drama within a day (watched it till 3am in the morning OTL) and highly recommend it to others. :D

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I personally think this is the best kdrama from first half of 2019 or at least in top 3.

If I was to compare out of the trilogy this would be my standing on it.
Voice 3> Voice> Voice 2

Story:
From start to finish, there was so much going on and nothing was slow. The antagonist was well written. Also Kouske! kouske, kouske. Boy did I love how he stayed true to his character! It took alot of things Voice 2 needed improvement and truly made it into a masterpiece. Also thank god there was no romance or else the whole show could have been ruined!

Acting/Cast: Amazing acting from Lee Jin Wook, Kang Center, and the antagonist. However, I think there could have been some improvements from the call center support cast such as Seo Eun Seo and Kim Woo Suk.

Music: it fitted well especially BLOO Open Your Eyes was such a good modern match! I wish they played it more in the show.

Ending: I liked the ending. It was great.

Hoping OCN create a season 4 plss ;) there is so many possibilities, it is a waste not to.

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It took me a while to come around to watching this but I am glad I did. I discovered Park Shi Hoo and Kim So Yun! This show is deceptive at first. It comes off as a 'typical spoiled rich girl learns a lesson' drama but it becomes much deeper than that.

I love when a character grows so much in a drama that she is like a new person and yet, she has kept the best elements of herself intact. This is true of the male lead as well.

I became addicted to the love story and how that love creeps up on both of them unexpectedly. The plot progesses nicely and its an interesting hook and plot turn with Park Shi Hoo's character that I had not seen before. Now I want to go find and watch other dramas with either actor in them. The only problem? I want "Fly High" to get out of my head!

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7 Episodes of chase

This show makes me so angry... I enjoyed watching it to an extent, because I like Yim & Tutor, have since Cutie Pie and I liked Yim's character in Bed Friends but their chemistry in this one felt a little off to me, I'm not sure If the characters are supposed to be a little awkward (i haven't read the novel) but Jade didn't seem like this in Bed Friends.

-The spicy scene between Jade and Mai was so good, they were holding out on us, and Mai doing everything with his tongue made me feel things I shouldn't, personally its right under King and Uea's scenes, Mai's tongue, and lips and the rose was a paid actor.. Also Jade knew exactly what he was doing, he wasn't shy during the bed scenes

Jade & Mai - These two made me mad, for 7 episodes They were playing chase with each other, and then of course on the last episode we saw them being cute and cuddly and it just made me upset because I like these two together and would've like to see them in love more than one episode - I hope they get another series together soon- also the beginning of Ep 8 when they kiss, Toturs big lips devor Yim and i needed more of that.

Uea & King - I will forever love these two, I know that this show isn't about them and they were just the side helping BUT I needed more of them, just like a little more. Their spicy chemistry is next level and I wish we could've seen just a smidge more of them.

Tong & Gus - Same for these two, I have loved them together since Friends Forever but we didn't get to see much of them, I hope they can have another show together. I think what we got of them was so good and they have great chemistry

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IU

I know it won’t resonate with everyone, but for me it is a very rare 10/10.

An emotional rollercoaster that'll leave you feeling a whole range of things. It's one of those shows that slowly creeps up on you, quietly tugging at your heartstrings until you're a sobbing mess.

IU's performance as Ji-an is simply breathtaking. She completely embodies the character, bringing a raw, unfiltered emotion to the screen. You can feel her pain, her loneliness, and her resilience in every scene. Her transformation from a lost, troubled soul to a stronger, more hopeful person is both inspiring and heartbreaking. Every glance, every gesture, every tear – it's all so raw and real.

Lee Sun-Kyun, as always, delivers a stellar performance. His portrayal of Park Dong-hoon, a weary, middle-aged man, is both poignant and relatable. He captures the character's quiet desperation, his loneliness, and his gradual growth with such subtlety and nuance. You can see the weight of the world on his shoulders, and his slow, steady journey towards healing is both heartwarming and heartbreaking.

The supporting cast is equally impressive. Each character, no matter how small, is a fully-realized individual with their own unique story. The show delves deep into their backstories, adding layers of complexity and depth to the narrative. From the quirky and lovable office workers to the troubled family members, each character brings something unique to the table.
My Mister is a slow-burn drama that rewards patience. It's a show that's not afraid to tackle tough issues like loneliness, grief, and the meaning of life. But it's also a show about the power of human connection, the importance of empathy, and the beauty of finding solace in unexpected places.

One of the things I love most about My Mister is the way it explores the complexities of human relationships. The bond between Ji-an and Park Dong-hoon is a unique and beautiful one. It's a testament to the power of human connection and the transformative nature of empathy. Watching their relationship develop, from initial distrust to deep friendship, is a truly heartwarming experience.

The cinematography is perfect. The soundtrack is perfect.

• The power of connecting with someone
• Amazing performances by IU and Lee Sun-Kyun.
• Loneliness, healing, and friendship.
• GOATed OST
• Great supporting cast

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This drama was unnecessarily long. I couldn't wait for it to end and endured thirty something episodes. The last few episodes were good. Just watch the first few episodes to get the gist of the story and the watch the remaining 4 eps to finish off this show.
There were no chemistry between Hawick and Yan Song. It was like pulling teeth out of her to get some kind of an emotion. She's like a robot. There were only a few scenes that you can see some potential from her. Hawick seemed to have carried the weight of this drama. I like the supporting cast members. The boy was too cute. Loved his awesome curly hair. The designer couple was great. They made the scenes with Yan Song bearable. Not sure what Yan Song's frenemy's role was in here. Was she an nemesis or a friend. I liked how they killed off Hawick's rivalry.
I would not recommend this to anyone. Bad bad bad....unless you wanna see Hawick's handsome face.

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