Reviews

I picked this drama without expecting too much, since the long synopsis already outlines the drama plot. But once I started I kept wanting to watch the next scene or episode, curious to know what the leads were going to do. Unlike other voluntary time-altering dramas that the protagonists fix the past problems, this drama gives freedom for the three male leads (who initiate the time altering) to do whatever they want to do to follow their hearts. I am also surprised that it is not like a typical Thai drama/lakorn, and definitely free of slap/kiss, attempted sexual assault scenes, or other overly dramatic plot. Also, no mean villains or 'in-laws', and not much of elders involvement. Although as the story goes it gets darker, but I feel like this drama is aimed towards young adults viewers, because of the casual advice given on how to choose wise decisions and no presentation of severe punishments of what they have done.
About the ending. Along the drama, there were discussions in GMMTV official Youtube channel (where the English subbed drama was aired) until the final episode on who should end up with who or if someone should end up happily or not. I think the ending is more like a fan-service with satisfying ending, for this drama I am okay if the ending was different than what was presented.
Now the technical stuff. I think the director Dan did a decent job directing this drama with multiple main characters/couples and multiple stories. Lol, even if he did not do a good job there will be a Second Chance beer he can take (a cameo appearance of the director in the closing scene). Also to say the editing is not bad although the viewers are left with some confusions to figure out whether the scene we saw is the reality, the future, or just the dream or wish of the characters. Perhaps some confusing scenes were purposely done to leave the mysterious vibe of the drama.
Some acting are good as all main actors/actress are not newcomers. Some viewers commented that actors/actresses like Nanon, Singto, and Puimek have improved their acting skills in this drama, but since I have not watched lots or any of their works I cannot really judge them. The only thing that I like that some characterization are ambiguous, who can be villains and characters that you may hate at some point in this drama. I am glad that Tor character is remained mysterious: is he just a bar owner, a moonshiner who invented a secret beer recipe, a tarot card fortune teller, an angel, or God?
Whatever Tor is, I applauded Singto Numchok (who played as Tor) as a singer and musician, since the OST song "Second Chance" he wrote and sang is so catchy, a nice sing-a-long song with Caribbean tone. Here is the official MV link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RWxjrGM_3WM
Rewatch value? Not really, since you already know how the leads decisions end then the magic is gone. The only thing I may want to rewatch is the OST music video.

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I want to stop everything… just to be with you

I was getting a lot of A Tale Of Thousand Stars vibes from the series when it started. And I was here for it, I absolutely loved ATOS. But I am also extremely glad that Sky In Your Heart took a different direction. I think the locations were beautiful. I love how we really get to see two extremes of the world in the two Star & Sky series – the sea and the mountains. I think it was a smart play on things from the perspective of creating the series.

Fah & Prince: I didn’t want Fah to see Prince just as a rebound from his ex that he was still not really over. So as their relationship developed, I was glad that Prince was shown to be much more to Fah than just a rebound. Fah was taking things slow, and I do appreciate his reasoning behind it – their lives on the mountain are far from reality, so taking things slow is what they both needed. I like the sass that Prince threw at Fah. He might come from money, but he is a surprisingly down to earth person that cares deeply about everyone around him. And while he did appear to be afraid of letting people get too close too quickly, it does make a lot of sense why. I really like that the two had good communications (most of the time), which helped their relationship move forward nicely. Another thing I liked about the two is that just because they are opening to each other and getting closer, their fears and past experiences don’t just disappear. They are still valid, and they still have an impact on both. I like that while some things were shown in a romanticized version, we also saw some very realistic portrayals of situation. One that sticks with me is Fah’s personal live vs. work life dilemma that seems to be a constant struggle for him. Just like it often is for doctors in real life.

Kluen & Dao: The little clips of the two in each episode are adorable. Fah overprotectiveness might be a bit too much at times, but I like it how Kluen doesn’t really look too bothered by it. Actually, he is, but he doesn’t let it dictate his and Dao’s relationship. And the fact that Dao saw through Fah the moment he used the “I have a friend who…” lines was so funny. We all know that the friend is the person asking, but we don’t often see others calling people out for that silliness.

Other side characters were a lot of fun too. I am not really sure why Mesa and JJ had to be on the mountain as well, they weren’t driving, but at least Fah had some help when it came to dealing with his feelings. Even if they were not always helpful. Prince’s mom is an absolute icon! She had me fooled for a bit, even if it didn’t make much sense in relation to how Prince acts and who he is. The chief, the kids, Yayah and the rest of the villagers were a nice addition as well. I do admit Yayah was my favorite of them all. Sincere is basically Typhoon 2.0. I really wanted to hate him, but his actions do make a lot of sense. He loves Prince and he wanted the best for him. He failed to realize that Prince might be the one who knows what is the best for himself.

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If I were to describe Suzuki Sensei in one word, it would be **Refreshing**. That is how I felt while watching it. As other reviewers mentioned, this isn't your typical school dorama. This drama is about open discussion and giving teenagers the chance to express their opinions, perspectives, assumptions and judgement without holding back and free of any restrain.

The story is about our titular character forming a class with chosen students to conduct an experiment. With that we meet his students, the class 2-A and the problems caused that he and other teachers have to deal with. It takes us quite a while to find out what the experiment is about but it does add a bit of a mystery to keep your attention close to whats going on. What is most interesting in what is addressed here is trying to define maturity. Society has set up a certain age to it but from the beginning onwards we do observe how maturity varies from one person to another. Suzuki Sensei's mindset, like most teachers, is not ideal that's for sure, but what distinguishes him from others is his awareness of middle schooler's intelligence and maturity, and his ability to treat them seriously.

On the acting department, oh boy isn't it stunning. It is Hiroki Hasegawa's best role, from his expressions when we hear his thoughts, to his composure when addressing a problem. What's most impressive though are the students. Karin Ono, Honoka Miki, Kaoru Fujiwara, Takumi Kitamura, Yukito Nishii, and Tao Tsuchiya to name a few. That generation sure has a bright future if given the chance. On the teachers side Yasuko Tomita sure was impressive, but generally all did a very decent job.

This drama isn't only for those who enjoy school dramas, it's for everyone. We all can relate to it because we all went through similar phases and looked for a safe place to express our thoughts. Maybe we are all looking for a similar place even now that we grew older so we join clubs or online sites such as MDL for that reason as well. What is discussed here are things that left me thinking about even after watching each episode. It isn't preachy at all and doesn't give us a definite answer which is the beauty of it. The characters and the acting makes it most entertaining to watch.

;)

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The scent of blooming sakura

Yae no Sakura is the 52nd NHK taiga drama that was aired in 2013. It is a biographical depiction of Niijima Yae, also known as Yamamoto Yaeko, famed for her exceptional gunnery skills which she applied to great effect in defending the Aizu Domain during the Boshin War. This momentous event during the late Endo period forever immortalised her as “Jeanne d'Arc of Bakumatsu”. Subsequently during the Meiji era, she then became renowned for helping establish the prestigious Doshisha University in Kyoto, together with her husband Joseph Hardy Neesima.

Released in 50 episodes, this drama is epic in every single aspect. The screenplay is written by 3 screenwriters while 5 directors were engaged to helm this mammoth production. Starring a stellar ensemble led by the charismatic Ayase Haruka who is superbly supported by the likes of Odagiri Joe, Hasegawa Hiroki, and Nishijima Hidetoshi among many other supporting and guest actors.

There is an inspirational backstory to the release of Yae no Sakura. It was chosen as the 2013 taiga drama as its central narrative of loss and hope was felt to be timely in the aftermath of the March 11, 2011 Tohoku earthquake.

Personally for me, I consider Yae no Sakura as one of the most endearing biopics that I’ve ever come across. From the profoundly colourful story filled with numerous illustrious historical figures, the intricate details of the events that unfolded amidst the traditions of the era, to the themes exploring in great depth the changing role of women in the new modern Japan, as championed by Niijima Yae.

This is a big budget and high quality production that features exemplary cinematography, elaborately authentic sets, exquisite costumes, decently-executed action choreography and battle scenes, as well as beautifully shot natural landscapes, among various other aspects. Principal photography took place at Aizu region of Fukushima prefecture and Tsuruga Castle, also known as Wakamatsu Castle, Aizuwakamatsu Castle, and Kurokawa Castle. In the drama it is translated as Aizu Castle. It is a Japanese castle located in Otemachi, Aizuwakamatsu City, Fukushima Prefecture where the major battle between Aizu samurai warriors and government forces actually took place.

This drama is memorable for being the first production in 28 years since Haru no Hatou in 1985 where the actual person on which the main character is based remained alive until the Showa period. Additionally, it was the first time that a video footage of the actual main character of a taiga drama was used in the drama.

The performance of the entire cast is nothing short of remarkable where each of them gave a decent account of themselves. The real star of the show is undoubtedly Ayase Haruka. Her portrayal of Niijima Yae is testament to the immense talent and finesse that she possesses. Her captivating performance here garnered her the 10th TVnavi Drama of the Year 2013 leading actress award, adding to an already accomplished list of accolades. It’s worth mentioning the wonderful performance of the child actress Suzuki Rio, who played the younger version of Yamamoto Yaeko. She was both adorable and compelling in her depiction, despite the limited screen appearance that she had.

Special mention as well of the beautifully performed main theme of the drama, which was scored by the award-winning composer Ryuichi Sakamoto, in what was the first time he had ever composed music for a taiga drama.

50 episodes represent massive viewing hours indeed, but for Yae no Sakura, it was utterly worth every second. This drama presents a truly compelling insight into Japan’s culture and history during the transitioning of the Edo period to the Meiji era. If you’re a fan of Japanese dramas, her beautiful culture and exciting history, I strongly urge you to give this production a watch. It will definitely be worth your time.

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This is the second 50 ep show that I watch, and I have to say it that I'm really pleased with it. To me, the begining started a lit bit slow, and I admit that I had second thoughts wether I should or shouldn't continue to watch it. But I did, and I don't regret it. This show is a really good family story, the plot was simple and light and some episodes ends made you almost go crazy for next week. The acting was really good. The sisters and brother relationship was something that I really liked. So, if you looking for a good family show and you have time to spare for the 50 episodes, this is your show.

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This drama was amazing when I first watched it. It never gets old every time I rewatch this drama.

Story: It's based on a manga with the same name by Mizukami Wataru. But, even though it's based on a manga, I felt that it's original because I haven't seen any drama or movie with tumbling especially when it's about men tumbling. Some arcs are better than others, but not one of them was horrible.

Acting: The acting was amazing & top-notch. I was crying a least once in every episode. Everyone in the team have friendship chemistry. I've seen Seto Koji & Yamamoto Yusuke team up in Atashinchi no Danshi before this & they are great together. This would be a great bromance couple. In AND, they have comedic chemistry. In here, they still have that, but there are some scenes where they argued & I felt that. Some people acted better than others, but the plot saved that.

Music: I love the instrumentals. Not all the music was memorable, but it was still good.

Rewatch value: I have rewatched this drama 4 times already & I still love it.

Why watch?: the comedy, tumbling, the bromance galore & a heartfelt & feel good drama.

I have so many favorite scenes in this drama, but I can't spoil here, so this is where I stop. When you do watch it, you won't regret your tears or laughs or your time. It's one amazing Japanese drama.

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I will take the honor of writing the first review for this drama (and my first ever! :D). So I picked this up because of Zhao Li Ying, love her since Boss & Me and have watched a lot of her other dramas since then. I just like her acting style a lot which is very naturalistic as if she is the character herself, in here it's the same. In the end I enjoyed watching this drama for what it was and not just for Zhao Li Ying. The story is about a group of graduating college students who struggle to look for jobs and they finally did so by being interns at a big company. Thus they begin their lives as interns working very hard to complete the tasks given to them in the trial period, and it's not an easy path. The situations were dramatic, sometimes really over the top and at times they were funny, in no way do I think they are realistic well since this is a fictional work, but it makes the point that it's not easy working in a job as the youth of this generation. The parents especially, are shown how much they care for their kids and would do anything for them. Though they can cross over the line, ultimately it's because they are doing it for their kids.

There were characters that were annoying and did questionable things, what looked like the antagonists weren't really antagonists because no one in this drama was really a "bad" person. They are just shown as human beings. The characters developed and changed for the better. There were a lot of really heartwarming moments and heartbreaking ones as well, a lot of heart in this drama. There were scenes and dialogues that were quite inspiring. I would say that if you are watching this for the romance then you better not stay for it because the romance wasn't the main focus, but character growth among the casts. And the cast did a great job playing the characters.

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I Felt Cheated, A Waste

The drama started with so much potential. At first I like the female lead coming from the country to the big city. She left her parents because they where forcing her to marry someone she did not liked. I thought WOW this will be a strong women character. I was fool. The lead character became a naïve innocent petty female who everyone's problem was on her shoulder and fell guilty about the wrong doing that everyone did. Even when people betrayed her and stab her in her back she still would take responsibility and trust them. Through all the episode the lead female character to me became pathetic and annoying. She had 3 men in her life that she said she love but showed very emotion. I even laugh that she sleep with the first 2 but with the 3rd, the leading male she had him sleep on the sofa. The friendship between the 3 leading female was also questionable. I really did not consider them friends. The leading male the only one that I fell gave us a good story was "Yang Ting Dong" who realized that the women he was chasing would never care fro him and allow someone else in his heart. The lead male was also annoying. He could not speak up and correct things and preferred for someone else take his love away. Instead he stay with the women he did not like and only wanted her as a friend. That was the 2nd lead female who would say one thing and do another. She never accepted "Yang Ting Dong" because they were friends and she would not want to break that friendship but like the "Xing Tian Ming" who was also her friend. Did she like him better because he had money. I did not feel he treated her that good for her to be in love with him. The worst is that the lead main characters do not get together until the last 2 episodes and then they still throw another problem that get s everything solve in the last 7 minutes. I wasted my time. This drama could have been shorter and a better script. I found episodes 9-35 boring with the same all thing. They leave everything for all the characters to be solve with in the last 5 episodes. The actors try their best for a good performance but the scrip stinks.

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SO MUCH LIGHT FUN

A few months ago, I put this on hold just after 4 episodes due to horrible Eng sub translation on YT. When it popped on IQIYI recently I was still curious (how could you not be when there is literally no plot for the first 50 episodes other than men from harem vying for Queens favor???) and, as expected, I enjoyed watching half naked male beauties bickering like hens among themselves, or steeling each other's best outfits for diligently serving the Queen, or flaunting themselves at the FL from all directions. And what makes it really enjoyable is the current excellent translation. I mean, how can you not love "my butt is perkier than yours" and countless one-liners that fit a perfectly staged and shot scene (two concubines in the blurry foreground having a pillow fight while the camera focuses on a slightly embarrassed FL who sits calmly watching with glee two idiots wrestle and then finally getting up with "I am leaving. Carry on" or one consort telling the other "where is your dignity, you think her majesty will like you dressed like a cheap whore")?

People complained that the FL character is weak. True, but she has a consistent personality of a pushover dummy from the first life (who was manipulated by a man who hated her) to a reincarnated pushover dummy being sexily played by a man who worships her. How is that bad - particularly if we get to see abs galore, exposed legs and necks and some really skilled filming of what probably qualifies as Chinese version of a soft porn? 🤣🤣🤣

If you want an ambitious drama - look elsewhere. This is a straightforward eye feast for most hetero women who don't have to be strong as long as there is a fool in love who will remove all the obstacles from their lives and make love to them every turn while forsaking all other interests while we women still have other ahm... options available. It does not hurt to be loved by two handsome boys, right? Especially when they have been reborn with you and can band together to save you, perhaps even willing to share you? I giggled with abandon but was touched by Prince of Cang's dignity and self-sacrifice-a lovely detail.

But seriously, there are some turns of the plot here that will keep you glued to the screen in the end. Plus, the director created a solid, consistent look for this production with intimate feel in every scene which was done without theatrics and did not look cheap, regardless of the small budget (pay attention to things like the framing of the night talk with that old twisted tree trunk in ep 55 or the shadow theatre in the window in ep 12, or the stunning outfits of all parties- including three grooms on the wedding day). The 3 hours of the drama packed all the important things that are necessary for keeping your interest: conflict premise, opposing interests and views, scheming parties yet no single villain, catchy lovemaking scenes and seductive moves of various characters. Even flashbacks were incorporated seamlessly without the unnecessary refocusing. Add to it really good acting of fairly unknown actors (even though both Fl and ML have been each in over 30 micro/mini dramas since 2020) and excellent directing/edition and you get solid joyous experience of a S-drama in a nutshell.

The only thing that I personally did not like was lack of independently commissioned music - in QIYI version it was mostly borrowed from My Journey to You, One and Only, The Story of the Kunning Palace, and various other big budget dramas. While the use of these songs and BGM was very skilled and I loved the pieces in the original dramas, it was still distracting to hear them here: I dropped my rating one full point because of this. And I subtracted another point for lack of story/plot substance as there was not much empowerment or women's rights stuff here (a wasted opportunity if you ask me given the fact that the emperor is female guided by extremely powerful Dowager Empress). But still, what was once an incoherent seduction fest with really bad subs is now a reason to say that VD is alive and kicking in 2025 and still testing the boundaries of risqué and tongue in cheek fun.

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Deng Kai are you being forced to act against your will. If you need help, wear a yellow shirt.

Hello once again, sexy.

I think many of you would agree, that a spiceless Deng Kai drama is a travesty of justice. Maybe some of you are not here for Deng Kai, you are here to watch something whimsical and cute. If so, then I love that for you, and maybe you should watch this.

But I am not here to watch something whimsical and cute. No. I am here because I watched Qi Min *literally chain his woman to himself*, and it fried my motherboard. I used to have a functioning brain. But not anymore. Maybe you think people with this level of brain damage should not be reviewing shows. Yet here we are.

I am not alone. Millions of us have Deng Kai brain damage. And if you also suffer from the same debilitating condition that I suffer from, then this review is for you.

Maybe you don't think it's reasonable to harbor deep-seated resentment and bitterness at a producer who, when blessed by the heavens for actually managing to book Deng Kai as the ML for your show, then proceeds to squander his talent and sexiness with goofy sound effects and poorly executed kiss scenes. But I do. And as such, I shall now channel that bitterness into mercilessly ripping apart this drama. Because this is NOT how you treat a gorgeous Deng Kai. It was blatant Deng Kai abuse. And I must vent my anger.

So once again, we have a bad stylist who covered him in BB cream and face powder, and smeared purple eyeshadow under his eyes and gave him a dark berry shade of lip color. Don't get me wrong, I like the vampy vibes it gives. But come ON, stylist. Dear stylist. Are you really that disrespectful, that you made up one of the hottest stars in China without even looking at his other shows. ***Too much powder ages Deng Kai by 10 years on the screen!!!*** I thought we all knew this by now. You have to go LIGHT on his powder. His skin is flawless and delicate, and he works long hours. He needs to be hydrated and his skin's oil balance needs to be RESPECTED. And yet you caked him in powder, that's a desiccant! Why don't you just wrap him in parcel paper and sand between episodes while you're at it! At this point I don't understand why overpowdering Deng Kai is not an arrestable offense.

The kissing. Is just not there. Now on this one, I give it somewhat of a pass. Because it's nice to think that Deng Kai isn't some cheap thrill like Jesse Ren, or some playa like Yan Zi Xian, and he can't summon that fire energy for just any FL he happens to be in front of. So let's just say this FL is no Snow Kong, and leave it at that. But it was also a fail on the part of the producers who apparently were dead set on making this one of those "clown-honking, rubber ducky squeaking, cartoon sound effect" dramas. JUST WHY. And don't even get me started on the dubbing. Everyone on the sound team should have been pre-fired before the show even started filming. Is that on the sound team for being inept? NO, that's on the producer for not stopping it from happening.

The script. Are we REALLY turning this in the last episodes into Confession Followed By Random Fireworks, and Running Barefoot On The Beach Holding Hands And Laughing. Really. Oh, and you want kisses in the back half of the drama? Aaa-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha, that's a good one. Yeah no that's not happening. No, they just gonna continue to shove bad plot down your throat like dry toast with no butter.

Short-length supporting cast is short-length supporting cast. No surprises here. Nothing but mid as far as the eye can see. Great job, casting director, you've really outdone yourself.

But honestly... props to the evil father's mistress who still showed up to the set every day despite that nasty case of conjunctivitis.

And that's all I have to say about THAT.

6.5/10

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Kiriyama Renn is an enigmatic and super cool assassin named Mirage, in this almost Bond like thriller, with a unit called K13 in Japan who has the license to kill and clean up messy organizations and people. The police system seems corrupt and vile enough as always, and the villains are mysterious. The main antagonist listens to this recurring opera and each time you hear it, you know the villains are gaining an upper hand.
Watch this for the cool music, a very well choreographed set of fight scenes in each episode, and Kiriyama who has little speaking parts but lots of fast action, and a cool car. In fact, the action scenes are short and swift but that is what one looks forward to each episode. They are almost movie quality choreography and design, with each fight scene showing off Mirage's empty hand, or weaponed, or shooting prowess. Mirage is a mysterious killer who dispenses with his missions efficiently, stylishly, and without fail. Even though Kiriyama is not a martial artist, the fight scenes are quite convincing and intricate.
And if you can ever figure out who really are the good and bad guys in the Japanese government/police force, good luck...

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Love story

Warning: This review will contain spoilers!!!

Plot: A woman falls in love with her boss at first sight.
For three years she works at his company, cherishing each moment they casually meet and interact, snapping and collecting pictures of him on the sly. (Not stalkery--just very cute). He, of course, is completely clueless to all of this to the point that...
....three and a half years later, he asks her help to "pursue" her best friend.
FL knows that her bff is in a relationship with someone else. Nonetheless, she seized the opportunity to get closer to the ML, so she agrees to "help" him pursue the bff. Using this excuse, the ML and FL begin spending time together, meeting and talking purportedly about the bff but eventually it reaches a point where they're almost like friends (despite him being her boss). Even after the bff gets married they still meet and interact.
The FL falls deeper and deeper until she decides to confess, whereupon the ML rejects her outright.
In his defence, her confession seems sudden, since he has no idea she'd had feelings for him for years. He just sees someone he knows as an employee and causal friend suddenly confess out of nowhere. When he asks her to explain why she likes him, our FL panics and lies, giving a very shallow response: "You're handsome and rich, of course I like you". The ML, who is the opposite of a playboy, naturally finds her response off-putting and tells her that they are not suitable.

The FL takes the rejection hard. But she accepts his decision and immediately begins taking steps to distance herself from the ML. As soon as she does, we can see the ML begin having doubts. From the start, her response ("handsome, money") strikes him as off, and out of character for the woman he's gotten to know over the past six months. But each time he tries approaching her again, she shuts him down hard. The FL is heartbroken and won't give an inch.

Now we enter our cat-and-mouse phase.
He does everything he can to pursue her, using work (offering to produce the movie for the book which the FL authored), proximity (he moves next-door to her), and support (financial and otherwise-putting his reputation and business on the line to ensure the development of her movie).

However, the issue is that he still has no idea that the FL has liked him for so long or how very deep her hurt is.
And she is not able to tell him. She can't open up and trust him.
So we go around in never-ending circles.
Many obstacles are thrown their way during this point, from online dating rumours, to a parent-pushed secondary love interest.

After a long (long, long, long!!) wait, the FL finally accepts that he truly does like her and they get together.
Once they get together it's a smooth walk down the aisle. Both of their families are happy and supportive. They live happily ever after.

My issue: The first half of the show built on chemistry, sexual tension, and heavy emotions. At one point I became annoyed with FL for putting off the ML for too long. But eventually we see her on-screen breakdown when he finds out that she's liked him for so long, and I forgive her. However, once they got together, the entire mood of them changed. She became less mature, more playful, and the sexual tension/chemistry seemed to vanish. We went from a heavy drama to a sweet romance--the transition was too abrupt and the mood shift was so extreme that I couldn't really connect the couple from part one of the show to the couple in part two of the show. This mood lasted up to the final episode. The final episode redeemed it. It was still playful and light, but the chemistry came back at least. Overall, I was satisfied with how it was wrapped up.

The secondary couple is the Director of the FL's movie and the ML's younger sister.
I'll say this: both characters are truly wonderful people.
The younger sister is cute, kind, and hard working.
The Director is dedicated, sweet, and also very kind.
In a sense, the younger sister who, by virtue of her age, always acted much younger and girlish than the FL, actually acted much more mature in her romance with the Director than the FL did in her own romance with the ML.
The chemistry between the younger sister and the director was wonderful.
I truly liked them together.
I loved seeing her gradually grow up and take control of her life. She made zero mistakes in her relationship with the director and I admire her so much for that. Since we'd seen her as a very young and cossetted girl, she'd have had ample opportunity to screw it all up, but she didn't. Truly, truly amazing of her.
As for the director, he admired her from the start, took his time, guided her as she entered his industry, supported her patiently, and confessed at the right time. Kudos to him for a job well done.
This couple was truly amazing to watch.

The music was fantastic!!!! The ost was one of the best I've heard.
The shooting was great.
The cast was wonderful.
I will definitely rewatch this show :)

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..THE STORY OF HALF-YANKEE AND HALF-NORMIE..

..yes, this is a story of delinquent family - but one of them decided to try and live a normal life, decided to go at school and be a member of art club showing his passion on paint and canvas..
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..as always, life is not that easy - problems always enter, a change of uniform and appearance is a must, the conquering of city is a must by means of punching and kicking since his family expecting a lot for him - this will be his life revolves on daily basis..
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..a secret to be kept for a long year - and no secret will be stored forever and the truth will reveal as many people now knows it..
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..well, what I learned on this drama, well, even if I am not a yankee, it teaches us a lie either it is a white lie is still a lie - keeping it for a long time, only keeping us to hurt for a long time too - not only one's self but anyone too. . .and yes, truth will always set us free and continue to have a happy life with our loved ones..
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..I love the casting plus the talking dog dubbed by the legend VA (TsudaKen), the music, the pinch of love story and the overall lesson we can learn how important our family and friends as they teaches us how to live the way we want too..

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I was not expecting anything from this drama and I was not even interested at first since the plot about a girl in a military academy looked quite unrealistic and not interesting to me. I was very surprised in the end because it revealed itself to be very entertaining with nice characters to follow.

Story : the story follows a group of military trainees from admission to graduation. They evolve through adventures and hardships which are well told and entertaining for the action parts and cute and funny for the other parts. Main focus is put on 3 characters who are very interesting in their personality and their development throughout the drama. You really understand them and feel close to them. The love triangle was very well handled as you could not know how it will unfold for a long time. Other secondary characters have also nice or sad or bittersweet stories well told and this brings complexity and good density to the overall plot line.

Acting : I thought most of the cast did a tremendous job here. I have seen the two main lead in the Legends and the are very good in this drama too. Bai Lu acting is on spot portraying a strong character but less funny more calm but also daring. You totally believe her tomboyish female character as a girl and the pretty boy soldier as a man. Xu Kai was great too. He portrayed nicely a fun character quite immature but finally reliable. He was good while bickering or nagging or playing cute with Xie Xiang. Many commented he had something of Leonardo Dicaprio. I kinda agree. Toby Lee was great also. He portrayed a very serious heir of a rich family. You totally believe his character and the nature he shows in his relationships. He overshadowed the main lead some times as his chemistry with the female lead was so good. Others actors did well too specially the guy portraying soldier Song, the Shen brother but the also the Academy staff. The female friends were well portrayed.

Music : I found the intro music very surprising but contrasting with the genre of the drama and it gave it an originality. I loved the love song at the romantic moments. Overall the music was ok for me.

Re-watch: Not sure I would re-watch it since it is so long but this drama has many fun or heartbreaking scenes I will gladly re-watch just for the feeling of it and I seldom have the chance to do that with Chinese dramas.

Overall : despite some usual clichés regarding the vilains it's a very entertaining and recommended drama.

Leggi di Più

After thoroughly enjoying Death Bell I had slightly lower expectations for Death Bell 2 simply from previous experiences with sequels (especially horror sequels). However I needn't have worried because this film is just as good as the first one.

It took quite a long time for the killing spree to start but no second leading up to it was wasted. This film had a brilliant story behind the horror and whilst most horror films are more sadism than substance, Death Bell 2 had a great balance of both. In fact, the deaths were so imaginative and disturbing I hope never to meet the writers behind the script!

I was interested in seeing Ji Yeon in a horror role after only seeing her as catty Rian in Dream High 2. I expected her to be ok but she surpassed my expectations. She had the same shy, slightly twitchy yet 'tower of strength' personality I loved in Nam Gyu Ri's character from Death Bell 1 whilst being completely different, and most of the boys were easy on the eyes (the ones who managed to stay alive long enough to get a good look at anyhow).

The music's hard to comment on as the film was so intense I barely noticed it and the most effective scenes were the killing ones where silence or indescribable music boosted the scary atmosphere. The music I did notice at the beginning though was great for setting the scene.

Overall the film isn't too gory (although there's a lot of blood) and not that scary so if you're a human jelly, like me, then you won't need to find anything to hide behind before you watch. I've given Death Bell 2 a rewatch value of 8 just because I feel once you've worked out who's behind the killings and who's going to be killed, the element of surprise might be lost and make rewatching less enjoyable (but am going to rewatch anyway!)

A great film!

Leggi di Più