Reviews

Offering some food for thought, can be quite lengthy :-)

I spent my afternoon sitting at a quiet, dimly lit corner to watch this movie, and by the end of it I was truly touched by the deep, profound story that this movie portrays.

Having received 11 nominations in the 56th Golden Horse Awards and winning 5 of them, with one being 'Best Film', I know I already have high expectations the moment I clicked into the movie, and boy did the movie not disappoint me. It totally threw me into a whirlwind of emotions. :")

Story and acting wise, I have almost nothing to pick on. The actors were brilliant in their portrayal and well, my ratings are clear enough, and you can watch and judge it for yourself.

Rather, I would like to bring up some themes that lingered in my mind after I've watched the movie.

[We've all been hurt before, and that's how we can become each other's sun.]

[A Sun, A Son]
The title of this movie holds two meanings, 'A Sun' and 'A Son'. What happens when a family is thrown into darkness when the 'sun' of the family is no longer there? What happens to the family when A-Ho has to move out of the darkness, what hope can he, or rather, they, cling onto?
This is a movie that speaks about relationships within a family: mother and son, father and son, elder and younger sibling, and many many more. But ultimately, this movie explores what it means to be a family, and to be yourself.
Also, note the use of the article 'a' for the title of the movie. Why is it 'a' and not 'the'? How does the difference in definiteness of these two articles change the meaning of this movie?

[Light, Darkness, or Both]
In this movie we have characters who stand out and thrive in the world brightly lit up by the sun. However, some recede into the darkness where they seek comfort and find out their own meaning and interpretation of what they're worth. But how about both? How does having both light and darkness in a character's life influence him in any way?

[Expectations and Hope]
For someone who has been in the light all along, how does he feel about it? How do societal and familial expectations weigh down on such a person? How does he find shade to rest and take a breather?
Whereas, for someone who was always in the darkness, will he be able to find his own ray of sunlight and move into a world where the sun shines brightly upon him and his future? Over here, how does societal and familial expectations differ from that in the aforementioned case?

[The Sun (literally)]
The weather changes throughout the movie helps portray the different settings and atmosphere for each character's feelings, emotions and state of mind. And I must say, the appearance of the sun (or the lack of it), as well as the amount of sunlight shining upon a character, plays a huge part in helping viewers understand what state of mind the characters are in. The visual significance of these scenes are enough in showing us the characters' emotions even without them having to portray them. That's how powerful and well-thought-out the cinematography is in this movie.

[Seize the day. Decide your path.]
This is a recurring slogan in the movie, and we can begin to wonder why it's mentioned in the first place (and many times after) and also how much it weighs on the different people receiving this piece of advice.

Well, that's all I can offer for some thinking after the movie ends. Do watch the movie, you'll not regret it ;)

Leia Mais

Amazing Female & Male Leads | Precious Romance

I almost missed this wonderful drama because Ren Jialun (aka. Allen Ren) was not on my favorite actor list. I watched him in "The Destiny of White Snake" but couldn't grow to like him. However, in this drama, he is simply fabulous! The Embroidered Uniform really makes him shine above all; he is so perfect in this amazing drama, as if the character Lu Yi is written for him. 

Ren Jialun has a face that fits exactly the face of the Lu Yi character to which Yuan Jin Xia has said, "the face of the Lord of the Netherworld" because his face is sour in its resting state. I normally don't like sour faces, but I find the sour face of Ren Jialun so cool and adorable that I don't even believe myself!  I love him so much in this drama that he is definitely enlisted on my favorite actor list from now on.

The character Lu Yi has a no nonsense demeanor: ruthless, few words, authoritative (he's the head of the Embroidered Uniform Guard), calm, strategic and smart. Ren Jialun simply looks so fabulous in this uniform that, together with his natural acting as an authoritative figure, he merges with Lu Yi as one.

I have always loved Tan Songyun (aka. Seven Tan) who plays the character Yuan Jin Xia. Tan Songyun is so cute and tom boyish with her cleft chin, making her a perfect gutsy police officer in this drama. She has a face that can look like a pre-teen, or a 20 something professional woman, affording her all the flexibility of a fantastic actor and fitting into any roles easily. Her acting is simply top notched.

It is rare for me to like an antagonist, and this drama provides one. The character Yan Shi Fan played by Han Dong is amazing. He's ruthless, deceitful, corrupt, scheming, and a mastermind behind all the evils. The actor Han Dong is tall and good looking. As Yan Shi Fan with a glass eye, devious and a double-faced demeanor, Han Dong's acting is simply immaculate.

The story itself is light and easy to understand and follow. The pace is perfect. There's no one moment that is boring or extra. The romance is adorable and precious. I don't have enough of the male and female leads together, going through all the adventures, solving crimes and mysteries. Every moment of them together is so beautiful, precious and sweet. Their chemistry is incredible! Their relationship has always been complementing and supplementing each other. Lu Yi is strategic and calm whereas Yuan Jin Xia is versatile and meticulous. When Jin Xia gets into trouble, Lu Yi is always there to help her escape unscathed. When Lu Yi faces danger, Jin Xia is always there to face danger with him and protect him. Both are willing to sacrifice their own lives to protect the other. Their love for each other is truthful and undying, and is of the highest level that nothing else can replace. It is this relationship that draws viewers to love the couple and shed tears for them.

This drama has all the adventures, mysteries and romance; a makes-you-feel-good kind of drama, and a great ending providing proper closure - perfect ingredients for a great drama.

This is a sweet and wonderful drama not to be missed. TWO THUMBS UP!

Leia Mais

Haunting. Powerful. Taciturn. Unforgettable.

"Sandglass" is a KDrama that relentlessly, sophisticatedly and yet sensitively processes the pain of the South Korean people, that paves the path towards actual democracy. Here you can get a glimpse of a cultural phenomenon: 'Han', a collectively shared sense of painfully experienced injustice (see side note below). "Sandglass" is one of the first KDramas daring to use the medium of television for more than just entertainment. It is also one of the first who could even dare to do so. Here, recent contemporary history is critically targeted from all sides. And at the same time, it becomes a collective vigil for freedom of speech and opinion, for freedom of travel and for the rule of law that have only recently been painfully achieved.

"Sandglass" tells the story of three young people who were friends during the 1970s and 1980s - Park Tae-soo (Choi Min-soo), who actually would have liked to study but made a career as a thug in gangster milieu, Kang Woo-suk (Park Sang-won ), who hopes for the power of the law and thus studies law, and Yoon Hye-rin (Go Hyun-jung), sort of imprisoned within the golden, solid cage being the daughter of the most influential, officially tolerated casino king in the country, who systematically suplies the government with his money from gambling via anonymous bank accounts. Jumping back and forth in time, the fatal emotional bond between the three is unraveled against the background of social events. It is a dramaturgically conscientious reckoning with the military dictatorship, its abuse of power and its crimes against the people. Original film documents were seamlessly played in, i.e. during the staging of the Gwangju massacre. The presentation of the Samchung re-education camp was also staged as realistically as possible on the basis of original photos and documents. The second half of the story then goes through the destinies of the three protagonists in mafioso style: the gangster, the prosecutor, and the heiress to the casino king. The finale is on the one hand the moment of free election for the people (running in the background), and on the other hand the result of the personal (more or less free) choices of the three protagonists, who still share a world in which despite all recent tumult and uprising basically not much has changed...

More than half of the South Korean population watched the 1995 KDrama "Sandglass". It was praised and praised again. Hard to believe, that it is these days hardly available for streaming with subtitles, never mind as DVD. Apparently, those who have a DVD are reluctant to give it away. I can understand, after I actually saw the KDrama myself - first only in the original version without subtitles (wasn't that bad, because mostly there isn't much talk :-) ), then with a time delay also with subtitles (it was definitely helpful :-) ), and by now also knowing a little more about that historic background. "Sandglass" is truly a masterpiece. Yes, it is taciturn, thrives on the acting, on long shots and on purposefully used, deliberately reduced light. It doesn't sugarcoat anything. It wants to let it sink, each and every moment. The camera accompanies the events almost like a documentary. Without comment, sequences, events, moments in time stand side by side. The story unfolds like a suction and draws you in. The soundtrack supports this pull effect. The story takes its course, the course of which is known, i.e. is predictable: Park dictatorship / suppression of democratic aspirations under the pretext of North Korean infiltration / Chun Doo-hwan supreme military leader, commander of the security and finally new president by coup d´état / martial law, Gwangju Uprising and massacre / cleansing camps / June 1987 fight, abolition of censorship, end of military dictatorship / free elections in 1992. Amazing and grandiose that via TV series a critical review of those bloody 1980s was already possible in 1995. It's brilliant, too, how the protagonists with their very different backgrounds, values ​​and goals are fatally interwoven and mercilessly swallowed up by historical events and social circumstances.

A fantastic K-Drama. Completely consistent. first class.
A sad story. Not funny. Not at all. You have to be able to get involved with the dramaturgically idiosyncratic, taciturn handwriting. (The mood should be right, so to speak.)
(And yes, it's an old ham when it comes to production quality. Screen format, picture and sound quality can hardly keep up with the Netflix era - a digital remastering would definitely be desirable...)

Anyone who is interested in the topic but can't get to the KDrama can grab an impression of the Gwangju massacre in "Youth of May" (2021), or a feeling for the time under military dictatorship and for the concentration camps in "Giant" (2010).
However, if you have the opportunity to see "Sandglass", I recommend that you go for it. Even without historical or socio-cultural interest, KDrama has a lot to offer in terms of impressiveness and melodrama.











------------------ HISTORICAL BACKGROUND INFORMATION -----------------------

Admittedly, being able to classify the historic events, helped for me. E.g. at the beginning there are scenes in which thugs and police bus-wise arrive at a building and disperse the opponent party´s event. This was actually the key historical point, marking the beginning of the massive social unrest, which resulted in actual free elections 13 years later. In fact, it was originally a comparatively small strike in 1979, which took place on the 4th floor of the New Democratic Party's headquarters. Around 200 women, workers at the textile company YH Trading Corporation, protested against the closure of their factory. Unions had no place during Yushin dictatorship, however his sit-in-demonstration was actually almost too minor, to interfere. Nevertheless, the government used the particular context at the opposition party building as a cover for a major anti-opposition operation - 'Operation 101'. Around 1,000 police officers in uniform and civilian gangs of thugs assaulted leading party members and 174 of the demonstrating women workers. Union leader Kim Gyeong-sook died while jumping out of the window.

The civilian thugs (fictional Tae-soo in "Sandglass" being one of them), were subordinate to the main money-provider of the regime (here the casino king and Hye-rin's father, who clean-washed his income for political means.)

That factory workers´ trade union action by no means was the reason for the following uprising. However the occasion served as the momentum for what was to come. Against this background, the later (fictive) encounter between Hye-rin and one of those women from 1979 becomes understandable. Hye-rin adores the by now torture-broken woman for her brave fight for democracy back then. That woman, however, never wanted a political revolt, she just didn't want to lose her job. In fact she feels betrayed and instrumentalized in a political fight that she really didn't want to fight and in which she lost everything, even herself, her dignity and self-respect.

Responsible for the politicization of events that had taken on a dynamic of its own, was actually the Park regime itself: it´s attempt to split and suppress the opposition. By demanding the party leader Kim Young-sam and his deputies to resign from their mandate provoked and politicized the public. Since this coincided with the beginning of the winter semester, the student movement, too, took the incidence for a red-hot political profile: demanding the end of the Park government. A corresponding demonstration in Busan was violently suppressed in this context. A few days later, president Park was assassinated by the head of the Korean Central Intelligence Agency (KCIA). This assassination had nothing to do with the students and their demands. Neither does North Korean Communism. It just coincided timewise with the Busan demonstration. The military, in turn, took advantage of the political power vacuum situation, imposed martial law on the mainland, installed a far-reaching investigative body and thus paved the way for the meteoric rise of Chun Doo-hwan, who was appointed chief investigator. He used his chance consistently and purposefully. After 8 months of military coup, the country had a new dictator in uniform who presented himself as the savior of the nation.

He repreatedly and systematically declared the pro-democracy drive the enemy by spreading conspiracy and infiltration theories about North Korea's ambitions. Press and public were massively manipulated with so-called K-operations (king´s operations) in order to convince the people by the good of military rule. The credo was: the military and Chun Doo-hwan were the only chance to counter the spreading, communist-manipulated unrest, in creating something like order and security. At the same time, the military units were drilled with the so-called Choongjung (True Heart) training for a particularly aggressive and efficient suppression of demonstrations. New paratrooper units were created as special forces. In addition to physical fitness, the training included the development of a strong corps-spirit and the use of massive violence and targeted abuse.

Against this background, the situation among the military units deployed in Gwangju in May 1980 can also become somewhat more understandable. On the one hand, they were brainwashed. On the other hand, to date it has still not really been clarified who gave the orders for the escalating violence in May 1980 - e.g. orders to shoot and the use of paratroopers. Internal ambivalence and irritation was common at all levels of command. But that didn't help. In the end the corps-spirit was more binding and prevailed. In this respect, the executing soldiers, as perpetrators, somehow became victims in those sad May days, too. The proclaimed enemy - North Korean Communism, which is behind the pro-democracy movement - and the unshakable pillar of power - the military dictatorship with all its arrogance - posed such a strong, effective, powerful threat, so that it was so frightening people in uniform (and without) and made them hitting their brothers and sisters indiscriminately (again, after barely three decades). Because someone had chosen Gwangju as the place of the example. And because the sides there had just turned out that way - those who lived in, studied in or visited Gwangju on the one hand, and those who were doing their military service at nearby barracks at the time. On the other hand, the political vision or just a simple wish, that everybody might finally live freely under fair conditions, seemed hopeless. Suddenly the fight was (rather apolitical) about pure survival and desperate rebellion against arbitrary violence.

Eventually, with "Sandglass" the South Korean population became seriously aware of what had really happened in Gwangju in 1980: a people´s uprising against military oppression, being brutally suppressed. Because of the propagandistic K-operations and the censorship (which was repealed only in 1987), knowledge of these events was never really able to spread. Numerous witnesses had deliberately been put into camps or imprisoned. For the television audience in 1995, these street-fighting scenes must have come as a complete shock, not only because they are terrifying in themselves (regardless of where and when), but because they actually had taken place in such brutal manner and in such close proximity completely without their knowledge. In this way, "Sandglass" also became the trigger for nationwide latest history processing. The TV production paved the way for more critical historical scrutiny in the media and also apparently accelerated the course of the trial and sentencing of ex-President Chun Doo-hwan in 1996. He was sentenced to death. (However, on appeal it was turned into a life sentence. His assets, of course, were safely parked, too. He died of cancer in 2021.)





---------------- Side note: --- NATIONAL SECURITY ACT ----

The National Security Law has been in force in South Korea since 1948 - until today. Its primary purpose was to push through anti-communist propaganda and to control or shut down opposing intellectuals, artists, journalists, students etc.. This National Security Act de facto restricts freedom up to this day and ultimately violates the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the 1976 International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which South Korea had actually ratified. Fatally, it seamlessly continues a relic from the days unter Japanese rule. Several 100,000 people have fallen victim to this law over the past few decades. The verdicts resulted in prison sentences of thirty to forty years, which is among the longest in the world. It has served military dictatorships well, opening the door to arrest and torture countless times. Even after the end of the dictatorship, as late as 1989, obviously an average of 3.3 people each day were arrested, tortured and sentenced to prison under this national security law. To this day, the law is still officially considered constitutional...






--------------- Side note: --- RE-EDUCATION, CLEANSING AND CONCENTRATION CAMPS ---

A unique dubious institution during the Chun Doo-hwan dictatorship were the concentration camps for re-educating unwanted citizens. 25 such camps were set up in the aftermath of the Gwangju massacres. They served to systematically clear the streets of South Korea of ​​unwanted people (and yet mostly arbitrarily as a military demonstration of power). The camps were primarily used for brutal abuse - any dignity was broken, body and soul pushed to the limit.

The detainees were divided into 4 categories: A implied prison; B and C an agonizing time in one of the re-education camps; D a warning. Category B and C inmates often ended up in prison as well, provided they survived the re-education camps. E.g. a former military prison in Yeoncheon, Gyeonggi was thus modified according to 'Samchung Plan No. 5'. This location officially was established to fight North Korean Communism: up to 100,000 innocent people may have gone through hell without a warrant - and rarely enough survived.




--------------- Side note: --- HAN ---

Han can be considered a collectively shared, identity-forming cultural pain in the sense of sad and angry grief. This cultural characteristic developed in the course of Japanese colonization of Joseon. There has been, and still is, debate about the extent to which Han can or cannot be considered a collective trait that creates identity. In any case, as a shared painful experience of that time, a specific form of expression of grief developed, while behind melancholy suppressed anger also resonates. Han has found its very unique solemn, deeply and sadly swinging aesthetic in Korean culture, which we can observe/feel in music, film, television, literature, poetry etc. It can be considered a collectively shared state of mind, that feeds on the traumatic experience of humiliation and abuse as a people that Joseon endured so massively at the hands of the Japanese oppressors. Han addresses helplessness in the face of overwhelming injustice. But despite all the pain and sadness, there is also something tough in Han: an inner resilience, a rebellion, that still provides something like strength in the darkest depths.

Han was further nurtured in the post-Joseon era by the separation of families into two antagonized nations. Finally those brutal 1980s, which are revived in "Sandglass" in the sense of a solidary vigil, tie directly to this collective Han - as a basic feeling that continuously and silently runs through (especially) the first half of the KDrama. A collective emotional state from which one cannot escape: the experience of suffering; the ability of suffering; the national destiny of suffering.

In the course of South Korean turbo-capitalism over the past two decades, Han as an issue has receded somewhat into the background among the younger generation. Nevertheless, there is already a new, modified, less beautiful form of expression: ´Hwabyeong´, the culture-specific Korean manifestation of a depressive psychosomatic disorder with characteristic symptoms, that already affects wide circles - as a result of suppressed anger in the face of overwhelming social circumstances experienced as unfair. (e.g. victims of any sort of bullying in school or at work etc.)
(I wonder, whether it would not be better to continue to give Han an explicit, contemporary, aesthetic expression - in contrast to the embellished, perfected facades e.g. in KPop + KDrama culture... but that would be another topic.. .)

Leia Mais

Why should you watch a sitcom (never watched one before) that is 123 eps long? That’s what I asked myself as well before I even thought about starting it…

Story- Yes there are an abundance of episodes but each one is not even a half hour long and they feel so short because the writers did a great job of giving each main character a story line of their own, which fills the time nicely. What I liked about the writing is not only are most eps truly funny but some eps deal with serious stuff so you also get to feel for the characters. Really though the writing was phenomenal cause it kept me watching all the eps without getting bored. In fact they could have continued after ep 123 and I would have kept watching cause I felt like they had so much more story to tell. As for the ending, while not bad like High Kick S2, I would of liked different outcomes for some of the characters.

Acting/Characters- Whats funny is that I came into this not knowing most of the actors, and even if I did know them, there’s no way I would want to watch a 123 ep sitcom just for them. However, after watching a couple eps I realized that the casting was perfect. Every actor whether main or supporting, made his or her characters stand out. I was rooting for everyone to find their success. The main featured family really did feel like they were a family as they had good chemistry. The only loveline that managed to turn into something (Ji Suk & Ha Sun) had really good chemistry and their relationship was just so cute/funny. My favorite character though happened to be Sung Yoon (Joon Sook’s best friend) because he was just so odd but really cute/sweet/innocent. And surprisingly a character that I was completely annoyed by in the beginning (Krystal) became one of my favorites by the end (really good character development for her). There were a couple of characters I just did not ever manage to like (Dr. Yoon Gye Sang, Bak Jin Hee, and Ji Won) their personalities were awful and i even had to start fast-forwarding through their scenes).

Music- Each episode had its own OST, that being said there were too many songs to remember but I remember liking a lot of the songs within various eps.

Rewatch- While the drama is entertaining enough to watch the entire series again, my favorite part of the drama is the second half so I’ll probably stick to watching those eps over and over whenever I feel like a good laugh.

Overall if your like me and had never seen a Korean sitcom, do try this one out because it’s a lot of fun and you get attached to the characters.

Leia Mais

I waited and waited and waited for it to get better. It never did.

As a fan of Nirvana in Fire, I perked up when I saw that Leo Wu and Zhang Lingxin were both in Guardians of the Ancient Oath, and gave it a go.

First Impressions (1-4):
The first few episodes were actually very promising. The machinations of the Yo Imperial Court contrasted well with the serenity of the Baili household, and Ming Ye Feng promised to raise big waves in the Wolf Tribe.

The cinematography is great in general, and the dim and gritty colour palette is also to my taste, as it speaks to a sort of realism and a lack of anachronism on the director's part.

Mid Season (5-33) Impressions:
This is where it starts to fall apart. The quality of the screenplay falls off a cliff (esp. the dialogue) and the generic/cliche storyline can no longer support the agonising pacing.

It just feels like people talk a lot without getting to the main point, and repeat themselves in general. Lareina Song parrots this line like a broken record across an entire arc of the drama: "If you touch him, I'll kill you!".

Leo Wu, Lareina Song, Karry Wang, and a full 80% of the other characters just aren't interesting to watch - the viewer can already predict what they will do and its incredibly boring to watch this occur, without any tension.

Props to Ming Yefeng, Baili Hongxuan, An Tingfeng, and Ling Jun, the only multifaceted characters, for painfully dragging the comatose body of the storyline forward towards the final arc.

There is zero humour in this drama, just none. Yuen Wah's Ji Qiu tries his very best but there's no straight man to match his absurdity - what a waste of this talented actor.

The active CG (the magic) is good in general, blends well into the scene and isn't poorly made. The passive CG is quite poor - the backgrounds of many Wolf Tribe wilderness scenes have been green-screened very obviously.

And could they stop blasting the main theme at full volume at every available opportunity, multiple times an episode? Did they commission ANY OTHER music at all?! Why is there no instrumental-only version of the main theme?

Final Impressions (34-45):
Episodes 34 to 36 were quite good, as the main characters finally start coming into their powers. This change of events wasn't to last though, as somehow the drama became even more boring after these three episodes than the episodes that came before them.

There is a confusing and haphazard introduction of the "ancient" characters, and because of the insistence of masking their faces and using three different names to refer to the same characters, viewers have no idea who is talking to whom.

Each of the very strong, very important-ish "Wu" disciples barely have 10 minutes to recite their entire lifestory: it is not odd then that all these new characters actually make the drama more boring - they just become repetitive obstacles for the protagonists to overcome.

It's not all terrible though; throughout the drama, you could say that Lareina Song had portrayed three different characters: the present, the past, and the "ancient". With each iteration her character became more interesting, and her acting talent more clear (I thought it was extremely poor in her first iteration, but I guess that was how it was written).

Ling Jun is also very consistent as the prime mover of the plot, but somehow Ming Yefeng became a stereotype of his own role, and Baili Hongxuan deteriorated to become a ranting and raving lunatic of a racist.

There is also an uncomfortable undertone of genocide/racism and sexism in the ending arc.
If a character is not a human, they should die [for the plot].
If a character is a woman who doesn't adhere to the Three Obediences and Four Virtues, they should die [for the plot].
If a character is a woman who is not a human, it's impossible that they could adhere to Confucian values and so they should die [for the plot].

Conclusion:
The very best dramas have likable heroes with depth, likable villains with depth, and likable side characters with depth. I find almost every character in this drama unlikable and one dimensional as written.

The protagonists on paper, Baili Hongshuo, Baili Hongyi, and Baili Haohe do not have sufficient agency in the storyline to be proper protagonists (Baili Haohe was a puppet both figuratively and literally: I dare say Karry Wang's role is not a real main character and only has top billing because he's famous/popular). None of the three have any motivation beyond what's been narrowly defined, are not complex, nor deep.

The final villain, on the other hand, has no real reason to be evil except for "it's the character's nature to be evil". What drives them? Evil. What is their hobby? Evil. Why are they fighting the protagonists? Because of evil muahahaha! Somehow this made perfect sense to the writers of this drama.

The actual protagonist of the entire narrative is An Tingfeng, and his tragic epilogue is ordained by karma. His character, and Ling Jun's character, have the only well-thought arcs from start to finish of this drama.

TLDR: Watch something else unless you are an idol superfan.

Leia Mais

Let me start off by prefacing that I never write reviews but I noticed that no one has reviewed this drama & felt I had to rectify that glaring omission.

I stumbled across this drama never thinking I would really like it that much I had read the synopsis in MDL & was intrigued, anyway I was hooked from the first episode (which is rare). The main actors played their roles really well sweet without being saccharine.

What I liked best about it was the story yes its a a makjang & if you don't like that then steer clear, I personally love makjangs :D

The story had twists & turns & always kept you glued to your seat breathless with anticipation as to what would happen next. I found myself shouting at the screen at the near misses/missed opportunities for the protagonists & I am sure you will as well.

The whole look of the drama looks a little dated (fashion wise) as it is from 2004 but that didn't really phase me.

I have given a low score to the music simply because it wasn't particularly memorable to me.

Also a low re-watch score as I rarely re-watch dramas as I have too many to watch on my Plan To Watch List.

If you like dramatic, fast-paced storylines with lots of cliff hangers & good acting then this is the drama for you.

Leia Mais

First 3/4 episodes : I was bored. The cast was great but I didnt understand where the drama was going, it was slow and there was no real storyline, I thought it was about the rivalry between two prosecutors but the drama didn't really develop that aspect either.

From the 4th/5th episode : the drama is based on what working as a prosecutor looks like in reality and that's the only continuous storyline.
The underlying concept is showing a different side of society in each episode. Theres an episode about domestic abuse, one about fraud, one about school violence ... and so on.

And in every theme, you witness 4 sides : the victim, the assailant, the entourage and the prosecutor.
What are the hardships, the reactions and the motives of each one of them.

As soon as I started watching the drama as an observation of society rather than trying to look for a continuous drama-like storyline, I got completely hooked.
This drama takes a huge risk in trying to portray reality and using episodic stories which may seem slow or boring for the viewers but I think the drama was amazingly done within the concept chosen.
The acting was really on point. I definitely cried a couple times.

If you like realistic and emotional dramas, this one is for you, give it time ?

Leia Mais

Possibility in the impossible

‎‎This drama is such a rare gem. A very interesting story about second chances, hope, courage and compromises. It's been a while since I reviewed something, and this piece deserved my recognition as one of the best modern cdrama rom-com with a slight dose of realism. It's been a while since a show made me anxiously glue to the screen while waiting for its release; this show is one of them. I wish I could erase my memory and experience it all over again.
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‎Story
‎It started pretty warm; as it stirred your emphatic feelings and drew your curiosity; How a poor 19 year old orphan desperate attempt to change his life; and how a pampered 'princess' copes with sudden changes in her almost perfect life; dealing with miscarriage, divorce and betrayal. The whole premise is filled with typical cliches; Age gap, abandonment, second chances, reconciliation; to name a few; however its craft and direction felt fresh and I can't help myself rooting for the main characters to beat all odds and eventually find their happiness. I'm seated; smiling, screaming and sometimes throwing fit witnessing their journey as it unfolds. Although the story was told in a few separate timelines, surprisingly it doesn't confuse me. The jump between the past and the present helps to amplify my curiosity and boost my understanding.
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‎Cast
‎Daniel Zhou as Li Wu is just brilliant. He really captured that innocence as this pure soul who wants to change his life and achieve something for a better future. He made me root for him to succeed in everything that he does. LW's emotions are raw, natural and convincing. His childlike behaviour is addictive and the contrast as he grows into adulthood is done immaculately. His journey is fleshed out beautifully and I could not help but to adore and take his side even when he acts irrational (*yes, I would defend him every time). His growth is even better as we could see his struggle to balance his future goal while managing his inevitable feelings for Chen Jin and face it bravely. He is not perfect; foolishly naive yet his pureness and sincerity will move mountains and melt your stone-cold heart. He is fictional, yet somehow I could feel that there is 'possibility in the impossible' that he exists out there. He made me believe that true love does exist.
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‎A tiny setback for me is the female lead character. Although Michele Chen looks phenomenal and portrays Chen Jin beautifully, the growth in CJ felt a little short. It just scrapes the surface without delving deep further. We get a little glimpse of why she is built that way; A princess who suddenly has her glass castle shattered. How she copes with the struggles of her divorce and betrayal. After her first failure in love, her actions speak as this skeptical and overthinking person, to the point that she thinks she probably destined to be alone. It boggles me how CJ would suddenly turn around in both timelines and casually decides to be with LW; it felt a little jarring, but still it delivers a good outcome of reconciliation. I wish for a dramatic approach I guess. The big plus is that she has her cute besties who keep reminding her to just follow her heart.
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‎The chemistry between the main couple is off the chart; fuel with the contradictory dynamic between them, makes the pull and push effects work. Yes, I am often frustrated at how CJ is clueless or when she pushes/ ignores LW and continue to lie to herself; and I will cheer every time LW would scheme his way in and shamelessly just cave in to her relentlessly. It's so good and addictive; and when they do get together, my teeth are drying from sweetness overload.
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‎Secondary Couple / Third Couple
‎I love both of them. Although I wish that they have more screen times.
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‎Other Supporting Casts
‎All are convincing and play their part really well; even the ex-husband, I just love to hate a character without depth. The parents is commendable. I love the father and daughter relationship.
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‎Favourite Scenes
‎1) Reconciliation in episode 24. LW is amazing in this scene. It felt natural, his awkward reaction and profound realization that no matter what, he will run to her whenever she calls; like a beacon. It's a calm and mature approach, as the two finally break their barrier. I love how LW would pause, try to sink in his mind how surreal it is and how much he yearns for her.
‎2) First kiss in episode 20. The awkwardness scene after their first kiss felt natural and convincing. I love how CJ managed to tame the silly boy who is hype and overly excited.
‎3) The breakup scene in episode 23. It's gut-wrenching to watch two people who love each other but can't agree about their future. I could understand from both points of view; LW's fear of being abandoned and CJ fear of future resentment. Their separation at that time is inevitable.
‎4) The first moment they met in episode 1. It cemented the theme 'age gap' early on and I was hooked.
5) The ending scene; where it all begin. It came full circle and I like how they emphasize that love didn't require much grand gesture; just a simple and sincere act from the heart.
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‎Music
‎I love all the soundtracks. I could hum it all day long. It really amplify the storytelling.
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‎Do I like to watch it again?
‎To infinity and beyond. I lost count already.

Leia Mais

I'd recommend watching both the series and the movie, it's worth it!

There are just a few points in which they differ from each other:

1. The Inner Monologues:
What the movie didn't include are the inner monologues of Gook and Taejoo, which I really loved in the series. But what surprised me was, that even tho they left them out everything still works perfectly fine, just because of the amazing acting. You'll notice that even without words you can just read everything from their faces and that's honestly so impressive.

2. The Music:
The movie gives of a different vibe mostly due to the different soundtrack.
In my opinion it was a bit more intense and emphasized the emotions of the characters better in some scenes.
What made me a bit sad was, that the part of the soundtrack which I personally love the most wasn't present in the movie as much as it was in the series (I'm talking about 'Light' by KEUM JO). In the series it was playing at the end of every episode and I loved it so frickin much!!

3. The Transitions/Cuts:
The transitions were different cuz (obviously) they can't just mash everything together and call it a movie.
Some scenes where cut short while some were a little longer than in the series. And it honestly didn't bother me at all!
I think everyone can see how much thought they've put into how to assemble every cut/transition.
Everything just works together very well

I myself watched the movie after the series but I guess the order doesn't really matter! Both versions have their charm and are definitely worth watching!

Leia Mais

we met

I really wanted Lee Jung-jae to kill it in something outside of Squid Game, and while this wasn't a disaster, it definitely felt like a bit of a slog. The setup isn't even bad on paper. You have an aging actor tired of being typecast as a detective who just wants to do a rom-com, paired with a reporter who gets stuck covering him. It should have been a sharp look at the industry, but it just felt a little exhausted from the start.

I actually liked that it felt adult for once. It didn't rely on forced skinship or some rushed, fake romance to keep things moving, which was refreshing. But that just makes the male lead's behavior even weirder. He spends half the time throwing literal toddler tantrums, and it’s so jarring. It is hard to fully buy into a "mature" dynamic when one half of the couple is acting like a child.

The writing is a bit of a waste for a cast this good. I adore Lim Ji-yeon because she usually brings so much intensity to her roles, but she is just kind of stranded here. It’s like she is acting in a prestige drama while everyone else is in a sitcom. The only person who actually got the assignment was Jeon Sung-woo. As Director Byeong Gi, he was a total standout and honestly the only person who felt like a human being in this mess.

And I'm not here for the "oppa is too old" or "not hot" complaints. That is just shallow noise that ignores the real failure of the show. The problem isn't his face or his age; it's the fact that the script is a total mess. One minute it's trying to be a serious political thriller and then it jump-cuts to some slapstick about a fake detective show. It tries to talk about fame versus reality but stays so surface-level that it ends up feeling a bit mid.

The final episode was actually one of the better ones, which I appreciated. It finally felt like things were coming together, even if it took too long to get there. Ultimately, there is nothing here that I really hate. It isn't offensive or unwatchable. The real issue is that there is just nothing here to really love. It’s a fine watch, but it feels like a waste of some of the best actors in the business because it never gives you a reason to be obsessed with it.

Leia Mais

Romantic movie when you need one

There is nothing new here- the storyline has been done before many times. But what makes it really work is the actors’ sweet, intensely romantic performances. The two leads have excellent chemistry. The music suits the movie, the sets work well, the supporting actors have little screen time but handle what time they have with ease. If you need something to remind you about the importance of treating our lovers with great care and romance here it is. Highly recommended for those snowy or rainy days to lose yourself in the feeling of being swept away watching a depth of love we all want to find and keep.

Leia Mais

Did it manage to be my favorite?!!

This series is cute, funny and so addictive. From the characters to the storyline to it's background music and osts. Damn I love all of it so much. Everything blends and complements the whole setting. The time travel aspect has been used nicely. It's not just a trope that's sidelined as the story progresses, it's the plot in itself. Kawi knows the future and he's trying to amend things says a lot. I am actually glad Kawi's to do list didn't only contain mending love life but also convincing his father for treatment and getting back with his long time friend Max. The overall concept of traveling back in time and finding an unexpected love, it sounds cliche but it's portrayed so nicely and it's interesting.

Talking about the characters, Kawii is a confused soul and towards the starting he seemed so selfish but nevertheless he is so cute mahn. Oh damn! the decisions he took made me facepalm myself but then he did feel guilty when he messed things up and he amended it. The way he apologizes, the way he whines, overall the way he behaves around Pisaeng, damn it's filled with cute gestures.

Then we have Pisaeng, this guy right from the very start had my heart. He is such a sweetheart and damn the level of patience he has. He is whipped for Kawii and I am whipped for him. Episode by episode I just liked him more and more. This guy is a walking green flag. He really deserves the world. I can't with both of them. They both manage to shake me up pretty badly T^T. I just can't get enough of them.

And Pearmai, she is sweet, she is friendly, I kind of understand her and she really deserves better. And Max, this guy is the most understanding, reasonable, lovable character plus a great friend and let me add that hairstyle suits him. We seriously need more characters like him. Also the other characters have played their part really well. Like there were so many instances when I wanted to go inside and knock some sense into Knot, sometimes even knock him down. And Kwan, oh my god, I sincerely wanted to see her get over Knot.

And, Yes!! Yes!! this did manage to be one of my favorites. They are so sweet. I love them. The pacing of the story is good, the plot is interesting, the osts are good and so are the characters. Highly recommended!!

Leia Mais