wish Lom had a different "plan"
Overall: if Lom had just been honest at the beginning (ep 1 or 2), then I could have enjoyed their cute moments. This is based on a book written by MAME which I haven't read and I will review the series on its own merits. MAME also wrote the screenplays for Don't Say No, Love By Chance 2 and TharnType specials. 7 episodes 45 minutes each aired uncut on iQIYI (had steamy scenes starting at the end of ep 4) and cut on YouTube (the steamy parts cut out/shortened). There will be a special episode.Content Warnings: non con kissing/touching, manhandling, body shaming, manipulation, slaps, homophobia
What I Liked
- cameos/characters from Love In The Air characters (episode 3 of part 4 was great)
- m/m steamy scenes are done well (need the uncut version to see them)
- MAME cameo/reference of signing the guestbook
- the line of "you look perfect now, don't listen to others" (though he's the one who brought Nuea to the gym so...)
- GL couple (but strange that an established couple avoided kissing in the beginning)
- Nuea's family/friends
- Nuea stood up for himself with that farm dude
- production value (especially the color/light)
Room For Improvement:
- Sailom had a terrible "plan", if he had been honest in the beginning then I would have rated this series significantly higher, but all I saw was Sailom lying and hurting Nuea and he knew he was hurting Nuea, it would have been a 2 minute conversation or a text message but Sailom couldn't find the time??? other characters even told Sailom his plan/method was bad
- Yiwa and Sailom had a bad plan as well, how would that work in the long term, what a disservice to their significant others
- Yiwa had to take all the blame and Sailom got everyone's sympathy and lied to his mom, this really rubbed me the wrong way
- the non con kiss
- too many "comedy" sound effects including the gulp noise
- why make them speak English during the wedding vows when they didn't speak English in their series, also the English subtitles were wrong
- unnecessary long water skiing scenes (2 in the first 3 episodes)
- not a good kiss for an established f/f couple
- fictional drunk character who is so drunk he needs help walking but then a few minutes later is an active participant during sex
- nonsense things: Sailom was a sound sleeper, wasn't the wedding supposed to have a huge guest list, looked like 50 guests
- the moms yelling/fighting
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But the story is quite interesting and cool, I like how it wasn't focused around a guy struggling with his sexuality or any of that drama but rather they knew what they wanted and they kind off went for it straight. Yes, there were moments when I physically cringed but on an overall basis, I liked the show, because they were able to pack everything into 4 episodes and gave it a good finish.
STORY: So when the series kicked off after Vee and Mark slept together, I thought it was going to be a Together with me remake when Vee said his girlfriend cannot find out, but then I like the fact that they didn't make it the stereotypical struggle with being gay or not but rather a struggle with love itself that so many people have. The struggle between a loveless love but love you have grown used to, and new exciting love with all the ups and downs that come with it. I like the fact that they were a bit appropriate for once, not portraying them as backstabbing cheaters, but allowing Vee to "properly" break it off with ploy before appropriately getting with Mark. The only downside to this may be the fact that the big drama was not all that (btw never agree to the last kiss with your ex) and the story was cringe and unnecessary sometimes, like Pack, he literally was just a tool to get Vee and Mark back together
Music: They were superb with this, I actually enjoyed the music
Acting: Acting was good too
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If you ever watch "Go Princess, Go! (2015)" , they have pretty much the same plot. Although there were some differences in the storyline, it somewhat still feels the same. But, I must say, I personally prefer Mr. Queen. I liked the execution and the actors were great with their roles. It gives thrill and excitement one episode after another. I remember watching it and waiting for the next episode for a week feels like a decade (LOL) and what makes it worse, the one with the English subs wont be released until the next day the original was aired. This drama does not disappoint. Esta resenha foi útil para você?
Story: It's not an original story, even the synopsis tells it so, but it was very enjoyable.
Acting/ Casting: Lee Minki, who I have recently seen in his cameo on the drama "Shut Up: Flower Boy Band", has captured my heart with his acting once again. He is truly a magnificent actor who just gives to his characters a life of their own. I have to mention that both characters he played have a very distinctive feel to them and I just want to see him in more and more things.
I had only seen Son Ye Jin in "Personal Taste", and although I did like the drama, I wasn't that impressed with her in that particular role. But she was just perfect as Yeo Ri. Both of them made the characters likable and believable and that just made me sympathize with them and the things which were happening to, and around, them.
They have really good chemistry together.
I also liked the supporting actors. The movie had a great cast all around.
Music: It felt like it belonged at all times and complemented the scenes nicely.
Rewatch: I will definitely re-watch this movie more than a few times.
Overall: The movie is almost two hours long, but it felt less than that because I was totally immersed in the movie (I did stop it once just to post on the discussion thread. But that had nothing to do with the movie and all with the subs I found). I think this a very well done movie.
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The romance is unique. In many ways I find it extremely realistic. The actors made the romantic scenes look fun and the chemistry was strong. The type of love they portray is very meaningful too, because it's a couple that was first friends, and really consider each other family. It's not a flighty love, but a deep rooted love of loyalty and understanding. But even knowing this, love is challenging and there are often obstacles.
I think the re-watch value of this drama is high, because there are subtle things that can be missed. A lot of imagery and symbolism is used. The side stories and side characters were also really good.
I think if you're in the mood for a very artistic style drama which focuses on characters, it's a good way to go. If you want something fast paced where you don't have to think too much about it, Bubblegum might not really hold your attention for all 16 episodes. There's so much love and beauty in this drama though. I personally feel it's worth watching. I really enjoyed it a lot. I guess what I really loved is, it doesn't feel like every other drama I've watched; it has it's own lovely vibe. It pops and makes you feel happy, want to smile - like bubble gum.
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Crime, detectives, action, invenstigation, blood, killers, victims, secrets, don't just by reading it excite you? I'm the biggest sucker for those kind of dramas and they always manage to make me feel good and give me exciting and indescribable feeling of happines and joy. But this drama was way more different than the others. Unique, original and rare.
Did you ever get a feeling to kickass somebody? Like some person that you can't stand, or is annoying to you? I know you do, cause there is no human being that is nice. Well you can pretend to be, but you can't run from dirty and ugly truth of you. And I know that I'm not wrong, even if I tried to deny who knows how many times. And this is what this drama is about. Speaking from my own angle of view while I was watching this drama I had that badass feeling and I got so into the story that I actually felt their pain, joy and a happiness of putting bad guys in jail to rot. Title "Bad guys" actually says itself so you can at least imagine what I think right?
As I said before I never watched a drama similar to this one. The story is simply brilliant and I want to thank the writer's mind and writer to bringing this drama into a dramaland. Former Detective Oh Gu Tak got a mission from Police Chef that in order to stop rising violent crime he must form a team and catch the culprits. He form a team by taking men with the worstest crimes' cases: a contract serial killer Tae Soo, the youngest serial killer, intellegent Jung Moon and a gangster Woong Chul. Bad guys killing bad guys, doesn't sound original? Every character has it's own story and secrets that are hidden deep inside their heart. By gaining trust the strong bond was formed and they started opening to each other. But, where's a trust there's a betrayal, but if you want to believe that person no matter how deep inside you think that he's wrong and bad betrayal again can be replaced by trust. This is a case of these guys. No matter how bad and dirty they were by learning to betrayal and trust they finally believed in each other. And those moments were so strong, emotional, powerful that they moved me to the bones.
Oh my how much I love Kim Sang Joon ahjussi. He is my love of older actors and I always say that he is born to play badass roles. That style suits him the best and in this drama he was no different. He potrays a former detective Oh Gu Tak who's lost his daughter due to a serial killing where his daughter was the last victim of it. Since then, his only goal was to put the bastard in jail.
Jo Dong Hyeok potrays a sexy contract killer, but very clever men. He's heartless, but when he develops feeling for a woman that he musn't love he changes.
My love Park Hae Jin potrays Lee Jung Moon, the youngest serial killer and very intellegent man. People see him as a psychopath and he has a bad past with Oh Gu Tak. Personally he was the most pitied character. His sad, teary eyes and innocent look were the moments where I couldn't help but cry whenever he was crying.
Awww my badass teddy bear will always be in a heart. Ma Dong Seok potrays Park Woong Cheol, a gangster who in a jail for almost 30 years. His character I experienced as a man who everything resolves with a fist and even though he's a bad man he hates evil people. He can be straight and very protective towards the people he cares.
I don't want to spoil anything to you anymore, but I'll simply just say this: These are guys who play by their own rule!
Every second of this spectacular drama was precious and worth. A deep, dark, violence drama with it's deep and strong characters, wonderful music, well made action scenes, twists that keeped me glued to screen for 11 hours brought me an enjoyment which I haven't enjoyed in a long time. Bad guys simply won my heart and will stay there forever. I LOVE you Bad Guys <3
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how am i supposed to live, laugh, love in these conditions?
I went into this show knowing of the intense controversy surrounding it, but my rule of thumb is that the more controversial a show is, the more I want to watch it. All press is good press, as they say. It is not for me to say whether the show should have used the ’87 elections as a backdrop to the show, so instead I will speak on everything else in the show, what I liked, what I hated, what I loved and what I rolled my eyes at.Overviewing opinion of the show:
I LOVE good star-crossed enemies to lovers and this show certainly delivered and they did not water it down. Love borne from ignorance and innocence that becomes corrupted by beliefs and ideology but eventually overcomes these difficulties, the show really tugged at my heartstrings with how beautiful and poignant it is.
There were points that lagged and lacked, points I rolled my eyes and skipped forward (looking at you, three wives of those three idiots) and the show did suffer from bad pacing when you spend like, what? 5/6 whole episodes trapped in the one place with the same thing happening time and time again? But even then, it’s a ticking time bomb – this pace is like a frog in water that is being brought to a boil. You don’t even notice what’s happening until it’s too late and everything has come down around you and the show explodes into action. Everything is falling into place and you can’t even breathe as you feel the helplessness and frustration of the people trapped inside of the University – who to trust? Who to turn to? Who is an ally and who is an enemy? These frustrations peak and the deteriorating situation literally leaves you having to watch the next episode after the last left you with bated breath because you don’t know what’s going to happen, who’s going to turn and who is going to betray.
The love story of the show is its backbone, its main star and attraction.
Yeong-ro is young and innocent and you watch her fall in love, just as helpless as the viewer. And then when the truth explodes, you can feel her anger and hurt and how betrayed she feels: betrayal for being lied to, betrayed by her own feelings that make it impossible to truly hate Soo-ho. She pulls back as Soo-ho reaches for her because she’s not some hapless teen in love: she’s smart, intuitive, she’s allowed to feel all those feelings of hurt and anger towards him before they lull and teeter off into forgiveness. You can even feel her being partly disgusted for having had those feelings, and partly disgusted for still having them.
Soo-ho, on the other hand, is less than innocent and he looks at Yeong-ro like she’s the only source of warmth in the cold light of his life that has been cast since he was a child. He knows he cannot love her, he knows he should not love her but he DOES. Even when he tries not to, it’s so painfully obvious he does and he’s caught between the rock and hard place of his love for her and his loyalty to his sister and country. He’s pulled in every single direction and spread too thin because no matter what he does, he knows someone is going to get hurt. Perhaps it was fate, perhaps it was destiny, perhaps it was life’s cruel joke to have him find a love and to be loved but cannot be, but he does and while the world is deadset on killing him and Yeong-ro, the two fall into this peaceful inbetween of taking the little time that they have together and seizing it with their hands.
ACTORS AND THEIR CHARACTERS:
I had no idea that it was BLACKPINK’s Jisoo as the main female lead as I’m not a BLACKPINK fan but I remember scratching my head for the first episode because I KNEW I had seen her somewhere and imagine my surprise! I’ve seen a lot of hate towards Jisoo’s acting, and I think a LOT of it is unfounded. For a first major lead as a rookie actress, Jisoo really holds her own against more seasoned actors and puts so much heart and emotion into Yeong-ro. Yeong-ro is young, she’s innocent without being naïve, unknowing without being ignorant – she’s truly a kind soul and a young woman on the cusp of being an adult in the real world and she still has this innocence about her that makes you want to protect her. And you can tell there’s something wanting in her – with a dead mother, a brother on the front lines and an apathetic, absent father, there’s a void inside of her that seems like it can never be filled in. Jisoo’s acting, my God, the girl can ACT and I know for a fact she can get even better with time. I loved seeing her onscreen and she really held her own against Jung Hae-in, especially when the truth comes out and you can feel how she is reeling with betrayal, hurt and how she wants to hate him but CAN’T. I did feel like the chemistry did dissipate slightly towards the end of the series before it was reignited again, but I suppose that is partially due to the fact that Soo-ho really becomes the main character from episode 10 onwards and the storyline shifts almost entirely away from the romance before dragging it back to the love story. Her characterisation flipflops a bit and there are times she does feel like only a plot device for Soo-ho's own character growth because Yeong-ro does not change as a person; suffering through tragedy and trauma is not character growth, not when she's left in the ruins alone after the fact. I liked Jisoo's acting and I know she has great potential for the future and I very much look forward to any future projects Jisoo has in store!
Hae-in, oh boy, lord hath mercy – the man is a powerhouse of talent. I haven’t seen anything that he has been in before, though I do know the titles and have seen clips but this is the first show that I have sat down and watched all the way through and I need to remedy my earlier mistake of not seeing anything he’s been in. Hae-in creates a Soo-ho that is the epitome of a victim of his circumstances. He could not choose where he was born, he could not choose his parents, he could not choose his life, he could not choose his path, his job, his future. He’s like a leaf atop of a streaming river, carried by its current until the end. And prior to Yeong-ro, he lets himself be carried without fighting against the tide, then she manages to take a hold of his soul and heart and pull him back from drowning. You can feel the conflict alongside Soo-ho, the conflict of what he wants and what he needs to do, duty and love tearing him apart. He tries so desperately to reclaim the person he was but it’s too late – the love that he has for Yeong-ro has fundamentally changed him as a human being. You can see him trying to disconnect from his feelings for her during the hostage situation but he’s tied to his emotions and to her whether he likes it or not. He’s desperate and lost because this is the first time he’s ever made a choice for himself and Hae-in is amazing at portraying this, at Soo-ho’s constant internal battle. Just like Yeong-ro, there’s a void inside of him that is shaped like her and only together do they really make each other whole.
The rest of the cast are sublime, Jang Seung-jo as Kang-moo is amazing. He’s desperate and calculating, passionate, pragmatic, and vengeful. You look at him and you know he’s a ticking time bomb, but you never know when he’s going to go off. Jung Yoo-jin was less than stellar, but she does portray Han-na as being exactly the opposite to Kang-moo: she’s a bomb whose fuse goes off time and time again. I did get annoyed with her multiple times throughout the show but I can’t say I hate her. Yoon In-na, unfortunately, did not stand out to me but I suppose it’s just because of how her character is written: cold and detached, pragmatic beyond belief and cold. There is one instance that I did love was her seeing the broken minded Ms. Oh and you can see it in her eyes that she finally realises the future that awaits her: abandoned by the country she served and left to suffer the memories of all the atrocities she committed until it breaks her.
Kim Hye-yoon, woooo boy she did a great job of making me both hate Gye Bun-ok and pitying her. Because on one hand, Gye Bun-ok has every right to be the way she is and you can understand why she doesn’t want to join in on the scheme that is brewing in the university. She has first hand experience of what happens to those who turn against the government and to communism, and the consequences they face as she still suffers the consequences that her old sister made because of that. She’s a pitiful character that I don’t think I can say I even hate her, even though she really annoyed me. She is constantly bullied and looked down upon by the college girls and has been abused by her parents all her life, even while acting as the sole breadwinner. She has every right to not feel loyal to the people who mocked and bullied her constantly, who saw her as nothing more than an infection to the rest of the student body. But, man, you see her act out time and time again even knowing why she’s doing what she’s doing but you just want to wring her neck out. Also, what the hell was that weird thing that was implied going on between her and Gyeok-chan? It really grabbed my attention and was quite disappointed it didn't really go anywhere.
There aren’t many other characters that stood out to me but I will say this: I HAAATTTEEEDDD the storyline of the three wives, like I mean HATED. I did not watch a single scene of them without skipping forward because of how boring they were. I only enjoyed it when they were getting their comeuppance but other than that, nothing positive can be said about these characters whose names I didn’t even bother to remember.
Other comments:
- The music and cinematography of the show were [chefs kiss]. Honestly outstanding and out of this world, a treat to the eyes and a feast that kept on giving. The show was honestly just so beautiful to watch, if I didn’t even like the show I would have kept on watching because it was such a beautiful show to watch.
- Once again, the pacing really hindered the show from reaching full potential as the same things kept happening more than once as well as the fact they stretched out the hostage situation a bit longer than I would have liked. I also would have liked if they kept up the storyline of the girls hiding Soo-ho in the dorm a bit longer.
- Even knowing the politics of the 1987 elections, I do think the show didn’t really go into the nitty gritty of it too much. I partially agree with some of the backlash being towards the show’s narrative of having ANSP agents being the ones trying to end the corruption within the election, but at the same time, I don’t think the show tries to say, “this is the truth and only the truth of what happened”.
- Not enough weird 80s fashion, disappointing.
- Now I know that I said I didn’t like how the hostage situation dragged on longer than it needed, but I liked the fact it made the show feel claustrophobic, as if you’re trapped in the university alongside the bulk of the cast. I felt as trapped as the students and staff did, only able to watch what was happening and not being able to go anywhere or do anything. It really added to the whole atmosphere and made everything feel much more tense.
- I’m going to admit it: there were times that I did wish Soo-ho followed through with his threats during the hostage situation simply because I wanted something to happen. But perhaps, on the flipside, it added more tension for me because I was there, waiting with bated breath wondering if he’ll actually follow through and kill a student as he threatened he would.
- I honestly feel disappointed at people who are hating on Jisoo’s acting because I thought she was sublime, especially considering the fact this is her first major role, I believe. Though I admit there are times I did feel like she was lacking a bit and Hae-in had to carry the bulk of the chemistry between the two – her interactions with Soo-ho towards the last few episodes felt lacklustre especially with the lack of reciprocation towards Soo-ho’s displays of affection, but I’m also empathetic towards the fact romance probably isn’t on the forefront of her mind what with everything going on in her personal life and the situation at hand. I see people getting annoyed over the fact that Yeong-ro felt betrayed and hurt towards Soo-ho as if he didn’t just take all her friends captive and use her as a human shield? As if he didn’t lie to her and put her in this situation? Like, Yeong-ro’s reaction and behaviour is extremely believable and human. Why should she trust Soo-ho after he lied and did what he did, acted how he acted and said what he said? And Jisoo was amazing at portraying this hurt and anger beautifully because you can see the innocence in Yeong-ro leave her, that she’s forced to face the consequences of being young and being in love and realising that all really isn’t fair in love and war.
Conclusion:
This show is not for people who like action packed, constant romance, fast paced, good guys v bad guys and characters who are more than three dimensional. You will feel fatigue watching it, but then it’s the end of an episode and you NEED to know what happens next. It’s a slow burn, an ember burning before it explodes into a fire. I will definitely be adding this to my very small list of shows I rewatch.
Final thoughts:
I wrote the bulk of this review when I was still waiting for episodes 15 and 16 to drop and much of it remains the same, but I am going to retract my last sentence in the conclusion. I do not think I will be able to mentally handle watching this show more than once. The tragedy and even the unfairness of this show remains consistent. I opened the review by saying this show was beautiful and poignant, but I forgot to say how tragic it is. I probably spent an entire hour sobbing hysterically after the finale to the point I thought my eyes were going to pop out of my head.
To say I wanted everyone to live happily ever after would be a lie, but I wanted them to simply live a life they can be content with. No spoilers, but I think the tragedy of this show lies in the fact that some people will always be victims – victims to the government, victim to their regrets, their mistakes, to the corrupt people in power, and even to their own feelings. There is no spoonful of sugar to wash down the bitterness in this show. It is raw and burns you and I cannot remember the last time a show has managed to pull this depth of emotions from me before. The ending is unsatisfactory, it leaves you empty and numb and you wonder: "What was it all for? What's the point if this is what the end is?". There are so many unanswered questions, so many loose ends left to dangle untied and even when those who deserved their comeuppance, it's superficial, like sand in your stomach because it fills you up but you're still empty otherwise.
You feel a sense of helplessness and hopelessness and it hurts, by God does it hurt watching that finale. And part of me hates the show for it, and I was adamant that if I didn’t get a bittersweet ending this show was going to get a bad score from me but I can’t, I can’t not when this show has caused such deep, emotional reactions within me.
And you accept what Yeong-ro has come to learn: all is not fair in love and war, not in this life.
And the real tragedy of it all is that you were hoping for much more than what this show was able to deliver, perhaps it's naivety or foolishness, but I wanted, I hoped, I despaired. You watch that final scene and you know in that moment, you are Yeong-ro and you know the life that awaits her, more tragedy paving the path. It leads me to ask: is a life alone, having lost everyone you know and love, any better than dying?
I have a feeling it will be a question haunting Yeong-ro for the rest of her life, forced to carry on when everyone else has been left behind.
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1
5Revenge drama done right, thrilling and satisfying
Revenge is one of the most common genres used in dramas, but The Double stood out because it never lost focus and strayed from its main revenge theme. Too many revenge shows started off strong but lost their way when romance became the central point. To add salt to injury, smart leads suddenly became love brain and lost all common sense, or even worse, any ounce of intelligence that they used to have.Not this show.
Oh, there was definite romance, one so tantalizing and the build up of our lead couple's relationship so engaging that it set my heart aflutter even when there were no kisses for most of the show. However, the plot stayed on course, showing how our female lead, Xue Fang Fei slowly but surely got revenge for herself and her family, and also for her savior, Jiang Li whose identity she assumed after getting a second chance at life. Furthermore, the crew and cast, from the director, the screenwriters to the leads and supporting actors, they owned this show, expressing the story with their own unique voices and perpectives.
Revenge is visceral, evoking deep feelings and grabbing our attention. Viewers hate to see a grave injustice go unpunished and most of us can get behind a little vigilante action in our dramas, especially when we get to watch the deeply wronged victim avenged. In this show, the injustices were montrous and I find it completely justifiable for Xue Fang Fei to seek out the people who so badly betrayed her and wronged Jiang Li. The drama unfolded well, ensuring that the viewers formed an emotional bond with the characters, getting outraged, wanting revenge as much as Xue Fang Fei did.
What is great about Xue Fang Fei was that she was truly likable, a protagonist who had most viewers firmly in her corner, rooting for her. She was of course full of rage but she was not one-dimensional, driven only by revenge. I would not have been surprised if Xue Fang Fei felt the desire to overstep moral boundaries, not caring about others, but she almost always exercised a degree of restraint, trying not to harm the innocent as she carried out her elaborate plans of punishment. She reflected on everything including seeking justice for Jiang Li, even prioritizing Jiang Li's retribution first. Even when she had a love interest as enigmatic and attractive as Duke Su, she stayed on the revenge course. There were moments when she wavered, foiled by the villains' scheming but she always managed to recover and retaliate beautifully. Even better was how she considered the interests of Duke Su, protecting and helping him in her own way. Xue Fang Fei was a female lead worthy of respect.
Duke Su or Xiao Heng, now he was a drool-worthy male lead. Powerful, skilled, intimidating while being gorgeously green flag. What I love about this character was his interesting dualities. Xiao Heng will tease, and be all assertive and domineering but also be so attentive via his acts of services and care. I enjoyed watching this cocky, confident and composed man stay consistently that way and yet was also clearly a great partner to Xue Fang Fei under all that so called posturing. The thing is that he was really all that, but he made sure that Xue Fang Fei knew that they were equals, that she owed him nothing and most importantly, she should live her own life for herself, and no one else. Not even him.
The show hit the jackpot with our lead couple! As individual characters, they were endearing and as a couple, they were a force of nature. I appreciate the consistent portrayal of both leads, who did not suddenly lose brain cells or rationality just because they fell in love. They were sensible and intelligent enough to come to the right conclusions about each other's actions. Gotta love a show where there were no tropey prolonged misunderstandings.
While some may think the romance too slow-burn and lacked passionate acts of love, I find it tantalizing and meaningful. It reminded me of myself experiencing the thrill of a love interest, getting to know the person, developing feelings, finally falling in love and wanting to protect. The interactions between the leads was packed with chemistry and emotions, showing how from enemies, they've become friends and finally lovers. There were no official moment of when they finally got together. Even when Xiao Heng confessed with just two lines, it was more of an acknowledgement of how they were already one. This is one show when waiting for the full culmination of the leads' love will be worth it. The last and special episodes nailed that.
Wu Jin Yan as Xue Fang Fei and Wang Xin Yue as Xiao Heng were excellent. The directors' use of close up shots was very effective and all I can say is that these two can really act with their eyes and facial expressions. I am so impressed with the lead actors and also the supporting cast. There were so many times when I thought that the directors must be amazing to inspire and draw out so much emotion from the individual actors. Speaking of the cast, it was a very attractive set of actors who can act including the villains.
The array of villains was an interesting mix. At first I thought the earlier ones were caricaturish, almost one dimensional but as the plot developed and revealed more of the backgrounds, I understood that there were a lot more angles and aspects to these antagonists. They were shown in different lights, evoking sympathy and at times doubt. All the female ones were victims of circumstances in the beginning but ultimately decided to take control of their fates by choosing the paths of self-interest that made them into villains in some form or another. Joe Chen deserved a shout-out. She clearly had the female lead aura which drew eyes to her when she was on the screen. Not so much the actress playing Princess Wanning, there was just something off about her expressions.
The best part though is that who we thought were the worst villains turned out to be victims and the ones who perhaps evoked sympathy in the beginning ended up being the ultimate evil ones. I enjoyed the twists introduced in this drama.
Another aspect that the show did well was its pacing. The show did not end up dragging on way too long or climaxing too soon. The revenge and romance kept me invested until the end. Watching karma do its thing provided a nice catharsis, the final release of tension that led to satisfaction. With the great OST, beautiful costumes and setting, excellent cinematography, this show is worthy of its excellent rating if not higher.
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The Wish of First Love that She wrote on Paper Stars came True!! ♥
Cute and Wholesome ♡♡Hidden Love is a binge worthy, adorable drama about a young girl in love with her brother's friend. Sang Zhi met Duan Jiaxu when she was just 14 years old and again when she was 17, with time she develops feelings for him. Jiaxu who was 5 years older than him only saw her as his little sister but she always had a special place in his life (as a family). They part ways for a period of time and meet again! And whoa now that she's an adult there starts a story of sweetness, hotness and the chemistry that literally do not leaves a chance of giving you butterflies!!
To talk about chemistry, nah they've physics, maths and every subject you can think off. It wasn't even much about the story tbh, most of us just adored this pair together! The good parts about this drama is probably the CHEMISTRY (*chef's kiss*), the ACTING (they look way too natural) and the LIGHTNESS (name a drama with almost no toxicity).
Not like the story left much impression, there was a lot going on and they could've gone in depth with it but instead they focused on our main couple and how to develop their relationship better. Sang Zhi kept saying "I'm not a kiddo anymore" and him finding his home in her and yet teasing her about it. This... This sweet banter, understanding and comfort they had around each other won my heart.
Sang Zhi (played by Zhao Lusi) is such a thoughtful character. Not only she never gave up on her love, the way she was giving her 100% for him and never being insecure or so damn sure that "yeah he is the one for me" is lovely to watch... and did I mention I fell for Zhao Lusi once again!! She ate her character. even her playing a 17 year old was kinda convincing, tho she was 23 when this was filmed. And she sang two songs that always lit up the atmosphere of each scene. She's genuinely impressive.
Complimenting her is Duan Jiaxu (Chen Zheyuan) . This man is a walking green flag. The reason I don't blame her for the puppy love is because who would not fall for him if the guy is this sweet and caring... and visuals obviously!!... Duan Jiaxu got his own struggles but he still walks like a sunshine being nice to everyone around... so take note future drama writers "past trauma do not makes every male lead poker faced and cold"
We also have some beautiful relationships around our leads like Sang Zhi and her brother Sang Yan (Victor Ma) who bicker so much like any other sibling would do... and her amazing parents that give off ideal family goals...
Just a reminder that this drama is FICTIONAL, Hidden love is a completely romance focused cheesy drama that kicks away all the toxicity very smoothly (unlike reality). there's no way a kind Sang Zhi like this or perfect Duan Jiaxu like this or a fully healthy relationship like this would exist. So don't get your expectations too high haha.
I did encounter some typical cdrama tropes but how come they made this drama extra sweet. I hope I'm not going to get tested positive for diabetes by next week as I plan on rewatching this a little more XD... its honestly been long since I've rated a drama a 10 but this one deserved it for staying in its genre and truthfully being what it is, a romcom.
Also trying to address an issue...
•• Is the age gap really an issue? No it's just 5 years.
•• Did he liked her too when she was still a kid? No. It was always her having a crush on him until they met again after she became an adult. so he is not a pervert
OSTs
If the chemistry wasn't enough to give you diabetes, the songs will - sweet and perfect for the moment
1. Only Want to Secretly Hide You (只想把你偷偷藏好) ~ by Zhao Lu Si & Silence Wang (you'll hear this song for half of the time in the drama and you won't mind it cause it's actually soothing to ears)
2. I Have Someone I Like (我有喜欢的人了) ~ Zhao Lu Si (Ioved her vocals for this song. Zhao lusi is just impressive ❤)
3. Be Your Light ~ Ma Bo Qian (my favorite one, love the feel good casual vibes of the song)
4.The One Who Stole the Stars (偷星星的人) ~ Yi Hui
5. Have You (有你) ~ Zhao Lei
6. Forever Star ~ Zhang Yi Hao
7. You are My Only Wish in this Lifetime (你是我此生唯一所愿) ~ Zhang Bi Chen
So Hidden Love is a 10/10 for me for being that perfect light romance drama that makes you blush in and out with the butterflies. it's worth checking out for the fluffy, sugar factor!! Would definitely recommend it!!
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1Don't believe hate reviews. This is a delightful rom-com
I see haters are already at work trying to smear this drama. Not just here, I'm seeing hate videos on Youtube too. Unfortunately, this is becoming more and more rampant in the world of Chinese dramas where producers are blackmailed into paying up, otherwise their dramas would be defamed on social media. Apparently, the producer of this drama did not give in to blackmail, thus flaws were invented or flaws that are common in cdramas and are largely ignored were exaggerated with this drama. The attacks got propagated to other sites by so-called water armies and picked up and further spread by anti-fans of the stars or their pairing, Innocent viewers got swept up in the frenzy and got swayed by the smear campaign.But please don't let haters keep you from enjoying this delightful rom-com.
Only For Love stars Bai Lu as Zheng Shuyi, a beautiful, cute, smart, bubbly but rather quirky reporter of a finance magazine. Dylan Wang co-stars as Shi Yan, a hotshot mysterious young CEO who requests to be interviewed by Shuyi to publicize the vision of his venture capital company to help startups get off the ground. Shuyi has just caught her boyfriend cheating on her with a girl she mistook for Shi Yan's niece. Her boyfriend breaks up with her for the girl who promised to help him with his career. With her pride shaken, Shuyi decides to flirt with Shi Yan, seemingly to get back at her ex-boyfriend and to allow her to conduct a series of interviews with the much sought after bachelor CEO. Their constant meetings lead to romance. But what would Shi Yan feel when he knows the truth about Shuyi's reasons for pursuing him?
Shuyi is not the usual type of female lead in Chinese dramas. She is brilliant when it comes to work. But outside of it, she is somewhat clueless. Self-centered and shameless too. Her clumsy pursuit of Shi Yan is hilarious, showing how out of character she is at playing a seductress. But is it all play-acting? Might this seductress have fallen in love with her prey?
Shi Yan is being hailed on social media as the Chinese Mr. Darcy with his reserved and stoic demeanor as well as the dashing figure he cuts especially in a riding outfit. But he's also got a charm all his own. When he smirks at Shu Yi's clumsy attempts at seduction or when he looks at her with all the affection and sexual tension he oftentimes has a hard time keeping under wraps, your heart wouldn't be able to help dancing with excitement.
There might be some cultural challenges that could impact a non-Chinese viewer's understanding of the drama. For example, the joke about the cake in Shi Yan's uncle's dinner feast started with Shuyi mischievously texting "making love' to her ex-boyfriend's query about what she was doing. But when she noticed Shi Yan watching her composing the text, she changed her text to "making cake". The misunderstanding arose due to some texts not being subtitled. In addition, it seems "eat cake" has some sexual connotation in Chinese culture. So if you don't understand something in the story, try to join social media discussions and ask away.
All in all, this drama is pleasing to the eye and is quite entertaining. It starts off lighthearted but the characters turn out to be more than typical rom-com characters. These are multi-dimensional characters who are not all good but also not all bad. In short, they are human. Dissecting the characters and what makes them tick is fundamental to enjoying this delightful drama.
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A Great Watch
I finished this drama even without the subs in the last 4 eps and that says a lot as a watcher: I loved this drama!Why do I like it? Primarily, I'm a sucker for love stories and this show has a beautiful one. Defying the stereotype of big age gap, maybe 15 years, they made it a non issue as he was just totally smitten and treasured her as she adored him. Their chemistry was off the hook; so many tender scenes, he standing up for her in awkward moments, etc. I enjoyed her cooking, and his pleasure of eating. I was also happy that there wasn't a crazy evil antagonist; pretty mild when compared to many other dramas.
What I wasn't too thrilled about: the side stories didn't latch on. They were more irritating to me than being cute. The plot of adding younger brother as an opponent i felt was added too late that when drama about to wrap.
Overall, I would watch again with skips to the main leads. The story was creative, acting especially by main leads was very good. The accompanying song was good. It had a great ending made to have a second season..Haha! I really loved this cdrama and extending my visits to this group besides kdramas.
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Esta resenha pode conter spoilers
Entertaining & Good Chemistry Ongoing Review (Happy Ending Answer)
SLOW START:I am amazed that the drama follows the book's slow pace in the first 4 episodes. I was expecting less development of the CSS's family. The first 20+chapters of the book are boring so I thought they would just sum it up quickly, but they did drag it out a bit in slow motion. This will discourage some people who are used to quick-paced dramas. If you don't like wordplay or family (in this case females) bickering, then the first episodes will be painfully slow. However, the drama doesn't need to be abandoned because the later episodes will be better after the "main" characters come out. That being said, I have a feeling that the drama will be developed in a similar way.
It's a slow beginning, but they did try to make it entertaining. I think it's worth giving it a chance to develop the narrative (which although slow, is well-acted and filmed). The cinematography looks amazing so far.
If needed, you can skip the first 4 episodes: they are about a girl who was left behind as a baby because her family had to go to war. She was abused by her aunt and grandma. The story begins as her family returns home to find her grown up without education and fine manners.
The ML LBY came out in the first episode. He "met" CSS's hand. And the face-to-face meeting doesn't happen until episode 6.
PLOT EXPECTATION:
What this story is not about: politics & war (there is some, but it is about 1/4 of the story ... the other 3/4 is about women's and family drama). So it's always good to keep your expectation consistent with the perspective that this novel is about a girl, who is the main character; she has 3 suitors; her character matures as she makes her choices.
For those who expect a quick meeting of the main leads and a fast-paced romance, this isn't the drama. They don't "meet" right away. It's going to take time for her to like him. If you have seen The Story of Minglan, it's the similar vibe in terms of family drama. The focus will move from CSS's family drama to another family drama (the emperor's).
ACTING:
So far I really like the acting and funny moments (including the wordplay). It's a different type of drama. It feels like an artistic rendition rather than the typical C-dramas. If you like ZLS, this is a drama in which she shines because she can act in different stages of growth. LW's acting is not shabby either.
As you watch the drama, look out for the details in the words between the characters. The beauty of this novel/drama lies in the details and words and the interaction between people.
CHEMISTRY:
All the MLs have chemistry with ZLS. The looks (eyes) between them and her show how much they like her.
ENDING:
Happy Ending in the Novel. They didn't get married only talked about it in the epilogue. No actual ceremony. Let's hope the drama will script it in.
EPISODE REVIEW:
ep1:
The old lady who came to fetch CSS said, "If your parents love you, why did they leave you?" - This is the same question that CSS must have asked many times: it makes her feel unloved and orphaned.
When LBY heard the uncle say that CSS was without parents all her life, he must have already felt connected with her through their shared background: both grew up without parents.
ep 1-4
Not as good as could have been because of the excessive bickering. It sets up the storyline. Can skip over the high-pitched overdramatized bickering if you don't enjoy it.
Just finished ep6:
Amazing! They changed the novel. I love the change! It's more exciting/entertaining and makes more sense that she met all 3 on the same night! She still hasn't seen his face clearly, but he saw hers.
7-8
Episodes 7-8 didn't disappoint. Again, the script deviated from the novel, but it's all positive. VERY entertaining. I thought the cinematography and storyline had a Disneyesque quality: the filming of LBY with the black cape (a repetition from previous scenes) from low to the high angle from the back makes him look like a Disney character: intimidating, intriguing, and foreshadowing. The real voice of FL added to the fun and childish scenes. I feel she made it very believable and entertaining to watch.
TBH, I enjoy watching this drama more than reading the book. Although I laughed sometimes while reading, the drama brought out more of the comic element by providing not just the regular rom-com but also sophisticated irony, contrast, etc ... The director gave it a vibe of Disney's Cinderella and "Sense and Sensibility".
EPS 15-6
Again, I am impressed with the screen adaptation and the director of this drama.
An excellent screen adaptation of the novel to include more interactions among the male leads. I love that they are more central to the story and being shown at the same time so the audience can see how they treat her and how she reacts to their perspectives.
Jane Austen's vibe is obvious and consistent as the actors curtsy to each other and politely nod their heads. The director is able to get the actors to perform their roles perfectly. It's funny but not to the point of being ridiculous. The humor has a tasteful vibe. When the grandma's dramatic role is not being overplayed as in eps 1-4, she also has the vibe of JA's old dames.
I also love that ZLS can bring out the little girl vibe. Although she is young (but not that young), she brought out the innocence of a 14-year-old at times and makes you feel like yeh, I could believe in her silliness, idealism, and audacity. I think her real voice and acting make the role so believable even though she doesn't look 14 years old.
17-18
If I were reading Episodes 17-18, I would be fast-forwarding them to the next best parts. It's so painfully slow to wait for next week's episodes! I guess the story is not moving fast enough because it's still evolving around similar plot lines and conflicts: engagement, family fighting, LBY's unrequited love, CSS still needs to fight for herself without getting new skills.
It's like a video game level: she's not getting any extra skills or new conflicts to move on to the next level.
However, it's fun to see the dynamics of different families.
In these episodes, we can see that she's going to have a tough battle against the Lou family. Everyone can see it except CSS. Why? In her insecurity (worrying about not being able to find a suitable husband - Lou is the only one who asked her to be his wife), CSS thinks this is as good as it's going to get for her. She's a young teen. She's full of insecurities due to abandonment and lack of love. She doesn't know what love is. She is only concerned about having independence through being married to an easy-to-manipulate husband who will support her projects. But she doesn't realize that behind the husband is actually a formidable family.
These episodes are fun to watch to see the dynamics of Chinese families. The princes showed up in episode 18 in which you can see the contrast between the crown prince and the 3rd prince. It's foreshadowing who will rule at the end.
The next episodes will be more fun when she becomes engaged to LBY. It's a new plot line involving a new mentor (empress) and a matchmaker (emperor). It will be less frustrating to watch because CSS is getting new skills and love from her mentor. She has a stronger fiancé who supports her.
19-20
Breaking up is hard to do so CSS refuses to accept the verdict that she has to give her fiance, Yao, to the He daughter. Yao and CSS promised to stand against the world. Here we see that Yao actually has a backbone. His relationship with CSS has matured him and inspired a devotion that stands against the bullying of his family. It's a foreshadowing of a decent man and friend that he will become at the end of the story.
In this episode, we see that the relationship between mother and daughter is progressing ... also more disclosures about LBY's past.
One thing I noticed about this director is his use of repetition to emphasize the point: My favorite part about these 2 episodes is the last scene: LBY said, "No need to fear. I am here!" This is a repetition of what he said when he rescued her before. It just emphasizes his devotion to her.
21-22
Finally, the plot moves on! I felt too much time was spent on the first engagement. I would like to see more time spent on CSS and LBY's story. At least now, we are heading in the right direction!
She breaks her engagement with Yao. From here on, LBY will become the main man in her life. This marks the beginning of her exposure to life in the palace.
She overheard a conversation about overthrowing the crown prince. LBY saves her and starts to become involved in her life.
Overall, the plot is moving on. I wish they would not drag on with the grandma's scenes. At this point, I tend to get impatient and fast forward her scenes.
The emperor, on the other hand, is a lot more humorous. His involvement in LBY's love life is hilarious... the scene was fun to read too.
23-24
The script modified the story but it sounds reasonable. Here is where the LBY asks the Emperor to represent his parents and ask for CCS's hand in marriage. She took a chance and said yes. Why? She was touched by his sincere declaration that she is a special lady who is fit to be his wife. No other will do.
25-26
Excellent job in both scripting and directing. Really loved these two episodes, especially the humorous ending of 26! This was not in the book but the script again exceeded my expectation. I loved the way the director showed humor, not just through words but also through the filming angles and the closeup of movements!
In episode 25, CSS had to deal with the gossip and LBY helped her to silence the vicious girls. She realized then that she is solely dependent on him to give her power. And by relying on him, she loses her independence.
27
The hilarious episode shows LBY taking over Cheng's family in a military style.
28
Love doesn't conquer all ... Adjustments and compromises are required. I find this scenario to be very realistic. Romantic love is balanced with conflicts and character development. I like how smoothly the script transition the story to the Palace.
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That's actually quite simple. At one point, I thought « Wow ». I was already hooked from the start (or rather around episode 3 because that's when the main leads actually meet for the first time) but later I really fell in love with the characters and the story. I was impressed, which nearly never happens. I was so eager to see the next episode that I ended up reading the novel... only to be frustrated by not being able to finish it. Yes, unfortunately for now, you'll only find the first half translated in english on internet. (EDIT : now completed! Advice: watch the drama before reading the novel.)
Story :
It's a little difficult to follow at first because there are a lot of characters and informations to remember. When it started, I thought it would be roughly one case every three episodes. So I didn't really care about the criminals identities and that's where I was wrong. It's actually one big case. The first case leads to the second, which leads to a third even bigger, and so on. Episodes are short but intense on informations. You have to stay focused to follow this drama, be warned.
Drama vs novel
Personnaly, I love them both in a different way. In the novel, I love how intense the main leads relationship is. We don't have their inner thoughs in the drama, so the focus is more on the investigation, which gives off an intense feeling too. Hence, I did not mind the difference, but I'll surely see a lot of things in a different way when I'll rewatch it. For instance, Ji Bai feelings are less obvious in the drama. He smiles at her, confides in her, stays by her side... They just made Xu Xu realization of her feelings more obvious than the novel through her drawings. Still, I think you'll appreciate the drama more if you watch it before reading the novel.
Acting and characters reactions
Realistic. I have to word it that way because, when it's a romantic comedy, chinese and taïwanese dramas tend to exagerate situations. Fortunately, they choose to focus on the investigation for this drama, so the acting is also very serious. The one thing that actually doesn't feel right is Xu Xu drawing cartoons. I felt the way she was portrayed in the novel, being someone really mature and logical, was more realistic.
Music and cinematography
I loved the opening song and even more its clip. So beautiful and kind of sensual, even with animals drawings. It goes well with the cinematography. Some sequences are beautiful. I loved how they make use of some silent moments. One little thing bothered me in the first few episodes. At times, the camera trembled too much, probably to give a suspens feel. But overall, it was really well-done.
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Unexpected
One way to summarize 'The School Nurse Files' would be: "Unexpected, strange and unique."From the very first minutes of the series you start to wonder what you got yourself into. At the end of episode one you get stuck into this mindset of "I need more, what was this?"
This series won't fit everyone's taste but if you get rid of all common sense and logic you will surely enjoy it.
You won't be able to understand majority of the story if you skip on this one during episodes, the episodes need to be watched in its entirety for them to make some sense and for the story to flow.
As a fan of anime and comics, I can honestly say this fits my taste and it's something I've only seen in Japanese dramas, it's ridiculous to say the least at times, but isn't that something to be enjoyed? The real world is already too bland as it is.
A gem who will be appreciated over time!
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Second Wind
A refreshingly cool wind that blew a young, heart-fluttering love my way.This far exceeded my expectations. I expected mediocre and was greeted with the memorable innocence of a first love, sincerity in words, actions, and music, conflicts that hit and weren't dragged out, and a beautiful dream small enough to carry in your pocket yet expansive enough as to fly out into the world.
This felt like a secret so gorgeous I wanted to keep it to myself. But I believe it deserves to be seen by many.
Side Note: Don't worry, the chemistry is there and romantic moments aren't brushed aside. This couple shines wonderfully and makes you root for them all along the way.
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