STORY
Byun Ji Sook is a hard worker trying to help her family get out of debt. Seo Eun Ha is a rich girl who doesn't really have to work hard for anything. They look alike but their not related. Circumstances happen that end up with Byun Ji Sook taking over Seo Eun Ha's life. How long can you keep a secret? How long till living a lie eats you up inside. A story about greed, revenge, family politics. This story has everything, romance, mystery, drama, intrigue, slice of life. Whenever a drama takes me on an emotional roller coaster, it's a good one for me.
ACTING/CAST
Soo Ae was pretty good at portraying two characters who are polar opposites from each other. I've only seen her in one other show and it was the movie "Sunny" which I can't really say I liked her acting there. I can't remember her acting there. >_<
Joo Ji Hoon, what can I say, I just love him. I love his stares and this acting reminds me of when he was Prince Lee Shin in "Goong".
Yoo In Young was pretty good at playing the annoying older sister. She has the perfect villainess look. :D
Yeon Jung Hoon, now this guy wore his mask real well. I don't know how he could keep lying with a straight face all throughout the drama. He is one of the characters I love to hate. I just wanted to shake him.
Hoya, I saw him in "Reply 1997" and I like him in Infinite. But this drama, I really loved him more. He wasn't like in a lot of scenes but in the ones he were in, he's showing some promise with his acting.
Jo Yoon Woo, I want him as my secretary :D. He really cares for his boss and he's just too darn cute.
MUSIC:
Lyn's song "Just One Day" I can just keep listening to it over and over. Navi's "Tell Me A Lie" is pretty good too. I really like the instrumental during the Ji Sook/Min Woo moments.
RE-WATCH VALUE:
Yes, I would re-watch this. I like watching the main characters' journey of overcoming the multiple obstacles to their happiness. How they did their best to protect the ones they love.
OVERALL:
I would recommend it. If you like a little mystery, intrigue, romance with great actors then this drama is a good one to watch.
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Like dramas with contract marriages? Think this is the drama for you?YOU ARE WRONG.
STOP NOW.
DO NOT PRESS PLAY.
This is the strongest warning I can possibly give about a drama.
At the beginning, this drama had a lot of things happening that were ridiculous - and by that I mean silly, overblown makjang. To be honest, for the first few episodes, I kept watching just to see how ridiculous the plot could get.
Unfortunately, it's not the overwhelming list of silly that is the problem here.
List of silly:
Amnesia
Hypnosis
Drugging
Stalking
Cancer scares
Kidnapping.
And more...
The biggest problem with this drama is that it is a shocking apologia for domestic abuse of a particularly subtle and manipulative kind.
Cut it whichever way you want: Xia Lin's husband is almost sociopathic in his possessiveness. He controls her every move, manipulates her, gaslights her, tracks her, stalks her, lies to her, imprisons her. And worst of all, all of this is framed as evidence of his great epic love. It is not. This is not romantic, it is hugely disturbing and hugely wrong.
This is the story of an abused woman who tried to escape her abuser but ends up falling back into the relationship anyway. It would actually work quite well as a warning against men who behave like this; using their wealth and power to control another person. Ling Yi Zhou is the most abusive male lead I've seen in a drama in a long time.
The only acceptable resolution to this scenario would be Xia Lin being strong enough and brave enough to leave this toxic relationship behind and forge her own path in the world without Ling Yi Zhou. Anything else serves as a justification for horrible domestic abuse.
Even after the huge TWIST I admit I kept watching because I wanted to see how the show would handle the revelation. But by the time he was microchipping her with diamonds to track her every move, I realised I was done.
I am not just sorry I watched this - I'm upset that dramas like this exist.
I wish I could give dramas a 0 because if I could, I would.
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The excitement that NEVER STOPS!!
For someone who have never read the webtoon, I just gonna say: this drama is more than just amazing! It took me less than 3 days to finish the whole series simply because I just couldn't stop watching!!!!From casting, to plots, to action scenes, and production, this drama is a perfection! There isn't any dull moment throughout the series and it's like a thrilling ride! So if you haven't watch it, you should go ahead and enjoy the ride, it will end before you even noticed! As there are a lot of shows with a pretty good start and went down the trail in the second half, but for this one, nope! It gets higher and higher that gives you a lot of anticipation till the end!
You could say it is a comedy, a thriller, a mystery, a fantasy, or an action drama, because it has all the genres in it!
If you are skeptical and worried of horror scenes, I can assure you it's not that scary, I don't fancy horror dramas too but this is perfectly fine for me! But do expect some tense up whenever you see the evil ghosts in action, but trust me, that excitement is just the thing that keeps you going! XD
I really adore the counter squad SO MUCH! Although they weren't related to each other and share different personality, when they come together, they became a bunch of sweethearts that make you smile :) Plus, their acting are really ON POINT that gets you into it! Action scenes or crying scenes, you name it! Never underestimate those young actor and actress; Byung Gyu and Se Jeong totally slayed it!
I would say they had a pretty good production too, literally nothing to pick on! Besides the action scenes, I really love how the male lead was summoning out the Territory, those colour effects!!! Gosh so heroic and I love it!!!!
Well since I couldn't name anything that I don't like about the show, it gives an absolute 10/10! Or maybe one bad thing of this drama is that "It ends"!!! I heard they are having a Season 2 and I can't wait for it! Definitely one of the best dramas I have seen in the past year!!! Highly recommend :)
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From Promising Beginnings to Disappointing Endings..
I rated this drama 8.5 based on the first 7-8 episodes.. It started of really well with spot on comedy.. Great acting and steady story development.. However after those initial 7 episodes the characters became bland.. And the forced humor felt out of place.. Even thats understandable conisdering this is a romcom.. But Some of the choices the characters made were really nonsense..Constantly being let down by the Korean writers who struggle to deliver satisfying endings.. They Often resort to forced breakups.. Unnecessary time skips.. And last minute reconciliations.. As if thats the only way they know to end a story..
I honestly didnt understand the need for Cha Hui Seong's story.. She is in an open relationship and the couple sleeps around with other people.. Then she gets pregnant but she doesnt know whose baby it is?? What sort of dilemma is that?? What lesson is the writer trying to convey?? Modern relationships have no morals??
The second couple was interesting.. With Lee Sang Yi delivering a solid performance like in his other dramas.. Han Ji Hyun had her moments but her cuteness felt forced at times.. And her acting was all over the place.. She is a good actress but i hope she doesnt follow the ' i need to do smut to get the recognition i deserve ' mantra.. Spice up Our Love was an unnecessary spinoff filled with cringe and cliche romance.. I am looking forward to her next drama with Lee Min Ki..
The main couple's story started off really good.. The first seven episodes were genuinely hilarious.. But unfortunately took a fall afterward.. The ML supported the FL through her struggles and was always there for her.. Yet she broke up with him right after her mother’s funeral.. She clearly lacked empathy there and it was just a dumb thing to do.. He loved her mother as if she were his own and she didn’t allow him the time to grieve.. Son Hae Yeong was a mature character.. But her decisions felt childish and selfish.. Instead of facing the hard times together.. She cruelly cut him off.. Leaving him alone when he needed her most.. How is that love?? Kdrama FLs often take love for granted.. I wished they wouldnt get back together..
The conclusion felt rushed.. With a last minute reconciliation that didnt do any justice to the way the story developed.. The FL didn’t even try to stop the ML AGAIN.. He had to chase after her to make amends..
" I never regretted letting you go " Thats what she said..
In conclusion.. While the drama faltered after the first seven episodes.. It still delivered memorable moments and strong performances..
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A Xianxia filled with love, friendship, disaster, and most importantly, comedy.
If you, like me, did not have your eye on this drama but decided to watch it on a whim, you will be pleasantly surprised by The Starry Love. And understandably so, because the past few years of Xianxias have exposed us to the ‘overuse’ of familiar Xianxia tropes. Fortunately, director Chu Yuibun (朱锐斌) seems to have realized this and decided to add a unique comedic spice to The Starry Love that significantly differentiates this drama from the rest of the modern Xianxia genre. Overall, The Starry Drama is a story of the love between two main couples as well as their adventures with friends, and what it means for the world to love or hate you.The Starry Love (星落凝成糖) is adapted from the Xianxia novel of the same name by Yi Du Jun Hua (一度君华), and is the last installment of the Honey Trilogy, three romance dramas directed by Chu Yuibun. Therefore, you might notice the vast similarities between color selection, setting appearance, and costume design between The Starry Love and Ashes of Love. The Starry Love also has several actors that also played major roles in Skate Into Love, and its catchy OSTs are once again sung by the talented Sa Dingding and Mao Buyi, as well as Liu Yuning and Shuang Sheng. Here's another thing that may motivate you to watch The Starry Love: the leads voice their own characters, with the exception of Chao Feng. (no need to be worried about the high FL voice this round!)
Once again, the story is established with many of the usual Xianxia tropes. The world is composed of Four Realms, the Immortal, Demon, Mortal, and Beast. However, the Mortal Realm is fully aware of the other realms and works with the other leaders to maintain world peace. The Immortal Realm is again the ‘good’ realm, the Demon Realm is the ‘bad’, the Mortal is the ‘weak’, and the Beast is basically the ‘extra’. The main female leads, Ye Tan and Qing Kui are twins with a sealed fate, which they don’t learn about until later in their lives. Qing Kui is the hailed princess, the girl living everyone else’s dream. She is the destined Heavenly Consort, the future wife of Heavenly Deity Shao Dian You Qin. On the other hand, younger sister Ye Tan is not as fortunate. She was deemed a ‘bad luck star’ from birth, never having experienced the warmth and love from her father and servants. Destined to marry the future king of the Demon Realm, she vows to be a powerful evil being to defeat those who have always down on her. However, the sisters’ wedding carriages are swapped, and they end up in the wrong realms.
As you can see, we’re presented with a pretty unoriginal premise, so what makes this drama so interesting and keeps us on our toes? Well, to say this in the simplest way possible, it’s the way comedic scenes are inserted into the drama at the most surprising of times that makes The Starry Love such a fresh breath of air. One minute, you might be sad or even crying because of a certain scene, and a few seconds later, you are laughing so hard you might even be clenching your stomach. I personally really enjoy this unique addition, as I’ve certainly never seen this before in Xianxias and loved the comedic aspect.
The Starry Love is 40 episodes long, as with many of the new dramas after the maximum 40 episode rule. (in which some dramas divided the series in two parts to bypass this new Chinese law) The drama is well-paced, without many, or perhaps even any, filler scenes, unlike a few of the long dramas. I really enjoyed how there was understandable time spent on each You Qin arc, and how each couple was given enough time per episode to bond and give us the sugar we deserve.
Onto the acting. The acting here was PHENOMENAL, especially when it comes to Chen Xingxu. This man here had to act five totally different personalities. In the usual Xianxias we may get one or two reincarnations, but Shao Dian You Qin here went on a total personality-changing spree. From the cold You Qin, he was also the cute and heartwarming La Mu, greedy but caring Mei You Qing, elegant womanizer Wen Ren, and of course, the You Qin at the end, all of his previous personalities melded into one. Chen Xingxu pulled off his roles perfectly, effectively showing the great contrasts between each personality and making them seem like totally different people. (fun fact: (Mei You Qin) 没有情 means Emotionless)
As I was watching a drama with Li Landi for the first time, I loved her acting and her role as Li Guang Ye Tan. The changes her character experienced were phenomenal, and Landi displayed this through her acting, especially in the eyes. Not only is The Starry Love about the strong love between lovers, but between friends and family as well. Ye Tan and Qing Kui’s sisterly love is a strong relationship that not many others can compete with. The contrast between the two sisters’ personalities was also a sweet treat. Although Qing Kui always received the love that Ye Tan never had in her first 18 years, Ye Tan never blamed her older sister for it. Instead, they were always worrying about the other. While Ye Tan is a girl afraid of nothing, Qing Kui’s pure kindness guided her younger sister to the path of happiness.
The chemistry between both couples was just right. You will be gushing for not one, but two extremely compatible couples. As I was rooting for the Heavenly Couple, I was also squealing for the love story that was blossoming in the Demon Realm. As they say, you’ll always find each other if you’re destined to be together. It’s amazing how each of the characters influenced others to change and become better versions of themselves.
Of course, a Xianxia drama would not be complete without both loveable and hateable characters. Ye Tan, who had never received much care and love in her life, felt so fortunate to have become friends with not only Man Man and Di Lan Jue, but with Qing Heng, Zi Wu, the three senior immortals, and even with her future brother-in-law, Chao Feng. It was so heartwarming to see everyone warm up to this princess, who had always longed for a happy life. On the other hand, we have the power-hungry Immortal and Demon Emperors who put their own power before their family’s happiness. The Heavenly Empress demonstrated her true love for her children before any noble title or riches, while the Demon Empress’s power-hungry eyes not only showed her pure-evil heart but her universal love for her only son. The side couples were all very cute and fun to watch.
Production-wise, The Starry Love did a phenomenal job. The special effects for magical spells in all realms complimented their respective backgrounds and were all natural to the look. Like previous Xianxias, the Immortal Realm is given an almost-whitewashed look, while the Demon Realm is a land of darkness. However, the fireworks and magical trees were gorgeous to look at, to name a few magical elements of the drama.
Like Ashes of Love, the OST for The Starry Love includes songs sung by Mao Buyi and Sa Dingding, as well as Liu Yuning and Shuang Sheng, and were epic as always. Sa Dingding once again awes us with her amazingly high vocals managed with immaculate precision, while Mao Buyi and Liu Yuning sing with longing emotion. Shuang Sheng once again displays her lovely voice with a sweet tone. The soundtrack is as follows:
[Theme Song] “The Starry Love” (星落凝成糖) - Sa Dingding
[Opening Song] “Speak with You” (与子成说) - Liu Yuning
[Ending Song] “Flawless World” (天地无瑕) - Mao Buyi (with another version sung by Sa Dingding)
[Additional Song] “Twin Flowers” (双花儿) - Shuang Sheng
If The Starry Love is not THE Xianxia drama 2023, it is one of the best. Although it includes many Xianxia elements used in previous Xianxia dramas, the comedic aspect of this series differentiates it from the rest of the group and will certainly brighten up your day. The emphasis on strong sisterly love is also something that is not to be missed. (there’s eye candy too!)
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If you are looking for pure laughs and great acting from a young cast, definitely check this one out.
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Offbeat! Complex! Intriguing! Not for every taste. Nevertheless, consistent in itself
“Perfect Family” presents itself in the now almost impenetrably dense jungle of the KDrama orbit with an idiosyncratic selectivity. The production, which is carefully selected down to the last detail, contributes to this, as the mimes, music and story are perfectly coordinated and prepared as a splendidly distinctive thriller soufflé. And it is rising so well! Perfect.(I could actually leave it at these words. But for all those for whom that isn't enough...)
The Perfect Family? Does that exist at all? Or isn't that concept made up of a highly controlled lie? Doesn't the control issue inherent in (whatsoever) perfection rob family life of its air to breathe? There are those pretty clean and distinguished in pole position for life. And then there are the ones with the 'loser' card, rather daring and lost, provocatively repulsive. And yet, if you look closely, both are just human beings, with light and dark - neither just saints nor devils.
“Perfect Family” also juggles themes such as friendship and betrayal. (And then there's more to it - but especially with this KDrama, a spoiler would be downright fatal.) In its consistently calm pacing the 12 episodes stroll along by leading us on one wrong track after the other, thus keeping us hooked with our open questions.
Ultimately, the story revolves around what follows a sudden death. At the beginning, together with the young protagonist, we are stumbling from one nightmare of conflicting feelings and confusion into the next. Over time, the confusion seems to clear up. The conflicting feelings, however, remain.
All of this is musically framed by a selected mix of classic classics and plenty of cello, piano, etc. - on top of that there are a few enchantingly soothing songs as a tasty acoustic icing on the cake.
Offbeat! Complex! Intriguing until the end!
In terms of pacing and style ultimately not for every taste, though.
Nevertheless, consistent in itself!
PS:
With a progressive message about the correlation between perfection, family life and authenticity... rounded by the exemplary reflection of when it comes to one's own accountability...
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I watched A Moment to Remember for the third time yesterday. The first time I stumbled across it was by accident. The second time I told my parents that they should watch this, since I thought it was incredible. And now for the third time, I watched it with them again after 4 years.
Storyline:
The storyline is quite simple, yet the amount of emotion it magnifies is beyond words. I'm afraid I won't do it justice. I'll just dive right into what you should be looking out for when watching this movie.
a) Definitely pathos driven. Compare our OTP's meeting from the first 20 minutes to the scenes near the end. I felt so bittersweet at the end. It's no sarcasm. I love how they transmit such raw emotions.
b) Pay attention to details. I really loved how they incorporated scenes that happened at the beginning to the latter part of the movie. There's a lot of foreshadowing too.
c) Unique couple. It's a wonder how such a man can love his woman this dearly (I sound so pessimistic about reality haha). They share a lot of tender moments with moments of struggles that you can't help, but root for them. I loved the baseball scenes.
d) Simple, yet gorgeous. I've already said how this story is simple, but the way it touches upon such a hard topic such as "Alzheimer" and make it interesting is flawless.
e) Major tearjerker. Don't say that I didn't warn you. I usually don't cry or even shed a tear for movies/tv series, but this one, I just couldn't hold back. I didn't cry for the main couple, but I rather cried for Su-Jin's situation.
Acting/Casting:
If you've ever read my other review, you'll see that I'm a huge fan of Jung Woo-Sung and it definitely sprung from this performance of his. He always plays his role sublimely without hesitation. In other words, he never makes the scenes feel uncomfortable for the audience. It really shows in the way how his co-stars seem genuinely comfortable with him.
I love how he transitions from an aggressive/troubled lad to a heart-warming and forgiving man. He has a lot of facial expressions which proves that he's one of the higher/experienced actors.
Moving on...
Even though it was just a film and not a mini-series, I thought Jung Woo-Sung and Son Ye Jin had a lot of chemistry on their limited time. Well doesn't he have chemistry with all of his female counterparts, anyway haha?
Son Ye Jin's role, Su-Jin, reminds me of Ji Na from Padam Padam a bit. I think it's just me watching one melodrama after another haha. Though, Woo-Sung's character, Cheol-Su, also reminds me of Kang Chil from Padam Padam. Perhaps, it's due to him being an architect in both melodramas or how he's aggressive with everyone except to his woman (Yes, we can all swoon)?
Anyway, Ye Jin looks so young here. She's definitely a natural beauty. Aside from that, I thought she was also on par with Woo-Sung. Loved how her character didn't hesitate to make the first moves. They truly complement each other through their differences.
I'm sure the men who watched AMTR want a woman like Su-Jin similarly to how the women who watched AMTR want a man like Cheol-Su.
On another note, I also liked how they added family members and friends from both sides. Even though they didn't appear all the time, they gave more character backgrounds/information on our OTP. In this case, not developing their characters worked perfectly, since the movie clearly focuses on Su-Jin and Cheol-Su's lives.
Music:
The music worked well with the scenes. Though, not my type/cup of tea. I don't think I'll ever remember the songs played in the movie. But it did give a good feel in the moment I was watching.
Bonus:
Beautiful cinematography. I loved the details in the scenery, such as the one where they were strolling in the sunset (I believe it was sunset?). I won't mention others in case I ruin anything, but you'll know what I mean after giving it a shot (you should if you still haven't!).
Overall:
Even though this movie was released in 2004, it feels rather fresh and new.
What more should I say? It's not a mini-series, so there are no excuses on time limitation.
I have watched this three times, so shouldn't that summarize my entire review already?
A Moment to Remember is without a doubt my favorite Korean movie. I just wish they would make more movies like this!
Overall rating for review: 10/10
Purely for entertainment: 9.5/10 (Why not 10/10? I'm not always in the mood to cry when watching anything, be it movies or dramas.)
My Dramalist rating (avg): 9.75/10
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Cheers to the production team for being able to produce such an phenomenal series.
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AVERAGE yet CUTE & SWEET
This drama could be an average old-styled RomCom Korean Drama, but for many, including me, it holds a really really special place in our hearts. YES, you gussed it right! It's my first Kdrama, that brought me to this precious world; the thing that I love the most.The story was actually amazing in the time period it was released and every other Kdrama fan including knetz were crazy for such stories and screenplay. It was just beautiful.
Plot was cool and even cast did their job properly. It was a perfect balance between romance & comedy. Baek Seung Jo (Kim Hyun Joong) won over everyone with his charismatic look. Oh Ha Ni (Jung So Min) too impressed us with her cuteness.
Some people might call it a cliche and cringey but comparing to the time period and the demand for such stories at that time, it was so niceeeee.
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Not cringey or cliche
What I love about this show is the fact that the female lead is a very composed woman and despite having a crush on the male lead for many years, she is not the typical silly and dependent girl that we often see in a drama who goes after a man in a cringe or foolish way.Instead, she is rather honest and says what’s on her mind when she has conversations with the male lead. She has her own valued opinions and backbone which is what I admired about her.
I know many dramas where the male leads finds the female lead annoying but this is a whole different case. The ML(Hu Yi Tian) has huge respect and interest towards FML as both of them are in the liberal arts field.
Going back to the female lead, despite having a calm appearance, she sometimes showcased her anxiousness as she pounders and struggles on her love towards the ML.
In conclusion, the characters are not annoying and this is definitely a step away from the usual cliche modern live dramas that we watch.
It is a mature and lighthearted drama as it really highlights the reality of university love.
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Cupid's Skippable Kitchen
**Spoilers are at the bottom**This is a Food drama with a pinch of comedy and a very little sprinkle of romance. If you are looking for food then this is the right drama for you. If you’re looking for romance then look elsewhere. This just isn’t it.
For The Good, For the Bad…
For the Good:
1. Colorful Cutscenes - They only did a few of these non-food-related colorful cutscenes but they were absolutely beautiful. I was really hoping to see more of them but we only got 2 of these and nothing more.
2. High-Quality Food Cutscenes - There are a lot of these and although I enjoyed them, they didn’t feel as satisfying as the ones in Dating In The Kitchen. They felt sort of lacking even though they were high-quality and beautifully shot.
3. The Leads - Both are really good actors. I really enjoyed watching them. If not for them I’m not sure I would have watched all 40 episodes.
4. The OST is very nice and different from most other modern c-dramas.
For The Bad:
1. Slow-paced - It's very slow-paced and the side stories make it even slower. Other than the first 5 and the last 5 episodes, I found this drama pretty boring.
2. Huge Lack of Heart-Flutters - Where’s the intimacy? I’m not even talking about kisses. Just moments that make you feel like the leads are falling in love. I certainly felt that they cared for each other but there seemed to be a huge lack of romance.
3. Boring side-stories - Honestly, I wound up skipping through most of the side stories because they were just so boring, and other than the character knowing the leads, their stories really didn’t affect them or the plot in any real way.
5. Evil/Bad Character overload - Honestly who isn’t a bad character other than the leads and a few others. However, none of them were as bad as the 2FL who clearly needs mental help. The method she used to try to stay with the ML is one of the most psychotic I’ve ever seen. She’s a basket case and the worst part is that she’s surrounded by enablers. (More on her in the spoilers below)
6. The 2FL’s Dubbing - Everyone else in the drama is fine but for some reason, her dubbing is not only obvious but it doesn’t match her mouth movement at all. For all the beautiful production they have in this drama, they very obviously dropped the ball on her dubbing.
***Spoilers Below***
I really disliked the way the ML took out his frustrations on the FL. I know he is going through something pretty rough but why did he need to yell at her the way he did and more than once. I know he’s devastated over losing his sense of taste but that’s not the FL’s fault.
In fact, it’s the 2FL’s fault and for some reason instead of thoroughly investigating her, even when she’s suspiciously asking him if he could forgive the person who poisoned him, he completely overlooks her. The ML even fires his longtime live-in cleaning lady, someone who was like family to him, but he keeps the creepy 2FL around. Furthermore, when he does find out it was her, he completely lets her off the hook!! Like what?!!!
Another thing that really annoyed me was the ML’s doctor friend who not only hides the fact that the 2FL poisoned the ML into losing his tastebuds and at risk of losing the rest of his senses, but he also enabled her and helped her hide it from being exposed. He deserves to lose his license to practice medicine and go to jail along with the 2FL. I have no sympathy for him no matter how much he likes the 2FL.
It annoys me that no one got in any sort of real trouble for their bad behavior. Everything is sunshine and rainbows at the end.
The cutest thing in this romance drama is probably the husky puppy in the last episode…
Would Not Recommend
Would Not Re-Watch
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If you're thinking of watching this drama but being put off by the 46 episodes, as I initially was, I have to say- don't worry! The episodes aren't as long as those you'll find in some dramas, and you'll find yourself flying through them.
With those 46 episodes in mind, I guess it's obvious to say that a lot happens in this drama. The story is a classic one of fighting the good fight for the good of the people, with a thrilling and beautiful romance (and love triangle!) to spice it up. I almost want to say that the romance is a bit too much, considering it feels like the center of our love triangle becomes a plot point more than anything, but it's definitely excusable.
There are several different arcs that we see our characters go through, and the characters also naturally develop with the story. By the time each character reaches their peak in the show, you've basically had a complete rundown about why they are the way they are, why they're doing what they're doing, and what your opinion is on them. This drama has much better developed characters than most in the sense that there are literally no characters I can think of (besides one that becomes irrelevant fairly early on) that I hate COMPLETELY. Of course there are moments of frustration, but even then you can definitely understand where they're coming from. This is a far cry from the usual drama antagonist, the ones that raise hell for no other purpose besides raising hell. It was refreshing.
Now, I'm complimenting the characters and their development, so you might be wondering why I didn't give a '10' to the Acting/Cast... well, that's honestly for no other purpose besides some brutal overacting in occasional places. But thankfully enough, those expressions that were overacted were at least fairly accurate!
The music was flawless. Nothing else needs to be said about that. Trust me.
Side note as well- this was a very... well... simply put, it was a very pretty drama. Besides the occasional questionable CGI sequence (that I'm fairly positive would only bother a perfectionist like me), the aesthetic qualities of this drama are worth being noted. Both in scenery and in people's faces. The Prince of Lan Ling isn't exactly unpleasant to look at if you know what I mean. And the clothes! The costumes! They were gorgeous, I feel like the people who made the clothes were having the time of their lives designing those clothes. Don't even get me started on the hair, which was almost* completely flawless. (* I think one of the actors had the occasional allergic reaction to the wig glue or something, I don't know man.) Basically, it was a very pleasing drama to look at.
Rewatch value is only a 9 for length, but the depth of the story, characters and romance will no doubt make for an engaging, interesting watch every time.
Ugh. This was just such a satisfying drama! Just watch it! I no doubt have more to say but it isn't occurring to me right now.
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1Emotions and their parallel to art: shaping love and searching for a ‘forever’ through sculpture
"How does one become such a great artist?" — "How do you define great?" — "To stand the test of time." — "I wonder if forever exists."Artistic, pensive, beautifully crafted, and unique in its cinematographic ways—‘Wakatte Ite mo: The Shapes of Love’ explores the vulnerability of struggling, waiting, hoping, and loving. It perfectly portrays the essence of human nature and captures love in its many different shapes under a refreshingly realistic light. It represents these themes through art in a mature and abstract manner, much like the concept of humanity and love itself.
In a world where "there is nothing more uncertain than a person's heart," the story follows the lives of artists who create art driven by their inspiration and their desire to create their own sense of forever. They are ready to put aside their usual composure and values in order to seek the heart of their loved one. For example, Kosaka Ren, the male lead, wants forever. He may seem to act in the opposite manner, constantly changing girlfriends, however this is his way of experiencing his 'forever' by always surrounding himself with the beauty of new beginnings. But when he meets Hamasaki Miu, he's ready to put that habit of his aside and sacrifice the paths he's always safely borrowed in his life to stay by her side. Another lead, Osakabe, thinks it's bad to act on lust, yet his world melts the second he sees his crush’s smile. Lastly, there is Ikushima Ruki, who wants to be with his crush but lets her be with another if it means gaining her trust and friendship first.
Ultimately, the series perfectly encapsulated the original webteeon’s overall message, reinforcing it with scenes and lines that portray its message more explicitly instead of requiring heavy analyses like it was for the webtoon’s Korean adaptation; ‘Nevertheless,’. The shortened run time allowed the leads’ journey to be explored more thoroughly without weighing down the whole series with its heaviness. Additionally, the poetic and inspirational narration made it easier to grasp its concept and allowed for a more direct interpretation of the webtoon’s work—keeping its core themes but casting aside tropes that don’t add to its main focal point.
Through Hamasaki Miu’s eyes, the female lead, Ren is the butterfly—beautiful, attractive, light, and seemingly free—giving her the illusion that he has it easy. The series adds a new meaning to the significance of butterflies: they are thought to be a symbol of freedom, but actually, they just fly the same paths over and over. Maybe the best thing they can do is just enjoy the ride. This goes for both of them because they are both like butterflies, or at least, they both try to carry the essence of butterflies by capturing their fleeting beauty through art. When Ren finds Miu, he wishes to metaphorically capture her, who is like a butterfly to him, but one who hasn't opened its wings yet.
Ren wants to approach her, mostly out of self-interest, intrigued by how she expresses her inner-feelings through art without fear, but also because of a certain fate-like pull that builds up following their many coincidental meetings. However, he is a playboy by nature—flirty and manipulative. He seems more curious about how far he himself is willing to go or devote to her rather than the other way around, not caring about her reactions and staying consistent in the attention that he devotes to her.
His push and pull plays with her emotions; his stance in his affection towards her grounded in unsteady terrain, teetering her back and forth into the territory of hopefulness and then desperation. This constant shift in Miu’s emotions highlights the overall theme of the series, which is that she can't help but hope even if she knows things will come to an end or leave a scar. Nevertheless, Ren constantly ignites these feelings of hope within her, making her want to reach out and seal the faith of their relationship—an impulsive act that mirrors his own tendency to act on impulse.
Kosaka Ren is a rather peculiar character. Since he is not good at sharing his feelings, he uses art to communicate them. Even we, as viewers, don't know him quite well and have been misguided by him many times with deceptions based on what we do see from him. For example, we don't know if whenever he picks up a call, it's his girlfriend. He never clarifies misunderstandings and viewers are prompted to believe he's a player and always the one at fault. However, in the last episode, “I couldn't succeed in becoming the most important person in her life” is a line said in his narration while the screen presents a note his mother left saying she'd be absent for lunch. This shows how he doesn't have commitment issues as is suggested throughout the whole series, but rather that he blames himself for the constant departures of the people around him in his life. Instead of being a playboy, he's the one constantly getting played and letting others tug on him like a puppet.
He's not the butterfly who comes and goes, but the others around him are, flocking to his beauty like butterflies do to flowers—which explains his longing despair for a 'forever'. “Gradually, I got used to giving people what they expected of me.” Ren only mirrors what those around him feel and how they act. He does this because he wants to avoid experiencing pain or loss, and whenever he declines their proposals, or finds himself wanting more, he always ends up getting hurt. And so, he chooses to follow the same paths over and over again like a butterfly with everyone around him, trying to please each one of them while looking for a piece of his own self through their eyes—which he eventually finds in Miu and soon enough, catches himself searching for her instead of his own self. This growth of his is beautifully captured through a certain scene, where he looks at a girl whom he doesn't actually like but plays along as her boyfriend to avoid pain—his usual toxic habit—yet only sees Miu's eyes instead of hers.
Through this endless cycle, where he has the habit of constantly putting himself last, he says he ended up losing his identity. He essentially became a canvas of however one sees him, having different versions of himself through different pairs of eyes, like a piece of art. Like someone interpreting a sculpture, Miu, as well as everyone else, can interpret him, what he says, his actions, and what is and isn’t known about him in their own way. Through Ren, who is like a sculpture, Miu hopes to find her forever. And through her, he sees yet again another chance to find his true meaning and define who he really is despite his traumas and past experiences in life. This is essentially why he leads on and makes so many people try to fall in love with him—because he wants to find the one, his true self, and his forever.
It is said by Miu’s toxic ex boyfriend that the female lead's wings are tied down, leaving only her thoughts to wander. However, there’s another interpretation suggested in the series: that her wings are rather too heavy to go forward—not tied down by external forces and submitted to others, as her ex had suggested through his sculptures of her falling to the ground and begging him to stay—but perhaps heavy because of the weight of their worth and hope, waiting for their reason to take flight in a world that keeps letting her down. The female lead, whose name means "beautiful wings," beautifully encapsulates this struggle of waiting for hope; hope that ultimately introduces itself in her life through the male lead.
From the very beginning of the series, during their first encounter, Ren recognizes this wait for hope of hers through her pleas for her boyfriend to stay. Instead of perceiving her pleas as a desperate and hopeless attempt of begging for something long gone, he sees that all she wants is to hold a promise of a future with someone, and that she has hope for something more than what she already has. This is ultimately what draws him to her.
There are a lot of similarities that the female and male lead share—their fear of abandonment, their wish to freeze a loved one’s heart in time and gain a forever happy side by side with them, and their struggles in finding what they want in life. Though Ren doesn’t express his struggles and desires aloud like Miu does, he addresses them through his fiery art, which tells another story from the nonchalant version of himself that is presented through his character and the aloof image that he lets on—reserved, quiet, and who lets other people make things up and narrate his life.
Despite their seemingly stark contrast, both faces of himself that he puts out into the world stem from the same thoughts and emotions he has. His art paints a strong image of resilience, longing desire, and determination in pursuing what he wants—emotions that give him the impression of being lost and left with nothing but wavering emotions. In real life, these feelings of his manifest through his calm composure that radiates a sense of aloofness and indifference.
This overwhelming desire to find the key to freedom and his true self drives him to act like the playboy type, not knowing who to love or dedicate himself to. His art, on the other hand, portrays his sense of lostness as something fiery and bright and that drives him to maddening lengths, putting him in a fight against society’s typical representation of love and relationships, and forcing him to confront his true feelings.
Ren, in a way, relates to Miu and sees himself in the scene before his eyes, where he sees her for the first time. Through his eyes, witnessing her meltdown opens a window of opportunity. Ren likes to capture that happiness in the brief flutter of color in his world, like a butterfly, so he’s drawn to her strong personality and wants to capture the beauty that lies in the most beautiful and intense human emotion, which is love. From that moment on, he tries to draw that emotion out of her by making her fall for him. He does the same for other girls when he flirts, all to satisfy his somewhat selfish desires to only have a portrait of pairs of loving gazes around him so that he’s surrounded by beauty. At the same time, through this tactic of his, he gets attention from the opposite gender, mirroring his mom’s absence in his life.
Even if Ren’s actions can be perceived as stemming out of selfishness, his supposed attraction to her is also beneficial to Miu because he wants to awaken this strong, powerful, and beautiful feeling of love within her. He wants to make her wings flutter and for her beauty to be set free by expressing her emotions instead of restraining them and staying tied to the past that she’s stuck in. This is vividly illustrated when he guides her to smash the sculpture where she’s begging for her ex to stay. But her perspective of it contradicts his own: he sees her beauty through that sculpture; nothing bad and submissive about it, but instead, brave for not being scared to reach out and try to grasp what she truly wanted—something he doesn’t know how to dedicate himself to doing.
Similarly, just like how Miu struggled to be freed from her painful last moments with her toxic ex that had been frozen in time both metaphorically and literally, Ren also wishes to be freed from his own struggles. For him, the butterfly doesn't represent something light and nonchalant and non-troubled as Miu had suggested, but is rather representative of a small precious thing that tries to navigate through the harsh and turbulent-winded world with its colorful yet light-weighed wings. His desire for freedom and his little efforts to cast a ray of colour in the world manifests itself through his obsession with butterflies. These insects are a recurring motif throughout the series, not only symbolizing change and growth but of which are also a statement of the short-lived but beautiful flutters that can be seen when one pushes through hardships and keeps on flying.
Furthermore, butterflies aren’t the only metaphorical symbol that has been included to better convey the story’s message to viewers. One of Ren’s characterics is the way rainstorms always follow him. These scenes in the rain with Miu hold a greater meaning than just being a rainy day. Despite his messiness, he serves as something stable in Miu’s life, like an anchor among the countless possibilities she has to navigate and the decisions she has to make as she enters adulthood. Since she feels like she doesn't really know herself and has trouble finding the answer to anything when it comes to being subjective, this inevitable journey she’ll have to face stresses her out. Ren’s strong attraction for her never ceases in its intensity, and in this, she finds a harbor in her life.
By diving into the complexities of human emotions, relationships, and the unpredictability of attraction, the series conveys the message that some things just can't be helped. The leads’ imperfect relationship is threaded with flaws and raw with hidden insecurities. The magic in their chemistry lies in the delicate yet profound interactions they share, and the space between them constantly grows wider and smaller, full of hidden meaning and unspoken words. ‘Wakatte Ite mo: The Shapes of Love’ portrays romance as something realistically hurtful and messy, and exemplifies how love is not something that is bound to be constrained to limits. It is everything but simple or straight out of a fairytale. Instead, it is a love story using its own words—not sticking to convenience for the sake of its principal aspect of romance despite the numerous physically intimate scenes.
The show’s beauty lies in its unique perspective and outlook on life that it sheds through this window of two young adults trying their best to navigate their lives. Even though we may lie to ourselves or convince ourselves otherwise, nevertheless is a word that defines us all. Our overbearing desire to act freely against others’ rules and against our own will is the human nature of our essence here on earth. "If you just label yourself as something, it'll just restrict you." is a line pulled from the series that encapsulates its essence, defining how there is beauty to be found in the unknown. As the title suggests, the shape of love looks different for everyone, just like one emotion can be represented through many different sculptures and hold different interpretations through each individual's eyes.
The series is tied up beautifully, its last scene especially goosebump-inducing—Ren knows that forever doesn't exist, and Miu knows that she shouldn't hold out for hope, but nevertheless, they come together and discover that the shape of forever is simply holding on to hope.
12/23/2024
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Flawed Characters You Will Learn to Appreciate (Updated Review after Finale)
Most dramas start off with the notion of a perfect lead, with a personality and qualities that the viewers can admire. Well, not this truly underrated show.Centered around civilians who were part of a volunteer rescue squad, Light Chaser Rescue focused on character depth instead of likability, which made it much more interesting for me.
One of the show's strongest points is the way it executed the stunts, the rescue scenes and the cinematography. The camerawork created the realism that drew me in completely and I cannot help but be immersed in the moments. It was indeed an emotional roller coaster ride with the different types of rescues and most had me watching with trepidation!
Add to that the unexpected plot twists, when revealed, were simply shocking, the result was a story that kept me engaged from start to finish. Throughout the series, I have already stressed, cried and rejoiced so much with the characters.
The show scored points with dynamic realistic characters who were shades of gray, who at times struggled with their actions and made bad decisions in the heat of the moment. Depending on whose viewpoints, it was not always clear if they were doing the right thing or what the right thing even is.
The main leads came off as confident powerhouses at work, Luo Ben as a brilliant lawyer and Zhan Yan, a gifted doctor. However, as their lives collided, we quickly recognize that both characters were flawed. Their internal struggles became obvious as the story delved further into their past, the tragic events that shaped a fundamental level of their personalities.
In addition, other characters with their own demons to face, and romance between different couples added flavor to the story. Romance-wise, there was the calm, restrained and mature love between the main leads. The comfortable steady kind of relationship that I appreciated. There was the second couple that delighted many with how they overcome challenges to stay together and a third couple who did nothing but irritated me with their rash, impulsive, entitled spoilt love. That said, there were viewers who liked them too.
As the show moved forward, it also built the viewers’ empathy for our two leads. The more we find out why they were the way they were, the more we understood them including their arrogance and aloofness that put us off at first. Still, many viewers would find both characters frustrating at different points of the story, especially in their interactions with their families and with each other.
However, the beauty of having such multi-dimensional characters was that the show engaged different viewers with various opinions. Along with many commentors, I was often torn between ranting against our main couple and feeling empathy for them. Ultimately though, Luo Ben's character development was the most well-written and he very quickly became a ML that impressed many. As for our FL, even though I felt that Zhan Yan's emotional development could have been better, the character was very consistent. I liked her but at the same time felt that she could have shown less restraint and be more human-like. Towards the end of the show, she became quite flat, too passive.
Acting-wise, I have nothing but praises for the leads. Both Luo Yun Xi and Janice Wu impressed with their quiet intensity and ability to emote so much with the smallest expressions. I first watched them together in “My Sunshine” and even then, they had great chemistry. They have certainly earned their reputations as excellent actors and in this show, they truly become their characters. Luo Yun Xi is amazing and I still cannot get over the fact that he did almost all of his stunts. Dramas come and dramas go but his performance was above and beyond.
To top it off, I love Liu Yu Ning’s Chasing the Light, the ending song. It has been instrumental in shaping some of the memorable scenes for me. The opening song, sung by Liu Duan Duan is also good and reflects the hopeful aspiring tone of the underlying heroic theme throughout the show.
Overall
I do recommend that you try this drama out and see for yourself.
The show did a great job showcasing the layers of different relationships.Thematically for me, it is a show that encapsulated life in many aspects and topics. It touched upon self-identity and personal growth, love (romantic and familial), respect and loyalty (to self, family, friends, and principles), societal pressures and opinions, friendship, and more.
Those looking for good romance between the main leads will likely be left wanting for more by the lack-lustre ending but for me, I did enjoy their complex yet enduring love and prefer to imagine a bright future ahead of them.
OST
追光 (Chasing the Light) - 刘宇宁 (Liu Yu Ning)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p1U-mGyjmdE
https://open.spotify.com/track/70fYAAt5GK2nVdSb593FmE?si=0b77ce6952f64a3d
星空 (Starry Sky) - 刘端端 (Liu Duanduan)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p9QB7jd1SaY
https://open.spotify.com/track/1frmPu6bc0I8HkLtTfh9mt?si=ca7ac126ede94d38
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