Reviews

Who's it gonna be - Oya's full-time Leader!

In the six episodes we are following the storyline in the Oya High School. The series begin with the introduction of new first year characters that admire to steal the position from Todoroki's hands, and become the school's leader for the full time students. This incident takes place, after the fight containers of the High & Low movie and during the Kuryu groups casino plan.

At the meantime, while the full-time first year students are trying to prove themselves, Murayama's group are betting who is gonna be this year's leader for the full-time students. Will someone win over Todoroki and be the next leader? Who has the highest changes of become the one to rule over the full-time students?

Todoroki (Maeda Goki) is in a position that he has to defend his position, from the people who want to take it, with every available tool. Nakagoshi (Kamio Fuju) is a first year who declares that he would become the new leader of Oya high school; while Yasushi (Sato Ryuji) and Kiyoshi (Uekiya Satoshi) are not only threatening that they would take the leader's position, but they also invited the potential candidates for the position to a fight. One of the people who are invited in this fight is Tsukasa (Yoshino Hokuto), however, this second-year student, has no interest in the position.

Even though, in general the plot is rather fast-forward, I have to admit that there were a lot of flashbacks from the main story. I do realise that we needed to establish the same timeframe between this series and the parent story, but we don't need to be introduced every time what SWORD is and is the current story.

I am not going to analyse their acting, as there are too many characters; I will say only two words: amazing acting. For the whole franchise, people with good acting skills and ability to express themselves through their emotions, were picked.

I know that I might be biased, as I said that I was not going to analyse their acting; but I have to point out how amazing Yamada Yuki was. In my humble opinion, he was the best actor in the series, as he was able to execute the peculiar character of Murayama and his questionable sanity. Hands down to his acting skills.

Leia Mais

My favourite BL series of 2022

It is interesting, that some of the best BL series this year revolved around the topic of the life after death - ”On Cloud Nine”, ”Eternal Yesterday”, ”Something in my Room”, and of course the most beautiful series of 2022, ”Choco Milk Shake”. I was excited when Strongberry announced this series, because this South Korean production company has never disappointed the BL community with their short films, and the worst thing about CMS was that we had to wait for those magic 12 minutes on Tuesdays and Thursdays when it aired.

The plot is a fairy tale: Choco and Milk, Jungwoo's dog and cat, want to reunite with him after they died (Choco in a car accident and Milk because of an illness), and they find a way to cross the rainbow bridge and meet him in human shape. The three of them spend a short, but beautiful time together, before Choco and Milk have to return to their place in heaven, from where they will watch Jongwoo for the rest of his life. For a moment, Choco is tempted to stay with Jungwoo, but Milk reminds him that he will be gone for good if he does.

This sounds very much like the plots of other animal-to-human series like ”Meow Ears Up”, but CMS is unique in that it is the cutest and most fluffy series of 2022, but at the same time has always an undertone of angst, because the viewer realises very soon that Choco and Milk won't stay with Jungwoo for long, and I know that many people around the world were scared like me thinking of the moment we would have to say goodbye to Choco and Milk.

When Choco and Milk actually leave in episode 10, this is one of the saddest moments in any BL series I've watched so far, but Strongberry wouldn't be Strongberry, if they didn't make Choco and Milk come back once again in episode 11 – ”this time not to make Jung Woo happy, but for their own happiness” - so that the ”magical love story” can go on for another 99 days or so.

But it isn't only the story that makes this series the most beautiful of 2022, it is also the acting. Lee Jae Bin as Choco and Kim Seong Hyuk as Milk must have spent a lot of time observing cats and dogs, because in every action, with every facial expression it is absolutely clear what kind of animal they used to be in their previous lives. Go Ho Jung as Jung Woo and Park Seung Bin as Jung Woo's uncle, and the owner of the bar where his nephew works, are good actors, too.

Cinematography, directing and editing are first class like in all Strongberry productions, so there is literally nothing to complain about. The live chats during the premieres of the episodes were a gathering of enthusiastic fans of the series from all continents, and all the episodes have been watched by more than a million viewers, the first episode even by more than 3 millions. This proves that Strongberry have hit the nail on the head once again.

Leia Mais

This is a well balanced period drama that threads wit and humor, action and fighting scenes, politics and family feuds, birth secrets and gender-bending all mixed in one. The plot and storyline weaves, ebbs and flows and one crisis is resolved only to lead into another greater one before the end of each episode which keeps you wondering what will happen and how things will be resolved next. Thank goodness there isn't a lot of drag in this drama, and the focus was on the main characters instead of depending too heavily on 3rd party conversations.

The characters in this drama are dynamic and interesting in their own way, especially the main female lead. I appreciate that she stays true to her character throughout-Fearless, loyal, impetuous, and kindhearted, yet crafty. I enjoyed that many of the women in this drama more than held their own place, and were independent, loveable, and strong. The characters and their unique yet strong personalities blended quite well which made this drama seem to go along much smoother and pleasantly for the viewer.

I liked that the drama was upbeat, even though there were life and death crisis after crisis. I hardly felt I was watching a period drama, and would highly recommend it.

Leia Mais

I loved this show so much. Finished in 2 days.

Summary -
Its about Gae Hwa a 30 something year old lady who is having a hard time finding a job and providing for her daughter. She is divorced and due to circumstances has to let her daughter go under her ex husband's, Kim Byung, care until she can find a stable job and get a house. She meets a top star Sung Min Woo through one of her temp jobs and later on finds out a secret about Sung Min Woo that even he didn't know about. This secret brings these two together ( not in a romantic way ).

Positive
Relationship is slow, but there is something really cute happening every time.
Ye Eun so so fcking cute. She is the cutest child I have seen in a drama.
Love triangle and love interest changes
Immature man and older lady relationship- very interesting
Happy ending

Negative
Ending to me was decent not good. It didn't satisfy me enough.

I highly recommend this drama just sooo cute.

Leia Mais

To be honest, I was very hesitant about watching this drama because I thought it was going to be very over the top and fake, but I was surprised in the end.

For me it was a 'Just one more episode' drama and I ended watching it all in one day. The actors portray their characters perfectly and the ending song made me dance in excitement. The story line was was great but re-watching this series would be a bit of an effort. I will definitely scan back some of the episodes and re-watch parts of it but the whole series isn't a must.

This is a very funny and bubbly drama that I recommend to those who liked 'Hana Kimi'.It had a few of the same actors and has the same 'Let's do it!' feel to it. :D

Leia Mais

The fact that Soul is so ignored and overlook is considered a transgression by me! The fact that it's buried deep, deep under so many (over)hyped dramas regardless their genre is distasteful! Soul is a deep, dark, thought-provoking drama; not for the timid and demure people (i guess, that's why it's buried).



Story

The drama is an excellent and unique combination of horror, crime and psychology that actually works!



First few episodes, and the drama is rather weird, difficult to follow at times, too many seemingly unconnected stories, dark and gritty cinematography. What the actual hell? Horror. If this drama does one thing right is setting the atmosphere, noone can deny that. The female lead is a likeable girl who can see ghosts and ultimately be possessed by them. The drama is possibly the only kdrama about the supernatural and ghosts which actually tries to be... not scary, but rather creepy and spooky, and it succeeds!



The girl wants to avoid them, be free of them and be normal, but she can't. And there is one guy who makes her feel safe and can potentially help her. No, not in a cute/romancy way, no, the script is just too good to resolve to romance to be likeable! The guy is a genius psychologist and crime profiler with a dark past. He does help her, or... that's what he wants us to believe! Plot twist? He uses her in reality to get revenge for his dark and sad past! And here we have the base concept of the drama which isn't really obvious from the beginning. Revenge, and its repercussions.



The drama pretty quickly switches from horror, and moves on to crime and psychology and here things get serious and interesting fast. Soul wants to address several morality issues and negotiate the very core of the human identity. It revolves around the idea of serial killers, how are they made, what do they think, can they be saved? What does it mean that we can examine and judge our own emotion-driven behavior and that of others? Can killers still be considered human? Where are the boundaries of responsibility between stepping up and overstepping? Can violence be stopped without more violence? Can there be serial killers who are not psychopaths? And in the very end, when we do step up are we better than those we hunt? Is there a difference or it's just an endless cycle?



The drama is very twisted in the best way possible. It is thrilling and offers several plot twists. It did have its boring moments and some problems of discontinuation while it took a few episodes for the plot to connect all the dots and find its way. Nevertheless, it was a fantastic overall experience. The story was to the point and quite fast paced. I can't say it was unpredictable but that didn't stop it from being interesting.



Acting

Lee Seo Jin shines the most in what i want to describe as one of the most twisted and yet most sentimental characters i've seen in kdramaland. He delived on several levels being sensuous and pleasing to every sense.



Im Ju Eum's role was rather demanding. Her character walked in the fine line between vulnerability and helplessness. I thoroughly enjoyed her 'crazy eyes', she suited the character completely and i think she really felt it. There were scenes where she was really incredible, and other were i felt she overacted quite a lot. Overall, she was great, and quite memorable, if she hadn't been lee seo jin's character wouldn't have developed and worked as exceptionally as it did.



I want to especially mention Lee Kyu Han for his amazing performance as a disturbed serial killer and Yoo Yeon Suk for his impression of a serial killer in-the-making.



Recommend/Rewatch

This drama isn't child's play, it's rather heavy and difficult to digest. I wouldn't recommend it to everyone. If you are a crime and psychology fan, this would appeal to you. Horror is present but takes the back sit rather quickly. I can see myself rewatching it in a few years.

Leia Mais

Love, Laughter, and Family Ties

Perfect Match is a drama that truly shines due to its stellar casting. The actresses did an outstanding job in bringing their characters to life, making them not only admirable but also genuinely funny and loveable. The women of the Li family were particularly captivating, each displaying a unique blend of loyalty, intelligence, humor, and diligence. Their strong family bonds were beautifully portrayed, making it easy for viewers to grow attached to each of them. It was refreshing to see such strong female characters who uplifted each other rather than belittling others.

The standout performances came from Wang Xing Yue and Lu Yu Xiao. Despite the script not fully utilizing their exceptional acting abilities, they still delivered memorable performances. Winwin also deserves special mention for his portrayal of Yang Xian, showcasing his impressive acting skills. Huangyang Tian Tian, though young, proved to be very promising with her compelling performance.

While the cast delivered exceptional performances, the script itself had notable flaws. At times, it carried misogynistic undertones that could be disappointing; however, the actors’ dedication helped soften these moments, making them less apparent. Another significant letdown was the lack of a preview into Kang Ning and Chai An’s married life, despite them being the supposed main couple. This omission left a sense of incompleteness, especially given the buildup of their relationship throughout the drama. Similarly, Mister She, Madam Li’s son, was a character with great potential, yet he was only present for three episodes. His character could have been explored further, as his presence added another layer to the family dynamic.

Among the various couples in the drama, Hao De and Shen Hui Zhao stood out as the most compelling. Their relationship was well-developed, and their dynamic was beautifully explored. Hao De’s honesty and Shen Hui Zhao’s integrity made their love story believable and heartfelt. The last couple added a humorous element to the show, though their dynamic sometimes leaned into unnecessary violence. Nevertheless, their relationship successfully depicted the wild yet amusing nature of young love.

Leshan was another entertaining character, standing out with her unwavering honesty and upright nature. Her humorous personality added much-needed lighthearted moments to the series. Special mention must go to Fan Liang Han, whose natural comedic timing made him the funniest character in the show.

Beyond the romance and comedy, Perfect Match excelled in its portrayal of family dynamics. From the deep sisterly bonds to the depiction of a devoted single mother willing to do anything for her daughters, the drama captured the essence of familial love. Even the sons-in-law had their own secret alliances, adding an extra layer of warmth and humor and their commitment to their women and the family was also something nice. The drama successfully conveyed the comforting and supportive nature of a true family, making it one of its strongest aspects.

Overall, I would rate Perfect Match an 8.5 out of 10. Despite the script’s imperfections, unnecessary scenes, and missing moments, it remains an enjoyable and well-acted drama. With stronger writing and better utilization of its talented cast, it could have been even more impactful.

Leia Mais

I've tried watching this show 3 times now on Netflix, each time I'd quit after the first episode, the third try I got to episode 2 and hated it. This morning, I was on Netflix again and after watching Tiffany's other shows last night (Perfect Couple and The Princess Wei Young), I decided to give it another go. But this version on Netflix was different! It only had 4 episodes! I was so confused until I realized that it was a directors cut and was SUPER condensed. I started to watch it and found myself falling in love in the first episode. It skipped all of the boring BS in the begining! Around halfway through episode 2 though, I found myself actually wanting to see what was cut out. So I started at episode 14 of the original cut and LO AND BEHOLD, thats when the real magic begins. I couldn't stop and FELL IN LOVE WITH THE SHOW, THE COUPLE, AND THEIR LOVE.

My reccomendation for those who can't start this show or dropped it? Watch the directors cut till episode 2, the first 20 minutes, then go to the normal cut episode 14. I know the show starts off slow but IT IS WORTH EVERY SECOND!

For anyone who doesn't have Netflix, you can search for the 33 episode of You Are My Sunshine on Dramanice.to, episode 33 (they also have the directors cut as episodes 33, 34, 35, and 36) then switch to episode 14.

Happy watching! :)

Leia Mais

Deserves the praises it's getting

When I first read about the story, I wasn't expecting this series to be amazing though I thought it could at least be decent. It remains that the story isn't exactly the sort that blows one's mind with twists or unexpected plotlines, but this turns out to be a good thing. It is a relatively simple story that is turned into a series that is made very well in practically every way.

In the story, Tian, who suffers from a heart disease, gets a heart transplant. He finds out that the donor is a volunteer teacher in a remote village, and he decides to volunteer for the same job. But this is BL, so you can obviously expect a romance here. At first, I was wondering if Tian would just fall in love with his donor's boyfriend and turn into some kind of replacement for her. But this is certainly not the case. The heart donor is in love with Tian's love interest when she's still alive, but her feelings are actually not reciprocated.

The story doesn't go out of its way to pander to BL fans. Again, this can be a good thing. The other characters are given a chance to be portrayed with nuance, which makes the story of the main characters better. Whether it is the villain who has an understatedly menacing aura or the kindly village chief who is surprisingly wise, the characterization enhances the story. I haven't read the original novel, but I dare say this is a wonderful adaptation because it is so easy to spoil things even with a solid original story that is followed faithfully.

Mix, who plays Tian, has a rather challenging role. Apart from the complicated emotions the character undergoes, Mix has to portray the change in Tian after his heart transplant. But it's not a 180-degree change (and there are subtle developments after the heart transplant too), so it's harder than playing two different characters. Mix manages to play Tian before and after the transplant impressively well. It's not often that we have a new actor who manages to portray the character's emotions without any lines, as Mix does in the last episode when he looks around the hut wistfully and starts tearing up.

Earth plays Phupha, Tian's love interest well enough too, though I'm not sure if I entirely understand the character. Phupha's liking for Tian is quite obvious and he even progresses to blatant flirting with Tian. Yet, it is later revealed that he knows Tian's identity (Tian's father is an influential man) from the start, and he later behaves as though Tian should leave the village and forget about him because Tian has a better life to lead. (Oh, then what's up with all the flirting in the first place?) But perhaps this is love--maybe when he falls more deeply in love with Tian, he wants the best for Tian, even if it means he has to lose Tian?

Perhaps one weakness of 1000 Stars is that it's so good that it belongs to a class of its own and loses some of the trademark fluff of the BL genre. There is, for instance, side BL couple at all. And while most BL focus on the BL romance at the expense of everything else in the story, 1000 Stars doesn't sacrifice the other elements of the story. (An example is when Tian is about the leave the village in the last episode. We can see that he is genuinely emotional about leaving the village and the children he has taught, and it's not just about Phupha's absence or his yet-to-be-fulfilled romance. ) One other series that I think is like that is Until We Meet Again, but it seems that praise for 1000 Stars approaches unanimity more closely.

Ultimately, 1000 Stars is a BL series that BL fans can appreciate for its strengths, but it is also a really good series to watch even if you aren't into BL (well, as long as you have nothing against male-male romance).

Leia Mais

Lost and Found.

Set in the 1990s, this is a riveting suspense thriller about three teenage boys who go missing on a dark and stormy night. Three years later, Xiao Qi, a pick-pocket is caught and identified as one of the missing boys. He is reunited with his grateful family but he does not seem quite the same and claims to have little memory of what transpired three years ago. This revives the investigation of the old case, with Wang Shitu leading the investigation. His investigation shines a spotlight on human trafficking rings. His search is painful and personal as his son has been lost for more than a decade. As the investigation advances, he gets to know Xiao Qi and the Jin family and more questions emerge as to what really happened that fateful night.

This drama does a terrific job building suspense, planting the seeds of many credible explanations with each frightening new reveal. Mystery buffs will enjoy trying sorting through all the lies to pull all the pieces together. The first villain's confession however was not convincingly obtained and that case is too hastily tied up to focus on the final villain. There are too many confessions obtained using this same threat of shaky evidence against a loved one. Even though a shadowy image of the main villain and what must have happened emerges early on, the cat and mouse of pinning them down is riveting. This is one of the most layered, selfish, manipulative and just plain evil sociopaths I have seen in a long time. What is truly scary is their motive is vile but understandable; that this is easily something someone, anyone is capable of doing simply because they want what they want badly enough. The final solution however is somewhat anti-climatic; there are many more interesting ways this could have played out. There are also a fair number of plot holes and loose ends.

The strongest and most moving aspect of this narrative is not the mystery but the relationships that evolve around it. The mother and the father who lost a child and the unimaginable and continuing pain that they endure. And the lonely boy that was lost and found, and how through all this mess they somehow manage to heal a small part of each other. With this kind of cast, I don't have to praise the acting. Zhang Songwen and Rong Zishan's chemistry is well established and as expected, they deliver in spades and make me root for them every step of the way. But the most surprising and distressing performance is Guo Keyu's portrayal of Bian Meizhen's confused longing for her lost child and her devastating moments of awareness.

Overall, the mystery plot is good but does not live up to its early promise and is not as tight as could be. But the character arcs are superbly done and the ending is perfect and brilliant in the most realistic of ways. This is a highly recommended 8.5/10.0.






ENDING SPOILER COMMENTS





Doudou was a red herring from the start and considering the theme of this story is lost children, it is no surprise that there is no fairytale ending. Nonetheless, Wang Shitu does not give up and continues to look. This kind of story is not easy to write or to end in a way that acknowledges and respects the suffering of victims of child trafficking. Jin Manfu is the manifestation of what must be every parent with a lost child's worst nightmare. But this story also reminds us that there are Wang Shitus and Bian Meizhens in this world who can still open a corner of their hearts. And that maybe they can also find some solace by opening a small part of their hearts. The only small bone the drama throws the audience is Doudou probably ended up in a family with a dog and where he is much loved and may one day still be found.








X

Leia Mais

This movie feels like a documentary that depicts the ups and downs in the relationship of a very ordinary couple!
Personally I loved it!
Story: the story of most couples in this universe...we all lived/ will live this story (or at least parts of it)...a very ordinary couple breaks up...then they get back together...then they break up...that simple...the funny thing that at the end the movie describes itself as a boring story of a regular couple...but I didn't really find it boring :D
Acting/Cast: both did a great job in their roles...specially Min Ki...he improved a lot though his character is pretty much regular he made it seem really special…with the right expression and accent...he was just living the role!
Music: nothing special!
Rewatch Value: I'll definitely rewatch this but as I've already seen the whole thing and it's not much on the comedy...I didn't rate it high!
*Overall the movie had a simple idea...treated it well...the leads had good chemistry...it was definitely worth watching (Y)
*This isn't a sweet, heartwarming or funny movie but a realistic one...please put that in mind when you go watch it so you don't get disappointed :)

Leia Mais

A villain who can switch to a coquette (flirt) ?

I've had this in my currently watching for so long, and decided to watch it finally after so long.

Idk why i waited so long, because this was really nice, it definitely deserves to be one of those well worth watching short length series

The story was okay, I think some parts were a tiny bit hard to follow and it was regarding the past events, but apart from that it was very simple and the political stuff though it was there, I didn't find it heavy or too much, because of the the drama was spent on the leads, whether building there relationship or stuff related to them.

The costume were really nice, the male costume when being the flirty husband fit his sickly image so well, and tmhis outfits as the villain also fit him really well. The FL general outfits were okay, she wore female clothing and she looked absolutely stunning!!, she could rock both, which I liked!. Ofher side costume were good as well.

The acting for the FL was okay, but the ML caught my attention, seeing him act all flirty like a concubine trying to get their master's affection, and then switch to a villain haha 😄.. he did a great job, and I loved his character all together, great antihero ❤️. Other side characters acting was nice as well.

The songs in this one was really nice.

I also loved how not because it was a short drama, their romance wasn't rushed at all, it had time for the FL to fall in love with the ML. I also liked how the misunderstanding was cleared.

There were funny moment, sweet moment, a little bit of sad moments, and a full epsiode for a happy ending (rare) ... don't forget steaming kisses, there chemistry when kissing and being intimate were nice.

Highly reccomending short length series!

Leia Mais

Watch, Pause, Think and Savor It.

“An Ancient Love Song” shows you that you don’t need a lot of money to produce a drama that moves the audience. Inspired by a fan-made video, this low-budget passion project is able to deliver a well and creatively told story of two star-crossed lovers.

The reverse timelines really took me a while to think, pause and then realize what just happened. I have to be honest, I was a little confused in the beginning when ML first met FL. I even felt that the romance was off, because of how it all started. But after I got my bearings, I really appreciated this unique way of storytelling. It reminded me of the Japanese movie “Tomorrow I will Date with Yesterday’s You”, but way better. As the story progresses, each flashback sequence helps fill in the blanks of what actually happened, and the story touches me a little bit more each time.

Zhang Ya Qin (FL) has come a long way. I wasn’t super impressed with her acting in “Love in Between” but here, she did a good job in playing an 18-year old innocent girl all the way to the 36-year Empress. Guo Jia Nan (ML) took a few episodes to get in the groove, but he found his groove and his character grew on me. Zhuang Han might have stolen Guo Jia Nan’s thunder a little and has a stronger screen presence. The rest of the supporting cast did fine but not outstanding.

Since this is a short 14-episode drama, the pacing is good and there are no fillers. I actually would have loved to see a few more episodes, or longer episodes, as I think there’s enough material to dive deeper into each timeline and background stories.

This is a quick and easy-to-binge watch. If you are usually scared of long Chinese period dramas, this is a perfect length to start. You will be greeted by a touching romance told creatively with reverse timelines. Watch, pause, think and savor it.


Completed: 7/18/2023 - Review #332

Leia Mais

Fairy Tales and Ghost Stories

Order of the Sommelier feels like a string of fairy tales/ghost stories, which are connected through the two main characters: Fu Yu, who is a demon hunter and Bai Qi, who is a dragon. The audience meets them first at the demon tavern Bai Qi owns, a place that shifts between modern times and the ancient past. Different guests enter the tavern, bringing along their stories. Then, by the magic of the served drinks, the two main characters get involved in those stories, which take place in an ancient rural setting. The relationship between Fu Yu and Bai Qui starts out with a little hostility, but during their adventures together, they slowly learn more about each other and their tone changes.

The stories are simple, yet engaging, the plot keeps moving, but is never rushed, the actors bring the characters and their emotions to life, the music is nice and fits the scenes, its overall an entertaining and pleasant watch, if you don't expect spectacular sets and costumes or a dreamy romance.

the five story arcs (as you can find them on KUKAN youtube channel atm):

1. The Fox Repaying Kindness (about a friendship between a fox demon and a human)

2. The Imperishable Flower (about the love of a mother and separation)

3. The Distant Dandelion: (about different kinds of love and forced marriage)

4. The Parasitic Cure (about a miracle remedy and having low self-esteem)

5. The Promise of Double Ninth Festival (about a friendship between a spirit and a poor scholar)

Leia Mais