Cringey Leads With No Chemistry and Rather Forgettable Plot
STORY:The plot was basic and nothing new or unique. Long-time BL fans have seen this done (and done better) a thousand times before, and I felt like nothing new was added to the genre. The pacing was severely rushed in the first episode, as if the writers wanted to cram in as much from the book as they could (read: quantity over quality) but to its credit, the pacing and scene selection did improve as the series progressed. I understand that the writers only had four episodes to work with, but that makes it all the more important to carefully select which scenes from the novel to adapt, make sure the writing is super tight, and that every single word and interaction has meaning behind it so that not a second is wasted. I also felt like episode four could have been cut completely and we wouldn't have missed anything, since the climax and resolution occurred in episode three. The series overall gave me the impression that the writer (of either the novel, screenplay, or both) cherry-picked their favorite scenes and attributes from other, popular BLs and dumped them all into this story, leaving me feeling as though I watched a low-budget, fan-made homage.
CHARACTERS/ACTING:
This is where I had the biggest issues (and if you've read my comments, apologies for the repetition). Oh, where to start? The main leads had absolutely no chemistry together whatsoever, and that made their "love story" very uncomfortable to watch. Gun was gross, cringey, a creep who had no respect for Bar's boundaries at all. From the very first episode, we see Gun constantly force himself into Bar's life, touch Bar without consent, control who Bar can and can't speak to, and proclaim that this is all in the name of love. Meanwhile, Bar responds with looks of disgust, discomfort, and flat-out refusal, until halfway through and he suddenly does a 180 because how else can they end up together? The problem is that Bar never indicates he enjoyment of this attention from Gun; he doesn't flirt back, and he always looks sour when receiving it. Even when they became a couple, he still looked uncomfortable with Gun's "affection," leaving me confused as to why these two got together in the first place. I think that for a character like Gun to be portrayed successfully, the actor needs a certain charisma that Win unfortunately did not possess. I also needed Folk to deliver something in the emotions department that his character was into this courtship from Gun, but he failed to deliver there as well. The relationship left a very sour, toxic taste in my mouth.
As for the other actors and characters, nothing to write home about. They, like the plot, felt like stock characters that are used in just about every BL, and none really stood out as distinct and memorable.
OVERALL:
Some really enjoyed this. I clearly did not. I can handle worn tropes, low budgets, less than stellar acting, and subpar writing--to an extent. But I need something special to make up for those shortcomings, a spark that just wasn't present in this story. I can't say I'd recommend the series, mainly because I got more disgusted by Gun the more I watched, but it's only four episodes and a rather quick binge, so if you're interested, why not? I'm left hoping that the next two installments of this franchise won't leave me quite as disappointed.
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If My Gear and Your Gown had come out a couple of years ago, I would have given it a higher rating. But BLs have come a long way since then. Overall, this was a pleasant enough diversion from everyday activity, that's all. Here are my pros and cons:PROS:
LIKEABLE ACTORS. I found some of the actors adorable: Win (Pai) played a loveable, shy nerd, Fiat (Pure) is sassy and cute; Neen (Beau) is so sweet, while AJ (Waan) is so cute you just want to pinch his cheeks. Back to Win: I liked the way he played introverted Pai, and his bitter weeping in the final episode was heartbreaking.
GOOD MESSAGES. The Pure/AIDS storyline seemed a bit sudden and severe, but it's never a bad idea to promote safe sex. The final episode dealt (a little bit) with homophobia and acceptance from parents. I liked Folk's line (paraphrasing): "Parents are usually fine with it unless it affects them personally." Sadly, that's often very true.
CONS:
DULL STORY. For me, it started out well enough, but then just lagged. I felt the story could have been told in half the amount of episodes. And the Pure/playboy thing was maxed out. At the end, when Pure apologized to Folk for cheating on him, he said "but I was thinking of you the whole time." Barf.
WEAK CHEMISTRY. While Itt is a handsome guy, has chemistry with Pai was practically non-existent, and Itt's character was just weak. I wasn't really sold and Pure/Folk, either, but I did like Waan/Beau (would have liked to see them with more screen time as a couple).
FRESHY CONTEST: As much as I liked Pai, there is no freaking way he could have won that contest! Everything he did was a complete failure. I get that Pai wins in the story but, at the very least, the scriptwriters could have given him some sort of believable talent. As it was, Pai's win was incomprehensible, unless every other competitor was in a coma.
Overall, I enjoyed it well enough. Nothing groundbreaking here, I give it a 6.5.
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Four True Gods in Three Realms!
Must-watch for Xianxia lovers!!I always have a soft spot on Chinese Xianxia dramas since Ashes of Love. I always spare my time to watch Xianxia dramas. Since this drama and the cast was announced, I was super excited and highly anticipated. I even read the novel so I could get better understanding in stories and characters.
Trust me, this did not disappoint me at all. This is a masterpiece, kinda different than other Xianxia.
The plot is so original and unique. It set in God Realm which was ruled by The Four True Gods. Our FL is Shang Gu, Leader of Four True Gods. She sacrificed herself in a trial for 60,000 years. Bai Jue, Our ML come up with a master plan to save her and to be sacrificed himself.
The storyline is bittersweet but fruitful and exceptional in every aspects. Don't worry! It has happy ending. You will experience a beautiful and emotional journey until the end.
The directing and writing are all excellent. The cinematography and CGI is hands down the best among Xianxia dramas. The fight scenes and visual movements are top-notch.
THE STORY: It was so excellent and well-executed. The writers knows how to make a perfect Xianxia in 49 episodes, which usually work on more number of episodes. Everything is on point, the story does not drag or rush in every way. It happens just in time when it need to happen.
THE CAST/ACTING:
The casting team choose the ensemble cast with outstanding acting abilities. Everyone in this drama performed so well in their roles. There is no acting hole at all (this is crazy) because their acting seems really natural, nothing was out of place.
Zhou Dong Yu: She is known as the Movie Queen of China, with many deserving awards and records. But, since I haven't watched any Chinese movies before, I only watched dramas, I was not familiar with her. This is my very first time watching her acting performance. Now, I know the reason why she is called as the Acting Queen. Her acting is on next level, way ahead of Chinese famous drama actresses. The way she emotes is not like the other. She can really act. She shows the best acting performance among any female lead in Xianxia dramas. Zhou Dong Yu rocks both as Shang Gu and Houchi.
Xu Kai: I am a huge fan of Xu Kai since the Legends and Arsenal Military Academy. I know his strengths and weaknesses as an actor. He always works hard to improve his acting, now I can say he is upgraded from an idol actor to a quality actor. I'm so proud of how far he comes. He really understand his own characters, to be as Bai Jue/Bo Xuan/Qing Mu, his portrayal is very natural and excellent.
The other supporting actors are all exceptional. The actress who plays as Wu Huan is so amazing.
THE CHEMISTRY:
Zhou Dong Yu and Xu Kai...I wasn't expected much from this coupling at first. But, I was completely on board with them since the first few episodes and was shocked at how well they seemed to be hitting it off together. Their chemistry is on point! Their eyes speak to each other. I'm amazed by their genuine and excellent acting and chemistry.
MUSIC:
The soundtrack was enjoyable and emotional throughout the drama. It works so well with the story. My favorite OSTs are "Chihiro" by A-Lin, "Perseverance" by Ye Xuanqing and "Ju Lian" by Zhou Shen.
CHARACTERS:
All the characters are well-written, even the supporting characters shine here. I'm in love with all the characters:
- Shang Gu/Houchi
- Bai Jue/Bo Xuan/Qing Mu
- Tian Qi
- Hong Ri
- Yuemi
- Feng Ran
- Zhi Yang
- Gu Jun
- Jing Jian
- Zihan
- Yuan Qi.
REWATCH VALUE :
I am sure I will re-watch it many times. It is that great.
OVERALL
This drama is unique, great, captivating, and one of my favorite Chinese Xianxia dramas along with Ashes of Love and Love and Redemption. I am always longing for this kind of drama. Definitely 10/10 for me!
In conclusion, this drama is everything I expect from a xianxia romance. Be prepared to fall in love with the characters, three Realms, their love stories.
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There's also the cute side characters/couple that are so adorable.
I love how both the main lead would do anything for anyone they cared/loved n how much they loved each other it was just so sweet many dramas always have something where there's some kind of trust issue or where ones a little too jealous to the point of overboard but this was just amazing.
Now onto my lovely prince zhan many may not like his character bc of what he did but then i felt like he's such a sweet boy he was willing to do anything for Qing Chen but sadly he's just a second lead :(
The only thing that I didn't like was like slow subbing which is not the dramas fault at all but then I had to wait forever bc dramefever the only one that got the licenses for it took a whole moth to freaking start subbing the first few episodes n that the director had to add duo xia who wanted so desperately to be with ling at one point but it was good that he never swayed for her or anything lol cause I would've flipped out if he broke Qing Chen's heart in anyway when she did all of that just for him.
Overall I'm just in love with this dramas so yes I definitely recommend this drama if you want to watch something that brings out all your emotions but not annoyingly bad or just sad like some other shows that I've watched. Btw the music tho it's amazing I've noticed that Chinese dramas always have amazing music to accompany their shows lol none of it are like ever bad.
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Coming from the same director, producer, channel, screenwriter and the one and only genius novelist Ikeido Jun behind Hanzawa Naoki; you’re bound to expect striking similarities such as the general structure, the business related events, the suspenseful tries to get out of financial troubles, the directing techniques and even the acting style. To many viewers, this may seem like TBS’s desperate tries to follow the footsteps of last year’s mega-hit drama and even re-incarnate its successful ratings. However, Roosevelt Game was able to clearly distinguish itself. This is definitely not another Hanzawa Naoki so do not misjudge this as a copycat.
Roosevelt Game is driven by two main threads: Business management and Baseball. At first glance, you would wonder if those two different themes are able coexist. I had my careful doubts about that matter but colour me surprised! They weren’t only in perfect harmony but they were also smartly written to complement each other which gave the drama a strange yet a very solid balance. The fascinating part is that Aoshima Seisakujo followed similar policies in both company management and sports which made things even more connected and delightful to follow.
This drama excels at building the thrills, you will find yourself at the edge of your seat countless of times. Not to mention the “What the… What the heck was that?” moments. It’s no surprise since this comes from the brilliant novelist Ikeido who’s known of his thought-provoking corporate scripts. The reason why I came to favour the business genre is their highly intriguing scriptwriting and witty dialogues, that part wasn’t any different in here, I was completely satisfied with the financial suspense they built even if the outcome was somewhat predictable. The sports’ part was equally exciting; I never get that feeling unless I am watching a real game or a sports anime. To think that they got me rooting for them out loud is beyond belief.
Acting wise, I have nothing but praise. I never thought that a star-studded cast like this one can go wrong in any way. I was already fascinated by Karasawa Toshiaki in another business oriented drama “Fumo Chitai” and ever since then, I have huge respect towards him. Once again, he drew me to his fearsome ability of turning into an intense actor when his character demands him to. His character was smart, firm and penetrating. Egushi Yosuke’s performance was too mystic; the way his character was written didn’t allow him to show his body language like he’s used to. However, he held an important cryptic character that always attracted attention. Another main character was Kudo Asuka, a young talent that held the realms of the baseball team. He had one memorable performance despite his obvious inferiority to his older seniors mentioned above.
The rest of the cast members were quite fitting for the drama which is nothing out of line for a great business production like this one. Tezuka Toru and Kagawa Teryuki were the better supporting actors. The latter amazed me as usual although I really wished that his talent was exploited further than that. I think this drama is unique due to the human relationships the writer inserted between his characters. The heart-warming events don’t imply that this drama was set in the heartless word of economy and business. That’s definitely a plus point that distinguishes Roosevelt Game from its fellow business oriented productions.
The cinematography was dazzling, literally. The bright colours used for this drama added vivid feeling to the usual sombre business atmosphere. The directing was definitely too similar to Hanzawa Naoki with those famed close-ups and captivating angles. One more thing, that OST was definitely a master’s stroke. That instrumental music was such a perfect fit for this drama’s theme.
Watch if:
-You like highly intriguing dramas.
-You like business/corporate.
-You’re looking for something similar to Hanzawa Naoki but beware, this is definitely different.
-You like sports dramas because baseball was a major part.
Do not watch if:
-You dislike the business theme.
Roosevelt Game is by far, the better written and executed drama of 2014. It contains a daring yet a very successful combination of the merciless world of business and the exciting world of sports. It should be enjoyed for its own benefits. Do yourself a favour, don’t misinterpret this as another Hanzawa Naoki.
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I was not initially interested in watching this drama. While I love myself a good noona romance, and I love Gong Hyo Jin as an actress, the plot synopsis didn't sound like my thing, so I decided to give this one a pass. But the more I saw and read about the drama as it aired, the more I wanted to watch it, so maybe a month before the story was going to end, I decided to pick it up.Ooooooh my goodness was that a good decision. I liked every character, I liked the murder mystery, I liked the drama's intentional focus on difficult topics, I loooooved the noona romance, but what I liked the most was Dong Baek.
I may be blaspheming a previously viewed and loved drama of mine, but I genuinely think this may be the closest I have ever come to relating to a drama female lead in every single way. Dong Baek's particular life circumstances, single motherhood, child abandonment, running a bar frequented by all the neighborhood men to the chagrin of their wives, none of that speaks to my life. But the way Dong Baek expressed herself, the way she saw herself, the internal sadness and disappointment and bitterness she felt over her life, that was spot on. She is definitely a kindred spirit.
Overall, this drama is a ten for me, from start to finish. I highly recommend it.
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I watched this because China banned its release. I was curious and the movie proved worthy of that curiosity. It wasn't great, but it was one undeniably beautiful movie. I love the dialogues. Sometimes the lines are rather poetic. The actors could even tell more of the story even with no words at all. The film seemed to glorify the simplicity of its plot with good writing and actors.
Have an open mind upon watching this film, but don't get too attached. It's just a film after all.
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And the actors....to put it straight, they were not good at acting. Now I'm not talking about the main fox guy (he was very good), I'm talking about everyone else, and literally everyone else, except for the evil characters (crown prince was awesome!). It was so cringe-worthy watching everyone else act that I really couldn't get myself into the drama, especially with the dubbed voices on top of that.
The only reason I ended up completing this drama was that it was so short at 22 episodes and 20min long each and because historical dramas are my favorite dramas. However, I loved the production of this drama; the scenery and cinematography was exceptional, and watching this drama was very pleasing to the eye because of the excellent HD quality! The music wasn't that bad either; I liked the intro and ending songs that played at every episode and occasionally other songs would come out throughout the drama.
Overall, watch this drama because it's so short if you have a lot of free time on your hands, just want to see what it's about, or just don't have anything else to watch since this drama isn't really worth it so don't go into it with expectations like I did!
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For those that think that this is a movie about a kind teacher who shows compassion and does everything he can to help his troubled student--that's not completely correct. I recommend you watch the trailer. But if you can't, just know that all that nice stuff is on the inside--something you can't see right away.
This movie isn't a tear-jerker (at least IMO). BUT it is a feel-good movie and will give you a couple of laughs here and there. There are some painful-to-watch fighting scenes (kickboxing or not) for those of you who like a little action sprinkled here and there. They did an amazing job with setting the mood of the movie. It was never meant to be a gloomy-look-at-this-pitiful-child movie. They wanted it to have a certain brightness to the dark characters/setting. And I'd say they succeeded.
The cast is absolutely fantastic. Kim Yun Seok had perfect comedic timing with his joyously foul-mouth. The comedic bickering was between teacher and student was so much fun. Yoo In Ah did an awesome job preping for his kickboxing scenes; although the film was trying to not be so gloomy, Yoo In Ah did a great job bringing the heaviness of certain issues to the scenes.
All in all, if you enjoy feel-good moments, mama drama, a bit of fighting, love-lines, and cursing--and all without breaking out the tissue box--this is the movie for you.
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A plot written by real life.
Brilliant. I can go into rhapsodies about “Citizen of a Kind.” About the well made KMovie. About the authentic and stirringly positive energy that the film conveys. (And this despite the fact that the issue dealt with is shocking, cruel and profoundly mean right up to the end.) About the wonderful heroine, who is convincingly portrayed by Ra Mi-ran. About the true heroine in real life, who actually made this story come to life. About the haunting production, which, despite the captivating story and many touching, even quite brutal scenes, still has the touch of a lively road movie.A plot written by real life.
Womanpower and sisterhood included.
Awesome.
PS:
There might be a growing amount among the audience who probably by now has someone in their wider circle of acquaintances who has become - or almost became - a victim of a voice phishing fraud ring. The personal material damage is only one (very painful) side of the ugly coin. Almost worse is the side with psychological injuries, all centered about shame and guilt, which run deep.
In the case of "Citizen of a Kind", the victim out of sheer desperation chooses a rather extreme offensive path of coming to terms with it. However, most victims remain stuck in their trauma. On the one hand, they remain emotionally exposed to the tormenting feeling of the helpless loss of control they have suffered. On the other hand, they torment themselves with persistent feelings of guilt because (in the eyes of themselves and of others, too) they “fell for it themselves” and therefore “made themselves responsible” for their loss. The emotional dilemma is fatal. What makes things even more difficult is that the real perpetrators usually remain in the dark, are difficult to pin down and therefore rarely can be actually dealt with as a real counterpart.
In "Citizen of a Kind" the victim searches for the perpetrator on her own, finds him, and at the same time becomes the savior of potential further victims (of this perpetrator). That feels so good.
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When there is more representation I can be picky, but for now this'll have to do
In my humble opinion, this drama does not add up to the hype. I am thankful that South Korea has started making more LGBT dramas and movies, since it is a great step forward. However, I think we LGBT+ people have a tendency to go a bit crazy when there is any kind of representation, and we are so greatful for the scraps that we hype up stories that really aren't that good, and sometimes aren't even healthy relationships. I have seen a lot of student-teacher relationships, or age gaps that are not approperiate when it comes to gay stories. Where Your Eyes Linger is a portrayal of an unhealthy relationship between a "master and servant". Not only are they not equal, but Taejoo is actually mean towards Gook and uses his position and authority against him to deliberately make Gook uncomfortable. That is not the vibe for me.Moreover, I think that the acting was... awkward at best. It is very clear to me that the actors are uncomfortable and they have no chemistry. The one kiss scene was not really a kiss, just a peck, which would be fine if it wasn't the case with so many gay dramas and series. I just felt really forced to me.
But, just because I did not like this drama does not mean that I won't gobble up any other representation, however awful. I am in a desert and representation is my water. So I know I'll still be watching these types of dramas that I don't like until there is more representation with variety so that I can afford to be picky. I cannot wait until that time comes.
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Divirta-se, mas não aguarde o melhor da sua vida.
Visão geral: grande história, contexto histórico muito interessante, personagens impactantes e química boa do casal.Enredo:
A história inicial e se desenrola de uma forma bem clara, deixando o espectador curioso em certa medida. Tenho que admitir que o fato de ter sido retirado de uma lenda/mito me deixou desanimada.
Ficou claro que com o último desejo, o Iblis passou a aguardar a punição e ela foi impossível de resistir. Mas isso só me mostrou duas coisas: Deus é cheio de reviravoltas e que o anjo é o ser mais egoista já criado.
Tudo poderia ir para um caminho, mas não era o romance que eu esperava. Não sei se o formato de 12/13 episódios me incomoda, mas algo ficou muito soltou. Vamos começar com o 1º desejo: ela queria provar algo e morrer nessa aposta, mas acabou que as coisas tomaram caminhos estranhos e ela usou do último desejo de um deles. Aposta inválida. O 2º desejo só existiu pra que a sr. Pan descobrisse que iria morrer, graças ao anjo. E por fim, ela fez o que todos imaginavam que era pedir para sentir e morrer por isso. Nada anormal, nem impressionante. Sinto que foi bom, cheio de referências magnificas, elenco gritando de bom. Mas só isso!
Personagens:
Os principais já eram conhecidos pelo mundo e isso só os deixou mais conhecidos pela nova bolha do Kdrama. Mas eu sentir falta do romance, eles foram enime to lovers até o último segundo.
Queria muito falar do anjo, juro. Ele e o personagem mais intrigante de todo drama. Um anjo que para cumprir ordens cegas do seu deus fez de tudo para que o seu irmão fosse morto por suas mãos.
Juro, ser o anjo da morte tornar ele o emissário da triste da humanidade. Mas a sua meta de vida era matar o Iblis é cumprir a missão. Mas no fim, ele só ficou sem uma parte de sua asa e uma vitória amarga na boca.
Ele foi o personagem que mais me cativou sabe porque? Por que ele era o verdadeiro vilão, o verdadeiro mal da história. Sua meta de vida era presenciar o Iblis se curvar perante a pior criação de Deus e com isso, ceifar a vida dele. Na sua cabeça limitada de soldado, ele estava na guerra até o líder oposto estivesse vivo.
Fotografia:
Geralmente inicio nesse ponto, mas nesse drama isso não me pegou. De fato, a cenas lindas como a caminhada na rua de cerejeiras, mas 80% das cenas bonitas foram feitas em CCGI. É isso não é fotografia real! Ouve a quebra da 4ª tela em algumas ocasiões, mas sem sentindo algum. Acho que só deixou mais claro o quanto é uma completa fantasia a história.
Considerações finais:
Queria ter algo mais a dizer, mas vou apenas elogiar os figurinos BELÍSSIMOS da Suzy durante todo o drama. Até de mecânica ficou lindíssima.
Para além disso, eu tenho algumas dúvidas: por que o colega de faculdade dela morreu daquele jeito se ele parecia ser um stalker dela? por que o imortal não usou a lâmpada antes do Iblis enlouquecer? por que a fúria do Iblis deixou uma espada igual Arthur? como ela pode pedir que 5 pessoas fizesses 3 desejos cada, sem que o desejo é só dela? (Falando disso porque qdo o imortal disse que podia usar o último desejo dela, ele disse que só ela poderia desejar) e como ela se tornou gênio se os gênios são criaturas criadas por Deus no quinto dia, ela sendo humana não poderia se tornar uma ou poderia? E por que ele voltou, sem explicação ou justificativa?
Tenho mais umas 15 perguntas, mas que nunca serão respondidas.
No fim, eu me divertir. Maratonei num domingo, então valeu pela distração.
8, pois poderia ser bem melhor se tivesse mais 3 episódios e respondessem as minhas perguntas claramente.
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Wise advice
Just really really wished someone would have told me this beforehand. Warning ahead… Please please pwease do not start this drama at all, it will mess you up and piss you off like ONE HUNDRED AND ONE, like no joke! Biggest regret of all is that I actually started this drama. In all honesty I started the drama because of the two main actors, Song Weilong and Jelly Lin. Although really just that alone doesn’t make up to how awful this drama is, sadly enough. The beginning was bearable and it seems interesting, but just really only the first few episodes the rest is horrifying awful. Siigh…Esta resenha foi útil para você?
Acting/Cast: I was really excited for the drama when it first started showing but the biggest disappointment, unfortunately, is the acting. There is hardly any chemistry between the male and female leads. Hello! This is supposed to be a romantic love drama - not "let's have a big brotherly and sisterly hug and a very polite kiss and call that a chemistry" drama! I know that there are many ppl out there who likes MGY and thinks of her as a great actress but I am not one of them. I knew long ago, that she has her limitations in acting and for some reason, I do not consider her a beauty. Her acting in this drama is the worst so far. The male lead, PSH, was a saving grace with his ability to act childish at one moment and dead serious at another. He has proven that he is a versatile actor. Unfortunately, even he could not manufacture that sort of romantic chemistry with the "sad or happy-fake-smile-only" MGY. The drama could benefit from getting an older and more versatile actress. The other casts did great, but the extreme lack of chemistry between the leads killed it for me.
Music: The music is passable.
Rewatch value: For me, the first time is the last time. Glad I finished it, but don't think I would be re-watching it.
Overall: Passable entertainment. The IDEA of the story is interesting and has great potential but the lack of chemistry between the leads killed it.
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