Reviews

A film of two halves

The good bit is the first half:
So this film is amazing at the beginning - a brilliant "get the team together and do amazing things, nice guys finish first, rise over prejudice and have fantastic adventures" romp.

It looks excellent, the characters are really well realised, the dynamics between them are believable and for a change the writers show, don't tell, us who the characters are and what they are doing.

Then they kill off every single substantial female part one by one until we are left with a pretty naff mystic who disappears... and like it's 1973 the members of the team with a uterus die so the men have a reason to keep adventuring...

I just can't even...I loved it and then *sigh*

If you want to watch this, watch it until they get to the Mystic Forest then bug out of there and make up a better ending in your head.

Leia Mais

10’s across the board!

This show kept my interest the whole time starting with episode 1. The cast is outstanding and I was a little nervous as to how the ending would be because that usually makes or break my reviews but the ending was a great one that fit the plot. Finished the whole series today and immediately rewatching it. First show that I thoroughly enjoyed since SOKP and if you liked that I definitely recommend this drama. I think maybe it’s because they have the same trope but this series is amazinggggg. This is the first role of Bambi’s that I really love and the chemistry she has with Han Zhang was through the roof!

Leia Mais

I have never seen In Time with You so I am not writing this in comparison. It is really hard for me to rate this drama. I absolutely love dramas where the man loves the woman from the beginning through every thing. Although this drama has that, it is so boring. I don't expect action or anything like that. I have watched many romance stories that I found moving and lovely. I didn't FEEL anything while watching this. I didn't even care if they ended up together or not at the end.

Ha Ji Won and Lee Jin Wook are good as Oh Ha Na and Choi Won. They have a good chemistry and it is fun to watch them fight and laugh. I don't know who Yoon Gyun Sang is, but he is the male version of an actress that is stone faced. He doesn't have much experience. So, hopefully he will get better. Ha Na's parents, brother, and friends help make the drama more interesting and better. I really liked when she would discuss her life with them.

Personal: I gave this drama a higher score because Ha Na and her mother spend the night in a hotel talking and it reminds me so much of spending time with my own mother. I love that scene the most and I will probably rewatch it over and over. I miss my mom, but that episode is some how comforting.

The music is good.

I won't rewatch this.

It is pretty ok as a light romance.

Leia Mais

Is the cultural difference really so huge?

I started to watch the show with high expectations, so the disappointment was all the bigger. First of all, the ML is absolutely intolerable. Because he used to be a good hacker 10 years earlier, he is arrogant, extremely rude, and keeps bullying other people. The FL, who is supposed to be an IT prodigy and a popular online singer, has no sense of pride or self-respect and chases the ML to the verge of ridiculousness, even though he openly told her that he wasn't interested and treated her like garbage most of the time. So painful to watch! But the worst is still to come. At the beginning, we learn that ML's former team leader did some horrible thing, which resulted in the team being disbanded. You know what that horrible thing was? It was his commitment to fatherhood and responsibility for his unplanned child. His new GF, a team member, was too much of an immature !@$%^ to support him - she preferred to dump him and that's how the whole team broke up. Is the Chinese culture really so different from European that decent behaviour and responsibility are seen as vile and wrong? While rudeness, immaturity and hatefulness are seen as virtues? I don't get it.
What I really liked were the charming supporting characters. I continued the show for them.

Leia Mais

I don't know why this drama hasn't got more fans. Personally, I thought it was very well acted, modern, with a lovely photography and enough romance to satisfy the romantics among us.

The plot is neither shallow nor particularly predictable. Until the end, the viewer does not know if the romance between the leads will have a future or not, because apart from the age difference - which isn't that big anyway - there are other, more important obstacles: opposite stances towards work and life in general, different social status, dissimilar goals. The good aspect of this love story based upon differences is that both learn one from the other. It's not the dramatic change of one of them overnight, in the name of love or another equally unrealistic reason.
The best part of the plot lies in the dialogues, though. They are clever, at times hilarious, at others quite deep. I loved learning of the process behind the creation of an advertisement, and why those people are often referred to as "the creatives".

The acting was very good, although I must admit at not having been swept away by Itoh Misaki's performance. There were times when she felt wooden and unconvincing. This lowers my acting mark to an 8, which would have been otherwise flawless, since everybody else did a great job, including Kame.

The music isn't my favourite, but it was chosen with great sense and is very fitting with the story told and the setting.

The photography deserves a mention too: there are some beautiful screen shots throughout this show. I can still see them with my mind's eyes today, more than 4 years after I've watched the drama. They are meant to create a visual pattern, parallel images which create a nice contrast between the incompatibility of the two main leads in the world of words, and the harmony between them on a more emotional level.

I will rewatch it. It gave me an energy shot at the time, therefore I keep it for future need of the same.

Leia Mais

I already finished the drama I just go back and re-watch watch it that is how good this drama is. I like this drama because of how the acting and setting out is done it's perfection the actors and actresses all knew what they needed to do no mistakes in the drama. Some dramas you can see the mistake but this drama is nothing. All the casts who are the characters are all top notch they all suit the role they were given. The music and scenery really gets yoy because of how beautiful it is.

The one thing I'm confused about is they never really explained why was there another Xun'er in the villain valley.

Leia Mais

It's for you only if you do like comedy

first of all it's not actor's fault, I'm sure they're doing their best, but this idea was bad since the start.

Is not easy to scream 99% time, but Yim has to do that for this role, what a waist!

I love the cast, but I also think they're ready for a serious story, with drama, maybe sensual scenes, I don't really know.

Unfortunally I'm sure I am not the only one disapointed with the choice to still in Bed Friends universe, because the production made it poorly.

Uea was sofiticaded and his boyfriend was warm and savage, we loved that, but now they are not interesting anymore, a truly shame.

Again, I loved the cast, even the two new ones, hopefully they got more elaborated roles in future, so I can have a great time watching them unshowed skills.

Give it a try, if you was able to giggle in the first episode, I think you can watch it without any problem <3

Leia Mais

Disappointing. It’s visually stunning, music is great, but that’s it.

I’m disappointed. The story is not good. Or maybe I just expected so much from the glimpse I had from the music video and reviews here.

The music video of Park hyo shin’s ost is a way better story than the entire series. It’s unnecessarily long just to keep dragging the episodes to showcase the beautiful cinematography.

Story: Why so long? Is it to cater for the countless slow motions and CGI? Or is it to make it seem like a big shot kdrama? Most of the scenes are empty, the order of the series is a mess, maybe they were just trying to be more historically accurate but if then they couldve just made a movie. The war that I was expecting for the last episode actually happened in the first episode, and it was just a glimpse. The feeling of patriotism that I’ve been waiting for was concealed in a very short scenes, then the lovestory-filled ending came up, then the end.

Cast/Acting: I don’t buy the main leads. Why does it have to be Lee byung hun? He might as well became the father figure for the main female lead. I could see hyun bin as a more fitting cast for the character. Kim tae ri, okay so many better actress to portray this role, but I can forgive this. The rest of the main leads, perfect.

Music: One of the best soundtracks in kdramaworld. Thank you Park hyo shin and Baek ji young.

Rewatch: No, because it’s so long and empty, I might actually fall asleep. Actually I did fell asleep so many times while watching this, I just woke up one morning and the entire series has been streamed out. Lol!

Overall: Very disappointed. Unlike the claims of other fans about this drama as patriotic, historical etc. it actually focused on the lovestory of the main leads, the main leads as in the five main leads.
There are only three good things about this drama.
1. The cinematography
2. The music
3. The mourning scenes in ep 20.

Leia Mais

Who knew forbidden love could be so romantic? On the way to the airport, or the way i want to see it, on the way to happiness was simply beautiful and so elegant despite the controversial concept it is about.



Let me break it down for you, the drama is about 2 beautiful loving soulmates who, by the time they meet, they already have settled down for the wrong people. The drama is about true and fated love, but in its core it talks about putting yourself, your needs first and choosing your own happiness over everything and everyone else. We deserve to be happy and nobody is entitled to strip us of this right!



Yes the drama, on the surface, presents 2 married individuals who, because of different personal circumstances, fall for each other. Don't let this drive you away from this drama. The affair is introduced in the most romantic way possible without being glorified. It's not filthy in any way, quite on the contrary i'd say.



What made the drama stand out was easily the chemistry between the leads. Not the best i've seen but enough to charm you and make you get lost in the sparks. However, the best of the drama for me was the characterization. Seldom do we see such 3D, deep and well-rounded characters that feel like real people. This is one of the dramas that you have to read between the lines to properly comprehend that is going on and why. Many's the time i felt frustrated by the characters' choices and decisions, but this is human nature, scarcely logical sometimes. Moreover, i loved how even the "evil" characters had many layers but if you tried walking in their shoes you could understand where they were coming from, even if you still disagreed with their course of action. Good writing.



Sadly the drama was cut 4 episodes shorts and significant part of the storylines along with some characters were left unexplored. Still the writers did their best to complete the drama is a fulfilling way.



The drama is so natural, based completely on emotions and feelings, the plot devices for the story to unfold are strong and it is never really dragged or anything considering you're into romance and melodrama. However, there are certain drawbacks that refrain me from giving it a higher score.



First and foremost, i feel that the writers were really scared to actually go for it. The build up is there, the reasons, the excuses, the plot that is getting thicker and thicker, the chemistry which is sizzling but there is no climax. Generally the drama lacked the intensity that was needed sometimes, but the drama was special because of its mellow and calm nature. That being said, this aspect of the drama may make some viewers feel a little bored.



Story wise, the drama was solid, i only wished it wasn't so subtle when it came to the affair and also that they wouldn't deem some characters so evil just so they make other character look favorable. Too fake in my opinion.



Continuing to the acting, the overall experience was quite spectacular.

I've seen Lee Sang Yoon in other roles, wasn't impressed. Apparently i hadn't seen his flawless puppy eyes that he so effortlessly demonstrates here. Emotional and passionate, he pulled of his character impeccably.



Gotta hand it to Shin Sung Rok, for being a complete asshole (jn yet another drama i've seen him in). Takes talent to become the perfect antagonist and act like a complete jerk so realistically. His character was rather unemotional and shut down. It takes talent to act as an unemotional jerk and still pour part of your soul in the role! Luscious performance. An actor for me to look out for.



My personal favourite is, hands down, Choi Yeo Jin; the actress deserves more credit, she's been amazing in every project i've seen her in, but she shines here. Loved her character and the friendship subplot that she introduced, she was strong and intelligent and yet so loyal and dependable. Relateable and loveable.



My only issue was with Kim Ha Neul. Not that she was bad or anything, but i did feel that she overacted a lot especially while crying to the point it was fake and, moreover, i couldn't really relate to her in certain scenes while the plot was crafted so conveniently that anyone should have been able to excuse her and identify.



Overall, this is a good watch. Considering this is a melodrama it's not overly heavy, just the right amount. I'd recommend this to melodrama and especially romance fans. Be warned that the romance is not cute and fluffy here, but it is fullfilling (the chemistry is one you don't want to miss out on) in case you want to see something more "serious" let's say. I doubt i'll rewatch this, but it deserves a try.

Leia Mais

A basic romance movie done well

It was surprisingly really fun?
I was excepting the basic high school romance movie, with its cute moments, way too dramatic third part, rushed storyline, and nonexistent secondary characters, while still being entertaining enough, but it was not.

It doesn't reinvent the genre or anything, it was just a really good-quality high-school romance. And it's an original story, so it does not feel rushed, and everything/everybody that gets introduced actually gets a spotlight and a conclusion.

The goods :

- Good pacing where everything is wrapped up nicely.
- The characters were nice, and everybody got a lot of spotlights.
- No melodramatic part where the heroine cries for 15 minutes.
- No "villains" or misunderstandings that come from nowhere.
- Lots of cute scenes
- Nice twist
- Not a perfect hero and is portrayed as such. He is too honest and has no tact, which can be good and bad. He has to apologize for it and does.
- Not the usual "shy" heroine. She is portrayed as such at the beginning, but we see her layers during the movie.

The bads :

- The beginning is a little hard to get into. There's a lot of music, that cuts the flow of the movie, and it's doing "too much". But it calm downs after something like 15 minutes? In the same way, the acting is a little weird at the beginning, then it's better.
- There's a character that I couldn't really understand during the movie, and even if their actions are explained thanks to the ending, it doesn't change the fact I didn't understand them during a good part of the movie. Still cute though.
- Not necessarily a bad thing, but it is still a very basic romance movie. It doesn't change the world or anything.

A really nice movie. I didn't get bored even though it was almost 2 hours.

Leia Mais

Remake of Novel NOT Drama

FULL DISCLAIMER:
Okay, first of all people need to know that this is a remake based on Zhao Qian Qian’s novel which is also clearly stated in the opening sequence so don’t come watching this thinking it’s gonna be a copy and past version of the Chinese drama. I’ve not read the novel so have no idea how close the drama is. My advise would be to lower your expectations, better still have none and don’t compare cos you will most likely be disappointed.

Secondly, whilst I did try the Chinese version I dropped it after one episode so I was kinda happy when I found out that there would be a Thai version especially one that’s not yet another Korean drama. I do love Thailand for remaking as many Korean dramas as they have but honestly, it’s so darn refreshing that they went with China.

As always, starting with the negatives which for me were the second leads. I tend not to like them if I’m being quite honest and this was no different. I found them both annoying until I didn’t anymore but I also didn’t like Pai’s so called friend Wawa. I found her to be selfish and her scenes always consisted of her moaning which resulted in my skipping most of her scenes unless she was with Pai or Pupaa.

STORY
This is pretty much the usual Cookie Cutter school love story for me, I’m not much of a School drama fan. Nothing really new to bring to the table but I guess for me, I found the fluff of it all refreshing….explained in my final thoughts. Also, whilst I did love the fact that the drama wasn’t just about the romance, I would’ve loved to get more light on the friendship between Ta and Pupaa. One thing I didn’t really like is how Pai always needed someone to come and solve her problems for her. Whilst the drama is made from China origin, I loved how they still managed to incorporate some Thai stuff into it to make it feel a bit more Thai. My favourite parts of the drama were definitely the Special Scenes.

ACTING/CAST
The acting isn’t anything groundbreaking but considering the actress playing Pai is a newbie, I personally think she did rather well. I enjoyed the main couple the most and what little friendship was used, I thought they had nice chemistry and fitted the characters well.

MUSIC
I only noticed the opening song which I loved. Oh and the lyric free background music.

REWATCH VALUE
For me, yes because I’ve probably enjoyed it more than I ever imagined I would.

I’m not usually into the overly fluffy romcoms but as far as Thai productions go, this is possibly the fluffiest I’ve ever seen which is a huge deal for me as most Thai I watch tend to come from Channels 3, 7 and One31 so you know there is a big difference. I didn’t feel out of my comfort zone which is strange as I previously mentioned, I’m not a fan of fluff or school and some scenes you could tell were a bit too cringey but somehow I didn’t cringe as much as I normally would from other countries. It’s been a nice experience watching a drama without fear of someone getting kidnapped, assaulted or stalked by some killer. This is a true romcom and I wish more were like this - danger free!

Leia Mais

Wonderful characters/relationships, no stupid misunderstandings, satisfying ending, best of 2023

I’m super stingy with giving 9s, but after more than 250 dramas, I’m handing out my first 10. For me, this is definitely the best drama of 2023, and possibly my all-time favourite.

Destined was wonderful, entertaining and had everything I love -- swoony romance, a perfect amount of angst and humour, slice of life, palace intrigue, bromance, great secondary couples, heartwarming family/in-law dynamics, excellent pacing, multi-genre, no annoying characters (except for maybe one...) and green flags everywhere.

The relationships in this drama -- between couples, friends, parent and child (Edit: OK, maybe just the moms, lol), employer and employee, sworn brothers, sworn sisters -- were all beautiful portrayed and ridiculously healthy: open, trusting, communicative, respectful, warm, and loyal.

I almost hesitate to review this for fear my enthusiasm will fuel unrealistic expectations, leading to inevitable disappointment, but this drama was about as close to perfection as I’ve ever seen. Elements that are hit and miss in other shows were done consistently well here, with none of the annoying and frustrating trope-y plot devices or foolish misunderstandings. Our primary villain is complex and multi-dimensional; war/battles scenes were exciting, filled with dramatic tension, conveying the enormous stakes involved and the David vs Goliath nature of the fight (I ordinarily find a lot of battle scenes a bit boring); the emperors were among the most sympathetic and heartbreaking I’ve ever seen portrayed.

THE PACING

The pacing is well-done in this drama, which is divided into several major arcs. There were times I found myself smiling, laughing, crying, and stressed — all within the span of a tight, 40 minutes. Even the episodes that clearly served as "breathers" before the next major plotline were still interesting. It never felt draggy and flashbacks were effective and kept to a minimum. Those who don't like "slice of life" moments, however, might find those episodes spoil the momentum, especially given the excitement that came before.

THE ENDING

Asian dramas can be notorious for slaughtering their endings, but Director Yin Tao (who also helmed The Blood of Youth among many other notable dramas), and screenwriter Bai Jinjin (who helped pen Love Between Fairy and Devil) exceeded even my hopeful expectations. (For those who have watched Yin Tao’s previous works, you will also recognize many beloved and familiar faces.)

OUR MAIN HERO AND HEROINE

The drama does an excellent job showing the selflessness, support, open communication, trust, and utter devotion Liu Yuru and Gu Juisi have toward one another. The evolution of their relationship from mutual dislike to mutual respect is organic and natural, but moves along swiftly. Yuru’s opinion toward her husband shifts as she discovers the real Gu Jiusi, while Juisi — inspired and moved by his wife's kindness, loyalty, and a desire to make up for the “joke” that led to their unwanted marriage — becomes a doting and devoted husband, working hard to become worthy of his formidable new wife.

Their relationship was also a perfect example of how a drama can have fantastic character and plot development without resorting to the overused and cliche-ridden tropes of frustrating miscommunications, unnecessary secrets, and idiotic misunderstandings. You can have swoony romance, healthy supportive relationships, and excellent communication and *still* tell complex and compelling stories.

Prior to Destined, I was generally unfamiliar with Song Yi’s work, but I thought she did a wonderful job as Yuru. Some viewers complained early on about her portrayal, but I thought she did a great job acting simultaneously demure yet strong, capturing the character's quiet strength and poise. Conveying and embodying that complicated dichotomy convincingly is no easy feat.

Yuru spent her entire life trying to be the “perfect lady”, living her life with enormous restraint in order to ensure her and her mother's security by marrying well. The way she carried herself, the repressed and “delicate” way she shed tears, were all part of her exhausting efforts to carve a better future. She had to consistently maintain a prim, proper, and reticent demeanor, suppress her emotions and reign in her opinions, because that was how “well-bred” ladies were supposed to comport themselves. This perhaps made it difficult for some viewers to connect with her emotionally. But Yuru demonstrated her ability to withstand enormous obstacles and upheaval, that she would not be easily defeated. As her character evolved and was accepted into a family that allowed her to be her true self, her behaviour relaxed. The delicate sniffles disappeared, the emotions became more heartfelt, her actions and opinions more fearless and decisive.

Yuru also makes for a striking contrast with Jiusi who is more straightforward: he was a dandy with a heart of gold — a big softy. He was rather childish and playful initially, but matured into a commanding and wise strategist and advisor. Unlike Yuru’s character, he had an easy life (and is male!), so he is naturally more relaxed, open, opinionated and unreserved in his actions and speech.

Both leads were genuinely excellent in their respective roles, but I think it's easy to mistake Song Yi’s restrained and carefully balanced portrayal as somehow lacking, when in fact, it is the opposite.

Bai Jingting’s last several dramas have been consistently excellent, though I was relatively neutral about the actor himself prior to Destined. This drama really showcased his emotional range and comedic timing.

THE VILLAIN

I don't recall ever shedding a tear for a villain, let alone one this despicable, ruthless, and irredeemable. And yet.

The screenwriter and actor did a great job bringing Luo Zishang’s character and tragic story to life. Oftentimes, the Big Bad Villain in a drama is just evil for the sake of being evil, or loathsome because of the clichéd hunger for power and greed. In Destined, our villain, played by Liu Xueyi, is enigmatic, multifaceted — even sympathetic — despite being unequivocally unforgivable. Yes, his hatred toward Gu Jiusi and his family was absolutely disproportionate, the atrocities he committed in the name of vengeance were utterly irrational and indefensible, and the underlying reason its own well-worn cliché, but it was somehow still difficult to not feel sorrow in the end for the tragedy of his entire, wasted life. In the hands of another actor, it is quite possible that the weak premise behind what motivated his hatred would have derailed the entire plot. Luo Zishang’s feelings towards Yuru conveyed all the "what ifs" of his character, and the show beautifully captured those “what ifs” in the final two episodes.

Liu Xueyi is great when he plays the hero, but he is also excellent at portraying villains and morally ambiguous characters. I hope he will continue to balance his roles between being a lead and taking on interesting supporting roles like he has here and in other previous dramas.

I really appreciated how the show also made time to tell a bit of Ming Yi’s story. Throughout the drama, he seemed like your typical disposable background character, the almost-invisible right-hand man who unquestioningly did his master’s bidding, no matter how heinous. But the writer and director even granted *him!* satisfying closure, making time at the end to give him a voice so he could tell his own story and voice his own hopes.

There was some viewer frustration that a pivotal character did nothing to stop the chaos created by the Luo Zishang earlier. While his intervention could have made an enormous difference for the fate of countless lives, in my view, he was always morally ambiguous — his shrewd ability to navigate the treacherous schemes of the previous royal court speaks to this aspect of his character.

BUT…?

I don’t have many buts, to be honest. I think we could all quibble about a few details here and there, small plot holes (some of which were eventually answered), but given the complexity of the source material, I thought they did an incredible job packing what they could into the new 40-episode limitation and telling a tight, well-paced story.

There was one notable death near the end that I wished didn’t happen, but at the same time, given the character’s personality, it was perhaps a fitting and honourable end for them. Their future, had they survived, would have been bittersweet in other ways because it would not have been the life they wanted. Their death also served another purpose: it bolsters the underlying theme that it is lonely at the top, even in the best of circumstances.

Arguably, there were no genuinely annoying characters, except for maybe one, but I have yet to decide if the character was annoying in a way that was organic to the story, or in a way that faulted the writing and/or acting.

For some of those who read the original web novel by Mo Shubai , this adaptation was apparently disappointing, particularly in the later arcs as key details were changed or left out. Others were frustrated by the fates of two notable characters — one beloved and another much hated; both did not get the ending they deserved (I sympathize with the criticism, but also understood why the less palatable ending was chosen).

For me, the overall strengths of this drama far outweighed any of the issues. As another viewer commented, “This is not perfect, but it’s perfect for me.”

NERDY OBSERVATIONS

-- Hurray for live audio! Undubbed costume dramas still feel like a rarity and adds another layer of pleasure

-- I love the brief scenes early on with the accountants -- I found the clacking of the abacuses/abaci very soothing and meditative

-- Liu Yuru’s first cosmetics store was absolutely gorgeous

-- I saw a behind-the-scenes clip of the construction of the beautiful mansion the Gu family moved into when they first arrived in Youzhou, so I couldn’t get over how little actual screentime such an elaborately-made set received

-- What happened to Yuru's half brother? I'm sure he was still around, but it would've been a nice touch to see him interacting with his little nephew at the end.

-- Last but not least, a shout-out to the cinematography, especially during the dramatic battle scene with Yuru standing high on the ramparts, passionately striking the war drum to rally her husband and the soldiers, her bright red gown a beacon against the sandy desert battleground

Leia Mais

Nam Goong Min Awakens One's Curiosity

Review based on episode three.

Nobody and nothing are what they seem in this drama, filled with mind games, mysteries, and eeriness. Awaken was a bit slow in its start-up, but once it got its groove, it's been nothing but one surprise after another. I love how Nam Goong Min plays Jung Woo. Everything, from the way he walks, talks, carries himself, and the carefree demeanor, belying his true feelings and thoughts. But what I like most is his uncanny ability to know what's going on around him and those he takes an interest in, be it his team members, the victims, potential victims, or the culprit(s). I got the sense there was more than one. Jung Woo makes this show worth the watch but then so do Jamie (Lee Chung Ah) and MJW (Yoon Sun Woo), who seem to mirror each other and are Jung Woo's other halves from an incident thirty years ago.

I like Hye Won's (Kim Seol Hyun) loyalty to Jung Woo; I hope she doesn't let her feelings get in the way. I get the sense Jung Woo picked her, knowing how she or, more so, her father connects to the village. I adore Yoon Seok Pil (Choi Dae Chul), Jang Ji Wan (Lee Shin Young), and Deputy Chief Hwang Byeong Chul (Kim Won Hae). I enjoy the humor and chemistry they bring to the team. I continue to be wary of Lee Taek Jo (Baek Ji Won) for her unscrupulous connections and Lee Ji Wook (Yoon Gyung Ho) for his self-serving reporting. As well as CEO Yong Shik (Jang Hyuk Jin) for his treatment of MJW, but think they are all just puppets playing to the tune of a more persuasive puppeteer. Awaken turned out to be a fun ride indeed.

Leia Mais

Might disapoint you if you believe everyone saying it's a masterpiece

Hear me out, I'm not saying this was crap. I liked it, it was a nice watch and I looked forward to it every thursday.

But I kinda believe that the reason the rating is so high is because of 1: The NC scenes, 2: The popularity of the original manga/anime, 3: the acting

I have to say, the NC scenes were truly incredible. Not only because they were explicit or special (Use of Honey as lube, crying s*x...), but because the rythm and camera shots truly made us dive into their intimacy. The acting was also amazing, specifically from Boom as Akin who killed it all the way.

Now, the story itself was a bit all over the place. Specifically in the beginning before they get together, Akin keeps going back and forth in the way he treats Jin, both their actions kinda come out of nowhere and the evolution of the romance doesn't really make sense. It gets better after they become a couple though.
In general, it isn't that much different from any other BL in term of process and storyline.

For the adapation aspect of it, I have to say I'm SO GLAD for how it turned out. They were pretty loyal to the original plot, but they took the amazing initiative to change Jin's character for the better. If you haven't watched the anime or read the manga, you might have been taken aback by the nonconsensual kiss in the beginning, or the slight toxic treatment when Jin ignored Akin cuz he was sick. Well, I agree it wasn't the best, but oh god how happy I was this was the only aspect to be worried about, when you know Jin in the original story constantly r*pes Akin and is overall a controling piece of sh*t that sometimes has a sweet smile which apparently is enough to forgive him. So yeah, this was such a good choice from the screen writer/director of the drama.
On the other hand, I was pleasantly surprised in the beginning when I saw they had decided to change point of view and take Jin as a main character instead of Akin. But then it seems they forgot about this whole idea as the story went on. It was disapointing how everything was always about Akin and we rarely got to dig deeper into Jin's character. It makes sense in the manga since Akin is the main character, but since they took that initiative of change in the drama, I wish they had gone all the way.

So yeah, overall worth it, but I definitely wouldn't call it a masterpiece

Leia Mais