The story isn't something that we haven't seen before, but it's well told. The first episode was fantastic but, sadly, the next few episodes don't live up to it. The second half is much more entertaining. As always, Sakamoto-sensei's dialogues are beautiful, and he's arguably the top screenwriter in Japan.
Most of the cast was great. Takahata Mitsuki's performance was probably the best, specially in the forth and fifth episodes. But I also need to comment on Arimura Kasumi's acting. I really don't understand why people dislike her so much. She did a GREAT job in this drama, she's probably the best after Takahata. Anyone who has seen this and Biri Gal knows that she's a pretty good actress when she has the right projects. Kora Kengo and Nishijima Takahiro were good too. I was really sad about Sakaguchi Kentaro and Morikawa Aoi, because most of their scenes felt like filler material, and they really didn't have much to do beside a few great scenes.
The music was solid, but not extraordinary or anything.
Overall, I think this is one of Sakamoto-sensei's weakeast dramas so far, but it's still better than most of the romantic dramas released nowadays, I recommend it to those looking for a slightly bittersweet slice-of-life romantic drama.
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The story is fairly standard and represents an unfulfilled youthful first love. The whole story develops around a pair of students. On the one hand we have a beautiful and somewhat mysterious music student Seo-Yeon (Bae Suzy/Han Ga-In), and on the other a shy architecture student, Seung-Min (Lee Je-Hoon/Uhm Tae-Woong). Their affair begins with the first class of "Introduction to Architecture" and with last, ends. After 15 years, Seo-Yeon finds Seung-Min and employs him to rebuild her home on the Jeju island.
Both stories are intertwined in a pleasant and peaceful way. Lee serves up standard problems, in the form of first love of two students, and the bittersweet romance of the same pair in their prime of life. It seems that we get another typical romance, with all its advantages and disadvantages, but in the case of Architecture 101 is only a first impression. What makes this particular movie stands out from the others? Architecture. All known schemes are presented through the prism of ubiquitous architecture. Love of Seo-Yeon and Seung-Min follows the footsteps of "Introduction to Architecture" and ends after 15 years with construction of home. Lee superbly presented things we already know, in a new way, so that even a cliche story, ends up being "fresh" and consistent.
As for the actors, most of the time we see a pair of Bae Suzy/Lee Je-Hoon, partly a result of the fact that Lee Je-Hoon is de facto protagonist of the entire production. Although not quite similar to each other, we are able to believe that the naive and shy Lee Je-Hoon grew into a cynical and nonchalant Uhm Tae-Woong, and Bae Suzy playing the perfect Korean girl grown to be forthright but at the same time sensitive and delicate Han Ga-In.
All this makes it an excellent story that is closer to the viewer than the sleek affair of Romeo and Juliet. When Seo-Yeon and Seung-Min meet after years, he no longer sees her through rose-colored glasses, because he lost them long time ago. All the time he blames her for how their first love has ended, even though through the movie, we learn that he, because of his insecurity and low self esteem, is equally responsible. Our memories can deceive us, but the pain of unrequited first love will never disappear, the song, a face, book, almost everything can bring it back. The mind will deny it, but the heart never forgets.
Architecture 101 is a position that may bore many and surprise in not a nice way. I recommend people to watch it again, but calmly, to be able to empathize with the characters and think about the whole story. This movie has something which many similar production are lacking, despite the lack of rousing story or breathtaking effects, it really is not a boring production. This is a movie which, thanks to its simplicity, becomes intimate to viewer and seems very real, you only have to look a bit deeper.
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I WANT A SEQUEL
This is the first ever chinese movie I watched. I didn't plan on it, but i really loved it. The storyline left me satisfied but feeling like there is more to come. All the actors did a really great job. The CGI was also not fake looking. It was really interesting and captired my attention from beginning to end. I dont want to write any more because I'll be tempted to spoil it. I recommend you check out this movie because it's action packed, with just enough emotional drama. I also peeped Henry's butt-cheek, lol...Esta resenha foi útil para você?
From 'Da Ge' to 'Unknown': "In this infinite darkness, you are my only light"
Today, people are losing the rich habit of reading. Every day he spends more time in front of the screen, watching moving images. Both cinema and television have become the preferred leisure option in our societies, while books have been relegated to the background for many. Faced with this reality, television networks continue to rely on the decisive influence that literature has had on their future, which is why they will again and again resort to books or works published online to recreate television fictions.Incestuous love has been brought to film and television in works such as 'Starcrossed' (2005), a very famous American short with a homosexual theme about gay love between brothers. Written and directed by James Burkhammer II, it tells the shocking love story of Darren and Connor, two brothers from a suburban neighborhood who are lovers.
'From Beginning to End' (original title in Portuguese: 'Do Começo ao Fim'), the 2009 Brazilian film, written and directed by Aluizio Abranches, tells how two male brothers from an upper-class Brazilian family maintain a special relationship, from children, which draws the attention of the adults around them, worrying their parents and family.
BL series such as the Chinese 'Stay With Me' (2023) tells the romantic story between two stepbrothers. Su Yu, a high school student, lives a simple life with his father, but faces a big change when his mother remarries a rich man and introduces him to his stepbrother Wu Bi.
In this effort to bring literary pages to the screens and also reflect a story of a love relationship between people without blood ties, but considered "brothers", the Taiwanese Youku opts for the novel '大哥 ('Da Ge'), 'Brother', by the talented Chinese writer known by the pseudonym Priest, whose work, published by the web publisher Jinjiang Literature City, covers a wide range of genres, from romance and martial arts to science fiction and danmei, with a quality and creativity that distinguishes her from other writers, due to her deep humanistic themes and her ability to capture the essence of life's struggles and joys.
The dramas 'Guardian', 'Legend of Fei', 'Word of Honor', 'Faraway Wanderers' and 'Justice in the Dark' are based on Priest's novels.
Under the direction of Ray Jiang ('We Best Love: No. 1 For You and Fighting Mr. 2nd, 2021, and 'My Tooth, Your Love', 2022), 'Unknown', based on one of the most acclaimed works of Priest, will immerse the viewer in a moving story that revolves around Wei Qian (Chris Chiu), a young man with a strong spirit who, since the age of thirteen, has carried family responsibilities on his shoulders by being the breadwinner for his half-sister, Wei Li Li. after the premature loss of his parents. Wei Qian's world takes an unexpected turn when he adopts Xiaoyuan (Kurt Huang), a street child who goes by the alias Wei Zhiyuan, as a brother. Living a life of loss, violence, poverty, helplessness and anguish, our characters face life, winning and losing, on a journey of self-discovery.
'Unknown', faithful to the original novel, is full of sorrows and pains, but also of small joys that illuminate the lives of its protagonists and lead them to build a beautiful and sincere relationship.
In this story, which is about human warmth, family, friendship, self-discovery and self-acceptance, and which defends the idea of learning when to persist and when to let go, it shows a love between two boys more powerful than the water, deeper than blood. As if on a slippery slope to the top, 'Unknown' will draw a path for us and even alert us if we have to travel the path ourselves.
With a distinctive characteristic that its protagonists are young, the series addresses the experiences and challenges of the current generation of any country, since the themes exposed are universal. However, it is crucial to understand the codes that guide the plot. Individual conflicts, dreams, challenges and how they deal with life situations are explored. Although youth is reflected in various ways, the series highlights gay love, sensitivity, ways of loving, facing adversity, family situations, as well as the differences and contradictions present in all the characters.
With a capable and engaging cast, the drama is interesting and intelligent. The all-star cast of this captivating journey into the world of romance and human complexity includes Yankee Yang as Wang Jun Le / "Le Ge", Danny Liang (Xiong Da Fang / "Lao Xiong"), Kim Jae Hoon (Tan Yu / " San Pang") and Tammy Lin as Wei Li Li / "Xiao Bao", who weave, around the protagonists, a warp of surprising, complex and beautiful characters and relationships.
Chris Chiu, who pleasantly surprised both critics and viewers with his leading roles in the dramas 'High 5 Basketball' (2016) and 'Hello, Again' (2019), once again demonstrates character by playing a young man who puts his life at risk and works illegally to support his brothers. He will have the help of San Pang, his childhood friend, to get back on the right path.
His character is rich in nuances: He seems ruthless and cold-blooded, but he is sensitive and knows how to appreciate what surrounds him. He makes the decision to protect his brothers and stubbornly guards a place that increasingly looks like a home. He longs to be loved and sheltered, and to give, in turn, love and shelter. Wei Qian wages an internal struggle, a struggle that leaves him in a state of constant battle against the two opposite poles within him.
Ray Jiang, with his unmatched talent, brings to life a character who challenges stereotypes and shows that dreams know no limits.
For his part, Kurt Huang, in the role of Xiao Yuan, shows on screen the vulnerability of a child abandoned by his parents at birth and the suffering caused by the harassment of older boys in an orphanage, until he is picked up by a stranger who will raise him as a "brother." As a young man, he will admit to being in love with the person who raised and educated him.
In this series based on a Danmei. that could revolutionize the BL universe, both young people struggle with a dilemma considered taboo, such as the romantic relationship between brothers. However, they are not linked by blood. Will they cross that forbidden line and end up becoming lovers?
The series manages to combine the subtlety of Priest's prose and the care that the author puts into her heroes and heroines, and the construction of the characters designed from the script by Cai Fei Qiao ('Stay by My Side'-2023) , making the story very beautiful due to the way in which the characters develop and the events develop before the attentive gaze of the viewer. As the events unfold, he understands the characters and the world in which they take place.
If someone found the development of the story slow in the first part of the series, this is because the characters take the time to define their relationship, taking into account the previous bond between them. But once they do it, the actions gain in intensity. The romantic scenes in 'Unknown' are primarily narrative. Intimacy is a function of advancing the story, making it deeper. The sex scenes serve the characters, the narrative, and the tone of the film. But they are also there because they are sexy. But they do not hide the intention of being used to tell the audience how a character feels about their sexuality or identity.
This imperfectly perfect couple will be sustained by longing, desires, hopes, strangely wonderful coincidences, letters that are written from a distance with all the heart, with all the soul.
I do not doubt that the viewer will be able to remember 'Through the Gates of the Strait (Shared Universe)', another of Priest's novels.
Wei Qian, Wei Zhi Yuan / "Xiao Yuan" and other characters, as tools that they are, after all, are used by the creators to tell a story that will attract the attention of the most demanding viewers.
Will the series respect one of the characteristics of Priest's work, that of focusing largely on the plot and the construction of the world in which the characters operate, leaving romance as a secondary aspect? Doesn't this make the romance more epic, since it grows and evolves alongside the story itself, at the same time helping to avoid monopolizing the public's attention in sexual and romantic matters, as many danmei novels do?
Will 'Unknown' be faithful to 'Da Ge' in terms of not showing explicit sexual content and having a limited amount of romance, such as few vaguely described kissing and sex scenes? The series focuses its attention on romance, and it could not be otherwise because the novel on which it is based is romantic above all.
It may be flawed, so it doesn't fully develop the edges of its story, but the central relationship that holds the series together is so compelling that the rest hardly matters.
YA
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Expectations vs Reality
I know that I might be harsh with my rating for this series but please hear me out!The plot is a typical thai bl plot, a rich smart person and a not that smart and poor person. Leaving behind the main concept of this series, I would like to point out the slow paced story development. I do realise that we need some time to understand who the characters are and what their environments are; but seriously I don't think that we needed 7 episodes with them in high school. They could tell us their high school days in just 3 episodes. I felt that they were trying to expand their year as seniors for no reason. I mean you only have 12 episodes to tell me your story, do not spent 7 of them being in high school. But to be fair, when the university chapter began, the series became more interested.
Regarding the acting. Well, I don't know how to describe it and not sound like an asshole... The acting is bad! I believe that both Win and Marc have potential, but in this series they seem so stiff and awkward. I know that the script does not help them, but from the episodes that I have watched I feel that they have no chemistry. There are a lot of moments of silence between those two. Tbh, I do not see them as people who have feelings for each other; actually, I do not even get the vibes that they are friends.
On the other hand, Fiat is amazing here, I mean there are some scenes that are awkward for me, but still I feel that he is the best in this series. His bi role is implemented in the best possible way. Moreover, JJ is really good here. I like the friendship between Waan and Pure and how Waan values their friendship! Also, Aun has a great potential with acting. He is still young and he has a lot to learn but if he invests in acting classes then in the future he would be one of the best actors.
I have said it before about the product placements, and I know that it would be in vain pointing it out again; but please stop with those placements. I start to think that companies are producing bl series just to have product placements.
I feel that this series had really high expectations, as GMMtv was involved, and it was the first bl series that was aired after 2gether. Everyone, was, maybe, expecting something similar to 2gether and in the end we got something monotonous. Do not get me wrong, I think that 2gether had a lot of flaws and I did not really like it, but at least it was funny and had colourful scenes!
I feel that we would get another season as the script is so slow paced! Again this is my assumption, do not take it for granted!
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A Young Actor Gave Men with Combat & POW PTSD a Real Voice!
All hail Chen Zhe Yuan as Li Zan! This has been one of my most anticipated dramas since it was filming. I knew it was going to be heavy and deep given the subject matter of PTSD and survivor's guilt. Though the writing was off here and there, his and everyone else's acting more than made up for that. Be cautious however when watching for anyone with PTSD, anxiety, depression or anything else in that sector as you may have your triggers activated.Pros: I'm in awe of CZY as LZ; this performance deserves an award, recognition of some sort. I have never seen an actor and a young one to boot with zero experience with PTSD and survivor's guilt play one so convincingly that it would send shivers through me. I'm a person who suffers from PTSD among other things though not from combat and it's not something one can just do like acting being angry or sad. PTSD is a complex disorder that has everything from flashbacks to intrusive thoughts to light sensitivity and being unable to eat or sleep without nightmares of the trauma. There are many others but I won't list them here as we saw them on screen being portrayed so realistically by this young man. He gave men with combat and POW (Prisoner of War) PTSD a real voice! Couple that with survivors guilt and by the end of the show a once proud, smiling man was reduced to having basically the mindset for the most part of a small child. And CZY was able to do it all; first time PTSD and survivor's guilt that had just started to get slightly better only to be thrust into a gut churning nightmare from which only by disappearing from everything and everyone to live a quiet life in the countryside, could they be as happy as this new existence afforded them a way from anything that would trigger him.
SR played by Liang Jie was also phenomenally done (the entire cast, let's just give it up to them, awesome acting), though writers diagnosed her with depression right away, she too had PTSD after the first trauma. Later it warped into depression but she played her part right. She was shy but very strong when it came to things and people she believed in. Especially her love at first sight with LZ. She was determined to stand by him until the very end and live out the rest of her life quietly.
The chemistry between the two was on point and probably would have been stronger had they told each other the truth about their health issues earlier; no relationship can be solid when there are secrets swirling around especially health related ones. They were all imperfect, flawed characters, which made things even more realistic. But their love transcended everything else which made it iron strong.
I'll talk about my thoughts on the ending and other things here. As most people know, I never read the source material so I don't really care unless it's an HE that was flipped to an SE for no reason. We've seen that happen too much recently. Here it was obvious that they got traditionally married and then on their wedding night decided to elope just as they spoke about a few times within the series because as their voiceovers spoke to each other about what they wanted to do in their next life and she said to live somewhere peacefully, safely, quietly and he said "why can't we do that in this life?" And that is what they did. She left a note to her mom and his dad to not worry about them and to give the manuscript to the publishers. She didn't want them to be a burden to anyone especially their parents. The sparkly montage at the end is more of perhaps his father's dream of them being healthy watching the trees because there was a wooden carving of them two on the hood of the car which was by his dad's house too. Furthermore, after the credits rolled, the two of them were standing by the olive trees, no longer sparkling but corporeal. And as they closed out characters, JY got another postcard from LZ saying he was on a mission and the postcard was voiced over by LZ. So to me it was a bittersweet/happy ending because of who they lost and if they had not delayed their leaving eastern country by a mere two days to be there for the opening of the orphanage, they wouldn't have been kidnapped and his life changed forever. Ben would still be alive as well. 48 hours changed everything. Just to bring things back into perspective, how precious life is. The story never dragged unless it was the merry-go-round of lying to each other regarding everything being just fine when it wasn't. It was a rollercoaster of emotions that literally had you hanging on for dear life.
The supporting cast was awesome as well so though I won't go into them all, I will mention the ones that were important. JL was such a great brother and WZC played him very well. We lost him far too soon. SB originally was the spoiled little rich girl who wanted LZ but she grew up quick after the deaths and explosion that claimed JL's life and sent LZ on his first PTSD spiral. I wonder if she blamed herself on getting SR and LZ to stay those two days for the opening when they were supposed to leave while she herself left. She could have sent them a picture. But you definitely knew whose side she was on by the mid point which was a good thing.
Ben and Sa Xin were your typical enemies to brothers story; they had a lot of screen time but as both were ultimately soldiers, they had to build that relationship as many veterans always say "you have to be able to trust the person in the foxhole next to you with your life." And you can't do that when you're barely speaking to each other. As Ben said to LZ in their last normal moments together, "You, Song, and Sa Xin are my family"; coming from an orphan that meant a lot. Both he and Sa Xin made a strong connection around LZ and SR as did JL while still alive. Brothers and sister in combat regardless of the role. They were the perfect addition to showcase the leads. Dr. Pei should have been given more time with Ben and in general. Mr. L as I called him was the best sounding board for LZ with the first trauma. I was very glad that when LZ bottled everything up, he at least had this one friend he opened up to. Lastly, mom of SR and dad of LZ were wonderful. Mom was a bit problematic at first but she evolved. Especially when she challenged SR on why she didn't ask LZ what was going on and by than even SR knew her ridiculous excuse of "I didn't want to pressure him" was just that, a ridiculous excuse. But both parents were 100% supportive of their kids especially at the end when things were so dire.
Give it up for the crew who essentially built an entire "country" on a plot of land. The set was beautiful and intricate and I believe it is still standing there as a tourist attraction. The OSTs were all beautiful though "Ignite Me On Fire" was my favorite as it was the rock anthem of hope the story needed.
Cons: Every issue I had was with the writing and directing of this series; if you're doing a series on PTSD or any illness for that matter make sure your actors playing doctors know what they are talking about. SR had PTSD to start and it warped into MDD or Major Depressive Disorder later. Her immediate diagnosis of depression was incorrect. Furthermore, what doctor in their right mind would give a clean bill of health to someone with PTSD though stable to go back to the place he received that trauma in the first place? That's a malpractice lawsuit right there plus absolute negligence. After a combat mission goes wrong and a soldier or a volunteer is diagnosed with PTSD plus survivor's guilt, they are discharged honorably and returned to inactive duty so they can resume a stable normal life. Stability is meant for a normal life not to return to hell and have something even worse happen. They may require inpatient care at first but once they stabilize, their family needs to be extra vigilant and they themselves need to be given hope, something meaningful to do to help others perhaps in other ways. Plus regular outpatient therapy and medication. That's how most combat PTSD patients live out their lives. At least the doctor admitted her mistake though not before saying that he should be confined to a prehistoric mental hospital. We're in the 21st century with a lot of treatments for this condition at our disposal and even though she was correct that LZ could pose a danger to himself or others, there were ways to treat that so throwing your hands into the air and just locking him up isn't the answer. Maybe in the early 20th century people did that but not now unless the person really did pose a threat. And even then it was to a temporary inpatient hospital for stabilization. Very outdated thinking and poor research on the part of production.
At the end of the series when LZ has an attack at the hospital, where were the doctors and nurses? They were encircled by bystanders as SR kept crying and pleading. Where was security? It looked like a shopping mall with people coming and gawking instead of doctors running to assist; so weird that it didn't seem like a proper hospital setting or how one was operated.
It was very hard to read the subtitles when you had the OSTs going, people speaking, plus voice overs by the characters. You didn't know what to read first. So a lot of pausing and rewinding had to be done. Wish this was all separated. The hiding the truth about their own health issues I think took way too much time. That was the only thing that was dragged for what seemed like forever. Even though to his credit he did try to tell her several times but she always inadvertently thwarted it and than he'd lose his nerve. But I wish it was out in the open sooner as opposed to right before they had the most traumatic situation. She could have helped him so much, just like she did in that tunnel. So writing was shaky there at best.
Ben, oh Ben my dude! You're not Superman; how do you go charging into a place with many rebels to save LZ without anyone as backup? One man against like 10, come on now. When you had a whole platoon that took those rebels out when they actually saved LZ. Screenwriter & director: if you had to kill him off, you could have done it in a way that was convincing! This made zero sense. For a realistic story, this was very poorly written. And where did the whole Abu revenge plot come from? That he remembered LZ and went after him but could go only as far as getting some kid to stab him and then get knocked out by LZ yet again and we never see him actually die. Meanwhile the other bad guys capture LZ through SR with the whole he can make bombs for us and yet they torture him until he's almost dead. How's he supposed to make bombs for you if he's nearly dead? Again suspension of disbelief engaged. And they had to know the special forces guys would find him eventually. It was all very strange and all over the place. Writing could have been way better and cohesive.
Lastly, the smorgasbord of actors as soldiers, rebels, journalists, nurses, etc could have spent more time practicing their English. I gave up reading the subtitles as those never matched up. We know Eastern Country is fictional but it depicts a lot of what has happened in wars past and present so keeping things cohesive is paramount to an otherwise very realistic story.
Would I recommend it? I absolutely would. Every actor did a great job especially CZY as LZ and it's his best role to date. The White Olive Tree represents hope and that's what we got with the leads living their solitary lives in a place of hope and a better tomorrow. I'm super proud of CZY for this role! He went above and beyond and even though it was hard for me at times to watch it, this is my favorite role of his to date! Again thank you for giving us a voice! Bravo!
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so seriously i started watching this drama because of the female lead but this time her acting actually disappoints me a bit . if you have watched her previous dramas you will know the difference .
the plot is good but you can really predict what will happen next . Characters have a good backstory . You will like the first half of the show coz it's a bit interesting but then slowly you will start getting bored . The mystery and suspense part is nice .
I was pleasantly surprised with the representation of LGBTQ themes. Watching ji-ho and sang-eun is not at all appealing, I don't feel connected with their chemistry or story. Feels like "let's just watch since I started this". Their is no proper dialogue, connection or any part that feels touching. I expected much more than this, it's just going not actually entertaining. Hae-jin character should've been first male lead. I'm much more interested in how he will solve his family conflicts then how ji-ho and sang-eun will end up together.... I really feel bad for hae-jin , it's clearly visible that he is in love with sang-eun . Personally i don't think that there is any kind of reason left to watch this drama .
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I am my own Pawn..
Oh how I wish I could love this drama more.. I really wanted to, like absolutely wanted to love it.. And I genuinely wanted to rate it higher.. The first half made me feel like it had so much to offer.. It was good, the cast, the story, the way everything flowed and then somewhere around the halfway point, the drama looked me in the eye and started gasping for air.. It felt like it just gave up.. The expectations were real.. Sure it's another historical CDrama about a woman who dies, gets reborn and wakes up ready for revenge even if she has to burn everything down.. We have seen that.. Except we haven't really seen it like this.. At least that's what the first half made me believe..The script, the revenge plot and the political intrigue were all pretty good to an extent but the production quality was an absolute letdown.. Quite a few times it felt like I was watching a low tier drama.. The VFX was pathetic and some scenes had almost no energy.. While some of the ML's action scenes were a blast to watch especially when he stepped in to save the FL, then again, there were also scenes that were really poor.. There's one battle scene where the FL fights alongside the ML and her soldiers and she is slicing through the enemy soldiers, but the whole scene lacked any sort of energy.. It looked like her slices wouldn't even cut a paper let alone a human wearing armor.. There was no energy or intensity at all.. I would blame the director for this..
The heavy use of AI really hurt this drama and took away a lot of the sense of realism.. Seriously, it was bad.. The war cries, the large scale battle scenes.. When you are looking at an army of 3000 men, you should feel something.. Here it all felt lifeless, almost like looking at a watercolor painting.. Some better editing, camera work and a bigger budget would have made this drama a spectacular watch considering the cast..
The cast, well they were top notch.. Gave some solid performances.. Chen Duling as Chu Zhao was seriously good and honestly this role felt like it was tailor made for her.. Except for the action scenes, I guess.. Anyway, she carried the whole drama.. Then again the entire story revolved around her, so she kind of had to.. Zhou Yiran sort of surprised me.. He was really good as Fu Jiu, but his character was underutilized.. He sort of disappears after 16 episodes and barely gets any screen time after that.. On top of that, he had no real impact scenes in the second half.. No fights, nothing that really made him feel like the male lead.. This just added another dent to his identity in the drama.. I wish they had done more with his character.. There was a war going on after all.. They could have shown more of his battles, how he killed the enemy state's prince and so much more.. I don't know why they chose to leave out that part of his arc.. I get that this is Chu Zhao's story but they had a great opportunity to use his character to bring some excitement to the last leg of the drama..
" Zhao, You were meant to soar up there..
And my role is to uphold you "
The chemistry between the main leads is so good that it makes you keep watching even when the story starts to bore you.. Layered and not overly sweet.. Good stuff..
We have to talk about the supporting cast too.. Tang Xiao Tian and Gao Mao Tong were impressive.. The Deng Yi and Xie Yan Fang rivalry was intriguing, but it just becomes too much.. There's so much back and forth between them, but nothing really happens for a long period of time..
This is the kind of drama that would have been okay with lesser episodes.. There were quite a lot that happens that we could have done without.. The pacing feels aggressive yet somehow it just drags on and on.. But at the same time it feels like the drama could have had more episodes as well.. Because it feels like they cut out a lot of the good parts just to make room for the court drama and the political tension.. Characters who were carefully built up suddenly start making decisions that feel like they exist only to push the story to its conclusion.. Deng Yi backstabbing Xiao Xun was one of them..
Overall, I am disappointed that I couldn't rate it higher.. It's not bad, it genuinely isn't.. It just feels like they spent the first half trying to make something special but settled for something average after that.. It's so obvious that quite a lot was cut and in that process we lost a lot of good moments, character arcs and visuals.. This is definitely going to be a 14 episode drama on a rewatch..
P.S. I loved that deep red palace aesthetic and the costumes..
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1. GAY 2.Saint, wtf?!
1.Tf you mean "this is a bromance?"
It's giving BakuDeku level "friendship"
Some BLs I've seen don't have as much chemistry as this does.
Denial is a river in egypt, the two leads are gay and whipped for each other
2.
Bro...
No...
Saint, tf was episode 10?
You can't be stupid enough to make the same mistake again, please
Dont walk away again
3.
Knot, ily. Thank you for having a conscience. Idk what would've happened if you didn't call Shin. He is probably my second favorite after Shin.
4.
This is the first time I'm seeing Autism representation, the second time I've seen it was in Home School. I'm pretty sure it's because of the director
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Honestly It's NOT THAT BAD
People tend to read a lot of reviews and had a lot of judgement even before watching a show. But honestly this show is pretty good. Not to 10/10 kind of good but definitely deserve at least an 8/10.To be honest, I got affected a little by knowing they had a lot of controversies after airing the first two episodes which I think it's pretty sad for them to have such an unlucky start because honestly it deserves a better rating.
For those who were saying that JCW doesn't shine in this show, it's pretty wrong. I personally think he doesn't have the need to receive cool hero roles like Healer, Baek Dong Soo or K2 in order to shine; which he really shows his good acting here as well, alongside with Kim Yoo Jung. I'm always very impressed how she captures a lot of details while acting, every expression of hers are telling a story, honestly one of the actress who presented very natural and good acting skills despite being young.
Let's talk about story, simple yet entertaining. It gives you a great laugh time to time. It might not have a big WOW storyline but it was better than a normal story too. For those who think it is super boring, trust me, there are much more worse ones out there. But standing in an objective perspective, if you hardly know any of them or don't like the casts, you might not be able to watch to the end. Because I love the two main casts and I was waiting for the couple to get together so as long as there's a reason to watch then it's worth watching! The two main leads are pretty cute, and when both of them smiled together, the visuals just exploded hahaha! I believe the kiss scenes were being cut because of the controvery, that's a shame. That's why I think this drama is basically just unlucky but it's not bad!
Side note: I really enjoyed The Fiery Priest characters coming out here and there, so for those who haven't watch it you must be wondering who are those people, you have to watch that too as it is the same director!
No wonder I've been sensing a strong "fiery priest comedy" from the very first episode😂
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Refreshing and Must Watch 2025
I found this drama to be different from the others. When it premiered on December 28, 2024, I was so excited, and sure enough, from the very first episode, it had me laughing out loud. Dylan, as Xu Qi An, nailed the role, and I believe this role was made for him. Some scenes where they were laughing felt so natural and real, almost as if they weren’t acting at all. Every day, I eagerly look forward to each new episode of this drama.As the episodes progress, the storyline becomes increasingly intricate and thrilling. The CGI, along with several scenes set in the mountains and deserts, showcases breathtakingly real landscapes, not CGI, and they’re stunning. This drama truly has outstanding visuals, making it feel like watching a movie. The opening song is also a perfect match, even though it’s the first time a Chinese drama in the Wuxia genre uses a rap-style opening song.
All the cast members are incredible, giving their absolute best. I’m thrilled that Dylan took on a different role and expanded his acting range. He is so natural in the comedy scenes too.
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1"We Married for Job" paints some of the most prominent recent Japanese cultural phenomena including soushokukeidanshi (herbivore men) and bankon (getting married later in life) as well as older examples such as the role of women and men, the value/happiness of housewives, perception of homosexuality, oyakoukou (filial piety), work dynamics, collectivism and the stress of shuushoku katsudou ("job hunting") among others.
The most striking thing as a student would most definitely be "experiencing" those phenomena. No matter how much one reads or researches, the 'click' moment didn't come to me until watching this drama. Until now, herbivore men had been a mere concept - a niche group of strange men no-one knew about. After Hoshino Gen's endearing performance, however, I felt myself relate and connect to a lifestyle I always found myself unable to picture. More than anything, it was a refreshing take on Japanese society - the good, the bad and the ugly - that doesn't ever really get shown on television in a non-condescending way.
'Nigeru wa haji da ga yaku ni tatsu' not only depicts Japanese society freshly and without disdain, but challenges the everyday thoughts, relationship dynamics and ideals of the Japanese. A moment that particularly stood out for me was in episode one, when the character of Moriyama Mikuri contemplates the worth of housework as an occupation, and how her changing opinion on the monetary and meaningful value of housework changes in further episodes. Another particularly notable example for me was the character of Tsuzaki Hiramasa's ideas about homosexuals and how they change in a brief conversation. Most of all, the drama in essence, had the purpose of challenging traditional and changing ideas of "love". Marriage without love, love with someone you can't marry, the lines and blurs between relationships and the beautiful sentiment of loving ourselves, and allowing ourselves to love others.
As for the drama technically speaking:
CAST
Lovely cast fully of well-known and lesser-known professionals, who provided a diverse range of looks and personality to the show. I had high hopes for Hoshino Gen, and he really delivered in my opinion. Aragaki Yui is just as lovely as ever and never fails to impress. The side characters were also extremely impressive, though I won't delve into it.
SOUNDTRACK
I won't even touch Koi (the ending title, Love) because I think it speaks for itself. The rest of the soundtrack did however put me off a little. It was quite typical of a Japanese drama, which was relatively welcome, but the repetitious backtracks and instrumentals always turn me off a bit. It was no means bad though, and well used -- never a classic "where's the music??" realisation moment.
CINEMATOGRAPHY
Loved it. I'm no expert, but the TV-themed cuts were absolutely hilarious and really well shot as well. You really do notice a difference between drama and the other TV styles it depicts. I also thought the "hanky-panky" (as the subtitlers opted for) was interesting and rather cute. Nothing ever sore to the eye.
I really do love this drama - it is definitely one of the best I have seen objectively. I have my own tastes and favourites, but in terms of quality and just likeability as a drama, I really can't fault it. Anyone who is interested in watching it - try reading a little deeper and you won't be disappointed.
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Pavane
I love how real & raw this story is. It’s not perfect. No Sunshine/rainbows, crazy sparks, 2 hot leads, girl gets makeover, happy ending... Something SO unrealistic. Is it kind of boring? Maybe. But that’s what makes it charming, IMO. I was captivated by how not over the top romantic it was. This just hit different. & I hope it gets the recognition it deserves. It’s definitely not what I thought it would be. I’m not gonna lie. but I was pleasantly surprised. Even if I feel duped & my heart hurts. 😅😭Esta resenha foi útil para você?
On the other hand, the actors were not exactly mind-blowing, except for maybe Eun Oh's mom. The rewatch value is sorta low because the drama is mostly suspenseful, and all that suspense would be gone if the drama was rewatched.
Over all, I would say give Arang a go, though! If only for Yoo Seung Ho's hotness ^__^
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had me until episode 4
(potential trigger warnings in my review, talking about abuse and intimate partner violence)Overall: with a few tweaks this could have been a 9.5 series but I actively did not want the main leads together especially when 3 years later one of them was still a narcissist. It's sad but not surprising that people were victim blaming and calling Joe stupid. He wasn't stupid, he was an abuse victim (more below). Very similar aesthetics to KinnPorsche which made sense because it shared a director and screenwriter. It was adapted from the novel "Professional Body Double" by Shui Qiang Cheng which I didn't read and I based the series on its own merits. 12 episodes about an hour each. Aired uncut on iQIYI. First episode link: https://www.iq.com/play/my-stand-in-uncut-episode-1-1iwuiu9rlww?lang=en_us The production company also produced I Feel You Linger In The Air.
Content Warnings: death, grief, non con kissing, punch/violence, intimate partner abuse, held against will, gaslighting, manipulation, coercion, past suicide?, manhandling, vomiting, parental abuse, kidnapped, homophobia
What I Liked
- the premise
- showed a condom and discussed sexual position preferences
- had a good conversation at the beginning of episode 2
- wanting/ongoing physical affection in the beginning episodes
- sweet moments in the beginning episodes
- supportive sister
- production value (some really nice camera shots, use of mirrors, switching focus on foreground to background etc.)
Room For Improvement
- I can't root for their relationship as explained below
- Ming was stupid, he could have easily shown his dad evidence first before telling him the other part, he could have shored up his financial situation first as well
- Joe's lack of agency, he had a bunch of awful things and felt cornered into doing things instead of it being his choice
- multiple failed redemption arcs
- trash characters have no consequences, just instant forgiveness for terrible things they did
- multiple romances introduced in the last 30 minutes of the last episode
- voice overs with exposition dumps
- some of the music didn't fit the tone (that fight in episode 4 was made comical instead of dramatic)
- wish a character hadn't been shown as extremely drunk at the end of episode 1
- love triangle, Sol overstepped and took away agency from Joe especially in episode 9
- nonsense stuff i.e. Ming just happened to have something at his house in episode 4??? Joe didn't have any bruises/blood on his face/head in episode 4, Joe happened to overhear key conversations, 1 person being extremely drunk and a stunt person not being able to get away
Thoughts on Grey Characters/Their Romantic Relationships
Sometimes these characters and their dynamic work for me and other times they don't. Here are the factors that I think about:
1. was there a realistic reason why the character/s acted the way they did in the past (sort of, but not to the level that Ming was at)
2. how bad was/is the treatment (extremely abusive and violent, Ming could have accidentally killed Joe in episode 4, 3 years later and Ming stays a narcissist he says "I always get what I want" and he actively ignores what would make Joe happy)
3. were both characters grey or was one squeaky clean (Joe was mostly squeaky clean but unbelievably dense in not believing that Ming wanted him and Ming was abusive and a narcissist and stayed a narcissist/manipulative and also stupid to not know why Joe didn't tell him something)
4. was there some kind of apology/amend making (verbal apologies, promised to treat him better/give him job opportunities, was sweet with him but to me it was just the make up phase of an abuse cycle)
5. was there character growth (no, 3 years later and Ming was still a narcissist which was reinforced in episode 9, he made decisions involving Joe without asking what Joe wanted because Ming did whatever Ming wanted)
6. do I believe that the characters will stay together in a happy romantic relationship (no, because for Ming it was about power/control and not love)
final verdict: I didn't want them in a romantic relationship together
Joe wasn't stupid, he was the victim of intimate partner violence
- Joe was the victim of physical, financial, emotional/mental and sexual abuse
- Ming didn't love Joe, he wanted to control him to get what he wanted
- abuse survivors can have a very difficult time escaping the abuse because abusers can be extremely excellent manipulators "if you hadn't done abc then I wouldn't have had to say/do xyz", also there are periods of nice times that trick the survivor into thinking the abuser does love them (the make up phase in the cycle of abuse), in the real world intimate partner violence is deadly and widespread, it is estimated that 10-40% of law enforcement officers are abusers and they are frequently the first people to respond, it's all very terrible and not at all romantic
If you or someone you love needs help, here is a resource in the U.S. https://www.rainn.org/
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