Reviews

I am not fond of sageuks, but this one... this one took my breath away. If all sageuks were like this, I would never hesitate watching them. From the story to the acting to the music, this is one of the few dramas that got almost everything (if not everything) right. I loved everything about it. Excellent story, brilliant actors, great music. It was intriguing to watch how a daughter could turn her back on her father in order to stand up for what is right. Also, it was touching to see what real friendship was all about despite all the betrayals and such. But most of all, it was endearing to witness how one great love could withstand everything that came in its way; it makes me wonder if such love does exist in this world.

Three words: Stunning. Poignant. Unforgettable.

Leia Mais

It's a shame that Beyond the Cloud isn't doing better in Korea. The plot unfolds beautifully and is well-crafted throughout the entire series. It remains concise and true to the main storyline with no thoughts of the storyline dragging at any point during the story.

The chemistry between the whistle couple, Jung Se-ro and Han Young-Won, and their eagerness to overcome depression highlight the finest aspects of the plot. The characters are portrayed by Yoon Kye-sang and Han Ji-Hye respectively whom had done an excellent job representing their persona with such raw emotions, making viewers even anxious at times.

The ending does fall short of expectations however, as it does comes off a bit too clean. The pride that withholds the logic behind the actions of Tae Oh and Kang Jae becomes questionable near the end but nonetheless captures the essence of the storyline.

The OST for Above the Clouds also deserves some recognition but "The Full Sun" by Yangpa remains the most memorable as it describes their hardships as well as their struggling relationship as a couple.

Leia Mais

This would have been a perfect 10 if the second half of the story had been shorter. The intrigue in the first half was unrelenting. The crosses and double crosses were great. You had to figure out who was siding with who in the family and the business.

The romance was just a small part of the story, but it was essential for the storyine. There was one smoking hot scene in the motel between Jan Hyuk and Lee Ming Jung that should not be missed.

The goofy scenes with the father and stepbrother should have been left out entirely. The comedy aspect totally detracted from the serious wheeling and dealing.

This is Jang Hyuk's best acting, in my opinion, and made me really respect him as an actor. Of course he is superb in everything he's been in. There's a little quirky part to his personality that he brings to his characters that is unique.

The acting was fantastic by all the characters, especially No Min Woo and Kim Hee Ae.

My husband hates Kdramas, but he watched this and loved it. A lot of drama viewers, like myself, veer towards the romantic themes and totally miss great serious dramas. This one should not be bypassed. The suspense will keep you in the game.

Leia Mais

An Entierly Different Show, And Not For The Better

Let me start by saying Ever Night season 1 was and still is my favorite wuxia drama of all time. I've never been more disappointed and let down by a season 2. If this didn't have the name "Ever Night" on it and Irenie Song, I would have dropped this after a few episodes.

I don't know what happened between seasons 1 and 2, maybe it was cost issues, or investors/sponsors pushing them to finish fast and cheap, maybe there wasn't enough story to tell to fill a season 2, or filming schedules and conflicts and having to replace a significant amount of the cast, maybe the censors and govt got involved to change the story... I have no idea. All I know is season 2 is like an entirely different show, and not for the better.

First of all, the recasting of the ML with Dylan Wang. This was a jarring choice. He is a very different actor from Chen Fei Yu and therefore a very different character from season 1. This dramatic change could have been minimized had they kept the same production style and feel from the first season. Even if they just kept the same storylines and plot from season 1, Dylan Wang could have eventually made a decent run with his own version of Ning Que, but neither of those was left intact.

Those weren't the only changes. Gone is the lush and cinematic camerawork from season 1. That vast and expansive world full of interesting locations and eclectic characters they built up in the previous season? Gone. Now we only have a few characters and are limited to a few locations, often only seen in small sets. Remember those dynamic and exhilarating fight scenes? Those are gone too. Now we have generic wuxia from the 90's style, with cheap-looking VFX.

Not to mention a significant portion of the cast, several of them major players from season 1 were recast. Not only were the actors different but their character's personalities changed as well. Even the actors they managed to keep from season 1 behave like they're from some bizarre alternate universe. I think this leads to the biggest issue of Ever Night season 2: the writing. The writing is atrocious. I honestly feel bad for the actors. It's as if the writers wrote out all the dialogue of what needed to be said, then randomly distributed the lines to different characters. They aren't saying things the characters would say, they're just reading lines. Not only is the dialogue noncorporeal, awkward and unusual, but they also use this terrible dialogue to fill long and drawn-out scenes, often shot in a small 1 room set with just 2 actors spewing exposition at each other, most of it full of unnecessary or repeated information that does nothing to move the plot forward. There were many episodes full of them with just scene after scene of 2 people in a room talking about nothing. I get that this is a cost-saving measure and a tool to stretch a thin plot but this was painfully dull and excruciating to get through. This basically takes up 60-70% of season 2 so brace yourself.

The overall plot also falls victim to odd and nonsensical choices. Characters do things completely out of character, sometimes even with no explainable motivation. They just do things abruptly without reason. Instances happen just to happen. There's an entire arc of 5-10 episodes that could be completely taken out without any consequence to the characters or story. It's like some useless side quest in a game. And the decision to spend a large amount of time with an entirely new actor and character is questionable. Spending long stretches of the season with the ML and FL apart from each other is baffling. Not continuing any of the previously set-up storylines from season 1 and giving us ridiculous narratives that don't go anywhere? Ludicrous. I could say more but that would wander into spoiler territory. I think you get the idea.

I hate to be entirely negative so let me highlight what I did like. Ireine Song. I could watch her watch paint dry. She is the lone saving grace to this travesty of a dumpster fire. She has such range as an actress that there were times when I almost forgot about the shoddy backdrops and painful dialogue and just watched her stretch her acting wings. Season 2 definitely gives her more to do and there is a decided focus on her character. I also warmed up to Dylan Wang's alternate version of Ning Que, which is why I think they could've salvaged season 2 had they kept the preexisting storylines from season 1.

Luckily for those who loved the previous season, Ever Night season 1 stands well on its own. We can just throw this bizzaro alternate universe season 2 straight into the garbage and appreciate what we got in season 1.

Leia Mais

So firstly i want to say that i have watched all  seasons, and i was kinda not sure on which one should i write the review.
However lets begin.
First of all the story  was really cool, i  really liked the  crime part of it . The idea of having an organisation  full of murderers is just PERFECT. This drama kept me interested till the end. You never know how the story is going to  unfold.The thing that really attracted me at the begining was the portray of the female lead- she is not a typical chinese or any kind of drama lead. She is a  strong and undepedandant woman, who can fight for herself and the people she loves and really importat wasnt annoying which could have happened really easy . Not to forget all the murderers were fantastic presented , their charectrer and why they became criminals  was really good made.
So i am going to recommend this drama to all people who enjoy crime ,mystery with lots of love elements in it. It is definitely not the typical crime drama.And if you are looking for somthing with less drama in it ( i mean love drama,however  a lot of love figures were involved hahahah it was definitely not only a triangle hahaha) this is the perfect example - there is none hahaha
My rating is around 8.5~9  out of 10.
Highly enjoyable .

Leia Mais

I can’t believe that this show is already over. Just Between Lovers will be forever one of those dramas I would kill for. I’ve mostly cried my eyes but I'm so grateful for all the emotions I could feel when watching the episodes.

STORY
The story of this drama feels very realistic and unique. The cinematography was beautiful and I enjoyed the aesthetically pleasing scenes more than it's even possible. You could see that every character was actually very deeply developed and the creators really made an excellent work concentrating on small details. It was amazing how you could feel all the emotions coming from the characters and you could easily empathise with them. There weren't really any "good or bad" characters. They were only people struggling with life and their fears and it made an incredible impression on me. The connection was also definitely very strong between the main leads and not to mention the chemistry between them! Oh boy, my heart is thanks to this drama really heart-broken and overwhelmed at the same time.

ACTING/CAST
I have legitimately no words. The acting was incredible. I’m so proud of the whole cast for doing such a great job. The main leads really killed it. Lee Kang Doo portrayed by Lee Jun Ho is a character who I would protect at all costs. He suffered so much and I still can't believe that Lee Jun Ho was able to portray him so realistically. He didn't have to say anything and you could already feel the character's emotions through his eyes. The same goes for Won Jin Ah. She also did an incredible job and the fact that she's a starting actress, wow.  Lastly, I have to mention the chemistry again. Their relationship was obviously very important in the storyline and I loved the story behind their connection. I couldn't be more satisfied with their passionate performances.

MUSIC
I always forget to notice music in dramas but this was so painful to watch that I heard the music in my ears louder than ever. The songs definitely made a big impact on the scenes and also on my weak heart.

OVERALL
Honestly, I don’t have all the proper words to fully describe my thoughts about this drama. It was so tragically sad and realistic and I’m so amazed by this. I’m amazed about the plot, about the cast, about everything. How I said before, the acting was in my point of view incredible and the characters made the plot even more unique. Even though I emotionally suffered so much, I'd love to rewatch this when I get the chance to.

Leia Mais

Before I begin, I would like to warn that this review is biased because I enjoyed the story, the entertainment value, the antics, the acting, and I read things into the characters' faces and actions to give more analysis to the story and plot. I also love Honoka Miki since Love in Tokyo days, as well as Furukawa Yuki (and the entire cast really) so they can't do any wrong with me. So let's begin...

This IMO, is a true dramatization of Itazura na Kiss the manga. Irie-kun is not sweet and loving like They Kiss Again, and the story is very true to the original story. So true that I loved it very much. Honoka Miki's expressions and loudness is also very close to the manga. Some people may not like her outrageous and overboard expressions, but I loved her 100%. Irie-kun was cold, but you could still see his love for his wife. I admit, I didn't like his character, but I didn't mind because I never like any Irie-kun characters. I always think Kotoko deserves a better man, one who treats her better and adores her. But actually, Irie-kun always is aware of Kotoko and her wants and needs. Always.

What helped me understand Irie's character better was this video entitled "Why we Japanese can seem robotic" by a Japanese guy whose married to a foreigner in Japan. The link... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m7diGxLECF4

It explains so much about the average Japanese and helped me understand Irie's character better. I still think he should have been more considerate of Kotoko early in their marriage, but I forgive him. Kotoko makes you keep your attention on her and not her husband's behaviour. In fact, I like the love she has for him. She's too dependent yes, but he relishes that dependence and actually drives it sometimes because which guy doesn't like his wife needing him? He loved her love for him. And also, yes, she shapes her life for him, but you have to realise, he shaped his for her too. The guy does whatever she tells him to, even the big, life changing decisions. He does it all quietly. Yes, he pulls a face sometimes, but that's just for posterity because he thinks he has to be cool. The guy is happy to follow her directions. Kotoko is so full of life and love that yo can't help but love them together. She is the main one in that marriage lol, the one that is loved, though she shows her love for him more - her character is more flamboyant.

I adored the rest of the cast - Kinosuke, mom, dad, other dad, the little brother, Christine, her best friends and their boyfriends ... every character had something to love and I was interested in all of them. Every single time. The best parts was where Irie-kun's mom always stuck up for Kotoko - even against Irie lol. Best mom-in-law award goes to her. I want a mom-in-law like her. And honourable mention goes to Kinnosuke for his vibrant, emotional, love. The acting is on point as always. This lead pairing never disappoints. Miki Honoka is fabulously talented for such a young girl. Hope to see her in more lead roles. Honestly, sometimes the music is inappropriate for the scene, but the beginning and ending themes I really liked. Found myself bobbing my head and singing along. Rewatch value of *sigh* over and over and over again.

Leia Mais

Tragic and yet beautiful in the dark side of love. This drama is too heavy that I get too depressed and saddened over it. OMO! Those tone is too heavy also, they really set the right atmosphere to set the mood with good music transition. T__T

This is BRILLIANT, I must say.

If you really ask yourself this: "Why do they have to commit crime over and over again? To cover their sins?" -- Actually, children can't blame for their actions when they respond to anything. I mean, THEM. Why? They are only children. And their experiences leads to a traumatic situations that if they've been found out, they will do the same thing to cover it again. It's like "Defense Mechanism". Hhhhmm.. Am I right? :|

If you're not agree then I must say.. "That wouldn't make much of a story, would it?" :)

Oh well, Journey under the Midnight Sun is indeed a bit too harsh when you come to think of it in a metaphorical way that.. LIFE is all about surviving.

Anyway, if you're familiar with the novel "Gone with the Wind".. You will somehow knew about these two very flawed people I'm referring to. :)

Well, if you're into a melodrama with heavy tone. Then give it a try! ^_^

Leia Mais

Sketch is well written, acted and directed. The premise of the drama is interesting and there are some great twists and turns. It has great action and emotion. I was taken aback by how far the writer was willing to go. Also, I love the fact that I wasn't sure where it was going at times. There are a lot of predictable dramas out there where I usually figure out what is going to happen, but this drama kept me guessing. The characters have depth and helped drive the drama. it is rare for both the pace of a story and the characters to come together so well. The writer did a good job connecting the dots. I didn't feel like I was left wanting and the ending was well done. I like how the writer made the 1% seem like they are untouchable unless the 99% get together to stop them. I wish people didn't judge money as success. There are a lot of ways to be successful in life with out money.

All of the actors are good. Of course, Rain as Kang Dong Soo, Lee Sun Bin as Yoo Shi Hyun and Lee Dong Gun as Kim Do Jin were daebak. But Lee Seung Joo stole the show as Yoo Si Joon. I was so into his character and what drove him. It is hard to write a lot with out giving a way spoilers.

The music is good. Especially what they used for suspense.

I will probably rewatch this at some point.

If you like gritty, suspense with a little supernatural thrown in, then you will like this. I recommend it highly.

Leia Mais

Soundtrack #2: A second chance love story

Soundtrack #2 tell the story of two ex-lovers who broke up due to unavoidable circumstances and problem. They meet again after 4 years but the thing is, sparks still fly between them, unsaid feeling still hurt.

TROPES- Ex-lover, rags to riches ML, strong willed FL, lovers to strangers to lover, love traingle.

Soundtrack #2 feels like a typical romance drama, except it's only a few hours long. But, the portrayal of the "lovers to strangers to lovers" trope/EX-LOVER trope feels very realistic and pragmatic.
The story is straightforward, but the manner in which it is told is entertaining.

We see the ML's POV and side of story both post and pre breakup, which is great BUT we never see the FL's POV. Which literally makes the FL look like the villian in their story. The ML's POV make you sympathize with him. His character is really likable and outgoing which again makes the FL's almost secretive and grumpy character look evrn more bad.
Even the FL's reason for the way she acted in the past and present were NOT strong enough to make me understand her. Honestly she felt like the problem.

Their acting was excellent though, specially the actor playing the ML. They were able to accurately convey the emotions of the characters. I don't have much to say about their performance. I enjoyed their chemistry.

The music was also okayish, like i didn't really find a single song i would love to add to my Playlist.

This is a nice drama to watch if you want something short. There isn't much else to say about this brief drama but it was nice enough to watch if you are bored.

Leia Mais

As a person who watches many dramas, I expected clichés in all Korean drama. But in this drama the cliché only added to the plot of the drama(in a good way). I've watched almost every single Korean drama(I would hardly give any of them this kind of rating) that could exist on earth, but none could compare to this one. I have stayed up all night crying, laughing and raging. This drama is so touching and teaches very valuable lessons.

In this drama there are people who deserve to get all the happiness in the world which were taken from them since the beginning. And there are people who deserve to be slapped in the face. The comedy is great, with all the grandmas and moms. BUT IF you are going to watch this drama bring a bottle of punch and a box of tissue, because you'll be laughing and crying all together. This drama was a great experience for. I have watched it five times. It teaches lessons about greed, secrets and lying. I recommend this drama to everyone.

Leia Mais

Don't pass this show up!!

Oh my goodness gracious, I can't stop smiling! This was an absolutely wonderful show, with so much going for it, I almost can't figure out how to express why I loved it. But here goes...

Male lead - Lin Yu Shen (playing Lu Jin). Straight-laced, up-tight businessman. His entire life seems to be all about work. He tells someone that there is no room for emotions in work, but there wasn't room for emotions anywhere, until he met Gu Shengnan. He was able to convey so much emotion with just his facial expressions. One scene in the second to last episode almost broke my heart.

Female lead - Zhao Lu Si (playing Gu Shengnan). Perky, positive, self-taught chef. Her personality was effervescent. Her smile was so bright, she did this squeal/scream thing every so often that just made me laugh, and was anyone else obsessed with her hair? This character was someone you would want to be best friends with, knowing she would always cheer you up and cheer you on.

Lu Jin and Gu Shengnan as a couple - their chemistry was off-the-charts! For me, this was the crux and highlight of the show. There was an obvious age difference which, to me, made this even more cute. I felt like Lu Jin didn't know what life was about until he met Gu Shengnan. I have to give the writers kudos for such a marvelous script for these actors to work with. The dynamic between these two was special - they were both really good at the physical comedy, and the expressions on their faces? She was almost always full of joy, and there were so many times he had a look like he had no idea what to do with her, but was going along for the ride, and actually looking forward to it! Once they opened up to each other and expressed their feelings, each scene was heart-felt and romantic in so many ways.

The script wasn't overly drawn out, and I'm so thankful that the main couple got most of the screen time. It took me twice as long to watch this show, because I kept going back and replaying episodes. The scenarios for the most part seemed believable and I felt that the entire cast was good.

And can we talk about the food orgy?! Oh so many scenes of food preparation and presentation - the colors, the textures, oh my. Her food preparation played a big part in them getting together, and when she cooked for him in her apartment, each scene was funnier than the last.

I only rate a show 10 if it's rewatchable. I'd rate this one higher than 10 if I could. It's a slow (but not dragging), sweet show of discovery and love. If you are in the mood for lovely romance without too terribly much angst, I can't recommend this show highly enough.

Leia Mais

A True Love is Love Series

I don't consider this series your typical BL series, rather a Love is Love series. Couple number one is a male-female couple, and for the first time in a very long time, they aren't watered down or given a stupid vibe. There are definitely several BL relationships, and contrary to many series with multiple couples, they all seem to have complete storyline with real relationship issues. This cast really impresses me off screen as much as they do on screen. They aren't fake with the fan service we see sooo often. The music for the series is fun and upbeat, and other than the fact that it's yet ANOTHER university setting, I'm very impressed by this series.

Leia Mais

A Whole Lot of Frustration in a Gorgeous Package

Most of the other reviewers seem to have really liked The Rebel Princess, which is great, but I thought I'd offer a different perspective since I ended up being very underwhelmed by this drama even though I really wanted to like it. Keep in mind that my c-drama experience is limited (this was my 21st one) and I'm not familiar with the source material of this drama. Also, I watch dramas mostly for the romance.

Positives:

+ really nice set design, costuming and lighting, which made the drama feel more realistic and quite refreshing after all the wuxia dramas
+ shot well
+ A'Wu and Xiao Qi were smart and nice and respected each other
+ the acting was fine

Negatives:

- another reviewer suggested that this drama should be watched for the slow burn romance, but I thought the romance wasn't that much of a slow burn and the main couple ended up together quite fast all things considered
- I was mostly invested in the main pair's relationship during the first ~15 episodes, after that their relationship stayed pretty much the same throughout the rest of the drama, which would've been fine had their dynamic been more interesting. And no, I don't mean that I wanted to see a drama-filled tumultuous relationship, I just wanted the drama to explore more in-depth why the two characters loved each other and what made them a great team. Now I just got the feeling that they were together because they were literally the only two equally powerful good people in the show that liked each other well enough. Actually A'Wu and Xiao Qi were mostly in separate places during the show, which might have been technically realistic but also very frustrating if you're in it for the romance.
- the drama was way too long considering how little happened in it
- there was a heavy emphasis on political scheming, which I'm never a big fan of but this time around it was somehow especially boring
- most of the characters were unlikeable and/or uninteresting
- the characters who did bad things during the story didn't get punished either at all or at least not in a satisfying way
- like in some other dramas I've seen, there was an overemphasis on forgiving absolutely everything because fAmILy and bEinG a gOOd pERsOn, which at this point is one of my biggest pet peeves
- rape and the threat of rape was used as a plot device at two different parts of the drama, and in my opinion it wasn't handled very well
- I spent most of the drama just waiting for something interesting to happen
- normally I dislike unhappy endings but now I was low key waiting for someone to die because at least that would've been vaguely interesting
- okay actually I was so unattached to the characters that even if they had all died I would've been like "huh, okay" and moved on


Watch if you enjoy:

- more realistic historical dramas
- political scheming
- heavy emphasis on side characters
- forgiving people who don't necessarily deserve it
- slow story progression
- emphasis on other aspects of life besides romance

Don't watch if you're looking for:

- a plot-heavy story
- surprising plot developments
- strong character development all throughout the story
- in-depth romance
- frequent interaction between the main pair
- revenge plot

Leia Mais

Movie just made to "compete" against Solo Leveling's anime

As someone who read the novel, and was, in a way, saved by it, Orv holds a pretty important place in my life, which makes this live adaptation even more disappointing.

While at the very beginning, I was really disappointed when I saw who was going to act as Yoo Joonghyuk, one of the main protagonists, in this live adaptation, it seems like he is actually the best actor out of them all ?

Not only has the director butchered, spit, stomped, shat, burned the original story, but he took everything that made Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint so iconic and important in the eyes of the readers, and just swapped it out for some generic, stupid, male-main lead of any random isekai, and didn't even bother to try to do something decent with it. The main actors don't seem to understand even the most superficial things about their own characters. I'm not going to delve into how the use of gun is also going against what the author, SingSong, wrote in the novel, but damn the CGI was utterly trash too, but the script sounds AI made and has a few plot holes too, which makes the whole movie unbearable to watch.

Here's a few examples:

-Kim Dokja was a lonely reader who kept living for THIRTEEN YEARS just to be able to see the ending, even though TWS was literally the most boring novel in the world, so much that KDJ was the last and sole reader of the novel. It's explicitly written a the beginning of the novel that he was disappointed that the novel was ending but he was really grateful to the author tls123, and was very polite to them. SO WHY WOULD HE READ THE NOVEL FOR 13Y IF IT'S JUST TO TELL THE AUTHOR THAT IT WAS ASS. It doesn't seem like Kdj appreciated the novel at all ?

-Kim Dokja was, again, a very lonely guy who didn't have any friends, and he basically hated life smh. Anyway, he's not someone that really looked forward to living, and is a morally (very) gray character, which made him a lot more relatable that the typical mc. Why would he start to want to save the world ? Out of pure compassion ?? Compassion he doesn't have ??????

-KDJ has a few skills that are extremely important to the plot but they don't seem to exist (like omniscient readers viewpoint, yk the name of the WHOLE STORY)

-The name of the movie doesn't make any sense since kdj says he ISN'T a prophet in the novel

-Kdj straight up lies by saying he's a prophet (which he isn't btw, he's just a READER) FACED WITH A LIE DETECTOR

-Constellations weirdly enough don't exist so the whole plot can't actually be called an adaptation ?

-Butchered the characters of JHW, YSH and everyone basically.

-KDJ trying to save the character he hated the most in TWS and that he killed in the original novel lmfao ?

-Kim Dokja and Yoo Joonghyuk whole interactions, of a reader and his favorite protagonist, being weird, unnatural, unnecessarily homophobic (they're not gay, but you can feel that they REALLY wanted Kdj to be "straight")

-Missed the whole central point of the story of friendship

While the movie had an enormous budget, the results are more than disappointing, be it from the directing, the acting, the CGI and everything from start to end. The movie can only leave the readers upset after watching the movie, and the non-readers confused, about the plot.

Even by forgetting the misogyny that's hidden in the LA, the directing team made Kim Dokja (a lonely and pitiful reader who only wanted to discover the epilogue of his favorite story) a writer. By doing that, they entirely missed the whole point of the story, that was thought and written for the readers, for them to be able to relate to the main character.

I'm not going to keep trashing the story because my review is in fact very long, but I'll say, the story left me in tears, not because of how good or sad it was, but because of disappointment and anger.
The utter lack of respect from the directing team is truly maddening, and I hope, I really hope that SingSong-nim isn't too disappointed by this.
Because it can be felt that this LA was made just to compete the anime of Solo Leveling, made with money in mind and not the audience.

Thank you a lot for taking the time to read this, and please DON'T watch the live adaptation of Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint, it's a waste of time.

Leia Mais