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
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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.
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Unenjoyable Art
This is ART, no doubt about it. Stellar acting, exquisite editing & script and gorgeous, breathtaking shots. This Korean BL shouldn't be called just a "BL". This is "the BL" of the year for sure. This is the result when the directors & scriptwriters finally took its audience seriously. It's a near-perfect series. Beautiful & honest. But as it stands, I could NOT wait for it to be over.STORY & CHARACTERS: It's painful. The whole story. And no, I'm not talking about the heartwrenching scenes. I'm just saying that it drags. GOD, it drags. Painfully dull. I bet that the majority of the people here who rated this a perfect TEN for a rewatch would never watch this again. Because the story is all the same. It's a repetition of self-sabotage. The MC Yeong jumps from one guy to the other and sabotages the relationship himself. Honestly, it's one disappointment after the other. And here lies the pain. It's too realistic that it fails to be enjoyable anymore. I can't even root for the MC because he's a raging asshole. He' a hypercritical, pretentious coward who demands so much from his partners but in the end, he's the one who's going to run away. And I get that this is a drama and supposed to show an honest portrayal of relationships but it just feels dismal and almost cruel.
The ACTING is at least superb. I must say, the casting is so good. Everyone really stepped up to the plate. I just want to give Yeong's gay friends a shoutout too. They stole the spotlight for me. Their shenanigans are very entertaining and very real. Speaking of them, I should mention that whoever wrote the summary for this BL is tripping. What a misleading summary. Thought for sure the girl BFF, Mi Ae would be there for the MC throughout the whole series. Made it looked like she'll play a huge role too, but she was barely there. She was not even there for Yeong's mother's funeral. Why put her in the summary at all? The summary should've mentioned Yeong's very loyal and wonderful gay friends instead! Not the hetero girl who barely did anything for Yeong. She even outed him just to save her boring-ass relationship with the judgmental guy.
MUSIC: Could not remember any memorable bg music or soundtrack for this BL because I must have fell asleep halfway thru. (Not kidding).
REWATCH: Obviously 1. Would not touch this again. It's not a waste of time. At least I learned something. There were a LOT of memorable quotes and nuances. The scriptwriter really did a great job with MC's lines and POV but they're not just enough for me to care at this point. MC should just be single forever. He's perfect alone. He has great talent and have such great friends. I don't know why he has to feel like he needs to be in a relationship just to feel happy or feel complete.
Bottomline: Most definitely NOT a love story. It's ART & a critical success for sure, but its hopeless and bleak, and awfully unenjoyable. It's like a painting you'd admire for its details but will never keep.
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Godbless you all guys~!!!! Fighting!!!!
:)
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A Journey Too Late
This was originally 2 different comments I made on the message board that I have slightly reformatted to make a review. I get it lacks some of my normal wordsmithing and is brief, but it gets the job done easily enough.Watched entirely in 1 sitting starting at realease time to around 6:30 am in the morning in my neck of the woods. I wont go too in depth here.
So let's quickly breeze over the strengths.
Great acting, good intimacy, some strong chemistry, appropriate realistic skinship, 3 dimensional characters, some real-world struggles, heartbreaking moments, and adorably cute moments. Directing was strong, cinematography solid, texture and feel to the series was complete and both realistic yet simutaneously dreamlike. Hour long episodes in a Netflix-like 8 episode dosing with a decent budget and a cast with some recognizable faces and not just no-name-this-is-their-start actors.
I do want to interject here that our main lead Nam Yoon Su gives an outstanding performance. He brings the character to life and doesnt hold back allowing our Ko/Go Young to be a fully realized being. He should be proud of his performance, and more than any role he has yet had, shows his acting chops.
I also want to give a shout-out to the deft Jin Ho Eun. He is a true chameleon on screen. He has a sturdy list of shows under his belt and has skillfully shown how to be both a monster to, as in this series, a cute as a button bright eyed engenue. I feel he is overlooked a lot as he has delivered strong performances one after another and again doesnt dissapoint here. I also am happy to see him in a role that actually highlights how attractive he can be.
HOWEVER, it has some flaws and shortcomings which hold it back from being an exceptional experince. Which I'll list in a spoiler tab below. Thus, it's held back from being great to instead being a solid good show. It is worth your time but its real world approach and overall sad and depressing ambiance and general story will keep it from being most peoples favorite or go to series.
BELOW WILL CONTAIN SPOILERS
The flaws:
1) Usage of time.
There are a lot of missteps in how the 8 episodes covers almost 10 years of the main characters life. This is aggrivated by how they break the story into 2 episode mini stories, thus the 8 episodes tell 4 different love/encounters. Making large swaths of time defaulted and inserted inbetween the blackout of 1 story and the fade in of the next.
Since they only have 8 episodes many of the significant relations come and go very quickly and are delt with too clean and neatly. Our main character's relationship with Mi Ae seems little more than a blip on the radar with no lasting significance. Same goes with the loss of his complicated relationship with his mother, who if you add up the time jumps had a very slow march towards death over at least 3 years. The main characters childhood is told in blink or your miss it clips that bring up some serious trauma and issues that are mostly left unexplored or dealt with but seem just to be reasons for his bahavior, sadness, and state-of-mind.
Also, the clothing, accessories, look of the world and characters doesnt change from begining to end...which for a decade of time...especially for hip 20something city boys, is not realistic.
The final 2 episodes are dreamlike in their delivery and feel like a very different show compared to the previous 6 which make it a pain point that this is where we end our journey with these characters. In a weird sexual depression fever dream while having an affair with a married man who takes our lead to various hotels around the world while he recalls the love of a relationship he had ended, as far as i could tell less than a year ago, these episodes are supposed to symbolize the end of this era in our leads life, but they are so whimsical and non-concrete, it comes off more like a mental exercise than true substantial growth and a solid seal to this slice of our pritagonists life. The relationship that plays in our Go Yeoung's mind didnt yet seem to hold the gravity and importance it should as it was still very fresh. Youd expect this type of story after many years have expired and with age you look back and realize that was love and you lost it. The wisdom of old age making you see your regrets. It was further exacerbated by the relationship being mere minutes ago in the viewers mind as we had just spent 2 episodes moving through it begjning to end and seeing many of the scenes already...again a failure of how they use time
2) Stunted emotions and growth.
Possibly it was just the time limit but a lot of the emotions came and went with the wind. Like mentioned above in the time problem, it bleeds over here into a stunted growth and emotional problem. Our main lead has many revelations but changes very little of himself due to them. He deals with major life altering hurtles, death of a lover, death of his mother, suicide, and of course contracting HIV, but all of it comes in a scene and leaves in the next. This could be a societal issue, yet other Korean shows do not operate as such. This could be a character issue, but then the whole point of the show is about the emotional and mental growth of our lead andnwhat he wants and expects out of life which makes this here then gone approach to the story feel misplaced. It may be the fault of the writer of the original work or the writer of this adaption, as in they all have Peter Pan complexes, much like our lead, and thus do not know how to write true explorations of healing, moving through trauma, overcomming, and changing ones life. Instead its shed some tears then run to the bar and get trashed and then never talk about or deal with it again. Its solved, the emotions were let out...
It makes a lot of the issues, which are devstating and hefty, feel skin deep and easily managable. When he is driven to suicide by a toxic closeted self hating lover while trying to mend the broken relationship of his mother dying from cancer who has the same Christian damnation outlook on him...it grows until he tries to check out...but then wakes up saved, gives a thumb heart to his friends, and then moves on never talking about it again. Like well he didnt die...lets go get drunk....and party. And this his how the show handles every truly emotional milestone. As if acknowledging it happened is the same as healing through it.
3) The HIV card....
It is the gay plague after all...even though world wide, it is more prevelant in heterosexuals than homosexuals since the late 90s...but still this is a gay story, we must have HIV.
For Korea, and where they currently are on LGBTQ+ representation and stories, as well as real laws and overall societal view of homosexuals, I can see how having a realistic story that represents the trails of a realistic homesexual and what he faces including the taboo HIV seems bold and groundbreaking....
As a westerner this is 30 to 40 years too late...this whole series was reminiscent of a 90s gay story. From the film Jeffrey to the show Queer as Folk to even the 80s independent film (which too has a splattering of famous male leads) Longtime Companion. Let alone award winning Angels in America...which is currently being performed by famous Korean actors in Seoul as I type this.
At least they didnt make him die in the end.
But Korea has had films, that have dealt with these themes already, and are much older, let alone the western stories that can be watched. It made the story seem archaic and out of place. Made too late.
This is exacerbated by the fact the story would not have changed at all, if the character DIDN'T have HIV. It affects nothing. It is even brought in only half way through as an almost suprise twist. His contracting it is a brief monologue. He tells only 1 person that he even has it, he has no health issues because of it. It does not cause him to loose any relationship or sexual encounter. And it is little more than a plot point. Thus, simply having him NOT have it was an option as its only point is for him to say its with me till i die. Again it feels superficial and a stunted and an unneeded poor use. Thus, just as point 1 bleed into point 2, now point 2 bleeds into this point 3.
Last note on this, the way they introduce the HIV was confusing..as in did he contract it between his mothers dying and meeting this new boy. But then he meets the boy on the night of his mothers funeral. And it has only been 1 year since his last relationship...and then he says hes had it for 5 years...and then your like...did i miss a time jump...there are alot of them...and then you relaize wait...this happened b4 the show started. Hes been HIV positive since the first frame. And it slowly sinks in that you watched him have sex with mutliple partners and carryon two meaningful relationships without telling anyone involved that he is HIV positive. He then has more partners and doesnt tell them...this weirdly, at least for me, makes the HIV have a detrimental effect on the character. This is a serious sexually transmuted disease and he selfishly and irresponsibly goes around and does whatever he wants while hiding it so he wont be stigmatized or ostricized. He pretends....and it kinda makes him a really bad person.
8.0 = B+, 4-Stars. A solid all around entry that will likely not disappoint.
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1
1You only live twice.
Fan Xian is back!!! There are no words to describe the pure joy I felt after what was for me, a three year wait. I never expected S2 to be as strong as S1 and as much as I enjoyed it, it is not quite at the same level. To begin with, killing a character onscreen is never easy to unwind and their walk back of the S1 cliffhanger was long winded, cumbersome and comically farcical. What saves it is that most audiences are so grateful to see the whole gang, villains and all, back together again they willingly suspend disbelief.The most noticeable difference with S2 is the visible shift in the narrative from plot driven to largely character driven. After narrowly cheating death, an introspective Fan Xian who realizes you only live twice, returns to the capital. During S1, Teng Zijing showed Fan Xian that some things are worth dying to protect. This season explores what those things are for Fan Xian. He reflects upon his mother's ideals and begins to see the injustices that made her want to change the world. The plight of the common people resonates with him as he comes to understand that he is also but a pawn in a high powered chess game. He embraces his mother's legacy with a sense of purpose and a clear vision of what he means to do with it. The most exhilarating moments of this season are not action packed or full of intricate twists but pivotal moments in Fan Xian's character journey. It is less exciting if you are an action junkie but this is the season that reveals who Fan Xian really is and more importantly, who he wants to be.
With the signature Joy of Life verve and wit, important plot points or character motives are conveyed indirectly with humor. As the laughter abates, the manifold implications, often dark and diabolical start to sink in. The most chilling aspect of S2 is Fan Xian's complex, multi-dimensional chess game with the emperor, who is the grandmaster firmly in control of the board and all the chess pieces. It is not even clear that Chen Pingping is really on Fan Xian's side; after his "miscalculation", he seems just as dangerous as friend or foe. It is from such a disadvantaged position that Fan Xian plays to win even though winning could also cost him his head. While the emperor's end game remains murky, he reveals a guarded, almost resentful affection for Fan Xian that has me hopeful and fearful at the same time. Some of the emperor's schemes and motives are too intricate and have to be explained via dialogue, which is something I am not a fan of.
Inasmuch as I quite miss the rounder and carefree Fan Xian, Zhang Ruoyun's lean and mean new look lends a sense of maturity and gravitas to the role. My mouth goes dry at the layer upon layer of divine masculinity that comprise Fan Xian, the man. His scenes with the emperor where they both test and measure each other are mesmerising until the tension is broken by at times offbeat humor that has me yodelling with laughter. Every dysfunctional Li family gathering is a hilarious parody of a feast at Swan Goose Gate (Hongmen banquet/鸿门宴). There are many insanely well acted emperors in c-drama yet Chen Daoming still manages to stand out with his complex, differentiated, infuriating and utterly unpredictable portrayal. Just when I am sure I loathe him, he blindsides me with an unexpectedly moving expression of almost regret. Fan Xian has yet to get the better of this sociopath but at least he still manages to run circles around "Mini Me". The moment he scared the living daylights out of the second prince is one of the highlights of the season.
It is no small feat that they managed to reunite such a large and sought after cast and practically all the roles are well conveyed. Ye Lingér however was obviously abducted by aliens and replaced with a bot. Hopefully Si Lili rescues her offscreen and returns with the real Ye Lingér just in time for S3. I won't deny that I basked in every moment of this reunion of my favorite characters, good and evil. That said, outside of Fan Sizhe, no one really gets to do anything consequential. Many new characters including the first prince, the Beiqi princess and Fan Xian's scholars are introduced with unclear purpose. Everyone is being teed up but the punchline is put on hold until S3. This unbalanced focus on introducing and fleshing out characters and relationships comes at the cost of plot movement. This makes me worry that this leaves too many open plot arcs to be closed in S3. While I wouldn't dare to explicitly wish anyone's bestie villain dead, I think they should have closed at least one of the villain arcs instead of pushing everything into S3.
The character arc of S2 closes triumphantly with Fan Xian reclaiming his power and free will by choosing what family means to him and in doing so, he changes the game. I expect S3 to be once again more plot driven like S1. While I savored S2 and appreciate that they took the time to flesh out the characters and key relationships, there are just too many open plot threads for me to rate this the 9.5 I gave S1. Thus this is a 9.0/10.0 for me for now. If everything comes together well in S3, the series overall will easily be 9.5 or a 10.0.
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Balancing angst and comedy
Combining the angsty plot of terminal illness while also trying to maintain loud and slapstick humor is a very difficult feat but Mr. Plankton managed to do it extremely well. The humorous scenes are laugh-out-loud funny, while the sad scenes still hit really hard, and I never felt like I was getting whiplash between them.As much as I love green flag MLs, I do think several kdramas have overcorrected recently; it's actually refreshing to get a drama that gives both its leads stories that have equal weight, and to see an ML that has more purpose than to just be in love with the FL. With that being said, Hae-jo's character is absolutely the best part of this show, and WDH plays him to perfection.
I feel a little more mixed on the other characters, to be honest. While I liked Jae-mi's plot, I wish we focused more on her desire to be a mother and have a family. The flashback we got of her at the orphanage is extremely touching. Instead, it seems like we get a lot of her relationship with Eo Heung and his mother. I don't necessarily dislike this, but it's weird. The drama does a fantastic job of making Heung a sympathetic character. His capacity for love is so great and his relationship with his mother goes through such important development, but I still never quite felt the emotions of it, not when Jae-mi and Hae-jo's dynamic is so strong and heart-wrenching. I also felt liek the love triangle was dragged out just a little too long; we saw clips of Jae-mi/Heung and they're cute but as a viewer I never once believed that they belonged together.
I did, however, still enjoy the humorous scenes with the three of them, and I almost wish we got a longer road trip type plot, with a new character (Gi-ho, Bong-suk) joining them in the car ride to each next sperm donor. It would have made the party scene at the end feel more meaningful, because I actually don't think we saw them spend much time together before then.
Overall, I think the first half worked better for me. Something about the bickering and the chaos was just so fun, whereas the last few episodes seems to have Hae-jo leaving Jae-mi stranded as a plot point multiple times. The ending also needed to be extended a little longer for things to get tied up. The plot is pretty outlandish — sometimes it works because it absolutely leans into it, and sometimes I had to remind myself "this is a DRAMA and that's why Hae-jo is still allowed to drive." Either way, it's fun.
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I decided to watch this because of Ha Ji Won, one of my favorites, and she does a great job as Cha Young even though her character is pretty one-note, basically melancholy and apologetic. This matches the mood of Yoon Kye Sang as Lee Kang as well, who is equally somber and melancholy. They do have pretty good chemistry, and I liked their story in general, but there is way more heaviness and sadness than butterflies in their story. There's the expected destiny theme as well. It also builds very slowly, and although I didn't mind the pace, it definitely made me watch more casually instead of being excited to watch each new episode.
I also liked the rest of the cast as well. To me Jang Seung Jo as Lee Joon is definitely the standout, playing a role he's so good at, the "rich guy rival" (like his performance in "Money Flower"). The cast is also full of great performances by the supporting cast as patients, staff, and relatives... although The Lee family did seem a bit cliché at times with their typical greed and scheming. I blame that more on the writing than the cast.
The story is this dramas weakest point for me, not because it's a bad story, but more because of how somber and standard it is. However, instead of comic relief, this drama's most uplifting moments all center around food. Yes, this is the kind of drama (like the "Let's Eat" series) that will probably make you very VERY hungry. So many food close-ups. So much emotional eating. Sooo many chewing scenes! It's about way more than just chocolate too. Food is the real star of this drama.
It's also beautifully shot. The scenery is amazing and all of the food looks delicious (even stuff I don't eat). It has a cinematic feel visually which helps with the slow pace. I was much more forgiving of certain scenes because of how beautiful it looked. At the very least, Netflix definitely knows how to make pretty dramas.
Would I watch this again? I don't think so. I was honestly caught off guard by how sad this was, and I didn't love any part of this drama enough to endure that sadness again. The story is also pretty typical as far as the "Who's gonna take over the family business" tropes go.
Overall, I appreciate the main theme of this drama, which is to appreciate every single moment of the life you have and that a fulfilling life is more about love and giving than about how much you can acquire. That theme really hits home by the end, and I shed a lot of tears throughout this drama, so I think I would recommend this drama but only with that warning. Death comes up constantly, which could feel therapeutic or like too much. For me, it was a combination of both.
"Chocolate" is a low key melodrama, so there's less excitement and much more contemplation. If you don't like the mood of the first episode, don't expect it to pick up later. The resolutions are also subtle. Some things were left hanging, which I'm ok with, and it's much more about going on a journey with each character through their personal traumas, dysfunction, and moments of failure and empowerment. This drama from beginning to end will try to come for your feelings!!! Make sure you have enough tissues and snacks while watching.
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BEST PLOT TWIST EVER
Omg I almost got scammed when I read the plot summary above. I thought the drama would be very light and easy to watch just like other hologram love drama.THIS DRAMA IS WAY ABOVE MY EXPECTATION. First, there are 4 boys who are locked up in a castle-like house and they need to become perfect. Once they become perfect, the antagonist still does not want them to live freely. Instead, the antagonist wanted gain more profit from the four boys. Therefore, the four boys need to escape to gain their own freedom. They also need to accept the risk of not being accepted by the society, since they are isolated for so long. There two girls from the outside world that coincidentally get connected to this four boys and together they help the boys to find a way out.
There are a lot of plot twist but the best one is in episode 30, where I thought that there is no way out anymore, It turns out that they are not living in the real world. They are living inside a game and to get out they need to die in the game, Imagine killing yourself when you do not want to die yet. The most interesting part of this drama is the adventurous part, where they need to find way to get out of the house but are block by Xu Guang Han numerous time.
This drama is not like other dramas where the love story gets too cheesy and boring in the end. It become even more intriguing towards the end. THIS IS ONE OF THE MUST WATCH CHINESE DRAMA!
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plot with no stakes, no real consequences
it was cute and fun but if you’re looking for a serious story and/or a serious romance, this isn’t it. it’s one of those shows you watch in between shows that you’re waiting for.lots of plot twists that didn’t make sense, hard to follow what the actual rules are and what the stakes are, if any. i was so ??? that kang siyeol’s grandma was in ONE episode after the switch and then never again lol weird ass plot device that could’ve had more meaning but whatevs.
the chemistry was there, but i didn’t believe they were all in for each other. when there are rarely any stakes, even dying isn’t that permanent, then it’s hard for me to see strength in their connection. all the actors were great, but the roles they played didn’t have enough depth in their writing or directing.
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The situations are mature, the friendships are genuine and the love story is refreshingly real and sweet. The writing of this was very smart and truer to life than most dramas. The 11 episodes went by fairly quickly.
I really enjoyed the premise of five friends coming together by meeting through Twitter. It was such an original take on how people meet, grow to care for each other and become an extended family.
This is a slice of life piece about a particular time and stage in a person's life. It is off the beaten path from the usual standard drama fare. I loved it for that. The serious situations were handled in a realistic way that had me walking away feeling bittersweet but much more on the sweet side.
All of the characters were believable; the actors true and natural. My one small nitpick is that while I like JaeJoong and he improved in Protect the Boss, his acting in this felt a little green and new. But I did like "Doctor" and it wasn't so bad as to be distracting.
This drama really is a very nice piece of work. Sunao Ni Narenakute is an enjoyable watch, even with the angst and troubles that naturally come with the previously mentioned growing pains. This drama is about being true to yourself, learning to be brave in life and love. It is done with humor, some very stark realism and a lot of warmth.
The soundtrack was great! There wasn’t a song out of place. They were a mix of pop and alternative that fit perfectly with the age group portrayed in the drama. The songs were also memorable and this is one of those rare times I wish I owned the OST. (I liken the quality to Soulmate and Coffee Prince)
I am giving the re-watch a 10 because I know I will go back to this drama again.
I recommend this drama very highly. It is smart, fun, touching, and romantic. A WIN in my book.
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The first 10 episodes were amazingly well developed and I loved watching the character development and the initial friendship between Yu Xi (Lorene's character) and Zhan Cheng (Kingone's character) when he was blind. As their friendship developed into love, they became a super compatible couple. Their kissing scenes were also very cute. I think they're a great OTP for sure. Another reason why I liked this drama so much was because of the department store rivalry scenes/element. Unlike other romance dramas where the male lead is a CEO and they don't talk much about it other than the fact that he looks great wearing suits and has a lot of money, this drama plays out the rivalry scenes. They continue with the department scene rivalry side story throughout the drama and I really enjoyed these scenes because they were intense and nerve wracking to watch and they added to character development of Zhan Cheng. It wove seamlessly into the main plot and didn't distract from the romance.
Kingone really carries this drama. His portrayal of a blind man was seriously amazing. His acting was flawless and I couldn't see any flaws in his portrayal. I wasn't initially a fan of him because I usually like idol drama actors (read my other reviews) , but his character is really the ultimate perfect boyfriend. I actually liked Lorene's acting. Although her acting seemed a little fake in the beginning, her acting got a lot better. Like I said, Kingone carried the drama and he guided her through the romantic scenes well. Many think her crying scenes were fake, but I thought it was realistic because realistic crying isn't pretty. In terms of the supporting actors, I loved William's camaraderie with Zhan Cheng, and Yu Xi's relationship with her family. The supporting couples between Zhan Cheng's sister and Yu Xi's brother was adorable, as well as William's relationship with Yu Xi's best friend. Lorene was good at her dual roles as well.
The music is so heartwarming and emotionally provoking. I think this is one of the best soundtracks as a whole for a drama. Bii did most of the soundtrack, and I liked his songs a lot. They perfectly match the tone of the drama and the scenes.
For those of you who are unsure if you want to watch it because you're not sure if you can handle the various tragedies of this drama from the summary you just read, trust me, it is worth watching. It took me 2 weeks to finally decide to watch this because I selectively pick dramas to watch since I don't like dropping dramas; I feel the need to finish a drama once I start it. I'm glad I watched this drama; after all, it has now become one of my favorite dramas. Re-watch value is definitely high. In fact, I'm re-watching it right now! If your taste is anything like mine (read my other reviews for T-dramas), you will definitely love this drama. Give it a try. You won't regret it.
***edit*** As I said earlier, I'm watching it for the second time and after watching it for the second time I came to appreciate the beautiful cinematography of this drama even more. The BTS videos were also very entertaining and showed the chemistry between the leads. I recommend watching the BTS if you fall in love with the characters like me! I'm starting to like all the characters after watching it for the second time because I can start to understand some of their actions even though some of them were unforgivable. This might sound crazy, but I think I might watch it for the third time in the future. I really hope Kingone and Lorene collaborate on a drama again! (10/9)
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Woo Do-Hwan never fails!
Woo Do-Hwan never fails to please!My two top Korean actors right now are Woo Do Hwan and Lee Do-Hyun.
I first saw WDH in Save Me and my favourite ones out of his dramas would have to be:
My Country and Bloodhounds.
With Mr Plankton I really enjoyed it for the first 7 episodes and then I'm not sure where it quite started turning for me, but it did.
I hesitated to watch this drama because I knew the fate of his character and didn't want to go through that all again like with My Country.
With Mr Plankton the ending was sad, but not as devastatingly sad for me like what happened in My Country for some reason.
Have seen others of his dramas in full like: Save Me, Tempted and Mad Dog which I really enjoyed as well.
As for Joseon Attorney (4-6 episodes) and King Eternal Monarch (half) and didn't mind these either except maybe Joseon Attorney would probably be the least liked one out of them all. Not because of him, but rather the story itself.
King Monarch I would probably finish only he isn't the male lead.
In regards to Mr Plankton, it is about the main character being diagnosed with a terminal disease (less than 3 months to live) so he goes on this personal journey to find his real father, only decides to kidnap his ex girlfriend at the start, just as she is about to get married with a gang on his tail out for revenge.
It has a great mix of humour, a solid story line, drama, action, a sad or bittersweet feel, romance and adventure.
The music is so so - nothing really stood out like Stay With Me (Goblin) or Butterflies (Wedding Impossible).
A major dislike for me would be the female in this as she got on my nerves with her crying - it is the worst, also, her hissy fits. I really wish I could have reached through the screen to slap her out of it. Really annoying!!! Far too many scenes for my liking and she grated me the wrong way as she sounded terrible. Couldn't stand it! Her other scenes were mostly fine - just the sobbing and hysterics were irritating. Terrible! She really did come across as being idiotic quite a bit of the time which was unfortunate - I'm not sure what he saw in her. Another minor peeve was the way she ran. Weird!
Wouldn't it be something to have a female that is mature even when annoyed yet sassy, full of spunk, charismatic and adorable even if not dropdead gorgeous. Just not a cry baby, nagger, whiner or screamer.
I need a female actor that can pull it off like WDH, who in my humble opinion, is one the BEST actors in the industry for crying, laughing and emoting expressions and feelings. His crying or sobbing scenes in My Country were believable, but especially that one scene inside the room with that silk item and his name embroidered on it probably due to the significance of what it meant.
Simply the BEST!!!
The gut wrenching moments in this drama definitely have momentum, but not as impactful as two specific scenes in My Country.
What else?
I really enjoyed the bond that was made on the road trip back to Seoul between the Heir and character played by WDH - the bromance was fantastic and seemed better than what was between WDH and the main female lead at times!
WDH has a beautiful laugh, way of chuckling and tantalising manner with particular words or expressions.
Him and only him!
Anyways, Mr Plankton is recommended for those that like a good mix of everything, but after episode 7 it doesn't seem as exciting and seems rushed or done so as not to leave any loose ends. But...done so without depth.
Maybe one loose end actually - I don't remember seeing anything about the test results of the 3rd candidate. 🧐
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Finally, I strongly recommend everyone to spare 20 minutes to watch this as its only fault is being so short; It will make you crave for more.
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