I have to say, the conductor really really impressed me. It's hard to copy the movements of a conductor, and he did a good job. He must have suffered a lot while learning, so kudos to him!
The acting is great and believable. The drama mainly focuses on character development, but it also has moments of relationships and drama as the "obvious couple" turns out to not being so obvious after all. Despite this, you still get your solid dose of music, which makes me a happy girl.
In writing moment, I have yet to finish this, but the 11 episodes I have watched were watched in 3 days. Not many dramas manage to capture my interest like this, and I am looking forward to watch more!
*will be edited*
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This must be the worst drama of the century. This would have been a good drama if only executed in good way. Such a waste.
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DON'T WATCH THIS if you hate cliffhangers! I mean HATE. The ending left me so frustrated and unsatisfied that I started googling about a Season 2 (there's no mention of it, for those who are curious). Warning Spoilers Ahead:
The plot was fairly alright, and I had no qualms about their acting. The story starts with a man being murdered. But since it was classed as an accident and since he had signed to have his organs up for donation, three high school students were the lucky recipients. They started having dreams of his murder, which led to them investigating into it. HOWEVER, just as they found a derisive clue as well as the suspect, he disappears, ENDING. THE. WEB. DRAMA. with the camera panning across the murderer standing outside their house.
HOW. IS. THAT. AN. ENDING.
It felt more like they ran out of budget and had to cut the drama halfway. It was incomplete, with many questions left unanswered.
Why did he murder the donor? Why did he also try to kill the donor's sister? Why has he been stalking the recipients enough to take on another identity to infiltrate their school as a staff? What was his motive behind all of this?
None. Were. Answered.
Also, on the romance part of it, it's very typical high school drama type of confusion, with the girl caught between two of her closest friends. She likes the one who is oblivious, the other one likes her, the oblivious one knows his heart reacts to her but doesn't know that he actually likes her, until he starts catching her hanging out a lot with the other one and starts to get jealous....
Which simply adds to ANOTHER loose end because of how the series ended.
For the sake of your own sanity, do not watch this. Urgh, ???.
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Jang Hyuk shines in this role. For anyone (me) who thought he was a one trick pony after TWDR and Chuno (since he plays very similar people) think again! He really works this role and boy does he sell it. He makes all the parts that should be just ok truly eerie after you finish it. I guarantee after you finish you will see the movie in a whole new light.
The lawyer and the prosecutor... they have an amazing dynamic. The only real problem I have with this movie was that I could not tell the two apart! It drove me nuts.
As for the music... I never noticed it and that is a very good thing but, at the same time.... I like knowing it is there. Do not pass this up. The only reason I rated it down a bit was for some quirky shooting...
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For a start, the entire drama is something quite unique. It's a mystery series, yes. But instead of the chilling tension of a gruesome murder, each episode fills you with warmth and endearment as you slowly uncover a beautiful, heartbreaking secret through the soft worn pages of that person's favourite book.
Some of the episodes do include a crime, but emphasis doesn't usually fall on it. Instead, the reasons they committed those crimes are the true mystery Shinokawa (the beautiful bookshop detective) seeks to solve. She is one of the most interesting characters I feel I've watched in a drama to date, and although I started off a little unsure of her (seemingly) emotionless character, you learn the reason she is like this as the series moves along.
Biblia Koshodou isn't a perfect drama, but one thing I love is that its "faults" seem to make it even more charming. For example, some of the plots are way, way over the top - you wouldn't try to injure others or end your marriage for a book. However, to me it feels as though this "overexaggeration" is the writers' way of trying to illustrate just *how much* they love books. You can see this in the incredible detail and research they put into each episode, each one being based off a real book and its history.
Also, the music sometimes seems very out of place; autotune and synthesisers in a drama about a quiet, beautiful girl who owns a bookshop? However, I feel this "mismatch" stops the drama becoming over-sentimental and cliched, which I eventually realised and respected the writers for.
Overall, a beautiful, heartwarming drama that I can guarantee you'll want to watch over again and again. Grab a hot chocolate, turn down the lights, and enjoy. :)
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I watched this with the family. We did plenty of marathoning. It’s an easy show to watch with great little arcs that are quickly completed so annoying people/events aren’t dragged out unnecessarily. I do feel like that is one of the killers in Korean dramas, especially if you’re watching it with others and can’t press the fast forward button as liberally. The plotlines and the setups were intriguing, thought-provoking and feasible.
I enjoyed the pacing in this show with all the neat and tidy arcs. And the show maintains its consistency and quality all the way through. That’s noteworthy. At first, the comedy felt forced, but in general, the drama was everything – funny, sad, meaningful and intelligent. All the characters are fun and don’t waste their screen time.
The start is a little shaky as most Korean dramas are. But it settles in nicely. The characters are smart, funny, quirky and loveable.
One of the main things that stands out to me with this show is their problem solving, friendship and communication. Because they all dream about each other’s lives, it’s hard to keep secrets and they all talk about their problems together. This is awesome.
Jae Chan – male lead
This is probably one of the first LJS dramas where he’s not this perfect upstanding guy. I liked his flaws. His character development is wonderful and his backstory fits in nicely with his philosophy and attitude.
Hong Joo – female lead
I loved how respected she is in this show. She is well positioned in her workplace and she gets to play a significant role in problem solving. At times, I’m annoyed that she just thinks she’s helpless in the face of her nightmares.
Woo Tak – aka Batman
This guy was hands down the most favourite character. He is so good-natured, handsome, and strategic. His involvement in the show made everything better. I loved him so much from beginning to end.
Yoo Beom – bad guy
This guy is handsome too but he can also be hella annoying. Still, I liked his character and how he contributed to the troubles of our team.
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Dare to watch it.
Did this drama wreak my poor heart?Yes and it left me tearstained. What can I say about this drama that hasn't been said already? It's a masterpiece starting from the mesmerising story to the out of the world acting and the amazing OSTs.
The main leads chemistry was overflowing and during the last episodes it was so much that it made my not so sensitive self shred some tears. The last movie/drama that accomplished that was 2-3 years back so that says a lot.
Even though I put 10 on rewatch value I'm not sure if I can take it. The thing is I'm always down for a good storyline and great acting so my picky self will surely come back to this masterpiece.
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Sizzling Hot
After watching The Romance of a Twin Flower, I find myself watching seemingly yet another twin flower drama with Love of Replica. The latter drama is full of suspense, mysteries, hot romance, and action. Both the main male and female actors are good looking with good acting skills, and their chemistry sizzling hot. With only 16 episodes, all the episodes are packed with clues and action that eventually lead to the unfolding of all the mysteries.Lu Jinyan’s (Tsao Yuning’s) father was involved in an accident and is now lying in a coma. He suspects his father’s accident is malicious and related to Xu Yongyu (Li Yatian), a despicable ultra wealthy tycoon surrounded by bodyguards, who would do anything to get what he wants. To investigate, Lu Jinyan gets himself hired by Xu Yongyu as a bodyguard for his beloved daughter, Xu Xixi (Yilia Yu). Lu Jinyan doesn’t like Xu Xixi because she is mean and nasty, typical of a spoiled brat as a “da xiao jie” (大小姐). But Xu Xixi is sick with an incurable disease and her father goes all out to find a cure for her.
On that fateful day, Xu Xixi gets into a car accident. The car she travels in plunges into the sea. Lu Jinyan risks his life and saves her. When Xu Xixi wakes up, she appears to have lost her memory. She doesn’t recognize anyone in her household including her bodyguard and her father. Her total change of personalities puzzles everyone, but Lu Jinyan immediately realizes this is not the actual Xu Xixi.
Lu Jinyan used to be in the military, so his bare hand combat skill is second to none. He is intelligent and calm, thinks fast, and doesn’t talk a lot. He later learns that the rescued Xu Xixi is actually An Yue, a woman who looks exactly the same as Xu Xixi. Assuming she is Xu Xixi’s twin, Lu Jinyan finds out Xu Xixi’s father tries to capture An Yue and his intention is not friendly. No one understands why Xu Yongyu loves a sickly daughter and yet wants to hurt another daughter who is in perfect health. Fearing harm for An Yue, Lu Jinyan and friends protect her from the father.
An Yue’s personality is totally different from that of Xu Xixi’s. An Yue is nice, kind and very lovable. Quickly Lu Jinyan falls in love with her. His love is passionate, at the same time he’s tormented because he knows he has broken his code as a bodyguard. He protects her with his life and always stays close to her wherever she goes. An Yue can’t help but falls in love with him at first sight because he saves and cares for her; he is also very attractive and oozing with male hormones. At this point, the plot thickens: who is An Yue? Why is she here? How is Lu Jinyan’s father involved in this? Each character holds a secret.
I have never watched Tsao Yuning’s and Yilia Yu’s work. Tsao Yuning’s portrayal of the cool and hunky Lu Jinyan is very believable; many viewers salivate over him. Yilia Yu has a mature woman look. Beautiful and sexy with large, soul-hooking eyes, she plays Xu Xixi and An Yue very well with distinctive different personalities. Without knowing, like Lu Jinyan, viewers can discern which character Yilia Yu is playing at a particular moment because she successfully exudes the qualities of each character. The other cast members are just as good, portraying their respective characters convincingly. In particular, the side couple with a love triangle is lovely and interesting.
This drama has nothing to do with a previous drama, Mysterious Love (2021), acted by the same main couple. It (the previous drama) is not a pre-requisite to watch this drama.
Love of Replica also produces a number of very good and memorable love songs, each played at the appropriate moments to accentuate the romance and love of the all the couples in the story.
My Verdict
This is an unexpectedly enjoyable drama to watch. Full of suspense, mysteries, and action, with a romance that is heart-pounding and suggestive. There is a lot of skinship for the main couple that whets the viewers’ appetite for more. Yes, this is a drama with the formula of mystery, action, and sex. Great story.
Enjoyable watch! Don’t miss it!
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I didn't think I was going to like this because I'm wary of sci-fi, I wasn't the biggest fan of the lead actress (notice the past tense), prosopagnosia is the new amnesia and it's annoying (and wouldn't you know it? mhl had both!), and the plot sounded weird, but despite these hesitations I was hooked within the first five minutes. (Note: I've also been a big fan of Yoon Hyun Min since Tunnel, and his real-person character shown in the trailer is what eventually pushed me to watch.)
I was really surprised and super moved by how emotionally complex the story was, and the psychology and emotional weight behind the creation of Holo, and by extension the relationship between Nan Do, Holo, and So Yeon. I think it was around episode three? (the park scene for those of you who have seen it already) that really got me emotionally invested in the characters... which is why I am having such a hard time rating the drama.
I saw someone on tumblr joke about how My Holo Love had every trope in the book: childhood trauma, childhood acquaintances, prosopagnosia, amnesia, accidental kiss, cpr kiss, secret/mistaken identity, love triangle, grumpy/closed off/rich male lead, and still this list goes on. All of it plus your typical action that comes from a dangerous bad guy doing illegal stuff to steal a product. But there were still times the plot felt slow. And there were times when the plot was hard to follow, most of which occurred because of technical computer lingo that I don't understand and it was hard to follow how certain things happened and how characters came to certain conclusions, etc. But there were also times the non-techy parts were hard to follow. Mainly the death of Nan Do's mom when he was a kid, I have some nit-picky unrealistic complaints about that whole scenario, but I don't want to include spoilers so.... I can't tell if the drama only being 12 episodes made the messy plot worse by seeming rushed or condensed or if it saved the drama from dragging on.
But at the same time, while all of the plot was ridiculous, the actors and the characters played it off really well. Like if I were to try to explain this drama to someone else I would sound insane, but actually watching it wasn't that bad? I seriously loved the characters so much that it's really hard to find a good rating. So basically what I did was compare my enjoyment level and critique of the plot to other dramas I have rated. This falls pretty close in line to Flower Boy Next Door for me, so I decided on a 7.5.
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Deus, por favor, me dê mais tempo.
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One of the worst cases of cultural embezzlement I've seen in this genre. The producers took a popular BL webtoon and cynically manipulated it for commercial purposes into a one-size-fits-all tale of boys and girls falling in love. The BL storyline was reduced to just one of many and in some ways felt like a sideline to display the producer's cultural diversity.We are meant to be seduced by the familiar high quality of the Kdrama team that worked on this contrivance of a series, but that was upended by the series conclusion, which just confirmed the scam that most people, I believe, suspected was being foisted on them all along.
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A gangster looking man has a confrontation with a pretty college girl and her boyfriend, basically starts stalking her, sets up a situation where she's forced into his brothel as a sex slave and continues to watch her like a creeper.
This movie was good, don't get me wrong, but I'm left with lingering questions about Han Gi and Sun Hwa. It definitely leaves room for interpretation. It's a gritty movie portraying the dark world of sex slavery. Here's my main question after finishing the movie.....was it love or obsession? It's certainly nowhere near a conventional love and I wouldn't call this a love story by any means, but what were Han Gi's intentions? In his warped sense of thinking did he believe he loved Sun Hwa and wanted her to be near him, or was he just completely obsessed with her? How could he completely ruin her but at the same time be protective over her? I still haven't decided on the answer. And the same goes for Sun Hwa. Did she eventually develop some sort of genuine feelings for Han Gi or was it more like stockholm syndrome? I just don't know.
Overall I liked the movie. I would probably only rewatch this if someone else wanted me to watch it with them. It's not something you would just watch over and over. But for its subject matter, it was a really well made movie and the questions it leaves you with make it that much more intriguing I think. If you're not sure, just watch the trailer first. That sealed the deal for me.
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Very addicting suspense and powerful surprise
The cinematography is extremely brilliant in this one, the suspense and thrill is heavily packed right from the start, pacing is just perfect as it keeps getting more and more addicting while the truth uncovers one over another. The storyline is really well arranged even though it's quite a simple one, but the surprise factor is very strong towards the end, while glossing it with some comedy to keep it stylish. Although this is the first feature film that Kim Seonho acted as the main lead, his performance is so breathtaking, he's charismatic in action and his humor simply steals the show. Everyone else's characters were also thoughtfully designed, the fight is so intense for some very ironic reasons, while the characters strike out with the best they've got.Esta resenha foi útil para você?
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Staying delulu is the solulu
That was an unforgettable journey for sure. Be it for interesting plot, great scenarios, entertaining main and endearing supporting characters, villains that are actually vile and will make your blood boil, beautiful set designs, fitting soundtrack… and the questionable ending - that one you will for sure never forget.The Spirealm is simply addicting. Bromance was romancing hard and let’s be real, many people started this show because of the censored BL aspect. The same way once the characters enter the first door they cannot escape, there was no turning back for me after the first episode - I was completely in love with the drama.
Ruan Lan Zhu has an extremely enticing charm about him - carefree and confident nature with glimpses of worry towards Ling Jiu Shi that grew stronger as the show progressed. You know there will be angst brewing from day one and you cannot wait for it. I loved how fake he was in the games, shamelessly switching his personality whenever needed. I loved how he slowly became friends with people around him, how he started to care about them and was willing to change his ways to help them. Well presented, not over the top character development. Xia Zhi Guang’s performance just made what was already a well written character shine even more. His expressive eyes stole my soul and turned my brain off. Him being the perfect man makes sense when you think about the fact he was… well, not real. I guess Jiu Shi’s perfect man is also my perfect man, we share the type in the delulu land.
While I liked Ling Jiu Shi a lot, I did find him far less interesting as an individual. I enjoyed his interaction with other characters a lot and he was obviously the force that changed everyone around him with his empathic and emotional side, but for some reason I felt like they accidentally made him too perfect - smart, brave, caring, with a new different perspective that is usually right, driven. The dude had no flaws. Even things that were supposed to technically be negative - at times too emotional and impulsive, were never truly bad. Sadly, Huang Jun Jie did not save the few lacking aspects with his acting. Some performances can elevate the character, here they chopped some of its charm. The emotional scenes were just not it - quite awkward.
Then we have a whole bunch of supporting characters I adored: Li Dong Yuan wholesome “playboy” with a golden heart, Tan Zao Zao bravest of them all, Xiao Ke surprised badass, Zhuang Ru Jiao loyal sunshine. Even though these characters show up just for a few episodes here and there, they did such a good job with presenting their unique personalities it was impossible for me not to get attached. I am surprised how much their deaths hit me.
What’s more to appreciate? The villains. The worst crime a drama can commit is making their villains bland - you gotta either hate to love them, or love to hate them. And I for sure loved to bitch about them while watching. The way I sometimes had to pause the episodes, because they annoyed me so much. The way I could not wait for their demise. And for all that I am grateful. They made the drama more dynamic and the stakes real. They weren’t useless and inferior to the main characters - the similar skill level actually made the watch that more entertaining.
Cannot believe Yan Ba Lang’s Clark Kenting with a beard/lack of beard actually worked and I did not recognize him - I will admit though, I completely lost my brain while watching. No idea what kind of weird subliminal interfering signals this drama was sending, but I was blind to everything and could predict nothing. I was clowning hard with how confused I was about the most basic and obvious things.
All these characters could shine thanks to the game settings and let me tell you, the stories presented in them were actually interesting! When I don’t mind bromance separating and having episodes of them not interacting at all - that’s when you know they were selling a good plot. My favorite door was probably the second door - The Apartment. It was just so weird and creepy - the image just made me feel uncomfortable and unnerved, but in the best way possible.
Honestly speaking though - all the doors were great. The unique stories presented with enough detail and world building you got immersed whenever you liked it or not. The presentation leaned towards dark fantasy rather than horror, but I don’t really mind. I feel like extremely explicit gore would actually be distracting.
And then we have to bromance ( that b is silent). I’m just going to ignore the fact Jiu Shi fell in love with an AI modeled to literally be his perfect man and this is a top level of delulu behavior I have ever seen. I still love these two. Truth to be told, Ruan Lan Zhu carried the romance for most of the show with his loving gaze and overprotective nature. For obvious reasons he could, should, and even had to focus on Ling Jiu Shi. While he might have been written to support Jiu Shi, it’s not the reason why he started, but the reason why he stayed that matters. And let me tell you - he stayed because he loved the boy. \
We also had one of the best love confessions in any (b)romance drama” "Don't worry. I'll protect you. I'll protect you forever. Until your life comes to an end, or my life comes to an end". So what he was saying was "for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death do us part" -low key wedding vows. Yes, the censorship made the production team be more “creative” with some scenes for example: ain’t no cheek stroking. Lan Zhu was just removing a car hair from Jiu Shi ‘s face - in the most tender and loving way ever, with eyes screaming worry and devotion.
The performances were mostly strong. Even the more questionable and wacky ones seemed to fit the given characters and scenarios (I am looking at you Zhang Ji Nan). Putting aside Xia Zhi Guang who obviously aced the role, my favorites were Liu Xiao Bei and Lu Meng Lin. I think they perfectly delivered the vulnerability of accepting their own death and it was heartbreaking to watch. As I already said, Huang Jun Jie did well for most of the show, but failed when it mattered. When the angst hit its tipping point and I kept being distracted by his delivery…
Now, let’s talk about the twist and the ending, because I don’t even know how I feel about it. I dislike it, but I cannot be mad about it.
Let’s start with the NPC twist. I almost had to take a break from the show when they revealed it. I did not predict it so I had smack in the face with that revelation hard. To my defense, I think I gave the drama too much credit to be a “decent” sci-fi, when it’s borderline fantasy, so the idea that an AI algorithm can interact with the real world, bleed etc. just never crossed my mind. Him not being real crossed my mind, but on a larger scale - nothing is real, which, depending on the interpretation, could be the case.
Anyway, him being this perfect makes sense when you get to that point of the story. I honestly think my negative reaction to that twist came from me focusing too much on the use of the NPC abbreviation. He is not your typical NPC, he is more of a conscious AI that in all aspects, cannot really be differentiated from humans. They basically made Lan Zhu Pinocchio. So while I hated it at first, the more I thought about it, the less bothered I became.
On the other hand, the longer I thought about the ending, the more annoyed I was. Personally I can see two different interpretations of the ending - either everything that happened in the game did not happen, and it was in fact the result of Jiu Shi’s coma or it all happened and the game can basically overwrite time and space, change the past, present and the future of the Earth and I don’t know what makes me more mad…
If we go with the first one, it’s a full on delulu clownery. What you are saying is - Jiu Shi got so immersed in the imaginary world his brain created, he dedicated his whole real life to create his fantasy world with his fake boyfriend where he can spend his second life. I’ve never seen a more romanticized version of pro virtual reality over real life in my whole life. Why does this interpretation make sense? When Jiu Shi woke up from the car accident, he saw all the players his brain created as people around him. It’s fair to assume he might have crossed paths with all of them one way or another in his daily life, without even consciously noticing them. It does not explain how he knew about the man living in Obsidian’s headquarters though. So while this theory seems fair at first, it fails at the end.
So we are left with “the game is just all powerful”. This makes perfect sense when we take into consideration the original novel is in fantasy and not sci-fi genre. There are no real rules nor limits for fantasy, but there are rules and directions for sci-fi - that’s why it’s so hard to change a fantasy story into a logical sci-fi. Here they obviously failed. It just makes zero sense, and what’s worse - it was so fucking unnecessary. They could have had exactly the same ending of Jiu Shi dedicating his whole life to create The Spirealm and rebuild all his friends who became NPCs and Lan Zhu, after he passed the 11th door without going back into past, before he got into first door, making it car accident and all the players having different lives in this alternative reality. I kind of felt cheated and all the moving and heartbreaking deaths started to feel cheap. Clearly, I did not vibe with the ending…
I think I would rather like the drama ending on the 11th door farewell scene. Make it sad, bittersweet and impactful instead of over the top and illogical.
All that said, I still loved the show. It’s not a perfect drama, but it is perfect entertainment for me. I was thinking about Spirealm daily, wanting to watch the next episode. I skipped some precious hours of sleep for “just one more episode” and spammed friends with reactions and opinions. I’m planning to binge rewatch it soon, maybe even start right away. Once I was in and watched that one episode, there was no going back.
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