1Esta resenha pode conter spoilers
Tumbling down a rabbit hole of problems
Was it warm and healing as advertised?Not really, no.
This drama was at its best when it had this just-go-with-the wind vibe. But, for some reason, they decided to throw in a bunch of out-of-nowhere tragedies and drama that eventually took over and left warmth and healing on the backburner.
And while the ML was being sweet and thoughtful the FL was letting herself be walked over by others to an annoying degree. I can take slow growth in a drama, that's fine. But she actually didn't change in that respect. Also, the prominent excusing/dismissal of abuse left a bad taste in my mouth, tainting a lot of my attempts to enjoy Summer Strike.
I don't know, I guess I just expected more; which is funny because I started this drama on a whim.
Do I recommend watching it? If you're looking for more kind MLs, sure. Otherwise, this might be one to skip.
Esta resenha foi útil para você?
Why I decided to watch The Moon/Sun is a long story which I'm kindly going to spare you. Suffice to know, 20 minutes in and I was hooked. This review is therefore dedicated to viewers who, like me, have never been fond of the genre.
Captivated by the details of folklore scattered throughout this drama, I decided to read up on their historical dependability. I so found out that the Saeguks of the past were all based upon true facts derived from Joseon annals, while the newer productions often deviate from this norm, by either introducing a few fictional facts on a documented background (fusion Saeguks) or creating a fantasy world in terms of characters, plot, even costumes. The Moon embracing the Sun falls into the latter category, so if what you look for is a lesson on how royalty lived in the Joseon era, you'd better forget this drama. This isn't a perfect Saeguk by far, possibly not a perfect drama either. It is, however, a perfect fairytale and in this light I believe it fully deserves the high marks many of us awarded it and the success it attained in Korea.
.
The fairytale elements are all there from the very beginning. Prepare yourself for a journey into magic, undying love, friendship, betrayal, hate, tears, laughter, curses and so on and so forth. A childlike approach to the viewing is needed, lest you want to spend your time wondering at its credibility or lack thereof. And because a work of fiction should never be judged outside its narrative context, it is undeniable this story works, and works well. Now that I have completed it, I fully understand the complains of those who wished for a different epilogue for some of the characters, but personally I was prepared to face losses and would go as far as to say they were a necessity induced by the premises of this story.
I won't spend too many words on the acting. Everybody has sang praises for the teenagers' cast, which I second. Nevertheless, the adult cast was outstanding, Han Ga In included – it was truly hard to surpass the grace, beauty and artless charm of the 13 year old Yeom Woo. Han Ga In didn't steal my heart at first but sneaked into it with steadfast progression. She has one of the most pleasant voices I know. I was literally mesmerized by Kim Soo Hyun, but I won't lie: I have a hard time separating my hormonal reaction to my logical thinking, when it comes to him. Whatever the case, he gave life to a multilayered, unforgettable character.
I'd love to talk in detail about each and every endearing character – see on top the Eunuch and Wun – but I fear this is becoming long enough.
I thought the transition from children to adults was marvellously made, and not surprisingly my very favourite scene is the 8 years jump, both on a visual as well as an emotional and symbolic level.
There have been times when I wished they had made use of more open-space sets, but not only I have not enough experience in period dramas to know whether this is often the case, but following what I wrote before, the enclosed setting works well in creating a sort of fantasy bubble out of time and reality.
Little visual details made my day, and I have no qualms in declaring this drama displays the most beautiful letter ever shown on screen.
A huge part of this drama emotional impact is played by the music. Mainly instrumental and with lovely insertions of traditional instruments such as zithers, harps and lutes, it would be perfectly fit for a grand period movie. Notable mention for the minor key pieces, especially 'Like Petals, Like Flames', 'The Sorrow Song of Love' and the enchanting 'Butterfly Dance'. They all play on the viewer's emotion and are wonderfully suggestive of the scene they soundtrack.
As for re-watch value… I am toying with the idea of starting afresh next week. I suppose this says it all.
Esta resenha foi útil para você?
Esta resenha pode conter spoilers
No bullshit BL but wholesome...
While I did not expect much from this series, it was very refreshing. It's many stories about many bizarre people which will grow on you the further you watch this series. They all have their quirks but most of them are just good people regardless.The center pieces are a soon to be gay couple and a girl which is neglected by her parents for different reasons. The stories tell about the life of the people, all the struggles they face and how they grow together. The gay romance is not the focus of the stories, it just happens naturally without much fanfare and I would have wished for a bit more focus there and some intimacy.
But overall that was fun to watch, educational to watch and a series needed for Japans society. This is of course on my "must watch" list, even when the beginning seems to be very comedic, the stories have depth and meaning and will warm your heart. This is a series for the whole family.
Esta resenha foi útil para você?
A cunning web of deception and twists…
I don’t write many reviews but I thought I’d give this one a go because it’s really refreshing. Cdramas dominate my watchlist so I can pretty much predict most storylines. So far, I haven’t been able to predict this one. I also love that the main characters are not the typical bad or good people. They are conniving and neither wholly good nor entirely evil. I’m generally inclined towards smart characters because dumb mains are just frustrating to watch. The camaraderie and twists and turns makes this worth the watch.UPDATE: So I’ve finished watching this drama and I still enjoyed it. The only thing was that towards the middle and end it was a bit predictable because the director/screenwriter kept using the same technique in revealing the plot, which actually makes you less invested because you expect there to be a twist. Still worth the watch though.
Esta resenha foi útil para você?
Esta resenha pode conter spoilers
This is so intense and fast pace like there's so much happening, yet I don't feel overwhelmed. Very big production, the money that went into this was huge. The attention to detail is mind-blowing.The acting is great, Huang xuan doing wonders, happy that he's able to showcase his acting here. His crying scenes are heartbreaking. Wang yi bo did a fine job, looks pretty good. In fact everyone's visuals are great. His and Huang xuan's characters only had one thing in mind..revenge, that changed as the story progressed.
Song qian nailed her role, her character is strong and smart. Her fighting scenes were fun to watch, her status doesn't hinder her from doing what she felt was right. She mostly uses that to her advantage. Song yi is adorable, Liu ran is the best wife that Er lang could have asked for. I would say that among the mains she has the highest EQ. She is able to help Er lang with that. She is just getting unnecessary hate, i agree that some of the things she does it questionable but the girl is in love and love makes people do stupid/immature things. Every time she is ignored by him, my heart hurts for her. Glad that Er lang started to treat her gently, like she is quite understanding. I would say that her character development was pretty good. I found their cp on the cute and innocent side while Si Yue and Gao Bing Zhu on the mature and intense side. Main problem between the cps is communication. The lack of it created unnecessary problems for them.
As for the supporting roles, my favourites were Bai lang, Shen fei, Yao niang and Yunzhi. Liked how whenever they showed up they just ligtened the mood, especially Bai lang, the man is so funny and he does it with ease. Shen fei and Yunzhi both priotise their masters (friends) happiness first. Shen fei always helping and protecting Er lang in every way he can. Regardless of how crazy it might be, he is always there for him. Yao niang was awesome to watch wished she had more scenes. The empress is feared by everyone, she holds so much power its frightening. I definitely did not like Liu feng, he was annoying, selfish and a waste of space.
I like how everyone was connected, each character protrayed well. The casting choices were good. The chemistry between the cast is great. The fighting scenes are pretty well done. The characters are complex, not necessarily easy to read. No one is set and stone, from the mains to the side characters. The plot is intriguing, captivating and clever. I like how everyone is trying to outsmart each other. No one is written dumb, like they have brain cells and the logic is there. It is quite fast paced but the flow of the plot is not affected. In fact that makes it even more appealing. It got me anticipating what is coming next. There is balance in the plot, no plot device is overshadowed by another. There are quite a few plot holes but doesnt really the storytelling.
Esta resenha foi útil para você?
The only ordinary portion of this whole drama is the second lead couple. Both their relationship with each other to their struggles in work is something many people can relate to. It helps that both Ahn Jae-hong and Song Ha-yoon are very good at their jobs, enriching their performances with groundedness and understanding. I wished, episode after episode, that this drama was more about these two. They made this drama satisfying to me.
The main leading couple, on the other hand, is where many of this drama's weaknesses lie. Acting wise they weren't on their A game, Park Seo-joon especially. I'm just bored of him playing the same brash, shouty character over and over again. Their journey also don't feel genuine. Note that I said the journey, not the emotions, which I think the actors tried very hard at. There were too many external conflicts that became more and more ridiculous by the episode, further distancing these two characters from seemingly extras to actually secretly very much leads. In many ways, it felt like the drama was lying to me. Even their budding romantic relationship was off for me, as I found it to be childish with a big dose of unhealthy possessiveness.
This drama is weird to me because it showed one of the best examples of realistic dialogue and acting in the form of Seol-hee and Joo-man, but also made me aware what undeserved happy endings look like in the form of, well, the last two episodes. It wasn't a truly waste of my time but I wish it would've been better.
Esta resenha foi útil para você?
10/10 will watch again
I haven't watched many Kmovies but I have watched many Kdrama. I should say that this movie is hilarious, very very funny. The joke is so fast and unexpected. The camera angle is so good.In my perspective, Kdramas nature are switching between funny and serious but usually slow and dragging the story. For example Alchemy of Souls, business proposal, moving, 2521, etc.
But in this movie (because it's a movie too - 2 hours compared to 16-20 episodes of Kdrama) the story and joke is very fast and very often, and very chaotic. I'm enjoying it very much, I laughed so hard. Very worth watching, you will forget the real world you are living in that 2 hours.
I admitted that I'm Jung Somin's fan and I watched it because of that, but also credit to main actor, Kang Haneul. His acting and facial expression is as good as Jung Somin, what a perfect chemistry lol.
If you are Jung Somin's fan. YOU MUST WATCH THIS. Her acting are absolutely on point as always, and she's very HOT in this movie omg, I love her since BTIMFL then AOS but this movie makes me fall in love with her again. Her looks in this show is my most favorite compared to AOS, BTIMFL, Montly magazine, etc.
The reason I give 10/10 because I still don't have any point to complain. I will watch again for sure.
Esta resenha foi útil para você?
Esta resenha foi útil para você?
1A deeper dive into a gripping tale of revenge, redemption and karma meeting heartfelt drama of life
A webtoon adaptation that did justice and honored the original creation without messing up with the storyline; a proper execution of its true kind!⚠️ Disclaimer: Before you proceed, you need to know that I read both the novel and the manhwa; so my review will have comparison of both original content and the adaptation.
When I got the news that "Payback" manhwa would get a Thai adaptation, initially I was skeptical as the original language and the setting of the drama were in Korean. So, naturally, I thought we'd lose lots of cultural nuances in the adaptation, as both countries possess different cultures and characteristics of their own. But to my surprise, it was way better than I expected it to be! They religiously followed the manhwa and added all the important scenes and, honestly, I can't be happier. Unlike the Korean adaptations, this Thai adaptation gave justice to the storyline and proved why, in making BLs, Thailand is superior to other countries. The adaptation faithful towards its original material and they preserved all of its raw and unhinged emotions intact to the point that it felt like I was seeing those manhwa characters coming out of the page and taking a human form to present exactly what I had read. I didn't watch this, it consumed me.
"When you truly understand karma, then you realize you are responsible for everything in your life."
Sun knew it.
Storyline wise, this drama has everything, from a sad backstory, thrilling revenge plan, emotional turmoil, finding oneself, a dramatic roller-coaster ride of a rotten system to falling in love with unexpected people in unexpected ways. It covered everything skillfully with its true emotional intensity. This had the most gripping atmosphere spread throughout the series so that one cannot just stop at one episode and keep it for another day. It's so deliciously addicting, that watching this ongoing might feel like an emotional torture.
It'd be a crime if I didn't mention how the intimate scenes of Jay and Sun were unexpectedly bold and beautiful at the same time. They just nailed the right balance of the seen and unseen emotions as they did not hesitate to illustrate their body chemistry. Jay displayed toxic, controlling, and possessive behavior towards Sun initially looked concerning but soon Jay's constant coercion and unfiltered love-shower made Sun break his black and white concrete boundaries and let him free from his suffocated shackles he bound himself with and see the colourful moments of life like everyone else.
Acting wise, I have to say I couldn't find any flaws here. If you have read the manhwa, you'll know how composed, emotionless and indifferent the Sun was. Minlee portrayed the originally written character so well that at first it might feel like he's frozen and can't act well, but his character is like that in the manhwa. On the other hand, Toptap as Jay was a brilliant cast. His overall figure, body postures, way of talking and doing things were too good! He perfectly grabbed the cocky, crazy yet smart, calm and cool executive director aura. Even though both of them were playing the lead role for the first time, they did their homework very well.
From the supporting characters, Sky, manager Kajorn and Jay's uncle Jo stole my heart. They were fabulous. Sky's acting and his backstory brought tears to my eyes. Even Sun's story couldn't do that. I'm just so in love with the manager, Kajorn, and his unwavering commitment to his artists. He was clumsy, nervous at times, funny and heartwarmingly lovely father and manager. He only wanted the best for them. And uncle Jo, maybe he was there for some comic relief, but it was well needed. He was the only one who made Sun smile for the first time. With his silly words, he kept the mood light when Sun was tensed and agitated. The intricate detailing of each and every character was brilliantly portrayed on screen.
Without the clean cinematography and pumped up OST, it would be as impactful as it is including them. They kept the suspense and mysterious atmosphere of the thrill alive.
Overall, I had a great time binging this series. It kept me on the edge till the end of the series to see what happens to the characters. So, if you want to watch something that is thrilling, spicy and full of shady people doing people dirty, then you can trust my words and give it a try.
Esta resenha foi útil para você?
No it's not Japanese Squid Game :, It's Awesome!!
"**Some of the participants are as strong as monsters**" 😂🤣😅... *I was like that's true my man run if you can*. 🏃🏽♂️🏃🏽♂️Wow : I loved it!!! loved the background stories, loved the fight sequences, loved the cinematography, loved the mystery 10/10🌟
If someone says this is just like Squid Game, don't believe them because this is more than games and killing each other. It's *espionage, mystery, intrigue*. I get Squid Game reference though but I also saw many parallels with Japanese death game genre movies like Battle Royale, As the Gods Wills, Harakiri, Kaiji etc.
If you’re familiar with jidaigeki or samurai films, you’ll recognize the historical backdrop — the fall of the samurai class and the dawn of a new world order. That old-world-vs-new. The political tension runs deep.
I loved the layered mystery: the characters’ backstories, the “who’s behind it,” the “what’s the purpose.” Even the side characters get a bit of depth, you connect with them, you feel for them.But the background characters are also explored in great depth and you're able to connect and sympathize with them.
Our Samurai has PTSD, but is forced by cholera and poverty to raise his sword again and he unwittingly assembles a team of misfits along the way.
Through his team of weaklings and misfits some of whom cannot fight but have a fighting spirit, you will find plenty of inspiration about the meaning of
*real strength, being strong, good vs evil, finding yourself, friendship, found family*
And that it's okay to "*waste*" some of your "*precious*" tags on someone weaker than you or who has no chance of winning... that's the beauty of life.
Waiting for S2 announcement.
Esta resenha foi útil para você?
On a technical level, the screenwriters’ ability to juggle so many through lines is stunning. Set-ups in early episodes lead to powerful payoffs hours down the line, and little time is wasted, with each scene deepening characterizations, drawing parallels, establishing new conflicts and reinforcing themes. Fictional elements are well integrated with the actual history, and while liberties are certainly taken, this is a much less romanticized world than that of most fusion sageuks. Reality constantly intrudes in all its messy brutality, and show embraces this, refusing to whitewash the actions of its characters. For me, the only misstep was the writers’ attempt to create a grand, overarching mythology running from Queen Seondeok to King Sejong. It felt forced and unnecessary, an in-joke that distracted from the story at hand, and its corresponding secret society was the least convincing aspect of the show.
The directing is initially a bit awkward, but as things progress, the editing calms down and the fabulous ensemble cast takes center stage, riveting in all their flawed, passionate, terrible humanity. Dark but never cynical, violent but never gratuitous, grim but never hopeless, the show cares for all its characters, and it makes you care deeply too. They often lose their battles, but they fight with everything they have, refusing to stop seeking, striving, dreaming. They can’t go on, and yet they do. And because of them, Six Flying Dragons soars.
Esta resenha foi útil para você?
Mint Drama!!
Dear Diary (我的巴比伦恋人 - My Babylonian Lover), is a 24 eps rom-com drama that narrates the story of how a diary that was once written by a 12-year-old girl come to life. The 12-year-old girl (Chen Meiru) once fantasizes and wrote a diary about herself as the woman whom the Babylonian prince single-heartedly love and would die for. However, her "diary" became known by everyone in her hometown. Thus, the 12-year-old girl was traumatized and she grew up to become a very closed and serious woman.This drama is not like any other rom-com drama, it is original and unique. Dear Diary has so many plot devices and themes used harmoniously together. The drama is well-paced and there is not a single dull moment. Dear Diary has many exciting, interesting, and heart-warming plots along the way. Moreover, the drama also transitions seamlessly between comedy, romance, action, and suspense. All in all, the element of fiction and reality are seamlessly interwoven and executed.
The quality of storytelling is very well done, this drama grips you every single episode, it makes you want to watch more and binge the whole drama. Some people might find this drama bizarre and weird (because yes, it is), but when you're watching this, just turn off your brain and enjoy the drama. The drama isn't all about romance and comedy, there is a deep message hidden in it. The drama has some really meaningful dialogues, and the drama also displays tremendous character growth in all characters. In addition, even though there are 3 characters who were technically "fictional characters", but they didn't feel fake or generic, they felt like real people. All the characters are well-dimensioned, it is very well-written. Though there might be some plot holes, the plot holes are forgive-able.
All of the main cast did a very exceptional job. The actors are really commendable for acting delivering their lines without laughing, as there are a lot of scenes that are really hilarious; e.g. drinking from a fishbowl. Moreover, the interactions and chemistry between everyone are also realistically and convincingly portrayed.
The production of Dear Diary is also executed immaculately, the writing, direction, and production team pays close attention to the whole drama that making it a perfect drama!! The production team went to Iraq, Morocco, and Paris to shoot some of the scenes and to accumulate Babylonian artifacts and resources. In addition, the drama also spent 2 years on post-production, with its dubbing and editing. Therefore, believe me, it won't disappoint you. The technical execution of this drama might not be top-notch, but it is interesting and beautiful. It has immersive camerawork for certain scenes and appropriate levels of color grading. Moreover, the high production value is also reflected in the set design, costume, everything is fantastic.
All in all, Dear Diary is a wonderfully produced drama, it has an engrossing plot, impressive cinematography, beautiful writing. Dear Diary will keep you on the edge of your chair, with its comedy, thrills, and suspense playing out at a compelling pace. With it, it deserves more attention and it is definitely one of this year's dark horse.
Plus, I love how each episode ending ends with this statement, "MeiRu, I’m marrying you. We’ll be in a monogamous relationship and I’ll never leave you."
Esta resenha foi útil para você?
Esta resenha pode conter spoilers
It's fun, but it's not much better than the typical mediocre cdrama romcom.
The Good⌲ The bickering in the early episodes
⌲ The fluff
⌲ The mom
⌲ Shen Yue's still awesome.
⌲ The basic fantasy story is just nice, especially before Mao Xiaojun's plot is explained in detail.
⌲ No lasting love triangles (second FL dates some rando for a couple of early episodes)
⌲ The "real" ending felt rather satisfying.
⌲ Dazzling smiles everywhere. (and of course, everyone is stunningly beautiful, more so than normal)
The Average
⌲ The comedy (there is very little of it in the last 8 episodes)
⌲ The main romance (questionable chemistry with a very shallow portrayal of romance)
⌲ The second lead couple (I liked their matching misfits vibe, but their plot could not have been any draggier)
⌲ The magic/daoist powers were somewhat underutilized. (Let's look at how nice the summoning thing was in Goblin)
⌲ The workplace felt a bit immersion breaking due to a multitude of reasons. (For example FL's immediate colleges were not really believable human beings, not even for a fantasy romcom and I'm not saying this lightly)
The Bad
⌲ The usual censored "it's just a novel" crap happening after the "real" ending. (it's the last 7 minutes)
⌲ Mao Xiaojun (I feel his story is just a needless complication that's been immersion breaking for me)
⌲ The last 7~ episodes are straight up boring. (I can totally appreciate endless fluff & sugar, but this was too lifeless for me)
⌲ Second ML's dad. (god, that conversation mini flashback during ep23 was just horrible)
---
I don't regret watching this, but this is the kind of drama that I'll probably never think about again.
Esta resenha foi útil para você?
Then it happened. There was a storm hit or an earthquake or some radiation leak or some kind of cosmic unconscious thing happened that some how messed with the brains of the writers that made them **** up (insert various curse words here) the drama at exactly episode 35. That is where the BS began.This drama went left. So left it fell of a cliff..ugh i'm so mad the writers messed the whole thing up.
The romance between the main characters Monghee and her love life totally was just turned upside down, punt in a blender, pureed, frozen and thrown out to sea. That's how bizarre her story was. Don't even get me started on the 180 half the characters made. The only saving grace for this drama is the story of the youngest brother. I can't put my finger on what exactly happened but if you are going to embark n this journey good luck.
I for one am not happy with the way it turned out. I don't think i have cursed so much at the ending of a drama and i saw When a Man Loves (that says a lot). That ending made me puke ugh I need the 50+ hrs i invested in this drama back.
In other words DON'T DO IT.
Esta resenha foi útil para você?
Esta resenha foi útil para você?
