They have made some differences in the movie, like Cao Guang being the same person with Zhen Shui Wu Xiang (the ex of Wei Wei in the game) but is well connected.
I liked more Wei Wei played by Angela Baby, she portrayed more effectively her emotions and feelings.
Jing Boran hasn't the charm of Yang Yang (main actor of the drama) but he played very well the role of Xiao Nai and I liked that Xiao Nai was more talkative and smiled more often in the movie. :D ;)
The scenes inside the game were amazing, it made you feel like you were playing the game together with them. Especially the battle with the dragon in the game was awesome.
Its perfect movie especially if you are an online game fan :P ;) its modern, romantic and sweet without any dramas and it focus more on the online game world.
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Does it Lack Anything????? Definitely No!!!!
I just came across this drama through an edit on YouTube. That edit itself made me watch the whole drama. Well, now you can imagine how much impact this drama had on me. Every minute and every second of this drama kept on delivering. Kudos to the Team and the actors for creating such a wonderful Masterpiece.STORY + ACTING + VISUAL EFFECTS + EFFORTLESSLY FUNNY + SUSPENSE = "I am Nobody"
[What more do you want???]
The story is definitely one the unique stories I have ever seen. Especially from the first episode to the last episode it just maintained the pace. Not a single moment where I felt bored and not a single scene where I wanted to skip it or fast forward it. Mostly these days I have been skipping few scenes if the drama gets boring, but this is not that kind of drama. It helped me understand how much I can enjoy even while watching a drama!!!
Oh what do I say about the acting, I can sense(I am manifesting) that the actors in this drama are going to get really famous and receive more projects from now on. Special mention to Wang Ying Lu(Bao Bao) and Peng Yu Chang(Chu Lan) for their amazing performance during the entire show. Especially Wang Ying Lu, she is so funny and fierce at the same time.
Now comes the main part, MARTIAL ARTS and VISUAL EFFECTS are the heart of the drama. They did not compromise on anything!! Maybe there is no science in the story but who cares when it is not boring and makes you wonder what is going to happen next and gives you goosebumps in few scenes. Maybe I am over hyping it........but this drama deserves all the attention & appreciation.
Also, this drama focuses on each and every detail of the martial art or the superpower they posses, just like explaining it to people like us, who doesn't have any knowledge about those. This is what makes you more interested in the drama. You may not understand few terms at first but while the episodes keep progressing you will understand everything.
I really liked how they explain the evil outsiders get punished, even though they do not show how they get punished, that explanation itself is quite content enough. This drama also tries to make you laugh even though the situation is filled with suspense and fierceness. And the whole credit goes to Zhang Chu Lan and Feng Bao Bao along with the production team. It is really not so easy to pull out a funny scene when the whole scenario is supposed to be a part of the main part of the story. Double thumps up to them for not making it awkward and making us be at ease and enjoy even the most serious parts of the story.
This is one of the dramas where I watched it for the unique story(one of it is "Forbidden Flower"), generally I watch dramas with my favourite actors or just because the trailer is good. Prior to watching the drama I don't really know any of the cast except for Neo Hu & Bi Wen Jun. I am utterly surprised why this is not getting all the hype it required(or maybe the hype is not enough).
If only they showed who Zhang Chulan's father is and what happened to them along with Feng Baobao's father and the origin of baobao's parents, I would feel that this season would be complete by itself. I hope these minute details will be revealed in season 2. Which is also the reason why I gave it a 9.5 other than this the drama is a 10 for me.
Well, maybe I can guess that this is not everyone's cup of tea but irrespective of the genre you like everyone must and should watch this drama. C-dramas are definitely delivering this 2023. Can't wait to watch more stories like this. So, I suggest everyone to go watch this!!
My suggestion to the people binge watching it is - just keep watching the drama, you might or might not understand it at first, but you will understand everything when you are halfway through it.
One last thing I would want to say is "There is romance but there is no romance". Figure it out after you watch the drama LOL.
PS - Just Two Words........."Speechlessly Amazing"!!!!! Just give this drama a fair chance :)
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1Script? What script?
I love Holland for all he has done (and represents) for the LGBTQ community, and I'm thrilled that a KBL finally has an openly gay actor playing a lead. But the production company didn't even try with the script. In fact, calling it a script might be too generous - it's a few ideas strung together with nothing connecting them. Which is a bummer, because the characters did have promise if you squint (a shy, gullible chef trying to start a restaurant paired with an outgoing, business-savvy drifter who's like, "I must help this sweet fool before he loses the shirt off his back." Aaand I just made it sound way more interesting than it actually ended up being. In reality, they just skip from plot point to plot point with no progression or logic.)The direction must have been pretty poor because I KNOW Han Gi Chan can act, but in a lot of scenes here, it seemed like he couldn't. Holland's acting skills didn't come across too well either, but I'd give him another chance if he tries acting again, because (*gestures toward Han Gi Chan*) even a good actor seemed middling in this drama. To be fair, there were some scenes that I thought they acted out decently.
The (literal) ocean was very pretty. I also liked that this drama skipped a lot of the common pitfalls in BL - both of them were nice guys, neither of them was an alpha, they didn't sexually harass or assault each other, and no one fetishized them. Finally, I enjoyed the homophobia-free environment! But without an actual story, it was all so very bland.
Here's hoping that these actors' next projects are with companies that will invest in quality scripts and directors. Our trailblazing icon Holland deserved better than this for his acting debut.
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Rare case of love triangle done right
Under the cliché high school romance full of tropes, there is a hidden depth. Don’t expect this show to change your life, but it might leave you with some thoughts to think about.It’s a short story of finding yourself, standing up for your beliefs, improving and changing your environment. At first all the characters might seem stereotypical, but there is more to them.
Tae Kyung is not your typical introverted shy boy. While he might not be the life of the party, he is confident and honest, never scared of voicing his opinion to the people he cares about.
Shin Woo seems like a cold, distant lead? Could not be further from the truth. He is a shy, sweet and loving potato that needs some time to open up to other people. He values his friends, trying to stay honorable while not giving up on what he desires and loves.
Da On might seem too good to be true, but he is battling his own demons. The external and internal pressure to be a perfect student, friend, son took a toll on him, and we witness his slow change, as he discovers who he truly is.
Shi Woon is not just a comedic relief that is supposed to brighten up the mood. He is the most caring and emotionally mature of all the characters, always giving wise advice and making sure everyone is taken care of.
While the drama follows all the well known tropes, by changing some details, and giving the character more nuance, it becomes more interesting and engaging. The love triangle? Chef’s kiss. The way the story unfolds, you cannot stop yourself from understanding both main ships, since they both work and have their charming aspects.
The acting could be improved. I know many people say Tae Kyung is just that awkward character, hence the acting is fitting - for me it’s just not good. While I ended up liking the awkwardness behind Sae On’s line delivery (it was cute), I do think he needs to train his acting skills quite a bit. The rest of the cast did rather well. Some more emotional scenes from Seo Hyun seemed a bit empty, but So Hee’s character was not worth even caring about, so I let it pass.
Light On Me is an amazing step forward for Korean BLs. The audience wants a longer format, the audience wants better production quality and the audience will appreciate the hard work. This show proves it. While I don’t think it’s the best K-BL, I completely understand the sentiment of people who do believe so. With more and longer episodes, the main leads were fleshed out more, the story had a steady pace and the supporting characters were more than just extras filling the space.
I also have to appreciate the job done behind the scenes - the cast supporting the genre in the interviews. The whole production team seemed to do it for more than just money, there is a true important message they are trying to convey. Even the OST singers A.C.E showed support for the community on countless occasions. On the OST - opening song is such a bop.
Some complaints though. While I understand the purpose of So Hee’s character, I also believe the show could have done without her being the antagonist. The same result could have been achieved without making the only female character the "villain". Her character progression was also not quite believable.
Another small, but extremely distracting aspect was the makeup. Damn. What they’ve done to Sae On’s pretty face should land them in jail. It was extremely unnatural, which added to the robotic vibe Tae Kyung gave because of the, at times questionable line delivery. They literally looked like plastic dolls, with white faces not quite fitting the tone of the neck.
The last thing worth mentioning - the first episode does not represent the drama well. It was not the best introduction to the story and the characters, but I promise it gets better with each episode.
Overall, such a fun and enjoyable ride. It truly brought a lot of people on mdl together to discuss the characters and relationships. Getting so many people so attached and engaged speaks volumes about the show itself.
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Watch this ALONE & WITH HEADPHONES
HONESTLY, WHAT IN THE BDSM did I just watch.There were some really harsh moments - actually the entire movie was extremely HARDCORE. I had to pause it many times just to ask myself "Really What are you watching", but obviously I kept watching to finish.
The story started off very weird and gave no insight into what was actually taking place, but as the story progressed some pieces were put together and it made a little bit more sense. They tackled a lot of demons one battle in life, especially when they lose a loved one. The psychosis and trauma that occurs during this movie are eye-opening.
The acting is superb, I will give them that! They really get into their roles, but again WHAT AM I WATCHING. I was still confused even after watching the entire movie.
******disclaimer - I gave it such a low rating because:**********
1. I would never watch it again
2. there really wasn't an OST
3. It was very raw... a little too hardcore for me in the beginning
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Zhousheng Chen, You Have Come Afterall
"If there was someone in today’s society who carried with her the memories of two lifetimes and she loved you, what a blessing that would be."The long await sequel to One and Only (周生如故), Forever and Ever (一生一世) is finally here.
Forever and Ever is a really beautiful and heart-rending drama. The love story between Zhousheng Chen and Shi Yi is just ethereal. Shi Yi is an unwavering woman, “my heart has already belonged to someone, it will not change”. She kept her words; she did not fall for anyone else except Zhousheng Chen. Upon hearing Zhousheng Chen’s name, she approached him and gets her way into his heart. Meanwhile, Zhousheng Chen is not a proactive person, he never has to speak out loud about his feelings towards Shi Yi but everyone knows his love towards her. His love towards Shi Yi is evident through his small gestures, and most importantly eyes.
Forever and Ever did a commendable job in delivering Zhousheng Chen and Shi Yi’s love story. The relationship between Zhousheng Chen and Shi Yi developed at a quick yet mellow pace. For those who didn’t watch One and Only, you might’ve felt a bit rushed and confused with the pacing of the relationship. However, they have waited for centuries to finally be together, they are given a second chance, and are finally together.
At the beginning of their relationship, there are awkwardness and courtesy between them. Though they are still polite to each other, their gaze and small actions just simply show how much they adore and love each other. Forever and Ever is the type of romance drama where gaze and action speak louder than skinship. The drama also has some comedy elements to it. If you have watched One and Only before, you might laugh and smile after seeing how Zhousheng Chen went from a cold and ice-y general went to a cute and chubby chemistry professor. Zhousheng Chen’s actions towards Shi Yi are actually just like any other romcom drama, but it’s not entirely like any other romcom drama. Forever and Ever manages to make all those cliché actions into something new and fluffy. For instance, when Zhousheng Chen carries Shi Yi’s bag while watching it, I am sure that you will let out a smile. Moreover, there are also some characters in this drama that will make you laugh, a big shoutout to uncle Lin!!
The second half of this drama is filled with sweetness and sugar! The romantic scenes in this drama will touch your heart, you can definitely feel every action and word that's spoken by Zhousheng Chen and Shi Yi, it is genuine and full of love. And there is no misunderstanding, breakup in here. Their relationship is just the cutest and the sweetest!!
The acting and chemistry of both Bai Lu and Ren Jialun definitely did not disappoint. The way Bai Lu and Ren Jialun convey their emotions through nuanced micro-expressions, and how they articulate every scene is just impeccable. Both of them managed to act so differently between One and Only and Forever and Ever, but still evoking the same affable charm and cute chemistry! Both Bai Lu and Ren Jialun need to get an award for their acting in One and Only and Forever and Ever. Both of their acting is infectious!! Especially Ren Jialun's acting in forever and ever - his portrayal is more three-dimensioned, ZSC in the drama is more lively, grounded, and vulnerable than in the novel. In addition, I also love how both Bai Lu and Ren Jialun uses their own voice in the drama!!
The entire drama production team has also successfully captured the essence and magic of the novel through the cinematography and script. The cinematography is dreamlike and majestic, with its warm color palette and color grading. Almost every shot in the drama can be beautifully framed. In addition, the drama also has a gorgeous wardrobe. I love how Shi Yi and Zhousheng Chen wear a subtle couple outfit, they have the same color scheme.
Forever and Ever also has an enchanting music score, filled with love and a hint of angst. Forever and Ever also incorporates One and Only background music in it, the combination of that two music makes the drama more beautiful. The music is effectively run in each scene, making each scene more beautiful and touching. The lyrics of the OSTs are really beautiful and meaningful. Reading the song lyrics while watching the drama will either make you smile or cry..
Due to censorship in China, the reincarnation storyline is censored, therefore, the production team alters the storyline. In the drama, Shi Yi doesn’t remember her past, but only fragments of it, and small impressions of it. For instance, during her visit to the city wall, she remembers a woman jumping down, but with different outfits and details from One and Only. In addition, I also love some alterations from the novel to the drama, instead of using a gun, Zhou Wenchuan uses a knife and... which led to the tragedy.
The strong forte of Forever and Ever is definitely its details and conversation. Every conversation in Forever and Ever is magical. The scriptwriter just manages to make every conversation meaningful. The correlation conversation to their past lifetime is done so beautifully. In addition, the parallels between One and Only and Forever and Ever is impeccably done, it is done is a subtle yet clear manner.
Here are some interesting details:
1. During Zhousheng Chen's past lifetime, he was only covered with the dusty white cloth when he died. This lifetime, he is allergic to dust”
2. Shiyi’s crocs: zsc 520 - Zhousheng Chen I love you
Zhousheng Chen’s crocs: 忙着赚钱。sy 520 - busy earning money. Shi yi I love you
3. In Shi yi's past lifetime, she jumped down in sequin shoes to marry Zhousheng Chen. And this lifetime, Shi Yi wore a sequin dress to marry Zhousheng Chen
The only drawback of this drama is it might be confusing for those who didn't watch One and Only or read the novel beforehand. For those who didn’t watch One and Only beforehand, watching Forever and Ever might be a little bit confusing, but not too confusing too. The drama provides few clips and hints of what happened in Shi Yi and Zhousheng Chen’s past life in Forever and Ever. But the drama didn't thoroughly explain Zhousheng Chen's family tree and hierarchy, so you might have a hard time understanding who's who and what's their relation with each other.
Overall, Forever and Ever is a very beautiful romance drama, even though the drama doesn’t stay 100% true to the novel, the drama still captures the very essence of the relationship and plot beautifully.
“I think, I must have used my beautiful bones as an exchange for you to have unrivaled beauty, as an exchange for you to remember me, as an exchange for you to be able to utter my name when your lips moved.”
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1This is NOT 9.5/10 show… but it is. Let me explain.
Technically speaking, the show was quite a mess. The editing, directing and pacing were all over the place, but Fightor storyline was close to perfection, and even if you don’t want to watch the whole show, watch Fightor. As far as I know, they are one of the best BL couples up to date with the most fresh and not stereotypical personalities. Or rather, nice twists to the boring stereotypes we know.LET’S TALK ABOUT ACTING
While most of the cast did a good job, I want to focus on the talent Zee showed. I rarely ever get amazed and impressed by acting in BLs. Often I see the imperfections that make me feel less emotionally attached to the characters, because I don’t see them as real people. Meaning, I don’t immerse myself in the story completely.
Not here, though. Zee’s eyes… oh his eyes spoke volumes! I like to call them "Fighter's searching eyes". While his whole presence showed more of a cheeky and confident side, his eyes showed all the insecurities he had. He was also really good at controlling his microexpressions. Sometimes less means more and makes the performance seem realistic. Viewers are not blind. An actor does not need to make full theatrical gasp with a hand up to their face and huge eyes, for us to understand that they got scared, surprised or taken aback. Simple, short intake of breath is enough. The split second of a reaction, but that’s all we need. I appreciated these small things a lot in his acting.
Overall, he makes these small decisions while acting - when to close his eyes, when to open them, when to fix his gaze and when to make it unsure, when to swallow or take short intake of breath, perfectly timed and telling viewers so much about Fighter’s character.
Both Zee and Saint are also masters of using pauses for their advantage to make the storytelling even more believable and engaging. It’s a perfect example how sometimes not doing anything can enrich the portrayal of the character. With Tutor, the pauses are more intentional for the character, it's his time to "decide", think about the consequences of "what if you push forward a bit more" and with Fighter it’s not intentional, it's him not being able to get back to reality, not being aware whatever happened or was about to happen, ended.
Tommy aced his role. His overreactions were still natural and did not feel theatrical. As the story of Zon and Saifah progressed from comedy to romance, I was able to appreciate more of his subtle acting, with shy smiles and joyful laughter. The potential he has and the flexibility in this craft to fit different genres and moods of the story impressed me a lot.
Jimmy did well for his first role. He did feel more inexperience and his performance fell flat compared to other cast members, but I could see how much of a progress he makes in every episode.
TUTOR AND FIGHTER: DYNAMICS OF LOVE
Ever changing dynamics of their interactions were simply beautiful and amazing to watch, to the point I could write a book about it. Tutor is nothing like your usual stereotypical shy, confused, passive bottom and Fighter is anything but the dominant, overconfident, possessive top. Tutor does not let Fighter get away with the teasing and always questions his behavior, demanding answers and explanations. They pull and push, but never cross the line if the other person is not okay with it. THE CONSENT ladies and gentlemen was a recurring theme. Always giving each other space and time to back off and stop whatever was happening. I wish I could say no forcing yourself on the other person after you've been pushed away, but I guess (?) that was an important part of the plot and the development of the relationship.
THAT SAID, while the behavior of a character was definitely wrong, the way the writing and editing portrayed it was close to perfection. It was a situation that should never take place and the editing and acting surely did NOT make it look like a romantic behaviour. It was not one of the “force it till the other person gives in and starts to enjoy it”. Was it painful to watch? Yes. Was this scene well done? Yes Was it necessary? Yes and no. It showed the mental state of both characters in a raw way that could not be achieved in any other take. Sadly, because the writing of the show, up to that point, didn’t explain enough in how bad of a mental place one of the characters was, this behavior might have felt out of place. In my opinion, they could have mellow it down and not go that far, and still convey needed emotions, desperation and broken state the characters were in.
To sum FighTor up - it’s hard to describe the depth of what was happening between them without quoting specific scenes, but you can see so much through the acting. How both characters struggled with internal conflicts and the feeling of unsureness. And yet, they gravitated towards each other.
PROBLEMS WITH PACING AND EDITING
Shall I say the pacing was a clusterf*** even before the COVID-19 happened and I literally laughed at how confusing everything was? Coz that’s how I felt. But then I just said: wherever, let’s just enjoy this acid trip.
While I was in love with how they handled Tutor and Fighter’s story and the pacing was everything I might have wished for, the fact the drama focused on them so much made the other characters suffer. With the overload of characters and couples, it was doomed from the start - not gonna make it. How can you have well established and developed 5+ couples with their own side-stories? Goal impossible to achieve.
Zon and Saifah... where to even begin. Zon the first half of the episodes had 10 different personalities, I was confused. Because the director did not spend enough time showing us the gradual change in Zon’s perception of his situation and relationship with Saifah, everything just came out of nowhere. There were not enough scenes showing us how Zon went from panic to soft. Which was a bummer, because their sweet story could perfectly balance the drama happening between Tutor and Fighter. We were robbed of such an amazing story it truly pains me.
Don’t even want to talk about Hwahwa. Poor girl makes no sense, her feelings change every second. Just sad. Justice for Hwahwa and her beautiful hair flip.
It’s hard to comment on other characters and their plot lines since they were just dropped here and there without much linear progression nor explanation.
The audio editing was distracting. While the use of some comedic sounds was fine and brought a smile on my face, they definitely overused them. The scenes would be funny even without some random sounds dropped every few minutes. Video editing suffered quite a lot because of COVID-19. In later episodes there were some black screens showing up, the subs were missing, we got the same action done by characters shown in x number of angles, just to stretch the scene a bit more. It was not tragic to the point I could not focus on the plot, but the difference in the quality in the first and second half was quite obvious.
BACK TO POSITIVES
What this drama does have though, is an amazing message. While, in default, most BL dramas are supposed to promote - love is love no matter what gender, Why R U does not shy away from talking about it in a straightforward manner. Calling out and questioning homophobic characters, explaining to them how they are wrong, showing how being heterosexual does not mean your love it perfectly good and will never fail. There were quite a few scenes that deserve to be called “iconic” in BLs realm for how well written the dialogues for them were.
Overall, Fightor is life and perfection. I was legit obsessed with them and rewatched their scene every week. I was never as invested in any couple in drama ever (and I have seen quite a number of them). Watch their story, fall in love and let’s all fangirl together.
PS. While my rating is extremely biased and subjective, I tried my best to be more objective in the review itself. Hope it worked out well-ish :)
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No Just no
First of, this Cdrama is not your typical romance where ML and FL fall in love and end up together, no, instead what you get is a DEEP and VERY annoying love triangle between ML, SML, and of our FL.It begins with the ML and FL dating, and as things move forward, the rich and annoying SML starts to flirt with FL, and guess what, she is giving him the time and day despite having a boyfriend(ML).
Thats not the end of it, soon after breaking up with ML because of "something related to the death of her parents" she attempts to make the ML move on by marrying the SML, Oh did i mention she was pregnant with MLs baby but never told him? Yep, and our ML throughout this continues to pursue the FL to the bitter end, despite FL playing with both men.
Never been so furious while watching a drama since watching this one.
I would never recommend this cdrama to anyone.
Save your time and energy because it'll drive you crazy.
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Keep in mind, "The Man From Nowhere" has considerably more blood, gore, and violence than most movies. It didn't bother me, but if you have a weak tolerance to these things, then this movie may not be very pleasant for you.
Originally, I was looking for a movie to watch to kill some time.
I kept scrolling down and down but nothing really caught my eye. "Sunny" sounded ok, and "The Man From Nowhere" was even better; still not quite what I wanted, but the options were starting to get pretty slim; and since it was ranked #2, I decided to trust the statistics.
Now I feel EXTREMELY guilty that I was so hesitant to watch this movie. I should not have taken it so lightly.
In the beginning I kept thinking how this movie reminded me of the Hollywood movie "Taken". They both have a lot of fast-paced action, a sense of justice, a feeling of wanting to protect something important, and a seriously kick-ass hero to dish it out. :)
(though in my personal interest, Won Bin is quite a bit more attractive than Liam Neeson;))
I loved the little girl~! I couldn't help it. She was adorable ^^
More than that, this movie would be nothing without her.
Won Bin did an incredible job. I haven't seen very many Korean movies, but I honestly believe he could be the best actor in Korea, and one of the best in the world.
Amazing, I'm telling you, amazing.
This movie made me laugh, and made me cry. That's not something you can do easily in action movies:)
Now, I think I'm going to go watch it again :D
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--All the characters are likeable:
I always have a problem with the lead female character of any kdrama. I find them very annoying or clumsy or
childish -That's why I stopped watching "The Healer". Here, the female is perfect. On the other hand, I've always loved the cliche personality of the the lead male character - very cold and unsmiling. In "kill it", the protagonist plays this role on another level.
Note: You can definitely feel the chemistry between characters. That's better that kissing and hugging scenes.
The other characters are sweet and funny, but they don't lose the drama's tone.
--Fast development of the story: Unlike other people, I found the story very fluent. Everthing was revealed at the right point of the story, and the fact it was only 12 episodes long makes it easy to watch.
The OST: I haven't listened to a good OST since "The K2". It's excellent. It's the first time I like all the songs. Even though my native language is Spanish, I am trying to learn the lyrics. Then, if you don't want to watch "Kill it" because you have read negative reviews about it, at least listen to the OST. You won't regret it.
SUBTLE SPOILER:
--Right ending: The ending suits the story. Even though, it is not what we hope, it is what we expect.
Note: For our hopes, there is an extra scene that makes us feel satisfied and to some extend pleased with the drama.
My wish: I would love to watch another season even though I know it will be irrational to fix the ending. However, I won't be mad if they do it.
ADVICE:
If you are so used to romantic comedy. Then, I would recommend not to watch it, but please listen to the OST.
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First, let's talk about the story. The plot of "Ichi Rittoru No Namida" is taken from a real story of a young girl called also Aya. Even if there was some modification to make it much more dramatic, lot of sentences in the drama are taken from the book. It gives even more impact to the story. I'm always touched by people who have illness so even more when it's this kind of uncurable illness... After watching the drama, I got interested in knowing more about the illness and did lot of research ! I promise you that you'll not be disappointed in watching this drama.
Why ? Not only because the story is well written but also because the actors act really well. First, I'm a big fan of Nishikido Ryo (so of course he do act well) and Sawajiri Erika is someone I already saw playing an ill girl in Taiyou No Uta. First thought: she plays only ill people? Well, that didn't last long because she is really good in playing that role. It's rather frightening. The family of Aya is also played by really good actors and the little girl is SOOOO CUUUUUTE U.U
As for the music, we can say the OST of this drama is... ONE OF THE BEST KNOWN OST EVER IN ASIA. Everyone who will watch this drama will fall in love with Konayuki and Sangatsu Kokonoka. Those two songs are really emblems of the drama. BUT the OST do not contain only those two songs and I'm pretty sure all the songs you will hear in the drama will make you feel moved and cry. Not kidding, just try and tell me.
So much good points lead to a rewatch value really high. I gave 9 instead of 10 because you will anticipate the story afterward and try to skip some parts to not let you cry. Haha. But don't worry. This rewatch value still remains that high even if you watch it 1000 times.
Don't ever hesitate watching this drama. Even if you will feel kind of... depressed afterwards. You will really think: "Wow, that was really a drama."
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A hero’s journey through personal growth, love and friendship
Don’t let the first episodes fool you into believing that this is a childish drama. Yes, the drama starts off as goofy and light-hearted but from episode 13 the tone completely changes to serious and mature and it stays that way until the end. The drama is about the male lead who has lived in isolation all his life until he meets the female lead. Together, with their two newfound friends, they go on a journey to find the truth about the male lead’s parents and the mystical sword left to him by his father.This drama is based on a video game of the same name thus the atmosphere and script feel quite different from the usual wuxia cdramas (in fact I believe it’s xuanhuan genre). All Sword and Fairy dramas are stand alone, they take place in the same world but have different stories.
PLOT:
This is a plot driven drama with some romance on the side. The first 6 episodes are extremely goofy and lighthearted. Until episode 12 the story is at the setting stage, we discover about the world, get introduced to the four main leads and see their adventure side quests with other side characters.
Episode 13 is when the main story begins. The tone is changed from lighthearted to more serious and mature. The main conflict is addressed and we begin to learn the truth of what has happened 19 years ago (which all characters are involved with). The good guys meet the bad guys and the angst begins. Here the drama does a fantastic job showing the characters growth and the many wise life lessons they learn.
MAIN LEADS + ACTING:
The male lead appears dumb at the start but is actually uneducated as he has spent all his life in isolation. Despite that he adapts very quickly and shows us the wisdom he has learned from his father. He is kind-hearted, brave and protective. He has tremendous character growth throughout the drama. The actor Chen Zhe Yuan showed brilliant performance as always. He is the reason I started to watch this and his on screen presence did not disappoint me. The actor has such expressive eyes that all his emotional scenes HIT ME HARD.
The female lead is confident, outspoken, perceptively and brave without being annoying. She appears tough on the outside but is actually soft-hearted. She is quite unique from the typical female leads that I’ve watched. She has fantastic character growth from being morally conflicted and somewhat selfish to becoming the most supportive friend who is the glue of the friendship group. The actress Ju Jing Yi shines brightly like a diamond in this role, her on screen presence is fantastic and her acting radiant.
The second male and female lead are both more reserved and their stories are directly connected to the main leads. The male lead is called an Ice Cube. Despite his cold nature, he has the warmest heart. The actor is fantastic in his performance with micro-expressions and has a strong on screen presence. The female lead is kind but firm.
POSITIVE:
- A fantastic execution of a hero’s journey - from zero to hero.
- Engaging main plot. From episode 13 the plot was executed fantastically and I didn’t find a single episode boring or having the urge to skip parts.
- Villains are usually boring and evil for the purpose of being evil but in this drama the characters were well developed and a delight to watch. Everyone in this drama has a strong purpose and legitimate reason for what they were doing.
- Chen Zhe Yuan and Ju Jing Yi shone bright on screen with their brilliant acting and fabulous character’s growth. Both actors really stood out to me and pulled me into the story. Their performance was wonderful to watch.
- Pacing of the drama was perfect. The mystery and plot was built very well. With each episode the stakes were higher and higher and I could feel the angst towards the approaching end. Until the finale episode, I couldn’t guess what would happen.
- Cute romantic moments.
- Nice visual fight scenes especially towards the end of the drama.
- Great chemistry between the main leads. I was rooting for them from the start. I loved their banter and bickering.
- Many morally grey characters (including the female lead at the start) which I loved to see.
- Fantastic character growth for all important characters.
- Wise life lessons shown.
- Epic adventure vibes.
NEGATIVE:
- The first 12 episodes gave a wrong impression of the drama and were not particularly strong which is a shame as it made a lot of people drop this. There were side stories of side characters that I found boring. The main leads would help side characters and receive a small amount of information which meant it wasn’t a filler but at the same time the actual stories didn’t add any value to the plot. However the guest appearance of these side characters were done by actors that I knew and their acting was really good.
- At the start of the drama there was focus on the romance which made me believe that it would be a huge part of the drama but it wasn’t. In most episodes the romance was completely gone and the plot took the driver’s seat. The hopeless romantic in me needed more romance.
- One sided love stories that I wish weren’t there at all. Not really love triangles but both the second male and female lead fell for the main leads. They didn’t interfere in their relationship and were very respectful so I’ll give them that but I felt it kind of ruined the friendship aspect of the drama. Whenever the main leads would have a romantic moment, the director would always zoom in on the second male and female lead’s unhappy faces which didn’t sit right with me. I wish the focus was more on developing their friendship with each other rather than them falling in love with each other.
- I didn’t like the second female lead most of the time. Her character’s reserved personality was quite boring for me and I found her acting wooden at times especially compared to the rest of the cast. However she did improve towards the end of the drama. Despite what I said, many people loved her character so this is just a personal preference.
- Second male lead stole all romantic moments with the female lead. I honestly didn’t understand why the writers did it this way. But the female lead had so many emotional bonding scenes with the second male lead that were very impactful compared to her scenes with the male lead. I wish the writers focused on writing platonic friendships between them.
OVERALL:
If you are looking for a well executed plot driven drama about a hero’s journey through many trials and emotional growths with morally grey villans + you love Chen Zhe Yuan, give this drama a chance.
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This is how you do a gay musical
“My School President” might not be an original soundtrack; two boys in high school, one has a secret crush and chases the other. Been there, done that. I mean after more than a hundred gay romance shows (I'm not even joking, check my stats) you'd think I've seen it all. Yes, I have seen everything in My School President before, but not like this.MSP takes all the tried and worn tropes, weaves them together seamlessly into this epic gay musical. The show has an energy to it which I cannot put into words. For the most of it, MSP is a really fun show: friendship, family and slice-of-life youth drama, but there are moments of grief and sadness which binds the story. And MSP reminds us time and again, that when it seems everything is lost and grey, you will find the purest emotion left: love.
The main arc is of Tinn and Gun. Nerdy Tinn, son of school principal and perfectionist has comitted the ultimate crime: fallen in love with a backbencher, and a boy nonetheless. After (several) repeated attempts to get Gun's attention, Tinn finally comes into the spotlight when he runs for school president. But wait! It has now set him as an enemy to Gun! For the school is trying to shut down the Music Club which Gun leads. With the excuse of "bringing glory to the school", Tinn pairs up with a reluctant Gun to try and win the Hot Wave and the rest, you know it :)
Not everything goes perfect in this story. There are many, many downs. MSP deals with topics like failure, grief of death, homophobia and the fear of first love. In this also, MSP has set itself apart from other dramas. Any misunderstanding or event is dealt in withing the episode itself, without letting it drag to the next episode and viewers are always left with the expectation of something fresh and delightful.
There are few stories where I can say that there were no moments which I found to be extra but MSP truly has no "filler moments". It does not lag, it does not take up a sloth speed at episode 8 (which most bl dramas tend to do), it is never boring.
Apart from Gun and Tinn, a major part of the story are their family and friends. The Hot Wave takes centre stage in episode 10, 11 as Gun and his friends battle three stages to reach their destination. The boys and their relationship with their families is so heartwarming to watch, their mothers both approach their sons so differently. There are a few unexpectedly cute side couples too. At the end of the day, MSP is a show about love and all its different forms.
It is evident that the production teams really put their efforts into this. Each character, even the side characters, have been crafted uniquely. They went all out with all the love songs here and it's obvious that a lot of work has been put into it. As far as chemistry goes, Gemini and Fourth are a match made in heaven. I say this not because I ship them, but some pairings just click you know? My main inhibition regarding MSP is that I dislike school shows and the tragic boring uniforms they have on all the freaking time. The show makers however put extra effort into everything with a stylish wardrobe for everybody (and I have to point this out because it's one of my sore points with most others school/uni shows).
Each actor and actress has done well in their role, and this is really important because MSP is one of those character centric shows. The dialogue is well written without the cliche replies. It gets especially fun when Gun teases Tinn! I love how Tinn is like this confident gay until Gun does something even minutely flirtatious. Gemini and Fourth brought them to life and I wait (not so patiently) for their future projects. And the OSTs! The Holy Chinzhilla in its Greatness has blessed us with the best songs, and so easy to sing along too that I cannot get them out of my head!
MSP has been a delight to watch. The secrecy of having a first crush, the innocence of first love, the buoyancy of being seen and recognised, if only for a moment, by the one who makes your heartbeat pick up. MSP will make your heart race and wish for that romance you haven't had yet or remember the cherishable memories you have experienced.
And while it is not an original soundtrack, it is the one of the most genuinely hearwarming songs, an ode if you will, to love. As they say, “love songs we listen to in high school are the best love songs ever”, and MSP is proof of that. One word for this show: fluff. 9.5/10.
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Esta resenha pode conter spoilers
This review is intended to offer you an opinion of what I thought about this drama. It is not intended to sway you in anyways. SPOILERS:
OMG YES!!! What a satisfying ending to such an interesting drama. This drama is interesting to watch, but you must have an open mind. If you aren't into cheating, pseudo incest-relationships (that is Nira and her uncle-in-law kissing etc), gender identity/transgender identity, revenge for the sake of revenge, etc...you will not enjoy this. However, we should always remember that there are lessons to learn from dramas like this.
WARNING:
This drama deals with lots of human issues.
1) transgender identities/gender identities
2) cheating
3) domestic violence
4) Mental Illness
5) Suicide
6) Cross dressing
7) Niece (who used to be a nephew) falling in love with uncle-in-law
You name it, it has it. It was a very well acted drama and every single actor did well in bringing their characters to life. MY GOD, that young woman playing Nira was amazing. I have never seen any of her work, but I have read from others how good she is, and I must say she really gave Nira a voice.
My second favorite character, believe it or not, was her father. He was introduced as an abusive, narcissistic, shallow and bigoted person. He was for intents and purpose a character you hated through the whole series until before the last two episodes, where he was humbled by learning the secret of who Nira was. Yes, as a viewer we are led to hating such a person, but his entire flawed nature as well as his realizing how horrible he had been showed how much range and development that character had. He was brought down from his high horse so to speak. I really loved the way his character did a complete 180 and became someone I actually sort of felt pity for. True he was a cheater and abusive to his wife and child, but losing his son did hurt him in some way. And then to find out he was now Nira, but still lost her when she left, left him as a shell of a man.
I was also surprised with the aunt. She was so unlikable and really selfish, just like her brother, but it was sort of sweet how she took care of him in the end and how she also felt sadness for what she did to Nira. It doesn't completely erase how horrible she had been initially, but again just like her brother's character, she too grew and showed more sides of her.
I was completely HAPPY with the ending we got. I was all for Nira either being alone, but happy with herself, than together with her uncle. Their relationship was doomed from the start. IT was obvious.
Nira had some deep seeded hate and her mental illness did not help. She needed to find herself and who she wanted to be, before even thinking of having a healthy normal relationship with ANYONE. I am so glad, that despite her suicide attempt, the drama ended with her staying alive and learning to love herself.
Supporting cast was also great!
Fantastic cast.
Music was nice and nostalgic
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Lazy ending
This is usually my favorite kind of plot: a female lead transported into a novel or the past, so I was genuinely excited, especially since the male lead is quite talented. Unfortunately, while the story had potential, it was painfully slow. I kept watching, hoping it would pick up, but it never did. Nothing about the drama felt exciting, which is disappointing because this type of plot has huge potential to be genuinely funny...and it wasn’t.The ending didn’t help either. I could predict it from miles away, since this isn’t the first Chinese drama to use the “writing the story” loophole to get around the transmigration ban ( wink a dream within a dream which did this way better ). The conclusion felt extremely lazy : “how he comes into her world is a story for another time” just sounds like the writers didn’t know how to end their own script.
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