Reviews

Nirvana not to be found in this lifetime

Enemies to friends to lovers - a simple way to think of this story, but there is much more to enjoy about this drama than the two leads falling for each other. In fact, there are truly three leads in this story - and the interconnectedness of their lives and fates really drives this story forward as they learn to love and fight for what is right in a world of deceit in the quest for power.

The story sags a bit towards the end - I feel the whole war with the state of Wei was unnecessary. There is no build up with the king/emperor of Wei, and I would have rather the story focused on the complicated emperor of Liang instead. And while I would have liked for a better end for Wei Zhao, there was probably no feasible way for him to be alive after what he does to the emperor.

Be warned: the first 10 or so episodes have some hard-to-watch moments as the male and female leads go at each other while being enemies - some of it is downright torture. It's a testament to the pacing and development of their relationship and the actors' performances to make their romance eventually believable with some palpable chemistry.

Leia Mais

Reviravolta e boa atuação

A trama gira em torno de Ahn Yun-su, uma professora que acaba envolvida no assassinato do seu próprio marido. O que faz o dorama brilhar são as duas protagonistas: Yun-su e Mo-eun, uma mulher misteriosa que aparece do nada e passa a “ajudar” ela — mas de um jeito tão estranho que você nunca sabe se é proteção ou manipulação.
A série não é sobre investigar pistas como num CSI.
É sobre manipulação, dependência emocional, medo, culpa e relações tóxicas.
Tudo é cinza, nada é totalmente certo ou errado, e isso deixa o clima tenso do começo ao fim.

As duas mulheres têm uma química sinistra: uma frágil e perdida, a outra fria e calculista. A tensão entre elas carrega o dorama inteiro.
Os primeiros episódios são muito bons: clima tenso, mistério no ar, com algumas cenas pesadas de morte!
Só achei o real motivo do casal ter matado o artista totalmente besta sem sentido.
Mas é um dorama que vale a pena assistir, te prende do começo ao fim onde vc fica curioso em saber o que realmente aconteceu.

Leia Mais

UNEXPECTEDLY GOOD, FUNNY & ENTERTAINING

I was surprised watching this series,though I had finished watching the original drama but this one got me hooked up till the end. I found myself enjoying every episode of it!

Character and acting wise for the main leads are good. I love the second lead here, he is the 2nd lead also in Eternal love (my fave series). Furthermore, the FL & ML has chemistry and they convey it well.

Story wise, I am amazed how they wrapped it up and I found it satisfying though. Not as the same as the original one. I love that they add some addition in the series and adopted some which is applicable to their culture.

TOTALLY ENJOYABLE, FUNNY AND SATISFYING!

Leia Mais

The first time i watched this movie was in grade 11. I had never watched a thai movie before but my best friend (who's thai) was telling me how she had been rewatching it all weekend and that we had to watch it together. This movie is a really great romantic comedy and it's really suited for those times when you just want to watch something quirky, fun, but still has those serious moments. The plot isn't anything special or out of the blue, it follows the usual rom-com setting and process but there are scenes that are unique in themselves. I find thailand rom-coms in general to be very unique, and it's a good kind of unique. They know how to do rom-coms to their best and purest form. The movie is hilarious throughout and it's just so relatable, it makes you feel SO nostalgic about those days in primary/middle/high school days when we are all oh-so foolish.

There are bad point's about this movie though. As already stated by another reviewer, beauty is one of the themes in this film, and most probably know that, not only in thai media, but in most asian media, light skin is seen as beautiful. Luckily, in this movie, they make up for it by the end of the movie. I don't want to spoil the movie so i won't say why. Another bad point was the ending. I just felt it was a little childish/unrealistic, but don't make that stop you from watching the film. it isn't THAT bad.

Overall, the movie isn't one to skip!

Leia Mais

Gripping drama on falling in love while facing adversity

I am a massive fan of Guo Yu Xin but I never watched her dramas within 6 hours of release. Instead of adding this drama to my watchlist, I decided to watch it last evening and write this review now at 12.36 am. I finished this drama in one sitting.

Having seen Guo Yu Xin in black sports attire, I would like to see her in action, suspense drama. There are a few espionage vertical dramas so hopefully we get to see Guo Yu Xin as a spy or undercover agent.

What I liked:
1. Acting - Wow spectacular acting by Guo Yu Xin. Her micro expressions were on point. That very first scene already made my heart heavy. I don't watch many Wang Kai Mu's dramas but I think he did well with his role. His acting was calmer and more subtle than Liang Si Wei whom acted with Guo Yu Xin in a melodrama also about terminal illness.
2. FL characterisation - What a beautifully written journey. It was understandable that she went through the different stages of grief upon receiving her diagnosis.
3. ML characterisation - At first I disliked ML for being indifferent in their marriage but my icy heart thawed when he protected his wife from his evil elders. He was calm & collected even in the face of adversity.
4. Romance - Slow burn romance with some passionate kisses. I enjoyed watching the progress of relationship from married strangers to allies and then lovers and family.
5. Supporting characters - I really liked Dr Song, ML's brothers and in particular ML's assistant for being an astute "confidant" to ML.
6. Antagonists - I was relieved that the antagonist arcs were not draggy.
7. Styling - I love the styling for FL! Gorgeous, elegant outfits. The outfits for F4 male characters were stylish as well.

What I disliked:
1. FL's decision - I didn't agree with her decision to drop the bomb on a special day. She should have come clean with ML about her illness but not on that day.

Favourite scene
FL's operation

Leia Mais

I usually am not a fan of musicals. There are a few instances, though, in which the story told is so beautiful and the acting so engrossing, I forget the genre and let myself be absorbed in the story told via music.



Perhaps love is one of those instances. The movie by Peter Chan has been compared to Baz Luhrmann's "Moulin Rouge" and indeed it shares with this last the same theatrical flavour, between reality and dream. One can't help be reminded of classical operas such as La Traviata or Tosca, with elements of melodrama and tragic mingled with grand musical pieces and modern settings.



With the help of the music, this movie could be watched without subtitles and still be understood by those who don't know Mandarin. This goes to the director and the actors credit.



The plot is simple and very classical, but the style is new and the music original. Not an everyday movie by all means, but one which will linger in your memory.

Leia Mais

the story starts simple, we have a guy who doesn't know he has a daughter, and the girl is sick and needs bone marrow.

but things get hilariously complicated when she sneaks out of the hospital and she ends up on this unplanned trip with her dad. on the other hand we get a lighter comedic family trip with Young Soo, his daughter and Saet Byeol's grandmother xD

the 1st half of this was simple, funny and silly, but when they start to explain the backstory it gets really heartbreaking I couldn't stop crying :)
overall this turned out into one beautiful heartwarming story that brings people together! even the gangsters were nice people ;(

I honestly love this kinds of stories, it's a sad happy movie I wouldn't mind rewatching~

Leia Mais

Heartwarming, Riveting Story with Surprises

I was pleasantly surprised with this series and loved it. When I first saw the trailer, I admit that it wasn’t at the top of my list to watch in terms of upcoming BL series. But I am so happy that I decided to try it upon the recommendation of some friends because it enthralled me. I found myself binge-watching 6 episodes in one day and each episode is quite long at approximately 1.5 hours each. I just couldn’t stop watching as I needed to know what happened next immediately!

Kuenchai the dog was super special and he stole my heart very early on. He made me smile on multiple occasions in the midst of the heavy topics that are covered throughout the series. The series was an emotional rollercoaster, toggling between anger, sadness, pain, and happiness. It covers real-life themes and isn’t your typical lovey-dovey BL series, but that’s precisely why I loved it and recommend it. It conveys the concepts of acceptance and forgiveness that are so vital, but often forgotten in our world that is filled with so much hate and judgment.

Regarding the ending, I feel like it did the characters justice and fulfilled their individual wishes for happiness. I know some strongly disagree and hated the ending, but I enjoyed it. Please watch this realistic, captivating and unique BL series for yourself and perhaps it will help you reflect on how to live your life to the fullest and never take anything for granted.

Leia Mais

Best season ever

I'm a fan of the Divas Hit the Road series and I watched all five seasons, including the camping season, to varying degrees of completion. I don't write reviews for variety shows in general, because there's really only so much the production team can do and the rest is up to fate, but I must say that this is the best season ever.

Divas Hit the Road is infamous for the second season where it was a shitshow with the cast splitting into small cliques, in-fighting, unpleasantries and whatnot. That season is now chronicled in Chinese entertainment history and has been memed to death. Background aside, the point I'm trying to drive across is that for a majority female variety show, the general consensus is that you need drama to entertain. People may talk about how the first season was most successful and the third and fourth were as civil as it gets, but I've watched all and the first was not without conflicts whereas the other two seasons were flops (deservedly too because they were extremely dull). This particular season was the first to showcase that a show with just warmth and kindness can also be a good watch.

Qin Hailu on first sight seems to be a hard-to-please senior, who sets very high expectations and voices her critiques freely. She looks like she's always assured, but it turns out that she has her insecurities as well. I could resonate with her when she talked about handling responsibilities as an adult and how true freedom is hard to achieve. She's expected to anchor everything as the "eldest sister", but everyone (including viewers) seems to take it for granted. I really appreciate how despite her insecurities, she did an excellent job. She's not a Liu Tao. She's actually a lot softer and I think a great fit for this cast.

Qin Lan is the person that all of us wants to be. She always knows what to say and she was the main source of emotional support for everyone. I've seen comments saying that she's too smooth and thus difficult to see beyond her perfect facade, but I think otherwise. The fact that her innermost self is not exposed to the audience is part of the realism. One cannot expect people to show everything they are, because we all need time to open up. It's precisely because she's been through a lot that she's mellowed and knows what's the best way to handle things. She's added that to her personality; it is part of her. Nitpicking at how good of a person she is is just nonsensical. In the wrap up session, she herself talks about how she's envious of Xin Zhilei because Xin feels comfortable to show her real self, but I think there's nothing inherently wrong with not opening up your heart to everyone - it's a form of protection. And the contrast between the cast's personalities was what made them click.

Xin Zhilei is really interesting. She's not just hilarious and happy-go-lucky. She also has a sensitive side to her. I actually can see all the times where she picked up on emotional cues from the rest of the cast. She has this curious mix of bluntness and perceptiveness that is very charismatic, and I find it unsurprising that she came out of the show being the biggest winner, because she is just very very likeable. She made a great point when she said that this is just a short trip, and nothing will stay a problem if everyone is willing to let go. It's actually very simple to stay cordial for such a short duration, and that speaks volumes of the season that went haywire.

Dilraba is clearly an introvert, and arguably the most reserved among the cast. I can imagine that she must have taken a long time to even convince herself to be part of the show. How she behaves is actually typical of a kid who has been brought up very strictly. She has very strong morals and hates doing something "wrong". She has to struggle with herself whenever she inconveniences others. When I look at her in the show, my heart aches a little because I see me in her and I know the thought process she goes through. I actually think she's not as astute when it comes to reading people's feelings, but when she finds that someone is upset, she feels compelled to help. I can see why she's so well-liked. Especially when she told everyone how "big sister (Qin Hailu) wants to be the little sister too" and when she told Qin Lan "I'm here for you" when Qin Lan had to wake up early for her tour guide leg. I think those were equally as powerful as Qin Lan's "happy new year". At the very end of the show, Xin Zhilei also gave a glimpse of the innocent and kind girl she is when she brought up how Dilraba sent messages of encouragement to her back when they were both nobodies.

Zhao Zhaoyi has the misfortune of being the least known cast member. I have to admit that I barely noticed her, because I have never heard of her before I watched the show. She also didn't not get her chance to shine because her tour guide leg was interrupted by the blizzard. However, it's clear that she has an excellent personality. She's also really funny and catches on all of the different puns. I will put her second to Hu Xianxu when it comes to witty remarks. She's also surprisingly thoughtful for someone who seems so carefree on the surface. I also think she's has a great sense of responsibility, but we only saw a smitch of that at the end when navigating the bad weather in Iceland.

For the guys, Wang Anyu is a little on the obtuse side, or perhaps he's just not as seasoned compared to the rest of the cast. But contrary to how he was portrayed, I think the sisters actually think he did a great job. He was not super comprehensive in his plans, but I think the subconscious reliance the sisters had on him later shows that they all agree that he's Mr. Fixit on the team. I don't think he's sensitive; he's probably just a bit of a perfectionist. When he was finally relieved of his role, he had a complete change of personality and turned into this goofy little brother.

I was actually a little surprised by Hu Xianxu. He is very loquacious for a child actor. He has the ability to carry on a conversation forever. He, with Qin Lan, sets the mood in the room. He also makes frequent references to puns in his speech, sort of like dad jokes. It's very interesting because he's so young yet so mature at the same time. He is also very sharp, and probably the best tour guide candidate. I especially like how he handled the fact that Wang Anyu was shouldering too much of the load at the start, and told him tactfully that he could delegate tasks to him instead. He is like a mini-Qin Lan, always knowing what to do, just not nearly as personable.

I just love, love, love this cast and frankly I think it will be impossible to top this season.

Leia Mais

Extremely solid story. Beautiful script, great acting & very unusual score. This felt completely different from the usual JDramas I've seen before. Completely underrated if you ask me! Seriously; I hadn't seen something this good in a long time!

The only reason it doesn't get a higher rating is I feel the ending is a bit too abrupt as it literally just ends which sort of threw me off. But if you can look past that it really is worth watching.

In comparison it's Korean equivalent does not match up at all! If you were to pick one I'd say start with this version first.

Leia Mais

Unexpectedly funny and fun to watch

Started without much expectations, plot is simple to follow and the interaction between Main leads is cute and funny.
Recommended to watch if you like villain turns main character kind of plot.

Leia Mais

When one watches enough medical dramas, one starts to notice increasing similarity between them as experience with the genre builds. Some common inclusions are wildly rare disorders, mercenary management and hospital politics, callous senior physicians, and the idealistic newcomer (who may or may not be a genius surgeon) ready to shake things up. So if I were to say DOCTORS checks every box on the above list, why should you watch it?

Surprisingly unique elements exist in this drama, including a twist on one of the above tropes. Sure, our hero is an idealistic newcomer (one with mad surgical skills), but his coworkers are unaware he is also a master manipulator. Beneath his smiling exterior and cheerful persona, this is a person constantly calculating how to position things to fall his way. Luckily, his "way seems to be improvement in the staff and hospital, despite the questionable methods sometimes employed.

As such, the plot revolves around the changes the manipulator (Dr. Sagara) tries to effect upon the broken hospital structure. Medical cases accompany these conflicts on an episodic basis, often with an interesting dynamic or social commentary (for example, in the fourth installment). But while the title refers to an "ultimate surgeon," and surgery is definitely an important part of any medical drama, the two aspects occasionally feel like a footnote to the workplace study.

Unfortunately, DOCTORS ends too soon. We commonly hear of dramas overstaying their welcome, but this series could have done with more time to solidify its premise and characters. This is especially true if watched as a standalone, though both a special and sequel exist.

In the role of Sagara Kosuke, then, we have Sawamura Ikki sporting an infectious smile and sharp charisma. Even as his character displays warmth toward patients and (sometimes superficially) his colleagues, Sawamura-san reserves something of himself. The effect is wonderful, allowing for Dr. Sagara to appear pleasant yet ultimately unapproachable. Another performance stands out, this one against reason: rival surgeon Moriyama Suguru, as portrayed by Takashima Masanobu. Immature and childish in every sense of the word, Moriyama actually becomes a highlight as the series continues. Takashima-san adds a quirky campiness and snappy timing which elevates his character from annoying... to hilarious.

Similar quirkiness carries over into the music as well. From the fun nostalgia of the upbeat violin, to the lumbering oddity that is Moriyama's theme, DOCTORS boasts a memorable soundtrack. However, it was not always to my taste (particularly the conflict anthem led by an electric guitar). The lone vocal felt somewhat awkward, with the usually spot-on JUJU covering the classic "Lullaby of Birdland."

Leia Mais

A simple yet addictive drama

I never believed that I would love this series so much. Just started to watch this only because of Nam Goong Min and the first two episodes were never my cup of tea. As I'm not a baseball fan I thought this series would be too much for me. But I was wrong. This gave me a complete insight of what I'm seeing and never felt confused in any episode. At the same time, this is not a simple sports story where we would get to see the worst team winning the league miraculously with a single guy's effort. It dealt with everything that a manager needs to handle in a sports team but in an interesting way. The side story of the players, workers and the General Manager blended very well with the story and I love how each and every character is unique.

After first few episodes, I doubted that this will deviate into what trauma that ML had and some office romance between ML and a colleague but this series never took that beaten track and gave a nail biting story in its own way. I love how it never felt episodic despite it has many side story lines.

The Main thing I loved in this series is how they explored most of the characters in this drama. They didn't simply explore the leads but also many side characters and I love each and every character development. Most importantly those character developments never felt preachy in any way. I began to understand the characters I hated at first and I loved the realistic choices that certain characters took.

Being a fan of Nam Goong Min, I will remember his role as Baek Manager for a long time. Though I started watching this for the sake of Nam Goong Min's acting, fell in love with the whole Dreams team. Seeing the entire Dreams team was surely a breeze.

Leia Mais

Surprisingly cute

This is the fifth series from Star Hunter that I have watched and I must say that this one is the best one to date. It was a cute and simple storyline that i easily enjoyed watching these past five weeks.

Story-8/10
While the story doesn't really offer anything new, it was still done in a way that got me eager to come back and watch it every week. And whilevI may knew the direction that it is going, it still surprised me when they took it in that direction. And so for that I gave the story an 8.

Acting/Cast- 8/10
The casts actually surprised me. Especially since I watched Jet and Jame in a previous series (Gen Y) where they were fighting over another boy. And most of the viewers thought that they would have been better together. And here we actually get a series with them- and they are better together! All three actors in the main role did a great job!

Music-7.5/10
The music is cool and relaxing to listen to. So for this I give it a 7.5.

Rewatch Valu- 8/10
I honestly do see myself watching this again.

Overall- 8/10
Overall I enjoyed it and was pleasantly surprised. If anyone wants a quick watch with no jealous girlfriend or objecting parents, this is the series to watch!

Leia Mais

First I need to say that it was not as disturbing or provoking as I thought it would be and that's why I could enjoy it even more, for example I think Gloomy Salad Days which deals with Taiwanese youth ( basically same theme as Hormones) with their own difficulties and issues was way more provoking and darker but it was less enjoyable not because it was more somber but because the characters were not enough developed which is not the case with Hormones, we got to see them evolving and see them making their own choices, changing and trying to becoming a better person and In GSD we don't see that unfortunately.
Plus I need to say that every character has its own appeal and no one has more screentime than another and that's cool, cause generally it's not the case. And also I have to say that it was a very addicting drama, I just couldn't stop watching it and always wanted to see the next ep.

Of course this drama is for a mature audience but in my opinion everyone above 13 could watch it without problem but I would rather watch it alone than with someone though ;D

The characters Honestly they are all relatable, we all have experienced something similar, especially family or friendship issues and I loved seeing how they were constantly dealing with their main family issues while being a student and trying to hide their problem to others.
I have three favorite characters:
-Tar ( the Guitarist) he is so kind, funny, mature, adorable and most of all carefree but not in a bad way, then
-Toei the girl who is simply normal and whom many other girls of her age can relate too, me first and that's why I love her the most, she's normal and a bit closer to the guys than the girls probably because sometimes it's easier talking with guys and I can totally understand that and for me she was so cute with Tar, I shipped them so much together,
- Kwan is my third favorite, the most intelligent girl of the school, very mature who always says the right things to the right person, who cares a lot about friendship, always there for her friends but also a very sensitive and I love seeing that despite being a brillant student she has her own flaws and shows them to others cause no one is perfect on this earth.

Other 6 main characters were interesting too and I love seeing their development as well especially Sprite's character who maybe grew the most throughout the show, then Mhog and Pu who is very conflicted about his feelings and also Win who's a very tortured soul I felt so bad for him in the end and at least for him I have to watch second season cause I can say everything I want about him, how irresponsible, brainless and unsensitive he can be, he is very lonely and I think he needs more support but for that he has to change too anyway even if at first I did not like him and couldn't understand all the fangirling about him I admit that his character is really well written and also quite intriguing.
Others were present too but I don't have special feelings for them (Phai & Dao), simply their characters were less interesting for me.

I totally recommend this drama not necessarily to everyone but for those who need change and want to watch a mature drama about youth and the obstacle teenagers have to overcome.

My last words will be for the OST which I simply loved, the BGM are so good especially the opening theme, I'm just so sad there's one instrumental I love but I can't seem to find it and I think I won't be able to find it either, and I love the ending song so so entertaining <3

Leia Mais