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Captivating. Cinematic. Action-packed, yet offering impressive quiet & heartwarming tuning, too
Gando is the land of the desperate, the realm of the desperados of Joseon. In the 1920s, it was also a territory in which political responsibilities and affiliations were vaguely regulated. Some things may remind you of the Wild West. Yet this Wild North in the Far East is quite different...“Song of the Bandits” is a brilliant Netflix historical drama about a certain chapter of recent Korean history. Moving. Captivating. Cinematic. It exudes the vibes of an Eastern. The KDrama surely is gory action and turbulence at most times, but offers impressive quiet and heartwarming tuning, too. Action-packed it is, yet humor and romance modestly fit in as well. "Song of the Bandits" is astonishingly well balanced in this respect and for a Netflix production, despite its polished and action-driven choreography for a broad international audience, sticks surprisingly consistently to a more subtle Korean series style. Nicely done at all scales. We get a feeling of the Manchurian landscape with Gando impressions filmed at original locations. This all framed within a consistently beautiful soundtrack. It all lasts for 9 episodes (only! Yet?). In spite the overall ambitious commercial production context, aiming at an international “Squid Game”-like success, “Song of the Bandits” was able to impress me with a historically and emotionally complex story with great mimes - Kim Nam-gil, Yoo Jae-myung, Lee Ho-jung and Lee Hyun-wook in their element. But so is everyone else. This is where KDrama and Netflix perfectly come together...
'Bandit: The Song of the Sword' is the original title. In fact, people don't swing swords so much as they use firearms. The KDrama is epically processed, offers great emotions, while telling about people and the range of motives for which people are prepared to fight. It's about resistance, obedience, venality, oppression, social affiliation, the fight for freedom. There are even some spiritual thoughts attached to it along the way. It is about the Joseon people, some personal fate, as well as 'the' history of Chosen - an emotionally quite ´Korean´ excerpt of modern history. Its thematic historic setting (even if the rest of the world might not care so much about it, as it is not requisite for an entertaining series pleasure) contains a lot of explosive material by Korean standards. Therefore firearms are in several respects quite consistent in this context…
As far as I am concerned, I do care about the historical context. On the contrary, I find it quite intriguing - besides the dramaturgically action-packed and emotionally charged story with its complex, interwoven relationship dynamics and conflicts. As I said, you don't really need to know the background to be enthusiastic about "Song of the Bandits". But if anyone might be interested, see the historical side note about 'Gando', the border region on the north bank of the Tumen river, which today also marks the border between northeast China and North Korea.
PS:
Yep, the ending of the story...
If you like, you can dream of more. It could be possible. Yet, it would still go on and on.
Who knows if there may be a sequel...
Nevertheless, from my perspective the ending is quite fitting. (Whether I like it or not.) In terms of the historical events, things are as they are. We want fiction to write a different ending, but it still wouldn´t be any better, rosier or brighter for hardly any of the various protagonists... Therefore, from a Korean perspective the ending of this story remains true to the spirit of the actual Chosen-history: For Joseon people it is and remains unsatisfactory, unfair and painful. ´We´, as an international audience (temporarily and figuratively with our personal discontent), can/shall/must/may thus empathically share this collective emotion, too.
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SIDE NOTE: --- Gando, also called Jiandao, and today Yanbian ---
Gando historically stands for a specific borderland. To this day it is a region with a high proportion of people of Korean origin.
Gando is a small, perhaps inconspicuous scar in Korean history – yet a scar that is still weeping, sort of...
Gando (and Manchuria in general) is also associated with the regrouping of the Rightous Army and thus with the patriotic pride of resistance against colonial oppression. With "Song of the Bandits", the issue of Gando has now obtained an impressive, international onstage introduction...
This 'Gando', Jiandao or Yanbian was the last nail of hope for an increasing number of desperate people from Joseon (and still is for some North Koreans today) who had nothing to lose and would rather settle for an arduous life and try their luck in this section of Manchuria - a back then relatively undeveloped marshland on the north bank of the Tumen river.
First - in the course of, and especially at the end of, the 19th century - famine and poverty drove poor Joseon people to the far north. Then, at the beginning of the 20th century, it was the hope to escape from Chosen, which was finally officially annexed by the Japanese. The Righteous Army militia was also formed anew in Manchuria at that time.
After the annexation of Joseon, with respect to a relatively large population of Joseon people, the Japanese as part of their aggressive expansion efforts also demanded this coastal territory north of the Tumen from the Chinese. Infiltration was followed by an invasion in 1907, but already by 1909 there was withdrawal again. Officially, as a result of the diplomatic negotiations, the area eventually became Chinese again and Japan received railroad concessions, while the Joseon people remained under Japanese rule due to their Korean descent.
"Song of the Bandits" sets its story in this political quagmire: the decade before the belligerent 1930s, before the Empire of Japan invaded Manchuria, established the puppet state 'Mandschukuo' and used it for its own political and economic purposes. The prerequisite for this was a massive expansion of railway lines - especially the North Chosen Line along the border region between Chosen and Manchuria, that had been built during those previous years, while the Bandits sang their song...
Outlook:
After the end of the Second World War, many Koreans went back to their homeland, but by no means all of them. Around 810,000 people of Korean origin apparently still live in the Yanbian Autonomous District of China's Jilin Province to this day. In 1952, the proportion of the population with a Korean migrant background was around 60 percent. Then, Korean language was official. However, especially since the late 1990s, the Chinese government had specifically tried to force linguistic and cultural assimilation in order to counteract political currents in South Korea and discussions about a possible legitimate Korean claim to 'Gando'. These currents believe that - regarding those dubious events of the early 20th century and Gando Convention between Japan and China becoming obsolete with the ending of the World War II – this Gando territory actually is political void and should now belong to (in this case North?) Korea. Thus, Gando's territorial status for some still is not satisfactorily resolved…
Incidentally, desperate North Korean refugees are continuously trying to get to China via the Tumen river, which is icy during the long, cold winter months. Thus, Gando territory invariably remains a last nail of hope for desperate Koreans even up until today...
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No good deed goes unpunished.
This is a melodramatic story about a badass assassin Shen Lige and Liu Yikang, titled Prince Pengcheng who was best known for reforms that heralded a golden age for the short lived Liu Song dynasty (420-479). In real life, Liu Yikang was probably a dull and dusty fellow who promulgated legislation and ably shouldered the burden of tedious administrative tasks artfully dodged by his brother the allegedly sickly emperor Wen. In this romanticized account, Pengcheng falls in love with the beautiful and deadly Lige, who helps him drain the swamp and weed out a bunch of corrupt and rebellious aristrocrats who are disenfranchised by his reforms.Shen Lige (Li Qin) must be one of the strongest, most badass, most lethal and most gorgeous female leads of c-drama. She makes a grand entrance and her character is awesome up until the bitter end and is the strongest selling point of this drama. Li Qin's acting is so superb her Lige is powerful, engaging, fierce yet still feminine and her expressions are nuanced and emotionally on point. Initially I was not convinced on her pairing with Qin Hao - he is obviously quite a bit older and her "lao tou"/old dude jokes did not help. But Qin Hao is a very compelling actor and in no time, I was rooting for Lige and Pengcheng. While their chemistry is not sizzling or deeply passionate, they are both smart characters that are clearly on the same wavelength and make a formidable team. That said, I feel an actor of Qin Hao's caliber was somewhat wasted on a role such as Pengcheng - he would have made a far more compelling villlain. I also did not like the noticeable skin smoothing they did on him which obscured his micro expressions.
All of the characters in this drama are just simply fantastic. How can you not love Prince Jingling who has the best, most subtly comical facial expressions? Or the completely adorable, wholesome loving, humble devoted goodness that is Shen family? Or the mischevious Zijin and Lige's loyal assassin fraternity? There are so many wonderful, well written characters that are charismatically portrayed and interact with so much chemistry and rapport that you can't help falling in love with them. Guard your hearts carefully though because one of the key takeaways of this drama is that no good deed goes unpunished and compassion and mercy is repaid with treachery and murder. Of course we can't expect all of the characters to survive but there have to be enough survivors to keep us invested in the drama and this one barely makes it. The deaths also have to be "good deaths" at the hands of a worthy opponent and not at the hands of say a puny mutant ninja flying cockroach.
Very much like its predecessor Weiyoung, the villains in this drama are quite enjoyable almost cartoonlike caricatures with very dramatic, somewhat comical facial expressions. Lu Yuan is an excellent, overpowering villian. And Consort Sun relishes hamming it up so much at many points she appears on the verge of cracking up with laughter. However, there are also too many repetitive petty villains with cliché motives and too many lives. The main villains and in particular the mastermind in black (whose identity was obvious quite early on) are interesting characters that should have been better developed instead of digressing into sibling rivalry, green eyed monster and excessive bitch slapping tropes. Unfortunately, the villain spotlight was hijacked by the very pretty Shen Leqing, a well acted but two dimensional character with pedestrian motives. I guess in life and in art, men can see better than they can think.
The story writing is where this exhausting melodrama falls down hard. The plot is predictable and smacks of Weiyoung. Heavy suspension of disbelief is needed because from the get go, a lot of things that don't make sense happen. I rolled my eyes so often that I can no longer tell if my right and left eyeballs have exchanged sockets! But the acting is so delightful and there are so many thrilling moments that for the first 20+ episodes I went with it. At some point however, the excessive plotting and the rollercoaster ride of emotional ups and downs as beloved characters are mowed down with reckless impunity while petty villains survive against improbable odds becomes simply too much. The drama peaks in the mid-30s after the most well developed villain is felled and it further loses momentum after some of my best loved characters are gratuitously killed off. It limps through some repetitive sub-plots towards an unexpectedly good ending which I almost missed because I wasn't that motivated to finish. I find the writers of this drama guilty of writing under the influence of alcohol. They tortured my eyeballs with cruel and reckless depravity and are hereby sentenced to writing commercials for the next 15 years. The surprisingly fitting ending qualifies them for probation after 8.0 years, which is also my rating for this drama.
There seems to be some confusion over the ending so I am copying my a spoiler tagged explanation of what happened from the threads to the comment section of this review.
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1have you ever watched a drama that makes you so happy that you want to become a better person? 'a poem a day' felt like home to me. it made me feel like i really belong somewhere.
story:
the story was nothing that... impressive? at least at first sight. there is no much drama, pressure, it doesn't make you nervous about what will happen next. but it gives you a warm feeling, it makes you happy. it was interesting for me, although i have no interest in physiotherapy.
the romance between je wook and bo young was one of the most beautiful romantic stories i've ever seen in kdramas. i know, i've read in many comments, a lot of people find it boring, too 'formal', but no, it was just real. they were one normal couple. they loved each others, they supported each other, there were hugs and kisses, so i didn't really understand why some people thought that their relationship was unnatural. it just felt real.
another thing i have to mention is the patients stories. i cried my eyes out, they just felt too real.
i really liked the poems. they were so beautiful and they perfectly matched with the story.
but i was slightly disappointed in the end, i think some things should have happend but this doesn't change the fact that the story is good.
characters:
woo bo young - oh, our beautiful female lead. she was just a good person, she was trying to do her job right and to help the patients to recover. she truly cared about them. the thing i liked the most in her it's that she wasn't trying to hide her sensitivity. bo young was a strong female lead in one word.
ye je wook - i haven't seen a person who likes giving advices as much as him lol. he seemed cold in the beginning but after that you can see what a warm person he actually is. he treated everyone with respect and he was always telling what he thinks, he was honest with himself and with the others.
shin min ho - you either like him or you don't. personally, i like him. yes, sometimes he acted childishly, he had no sense of responsibility but at the end, he made the right decision no matter how hard it was for him. yes, he was sometimes selfish, but aren't we all like that? when we fall in love we want the person to have eyes only for us, we don't want to let him/her go. so how can we blame minho for that?
the side characters were really funny and pleasent to watch. their had their own hardships but they always found a way to endure it. i like seeing their character development, escpecially han joo yong's. i like how his friendship with dae band developed in a really good way.
acting:
the cast was completely new for me, the only actor who i knew was seo hyun chul.
i have no much to say, the acting was perfect. there wasn't anyone whose acting seemed unnatural, they all did a great job.
music:
beautiful ost, i love all of the songs. they suited the drama really well and they made it even better.
overall:
11/10 if you ask me. i like dramas that are close to reality and 'a poem a day' was a masterpiece for me. totally recommended!
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I loved the original story line. Yes..I do believe it is an original story line: The fact the Jae Hui is rich but a self made man and not a chaebol, the fact that he was a nice man...simply a bit messed up from his past, the plot point of Cha Bong Sun and her need to see a counselor and her very stubborn personality and their coming together as a couple. Also, Cha Bong Sun may have had problems but she was a strong independent woman who had her own career. All of those elements came together in a very non standard Kdrama way. That pleased the heck out of me.
I loved the acting. Yoon Si Yoon was really good in King Of Baking and he was even better in this. He came into this part as a last minute add on and OWNED this part! He was excellent all the way through. Lee Ji Ah was a dichotomy of likable, sweet girl and grumpy jaded woman. And I liked that! I found her a refreshing change from the typical overly happy and good heroine. She felt real to me.
The acting was solid by the whole cast and I gave it a 10. The character development of the two leads was solid all the way through. Their chemistry was addicting as a viewer. I was rooting for them every step of the way.
Up until about 1/2 way through this drama I was a voracious addicted fiend...practically going through withdrawals until the next episode was subbed. But then something happened to the writing that went a little off for me and wilted the flower. The character of Hwa Young and the decision to set into this original story the very non original element of a scheming jealous woman. That is regrettable and why I can't give Me Too Flower a higher score than 8. She killed some of my love for this drama and I absolutely hate having to say it, but it's true.
The technical aspects of this drama were great. All except that one aspect I mentioned in the writing so I have no other complaints.
The OST is excellent! Right down the line..every song was lovely and fit this drama to a T. Especially "Dreaming" I loved the soundtrack to pieces.
My re-watch value I place at a 7 (good) because there are so many episodes of this drama I would re-watch in a heartbeat...especially 1 through 8 and again the last two. The chunk in the middle I want to rage at.
Do I recommend this? Highly. This drama is really good. I think if I had waited until it all aired and dramathoned it, maybe those episodes in the middle wouldn't have felt quite so agonizing. Give this drama a try...You won't regret it. There is so much to like about Me Too Flower.
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Just When You Think You Know What's Going On, You Don't, Or Do You?
First up I know a lot of people dropped this drama early on and at times I can see why but you're really missing out on the greater part of the drama by doing this. The actual plot line doesn't start up until around the end of episode 4. The first few episodes are building up to the actual plot line and while I do think it's needed I think they could've shortened this prologue of sorts to at least two episodes.I know a lot of people also dropped this drama because there hasn't been any romance...yet I don't get why people came into this drama for romance when the tags clearly don't have that genre listed. Anyways on with my review.
Story/Plot:
Gets off to a slow start but it sets you up for this dark story of Dongbaek, a famous police officer who has the ability to see people's memories through touch. Cool right? Yes and No. There are people who love him and idolize him and then there are people who hate him and don't want him to touch them in fear they'll get arrested for something illegal they did years ago. Despite Dongbaek having the extraordinary ability to see people's memories he himself does not remember his childhood memories past a certain age. The only memory he can remember is someone murdering a woman he assumes is his mother. The plot moves forward to introduce to us our female lead Sunmi, she is the daughter of a man who was murdered by a serial killer who seems to have come back 20 years later.
However, not everything is as it seems. There is actually a serial killer out there dubbed as the Eraser, who like Dongbaek has a special ability in which they can erase/manipulate memories. Throughout the entire series you are left questioning who you can trust and you can't as you try and figure out who exactly the Eraser is. And like I mentioned in the headline just when you think you know, you really don't. (I had so many theories going the entire drama.)
Acting/Cast:
The acting is/was amazing. I am a huge Yoo Seungho fan and I'm really happy he took the role of Dongbaek. He plays him really well. I am also a fan of Lee Seyoung, I really liked her roles in The Best Hit and Vampire Detective. I personally really like her in badass female character roles. I also want to mention Jo Sungha is excellent as always.
Music:
Sometimes the music is not needed but honestly that's something that's typical in k-dramas. I did like the ending theme a lot though.
Rewatch Value:
I already sort of rewatched it. I watched up to episode 12 by myself and then later rewatched episodes 1 through 12 with my mom until she caught up with me. I recommend watching it twice you catch stuff you may have missed the first time through it.
Overall:
I personally think if the prologue part had been shortened 2 episodes it would've kept people more interested. I also think that episode's 13, 14, and 15 could've somehow been consolidated into 2 episodes at the most, it felt drug out. It almost seems to me that they were originally going to go a different route with the plot but changed it last minute, as there is a scene in one of the episodes previews that does not make an actually appearance in an episode. I think this drama could've easily been better off as a 12-14 episode drama. The drama is wrapped up nicely though, definitely worth a watch!
Don't let this get you down though, the drama plot is really fun to follow if you are an avid crime/fantasy watcher.
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Drama hangover
Like many reviews here, if you’re looking for something funny and light hearted. This is it. The plot is not too complicated. The romance between the leads is through the roof. And the actors were simply awesome.Personally, I really like YBY. I’ve watched Listening Snow Tower, Love and Redemption. I can say I’ve seen her improved with each drama. And in My Sassy Princess, she has exceeded my expectations and I’m so proud of her. Every glance, small smile, smirk, raised eyebrow, tear was on point. She captured Liu Ling’s emotions really well.
I’ve not watched many of ZYC’s shows but in this drama he is cute, so cute. The action scenes were really entertaining and smooth. I enjoyed every second of it. And his chemistry with YBY is very sweet. I’m all smiles whenever their scenes come up.
The downside was how some scenes were edited. It felt quite rushed and some parts didn’t make much sense. But this did not take the joy away of watching this drama.
And I just love how this drama can make me cry and laugh at the same time. All in all, a very entertaining piece. Looking forward to the actors future dramas!
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want to see the actors in something else
Overall: ep 7 and 8 were better but it was too little too late. There were 8 episodes about 15 minutes each, aired on Viki and GagaOOLala (depending on your country)Content Warnings: harassment
What I Liked
- funny moments
- how the director Ha Yeon Woo was prepared/put some thought into his plan
- the fan service of Ha Yeon Woo's body
- production value (including the scenic shots)
Room For Improvement
- for a jerk protagonist and a sweetheart to work in a romance, the jerk needs to have a REALLY good reason why they are a jerk and the jerk phase can't last very long. Unfortunately the explanation in episode 7 just wasn't good enough for me and the jerk phase lasted way too long.
- didn't feel chemistry between the protagonists
- the writer was a huge jerk to his manager and it made me mad (wish the writer was nice to others but then only angry at the director when he showed up)
- needed a little bit more of an indicator when they switched from present to past and then back to present again, some choppy moments
- very slow paced,
- dead fish lip presses
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The Flower That Blooms In Adversity Is the Rarest One of All
The Legend of Ming Lan is a very complex and meaningful slice of life drama. My review is split into two parts: a summary and analysis.I. Summary
The synopsis is misleading. ‘Mistreatment’ is a very general statement. That can mean anything. The titular character suffers from neglect from her family; her grandmother fills that need: she loves her and cherishes her. The titular character is both sensible and practical: she acknowledges the reality of her situation and the world she lives in and chooses to be smart about it instead of letting it define her. The titular character makes the deliberate choice to blend into obscurity: her mission is to avoid attention because she learned at a very young age that standing out can invite danger and I think this is a way of taking back her control of her life in the best way she can. She presents herself as a submissive, dreamy person never interested in the things that make others scheme. As a result people think she is nonthreatening and even foolish for not wanting more i.e. 'ambitious'. Thus, about half of the drama instead focuses on her family and the personal actions of her relatives. Like a sponge she absorbs everything, learning about peoples behaviors, tricks, motivations and good/bad choices. On the other hand Gu Ting Ye (future husband) experiences a lot of abuse from his family, but his gender means he can’t take Ming Lan’s route—there are different expectations on him—and as a male, physical punishment is far more common. The second half then follows Ming Lan after she begins married life and how she works very hard to protect her family, support her husband, and finally step into the limelight as a formidable person who will fiercely protect the people around her and is unafraid to seek justice in an eye-for-an eye kind of way (for extreme crimes) instead of burying them. The second act really steps up the ante as Ming Lan has much bigger fires to put out and the stakes and risks are bigger, especially since her husband becomes important to emperor, and that carries a risk all on its own (i.e. the higher you rise, the harder you fall).
II. Analysis
I do not think everyone would agree with me that this drama is perfect because I strongly believe that whether you love, like, or hate it boils down to personal preference. For example, I did not like the drama Love 020 because it was not my style—too light—but it succeeded in what it intended to deliver very well so I ranked it an 8. In contrast, Perfect Couple was not only not my type but I think poorly executed so I gave it a low rating. This drama more than succeeds in what it wants to do and I loved it. With these examples I want the reader to know I am trying to be frank and fair with my review but I truly enjoyed the show so there may be some bias.
For you, the reader, I think there are some important things you may wish to know before making this 70+ episode commitment:
1) The titular character does not receive the majority of screen time in the first half (in my opinion). The titular character does not receive the majority of lines. The titular character is the focus of the show though.
2)The drama uses the rigid moral rules of the day as a source for conflict regularly. Filial piety, virtue, family reputation, and roles (being a good/bad daughter; good/bad wife; good/bad son; good/bad citizen)
3)The writers/directors (I think) attempt to tell a strongly character driven drama, meaning conflict is resolved through dialogue. Characters are consistent. Events don’t disappear from the story line, they stay with people for the rest of the show. Just like people, characters remember. Characters are impacted by choices other people make, sometimes in a life changing way. The last ten episodes are more action based as big end games begin to unravel and play out.
Conclusion:
I have a deep appreciation for this story. I think the acting was amazing, the writing and presentation, down to where people stand in a given scene, was done with remarkable attention to detail. Characters are intelligent and not easy to trick. The acting was extremely believable.
If you want a love story told on a grand scale (Ashes of Love, Eternal Love) this may not be for you because romance is just one of many aspects of this drama. In addition, if you want something light, I would steer clear. But this is not a palace drama (Empress of China) because the plotting is not anywhere near that level, and throughout all 70+ episodes, only a couple of people die—people are not dropping like flies.
For those looking for romance, I cans say that an important aspect of Ming Lan's character is she never wants to inconvenience anyone or rely on others. The male lead prove through his actions that he is someone she can inconvenience and rely on so their love story is sweet.
I think potential viewers should consider these points because often people start a drama and are frustrated with plot and speed. Others may call it a slow burner but it never felt that way to me. I eagerly await(ed) each new episode and the episodes flew by. I never fast forwarded. I don't know what to watch after this!
Finally,
I am making a project to review every episode, so if you have questions about plot you can find them there but just be warned these episode summaries contain massive spoilers. Because of a bug that has not been fixed yet, I can't have paragraph breaks so I have used the (.............) method to delineate breaks.
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Enemies at the Beginning, Lovers at the End.
I started Lie to Love on a whim. It basically went like this, “Ooh, Cheng Xiao and Luo Yunxi? Cool, I’ll watch.” I wasn’t looking for much, I admit I went into this drama for the visuals. I was pleasantly surprised by what I saw. I’m going to get this out of the way, if you’re looking for Cdramas similar to A Love So Beautiful or My Little Happiness, don’t dilly-dally here because Lie to Love isn’t your best option for Next Fluffy Cdrama Rom-Com. BUT of course, the audience is provided with plenty of sweet scenes that makes you yearn for more.The story begins with an amazing scene of ‘bad-ass’ Su Xieyi (Cheng Xiao) on some under-cover mission…and she has amnesia? The drama isn’t as tropey as it seems to be in the beginning. It does have amnesia, the concept of Enemies to Lovers, but instead, the flower blooms into a drama full of secrets and investigation, with a huge shocking moment that either makes you want to hate the story or feel even more compelled. In my case, these twists and turns caught my attention, and like the characters in the drama, I was always on my toes for the next scenes and episodes. Again, side characters do pose some problems in the leads getting their Happily Ever After, however, the difficulty is more directed towards power struggle rather than the leads losing their trust towards one another. Like many dramas, Lie to Love is like a story in a fantasy world, the details in this drama are not going to happen in real life. This is what makes the plot intriguing. The investigation aspect is the bright cherry on top of an ice cream scoop.
Acting/Cast - 9.0
The actors’ eyes say everything, they paint love, worry, desperation, shock. This was especially evident in Luo Yunxi. Li Zeliang (ML) could be standing on the concrete sidewalk, and you would still be able to see the emotion pouring from his eyes. As for the character himself, he has his setbacks, but he proved himself worthy of standing amongst the top leaders of the hotel business industry. His moves weren’t unpredictable, but rather deserving of applause. Luo Yunxi brought a new aura into any room or scene he was in. Besides his refined looks and dazzling smile, his confident and intelligent image enhanced his character.
On the other hand, while Cheng Xiao can still be a newbie in the drama industry, she had been improving endlessly. As opposed to her character in the popular drama Falling Into Your Smile, Su Xieyi (FL) carries a stronger air of dominance. She, unfortunately, wove some disappointment into my intrigued soul, however, this feeling was quickly wiped away. The small loss in her Strong FL spark was replenished as Su Xieyi made her solid decisions. This was more of a small bump in the plot roller coaster rather than Cheng Xiao’s acting, which she did wonderfully in fulfilling. Su Xieyi isn’t a very complex character, however, the audience received a mixture of determination and care from her.
Luo Yunxi and Cheng Xiao’s pairing was satisfying. Their chemistry was not ‘The Bomb’, however, it was powerful but also cute. (The eye candy as well!) The sweet scenes were especially fun to watch, as Zeliang and Xieyi is such a lovable couple. Of course, I think it’s safe to say that a big portion of the audience was demanding more fluffy sides to the story.
With only a few important side characters, it was fun watching character progressions, whether it be the playful musician Oscar or the talented and poised Shi Chuchu. As much as side characters are often disregarded under the spotlight of the main leads, these supporting characters play a major role in the progression of the plot. Of course, some of their actions were in the wrong, but these were the steps to achieving a rolling plot. In the end, I was more than satisfied with many of the characters’ endings, especially with those who ‘grew up’, who became better people than before.
Music - 9.0
It’s not rare to see me vibing to fun and cute Cdrama songs, and even more so with the addition of Lie to Love’s OST. Nothing much to say about the soundtrack besides the fact that I love it. Another surprise? Luo Yunxi sings a song! (It’s beautiful.)
~
Overall, Lie to Love was a fun and enthralling watch with a blend of both sweet romance and captivating mystery. Characters had secretive pasts and unspeakable confessions, however, they were all given the endings they deserved. Production was high-budget, which was clearly evident in costumes and props. Lie to Love was a breath of fresh air among the cutesy rom-coms that I’ve watched.
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First and foremost because I have total trust in the production team and actors (Jiang Xin, Liu Tao, Yang Zi, Jin Dong, Zu Feng and so on ...) and well when I read what it would be about I was filled with too much happiness, I mean there's Jiang Xin and she'll be a main character I was really overjoyed because of that and this time she could finally shine and show what great outstanding actress she is which I never doubted <3 furthermore I've always wanted to watch a drama about strong friendship between women from different background and age, to see how their relationship will evolve throughout the drama, in the end I can tell you that it exceeded my expectations, it was more than just friendship, it was sisterhood and a friendship filled with so much love, respect, funny and cute moments. And I have to admit I'm not the biggest fan of Chinese Modern Dramas but now I can definitely say, this one is the best I've seen and among my fave dramas right now.
Of course what made this drama such a wonderful and unique journey is the friendship between all of them : Sheng Mei, An Di, Xiao Xiao, Ying Ying and Guan Guan, how they all get to know, accept, respect and love each other, it was simply beautiful and magical to see, everything feels so genuine, it's like they've known each other since a very long time and were able to confide in one another, joke and do lot of amusing activities together like true friends would do and yeah it did take a little bit of time for at least two of them to open up more and accept the others girls however in the end they were themselves when together, all 5 of them.
Friendship is definitely not what this drama is all about and I love this drama for many other reasons :
-The writing, I was so impressed and since the first second when I saw how the dialogues were so well thought- out, rich and intelligent, I love all those quotes Sheng Mei, An Di and some characters like Lao Tan ( Tan Zong Ming) said, very realistic, deep and sometimes pretty bitter.
-Different genres mixed so well in only one drama such as : friendship, drama, comedy (mostly scenes with Ying Ying and Xiao Xiao), romance, slice of life and also family. This is true that some situations were a bit too unreasonable but overall it was such a refreshing and realistic drama and as a big Slice of Life fan I couldn't resist and and love with all my heart all the characters and their stories, sometimes it felt also too real that I couldn't help but cry (from both sadness and happiness).
-Also love how the writer doesn't only focus on one or two characters but takes time to develop all of them and show their own stories, struggles and family problems. Just this is such a pity I still don't know much about Guan Guan and because of that I couldn't relate to her nor her story but it doesn't mean she's not likeable and that I didn't like her.
I really have too much love for this drama that will be hard to explain with words but anyway I'll try to convey my thoughts and affection for Ode to Joy without being too subjective. You know since the very first ep I already felt attached to Fan Sheng Mei, An Di and Ying Ying, I really love the way they were introduced to us, one is very mature and have such strong opinion about love and life situations, the second one is straightforward and can be very badass as well and the latter so cute and naive but also very foolish at times but I couldn't help but fall for her kindness, gentleness toward other girls. They do really have their own qualities and flaws and that's what make them humane and alive.
Of course I know If I start talking about all of them it will take me hours so I'll try to make it as short as possible and go straight to the point.
~If you don't want to know more about the character's personalities you can skip this part~
[Fan Sheng Mei : who's my absolute favorite of the show and the reason is because she's so mature, so elegant and classy, strong, independent who only relies on herself to live and survive in a big city like Shanghai, she's particularly pessimistic when it comes to love and relationship between human being but we can only go along with her as she's always stating the awiful truth.
An Di : Smart, quiet, elegant, mostly wears black and white clothes and for like 25 eps it always bugged me a little bit but that's her style :p, discreet about her life and once again for good reasons because it's hard for her opening up to others and trusting them.
Xiao Xiao, the real light of this drama, so eccentric, also sometimes very awkward with others and the words she uses to speak to people and which leads her to be misunderstood in my opinion, this can be both an asset and disadvantage. Anyway she's considerate, adorable and cool, and for that I like her a lot.
Ying Ying : cute, loving, caring, she also has an eccentric side but now in same way as Xiao Xiao, it's more in her behaviour and her cheerful personality.
Guan Guan : She's also a very understanding and compassionate person and always there for Fan Sheng Mei and Ying Ying, she's hardworking too and a bit too shy, has hard time expressing her feelings to others but once she's with her friends she can fully be herself.]
5 unique, interesting and colourful women :p
I'm really impressed to see that those 5 women who are so different can share so much and support each other during hard times, such endearing, caring and loving characters, for me it was impossible not to love and admire them though I have my personal favorites and I know all of you who watched this drama have your own favorite characters as well for personal reasons and that's what makes Ode to Joy so unforgettable. And yes my fave is definitely Sheng Mei and I love her .
I now need to say a few words about the OST which definitely became one of my all time favorites, I absolutely love all of the songs : I'll post my favorites below. But I won't say more cause I hope people who're gonna watch the drama will discover all of them by themselves and enjoy them the same way I did, and being surprised the way I was too otherwise it would not be fun for you.
My faves :
The ending song : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kEmSGIaT4Rg&amp;list=PLlxGEDlRe5WNN-_2n7giCKga4V5YHa8-1 Love
Hui Gu Niang/Cinderella : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4fGAWMfO7HQ , definitely my favorite and I love the lyrics, so beautiful and true.
Wo Yao Ni/I Want you : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GL_QJkbrCKE&list=PL9ct9xr9-KGQtUXpZDeec-oi5WXSz9oNc&index=7 so punchy and addictive
Pei Ni Zuo Yu: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D9R4gKWn9W4&amp;amp;amp;list=RDsY6u6NbtTlE;index=2
It was overall a very great drama as I said above and I just can't wait for the next seasons to see my girls again *0*. Very very recommended as it will definitely bring you lot of smiles, laughter and food for thoughts as well. And I have to say it was really addictive, I still can't believe I completed this show :(.
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✨ Deliciously Deranged, Dramatically Divine✨
Ok listen. This one is deliciously scandalous, y’all — and I am so here for it.Now, Gemini will stretch your mental gymnastics a bit in the beginning with that “wait… are they siblings?” confusion. Fear not — they are not siblings (thank the drama gods). I’m personally not a fan of the ''siblings, even if not blood related'' trope, but once I got past that tiny heart attack, oh boy — this drama turned into a buffet of revenge, rebirth, and raging chemistry.
The leads? Electric. Even before they share the screen properly, you can feel the tension simmering. When they finally meet? Hyperventilating. They’re playful, non-toxic, and radiate total power couple energy.
The FL? Badass incarnate. Both actresses who portray her absolutely slay — elegant, fierce, and dangerously smart. And the ML? Slightly unhinged but in the best way possible. A feral golden retriever with a dark side and a talent for kissing that could power a small city. Throw in a few shirtless scenes? Yeah. Woof.
Acting? Fantastic. Fights? Chef’s kiss. The side characters are actually somewhat interesting (we love to see it). The villains? A full-on color palette of wicked — it’s giving art gallery of bad decisions. The OST and costumes are top-tier, and visually, it’s just so pleasing.
I'm definitely keeping an eye of this director because i'm also watching the other drama that's almost done airing and having a blast.
In conclusion: I am sat for the entire thing, glued to my screen, snacks in hand, emotional stability hanging by a thread. There are still nine episodes left, and I’m low-key terrified it might go tits up… but for now, this drama is serving chaotic excellence on a silver platter.
Will update once I'm done watching the whole thing (pending emotional damage review post-finale).
✨Update✨
Oki, plot twist: emotional damage = absent. Surprising, I know. My tear ducts were braced for betrayal but instead? We got served an ending that was… dare I say… wholesome.
Ep. 23 though? Comedy gold. So you’re telling me y’all had time to spin in pirouettes like it’s a villainous Swan Lake audition but not enough time to simply step aside from the falling trap? Classic. I was rolling. (Yes, yes, I get it — they were tricking the villain, but still. I laughed way too hard.)
Speaking of the villain — um, hot alert?? The man was compelling, layered, and I actually felt something for him. His motivation, his grief, the way his sister’s tragedy shaped him… chef’s kiss villain material. I was conflicted, ngl.
Now, one of my favorite choices: ML didn’t hide the truth from FL about his origins. No unnecessary noble idiocy, no “I lied to protect you” circus. Just raw honesty. THANK YOU, writers, for sparing us that clusterfluff. What we got instead was the ultimate supportive power couple, and I was living for it.
Of course, flaws? Yep, they exist. The “raised as siblings but not blood related” angle requires some… moral flexibilty. But it’s digestible here (at least for me), ok technically this is not a flaw, rather an afterthought. Pacing hiccups? Sure. Logic loopholes? A couple. And whoever thought a 20-year-old swallowed bloody document would come out looking magenta fresh-off-the-printer… you’re bold. But hey, it gave me a laugh, so points for entertainment.
Overall? This mini had a bigger budget than your usual C-drama short project, and it showed — costumes, cinematography, aesthetics, the color palette — beautifully done. The cast carried everything with intensity and charm.
So if you’re craving revenge, rebirth, intense plot, sizzling chemistry, and an ML who is so down bad for his FL it’s basically his life support, this one’s your jam. The FL? Fierce, soft, and iconic ( and also a baby girl for her man). The ML? Rocking that grey hair. The ending? Happy, unhurried, and slightly “to be continued,” which… honestly, I don’t hate.
Verdict: Gemini is a worthy stop on the drama express. Highly recommend.
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Acting/Cast: It is no secret that I enjoy watching Wallace act in historical dramas. Acting-wise, he's a veteran. Tang Yan is also another seasoned actress. Both Wallace and Tang Yan managed to pull off a believable chemistry. I mean.... who could resist Wallace's mysterious and sexy stare... you know, the kind that makes you wonder what he's thinking but feel as if he is devouring you whole! With that kind of look, it is not too hard to pull off a chemistry that can melt the hearts of females everywhere! The rest of the cast are all good as well. No complains in the acting department. The costumes are colourful and excellent (though I doubt ppl of that time actually wear such fashionable clothes)!
Music: The ending theme song is my favourite. It has a rather sad tone to it and the lyrics are meaningful. It's stuck in my head and I suspect it will be there for a while unti I find another new song to replace it. Some might find the light OST by Della Ding and Wallace Huo something they might like but me being me... I like the darker melodies over the light-hearted ones. It's all personal preference.
Rewatch value: There are 45 episodes and unless you have lots of time at hand, you might not be wanting to re-watch this anytime soon. That said... there are many scenes in this drama; mostly those involving the main couple, that you would like to forward to.
Overall: This is a worth-while entertainment. True to Tong Hua's (the author of the novel where this drama gets its storyline from) style of writing, the main story focuses on the romance between the two main characters. There are some palace conflict going on but that part of the story did not overwhelm the main love story between the leads. So, if you are a romantic at heart, you might want to check this historical romance out.
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Where do I even begin with the beautiful movie? I watched this movie in the cinemas without any idea what I was going to be watching, no trailer and no synopsis at all. But the movie captivated me from the beginning. On surface level, it seems like a light-hearted, slice of life type movie revolving around a loving father and his daughter, but little did I know it was so, so, so much more than that.
There’s so much to say about this movie, but I’ll start with entertainment factors. If you enjoy plotlines that are based of real-life stories, tackle the human experience, explore history and how they shaped the world today, all whilst mixed with comedy here and there, then this is for you. If you have no idea whether or not you like any of the just mentioned, then this movie essentially follows the experience of a normal human stuck in a political revolution. Now, some of you might hear politics and cringe instantly, but A Taxi Driver manages to convey the whole plotline and context effortlessly without delving deep into the political history at all, making it a foreigner friendly film if you don’t know much about Korean political history.
A Taxi Driver also really does an amazing job at capturing human emotion. There are parts of the movie that are just so raw, sometimes you hate the main character, sometimes you love him, but despite whatever his actions, we could still understand and sympathise. Of course some of the situations are probably dramatized for effect from the true story, but in terms of the overall context of protests and uprising, it definitely conveys the aspects involved in these parts of history.
I would definitely recommend a packet of tissues and some social justice warrior spirit to watch this. Overall I think it’s a very important film because it really sheds light on some issues that we take for granted today (e.g. a free media!). So if you’re not really into this type of entertainment, I would still suggest you watch this just to learn a little more about things like protests and democracy.
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Another Gem from the one and only JAPAN!
First off. For those of you who are weary about watching this, because it looks sad, well it is sad. If your heart can handle it, then I highly recommend this drama series. It’s a beautiful story and probably one of the best Japanese BLs and in general, BLs of this year. Acting and chemistry was on point and there were no evil or bad characters. Inoue Sora as Oumi Mitsuru and Komiya Rio as Yamada Koichi were the perfect pairing. The osts are very catchy and fit perfectly with the theme of the drama. I actually listen to them daily. One of the reasons why I enjoy watching dramas is because I get to discover new artists through the ost of the dramas. Anyways, highly highly recommend this series if you can handle sad endings. I will gladly rewatch this series in the future, despite it being a sad one. It’s the perfect drama to get me into the feels.Esta resenha foi útil para você?
1NOT a BL but a proper queer movie
I find it important to make it clear that this is not a formulaic BL aimed at a (mostly) female audience, who enjoy watching pretty men get it on. Yes, men fall in love in this movie and yes, there are sex scenes, but this is where the similarities to BL end.This movie explores gay relationships and gay life in today's Japan without being overly dramatic, but also without any of the "Love is Love and it'll all be good in the end"-sugar coating we see in most BLs.
During the Q&A session at a film festival, the director Matsunaga Daishi said that he deliberately cast queer (amateur) actors in some roles (eg. Kosuke's friend group) to further LGBTQ representation.
Suzuki Ryohei is simply stunning in his portrayal of Kosuke. He manages with sometimes minimalistic expressions or what should be mundane tasks, such as drawing in his eyebrows, to portray a man, who has learned to navigate a world which is hardly accepting of the LGBTQ community. A man, who has armored himself with success and a seemingly hard shell, but who shows vulnerability and his true self in places and among people he knows he is welcome.
The movie isn't perfect. There are aspects of Kosuke's and Ryuta's relationship I wish it had explored in more depth, but it is impactful and (as I said before) Suzuki Ryohei's performance alone makes it very much worth a watch.
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