1Finally something decent (even more) for our hungry brain after Crows Zero era.
HIGH & LOW: The STORY OF S.W.O.R.D is a comprehensive entertainment project by EXILE TRIBE that encompasses various forms of content media. Aside from the members of EXILE TRIBE, there are a lot of high quality cast for this drama, not only actor & actress but also other musician & models. So visually, you will be pampered with a lot of candy eyes with great acting too.
As written in the synopsis, it’s all about fighting between organization in a certain town. But the core story in this first season is about friendship and brotherhood, and more like a prologue to introduce each organization and the story base. Later, there will be HIGH&LOW Season 2 and HIGH&LOW The Movie. Let me summarize all the organization first:
=Organizations Before SWORD=
1) MUGEN
In this story, MUGEN was told start from the second generation, led by Kohaku. Other main members: Tsukumo, Cobra & Yamato. The strongest organization.
2) AMAMIYA BROTHERS
Only consist two members, Amamiya Masaki (Kyaaa Takahirooo! *oops please excuse my fangirling) & Amamiya Hiroto. They’re fighting against Mugen.
3) HYUGA GROUP
Hyuga Group is a part of GURYU GROUP (I think Guryu Group is kind of strong group but in outside of Mugen’s domain) & they’re not that popular. Hyuga Group fought against Mugen in order to make their names well known, but Hyuga Group lost and abandoned by Guryu Group.
=S.W.O.R.D=
1) SANOOH ASSOCIATION
Or Hoodlum Squad, led by Cobra (ex Mugen). Other members are Yamato (ex Mugen), Noboru, Dan, Tetsu and Chiharu. Cobra, Yamato & Noboru are childhood friends. Sanooh doesn’t have specialty or aiming any particular thing, the association just made naturally by the members who are good in fighting.
2) WHITE RASCAL
Their specialty is always white (as white as their name XD). Led by Rocky, his main subordinates are Golden Bomber* members (Bito, Aizawa, Shimura & Enari). Despite being famous with their madness, White Rascal also known for always protecting woman who have been hurt by men.
*) A visual kei rock band
3) OYA KOUKOU
School of Yankees!. The leader or they rather call it as Class Rep (lol) is Murayama Yoshiki. Just as other typical Yankee school, the one who rule the school is the strongest one. Murayama Yoshiki played by Yamada Yuki, he can pull his yankee expression but his height sometimes a little bit distracted me. He looks much shorter & smaller than his friends, in contrary he is the the strongest and unbeatable.
4) RUDE BOYS
They dominate and protect a Nameless Street, a town where people who abandoned by their parents lives, hidden and dirty. Led by Rocky played by Kubota Masataka (Kyaaa *oops once again please excuse my fangirling ;-). They declare themselves as a family who protect each other. Their specialty is parkour, this is that makes their fighting skill more artsy. This drama use a lot of camera angle, epic setting and a lot of ikemen with abs XD. Visually, I like this team, maybe because the members are actually athlete and model, whenever they walk together and make a way, it looks like they’re walking in runaway even with rag-like fashion that they wore, they can pull it off nicely. Kubota Masataka looks so charismatic with messy hair, too bad he has a weakness,what is that weakness? Well you better watch and check it by yourself :p.
5) DARUMA IKKA
Led by Hyuga Norihisa, forth son of Hyuga (played by Hayashi Kento). Alongside with Totetsu Brothers (Toutetsu Ukyo & Toutetsu Sakyo, both were kicked out from Mugen in the past) they formed Daruma Ikka to make a way for their revenge towards Guryu Group and the remaining Mugen member. I think this is the most unique organization. As their name, Daruma is their icon with blasting red color. Even when they fight, they’re using Daruma and drums as music accompaniment. Hayashi Kento looks deep but madly and vengeful here, for me it’s such a rare to see him in that kind of character, so it’s cool!.
=Organization Outside SWORD=
1) IEMURA GROUP
Iemura Group is one of the Guryu Group, the main leader is Iemura Tatsumi. With other 8 leads member, they’re called themselves as Nine Dragons. This organization is more like executive people who dominate a lot of field, including black market and greedy, so they own a lot of money. Basically they’re a bunch of rich uncles with suit and necktie.
2) MIGHTY WARRIORS
Led by Ice. This organization hasn’t been told a lot in this season, their main movement will be told in season 2 later. So, more Exile Tribe member are coming, yaaaay!.
2) STRAWBERRY MILK
The one and only girl gang. 4 members, Junko as the leader (she's so cute and funny), Asuko and Twin Towers (member of E-Girls). I love these girl, they're so funny!
There are so much red line right? All SWORD organization make their own world, never touch each other in order to keep peace in the town. The main story is started in Sanooh, Sanooh is the center of the whole story that connects all of the organization. The conflict appeared between childhood friends (Cobra, Yamato and Noburu). Noburu who just released from prison, but rather than go back to Sanooh he joined to Iemura Group. Feel betrayed, Yamato tried to persuaded Noboru to go back to Sanooh. Because he knows that Iemura Group is greedy and merciless. Noboru is trusted by Iemura to take over SWORD authority, but each SWORD organization refuse. This situation raised misunderstanding and betrayal between them. In other story, Chiharu (before he joined to Sanooh), who is actually a student in Oya Koukou, beaten up by his fellows but then he was accidentally helped by Yamato. Chiharu pled to join Sanooh, but this makes a conflict between Oya Koukou with Sanooh.
With 23 minutes average duration, you can enjoy fighting scene around 50% of its duration with great music accompaniment. HIGH&LOW also contains some sentimental, sad and funny part.
The editing, I’m so sensitive when it’s come to this point whenever I watch movie/drama. HIGH&LOW succeed this series with dramatic color correction, point of view and angle for each organization differently which is emphasize each organization’s character.
The fashion, since there are big companies who backing up the casts, they give all out in fashion too. Each organization has their own fashion style. No matter how you look at them, it does look pricey and detail from head to toe. They use a lot of expensive motorcycle and cars. One more thing, all the cast are looks neat and clean, this is one of the reason that I enjoy this drama. Or maybe they‘re just handsome and charismatic :D.
And now about the music. The music itself plays as the biggest part here, it makes this drama looks more appealing and nice. In fact, EXILE TRIBE’s album is also part of this HIGH&LOW project. There is not much I can review here because it so cool and perfectly matched with the drama. It’s EXILE TRIBE you know, what do you expect is what will you get. Each organization has their own special music background. The combination between music, fashion, editing, camera view and the cast themselves makes this drama looks like a MV. I love to re-watch this drama especially in some part like when a certain organization present themselves with powerful soundtrack, or just enjoying the each actors acting, their close up face, their cool movements even their poses. Sometimes I feel like are they doing photo shoot or what??. Seriously, their visual is on high quality level despite this is about delinquent story.
And here the list of the songs that included in this drama, it could be more than this but these are so far that I know:
J SOUL BROTHER - MUGEN ROAD
PKCZ feat EXILE SHOKICHI - WHITEOUT
GENERATIONS from EXILE TRIBE - RUN THIS TOWN
DJ DARUMA from PKCZ [VOICE OF RED feat.GS] - DARUMA FAMILY
THE SECOND from EXILE - ONE TIME ONE LIFE
DOBERMAN INFINITY - DO OR DIE
DOBERMAN INFINITY-JUMP AROUND 8
E-GIRLS - STRAWBERRY SADISTIC
ACE OF SPADES feat HIROOMI TOSAKA- SIN
Ryuji Imaichi - FOREVER YOUNG AT HEART
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The plot for the story was very tightly written so there are no huge holes or what the heck moments to deal with. It was also a great romance as well as providing the viewer with great historical context. If you are looking for a historical drama to watch this would be my #1 suggested drama.
Also the episodes are short so the 108 episode count is misleading. It is not at all a hard drama to get through.
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Well I'm just glad to be watching a show in which REDACTED doesn't die by the end!
I really loved watching this show. In fact, I couldn't stop watching it! It's possibly (probably) one of the best shows of the year. With a raw storyline, amazingly complex characters, and competent production, this show is a good option for a mature and gut-wrenching experience.Throughout the watching experience of this show, I noticed a lot of viewers were upset by characters not being easily categorized as good or bad, or judging characters too harshly, or just being upset that the romances were not cute. So just upfront, let me tell you. This is not your next Love is Sweet or Begin Again, or even Go Ahead (though that show is pretty close, content-wise). This show is raw. It's like an open wound. It goes for realism and it exposes the characters' faults on purpose. Actions have consequences in this show and everyone is a bit more complicated than meets the eye. I could write pages on character studies alone but this is a show review, so I'll stop!
You should watch this show if you like:
1. Mature stories. No black and white morality to be found here or cutesy characters whose bad decisions only lead to quirky shenanigans. Nope. You make a bad mistake here, you go DOWN!
2. Good acting
3. Later 20th-century history
4. Family dramas
5. Generational stories
Summary: The show follows the Qiao children as they struggle to survive in their father's home after their mother dies in childbirth. Yi Cheng, the eldest, makes a silent vow to never lose his dignity no matter what he faces in life. He struggles to raise his neglected siblings, keep them fed and in school while also following his own ambitions of raising himself out of his bad situation through education, all while maintaining his pride. As the story progresses and their lives get complicated by mistakes and tragedies, the siblings stay close together like the threads of a knitted sweater!
Plot: The plot is simple. It's life. It starts in 1977 and ends in 2005 and the show is committed to historical accuracy but other than that it shows the characters, their love life, their triumphs and failures with little judgment. You will hate some decisions and you'll love others. It's chaotic and illogical, the way that real life is. In real life, sometimes people make bad decisions and they commit to them longer than it makes sense to do so. It's the same in this show. I personally found everything in the story tolerable and nothing made me so angry as to make me want to stop watching. Everything flowed naturally. Nothing was dragged out and nothing was wrapped too fast. The pace was great and it helped to keep the viewer interested. Each episode is packed with one event after another to the point that missing one episode might lead to missing entire arcs!
Acting: Perfect. All across the board, everyone was amazing. Special shout out to Liu Jun who played their father. His character was a jerk but he played him so well that I was just so impressed by this veteran actor. Also, the young actors playing the Qiao kids in their childhood, especially the young actor for YiCheng, were amazing. Guo Zi Ming made me tear up more than any other character in the show. Kudos!
Music: I actually loved the music for this show. Especially the song called Wild Bird which I have been listening to on repeat since I watched the first episode. I can sing along now!
Production: It was near perfect. Gorgeous cinematography, meticulous location setting, attention to details, historically accurate objects but also experiences, symbolic lighting (happy homes colored with warm colors and unhappy ones with cold ones), (almost) perfect continuity. Most importantly, I think the production wasn't as expensive as it seemed and that it was just very well-budgeted.
Rewatch: I wouldn't say no. It was a very endearing watch and I particularly enjoyed certain parts that I would love to watch again.
Negatives: Characters make bad decisions a lot but I thought they made sense in context. While bad decisions, they still made sense for the characters. It's a bit hard to keep track of the passage of time. It's probably easier for Chinese people to figure them out because the show touches on important historical events but even so, there were certain points where time moved in loops (as it so often does in cdramas!) and it was a bit confusing but it didn't harm the show. It was just surprising to learn how much time had passed, once we did get a date. Some scenes were censored and there is some propaganda in the show. The censored parts do not redact from the quality but they do raise questions of "what if"s. The propaganda is light and harmless for the most part. One or two subplots lead nowhere in particular but given how packed the show is, it's fine. Qiqi gets WAY less screen time than everyone else. Not sure if it was a good thing or not because what we got from him was so sad and upsetting that I wish we hadn't had that either!
Overall: Highly recommended. I don't usually enjoy modern cdramas. This show stands out with its near-perfect everything.
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You'll fall in love with it slowly
when I started this series I rly liked the synopsis and the little twists and turns of the storyand now after completing, it almost feels magical , I always loved this actor but felt like he needed a story and a partner that matches his emotions in the same way he does every time.
I finally found it , the actress rly did such a great job portraying the FL's emotions the story rly suited them ( it was my first time watching her drama)
I loved the pacing of it as well, contrary to popular believes that it was too slow , it's just the right amount for an introvert I do connect with them they're rly so cute together and perfectly matched each other.
the post credit scenes after most of the episodes were just as beautiful
the side characters and their story were so good as well not too weird characters just the right amount
even the SML was adorable
I consider it a rly wholesome comfort watch for when I needed the most
waiting everyday for episodes to release was a joy in itself
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This drama has both its pro's and it's cons. The cons being the loops in the plot, the "unnecessary" drama and dare I say, the acting from the main leads who can sometimes come off as either annoying or "what is that face you're making!?" (Though I have to say I have to give Tseng Pets her cred for rocking that ugly bowlcut and old grandma getup/toe socks throughout the entire series while still acting out Xiao Xi in a way that was realistic and fun.)
The story starts off really well and builds nicely towards the romance. For all the romantic drama lovers, if you are like you me, (a crazy fool for cute romantic skinship and words) you will definitely enjoy the romance that takes off here. While the beginning and the romance makes for the beginnings of a good drama, the downfall comes near the end where you may or may not feel content with the ending.
While this drama doesn't exactly hit right out of the park, it is still a good watch and I'd recommend this show to anyone who is looking for something to watch. There is humor, romance and action all in one. This drama also shows the growth of Ming Xiao Xi as she tries to find her place in a new environment and adjust to the blissfulness and sourness of love. This isn't the type of drama you would take seriously, seeing as there are many similarities here with Boys Over Flowers, however what makes this series stands out is the main heroine Ming Xiao Xi and her great resilience to overcome different obstacles that occurs in her life and through her special relationship with the 3 princes of Gaung Yu.
Overall I give this drama an 8.0 for making me the crazy drama fangirl I am for skipping study sessions just to watch each episode as it was released. The music was excellent here (The Intro is hella addicting and the ending music is my most favorite song from this OST [Sung by Pets Tseng]]) and this is a drama I can say for certain you will want to re-watch.
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Story: The story was pretty good. The fact that Dan Sa Ran was a foundling and the route she took in her life to supplement this was a bit different from other dramas. People usually try to live their lives better after learning something so shocking; Not sink further down not minimize the damage. I think the idea of using Gisaengs is something that many dramas have not touched upon, it really brought an old world feel to a modern age situation. I do think it was a little cheesy how everyone was connected by the Gisaeng House but it didn't take away anything from the drama. The only thing that people may find fault with about this drama is the fact that it took so long for the secrets to come out and to find out anything really. The other fault would be the story progression in episodes 40-50.
Acting: I absolutely loved the casting for this drama. Im Soo Hyang is perfect for the role of Dan Sa Ran. Dan Sa Ran is wise with classic beauty and a cautious but loving heart. Sa Ran's character was played perfectly, more so than any other character. Ah Da Mo was played by a new actor and while he was shaky in the first couple of episodes, you could see that he loosened up and really embraced his role as the cocky rich son who falls in love and is willing to give everything up. Geum Ra Ra had a lot growth in the drama, going from the spoiled rich girl to someone who really wanted genuine happiness. At first I was not sure how her character could redeem herself because the actress looks arrogant but she pulled it off and I developed a new found respect for Han Hye Rin.
Acting;Other characters: As far as other characters go, for the stepmom I don't think they could have found anyone as annoying as they did, the adoptive father was soft as tissue, and the sister took the family ties further than anyone else in the drama. The hospital director was very stoic and I felt he could have displayed more emotion. The head chef played the bereaved mother perfectly also.
Music: While I think they played the same song too many times, I can't really complain because I loved it. Kim Ye Won/Kim Shin Ah (the Vietnamese girl from Romance Town) sings the ending song for this drama. It is titled Yeonjungga (Song of Passion). It was beautiful and sad and seemed to match the drama perfectly. During happy times they would play a more upbeat song that still conveyed elegance.
Rewatch Value: Well I think that the rewatch value for this drama is pretty high (I've watched it twice already and will watch again) I think that for many of the actors to be old and quite a few of them to be young and new to the acting scene, you realize a lot of the differences between the generations. Watching it over you can discover new things and think of the situations from different perspectives. I know that the number of episodes is a turn-off for a lot of people but the drama really is worth it.
Overall: Overall I think this drama was absolutely brilliant, by far my favorite drama. This isn't just a one dimensional view of the drama. Considering the acting from Im Soo Hyang and Sung Hoon to the unique storyline, to the beautiful ending song that sprang up at best times during the drama I think this drama is a must watch.
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Fifty Shades of Pink
Fifty Shades of Grey, this isn’t. There are parallels to be drawn involving primarily the contractual relationship trope and the BDSM theme, if it isn’t already apparent. That is where the similarities end, however. Despite the R-18 rating, I would consider Love and Leashes to be much less intense and provocative but rather more fun and heartwarming. After all, this film is meant to coincide with this year’s V-Day which takes place in just a couple of days. Hence the more upbeat and romantic vibe, this is definitely a case of love being slowly unleashed.Jung Ji Hoo is your average salaryman working in a 9 to 5 job. Unbeknownst to his co-workers, however, he has another side to him - one that involves a fetish for BDSM. One day, due to a mix-up by the delivery service, a female colleague finds out his secret. What transpires subsequently involves a whole lot of awkwardness and embarrassment as well as the resulting suggestive intimate moments, before eventually leading to something more profound.
Directed by Park Hyun Jin, who also co-wrote the screenplay adaptation with Lee Da Hye, the source material is the Naver webtoon entitled The Moral Sense conceived by Gyeoul aka Winter, which was serialised from 2015 to 2018. The original score was composed by Kim Hong Jip and Lee Jin Hee, with Lee Sun Kyu playing the guitar. Principal photography took place from April to July 2021.
What I Generally Liked
Running at just under 2 hours, I thought the film was rather entertaining and eventful. The concept is refreshing, by Korean or even Asian standards, for a mainstream production distributed globally by Netflix. You don’t often come across BDSM-themed romance as the main feature of the story and in this case, the subject matter was handled in a very tasteful and mature manner.
For me, the main takeaway from the film has more to do with the relationship dynamics in terms of the emotional connection between two individuals rather than purely the explicit nature of the BDSM acts themselves to be manifested as a comedic effect or cheap thrills. I particularly appreciated the nuances drawn from the eventual growth of both leads and the organic evolution of their relationship. Additionally, the film explores elements of office politics and gender discrimination that are very much borne of a deep-rooted patriarchal culture.
Given the involvement from Netflix, the film unsurprisingly delivers reasonably high production values. I’ve enjoyed the overall quality of the visuals presented and the set designs, while the accompanying music score nicely complements the ambience of the scenes.
My first time seeing both Seo Hyun and Lee Jun Young in lead roles and they gave a pretty decent account of themselves in their portrayals of Jung Ji Woo and Jung Ji Hoo respectively. I haven’t read the webtoon but I do think they managed to personify their characterizations the way they were intended to be convincing and relatable to viewers, to a certain extent.
The ML is just adorable, almost like a puppy who loves playing with whips, handcuffs and candle wax. The FL, on the other hand, is like a deer caught in headlights. At first, anyway, as she gradually gets a hang of the whole situation. In fact, her transformation from the down-to-earth girl next door to a dominatrix behind closed doors is quite remarkable.
For the most part, the film comes across as quite lighthearted but things do get a tad serious in the final third, where we get to observe a bit more substance in the portrayals of both leads as they finally deal with the repercussions of their actions. I honestly feel that Seo Hyun generally did more of the heavy lifting in this film.
Final Thoughts
As a feature length film that is meant to be mostly a romance comedy, I think the scope of the storytelling is quite extensive. Perhaps certain aspects could have been fleshed out more, such as the respective backstories of the leads and interactions with the people around them but I honestly think those aren’t particularly major issues. For all intents and purposes, and without giving too much away, I was rather pleased with the final outcome and closure to their story. Suffice to say, all’s well that ends well.
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I enjoyed it
I rate this show highly, not only because the acting is good. Mental health is a difficult area and a taboo subject. We all suffer from mental health issues to varying degrees and at different points in our lives. This show to me brings this issue out in the open and perhaps will enable some of us to appreciate the problem and develop some understanding. I feel that this is what has led to some negative reviews. It was very brave of the writers and producers to run with the story line.Aside from this tricky issue, the show was fun, cute, well thought out and well performed. Admittedly there were a few times when it dragged a bit. I liked that there wasn’t the love triangle and the romance of each couple was heartwarming and at times the antics were hilarious. Of course you had the not so nice people and it was justifying to see good win over bad. Steadfast love and a willingness to stay together, cute scenes and many funny moments. I laughed and cried. To me it was a feel good love story, just what I want when I’m watching romance dramas.
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I watched this movie because it played at the cinema when it was the world movies festival. It was the only Korean movie so I didn't chose to watch this movie because the trailer was good or because I've hear it's good.
One moment there was a smile on my face, the other moment my eyes were teary. It's a story that hits the hart.
In the beginning the writer doesn't give us all the information we need to know what's Han Gong-Ju's mystery story and background. The flashbacks tell us what we wanted, or maybe didn't want to know.
This movie is a little different. It's not the average Korean movie. What I like the most about the movie is the feeling I get from it. The movie/story feels 'real'. In Korean drama we often get a lot of lovey-dovy dramas and a lot of cry-with-buckets movies. But most of them are unreal and we let them go when finishing the story. Sometimes the truth is harsh. This one still stays in my mind, even if it's a few day ago that I watched it.
The actors don't get a lot of make-up which shows the real beautiful Korean beauty. It's Chun Woo Hee second main role, I have never seen her act before but I'm totally convinced of her great acting skills. You'll see that she's very talented. The supporting roles were also really good. I'm looking forward to more of these good actors and other works of the director. I'm definitely a fan!
The rewatch score is only a 4 because I think the movie is at it's best watching it for the first time because of the stepwise construction of the story.
I think the director, the writer and the actors did a great job. I really recommend this movie.
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You Can’t SHAME The SHAMELESS
Shen Wenlang is a blabbermouth who have the emotional awareness of a tablespoon, Sheng Shaoyou is a fluffy bunny with the temperament of an angry wolf, Gao Tu is a professional lair, and Hua Yong is…well, there’s a lot wrong with Hua Yong, but imma leave that for later, cuz right now I’m in a hurry. My aunt just called a family meeting, my grandmother is pregnant and she ran away with his boyfriend so…WTH was that ending? People where are we running to? Who is chasing us? We were this close to perfection.
Anyway, I know for sure Hua Yong managed to manipulated me through the screen too, but I just can’t prove it. Cuz, tell me why I started this drama screaming at his lying arse, and here I am today, ready to defend him with all I have. Regardless, it isn’t much, just a half eaten sandwich and some gum, but still, I’d gladly give them away to defend that lunatic, who frankly needs to be smacked in the head with a Bible or put in a straitjacket, cuz the mfker is cray cray.
And I thought Cir (Boy Next World) was a psycho for inventing a whole parallel universe just to get a boyfriend, turns out there are levels to being a Lunatic when it comes to love. Let me lay it down for ya.
THE LUNATICS HOT 100: BL AUDITION
#1 Duan Zi’ang (New entry) = Kill to Love. REASON: Dude went to war and destroyed an entire country so he could kidnap his ex-boyfriend in hope to rekindle their doom relationship. Spoiler alert: it worked-ish.
#2 Hua Yong (New Entry) = ABO Desire. REASON: He’s a Hua Yong.
#3 Huai’ En (-2) = Meet You at The Blossom. REASON: Destroyed the livelihood of his lover’s family, so his lover would only be dependant on him.
#4 Ming (-3) = My Stand-In. REASON: It all started with Ming having a back fetish… smh.
#5 Cir (-4) = Boy Next World. REASON: My man invented a whole different universe just to get the boy.
#26 A Tuo (New Entry) = Secret Lover. REASON: Dude dated every girl who was interested in his crush to keep them away from him. That’s next level dedication.
Just to list a few. The only reason Hua Yong isn’t #1 is cuz the level of causalities he left behind weren’t as much, though, I have no proof, so it’s anyone’s guess at this point.
First off, to get something off my chest real quick. It’s getting real annoying with all these ‘I’m only here for the second couple’ nonsense crap that’s been going on in the bl world lately. “I’m only watching this because of the second couple. I skip all the other scenes except for the second couple.” OKAY AND? Dafug you want, Sharon? A cookie? An award, is that what you want Bob? I need some of y’all to give it a rest, cuz it’s no longer cute.
And I'm not talking about screen time, cuz in the case of Gao Tu and Shen Wenlang, although they were barely in the main story of the novel, I still had high hopes, and want more scenes with them, cuz they didn't have enough for my liking. I want ten episodes of Wenlang begging, Gao Tu being treated like he deserves and lots of kisses, but ya, we got what we got, and that finale was...yeah.
Anyway, so yes, I get it, sometimes we all get second couple syndrome, or the story of the second leads interest us more, but some of y’all have started to make it your entire personality and won’t shut up about it, to the point you start hating on the main couples, and have to let everyone and their mama know you're only here for the second couple. In the last couple of months alone, I saw it with Revenged Love, The Next Prince, Memory of Rati, to mention a few. Like, we get it, you are not that special Susan, go sit down.
I watched this drama for all four characters and l did not skip any scenes, and let me tell you, I had the most fun without being bitter and counting screen time even in effing previews. These four characters made the show and I remember them all equally and fondly, cuz really, it’s a story about MEN BEING PREGNANT, even if Shen Wenlang and Gao Tu were in the entire series for 5 seconds only, we’d still remember them. Cuz again, mpreg. Arrg.
SHENG SHAOYOU
32, 33 exes who were soft and loved to cry. Yeah, at some point we need to dissect this behaviour, cuz damn ho! Hua Yong was right, Mr. Sheng is a playboy, cuz did y’all see the moves he put on in the beginning of the drama when he was trying to get Hua Yong’s cookie? OMG, that s-tier Alpha was on!!
Mr. Sheng’s temper was adorable, omg, who even looks that cute being angry? Worse thing, it was just a front most of the time for his softie heart which was just so forgiven, cuz forgiving Hua Yong after he pouted a little and looked real sad at the cameras for an episode was wild.
I felt so bad for Mr. Sheng when he was being manipulated. Him and Gao Tu needed hugs, cuz those two best-friends (Don’t tell them I said this) from Country P had them and me stressing with their antics. I cried with him when Hua Yong left after attacking him. Hua Yong in the name of love put this poor man through heartbreak, high levels of stress, emotional abuse, physical pain that needed trips to the hospital, childbirth, Shen Wenlang, an identity crisis, and well… Hua Yong. Poor, poor fluffy bunny.
On a side note, Mr. Sheng is not all that innocent. The 33 crying virgins aside, dude was hitting that Omega girl while in a situationship/living together type of thing with Hua Yong. And, he was too soft-hearted and forgiven to the people around him. His father, brothers, Hua Yong. The way I’d have milked my anger with Hua Yong. But, after everything was exposed, Mr. Sheng went ‘alright, but lie to me again and walk out that door.’ Dude, that's it? The two s-tier Alphas in this drama were such losers when it came to love. Someone stalked you for years and homeboy went, ‘oh you’re a fan of me.’ No, Bob, he’s a stalker! If only you knew the things he did with your hands while you were sleeping.
Anyway, I love how kind-hearted Sheng’s real personality was, and how soft and adorable he is while secretly loving being pampered. Not gonna lie, I love the mouth on him too. There’s an episode when he was in a hurry, and dude literally shouted at his driver. ‘Have I lived long enough? is that it why you are planning to waste some of my time for me?’ LOL. Imagine if him and Mr. Shen were actually friends, they’d be so insufferable to be around.
GAO TU
My baby, my sweety-baby boo. Oh my beautiful Omega, how I wanna slap you with a rubber chicken. Hear me out, in the beginning I felt so much for Gao Tu to the point, I was looking for tickets to travel into my computer and punch Shen Wenlang in the throat, but as time went on, I went…
Yeah, Gao Tu is literally creating his own demons, and must like being miserable cuz, Sharon why? That fake Beta kept lying, and lying, and lying. Like, we all keep saying Hua Yong deserves an Oscar for his acting, but Gao Tu deserves one as well. He’d kept this lie going with Wenlang for 10 years, that’s a lifetime achievement best actor award right there.
Anyway, I felt the most for Gao Tu, everything with his sister, that sperm donor of his, and being in love with a man who hated Omegas. Man could not catch a break, and I just wanted to bubble wrap him and hide him away. But at the same time, I wanted to shake him. Yes, Mr. Shen sucks, but please talk to him, at least give him the benefit of the doubt for the sake of your friendship. Arrrggg.
I had a protect Gao Tu voice in my head that went, ‘Count your days Mr. Shen, it’s on sight! Whenever he said something hurtful to him.’ But at the end of the day, misunderstandings and miscommunications were their biggest enemy, and Gao Tu was rather the kind who’d rather go quietly into that night than make a whole lot of noise, and so in the end he had to endure all that hurt.
Mr. Shen didn’t suffer enough for my liking, but also, it was enough cuz of the lying. I’m glad our Gao Tu got his happy ending, a lovely son and a lover who…well, he’s Shen Wenlang and he comes with Hua Yong, so… but, he got his love and if he’s happy I’m happy for him. Still, I wanna shake him for making me sad for him when his problems would have been solved with the truth.
SHEN WENLENG
Abeg, make no one’s son come disturb me like Shen Wenlang did Gao Tu, cuz brotha why? At one point I was like, this man needs to rent out his brain and put his mouth out for sale, cuz he clearly don’t know how to use them correctly.
In kinder terms, Mr. Shen is pathetic and an embarrassment. No, I will not be explaining myself. Cuz really, you all saw it. Dude was literally trying to start a fight with a poisoned pregnant s-tier alpha on his hospital bed. He visited someone he’d missed and in love with and immediately insulted his home.
Yes, Mr. Shen’s mouth is a problem, but you know what, I don’t blame him for everything that happened. He trusts Gao Tu who he’s known for 10 years, so if he says he’s a Beta, that’s what he’s gonna believe. Sure, the Omega hating part is all on him cuz of his past trauma, and as a CEO of a pheromone company not being able to smell Gao Tu is an omega is wild, plus he’s emotionally constipated, but at the end of the day, they both to blame. Though, after the finale, I too would have ran away for three years.
Yes, we can argue: how the eff was Gao Tu supposed to know he felt different than the words he spoke? Cuz Mr. Shen was out there pretending to be with Hua Yong, telling Gao Tu his scent smelled, and he wasn’t pretty enough to be office decoration. HAHAHAHAH, No but, why is he like this??
But yeah, huge fan of Mr. Shen, you know, when he isn’t speaking. I think he should become a silent monk or something, cuz whenever he opens his mouth I go: Aeiii fresh boy, mr. mouth, mr spoke inside, mr information super highway, my friend will you keep quiet?
I’m glad he grew the eff up when he found out the truth. Truthfully, Shen Wenlang was the best. Yes, dude should pay taxes whenever he opened his mouth cuz all he did was littered with his words, but he was also a gentle soul. He cared and loved so much. Whenever Hua Yong was sick he was there, sure with an attitude but he was there, and the lights at Gao Tu’s… even being concern for Sheng Shaoyou, and they were born enemies. Plus he's basically HuaSheng’s second dad, cuz he’s the best godfather ever.
Also, I don’t care what both of them says, Hua Yong and Shen Wenlang are besties with a bow, cuz come on. I’m pretty sure someone would be like, ‘Mr Shen, where’s your best-friend, and he’d go, that lunatic? Who’d be friends with that crazy enigma?” hahhaa, but they do care. Asking each other for love advice and whatnot. I have no doubt when he asked Hua Yong ‘you cooking, who are you poisoning?', if he’d said a name and asked him to come and help, he’d complain but still go be look out.’ Best friend behaviour if you ask me.
HUA YONG.
HAHAHAHA. I’m sorry, but this enigma had me dying of laughter whenever he was on screen. Especially in episode 6. FAM!! Dude acted so traumatised, didn’t want to be touched, felt dirty and whatnot, and the whole time the mfker was a virgin. Sheng-xian-sheng was losing his mind with worry and regret, and Hua Yong was probably thinking, ‘1, 2, 3, cry now. 4,5,6 look real sad and shake a little.’ HHAHAHAHA
Every time I see Hua Yong on screen, I go, ‘here comes Mr. Sheng-xian-sheng-ing, he’s about to go, ‘Sheng-xian-sheng’ and completely do something diabolical while looking like an angel. FAM, this enigma for sure needs to be put in a zoo to be studied, cuz why?
No, but, this Enigma saw some foreigner boy one time under a tree and went, ‘that one, I want that one right there,’ and made it his whole identity. He’s a black flag, sure, but when all is said and done, he’s just a loser in love, who happens to have psycho tendencies. Man even had a proposal strategy in place, and while I was going awwww at their kiss, that enigma was like ‘taming desire is like taming an animal.’ Hua Yong trained poor Sheng-xian-sheng like a dog with the cookies. Ahhhh. He wanted that man, and he did not care how he got him, and frankly, I respect that.
Also, I wanna know, did Hua Yong wake up in the mornings and while brushing his teeth went through his scenes for the day? like: Today, imma pretend to be an Omega, make pregnant soup for Sheng-xian-sheng, pack my suitcase in case I wanna be dramatic, get more pink makeup, speak slow and low, make some cookies, oh and overdose on pheromones and almost die to teach Sheng-xian-sheng a lesson. Yep, it’s gonna be a wonderful day. HAHAHAHAH.
Oh Hua Yong. Compared to him, Gao Tu’s lying was nothing. This man was so manipulative and such a professional liar, it took literal natural disaster for his lie to come to light. The gods were probably watching, and Mother Nature was like, naaah, fuck that dude, that’s enough, then boom, earthquake. Then the mfker had the audacity while Sheng-xian-sheng’s world was crumbling to go, ‘Yes, it was me that night. Yes, I am not an omega. Anyway, I love you, can I keep pursuing you?” HE HAD NO SHAME WHATSOEVER. Cuz, dude, read the fucking room.
Speaking of shame, I was dying of laughter when he invited himself to dinner with Sheng-xian-sheng’s ex that time while he was being iced by him. Hua Yong was like, ‘yes, come with us for dinner, I won’t kill you.’ And I was like: ‘Who is us? aint no one invited you to this. Honey, read the room, you are the effing elephant.’ HAHAHAHAH. So shameless. I love him. And yes, I am questioning my morals, thank you.
Like Hua Yong was so good, looking all soft and cute for Sheng-xian-sheng so he’d get what he wants. Me? I can’t even act cute to ask for something from a partner. I tried one time, even stood in front of the mirror to prepare and everything, but at the end of the day all I could come up with was, ‘hey hmm dude, send me money, my pet chicken swallowed a spoon and its in the hospital. She needs emergency chicken surgery.’ Yet, Hua Yong is out there lining up Sheng-xian-sheng’s exes for insight, drafting proposals to get his man and marry him, making soups and cookies, learning to cry, running a company that could literally buy half the planet, while still finding time to be Sheng-xian-sheng’s dream man.
Poor Hua Yong is not a lunatic, no, he has suffered, while having to keep up with his lies, it must have been so hard for him. He worked so hard, and I frankly think he deserves applauds for succeeding instead of that straitjacket. I’m glad he also got his happy ending, regardless he’s beefing with his 3-year-old child cuz he's a jealous idiot, but he’s happy so that’s all that matter.
FINALE: Yeah, liked it, but not gonna lie, I expected more, instead it was rushed and we barely got to enjoy it. I am hoping for a special episode or like deleted scenes cuz... that was just cruel.
Plot-wise, this is a bl drama about pregnant men, I don’t think I need to sale anyone on watching it. Like, you should already be watching it, have finished watching it, or like me, on your 56th rewatch. There's no in-between.
All in all, I read the novel and enjoyed it, so I was all in for this drama, I laughed, cried, cursed and laughed some more. I’m now a die-hard D4 fan, cuz those four were really good in their roles and managed to make me like them outside of the drama as well. I want yearly dramas from them. I HIGHLY recommend this, it may appear slow in the start but trust me, it gets better. Was literally counting seconds to Saturday every week.
I’m gonna miss them. The wait for more drama from them is gonna be torture.
Anywho, thanks for reading and Merry Christmas. Yes, you read that right, I’m now in my enigma era, so I do what I want and I aint gonna follow no damn calendar, so Merry Christmas!
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1.Wuxia/ Mystery Storyline
As a big fan of Wuxia, I have watched all sorts of Wuxia dramas.But this kind of Wuxia/ Mystery dramas are very rare. The plot is not unpredictable but interestingly executed. It has its twists and turns and a certain amount of cliffhanger at every episode.
2. Superb Chemistry/Acting
I would say the actors are kinda new faces to me. I have never seen the male lead before.Though I have watched Female lead in Eternal love of Dream, her role is only a few episodes.
But both of their actings are top notch, their chemistry is on point. 2nd Male lead and other support’s actings are very impressive as well.
3.Impressive Cinematography
I don’t know it is whether a high budget drama or not but the fighting scenes are beautifully done. The cinematography can give a kind of Jianhu vibe.
4.Overall
Osts are quite well done too.Overall, it is not a perfect drama but I still like it. It is not time consuming and fast paced.
I would recommend it to all wuxia fans
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1
1Do Bong Soon is played by Park Bo Young, who was in one of my favorite dramas,"Oh My Ghostess", yet I didn't recognize her at all. With her super cute bob haircut, her amped up adorable personality, and her petite stature, it was exciting to see her character with this unexpected superhuman strength. I loved her character's origin story, and I'm always a fan of the anti-damsel in distress, so I was already interested in this drama from episode one. She really plays the sweet girl you don't want to mess with role extremely well.
She is matched with Park Hyung Shik as Ahn Min Hyeok, and I don't think I can accurately describe with words how charming, and just beautiful to look at he is in this role - it's *swoon* overload. He is not even my type, at all, but it's like they put a special perfection filter on him, and he played every scene in a way that made it impossible for me not to fall for him. Together their adorable couple rating is off the charts! Their chemistry is perfect, so perfect that the cheesiest scenes and moments still worked for me, and soooo many scenes were extra cheesy. He is also so supportive of her, which makes the traditional role reversal refreshing to watch. To me they came right up to the border of being obnoxious in their cuteness, but never crossed it, because they were such a good match.
The rest of the cast was mostly awesome too, considering all the genres that they had to cover. Ji Soo as In Gook Doo completes the love triangle, and plays his part really well, although I honestly couldn't stand how the actual character behaved. Gook Doo may inspire 2nd lead syndrome in some, but he was too controlling and self-righteous for me to really root for. I loved Bong Soon's family, BFF, and especially grandma. I also really liked the villain, who I think was played by the actor better than the character was actually written. He was creepy and sinister, yet kinda seductive and attractive, which I think is a recipe for an excellent villain/nemesis. Then there is the supporting cast MVP Kim Won Hae. I didn't love him in his first role, It was just too corny and gross for me, but his second role was hilarious in its absurdity. I applaud his ability to take both roles to such extremes. The cast is definitely full of memorable characters.
Part of the reason I deducted some acting points was because a lot of the comedy just wasn't my to my taste. Korean humor can get too silly for me sometimes, which was part of my issue with some of the performances. There is a whole gangster subplot that annoyed me. There is a Monk that is completely ridiculous. Then on a more serious note, Seol In Ah's role was pretty useless, and forgettable. There is also a family drama plot that I forgot all about until the end when it's obvious that they were missing. These criticisms are because of the writers, more than the acting, which is why i deducted even more points from the story. Don't get me wrong, I liked the story a lot, and loved watching Bong Soon become more confident and evolve into a Shero, but the story as a whole is all over the place. The thriller part is intriguing enough to drive her motivation, but it went from being seriously creepy to resolving with a more comic book feel. There are a lot of parts of the story that I felt were left without a real explanation, or resolved too quickly, but all of this was forgivable because of how much I still enjoyed watching every episode.
I also forgive the last episode, which had mostly filler, but I loved the very end (obvious but perfect), which made me very curious about what a second season would be like.
The OST was good, and matched the show well, especially the "Super Power Girl"Theme! However, I did not fall in love with any of the songs, not even Park Hyung Shik's ballad.
Now comes the highest score for me - rewatch value. I gave it a 9.5 because I could definitely see myself watching this more than once. With all it's flaws, and silliness, I just had so much fun watching, and couldn't wait to watch the next episode! I almost gave rewatch a 10 but I would definitely skip through some of the comedy scenes.
Overall, I would recommend this as a cute twist on a superhero story that encourages female empowerment, not in a subtle way... in a walnut hammer over the head way! I also love the message of not underestimating someone based on appearance, and helping others selflessly. I think it's best to just embrace that the plot is chaos, the comedy is ludicrous, and enjoy the fact that it may not always be coherent but it all supports this character's journey to her destiny (well, maybe not the stupid monk). I also highly recommend it to anyone who is on the lookout for a talented and crush-worthy actor, because I think Park Hyung Shik definitely fits the bill.
If you're looking for maturity, a substantive plot, characters with great depth, and no clichés or exploited stereotypes... back away from this drama slowly and don't come back to it until you're in a lighter mood.
This is the drama equivalent of a bag full of candy! Not every flavor in the bag will be good, but most of it is delicious, and the sugar high makes it all worth it!
Oh, and if there was a Bong Soon video game, I would totally be excited to play it!
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CAST:
You can not help but fall for Shin Min Ah's bubbly and attractive personality. She's so genuine that I don't think of her as an actress but as a human being. Then we So ji Sub who is naturally and effortlessly hot. The way he looks at Shin Min Ah's character, you can feel the love oozing out lol. In the end, GREAT CHEMISTRY which is one of the most important factors in a successful drama.
PLOT & MESSAGE:
I hate how in transformation dramas/movies the protagonist stops everything once they reach their goal. In Oh my Venus, the main actress kept exercising and eating healthy way after she reached her goal and I loved how they showed us that till the very end of the drama. It's a realistic reminder to keep a long healthy lifestyle instead of the yoyo method.
Other dramas also accentuate the actress's figure after the transformation and make it the main focus most of the time however in Oh my venus, I was surprised that they kept making her wear loose and sometimes unflattering clothing even after she lost weight but that reminded me that the important thing is not how you look but how healthy you are which is why she didn't only use the scale to check her progress but she also did blood tests.
In the end, I think the great elements of this drama outweighs all of the negatives making it a great and even rewatchable drama!
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CHARACTERS: Let me just say that Yang Yang as Ye Xiu is the best thing ever. He really gave the character a lot of depth and I thoroughly enjoyed all of his expressions! Also for the rest of the characters, they brought their own color and twist to the characters. Honestly there were some parts of the drama that made me hate so many of the characters where I was literally yelling at the screen. So to the actors and actresses who made that happen, that is very commendable in my opinion. The only problem I would say I had is how fast the character development was for some of the characters. But then again it is only a 40 episode drama, each episode being 36- 45 minutes.
STORYLINE: Everything flowed well together, very very similar to how it is in the anime and light novel, but then there are some plot and development that only is shown here.
MUSIC: 100 out of 100, honestly I absolutely love all of the songs, they fit perfectly with the theme of the drama.
Once you start this drama you won't be able to put it down. It has deep and inspiring themes and the graphics are so captivating that if you even blink for a second, you will miss something. I really hope they do a season 2 of this drama! But if not, I am completely content.
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Vagabond is one of the best action Korean series that I've watched. It is also a must-watched series because its Lee Seung Gi and Suzy Bae's comeback team up in a series. Vagabond is full of action and has a very unpredictable scenes you will definitely get shocked with it's twists. You will get impressed on how Cha Dal Geon managed all his near death situations just to find justice on his nephew's death.
am not that satisfied with the ending because I wanted to get rid os Samael and what happennto to story of Cha Dal Geon and Go Hae Ri???
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