Reviews

A ride from start to finish

I've watched many romantic dramas, but I would never call myself a fan of the genre. This is mostly because, while the couples may be cute, there will always be unnecessary misunderstandings and drama to make the relationship "strong." Many romance dramas have a tendency to romanticize red flags that is often borderline abuse. I don't consider myself a romantic person and, hence, rarely do dramas make my heart flutter. However, this one not only made my heart flutter, but it also made me melt into puddles from the sweetness. Often, I caught my silly, ecstatic reflection on the screen and wondered what this drama has done to me.

Right off the bat, I noticed the similarities with DOTS like many others have mentioned. The general premise of a law enforcement officer falling in love with a doctor is similar to DOTS. The truck dangling off the cliff, and the earthquake rescue mission is also similar to DOTS. But, the similarities end there. The main characters are entirely different people from Kang Mo Yeon and Yoo Shi Jin, and so is their dynamic as a couple. Someone commented below that DOTS is a "blockbuster" meant to grip the audience and keep us at the edge of our seats, while YAMY is a good balance of high octane action and a slow, sweet, realistic slice of life. Unlike DOTS, Xing Kelei and Mi Ka are not "heroes." They are ordinary people who are also very competent, passionate professionals, trying to navigate their daily lives, and on more than one occasion, encountering something out of the ordinary.

Bai Jing Ting and Sandra Ma are an unlikely duo, and so I had my doubts at first. I ate my words within the first episode. This couple has so much natural chemistry; it blew me away. Sandra Ma is a fantastic actress. I cannot imagine the compassionate, capable Mi Ka being played by anyone else. Sandra Ma has impeccable dialogue delivery; her soft voice, sweet giggle, puppy eyes, and tender disposition are all so naturally conveyed. The drama being undubbed made her feel most authentic because her diction and voice modulation really adds to the acting. Sandra has the ability to portray characters as dynamic. She made Mi Ka cute and warm without making her annoying. Mi Ka is kind but not a pushover. She knows how to stand up for herself and does not let anyone walk over her. She's calm, level-headed, reasonable, and by far the most realistic female lead I've watched in a long, LONG time. She also shows so much character development; the contrast between her in the first episode and episode 39 is striking.

Xing Kelei is just as well written. Truth be told, I never pegged Bai Jing Ting as being able to carry the role of a police officer. But I'm so impressed with his acting abilities that I can unabashedly say that I've become a fan. He's charming and powerful as a captain. In many cases, dramas tend to boil down military/policemen to macho men with a false sense of superiority and ego, two sizes too large for their body. This toxic masculinity bleeds into his romantic relationships. It makes him the dominant one who makes all the decisions, the one who takes the initiative and drives the relationship. Xing Kelei is confident and well aware of his charm and talent, but he is far from egotistical. To see the tough, mean captain of the Tigers be clammy, shy and timid around Mi Ka is so adorable. The contrast between him as an officer and him as a boyfriend is so stark; it makes you swoon. In a relationship, the two are partners, on equal footing, and the two respect each other's choices and opinions. This relationship is by far one of the healthiest I've seen in dramas. There is consistent communication and no room for misunderstandings. Even when the two fight, neither lets feelings stew nor hesitate to apologize. Even when they miss each other due to their demanding occupations, they understand and respect each other's careers and accept that sometimes their jobs take precedence over each other. Every time you expect conflict, the two surprise you by being level-headed and mature. It sounds like the bare minimum, but it is still so refreshing to see. I enjoyed the natural progression of their relationship. While it may be slow and awkward at first, it is very realistic, given that it is their first relationship. I think this is what makes their interactions all the more authentic. Their conversations feel natural and casual, akin to your day to day interactions with the ones you love.

The side couples are just as adorable. Each couple has a different dynamic. Shu Wenbo is so obtuse; it's hilarious. Unlike popular opinion, I didn't find his cluelessness annoying. In fact, I found it quite endearing because as soon as he realizes his feelings, he's quick to act on them. Ruan Qing Xia is assertive and forthright without being annoying, and as an aspiring journalist, I admire her professionalism and sensibility. I adore the relationship between Keyou and Shou Yuhan. While Kelei and Mika are like spring- new, fresh, pure; Keyou and Yuhan are like autumn- comforting, familiar, warm and mature. All are different types of love, but equally as beautiful.

The romance is a slow burn, and the pacing of the drama is slow. There are arcs of thrills and action, followed by periods of the characters figuring out the mundane complications in life. The balance is perfect, and the simplicity of it is what made me keep watching. Each period of hardship unlocks a different level on Kelei and Mi Ka's relationship. The earthquake episodes are interesting, and the confession is especially heartwrenching. I have a special appreciation for episode 39. The writers did an impeccable job maintaining the thrill from the beginning to the end of the hostage situation. The addition of the lovers' fateful encounter after a long period of separation is heartwrenching and really adds to the experience.

Is it perfect? On most days, when I am much more practical and not in my feelings over the end of a fantastic drama, I would say no. However, today I choose to be impractical and argue that yes, it is perfect. That being said, the editing can be a little choppy, especially when stitching together multiple takes of the same scene. But that can be easily forgiven. While there are some recycled tropes earlier on in the drama, there are no unnecessary plot devices, and every bit of the story is there for a reason. There are no unanswered questions or plotholes. The product placements drove me a little nutty, but I just chose to ignore it.

I don't usually watch long dramas, and 40 episodes can be considered long. Yet, the episodes flew by, and at the end of it, I hoped for more. But now that I've finished watching it, I'm left with hollowness. This drama was truly a joy to watch. It's the type of drama that I wish I never watched, to experience the unadulterated joy of watching it for the first time. It also left me with a lingering sense of warmth and solitude. A drama that has joined the ranks of my most elite. Undoubtedly, a ten on ten for me.

Leia Mais

A Genuinely Decent Sageuk

Bossam: Steal the Fate was a good drama. However, I will caveat my review with the fact that I am a sageuk lover.

When I saw this title was airing, it was already on its 6th episode, and I binged the episodes that were out immediately. I've seen a bunch (and I mean a BUNCH) of historical/palace dramas and I've never once heard of the concept of Bossam. So as a seasoned k-drama watcher, I was excited for something new. What I found was a drama I was so enraptured with, I often found myself watching episodes multiple times throughout the week (once without subtitles and again with subtitles when they were out - THANK YOU SUBBERS ♥) just because I couldn't get enough. And don't believe the people who say there's no romance - more below.

STORY: 9/10
The story isn't anything revolutionary, but it's still my favorite trope in my favorite genre (a Joseon-era cohabitation with palace politics), so I couldn't get enough. Up until around the 18th episode mark, I was determined to give this drama straight 10s, but right at the end I was left with some questions and the feeling that the show had only been a few steps away from jumping the shark. Everything you think is going to happen does - but that doesn't mean it's not worth a one-time watch, because it definitely is.

"So how's the romance?"
In my opinion, nice actually. Other people may disagree (I know they do), but think of the romance this way: love languages. If you don't know what love languages are, basically it boils down to the idea that people show love in 5 different ways depending on their individual love language. Some people give gifts, some people help their loved ones, others wants hugs and kisses and all the typical "romance" things, among a couple other "languages". If you believe couples in love have to be heavy Physical Touch people - you will not enjoy this romance. If you're an Acts of Service or Quality Time person like me you may adore this drama like I do. I thought Jung Il Woo did a fantastic job portraying a commoner man in love with a princess far out of his league, and due to the era they lived and her already shy nature, physical touch would've been totally out of place. If you think of it like this, there's a ton of romance in this show, but for Physical Touch lovers, there's next to none.

ACTING/CAST: 10/10
Fantastic acting. I mentioned Jung Il Woo above but he and everyone else did a great job. This show kept breaking its own record and there's a reason for that. A conflicted peasant single father just trying to get by who falls in love with a strong yet meek princess couldn't have been portrayed better by any other couple. I've never seen Kwon YuRi before, but she's on my radar now. I can't give enough praise to not just the main cast, but the supports too. I am always a fan of Lee Joon Hyuk. I'm convinced every drama he's in is an assured winner.

MUSIC: 10/10
AMAZING. Angular Stones (OST part 4) had me singing every time it came on, and Blossom (OST part 12) makes me feel like I'm staring out a window into the rain pining for the man I love. The OST is so great and I've been listening to it since I found the individual tracks. They've gone onto my all-time favorites playlist.

REWATCH VALUE: 8/10
I was convinced this was going to be my favorite sageuk of all time until the ending where it got a little rocky, but it wasn't bad at all. I wasn't disappointed, and the beginning of the show is especially worth re-watching I think. This show is just so comical. All-in-all, I'll probably re-watch this even though I usually have trouble doing that after I know the ending of shows.

Please do yourself a favor and give this drama a try. I don't think you'll be disappointed if you know what to expect romance-wise. Do keep in mind that there are a lot of palace politics, but that comes with the sageuk genre. Hopefully you find Bossam: Steal the Fate as great as I did. Happy watching!

Leia Mais

It’s Got It All & It Achieves It All. Highly Recommend!

This was akin to the old epics. Magnificent and beautifully told in every possible way. I sobbed. Man, I sobbed. Not every drama conveys the depths of emotions so that you can feel it in a scene even when the characters themselves are not being emotional. Even more so, not every drama can convey the depths of sadness in someone’s soul, even as they are smiling. It’s a skill when a drama can get you to feel and not just feel, but REALLY feel. Feel it like it was your own. That they are you and you are them. It’s that sobering of emotion that you get in a once in a lifetime drama. It leaves something with you that you never ever forget. A profound feeling that will stay with you forever.

The first time I watched this drama, I binged it in two days. All 50 episodes. And that surprised no one more than me. It’s like a good book you can’t put down. Can you imagine that? It’s such a long series and yet it never feels long. Although 40 minutes long, each episode is over in the blink of an eye. They are that gripping and entrancing. The story is told in such a way that all the right storytelling devices come at all the right times. Nothing overstays it’s welcome and everything is utilised in the most effective ways. Scenes flow expertly, one into the other and even the non-cliffhanger endings are as enticing as the cliffhanger ones. I couldn’t wait to find out what happened next each time. So much so, I started at 11am on the first day and was surprised to see that it was 4am by the time I looked up again. After getting some rest, I resumed watching and again, did not stop until I completed the entire series at 1am that night.

My words can never do enough justice to convey just how good this truly is. They are not enough to paint the merits of the incredible feat of this drama. Some dramas are to be experienced and this is one of them. Some dramas are just special and you feel it as soon as you start watching. I will forever recommend this drama. Far and wide. I will shout it from the rooftops and never stop singing its praises.

Leia Mais

Average at best

Disclaimer - No hate for this drama! I swear! :)

I’m getting a little tired of the “we don’t know how to communicate” plotlines. And while I do love a good classic BL, I’m also increasingly fed up with the constant financial imbalance and the tired victim–savior dynamic. We all know I have a soft spot for red flags and a sprinkle of toxicity, but that’s a conversation for another day.

This did nothing for me and I want to know why! I felt like it was a bit dull, a bit cute (I HONESTLY THINK SO), a bit boring, and mostly uninspiring. Personally uninspiring. And sometimes my focus was all over the place.

I read the reviews and I am glad many people loved it, but I do not get it why I did not. This review isn’t meant to bash the drama, just sharing and maybe if you’re easily annoyed and don’t enjoy spending time on something that feels like you’ve already watched it three times before, you can safely skip this one.

That said, I will religiously watch season two. I did have my favorites in season one, and at the end of the day, this is just one story, so I’m willing to see where it goes.

Leia Mais

"When love is not madness, it is not love."

This became one of my favorite ongoing kdramas this month.
It genuinely gets better once you start to get behind the mask of the ML., how he is and his past along with the FL.
I personally didn't find the side characters interesting in any way, the family or the people at their work place. Except the ML's ex who knew when to provoke at a right time.
The ML's and FL's interactions are extremely funny by episode 4 or so.
The story itself is standard with lots of madness from the couple by them being chaotic and quite insane with eachother.
I honestly wish they kept it that way even when they started dating and being all lovey-dovey but to each his own.
Overall, I still enjoyed it. Not too heavy or crazy.
This show kept getting funnier and funnier by each episode. Sure we’ve got a few tropes here and there but the entire drama was shown in fun and unexpected ways.
And I love that he and Krystal are clearly having a blast even behind the scenes.
As much as there were some boring and unnecessary scenes, I overall enjoyed the drama and loved it enough for it to become my favorite thing ever.

Leia Mais

 Am just a blithering mess of tears right now after watching the wonderful, wonderful movie “Soshite, Baton wa Watasareta” (…And So, the Baton was Passed), starring Mei Nagano, Satomi Ishihara and Kei Tanaka as a family of the most unusual disposition.
I ‘m a HUGE Mei Nagano fan, and have been dying to watch this movie ever since it came out late last year. With the online release of it this past month, I was crossing my fingers that some blessed subtitling team would pick it up, and just today I was overjoyed to find that a translating team picked it up and released subs for it!!!
WELL, I wasted no time sitting down to watch it, and I say without reservation that I loved, loved, LOVED it!!! I had always known the briefest of plot details: That Satomi Ishihara played a mother with a young girl who hopped from husband to husband dragging her child along, but I had no idea that that would be only the mere tip of the iceberg of what a rich, detailed and lovingly crafted story Baton truly was!
I simply adored this movie and was kept quite intrigued throughout the show by its little twists and turns, surprises and reveals, and though perhaps the ending might be somewhat predictable, I found the entire story to be wonderfully wholesome and sweet as any I've seen in years!

Leia Mais

"One mistake can lead to irreversible regret"

The Pig, the Snake, and the Pigeon was a tough film to rate and harder to review. The film showed how different people react when death stares them in the eye. Do you attempt to mend your ways or seek a lasting legacy no matter how reprehensible?

Chen Kui Lin aka the Kuilin Kid made a name for himself by taking out not one, but two mob bosses. While lying low he discovers from a pharmacist who treats gangsters that he has stage 4 lung cancer. She works to convince him to do the right thing and turn himself in. After praying to General Guan and tossing the divination sticks nine times he goes to the police station to do just that. Problem being that an armored car had turned over and people were lined up to turn in the money they’d pilfered. While waiting he sees a wanted poster with the top three fugitives. He was ranked #3. At that moment he determines to take out the top two to improve his legacy.

The first half of the film had numerous brutal, no holds barred fights between Kui Lin and the cop Chen Hui and between Kui Lin and Hongkie. Hongkie was vile, a rapist, and deadly. No tears shed for anything bad happening to him. The second half of the film delved into the spiritual side and repentance. Even a killer like Kui Lin could grasp at the thread of hope. At least before the violence erupted into new disturbing levels.

I’ve never been an Ethan Juan fan but I have to admit he did an admirable job as the killer who could murder people easily but could also be quite affable and charming. He rescued at least two people and tried to save a third. That didn’t mean he was a good guy and it would be wrong to idolize him. His last violent act disturbed me greatly and threw me into a moral quandary attempting to understand his reasoning.* The final twist wasn’t much of a twist and in the end, it didn’t matter, at least to Kui Lin.

The Pig, the Snake, and the Pigeon had high production values and well shot fight scenes. The acting was quite good and Ethan Juan made it hard to not feel some empathy for his character. The story could be uneven and the final third of the film took too long to resolve. Far from glorifying the gangster lifestyle, it showed that three evils no matter how fair or repugnant they might appear to be needed to be vanquished. Interestingly, only one facing death had the courage to do something unorthodox to rid society of the animalistic ills.

3 March 2024


***********Spoiler below**********
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The only way I could resolve the massacre at the cult was that after all the evil they had done including murder and destroying at least one child’s future, he thought they would continue their wicked ways . Many of the people in the cult who did not heed his warning knew it was a scam and were enforcers and the others who stayed behind were either in on it or so brainwashed that would continue to drive people to suicide or murder when ordered. The ambiguity of the ones left behind who were killed was very distressing to me and why I didn’t rate this film higher.
In the end, Kui Lin paid for his crimes and the pharmacist who got her three birds, actually a whole flock, with one stone was also facing a painful death herself.

Leia Mais

I've read the manhua (the English translations) and watched the anime multiple times so there will be some comparisons...

STORY: For at least the first half of the movie, it moves through through the original source material quickly, as there is much to skim over and a short amount of time to do it. There are some obvious changes that fans may not enjoy. (Check out my comments in the comment section for some details and spoilers.) The second half of the movie deviates a lot from the source and that's understandable because I think they wanted a self-contained movie adaptation and the manhua and anime are still ongoing. Still, it was neat to see an adaptation of this.

ACTING/CAST: I quite enjoyed the cute actors they cast except for the grandmother of the house who they turned into a senile old woman for no reason whatsoever.

MUSIC: It was the standard sweeping epic type music you'd expect. Side note: I love the music for both the Chinese and Japanese versions of the anime openings, specially the Japanese version of Season 2.

REWATCH VALUE: Well, I dunno. I think I'd rather rewatch the anime or catch up on the translations. The Chinese is over 275 chapters and English is only around chapter 70 (as of this writing 4/2/18).

OVERALL: They did a decent job adapting open-ended source material while not being an exact copy of the anime. Cheesy special effects. :O)

Leia Mais

Ghosts playing matchmakers

It was a fun ride for sure. I think the cinematography is beautiful, I really liked the filming locations. The OST was very catchy as well. And I think the plot was well written, things connected right and made sense. The reoccurring characters had some sense of purpose, which pushed the story forward in one way or the other. The comedic aspects are nicely incorporated and fit in well with the plot.

To be honest, at some point the ghosts appeared to be good wingpeople. Whenever they annoyed or scared poor Bu Xia enough, he would run to Jiang Chi. And while I do agree that the idea that he only wants him close to keep the voices out of his head is problematic, they do address this problem and I think that’s important. Communication makes things easier (too bad it’s not Bu Xia’s strong point).

Jiang Chi & Bu Xia: The two are adorable together! They seem to be quite different from one another, but they still make a great pairing. Bu Xia might not be the best academically and can be quite awkward at times, but he is still a cutie. He is afraid of ghosts. Or at least afraid of ghosts trying to get them do their bidding. Jiang Chi is both smart and athletic, but he is also confident and goes after what he wants. And that’s Bu Xia. They start as enemies, but things quickly make a turn for the better. The two face plenty of troubles, but I do think they balance each other nicely. The two actors did amazingly and had great chemistry as well.

I really liked Bu Xia’s sister too. She was a fun character, and I absolutely loved her relationship with her brother. They teased each other but were also the person the other could count on. Always and for everything. That’s life with siblings!

The ending is kind of open, so it makes me think they might be planning for S2. At least I hope they are. I considered such an ending a possibility, but I wasn’t sure what route they will take. It might be considered finished, I guess, but to me it still feels like there is more of the story to follow. So fingers crossed for another season.  

Leia Mais

usually I don't watch jdramas, but even I can tell that this is a beautiful thought provoking story.
I personally don't have kids, but I've heard so many of the same lines used in this drama in real life that it was hard to not relate to this.
people live by other's expectations, they feel weak when they think they're not "following" the pattern, they have a hard time admitting that they are struggling and everyone just lacks empathy. they criticize what they don't personally feel.

there are so many rules of society. "you can't keep your kid happy/quite? you are a bad mom". "you don't cook for your family? you are a bad housewife". "you don't have kids? you've failed as a woman". and there are of course other examples, even directed at men "your wife makes more money than you? then you are not a man". "you want to see a therapist? you've failed as a human". "you want to quit your job and stay at home? that's not what men do"..

who made these rules? why should we force others to live by those rules? does putting others down make you a better person? would showing weakness mean you are not... what? grateful to your life?

everyone struggles with something, but again, you can't just look at people through your experiences.. don't judge people. it's also so easy to misjudge people, so everyone should just communicate more..

anyway this is making me emotional :) basically they did a great job convening the different struggles, the slow growth of the characters was also heartwarming and inspiring.

the ost was nice and I never rewatch stuff, but this does make me want to watch more jdramas ;)

Leia Mais

Bae Soo Bin at his best! this drama is too good!! you actually enjoy the ride and if you like revenge and you havent seen this,,then you have to..The whole idea is so awesome and it might seem too far from reality but it isn't. youd be surprised how many people actually go to such extents because of a heart break especially when its revenge against revenge. This show is sweet and intense! and not some hopeless revenge drama but a rather amazing ride..One of my very first favorite dramas and I will always love it. I always say they dont make any kdramas like this anymore. Miss the fun!!!

Leia Mais

Very loosely inspired but in the mood of the book.

I'm writing this review having watched 7 of the 8 episodes and having already read the book that this drama is based on.

I will start my review by mentioning some things about the book that is a fantastic read and I recommend to read it. Jake Adelstein is the only American journalist ever hired at one of the most prestigious Japanese newspapers as a crime reporter, something that is of course an achievement by itself. Through his work as a reporter he had to deal with the whole spectrum of Japanese underworld, the Japanese mafia ( Yakuza- that it is worst as it seems than the Italian one! ) and of course with the police and all the people, the press and all other institutions, involved in this world.

In his book he mentions the most notorious of the cases that he covered as a journalist, and of course he gives a first hand account about how intertwined are the Police and the Press with the Japanese underworld.

And that is exactly what this drama is all about. It is not that much about the characters that are just some examples of the persons that Adelstein encountered in the 12 years that he worked as a journalist in Japan, but mostly a very good and accurate depiction of the attitudes, the dealings and the doings of all these people that live and operate in this particular world.

The story plot and the characters are original - inspired by the book or picked up from the book, but not so well developed in the book- but the mood is there intact. Where the book is full of information and facts as a reporter would have written them the drama is full of character development and a solid plot. So 10/10 from me for the fantastic and original in a manner of speaking writing of this script.

The production is great with the touch of Michael Mann ( the guy who produced the legendary Miami Vice and directed Collateral ). Don't ask me who is Michael Mann. Go a check out the films and dramas he has produced and directed.

I'm also impressed by the cast and all the actors participating in this drama as half of them had to learn how to speak Japanese and the rest of them to learn how deliver fluently their lines in English! They all deserve credits for their work, as we all know how difficult it is for westerners to learn Japanese and for Japanese to speak English.

So - in order to conclude without any spoilers- this is a fantastic drama with a very solid plot, great character development that you will not find in the book, and very good - and difficult due to the bilingual nature of this drama - acting.

If you haven't read the book yet do read it.
If you haven't watched this drama yet do watch it as it will put you in the mood of the book but with an original and different some how story plot.

10/10 from me for the writing and they way that the source material was used, the character development and the very good production and direction.

P.S After watching the final episode I have to say that the second season will be welcomed.

Leia Mais

One Big Family (on a Town Scale) Thwarted by a One-Man Villain

Most of the Heir is a beautiful inky tale about the people who can hurt us the most and legacies fighting tooth and nail to have a future. If you're interested in that, welcome to the show.

FL's Family: Li

The Li family feuds may be frustrating at first, but it would be strange to watch a series like this and not expect and want to see characters suffer and grow. Thankfully our female lead gets some punches in and rises through her skills, dedication and love for the art of ink making as well as her love for the family that stands by her.

Despite being one of Zhen's biggest naysayers, her uncle is one of the best side-characters with a great arc throughout the drama. In historical dramaland, disabilities often are either faked, miraculously cured or characters with disabilities are evil without reason. The Heir redeems Zhen's explosive disabled uncle well. Cured of his hatred rather than his disability, he remains himself and shows that his old injuries do not hold him back.

Her eight grandfather is the typical old man, who has seen too much and understands too much to go easy on his granddaughter. Nevertheless, their bond only strengthens throughout the drama. As seventh grandmother's favorite, Zhen interacts a lot with her too. It's interesting to see how one matriarch builds up another. Even though there are a lot of strong grandmothers in historical dramas (like in the recently released A Splendid Match), I wouldn't say other FL's are so explicitly taught.

Zhen's mother has a bittersweet backstory and always has her daughter's back. Zhen's friendship Hua was also very pleasing to watch.

ML's Family: Luo

Wenqian, the ML, is a very human character instead of standing above the FL. They both have setbacks throughout the story. The male lead appears more toward the middle and last half of the drama. His story starts as the classic revenge story, except things don't go as planned. Overall, the characters in The Heir are not as good at scheming as the usual leads, which was refreshing to see. They also don't need to be because unlike in other dramas, the characters here never aim to play their game in the capital (except for the villains).

While I'm not particular fond of the met-as-children-once trope for the main couple, it worked here. Zhen and Wenqian are so cute and awkward, they are simply endearing.

Wensong, the ML's older brother, is one of the best characters the drama has to offer because he cares about ink to an unnatural extend, and it is one of the few crimes this drama commits that he is the only character of his unhinged type. Though, Li Zhen and her uncle come close, it would have been nice to get more mad geniuses.

The elders of their family are an interesting bunch. I would have enjoyed some more time with the aunt.

Villain's Family: Tian

Let's get to the, imo, weakest part of the drama. Two of the Tian family members are almost comically evil and if this were another drama, they wouldn't stand out so much. Alas, in a world filled with characters who have business sense and their own levels of integrity, if of their time, they are a bit too on-the-nose. The main bad guy, Tian Benchang, was exhausting to watch almost immediately. Most times he is on screen, I hope he disappears again. At least he gets what is coming for him.

The Heir is best when it is about the ink, its process, its competition and its consequences. Sadly, the villain overshadows those challenges by being vicious on the personal level only. Despite his non-stop-scheming taking up time, he also suddenly always has the best ink there is in Huizhou. He was simply badly balanced, so the part in which he appears most - the penultimate arc - drags the drama down.

The only light in the dark for the Tian family is Ronghua, who gets dealt a bad hand by being tied to a family which could not appreciate her less. Apart from Zhen's uncle, Ronghua has the best arc in this drama. In fact, I would have liked to see more of her struggles as a nobel lady.

From Family to City to Country

That the nationalism might become strong in this one was to be expected, sadly I don't think the drama balances the story expanding from the family business to the city industry to national craftsmanship as well as it could. Through Wensong's involvement in the army, there are mentions of the national situation from the start, but they are made too unimportant when his punishment after failing to secure military funding is inconsequential. Tian Benchang also overstays his welcome as the big bad, so that ink as the national treasure is squeezed into the last four to three episodes.

Leia Mais

Enjoyable vertical drama, with class acting

I came across this program through social media recommendations, and after watching it, I can definitely see why it’s getting so much praise. The acting was outstanding, and the chemistry between the lead characters really stood out. The storyline kept me engaged from start to finish, with no dull moments whatsoever.

The program runs just under three hours, but it flies by thanks to the compelling plot and performances.

The only downside for me was the vertical screen format, which I found a bit off putting . However, I understand it was designed with mobile viewing in mind, so I can overlook that.

Overall, it’s something I’d definitely consider rewatching in the future.

Leia Mais

Best acting in Japanese media but that's the only good thing about this movie

As I said, the acting is masterful. Easly the best of all Japanese dramas and movies I've seen. Maybe even one of top 10 of all media I've ever seen. The cast did amazing job, I didn't feel like they acted at all. It also wasn't anime-like or cartoonish at all which is unusal for Japanese media (that I've seen at least).

The soundtrack was also nice, though there weren't a lot of music. Most of the time the background sound was silence. However, these are the only good things I can say about this movie. There will be spoilers.

The first thing I hated was Rei's "lesbianism". Sorry but no. I am a lesbian and it was very hard to watch. She was supposed to be out of closet but she had a voluntary sex with men. What lesbian does that? Was it suppoed to show her awful mental state? Was she trying to punish herself? It's just a very weird decision for me. Moreover, I feel like it only invalidated her sexual orientation. I can't believe she's lesbian because her actions towards men don't make sense to me. Also, it made me feel sick and disgusted. I wish they discarded all the sex scenes but especially those with Rei and men. Or at least didn't claim she's a lesbian.

The relationship between Rei and Nanae is toxic af. They are toxic people and they get worse when they're together. It made impossible for me to root for them. They were portrayed as bad people, not just lost or misunderstood, but I guess it's understandable as the movie starts with a murder. (Also I love how Rei made a disclaimer she's not a simp: "I did not murder a man to have sex with the woman I love". Beautiful.) Another point is I don't believe the love Rei had for Nanae. I don't believe it held for more than 10 years and was strong enough to make her kill for Nanae. I see it as just a cheap way to move plot forward. The actresses did what they could but it's just a big plothole for me.

As for the technical side of the movie. What the hell if wrong with the camera work? It was shaking so much, is the cameraman alright? It did get better further in the movie but it never really went away. It made me quesy watching it as if I had a motion sickness. The shots were also weird, sometimes too close, sometimes too far to the side so half of the screen if filled with irrevelant stuff and you can't see the important stuff happening.

I could write more points but I don't want to spoil it too much. Also, this is long enough. I wouldn't recommend this movie but if you want to risk it then expect a lot of nudity and sex scenes, crying and not much of logic.

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