Reviews

Very serious drama

It kept my interest all through it. I loved the story, loved the acting, especially Kim Jae Young. He is such a good actor, and also nice to look at. Jung Hee Joo kind of got on my nerves with the same blank expression and fake smile, but that was her character. If you don’t like slow moving dramas, infidelity, revenge, rage, or obsession, you won’t like this, don’t bother. That’s virtually the entire drama, but is was done well. I liked the ending, but it was a shame, because nothing was accomplished with any of their lives. There is a million different ways it could have ended, but one thing is for sure, none would have been happy. With this kind of drama, with this story line, there is no way it could have ended happy, with any of the characters. As I watched it, I disliked all of them, but that was how the story was written. Every one of them was out for revenge, but in the end, did they all get it? You’ll have to watch to find out…

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Lovely short series

This is very well-written, acted, and produced - it's very visual and takes full advantage of the medium to tell the story with real economy of force.

The story is non-linear, but easy to follow. The writing and acting manages to effectively convey through small details how the boys feel about each other, and the dynamic of their relationship. The ending was perfect for their story.

The acting is understated, but the tension is there when it needs to be. There is a coffee metaphor, but it's used effectively and we aren't beaten over the head with it.

I would recommend this - but if you watch it, don't try to judge it as you would a 12 hour-long episode series. It's a completely different type of story told in a much more visual way.

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This drama is one of the best dramas I have ever seen! It is based on a true story of a girl called "Aya Kito" who wrote a diary while she struggled with an incurable disease called spinocerebellar ataxia. She battled with the disease for 10 years, before sadly passing away on May 23, 1988. In 1 Litre Of Tears, the story is outstanding. Watching the drama, left a huge impact on me and my heart and I wasted packs of tissues by just watching this- trust me I cried LOADS watching it! The acting was magnificent, Erika Sawajiri ( Aya in the drama) was so amazing. Her crying and scenes were so natural and you could actually see she wasn't forcing her tears. The cast chosen for this drama was perfect as they all fit their characters perfectly well! The music was great as well; the chosen music fitted the scene amazingly and I recommend to you 100% to watch it; this drama is so outstanding. There wasn't a single episode in which I didn't cry! If you are going to be watching it, don't forget your tissues!

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There is a saying at the beginning which reflects just what this drama is about; Silent Poor, represents the homeless, the sick, and others that cannot afford to take care of themselves and that is the drama in a nut shell. It is not about love, romance, conflict or anything you generally see in a drama but about a woman who is working through her grief of watching her younger brother die during a horrible earthquake when she was young. In the hopes of "giving back", she becomes a social worker. What I liked about this drama is that they showed me the distinct differences between Asian cultures and their attitudes towards the poor, sick, mentally ill, adoption, foreigners, everything! Every episode is a different story and it was those stories that I liked the most. If you have no interest in these things, I'd skip this drama. So why the lower rating? At times, it could have been better, the lead actress's acting was kind of stilted at times but thankfully she was surrounded by better ones. Overall, if you are interested in the role of a social worker in Japan, you will definitely find this interesting.

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Story (9) - It is a very simple story about an ordinary couple making the best of work and life. Though I have trouble with the whole housewife image, dramas push on women, but this drama depicted that in a very positive light. While a husband tries his best at work, a housewife tries her best to keep him going. It is the little things like a lunchbox that really show how much a woman cares for you. And it is as difficult being a housewife than being at work. This show perfectly showed how two people complement each other, motivate each other and what it truly means to be a partner for life.
Life hack- Everything can be solved, if you just talk it out.

Acting/Cast (10) - Nishikido Ryo is my favourite Japanese actor. He is also the only actor that can make me cry - just by his expressions. And he did not disappoint me. Mayu was a treat as well, and despite the age gap, their chemistry was heartwarming. Also, all the side characters were lovable - despite their quirks. From an acting standpoint, you could feel the emotions properly conveyed.

Music (9) - This show has small musical dream segments in between. Most of them starting with the line - “He had the eyes of a deadfish”. At first, I did not know how to take it in, since it felt a little over the top but later I was looking forward to them. The music was catchy and they were hilarious. I have been replaying them now.

Rewatch Value (8) - Maybe some fine day, when I am not feeling good, I’ll rewatch this to warm me up.

Overall (9) - It is a perfect, feel good, slice of life drama. If you’re looking for a story with plot twists and melodrama or villains, this has none of it. It is just an everyday journal of two ordinary people trying to make each other happy.

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Mu-Te-Luv: Fortune Says Hi

Ok, essa série vai ser dividida em histórias/arcos, e, pelo que parece, serão sete no total. Então vou comentando cada um conforme for saindo e, no fim, dou meu parecer geral. Começando pelos quatro primeiros episódios, Mu-Te-Luv: Fortune Says Hi, que conta a história de dois garotos: Err e Mawin. Os dois são superdotados e competem por uma bolsa de estudos no exterior, mas o Mawin tem um “algo a mais” que deixa tudo mais divertido de assistir.

Eles são fofíssimos, de verdade. Eu bato palmas pros dois atores porque conseguiram me encantar de um jeito muito natural. O Mawin tem aquele jeitinho mais fechado, introspectivo, super concentrado no que gosta, principalmente nos programas de rádio que ele ouve. Quando ele começa a falar todo felizinho sobre isso para o Err me deixou toda bobinha de amores, ele é muito fofo.

Já o Err é mais aberto, e cheio de energia. Ele provoca, puxa conversa, e tem essa vibe leve que acaba quebrando a barreira que o Mawin ergue ao redor de si. O contraste entre os dois é ótimo de assistir: um é reservado e observador, o outro é expressivo e meio bagunceiro no melhor sentido possível. A dinâmica entre eles funciona direitinho. Tem química, tem essa tensãozinha adolescente cheia de olhares demorados e sorrisos contidos. É impossível não ficar com um sorrisinho bobo assistindo os dois juntos.

Apesar de ser um clichêzinho colegial do tipo enemies to lovers, foi bem feito. Conseguiu me deixar com o coração quentinho e, pra ser bem honesta, até as partes mais emocionais me deixaram emotiva. É simples, nada muito mirabolante, só uma história leve, com dois garotos encantadores e uma construção que faz você querer continuar assistindo.

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Overall - Pretty bad. Watch it only if you really love the casts.
Story - Horrible pacing and storyline. It started off promising, but the story had no resolution at all until the very last episode. It went round and round wasting screen time with useless and repeating scenes, mainly about the two male leads fighting over the female lead. FL was very indecisive, masquerading her supposed 'innocence' to manipulate both MLs. MLs were both stupid and hot headed. I never once believed they truly loved Danika(and vice versa), and felt more like they were only stroking their toxic masculinity. The moms/parent figures were selfish, manipulative, and just plain horrible parents. The story could've so much more, but unfortunately falls flat because the scriptwriter decided to focus on the wrong things.
Casts - The main ML and FL were both okay for their roles, but they had no chemistry at all. Sky was quite believable as the tough son of a mafia boss. Unfortunately, Kiri was severely miscast. He was okay in the first half as the actor has a very gentle look(and suited with the good son character), but he was not believable at all as a rough-gangster type.
Cinematography/Music - Very good. It had one of the best look for a Thai lakorn(I've seen a few). Scenes in the Himalayas were very nice. Music/OST was quite good as well.
Rewatch Value - None.

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A romantic comedy that executes itself with maturity and few cliches. Park Min Young and Kim Jae Wook had overflowing chemistry. The looks in their eyes could deceive you for off-screen romance with their multitude of kisses being passionate. This drama had the most mature couple I've seen in a drama that really understood each other and helped each other achieve their own happiness. Park Min Young is truly a great actress, proven by her years in the industry. No noble idiocy, no misunderstandings - this IS the perfect couple everyone wishes to have in real life. The side characters like Cindy and her mom had a nice character development, and even our 2nd lead didn't get too caught up in his love triangle and redeemed himself. The story wasn't anything special, but the writers pulled it off so well. The OST is also fantastic and fit every scene.

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The story is, in itself, pretty simple. The plot is sort of divided up into parts, with different people being the 'main character'. Because of this lay-out, the story does get slightly repetitive and with that also more predictable.
However, having said that, I loved this movie. It fits perfectly to the "slice of life" genre, a glimpse of real life, and in this case real life is just a little bit funny to boot. I love the main character, and how she is portrayed by the main actress. I love the easy-going mood throughout the movie, the breezy and fresh theme of renting cats to lonely people.
The music and the cinematography elements of this movie are both important reasons to why I enjoyed it so much. It's beautifully done, shot, and persecuted. It also gives the feel of japanese traditions, the japanese life style that we all know and love (at least I do).
Lastly, because this is such a lay-back sort of movie with no particular goal or end line, I feel it's the kind of movie I could watch and re-watch many times.

Basically, I would recommend this to anyone that adores the slice of life genre and of course, if you adore cats, or mori style (because in my opinion this movie has a very mori-ish feel to it).

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Brutal, Heartbreaking, Bleak, but somehow still Beautiful.

Watched 26/10/2025 at opening weekend.

Before going in to watch, I happened to see the director had said that she wanted to showcase the harsh realities of rising poverty amongst youth, an issue not often enough highlighted in modern Japan. The main symptom seen of this in media is the rise of so-called ‘yami baito’ in the news - in English, effectively ‘crime part time’ as desperate youths whose backgrounds aren’t so fortunate desperately try to stay afloat to afford rent, university, and the like.

This film showcases four such people, whose circumstances leave them nothing else to turn to. I did not expect to be so emotionally moved by this film, at all. The storytelling was also cleverly done, as nothing is revealed too quickly, yet upon seeing the whole picture, there is still beauty in the humanity you can find amidst the brutality. The story is largely told in three arcs, one for each protagonist, and the pacing was exactly as it needed to be. The use of perspective was also particularly clever in the sense that you start the film through the lens of the youngest and most inexperienced of the three protagonists, which also serves as an appropriate introduction to the world of yami baito for those unfamiliar with it. Acting was spectacular and gut-wrenching in exactly the ways it needed to be.

This film brought a range of emotions out in me, from the visceral nausea of reality to the sweetness that cannot be separated from the bitterness. This is not a film full of cheer, hope, and optimism, but it is still a film with a painfully heartwarming glimmer even at the most desperate times.

The closing song is beautiful and fitting, and other than that, the soundtrack was unobtrusive. In fact, I was so deeply invested in the story and characters I didn’t notice any music until the credits rolled, however there was most certainly music there and a composer credited.

I absolutely recommend this to anyone who can see it in cinemas, or anyone who enjoys crime-thrillers in general. It is a superbly well acted film. This is easily the best Japanese film I have seen since 18x2 Beyond Youthful Days (which I also reviewed at the time).

TRIGGER WARNINGS: Violence, Blood, Gore.

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A healing experience

Let me just start by saying that I rarely write reviews (I think my last review was for Mystic Pop-up Bar last year lol) but this show, especially the three main characters, have won a very special place in my heart so I couldn't not write my thoughts on AADSIG.

I honestly started watching this show without properly reading the summary; I had only knew this was based on a webtoon and after I watched the teasers I decided to give it a shot and boy am I grateful I did.

This has got to be my personal favorite kdrama of 2021 so far (and I'm not sure another show could top it). Don't get me wrong, AADSIG is by no means perfect, but I can't help but love this show with all my heart even though there were some things I wish were changed or added.
What I loved the most about this drama was how realistic it was in showing the struggles common people go through every day. We see different characters, each with their personal story and each one carrying a burden that makes them feel suffocated and like they can't go on. The most beautiful thing for me was to see how all these broken characters came together and with time, patience, understanding, and love they were able to help each other realize they were not alone, that it was okay to rely on others and that even though life is hard, the sun always rises after a storm and people can overcome their difficulties.

I felt I could perfectly relate to these characters and to the struggles they went through. Watching this show was a healing experience for me because through the characters I was able to see parts of myself I don't want to think about many times. Especially with So Bin, I felt deeply connected to her because I'm also an extremely shy person who can't stand being in the spotlight. Particularly I could understand her when she struggled so much to get closer to Yeo Joon and she felt scared that maybe he didn't want her to get closer to him. I'm also an insecure person who many times thinks I'm bothering others (even though I "know" they love me), I find it difficult to get closer because I'm afraid I'm being a nuisance or I'm intruding or overstepping. And the fact that I could see myself in her was one of the reasons why I felt disappointed that the show didn't give So Bin more room to grow, they didn't develop her character in more depth. I wish they'd showed more about her past, more about how she dealt with her insecurities and overcame her anxiety and fears, and more of her and Joon simply being honest and open to each other (particularly him) and helping each other grow and overcome their wounds. Sadly, that's the main reason why I can't give 10 stars to the show.

Nevertheless, the depiction of friendship in this show has got to be the most beautiful I've ever seen in kdrama, especially between the two male leads. And I know there are many people who were hoping this would be a bl but I just need to say I'm glad it wasn't because I think not everything needs to be about romantic relationships (be it same or different sex). In the society I live in, men are raised learning that talking about feelings, being vulnerable in front of someone else and showing you emotions are things they shouldn't do because "these are things that women do", so many men just suppress their feeling and bottle everything up and they have a hard time confiding in their friends about emotional matters, in fact, it is not "well seen" if they do that. So seeing Joon and Soo Hyun listening to each other's problems and supporting each other emotionally just gives me so much happiness because I think that's what friends should do, that's what friendships should be like (and we know that between women this is common, but between men, it isn't). So I was pleased to see such a healthy and positive representation of male friendship, they really went and said f*ck toxic masculinity and I'm LIVING FOR IT.

Finally, the acting of this show was simply BRILLIANT. Props to every single one of the cast members and especially the main trio. This was the second time I watched Bae In Hyuk acting and I completely fell in love with him. This was my first time watching Kang Min Ah and she did amazing, I think she's such an outstanding actress. As for Park Ji Hoon, I had seen only one other project of him but I hadn't realized the depth of his acting talent. This boy CAN act, he's incredible, definitely my favorite this time, I particularly enjoyed the emotion he conveyed during those scenes where we saw his trauma, especially that one scene in which the two bullies get into a fight with Soo Hyun because of the group project and Joon tries to stop them. His performance simply blew my mind. I'll definitely be waiting for these actors' next projects and I'll be rooting for them, there's already a spot reserved for their characters and them in my heart. 

Thank you to all the cast, production team, and staff who worked so hard in making this beautiful drama. I'm so grateful I found this show when I really needed it, now when I'm going through a hard time for not being sure of what future holds for me. Thank you to these precious characters for giving me so much comfort and making me feel safe and at peace with myself. Thank you for reminding me that not having all the answers to everything is okay, that I don't need to be in control of everything that happens in life, that it is okay to reach out for help, that I should treasure those who are close to me, and that no matter what, I can overcome whatever challenges and difficulties life throws at me, with the help of those who love and care for me.

I'm uploading this without really proofreading, so I apologize for any possible mistakes I may have made. Thank you for reading this far, and I hope that wherever you are, you never forget how precious and important you are in this world.

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