Reviews

Non-spoiler review (If you wanna read my spoilerish review, it's in the comment section)

So, I finished watching Gomen, Aishiteru. It was one of the most emotionally invested Japanese dramas I’ve ever seen. It has a lot of heart and warmth in it without saying so much. The simplicity in its storytelling was what drawn me to it.

I know that Japanese dramas like to emphasize on their characters’ and stories’ quirks. Sometimes a bit too much to the point of making no sense at all. Currently I’m watching Quartet and after a few minutes in, I was already bombarded with the characters talking incessantly about lemon and karage.

One more thing I noticed is that love stories in Japanese dramas nowadays seem so dry and detached. And they also tend to glorify extramarital affairs a lot lately. Gomen Aishiteru also has the extramarital affair bit but it has been handled well. And nothing good comes out of extramarital affairs.

In addition to that, Gomen Aishiteru has that 90’s - early 2000’s romance feel that I missed so much. Granted that it was a remake of Mianhada Saranghanda and they could have done it with Japanese drama’s quirkiness. But I’m glad that they actually remained faithful to the original version and interpreted it with Japanese drama’s sensibilities. Like Tomoya Nagase said, it was more of a tribute/homage to the original version of the drama.  I also liked how the Japanese version treated the story differently. And I realized that Gomen Aishiteru was more about Ritsu’s journey and how the people around him affected by it rather than his destination.

Several changes have been made to the story which I think for the better. Its ambiguous ending is what makes Japanese dramas special. They didn’t give you the answer right away, instead they left it all to us to make our own interpretation because life is like that.

Moving on to the performances, the cast did a great job at playing their roles effortlessly. Chizuru Ikewaki was flawless as Kawai Wakana, Baijaku Nakamura as Mita Tsuneo was good, though there were moments where he was over the top which I think it’s necessary for the character. Ayaka Onishi made an impact as commitment-free Furusawa Touko.

 Kentaro Sakaguchi shone as Ritsu’s privileged and pampered but terminally ill step-brother, Hyuga Satoru who was selfish at times that he had hurt Rinka emotionally because he was so obsessed with Touko.

Otake Shinobu as Hyuga Reiko was interesting as the ‘hateful’ person which I kinda empathize for her later on because yes, she made a huge mistake but at the same time she also suffered the consequences for what she had done and I think it’s unfair.

Riho Yoshioka as naive and faithful Mita Rinka was excellent. She was the anchor of Ritsu’s and Satoru’s lives. The difference is that Satoru manipulated her for his own security while Ritsu saw her as an equal. I also liked that Rinka was someone who in someway a strong character and had the courage to move on with her life when she needs to because she knew that Ritsu wanted her to be happy no matter what.

Last but definitely not the least, Tomoya Nagase. He was spectacular as Okazaki Ritsu. He has proved time and again that he’s one of the best actors in Japan and extremely underrated. Okazaki Ritsu is the best character that he has ever played. He was passionate, melancholic, emotional, vulnerable and awkward at times when it comes to love because he had never experienced it before Rinka came into his life. There was a lot of warmth and empathy for the people around him even though he himself was suffering and had gone through a lot of pain in his life. Apart from that, the way Tomoya portrayed Ritsu and emoted through his eyes and facial expressions without saying anything were incredible. His appearance in the drama was also different from that of Fragile, his previous drama. He was unkempt and rough in this drama which implied that he was not well taken care of with only a few clothes on his back when he arrived in Japan, looking for his mother. These subtle changes are what made Ritsu comes alive.

Another thing that I love about this drama was the characters development. It was subtle change in the characters’ behaviour that moved the plot seamlessly. The theme song “Forevermore” by Hikaru Utada could have been better and I wish it was more mellow. But good song nevertheless. The cinematography was top notch. It gave the drama a melancholic feel with its greyish and yellowish tones, and as the drama progressed, the colors became even more stark and gloomy as if they were depicting Ritsu’s pain and sadness.

The directors, Ishii Yasuharu, Mizuta Naruhide, Ueda Hisashi did fantastic jobs at making the story flowed so smoothly. And I love the background score of the drama.

Gomen Aishiteru has become one of my favourite Tomoya’s dramas of all time. I’d like to thank the people who casted him as Ritsu and tapped into his different range of emotions that are beyond his comedic ones. I can’t wait for Soratobu Tire to release this June 2018 and I’m sure he’s going to rock as Akamatsu Tokuro too.

Leia Mais

I thought this movie started off cute (like the other reviewers). The problem I had with this movie is that it seemed rushed. It seemed that events started to happen quickly, and the last 2O minutes of the movie dropped what might have been a 9 down to a 7 for me. The reason I say this is because it just seemed to happen randomly and the scenes went by quickly, feeling rushed. Aside from that, I think I would've liked this story a lot better as a drama, or maybe even a special, because things would've been explained more and you wouldn't get the feeling that you were missing something as you were watching it.



The Cast did a great job, though. The acting was done really well. Part of the reason I watched this was because of Jang Geun Seok haha, and he didn't disappoint. The other actors did really well, too.



The music was absolutely wonderful haha. I downloaded the soundtrack after watching this movie. I loved all the songs that he sang (:



As for rewatching...I'm not sure if I will rewatch it at the moment. I might, might not.



Overall, do I think it's worth watching? Yes, at least for the music and the acting. Well the story, too, just be prepared for some scenes to seem to come out of nowhere, especially towards the end.

Leia Mais

Heroes Not Afraid To Sacrifice

This is one of chinese action's series wrapped up properly that deserve the notice of drama lovers. The main story theme is about the terrorism. Not so many conflict in it but the conflicts happened stage by stage from the opening to the end.

Watchers would starting by hating all the characters before really love each of them. Their teamwork and bonds are superb. They promise us to enjoy the story and characters developments that we won't get bored and thinking of dropping it.

The songs full of spirit and heart touching will got the watchers heartcore.

It's been a few drama I didn't write review for. But because this one made me burst in tears of how heart touching their bonds, I decide to write this. This series DESERVES MORE POPULARITY!!!

Leia Mais

It's important to remember that the point of movies and TV shows are, primarily, to entertain. Yes, there are shows that are less than entertaining, but have plenty of artistic value and originality. But movies that entertain and take you for a wild ride are probably the ones you'd talk about and recommend to your friends for weeks afterwards. Veteran is one of those movies.

The story is not original - a good and dogged cop chasing after an elusive villain. The characters themselves are not that original either. But the cast make this script an electrifying movie to watch. Hwang Jung Min is fantastic as an everyday-man kind of cop who is passionate about his job and genuinely cares about people. Yoo Ah-in pulls you in with his performance as a villain who you love to hate, yet can't help but find out more about. Yoo Hae-jin is a sidekick with a difference and he does a great job of it, as he does with all his other roles. Special shout-out to Jin Kyung, who puts in a great performance in any show she's cast in.

You can tell that the cast are having so much fun playing their characters, and it is infectious, because this show is a thoroughly entertaining ride. Yes, you are rooting for the good guys, but you are also excited to see what tricks the bad guys next pull out of their hats. For this reason, I think this show has a decent rewatch value.

Overall, greatly entertaining with outstanding performances by the cast.

Leia Mais

Easy on the eyes, easy on the story and just no drama at all... quite wholesome.

There is not really much to say about this series. It's short, to the point and no bad drama, no bad ex gf, no bitching, no heated discussions, nothing. It's just a melow story of two couples coming together. Of course due to the constrainted playtime and I guess because of the limited budget there is no depth in the characters. All of them are pleasing to the eye and we have to guess that all of them are nice in their ways.

Production quality was nice. Just the "bar" both TrueFilm and Sukfilm use is still a bit cringe :) The actors are all quite handsome or cute, they also did the job well.

So, this was quite fun to watch, quite relaxing and a nice change of pace compared to all drama series airing the last two months. You will not get frustrated, you will not get angry, you will probably just enjoy it. And that's a good thing. If you have not seen this yet, invest the 30 minutes for a wholesome expierence.

Leia Mais

I smiled throughout My Roommate Is a Detective. It's a bromance (yea!). It's a romance (eh!). It's a mystery in the most remedial of ways. But damn if it's not just a good watch. Lu Yao ( Hu Yi Tian), a money loving rascal, is recruited by Qiao Chu Sheng (Leon Zhang), a police inspector (once mafia boss) to solve murders. Initially based on money, the 2 develop a friendship and make quite the team. The main cast also includes Shane Yan as Bai You Ning, a reporter at a tabloid and the daughter of the War Lord, Mr. Bai, in charge of the British section of Shanghai.

As I stated the mysteries were remedial. Very little comes in the way of twists and the red herrings were more like pale pink. It was almost like watching an episode of Columbo. You know whoever he bothers is the killer. The who is a given. The how is what it's about. Unlike Columbo there is an underlying mystery/force behind all the other mysteries. The writers skim the political surface of the British annexation, racism, and ruthlessness. I wish they would have delved further. At first I had remind myself that this is Chinese drama and there's only so much one can air. After a couple of episodes the thought never crossed my mind.

The acting was very good. I loved every scene with Hu and Zhang. They had great chemistry. Yan had to be taken with a grain of salt. She is a bully and childish. The character can be great one second and completely annoying the next. Aside from her wardrobe, there was really nothing likable about her. The supporting cast was good. As a whole they were solid.

Let me take a moment to mention the production which was superb. The sets and wardrobe were sublime. Admittedly, I adore the fashion of the 1930's and 40's. The music was also great. I caught 2 modern songs that were out of place. One character was humming a song and a 30s style arrangement of "Dancing In the Streets" was played in a club. It makes me wonder what else I may have missed. The opening and ending titles are extremely good CG accompanied by fantastic songs. The opening theme "Enigma" by Chinese rapper After Thought sets the tone for each episode, while Shu Si Ding's sexy "Awake" leaves you with a sense of wonder.

While I wish the writer was more daring, I did enjoy MRIAD completely from beginning to end. I don't know if I'd ever watch it again, but I'd definitely check out a sequel. I'd like to know what's next for the characters. Overall, I'd give it a 9-9.5.

Leia Mais

Among a crop of historical C dramas, this one nearly slip under the radar. Its underated and seemingly not as grand unlike another c drama headlined by heavy weight actors. It was a rather poignant love story, light and simple in parts, heavy in others but still manage to retain my attention til the end. The highlight is watching the maiden thaw the heart and of the ice man.

THE GOOD AND THE AVERAGE:
Plot falls on usual trope of arranged marriage between two individuals that have never met (except they did). A young girl who has a motive to enter the Long family on the decreed of the royal family. A Qin 4th prince who poses a threat to the reigning emperor. Yet one couldnt choose who you fall in love with. It was fate who brought them together and its the heart that decides where it goes from there. On the political aspects theres secrets, multi parties and alot of chess playing.
The characters- Rather intelligent otps who have their own charms but also made some questionable decisions that you may or may not like but it does make them flawed yet human.
Male otp: Long Fei Ye as a man in position of power that comes with great responsibility. He is both revered and feared by many. Outwardly cold and reserved and man of few words. Described as a deep pool of water. A strategist, intelligent, shrewd and observant. He had a plethora of good traits that obviously drew Yun Xi to him.
Female otp: Han Yun Xi the first daughter of Han family who grew up without her father's attention and in search of her mother. Shes an optimist at her and tends to take life full frontal. She doesnt let things bring her down and while her words may have bite, shes a softie at heart. Her knowledge and skill of poison and their cures sets her apart. As does her vibrant personality and intelligence. She however does not hold a high self defence when it comes to people she accepted and trust. This is both a virtue and a flaw.
The other character i liked was the dependable Xi Feng, the prince's right hand man who was also an early supporter of the couple.
Acting- Ju Jing Yi as our heroine was fitting. Petite, pretty and energetic she brings out the sweet charms of Yun Xi. The actress was previously memorable in her supporting role in Novoland. Zhang Zhe Han looked the part of Long Fei Ye but i do have complains with some of his eye expressions. But together they do have great rapport and i was greatly entertained to watch them drift together.

THE WEAKNESS:
The plot itself has good parts as stated earlier but also typical in C dramas that middle part that lost some traction. The device plot to wedge between our otp came in the form of Bai Li Ming Xiang, the prince Childhood friend. While shes isnt as villainy as many other characters in the drama, i just didnt want to watch her scenes.
The other major person affecting otp was 2nd male lead Qu Qi Shao who although interesting at start but my interest waned over time and safe to say no Second lead syndrome for me
Many parties with their own ambition, plot and war over in palace politics. Some that i dont care that much about. Lots of self centred, power hungry people that when it comes to their decline i felt neither triumph or pity, just ambivalent.

For all these reasons its a solid 8.5 for me. It was entertaining to watch especially watching Yun xi able to thaw the ice and earned the prince attention and love. When the prince is attentive, acceptive of her and trust in her capabilities, he was really swoony. Those are the parts i would rewatch.

Leia Mais

We Are Family

I love the type of shows where I go in with very low expectations because of what the trailers show and because I may not like one of the cast, but by the end, I am satisfied and feeling slightly nostalgic because the show and the watching experience were completely different from what I was expecting. Romance on the Farm is one of those shows. And to think I almost did not watch this because of the main lead actress.

However, I decided to still give it a go because of Joseph Zeng. I became a fan after his role in Mysterious Lotus Casebook. I said to myself, “At worst, I would end up dropping it. At best, I would enjoy it and add it to my ever growing completed list.” I almost did end up dropping it like 8 minutes into episode 1 because I could not stand the family. But then Shen Nu came into the picture and I forgot all about dropping it. In fact, I enjoyed it.

This is probably the first drama I have watched with Tian Xi Wei where her character didn’t bother me to the point of yelling at the TV. I attribute this to the Lians. I was too busy hating all of them to even focus on her. They let them get away with too much because "they were family" and they just had made a "little mistake". The worst of them all were the grandma and Shouren's family, his wife, Madame Gu, and daughter, Hua'Er. If the transgressions these made were little mistakes (according to the grandfather) I would hate to see what they would have considered big ones. They were definitely an intense gaming experience.

Additionally, although the character the main female actress portrayed did lack some sense in some things, and the male lead kept coming to her rescue, it wasn’t as terribly lacking as the characters I have watched in previous dramas. I still feel she is typecasting herself, and wish she would take more challenging roles, but I managed to be moved by her in some parts of this show. Around the midway point of the show, the male lead leaves to take care of some things and I was somewhat bored without him around. I was battling myself to stay awake without the Lians being as prominent as they were in previous episodes. I thought I wouldn’t even say this, but I kind of missed their toxic existences.

Despite its title, there is not much romance but we have the pleasure of witnessing cute and heartwarming moments between different couples and on the occasions when the main leads kissed, they were REAL kisses. *wiggles eyebrows* I also loved the OST. Usually using contemporary sounds in a mostly period piece feel awkward and out of place, but not in this one. Plus, Joseph Zeng sang an OST and it fit the story and scenes perfectly.

Although the show doesn’t delve deeper into some issues post-game, as it ended almost immediately after she came out of the virtual experience, and I am still curious about how long she was in there, I am satisfied with all the endings, both the in-game one and real life one (even before the special) as I felt they were fitting. I can see myself rewatching this show, even the initial episodes when the Lians were stabby hand gesture worthy.

Leia Mais

So cute & funny

I love this short little drama! It's so cute and funny! So different from the typical C-drama, maybe because it's short. FL is spunky and cute, but not 'cutesy' as in baby talk and pouting. I loved it when she punched Concubine Li in the eye! HAHA! And then they end up on the same side as both are arguing for her to be sent to the Cold Palace! Per the rules of the Book Officer, she's tampered with the original novel, and she has to remain in the Cold Palace for 100 days or be eliminated in both the novel and real life so she continually trying to return to the Cold Palace and the Emperor is continually interfering with her plans to go there, first because he was suspicious of her and then because he's begun to fall in love with her. Her antics are so hilarious and the reactions of the emperor and the other supporting characters are funny as well since she's continually surprising them. She does get sent out of the Cold Palace after a day, but the Book Officer didn't show up and she didn't start to fade so that's a bit of inconsistency with the premise of her having to stay at the CP, but I can overlook it because this little drama is so amusing right now! So refreshing from most C-drama historicals because it's fast-paced and keeps you chuckling through all the episodes. I'm looking forward to watching Season 2 & 3, but I dread how it's all going to end because either she stays in the novel or she has to leave. If she leaves, she'll be leaving behind the emperor - so sad. But, if she returns to the real world, let's hope that either the emperor can follow her (like in the K-drama 'W') or a lookalike guy shows up in reality.

Leia Mais

Guilty is definitely one of my favorites Japanese dramas from 2010. The acting was superb especially Kanno Miho's performance. The soundtrack was amazing with tracks by The New Classics and JUJU! The show is layered with suspense and mystery that continue to pile upon each other until the last episode. The plot is intriguing; leaving the viewers wondering what will happen next. Unfortunately, the screenwriter failed to have enough foreshadowing for viewers to see who caused the false charge to fall upon Meiko and there were spots of plot holes here and there. For romance fanatics like myself, there is a side dish of it. Overall, this is a must watch for mystery and suspense lovers and fans of Kanno Miho.

Leia Mais

I'll keep it short since I hate reading long reviews. First off, I'm a ROMCOM addict. Know a romcom? Chances are I've already watched it. I happen to reference romcoms in my daily life and no one, except my best friend, can relate to me. That said, you would understand why TOL is the perfect series for me. This series is so well-written that the story was delivered so perfectly and that all other series already pales in comparison. The casting is perfect, the side characters and side couples are relatable and believable. The acting, especially Off and GUN (OMG BEST ACTOR OF THIS GENERATION) are on point and sooo good that I literally had emotions (whether happiness, sadness, anger) in every scene. Finally the OST was perfect and that is the perfect topping to an already perfect series.

What I didn't like are too minor and does affect my view of the series in any way. Example, you know those crazy girls stereotyped in most bls? Well it had that.

Overall, go watch and be sure to have your tissues ready in every episode.

Leia Mais

This drama is one of the best so far! I've never seen on-screen couple in other Korean dramas, whose chemistry is so convincing that you wish for them to be together off-screen too. I'm so selective when it comes to dramas. If in the first three episodes a certain drama doesn't get into me, i would drop it even if I hear or read good reviews about it. But this drama had gotten me hooked from the first to the very last episode. It got me laughed every episode and cringed from embarrassment every time the main leads do something that would made one wish for a hole he can hide into. And to top it all, the main couples' scenes when they were finally together are the most swoon worthy of all. I also love how they portray the mother of Ki Tae/Gi Tae. She actually made me cry!!!

Of course I also have some hangups with this drama. In the middle episodes they tend to drag the story and highlight on some unnecessary scenes but all in all it's okay.

I would like to recommend it to those who want to laugh their heart out and fall in love with the main lead couple.

Leia Mais

What a Gem!

The quality of Korean BL is steadily improving! This is a short and sweet series that went above my expectations. The story was interesting and flowed well enough even though it was working with limited time. Also, the acting and chemistry were better than I have seen in similar BLs in the past.

The female actors were also pretty good, which I have noticed to be lacking in other BLs. The friendships between the characters were lovely. The two main leads were also seriously so cute (Although their chemistry was a tiny bit lacking - in the case of the tall lead) . Fluffy and sweet wonderfulness of a series, definitely recommend. Especially if you're looking for something to make you feel all those warm fuzzies.

Leia Mais

Love can be messy

The two main leads have a lot of complexity written into their characters and they portray mixed emotions very well. My take on the drama;

I see Mark as a person who knows he can love wholeheartedly and when he is disappointed in not winning his intended love interest he backs off and tries to deal with the aftermath of feelings by drinking and looking for random hook-ups. The scene of drunken mistaken identity is more a fanciful wish on his part and gives Mark the chance to act out the passionate love scene he has missed out on.

Vee is in a long term committed relationship with his girlfriend and has a strong need to be helpful and have others like him. He assists the very inebriated Mark and when Mark throws himself at him he finds himself turned on and reciprocates. This sexual encounter affects both of them badly. Mark is angry and hates Vee for the encounter. Vee is confused and begins to realise he is sexually attracted to Mark and then the story unfolds.

Youth in university exploring their sexuality without yet fully understanding what is required to maintain a relationship. Friends adding their own input to the confusion. Jelousy, judgements, sacrifice and selfishness overlaid with raging hormones and insecurities.

The parents add some interesting dynamics to the mix and the two male leads are influenced by their attitudes.

As a love story it has fulfilled this role. The two MLs have a strong chemistry and they are sufficiently different to add the angsty thought that maybe they won't be able to stay together.
Very watchable and rewatchable.

Leia Mais