Story: The plot is pretty simple,or so it seems at first.A bunch of bored teenage delinquents playing a life-risking game in order to prove their courage.But,of course it's not just that.Behind the "clapping game" hides the desire of the students to prevail over their classmates,to gain a place in that depressing,cruel reality,showing us how fearful power can be and the dreadful consequences of it.In contrast to this,we are also shown the strange and fragile friendship amongst the boys,their doubts and decisions for their lives.It may be slow-paced at some parts but it's ideal for creating the atmosphere and our image of the characters.
Acting/Cast: In my opinion,they couldn't have picked better actors for this movie! Matsuda Ryuhei and especially Arai Hirofumi are just perfect for the roles of Kujo and Aoki-they brought to life such complex characters! The rest of the cast were very good too.
Music: The soundtrack truly completed the movie for me."Drop" at the end and also "Akage no Kelly" brings me back many memories of this beautiful movie!
Rewatch Value: This is also a 10/10.Rewatching "Blue Spring" is a must!Especially since many important parts/messages of the movie could be easily missed and you'll be left confused.Going back to study the characters and to understand their way of thinking will help you understand why things turned out the way they did.
Overall: "Blue Spring" is not flawless and there are some things that could be added (such as more background stories about the students)or explained better in order for the viewer to get a complete understanding of the situation.However,this could be the intention of the director-to get us thinking and if that was the case,I have to admit he succeeded for sure!The atmosphere was very fitting and artistic too-I really enjoyed everything.
An excellent movie but definitely NOT for everyone.
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This drama deserves its praise for a high production quality and intense action scenes (quite comparable to Hollywood i must say). Great castes and impeccable acting. High emotional and nerve wrecking scenes.
Its filled with complicated plot twists, that were really annoying and got me racking my brain. That only made the drama more intriguing and entertaining. I enjoyed it! The romantic scenes between the two leads were really funny and lovely, my face hurts from all the smiles I flashed anytime they bring up the romantic feels, but most of all top notched action scenes, that really got me tensed and kept me at the edge of my seat at all times.
For a drama being entirely pre-produced, i'm really mind blown. I mean Korea rarely take the risks of pre-produced dramas being aired, at the risk of not satisfying the viewers. But this drama is so so good.
The fight for justice and power in this drama is just so balanced, can't be explained in words.
I must credit the male lead too, NO ONE COULD HAVE DONE JUSTICE TO CHA DAL GEON'S CHARACTER LIKE LEE SEUNG GI DID! His acting was on another level, very much different from all Korean actors I have watched act, his emotions were right on point. Honestly, i became a big fan of him after seeing him act in this drama, he is such a good actor, I was so impressed.
This drama probably declined in its rating due to its ending and the minor setbacks it had while the airing kept being postponed, its not like dramas like this give the feels of a happy ending.
Overall, my word for this drama is PHENOMENAL! 9.8/10????
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Fun and thoughtful spy drama that deals with relationships
Likes1. Yes!! This felt like an actual spy drama and had similar vibes with My Secret Terrius. But this one is different because beyond the spy and action, there were a lot of discussions on love and marriage. Actually it is like a relationship drama under the guise of a spy drama.
2. I loved the 3 main leads. Jihun, Ahreum and Derek had so much chemistry together as a team and separately as couples. The stark contrast of the marriage between Jihun and Ahreum vs Derek and Ahreum were both so beautiful, i actually got confused who she will end up with. I was team Jihun but i wondered how they will get back together without Derek in the way. I liked how they resolved this.
3. The bromance between Jihun and Derek was also great. They both loved the same woman although they had different ways to show their love. Hated Derek's character at first but came to also like and pity him in the end. I hope he is having a good life like he wanted.
4. Although Jihun loved Ahreum he never crossed the line and waited until the time was right. They were too young when they got married but now they grew up, got to know each other more and found out thy actually worked well together. They looked like the korean Mr and Mrs Smith in the last episode. Really loved the acting of Eric in this drama.
4. Ahreum is one of the best female leads in 2020. She was smart and tough, yet feminine and compassionate. She fought Tinker and slashed his leg with a pair of scissors, she made a sweet deal with Kim Dong Ran and helped take down Helmes boss. I actually thought she would get out of the wedding dress business to be a full time agent in Jimin's team but being informant is way better!
5. Yonggu and Seora 🥰
Dislikes: The bad guys didn't get what they deserved.
Rating: 9/10
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A not bad but very good drama
Admist the title, I know that it has its purpose.The first episode I've seen sets up the story very well. So far it provokes so many feelings and it's hard to truly find anything wrong with it so far. Lee Do Hyun is an amazing actor and is the main reason I am watching this, I find the man has no faults and is a pure soul, I support him in everything he does.. so this drama is the same for me. Although I won't be shy to point out its faults.
What I like about this drama is the setup, as that is all there is for the first episode. The characters are fully effected by the setup that has been done, and that leaves Lee Do Hyun's character, Kang Ho, resentful towards his mother for treating him harshly. There is no gaps as to why she treated him as such, she kept her husbands life work and wants more for her son. It is pretty straightforward but the acting is done so well that you don't need solid explanations that are in your face. So Kang Ho is incredibly resentful, and he fulfills her wishes, but there seems to be a twist. I like the cliffhangers at the end and its just interesting to me.
The characters are likable, but gladly they are human and have faults. Lee Mi Joo might be a sore spot for this drama, but she has her own backstory with her family that I hope she isn't fully put into a girlfriend spot, or someone that just liked Kang Ho. As of now they have had their time together, and I think she is a good friend to Kang Ho, who hasn't really got to make any friends of his own. She is interested in him because she was young and they shared the same birthday, sort of a hopeless romantic like they share some fate together. It is child-like, but I can see a more adult relationship between the two of them as the story really unfolds.
Unfortanely I am iffy about their relationship and the closure that comes to it. I don't like Mi Joo for lying about her kids not being his, I think he deserved to know. I think she is immature and their relationship is immature. I don't know Kang Ho that well other than himself being in his injured state. I think the drama spent too much time with him like that. I understood that it was to show him and his growth with his mother, but not a lot of that happened while his mind was all there and that frustrates me. The plot with the legal stuff moved too fast because of this. I liked the comedy, but at times I was feeling it was out of touch at times.
The revenge plot fell flat entirely, but I don't believe that is what this drama was going for.
With Kang Ho being left in the state he is after his accident, it is both touching and heartbreaking. The main selling point of this show is the mother and son relationship- I won’t pick it apart as I could for a while.. it’s just really good and wouldn’t be able to be that way with bad writing- and acting. So the acting is amazing (as expected). What I again see as a sore spot is Mi Joo and Kang Ho developing a romantic relationship. With things as they are I don’t see it being ok because Kang Ho is really underdeveloped mentally atm. I hope and pray to god it stays on the route it is going, that being mother and son relationship growth over any romance.
Again. What was there I wasn't too fond of.
Finishing up this drama I can confidently say that the highlight is the mother/son relationship. I also give the drama credit for going through with the storyline of Young Soon having cancer. Still I think it was dumb for that to come up, to me it was to give Kang Ho a reason to 'grow up'. I wanted to see them truly reconcile and see their relationship as mother and son more while he was an adult.
This drama did drag at times and there were unnecessary parts. It's no masterpiece or anything, but there are glimpses here and there.
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I really love ZLS and YY, they look good together and had great chemistry.
But i feel like the story doesn't do them justice. The genre is romance, but romance part took so long to surface. However when they got together they're unseparated. No useless dramatic break up or silly misunderstanding.
I also like how the female lead stayed strong from beginning to the end. That's really rare to see
Usually i don't enjoy political schemes/throne intrigues, but this one were done really well and i ended up liking it.
But the development of the story was kinda weird towards the ending. There's just too much time skip and death, which makes me had to rewatch the scenes several times to understand what's going on.
I feel like they're too focused on Prince Lanxi. I wish they also show the story of Princess Xiyun, rather than just squeeze her part of story in the last episodes.
The costumes and setting looks really eye pleasing.
The cinematography, and fighting scenes were choreographed nicely.
OST were good and it fits the drama.
All the casts portray their roles perfectly.
Overall
Who Rules The World is more of a political/wuxia drama with light romance. Which is actually not my cup of tea. But I'd definitely rewatching it for the leads.
If you like historical drama with more political schemes, I'll recommend you try this.
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Sometimes incoherent, huge plot holes esp towards the end, but for the most part pretty enjoyable.
For me at least. Episodes 10 & 11 really brought down this story for me. I feel like Never Let Me Go started out so strong but somewhere along the way it lost its way. It's like the writers lost interest and were just trying to finish it the soonest possible. It was pretty obvious because things started to make no sense. Character motivations sometimes felt out of nowhere and left people scratching their heads with their actions. Some characters were just a waste of space eg Ben and Chopper. Seriously, what was their point in this series? The villain was also laughable. The writers intent was to make him this scary, unstoppable force but in the end he just came out as a clown.Also, something happened with Phuwin and Ponds acting after episode 9. It was very flat and like neither of the two cared how bad their performance was. They just wanted to be done with it and that's that. That's one of the things that took me out of the series and made me lower the rating to 8.5 paired with the plot holes. Aside from that I feel like before they hit episode 10, they were really giving it their all and I was enjoying watching them portray more mature roles compared to their time in Fish Upon the Sky. The story and acting may have been up and down but something that wasn't was their chemistry. That's really what kept me coming back episode to episode. Luckily episode 12 felt like the beginning of the series again both in the acting department and the writing. I was satisfied with the way it ended.
Despite my huge problems with Never Let Me Go towards the end. I still pretty much enjoyed it and thanks to episodes 1-9 & 12 it's one of my favorites of the year. Due to the suspense, acting, chemistry and action aspects of the series. The filming locations were gorgeous. If we ever get another series like this, I hope the writers sit down and watch some of the mistakes they made with NVLMG and improve on them. Overall I give this an 8.5 and would recommend. Despite it's flaws it's still worth a watch.
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Aoi Ryosuke may have a devil’s curse, but he is terrified of his own abilities, while his counterpart Ryuzaki Shinji is a devil himself, with the gift of god. When they are brought together however, the game really begins.
From beginning to end, the mystery behind their powers drives the plot of the drama: just how much they know about each other and what are the implications of their gift. Is it a curse or blessing, or both, and how are they to be used? What is their purpose on this world? While a larger mythological background is hinted at, I actually appreciated how the drama focused more on the immediate repercussions. This isn’t a tale of gods and demons. It’s the story of two men who behind their powers are just as human as you or me. Their entanglement with Detective Hasebe gives this even more of a humanly-backing as she struggles to learn more about them - to trust or fear, protect or arrest.
“If I were able to change this world, would God be the only one who could allow that? If humans were able to hold God’s powers, would they be able to change the world?”
Thus begins the story as Ryuzaki stands overlooking a city drenched in rain. The camera pans down to reveal Aoi,as he walks into the nearest police station and turns himself in for murder:
“Coming here on my own makes the distinction, of what sort of person I, who has taken away that life, will become.”
The Dog of Orthros: The name comes from Greek mythology. Orthros was a two-headed dog beast (brother of the more famous 3-headed dog Cerberus), and minion to a giant. I'm sure other comparisons could be made between drama and myth, but there's not much known about the dog. Rather, it's more interesting to me that nowhere in the show does it say which man, the angel or the demon, is the actual beast. Both are just two parts of the same whole.
Not to ignore the drama’s political plotline (because, in this kind of scenario unfortunately one just has to exist), but that part was a little more on the predictable side of things – the only questionable outcome is which man, if either, would align with the greedy and power-hungry parties and politicians.
What was more subtly done I thought were many of the side characters, including Detective Hasebe’s young daughter (who often seemed to understand important things better even than her mother), and delinquent youth Kumakiri Masaru (Yaotome Hikaru).
Should you watch it?
I could barely turn away from this drama, and not even the political plotline bored me for more than a few minutes at a time. Like most Jdramas, the romance may be a tiny bit lacking, but the relationship between the three main players was anything but lacking in overall chemistry. The thriller/mystery aspects were also extremely well done (if not completely perfect) but enough that even knowing the outcome, I’d be likely to watch it again.
Read more (with pictures) on my blog:
http://shinealightrose.blogspot.com/2013/03/jdrama-review-orthros-no-inu-2009.html
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My biggest issue with this drama (apart from the fact that I’m not a fan of leads who act like jerks and who we’re supposed to find romantic rather than toxic) is that the story is all over the place. There’s a story-line involving the three brothers, with a mystery in the middle, which gets resolved halfway through and ends up going nowhere. There’s a story-line about the restaurant they have and trying to make it succeed while not selling out, and it also ends up going nowhere. There’s a story-line about the female lead’s quest for professional growth which ends up only serving the “romantic” story-line. There’s a backstory of a character to make them less two dimensional which also ends up going nowhere. All in all, it’s like every ingredient which could have turned this into less of a cliche and more innovative was pushed aside in the benefit of the overused story-line of the love triangle.
Out of all the characters, the only one I found memorable and whose performance I enjoyed enough was Nomura Shuhei’s Touma (the youngest sibling). He’s the only one I feel has a story arc which involves making personal changes, realizing mistakes and repairing damages he has caused. The rest, I can’t say much. It seemed Miura Shohei’s character was going towards a reasonable development and in the last few episodes his entire character turned 180° for the sake of the cliche romance. It seemed that Kiritani Mirei’s character had more substance to her than being the sweet main lead who tends to be too kind for her own good, but all about her drive and career seemed to just serve the cliche romance.
And Yamazaki Kento’s character deserves a paragraph on his own. He is the jerk male lead, the one we’ve seen at least 4 times this year: we saw him in Dean Fujioka’s Mamiya Hokuto in Happy Marriage, in his Kurosawa Ayumu in Please Love the Useless Me and in Shiraishi Shunya’s Uehara Hisashi in Good Morning Call. I really dislike this trope, I think it’s toxic as heck, but the rest of the dramas at least tried for me to feel for the guy. They intended to introduce a backstory (mostly tied in with family grief) in which I could say “oh, so this is why he’s a jerk”. It never worked, but they tried. Here, everything that happens to this character, all the troubles and external arcs to change him, happen in the timeline of the drama. There is no reason why he acts this way and he doesn’t change his attitude with anything that happens to him. He has that kind of extremely subtle character change which stans of him will call development but I call bad writing.
The reason why this drama isn’t my complete least favorite of the bunch is because it’s very nicely filmed and, mostly, decently performed. The shots were brilliant and they paid attention to detail, the cinematography was very enjoyable. There are some things in the story I found interesting, like the family mystery I mentioned, the somewhat complex way in which they tried to introduce the “ex girlfriend” cliche and the youngest brother’s character growth. But it doesn’t have enough to be different from the rest of the dramas with the same trope.
All in all, if this is a trope you enjoy and male leads being jerks is your thing, for some reason, this is a very well done one of those. If you’re looking for something innovative, different and devoid of love triangles, dates in aquariums, firework festivals being a “big romantic deal” and lots and lots of misunderstandings and “I hurt you because I want to protect you” scenes, there’s not much here for you. Except for an omelette with a burger inside, which is pretty good.
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A sweet, sweet noona romance
Initially, I have writer's block when I attempted to write this review. It is not because it is bad, quite to the contrary, I like this show. It is not that it is boring, there are lots going on. It is just that most subplots are inconsequential. You have to focus on the romantic storyline.Rather than breaking down the show in minute details, I'll focus on things that are highlights for me and a few odd bits that I can do without.
The good bits first then. The romance of our leads is swoon-y, beautifully told and relatable.
I shall address the elephant in the room first, the age gap. In the novel, the difference is 11 years, in the show, the FL stated that she is almost 10 years older than the ML. The actual age difference between the actors is 19. I'll stick to the show's official line.
In terms of their relationship, I think it is well written. There are obviously push-pulls. The FL knew full well that she is in a power position as she was his guardian and benefactor. Throw in the significant age difference and her divorcee status, there are lots of red flags. She has to draw a very firm line in the sand.
The ML worship her from the start. The unrequited love is obvious for all to see. In time, the FL did notice his loving ways and it troubled her. It put her in a moral quandary. That line in the sand is now a mine field. It means nought to our love sick ML. He is more than willing to die in that mine field.
After a heart felt confession from the ML, the FL knew she is fighting a losing battle and surrendered herself to love. Their happy days are numbered though as the ML is about to graduate from college. He was offered a scholarship in a prestigious US university. Yet he won't even consider it if it meant being apart from his beloved.
This is where the FL played the Noble Idiot card. Normally, I'd decry such old trope, yet the writer did a good job here. I especially love the day and the night she spent with the ML just before his departure so that she can create memories for both of them. It is so bittersweet.
This is one aspect I appreciate the most. The romance really feels natural. They go through all the stages of love and lost. They face roadblocks and heartbreaks. What we don't get are tropey angst bombs. No nasty second leads nor Big White Truck of Doom™. Huzzah!
Their skinship feels natural and passionate. I rejoiced when we are spared the cliché fail-to-kiss scenes. Their chemistry is undeniable and it is on full display. No sly camera angles nor staged poses. Smoking!
The 2CP is lovely as well. I ship them unreservedly. They also have good chemistry and is a lot of fun to watch. That's two for two. ;) Technically, there is a 3CP, but their relationship is a lot more low-key.
It is not all rainbow and unicorns though. There are some narrative issues. There is a huge number of flashbacks. We are not talking about one or two scenes here and there. At one stage, we have 3 whole episodes devoted to 2018. Let’s just say it is like watching 3 equal timelines in one.
This can be a little confusing if you are not paying attention. The show tries to telegraph the differences by showing the FL in long hair in the past and a short hairstyle in the present. The early years is easier because the ML spent most of his time in school uniform. The styling of the FL hardly changes beyond her hairstyle though. It can get a bit confusing during mid show.
There is also a lot of business baked into the show. Both leads have their own careers. Most of their work is (unfortunately) inconsequential. This is doubly so for scenes set in the past. Watching the FL grinding through an old project adds little to the plot. I don't know why they didn't just use short key scenes instead. I suppose this will mean a 20 eps run instead of 30.
In terms of acting, it is solid. The FL is perfect for the role. The young ML is the real surprise. He did good. I shall keep an eye on his future projects. The support cast more than earned their pay. Production value is par for the course. OST is decent. Love ballads dominated in the second half and for good reason.
There is much to like about this show as long as you are not looking for the typical angsty plot. It also depends on whether you see their relationship being based on an unhealthy power play. If you can see beyond those issues, then this show will make you swoon. I consider this an easy to watch guilty pleasure. Peace.
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the name of the drama should be “beating around the bush”
Its just about two people beating around the bush and never confessing , for 15 episodes its just goes round and round . Both fl and ml just would not stop assumingIf u are just bored as hell and life is just not entertaining for ya anymore i do suggest u to watch this, it kinda makes I realise maybe ur not the most stupid person u know. Its very short so its rlly not a waste of time I finished it in less than an hour, not gonna lie the lead’s visuals are actually pretty decent but non f them would ever confess to each others like for god sake even an ant would he able to tell they like each others but they still wouldnt get to the point and just keeps beating around the bush . Like seriously and one word to describe the guy “COWARD “ and one word for the girl is “ DESPERATE “ but both have one similarity aka one thing in common which is they will not tell each others they like them like i only watched it as i look forward to nothing in my shitty life and its just so entertaining to watch two stupid people figure their way out of a tunnel that has doors and windows that are wide open but for some reasons their so dumb they just cant figure a way out . basically quite pathetic but entertaining
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A great romance drama
When they just met, he respected her and even respected how she wanted things to go when it came to money.While in college and when she just started working, I think she is just over doing it and can’t accept his kindness. I think it’s very selfish because he really loves and cares for her.
This secret she is keeping about paying back her relatives, I could see it messing up their relationship.
Finally she told him and now his family went through a hard time and I blamed him for not being honest.
Why I cant stand her? Her actions towards him after they met again. She behaved so heartless and just ugh!!!
I was really sad to see the guy keep chasing her. Her reasons for not wanting to be together was just foolish in my opinion.

Anyways, for me, I don’t think she deserves him and that’s just me. She needed to stay by herself. 
For the ending, if they didn’t get back together, I would have been happy either way. But we got to see their wedding and it was a beautiful setting.
Overall, it is a great romance drama.
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This movie really is about both friendship and brotherhood. I am no expert on North-South relations, so I don't know how realistic it has been portrayed through the events in this movie, but I think it has been set up very well to show how both characters dealt with the conflicting loyalties they felt to friend and country.
The pacing of the movie is done very, very well. We are thrown right smack in the early stages of an operation, which escalates quickly. This quickly drew me into the movie and left me hungry to know what would happen next. The next part of the movie afterwards was slower in pace but was full of both funny and exciting moments, and left me emotionally invested in the friendship between the two main characters, followed by the last third of the movie where the pace picked up and left me on the edge of the seat. The ending was well-written.
I am surprised that I have not heard more buzz about this movie. This is a must-watch!
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Dont know why some people hate on this drama
Personally, I started watching, since I had watched shows with both leads in before. Right off the foot I really liked this drama. It had this sense of realism that it dealt with well. All the serious issues through real-life were portrayed fantasticallyI've heard some people say they like the second lead couple more than the main lead couple. In my opinion, both are amazing, but the lead couple is the lead couple for a reason.
It had a very satisfying ending that left me wanting more, but not needing more, as the satisfaction was enough
Would totally recommend it.
Shows like this:
The main male lead character is very similar to his character in Reply 1988. So if you like that, watch Reply
Another show that is very good, and portrays life issues, is Sassy Go Go, or rather, Cheer up. The main female lead from this show is also the second female lead in Cheer up.
Lastly, a very new drama would be Private lives, with the main male lead being the same as this show.
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a quirky comedy that will make you smile
Overall: this should put a smile on your face, make sure to watch the entire final episode and watch the ending credits as they change. Aired on GagaOOLala https://www.gagaoolala.com/en/videos/3064/i-will-knock-you-2022-e01 and AIS Play's YouTube Channel (for members) Re-aired on Viki https://www.viki.com/tv/39897c-i-will-knock-youContent Warnings: fights/violence, manipulation, stalking, non con touching, highschooler starts as a sophomore 15/16 and university student who starts as a junior 20/21 (didn't bother me*)
What I Liked
- Noey's aesthetic, it's unique
- Noey's vain/forthright/quirky character
- several funny moments, especially subverted tropes that made me laugh
- sweet moments
- Thiw was such a supportive friend
- Noey's family dynamics were very realistic, they bicker, they laugh, they cry
- hints of GL
- that they changed the ending credits to match what was happening
- good production value
- the music
Room For Improvement
- it dragged a bit in the first half but then sped up at the end and they didn't fully explain or resolve plot points (Noey's dad???)
- the drama at the end of ep 11 and beginning of 12 was cliche (but I was really happy with Thi being honest in episode 11)
- very unrealistic that that was the first time they did that at the end of ep 12
- Thi's laugh/tense shoulders/scaredy cat vibe was a little too much for me and I wanted him to have more character growth sooner
- I think some of the jokes didn't quite translate well like the thing with the charm towards the end, also Thi's dream in episode 5 was a bit too grim
- not a fan of an aggressive pursuit after that woman, also not a fan of bullying
- *this was a very PG rated series so the age gap/under 18 aspect didn't bother me
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