Reviews

The 1 Litre of Tears special takes place after the actual drama events have taken place. Aya has now passed away and everybody is doing their best to live on with their own lives.
I'll be writing a spoilerless review..

Mitsuki is a girl diagnosed with the same disease as Aya, the biggest difference between her and Mitsuki would be how Aya tried full out believing she could beat her illness.. Mitsuki is only 15 years old herself, Yet she refuses to accept any shape of treatment from the doctors, This main doctor being Asou Haruto. She is given a book, Or a motivational diary moreover by one of her rehabilitation friends. This mysterious diary, As she starts to read inside of this diary she find herself becoming more and more dragged into the feelings of this girl from the book. This Ikeuchi Aya-san, Who was she?
Interested in knowing she starts asking around and finds out that Asou has had relations with her before..

Through this special you will find this being a summary of the drama in itself, along with how you'll be presented with a few new people and a better ending to the story. How did family and friends live on after Aya's passing?

I pretty much liked the special. They managed to do it pretty well, And it has by my opinions a better ending than the actual drama had even though I liked the other ending to...

This special was just as sad as the actual drama. It had me crying under almost the full out special. The musical score was pretty good. Mostly the same music as it originally was in the Drama though with a few new songs added.

Read More

When i first saw the cover picture of this movie, I was thinking "oh man another cliche testosterone military driven movie", how silly i was!

This is a wonderfully crafted masterpiece that evokes the strongest emotions in a person's heart. The movie is set in the DMZ of two Koreas and portrays how different people can set asides their differences and be able to see each other in the purest form, that we are the same, brothers and sisters.

I found myself on a roller coaster ride of emotions, laughing one minute, in with tears in another. All the actors and actress have done a superb job in this one. The most emotionally powerful scene was the last scene. Only a photograph but conveys so much meaning and emotions.

Definitely a must watch movie, no matter where you're from, you will be enchanted and inspired by this movie's magic, and understand a bit more about what it means to be a person.

Did I mention The master Park Chan Wook who later directed the infamous "Vengeance series" one of which - Old boy went on to win the Grand-prize of Jury at the Cannes, directed this one?

Read More

Hard to watch, but more than worth it

I went into this hoping for a light, fun watch. It's about a teddy bear! Cute and fun times await, right? Little did I know I would be frustrated beyond belief for the first few episodes, only to be won over and eventually more attached to these characters than half of my real life peers.
It's hard to watch to begin with, but not in the way a devastating true story might be. No, it's just genuinely difficult to get through the first few episodes when the characters seem to be such awful people, and when it's frustrating and weird. Talking furniture with horrifying CG eyes? I was very upset to look at them!
The central characters are one dimensional from first impressions, and then as the show progresses it has some of the best character development I've ever seen. The reasoning behind peoples actions, especially Nut's, is fleshed out in a way that completely blindsided me over and over. He seems like an unreasonable, selfish person but with time and context, he becomes incredibly sympathetic. But he's not painted to be a perfect person, and he has to work through his issues. But that's addressed! So many times, things that I see other shows gloss over and ignore are addressed and worked through. I didn't expect so much depth and heft to come from what I thought was to be a goofy show.
The issues that are touched upon are heavy, but they're done with a lot of care. I've not really seen another show call out the same things that this one does in such depth and precision, and I am a bit sad because I feel like some viewers might not be as resilient as I tend to be with watching unenjoyable things. The first episodes might turn a lot of people off, understandably, but oh my god to not watch it would be such a loss.
It's also long, essentially you're watching 16 movies, so there's a lot to unpack. It would be a disservice for me to unpack the plot here, even though every part of me wants to do so. I have thousands of things to say about this series, but I'll do that elsewhere.
I will be gushing about this show whilst condemning it for awhile to come. The ending, without spoiling too much, was very hard to bear but it still managed to be a happy one in its own way. Endings are very difficult, and I know some might not be happy with this one, but when watching how everything plays out it's what makes the most sense.
I doubt I'll ever rewatch the series in full, but I'll definitely go back and watch my favorite scenes, which there are a lot of.
I can't say I recommend this to everyone, even though it's probably one of my new favorites I can admit it took a lot of patience. But for the people who do watch it, I really hope it can touch them the way it did me.
Also, it feels so ridiculous to be talking so seriously about a show call The Miracle of Teddy Bear which features absurd sentient furniture, but it's one of the most serious and uniquely beautiful shows I've seen. Obviously it's got its moments, but at it's core it's a fantastic story that made me experience every conceivable human emotion to such extreme degrees that I'm going to need genuine recovery time.

Read More

Teamwork Makes the Dream Work

Was only interested in this drama for Vengo Gao, first time seeing him in an officer role and he didn't disappoint. This drama was modern military meets SWAT type of outfit and it definitely brought interesting things to the table.

Pros: Loved the team dynamic! Once they really learned how to trust each other, they were indispensable to each other. Yes, NM was not only the leader but the literal glue of the entire squad. I liked how she started at the bottom with maybe 2 friends and the captain wanting to boot her out for her own safety (really wanted to smack him for the amount of times he tried that), and each of the women who were against her, she wore them down with her intellect, honesty, and kindness. The men were a lot easier to deal with; once she beat most of them, they loved her lol.

The captain (VG) himself did very well as the gruff around the edges commander but one who was willing to protect his soldiers especially NM with his own life. Though what started originally as just him making a promise to her fallen brother and mom, ended up as legit feelings that grew between the two of them. This wasn't a military romance, but it was dispersed subtly which was just fine. The ending scenes in the hospital were too funny for words as literally everyone knew by then that the leads cared deeply for each other, so were willing to bust their chops a bit.

All the supporting cast of Blue Lightening Commandos were wonderful and when watching the BTS, they were really all about helping each other succeed even getting hurt in real life doing the stuff they had to do; not to mention acting like total goofballs, which always makes for fun scenes. There wasn't a character that I felt didn't belong from the team or the instructors or even the lead commanders as annoying as their speeches were sometimes. The OSTs were great and powerful for the series and fit just right. I hope this cast gets to work together again on something different, they had terrific chemistry.

Cons: The largest problem were the antagonists, if you can call them that. These buffoons couldn't make a plan stick if it was glued to them. The desert scene, the million other botched attempts. I really got the feeling that the writer had no real idea how to write bad people well especially terrorists. It honestly wouldn't have mattered if they made them invisible and just created a series out of high functioning drills. And what made it even more ridiculous was that the boss lady was the biggest badass; she had nearly immortal strength to take on both leads in high heels (and Vengo Gao is 6'3) and still manage to get the upper hand multiple times, flinging them around the room and shooting and stabbing them. I was legit laughing throughout that whole play by play because of just how unrealistic it was. You got two of the top notch people who's heads you broke bricks over, no problem, but a woman with high heels used them as rag dolls.

The propaganda was through the roof in this one and there were times that it just didn't make sense in many scenes; like when someone was on the verge of dying to get to their core strength, think about the flag and country. Or even for the original handling of NM's PTSD, if she thought about the flag and country, she'll be miraculously cured. Nope, not how it works. The zillion lectures by the commanders that always painted their country as the best in the world, made you roll your eyes. There's a time and place for everything and when you overdo it in scenes that require finesse instead, it takes away from the gravitas of the scene.

Pretty much everyone has mentioned the whole brick breaking over the head thing. And maybe it is done but not suddenly and probably not a dozen in one go. No human skull can withstand that kind of punishment without detrimental consequences and long term ones. The whole trying to portray these human beings as robotic super soldiers, didn't favor the series. Was very unrealistic and unbelievable. Also wish they started bringing in people who could speak English better as foreigners because they get over-dubbed anyway and many times how their lips moved didn't match what was being said. A bunch of loopholes were left untouched and unexplained, I'm guessing the audience was just supposed to forget them.

Would I recommend? If you like great teamwork, real friendships, are a fan of Vengo Gao (he's great in this series), and are into military/SWAT dramas, then this one is for you. Just be aware that the antagonists suck and the WETV app subs are auto-generated so some concentration to understand what's being said is required.

Read More

Cute and sweet romance with healthy and honest communication. Enjoy!

Completed - 5/23/2022

The rating of this drama is solely based on my enjoyment and might not meet anyone else’s standard of a quality drama. “Ase to Sekken” also known as “Sweat and Soap” is just what I need at the moment. An injection of sugar to pick me up after a few serious and depressing dramas. In order to fully enjoy this drama, you need to know what you are getting yourself into.

I recommend this drama for those:
- Are familiar AND like Japanese weird humor and over-the-top acting
- Want a dose of sugary cuteness with a side of cotton-candy fluffiness
- Simple but FAST-paced romance plot

Since this is a pretty short drama - 9 episodes at about 24 minutes each - there will be no dragging in the middle of the drama.

A few notes:
1. Great leads chemistry with pretty decent kissing and PDAs
2. Hilarious ways of portraying the deed in typical weird Japanese humor
3. Cute and innocent romance with a very healthy dose of HONEST communication (Hooray!)
4. Fast paced romance from meeting to getting married - no misunderstanding or love triangle.
5. Weird scent fetish that took me a couple episodes to get used to
6. Weird sweating that I still find weird throughout the whole drama
7. No annoying characters - quite lovable side characters/colleagues
8. Though female lead is shy and introverted, she is not a pushover
9. Can't help but keep staring at FL's bosom. :)
10. Getting relationship advice while sitting on the toilet is a thing, apparently.

Rest your brain with this sweet and cute romance. Don’t think too much and enjoy the ride!

Read More

Synopsis is not accurate

Firstly, I would like to address that the synopsis is not accurate at all. The central line of the story is a straightforward, hard working, 35 year old woman with strong convictions who goes up against a staunchly patriarchal society where she’s underestimated and under minded at work in order to follow her passion. The romance(s) are more or less something that happens along the way from her perspective. Also, there really isn’t a strong love triangle as such, more like a rivalry between the two guys which is superfluous since she (at the time) doesn’t seem interested in either of them.

That being said….

This drama was so unexpectedly good! The actors were believable and the writing was consistent with character portrayal. It had none of the tropes I abhorred about Find Yourself where the FL is immature, unsure, and doesn’t have a clue about what she actually wants- ending up with her flip flopping all over the place between two men and making both of them unsure of her.

I was also pleasantly impressed that despite the age gap, the actors had really good chemistry and were well rounded and developed characters.

Read More

A good story ruined by poor execution!

I am sure I heard this was a big hit in its country of origin. So, I got curious and had quite a bit of an expectation. After completing the drama, I am just utterly disappointed. I almost dropped this because of the poor casting choices. They could have chosen better actors in the leading role. I guess they went after who is popular at the moment. The actor playing the King is so wooden and uninspiring. I can't believe they got him to play the famous Qin Shi Huang. He was supposed to be an authoritarian tyrant. He exuded so much power and vitality in him but I couldn't feel it with this actor. He had almost the same expressions all throughout the entire drama. He looked and acted weak. Gongsun Li's character was supposed to be vibrant, smart and outstanding. Again, I couldn't feel it with this actress. She was bland. I like the actors playing Jing Ke and Madam Chu. I like her little facial expressions and the way she talks. She had this irritating persona and therefore, was a really effective character. I prefer Han Shen over everyone on this drama. You could feel his suppressed emotions. He portrayed the character of a man in love with a woman he could never have well. As for the visual effects, they looked like it was done by amateurs. Lastly, there were so many plot holes and inconsistencies with the characters. I really wanted to like The King's Woman but I just can't. It is a good story but ruined by poor execution.

Read More

For the casual western viewer, this period Chinese melodrama poses some real challenges. However with patience, an earnest desire to comprehend the production, and a good rewind button, the rewards are worth the effort. Ancient China, court intrigue and courtly etiquette, an evil plot, assassins, beautifully handsome young actors and actresses, and a bit of comedy for the groundlings, Love is More than a Word is a tale unfolding upon the screen as if in stunning calligraphy upon an unrolled parchment. The sets and staging are amazingly brilliant and lush in color, the costuming and makeup likewise breathtaking, the huge cast and extras all very convincing in their various rolls. Few stories of this homoerotic genre are told with such obvious material investment; one can easily believe the budget for this production was immense. Director Chen Peng has previously had a success with another similar production in this genre, Like Love, an unpretentious, lively and light-hearted tale of a college romance between a brooding, menacing undergrad, An Ziyan, and his endearingly ditzy but earnest classmate Maiding. But despite its enjoyable playfulness, where Like Love lacked for budget and production quality, this much more impressive effort shines brightly.
Not for the culturally feint hearted, the complex plot and obscure cultural touchstones make this wonderful little film a genuine effort as I have previously stated, but if you have the time and a willing heart, you won't be disappointed.

Read More

Bound by Sin... Can you say sexy

This could have been a perfect 10, had the writer completed the story. The plot was a surprise that I did not know I needed. They pack what started off as a hot story into just 20 episodes that had me wanting to know what was going to happen next until the end. The (FL) was alluring, sexy, wealthy, smart, shrewd, and dominating. BUT, I personally, the ML my favorite, he was sexy and definitely eye candy, I kept thinking oh my he is gorgeous. Can you say GQ, meets sexy villain.

The costumes were great and looked like something that would have come from that era, but they lacked imagination to complete the story. ( I know I said this more than once) They gave us character growth, and undeniable chemistry but what they could have done better was the ending. The story was not original, we have all seen this format before, but what they did do right is choose leads who really fit the roles. I did not like the open ending, considering you gave me almost everything I needed and then just snatched it away.

Did the writers get bored or just really did not know what to do to make what could have been a epic story complete. I still want to know what is next, did they get all they hoped for or was there yet again another challenge. If you are not going to offer me a part 2 at least complete the story so I can walk away satisfied completely ( pun intended). Overall, I enjoyed the show and would say its worth the watch, Just be open to the fact the ending is what you make of it.

Read More

So I've completed this web drama about 3 or 4 months ago and I'm a little surprised people haven't watched it fully. I know on YouTube there is a user that still has only clips for just Alex and Benny but if you click here you can watch the series, that way everyone can give a review and and comment a little more on this because i truly do love this series:

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B2PK_v3m5m-LbkdySEUxZW5Cc00

-please let me know if there is anything wrong with the link or the uploads themselves and i'll correct it.

I love this series so much. It was much more than a BL series in all honesty. I mean sure, most people came only for Alex and Benny and they are both my favorites don't get me wrong but the story line revolved around much more than just the lives of two guys whom themselves had a pretty heart wrenching story line. It's about friendship and being there for one another, it's about having the courage to stick up to your parents for you individuality and happiness while maintaining that bond. It's also about not always needing a lover to make you happy or doing something that you feel you should do just when you know that you don't want to.

The actors were amazing, the scenes portrayed a mundane feel. It's a great balance of serious, casual and comical. I would recommend this to a lot of people and i would love for it to have a season 2 if they decided on one.

Read More

Lovers is not a rom com but a more serious venue. The title suggests another corny romance but it is not. The story is about a gangster who learns love through a mature woman and tries to "go good." The plot involves a lot of personal complications and roadblocks.

Here's what is great about the drama. 1. The lead couple is very dynamic. Lee Seo Jin plays a tough mobster who looks and acts the part with perfection. Kim Jun Eun plays a no-nonsense physician who is both gentle and strong. The chemistry between these two is perfect. 2. There are no boring moments, a lot of good fight scenes, and no silly side story fillers with cartoon characters. 3. There is a great climax-ending the last 2 episodes with fight scenes and a well-defined ending. (I hate it when things are left up in the air.)

Read More

It is about the basic conflict between political ideals & dirty practice. Emotional complex.

Black meets white and every shade in between.
Devious meets sincere.
Truth comes into conflict with truthfulness.
Justice wrestles with just behavior.

Even though the KDrama “Undercover” was produced as a remake of a British series, it still tells a very specifically South Korean story. In recent decades, the South Korean intelligence service has changed its name several times in the wake of turbulent political changes. Heads were exchanged here and there, but ultimately numerous agents and executives carried out their jobs both during the last years of the dictatorship, the first years of the increasingly democratic liberal government of the Sixth Republic and up to the present day. This means that those who had to be bitterly persecuted as enemies of the state at some point, became, at a different time, those who potentially needed to be protected at all cost… “Undercover” is set in that context.

Embedded in this is the emotional dynamic of a former undercover agent and his wife. She is now a committed human rights lawyer and the designated director of the newly established political office for corruption investigation. In principle, her agenda is to uncover those machinations in which her husband's employer was involved or even in charge at the time and to this day...

The dramatic dynamite is hidden underneath the fact that the husband missed the right timing of confessing to his wife what he actually had done before and who he was... for good reason. This secret apparently didn't stop the couple from leading a very happy family life to date. But fatally, his past comes knocking at his door, confronting him with an almost insoluble conflict.

Should he confess to his wife today what he did back then? However, she might never be able to forgive him. That would most likely be the end of the relationship.
On the other hand, if he continues to hide his past, his former colleagues will make sure she finds out. They would do anything to prevent an upright, honest and incorruptible person from taking this groundbreaking new political position, simply because transparency and secret service don´t get along so well…
Therefore:
If he wants to preserve the marriage and his family, his wife must never find out about his past. In order to prevent this, with a heavy heart he has to once again face the parallel world of secret service agents...
If he wants to protect his wife, considering the challenges of her new career, with a heavy heart he has to once again face the parallel world of secret service agents...
Either way, with a heavy heart he has to go back to the parallel world of secret service agents... There, it seems, not much has changed in the past 30 years. It is all about: unscrupulous in the service of the cause. By all means. Failure is not up for debate, whatsoever.

Accordingly, “Undercover” is full of emotional suspense, rather complex, and at times quite nerve-wracking. It is about the inner conflict within in this particular, rather mature marriage. It is about the basic conflict between political ideals and dirty practice. And then, it is also sobering when it comes to the question of whether power can ever really belong to the people...


I liked the emotional complexity and how the area of conflict – personal and political each – was developed. Plus the fact, that it was more about relationship dynamics than action. Therefore, I enjoyed watching it.

Read More

Love and Redemption

Rurouni Kenshin: The Beginning is the fifth and final instalment of the live action adaptation of the Rurouni Kenshin manga series by Nobuhiro Watsuki. This film series finally ended after nearly a decade, having begun in 2012 when the first film was released.

This finale features the origin story of Himura Kenshin aka Battosai set during the Bakumatsu - from just before the Hamaguri Gate Rebellion to the end of the Boshin War. Notwithstanding the rather spoilery film poster, fans of both the live action and manga series would have already been made aware of the momentous event that had taken place in Kenshin’s past which went on to shape his future, culminating in his present state as depicted in the preceding four films. However, the true account of what actually transpired has finally been chronicled and presented in this film.

At its very heart, this is a tale of love and redemption between the two main characters, Himura Kenshin and his first love, Yukishiro Tomoe. Personally, I do believe that one major benefit of knowing the outcome prior to watching the story unfold is that rather than anticipating the conclusion and/ or fearing the potential for an impending tragedy, viewers are able to focus on the subtleties of the storytelling while appreciating the development of the characters and nuances of the portrayals.

Among all the films in the series, this instalment is perhaps the most serious and compelling. It plays out more like an actual historical than a manga adaptation and explores much emotional depth and character evolution of its two leads. There is hardly any moment of levity and lightheartedness, in contrast to the earlier films. Even the action sequences for which the film series is famed, is very much subdued where significant portions of the swordplay is presented in the style of a vignette, complete with evocative instrumentals. Although there are two boss fights, they are not as thrilling as those in the other instalments.

Production wise, the quality levels remain consistent as one would expect of the same production team led by screenwriter-director Otomo Keishi. The cinematography is exquisite, showcasing the beauty of the seasons where autumn transitions to winter in the countryside, as well as the framing of poignant scenes shared between the leads in their humble abode. Camerawork and editing for the numerous sword fights and stunts remain exceptional, as has been the case throughout the series.

In terms of the acting, both Sato Takeru and Arimura Kasumi are perfect in their portrayals of Himura Kenshin and Yukishiro Tomoe. No one else can play Kenshin at this point and I can’t imagine someone else in the role of Tomoe. As much as I enjoy seeing Kenshin and Kamiya Kaoru (Takei Emi) together, the connection between Kenshin and Tomoe feels more absorbing. Theirs is a delicate love borne of turmoil and conflict that eventually nurtures and heals the soul. I was honestly blown away by their scenes together, especially towards the heartbreaking ending.

Rounding off the supporting cast, Eguchi Yosuke is back as Saito Hajime but with long flowing hair and without the cigarette dangling from his mouth (for the most part). Araki Towa has a bit part, playing the younger version of Yukishiro Enishi while Takahashi Issei provides an intriguing depiction of Katsura Kogoro.

I would rate this film as my second favourite of the series, with Rurouni Kenshin: The Legend Ends as my top favourite. It may not be as action packed, fun-filled or give off steampunk vibes as the others, but I’ve thoroughly enjoyed the character-driven emphasis and nuanced approach to the performances and storytelling, where viewers finally get to see how Battosai evolves from the killer to the pacifist. There is a tinge of melancholy now that the live-action series has come to an end, but what an eventful ride it has been.

Read More

I honestly picked up watching this after watching the cast on VS Arashi, and watching a different special on before it. I had to rewatch the first episode since I started on 2 but I knew I was hooked.

The premise is pretty simple, 'average' girl ends up living with three guys in pursuit of her dream as a pastry chief. Of course, shenanigans ensue. It's touching, it's dramatic, and it even got me to tear up a little bit.

I really enjoyed the chemistry between cast members. You could tell from VS Arashi they were all friends after filming, and during their scenes it was really impressive. Kento Yamazaki, and Kirie Mirai have absolutely stunning chemistry between them. And Nomura Shuhei is the perfect balance between serious moments and comic relief (without being a joke himself). Shuhei was even cast in the Taiwanese adaptation! The setting is in Enoshima, not too far away from Tokyo (closer to Yokohama though) which was a refreshing change of pace.

My friends and I agree that Chiaki's character development was rather sad, in comparison to the others. And there is a weird insert character whoose got no purpose or name but causes a lot of grief for the others, that we found rather boring and unneeded.

I've already recommended this drama to friends, and I watched it in Japan and with subs after leaving Japan. Not a top favorite of mine, and I won't be rewatching unless it's with friends/for nostalgia but it's a sweet drama worth watching.

Read More