This review may contain spoilers
A Refreshing and Outstanding Adaptation
"Boys Over Flowers" has been adapted in various versions, but one stands out as the best. This particular adaptation did a fantastic job of changing the story in a great way. Thyme's character was portrayed wonderfully, adding depth and making them different from other versions. Gorya's acting was top-notch, and she really nailed her character. Ren, who connected Gorya and Thyme, was also a favorite.What I liked most was that they changed a plot point from other versions. In this adaptation, the main female lead didn't kiss the second male lead, which often made me angry in other versions. It was a welcome change that kept me engaged. However, I didn't like Thyme's mother. She was like a villain throughout, and it felt one-dimensional.
This adaptation beautifully showcased the strong friendship between Gorya and the other F4 members, something that wasn't as clear in other versions. The drama didn't drag on with too many episodes, which was a relief. It covered the whole story in just 16 episodes, maintaining a good pace. While I would have loved to see a wedding part, I still felt satisfied and overwhelmed by the overall experience.
The unity and loyalty displayed by F4 with their motto of "All for one, one for all" was heartwarming and added an extra layer of enjoyment.
In conclusion, this adaptation of "Boys Over Flowers" brought a refreshing take on the story, with standout character portrayals and strong friendship bonds. While not everything was perfect, it left me feeling satisfied and overwhelmed. If you're a fan of the original story, this adaptation is definitely worth watching.
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Here the heroes individually are insignificant, helpless. Together they can make a difference.
"Falsify" (also "Distorted") tells an exciting story about the business with official truth. I think this works particularly well as the KDrama offers a critical examination of the rather difficult concept of 'truth', which can be bent and manipulated depending on the eye of the viewer. Is the rule of law just a pretty farce? Rather an eloquent backdrop for the mighty who operate in the shadow? Does actually anything like justice exist? What truth are we hearing? Which one do we want to hear? Which preferably not? Is it always so good to bring the truth to light?Regarding the recently common term 'lying media', used as an accusations from all different directions, "Falsify" offers a burning issue. Also a bit of an 'Watergate Affair' in South Korean garb (as the underlying case resembles some real South Korean one). Sophisticated journalism and sensation-hungry tabloids, public prosecutors and lawyers as law enforcement officers, so called respectable (yet cheating) businessmen as well as gangs are all frighteningly close together. Against this background, seldom has sich wide range of positions, attitudes and motivations been thus successfully intertwined and presented close to touch on the basis of individual fates, altogether mixed up in an exciting story. Abysses open up in view of social ideals and their illusions. And yet hope is not lost in the face of (quite deadly) superiority.
This is definitely not a ´Marvel´-like (super)hero story. Here the 'heroes' individually are insignificant, inconspicuous, fallible, and to some extend helpless puppets in a complex mechanism that is controlled by opaque forces. However, together they can make a difference in co-creation - by bundling their potentials, throwing their prejudices overboard, getting involved with each other, learning to trust each other (despite initial contempt), and no longer reflecting on what separates them. The key is a unifying idea that is bigger than each individual (with their physical, emotional or social needs). They want to give this idea shape, body, weight and charisma with all imaginable creative means. This cross-personal idea is what gives them strength (even in the face of massive personal threats) and overcomes fear. Here it is the idea of a democratic constitutional state in which there is justice for ALL; in which ALL are equal before the law; in which every citizen can/must bear responsibility for his/her actions - the price for the freedom of responsible citizens: a minimum consensus of laws, rights and obligations that are binding and binding for everyone.
This idea sounds nicer and more promising than it really is, because it usually stays with the idea that is trampled on behind the scenes. Yet, it is (real) people who fill this (abstract) idea with life. But where there are people, there are also their corruptibility, their greed, their vulnerability to blackmail and their cowardice, as well as the fitting people to unscrupulously exploit such weak points. South Korea's young democracy and long history of corruption and mighty ones operating in the shadow offers a realistic, scandal-ridden environment to process this exciting and at the same time outrageous KDrama - thus offering a wide range of gray tones, emotionally differentiated and authentic.
By following various protagonists from the press and the courts, the story begins with individual threads of action that are at best loosely connected to one another, but which become entangled over the course of the story and together form a strong strand that everyone can pull on together. So a bit of patience is required from the audience, but it pays off! The differently motivated characters come to life in a tangible way, become comprehensible in good and bad and reveal a reality about the business with truth that makes you shudder. We as the audience are ourselves cleverly integrated as part of the story - as representatives of public opinion and thus as perpetrators and victims at the same time.
Wow!
Good job. Ambitous. Thought-provoking.
P.S.:
Also ideally suited for repeated series enjoyment due to the differentiated, complex story.
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The first half of the show is particularly strong, in part due to outstanding performances by Kim Young Chul as Taejong and Choi Myung Gil as his embittered queen. Taejong may be monstrous, but he’s also powerfully human, and the show loses some of its spark when he exits the scene. The second half is weaker, perhaps because the series was cut down from 100 episodes to 86. This causes pacing issues, as some events are rushed through while drawn-out moments of pathos feel unearned due to a lack of dramatic set-up. Subplots get dropped and major characters disappear without acknowledgment or comment. It also means that Sejong comes off as far more serious than perhaps he was, as the show leaves out such “frivolous” elements of his life as his love of music and his passionate relationships with his concubines. In general, the show is more comfortable in the elegiac than the celebratory mode, but its tendency to emphasize loss sometimes deflects attention from just how extraordinary Sejong’s achievements were. It may be difficult to do great things, but there is great joy in such success as well.
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This review may contain spoilers
Within the aura of a love story some socially critical topics on successful woman, work & family
"I Do I Do" tends to be humorous, offers a nevertheless emotional love story and at the same time the backdrop for the critical processing of a merciless everyday professional and living environment to which women in South Korea are exposed. As also, for example, "Romance is a Bonus Book", "Scent of a Woman", "Revolutionary Love" or "Angry Mom" the KDrama uses the comedic touch to lift the emphasis of the topic into a lighter tone that is easier to digest. Cheerful and serious aspects are well balanced, also thanks to a great cast.
Within the aura of a love story "I Do I Do" comes along with some socially dominant topics around woman, work and family that want to critically be processed. "I Do I Do" precedes "Now, We are Breaking Up" by nine years. Not much has changed in the status of the professional life of a successful woman (in the fashion scene). The scenario reminds here and there: the experienced, successful and talented designer (here elegant pumps) who has chosen career over relationship/marriage/family; the parents who want their daughter to finally get married properly; a younger man who, after a one-night stand, throws the orderly life of the confident businesswoman upside down. In the case of "I Do I Do", the protagonist ends up in a one-night stand, which is rather untypical for her (and him) due to a chain of special circumstances. The hook for further drama is her completely unexpected pregnancy. ... and 37-year-old Hwang Ji-ahn, still being single, having just been medically diagnosed with a premature menopause...
------------------------------- SIDE NOTE: --- Woman, Work and Family as far as South Korean society is concerned ---
- A woman (in South Korea) can perhaps be successful, but the price for this is her woman-ness (as in many places on earth...). She proves herself to be a better man and simply has no room for relationships where she could live out her soft, tender, feminine side. Showing her weakness at work whatsoever would jeopardize her position. Competitors are already waiting for a devastating neckbutt.
- A woman can be excellent and even unique in her work. From a marketing point of view, however, it is more promising (because it is more binding for business partners) if a man bears the official, managerial responsibility for business sucess... because who knows when the woman will leave the professional world behind and take up her role as wife and mother... The dramaturgical dynamics in this regard are astonishingly differentiated in "I Do I Do". There is even room for the aspect of how women envy each others decisions for either way (instead of solidarily supporting each other - here and there).
- A woman should get married. She can mercifully let off steam for a while in her professional life, since society has already become about 10 years more tolerant in 2012 than in the decades/centuries/millennia before. But the age of 37 is (biologically speaking) a magical limit... because now it's high time. (The KDrama actually offers an exceptional man as a role model who thinks progressively here...)
- Dating, a woman automatically becomes the one who needs/wants to be protected and the one who in turn provides the man with allround care. What a mess, if roles lose their clear assignments. Here, too, the KDrama offers, among other things, another (different) exceptional male role model - one who (although instinctively a protector, too, but nevertheless) is ready to develop in a different way.
- And then equally valid for men and women: relationship is not a private matter. At least the parents are the first to have a say.
-Also: The greatest happiness in life should be a permanent position. Everything else is extra...
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"I Do I Do" defies these societal norms, which in South Korea seem to be chiselled in stone. This is no piece of cake. Interestingly, the KDrama offers only one answer to the question "What are the arguments in favor of deciding to have a child or a family as a professionally ambitious woman?" - this in the face of an almost endless list of reasons that argue against it... This single commitment to a "yes" (towards children and family) is located beyond rationality. This "yes" has nothing to do with virtue and values. This one and only "yes" argument is completely personal. (My respect for taking such a position - one that actually stands outside of society´s right to have a say in this!)
After all, "I Do I Do" eventually shows another variation in the Cinderella spirit of fairy tale love stories ... But. I consider the way as the goal! And the path described in this KDrama (the circumstances and processes of the main protagonist) makes it definitely worth seeing. In addition, Kim Sun-ah finds a good balance between a competent, unapproachable boss and an approachable, not so competent 'woman' with her heart in the right place. Lee Jang-woo also convinces me here in his role as the much younger, impulsive, unconventional Park Tae-kang.
By the way: Since it is about the world of fashion designers and pumps in particular, it would be worth mentioning that the viewers get to see a lot in this regard. Not only in Ji-ahn's well-stocked private shoe room, but also beyond that - 500 pairs of pumps were brought up for the series that were supposedly worth almost 9,000 euros. Also, the protagonist Ji-ahn's individual fashionable style (which goes back mainly to Kim Sun-ah's specific, personal suggestions) became a trendsetter at the time.
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This review may contain spoilers
Started out fun and engaging, even the cinematography (the yellowish filter which reminded me of the horror movies in the 2000s, i thought Sadako was gonna spring out out of nowhere) is A grade, Then somehow it got a little boring in the middle and then i realized i wasnt even looking forward to any of the episodes anymore, i just finished watching just for the sake of finishing the series.One big problem is the chemistry between Sahara and Toki. I dont mind and i actually like the awkward overacting, but they just didnt show enough to make me care about their characters and to root for the relationship. I didnt even understand the 'slap in the back' thingy which were supposed to be a thing of affection considering those were such strong slaps and didnt they say Sahara has (or had) a back injury?
The addition of Nekoto- and for goodness sake his emo hair is so annoying - n the last few episodes even made the show worse, no wonder why Sahara chose Toki isntead of him.
Let me get this out of the way too. The idea of a teacher getting into a relationship with a high school student is very cringy layered with too many inappropriateness that gets worse when being romanticized. I am not a conservative but this is not something that i would feel comfortable seeing in real life no matter how small the age gap is.
Is this something that happens normally in Japan and i wonder what is the targeted demographic for these kind of contents? it smells of something predatory.
The fact that this is the second Japanese BL within the past 6 months with this age gap (the other one is One Room Angel) kinda bothered me a little. One other BL with this kind of premise is Minato's Laundromat (with not just one but 2 of this kind of relationship) and that even got a second season. In these series, they show the younger leads vehemently pursuing the older guys, and they make you think it is ok. I somehow feel its not. These 3 series features younger HIGH SCHOOL male leads being partnered with adult guys (to be fair Minato's Laundromat handled it better) Im not against big age gap between partners but i think we have to be reminded that these high school students are STILL kids compared to the older guys they are running after. At least make both characters "adult" even if you make a 20-year age gap then it might be ok.
Overall, its a 6.5 for me. This is a series i wont even remember after a few months, and its not even entertaining enough to be rewatched.
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Beware: Sexual Assaults Uncut
Yes, this drama consists of some sexual assault scenes of one of the main characters, and viewers be warned to decide if you want to pursue this story or not. It's very rare to have a Chinese costume drama that has the women being violated. Nonetheless, aside from those rather upsetting scenes, the overall drama is consistent with how wuxia dramas generally play out: adventure packed, revenge, pride, justice, brotherhood, friendship, self-sacrifice etc.Wang Xiaoshi (Zeng Shun Xi aka Joseph Zeng) leaves the mountains where he lives, and begins his journey of exploring the world. He meets Wen Rou (Yang Chaoyue) and Bai Choufei (Liu Yuning) and they become best friends and travel together. Wang Xiaoshi is upstanding, easy going, truthful, kind, positive and always sees the best in another person, whereas Bai Choufei is ambitious, ambiguous, cruel and has a shade of darkness around him. As Wang Xiaoshi just wants to see the world, Bai Choufei wants to make a name for himself. Just as they are going from places to places, they unwittingly embroil in the politics of “jiangfu” and meet Su Mengzhen (Chen Chuhe aka Baron Chen) who is the leader of the House of Sunset Drizzle, a powerful upstanding organization helping jiangfu by bringing justice to the poor and weak. Su Mengzhen is sickly and he needs talents to help him. The three men become sworn brothers and vow to stand by each other. However, as the story unfolds, Bai Choufei becomes dissatisfied to come under Su Mengzhen and he strays; he wants to be the number one.
I really like Joseph Zeng. He has an irresistible charisma that attracts viewers. As Wang Xiaoshi, he has really brought alive the character as a positive and unsuspecting personality, and later becomes mature and solemn. His transformation is great and Joseph Zeng has successfully executed the role convincingly. He is a wonderful actor.
Liu Yuning’s acting is equally amazing, from a cold, rather selfish character, to a half crazy, power-crazed lunatic, Liu Yuning has had a great performance. Every snicker he makes sends chills down my spine, that’s how good he is.
Chen Chuhe’s Su Mengzhen is painful to watch. Every time he coughs, my heart goes out to him. Despite being sickly all the time, his character is strong and amazing to watch when he fights. The acting is simply authentic and convincing.
Though she doesn’t, every time when Wen Rou is around, I dread she messes up other people’s plans. Yang Chaoyue’s acting here is a lot better than she was in Dance of the Phoenix and I hope she continues improving her acting skills.
My Verdict
This is a through and through wuxia drama. However, the screen writing is less than desirable with rather childish logic at times, multiple plot holes and tons of inconsistencies. This is supposed to be a story about brotherhood, that's why Wang Xiaoshi is guarding so protectively over their relationship, and that's why he's so devastated when he loses his brothers. The script writing has not really brought out the brotherhood essence strong enough but just bypassing it. What an opportunity lost. The story can get very slow as the love triangle develops, and the replacement of the “lou zhu” at the end feels very random. As in most Chinese costume dramas, almost all the characters that appear at the beginning of the story perish by the end. Having said that, the wirefu acting, martial art sword fighting are all very well executed and convincing.
All these shortcomings become trivial as we dwell deeper into the message of the story: it questions the purpose of life, the difference between living and surviving; it advocates for freedom of ideologies, and denounces authoritarianism; it is very political. The story seems parallel to today’s world in politics: power blinds as in Bai Choufei; government corruptions hurting its own people as in Prime Minister Cai (Lo Ka Leung). And we need heroes like Wang Xiaoshi and Su Mengzhen to clean up the rot, one by one.
This is a great drama for wuxia fans. Great watch!
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Queen's Classroom
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1This review may contain spoilers
@ mobbing, friendship, class culture and reflecting moral behavior among 6th grade pupils. Great!
"The Queen's Classroom" is a dramaturgically fascinating story about kids at a South Korean elementary school, shortly before their transition to middle school. The young actors are fantastic. Likewise the adults. At the same time, it is a nuanced, clever study of bullying from 2013. I appreciate this series very much because it not only shows THAT there are enormous social problems with an increasingly traumatizing marginalization of young students, but also how/that the school, i.e. the teachers, can contribute in a creative, constructive, pedagogically valuable way, and thus counteract the trend. For this reason alone, "The Queen's Classroom" is worth seeing. In addition, the KDrama tells a wonderful story about the idea of friendship - about how the mere concept and label 'friendship' becomes a real, three-dimensional relationship with a solid grounding. Fabulous.The unique approach is a focus on the age between elementary and middle school - a phase that is crucial in the development of personality, e.g. for the cognitive development with regard to the moral assessment of situations, the ability to change perspective and a differentiated understanding of moral values. Eventually, the moral assessment of mobbing/bullying is the crucial first step in order to seriously counteract the ominous trend. This aspect is a characteristic problem in South Korean schools. (See side note below.)
In the case of "The Queen's Classroom", the homeroom teacher sets important impulses for the personal processes of individual pupils and the class as a whole with quite idiosyncratic, (of course also dramaturgically effective), provocative pedagogical methods. The aim is to use paradoxical intervention in order to trigger more profound emotional and cognitive processes, so that the students can move from the sometimes naive surface of their beliefs to their true, genuine core. On this basis only can they then stand their by all means noble, idealistic convictions powerfully and authentically against adverse circumstances. Personal processes can often be a bit painful, as is the case here. However, the result is quite spectacular for the individuals and for the class as a whole, too. It could/should be something like this or something similar, it HAS to be if the increasing trend of bullying in schools is to change.
Chapeau! "The Queen's Classroom" is boldly leading the way as a small but mighty pioneer in the KDrama world. To be fair, the KDrama is based on a Japanese production. Since the social problem is similar there, it is not surprising. In any case, the Korean remake didn't do any harm... Despite all the emotional seriousness, it's a great pleasure to accompany the kids on their bumpy road.
---------------------------------------
SIDE NOTE: --- Wang-ta - Bullying in a collectivistic society, like South Korea ---
While 'mobbing', strictly speaking, refers to psychological terror or physical violence by a group, 'bullying' describes the harassment itself, regardless of how many people take part in it. However, the choice of term does not change the fact that far too many students are involved - be it as victims, as perpetrators or as spectators/witnesses. This is an international phenomenon, with more or less extreme manifestations. There is peculiarity in South Korea, though: collectivism (vs. Western individualism). When the welfare of the collective has the highest priority, it means that the interests of the individual are subordinated to those of the associated social group - be it family, work, school, class, club, friends, etc. Peer pressure also exists in individualistic Societies, true enough, but in collectivism it has an even stronger impact. This should not be underestimated when dealing with the topic of mobbing/bullying.
'Wang-ta' is a specific, common South Korean slang term that is used in connection with and in dealing with a person who is not part of the group. One becomes an outsider very quickly, wearing the wrong clothes, having the wrong interests or preferences, belonging to the wrong group or to no group, having poor, stigmatized or less influential parents, living in the wrong family constellation or only achieving bad grades. However, this label commonly implies (in collectivist society) that it socially 'is allowed' to devalue and harass this person for being an outsider. When group norms are thus strong, such exclusion based on appearance, lack of achievement, special preferences, etc. can have particularly fatal consequences. Those experiencing 'Wang-ta' first hand, may lack the chance of getting rid of this label again.
- Those who 'choose' the victim are hardly aware of any guilt, since they are convinced, that they are rightly criticizing a deviation from the set norm.
- The other peers will thus avoid the stigmatized pupil and assume that there is something to it, so that the label (and exclusion) is justified.
- And those labeled ´wang-ta´ will only withdraw even further, ashamed of their 'apparent' lack, and feel even more inferior, than they might already do.
Empirical studies in 1998 ff with pupils from European or American countries (with individualistic socialization) showed, that in 85 percent of bullying cases peers were involved as bystanders. Of those, only 11 percent eventually intervened. Unfortunately, I don't have any comparable South Korean numbers, neither from then nor from today. However, I probably don't lean too far out of the window when I suspect that there are significantly less, who would actively intervene.
In the course of further international studies it was possible to prove that intervention by peers is, however, an essential first step towards change. Active intervention on-site in the middle of the situation triggers a (moral) debate among the peers about the situation in the first place. As long as there are only passive, tolerating bystanders, the act is socially approved and its justification defacto confirmed.
There are South Korean studies that show: although the majority of the pupils interviewed do not like bullying, at the same time they also believe that it is inevitable. In fact, they assume, that the victims in general deserve to be punished because of their (self-inflicted) being an outsider.
The peer group has the greatest influence during the school years from late elementary school to high school. At the same time, this is the phase in which generosity in dealing with diversity can and must be learned as an essential social value. If such a value is not socially recognized at that time, then young people will not be able to integrate it into their further lives, let alone apply it. This is the painful crux of the issue of "wang-ta" in South Korean schools (or later in the workplace): generosity in dealing with diversity has no tradition, no culture, no socially recognized value on the peninsula. If you want to change the school bullying trend, then you have to start here. I.e. as a teacher in elementary and middle school, opening up spaces for experience with tolerance and thus creating the opportunity for a new culture of social interaction. A confident class culture that explicitly acknowledges diversity, that socially and openly and explicitly questions wang-ta as a social option, can form the fertile breeding ground for fundamental societal changes that leave more room for individuality. In the face of an ever-approaching, globally networked world, this is becoming increasingly necessary in order to create the personal and social balancing act of a hybrid between traditional and global, between collectivistic and individualistic.
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Though sometimes one may see it advertised as such, Saikou no Rikon cannot be called a true "romantic comedy". It watches more like a slice-of-life, centering around two couples (whose respective relationships may or may not be crumbling). The comedic aspect hits as often as it misses, despite passable delivery from involved actors and actresses. Emotionally rich and intense scenes outweigh these in sheer remarkability; in fact, the levity issues are approached with at times (such as the occasion divorce is brought up for one of the couples) actually leaves the whole product feeling a little inconsistent. Am I watching a zany Japanese relationship lark or this heavy treatise? Because some elements did not wholly jive (at least for me), those thoughts popped up frequently over the course of the series.
Where the drama excels must be dialogue, which is razor-sharp and surprisingly natural. These characters speak like real people, even showing pop cultural awareness. An engaging way speech is used is also in the way characters loose their frustrations to others; they tend to tell strangers and service-providers in these long-winded monologues, unable to vent to anyone closer. What it lacks in stunning backdrops and visual candy, Saikou no Rikon makes up for in thoughtful camera work. With a sharp focus on the inner workings of married life in mind, shots often adopt voyeuristic qualities. For instance, we might see an argument from a fly-on-the-wall perspective in the kitchen, overlooking the entirety of a small apartment made for two.
Eita headlines a solid cast, swinging all his powerful versatility behind the (initially) repellent Hamasaki Mitsuo. This is a character that embodies everything wrong in a husband, from his incredible pettiness to the selfish way he views most everything. The first time he tells his wife something between them was her "personal problem," even threw me back into some bad memories of my own. However, Hamasaki exhibits incredible personal growth throughout Saikou no Rikon (with Eita totally inhabiting the role). Ono Machiko, as his polar opposite and somehow wife Yuka, has a fantastic showing also. Whenever Yuka showed weakness or had something big to say, Ono-san knocked it out of the park. Her role, despite early episodes showing her through her husband's perspective, is lovable and sympathetic; women will definitely identify with her best.
Ayano Go and Maki Yoko portray strange duo Ryo and Akari, whose tale most interests at first glance yet slowly is overcome by that of the main couple. Both are fine actors and do beautifully in their scenes. Unfortunately, paired with the "that's just how things are" attitude the characters take to one another and themselves, the too-fast wrap to their story leaves the entire relationship a little hard to watch and slightly unsatisfying to finish (unlike that of the main couple).
If Saikou no Rikon is a hero wielding dialogue as its best weapon, music will be its Achilles Heel. Having just come down from a marathon of the series, I can scarcely remember any specific tracks. There was at least one quirky instrumental number, but the only truly memorable song is ending theme "Yin Yang" provided by the amazing Kuwata Keisuke. Despite not being a song to my taste, it suits the drama exceedingly well. And that wild ending sequence that accompanies it? Positively awesome.
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I was in "drama mood" so in that period U wasn't picky at all. I just read the synopsis then I decided to watch this drama without expecting anything from it.
2) Storyline/Plot:
The general story wasn't very special but it can't be considered as a one of K-dramas usual plots. However, it wasn't outstanding.
Positive Points:
*The storyline had a great dramatical depth which can make you tagged to its events.
*Main Genres:
--->Romance: This is a romantic story with all the meanings that the word "Romance" refer to; it was well written in order to make developments go deeper and deeper after each episode.
The romance here is the "mature" type, not like those childish romantic stories that we see everywhere but it's not very serious that would make you get bothered since they added moments to cheer the audience and keep boring moments out; i believe it was a smart move in order to maintain the great romance.
One more point, romance was a play of fate, a play of reality to show how true love can survive no matter what kind obstacles it faces; I know it's a little dreamy but it was cool in the drama.
--->Drama: I consider this drama as a dramatical romance, it's not the rom-com type so the dramatical side was heavily present and well done in some points.
It can be devided to several parts since the storyline was devided, the middle dramatical part was the best then there's some good parts at the beginning.
Negative Points:
*The romance is good but only the main leads romance existed; no side romantic stories that can change the mood a little. Yes, there was the usual Korean triangle but the side romantic stories were absent.
*The dramatical parts in the end were really annoying because it took a wrong turn after the 15th or the 16th episode; I had high hopes for that part and even though, it didn't end up badly but I wasn't satisfied.
Story: 8/10
3) Acting/Cast:
*Joo Jin Mo:
I have a great respect for him as an actor, I loved his previous roles and I really liked his role here, it wasn't an intense role but the way he handled things was really well done.
The character was a very strong at first, you can feel the hartred and pain in Lee Shin Jun's eyes then as the drama went on, many changes occurred, many dramatic moments were held by his character, it was intEresting to to follow his character developments but at the end, I noticed some unsatisfying changes in the character's personality but it's all up to the story's changes above.
*Lee Bo Young:
I don't know her as an actress which means that I am not familiar with her acting skills, here she was acceptable and moving in some points because the role was portrayed in a satisfying way.
The character, let's see, I wasn't fully taken by kang Eun seol's character and I never sympathized with her. The character was off sometimes, cheerful some other times, cool most of the time and what I clearly remember that it was really annoying starting from the 15th or the 16th episode.
*Other Cast: I am only familiar with some of them but I think their roles were nicely done, except some annoying characters, the supporting roles were okay.
Relationships:
--->Romance: The chemistry was good, like I said earlier it's one of the greatest romantic stories that I've ever seen plus the leads made it enjoyable "most" of the time.
--->The triangle: Most of the time they were really annoying to watch, I skipped those parts often, I tried to watch but they weren't any close to the sweet triangles that we usually know but I have to appreciate Kim Pil Seo's character since it was "mature"
--->The leads relationship with Lee Shin Jun's mother: It was really well done at first but when it took the obvious turns near the ending, I became uninterested.
Cast: 7/10
Acting: 8.5/10
4) The ending:
I liked the final obstacle, it was somehow unexpected and cool to watch. Nice closure but it doesn't deny that it was one of K-dramas classical endings.
The ending: 8/10
5) My impression (How did it affect me):
*I was really interested in this drama and that's the main reason I finished it fast.
*I wasn't bored but I have to admit that I skipped several parts in order to make my watching time equilibrated plus there were scenes that I didn't like.
*Is this drama memorable: Yes, I am keeping this drama in my mind as one of the greatest romantic dramas but not as one of the greatest dramas that I've ever seen.
My impression: 8.5/10
6) Overall:
*If you like romantic stories than this for you.
*If you're into romantic comedies, I don't think that this drama would suit your taste.
*Watch this if you're looking for a great male lead.
Overall: 8/10.
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This review may contain spoilers
My Journey to…Nowhere?
Let me start with the positive marks. This drama is seriously gorgeous when it comes to visuals, with the attention to cinematographic detail you see in movies more than TV shows. You could even put the drama on mute and still enjoy it just for how gorgeous so many shots are. This is clearly where the director’s talents lie and was my favorite part of the experience.The second thing I can applaud is the cast, who all performed their roles to the best they could as the characters are written. I have to give special mention to Ryan Cheng who was so perfect in his role as Gong Shang Jue that unfortunately the others, even though they were good, were eclipsed by his performance. But really it is on a scale of “pretty good” to “excellent” with no major weak points in acting.
The story starts off exciting in its first episodes with a great focus on Yun Wei Shan being sent on her mission amongst the potential brides, but is soon dragged down to an extremely slow pace it suffers from until the end of the drama. Most episodes follow the same formula of going around in circles, with too much exposition and endless conversations (that were so whispered it was sometimes hard to hear over the background tracks) only to finish up on a cliffhanger to keep you hooked in, and then do the same the next episode. The show often gets lost in flashbacks and forgets to move forward in the present timeline leading to a feeling of “is anything actually happening?” throughout the middle of the drama.
As for the characters, some arcs are better than others. Many have complained about the frustrating arc of the ML character Gong Ziyu who takes a very long time to catch up to speed with the plot, appearing not just trusting and naive but oblivious to a degree that strains belief, only to develop very abruptly in a way that wasn’t convincing. But even worse is the characterization of the FL as Yun Wei Shan, who gets overshadowed by the Gong men family drama and rarely feels like the lead of the show she is supposed to be. For many episodes she plays the role of sidekick to accompany ML on his three trials, so he can grow into his position as Sword Wielder. By the end it feels her character and the Wufeng side of the story got a background seat to the story of uniting the Gong men against a common enemy. Despite being lead it feels as though Yu Shu Xin is not given her time to shine.
As for the plot, instead of presenting a focused mystery that builds with suspense and ends on a satisfactory note, the story gets tangled in its own web of its too many suspects and possibilities, leaving the audience to overcompensate and come up with theories that had way more depth than the show provided, such as the theory that Zi Yu was playing a big long con, or that Gong Zi Shang had more sinister involvement beyond her over-the-top comic relief role. The writer relies too hard on cliffhangers for his own good, so much so that he can’t stop himself from including one even at the last minute. An open ending works for some dramas but here it leaves a bad taste. Aside from the Gong men coming together and Ziyu becoming sword wielder, nothing has really changed and it seems implied the terrible cycles we started with will only continue…YWS’s potential sacrifices didn’t amount to much and in the end the writer lets her fate become another unsatisfying mystery.
To sum it up, this is a beautiful but slow watching experience that lacked focus and didn't end up having the depth I hoped. I doubt a Season 2 would happen but if it did I can't say for sure I'd be interested in watching.
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Honestly, my consideration for watching Secret Garden was the two main characters Ha Ji Won and Hyun Bin..
But after that I found the story was amazing..
I was hooked and finished this only in 2 days.. until my eyes being swollen at that time..
It makes me laughed and cried at the same time.. The storyline made me curios to watch this until the end..
Both Ha Ji Won and Hyun Bin plays the role very well.. Especially when their bodies switched.. The chemistry between them looks so real..
The music also very good.. the placement for the ost at every scene can play our emotion..
For me, it’s one of the best K-drama.. Love it so much!!!
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This review may contain spoilers
I pushed my way through the entire series because there were some sweet moments that made it really worth watching, yet I still feel like I'm writing this review to criticize more than compliment.But let's start with a compliment:
I enjoyed the lead female character. This kind of nice, independent, no-nonsense lead female character has been a rare item in the Korean drama industry. I'm saying she's strong as in not TOO comically strong or bratty as well. Eun Hawon character is really likable, and it's the only part that makes sense why this kind of reverse harem plot works. The boys in the house genuinely like her, and I accept it. Most of the Korean dramas that go for either this generic reverse harem plot or the strong lead girl plot usually fail to deliver them naturally. I grew fond of her the most and her character made me stick around.
Another good point that somehow kept me around was the sweet moments and the chemistry between the lead characters. I could feel that they really care for each other. Nothing was forced. The love story wasn't rushed. I enjoyed it. Sometimes the sub plots dragged on for too long and their sweet moments would restore my faith for this show.
Now onto the bad part:
From the title: Cinderella and Four Knights, there are no four knights at all. They're trying to sell that this is a reverse harem kind of story, with one lead girl and four lead guys and such, but it only lasted probably up to the first few episodes. The first few episodes promised you a love triangle which was cliche but still entertaining.
From somewhere early in the series, however, out of *four* knights: 1) one of them loses complete interest in the lead female and goes back to the second lead female he ditched long ago for unexplained reasons, 2) one of them grows to like the lead female yet takes care of the second lead female to an unreasonable extent, 3) one of them likes the lead female genuinely but, of course, the plot won't allow them to even meet and talk properly, 4) and the last one of them leaves the *knight* title ever so quickly and branches out to his own super cliche sub plot although he has so much potential in everything from acting to his looks to his chemistry with the lead female.
It felt so much like the writers lured us into such F4 - Boys Over Flowers kind of settings, then ditched us to an extremely cliche plot that revolved more around the second lead female – who I have to use the word "annoyingly boring" to describe. I like Son Naeun as a member of A Pink, but I believe her acting is very bad – or this character does not shine a light on her as an actress at all. Her character is an "I-only-look-at-you" kind of pitiful(?) girl, but somehow the story (or her acting) made her evil. I thought she was going to grow into a likable second female lead because she was one of a few second leads that don't act evil towards the lead female character. However, her damsel-in-distress situations only turned her into a "I don't care if I look evil, I just want to own one of these rich guys" kind of character.
She has the looks and she's from a well-raised background. She was also incredibly stubborn for (literally) unsaid reasons while she could just go out and have a happy life while forgetting these main guys. Plus, her interest in fashion design seemed useless. It played no part in the plot, and I wish writers would stop stereotyping fashion design major as a "high class" thing. Beautiful barbie-like female characters don't need to like fashion to look sophisticated. Try harder.
Likewise, I didn't enjoy the stereotypes in this story at all. Jung Ilwoo's character (Kang Jiwoon) was built around a quiet, rebellious guy with a troubled past, so they gave him a street-racer persona while in the story it was just him fidgeting with his toy cars from time to time. It didn't look cool and rebellious. It looked pathetic.
Ahn Jaehyun's character (Kang Hyunmin) – the playboy successor of Haneul Group – can he be even more cliche than this? I mean, playboy chaebols are fun to have in a story, but this characteristic of him progressed to nowhere. He was out with random girls for only 2 or 3 episodes at the beginning. At the same time, he's a supposed successor of their family business, but I see him lazing around inside the mansion the *entire* series. In fact, he doesn't seem very aloof. He has a heart, but they didn't make use of it at all.
Lee Jungshin's character (Kang Seowoo) is a musician. Why? There's no back story to his characteristics. He's popular and is a good singer and he's very nice. Rich and romantic, yet he seemed the most unattached to the entire chaebol family. Again, there's nothing bad about this, I just feel like this musician character is very stereotypical. And again, for a chaebol grandson who's *finally* nice and decent, he's out of the picture from the first half of the series. He likes the main girl alone, feels sad alone, and lets her go alone. His music plays almost no part in putting his character together with the main girl or other guys, and despite that, there's no explanation in why he fails to convey his love to the main girl at all. (Oh, wait, why? Because the writer doesn't want that. Then WHY did they even make his character up at all?)
I still forced my way through the end purely because of the lead female character. She was the only decent one in the entire series. The "missions" and "part-time job" that put her in these guys' mansion made me cringe though. And although she's naturally kindhearted, genuinely wanting the boys to reunite as a family was a bit odd, given that she hasn't been raised in a warm *family* as well.
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An intense binge worthy drama!
I am so in love with this drama. I saw everyone praising it so I casually started it out of curiosity. I was just thinking about giving it a try for the hype. But now I am actually joining the crowd. I feel like praising everything about this drama.
Reset is an intense story that revolves around a few characters binded by a time loop. What I am happy about is that despite it being a time loop drama where certain things will keep on repeating it was executed in such a nice way that I couldn't even think of skipping anything. No matter how many times they repeat it, a right balance of new things came out that was interesting.
So the story starts with a university student named Li Shiqing (Zhao Jin Mai). She was on a bus and on her way to somewhere when the bus gets into an accident and she dies. But she wakes up the next second and just considers it as a bad dream but woah! this is the best part. Things seem to get repeated and she seems to die because of the same accident again and again. Once she realizes about this horrible time loop, her first instinct is to escape, she uses a boy sitting beside her who is Xiao Heyun (Bai Jing Ting), a game developer to get out of the bus but unexpectedly he enters into the same time loop with her. Oh my god! Just the first episode and I was hooked up. I couldn't wait to see how they would continue this story.
Afterwards there are just crazy things happening. They both try struggling in all ways possible to change this destinied accident. Not even a single second is irrelevant or like filler in the drama. Everything is there for a reason. Even the expressions of each actor and how should they react in a particular scene is so perfect.
Their bond. Like two people who are in a mess of time, fighting together and just like two teammates going through life and death together. You can observe how slowly and reasonably their bond develops. Romance is not the visible center of the drama but it's just present through those little moments between them. You can see the care in their eyes and just the will to accompany her/him in the trouble till the end.
I love how almost every character has their own story and stuff. It's short like 15 episodes of 45 minutes each but they do justice to every character present.
Favorite line — "Human is iron and rice is steel. You can only save the world when you are full"
So, in the end, I recommend this to everyone. To even those viewers who are like me and who hesitate to watch time loops… this was a great watch. A well organized plot, high quality production with actors who know their characters well. It's amazingly set with an interesting story which kept me on the edge of my seat and I was like always looking forward to watch more and more. Meanwhile I will be off to dig up some good behind the scenes videos to enjoy more of this :D
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The drama that felt like the most beautiful poem!
Was it the plot that caught my eye? was it the acting? was it the ost? Well none of these. While browsing through reels I found a reel of this drama of the first episode when Sou and Tsumugi meet again. Without even knowing the context, I cried. Later, I searched for the synopsis of this drama and boy, did my heart wrench! I decided to wait for more episodes but after sometime this drama still found itself in my reels. I binge watched the available 7episodes and those 7 hours I cried 14 times. But honestly, it was not the tragic element that moved me but how beautifully the drama was written. Sometimes, when you find something beautiful that makes you think so much and calms you down, you cry.There was not any stress element but I liked the conversations between every character. I felt myself to be in the pov of every character. Every small detail of the drama holds a beautiful meaning and when you will reach the last episode you will see a loop of beautiful and brightening elements. However, to bind such a precious creation needs comprehension from the actors' part and indeed every character justified their roles, its emotions and every part of it.
A memorable drama that taught me so much and maybe when I will watch it again, I will learn more.
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