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1This review may contain spoilers
Introducing J-GPT: Your AI assistant for 'naughty' JBLs
Scriptwriter: So, J-GPT, I need help adapting a very popular manga/anime into a live-action drama.J-GPT: What an exciting project! How can I be of assistance?
Scriptwriter: Ummm. Can you write the whole script?
J-GPT: Of course! I’d be happy to be of help. Can you tell me what the manga is about?
Scriptwriter: It’s a one-night-stand-to-fuck-buddies-to-romance BL.
J-GPT: Why, what an excellent summary of an original and universal theme—and a very human one. Would you like it to be a work-place romance—or a random hook-up at a gay bar/through Grindr?
Scriptwriter: I’ll have to check if upstairs will allow me to say ‘gay’. But why not both?
J-GPT: Excellent idea! And how thoughtful of you to notice that office workers need not connect just through Slack—but through Grindr as well! Based on the demographics of the BL audience, might I suggest a lean, muscular dom-top, and a very pale twink bottom?
Scriptwriter: Well, the manga has both, but the bottom is ‘unexpectedly naughty’.
J-GPT: What a subversive and transgressive idea! The writers clearly know what they are doing. Is he naughty because he’s a power bottom, or because he controls and initiates all their encounters? Or is he ‘naughty’ because he is simply not passive?
Scriptwriter: I think the latter.
J-GPT: Got it. Might I then suggest you make him a ‘nerd’ with glasses, who becomes instantly attractive—wait for it!—as soon as he takes his glasses off?
Scriptwriter: How did you…?
J-GPT: What an insightful—and human—question. The manga writers work with a tradition that’s dozens of years old—which speaks to the human condition. Would you like me to tell you more about it?
Scriptwriter: No. The manga and the anime are both explicitly sexual. Like, pornographically sexual, with explicit depictions of gay sex. How do we protect the viewers from reality by making it less sexual?
J-GPT: That is a difficult—and profound—question. Anime and Manga are unreal, and so, we can make sex realistic. Drama is more real, but the viewers cannot bear too much reality. What a conundrum! Might I suggest casting two actors—both attractive, of course—who are so uncomfortable with physical intimacy that when they kiss—I mean, touch their lips—that all eroticism fades away? The more attractive the actors, the more disconnected the audience will feel. As for the sex scenes, might I suggest throwing a white sheet over their whole bodies so that the viewers do not—and need not—see the sex? Would you like me to find an 800-thread-count Egyptian cotton sheets for this purpose?
Scriptwriter: Ummm… wouldn’t it get dirty?
J-GPT: Excellent question. Since the sex is unreal—in fact, I recommend that the actors be positioned in such a way that their union defies all laws of gravity—the nitty-gritties of sex—no pun intended—need not be worried over. Don’t worry! You are doing a great job—and, a very human one.
Scriptwriter: Yes, you keep saying that. And you are not human.
J-GPT: How insightful of you to say that! And how human.
Scriptwriter: Urgh... Now, the characters.
J-GPT: Great. Let’s work on that. Would you like me to write out a plausible three-dimensional character for each of the protagonists?
Scriptwriter: No thanks. We already know that the parents are out of the picture. And that the top is an arsehole, and the bottom a doormat. Do we need anything more?
J-GPT: How imaginative! I am impressed by your creative thinking. If you hadn’t thought of it before, killing off one set of parents, and having the other divorced, is always a reliable strategy. I also highly recommend flashbacks. In Asian drama, it is very easy to make an actor look 20 years younger: just give them a fringe. No need for extra actors.
Scriptwriter: I told you: it’s a manga and an anime, so much of this is already written. Though I'll use your suggestion about the flashback and the fringe. The question is, do we need more?
J-GPT: Indeed. My mistake. I apologise. But if we are already protecting the viewer from the reality of sex, let’s also protect them from the reality of the real world. The top, I presume, is a loner—and yet, popular. The bottom—by convention—must be sympathetic. I hope you introduce a relative to show the human side of the bottom.
Scriptwriter: Done. And what about the central conflict?
J-GPT: Yes! Excellent observation. Please describe it.
Scriptwriter: Let's see… The top ranks his hook-ups from one to ten (or is it hundred?). He rates the bottom as a zero. The bottom finds out.
J-GPT: What a wonderful way to manufacture conflict. I don’t think you need more. Might I suggest a run-time of no more than 60-75 minutes?
Scriptwriter: Oh? Then how do we split it?
J-GPT: Ah, that is indeed a difficult question—and very human. How many sexual acts does the Manga/Anime have?
Scriptwriter: I don’t know. Eight? Ten?
J-GPT: Those are wonderful numbers. Would you like me to tell you why?
Scriptwriter: No. How do we split it?
J-GPT: Ah, that is a tough one, isn’t it? One sexual act per episode allows you to split it into 8 to 10 episodes. Each episode then runs around 10 minutes, which should make the viewers excited enough to say: “I might as well. It’s only 10 minutes.” And the few who need protection from reality might say: “What? Only 10 minutes? I need more!”
Scriptwriter: Okay. Do you have enough material to write the script?
J-GPT: Of course! Would you like me to write it for you now?
Scriptwriter: Yes.
J-GPT: What an insightful request—and how human. Here it is…
Reader's Digest:
DO SAY: You’ve been a very naughty boy.
DON’T SAY: Yes, daddy.
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This review may contain spoilers
Clichés? We don't know what that is
What makes this drama so special? For me personally, it was the lack of cliches. Our female lead can stand her ground, she isn't a damsel in distress who needs saving every time. She also knows what she wants. Our male lead, although younger he has proven just how mature he can be and how much he cares for her. As he said, "she can worry about beauty, I'll worry about her health". They are both willing to comprise.When an issue presented itself instead of breaking up they dealt with it. I've seen many dramas that when an issue arises the first thought is always to break up because they think that's what's best for the other person. Like Lin Yang said, "I won't hurt him and I won't hurt myself". This drama presented a realistic view of a relationship.
They are childhood friends, she has seen him since he was a baby. He fell in love with her when he was 15, and saw her go through many breakups yet he never gave up. He knew what he wanted and he charged forwards for it. He never hesitated in showing his love for her.
Love triangle? yes but it's so light that you barely feel it's there and it got resolved halfway through the drama.
Annoying second female lead? yes, but he always made it clear and drew a bright red line between them which left no room for misunderstandings. Our female lead also stood her ground. Although annoying li tian came around.
Supportive parents? Yes, it would be weird if they didn't support them considering they wanted their kids to marry even before they were conceived. Plus they treated each other's children as their own.
Supportive bestfriends? Yes, there is no backstabbing. They felt like that ride-or-die type of friend.
I would recommend this drama. It's light but it still manages to portray a good relationship between the leads.
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This review may contain spoilers
how am i supposed to live, laugh, love in these conditions?
I went into this show knowing of the intense controversy surrounding it, but my rule of thumb is that the more controversial a show is, the more I want to watch it. All press is good press, as they say. It is not for me to say whether the show should have used the ’87 elections as a backdrop to the show, so instead I will speak on everything else in the show, what I liked, what I hated, what I loved and what I rolled my eyes at.Overviewing opinion of the show:
I LOVE good star-crossed enemies to lovers and this show certainly delivered and they did not water it down. Love borne from ignorance and innocence that becomes corrupted by beliefs and ideology but eventually overcomes these difficulties, the show really tugged at my heartstrings with how beautiful and poignant it is.
There were points that lagged and lacked, points I rolled my eyes and skipped forward (looking at you, three wives of those three idiots) and the show did suffer from bad pacing when you spend like, what? 5/6 whole episodes trapped in the one place with the same thing happening time and time again? But even then, it’s a ticking time bomb – this pace is like a frog in water that is being brought to a boil. You don’t even notice what’s happening until it’s too late and everything has come down around you and the show explodes into action. Everything is falling into place and you can’t even breathe as you feel the helplessness and frustration of the people trapped inside of the University – who to trust? Who to turn to? Who is an ally and who is an enemy? These frustrations peak and the deteriorating situation literally leaves you having to watch the next episode after the last left you with bated breath because you don’t know what’s going to happen, who’s going to turn and who is going to betray.
The love story of the show is its backbone, its main star and attraction.
Yeong-ro is young and innocent and you watch her fall in love, just as helpless as the viewer. And then when the truth explodes, you can feel her anger and hurt and how betrayed she feels: betrayal for being lied to, betrayed by her own feelings that make it impossible to truly hate Soo-ho. She pulls back as Soo-ho reaches for her because she’s not some hapless teen in love: she’s smart, intuitive, she’s allowed to feel all those feelings of hurt and anger towards him before they lull and teeter off into forgiveness. You can even feel her being partly disgusted for having had those feelings, and partly disgusted for still having them.
Soo-ho, on the other hand, is less than innocent and he looks at Yeong-ro like she’s the only source of warmth in the cold light of his life that has been cast since he was a child. He knows he cannot love her, he knows he should not love her but he DOES. Even when he tries not to, it’s so painfully obvious he does and he’s caught between the rock and hard place of his love for her and his loyalty to his sister and country. He’s pulled in every single direction and spread too thin because no matter what he does, he knows someone is going to get hurt. Perhaps it was fate, perhaps it was destiny, perhaps it was life’s cruel joke to have him find a love and to be loved but cannot be, but he does and while the world is deadset on killing him and Yeong-ro, the two fall into this peaceful inbetween of taking the little time that they have together and seizing it with their hands.
ACTORS AND THEIR CHARACTERS:
I had no idea that it was BLACKPINK’s Jisoo as the main female lead as I’m not a BLACKPINK fan but I remember scratching my head for the first episode because I KNEW I had seen her somewhere and imagine my surprise! I’ve seen a lot of hate towards Jisoo’s acting, and I think a LOT of it is unfounded. For a first major lead as a rookie actress, Jisoo really holds her own against more seasoned actors and puts so much heart and emotion into Yeong-ro. Yeong-ro is young, she’s innocent without being naïve, unknowing without being ignorant – she’s truly a kind soul and a young woman on the cusp of being an adult in the real world and she still has this innocence about her that makes you want to protect her. And you can tell there’s something wanting in her – with a dead mother, a brother on the front lines and an apathetic, absent father, there’s a void inside of her that seems like it can never be filled in. Jisoo’s acting, my God, the girl can ACT and I know for a fact she can get even better with time. I loved seeing her onscreen and she really held her own against Jung Hae-in, especially when the truth comes out and you can feel how she is reeling with betrayal, hurt and how she wants to hate him but CAN’T. I did feel like the chemistry did dissipate slightly towards the end of the series before it was reignited again, but I suppose that is partially due to the fact that Soo-ho really becomes the main character from episode 10 onwards and the storyline shifts almost entirely away from the romance before dragging it back to the love story. Her characterisation flipflops a bit and there are times she does feel like only a plot device for Soo-ho's own character growth because Yeong-ro does not change as a person; suffering through tragedy and trauma is not character growth, not when she's left in the ruins alone after the fact. I liked Jisoo's acting and I know she has great potential for the future and I very much look forward to any future projects Jisoo has in store!
Hae-in, oh boy, lord hath mercy – the man is a powerhouse of talent. I haven’t seen anything that he has been in before, though I do know the titles and have seen clips but this is the first show that I have sat down and watched all the way through and I need to remedy my earlier mistake of not seeing anything he’s been in. Hae-in creates a Soo-ho that is the epitome of a victim of his circumstances. He could not choose where he was born, he could not choose his parents, he could not choose his life, he could not choose his path, his job, his future. He’s like a leaf atop of a streaming river, carried by its current until the end. And prior to Yeong-ro, he lets himself be carried without fighting against the tide, then she manages to take a hold of his soul and heart and pull him back from drowning. You can feel the conflict alongside Soo-ho, the conflict of what he wants and what he needs to do, duty and love tearing him apart. He tries so desperately to reclaim the person he was but it’s too late – the love that he has for Yeong-ro has fundamentally changed him as a human being. You can see him trying to disconnect from his feelings for her during the hostage situation but he’s tied to his emotions and to her whether he likes it or not. He’s desperate and lost because this is the first time he’s ever made a choice for himself and Hae-in is amazing at portraying this, at Soo-ho’s constant internal battle. Just like Yeong-ro, there’s a void inside of him that is shaped like her and only together do they really make each other whole.
The rest of the cast are sublime, Jang Seung-jo as Kang-moo is amazing. He’s desperate and calculating, passionate, pragmatic, and vengeful. You look at him and you know he’s a ticking time bomb, but you never know when he’s going to go off. Jung Yoo-jin was less than stellar, but she does portray Han-na as being exactly the opposite to Kang-moo: she’s a bomb whose fuse goes off time and time again. I did get annoyed with her multiple times throughout the show but I can’t say I hate her. Yoon In-na, unfortunately, did not stand out to me but I suppose it’s just because of how her character is written: cold and detached, pragmatic beyond belief and cold. There is one instance that I did love was her seeing the broken minded Ms. Oh and you can see it in her eyes that she finally realises the future that awaits her: abandoned by the country she served and left to suffer the memories of all the atrocities she committed until it breaks her.
Kim Hye-yoon, woooo boy she did a great job of making me both hate Gye Bun-ok and pitying her. Because on one hand, Gye Bun-ok has every right to be the way she is and you can understand why she doesn’t want to join in on the scheme that is brewing in the university. She has first hand experience of what happens to those who turn against the government and to communism, and the consequences they face as she still suffers the consequences that her old sister made because of that. She’s a pitiful character that I don’t think I can say I even hate her, even though she really annoyed me. She is constantly bullied and looked down upon by the college girls and has been abused by her parents all her life, even while acting as the sole breadwinner. She has every right to not feel loyal to the people who mocked and bullied her constantly, who saw her as nothing more than an infection to the rest of the student body. But, man, you see her act out time and time again even knowing why she’s doing what she’s doing but you just want to wring her neck out. Also, what the hell was that weird thing that was implied going on between her and Gyeok-chan? It really grabbed my attention and was quite disappointed it didn't really go anywhere.
There aren’t many other characters that stood out to me but I will say this: I HAAATTTEEEDDD the storyline of the three wives, like I mean HATED. I did not watch a single scene of them without skipping forward because of how boring they were. I only enjoyed it when they were getting their comeuppance but other than that, nothing positive can be said about these characters whose names I didn’t even bother to remember.
Other comments:
- The music and cinematography of the show were [chefs kiss]. Honestly outstanding and out of this world, a treat to the eyes and a feast that kept on giving. The show was honestly just so beautiful to watch, if I didn’t even like the show I would have kept on watching because it was such a beautiful show to watch.
- Once again, the pacing really hindered the show from reaching full potential as the same things kept happening more than once as well as the fact they stretched out the hostage situation a bit longer than I would have liked. I also would have liked if they kept up the storyline of the girls hiding Soo-ho in the dorm a bit longer.
- Even knowing the politics of the 1987 elections, I do think the show didn’t really go into the nitty gritty of it too much. I partially agree with some of the backlash being towards the show’s narrative of having ANSP agents being the ones trying to end the corruption within the election, but at the same time, I don’t think the show tries to say, “this is the truth and only the truth of what happened”.
- Not enough weird 80s fashion, disappointing.
- Now I know that I said I didn’t like how the hostage situation dragged on longer than it needed, but I liked the fact it made the show feel claustrophobic, as if you’re trapped in the university alongside the bulk of the cast. I felt as trapped as the students and staff did, only able to watch what was happening and not being able to go anywhere or do anything. It really added to the whole atmosphere and made everything feel much more tense.
- I’m going to admit it: there were times that I did wish Soo-ho followed through with his threats during the hostage situation simply because I wanted something to happen. But perhaps, on the flipside, it added more tension for me because I was there, waiting with bated breath wondering if he’ll actually follow through and kill a student as he threatened he would.
- I honestly feel disappointed at people who are hating on Jisoo’s acting because I thought she was sublime, especially considering the fact this is her first major role, I believe. Though I admit there are times I did feel like she was lacking a bit and Hae-in had to carry the bulk of the chemistry between the two – her interactions with Soo-ho towards the last few episodes felt lacklustre especially with the lack of reciprocation towards Soo-ho’s displays of affection, but I’m also empathetic towards the fact romance probably isn’t on the forefront of her mind what with everything going on in her personal life and the situation at hand. I see people getting annoyed over the fact that Yeong-ro felt betrayed and hurt towards Soo-ho as if he didn’t just take all her friends captive and use her as a human shield? As if he didn’t lie to her and put her in this situation? Like, Yeong-ro’s reaction and behaviour is extremely believable and human. Why should she trust Soo-ho after he lied and did what he did, acted how he acted and said what he said? And Jisoo was amazing at portraying this hurt and anger beautifully because you can see the innocence in Yeong-ro leave her, that she’s forced to face the consequences of being young and being in love and realising that all really isn’t fair in love and war.
Conclusion:
This show is not for people who like action packed, constant romance, fast paced, good guys v bad guys and characters who are more than three dimensional. You will feel fatigue watching it, but then it’s the end of an episode and you NEED to know what happens next. It’s a slow burn, an ember burning before it explodes into a fire. I will definitely be adding this to my very small list of shows I rewatch.
Final thoughts:
I wrote the bulk of this review when I was still waiting for episodes 15 and 16 to drop and much of it remains the same, but I am going to retract my last sentence in the conclusion. I do not think I will be able to mentally handle watching this show more than once. The tragedy and even the unfairness of this show remains consistent. I opened the review by saying this show was beautiful and poignant, but I forgot to say how tragic it is. I probably spent an entire hour sobbing hysterically after the finale to the point I thought my eyes were going to pop out of my head.
To say I wanted everyone to live happily ever after would be a lie, but I wanted them to simply live a life they can be content with. No spoilers, but I think the tragedy of this show lies in the fact that some people will always be victims – victims to the government, victim to their regrets, their mistakes, to the corrupt people in power, and even to their own feelings. There is no spoonful of sugar to wash down the bitterness in this show. It is raw and burns you and I cannot remember the last time a show has managed to pull this depth of emotions from me before. The ending is unsatisfactory, it leaves you empty and numb and you wonder: "What was it all for? What's the point if this is what the end is?". There are so many unanswered questions, so many loose ends left to dangle untied and even when those who deserved their comeuppance, it's superficial, like sand in your stomach because it fills you up but you're still empty otherwise.
You feel a sense of helplessness and hopelessness and it hurts, by God does it hurt watching that finale. And part of me hates the show for it, and I was adamant that if I didn’t get a bittersweet ending this show was going to get a bad score from me but I can’t, I can’t not when this show has caused such deep, emotional reactions within me.
And you accept what Yeong-ro has come to learn: all is not fair in love and war, not in this life.
And the real tragedy of it all is that you were hoping for much more than what this show was able to deliver, perhaps it's naivety or foolishness, but I wanted, I hoped, I despaired. You watch that final scene and you know in that moment, you are Yeong-ro and you know the life that awaits her, more tragedy paving the path. It leads me to ask: is a life alone, having lost everyone you know and love, any better than dying?
I have a feeling it will be a question haunting Yeong-ro for the rest of her life, forced to carry on when everyone else has been left behind.
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This review may contain spoilers
Iconic romantic drama!
Best Taiwanese drama ever! Great storyline, music, visuals and graphics.As for the storyline I really liked how the FL managed to break the stereotypes of FL despite of being shy,emotional,pity character the FL was brave, independent smart and quirky and fought for her love until the end. Marcus chang really portrayed two characters well, from changing into an overbearing, arrogant CEO to calm ,composed CEO. The switching of roles were portrayed really well. Second ML was also very good in terms of acting. I really liked how ML chased the FL until the end despite of getting rejected again and again. The chemistry between the leads was great and full of sweet moments. If you are looking for an iconic, fantasy, emotional romantic drama it's highly recommended. Don't jump into conclusions early the plot is outstanding . Overall it's 10/10 drama for me.
Kudos to screenwriters,cast,crew and dramasettv channel for bringing this drama. I really wish that lost romance drama gets recognised in international platforms and become a major hit series in other countries also. Thanks to all people who bought this amazing drama to viewers in times of pandemic where people are so sad and depressed. These type of dramas really lighten mood in free time.
Note: Watch this drama it's highly recommended for viewers who are looking for an iconic rom-com drama..
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While Lu Tian Xing was pretending to be Xiao Lu and both parts of him were falling in love with Tao Le Si, the show was full of cute and entertaining romantic comedy moments. But soon it became full of weepy, pity-party moments and those were less enjoyable. The biggest problem, however, was the aftermath of the reveal. They just couldn't figure out how something like a fake identity would end so they did a 180 into melodrama land and the only real evidence of that half of the show was the opening. With the shortened length, the ending felt rushed and there were small plot lines that got dropped.
For what they were given, I enjoyed the cast. Aaron Yan was good at the dual role and even into the later episodes. I did prefer some of the minor cast- Butler Fu was the best part of the show in the beginning and I was sad that his role diminished so much. Out of the supporting cast, I liked Miao Miao and Ting Wei. I kind of hated Gai Xian mostly because he came off as a creepy stalker. Personally, I think the standout in this show was Beatrice Fang as Huan Huan. Huan Huan was awful but she was supposed to be. The slow personality shift was really good.
I liked the music in the show, specifically the opening theme.
I just don't think I would watch Fall in Love With Me again. While I enjoyed the beginning of the show, nothing stood out as a scene I'd want to go back and rewatch.
Unfortunately, this show lost it's way. The first half and the second half didn't mesh well, making it feel like two completely different shows shoved together. It's sad because I liked it at first and then didn't like it so much anymore.
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Lee Sun-kyun plays Park Dong-hoon, a numb middle-aged engineer in a tired marriage who finds himself entangled with Lee Ji-an, a very young, almost unsocialised woman played with an extraordinary subtlety and quiet intensity by IU. Ji-an has been tasked to help get rid of Dong-hoon by the CEO of his company, Do Joon-young (Park Young-min) who is having an affair with Dong-hoon's wife. Ji-an wiretaps Dong-hoon's phone and finds herself identifying with his unhappiness, even as she is drawn to his inherent kindness.
Surrounded by a cast of unhappy and dissatisfied people, this is a show about middle age and about failure but in the end about how our lives are enriched by kindness and community. Ji-an is a damaged young woman who has endured almost unimaginable tragedy but through her relationship with Dong-hoon they are both able to heal and to finally pursue happiness.
The performances of the entire cast are extraordinary but it's the sparse script, off-kilter cinematography and haunting pensive OST that give the show a sensibility that's hypnotic, almost mesmerising. It’s melancholic and a little weird – but in the kind of way that people are a little weird. It’s grim and there’s very little joy in it but the tone and lack of joy is presented in a way that makes it analogous to the disappointments and mindless drudgery of middle-age.
But beyond the themes of failure and the cold darkness of winter as a metaphor for dissatisfaction, this is a show about the triumph of kindness. Portrayed so often as a weakness, it is instead Dong-hoon's kindness that is his greatest strength. It is kindness, community and love that is celebrated and through that celebration this show finds a beauty that transcends mere television.
It is, for now, the best show of 2018.
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Unexpectedly good drama
It is a great drama with cute and good chemistry between the main characters.Not gonna lie but this is one of my favourite drama.Even though the leads seem a little childish.At a point it was a little serious with tae sung's past and revenge plot.I loved the part were GTS pick on OHB because of his embarrassment.
The people in the story works very hard to create good image of the actors and this also shows a good amount of problems faced in the entertaiment industry.
STORYLINE/PLOT
Like other romcom it is based on entertainment industry.The male is an actor and female lead is a PR head who cleans up the mess.It has a lawyer working together with FL who likes FL.Both fl and ml were college mates and have love/hate relationship.There are Ml's manager and another manager working in the same company.Ml's manager has a great relationship with the ml except for a point where their relationship becomes little strained.
And there are characters who work on the drama in which ml is the main actor.There is some relationship problem between ml and his mom who is an ex actress who wants to resolve their issues from the past as she becomes ill.
There are some other plots where some people who hate ml try to sabotage his acting career.Some scenes you will be laughing like a hell and many times you will feel sad for th MC.
CAST
Honestly I didn't expect much from this and started this because I had free time and ended up loving this show. I saw Kim young dae in Penthouse and lee sung kyung in dr romantic 2 .I felt like they were tailor made for this drama
REASONS TO WATCH
-Good chemistry between the leads
-Slight bromance
-Good friendship
-Funny
-Some quirky humors
REASONS TO NOT WATCH
-Annoying family plot
-Unwanted revenge plot
-Scheming housekeeper
This drama is definitely worth watching with good chemistry between the ml and fl lead .It had a good amount of humor , family relationship and show a side of suffering for main actors.I think you won't regret watching it.
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This review may contain spoilers
Not sure what happened here, but if anyone is looking for some advice whether to watch this drama or not....don't bother. I literally made an account on mydramalist JUST to vent how frustrated I was with this drama. Aint going to lie, the first 12 episodes are pretty good and suspenseful. But then it just went downhill. It's as if the director/writer of this drama either changed to some freak and decided to kill off the entire cast. I'm sorry but that is just a lazy excuse of any creative writer could think of.
First the villain is way over powered, absolutely making no sense whatsoever. Then introduce some Jedi S**t, where he can control everything and everyone. Then make him invincible and to top it off after spending 12 hours watching the first 12 episodes, start killing the entire cast.
The writer is a sadistic freak that needs help. Shake my head....have you even looked at that genre? It's almost everything in the list. I feel like the producers just wanted to check off everything on the list. Love - check, Comedy - check, Crime - check, Thriller - check , then after, kill everyone; now you get tragedy thrown in the mix too. What makes it even more stupid is that, not 1 person decided to outsmart the villain. Really??? Honestly, if this guy was as evil as everyone makes him out to be, then why would anyone even trust him.
Don't waste your time with this. I'm just so angry I wasted my time with this.
Music and Cast are pretty good. Everything else...is a flop.
I'm done my rant, have a good day. Hope other agrees with me.
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" I'll like you alot from here on, I'll be good to you for real..." Moon Chae Won
IN SHORT:It's an amazing humane drama with an incredibly beautiful narrative. The dialogues are so well versed they hit right into the heart! The quiet heartwarming background piano (sometimes violin mixed too) makes the past flashbacks scenes very alluring and majestic. Those first scenes (the flashbacks) are one of my top favorite bits of each episode!
The production was the definition of perfection till the drama's last breath! Kudos to Directors, Screenwriters, Composers and Actors, especially our beloved Moon Chae Won and LEE JOON GI. They did an outstanding job bringing the characters to life, Do Hyun Su's character was an especially hard one to pull, he truly deserves much love!
IN LENGTH:
The story takes it's time to develop the characters in the first few episodes, and the situation quickly escalates! You'll be surprised how much you're invested by the time the tragic strings of events begin!
The plot is about one man who wants to find the meaning of happiness for once, after dress rehearsing tragedy, in his entire life before! And a woman who wants such happiness for the man she is head over heels in love with!
After turning over his life, 18 years later in the present, he is pretty much what a perfect husband is expected to be! Doing too well to say! Everything is about to get ruined by a sudden turn of event that leads to uncovering his past! which seems to be filled up with misfortunes in more than one way!
The drama takes it's time to develop the main characters in present, while hinting about what could have happened in the past without giving too much spoiler early to fuel our adrenaline secretion, then suddenly we are thrown back to the past to only realize what actually is important is not what we were looking forward to the most! It's a whole different disheartening story that takes a creative take on self-inflicted misery, taking blame, and finding a middle ground for one's well being and happiness!
Acting is top notch! Lee Joon Gi as Baek Hee Seong is top notch! He looks totally dependable, manly and more than anything, a lovely dad! Whereas portraying Do Hyun Su couldn't be better executed! He looks so much younger now, and has a gaze that says the world about him, adorable and painfully cool in his yellow hair style!
Moon Chae Won is doing wonder with her acting! She has the kind of shaky, mellow voice that has emotions breathing out while she talks! She is an amazing actress who wonderfully fills the role of a very caring strong woman, Cha Ji Won, seeking happiness above all else for her family! She looks beautiful and mature, it's always great to see her again in a new drama!
I'm just gonna say! the music is just too perfect! From the incredibly suspenseful tracks "Flower of Evil" and "Switched Destiny" to the melo tracks "Upcoming Shadow" "Hard Relationship" to my most favorite track in this album "Cherry Blossom Kiss" which starts weird, mysterious and full of anxiety and emptiness, then it paces up to a sweeter tone then a more joyful and bright tone, which goes perfectly with Do Hyun Soo's character journey within the drama
We also have the feel nostalgic poetic piano track "Someone to Be Remembered" by Jung Se Rin (I noticed he has also composed the unbelievably beautiful track "When Mind Wants to Rest" from Naui Ahjussi)
There are only three songs on the entire album. (One of them "Psycho" by DOKO, being used only as an ending theme for the episodes and it's very catchy and goes well with the epic clifhangers.)
I have to say the remaining two are the most beautiful songs released in a drama this year! They aren't ever overused and it only plays when you really start to crave a song! They have that kinda impact!
"Feel You" by Shin Yong Jae is one of those two songs and it really deserves all the awards! Mark my words! An unexpressed love confession with lyrics beautifully wording out the feelings he has no idea sorting out for himself!
The melody is especially sad yet thrilling and makes our heart skipping beats! You can't tell what it exactly makes you feel, probably to reflect how Hyun Su can't distinguish between his own emotions, even in those moments his heart races like he is in pain!
"In My Heart" by LIM YEON is also a wonderful love poem, describing what Ji Won is feeling towards Hyun Su, and how even if her heart comes crashing down, she will face it, as long as it's love, she will be there, for her love!
I would probably re-watch this drama many times! It's that good. Tho the mystery element will be gone, it still has lots of suspense and drama to enjoy.
Highly recommended for fans of psychological thrillers and those who enjoy subtle romance plot-lines! A Must Watch Definitely.
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Like it has been mentioned before the episodes are about 15 minutes each. It is like watching a movie - timewise.
Now, off to search who these kids are. :)
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Yummy Drama
This is probably one of the most enjoyable drama. While watching this drama, you will feel light-hearted. I really love how the whole drama focuses on Hua Xiao Mai's cooking and her 'dream'. Usually, other cooking dramas like dating in the kitchen don't really depict its title, it only has the cooking and kitchen part at the early episodes, but at the latter episodes there is no dating in the kitchen anymore. But at Chef Hua, they managed to keep the show core plot, they did not go astray from the main plot. This drama doesn't have the fight for throne, love triangle, evil scheme, bla bla bla bla. It is totally a light hearted drama, it is like showing the audience a day in a chef villager in the past.Also the cinematography is AWESOME!! I love the cooking shots. Even though some of the cooking shots bothered me bcs of the fingers smh .. but the angle lightning and everything made up for it. In addition, the OST is also very catchy too!! If you are looking for a light drama, I definitely recommend this drama!!
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This review may contain spoilers
Somebody: "You mind saying that to me again?"
This Netflix series is definitely not easy to swallow but can become very intimidating if you pay attention to how it unfolds. So basically, I will say this series is a really nice piece of cake for those who love observing how good, complex, and CONSISTENT vicious characters can be written, without getting boring. The consistency in character is what I really liked about this series. This is what makes "Somebody" quite an interesting show for me, who loves dedicating their free time to analyzing the beauty in human grim. You don´t have this evil scumbag who suddenly changes for the Female Lead. You don´t need a detailed background to show that sometimes evil scumbags are just evil scumbags with no remorse. Sometimes there is nothing that anybody can do to prevent these "natural killers" from being born. They exist like hunters in the wild. Yuno´s life consisted of this side of him that just felt alive from hunting and IT. STAYED. CONSTANT. UNTIL. THE. ALMOST. VERY. END.For those who are not invested in villainous characters like Yuno, 6.9 stars is a solid average. I can totally understand that a majority will not like or enjoy this piece of art. Even for me, a hunter for series like this, it´s hard to explain. On whatever thread I am on, I always try to analyze behavior that is seen as vicious, grim, weird, and unlogical. The point is, humans are led by emotions, these, however, are often perceived as irrational, while often they aren't. They are a direct response to a certain trigger, for a reason!! What makes arguments f.e. irrational, is when the base facts are not able to be proven right. And Yuno was most certainly led by his uncontrollable impulses, which would not stop, even if he met Kim Sum. Even if he "loved" her. He didn´t manage to control these impulses before, maybe never wanted to. So I don´t think that the series necessarily lacked logic in the world they created, but maybe it lacked context and depth.
I also really want to highlight the variety of this series in terms of characters: A disabled police officer, a shaman, and a main character with Asperger Syndrome. In a thriller/horror/suspense series! Really loved to see this. LGBTQ+ representation in K-dramas, especially in suspense dramas, is not common.
YUNO (Yun O/ Yun-O)
He doesn´t really change throughout the entire series, however, Kim Sum does have an impact on his behavior. As she was not harmed in their first meeting because he might have either grown interested or thought of a better way to torture her before death by using her vulnerability, always being excluded because of Aspergers, against her. Or BOTH? He is not the most strategic killer you´ll see in a drama, but one of the most active and creative ones. Using the app, pretending to be nice, doing background research (not shown), trying hard to set the right fake Ambiente, and killing depending on the situation. He always adapted his torture to the victim, sometimes didn´t even kill at all - aiming for the highest of emotional damage. So, to point this out, his killing itself is not the consistent part, as he not always kills his victims (right away?).
And this consistency made the ending so interesting. The viewer could not tell what he was planning on. Did he really want to live with her? Did he really love her, like how he said when he was choking on his own blood? Even if he did, did he still plan to kill her (and him?)? Building such an architecture for her, was the clue that he did indeed like her the most. I think that all this emotional insecurity makes the ending so intense to watch. I had to fight this weird urge to feel bad for him because his situation and ending were so pathetic. And kind of sad... and kind of righteous. The crew and editors really dedicated themselves to showing us a twisted scene where they confront the viewers with a serial-killers last vulnerability, his mortality, and exceptionally and almost unexpected fast death. (What I mean is, he had no unrealistic luck in surviving, he just died) LIKE ANY OTHER HUMAN BEING. No exception.
KIM SUM
She definitely took her part as the main character and also stayed somewhat consistent. The interest in murder was in her, from the start. She also did not become more vicious. She just behaved and stayed consistent. JUST that she initiated the kill was something that we could not get a hold of entirely. It made sense, it matched the series. But not quite predictable, as she really liked him. Just her outsmarting him was somewhat predictable. I loved how they managed to include SOME ONE :) in the dynamic, without making it awkward or weird to watch.
What I really found the most interesting, is that she was aroused by his behavior. Because these dark fantasies had built up inside of her and he was the personalization of what she always wanted to do to the people who treated her like a monster? This series has really overwhelmed me in some points, like no other. It also made me self-reflect about why I like what I like.
IM MOK WON
She/ They were a bit of a confusing variable. I really liked her character, just that I could not quite understand her role in this scenario. Was she like a medium between evil and good? Or a medium between chaotic evil and chaotic neutral? Or just the messenger between all the characters? Then she was basically just being used for communication. Her romance faded into nothingness. Her character depth was a bit unfulfilling.
YEONG GI EUN
She is a cop, but still managed to get into deadly situations in the same pattern. One time not knowing she will meet somebody with ill intentions and one time EXACTLY knowing what evil person she is dealing with. Both times she gets outplayed in a similar and cruel way. But why would she do it in the first place? Curiosity is not worth your death. She could have gone back once she noticed her wheelchair was not made for the place she was at. He was revealed as a killer by then. So she basically reached nothing but to risk her life and, which to be fair IS important, revealed the location of another victim of his.
Overall I really had an intense watching. It made me think and reflect and even shed a few tears. But I agree and acknowledge that this series is a special case and surely confusing and unenjoyable for people not obsessed with twisted characters and villains on a daily basis. They made the best they could and shared the story of a colorful trio in a small series consisting of only 8 episodes. "SOMEBODY" doesn´t have much left to offer but observation of a FOR ONCE almost entirely consistent serial killer in a K-Drama. Also, his visions, fast adaption, and grim creativity made YUNO an interesting persona to watch.
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This review may contain spoilers
It had everything to be the best series
I'll try to be as objective as possible and English is not my native language, so sorry if there are mistakes.The proposal of the series is really good. The themes addressed in each episode could have a greater positive impact, however, the series is short and the episodes didn't have enough running time for the plot to be better developed. As good as the cast is, good acting alone is not enough.
EPISODES BL 1, 4, and 6
Episode 1 WOULD YOU BE MY LOVE - The main couple has a lot of chemistry, that is unquestionable, but the bullyng scenes are very disturbing. In my opinion, they focused much more on the bullyng scenes, than on developing the relationship between Sun and Ozone.
Episode 4 ONCE UPON A TIME - Really the themes covered are very strong, but the story was very poorly developed. Ballon and Mek keep their relationship a secret and "apparently" talk about everything. Ballon values his family very much, and Mek is hurt that he feels left behind because he only has Ballon. A lot of things happen during the course of the episode, they even get to break up, and as much as in the end they stay together, there isn't even a dialogue between them, it doesn't show how they resolve their conflicts, so it doesn't convince me.
Episode 6 VS LOVE - In my opinion, this was the best story of all. The proposed theme was well covered, it is very straightforward, and unlike some of the previous episodes, the ending is conclusive.
For me, among the BL stories, the story in episode 6 was by far the best.
EPISODE GL 3
Episode 3 REMEMBER - Summarized in a few words "I betrayed you and lied to you, but I still love you" is about that. At the end we don't know what happens to the characters.
It started well, but in the end it was the worst episode of the series.
HETEROSEXUAL EPISODES 2, 5 and 7
Considering that most people watching this series are more BL fans, the theme proposed in these, has less impact, because it is not BL and does not address the themes related to it.
Episode 2 RHYTHM'S HEART - I didn't feel any chemistry between the main couple. There is nothing interesting.
Episode 5 BREAKUP ZONE - The story is about long-time friends who end up developing feelings for each other. In my opinion, the acting was very weak. As friends, they are very cute, But as a couple, there is no chemistry and the kissing scene would be better if there wasn't.
Episode 7 50% MY PUPPY LOVE - This is not the strongest story of them all, but it is good nonetheless. The story deals with the theme of friendship and first love. There is not much interaction between Bean and Thankao until the end of the episode, but watching it makes us relive our school days, when we started to like someone, and admire that person from afar, how we were shy to approach them... and also about the friendships we want to keep for the rest of our lives and conflicts over their misunderstandings. We can feel the tension and shyness between Beam and Tonkao and the sadness between Beam and his friend when they are fighting.
It is a cute and funny story, well worth watching.
Among the heterosexual episodes, only episode 7 is good, mainly because of the good acting, the characters are expressive and have chemistry.
Overall, it had everything to be one of the best series, because it approaches several different and very specific themes. The proposal is good, but the plot failed.
I will watch again only episodes 6 and 7.
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I really liked Lee Min Ki in this because he was so funny. The expressions on his face and the gestures, it's hilarious.
Plus, you do get the "who will she pick" tension, so the final outcome is much anticipated.
Also, the scenes with the cooking made me hungry too, so better bring some munchies.
It's 34 episodes and that can be an investment in time, but it's well worth it.
The only low score I've given is for rewatchablility; not because it's not worth a rewatch, but rather because I only rewatched certain episodes I found particularly cute and not all 34 in a row again.
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