Completed
Somebody
28 people found this review helpful
by LiN
Aug 21, 2023
8 of 8 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 8.0
Story 8.0
Acting/Cast 9.0
Music 7.0
Rewatch Value 8.0
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.

Read More

Was this review helpful to you?
Completed
I Really Really Like You
28 people found this review helpful
Apr 18, 2012
34 of 34 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 9.0
Story 9.0
Acting/Cast 9.0
Music 8.0
Rewatch Value 6.0
This drama is really cute. The love triangle can be a bit tiresome and frustrating, but isn't that the way love triangles are.

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.

Read More

Was this review helpful to you?
Completed
Ruler of Your Own World
28 people found this review helpful
Apr 29, 2022
20 of 20 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 9.0
Story 10
Acting/Cast 10
Music 7.5
Rewatch Value 6.0
This review may contain spoilers

Anti-heroes. Down to earth. Authentic. Harsh. Compassionate. No Cinderella story, yet a love story.

I stumbled across this comparatively 'old' KDrama (2002) because of actress Gong Hyo-Jin. But actually here particularly Lee Na-young and Yang Dong-geun impressed me with their strong and down-to-earth performance. Once again I discovered a little gem of early KDrama art.

Rather tranquil. True to life. Authentic. No fairy tale. No Cinderella story. No power games of the mighty, but simple everyday life of anti-heroes. Yes, down to earth. Very. I was delighted. This KDrama - like "My Mister" or "When the Camellia Blooms" - is centred around a quite authentic, ordinary world. Not spectacular. Neither in action, nor in scenery. The story is also not about the rich, beautiful, successful people that are always welcome, but about those who are less noticed (in the media): about ordinary people who didn´t have an excellent education, yet earn their money somehow. It is about a world comparably most people unfortunately live in - about their worries, hardships and, if it can´t be avoided, illnesses, too.

In its centre: a young, inconsiderate, unwieldy pickpocket who is confronted with the diagnosis of brain tumor. It is about the people in his immediate environment: family, friends, girlfriends, police. About a love traingle. About choices in life. Reconsideration, too. That's not really 'exciting'. But touching. Unspectacularly impressive. A mirror of compassion and humanity.

"Ruler of your own World" dates back to the early days of KWave. At the time, this KDrama was not as successful (also internationally) as i.e. the productions of the "Endless Love Series". However, it was highly valued and appreciated in its own country for the authentic story (with comparably hardly in KDrama otherwise frequently elaborated makjang). "Ruler of your own World" is considered the ´best´ serial production of 2002 (vs. "Winter Sonata" as the most ´successful´ of the same year.)

Read More

Was this review helpful to you?
Completed
Love Is Sweet
28 people found this review helpful
by Sam
Oct 28, 2020
36 of 36 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 10
Story 10
Acting/Cast 10
Music 10
Rewatch Value 10

WORTH THE WATCH 100 PERCENT

It's my first time reviewing a drama, I have been watching C dramas since the onset of the coronavirus, and hands down this drama has topped my list in terms of every aspect, from chemistry to storyline. I swear you will never regret binging all the 36 episodes at one go, cause u will be hooked right from the start. And the kisses, it burns u from the inside, the passion, the hunger, the love, and the sexual tension. My goodness god gracious, It's forever gonna be one the best dramas I have watched. I will rewatch it every time I am in need of some love and fluff and intense romance.

WATCH ITTT U WILL NEVER REGRET IT

Read More

Was this review helpful to you?
Completed
Back to 1989
28 people found this review helpful
by Scroll
Jun 27, 2016
21 of 21 episodes seen
Completed 1
Overall 8.5
Story 8.0
Acting/Cast 7.5
Music 8.0
Rewatch Value 7.5
The story kicks of without much fuss and the time travel happens within the first 20 min of the first episode. After that the story is engaging and has a good pacing and build up of relations and friendships all the way through. The actors are really good and their characters have a nice depth and dynamic. Around episode 10 the story gets a kick and plots start to speed up making it exciting to watch.

The main couple has really good chemistry. They suit each other well and their scenes are good. The angst in this romance is about them actually not supposed to be together, it was never meant to be. The butterfly effect has consequences. The second couple are also sweet and the romance plot is a tad angsty, I found myself worrying about the future I knew and wishing for a new future for them.

I have not noticed any big inconsistencies with this taking place in 1989. Even though the brands shown are of later date, I don't look at the brand names but rather the fashion style. I remember well all these horrible clothes, old technology and I feel myself being immersed. I am sure that if you really want to you can rip this show to bits finding loads of errors. I'm just not that kind of viewer. So far it feels like the 1989 that I remember.

All in all a well done drama, with the usual Taiwanese issues (low audio quality and at least one clown character). The extremely cheesy moments didn't bother me at all, I enjoyed them, squealed and cried my way through this very sweet story.

Read More

Was this review helpful to you?
Completed
Pretty Proofreader
28 people found this review helpful
May 8, 2017
10 of 10 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 9.0
Story 9.0
Acting/Cast 10
Music 9.5
Rewatch Value 9.0
According to the recommendations in MDL, this one is similar to "Juhan Shuttai", which I can totally understand. It is about work and the heroine being inspired by it and inspire people around her.

I think Ishihara Satomi was spectacular as Konno Ecchan. She has that bubbly personality that fits the character. Her laughs always made me laugh, they are so silly and contagious. Her clothes were beautiful and fit her like glove. I love the various hairstyles and accessories she wears throughout the episodes. Since I am a huge fan of nail art, I was a bit disappointed to see that her nails were simple done, nothing fancy. I get that her character is based on a girl who loves fashion, but it was also a bit unrealistic that she wears a different outfit every day, wears a different piyamas every day, and has a elaborated hairstyle every day. Oh well, at least she repeats the shoes...

But more than anything, I liked how hard she worked (even though Proofreading wasn't her vocation) and how her work inspired her co-workers to give it all. Maybe Proofreading is a bit tedious, and I don't think it involves all the research they did, but I wanted so much to work in that Editorial, it looked so much fun. Reading books and researching, to check that all facts were correct. With a calm work group and a nice boss. What more to ask??

There is more romance than I thought it would be, but I wouldn't watch this for it (in my humble opinion, I think she falls for the wrong guy...not that he is a jerk, quite the contrary, he is the nicest, but she has more chemistry with another guy). The beauty of this show is the characters and the the motivation to and for work.

I loved the OP sequence and song, catchy and fun and kinda girly.

Read More

Was this review helpful to you?
Ongoing 14/14
Yumi's Cells
28 people found this review helpful
Oct 15, 2021
14 of 14 episodes seen
Ongoing 0
Overall 10
Story 10
Acting/Cast 10
Music 10
Rewatch Value 10

In My Own Opinion

I love watching this show because the Cell Village literally gives visual justice to everyone's thinking and emotions. The story is very realistic and relatable. Of all the dramas that I've watch, (Cdrama, Jdrama and Kdrama) (minus the cell village part) the plot of this story is closest to reality. It shows the different types of relationships a man and a woman can have The Toxic Type, The Long Distance Type, The Friends Attracted to Each Other Type, The Affectionate Type, The Meant to be Type, The One Sided Type and so on. It also shows the ups and downs of man-woman relationship that it's not always rainbow you see and that the reality is no man or woman is overly dedicated to the person they like. Sometimes relationships experiences storm and dealing with it head on is the best solution. Temptation is always there, so GOODLUCK with those one man- woman persona of most of the ML in drama as this one sets a new standard. " THE REALITY STANDARD." I also like that it uncovers the different types of people you will meet and deal with in the work place. It also exhibits the different relationships with other people. The Confidant Relationship, The Colleague Only Relationship, The Like-Hate Relationship, The Superior- Subordinate Relationship, ect. Watching this drama in a deeper perspective, you will find that there is no way the story is light and fluffy. The story of this drama is base on the real experiences of day to day life of real people and that real people I am pertaining to is US. And what's going on our brain and how it thinks, reacts and functions was visually represented by the cute dimensional characters in the drama.

Read More

Was this review helpful to you?
Completed
The First Responders Season 2
28 people found this review helpful
Sep 11, 2023
12 of 12 episodes seen
Completed 1
Overall 10
Story 9.0
Acting/Cast 10
Music 8.5
Rewatch Value 10

Unforgettable Collaborations, a Mastermind Villain, Nail-Biting Plot Twists, and a Beautiful Romance

This drama is one of the best dramas out there if someone is looking for a lot of thrill with nerve-wracking plot twists and cliffhangers and a drama with well-structured crimes as well as investigations then then you have reached your station. One of the best things that makes this drama stand out is how real the drama looks for example here the ML doesn't just magically solves cases but rather goes through various iterations again and again making sense out of the evidence and drawing various plans, this is what that is usually missing from most crime-thriller dramas. Another aspect is that the characters all had their own lives instead of all working on the same case for the sake of the plot always surrounding the ML Instead all had their own share of things to take care of many were investigating other cases many helped ML solve the cases through their own domain expertise which is also different than another other drama out there which made this drama look more like a real-world situation where we sometimes collaborate with someone other time with others, sometimes someone asks for help sometimes you get help from someone, if someone is injured or takes holidays we have their replacements. So for me, it felt more like watching a separate world through the camera lens. Wait there is still a lot more😂😂.
The plot revolves around the police department, NFS, and firefighters, and here we see cases that involve all three of them working together or at least called together on sites which later turns into collaborations. Each place has a set of repeating characters which we can consider the main characters yet they can also change given the circumstances It doesn't mean that any of them lack substance rather all will end up becoming your favorite For example here Doha was an addition that I really like his collaboration with ML just makes sense they are a perfect duo just like how we saw Jindo dog and Bulldozer together in S1.
The cases are much more extreme in S2 than in S1 making us think how the hell are they gonna do, whether they will make it out alive or not. These cases will keep you up all night until you complete the whole drama😂😂. There is also slight romance in the drama, not many scenes but it will surely melt your heart whenever you see them together in any scene. Both ML and FL have their own love language and their own way of expressing it. Oh man at this rate I will keep on going all day long talking about them😂😂 let's move on.
This drama also has one of the most brilliant villains who made all the best of the bests in the drama (like Jin Ho Gae, Kang Do Ha, and Yoon Hong, etc.) run around in the palm of his hands. He was the main mastermind pulling all the strings from behind but no one could even speculate even the crimes he drew let alone his identity or his involvement. This man literally used the whole country as his playing field and our character as players to play with. He was always working on many things at once unlike the normal villains who give their all in only one crime until they fail and move on to another, he on the other hand always had his hands full of plans to execute.
Although S2 is a little bit behind S1 but cases shown here are better than S1 and it also has much much better collaborations between the different teams, departments, and characters. The lineup at the end of S2 seemed too overly powered to me where all the best of the best were working together so I don't know if S3 comes out any of the villains would even last a single episode😂. I would really love to see the actors working together again, especially the ML and FL. I don't know if there will be another season or not but all I know is that this drama created a whole different level or standard for other crime thriller dramas to work towards.

Read More

Was this review helpful to you?
Completed
Present Still Perfect
28 people found this review helpful
May 21, 2020
Completed 0
Overall 8.0
Story 8.0
Acting/Cast 9.5
Music 6.0
Rewatch Value 6.0
What happens when you reconnect with the one that got away?

The original Present Perfect is a good film, albeit has a very serious tone. This director showed us how to top up a good movie and not suffer from sequelitis.

Toey is once again in his 'escape trip', and after four long years, Oat decided to show up and reconnect. If I may say, Oat and Toey both somehow managed to look 'hotter' than when they shot the first film. The hotel is the perfect romantic backdrop, and the new character - Jen - provided what i never expected to be a needed lightness to the story. Kenta was cute but a little bit underused.

Yes, the story isnt unique by any means but our connection with the characters kept it engaging. I like the fact that Toey isnt all that selfsih and is self aware of the damage he could cause. I am specially moved by how they handled the situation with Oat's wife. One thing that surprised me negatively is that they made Yumi a divorcee in the end, as i didnt think it was necessary.

Is it a must watch? No, not exactly, its not a waste of time but it is NOTunforgettable. Is it rewatchable? To be honest, no, once is enough. If you're curious, go see the first film before watching this. At least the subscription to gagaoolala (for that month) was made worthy because of this. Overall rating 8 out of 10 stars.

Read More

Was this review helpful to you?
Completed
Brain Man
28 people found this review helpful
Sep 12, 2014
Completed 0
Overall 10
Story 10
Acting/Cast 10
Music 10
Rewatch Value 9.0
Ok I just need to write a review of this, I mean seriously this is one of the best movies I've seen in my life, damn! this is too good.

This film is quite smart, it plays with your mind and emotions from beginning to end, this is a roller coaster of emotions. From the very beginning I was totally blown up and so many times while watching the movie I just found myself -literally- open mouthed because I just couldn't believe what I was watching. Too good.

They tell us the story step by step without missing details, so we don't get the whole bunch of information abruptly and it keeps you hooked up to the story.
One of the things that I loved the most about this, was definitely the ethical-moral question the whole movie sets. Who's right? who's wrong? who has the right point of view about justice? The film won't answer these questions, it just shows different points of views and it's all up to you to decide who's right or wrong...
The ending is an open ending but not a bad ending at all! it's really hard to make an open ending good, but this one was pretty good. I loved the very last scene so much.

About the acting... Ikuta Toma is a great actor, he deserves every single acting award that exists in this planet. His acting was superb! Actually everyone did a great acting job.
Camera and directing work it's perfect for the film, the colors and the tones and use of the light gives to every moment a special feeling.

Music was pretty accurate to each scene, in some scenes I just felt that music was another character of the movie. :)

This movie is based on the novel "No Otoko" by Urio Shudo :)

Read More

Was this review helpful to you?
Completed
Raise de wa Chanto Shimasu
28 people found this review helpful
May 17, 2020
12 of 12 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 9.0
Story 8.5
Acting/Cast 8.0
Music 8.0
Rewatch Value 9.0
The start of the new decade might be slow for Japanese dramas but in this year 2020 we got some of the funniest and wildest WTF plot in recent years, like the stalker masochist CEO in "Konootoko ha Jinseisaidai no Ayamachi Desu", and in this drama Uchida Rio portrays a woman who has intimate relationships with 5 different partners. When I said wild I don't mean the same goofy, meme worthy material you find in most Japanese advertisements, what I mean is the subject it tackled may be offensive to some especially if you are a person who always take everything seriously even if it's comedy.

This is by far the funniest Japanese drama I've seen this year and the reason for that is language they use is too graphic. There are moments where I can't believe the dialogue that coming from these characters, I cringe but then laugh out loud after. The setting is also another plus points for me given that I love anime, they work in CG Production Company for games and anime. You see them working hard but there are times where they are just slacking off and fooling around, and I don't blame them as working conditions in this industry is one of the worst. Like for example they rushed one project so that one of their colleagues won't miss his date, but not really it's just a usual appointment with a girl in a sex shop where he is a regular customer. LOL

It's more of a character driven than story driven plot, characters are not railroaded to certain goals or events, it's just these characters, their funny interactions, their development, those are what made this such fun drama. The cast are composed of quirky individuals, the female lead who is addicted to sex, the virgin friend boys love fanatic, the ex girlfriend obsessed muscle man, sex shop naive patron and this office fling playboy. Each episodes consists of segments where each explores the lives of these characters. We follow them in a slice of life way in which most of the time are just wild and WTF moments.

The acting is good for the most part, you don't need award winning acting for this type of drama anyway and all of them are good in comedy, their comedic timing is almost perfect. The chemistry between these actors is excellent, in which their characters compliments each other really well. The opening song at the beginning is as wild as this drama goes.

Conclusion In today's world where people are easily get offended by everything they see and hear, it seems this type plot wouldn't feel right, but just give this one a chance and you will see characters who respect and support each other for who they are. How I wish I have colleagues such as them.

Read More

Was this review helpful to you?
Completed
Operation: Special Warfare
28 people found this review helpful
Feb 2, 2022
35 of 35 episodes seen
Completed 18
Overall 8.5
Story 8.5
Acting/Cast 8.5
Music 8.5
Rewatch Value 8.0

Operation: Blue Lightning

Operation: Special Warfare is a co-production between CCTV, Penguin Films, Bona Films, Xiaoyao Films and Ram Films. This big budget production that involves extensive use of modern Chinese military hardware and facilities was filmed in Northwest China, including a segment at Taklamakan desert in Xinjiang.

Directed by Liu Ting and based on the original screenplay written by Duan Lian Min, himself a former member of the Chinese military, having served as a platoon commander. He has written many military-themed novels and screenplays as well as directed dramas and films of similar genre for which he has won numerous accolades. He is currently attached to the Political Department of the Chinese Navy serving as a director and screenwriter for military productions.

The drama follows the journey of young recruits of the newly-formed anti-terrorism special forces of the People’s Liberation Army, called the Blue Lightning. Central to the narrative is the growth of both the individuals and the collective as the new recruits come of age during their experiences of military training and real life combat situations.

As with any military-themed C-dramas, expect a fair amount of jingoistic propaganda and patriotic flag-waving which is par for the course when the production requires extensive support from the military and CCP during the filming process and to get the greenlight for distribution release. In addition to action and adventure, the drama features youth themes, slice-of-life elements and subtle hints of romance. There is some violence and gore but nothing too terrifying for viewers.

What I Enjoyed

Usually modern C-dramas tend to be lengthy with too much fillers. The military-themed ones are a hit or miss, case in point My Dear Guardian which turned out to be a little bit too fluffy for my liking. This one, however, manages to avoid all those pitfalls. It’s only 35 episodes in length instead of the usual 40+ episodes, doesn’t contain nearly as much fillers as most others though they are still present, and on the whole is more intensely dramatic rather than fluffy or comedic in its storytelling approach. Throughout the course of the drama, I did not really feel bored at any point in time because the drama surprisingly incorporates quite a number of interesting sub-plots and side stories to the main narrative at a very engaging pace, with a nice balance of action, drama, introspective and emotive moments.

This production showcases a number of modern military hardware in greater detail than I have ever encountered. How accurate or up to date they are, I have no idea, but I feel pretty convinced. For the most part, based on my little research, the depiction is consistent with the standard equipment used, such as the QBZ-95 (or Type 95) automatic assault rifles favoured by the PLA as well as their commando sub-units. Additionally viewers will get to observe countless UAVs and armoured ground vehicles on display in the drama, which I find quite fascinating.

In terms of the technical aspects, the action planning and choreography, as well as the special effects are worthy of mention. This drama showcases many action sequences involving firefights, explosions, as well as both armed and unarmed combat. These scenes are not confined to a single location but take place across multiple venues. One memorable segment features a suspenseful game of cat and mouse across the Taklamakan desert in the dead of night between the Blue Lightning unit and armed terrorists. I’ve also enjoyed the somewhat refreshing depiction of the military training comprising the so-called Devil’s Week competition, sniper competition and squad leader selection tests. That said, certain aspects of the training concerning “physical torture” do appear incredulous. I’m unaware of the authenticity but in a land that invented Shaolin martial arts, I guess anything is possible.

One of the major reasons for watching this drama is of course the cast, which is headlined by Vengo Gao who plays the Captain of the Blue Lightning, Qin Guan. If the drama is about the military, whether in a contemporary or historical context, you can count on this man to deliver an utterly convincing portrayal of the characterization. He not only looks and sounds the part, but his entire being exudes military commander vibes as well. There is absolutely no question whatsoever that without him, this drama would be lacking in so many ways. From the cold, stoic persona to the physical prowess in executing his stunts, Vengo totally slays his role.

Hu Bing Qing plays the FL Ning Meng, one of the young recruits of the new anti-terrorism team. My first time seeing her in entirety instead of previous guest appearances, I think she’s very talented and showcases strong performances particularly during her emotional scenes. I also quite like her nuanced take that helps inject a sense of vulnerability to humanise the role of a female soldier.

The drama’s soundtrack features 5 songs, with the patriotic opening theme being the most upbeat and energetic of them all. My personal favourite is the ending theme performed by Hu Bing Qing herself, the love ballad You and Me. Full listing as follows:

Flaming Lady 烈焰巾帼 - 金志文 Jin Zhiwen
Xiang Yang 向阳 - 黄霄雲 Huang Xiaoyun
You and Me 你和我 - 胡冰卿 Hu Bingqing
My Comrade 我的战友 - 钟强 Zhong Qiang
Fearless 无畏 - 王晰 Wang Xi

What Fell Short

I think the most glaring aspect would be the villains. We are never going to get a C-drama that depicts profoundly layered or morally grey terrorists, because the Chinese military and censors would never sanction it. As far as the powers that be are concerned, stories of this nature are straightforward - good guys versus bad guys are simply portrayed as black or white. Hence in this drama, in relation to the overarching plot concerning the terrorist organisation, S Group, the antagonists are merely written to be the stereotypical one-dimensional cardboard caricatures - bad-tempered, cold-blooded, power hungry and striving for world domination. The terrorist leader is even shown at one point chomping on cigars by the poolside surrounded by bikini-clad femme fatales where the only thing missing is a huge furry cat.

Final Thoughts

I would categorise Operation: Special Warfare as one of the more fascinating and well-produced mature military-themed dramas that I have seen recently. It’s the kind of show where viewers can enjoy with a relaxed mind and without the need to exercise too much brain cells. A final note though - do be forewarned, the subtitles available on WeTV are auto-translated (at the time of writing) and may not be of the usual high quality.

Read More

Was this review helpful to you?
Completed
Light
28 people found this review helpful
Aug 14, 2021
Completed 2
Overall 8.0
Story 8.5
Acting/Cast 9.0
Music 8.0
Rewatch Value 8.0
This review may contain spoilers

Excellent, but too short

This is a very good 44 minute long LGBT short movie. It is well made and well written. The story is intense, concerning a young man who, after suffering sexual abuse at the hands of his stepfather, turns to selling himself to other abusive men. But the arc of the plot turns happier (and sexier) when he meets an undercover cop who falls for him.

Strong points:

-- The plot is interesting, engaging and well-conceived. It concerns some heavy topics but is not overwhelmingly depressing. (That said, it does feature a couple of incidents of rape, and people who are sensitive to sexual violence should be warned.)
-- The acting is truly excellent. Jed Chung does a good job of communicating how clueless and lost Light is. Even more, I thought Max Liu was tantastic -- thoroughly believable as Light's savior, Shuo. Liu is intense, masculine and yet soft -- the way he treated Light was perfect. (In some ways he takes the place of the father-figure Light never had). And he has a wonderful deep voice and a gorgeous body, so what's not to love? (P.S. the MDL pic of Max, above, does NOT do him justice.)
-- The cinematography is first rate, with great camera work. (I loved the opening scene, where the cam is following Light through the market as he goes to meet one of his "johns".)
-- There is not a lot of music actually in the movie, that I remember......however the film concludes with a music video (I think the name of the song is "Light") and that one is truly excellent.

Weak point:

-- The decision to make this a short movie limited the creators too much. A longer treatment could have given the audience a better understanding of the development of Shuo's affection for Light. It seems to appear out of nowhere. The lovely scene where Shuo abandons his reserve and makes love to Light would have been just wonderful if the audience had a better feeling for the tensions/mixed feelings that were afflicting Shuo.

Read More

Was this review helpful to you?
Completed
Youth of May
28 people found this review helpful
Jun 10, 2021
12 of 12 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 10
Story 10
Acting/Cast 10
Music 10
Rewatch Value 10

BEAUTIFUL !!! WOW WOW WOW WOW !! TOP HONORS!!! This drama deserves Grand Awards!!

Such a beautiful, heart touching pure and true love story between Go Min Si and Lee Do Hyun!!! This drama deserves to be part of the history of great korean dramas!!! 1000% FABULOUS!!

LEE DO HYUN - WOW WOW WOW WOW, He is such a Natural onscreen, born to act, brilliant performance by him!! He pulled us in with his screen presence and character portrayal deeply and his grip on you is solid!!
You are always smiling looking at him, and you cry and laugh and deeply sigh in all his scenes as he mesmerises you with just himself!

AWESOME pairing between Lee do hyun and Go Min si - such great chemistry and naturalness between them, as if they are truly made for each other!!

This drama is a beautiful depiction of pure love caught amidst extremely harsh trying times during the gwanju uprising and KUDOS & STANDING OVATION to the entire Team of Youth Of May, for great casting of especially the leads, great script writing, great direction and just for everyone in the cast especially LEE DO HYUN!!

SHOW USP - LEE DO HYUN!! He is magnificent!!

Read More

Was this review helpful to you?
Oct 9, 2020
14 of 14 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 7.0
Story 6.0
Acting/Cast 9.5
Music 5.5
Rewatch Value 5.0

GREAT ACTING IN A PAINFULLY SLOW SERIES

If they made this a short series with 6 to 8 episodes i would totally eat this show. The painfully slow and repetitive execution has wasted talented new actors.

The very good: the characters and the acting. I just love everyone, I think there was a treasure of character here that could have made the story so much richer. Add to thr fact that eventhough these are relative newbie actors, they all acted so naturally.

The so-so: the story. Started with a good overall plot, and then it became boring. And then they gifted us with Pangs couple, and then they bored us with it too. And then that final act - stretched in 4 to 5 episodes.

The really bad: the execution. For the love of the forces above, who gave them the idea that its fun to watch a series of about 14 20-minute episodes where there was almost nothing new happening every week. Waiting for episodes weekly is painful but for it to be uneventful was like torture. Adding salt to the injury is the unending reuse of footages disguised as mystery revelations but is just there to explain what actually happened as if viewers are kindergartens. Long intro, then a recap, then the repetitious episodes as if the recap isnt enough and then the long outro - you can just imagine how much time is left for the new content. If they transformed it into a mini series with about 6 to 8 episodes they could have given us a very solid series.

Will i rewatch- of course not, why would i subject myself to the pain again.

Read More

Was this review helpful to you?