This review may contain spoilers
Could Use A Few More Chickens
This was an overall well done drama that was unfortunately too short to realize its full potential. The material was great, but eight episodes wasn't long enough to fully develop some of the issues presented or to fully develop the relationships and characters. Even so, I did enjoy this drama for the most part, it has some great messages and it does tackle some tough issues with tact.I liked the concept for the story, how a one night stand could turn into something more. The way Wen helped Jim in so many ways, not just with working at the diner, but also with helping him find closure with his past relationship and heal and move on, was well done. I admired Wen's perseverance and that while he continued to pursue Jim even when Jim had indicated he was not looking for a relationship, he did so relatively tactfully, never pushing too hard, but still making it clear that he was interested and that he thought they could work things out. However, things turned complicated, which was exactly what Jim feared, when Wen's ex-boyfriend who he was still living with, Alan, showed up and threw a wrench in things. Despite their break up, he is still possessive of Wen and hopes that they can patch things up and get back together. Wen, however, is ready to move on, and he is faced with having to do just that and more firmly sever his ties with Alan as he tries to establish a relationship with Jim. And Alan, for his part, is left trying to move on as well and come to terms with the fact that his and Wen's relationship is truly over. Meanwhile, Jim's nephew who he has raised, is a senior in high school and is still trying to figure himself out amidst the limitations of not being the scholarly type and being poor. Jim can be overbearing with him and Li Ming feels trapped and isolated until he meets Heart, a deaf young man his own age and they slowly become friends which then turns romantic. The relationship is a healing one for both as Li Ming finds someone who understands and cares for him exactly as he is and Heart finds someone who treats him as a normal person and actually puts out the effort to communicate with him. They serve as each other's escape in many ways and I loved their relationship in all its facets.
With so many BLs these days sticking to high school or college settings, it was refreshing that this one stepped outside those bounds. I think that opened up a lot more doors for it to tackle issues that it couldn't otherwise. However, because it was confined to only eight episodes and it did try to tackle multiple issues, it wasn't necessarily able to dive into them as deeply as one might have liked. The economy and cost of living were both subjects that were brought up multiple times. Leng, one of Jim's friends and employees, and his girlfriend Praew find themselves unexpectedly expecting, so unplanned pregnancy, the cost of raising a child, and even abortion are touched on, if only briefly. By creating a deaf character, the deaf community was given representation and it was done well. The various ways of parenting is also touched on, how there's not one right way to parent and parents are always learning, even from their children. Relationships serve as a major focus, examining how some relationships simply peter out after a while, unrequited love, and, particularly, moving on from past relationships and how, while it may be painful, we can hope that there's something and someone better out there for us in the future. I enjoyed every part of it, again the only detractor is that I wanted more time to explore those topics.
Probably the biggest downfall of this drama, and I know I've seen others commenting on this, is the miscasting of Earth. Earth is a damn good actor, there is no denying that, but in no way does he, as a 29 year old young man, look anywhere close to 40. I know he's a couple years older than Mix, Khaotung and First but he really doesn't look it, and in the drama, there's presumed to be something like at least a ten year age difference between their characters. Earth is one of those people who looks younger than they really are, but this seemed outside the range of probability to me. Papang, in contrast, who played Jim's former lover, Beam, is only a year older than Earth, but he looks older. I could more easily believe he was in his mid-30's. There's also looking at him next to Lookwa who plays his sister. She's a beautiful woman, don't misunderstand me, and looks fantastic at 42, but they don't look like they are close in age at all. I understand that Earth and Mix are a popular pairing, but if they wanted them paired together, it would have made more sense to change Jim's age to something closer to Earth's actual age. As it was, Jim's age was hammered home so often you couldn't forget it, and there were some scenes that were supposed to be more emotional that just didn't work as well as they might have with a more age appropriate actor.
Jim and Wen's relationship was another issue. The first episode is great. The chemistry and tension between the two is electric and then suddenly, it's just gone and while there are still flickers of it throughout the rest of the drama, it's not quite as strong as that first impression. Wen's feelings for Jim remain clear throughout the drama while Jim's feelings are much harder to decipher. There are moments where it's evident he does feel the same way, but it wasn't always consistent and their relationship felt stagnant at times. Even when things were supposed to be changing between them, I didn't always feel it.
I really enjoyed all the side characters, particularly Alan and Gaipa. Khaotung is such a good actor, I wanted more of Gaipa just so he could showcase his skills more, but also he was so sweet, I just liked his character and I wanted to get to know him a bit more. And Alan, aside from the fact that First is also a fantastic actor, was such an interesting character, I wanted to know more about him and his history with Wen. I felt like there was a lot more to unpack there.
But the highlight couple for me was Li Ming and Heart. Having just seen My School President, I enjoyed seeing them in such different roles. Li Ming is a somewhat similar character to Gun, but much heavier on the teenage angst. But it's not in a bad way. You can feel the frustration Li Ming has with his life and circumstances, and it's justified. Fourth did such a good job with bringing Li Ming to life and bringing such nuance to the character. Heart, being deaf, was a much different character for Gemini to portray. I was so impressed with his ability to emote without speaking a single word and he was utterly believable in the role. He and Fourth have such great chemistry. The build up of Li Ming's and Heart's relationship is so well done and feels very natural.
In general, the romance is not why I enjoyed this drama. Jim and Wen's romance lacked some consistency and while Li Ming and Heart were the highlight couple for me out of those present, what I actually loved about this drama was the chicken rice family that they created. The way the characters all came together for each other to take care of each other and build each other up was so heartwarming. They may not have been related by blood, but that didn't matter, they did what needed to be done even if that cost them personally. And I liked seeing how Wen was welcomed into their family, really without much question, he was just accepted. So if you take it from that angle, rather than a romantic one, it is a very wholesome story. And for me, personally, that is better than any romance.
The production was overall pretty strong. I really liked the sets, particularly the chicken rice shop was just so aesthetically pleasing to me. It made me wish I could go there and visit that place. The lighting was an issue at times. There were a number of late night conversations and sometimes the lighting was too dim and it made it harder to make out faces and expressions. However, one scene that I absolutely loved was the one of Jim and Wen at the beach at twilight. The way it was shot with their silhouettes was beautiful. I do wish they'd translated the sign language as a fair amount of it got missed. There were times when Li Ming would essentially repeat what Heart had said, but a lot of the time I was just left guessing.
This is a drama worth watching at least once. It's short so what do you have to lose? I don't as it's one that I'll come back to which is a bit disappointing because I think it could have been absolutely phenomenal with some tweaking of the story and the cast. And I think this drama really does highlight how important casting truly is. I don't think the miscasting of Earth broke the drama, but it did affect it and its ability to pack an emotional punch. I hope in the future they focus more on delivering a solid story with an appropriate cast than keeping particular pairings together.
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Sherlock Holmes, Criminal Minds, Forensic Files - All in One
What an interesting drama this is. All the main leads are new to me, so I watched it not for them. After the first episode, I realized it's a love triangle. Normally in other dramas, love triangles usually give weaker or less liked 3rd characters. In this case, it's hard not to like either of the main male characters. In fact I was pretty torn in the beginning because I found both male characters desirable and attractive in their own ways.This drama is a combination of Sherlock Holmes with Criminal Minds and Forensic Files. As a forensic expert, Ran Yan (played by Zhou Jie Qiong) is a daring, unpretentious girl who is always determined to find the truth. Unlike most girls of her time, she has no qualm touching dead bodies and slicing them up. Even the men around her are sickened by the sights and many cannot even stay on. I love this character so much. Though she has flaws, she is courageous, kind and upstanding, without the annoying noisiness and self-righteousness of many main female characters in other dramas.
When Ran Yan first meets the man who has saved her and falls in love with him, I fell in love with the man she loves too. Su Fu (played by Tim Pei) is cold and mysterious. How his cold heart is eventually melted by Ran Yan's warmth and kindness, and in the end falling madly in love with her is really a fun journey to watch.
Of course the main story revolves around the two main characters, Ran Yan and Xiao Song (played by Toby Lee). I absolutely love the dynamics between them, how they toy with each other and hang each other out to dry. The constant bickering and bargaining are really fun to watch. Each gives the other nickname that becomes part of the character; Xiao Song calls Ran Yan, "Fox", whereas Ran Yan calls him, "Human Fish". The addressing seems to stick for each other till the end of the show. I love watching the look on Xiao Song's face when he's seething with jealousy over Su Fu. Seeing how a powerful figure of his stature fighting for the love of a woman and getting jealous over her is very amusing, and Toby Lee has performed this role perfectly with his piercing eyes. Together with Ran Yan, they work as one, melting two minds together. They reconstruct crime scenes, figure out motives of killings, put the jigsaw puzzles together; their chemistry is simply enviable. Though there were some misunderstandings between the two, it's quickly dispelled without making the pair losing their love and care for each other.
Overall, this drama improves significantly after the first half. I didn't find major plot holes and significant flaws apart from some of the poor acting by peripheral characters like over exaggerated death scenes, obvious fake props (supposedly solid stone door that shifts when forced against), etc. Editing could be rough for some episodes. As for most Chinese dramas, the attention to details is still lacking. I wish the production team treats viewers with more intelligence. All this poor editing leaves tons of errors for all to see. Some logic is really bad and makes one rolls one's eyes.
Having said that, the acting of the three main leads is very good, despite this is the first major drama for Zhou Jie Qiong. Her performance is marvelous. The details of scenes that required further explanations are cleverly done in black/white flashbacks without breaking the flow of the story. It makes the story very easy to understand and follow. The twists and turns make the whole thing interesting and compel me to follow it faithfully for weeks.
Yes, a great drama to watch. Don't miss this one!
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A) I even noticed the music in a positive way, i.e., not thinking to myself, “I'm sick of hearing this song.”
B) Halfway through, went desperately searching for the entire O.S.T.
C) Found it and played it on repeat in my iPod for months.
The sweet and thoughtful “I Will Promise You” was the first song to grab hold of me. Jang Geun Suk’s gentle crooning over the playful, melodic acoustic guitar chords reminds me of waking up on a rainy Saturday morning. You know, the kind of morning where you get up slowly, make yourself a yummy breakfast and snuggle up in your favorite, most comfy pajamas for most of the day? Yeah, it totally took me there. And the upbeat and flirty “Hello Hello” is the song you play as you leave home on a bright and sunny morning, ready to seize the day and give it your best!
I found that all of the songs on the soundtrack took me to someplace, and they painted a vivid and wonderful background for the drama. Which is good, since the plotline for Mary tasks the characters with creating an O.S.T. for a fictional drama within the drama.
Now that I’ve waxed poetic about the music, I’ll move on the actual drama details. :)
This drama is like junk food. It’s the kind of drama you watch when you’re in the mood for something cute, but not necessarily ground-breaking or deep. It’s good when you want to watch some eye candy with brains and emotions; when you want to watch a youthful, fun drama with a decent plotline and fairly witty writing. You can’t walk into a drama like Mary with high expectations about character development, moral issues (but it is successful with regard to some of that), and dynamic plot twists and turns. You really just have to take it for what it is. Quirky and kind of cute.
The actors are very likeable in their roles and do a good job portraying their characters. Moon Geun Young is ABSOLUTELY ADORABLE in the character of Mary. It’s all I could do to resist putting her in my pocket. She and Jang Geun Suk have wonderful chemistry, despite the fact that they dress like homeless people. I chalked it up as being a part of their eccentric charm.
Geun Suk is a moody, stoic, slightly arrogant and detached rocker--a role he’s played before, I think--but he’s also pretty funny with good one-liners and shows growth as the drama progresses. Kim Jae Wook is the misunderstood and terribly awkward business man that also grows through the series. As I am someone who is commonly (and tragically) a lover of the secondary male lead over the primary, my heart went out to him.
The only warning and major dislike I have is that the parents in this drama drove me BANANAS. Their rationale for their actions was just absurd and outdated, frustrating me greatly. The thought of the parents alone have stopped me from re-watching this drama, unfortunately. If they weren’t so irrational, I’d rate this much higher for re-watch value.
The “re-watch” value for the music, however, is a 10, hands down!
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The Great Queen Seondeok
45 people found this review helpful
1Brilliant. Timeless epic quality of emotionally processing the life of 2 historic heroines
This KDrama tells historical heroine stories for a change. (Yes: female AND plural.) On top of that, enriched along the way with some highly topical insights and a vivid examination of management systems - what does the common people need? How does it want or have to be lead? In this respect, the 2009 series has not lost any of its topicality. But above all, "Queen Seondeok" brings the viewers closer to the earlier (not so well represented in KDrama and KMovie) Korean history of the Three Kingdoms.Here, history is presented in 62 episodes in a moving manner and in dazzling characters, while offering valuable historical input. 62 episodes should not frighten you. This is perhaps more like 5 or 6 seasons western style. You don't have to go through all the episodes in one go, (but you can of course). To be honest, the number of episodes and the rather stiff-looking poster with a heavy crown kept me from watching the series for a long time. But that was a big mistake. This series is wonderful in view of the wealth of impressions, personal processes of the protagonists, and the profound examination of the attitude and philosophy of rulers. Also funny in places. In any case, an impressive piece of Korean history that is told in a round, rich and colorful way. The KDrama leaves nothing out when it comes to being human and being a hero - it presents all of this in various dramaturgical entanglements and depths, with twists & turns and deep feeling. (Swords, bows and battles are also included.)
This is about real historical personalities from Korean history, who made remarkable achievements in their time. First and foremost Queen Seondeok. She was the first Queen of Silla and the first of the few female heads of state in Korean history. If one considers her progressive achievements for her people, she must have been a charismatic personality in order to be able to place herself in the first, officially leading position in this feudal male world. Her life, but also that of other contemporary significant, history-shaping people in her environment are prepared dramaturgically lively and unforgettable. Admittedly enriched with a bit of poetic freedom in the service of a compelling and exciting story. However, in the historical drama orbit, it seems to me quite acceptable to bend the facts here and there in order to create a vivid impression of the character of the historical figures and their work instead. This is much more memorable (in passing) than exact chronologies. In addition, the actual valid sources that can be evaluated are limited. Even historiography has to do a bit of guessing every now and then to understand where, for example, a woman at that time got the vision, the strength and the courage to put men in the second row - and at the same time intelligent, visionary and with respect for the people, to rule in an almost idiosyncratic way.... In my opinion, the fictional plot does not damage the essential impression that one gets about life and challenges in the Silla Reich, about the charisma of the historical personality of Queen Seondeok and the historical figures around her plus her achievements for her people. The KDrama draws a memorable, unforgettable character portrait of the Silla Empire in the 7th century. In doing so, it brings the bones of the queen lying under one of the burial mounds in Gyeongju to life again.
Good to know: The Silla Empire was not yet under the influence of Confucianism, which clearly defines the man as the head of the family/tribe. Among the noble Silla families there were also those in which descent on the mother's side was decisive, or women were considered the heads of the family. At that time, matrilineal and patrilineal tribal structures still existed in parallel. Therefore, the respect for women and their functions in society was comparatively higher overall - but still not a matter of course.
For me, what is valuable about this story (and at the same time the timeless quality of the KDrama) lies in the juxtaposition of two very different, each impressive, intelligent female figures of their time: Princess Deokman (Queen Seondeok) and the noble concubine Misil, who hardly had an influential king or leader of the Hwarang left out during her time in order to directly influence political events. In fact, the two women did not live at the same time, but poetic freedom overrides this and juxtaposes the two as equal antagonists. (Extremely successful!)
The KDrama "Queen Seondeok" is characterized by a timeless epic quality in the emotional processing of the historical events. Brilliantly done in places, quite funny at times, with colorful vividness and everything that life usually entails: plenty of drama that stirs the spirits and also touches the heart. An exciting script (which in the second half has to work through a little more historical facts), and a colorful dance of highly inspired mimes, reviving those distant 50 years in the past 7th century. Not only the later queen and the concubine Misil get a memorable profile, also the men around Queen Seongeok - Bidam and Kim Yushin - are noticeably filled with life. Love story included - it's more of an encore than the main thing when it comes to the entire story, but it refreshes the second half as a balance to the historical ride through time.
By the way, the ratings literally went through the roof at 43.6 percent when the series was broadcast on television in 2009.
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Last Episode was a Bomb!
Until the very last few minutes of the final episode, I would have given this Kdrama a 9.5 rating. The ending, although not sad, was lack luster and NOT worthy of all the previous wonderful moments. So, so sad! Why, why, Writers, didn't you have a better, romantic, full-of-love, live-happily-ever-after ending for the two main characters? You gave all the other characters complete happy endings.......in fact, there was too much focus on the auxiliary cast vs the main characters............Again, so, so sad! P.S. The astroturf in front of the Monthly Magazine Home building was really sad....shame on the set designers.Was this review helpful to you?
I've seen 400+ dramas, and this is the only drama I've ever given a 10.
I am a vampire freak, who loves romances when they are dark, slow-burn, supernatural, obsessive, angsty and passionate. I love stories with an ML who is red-flag, possessive, controlling, antihero, badass, or morally gray. I like stories about demons, devils, gumihos, legendary beings... you get the idea.This drama isn't about vampires at all. But it's so close it might as well be. He looks, talks, acts, and thinks just like a vampire. All that's missing is the fangs and the superhuman abilities. And it's funny that a drama that is in no way about vampires, is the best vampire romance I've ever come across. It just satisfies my vamp-cravings so perfectly.
SoKP is deliciously slow burn. The best slow burn I know of besides Charlotte Bronte's 'Jane Eyre'. An unbelievable amount of patience is required to get to the payoff. But what a payoff. The fire that finally sets off is so hot that it permanently scarred my brain.
Aesthetics and color palate, styling and makeup and costumes... everyone in this drama was made to look incredible. Even the tertiary characters. I'm not saying everyone was stunningly model-hot. I'm saying they brought out each actor's best. This is true on an acting level as well. The directors and producers cared about each actor and actress, about their inner beauty and their natural talent shining through. The execution of this story was almost completely flawless. The casting was perfect in every way. Ling He is so excruciatingly gorgeous, and Bai Lu is beautiful beyond compare in her role here. Supporting cast was incredible and perfectly suited to their individual roles.
The political/intrigue part of the story was interesting, immersive, sufficiently complex to hold your attention, but not overly complex to make you feel muddled and mentally taxed as you watch.
I cannot recc this drama enough. HOWEVER. You will not like this drama if you fall into one of the following categories:
Looking for a green-flag ML---> this ML is morally gray, controlling, manipulative, forceful. There is some throat-grabbing and forced kisses as well.
Like to watch "boring stuff" on 2x and FFW'd during dramas regularly when your attention isn't engaged ---> this story requires your full attention, immersion, and patience in order to experience the full effect of the romance. It will not hold up to someone who is skipping or 2x-ing through parts, because you'll kill the pacing and atmosphere that needs to be established. You can skip some parts in episode 1 to get you going, but after that, I'd strongly advise against it.
This is a very special drama. You can never watch it for the first time twice. So, if you do decide to give this a chance, savor your first watch-through. Watch it on a dark, rainy weekend when you can binge it fully. with the lights out and some candles going or something, and let yourself get really into it. Happy viewing <3
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One of the points that makes it a substantial drama is its characters. Kokoro is your typical happy-go-lucky girl, a point mentioned throughout the drama as a joke. What makes her different though is that she never imposes her solution on others. Her job in the drama is to watch the people around her, as we the viewers do until the characters find their own solution. This brings us to another great point in the drama, where even though it seems we have a weekly lesson learned, problems are ongoing and don't get magically solved by the end of the episode it got introduced. We do get the episodic focus, but issues do get revisited later as we see where the characters are headed. This gives us better-paced character development, as the characters make decisions about their work and their lives. Another element I'd like to mention is the way the drama peaks into the characters' lives'. We don't get a full explanation and detailed background about them, we just get enough to know how this is affecting their current lives, views, and work. We only know what we usually know as we get closer to our colleagues at work. To this end, this is a drama about work and career.
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I feel this drama represents not only how publishing works in Japan, but how the entertainment industry works there overall. It is what makes Japan produce these artistic works while hand-in-hand producing the usual predictable easy-to-sell works. The episode focused on Yasuda Ken's character Yasui-san emphasizes it most, but we do explore that theme more than once. I won't go into detail as to what it is exactly, I will leave it for the viewers to discover. I'd just like to add the way the drama itself is produced is representative of that idea. As I mentioned earlier, it looks and sounds like those typical dramas, but just by peeling that layer off, you find something deeper, as each episode goes by.
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I have to mention how much I loved all the characters here; Takahata, Yasui, Numata, Wada-san, Mikurayama, Koizumi the lovely Iokibe to name a few, and the cast did an outstanding job no matter how much or how little we saw of them, but my most favourite by far Nakata Haku the disturbed aspiring manga artist. Nagayama Kento played him to perfection. The whole cast did an outstanding job, but I just love how that character was handled. I wish we had seen more of Narita, the character played by Kaname Jun.
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Do give the drama a try, and give it at least 3-4 episodes and you will understand the gem I'm talking about. If anything the eye-candy in here will sure keep you entertained ;)
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Bad try...
The main issue with this drama is that it really wants to be deeper than it is. It’s like that one friend who insists on wearing sunglasses indoors to seem mysterious, but in reality, just bumps into furniture. In an attempt to be as enigmatic and "artsy" as possible, the show throws the viewer straight into the middle of the plot without a map or even a vague sense of direction. Explanations? Pfft, who needs those? Character introductions or motivations? Absolutely not—figure it out yourself by squinting at cryptic expressions and awkward pauses, and maybe, just maybe, you’ll piece it all together.We’re presented with three main characters, and the storyline juggles between them with the grace of a toddler trying to juggle flaming torches. Add in some random time skips, and you’ve got yourself a thoroughly confusing start. But surely, you think, surely the middle part will make everything clearer, right? Wrong.
Take, for instance, the mysterious "crime" that Cha Jung Woo committed to be banned from writing under his own name. Everyone in the drama talks about it with such cryptic vagueness, you start to wonder if even the scriptwriters know what happened. The more you think about it, the less sense it makes. In the age of digital printing and self-publishing, this whole "banned writer" storyline crumbles under the weight of its own illogic. What’s stopping him from publishing a blog? Or an e-book? The drama seems to think that being vague equals depth, but really, it’s just confusing.
And as for the romance—well, let’s just say you can forget about that entirely. One day, they wake up and decide, "Hey, I think I want to be with that person," and poof, we’re supposed to believe there’s a grand romantic connection. But there’s no build-up, no sparks—just two people suddenly deciding they’re in love because, well, the script says so. It’s about as romantic as accidentally grabbing the wrong person's hand in a crowded elevator.
There’s nothing particularly memorable about this drama—except, perhaps, for that one song they use repeatedly, which might just get stuck in your head whether you like it or not.
Overall, I’ve seen worse dramas, but I’ve definitely seen better ones too. If this show didn’t spend so much time pretending to be more profound than it actually is, it might have been a far more enjoyable experience. As it stands, it’s like a shallow pool trying to convince you it’s the ocean—just don’t dive in expecting depth.
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Many things about A Love So Beautiful was a surprise to me. I'll be the first to admit that I harbor a real prejudice each time I enter the realm that is a Chinese drama - watching them throughout my childhood, they were unfailingly littered with a) tragedy, b) horrible CG, and/or c) gagworthy storylines (typically, an entertaining combination of all three). And quite honestly, few nowadays seem to impress me. Call it bias, but I still think the Mainland has much to learn regarding what constitutes a good show.
A Love So Beautiful was different from the moment I picked it up. It does not present melodramatic conflict for you to brood over, but instead focuses on the innocence of a teenager trying to get through the struggles of school and first love. I did not grow up within the Chinese education system, but there is something incredibly charming and nostalgic about seeing a group of five friends trudge through their high school years. Having teachers scold you, finding unpredictable friendships, secretly liking someone...A person is only naive in such a way for a small amount of time, and this drama perfectly captures that foolish yet heartwarming attitude of youth.
It only helped that the cast consisted of young, yet capable actors. How annoying is it when you watch a show about high school and the actors are in their mid- to late-twenties? And then you spend the entire duration brooding over how old they look and how nothing about them reminds you of a cute teenager. A Love So Beautiful never suffers from this issue; because not only do the main actors look young - they are. They act their parts perfectly, accurately presenting the turbulent feelings of their characters and how they grow over the course of the drama. It's difficult to find five lead actors who interact with one another with so much natural chemistry that it's hard to believe that they're acting.
But turn on the sad music - I'm done gushing about all the things I absolutely adored. Here's what dragged it down from a perfect 10: as soon as the characters left high school, the plot began to wander. There is a distinct imbalance between the warmth that is their high school lives and the confusion that is their "growing up."
I would like to ensure you that I don't hate the fact that they got older. It was the delivery; how the writers depicted their "maturing" that was irksome. What I found particularly problematic was how you spend over half of the drama watching them in high school - and you love it to pieces - but then you have less than eight episodes to watch them speed carelessly through cliche relationship problems and time skips. The transition is rough and the trip doesn't get any smoother. It would have made far more sense to me to either limit the story of this show to their high school years, or add more episodes to spread out their time as they age past university and through adulthood.
I simply didn't feel the magic in the latter part of the drama, which follows their post-graduation lives. It's still fine to watch, but it just isn't the same. I wanted to see the ways they carefully sort out problems between themselves and thus mature, not watch as they get angry at one another and resolve it merely because - well, merely because that's the way the writers want it to be. I did not feel as connected to their characters; not because they aren't bubbly teenagers, but because the story slowly becomes more about their problems and less about who they are. To me, their characters are one of the greatest strengths of the plotline, and as it fades throughout, so does the show's primary charm.
I would feel bad shutting this drama down entirely, since that would be unfair to the refreshing fun that it brought to me as I marathoned it. It is not without its flaws. However, it made me remember my first feelings of romance and filled my heart to the brim with both happiness and bittersweetness. It's hard to find a drama capable of such an effect on a viewer - and I'm glad this one found a way.
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I kinda prefer it to the anime XD
the actors were amazing and made the characters really believable
I gave this 10/10 because it is truly an amazing drama
lots of love for the story, acting, music and characters :D
Definitely recommend to anyone!! :D
It made me laugh and cry and is hilarious at points :3
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What to expect: a festival of backstabbing.
Don't watch it if you despise convenient plot points, because almost every single twist and turn here is exactly this.
Imagine a storyboard, an intricate and tensed network of possible outcomes. As the story flows, it forces some lines to close down. Some chess pieces are bound on their positions, limiting the movement of others. Some are taken down (destroying evidence is a recurring theme of the first half or so - which, realistically speaking isn't a wisest move on a characters' part, but it's necessary for the plot to move forward; once a deal is finished, it's impossible to restore the former status (but hey, there's a twist on this too!)).
The first episode is a gateway of sorts, filtering out the viewers who aren't for this kind of story (the controversial part is even in the official trailer). A journalist gets killed, his friend framed for it, and a judge known for his integrity blackmailed to announce him guilty. Framed man's daughter seeks the judge's help, but feels betrayed in the end and sets him up, trying to create a pressure point on him. He ends ups tangled between Taebaek law firm's all-reaching influences and her blackmail, facing an impossible choice. Sprinkle with hints of latest political scandals from real life and you have a Taebaekgate of your own.
WORLDBUILDING
There are no right choices here. It's a bleak and ruthless world in which power overcomes truth and justice can be bought. Everyone important knows each other and sits in Taebaek pocket. The law firm serves as a symbol here: it recruits its employees from the elite lawyers, prosecutors and judges by orchestrating their downfall from behind and generously offering them a place to stay. Then it feeds on their former reputation and abilities.
Many people complained that a hero introducted as just and incorruptible breaks so easily and turns shattered and 'spineless' during first few eps, but that's the point. 'Whisper' suceeds in creating a sense of encirlement, hopelessness and inevitability.
CHESS PIECES
Characters' cunnery manifests in being in right places at right time with right people and smirking knowingly. They're smart enough to forsee one or more moves of the opponent ahead, but it doesn't mean they don't lower their guard from time to time. And yes, deadpan and smirk (and furrowed brows…) are dominant expressions, but first, I don't think it was actors choice, two, there's much more to it (a honourable mention for Hyung Mook, let's hope to see more of him in the dramas).
There's no clear, progressic character development, only people being poked from different angles and reacting accordingly. In a sense, it's not about Dong Joon and Yeong Joo substantially changing at all, because those two (especially she) were badass from the start, only their means were limited. For them, it's about achieving their goals. They come to their original point, only stronger and calmer. What changes the most is everyone around them losing their comfort, realising that the rotten world they know so well affects them too, that they too could also fall prey of a betrayal, not just stage it for others, and that people they trust and love won't always put their good first. All the sense of comradery in crime falls apart.
ROMANCE TAG
There's a love line and it stopped me for some time from even starting this. (Two, actually, but I don't want to completely rob you out of feeling smart and perceptive in a first few eps.) Its existence may or may not feel a little forced. It develops gradually and for the better part of the show consists mainly of male lead spacing out watching female lead being awesome, his gaze tinted with guilt. If you don't feel like watching a drama with a romance tag, you can safely ignore that for the first 12 episodes or so and pretend they're just partners with a hostile start, reaching an adorable intimacy later [here would be a gif of Dong Joon stealing a bite of Yeong Joo's salad from her plate].
However, the important part is: they both have agency during the show, can act separately and aren't overly protective. In the end, them developing feelings for each other serves as just another pressure point.
I could say there's a 'strong female lead' (and it applies to both to various extent), but the thing is, not a single character is gender-limited to begin with. They aren't forced to act or behave like males or females at all.
Also - the poster is right. It's not about main couple and their vengance only, all four characters are equally important. I'd even argue that the other two carry the story once the things between the former are roughly settled.
What it doesn't depicts, are four fathers. There's a rivalry and resentment between Choi Il Hwan and Kang Yoo Taek and it cast a shadow on their children. Lee Dong Joon has family issues too. But all of this is treated as a mean to a purpuse.
17 HOURS OF YOUR LIFE
I tend to avoid crime/law/suspense/mystery/… dramas longer than 10-12 episodes, because stretching it further calls for people running in circles like a headless chickens and creating misunderstandings that could have been easily avoided if they just stopped and used their brains for once. Not a case here. On the contrary, obstacles come from constant betrayals on every front and people trying to protect oneself on other's expense. The pacing is fine. It takes some time to dismantle stalemates within stalemates and get enough power to force the truth. When this drama does prolong some event or a threat, it does it in such a manner to close all exits but one. For example, you can see someone soon-to-be framed for something at the beginning of the episode, but it takes some preparations to make sure that person will have little to no possibility to get out, and if s/he was taken sooner, s/he could save him/herself much easier (enters a fire destoying what little evidence have left). It's logical and kinda mechanical.
Anyway. I didn't skip a scene, which is something to brag for me these days. There was a week-long break forced with the presidental election coverage, but it's not noticeable. Recaps and flashbacks are minimal if any during the better part of the show, but there's more towards the end, because it was originally written as a 16 episode drama.
It's not super realistic in details, but uncanny in essence. The story is cleared out of all the accidental clutter and wholly focuses on the main plot and connected subplots showcasing the main players. Don't expect much of legal cases or police investigation. They do work, but it mostly serves as a setting since they don't meet mundane problems or unrelated cases. If something comes up, it's used as an exposure point, to reveal something from the past or to create a new problem that can be used against someone. Characters have only skeletal backstories - and for me it works. For many it doesn't.
Generally speaking, if you don't feel an urge to cheer for your characters, but rather shake them, throw on an arena and see who'll last, you've found yourself something to watch.
MUSIC
Tolerable and sparsely used for a kdrama standards, mostly instrumentals and background noises (clock ticking etc). Main theme is a latin chorus (with a hint to an early plot point), but it's nowhere near as pretentious as say, K2.
VISUALS
That's the biggest forte for me. First, it's stylish, two, it's fitting. It heavily relies on contrasts. Taebaek resides in a fortress-like building, a huge grey cube with slot-like windows. (Of course it has an open roof for dramatic conversations in the wind, duh.) It's interior is all glass, chromium, highly polished marble and some rough stone on the walls. Tight, dimly lit corridor leading to the owner's office ends with an anti-chamber filled with a terra cotta army and two hostess taking away all electronic devices from the guests. It's an example, but there are many locations and they all match the common theme. Interior decorations items are used within the plot. People mostly wear elegantly matte fabrics and everyone is coordinated for the sake of coherent screencaps. Even PPL doesn't hurt the eyes that much. The lighting is cold, blueish and artificial and it bonds all the scenes for the scale I haven't seen before in a kdrama. It's on par with Cruel City's grittiness and darkness or W clear division between two worlds when it comes to a coherent worldbuilding.
HUMOUR SAMPLE
'My father is not here today, they are having a praying meeting in their community, so the embezzlement of the temple funds won't be found out.'
Pros:
- Highly motivated, flawed, charismatic characters
- Reasonably smart intrigue (forming alliances and shuttering it, finding weak points and exploiting it)
- Good acting
- Even pacing, engaging power struggles, focused storytelling, clear and somewhat elegant structure
- Visually pleasing (and it's an integral part of the worldbuilding)
- Comic relief isn't overused, neither is the story too dry and serious
- not makjang.
Neutrals/cons:
- Convenience everywhere. Some things that never have any business be written take tangible form.
- Music fits the mood and action, although it ranges from forgettable to 'dear lord, not K2 again'
- Romance feels forced an unneeded.
- Not very engaging on an emotional level (there's a lame attempt of holding the viewer hostage with making one character badly sick in the middle, but I still don't really care for anyone or anything). It brings out repulsion, pity maybe, a satisfaction from people meeting their end and justice triumphing, but that's it.
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Anyway, this is my first time seeing Eugenie Liu and I instantly like her, I'm always into badass, femme fatale who can kick ass and wouldn't go into the damsel-in-distress route once the 'prince' arrived.
She has a good chemistry with Jasper Liu, and their kissing scene is bam! Maybe because this is Netflix, so less of those frozen lips kisses and this one has been pretty satisfying. This is only the 2nd Jasper Liu drama that I've seen, the first one is his first drama with Puff Kou. I think that he has matured as an actor, and if he's given more chances to do more variety of roles, he'll be one of the best.
The other characters, especially Din Din and Angie's right henchmen, Liu Guo, gives the comedy relief for this drama. It was a surprise that they were given their own storyline, which makes this drama funnier and 'more open' to other love possibilities.
Angie's fiance, Eddie Kim, is pretty hot, and the twist at the end could mean that we'll be seeing more of him if there's a second season. BTW, he also the right chemistry with Angie and you can see that sparks did fly when they meet again as adults, if I'm not so biased with Jasper, I think Eddie and Angie's storyline has a great potential.
The story might be trite, but this drama is overall fun, something that will warm you up when its cold and would give enough sunshine during gloomy weather. Since this is only 6 episodes, might as well binge-watch this.
Oh....it also has a cool soundtrack, particularly the english song they played. Anyone knows the title?
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What I most enjoyed? Kim Rae Won's character, Sang Min, is probably first place. Afterwards, Moon Geun Young. It's funny, because at first I hated Bo Eun for the way she treated Sang Min. But at the end, you can really see she regrets what she did, and manned up to it. Also, her acting is really genuine. I haven't seen many dramas or movies, but I can still say that her portrayal has been my favorite. No exaggerated facial expressions, thank God!
And finally, the story itself. I didn't see any over-the-top "comedy" scenes, or those crazy dramatic scenes you see in most dramas or movies. This was the light-hearted story I've been looking for ever since I started watching dramas. Seriously, if you're doubting about watching this, then don't. I recommend this to anyone!
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This review may contain spoilers
This may be the only drama, after Goblin, that made me cry- and I'm not much of a weeper!The story line was new and refreshing, and it was filled with moments that were relatable, hilarious and heart breaking. After watching the final episode,I came to the conclusion that this was, in my opinion, one of the many masterpieces of Korean television. The actors all had great chemistry together, especially the main leads. I really liked the way each relationship was explained and portrayed. Because if this, the last episode had me bawling my eyes out as we said goodbye to each of the staff members. Also, the ending to me was brilliant. The way that they all were connected in their next lives made me so happy as I felt like they all got the happy endings that they deserved, especially Man Wol and Chan Sung.
Don't even get me started on the OSTs for the drama. Although most of them were quite slow and emotional, each artist brought their own flavour. My personal favourite was Done For Me by Punch as I really enjoyed the music, and the lyrics had so much meaning behind them.
Overall, I can say without a doubt that this drama is an incredible story, and is now one of my all time favourite dramas ever!
P.S. I really wish that Kim Soo Hyun's cameo in episode 16 was a hint at a possible season 2?
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BEFORE YOU CONSIDER THE MDL's RATING...
I liked it. You might like it too. It's a hit or miss.The major let down for most people who didn't enjoy this was the pacing of the story. The answers to the snowballing mystery were initially given too slow. And when this happens, the audience are bound to lose their attention and forget what the original suspense was about.
I personally did not mind this. The writer still managed to hook me into the mystery. and as each week passed, I found myself growing more and more ravenous for answers. For some, this will deter them from coming back to watch it due to the lack of trust in the plot as the answers to the mystery weren't delivered in a timely manner. But for myself and others alike, this will compel us to drop all our work and chores to stream it the second it the episode is available.
This show is definitely a hit or miss. It is one that requires patience to be enjoyed. The story slowly builds up with suspence and only rewards the audience with answers until the last remaining episodes. It is really down to preference, but for me, when the answers to the main mysteries were rewarded (after sitting through 10 episodes of confusion, frustration and having absolutely no idea to what is going on in this unpredictable plot) it felt very liberating.
The acting was decent. I liked it. This wasn't a surprise as I was familiar with Cho Yeo Jung from Parasite and Kim Young Dae from Extraordinary You. I haven't heard of the other lead actors until now, but they did a good job.
The show didn't have a particularly wide range of music scores, but regardless I found the OST enjoyable, especially the ending theme 'O.V.E.R.' by Suran. The song gave me a lot of sweet psycho vibes, which suited this drama very well.
I'd say give this show a chance. As I said, you'd either really like it if you have patience, or drop it. I mean, the worst possible outcome is that it's not your cup of tea, and that's okay, at least you gave it a shot.
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