I had watched anime last year and when I found out about the movie I couldn't wait. I had fallen in love with the story and how they go about it. The movie is not fast paced since the story itself isn't. It is somewhat slow, but the almost two hours went by fairly fast all the same.
The two main actors, Matsuyama Kenichi and Ashida Mana, do such a great job acting that even without obvious caring words, they pull off showing how much their bond and relationship has grown as time passes. I also liked the acting of the rest of the cast.
The music leaves something to be desired, but for me, it doesn't hinder the story at all.
This is the first movie adaptation I've been happy with in a while, so I'll definitely re-watch it sometime.
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Sensitive and at the same time ruthless portrayal of child abuse and its traumatizing effect
"Miss Baek" is a KMovie about child abuse. Sensitively, cautiously and at the same time ruthlessly, it portrays the example of two 'victims' - a young girl and a grown up woman (actually also a man). It shows how the system prefers to helplessly look the other way, leaving the children alone in their family hell. It also illustrates how this traumatization affects their future lives, remaining trapped in their frightening dark history, still vividly present for the rest of their lifes.Han Si-mi has received multiple awards for her performance as Miss Baek. But also Kim Si-a in the role of little Ji-eun is just incredible. And the rest of the cast and production, too. Also thank you for the consistently tranquil, unexcited simplicity as well as a to the point, no-frills narration.
Highly valuable. By the way, the story is based on a true event.
------------------------- SIDE NOTE: --- Child abuse in South Korea ---
The cane in schools has been officially banned in South Korea since 2010. However, thrashing at home is another issue. Among the cases of child abuse confirmed by the police, more than 80 percent can be traced back to the biological parents as the perpetrators. To this, add the dark figure. Accurate statistics on the prevalence and frequency of violence against children are difficult to obtain, since the police, ministries, child protection centres, independent agencies, etc. each compile their own statistics, which are based on estimated numbers.
Many South Korean parents grew up like that themselves ... and still belief that children are the extended selves of the parents, kind of - not individual separate beings. Social focus is not on the rights of the children, but more so on those of the parents. Upbringing is primarily the private affair of parents and not a matter of legal jurisdiction. In this context there is often talk of the "stick of love". In fact, many parents believe that thrashing strengthens their children's character while showing them how much they are loved.
In many European countries this no less than abuse. And fortunately there is a growing awareness of this in South Korea as well. In media representation again and again one encounters scenes of child abuse, e.g. in KDrama and KMovie. It is common. However, fortunately, it starts to be more and more common, too, that this kind of violence is being socially confronted as part of the storytelling... Statstically, the number of cases with serious domestic abuse being investigated by the police is increasing. Including cases in which parents abuse their children to death. This does not imply that child abuse is increasing, rather that more cases are being reported. An encouraging sign. It gives hope that the dominance of traditional (and often abusing) parenting concepts is slowly crumbling.
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FINALLY A CRAZY TENSE CRIME GL!!!!!!
I have to admit that despite being a lesbian I can't get into gls. I think gls are still developing, so seeing a series of this quality (among many recent others) is always great. This series is a nice change of pace from your standard, almost telenovela-like gls. I also *love* crime thrillers so I have a bias and a much higher tolerance for shows like these. From the trailer, I was skeptical of the prison setting but man does it create a super tense environment!The show does a good job hooking the viewer in. It immediately starts with tense scenes and once you finish one of the earlier episodes, you're left craving that adrenaline you felt. Kae's actor, Kemisara Paladesh, does a great job in the first episode emoting too positively, like someone on the verge of insanity. Fits the character. The production quality, lighting and surroundings are well done and I'd like to give a moment of appreciation to the team behind that. It's something that stays consistent in the show and keeps people watching. They do end credit transitions too well, my favourite being when the camera zoomed out while Claire was grieving and the credits started rolling. From the 3Ds gang, Dao draws me in the most, even if she takes the backseat in later episodes. Bell is painfully innocent throughout the show which might seem like a harsh contrast to the general tone, especially when Claire and Bell get together and have their honeymoon phases. She is the main lead but I like other characters way more than her, such as Kae and Claire. Episode 2 had quite the nuance in my opinion and revealed the lore and gave depth to many characters. Made me sympathise with Dao and Top while not agreeing with certain actions of theirs. Speaking of Top, my interest in his character started to die down in the middle episodes. I was starting to get bored of him but episode 6 revived that interest in him after an extremely entertaining drunk performance of the character done by Pond Ponlawit Ketprapakorn alongside great camera work. I like Claire's case as well because I love a good sibling relationship, even if at the end you're like "damn, so she didn't have to do all that". Episode 4 and 5 were mostly romance episodes so it's good for romance-focused viewers but I'd understand if story/action-focused viewers may find it boring. I loved the imagined wedding scene between Claire and Bell, seeing scenes like that makes me happy without fail because same sex marriage (let alone being queer) is not legal where I am, so it means a lot, especially during a time where hope for it being legalised is there in the light of Thailand legalising it. Some people might say that I'm making it too political but I think I'm extracting all the meaning I can out of it. Not to mention how beautifully it was filmed and done! Their relationship is well done and makes me smile without fail whenever they're being romantic. If they ever had a major argument, my heart wouldn't be able to handle it. 2 major deaths also happen in the same episode, episode 3, which is also surprisingly early. Honestly, 3 episodes later, I completely forgot about those people. I was just reminded when I was reading back my Episode-by-Episode review to compile it into this shorter summary. Maybe their deaths could've had a bigger impact but I'm not sure how the show would do that. It does hit in the moment, so be prepared to at the very least get depressed over their deaths. The small acknowledgement of both deceased characters in the last episode was nice too. Episode 6 is my favourite. If you had to demonstrate what this show is about, this episode would be a good choice. It has everything, from Claire threatening people (my fav being her cutting Kae after she acted carelessly), Kae being officially evil, Bell getting beaten up, Top going crazy over Bell's case to Claire's back story. You name the main developments of previous episodes and this episode has the results of it. Kae stands out the most and I love her despite her being a pretty bad person. She is just so interesting, I want to study her brain. Episode 7 was the most sentimental episode, I dare say it's even more than episode 3 where 2 deaths happened. Here, the characters I actually like and have watched develop have bad things happen to them, it brings out a far more emotional response than the deaths of characters we've barely seen. If I wasn't watching it in a room with other people, trust me, I'd be sobbing.
Honestly, as much as I love this show, I have to admit that a few things felt rushed. I've watched other Thai shows before and I'm used to them being max 13 episodes, so I was surprised to see this one with only 8! So I'm not surprised some things felt rushed because I definitely expected it. I feel like just one more episode would've helped flesh out Top, Kae and the 3Ds more. For starters, Top felt very nuanced to me and out of all "villains" I sympathised the most with him. Honestly Bell's case still has me internally debating my morals. Top should go to jail for supplying the drugs but he didn't plan on stuffing the drugs into Bell's bag. I also took pity on him because his father is horrible and he just felt so... lonely? I also feel bad for anyone with a drug/drinking addiction even if they don't try to get out of those situations. It felt like he was boiled down to a bad rich guy by the end. I think the show antagonised characters too quickly and in the case of the 3Ds, redeemed them too quickly. I understand Dao stepping down because she's got a whole kid but Didi? I get that maybe Dao convinced her and Duen to stop being violent after the 3 years but before that time skip it felt odd for her to suddenly be so nice. I was surprised to see her rushing alongside Bell and being concerned for her. As far as I remember, they never really made up. In my head, their rivalry was calm but if something bad happened to Bell she wouldn't have a reason to care really and might even make a mocking comment about it. Like I get that Bell is dying, but why was it framed like Didi and her were old friends? Maybe I misinterpreted something about their relationship. Part of me also felt bad for Kae (specifically when she got beat up by the people she was supposed to be collecting debts from which is ironic lol) but she's the shows main villain. I think they could've had Kae be more evil or give more screen time and expand on her business and how it affected so many other prisoners negatively. It was satisfying to see her get beat up by Claire one last time but even I was like damn she's gonna die calm down Claire. The scene where she rooms with a rude inmate that made her clip her nails and was just bossing her around felt like very stereotypical villain consequences, like something I was supposed to go "you deserve that haha" to but I just didn't feel anything. I enjoyed her switch in personality and all the bad stuff she did because it made her so interesting, too bad it was a short period. I also wanted her goals to be spelled out so bad; was she sick of being bullied at prison? Was she going to try and get Bell "back"? Was it both? But at the end of the day, it was something along the lines of greed and selfishness I guess.
Overall, a show I don't regret watching. I might not rewatch it much but that's because it's very story and at times emotionally heavy. It's a serious show and I think my mental health would be fried if I went through that again, which is a testament as to how it really gets through to the viewer! The actors are great and even if it's quite short it still supplies the main plots very well. I can tell that the team behind this show put so much effort in so send some love to them as well :)
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Really Enjoyable but Also Trope-y with a Side of Flaws
If I rated this purely on my emotional enjoyment, I would give it a 10 out of 10: this is a fun college drama chock full of romantic feelings and character-made drama. Its premise reminded me of a toned-down version of Gossip Girl: all the characters are initially connected by a mysterious blogger who falls in love at first sight and makes them all re-evaluate their own crushes, loves, and relationships as they speculate as to the identify of this person. I had known nothing about the parent story for which this show is based on, Love Playlist, but had been drawn to early descriptions of this drama and the trailer that eventually came out.That said, when I take emotion out of it, I find story and characters that are a bit limited by traditional romance story tropes that are unashamedly invoked: you have CLEAR "nice guys/good girls" and CLEAR "a-hole [male] players/manipulative [female] witches." Their backstories can get a little cliche too with clearly-sympathetic tragedies and traditional parental issues/ambitions to succeed. I would argue that seasoned romance series/Kdrama watchers will be able to completely predict almost all, if not all of the story progression, from beginning to end, just within the first few episodes. Is this necessarily a bad thing? No, I don't think so - enjoyable is enjoyable. However, I think if you are considering watching this, you should know exactly what it is and what it is not: it's a simple, cute story about college kids' falling in love and having challenges with their relationships while going through college. It's not a grandiose, unique story with fantastical mind-bending twists or deep meaning.
There are some clear continuity errors and contrived plot points in the story - they aren't horrendous, but they are very noticeable. For a non-spoiler example, at one point a character loses their phone. By the next episode, they mysteriously have recovered it/might have bought a new one - how exactly did they get this back/buy a new one and input all their old, same contacts in? As for the contrived plot points, I don't want to spoil anything for you, so I will vaguely say that sometimes, things that happen or motivations that the characters have are way too "on the nose" and I personally would have preferred that the show be a little more subtle about it.
The acting is sufficient for a Kdrama, but notably decreased a notch from other big budget performances: for example, I found some of the crying scenes so forced and unbelievable that those momentarily took me out of the drama. However, if you put those weaknesses aside, I think you find a cast that is very believable and does a good job: this is apparently Jeong Jae Hyun's acting debut, and I honestly never would have known that if I didn't read it in an article. I wasn't a Park Hye Soo fan to begin with, but her performance will make me check out some of other works, as I loved the sincerity with which she played Ma Joo Ah. For other characters, many will recognize Roh Jeong Eui from her prior performance as NJ in Our Beloved Summer and I think you will find her performance refreshing as she definitely sells her performance as a different type of person. I also found Lee Jin Hyuk particularly hilarious as the clearly-comic-relief character who gets crapped on just for our benefit, and particularly enjoyed the straight-forward, independent person played by Woo Da Vi. Hwang Bo Reum Byeol and Lee Jung Sic round out the rest of the notables by playing appropriately hateable characters. Overall, I really enjoyed the ensemble cast.
As of writing, the OST seems to be unreleased/still coming out, but I think they did a good job. Park Hye Soo originally wanted to be a singer (she is from Kpop star) and Jeong Jae Hyun is part of NCT, so they naturally do an excellent job with the song covers featured in this Kdrama. I don't think there are any bangers that will be sung for the ages, but don't let you stop enjoying the songs that do exist.
Overall, I think this is a light, easy watch to pick up. You won't find anything groundbreaking, but don't let that stop you from giving this a try - I can't say it's an absolute work of art, but I think if lighthearted romances are your cup of tea, you'll enjoy this.
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Kento is in this but no, this is not your typical shoujo manga movie, sorry.
This movie does not shy away from showing you the toxicities and struggles of being in an unhealthy relationship. This kind of film is one of the many reasons why I've always liked jdramas. It's the lack of fear of tackling serious and heavy subjects.The couple has its up and down moments and has you questioning whether these two are suited to stay together or not. They could be having a joyful time walking together or playing games together but also get into uncomfortable quarrells at any second. Nagata's character is written to look pathetic as he is extremely insecure, egoistic and short-tempered and seemingly is merely using Saki. Him being with the vigorous and kind Saki starts to change her life for the worst as she seemingly changes as a person, her aspirations and pretty much everything. The movie then does makes you care and sympathize for these two. The chemistry between the two and the story is great and realistic.
Yamazaki Kento's character here is very much different from the usual roles he takes. He should leave the shoujo manga roles to the idols because him taking these more mature roles have really showcased his talents as an actor. I'm not even the biggest fan of him and I'm impressed by his great acting here. He also looks different and mature with the long messy hair and facial hair that he has in this movie. Mayu is no exception, she played the kind and strong Saki really well.
I can't recall if I ever heard any music here but I don't think it's the kind of movie that needs music anyway, the tone of the movie and the story was that appealing and intriguing that it didn't need any music tbh. Rewatch value is low for me, not to say that it wasn't good, I just think I've seen everything already and don't think I need to watch it again.
The ending was nothing short of spectacular.
Highly recommended.
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Revenge, corruption and longing
Compelled to write my first review because I wanted something to counterbalance some of the low reviews this drama has been getting… Melancholia is seemingly a forbidden romance between a teacher and a high school math prodigy, but the romance is actually more of a one sided longing, the teacher has no reciprocal feelings until many years pass and they reunite. The romance is there but in the background to their fight to reveal the corruption behind the elite school where they become the targets of a scandal to shield the higher ups who are behind all sorts of shady dealings. The scandal is eerily similar to the college admissions scandal from the US - wealthy (but not ultra rich) professionals obsessed with finding a back door to an Ivy for their entitled spoiled teens. Whereas the ultra rich can legally buy their kids spot anywhere (ie donate a building), these just “regular” rich strivers need to spend their money on ways to cheat the system.If you liked Secret Love Affair, consider watching this one - SLA had more steamy scenes whereas Melancholia is mostly emotional longing. Though there is a very sweet (satisfying though small) payoff at the very end. The chaebol villains in SLA bored me but the villain in Melancholia is EXCELLENT. She is awful but so charismatic - Jin Kyung is perfect. Lee Do Hyun is totally believable as a lonely teen who gravitates towards his teacher, the only person who actually makes an effort to help him find his passion for math/life again after a tragedy. The physicality of him as a teen vs. him as a man is on point - there is no mistaking him as a boy after the time skip. I am sad that it seems underrated - it’s definitely worth watching
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I found this drama as I was looking for a teacher-student love story. I quite liked it. The beginning was very funny and romantic, and as usual in this kind of plot the middle part was really heart-breaking. (I'll let you discover the end by yourself :p) I would have rated it higher than that (maybe even 9/10) if their teacher-student relationship was their only obstacle. In my opinion, adding family issues was a mistake as it could have been a plot for an altogether different drama about impossible love. Nonetheless, it's still a pretty good show and I enjoyed it.
Edit : I rased my rating to 8 in my personal watch-list (7 before) since this drama grew onto me after a few rewatches, mainly the beginning of the drama.
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TL;dr: I started this show and dropped it after like 2 minutes, because I was so annoyed by the style and biased by the negative opinions of others. But then I saw an edit and wanted to give the show another try... and I fell in love! We really need to care less about other's opinions when it comes to shows, because I watched so many shows that a lot of people dislike, while I enjoyed them. What a pity, if I would have missed all those gems!My Love Letter to Bed Friend, lmao:
I'm a huge huge huge fan of expressed consent, because this topic is really important to me. I also don't like to be touched without permission, so shows which tackle this topic are kinda special to me, because it's not often addressed. I just feel seen when this topic comes up, and I really really LOVE it. Furthermore, I giggle and smile like an idiot whenever this topic comes up in a show.
King absolutely respects Ueas boundaries with no doubt. He asks for permission and takes him serious. He isn't frustrated or annoyed by Uea stating his boundaries and saying "No". Not only that, but he gives Uea the time Uea needs to open up. That made me so happy and I smiled every time. But King also doesn't shy away to vocalize very clearly what he wants and needs. But he also makes clear, that he doesn't want to pressure Uea and respects any decision Uea would make, he is endlessly caring, patient and understanding. Nonetheless: It's not like King is only simping for Uea. But he gives him safety, and that's what Uea needs after all he went through. At the first look, it seems like King puts more effort in it, but he is just the more (talk)active part, who takes the initiative, because Uea is really careful and cautious, what is totally understandable.
The respect they have for each other is just so nice to see, especially since consent is still a topic that many people don't take seriously and belittle it/laugh about. So seeing a show portraying it that way made me really excited, glad and happy, because I can relate so much to Uea.
Good communication: Both leads reflect and apologize! Not one-sided attraction or love. That's often missing in other shows, but here it's stated as mutual in so many scenes, and I love it. They both see when they made mistakes and both take responsibility for it and don't expect the other one to apologize or take the blame. You can absolutely see that they BOTH want to be together and how they put effort into it, to make things work, to understand each other, listen to each other and support each other. It's healthy, mutual, full of respect, dignity and effort and I. Am. Whipped.
King literally devours Uea with his looks in every scene, and I love it. He looks so proud, attracted and whipped for Uea in every shot and I. Am. Melting. Get yourself someone who looks at you the same way King looks at Uea. That's so heartwarming. Overall, Nets acting is just really impressive to me. There are scenes where he only breathes in a specific way, and I'm like "Damn, he expresses so much right now" I could totally see and feel every emotion that both of them wanted to convey.
The acting could be a tiny little bit better here and there, because sometimes it felt a little bit off/stiff. That's also because the pauses between the lines, when they talk to each other, are sometimes unnecessarily long…but that's so little, that it didn't take away from my excitement and love for this show.
Also: Important topics get addressed, just as safer sex, STDs and testing, boundaries. Overall, their communication is just really wholesome, like I explained already.
Ultimate Plus point: No "love fixes all" trope. Yeah, King supports Uea all the way, but Uea puts work in it himself in order to get better! He works for the processing and healing of his trauma! Again: wholesome. He doesn't rely only on King. He doesn't think, just because King accepts and likes him the way he is, he doesn't have to change anything anymore. Furthermore, he works constantly on different things, he grows and he opens up, step by step. The development is great to see!
Likeable support characters: Jade and Gun are great friends, especially Jade. What a cutie patootie! I know…a lot of people dislike characters like him and I can totally understand this, but I love Yim (I fell for him in Cutie Pie) and maybe that's why I have a soft spot for Jade too. I knew that Tutor will appear in the last episode, and I still smiled from ear to ear when he was finally there, because I am just abnormally whipped for them, and I am really excited to watch their story in Middleman's Love, even though I heard a lot of negative things about the show. The other people in the office are also funny and entertaining, and I laughed multiple times when Faii and Muay appeared. You really have to like characters like them to find them funny, and I am surprised by myself that I wasn't annoyed by them.
Funfact; I started Bed Friend a while ago, to get a quick look how the vibe is, and I didn't even make it through the introduction, because I was so annoyed, LOL. And now, I am absolutely in love with the show, the cast and everything. x)
Low angst: Obstacles get solved pretty quickly. It's not dragged, it's not getting boring. I love that! The pacing is absolutely to my taste. Every time when I watched a preview that shows some drama/obstacles, I was afraid. "Okay, that's the moment, where the show will f*ck it up. Now there's drama incoming, and they will drag it :(" but nope, every episode I got surprised again. The problems were solved quickly and nicely. Maybe for other people, too fast and unproblematic, but I absolutely loved this.
Lovely Soundtrack: The lyrics for the OSTs are very fitting, what I also like. It's great to think back to a show, when I listen to the OSTs afterward and the lyrics tell the story again.
Relatable characters: The characters make sense. Their behavior is understandable. Uea is absolutely not annoying! If you understand trauma, you also understand him. People who say he's annoying just don't understand what trauma does to someone. I can absolutely relate to him, and he is probably my favorite character ever. I love how he teases King and how King loves every second of it. But I also see the little moments, where Uea steps over his shadow and pushes himself out of his comfort zone, to open up to King and give him something back. To show him that he trusts King and wants this thing between them just as much as King wants it. They also share some lovey-dovey moments, where Uea doesn't joke around, just to tease King, but gives him serious the confirmation King asks for. It's a great balance of teasing, but making clear that he wants him too. Bratty characters are often written in a frustrating way, because either they never admit that they like the other person, or they take too long to admit it. So it can get annoying pretty easily. Characters like this have a high chance to frustrate me, because I want to see a relationship that shows me a mutual love story. I'm not interested in one-sided love, but shows with bratty characters have a high tendency to fail to deliver this, because it's easy to miss the chance to turn the characters' behavior just slightly, so they don't fail to sell me their love. But yeah, like I said, Uea nails this balance and his teasing always comes off as very loveable, without the intention to hurt King or make fun of him in a disrespectful way and the serious moments always come off as very sincere and lovely.
The Ending: Usually I don't like time skips at the end, because I feel disconnected from the story. It is just not connected to the rest and the smooth flow is lost. But in Bed Friend, I didn't mind them much. Maybe because they happen on a casual basis, so it was kind of part of the whole vibe. I also don't like it much when they pack the last episode full of sudden happy events. Like wedding, Pregnancy (well, more in straight dramas, but if you know, you know) etc. It just feels kinda off. I know that dramas don't need to be realistic, and I don't have this standard either, but somehow it often feels like too much and not fitting to the rest of the story. It feels like the writers try to use everything to push the happiness to the maximum level. But here again, I didn't mind it at all. I am so in love with KingUea, that it really made me happy, that they got the full package of a happy ever after in the end, because - especially Uea - they went through so much shit, that they just deserve every inch of happiness they can get.
Bed friend became an absolute comfort show for me. I enjoyed every second and I love love love it. I felt so relaxed, watching the show. KingUea are both freaking attractive, cute, adorable and sweet characters. The show gave me so many tropes that I just LOVE and adore (and don't find often in other shows, so I was even more excited). I was glued to my screen, devouring the show just like King devoured Uea and I definitely don't regret it.
Kudos to everyone who actually read all of this. I don't even know how this could have happen. That's for sure my longest review ever. :'D
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This film is about details. From small gestures, to quick looks, ringing of the telephone and shots of the clock to show the passing of time, it allows you to venture into a unrequited love story that's not painful but not overly dramatic. Kar-wai channels his use of details to move the story forward without too much effort just with simple rain, simple change of clothes or simple montage that exert such beauty it takes your breath away.
He knows how tell a story not through grand dialogues but through body language which is through cinematography. Not much head space here, much head space there, blurred wall here, never showing the face there, it leaves you guessing but also doesn't leave you in the dark. You know what's happening because it's being shown before it's being told. Repetition is also key here. Repetition blends well with time which blends well with setting and ultimately dances around the story.
If Chungking Express' aesthetic is filled with exotic colors, In the Mood for Love is vibrant and exhilarating with different colors even exhibiting some traces of noir style. Similar themes with Chungking, In the Mood for love portrays a more intimate type of longing, one that's filled with utmost desire that excites us through actions and not words spoken. We are plagued with a nostalgic 60s Hong Kong setting detail by detail and it entraps us into this alluring tale filled with cinematic beauty including slow motions and simple focus on blowing smoke; it is sexy without needing to be.
Maggie Cheung and Tony Leung exhibit such tension that we feel the love without needing to do anything passionate. Cheung's beauty transcends while Leung's restrained depiction is admired. There is delicateness present when they act together that just leaves you hungry for more. Of course this is all made possible by the soundtrack, handled by Shigeru Umebayashi. The music exerts feelings and flirts with Kar-wai's mastery of cinema together with the actors' vivid emotions makes everything a complete package.
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I fell in love with the main leads & felt their love developing. I loved the parents & grandparents. I also loved how meddlesome the mother & brother were.
The oST was so so. I would re-watch this one. You should not miss it.
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“Charming” describes much of this series well. Contract marriages are nothing new to our beloved world of dramas; surely, viewers could also point out dozens where the unavoidable presence of an outsider begins to positively affect a fractured family. But what made Prime Minister and I quite nice was not any presumption of originality, but rather its lighthearted, laid-back shuffle of quirk and classic cliches.
Pacing between dramatic, romantic, and comedic elements typically held up well. There was even a refreshing honesty between characters and even quickness of resolution that I rather enjoyed. Da Jung (Yoona) interacted so naturally with Kwon Yul (Lee Bum Soo) and his children; this entire group of characters were a joy to watch, especially together. Early episodes might have exhibited cinematographic awkwardness, but any such issue was quickly ironed out. Basically, until the final episodes, few problems presented themselves.
All that changed with the poor handling of a certain plot point. As a result, the last three or so episodes seemed to develop anemia. The innate charm still existed, but the drama became paler, poorer, and less fun. This happened to various characters as well. One moment had me sad the series was ending, the next wondering what went wrong with the basic rhythm of the show. Even with this unfortunate turn of events, Prime Minister and I stayed cute and entertaining for most of its run. Even with the big anti-climactic "blah," I have no regrets having watched it to completion.
Lee Bum Soo has often been described to me in glowing terms. It’s shameful, but this is actually my first encounter with him. But what an impression he made! His Kwon Yul felt fully realized and remarkably attractive, despite being depicted as a little stiff and unbending by the writing. Warmth and gravity is important for romantic leads, and he delivered well. Leading lady Yoona generates controversy whenever the subject of her acting pops up. Many say she improved from previous encounters, but my own inexperienced commentary to this point would be useless. For the most part, I found her Da Jung likable and found no real problems with the portrayal. She worked well with Lee Bum Soo; there *was* chemistry, just the quiet sort. Scant physical contact, as well as script failings, dashed the potential in this case.
Yoon Shi Yoon broke my heart somewhat. Not because of anything that befalls his Kang In Ho, but rather the role itself. Character trajectory makes it difficult to like or sympathize with him much, even though the actor looks great and performs well. Ryu Jin (Park Joon Ki) is also gorgeous and caught my eye more often than not, but suffered from the same problems. Returning to the positive, all three child actors were not only perfectly adorable, but competent as well. Little Lee Do Hyun as Man Se, need I say more?
Several instrumentals caught my ear over the course of Prime Minister and I, but truly memorable tracks landed with the vocals. These include two very nice ones from SHINee’s Tae Min (“Steps”) and Yoo Gun (“I Love You To Death”). But as with the cinematography, I found some musical choices a bit messy in initial episodes.
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“You’ll lose the one in your hand, trying to catch the one on the run.”
I actually…the more I think on it…genuinely liked this movie. Jinyoung acted his socks off, and for this, I think his future in acting will be rewarding and he’ll develop quite the repertoire. He isn’t just a pretty face.While I liked this movie, it is dark for a Korean movie (if you’re used to watching their romance comedies and typical melodramas). But if you’ve seen your fair share of revenge flicks, and a good mix of British/American independent movies, you’re strong enough to watch “A Christmas Carol”.
The ending is satisfying enough to leave you pondering about your own life. What do you take for granted? How important is the goal you’re so dead set on completing? Do you want to become those who’ve hurt you?
Although you provide support to those you love by putting a roof over their head, actually showing them affection and support matters. Also, you must think about society, and who it’s left behind. Sometimes it’s even simply best to leave the bad guys getting their just deserts by fate and bad karma alone. No need to carry it out on your own and with force. There’s a favorite quote of mine that says something about choosing to forgive because it’s best for one’s peace of mind. And I consider this sentiment along with the idea that sometimes it’s best not knowing. It’ll drive you crazy.
Having said that, I must mention that I’m an identical twin, and this movie did hit home for me. There was one scene in particular that actually made me cry because I’d hate to see my twin sister in a pretty terrible situation due to the fact that she couldn’t share with me what was hurting her. Sometimes I hurt my sister’s feelings, and lash out at her due to stress. I’m so goal driven, but I hardly stop to take care of myself. So, how he pushed away his brother made me look at myself. Never take your loved ones for granted.
If you’re simply a fan of Park Jinyoung, or like a revenge flick…you’re in a for a big surprise. At first you may feel tricked, but in the end you will realize it was worth it. This movie will stay with me for quite sometime. And maybe my sister will one day stop asking me, “Why are you still going on about the movie? I thought you said it was too dark? I don’t want to see it.”
Therefore, I believe it’s a great watch if you’re a fan of movies that are different and make you think. Rewatch value depends on the individual. But the older I get I believe I just might re-watch this in the following years. Whether to see how far Park Jinyoung has come in his acting, or to remember why this movie has stayed with me for all these years.
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This review may contain spoilers
Take Care of the Young Lady/My Fair Lady is one of those dramas that begin on a funny/light hearted note and end with a melo/romantic note. The plot revolves around Dongchan, a former gigolo who owes a ridiculous amount of money to three loan sharks (whom I dub as the Three Stooges because they are honestly more comical than threatening). He plans his way to pay the debt by becoming the personal butler of the extremely wealthy and egotistical Kang Hyena.
It surprises me how some people were not able to see the chemistry between the two main leads. Yoon Sang Hyun and Yoon Eun Hye won the Best Couple Award for this drama. So, its safe to say that the duo won't disappoint you. In the beginning episodes you'll probably not like Hyena. For one, she's verbally insensitive to those around her and has no qualms with being quick with the hands. Then along comes Dongchan who quickly puts Hyena in her place... though he suffers for it both verbally and physically.
Now you all are probably saying to yourselves "How can I get behind this romance when one is abusive?!" Well I'm here to tell you that that abuse doesn't last very long. I wish I could do a more in depth review but since this site has a "No spoilers" policy then I'll try my best to keep shut with certain points. As the story progresses, you realize and see for yourself that Hyena is not a bad person by any means. All she is is just spoiled. Lets take a look at Hyena. Hyena was born with a sliver spoon in her mouth. She's filthy rich and with a snap of her fingers she gets what she wants.
When you watch the drama, you realize that she doesn't have any real, TRUE friends. Why? You could say it is because of her personality and that she has an air of superiority around her but try and look at it from her perspective. Hyena doesn't trust anyone. Why? She's rich and because of that fact she FEELS like she can't trust anyone. Hyena has that little voice in the back of her mind telling her that the only reason a person will ever get close to her is because of her money. I'm not rich but as I watched this drama I could see why Hyena would close herself off and be distrusting of others.
When it comes to Dongchan, he's a down to earth kind of guy who has made some tough decisions in his past. Your heart will ache a bit for him when you learn the real reason why he became a gigolo and ended up in so much debt. His relationship with Hyena has many funny and touching moments. Dongchan too realizes that Hyena is just a spoiled brat and instead of becoming her enemy, as he had planned, he becomes her friend. Their friendship gets to the point where Hyena feels she can't even go a day without him by her side. And from there you know the usual K-Drama formula of the two eventually falling in love with each other.
What I loved the most about this drama was the relationship between the two leads and how they truly fell in love. Dongchan is very hesitant since many would view him as a poor man with a shady past. He is willing to give up his love if it means that Hyena will be happy. Hyena on the other hand refuses to let go and pretty much says screw what other people think.
What I disliked about the drama... though not exactly relevant to the main plot, there are a few parts where characters mention Hyena's ex-boyfriend and its kinda left up in the air for the viewer to figure out what happened. Overall I'd say its just a nitpick.
Also, the supporting characters Eui Joo and Taeyun are great as well. I always chuckled a bit whenever Eui Joo would say or do something funny and in turn would make Taeyun smile or laugh.
The music is great and meshes well with many of the scenes. Fun fact: Yoon Sang Hyun sang two of the songs in the soundtrack. One of them is a duet with Yoon Eun Hye. Both of them have beautiful singing voices.
I would recommend to those that are interested in this awesome drama is to give it a chance. When I start something, I finish it. Maybe I won't finish a drama right away but eventually I will. Hope you all enjoyed reading this review and take the time to check out this drama.
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Am I exaggerating? Sure. However, this drama surely exceeded my expectations! What a refreshing drama! Action, Comedy, Crime, Investigation, Amazing female lead... It's a great package! This drama became something I looked forward to every week.
The acting.. Seol Ok and Wan Seung's chemistry was over the top! It'snot even romantic! I love how they argue, their personalities and roles collide, the (flirty) banter! They're my parents and I love them so much no one can stop me. Supporting characters are amazing! They definitely make the drama colorful and flavorful. I love Seol Ok's smart, witty and brave yet clumsy at the same time.
There are cases that were dragged a little too long... Especially in the first episodes, I honestly didn't mind since I was enjoying everything so much. However, there are certain I wished they went more in depth.
I am seriously expecting a season two. I'm not hoping, I am expecting. Divorce must be done(Ok, I'm hoping this)....Overall, a fun drama! It's stress relieving. If you like comedy and crime or a fun drama in general, give this drama a try!
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What an underrated, unexpected gem.I highly recommend, give it a chance! You won't regret it.
I give it 10/10! If I could I would give it 20/10! It wasn't the most perfect drama to ever exist by any means, it had multiple issues but! It made me VERY VERY happy! Constantly and consistently from beginning to the end, on multiple fronts.Amazing casting and acting. All the characters are very human and down to earth. None of them were perfect and all of their flaws and plus sides were shown equally in every ep. Sometimes they are progressive, sometimes not, but the show never judges them too harsh and instead sheds a sympathetic and understanding light on them which added SO much gravitas and strength to their characters.
It showed that period dramas can have women that are more than the "weak, pitiful, purpose is to marry well and make babies" stereotype and the "21st Century feminist who doesn't give a damn" stereotype.
Marvelous Women ladies were none of those, and both of those and also more at the same time. Even the most minor character got their own storyline and it was integrated well to main plot, so it wasn't forced or distracting.
From the premise I mainly just expected a typical pretentious Yu Zheng drama about Suzhou weaving and a dash of GL, but it ended up being quite the thoughtful discussion about period typical sexism, patriarchy, misogyny, polygamy, sex work, what does it mean to be "virtuous" and where does the woman's choice lie among all that, and much more to various but quite satisfying degrees.
I think it just shows how rare this kind of storytelling and how much I've been craving for it, when I think back about my initial impression of this drama, how unsure I was about what to make of it. I couldn't even pinpoint that this was exactly what I wanted at the beginning! Because I haven't seen such a work in so long, I was unused to it.
And now I think it spoiled me for period dramas. I'll be subconsciously judging and dropping 2x more dramas than I used to in future.🤭
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