Reviews

Love and Redemption

Okay... Love and Redemption is a true gem!! It’s an utterly beautiful & unique show. It certainly did not disappoint as the story progressed. Instead, it became even more mesmerising.

Main Leads love story is magical, gut-wrenching, and yet so wonderful. Their love encounters various frustrating problems. Xuan Ji is literally the most powerful FL I watch in a Wuxia drama. And her boy Cheng Yi (Si Feng) really outdoes many ML in similar drama. Watching him and Xuan Ji, I felt happiness, sorrow, anger, and pain.

The rest of the cast was excellent as well. Everyone put everything they had into Love and Redemption, and it paid off. I am just so amazed at this show that it literally blows my mind. Like... How did they do it? 59 episodes and zero dull moments? So absurd it’s laughable 😂😂

Overall, this drama is absolutely incredible, from the story itself to the diverse characters.

Acting/Cast: 10 > Story: 10 > Music: 10 > Rewatch Value: 10

MY FAVOURITES:
[1] Si Feng > [2] Teng She > [3] Brother Liu > [4] Wu Zhiqi > [5] Xuan Ji > [6] Yuan Lang

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Recognizable, Real, Bittersweet, And Hopeful.

If you've ever felt taken for granted in a relationship with someone you love, you'll probably understand the character Fumiya easily. If you've wished you could go back to the start of a relationship, this series explores that "what if" in a way that is thoughtful and realistic even though there is an element of fantasy to the premise.

The relationship and characters were so recognizable in multiple ways that every moment and emotion resonated. For me, it was a little emotionally difficult to watch at times because of this; it brought up a lot of my own bittersweet memories. There was hope and sweetness too though, and wonderfully nuanced acting, and I binge-watched it without pausing or fast-forwarding. [Update: I even re-watched it 3 months later and still loved it.]

What I like about many Japanese BLs is that everything is *not* always spelled out for the viewer. The dialogue and internal thoughts are realistic in that way.

The story starts off at the peak of a fall-out that seems unreasonably abrupt. As the story progresses however, we are intermittently shown memories of Fumiya's that show both the good times of their relationship and what lead up to the fall-out.

The psychology, emotions, and actions of both characters are things I've either experienced or seen and are very realistic. (I have not known anyone with selective amnesia but that plot point doesn't change how real the rest of it is.)

I see in reviews that many people don't understand Fumiya, but the screenplay and acting continuously give us breadcrumbs to his experience that were more obvious to me, so I thought I'd share a general summary of the character's psychological state:

The main point, is that Fumiya's growing hidden hurt means that any small new hurt triggers ALL of the past hurts, *whether directly related or not*! This leads to abrupt mood changes and shutting down or blowing up, even over seemingly small or mundane things. In addition, accumulating frustration can lead to resentment and biterness, which comes through when Fumiya snaps out something harsh. Eplained more below.

The cinematography is good, the differentiation between the present and flashbacks are clear, and the music was very emotionally fitting without being obvious.

GENERAL SPOILERS below.

The way Fumiya reacts to any type of praise may be subtle, but is extremely telling. There is surprise, small pleased smiles, shyness in the way he ducks his head or eyes flit around, biting or compressing his lips to hold in just how good it makes him feel, and an eagerness to do more. There are similar reactions when Ritsu gives him attention or makes him a priority in situations where he has learned to no longer expect, or even hope for, it.

Fumiya has been feeling increasingly taken for granted and of low priority to his boyfriend for a while. His major flaw is he doesn't know how to talk about this and keeps his frustrations bottled up; he says okay, that's fine, I'm not mad because he wants to keep the peace.

On Ritsu's side of things, he has not been intentionally trying to hurt Fumiya, but has made work his highest priority and has fallen complacent in his relationship. Like he says to Fumiya though, he won't know what's going wrong unless Fumiya tells him straightforwardly. Ritsu can tell there's friction but Fumiya often says 'it's okay' when Ritsu asks questions or apologizes.

The only reasons why this got a 9 instead of a 10 from me had to do with the last episode. This episode felt rushed (unlike the others).
1) I liked how the turning point for Ritsu was triggered, but his conclusion felt a little contrived to wrap things up quickly (what was there to be "afraid" of about sharing that part of his past?) Though it gave a symmetry or balance to things, it didn't quite make sense.
2) I wanted more time with them together at the end processing the relief of reconciliation. I also needed more time seeing them moving forward together for my own emotional state to transition to a more hopeful equilibrium after going through all the heavy feels. I feel emotions really strongly though, so this may not be as much of an issue for others.

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UNDERSTANDING LOVE AT A DEEPER LEVEL

What is love ?
Is unorthodox love accepted ?

We are represented by the people around us and judged for the same .
Whether it's family , work or personal everything holds a view and opinion .

This drama is really wonderful .
You would see lots of people being dissatisfied with the ending .
But the director had the guts to convey what really happens .

Are you the kind of a viewer who watches an idealist romance ?
Everything has it's ups and downs .
This drama portrays the good and the bad with such convenience that it's baffling .

All the moaners in the review are immature to accept the beauty of this drama .
( These are all weak people and not smart . Like you average viewer with the disability to assess and tell diamond from carbon )

This has an indefinite ending .
Coz people really don't have answers for everything .
Life and relationships are stories .
And not all stories have a definite ending .

It does get slow but the director is giving you time to think what you could've done in that situation .
This drama comes with an art of reflection for what to do and what not to do .


PS : Cinematography is one of the key element of this drama . Purely phenomenal !

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Most people are gonna say that this drama had a "slow start". While watching this, the only thing that kept popping in my mind was the thought "damn, this is legitimately the best first 3 episodes of ANY drama ever". I recommend watching this show just for those episodes alone. The show would be perfect except for a few downfalls it had at the second half of the series.

1. Some of the incredible comedic interactions were slightly replaced with some generic rom-com lovey dovey stuff
2. The ending for certain two characters did NOT make sense at all. It felt like the writer just tried to make a slightly bitter sweet ending with those two.

In all other aspects, this show was amazing.

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Cute, funny, moving

My Love Mix-Up! is high-school setting BL done right. It does not try too hard to be original about teen love, and it does not end up being silly. Instead, it's a cute, light-hearted comedy that manages to be sweet and moving. And it is very well made.

The misunderstanding that starts everything is cleverly used to show something about the main characters. Aoki's kind, lovable nature in admitting to Ida that the eraser with Ida's name is his so as to save Hashimoto from embarrassment is clear from the start. Although he has a crush on Hashimoto and is disappointed, he does not react with toxic jealousy. Ida's serious but open-minded nature is also seen in how he reacts to Aoki's "crush" on him. There could have been a love triangle, but the revelation of another misunderstanding resolves things nicely, enhancing the general light-heartedness of the series.

Apart from the romance, the friendship that develops between Aoki and Hashimoto is a nice touch as they encourage each other and comfort each other. In general, the world of My Love Mix-Up! is simple and innocent. Surprisingly, there is no pretense that homophobia does not exist, and the series does not ignore the issue. But it addresses it without becoming too serious or dismissive of the issue.

Much of the series' funny moments depend on Michieda Shunsuke, who plays Aoki, and he is pretty good with them. At the same time, he is able to restrain himself from exaggerated expressions in the moments that are not meant to be funny. This makes the character a nice contrast to the straight-faced Ida.

My Love Mix-Up! may be a series that makes us wishing for more of its goodness, but the ten episodes are nicely paced and nothing feels rushed. The ending is satisfying, and here is no cliffhanger for a potential second season, though I certainly won't mind one as long as it is equally good and doesn't ruin things.

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First of all - cute movie!
the movie is based around the family bonds and relations: the older brother that protects her sister the best way he can through any hardships, the man who protects them as if they were his own, etc.
not only does the movie concentrate around the family but also around friendship, new encounters and as well searching for the meaning in life (in my opinion)

Very nice movie with great acting!! the little girl who plays the sister's role is just amazing..even though she is small and does not have experience in acting...she was able to bring the character to live with the help of the other casts :)

The scenery is just beautiful throughout the movie. The bicycle ride just brings to many different places that enriches the standard of the movie :)

Just to mention the movie is set in the country side meaning that the situation of the families and the life does differ from the city life. It is set in a much poorer area and one might not like the fact that all characters in the movie speak with an accent

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This review got REAL wordy but I could help myself, I really loved it!

OVERALL:
This is BY FAR one of the best shows I have ever watched PERIOD. There is a little bit of everything, from romance to action to drama, it's all here. I literally just finished half an hour ago and already want to show this to all my friends. The story and characters fit so well and whoever wrote the script is an absolute genius. There aren't many shows I can binge-watch, but this show caught me from the very first episode and kept me hooked 'till the end. Even if this doesn't seem like your cup of tea, I highly recommend watching at least the first episode.

STORY:
Oh boy, where to start??? Like I said before I was hooked from the beginning and couldn't stop. The characters are so deep and the messages that are portrayed throughout the storyline were weaved in perfectly to create only what I can describe as ART. Not only that but the show wasn't smothered out by romance either. It was more subtle and natural which I really really enjoyed! Neo, Shin, and Miw are brought together by dangerous circumstances and together they work towards their freedom. But the way the storyline builds and the more you dive into each of the characters, the more you fall in love with them. Even the supporting roles had their own stories that made you feel so many emotions. I really give props to the scriptwriters, directors and everyone involving in creating this wonderfully meaningful and action-packed story.

ACTING/CAST:
Let's just start off with me saying the casting choices were SPOT ON! Joss (Neo), Tay (Shin), and Mild (Miw) did an amazing job embodying these characters and really brought them to life. When they cried, I cried. When they laughed, I laughed. You could really feel the chemistry between all of them. And for the supporting cast, first of all, IM SO HAPPY, I GET TO SEE GUN (Tur) HAVING SUCH A GOOD ROLE! after watching so many BL's with him either not having lines or having very little lines, it was so great to see him portray this role as a hitman. He did very well, and he and Jennie (Mae), were a great pair. Jennie also played such a deep character that I really commend her for. Overall, the casting and acting were brilliant!

Side note: I believe this is Joss's debut as one of the main actors, and he totally KILLED it! I can't wait to see more from him!

MUSIC:
I don't really have much to say about the music from this show other than I REALLY enjoying the opening theme! It was very dramatic and intense. Perfect for the show.

REWATCH VALUE:
Definitely 10/10 would rewatch multiple times! it was just THAT impactful and memorable.

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If Women Ruled The World...

This drama is just bursting with hope, positivity, empowerment and fluff... while it does have some common ground with other dramas within its tags... It stands out for it's slightly naive execution mentioning a lot of the issues that face mostly woman both at home and in the workforce by making it seem just a little bit to easy to overcome these and move on... Something that can be really dangerous in real life yet felt good at the same time...

The relationships and especially the romance in this drama are slow paced, slightly frustrating at times but it also leaves time for things to change, showing us that thee is a process behind every change, with ups, downs the regular cliches... Making this more of a business, self development, friendship type of drama while the romance gets to take the passenger seat... or maybe even the car behind the friendship... with lots and lots of groundwork, great chemistry, bickering fun that does not really seem to end...

What i l loved the most about this drama was how they showed the importance of a nurturing environment... As a person needs support to find the strength within... The toxic environment will more or less kill you, and it is hard to develop on your own. But Jus meeting one person who believes in the good in you may just change not only your life but also the people around you... fluffy, lovely and all nice giving me butterflies and making me just feel all good inside... even without the romance.

There are some parts that seem a bit boring here and there, I am not sure how necessary they actually were for the plot but seeing how everything comes together is actually pretty impressive.

Bingeabilaty: 9
Power to the women: 10
Romance: 8
Friendship: 9
Annoying characters: medium low
Consent: it has a unicorn but also a pretty bad way to handle the unicorn so,.. maybe an 8

A show i do recommend, just remember that not everybody has access to this type of environment, but it is nice to dream now isn't it... so go dream away, do not let me stop you...

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I regret watching this one because it was a bit too long and also kind of messy. BUT there were also some redeeming qualities overall.

Likes:
- I liked the fantastical elements even though the graphic effects were bad. I enjoyed that there was some mystery to it as well as mayhem. Was it done well? Not super, but it was cool that it was there
- Soundtrack was not too bad, props for creativity on storyline and the mythology as well!

Dislikes:
- The reveal of the villains :( Not worth it as I rooted for them at the beginning
- Main female lead was a bit annoying and at times watching her and listening to her was insufferable, but it got better towards the end when she found her footing.

Watch if you're bored, but tbh can skip. If you want a run down of the story, PM me lol.

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La suerte está echada

There are quite a few Spanish references in this drama, so it’s only fair that I pay homage to it by giving my review a Spanish title, which was referenced in the closing scenes of the final episode and translates as, “the die is cast”.

Sinister Beings is a TVB police procedural that focuses on the HK law enforcement system, specifically the police - through the departments of Organised Crime and Triads Bureau (OCTB), Criminal Intelligence Bureau (CIB), and the Special Duties Unit (SDU) - and the justice system via its prosecutions division. It also features vicious terrorists, shadowy triads, corrupt tycoons and their conglomerates, genius computer hackers and the elusive dark web, high-flying unscrupulous barristers, greedy investment fund managers, deeply disturbing sociopaths as well as psychopaths, and plenty of beautiful seductive temptresses. In addition to police investigation, action and crime, this drama has plenty of romance (including love triangle), slice-of-life and showcases themes of friendship, brotherhood/ bromance, and certain scenes/ side stories of an “adult-oriented nature”. This drama really does have it all.

For regular TVB drama viewers or at least those who are familiar with their offerings, this isn’t groundbreaking content for the typically formulaic crime genre that has been done countless times. But, while many similar productions in the past are a hit-or-miss, for the most part this one has been quite well executed albeit not without flaws. The technical aspects are commendable while recycled plotlines feel somewhat refreshingly updated rather than dated.

For the uninitiated or newcomers to TVB productions, Sinister Beings would be great as your first HK drama. This is especially so if you’re a fan of the police investigation and crime genres.

What I Liked

The cast. The 2 male leads are veterans of the industry and their experience truly shows. Ruco Chan (Sun Sir) and Ben Wong (Nic Sir) elevates any production with their finesse and approach to interpreting characters. With the former, you know you’re in for action-packed sequences while the latter gives us nuanced portrayals. Both of them have their own little moments of bromance which were endearing to see. Rosina Lin (Wing) is much more understated here while Crystal Fung (Ana) is somewhat more vibrant as a Spanish-speaking South American-raised overseas Chinese. I particularly enjoyed Joman Chiang’s depiction of Hazel, the highly competent and professional lawyer. Jonathan Cheung (Marco) and Moon Lau (Rachel) put an interesting spin to their colourful characters. It was a pleasant surprise to see Michelle Yim and Chin Siu Ho in their guest roles, among many others who were involved.

The action. Blazing gun battles, unarmed combat sequences, and car chases are depicted throughout. The choreography, stunts and pyrotechnics are generally well-rendered.

The cases. In addition to the overarching mystery and main investigation of terrorist attacks, we have a number of other unrelated criminal cases written in. They include armed robberies, high-profile kidnappings, murder mysteries, gangland warfare, cultists, and arsonists, among others. A number of the cases are quite cleverly written and compelling, although a couple of them seem quite generic.

The romance. Not all of it but in particular the relationship between Nic Sir and Hazel. I had fun watching these two dance around each other, where I felt that their interactions were portrayed in a very mature and relatable manner. They even have their own “couple OST” in the form of Masha Ray’s Sweetheart, which brings along a certain quirkiness to their scenes at times.

The music. I’m quite enthralled by the mood-inducing tone of the ending theme, the slow-rock ballad Secret Garden by Hana Kuk. The original music score accompanies some of the more emotional scenes, instead of stock music. There are 3 tracks in general:
Adversity (逆襲) by Hubert Wu
Secret Garden (秘密花園) by Hana Kuk
Hasta La Vista by Masha Ray

What I Didn’t Really Like

The slice-of-life. Particularly aspects involving Wing’s mother and her obsession with her daughter’s wedding as well as meddling in her personal affairs. Most of her scenes are fillers which take up more screen time than was necessary.

The love triangle. This side story dragged too long towards an unsavoury conclusion. I honestly feel this prolonged and slightly melodramatic arc is redundant and overshadows the main story at the tail end of the drama.

The adult-themes. Scenes of seduction, cosplay and role-playing, sexual innuendos are becoming a norm for TVB dramas these days. It wasn’t always like this, while even C-dramas and K-dramas in general are not as explicit with such depictions. I know TVB is constantly attempting to reinvent and modernise its productions to attract viewers in sustaining drama ratings. This is made all too obvious with the inclusion of a great many scantily-clad voluptuous women in plotlines that incorporate gratuitous sexual behaviour and violence.

Overall

Sinister Beings is one of the few TVB dramas of late that I’ve found really enjoyable. It maintained the momentum of its pace and, as a result, sustained my interest over a large part of its run. But as is typical with its formulaic approach, the ending is always rushed to accommodate elements other than the main story. There are even rumours of a sequel, depending on the success of the drama. Because of the earlier-mentioned dislikes as well as the bittersweet nature of the closure, my overall enthusiasm was slightly tempered towards the end. What could have been an 8.8 ended up being a 7.8, which still represents good value for your consideration.

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Boring Mess

It was a boring mess. I never warmed up to the ML and I preferred Si Yeol much over him. The mystery part was way over the top in the first half of the drama. It was obvious what the writers wanted you to believe - so many obvious (and weird) red herrings. The FL was bland with no other characteristics than being kind.
For the first half, it felt like the writers added the romance as an afterthought while in the second half, they completely threw any mystery out of the window. Even with the mystery it was bland but without it, there was nothing to it anymore.
While it was very mid and hollow throughout, I was hoping that at least the ending would be satisfying but it was disappointing. Important motives were changed, characters blamed other characters for stuff that doesn't make sense and in the end, I had the feeling they could've just completely left ML out of the story and it would've had the same outcome.
I'm really disappointed in the story writing but the soundtrack, colours and production quality was really good. Wish they would've casted actors with more chemistry and hired better scriptwriters. Missed opportunity because the idea has potential.

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CHECK OUT SOMETHING ELSE BEFORE WASTING YOUR TIME HERE

Honestly Episode 0 was the only decent thing about this romp trying to pass for a series... If cheating and whiney people is what your into, look no further. Firstly, the protagonists are awful; One is an airhead that can't get over being ghosted after a 1NS, while the other is dude who thinks its okay to sleep with whatever breathes and says he "might be in love" with the some guy he ignored for 3 months.. Secondly; the supporting characters add as much to the story as crumbs to bread... in the end they just fall away and don't matter.
Honestly I think the people who made this must have been smoking the same crack as the guys who made Physical Therapy / Dark Blue And Moonlight. Give this a pass and save a couple precious hours of your life. You can thank me later.

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An Epic. Nothing more to say

"Nothing Gold can Stay"

I have no clue what that means.

I always loved to watch Chinese Movies.
There is much to learn from China's Rich Culture. I wanted to watch a Chinese story from a common person perspective. Majority of the movies/series that comes out are related to their dynasties or some warrior movies and their politics. I wanted to see how a common person lived in that period. This series depicted that so well. I was lucky to stumble up on this series. Wonderfully put together. They took their time to develop the characters in the story. The actors and actress were simply superb.

Warning: This series is very addictive and you may not sleep for days until finish the series.

Around the world power corrupts, china is no exception. You see some of that weaved in to the story. Last three or 4 episodes, I could clearly see things were rushed to complete this epic series. Cast were reduced to few main characters except for few scenes. The story was also moved along quickly. Having said that, this is a fantastic series and you should watch it.
I have re-watched some of the episodes to get a better understanding of the story.

This show was free via Amazon Prime, not any more. It is available in youtube, quality and subtitles are not up to par.

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The world is not ruined by the truth

The King's Letters gave a fascinating glimpse into the creation of Hangul, the Korean alphabet. It was set in 1442 with King Sejong the Great determined to do something for his legacy as the sands were quickly running through the hourglass of his life and reign.

The Joseon court was largely ruled by ministers and scholars schooled in Confucianism and Chinese writing. They were not at all interested in developing easily learned phonetic letters for their language. Sejong wanted all of his people to learn to read and write which would have meant more competition and a threat to their power and positions.

King Sejong was not to be deterred. An envoy of Japanese monks arrived demanding the Tripitaka, the oldest collection of Buddhist scriptures written in Hanja on over 80,000 wooden blocks. A series of dots connected him, with some help from the Queen, to the Joseon Buddhist monk in charge of the Tripitaka. Sejong discovered the monks could chant, read and write in Sanskrit which was based on phonetic letters. His Eureka moment occurred after years of failed attempts to create an easy and useable alphabet. Promising the monks he would build a temple in the capitol if they would help him with the alphabet, an uneasy alliance was formed.

Much of the film covered the monks and king working through their language and breaking it down into a total of 28 consonants and vowels. Instead of memorizing thousands of characters, what they were developing would make it much easier to be literate. Sejong wanted the letters to be elegant and concise like geometry using only lines, dots, and “facets”. The major conflict of the story was keeping what they were doing from the Confucian court. Due to conflicts with the Buddhists during the Goryeo Dynasty, there were hard feelings on both sides. Most of the tension, however, dealt with the ailing king fearing he wouldn’t live long enough to not only create the letters but also to spread their use so that they would be protected and take root.

Spoiler alert! Of course, they succeeded as we all know. Sejong did end up giving the Confucians credit to try and gain their support. It took time for the “vulgar” or “women’s” script to be accepted. Thankfully, women and fiction writers used it as well as Buddhist monks which kept it alive until it took hold. In 1849, it was adopted as Korea’s national writing system. Even the Japanese during their occupation who outlawed it, couldn’t kill it.

The King’s Letters did tend to slow down and become repetitive in the latter part. I am enough of a documentary geek that this felt like an enjoyable one only dressed up and with excellent acting. Song Kang Ho (King Sejong) had great chemistry with both Park Hae Il (Monk Shin Mi) and the late Jeon Mi Seon (Queen So Hun). The cinematography, sets, and costumes were all lovely.

King Sejong was playing the long game, he wanted an educated people who would only make the country stronger and more enduring. His vision didn’t come to bear overnight or even in his lifetime, but he planted a seed that did take hold, blossomed, and bore fruit. Is still bearing fruit. A legacy of knowledge which can break down class lines and open communication is not such a bad legacy after all.

10/10/22

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From the title and the description, I expected something totally different. There was barely any story, except maybe the last episode. A lot did not make sense to me, for example, the doctors role or why Wu Suo Wei lived there, that could have been because of the really bad English sub that I watched, I don't know. There was no chemistry between the main characters and I really don't know what that was between them because they just called each others names and then Chi Cheng groped Wu Suo Wei, who fought against it. And this over and over. That's basically what this is about.

The actors were alright, even though the roles they played were ridiculous.

Music was there, but I don't recall it.

And I will certainly never watch this again.

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