This review may contain spoilers
Huh. I don't know how I ended up watching this movie but I thank youtube for having this on the "related videos" sidebar!Story | Suzuki Saya is an office worker in the event planning department for a hotel. She's always having to be corrected by her strict and straight forward boss, Tsuge Susumu. What seems like out of left field, the two begin a relationship and along the way they both learn some valuable lessons about themselves. A very typical Shoujo manga plot. In other words, another cliché, but I am a person who doesn't get tired of such clichés.
Acting | Can we just all take a moment to appreciate how beautiful Takei Emi is. She's always been pretty to me, but it was extremely refreshing to see her play a more mature, non-student, older role. She still had the goofy, cringe worthy type of moments but I quite enjoyed her as Saya. I don't believe I've seen Okura Tadayoshi in anything so at first I didn't even realize it was him. Strangely, I loved his character and how he played it. He was a type to hide his emotions and he acted that out well and when he did need to show emotion he showed a nice amount that would seem believable for his character. Chemistry wise, for a movie, I thought it wasn't that bad and it was presently on screen. Things kind of just happened so I was like "oh, okay well..okay." but they had so many moments where I honestly thought they were adorable together. Supporting cast, I really liked Saya's hotel coworkers, especially her two close friends. They had small roles but somehow played a bigger role than I had anticipated.
Music | Besides Kanjani8's song and the use of a Disney song, I don't think there was anything besides instrumentals. Kanjani8's song was a nice touch for the ending credits.
Rewatch | Not anytime soon, but I know I'll come back to it some day.
Overall | For a live action based on a manga, I thought it was actually pretty decent. My only complaint is I wish they used Hino Haruki's character is a better way. I don't really know how to describe this without spoilers but I thought his character could've been used to help others character developments, well, more than what was given. Other than that, I don't really have any other complaints. This was a simple and cute movie. Not sure why the score is low, but give it a try!
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Yet, I just finished watching the last episode and couldn't resist putting my inputs right here in this space, because this drama with its simplicity worth even more than 10.
I didn't watch the previous (Mi wo Tsukushi Ryouricho) drama specials and I have no clue how it look like, that's why I am not going to compare between them here, obviously - Just saying if that's what you are looking for.
This drama is very light, warm, soft and has a smooth plot with a episodic story-line that develops into nothing but a happy ending, where Mio shines and succeeds - as it's mentioned in the synopsis.
Yes, the main mission and the beginning of the story is all about looking for a missing person, yet it's basically a side event which doesn't really interfere with the main character's development and her success in the culinary world.
If I want to pull my thoughts all together, then I would say that this drama has a lot between its lines, great moral stories and many things to be inspired by.
Mio is a true role model with her hardworking, determination, dedication and fortitude, as she battles countless obstacles such as the difference between her own city Osaka's and then Edo's cooking style, the gender racism, the jealousy of her rivals, and many more, she stays strong and fights for her right to succeed and chase after her dream and fulfill her passion yet she never fails to remain ethical and moral, soft and feminine, kind and nice with a child-like smile in her lovely face at the same time.
All the good people around who supports her tremendously & whom she considers like a family and more. They all go through a lot together, they fight with the haters & they face major disasters, but they stay strong & undefeated and they help each other to overcome all of it.
The long-distance friendship with her childhood friend, their commitment and their faith on each other is so priceless as well.
The pure delicate affection that's exchanged between her and that charismatic Samurai, their adorable interactions without even using the word (love) frankly with each other, it's also something I always look for and enjoy watching, such a noble and decent love is really common in Japanese historical dramas - the last five minutes in the finale is everything, got butterflies in my stomach while watching it.
The story takes place in the very old era of Japan, so all you see is a historical filming set with the old woody stuff, tiny unpaved roads and the chonmage. But those are very slightly focused on though, as the main place is (Tsuru-ya) the restaurant, where our cook devotes her time and efforts to make it the num. 1 restaurant of Edo, so it's the pots, the ingredients & the served dishes what pop up in the screen all the time. It's cozy and feels so warm to my heart indeed.
Kuriko Haru is shining in the drama industry, it's lovely to see her grabbing the attention with her bright acting skills, although she seemed to be Toshiko from Tenno no Ryoriban who got jealous of her husband's success and ran away to take her own part in the culinary world and prove herself - that was a pure joke, you may go ahead & laugh.
Her acting is so effortless as she sinks in her role and brings her best that I sometimes tend to forget for a second that it's only an acting, she's growing bigger & bigger for sure, and she's definitely standing out among all the crowds now, happy for her.
Narumi Yasuda indeed was irreplaceable, although it was my first time to watch her performance but she really grabbed my attention with her genuine acting.
Nagayma Kento, Oh that smile! and what a bright and adorable character! I couldn't help but have a crush on both of them, him and Moriyama Mirai from (Water Boys) - he has grown to a rippana ikemen otoko though!- sadly he is so underrated actor who deserves more attention & love and more of main leads, this guy is genius, at least in this drama to me, I could feel how he devoted himself in his role, and was attentive to put the details through his body-language and facial expressions, which were so genuine and so effortlessly composed, I just hope he will get more of main roles in more interesting dramas in the future, because... the guy deserves it!
The whole cast was brilliant, everyone has done so well indeed, but the only who I resented his existence is Kimura Yuichi, I am not sure if I didn't like his personality or his acting, but for me he was an annoying extra character.
The music, not major but lovely, pleasing overall & well suited with the drama.
Rewatch Value, I think YES, I will get back to this if I ever wanted to see the slight romance that goes between our two main leads, it's heart-warming and makes you feel comfortable in a strange way.
Go for it if you love watching cooking dramas, Japanese historical stories, listening to the old Japanese accents & want to have a good relaxing time and watch something uplifts your morale at the same time.
This drama is very sentimental, if it doesn't hit that thing in your heart in the first two episodes then you might not enjoy the rest, for me, this was a very pleasing good ride, had enjoyed it so much that I watched one episode after one constantly, this is definitely my cup of tea and my cup of coffee as well!
Dewa, I will stop here and go to pray for a second season.
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Well Rounded
For the storytelling, I surprisingly really liked the balance between the OTP romance, the political struggle and the side characters on this drama. I personally don’t dig the prolonged side characters romance story cdramas often give nor the often long-drawn power struggles featuring countless ministers and princes you don’t care for. But I can’t stand anything too fluffy without a convincing set up when the plot is politically driven. This, managed to stay focused yet convincing throughout (except first episode perhaps, where they lacked context horribly). In short, I like the length lol.THE ONE THING I LIKE BEST about this drama is how it’s NOT TOO ANIMATED, the characters were actually all normal people without being too unrealistically lively, silly, cold, villainy, etc; and the prod team breathe life into the dramas by little scenarios like (minorrrr spoiler) how they went to the court palace at the wedding night cos Feng’s curious (without neccessrly any consequence), even in ancient turbulent times people course of actions during idle times don’t differ too much from us, this drama recognize that and it’s what made it poignant. As they allocate the screen time for those instead of happenings, the drama itself was rather the ‘platonic’ type, I’m a sucker for those but I can easily see it could be boring for some.
Some side characters make illogical and questionable decisions I could get by. I rather like how the FL is an obedient girl, as I’ve always wondered how a Confucianism-taught noble could turn out to be a rebellious brat with modern ideas in many other historical c-dramas. As for the conclusion of this drama, I myself was satisfied, it ended how a prequel should.
As for the production, this is an obvious top tier. The SCORING is movie-worthy, and I dare say the best I’ve seen in c-dramaland, the canon reprised for a costume c drama? That was also interesting. There’s no room for doubt in the acting and it’s useless to sing more praises as they are.. BL and RJL . A big applause to BL though for proving people wrong for typecasting her, Shiyi was meek and even when she’s angry, she stayed resilient but not fierce; there’s no trace of her previous demoness role ppl seem to be worried about lol. The directing is on par but not too special.
Overall, it was definitely a good watch, but rewatch value is not high as the plot is nothing new, it’s just very nicely executed.
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ITSAY SOTY
Hands down to the producer and all the crew that works behind this series is beautifully done the cinematography the script the chemistry everything scream perfection itsay really made other bl series that i've watch became plain that's how impactful this series to me it hits hard. Also BKPP!!! both of them are such amazing actors their chemistry are insane how they executed every scenes are so impressive. I love how they didn't even need to talk much or even have a very long make out and bed session to show the se*ual tension just subtle touch, glances already made the audience feeling their chemistry im so so proud of them and they totally deserve all the recognition for their hardwork. ITSAY is highly recommended 100/10 i must sayWas this review helpful to you?
Surreal
I don’t know what I expected but holy shit, it’s weird. I didn’t even know it was a boyband show until halfway through. Sure I started watching for Xiao Zhan (who plays just the most uncomfortable awkward guy I’ve ever seen) but by the end I was watching because I had to know what weird shit the writers and editors were gonna pull next.Do I recommend it? I have no idea, it’s an absurdist art piece, I couldn’t always tell what was comedy and what was just bad writing. But when it hits? It hits. Truly epic.
Xiaoming best boy.
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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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1This review may contain spoilers
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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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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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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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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This review may contain spoilers
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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