Lessons in Listening and Life!
The drama focuses on the experience of a college student Kohei, who is hard of hearing and his classmate Taichi. While the plot may not be ground-breaking, it somehow excels in character development. It also respectfully handled the topic of disability.The heart of this drama for me lies in the individual development of Kohei and Taichi after meeting each other.
It sensitively portrays Kohei's struggle due to hearing impairment and how this impacts his interactions with others and his sense of self. I liked how he socialized and made friends, finally coming out of his shell after meeting Taichi. It was absolutely a delight to see him smile.
Taichi, whom I would call a sunflower in human form is one the most precious characters I have seen on-screen. His vibrant and compassionate nature breaks through Kohei's defences and yet somehow managed to find his own path and a sense of purpose in life. Although he needed some lessons in self-worth along the way, he managed to make it through. I enjoyed his interactions with his two friends and the way they both were supportive of his decisions without undermining him.
The dynamics between him and Kohei were portrayed with nuance and authenticity. Their relationship/friendship evolves organically. Taichi doesn't only sympathise and support Kohei but also challenges him in certain ways that encourage personal growth. On the other hand, the way Kohei slowly learns to trust and engage with Taichi reflected a touching journey of self-acceptance.
The way those two interacted - whether laughing, having deep conversations or sitting quietly beside each other for support felt so genuine and unforced.
What (sort of) disappointed me was the last episode or how they handled the 'love' in the love story. As a slice-of-life drama, this was 10/10 for me, but the confession from Taichi felt completely unrealistic and rushed considering how obtuse and oblivious he had been to Kohei's feelings and his own. Seemed pretty out of character.
Another character who felt completely unnecessary was Maya. Her heart might be in the right place, but she still needs to learn about respecting boundaries and some manners. I do acknowledge her struggles, her care and protectiveness towards Kohei but I feel almost all the time her character was saying things which were/are uncalled for! I was hoping she would be a positive catalyst in the story but to my surprise, I don't think she contributed anything substantial other than some jealousy here and there.
Overall, it is a compelling watch if you consider it as more of a slice-of-life narrative rather than a love story where empathy and understanding are the driving force.
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dong hoon and mi hee are hitting a rough patch in their marriage. currently in the early trimester of her second child, mi hee has no idea how to tell her husband this brand of news, especially since the two are emotionally strained. dong hoon on the other hand is used to focusing more on his work while hiding away from his daughter, so won, whom he doesn't know how to connect with. so used to the ritualistic happenings of life, this family finds themselves being brought together by the horrifying news of their daughter's assault, struggling to heal when an outside force rips away so won's innocence.
i was sitting in my room last saturday with my word document flashing words of a crap essay that was supposed to be due wednesday. upon getting a notice that said i didn't have to exert myself because the deadline was moved to turnitin.com for tomorrow at midnight (bless the life of my professor), i thought to take a crack at something on netflix.
i was in a mood, okay? an instigating emotion that made me want to watch something that'd inevitably pull at my heartstrings. when i read the netflix summary for "hope", i thought: why not? i'd watched other movies just like this, but none executed the emotional delinquency as greatly as this had.
i couldn't breathe. i literally COULD NOT BREATHE. i found myself sitting there on my bed thinking the whole time "how the hell can this be true?" because it just can't! there are some really sick, twisted, and insidiously evil people to exist in this world. "hope" proves this to the fullest degree. the controversy's that surrounded this case regarded - first and foremost - the defendant's "state of mind", or so it was put forth as an argument. the fact that he committed these acts when drunk was actually something that the jury and judge took into consideration. it's completely outrageous and makes you want to reach out and punch someone in the face. because this is a child whose innocence was ripped away, who almost didn't make it, and can never lead a normal life again.
this movie is packed with some serious triggers for all of you sensitive hearts out there. be warned that though nothing is shown, they speak very graphically of the details that went on. what so won went through made it hard for me (someone who can handle literally anything) to keep watching in some instances. don't be fooled. though this is movie has been rated and reviewed highly on mydramalist, netflix, and more, it still packs a punch. be warned before you sit down and try watching this on your own accord.
now i'll speak a little on the way i've rated this. this story itself is based off - as i've said - the nayoung sase in '08, thus why i gave it an outstanding percentage. it's a story that we should all be talking about and looking at. it opens your eyes to the court system's rulings in korea along with the struggles of this family trying to get back to their lives while adjusting to what happened to their innocent daughter.
lee re, who portrayed hope, is really the star of the show. she's outstanding and mature in such an extraordinary story. sol kyung gu, who plays dong hoon, shows so much power in this movie as a father, it was just phenomenal. there's shock, sadness, betrayal, rage. no emotion is truly left untouched in this piece. the father/daughter dynamic between hope and dong hoon is worth it over all else. the only reason why i won't ever dare to watch this again is because of how traumatic the events were. i'm not saying this is a bad movie! my ratings and review in itself proves otherwise, but the sensitive topic is too much for me.
this is a masterpiece. anything else i say can't even compare to what i've seen. and if you have a care to see the beauty in something so hideous, then you should try it out with a lot of tissues.
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STORY:
It is a mini drama with only 5 episodes so it was a bit fast paced. It's about who music producer who went on hiatus then decided to come back and gathered a bunch of hidden gems together to make a new idol co-ed group. They all had some issues to deal with so the producer sets out to find ridiculous ways to get them to overcome it. This show made me laugh out loud a bunch of times. It's a bit cliched but I like cliche. :D
ACTING/CAST:
I always like seeing idols expand their wings. I like how they can showcase their other talents other than singing. Lee Suhyun was the reason I watched this but then I enjoyed watching the others too. I've never heard of Kwon Hyun Bin till I watched this drama. I haven't seen Produce 101. I've seen Kim Hee Jung in other dramas before. I knew Hwang Seong Eon looked familiar and then while I was looking at her drama list, I saw that she was in Love For A Thousand More, which is another one of those dramas featuring YG artists. Kim Min Kyo is always funny in the other dramas I've watched before. Kwon Young Deuk is really cute in this drama too. Haha as Chanhyuk is just funny as hell. Can't help compare YZ's CEO to the real YG though.
MUSIC:
I really like their debut song, Red Carpet. And I also liked the song Hyun Bin sang in I think the end of episode 2 and the song that Suhyun sang at the end of episode 3. I also liked Ice Cafe.
REWATCH VALUE:
Definitely.
OVERALL:
I gave it a 9. It's not the best mini drama but it's definitely worth watching.
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A wlw Chinese short film that will make you want more.
When will we finally get longer wlw historical Chinese fiction? I love those short films, but I dream of more. But we have to do with what we have and what we have right here is a very short, 4 min, short film with some known faces like Shengwei who you must have seen if you've ever fallen into the rabbit hole of wlw historical Chinese short films.I am weak for good red and white colour coordinated outfits and this short film gives us that along with a taste of a larger story and a developing relationship between a stern general who wants to appear unaffected by this amnesiac young woman who stirs feelings inside of her and said amnesiac young woman (we do love a good trope in this house). There is so much potential, so much story that could be developed if only we had more than 4 minutes. There is even a cliffhanger at the end (which I hope will get resolved in a later short film or even better a longer show so we can get some backstory).
The costumes, as per usual in those short films, are visually appealing. The contrast in colours between the different characters works well and does a lot of the heavy lifting to help deepen the undeveloped story. I also wish they did not have to resort to contrived plot points to show some intimacy between the women, but such is the lot of queer mainland Chinese productions.
A solid watch if you're looking for your next historical Chinese short film of the wlw variety, it will make you yearn for more.
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This was my very first Thai lakorn! I fell in love with it from the first episode! I’d always wanted to try to watch one to see if I would like them, and this one came highly recommended for a first time lakorn watcher. It’s a cute rom-com, each episode just helped it get better and better!
This lakorn introduced me to Por Thrisadee – an actor who I definitely want to see more of after this drama! I loved him as a country guy, found his character adorable and cute. Paired up with Ploy the two of them were a great couple and the acting was done pretty good! I learned that in lakorns actors often come back to work with each again in another drama, and I’d like to see another drama with both of them as leads again.
And Pued! So adorable! He’s going to be a ladies killer when he grows up – such a cutie! I think he was my favorite character.
Dick was a dick. That is all I’ll say about him. Out of all western names he could have chosen he picked that name. It suited him very well. And Pathum got on my nerves a lot.
All in all though – the acting was good!
I loved the main songs to this lakorn! Even the annoying "Phee Poo Yai" by Buddhist Bless. It got stuck in my head a lot while watching it and they played it so much! But I loved the other songs – “Khao Kue Thur Chai Mai” [He Could Be The One] by Demi and “Hai Chan Doo Lae Thur” [Let Me Take Care Of You] by Nam Ronnadet was my favorite!
I can see myself rewatching this drama sometime. I really enjoyed it – it made me laugh, frustrated me, but at the same time the friendship was great and the love story was cute! I just have too many dramas I want to watch right now to rewatch it.
Overall – for my first lakorn I loved it! I’m glad I started off with watching this one. It also helped introduce me to the language. Thai used to sound very foreign to me but after watching this lakorn it helped me start to break that foreign barrier and begin to recognize the sounds and even a few words here and there. I’d recommend it to anyone who’s looking for a cute love story (:
~~Originally posted on The Dramatards
Even two years later I still have good thoughts about this drama, it was a fun ride and made me want to continue watching lakorn.
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People's voice
Since I am still learning English, I would like to apologize for any grammatical mistakes.I watched this drama thanks to @ataraxy 's review.
The drama is set among the first of the two periods of the Eastern Zhou Dynasty, named "The Spring and Autumn Period".
This period was under the "fengjian" governance system whereby nobles - according to their functions and ranks (Duke is first rank) - , had authority over their states. Therefore, power struggles arose between different states as each of them attempted to defying the state of Zhou (in which the capital is located).
The story revolves around the states of Wei and Chu and follows Wang Chan, a political strategist who serves the people with his unwavering faith, wisdom and sense of justice.
The characters see their lives intertwined in the schemes elaborated either by themselves or others. Driven by their own or their state interests , we'll see how far they can go to fulfill their ambitions. Through friendship, loyalty, betrayal, love… The tight plot keep the viewer focused since the first episode till the end.
When it comes to political strategy, not everything can be told in words, especially when friendly or romantic feelings are involved. However, the actors managed to convey emotions by communicating beyond words, this is why I think the characters are perfectly portrayed. I was moved by all of them since they all have their depth and motives. Besides, the romance (about 20% of the drama) follows the progression of the story without taking over the main plot.
The story is mature, unexpectedly dark, there is violence and torture, but also humor, love and faith. There is no annoying character or illogical decisions taken out of nowhere.
To conclude, I would say that this is the story of people who stand up for each other and fight for what matter. This is also the story of people who fail (in friendship, love, politics...) and pay the price. Finally, this is the story of ordinary people doing something extraordinary : fighting for what is right, no matter the cost.
This drama is phenomenal. What an emotional rollercoaster.
P.S. « Cai ? Cai ! » I cried so much.
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I dropped this when it was airing coz at that time I was viewing Nirvana In Fire, so my taste for legit dramas had skyrocketed, and PA's lighting was insanely bright that it looked like a "not serious" drama. The filter is okay but the lighting is very historically incorrect. Everywhere is so bright.
but I finished it now and understand the hype.
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Ah, what a feel-good series!
After reading the comments and reviews, I was expecting a lot of fluff, and that is exactly what this show delivered. This is truly a show with lots of heart, romance, and on-point comedy, one that is guaranteed to make you smile and cheer at least once.It is a simple love story, almost entirely focused on the OTP. Where the show excels is with its romance and phenomenal chemistry between its two leads. Both Matsui Airi and Itagaki Mizuki are great in their roles, and I can really feel the warmth they have on-screen together. They are so cute together that I would watch this show just for the couple's interactions. Yes, I did cringe a lot but in a good way.
I like that the ML and FL are both mutually attracted at the same time even though Manatsu-san acts all cool and detached initially, and I enjoyed watching the flirty teasing, cute jealousy, and growing love between them. The almost immediate racy skinship is a plus for me since it is rare in most Asian dramas. What I truly appreciate is the emphasis on open communication in a relationship and how the couple values honesty and respect between each other.
Despite the fluff and the short length, the show is well-executed, and everything is tied up nicely in the end. The starting song is fun to listen to and lends the same tone of optimism and positivity that is infused throughout the show. I have to admit that I kept waiting for something melodramatic to happen since the show would tease the audience with hints of potential rifts or serious issues. Fortunately, matters and misunderstandings are cleared up quickly, and the serious moments would transition into sexy ones.
The cast is a bunch of good-looking actors, and if nothing else, no matter who you look at - either Ami-chan, Manatsu-san, or the other characters, the visuals are pleasing.
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Arigato! Ida and Aoki
The eraser and the misunderstanding. The supposed to be someone else love story turned into a cute mix-up! Pilot episode did a great job holding me till the end. Since EP01 until EP10, there’s no doubt that this drama make me feel extremely happy. I just keep smiling the whole time. One thing that I always do when I am enjoying what I am watching is to took several screenshots from it. My gallery will prove how fond I am from the show.IDA IS SUCH A NICE GUY –a rare gem to be exact. The way he handled Aoki and the eraser situation was something only kind-hearted people will do. He was shocked but he didn’t altered any harsh words to Aoki. He responded him with an utmost thinking of whether to accept Aoki’s confession or not. If only all guys acts like the way Ida acted towards Aoki’s love revalation, maybe people like Aoki may avoid a painful rejection from the guy he liked just because he is gay.
Ida-kun in a rolled white-school-long-sleeves with a loose necktie is so sizzling hot! With his kind personality and duality of either being a hottie or a cuttie, I therefore conclude that Ida is such a perfect boyfriend material.
Aoki on the other hand is the character I closely relate to. In the world where hetero relationship is labelled as “normal,” people who likes the same kind of gender tend to be really scared to even avoid speaking this kind of feeling to their friends. Some people can’t bring themselves to speak up and be honest with their sexuality to others, not even themselves. That is why I cried a lot when Aoki finally open up to his best friend, Akkun. It is really a blessing to have a friend that you can freely tell to them everything, even liking a person who have the same sex with you. I love how Aoki and Aida’s friendship was been told, supporting each other no matter who other person likes.
Aoki the cutest and the kindest. After their confession scene at the camping episode, every scenes were definitely a screaming-with-joy moments knowing that the two of them are real boyfriends now. Those beautiful smiles of Ida brought by Aoki’s action is absolutely the sweetest thing ever. His minimal laugh was sexy and appealing. I love him, we all love him, but most importantly, Aoki love him the most. On the episode where the appearance of a temporary new teacher –changing his attitude after knowing that Aoki is gay, make my blood boiled up. But thanks to this, we see that Ida is that gentle boyfriend who will protect you and let you be dependable to him because he doesn’t want you to be sad on something. Also, Aoki who will protect his lovelife and not letting other people say something bad about being in a homosexual relationship is the bravest thing to deal with homophobic person. I am glad that in the end, the teacher has been educate about this kind of relation.
From the special episode, aired before the release of the last two episodes, I am so happy to hear that Ida’s small and soft gesture of caressing Aoki’s hair from time to time has became a big topic in Japan. It trended and called as IDA-PON (Pon means touching or poking something.) Their first date was one of my favorite episode. I can feel how amazingly high their chemistry is with a consistent connection since the pilot episode. The highlight scene for me is when Ida is supposed to change his clothes on Aoki’s side, then Aoki were in panic because he’s too shy to see Ida’s angry abs. That was a funny clip for me, an exquisite one.
There’s only a few scenes where we see Ida being jealous and it was an adorable moments to see. Ida’s facial expression when he found out that Aoki has a little crush on Hashimoto before was the cutest! In spite of that, Hashimoto and Aoki became real besties now. This girl has a pure heart even after mistakenly knowing that Aoki has the same crush with her, she was so cheerful to accept her rival. I am also grateful that a person like Hashimoto exist in Aoki’s life owing to the fact that she’s a trustworthy and comfortable girl for Aoki to talked about his relationship with Ida, the same way Aoki help her with Aida. Hashimoto and Aida doesn’t have the best side couple story but both of them has been a great help to Aoki and Ida’s relationship; they’re truly a wonderful friends to have. Along with Ida’s volleyball friends who are kind too. I hope more and more people will be just like them, who is sincerely open on accepting homosexual relationship.
Ida and Aoki relationship has also some downfalls encountered. The misunderstanding or conflict thoughts were fix immediatle, proving that they have a healthy relationship.
The final episode is a real game over! When Ida say “I LOVE YOU” to Aoki, I hold my face so tight and cry in great silent. That was an insanely lovely scene, Ida finally giving Aoki a reassurance. The last scene is a happy ending indeed. Aoki borrowing Ida’s eraser and saw the text “Aoki (with a heart)” on his eraser bring me too many emotions. It all started with a eraser and ended up with another eraser, no misunderstaning, no mix-up, just being real with their feelings.
OST’s is as great as the drama. The fact that both Michieda Shunsuke and Meguro Ren was the one who sang Kieta Hatsukoi OSTs alongside with their respective groups are so cutely amazing. Snow Man’s Secret Touch and Ubu Love by Naniwa Danshi are the two songs that has been added to my favorite songs in my playlist. No doubt that it were one of the best Japanese song I’ve ever heard.
I never thought that after “Cherry Magic: Thirty Years of Virginity Can Make You A Wizard,” there were another Japanese drama that I am been so attached to. Kieta Hatsukoi began its first episode on October 9, 2021, a year after Cherry Magic first episode well released as well. Destiny is really doing its job making this coincidence to happened. Both drama is an all perfect score for me! The OSTs, acting, visuals, chemistry, and everything about these two shows are a masterpiece. I am always so grateful for Japanese BL for having a Kurosawa and Ida as the perfect boyfriends ever existed in fiction and live-action, as well to their ever loving and caring cute boyfriends, Adachi and Aoki.
To those who read this review until my very last paragraphs, thank you so much for making time for me. I am just super happy to be able to wrote feedbacks from the show that made me feel so much happiness. Let us live our life always seeking for our happiness that we deserved. Ida and Aoki thought us that love is purely love regarding what kind of sexuality we have. I wish everyone the best in their life! Arigato!
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The family drama was solid and there were enough twists and intrigues to keep things interesting. The performances were pretty decent too. Probably the best part of the drama was the characters. Sure, some of them were cliche evil characters (see the stepmother) but overall the main ones were strong. The clash of the two main ladies was well orchestrated too. However, the male lead was overshadowed and his story had only some screen time towards the end of the drama. Also, the romance, although subtle, it was not necessary as it didn't really have time to progress. Finally, the ending was pretty good.
So, overall, seven out of ten.
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This review may contain spoilers
a light watch!
This is my first ever review hehe so bare w me !Why Women Love is a very light, comedic, packed with clichés and the typical tropes drama. For people who enjoy what's mentioned, will def have a good time going thru this! I personally don't enjoy a lot of these type of dramas but since I've been stressed out from school and stuff, this served as a stress reliever to me, thus, I happened to have a great time watching it!
The story goes with the ML being younger and the FL being older. They meet, and happens to be in a boss-employee relationship. The FL is well-known for being a great woman in the business circle, developing an app regarding love, but she herself is unaware of and inexperienced in love. She meets the ML who's an "expert" in making women fall in love with him. He helps her understand the true meaning of love.
Wang Ziyi playing as Gu Jia Xin rlly got me! This is my first time seeing WZY since idrk him huhu, forgive me. But I think he played the role well with GJX being "immature", proactive, and flirtatious.
Jin Chen's Zhao Jiang Yue, I also liked v much! She's v prettyy! She played the female boss well, who's a "mature," outstanding businesswoman, but "immature" and knows nothing of love.
I just love both leads a lot. Their chemistry is on point. At some scenes they acted so well that it looked so natural,, i feel as if some of their dialogues were ad-ons which made the cp look real.
Most of the side characters were not able to catch my attention, excluding Qian Jing Jing and her husband. And Li Yan Ran was just vv annoying. A little spoiler, the "villain" that out of nowhere, swoops in, just is impossible to be considered a good antagonist. Technically, just gave this an 8.5 for the leads.
The story, as ive said is v light, so dont expect a lot from the plot.. bc there rlly isnt much. Some points were draggy, some were rushed. This all depends to the diff preferences everybody has.. Some ppl may not like this, some may rlly do. Try and see for urself!
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This film revolves around a prostitute telling her story to a mugger after they get trapped together it the ATM. However her story is not one of a tragic loss, nor is it a cheap story full of erotica and porn, it is instead her revealing her glory days as a hooker and the fun times she had, leading up to her current lowly life. Granted this is not your typical story and there is some mild erotic fondling with a dash of suggestive shots, but it was such a refreshing change of pace. There are few moments when she seems to regret her choices in life, and she seems to honestly enjoy her job, which quenches the audiences guilt as they relish in her amusing antics, both of the sexual nature and not.
I didn't cry in this movie, neither did I burst a seam in laughter, however it did have sweet moments which put a smile on my face and also those sad in which I could truly feel for the protagonist. The relationship she forms with her clients and colleagues was almost beautiful to watch, even the most complicated clients she almost befriends over time. Her clients come and go over time and she never forgets them, its quite sweet actually. Not that I'm saying prostitution is right, it's just nicely displayed within this movie.
I do like the way it jumps around, from present day to her stories, it paces the movie without interrupting it, which is what I normally find these formats to do.
There is no spectacular acting but that does not mean they can't act, quite on the contrary. I believe this ties in with the story as there where few dramatic moments which weren't added for the comic element. As expected in a movie about prostitution, there is a lot of seduction going on but its quite mild and leans more toward sensual then erotica.
There is little more I can say apart from give this movie a chance. The poster and title do not do this story justice. It is a classic bittersweet Hong Kong movie to watch (I do have a fondness for the creations which come out of Hong Kong, I admit).
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Some ppl don't like Mick with Steph, but to me I just hella love them together I always see chemistry between those two especially in this drama, even just their eye contact or hug makes my heart drop a beat.
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