Reviews

A LOVELY school drama tackling high schoolers' troubles in an interesting and funny way. The issues discussed are common but not presented in this mature, global and non-conformist way. While we see private education's problems, bullying, sex, abortion, suicide, part-timing and homosexuality; we see them from different points of view. Everyone is free to express their opinions. No prejudice. No judgement. Though they might not agree or accept. Though they might fight and separate. They all had the right to hold their stands. But some people would try to dissuade others. Not because they believe their own opinion is right and others' wrong. But when they see someone being unhappy because of a road they've taken they try to show them the other roads. No forcing. No imposing ideas. Just as ''humans'' must treat each other.

The young actresses did a wonderful jobs. I can see the bright future of Korean actresses. Guest actors left a mark each.

Great songs. Mystery. Suspense. Tears. Deep questions. A perfect drama in each and every way.

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MY CURRENT FAVORITE THAI SERIES!!!

!!spoilers are at the very end of my review!!
okkkk get ready for a rant about how much i love this series!!!


STORY/PLOT:
- oh man! this series is just a whole rollercoaster ride with many twists and up & down moments! the plot is the key to it, it makes the series so intriguing and interesting to watch! to be honest, i'm not a big fan of thriller dramas but i have a big soft spot for supernatural dramas, which is the reason why i started watching this series. even if you're not a big thriller fan like me, you'll definitely enjoy this! the plot knows how to lure the viewers with its distinct way of telling the uniqueness of the story! i also love the way each character's ability are told, used and symbolize in their own stories!


ACTING/CAST:
can i just say something real quick? how are all the characters so likable even if they're not at the same time? like every single one of them is! ughh i just love all my babies so much!

Nanon Korapat Kirdpan as Pang (Mind Control) - alright...i'm not going to lie to you, but Nanon is the actual reason why i watched this series (i just love him so much uwu) and of course, he never disappoints me with his acting! whenever he cried, i also wanted to cry and give him a big hug! Pang's characteristics fit Nanon so well, sometimes playful and funny but mostly serious and cool.

Chimon Wachirawit Ruangwiwat as Wave (Electrokinesis) - even though, i love Nanon and his character so much, Wave has to be my favorite character! almost every character in this series went through character development, but Wave's character went through the biggest and i love seeing his development throughout! also, i am still shiook about how different Chimon can be in this series, it's so weird seeing him play a jerk-ish character after all the gentle and friendly characters he played!

Lilly Apichaya Thongkham as Namtarn (Be able to see the past of an object or person by touch) - oh yess, my second favorite girl (you'll see my first later on hehe)! she's such a nerdy and kinda badass girl, because she just isn't afraid and so brave, despite the fact that if she uses her power a lot, her health will weaken and she'll pass out. she's also loyal and seems like a very good friend who would do anything for them! and i also smell a bit of her having a crush on Pang...

Sing Harit Cheewagaroon as Ohm (Make thing or people disappear by touch) - this guy is basically one of those optimistic and goofy friends that every main character have, however more serious and a bit sentimental when needed. In which the actor portrayed very well!

Jane Ramida Jiranorraphat as Claire (Can see people's feeling by color) - yasss the queen is here! this girl is such a drama queen and i love it! Jane is an amazing actress, she always reminds me of a sassy drama queen like Claire and so this character fits her so well!

Gun Atthaphan Phunsawat as Punn (be able to copy others' skill quickly) - another one of my favorite Thai actor! in this series, Gun played Punn who has multiple personality disorder so he got the opportunity to show more of his acting skills and it is incredible! it's so strange seeing him plays a dark/mysterious character, but he is still adorable!

Puimek Napasorn Weerayuttvilai as Mon (Superstrength? she's excellent at every sport) - yeyyy it's my favorite girl! i love this girl so much, ok yea i'm a bit bias because Puimek is my favorite Thai actress, yet Mon is an amazing character too! Puimek never really gets to showcase her acting skill, but in this series, she got to and she did pretty well. if i have to be honest, her actions scenes are more memorable than her acting itself. however, i still love her and Mon!

Fiat Pattadon Janngeon as Korn (never get tired & heal fast) - i relate to him so much! he's such a nice guy that deserves the world but he always ends up getting hurt, i mean like mentally. i was like c'mon, he just want someone to truly love him! overall, i love his character and the actor!

JJ Chayakorn Jutamat & AJ Chayapol Jutamat as Jo & Jack (synchronization) - wELp the twin that gets no screentime whatsoever! maybe because their power didn't have much to elaborate into the story, but i would love to see their backstory and more about each of them.

Victor Chatchawit Techarukpong as Teacher Pom (Hypnosis) - his character plays a very important part in the story! i love seeing Victor plays a mature and serious teacher, unlike some of his past works, and which he also got to show a lot of his amazing acting skill!

Teacher Ladda - she is so badass and cool and scary too!
School Principal - i want to hate this guy so bad but i can't, i don't know why to be honest! he's so freaking awesome and so clever with his trick! he's mostly the person who create plot twists in the series.


MUSIC:
- i love how the opening song fits the theme, mood, tone, and concept that the series is going for! the sounds effect are on fleak! i don't really pay attention to the detail for music nor sounds effect so i'm not going to go into deep!


REWATCH VALUES:
- HELL yEah i will watch this again, every time i feel bored or if the season 2 is coming! i will recommend this to my friends, my brother, cousins, and everyone!


ok bai you can stop reading now...unless you like spoilers then yea sure keep on reading!



!SPOILERS!
- the ending got me so hype! the ending is so unique and isn't like your typical thriller drama where the main character that wants to make a change and did change it at the end, nope! in this series, Pang did not change the school system or win against the school principal because it is not what the series is about, it is about not giving up! in the end, you'll see Pang tried and failed, got his memories erased but when he got his memories back he did not give up! therefore, season two here we goooooo!

- if you're watching the series and is worrying about the characters being normal again after getting shots with the serum that can 'make their powers disappear' then don't worry! those are actually just vitamins hehe..because they can never get rid of their powers, it's actually innate!


here are the character's abilities details and their side effects, if you're interested!

Pang - control people's mind by touching them (took the longest to realize his ability)
Wave - control electricity by touch
Namtarn - Be able to see the past of an object or person by touch with the side effect of her health weaken
Ohm - Make thing or people disappear by touch with the side effect of nose bleeding
Claire - Can see people's feeling by color (every time she blinks)
Punn - be able to copy others' skill quickly but he has multiple personality disorder (one of them is evil)
Mon - excellent at every sport but her sweats are like drugs, makes people crazy
Korn - never get tired & heal fast with the side effect of not sleeping
Jo & Jack - synchronization, physically and mentally(kinda)
Teacher Pom - Hypnosis, erase memories but he can only use it when a metronome is present
School Principal - same power as Pang, mind control

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A gripping journey to love, friendship, and growth

"A Journey to Love" is the last drama that I completed in 2023, a few days before the new year. Initially, I was thinking whether to continue after 8 episodes, because I had a vague idea of the ending after seeing some comments in passing. I decided to carry on, and I'm glad that I finished it!

Story and Production:
1) The storyline is intriguing and not very common since a big part of it is focused on the mission to rescue the hostaged King of Wu (Wu Di), the obstacles the rescue team faced along the way, and how they overcame them. As a result, their relationships grew stronger and they gained a better understanding of each other. On the side, there were some mysteries that needed to be solved.

2) There is great camaraderie and friendship among the Liu Dao Hall members. It's touching to see their loyalty and brotherly love for one another, as well as their commitment to protect Li Wang/Yang Ying and the entire rescue team.

3) The drama showed different kinds of relationships – leader and subordinate, master and disciple, friendship among peers, and love between man and woman. These are common in costume dramas, but I think they’re well done here.

4) It took the rescue team quite a number of episodes to finally arrive in the state of An, so I found myself getting impatient at some points in the drama.

5) There are incredible fight and battle scenes here! The choreography and stunt work are great, and the cast look so cool and amazing in these scenes.

6) Generally good soundtrack! My favorites are the opening theme, “Offer” (奉上), sung by Liu Yu Ning, and “Standing Sword” (立剑), sung by Zhang Jie. I also like the background music played in some of Ren Ru Yi’s fight scenes; it’s a haunting prelude on what’s to come next.

Cast of Characters:
The entire cast was great, I like the main leads, but my favorites are Yu Shi San, Yang Ying, Li Tong Guang and Yuan Lu:

1) Ning Yuan Zhou (Liu Yu Ning) and Ren Xin/Ren Ru Yi (Cecilia Liu) – Both their characters have excellent martial arts skills and are respected and feared by many. NYZ is level-headed, mature and a good leader. RRY is precise, appears cold and can be ruthless, which fits her character as the number one assassin of An. Between the two, NYZ was more used to working with a team, while RRY was more used to doing things on her own. When RRY joined the rescue team, it took her some time to adjust to “group work”. I couldn’t imagine other actors playing them.

2) Yu Shi San (Alen Fang) – He is funny, witty and a vain ladies' man. He gave me a good laugh many times! Alen Fang is such a revelation here, and his character is so different from the one in The Long Ballad (can’t help comparing them, because Liu Yu Ning and Alen Fang are in both dramas). He’s so good in comedy, but also delivered in the emotional scenes.

3) Yang Ying (He Lan Dou) – She transformed from a timid, shy young lady to a confident, smart, brave and decisive Li Wang/Princess Li Cheng. What she said to NYZ and RRY about herself is very fitting, "You have transformed a small sparrow in a cage into an eagle; she can no longer go back." I like He Lan Dou’s portrayal, she’s so good, and one of the few actresses who, when dressed as a man, is actually convincing.

4) Li Tong Guang (Chang Hua Sen) – He is capable and ambitious, but also obsessed and unpredictable at times. His character is complex, multifaceted, and have a lot of potential for growth and development, but I feel these were not maximized. They focused too much on his obsession with RRY. I think Chang Hua Sen nailed the part.

5) Yuan Lu (Chen You Wei) – He is a smart, loyal, jolly and kind-hearted fellow. It’s easy to warm up to him. Chen You Wei was able to bring out these qualities.

--- Some SPOILERS below ---


Some OTP/Pairings:
1) Ning Yuan Zhou and Ren Ru Yi – They are the power couple! Their relationship was not perfect, there were some amusing things that happened and bumps along the way, but they got around to it.

2) Li Tong Guang and Chu Yue – I was rooting for them since I can feel their chemistry, although they were hostile to each other in their first few meetings. And when they started to be cordial to each other, they had some sweet and cute scenes, so I was hoping for a love line to develop. But alas, the ship didn't sail!

3) Li Tong Guang and Yang Ying – In the earlier episodes, I had entertained the idea that they might be paired together, but I was still mildly surprised when it happened (I guess I was still reeling from the LTG and CY pairing). Don't get me wrong, this is a good pairing and they have chemistry too, so I started to ship them as soon as I feel the plot going in that direction, because they actually complement each other. Both LTG and YY are smart, capable and ambitious. However, LTG is temperamental, impulsive at times, and not yet mature emotionally; while YY has a cool head, emotionally stable, and has matured a lot in her journey. She would be a great help to him in his role as Regent of An.

4) Yang Ying and Yuan Lu – Theirs is a friendship that was comfortable, supportive and dependable. It could possibly have been more, but it was not meant to be.

Other Comments:
1) I like the development arc of Wu Di, how he changed from a reckless, arrogant, and unwise ruler to one who realized his mistakes and actually did something to atone for them. He could have been a great king if he returned to Wu, so it’s a waste what they did to his character.

2) The ending and the last few episodes could have been better executed. It's like they rushed these scenes and tried to cramp the remaining details to fit them into 40 episodes.

3) I wish they included more scenes of LTG and YY in the ending, how they progressed as a couple and how they’re helping the young King of An. There is mutual respect between them, not to mention respect for both RRY and NYZ. I would like to think that in the long run, they would fall in love with each other and grow as a couple, even have children of their own.

Final Verdict: This is a gripping drama and a good watch for me, so I would gladly recommend it!

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From Episodes 1 through 12, I had thought I had found the perfect drama: chemistry between the main characters, an endearing cast, not too many heart-wrenching/ head-banging/ IHATETHISIHATETHISIHATETHIS moments and a great soundtrack. After those episodes, however, I felt that what pulled me to the drama grew weaker and weaker. The conflicts that arose were quickly resolved in the following scene; thus, the sweet moments were not as refreshing as they are in dramas where the characters have overcome a lot more.



Despite the slightly pallid storyline, the cast played their characters in the best way they could. Lee Gyu Won (Park Shin Hye) was an endearing but not over-the-top female lead that I feel most girls could relate to. Lee Shin (Jung Yong Hwa) was the same way. Their chemistry is unmistakable. The supporting cast was also very good. I just feel that if the storyline had been a bit better, more of the supporting characters could be explored and they would seem less one-dimensional.



As for the music-- I can't get it out of my head. The song choices are great and the cast is very musically talented.



I would rewatch this drama simply for the cute moments. Sadly, though, I can't say that it pulled very hard on my heartstrings (excuse the pun; I couldn't help it). Sweet moments are made sweeter when a long and difficult conflict had come before them.

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Definition of meh

This drama is ok. The first episodes are engaging and definitely the best, but the last third of this show is pretty mediocre. Don't get me wrong, this was no great piece of cinematography, but at least it was entertaining in the beginning. The last few episodes felt like a chore to finish, though.

The whole dynamics of the lead couple was fun at first, their bickering was enjoyable, but after the first half of the drama it started to become boring, speacially on Ling Long' part. Yan Qing did everything for her, albeit being annoying, but she never even tried to make ammends or forgive him, even though she forgave the girls who hated and humiliated her very fast. She never put any effort into their relationship and that bothered me. In fact, the romance is kinda forgotten along the way, wich leaves you with this contrived plot full of holes.

The plot's is not well thought out and the conflict could've easily been solved considering Ling Long's mom and Misa both knew everything that happened with the wolf heart and the Wolf King, but for some reason never said anything about it? I also expected some more explanation regarding the Wolf Tribe, but that never happened. At least, to Ling Long's benefit, she was a smart and resourceful fl throughout the whole drama, which is rare for female leads so there's that.

As for the acting, it's pretty weak and over-acted, specially on the male lead's part, and the CGI made me want to gouge my eyeballs out. There's some really slapstick comedy (often exaggerated), many cheesy scenes and the drama barely shows any seriousness in its tone, so if you don't like these things, definitely don't waste your time here. The story and pacing are good initially if you're looking for a light-hearted romcom and even if its quality decreases as the plot progresses, the reduced amount of episodes compared to other Chinese dramas still compensates for it a bit.

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This is what I call quality trash tv. The story is realistic because we are dealing with characters with horrible morals so you can't really root for them, like in every day life. The acting is just so over the top and cheesy that in some scenes you can't help but laugh. The cast itself played their roles very well with what they were given. The music was annoying at times so when it would start I would just mute it. I could watch this again if I needed the laugh; this was a messy drama that was presented in a way that was so exaggerated that it made watching a pleasure. I would recommend it.

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Great series but not so good ending. Please don't let the ending ruin your mood.

I've finished the whole series. It's a low budget series, so didn't expect much from this series. However, after a few episodes, I was hooked. The main actor, actress, and the supporting actor did a great job.

First of the all, the story line is refreshing. Gender bender is not new, but the make-up artist did a great job for the lead actress. I thought She Yi is actually a cute and fluffy boy. The main actress did a great job of portraying a playing for nothing to hide her intelligent. For the first time, the lead female character is not some sort of innocent and feminine. Shi Yi is actually a strong character and intelligent.

I like the leading and supporting male characters. Zhong Zhu and the fifth prince are both handsome in their own way. I like both characters, but I'm leaning toward the fifth prince because he is determined versus Zhong Zhu is a bit more indecisive. I like how the fifth prince chacacter was loyal to Shi Yi and remained single the end.

Overall, it is a great series to watch except for the last two series. The music is nice.

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An engaging plot & brilliant performance!

A suspicious agent, a confused singer and an ambiguous reality, as a plot it's promising and quite refreshing.

In a short span of 35 minutes, the story has conveyed and convinced. It keeps you hooked till the very last second. The suspense was built through a well written script, skillful camera work, proper editing and the background music was just cherry on the cake.

There were not much characters, but the actors made sure to prove their talent in that very limited time frame. The actor playing the character La Qi deserves all the appreciation for keeping that hold on us from beginning till the end. One second you will sympathize with him, the next you won't quite believe him.

Build Jakapan Puttha, playing the character Jake gave a brilliant performance. His body language, action scenes, expressing every emotion through his eyes, his smooth transience from one dramatic scene to another shows his craft has only gotten stronger over years.

The mini series ends with a thread of unanswered questions, a bunch of possibilities and such an immense potential that one can't help wishing for another season to experience the potential in its full glory.

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The finiteness of love and the infiniteness of loneliness...

The film's visually crafted around a very delicate topic at the beginning but turbulent at the end: love within marriage and love outside marriage - people often call it adultery. I wonder if love really exists in marriage. And outside of marriage, why can't there be love?

Mr. Chow is a normal man, polite and attentive to his wife - even though his wife is rarely at home for him to pay attention to. He had a sacred belief in fidelity. He believes that he always lives with boundaries and moderation and absolutely will not set eyes on married women. Mrs. So is an elegant, somewhat reserved woman who respects her husband - even though he is often not home to receive that respect. She is careful in communication, keeping her distance from strangers. A virtuous woman with traditional dignity.

But when they discovered that their husband and wife were having an affair, what did they do? There will be no stalking, hiring detectives, rushing to catch red-handed, or attacking love rivals. They calmly arranged to meet for coffee to verify the situation. The calmness is humane but also very strange. Does a person who still passionately loves his wife or husband have this calmness? Maybe it's because they are very well educated, or maybe the love in their hearts has died a long time ago, so they just feel it's time to accept that truth: they don't have enough courage, so the husband and wife instead commit adultery.

The relationship between two hearts that are both bored and longing for love has blossomed within them. They loved each other while unable to love each other because of the constraints of their marriage. The marriage where they should have been loved, but in the end, they were not loved at all.

Maggie Cheung's acting is excellent, her elegant beauty and the way she acts with her eyes are so expressive, from flirtatious to confused and self-controlled when realizes that feeling is wrong. Tony Leung, his eyes, his facial expression whenever he looked at Maggie got butterflies in my stomach.

Unique cinematography style, expressive language instead of dialogues, images with hidden meanings, concise content, delving deeply into people's hearts in a social community with close relationships where the value of Asian spiritual culture is still relatively deep-rooted. The soundtrack is selective, sometimes it evokes deep sadness, and sometimes it overflows with love.

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really powerful

very powerful drama, I got the same vibes as I did when watchin D.P. but this one hurt me more. I've never sobbed like this when watching a drama but this one broke me. To see these kids face so much pain, abuse, violence, bullying, neglect...I can't handle it. very painful!
soo-ho and shi eun's friendship was great!
I was so impressed by park jihoon's acting. i only saw him on at a distance, the spring is green before and I liked him in that one as well but this one was really sth else. for 8 episodes we only saw him smile for one second...
the whole cast was amazing!!! give them awards!!!
I sobbed and sobbed for soo-ho. episode 7 was heartbreaking!!!
quite violent, had to close my eyes sometimes.
the OST was amazing and one could not skip the intro. can't wait to listen to it on Spotify, together with the D.P OST.
have not read the webtoon

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It was much like an indie film, the usual for Aoi Yu's movies. Why does she always have to be casted into a role such as this? (Same goes to Aoi Miyazaki)

The film was a bit draggy, but a couple of indie film lovers would probably like this. The cinematography was quite nice for a low budgeted film but nevertheless the cast were big timers which was unexpected.

I loved Aoi's role here as Suzuko, she made the character much realistic. Her features would show a calm girl on the outside but could burst like a bubble any moment. The younger brother Satoru was a good supporting actor and made Suzuko's role much more stronger because of him.

The main character Suzuko, skipped from town to town, changing places as soon as she saves up 1 million yen, professing that she's really not finding herself but instead running away from circumstances that lead from one thing to another. In the end, love crept on to her and she had no way to shrug it off but basically, the story revolved around Suzuko skipping towns, meeting new people and her younger brother whom she left behind, trying to be strong against the bullies in his school.

There was only this thing that confused me in the end. Her dialogue at the ending sort of put my understanding for last 1/3 part of the film. I think the director or script writer intended that to confuse their viewers to make their own conclusions. Which I usually tend to hate because it means its one of those cliff hangers again.

Soundtrack wise, the ending was cute. Reminded me of Synesthezia's ending theme song which was just perfect. There wasn't much dialogue in it that would be very memorable, except for the one where the main character had a conversation with her brother and at the ending part where some sort of confusing revelation/not was given.

Over all the film give an impact but wasn't as enjoyable as I thought it would be.

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