Reviews

Short But Gold!

Japan has done it again!

It's a known fact that Japan is known for their awesome horror movies that scare the living soul out of you, but it's also true, that they have been in decline for the past few years, with only small productions.

When I first saw that this movie has only thirteen minutes runtime, I was skeptical. I mean, who makes such short horror movies? It takes a lot of courage to bet everything on those thirteen minutes, because eventually it means, that you have to grab the viewer right at the first minute.

Was it successful in my case? Yes!

Let me say that I am big chicken and a masochist who for some unknown reason watches horror movies, when I am very scared of them. I haven't found the reason yet, so don't ask.

So, for someone who is scared of a lot of things, this was absolutely perfect and at the end I was close to changing my panties (for obvious reasons). I know that the story isn't so unique because it is ''another haunted house'' tale, but still, it had a nice twist to it! You also get those classic ''ghost in the back'' shots which are old-school, but still freaky and make you anxious.

The acting was on point, but music was hard to rate because overall...it had very minor standing in the plot.

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Shout out

I just want to take this moment to give a shout out to the writer, and casting director. It’s very rare to watch a drama where the female lead has a backbone, the FL was confident, not only in herself but also in her relationship, refusing to stay with someone because of 10 years, she knows her worth and what she will and will not tolerate. The FL played this part so well, she was very mature and handled her business. I hope to see her in more of these roles in the future. Now on to other things, the side characters, where okay, I’m more of a getting to know the main cast than the supported cast type of person, so for me it was a little too much back story for the other cast members, I get it, you have to beef up the story some how, and give the main leads a break, but over all this was a good drama

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nobody knows

in the drama Nobody Knows they say this line, no one really knows what happened during a crime, everything is just a recap from different povs, so no one can really know, especially the people looking for the answers..

1st off, the acting was OFF THE CHARTS, and the whole idea of showing the pov of the "falsely accused" without revenge or random BIG corruption was refreshing

this had corruption, this had people who didn't care for the answer they just wanted someone to blame, they wanted to wrap it up, but it had more substance than the usual

in 2021 especially I felt like dramas have failed to capture my emotions, I used to cry over anything but lately it's just meh. that's why this was different, the emotions embodied by KSH was amazing, I could feel the tension, the struggle, the heartache and even the final emotinal burn down.


I'm not a true crime fan or whatever but I've always heard this, when they interview neighbors and witnesses of a serial killer they always say "he was quiet", "he was a good student", "he was clean cut and handsome and soft spoken", "I could never imagine he had 100 bodies in his basement"

and that's why the cop is so focused on KHS. he looks nonthreatening, he looks pitiful and vulnerable and that's triggering for him.
the prosecutor just wants to win a big case and that lawyer lady just wants to be known as the person who had that case

basically everyone was projecting their own greeds on KHS and that's why his situation is heartbreaking


SPOILERS

but if I may be the critic I am, I didn't like eps 5 and 6 because they added nothing to the drama, it was just repetition. I also didn't like who the killer was... they questioned EVERYONE, beside the drug dealer... the guy that was beneficial in the 1st trails verdict reduction? they never mentioned it again.. she gave him the drugs.. tbh I don't know law but if he had killed under the influence of drugs she gave him then as they 1st said, he didn't "do it on purpose"
it's like 14 days.. after the whole "whodunit" they go and say the killer was severely drugged

anyway... the way they caught the killer after the trails, the way the last ep played out, the scene of him on the roof (even though I get the heartache of him becoming so detached) was too long, and then they bring another similar case.. atleast he has more experience this time
but overall, I wanted to see what will happen to KHS.. would he recover, go to law school and defend the falsely blamed, or would he get eaten by the darkness and drugs..
also my poor Ji Taeand bone breaker ;(

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Every second of this series was amazing. The emotions, the dialogues, the actors and actresses; they were all absolutely magnificent. I couldn't see a single flaw of the show.

The plot was amazing!!! They went beyond my expectations!!! They literally made us feel what it's like to have depression. They don't just tell, they SHOW. I'm still in awe with how amazing this series. I wanna give a huge applause to the director, the writers, the staff and the actors & actresses. ALL OF THEM ARE AMAZING!!!!!!

One thing I love about the story (it may seem nothing to you but it's not to me) was that Boo had absolutely zero friends in school. Many other shows or videos that talks about depression always include that the person who has depression "have friends in school but still feel lonely". However, for Boo, he literally has no friends in school and feel extremely lonely. Boo is me. I'm Boo. Just like Boo, I feel lonely in school and don't fit well in there. That was +1 point to me.

I'm the type who likes to observe the actors' and actresses' facial expressions more than being into the story. So I love talking about the characters' emotions and expressions.

James, who played as Boo, was extremely amazing as to how he potrayed his character, who has depression. I love that he was so into his character that he felt connected with Boo. I was absolutely speechless with his acting. No words can describe how beautiful James' acting was. I could instantly feel his pain just by looking at him. I could feel what he's feeling. I could see hisㅡnot so obviousㅡsmall expressions.

Toni, who played as Simon, was the best in acting as a jerk in it. Because of him, I hate Simon yet still love him. I love observing Simon's face changing when he realises his mistake. Simon is someone who keeps saying that he doesn't care about the person but he actually do but still doesn't want to admit it.

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Unpredictable twists & height gap

I recently completed watching this drama and somehow enjoyed this show. The first thing you'll notice is the extreme height difference, sometime It's felt like watching a kid with an adult but they are so cute, and the chemistry is great.

Story:-
The male lead has been stuck for 1000 s of year in the same house and cant leave waiting for someone to return ( which he forgot) who. The female lead moves into the house and she somehow possess the energy to recharge the male lead. He is like a ghost but not a ghost, He can move freely through the walls and become invisible but cant leave too far from home. The male lead also would sometimes get cold if he used up too much of his energy, resulting in the need of the female lead's touch to recharge.

Acting:-
The performances by the lead actors are commendable, bringing depth to their characters and making their emotional journey relatable. The chemistry between them is palpable, which adds a layer of authenticity to their romance. The supporting cast also shines, contributing to the richness of the narrative and providing various perspectives on love and ambition.

Visually:-
The drama is stunning, with beautifully crafted sets and cinematography that captures the opulence of the golden house. The attention to detail enhances the overall viewing experience, making it a feast for the eyes. The soundtrack complements the story well, featuring melodies that evoke the right emotions at pivotal moments.

Why 8.0 stars?
While Golden House Hidden Love offers a compelling storyline, it does fall into some familiar tropes and clichés typical of romantic dramas. Certain plot twists can feel predictable, and a few subplots could have benefited from more development, leaving some unresolved questions by the end. The resolution of key conflicts may feel rushed or insufficient, leaving some viewers dissatisfied with how certain storylines conclude. Some episodes may feel uneven, with a slow build-up that can test the audience's patience, especially during moments that could benefit from more dynamic storytelling. These aspects slightly hinder the drama from reaching its full potential.

So I rated Golden House Hidden Love a 8 out of 10 because, despite its engaging characters and beautiful production, it doesn't fully escape the common pitfalls of the genre. It's an enjoyable watch, especially for fans of romance dramas, but it leaves some room for improvement in terms of originality and plot depth.

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Pros: IU and her character (including her backstory), the visual aspect (most of the time) and a few funny dialogue moments (the intelligent kind of funny what I appreciated).

Cons (for me): One of the most boring and cheesiest dramas I have ever watched.
Genres: Action? So little that I find it ridiculous that it is listed...
Suspense, Mystery? A little bit.. but not the thrilling, addicting or exciting kind (for me).
Horror? Yes but not really creepy (kdrama "horror" average). Not really a con for me though.
Romance? Yes but "a bit" boring (for me) - mostly there for comedy and the emotional weight of the drama.

The best things about it were IU`s character and the visual aspect. But they relied way to heavy on it. They overdid it sometimes with the colored lights, the fogg and the emotional "moments" (when the characters paused because they just thought of something (emotional) and on cue 3 seconds later a new soundtrack would begin (this felt like 80% of the drama).
Yes IU`s play of emotions on her face was good and because of that and because she is so beautiful it ALMOST didn't get boring. Even though the drama touched on the heaviest subjekts it stayed relatively shallow on them (which made it - yes BORING) while still trying to emotionally wring us out like a wet towel as often as possible. I guess my emotional well dried up too fast because I was often over it and started to get... Also not a big fan of long & frequent "staring at each other, frozen in the moment" moments...
I only watched this drama because of IU and because for ONCE I was actually okay with watching something slightly boring. Though I didn`t think it would be so unexciting. The plot has a nice sentiment but is really not impressive.
I also found ALL the characters except IU`s boring.

I am mainly just disappointed that they didn't have an exciting plot and intriguing characters to go along with the nice scenery. Because of the budget, IU in the cast and the genres I had hoped for something epic.
When will we ever get something like "You Who Came from the Stars" again (with a age gap in the romance under 20 years (at least of the actors) please!)?!

For further reference about my taste:
https://mydramalist.com/profile/LauraK98/lists

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Part of the reason why Nodame Contabile was so awesome, was in fact it had nothing to do with the show.



Everytime "Stressman" came on, it was usally to a dramatic classical tune called "Dance of the knights." In the UK, that song is also used as the theme for The Apprentice. Now Stressmen (and his ennunciation) is one of the funniest things about Nodame. So whenever he talked, or the music came on, I kept picturing Sir Alan Sugar (UK's version of Donald Trump) in Stressman's place. Because they're both old and grey see :) And ROFLing like crazy!



Hiroshi Tamaki was another big factor. He looks like the no-nonense type of guy, used to the more exclusive part of life. So whenever he stepped out the "norm" (quite a lot) by pulling exagerated facial expressions, I just loved it! He's amazing at rolling his eyes back ftw



Also Hiroshi's character is unable to leave Japan for the majority of the series, because of a childhood fear of planes. The one he was flying on as a kid took an emergency landing, and it traumatised him for life. The flashback (same one everytime) is pretty hilarious, and the reason is too...until you realize that plane ride has a more significant meaning to him than an emergency landing later on.



Nodame is pretty crazy too. Hands down, she's the craziest. But I'm glad in all that crazy, she doesn't become a magnetic leech so many female leads are demoted to these days. Ok...so she does follow him around a fair bit...but she's not afraid to part ways from him either



*winkwink*



A scene at the very end is soooo cute! I'm not telling you which one it is (you'll know when you come to it) and I replayed it twice.



On the whole I would recommend watching it, if you like crazy/slapstick humour. I, myself, only reached the end because the internet had so many glowing reviews about it. But I don't regret watching it! And I'm now in a position to go and watch the 2 sequels and know the entire back story :) For what it's worth- the movies come even more highly recommended!



Watch it for Hiroshi. Watch it for Stressman. And just for plain silliness :)



OH...and how could I forget the 10/10 music? Seriously. Like the other guys said...it opens up your eyes/ears to classical music and appreciate it in a whole other dimension. And I rarely mark music 10/10!

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Promising, but disappointing.

First Impression:
I first started this drama with pretty low expectations because I was bored in life. After the first few episodes, I was pretty hooked on the storyline and was expecting more for the climax and ending. However, it is sad to say that I came out disappointed with the last 12 episodes of the drama.
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Story: 5.5/10
The story description pretty much summarizes the first ten episodes of the drama. It's exciting and you just can't wait for the next episode to come out. However, by episode ten, you're just waiting for the big reveal and the ending. With the viewers believing the drama will end at episode ten, we all left disappointed as the story gets unnecessarily dragged on. The last twelve episodes are repeats of the same conflict and unnecessary build ups to a very disappointing reveal. This drama could've been solved in 10 episodes, but nope, we need all the non-existence sweet love scenes and unnecessary "that was dumb" moments. In conclusion, the story line seemed promising but beware to be disappointed.
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Acting/Cast: 7/10
This is my first lakorn of both main leads and so not a very good first impression.
Let's start off with the lead actress: Fah Yongwaree Anilbol. Fah is no-doubt gorgeous and stunning. However, the character she played on the other hand is not that great. I tried to understand her decisions and her feelings, but I just couldn't empathize with her. Nabi was the, "I'm tough but soft inside" type of girl. Independent, sure; but very, very, very emotional. More so than her character needs it. It's understandable that her only family, her sister, is missing, but as any Thai lakorn, the acting has to be over the top. But Fah does seem like a promising actress. She reminds me a lot of Mai Davika and Mook Mookda, so I hope her future roles would showcase her skills better.

Next, we have the lead actor: Joss Wayar. Okay, bit biased, but he does have a hot bod. However, that does not blind me from his lack of character development in the drama. I wished they focused on that a little bit more in the drama, but the transition of a bad boy to a good boy after falling in love was just non-existent. You just assumed he became a good boy because he fell in love with Nabi, there were little no scenes showing the progression (even after 22 episodes). Typical Thai drama troopes but how it was laid out in the drama was just terrible. Overall, hot, but hopefully his upcoming roles will redeem this role.

My favorite character of all: Nat Myria. She is a goddess! I love her acting. I know, I know, she plays the villain chacter, but I couldn't help but fall in love with her character. Why couldn't the writers do the same for the two main leads? But, Aunt Wee is such a complex but human-like character that brings out the evil and good within people. She had reasons for her action, although not excusable, and even though she was greedy for love, she didn't put herself in the spotlight for attention. Her character development was the best among all of the characters and her ending was beautiful.

Okay, next is Luke and Jan who plays Nabi's best friends: Pong and Saen. Um, so, no thank you. At first, I was rooting for their character but then you just realize that Saen is too good for Pong and needs to move on. But I'm looking forward to seeing Luke act in "Oh My Boss". I wish the best for Luke and Jan's future in the Thai industry and will be looking out for them in the future.

Last two chacter that I believe needs a shout out is Win's parents: Chet and Wa. Oh my goodness, how did the best guy in the world fall in love with the worst human on earth? Chet, Win's father, is the sweetest, lovest, most understanding guy ever. On the other hand, Win's mother, Wa, is the most manipulative, self-fish, and conceited person ever. No surprise, Wa passes away. Yay, no one really misses her. On the other hand, Chet was probalby the one of the best actor to watch out there. My sisters and I even joked how if we were in Nabi's place, we would've picked the dad over the son based off of their character in the drama (LOL).

And all of the other characters don't really matter so let's move on!
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Music: 7/10
This drama makes sure you never forget the theme song. The song was good, but I would never listen it again just because it brings up the bad memories of this drama.
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Rewatch Value: 1/10
I wish I could put this as a 0/10, but MyDramaList won't let me. Never will rewatch this drama. Erased it from my Watch History and my mind. Just, no. Maybe in like 20 years to rewatch Aunt Wee's scenes, but otherwise, no thank you. Did not enjoy the drama, don't even know why I finished it. Could've been better. Literally skipped all the main leads scenes since it was just so hard to watch them be together. The writers tried to make it look "romantic" but it was just a big no-no sign of an abusive relationship. I seriously don't know how they rekindled their love (magic?).

Thank you to those who made it to the end of my rant. If you haven't seen this drama, this is a warning. Watch at your own risk, not really worth your time. But if you loved this drama, I respect your decision. There were few redeeming qualities of this drama (aka the aunt) but it wasn't enough to save this drama.


SPOILERS
To those who have finished the drama, didn't you find it funny how they dragged on the drama for 22 episodes and the producers finally decided that it's too long and did not one, but TWO time skips in the last episode? No? Just me, welp. Bye!

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True Love Prevails Through All Obstacles

I struggled to watch this show because of the raw and difficult emotions that touched me in ways I didn’t even think possible. As I watched the story unfold I was left with a feeling of being lost. I’ve always felt my life was complex. I’ve made decisions that took me down difficult paths. I learned early in life that decisions have consequences. After watching this unique story my life felt less complicated. I don’t know if that’s good or bad but I know I just watched something that had an impact on me. Very few writers can accomplish that in sixteen hours.

I’ll be honest, I don’t usually watch shows like this. It would probably be on my hold list by episode four but one of my friends liked it enough to rate it all 10s. I don’t think I’ve run up against a show that had so many ratings of 10 before. I had to see why. I’m also a self-professed romance junkie so I also watched it thinking there just might be something there for me to watch. Boy was I surprised.

The characters were well thought out even though I wasn’t always fond of them. In many cases, their stories were distinctive and intertwined with each other. The mental illnesses often manifested into violence that kept you wondering what was next. As I watched I really didn’t care who committed what crime or who was rejected by some romantic advance. I just watched trying not to let any of it bother me. As the reality of what these characters face in their everyday existence displayed on the screen I became immersed into a world I’d never seen before.

Their house had a unique living environment that I didn’t understand at first but that’s the beauty of a well-written script. As personalities, illnesses, and family issues came to life I began to understand. The story is gently tied together at times and mashed together when it was needed. Every character and every side story was well done and fun to watch. I finally understand why this show received so many 10s.

The romance I was hoping for, went beyond my expectations. I watch a romance that prevailed through the most difficult obstacle a couple can face, mental illness. I watched a man confess his love and maintain that love even when it wasn’t being returned. A love that saved his life. I watched a woman in love, who didn’t understand how to deal with it, give in to a beautiful passion. I watched two souls come together bound by a deep love for each other. They tested their love and never gave up on each other. I watched the blossoming of true love.

Thanks to all of you that encouraged me to watch this beautiful story with your ratings. The music was perfect and the subtitles were handled with care.

Watch this story and you will understand.

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This drama was ... well it started off funny and full of laughs, then turned into a thriller, then into a melo, then into a mystery. It was good though. I thought the writing was tight for a while. But after episode 12, things started going downhill. Not in a major way, just that the plot holes became obvious, gaping craters.

What really kept me hooked was the thriller/mystery aspect. I swear, I became anxious and nervous waay too much in this drama. It was harrowing and uncomfortable when it was happening, but when the plott holes became bigger and things started to drag a little (not to mention our fav detective losing a few brain cells) I missed the nerves. Nerves indicate a good drama.

The romance here was top notch. The actors did commendable work, especially Shin Se Kyung whose acting improved by leaps and bounds. She's great here. Our hero as well is flawless in his work. He was smart (-ish sometimes), funny, comforting, clingy, jealous, and bada** when he needed to be. I was of course, impressed with the progression of the romance. It developed quickly, they hugged and showed more closeness than I've ever seen in a kdrama. Also they didn't let misunderstanding cloud their judgement and halt their relationship. They leaned on eachother and stayed through thick and thin, giving eachother strength. I look for that in dramas and I'm glad I found it here. They really represented a normal dating couple. I loved their lines and their actions.

But, the person who carried this show is Nam Gung Min. His character had me curious as to what he's going to do next. He was super smart, but unlike other dramas, our main leads and their colleague was smart too. It was refreshing to see a smart lead like Oh Cho Rim and the team leader. Finally!

I may rewatch this. The music was fitting in every scene too. This was a good drama and it did not drag much, just the last 3 episodes. I didn't mind because it was full of fluff and I love fluff, so it didn't drag for me. Plot holes though hahahha. Watch out for plot holes after ep13.

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Thought-provoking KMovie, sailing close to the wind when it comes to duty of care and child welfare

The KMovie "Highway Family" is set at the bottom of the social pyramid in South Korea in the year 2022. It portrays a homeless family who seems to have found their own lifestyle at the country's highway rest stops. A happy family sleeping in a tent, living on scrounged money and having lots of fun together.

That's one side of the medal. As audience, however, one cannot help but see the other side of the coin despite all the family idyll. The heavily pregnant wife has no medical support during what is now her third pregnancy. Her two children, being five and nine years old by now, miss out on any schooling. The parents claim that they do the teaching themselves, but reading, writing and maths are obviously not on their curriculum. A playground on the highway rest stops, which are heavily frequented by cars and heavy trucks, is dangerous, and the parents' duty of supervision is by no means guaranteed. The father is (as so often) the head of the family and objectively speaking, his decisions about the self-chosen outlaw family life sometimes border on violating his duty of care. Supposed (motorway rest stop) idyll and freedom may correspond to the father and his outlook on life. Wife and children, on the other hand, are now stuck in this boat. They love each other as a family and especially the children know no different. They rely on their father.

The KMovie sails close to the wind when it comes to moral issues concerning work, economy and society as well as duty of care and child welfare. Camps may form in the audience. And that is intentional.

The second protagonist, alongside the Highway family, is a married couple who lost their own child and who run a second-hand furniture store. Solid. Prosocial. Responsible. However, emotionally deeply wounded and unhappy.

Worlds clash. Two families meet. One is shattered deep inside, the other formally. Together they build something new - an alternative family patchwork, grounded in a rather simple normal life, which obviously doesn't have to be the worst, at least when kids are involved. Yet, can it be as simple as that? And at the disturbing end there is the question about the end of the story... which remains in the eyes of the beholder...

A thought-provoking KMovie.

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More than meets the eye

I have never really written a review of a drama before, I didn't even have an account on this website but created one only just so I could leave a review of this incredible drama.

In the beginning I didn't have too high expectations. I never watched "My Ambulance", but I heard so much buzz about BKPP and it made me interested.
To start off, the whole drama is so aesthetically pleasing! It has this very gorgeous yellow filter throughout the episodes and it makes it feel so much more dreamier. I'm a big fan of cinematography and I ended up LOVING the cinematography in this specific drama. Another thing that made me adore this drama was that it uses a lot of symbolism/metaphors and I really like knowing things can have a deeper meaning that just what meets the eye.

The storylines were so well-thought and executed in such a gorgeous way. I also watched the documentary to this drama and you can see how talented Billkin and PP are in terms of shooting emotional scenes. This is honestly the first Thai BL that I've been so in love with when it comes to the script and production. I also love the fact that this show was recorded in Phuket. FINALLY A CHANGE OF SCENERY!

In the drama they portray Teh as someone who might be a bit selfish when it comes to love, but through out the drama you start to notice Teh's storyline is more complex than that. They don't use dialogue when they portray these type of struggles, they usually use metaphors, facial expressions or the cinematography as a way to show how the characters are feeling. For example, I know someone pointed out that Teh was wearing a blue shirt throughout a bunch of scenes, and that was solely because he was feeling sad. Blue represents sadness.

I like that in this drama they didn't try to make it that simple as you can see in most Thai BLs. Not that is has to be hard, but they actually portrayed the emotions in such a powerful way and I personally think other Thai BLs miss out on this.

I have so much more to say about this drama, but I don't want to spoil it all too much for people that have yet to watch it. I really recommend this drama if you're into metaphors, cinematography, a beautiful storyline and if you like to get emotional almost every episode.
I'm excited for part 2 next year!

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Shima-chan loves Finland

This was my first time seeing Hiichan (Honda Hitomi) acting and what a treat this was! I'm used to seeing her being silly in AKB's variety shows so seeing her act was something different.
Basically this is a very short and sweet show about a young woman that happens to love Finland.
I love this type of shows with an otaku as the main lead as seeing people talking about stuff they love is something I enjoy.
There are some nice messages and life lessons in every episode about finding something you love and going after it.
The production design was great. There are not many locations but her apartment is very cute with various Finnish trinkets.
And you may was well want to learn how to cook some Finnish recipes.
All in all this a perfect show if you want something quick to put a smile on your face.

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boring, brainless, draggy, zero chemistry or connection or taling

As mom says “don’t these people talk to each other”

In a world with 3 strong women, 3 weak men family, and one kidnapped grandma, you’d think they’d talk to each other and you’d think they’d know the 3 women are strong

She’s such a bad mom, yet again blaming the dad.. like first off they’re 21 year old adults, and secondly you are the reason for his insecurities so there’s only one person to be blamed
I reaallllyyy can’t feel like these 4 are a family, tbh she didn’t have to be lost, maybe a late bloomer or someone who hated her powers and wanted to be normal, now they’re like a bunch of ppl just there

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