Reviews

fantastic but only after the fourth episode

I would never have thought at the beginning that I would give DFF such a high rating. Because the first 4 episodes were pure guilty pleasure for me. This mixture of 90s slasher parody seemed like pure trash to me, but at least it was entertaining.

But then came episode five and the tone changed so radically that you thought they had replaced the director. From pseudo-horror in an abandoned house, it became a sad psycho drama about an outsider whose bullies took it too far and he had to suffer terribly as a result.
It's not always nice to watch and often gets under your skin, but it's always coherent and comprehensible.
Overall, DFF can be seen as a revenge thriller and in this respect it is completely convincing. Even if the start was very bumpy and even later, when the abandoned house takes center stage again, the whole scene seems a bit chaotic.

In terms of acting, you have to differentiate a lot here, as there are mostly newcomers at work, which you really notice at the beginning and the whole thing degenerates into total overacting. But fortunately there are exceptions, Barcode, whose performance as Non is really so believable, hovers over everything. A little too weird, a little too weak, he is simply the perfect victim and his ordeal simply gets under your skin.
But other actors also have their moments Ta as the main protagonist, who is also rather morally gray on the road, and JJay as the emotionally cold young killer are quite convincing.
The rest of the cast are mostly convincing in the quiet moments, while unfortunately they don't always get the horror moments across well. Jet in particular seemed rather annoying to me throughout the series, which wasn't necessarily just due to the role and he should urgently take a few more acting lessons.

Conclusion: if you get through the first four episodes, you'll discover a dark and unsparing gem. The fact that DFF is so uncompromising and shows the emotional horror so well is its great strength and sets the series apart from others. Even if the acting is not always top-notch and the final episode is quite controversial, I would recommend DFF to anyone who wants to watch something other than the typical BL Rom Com

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Fairy mixed with Wuxia

It honestly started out really strong and really enjoyed it.. but towards the end it just felt outta place. I'm disappointed as to how the plot develops and at the end quickly tries to wrap it up with an happy ending for everyone.

Story: The beginning and middle of the story was actually really intriguing. The female lead is the holy priest of the Kun Lun tribe. The male lead doesn't know his identity because he has forgotten, but his identity now is the protector of the seal of the human tribe. Basically a long time ago the human tribe sealed the king of Kun lun. There is a ten years saying that someone will unlock the seal in ten years. Female lead disguises herself to try to get into the school of the humans. Whats kinda funny is that the school trains you to uses magic/ powers. To me, it gives off a harry potter vibes mixed with fairy/deity/ wuxia. The male lead Xu kai is portrayed as a bad boy. Of course the female and male lead fall in love with her each. The female lead main goal is to find the key/badge to unlock the Kun Lun king. She never really tells the male lead her true identity

Whats interesting is the times when they fight and use their powers against people who has been locked under seal. Also different parts of the school has different people who are locked or seal in there , in which they have to overcome those obstacles.

Now to the part I didnt like..... all this time the male lead is falling head over heals with female lead, but she never really trusts him to open up to him. the miscommunication/no communication causes a lot of problem and unnesscary plot, which resulted in hurting the male lead.
Also another thing is that the Kun lun king is under a seal/locked away but his inner demon spirit is inside one of the students inside the academy. ( he doesnt have much magic/powers) So basically the last 5-8 episode is around him.....

Also another part thats like....?? they have this character who cross dress, a girl but dresses as a boy. " he " is the second prince to the human world. He also goes to the academy. He doesnt like his brother the first prince.. "He" gets a little plot development... like how the male lead discovers he is actually a girl, and that she likes him... honestly a waste of time might of last like couple episodes..

Romance; I believed their romance. It was cute and sweet. It was not always kissing scenes, but I like the scenes they were together to develop their relationship. When there was kissing scenes , it was believable. Female lead is very cute , main lead is handsome . But i have to say the Prince Mu is the most handsome ( He is a prince from the desert? )

Besides those plot holes ... it was a good watch. I would of like to see the female lead come clean about her motives and see how the male lead would of helped her . Also it would of been better if there more fighting scenes like battling different creatures.

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Spiritwalker – one of the best fantasy action films with exceptional acting techniques

Outstanding. I went to watch Spiritwalker at NYAFF (New York Asian Film Festival) because of the main lead Yoon Kye Sang, who is one of the best South Korean actors when it comes to action movies. By the time it ended, I was really impressed with the story and the performance of all the actors, including the supporting ones. The movie itself is excellent. For those who watched The Outlaws, already know how talented Yoon Kye Sang is in action roles. For those who didn’t watch it, I highly recommend both. For a good reason it won the Daniel A. Craft Award for Excellence in Action Cinema. I won’t spoil it, but it has everything that it needs to be a successful movie, full of action combined with subtle comedy, and delivers some strong messages. I cannot wait for it to be released in theater to watch it again.

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I really enjoyed this movie.
The story is actually quite simple but it worked well and was good.

I loved Yoo Hae Jin here. His character and acting was perfect. As for Lee Joon, his acting was great but I didn't like his character that much. I wish his character was better than that. I would have enjoyed the movie that much or maybe even more if his wasn't here.
But I liked the ending and I maybe wouldn't have enjoyed it that much if he wasn't here.

Anyways, the acting is great, the music suits the movie well.
I would rewatch it and enjoyed it that much I think.
This is just a lovable movie. Perfect if you want to want to watch something light and not think too much.

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Excellent Movie

As someone who never read the book (honestly, I didn't even know there was a book to begin with), I really enjoyed this movie!

One night, I was looking for a movie to watch while I did my routine nightly walk on the treadmill and stumbled across this movie on iQiyi. I will start off by saying I had zero expectations and boy, did this movie exceed my expectations!

I felt the most important thing to mention is that there was a background story, and an ending that will tie up all the loose strings nicely. All of your questions will be answered (well, most of them anyway) and you will walk away extremely satisfied with the ending, which is something I can't say about a lot of movies lol.

I've never seen the main actor or actress before but I thought they were both extremely well-casted and were excellent in their roles. The main actor reminds me of Ron Ng (an actor from HK). The lead roles both had amazing control of their facial expressions and I could tell what emotions they were feeling in the scene just by looking at their face. The action/fight scenes were all really well-done too. I'll be on the lookout for more dramas and movies from these two, that's for sure!

Overall, I would highly, highly recommend this movie!! It won't disappoint and the story will keep you at the edge of your seat.

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baby don't stop by nct

let me start off by saying that i absolutely admire whoever made this drama possible!!!
as a filipino bisexual, seeing more and more well made filipino bl dramas like this one makes me so happy??? we're stepping forward and saying: heY these two guys are in love and that is normal bc people are allowed to love wHo the heck they love fuck whoever thinks it's weird

i have many praises for this as this was made during truly tough times... the fact that 90% of the time were video calls but the cast were still able to carry the right emotions is absolutely commendable

oH i'm glad you asked!! how was the chemistry?
well, let me tell ya buddy, it was like i lived as a spy for 2 days, squealing on my bed and wrestling my pillows, almost broke my neck in the process (dw it's not serious)

...yes, the nickname "baby" may sound cringey but oHmygOD it works in here
i only accept this monstrosity from caireel
honestly, even though the acting did feel flat a few times, i can nOt deny that it was natural with lots of cheese.... and i loved it

pearl oh pearl i love you
um hand in marriage? this girl legit carried every mess on her back like she's juggling ping pong balls she's legit the best friend everyone wished they had
she has a loveable personality i really dig her energy

i think what i loved the most was the conflicts in the end like yeS it was frustrating and quite dramatic but it made sense due to what both the main leads went through in the past... they're both still healing and i love that it's shown that their relationship is not perfect they're still figuring shit out and that's okay

the brownie points in this is it doesn't simply focus on the main leads being all lovey dovey (well it does buT) this drama tackles a bit of mental health and consent as well
-mental health: terrence feeling like he has no one to talk to and the drama takes an interesting turn of gavreel actually listening to terrence's thoughts instead of painting terrence as a permanent villain and dismissing the guy

-consent: i love that gav would add the word "consent" when teasing cai and honestly, that kiss at the end of the episode was so sweet??? gav waited for cai to move closer as a way of agreement to the kiss, when both of them were on the bed and gav asks "what do you want to do, baby?" anD cai replies "it's up to you"
the fact that gav doesn't do anything before getting cai's consent is so so so gOOD

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Story-The story is outright bombastic throwing a battle every episode, this manages to move the plot along ok most episodes are more like vignette and are only connected in the end. The story itself is very character driven when you see a cast member you know their gonna do something and that interaction will be with another cast member.

Acting-The thing that makes this show great it the cast everyone is very colorful and crazy the cast really makes this story work and during tense moments i found i had been holding my breath i did care for the cast members. For some people the acting may be over the top some of the time but i think it adds to the charm.

Music-The music wasn't bad but it wasn't really noticeable i was never really like that music totally represents the show.

Rewatch value- unfortunately because this show relies on competitions their is little reason to really re-watch, the only reason i can think of is to watch the comedic moments.

Overall-If you have some time to burn this is a fine Drama to watch because 1 the episodes are shorter than many other dramas, the cast really sells how crazy the show is and they give the show alot of energy that a show about cooking would need. While not the best show out there this is a show you should watch if you have the time because the cast is likable and displays a realistic friendship.

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Drake's Eyebrows get Bushier Every Episode

What can I say? I truly loved this series with everything in me. It had such a good balance between being humorous and still teaching important life lessons. Mork and Tee had one of the most realistic depictions of teens falling in love because of how awkward, and confusing, and a complicated mess their journey was. I loved how we got to see their relationship slowly progress into something more, with a cute date, and the small gestures that they both made; it all just came together so well in the end, I truly can't forget about it.

Almost immediately fell in love with Morn, and fell even deeper when Gord came into the picture. They were still in middle school, so I was glad that nothing was rushed, and the development between them was so flawless. Even though they didn't get together, they still made such an impact on me personally. The innocence of them, the clumsiness, the reactions to certain things, I just love young love with all my heart. By far, my favorite scene in the entire series is when they're in bed watching Sotus and Kong and Archit kiss and they both get flustered. It was so precious that I literally watched it over and over again. I would've loved to see even more of them in this series, or maybe even another one when they're older. I know both of them are in A Fish Upon The Sky, but from what I can tell, they are not going to be partners and instead just best friends. Sad.

Au and Ton were a really good touch to the series. I absolutely adore the twins and think that they deserve main roles. The same goes for Khaotung, I love the way he played his character specifically. Nui who played Mork's dad did an amazing job, and I loved the way he developed throughout the series.

I have nothing bad to say about this show. I know a lot of others thought the pacing was slow, which I can agree that in certain spots it did feel a bit dragged on, but for the most part, I was captured by all of the stories. This was a fun watch and I recommend it for anyone wanting a true depiction of a new relationship.

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The perfect mix of colours

I loved it, it's dark but colorful and it really stands out against other dramas with it being kind of a musical + being magical.

A lot of scenes were very beautifully shot and it's just tragically beautiful and the music,,, it's so good and really suits the mysterious atmosphere + it reminds me of watching shows like Night at the Museum and Peter Pan as a child.

At first I may have felt a little awkward with them starting to sing but halfway into the song I found myself singing along so...

The actors did a great job at portraying their individual characters too and I loved each of the main characters.

I feel a connection to this show from my heart honestly!

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This drama is one of my favorite drama. I watched it a long time ago already but writing a review now to give it justice.

STORY:
I believe this is one of the most balanced and entertaining costume drama I have watched. It has a lot of themes and lots of characters and plots and sub plots which I think perfectly found their place with the right importance. Starting from the beginning, there is a lot of funny situtions and when the main girl is the target of many other people and often at risk, she is always saved in an unexpected fun manner. The last part where the action takes a new step and the evil ones must be defeated, it is a little less fun as expected but the drama kept being entertaining.

CAST/CHARACTERS:
One of the main quality of the drama is its numerous characters and their importance. What the drama managed to do is to built a nice structure of relationships between these characters to make eveything consistent and enjoyable.

- The main couple the Crown Prince/ the girl Eunuch were so great. In fact, KYJ and PBG new faces and their chemistry brought a lot of fun and freshness to this drama. Their interactions are so fun from the beginning to the end. KYJ and PBG gained a lot of fame with this drama and it was completely deserved as they were a super adorable couple. One little critic will be that the Crown Prince never looked really endangered but he is the Crown Prince after all.
- JJY as the rival and former friend of the Crown Prince was a great character too. He belonged to the family of the enemy and he was the rival in love but he managed to be subtle and faithful to himself and his principles. I really liked him.
- I liked KDY too as the bodyguard of the Crown Prince. The friendship between him and the Crown Prince and the Eunuch was great to watch. He had a major role and his situation was complex. He had a lot of activity and ended siding with the ones he cared the most for. I liked the actor. Not a first rank actor but he proved afterwards he has good acting skills.
- Chae Soo Bin was there too even if I did not know her at that time. They did not make her an awfull rival of the main girl. She was a gentle, lovely but also smart and helpful. I liked the amount of screen she had and how she was honest with the Prince and Ra On.
- Princess Myun Geun was fun changing to an obese princess in love with a stranger to a resolute princess meeting that same man in the palace. This couple was a great comic relief.
- Plenty of other interesting characters who contributed the right amont of fun or suspense: The little princess, the chief of Eunuchs, the parents, the colleagues Eunuch...

MUSIC:
I liked the OST very much specially two of three songs which made this drama memorable. I am still listening to these songs years after.

REWATCH VALUE:
I don't watch everything but when I want to rewatch the best scenes, I am surprised I watch a lot of scenes.

OVERALL:
A good drama and for me, one of the most entertaining. It does use many tropes and clichés of dramas but it is inventive and fun and the great chemistry among the main protagonists make it believable. It talks about many things: cross dressing, one sided love, gay love, bromance, obesity, freewill, sacrifice in a fluffy manner and overall the drama shows a coherent and entertaining story.

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Interesting time loop BL

The question in my mind when I started watching this series: you mean this is a TWELVE-episode series about a doctor who has to keep going back in time until he saves this person. (Won't it get boring by Ep 2? And how on earth do you have BL if the protagonist is just going back in time to do something different to save the person in the ER?

Expectedly, the only way to avoid repetitions with few possible variations is for the doctor to go back to different points in time. And the ostensible mission he's given is modified: it may not really be about saving this one guy he doesn't even really care about at first.

Yet, the series surprises with rather nuanced characterization. The characters seem a bit different from one loop to another, showing how slight changes to one's experiences can have significant changes to one's values and character. There is a lot of fun in the time loop premise, but the series avoids being frivolous. Ultimately, it seems to be saying that, unlike the characters, we don't have multiple chances to try again in life and it is important to do what is right--a bit of kindness can change everything for the better while a moment of callousness can make everything turn out unexpectedly terrible.

It takes quite a few episodes to get to the BL. I think this is evidence of confidence that the story is good enough to draw audiences in even without the BL. No one finds it necessary to make the lead actors bare skin or have a kissing scene in Episode 1 when the story doesn't call for it (compare this with series in which someone dreams of or fantasizes about a kiss in Ep 1 just so that there is a kissing scene to titillate the audience).

While the main characters are flawed, they need to be characters we care enough about before the time loops can be interesting. And this is deftly handled. Dr Tin has a back story and his character changes as he undergoes the time loops--from trying to save Tol just so that he can get out of the time loops, he becomes someone who genuinely cares. The story also becomes more intriguing as Dr Tin discovers more things each time he returns to the past. The stakes also get higher with each return to the past, so there is a lot to keep us watching.

Triage may not seem exceptional at first, but it is certainly one of the more unusual Thai ELs. Don't be deceived by the hospital setting. For a story with a strong supernatural element, the medical drama parts are surprisingly good (at least to someone who doesn't have much medical knowledge like me). But this isn't just another BL featuring a doctor.

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 “Believing what you want to believe is your truth. Because that’s easier and less tiring.”

It is my first time writing here so I am not sure if I'm doing it right. Apologies! Since we're on the subject, let me also apologize for my english in advance ?.
So here are my thoughts on "The bride of Habaek" ✨?
(No spoilers)
As someone who does not like the fantasy genre I've really loved this drama! It made me think, laugh and cry. The romance and the chemistry of the two leads was perfect and very sweet. The idea of a love that goes beyond time and space is showed very well and it is not cheesy at all. However, what I liked the most in this drama is that each one of the characters are interesting and growing throught the drama, sharing with us their lessons and their stories. Not to mention the osts of this drama! Wow! There is one entirely in english too: glass bridge. ❤

“Isn’t it merely that you are the only one who is unaware of which direction your heart is trying to fall in?
If you keep trying to force yourself to steer in the other direction you’ll fall over and fall ill.” - Habaek.

The actress Shin Se Kyung (Yoon So Ah) portrayed a very interesting and human character and I personally could see myself in her actions and thoughts many times.
Not to mention her beauty and her talent. I've seen her only in "the girl who sees scents" before and back then she didn't leave a strong impression on me as much as she did in this drama.
The role of a psychiatrist who struggles every day both in her work and in her private life without apparently giving show of her true personality, emotions and weaknesses is somehow relatable and impressive. When someone call her a kind person she denies it, and yet when she is called mean she says she was justified to act in that way. Her weaknesses make her beautiful while she is strong to endure it all, she still wants to escape the "reality" she believes to live in.
Until she meets someone who catches her attention in many ways. He devotes tender attention to her, he "keeps her busy" and he makes her think. He tells her he is a god and she considers him to be another one of his patients.

“I learned that the one who has more should naturally help the one who has less from my father. It’s also natural for the strong to protect the weak. That’s how the world should be. Just because someone has more than you, doesn’t mean that person is stronger than you.” – Yoon So Ah

It was my first time seeing actor Nam joo Hyuk (Habaek) after "Who are you: school 2015" and I couldn't recognize him until I saw his name and clicked on it to see his past roles ?. Stupid me!
Anyway his looks are really the ones of a deity! ?
Habaek is himself growing as a character: he is convinced to be superior and yet find himself confused in a new world where nobody respects him as a god.
He is a god but does not know the meaning to protect someone and forgive, having failed to do so in the past. He himself has yet to understand his true self just like Yoon So Ah.
His character too is relatable and fascinating. Besides his looks, it is really difficult not to love his personality more and more as the drama goes on. The emotions he starts to express in his face as the drama goes on are strong and genuine and something we could not really expect from his character in the first episodes. The fact that he start to express emotions is sweet and moving itself.

In this drama it is really difficult to hate someone from the 1st episode to the last one non-stop. CEO Shin, Moo Ra and Bi-Ryeom and even the side characters (secretary Min, the chairman Shin and his nephew, Yoon so Ah's colleague etc.) are all worth our attention and their stories are again relatable and interesting.

I will definitely miss Yoon So Ah and Habaek. but I will also miss all the characters in the show (not even one excluded) since they've made me think and reflect on various experiences life gives us.
I really needed this drama and if I had watched it last year it could have benefited me even more than it has now.
Let me conclude saying that I really hope to see the two leads together again in the future ?.

Lots of love from Italy, stay strong and healthy! ???

PS: I just want to share a review on the drama which is really good and emotional. Since it is a nice article and since the author has bravely shared with everyone her story, I think the least I can do is to share it with you all too. Here is the link:
https://www.mashitafandia.com/2018/10/the-bride-of-water-god.html?m=1

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You are only skin deep

If short clips series are becoming a trend, this series raises the bar among the lot.

Although this series is short, each character has a personality and motivation that bring its own color to the show.

Shi Qi is the loyal, determined female lead who values relationship and integrity above all else; while Shen Qin plays the foil to Shi Qi's light, a woman who equally puts love above all else, though has walked the obsessive path instead. As for the male leads, I like Xiao Han Sheng's premise, who trust his instincts above all else; and King Ning rounds up this cast perfectly with his obsession of an "impenetrable front", only to reveal a vulnerable soul within after getting hit by our Shi Qi - literally (in one of the scene) and figuratively (referring to his "front").

Familiar stranger has the familiar troupes, pun intended, we know well. Shi Qi and Xiao Han Sheng are the fated characters who shared a short, unforgettable encounter in the past. which eventually blooms into a love that transcend physicality. i.e. Xiao Han Sheng is able to recognise Shi Qi at the core of who she is despite black magic is not something that is common in this world's setup. Prince Ning is the typical frivolous second male lead that wants the 1 girl who sees him beyond his status of King and who he is within the tough front - a vulnerable, lonely soul who pushes everyone away. And Shen Qin's questionable acts have a proper link to her childhood days, as revealed during the climax.

Familiar stranger shows that what audience laments about familiar troupes ain't because they are familiar, it's about the execution - the care it gives to the characters, the care it gives to a well woven plot, care it gives to find a cast who can act their roles proper. When proper care is given, familiar troupes be damned, I will watch your drama and rate it well.

The intensity of a complex plot and dark villain (she does use black magic after all) is balanced well with supporting cast who has a more lighthearted personalities. I love love love the banter between Xiao Han Sheng and his military advisor. And yes, even if I know it's another cliche, I buy-in the adopted cute daughter as our main leads' romance catalyst.

All in all, if you like suspense romantic drama but don't have much time, this short 10 mins of18 episodic series will serve you well.

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