This review may contain spoilers
One of the best Kdrama
I rarely give any review to a drama but this one is one of the best! I love the push and pull moments where they break up and be back to one another. I love the characters and I am in love with the plot. It was a cliche story but the characters did justice to the plot that is why I really loved the whole drama.I love tragic ending but I rarely cry to it and youth of my had given me another night to remember. The whole scene of myeong hee lying on the ground while hee tae being pulled by the soldier was so heartbreaking yet a satisfying scene to watch. I cried the whole night thinking about how miserable the ending was but nevertheless it was an amazing journey to watch such a indescribable drama.
From myeong hee sacrificing her life for others to hee tae respecting myeong hee's decision. I bow down to their relationship. I learned so many things watching the youth of may. I will miss every minute of it.
I recommend to everyone to watch this. Its so worth it!!
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A beautiful memoir to the Gwangju uprising and a even more beautiful Love Story
I started this because I fell head over heels in love with Lee Do Hyun after watching 18 Again. So I anxiously counted down the days to its release and watched every episode while they were aring, waiting and checking for subs. Staying up late just so I could watch the next episode.AND. LET. ME. TELL. YOU!! THIS DRAMA!! Thiis FREAKING dramma!! Right heere is...everything.
There are so many things i absolutly adored about it. The music was perfectly chosen from the uplifting lighthearted tunes to the heartbreaking balades, it all fit the mood and the charachters so perfectly that it just completly melted into the story. You know the Ost is good when it just feels natrual for it to be there, almost as if its just backround noise.
Plus watchign Lee Do Hyun play the guitair is always a straight way into my heart.
The acting was "Chefs Kiss"
I already knew that Lee Do hyun is a great freaking actor. I stan him for a reason after all but Go Min Si really also positivly suprised me. The intimacy between them felt tangible and real. Every emotional scene, kiss and hug was just wow. Hands down has one of the best Kiss scenes i've seen in K-Dramaland. Not because it was dramatic but because you could really feel the emotions in they'r slow tentative actions. The kisses were always filled with love and you could feel it as a viewer.
This drma was just overflowing with emotions. When they cried you could feel the pain and desperation. And daaamn I just wanted to scream who hurt my babiiies.
Knowing the historic backround of the Gwangju uprising I was expecting angst but daaamn I was not prepared. All I will say is that I bawled my eyes out more than once watching this so be sure to keep tissues near.
I absolutly adoored the characters. All of them, even if they were anyoing at times (yes I mean Lee Soo Ryun) were lovable and human. They all had their own struggles and passions and developed throughout the story. Lee Soo Ryun, even if i wanted to hit her at times, i can also understand her. She had her reason for acting the way she did and you cant fault a girl for being passionate about the things important to her.
Hawn hee Tae was so freaking lovable and adorable and passioante like a puppy. I just want to hug him. And Kim Myung Hee my giirl. Ughh I just want to give them all a hug and keep them away from the big bad world.
One of the things i absolutly loved about this drama was the way the love story progressed. You dont see this kind of passionate but at the same time sweet and pure love often portrayed. Theyr love really felt like those once in a life time kind of loves that are larger than life. I loved that the characters were just head over heals for each other. No pretending not to like each other or acting coy. Oh noo boyy these two love each other deeply and they show it. Of course bad things happen, but the way to love was never a straight line. But through all the desicions they make I never doubted their love for each other. For my Romance loving heart I got everything I wanted in this. The Angst was delicious and I felt butterflies during the fluffy scenes. They had a really good balance between the fluff and angst. The story never gets stuck or stays rooted in a problem for too long. And when a problem gets solved it was always so freaking satisfying. Not to spoil but daaamnn so many good and satisfying scenes that just make the angst and heartache soo worth it!
And last but not least the Gwangju Uprising. I loved how at the start of the Drama its just about normal people living theyr lives. You get to know these characters and love them and then you see what happens with all these characters when tragedy strikes out of nowhere. Pesonaly I didnt know anything about the Gwangju uprising before watching this drama and I was even more schoked after looking it up. How such a thing could happen is beyond me. And my heart really ached when I imagined that this really happend. Real and inoccent people lost they'r lives and loved ones. And maybe this show didnt show everything that happend during the uprising but it did show the sheer violence and brutality used by the military and just how freaking unfair and unjustified it was. As a plus point you actually get a lot of different points of view throughout the story from characters in the military to characters who gave the orders. Even the smallest character got a full story and development. Which Kudos to that. It aint easy with little screentime but they even made me love the small side characters.
So do I need to count down anymore reasons to watch this? I dont think so. If you havent already, give this Beautiful Piece a try.
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The things that I liked about the drama:
-The storyline is unique. Not the one-person's-soul-entering-another-body thing. But the part that came after that.
- The acting is top notch. You can feel every emotion of Song Huun Chul, Hye Jin and Yun Hwa. Their struggle with this new reality that they face, that they never expected is portrayed wonderfully.
- The music is good. Specially the song 'Monochrome'. It fit the settings perfectly.
- The kid actors did a good job too.
- Not to sound like a fangirl or anything, but Kai is wonderfully and deliciously beautiful.
- The drama focused on human behavior. And the mesaage it send is a good one.
The things that I wasn't sure about:
- This was more of a slow paced drama. Which isn't necessarily a bad thing. But around the middle part, it did seem a bit draggy.
- A lot of moral dilemmas involved in the drama which I wasn't sure how to feel about. While the drama wasn't solely focused on romantic relationships, to the extent that they were present, they were quite...well, complicated. I, as a viewer, wasn't sure if what the male lead was doing could be considered "right". If, there could be a right and wrong in such exaggerated fantasical situation.
Overall, it's a drama that deserves a chance. And it's quite enjoyable. So, go ahead and give it a try.
Happy Watching!!
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I already watch the movie version, so i thought this drama would just be a draggy version of it.
But i was wrong! It got me hooked from the 1st episode.
The siblings fight, funny side kick, unique classmates, and the monologue at the end are the most memorable part for me.
Shi Fen and Shi Miao are the usual quarreling siblings. Meanwhile the Wan brothers are unrealistic dramatic siblings, but they're just refreshing to see.
Even though i dont really like dramas with school setting, this one is an exception. I love how the classmates and teachers weren't just one dimensional characters. They had their own story and good development.
Sun Qian and Joseph Zeng had great chemistry playing as siblings. The side characters did really well too. However Mark Ma, who portrayed Wan Xing stole my attention. It's amazing how well he play the character of a matured 12 years old.
The drama itself is full of hilarious scenes, but i find a lot of unnecessary fillers in it.
I would've give it a 10 if ending were much better. After 29 episodes of adventure, it ended rushed and bland when it could've been more impactful.
The intro song were funny, meanwhile the outro were more mellow which suits the mood
However this is truly my type of drama, no romance just siblings hood and friendship. They keeps the comedy coming and you'll laugh all the way from the beginning to the end. So for me I'd definitely be rewatching it
I recommend it to people who wants a light hearted comedy watch to pass the time
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It was a really tragic story but sometimes I like these type of ending... I loved how Hee Tae remember her and tried to found her alive.....
My mom used to tell me when you can't end up with your lover , there will be a pain inside of you forever ....this pain will give you a pleasure forever how you remember only good things about him .... Now I think my mom is right ... We saw how Hee Tae remembers about Myeong hee after so many years and think about only good things ... There wasn't a moment they hated each other for a second... Whatever today's youngsters should watch this drama to know history, to know they are leading a better life ....
this drama doesn't need so many words .. it's simply awesome and I really love this dramaaaaaa....😍😍🖤
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It started with very strong plot possibilities and excitement, which made me wonder what would be the best possible route
I would like the plot to take. But after a few episodes drama works its magic and you fall into its flow of tone and instead of imagining all the scenarios, you just look forward to the drama.
The acting was the stronger aspect to look for in the drama as Im Joo Hwan totally nailed it. There were times I was frustrated by his character's decisions to continue the revenge and all but well his character is a killer and t would be strange if I understood all his decisions :)) . Even until the ending his character was well expressed.
What catches you most is the editing and drama style with great use of slow-motion and subtle scenes with equally good music in the background. The drama followed this way throughout the episodes and it engages you in the story more emotionally.
As all dramas have some backfall it does have its own. Well, the scriptwriting was done good but I was tired of hearing the same sentences again and again. It would have been great if they had been a little more creative while delivering the same dialogues.
As a drama junkie, I felt the chemistry between leads developed a bit faster than in other dramas. but they wrapped around it well enough because of the continuous plot which slowed down and picked speed but never stopped for fillers.
This drama was satisfying in many ways and made me look forward to the next episode every time. With a well-written ending and the last couple of episodes, it wraps up with a smile on your face and contentment filling your heart.
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The best thing to come out from 2020
I haven't felt the need to talk about a LGBTQ+ movie/drama so much since "Prayers for Bobby," and that was in 2009 sis, so this already speaks levels for me.For the past couple of years Thailand, and now South Korea, have given us an unexpected (yet amazing) amount of "Boys Love" dramas and movies that, to be honest, have helped me surviving this pandemic mess we are living in today. However, despite all the fun and heartwarming stories I have seen portrayed in these dramas, none, I repeat: NONE can compare to the work of art this movie turned out to be.
I do not want to label this as a BL because I think the term doesn't necessarily match the theme correctly. Instead, I want to label it as an LGBTQ+ work. Simple and clear. As a gay man, I've been madly in love with watching BLs; despite that, I did notice the big level of unrealism they have. They are mostly just fanservice to get the juices flowing period. That, I said it, don't @ me cause I still love them.
"His" turned out to be a surprisingly realistic movie that showcased some of the struggles of being homosexual in society, especially Japan's conservative society, unlike any other work I've previously seen. The characters were allowed to struggle, learn, and take a step forward to their growth as humans. We also were given different perspectives of the same situations that helped build the world the movie wants to portray for the viewers' empathy. I found myself falling in love with the male leads and female lead (wife) because they reminded me of myself and things that I've been through. Needless to say, I have been reflecting on myself thanks to this.
Let's give credit were credit is due: the acting. I do not consider myself a fan of Japanese acting because I find it too forced and fake, but I am glad that they are finally understanding how things are done, and it shows! I loved seeing how their emotions were building up on their faces and the delivery felt natural.
This is definitely a movie I will save and rewatch in the future, and I could not recommend it enough. Please, do yourself a favor and watch this beautiful story. It's not the typical drama that you're probably used to but I assure you it will leave an impression in your heart.
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This review may contain spoilers
A Wholesome Take on High School Romance!
I highly recommend this show if you are looking for the following:• Wholesome and healthy relationships
• Engaging characters progressions
• Solid chemistry between the cast
• Moderate comedic tone
• Excellent music
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SPOILER BELOW
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What I love:
1. Gun and Tinn's relationship develops steadily and does not go backward. It's a fun and rewarding experience to root for Tinn and Gun because each episode culminates in a milestone in their relationship stages. They have a healthy relationship and resolve any potential conflict through meaningful conversations. Viewers are continuously rewarded in this journey with a simple yet effective ending scene in each episode, such as Gun realizing he may like Tinn in episode 3, the little fingers interaction in episode 4, and Tinn blushing when Gun starts reciprocating his feeling in episode 7.
2. Gun and Tinn have contrasting character progressions, which is refreshing to watch—in contrast to Gun's, Tinn's significant personal development happened prior to the first episode. He had changed from whom Gun called 'NobiTinn', a seemingly less sociable bookworm, into this unyielding, reliable, and ever-supportive individual before we were even introduced to him. As we observe Gun's character growth through many ups and downs, having Tinn in these scenes with Gun assures us that things will be alright. Apart from his eventual relationship with Gun, we can say that Tinn has not changed; he is very much the same person that we knew from the first episode.
3. Despite the different approaches that Tinn's mom and Gun's mom take in nurturing their sons, they love their sons just the same. It's almost natural to like Gun's mom from the start, as she is the more understanding and easygoing mother of the two mother figures. Viewers were challenged with the possibility of Tinn's mom being the villain of this series. But, despite relatively more limited scenes, Tinn's mom has proved us wrong through her masterful performance in the later episodes. Both "I love whoever you love" and "It's okay, I was the reason you were afraid to tell" are equally powerful messages to their sons and the viewers.
4. This series uses humor smartly. The earlier episodes have plenty of slapstick and comedic scenes, effectively showing the innocence of high school students. As Gun matures and has to focus not only on his band but also Tinn, more serious, pivotal, and romantic scenes are added to sustain his character growth while staying true to the comedic nature.
5. Music is an integral part of this series, and the cast performs passionately. Each episode has 1 or 2 covers or original soundtracks effectively integrated into the plot. The singers are excellent, and their emotion flows nicely into the scenes. My recommendation for the original soundtrack is episode 12's ก้อนหินกับดวงดาว (Rock & Star), and the cover is episode 5's ฟัง (Listen). But, honestly, it's hard to pick favorites because all the OSTs are amazing.
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What I wish were different:
1. The overall message about Hot Wave was centered only on winning it. From the early episodes, Hot Wave has been set as the band's endgame. We have observed the bandmates growing musically, academically and becoming a better team until the Hot Wave final result in episode 11. Unfortunately, after losing in the final, the band focused only on the outcome, not the journey. Until the Hot Wave arc's closure in episode 11, Gun apologized for failing to lead the band to victory. This is mainly addressed by the 'Once Upon a Time' song, but I wished there was a scene to remind the band that the Hot Wave result does not and will never invalidate their immense growth.
2. The other bandmates need more backstories and serious scenes before the conflict in episode 11. As viewers are more used to watching them on a lighter note, the sudden tonal shift to a heavy argument scene will come as a surprise.
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Best Episode -- Episode 3!
This episode has a special place in my heart; it reminds me of my relationship in high school, from preparing for mid-term examinations together and sneaking into an empty classroom to slow dance and enjoying the moment while the band was playing music during the school festival. Unfortunately, it didn't work out between us after graduation, and I honestly wasn't settled with the closure that I got.
But this episode helped me remember and process my feelings at that time. And looking at it from the 3rd party point of view through this episode, I understood that regardless of the outcome, those tiny pockets of moments were special. I am grateful!
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Takeaways:
The director (Au Kornprom Niyomsil) and his team are fantastic. 'My School President' now differs significantly from the trailer shown during GMMTV 2022. The amount of effort to research and pivot in such a short time must have been tremendous. Thank you for the great effort and for delivering us this masterpiece.
The main cast is incredibly talented. Fourth and Gemini are perfectly cast as high school students starting their coming-to-age moment. No matter what the scene is about, be it comedic, romantic, or emotional, they manage to do it flawlessly. And they can sing very well! I am sure many people are hooked from the very first note that Fourth sang in episode 1's อยากร้องดังดัง, or their duet in episode 2's ข้างกัน (city).
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I look forward to cheering for them as they grow and get many more meaningful projects to hone and showcase their talents.
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Sometimes it's slow-paced and uneventful, sometime it's so good it's the best Kdrama ever
It's hard to wrap it up in a few words. But i would say this is probably the longest buildup i have ever seen.It has 16 episodes, and the actions and dramatic parts start at around ep.11 12. Before that it was about character building and bonding (those memories will be used effectively against us later).
The fantasy romance story is intriguing. It has good plot twists and back story. Although the pacing is sometimes a bit slow, overall it sends meaningful messages of love, hate, afterlife, regret, loneliness and forgiveness. It can break your heart and also make you smile
The acting is good, nothing to complain about. The chemistry between the second lead couple is so good at all time. At the beginning the main couple feels a bit lacking, near the end it gets a lot better. But the best chemistry has to be the bromance between Goblin and Grim Reaper!
The characters are well built and developed, relatable and make reasonable decisions. But mostly they are madly driven by love.
The music is so beautiful and sad, wished they had kept the ending song till the end though. The special effects feel natural (the glowing sword and the power of grim reaper), but the flying moments were a bit off.
The atmosphere changes so fast. One moment it's fluff and romantic (with a little too many staring-straight-at-each-other-for-a-century), and a second later it's heart wrenching and full of dramas and actions. It's was well-balanced, i just wished it was more consistent.
Overall, i would recommend this series if you are looking for a romance story sets in the present, with wholesome bromance, fantasy elements and a tragic backstory from a past life, which would now affect the choices and emotions of the characters.
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Morticia Addams is now killing demons!
I was about to give this drama a 7.5 score unfortunately the last 3 episodes made it a 7.This series is pretty enjoyable action drama.
A secret society has being fighting demon like creatures for centuries but now a new menace is on the horizon. Pretty simple and straightforward.
Nothing groundbreaking plot wise but the series has a good pace (and relative short episodes) which makes it enjoyable.
The characters have an interesting backstory and ark. The romance is there but is not overbearing.
Funny to say giving the fact that the series is based on a "fighting organization", but the actual action scenes are the greatest.
They are not cringe, on the other hand they are not mesmerizing as well. The camera tries to cut away many times to avoid showing the audience how the characters is moving.
Another point to make, but maybe this is just me, is that the explanation of how the creature are created or transformed in the show is muddy. I didn't quite grasped it. It gets more clear near the end but during the drama I was confused.
As I said before, until the last 3 episodes the drama was engaging and interesting but after the "big fight scenes", we get 2 episodes with characters rescuing others and the last 2 episodes add cliques...
The female leads loses her memories which is so clique.....
Other footnote is that the drama sometimes forgets characters and don't mention them until 10 episodes later..
If you are looking for something other than Rom coms this is a good show.
P.s. I loved the female lead and her Morticia Addams vibes.
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strong start, rushed end...
As typical of a JBL we get an interesting premise, we get an serene atmosphere and quite a slow pacing. I just feel the end is rushed, another episode should have extended the end which was overly fast and breaks with the overall pace of the show. Especially they introduced the "Konno goes abroad" thing which is not in the original manga and which did not make much sense especially when they were limited on episodes anyways. To introduce drama is not always a good choice, this series could have done without it.The cinematography was top notch, the actors did a good job, except with kissing. What's the point of close ups "kissing" when the lips are only touching for a "endless" time. Besides that, I have nothing to complain about. So overall a good BL which started much stronger (the first two episodes were just perfect) and gave us a weaker ending. The series is extremly short, only about 24 minutes per episode (except the finale which is about 30 minutes), so you can easily binge-watch this and have a better flow and not a week long suspense.
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I was very disappointed. So if you have seen the series and watch this, just think of it as a bonus episode and not a movie. If you haven't already watched the series then I suggest you do because it is quite clever and enjoyable.
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Cliche but cute light watch
As a long-term modern Chinese rom-com watcher, I expect storylines to be reused. But I'm just here to watch a feel-good rom-com. Chemistry between the leads is aight and they try to add the little twist with placing this drama in the dubbing industry (its not much of a twist lol). The OST, some cute moments, and no real pea-brained character made this drama a nice light watch. I would rewatch if I'm ever bored and looking for comedy with no strings attached. I'm only up to episode 22 but the writers have been playing it pretty safe so I don't expect a bad ending. Also, the acting isn't bad, Sun Yi Ning (Amy Sun) performs pretty well once again.Basically, don't expect this drama to leave you shook. But it was a quality production (esp that OST) so this drama still ranks aight in my eyes.
update: I finished and my views stay pretty much the same
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Hands-down best 2020 drama for me
It feels a bit unfair how this drama is so underrated relative to its awesome quality, because this has EVERYTHING that a great drama should have:1. Powerful and Meaningful Themes
This show revolves around finding your passion, facing and succeeding over obstacles, knowing and improving yourself, learning from one another, and friendship. Go may just be a "game", but we see the characters discover themselves a bit more through it and witness them grow for the better.
2. Character Development
Shi Guang, the main character, goes through a MASSIVE character development throughout the whole series. He isn't even bad in the first place, maybe immature at worst, so it makes the viewers root for him a lot. As mentioned by some side-characters, he is "like a sponge", and his willingness to learn from others and acknowledge his weaknesses significantly contributed to his improvements. Not only him, but we see other characters (actually, almost all of them) grow as well which is very satisfying.
3. Friendship
The amazing thing here is how fiendship is displayed in different ways: 13th High School Go Club friendship which is about mutual support, Yijianghu Go Club friendship which is about encouraging and strengthening each other, Fang Xu and Bai Chuan's friendship which is about making sure the other doesn't stray from the right path, Shi Guang and Yu Liang's friendship which is about rediscovering one's passion and setting an eternal goal to pursue, and of course Shi Guang and Chu Ying's friendship which is about finding a purpose to one's existence.
4. Acting
There is literally no blackhole in all of the characters despite most of them being young actors. Huge props especially to the lead actors: Juck Zhang who made Chu Ying impossible to hate but can also make you cry (I DARE you to watch episodes 32-34 without crying) and Hu Xianxu as Shi Guang who is undoubtedly THE STAR of the whole drama, one of the best actors of his generation to be quite honest. The young actor who played young Shi Guang also deserves a special mention as well.
5. Production Quality
The drama's timeline is from 1997-2006 so important details like clothing, appliances, places, even vehicles need special detail. There's definitely no weak point on that aspect. The cinematography and music are also very beautiful as well.
This drama may not be that famous internationally because there is no romance and doesn't ride the coattails of the ever-famous Hallyu wave, but you'll DEFINITELY miss out if you don't give this one a chance.
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Here's why...
1) The diversity!
It's not every day that you come across a film that features SIX different languages...yes, six. There's Japanese, Korean, Mandarin, Russian, German, and English (a tiny bit) O_O
It was an amazing experience to see the perspectives (somewhat--it's literally not much) of different nations during WWII with the progression of the film. What I really liked about that, is that by doing so, no one nation was definitively tacked as the "bad guy," because this film's purpose is not to show that; rather, it is about two rivals and their trials through war, and ultimately the bond they form.
2) The effects!
There was not one second my eyes were not glued to the screen. 'My Way' is a war movie, as in LOTS of fighting scenes, people being shot--death, explosions...you know ;) Now, if that kind of scares you, no worries, this is not a gore-type war film. There's no flying limbs or guys lying around with half of their body still intact while you see all their insides pouring out >:p yuck! Although, there was one incident--I won't say exactly, but it has to do with pus *cringes*. TBH, other than that, just expect blood and dead bodies.
As far as explosions go...superb. Scenes with airplanes...well done.
Anytime there was fighting, I found myself holding my breath, because it was so hectic and unpredictable...really captured the feeling of war. There were numerous occasions when I was chanting "Please don't die!" in my head with my fingers crossed haha ;)
The effects are awesome, but I should add that you'll see a lot more than just "war effects," since the film begins before the characters go off to war.
3) The characters!
What can I say? I mean from the main cast to the supporting cast, each character had an understandable motive and development, because all the characters were affected by WWII. I found it fascinating just to see all of these characters change over time due to the war and the fear of dying.
The character, Hasegawa Tatsuo, is definitely my favorite from the film. You'll see him as a kid, as a teen and as a man, and will never wonder (perhaps like me) why he is the way he is...that's really thanks to an incredibly written story.
Which brings me to...
4) The story!
It's based on a true story, which is why it comes across as being so realistic.
Although this is a war film, that's just the setting, the story itself is very heartwarming. I cannot say enough how much I loved it...I really did. For a film that's over two hours, it's unlikely that you will ever feel bored. I mean, if you heart is not pounding from the action, it might be breaking during the emotional scenes. I really want to say more, but I don't know how to without repeating the synopsis or spoiling the film for you, so I'll just say this; look forward to watching a darn good film :D
5) The acting!
Trust me it's outstanding. These actors aren't rookies; they know what to do, and they do it well. Plus, it's Jang Dong Gun as a lead, as well as Joe Odagiri of which I am now a fan. These two leads and the excellent supporting cast make this film well worth watching.
So, I feel like I've written quite a lot, but have said just as little; hopefully not too little, because I hope that I've said just enough to encourage you to watch My Way. If I am not helpful (at all D:) do please look up a better review, because I really think this film is good enough to deserve a view :)
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