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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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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a healing journey indeed
first, if you are here for the actor kim jae yong, he does not get so much screen time which is understandable. The story revolves around our main character Yeo Reum, about her own self discovery journey. This drama is slow paced, healing, and more focused on sceneries and human emotions.what i loved and you might love:
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1. Yeo Reum is rather a relatable character. she is trying to find herself, yet she seems to be more of a background character=not special(as many of us feel sometimes). Her goal is to find her own place in the world.
2. her growth does not involve only personal struggle, but also continuous learning from her clients that she substitutes. Those are people with nuanced stories and lives that we, along her, get a peak into. we learn about their past. regrets, and their life lessons
3. the sceneries are no joke, especially if you are like me and trees are your spiritual animal lol
4.no fully-fledged romance but we get crumps dont worry lol! i think the director felt that going for a full romantic story might overshadow the depth this drama wanted to convey. it could have also undermined the sense of self that kang yeoreum has been trying to establish throughout her journey.(maybe that is reserved for the s2)
what i disliked and you might too:
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1.as i ve mentioned it is understandable but maaaaan, i missed kim jae yong while watching this drama lol. i ve been anticipating when he would show up but let s say i was disappointed enough times before making peace with the dramas vision
2.the end was a little bit ummm...it closes with a cliffhanger. i mean it s a so so for me.
3. i wanted more from kang yeo reum more nuance let s say. i still felt like we are just scratching the surface with her.as i mentionned she grew vicariously through her clients, but i would like to see more going on in her own life.(maybe in season 2 )
4. i love this actress yet she sometimes fell short in depicting despair and sadness. she seems a little bit disconnected or flat for me.
overall, a good drama to heal your soul. It lets your mind wander about the meaning of life and success, while you enjoy breath taking landscapes and you get engaged in the human experience. A moment of mother nature's beauty comforting you.
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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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NO WORDS TO PRAISE THIS MASTER PIECE.PLEASE WATCH
Wohhhhh!I found a gem!Thank god its a happy ending.i wasnt a fan of school dramas. But this one is mind blowing. How both male and female lead can act so realistic?!Hats off. Acting, Makeup, Music, emotional content, story everything on point. Thanks MDL for helping me to find this movie.
How young actors are this much skillful?!!Its not at all like watching a movie, Its kinda watching them in real life. The scenes where both male and female leads talking through eyes are touching and realistic.
Its not a lovely cute drama to watch. Might not be everyone cup of tea. But a quality movie lovers will cherish this movie.
Dont skip this movie.
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1"Is it really happiness for women like us to live without making waves?"
I have struggled to put a review together for and rate Asura aka Ashura no Gotoku. The acting and production values were quite high for this slice of life about four grown sisters in 1979. Given that I’ve seen dramas set in the present with similar marital issues, I’m not sure why it was set in the past. The outcomes were still the same. If you are sensitive to infidelity, there was an abundance of it in this drama. The sisters’ relationships were almost strong enough for me to overlook the lack of pertinent social commentary on women’s roles 45 years ago. Almost.Widow Tsunako is the eldest daughter followed by married Makiko who has two teenage children. Takiko is single and works in a library. Makiko is the youngest and a firebrand living with a boxer. Takiko calls them together with proof that their father has been having an affair for years. Tsunako disapproves but given that she is having an affair with a married man, not in the best place to judge. Makiko is sure her husband is having an affair and believes that ignorance is bliss. Takiko is distraught, never thinking her father would be capable of deceiving their mother. Makiko’s husband is of the opinion that boys will be boys and they need to have a little fun after working so hard. Each of the sisters will have to deal with the infidelity playing out in their lives in their own ways.
The drama showed the pain that the men’s affairs had on the women, yet also glossed over the pain in other areas. The women had no choice but to put up with it. The drama failed to specify why. Maybe because their audience already knew the answers. The women had few career opportunities and divorce for a middle-aged woman would have been financially devastating as well as socially. The men were also skilled at gaslighting and brainwashing the women. I’m not condoning infidelity but in the drama’s context would the men have been so lackadaisical about sex outside of marriage if the women had the right to do so as well? Perhaps birth control wasn’t readily available for the women not in menopause, or being stuck in the house most of the day, they didn’t have opportunities to meet men to have their own stress relief. How I desperately wanted for Grandma to be having a torrid affair with the tofu delivery man while Grandpa was out with his second family.
Disappointingly, the widowed sister carrying on an affair had no thought for the betrayed wife. While I could see her not wanting to get married as she had her own income, her decision caused pain for someone else. Marriage would have been a step down for her as she would have reverted to being a servant instead of lover.
My favorite relationship is the one I hoped lasted and maintained their monogamous commitment. Awkward potatoes Takiko and Katsumata were adorable. Youngest sister Sakiko’s bravado could be wearing as she desperately wanted to prove her older sisters wrong about her boyfriend Jinnai. She had the most emotional growth when tragedy hit her marriage.
Because all of the excuses for the men became irritating, I feel like I have gone on too much about the infidelity aspects of this drama. What I loved were the sisters’ relationships with each other. The two youngest bickered in typical sibling rivalry. The two oldest sisters were bonded by age and years together. The younger sisters also knew that the reason they existed was that their father had hoped for a son each time. Despite their anger at the father for his extra-marital relationships, the sisters still helped him when he needed it. The women might have fought and criticized, but when one hurt, they all did. Regardless of the situation, they supported each other fiercely. If not for their sisterly contact some of these women would have been living in a socially limited world.
This family drama was well acted. The sisters were unique, with their own strengths and quirks. Their relationships with each other were believable and realistic. As for the affairs, there were no satisfying resolutions. Each generation taught the next to bury their hatred and resentment because speaking out just made the situation worse. They learned to live in the shallow end of conversations, never delving too deep. The relationships built on unequal power and status, left at least two of the wives trapped and unable to fully live. Where was their excitement, meaningful companionship, and desire? Trust and loyalty resided more in the sisterly bonds than in the marital ones.
11 January 2025
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A high quality political historical drama
Grandeur in nature; this was a highly political historical drama of 48 episodes length based on real events (maybe not entirely but that’s up for discussion!) that occurred during the five dynasties and ten kingdoms. It focused mainly on the kingdom of Wuyue up until it surrendered peacefully to the Song Dynasty in 978 to spare its people from war.Song China has been one of the well-known dynasties due to its success but I love how the drama had given spotlight to a smaller but thriving kingdom in Wuyue who’s often overlooked in history. It showed us the rise and the changes within Wuyue, the problems it faced, the things they implemented for its success, and the events that led up to its surrender to Song. On the other hand, we were also given a peak of the chaos in the central plains along with the changing of dynasties that occurred. With only 48 episodes, I think the drama tried its best to cover all the events mentioned above (which was a pretty good feat!).
From the first minute of the first episode, you could tell immediately that this is a top-tier content. This may not be an easy watch with all the characters being thrown to the viewers throughout the drama. YES it was confusing at first, but as the story progresses, you will eventually get familiar with all the characters and the role they play. I believe neither of the characters were good nor bad, but rather they were simply focused on doing what was best for their state. The only characters that I disliked were the young successors who were easily manipulated or were too foolish to rule.
The performance of every single cast is nothing short of remarkable, with seasoned and stellar actors delivering nuanced portrayals of their characters. The delivery of their lines was brilliant, and you could feel the intensity in every word they drop. I came here for Zhu Yawen but ended up loving every cast, most especially Bai Yu. The portrayal of Bai Yu as Qian Chu was phenomenal. He was able to give the youthful energy that the young Hong Chu should have, and at the same time, he was amazing with depicting the older, weary King of Wu Yue. Zhou Yutong may have not a lot of scenes, but her portrayal as Sun Taizhen certainly deserved applause. I remember watching her in the beginning when she barely had any lines and yet her facial expressions were enough to convey the character’s subtext and complex emotions.
The drama also gave a dash of romance between Qian Chu and Sun Taizhen, but I love that it was not distracting to the plot at all! They may probably be my favourite couple despite barely having any scenes together. They met when they were kids, grew up together, went through adventures and challenges together, and built life and family together. Despite minimal physical intimacy, the audience could still feel the characters’ deep mutual understanding and affection.
The production demonstrated exceptional quality and artistry, particularly through its authentic set designs and costumes. The music was no less exquisite with it seamlessly matching each scene. The narrative primarily features ministers and officials engaged in discussions concerning state affairs, with dialogue taking precedence over action. I find these conversations interesting, offering substantial value and insight. The dialogues were well-written that I often find myself repeating a scene just so I could take in what has been said and understand its complexity in its entirety. I thought I would get bored at some point, but that point did not come when watching this. The plot moved rapidly as it involves multiple shifts in power, numerous deaths, and constant changes throughout. The drama started strong and it kept its audience engaged until the end.
Although this drama is well-produced, it may appeal mainly to history enthusiasts familiar with the era or have deep passion in learning history rather than casual viewers. That being said, please still do give this drama a try! This was a heavy watch but so so worth it in the end.
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i need more
Hey Strongberry, sit down here, let's have a friendly conversation. You guys will really make me fall in love with every movie that you guys do? mannnnnnnnnn we need a SERIES, this movie suits more like a first episode of a series. then you can explore a great relationship and fears, and maaaaaaaaaan you guys really have talent and make the Korean Bl's the greatest. I'm really sick of the Bl korean series having the same format and strongberry are out here to make everything different and unique. you guys for SURE have my support! the actors are so pretty and act so well, the soundtrack it's good too. I need more.Was this review helpful to you?
Cast - I gave perfect score, 'cos they really deserved it! for Yano and Takahashi's role, they did a great acting, they gave life to the role... I mean it's really like in the anime.
Music - I love the OST. Great choice of songs. :)
Rewatch Value - Definitely, I will watch it all over again.
Overall - since it has 2 parts as of now this is the first part so I'm still looking forward to the second part. Totally inlove with the movie! Watch it and you'll see! :)
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However, at the beginning of the movie, Cho Won’s mother made a statement where she wanted him to have self worth. I think in her pursuit of this, she kind of lost her purpose and doubted her reasons. Me, personally, I applaud her for doing it.
The acting by the leads, Kim Mi Sook and Cho Seung Woo was outstanding. The attention to detail that not only Mi Sook focused on as the mother but Seung Woo as an autistic man was definitely believable.
No stone was left unturned; from Cho Won’s treatment by so-called normal people to the jealousy his brother had because of all the attention his brother got. I was glad they didn’t leave that out. I believe the actors spent a lot of time researching the subject as well as talking to the real life Mother and Son. Yes, this is a true story that reflects the life and accomplishments of not only the mother but the son, in his pursuit to run!
A great real-life story!!
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This review may contain spoilers
This time travel/parallel universe drama started badly, the FL lead's character seems annoyingly distracting at first. I would have dropped it at episode 1 but I'm a fan of Li Hongyi so I continued to watch it.I found that was not the case later on. The FL was sensible, smart, patient and cute in interacting with the ML. I normally don't like older women-younger men relationship stories but I find their interactions to be amazing and funny until I was rooting for the FL and ML .
Less points for the ending. Though it's a happy one, a lot of details seemed overlooked...
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