The value of knowing one's self-worth and loving yourself first
I have seen the Korean original and Chinese adaptation of this drama, and I liked them both. Each one brought its cultural style, and even though none were perfect, the great mix of comedy, romance, and drama resulted in entertaining watches for me. It is the same for this Thai version.I read some criticism that the acting was too exaggerated, but I have enjoyed enough Thai lakorns to expect and accept that. For me, Thai lakorns have their brand of slapstick antics that mesh well with the plot and character development. This lakorn, Me You Always, had its unique flair and provided a good amount of situational comedy, witty, and lowbrow humor for some good laughs. Also, with great timing, rhythm, and sound effects, the show swings from romantic to dramatic to funny quickly and smoothly, and it keeps the entertainment level high throughout the show. There were some deviations from the Korean and Chinese versions, a few for the better, and a couple took away poignant moments for me. The ending in the Thai version though is my favourite.
For those who have not seen the original or any of its adaptations, the plot is based on the classic and over-used "Childhood Love" trope. Still, the story develops nicely and interestingly in this particular drama. It's truly a sweet rom-com, but you will feel angst during the prolonged misunderstanding on the ML's part and some noble idiocy on the FL's side. You will also get the second male lead syndrome, or at least I did, for all the versions. Most of the plot is about the FL deceiving the ML about her identity and how despite it all (including a sexy, eager SFL), he still falls in love with the FL.
In all versions, the ML is a jerk at first. However, some of it is due to him being bullied during his younger days, and he grows up developing a prickly shell. His mean attitude towards the FL is mostly because he is so confused and trying to fight against the attraction that he feels towards her, especially when he thinks he has already found his first love (the FL's best friend).
I like that in this version, the show did not have Ploy, the FL go through any significant makeover. She looked normal, albeit a little unkempt and dowdy with her oversized clothing and lack of attention to her appearance, but she was still pretty and cute, especially when she smiled. I love how Ploy improved her outer beauty naturally and realistically as she started to pay more attention, such as using proper skincare, contacts, and tidying up her hair. Most of all, I like how Kawin (or Win), the ML came to love her for her character and the connection he felt with her, the same closeness he had with his first love.
Fang Neerasingh as Ploy and Pae Arak Amornsupasiri as Kawin were adorable together. They had awesome chemistry and looked good onscreen - I love the height difference. They played off each other well and nailed every scene.
Ploy was a strong, happy-go-lucky FL whose physical appearance belied how tough and plucky her character was after having gone through hardship in life. For sure, there were moments where I wanted to yell at Ploy for not having the courage to tell Kawin the truth, and she was the one who started her best friend, Randa's deception. Still, Randa could have made better choices. In the end, though, it all worked out neatly, and I like the character development of Ploy, Kawin, and Randa. It's great that Ploy prioritized her self-development, and Kawin was equally amazing in allowing Ploy time and room for her to pursue her ambition. After waiting years for her, he was confident in himself and their relationship.
This is the first drama of Fang's that I watched, and I thought she did a great job. She was able to convey different emotions with her facial expressions, and her crying scenes were pretty much on-point. Her cute "girl next door" look reminds me of other Chinese and Korean actresses, but I still cannot place which ones exactly. She also sang one of the main songs.
I am not a fan of Pae's hairstyle here, but he is still as charming and attractive as ever. I like his portrayal of Kawin and his mood swings as we see Kawin struggle against his curiosity about Ploy that eventually evolved into attraction and ultimately love.
There's lots of accidental skinship (yes, "mostly the trip and fall into his arms" and the "oops, I turned my face and my lips almost found his" kind), but since these two were so cute together, these scenes only increased the sweetness factor for me. I wish there were more kissing because they looked comfortable and natural together when they did. However, I did feel that the other versions did a better job showing how the ML slowly fell for the FL.
As for the second male lead, it is the way the character is written that would result in the second male lead syndrome. He's sensitive, cool, super sweet, and supportive of the FL. Nat Kitcharit played Tula well, and there were so many times when I would smile at the chemistry between Tula and Ploy.
The acting was great across the board, and there was just so much rapport between the cast!
There were not many songs played in the drama, and most pieces were instrumental. However, the theme song was fun and reflected the cute tone throughout the drama. The other one is the more romantic song and the instrumental version was used a lot during the meaningful scenes. It definitely heightened the romantic experience for me. For posterity, I have listed those two here:
1) "จับมือเธอไว้" ("Hold Your Hand")
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yZ1ujiR2i6g
2) "ฉันจะกล้าพอ" ("I Will Be Brave Enough")
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G7K5hqv5LpQ
Overall, do give this drama a try! The sweetness, the silliness, the laughter, the terrific cast, the lovely ending - there's enough to keep you entertained!
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Plot's premise was intriguing, but there's almost no answer of anything. Dinner part was forgotten after episode 2 and the other character felt unnecessary.
I think the problem was the duration. There's no enough time to properly tell the story. Probably because the recaps, they spent too much time on that.
The acting was fine, even though there's some scenes where they looked awkward. I didn't like any of the OST (for now). The cinematography was good.
Overall
I won't recommend it to anyone. But if you're going to watch it anyway... Don't try to find the logic, just go with the flow and maybe you'll liked it.
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An OK watch if you're feeling bored
Moon in the Day is a 2023 Korean drama based on a webtoon of the same name. It stars Kim Young-dae and Pyo Ye-jin as the main leads, who are reincarnated lovers from ancient Korea. The drama combines fantasy, romance, and historical elements, as it switches between the present and the past. Here is my review of the drama:**Plot**: The plot is intriguing and original, as it explores the themes of revenge, fate, and love across time. The drama has a lot of twists and turns, as the characters discover their past lives and the secrets behind their deaths. The drama also balances the comedy and the tragedy, as the modern-day characters deal with the consequences of the spirit possession and the ancient characters face the political and personal conflicts. However, the plot also has some flaws, such as the inconsistent pacing, the lack of logic, and the unsatisfying ending. The drama could have been more coherent and satisfying if it had focused more on the character development and the resolution of the conflicts. **Rating: 7/10**
**Acting**: The acting is decent, but not outstanding. Kim Young-dae and Pyo Ye-jin have good chemistry and portray their characters well, especially the contrast between their modern and ancient personalities. However, they also lack some emotional depth and expression, especially in the more dramatic scenes. On Joo-wan, Jung Woong-in, and Lee Geung-young are more impressive in their supporting roles, as they deliver more nuanced and complex performances. The rest of the cast are also adequate, but not memorable. **Rating: 7.5/10**
**Production**: The production is high-quality and impressive, as it showcases the beautiful scenery, costumes, and sets of both the modern and the ancient times. The cinematography, editing, and sound effects are also well-done, as they create a smooth and immersive viewing experience. The music is also a highlight, as it matches the mood and the tone of the drama. The OST is composed of various songs that reflect the emotions and the themes of the drama, such as love, longing, and regret. **Rating: 8/10**
**Overall**: Moon in the Day is a drama that has a lot of potential, but also a lot of flaws. It is a unique and creative story that blends fantasy and history, but it also suffers from some plot holes and inconsistencies. It has some good moments and performances, but also some dull and disappointing ones. There's a captivating and bittersweet romance, but also a frustrating and unsatisfying ending. It's a drama that is worth watching, but not rewatching. Rating: 7.5/10**
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This review may contain spoilers
This is a very short Taiwanese series - short as in 10 eps, 13 min. each - and it tells the story of 3 brothers, same father, different mothers, who bicker as if their lives depended on it but they do love each other, though they would never say it out loud, they would rather die. And these brothers, they all fall for the various men in their lives: the younger two for their best friends, the eldest for the guy who their father thought might be his fourth son - spoiler: he isn’t.It’s pretty funny and I especially like the pairing above, the eldest son, Yuan Jun Cheng, and their wannabe brother, Lin Xun. Because Yuan Jun Cheng? He has the behavior of a mob boss and Lin Xun is not impressed. And when Jun Cheng decides he wants Lin Xun as his lover, he steamrolls everything in his way while Lin Xun is still not impressed. There might even be some eye-rolling there. And yet somehow, Lin Xun still ends up in a relationship with Jung Cheng. I bet that till this day, Lin Xun doesn’t understand how this odd thing actually happened.
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I watched this almost two years ago, because Kim Beom was in it.
I think the cast was good: as I read in other reviews, you could feel the emotions while they were acting.
But the thing is I couldn't understand the subject of this movie.
The events goes on more or less logically but in the end you aren't able to understand what the movie is telling you, or what you should have understand.
If someone asks me "What is this movie about?", I probably would answer: "Two guys in love that act in a weird way because you can't totally understand why she becomes mad and why he becomes that kind of 'bad' guy."
The only thing I well remember after two years is the weird mood in wich this movie pulled me in.
I felt somehow anxious, and I was disapointed too, I don't know why.
Anyway, I just think it is a movie that you like or don't like, that you understand or don't understand. I think I should rewatch it to find out something more!
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I like the way it was built around the female lead in a way that few Dramas set in more recent times are. And I especially liked the fact that Jang Geum was shown as learning her skills, through study, practice, observation, trial and error. Obviously, dramatic licence inflated her skills and achievements, but not to the point of being “magick”, merely hyperbolic and perhaps anachronistic. In the current era of “geeenius” everything (ALWAYS male), it was refreshing to see a Drama built around a character who came across as real, and who earned her accomplishments on merit.
The contrast between this medieval medicine woman and a shrieky female psychiatrist in a currently airing Drama could hardly be greater. So, while I won’t be watching it again, and wouldn’t necessarily recommend it to others, I am very glad I watched it all. A modern day remake would be a must watch, I think 16-20 episodes following a woman’s rise to medical pre-eminence with an (at most) secondary loveline. A man can dream, right?
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Despite not being a genre I'm gravitating towards, it's well-done!
Stranger / Secret Forest follows Hwang Shi Mok (Jo Seung Woo), a brilliant prosecutor who has lost the ability to empathize with others due to a surgery he had as a child and he teams up with a female police officer Han Yeo Jin (Bae Doo Na) as they investigate a seemingly simple robbery turned murder, amid political corruption.I don't gravitate towards political or corruption, things that seem to be really relevant to the show so I was apprehensive, but the show did a very good job at presenting you all of the puzzle pieces involving different characters. No one and nothing was being purposely left out to divert or keep me confused. I have to say that although it's engaging in the moment of watching, I don't feel any intrigue/addiction for the next episodes, maybe because my own tastes don't really line up with this genre.
What I want to highlight is how well the story was presented. I was surprised because of the synopsis about a prosecutor who lacks empathy would focus on human emotion and behavior. The cameras shot close-up to characters faces, to show all of the micro expressions. For a role that is supposed to be cold and emotionless, Seung Woo's acting is captivating. While his face remains blank at most times, there are slight nuances in his expression that highlight the emotional development. Then the two actresses I was happy to see here were Bae Doo Na and Shin Hae Sun. The acting of the entire cast is top-notch! I loved the Stranger Overture OST (my favorite aspect of this show, really), the cool blue tones for the color grading. I think it matches with our analytical male lead. Also loved how they showed the prosecutor's office as bleak narrow hallways. All in all, the execution is well-done!
Mar 2024
Find me on Instagram: @kdramajudge
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A good mix of melodrama and sweetness after a so-so start
I finally finished this drama after having it on my Hold list for ages. I just could not get past how spineless the FL in the beginning but I really like Wallace Chung and his acting. I'm glad that I gave it another chance because the FL got better towards the later part of the show (after ep 22).The plot was not unique but really quite lovely, about a couple who fell in love in college, separated due to misunderstandings and past grievances, and in the end found their way back to each other. The drama featured flashbacks of their college days
and those episodes were good. Kudos to Luo Yun Xi and Janice Wu for their portrayals of the leads in their younger days. I cannot believe how much these two actors have progressed in their careers.
I am not too impressed by Tiffany Tang's acting and I think she could portrayed the FL better especially in the beginning. Her wimpiness was too pathetic but it could be because of the script and directing. She looked really pretty though even in the ridiculous outfits that the show dressed her in. I really questioned the stylist and the choices for her.
Wallace was great as the ML, displaying a myriad of emotions. He can ham it up during the comedic moments and adopt a cold stone face when the moment called for it. He Yichen, the character himself was not the perfect ML but his commitment once he decided the FL was the one, was swoon-worthy. His hairstyle though - LOL, again I am not sure what the stylist was thinkinig. Other than his hairstyle though, he looked pretty suave in his suits.
Love the shenanigans of the law office and the fashion magazine folks, and I enjoying watching the second couple's path to love - truly a hate to love relationship!
Most may view the SML, Ying Hui as being annoying for his refusal to give up but I was actually quite intrigued by him. Honestly, if the FL chose to be with him, I would have been fine too. He was good-looking, successful, smart and also committed to the FL. I have seen Tan Kai, the actor in more recent shows and I must say that he's aging very well.
I really enjoyed the soundtrack especially the opening song, "My Sunshine" by Zhang Jie, the angsty "Why Love" by Wallace Chung and the equally emotional "A Ray of Light" by Hua Chen Yu. Tiffany also sang a lovely one for the show called Long Time No See. I am not sure why they selected the English song - most of the time, it did not fit the scenes. For posterity, I have list the songs below.
Overall, the later episodes and the really great ending left me satisfied, and the college scenes made this show a good one for me. I would recommend it but with the advice that if you feel your interest faltering, you should try to get past episode 22 because it does get better later. At least for me, it did.
OST
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JU-7klSJJms
00:00 Jason Zhang Jie - My Sunshine (Opening Theme Song) | 张杰 - My Sunshine
https://open.spotify.com/track/4ZHbDjROaPH8KWXn20ZRmT
04:24 Wallace Chung - Why Love? (Ending Theme Song) | 钟汉良 - 何以愛情
https://open.spotify.com/track/3jnhJ37cVGK92lbyQhYhgx
09:16 - Tiffany Tang Yan - Long Time No See | 唐嫣 - 好久不見
https://open.spotify.com/track/6iWESa3J8akk6C1lovuuHI
14:00 Hua Chenyu - A Ray of Light / Glimmer | 华晨宇 - 微光
https://open.spotify.com/track/2pxbYnrJ3tUDMZaBPCtvdZ
18:23 Gao Shan - The Road Not Taken / To April | 高姗 - The Road Not Taken
https://open.spotify.com/track/4XTtNQcDJ1hyl8Dy5arn7B
22:03 Gao Shan - When I Met You, All The Stars Fell On My Head | 高姗 - 遇見你的時候所有星星都落到我頭上
https://open.spotify.com/track/56xLSzX5lcYHCaxc1W5fLR (not the Gao Shan version)
25:58 Fang Wu Wen Fang - Accumulated Loneliness / The Sum of Loneliness | 吳汶芳 - 孤獨的總和
https://open.spotify.com/track/1rhPNTxshTaIrCkPrGn4KK
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ONE OF THE BEST CHINESE DRAMA 2022
I've been on mydramalist for quite a while, but this is my first time writing a review, and i'm going to write it as honestly as how i feel.Love Like The Galaxy is a very good drama❤️?✨, and actually i'm gonna go with 9.8/10 for this (cause this is a slow-burned romance drama, i would give another 0.2 points if only they gave more of scene between Ling Buyi and Cheng Shaoshang like how the novel was written, maybe not all of them but i think it's way better if they added that, because i think there are some of crucial part in the novel -but did not make it into the drama- which in my opinion is quite important for build-up their relationship). And also more scenes for Shaoshang's twins, Cheng Shaogong, because when i read the novel i felt like he is also one of the important character, maybe in the same level like A Yao and Yuan Shen...but anyway i still like this drama as the way it is^^ :)))
Honestly i've seen historical-romance Chinese dramas very often, but for some reason this one really gives a different impression than all the dramas i've seen before and obviously it's in a good way✨
Wu Lei and Zhao Lusi's acting is really good, their chemistry is unquestionable?. This CP is probably one of the most compatible with each other. The drama storyline is also easy to understand. Their OST is also great to listen to...... and +1 point, i'm glad they don't do dubbing that often, because their natural voice is already good.
Overall, this drama is WORTH TO WATCH! They also deserves an award!!! Very recommended drama!
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A more interesting season but suffers from lack of main couple's scenes and strange ending
Note: Because there is no available English subs, I had to watch this via the Portuguese subs and just do Portuguese-to-English translations OR when there was no Portuguese subs, I had to just do Chinese-to-English translations and make educated guesses on what's happening. I believe I understood about 80-90% of what was happening in an episode, but I did have to skim some parts because of lack of good translations. (I endured all of this for Zhang Zhehan and Li Yitong!!)----------------------------------------------
Season 1 was like an origin story for Nie Qing Cheng and for the world-building/myth-building of Demons. It was also more focused on the love between Qing Cheng and Ming Xia (and the love triangle including You Tong), so overall, season 1 was more romantic soap opera with some context building. Though touted as only the first half and not the complete story, season 1 can almost pretty much stand by itself. It really feels like it's a whole season on its own VS just being the first half of a long season.
That's because season 2 has a bit of "Arsenal Military Academy" vibe and takes on a bit of a different tone, pacing, and has a whole variety of characters that were a lot more interesting. Most of the characters from season 1 are not in season 2. Besides what the summary of this drama says, season 2's main plot conflict is a rival demon group that wants to take out Nie Qing Cheng's group and Nie Qing Cheng having to find out who is this bad demon group's leaders and taking them out as they are harming a lot of innocents. Ming Xia is searching for the girl in his dream. He also joins the demon hunters because of a tragic accident that happens.
Season 2 tones down the romance between Nie Qing Cheng and Ming Xia and focuses on secondary characters--which is good and bad. I adore them and wanted more of them, but I also liked the supporting characters who added more interesting dynamic and logical conflicts. Because Ming Xia become a demon hunter, I enjoyed the bittersweet angst of Nie Qing Cheng and Ming Xia reuniting and Qing Cheng having the burden of keeping all the secrets while trying not to allow them to fall into the same fate as season 1.
Nie Qing Cheng becomes more capable by being able to fight and is more cunning. Ming Xia is still the righteous and true-hearted person he is from the first season, but as I mentioned in my review of the first season too, the writing for Ming Xia is always kind of stuck in the same place. Although he's the main character, half of the time, he's not doing the action but is responding to others. He gets manipulated and lied to and, frankly, suffers so much in a variety of ways. He is the most pitiful character for me. I love him dearly and feel bad for all the things he's gone through.
The supporting characters for season 2 are a lot more interesting. We have Yong Ye, demon boy who does espionage, and Duan Shao Qian, instructor of Demon-Hunting Academy. These two's relationship quickly became one of my favorite things about this show (and it gave off some serious BL vibes too). They are pretty fleshed out as characters, especially Duan Shao Qian who we see his backstory and why he becomes attached to Yong Ye.
There's Yao Bi Tao, who I didn't like very much because of her pushiness and her lies, but the actress did a great job of portraying this character and making her sympathetic.
Fu Xing Bang, who is a pretty good and complex antagonist. I loved to hate him because he was pretty cunning. Unlike the doctor antagonist from season 1 (who started out well but ended up being just really repetitive and annoying), Fu Xing Bang was pretty interesting throughout.
The directing is pretty fun this season, especially for the fight scenes that felt very cool and exciting.
The biggest fault of this show is the writing. Acting and soundtracks and all of that are pretty fine. It's just that the writing of this show can be lazy and mediocre even though it has so much potential.
There are some unnecessary angst/drama, random character introduction toward the middle half or later half of the drama, and then random important plot points added at the end. Truly, the writing slips a lot toward the end--similar to how it was in season 1. So, it was unsurprising and even made me laugh out because I'm just like "WTF."
Ultimately, I enjoyed it for Zhang Zhehan and Li Yitong who are both great actors and can make any scene emotional. I enjoyed the supporting characters' relationships and watching the truths unfold. I was more invested in this season too since it was more than what season 1 was (which was just a love triangle and a repetitive tiresome antagonist doing the same thing to our protagonists who keep falling for it).
The occasional bad writing did make me laugh. I wouldn't think too hard about this drama and any plot holes it presents. Just have fun with this drama. Although, I think I should warn folks now: the ending is ambiguous. So, keep that in mind before you start.
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台上一分钟，台下十年功 (Every min on stage comes from decade of hard work)
When my friend first recommended this show to me, I checked it out mostly out of curiosity - because this show has a couple of artists that I recognize.What got me stayed on after was the familiar songs and performances, especially the 1st episode - oh my, how nostalgic, and before I knew it, I was hooked and binge-watched this show the entire day to the latest episodes.
Firstly, the narrative and editing makes us care for the brothers. I really enjoyed the way the producer edited and strung the narrative together in CMBF. It was more than the songs and performances. CMBF managed to show us that the brothers’ talent and persistence over the years / decades led them to standing at Call Me by Fire stage - it showcased their professionalism and hard work in the face of challenge, as well as their healthy rivalry in motivating and influencing each other to present their best performances for the audience.
At first, I only care about the songs and performances. And then, I start to look forward to the clips of their practice and commentary prior to the performances. And then and then, I start to watch the brothers' interaction in selecting for the songs - which is often very comical and entertaining.
Team survival competition has a lot of relatable elements to corporates world, more than one might thinks. This is where you can tell how the experiences as well as ability to make decisions and judgment of some brothers that's good for the team stand out more than the other.
Here is when wits and slightly more strategic / leadership thoughts made some brothers (e.g. Max Zhang, Nathan, Cannon, Bridge, Pax) stand out in a bunch of nerdy...ahem, I mean famous artists and musicians who generally don't put much thoughts beyond their interests and profession.
Indeed, the teams that go further were the ones that have good leaders and followers, each contributing their talent to create something together that individual alone can't.
Special shoutout to Nathan, Max Zhang, Vincent, Pax, Andrew Yin and Welly Zhang - the former three in leading their teams, the latter three in supporting their teams. Of course this is a biased comment. Each brother’s team to your own!
At the core of it, Call Me by Fire is a Music Variety Show, structured in competitions. All brothers gather together for their love of music and performances. I have always been more of a pop song consumer, hence my bias will be more towards the performances with songs I am familiar with. Through this show though, I got a better understanding of the different genre of songs and better appreciation of them. It is one added perspectives to better understand how the world works.
Which brings me to the next point, I now have a greater appreciation to raps and rappers' culture. I used to dislike rap a lot as I find it too noisy and the rappers too aggressive. Through this show, I find that rappers' culture are a bit like what Vincent said - the modern world of 江湖 (the pugilist world) - rappers care a lot for brotherhood and their own set of principles. They are a bunch of misfit and often misunderstood by the society. The rappers that come to this show really are the ones that step out of their comfort zone, presenting rap to the audience as well as showing that the rappers too have the same struggles we all resonate with - and that rapping is their way to relate with each other, with the world and themselves. Personal favorite rapper is naturally MC Jin - his enthusiasm, optimism and carefreeness - admire! He also grew up in the States, thus, his conduct and way of behaving is something I can relate more to.
>>>>>>Performances highlights and my favorite (not in order)<<<<<<
1) General audience enjoyment
1.1 笨小孩 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KVgJoFFRFT8&list=PLUM8x224JrX8-E8Kirv3PiY0Tz0eWrNYj&index=57
Though this performance has no special techniques or any X-part, it is one with all the brothers - when Terry Lin's voice comes right at the tail end of rapper parts, that's quite X on its own.
1.2 Yellow - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0aT3fEqTYMY&list=PLUM8x224JrX8-E8Kirv3PiY0Tz0eWrNYj&index=33
Very deserving of 1st place during the 1st team competition indeed. This is how a cohesive band comes together and shows you what a great team stage performance means. It's also one of the few (if not only) English songs in this competition and I like that it's performed by this group. Nathan is a great leader - he cares for each team member and he knows his stuff. He has great judgment and has conviction to follow it. Call Me by Fire is definitely a great springboard for Nathan's career after being a full time house husband for awhile.
1.3 花祭 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kv4QqK0l07k&list=PLUM8x224JrX8-E8Kirv3PiY0Tz0eWrNYj&index=20
I especially like Paul's Cantonese version. You can hear the feeling in his voice. Welly and Nathan have already established themselves in the heart of audience by the time of this performance.
2) Great dance performances
2.1 MMA - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2mQVOn8CgRI&list=PLUM8x224JrX8-E8Kirv3PiY0Tz0eWrNYj&index=28
2.2 跳舞街 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3-9Qyit3r-A&list=PLUM8x224JrX8-E8Kirv3PiY0Tz0eWrNYj&index=8 and
2.3 好春光 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7pnrRxhACAc&list=PLUM8x224JrX8-E8Kirv3PiY0Tz0eWrNYj&index=14 and
Led by Max Zhang, I love this team’s dance performances the most. They may not have the best vocal, but they have a team leader with good judgment and taste when it comes to movement.
3) Songs performed with great technical capabilities
3.1 悟空 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4hFJTVk5sMw&list=PLUM8x224JrX8-E8Kirv3PiY0Tz0eWrNYj&index=26
I am surprised that I am able to enjoy an opera-like performance. If Yellow hadn't already prove that, Wukong is then the performance that made Welly (and actually Henry as well) really shined through this song - all his decades of hardwork and practices, leading him to that moment. Each of them, Welly, Pax and Henry, represented Wukong in different stages of his life in this performance. If Henry's scandal didn't come out at this time, I believe he will be one of the brothers who will get a lot of attention for his talent.
3.2 飞云之下 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JpNlCUgabpc&list=PLUM8x224JrX8-E8Kirv3PiY0Tz0eWrNYj&index=25
Terry is not a team player, but he is definitely one of the best, if not the best, vocalists. He is very passionate and enthusiastic about creating the best art. He sees music as a way of expression and storytelling. He also has the technical capability to project his voice the way he wants it, honed by years of his obsessive-like discipline. The combination with Hotdog rap and Cannon's 和音 support in this song, it is indeed a performance that only this team can do.
4) Songs with stories, imaginaries and feels
4.1 往事只能回味 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y93m7f4hP6k&list=PLUM8x224JrX8-E8Kirv3PiY0Tz0eWrNYj&index=24
4.2 當年情 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wbJ2a6Jq8Og&list=PLUM8x224JrX8-E8Kirv3PiY0Tz0eWrNYj&index=1
4.3 你要如何 我们就如何 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iDmMD16Je2A&list=PLUM8x224JrX8-E8Kirv3PiY0Tz0eWrNYj&index=21
Jordan's group's greatest strength is their decade-long friendship among members and supportive fan base. I feel that this is a group of brothers know where their strengths are and what their fans expect from them. They are not here to specifically challenge themselves out of their comfort zone (not that they don't have to work hard or the performances are within their comfort zone). More than anything, I find most of these HK artists are practical doers. They are here to enjoy and perform, as friends and as a team. The addition of 2 rappers add some interesting dynamism for this group.
The third one on the list is also the performance where it showed rappers can sing too. Coupled with the visuals on stage, this performance created a lot of 画面感 (imaginary) and invoked a lot of feels. It's the feels of surrendering to fate, yet still maintaining the hope that tomorrow will be better, that there's something to look forward to. Love it!
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Far from perfect and yet more than enough
I sometimes feel like I have mastered the art of being pretentious. I love media analysis, I love picking stories apart and being overly critical and I love finding long, overly-complicated ways to describe why something is supposedly objectively good or bad. But every now and then I come across a piece of media that I just love beyond rationality. That I like more than I feel like I should be technically allowed to. Sometimes, a story can just speak to us, even if it’s objectively flawed.Well, Upcoming Summer is that film for me.
I didn’t expect much of this film. Until now, no Chinese drama or movie had won me over. I was under the wrong impression, even though I had branched out since discovering K-dramas and had, since then found several Thai, Taiwanese, Pinoy and Japanese shows that I loved, that Chinese cinema simply wasn’t for me. But the trailer of Upcoming summer looked charming enough, that I was willing o give it a chance.
And I’m so happy I did.
There are a few things about this movie that I just find objectively good. For starters, the acting is really strong. Most actors in the C-dramas I had watched in the past, were guilty of over-acting and even though I can get the occasional joy out of watching an actor go way-overboard, it still makes me cringe. But I felt like all the performances here, were more than solid. Noone did too much or too little, the people in Upcoming Summer really just felt like people. The male lead had so much charisma, that even I blushed on several occasion. But I especially lost my heart to our female protagonist, who was childish and strong-willed but in no way frustrating or irritating to watch She really captured that stubbornness that comes with being a young adult without being just a tiny bit unlikable. The chemistry of the two lead actors was absolutely off the charts. All of their interactions felt natural and I couldn’t stop smiling, every single time they were on screen together. But the bond between mother and daughter also stood out to me. What can I say, I just bought all of this. Not one second was I taken out of the story. I believed in the characters, believed in their dreams, hardships and relationships and I sincerely loved them and wanted the best for them.
But the strong performances can also be traced back to the script and especially the dialogue. When I saw the “Fake Dating”-tag on this film, before watching it, I cringed. I know many people love the whole “two characters pretending to go out until they fall in love”-thing, I usually just prefer more maturity in my coming-of-age-stories and the trope is just a tad too Wattpad-fanfiction-y for me. I thought that I was in for another cliché love story with a contrived premise. But this film is everything but. For starters, Upcoming Summer is in no way a romance-movie, it’s a story about friendship and most of all, a story about growing up. And surprisingly enough, I thought Upcoming Summer explored that topic in a strikingly mature and again, very believable way. The dialogue felt deep and poignant but never preachy or unnatural. At no point did it feel like the author was directly talking to the audience. Instead, everything that was said, felt like the natural conclusions to the circumstances our cast was put in. We watched our characters grow as they faced the struggles of adolescence. The film didn’t need to go over the top, didn’t need dark, overly complicated backstories or villains, the pain of your first love, the pain of growing up, was more enough for this to feel impactful.
The cinematography also was great. God is this movie visually stimulating. I wondered at some points if Upcoming Summer wasn’t doing a bit too much, if it wasn’t just a tad too shiny, too grand, if it was just beautiful for the sake of being beautiful, but in the end, it just worked for me. Not a single shot felt flat, every composition conveyed emotion and it was more than easy on the eyes, I really liked the way this was cut as well. I liked all the montages, none of them felt overly long or like a waste of time and the scene at the music festival especially stood out to me in terms of cutting.
The OST is my least favorite part about this film, but I mostly didn’t mind it. I get that they obviously had to include electronic music since that’s part of the premise and some tracks I did sincerely like, but The Chainsmokers just always sound hollow and commercial to me, no matter where they are. This might be a matter of personal preference though.
I can imagine that the ending is a bit controversial. For me, it came too soon, but I could probably watch Chen Chen and Zheng Yu Xing just hanging out and having fun forever. Still, Upcoming Summer left too many threads untied for my taste. For me, the last 10 minutes definitely came out of left field. But I am not mad at the conclusions this story arrives at, even if they broke my heart a bit.
If I had one tiny bit of criticism: The TikTok product placement got a bit too much for me. I get it, sometimes you gotta do these things to fund your film. Still, that was like the only thing that kind of irritated me because it was just so obviously paid for. But as I said, I understand that sometimes as a filmmaker you don’t have much of a choice in this.
The teacher and her meddling in the leads’ relationship were also just a tad too much for me to feel entirely natural. That being said, I’m a white girl that went to a European school, I have no idea how involved Chinese teachers really are and if they would ever behave similarly, so maybe this comes down to cultural differences.
I sincerely love this film. It touched my heart in a way I didn’t see coming. But I am also scared that someone might watch this based on my recommendation only to realize, that it wasn’t nearly as good as I made it out to be. I know it isn’t, okay. In no way is Upcoming Summer groundbreaking or a perfect piece of media. But weirdly enough, this still was the YA movie of the year to me. For two hours I shed my overly-critical persona and just allowed myself to be touched by what I saw. I felt the pain of our protagonist as she, for the first time, discovers that not all love-stories have a happy ending, but that in no way diminishes their significance, that love is more than just romance, that our parents are also just humans. That growing up is the scariest challenge we face in life. Maybe art is less about what the creator puts into it, and more about what the audience gets out of it. I guess some stories just stay with us, no matter how objectively good or bad they are.
Upcoming Summer certainly will.
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This review may contain spoilers
It's good but it is also overhyped
Started this drama because of the good ratings it had here but, unfortunately, it didn't live up to my expectations.The acting is great and it feels very natural, specially Steven Zhang, for me this was his best perfomance so far and his character was my favorite. The family plot was what I loved the most about this drama, the implication that you didn't need to be linked by blood to have such love for one another was very well portrayed and I loved the dynamic between the "siblings" and the fathers. On a less positive note, had A LOT more expectations for the couple, most of the time their relashionship didn't feel natural at all but rather forced, specially when Ling Xiao did that speach about his mental health, implying that his only solution or remedy was JianJian, that wasn't healthy at all. When it comes to the episodes, I don't think that many were needed, the story was just dragged. If they wanted to make that many episodes they should have developed some characters a little (a lot) more. In the end, I feel like the ending wasn't satisfying enough.
It is still a good drama if you like the family plot and some dose of confort but it's not a 10/10 for me.
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Fun time
I'm giving it a 8.5, not because the writing or direction was exceptional. Its actually far from that, the writing has a lot of weaknesses and the post-production is very rushed.The reason I am rating this drama so high is because the setting and plot is very unique and extremely exciting. This drama is a fully immersive experience in a futuristic world. It had me thinking about the implications of augmented reality on society and people, what if we're really all just in a game, how this could be our future in the near future and more. Overall, I really love how immersed I was into their world.
Romance is extra cute, adorable and mushy. Nothing more to say, watch it to find out.
Its a matter of time before the people who love isekai, transmigration and AR find this drama. Its really a hidden gem, if you like letting your mind drift into another world, this drama is for you,
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