However, it didn't feel as if characters were well developed. We meet so many people but at the same time its like we don't really know them and I could not get attached to the characters. Also his story with his first love, the relationship just suddenly seems to spring, when they had so much potential like involving her five year old and creating sweet moments.
This might have been a lot better as a movie than dragging it on by trying to focus on the other characters. The story was about the baby, uncle and first love so in my opinion it should have stayed focused about them.
I also found it annoying that they made it seem like this new dad was better at what he was doing than all the moms that had useless meetings and his first love raising her kid in a childish manner. I guess they wanted to make the dad look better but doing it by making the other people look bad wasn't the best way because it made characters less endearing.
I don't see any reason to re-watch the drama, but it wasn't terrible, so if its on tv i might just let it play in the background.
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Hope my letter finds you even better than I left you. The journey I spend with you here was most certainly a special one, the one I'll cherish for a long time. I couldn't say goodbye just yet so I decided to write this to you and talk a bit more.
Now where to begin. Surely, a father and his two children coming to a rural place to live in the middle of nowhere would definitely not sound so pleasing to everyone. On top of that when there is a 40 year (not everyone is a fan of age-gaps,okay) difference between us.
I myself wasn't really fond of everyone in the beginning. Just like Jun, even I had a hard time adjusting to the surroundings in the remote Rokugo. Everything felt so boring and mundane. There was nothing happening and all I could do was complain. But soon things changed and everything grew on me. I found a place for me there. The shack started feeling like a home. I wanted to study together with everyone in Ms. Ryoko's class. How I wished I could have fed the fox with Hotaru and have Yukiko beside me to comfort me whenever I was feeling down. And all the little adventures we had here. Like the construction of the pipes and wind-mill, and the time we saw a UFO in the mountains. And not to forget the boat race where everyone had so much fun and Sota was gloomy because he had no partner. Never knew that living in snowy places was such a struggle and is not the way it is generally romanticised.
Talking about all the people here, I think I found a family. They are not the most perfect people and come with a load of flaws and problems. Everyone complains so much and even create many problems at times. But I believe that's what made them special. Because they were like real people, they felt so close and their lives, struggles and happiness felt like my own. Also I think little Jun gets unnecessary hate. I mean he does behave like a brat at times but he was the most relatable person there. Not everyone likes the idea of leaving a life in Tokyo only to settle in a tattered shack with no electricity and water and only bears and foxes as neighbors. And the way he was done with everyone up there in Furano was a mood. But just like the seasons, he too changed and became a more responsible son and a dependable big brother. Though there were not many people up there, but everyone I met will live with me for a long time.
It's already been 3 days since I came back from my trip to Furano but I already feel like going back there and meeting everyone once again. The trip was a bit long but I took my sweet time with everything without rushing and the results left me more than satisfied. Somethings are better enjoyed slowly.
I think it's time for me to end this letter. I am sure I will revisit this place often whenever things become a bit rough and I need a reminder to take it easy. It's good to know that I have something to take me through a trip of heavy nostalgia, back to the simple times where the most mundane things are the ones which give me all the comfort I need.
Goodbye Keiko-chan and until next time.
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Disappointing
First time warching a Korean drama (I am in UK) but when you are under lockdown you have to take what you can.Very different from English speaking shows, not really helped by some interesting sub-titles. The acting seems overly exagerated and dramatic at times, but that may just be how Korean drama is.
Sets and costumes extremely lavish and overall story good, but tries too hard to fill the time.
Ending was sad for me and not what I was expecting. Was Man-wol a ghost, how did she die?
I read they are making a US version so I expect the ending will be different.
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The New Normal (really only a spoiler about a supporting character)
It's so quirky, weird, oddly relatable, and fun. These two guys were a great dynamic duo. They played off each other really well. Most of this drama's episodes are generally stand-alone in nature, until we get near the end and have to bring about the final conclusion.I started this because the premise itself was really different: Two Blue Vampires on a quest for blood so they can become full vampires, however, COVID-19 has changed how they live their every day lives and gets in their way (along with many other things, of course).
I loved the repeating of how Aoi and Sou needed to embrace the "new normal," because of COVID. And not only that, it became a sort of mantra for them to step out of their comfort zone, try something new, break old habits, and/or rethink their perspectives and thoughts.
Accepting or embracing a/the "new normal," can be starting a new job, getting used to wearing a mask, standing up for yourself, accepting yourself for who you are, trying to make the world a better place, allowing your mind to be changed about something you used to believe strongly, etc.
This gave me the same inspiring feelings that "Colorful Love: Genderless Danshi ni Aisareteimasu" did.
Even if we've been set in our ways for months, years, decades, or even centuries, it's never too late to start working to make the world better for others or yourself, even if it's in small ways like just being your authentic self. It may be tough for you now, but you will give others the courage to do the same and make it easier for the next person by making society more accepting.
Aoi and Sou have great character development over the course of the drama and don't let the lessons they learned go to waste in the end. Neither should we the viewers. We need to accept the new normal of this pandemic, and aside from that bring about our own new normal by advancing social causes. Older generations (or Vampire Elders) may scoff and tell us what we are doing is wrong because it's not how things have been done, but we are living in the 21st century and it is the time to move forward, not backward by staying set in our ways because, "That's how it's always been done."
I loved how though Aoi and Sou at first act as if their only intention is to get blood so they can stop being Blue Vamps, you can tell throughout each episode that--in the end--they really just care about helping people (as much as Sou wouldn't like to admit it. Lol). And by the end of each episode, we, the audience, and them have completely forgotten/no longer care about them being successful in their original mission.
This drama managed to cleverly sneak in a Lesbian character, feminism, discussions of toxic masculinity and stereotypes, anxiety, the meaning of true strength, the struggles of finding a job in a failing economy, the negatives of peer pressure, the importance of being yourself and accepting yourself, and that to grow as a person you need to leave the bad views of those before you behind and move forward to a "new normal."
Side Note: I loved how when Sou was told by Mia that she thought he and Aoi were boyfriends (she also mentions that she is a Lesbian), he doesn't get upset or offended at all at her assumption or say something like, "How could you think that?!" or, "Of course not!" You know why? Because he knows there is nothing wrong with it so why would he get upset. Exactly, Sou! Exactly!
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An old school drama that dealt with AIDS, dementia, redemption, and single parenthood in a thoughtful and compelling manner.I loved how this drama did not back away from confronting the stigma HIV/AIDS patients face, especially nearly two decades ago. Once the little girl's situation was brought out into the open, the drama used each episode as a teachable moment not just for the characters, but the audience as well. The scope of her disease was narrowed down for drama purposes but I'm glad they showed how people afflicted with AIDS need support and not ostracization.
Seo Shin Ae, as little Bom, won my heart with her performance. She moved from tears, to laughter, to precocious behavior seamlessly. She was a joy to watch.
Jang Hyuk gave a stellar performance as the closed off doctor who found redemption and peace on a small island. A family of misfits washed him as clean as the shore after the waves recede-a single mother, a daughter with AIDS, and a father with dementia in a remote community was not where this ill tempered doctor ever thought he would wind up. Throughout the drama Jang Hyuk allowed us to feel Min Ki Seo's contempt, his sorrow, his compassion, and his reluctant love developing.
The drawback for me was Gong Hyo Jin's performance. Most of the characters grew and changed, all except her Lee Young Shin. Hyo Jin excels at playing self-sacrificing doormats, but aside from a few smiles with Bom, her performance was rather one note. The writers were at fault as well, they never fully developed this matriarch of misfits. Up until the very end of this drama, I never understood her, never saw a glimmer of affection for the man they told us she was falling in love with. Her mumbling, stumbling, head down performance and frozen expression took away from the emotional depth of this drama. It was hard to hope for a relationship to develop between Min Ki Seo and this woman who could not crack her heart open long enough to share a part of herself with him.
I enjoyed this drama overall and would have loved it more if the writers and actress had let us watch Lee Young Shin grow and blossom, learn to stand up for herself and her daughter, and bask in the love of the imperfect but dedicated man who fought to stand beside her. As it was, I found Min's and Bom's First Guardian Angel and Angel friendship much more heartwarming and engaging.
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Hidden Sitcom Gem
A lot of people compare this to the original, but please don't do that, I liked the original, but the reboot was just as fun. I personally loved the casting, I thought all the actors did a great job, but my standout performance goes to Yuri as Ae Bong, she was so funny and over the top I loved it even though at times it is a bit corny, she has her own charm. I also loved Seok's father, the actor who plays him is usually one of the villains in a political drama, so seeing him as an owner of a chicken shop and arguing with his frugal wife, was a new twist for me, but he was very funny. Another group of characters I enjoyed were the friend groups, of Ae Bong and Seok, especially Seok's friend group. When I watch scenes of all three it's just so relaxing watching 3 idiots just goof off. The show is very laid back with the occasional over the top humor, but taking it at face value as its own show, another family sitcom, not as a reboot, it is very very enjoyable, it reminds me of the 2020 series Hanging On, with a mixture of Waikiki. Each character has their own unique touch to them, there isn't really a dull moment I can think of either. I really hope you guys do give this drama a chance, and enjoy it for what it has to offer.Was this review helpful to you?
What are dreams and what is reality ?
I binge watched the 20 short episodes series, and came back to watch the movie edition of this nice story about the possible interaction of a real life gamer and an AI character she feels more than protective of.The story is very logical, should appeal to those who like science fiction and thinking, beyond looking only for love and kisses romance (not that this one does not have any: it does) and "hunting for plot holes" to kill it (not that you'll find so many in this one.)
It has not got high traffic cast and went relatively unnoticed when it aired, most c-drama watchers being more interested in more hyped ones, following their own fandom favorites, so it did not benefit from a Bai Jinting who drew many to watch the excellent Reset, back in beginning 2022. As a "new story", Reset stays as the most remarkable science fiction c-drama recently, with the exception of The Three Body Problem in 2023 (which was long anticipated after the success of the Liu Cixin novel). Other ones were less successful although not bad : the Chinese remake of a Korean time-loop story, 2022 Love In Time, or a comedic and somewhat mock syrupy time loop like Secretary Ba wants to Resign every single day, both a nice watch.
There are not many science fiction C-dramas now: many are closer to "fantasy" than to speculative fiction and often presented only as fantasy even when there are "aliens" in them : 2022 My Girlfriend is an Alien series, Thousand years For You, 2023 The Parallel World... Or they just are drawing on "dreams" after an accident like in Legally Romance, dreams also being the beginning of full fledged fantasy c-dramas like Eternal Love 1-2-3 and Oh!My Emperor! or of the stories where authors find themselves part of their own novels. But some new and upcoming ones look more related to science fiction genre : 2023 I am Nobody (still trending) and upcoming Bionic (12 episodes about a murder investigation with robots in 2035!).
Metaverse here is available as 《跨越世界来见你 Falling to Your World》 on the YoYo channel of YouTube, which has both the 20 episodes and the "movie edition" that glues them together, without repeating the beginning and end credits.
It is called Metaverse on the original platform We Tv which broadcast it in August 2023, and it is included in the binge watch challenge of September on the platform until Sept.29 to try to win VIP access for a year or 3 months on the app.
Original title 跨越世界来见你 [Kua Yue Shi Jie Lai Jian Ni] Across The World To See You.
From a story titled 《元宇宙·恋语》/Yuan Universe Love Language, by Yang Zitong 杨紫彤 , who was also screenwriter here.
The drama is directed by Peng Ke 彭柯 (no further information available on Baidu).
The characters are:
- An Mei 安美 (gamer and art designer in a game company),
- Lu Ting 陆汀, an NPC (non playing character) who is deemed not popular enough to be kept in the game.
- Director Fang (played by Chang Haoyuan) is an ambitious decision maker who hates employees to challenge her authority.
- Director Zhu Zhenjun (played by Daniel Zhu XinZong 朱信宗, 34 years old Taiwanese model and sometime actor) is the company leader, who tries to balance company interests, employees well being, and his own interests in AI development.
- A private assistant to Lu Ting, called NaiNai, in the game (played by Na FeiSha 娜菲莎),
- Huang Baoqiang coder friend of An Mei who follows instructions,
- and a meddling but well meaning younger brother of An Mei are the main other supporting cast.
An Mei is played by Guan Xin 关芯 who, at 28, has been playing in 16 other dramas, mostly in supporting roles including in big productions such as Love O2O and Legend of Fuyao), but also as main in lesser remarked dramas. Lu Ting is played by Yang Hao Ming 杨昊铭, who, at 23 years old, has already played in 7 other dramas since 2018) .
The opening sequence shows a character in the game who is being shot. That would not raise the eyebrows of the RPG First Shooter gamers, who are used to see characters offed casually, winning points with each kill. But this game is different, since it is supposed to be a dating one, where gamers fulfill their unrealized yearnings for perfect love or at least friendship with characters who look almost real. Lu Ting is among those, and the twist is, that he has been both designed and cared for as almost brain child of game art designer An Mei, who can't bear to see him eliminated because of a drop in popularity. As both a designer with a dream and a sadness that has been alleviated by her co-creation, and a fan, she will try her utmost to keep him in the game, although she has little power, being neither a coder nor a decision maker in the company.
This is a story of an AI and a real world person who fixates her love on a character, but it can also have us think about the destiny of entertainment stars and their anonymous fans. Some great actors fall from grace spectacularly because of personal mistakes.But many, especially lesser known ones, fade away and see their posters disappear and at best, serve as table cloth to janitors, while their fans are left out cold, the entertainment companies having only interest in what drives in revenue.
At personal level some of the questions raised are: can beautiful dreams of other worlds help or not to better adjust to reality? Will AI characters replace real actors to serve as magnet for real world audiences likes and yearnings? Are dreams necessary to keep up hope for a better future or just a sign of an addiction? Is love really "all we need", as a Madonna song claimed ("Nothing Really Matters")?
The production was low budget, so there are not many remarkable features, and the OST is pleasant and not to obtrusive, but not very memorable. Nevertheless, it was an interesting, quick watch (about 2hrs in the "movie edition".) It deserves more watches, so I deliberately gave it a higher rating, since 7.5 is too low in my opinion. In its modest category, it is not bad at all.
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rather search for a short version - only Mew/ Pree Storyline
After I saw Thanrtype, I wanted to see other BL Series with Mew. The only good here at this show were the few hot and other scenes with Mew - everything else pure waste of time (and material). Such a pathetic guy like this Rambo (mews friend here), I would need puke. How can Pree (Mew) loves someone like this pathetic liar typ . Awful. I am glad that Mew has the Thartype's main role. i will watch it again to recover from this weak series. if here es someone only for MEW, and has not yet seen - go on YouTube and rather search for a short version - only MEW / Pree Storyline - if there is some. It saves your valuable time. Same for season 2.Was this review helpful to you?
Who knew that studying in the police academy in the law-abiding Japan is so fraught with danger? Once the audience accepts that graduating this academy requires enormous grit, determination, and luck, though, the drama flows very well.
Kimura Takuya plays hard to please jerk-of-an-instructor that probably everyone encountered at least once in their lives. These kind of teachers (most of time) are not unfair monsters the students believe them to be; they are just strict and, perhaps, pedantic. As the viewers follow the perilous lives of several cadets, the mystery of whether Kimura's character is evil or benevolent slowly unfolds.
What deserves undeniable praise in this drama is the pacing. The tension is always high and poor cadets are never safe. The high quality production befits the star level of the cast. Many characters have brief stays in the drama, yet, leave long impressions.
Hayashi Kento deserves the most accolades among the cast. His performance brings to mind Elija Wood's cannibal from the Sin City; the level of creepiness is unbelievable. Nishihata Daigo and Tomita Miu also put impressive performances.
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Something was missing
I liked this show enough to finish it but didn't love it. There was something missing and I cannot pinpoint it. I can, though, mention some of the things I didn't like about the show. One of the themes that ruin a show for me is too many unrealistic visits to hell's gates. I mean, c'mon!!! How many times can a person survive gunshots! I know it's the genre but still.Another downside was the whole hidden mastermind thing. All the characters, no exceptions, are portrayed as extremely smart. Nobody doubted Director Shim with all the clues! I figured him out in the first scene which I also disliked because I lost the element of suspense.
The biggest flaw was the lack of chemistry. I love both leads and they're terrific actors. But seriously. So Ji Sub had more chemistry with Son Ho Jun and Kang Ki Young than he had in any of his scenes with Jung In Sun.
No chances of rewatching this. Got it off my plan-to-watch list and that's all.
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Simply overrated
It’s a typical fictional story. Nothing special. Lead female character is seriously annoying. Plot mystery kept me watching and portrayal of actors and actress was good. The character of the FL could have been adjusted to make it a little more believable since the story is already a fiction. Ending is a bit weird that didn’t seem to fit in the story. I believe if this was adjusted and a little of reality was added, it could have been perfect. Still a good watch if you have nothing else to watch.Was this review helpful to you?
One last thing, telling a prisoner that is about to face death that they have a visitor, not sure what to think about that. Maybe, it's the system's way to let them know what it feels like to suffer an unexpected death. What do you think?
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This film is pretty dark, but that should be expected from a film of this genre. What some viewers may not be used to is the lack of chronology in the story telling. If you don't do a good job with keeping the sequence of events straight, and especially if you can't keep the names straight, this film is going to be very frustrating to watch. It jumps between character stories and time periods rapidly for effect.
By in large, when it comes to themes this Ju-on takes the cake, in my opinion. Sexually abused children, family massacre-suicides, psychological disorders, family secrets, and of course, revenge, are all locked up in this rather short film.
I would definitely be willing to watch this one again, preferably with a large group of friends who had never seen it before in the pitch black. This being said, there is a chance that many viewers will find this film confusing or unnecessarily roundabout. If you enjoyed the other Ju-on films, I would at least suggest giving this one a try.
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I must be so bored to even be completing this
Don't know how I survived the whole season. And to think previous season was still decent enough. Well, Season 1 was not that good, but not so bad either. Season 2 really ruined it for me. The acting, chemistry, plot, cinematography. I wish I had something good to comment on, but I'm gonna keep it very honest here. There's practically no chemistry between one of the main leads. I find some scenes (if not most of them) very cringy. The stage plays that they did, the way Thanu and Wayu stared into each other's eyes for way too long, the way Mark and Kit storyline didn't even make sense. And finally, I don't buy Pok-Tong plot at all. It's funny too how they introduced the "fate" thingy between Thanu and Phai just to drop it. Initially, I was opting for Thanu-Wayu but in the end, I kinda regret it. Sandee's sudden character development is not really plausible, either.Was this review helpful to you?
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The one i really looked forward too watching each week!
I have watched a butt load of Thai BL dramas and this one really sticks out for me. The storyline itself is so unique that i fell in love with it from the first episode. Each actor/actress was picked perfectly imo, a very talented bunch of people. None of the crying scenes seemed forced or edited (eye drops city) the emotions of each character were very well acted, especially In, Job and UmAs someone that works in a care home with people who suffer with dementia, this story really hit home. The confusion, seeing things that arent there and the strain that this illness has on the patient and the family were really captured well. The scene where Na wandered off and suddenly realised she was lost and scared, really does depict the vulnerable side of this illness. And as someone that sees this everyday, my heart sank for her.
The only part of this series that i am a little disappointed with (and its only a tiny bit of disappointment i might add) is that Nut and Tofu didn't end up happy & human together, even though i knew it would end up this way it still hurt alot. I am however greatful to the director/writer that they brought Tofu back as a bear and even made Nut aware of that.
Like i said i have watched a lot of BL dramas over the years and this one really has stuck out for me.
All in all i give this 9/10...i loved it!
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