Reviews

best BL show yet

This show has one of the BEST STORY LINE (other being life: love on the line). The story line and the acting’s bd just the over all production of this show is top notch. This show is worth the watch, there isn’t any toxicity. It just gives you office love story that makes you feel all cute Bc the main leads are just so cute.

The story processes really well and like I literally can’t wait to watch the new episodes every week. This show normalizes being attracted to the same gender and accepting it without making the show and relationship toxic! It also doesn’t make it overall cringey, it’s just so cute.

The chemistry between the leads are so cute and natural. Like it makes you feel like you are going through with the progressing of the relationship with them. What I mean is when Kurosawa does something cute for Adachi, you feel what adachi feels or vice versa (not really good at explaining what I mean, but if you watch it, you’ll feel it). The production of this show is also really great!! The actors and actresses are great. The intro and outro is also super cute.

I usually prefer Japanese/Taiwanese BL over the others because they make it seem okay to be you. They don’t make the storyline too toxic, makes it seem realistic, shows the struggles and the outcome so beautifully. I am not saying other BLs aren’t like that, I just prefer less toxic and cringy things and Japanese and Taiwanese drama seems to be in my taste.

Also if you want a break from Thai BLs, I strongly recommend this drama and Life~ love on the line. These dramas feels more realistic, doesn’t sexualize relationship toxicity (yes sometimes we like that but sometimes it’s just over done too much, you feel me). I am really bad with wording things so I don’t really know how to explain what I mean by “break from Thai bls”. Please don’t take it personally, I don’t mean it in a bad way.

ps. I came to see how long I needed to watch until the new episode comes out, so I could change my vpn to Philippines WeTV (Tencent video) and watch it. Why you ask? BC I can’t wait 1 more day for it to come out on other places WHEN I CAN WATCH IT AS SOON AS IT COMES ON JAPAN. lol. So yea that’s why I came and there was 1 hour left so I decided to write his review.

hope this helps anyone, again I am not good with words and explaining anything but I tried Bc I love this show. Hehe

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watch it NOW

ONE OF THE BEST SERIES OF 2020, might I say in the history of thai BLs.

I'll just get straight to the point: I loved everything. From the story to the acting to the chemistry.

I think I could write pages and pages trying to explain why I loved this but I still wouldn't do this justice.
I thought long and hard about whether I wanted to review this because honestly, I have still not recovered from watching it. I don't think I ever will.

If you loved 'Call me by your name" you will love this.

This isn't a simple BL. it's art. it's like the first rains after a hot summer. it's like hot chocolate on a winter night. the smell of burning incense after a long day at work. you will feel comforted, heartbroken, giddy: like someone experiencing love for the first time. Like an addict, you will find yourself coming back for more and more and when it's over your heart will be heavy. A good kind of heavy though.

"I'm hurt, I'm in love"

I'll wait for part 2.

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Great season 2 of a very different mini-show

This is a great season 2 of this mini-show. Actually much better than season 1. The storyline becomes more complicated with the major twist that starts the show. There is a more serious atmosphere and the story is more dark. On the other hand we get an epic love story that is not typical for these short shows.
Not everybody will like the ending and I admit I shed a tear but I choose to see the ending as a start. Perhaps we will get a season 3. I will definitely keep my eye out for that.
So, if you love a good mini-show that has different characters and storyline than normal - and an epic love story - this is definitely well worth watching.

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This drama is cute, but for been a sequel, it should’ve been done with the same actors as the first season. On this sequel the leading lady’s character is more over the top than before, but she manages to salvage her character with some profound moments, good romantic scenes, and super cute gestures. The supporting cast did really well, and Mike D'Angelo did very well on his characterization of mutant Xue Ling Qiao. At least Fingal Fu as detective Li Yan Zhi and Aro Yang as Feng Dong Dong, among a few other actors, were part of the original cast, which gave the sequel a familiar vibe. This drama is still entertaining. Enjoy it!

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At first I was confused by why this didn’t receive a lot of attention and praise, but afterwards I kinda understand. I adored this drama. It’s absolutely wonderful. However it’s not a very traditional drama, so I can understand if you come into this drama expecting one thing and getting something else it would be disappointing and not meet expectations. I went into it pretty ignorant of what's going on, and I think I ended up liking a lot of the narrative choices more than others. Overall it’s really well done. Acting and plot are engaging without being overbearing. It’s the story of a family that will do anything for each other, and the consequences thereof, in a very turbulent time in Chinese history.

Plot:
It starts in media res. Which some don’t like, but I think it sets a very good framework for the story. Even if I was really confused in the beginning (I actually rewatched the first 4 episodes to take screenshots and make sure I understood what was happening), it does a good job of illustrating that this is a turning point in history and that what is about to unfold is that turning point. I don’t care how we got there. It doesn’t actually matter. If it started earlier in the story people would probably complain about how it didn’t get to the point till way later.

Do I care how LianKai and QinSang got together? No. It doesn’t matter. All we need to know is that they’re married and that there’s not a whole lot of love in that relationship to start. I admit, LianKai has a very physical way of “showing affection,” but it’s not unusual to anything we’ve ever seen in other dramas before. It’s just surprising cause most of the drama doesn’t carry that tone. Their love isn’t the primary driving vehicle of the story, so when their relationship stops being quite as sizzling (ie physical) people are disappointed. But I feel that their relationship was always like that. They are supporting and caring for the other, even if they didn’t necessarily like the other person. It’s not passionate love. It’s the good and lasting kind. They are incredibly ride or die for each other, even when they don’t even like each other very much, and that’s so much fun to see.

Plus, this drama is NOT about LianKai and QinSang’s relationship. It’s about the Yi family and these absolutely fantastic brothers that will do everything and anything for each other. They are beautifully supportive of each other from start to finish. The occasional fights get resolved quickly and we’re constantly reminded of their love for each other. In a time where I expect that brothers being seen in a drama at close age are gonna be vicious romantic and power rivals, this was a breath of fresh air. You’re constantly cheering for the Yi brothers and their relationship, even when everyone around them is determined to put them against each other.

The story also very clearly sets up that it’s not about the rise of something but the fall of something. This is the fall of the house of Yi. What’s next after this historically? Communism. Pan JianChi is clearly representing some sort of early communist mindset and the Yi family is the horrible previous regime. Did I find some of the military and politics stuff confusing at times? Definitely. But for the most part I still followed it well. I couldn’t do ANYTHING ELSE when I was watching this drama because if I looked away for one second something was being told and I’d be hella confused as to what was happening. Contrary to other reviews, I thought this was some VERY TIGHT writing for a military and politics drama. I could easily see it be broken up into 3 or 4 seasons like a western TV show, and I personally really liked that. There are nice cycles of what is happening and it resolves conflicts quickly and thoroughly before moving on to other conflicts. It reminds me of a high quality nordic crime noir (in that it's all about the talking over the action), or an FX show (The Americans comes to mind in it's relationship of supportive circumstance) in pacing and tone. I love that kind of thing, but it is definitely not for everyone.

Acting:
Superb all around from the smallest to the biggest characters. Everyone played their part really well, even if I wasn’t a fan of some of the characters. YanYun is definitely the most annoying and classically “drama” character of the bunch, but even she managed to be tampered at times. My one complaint is that some of the voice acting wasn’t quite as strong. The voice actor for Elvis Han (who does a fantastic job in this role and casting him was a fantastic decision) is clearly a bit older than he is, or his voice is significantly lower than his, and that does break the realism of the story sometimes. YanYun is also not the best voice actor, but her kinda annoying higher pitch does match the rather annoying traits of the character herself. I love Elvis Han and have seen a couple of his other works before (WuXin and CP5), and I was very pleased with his performance here as well. I'm a big fan of his, and he fits this period and role very well. Zhou Ting Wei I also have seen before (Ashes of Love) and he does a great job as the brother who never quite knows how he stands in the family and in love.

Costume Design & Sets:
These costumes. Holy hells these costumes. I restarted it after 4 episodes not because I couldn’t understand, but because I wanted to take screenshots of all these costumes. LianKai is by far the best dressed brother of the bunch (befitting his status as the wild partying one), but they’re all so superbly outfitted. This is a period which I enjoy watching, cause the juxtaposition of old and new is so interesting and fun to see, and the costume design does a great job with this. Embroidered suits. They gorgeous. The sets were mostly really well done, although some of the outside facades were questionable.

Music:
I wasn’t in love with the OST. I think I just enjoyed it at the end from sheer exposure. But it wasn’t so bad that I wanted to complain about it. Subtle and mostly understated music, which I appreciate.

Rewatch Value:
I’d totally rewatch this. Partly because not everything is very clear, so it would be interesting to rewatch knowing what I know and having a better understanding of the playing field. Not that I wanted it in the setup of the drama. Just that I was lazy and didn’t necessarily care to keep track of who was who in the beginning when I probably should have. But mostly I’d rewatch it because it was an enjoyable story that was well executed. I’d love to come back to these characters and this family and experience their trials all over again. Yes, it’s a lot of talking. It’s mostly talking about what is happening, but as a military strategy drama that makes sense and I’d much rather hear about most of these battles than watch them.

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A great potrayal of what happen when parents haven’t healed their childhood trauma. How they pass those wounds to their family, children, and husband. How it affected their whole life.

Anyways their individual life arc was kinda boring, but I think its important to be added to build up their character. Originally wanted to give this movie 6/10, but that last sequence when they were in the restaurant….. it’s cinema. Plus the acting won’t disappoint you, the acting carried this whole movie.

Last thing: everyone in this movie needs a freaking therapy, jeez.

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Completed - 2/7/2022 - 8.75

I want to preface that I am usually not a thriller/horror/suspense drama watcher. Therefore, my review is very subjective and I don't have many thrillers as a reference to compare how good "Happiness" is. The reason I am interested in this drama is because of the overwhelming positive reviews and because of Park Hyung Sik. I haven't seen him since "Strong Woman Woman Do Bong Soon" and I find him absolutely adorable. 🥰

For the most part, I enjoy the plot and the pacing of the drama. I think there's a good mix of action and drama in each episode to keep me interested and engaged. Towards the middle of the drama, I feel that the pacing slows down just a tad bit and you could somewhat expect that you will see the repetitiveness of infected humans + neighbor selfishness + leads heroic efforts. Having said that, I think this drama finishes very strong. Episodes 10-12 are very exciting and keep me entertained for the whole 3 hours.

For those who are scaredy cats like me and don't like horror stories and zombies, there are quite a lot of scenes of zombie-like infected humans in almost every episode. So, be warned! I am still OK with it but others might not. Moreover, though there are many "scary" scenes, the main focus of the drama is more about how humans will react to such a crisis. You see human greed, selfishness and evilness all come out when everyone is in lockdown mode. Luckily, we have our leads and a couple neighbors to bring some positive human nature to brighten the ugly selfishness. For some reason, the drama reminded me of Agatha Christie's book, "And Then There Were None".

I enjoy seeing two smart and independent leads. They are both strong mentally and physically, and are such great partners-in-crime, or shall I say heroes-in-crisis. If you are looking for romance, it is understandably a very small part of the drama. However, I do want to see more of the affection shown from the FL to ML sprinkled throughout the drama. I don't think there's enough to show me how devoted FL is to warrant her sacrificing quite a bit for ML in the end. I don't need/want a lot of romance, but just a little bit more would be nice.

As we see greed and selfishness during the lockdown, it's inevitable to have some annoying characters in the drama. This might be one of the few dramas that I would tolerate characters that I don't like, because that's what the drama is all about. I won't deduct points because of them. LOL However, that doesn't stop me from hating a few of them. 😁

Acting is great all around, from the youngest little girl to the amazing veterans such as Jo woo Jin (Infectious Disease head), Lee Joon Hyuk (detective) and Bae Hae Seon (building rep). Everyone is great and I love and love-hate all of them. It's so great to see Park Hyung Sik's cute, shy smile again.

Other Observations:
1. Does Park Hyung Sik seem buffer than before? Such wide shoulders. Must be all that military training!
2. Han Tae Seok as the head of the Infectious Disease investigation should really wear a mask more often. 😷
3. A few scenes have very abrupt cut or transitions
4. They don't seem to use soap when washing blood off their hands and face.
5. Aside from the English song, I don't see to remember much about its OST and BGM.

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Wow

Okay. I loved it. I’m not quite sure what I just watched, or exactly how the story all fit together, exactly... But I thought it was crazy, tragic, interesting and definitely not something you’ll see every day. I LOVE Gun, and was very surprised to see him in a film containing this subject matter. I am a big fan of “Sei no Gekiyaku“, and this film definitely delivered as well. It is definitely NOT for everyone. I thought the actors did a phenomenal job. The music was loud, and very jarring at times, but I think that added to the overall grittyness of the film. Again. Not for everyone. I don’t need the hate mail from people who hated it, and think I’m a freak for enjoying it. Everyone’s entitled to their own opinion, and this is mine! I think for people who are not faint of heart, and take into account this film contains multiple trigger-warning content, should check it out. You won’t forget it!

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T-dramas have really been stepping up their game the past few years! Bromance & Better Man were thoughtfully well done, and V-Focus kept me riveted until the end.

Yet I'll confess... each time these series keep increasing their episode count a piece of me dreads the extensions. More often than not, drama extensions, especially those exceeding more than 2 episodes (and this one started at 40 and went ALL the way up to 65) is a turn off for me. I put a lot of dramas on hold or stop watching them because of unnecessary dragging, but this drama IS SUCH A GREAT EXCEPTION.

Initially, I was drawn to this drama because of the unique premise: bodyguard meets passionate journalist. Their two professions are polar opposites of one another, and yet, sparks fly in more ways than one. They clash in more ways than one, and sometimes Melvin Sia's robotic face made me feel like the dude couldn't act, I even warmed up to him after a handful of episodes and character development.

STORY: As I said, the premise is unique. I haven't seen a drama with this exact plot line. That being said, there are elements in here that are somewhat cliche, but at the same time, a lot of drama cliche's are turned on their heads. Especially concerning the strong women in this series who take the lead' in more ways than one. For reals strong: like emotionally, physically, and verbally. I didn't dislike any female character in this drama, and I was absolutely shocked that 65 episodes went by and there were womances, and women who supported each other. Of course there are adorable bromances as well. It was nice seeing characters supporting each other. Not too much angst, just a little here and there. You start off with introducing everyone at V-Focus, and then at Krisis, and from there their 'businesses' continue to interact. Moving forward, there are several sub-plots in this series that are neatly tied up in a bow by the end (which, surprisingly, I was pleased they didn't leave anything out). You can expect to have a few 'scandals,' and mysterious that DRQ pursues alongside her colleagues. You can also expect JZH lead Krisis and 'protect,' his clients. I don't want to spoil much here, but the plot only gets somewhat draggy around episode 50, but picks up shortly after. I can promise you there are certain steamy kiss scenes and I won't spoil who or whom, but lets just say we get plenty of that, and it's glorious. It's such a sweet romance story as well, and I hope people who are interested in this series do see that it has love stories/romances in it that are very fulfilling.

CHARACTERS:

Ding Ruo Qin: Bubbly. Smart. Passionate. A kick-ass reporter with no filter. I loved her. I found her pursuit of the truth to be a reflection of her loyalty to V-Focus and a promise she made to someone close to her. You watch her character grow, fumble/make mistakes, but continue to mature over the course of the series. I liked how she always stays true to herself, and yet at the same time, can be playful and also super caring and thoughtful of her family and friends.

Jiang Xhi Heng: Stern, but still very likable. When you first meet him you think he has a 'I'm the best,' kind of arrogant attitude, but as you learn more about his story, you can understand why he acts the way he does. I like the fact that he respects DRQ. He worries about her, but he understands her passions and dreams and is supportive of her -in dramaland, you got to love these guys.

Zhou Xin Yi: I liked how steadfast she is. A little jaded at times, but is one of the most sincerest characters in this show (like DRQ). She cares for the people in her life, to the extent that she would go through leaps and bounds to make sure they were safe or protected. She's smart, elegant. and strong. She's someone that you can get a little tiresome of, but you understand her.

Ke Guo Long: THIS SWEETIE PIE X1000. Plus KK (and you will know what I mean when you watch this!). He is like... boyfriend goals. Or partner goals. I liked the fact that he was super innocent, but also kind, and supportive, and willing to maintain boundaries so as not to upset anyone in his life. He is such a refreshing character.

SOUND/OST: Absolutely suitable for this series. The singer for one of the songs sings the main theme song in Behind Your Smile, and her voice is PERF for this series too. I liked that some characters story lines with other characters/the way they interacted with others had soundtracks to them. You expected certain songs or sounds to be played at moments. It's endearing and suited the moods very nicely.

OVERALL IMPRESSION: I can't believe this series was 65 episodes. After the first 20 episodes, I wondered what would happen to each of these characters, and I never anticipated the amount of character development on many ends of the spectrum, including supporting characters in this series. What I liked about V-Focus was its ability to keep the viewer interested. There was always something going on at Krisis or at V-Focus. DRQ was always on the move, and JZH was always involved in some newer case which (coincidentally) tied to stories that V-Focus was covering. You get to see an array of emotions, thoughts, and feelings expressed by lots of characters, and events that made this series unique. I think if you end up giving this show a try, you may end up surprised. I think the charm in this series was its balance between progressing the plot forward consistently by unraveling secrets and intentions behind people in the series, unveiling events and tensions, and managing budding romances. It has a lot packaged in this series. I think the characters are definitely worth while here. Especially Guo Long. Happy watching

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''Secret Love Affair'' is definitely different from our usual korean dramas and I believe it's different in a positive way. I watched this mainly because of my favourite Yoo Ah In and, even though I kind of sturggled to finish it, I'm glad that I did.

Firstly, why is the title ''Secret'' Love Affair? I mean, their affair was so obvious and pretty much everyone knew about it. And, to be honest, I know that some people might be put off by the title and the fact that the drama is about an affair, but trust me, it's not that much of a problem. It is true that the female lead is married to another guy, but me and Yoo Ah In are more husband and wife than them.

My favourite thing in ''Secret Love Affair'' is definitely the romance and the chemistry between the main leads, who are also great characters. Watching two people slowly falling in love through music was such an amazing experience. It's hard to put my feelings into words, you just have to feel the atmosphere and the intensity between them to get what I'm talking about. Both Oh Hye Won and Lee Sun Jae are wonderful and strong characters, both being a salvation for each other. I loved the development of their relationship and even though it was slow I loved every second of it.

However, as much as I loved the romance, I can't deny that the overall plot and the supporting characters felt quite bland. The first half was very good, the second one became a bit draggy. I don't think the supporing characters were introduced well, they just felt super flat and their scenes ended up being just boring. Some dialogues were very well-written, others felt just pointless. The husband was the most interesting character out of the supporting characters -- I know a lot of people hate him and he a bastard for sure. I just couldn't bring myself to hate him though, I think you can blame Park Hyuk Kwon and his wonderful performance for this.

Yoo Ah In is brilliant as always. No matter in what drama or role, he always does a stellar job and never fails to make me emotional. A lot of people say that this is his best role and I understand them. (still prefer his Bang Won though) Kim Hee Ae is also amazing and I fell in love with her character!

Overall, I do recommend ''Secret Love Affair'' to all the (noona) romance enthusiasts out there. And if you don't mind a different atmosphere and vibe, then I think you should give this a try. However, know that the story is very slow-paced and it can become quite depressing and heavy at some point.

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Food porn with a touching storyline, what more can you ask for?

I was initially expecting a lot of food porn, and yes, there is a LOT of it. It really is a love letter to all the small yakiniku restaurants who cannot compete with the big boys. Every time I eat yakiniku, I'm going to hear drums beating in the background (an inside joke you will get once you watch the movie).
But more than that, this is a story of a son trying to reconnect with his estranged mother, who meets other restaurateurs who were influenced by his mother's skill and kindness. A journey made harder by his own demons he never forgave himself for. Naoto's performance is convincing enough, although he won't be winning any awards with this one.
And then there's Tao, who I admit I have a bias for. She seems to make any movie or show so much better. Her food reactions are priceless! What makes her performance stand out is that she isn't trying to stand out. While she is a main character, she's more of a main supporting character, where she helps the protagonist through his difficult journey.
All in all this is a nice touching movie you definitely don't want to watch on an empty stomach!

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this is probably one of the most realistic "coming of age", "melt your heart", "all about youth" and "inoccent" c-dramas I've watched. Although, the plot line was very obvious from the beginning that this older cool, doesn't show his feelings male lead would fall in love with a young, cute freshman, I feel like it was exactly the kind of drama I was looking for. It shows a bunch of kids who enter college and experience life lessons. There are new couples that fall in love for the first time, couples that break up over time and couples that didn't think they matched at first.

I really enjoyed the progression of xiao zhou and zhou fan zhou's relationship. It was very cute and honestly could melt your heart through a lot of the scenes. The way their personalities matched in helping the male lead become more open and enjoyable, while the male lead helped the female lead achieve her dreams and goals. It was super cute and very realistic to any type of college experience where people find their first love. Although, the reasoning behind their "sudden break up for no reason" is not my favorite type of plot line, it was a good representation of something that could happen to couples at this age. ALSO, this is one of those dramas where the male lead falls first, like way way way before. It was super cute to see the progression.

my favorite character is the roommate, tao ling!! she's super fun and adds a super enjoyable entertainment value to the series. I originally watched both her and xiao zhou on produce 2019 and both thought they deserved more lime light! glad they were able to show their talent through acting as well. For xiao zhou's first acting gig, she did really well!

rewatch value super high!! if you really enjoy dramas that are focused on young love and 青春, this is for you!! very similar dramas to this that maybe aren't super popular are ones like we are young, beautiful time with you, the best of you in mind, all I want for love is you, just an encore, a little thing called first love, etc.!!

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Honestly... this was the second drama I ever watched, a long time ago. I rewatched a few bits of it recently (I need some Minho in my life...) And for a new drama-watcher, it's a good one to get on your feet and start taking notes of typical k-drama tropes.

There are a few problems I noticed while I rewatched, and a few of them were things I noticed when I watched it the first time.

I hadn't read Hana Kimi before (after I watched the show I went and read the manga... I recommend it), so I can't say that I was biased before hand. But I'll admit, the story was good if a bit slow at first. You can't help but feel bad for our honorary second lead Eun Gyeol, but Lee Hyun Woo managed to pull off that awkward bowl-cut-looking hair.

Speaking of bowl cuts... as beautiful as Sulli is, I didn't understand the casting. I honestly thought Eun Hye made a better boy in Coffee Prince. Sulli can act well, but maybe it was the hair... or the lips... or maybe the poor wardrobe stylist, but I didn't understand how those boys went for as long as they did without figuring out that Jae Hee was a girl. I can't bring myself to critique the god-given glory that is Choi Minho. Jezuz... that smile.

Overall, a light fluffy drama that's good for people just getting into K-dramas. I would also recommend the original manga and Japanese live-action as well.

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