Reviews

Watching this becoz of Yang Zi

Have recently become a fan of Yang Zi after watching Yang Zi's dramas marathon i.e Ashes of Love & Go Go Squid, so I'm watching this drama becoz of her. Loving this drama so far. It is interesting, never a dull moment. Love Yang Zi character who has a bright and sunny personality, positive and highly motivated. It is entertaining to watch her character slowly worming her way into Dr Gu's heart who at times shocked at her unrestrained antics, getting physically close to him & touching him with child like innocence. Cant' wait for episode 7 .... Finished watching, love their wedding vows! Hoping to see Yang Zi & Xiao Zhan act together again in another drama ....

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An otherwise perfect drama that has fallen from grace

I'll keep it short and simple: They should have ended the series in season 1 adding just 2-4 episodes totaling 22/24 episodes.

There were good things in season 2 but there were more things that made the drama bad than good. The direction of the story completely went south and one bad decision led to another. They did a great job with season 1 and should have just kept using the same formula instead of being ambiguous. The writers definitely had a hard time choosing between one or the other, so they decided to create a story of in-betweens. They should have just committed to one direction of a possible story instead of trying to please both sides.

Season 2 kinda felt like a mess and the final scenes were lackluster and unsatisfactory, but I wouldn't say that the drama was completely bad. Ultimately, season 1 was an absolute masterpiece, while season 2 needs to be watched just to achieve closure from the drama -- unfortunately.

Side note: I love the main cast of both seasons to death. I wish nothing more than their success in future dramas <3

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One thing that actually made me watch this drama was the glamour. It reminded me so much of Boys Before Flowers just without the theatrics of over acting good looking boys. Not that this show is short of good looking guys, its actually the contrary. There's just the absence of humor because this drama has too much angst and is money driven that eventually it became too tiring to watch. Viewing this drama felt like my brain cells would deteriorate anytime because I don't even had to think over about the situations... I could count my hair and I would still be able to follow on with the story and predict what's going to happen.

The story was very typical. Rich boy falls in love with poor girl and vice versa. So what made this interesting to watch? Well honestly it's not the story line because that had me lost in the middle of the series. What actually made me continue on watching was the characters. I was very much interested in the character development of the actors that I couldn't help but finish the drama because of them. Yes the male lead Kim Tan was a mopey teenager with so much daddy issues while our female lead did nothing but cry her eyes out on all the bad things that has ever happened to her. And so I waited for their progress, thinking that maybe something drastic would happen in their lives and their characters would evolve on that awaited change but unfortunately - Heirs failed me big time.

But!!! One thing that this drama did right for me was casting Kim Woo-bin. It was my first time to see him in a drama and I fell in love with the bad boy image of his character that I had a hard time moving on from his role. I had a bad dose of second lead syndrome because of him.

Music wise, there was nothing note worthy but it did add to the onscreen chemistry, so I have nothing against it. I would recommend this drama for the Lee Min Ho and Kim Woo-bin fans out there. But over all... this isn't going to be in my list of must watch drama of 2013.

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a thin plot with some cute moments

Overall: this is what I would call a standard or traditional university Thai BL. Despite a thin plot built on poor communication that could have been remedied with a 1 minute conversation, I was prepared to rate this an 8/10. However, the first 3 things in my Room For Improvement section and the fact that this is a large production company and it's not a few years ago knocks this down to a 7/10. Watched on YouTube.

Content Warnings: non con kissing, non con touching, domestic violence discussed (injury shown), punches, non con photos
 
What I Liked
- Daonuea's supportive/joking friends
- it was fun to see Sammy & Yacht
- the cute moments
- the funny moments (fyi the series does have comedy sound effects which are neutral for me)
- Khabkhluen's mom
- an example of good consent "can I kiss your cheek" in the finale
- good that they were physically affectionate, it wasn't just 1 kiss for an established couple

Room For Improvement
- the non con touching and kissing (on more than 1 occasion!) was totally not needed and was disappointing to see
- the very serious (sometimes deadly), common and world wide social problem of intimate partner violence was thrown in for some last minute drama. I was horrified watching that scene and again very disappointed that the writers used this topic in this way. The writers could have easily gone with something else like illness.
- the lack of the next video at the end of a video and the lack of subs for the finale premiere (would not bother me for a small company but this is not a small company)
- the full flashback scene was disappointing. Khabkhluen can't use social media? Can't contact Daonuea's friends to contact Daonuea?
- Khabkhluen's atrocious communication skills. I know very introverted people and they communicate with their romantic interests/partners. It took over 1 year to solve a problem that would have taken a 1 minute conversation to fix.
- there were too many characters and yet we didn't get a side plot or couple...
- why were 4 people attracted to Daonuea???
- Danouea has 1 conversation and sees 1 Instagram post and does a 180, it felt very sudden
- the finale was okay if a bit anticlimactic but that scene at the end was jarring and not needed
- that Daonuea didn't even suggest taking a cab to his possibly drunk brother who was going to drive a car
- I didn't like the intro sequence drawing/animation style, especially the lack of faces

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If you're looking for a light-hearted Japanese romcom, look no further. This is the drama for you.

I had been craving some Yamapi and I haven't seen him in anything romantic since Buzzer Beat. All the glowing comments and the main couple were enough to convince me to watch this drama. While I have not read the manga, I still liked the story. It was cute and refreshing. I went in to watching it without realizing that Yamapi plays a monk here (yes, really!) and it turned out to be hilarious. Although he would have been hotter in Western clothes, traditional suited him nonetheless. Plus, he had enough of shirtless scenes to keep me satisfied.

I loved the cast. They were all good-looking and easily likable. The best part of the drama were its multiple love stories instead of focusing too much on who the main girl would end up with. There wasn't a single couple I disliked and I liked all permutations and combinations of all characters with each other. Lol. However, the highlight of this drama for me was the love story between Arthur and Momoe. I just could not get enough of them and Arthur was pure pleasure to watch. The actor impressed me immensely and I might check out more of his works. Plus, he spoke really good English!

I expected the drama to not drag at all, but it did and became repetitive towards the end. The will-they-wont-they drew out too much even though the answer was obvious by midway. But, the characters in the family and at ELA never became dull. The temple characters (especially granny, you stupid woman) weren't my favorite except the little kid who killed me with cuteness. <3

The music was okay and nothing fantastic. The strength of the drama lies in the cast who did a wonderful job and an interesting part was the amount of English spoken in the drama. The cast did seemed to have worked hard on their English speaking and I guess it must have been hard for them to memorize so many lines. So kudos to that.

The ending was cheesy and the main love line annoyed me a bit towards the end. However, it was good entertainment throughout and I enjoyed watching the drama. However, it is not really worth a rewatch apart from Arthur-Momoe scenes (BL!!!!).

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A very entertaining drama of 2023

I don't think I can explain how the story is deeply engrossing to me, but I will try.
 
The central plot of the series focuses on the relationship dynamics between Xiao Yao and Cang Xuan (the two protagonists). They were inseparable when they were kids. They were each other's world. A series of misfortunes and sufferings befall their relationship, and they were separated for three centuries.
 
The FL has deep, imbedded scars from all the things that she experienced while she was separated from her "gege". She is not the same little girl that the ML used to know. Will that affect the kind of relationship they had before? As for the ML, I can see that he is now a good candidate to become a great emperor because he is really calculating, cunning, and ruthless. His relationship with her will probably be put to the test by the many decisions he needs to make. The question is what kind of path he would take—will he choose the right one or not?
 
As a viewer, I find it exciting to know what direction their story will go. Not only will the two protagonists have to make up for the lost time, but they will also have to deal with lots of other things. The biggest one will be the other male characters, who will play a vital part in the female lead's life. I really can't wait for everything to start unfolding.
 
Big kudos, by the way, to the whole cast and crew for making me feel enthralled by the world-building, storytelling, and acting from everyone! The actors and actresses play their respective characters extremely well. This drama is a depiction of a very popular novel by a well-known Chinese author. Mediocre acting from the cast will be heavily criticized by now from viewers, but that is not the case, and I hope they will be consistent about their portrayal all throughout the show.
 
I am enthralled with Lost You Forever and hope that I won't be let down as a viewer. I will get back to this review after I have finished watching everything. ✨

----- continuation-----

I deducted 1.5 points in my review. It doesn't seat well with me that the FL is having conflicting feelings between two male leads. I have read my fair share of books and mangas (The Legend of Basara, Saiunkoku Monogatari, Ten Miles of Peach Blossoms, etc) where "reversed-harem" is one of the themes, but those heroines never wavered despite whatever circumstance befall her and her love interest.

-----continuation-----
I brought back a.5 rating to this drama because of some realizations I had. The female lead (XY) wants the best man for her. A peaceful, happy life with a devoted partner is what she is looking for, and she always reminds us of that as viewers.

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Season 1 finale: 9.5/10 score.

I think season 1 of this drama gives me a great feeling of love and longing. I want to know how they will conclude all of the unfinished conflicts in season 2 because I really like how everything is written according to how it was in the novel. I'm excited to see how they will conclude everything next season.

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RomCom turned Melodrama bait and switch.

I started this drama hoping for a quick but cute romcom but it quickly turned into mediocre historical melodrama. I wouldn't even mind if the melodramatic plot was over the top and fun but instead, it took itself too seriously and dragged on, and by the last episode I was super bored. I think "The Forbidden Marriage" is a trope fest that doesn't always work. Sometimes it was funny and cute and sometimes it was cringy and forced. It wasn't silly enough to keep me entertained like "Rooftop Prince", and the lead couple wasn't compelling enough for me to root for like "The Red Sleeve". It seems like they borrowed things that worked in other dramas that just didn't work for me here, and just added the occasional immature sexual innuendo for giggles. I would have preferred if they chose to stick with comedy but instead, it's a weird messy melodramatic love triangle mystery.

This drama depends a lot on Kim Young Dae's charm to make this love story work but bad writing and stale chemistry made me disappointed with the main couple. Park Ju Hyun was initially funny, and I liked her mischievous spunk, but I just didn't love her as a romantic lead. I can't even totally blame the writing, because there are lots of dramas where the stubborn tyrannical male lead has his heart changed by the unconventional female lead, which I love. In this case, besides the initial teasing that was fun to watch, I felt no spark between the leads. Instead, it was the promise of a love triangle that kept me watching, and Kim Woo Seok as Lee Shin Won is the only character whose feelings felt genuine. I can't even quite call it 2nd lead syndrome because I liked him more than both leads. The lovelorn hero storyline was what kept me watching when the show started to drag and if they got rid of his character I would have dropped this drama for sure. I won't spoil things too much, but things get so predictable after a while it's hard to spoil.

The supporting cast is a mixed bag. Some characters didn't get enough screen time, like the flamboyant psychic played by Choi Deok Moon, and the erotic/romantic writer (which was a cute plot of its own), while the villainous characters got too much screen time, especially in the final episodes. It would be different if they truly took time to establish backstories like So Rang's family dynamic or Lee Heon's first marriage if they were going to go on such a detailed thriller detour. They also did a poor job of establishing the love between the two leads in my opinion. I knew in detail why Shin Won was in love with the female lead but why did So Rang love the king? Just attraction? He was an irrational jerk most of the time. Why did the king really fall for So Rang? Because she catered to him? Because she was "different"? And why did his relationship with the first queen seem so one-sided and even creepy? I can even believe that going through trials is what ultimately brought them together but their confessions and love declarations just felt so cringy. You would think with all the flirtation and sexual references that there would be more chemistry but I could not take them seriously enough to feel anything but awkwardness.

Would I watch this again? No. I was on the fence about dropping it but kept hoping that some of the comedic sparks from the beginning of the drama would come back. Once the drama deviated to melodrama it never quite found consistent humor again. I don't regret watching it, but I wouldn't ask this drama out on a second date.

Overall, I cannot really recommend this drama unless you love anything and everything Kim Young Dae does. If his cuteness is your reason, you will have plenty of it to tide you over. I'll also add a trigger warning for haters of love triangles and unrequited love. If you are hoping for a funny romcom about repressed people starving for love during a 7-year ban on marriage, like I was, be warned that melodrama is on the horizon and it will soon take over completely and turn into a cliché battle over who should be the next Queen. The 12th episode is the most dragged out of all. Instead of closure, it felt like they just kept adding things to fill up the time. Yes, every character gets some kind of closure or a hint at closure, and some of the final moments are cute, but it was too late for me to care. "The Forbidden Marriage" seems like a drama that wasn't a strong enough silly comedy so they kept throwing in sageuk tropes which backfired. Maybe I had too many expectations, wasn't in the right mood, or was too team Shin Won to enjoy this drama as much as others. Consider this a friendly reminder that not every highly-rated drama is for everyone.

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Up front, any time there is English in this it really is bad, not the English, the acting.  Even the "American" they got sucked at English.  It was so jarring. And if he speaks Japanese, why do Kana and Sion have to speak English when they are alone?  I would get it if he was Korean and she was Japanese and English was the common tongue, but that is not the case, but I digress.

Now let's push that aside, and look at the series.  I decided to look at it a super hero origin story, those are always kinda clunky, having to mush so much stuff in such a short amount of time.  The first 5 episodes are flashback heavy, the same flashbacks, but you see more each time.  For those anime fans out there think Naruto's swing in front of the school, that level of repetition flashbacks.  

Ok lets get past that.  There was lots a pretty in the movie with Taemin and Shota, that helps me forgive a lot.  Its Matsuda, so yes its an artsy film, like Depp he doesn't do any other kind.

The songs What's this Feeling and I'm Crying by Taemin are really good.  It's a coherent, even if sketchy story line.  

If you like Sci-fi or super heroes, Matsuda  Shota or Tae-mini I recommend this title. Despite the way this review sounds I liked it a lot, I just feel if you go in with low expectations you'll enjoy it more.

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Just wow

I love this ❤️❤️actually i watched soo many chinese dramas but when i watchd them, i skiped soo much and some dramas i skiped almost whole episode and still can catched what is going on.. soo much episodes and so much unnessosry parts are the wrost part in chinese dramas that i hate...
First chinese dramas that i never skipped is arsenal millitary acedamy and then falling in to your smile... then i watchd so many while skiped so many.. then after so many days i found this on youtube when i started to watchd it i fall for it from 1st episode.. just wow simple and well written plot without a unnessosry parts. There are soo many feelings.. laught , criyng, friendship, family, sibling relationship , romance all are thire normally i dont watchd ongoing dramas but this drama got me and i waited so hardly for next episode... i just love every charcters and their each and every relationships... i really love those siblings.. if there is more romance tht will be cool but this much also ok ?

As for acting no words to express casting is great.. all of them have all expressions and they when they feeling sad happy emotional they can take us with them.. sang shi is really cute and talented actress.. her acting is captured me and she become one of my fav... and sang yan also is so cute and talented actor i love his smile and the way he love sang shi.. he make me wanted brother like him ? as for jia xu here i can feeling i am falling chinese actor so hard after xu kai... this guy is the only one who has so many emotions and cute expressions like xu kai... when he smile oh dude my heart is aching ??? the way he look at shi just wow wow wow so much emotions and etc etc.. shi nd jia xu s chemestry also get along so well both of them are cute talented and mind relaxing to watch... and for other cast all of them is superb and talented actors.. only thing i dont like is jia xu's fashion sence ? itz too old fashion. He is so thin so they should think about difference styles for him. Not only jia xu zhe yuan's other dramas also have tht problm ? his fashion disingner should pay attention to it more.. but i love him ????

And here is most success full proposal i ever saw in drama... lot of chinese dramas have most dumb and idiotic proposls... this one is superb she didnt even get hint about it.. so he is successful..  and i think it would be better thire is some more scens with shi , her bro and jia xu.. like shi and bro argue like before and then jia xu come and defend her like tht ?? it will be cute dont you think ??i am so obsessed dude ?? And one more thing i thougt tht better to be changed is ' there is scen when shi get award jia xu come to award ceramny and surprised her.. i think it will be more surprising cute and lovely if he didnt go to stragt to shi... i mean he is the one who going to give gift to shi so it would be more surprising to her if he come silently and adress audiance ❤️❤️

overall if you want to watch bromance and sibling love and cute romance this is best and must watchd drama..

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How should i begin this review?
Should i start with the fact that this is officially THE. BEST. DRAMA that i have seen in my history of watching dramas?
Or should i start with the fact that this drama exceeded my expectations?

I love the fact that the writers did such an amazing job at carrying out the plot of this drama. It is not a genre that i see done often and i commend you writers...congrats on a now very popular drama.

The cast of this drama was chosen to perfection. I couldn't see anyone else playing any of the roles in this masterpiece, Kim Soo Hyun and Jun Ji Hyun captured the roles perfectly again congrats!!

The OST was perfect!! (cant expand on that it was perfection)*like Do Min Joon* sawrry had to say that sawrry

Overall: i loved this drama i would consider marathon watching it again and crying over popcorn XD I consider it a masterpiece because there are a limited amount of dramas i have watched and was satisfied by the ending so yuppers peppers...i recommend this drama to everyone so watch it ?

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After taking a deep breathe, after shedding tears, after spending hours thinking about this show I finally decided to write my feelings down.

Mother is not a drama, it’s slice-of-life and is in no way made for entertainment purposes but rather to move every shred of humanity in you. So why watch when a drama's primary purpose is to entertain? The answer is simple, Japan is the best in human dramas like Mother, which stay with you long after the glowing warmth of a sappy romantic comedy drama has faded.

“I am not trying to justify what I’m doing, I am an observer who became a criminal that’s all“ Suzuhara Nao.

A school-teacher who ‘kidnaps’ one of her pupils when she discovers she is being abused at home. Her desperate desire to save this little girl’s life she with no faith in authorities decides to take matters into her own hands.

This is one of those few dramas that will have you emotionally invested by episode one. I personally have shed tears towards the end.The slow building relationship between Nao and Tsugumi, as little by little Nao learns what it really is to be a mother, is wonderful to watch.

I am not afraid to say that despite the fact that “kidnapping” is illegal in the eyes of the law, I was wholeheartedly supporting Nao all the way. She wants to save this little girl, whatever it takes and she is willing to take the penalty. You can’t help but admire her strength.

Another gift which this show bring to you and which rightfully could be the most important reason if not the only enough reason I’d tell you to watch this show for is Ashida Mana as Rena. This little girl was only 6 years old when she starred in this show and yet her acting skills by far surpass her age. Her emotional scenes just breaks your heart into pieces and leaves you uncontrollably sobbing. There are two scenes for her that left me emotionally vulnerable and heart broken from the heartbreakingly raw sincerity she has shown. I had to remind myself over and over she is just "playing" the part she’s not really going through this, I had to remind myself that so I too can move on with my life. Yes that's how powerful her performance is.

You might read the synopsis and think to yourself there’s no way that this story can have a happy, feel-good ending. Without spoiling anything away, the drama ends in the best most fitting way possible. Personally I’d say the ending is one of the most wonderful things about this show and has left me speechlessly sobbing.

Overall, I think by looking at the synopsis it is pretty much clear that if you are looking for something feel-good and entertaining then you most definitely should look elsewhere. But if you want to see a drama at its best, acting at its best, story at its best and finally Japan at its best then I suggest to have this one on your-must-watch-top-priorities.

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Seeking for a drama that will fill your senses with excitement and thrill? BINGO! Gaksital will offer it for you!

Story: ;) Unusual Start and Intriguing Plot - Unusual because the main lead started as anti-hero, intriguing because as a loyal follower of Japanese, how did Gaksital came to surface? The storyline was well-thought of, filled with nationalistic theme and a specific eye-opener of the dark period in Korean history.

;) Non-stop Cliffhangers- Be advised that it will be BEST to watch this drama in a marathoned mode so you can be relieved of mini-heart attacks. It’s rare to maintain the heightened tension for 28 episodes. Gaksital simply did it, being intense till 28.

;) Action- Scenes Satisfaction Guaranteed- It’s not all about guns and martial arts! Why not use an iron baton to kill off enemies for a change? Gaksital did it with grace!

;) Great Production for a Period Drama- The theme, costumes and the way Japanese colonized Korea were clearly- presented. Let me add a dancing Joo-won as a bonus!

;) Heart-Wrenching Moments by Episode 7- Sad moments at earlier episodes will make you cry; this drama will mark your heart and will make you sympathize with the characters at some point.

;) Bittersweet Childhood Sweetheart Romance- Sounds promising but put in mind that if you watch this for romance, you’ll not like how it will end.

Lastly,
;( Just a Fair Ending – The sole reason why I gave a 9 on the story and it didn’t land as one of my top 5 favorites. Don’t get me wrong, the ending was appropriate for the heroic and patriotic pattern of the plot but I didn’t like it, I didn’t feel a proper closure, that’s all. I felt bad for Joo-won— not as Gaksital but as Lee Kang To , Shunji and Mok Dan, and mostly saddening of all was how did the friendship ended. Death is bad but being left alone is just worse.

Acting/ Cast- This drama picked an excellent ensemble of casts. Joo Won and Park Ki Wong were definite standouts. I loved that Lee Kang To becoming Gaksital was deeply-rooted and his character portrayed by Joo Won was greatly compensated in terms of acting. Park Ki Wong had the same depth of character as Joo Won on an antagonistic counterpart, he’s commendable because from a friend to a foe, the changes in personality was very visible. Jin Se Yun and Han Chae Ah were equally great female leads for me. I had a little crush on Katsuyama.

Music: I loved the Italian song at the end of each episode, it mixed well with cliffhangers. Then there’s a determinant song wherein when you hear it, Alas! Gaksital is finally here to save the day!

Rewatch Value: For the superb scenes, yes, but for the ending, no. Besides, I rarely rewatch dramas.

Overall : A DEFINITE MUST WATCH this year! If you’re an avid action/ thriller fan, this should not be a miss on your list. Gaksital will always be one of those legendary masked heroes a Kdrama fan like me will remember for a long time-- and perhaps it can give you withdrawals too? :)

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I think this drama really opened up eyes to how the world would be if something like this actually came to real life. If an app like this we’re to come out if would destroy friendships and would cause bullying all because of who liked who. I think the drama showed really well how the world would act, how many feelings would be hurt. I’m sure everyone has probably had this fantasy before, like what if there was an app that let us tell who we like that we like them anonymously, but it shows the reality of how this app isn’t as blissful as it sounds. The heart wants what it wants and sometimes it’s not returned and it was really shown in the drama. Episode 3 especially hurt watching that boy get beat up because he was attracted to another man, and then the boy who beat him also liked men it just really made me sad, but also how people were getting assaulted because of not recognizing peoples feelings through the app, which happens in real life already and brings a reality to how harmful the app is, it shows how yes they’re attracted to you, but doesn’t guarantee happiness or safety. Now based on characters Sun Oh really bothered me, yes he’s attractive, but he was possessive and creepy in my mind, but he also went after the girl that his best friend liked, I thought it was kinda an asshole move, he’s gone for 2 years then comes back and steals the girl. Like yes their relationship was cute, but I thought he was really overdoing it, there were times however when I was like “damn I wished someone was like that towards me,”. I felt very bad for Sun Oh though as Jojo broke his heart basically and lied to him that she no longer loved him. I thought it was very messed up on Jojo’s ends because you can tell he really loved her and it really hurt to see him like that. I’m excited for a season 2 though and see how it plays out, I hope she doesn’t end up playing both of them and tbh I’m on Sun Oh’s side. I hope there’s more character development and for season 2 I hope it starts with where it ended.

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