Reviews

A very good live action of a manga/anime

Story

- The story is just so dark which makes every episode a little more nerve wrecking. You're always thinking you might not survive next.
- The series is just long enough. It doesn't drag out.
- The series looks at the background of more than one character which was really interesting.

Acting/Cast

- My bias towards Yamazaki Kento means he can do no wrong in my eyes. He is always so good no matter what type of character or what kind of genre he is in.
- Sakurada Dori is also an actor I really like but I barely recognised in this due to the character he was playing.
- Murakami Nijiro is a new actor for me but he had that smirk down perfectly. Like he had the 'I'm superior' look perfected.

Music

- I'm not gonna lie, I don't really remember the music so can't say much,

Rewatch Value

- Given how short the series is, I think it definitely rewatchable.

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The film had great potential for being a good watch; with it's plot set up as so, however, this movie was a big let down for me. I relatively liked the first Battle Royale, and I was excited when I saw there was a second one, especially since the plot looked pretty good, but it turns out I had just wasted 2 hours of my life.

As mentioned, it had potential to be good, but it was draggy, boring, and somewhat unrealistic with the way people handled being shot (it was the same in the first movie, but I dismissed it). Which brings me to acting.

The acting was ok; the multiple bullets in their chests proving no match as they continued on to do, what I would call, laborious tasks such as dragging another person's body, and shooting some more people while running wildly. So, I guess they're stronger than the average person?


Overall, I don't really have a doubt that this would've been clicked onto my 'dropped' section of the list had I not developed the no-dropping-rule for my list. I even had a text conversation during the movie, if that tells you anything. It didn't keep me entertained for more than 5 minutes at best, the plot turned sour and boring pretty quick, and it just became a hard task to finish out the movie.

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I was very excited to watch this and honestly, I wish I could get my time back. The show had too many questionable directing and story choices that make me wonder what on earth was going through their minds when they made it. There are obvious similarities that can be drawn between this type of story and Sherlock Holmes, but ultimately, the titular Sleuth is more of a hindrance than a help and often caused more problems than he solved.

Additionally, the music was such a poor choice that it usually pulled attention away from the plot instead of enhancing it. I kept wondering WHY they chose this music and then I couldn't even focus on what was happening.

The acting was fine at best but the haphazard plot, tone and direction were the things that really let me down in the end. The overarching plot should have been compelling and captivating, but it was mostly just tedious. I also wish they had done a better job of making me care about characters rather than having a hastily thrown in montage at supposed crucial moments. Another thing I really cannot forgive is that Sui Zhou was completely wasted in the final episode to the extent that I was either constantly looking for him or I forgot he was a character at all.

In the end though, I have to say one good thing the show had going for it was its presentation of the meals and the positive found family dynamic the leads had. Those moments with their family were wholesome and heartwarming but not enough to save the show.

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Had me grinning like a fool for 25 eps!

"where ever you go...tripping on my soul" my favorit line from OST.

There was just no way he was not gonna fall in love with her..my favorite thing was the anticipation they built up for the veiwers..waiting for him to notice her as a woman..and not a kid. Waiting for him to start going crazy for her little by little...so worth it.

What am amazingly sweet drama. Zao Lu Si..beautiful lady with so much talent in her craft. My first drama with the male lead..he is amazing too..great chemistry..like seriously!!! The story is well written, her relationship with her brother, so natural.

Absolutely worth every minute of time.

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Since I had seen Hana Kimi (as a J-drama) 6 years ago, I sort of knew what the story was about and I was very curious to see how a Korean version would be.

I was very pleasantly surprised! Not only did it feel like I was watching a new story, it was very up to date. With that I mean it felt realistic and fun to watch. (Even though Sulli is obviously a beautiful girl and not a boy). The characters really grow on you and I really liked how the side-stories were told.

Sometimes it did feel like a Samsung commercial but whatevs, it didn't distract me too much from the story.

I really recommend watching this if you are a fan of romantic dramas like Heartstrings, Boys Over Flowers and You're Beautiful.

And it has Minho in it. ASDFGHJKL *u*

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Messy and disappointing

Perhaps I am in the wrong age/ mental group. I found this stuff messy and meaningless, more or less centered (since it's neither) about who deserves to be killed (based on what?).
The series jumps from one killing attempt to the next, akin to what happens in many videogames, a point of which people are reminded in the end when the screen goes "thanks for playing". As such it shares much with "Squid game", which I found to be trash.
I expected more from Lee Young-Ae, here juggling videogames, booze, junk food, and occasional work.
Some acting was OK. The best element of the series is the music; some cartoons on which the series is based, are also OK.
I am afraid that tossing the serial killer in jail (could have shown the trial!), who hears a jail mate screaming that some guy deserves to die (as if she needs that to lust after killing!), is a preamble for a second series whereby the nutcase escapes for a new killing spree. May God have mercy on us, and block "Inspector Koo 2".

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Lacks Substance. Harassing & Pushing = Love (apparently).

In reality it would be ick, as a fantasy I gave it a chance but it's lacking in many ways. The characters and story are poorly written and failed to engage me emotionally.

There are eight 20min episodes. The first 3.5 episodes are all physical/sexual harassment (that's weirdly encouraged by coworkers and manager), stalker-ish obsessive behavior, and ignoring what the other character says.

As a fantasy, the frequent close physical proximity does build tension and the lead actors seem comfortable with each other and have good chemistry. The intimate scene is surprisingly realistic, especially for a Korean BL. And sadly, that's the best thing I can say about this whole series.

There's not much to the story and the script is dull and full of clichés. Things became a little less shallow and more emotionally interesting in Ep 7-8 with the introduction of a certain character, but that was too little and too late for me. I couldn't really care at that point because the story had failed to get me invested in the characters.

Character words and actions contradict each other. Ex: "Your feelings aren't insignificant. They're very special." BUT, I'm going to ignore everything you say, especially every time you say you don't want something, and keep making you uncomfortable (even after they get together).

The actors did okay with what they were given, but no one was truly compelling.

Cinematography and music were generic (but didn't distract either).

I can't recommend this when there are many Korean BLs that are much better written. Love Class 2 is a great option if you're looking for realistic intimate scenes (the 2nd and 3rd couple have them). At the same time, there's more emotional depth and sweetness, naturalistic dialogue, and engaging stories. FYI Love Class 2 is a stand alone, not a sequal, so you don't have to watch the first series (which is good but not as good).

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Consistent plot, characterisation

First time writing a review. Been looking forward to SOKP since TTEOTM ended. Was hooked from episode 1 onwards. Very interesting plot and characters. Most importantly, consistent plot all the way from episode 1 to episode 38, and consistent characters. Some dramas start off strong but lose steam halfway through, but not this drama.

Let's start with FL Jiang Xuening, acted by Bai Lu. With her second chance in life, she hopes to amend her mistakes. She is smart and acts quite logically. She will fight for herself. I feel the acting is also good. Not sure what else to add.

Xie Wei, acted by Zhang Linghe. I was worried about ZLH acting in SOKP as XW due to MJTY's GZY, but turns out I was wrong. He acted well in this drama. I love how he portrays his crazy side, and on the flip of a switch, shows his gentle face. I also love this character, such a multi-faceted character. He is a schemer, kind of morally gray. In some episodes, he is crazy, enough to make me feel weird sometimes. This type of character adds life to a drama. He also stays true to his character.

Zhang Zhe also stays true to his character.

Yan Lin, acted by Zhou Jun Wei. He's like a puppy. Glad he's accepting of who Xuening loves, and accepts that he's not the one Xuening love.

The side characters in SOKP are also great. For example, the princess, Xuehui, Yan Lin's father, Xuening's father. Man, even Xue Shu, stays true to her character right till the very end.

Comes with a satisfying ending! Not a rushed ending. Not a 1 minute slapped ending. Not some sort of ending placed at a special episode. An actual satisfying ending to tie the ends of everything, and doesn't break immersion! I don't know why, but this is quite rare nowadays in cdrama land.

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It’s been a while since I watched a drama without skipping some or probably most of its chapters. I think the last Korean series I watched without missing even one episode was Boys Over Flowers. Perhaps it’s out of habit. If the story gets too boring and dragging, I can’t help but resort to my fast-forwarding syndrome.

Heartstrings (You’ve Fallen For Me) was a surprise. I don’t have any expectations before watching this. All I know is that the leads were in He’s Beautiful and I was curious how Park Shin Hye would look as a normal heroine. I thought this was just one of those series I’ll end up skipping half of it but to my amazement I didn’t even miss a single episode of this drama. And I even spent 17 hours watching this series straight.

The plot was pretty normal. It’s not over the top and can even be considered plausible. There’s nothing exceptional with the story but the directing, soundtrack and the cast’s performances made this drama revitalizing and a whole lot of fun.

What I appreciate most in this drama are the character development, back story and the story flow. It wasn’t dragging since the biggest conflict in the story was immediately presented and resolved in the first 6 episodes. It also had strong back stories for the characters not only for the hero and heroine but for the secondary characters as well. It’s nice getting to know the people in the story bit by bit.

Jung Yong Hwa and Park Shin Hye have a very refreshing chemistry. It’s one of the things you’ll initially notice in the first few episodes of the drama. The setting is a plus too. It was very nice that this was filmed in spring which made the scenes pleasant to watch. And it added up with the drama’s romance.

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This was the first Taiwanese drama I watched after my friend kept pestering me about exploring Taiwanese world of dramas. But after watching Autumn's Concerto, I realize it was not pestering but a gift of such a classic.

The story is just great (although I have seen some Indian serials with the same story line) but Taiwanese direction made it more amazing. The acting from Ady An to Xiao Xiao and Vaness Wu, they make the perfect family cast I've ever seen. The main leads look so compatible with each other that you actually start imagining them as an actual-real life family!And the side actors won't disappoint you as well. Everyone contributes beautifully. I loved the second leads as well, Xu Tiffany and Wu Chris. They are both equally good looking and attractive on screen.

MUSIC!!! The whole Original Sound Track is just marvelous! "Wo Ai Ta", "Family","I thought" etc are so nice. It makes you feel the emotion of the scene where it is played.
Re watch value is high. I watch it when I wanna remember the amazing scenes from this drama because the acting is worth your time.

I'd like to make a special judgement as well. The dialogue writer of this drama is awesome. There are some many quotes from this drama that are actually worth remembering.
The most famous one being, “Did you know that in the skating ring, if you give your hands to the other person it means that your life is in his hands? I said that I will hold on to you so that means I promise to protect you, no matter what…” – Guang Xi.

Overall, its very nice and it will touch your heart. Don't keep it any longer on the "Plan To Watch" list. GO WATCH IT! :)

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Song Kang, please make a deal with me

I decided to write reviews based on my feelings only so do not expect any deep thoughts from me. I am no critic. I watch stuff cause I need an escape from my everyday life. So far I have the opinion that if you signed Song
Kang in a drama, I am going to love it. I don't know what kind of spell he cast over me but I enjoy everything he does. I always love a plot where there really is not the typical heroic good guy. I love bad guys, so when I read that this was going to be about demon making deals with people I was sold. The cast overall was amazing, the story captured me till the end. I absolutelly love the , true’ song and is living rent-free in my mind now. I fell for Kang Seung Ho and how he portrayed Noh Do Kyung. His storyline was the best for me and it broke my heart a little at the end. Definitely gonna watch it again sometime in future.

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Hilarious Treat!!!!!!!

I wasn't sure before starting it whether I should continue or not. But after watching only first episode I knew it I was in for a treat. What a hilarious drama. It's been a while after LLTG when I enjoyed historical drama. In few episodes I laughed so hard that Ihad tears in my eyes.
Every moment of the show is pure bliss. There are no overwhelmingly sad scenes. Even if you get one emotion scene it will definitely be followed by some comedic parts. But first of all hands down for all the actors and not just the main leads but even the extras or side characters. The cast is not only beautiful to look at but they also portrayed their characters so well that you will think that this role was made for him/her. I never skipped any single scene of the side characters. Their arc was as good as the main one's.
Moving on to the story, there are two sisters born with good and bad omen to marry in particular realm. They get swapped and for the rest you need to watch. Till episodes 10 the drama is entertaining but it becomes hilarious when the mortal arc begins. I always loved DID sort of dramas. You can see real prowess of an actor who portrays many characters at the same time. But here it is totally different scenario yet shows how great ML is in each of his roles. He played 4 characters here. FL is so cute and cunning amd reminded me of Zhou Lusi a lot. I loved her acting. Second ML looks a bit annoying and you would feel like why I am watching his parts sometimes but but BUT...you won't be able to skip his scenes. They are the most hilarious ones.
Hahaha... Beast prince and bird are also one of my favs. They made me laugh so much with their silly gestures. Special mention for mortal king. I won't forget that ceremony episode for sure. ;P

It is still ongoing and I am sure whether you are a fan of historical drama or not. It is worth watching.
Just don't skip this hilarious treat.

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Well, Imma start with the good things: the actors weren't that bad.

Now the things I didn't like:

This drama becomes annoying and boring since the very first episode.

THERE IS NO CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT AT ALL!!! Characters stay the same from the beginning to the end. She is still addicted to her work, without really caring about him. He... how was is personality even like? She could have tried to find a way of balancing her work and her relationship (thing she was clearly not interested in doing). He could have been a little more upset about it... you know? To make things kind of interesting in this drama. If there is something I like in drama, is seeing how characters grow and change their minds with something, basically some development. Maybe a backstory would be interesting too (and no, I don't think "him being addicted to work and not being good in relationships until he finds someone even more addicted than him" his a backstory good enough to make me care.)

Anyways, this couple is terrible. As I said, she doesn't care about him most of the time and he only cares about sex. Maybe he was the perfect boyfriend (which, somehow, also annoyed me), but it seems like he only does that to get sex and keeps pressuring her. That's just my point of view, I'm sorry if it isn't like what I'm saying, but it's the idea I got.

By the end of the drama, it can happen two things: or you forget the main character's friends exist or you wonder what happened to them. You know why? Because they don't have a proper ending! And the same happens to her editor. You don't even know what happened to them. You don't know anything about them, for that matter.

And when you finally think something interesting is going to happen... it doesn't. They just end it out of nothing. Like when the guy's friend who was in love with him, just decides she won't want him anymore like 5 minutes after she said she would fight for him and blah blah...

I think this could have been a much better drama, however I didn't see any purpose in its existance.

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Short: The major difference between this and most romance stories is that this one covers two time periods, when they first meet, how it doesn't work, and how they meet later in life. Brilliantly told and performed by the cast with lovely music throughout.

Detailed:
One of the main things that attracted me to this drama (other than the fabulous Lee Bo Young) was that this told not only the love story of how the couple meet but also the later story of how they meet again later in life, how their lives have become so completely different because of the events that have happened to them in the intervening time. Values that were held strong in youth are cast aside and almost turned on their head by the older versions, but are the same two people still in there, and is there a future for them?

So many romance stories show the couple meeting and coming together and that's your happy ending, but this one gives you a taste of the 90's with some great music and scenes from the period, brings them together and then forces them apart only for them to coincidentally meet many years later. He's married, she's divorced, he's gone from anti-corporation to the vice president of one of the biggest, she's picketing outside that very same corporation against its greed.

The cast are fantastic both the older and younger pair, Yoo Ji Tae and Lee Bo Young are long time professionals and they carry their roles with all the expertise you would expect. Park Jin Young and Jeon So Nee carry the mantle of the younger counterparts and do so very well.

There's a lot to unpack as the story progresses but it doesn't rush, it's consistent and keeps a steady pace throughout so that you don't get bored, but at the same time it's not rushing it either.

Music is fantastic, some very appropriate original pieces in the sound track along with some classics from the 90's for those who remember them.

There's some really nice work in the two time periods being represented too, one that stands out for me is where the older pair go for a trip somewhere they went when they were younger. In the younger reminiscences you can see they are walking on some kind of railway platform with arches. In the later version of the scene, that platform and railway have been replaced with a road but it's clearly the same place. Really nicely done and added to that sense of the two time periods.

The story progresses both timelines side by side, showing something in the past, showing something in the present, and often using the past to explain the motivations and feelings behind things said and done in the present.

Fantastic story, definitely recommend it if you like a relaxing warm romance that's a bit different to the normal.

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