Reviews

Firstly, the messages within this were very deep and complicated. I found it hard to understand the meaning behind each story. Other than that it was pretty great. I would say though, I would not rewatch this at all. If I did it would be for the filming and not the actual story. As I said the storyline for each film was confusing and unclear, I believe they are meant to be this way though so you can discover their deeper meaning. The acting in this was amazing, IU portrayed the character in each story so well. The other actors were very talented too, this made it must more interesting to watch. If you weren’t interested in the story, you would definitely be captivated by how it was filmed and directed. The whole thing was beautifully filmed. It kept me interested even if I found the story boring.

Just going to say, some of the stories were very weird, gory and just plain confusing. I feel you would need to really listen and watch each story to actually get the meaning behind it. It is also a more mature series to watch due to not only it’s references and gore but it’s difficult story line.

Despite this I enjoyed it, the acting was great and it was filmed beautifully. This took away from the confusing story lines. I probably wouldn’t watch this again but if i did it would be for the visuals rather than the actual stories.

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Simple, Cute, Adorable!

Stop reading this review and go watch it! Its cute, REALLY cute!
That's it, that's the review.

If you made it here, might as well read on.

Kieta Hatsukoi is your run-of-the-mill cute, fluffy, ball of sunshine type BL where its the high school first love trope. What set sets it apart from its contemporaries is that it knows exactly what it is, and doesn't stray from its lane. It doesn't try to be a multifaceted, edgy, layered, and overly complicated story that a lot of BLs seem to be trying to be lately. Kieta Hatsukoi knows that its cavity-inducing sweetness and plays that to-a-tee! And the the fact that the premise of it, and the whole story ACTUALLY is a layered story with a lot of moving pats and elements yet it surprisingly kept itself simple is amazing to me.

Also, I can easily say that for all the BLs I've watched (and there's been quite a few) this has the best laid out pilot episode.


In the first episode it showed me the setting and the theme. I was introduced to the major characters and it showed me who's point of view I'll be following. and by the end of the first episode it showed me the major conflict of the entire show without totally ruining it for me! It was such a well put together episode and incredibly satisfying to watch.

And for 10 episodes, (under 30 minutes each) the show kept me engaged as it shaped the characters so well and so simply that by the 0 finale, I can easily track where the key points in the story is while at the same time knowing these fairly well-fleshed out characters and their own journeys.

When it comes to the acting was also on point. The protagonists had enough experience behind them that they pulled this one off very well. There were scenes where the acting was a tad exaggerated or were too big but for me it fits the overall narrative and vibe of the show.

Also, there really is something to be said about Japanese BLs and their use of lighting to lend emotion to a scene. They play with shadows and colors really well and just adds so much more to a scene.

On sound what I often note with Thai, Filipino, and sometimes even Taiwanese BLs is that sound sometimes is really off-putting. It can either be due to the equipment(lapels being covered by wardrobe or boom mics capturing way too much ambient noise) the sound being overall muffled, some sort of post-production / editing issue (often it would be the editors trying to cancel background noise so much that it ruins the whole thing), etc. But with Japanese BLs I don't have any of those issues, especially not with Kieta Hatsukoi. It feels like there's a level of meticulousness that I've so far only seen in Japanese BLs that really stands out to me.

Speaking of sounds, the fact that both leads are members of boy groups and sang songs for the OST is just *papa kiss*. I mean even their OSTs just know what they want to be! And that's fluffy, cute, and just heart-squishing adorable! I've been listening to their OST while I'm writing this review!

To be honest all I have are praises for this show. Bonus points for the fact that it also tried its hand on talking about prejudice is really good. It didn't deviate too much from its cutie-base but also branched out enough to talk about it is something I really apricated.

All in all, #KietaHatsukoi is a feel good, simple show you can really enjoy.

Its an easy 9.5 out of 10, and that .5 is so negligible since the show is THAT good!

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Again... what the fuck

So incest, r*ape, self-harm, prostitution, and drug usage were all normalized and okay.
I was not expecting much due to the first season. I was only anticipating a fulfilling ending. It didn't even have that. Kind of a cliffhanger with implied meaning, but nothing was satisfying. Also no chemistry this season.

*spoiler for main characters*


They don't get together. Oat says I love you a thousand times, but they never officially get together, kiss, hug, etc. They acted like brothers who kiss(only in season 1). Wait till you see the incest bit though, YIKES.

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ABSOLUTELY LOVED THIS SERIES!!! CAN'T WAIT FOR SEASON 2!!!!
This had everything i love in a drama, especially the last 4 episodes, just EPIC :suspense,action,jealousy,friendship,care,family,love,betrayal,magic,demons,darkness!! Laid out, simple and an understandable story, nothing too complicated, which makes this even more enjoyable. The fact that they could assemble a PERFECT drama by adding different elements in between was AMAZING (as some drams try doing that but awfully fail). Kicks off with a Strong and hooking start,with an Interesting and gripping middle with the PERFECT ending (happy ending) .Every second of this drama was worth watching and boy did i ever skip in between. The ML falling for her episode by episode, gaining feelings but however not understanding it for he was a demon and intensely jealous moments had me die laughing for XD. The ML getting to understand the feeling he had for the FL was just somehow heart-breaking but lovely. (great chemistry, but hopefully in can improve in the next season :) ) The second leads' scenes didn't even bore a bit out of you as usually in others drama they do :) The LAST 4 episodes of this drama were just INSANELY EPIC, definite 10/10. *spoiler alert* the park where FL died in ep 23 and at the start of ep 24 ML's flashback of their sweet memories just had me bawling my eyes out :( . The green screen work in ep 24 just had me SHOOK. ML's initial wish was so be immortal but after having met the FL he gained emotions (for what demons did not have), feelings and decided to bring FL back to life, which put the most stupid smile on my face :) WELL DONE TO THE ACTORS, DIRECTOR AND EVERYONE WHO MADE THIS DREAM AN ACCOMPLISHMENT!!!! ABSOLUTELY HYPED FOR SEASON 2 (which is said to revolve around ML AND FL's sweet love story)

What I loved:
- THE FLIPPIN' STORY ITSELF:such a unique drama i swear it had every element you would want in a drama in it!!!!!! From the thrilling action, suspense, jealousy of the characters, twists and the demons itself made the story more lovable.
-The ML falling for the FL :'( just really and absolutely cute, even though we got a minimum amount of moments (only 1 kiss scene :( ) hopefully as said in the ENDING of SEASON 1 EP 24, the next season which revolves around the love story between ML and FL, hopefully we get tons more moments.
-How the FL cared for the ML and vise versa.
-THE SUSPENSE I HAD AT THE END OF EACH EP THOUGH
-The fact that they could mix different elements in between was EXTRA ORDINARY!!
-The green screening was actually an acceptation and not lame.
-The numbers of episodes were simply perfect and easy to keep up with.
-EVERYTHING REALLY.

What i didn't enjoy:
-the ML and FL did lack a tiny bit of missing chemistry and they didn't seem to have enough moments at all!!!! But hopelly WE CAN WITNESS MORE MOMENTS IN SEASON 2 and MORE CHEMISTRY!!!!!!
-Lack of MOMENTS!!
However still WORTH WATCHING no matter.

JUST CAN NOT EXPRESS HOW MUCH I LOVED THIS SERIES. HOPEFULLY YOU CAN DEFINITELY WATCH IT TOO CAN'T WAIT FOR SEASON 2 :)
Enjoy!!!!!!!!!

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more hitchcock than 2gether

Here we have a pure mystery thriller, enhanced with a few horror and LGBT elements.
In its best moments, Shadow is insanely dark, atmospheric and suspenseful, taking the viewer on a journey of madness where it is sometimes unclear what is fantasy and what is reality. Shadow always has a very mature tone and the telenovela parts are pleasantly turned down. The melancholy is also beautifully portrayed in parts, such as the relationship between Dan and the shadow, which is both his greatest danger and his greatest support.

The first episodes of the two parts in particular stand out and simply compel you to keep watching. But then, unfortunately, sometimes a few lengths creep in and the focus of the horror-mystery disappears a little and the stylistic device of the flashback is simply overused. Unfortunately, the resolution of the mysteries is rushed in the final episodes, but at least with a good, coherent ending

Unfortunately, Shadow also has a second glaring weakness and that is the romances, be it the Love Triangle or the implied (b)romance between Dan and Nai, nothing fits together and somehow makes sense, although there would actually have been enough time to give one of the romances a bigger place. Otherwise it would have been more consistent and better to do without any romances

Fortunately, the cast can cover up this shortcoming, because Fluke and Singto in particular can finally show what great actors they are after their last series was rather mediocre.

All in all, Shadow is a very entertaining thriller series, only those hoping for a BL will undoubtedly be disappointed.

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You get what the trailer promises, but that ending

I was quite excited for this series to come out after the trailer aired. It seemed interesting and a focus on the different situations under which infidelity occur was interesting.

Having just finished the show (writing while episode 8 is fresh in my mind), I can say I enjoyed all the episodes except the last one.

It is a show about sex and infidelity so definitely expect a healthy dose of explicit scenes which to me considering how they were done was not off-putting. I enjoyed many of the anthology like stories of the side couples finding them a good balance to the annoyance one feels with the main husband Takuya and the sometimes underwhelming Sakura. Not to say I didn't enjoy the romance of Sakura and Haruto , more so I didn't enjoy the conclusion.

I am all for an open ending. I think it is a good story choice in many cases especially when there is character change involved. However, in this case, I don't think the story was strong enough to support it. The ending left me annoyed and frustrated. It was largely too vague to be a true open ending in my book. The real annoyance comes from the initial separation. Sakura leaving right after the divorce, feels like she is using Haruto rather than actually being invested in them as had previously been stated. As well, the motivations for the breakup felt a bit weak. Why couldn't they have continued on and she opened her studio while they were today? His dream was to open a shop someday, not immediately. This isn't a case of they needed to leave the country to pursue dreams and why not support each other while doing that especially when they expressed they devotion. Felt very contradictory.

So the series was enjoyable but marred by an ambiguous ending.

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Thrilling take on an teenage cheating syndicate!

This was such a refreshing movie to watch. I really liked the dramatisation of the clever escapades of a bunch of teenage students. School stories are a thing of past for me and it's really difficult to connect to them now but this movie made answering multi-choice questions as thrilling and exciting as robbing a bank in 'Money Heist'!

Summary in one sentence - A smart high-school girl takes advantage of her brain to make money by selling answers.

Lynn was brilliant as the high-school genius-turned-hustler and her accomplices or enablers Grace & Pat were equally good. I felt for Bank's loss of naivety/innocence as he realises intelligence can get you only so far. It sucks how close to home this story hits. Even though being smart in Asia is not equivalent to being a nerd in the western world, money & connections unfortunately, speak everywhere in the world!

Overall:
Bad Genius is a great pun and a totally apt title for this excellent and entertaining film. I highly recommend this for all who are fans of the school/teen and coming-of-age genre. An 8.5/10 for me!

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Has all the right elements to get you hooked!

GMMTV has done way too many BL with school setting that I really kept my expectations low. A lot of them before and after BBS had terrible storylines and awful acting. So I was pleasantly surprised by the first episode. They delivered and sustained it each week that I was soon invested.

The incredible chemistry of Gemini and Fourth was enough to carry the whole show. The dialogues were heartfelt, natural, and funny. How many times did I laugh when Tinn was throwing tantrums while lying on his bed? The comedic timing worked. They can also demonstrate a whole rainbow of emotions especially Fourth. His eyes were so expressive, he can make me feel things without talking.

The gang of friends were also very entertaining. While I thought WinSound was not given enough screen time to develop, each member of the Chinzilla band brought something special to the show. The story of their friendship was earnest and well done even if most of the time they were endlessly fighting and bantering with each other. Mark as Tiwson was really a standout. He was effortless in his delivery and is so darn cute. He needs to lead his own BL soon. That boy is a star. Lastly, the two women playing mothers were golden. They strongly delivered the importance of acceptance and unconditional love, an important aspect that needs more representation.

Music is such a treat, the very best a BL can offer. Some of the songs were very well done and demand repeat listening. GMMTV really raised the bar high on this one and was one of the show's stronger elements that got me hook from the start. My favorite vocalists were Fourth and Ford. Ford's voice is smooth like butter.

The story was very lighthearted and ordinary. I wasn't an avid fan of the repeated tease that led to the kiss. While other viewers may find it adorable, I found myself rolling my eyes. It didn't bother me too much though. With colorful characters, great acting, and catchy tunes, MSP is a beautiful coming-of-age series that demands to be watched.

I can't wait for their feature in Our Skyy2.

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I love the chemistry between Sho and Maki here and this is the drama I officially became a ShoMaki haha! I thought the concept about the drama will bore me which is about legal stuff but I was wrong. I was able to enjoy the drama because of Sho and Maki. I particularly love the theme song of the drama 'Troublemaker' which gives an enjoyable feel. I also love the fact that Sho's role here shows his not so serious side while Maki is the strong independent woman which is somehow a turn around from the characters they usually play in their other dramas. I would definitely re-watch this drama. I'm obviously a bias about the two main leads but I'm sure you'll enjoy this if you are into the drama's concept and at the same time you want to enjoy and not so into so serious stuff then I do recommend this drama especially if you are an Arashi or a Sho fan.

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Great movie regardless of the sad ending! Giving a movie a bad rating because it is not your cup of tea is not a rating. I generally don't rate sad movies for that reason but I have to balance out the other rating because it really does a disservice to the movie.

Life is full of sadness as well as joy. The one thing that the Japanese do very well with sad movies is making you feel okay at the end regardless of the outcome. The acting in this movie was phenomenal. Erika Toda as Natsuki was my reason for watching and she didn't disappoint. This was my first Wakaba Ryuya experience and as Dalki, he was amazing as the autistic brother. Kato Kazuki as Sou, I'd seen once before in Hotari but didn't realize it until the end.

All genres are not for everyone but if you are a movie connoisseur who loves a good love story regardless of the ending, this is the movie for you. One thing I took away from watching this: whatever life has in store for you, live it to the fullest; don't give up and live for those around you who love you. That is the lesson Sou taught me and that is a reason to watch this. Excellent movie.

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Beautiful but flawed

FLA is the story of a man who remembers his past lives (the last three of them) and is waiting to be reunited with his lover - something that hadn't happened in any of his other past lives. The reason for his remembrance and his continued reincarnations, is because what he wants is love. His first love to be precise. FLA and Yeon Seok lead us to assume that his first love would 1. Reincarnate 2. Reincarnate in the same time period as him 3. Meet him and fall in love with him again. 4. Is born with the same name again. FLA leads Yeon Seok to assume the same as well, because of which he keeps waiting for Ha Yeon to show up. Maybe we would have benefitted from seeing what happened to a Yeon Seok who didn’t meet Ha Yeon or fell in love with someone who was not Ha Yeon.

But FLA is a simple series and likes to keep things that way. It takes some chances and liberties to be as uncomplicated as possible, sacrificing some crucial developments of character and plot in the process. Jin Hyeok serves no purpose in any timeline. It’s unclear what he wants from Ha Yeon. The situations we see him in are obviously made to look like he’d like to pursue Ha Yeon but he never makes a move. Ha Yeon himself was so ambiguous in the beginning that I was sure he remembered as well. His adoration of Yeon Seok and his novel seem to stem from something deeper. But those threads are abandoned. There are other unanswered questions like- is Yeon Seok going to keep reincarnating until he finds his love?

That said, this is truly a five character-six episode series that does justice to its time and the story it takes up. By keeping the plotline simple, it avoids drama and is able to present its issues in a realistic and empathetic way. The leads’ conflicts on finding out the harsh truths may be predictable but they appeal to our emotions and make us root for them. This is further accentuated by some amazing performances from Jin Gun and Jeon Chang Ha. Even if the resolution of the conflicts is a disaster (we never got to know why Ha Yeon changed his mind; in that respect we also needed a better confirmation that Yeon Seok of the present loved Ha Yeon of the present, than one single statement at an offhanded moment), the story achieves its objective.

Reincarnation is more or less an unused trope in bl. Fantasy is not. Therefore, FLA plays out pretty well overall. It is amply helped by good cinematography, costumes, visuals and music. Though the ending is warped, its emphasis is, in what is a pun on the title, on falling in love for the first time, much like Because This is my First Life is about experiencing life for the first time. That redeemed the entire show for me.

PS- don’t miss the epilogues.

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The Kiss Of The Century

Let me start right out by saying I loved this show. It had drama, comedy, and a romance to remember. Seo Hyun Jin and Eric Mun were fantastic together. The romance grew as the show progressed leading up to a moment I will never forget. In episode 9 the first kiss was show-stopping. Maybe the most emotional, raw kiss I’ve ever seen in a K-Drama. I was holding my breath while it was happening. Seo Hyun Jin kisses with her whole essence. I’ve never, ever seen a kiss that displayed so much emotion on screen. I was happy to see it again at the start of the next episode. Seo Hyun Jin has mastered the art of kissing to a point it’s almost mind-boggling. The second kiss was every bit as good.

The story itself had its ups and downs. A 32-year-old woman being hounded by her mother is a little foreign to me, but I see it in a lot of shows so I just accept it. Smacking her on the head about 20 times in the show is not cool. But I love Kim Mi Kyung as an actress, and she did a good job playing Hae Young’s mother. I also liked Kim Ji Suk who usually plays “the other guy” in shows. Even though he was a little flaky for a lawyer the comedy was funny.

The music was nice, and it blended with the scenes setting the mood perfectly. I couldn’t understand the words, but the sound and the tones carried it all. I would have liked to have seen subtitles with the music.

The concept was unique and kept me interested. The twists and turns were non-stop. The emotional flow battered you to a point of anger. Which of course it is intended to do. They didn’t quite sell the pretty one versus the ordinary one. To me, Seo Hyun Jin is gorgeous and stood out even when they were trying to make her look ordinary. As the show went on she of course glowed, especially after that first kiss.

Please watch this if you haven’t seen it. Let me know what you think.

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This review wont be as detailed as a normal review would be, I just want to get some words off my chest about The King: Eternal Monarch. I came into this drama with very high expectations in which was my mistake because when you have high expectations, you are setting yourself to be dissapointed.

I did enjoy the drama to an extent but I may of been too exited to watch this. I first found this drama on Netflix when it was coming out and found out that Kim Go Eun is the main FL so I was intrigued. I really loved her role in Goblin so I was exited to see on the screen again.

The saving grace of this show in my opinion was the acting of some of the characters and the OST which is too stacked in terms of great singers to be on a drama like this.

I want to talk about the characters first. Kim Go Eun played the role of Tae Eul and Luna very well and she did not dissapoint. The main ML also did very well seen as it was my first time seeign Lee Min Ho. The actor for Eun Sub/Jeong was amazing and I loved how he played the two roles perfectly and was the only character in the show to make me laugh. I actually quite like the antagonist in this show in which was Lee Rim.

I first had my doubts about this show in episode 5 where Lee Gon kissed Tae Eul and i thought that their romance was way too rushed and it went from A-Z skipping every other letter but Tae Eul does say lets skip every other part so I that could be an excuse lol.

The whole parrallel universe troupe is a hard thing to pull off since the romance was between two people from different worlds and to have a good ending with that they'd have to do something stupid and thats what they did. They basically had Tae Eul remember everything that happened and it allowed them to stay in contact by meeting every weeking going to different eras to meet eachother.

One thing that I noticed is that they had the whole Lee Gon away from Tae Eul and come back with them running to eachother saying they missed each other in which literally happened ither 5 times and got reppetative.

Overall i would not reccomend this drama to someone who is wanting a well paced romance and something that makes sense. However if you can look past that which I did, then you can enjoy that acting by Go Eun and Min Ho, and also enjoy the OST by people like; Zion.T, Hwasa, Wendy, Zico, Gummy and more.

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