Reviews

The lack of chemistry was evident…

Which made me enjoy it more as a slice of life drama, rather than a romantic comedy. Not gonna lie though, with the amount of “love lines” and feelings the characters had for each other, the fact that there were exactly zero sparks felt was disappointing.

I honestly think it would be better without the romance. Focusing on friendship and personal growth would make it a nice, warm and inspiring show. What we’ve got was a borderline Jekyll and Hyde male lead, that flipped between his two personalities in the matter of seconds and a questionable romance - no one will convince me Sato Ai was not too focused on the familiarity and the nostalgia, while ignoring all the flaws.

We also have the whole aspect of changing appearance, which I found ridiculous. For me Koshiba Fuka actually looked better and more attractive before the “glow up”. I think the natural look fits her far more, and the idea she was thought to be extremely ugly was laughable.

There were still quite a few aspects I truly loved. The themes of rediscovering yourself, finding your dreams, working hard to improve, taking accountability for your actions - this is what I enjoyed the most.

Sato Ai was a great character with a great journey. Higuchi Takuya was a walking sunshine with a glowing personality that was impossible to dislike. And then we have Sosuke and Risa who were both underdeveloped which made them kind of boring - I truly did not care about them at all. Their struggles and motivations were shown in such a vague and shallow manner, why should I care?

The performances were good. Akaso Eiji impressed me the most - the natural and quick switches between the happy puppy to angst were amazing. They were clearly visible to the viewers, but subtle enough that it made sense the other characters did not notice. This Japanese version overall improved in the characterization aspects - keeping the core of who these characters were supposed to be, while toning down the cartoonish overreactions to make them more realistic.

Overall, a nice watch for binging. Nothing outstanding. Perfect as a palate cleanser when someone wants to watch something mildly amusing, but not too engaging.

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A short and different healing drama with a dash of humor.

Completed - 2/26/2022

When I first read the synopsis of “Definitely Not Today”, I thought this would be a sad and depressing healing melodrama. After all, the story are about two individuals who are living their respective miserable lives and the male lead wants to commit suicide. I was pleasantly surprised that there’s a lot of humor to lighten the mood, yet not changing the vibe of the drama.

This short drama only has 8 episodes (less than 20 minutes each), with Chinese and English subs on Youku’s YouTube channel. The drama can’t really devote too much time on the backstories of our leads. However, it deftly tells us enough to let us know how their life experiences contributed to their current states of mind. Through a series of misunderstandings and events, our main leads are on the run. They started to get to know each other and develop an unlikely friendship, which in turn developed into a very subtle romance. Along the way, their lonely hearts are healed as they support and comfort each other via unconventional ways.

I have previously watched “Be Yourself” where our main leads, Connor Leong and Vivienne Tien, were a couple. They had a similar dynamic in that relationship with Vivenne being the assertive type and Connor as the passive one. But the vibe of their romance is vastly different. I also enjoy their acting in “Definitely Not Today” a lot more. They portray a wider range of emotions without feeling forced or over-the-top.

Those 8 episodes go by so fast. The pacing is great and I was fully engaged throughout the drama. I definitely recommend this to someone who wants a different kind of healing drama. But be aware of triggers - attempted suicide, depression and sexual assault.

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A well-run progressive series

It's quite amusing to see how GMMTV is capable of the best with courageous and modern series like The Warp Effect or Not Me as well as the worst with product placement infested mawkishness like Fish Upon The Sky and Vice Versa.

Here, many important subjects are tackled with a lot of benevolence: homosexuality, consent, body acceptance, STIs, etc. We are not used to it and it's good to see a serious subject in a series that is more of a comedy. Even if it can seem a bit unrealistic at times, as if the simple fact of talking out loud about a problem with people could solve it, the good intentions are there and that is the main thing.

The actors are good in their roles. However, even if it advocates a certain diversity, the casting is still 90% "light skinned-thin body/muscular". There is still progress to be made, especially when it is one of the subjects treated.

The series is pleasant to watch. I don't know if it will be worth a second viewing. We'll see.

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I only decided to watch this movie because of the Chinese remake called ''The Witness''. But, I enjoyed this movie greatly and I would recommend most people to watch it. The acting was awesome and I truly believed that Kim Ha-neul was blind. Yoo Seung-ho was a great actor as well, and I can really see Luhan playing his part. There is a cameo by Park Bo-gum as well.

One thing I would like to mention before I go on is a warning for young children. I recommend that you get permission to watch this film as it is not for children and not really child friendly. I have a feeling that the Chinese one will be more family friendly then this one though. But, I have no real proof to back that up as of yet. Maybe it is the trailers or maybe it is because of the last Chinese remake I saw,''Back to 20'' a remake of ''Miss Granny''.

The ending took a twist I was not expecting. So, beware the ending, there is a chance that you will dislike it greatly. Also, this is not a romance movie, so, therefore do not expect any romance. The bromance in this movie is quite lacking as well.

But, I did like this movie and I did not mind the ending. I found the movie very nice for the most part and I think it is one of the better movies of South Korea.

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I came here from Together With Me, probabily expecting something different.

STORY: I liked the twist at the end. The two main couples didn't give me much feelings, I appreciated more Martin&Being and Tanguy&Dewey. Cho was probably my favorite character, since he was pretty funny and always teasing Yiwha, who I didn't like. She was my favorite character in TWM but I don't know... I was a bit disappointed. Also, Korn&Knock keeping on fighting and don't talk... Their story could have been developed better.

ACTING: well, the actors were amazing, I especially liked Simon (James), Max (Korn), Tul (Knock), Tomo (Cho) and Maengmum (Yiwha). Even though the plot was not that well developed on my opinion, they always managed to act it out well.

MUSIC: I have been and currently am OBSESSED over the theme song, it's just so wonderful.

REWATCH VALUE: probably won't watch it again, maybe just the sweet scenes.

OVERALL: it's not that bad, the thriller component made it a bit better than I expected. I recommend it if you want more KornKnock after seeing TWM.

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A refreshing heartwarming Family drama

Despite the "weirdness" you have to deconstruct yourself from notions (mostly western) that highly sexualizes everything, with an open mind and thinking about it from the standpoint of a pure story this is a story about grief, and how a family heals after losing a loved one. A miracle happens where the mom appears with her memories in a girl's body. It's wild and crazy on the surface but it's SO INCREDIBLY acted (even more than many adults actors) it's INSANE the range the child actress can pull off, you really get sucked into the story and believe her due to her actions, tone, micro-expressions etc. And along the way as you get to know each family member and their stories and flaws more you just love everyone. This one has some really heartwarming scenes that had me tearing up, but also some light-hearted comedy thrown in. A good balance if you ask me, give it a couple episodes and you'll be addicted. It's hard to explain until you click play, truly a wonderful drama that I'm sure is risky but the pay-off is worth it. As a long time drama watcher (12+) years this is definitely a hidden gem and a wonderful delight to see and to think the child actress is only BEGINNING her career. JUST WOW GIVE HER MULTIPLE OSCARS this is so impressive honestly! With an open mind you will see the beauty of this drama!

P.S THAT OST is SO BEAUTIFUL

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I've been delaying to watch this drama influenced by the low popularity and low score given. But I have to say that after watching a few episodes, my impression started to change at the same time that it was growing my interest to know how it will end this story. I think the plot is quite interesting and original. Despite of the common topics like orphan girl with a dark past trying to climb on society and making the rich guy fell in love with her, etc. The development of the characters was brilliant and get the spectator to empathise with them and their dramatic relationships. I specially liked the way these characters were presented in a more wider view than simply bad or good people. For me, these two sides of the personality made them more realistic than in other dramas where normally are classified as the bad or good girl/guy. I disagree with other opinions about Park Yoochun saying that his acting it wasn't good enought. I think he did a good job playing the role of a rich guy who knows nothing about the real world and how his relationship with the woman we fell in love making him to learn about the bitterness of love. Not mentioned that Lee Da Hae was amazing in her interpretation and made me to love and hate her character through this frenetic net of lies. The other main leader, played by Kim Seung Woo it was also great and I loved the fact that It was significant in the plot and not just something to create friction between the other two main characters. I really recommend to watch this drama and not to be influenced by rankings but with a critical and open mind.

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BL? Maybe

Do I sincerely call this series BL? Not necessarily, but I won't say I didn't enjoy myself either. My initial reason for even tuning into this BL is because of how everyone told me not to watch it, and of course, I just had to after that. While it was very disturbing in a few spots, as well as being highly controversial, I still guiltily really liked it.

Let's Dive In.

The controversy of this series is drawn from two aspects. One, Kim and Khett are brothers, and even though Pan is the one controlling Kim's body, the problem is still there. Initially, Pan wrote a story about Kim and Way, but when she was Pan, her and Khett had their little lovey-dovey thing going on so that basically transferred from Pan into Kim that stayed. I honestly liked how Khett could tell that something was up with Kim before I realized that they were falling in love. Ohm played Khett very well, but that's nothing new because I absolutely love Ohm and any series he's been in. The other controversial part is the girl becoming a boy in which I see the problem, but I don't necessarily mind it until I see signs of it becoming an issue. For the most part, Pan being Kim led to some pretty humorous moments of her freaking out over male body parts and trying to navigate her way into becoming Kim. I believe this was my first time seeing First in a series, and he did an excellent job. I loved how he played up Kim's personality after having transformed.

Some other small things to discuss, Jennie’s character carried this ENTIRE show. She was hilarious and is an incredible actress. I want to see her in more stuff. I really hated the whole fangirl aspect of this, but the series wouldn't be the series without it, but I don't like seeing the over-fascination that BL girls have for BL. It's weird, it fetishizing, and it's just downright embarrassing. There was a lot of that in this that made it a bit hard to watch.

Overall, I had fun watching this series. l wouldn't really recommend it for a BL series, but for anyone wanting to see more of Ohm or just an entertaining series, then I think I would recommend this.

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Hwayi is about a boy who is kidnapped as a toddler and subsequently raised by a group of five criminals. Hwayi's relationships with his dads should form the backbone of the story. That isn't the case as their personalities are so hazily drawn even when reaching the hour mark. Rather the backbone is Hwayi discovering a dark truth and his transformation into a world he tries so hard to separate himself despite having been raised in it. There's more to it than just pure revenge often considering the ramifications of such actions on both side. The kidnappers all desire a different life for Hwayi from desiring Hwayi to follow in the criminal lifestyle or making an honest living. Each of the five kidnappers each differ in how they see Hwayi, but underneath the rough shell all share love for the child they raised. As determined as Hwayi is on his goal he's emotionally distress at the situation at hand. Morally correct he feels justifies towards his vengeance, but emotionally pulling the trigger on those who raised him is not a simple concept to convert into. It cares about the characters and their complicated relationship for one another allowing time to make it core character relationship have value to its action scenes.

A subplot that involves a detective searching for the criminals doesn't impact the film in a meaningful way. All the subplot does is reinforce how intelligent the criminals are as a team and reiterate information characters already figured out on their own. After a series of twists and a couple dead bodies later it reaches a climax that overstays its welcome. It's subtext is underlying a nature vs. nurture view as the protagonist feelings are complex and to a degree no better than from those he wishes to avoid.

The five fathers quickly establish their respective characters right from their first appearance. As an innocent who's sheltered, duped and pushed over the edge, Yeo (Hwayi) sometimes overstates his character's pain and bafflement. Lim Ji-eun is pitiful as a woman confined in her hopeless position by her men and then by herself, Nam Ji-hyeon is a plucky high school girl who happens to begin a tentative relationship with Hwayi, and her scenes with Yeo jin-goo are a few precious warm spots in the movie.

Korean cinema is the go to for the thriller genre. As saturated as it might be no other film industry has quite nail the genre quite perfectly as Korea bringing in new twists on familiar setups and avoiding any unneeded melodrama among other reasons. Hwayi is another one of those stellar action/thriller that succeeds giving high focus on the human side of its story giving the old revenge set up a revitalizing fresh take.

Hwayi is a very unique action/thriller with an original and exciting take on the father and son dynamic. It's more than a film about revenge more so than it is the delicacy of parenthood and how damaging it can for both sides. Cold and gloomy as it might be it's also a great action/thriller that offers a unique story and good set pieces.

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Such a disappointment.

I watched this drama because of my love for the original.
First episodes were good, the story of Namsoon and his mother was touching... then everything went down.
Namsoon was too infantilized, so much so she was annoying. Added to this, the main couple had little screen time and in my opinion lackluster chemistry, it was boring to watch them.
I stayed until the end just because of the only character that I still cared enough for, Ryu Shi Oh and his ending was an unfunny joke.

I only rescue from this drama the performance of Byeon Woo-seok and the cameo of Park Bo-young and Park Hyung-Sik.

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(1/3/17) I've been posting a lot of reviews today (I've been super bored haha), but of all the dramas on my watchlist and the reviews I've written, Nirvana in Fire is the only one with a 10 star rating from me.

Its definitely no surprise that NIF is one of the best rated dramas worldwide. It is still highly regarded by a large majority of the drama audience to be one of THE BEST dramas ever produced. It completely deserves that rating.

STORY:
The ultimate revenge plot. The best scheming and plotting (but in a great way) written for TV. Oftentimes, you'll watch a drama with tons of manipulations and plotting, and they'll feel repetitive or basic. NIF is completely different. Every step, word, every breath that Mei Chang Su takes all has a greater purpose. It's the best bittersweet story as you find out who was behind everything that happens to the Chi Lin Army those years ago and what happens when you cross Mei Chang Su. Although I feel like most people have watched it by now, I definitely don't want to spoil it for people who haven't gotten to witness the majesty yet haha.

Be warned, yes it takes a few episodes to get super hooked. The first few episodes are a little slow, but few tv dramas aren't. I'm honestly ok with the slow start because when it gets going, it doesn't really stop. The relationships between the characters (both romantic, familial, and brotherhood) are so captivating. Every character has a purpose and no one really feels unnecessary to the overall plot.

This is definitely a show you have to pay attention to because even some of the smallest, seemingly meaningless details can have a big impact on the overall story. Everything was honestly so well weaved together and everything served a greater purpose.

ACTING:
Phenomenal. Amazing. Outstanding.
Hu Ge, Wang Kai, Liu Tao: They were household names after this (if they weren't already before). They were all amazing at their respective roles. Everyone felt real and well rounded. They all had their moments of being serious or being comedic or whatever it might be. Honestly you just have to watch the drama to understand.

Comedic Awards go out to Meng Zhi and Fei Liu because they (with sprinkles from the other actors) were the bright spots in a fairly serious and dramatic tv drama.

REWATCH VALUE:
I've only watched through twice, but I will definitely watch again and again. The drama gets a little hard to follow at times because of how intricate the plot can be sometimes, so the second rewatch brought everything together for me as I was able to pay closer attention to everything since I already knew the outcomes. 100% recommend for anyone because this drama has all of the good stuff you want in a drama and almost nothing bad.

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The best cdrama till date!

I dont remember when was the last time i wrote a review for any drama. Its been that long! But this deserves one!

OMG guys OMG. This drama is everything and more. It has life it has love it has chemistry. Everything!

The story itself is beautifully written in the start you will not have much scenes of the leads but u can sense the chemistry there. But the supporting actors keep the drama so LIT that u wont get bored for even a single second.

The thing that i really like about this drama is the way all the issues are resolved they are not dragged through the whole season but are resolved in such a satisfying way that u will surely enjoy it .

The leads chemistry is amazing. Mind you they dont have a lot of scenes in part 1 but part 2 has alot of them. Im one of those people who likes a drama with lot of romantic scenes. This one doesn't have many but the story was so amazing that i was completely hooked to it and now i feel a void in my heart.

Apart from the leads the star of the show is the emperor! The best character in the whole series!

Now please don't waste your time on reading reviews and go watch the show otherwise i'll throw a bread at ya (emperor's style) you'll know the reference when you'll watch it.

Good bye love like the galaxy. You surely lived upto your name.

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A piece of art

I am speechless, I'm not trying to over-glorify it. I have watched tonnes of BL dramas and this series by far is the most exquisite. I found myself trying to give any of the rating less than perfection but I just couldn't, I would deem myself a liar if I did that. There were times that I had to pause the video while watching sinceI felt like sobbing. The cinematography is immaculate and beautiful, the colouring is so calming. Top notch acting, especially the two main characters, they made the whole thing so beautiful. I would say that the lines were minimal in this series but they never ran out of conversations. All the actors communicate with their facial expressions, body language, and their eyes pretty amazingly. The story flows like water, it was really like watching a piece of art coming together before your eyes. This series is a masterpiece, created by all the people involved in the making of the series. It was such a privilege to be able to witness it.

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