This review may contain spoilers
Authentic! The people, the stories, the setting. Affectionate, humorous & true to life characters
"Diary of a Prosecutor" is an extremely delightful, unconventional and, despite all the sometimes snappy, sometimes cheerful, sometimes pitch black, sometimes heartful humor, it also offers a quite serious, profound examination of jurisdiction and practically handling the law. This embedded in the simple everyday work-life of ordinary people, told from the perspective of a provincial prosecutor. The script is based on the essay "Civil War Prosecutor", written by a real prosecutor and inspired by his personal experiences.So it is primarily about the everyday life on the office floors and behind the office doors of the public prosecutor's office. First and foremost, this is about profane workdays that often last until late, including dinner and drinks with colleagues. However, this is also about a noble task, the juggling with legal regulations, the ideals of a just society and the diplomatic basics in dealing with superiors in the strict hierarchy from the bottom to the top. And last but not least, this is a potpourri of different individual stories of quite ordinary people who face the challenges of their inconspicuous lives every day anew, and eventually grow from them - as it is in life...
In other words, you get: a variety of people you grow fond of as you get to know them better; a job-portrait that is subject to the highest expectations, but whose credibility in the country is still not easy. And a (fictional) outskirts - a town at the seaside, famous for its oyster harvest. The filming took place in Tonyeong-si in the very south of the country, where practically the entire crew (around 150 people, including cast) stayed during the five-month shooting period... Provincial life is thus breathing from every pore of the KDrama - everything is a bit more relaxed, closer to nature. Seoul is far away…
Conclusion: Authentic! The people, the stories, the setting. The dramaturgical 'trick': the greater narrative of the omniscient narrator. The humor that comes along with it. Sometimes ironic, sometimes satirical, sometimes bone dry. Bottom line: funny and complex at the same time. Affectionate, humorous and true to life personality portraits. In script and play. The cases and the ethical questions involved go deep at times. And yet it is people who deal with it. Colleagues. Eventually in competition at times. Imperfect people, with weaknesses, even if they wear robes. Yet, people who can excel themselves at times, too. Other than that, the days, weeks, months and years go by, case after case, team dinner after team dinner...
As far as Korean life and culture is concerned, with this KDrama you can get pretty close to the people and their everyday world in many ways. Because of this and a wonderful overall concept, whose good spirit works on all scales, I consider “Diary of a Prosecutor” highly valuable.
Maybe it's a bit unusual at first. Don't let it irritate you. Keep going. I´d say it is worth it...
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Abs-olutely Fabulous!
I rarely watch modern romance dramas but the lure of a mystery piqued my attention. And within minutes, I was sold at the first eyeful of Tsao Yuning's absolutely fabulous abs. Yes, this is one of those dramas that makes me embrace my shallow self. Because this dude is one sexy beast with the kind of tanned, toned, intensely masculine smoking hotness that reduces me to a speechless, foolishly grinning, puddle of drool.Five years ago, aspiring actress Ruan Nianchu is at the wrong place at the wrong time and falls headlong into a hairy situation. She falls for a dangerous stranger who saves her life, evidently at the cost of his own. A hopeless romantic and optimist, she can't forget him and looks for him in countless blind dates. He reappears with a hidden agenda as Li Teng, as mysterious, intimidating and possessive as ever. The air literally sizzles between this couple who are now my gold standard for onscreen chemistry. There is no mistaking the intense longing and physical attraction between the two. The slow build up to the kiss scenes that usually starts with him invading her personal space and circling her is very hot. And yes, they go all in for the kisses, there are no birds involved. Its a good thing this is only 16 episodes cause my TV was in danger of burning out from the heat even with my air-con cranked up to the max.
I really like the way each episode opens with a flashback that reveals a bit more of the backstory. It is very effective in establishing the depth and substance of the feelings between Li Teng and Ruan Nianchu very early on and it adds to the sense of intrigue around what happened 5 years ago. Underneath it all, the plot is simple but fast paced and interesting even though it does have an its been done before feeling. The villains have rather boring motives and the final villain is revealed the moment they are dropped into the plot which is a bit clumsy.
I found the second couple to be a sheer delight. At surface they are a bit cliche but the kid is hilarious and mixes up their story in a good way. And Li Teng's camaraderie and loyalty to his sexy Men in Black like team of operatives is both cool and heartwarming at the same time.
Overall I rate this very entertaining watch an 7.5 even though its unlikely to turn me into a fan of this genre. I must confess that if Tsao Yuning flaunted his magnificent chest and fab abs just a few more times, I would have abandoned all standards and slapped one of my rare 10.0s on this one. If nothing else, I had several lbs of water weight loss from all that drooling.
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This review may contain spoilers
Definitely worth watching! A painfully beautiful film.
/ Long personal interpretation of everything that played out, explain (?) / details will be further below.Everything was just stunning: cinematography, the acting, locations, to the sound in the film. It's a queer, sapphic coming-of-age story that's complex, heart-wrenching, and realistic. It shows the complexitiy of life, people, uncertainty of adolescence, what it means to grow up in the flat and the societal aspects of it. (Self-image, identity, love, dreams, social class & opportunity differences, unjust system to difficult family/financial circumstances.)
A tear-jerker filled with details to catch.
FLAT girls left a huge impression with how it was delivered. I absolutely loved how impressively detailed and layered the characters and film is for us to uncover. Every scene & dialogue meant something to the characters and it felt like I was watching real people and trying to understand them through their lens and circumstances. The film leaves room for you to think, interpret and judge for yourself, adding emotional depth and feels "human" in a way. There are reasons behind every actions, emotions and words. Meanwhile, when feelings are kept with words left unsaid without clarification, it's easy for misunderstandings and assumptions to occur– much like in real life.
The more I went back, the more I understood the characters, their reasons and the possibilities– making the film memorable although it wasn't difficult to watch. Despite the layers of struggles, dilemmas, uncertainty, and the harsh circumstances beyond their control, there was still warmth, kindness, love, dreams, and resilience. I felt for the characters but also gained a lot from them. I think how the film goes may differ with different takeaways but it's extremely well done.
The actresses chemistry was natural and endearing while the acting by the casts was incredible. Watching it on the big screen was such an experience that I kept going back to appreciate it although it had me bawling, empty and filled with thoughts. Another great film by GDH, and it easily became my favourite. A movie that lingers.
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****spoilers starts here****
(personal interpretation, but to each their own way of interpreting!)
/// Please do not read if you haven't watched it!*
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/ Feelings:
Ann has feelings for Jane. When Jane felt nothing & wasn't sure how to interpret their kiss, Ann went along. Ann confirmed her feelings and her sadness thinking it wasn't mutual. Ann could have put her feelings first but she reassured Jane for her confusion and hid her feelings instead. Ann is clear about her wants and likes, but that's not that case for Jane.
Jane's figuring out and might not know how loving someone feels like especially intimacy with how young she is, but Ann means a lot to her. Jane's happy around Ann but felt nothing kissing her– as she got close to Tong, it got her questioning. Everything switched once Jane thought Ann & Tong were a thing. Every scene with Jane upset, was because of Ann.
/ Identity:
- In an early scene, Ann casually tells Jane, “The clean one is in another bag.” (chest binder) Does Ann wear it too (?) but Ann helps Jane with laundry to keep her secret. (Jane switched the clean one with the dirty one, made sure her dad was asleep before removing it and told Tong not to tell her mom.)
- Even Jane's parents doesn't know, but Ann knows Jane.
- Jane “It's nothing, I won't wear it anymore” to Tong / was to cover it up initally-
- but, Tong reassured her > Jane continued wearing it. Someone else who understands Jane.
- Jane may have thought she wasn't a tomboy after feeling nothing during the kiss > removed the binder.
- Jane's finding herself. (Girls school / Flat with many traditional families)
/ Alleged relationship between Ann and Tong:
Personally, the entire relationship between Tong & Ann was built on a series of misunderstandings. Considering Tong's actions, Ann's feelings for Jane and importantly my perspective of Ann & her determination. Tong had been caring, but Ann had always worked hard for money. (Laundry/Selling food/Wanting to teach English).
Some scenes/dialogues had no clear basis & felt out of place (because the characters isn't telling us).
Any interpretation lacks overall clarity as some dialogues/scenes matches with it, while others don't.
(*intentionally so, to draw our own conclusions?*)
/ Scene of Ann taking her phone at Tong's.
- Uncomfortably in Jane's perspective.
- Had Ann seen Jane inside, she would've misunderstood as well.
What did or didn't happen—up to interpretation.
Put on his shirt before letting Ann in (mannerism) = Removed when she left.
(Phone on the bed): Tong lets Ann sleep there instead of the couch? Returned after she left? Did Ann even stay over?
(Checked outside): Perhaps to avoid any potential misunderstandings? But Jane was inside. The environment is tight; it’s easy for neighbours to see & misunderstand.
- Ann didn't want to go home.
- That same night, Tong comforted Ann with her dilemmas about giving up her dreams for her family to have a home. Given her young age and all the responsibilities weighing on her, his words "You can be something much better," "You don't have to be a big sister all the time," & "It's okay"–
He mentioned, *"If you need help with anything, you can always tell me."*
Before, Tong was warm to the kids and treated Jane like his child because of their similarities.
- The sudden switch in the characters/dynamic was too abrupt to follow along without any doubts.
- The sequence didn't make sense.
- If anything else, I am assuming.
/ Jane and Ann's misunderstanding (bench)
There was tension before anything. But Ann doesn't know what Jane had seen. Instead, Ann did see Tong and Jane being close, and Jane, vice versa.
(What I do know is, Ann thinks that Jane likes Tong, while Jane is here thinking that Ann & Tong have some relationship.)
> Jane staring at her extra racket > She's thinking of Ann, not Tong.
> Ann meets Jane, while holding a new badminton racket from Tong, "knowing" that Jane likes him.
> Jane meets Ann, "confirms" their relationship after seeing Ann with a new racket from Tong.
- Ann never took anything or the racket from Jane.
- Ann thinks that Jane is upset because of Tong.
- Jane got upset & ran off; Ann chased after her.
/ More of Jane and Ann's misunderstanding (stairs)
Jane: "I thought you wouldn't date a cop?
(Does Jane know why she's upset?)
Ann: "Well, he gives me money" (he probably did)
I honestly think that Ann was masking her feelings & going off based on Jane's assumptions.
Jane: "Do you know anything about love?" (Jane, who doesn't know what love is)
Ann: "Love only matters to those with money." (Jane, Tong, or both),
"How can a person like me dare to love someone?" which Jane didn't catch.
Couldn't link Ann's replies to "for money". Instead Ann was talking about herself and how she's unworthy to love Jane.
- This was after Ann realises their differences during the phone call & her witnessing Jane "having feelings" for Tong / comparison
- "Well, he gives me money" could be a figure-of-speech to how Ann thinks that only those with money to give like Tong "can love", not meaning that they're together. Also, I truly wonder if Ann thinking that Jane "likes" Tong played a role in her reply.
/ Jane's mom noticed Ann with money
Jane: "She receives it from Tong because they're together."
Her mom: **"But he doesn't have money and even borrows from me."** ( *"All good cops has no money"* + was Ann's money solely from Tong?)
/ Jane collecting money from Tong.
*Ann's family is in need, he's happy to help make ANN's life a bit easier, just like how he's happy when he's able to take care of JANE.* (This highlighted he's helping Ann & Jane's misunderstanding)
But, Tong's helping Ann yet Jane is upset (?)
1. She think Ann and Tong are dating.
2. While Ann had never accepted any of Jane's help, she is receiving help from Tong who is struggling.
(Ann probably doesn't know about Tong's struggles while Jane always wanted to help Ann)
/ Tong gets emotional after Jane leaves; It could be his reality.
He doesn't have money for himself, let alone anyone else, not even his child. He's doing everything but it's incomparable to the stepdad who's rich. "Couldn't come because he had no money."
- But he "can do something" for the kids at the flat.
- He mentioned to Jane "They have a new family" “it’s better that way”.
(How he treats the kids, spend time & calls Jane warmly would make sense + he can't do the same for his child who's away in another province.)
- He likely have his own family/financial circumstances and reasons.
/ The interaction between Tong & Ann wasn't awkward (court)
- Tong mentioned he plans to study law for a promotion & wanted to learn English from Ann
(If Ann did receive help from him, pretty sure this is how Ann would give back)
- *The pan-out scene with neighbours gossiping about Ann and Tong from above the court*
(Looked like they were spreading rumours. Ann looked uncomfortable while Tong was questioning)
/ The rumours of Tong and Ann dating spread because of Jane.
- Ann exploded at Jane because her mom is now tying her already bleak situation down with marriage to Tong for money.
- It didn't feel like they got "caught".
(In a interview, the director mentioned about how women who lived in the flat tend to grow up believing the need to rely on men and that they're incapable to earn) But,
/ Ann didn't want to be like her friend, tied to the flat after marriage.
She mentioned: She's afraid that she'd be unable to leave; Her friend's life seemed to have stopped at the flat, unable to go to university or even come out for a game of badminton.
/ Jane chasing Ann, who ran away to the pier
Jane: "You won't marry him, right?" (misunderstanding)
Ann: "Do you really like him that much?" (misunderstanding)
Jane: "I don't know, but he's not good enough for you to stop your life for him."
- Jane's piority > Ann.
- Jane tells Ann she believes in her (even though Ann is doubtful)
- Jane comforting and apologising to Ann for spreading the "news"
/ Tong & Ann, pier scene.
- Tong telling Ann to bring the kids tomorrow; he'll bring them all to the cruise. (He brought it up out of nowhere instead of clearing up their "situation". I think he knew Ann was hurting with everything and wanted to make her happy)
- Ann tells Tong she'll live with him immediately if he could give her 10m baht (Ann wouldn't have asked if they already had some sort of relationship / Her mom pressured her: "So what did Tong say about the money". )
Ann asked that for her family = giving up her way of life. Her mom still blamed her for everything in a later scene.
/ How Tong looked at Ann. He probably felt terrible for her having to bring that up and knew that she's thinking of leaving.
- Tong said something like "Don't leave me ( in Thai, it doesn't indicate 'me' ); I'm trying my best, and I need time,"
/ Tong's response could stem from his complex situation.
He knew that she wanted to leave, doesn't have the money for her to stay, wanting to help but unable to. With his situation, whereby his family left (why?) , how he's unable to provide for his family as much as he wanted despite covering shifts and really "trying his best" (in a corrupted workforce), it could trigger those replies / Ann asked for money.
With Ann's "I can't wait long" / she's gonna leave.
/He suddenly switched/ & gave her assurance instead. Told her that *"She could earn as much money as she wanted.* (Also, maybe like the importance of Ann to Jane in the flat, the kids' presence was significant to Tong. He wanted to help Ann stay, but quickly knew that with her family situation, being stucked here wasn’t what she wanted)
- Ann: "I know" (Her determination after the reassurance from Tong, and Jane.)
/ *Ann saying they broke up to her mom* (The only indicator of a 'relationship")
But with her body language, it seemed like she didn’t want to explain. No point in it— her mom wouldn't listen anyway. A way to end her mom’s ideas of pushing her to marry for money.
/ Jane & Nice painted all the names on the wall, including Tong.
(That made him seem significant. He got emotional seeing the names with all the changes at the end. If he's a bad person, they wouldn't have painted his name & why did he get emotional?)
ENDING! (aside from everything else)
- Ann's ending > hopeful or the worst.
I believe that Ann ran away to chase her dream. (She almost hung the scarf but let it free.)
I believe she is "stronger". The cruise scene symbolised how she didn't want to return to her life at the flat perfectly. To make sense, I just think she hid somewhere on the cruise avoiding Jane, as it was far out. I believe she'll manage and achieve anything once she sets her mind to it, like how she was determined to leave and did so. It is not selfish of her. I hope she's happy.
- *Jane holding the paper hat (Part time/Full Time) + the world map at the end.
- "I hope we bump into each other on a plane, because you have to take me to first class," indicating that Ann is around.
- Ann's family and Jane weren't that "sad" either, although Jane was.
1. Who hung the packet of food outside Jane's flat?
2. Tong started hanging out with other cops after the kids left. (The dialogue is honestly questionable... but I don't know the context. I want to believe in him & that promotion)
3. Ann mom, please change– Although it seems unlikely with Ann's sister taking over her role.
4. Amy grew up! (Ann's sis) Showed some time had passed with Jane's mom having the money to move out. Ann's mom debt / paid off? who did?)
5. What were Jane's actual feelings for Ann?
Was it just Ann's unrequited love? or Jane was hiding it from Ann as well halfway through? or does Jane have feelings all along but realises it after Ann left? (Based on imdb synopsis, Jane liked Ann.)
Hope Jane still appreciates simple happiness & slowly figures it out. Hope her mom understands her more.
6. Will Ann and Jane meet again?
Ann and Jane misunderstood each other and their feelings until the very end. "Love is more important than money" to "Love only matters to those with money". Although Ann almost wanted to give up everything for her family, she ended up running away to chase her dream for a change. I do feel that Ann will return once she's in a better position, at least to Jane.
7. Ann did fulfill her promise to Jane about going on the boat.
Anyway I only wish all of them well :')
- summary of Ann, Jane and Tong
/ In the comments under this review if interested! / exceeded the word count here..
Definitely rewatch it again in your perspective of the characters!
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This review may contain spoilers
Wow just wow. I finished watching this drama within a day, and all I can say is wow. I'm a firm believer that all humans are innately bad which is the main theme for this drama. The portrayal in this drama might be over the top but it conveyed the message well.
The cast did an outstanding job in playing their characters. Especially, Lee Dongwook and Im Siwan. Their smiles were so cynical that it will give you the creeps. Also, I think it was my first time to feel nauseated by watching a scene. I think I won't be able to look at raw red meat the same way again.
In all honesty, I'm still speechless as I've only finished this drama less than 20 minutes ago and the thing that is really at the top of my mind is that I need to watch or read or hear something that will make me happy. I crave for happy thoughts. That's how dark this drama is.
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And yet, here I am writing a review for the 2nd season, after having marathoned through the first in one night and this one in the next.
The plot is full of cliches - from a narrative point of view, the 1st season was much better - with a little too much lingering on evil sex slave dealers laughing crazily and raising their malignant eyes to the skies. There have been moments I wished they would just go on with the plot (whatever that was), since the drama only has 4 hours time to tell it.
The force of this show is therefore not in the plot, but the characters. Nika, our heroine, is possibly the most adorable being in the northern emisphere. I simply love her. Not because I can rely, or because she's realistic, or because she's flawed but for a combination of those and an amazing ability to surprise me. I couldn't stop laughing at her antics, her sitting in the middle of a square crying about her pubic hair showing from under her underwear. The second after, I would empathize with her. Yes, she's a crazy character whom you can either love or hate, but not ignore.
Arata is the silent hero every girl dreams of, and the chemistry between these two is quite striking if you think this drama is romantic despite having no such ambition.
All the side characters are insane and some deliciosuly hilarious. The villains, on the other hand, are so stereotyped they are forgotten the moment they are out of the screen.
Music is nothing special in this one, while I thought it was quite well chosen in the 1st season.
All in all, I am ready to recommend this drama to:
1. clever people who have put their brains in the fridge for some time to recharge it and don't want to use it for a while
2. fans of Renn Kiriyama (someone has called my name?) and/or Nishiuchi Mariya
3. girls who want to learn what to avoid before a romantic evening with their boyfriend, such as wild hair removal or litres of aphrodisiac perfume
4. lovers of manga-like, over the top comedy
If you're one of the above, enjoy your watch!
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This review may contain spoilers
Spirealm has a misunderstood happy ending
Heavy SpoilersDo watch the series, it's very good. A lot of people are saying it's a sad ending but it actually has a very good, albeit unconventional, happy ending.
Spirealm ended with seemingly “it was all a dream” type of ending but my interpretation of the ending was that Lin Jiu Shi , through the act of completing the game, “saved” the game as his childhood friend intended. “Saving” the game in this scenario, reverts all the tragedy the game has caused without erasing anything that’s happened… kind of. The way the story goes about it is a little convoluted but through picking up the themes of this story, is not indecipherable.
Proving that the game did all happen; there are three main points that infers this. The first, most tangible point is that, at the end of the series, LJS wakes up in the middle of the traffic. Assuming everything that’s happened after the traffic accident at the end of the series was dreamt up, it does not explain why the internet cafe boss at the beginning of the series– who’s seen the game before the traffic accident– has no recollection of LJS having played the game. The second point, if everything in the game had not happened, it would make no sense for LJS to accurately know the name of people he’s never met before. The third point, which is the most confusing one, explains one of the main themes and why the director probably chose to take this route.
One of the main themes of Spirealm is the legitimacy of the “virtual world”, where the characters have debated multiple times if everything that happens “virtually” in the game is real or not. I forgot which episode it was but, LJS in the latter part of the series pondered “If the feelings in Spirealm are more sincere than real life, what really is the difference between virtual and reality?” ( Also not a direct translation, I’m too lazy to go find the exact episode and translate it) The point of this quote is, even if the memories don’t exist anymore, the feelings and relationships that were formed during the time in Spirealm were “real” and sincere. We can see this through the way Chen Qian Li fhaving familiarity towards LJS at the end of the series, despite acknowledging that he doesn’t actually know him. This is a little more debatable but you could also argue that the differences between the depiction of the people around LJS before and after he woke up also shows the effects of the game. One could interpret Tan Zao Zao being an influencer instead of an actress as something unconsciously influenced by the events of Spirealm. While being in Spirealm, TZZ felt like she constantly had to mask herself as an actress, you could argue that her being a influencer instead of an actress in the new world as a choice she made unconsciously due to the feelings of restriction she’s felt in Spirealm. Same with instances like Chen Yi Xie watching horror movies as a hobby and Li Dong Yuan being content working as a street vendor that makes little money.
In the last scene of the show, when LJS goes back into Spirealm, he sees TZZ where she tells him “it feels like I woke up from a long dream”, referring to life outside of the game. This further emphasizes how the game is actually “real” too, since when LJS is outside Spirealm, Spirealm is referred to as a “dream”. Whichever reality they are in is the real one, so by proxy, they are both real.
Another point to consider is the relationship between LJS and RNZ. If everything was a dream, then essentially, LJS dreamed up a lifelong companion (boyfriend) in elaborate detail seemingly out of nowhere… It makes more sense if RNZ did exist, but was simply erased from existence due to the game also having been erased. The whole last arc of the story also repeatedly states that he would be erased once the 11th door was complete.
The game bringing people back to life, erasing everyone’s memory, and altering reality also seems entirely reasonable when the whole basis of the game is based on its ability to kill people and warp time. Realistically speaking, there was no real way to depict RNZ and LJS saving the game besides erasing the game completely, therefore, the erasure of everyone’s memory and the game’s existence is the intended effect of “saving the game”.
I also believe that LJS reprogramming the game essentially is the equivalent of him fulfilling his friend's wish of “restoring the game to its original state” as the game he ended up recreating was essentially the original intended game.
I believe that the ending of Spirealm was the perfect happy ending, Everyone is alive again, they get to live their life to the fullest, and in the end, LJS finishes the game where he likely decides is his new “reality” with RNZ. They all live together happily as Chen Qian Li wished for in the 11th door. This is the 12th door, LJS’s completed door of happiness.
That’s mostly all I wanted to say, I’ll probably rewatch the series when Subs (that are comprehensible) come out so I can make exact quotations and give actual episode numbers (plus there are probably more things I have missed). But for now that’s all I’ve wanted to say. I’m open to debate the ending since I feel like the ending was definitely left a little ambiguous but I feel like a lot of these things were changed from the novel with the intent of creating this ending specifically. (ex. Slight novel spoiler: TZZ being a famous and acclaimed actress in the Novel while being mildly unpopular in the series)
Add my insta if you want to talk about this show with me, it lives in my head rent free: krudy._
TLDR: Spirealm was not a dream, everything that happened got erased due to LJS completing the game. Everyone gets transported into an altered reality where they are living their happiest lives (indirectly bc of games events) and LJS reunites with everyone towards the very very end where they all live peacefully together.
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1This review may contain spoilers
Slow-Burn Pining Into Wildfire, Great Through Ep 6.
Spoilers only at bottom of review. 8 Episodes total. Finished series & updated review 10/15/23.I'm conflicted on how to rate this because Ep 2 through 6 are great, very enjoyable, and I would easily rate a 9/10. I know I'll re-watch them multiple times. But Ep 7 & 8 are cringy for multiple reasons and I would rate them a 4/10. Such a disappointment. Still, I loved most of the main couple's story so much that I've decided on 8/10 as my overall rating. When I watch again, I will likely either stop after the first scene in Ep 7, or skip to the 2nd half of Ep 8 to finish. In Ep 7 & 8 there's a good amount of affectionate skinship and a couple of emotionally charged kisses, so you could fast-forward the rest if you can't stand it.
Wonderful acting by the two leads, decent plot Ep 1-6 but ridiculous plot Ep 7-8, smooth-flowing dialogue *until Ep 7, some lovely cinematography, okay music, meh side characters.
The first episode is a bit overly goofy, and though it did get a few chuckles out of me, I was glad to see that toned down in the second episode as the character interactions and emotions became the focus.
The actors playing Yang and Phumjai are fantastic. There are a lot of sweet moments between the characters and the actor's chemistry is palpable, like magnets. They both also really nail the nuances of overlapping feelings; puting on a certain mask to others while the character's true emotions are just under the surface and still visible for the audience to see. Their chemistry and the way they interact with each other quickly drew me in and got my emotions invested. Their characters and the way they act them are my favorite thing about this series.
The friend Tag and the girl Tammy are acted well and feel like real people. I especially like how Tammy is written; I didn't like her character at first but her actions and communication skills won me over.
The brother is not acted or written well, he feels like the weak link, though his character gets slightly more likeable by the end. The other side characters are more like caricatures; over-the-top and lacking depth. Because the series is only 8 episodes, I was okay that they didn't spend a lot of time rounding these people out in Ep 1-6. But then Ep 7 & 8 relied on them more heavily and the simplistic writing and acting got annoying (especially in situations that were supposed to be serious and dire).
There are some beautiful shots utilizing space and lighting that, to me, underscored the bitter-sweet lonliness of pining. The feeling of being a part from others as you hold your thoughts to yourself.
Sometimes the background music was good, but at other times it did not fit the mood of scenes well (for example, positive major chords being played during an emotionally sad moment). It's probably not obvious enough to bug most people, but it distracted me from scenes a couple of times.
GENERAL SPOILERS:
The intimate scene at the end of Ep 6 had a similar feeling to Love In The Air nc-17 scenes, and I learned it had a similar approach: the actors improvised the scene as their characters (except for a couple of lines). It is BOTH emotional and hot, the best combination in my opinion. It feels very real. And this scene will be memorable for a couple of reasons, you'll see ;)
Ep 7 & 8: Ugh, what a way to unravel the magic. The writers, director, editors, and most of the actors created a muddled mess. There was obvious confusion about what mood/tone was the goal. On one hand, there's a very serious situation, on the other, the side characters continue their over-acted comic relief. Things that were supposed to be serious were undermined by lightheartedness or ridiculousness, and what were supposed to be feel-good moments or humorous were not because they were poorly done (& poorly timed) and ridiculous. Tension is completely disolved.
!SPECIFIC SPOILERS!:
Further frustrations with Ep 7 & 8 (I just needed to vent):
Why is it that in most BLs calling the police (or for an ambulance) is treated like an afterthought? You think you're boyfriend is kidnapped and you call and wait for your brother, your employees, and your friend to show up and ask "what should I do?"? This is so obviously unrealistic it's just lazy writing for plot contrivance trying to wring our emotions.
The older brother didn't have any savings of his own to help out instead of "being a hostage"? And neither of the brothers thought to ask their very weathly parents for a loan (instead of one of their sons being a hostage)? Get real. If the situation was as dire as the script pretends it is, something could have been worked out with the loving, supportive parents.
The creditor goes from being set up as a scary mob-like antagonist (though this is not pulled off well), to a waffling basic business man. A dire situation spearheaded by a buffoon lowers the stakes and can't hold tension (or the audiences attention).
The completely unnecessary and eye-rolling cliche of the discovery of a young childhood connection. Thankfully, it was brief and didn't have an impact on the story.
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People who are saying, she's following her magic not her own feelings, i think your concept is a bit wrong,even though its shown in a practical form, but the magic is supposed to be her metaphor. she takes time to accept what she really wants,and her magic reflects her desires. she did love chalarn and her love for peng was slowly fading away.
its not her magic's wish. it is indeed her wish. her magic is acting on her desires before her.
WILD EXPLANATION BELOW :
" i bore what i could, i accepted what i can, that's why we lasted 15 years" tantawan said to chalarn about peng
Girl, a clap doesn't make sound well with just one hand's force. that one hand will eventually get tired.
Actually even though i kinda shipped pengXtantawan more than tantawanXchalarn at the beginning, im glad she ended up with chalarn.
BUT from episode 9 i was all tantawanXchalarn.
yes i read the comments in mydramalist, a lot of ppl were saying that the ending is unclear. the ending looked pretty fucking clear to me.
Yes tantawan loves peng more than chalarn, even during the ending of the last episode, but her love for peng is slowly fading away as well. i mentioned above that her magic is her metaphor portraying her desires before herself.
when she closed her eyes beside her brother at the starry sky, she of course thought of peng and it was peng who indeed came.
most ppl thought that to be the important moment. but the most important moment was after that, when they were sweet conversing in the bed.
when she asked peng for the next night to hang out with her or dine , his reply was " i have shifts".
And her expression said the very thing," ah shit here we go again"
she was sick of this,
" love and compatibility are not the same thing,"
even though very supernatural based, if the super power is considered her metaphor, the ending was very realistic.
she clearly loved chalarn,. and peng too. peng more.
but with peng she was suffocating slowly. and chalarn? he was everything tantawan wanted peng to be. no one knows if chalarn isn't gonna turn out just as peng later on, but for now, we live this very minute, and in this very minute, she felt extremely happy with chalarn
even though they say opposite attracts, complete opposites dont attract each other. complementary opposites attract .
north pole is opposite to south pole, but together they make a magnet. chalarn and tanta are different or opposites but they are complementary.
but even though peng and tanta were opposites, they were not complementary .
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Made Me Unbelievably Mad
Overall: I'm a sucker (haha) for vampire BL. I was willing to overlook too many characters and a totally unneeded love triangle, but episode 8 made me start screaming at my computer in rage. Watched on Viki.Content Warnings: hypnotizing someone against their will and biting their lips, murders/death, gore/blood
What I Liked
- the premise of a vampire wanting to become human instead of the other way around (a la Twilight)
- I liked that the college student didn't just ghost/run away, but he's really pretty dumb to be alone with vampires...
- good production value
Room For Improvement
- this was some really awful writing, the ending was absolutely abysmal. They could have had some smart plot twists but did not. I need another vampire BL that is done well to destroy my memory of this one.
- they needed to cut characters and really build the relationship between the vampire and college student, they spend like 2 hours together and are soulmates...
- the explanation 10 years ago was disappointing, I thought there was more too it but basically the main vampire was just stupid
- the treatment of his friend (for hundreds of years!!!) at the end was awful. Jun Ho was actually worse when you think about it.
- I'm not even going to get into the just odd/unexplained/poorly thought out world building
- some odd camera shots, too many close ups
- way too many flashbacks that were used as filler
- the extreme blur filter that made the vampire look like a ghost
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Disappointing Sunset with No Vibes!
There was absolutely nothing in the show that worked for me except Sam and Yoh the side couple who appeared for only 2-3 minutes in each 1+ hour episode.The trailer promised a fantasy element, but except for a few brief moments, I did not get that. What was presented was so anti-climatic that I would have preferred if they had stuck with Office Romance as the genre.
I had hoped Lin and Sun's chemistry would be the saving grace of this series, but unfortunately, I cringed at almost all their scenes together. Mos and Bank have more believable offscreen chemistry in their YouTube videos than in this whole series. That much-hyped and anticipated painting scene was meant to be iconic but it was a disaster. I am all here for artistic expression but this didn't feel like it was necessary at all.
Also, that necklace (you know what I am talking about) was UGLY.
Sam and Yoh were the only reason I kept watching this but they were also far from perfect. The screentime was very less to make their love story believable. I am still wondering how Yoh fell for Sam. But again , this was the only silver lining.
The other couples except Sam and Yoh looked forced and literally contributed nothing of value to the plot.
The dialogues were so poorly written that they felt like Chatgpt wrote them. A special mention to 'Khun Dad' !! Because NO.
Overall, I would NOT recommend this and hope the actors choose a better script next time.
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Golden Cross can be divided into two parts: Before episode 15 and after episode 15. The first part was gripping; events kept getting more intense with each minute passing by, the revenge built up was going smoothly, the characters were more rational and interesting to follow. Prior to episode 15, most of things were impressive; I even called it a high-class piece and one of the most underrated currently airing dramas but I guess too much arrogance crushed my dreams to select this as the best K-drama of the year.
After episode 15, everything started to fall apart drastically; the plot lost focus and the story took a dangerous turn. The drama went forward and backward leading all wrong directions without finding its right balance. A certain twist ruined it all for me, I am very disappointed with the writer-nim; she was the woman who wrote a fabulous drama like The Bridal Mask so I thought that she can handle an economical revenge thriller in a better way than this. The woman just couldn’t keep the drama going for 20 hours. I think the right length for this drama should’ve been 16 episodes, if it ended right there; then things would’ve been great.
You simply cannot hate a drama because of five disastrous episodes; but it really depends on thir location in the drama’s airing plan; if these episodes were at the beginning, at the middle or came in separately then the viewer could be lenient but delivering those types of episodes at the end back to back is unforgivable. It’s a fact that the latter episodes of each drama tend to be the most important ones so yeah, it’s absolutely intolerable.
The acting was high-class; there were absolutely mesmerizing and well-chosen actors for this one. You can’t say “no” to Kim Kang Woo’s penetrating acting, Jung Bo Seok’s veteran style, Uhm Ki Joon’s charismatic skills and all other actors’ dedication to their roles. I loved the 100% idol-free main cast; they simply open your appetite for real acting. The characters on the other hand weren’t all appealing. For instance; the female department suffered so badly from laid-back characters without much changes or depth.
The music and cinematography for this one were nice but forgettable; they didn’t add too much impact on the story.
Watch if:
-You’re hardcore fan of revenge dramas.
-You like idol-free dramas.
Do not watch if:
-You’re looking for mind games and mental war.
-You’re looking for a masterpiece out of the revenge theme.
-You’re looking for romance.
Golden Cross was an amazing drama up until episode 15 when everything started heading to the wrong direction. I didn’t hate it but it’s a shame since this drama held too much potentials to become one of the better K-dramas of the year.
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It might have been better if they made it into a 12-episode (at least) drama as it was obvious that they rushed the story in this movie (a lot isn't covered and it just doesn't seem complete nor as fulfilling).
However, I think the actors portrayed their roles amazingly well, especially Yamazaki Kento. He is such a good actor and so good-looking too!! >< The female lead was also really good. The only biggest problem I find with this is that it is way too rushed due to the short time available in a movie. I hope they decide to make a drama version of this movie soon!
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Watching the first few episodes- I fell in love. It was heartwarming, cute and refreshing. It was able to reeled me in (despite the terrible animation editing, it was painfully cheesy). This was mainly due to the acting of the younger actors. The younger cast was amazing!. They were able to portray the true feelings of innocent young love (if that makes sense). Their acting made you never want them to grow up. It was a sweet cute love, and the actors really had chemistry.
Moving forward to the older main cast, I was worried they weren't going to be able to portray the feelings the younger cast did, but they did. The older cast had great chemistry, I could feel the love, (although there was a lack of kissing scenes).
The story was great at first, but as it developed, it became mostly predictable. There was also a constant battle of I-have-to-give-you-up-in-order-for-you-to-be-happy-because-you-deserve-better situation between Soo-Wan and Dong-Joo that became really tedious.
(Side note: Although there is a lot of people who have became annoyed with Ku-Hye-Sun in this drama, it's not her acting that was bad, she acted upon script written by the writers. She tried to portray her character, which was perfect and annoying at the same time. It's not her fault, her crying scenes were on point.)
I enjoyed parts where there was cheerful interaction between the main characters, or scenes with Dong-Joo and the father. I also really loved the side stories with Teddy, Ellie, etc. It was more interesting to watch the side stories with the 119 team.
You might have to push yourself through "evil" parts, it gets boring and skipping is an option!
Overall, it was an enjoyable drama, it wasn't a waste of my time, but I did wish it was shorter. This drama had a good concept and story and all, but the directors did a poor job of executing it. It could've been paced a bit faster, and there were some unnecessary scenes. I DEMAND MORE KISSING SCENES. Other than that, it's an okay drama. The casting was perfect, and the music was refreshing and catchy. The directing needs improvement.
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Compared to many other overrated ones, this one had at least good acting for the most part and a interesting storyline.
The directors made the plots twists appear slightly overdramatic when they were not but the story was still very interesting to me.
I really liked how they portrayed the work of judge and the characters were overall very refreshing.
The romance part was not smothering the rest of the story which was GREAT, and I was happy to see a more mature and realistic romance story instead of the usual cheesy cringy stuff between bright girl-cold guy.
In this drama, I was able to see more realistic main leads with more complex personalities.
So I recommend!
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