Seonam Girls High School Investigators
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This review may contain spoilers
First, I'm really excited to write this review because I think this is a drama that many underestimated, including me.I swear on my life that at the end of the second episode I had no doubt that the drama was a mess, too extravagant and I didn't understand any character. However, my younger sister encouraged me to keep watching because, I don't know why, the drama had fascinated her.
Now that I've finished the last chapter I must honestly say I swallowed my words and curses. This drama was absolutely great, lovely and especially smart, while still being funny and eccentric.
There will come a time (approximately in Chapter 5) where you will not be able to stop and it will become the best remedy for a bad day, it will be the last thing you want to watch before going to sleep.
The performances of the young detectives make love the weirdness of each character. The misunderstood Ahn Chae Yool and her adorable brother (seriously, I've become a stalker of this actor) were the characters I loved most. Hye Ri was so sweet that no doubt will soon give much to talk with her next drama.
In fact, there are two characters who, although they influenced the history, I think they were superfluous: The teacher Ha and his unbearable mother, I totally hated their characters because their existence didn't make sense to me.
However, it's gratifying to see that a Korean drama begin to confront sensitive issues such as abortion or homosexuality.
One point that I found unique about this drama is that there was no representative song, just the sweet whistled melody of the intro.
In short, this is a drama that yes or yes you'd want to see again. I hope you give it a chance and do not miss it because you'll beg for a sequel ... like me XD
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It´s Girl Power time! Outrageous, luminous angelic + consistently deadly, too. Pitch-black humour.
"Sympathy for Lady Vengeance" or in the original "Lovely Geum-ja" is grossly funny, bitterly satirical, with a huge portion of pitch-black, bone-dry, unpredictable humor. The KMovie playfully juggles with details that seem to have sprung from a film noir and, above all, deliberately wants to irritate with the aestheticizing stylization of bloodthirsty revenge.Geum-ja is an Angel of revenge in the most literal sense. Luminous, angelic in her kindness, yet consistently deadly when it comes to her revenge mission. This makes the KMovie a paradoxical, incomparable experience: bizarre, absurd, dark and yet pointedly funny.
It´s is Girl power time! Patriarchy is in the pillory, regarding various offenses and arrogance of most of the male characters. Geum-ja (convincing to the point: Lee Young-ae) offers the entire program of associations with the feminine in its blatant contradictions: saint, whore, witch, as well as mother, lover, friend. Guilty in naive innocence. Outrageous. Diabolical. Sovereign. Powerful. Decided. Efficient. Exhilarated. Significantly, a remix of Vivaldi's "Ah ch'infelice semper" swings the baton in the background.
Storytelling is always close to Geum-ja. Not too much, just as much as is needed, is given to the audience. A serious, deeply meaningful off-screen narrator closes the gaps. As I said, the humor is pitch-black.
By the way, the KMovie (which has also received many international awards) is the third part of a revenge trilogy by director Park Chan-wook, which includes "Oldboy", that is considered one of the most influential films of contemporary South Korean cinema.
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What I enjoyed the most about it is that - FOR ONCE - even though one of the main characters starts overweight, the moral of the story is NOT that "skinny = happiness". The moral of the story is that your physical appearance alone doesn't define you.
Of course, your outward appearance matters, since it's the first feature people can see and judge, but who you are as a person is just as important. You're not any less worthy of living/being successful because your physical appearance doesn't match society's expectations. You shouldn't have to change your physical appearance for others.
It's really nice to see this kind of moral, especially in a Kdrama (even tho The Miracle is only a web drama per se).
Unfortunately, that point alone is not enough to disregard completely the flaws of this drama.
Mainly the main romance. It was too hasty, too shallow, too cliché. Even if it was cute, it fell flat. For a seemingly romance-focused drama, it's a bit unsatisfactory to say the least. Also the story had a lot of potential, but due to its short format, most of it was cut short.
The acting was also not outstanding, but I did nonetheless really much enjoy the performance of the two sisters, as well as the one Yang Hak Jin gave. Their acting had a kind of "rough authenticity" feel to it, which i personally liked.
As for the soundtrack, the songs are pleasing to the ear, but even so nothing memorable.
Overall, The Miracle is refreshing, sweet, full of positivity...and short; you can basically view those 12 episodes in about 3 hours. So if you're looking for an uplifter, and don't mind turning a blind eye on apparent flaws, look no further.
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Story: The story is set in Bakuda/Bakaleya high school. Now I love school dramas because I can relate to them because I'm in high school as well. However I really found it interesting to see how schools in Japan are run. The story is really simple but entertaining to watch. I'll admit the boys do fight a lot, but I actually found the fight scenes really interesting. The fight scenes really bought out the characteristics of each boy. The girls were annoying at first, especially Fumie who showed no expression, but they grew on me. I love how smoothly the boys and girls transition from enemies to friends. Another thing I really liked were that the boys,though rowdy, were really sweet, good boys who just wanted to protect their honor and pride. They had so much spirit that I wanted to join their school. I marathoned this drama over 2 days when I had time and it was really entertaining and fun to watch.
Cast: So its seems that this is a cast of rookie actors. The acting honestly wasn't that bad. Some more expression could have been shown, but it was believable. The cast improved with every episode which I give props for. They are extremely good looking so that's a plus as well. The only downside to having such a big cast, was that in the beginning I really got my names confused. I couldn't figure out who was Tatsuya and who was Tetsuya. I honestly thought they were the same person at first.
Music: I loved loved loved the theme song!! Its so catchy! But it reminded me of another song, and it really bugged me for a day. I figured out what song it reminded me of - F.Cuz's No. 1. The beat is the same in both songs. But the song is good, and honestly I think the theme song was the only song played in this whole drama. At least that was the only song I heard. But I really liked it, and it wasn't like BOF where you got sick of hearing Almost Paradise... every 2 minutes.
Rewatch: I definitely think I would rewatch this again if I'm in the mood for a cute, fun, light-hearted Jdrama.
Overall: Really good, fun Jdrama. I would recommend to anyone who wants something entertaining to watch which won't get them too emotional.
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WITHOUT THE BL, IT IS A LOSER
I really wanted to like this series. I tried it because of the BL element but what we get is only about 25% of BL goodness and 70% of annoying trio of negligible main characters. What about the 5%, you asked? It is for Lee and Sing who are like the not-so-good fairy godmothers.Lets talk about the LOSER so we can get him out of the way. Yes, I understand that the main character IS a loser but Oh is a whiny and perverted character and even if he is bullied he is just hard to feel sorry for. What's worse is when he goes home his mother bullies him too (telling him he is good for nothing) and everything is setup to be a light comedy scene as if nothing bad is happening at school. No bullying should be comedy. And even fter the makeover transformation he still feels like a Loser.
I wrote about the female lead initially but in this edit can we just pretend she never existed.
The saving grace is the BL element. Yes, plus points for Sun for being definitely gay and eventhough In's character is confused and confusing, Pluem's cuteness kind of overcomes the negative parts. And comeon, his singing voice is just golden. No kissing scenes and the ending for these 2 was not as satisfying as i hoped for but i forgive them for continuing their story in another series. InSun deserves a series of their own.
Rewatchability 6.0 - if you are a BL fan just watch the InSun supercut. Total score 6.5 just because of InSun without them its a 4.5.
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It wasn't extraordinary but the actors/actresses are enjoyable to watch and of course Cha Eun Woo is mesmerizing (he's not the best actor, but he has that charisma that I really like so).
I must say that the first 14 episodes were really good but after the story lacked a little and the end was a little unsatisfying.
There isn't so much songs in it but I like a lot the rap music that is in it.
So it wasn't a memorable webdrama but it was fresh and I liked to watch it, so don't have high hopes about this just take it the way it is!
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This review may contain spoilers
*Spoilers MAY BE ahead* I need to take a break from Korean/Taiwanese drama. So I haven't watched a Thai Lakorn for so long, the last one I watched was Kaew Lorn Phat (Something like that) After watching this, I LOVED IT (Coming from a guy's point of view)
Story:
Pretty unique, I have never watch a drama like this ever? To be honest, I found episode 1-4 kinda boring, but after a while it picked up. There are some misunderstanding and so-so. There's no evil second lead so that's a new thing to me (plus for me). The bad"guy" doesn't come out until the end but as you watch on, they give you hints, so look out for those.
The plot itself is already self-explanatory: Selfish and conceited girl turns good
Acting/Character:
All the cast did EXCELLENT, mostly the two main characters!
+Chemistry between the two leads is cute :)
+No evil second lead girl/boy
+Angels :P
-Kinda annoying second lead (Not Pat) though (Sticks to main actor like glue sometimes)
-Pat's and Beauty's relationship will sometimes be annoying (To me sometimes it was)
Music:
The music wasn't that bad but rather dull, there was like only 3 songs that I could remember
2 instrumenal music?
1 vocal song
REWATCH VALUE: Probably ( If Im bored and need a drama to watch)
Watch this drama if you're a big lakorn fan or asian drama fan. This is one of my favorite thai lakorn :)
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A must watch drama for 17+
Why? Read till the end…I didnt expect a court drama will be so interesting like this, the cases are from real events and very well choosen. Lots of famous real cases from this drama encourage us to think and understand the dilemma of both sides (defendant and plaintiff), how judges have to balance between law and morality.
The cases often spark debates, force us to rethink and open our mind in unexpected ways.
Acted by Jin Dong, Cheng Yi and lots of other veteran and excellent actors, undoubtedly they make this drama enjoyable to watch.
There are countless life lessons we cant ever get from ordinary dramas and we will regret if we miss them out.
So, for new watchers, just try to watch 2-3 series to see if you get hooked with the stories or not.
*The english subs is not the best, but still understandable. Its available on mangotv youtube channel too, where the translation seems better there.
**updated after finishing 40 episodes without skipping any scenes (which is rare nowadays)
Till the end, the plot flows smoothly, no dragging, fillers, etc.
Draw the Line is a rare gem and a must watch drama for 17+ people, not because of xxx of course, hahaha, because it needs deep comprehension and matured thinking to be able appreciating this kind of drama :D
It also teaches us to be aware on how to “draw the line” in our own life, since we are facing bad/good/grey area and have to make decisions everyday.
So if you are 17+, you must enjoy DTL, if you dont enjoy it, then you should call your parents to watch it, hahaha
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All that glitters is not gold.
"Beautiful and splendid show window... It's open for everyone to see, but once the spotlights go out and the curtains are drawn, no one can ever know what's going on inside." ~ A minor character from the drama said this.In a world where people care about the vaunting virtue more than one's inner beauty, we have developed ways to showcase what we wish to swank about. But what happens behind the walls, is always more than the alluring self, which most of us don't bother to care about. Show window is one of the most effective way in that regards but little do we know about the camouflaged matters that can either ruin us or shape us for good.
As you already know, this is a makjang, undoubtedly with toxic elements and nerve-racking characters in it. The question should be, "is this worth checking out?" . Well, yes, in my opinion, I would send you a positive nod. It's not something sort of a must watch but if you're fond of the genre, it surely is an enjoyable watch.
I will tell you a simple plotline, differently from the synopsis given everywhere. There is a happy family of four people and one day the husband is caught cheating on the wife. The wife scared of hurting her children by separating from her husband, pushes herself to save the family and simultaneously tries to get rid of the third person. The husband with high ambitions to own his mother-in-law's company doesn't wanna leave his family, nor does he want to abandon his extramarital lover. The story leads towards the unveiling the husband's true self and establish harmony.
This sounds very simple and typical, right? Well because, it is an usual Kdrama makjang storyline with cliché elements but not to spoil the actual plot, the way of occurrence, screenplay and execution are different from what you'll be able to perceive from the above paragraph. And that's why it's a good watch and to mention, it's for those who are into mild makjang stories accompanied by corporate thrillers, i. e. fight for power and hierarchy.
Song Yoon Ah as Han Sun Joo is considered the Queen who has achieved perfection from every aspect and is ideal to many women; born into a wealthy family, she can pull on anything and marries to a capable & devoted man, now having a loving family. Lee Sung Jae as Shin Myung Seop is a highly ambitious man who with his dedication plus wife's support has been able to climb the hierarchial ladder in Lahen group that belongs to his mother in law. Jeon So Min as Yoon Mi Ra is a lady deprived of love and seeks constant attention from the one she loves. She falls for Myung Sup and they immediately get into a mutually reciprocating relationship. Hwang Chan Sung as Han Jung Won is a warm-hearted guy who loves his sister Sun Joo and despite being slow-witted, knows how to deal with situations.
Some other good actors in major roles are: Moon Hee Kyung (Kim Kang Im) as Sun Joo's mother & Lahen's chairperson, Kim Sung Soo (Cha Young Hoon) as Sun Joo's close friend, Kim Byung Ok (Kim Dae Wook) as the Chief Detective. Shin Yi Joon (Shin Tae Hee) and Park Sang Hoon (Shin Tae Yong) play the children of Sun Joo and Myung Sup.
Only the above mentioned 9 characters are of essence while some others in major characters didn't show any sort of notable acting, in fact, many of the characters, to me, felt very unnecessary fillers. They weren't required for the story; especially all of the residents of the town residency complex who were there to just gossip and even so, the amount of gossiping was absolutely useless for a drama.
I have mixed opinions about the plot development of this drama; it is both good and bad, not both at the same, obviously. The first episode, as an introductory wasn't that impressive but as usual, I decided not to judge it that soon. But what I was already loving was the way initial base of the story was being established as the episodes furthered. The screenplay is gripping, intensively appealing and definitely something catchy. But then there's a leap which is not distinctly shown but yeah, things somehow change and there starts another mood of the drama. It becomes even more interesting and makes you expect, which lasts for about next 2 episodes. And that's when the show starts going downhill.
Well, it doesn't really turn bad or suddenly becomes uninteresting but they start attempting to exaggerate the plot to an extent and while doing that, they include some awfully unnecessary elements and morever, they repeat some of them which was clearly visible. What saved it from a probable backlash was the fact that tbe quality starts degrading much later the interval, which in my opinion is a key time period to evaluate a show, hence, I've tried to reflect it through my ratings.
I am very surprised to have come to know that the makers of the drama are both rookies. Not sure if they've worked as assistants before but this definitely seems to be their creation as frontline director and writer and they've undoubtedly done a very commendable job given their experiences. The drama isn't something very wowish but it was surely a decent watch even when you're not into makjangs. The direction was up to par, starting from screenplay management, synchronising various time scales, screen-editing were taken care of very well. The pacing wasn't consistent after 10th episode, still manageable. The cinematography was surely good; the dark yet flashy pallettes with momentary yellow as well as natural delineations were persuading. The writing was lacking, it was a good plot but progression was not well executed. But given that both the director and writer have debuted through this, this is quite well-delivered, no?
OSTs are composed by Kim Jong Chun and I must say all of them are catchy and captivating at the same time. There are total 7 tracks. My most favourite is "Hello' by Hickee which is the main theme song and is very intriguing. It followed by "Heaven Made" by Elsie Bay which was soothing and tragic at the same time, demanding escape towards happiness. The vocals of Ha Domg Qn in "Cry me a river" gave me goosebumps. "Fallin' by HARU, "just myself" by Kim Dong Hee, "Why i cry" Sin Ye Young and "Tears" by Onestar are the other ones which are quite likable and beautifully written as well as composed.
What I liked...
# Despite having a typical story, the screenplay was engaging and entertaining.
# The performance from the main cast was stupendous as they're old and immensely experienced, except Chan Sung and So Min. Well, they weren't that good but did a decent delivery.
# The drama not being a complete makjang. The simultaneous power fight was intriguing tho that plot went downhill and became repetitive in the 2nd half
# The kids not being typical makjang stupidass spoiled brats.
# The portrayal of present scenario in the beginning and ending of each episode and using it to unfold the past through detailed storytelling.
What I didn't like...
# So many unnecessary supporting characters as fillers and their extended scenes just to fill the 16 eps quota.
# The decent plot development that goes downhill starting from 10th episode. The pacing was still okay yet repetitive. They had many instances to finish the drama with a clear-cut ending, but duh!
# Underutilization of Chan Sung and Seung Soo. Their characters didn't have the impressive dynamics that I was expecting. Chang Sung is improving with dramas but Seung Soo is more than just skilled.
# Not to spoil, the thing involving both Jungwon and Mira could have lasted longer with some stirring outcomes but it felt like there was no need if it were gonna be that simple.
# So many kisses, haha. I'm not genophobic or against inclusion of explicit contents but the first half of the show has so many unnecessary making out scenes.
Final remarks.... Show Window 2021-22 isn't really a good show with intriguing plot, star-studded cast and amazing execution but given it's genre, for me, it was an enjoyable and entertaining watch with fabulous performance though the final delivery was average and wasn't pleasing. A fair one time watch.
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Beautiful Visuals, Empty Story: A Drama That Falls Flat
When I saw the poster and everything, I had pretty high expectations. The visuals were great, but the acting, on the other hand, was a mess.The female lead was just an empty character. She barely did anything throughout the show and mostly just stared at everyone with teary eyes.
The male lead’s acting was over the top, almost as if he was trying to make up for the female lead’s lack of personality, but it didn’t work well at all.
The show seemed like it would be about music and artistic themes, but it ended up being focused almost entirely on solving the murder case of Bom’s mother. The main “villains” were supposedly trying to keep the leads apart to stop the truth from coming out, but it was so poorly executed and felt completely unnecessary.
The romance was practically nonexistent, maybe a little in episode 4, but later on they just forgot about it. Also, they had no chemistry. Like, none at all.
And the ending? A total mess. What do you mean you see someone after two years, kiss them, and that’s it, happy ending, yay 😀? It was beyond unrealistic.
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A surprising gem that delivers a cohesive story and clever characters
I came out of this pleasantly surprised, intrigued and overall satisfied. Fall in Love manages to humbly balance the light-hearted romance with heavier and darker themes of politics, war and strategy. First and foremost, I’m a sucker for Chinese Republican era drama (see Arsenal Military Academy and Rookie Agent Rouge) and so this naturally fell on my radar. The first few episodes are a bit cringe and feel super staged (and a bit confusing as we work out our bearings), but keep at it and as the story progresses, you’ll soon find how much of a hidden gem this one is.STORY
The story follows our male lead, Tan Xuan Lin and female lead, Mu Wan Qing who happen to meet under unfortunate circumstances and this leads to a series of misunderstandings. Cleared up quite quick, they appreciate each other’s strengths and wits and from there on out work together as partners (and later on something more) as they navigate through the tumultuous times in Shanghai.
Within 36 episodes, the story is well written, well-rounded and cohesive. I found the episodes breezy to watch, not much filler, but more story progression and kept me wanting to watch the next. The story flows well, divided into three distinct sections: 1) Wan Qing’s internal family drama, 2) Xuan Lin’s political strategy 3) At war. The last section fell away a bit, which is why I can’t give it a perfect rating I’m sorry. The ending episodes felt a bit confuddled (like introducing new villains?), it felt like they were rushing to the finish line but wanted to tie up all these loose ends.
I will flag the story comes front and centre, and the romance sometimes fades to the background, particularly the latter half of the drama. Which is a shame, because I love seeing our two leads get all romantic because the chemistry is so there.
Things I liked within the story:
+ Reference and referral back to key themes, conversations and symbols. See amulet, number switch, this idea of trust/belief in each other
+ The overall craft of constant misdirection and deception. Loved how our characters were three steps ahead of us and everyone gets played. This feeling of being blindsided is such a rush
+ This idea of new vs older generation (the father and son dynamics) leading the future
+ The exploration of each of the character’s history/backstory, uncovering the truth, and setting everything in its rightful place
CHARACTERS and ACTING
Brilliant and again unexpectedly good. Where has Chen Xing Xu been all my life, and how am I just finding out about him? What superb acting, he outshone everyone to be honest. He managed to capture so many complex emotions and feelings within the one expression. His character was flirty and playful, never taking anything serious. But that feels like a façade for what he is: a highly intelligent, cunning and slightly devious, fiercely loyal and courageous, natural born leader. He manages to shift into so many facets of his character effortlessly, from dark, looming and aggressive when he’s threatening someone to super light and jokey when he’s bantering with Wan Qing.
Props to our female lead, she did so well and I loved her characterisation. It’s rare (typically we see naïve and pure female leads as the go to in Chinese dramas), but here Wan Qing is equally intelligent, so switched on, possesses vision and foresight, merciful but not a door mat. I loved how she could hold her own (see ep29 as evidence), was rational and reasonable and unfazed by anyone standing in her way.
Both were complex characters with tragic backstories, and we see how this has shaped who they are. The pair were matched really well, in mind and body, and together were an incomparable force to be reckoned with. Yes they were open with each other and had this unwavering belief in each other. But I did get frustrated when Xuan Lin hid things from her or lied to her in the name of protecting her. She could obviously handle whatever came her way, so I would have liked him to be more truthful with her.
Our array of side characters and their journeys were given enough time to develop alongside the story and worked well. Evan Lin as Xu Guang Yao was your typical supportive second male lead, for me his acting needs a little work, but his character development was on point. We really see him come out from his sheltered father to his own person with will, fighting spirit and new belief. We were also given optimistic and persistent youth’s pursuit of love (Tan Sang Yu) and also a more mature, realistic and accepting blossoming relationship (Gu Yue Shuang).
MUSIC and REWATCH
The music grows on you and fits well with the emotional scenes. Though I usually don’t rewatch dramas, I would actually rewatch this one again. It was filled with surprises and kept me on edge throughout. Like I mentioned, it is well crafted and the story flows on from one episode to the next smoothly.
WATCH FOR:
+ Lead interaction, banter, chemistry and teamwork. They are by far one of most perfectly matched couples that you can’t help but root for. I loved seeing them team up seriously to face challenges, where they lean on and confide in each other, and somehow pick up on these hidden cues they share between them
+ Clever characters. I love how they outsmart everyone, the cons they pull, their ability to predict the future. They know what’s up and more often than not they keep the audience in the dark until their reveal. A lot of ah-ha moments that were like little surprise easter eggs that gave me this feeling of pure delight
+ Tight script writing, witty banter and conversation, cohesive story that delves into the backstories, histories and present lives of our characters. 36 episodes doesn’t feel long, and to be honest thought they should have added some more episodes to the concluding section so it didn’t feel too rushed
WATCH OUT FOR:
- Staged production. I wouldn’t say cheap, but the production does feel unrealistic at times, so I wasn’t entirely immersed into the Republican era world. They definitely fused a lot of contemporary aspects in costume, design, speech and what not.
- The trailer was a bit deceptive in categorising it as a light romantic comedy. In fact, when you actually start to watch, it gets hella serious and dark at times. There’s a lot of war strategising and talk, battle and fighting scenes, a lot of time is given to how the Warlords manage their affairs, soldiers and territories. So the romance and their relationship is neatly interwoven within the story
- The ending 4 or so episodes. It does lose its way, starts to get a bit muddled and messy. They jam packed so many new characters and new plot lines, that it felt a bit unnecessary and unfounded. But I understand they wanted to have this big climax and promote the whole national pride thing, but it meant the romance takes a backburner.
Overall, I’m so glad to have picked this one up and stuck with it. Left me pleasantly surprised and exceeded my expectations. There’s a lot to like with this one, so give it a go and let me know what you think!
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Story: 10/10 The story is one that will motivate you while tears stream down your eyes. It has themes of "High School" romance mixed in with following your dreams to the very end.
Cast/Acting 10/10 I couldn't ask for a better cast. They truly did a flawless job.
Music: 10/10 I still listen to the theme song by Yui (who also acted in this movie) two weeks after I watched the movie. The only "downside" about this movie is that you get addicted to the wonderful music by Yui.
Rewatch Value: 9/10 This is such a beautiful movie that I would definitely rewatch.
Overall 10/10 (i'd give it a 15/10 if I could!). Definitely watch this movie. You won't regret it.
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The drama did start out slow and I think a lot of people from then on had their mind set that TKEM was a flop. Then proceeded to watch the rest of the drama basically searching for aspects to criticize. And I think that is one way to approach dramas by analyzing and scrutinizing anything and everything. But personally, I think that with that kind of mindset, you limited yourself to only a couple of shows that you actually like. I am not trying to discredit anyone and how they felt towards the show, however, I think a lot of the discussions centered around how bad the drama, actually deters a lot of people who would actually really enjoy the show.
Story-wise, the parallel world concept was fascinating and refreshing. I found it pretty easy to follow, but with any concept messing with time and space, it's bound to have cracks. There were plot holes(most of which I didn't even know were plot holes until I read discussion posts--so just don't read those and you will probably be better off) and areas where I wish the show would have done more in-depth. I also do think that in some episodes the story was stagnant and it wasn't doing a lot to move the plot forward, a missed opportunity to further develop the world/clarify some side stories. But if you don't focus on those aspects, they aren't bothersome and the main plot is interesting and at least for me, something new/different.
Acting: I liked KGE and LMH together, and I think that they did well with the roles. I'm definitely no expert, but I think I have around the normal person's ability to tell if the acting is stale, so for me, their portrayals were convincing and I really felt for and became invested in their characters. KKN & WDH also really delivered! I mean Jo Eun Seob and Jo Yeong were perfectly portrayed, props to WDH, I can't wait to see him in another drama. Not really a point on acting, but worth mentioning, the main thing that bugged me with the characters (not the actor's portrayal) was Tae Eul sudden switch from showing no interest and annoyance for Lee Gon and then suddenly her tough/snobby demeanor was gone. I think the writer could have made her feelings for Lee Gon melt away a lot more smoothly. Although, I don't agree with the criticism on why Lee Gon was in love with Tae Eul from the get-go. I can picture 8-year-old Lee Gon spending hours and hours holding onto the badge thinking of this mysterious savior, and pretty much becoming infatuated with the mystery girl (also, when do the falling in love process ever really "make sense" in dramas, I just enjoy the love story without questions! >∀ <)
Most of the OST playlist is still stuck in my head and while it's not the iconic Goblin OST, it's still great.
The cinematography and production is probably the least debated area because, well the millions of dollars backing the project went somewhere! Seriously, the scenes were beautiful, especially in the moments of the time stops. If anything, watch it for the visual appeals!
I never write my opinions/reviews on dramas so please forgive me if this is not super helpful/insightful, but I really wanted to do this because I hope someone will read it as realize that go into it without preformulated negativity around it, watch it and enjoy it for what it gives.
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sweet fun romance
I initially started this one on a whim since I was looking for fluffy romance dramas to indulge in and decided to give this one a try, and thank goodness I did. Dear Herbal Lord is a fun little drama (24 half hour episodes split into 2 seasons, 12 eps per season) following herb fairy Song Lan as she tries to woo the king of medicine Chu Zhimo into marrying her, fulfilling the wish of Jiang Qingyun, the host of the body that she now resides in.Like I said before, this drama is fairly short compared to other normal dramas (25+ eps with each episode averaging an hour) so the story is very fast paced, which is a good thing since there's no room for filler and unnecessary drama. There will be scenes that are a little confusing at first but they're quickly explained afterwards. Again, it's a short drama focused on romance so I'm not too critical of the story's logic.
The crux of the drama, the romance, is tooth rottingly sweet. Song Lan has an innocent air to her (mostly because as an herb fairy, she's never interacted with humans before inhabiting Jiang Qingyun's body), so she is very blunt and bold about showing Chu Zhimo her affections. Pair the unintentionally flirty Song Lan with cold-faced Chu Zhimo who is terrible with women, this is a hilarious pair and I have squealed at (and replayed) their scenes too many times to count. Special mention to Yan Xi for showing us that a cold and standoffish male lead doesn't mean being expressionless and being angry all the time!
To move the story forward, there will be angst, just to warn anybody who only wanted the fluff. To be precise, it's more of a dash of angst, a splash of noble stupidity but a truckload of dramatic irony (the audience knows everything but the characters do not). You will want to grab your screen and scream at characters that they're making a mistake, but you can't even hate them because from their perspective... they actually have a point. It does end happily, I can guarantee you that, so just trust the process ;)
Leaving a small blurb about my favourite character, Xiao Ziming. Add him to the ever-growing list of Second Leads That Deserve Better because he is so sweet and devoted to our female lead. Even though Song Lan/Jiang Qingyun is infatuated with Chu Zhimo, he still stays by her side and cheers her up when she's sad. Where can I find my Xiao Ziming in real life??
To end this off, I definitely recommend Dear Herbal Lord if you're looking for a light and sweet romance drama. Nothing convoluted, just Fluff (also the kiss scenes called me single in 520 different languages ;_; ).
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This review may contain spoilers
Not nice to watch but definitely worth seeing. Superbly done in many ways. Powerful. Resonating.
Prolog:The conclusion for the protagonist in his late 30s is rather tragic: he´s getting the urge to go back. He wants the life of his late youth back. He cannot continue with who he is today. For him, there is only one option remaining – a shortcut to the exit.
However, for the audience, the end is actually the beginning. The journey goes backwards in seven chapters. And when we finally reach the start, it actually makes sense to look at the ending again... (in movie-terms: its beginning...)
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“Peppermint Candy” was one of the top ten movies in 2000. The international awards it collected are respectable. And even in 2022, “The Guardian” has it listed in 12th place among South Korean film classics. Meaning: It was topical back then and still hasn’t lost its impact. It´s cult. It can be considered particularly valuable. However, it´s not particularly nice, though. Rather particularly powerful and ferociously intense.
"Peppermint Candy" dates from 1999. It tells the story of the previous two decades of South Korean history using the example of an arbitrary, inconspicuous individual. For audience who isn´t firm in recent South Korean history, the KMovie may be reduced to the protagonist as an individual - to his very personal story and his tragic ending. For all those who know something about the historical, social background (see the side note below if you like), the KMovie becomes a memorial on screen that commemorates all those in society who were probably thus affected in one way or another, too, and may have had a similar experience. And there were quite a few.
In 1999, South Korea looked back on two extremely eventful decades. Two decades that were endured, sustained, borne by the people... Two decades that, in addition to democracy, turbo-capitalism and material prosperity, also produced a whole series of psychological cripples.
I actually don't like the word 'cripple', but somehow it seems appropriate in this case, here in the sense of: people who were maltreated by others or 'by life´s circumstances' to the point of psychic unconsciousness (even if perhaps they themselves were involved as perpetrators, too). People who were broken by their fate and trauma, not being allowed to and/or able to talk about it. People who fell, lost themselves, could no longer get back on their feet, feeling helpless. Completely bent. People who could not find peace with their shame and guilt. In their inability to communicate about it and get help, they became a total human failure for those around them.
In reverse "Peppermint Candy" portrays the career of such a psychological (and physical) 'cripple' in intense scenes. We may acknowledge the individual fate. Even without historical background and regardless of socialization, we acknowledge a broken soul, of which all that is left to the outside world is actually an 'asshole'. Once a poetic, delicate, sensitive spirit... it´s hard to believe. Actor Sol Kyung-gu expands the entire range of his skills, convincingly and uncompromisingly drawing the audience into each of his divers crucial, rather unpleasant emotional life situations.
“Peppermint Candy” is superbly done in many ways. Not too much, not too little. Ruthless. And in pointed, symbolic imagery, the scenes gain in emotional power and meaningfulness as they progress - even after we have travelled a few sequences further (back) - to the extent that the puzzle of drastic life events accumulated are coherently put together into a pile of shards.
The protagonist in "Peppermint Candy" is experiencing the significant historic events of his generation at the forefront. His psychical downward spiral cannot be stopped. But this protagonist is no exception. Countless people in their late thirties in South Korea in 1999 could have told such or similar stories. During those traumatizing two decades the public was carelessly left alone to individually deal with what had happened. What a person experienced emotionally, what a person had to process and couldn't, the decisions made, the guilt, the shame, the pain – the answer to that was mainly psychological repression and silence about it. The consequences in everyday life: Outbursts of acting up and/or apathy. Sometimes the old wound hurts again. The old wound makes man fall to the ground, by its pain that he cannot escape. But it is also a phantom pain - the desperate suffering over an essential piece of 'who I am' that was taken away once and for all...
The protagonist in "Peppermint Candy" suffers on behalf of an entire generation of anonymous young people who were quietly worn down, deeply psychologically shattered and finally by the two decades of the 80s and 90s, the time of transition from military dictatorship to modern capitalism existentially bankrupt. The KMovie reaches out to all those who may have had a similar experience and/or were able to sympathize. Where communication had been lacking for decades, the KMovie, with its sometimes disturbing insights, tries to build a bridge: with understanding that may even extend to empathy. "Peppermint Candy" manages to connect the South Korean people through the fate of this one fictional man and his personal environment. (Additionally, it may even touch the rest of the world). Yongho, who could be 'anyone', and with him the women in his life, his friends (?), his colleagues and his victims who had crossed his path, who could also be 'anyone'…
Not nice to watch. But definitely worth seeing.
Powerful. Resonating. A convincingly empathetic work.
A work of passion.
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SIDE NOTE: --- Brief overview of the historical background of South Korea - regarding May 1980 in Gwangju, the 1980s under repressive police violence, and the years of economic miracle up to the Asian crisis of 1997-1999. ---
May 1980 in Gwangju, South Korea, featured a bloody massacre that the police and military were ordered to carry out on their own people. Yet, that massacre of Gwangju remained an official taboo for almost two decades. What happened in Gwangju back then was kept secret from the rest of the country. Then, the city was deliberately cordoned off. The enemy was officially called 'communism' (especially in student circles, supposedly under the infiltrated influence of North Korea.)
Those who survived May 1980 in Gwangju and perhaps could or would have wanted to talk about it were pressured, persecuted, tortured and put in camps. The others who preferred to remain silent had to figure out by themselves how to emotionally digest what had happend.
President Chun Do-hwan, who succeeded his predecessor Park Chung-hee in the aftermath of the bloody spring of 1980, did not create any less autocratic structures for the common people than before with his dictatorship. On the contrary. With him, brutal torture was carried out in the spirit of a systematic cleansing. The years of Chun Do-hwan's rule were some of the worst for South Korea in terms of political repression. His mission: The country should use all its might to present itself to the rest of the world as dazzling and up-and-coming until the Olympic Games. Whatever/whoever was bothersome was put away. However, the autocratic rule of the dictator and his brutal power apparatus with police and secret service ended in 1987 as a result of unbridled, enormous public pressure. The people's longing for democracy was finally able to prevail.
Parallel to the repression under Chun Do-hwan, the 1980s and following years were characterized by the years of economic miracle. The market became increasingly liberalized and it was all about exports. Yet, on a large scale growth and prosperity were built on credit: direct investments from abroad, credit cards for the people in the country, loan sharks for all those smaller companies that couldn't get the money from the banks. But the bubble of the expansive credit economy of the 1990s burst in 1997 with the Asian crisis. The credit boom was followed by a crash, an enormous fall in the value of the won, a series of bankruptcies, unemployment all over the place and poverty for the many.
Even though South Korea got back on its feet astonishingly quickly in the course of the subsequent years of the so called IMF Economic Crisis, the path was marked by countless fates of bankruptcies and many families suffering from for a long time since.
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