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This review may contain spoilers
**Note: this review contains minor spoilers. **There are dramas that you watch and shortly forget about. There are dramas that you occasionally recall, but are not too memorable. Then, there are dramas that remain with you for a long time and immediately come to mind when asked about good dramas in general. Jejoongwon undoubtedly belongs to the last group. It has a “complete package” that is sure to please its viewers.
Jejoongwon tells the true story of the first western medical hospital in Joseon era Korea. There are three central stories to Jejoongwon: the so called “rags-to-riches” story, the rivalry between two very competent people story, and the love story. All of these sub-stories are told in a very different manner than most k-dramas, and provide something for everyone to enjoy.
The “rags-to-riches” part presents a man, Hwang Jung, belonging to the lowest class in the Korean caste system, the butchers (who were considered so low in status, they weren’t even allowed to have family names and were referred to by nicknames given to each other), who defies all obstacles (and there are many!) to become one of the first physicians of Korea.
The rivalry is between Hwang Jung and Beak Do Yang, the son of a nobleman with a keen interest in western medicine. The two have a natural affinity to medicine and are both outstanding at what they do, but one will always be better. The progression is unlike what many would expect, and doesn’t overpower the larger story at hand.
The main romance is between Hwang Jung and Yu Seok Ran, the daughter of an interpreter. Their romance is very gentle and gradual, but very fervent and touching nonetheless. Yu Seok Ran is a very unique k-drama heroine. She is ahead of her time, intelligent, kind, and self-assured. She also has a wonderful relationship with her father that is very moving and hard to come by.
At its core, Jejoongwon depicts the lives of three very different people who all see a similar future for Korea. They recognize that times are changing, and aid in the modernization of Korea through medicine.
The story is extremely well written. Taking historical events and rewriting them into a drama must be a difficult task, but it was executed very well. The characters were well developed and scene transitions were especially done well.
The acting was exceptional also. The casting of roles was very fitting for the characters. The role of Hwang Jung was played to perfection by Park Yong Woo. Hwang Jung is a man that has had to be invisible when facing member of the other classes for all of his life. He was not allowed to look at them directly, and needed to stick to the butcher’s neighborhood as much as possible or else be beaten and spit on. This causes confusion for someone who was instilled with these ideas since childhood and now has to live among people of the upper classes. Everything from Park Yong Woo’s facial expressions to body language expressed exactly what Hwang Jung was feeling throughout the story, a feature that is hard to find in many actors. Han Hye Jin has a great screen presence and brought Yu Seok Ran to life beautifully. Yun Jung Hoon also did a good job as Beak Do Yang, though not great.
Jejoongwon has one of the best OST’s I’ve heard in a while. The music fit the story well and increased emotional reactions to the scenes at hand.
The cinematography was not outstanding, but there were a few shots that were admirably filmed. I do wish there were more of those shots, but I was satisfied with everything else being done well.
In short, this was a very well produced drama that has sadly been overlooked, but deserves its recognition. A great story, excellent acting, plus a good OST to intensify the viewing experience, I recommend to this to everyone who has not had the chance to watch it.
**I have tried to make this review as objective as possible, but it is very hard to do with something that has moved me this much.**
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This review may contain spoilers
i cried for like 30 minutes and i never cry for movies/drama
I finished youth of may about 25 minutes ago and I just need to write a real review to let this off my chest.I loved it so much. I genuinely love every thing about this drama. There's not one single thing I wanna complain about. Of course there are things that hurt, and that annoyed me, but that's the whole point.
The fact that Myeong Hee dies, the character who literally caused the least trouble and who just wanted to study in Germany and heal people, is just so painful but also so real. The fact that so many people around her survived and she couldn't , breaks me. I genuinely got so attached to her character, the way that she was with others, her humour, her outfits, her smile, i fell in love with all of her character and then she died... all alone, on the ground, bleeding out with no one beside her.
I also love how this drama taught me how quickly you can love someone. They only knew each other for a few weeks but they loved each other in such a pure, innocent way. I just loved seeing them together, they simply make sense.
It's a historical drama, so I never expected a happy ending. Honestly, I would've been almost mad if they had given us a happy ending cause this is something that truly happened, and sugar coating it by making all of the main characters live happily would just be... disrespectful to me?I don't know but i definitely liked it. Truth is she probably wouldn't regret dying, because she did manage to save her brother (who btw, must have horrible abandonment issues since both his father and sister said they would "come back", just to save him).
There are small things that were so well written, like the way Hwang Hee Tae's little brother gets shot in the leg (indirectly by his father i guess we can say), like his father literally taking his son's dreams away of running. We first see him with his fancy shoes making Myeong Hee's brother jealous, and now here he is, bleeding on the ground to save his sister (wearing those shoes).
Soo Ryeon's brother also realises just how stupid he's been for trying to hold his sister back. She had empathy and understood altruism from the start but some people, like her family, need to be thrown into the real world to understand that they're living on a cloud while everyone is in pain. Indirectly because of them and their actions.
Even the fact that Hwang Hee tae's father never truly gets punished is good writing to me. Sure he gets his position taken away and loses his family but he never lives through as much pain as the people he hurt with his own two hands. He's a monster who, in a way, gets away with it. Just like in real life.
Hwang Hee tae watching the music competition on the tv, crying in the cafe while handing out missing person flyers was so painful. He would have been on that stage if he had never met Myeong hee. Then in the graveyard, he looks up at a plane, just like Myeong hee might've gotten on a plane to Germany if she had never met him. Her father wouldn't have died either probably. yet so many other people would have died instead, because they saved them in the hospital.
I'm also proud of Hwang Hee Tae for partly keeping myeong hee alive by becoming a brave doctor, the same way she was a brave nurse. She's the one who pushed him to get over his fear of hurting people. And the parallel of him helping the nurse just like when he first saw myung hee.. it stung. then again everything in this drama did.
I also love how they switched the actors at the end, the way that the writers knew that seeing the older actors crying wouldn't hurt as much. Seeing young doctor hwang hee tae finding out that her body has been found was the peak of my crying session.
Anyway this was so so so unorganized sorry, it's more of a rant than a review. But i truly just love this drama, and I don't think I'll ever forget it. It was so beautifully written, the actors did an amazing job, the scenery was beautiful (the spring 1980s vibe made me feel warm and fuzzy), the OST was beautiful as well (my personal favourite is Starry night, thank god they didn't play it at the end cause i would've cried even more i think).
i started watching the drama right when the first episode aired (i was excited cause lee do hyun is my favourite actor) and i've been so attached to it since then. I'm sad it's over and I'll miss the characters a lot.
thank you for making me sob. I'll watch it again when I've healed.
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Story: First, the revenge is way less gritty than it sounds. I thought the female characters revenge would make for a great turning point for the plot but the writers kind of dropped the ball and her "revenge" was more of an emotional one rather than of taking action which kind of gets repetative. I would have also liked it more if they cut it down to 16 eps. There are a lot of things that I would never guess would happen so the plot isnt predictable at least. The best thing about the story is the romance. Lots of angst to eat up and you pray there will be a happy ending in the midst.
Acting/Cast :Lee Bo Young is a hit or miss for me. I havent seen a decent drama with her in which she has chemistry with the male lead. Well of course here comes the attractive/great actor Joo Jin Mo and you got some HOT chemistry! Their relationship was off the charts sizzling. I didnt care for the supporting cast and found the second lead characters annoying/not relevant to the story.
Music: It fit the drama well but not memorable.
Rewatch: If it were a little shorter, i probably could watch it every year due to my love of the couple but i think this is some thing i can wait to watch in a few years.
Overall Queen of the Game is the most romantic drama you will see!
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At first, I thought it was like ~How to Train Your Dragon ~; kind of movie since it started out with dragon-like creatures. Then it switched over to the human side of the story. Throughout the film, my eyes were glue to the screen. The whole time I thinking that "oh my gosh, that little creature is so cute!!" ; The story plot was not a stereotypical type of story where the guy and the girl help the monsters. There were twist and turn that lead to so many funny scenes that I had to laugh then rewind and laugh again.
Note: This movie is rate PG-13 since there were some blood, but absolutely no gore or horror.
The movie had two unimaginable characters partner up as the main characters.
The coupling was really cute. I really like the female character since she had power over the male character, which you don't often see in Chinese dramas/movies. I also like the female chief who is in the middle of the story. She is hilarious. The monster couple add more to comedy.
I like their credit music. I also like the song where the monster dance to. I think it's a wrap-up, and it shows more of the adorableness. The sounds were super cute.
I would definitely rewatch the funny scenes. Those who have experience watching wuxia (chinese-style fighting genre) specifically sad endings then you would probably be more relief to watch this afterward. Those who needs a break from watching serious shows, check this one out.
I hope you all enjoy the movie like I did. Cross my fingers and hope they make more of this kind of movies.
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ACTING/CAST: All of the actors did a great job. It was nice that the actors had good voices and could play an instrument without needing a hand double.
MUSIC: By far the best part of this production. The song, "As If You Whisper," is great. I really like the simplicity of the lyrics.
REWATCH VALUE: I will watch it again. The visuals showing off the beauty of Korea and the nice music makes it worth it.
Overall: Would have been nice for more focus on the "romance" part of the plot . The ending was happy!
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When Han-gyul finally allows himself to love Eun-chan regardless of gender (episode 10) it is the best moment of the drama and truly touching. <3
Gender confusion is nothing new, but in too many cases, people have a tendency to overdo it-- drawing things out and overdramatizing it for either hyberbolic comedy, or ridiculous melodrama. Thankfully, Coffee Prince uses at least a bit of discretion and ends up as a fun romantic story that tries to take a more reasoned look at gender roles. It challenges the idea that strength and responsibility are masculine traits and really does a good job at poking fun at gender stereotypes. The men tend to be very faithful, nurturing, and rather bashful, while the women tend to be strong, willful, and intelligent.
In addition to the gender-bending, there is a very touching examination of a heterosexual man being forced to examine his own sexuality as he realizes he is attracted to someone he believes in another man.
Each character has a story, and each story is touched on. This gives the sense that the show is not a one dimensional storyline, it has depth. And then as far as scenery goes, it is beautiful. I love the backdrop of Seoul, the mountain tops wreathed in mist... the artistic touch at Coffee Prince... You can see the stark difference in Eun-chan's home and Han-gyul's apartment.
I really wish they will make a part two for Coffee Prince because it was so well made. A big applause to the creator of this magnificent drama.
Makes me want to drink coffee, too!
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Don’t get the wrong idea, this drama is better than other Jdramas I saw this season; it’s also unique and quite exciting to follow but it simply couldn’t keep the pace. Mozu started amazingly; packed events, intriguing characters and an involving high-scale mystery. With such a promising beginning, you would draw certain lines in your head, such as “this drama will be some sort of masterpiece”. However, that never lasted for too long.
The problem with Mozu is the unbalanced events and empty parts that made concentration almost impossible. The screenwriting of this drama failed to keep thing coherent and well-built even with all the potential they gave it at first. Some episodes were too slow to ingest while others were too packed to fully understand, the screenwriter couldn’t spread his story the right way. Moreover, the high-scale conspiracy turned out to become too predictable for my taste; that was almost a criminal act against mystery/suspense lovers, I surely expected more than that from a drama co-produced by two of my favorite Japanese channels TBS and WOWOW.
The acting was superb; Nishijima was really good as Kuraki, he had an aura that I love to see in my male lead’s character especially with his tone and facial expressions. Maki and Kagawa were great main characters too; their acting was well suited for their characters. The remaining cast were remarkable, especially Ikematsu and Hisegawa; these two actors gave a chilling performance to make their character feel so complicated, hateful and even lovable.
The characterization for this drama was really nice especially with the back stories given to many characters in order to explain their behaviors. Although some characters weren’t that interesting and others didn’t maintain their involving traits until the end but overall, they were acceptable and even enjoyable.
The soundtrack for Mozu isn’t forgettable; I liked the way it connects with what’s happening. The cinematography was also dark and gloomy in a way that fits the drama’s tone.
Watch if:
-You like action, crime dramas.
-You like interesting characterization.
Do not watch if:
-You’re looking for a mind-blowing drama.
-You’re looking for a puzzling mystery.
On a personal level, I really didn’t hate Mozu despite all of its flaws. It sneaks into you somehow and makes you addicted especially if you’re into crime oriented stories. I enjoyed this and I certainly tried to overlook many of its obvious flaws. I call it a guilty pleasure but I surely liked this drama. I am only hoping that the screenwriter will revise his way of making events in the second season.
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Must watch
I love everything about this. I didn't expect this movie to be as good as it is. I like how they developed even more the main characters and how they not only focused on the sexyness but on the plot as well. The message at the end is very deep. This was overall an extremely good experience and a good ending for this series. I would definitely watch this again. One of the best Japanese bl out thereThey brought out other themes in this movie and were able to show that this series is not only about sex scenes. The cast is amazing. The acting is superb.
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Brave Yoshihiko and Great Satan's Castle
27 people found this review helpful
Story 10/10: The storyline is actually pretty unique, at least from what i've seen. It's about a Hero who has to go out and defeat an evil entity who is bringing evil in this world! As someone else mentioned, it's somewhat like Monty Python, but it has it's own uniqueness. It also reminded me of the anime Gintama in a way.
Acting 10/10: They were all flawless.
Music 7/10: The music was good. It wasn't really memorable but it did it fulfilled its purpose.
Rewatch Value 6/10 : Since this drama doesn't really have many twists or turns, it's actually a good candidate for rewatching. I generally don't rewatch shows though, but if i'm ever extremely bored and for some reason cannot watch anything else, i'd watch this.
Overall 9/10: This was a short drama (12 episodes of 24 minutes each), but it was funny and interesting.
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The music in the drama was perfectly matched to the scenes, I liked all the songs.
The acting was brilliant, especially with Kim Go Eun, Park Jinyoung. I will remember their scenes for a long time. Their shared scenes moved me, made me happy, or saddened me. For such acting duos, it is worth watching Korean dramas.
The animation part was interesting, funny, touching, never boring.
I will definitely watch the drama again. I've already done that with a lot of episodes. It does not get boring, even though I know some scenes by heart.
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Surprisingly Addictive !
Personally, I find The Sword And The Brocade to be addictive. I kept watching one episode after another and completed the whole drama within 3 to 4 days. What made me hooked is the way the story is told and the smart female character. It is a bit like Word Of Honor whereby the story execution could make or break a drama. In this case, it is a romance drama and the relationship between the male and female lead follows a slow but smooth progress. It is different from a lot of romance dramas whereby the leads just fall in love at first sight or after a short period of bickering like Overlord and The Wolf Princess.Therefore, I find that The Sword And The Brocade has a unique charm because the romance is kind of gentle and gradually persuasive. It has a very different flavor from the usual to make it a compelling watch for me. However, I also understand why some people can’t relate to this drama as the male character is written to be cold especially towards his concubines.
A Cold Male Lead
The main male character, Ling Yi, has a few concubines besides an official wife. So, this is a drama that features a lot of schemings by revengeful and jealous concubines. It does have that element of stereotyping. This is not helped by a mother-in-law who practices favoritism. If you are not into this kind of set-up, this drama may appear unattractive. That was what I thought too but the female character saved the day for me which I will elaborate later.
Basically, a cold male lead is not new. Legend Of Yun Xi and Ten Miles Of Peach Blossoms also start off with an aloof male lead. But because Ling Yi has a few concubines, some viewers may have issue with the way he treats them. In the drama, Ling Yi simply has no affections for them. So, he tends to neglect his concubines especially after the female lead comes into the picture. You can say that he is pretty unfair when it comes to the amount of attention he lavishes on his wife versus the rest of his women.
Personally, I’m fine with it because I can relate to his situation as the head of a very traditional family and why he ended up having to marry them. He is also repulsed by their schemes and over-eagerness to curry favor with him because he is just not that type who would fall for their wily behavior. If you look at it this way, then Ling Yi will become a more palatable male lead.
An Astute Female Lead
Shi Yi Niang’s ability to read the situation and seize it to her advantage is what makes her character interesting to me. So, yes, it is a typical concubine and mother-in-law historical drama whereby they try to make things hard for the female lead. But Shi Yi Niang is not that poor woman in need of her man’s help. She is smart and astute to know how to turn the tables on them. In a way, the female lead carried the show for me. Rather than a sob story with a pitiful female character, she blazes the trail with her independence and courage to take risk.
Hence, if you like watching strong and smart female characters in your dramas, The Sword And The Brocade will certainly qualify as one of them.
A Sweet And Gentle Romance
The plot starts off with Shi Yi Niang wanting to investigate her mother’s death. As the drama progresses, it switches to the relationship between Shi Yi Niang and Ling Yi with the investigation remaining relevant as a sub-plot. I think some might find the romance unrealistic that Ling Yi seems to tread on eggshells around his new wife when he is an experienced married man. I guess it is needed to slowly build up the romance. So, you will find him remaining respectful and a gentleman when it comes to romancing and sleeping with Shi Yi Niang.
Thus, if you want to enjoy this romance drama, you will need to put aside a dose of realism. But that is how it is with most dramas out there anyway. For me, the romance is the slow burn type but charming nonetheless because Shi Yi Niang doesn’t fawn over Ling Yi like he expected her to. She beguiles him and after getting to know her better, he ends up adoring her. Hence, it is gentle progress as they build a foundation of trust after various experiences and start to admire each other’s good qualities. It has a positive feel in a way that is both sweet and satisfying.
My Verdict
I know many people are watching The Sword And The Brocade because of the leads. Seven Tan is a talented actress who tends to have great chemistry with her co-stars. She did well in Under The Power as well as Go Ahead whereby she is paired with someone younger than her. As for Wallace Chung, he has been around for a long time and is a highly experienced actor.
Both of them did manage to generate enough chemistry in The Sword And The Brocade for me. I guess it really depends on whether you find them to be a matching pair appearance-wise as there is a big age gap between them. If you don’t, then the chemistry will feel forced just like the pairing in Dating In The Kitchen and the drama will lose its shine altogether.
Nevertheless, I would still recommend a watch with a score of 8/10 for this The Sword And The Brocade review. Perhaps it could have been shortened rather than stretched to 45 episodes as the women’s schemings can get tiring. But the plot keeps it going as the investigative element and feud with the Ou family offer more variety to the story while remaining closely tied to the romance. That is why I find it to be an addictive drama overall. Watch it if you want a different feel to a romance rather than the usual. Also, the OSTs of the drama are really beautiful to listen to especially the one by Zhou Shen which fits the drama to a tee!
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The couple has an absurd chemistry, the actress who makes the protagonist can make two characters with mastery (to the point where most people love the protagonist (Na) and hate the boring sister, Ya). But the opinion about the female protagonist is divided because she has a strong personality and she doesn't hesitate to bring justice for what happened to her sister. So some people will hate her, but for me she was right in defending her sister (even if her sister does not deserve) because that is what you do for the people you love (some people could say: but it none of her business. Yeah, but what would you do if someone shotted your sister (or anyone in your family), would you say is none of your business?).
And that's why I do not blame her. She may be impulsive and commited, but she is also brave and not only when we talk about the fighting scenes where she is awesome, but when she does something wrong, she admits the mistake and apologizes without hesitation. She is always ready to give up on something because of someone she loves. And that's why she cannot be crucified. The main character is a hero, he is always trying to do the right thing even if he does not agree.
The main character is a hero, he is always trying to do the right thing even if he does not agree. He is fair and it is interesting that even when he does not like the lead girl, he is always trying to protect her (even when he is angry to her). He is the kind of guy you would want to meet and he is a perfect son and brother. He always see the two sides of the same coin, even when it seems impossible.
Moreover, he is not afraid to face everything and everyone for what is right (at this point it is even similar to the protagonist). They both are very similar and maybe that is the fact that has made the couple so well accepted. They fought a lot, however their fights were mostly silly discussions that soon passed into the scope of the comedy, you could see from the beggining their love for each other (they never hated each other completely). At the end of the day, this lakorn has many reasons why you should not watch this, but at the same time you will want to see only to follow the progress of this couple that was undoubtedly incredible.
Besides that, the OST is wonderful and addictive, worth checking out! PS: final was pretty cute and left nothing to be desired.
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At first I thought not see this drama because I hadn't seen anything of the leading actors, and because I had some grudge against Wang Ji Hye after seeing Personal Taste and Hotel King; however, the drama really worth it.
I fell in love with Ji Sung above all things and loved this type of female character, strong and independent, even a little reluctant to fall in love, I think that's just a plus for the drama, because you can see the guy seeks sassy girl's love and not the other way around.
I also ended up loving Wang Ji Hye and realized that a character may end up defining whether you like or do not like an actor, sometimes you forget the difference between fiction and reality XD
Another plus point is that finally the parents were not the most important obstacle to the main characters, but the circumstances. That seemed more entertaining after all.
In addition, all the supporting characters (the adults) were really funny and charming, I really never loved Kim Young Ok more than here, especially in her scenes with director Cha.
Finally, this drama had definitely one of the best bromances I've ever seen .Sometimes Ji Heon and Moo Won really seemed to be the real romantic couple of the drama haha
May you enjoy it as much as I did. Totally recommended!!!!
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Outstanding female characters...
This drama is a must watch.The first few episodes may come of as confusing, but once you're past that this drama will take you in for a ride. And it's an amazing ride.
The casting is perfect, the female characters are complex, smart and strong (every single one of them). The second male lead is another perfect character with so much to tell. Overall all the actors have done their characters perfectly.
The villain is great too.
Personally this is a perfect drama with time travel, adventure, thriller, a crazy villain, best female and male characters, romance, heart wrenching drama, having perfect dialogues and ending.
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