Reviews

Important lessons from the imperfect victim

I've read a few reviews where the reviewer blames the victims of poor choices. This drama is for the mature audience with an open mind and a open heart. As the title suggests "imperfect victim" is just that. The young victim made all the wrong choices but that doesn't mean she deserved to be assaulted. Victims of sexual harassment, sexual assault, and/or rape often face society prosecution in addition to dealing with legal hurdles. Even in the U.S. the stats of % of women that are sexually harassed, assaulted, raped are staggering. Although this subject is rather heavy, the drama does contain a lot of good information worth knowing.

Cast:
FL lawyer - Amazing! I love her acting & her character.
FL Victim - I think she improved a lot as an actress but could be better.
ML the accused - He's one of my favorite veteran actors.
Strong supporting cast all around, my favorite being FL lawyer's side kick, the female cop & the ex security guard.

The drama introduces the FL lawyer entering a dinner party responding to a guest pressuring her to drink: "I will only have one drink. Anyone that expects more than 1 drink I will leave." She's confident, successful & powerful.

Separately the victim, who's young & beautiful. She's timid and one night got pressured into drinking till she passes out leading to a night of unfortunate events. Later on she's judged as the gold digger and a party girl because she was drinking with powerful old men. She didn't say "No" therefore she was "fine" with it even if all her body language clearly shows she detested all that was going on.

There are going to be lots of frustrating scenes but it's also realistic and maybe it can bring more awareness on social norms that need to be changed & on laws that need to be improved upon.

Well done drama with a very good cast on a topic that's often overlooked. Probably not going to be a popular drama but I think it would be beneficial especially for women to watch this.

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A great drama in 2021!

I decided to watch this drama just because of the amazing cast, Yang Yang and Dilraba. And they did not fail to deliver the best out of them. I was totally hitched to this drama. Don't even start me on their romance! Yang Yang was on fire and the chemistry between main leads were more than the best!
I'm sure that the producing crew had to put on a great effort on this drama, since the drama has technical parts on game playing and aerospace technology. Those aspects were delivered in a very realistic way. You will never get disappointed watching this, because this drama is really beautiful and is worth watching.

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Hilariously titled, Pieta in the Toilet marks RADWIMPS frontman, Yoji Noda's acting debut. And what better debut than to work alongside rising young Japanese actress, Hana Sugisaki, who at her young age has been garnering awards including a best supporting actress at the Japan Academy Awards.

Pieta in the Toilet is a mix of arthouse feature and an indie flick. Daishi Matsunaga crafts a beautifully poignant film that feels very raw and honest. He does this with simplicity. Forget dramatic sun flares or slow motions, the use of sound, dialogue and camera work makes the emotions overflow.

Noda and Sugisaki have an interesting dynamic much like their respective characters—a struggling painter and an angst-ridden teenager. In them, an unusual friendship forms. It's actually such a treat to see these two interact. Noda embodies a just-get-by character, soft spoken and at times, even delicate and Sugisaki counters that. Loud, headstrong and jarring, she delivers with such fluidity, it's lovely to watch her on screen.

Pieta in the Toilet doesn't patronize. In fact, it doesn't try too hard given its somewhat melodramatic plot. Instead, its characters are the highlight. I would have just probably wanted for the characters to be fleshed out more. And instead of speaking between the lines, it's much more better to be direct. I feel like that part leaves too much blanks to feel.

But nevertheless, the cinematography is to love. And the overall aesthetic and colors are very flat—embodying the film's very characters. Powerful ending.

To those who don't understand the title and say it has nothing to do with the film. Actually, it does. Especially in the final moments.

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Qi Hun : Hikaru no Go without corset

I need time to process my happiness. This drama adaptation is the most wonderful surprise of 2020. It's close to perfection, brings happiness to viewers and fans like me. I hope Qi Hun will get the credit it deserves. This drama was the luck and moral support I was absolutely blessed with.

There are some some flaws in the second half, but they DON’T disturb the overall production quality. Every flaw has a merit that neutralizes it. The drama also has its own value as an independent project. Drama viewers, who think of checking out the manga / anime - you'll enjoy both works differently and get the best from both worlds! The original is not "for kids", it's an intense story about sports mentality, growth, friendships and human connection, relatable to all. There's so much sympathy for the characters.

The showrunners worked carefully with respect to the original source. They discarded grey-and-gray morality and psychological complexities, so although the characters are older, their motives and emotions are easy to catch. BUT!! They extended many character stories, improved some interactions and plot points. Chinese adaptation of "Hikaru no Go" is the same universe, but without Shounen Jump corset. It feels more relaxing. As if this manga was published in another magazine, where characters have more life and bonding, including relationships with classmates, friends, lovers and parents.

Which is reasonable. For example, in the manga, Hikaru's dream is "to connect the past and the future". Sai is "the past" of go, Akira is "the present", and Hikaru is "the future". Therefore Akira was supposed to become his new companion. He has been in the Go world all his life and must teach him about the ins and outs. But this transition never happened. They didn't "have time" to become close friends and a twin-star team. Their trope was put on hold. I sadly feel that this happened due to editorial restrictions / censorship. And this is where the drama caught up and finished their storyline. Thank you, Chinese creators, thank you *Chef’s kiss*

I just wish success to all the talented young actors who took part in this show, they have a bright future, just like their characters, and their recognition will bring even more happiness to me.

Thank you, 谢谢.

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What Even Was This?

So let's just all agree paying for this was asinine. Cool? Cool. This special episode was completely pointless except for seeing more of Fiat & Leo. Which those were even just okay, though spicier which is appreciated I guess lol. Were set 3 years into the future which is really stupid. Like why did we have to jump that far into the future?! Leon & Pob are still broken up and the entire episode is just of them almost crossing paths but always missing each other in the dumbest ways. What a tease and not in a good way! This should've just been them reconnecting, but no. I'm guessing there will be a second season for them? Not sure, but don't buy this it's seriously not worth it. No progression of the plot to be seen.

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Interesting story, smart leads

STORY: Great story. Different than the traditional rich man, poor girl. In forever love, both the guy and girl are smart and capable and come from well to do families (not anymore for the boy). Development of the relationship between the two main leads is entertaining to watch. A simple story but so nicely done and original.
EXECUTION: Acting is great from everyone on set. Some episodes has start with a time skip to the marriage between the two main leads, I personally really enjoy the time skips. Main couple gets together EP 12. Main couple doesn't breakup and make things unnecessarily complicated. Music is great and quality of the show is on par with expectations.
OVERALL: After finishing this show, I changed my review from 8.5 to 10/10. I really enjoyed the simplicity of this show. Forever love reminds me of Le coup de flounder. Watch if you enjoy school to marriage romances, back story, and capable male/female leads. This drama seems to be a good pick for learning Chinese if you'r interested.

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Brief, concise, and enlightening.

Birthcare center was a strange drama I happened to watch. At first I found it hilarious with it's exaggerating first episodes. But as it went on, I realized how deep it tackles about motherhood and parenthood--as well as relationships. It was short with only 8 episodes, but it covered a lot of realistic angst. It's like attending a forum by a well known speaker. Brief and consice. It's strange because I felt like it was discouraging us to be mothers, but then at the end it was actually cheering us on. Highly recommend to people in relationships, planning to have children, and to every child that we are. "A good mom, is not a perfect mom."

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A Dish Best Served Cold

Is revenge justice? That's the recurring question that permeates the gloomy atmosphere of this 12-episode serial whodunit set in the waning days of the Ming Dynasty. This plodding but fascinating tale of wrongdoing and comeuppance is told in flashbacks and largely from the point of view of its present-day protagonist, Qu Sangeng (Bai Yufan), a bailiff of his county’s constabulary. On the surface it has all the elements of a juicy Agatha Christie murder mystery but in and among the dastardly deeds committed in the dark is a document of a civilization on the cusp of collapse. The country’s foundations are rotting and the cracks are showing even in the smaller scale corruption at the local level. It reminds me of the oft quoted saying that "the only thing necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing." It's been misattributed to Edmund Burke (I've been told) but it still rings true and reverberates all throughout this tale of unsavoury secrets and people looking the other way.

The story begins when Qu Sangeng (Bai Yufan) finds the body of his beloved mentor, Captain Leng, strung up in an open field like a scarecrow. From then on the lad embarks on an extensive inquiry into his mentor’s death which doubles up as an exploration of the deceased’s life — his relationships and how he carried out his role as chief of the Hunters Squad. No one likes to speak ill of the dead apparently but the truth is when a man dies in such gruesome fashion, the general rule is that he was privy to some horrifying secrets before his untimely demise. It begs the question: Did his mentor do something he was ashamed of? This thought haunts Sangeng all throughout the investigation while he struggles to maintain some measure of objectivity. On top of that Captain Leng, a husband and father of two, is revealed to have regular night time assignations at a local brothel with a seasoned prostitute (Zeng Li). A part of Sangeng knows that his mentor was prone to cross lines for the job but turning over rocks for a big case is bound to end up in cupboards crammed with skeletons. As Sangeng delves into the rabbit hole of Capt Leng's past, he is led to digging further into a horrific fire that happened 20 years ago where an entire household was burnt to an unrecognizable crisp.

Qu Sangeng's probe into that incident inadvertently results in unpleasant revelations about respectable members of the community. One by one they get picked off almost as if they have knowledge of something sinister in the past that they've taken with them to their graves. Sangeng's journey of discovery is juxtaposed with flashbacks of a lowly but highly intelligent attendant Lu Zhi (Yu Yao) named after his master Lu Yuanbao. Somehow the plight and experiences of this orphan from 20 years earlier is connected to these grisly murders. Yu Yao, who looks like a much younger version of Korean actor Yoo Ji-tae, is charismatic in the role. He carries himself with confidence and exudes a wisdom beyond his years. Bai Yufan last seen in Stand By Me (2023) puts in a solid performance and he's wonderfully supported by Ning Li who plays Judge Song, Liu Yitong as Gao Shicong and Zhang Haowei as Feng Keshui. Since Reborn (2020) I'm always glad to see Zhang Haowei in anything watchable although his role here is relatively small.

No one can accuse the show of mishandled plotting because the script is tight as tight can be. The details are aplenty. Although I understand the intent of the showrunners to plumb the depths of character motivations and spell everything out in large letters, the pacing could be improved by some trimming. Even in a 12 episode drama. As a fan of the genre, I'm in admiration of the intricacies of the narrative with the decent-sized ensemble of characters but no crime show from the mainland ever escapes the mighty hand of social commentary. There's plenty of finger wagging certainly but the show doesn't overtly take sides although it's clear that revenge in the name of justice leads to a high body count that includes bystanders caught in the crossfire.

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This series started off well: interesting story line; great acting; likable characters and a good soundtrack. Its final episode also ended well, which almost redeemed the series. But about half way through it all I had to force myself to finish it. It became long, unnecessarily drawn-out and boring. I found myself on my phone, missing a lot, and yet at the same time, I felt like I had missed nothing.
I see this series has a good rating and has gotten some good reviews. I guess it's just not for everyone. If you don't mind slow paced dramas, that are mostly dialogue, you might enjoy this one. Otherwise, I wouldn't recommend Kill It.

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Let me just put this out there right away… I am a huge-huge fangirl of this show. I’ve watched it twice through now. Not to mention having watched several scenes that melted this poor Noona heart about a bazillion times just because I can. I happily put on my blinders throughout the entire show and loved it to bits and pieces. Though I’ll do my best to talk about what I did like and what I didn’t.

In case you haven’t heard, the story centers around Oh Chang Min (chaebol heir to a doctor family) and Oh Jin Hee (poor working class older woman). They marry without their families’ consent or permission. They are blissfully in love for a short while and then they fall out of love because they stop communicating and the stress of being cast out on their own is too much… not to mention the fighting, they fight about everything. Six years later they meet up again as Doctors and interns at the same hospital. Hijinks ensue. This review will be talking about story plot points that helped or degraded the story as a whole, not walking through the series of events.

The fight that ended it all and in a way started it all over again… Omo, that is one of the scenes that I have watched a ton of times. It was amazingly comical and yet blistering in its savagery. In that moment in time Chang Min and Jin Hee hated one another so desperately they were willing to cause physical damage to one another and their belongings. It worked for me because it had enough comedy that it wasn’t too dark. However, we weren’t given much evidence of why their marriage fell apart in the beginning. It would have been nice to have their history fleshed out a bit more right from the get go. But with the light rom-com way the show started out with, it worked well.

Throughout the first third of the show it was light, uncomplicated, hilarious, and wonderfully juxtaposed against the medical traumas they were fighting to mend in the Emergency Room. For me that was one of the things that I really loved. It was upbeat and energetic and such a good time. Chang Min and Jin Hee’s bickering made my day every time. It was just enough to make a spark in their chemistry while not making it overly evident that they had ended things so horribly. With each episode the bickering was less harsh and more playful, and I loved it so much. I honestly could have watched an entire show of Jin Hee and Chang Min bickering and bonding, it was just that good for me.

Now, let’s take a moment to bemoan the fact that for a third of the show we lost any trace of the rom-com that I fell in love with at the beginning. Some very serious things happened, which had me crying and broken on the floor. Honestly, this is the saddest show I have ever watched. Hands down, the most melodrama show I’ve ever seen. I avoid melodramas, I hate them with the passion of a thousand fiery suns. I’ve endured and lived through enough travesty and sad times that when I sit down to watch a show I want to giggle and laugh and be happy. So after one episode which made me shed a bucket of tears, I was prepared to forgive the show because I loved it so much. But… then episode after episode after episode of sadness weighed me down. If they had wanted to do a melodrama it should have been billed as a melodrama. I admit that I had a fit and was angry with my love and might have yelled at the screen a time or two.

So when in the last third of the show we got out rom-com back there might have been a party here. I can understand why the writers did what they did, but why did they need to drag it out for so long? It was painful, the subject matter was so sad, but for me I wanted that story point to be resolved more quickly. But then again, because of that intense melodrama there was so much character growth. Character growth that absolutely needed to happen, and without it the show would have tanked. But man do I dislike melodramas!

Speaking of characters, I want to spend a few moments on the cast.

Oh Jin Hee starts off in the past as a cutesy and happy girl. The breakup of the marriage and the way Chang Min treated her there at the end destroyed her. In those six years she struggled and worked to the bone to become a doctor. When we meet her present day she’s stuck in her hate for Chang Min, stuck in the past, and afraid of herself because of the hardships that she’s endured. For the greater part of the series she remains in this mindset, though it becomes less intense. But it felt like she didn’t grow soon enough. Granted, she nearly became less than human because of the emotional torment she lived through and that would be really hard to overcome. But for the sake of the story I wanted to see movement in her views of her past, her abilities, and love sooner. Regardless of that I adored her as a lead. She had spunk when the moment called for it, she was smart, she was sweet, and she was just fun to watch.

When we meet Chang Min he’s good natured and happy. Then he turns spiteful and somewhat hateful towards the end of the marriage. In present day he is the epitome of a chaebol. He’s snarky, arrogant, stuck up… you get the picture. As things progress and grow stagnant with Jin Hee at the hospital Chang Min does a lot of evolving as a man and character. It was really great. Then the melodrama hit and all we saw was Chang Min with a beleaguered and depressed expression for a great many episodes. Finally through he found himself again and found the right path for himself. Let me just say his smile… Omo… his smile is something that makes my day brighter. By the end of the show he was a well-rounded guy and I loved him so much.

Dr. Gook… oh Dr. Gook! Adorable, awkward, devilishly handsome, and all wanted to do was snuggle him and pinch his cheeks. He’s gruff and scruffy and stuck in his ways. Those ways are less than open minded and a little harsh. As a second male lead he was amazing! Dr. Gook was the perfect balance to Chang Min. Throughout the story I really flip-flopped so many times between wanting Jin Hee ending up with Dr. Gook or Chang Min. He was that good. But, he was also unforgiving in a lot of things and did not grow as a character until the very end of the show. That was frustrating. There were plenty of places for him to discover himself and evolve and yet it all seemed to happen for him at the very end.

There are few strong women in K-Dramas and even fewer who are strong outside of a tough girl role. Dr. Shim is probably in my top three favorite female K-Drama characters. I absolutely adore her. She was a single mother who proudly spoke of her daughter and her single motherhood despite the stigma that placed on her. She loved who she was, enjoyed her work, and was damn good at her job. Dr. Shim loved Dr. Gook, and at first I was in awe of that love. She openly welcomed his crush on Jin Hee and even encouraged them both to date. But, as time wore on it became a love of noble selflessness, the kind that drives me crazy. I wanted her to stop putting Dr. Gook first and put herself first. Beyond that, she was utterly amazing!

There was more than one love triangle in the show. Oh Jin Hee and Chang Min with their on/off/on relationship. Jin Hee and Dr. Gook were attracted. Dr. Shim was in love with Dr. Gook and he still harbored feelings for her. Then bring in Ah Reum, she was beginning to fall in love with Chang Min. She wasn’t my least favorite of all second lead females, but she was right up there with characters that I truly do not like. It wasn’t that she was necessarily that Ah Reum was a bad person, but she was inconsistently written. At first she was going to fight for Chang Min, but when she sees Chang Min head over heels back in love… she gives up and supports the divorced couple. Not only that, seemingly out of nowhere begins to fall in love with Yong Kyu who she summarily dismissed early on as not her type, ever. I just could not invest in her character.

Speaking of Yong Kyu, Omo he was just the most adorable cutie-pie ever!!! Seriously every time he was on the screen it was like watching puppies and kittens frolic on a rainbow. Ok, so I’m exaggerating and getting a little crazy, but I cannot even accurately describe how happy his character made me. Though his story felt off at the end, but I think he was just the most loveable drama characters of all time. I wish that we would have seen more of his story, I wanted him to be a little more fleshed out.

Even with the flaws and some story aspects that I didn’t like, I loved-loved-loved this show. As if having Choi Jin Hyuk as the lead wasn’t enough, it was also a Noona Romance!!! I mean come on, this show was tailor made for me!

If you are interested I recapped/reviewed each episode on my blog
http://thedramanoona.wordpress.com/2014/04/20/emergency-couple/

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