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1BL to Thriller or Vice Versa?
At first, my fujoshi heart was all aflutter for some fresh BL content, but six episodes down the line, I found myself spiraling into a rabbit hole of thrills and chills instead.Not a moment of fast-forward was needed through the saga: it's a wild ride through the eerie and the unknown, with narratives that grip you, suspense that keeps you on the edge, and a raw delve into the realm of mental health. It's a murder mystery adorned with a rich blend of folkloric whimsy and literary allegory, each scene more captivating than the last. This series is where the tender allure of BL meets the pulse-racing thrill of a mystery, all wrapped up in a cloak of cultural and literary elegance.
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Incredibly Fantastic ! EMOTIONAL, EVOCATIVE and POIGNANTE !!!
ABSOLUTELY THE BEST MOVIE OF 2024 !!!My Name Is Loh Kiwan is an emotional rollercoaster romantic thriller that takes you on a thrill-filled journey in Belgium. The story runs smoothly from sadness to action-romance-beyond realism the harsh reality of refugees. The plot is well-paced, with the main characters developing progressively the dark tone of rom element keeps the audience entertained. Every one character's actions are legitimate and dependable on eachother, running with Loh Kiwan and Marie story, it represents story between Father-daughter, Mother-son. My Name is Loh Kiwan carries a wide range of all genres that can be really liked by anyone ( watchers). The cast of every character truly symbolizes their specific roles, delivering how the characters feel to life. Loh Kiwan triggers an indication on other cinematic brilliant works of the Korean film industry.
[ 10/10 !!!! ]
Outstanding Soundtrack, top quality Cinematography (Loh Kiwan Close-up shots are good) Visually amazing every scene by setting dark tone; the film displays beautiful atmospheres that reflect each character's existential experience.
[ SONG JOONG-KI ]
Song Joong-ki's physical appearance conversion, and emotionally charged makeover are certainly the film's standout paths. His physical appearance is the centerpiece that allows ourselves to emotionally. engage with the story in a deeper way. He again shown the versatility of his acting with this movie. Giving a chance to Debute director is really a good challenge. He took the challenge and deleveried his acting in new way proficiently. Song Joong-ki as Kiwan has won the hearts of the audience. His versatility is beyond words and after you’ve seen his other projects, it is proved how easily he molds himself as per the requirements of his role.
[ LEAD ACTORS ]
Loh Ki-wan's transformation from at risk to strength is prominent, while Marie's struggles with addictions and issues with her family throw depth to her character. Their on-screen chemistry surpasses geographical boundaries, and their love story narrates overwhelming feeling of mutual suffering and redemption that connects to watchers. As i expected the climax made me cry, especially Choi Sung Eun acting like suffering from outside circumstances and dealing with her own emotions Loh Kiwan feelings will make everyone emotional. And Song Joong-ki classic in climax leave good impression on his character development.
[ DIRECTION - WRITTING ]
Debute movie of Director Kim Hee-jin, she utilised her cast perfectly within the small looking big story, i really appreciate her work of Loh Kiwan, because it's her first movie and cast like Song Joong-ki Choi Sung Eun so I doubted there's a some pressure on her but after watching the movie I understand I was worng.
She carried masterfully every scene. Although it's an adaptation the movie writer brilliantly delivered the script with heart touching lines. Loh Kiwan standout with unique mix of traditional story telling with amazing scenes that make you enjoy and emotional feel in every moment.The performances of supporting actors such as Lee Sang-hee, Kim Sung-ryeong, and Cho Han-chul are also excellent.
[ Finally ]
South Korean Film makers never fail to deliver a movie from Intense battles to emotional tales, and western entertainment media appreciate Korean Film Makers as " South Korea is a goldmine of original ideas and storytelling talents ". And we can saw it from Loh Kiwan.
Definitely one of the most memorable films I've seen. This movie may inspire, sometimes horrify, or send you into an existential crisis, but it will make you think about something new by the time you finish it. Despite its dark underlying themes, the film ultimately delivers an appealing message of hope and endurance, leaving viewers with a sense of satisfaction and emotional ride..
brought by -- Shinnosuke_Lee
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Episode 1 shows that one can not judge a person not unless you have walked in his/her shoes. And this specific episode, took it in the literal sense which made them both appreciate the sacrifices they had to make just for the other.
Episode 2 shows that you should not wait for a potential rival to profess your love to someone. If you feel it, say it, show it and be true to what you feel.
Episode 3 shows that it is not good to test your partner specially if you are not ready to accept the result or you might regret it.
Episode 4 shows that being "in" a relationship is not always enough. You need to spend time together, experience things together and do not take your partner for granted.
Episode 5 solidifies the concept of if it is meant to be, it will happen and will end up together. To stop worrying and be with the person you hold close to your heart every waking moment because who knows, you might wake up without your partner by your side.
It is nice for GMMTV's approach about this special. They made it in a way that it is can stand alone with little reference to the series where their respective relationship started for Episode 1-4. And I am not really surprise that they did an extensive flashback on Episode 5. After all, among the 5 series here, it is SOTUS that is most successful, beloved and widely recognize.
However, for episodes 1-4, one can appreciate the story even more if they have watched what each couple went through. What they went through and it feels that their pairing will end in this. For episode 5, it was a clever move so viewers who like to rewatch SOTUS, or watch it for the first time. I know it moved me to watch it again. GMMTV made it in a way to tease the viewer.
I have this sense of accomplishment, a closure if I may say so, as far as their respective relationships is concern and it is hard to see if it is going to anything else other than how each episode ended. What I am trying to say, it is the end of the road for their relationships as it ended happily. Except of course for Pete and Kao as they will renew their respective roles in Dark Blue Kiss.
ACTING
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Episode 1:
Off - I have always seen him as the goofy not serious, the clown of the gang. So when he played the role as Rome, it was nothing short of my expectations. He transitioned quite seamlessly.
Gun - I must admit, Gun have his work cut out for him. Knowing in the series I have seen him, Puppy Honey and The Gifted, I see him as the serious type guy and taking on a role as Pick will be hard for him as it demands to be more relaxed, not up-tight, joyful and full of confidence. In his episode, I felt that there was some instances that he needs to loosen up a bit but did not quite fulfill my expectations.
Episode 2:
Chimon - Seen how he improved his acting from My Dear Loser to The Gifted, which is the opposite ends of the spectrum. As Sun, he is the reserved, shy, ever polite kid, weak and vulnerable. And as Wave, he is the determined, confident and projects an antagonist aura quite well. And his role as the young Pana in Happy Birthday, which I see him as the loyal friend where you could actually seem him happy. I knew then that he is a versatile actor that can take any role that is given to him. He played Sun in this special with confidence, stares at In is believeable, retains his sweet and vulnerability and his happy smile is quite genuine too.
Pluem - Started as In in My Dear Loser, one can easily see that he can be bossy and the next, a defender of the weak. Playing as Tonmai in Happy Birthday, I saw him cries quite well too as it shows that he can be vulnerable. As he reprise his role in this special, the character needs to be with a degree of assertiveness and at the same time scared. Nothing to say other than praises for his acting here.
Episode 3:
Frank - The biggest improvement among the 10 main characters here as he was able to show that he is more relaxed, can respond appropriately, receptive of Frank's sweetness. Unlike in My Tee/Cause Your My Boy, you can clearly see him thinking what to say or act next; not to mention when Frank kisses him, it was a stiff reaction for me.
Drake - I have always seen this guy as the bold/daring one. A big transition from his role in Slam Dance to My Tee/Cause Your My Boy. In this special he is more affectionate towards Frank and more natural and not forced.
I could see these two to be in a Romantic-Comedy theme series. And they can definitely pull it off.
Episode 4:
New - In all the series I watched with him in it (SOTUS, Water Boyy the series and Kiss Me Again), you can tell that he is good being as the underdog, can be easily boss around, unsure of himself. Meanwhile, as he renew his role as Kao, you can see him as the puppet master, pulling the strings, bossing Pete around is nothing but extraordinary. Beyond that innocent and sweet face, he was able to project that role quite amazingly.
Tay - who said a boss can't be a follower? Tay showed his vulnerability side in the episode. Like a dog following his master, or should I say, the love of his life. And was able to showcase more of his playful side and not just the up-tight guy.
Episode 5:
This is the episode where I expect for Singto and Krist to be consistent with their acting. And they are! Plus, I see Krist being more comfortable with Singto and his affection towards Singto is much more natural. And did I say he cried better?
SONG
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Two songs... First Kiss from Episode 3 and the flashback in Episode 5. Brings back memories! Unfortunately for Ep 1, 2 and 4, there is no song that stood out for me.
REWATCH VALUE
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If you miss the sweetness of one of the couples, you would actually re-watch this. But I have this lingering feeling that only Tee and Mork would have a future series, after all, My Tee/Cause Your My Boy was excellent at the beginning but somehow loses it direction in the middle.
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A good cute story
First things first, a warning about this drama is that there is a lack of attention to detail. Just small things like, ‘how is he not wet after being in the rain’ or ‘what happened to those cuts from five minutes ago’. There are also parts where some actions lack explanation for example, ‘how does bunny’s dad have people that beat people up. what is his occupation’.Also there is a situation where solo is drugged and almost raped by a woman and it’s just ignored. I didn’t like that but as far as I’m concerned it’s because she ran out of the building and got hit by a bus....
SoloGui:
I know people love the side couple, but SoloGui where definitely my favourite. They have a relationship built on mutual respect and honesty so they appear to be perfect, but no relationship is perfect and the flaw of their relationship I’d say is transparency. To explain, when Solo fall in love with Guitar, he falls hard. Gui was his entire happiness, all that mattered was Gui and because of this he doesn’t really think about much else and by that I mean his fiancé. He honestly never loved her because he loves Gui but he just didn’t say anything about it. He should have at least warned Gui about her. Same with when he just disappeared. However I liked that Solo never actually lied to Gui.
PhuKao:
This relationship was fifty shades of pure fluff. it was just really wholesome and cute. At first the bunny thing was pretty weird and cheesy to watch, but it eventually grew on me and I enjoyed it a lot. As they where a side couple they never had any real conflict with each other, so I wasn't that emotionally invested in them. So, when we learn that Phu needs to go to England I didn't expect it to hurt that much lol. but it did.
Kao was also the most supportive friend even when he was missing Phu, which I find so amazing. He is really the perfect friend.
PetchKhimPerthKhem (ugh):
This whole love square thing was an absolute mess. It really made no sense .
Dr. Perch has THE MOST punchable face I’ve ever seen OMG I’ve never been so frustrated. He has got to be the most useless excuse for a doctor how this idiot got a medicine degree is beyond me. He hurts and lies to so many people without even realising how much harm he’s done.
At the start I really didn’t like Khim because she didn’t know how to respect peoples boundaries and would invaded people's space, which I hope was the production mocking the fans that behave like this in real life. I think there was some development in her character, because at the end she seemed to have changed.
Initially the acting of the main couple felt quite awkward, but as the story progressed their acting, as well as their chemistry improved greatly.
I loved the ending of this drama so bloody much. Solo finally fixes his relationship with his father, and he is finally with Gui and their stepson*insert giggle*.
In the last episode, where Solo came to the farewell party and Gui kissed him on the cheek and ran away.... that was by far my favourite moment of the drama. The smile on GUI’s face was so authentic and it felt so real .
Lastly what I love of this series is the OST and sound effects. I don’t know if it’s just me but I love being surrounded by music like I can’t even sleep without listening to music so I really liked that and the intro was perfect. I literally never skipped it .
To conclude if you just want a ‘lightly sweetened’ series with many fluffy cute moments I definitely recommend this one. But be warned!! If you stay to the end it gets stressful as the main drama happens from about ep 10 before then it’s literally all the calm before the storm.
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This review may contain spoilers
This series is everything I ever wanted to see and so much more..
Bad buddy as the title goes it's about two individuals not exactly buddies but well they were kind of buddies in high school just that they didn't actually put a label on it. So anyway two buddies separated for three damn years, due to the rivalry between their parents, cross each others path yet again in university and that's where everything begins. It might seem like those dramas of typical high school setting at first but honestly it isn't. It is much more than that and better in every way."From two people who shouldn't be friends to two people who cannot be just friends anymore." trope done right. It's a basic plot done so right that it's too mesmerising.
And let me tell you this series is breaking stereotypes and I love it so much more for that. Especially the wife thing. They are clearly both husbands. Why use wife? This series voicing this out feels great. And them saying I don't mind the gender instead of I only like him. Now that's how it should be voiced out. Being gay, lesbian, bi, pan, trans isn't wrong. Some series overusing the sentence 'I only like him' low-key tells how they disgust the idea of loving men being men. But well bad buddy broke that stereotype too.
In the begining of the series many complained that the fights were not realistic but no, it's realistic. As someone who has been a witness to such petty gang fights, I know it happens. The whole university might not be aware of it but those who are aware pretty much know how those fights are and sometimes even how childish the reasons for the fights are especially in such an age group. So it's not exaggerating.
The series is everything I ever wanted to see and so much more. It just keeps getting better and better and the actors make it so much more better. Pat and Pran have the best chemistry out there.
This series makes my heart leap up with joy and then again it does not fail to inflict my heart with stinging pain. Definitely recommending this series.
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I like this drama.I laughed a lot and cried.I don't like long dramas,but now I would welcome even more episodes.
Nuan Nuan and Han Che was completely in tune.I like their emotional scenes.
Even the songs would be absolutely great.Even the music itself gave the scenes an atmosphere.
The second couple also had chemistry between them. Well-crafted drama.There weren't annoying scenes for which you were set up and you want to skip them to the part that interests you.The story shows when you want something. Go for it!As you hesitate, you don't have to get another chance.
I will definitely look at the drama again?
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Brilliant potential, if only … but still worth watching overall. Great minister characters.
To give a general sense of this drama, I would describe it as something that falls between Six Flying Dragons and Empress Ki in terms of tone, themes, characters, and storylines. It had a strong start, and I absolutely loved the politics in the early episodes, but as it went on, there were aspects that began to lessen my enjoyment considerably. I do think there were elements that were great throughout, but this drama didn’t fully live up to the potential it had.Perhaps the best thing about this drama is the way it re-explores the themes that dominate sageuk politics. There are a couple normative principles that generally underlie the hero-villain dichotomy of the vast majority of sageuks. 1) Strengthening royal authority is good. 2) Revenge is a justifiable motive. (The former is more deeply enshrined than the latter.) This drama throws both into question. So while the initial set-up might seem like a standard plot in which a weak monarch fights back against a minister whose power eclipses that of the throne, this is not necessarily the stereotypical storyline you’ve seen many times before. Despite some major shortcomings in the plot of the second half (more on that later), I’d still say it’s one of the better political historical dramas I’ve seen for the parts it did well and for the way it casts a familiar subject in a different light. I also enjoyed the fact that, while it is not recounting any true historical events, it is more authentic to the period than many historical dramas.
Another major positive point is that all the characters, including the supporting characters, have their own unique motivations. This drama isn’t populated by cardboard cutouts who are scheming just because. So there’s really a good cast of varied and interesting characters in this drama. Some of the characters are virtuous and dutiful idealists. Some are ruthless pragmatists. Some would sacrifice anything for their principles. Some want power for the sake of power. Some see power as a means to an end. Some want to do the right thing, but are concerned with their family first and foremost. Some don’t care much about politics at all and are entirely motivated by their personal relationships. Some seem righteous, then ultimately flinch, while others manage to stay the course. There are individuals possessed of unfailing loyalty, as well as those that switch sides multiple times. Characters who are in over their heads. Characters who maintain their calm in every situation. People who are abide by custom rigidly. People who will bend custom, but not break it. And people who are willing to throw custom right out the window. I could probably go on … Shout out to the Minister of War, Park Gye Won’s wife, and Park Gye Won’s son — my favorites among the supporting characters.
As for the leads … I found Lee Tae quite compelling in the early episodes, but by the halfway point, I was starting to feel that his characterization was rather all-over-the-place. I wasn’t sure if he was suddenly acting out-of-character, underwent sudden character development, or what, but whatever it was, I lost most of my investment in the character. I was able to predict where the character’s arc was headed, so it’s not as if what the drama was doing with the character was completely incoherent, and I actually think it was a great idea; the execution just needed to be improved significantly (see points 1 and 2 of my second to last paragraph). I think Jang Hyuk stole the show. Compelling character. Compelling actor. I won’t say too much, because I think uncovering the layers of the character was one of the enjoyable aspects of the drama. I liked the female lead overall, and although Kang Han Na’s portrayal did not make as strong an impression as Jang Hyuk’s on me, I thought she was good. I will say that although the female lead had a number of qualities I admired (she’s committed to her principles and devoted to those she cares for), I didn’t necessarily find myself rooting for her. I think this is partly because, unlike the two male leads, she doesn’t have clear political ambitions to get behind and partly because the drama sometimes failed to portray her internal thoughts and emotions sufficiently clearly or give her relationships enough weight (I place the blame on the drama’s storytelling more than the actress).
I wouldn’t really recommend this if you’re looking for a romance. It’s primarily focused on the politics. I do think the romance in the drama is interesting in the sense that it isn’t predetermined that the characters will make their relationship their top priority, as is the case with most dramas, but I can’t say I was ever deeply invested in the relationship. This isn’t a drama where you get to watch the characters fall in love, and though I could still understand the connection, I began having issues with how the drama portrayed Lee Tae, and it’s hard for me to get behind a couple, if I don’t care much about one half of the pairing.
Although there was drum instrumental that I sometimes found to be a bit over-the-top as well as some blatantly anachronistic Beethoven compositions, I enjoyed the soundtrack, especially the instrumental music. It’s more on the minimalist side, in accordance with current trends. I definitely think it added to the atmosphere and gravitas of certain scenes. Every visual element of this drama (cinematography, scenery, costumes, props, etc.) was gorgeous. On the whole, it’s a well-made drama with well-directed scenes, convincing performances, and great production.
I think there were really four primary issues with this drama, which unfortunately detracted from its quality significantly. 1) The drama favors dramatic reveals over allowing the viewer to follow the characters as they make important decisions and execute their plans. This was one of my initial little complaints early on, but it became particularly egregious in the second half. The writer seemed to think this made for exciting twists, but really it just robbed the viewer of the ability to relate to, understand, or get behind the characters while the action was happening; instead we got to hear about it after-the-fact. Plus, the reveals felt rather cheap; it would have been more exciting to be held in suspense, knowing what the plan was and wondering whether it would play out or be foiled by the characters’ opponents, or perhaps even questioning who we want to root for. 2) A couple major characters (Lee Tae and the Queen Dowager) have very bizarre character development. I think if the drama had been longer, they perhaps could have made this feel more natural with some proper build-up, but with what we got … some of it felt very out of left field. And in one case, it seemed like they were developing Lee Tae in one direction (very suddenly and not very convincingly, but still) only to totally drop that as if it never happened. 3) There is one plot arc in the second half that is just poorly written. Some of the issues are related to the former two points, but it’s also just a real drop in the quality of the politics, where suddenly everything (including the way certain characters are behaving) is very “convenient,” and if you stop to think, it doesn’t make much sense. It was quite a disappointment, since I initially loved the drama’s politics, and suddenly I just couldn’t take it seriously. 4) This drama probably should have been longer. I think certain developments in the storyline and characters could have been done more believably or given more weight if they happened less rapidly. I also think it could have helped to increase my degree of investment in characters or relationships, assuming they used the extra runtime well.
This drama had so many great things going for it, which almost makes me more upset about the aspects that were done poorly. Still, although it’s really too bad this drama didn’t live up the great potential it had, I would generally recommend it, since it was a largely enjoyable watching experience for me, and because it’s worth watching for the way it deviates from the standard idealistic Joseon prince/king storylines. In any case, I don’t think I’ve seen a drama with such good minister characters since Six Flying Dragons.
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The Virtuous Husband.
In this witty satire, a modern business man finds himself in ancient China where he is Ning Yi, a soon to be zhui xu/赘婿 or matrilocal husband to Su Tan'er, the heiress of a wealthy cloth merchant. Using modern business methods, he hilariously wins his Tan'er's heart and mind as they take down internal and external rivals together and he proves his worth beyond being a useless kept man.The wicked role reversals as Ning Yi and Tan'er navigate their marriage made my shoulders quiver with laughter, especially the darned Academy of Male Virtue. I love the way Ning Yi is written in this drama - he is cunning, compassionate, innovative, ruthless and far from the virtuous husband, he is the academy's most farcically subversive element. Guo Qilin and Song Yi sparkled together, transitioning seamlessly between brilliant comic timing and repartee, heart stopping action and moving emotional moments. The colorful ensemble characters, friend and foe alike are well dimensioned and written and acted with verve and audacity. The humble Guard Geng with a big heart and big dreams is my favorite supporting character.
I thoroughly enjoyed the first half of this drama, which is easily a 9.0+, the second half is noticeably loses its mojo and is at best a 7.5/8.0. The decision to back burner both Tan'er and Guard Geng would have been fine if comparable new characters stepped up to fill the void. Unfortunately while Xigua starts out as a powerful and interesting character, she becomes pathetic. It does not help that while she is lovely and likable, the actress Jiang Yiyi is miscast here - she not funny and has little chemistry with Ning Yi/Guo Qilin. Ditto for his shifu and the creepy Lou Shuwan; I didn't really see the point of either character. The drama only picks up again when Guard Geng and Tan'er re-emerge and our power couple is reunited. This makes it obvious that despite Guo Qilin's undeniable talent, he cannot pull off these uproarious moments when he is not lined up with the right team.
Similarly, the antagonists in the first arc are very comical but in the bandit arc, the villains were mostly trying too hard to be humorous caricatures. The attempts at comedy are also often at odds with the heavily political and increasingly complicated plot line, one that leaves scarce room for Ning Yi the maverick to save the day. The story also takes a darker and more cynical turn and even though Guo Qilin impresses with his ability to make me feel the weight of his loss and cry alongside him, the drama ends in a way that does not leave me thirsty for the heavily hinted season 2.
Overall I rate this a 8.0. I would recommend dropping after completing the much more outstanding first arc.
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This review may contain spoilers
Ok... Don't freak out... and don't kill me... but i think... i think i like this version more than the 2007 Japanese one (I don't count the 2011 version... ever... so let's just pretend that it didn't happen, ok?). DON'T KILL ME! It's going to be ok! Everything is gonna be fine... Don't get me wrong, i LOVE the Japanese version... but to me Horikita Maki just couldn't pass as a dude... Ever... and that is not because i have a strange female crush on her (Ok it might be just a little bit, but you've gotta admit...she is ridiculously adorable). Ella on the other hand... if I didn't already know... i would've never guessed that she was a chick. I mean sure she has got some female features, but overall she is very boyish in this drama (and it works for her, because she is still pretty). The story is actually very good, and very different to the Japanese version, which makes it easier to watch. You don't feel like you are watching the same drama at all, and that is nice because then it is easier not to compare the two. even though it is not a spoiler really i'm stil gonna write this SPOILER!!! SPOILER!!! The ending is shit. which bums it a bit in my book... I know that there was supposed to be like a seaon two or something but still...
The acting: Again, as i said, Ella was a really good choice for the role. A lot of people bash it for being too over exaggerated, and i can kinda see where they come from, but personally i don't mind it at all... i think it kinda adds to the charm of the whole show. and as for the guys acting... let me just get this out of the way... HotHotHotHotHotHotHot!!! oh and their acting is good too, but it's kinda hard to concentrate on... Did i mention that they are really hot??
Music:I LOVED the intro tune... but aside from that... can't remember any other songs... But the intro... So good!
Overall i really liked the show it was cute and funny and all that jazz, but it is very much a chick drama. And if you're like me and you love that sort of thing i would recommend you go check it out... In the very least it is a laugh.
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Now for my review-
So the things I absolutely love about this drama:
Acting: Kim Seon Ho and Moon Geun Young!
I was so happy with both of their performances. Kim Seon Ho is such a good actor and he had my fancy ever since I saw his mini drama called You drive me crazy (another amazing drama) and he did complete justice to his character of a man who always tries to stay out of trouble, but finds his sense of duty after meeting Yoo Ryung.
Do I even need to say anything about one of Koreas most prestigious and critically acclaimed actress's, Moon Geun Young. She plays both Yoo Ryung and Yoo Jin really well and sometimes you'd feel like theyre actually being played by different actresses because of her versatility in both roles. The chemistry between KSH and MGY both in reel and real life is out of the charts for me, I had a LOT of butterflies, however dont expect a lot of skinship because there ISN'T a lot. (Side note: watch their interviews and the BTS of the drama, they're really cute uwu) The other subway officers are hilarious too. The "villains" acted well too and had us fooled for a good amount of time.
Story: For me the writing did get a little shabby at times and was sometimes stretched, but i find that to be the case for most investigative dramas. Catch the ghost is a breath of fresh air in terms of crime and investigative dramas as humour is also a huge part of it. Even if you're not impressed by the story, you'll forgive it as the humour makes up for it and doesn't leave you bored at any point. There are a lot of twists and turns so it's never monotonous at any point. The drama is very gripping towards the beginning and the end, although the few eps in the middle feel a little dragged
Music: The ost's are pretty good although none of them leave a huge impact on you. In saying this I dont mean theyre not good songs, I have a few of them in my music playlists too, for a matter of fact. The bgm isnt over the top which is also good.
Rewatch value: I would watch it again but maybe not for the story as the cats already out of the bag and I know the killer, but for the acting, humour and the chemistry between the leads.
Things I didnt like too much: The side characters like Ma Ri, Woo Hyuk and Won Chul (the PR rep of police) never caught my interest and were really good at making me annoyed. I didn't care for Ma Ri and her side story and was not able to sympathise with her. Sometimes, the characters did really stupid things and had the suspects escape multiple times becuase of their foolishness, which was very annoying. The metro team in general was so incompetent and it seemed like they were only able to crack the case because of Yoo Ryung. In the 2 years they solved the subway ghost case, they didnt have ANY strong leads and quite frankly did absolutely nothing towards the case, while the subway team solved it in just a week...
But overall I will recommend it to anyone looking for something entertaining with good acting and a new story. 9.5/10
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The story on its core it's a really interesting one, with plot twists, intriguing characters, interesting old history but... It's so badly executed! And I don't mean the production, which is pretty good for a chinese drama. The script is a mess... I'm sure the books are really great, but there are lots of times in this drama when you have no idea why something happened, or why the characters are doing what they are doing. I know that some things are left unexplained simple because this is intended to be an 8 part series, but I mean things like: one of the main characters appears out of nowhere, nobody knows who he is, he doesn't speak, he joins the party and everybody plays along with that. I don't know, maybe I'm too picky, but I think this had the potential to be very good and instead it's nearly mediocre.
On the bright side, I'm really interested in the books right now =P
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Mathematical and human
DISCLAIMER: I'll be extremely biased here and foresee any flaws because I didn't even felt them, that's how much I loved this drama.I don't think I have enough words to describe how close to my heart this drama got. I'm a mathematician myself, so of course I was immediately drawn into it, and it needs to be said that the way they portrayed math gives it justice: the beauty we can find in it, the joy and relief of reaching an answer, the frustration and sometimes even the pain of pursuing a proof when it seems too far away. And I definitely think the journey of our leads in proving Ji Yoonsu's innocence is a parallel of that of finding a mathematical proof (no wonder the last episode ends with a blank square, one of the usual symbols indicating the end of a proof).
Well, the parallel with math in itself is already beautiful, but the beauty doesn't end quite there. I found it delightful how multidimensional all characters are, even the antagonists. Their actions, thoughts and transformations are all results of their experiences and life examples, and for some of the characters, we catch a glimpse in detail of how their present self came to be - Baek Seungyoo and Song Yerin are my personal favorite example of that, and gosh, BSY’s growth throughout the years is fantastic.
About the relationship between BSY and JYS: for me it is soooo well constructed. Their bond is purely intellectual at first, and a mentor-student one; BSY ends up falling for her but that's it. JYS helps BSY to
reconnect with math and with himself, which is essential for him to escape the darkness he was in. Four years later, after losing everything, JYS is the one living in darkness, and the emotional roles invert: now is BSY who tries to help her to find herself (although I do think he crosses some lines by following her around, but I guess it is a reflection of how worried he was). That’s when they start to connect and care for each other on a more (two-sided) personal level, and it is all so subtle: stares, small actions, worries, words of respect and belief. It is not even clear to me where the romance starts. But wherever it is, it does so in a natural and extremely subtle way, and I enjoyed this development.
The utmost focus is in the corruption going around the school and how the leads try to reveal it, which was thrilling to me and easy to understand (I often get lost in plots like this). But for me the highlight is how the characters move and receive everything around them, which seems to reflect how well written the characters are - they move the story and make us believe in them without the need of a flashy plot. Side note: mathematicians are usually stubborn and prideful when it comes to mathematical truths (we see that when JYS challenges the student who solved the problem to come forward and BSY immediately does so), and I think BSY is so incredibly desperate to prove JYS's innocence not only because he cares, but also because his mathematical stubbornness merges with his sense of justice and makes him unable to NOT do his everything to reveal the truth. And that makes the entire story move.
Well, there sure is a lot more to talk about (like the lovely Choi Sian and Prof. Ji), but I'll stop here. My huge thanks to all the actors and production staff, thank you so much for making such a beautiful drama and for representing math and mathematicians in such a positive and realistic light. Melancholia made me feel all the feels and I’ll definitely go back to it many times.
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Is it worth watching? Yes.
As someone who watches BL often and tries to keep up with BL releases, I admit I didn't have much hopes for this series just based on the trailers. I'm the type to at least watch the first epsiode though, so I gave it a try. I have to say, the embrassment was way too much for me and I put it off for at least a month before trying again after multiple recommendations and good reviews from friends. After the first 3 epsiode though, it did get much better. So for those looking to see if the series is any good, you'll have to survive the first 3 epsiodes before you make any judgements. I would recommend watching at least until epsiode 5 before deciding whether or not to drop the series. Also a warning for those who are new to the series and has just started watching. Toh is the defination of second hand embrassment. If I got a dollar everytime I had to press pause, cover my face in embrassment and scream at my laptop, I'd be a millionarine right now. All in all, the series itself is very unique and weird (which I think is done on purpose) so going into it, keep in mind that it isn't like any other BL series you've seen so far and don't try to treat it as such.Before anything, a big shoutout to the translators who diligently worked to put up subtitles for us international fans. They were one of the best I've seen on an offical channel. Thank you so much for all your hard work~
Story : There are multiple things I like about the story itself. One, it has a unusal main character. Almost all BL stories start with the main character being a normal good looking guy who somehow ends up in a werid situation with the main lead and then falls in love. Here we know, Toh is not normal at all. He has his issues, (extremely) embrassing moments and is in love with Nuea from the start. He goes too far sometimes and honestly really needs to see a doctor that specializes in mental illnesses. However, there's character development. We do see somewhat of an improvement. His friends advice him and go as far as restricting him by keeping someone nearby to watch over him. Although this isn't very helpful, they are trying their best and at the very least doesn't brush it off. They acknowledge that he has a problem which is the first step. As his relationship with Nuea gets better, we also see his friends helping him address and change his hoarding habits. They even thought about him having withdraws and instead of instantly insisting he change immediately, they restrict it to him collecting one item each date. They'll slowly start restricting him to one item a week, one item a month, one item a year and so on until he stops all together. This is not only helpful but also better for both Toh and his friends. Making him stop collecting items immediately would not only cause withdraw symptoms like they said but would also lower his confidence and self esteem when he sees that he's not able to follow the set of rules. It'll not only make him feel bad and less deserving of a happy relationship with Nuea but also disappoint his friends which can cause tension between them. I'm glad the show decided to use a realistic way to help with Toh's bad habits. I'm also glad that Toh's willing to follow his friends advice and not break the rules they've set for him despite all the grumbling he does. This not only shows how much he treasures their friendship but also that he understands his friends' worries for him. It shows how close-knit their friend group is.
Two, the story centers around feminie characters. Most BL shows have masculine or manly characters and use good looking (mostly straight) actors so they can attract females and get more views. They use actors with softer features as bottoms but be honest, they would totally look like straight guys if you saw them alone walking down the streets and didn't know they were in a BL series. They do sexy photoshoots and even in sex scenes where they're supposed to be getting railed, they're told to look sexy in order to avoid looking "feminie" or "weak". Yes, there's nothing wrong with a manly bottom but there's also nothing wrong with a feminie bottom. The only reason why most shows don't use feminie looking actors is because in Thailand and SouthEast Asia especially, females or being feminie is considered weak. A guy who acts feminie is considered not a man. Guys who act feminie are shunned from scoiety. Even in movies and TV shows, they're there to provide comedic relief, be a cannon folder, a confidant that the female lead shares her worries to, or a side character that'll never get his own happy ending. They're only given jobs like hair stylists and makeup artists because those are considered feminie. hey're always the butt of the joke. It's been this way for centuries in Asia. Toh's whole group of friends are very feminie compared to other male characters. They talk about guys, they sqeaul when there's someone hot, they tease each other about their crushes, they go into detail about their relationships, etc. Most of all, they act and dress feminie. They show their emotion, they cry, they blush and are openly (mostly) gay. Although these aren't exactly what we would call feminie traits, compared to other male characters, they are considered as such. I love this show because it shows us their perspective. It treats them like normal human beings.
Three, we're seeing many new LGBTQ+ representations in the series. I would say it is the most inclusive series I've watched. We have bisexual main characters (Nuea, Sky), openly gay group of friends (Toh, Jao), a trans person (Daisy), straight people who are fine with other people's sexualities (Intouch, Som, Tor) etc. The characters in the story are already gay, bi or pan. They don't get "turned" gay or play the "I'm straight but the person I like just so happens to be a guy" trope. By accepting the fact that there are other sexualities and that straight people don't just happen fall in love with the same sex, we are one step closer to the goal (portarying LGBTQ+ people correctly and as normal people). In addition to the male x male couples, we have two straight couples (no more, everyone in the world is gay trope), and a lesbian couple (the very first too). We see them give Daisy her happy ending with Intouch unlike other BLs where characters that are trans or as openly feminine as Daisy are used as comedy relief. This is a huge improvement for the BL industry and Thailand.
Four, although we get introduced the main characters with their groups of friends, unlike other BL series, they don't just disappear as the plot continue. This is honesly one of the best things I like about the series. Both Toh's group of friends and Nuea's group of friends are seen multiple times. This is unlike other BLs where you can count the amount of the main characters meeting with their whole gang in one hand. They encourage them, comfort them, help them and advice them. At the same time, they call each other out when they see them doing something bad. They don't just brush it off because Toh's the main character or they're all busy with their love lives. They help with Toh's bad habits, Jao's insecurities, Daisy's worries, etc. They are great friends for each other. They don't get ignored or forgotten as the couples get together. Yes, we see lots of scenes where each individual ship is alone but we also see lots of scenes where they're with their friends and are talking about their problems or listening to others' problems.
Five, the relationships develop very naturally. We can see their whole love story and can even tell accuate timelines about when they first meet, when their relationship start to change, when they started falling and when they finally agreed to date each other. It isn't a sudden interest or relationship because we see them gradually falling and changing both in the way they treat their love interest and the people around them. Because we can see how much their relationship change them for the better, we're able to root for them more. And because their love story happened so naturally, it doesn't feel unexpected or something done just to get the plot going when they get together. This is possible too because the crews are always together. We kinda see everyone's love stories at the same time and how it affects others. Props to the director for being able to not make it look overwhelming. Seeing them interact with all their friends together with their little movements, the way they are close to each other and the way they touch each other makes them look so much more natural. This can be seen in epsiode 10 (the basketball court) or epsiode 9 (at the bar). Plus, the other couples give a good contrast to Nuea and Toh's relationship. Their relationship is obviously very strange and weird but the writer's telling us that not all couples are like that and there are couples with healthy relationships in the show which is a good message to send espeically to the younger audience who would wish of a love story similar while watching these series. At the same time, just because these couples are in a healthy relationship and started out much more normally than NueaToh, doesn't mean that they don't have their own problems and worries. It shows that all the couples have their ups and downs too, not just the strange ones. Relationships aren't just all cute and butterflies. To have a real relationship, you have to put in the work.
Six, character development. There's so much character development in this series. Almost everyone has some level of character development which shows that the writer, producer and director really worked to give the characters depth and improvement. Considering how cartoonishly funny they acted in the first 3 epsiodes (also probably the reason why most of us cringed a lot), we see them have flaws, probelms we relate to, improve, and eventually makes us see them as real life people instead of just characters. Yes, they still have that cartoonish manner that reminds us these are just characters in a BL series but as we continue to watch the epsiodes, we connect with them. We see character development from everyone. We see Nuea changed from this cold, manipulative person to cute and clingy as he falls and confirms his feelings for Toh. We see his jealous and possessive side as well as his considerate and kind side. He reasures Toh when he has insecures about himself or the relationship. He's patient with him when Toh's throwing one of his tantrums. Heck, he even lets Toh try topping him once (though it didn't work out) because he didn't want Toh haven't any sort of regerts in their relationship. But, not only do we see their individual developments, we also see their relationships develop. NueaToh for example, started out more as Toh being head over heels for Nuea and worshipping him like a god. He even gave him "Red" as a nickname because red is considered holy and auspicious. It is also because of this that Toh can not bring himself to talk about his flaws with Nuea as he's afriad that'll cause them to break up. As the relationship goes on, Toh opens up to Nuea. The turning point is when Nuea discovers Toh's hoarding habits and breaks down realise that even though Toh loves him very much, he's just waiting for their relationship to end because he doesn't understand how someone like him can be with someone like Nuea who is a god to him. This made Toh realise that while Nuea's amazing, he's also a human being with emotions and feelings. It made Toh understand that even though Nuea has been the one to reasure him about the relationship this whole time, Nuea might also be feeling insecure about himself. He now knows he's not the only one that could get hurt by this relationship and Nuea is just as vulnerable as he is.
We also see Sky change from this teasing playboy to someone who's seriously in love. He's open with his feelings, considerate, kind, patient and tries his best to understand Jao. He cheers Jao up, give him more self esteem and confidence and listens to his concerns and insecurities. He went from a player to the best boyfriend anyone could've asked for. We also see Jao's journey as he goes from being insecure about his body and doubting whether anyone could actually love him to accepting his flaws and eventually Sky's love too. From trying to drown himself in the ocean to accepting people can love him despite his flaws is a huge improvement.
We see Daisy struggle with her gender identity as she gets feelings for Touch. This shows us that despite the happy, easy going image Daisy has, she also has her own struggles and worries. She worries about how her being transgender might affect the people around her. She's worried about how others might think of people she love because of her. She even tries to change herself and become "Day". We learn about the struggles that come with being trans and dating as a transgender person. I also really liked that all of her friends, especially Som, was extremely supportive of her. Som also made sure that Daisy changing herself into "Day" was something she wanted to do, not something she did for other people. And that if that was really what she wants, she is always ready to support Daisy. Som and Daisy are usually the ones that are always happy, so I'm glad the show showed a new side to them.
Seven, The series doesn't have any problems concerning sex or consent. There's almost no action when one of them is drunk, asleep or drugged. Even kisses are consented by both sides and done mostly sober. I think the only time they kissed when one of them was drunk was in epsiode 7. Toh asked Nuea to keep his promise and even admitting to drinking the alcohol just because Nuea had told him drunken kisses are better. He insisted but he was still a little bit drunk (he remember what he talked about with Nuea though) so I guess it doesn't really count as him giving Nuea consent. Even in epsiode 9, Nuea didn't do anything sexual to him other than giving him a bath until Toh was awake and sober enough to talk and understanding his surroundings (Toh was apperently pretending to be drunk but Nuea didn't know that so it was nice to see he didn't do anything despite them already being offical and Toh being a clingy "drunk"). They also talk about safe sex and seem to always use protection while doing it. So big props to the writer and the director.
However, the story does makes me cringe a lot and there have been times where I just couldn't take the secondhand embrassment. I also dislike that while they acknowledge that Toh has a problem, they haven't done anything to help with it like taking him to a professional. Even in epsiode 8 where Nuea tells Toh he knows about the photo collection and that he knows Toh has been following him around taking pictures, it is evenually seen as a romantic gesture made from a supposely one sided crush. In epsiode 13 where Toh's hoarding problem gets exposed, instead of Nuea talking about how problemic this is, the shows says that it only happened because Toh was so insecured in the relationship that he wanted to keep things as memories for when they eventually break up. But I do give it credit. Despite it not doing much about Toh's stalker and hoarding tendencies, we do see that the series does have realistic solutions for his hoarding problem. Toh is also willing to listen to his friends and change. However his stalker and hoarding tendencies do need to be addressed and shown very clearly as a bad habit.
I really like the series and there have been so many things to praise it on, but in the end Toh is the main character and I really dislike that they somewhat ended up brushing off his problems. What I had hoped for is that they either get Toh some help or show Toh's character development regarding that problem. 8.5/10
Acting/Cast : Billy did a great job as Nuea. He was able to express Nuea in his own way. The most memorable of course are the kissing scenes. We can all see how hard he and Seng worked at those. I'm glad we saw an realistic portayal of how actual kisses would be like (the panting and moaning from both members is just chef's kiss). Both parties where whimpering, moaning and panting which not only show us how pleasureable the kiss was, it is also an accuate portayal of how someone would react kissing their long time crush in a heated kiss. This was unlike other BLs series where these sounds are either edited out or covered by music. Thank you for showing how a heated kiss is like in real life. Seng also did an amazing job as Toh. He was exactly like how I imagine Toh would be like. He had me convinced he was Toh. I don't think anyone else could have replaced him. The rest of the cast was also very good but I think personally, I liked Opp and Nut's chemistry the best. They worked really well together and I was rooting for them hard. I hope to see them in more scenes and BLs. 10/10
Music : The music was amazing. I really liked the opening music and I played it so much while waiting for the next epsiodes to drop. It was the perfect music for the series. The moment that song played, I knew exactly what it was for. Which in my book is high marks considering how bad my memory normally is. Other than the OST, the other music pieces used were also good. The timings were right and the editor did a great job puting them in. It was nice. 10/10
Rewatch Value : Honestly, I would not rewatch it. At least not everything from the start to end. I might rewatch certain parts I really like but the embrassment and cringe is too much for me to want to watch the whole thing again. 8.5/10
Overall : 9.5/10
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Father + daughter challenged in the face of presenile Alzheimer
Cassiopeia has already won the Korean Association of Film Critics Awards 2022.I would recommend it, too.
The KMovie Cassiopeia tackles an unpleasent subject: presenile Alzheimer's dementia. In an increasingly aging society, dementia will become more and more present and more common within the personal environment of all of us. Most cases occur at ages 65+. However, a small percentage is also affected at a younger age. This can even occur very early due to hereditary factors - as documented sensitively and unforgettable in the KMovie "A Moment to Remember". But this can also have many other causes. Dementia is a shocking diagnosis at any age, because with your eyes wide open, your own life inevitably slips away... faster than you imagine, you will no longer be able to recognize your own children, partners, friends or parents, while also the bodily functions will do their own thing.
"Cassiopeia" is about a woman in her 40s who is overwhelmed by presenile Alzheimer's dementia. However, the narration is slightly different than in "A Moment to Remember". "A Moment to Remember" captures the strong emotionality of the mental degeneration process practically from within - in touching scenes and sensitive relationship dynamics and tells the story of how memories in her head are erased as a painful loss for everyone involved. In "Cassiopeia", on the other hand, the audience follows the accumulating social moments in a comparatively objective manner, in which the exponentially progressing decay of the nerve cells is expressed - simply stating, so to speak. (Just as the protagonist initially presents herself as an objective, sober and rather sever person.) Emotionality is not dramaturgically staged in this KMovie, but results from the sum of soberly observed situations of individual loss of control and Su-jin's familiar world broken in two - one in which clarity still reigns and one in which everyone, even she herself is a stranger. From the emotionality thus involved - fear of failure, helplessness, shame, being at the mercy of others and much more - one cannot withdraw oneself. Rather, this emotionality develops an increasingly peculiar driving force (just as the protagonist's psychological/physical development process picks up speed). Eventually, the KMovie goes straight to the heart and makes people think.
In "A Moment to Remember" the focus was on the relationship dynamics with the beloved husband, here it is the portrait between daughter and father. In this case, the father tries to do better in old age what he could not do when he was younger, as he was not around.
In "A Moment to Remember" the protagonist is still at the very beginning of her young, promising life. In "Cassiopeia" Su-jin has achieved quite a lot: she is a mother, a successful lawyer, and also divorced. The daughter is about to move to her father in the USA. Significantly, the life of the protagonist, as it was up to now, ends in several respects with the departure of her daughter. It becomes difficult even for the star constellation Cassiopeia to give life perspective and orientation...
(By the way: the KMovie builds on a nice analogy between Cassiopeia and family. Both the star constellation pointing to the North Star and one's own family cannot help you, finding your path and your own way with life. Yet, we can rely on them if we got lost along the way: as some place to look out for/reach out for, regarding perspective/support).
Emotive. Especially by those often deliberatly soberly, calmly captured situations in which both the orderly and deformed worlds meet and finally merge. The helplessness and coldness of the social environment enfolds in all its unvarnished harshness - by its objective narrative style and camera perspective it is subtly thrown back at us. We are emotionally drawn into what is happening in two respects: regarding our empathy with Su-jin, which we cannot escape in the progress of the story, as well as regarding our identification with people/strangers Su-jin meets along the way - because that is what we are, too. How do WE actually deal with people who have obviously lost control of their lives or are about to lose it? Can WE stand this? Can WE lend a helping hand with this? Be of support? Even (or especially) if it's just a casual encounter on the street, an acquaintance in the neighborhood, or a colleague at work?
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