Reviews

This is the longest drama I have ever watched. I have a short attention span so that can tell you a lot about the quality and delivery of this 133 episode drama. The longest, I've ever seen was a 21 episodes. This drama, from start to finish, was gold. Sure it had its boring moments or ridiculous moments. Or, what-the-heck-now moments. But really, the relationships, the romance, it was fantastic.
The drama knows how to space its angst.
I really like that we don't have to wait forever for some resolution. The drama didn't draw out the crisis for longer than necessary. They introduce many interesting side plots and secrets and I liked being able to jump on board those and get curious about the answers to those problems.

Jun Su's character. How can a person be so beautiful? I think on any other actor he would have been too goody-shoes for me. But the personality is so sincere and good-hearted. I was convinced that he was actually like that.
Jun Su is such a sweetheart. He and his father are such a pair. They are both gentle, obliging and doing anything to please. Jun Su constantly works to prove his value and his new family becomes his sole goal in life.

“You did not come into this family as a housewife.”

Even the slightest acceptance makes him happy.
He is very considerate of others.
I like that he's a bit of an old man in a young boy's body the way he tells off his elders. He is very responsible.
His purpose in life is to provide for his family so no matter what he's doing, if he's in pursuit of that, he's happy. There's the confidence the viewers have in Jun Su that he's going to be just fine because he's resourceful and works hard.
I haven't wanted to cry for a drama for a long time. By episode 4...waaah.
When they made the switch to adulthood, I thought my heart would burst with the feels. Jun Su is just like his childhood self. Generous and innocent and unassuming until you mess with his family. If you think Jun Su as a kid is adorable, he's even more cuter when he's old. How is that even possible? Oh the adorbs!
It is really amazing how the drama comes up with a million different ways that Jun Su demonstrates how obsessed he is with his family. He is so old-fashioned the way his whole life is his family.
Jun Su is the epitome of the Korean concept of sincerity.

“Feels like he is from the country yet it also feels like he knows the city.” That is Jun Su. He is naive but he has a strong sense of justice and he's really smart so he doesn't get tricked into any kind of deception. The wonderful thing about Jun Su is he really knows what he wants to do with his life. He doesn't make mistakes and has no regrets for any of his decisions.
I think one of my favourite sides to Jun Su was his salesman side. He's an impressive guy.
He has the most perfect face when he's hurt but trying to hide it.
I was quite amazed at how the siblings aggression towards Jun Su switched from anger to him to anger at themselves from the guilt of what they've done to him. It was strange how they accepted that their mother was his mother even as they maintained the lack of blood between them.

Ahjussi was pretty boring but he had one great line. “Did this guy's personality just change so suddenly? He fails an exam and he suddenly turns into Marlon Brando.”

Romance
“I only have to look into your eyes and I am filled with confidence.” What a lovely way to describe it. Romance at its best.
No matter how you see it, Im Jo Hwan is a beautiful man.

I liked that the pair weren't childhood sweethearts.
He has no wiles.
It's charming to see Jun Su who is just the most simple and straightforward man you could ask for fall in love with a woman so twisted up in knots. Do Hui isn't simple and kind like Jun Su. She's much more real. But to Jun Su, she is a fairytale.
It was sweet to see how gentle she could be with Jun Su.
I was surprised to see that when they do start dating, Jun Su is more comfortable with her and so he starts speaking his mind about some things. So it's funny that he is kinder to her when they're not dating.
But I loved seeing the delight on Do Hui's face when she laid eyes on Jun Su.

Cheol Su
I thought it was an interesting decision to have this sort of personality next to Jun Su. Cheol Su is a puppy. Adorable in a very shallow and immature way. Weird to think he is older than Hyeon Seok.
When Jin Ju kicks this little puppy, he suddenly becomes a man.

Do Hui
“What game?”
“Feels like you are seeing all the ways I can reject you.”
She's a tough character but in the face of Jun Su's chivalrous naivete it's so great to see her get a bit melty. And because of his tight-lipped nature about his past she gets super curious.
I like that even though she wasn't originally a bitch she became just that much softer from knowing Jun Su.

Jin Ju
“I am someone who doesn't deserve a dream.”
Jun Su's new sister is very prickly and Jun Su does anything to keep her as non-aggressive as possible. While it made me sad to see him treated that way, his eagerness and diplomacy in maintaining the relationship makes me feel appeased.
Jin Ju is the bad guy for a while. She really is the only problem in the beginning of the drama. As the drama continues, we get to know more of her thoughts and I liked understanding her better.
I felt sorry for her. That she has lived such a sucky life but she is to blame. She just regrets her actions all the time. She is the opposite of Jun Su in every way, huh?
Jin Ju is really hard on herself.
The drama did such a good job of making her into a person.
It's really interesting to see how bitterly she carries her burden of the family and how she herself struggles to keep them together.
She is angry so often that it can be surprising when she shares her heart. And she really proves how much she loves Na Ri in an incredible way.
I thought it was hilarious that they gave her such a quirky love interest.

Ju Yeong
This girl has the most beautiful expressive face. I like her diverse sides. She's loyal to her mother, really cute and often nice, even though she is immature. There were some moments that I was only watching the drama just for her. She is amazing actress with a lot of range and I found her compelling to watch.

Hyeon Seok
“My oppa, even on a deserted island with three people, criminals and a woman. He would only know to chase the criminals.”

Despite his sister's words, Hyeon Seok knows how to kiss. Oh yes!
I liked that Hyeon Seuk had to find his own identity apart from his sister and he had to know what he stood for.
He becomes a very serious young man who doesn't like games. But he loves Na Ri still which is awesome.
And how great was it when Jun Su came back around that he started coming out of his shell.
I really like how Hyeon Seok can relax around Jun Su and really joke with him and share that special connection with his hyung. It's so amazing how the serious and immovable Hyeon Seok will listen to Jun Su. Because Jun Su is so non-judgmental. Always supporting. I love how he lets Hyeon Seok find himself and how he pays attention to what Hyeon Seok is really saying.
Hyeon Seok says about Jun Su - “My brother is the one person in the world that I envy the most.”

Na Ri
Gong. Na. Ri. The biggest feels. “Big oppa, although by saying these words, small oppa will be jealous. Big oppa, to me, you are my mother, my father and you are my soul.”
Boom. Redeemed. Jun Su gave his life for that girl.
Her chemistry with her oppa was amazing.
I did not have a lot of feeling for her but when they recapped her history with Jun Su, my heart broke all over again.
I loved that she didn't want to let him down.

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Story: the story was fun, it was about the mafia daughter who are really stupid and it will frustrated you after some times. and bout the guy that really love the girl since they re small and tease her a lot but always there for her. the story was fun.. the both parents and the main lead are damn funny. and i like it when they bring others u-prince in this series as the lead friends even when that make u quite sad as u realize it the last u-prince series. but for those who watched a lot of other drama like korean, english or others, u will feel annoyed with small details in this series like the fake blood or the sniper laser.

Acting/Cast: it was really good. the chemistry are also good, the girl are annoyingly stupid but funny and cute, the guy are soo nice that you will hope your boyfriend treat you like that

Music: not that obvious to remember

Rewatch: not gonna rewatch it unless im really2 boring.. might watch it again after some time

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"What are you packing? A toy gun?"

Outrage Beyond is the second in the Outrage trilogy featuring director Beat Takeshi as the ominous yakuza Otomo. In this installment Detective Kataoka is called in to use his connections with the different families to diffuse the Sanno family’s power after they assassinate a police officer.

When the Sanno family kills a cop and begins pulling the strings of different politicians, Detective Kataoka goes to work whispering into the ears of disgruntled executives in the Sanno family. The new Sanno head has been ignoring the seniority system and pinching pennies while filling his own coffers. The rival Hanabishi family is reluctant to start a war even with the rumor that Kato killed his previous boss in order to be promoted. Kataoka pulls out his hidden ace when he has former yakuza boss, Otomo, paroled early from prison. So far everyone had been fairly civil in their expensive suits, but made the mistake of going on the offensive with Otomo. It’s all fun and games until someone pulls out the power tools for a good old fashioned gang interrogation.

This film was more about chess moves than gang violence. Like politics, yakuza alliances make strange bed fellows. Both friends and enemies alike betrayed each other. That’s not to say in the final third of the movie that the bodies didn’t start piling up, because they did. As the families went to war, the police sat back and watched. The acting was fairly average for a crime film. Kohinata Fumiyo made for a smarmy and conniving cop who was a little too close to the families. Matsushige Yutaka, Midnight Diner’s hot dog loving yakuza, played the straight laced cop appalled by Kataoka’s deadly methods. Beat Takeshi gave Otomo a world weariness for the yakuza with principles and who was also handy with a power drill. The plot while predictable was interesting though it did tend to drag when the negotiations and puffed chest scenes went on too long.

Outrage Beyond brought plenty of double-crosses, satisfying comeuppances, and even finger mutilation. The big moral of the story is if you want to keep your job as the head of the family, don’t cheap out and not provide a meal for your officers, a well fed exec is a less deadly exec. If you enjoy gangster movies and don’t mind more talking than usual in your crime families, Outrage Beyond is one to give a try.

16 February 2024

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Do memories hold power? Do those memories or the lack thereof shape who we become?

This was a spider web of lies and truths with the spider in the shadows waiting for its prey. The entire drama was a giant, twisted, puzzle and everybody had little pieces to the story. I found this super refreshing since most of the villain's reveal themselves for the suspense, but this was the exact opposite. The entire drama is a cat and mouse game, and I can't say I feel the least bit sorry for the mice in this one. The entire story is built on the fact that everything you know could be a mistruth and all your progress could disappear in an instant.

The acting is really well done. The premise did remind me slightly of He Is Psychometric, which initially made me hesitant to watch it, but it is nothing like it. I did feel they could have used music more to further the emotions in some scenes, but they made up for it with the killer (literally) storyline and suspense. You think you know who the culprit is then your thrown back into the dark over and over again helplessly. It was wonderful.

Just a warning, there are some decently violent scenes, along with a heavily implied rape scene near the end.

Definitely give this one a try if you like a good thriller/mystery. It will keep you on your toes.

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Well, what can I say? Ichi Rittoru no Namida was my very first asian drama, the one who introduced me into this whole amazing new world of dramaland. I can't even believe how many years passed since. So, I confess I'm being totally biased when I say that this is the best thing ever. Or maybe I'm not being that biased since it's all true.

What I'm trying to say is: don't trust me. Trust the other amazing reviews this drama has. Well, the 9.1 score can't be for nothing, do you agree?

But, let me say this at least: the name of this drama isn't One Litre Of Tears for nothing. You really will cry a life worth of tears, but I can guarantee you that, in the end, you'll be thankful and say that it was totally worth it.

To me, this is a drama that should be widely known through out the entire world. This should be like, I don't know, Titanic or other one of those things that have been watched by most people. Everyone, not only dramaland people, should watch this at least once in their lifes, that is what I think.

Because, by the end of the drama, you'll find yourself wanting to be a better person. You'll want to live your life differently, to never commit the mistake of taking things for granted ever again. This isn't just a drama. It's a punch in the stomach. You'll look at yourself and realize what an ass you are. And you'll want to change for the better.

You'll try to do it. For a few hours, days or weeks. And then you'll probably reverse back to who you were before, as you'll gradually forget the things Aya tried to teach you. Years will pass by in a blink of a eye.

But when you watch this again, it'll will be like the first time. The rewatch value of this isn't 10, is infinity. I'll definetely introduce this to the people I care about, even to my future husband and children. This is just too precious to let it be forgotten by time.

Even the OST is unforgetable. Remioromen's Konayuki and Sangatsu no Kokonoka and Kei's Only Human are just too gorgeous. Forever present in my ipod.

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A Show that You Should Definitely Rewatch

[First of all, keep in mind that this is the show that turned me into polca so I may have some biased opinions here haha!]

To be honest, the first time I watch it, I don't really love the storyline. It's just repetitively showing Pete's jealousy and Koa's somewhat insensitivity. And I'm just extremely frustrated by how they let Non almost ruin their 3-year-long relationship. And Non is just the most hateful character ever. These points are still valid, HOWEVER, while rewatching, I start to understand where their feelings come from. This is not a simple story about the mess created by an over-possessive boyfriend but more about the real struggles people in the LGBTQ+ community are having these days. Pete's possessiveness comes from his insecurity of Kao not being able to open up their relationship, while Kao is struggling very hard to come out to his mom and his friends (although this is inconsistent with the prequels, let's ignore it here). Non is also under the pressure of his possibly homophobic dad who also has unrealistically high expectations of him. One thing I love about this series is how PeteKao is already a couple in this series and they deal with all kinds of troubles about their relationship, just as straight couples do.

This show is by far the best BL series I've watched regarding how it represents the LGBTQ+ community. It talks about PeteKao and SunMork's relationships without using the cliche line "I don’t like men I only like you" (this sentence made it sounds like homosexuality is still rejected by the people who say it, so I think it's a bit problematic). It went into discussing extremely relevant and realist social issues of being gays, being lesbians, coming out, marriage, parental support/opposition, and insecurity in their relationships. It also portrays a cruel society by discussing violence, economic struggles, parent-child relationships, peer pressure, sex education, as well as internet bullying. There are just so many themes that you will need to rewatch to notice.

I would say this show has a great cast. Of course, this series provides great visuals to start with! The chemistry between TayNew and SunMork are both undeniably amazing. TayNew's intimate relationship in real life surely adds to the show. PeteKao naturally arguing over tiny things and SunMork being conflicted about their feelings toward each other make their relationships super believable and realistic. Acting is not amazing but still well above average.

This show also has a super high production value. I'm a big fan of P'Aof's directing and cinematography as always. Some camera shots are just breathtakingly beautiful. For example, I fell in love with PeteKao the moment I saw the scene by the swimming pool. The visual tension is captured so well! His wide landscape shots are also great! As for the music, we all know how infamously dramatic the intro song is. I bet most BL fans can relate hahaha! But every I watch it, I grow affection for it just because it's very different and interesting to watch. I wouldn't call the use of music "outstanding" in this show, but I just want to say the music before and during the first kissing scene in the classroom makes the scene almost magical! Not to mention how all the photos in this scene are It's very well-executed! And of course, as a polca, I can almost sing No Definition even though I don't understand Thai haha.

If you haven’t watched it, be sure to give it a try!!

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It's just my opinion, but I think this drama is highly overrated. The story has a very simple plot which is not unusual in k dramas. However, the characters were one dimensional and way too cliche for me. Lee young Joon was a character with good potential in my opinion. I had hoped he would mend his ways and become less narcissistic after he got into a relationship with Kim Mi So. However, his character doesn't seem to have developed at all even at the end. The way he fell in love with her was also forced in my opinion as he first only had a an obsession with her and didn't want to leave that childhood friend of his and it's not clear how this obsession turned into love. I also felt that the couple never really faced challenges, fought or had any sort of disagreement. I also found it ridiculous that they married each other without even 1 disagreement. He also put her to hard work for nine years and developed feelings for her suddenly. The positives in the story were the humor and side character development. The backstory was honestly ok in my opinion. It had its effects in the future and was hence essential and unavoidable. Mi So's character was what I disliked the most. Even after she got into a relationship with Young Joon, there didn't seem to be much of a change in the boss-secretary behavior as Mi So still acknowledged every ridiculous thing that Young Joon said and carried it out as a secretary more than a girlfriend. Also, I didn't like the fact that in the end Mi So decided not to quit her job as secretary. The reason she wanted to leave was to follow her dreams and I believe she should have given more priority to her own dreams and left to fulfill them. That's pretty much why I didn't like this series too much.

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Treeless Mountain was a poignant story about two little girls who were abandoned with relatives and seen through their innocent eyes. This was a spare, melancholy slice of life with little music or dialogue as the sisters learned to navigate their everchanging world.

Grade schooler Jin and her little sister Bin are dropped off at their paternal aunt’s house when their mother goes in search of their missing deadbeat father. As the mother leaves, she hands Jin a red piggy bank and tells her when it is full of coins they earn for doing chores for their aunt, she’ll return. Their aunt who doesn’t work and drinks too much soju does the bare minimum for them and sometimes not even that. The girls often find themselves alone and fending for themselves or asking a neighbor for food. Jin, who was a good student, is no longer enrolled in school. Despite their circumstances the girls stick together and look for ways to earn money to fill their piggybank.

This film eschewed dramatic music for natural sounds or the girls singing. The young actresses gave beautifully genuine, unpretentious performances. They carried the weight of the movie on their tiny shoulders as the story was seen through their eyes. It was agonizing watching Jin slowly piece together the reality of her life after the harsh realization of their situation hit her. Each emotional blow would rock her and she would slowly absorb the new information and try again. Kim Hee Yeon’s eyes told the depth of Jin’s pain. Though the girls were shuttled about, they stayed together and never gave into despair, always making the best of their lives.

Treeless Mountain demonstrated how vulnerable children are and how resilient they can be when they shouldn’t have to be. There were moments that were genuinely heartbreaking as Jin came to realize that adults lie and had let her down repeatedly and others that were filled with hope when she offered all she had to someone in need. This film will cause you to want to show great kindness to any children in your life-to cuddle them and fill their bellies with warm food and shelter them from all danger. Not every child has that security, some sisters live on a treeless mountain with only each other to truly depend on. While this slow meditation on the perils of childhood may not be for everyone, I found it to be deeply moving.

21 May 2024

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Amateur Performance of a Short, Intriguing Mystery with a Memorable Ending

I am not gonna lie to you. The performance by the actors here were pretty poor when it comes to any of the big emotions. You could clearly tell which emotions were the hardest for each of the cast, as the story required them all to portray almost the entire range. So it made some scenes truly eyeroll-worthy and hard to take serious. Then you add in the background music - playing just about the entire drama - which sounded like an EDM rendition of a skipping record. So I'm not going to try and sell you on liking this drama.

However, it was an intriguing and short tale of a group of friends connected together in a complicated web of sex, desire, money, and secrets. In each episode we get the tale of what happened from each person's perspective, and then we get the truth contradicting that same tale. Primrose was out there collecting blackmail throughout the night. I wonder what she had planned to do with it all? We don't really find out. But regardless, I found the end very entertaining. As those last credits started to roll I found myself actually wanting to see more, despite the many cons I highlighted above.

I also have to give a shout of recognition to the intro sequence. It was very pretty, eye-catching, and not in the least bit spoilery.

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More Than I expected.

I wasn't sure what to expect from this, but it wasn't what I watched. Overall I really enjoyed this. I felt like they spoke to someone in the industry and just told their story. It was touching and hopefully gives people a new way to look at this industry.
(also, I encourage people to keep in mind that not all hosts who work at bars are escorts and hosts don't usually sleep with their clients.)

Part 1 was informative and gave a lot of baseline information about the people involved. I finished it and was thankful that I waited to watch it until Part 2 was already released so that I could watch straight through.

Part 2 was more emotional and delved deeper into feelings. The ending left me stunned, but at the same time unsurprised. What other choice did he have?

I definitely recommend this, but it's not going to be for everyone. Not everyone enjoys the documentary / mockumentary style or pacing.

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What I like about this drama is different than other drama that I've watched except the ( Rich & Poor situation, Romeo & Juliet but instead of that two juliets, Family Issues, Family business). It was lgbt drama, it was fresh and new cuz in my country which is Philippines you rarely see lgbt couples in the drama or even as the main lead in the drama so it was refreshing to watch.

What I like about the drama

- Happy ending ( Look like one)

- Long episodes

- It's available to watch it in youtube (ik it wasn't related to the drama bu I was sort of relieved cuz I don't have to search up)

- It's good to watch when you have nothing to watch

What I don't like about the drama

- Ik, I said I like long episodes well except if it keep dragging. It annoys me when they have to dragged it for like 2 more episodes. (usually long dramas do that which I hate)

- A lot of things we're happening in some episodes which it annoys me as well.


Fun Fact : Rhian (Ramos as Jade Tanchingco). Marian Rivera (The Primetime Queen) was originally cast for the role, but withdrew in April 2015 due to a delicate pregnancy.


Reminder : to watch this drama you gotta have a lot patience, if you don't u might end up dropping this so good luck!

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SPELLBINDING ✨

FIRST OF ALL THERE ARE NO KISSES IN THIS SERIES ‼️
But this has to be one of the greatest stories ever told. I maybe exaggerating however they only showed how powerful love is. It is honest, forgiving, just and especially it is accepting. This is something everyone must see and feel.

They have not tackled any social issue within the community but they made sure that you will feel that in loving the same sex is just as normal as being in a heterosexual relationship. They made it look natural and beautiful.

I never seen a beautiful in a long time. They're not toxic but they are just people who make mistakes and they made sure that they've learned from those things.

Don't doubt just watch it. It's definitely worth it.

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Messy plot

Intrique by summary and pitching from YouTube make me click this drama. Unfortunately good story with bad writing make messy plot

For you who don't want get spoiled don't read my review. Cause i think I'm gonna curse/rampage a little bit about the holes in the plot...

Ok let's start....

At first the story really good everything quite good, the story, the time line quite make sense. Unfortunately the more story rolling the messier it gets...

They did a good job with the explanation of our FL & her maid side. What she must do to get out of this world & back to her world. And the game system to make all the health tool appear really interesting. But as usual & FL seems not too confuse with how her suddenly in the ancient world & just focus to get back to her world soon.

The messy part however when they need to explain the ML side, or you can said the world that they live right now...

1st off all we kinda missing the introduction in the beginning, we know that our ML is the former crown prince, but how come when the emperor died he's not ascendant into emperor & what his relationship with the current emperor....? And the missing introductions not only that, but also every body connections with each other. Get me headaches....

After that the story role about how ML fall in love with our FL and vice versa. Quite normal... When suddenly we get introduced with new characters Su Qi Shao, that we don't know who the h*ll is he until later, that turn out he is the lover of our ML's sister. & suddenly they're friends (yeah suddenly, a few ep back ML still stealing from him, if he turn out be friend why don't you just aks nicely...?) & try to rescue the sister from the place... Ugh.... And of course they succeeded to take the princess away and returned her later... And they did all of that without much effort or struggle to begin with, everything went so smooth like they own the palace. You rescue a princess from inside a palace without any struggles yet you're not suspected anything or anyone behind that controll it, and let's not forget our ML is former general. Ugh... How stupid can you write the story!!!!

The plot get messier again when they add about Bamboo Rooster. What the h*ck is that???? They never bother to explained it. Yet I calm myself this only part/season 1, hope they explain it later in the part/season 2.

Hope the part/season 2 make the story clearer....

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Cinderella and an unlikely fairy godfather

This is not my usual type of movie, I picked it up out of curiousity on a plane and was pleasantly surprised. The plot is simple - it is about the relationship that develops between a disabled middle aged divorcee Leung (Anthony Wong) and his caregiver Evelyn (Crisel Consunji), a Filipino domesetic helper. Leung is initally harsh to Evelyn; he is embittered by the random accident that led to the loss of his wife and son to another marriage that took them far away to the US. But her kindness and dedication eventually moves him to empathize with her plight, which is sadly all to common to the large Fillipino domestic helper community in Hong Kong. They come to care deeply for each other and find joy in each other's company in an otherwise bleak existence. Although they are so very different in terms of culture and background they even had to learn each others' language to communicate, what they both have in common is a kind and generous spirit. As a person who no longer has dreams, Leung rediscovers joy and meaning in life in making Evelyn's dreams come true even at great cost to himself. This is a very simple and humble production but the acting by both lead actors as well as the small supporting cast was really strong. And the script was well done, with a lot of humor that brightened up the mood along the way. It is both a sad and happy movie although the plot was somewhat fairy tale like or improbable but that is all I would say to avoid giving it away.

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