Subtle Cotton Candy Sweetness... but not so much Vice or Versa...
The vise versa universe is not very vice and not very versa as the differences between the universes are few enough to be noticeable but not enough to be worthy of the name or actually ,mean anything... more than the right to marry. a part of me thinks this is a good thing another part of me thinks they could have done so much more with this subject without overdoing it. They could show how absurd gender conventions are, or I do not know... I just feel that this part could have been done better... It is kind of sad to think that our society is so hard on celebrities that they seem to need to go to another universe so they can set a foundation for love... Shows some pretty decent criticism towards Idol culture without making that criticism too obvious either... So I guess if you like to read in between lines and appreciate the subtle approach to well known subjects this is not bad... I am struggling to decide if it is subtle in a good way or just under developed.This drama probably has one of Thai BL Dramalands best cameo appearances, done right featuring a lot of well known faces in fun roles. Making it worth a watch just for the cameo. That said the leads are pretty good on their own too. Showing decent chemistry and eat the fish instead of dead fish kisses... or is it steam the fish kisses.. Whatever they are tehy are indeed lovely.
There are a few draggy parts in the middle, and one of the supporting characters is highly annoying making me wonder is it the actor, the script or the combo that makes me annoyed whenever I see him. I truly feel bad for the guy who seems caught in these highly annoying character roles. There were a few sides torys that seemed to have a lot of potential, that I would have wanted to see more of too... So I guess there is quite a bit of waisted potential in this.
Other than that this was a fun and enjoyable watch that I do indeed recommend to Thai BL lovers out there... Not very demanding ... except for the first episode, that one is very confusing and not so well made.. but the rest is pretty decent and highly bingable.
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Holy smokes, as far as Cobra whump goes, this movie was a real smorgasbord. He was kicked, beaten unconscious and kidnapped, tortured - like, they went surprisingly far with that! - and on top of that there was the emotional whump too because a big part of his gang turned against him, preferring to give in to Kuryu instead of standing up against them, his guilt over not saving Smokey, his helplessness over how to defeat Kuryu... Ah-mazing!But my favorite moments were when Cobra faced the big bads, first Yoshitatsu Zenshin who went all, "I like you. I'll remember your face!" and then later on Kurosaki Kimitatsu who even went as far as asking Cobra to join their side! Their meet-up in the underground garage at the end was *chef's kiss* I loved how Kurosaki was all, "You survived, after all!" and it actually looked like he didn't mind all that much that Kuryu was beaten because he really didn't seem to like the direction their company went in under Iemura and their henchmen.
Also, I loved how all the things from the drama and the previous movies actually came to a head and all the loose ends and all the hints dropped were connected. That was some real smart writing that showed that they put a lot of thought into the actual story!
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Recommend
While this isn't my favourite Japanese BL, it's definitely worth the watch. The cute fluffiness and just right amount of cheesiness makes for a perfect "high school romance" classic. It wasn't basic or cliché and you can never go wrong with that! The side couple had a good amount of screen time (rare) and I got enough of everyone's story I was left wanting more because I loved everyone, and not because they were lacking character development lol. If you're new to BL this is a perfect watch because you get all the love without any lust and believe it or not, you can have a great series that way! The ending made my face hurt it was so cute! It may give you cavities with it's sweetness :)Enjoy...
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Good pacing and overall acting - but lack mini climaxes here and there
Completed - 1/18/2022"Sword Snow Stride" is one of my highly anticipated dramas as we seem to lack a true wuxia drama in 2021. However, after watching it, I realized it's not a wuxia drama in a traditional sense. There is a lot of special effects instead of martial arts fighting. The story is a combination of politics and pugilistic world.
It's undeniable that Zhang Ruo Yun, our male lead, has some great acting chops. I've seen him in the highly rated "Joy of Life" and also his earlier work in "Novaland: Castle in the Sky". He's an amazing actor. He reminds me of the Korean actor, Yoon Ah In. Both give off similar vibes, not handsome in the traditional sense, but with such charisma. In this drama, he is surrounded by some great veteran actors, especially, Hu Jun (ML's dad), Qiu Zin Zhi (God of Swords), Tian Xiao Jie (Grandpa Wei) and Wang Jian Guo (Old Wang). Comparatively, our young female lead, Teresa Li, pales in comparison. She's not horrible, but when you are playing against someone like Zhang Ruo Yun, she's not quite at the same level. Hopefully, we get to see more of her in Season 2 and her acting improves.
For a 38-episode C-drama, the pacing is good. There are enough events and little missions throughout the drama to keep me entertained and focused. But when looking back, everything feels very smooth-sailing. I don't think I was ever on the edge of my seat, worried something awful might happen to our leads, or that I really, really want to find out what happened next. I feel like it's missing some thrilling events. However, maybe it's also a strength that even without these minor climaxes, I am still engaged throughout.
We have many strong female and male characters in this drama. No one is naïve or makes dumb decisions. There isn't anyone annoying that I want to yell at. We have women who can fight and/or use their brains. How awesome is that! We have a family of intelligent people who are ruthless and cunning, yet selfless enough to sacrifice for the common good. They have some pretty fun and heartwarming family scenes and dynamics.
However, when "Snow Sword Stride" was promoted as a wuxia drama, it comes with certain expectations. I was hoping for amazing fight choreography and strong fight scenes, esp. from our male lead. What we have is a "modern" version of a wuxia drama with slow-motion fight sequences and a lot of special effects. I do enjoy the special effects - leaves, water, raindrops, flying swords, etc. But I was also hoping for actual fight scenes and not posing and slow-motion sequences.
Other Observations:
1. It seems like our male lead doesn't fight much and have others do the dirty work for him.
2. Our female lead seems quite useless in the first half of the drama, a little better in the second half. I hope she has a more significant role in Season 2 both in politics and in romance.
3. Why is the white fox at the fight in the last episode? What's that got to do with her? Just to help out a friend? Or want to give her some screen time before the drama ends?
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An Excellent Surprise!! Exceeding expectation and Serving the Best Quality~!!
DEFINITELY A MUST WATCH!!This production proves that anyone can create an exemplery drama with minimal and limited funding.
Honestly speaking I got so used to Low-Mid Tier budget drama serving just the bare minimum, something that is created to simply catch it's viewers attention and I never felt wrong about that as it made me enjoy it even more due to the fact that I can avoid unexplainable and ridiculous plot scenes and such.
BUT, this drama is indeed a cut among the finest piece. Almost everything about this drama is well planned and is comparable to those High Budget excellent dramas. So, lemme enumerate them to the best I can.
First and Foremost is the Excellent Writing and Plot allignment. These days most of these are being overlooked and neglected just to cater to the audiences liking but this drama used it in a more favorable way by making sure that they're not only serving what's on-demand and highly sought out but also made sure that it's with 'Great Quality'.
Next, Graphics, Cinematography, Lighting, Costume and Production. It feels like the director and all the people behind this project made sure that they'll never miss a single spot unless out of coincidence and/or inevitability reasons cause the entire time I was watching it, never, even once, had I encountered any distraction and aloofness towards the drama. Instead, I was expecting for more greatness each coming episodes.
Last but not the least is the Artist/Cast. The Main Leads look so good together + their chemistry is on point. While the 2nd Lead has their own charm for being unique, comical and entertaining 99% of the time. Also, our adorable Fei Yuan whose appearances tend be on the sidelines but never failed to deliver consistency with his acting and emotions.
Story - 10, Excellent Writing. This drama really went all out with their Solving Case Scenes and executed to nearly Perfection while making sure that it won't ruin the plot and story even one bit.
Acting/Cast - 10, Spectacular set of Artist who's delivered impeccable performances and emotions. I never felt awkward watching them cause they really felt natural and in-character the whole time they're ON with their respective scenes.
Music - 9.5, Music is decent but I usually have 1 or more songs I truly like out of the all tracks in a drama BGM list yet for this production nothing really stood out the best for me. Nonetheless, I still enjoyed it and never once got bothered about it.
Rewatch Value - 10, This drama deserved more views and positive word of mouth to people around the C-drama community because it truly went above and beyond the usual expectation to most Low-Mid budget dramas.
Overall - 10, Anyone who will tell me otherwise is welcomed to fight me. I would never forgive any slander over this drama as it truly went over the 'norm' and usual general expectation. Highly Recommend~!!
If you find my review helpful please let me know.
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[WARNING: the rating and review I give have the possibility to be subjective due to my preference for the genres, scenes or casts]"I want to be your strength."
Let's say that this movie give the personal impression for me. There's a scene and sentence that really happened in my life. Neither described my own scene, or the one that I said and I heard. It's kinda hard to watch this movie. It's like your life is shown before your eyes. But okay, I'll leave the subjective thing and start the review.
First, I'll choose Ono (on theory, the fact I still choose MatsuJun) (^o^) But surprisingly, MatsuJun is more fit to be a teacher than Tomasu XD Before, I've said that I quite bored with student-teacher theme, but this movie is beyond my expectation. The conflict is quite heavy, wrapped with the good storyline. There's a positive and negative side on each role that you love and hate equally, that makes you can't decide if you will love or hate that role. Well, at least that's for me (^_^)
The only scene I know I hate is the last encounter between Hayama and Kudo. He shouldn't have did that!
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Just the endings
Did you watch 7 First Kisses and love it? Such a silly but fun mini drama that was basically an ad for Lotte Duty Free stores, but who cares with 7 gorgeous MLs and 7 ridiculous, hilarious, and lovely mini stories?? Anyway, this is a set of 1-2 minute endings for what happens after the scene was cut at the almost kiss moments. It's a good little wrap up and gives us some more cute and funny moments with our actors. Search for it on Ytube and you'll be able to watch them all.Apparently I need to write a few more words to finish off this review, but if I write too much more, it will be longer than the series was!
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Mesmerizing
Honestly, I was mesmerized by this short series. It captivated me from the beginning. Perhaps it was the way it was portrayed. In a real sense, there is a very sad augury about these characters that hangs over them like a shroud. Yet, an opening for a hopeful ending is bestowed if the task can be completed.If you take it simply as a cute fairytale of love, it really does work. What one must keep in mind is that this series is never meant to be in-depth.
If you want to read my full review of this interesting BL, please do so by going to BLBliss.com.
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Boring, and it was only 10 episodes!
The first couple of episodes were them fighting. I wasn't feeling that they were a good couple to begin with, so when she was trying to make a deal to save him, it just didn't make any sense to me. Why were they together? I didn't believe that they were in love, due to the circular storyline (break up, make up, repeat), the lack of chemistry and the fact that they were "broken up" more than they were together. I felt that the writers were trying to create a thought-provoking drama, and granted, the potential was there, but if you can't see the love between the couple, the rest of it just doesn't make sense.Was this review helpful to you?
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"People today have forgotten that they are really just part of nature."
Over eight vignettes from Kurosawa's Dreams, you'll float through surreal settings with dolls come to life, tremble from the hellish landscape of a post-apocalyptic war and sit by a soothing river where life flows by, the past, present and future. Many of Kurosawa Akira's familiar themes run through the stories and some you may find more meaningful or interesting than others. If you've ever wanted to wander through a Van Gogh painting this is the film to do it with.Kurosawa begins the film with a wedding with possibly tragic consequences and ends the film with a joyful funeral. The old film master certainly likes to shake things up when he bookends stories. The first two dreams are when the central character standing in for Kurosawa, I, is a child. In "Sunshine Through the Rain", young I disobeys his mother and runs off to watch a Fox wedding procession leading to one of the most beautiful and disturbing scenes in the film. "Peach Orchard" has little I confronting the spirits of the peach trees his family had cut down. The spirits have taken the form of his sister's dolls and have mercy on the young boy due to his love of the lost blossoming trees. The spirits cause the trees to bloom momentarily in a most creative manner.
The next dreams feature an adult I. In "The Blizzard", four explorers are caught in a deadly snow storm. One by one, they succumb to the cold and fall asleep even as I encourages them onward. A mountain spirit attempts to lure I to sleep and he must resist or they will all die. "The Tunnel" sees I returning from WWII and walking through a long rural tunnel. He's confronted by a bloody grenade carrying anti-tank dog, then a private who had died in his arms. Finally, his whole ghost platoon confronts him. He must deal with his guilt and grief of being the only survivor as he faces his men.
In "Crows", I is an artist who travels through Van Gogh's paintings and meets the great artist. What he finds is a man driven to madness by his need to work and create the perfect paintings in his mind on the canvas. Perhaps the story is a reflection of Kurosawa and his own relentless drive to work. He too, had contemplated suicide, but went on to survive and continue his artistry.
The next two dreams are dark and as subtle as the old man in his I Fear to Live. In "Mt. Fuji in Red" Japan is ruined by the explosion of a nuclear reactor which covers the island in radioactive clouds. I and the people he is with have no place to run and one decision to make. Do they choose to die quickly or slowly? "The Weeping Demon" has I traipsing through a barren wasteland burned away by a nuclear war. The only life are giant dandelions and avaricious survivors with horns forced to devour one another to survive.
In the last dream, I crosses a narrow wooden bridge over a pristine river with waterwheels flanking both banks in "Village of the Water Mills". He comes across an old man fixing one of the wheels and discovers they use no electricity and have no need for scientific inventions. Most of the villagers live until they are very old due to their simple healthy way of life. The old man leaves I to join a rousing processional for a villager who has died, a celebration of the fulfilled life she had led. Kurosawa took us from cynicism.
Kurosawa's signature fog and wind showed up in most dreams, from the gentle rain misting in the sunshine, to the blinding blizzard on the mountain, to the colorful radioactive winds after the explosion with Mt. Fuji ablaze in orange and red. Many scenes were either brilliantly swathed in colorful flowers or menacingly gray and windy, never letting you find a comfortable place to rest.
The music and sounds further brought the scenes to life. The heavy breathing of the explorers in the howling wind, fighting for each step in the waist deep snow portrayed their desperate situation and resolve to live. Something as benign as footsteps became utterly haunting as the officer stood at the tunnel hearing the footsteps of his platoon coming toward him echoing louder and louder and later growing fainter and fainter. Several vignettes used stylized music and dancing, makeup, and costumes, reaching back into the past for inspiration.
Kurosawa covered an emotional diversity during his wedding, 2 apocalypses, and a funeral--- forgiveness, survivor's guilt, human resilience, and love for nature, as well as human greed and hubris. As he often did, he showed how the powerful materialistic upper tier with their out of control technology and self-absorption might destroy everything and everyone. Because of the captains of industry and their willful destruction of the environment they would be given a special hell to live in. Those who made friends with nature could live peacefully and well. If we take care of the environment, it will take care of us.
While I loved the sentiment of the final vignette, humankind will need to evolve much higher to do away with hate, envy, and the need for power. Inventions themselves are not always a bad thing, they can be very useful. As quickly as technology develops though so does our need for greater wisdom and love. Simply abandoning technology will not be enough.
Dreams took us on a trip through the river of time into the past, alternate planes of existence, and to possible futures. Whether this film comes across as a self-indulgent exercise by the director or a fascinating look into the beliefs about humankind and art by one of the 20th century's finest directors will be up to the individual. Even though he could be heavy handed at times or completely enigmatic I found the dreams thought provoking, creative, and a delight for the eyes.
2/17/23
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I felt goosebumps all over several times and I was even inspired a few times. This show is great for someone looking for an innocent love story, the "get together and break up then back together" story line most of these dramas portray was either not found or felt by me in this drama. I felt the actress really played her role well, it was elegant. That was, until I hit episode 10, I literally got so frustrated I just turned it off and walked away. A spur of the moment decision made me decide to finish episode 10 and move onto the final episode, 11. I am glad I did, the last episode was not a let down. I was lifted and thrilled as I watched the last episode, as corny as it may have been, the way they ended it was just so ironic I loved it. I really am glad I finished it.
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Before watching this movie I had heard and read countless reviews about how disgusting and vile the movie is. I had heard plenty about the violence and gore and how bad it was. Having seeing countless exploitation and splatter movies before I honestly didn't know what to expect considering this was meant to be one of the worst. This movie is much more than gore, though, it is a brutal re-telling of some of the worst war crimes committed. The acts of torture and murder are all spaced throughout the movie because in between T.F. Mous tries to develop the story and characters. He goes into some detail about the Youth Corps and their training, he tries to flesh out some of the young ones and the commanding officers and even some of the prisoners. It shows he is more than just a director trying to create a shlocky horror movie, but someone who wants to tell an accurate account of the atrocities humans can commit so easily.
That is not to say the gore is weak, all of it is realistic (too realistic) and disturbing. Just the thought of some of it makes me feel sick and cringe. It's enough to turn most people off food for awhile. However, one of those instances of gore put me off enough to deduct 3 marks off the movie. The use of real animals in two scenes completely disgusted me. I have always stood by my opinion that real animals should never be killed for the purpose of a film and in this case it is no exception. Aside from that it is one of those movies you must see before you die, only once, however.
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My one caveat is that to get some of the jokes you need to know a little about Korean culture, so it helps if you've already seen a lot of dramas before this one.
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A brilliant masterpiece
This is one of the best TV dramas I've watched, up there with Sherlock, Wolf Hall and The Crown. More thought-provoking and less violent with hardly any sex scenes, I much prefer this to Game of Thrones. The story, writing, direction, acting, music, cinematography and over-all production are top-notch.Hu Ge is flawless as political strategist Mei Changsu/Su Zhe who is bent on restoring his family's honor as well as those of his much-admired cousin Prince Qi and 70,000 soldiers of the Chiyan Army who were wrongfully accused of rebellion thirteen years ago. The rest of the characters, notably Prince Jingyan (Wang Kai), Duchess Mu Nihuang (Liu Tao), the Emperor of Great Liang (Ding Yong Dai) and Mei Changsu's young but capable bodyguard Fei Liu (Leo Wu), are as compelling. Watching Mei Changsu navigate the political arena in the imperial court is like watching a grandmaster playing chess. His metamorphosis from vibrant young marshal Lin Shu to a frail, soft-spoken but formidable strategist unrelenting in his search for justice is awe-inspiring but heart-breaking as well, such that even just hearing the beautiful opening and ending themes makes me tear up.
The first few times I watched the opening sequence, I was underwhelmed, wishing that, in addition to butterfly wings, there were also dramatic images of people to complement the stunning music. Then I realized there ARE human forms, I just had to be more observant. Turns out, the opening sequence is more beautiful than I could imagine. Since then, every time I watch it, I would try to find more hidden images, much like discovering forms in clouds. Another delightful feature is the original dialogue that I understand is poetic, making me want to learn Mandarin. These easter eggs show how meticulously crafted this gem is.
The emotional impact is not forced but grabs the viewers organically, from the story, acting, music and other elements that subtly add to the power of each scene. I cried almost the whole finale episode, even though there were hardly overly dramatic scenes. In fact, I think it's because the emotional expressions are muted that I felt the urge to release pent-up emotions. Even now, I still tear up whenever I remember the scene where Lin Shu bowed and silently wept in his family's ancestral hall after he successfully restored the family's honor.
It is a testament to the brilliance of the storytelling that a sucker for happily-ever-after endings like myself cannot fault the ending. While a fully fairytale ending would have been inconsistent with the tone of the story, this may be considered as having a happy ending, one that Mei Changsu/Su Zhe/Lin Shu would have approved of, having been able to give his all in the service of truth, justice and country.
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