Reviews

I finished the manga few days ago and watching this now was so disappointing.
I mean the manga was great,I truly loved it...but this...urhhhhh.

Well it was cute and I even fangirled sometimes but after you have read the manga you miss all side story....they have a great impact to the story ....this was basically the main couple story with some changes in the story-line...which is not unusual in manga adaptation^^

The cast was good but I think the choice for the girls was wrong.
Ninako is much more childish and cute in the manga and Mao also doesn't fit her manga character.
The acting was pretty good and I really liked the music.

All in all it´s a good Japanese movie...nut I really recommend you to watch it before reading the manga ;)

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My relationship with this drama spiraled completely out of control towards the ending. For most of the drama, I wasn't that interested, I watched it over a couple of months. But now, I've just finished this and I’m a little shattered.

This show is called K2 for a reason. It’s all about Ji Chang Wook’s role and everyone else is sort of useless. It really shows in Episode 13 when Ji Chang Wook is working hard and using his brains and the politicians are shaking hands and his girlfriend is lying in bed watching TV, and the secret agents are peeling beans in the kitchen.
The drama takes a while to get interesting. It’s a gentle and subtle sort of story but it stays with you and the big moments are big moments. I like the sort of strange premise of bad guys getting beaten by other bad guys and then taken care of by the good guys.
It’s really interesting to see how Je Ha can sympathise with Madame even while knowing how perfectly evil she is and how he can be nice to her while even knowing the full extent of her selfishness. And he hides his contempt well and he sees so clearly right through her.

Je Ha – male lead
I've only seen Ji Chang Wook in Healer. Je Ha has more confidence than Jung Hoo from Healer. I think Je Ha’s attitude was really great. He was always useful, always willing, yet always in control.

“He’s not a hunting dog. He’s a wolf.”

JCW’s character is both action and brains. You gotta love that. One of the skills of Koreans is getting into the heart of the matter. They really know how to hit a bad guy where it hurts.
I love how ruthless JCW is.
If Yoo Jin insults him with her petty ways he takes it up a level.
There’s nothing more satisfying than getting under the bad guy’s skin.

I'm not one for political thrillers. But this one reeled me right in. The characters are chilling.
I really loved Je Ha's snarky language, “your unsolicited concern” and “So all you people need to do is pray that I get through each and every day alive, no matter what” hahahah

He doesn’t let anyone step on him. And it’s interesting how verbal he is with getting what he wants. He’s not a “hit first talk later” kind of guy.

With his relationship with Yoo Jin, I think he also sees a bit of himself in her. The way she fights so hard and isn’t afraid to get her hands dirty to survive.

Ji Chang Wook is so good at being badass and vulnerable in a heart beat. I like how Je Ha is confident of his own value.
He’s actually pretty tough in the romance and I liked that. He doesn’t give a lot when he doesn’t want to. He’s confident with the way he handles Anna.

Anna – female lead

Yoona kind of gets the short end of the stick. Her role is not very exciting at all. All she does is cry and scream and tremble. I think her appeal for Je Ha is that he has found a creature who is more forlorn and bizarre than him. I liked that he had compassion for her, that he was interested in her. It was cute.
She was kind of like his pet. Like a tamagochi. When she went all prickly it was satisfying to see her being won over by Je Ha’s chivalry. I wasn’t sure if I’d like the relationship between her and Je Ha but Ji Chang Wook has got so much chemistry, I shouldn’t have worried. Just a word from Je Ha, and Anna starts thinking of other people instead of just herself and it’s really nice how she applies her revelation straight away.
I really liked that he talked some sense into her. He called her a cry baby hahaha.
I really like that even though the mother was the victim, the drama didn’t sugar coat her personality and her flaws. Anna knew to remember her fully and not just as the perfect dead mother.
When Anna starts interacting with people, it’s actually really fun.
Anna’s character is pretty weak but she was pretty damn useful and quick in a fight.

There’s a surprising amount of equality in the relationship.

Yoo Jin
“I’ve never betrayed anyone who’s never betrayed me before.”

I like that Madame Yoo Jin is so seldom sincere that the people around her can’t even detect her vulnerable moments because they think she’s just up to something.

“She’s the type to not shed blood in public even when she’s been shot!”

I was worried about her being annoying, but I kind of rooted for her as well. I liked the way she was calculating and how if someone made her uncomfortable she would make them uncomfortable right back.
In a way, I thought it would be more fun if she was more cold, and we later got to see her break. But, I guess it’s alright that she has a lot of observable pain right from the start.

I really like the filming when Madam calls Je Ha “K2” before the mission. I loved how the drama showed that Madame cared about Je Ha.

“If you find yourself in a situation that’s too dangerous, it’s ok to come back.”

I like how the plot came down to the two siblings.

I also liked how Choi Yoo Jin’s scary relationship with her husband progressed.

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Ok, bear with me, this is going to be looong

No spoilers! Since reviews are mostly for people who didn't watch the drama yet :)
First the disclaimer. I am not trying to be a critic. To me whether I enjoy a drama (movie or a tv show) depends on it's ability to catch My interest. I can overlook bad CGI (especially in c-drama), dubbing, costume and some plot gaps. I don't mind clichés and I don't base my opinion on whether I like the characters. What is important: acting - if it's bad, I'll drop it, being able to sympathize or at least understand character motivations (not agree, just understand where they are coming from) and at last some idea of end-goal, as in this is going somewhere: to resolve a mystery, a conflict, find treasure, anything that at least promises some culmination at some point.
So, for all that I'm going to complain later on: I did like this drama. There were some moments that made me facepalm, some plot gaps (mostly due to deleted scenes, I think). But. I watched this, waited for the next episode, never thought of dropping it and very rarely felt the need to fast-forward (not never, I think it's impossible to never want to fast-forward with most c-dramas, some scenes are just dragged out. Yes, I'm talking about you "let's stare dramatically at each other or into distance" type of scenes).

So what did I like? Let's start with positives.
The acting is very good. I honestly don't have much to say about it, other than: it never felt overdone or robotic, I understood everything they were trying to portray.
The overall storyline. No this is not political. Some people compare this to the JOL and just no, if that's what you're looking for The Wolf is not it. They are not the same, other than being costume and somewhat historical. To me this drama was about people (how they grow or don't for that matter) and their relationship (not the romantic ones, if I had to, I'd say this is more about family: the one we have and the one we choose). I did not get invested into the main couple (explain later in the negative), but that does not mean I thought their story was unrealistic or outdated. Every relationship is different. Somewhat toxic, self-destructive ones are real too. They are just not pleasant to look at.
To me what was important is that all the characters were in place, they all had their roles and weren't just used as a plot device. I did not feel indifferent when something happened to them and they all had just enough backstory for me to understand them, but not so much that it distracted from the main plot. That is another good point: this drama is pretty concise. While there were some scenes that, IMO, could be shorter, most of the flashbacks and dialogs were interesting and to the point.
I did see characters grow and change. No one was one-dimensional (even if sometimes inconsistent).
Chu Kui is not a "villain" you sympathize with, but he is also not just flat boring "bad guy". I could see what he's feeling, how he consciously makes choices that alienate people around him, how he deteriorates more and more.
Ma Zhai Xing is an interesting one. In the begging it's very frustrating, because it seems like she's stuck in one place and is not willing to grow. But she does grow and change, it just takes a long time. And maybe that's more realistic? Because people don't just change overnight, sometimes it's difficult to accept reality and take responsibility.
I don't want to list all the characters. They are all pretty good and in place. I do have a favorite though, and it's Ji Chong. No it is not because of the actor. I just think that this character has a very charming personality. He is, sometimes, childish and stubborn, but also smart and free spirited, kind of a bright spot in this drama along with Bao Na (who we unfortunately don't see as much of). He accepts good and bad things that happen to him, learns and moves on. A rarely sensible character.

Ok, to the bad parts then.
The script. OMG. To me this is the weakest point. It's problems were made even worse by censoring and deleting some scenes, but even without cuts it's... weak. The characters are very inconsistent at times: MZX goes from smart and astute to simpering idiot in a blink of an eye. And Bo Wang's actions (to me at last) sometimes defy logic. Some situations and explanations are just... the only reaction I got was: "WTF is going on??". Sometimes it's due to cuts: the last few episodes are, honestly, a mess. But some things just can not be attributed to deleted scenes. The two main characters go back and forth so much in the beginning, it frustrating to watch (goes to much into the soap opera territory for my liking).
Which also brings me to my next point. I did not feel a drop of empathy for the ML and FL. There is no Relationship, only a mess of misunderstandings and ridiculous sacrifices. The whole "Romeo and Juliet" vibe is annoying. This is not love, it's infatuation, that would not survive past the honeymoon phase under regular circumstances. Therefore all of their romantic scenes, to me, were kinda "meh". Nor did I feel sad when they argued with each other.

This drama left a good impression. I would not rewatch it, but I did enjoy the experience.

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Absolutely amazing!

There are many 10/10 reviews for this series and theyve said what I want to say, such as how this series is really like no other "BL" out there, this story transcends the genre and it's such a beautiful piece of art. The story, editing, directing/filming, scenery, OST is all perfect. What i want to focus on is the acting and specifically the portrayal of the 2 main characters, because the characters brought the script to life and pulled everything together.

BK and PP absolutely knocked it out of the park and BK really had to do a lot of the emotional lifting in this series. It truly baffled me to read reviews from people who didn't enjoy BK's acting (????). BK was truly exceptional and so raw and natural with his quirks & mannerisms. Every single line felt so natural, the way he would hesitate to say something but then close his eyes and blurt it out. Even when he had no dialogue, his movements said exactly what he was feeling, which many of the times was confusion lol. There were so many scenes of Teh & Oh where I felt like I was intruding on their privacy because they were so intimate with each other. It felt like they were having a whole conversation when they were staring into each other eyes with no dialogue.

I just can't for the life of me see how anyone could watch this series with their eyes & ears and think the acting was what felt short lol. This is actually the reason i made an account and write this review.

I've already re-watched the series about 3 times now in the span of a week and every scene still feels so new to me. I can't wait for Part 2 to see how the 2 characters will grow as individuals and as adults.

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MUST WATCH!

This show was like that one really sweet grape that you won't have or find again.

I Told Sunset About You is a drama with a not-so-worth-mentioning plot and average storyline. What makes it stand out in its genre, though, is the incredibly meaningful script, its perfect pace, the detailed and to-the-point acting, the little angst, and the necessary drama.

In the beginning, I was truly a bit concerned about the chemistry between the leads. There was close to none of it and being a romance lover, I walked in expecting some sort of instant connection between the two protagonists. But then, I came to realize this was a total slow burn and needed patience, and before I knew it, more than the romance, I started watching it for the beauty of the show, its wonderful cinematography, and its poignant yet realistic nature of the plot.

As a BL lover, I obviously watched my share of the genre, and I can confidently say that I rarely found any BL's deal with the 'coming out of the closet' problems and ITSAY does that really really well.

The actors did an AMAZING job. I was totally immersed in the show and the OST clearly was a bonus. The sceneries were beautiful. The side characters (most of them) were memorable and lovable.

In general, the quality of this show by far exceeded almost every BL I have watched (especially every Thai BL I have watched). It might not be everyone's cup of tea, but no matter what, it is worth giving a shot.

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This show caught my eye because of Odagiri Joe, however, this show is filled with a cast of extremely talented people. In all honesty, I believe this show could have been, maybe, at least, a good 10 episode series; although, I can also see why it was kept to a 4 episode series, too. This show is much more charming than first meets the eye.

Not one moment is too complicated or too dramatic. The show is a continuation from the movie, so I can see where people may feel lost if they don't watch the movie first, but to be honest, I felt fine watching it before the film. The different feelings, thoughts, and realities of each episode made this show feel very real and relatable, almost tangible even!

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Detective based drama with funny bromance and light Romance

First of all I loved the leads of this drama especially the two male leads their chemistry was amazing ,, They were a master and his servant but they treated each other as friends through out the drama and the second male lead was hilarious ,, really the reason that kept me watching every week
I liked the cases per episode to solve ,, it was thrilling and not dull
the most memorable case was when the two male lead dressed as ladies ,, they were so funny and I laughed my heart out ,, some cases weren't that strong or logical but it's fine
the Romance isn't that heavy and not the main focus at all ,, that's what I liked also about it
the female lead was a good partner and friend .....sometimes she made stupid mistakes but that was ok
The younger brother was the most annoying element to the male lead and I felt their relationship was cold and distant not close to what the male lead have with his servant Chun sam like true brothers
but they had some warm Brotherly scenes till the end of the drama
Overall
I recommend this drama to anyone who like historic detective dramas with funny bromance .. it worth your time

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Murmurs of the Heart

By almost every objective metric, The Heart should have been one of the year’s best dramas. In truth it is the best medical drama I’ve seen so far coming out of the mainland. (Although I haven’t seen that many good ones truth be told) The script is meticulous, well-researched and the character arcs are brilliantly woven into the story. But tackling all 38 episodes is likely to be a marathon for many especially in the home stretch. It could have been China’s answer to Hospital Playlist but sadly lacks the latter’s impulse for economy as it inevitably gets bogged down by romances that it arguably doesn’t need. It’s a shame really because the series has a plenty of heart and the relationship among the three leads is one of the show’s bright spots. Moreover the patient stories and their unveiling within the show’s larger tapestry are among some of the best I’ve ever seen.

Mark Chao, Jin Shijia, Rachel Mao Xiaotong are the aforementioned leads in this slice-of-life drama a cardiology specialist centre as its backdrop. Mark Chao is Zhou Xiaofeng, a mild-mannered cardiology internist, Jin Shijia (from Under the Skin) is a cardiac surgeon Lin Yi and Rachel Mao plays Fang Xiaoran, an ICU doctor with surgical training. Xiaofeng and Lin Yi are polar opposites in temperament. Lin Yi though a talented surgeon is something of a loose canon and tends to run his mouth. Xiaofeng is a capable administrator but defers a little too much to his ethically challenged mentor. Xiaoran, on the other hand has the best bedside manner of the trio. Unknown to most of their colleagues, Xiaofeng and Xiaoran are half siblings. Their mother is a famous cardiologist Fang Zhuqing who divorced Xiaofeng’s dad when he was a boy. Mother and son are estranged from one another and part of Xiaofeng’s journey is to gradually reconcile with her.

As with all good camaraderie that is forged through fire, opposites clash at first but it doesn’t take long for them to appreciate the other’s skill set and even become a dynamic duo for more complex, multi-stage procedures. Lin Yi’s life is further complicated by the fact that he’s also the primary caregiver of an older brother who is living out the final stages of a genetic heart disease that could also afflict him at any time. It’s the sword that hangs over his head. There’s no cure for the condition but it is that which animates his embrace of medicine and his attitude towards patient needs.

A major chunk of the show is about the inner workings of the cardiology unit from the administrative side of things to inpatient consultations. It peels away the perceived glamour of the profession by featuring plausible predicaments related to short-term and long-term patients who wander around the hallowed corridors of the hospital. Right from the word “go”, it’s clear that the demand for medical services outstrip the supply. Medical staff with all their own personal baggage are overworked to the bone. Yet they are still expected to perform 110% once they put on the uniform. In that light, the drama highlights not only the limitations of medical science as it currently stands but also the enormous responsibility of clinical practice at every level. From inpatient visits to pre-surgery consults and post-operative recovery in the ICU.

In addition cardiac medicine also serves as a recurring metaphor and vehicle for a larger conversation about the importance of community not just among the medical professionals but the patients who temporarily find their place in that place. Medicine is more than a science. Everyone has a story. Strangers who occupy the same space for a period of time form a bond that have important consequences for the future. Some are pulled from the cusp of death while others never leave. But all leave indelible traces behind providing crucial life lessons.

There’s a part of me that is keen to recommend this. The production values are high. The cinematography is excellent and the casting is generally right on the money. However 38 episodes might be a slog for some and more importantly, there aren’t any good subs that I’m aware of. Still if you’re keen on a good heartwarming thoughtful drama, this could be the thing to hit the spot.

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Had so much potential but fell through for me

Note: I did not read the book so I am just going off what I saw from the show.

I am actually sad I am giving this such a low score than I wanted to. I had so much hope for this show and really liked the first few episodes. That being said once there started to be a pattern of the same dilemmas and misunderstandings it became dragged out. I love the story idea of a painter and a businessman. I find that to be such a great idea for a story.

However after episode four I started to get bothered by how the drama was going. Episode four was probably my favorite episode. The cute moment Phap and Maze had on the beach was a really great scene to show them develop (also think it was my favorite kiss scene in the show). But for some reason after this episode it seemed like things were going backwards? Like in terms of their feelings/communication/other.

Maze was being quite hostile towards Phap multiple times really without any reason to. Only till the last episode did we really get to see it was because everyone he loved has left him. There was no clear fluidity in this drama. The side couple just added nothing much to the drama other than Nueng being Maze’s brother. Honestly the side couple would of been good if they focused on their moments it felt like boom they automatically liked each other because we never saw the development.

A lot of things you were confused on in this show that they could have elaborated more. Lots of holes left filled with unnecessary arguments or other scenes. This show was 12 episodes long and there was just so much more they could of done with how much episodes there were. Too many cuts from different scenes in different timelines that confused me weather there was a time jump or something.

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Happiness has no limits

I started this show accidentally, I saw a couple of TikTok's a couple months ago but forgot about it until I thought I saw a clip of this, but it turned out to be the first episode. I cheered on some of the guys throughout the show (Go in-ho, Kong Gi-Hwan) along with their teams Chaile and Bravo. It might be a short show, but it is 100% worth it to watch. Lastly, team leader Jay is hot and his British accent saying f*** is weirdly comforting.

A couple of side notes, I would recommend that if you want to watch this be prepared to someone to do some of the activities with you. For example, a piggyback ride because they carry 30kg on multiple occasions.

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Cute Romance with a unique lens on a "crystal ball" way of seeing how that guy really is

9/10 is my rating. This is a 2020/2021 South Korean Romantic Comedy Drama with 10, 70 minute episodes. It is also known as "Please Don't Meet that Guy".

Seo Ji-seong (Song Ha-yoon) is a information technology engineer who works for a development company that adds artificial intelligence components to household appliances and other technology. When a smart refrigerator she is developing goes beyond its programming to not only make meal recommendations but to provide a complete background check of the person input, Ji-seong covertly tries to figure out what the gliche is and stall her boss for time before the product is marketed. As she is testing the refrigerator's AI, she uses people around her as inputs and finds out information about men in her and her friend's lives she is not sure she wanted to know. It reveals a dark secret, Ji-seong's fiancé had been keeping, and causes Ji-seong to break off their long term relationship. Fate steps in and Ji-seong finds herself crossing paths with Jung Kook-hee (Lee Jun-young) multiple times and even has occasion to work with him through a project with her company. She growns close to Kook-hee but is disturbed by his reluctance to have his photograph taken and his avoidence of technology. Having been burned in a relationship once, the secrets Kook-hee is hiding might keep their relationship from moving forward. Can Ji-seong resolve the problems with the AI and solve the mystery of Kook-hee's absolute avoidance of technology?

Overall I liked this. Usually I would think 10 episodes was too short but they were able to develop and tell the story in this number of episodes. I thought the relationship between the ML and FL was believable and they had great chemistry. I really liked Ji-seong and the fact that she was a female IT/engineer was cool because I have personally known a lot of person(s) in those fields and appreciate their analytical thinking. There are always difficulties in translating between different cultures and it was hard for me to understand Kook-hee's guilt over the fire as it was not his fault the firefighter decided to go in thinking he was still inside when, in fact, he went to a soccer game. That is not something individuals are likely to feel guilty over in US culture. I also did not see a lot wrong with Ji-seong finding out about her friend's boyfriends and warning them. She was not doing it intentionally, she was trying to get the refrigerator to simply provide menu suggestions based on a profile. She had to run it to sort the glitch. She may have ran it a time or two when not actively working on the issue and just to find out, but it would be no different than hiring a private detective at that point. I liked that she never forgave the ex boyfriend for betraying her by sharing her pictures with his friends and making comments about her body. That is not something someone who cares about you should ever do. I liked that Ji-seong's mother stuck up for her and told her ex's mother off when she tried to put the blame for the failed relationship on Ji-seong. I was disappointed when Kook-hee turned away from Ji-seong when he found out she might have dug into some personal information. It was right after she stuck up for him without even knowing the whole story. He "came around" but it still felt like a bit of a betrayal that he did not stand with her when she was having a hard time as a result of information being sent to him. Overall it was good and entertaining. Just a few, somewhat minor, "flaws" in some of the characters. It was also a unique story with the refrigerator acting like a "crystal ball."

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watch this short masterpiece (on GagaOOLala)

Beautiful, realistic, brilliant. I don't even have words to say how well done this short film is but I'll try without spoiling anything. This story and characters felt extremely realistic and relatable, these are people I could meet in real life. All three/four of the actors did an amazing job, it was especially great to see Huang Chun Chih again (lead in HIStory 3: Make Our Days Count). This is an exemplar of how to do a short film well. You have a narrow plot/idea that you want to convey with only a few characters/locations.

My only complaint is that it's too short and we need a whole series or a full length movie to really delve into the glimpses that we got here. Watched on GagaOOLala.

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