Reviews

Boys are in love... and they actually "talk" talk!

This drama was peak serotonin for me. A sweet, high school coming-of-age romcom, full of puppy love and fluff with no melodrama or forced angst. Also, this is an example of what happens when actual teenagers play teenagers. It added a layer of authenticity that helped me root for the characters.

What really stood out to me is how all the couples handled communication. Misunderstandings happen, but here they were not milked for the drama and dragged on forever. They actually talked, listened and sorted it out with no unnecessary angst, no soap opera twists, but just a bunch of teenagers who accepted and acknowledged their flaws and moved on happily.

Our two main couples :

Shane & Kit were giving the textbook opposites Attract. Shane was more of a dependable, observant and academically driven type who always had a plan in his head for his future. While Kit was spontaneous, flirty and more emotionally transparent than Shane.
They both balanced each other. Kit taught Shane to loosen up a bit and Kit discovers the comfort of being seen. They did argue and stumble but that is what made their dynamics feel real. It was just two flawed people trying to figure each other out and meet in the messy middle. These two absolutely have my heart! <3

Kim & Mon, on the other hand, felt like they were cut from the same cloth and got along well from the start. The romance between them felt sweet, soft and very gentle. Kim was such a spark with his earnestness and openness and while Mon, though initially a little reserved, gradually let down his guard. They were more fluffy and fairytale-ish compared to Kit and Shane.

All four of them have their own insecurities as they should and I think the drama did a good job of expressing that. It might not be the most mature way to handle things when I view it through an adult lens, but as teenagers, their small disagreements and emotional responses made sense.

While the drama gets a lot right, it’s not without flaws. Some of the conflict especially toward the later episodes started to feel a bit repetitive and recycled.  They did quickly resolve the issues but it was always the same. If I had to give an example, it would be how Kim struggled to express his feelings or communicate his thoughts to Mon, which ended up causing tension and misunderstandings between them. If they wanted to me to root for them, I needed more.

Another issue I had was that we didn't need a fourth couple here. Tar and Per looked absolutely forced to me on the romantic front. I always saw them as best friends who teased and irritated each other but at no point did I look at them and think, “Ah yes, romance is brewing". It felt like the writers just threw them in like, “Why not? Everyone gets a love line!”

While I wasn't too sure about the teacher's romance, but they completely grew on me. They were surprisingly wholesome together. With Tan's awkwardness and Nat's understanding, their bond felt very sweet and you could see they respected each other a lot.

Acting-wise, I feel everyone did a good job across the board. The younger cast members in particular, were impressive and I really hope they’re given more substantial roles in the future to fully showcase their talents.

Overall, this was much better than I expected. It was like a sweet blueprint of teens navigating their life with love, dreams and changes around. While the script is nothing out of the ordinary and it does feel like it plays a little safe but the charm here is that it never loses its tone or tries to be something it's not.
I would definitely recommend it if you are looking for something angst-free and fluffy.

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A lovingly told, soulful story based on true events. 117 uplifting minutes that´ll bring you joy

"Miracle: Letters to the President" comes across as a wonderful fairy tale. And yet it isn´t. The story arose from harsh reality. "Miracle" is a soulful KMovie about dreams come true, bathed in the bright colours of the four seasons in a remote, idyllic mountain valley. This landscape is a crucial player in its own, thus impressively contributing to the whole plot. Actually, a handkerchief or two might be helpful, even though the KMovie isn´t particularly playing on our heart strings. It's just a touching story, lovingly told.

The setting of this true story: a remote mountain village in the east of the country, that can only be reached via the trass of the railway line. However, it does not have its own train station. For the residents, this means that they have to put up with an arduous walk along the trass in order to get to the next village as quickly as possible. For example, the protagonist spends five hours each day commuting to and from school. And quite a few people have already lost their lives on this dangerous walk over this busy trass through the mountains – including the mother of the protagonist. The boy's dream: a train station for his village. The chances are low, but he does not give up.

It may help that he actually seems to have a special talent for science. Also it may help that in Rah-hee, a bright daughter from an influential family, he finds a school friend and at the same time his muse, always encouraging and inspiring him in her idiosyncratic way. Thus, "Miracle" is also a tender, unusual love story with the charm of the 1980s.

So there are wounds and wonders, as well as wonderfully staged images, yet with a challenging core. All in all, a lovingly told, soulful story based on true events. Nostalgia of the 1980s, picturesque nature and rustic mountain idyll, the slower pace of provincial life and spectacular railway lines through tunnels and over bridges in the steep foothills of the Taebaek Mountains convey "Miracle" its distinctive character. The KMovie is bathed in an all-round positive aura. 117 uplifting minutes that´ll bring you joy.










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SIDE NOTE: --- Yangwon Train Station ---
Socheon-myeon is a mountainous area in North Gyeongsan, in the east of the country.
The Korail Yeongdong Line crosses this area on its way from Yeongju in North Gyeongsang Province via Taebaek Mountain to Gangneung in Gangwon Province. Since 1988, the Yangwon railway station has been the smallest and also the first private railway station in South Korea. Until then, the village was isolated from the rest of the world in the middle of a rugged valley. Even though a railway line had passed the village since 1955, the train had never stopped. There was also no road leading to the village. 3.7 km of railway line separated the villagers from the nearest Seungbu railway station and thus connections to other towns and cities. With ax, shovel, mortar and sweat, the villagers finally built their tiny train station themselves.

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Ai Nante Iranai yo Natsu is the first drama that I watched without subtitles trusting my little skills. Before, I never dared to watch anything Asian without subtitles but strangely enough; I understood almost 90% of what’s being said. I am pretty surprised and proud of my Japanese lingual skills.

Now, let’s leave my proud self aside and talk about the drama. This is the original root of both “Love Me Not” and “That Winter the Wind Blows”; the Korean film and drama are remade from this Ai Nante Iranai Yo Natsu. I always had this drama under my radar ever since I first saw the film few years back but the lack of subtitles pushed me away, luckily I had enough courage to pick it up lately.

If I compare versions; I would undeniably state that the original Japanese version is the most realistic one but not fast paced as I thought it would be. However, the flowing of events was quite smooth that the drama felt very addictive. Although I should’ve watched this drama slower, because after all, I had to be extra focused on what they say but I just couldn’t slow down. It didn’t even matter that I already knew what will happen next (except for the ending of course because I knew it would be dissimilar one way or the other).
What also lacked in the Japanese version is the skin ship; there was lots of skin ship in the Korean remakes especially the drama but in here, it was almost absent. Many people would consider that disappointing, as for me; I found nothing wrong with that because the genuine feelings spoke better than touches in here. Also, this drama’s ending is way better than the ending of Love Me Not and That Winter the Wind Blows combined.

For those who aren’t familiar with the plot, this drama had an enjoyable atypical story. It could have gone a little astray at some points but it always managed to come back to its usual pace in no time. What also catches the eye about this drama is the sincerity of emotions displayed even if some melodramatic moments were a bit too exaggerated.

The acting was pretty enjoyable and believable. I am somewhat having Watabe Atsuro’s phase and I am glad to see one of his older dramas where he did a great job with the role. As for Hirosue Ryoko, I really like to see that actress around; she always manages to attract me in. The rest of the cast did a respectable job.
The characters felt very real. For instance, the way Reiji was portrayed was straightforward in an almost perfect manner; the way he talks, smokes, acts around other people is the core of how that character should be like. As for Ako, she was also quite good and she didn’t show unbalanced contradictions which I truly appreciated. The side characters were also good but I am sure some of them could have been better than that.

It’s a given that the Korean remakes were more beautiful than this when it comes to visuals especially the drama because that’s what Koreans do best: their remakes are always glowing with dreamy cinematography and sceneries but you should keep in mind that this was produced back in 2002. I also should mention that this drama was set in the summer while the Korean film and drama took winter as their set. It’s a bit insignificant but I found the winter background way more appealing than the summer setting.

Watch if:
-You liked any of the Korean versions because this is what started it all.
-You like the Japanese way of making melodramas/Life productions.
-You want to watch something different and enjoyable.

Do not watch if:
-You dislike remakes; just stick with the version that you already watched.
-You dislike life and melodramatic dramas.
-You want to watch a vividly shot drama.

Ai Nante Iranai Yo Natsu is a well-made drama with a nice topic that deserves to be watched even if its Korean remakes got all the attention. It’s a loss that many are prevented from watching this drama due to the lack of subtitles.

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There isn't much that I can add to what has already been expressed in other reviews here: the plot isn't new, nor unpredictable, the acting is good albeit a little over the lines, the dialogues are witty but definitely not deep, the music is fine enough. On a mere objective level, this drama is decent.

And yet, I loved it! I marathoned through it in a couple of days, and enjoyed every episode. I laughed, smiled, grinned. One may object that a drama is either good and to our liking, or it isn't. But the reasons why I like watching something aren't always as clear-cut and defined as I would like to think: I can remain cold in front of a masterpiece, and be enthusiastic of a piece of trinkets.
Hence my tepid marks, which reflect what I hope is an unbiased estimation, not the degree of my liking it.

Fact is, I truly loved the characters. Kohei, the bodyguard played by Nishijima Hidetoshi, is incredibly endearing. I had never seen this actor on screen before and at first sight I thought he was the complete opposite of an eye-candy. But his character is so sweet and lovable, I ended up liking him a lot. Kim Tae Hee, whom I could barely tolerate in My Princess, is adorable here, contributing factor the Japanese language, which renders her voice deeper and more pleasant.
The great actor Takanabe is hilarious. He seems vain and utterly stupid, but we soon discover he hides his own complex, and from that moment on, I dare everyone not to root for him, if not as a lover, at least as a friend and professional actor.
All the other characters do a good job, including Taecyeon, who surprised me with his very good Japanese. The bad guys aren't given enough screen time to get on our nerves.

The music is fine, mostly in the second half of the drama.

Surprisingly, I think I'll rewatch this drama one day. It was a perky watch, which I recommend to whomever is in need of something light, funny, romantic without being melodramatic or mushy.

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If you're looking for an absolutely unique rom-com, this dorama is for you. The two main characters did their part very well. Their eccentricities are not at all irritating, rather, they are so entertaining. As a viewer, one would definitely sympathize (or even empathize) with these two. For me, a good drama or film is one that would make you forget that you are watching "just" another drama or film; one that would make you feel excited and would make you "feel" even the characters with supporting role; one that would make you realize that most scenes are kinda close to reality. And this dorama perfectly suits those descriptions. A must-see rom-com series. Every episode is totally entertaining!

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Story: The plot in this story is pretty straightforward. It's all about love. How some people love but couldn't let go even when that love ended. How others love but for the sake of that person, had to let go. It's about love and how each of us love differently. There's the sort of love that transcends death. There's the sort of love that became stories of legend, but how much of it is true? There's the sort of love that thrives in simplicity - in the everyday life together, in the smiles of your loved ones, in the silly and petty arguments. There's the sort of love that forms from adversity -having faced life and death together. There's the sort of love that comes from familiarity - being comfortable with that person and having him or her beside you for the rest of your life. And there's the sort of love that stem from compassion, friendship and trust. The female lead in this story is married to a man who became a simpleton because of a poisoning episode. At first, she disliked her husband and the predicament she was in, but slowly came to appreciate the simple and innocent kind of love her husband has for her. Into this picture entered a young man who had loved her since childhood. He had always cherished the memories of their childhood and had always wanted to marry her. For her, he would do anything, including giving his life away for her - just to see her smile. Faced with the dilemma of an innocent love and a passionate love, our female lead is truly stuck in between these two men. There are also the love stories of side couples that will keep you rooting for them too. Even the evil mastermind in this story has a love story to tell - which is the reason why he became what he is. This drama tells a story about love from so many different perspectives. I like the 'maturity' in message about love in this drama. To those of you who is wondering if it's a happy ending - well, it depends who you are rooting for. The female lead has to choose between two perfectly good examples of men. It is no wonder she's confused and frustrated. I would be too! However, I do agree with her choice. Love is not about doing all sorts of things for that person, but to trust that what you and that person had experienced together is enough to secure his or her love for a lifetime. On another note, I love the comedy in this drama. It's not the at-your-face- type comedy. It's nicely weaved into the story and its characters.

Cast/Acting: I do not know any of the actors and actresses in this drama. They are all newbies. However, they can act. At least sufficiently to bring the emotions across. What I find problematic is how the drama is edited in some parts - you can clearly see it's an edited part as it didn't flow as smoothly from the previous scene. This is no fault of the acting crew - it's the lack of experience of the editing and production crew. It's a waste but these odd parts of the drama are few - so it's tolerable. Another problem I noticed is how some of the fighting/action scenes came across as awkward and unpolished. Again - not the fault of the acting crew. This is the fault of the directing and production crew. Perhaps they lack the funding to employ a good and experienced action director - hence, had to rely on simple action scenes.

Music: Not much to comment here. Some people like the ending OST, but it's just average to me.

Re-watch value: There are many romantic and sad scenes between the female lead and the two men. I also like the scenes between her and her husband's second brother - who I believe, had a secret crush on her as well, but did not act on it. It's in his actions and the way he looked at her, but he had to stay away from her coz she's his sister-in-law. They ended up as besties, which I think is another good conclusion to love. I actually like their chemistry better and I think the second brother is actually the handsomest actor among all the actors in this drama. This drama has a strong re-watch value. With only 24 episodes and every episode has a sweet or sad love scene with no draggy story telling, it won't be long when I would re-watch this drama again.

Overall: I give this drama a 8.5 out of 10. It's a surprisingly good drama, despite the many directing and editing faults. The story and script writers are clearly the strength of this drama's crew. Witty conversations and comedy mixed well with some deep truths about relationships and love. I would recommend you to watch this drama. It may not be the excellent type drama or a big production, and has a rather weird and nonsensical title, but it is surprisingly good.

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If you are willing to go outside your comfort zone, this is a unique drama that gives a lot of room for contemplation. Infidelity is not the usual hum drum romance. These 2 parallel affairs have something is common that keeps you from entirely sympathizing with the jilted spouses: empty, loveless marriages. At times I felt that the affairs were well warranted because the jilted spouses were so incapable of showing love and appreciation that they drove their spouses to seek love elsewhere. It was both tragic and extremely realistic.
The acting is exceptional and the plots twists will keep you on edge. I was quite shocked at how severe Japanese culture is towards divorce. This story would not play out the same way in the US.
In the end, truthfulness is the only way to conduct one's life. And if a woman chooses to have children, her only choice should be a life of sacrifice for her children. In conclusion, this drama is worthy of watching if you are in a relationship or are contemplating marriage. It will make you give pause to showing more appreciation to loved ones. I

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I just finished watching Goblin today, It was an amazing experience. I got to know that never judge a book by it's cover. I can surely say that it is one of the best Korean drama ever, I watched till date. Definitely you wont regret watching it. I am in love with the each and every character in it. This drama consists of each and every element you are looking for whether it might be comedy, romance, action, suspense, love, emotions. Each and every scene in this drama is drawn with some feeling in it. Especially it has a lot of emotional scenes which are worth to watch it. Gong yoo has made an expectional mark in this drama with his acting skills. The writer has done really a great job, the whole drama just flows like a river by revealing the past very smoothly.

Absolutely stunning series! Get ready to laugh and cry during each episode. Best K-drama I've ever watched. It's very emotional, poignant, and hauntingly beautiful a Korean fairy tale of sorts mixed with an amalgamation of beliefs. Every lead performance and supporting performances are amazing.

I won't give any spoilers but enjoy the show for its perfect cast and their tailor made performances for their roles, the amazing ost and art work, VFX and more. This show would be a memorable experience for me to remember in my life.

Definitely go and watch this drama it's truly a work of art and perfection ❤ Must watch and highly recommendable!

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Sorry if my review sucks, I've never written one before T^T.

This was the first ever Taiwanese web series I've seen and let me just say that I thoroughly enjoyed it. The plot was a pretty basic one for the boys love genre, which was step brothers falling in love. Although the plot was quite basic, it sure as hell did entertain me. It just added so many cute elements that I had to keep watching and I'd scream every time a new episode was translated. The actors weren't bad at all for a web series. Their acting was very natural unlike some bl dramas where the acting would start off super awkward. The music was nice in my opinion and they did a great job with it fitting the mood of a certain scene. I would definitely watch this series again, especially as a pick me upper. My only complaint is that it was super short and I wish that they made these episodes a bit longer. Overall, this series made it on my favorites list and if you're a die hard fujoshi like me, I really recommend it.

P.S. I heard that the officials of the web series are going to try their best to have a second season for the series because they got so many requests from the fans. *crosses fingers*

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There was so much more I wanted to see …!!

It’s been a while since I really wanted to talk about a show like mentioning all the complaints I have and really just wanting answers to the questions it left me with ….for this drama was really gonna get a 9/10( the highest I give ) if I hadn’t completed it (cuz it has really really amazing 1st half )... I share the same opinion with people who say the drama did not do well in the second half and I have my reasons ...and trust me I genuinely wanted to rate it higher “but” …

The first half was really amazing ....and the expectations I had were sky-high ...for how the things around ML were ...that was one of the most realistic portrayals I have ever seen
Even though the FL wasn’t really realistic as a psychology student throughout the show ...I could easily ignore it because I know certain things need to be a bit unrealistic for stories to progress.
As for the acting, it really was fab ..!! kudos to the cast ...for making me smile like an idiot I really enjoyed those little comedic moments ....
The major issues I have are only with the second half ...or you can say the sky-high expectations I had, hurt me. And that is the sole reason for the drop in ratings...

After they were finally together one of the major plot points according to me should have been about wu yan seeing Cheng Yin(her friend) ….They wrapped it so quick as if they were in a hurry to catch an express train ….okay even if you did not show how Nian Qin helped Wu Yan in dealing with her trauma ...makers could have at least given a proper goodbye conversation to them ….not to mention I felt like Wu Yan was done with and had stopped seeing Cheng Yin around ..long before we got to the last ep...there was no journey in her doing so ....which I really wanted to see …

(This one might just be my pure sentiments)...so when they said that ML helped FL land a job at the local radio station ...he helped them secure her dad’s chamber and other things...I really felt that the FL had no achievements of her own and she was okay with that not to mention she looked happy ...look romance and all is fine but if someday someone tells me that whatever I am doing and all the problems I felt I had dealt with on my own were actually resolved by someone else ...my world is probably gonna rip apart ...even if I am thankful that things went the way I wanted them to ….even then I still wouldn’t want this to be true ...all the experiences all the struggle ...all those little achievements I own have made me who I am ….and I will really not be able to behave the way FL does if I hear what she heard....

Unnecessarily bringing the kid Xiao Jie ...again no sense of closure ...look I really liked how they brought the issue of Autism and how they gave us a small talk about music therapy ...but again ...they did not have to bring the issue back ( kid coming to visit them) if they did not have time to deal with it ...I really felt like the kid’s character had so much potential ….they really did injustice with the plot there.
And that call from ML’s stepmom ...visiting ML’s family(last eps) ...doesn’t it seem like a waste of time for I don’t think any of those events contributed to the story. Is it just me who felt like that ??
Maybe they explain more in the novel, but they will be counted as fillers when the drama is concerned.

The second couple - they could disappear from the show and I wouldn’t even realize they did.

Clicking pictures and prying into her personal life ...don’t even get me started even if the ML did not see those pictures the fact that he knew those pictures existed is enough ...makers need to know that there is something called privacy and you need to respect it...if I say more probably this review will never end …
ML’s childish behavior ...nowhere romantic ...okay let’s be honest no one in real life would want to date a stalker …just imagine someone who’s handsome, rich, and high key obsessed with you….the last quality alone is good enough to not date him. The show tries to explain his obsession and behavior....even when I know his story and am someone who can even justify villains I still couldn’t convince myself to justify his actions. At some point I was like - what’s wrong is wrong ....there is some basic respect you show towards the other person which is a must.
Maybe I was looking for some scenes of him struggling; it would have added to the depth of character. Makers could have worked it way better.

The last ep....if you look back the last few eps feel like a thriller’s first few eps ...things happening here and there with the audience just staring at the screen like ...makers you need to calm down ….breathe, drink some water...and let us breathe too....with ML’s identity revealed...FL having stomach ache ...them rushing to the hospital and show ending with them having a kid ...happily ever after ...please don’t tell me I am the only one interested in knowing how and who revealed his identity ...and am I the only one who can’t come to terms with that happily ever after cuz there was so much to explain and explore.

The OST’s and background music - just amazing. It adds so much to the drama ….if they had replaced the entire existence of second couple with more songs ...I’d probably rate the show 10/10 ...lol

I still think that I have a lot to talk about but I’ll save it for the future...also no matter how many unanswered questions the show left me with and how many times I felt like things were going wrong…. I really want to say ….I am happy that I watched it ...and even if I knew they were going to crash I would still want to have those sky-high expectations again …

And here are some beautiful lines from the drama ….
“No matter how regretful one is there is no turning back ...there are no do-overs in life.”
“Using up all your might to bid goodbye and to forget, only to realize how helpless you are. Do you think this feeling is beautiful?”
“Everyone has their own life and happy moments. I just have to grasp my own.”
“I love you not because I need you, I need you because I love you.”

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Plot set-piece driven rather than character-driven

Any story needs to be about characters, and the plot driven by the characters. What I mean by that is that a characters' nature or past trauma, etc. needs to drive how they behave and and react to things. For example, if a character was bitten by a dog as a child, he may have an irrational fear of dogs - and maybe falls in love with a vet. That's organic drama rather than artificial external crises or relying on very implausible misunderstandings, which is one of the laziest sins in writing.

The way characters behave in this series make no emotional sense, because the author wants to get from point A to point B, and so that determines how the characters behave. Points A & B were almost always just tired cliches that were not integrated into the plot and did nothing to advance it but were rather just there to be there. A couple of examples:

- The Past Connection. This appears to be irresistable to BL writers (actually a lot of Asian drama genres) - a past connection between Souta and Mahiro serves no plot purpose - it's just there to be there, and as a result it leads to Souta implausibly not remembering Mahiro, because if he did remember him, that would complicate the plot. And so he doesn't.

- The Restraining Hug Fom Behind. Mahiro thinks Souta is leaving, but it turns out that instead he's staying forever. Does that make him happy? No, he gets upset and tries to leave. Why? Why would that upset him? It wouldn't. But then Souta wouldn't need to grab him from behind to prevent him from leaving.

- The Implausible Misunderstanding. Souta drives four hours from Tokyo and arrives at just the precise moment - it couldn't be one second earlier or one second later or the misunderstanding wouldn't have happened - to see Souta hug his boss, who Souta assumes is Mahiro's boyfriend, despite the fact that he knows them both, the boss has actively encouraged Souta to be with Mahiro, there is zero evidence that they're dating, and it was clear Mahiro was upset, so it is clearly a comforting hug, not a romantic one. But the writer needed to insert the next cliche, and so Souta has to misunderstand, and for no apparent reason decides to become the boyfriend of...

- The Interfering Woman. Ugh. I don't even want to dwell on this, but it chews up an enormous amount of runtime.

The end result is two unrelatable and unpleasant characters who behave inconsistently and are annoying.

The acting is OK. The Souta actor is pretty good, Yutaro is one-note and has no presence or charisma. There is almost no chemistry whatsoever. Mahiro behaves like the wife of an alcoholic in an abusive relationship - he actually recoils from Souta every time they're near each other, and he just looks afraid all the time. Souta manages to express some repressed longing, but it's still not convincing. There is no romantic chemistry between them, and certainly no romance. They barely even touch each other, at least not on purpose.

A positive is it's well-filmed and the setting in the countryside is lovely. Well, Souta gets naked sometimes, and he has a nice body, so there's that, I guess.

Another positive is the Taiwanese store owner, who is an appealing character and causes a plausible (!) misunderstanding when he reads a note that contains kanji characters that mean "former coworker" in Japanese, but mean "ex-lover" in Mandarin, which leads to the series' best comic moment.

Overall this was a total waste of time, and a disappointing squandering of an interesting premise and a strong start. But it goes nowhere, is frustrating to watch, and is way too long for the amount of "plot" in it. I would skip it.

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A simple and ordinary story told with the most imaginative way

 Stories with many plot-twists, complicated storytelling are most of the times what we are looking for because they can easily catch our attention. However, a simple story can be good if it’s done right and in a creative way. That’s the case with “Yumi’s cells”.

“Yumi’s cells” is a romcom but not a common one. It’s a light drama that everyone who loves romcoms can see and enjoy. If you have a bad day, “Yumi’s cells” will bring a smile to your face and brighten up your day. To be fair though, “Yumi’s cells” is not everyone’s cup of tea. The things which make the story enjoyable and unique can also work the other way around. Let’s see what these things are.

The story

 “Yumi’s cells” tells the story of Yumi and her brain cells. Yumi is an ordinary girl, living an ordinary life. We are basically seeing Yumi’s love life and her daily struggles. There’s nothing special about Yumi’s life, nothing extreme or mind blowing is going to happen, so why is this story special? Here is where Yumi’s cells come into the picture.

There are plenty of stories where biological functions of the human body were explained as actions of small creatures living inside the human body. These small creatures can be portraying cells, organs, emotions and so on. In Yumi’s cells they are portraying her cells. Through the cells we see Yumi’s thoughts, emotions, habits, how she is making her decisions and literally everything about her character.

The whole philosophy behind cells’ actions is very creative and well written. Cells' thoughts and actions are very natural and spontaneous and it’s quite amazing how the impact of these is working on Yumi. It feels accurate and at some point, very realistic. Thus, the watchers can easily relate with Yumi and feel all kinds of her emotions and understand completely the cause of her actions. Apart from this, there is also a very funny perspective about the cause of many behaviors and also allegories of some body functions that makes the story really funny and enjoyable.
 
The Webtoon

The story is based on a webtoon by the same name, written by Donggeon Lee. The webtoon contains 512 episodes and the original run was from April 1st 2015 to November 13th 2020. The drama’s first season consists of chapters 1 until 206 of the webtoon. As I have read the webtoon, I have to mention some differences that make the drama good or bad at some points.

The storyline hasn’t changed much, the milestones of Yumi’s life are all there. One main difference is that they have cut many scenes from the cells and added more to the humans. That way, the screen time between cells and humans is balanced which is a good thing cause the story focused more to Yumi and not to the cells like the webtoon. They also cut some episodes from webtoon that were fillers. Thus, the story is more fast paced than the webtoon.

However, cutting many scenes is also a problem as it destroys the natural flow of the story. The story is moving way too fast and it doesn’t leave any space for the relationships’ dynamics to develop. That’s why some situations seem a little bit rushed or/and forced.

A personal negative about the cutting scenes is that many of them are my favorite parts of the story. I was excited to watch these particular scenes on the drama but they never appeared so it’s only logical that I was sad and disappointed about it.
 
Another difference is that they reconstructed some scenes by combining two or three different chapters of the webtoon as the please, without chronological order. They also added some extra scenes that haven’t been on the webtoon. This was expected to happen, as it happens all the time with the webtoon adaptations. Some of the episodes that have many changes are 5,6 and 7.

I don’t mind changes, if they don’t affect the story and the characters as much. There is one thing that bothered me, a lot. They made Yumi a liar and that pushed her into very awkward situations, many times and, of course, created unnecessary drama. Yumi is a very honest person and that destroyed her image a lot.
 
 
The production

Making a live action for the Yumi’s cells wasn’t an easy task. That’s because they had to mix live action with animation which is very risky. Fortunately, I think they combined these two genres perfectly. 

As I said before, they cut many scenes from the cells and added more to the humans so there was a balance between the animation and the live action. That way, the watchers didn’t get tired of the animation scenes. The scene transitions between the animation and the live action were also very well executed and discreet which also helped the viewers to get used to the animation. The first two episodes will feel a little off but after them, you will enjoy watching this combination.  

The animation style that has been used is 3D animation. Before watching the drama I had my doubts if the animation would turn out bad or good. After watching the drama though, I can say that the animators have done a very good and detailed job and I was very satisfied with the result. The only reason to dislike the animation I think would be because some people generally don’t like animation or are experts and see all the errors a common eye like mine can’t see.




Overall, Yumi’s Cells is not the romcom we usually get to see in dramaland (especially in kdramas). It had some flaws and I wasn’t fully satisfied with the adaptation but I’m happy that now more people know about this unique story. I hope in the future we will see more romcoms that won’t follow the usual clichés and give us something fresh and beautiful, like Yumi’s Cells did.

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Tragic, epic, visually impressive.

"The Slave Hunters" is a cinematic-style KDrama, almost like a movie for the big screen. (It would definitely be an experience on the big screen.) In any case, "The Slave Hunters" has a lot to offer during ist 24 episodes.

There is strikingly selected staging of the landscape. Korea presents itself self-confident with its countless riverscapes and deltas, its mountains and coastal regions. The viewers visually accompany the protagonists on their long journeys across the country.

The accumulation of well-trained, well-structured torsos of the male actors is also characteristic for "The Slave Hunters". There's a lot of work involved, and it's appropriately staged here in numerous shots. Why not?

In connection with its sporty mimes, "The Slave Hunters" also comes up with a variety of brilliant, sometimes spectacularly choreographed fight scenes. Above all, Jang Hyuk once again sets quite a monument with his versatile martial arts skills.

The KDrama also presents - if you like - some Joseon-style parkour. 'Chase' thus gets a nicely invigorating touch. (Side note, in case you don´t know: Parkour is a special form of athletic movement art - a mostly urban steeplechase that has become fashionable in the last few decades. Individuals choose the most effective way to get to their destination, and that's hardly ever the predetermined path. Rather, the urban or natural landscape is re-perceived with regard to potential obstacles and evaluated as to how these can be creatively overcome on the individually chosen route, for example by jumping, somersaults or the like.)

The KDrama also stresses the subject of fatal love triangle in its complex emotionality. Eventually, there are also more love stories in the side plots. Yet, to be honest, the romance aspect should not be your reason to watch... The complicated dynamics might drive you crazy at times, so does the rigid play of the ex-and-again-general.

After all, the story mixes a good pinch of humor with profound wisdom. Surrounded by all the muscle-packed, fast-paced spectacle, the question of how a just society can be achieved is examined, i. e. whether it can ever be achieved at all. As soon as people gain power, won't they always tend to turn their fellow human beings into slaves, chattel or lackeys? And: will a changed political system change the people? Or do people have to change for the system to change? As a premise it is stressed that slaves are also human beings, e. g. that it actually starts with an attitude, that one should not deny any human being to being a human being - certainly not according to their genetic origin. "Slave Hunters" historically refers to the beginning of socio-critical Yangban movements against practiced slavery.

At the same time, the KDrama shows life under simple/poor living conditions - unembellished in all coarseness, e. g. ugly, blustering, brutal, unkempt and uneducated, but still warm-hearted. On the other hand, the fine silk clothings and the well-groomed, educated demeanor of the nobles and officials cannot hide their emotional coldness and corrupted souls.

All in all: It is not surprising that the KDrama in average thrilled more than 30 percent of the South Korean population and received numerous respectable awards and even international nomination. Above all, Jang Hyuk, for whom his role seems to be tailor-made. He fights, jumps, sprints, barks, laughs, cries, digs into the deepest depths of his soul and on top of that presents profound street smart and wise philosophies.

"The Slave Hunters" has a charm of its own. It´s tragic, epic, visually impressive.




---------------- Side Note: --- historical background ----
The historic frame refers to the time of King Injo in the 17th century as well as his son and Crown Prince Sohyeon. As a result of the submission after the second Manchu invasion in 1636, the Crown Prince (together with his wife and other officials) went to Shenyang practically as a hostage of the Qing. He spent his time there working diplomatically on peaceful relations between the Joseon and Qing dynasties.
His commitment also brought him to Beijing, where he became familiar with Western culture through his acquaintance with Jesuit missionaries. However, his father did not like Sohyeon's diplomatic commitment and open-mindedness at all. He feared that after his return and accession to the throne, he would want to reform Joseon with Catholicism and Western values. Prince Sohyeon's sudden death is interpreted by historians as deliberate poisoning. There is some evidence that his own father was behind this. Sohyeon's wife was executed for treason and only the youngest of his three sons survived their exile on Jejudo.
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