Reviews

Anit-BL

What will happened if you realize that you are living in a novel? All of us have dream about it no matter if it’s a BL, Henti, Superhero, etc. But this new show brings a new light of many people, including myself, about the consequences of been in one, especially if you didn’t have any options or power to pick the novel. I honestly was wandering how they will start with this BL, well, antibl. The introduction is very clear with many funny scenes that we are all familiar with. It’s so hilarious that it feels like this show is making fun of how expected things can be in a manga or any bl novel. And we all have thought about it of; how cool would it be if somehow, we get transported to a novel.

We find ourselves following Inukai Atsuhiro (the Mob = extra character in a movie, or any show) in his everyday routine of anitbl and how he strategies in order to fight the world! Yes, it’s him against the BL world.

The most important question that I have about this BL or Anti-Bl is, how is he the only one that knows he is on a BL world?

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Well, let’s talk about the elephant in the room. Unfortunately there are two: 1) the re-telling of Tin&Can story with mixed up timelines, and 2) the chemistry between Tin&Can. Well, the re-telling was an odd choice. I’m not bothered by it, but other people are. I have seen many loosing interest in this series because of that reason (and also because Saint isn’t part of the cast). Starting from zero with Tin&Can while showing us Ae crying through 3 whole episodes makes no sense. It’s not like they tried to reboot everything and make a stand-alone series. Also they wasted 6 episodes with the re-telling without providing something new and exciting. Some of the scenes they had to re-act were not as iconic as the original ones. I liked some of the new scenes, but they didn’t change the story at all. It just feels unnecessary. The characters changed a tiny little bit with Tin being more soft and vulnerable and less arrogant and dangerous looking (which also seem to disappoint many) and Can being a bit softer and more mature. But yeah, not a big difference. It's not like in DBK where they changed Kao's character so much he was unrecognizable (I'm still salty about that). So let’s move on to the second elephant: The chemistry between Tin&Can. I thought the chemistry was so great (much better than in s1) and that's why I looked up the actors (what I rarely do). I was surprised to see how close they are in real life. They seem to have personalities that resonate well together and that explains the great chemistry. But this chemistry vanishes completely when they have to kiss. You can feel through the screen how much Plan hates it, and that makes me sad. It’s not like I get some homophobic vibes from him. I highly doubt Plan would do any better in those scenes with a woman. I have seen him kissing a girl in another series (if you can call that a kiss) and it was even worse. He did well in the famous couch kiss at the end of s1, so I really don’t know what’s the issue suddenly. Maybe they shouldn’t cast two guys who are good friends? Watching them kiss makes me rather uncomfortable. Sometimes I prefer to look away, which shouldn’t be the case. It’s not their fault if their „couple“ becomes so popular, but perhaps they should just stop doing those roles when they don’t feel like it. I highly doubt they are so poor that they need the money. That said, I think the director’s decision plays a role too. Kisses were purposely not shown. They didn’t even kiss when they had sex. That’s a first, really. I’m pretty sure I have never seen a bed scene without a kiss. Enough negativity. Despite Plan being the mood killer I have to compliment him for his acting. He has to play the ugly, stupid monkey which isn’t easy and requires some courage. In fact I have never seen a similar character in any other BL series. He is not just there to look handsome, he has to be lively, crazy, cute, funny, sex-hungry (lol). It’s not an easy role and he does a good job. I’m really into the character when he appears on the screen. But yeah, at the end of the day the whole series feels so uninspired. I feel awkward watching it. I giggle like a little girl (like I never did before, I will admit it), I laugh, I shake my head, I feel embarrassed (really embarrassed like I never did before either watching any other BL), I have to look away, I hold my breath – it’s a whole EXPERIENCE. And then I’m sad, because it could be so much better and I know they messed it up. I wish they had done a better job (better writing, better intimate scenes) and I wish more people would love it. I didn't even mention the other couples, because I feel it's a waste of time. They don't have enough screen time, aren't very exciting or they are just toxic. Tin's background story and the issues with his brother aren't well told or well presented. I'm just not a fan of the writer. If not for Mean&Plan who are very charming, I highly doubt I would bother watching this.
EDIT: Since this series ended I have a strange feeling in my gut. For whatever reason I don't want to think about this series anymore (and I will not rewatch it). Hearing about questionable behavior of the cast towards the only gay character in the show (Earth) isn't helping either. This really was a train wreck.

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This is a Rant...BUT

I went into this with zero expectations. I tried watching the first 2 episodes because AvenueX mentioned that the cgi was beautiful. I thought it would be just another 'xianxia' trope, and truly wasn't expecting to like it. But then, right from the very beginning, the visuals were so f****ing beautiful. Qin Lie's fight with the beast was okay, what I stayed for...was the visuals of Yushi. Her trekking through the heavy snow in the dark,... It was like a scene straight out of some high-quality hollywood production (Think Snow white and the Huntsman or Witcher) . And the intermittent shots of Du Shao Yang being asked to marry a woman, who we know from the way it's shot...is Yushi. And that was it,...the rest as they say is history. I couldn't stop myself from immediately bingeing through all the released episodes. Though I have to admit, that I basically fast forwarded all scenes of Qin Lie and Song Ting Yu. The visuals were truly the best part of the show. The different realms, particularly Ling Burrough, the Frost land, Purple Mist Sea, and the Netherlands. And of course the ost. The song that plays every time Qin Lie is in a fight with the odds stacked against him, and yet he manages to come out just fine, and grows even stronger in fact....I loved that song. Trying to figure out Qin Lie's feelings for Yushi, and the Gao Yu -Yushi- Qin Lie triangle was also pretty interesting. I was even considering to let Yushi and Gao Yu get married, before the scriptwriters forcibly blackened him. I honestly couldn't understand why Yushi was so set on QL, that she completely ignored the other man who basically worshipped her- Gao Yu.
The story was okay, but they could have done so much more with it, there were so many possibilities....I'd been soo looking forward to Wu Chun and Gong Mu Lie's story and yet they turned it into this completely meaningless nonsense, They basically stalked each other for a long time, and thus automatically fell in love...like seriously? Did the scriptwriter suddenly lose his brain? And I hate the ending. It was like going back to square one after 36 episodes. It felt so meaningless. The least they could have done, was provide an epilogue at the very least. The acting was okay I suppose, but yes Cheng Xiao could have done so much better. I know that the character of Yushi is supposed to be cool and calm at all times, but she just seemed wooden to me. And I know Cheng Xiao could have done better, because Wu Chun seemed so much more alive and real.
I suppose this is turning into a rant now, but I'm seriously disappointed at what they did with the script...I had soooo much expectations...Even so, I'll definitely watch this again, because the visuals are truly breathtaking, and you should watch this drama, if for nothing else but that.
There are so many negatives points about this drama, and logically speaking it's merely an average one. And yet as I'm writing this review, I realize that despite its many flaws, I still love the show.

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sweet seaside romance

Overall: a refreshing seaside romance series. 5 episodes about 20 minutes each. Aired on GagaOOLala.

Content Warnings: maybe something at the beginning with a side character but it didn't bother me at all, past death

What I Liked
- the characters felt realistic instead of caricatures, how both of them were confident in some ways but guarded in other ways
- flashback that hinted about why Amane was jaded about love and then the reason was shown in episode 2
- caring/sweet moments
- how Ryuji sought communication
- that Amane took risks to stay true to himself/what he wanted
- production value

Room For Improvement
- don't think physics would agree with what happened around 10 minutes in episode 1 lol
- it was only 5 episodes we definitely could have used more

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The basic premise does not stray from the power politics Korean crime dramas habitually highlight, but what sets Confession apart is its execution.

From the get-go, Confession was promising. The first case was exciting, given the unpredictability of the suspect. And so that path led the characters to other, overlapping ones, and they led to the final destination. The writer gave liberty to the audience to explore various scenarios along with the characters. Next thing you know, you are invested in the plot. My favourite occurrences happened in the court - it was a pleasure to see Choi Do Hyun / the lead cleverly handle affairs. Sometimes, particularly in the first half, you would expect the plot to go another direction, and may even want that to happen (like myself), but the second half ensured me that the writer knew what they were doing. The pace was maintained - it may have slowed in the middle, but not unnecessarily. The characters had connections with each other due to a single event - it's nothing new in kdramaland. yet it was impactful. I had a few complaints with regards to how distant the characters felt, but my worries were eased by episode 11.

I was torn about how I should rate the acting. The actors were not given roles that were complex, but they were not simple either, so I was satisfied but not won over. I was about to settle with 8.5, but one performance stood out to me, and I believe I will not do the actor justice by being greedy. He had a small role, but it has left an impact on many, including me: the suspect in the first case, played by Ryu Gyeong Su. He stole the spotlight. He was the character I was most drawn to, and I anticipated his appearance each episode. Of course, the main cast did good with what they were given. Lee Jun Ho was persuasive in his composed portrayal, and others stayed true to their respective roles. What I appreciated was the female leads' harmonious teamwork, and their guts, especially Ha Yoo Ri.

I liked the instrumental they used. It could be loud in certain instances, but I liked how it added to the moment and nature of the drama. The OSTs were not played, so I have no comments on that.

I am not sure if one would rewatch it, knowing all the progressions in plot. If you are someone like me, you might want to watch Choi Do Hyun being a smartass in court.

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Wild goose chase.

Ancient conspiracy thrillers are right up my alley so I looked forward to Luoyang with bated breath. This is set in Shendu (now Luoyang), capital of Wu Zetian's Wu Zhou Dynasty (690-705). As the only female emperor in over 5000 years of Chinese history, Wu Zetian remains a controversial figure - an ambitious, usurper whose exceptional intelligence and leadership is only matched by her ruthlessness against anyone in her way, including or especially her own children. She cultivated informers and multiple secret police and spy rings that gathered evidence against her detractors. and maintained a careful balance of power between the important political structures of her administration. This is reflected in the drama in the clear delineation of responsibilities between the Judiciary, Inner Guard and Secret Police (Lianfang). During this time, the Wu clan and Li clan were embroiled in a power struggle which persisted until Wu Zetian intervened and clarified her succession plans. Nonetheless it ended in messy plotting, betrayals and twists that are drama worthy in and of themselves. This is rich fodder for conspiracy plots such as this one.

The drama starts thrillingly with a bold daylight assassination of an informer and his daughter and the ensuing dizzying high speed chase through the streets of Shendu. All three main protagonists mortician Gao Bingzhu, foodie Baili Hongyi and inner guard Wu Shiyue are at the scene and invisible threads from their past pull them together to uncover a much deeper conspiracy that could rock the very foundations of Wu Zetian's empire. Clues emerge that connect seemingly unrelated cases and force the three protagonists to work together, at first reluctantly and with selfish agendas and then with growing mutual respect and trust that blossoms into deep friendships. I most enjoyed the tripartite friendship in the drama and would have liked to see it better explored rather than unnecessary romantic arcs. Huang Xuan nailed it with his cynical yet paradoxically idealistic Gao Bingzhu; whose shrewdness and insight into dark hearts of man does not extend to those he cares for. I also did not see much chemistry between him and Song Qian who impresses with her fight scenes but falters somewhat in her line delivery. Wang Yibo's performance is strong in some aspects but uneven overall with too many scenes where he is clearly unsure what facial expression to wear. This role does not elevate him for me from an actor that I don't mind watching but wouldn't seek out. That said the trio has enough combined chemistry that I am happy to watch them together again. As for Song Yi, she has gotten enough flack and her character was so poorly written that all I will say is this is a role such a wonderful actress should have just passed on.

I did not enjoy the first two episodes of the drama - too much was happening at the same time and the cameraman swung the camera so wildly I thought he was possessed. The action scenes are exciting and well choreographed enough they did not need to artificially augmented by cheap camera tricks. After the psycho camera settles down, the plot unfolds at an intense and exciting pace against a gorgeous backdrop of dazzling sets and with a deluge of colorfully garbed denizens - they must have hijacked and costumed practically every Hengdian tourist as extras on set I have never seen so many people crammed into each scene. My personal favorite set is the Unwelcome Well which looks almost too inviting to be a ghetto. While the costumes and certain props are anachronistic, everything comes together is such a vibrant and captivating panorama that it scarcely matters. This is complemented by well designed side characters that are based on well known historical figures. Hints of their personalities, scandalous affairs and alliances are quite faithful to history and add a nice ambiance to the setting. It set up for intriguing Dumas like plot twists that didn't materialize.

This drama builds to a top-notch, shocking and heartbreaking climax prematurely at episode 20 where both actors delivered standing ovation worthy performances. It achieves that perfect sequence of shock followed immediately by stunned comprehension and acceptance as all the clues rushed to the fore to blindside the viewer to the next unfolding twist. In the second half, the plot visibly loses momentum and digresses into romantic arcs that don't belong in this genre and filler maudlin flashbacks. The writing of the mini-threads in the second half is insipid with excessive gratuitous character implants, many of whom delivered cringe worthy performances.

In hindsight it would have been difficult to top the fantastic mid-drama climax but it is still extremely disappointing for the final reveal to be so bland. The hollow villain that everyone was on to as a bad guy early on but dismissed as too obvious turns out indeed to be the final villain, one that is not worthy of being called a mastermind. Both their motive and end game plot is not well articulated or convincing. Multiple clues and more interesting suspicious characters that don't play out leave me feeling like I went on a wild goose chase. I don't know if they ran out of money or wasted it on too many bodies but there is no sense of peril or excitement in the final showdown. Forget explosions or collapsing buildings, we don't even get one good last fight scene. The final insult is how unfathomably a feather brain like Liu Feng manages to find himself in the right place at the right time to deliver an unnecessary and uncalled for outcome. This is just a misguided attempt to deliver an audience shocker to make up for the nothing burger of a final reveal.

Even though this remains a very entertaining and highly recommended watch, the ending is a big let down that knocks 0.5 off my final rating for the show. I feel that an 8.0 is the best I can give to this show, which is still one of the better c-dramas of the second half of 2021.

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Such a Sweet and Smooth Ride

This is just such a sweet ride... Cotton Candy fluff, with so much sweetness and dimples you just might hurt your cheekbones from smiling...

The drama itself is nothing revolutionary or so... There is no big message there is some drama and angst here and there but it is just enough to keep it from being a too smooth ride. The cinematography is good. And the intro song is as sweet as the drama itself...

The pacing is good, and kept me interested the whole time, the side characters may do some stupid things here and there but are over all lovable with the exception of a jerk but he is supposed to be a jerk so it works out fine. One of the side couples is composed of the male leads uncle and his lover these two are just so sweet understanding, fun and the ultimate bickering couple goals for old age. giving this drama that little extra spark to it... It also has some small trans representation done ok, not great but not badly either.

There are a few small side stories that where left a bit to unexplored but it does not affect the over all impression of this which is just smiles and fluff all around.. As we watch these two very kind men get to know not only each other but also find their place in the world...

or something like that

Some scores:
Bingeabilaty -10
Cuteness -10
Annoying -characters no
Second hand embarrassment- very little
Friendship-10
Family-10

So yes I loved it and hope you will too.

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I didn't expect coming into this drama getting as emotional as I did! From the teasers, I expected a light, comedic drama about forming a band, with a cute romance between Ji Sung and Hyeri. But instead I got an emotional roller-coaster of a drama that revealed the darker side of the Entertainment and Music industry. There were many heartfelt and heart-wrenching moments that actually brought me to tears. I took a break from the drama after the first two episodes because of how slowly they were paced, but I'm glad I decided to pick up the drama again :)

LIKES AND DISLIKES:
For me, the highlight of Entertainer was definitely the bromance between Seok Ho and the 4 boys of the Entertainer Band, especially with Ha Neul. I found it heartwarming to see all the obstacles they faced together in order to pursue their passion of music. The bond between Seok Ho and Ha Neul was very touching. By the end, it felt like the Entertainer Band was a family. I also enjoyed the different character arcs of the 4 members of the band, my favourite being Yeon Soo's (which was very heart-wrenching and emotional).
In general, I liked the realistic portrayal of the Entertainment industry that this drama showed, and the development of the characters throughout the drama- you could genuinely see the amount of growth all the characters went through.
What I disliked was the unnecessary love line between Seok Ho and Geu Rin. I felt little chemistry between their characters, but I blame the writing, not the actors or the age gap between them. Some of their scenes were quite cringey to watch, and I felt like their love line was forced and out of place. I don't really think that Geu Rin's character added anything to the storyline in general. The pacing of the drama was also a problem, but eventually it improved. I didn't mind the 2-episode extension much, and I think the storyline was wrapped up nicely.

ACTING:
The actors portrayed their roles very well, especially since there were a lot of emotional scenes in the drama (a looot of man tears). Ji Sung's acting never disappoints me, and I wasn't surprised when he completely embodied the character he played and brought it to life. I would like to see him in a more complex role in the future, though. I see a lot of acting potential in Kang Min Hyuk and he delivered the emotional scenes surprisingly well. Lee Tae Sun (Na Yeon Soo) is also an actor I will definitely be keeping an eye on. I can't believe this was his first drama role and he was one of my favourite characters.

MUSIC:
I enjoyed the OST's in this drama, and the track I liked the most was A Love Before by Eunji. I wish we got to hear more tracks from the Entertainer Band, but I did like I See You and It's Okay To Cry.

OVERALL:
I wouldn't say that I would watch this drama again, but I did enjoy watching Entertainer every week. It was a very emotional journey full of ups and downs. If you are looking for a drama that is full of heart and full of bromantic moments, this is the drama for you! You might want to bring tissues ;)

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Two-Face of a drama

This drama has two sides/halves. It started off as your regular Campus Romance drama. But after the 9th-10th episode it changed completely. If you watch this drama you will know what I am actually talking about. It's like the second half of the drama is not even written by the same person. The first half of the drama mostly focused on the Romance and Friendship part while the second part of the drama you see our Rookie Cops coming across a psychopath killer. Who is also crazy rich and has power and connections. But the funny thing is that they did justice to both of the parts. The second half of the drama didn't seemed forced and actually makes the story more interesting.

The chemistry between the ML(Kang Daniel) and the FL(Chae Soo Bin) is good not great. Chae Soo Bin was excellent as Go Eun Gang. You can see her years of experience through her acting. I wouldn't comment much on Kang Daniel as this was his debut work and he would only improve in the future. But he too was quite good as Wi Seung Hyun. The bond between our boy gang (Wi Seung Hyun, Kim Tak, Seo Beom Joo, Yoo Dae Il) was quite a sight to watch. Especially the bond between Wi Seung Hyun and Kim Tak. Seo Beom Joo the funny guy added another element to the story. And Shin Ha Ri was so damn cute but selfish. Her jealousy was a sight to behold. I am not worthy enough to comment on Kim Sang Ho (Cha Yoo Gon [Police university professor]). He is just too good.

I still can't believe that the drama that started off all bubbly became a psychopath killer drama. The writers did a great job at writing such an excellent drama. This drama leaves you hanging to the very last episode. You don't know what's going to happen till the very last episode.You need to see it to actually know what unfolds at the very end of the drama. The last episode specially was very touching. And rest assured I am sure you would love every second of this drama. So just go and binge watch it.

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It's not Little Forest of Two People anymore - it's Four.

There's too inappropriately much airtime for the second couple to the point that drags the whole story down. From about ep.15 onwards, I can't bear watching the second leads' scenes anymore.

First off, the second couple isn't worth watching as their acting skills are not up to par. Second, there's nothing substantial in their storyline, just some cliche boy falling in love at first sight > lying to get close to girl > girl being angry after knowing the truth > boy chasing girl -- but wait... why their story anyway?? It's supposed to be the first leads' story, isn't it? To be the most honest, I feel that the second leads' airtime is equal to the first leads'. I don't know why they have to put two totally different but equally weighed stories to compress in one series to be compared eye-to-eye for the weaker storyline to be suppressed and looked down on by the audience.

After a few episodes of too many improperly show-up scenes of the second leads, I start to be annoyed so much and have bad impression on them instead. I've been skipping their scenes the whole way through since early episodes (and still get their story -- see how simple-minded their storyline is?!) This series can be a lot more interesting if they'd reduce these wasteful scenes of the second leads.

Apart from the rant, I'd like to praise a bit about the first leads' chemistry. Their chemistry is great, so sweet and so authentic (unlike the second leads that I don't feel any chemistry between them at all.) I've watched Zhang Binbin in Love O2O, Eternal Love and The King's Woman before. I never liked his acting in any of them. He was either cringey or stiffed or forceful or all of above. He always looked like being forced when he had kiss scenes (even when it's with Dilireba. Both of them looked being forced to kiss in The King's Woman). I thought Zhang Binbin doesn't suit to play love scences. But in this series, he has done too good. I like all the subtle smiles and all the eye movements in his scenes with FL, especially love his eyes that I used to think were too cheesy because of the big eye size on a face that is too sweet for a guy. In this series, all of his features have become the complements for compliment.

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It could have been better... A lot better.

Here limited time isn't the problem but rather than utilizing limited time adding unnecessary events and character becomes the biggest con of the show, which truly disappointed me because it had much potential of being good but in the last, it couldn't become more than just okay okay drama for me.

The historical BL is being unique topic to handle all alone... but adding a love triangle, flashbacks, many unnecessary situations instead of focusing on development between leads surely affected the show in many ways. Another thing I would like to point out that Ki Wan being in the attire of women most of the time. The story could have been better in many ways but it failed thoroughly for me. The ending was rushed and had much room for improvement. There were many unanswered questions that left us hanging.

Though I liked the music it was okay... but other than that everything was truly a failure for me.

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This show made you excited in the beginning, then you wonder halfway "How did they miss the mark?"

Head over Heels is one of those dramas that leaves you asking for so much more. It had a dynamic storyline with something new in every turn. The casting was great all around, and the plot gave such a dopamine hit when reading about it. I even digested and waited till I reviewed this one, simply because it was like a climax dream that you woke up from halfway in.

I’m not entirely sure if it’s because of the westernization of dramas through Netflix or what, but while the story offered a lot, it didn’t deliver enough emotional pull for all the characters, only for the main female lead. It missed the mark when it came to fleshing out the other side characters, and it also left you confused as to why major plot points were introduced at random peaks in the story. It wasn’t like these additions brought a new dynamic that changed the direction; it felt more like, “Well, we only have so many episodes, so let’s just slap this important information here now so viewers won’t be left questioning.”

The drama had so much potential with its story, actors, and viewership. It simply left me feeling like, Damn, this would be so much better as a novel or with a full, well-developed script that included emotional plot points to draw viewers more deeply into the entire story.

Don’t get me wrong—it was okay. But it had so much room to be something truly great. It kinda missed the fullfilment of fans for these drama types, honestly.

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Okay for those people going to blabber about the similarities between meteor garden and this drama I have to say. Stop it! Just watch it! It’s more like a parody than a copy of the typical F4 situation. The first couple episodes are like an nearly exact same. However take a deep breath and by some episodes later you’ll notice that actually this is a pretty damn good drama. The plot leads to different paths from story we are use to. It is more modern than you might think, pretty cute too. While watching this drama, there were of course parts that I wanted to skip really quickly. But those moment are overtaken by the actually great parts to it. In this drama they brought in many current day aspects to it too. Such as the immense amount of phone usages and that the female lead doesn’t have to be a frugal girl who is ugly. The male lead at first looks a typical dude who is not that good looking and just exist. But over time while watching him, especially when he puts his hair down (hair down I mean - Kpop Star bowl cut down) he’s so GORGEOUS!! The main female lead also looks like a a random actor the director just picked off the streets. But do not judge the book by its cover, she is actually really cute and enthusiastic. You know those cringey weird female leads where you want to rip off the screen. Congratulations she isn’t one of them. Just sometimes a little tiny bit annoying but that can be avoided. I’ve watched so many dramas who have such similar beginning story line and I have to say this is a pretty good-lighthearted one. Of course there were few tears but isn’t any of that melodrama where every episode = crying. So I have to say, forget all you past F4 dramas experiences and Give this a chance. Really recommend! :D

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