1This review may contain spoilers
Well, at first, I didn't expect much from this drama and watching it just to kill the time. But unexpectedly I enjoyed it, a lot. The male lead, I watched him for the first time in One and Only and even I don't like his role a the crown prince, but I like his acting. And I was so shocked when I knew he's only 19. Omo!! He's going to be big someday I bet. And I hooked with his role as Mo Qing Chen, the 2nd Prince who exiled himself from the palace because of his inability to feel or to taste anything. And I love the FL also. Instead damsel in distress formula that almost every drama follow, Lin Chi is a clever and witty girl. And I love love love the ML and FL interaction, their chemistry is over flowing. You would never know there's quite an age gap between them (ML 19 and FL 27). They're sooooo lovey dovey. But I kind of sorry to Prince Rui. Yes, he is bad, but he is kind of lonely also. And (I forgot his name) the one who play the role of Prince Rui, I watched 3 of his drama and his role is always like this.
Overall, this drama is worth to watch. And yes, it's a happy ending drama. I myself replayed a few scenes of Mo Qing Chen and Lin Chi. Love this couple.
Was this review helpful to you?
The thing that I love about this drama is the superb cast. The actress who played Banshu is not a very popular actress but I must say, she exceeded by expectations! Banshu is a very rash and cheerful girl, and the actress played the character really well. Really love it. The actor who played Wei Ying is also not a popular actor but I am charmed but him. He has the looks, the charisma...and his daily outfit in the drama is a white robe (prince charming), I am not surprise that his character managed to charm so many female characters in the show coz I am here being separated by a screen and could still get charmed. His acting skills are just bonuses.
Banshu's character can be a little rash at times and her actions are often exaggerated but I love her so much! She doesn't really know the palace etiquette and doesn't act like the normal gentle female teacher (????teacher who tutors the female students), but this is what make her special. She often does not care abt her image and behaves how she wants to behave. But what makes her so likeable is that she is so selfless. She cares a lot abt Wei Ying although he always reprimand her, places people before herself, saves her students' lives more than once despite them not liking her, and so on. Although she is very strict with her students and punishes them even though they are all daughters of high ranking officials, she is actually doing them good. For example, she makes them run around the court yard after seeing them all skinny and frail and she even gave the child emperor a good beating after the males students from ?? (an imperial all boys school)played a prank on her. It's very heartening to see her managing to earn the utmost respect of all students in the end.
The empress dowager in the story is not your typical evil old lady. She is actually quite young. She's the one who instructed Banshu to tutor the female students and gave her the permission to change the way the girls behave. After that, she ordered Banshu to teach the males form ?? coz she's disappointed that only 2 students signed up for the imperial exams and that all professors in charge of teaching the male students are all on sick leave (including Wei Ying) because of the palace fire. She sent Banshu coz she knows that Banshu fears nothing, not even high ranking officials' sons or daughters, and Banshu's duty is not only to teach poems blabla, but also instill the students of both schools good moral values.
Wei Ying is a ??? teaching the students of ??? He is very loyal to Liu Xuan (??, his lover whom he could not save. Hence, he is always stuck in the past and could not forget abt Liu Xuan. He even waters the plants that Liu Xuan had planted for 3 years straight without fail. In the end, he realizes that his love for Xuan has reduced to friendship and the one he loves is actually Banshu.
There are some characters who are there for some comedic effect, such as Huo Heng and Yao Juan. Yao Juan is another female teacher who is always taken advantage of by the students coz she is short-sighted and timid. She often walks into things because of her bad eyesight but that's okay, she's also very loveable.
Was this review helpful to you?
Everglow
25 people found this review helpful
1Radiant indeed! Honest. Real. Powerful. Intense. Soulful. As is the life of the Haenyeo.
Remarkable. Exceptional. A Shining Star in KMovieHeaven."Everglow" is radiant indeed. Honest. Real. Powerful. Told in few words only, but with wonderful pictures and profound scenes with soulful encounters. Full of love for the island, the Haenyeo, the sea, the landscape, life and love - in whatever form it chooses to show itself.
Go Doo-shim has surpassed herself many times in her long career as an actress and has set an unforgettable monument to many a female archetype. But in this life-affirming chamber piece that breathes pure nature, she surpasses herself a bit more: in the role of one of the comparatively few remaining, unique Haenyeo divers on Yejudo's coasts: Grumpy, dismissive, plain, robust, simple, strong, tireless, helpful, sensitive, profound, motherly, grandmotherly, friendly, old wise woman as well as tender, vulnerable, radiantly in love. With a great pain and a big heart - but she keeps both hidden deep inside of her. "Life makes life go on." Deeply connected and yet alone. Al(l)One with everything, while diving in the sea.
------------------------------------------------------------
The Haenyeo...
...are at home in the silence of the sea. Every day for up to 7 hours, in and under water, while holding their breath for more than 3 minutes. Breaking the surface, in stages they loudly blow out the air they are holding, while breathing in fresh oxygen, too. "Sumbisori" is the name of the peculiar whistling sound, for which each haenyeo finds its own variation. When they have deposited their prey in the net and their breathing has returned to normal, they launch again and dive back down into stillness. This is a world unto itself. Mentally focused on the now. Physically hardened by sun, wind and salt water. Depending on the time of year, tide and weather, several hours in the sea are followed by long breaks in order to warm up by the fire, together with the other haenyeo. Haeneyo is what women do. Haenyeo shapes the women of the island, makes them self-confident, independent and firmly connected in matriarchal community. After warming up, it's back into the water for several hours. It is an intense, existential, essential life in total surrender to the sea.
"Everglow" honors the life and tradition of the sea women or daughters of the sea in two respects, in that the story of the story has just such a monument and legacy as its subject: A documentary about the Haenyeo, which is to be broadcast on television.
Girl power and Haenyeo go hand in hand on Jejudo. Life on the island follows different rules and rhythms than on the mainland. Diving for valuable seafood of all kinds off the coasts of the volcanic island has traditionally been a woman's job. A lucrative one at that. The seabed is like extended farmland. The Haenyeo and its contribution to the cultural life on the island is undisputed and has even been included in the UNESCO list of intangible world heritage sites since 2016. Since 2017, the Haenyeo have also been officially recognized as an intangible cultural asset of South Korea. A culture that is dying out. Hardly any of the professional divers today are under 50, most are over 60. The technical equipment is almost the same as at the beginning of their career, which begins for most at about 8 years - with plenty of swimming and diving training in shallow water. From about 15 they are then considered "Baby Haenyeos". Experience and training are everything, because it's about nothing less than daily survival using enormous lung capacity, robust physicality for high resistance to the cold and a lot of practice in equalizing pressure. Once you are a daughter of the sea, you rarely get away from it. There is no retirement age. After bathing suits became neoprene suits, the time in the water between breaks could be significantly increased. Some swim out from shore, others take boats, and still others engage in some form of island hopping. Each has their sea farm, which they reap almost daily.
And each has a tremendous knowledge of nature, the sea, the wind and the tides. The women always work in community, take breaks in community and support each other in community. Haenyeo are environmentally conscious marine experts from the very beginning and pioneers of an emancipated life. (Significantly, Jin Ok is given the suffix or title 'Uncle' - as the eldest of her group, she is both a person of respect and, as the binding matriarchal head of the community, equal to any man who would otherwise hold this position in Confucian tradition.)
----------------- SIDE NOTE: --- Uprising 1948/49 ---
Since "Everglow" deals with the simple life of the now mostly old Haenyeos on Jejudo, the memories of the 72-year-old protagonist inevitably also touches on a lesser-known event in recent history that shook the island deeply: an uprising against an anti-communist government campaign. Between April 1948 and May 1949, the resistance cost around 30,000 people (about 10 percent of Jejudo's residents) their lives.
--------------------------------------------------------
Was this review helpful to you?
The Story was great and Unique. Acting/Cast is AWESOME cause Stephen Chow is here. Music is fine and serves as it's purpose.
Overall - 100% out of 100% shooting stars hahaha :))
Was this review helpful to you?
I'll start with the three leads, who match the chemistry and talent I loved in "Jealousy Incarnate" (by the same writer), while still having their own unique flavor. The trio of main characters is strong and I loved them all in previous dramas. Jung Ryeo Won as Dan Sae Woo brings everything I loved about her in Witch's Court. She is randomly funny and far from a timid lead, which makes her the kind of leading lady I adore. Then there's Lee Jun Ho as Seo Poong, who impressed me so much in Just Between Lovers, that I should not have been surprised that he would hold his own with his much older cast mates. Then lastly there's Jang Hyuk as Doo Chil Seong, who is always amazing. Money Flower and Fated to Love You are two more of my favorites, and this drama is no exception. All three played the comedy and emotional moments extremely well. They became characters I really cared about, and even when the story seemed all over the place, I was hooked from the moment they all met.
As for the story, I'm glad I didn't read about the plot ahead of time, because I enjoyed not quite knowing what in the world was going on. The beginning of this drama is very random, but eventually, things come together and make much more sense. This really is a standard rom com in a lot of ways, so romance fans should not get scared off by the gangster elements, or the revenge part of the story. This is still a very lighthearted drama, without any moments that are too heavy. There are plenty of palpably cute and swoon-worthy moments between Poong and Sae Woo. Even with their age gap they were extremely well matched, and their chemistry was amazing. I honestly loved the relationship dynamic between the three of them so much, because of how real it all felt, instead of just playing up their rivalry, or adding unecessary melodrama.
I feel like the whole cast performed as if they had fun making this drama, and that made me have fun watching them. I know that many of the cast members have been in dramas together before, and it really felt like an all-star cast. The minor characters may not have had strong storylines, but they did each have their own individual charm that made me care about all of them... except two (but it's not their fault). The only character I absolutely couldn't stand was played by Lee Mi Sook. She does take on double duty in this drama, playing two characters, but one of those characters became such a nuisance, that I began hating every moment she appeared on the screen. Maybe that speaks to how great of an actress she is, but it also speaks to what an unlikable one-dimensional character the writer created. The other character was played by Cha Joo Young, who although she is a large part of the plot she was barely around or involved, so she was very forgettable.
Is the actual plot original? no. Are there cliché moments? Definitely. Are there gluttonous food scenes, and are you likely to get really hungry while watching? Absolutely. There are definitely food porn moments that are almost as gratuitous as in Let's Eat. Anyone watching while on a diet should be warned. I'm also impressed by the kitchen scenes, and how interesting they made cooking look (which I have no interest in). I also liked some of the creative choices the director made with some scenes, including the random horse moments.
There are moments towards the end that felt repetitive and extra annoying, but the character's charm kept me from getting bored. I just wish they didn't rely on such a standard and annoying obstacle.
I also forgive the gratuitous Kia and Subway product placement.
Would I watch this again? This is the kind of drama I could see myself watching repeatedly. I already miss many of the characters, and the bad and slow moments were overshadowed by how much I enjoyed the rest of it.
Overall, this is a drama that satisfied my craving for a fun romance, with addictive episodes. It may not suit everyone's taste, but if you are a fan of anyone in this cast I would definitely recommend watching. I would say this drama is less of a meal, and more like a sweet dessert. I happen to have a sweet tooth, so I thought it was delicious.
Was this review helpful to you?
I cannot wait to the next episodes to come. So far, I rated this as perfect, because everything about it is great.
This is one of the best Thai Dramas that I've seen so far.
Kudos to the whole production in this project!
Was this review helpful to you?
But I must say that I was really impressed by this drama!
When I am bored by a drama I usually skip some parts but this drama here made me so addicted ,that I didn´t want to stop watching it.I watched the first 10 episodes and then I always contined to wait exited for the next episode :D You never know what will happen next and it really moves your feelings.In the first moment you must cry and the next moment you just laugh out loud! Even though it isn´t a comedy,the Cast in the drama is performing really exeptionally.You can perfectly understand their point of view and because the story is based on a true story, it feels even more real.
For the plot;
Basically the story is about a princess who is used from the birth for political matters but in the end she becomes the wife of the Shogun whom she really loves.This drama shows her strong personality and how she fought through her life until she finally found happiness ;)
I can only recommend it for everyone who wants to learn of the japanese history and who wants to see an exeptionally played drama with outstanding actors! Even when someone might don´t prefer watching historical dramas , it is worth the lenghts of 47 episodes
Was this review helpful to you?
I just wanted you guys to know that it's a good drama ! You've seen way way worse drama than this ! It's way better ! Specially what people are describing it from my point of view ! It has some peculiar theories ! lol ...
Casting was so good, everyone was professional ! And the music in it was a blessing <3 I really like those OST they were playing in drama !
#PEACE
Was this review helpful to you?
Fantastic story captivating actors
This is one of my favorite K-dramas, I've watched it 3 times already. and each time added clarity to the complicated story. Will probably watch it again to figure out a few more characters. This is the first time I watch actor Lee Min Ho, and he is captivating. His portrayal of a King is eloquent and perfectly measured. A King's face may be taught to be stoic, but his feelings can't hide from his eyes. I ended up searching all his works on Netflix, Prime, Viki and YouTube and seem to watch him grow up from the time he was a teenager. What a delightful performer and actor he is. I look forward to seeing all his future work. The leading lady, Kim Go Eun, is naturally beautiful, she can show such strong raw emotions. I had delayed watching TKEM due to seeing some poor reviews, but I'm totally fascinated by this powerful fantasy movie. I saw many reviews saying the love between the King and plain Detective to be rushed and not believable. But I can understand why she would have developed caring and protective feelings for a King who had been orphaned from childhood. She, herself, having lost a Mother at age 5, would definitely have soft feelings for another soul who lost a parent at an early age. Perhaps some viewers just saw a powerful King living in a rich palace, but she would’ve seen a sad soul who had to appear strong, but had all the hurts and loneliness of being an orphaned child, as only those who have experienced it would know. Had you seen him from that angle, you would’ve given him a loving hug and understanding as well. She Immediately loved him, because they understood each other’s pain behind their masks. As a King, he must hide his feelings. As detective, she chose to be brave to hide her inner hurt as well.For me, the concept of parallel worlds and existences was fascinating. Imagine if Korea fought off its aggressors in the 1800’s, avoided being colonized, and maintained its Kingdom till modern times. How different a world that may be. Why was it even compared to real world as we know? Who is to say how this fantasy world should be like?
We all think of other worlds and existences in various forms. I found it fascinating !
I am a retired from the US, with plenty of time to rewatch this drama, and others that touch the heart !
Was this review helpful to you?
Was this review helpful to you?
First, let me discuss its novel history. This novel was created in 1965 and has been adapted many times. The writer was "Yamasaki Toyoko". The one who created 'The Grand Tribe' and 'Fumo Chitai'. Her signature works or let's say.. Her theme was more of 'Power Struggle'. I noticed that because I've watched some of her works. It's obviously that this genre is not open or friendly seen to viewers, maybe? Perhaps, because her works were written in a depth-collision contents. Or maybe.. too harsh to be true? I hope I conveyed my point of view correctly because my grammar is not that good. :/
Okay, let's proceed..
Shiroi Kyoto is a glorious, addictive, brilliant drama though it's an underrated and very rarely seen with some viewers.. Oopps. Probably, because there's no teens idol. How sad. :(
This is not actually an episodic 100% medical drama that you'll often see doctor here and everywhere giving medical term and operations. The Hospital is just a setting here. Yes, there's so many dramas about power struggle but this one is a 'great exceptional'.
It portrays and highlights the controversy of conflicts, moral issues, ethics, power and humanity. Let alone the drama engage and allows you to peek into a world of rotten politics where you can see some nobles struggling to achieve their goal. And one of them is Goro Zaizen and the other, Satomi Shuji. The contrasting points between them made it feels like they can be hardly friends or whatsoever and yet, they respect each other capabilities even no words are spoken. Well, action is louder than words, ne? :D
Like this for example:
---- REALIST VS. IDEALIST ----
---- EMPIRICAL VS. PHILOSOPHICAL ---
My gratitude and applause to the writer for some of its great metaphorical context, very sophisticated concept and well-written script. This will remain a classic one and your timeless ambitious character-who-goes-higher-and-higher-up 'Goro Zaizen'. And... the very unorthodox charm and metaphor title that is --
"THE GREAT WHITE TOWER"
Oh how divine you are!! *music plays, "Amazing Grace"* (^o^)
About the OST, you may feel that it plays repetitive but its melody were actually referring to the one who's "The Great White Tower". Sounds heavy, huh? Characters are well-developed, it also views their motivation towards in their careers though I find some of them unrealistic but not 100% actually, so you can easily ignore it. :DD
The depressing, distress and stresses you'll feel in this drama may let you have an admiration and memorable one, that for every consequences of life, there will be a paved with indifference no matter how you look at it. This is a highly recommended especially for us who are entering the society one day. It will helps you realize that despite how messed up the world is, some around the corner.. you'll know how important the relationship between people-to-people. ^____^
Was this review helpful to you?
An Amazing Entertainment/Reality TV Show With an Amazing Casts
Where else are you going to be able to watch a show with so many amazing actors and actresses all in one? Look no further.Every episode is either funny , interesting or purely entertaining. I just couldn't stop laughing at times. It's interesting to see the actors' genuine reactions to some unexpected situations.
I came for Kwon Na-ra (she's just sooo amazingly beautiful, funny and silly) and now I can't wait for more! Seeing the likes of Park Seo-Joon being so silly and funny is really a sight to behold. (Radio?? lol. Watch it and you will know what I mean).
It's really a show worth watching even if it's just for the sake of seeing popular actors and actresses interacting with one another, some whom have known each other previously whilst some whom are fans of each other but have never met. You might even end up watching their dramas (like me as I'm now a fan of Choi Sung-eun as well, lol).
This is one show that is definitely not to be missed!
Was this review helpful to you?
Was this review helpful to you?
Was this review helpful to you?
I did like almost all of the characters, with the exception of Panda and Won Il's mom and step dad. I really liked the scenes between Hedgehog and Grandpa and Hedgehog and Won Il. I think it's the first time I really could care less about the actual love story and liked the bromance between the 2 male leads better. Some people have mentioned Donghae's acting. I didn't think it was bad at all and definitely improved throughout the drama.
I only gave the music a 6 just because I really didn't pay attention to most of it. The only songs I remember from the drama are Owl City's Good Time since it's a song I actually know haha. And they also had Gangnam Style in there which I thought was funny bc of all the hype that song is getting. But other than that, I don't remember.
Anyway, I liked it but didn't love it. Kept me interested enough to watch it every week but not to the point that I was sitting on the edge of my seat waiting for the next episode.
Was this review helpful to you?
