The soundtrack was the best I could hope for, with the main bulk of it being K-Indie, which was absolutely fitting for the atmosphere created by the drama.
A pity that the drama experienced some controversial issues over the directing as well as bad publicity from the original webtoon - this could be attributed to the mishandling of the issue by the PD, plaguing the last few episodes of the production and generating a slew of negative and angry feedback by the viewers. Despite these setbacks, this drama was truly a great reflection of reality - the troubles and setbacks one would face, the workings of the inner mind, the suspicion of other individuals, and a whole lot more. Definitely worth a watch!
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Cute Couple -- Wily and yet Charming FL + Multi-faceted ML
Having watched this drama, I must say that I enjoyed the ride! :)What I liked:
- The leads are good-looking. Oh man, the two leads are gorgeous to look at and so cute together.
- I like a smart FL who can take good care of herself and Hua Liu Li (HLL) does just that. She can take good care of herself and others around her. I like her charms and her gift of the gab. She can be coquettish. She can be feisty. She is a capable person.
- I like a devoted ML who loves and protects his sweetheart. The ML is very handsome and very manly. I think he acts well too because in front of HLL, he is all puppy-eyes and wanting her attention. However, when it comes to being the Crown Prince and handling his duties, he is all intelligent, competent, courageous and a force to be reckoned with. He is THE MAN, for sure.
- Yuan Wei (YW), HLL's maid, is the best maid ever. HLL and YW are so cute together. She looks adorable and she is smart and capable too.
- Tian Jia Min (TJM) and her mother, Princess Shun An, are so cute. TJM is all bark and no bite. She became reluctant and yet, good friends with HLL after both girls were kidnapped and went through "thick and thin" together. TJM's mother is always fan-girling about HLL's mother. So cute.
- The king is a nice man and a good king/ father (on the whole).
- HLL's family members are nice. They support her and have her interests at heart.
- Yun Han understood the error of his ways and stopped betraying ML.
- I like that Ying Wang and the third prince are not out to usurp the Crown Prince's position. The brothers actually co-exist nicely despite the machinations of their scheming mothers.
- The "Easter egg" endings are funny.
What I didn't like that much:
- Psycho plotter/ mastermind who has a Jekyll and Hyde personality. Atrociously manipulative. I do understand that we need to have some tension and suspense and something happening in the plot but he was a pain to watch. So nasty and horrid.
- Song Shu dies in the end which made me cry too. He really held the fort and was a father/ brother figure for HLL.
Overall, the plot is engaging and riveting enough (IMO). I truly enjoyed watching both FL and ML. They are good-lookers who light up my screen. Their acting is also good. There is also a lot of heart in this drama. I highly recommend this drama! It is a pretty fun watch!
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I won't call it an unhappy ending--it's actually nicely done
The first two episodes are very good. The third episode suffers from missing subtitles at crucial points (for international fans) and a negative portrayal of a female character. But I hope viewers would give the series a chance instead of rejecting it thinking that it has a sad ending. The ending is cleverly done and one one the most deftly crafted endings I have seen in a BL of late, as I will explain in the last part of my review.THE FLAWS
Let me get the flaws out of the way first. I have to admit that the plot is rather clichéd: a teen guy has a crush on a schoolmate and enters a "Does he like me? Or does he like her?" sort of crisis, especially when he sees his crush being close to a female schoolmate. In Episode 3, the female character who likes one of the main characters gets him into trouble after she is rejected, by telling his mother the possibility that her son likes guys. The homophobic mother decides to send him elsewhere to study.
The redundant female villain in BL is becoming a thing of the past these days, and to be fair, the female character here isn't that villainous. She seems sorry for what she has done out of jealousy, but the problem isn't really that the story uses its sole prominent female character as a jealous villain. The actress is pretty good in her role, but the way she outs her crush to his mother seems out of character and written in purely to serve the development of the plot.
THE STRENGTHS
The series has rather good production values, however. The song that the main character, Best, sings is nice and suits the mood of the story. The cinematography and editing is generally excellent. There are plenty of flashbacks in Episode 3, but the flashbacks reveal a bit more than what the scenes in the earlier episodes show. Used to bring across the characters' thoughts and emotions, the flashbacks are rather moving, particularly the part with Best's voiceover reading the notebook/diary. I find War's acting as Best convincing, and he gives a fine performance in the scene in which he walks away after almost writing a message of Dew's shirt to tell him that he likes him.
THE ENDING
Many are slamming the series for it's supposedly sad ending, and I was actually quite ready to slam the ending too. But it is actually executed with finesse, It is not really an unhappy ending, and it's really touching for several reasons:
1. Some are upset that Best does not even get to confess his love to Dew--he starts writing a message on Dew's shirt, but stops halfway through. BUT: the reality is that he has managed to confess to Dew through the notebook that has accidentally ended up with Dew. The messages inside the notebook are actually more than what he can possibly write on the shirt, so Dew knows about Best's feelings.
2. The flashbacks in Episode 3 also reveal that Dew has been having a liking for Best quite early on and has known about Best's feelings for some time though they haven't really had a chance to be a couple.
3. The series ends with Best crying, but it's not really an unhappy ending if we observe carefully. Best cries after he gets a message from Dew. The message is a photo of a page in First's lost notebook, but with something added by Dew. Dew has written down in the page the same (incomplete) message that Best has written on his shirt (but with an ellipsis behind).
By sending Best a picture from the notebook, Dew is effectively saying that he knows how Best feels. (Consider Best's confession done then.) By writing the same incomplete message, he can mean a few things. Firstly, it can mean that he knows what the whole message is and is saying the same thing to Best (that he, he likes Best too). Secondly, the repetition of the incomplete message with an ellipsis may indicate that that he hopes that that's not the end for them--he hopes for a continuation of their story. This is perhaps also the message for the audience, whether there is a sequel or not.
Best's crying is actually more complex than indicating a sad ending. Yes, he may be sad that Dew is leaving to study elsewhere. (But that can happen even if they are a couple, right?) He is crying also because he knows that he has managed to let Dew know about his feelings, so he won't regret being so hesitant to confess all this while. And lastly, he is also crying because he knows that Dew has feelings for him too.
Unfortunately, for many international viewers, the subtitles for what Best writes on the shirt and what Dew writes on Best's notebook are missing. This contributes to the misunderstanding of the ending, I believe.
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These three ahjummas and a country schoolboy who are originally strangers, randomly meet and start a revenge a club. This is quite an unusual plot in dramas history. The second episode got me hooked already, until the very last revenge! I love our Bokja club members: Madam Jung Hye with her cheap food addiction, Dong Hee unnie with her braveness, Mi Sook unnie with her elegance & patience, and Soo Gyum with his smart brain (lol i bet the helpless ahjumma will get the revenge nowhere without him). I would really love to join their club if i could! Even the bad guys are actually hard to despise. Every revenge plan is really fun to watch (with ahjumma's way, of course), some might fail but some other succeed. But in the end our heros always win!
My only dissapointment is that they don't include Soo Gyum in that poster (oh God, why?) eventhough he's the main member of Bokja club.
Well-spent 12 episodes and every minute is worthed. One of the best dramas in 2017. So if you're hesitating, go watch this now! Enjoy the fun ride. You'll laugh with their silliness and you might also cry while you're on it. For me it's 10/10. Bokja Club, hwaiting!!
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A BL with Passion and Care
I am so happy MBS is starting to make more BL series. Their past BLs have been so relieving knowing that there are still producers and writers who care about the genre and the content they're pushing out. A lot of BLs releasing right now feel like they weren't given as much thought or care, but Jack O' Frost is one which I really respect and love for putting out something meaningful and worth to watch. For the actual review, I love the atmosphere that the film style brings. Without spoiling much, the way they filmed everything felt very nostalgic, cozy while also having a deep sense of longing for the past. The acting is better than I expected, seeing as one of the main characters was a support for another BL I watched (which wasn't on my list of things to recommend). But his acting, both of their acting actually was amazing. Their chemistry felt realistic that during some scenes I felt like I was interrupting their privacy and had to look away. Overall I would really recommend this to BL lovers. I hardly say that nowadays since I've stated before, a lot of the BLs currently coming out felt like a waste of my time, very fan service and unoriginal but that's a critique on the genre as a whole. However, Jack O' Frost gives something new and focuses on a story that doesn't talk about the same old "dealing with coming out" situations. I guess lately I got so tired of that plot-line cause its everywhere that I look for more mature BL shows, and this one really hits the nail. 9.5/10Time Written: March 18 2023 5/6 Episodes
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I see this drama as Hotaru no Hikari with a sprinkle of Nodame Cantabile. There's the same sort of chemistry between the leads as in both but, unlike Hotaru no Hikari, I didn't find the lead unbelieving silly but, more like Nodame, just too kind, which some people look down on or take advantage of. When you see her for the first time, you think it's probably going to be a drama going around in circles but it's actually very direct. Kyoko Fukada is so versatile you don't know what you're going to find with her; her character, though too kind for her own good, is also very honest. Let me tell you, for a drama like this, that's actually refreshing.
But what I liked the most about this drama and the main reason I'm actually writing a review is the following: this is a romantic drama with love triangles and unrequited feelings in which none of the involved ladies take it on each other. They're not resentful, not vindictive and actually talk to each other about things other than the men in question. Heck, I even liked the relationship between the lead and her co-workers, which got developed from cliches that may have been unnecessary to something more realistic and interesting. There's a lot of ladies standing up for each other in this, I don't know if that's a merit of the manga which this is based of or not but hey, I'm so grateful.
All in all, I was faced with situations in which I thought the drama was intending to go towards a cliche and there it was, doing something else (especially with Shohei Miura's character). It's not devoid of cliches, mind you, there's a stern cold-seeming male lead saving a heartwarming cutesy female lead, but there's a lot in between I found absolutely worthy of my time.
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The best slice of life youth drama i ever watched!
First of all i would like to apologize as my english is not that good, but i simply want to share how i love this so everyone won't miss this beautiful drama! This is first time i write a review.Story:
Like other youth dramas, the story is about the friendship, school life, puppy love, problem with their parents. There are 5 main leads, they're childhood friends who grown up in the same neighborhood. The story is so simple, but the screenwriter combine with great acting of the actors make this drama is so beautifully done! The drama can make u laugh so hard and sad at the same episode with no evil characters, like "how can a highschool student plotting something so evil?" ( *cough At Eighteen). I love the relations between parents and childs even the relations between neighbors and build up romance of male lead and female lead. Even though romance is not the main plot, but romance in this drama is so satisfying especially in the last episode, make your heart melt with ML and FL sweet moment together. 16 episode is definitely not enough!
Acting/cast:
All the casts acting are so great, even the neighbors. But for me female lead is the star of this drama, she is so adorable and lovely. I love how Tian Xi Wei act as Cheng Zi who is cheerful, caring, positive and fragile at the same time, make me want to hug her everytime I see her cried. The way she act cute is so natural. I watched Marcus Li's other drama, go go squid and fairyland lovers, his character is not far from those two dramas so I guess he doesn't have problem acting as Tan Song. Finnaly he get a chance to be a male lead and I'm glad he did pretty good job. His chemistry with female lead is top notch, how they quarrel, get jealous and how they console each other when one of them have problem is so satisfying to watch.
Music:
Music in this drama are good, especially the ending song make u drown in emotion when it plays in romantic scenes. You can search it at youtube.
Rewatch value:
With great acting and no evil characters definitely worth to rewatch without skipping any episode
Overall:
If u like youth story, slice of life, satisfying romance and most importantly no evil characters this drama is yours, and I promise u won't regret it!!
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This review may contain spoilers
First of all, I will be honest that almost dropped this show watching the first two episodes, because I thought it would be one of the trending "relationship-between-human-and-robot" stories. However, I returned to this show after I was unexpectedly spoiled by YouTube and realized my guesses were wrong.This show focused on human relationships rather than real-life problems that happen in airports. Typical plots in airport dramas such as airplane accidents and troublesome passengers were covered, but briefly. Other than the relationship between the top two, the security couple, the manager couple, the lonely friend, some stressful bosses were covered.
The con reasons I gave 7/10 overall for this drama are the following:
- There was nothing deep or surprising. Basically, some ruined relationships in the past were fixed with some gangsters involved. They could have been fixed easily by simply communicating.
- Too many unique characters, and some were irrelevant to the story. Scenes like witnessing a husband cheating, workplace rumors, and relationship with some dark forces... these incoherent incidents messed up the main plot.
- Ending sucked. All those emotional struggles surrounding his disability became unnecessary in the end, because no one cared about it including him in the end right?
Like it said during the show, everyone is unique and have different views and opinions, despite working at a place where they serve customers who only care about themselves, because it's an airport. You can think of each other as "someone passing by in your life", and you will eventually forget about the encounter. I really liked this message.
It was really heartwarming to watch, with the help of some great OSTs. They really matched the theme of this show. However, it all ends up to this feeling, as if I rid on a ferris wheel instead of a roller coaster. Everyone carried stresses in the middle, but they all got along in the end.
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A Heartwarming Friendship Fluttering Across Backgrounds And Age...
Based upon the eponymous webtoon by Ji Min, Navillera was adapted onto the small screen by screenwriter Lee Eun Mi ( Tunnel-2017) and director Han Dong Hwa ( 38 Task Force, Miss Lee) with the hope of bringing to life this story’s heartwarmingly atypical friendship between 70 year old Shim Deok Chul ( Park In Hwan) , and a young man his early 20s Lee Chae Rok ( Song Kang) who are both united through their shared adoration of ballet . A heartwarming friendship tale, Navillera tackled some profoundly upfront issues about ageism, mortality, mental and physical illnesses as well as social prejudice also.
Park In Hwan was undeniably brilliant with his role as our main protagonist Shim Deok Chul. Although older characters are not uncommon in K-dramas , it was a breath of fresh air to come across a character in his twilight years who took central stage as a less glamorised or “ fresher” protagonist in a Korean drama with an equally heartbreaking character growth over the course of the series .
Naturally, it is important to respect South-Korean culture and expectations, however, ‘ Navillera’ pivotal focus is highlighted by the peculiar friendship between two individuals of different ages, with different backgrounds and personalities, who learn to surpass these boundaries through their friendship. Deok Chul respects Chae Rok both as his teacher and being his “ manager”, both inside and outside of the practice room. This allows Deok Chul to take on both the “encouraging figure” and the “friend role” for Chae Rok by his kind actions and standing up for him especially against his young mentor’s rival Yang Ho Beom ( Kim Kwon). ( As well as developing a friendship with this individual also.)
This of course moves us onto the deuteragonist of ‘ Navillera’ Chae Rok. Whilst actor Song Kang’s previous performances have been a little stiff , he seemed to truly capture something vividly brilliant behind his character Chae Rok; a young ballet dancer caught between the pain of the past, and struggling to move forwards to a brighter future. Yet whilst ironically Chae Rok’s archetype does undeniably fall into the cliche of the “ young and good looking main character”, his role in the series is nonetheless just as multifaceted as Deok Chul. This did not push Chae Rok down the stereotypical root of being a ‘ heinous and bitter person’. He’s seemingly aloof and judgemental as well as quick to complain about Deok Chul, however, he is shown to constantly battle with loneliness due to the circumstances of his father Lee Moo Young ( Jo Sung Ah) . He possesses also a similar streak of altruism and kindness as Deok Chul, which manifests throughout his actions over the course of the series.
Over the course of 12 episodes, the duo’s friendship begins to truly bloom. Even Deok Chul’s normally hypercritical wife Choi Hae Nam ( Na Moon Hee) taking a later shine to the younger dancer .
However, against all odds of cliches,the side characters of the series were often given intriguing backgrounds also. Chae Rok’s mentor Ki Seung Joo ( Kim Tae Hoon) has had a complicated divorce and past due to his career as a former- ballet dancer and is determined to not let his young prodigy walk down the same route. Similarly, Deok Chul’s youngest son Shim Seong Gwan ( Jo Bok Rae) ‘s changed career decision often leads to tension during family meetings, whilst the eldest Shim Seong San ( Jung Hae Kyun)’s harsh attitude towards his daughter and wife is certainly more complicated than it seems whereas Deok Chul’s daughter Shim Seong Suk ( Kim Soo Jin) supporting her husband Byun Young Il ( Joong Hee Tae)’s decisions were equally endearing storylines .
Yet the notable story arc which should probably be mentioned along the way can be seen within the staged romance between Chae Rok and Deok Chul’s granddaughter and Chae Rok’s colleague Shim Eun Ho( Hong Seung Hee).There was nothing inherently “ terrible” about this romantic pairing.Eun Ho and Chae Rok were mutually respectful of one another , and shared common ground within their close relationship with Deok Chul. On the other hand, it is fair to say that whilst partially necessary for allowing both characters to overcome their own lack of self-esteem in different ways, the romance respectfully wasn’t the most intriguing or exciting part of the show.
Similarly, another major focal point of the series occurs within Yang Ho Beom’s long-held “ enmity” towards Chae Rok. Without revealing too much about the reasons behind Ho Beom’s contempt of Chae Rok ( due to feeding into the main storyline), it is pivotal to point out that this “ rivalry” begins to filter into the storyline many cliche events, though, this does gradually begin to fizzle out due to their circumstances. However, this is what was refreshing about Ho Beom as a character and minor antagonist . He was far from being a “flawless person ”, but, he wasn’t entirely shown onscreen as having “ no humanity” either. Without any spoilers , there is one particular scene in which Ho Beom later approaches and sits down for a meal with Deok Chul, in a heartwarming moment of the drama.
Besides some minor flaws of the series, the ending of “ Navillera” was bittersweet. An amazing ending point to see just how far the characters had come and the difficulties which Deok Chul is taking one step at a time.
It is easy for shows like “ Navillera” to become overwhelmed with cliches by detracting from the more important points of character growth and storyline. Admittedly, the drama didn’t entirely stray away from these angst-ridden tropes, however, they were used to screenwriter Lee Eun Mi’s advantage allowing " Navillera" to become a heartwarming, tearjerking from beginning to end about family, friendship and self-determination. An enjoying and heartfelt watch with prominent character-growth and pivotal and universal messages throughout.
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Why do they normalize so much toxicity?
I'm still shocked how they normalize threatening someone with suicide and jealousy. The lead girl revealed herself but because her boyfriend was jealous she became "ugly" again. How on Earth is this acceptable? He was willing to marry a girl he didn't love because she threatened him to kill herself and no one told her to see a therapist? I don't understand.It was cliché and painful to watch. The acting was not bad, but the characters are annoying. The only good point was the music.
I guess you can watch this drama if you decide to unplug your brain, but if you begin to think about how problematic it is, you never stop.
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finally completed this series. first of all, i never thought i would randomly start watching this on a tuesday afternoon and end up finishing it immediately. after how season 1 made me feel, i honestly didn’t expect myself to continue this fast. but somehow, here i am, already done with it.this series was genuinely so good. it perfectly portrayed toxic relationships, manipulation, misunderstandings, reconciliation, emotional baggage, and the way people hurt each other when they are overwhelmed by their own emotions. there were friendship betrayals, unresolved feelings, selfish decisions, and so much emotional damage throughout the story. every single character made mistakes, and honestly, all of their feelings were valid in their own ways. what disappointed me the most was how they handled those emotions and situations, but that is also what made the series feel realistic. people are not always rational when they are hurting. sometimes they become unfair, selfish, impulsive, and destructive, and this series captured that perfectly.
first, jack. he is a good person, yes. his feelings were valid and he had every right to be angry at dean. however, the way he handled everything was completely wrong. he treated raffy like a replacement whenever things were not okay between him and dean, and that was honestly selfish because he knew raffy would always come running whenever he called. he took advantage of that vulnerability. jack did not just hurt dean, he hurt raffy too. what made it even worse was how emotionally confusing everything became because he kept holding onto people while simultaneously hurting them. thankfully, he eventually realized the damage he caused and took accountability for his actions. i appreciated that the series did not try to paint him as perfect because it showed that even good people can make terrible decisions when they are emotionally lost.
next, raffy. he was honestly bratty at times and reminded me of boston in some ways. i was especially frustrated during the part where he wanted to ruin jack and dean’s relationship because that was completely wrong. i am not going to defend him for that. there were moments where he allowed his emotions to consume him and became too selfish. however, despite all of that, i still understood him. i am glad he eventually realized that he did not want to become someone like dean. his character development was honestly one of the best parts of the series for me. i understood the pressure he carried as the son of a well-known actress because constantly living under expectations must have been exhausting. he grew up craving validation and affection, which explains why he became emotionally reckless at times. despite all his flaws, he is actually a good person, and i am happy he slowly learned how to grow and become better. seeing him become more self-aware made me appreciate his character even more.
third, rome. i genuinely love him so much. he was completely down bad for raffy, but at the same time, he knew his worth and understood that there is a limit to how long he should wait for someone. that is what i admired most about him. he and raffy honestly deserve each other because they truly understand one another in ways other people cannot. rome can get on your nerves sometimes, but he never crosses the line and he still genuinely cares. he is the type of person who stays honest even when the truth hurts. i also loved how emotionally mature he was compared to everyone else. he knew when to stay, when to wait, and when to protect himself too. i am really thankful raffy had someone he could finally be vulnerable and honest with because raffy clearly needed someone who would understand him without immediately judging him.
fourth, timmy. i am so proud of him because he became everyone’s pillar throughout the series. whenever there was chaos or conflict, he was always the first person trying to calm things down and help others. he is the type of person you can always rely on and depend on no matter what happens. he was such a great friend and producer to all of them. what i admired most about him was how emotionally present he was for everyone even when things became messy. he never made situations about himself. he genuinely tried to understand people and help them fix things instead of making everything worse. every friend group honestly needs someone like timmy.
fifth, arnold. i liked him from the very beginning. he is calm, comforting, and always there whenever tua needed someone. what i love most about him is that he actually communicates with his boyfriend whenever they have problems instead of avoiding difficult conversations. he listens, reassures, and tries to understand instead of immediately reacting emotionally. i genuinely love this character because he brought stability into the story. amidst all the chaos happening around them, arnold remained emotionally grounded.
sixth, tua. no words can explain how much i love his character. he is just too kind that it hurts sometimes. there is something so comforting and genuine about him that makes you want to protect him. he honestly does not deserve to be hurt by anyone. however, despite how kind he is, he is still human, and that is why his flaws felt realistic too. i really did not like the way he acted toward dean after the video of arnold and dean got leaked. they were best friends, and i wished tua had listened to dean first before reacting emotionally. i cannot justify the things he said because he truly hurt dean with his words. at the same time, i know tua never genuinely intended to destroy him. he was hurt too, and emotions got the best of him. that entire fight honestly broke me because you could feel how much love and pain existed between them. seeing friendships fall apart because of misunderstandings and emotional reactions is one of the saddest things ever.
lastly, dean. honestly, i do not even know where to begin. as much as i wanted to stay angry at him because of how he acted, i just could not. deep down, i understood why he did those things. he was hurting so much and trying to figure everything out on his own. dean felt like someone who constantly carried emotional weight by himself while pretending he was okay. what completely broke my heart was the fight between him and tua. i genuinely cried when tua said those things to dean because you could already see how broken dean was even before that moment. it felt like he had reached a point where everything around him was slowly falling apart. the world was honestly so cruel to him. all i wanted was for someone to finally understand him and be kinder to him for once. despite his mistakes, i never saw him as evil. i saw someone who was emotionally lost and desperately trying to survive his own feelings.
overall, i really loved this series. tua and dean’s friendship means so much to me, and i am so happy they eventually talked things out and reconciled. friendship heartbreaks are honestly one of the most painful things in the world because losing someone you considered home hurts differently. romantic heartbreaks hurt, yes, but friendship heartbreaks leave a different kind of emptiness because those are the people who know every version of you.
also, i genuinely did not expect nick to appear, but seeing him there made me realize how much boston had changed. boston used to be such a terrible person, and even he became aware of that. i honestly did not expect nick and boston to end things peacefully this season, so i am thankful they were finally able to communicate properly, even if it was only for one last time. i am especially proud of nick for finally choosing himself over everything else because he deserves so much better. honestly, so does boston. yes, he hurt many people before, but at least he grew and became self-aware. growth does not erase the pain someone caused, but it is still important to acknowledge when someone genuinely changes and reflects on their actions.
everyone in this series deserves so much better. they all deserved love, understanding, healing, and people who would genuinely choose them. one line from the series that really stayed with me was: “choose someone who chooses you.” that line hit so hard because it is true. people should never have to beg for consistency, reassurance, love, or basic respect.
please never lower your standards just because you are afraid of losing someone. know your worth. you are enough, and you deserve people who will never make you question that. never settle for someone who constantly makes you feel unloved, unwanted, or difficult to choose.
also, huge kudos to all the actors who portrayed their roles so well. all of you did such an incredible job and made every emotion feel real and natural. the acting honestly made the entire series even more impactful because you could genuinely feel the pain, tension, comfort, heartbreak, and vulnerability in every scene. nothing felt forced. every character felt alive because of how well the actors carried their roles.
special mention to MIX SAHAPHAP because wow. i honestly never expected to see you in this type of series, but you completely surprised me in the best way possible. your acting was genuinely amazing and emotionally convincing. you portrayed your character with so much depth, and there were scenes where your emotions alone were enough to break my heart. this role honestly showed a different side of you as an actor, and i am genuinely proud of how well you did.
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Watch Lighter and Princess first!
Listen to me. Have you seen Lighter and Princess? No? Watch that first. You’ve seen L&P already? Then be prepared for a downgrade when watching this. These two shows are quite comparable. The setups are the same (a college romance in the beginning) and the basic structures are similar. Both include a breakup at the midpoint with a timeskip (not a spoiler), with a significant business focus sprinkled in between while ML desperately attempts to salvage whatever love they have for each other. It’s difficult not to compare them.The first 14 episodes or so are fairly standard. Nothing to write home about. A college romance. He’s a sneaker designer starting his own business, while she’s a struggling college student entering the world of business finance to support her mother. Slowly but surely, a romance develops, only for the show to break them up in the latter half of the story. Sound familiar? I told you it’s similar to Lighter and Princess. This is where the writing truly begins to test your patience.
I wouldn’t call it toxic per se but the “will they, won’t they” shtick was really annoying. The pushing each other away in order to protect the other person had my eyes rolling numerous times. ML is particularly guilty of this, and his decisions led to significant consequences.
There is a second couple, but many would find a professor-student relationship pairing weird, but I didn't think much of it. Their storyline was not particularly interesting by the end anyway.
For me the best thing about this show was the opening duet performed by Arthur Chen and Sabrina Zhuang. Really good.
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But once the players entered the playing field…That is when I sat up straighter, started to smile, munch happily on my overly buttered popcorn and get that excited feeling as if I am sitting in a theatre waiting for something good. Let the Games Begin! The game played in Reborn is intricate and will keep you entertained.
The cast of characters in the series are as quirky as ever. Mushroom Head and Gold Tooth both make appearances but most of the characters are new so it kept things fresh. The location is crazy. It looks like a really cool upscale techno nightclub that has been bombed and forgotten. The set design was awesome.
The execution of the game and plot was fun and entertaining. I love how smart Akiyama is when breaking down the game, forming alliances and figuring out his incredibly clever strategies. He is so cool in his plotting, so patient for the outcomes and totally badass when he needs to be.
The one thing that brought this film down a notch for me was indeed the absence of Kanzaki Nao. There was a chemistry between the lead actors and a relationship that developed between their characters that was lacking with this new pairing. There was a special dynamic from the series between Nao and Akiyama; his cynicism was attracted to her goodness. She softened his edges and that little touch made Liar Game a little more than just a drama about puzzles and ultimately enhanced the tension of the outcome. I felt the loss keenly. Matsuda Shota is a very solid actor and the rest of the cast does a great job...I simply missed Nao. I wish that wasn't the case.
The music was actually great. I liked the techno beats and some of the strange compositions that fit the mood and the tension of some scenes. As always, the theme playing when Akiyama enters the game was just as cool as his character. Loved it.
Overall, I totally recommend this film. It wasn’t perfect but it was a lot of fun.
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However, this series has also created some of the most annoying characters on TV, ever - Aim, Jeed and Earn. Its not that these characters were written to be antagonists of the show - the characters, the way they were acted and the artists - were all annoying. Id like to scratch my tv everytime I see Jeed smirk on screen. These 3 characters were so unrealistic and unbelievable in their parts that everytime I see them on screen I just want to click fast forward. Grace was a villain and to say that i li ked her more than Jeed is just a testament of how annoying this Jeed character is.
Ive rated rewatch value to 6 because it is just painful to watch 36 episodes. If its 36 episodes of Phun and Noh being cute together, i would have rated it a 10. I give this an overall rating of 8, again, just because of Phun and Noh and if i can remove the Jeed, Aim and Earn from the whole series I would have given this series an overall rating of 10 - so just keep your remote handy and click when you see Jeed and Aim and Earn.
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Aesthetically pleasing and simply heartwarming that it feels like you're reading a poem.
I started watching this drama with no expectation because I'm not familiar with the actors. Moreover the previous Shin Se Kyung's dramas I've watched weren't my cup of tea.I don't know how I ended up clicking this drama but after I watched the first two episodes I was totally hooked. Honestly, the plot is not really new and the characters themselves are obviously fictional but surprisingly this drama is so well written and nicely executed, so it still successfully gives you realistic feeling that you can relate to its story.
One of the most interesting parts about this drama is its range. I really like how diversed and woke the story is by including many aspects in life from love, friendship, family, career, gender, sexuality, environment, art, sport and many more. Although they bring up alot of issues, they still manage to keep its pace consistent and it doesn't go all over the place.
Another thing that I like about this drama is the meaningful conversation between main leads. Yes, this drama contains a lot of talking. However I don't feel bored at all. I like how honest, beautiful and pure the conversations are, even when they talk about ordinary things. They really put a lot of depth in their conversations.
You also don't have to worry about the angst because this is a lighthearted drama. So, despite its poetic vibes, you still can have many laughs. The humour itself is not exaggerated but it's right in its portion which I like it.
How about the casts? There are four main leads in this drama and I love all of them. Each one of them is unique in their own way.
1. Ki Sun Gyeom - He's so pure, selfless and innocent. I don't think this kind of person exist in real life but still I can't help falling in love with his character. Im Shi Wan portrays this role really really well.
2. Oh Mi Joo - She is probably the most realistic character in this drama but that's maybe also because I can relate the most to her character. I love how independent and straightforward she is. She's adorable!
3. Seo Dan Ah - She's a badass character here. She's a strong, an independent and a confident business woman. She is interesting.
4. Lee Young Hwa - I think he is the weakest among the main leads but he's still likable especially when he's with Seo Dan Ah and Ki Sun Gyeom.
That's all I can say about the characters. I think it's better for you to observe by yourself.
Overall this drama is really interesting and well executed. Each of episode keeps getting better and better. If you like a lighthearted and heartwarming drama, I really recommend you to watch this.
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