The other two things I loved about the drama are the music and the location. While the music really set s you in the mood, the drama is set in Harbin, a Chinese city that looks like Moscow. The location is a stroke of genius and really adds to the atmospheric effect.
Highly recommended if you are in the mood for a noir
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For the acting, I seriously want to give a standing ovation to the main cast (Masataka Kubota) for his excellent acting and perfectly portrayed as Kaneki Ken. Why I said that he is perfect as Kaneki because every scene that has Kaneki in it, I can feel the main character's pain, sad, happy, nervous. For those who still not read the manga yet, Kaneki Ken is such a complicated and tragic character yet he brilliantly conveys his emotion as Kaneki Ken who got confused with his own body and the struggles to keep his humanity as a half-ghoul, half human. The other casts also played their character really well.
What makes this film not perfect is the CG. The CG of Kakugan seriously looks great but the CG of Kagune, for some reason there's a time that the Kagune effects look a bit awkward but don't worry, it's not a big deal.
Overall, I enjoyed every part in this movie. Since the first movie already good, I have a high expectation for the sequel and hope they will have more budget for the next film so the CGI will look more awesome and the viewers will more enjoy watching the film.
For all fans of Tokyo Ghoul, it is official that Tokyo Ghoul is getting the third anime series in 2018 for the adaptation of TOKYO GHOUL:RE.
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It's sweet as it's name.
This drama was like vanilla ice cream plain and sweet without any major twists and surprises. So you won't feel any thrill it's just a light, cute and fluffy drama with lots of cliches in it that will definitely make you cringe.It's a fairytale with happy ending. Probably Cinderella story. Rich, handsome, talented and there's even more he's her idol also so basically it becomes so unrealistic but if you like this type of stories then this is your cup of tea. It doesn't have many silly misunderstandings, breakups yeah but there's a irritating I mean very irritating second FL that's her character is only made for to we hate her. Still is wasn't bad it was good dose of fluffy ness after watching some serious stuff. The acting and execution was good, I liked the fact that FL wasn't dumb and ML wasn't mean.
Overall it was okay, it was good watch I enjoyed it's cuteness and sweetness...
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Khun Chai Taratorn is the first part of the very popular Suparburoot Jutathep series. It’s somewhat an exclusive Thai way of making dramas where three, four or five plots are connected by a main thread. In this series’ case, it’s the story of the five noble brothers, set in the after-war times in Thailand.
The first part of the story started in a promising way, it gets extra credit because it introduced us the main characters, their relationships and the general atmosphere. The premise of the plot seemed interesting; antiques robbery, cross-dressing and so on. However, the writing didn’t manage to keep things captivating. I think that’s the main issue with most Thai lakorns, they usually have interesting topics and characters but they tend to mess things up in the middle and near the end.
I found too much Indecisiveness to tolerate. Many main characters kept avoiding the obvious for the longest time that’s why the lakorn could turn out to be a little boring. Of course, the bromance moments between the brothers surely kept my interest, the way they eavesdrop on each other or plot against each other just for fun was priceless. I believe that’s the main strength of this series.
This may have been the non-interesting brother as some may call it but I surely liked Chai Yai’s character, apart from his indecisiveness of course. He was calm, caring and well-worthy of the eldest brother’s title. The acting was, not bad is all I can say. As many of you would know, Thailand doesn’t contain the greatest actors out there but they can be good enough. Grate did well with the character, at least more convincing than Preem’s acting. You see, beside Grate and Pope (playing the first and the second brother) who are well-known actors from Channel 3, Jame, Bomb and James (playing the other brothers) are newbie actors who made their breakthrough with this series so they deserve encouragement.
The female department was nice; I especially liked the two grannies. The triangle was also good, at least there’s no evil second female lead that you would gladly throw in hell. She had your average next-door neighbour girl feel into her despite being in the noble class. She was also a great friend of the female lead (something you would rarely see in lakorns or in Asian dramas in general). It’s her two sisters that I am worried about when Chai Pat and Chai Pee’s stories come; they will be the obnoxious type for sure. The second male lead in this part was also very nice and no, he wasn’t friend-zoned since he never grew a crush on the female lead in the first place.
Watch if:
-You like Thai lakorns.
-You dislike slap/kiss lakorns and prefer the other genres.
-You like good chemistry.
Do not watch if:
-You’re looking for something great.
-You’re not familiar with Thai lakorns; I wouldn’t recommend this as your starting point.
-You’re very impatient for developments to happen.
Khun Chai Taratron love story wasn’t that great to be honest, but as usual the chemistry in Thai lakorns is something you’d gladly watch. I am looking forward to the rest of this series, hoping that the other brothers’ stories will be more interesting than this.
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This review may contain spoilers
Pretty well done and very, very tragic all at the same time. This show had some of the best casting I've seen in a drama yet, and Dong Chi (Choi Jin Hyuk) and Kang Soo (Lee Tae Hwan) stole it away pretty quickly. The secondary cast was simply amazing in their roles, and they were almost more important than the leads to me. To be honest, I think of the leads, Kang Soo was the best all around actor although Dong Chi certainly did a wonderful job. But considering that Kang Soo is still a little new, he never once failed his role. They kept in character and made you feel that the emotions they displayed were real and honest. I felt like they had great chemistry, bouncing well off of one another and the rest of the cast members. The relationships between Kang Soo-Chang Gi and Dong Chi - Chief Moon were very well developed. The secondary cast also worked wonderfully with each other, and the script successfully used them as both plot developers and stress-relieving comedy at all the right places. Jang Won (Choi Woo Shik) and Gwang Mi (Jeong Hye Song) were dazzling in their roles and played their parts exceptionally. Without them, the story would have been far to dark and depressing, but with them it was the perfect mix of comedy and serious thought-proving storyline.I didn't actually really care at all for Han Yeol Moo (Baek Jin Hee), and she took away some of the points I would have given the show. I'm not sure if it was bad acting or bad scripts, but her character just didn't really work. I'm used to the female stars being, well stubborn sure, but mostly good-hearted, solid morals, and someone who thinks of others first. But Yeol Moo has little patience for other people, actively and deliberately hurt her mom, and had no respect for the rule of law or her superiors. I mean, I understand that the point is that when bad guys are in control, you may have to work the system. But she actually was willing to sentence another girl to death or to sacrifice up evidence just to get her and her boyfriend out of trouble. Although the show never dealt with it, she was sometimes quoting basically the same thought processes as the bad guys she wanted to stop. It didn't help that her expressions were non-existent or just felt off, I never felt that her feelings (anger or love alike) were actually real.
Korean Dramas usually focus on personal relationships, with the political message in the background. However, Pride and Prejudice definitely pulled its themes forward, with the romance and friendships being largely a secondary plotline. The show questions the theory that "the ends should justify the means" with both good and bad characters trying to argue their point using this premise. Is it okay to do bad things for a good ending? Or what if you only do something wrong because it is the "lesser evil?" The show pulled in themes of Corruption, Pride, Self-Entitlement, Good v. Evil, Bad Leadership, and knowing when to draw the line. I thought one of the most interesting points the show brought up was the question of what to do when you can't defeat the evil. Most shows want to portray the bad guys as defeatable, but that isn't really true. Whenever one bad guy is defeated, another one is probably going to follow shortly. Furthermore, if the bad guy you want is only a middle-man, is it worth your career to stop him when you know the leader will walk away? We want to put everything on the line only when the person we're chasing is the ultimate evil. But what if he isn't? What if there are 50 others worse than him running around waiting to be stopped later? Will you still risk everything to stop the one? I liked this show just because it made me think, and gave us some interesting things to talk about when it was over.
The plotline was somewhat standard KDrama fare, but also threw in a bunch of unique elements. For the first time ever, there wasn't much of a triangle. This wasn't about the romances; the show wanted you to focus more on the philosophical questions of morality and good citizenship instead. The crime itself was actually well set up and had lots of new or unique little twists and elements. It wasn't the simple murder; there were about ten layers to even plot development, with each character having their own side to tell. The bad guys who weren't really bad guys, the good guys who made horrible mistakes, the bad guys who were just bad guys, and the good guys who were so good as to be little earthly good. The show pulled them all in, asking you to look at humans, our ethical systems, and the important question of when can the right go wrong.
There were of course a few plot holes (especially with the ending being so rushed), but overall, I wasn't too disappointed with it. On the one hand, the weak ending was a really, really weak ending. It went too fast, it left a lot of loose ties, it didn't finish things at all. On the other hand, t was well written and well-designed, even if it left me crying and largely unsatisfied at the end. To be honest, I think it needed an unsatisfying ending, because that's the point. The battle is never over, the next generation simply takes over the reigns and pushes on.
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Cha Seung Won and Gong Hyo Jin's chemistry was palpable. I loved the hilariously charming arrogance of Dokko Jin, and that Gu Ae Jung was a secure female lead. I felt my heart flutter, and break with them throughout. I guess there is nothing really new about their relationship scenario, but it still felt fresh, and was exciting to watch.
I also have to say that Yoon Kye Sang, was one of my favorite second leads ever. He was so great as Yoon Pil Joo (aka "Mr. Perfect"), that I felt myself starting to root for him [team pil-line!]. My only complaint is that Dr. Perfect started to seem a little too repetitive towards the end. It seemed like the hong sisters just didn't know what to do with him after a while.
Speaking of the Hong Sisters, I think they did a great job making this drama fun. The music played a large role in setting the mood, and the cast was great, but it's the script that played the biggest role in what worked (and what didn't). Even though I knew how things would generally turn out, there were many rewatchable moments, moments that made me swoon, moments that caught me off guard, moments that brought unexpected tears, and moments that made me laugh out loud.
I also have to mention little "Ding Dong" who was so cute. The bromance between him & Dokko Jin were some of my favorite moments.
I'll admit I didn't have much interest in the girl group backstory, though I do think It was funny watching them mask the fact that Gong Hyo Jin is not the greatest singer. The fact that such small things could cause such huge scandals for Hallyu stars felt exaggerated to me, so It was hard for me to get too invested in that part of the drama. I think that has a lot to do with my cultural differences than anything at fault with the drama itself. It still swayed my overall opinion of this drama, and made me lean more towards 8 than 9.
Although it sometimes reminded me of other dramas (and not just because of the shiny tracksuits), I think "The Greatest Love" still holds it's own. I can easily see why it is high on so many people's favorites list, and I certainly never expected to love "The Greatest Love" as much as I did. Add me to the bunch of people who highly recommend this Rom-Com. If the romance in this one doesn't get to you at all, you might want to check to see if you still have a pulse.
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I’ve watched so many romance dramas, and I will not lie when I say that they made me have some tad bit of hope in love. But this show hit me differently. I don’t exactly know why, but I think it is because it’s realistic and based off the author’s life experience that I’m compelled to see such beauty in it, that if such a love story exists, then there’s some hope in this world. This show didn’t only change my perspective on what romance is, but also made me appreciate the relationships with my family and friends. Without them, I think life would be much harder than it already is.
I want to bring the attention to our main couple’s relationship. Some may think it’s long and draggy and that the push and pull between the leads is frustrating, but I personally felt that it was the angst and the long period of not being able to be together that made the relationship so strong in the end. I would have have long condemned this if it were real life, I would have sniggered at someone’s inability to let go of the one they like and I would have laughed, because I would have believed it was mere foolery. Truthfully, there were only three reasons why I started on the show. One is because I am a sucker for push and pull relationships - for the right reasons, not the toxic ones. The second is because of the OST ‘我只喜欢你 (I Only Like You)’ by Hu Xia - I have been listening to it non-stop for months and even sang it at every single karaoke session I’ve gone for. The third is because I thought Zhang Yujian (Yan Mo) was cute.
But so many reasons - I don’t know where to start - made me finish the show in 3 short days. I particularly really loved our female lead Qiaoyi’s character. In her, I saw youth and naivety, but I also saw strength in forgiving and letting go. She is different from her brother Guanchao. He is a big flirt who is filled with the confidence that Qiaoyi lacks, but he also struggles with holding grudges from a traumatised childhood. While he is what she isn’t, she is also what he isn’t. Both brother and sister seek to bring out the best in each other, by being their strength in hard times. And this is something that truly touches me.
Yan Mo, our male lead, is cold, aloof, and doesn’t get along with anyone. He is independent, and has great confidence in his abilities and is strict in discipline. What I particularly liked seeing is that while Qiaoyi is the complete opposite of Yan Mo, she doesn’t exactly change his personality. Yes, he begins to become affectionate towards her, and cares for her all the time, but she doesn’t take away the traits of him that makes Yan Mo who he is. He still primarily remains strict and aloof, and I think that is what makes him charming. Qiaoyi doesn’t change Yan Mo, but she brings out the warmth in him, and becomes a beacon of support in crucial times. I hope I made sense here.
Family. Something that we have, but all too often we neglect and fail to appreciate. Qiaoyi and Guanchao’s mother and step-father are perhaps the cutest pair of parents I have ever seen. I especially loved the relationship that they had with their step-father. He is the most loving and supportive father that the twins can ever have, and he brings so much happiness to their mother. I think in that household, he is the shining light - so precious, so bright and so amazing. One of my favourite scenes was when their step-father told their mother that he wants to be the one to walk Qiaoyi down the aisle on her wedding day. Truly, it brought tears to my cold rotten self. Love that guy.
Okay I’m gonna stop here. I’m so overwhelmed writing this review. I feel like crying. Dammit just watch it. You will not regret it, I promise you.
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Best Healing show ever made
This is the best thing you will see in 2023. Its so comforting and healing and beautiful and soft that you will not want it to end. Its slow.. but not slow where you want to skip to other parts or you find it boring. No its slow in a very pleasing manner. When the characters find comfort and peace you will find it too. It honest about human emotions. The Characters are flawed and human and you love them.The love that builds up between the two is so pure and beautiful and the way they both want to sacrifice every single peace in their life to just give a little comfort to the other is sooo soothing and so pure. They will forever be my favourite.
If you have not started watching it because of any reason, stop thinking and start it. Just start and you will never want to stop watching
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besides the story, i believe the true treasure of this drama is the actors' ability to make their characters shine. this is the first drama i've seen of gakky and i don't think she was a "turn-off" at all.. she may lack superior talent, but she also isn't a horrible actress that brings everything down. okada masaki is one of my favorite actors so it may be that i carry a biased opinion of him, but he really did a great job in this one. i really felt that he let himself be "free".. his expressions were always on point and he knows how to create a mood. he can make you laugh, but he can also warm your heart.
the music was great. i'm not one that normally pays much attention to it, but it was nice and fit the drama well.
i'm also not one to rewatch dramas, but i think i would watch this again if i ever got the time.
overall, this is a good drama to watch when you need something light. i don't think it's a complete must, but i think it's a drama that will definitely make you feel something for awhile.
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This review may contain spoilers
A fun show (if u look past technicalities)
Their ideas and schemes were fun to watch even though its not practical. Park Min Young as yu yirang was so fun , she was such a diva. I liked her backstory and overall connection to the main revenge plot. I feel like this could have been done without the other two of the trio since they aren't that important. The cameos were a nice addition too. They are definitely going to have a s2 and I know where that is going to go.Was this review helpful to you?
1
2A fun romance wrapped in a transmigration costume drama shell
Gemini is the gift that keeps on giving. I went in with typically low expectations for quality and high expectations for entertainment, as is my typical approach to costume mini-dramas. Gemini delivered on both fronts!— The romance —
I’m all kinds of happy with the development of the main couple, which hits many of my favorite tropes, including role reversal with a self-possessed, powerful, stabby heroine and a down-bad ML. It was a little too fast-burn for my tastes, because I typically tend to lose interest after the leads get together, but not here.
— Zhou Jun Wei as our hero —
What can I say? Zhou Jun Wei delivered. His expressions, his presence, his little side-smirks… ahhhh I just love him. He absolutely killed it. It’s a crime that he hasn’t been the lead in more dramas, especially full-length dramas.
His character is a classic Wuxia hero in many ways. Badass, devoted, determined, a beast in battle. When with the people he loves, he becomes playful, earnest, and genuinely funny in some moments.
The ML’s inability to feel physical pain, due to some MacGuffin he swallowed in his childhood, makes him into a fascinating character. First off, because it turns him into something like a rabid dog in battle, willing to take hit after hit and keep moving. The villain character comments at one point that, when his sect leader (the FL) is not there to keep him in check, he is little more than a madman. Second, his lack of physical pain makes him feel emotional pain all the more acutely. Consistently, he is a man driven by grief and love, making everything else in his life secondary.
Could the writers have dug deeper into the juiciest parts of his character? Absolutely. Though this is a mini-drama, there was enough space to explore, and they didn’t always capitalize on the time they had to do proper character growth.
— Zhu Li Lan as our heroine —
It was my first time seeing her in a drama. The first few episodes, I had trouble focusing on what her character was up to because, um, she is SO beautiful. I was too busy staring at her face 🤣
She begins as the clueless wife of a villainous prince and, in a sequence of transmigration loosely reminiscent of A Familiar Stranger, becomes a duplicitous and violent woman bent on revenge. ZLL plays both roles well but I very much preferred her in the “villainess” role.
— The plot —
The plot relies on well-worn tropes such as body-switching and revenge, but not so heavily that things get boring. Crucially, when things seemed to slow down, the writers threw in a wonderful twist regarding the villain which brought me right back to full investment in the story.
— Overall —
A gem. No filler, beautiful actors, fun twisty plot, doesn’t take itself seriously except when it counts.
— TROPES —
- ML falls first (a “loved you all along” kind of arrangement)
- badass anti-heroine
- master/disciple
- childhood friends to lovers
- reincarnation, body switching, revenge plot
- medium burn (?) with several instances of spice throughout
- arranged marriage, royal family politics
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THE CHEMISTRY in a short drama!
"Forever Love," a Chinese drama, showcases a sizzling chemistry between its leads with its realistic passionate kiss scenes.The drama is short, with a revenge and death plot depicted, yet the story development is weak. Just watch it without having any expectations lol
The chemistry is everything. The leads are like magnets. Their kiss scenes are deep as if these two are made for each other.
Similar to other short dramas, the drama is not of a high quality, yet this drama is exactly the type to unwind with and pass your time, especially if you crave for romance :)
.
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History enthusiasts should not miss this
As the old adage goes, save the best for last. How appropriate, as this is the final drama that I’ve completed before 2020 draws to a close. Personally for me, I consider Qin Dynasty Epic as the best historical non-fiction C-drama production of the year. Aside from being extremely well made, there is simply no other similar non-fiction historical produced this year capable of competing with this drama. Hopefully this brief review provides potential viewers a general idea of what to expect.This is a big budget production and it really shows. The high quality cinematic colour grading, exceptional cinematography and camerawork, elaborately constructed sets, lavish costumes, well-executed action choreography and battle scenes, as well as beautiful vast landscapes, among various other aspects. Principal photography took place at Hengdian World Studio along with gorgeous locales such as Nalati, Sailimu Lake, Changji, Wuerhe, Xiangshan, Duyun, and Xianju. It had been reported in Chinese entertainment news outlets that over 11,000 sets of costumes as well as 4,000 sets of armour were produced for this show alone. Everything looks visually stunning on a very grand scale.
This drama, the fourth and final series in the Qin Dynasty franchise, chronicles the humble beginnings of Qin Shi Huang, the first emperor of China, up to the point of unification and establishment of the first imperial dynasty of China, the Qin Dynasty (around 259 BC to 221 BC). The plot follows very closely the Records of the Grand Historian, written by Sima Qian, as I understand from more knowledgeable viewers on the subject matter. How certain events truly transpired, no one will ever know. But, at the very least, the major events recorded are generally covered, with some degree of dramatization as expected of a drama. It’s worth mentioning here that unlike the first 3 series which are based on the novel, The Qin Empire by author Sun Haohui, critics noted that the script for this latest instalment is not adapted from the novel.
The performance of the ensemble cast is nothing short of remarkable. Aside from Zhu Zhu, whom I’ve come across in American productions, I’ve never seen the rest of the main cast previously but their acting in this drama is testament to their immense talent indeed. The trio of Zhang Lu Yi, Duan Yi Hong, and Li Nai Wen are outstanding in their portrayal of the central characters of Ying Zheng, Lv Bu Wei and Li Si. For me, those three actors carried the entire show. In particular, Duan Yi Hong’s unique version of the complex character Lv Bu Wei deserves much praise. The huge supporting cast, especially the veterans, also deliver an impressive depiction of their respective characters.
The screenplay involving the numerous convoluted political power plays and complicated stratagems used in court machinations and on the battlefields is very cleverly written and deftly executed throughout the entire show. Nothing is ever as it seems and no character is above the use of tactical maneuverings to gain any sort of advantage.
However, the drama is not without flaws, the major issue being the casting of a 40-year old man as a 13-year old boy. I don’t think I need to elaborate more here. For a big budget production, this falls short of the required standard and therefore, a deduction of points for this glaring error of judgment.
In addition to that, certain dramatization of major events, particularly the story arc concerning the infamous pseudo-eunuch and the Queen Dowager, lasts longer than is perhaps necessary. As a result, other more meaningful historical events are not fully fleshed out or shown in greater detail.
Although 78 episodes represent a massive investment of viewing hours, Qin Dynasty Epic presents an utterly compelling insight and in-depth exploration into the origins of China's first imperial dynasty and the long and arduous journey to unification of the many splintered ancient kingdoms and vassal states. For enthusiasts of history, particularly ancient Chinese history, this is an opportunity not to be missed. Being the final installment of the highly successful Qin Dynasty franchise which started back in 2009, it might be a very long while before another epic historical production based on the warring states era gets commissioned, if ever again.
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I don't usually watch Chinese rom-coms but this one slipped away when I was watching too many romantic comedies.
2) Storyline/Plot:
The general story isn't something special or new but the way everything was mixed together made the film's story interesting somehow.
Positive points:
*The film's introduction was a good intro for what will happen next.
*There were two well-written twits that you don't usually find in romantic comedies stories: that was a nice change.
*Leads mixture was really cool even though it wasn't that intense.
*Finally and most importantly, there were several hilarious moments to make the film lighter.
Negative points:
*Although there were a respectable amount of negative points but I will only mention that the revenge plot wasn't that great, it would have been much better if it was written otherwise.
Story: 7.5/10
3) Acting/Cast:
*Zhang Ziyi: It was a surprise to see her in a rom-com film since I only saw her in Wuxia productions before. I was convinced by her acting but I can't say the same about her character.
*Other actors were good too, they knew how to make it really enjoyablespecially Fan Bing Bing she grasped the evil role perfectly but So Ji Sub was a disappointement here (mainly because I rarely like Korean actors in Chinese or Taiwanese productions).
*The chemistry was believable but not that enjoyable.
Cast: 7/10
Acting: 7.5/10
4) The ending:
Although it could have been much better but script writers chose to make it expected. It wasn't bad overall.
The ending: 7/10.
5) My impression (How did affect me):
*Although it wasn't a special film, it was entertaining and I had fun while watching it.
*Considering the fact that I don't watch Chinese romantic comedies, this was pretty good.
My impression 7/10.
6) Overall:
*If you like romantic comedies then you would like this.
*Ifyou like revenge plots then don't expect much from this.
Overall: 7/10.
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