NOT WHAT YOU'LL EXPECT!
Hear me out. This series actually blew my mind. Contrary to the negative backlash that colored it when it first premiered, Earth , Mix, & Jan did a great job in my opinion. So glad that I took a leap over many negative opinions to see the series for myself. Body swapping is not my thing but it is so nicely done and certainly addressed in the series that I ended up enjoying the story line. Earth plays himself throughout and Jan was shown periodically so that we the audience do not forget that Win (Mix) is now in Lin's (Jan) body. If the body swap happened in a manner Lin's face was used to act as Win, I would have found that problematic. Or, if Korn (Earth) continually addressed Win as Lin, it would have been bad. But we can see that Korn is constantly aware that Win is the person he is on a journey with. Win even questions who Korn loves. Him or his sister. I am glad they made it clear that bodies had been swapped. Now, lets talk about the chemistry between Korn and Win. SHEEESH!!!!!!!!!!! They came in hot with the chemistry. I was so impressed. Their chemistry on ATOTS has NOTHING on this series. I want to attribute the ease with which they connect to the fact that Earth and Mix have spent a lot of time together since ATOTS. The stares, kisses, touches, my goodness, so so good. Mix has such a great way of expressing different emotions that just draws you in. Earth's acting was certainly better than I have ever seen it. I guess that goes to show the importance of partner pairing. I think some of the racist issues were cut out because I did not see any scenes with them. This series has made me more excited for Moonlight Chicken because I think that if Earth and Mix delivered such acting under a director everyone claims is very problematic, I cannot wait to see the art P'Aof wrings out of them. I will certainly be rewatching on GMMTV once it is released on YouTube. Earth Mix is certainly a new favorite after this series. I personally do not pay attention to anything other than the acting and storyline of a series. This way, I can support the actors based on what is within their power to influence. I do not think anyone asked Earth and Mix what they felt about the color grading. So, I am not going to use that to rate the show when I know it may affect their ability to secure other works in the future.Was this review helpful to you?
The casting was exellent, as well as the acting, can't complain about it. The music played during th emovie was very moving and really enhances the feeling you get from watching a particular scene.
The story line is great, even though we all know it, however, having watched the Disney movie, I anticipated a happier ending than that, and was slightly disapointed, screaming in my head "It's NOT FAIR", but anyway, that would be the only thing I don't like about it.
Overall, the movie was fantastic and a must watch in my opinion, and I would easily re-watch this, to pay more attention on the details the second time around.
GREAT MOVIE!!
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What really got to me in this drama was the realism of it. There are people that go through these types of issues in real life, and they don't always have someone by their side to help them get back on their feet. In the drama you find out more about each person as the story progresses, it made me think a lot about the people in my own life, everyone struggles with something, some people have deep dark secrets their embarrassed to talk about or afraid to talk about.
The acting was done really well! Exceptional! I haven't seen any of the other actors act in anything else, except for Nishikido Ryo, I've seen him in 1 Litre Of Tears. Needless to say, seeing him go from his character there to this one proves how much of a good actor he is. Sosuke was dark, his character was scary in ways because of the things he did. Nagasawa Masami as Michiru did a really good job, you saw her character getting stronger as the drama progressed. Ueno Juri as Ruka did an excellent job, her character had a lot of internal suffering going on as you find out more as each episode ends. I loved Eita's character, Takeru, even with all the things he's gone through he's an upbeat guy, admirable. The rest of the cast was really good, as well.
The music was good, the theme song, "Prisoner Of Love" by Utada Hikaru was perfect for the drama. The lyrics really matched with what the characters felt. The instrumental to it was really nice as well. The rest of the instrumentals fit the drama as well.
Will I rewatch this again? Someday. Serious dramas like this I love and enjoy for their realism, but I'm not sure when I'll rewatch this, if I do it won't be for a while.
Overall: It's a really good drama, I'd recommend it to everyone. It deals with a lot of issues. I found myself needing to watch each episode, like I mentioned above - I wasn't bored with any of this drama. There was always something going on to keep me intrigued and wanting to see what happens next.
The impact of their friendship, how each of them were willing to do anything to protect each other, that's the most important part of this drama I feel.
I wished they'd of gone a little more into detail about a few things, but overall it was done really well, I can't say it enough!
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2This couple killed it
This drama is about a whole lot more than romance, but I will start by showing some love in honor of the lead couple, Gu Yanxi and Hua Zhi. They were classy in their cuteness and made our hearts flutter with every interaction. The chemistry was undeniable; whether they were adorably close or longingly apart, they were always in tune with each other. They understood each other, supported one another, and sacrificed for the other. From potential enemies to friends to lovers, they became each other's greatest allies. What I appreciate the most though, is the strong communication and the unbreakable trust between them. This delightful duo embodied how love can endure, even in the face of conflict and circumstance.Apart from our leads, the other couples have also left a memorable impression on me, and I truly enjoyed watching how the relationships developed and blossomed. Even when romance did not always lead to the happiest of endings, the stories were touching and, at times, really tugged at my heartstrings.
When Blossoms in Adversity started airing, I had high expectations because of the director, Chu Yui Bun, and the cast. The show delivered even more than I expected. There was a strong theme of female empowerment, and a quote by Goethe came to mind, "The Eternal-Feminine draws us upward". Almost all the women characters had character development for the better, but sadly, most of the male characters did not. Save for a handful, most of the male characters were a disappointing lot.
Zhang Jing Yi's Hua Zhi was solid, and she proved again to be an excellent actress. ZJY portrayed an FL who was plucky, intelligent, precocious, quick-witted, but also very human. With her entire family thrown into chaos when a power-tripping Emperor exiled all their family men, HZ had to grow up quickly. Through HZ's struggles and triumphs, the show provided a lesson: in times of need, we can step up and be the kind of person others need us to be.
I threw shade at Hu Yi Tian in the beginning saying that ZJY was carrying the show, but in the end, I was won over yet again by our handsome ML. He shone in his fight scenes, and his usual stoic expression fit his role as Gu Yan Xi. This ML was also brilliant and was a skilled fighter. As the Commander of the Security Bureau, he was savage with everyone who deserved it but so gentle with the FL and the ones important to him. GYX started out conflicted, torn between gratitude to his uncle and his affection for Hua Zhi. Ultimately, he became a source of strength for HZ as he gradually determined that any amount of gratitude did not warrant the blind loyalty demanded of him.
GYX had background music dedicated to him, one that played whenever he turned up, ready to take the bad guys down, and it was just so bad-ass enjoyable. HYT should consider more historical dramas since this role is my favorite of his to date.
The supporting cast was terrific too, notably Lu Yu Xiao, who showed off how versatile she was. While Caesar Wu did not appear as often as I would like, he nailed his character as the overly earnest, idealistic Shen Qi. Bian Cheng as Shen Huan is someone to watch out for, and as the Emperor who demanded nothing less than everything, Hai Yi Tian delivered a great performance that had all of us wanting to see a painful death for him.
Apart from being amazingly acted, this drama was well-written and nicely executed. I applaud the show for keeping most of us engaged until the very end, throwing in something unpredictable just when I thought I figured out what would happen next. That said, the show didn't fall into the trap of using plot twists for the sake of creating last-minute melodrama.
The pacing was interesting to me in a good way. The plot went through the ups and downs of the characters lives so smoothly and quickly that angsty moments were not that dramatic and happy moments were more like normal events. No one really has an opportunity to dwell on the good or bad. Even with 40 episodes, the show never felt draggy, and best of all, it stuck its landing. I for one, am satisfied with how the show ended. It wrapped up the characters' journeys nicely and sent them off in such a way that left me feeling that this drama was well worth the watch.
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This review may contain spoilers
A drama doesn't have to have a well-written story and deep character development in order for it to be enjoyable and good. Mydramalist should really add a "enjoyment" rating alongside the story, acting, music, and rewatch value ratings because some shows such as Secretary Kim aren't the "brilliant masterpiece" drama that some people are looking for, but are still a neat cute amusement ride that casual kdrama watchers can enjoy. As soon as the drama finished, I saw a lot of reviews here that criticized how cringy, forced, and cliche the romance story was, and how shallow the characters were. I don't necessarily disagree with that, but that doesn't take away from how enjoyable and funny the cringy, forced, and cliche romance story was. The characters were shallow, but they were still funny and likable in many aspects. The point of the show isn't to come off as masterfully written story that leaves the audience in awe at every turn, but rather just to be an easy lighthearted drama for romance-comedy lovers to enjoy during their free time.
On the other hand, I've also seen people rate the story a 10/10, and calling Secretary Kim one of the best romance-comedy dramas of all time, which I'm going to have to disagree with. The reason being that there have been other romance-comedies such as Coffee Prince and Secret Garden that simply had a better story line, had more relatable characters as well as character development, and overall were a lot more memorable and enjoyable than Secretary Kim.
The overused story in Korean drama fantasy land of rich chaebol company owner male falling in love with the innocent female who is not-so-rich and is working hard to pay her [family's] debts and bills. Ha, the classic. Nothing much to analyze but it's yer old same old same old happily-ever-after romance-comedy story in Korean lala land. Although, if there is one thing to touch on, I personally did not like the dark childhood past of Lee Yeong Joon and Kim Mi So. It was even more forced than the romance in the show, and it didn't add anything to the show as a whole. In fact, I would go as far as to say that took away from the show because it tried to be something the show wasn't (a touching, dark show) and failed miserably at it. Somebody feel free to tell me exactly what the point of that past was besides to force down the audience's throats that our two protagonists were destined to be together because they had a bizarre past experience with one another as children. Moreover, because of this useless past childhood story, I feel like the drama killed the "supposed to be second lead" character in Yeong-Joon's brother, Lee Sung Yeon. That character was annoying for most of the story, and the show tried to make us pity him towards the end, but I just couldn't see the point of his character at all. What a complete waste of Lee Tae Hwan's character. I couldn't tell if he was supposed to be an antagonist character, but he ended up just being an annoying nobody .
I see people talking about how draggy the story was, but I actually felt the story was fast-paced in comparison to other korean romance comedies I've seen. I mean seriously sometimes kdramas take numerous episodes for the main character to realize he is in love with the girl, and then another few episodes to finally tell/show the girl he likes her, and then another few episodes until they're finally in a relationship. At the very least in Secretary Kim, that draggy "I think I like you" part is completely skipped and they jump right into the meat of the romance rather than the annoying "be a dick to the girl until she realizes somehow through a fateful incident I was always there for her." Now that I think of it, I guess Lee Yeong Joon did kind of do this... But no matter, the romance didn't feel as draggy to me as other romance-comedy dramas which I appreciated.
The acting was definitely the highlight of this show, and I'm not sure I would have enjoyed the drama without Park Seo Joon and Park Min Young, along with all the side character actors such as Kang Ki Young, Hwang Bo Ra, Pyo Ye Jin, Kang Hong Suk, and literally everyone. A big thank you to all the actors in this drama for making the show what it was. They weren't charismatic or anything crazy impressive, but they sure as heck did their job in livening the cringy and cliche as heck roles.
Also, I just want to mention how amazing Park Min Young pulled off the clothing she wore in this drama. I heard she started a fashion trend in South Korea with her secretary clothing.
Music wasn't anything really impressive, and there wasn't a real soundtrack that really caught my eye, but there were a lot of okay songs so I'll just give it a 7/10.
I usually don't re-watch dramas because I don't feel the same kind of enjoyment or excitement when I already know everything that's going to happen or be said. The only dramas I re-watch are the ones with scenes/lines that really help me move forward in life when I'm feeling sad or tired. I feel like the re-watch value for Secretary Kim would be rather low, considering it's all about the heart-fluttering scenes and the childish forced comedy that after watching the drama once, you would know exactly what would happen and it's no longer as heart-fluttering or funny as the first time through when you watched it without expecting it.
Overall, I gave the show an 8 because it was highly enjoyable and I found myself smiling and having a good time which really is the point of spending hours of our lives watching dramas right? If a show is enjoyable, it has done its job. I would recommend this drama only for those who enjoy lighthearted romance-comedies and aren't picky with how "well-written" the story and characters have to be. Anyone looking for anything serious, tragic, or thought-provoking, this is not the drama to watch. Even if you want a romance drama that has a dark-side and will have you crying and dying to know what happens next, this drama is not the one to watch. This drama was purely for cute comedy relief and complete nonsense romance.
This is just my opinion on this popular show. Everyone will have differing opinions on dramas, nobody's ratings are right or wrong; all ratings are subjective. Just enjoy yourself and try not to hate too hard on other people's favorite shows~
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Does it Lack Anything????? Definitely No!!!!
I just came across this drama through an edit on YouTube. That edit itself made me watch the whole drama. Well, now you can imagine how much impact this drama had on me. Every minute and every second of this drama kept on delivering. Kudos to the Team and the actors for creating such a wonderful Masterpiece.STORY + ACTING + VISUAL EFFECTS + EFFORTLESSLY FUNNY + SUSPENSE = "I am Nobody"
[What more do you want???]
The story is definitely one the unique stories I have ever seen. Especially from the first episode to the last episode it just maintained the pace. Not a single moment where I felt bored and not a single scene where I wanted to skip it or fast forward it. Mostly these days I have been skipping few scenes if the drama gets boring, but this is not that kind of drama. It helped me understand how much I can enjoy even while watching a drama!!!
Oh what do I say about the acting, I can sense(I am manifesting) that the actors in this drama are going to get really famous and receive more projects from now on. Special mention to Wang Ying Lu(Bao Bao) and Peng Yu Chang(Chu Lan) for their amazing performance during the entire show. Especially Wang Ying Lu, she is so funny and fierce at the same time.
Now comes the main part, MARTIAL ARTS and VISUAL EFFECTS are the heart of the drama. They did not compromise on anything!! Maybe there is no science in the story but who cares when it is not boring and makes you wonder what is going to happen next and gives you goosebumps in few scenes. Maybe I am over hyping it........but this drama deserves all the attention & appreciation.
Also, this drama focuses on each and every detail of the martial art or the superpower they posses, just like explaining it to people like us, who doesn't have any knowledge about those. This is what makes you more interested in the drama. You may not understand few terms at first but while the episodes keep progressing you will understand everything.
I really liked how they explain the evil outsiders get punished, even though they do not show how they get punished, that explanation itself is quite content enough. This drama also tries to make you laugh even though the situation is filled with suspense and fierceness. And the whole credit goes to Zhang Chu Lan and Feng Bao Bao along with the production team. It is really not so easy to pull out a funny scene when the whole scenario is supposed to be a part of the main part of the story. Double thumps up to them for not making it awkward and making us be at ease and enjoy even the most serious parts of the story.
This is one of the dramas where I watched it for the unique story(one of it is "Forbidden Flower"), generally I watch dramas with my favourite actors or just because the trailer is good. Prior to watching the drama I don't really know any of the cast except for Neo Hu & Bi Wen Jun. I am utterly surprised why this is not getting all the hype it required(or maybe the hype is not enough).
If only they showed who Zhang Chulan's father is and what happened to them along with Feng Baobao's father and the origin of baobao's parents, I would feel that this season would be complete by itself. I hope these minute details will be revealed in season 2. Which is also the reason why I gave it a 9.5 other than this the drama is a 10 for me.
Well, maybe I can guess that this is not everyone's cup of tea but irrespective of the genre you like everyone must and should watch this drama. C-dramas are definitely delivering this 2023. Can't wait to watch more stories like this. So, I suggest everyone to go watch this!!
My suggestion to the people binge watching it is - just keep watching the drama, you might or might not understand it at first, but you will understand everything when you are halfway through it.
One last thing I would want to say is "There is romance but there is no romance". Figure it out after you watch the drama LOL.
PS - Just Two Words........."Speechlessly Amazing"!!!!! Just give this drama a fair chance :)
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Simplicity Still Wins
In a time of explicit scenes, and uncut episodes ( which isn't a bad thing ) This series showed us that simple sweet moments can still make a story feels real and so enjoyable to watch. Moments that we rarely see in bls anymore. Communication, Cheek kisses, Holding hands, The excitement of saying each other's name, Sharing hopes and dreams, and talking about your flaws. This is what falling in love is all about. It's realistic, mature and relatable. It's impossible to watch it without feeling their love and having a big smile on your face. This series is easily became one of my top favorite that I'll enjoy watching again for years to come. The acting and chemistry were great. They chose the perfect actors for their roles. I'm very excited about the director I think he'll give us amazing bls in the future.Was this review helpful to you?
Another sweet romcom falling prey to the sweetest Censorship
so basically when their romance started, this drama has already ended *side eyes*ELM is a decent romantic story which has a subtly good amount of bicker and banter of our leads Gu Xun and Qianling... their dual relationship of online gaming friendship versus their real life attempts to pursue each other were all fun to watch... but when they really got together at last, wait, our sweetest devil censorship enters the chat ;)
Lin Yi and Zhou Ye are pretty actors who have undeniably great chemistry but it leaves you disappointed when some scenes are absurdly removed from the drama... forget triple A games that they're trying to create in this drama, the real gamer is CENSORSHIP :(
ngl I'm being too nice with my 7⛧ rating cuz there were so many "nay moments"
◆ first few eps were hard to digest with ml being such a jerk, good that he got his karma tho
◆ sloppy editing increased the irk-factor
◆ seconds leads could've been a cute pair if they got enough time, I still don't know when Jiang Junnan fell for Xinyi
◆ survived last few eps with 2x speed
◆ and fresh graduates leading a whole unit haha, I'll let this joke pass
◆ ost was nothing special too
Then what saved the day?
◇ lightness. Its an easy no brainer watch.
◇ acting and visuals. If it was not Zhou Ye here, I would really cringe to death at some scenes. her face saved me. Lin Yi was also great. Boy looks good even when he cries.
◇ chemistry. the way she comforted him with a hug in emotional scenes was so precious! I wish they get a better script someday
◇ the slightest love triangle we get for a couple eps was not annoying at all.
◇ so what if those scenes were cut? We've some behind the scenes at least lol
◇ for an airing drama, it still kept me hooked somehow
◇ they dragged? yes. but still ended it at 24 eps... otherwise we know they're capable of dragging it upto 32 or 36 eps format lol.
I've listed the pros and cons, now its upto you if you wanna watch this light gaming business plus romance drama.
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Watch this ALONE & WITH HEADPHONES
HONESTLY, WHAT IN THE BDSM did I just watch.There were some really harsh moments - actually the entire movie was extremely HARDCORE. I had to pause it many times just to ask myself "Really What are you watching", but obviously I kept watching to finish.
The story started off very weird and gave no insight into what was actually taking place, but as the story progressed some pieces were put together and it made a little bit more sense. They tackled a lot of demons one battle in life, especially when they lose a loved one. The psychosis and trauma that occurs during this movie are eye-opening.
The acting is superb, I will give them that! They really get into their roles, but again WHAT AM I WATCHING. I was still confused even after watching the entire movie.
******disclaimer - I gave it such a low rating because:**********
1. I would never watch it again
2. there really wasn't an OST
3. It was very raw... a little too hardcore for me in the beginning
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People will probably say, "Oh, but BL is made by women for women," as if they are so right. But not this story. In here, there is zero heteronormativity. There is no dude saying shit like, "You will be my wife," or "Let me touch your boobs." There is no rape being normalized and romanticized. There is no "strong" guy and "weak" guy. The director and his team took every bad trope that exists in the BL industry and threw it in the garbage.
He did an amazing job. He said "fuck off" to all that bad stuff and created a good rom-com. He took the enemies-to-lovers trope and made it healthy (something that has never been done right in this industry before)! He took an actor who had never played in a BL before and made him feel comfortable. There is not even one awkward scene between the actors. With the main couple being friends in real life, it could have gone in a completely wrong direction, but it didn't. It’s comfortable to watch; their performance is believable and lovely. This series is a breath of fresh air. It took bad BL tropes and made them good. I don’t believe anything will ever surpass it, but this director might just surprise us again.
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Zhousheng Chen, You Have Come Afterall
"If there was someone in today’s society who carried with her the memories of two lifetimes and she loved you, what a blessing that would be."The long await sequel to One and Only (周生如故), Forever and Ever (一生一世) is finally here.
Forever and Ever is a really beautiful and heart-rending drama. The love story between Zhousheng Chen and Shi Yi is just ethereal. Shi Yi is an unwavering woman, “my heart has already belonged to someone, it will not change”. She kept her words; she did not fall for anyone else except Zhousheng Chen. Upon hearing Zhousheng Chen’s name, she approached him and gets her way into his heart. Meanwhile, Zhousheng Chen is not a proactive person, he never has to speak out loud about his feelings towards Shi Yi but everyone knows his love towards her. His love towards Shi Yi is evident through his small gestures, and most importantly eyes.
Forever and Ever did a commendable job in delivering Zhousheng Chen and Shi Yi’s love story. The relationship between Zhousheng Chen and Shi Yi developed at a quick yet mellow pace. For those who didn’t watch One and Only, you might’ve felt a bit rushed and confused with the pacing of the relationship. However, they have waited for centuries to finally be together, they are given a second chance, and are finally together.
At the beginning of their relationship, there are awkwardness and courtesy between them. Though they are still polite to each other, their gaze and small actions just simply show how much they adore and love each other. Forever and Ever is the type of romance drama where gaze and action speak louder than skinship. The drama also has some comedy elements to it. If you have watched One and Only before, you might laugh and smile after seeing how Zhousheng Chen went from a cold and ice-y general went to a cute and chubby chemistry professor. Zhousheng Chen’s actions towards Shi Yi are actually just like any other romcom drama, but it’s not entirely like any other romcom drama. Forever and Ever manages to make all those cliché actions into something new and fluffy. For instance, when Zhousheng Chen carries Shi Yi’s bag while watching it, I am sure that you will let out a smile. Moreover, there are also some characters in this drama that will make you laugh, a big shoutout to uncle Lin!!
The second half of this drama is filled with sweetness and sugar! The romantic scenes in this drama will touch your heart, you can definitely feel every action and word that's spoken by Zhousheng Chen and Shi Yi, it is genuine and full of love. And there is no misunderstanding, breakup in here. Their relationship is just the cutest and the sweetest!!
The acting and chemistry of both Bai Lu and Ren Jialun definitely did not disappoint. The way Bai Lu and Ren Jialun convey their emotions through nuanced micro-expressions, and how they articulate every scene is just impeccable. Both of them managed to act so differently between One and Only and Forever and Ever, but still evoking the same affable charm and cute chemistry! Both Bai Lu and Ren Jialun need to get an award for their acting in One and Only and Forever and Ever. Both of their acting is infectious!! Especially Ren Jialun's acting in forever and ever - his portrayal is more three-dimensioned, ZSC in the drama is more lively, grounded, and vulnerable than in the novel. In addition, I also love how both Bai Lu and Ren Jialun uses their own voice in the drama!!
The entire drama production team has also successfully captured the essence and magic of the novel through the cinematography and script. The cinematography is dreamlike and majestic, with its warm color palette and color grading. Almost every shot in the drama can be beautifully framed. In addition, the drama also has a gorgeous wardrobe. I love how Shi Yi and Zhousheng Chen wear a subtle couple outfit, they have the same color scheme.
Forever and Ever also has an enchanting music score, filled with love and a hint of angst. Forever and Ever also incorporates One and Only background music in it, the combination of that two music makes the drama more beautiful. The music is effectively run in each scene, making each scene more beautiful and touching. The lyrics of the OSTs are really beautiful and meaningful. Reading the song lyrics while watching the drama will either make you smile or cry..
Due to censorship in China, the reincarnation storyline is censored, therefore, the production team alters the storyline. In the drama, Shi Yi doesn’t remember her past, but only fragments of it, and small impressions of it. For instance, during her visit to the city wall, she remembers a woman jumping down, but with different outfits and details from One and Only. In addition, I also love some alterations from the novel to the drama, instead of using a gun, Zhou Wenchuan uses a knife and... which led to the tragedy.
The strong forte of Forever and Ever is definitely its details and conversation. Every conversation in Forever and Ever is magical. The scriptwriter just manages to make every conversation meaningful. The correlation conversation to their past lifetime is done so beautifully. In addition, the parallels between One and Only and Forever and Ever is impeccably done, it is done is a subtle yet clear manner.
Here are some interesting details:
1. During Zhousheng Chen's past lifetime, he was only covered with the dusty white cloth when he died. This lifetime, he is allergic to dust”
2. Shiyi’s crocs: zsc 520 - Zhousheng Chen I love you
Zhousheng Chen’s crocs: 忙着赚钱。sy 520 - busy earning money. Shi yi I love you
3. In Shi yi's past lifetime, she jumped down in sequin shoes to marry Zhousheng Chen. And this lifetime, Shi Yi wore a sequin dress to marry Zhousheng Chen
The only drawback of this drama is it might be confusing for those who didn't watch One and Only or read the novel beforehand. For those who didn’t watch One and Only beforehand, watching Forever and Ever might be a little bit confusing, but not too confusing too. The drama provides few clips and hints of what happened in Shi Yi and Zhousheng Chen’s past life in Forever and Ever. But the drama didn't thoroughly explain Zhousheng Chen's family tree and hierarchy, so you might have a hard time understanding who's who and what's their relation with each other.
Overall, Forever and Ever is a very beautiful romance drama, even though the drama doesn’t stay 100% true to the novel, the drama still captures the very essence of the relationship and plot beautifully.
“I think, I must have used my beautiful bones as an exchange for you to have unrivaled beauty, as an exchange for you to remember me, as an exchange for you to be able to utter my name when your lips moved.”
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The mystery kept me on my edge till the end and the performances of the actors felt fitted to their roles. Kim Dong Wook proved himself as a good actor in other works before and his and the other's acting felt good and compelling. It's not easy to act something that doesn't have a real reference in life.
Those characters were humans with all their flaws and mistake and while one might judge some of their choices, this makes the characters feel more human in the end. The budding friendship and the bond of the three main characters was nice to watch and I'm so glad they drama stayed true to the characters by not forcing a conventional drama love line into it.
One of the reason that made this drama so good is also the music that contributed to the eery atmosphere and also gave a conflicted feeling of desperate and also hope at the same time. The songs were not overused and I never got tired of hearing them.
The drama was great and I would consider rewatching it in the future to let the story unfold in front of my eyes once again.
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Keep in mind, "The Man From Nowhere" has considerably more blood, gore, and violence than most movies. It didn't bother me, but if you have a weak tolerance to these things, then this movie may not be very pleasant for you.
Originally, I was looking for a movie to watch to kill some time.
I kept scrolling down and down but nothing really caught my eye. "Sunny" sounded ok, and "The Man From Nowhere" was even better; still not quite what I wanted, but the options were starting to get pretty slim; and since it was ranked #2, I decided to trust the statistics.
Now I feel EXTREMELY guilty that I was so hesitant to watch this movie. I should not have taken it so lightly.
In the beginning I kept thinking how this movie reminded me of the Hollywood movie "Taken". They both have a lot of fast-paced action, a sense of justice, a feeling of wanting to protect something important, and a seriously kick-ass hero to dish it out. :)
(though in my personal interest, Won Bin is quite a bit more attractive than Liam Neeson;))
I loved the little girl~! I couldn't help it. She was adorable ^^
More than that, this movie would be nothing without her.
Won Bin did an incredible job. I haven't seen very many Korean movies, but I honestly believe he could be the best actor in Korea, and one of the best in the world.
Amazing, I'm telling you, amazing.
This movie made me laugh, and made me cry. That's not something you can do easily in action movies:)
Now, I think I'm going to go watch it again :D
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--All the characters are likeable:
I always have a problem with the lead female character of any kdrama. I find them very annoying or clumsy or
childish -That's why I stopped watching "The Healer". Here, the female is perfect. On the other hand, I've always loved the cliche personality of the the lead male character - very cold and unsmiling. In "kill it", the protagonist plays this role on another level.
Note: You can definitely feel the chemistry between characters. That's better that kissing and hugging scenes.
The other characters are sweet and funny, but they don't lose the drama's tone.
--Fast development of the story: Unlike other people, I found the story very fluent. Everthing was revealed at the right point of the story, and the fact it was only 12 episodes long makes it easy to watch.
The OST: I haven't listened to a good OST since "The K2". It's excellent. It's the first time I like all the songs. Even though my native language is Spanish, I am trying to learn the lyrics. Then, if you don't want to watch "Kill it" because you have read negative reviews about it, at least listen to the OST. You won't regret it.
SUBTLE SPOILER:
--Right ending: The ending suits the story. Even though, it is not what we hope, it is what we expect.
Note: For our hopes, there is an extra scene that makes us feel satisfied and to some extend pleased with the drama.
My wish: I would love to watch another season even though I know it will be irrational to fix the ending. However, I won't be mad if they do it.
ADVICE:
If you are so used to romantic comedy. Then, I would recommend not to watch it, but please listen to the OST.
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The drama is special in the sense that the gab is our heroine and the eul is our hero, which is refreshing in the kdrama world. Naturally, the main draw of the drama is the female lead Ok Da-jung. Ok Da-jung is a fast-rising employee at Gold Chemicals and this led to her being the subject of many malicious rumours. In reality, she's a righteous person who does not stand for things such as the abuse of power. She's extremely principled, and believes in having pride in her own work. On the flip-side, our hero Nam Jung-gi, who is a timid employee at a small company, avoids responsibility like it's the plague. The contrast between their characters makes for a very interesting (and comedic) watch.
Ok Da-jung is such a great character that it's impossible to not love her. Lee Yo-won is perfect as the immaculately dressed heroine. It's almost as if the role was tailor made for her! She was spectacular in all of her scenes (the stoic ones, the emotional ones, and even the downright ridiculous ones). Yoon Sang-hyun turned in an incredible performance with his spot-on comedic timing as Nam Jung-gi. In fact, all of the cast delivered splendid performances. The only exception is Hwang Bora, whose crying scenes appear forced and unnatural at times.
Ok Da-jung's relationship with Nam Woojoo (Nam Jung-gi's son) is also something to look out for. Cute would be a serious understatement. Their chemistry is off the charts. Some may even argue that they are the OTP in the series.
The directing and writing of Ms. Temper are all good. The key point being that the drama maintained a consistent pace throughout the 16 episodes, meaning that it does not suffer from the same problems most kdramas do - waning after the mid-point. This is really impressive for a rookie writer. The use of CGI and various sound effects in the drama also adds to its hilarity.
On the other hand, the drama is not flawless. One criticism would be that there are some overly simplistic plot points. Ok Da-jung seems omnipotent in the series, always coming to the rescue when there is trouble. And the Lovely employees always manage to get into trouble. Some may also be bothered about how unrealistic it is that she's had three husbands, and all of them want a reconciliation. That being said, we can hardly complain since that put Lee Jung-jin and Yeon Jung-hoon on our screens.
Overall, this is an enjoyable drama which should appeal to anyone who's looking for dramas centered around a strong female character. However, if you're looking for a drama with more realism with respect to the business side of things, this is not it. In fact, most dramas don't do business correctly. The good thing about this drama, to quote a knetz, is that there is a right blend of realism (the issues that they tackle) and fantasy elements (how everything gets resolved, albeit a little too easily). Also, the bribery and cajoling may not be something that happens in your society, but it is something more relatable to the Korean viewers. So do take that into account when complaining about how unrealistic this drama is.
DISCLAIMER: My unusually high ratings for this drama is because I rate dramas base on the rating given by MDL. In the sense that if I think a drama is underrated, I'm going to give higher ratings for it. A more objective rating would be an 8. But there are tons of shitty dramas getting 8 here and I don't think that gives enough credit to Ms. Temper.
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