could have been amazing
Overall: imagine if Muffin was actually a police officer and we saw her beat up some baddies in one of her outfits, or what if the mafia boss was actually a secret huge romantic at heart? There were so many ways the writing could have been innovative with this premise, but the cliche writing really ruined it, especially in episode 6. It is based off of "The Ideal Relationship" which I have read but I reviewed the series on its own merits. 8 episodes about 45 minutes each. Aired on iQIYI.Content Warnings: deaths/murders, non con touching/attempted sexual assault, violence, drugging, manhandling, stalking, attempted murder, kidnapping, manipulation
What I Liked
- the intro credits style was an homage to the source material
- how Guy was set up as a queer character from the beginning
- the video gaming sequence, unfortunately we only saw 1 sequence
- cute/sweet moments
- Guy showed agency
- laughed a few times (although mostly at huge plot holes/nonsense writing)
- Wahl's girlfriend in episode 6
- (neutral) comedy noises
Room For Improvement
- cliched/nonsense writing (i.e. Tew's idiotic "plans", Guy probably had 6 bullets in his revolver but seemed to shoot waaaayyyy more than that in episode 8)
- Kenji's backstory makes zero sense, maybe if Tew had used him as a human shield then it would have made sense, they made him into a cliche cartoon villain with nonsensical actions/motivations, even episode 7 didn't make enough sense for his motivation, also way too much screentime taken by Kenji
- the voice over was a fast way to set up a character/beginning but not my favorite way to start a series
- the music was sometimes not what I would have preferred, also think they could have removed the comedy sound effects and just let the comedy come through on its own
- tropey (ie multiple accidental fall and catches)
- avoiding physical affection in episode 5 (although Guy was better by the end)
- cliche plot point in episode 6
- Wahl had way too much screen time, needed to devote some of that to Guy/Tew building their relationship
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This review may contain spoilers
A substantial, mature and exceptionally beautiful love story
For me this is my highlight of 2023.As a phenomenal firework of quiet nuances, “Tell Me That You Love Me” is exuding soulful warmth in graceful silence while creating a soothing atmosphere that takes root deep in the heart. Accompanied by a soundtrack with pulling effect, that could hardly be more harmonious, sincere feelings are conveyed via looks and gestures, while words and thoughts are frequently communicated in sign language, thus telling a story, that knows how to gently touch the audience.
It's not about appearance, facade, coat and make-up, but about essence. Approaching the substantial is exactly what makes this production so exceptional for a KDrama. With Jung Woo-sung, who is once again breathing pure authenticity, certainly a perfect casting for the ML. He also seems to having actually communicated in sign language most of his life. But Shin Hyun-been was also able to effortlessly impress me with her reflected presence. What a couple!
Calm aesthetics and gentle pace intensify the profoundness of the encounters, which opens up spaces for the essential. Even if trenches between the worlds of the hearing and the deaf may be deep and ample at times, loving encounter is still possible. Even if the feelings for each other may be deep and honest, specific barriers inevitably remain. “Tell Me That You Love Me” is gently approaching the dilemma - a desire to face the challenge with confidence, but on the other hand the fear of failure considering the barriers and therefore wanting to run away.
I´d say, anyone who can open up to this rather idiosyncratic “language” of this KDrama will be rewarded by a substantial, mature and exceptionally beautiful love story.
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There's also the cute side characters/couple that are so adorable.
I love how both the main lead would do anything for anyone they cared/loved n how much they loved each other it was just so sweet many dramas always have something where there's some kind of trust issue or where ones a little too jealous to the point of overboard but this was just amazing.
Now onto my lovely prince zhan many may not like his character bc of what he did but then i felt like he's such a sweet boy he was willing to do anything for Qing Chen but sadly he's just a second lead :(
The only thing that I didn't like was like slow subbing which is not the dramas fault at all but then I had to wait forever bc dramefever the only one that got the licenses for it took a whole moth to freaking start subbing the first few episodes n that the director had to add duo xia who wanted so desperately to be with ling at one point but it was good that he never swayed for her or anything lol cause I would've flipped out if he broke Qing Chen's heart in anyway when she did all of that just for him.
Overall I'm just in love with this dramas so yes I definitely recommend this drama if you want to watch something that brings out all your emotions but not annoyingly bad or just sad like some other shows that I've watched. Btw the music tho it's amazing I've noticed that Chinese dramas always have amazing music to accompany their shows lol none of it are like ever bad.
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One of the best enemies to lovers drama of all time!✨️
I have been eagerly anticipating this masterpiece for a long time. It captivates, fascinates, engages and enchants the audiences with its extraordinary and unique top notch plot. Even though I have read the novel, it has been impossible to tell what would happen next as the story is very cleverly adapted to include core events and the main story of the novel yet many things are seemlessly changed and integrated perfectly to improve the experience which keeps the novel readers at the edge of their seats at all times. 💯First of all, I have to give my highest commendation for the actor/actresses choices for this drama, from the main characters to their companion beast characters to the supporting characters to the villians, they all have served incredibly well. This drama is studded with exteremely handsome actors and beautiful actresses. HMH is my most favourite actor who with his phenominal talent, hard work and commitment, always delivers his awe-inspiringly complex and supremely versatile roles spectularly, immaculately and impeccably well. He always leaves the audience charmed and enchanted with unforgettable performances. It's my first time watching LYX, I'm thoroughly impressed with her extremely remarkable, stunning, dazzling, astonishing and impressive acting, she has gone straight to my top 5 actresses list. Both main leads nailed the complexity of the characters they have portrayed to the finest details 👌. All the others actors also entranced me with their brilliant, dynamic and captivating acting. They have displayed their deep emotions, passion, feelings flawlessly and their stories unfolded magnificently and seamlessly well with good pacing. Their dynamic and smooth chemistry with each other and the main characters brought this masterpiece to life.
💫HMH has portrayed the complex character of JBZ incredibly well. JBZ is very powerful and majestic warrior who has grand ambitions and hidden goals. He is a mysterious character who clawed his way out of horrible and brutal prison to the heights of honorable and respectable warrior in his realm. JBZ is incredibly smart, cunning, calculating, cautious, decisive, manupilative, and talented person in general. Although he is good, kind, caring and righteous person at heart, he carries the weight of deep emotional scars he was left with due to being abandoned by his parents, enduring unbearable painful suffering in the prison and betrayal of people he reluctantly trusted . At times these scars resurface and cloud his decisions, judgments and actions but thankfully and luckily he meets people who show him sincerity, love and care. So he becomes open to change, learns to overcome his fears, dares to love wholeheartedly, care and trust and be sincere and forgiving. I love his calm, witty, elegant, graceful, funny, determined and loving side yet I am also blown away by his incredibly powerful and skillful warrior side too.
💫LYX also nailed her intricate and sophisticated character as MY/MX. MX is undefeated God of war for 7 consecutive years. This warrior is also crown prince of his realm. Although this warrior's life looks glamorous, glorious and worthy of envy, MY is pitiful person who can't even declare her real gender to the world. Her parents drilled it into her that loosing is not an option. Yet after giving her all to win everytime for the sake her parents and people of her kingdom, she has never got genuine love, respect or rewards. When she lost for the first time due to being poisoned, no one hesitated to point fingers at her, throwing accusations at her or prosecuting her. Hiding her identity and lying to protect it has become second nature to her since childhood. With luck she does meet some sincere, caring and protective people too. Like JBZ she retains her kind, sincere and righteous nature underneath the cloak of false identity she has had to maintain for life. However, her traumatic struggles didn't leave her untainted either she yearns for unconditional love, care, happy and carefree life yet she has been trained to think and act for the kingdom/others, so she seldom puts herself first. She always readily puts her health, dreams, happiness and even her life on the line when she decides someone is important to her.
💫The chemistry between the main leads is off the charts❤️🔥!! Whether they are playing humorous cat and mouse games pretenting to fall for each other, or dangerous games of deception to use each other or sincere attempt to help/protect the other or when actually genuinely fallen in love trying to confirm/hide their feelings, they never fail to captivate the audience with their electrifying, exotic, charming, heart-warming and alluring chemistry. Being with each other both show sides to each other which they never have shown to anyone. They are funny, bubbly, adorable, flirtious, playful and love to tease each other. They are always ready to protect each other at the cost of their lives. They learn to see, feel and understand each other's heartwrentching painful pasts, other's prespective and current struggles, and try their best to heal each other physically and emotionally. Through ardouse journey together both learn to love and trust each other wholeheartedly while facing their fears, childhood traumas, ambitions, identity, goals and status differences head on. Due to their past pain both had to put extra effort into being more transparent with each other and use effective communication to fix many misunderstandings and uncover hidden truths between them.
This couple gives us everything whether there is extreme tension of them being nemesis warriors, or intellectuals who solve cases together for the good of people or fight villians trusting relying on each other putting their lives on the line, or make us ride the turbulent waves of push and pull between them, or whether one is decisively pushing other away and other is possessively chasing. The development of love between them is very brilliantly executed, viewers can feel from their actions and emotions displayed that how their fake love turned into genuine deep love over the course of time. They are so brilliantly campatible with each that it feels they were made for each other. 💕
💫The love and hate story between YX and Princess is extremely entertaining and captivating as well. I am very impressed by Princess's strength, wisdom and fighting spirit to protect her kingdom's people in the face of male dominating realms. Seeing MY always being confident, brave, resourceful and courageous and also seeing that being female she can fight really well, I love that the princess gets inspired and opens up paths for women to be allowed to be warriors. One of the main themes of the novel was women winning their rights and respectable places amongst the powerful male led six realms, I'm glad that the drama retained this theme. Other characters that have my heart are MY's and JBZ's companion beasts. Like their masters they are extremely cute, kind, smart, caring and fun. It really hurts to see them hurt. They love their masters dearly and always ready to give their lives to protect them or carry out any order from them. The interactions between the pets and their friendship is very endearing and precious as well.
💫The CGI, FX and cenimatrography of this drama is fire🔥!
The attention to detail, photorealism, seamless integrations, lighting and texturing makes the six realms of story enchanting and magical. The CGI in this drama not only gave us compelling visual experience in the action scenes but it effectively communicated the stories and emotions of the characters too. It successfully engages the viewers and leaving an everlasting impression. The gorgeous costumes, stunning hairstyles and mesmerising make up for the casts is breathtaking making the drama very enticing and inviting visual feast. But it's not just the visuals that stand out, all the OSTs especially the opening OST 'love in the clouds', 'If your World had no sunshine' and 'pretending it's nothing' are extremely beautiful. They have emotional resonance, clear production, and originality. All OSTs give emotional and atmosphereic depth to the scenes and events. They complement the on-screen action and match the tone of the production. Everytime they are played I was captivated, immersed and impacted pleasently by the beautiful melodies, rhythms and very moving and meaningful lyrics.
I absolutely fell in love with this enchanting and stunning couple, I don't think I will ever be able to move on from this drop-dead gorgeous, very dramatic, unashamedly flirtious and unapologetically very intimate couple. Together they have created top most heart warming, touching, emotional, magical, romantic and unforgettable Xuanhuan ever for me.
💫Ending:
I absolutely loved the most satisfying ending ever. Its really frustrating when either ml or fl have to sacrifice themselves to save the people/world from vilians, I really loved the fact that both main leads learned to face such choices together by coming up with ulternatives that would help both of them survive and solve the ultimate desparate and imminent dilemma they face. The ending was very sweet happily ever after with all the beloved characters safe and sound and no unnecessary slaughter of supporting characters, so mostly villains died. ZT and princess Tianji got their most dreamy ending too. I'm extremely impressed by bestest end for our perfect and majestic main couple that they absolutely deserve!!! 😍 ✨️ 💖ദ്ദി(｡•̀ ,<)~✩‧₊
💫I really need them in a new modern drama. I just can't get enough of them. Everyday I waited with excitement for next episode and I hoped that this drama would never ever end and I was not ready to say good bye to such eathereal, talented and dreamy cast. I have thoroughly enjoyed every second of this drama and I very highly recommend it to anyone who loves romance, fantasy, suspense, and wuxia. It's 10/10 for me in every aspect. (ﾉ´ヮ´)ﾉ*:･ﾟ✧
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I started watching this drama because the plot read as something that would be right up my alley: dark, twisted, angsty and mature. A master plan to seduce one woman that turns into a terrible cycle of torture and turmoil was what I was hoping for but ended up being incredibly disappointed. I read a comment somewhere about how this drama was horrible because all the characters were so awful. On the contrary, my biggest issue was that the characters weren't horrible enough.
Characters:
Eun Tae Hee: One of the most boring characters in TV history, right up there with Cha Eun Sang from Heirs. Joy's acting was the least of my concerns. The character was two-dimensional, flat, stupid and yet strangely confident which of course made her even more annoying. The most interesting thing about her was her past which also turned out to be a dud. The producers shouldn't be mad at Joy, they should be mad at the writers.
Kwon Shi Hyun: Woo Do Hwan is super hot. That's the only good thing about this character. I wanted to see a hardcore cheating and womanizing douche-bag who sleeps around and doesn't give a shit about any woman's feelings. Instead I got an innocent school boy who was weak willed and far too predictable. He became a lovesick puppy after the first smile <-- this would be hilarious if it wasn't so goddamn infuriating.
Choi Soo Ji: The character with most potential, alongside Se Joo. I really wanted to see how low she's be willing to stoop to to get what she wanted but in the end her efforts felt half-assed. It almost felt like the writers decided to stop trying at some point.
Lee Se Joo: My favorite, and I assume everyone else's, the lover boy. He was the highlight of the show, the little sparkle of light that kept me hoping for something better and made me come back every week. His obsessive love for Soo Ji had the best potential at doing something actually damaging and his family background suggested that maybe we could have gotten some heavier gang stuff into the show but of course my wishes weren't fulfilled this time either.
Plot:
The plot of this drama was the biggest screw up and I have an explanation as to why that was: they tried to fit too much shit into 16 full episodes. The story moved way too fast so that we didn't have time to get emotionally invested in it. Get together, break up, make up. I have no idea how many times the main couple went through this process; it got real dull, real fast.
Tae Hee and Shi Hyun's relationship was all in all so boring I found myself getting distracted all the time while watching them together. Their "steamy" scenes weren't steamy enough and their relationship's highs and lows weren't black and white enough for me to get truly excited about them. There wasn't enough chemistry, nor enough tension. A very flat, predictable and unstimulating combo.
Next problem I have is the lack of maturity. This drama felt like a children's story. No sex, no drugs, barely any violence and nothing actually scandalous that would have made me sit at the edge of my chair wondering what would happen next. The outfits were occasionally childish, the pathetic attempts at dramatic plot twists were downright juvenile and even the colorful sets seriously turned me off. Even the climax of the story felt like a pathetic, undeveloped attempt to whip up together something that could be labeled as the orgasm of the story. Worst climax ever, I didn't feel a thing.
The side story with the main characters' parents was somewhat interesting whilst also being completely pointless. Don't really have much to say about it... Thank you for giving employment to various older actors, I guess.
Why watch?
Now I know what you're thinking; how can you give this drama a six without saying a single nice thing about it. Well, first of all, I find it hard to give any drama I finish a score under five because if things go that bad, I usually just drop the whole thing. And look, it's not a complete disaster. The ingredients for a great drama are all there. Somehow the end result is a mess but I can see why someone might actually enjoy this; hell, even I was able to finish it. In an attempt to be as neutral as possible, I'll also list out some good points.
The trio. Shi Hyun, Se Joo and Soo Ji are a pretty adorable set of friends. They have good chemistry and there are a lot of cute scenes in the beginning of the drama when the three spend the most time together. All of them are solid actors, so I look forward to seeing them more in the future.
Se Joo & Soo Ji are an actually suitable couple who will tear you down with how sad their story is. It's an unrequited love where he showers her with affection and she can't find it in herself to be brave enough to accept him. Honest to god, I finished this drama for these two. You might not, however, so approach with caution.
All in all, this is not worth the watch; not even if you're a fan of Woo Do Hwan. Trust me on this, his character is so horrible you'll just be disappointed. In conclusion the show was a huge disappointment as the array of negative reviews suggests. I will be looking forward to new projects from the main three, especially Kim Min Jae. It's so sad he got screwed over by a horrible writing and production team.
Hence concludes another one of my reviews that was once again supposed to be short but at this point, what do you expect?
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After ep 14, it stopped making sense... and started making me uncomfortable.
After ep 14, it stopped making sense. The beginning half was funny and had a refreshing, lovable-without-being-cringe-y, clumsy, and amazingly BLUNT female lead, who was brave enough to do things that would only happen in a drama. It also had a no-nonsense, rational, and caring male lead, who reacted realistically! The female lead knew when she should cut her losses and own up to her schemes quickly. It was lovely to see certain conflicts resolved with such speed without repeat, but still have the male lead give her more opportunity to be around him the more he fell for her. They were a lovely combo that caused me to binge straight through to ep 14 (amazing tension) and made me anxiously wait for the next episodes. The ML wasn't your typical overbearing, unreasonable, cold ML...I loved his interactions with Ji Qiu. Around ep 14, I could even justify some of the ML's antics to provoke the FL, hoping that he would have a frank discussion with the FL in ep 15, but.... that never happened.I binged all the way from ep 15 to ep 24 with growing disappointment. After ep 15, a lot of the vehicles that drove the main romance were ignored, while a monster pile of other conflicts with new characters that were thrown in and resolved within minutes. There were a lot of unrealistic scenarios! While I'm glad for some quick conflict resolution, these new conflicts were unnecessary! The first half had plenty of other conflict that could be flushed out and resolved! While the two other pairings were cute and acceptable, how the drama went about creating one relationship (Si Qi's) and creating conflict in another (Ji Qiu's) was out of nowhere and hard to buy in. I would have loved to see more of a sisterhood between all of the ladies - sooo much potential there that the drama barely cracked the surface. FL's love rival had so much potential to be a supportive rival/sister and that was annoyingly destroyed. She barely had any screen time. I would loved to see the girls gang up on the ML for being a dork and putting the FL through (albeit brief) anguish. Qing Wu and Qi Nian's conflict should've been resolved earlier! That would have made Qing Wu's relationship more palatable, but also her commentary about her partner being legal to marry was so worrisome (smh!).
I love a fluffy cheesy romance and have seen my fair share, but in the latter half, moments got so trope-y (ML went into full overbearing CEO mode with some scenes) that my eyes rolled to the back of my head too many times to count (still squealed my fair share though for some scenes). First half, he was a solid balance of a hidden romantic, then went into full blown romantic, before going back into a repressed, controlling romantic for the last few episodes haha. He didn't ask her opinion for any major decisions involving the two of them, didn't express his feelings toward her properly, and admitted that he was a control freak. He wasn't before! He was a bit harsh to others, no-nonsense, warm to people close to him, and a workaholic before. He had this great storyline with his brother (Si Qi) that was resolved soooo beautifully, but then did a 180 with the female lead and said, "I'm going to be as controlling with you as I was with my brother even though that blew up in my face and I painfully and actively spent the last few years trying to make reparations (like wtf!). Female lead was basically a cheerful, straight-talking bunny, who somehow slinked into a submissive shadow in the latter half. When some of the "romantic" clips in the latter half were released, I actually couldn't watch them because they were that cringey/not romantic.
I was uncomfortable with some scenes with some side characters that skirted consent and harassment... but it's dramaland where these things are unfortunately normalized and utilized to brew conflict. I thought the drama had so much potential, so I'm left very disappointed. It started out being fresh and new and fell back to old C-drama antics and dramatics. The ending is pretty satisfying and cute though.
I loved the quality of the ML's acting until ep 14 (idk, his script was hard to deliver, so props to him) and loved the FL overall (she had plenty of cringe-y moments but was not annoying!) Xin xin (from Le Coup de Foudre <33) and Ji Qiu were played to perfection. I was impressed/moved by FL and Ji Qiu's crying scenes. Love the brothers' conflict and how it was resolved. Loved the grandpa. The FL's friends barely had screentime, but I liked their dynamic with her.
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This review may contain spoilers
In the Pits
I wanted to like Pit Babe. The racing concept, in particular, was intriguing to me as was the action/mystery aspect of the story. The inclusion of several actors that I was familiar with and liked was equally appealing. However, the more I watched, I found the lack of explanation regarding the plot and characters' actions, the poorly developed relationships, and generally awful script to be a major turn off and by the end, I was more just happy that it was over than anything else.Pit Babe suffers from a mess of a plot combined with terrible writing. It tried too hard to combine multiple genres and failed to do so in a coherent way. I also found the lack of any kind of explanation for things to be very frustrating. I was aware this was based off a novel, but had never read it or looked into it, so I went in blind. I was immediately slightly confused by the whole Alpha concept which was never explained and which became further confusing with the introduction of Pete and Way as Enigmas. The story is apparently part of what's called the Omegaverse which I had no knowledge of and had to go poking around the internet to even get a basic understanding of what it all meant. That was a major strike against this series. You cannot expect people to have necessarily read the source material so there needs to be some kind of explanation woven into the story to at least give a general idea of what's going on. As frustrating as it all was, I eventually just went with it as I had no intention of doing a lot of extra research that I shouldn't have to do in the first place. Aspects of the "senses" that some characters had was also either not properly explained or not explained at all. Why did some have it and others didn't? How exactly did they work? After Charlie's fake death, the fact that Babe's sense was apparently fluctuating between them was equally left unexplained. Again, there was a lack of explanation in general, and that, combined with a number of fairly glaring plot holes, really took away from the story. The first half or so of the series was plagued with a certain level of repetition with Babe finding out something about Charlie that made him question his feelings and kick Charlie out, go crying to Way who pretty clearly was trying to manipulate him, only to discover that it was either an overreaction on his part or Charlie had hidden some piece of information for a good reason and they would eventually reconcile. Some of Alan and Jeff's interactions also felt a bit repetitive at times towards the beginning though less gratingly. I found the ending to be unsatisfying. Tony's dead but what about all the kids and cleaning up the mess he made? What happens with Kenta and Pete? Instead of answering any plot related questions or attempting to wrap up the story, the last ten minutes or so are mainly NSFW scenes or cute scenes between the two main couples. It felt cheap. The pacing was inconsistent. There were a few moments where it got into a good flow, but those were generally pretty short lived. There were far more moments where it just dragged.
This is yet another Thai series that suffered from an overinflated cast. There were too many characters introduced at once and even by the end I still didn't have all of them straight. Because there were so many characters, there was a tendency at times for characters to disappear for a period of time and then suddenly pop back up. That also didn't help with keeping them straight. A number of those characters proved to be superfluous and could have very easily been cut or condensed into one character to make things more cohesive. Besides the two main relationships of Babe/Charlie and Alan/Jeff, there were several others that were toyed with but never went anywhere which was annoying. North and Sonic was a pairing that was teased and actually could have been made to work but was never confirmed. Pete and Way was a late addition that was somewhat interesting, but too little, too late for me compounded with the fact that given Way's feelings for Babe, I doubted he was ready to move on so quickly. There was also Pete and Kenta's history which could have been used to bring them together, but again, they completely disappeared after Tony's and Way's deaths.
- Babe was interesting initially with his playboy attitude and cockiness, but an underlying current of kindness and though he would deny it, love for his friends/family. All of that immediately gave him a certain depth of character, but his sudden change of character when it came to Charlie was odd. He went from being a playboy to a committed relationship essentially instantaneously. There was little to no reasoning given to what it was about Charlie that made him fall in love aside from the fact he didn't smell like other Alphas. It was instances like this that left characters feeling unrealistic. While his lack of trust was understandable, his back and forth with Charlie got old very quickly and even in the last couple of episodes, the way he said things, the wording he used, made me wonder if he really did love and care about Charlie. Certainly I never got the impression that his feelings were quite as deep as Charlie's.
- Charlie left me with a lot of questions regarding his past and how he got to where he was. There was a lot left unexplained about him in general, including why he didn't smell like other Alphas did and how his sense worked and how he found out how it worked. I didn't find him to be a particularly interesting character. Sure he was cute, he obviously cared about Babe and worked to take care of him, but as a character, he felt fairly shallow. His love and loyalty to Babe seemed to make up most of his personality. But similarly to Babe, it wasn't made clear why he fell in love with Babe aside from physical attraction. Time was not well delineated in this series, but I did find his improvement in racing to be improbable, particularly since it seemed that he was a complete novice and yet in a relatively short period of time he was somehow able to compete with Babe who'd been racing for years.
- Way was a disappointment of a character. He'd "loved" Babe for years, however, it's clear that his love was more an obsession than anything true. He didn't hesitate to use his sense on Babe on several occasions to nudge him in what he perceived as the right direction, namely breaking up with Charlie and remaining alone. Nor did he hesitate to attempt to force himself on Babe eventually and showed more remorse for having been caught than for what he actually did, at least initially. The fact that Pete was so easily able to turn him was implausible to me and it was clear that they were going for a redemption arc which conveniently concluded with his death. It felt shallow, cheap, and poorly executed. I have no issues with a redemption arc if it makes sense with the character and is properly done, but this was not it.
- Alan and Jeff were generically cute, not that that's a bad thing. I did enjoy their relationship and the build up of it. It felt better developed than Babe and Charlie's since they'd worked together and gotten to know each other before they got together, but there was still a bit of that element of what really drew them together. Separately, I appreciated Alan and his care for those under him. He was loyal to a fault and he truly treated the team and those who worked with them as family and my heart broke a little for him at Dean's betrayal and seeing how much that hurt him. While Jeff's sense and how it worked wasn't well explained, he made it sound like he had to actively use it when touching someone and yet there were times when it seemed like that wasn't the case, it did give him the excuse to be a loner and then have Alan be the one to help coax him out of his shell. While not an overly strong character, I did generally like him. He, and Charlie for that matter, could have just disappeared, but instead they stayed behind to fight Tony.
- Tony felt cartoonish as a villain. I never found him to be particularly threatening or scary. It seemed they were going for the kind of character who appears benevolent on the surface with a malicious streak under the surface, but I don't think they successfully brought that out. Certainly he was an absolutely horrible person, but there wasn't enough to him to make him a true threat. There was nothing regarding his history and how he came to power to help give him depth as a character and that was a major failing.
While the plot and writing were definite detractors from this series, the cast made the most of it and they were a highlight. Pavel's acting has improved since I last saw him and despite the inconsistencies of his character, he did quite well and I enjoyed his portrayal of Babe. Pooh was the baby of the cast, I believe, and this was his first role so I wasn't surprised when he didn't quite meet the standards the others. Not that he was bad, he actually did a decent job all things considered, but there were moments where it was obvious that he's quite green. His chemistry with Pavel fluctuated a bit. There were times where I really felt it and others where it seemed hollow. However, I'm chalking that up to the writing more than anything. While I was not a fan of his character arc, I do think Nut did a great job as Way and working with what he had.
There was one aspect of this series that I really liked and wanted to comment on and that was how Babe and Charlie did not conform to the norms when it came to who was top and who was bottom. With most BLs, the more traditionally masculine looking character, i.e. taller, more muscular, etc., is the top and the softer character, i.e. shorter, less muscular, cuter, etc., is the bottom. I liked that it was flipped with Charlie as the top and Babe as the bottom. It was refreshing, particularly the way that it was normalized, no questions asked, it was just the way things were. That is one aspect that more BLs should normalize, not pigeonholing characters' sex position based on appearance or even personality.
The production aspect was overall pretty decent. There were some odd camera angles at times and some awkward jumps, but overall, nothing too distracting or detracting. The action scenes felt amateurish at times and obviously choreographed rather than natural. The music was catchy, but forgettable.
Pit Babe could have been so much more than it was. The racing concept is not one that I've seen used frequently and it was refreshing to be outside the typical high school/college setting, but the poor writing combined with the messy plot and multiple plot holes just made it fall flat. The lack of realistic characters and well developed relationships was another detractor. There were parts of it that I enjoyed, but as a whole, I wouldn't have missed out on anything if I never saw it.
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1office romance, age gap, employee/boss, food is the love language, coming of age late in life
This show had me from the moment they broke the egg yolk with the chopsticks in the opening credits for episode one. It’s about a younger man with a long cherished crush on his boss (ten years older and going through a mid life crisis) who decides to save and seduce said man with pancakes. It’s wholesome, comforting, sexy, and a very necessary narrative about still having hope, interests, and openness to affection at any age. It’s coming of age/queerness packaged in a subtle critique of expectations around masculinity and love and loneliness... and it’s beautiful.It utilizes hand-held and super close camerawork, long shots, dirty framing, and marvelous acting (stagecraft) from everyone. The directing style it subtle but very precise and tailored dirty framing (AKA lots of objects and other people’s bodies interrupting shots.) Notice the frame is only direct and uncluttered when they are eating or being extremely intimate with each other?
This show manages to make things that shouldn't be sexy so very sexy (like Togawa’s hamster cheeks - boy just wants to gorge himself, and not on food). It's truly art.
But there is so much more going on here.
Japan has a long tradition of using food, both the preparation and consumption, as an allegory for intimacy... ALL KINDS of intimacy (give Tampopo a shot, it’s a remarkable movie). And in this show the discovery of desserts, and the enjoyment of the experience of indulging, is explicitly both sexual seduction and emotional tethering. This is not just an exploration of youth for Nozue it is an exploration of desire and identity.
On the other hand, the want drips off of Togawa at all times, like true starvation. It’s epic levels of pining we are looking at and not just love but pure lust. It’s actually quite remarkable to see this done with Japan’s signature reserve, because the through line of the filming style and food allegory dictates they will simply have to show physical intimacy at soem point. But not of the explicit kind we get in the darker BLs from Japan (although they could easily go there), but of a truly sexualized romantic passionate kind that we don’t normally get from Japan in their softer BLs.
You see, there comes a point, when the food allegory has gone as far as it can, and Nozue recognizes that in episode 3, even as he doesn’t recognize Togawa’s desire. Because for him the desire has been made manifest though the medium of desserts... and now that sensation has been satisfied, he feels like that’s good enough.
But when Nozue shuts down the eating intimacy, Togawa was always destined to break open into into sexual need, just the way the egg yolk is broken open in the credits.
What is truly genius about this show is that when this finally happens at the end of episode 4, the camera switches to one long hand held shot. This kind of stage-craft reliant shooting is the ultimate form of filming intimacy - it is the camera’s form of trust:
The directer is trusting the cameraperson not to waiver,
the camera is trusting the actors to pull through for the entirety of the shot (no forgetting your lines on a long take, no missing your marks, no slipping out of character),
the actors are trusting the crew to capture it in that one moment when they give it their all.
This is the kind of theatrically-based close work is as near to sexual intimacy as actors and crew can get.
Thus the shooting style is, itself, a reflection of Togawa’s needs, of Nozue’s shock and realization and crumbling, of the levels of trust between them that are fracturing and reforming. It’s absolutely brilliant.
All that said I did find the final episode bit of a let down. Narratively it reverted back to pretty standard light Japanese live action yaoi, of the style I talk about here. I did expect a little bit more intimacy from this specific narrative even with Japan at the helm, at least showing the two of them cuddling in bed together or something very domestic if not kissing. I’m not surprised or upset that they returned to status quo, and this is still an amazing comforting unexpected gem of a show, but it’s not the 10/10 I thought it was going to be at the end of 4.
Still, solid and watchable and
DEFINITELY RECOMMENDED
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“Don’t judge a book by its cover.” We’ve probably all heard that line at some point. Likewise, you should NEVER judge a drama by its synopsis.
When I first read the synopsis, I didn’t think the drama seemed worth my time. I mean, okay, so there’s two completely different cops, milkshake-drinking killers who are twins and an abnormal President and local triad. So what?
However, once I actually starting watching (due to a phase of boredom), this drama absolutely blew my mind!
The cast was great; everyone played their role well and I thought that Vic (as Chen Zai Tian) and Mark (as Wu Ying Xiong) were very strong foils of each other. Indeed, they were “different as day and night.”
All the characters had their own reasons and their own stories which caused them to be who they were and act the way they did.
The music was very fitting, especially the opening and ending themes. They were very “powerful” and I thought that suited the mood of the whole drama.
In general, this drama can only be described by “there’s more to it than meets the eye.” It’s not just about two very different police officers or anything as ‘simple and plain’ as that. As the English title says, it’s (about) “Black & White.”
For me, everything seemed to happen so subtly that by the time I realized it, it had already hit me in the face. The minute I thought I had everything more or less figured out, I was shown pretty quickly that I was wrong. Dead wrong.
I wasn’t expecting anything when I started watching it but by the time I finished watching it, I didn’t know what to expect anymore. That’s probably why I liked it so much – it’s just so different. It’s also not much of a romance-drama possibly because focusing too much on the romance would’ve reduced the impact of their REAL message, but that in a way kept the whole series at a ‘practical’ level because it didn’t have to take time out to build and establish romantic-fantasies on the side. I absolutely loved the themes, ideas, concepts that this drama presented to me. To say any more would just give everything away.
(After watching, I thought “maybe that’s why the synopsis was so bad. To say any more would have suggested something about the true intentions of this drama.”)
So in the end, all I can say is this:
This drama isn’t just about that little handful of characters mentioned in the synopsis. Rather, I felt that it was about much, much more.
The most important part of it for me were definitely the underlying themes that came out of it all, but that’s really just something you have to see and figure out on your own. It had a huge impact on the way I think, but it may or may not do the same for you.
It’s about “Black & White.” But what do you think this “Black & White” is about?
-Please keep in mind that this is all based on personal opinion.-
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The comedy here is also golden. I tried to find a gif or a screenshot to show you all, but it’s so hard because the comedy is so *situational*. What that means is the jokes build on the knowledge you have from watching a previous scene, episode, etc. That’s smart comedy. There’s also cheap comedy – tongue in cheek poking fun at romcom tropes (that they also fully uitlize), quips, puns, slapstick, etc. I’m pretty sure I had laughed every single episode for 12 eps so far – and as a big loyal fan of comedy TV (of all kinds, from Western to Asian styles), I know how hard it is to sustain laugh even as plots develop and get more complex, with some dose of drama thrown in.
Speaking of plot, there is one, and it’s good! Often with “silly idol romcom”, the plot is on life support, which is usually the rom part. Here, there is an actual plot, and there are a few key high stakes that we are invested in, because we already care about our lovely characters. All of them are working towards their goals (most of them life and death!), in multiple steps, and the steps are met as we move through episodes. Nothing is stretched out for too long, no misunderstanding dragged on for dramatic purposes. Things that make sense to get resolved, do. Will I watch a drama with no plot just to see the romance? Yes (e.g. Her Private Life…) But when there is a plot, it makes it that much more exciting! How will our smart characters get out of their predicaments? How will get attain their goals, while still being together (some of their goals conflict, and also with their romance), since they gotta be together!
In any case, as you can see, I love romcoms, and I love them even more when they are smart, well executed, and have that magical “it” factor created by a synergy of actors, directing, and script. Though, let’s be clear, this is on the lower budget side, and it is an idol drama. It doesn’t try to be any grand historical drama, nor does it slack off and forget that a story, no matter how cheap, needs sense (we all been there, haven’t we?) I just love it when a drama makes clear promises, and delivers on them, with fireworks. I have a lot of chip on my shoulders on how romcoms, and just comedies in general, tend to be looked down upon because it’s “simple” or “silly”. “Simple” is not “simplistic”, and “silly” is not stupid. A well-done story is a well-done story, and that’s that.
And that is what Romance of Tiger and Rose is – a well-done story
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He’s Her, but Not Really
The early episodes have a nice touch of magical realism that keeps viewers curious. It makes you want to keep watching just to understand why Kim Ji Eun turns into Kim Ji Hoon. Is there a specific pattern, a cycle, or maybe something related to their ancestors' background? And what about the matching tattoos between Kim Ji Eun and Kim Hye Ra? Are they supposed to mean something or affect the story in a bigger way?Personally, I really dislike Park Yoon Jae’s inability to stand by Kim Ji Eun when she’s at her lowest point. It’s like, “Hey, she’s your girl, so why are you still looking at Kang Min Joo?” We can’t blame Kang Min Joo too much since she’s a key part of the conflict alongside Yoon Jae’s parents, but Yoon Jae gets so caught up in being a guy who sees another woman that he almost completely ignores Kim Ji Eun’s struggles and her attempts to escape her misery.
I don’t really mind the awkward bromance scenes. They mostly show up when the show tries to be funny. But they feel very different from the romantic moments between Park Yoon Jae and Kim Ji Eun, which are sweet and more emotionally grounded. I get that the drama tries to limit physical contact to avoid making Yoon Jae’s relationships with Ji Eun and Ji Hoon feel too far apart.
Still, what frustrated me the most was how Kim Ji Eun and Kim Ji Hoon never actually felt like the same person. The show kept pushing that idea and sure, I tried to buy it, but come on, nothing about Kim Ji Hoon screams Kim Ji Eun. Not their emotions, not their vibe, not even the tiniest habit, It's like he just pose and act in feminine gesture, that's all. And seriously, if Kim Ji Eun magically turns into a guy, am I really supposed to believe she’d suddenly be into women? Yeah, right. They could have at least thrown in some shared quirks like how they laugh or how they cry just something to remind us that, hey, it’s still the same person underneath all that confusion.
In the end, the show just pats us on the back with a happy ending, pretending all the confusing questions never existed. Brilliant storytelling, right?
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Sweet and Funny
First: There's a lot of pearl-clutching in the discussion section about the age gap, and particularly that Toki is a minor when the story starts. If you're uninterested in this topic, skip down to ANYWAY.I really don't see how this is objectionable. So Toki has a crush on a handsome and charming teacher - haven't we all been there? My junior high PE teacher was so hot I spent all day in the restroom "imagining" things he could do to me, and I was 13 and he was 20-something.
The point is that Sahara makes it plain that nothing is going to happen, although he does say he'll wait for Toki to grow up, and there is a time skip at the end to when he's 18. It's hard to tell how old Sahara is because the same actor, who is 26, plays him in flashbacks. I would guess he's 6-7 years older. Big deal. My first positive experience was with a 26-year old when I was 18 - it was wonderful to have someone experienced and kind to ease me in, as opposed to boys my age, who just wanted what 18-year old boys are wont to want.
17-year olds do - almost invariably and universally - develop crushes on people of varying ages, and let's be honest, there is nothing you can do about it if you're an adult who has a crush on a minor. If he's 10, there might be something really wrong with you, but if he's 17 with an adult body, it can happen. You just don't act on it. There is a huge difference between having feelings for someone and acting on it. One you can't help, the other you can.
There is an accidental kiss, but it's not sexualized in the least - in fact they're both mildly injured by it and Toki reflects sardonically that his first kiss tasted like blood.
ANYWAY.
Toki is a fascinating character, immature in behavior, but unusually mature in moral fibre and inner strength - it's no wonder what Sahara sees in him, not to mention his looks. The actor does a wonderful job, making Toki both vulnerable and strong, affecting and really funny. Sahara is a less interesting character, but he's not without complexity either.
There is a lot of comedy in the series - most of it is pretty funny, and some of it is too obviously adapted from manga - where running screaming offpage works better than it does in live action.
This is a sweet story with a lot of charm and one of the best BL characters I've seen in a while with Toki - I'd fall in love with him too.
On the negative side, way, way too much time is chewed up by Sahara's former love interest, who brings the narrative to a screeching halt for a character that isn't introducted until two thirds through the series and who it's nearly impossible to care about. I found myself internally screaming "I DON'T CARE GO AWAY" You will want, no, NEED, to take clippers to his ridiculous bangs. I think his stylist must be the ghost from The Ring. There's a flashback to a confession in the rain that we're shown so many times that I nearly bought a plane ticket to Tokyo to go slap someone. Nekoto is dull, depressive, irrelevant, and takes forever to say anything - he should have been limited to one scene, not stretched out over 2 episodes.
Anyway, the payoff at the end is worth it, but I do wish that time had been spent on Toki & Sahara or on the secondary couple, who I hope get their own series.
I highly recommend this - unless you're one of the abovementioned pearl-clutchers, in which case you should probably just go to church instead.
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A revenge drama through and through, Doctor Prisoner delivers in many aspects.It was fast paced, and the plot was basically characters outsmarting one another for their selfish wants. If revenge best served cold is your type of thing, this is the place for you. Taking the stay of execution, the writer made a revenge drama into a thriller worth watching. it was creative to see the prison as a setting, and see the ML take it from there. The strength of this drama also include the hate-trio, that is, Lee Jae Jun, Director Seon, and Dr Na.
Now, to point out the flaws:
While the plot went along smoothly for the most part, the flashbacks hindered the viewing experience. The comedy was out of place - I laughed more at the characters laughing in tense scenarios than in the "light-hearted" moments. With this, had they stayed loyal to the dark tones and kept the mystery (that is, no flashbacks, or minimum) it would have been a favourite. Another let down was not dealing with certain characters the way they should have, and allowing only one to be punished; and there was the under-use of the FL. Lastly, certain scenarios' conclusions got predictable.
The acting was top-notch. Choi Won Young was easily the star of the show. He has control over his expressions and body language like a true actor. He has played a similar role before, but he still manages to make the characters feel different. Nam Goong Min was good, but I feel he should have turned off his charm (his signature expressions, although delightful, still left me wanting something new); however, since that's personal preference, I won't deduct any points from this. And we have Kim Byung Chul - I will forever remember his crazy smile. Overall, great casting choices.
The beep, beep, beep was a personal favourite when it accompanied turning points. The BGM could be a little loud, but I still liked it.
If I have to rewatch anything, it would be the scenes featuring Choi Won Young.
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Story- 10/10I hate that this was just 6 episodes and I have to wait for the next season. The ending as always is a cliffhanger which I love because it just really makes me intrigued. From the 1st season I think my number 1 question was "What is the resurrection plant?" Thanfully we discovered more about it in this season. Though they didn;t fully give details which will hopefully be revealed during the next season. This season had a lot of bad deaths and good deaths. Overall it was really good but I didn't like how the royal family's bloodline was damaged. Though I understand why Prince Chang did what he had to do. It was really good and I recommend it!!
My favorite moment was when they showed Prince Chang and Moo Young's (The Royal Guard) experiences together. Like how their bond started which was really nice. (I'm trying not to spoil all the good details)
Acting/Cast- 10/10
THE ACTING WAS SPOT ON. IT WAS SO GOOD. I would like to say how well Kim Hye Joon (The Queen) acted. She made me hate her so much yet also really like her. The way she portrayed her character was just spot on. Jun Suk Ho made me laugh at how clumsy he was but his portrayal was really good. You can see how his character developed from a clumsy coward to a clumsy hero. Everyone else did really good but these were the ones that stood out to me.
Music- 8/10
The music was pretty good. It really paired well with the drama. It just increased my anticipation every single moment where something big was gonna happen. Which is really good. I guess there isn't much to be say about the Music other than it's good. I just wish there was more variety to it that would pair well with the drama.
Rewatch Value- 8/10
I would definitely rewatch this because just so damn good. While I'm waiting for the next season which always a long time I think I'll definitely watch this again.
Overall- 9/10
I would really recommend this Drama for those who are just starting K-dramas or those who don't want to watch drama's that are romance based. This is really good so watch it!
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BOY ISSUES JUST GOT BIG
TO ALL THE BOYSBoys don't cry, boys aren't emotional, boys are supposed to be strong, But what's the most beautiful moment of my life?
This show is a lot for an average person to take in, when dealing with abusive parents, poverty, family pressures, PTSD, suicide, promises, and everything that is part of a teenager's life. Seven beautiful boys from Seven different families living in Seven different worlds come together and are obviously trying to navigate the complexities of teenage hood, growing up, I'll be honest until now I'd never thought that Boy issues could get as big as Girls make theirs seem or even worse.
This is one hell of a bumpy and perfectly toxic friendship if you could sum it up and there'll most probably never be another show that beats this drama at that. A detailed account of the pain most people go through but you do not notice, the lies most people tell themselves to feel better and people who feel they get more than they deserve and those who get less instead, I had never imagined there could be a show that sheds more light on the meaning of youth and the pain of survival, the true meaning of perseverance.
The bromance is swoon worthy, every bit of it tastes no different from hot chocolate on a cold night. We've seen kids dealing with serious issues in EXTRACURRICULAR, WEAK HERO CLASS, THAT MOMENT AT EIGHTEEN, SCHOOL 2013 and AT A DISTANCE SPRING IS GREEN but perhaps none of those shows could hit deeper and more real than BEGINS YOUTH has
This is a show for the heavy hearted especially because it deals with primarily broken characters that are trying to heal. All relationships come pretty intense and vibrant and yet the characters seem very fragile but persistent when enduring everything. Besides, It is commendable enough that most of this series speaks to people who have gone through some of the worst extremes in life than one could imagine.
No show made me smile and cry just as much eventually especially when dealing with overbearing parents, rigid societies and corrupted institutions because you would be surprised that high school life could become a physical and psychological living hell where we are all trying to survive. No show made me understand the meaning of living life and the need of not wanting to give up on it.
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