Even if you don't like historical dramas, this is definitely a drama to watch! It has all of the key elements that make sageuk great: a prophecy that needs to be kept secret, intense battle scenes, two love interests for the main character, and an impressive cast of really good actors. You get involved in the drama: you cheer for the good guys, can't wait for the bad guys to get what they deserve and there's even a reason to cry.
It stars Choi Soo-Jong as Dae Jo Yeong. His portrayal of Jo Yeong was very well done (he prepared for his role by reading history books to learn about the story and won an award for his acting). If you've watched any other dramas written by Jan Yeong-Cheol (Salaryman, Giant), then many of the actors will be familiar to you.
The OST enhances the drama and features music by Brown Eyed Girls and Park Hyo-Shin. This drama pulled in really good numbers during its run. The last episode had over 30% viewership. I enjoyed all 134 episodes!
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My reason for watching this movie was simply because I was very bored and YT commenters seemed to enjoy it very much.
The movie Love is a romantic comedy and i can reassure you that it is very well heartfelt. You feel the essence of each character even though there are many and I was surprised at the quality of the cast. It's no joke. A lot of the actors in this movie are famous in Taiwan. Mark Chao (Black and White), Ivy Chen (Skip beat, Black and White) and Ethan juan (Fated to love you) are pretty big names! So it's a hot cast ;) Each character has their own romantic story and although it is a comedy, there are moments of sadness which are reflected in the soothing ost "Fang Qing Dian" which CANNOT fail to capture the tone of the film. In addition to this the opening song by Hebe ???: LOVE really captured my attention... i felt that it was perfect for the storyline of the movie.
Overall "LOVE" is a light hearted comedy with a slight serious tone, cleverly interwoven into the lives of the characters who somehow are connected to each other. This a movie that is well worth your time and is seriously underrated!
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First of all it doesn't drag. Everything is paced nicely and the episode count is perfect, especially as someone who has seen a lot of youth dramas where the themes are very similar, and it's super addictive so I binged this in like 2 days. The script is wonderfully written and the dialogues are very touching and it's enhanced by the female lead liking literature so she says interesting things and quotes songs/poems etc. Both the couples are super cute and nice, especially in their high school years and its an overall very sweet chill drama.
You'll like all of the characters. None of them are annoying. And low and behold, this really deserves a medal, there's not one bitchy antagonist in this show. Like, all of the conflicts are logical everyday things that happen as you live life, but its not boring or illogical either, which I didn't even realise till it ended, but not once did I have to eye roll.
I really gives props to the female actress because she did a really good job, but all the actors did very well.
This show really needs more attention because it was cute and nice and refreshing and made me nostalgic.
Just an extra thing:
I feel like this show really let the main girl accomplish things and do things rather then just following the main lead around (not saying she always succeeded in those things, but she never sat around and whined about having to do work or whatever which I really liked.) Also she wasn't the exaggerated "failure of a daughter" where they're dumb af and only merit is eating like a pig and blinking emptily at the ml every time he talks to her (but is still supposedly "charming"). No, she was a relatable average student with areas she excelled in and also areas where she did poorly. She did not rudely stuff her face, but was still portrayed as someone who enjoyed eating and did not have the worth ethic of someone who doesn't even exist in this world. Everything was realistic. Also she had a proper friendship with the male lead and they helped each other with their dreams, shared their troubles and had an actual relationship.
Also in school, all the girls equally participated in the competitions and sporting/cultural events instead of idolising the male characters while the female leads watched them from the stands.
I didn't mean to rant about female representation too much but you know how cdramas be XD gotta sift through all that crazy to find nice dramas like this where you don't want to throttle every female character lol
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Kiyosu Kaigi depicts the power struggle after the death of Oda Nobunaga - the first feudal lord that attempted to unite Japan. Upon his sudden death, two of his most powerful retainers Shibata Katsuie and Saru Hideyoshi started a cold yet an exciting war by siding with one of Nobunaga’s legitimate successors. Until this far, the film may seem like another political clashing plot about the Sengoku period. At the matter of fact, it’s absolutely is! Kiyosu Kaigi is all about the power struggle to reach the top of Japan with each character having its own agenda and secret motives to proceed with. However, that’s not what this film is all about.
In the midst of such a complicated plot within the most serious time of Japanese history; this film takes the comedy turn. Yes, you didn’t read that wrong; this film was overwhelming with hilarious sense of humour to make it lighter and even more enjoyable. You get to see prestigious daimyo lords fighting and wrestling like little children. You also get to witness a candidate successor act like an adorable dork. All of that was mixed with many funny dialogues and “hugs” between famous lords. A history lover as myself never imagined to see those amazing generals acting so silly. But all of that use of humour didn’t drift the film from its original purpose.
The director was able to portray the message he made this film for. Amongst all of those laughing and political struggles, the film managed to deliver an interesting take about Japan in those ancient times. It was quite fascinating to watch the flowing of each event, each character and each hint until it reaches a very stimulating ending. The comic relief and the partial use of parodies was only a way to prevent this film from becoming heavy. It also participates in keeping the somewhat long ride (almost two hours and a half) amusing.
Now the acting; Kiyosu Kaigi is star studded, starting with the veteran and the acknowledged Yakusho Koji; you’re bound to expect a wonderful acting level. Then comes Oizumi Yo with a marvellous performance as Saru (The Monkey). His character was really monkey-like at many turns but his inner philosophy and beliefs still managed to shine in times of need. As if Yakusho and Oizumi weren’t enough to keep this film standing tall; they were supported by other enormous acting talents. All you have to do is entertain your eyes with stunning acting performances from the penetrating Asano, the veteran existence of Kohinata Fumiyo, Sato Koichi, Terajima Susumu and Denden with the young talents of Tsumabuki, Matsuyama and Iseya until you reach the very intriguing female department mainly composed of Nakatani and Suzuki.
The characters were complicated, each of them possessed its own perspective and they would do anything to defend it. The relationships between them were even more complex than the characters themselves. You can always sense that something is going to happen any second due to the tension between most of them.
The directing was pretty darn good! The camera angles, the cinematography and especially the scenery were very involving and beautiful-looking.
Watch this:
-You like historical/samurai Japanese films.
-You like to watch a different type of periodic films.
-You like comedy mixed with serious telling.
Do not watch if:
-You’re not interested in historical Japanese film.
Kiyosu Kaigi is a different type of historical pieces. It manages to make a sombre and difficult historical telling sound so pleasant by throwing pits of comedy relief on the sides.
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As usual, Kimura Tayuka reins supreme in the human interest type dramas! His portrayal of Jiro was excellent. But I must say, there is nothing like seeing Takuya dress in racing clothing. My, my, my!!
Alas, don't be fooled about the romance label, this drama was NOT about romance. The two leads have nothing romantic between them to speak about. Sure, there are hints that they like each other but that is about it.
If you like dramas that tell a story, especially ones featuring a bunch of cute kids (to include a younger Toda Erika), you will definitely like this!!
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4 minutes to redemption
I really enjoyed this, although I was a bit disappointed that the ending was somewhat open and didn’t feel like a proper conclusion. It honestly seemed like they either ran out of time to film or out of story to tell.However, I thought the acting was good, and the whole concept surrounding the 4 minutes, and its significance, was executed really well. It might come off as confusing at times (I certainly felt that way), but if you trust the process and stick with it until the end, everything about what happened to Great and the people around him is clarified.
Be aware that there’s a fair amount of gore and spice/intense moments in this, so if that's not your thing, you might want to consider that before diving in.
Otherwise, I had a great time (pun fully intended, lol!)
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The Escape of the Seven: War for Survival
19 people found this review helpful
You either love it or hate it.
A girl disappears from the world due to an incident in which seven evil people are involved. Besides these sevens, there is/are(?) someone even more evil who is/are(?) way ahead of them. Throughout the chaotic, tech-savvy hijinks, the battle between villains ensues...That premise sounds like a joke, but it actually quite accurate. I'm laughing at myself for starting and binging all 17 episodes in three days, it's a complete dramatic armageddon, which is satisfying to watch because I am in the mood for it. Even from the first episode, it is crazy and non-sense and just continues to be crazier and crazier... The characters are smart and dumb at the same time. Any minute now, they could get a heart attack and dies from screaming too loud. This is a kind of drama where you have to suspense your disbelief at all times. It is absolutely cheesy, problematic and very cruel in so many ways, but the pacing are so fast and entertaining, I was on board with it, probably because this is my first makjang experience and I'm still absorptive to it. It's quite stressful too and making me angry at times, but it also look ridiculously funny with the over-the-top acting and unrealistic plot points. For example, from the point where Uhm Ki Joon's character appear, this drama relies heavily on CGI, the CGI is overwhelmingly hologram-y. It looks strange that everything is too colorful and shiny. Also the costumes of these characters are like Halloween party. There’re few scenes that reminds me of Mission Impossible. #IYKYK
Aside from the makjang genre, I appreciate how this drama unapologetically fleshes out the ugly side of human nature, such as being an imposter, corrupted and opportunistic while destroying other people, including their own families. I would not recommend this to anyone, except if you want to escape from the reality, experience something unique and hedonic.
-Nov 2023, Yovita
Find me on Instagram: @kdramajudge
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A College (MF) Romance Series that Misses the Mark
The English language websites all state that Dear.M (2022) is about an ensemble cast of college students looking for an anonymous social media user called Dear.M but that couldn’t be further from the truth; the series was just a slice of life college romance.Dear.M (2022) is a spin off to the Love Playlist (2017 - 2019) anthology which is about young adults navigating romantic love, friendship and other relatable problems. The only returning cast member from Love Playlist’s 2019 run was Bae Hyun-sung as Park Ha-neul; who's on screen partner, Kim Sae-ron was replaced by Roh Jeong-eui as Seo Ji-min. This series delves into the problems they face after becoming a couple.
NCT’s Jaehyun stars as Cha Min-ho, an intelligent Computer Science major/scholarship student navigating issues in the apps he created and the changing friendship he has with Park Hye-su’s Ma Joo-ah, a cheerful girl who has never fallen in love and had a dream. Yet.
Lee Jin-hyuk plays Gil Mok-jin and Woo Da-vi stars Hwangbo Young, an unconventional opposites attract couple.
Friends to lovers is my favourite trope and this series 👏🏽 did 👏🏽 not 👏🏽 disappoint! 👏🏽 NCT’s Jaehyun and Park Hye-su’s chemistry was so natural and the latter’s acting is impressive despite this being his debut acting role!
However, what prevented my rating from being higher is much more than the series’ strengths. Namely, a lack of a cohesive theme tying all the characters and their emotional arcs together, the writers’ abstention of writing emotionally resonant scenes, etc. It makes scenes that require dramatic acting or emotional impact… awkward to watch? Min-ho and Joo-ah’s flashback scenes had SO MUCH potential to actually become emotionally resonant but always get cut short just to transition to Ro-sa’s schemes.
Speaking of Ro-sa, dedicating so much screen time to the antics of a 1-dimensional jealous, and conniving “villainess” to Ha-neul and Ji-min’s relationship instead of developing underwritten female characters, female friendships, and character writing is irresponsible and echoes the mismanagement in the writers’ room.
Hence, it resulted in a 12 episode TV marathon that had me press the “skip” button way too many times; but Min-ho/Joo-ah’ scenes, the series OST: Maple Latte, Look At Me, and Something’s Wrong did alleviate the series’ flaws.
We need more college stories and while Dear.M (2022) may not be a classic, it is one step closer to the right direction.
P.S. The representation of a diabetic character was natural and I appreciated how respectful and thoughtful Hwangbo Young’s friends were to her!
P.P.S about my rating:
1.) The acting getting a score of 6 is a good rating alr. It just didn't stand out or blow me away.
2.) I couldn't give a higher rating to the music because the volume of the songs were really low. I did get LSS from the aforementioned songs!
3.) I rarely rewatch TV series and that has nothing to do with the quality (despite not really liking this one that much.) My overall rating of the series is my final rating of it!
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Why did I sit through this?
If not for grandma and the female lead I would have ditched this 2 shows in. Awful story and all the male actors were TERRIBLE. Is it possible to find 3 worse male leads than this? I don't think so. Do women really like men like Kang Jae, clingy, whiney and unattractive? I tried to hang in to the end because I like the previous works of Im Soo--hyang (FL) (My Id is Gangnam Beauty, Graceful Family and the ongoing Doctor Lawyer and I actually looked forward to this drama because of her but...I found myself fast forwarding thru most of the show and really looking forward to the end, as dismal as it was.Was this review helpful to you?
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His Cat
I just watched this for the first time today and I have to say it filled my heart with warmth. Right off the bat you fall for He Chenghan; A talkactive, cat obsessed boy in need of a friend. A friend he finds in Ye Yu Wei; A standoffish boy with the dreams of being a writer, who transferred into He Chenghan's school.Later on in the movie you find out that the reason he transfered. The boys get to learn about eachother and find out some things that a person not paying attention wouldnt notice. It's a really wholesome movie and it made me smile a lot.
Production wise, there were times when the audio was off and things didn't quite make sense in the storytelling of it but it wasn't too distracting from the main focus of the story; Which was two boys discovering feelings they've never felt before.
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Differently, from most people, I think the third season marks a come back to the good times of season 1. I loved the 'rebel' first season, but the second one seemed conservative and too concerned to please mommy and daddy. This season was more sensible and realistic when dealing with controversial issues, like AIDS and gay parents.
I liked as well the end of the season, I think they were more skilful to end the story than the second season. It was a wonderful ending for one of the best series I have ever watched. I wanted that other Thai series could be so realistic as this one. Tired of series with poor stories and bad acting like so many things I see around.
(Sorry for my poor English).
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Unique time travel/superhero story
2023/24 has been pretty meh for kdramas. Some of the recent dramas have been relying on pretty faces and hype instead of story/acting etc. My dropped list has been longer than finished list.I was very skeptical of liking this one when I started watching it. But to my surprise, I was hooked on. Script is unique, characters are well developed, great OST and acting is really good. There was rarely any scenes that I skipped. Glad I clicked on netflix recommendation. Love it that it is only 12 episodes and ended well. Overall very satisfying, underrated piece. Highly recommend watching.
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Weirdly interesting
I hesitated so many times before starting this drama because the storyline was weird. A girl turning into a dog but a huge turn off for me. But being a fan of the main leads, I finally started. Still, I find it weird but I like how events are unfolding. It's that kind of drama that would make you laugh or smile all through. I like how romantic feelings between Seo Won and Hae Na isn't rushed. Things are happening at a slow pace as they spend sweet little moments together.The little suspense around Hae Na's attempt to break the curse really does it for me. I keep wondering if she'd be able to do it. Also, till now, I still don't know whose side Bo Gyeom is truly on and I hope to see in the subsequent episodes.
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Curiosity killed the cat.
That's exactly what happened to me. I fell in love with the ost and the trailer seemed promising but it was all a hoax!I don't know who wrote this, but even a 5 year old can make a decent story. This is beyond mediocre. I remember watching this and thinking, "what the hell is going on here?" because you literally don't understand anything, from the beginning or to the end.
I don't know how they could make this a 50-chapter story where there was nothing to tell. There is literally nothing to tell because you understand absolutely nothing of what you are "supposedly" trying to tell.
And will the ending clarify anything for you? Guess what? No! He will leave you with even more doubts and you will find yourself wondering if the director was on any substance when he did this.
So you, if you read this. Don't even think about wasting your time watching this, really. It's not worth 5 seconds of your time.
I'll only give the OST a 10 because it was the only thing I liked, the rest is garbage.
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