Though Jung Wan (Eugene) might be considered a traditional heroine, there are actually three leading ladies. Each woman has her own fully realized plot, with journeys so unique from the others (yet still connected!) that they could stand as three separate dramas. Does this result in a disjointed feeling? Not at all! The writers have a talent for seamless transitions, balancing characters and their evolving circumstances from episode to episode. Instead of being drawn out forever, even conflicts were frequently solved within an episode or two (crazy, I know).
This isn't true of the entire drama unfortunately; I could practically feel the steam seep out around near in late episodes. While not nearly enough to derail the entire experience, some cliches and melodramatics slithered in, while other bits were managed a little awkwardly.
A big pro for “Can We love?” is realism, despite obvious exaggeration here and there for entertainment’s sake. These characters have mundane worries for the most part (such as money trouble, single-parenthood, or romantic uncertainty). They have their foibles and quirks, but even at their worst they’re never the maniacs one often encounters in similar dramas. The second female lead will not be hitting her rival with a car, here, folks. You’ve probably met or heard of people like the “antagonists” in this drama…though in the case of a certain abusive mother-in-law, I hope not.
But for me, honestly, the best part must be the romance. Great kisses abound, with actual moving lips and touching. Because the characters are adults and act as such, they’re not mortified by the prospect of sex (pre-martial or otherwise). Couples communicate, both to solve problems and to build intimacy and knowledge of one another. The "main" pairing even felt like they were actually in love. I admit to giddiness with certain scenes, an uncommon occurrence.
Uhm Tae Woong was a primary source for such giddiness, as fast-talking charmer Oh Kyung Soo. Discard thoughts of him from other dramas, those intense and serious men; this role is completely the opposite. A “world-famous director,” Kyung Soo flirts, teases, and pursues what he wants with sincerity—whether in work or love. You might fall a little in love yourself, however your tastes run; he might be my favorite leading man to date. Leading lady Eugene embodies a gentle presence, easily becoming a sympathetic lead in Jung Wan. Her chemistry with Uhm Tae Woong sparkles, and her mothering scenes are fantastic.
Also notable: Kim Yoo Mi presents a complex and controversial Sun Mi. This actress masterfully handles tough, flawed women with hidden vulnerabilities. Choi Jung Yoon capably maneuvers the emotional tribulation and wide nuances required of Ji Hyun, though the character did not satisfy my interest as much as others. Kim Sung Soo (gentle and mature Do Young) and Park Min Woo (puppy-eyed noona killer Yoon Suk) round out the cast quite well.
What about the music? I found it above average, often memorable and always well-placed. While there isn’t a false note in the bunch, certain songs might wax repetitive for some viewers. The vocals are where the soundtrack really shines: “Everyday” (GGot Jam Project), “I Want to Love Again” (Lunafly), and
“My Hero” (Kim Ji Sook) are all excellent examples. Others include “Softly” (Sum & So Yeon), and a more elusive track, known affectionately to viewers during the drama’s run as the “Hey, Boy” song. You’ll know when you hear it.
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This review may contain spoilers
I loved this drama and was excited to watch new episodes every week, it was filled with fun scenes, the romance was cute, the couple looked good together and both actors are really attractive, also I liked the 3 cleaning fairies plus o sol's relationship.I used to like this drama so much that I was sure I going to rewatch it someday, but that changed because I disliked how the story unfolded.
To me it all went downhill when O sol stopped working in the company and started living in Seon kyeol's house. Sure we were blessed with some great kisses and domestic stuff, but to me that was when the plot started becoming nonsensical.
I didn't like Daniel at all, I found him clingy and annoying as all hell not to mention his stalking behavior. I didn't like O sol's rude brother and his attitudes as well as her father.
I even started disliking O sol and not understanding her decision of breaking up with Seon kyeol (not to mention how unoriginal and boring that ''have the couple breakup in the last few episodes'' kdrama trope is) and her attitude towards him, a person who didn't deserve any of it. To me that was the final nail in this drama's coffin. What his selfish grandfather, who physically attacked him as a kid (I also didn't like how the writer seemed to have forgotten that and gave the grandfather a redeeming scene, expecting us to feel sorry for him) and who caused his misophobia, did, wasn't his fault.
The final episode was painful to watch because of how o sol kept rejecting seon kyeol and how her and her father kept blaming and making him guilty of something that wasn't his fault. I didn't like seeing him acting so pitiful around the father and her.
I'm not sure if I'd recommend it or not, sure the ending was a happy one, there's lots of funny scenes and the couple had good chemistry but there's lots of things that prevent me from doing so. I guess you could give it a try if your a fan of any of the actors because everyone did a great job.
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1This review may contain spoilers
In the sea of medicore BLs, this was a highlight for sure!
Normally this would be the "ideal" manga to be announced for an anime, but lucky for us, we got a live action! It feels like an anime, with all the sillyness, but on the other hand the MLs were so incredible good and believable. As I have mentioned it the Fukami review, this actors did go the extra mile to embody their characters without any doubts about it. And of course they did not shy away from kissing and having tasteful NC-scenes.Production was also top notch. Edit: MDL removed episode 10 and says it only has 9... hmmm.... I guess they split the special on an extra page - which is stupid, but whatever. So I will wait in anticipation for the special. 🤣
Because there is nothing to rant about, I will keep this review short. This was especially entertaining, fluffy with the right amount of drama inbetween, the ideal BL imho. I definitively recommand this to everyone!
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~Story~
First off, it's a brilliantly written comedy featuring badass YAKUZA. How does this NOT get butts in seats in anticipation to this show!? This show is freakin' hysterical; I think I considered rakugo as a profession for a while (it gives me an excuse to rewatch the show too). I questioned my own manliness as I saw Tora, the most loyal, manly yakuza this side of Shibuya, grace the screen. His glare of anger will strike fear into the most hard-boiled viewers; I thought his eyebrow-muscles were permanently altered to give off such glares. When I become a Yakuza boss (in my dreams), I WILL hire Tora at all costs. Even though he's part of a questionable organization, you realize he is a man of loyalty to a great faction in Yakuza.
The show mostly features Tora's (and Ryuji's) daily life once Tora learned of rakugo. Tora really sucks at rakugo (or just making anyone laugh, as his story-telling skills are the same as Buzz Kilington), but practices like a champ. For the most part, each episode features Tora describing how a real-life event is similar to the story his master told earlier; flashing back to the moments where the real-life action took place. The drum beat when they announce Tora's rakugo act is still second-nature to me; I still expect his stories. Tora even grew better as a storyteller as the story progresses, becoming a stage-favorite.
At the beginning, the blend of his rakugoka (traditional Japanese comedian) job at day, and debt-collecting Yakuza at night was comedic. However, Kudo-sensei couldn't just leave it at that. The Yakuza part of Tora's life is a major part of who he is as a person, and owes his life to his organization. As the story DEVELOPS (mature story development in a comedy!? OMIGERDZ!), you realize how Tora and his life isn't a comedy. I won't say much about the ending, but it was PERFECT. I'm sad that the ride ended, but it was one of the best. The post-drama haze is strong. It's been about a week, and I'm still wondering when I'll hear a story from Tora.
~Acting/Cast~
The cast consists of actors Kudo has worked with in the past, and in the future. Nagase is an excellent actor; the way he shows emotion with his whole face is a rare talent. It doesn't even need to be an over-the-top moment; you FEEL his character. I first saw him as the self-conceited detective from "Unubore Deka," but that disappear once he spoke. I admire actors with versatility in their roles. I can't praise his acting enough without turning this review into "Why I love Nagase Tomoya: his face." Junichi also acted as the easy-to-anger shopkeeper who is somewhat insecure about his clothes. News flash: he sucks as a designer; brace the bizarre fashion he thinks is "cool." Seriously, these actors from Johnny's are NOT just pretty faces; they have acting chops that are on par with non-idol actors.
The rest of the cast instantly grow as their characters. The show makes you feel like you're watching a family, not a group of actors. The show features visualizations Tora sees when he hears master's stories; the cast act as the characters in the rakugo stories extremely well. I LOVE versatility in actors! The actors/actresses in this show just makes you feel right. They feel natural in their roles; which is the best thing for viewers to be immersed in the story's universe.
~Music~
Being a drama with Yakuza, they have some Yakuza music. My favorite song from the OST was "Tiger & Dragon" from the Crazy Ken Band. The song (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_rwW7Qx9z2E) describes the Yakuza vibe from Tora quite well. The ending theme was from V6, as most dramas featuring Johnny's HAVE to feature a Johnny's song SOMEWHERE. It was a bit out-of-place, being the idol song in a drama with a solid OST featuring the Crazy Ken Band, but the song grew on me. Your mileage may vary, as there are probably some people who aren't too keen on pop music, especially idol music.
~Conclusion~
This drama is another show to add to my shrine of Kudo-worship. It's funny, grows up with you, and is touching. Really, it's a show to watch if you have a sense of humor, love Yakuza, or want to learn about a great & original writer working in the industry right now.
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This drama got criticised a lot. That a lot of people would just not give it a chance. But believe me, if you're a fan of (( melodramas )) or (( romantic )) ones. This is one of the best.
…….
STORY:
This drama got one of the best story lines. It's not about a romance between chicken restaurants owners, or competitors, or whatever you read from the plot. One thing to say, ITS NOT. This drama is really deep, the romance is deep, different than what you usually watch. It was touching. I won't say they got chemistry or something like that, no it was TOUCHING. A weird one that you won't even understand unless you keep watching.
ACTING/CAST:
Bae Su Bin: If you think you got no reason to watch this, then give Su Bin a one chance to create this reason. Watch one episode and you'll have the reason to continue watching. I watched 26 episodes switching from (I like you), to (I dislike you). Then I finished up watching this drama not knowing, is he a good guy, or bad. I don't even know if I like him or dislike him(drama). But that's not a negative thing, because that's what he is in the drama, a bad guy..and a good one. You know what that means? His acting was DAEBAK, I never knew he was this good.
Jang Shin Young: sometimes got me confused, but you'll get to know her acting style later on. She did really well on the last episodes.
Rest of cast: They did pretty well.
MUSIC:
The music was good, nothing that grabbed my attention, but fitted the scenes.
…….
HOW I RATED THIS:
First episodes: 7.5-8
Last episodes: 8-8.5
Final episode: 10
TO SUM THIS UP:
- Watch it! Do not hesitate. You won't regret it. Listen to me, and WATCH IT!
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The Longest Disappointment
So, because My Drama List is filled with people who say if you hate the drama you're ruining it for them, and upvote automatically any ratings that praise the drama highly, despite people telling you over and over it's bad and people hating the writing, I'm going to write this review for more balance. I love xianxia dramas. I've watched a ton of them, but this takes the cake on how terrible they can be. And yes, I watched all 40 episodes. Me and a bunch of other people who tried to defend it to the end, ended up flipping on the drama once they figured out what I said was consistent throughout the drama. But those people are less likely to write reviews.The only saving grace of this drama is Xiao Zhan and maybe the production values, but that's about it. And pretty production values when you don't have the story isn't enough for me. I've never particularly cared about pretty faces. I care about in order: Story first, acting next, production values (which include costuming, CGI, props, etc) last. If I wanted to gawk at pretty faces, I'd look at runway photos. The problem with this drama is squarely on the story.
The writing sucks so, so much on one key issue: The female lead's agency is all over the place because the motivations aren't clear in the character.
Kinda passes the Bechdel test. Sexy Lamp it's questionable about her agency. And she kinda fails Mako Mori at turns--they give her a goal other than a man, but do they ever implement that goal within the story? No. Not once.
The thing is that there is this bit where she's supposed to protect this dress, and after the tenth episode watchers drop like flies because of this dress. She could have climbed out of the ravine the entire time--which is shown in a later episode. She fights with her best friend's sister over said dress saying her best friend's sister can't wear it, but then by episode ten you understand why people dropped the drama hard. After all that lecturing about how her best friend's sister shouldn't wear the dress, suddenly she decides to dance in it herself. Which is a mind-numbing plot point. It makes no sense whatsoever for her age.
There is a difference between innocent and air headed, and she's air headed. Innocent is going into danger to retrieve her friend's dress. Air headed is wearing the dress after yelling about how terrible it is to wear it. Air headed, to me, is being oblivious of how others will react to your actions even when you know it's wrong and taking the worst action anyway.
And then if you think this is the largest crime of the female lead, you're wrong. It gets worse as the drama goes on and the agency of the characters is all over the place.
Let me be clear here, I don't mind delayed agency, I don't really mind passive agency. I don't mind a long try fail cycle. What I really, really do mind, is when the principles of the character are laid out, the lesson is stacked in the "I really learned this lesson" pile and you've spent say 2-3 episodes establishing what this lesson is, the character demonstrates they have learned it, and then the rest of the story doesn't apply it when it's clearly critical to apply it right then. Why did we waste our time with those episodes then? The writer actually put into the drama several spelled out points where she couldn't figure out how to get to the next section, so literally had another character tell the female lead what she needed to do in order for the plot to change direction, rather than it coming from the character. And for those who've watched the drama--this is the female lead in a nutshell.
OK, you want to skip the female lead. Zhi Yuan isn't better. He had a straight line until the end of the drama. His agency looked consistent, and then he made a mind-numbing decision in the last part of the drama along with one of those accidental amnesia events the writer comes up with where the female lead suddenly forgets all her past knowledge, and then both characters make this really odd decision together. First he fails and it makes no sense to the point that people on the main comments objected strongly. And then she failed by not applying her past knowledge when she learned the spell she could have applied right then just the previous 3 episodes making you go, that makes no sense. If any agency or moving forward for the FL isn't about the male lead, then the female lead forgets everything with no reason for it.
And you think, at this point, "But the male lead can't be affected by this, right?" Hahahaha. So wrong. By the middle of the story, the writer, who is lost on how to make character motivations work, has other characters telling the male lead character what his motivations are. She's jerking around the male lead by having other characters tell the male lead where to go, but without building a reason why he needs to go there for himself. I'm going there because Sifu said I need to go there. I need to do this because someone else said I needed to. Do I have a pesonal motivation for it? Meh, nyahh, I'm changing my mind because someone else is telling me to.
This leads to a lot of empty moves and the character agency being scattered to the wind, as the characters forget everything they've learned from the few episodes before them. Because their motivations are all external and nothing internal. So there wer people who wanted to defend the book and the drama to the end--until they got there and then realized really sharply what I said about the dress chapter being signs that the drama is going sideways was true. One watcher who was of this sort got frustrated both with the drama and the book saying both were a waste of time.
The female lead character--all of the characters need to learn things and apply them at key times. They shouldn't be told what they want from other characters. It's poor writing. And since the writing was terrible, I can't recommend the drama. My relative's B movie had better throughline of character motivations than this. And it's not a slam against Chinese dramas, since I've watched plenty of older ones and also have read classics and folktales--I do recognize how this employed older drama conventions. It's telling you that the main female character lacks motivation and agency which then infects the rest of the show and this is why I don't recommend it.
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When you order prime rib and get spare ribs instead.
I expected Youku's short "Revenge" series to be a xianxia in disguise featuring the many hot re-incarnations of "The Best-est of the Chest-ests" Dai Gaozheng in all his topless smoking hot glory. If that is also what you are here for, let me save you some time because Bride's Revenge is nothing but chest bait. In this incarnation as Mu Anhe, Dai Gaozheng is over-dressed and so camera shy he is in hiding for over a third of the drama. When he reappears, it is uncomfortably obvious there is no spark between the leads. While their chemistry is sweet and loving, it notably lacks the passion and intensity of the previous incarnation.The plot is uncannily similar to Maid's Revenge where two related men Mu Ancheng and Mu Anhe duke it out over the family assets and a woman. Except this time a bunch of "green tea bitches" scheme, bitch slap and scratch each others' eyes out over a scrawny and unappetising scumbag. That entire arc of not very smart people trying to out dumb each other made ten minutes feel like an hour. Even a happy ending cannot save this drama. The dissatisfaction level is just like when you order prime rib and get spare ribs instead. Give this one a pass unless you are super bored and need a quick Dai Gaozheng fix. And in that case, just watch the last three episodes or better yet, rewatch Maid's Revenge.
I generously rate this 3.0/10.0 because Dai Gaozheng is still the chesty definition of hotness.
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Under "Your" Skin
Under The Skin is a 20 episodes crime drama produced by Linmon Pictures . The narrative revolves around a forensic criminal profiler and a detective who meets again after 7 years and proceeds to work together to solve cases while uncovering what happened 7 years ago. Under The Skin is compelling, thrilling, and emotional. It has an engrossing plot, impressive cinematography, and art direction.As a crime drama, Under The Skin is not groundbreaking, but in my opinion, it is one of the best out there. What makes Under The Skin different from any other crime dramas is how they solve the cases. Instead of just going through the tracks and pieces of evidence like any other crime drama, this drama focuses on another aspect, forensic art, which is rarely seen in other dramas.
The drama has simple yet interesting cases, it is compelling, easy to follow, and has good moral messages behind every case. The process of case solving is also relatively simple, but still engaging. Each of the story arcs manages to be complex and intriguing while still showing the very real human emotions being experienced by the characters. I love how there is always a human element in each case, the culprit is not labeled as a "black" character, but more to grey. The drama shows you their own fascinating background story and makes you understand why they took down "THE" path.
Under The Skin script shed a light on social issues, there’s a human element and empathy in every episode. For instance, in the first case, you can see women’s prejudice in the workplace and what women need to go through to break the glass ceiling. The cases are realistic, it may resonate with the audience. My personal favorite case is in episodes 11 and 12, “girls help girls - woman can understand woman, woman protect woman”
Under The Skin is written by 6 scriptwriters, 5 of them are females which is why you might find that a lot of the cases and plot mostly revolves around women. The drama also manages to showcase the diversity in the police force, there’s a female detective, police officer, forensic doctor, and more (also there’s a lot of pretty ladies in the drama).
Other than a compelling script, the script is also immensely elevated by the excellent acting of every actor and actress in Under The Skin. The actors and supporting actors and actresses acting are phenomenal, they add so much emotional nuance that brings the characters to life. Both of the male leads, Tan Jianci and Jin Shijia portray their character very well. Tan Jianci as a natural and gentleman, and Jin Shijia as a charming yet rough character.
Despite all its hits, it also has it’s miss. For me, the only miss from the drama is the plot holes in the cases and some of the cases are not wrapped clearly and perfectly. But other than that, the whole drama is a hit!
Under The Skin keeps you at the edge of your seat with the thrills and suspense at the end of every episode. I believe this drama is worth the binge, those who watch this will feel addictive to consume the whole drama in one sitting.
Fun fact: yes the whole criminal profiling profession is indeed that amazing and 神奇. In 2017, the murder of Zhang Yingying in the United States. The police was not able to identify who was the culprit, and they asked help from a Chinese forensic profiler, Lin Yuhui. And he managed to draw out the culprit just from a blurry CCTV and helped solved the case!
P.S. Season 2 is coming! on one of the scriptwriter weibo post, she mentioned she went to gather some materials for Under The Skin season 2 and she also mentioned the drama should've have some more art aspect but was omitted due to the limited number of episodes, and she hopes that she can put those ideas in season 2 and the extra episodes!
Weibo post: https://m.weibo.cn/1461807075/4673683987108245
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Watch it ............with a bottle of depression medication and tissues
Tbh the only reason I made a MDL account was to come cry about this show. This show starts out phenomenally strong and draws you in to make you invest your emotions and interest, but then throws all of those into the gutter towards the end. There is nothing actually wrong with the show. But at point some shows exceed the tragedy tag because "life simply cannot be so damn cruel" to a single person. This show does exactly that so be ready for multiple stabs to your oh so poor heart.It took me a while to recover from the blows that were dealt to me.Good things about :
Cheng yi's acting is absolutely mindblowing. I am head over heels for this man. His expressions of happiness, pain and crying are so so natural that you want laugh with him and cry with him.
The costumes, sets and production is high budget. Visually it is appealing.
Bad things :
The story starts out very strong. But then goes totally in an unexpected direction. Many plot points are introduced which should been executed but end up going nowhere which is frustrating as hell.
Some characters are extremely repetitive and predictable to the point of you wanting to pull your hair out.
There is no emotional payoff or satisfaction towards the end of the show. Not a single one.
TLDR : Cheng yi is the MVP of the show. Overall a good watch but definitely not a happy or satisfying one.
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This review may contain spoilers
To All The Boys I've Loved Before
Gyu Ho was God's apology to Go Young for all the boys he'd loved before, and I cried when he fumbled that blessing for a half eaten hamburger. But, thank God they met again in that bar, moved in together to the new place and decided to get married in the finale. #heartheart XDXDXDListen, this drama coming from SK in itself is a wonder. I went into this with high anticipation and I wasn't disappointed. I enjoyed it a lot. I liked the characters, the story, the education it gave me when it came to Kylie, and how realistic it was. I laughed, cried, and related so hard in some parts, I cried some more.
Go Young had three main lovers, one who was too boring to take karaoke-ing, a pretentious prick who came with a side of abs and left scars, and a happy-go-get it boy who wanted a home, and broke our hearts when he left the one he found. Let me explain.
MR SPLENDID:
Listen, Go Young and Nam Gyu could have worked. Sure, he was slow, a classic and drove like his grandmother, but my man was committed and serious. Frankly, I thought he was fast... he pulled out that ring faster than my internet connection. He genuinely loved Go Young. A bit obsessed, sure, but he came off as someone who loved with all his heart, and I felt sad when he was turned down, again and again. In the end, even his marinated crabs got rejected...poor guy. This is another guy, Go Young fumbled, and it's sad he only realised that when it was too late. Also, are we going to ignore the reason he was speeding or... anyway, rip.
MR. ACTIVIST:
Yeong Su was a fun hating, people pleasing, pretentious bummer! God, I couldn't stand his arse. Yes, I have eyes and went dayummm Susan, come here often?? And that table sexy time scene was... but damn, that brother sucked! I literally wanted to throw rocks at his head whenever he was on screen. Dafug you mean you don't celebrate Halloween because of its history and you look down on people who do? And the mfker even hated pasta. I clapped when Go Young finally clocked him, and threw his stupid arse case study away in the trash. I couldn't get why Go Young didn't see that glaring red flag, and kept letting himself be hurt to the point he took those meds. But then I understood, some hurt goes deeper than others. Either way, he was a beef cake, but if I ever see his arse on the street, it's on sight.
MR. NURSE
Gyu Ho, Gyu Ho, Gyu Ho, how I would have loved to be friends with you. Sure, they were not perfect, and his dingdong went on and off like a light bulb whenever they were doing the devil's tango--protected, but, these two were my main ship and I loved every moment with them. In the end, I understood that Go Young was scared, and perhaps wasn't sure why Gyu Ho was so accepting of Kylie and didn't even seem to care about it. Perhaps he didn't trust that Gyu Ho was truly okay with it, and that's why he had one foot out the door and took the first chance to accept their broken fate, but I still cried. They were in-tuned with each other, and Gyu Ho finally seemed so happy to have found him. In my head, I am full on delulu, and imagining them living together with a dog.
Anyway, I also liked the friendship between Choi Mi Ae and Go Young. I was sad when they had a fallen out, brought back memories of all the friends that were everything at one point, and then... we sort of dimmed out. Seeing their friendship from start to finish brought back memories that added to the tears.
All-in-all, a great show that many dramas and bl lovers would enjoy. It's a realistic portray and the ending would knock you back into reality. I highly recommend it. Kudos to the cast, especially Nam Yoon Su who did his thing. My man was on, and I loved him for it. I can't wait to see their future works.
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he won but what did it cost...? everything.
If you're like me and enjoy intense gripping thrillers with well written characters, I promise you, this series will not disappoint. The Worst of Evil is a crime thriller set in the 90s, where a detectives goes undercover in order to take down a dangerous drug trafficking organization only to discover that his wife seems to have a complicated past with the gang's notorious kingpin. The plot is very well written and does a fantastic job exploring themes of moral ambiguity and cynicism. The two male leads, Ji Chang Wook and Wi Ha Joon both deliver phenomenal performances and which really helps engross the audience and allow us to feel what's at stake for our main characters. Also shoutout to Bibi for her stunning performance as Lee Hae Ryeon, absolutely killed it. In conclusion, The Worst of Evil stands as one of the most captivating and well-crafted series in recent memory. From its intense, action-packed plot to its deeply layered characters, the show keeps you on the edge of your seat with every episode. The performances are exceptional, with the cast delivering emotional depth that makes even the most harrowing moments feel personal and meaningful. The writing is sharp, and the pacing strikes a perfect balance, gradually building tension while revealing twists that never feel forced. The Worst of Evil has a rare combination of thrill and heart, making it an absolute must-watch for anyone who loves a gripping, thought-provoking series. This is one of my favorite dramas of all time and I would highly recommend it to any thriller enthusiasts.Was this review helpful to you?
This series is over rated and disappointing.
Don't get me wrong I love the actors and the first half of the show. I even re-watched the first few episodes just to ease the pain of waiting for one whole week for the next episode. As I said, early episodes were good. I thought they had chemistry and spark. The plot was also good and promising BUT.....As the story progress it also lost its spark. The plot became repetitive, the side stories were set aside, the conflict became lame, the character development was nowhere to be found, in short the script/screenwriting became too dependent to the popularity of the show and the visuals of the actors. If the actors of this show were not good looking, this will be criticized heavily but since they are both handsome and popular, the bad storyline and acting was overshadowed.
Not to mention that they neglected the second main lead of the show which is Drake and Frank. They were literally set aside. It was so bad that it felt that they were just used to make this a BL series.
The chemistry of the early episodes was lost due to lack of character and relationship development. The last four episodes made the characters look and act too straight to be gay. They looked like friends and not a couple. The actors are too reserved to be called as a couple. Ironically this series lost its spark when the two main leads became a real couple. Sad that they are more in love when they are fake dating.
I was expecting more from this because it came from the director of Kiss Me Again and was written by the author of Theory of Love. Now I feel bad for Jittirain, the author of the novel, because this series messed up her creation. Unfortunately it did not live up to its popularity and standard. They can't say its because of COVID19 like Why R U?, because this was pre- produced and they have already finished filming the entire series, so I think there can be no excuse to all of its flaws.
The last episode DID NOT save this series at all. It even made it WORST to the point that viewers felt the awkwardness of the main actors, as if they don't like touching each other. The ugly directing and the story that sucks can no longer be tolerated. Sorry for using this kind of words but this is the best way I can describe what happend to this series. One comment even said, and I love how he described the ending, confession in front of an audience doesn't make it extra special.
The actors made it so obvious that they don't like to act as BL couple at the same time the director and script did not help them with making them look like a BL couple. It was a sub par acting (though I am trying to let it pass since this is Win's first series and Bright's first BL role). I think the actors should reconsider accepting BL roles if they are not fully committed to it because even if you are a good actor but you are doing something against your will, it will always show. The director, producer and screenwriter should also try to reflect what went wrong.
I remember the actors of this show said that love is just love. I agree. Love is something you can show without the racy gestures actually love is best shown with small gestures. The bad thing about this series is NOT the lack of intimate scenes but the LACK OF LOVE in their supposedly real relationship.
Things that are good in this series? Well, this has good OST (except the TINE song, it was meh) and the early chemistry but other than that, it was just a series about two handsome guys that was said to be boyfriends but act like buddies.
Not all trending series are good and even if the actors are good looking and lovable doesn't justify the bad screenplay and execution of the story.
This is a very disappointing drama.
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Story of this drama is very serious. Writers brought up very unusual and sensitive humanity related topics like child abuse, abandoning child, foster parents and adoption. Story is quite realistic and has strong sub plots of background of some characters. Story is strong enough to keep you glued to screen from very first moment to very last moment. It’s soft and warm. It’s slow but to enjoy beauty of this kind of drama slow pace is required.
It has one of the most beautiful endings I've ever seen. Writers gave best possible ending.
There isn't overacting like other Asian dramas. Matsuyuki Yasuko is great as Suzuhara Nao. Wonder kid Ashida Mana is incredible at such young age. She is charming and cute. Chemistry between her and Matsuyuki Yasuko is really beautiful. Supporting cast is great too.
With amazing sensitive and moving topic, great acting and superb music makes this drama one of my most favorite dramas.
Mother is a drama which won’t suit many people’s taste. So if you’re bored of sappy and unrealistic dramas or looking for a drama related with humanity and realism, watch it!!
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10/10 EVERYTHING!!
This drama mainly focuses on the aspect of a broken relationship of a mother and it's child after the loss of their husband/father, and its healing journey. it has many emotional scenes as well as uplifting and bubbly comedy that is well executed. I liked the touched-on romance in this drama as well, as it's not really shoved in your face. ALSO TO MENTION!! the revenge plot was just SO GOOD!! it made sure every person got what they deserved!the whole drama is amazing!! this drama is a pure example of how talented lee dohyun is, his character is very broad in this drama from acting as a student to a professional cold-hearted prosecutor to then a 7-year-old, is just so good. The relationship between the son and mother is so pure and emotional, and the wholesome atmosphere of the neighborhood makes you feel as if you’re part of their family. everything was so well made and shown!!! every cast member did amazing!!
if I could I would 100% watch this drama again if I had no recollection of it.
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This review may contain spoilers
The best BL drama out there!
I have always avoided BL dramas. The only BL watched in my life was The Untamed because BL wasn't it's main theme. After seeing many good comments and the high rating, at last, I decided to start my first Thai and fully BL concentrated drama - Bad Buddy.The main reason why I avoided BLs was that I feel that it is toxic. There will be many odious scenes and dialogues. But, after watching this, I reaslised there can be healthy BLs too. I have never seen any BL like this before. So cute, well written, has good lead chemistry, and overall, it's HEALTHY. It kept on getting better and better from beginning to end.
This drama is based on the Thai novel Behind The Scenes by Afterday and -West-. As you have read in the synopsis, this is a shory about two boys, who were forced to be rivals because of their family problems. They had to compete against each other for almost everything. As they grew tired, they became really good friends and then, without even realising, lovers.
Although primarily looking like a comedy drama, it becomes an emotional roller coaster and takes us through all kinds of emotions including happiness, anger, surprise and sadness.
As this is my first Thai drama, I was utterly unfamiliar with the cast. But, this problem didn't last for long. In the first episode itself, I concluded that I am watching a drama with amazing actors.
Nanon Korapat Kirdpan (I still don't know how to say the name) plays Parakul, nicknamed Pran, a neat and tidy perfectionist who always loses his earphones (lol) and Ohm Pawat Chittsawangdee plays the masculine Narpat, nicknamed Pat, who is an impulsive, cheeky guy. They nailed their characters very well that it was very convincing and lovely. Their relation was a kind of love/hate relation at first and they had good chemistry between them. Their kisses were awsome. I have never seen any kiss so pure and true in any BL.
And about the supporting characters. I must say Pa and Ink make an amazing pair. Also the actors who played Pat and Pran's friends also did an amazing job.
The music is nice. I especially liked the songs sung by Nanon himself, 'Just Friends?'. I really liked the lyrics of the songs that implied the relation between Pat and Pran from friends to lovers.
Top soundtracks :
Just Friend? แค่เพื่อนมั้ง by Nanon Korapat Kirdpan
Secret (Won't Tell Anyone That You Like Me First) จะไม่บอกใครละกันว่าเธอชอบฉันก่อน by Kacha Nontanun
Our Song เพลงที่เพิ่งเขียนจบ by Nanon Korapat Kirdpan
The rewatch value is very high, which is rare for any dramas. I will certainly rewatch this drama at any point of time in the future. This is an ideal watch at depressing times. Pran and Pat will help us to relieve our stress with their cuteness.
As I said, I don't ususally watch BLs, particularly the ones with intimate scenes and kisses. I am glad that I did not avoid this one. Bad Buddy is a unique BL production that would change the perspective of BL series. I really appreciate all the cast and crew members who contributed in producing such a fine work.
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