In one word this drama is raw. I am writing this review a minute after finishing the drama and there are all these emotions that I need to let out. It has been an amazing journey, and by the end I could truly tell how attached I got to the characters.
STORY: 8.5/10
We follow Gil Soo Hyun, an FBI officer whom is back in his home country and receives an offer from the police to join a special investigation team. He joins Oh Dae Yeong and Jin Seo Joon as they embark on solving missing cases with special circumstances. I can't say much about the story since the drama is episodic, which means we are met with a new case in (almost) every episode. I would also point out that Soo Hyun's background story is a key point, and slowly unfolded as the drama proceeds.
My rating is not higher because it's difficult to rate a drama with a different setting for each episode. I found some episodes to be extremely intriguing, while one or two in the middle of the drama were rather predictable. The beginning however, was phenomenal, as we got a two episode cameo from the very talented Kang Ha Neul who brought so much life to drama. Some cases are very unique, like the painting one. Watch the drama to find out what that's all about ;)
ACTING/CAST: 10/10
My gem, the great Kim Kang Woo. I cannot praise this man's acting enough. Somehow I feel like he's an unappreciated actor in the Korean industry - correct me if I'm wrong. I first 'met' him in Haeundae Lovers, where he played the role of a prosecutor. That is obviously where I fell for him, and I have been anticipating his upcoming projects ever since. Kim did a phenomenal job in Missing Noir M as he portrayed a strong and competent character despite his wounds. Would the drama be the same without him? Probably not.
Park Hee Soon portrayed the talented police officer Oh Dae Yeong. This is the character that brought life to the drama, through his 'feeling like feeling' and phone ringtone. Overall the impression you'll get of him will be one of delight. He also has the cutest relationship with his wife, which also brings colour to a dark themed show. I also loved him for loving the victims with all he had.I like that he went from All About My Romance to OCN's Missing Noir M. It was nice to see him in a new light.
Jin Seo Joon was portrayed by the rising actress Jo Bo Ah (congratulations on the dating news!). Jin (as officer Oh calls her) is a hacker, and you can tell the team wouldn't get too far without her. She is highly intelligent, and I loved seeing her. The only complaint I have is that I wanted to see more of her. In a very male dominating drama, I wish she would've have gotten more spotlight. She deserves all the praise, and Jo Bo Ah as an actress has come a very long way since Shut Up! Flower Boy Band.
Another lady is the medical examiner Kang Yoo Yeong (Park So Hyun). We also see very little of her, but again - she plays a vital role as she is the one who conducts autopsies.
For the side characters who played a big part in each story, you'll find them in the cast list. Among the known actors and actresses is the very cute Shim Yi Young (Ji Yeon, officer Oh's wife), Yoon Ye Joo (Ellie from SBS' Angel Eyes), L.Joe (from the boy band Teen Top) and Park Hae Joon (Mr. Chun from Misaeng).
MUSIC: 10/10
Their main OST called Lucid Dream (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tzF4DODg-K0) by Kim Yuna, and featuring rapper Olltii has seriously become one of my favourites ones. I listened to this while waiting for new episodes. I'm also an avid supporter of Korean rappers, and knowing that Olltii (Show Me The Money 3) featured in this song was very exciting. Lucid Dream is dark, filled with amazing vocals. It fits the drama perfectly.
REWATCH VALUE: 9/10
I think I'll rewatch this drama when the withdrawal symptoms arrive. Being episodic, it is quite simple to click on whatever episode and watch. Though you need to watch the whole drama the first time since you'll miss out on the protagonist's story if you don't.
OVERALL: 9/10
I cannot recommend this enough. My sister always tells me Korean dramas are boring and repetitive, and for people like her, this drama is a definite counterargument.
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1Pour some sugar on me.
This is one of those delicious "pour some sugar on me" romance dramas where you just have to go with the flow and not be a prude. It is best watched gasping for breath on the treadmill trying to break a 9-minute mile. With a shortage of air to the brain, you will easily filter out the small stuff like how quickly they fall in love, whether she has hormonal issues, if she is schizophrenic and other logic or character gaps and focus on the only thing worth getting hot and bothered by, which is how hot the two male leads are.Liu Ling is the most improper Princess Changle; a hoyden who does as she pleases without regard to social conventions. When commander of the embroidered guard Shen Yan crosses her path, she takes an instant liking to him and pursues him with reckless abandon. I find the sheer audacity of her shameless overtures to him absolutely uproarious. While this may sound wanton and unseemly, it is a very original and refreshing way to write a female character. More importantly Yuan Bingyan pulls it off so engagingly and inoffensively she deserves high praise for such a controversial characterization. I understand that in the novel (which I did not read), Liu Ling was deeply troubled by her traumatic childhood but a lot of that got cut out of the drama, which unfortunately makes her actions at times seem capricious and maddeningly inconsistent. As it turns out, she becomes a pawn in a high stakes power play between multiple states with links to an old conspiracy that brought down her best friend Xu Shijin's family. Can the Shen brothers, both dashing embroidered guards untangle the web of old lies and win the day?
I was swooning the moment I spied Zheng Yecheng on the cast list; throw in Merxat and it is just like a double upgrade from economy to first class. But I had reservations over Yuan Bingyan, whom I found lacking in Love and Redemption. As it turns out, she has fabulous screen chemistry with Zheng Yecheng and delivers a winsome and hilarious performance as Liu Ling. As for Zheng Yecheng, he must be the ultimate ideal of the romantic hero with his brooding deep stares and overwhelming masculine beauty. This is a not to be missed opportunity to evaluate his reputation of being the best kisser in c-dramaland. Its all, ahem... research on such an important topic to womankind. And let me just say that the kiss scenes were so scorching that evidently a bunch of them had to be cut out. That said, it is quite dismaying to see Zheng Yechen becoming typecast in these sorts of roles. He is a fantastic actor that deserves a shot at more complex roles.
Merxat is another fine actor that just doesn't seem to get enough good roles. He has great rapport with Zheng Yecheng and I had to reduce the speed on my treadmill whenever the Shen brothers shared scenes to properly drool over their combined hotness. I find Shen Yu and Xu Shijin's storyline more interesting probably because it is left largely intact by the censors. Shen Yu and Shijin are both so intelligent and just such a marvelous couple from the way they solve problems together and go all out for their friends and family. I root for them more because their romance faces a giant obstacle that is difficult to overcome without deep consequences. Despite the obvious cuts, there is clearly a well written story with some depth behind it. The over-arching conspiracy and the sub-lots that feed into that are all well written and unfolds at a very nice pace. This is overall a very well produced and high quality drama despite some odd edits and clear impression that some things were left out, notably with Liu LIng's backstory. It would not be fair to rate it that highly for that reason so this is a 7.5 for me but I find is as enjoyable as many dramas I rated 8.0/8.5.
Finally, while Yuan Bingyan is not one of my favorite actresses, she really shines in this drama. How she was essentially cold shouldered for changing agencies is disgraceful and I am so happy that for once, c-drama fandom did the right thing by her by supporting her. Kudos to Zheng Yecheng and the rest of the cast as well. They acted their hearts out and it shows - it is no hardship, indeed it is a pleasure to watch and support this drama.
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This review may contain spoilers
I've never written a review for anything before, nor, am i very good at writing them, but, i just had to say something about this movie...This movie, was beautiful, it brought me to tears. It's a bittersweet love story about a girl, in 2008, who drops her cell phone during an earthquake, and a boy from 1912 finds it. They are able to talk on the phone, and start to have feelings for each other.
There was this one scene in particular, that really moved me, and not to give away any spoilers, i will call it "the gift from Erizen and the old lady/little girl scene" when you watch the movie, you will understand. It was beautiful, and very touching. I've re-watched that scene a few times, and it still makes me tear up...
I'm going to end my review by saying that you should definitely watch this movie, you will not regret it.
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Cutest Couple - Great Acting by Main Leads - Little Cliffhanger
Let's start : I was thinking that whether should I write the review about "No Boundary" or not! But (yeah) here I am. Sorry I won't beat around the bush and will get right back to review. Many of you people or there might be all of you prior to watching the drama may have went through the comment section well there was a time where I dropped some great dramas while going through the comment section. So, let's do it.1. Story : (9.0)
As the descriptions say the drama is exactly the same. But elaborate more I would say the story is about love between {Zhang Yi Shang} God (heavenly maiden) who was once a general and {Darren Chen} a soldier who fights with demons to protect his city. I won't spoil to much but the story consists of too cute moments between them and some crime cases which they both solve together and there's another part of the story that has to be completed in the Season 2 which will be hopefully air in the future. So for me (9/10) for the story.
2. Acting/Cast: (10/10)
When I watched the trailer and I didn't know about Zhang Yi Shang and Darren Chem, I have never watched their single drama! That may sound confusing but I have really wasted my time in lots of drama till to date. That's 750+ dramas in total. The main cast acting was astonishing, there wasn't a single moment I regretted watching this drama besides the story only thing that kept me going and wants me to wait for the next season is Darren Chen's and Zhang Yi Shang's acting. That was flawless till the end. Well other cast also did well but the main lead was perfect. They are also my favourite couple right now. So (10/10) for acting.
3. Music : (9.5/10)
I am not big fan of Chinese Soundtracks but the intro of the drama is really thrilling and the violin instrument is mesmerising when the drama kicks off. In drama soundtracks also fit to the scenarios. So (9.5) :)
4. Rewatch Value : (9.0)
I would give it 9.0 cause I have just downloaded the drama up to Episode 18 from the site. I will download the rest of it in coming days.
In the end I would say if you are not a fan of Zhang Yi Shang and Darren Chen then I would say just give it a try if you don't like then simply check not interest in the rating section cause that will not effect the rating of the drama. For me it was also the first drama to watch of them but they both got me stick to screen till the last moment of the drama. They have less screen time together in Episode 29-31 so that really hurt me anyways that's all to my review.
Thanks for reading :) Give big love to this drama. Love Yourself. PEACE.
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This review may contain spoilers
A Journey to Love, to Life, to Freedom, to Growth, and to Loss.
(Review has been edited based on new developments): Watched this solely for LYN's first real ML role and he killed it. I've also seen Alen Fang and several others before but they played different genres and personalities so this was nice. But theoretically the possibility was there that it didn't kill ML's character (I will actually start my review in the pros with explaining the ending as I saw it because there's a lot of confusion it seems there). LYN did fracture his foot during the last few months of filming this last year but that's the extent of his or anyone else's injuries thankfully. The rest of the cast for the most part and the story was very well done. Great story though the ambiguous ending wasn't needed.Pros: Ok let's get into this ending. Here's why I firmly believe the leads were still alive (even though we now know officially that they aren't). The entire show we were shown of RY's and NYZ's insane skills and internal power. We were also shown RY's GoT version of Game of Faces mastered by Arya Stark. She was able to have a new face, new voice, new everything and the Fab 4 did too. Like the time one of them pretended to be NYZ who's way taller but the face was there. Or when NYZ pretended to be Emperor Wu, who's obviously shorter than him but it still worked. Not to mention, how many times did RY fake her death? 3 at least? Plus the pill to save from all injuries that QZ gave NYZ during their last parting. Also the antidote to that poison from the prime minister; our man had a lot to hold him over. Why would the show give you all of these extra nuisances if they didn't want you to put 2+2 together at the end? Don't forget the son of theirs at the end. 10 plus years had passed. He was not a hallucination because that doesn't make sense. If CY did have one, it would be of YSS and not some random kid on a horse. Then you have the kid himself; his name is Ning Shi San while his sister is named Ren Lu. Only living parents can give their kids their last names; now first names can be used to honor the dead. He goes into so much detail about his family including confirming that mom's last name is in fact Ren when asked by CY and plus dad doting on sister and includes how his mother can perform a beautiful sword dance and we know RY is awesome at them. No, we didn't actually see them all together, but it is beyond inferred at that point both to me and many others.
None of us saw their dead bodies; but I figured out something fishy when NYZ leaped out got harpooned and then just sat there and people assumed he's dead. I figured he hid in the chaos as per their oath and waited for her. Also, think about it, how fast between his fake death and her deciding to go that same route? She could have waited a bit, but no she did it right away because she knew he was waiting for her and it was time for them to disappear. They knew that if they didn't stage their deaths and flee to seclusion, they'd never make it. Neither were military (though NYZ claimed he was a military chef which explains how he's mastered wine making now); one was an assassin and one a martial arts spy. Another thought; the world's best assassin doesn't escape the explosion that she herself set off? Even though she in the beginning of the show was able to find a corpse to replicate her so even the white sparrows thought she was dead for years? That's high grade intelligence you don't just throw away. That's my theoretical logic. So that is why, I firmly believe (even now, that the possibility is very realistic) both were still alive and living in seclusion until their son brought CY home. I think they may be ready to come out of seclusion and maybe tell those that love them like Ah Ying and maybe even LTG, since they finally got along at the end. I'm sure many people will disagree with me but that's ok.
Now let's get into the rest of this review. Losing the Fab 4 and so close together was very hard. Your heart just broke because this series just did such a great job making you fall in love with these clowns and that was their intention; the comedy, the ball busting, each with a personality of his own. They became our brothers so to lose them so heartbreakingly was hard but also understandable. This series wasn't a happy go lucky, everyone survives one; in actuality just about everyone we love perishes. A Journey to Love, to Life, to Freedom, to growth, and to loss. And it was done well. By the way, what happened to Mr. Du? He literally vanished lol; that was a plot hole.
There wasn't a character from the delegation or many otherwise that didn't belong. Until 40 I didn't think the fruit loop aka LTG was able to mature but even he got his redemption arc though this one I understand. That said I do feel that he was partially responsible for the leads deaths because had he not gone all hot head to try to kill the king of Baipen, they wouldn't have put themselves in such danger. All of the fab 4 deaths were tragic but QZ's probably hit me the hardest because he had hid the burden of CM being his younger brother from everyone and how he mistreated him only to have him die protecting the pompous emperor before he had a chance to get close to him.
Most of the story was of the Wu delegation traveling to An state. But it's also mostly the growth of the princess that we focused on too. She went from afraid of everything to being a badass that went toe to toe with that asswipe An dy. Loved her evolution! CY tamed YSS and though that's not a happy ending, he did end up saving her life. Wu dy came to his senses and cleared the names of Luidohall. So much happened both surprised you and you knew what was happening.
I'll praise the storytelling team as for most of it they did very well. Btw Alen Fang is like the Sean Bean of cdramas; only one I've seen him survive in was TLB lol! The OSTs were wonderful, costumes, sets, the fights were off the chain! Phenomenal! I hope that LTG and Ah Ying truly learn how to love each other not just respect each other.
Cons: I gave it a 9 and not higher because there were several things I had issues with like cramming the meat, potatoes, and the kitchen sink into the last 6 episodes. It went from 0 to 100 quick. Should have been more spaced out with the deaths, war, and of course the ending that everyone is fighting over. Had they used 10 episodes instead of 6 it wouldn't have felt so rushed. We lost 3 brothers in the span of like 3 episodes and weren't even given time to grieve before we got hit with the next one. Was the cripple and his scheme so necessary? Seemed like an afterthought in an already robust chunk of events. Could have been done without.
I'm completely unfamiliar with LSS as an actress and thought though 98% of what she did here was awesome; her upper face still didn't move even in the saddest or tragic moments. She cried but eyebrows and forehead went nowhere. Is this normal or just for this role? It just confused me is all and didn't always jive with what was happening. Absolutely nothing against the actress and I feel she did quite well, just that part for me personally was off.
Of course the rushed and unfleshed out ending was lackluster; it's also why it gave many the unnecessary hope of at least someone surviving. Too ambiguous and poorly executed. In my logic based alternate universe, I'm glad to know the leads are well with kids that NYZ promised RY; but it would have been better to have them reunite as opposed to just that image of the Fab 4 and the leads on horses because that did look really out of place and like CY was imagining them. Because the leads named their kids after two of the brothers, it makes sense that their spirits are watching over the family. That whole ending could have been either not added or just had the brotherhood plus leads as spirits riding in a field and it would have made a lot more sense and a fitting end for this drama without the unrealistic CGI, CY, and even the kid.
Would I recommend it? Totally. However, I do ask future audiences not focus so much on the last 5 minutes of the series but on the series itself because that's what made you enjoy it in the first place. Great job overall cast and crew! Thank you very much!
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Overall, the whole story is actually pretty interesting, funny, and many scenes make you squeal. It's nice and light, not too dramatic, like the second female lead isn't your cliche evil person who plays dirty tricks on the main female lead. same for the second male lead.
The music is really nice and goes well with the moments. I personally really liked this drama, finishing a drama is really hard for me, and I usually drop them when I don't like them or I think they're dragging, but this drama wasn't like that. It's really enjoyable. I love all the characters and I hope you will too.
Short review but hope it helped.
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I rarely gives a 10 for drama, BUT DAMN
Uhh, ps, sadly, i change it to 9,5 now.. only b'cause i thought it looses its glint in eps 10.. maybe its just me but thats what i felt..(btw, I will keep updating this review, cause this is one way to vent the emotions ❤)
I CAN GIVE THIS AN EASY 10 ANY DAY!
Idk how, BUT THE STORY KEEPS GETTING BETTER!!!
That's it! You should watch this now!
Ever felt like drama puts too many filler? or just the same problem being dragged on for too long?
ITS CERTAINLY NOT THE CASE HERE!
The main thing I like about this drama is their story and acting. These talented actors act so brilliantly! Ohm and Nanon both have an amazing skill and beautiful eyes to convey the character's feeling. When you give this series a go, you should pay attention to their detail expression it was beautiful.
Kudos to all staff! Actors, writer, director, for they've made an amazing drama!
IT GETS BETTER EVERYTIME THEY AIRED!
It feels like they really use all the potential the story gets to offer! Episode 6 killed me, and I'm more than willing to die of happiness again in eps 7.
IM OFFICIALLY A SIMP. I keep rewatching this again and again in waits of their next episode, which is unhealthy, BUT WHO CARES
I really hope they will keep this up, or even somehow do better in the upcoming episode!
I'AM LOOKING FORWARD FOR THE NEXT EPISODE!!!
Episode 7:
So, hi.. I've watched the 7th episode.. IM DEAD, I'm talking to you from the grave rn.
this, is the first time I CRIED OF HAPPINESS...for a BL drama..
The ending of the 7th episode just.... shi- imma rewatch that 20 more times and will comeback for a proper review without my head being a total heaven of roses field and pink clouds
For those who gonna watch this, good luck soldier, I hope u make it out alive and sane
❤
Episode 8:
Its all fluff at first, yet always calm before storm right?
I'm so happy for them, just when I CAN FINALY SEE MAJOR CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT.. then shi* turn south..
My heart cant take the shock..
End thought:
This drama is so interesting, tho i hope i don't watch it until they're finish,, maybe im not the type to get hype for a long time? i kinda settle down at episode 10,
I still do think the drama is enjoyable! ^^
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This review may contain spoilers
This series cinematography and visuals was what got me hooked. It felt like I was watching a high budget Hollywood production, each episode felt like a movie in itself. Casting was on-point maybe except for Ae-sin who I think have very soft features to be a gun slinging sniper. At times she looks like a teenager who seems out of place in that chaotic Joseon era. The main characters deep and tragic history and development was superb. However, the main fault for me was that having the 3 male leads with such powerful characters go after Ae-sin.
I mean, I get their deep history with her but I feel like a more interesting storylines could have been explored if the plot did not stick to this "love quadrangle" until the very end.
Ae-sin's passiveness and poker face acting just didnt do it for me. There was Hina who was a unique lovable character but Dong-Mae failed to even realize her love for him because he just had to get Ae-sin. I cried so hard when Hina died in Dong-Mae's back while confessing her feelings to him. They were not even given a single day to spend together after she waited for him for 3 years 😭.
The finale made up of the last 2 episodes were just dang good! I mean I have never been satisfied with a kdrama ending like this for a loonggg time. As expected in a war death came and a piece of my heart died with each characters passing. Each death may seem rushed at the end but it was artistic and meaningful and heart wrenching to the core. Ae-sin as the last man standing was as it should be. All in all this is a series definitely worth watching! ❤
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This is what I call a perfect ending...
You might think I'm overrating this because I'm still in the TharnType fever but tbh that's not the reason it gets such a high rating. I thought about it and decided it did deserve the 10 points. Let me tell you why though...Story: The story of this "special episode" keeps true to the original series, recaps some of our favorites from before and gives us new stuff to fawn over. They managed to include the perfect amount of humor and cheesiness, mixed with emotional turmoil and so much romance, you will have hearts in your eyes. The comedy scenes are full of humor and clearly separated from the serious stuff and the serious and heavy scenes are made even more exciting through high production. The story in itself gives us a new chapter of Tharn and Type we didn't really explore in the series: Type's family. And it is definitely worth delving into.
Acting: The acting, with around 2% of exceptions, is great and the characters did not lose any of their charm from the series. The chemistry is still going strong, maybe even stronger since this one is not so much about Tharn and Type learning to care for each other but learning how there love fits in with the world around them.
Production/Music: Every show out there, that messed this up, please go watch this. It is perfect. Perfect volume, perfect timing. There were two scenes that were done so powerfully, I won't forget them anytime soon, I swear.
Overall: A definite re-watch and a great milestone in BL production. It was done amazingly and fits together perfectly, that's why this deserves such a high praise. Beware though, as it will give you serious wishes for a second season and hopefully we will get it!
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Grand plot of a long format made to work amazingly in short format, we stan
This drama deserves a far higher rating. I was soooooo excited to watch this drama. I saw a snippet on Insta and noticed that it is both FL and ML from Seal of Love which I really liked (and honestly, this drama could be considered as a continuation to Seal of Love imho). Richard Li and Ming Jia Jia are such an amazing couple cast, I hope they'll make it to bigger/more popular dramas. They look amazing on camera and have chemistry. I haven't watched many short format dramas yet (this is the third one so far). It is. The BEST. So far. I don't really have anything to complain about, I wasn't even mad about the ending. The character of Yu Wen Yuan is utterly reckless, despicable, rotten and toxic at first (we learned later where did everything come from, but still, that isn't the way to deal with your emotions), he softened up a lot towards the end. Richard Li is just so lovable and such an amazing actor even when he is casted as an pretend a-hole character. Su Yan is just trying to balance both men on each side according to her abilities, she doesn't want to go against her values but also tries to keep the decorum for the sake of her sister's wish. Yu Wen Yingren seems harmless at first, but don't let his eerie calm face fool you. The madness, the drunkenness of power, intrigues, the thrill, everything what usual long format dramas drag on for ages is condensed into this short format. Beautiful costumes and decorations, I appreciated that there was little to no CGI. I'm not a ost music type of fan, but I think the ost could've been a little bit better. Idk the budget for short format dramas, but as far as this genre goes, this drama worked magnificently for me.Was this review helpful to you?
A BL where the BL is overshadowed by, you know, an actual story
Manner of Death is presently something of a unicorn: it’s a BL drama where the BL aspects are incidental to a primary story rather than driving the plot themselves. Hopefully, that’s a sign that same-sex relationships are shedding the novelty factor that called the genre into existence in the first place. In the future, perhaps Asian dramas can incorporate same-sex relationships into other storylines just as in real life the people engaging in same-sex relationships have other things going on. Things like jobs and crazy family dynamics, for example. In this case, Manner of Death incorporates those rather standard tropes from non-BL (melo)dramatic television premises into a murder mystery detective story that grows in complexity as the series proceeds. Oh, to be sure, the two main characters will fall for one another along the way--after all, it is still a BL! It's just that finding the culprit motivates these characters more than finding a boyfriend. Anchoring both aspects of the tale the viewer will be pleased to see the legendary BL duo MaxTul, here in their fourth series pairing as a couple.As anyone conversant with the history of (US) television has already discerned, the title "Manner of Death" positions this series within a particular tradition of TV crime-solving: the medical examiner as detective. Such series revolve around determined forensic pathologists who get drawn into tracking down the killers of murder victims for whom they performed autopsies. Like his TV predecessors from Quincy (1970s), Crossing Jordan (1990s), and Bones (2000s), Dr. Bunnakit (Tul Pakorn Thanasrivanitchai) will occasionally go up against unhelpful relatives of the victim, police officers who refuse to believe murders took place, and overly obvious initial suspects who turn out instead to be a good guy. Or, because we are in BL world, he turns out to be a good guy to go on dates with. In what surely must qualify as a fresh take on the enemies-to-lovers trope, the most obvious suspect for the murder in Episode 1 is not only dashingly handsome but also manifests a surprising interest in the good doctor. Soon Dr. Bun and Tan (Max Nattapol Diloknawarit) agree to become partners—and that partnership won't end with crime-solving.
Since the core story is a whodunnit, I will forego the usual plot synopsis. Suffice it to say that our two heroes face increasingly dangerous scenarios as they persist in trying to solve a crime that powerful figures in this rural town want to disappear without a full investigation. Towards the end this story becomes overly complicated, macabre, and dark. But don’t let that detract from the fun. Manner of Death offers two-fold pleasures for diligent viewers. First, trying to figure out the mystery. Who is behind the escalating series of crimes (side characters in this series have a limited life expectancy!) and why are they happening? Second, the chance to spectate as one of the more hallowed couplings in the BL realm dig into new roles and fall in love with each other all over again. Er, I mean their characters fall in love with each other. Because I, like ,totally, understand Max and Tul are just actors. And that just because they are convincing and delightful as a couple it doesn't mean they themselves are a couple. Dammit.
Enjoy this pairing because all signs are that one or both of the actors will move on from acting to pursue interests outside the industry. To the detriment of BL storytelling, because Max and Tul have an ease with one another that elevates the productions they perform in. Their chemistry as scene partners is undeniable. That alone makes Manner of Death worthy of sampling.
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It's worth your time
IT'S THE BEST HISTORICAL DRAMA I'VE SEEN (apart from Mr. QUEEN). It basically have everything, action, comedy, mystery, romance, etc. Also usually most of the kdrama's are about romance and romance only, but a plus point in this drama is that it's focuses really less on romance (not gonna say that their are really little romantic scenes specially after what happened in ep 13 ;)) and if you are really into detective stories then THIS is the story you definitely HAVE to watch. I don't know why the international audience has given this a really low rating, specially when it's doing great in Korea. Trust me when you start watching it, you won't be able to wait without watching the next episodes. Since i'm watching it while onging, yes I'm honestly SUFFERING here while waiting for the mext few episodes. IT'S DEFINITELY WORTH YOUR TIME AND YOU WON'T BE DISAPPOINTEDWas this review helpful to you?
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1This review may contain spoilers
Another series ruined by Netflix's greed
The season 2 finale was conclusive and satisfying. It tied everything together perfectly imo but of course Netflix had to bring it back for the cash grab. And it's still not enough as they're trying to stretch this even further into season 4... oh lord. And let me preface this by saying, I love this series, Alice In Borderland (Seasons 1-2) is one of my favorite drama's of all time. However Season 3 was a disappointment as the plot felt forced and so many things did not make sense to me.Let's start with the plot. The premise for this whole season is Arisu must return to the Borderlands to save Usagi, who was lured there by Banda ("Joker"). And Banda's reason for this was that he was lonely? He said he missed having players who were good at games so he wanted Arisu to become a citizen. But citizens don't even play the games so...? Anyway, one of the new characters Ryuji (professor who has this weird kink for death) is used as a tool to get Usagi back to the Borderlands. I did not understand their relationship at all lol. They said Usagi wanted to go back to the Borderland because she misses her dad? But her dad was dead a long time ago and wouldn't be there. Ryuji also has this weird obsession with Usagi, I couldn't tell if it was romantic or like it reminded him of his dead student he got killed (though I don't really see the correlation). On the other hand Usagi also seemed to keep protecting him even though he literally kidnapped and drugged her. Anyway that whole dynamic was just weird. Usagi in season 1 and 2 is a loyal and badass, but in this season she just becomes selfish and her sudden extreme depression didn't make sense to me. Like it didn't bother her for the past five years but now suddenly she has to take some extreme measures to deal with it. I hated this relationship between Usagi and Ryuji. Ann returns which was cool but her role was kinda lame and didn't make sense. Some of the other new characters were well written and interesting to me like Tetsu, but some were just horrible and not really fleshed out. The games are decent I suppose but not as emotional or intense as last time, since we didn't have two seasons to develop understanding and connection with the characters.
I apologize this ended up being more of a rant than a review.
TLDR: Poorly written plot that did not make sense, some games were fun and interesting, new characters were hit or miss, ruined Usagi's character. Alice In Borderland is a top 5 drama for me but only because I will pretend this season doesn't exist. Wasn't as bad as Squid Game season 3 though :D
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most anticipated but most disappointing
I was excited to see that Gemini and Fourth were getting another project together, and ultimately knew it was inevitable. With the popularity of the pair from their recent (and best so far..) project which was My School President I was excited to see another imaginative and original drama from the pair. Unfortunately for me the originality wasn't coming because this drama is a remake of Keita Hatsukoi, and it is again.. unfortunately not anywhere near as good. What comes in the end is an adaptation I can neither recommend as a stand-alone drama, or to any fans of the original. This drama is just worse in every single way possible.. let me explainI am not a hater of the fact it is a remake. I know remakes can be done well and have been before, I didn't expect for this to be better or worse, the least I expected was some effort.. and I didn't even get that. The acting is done well enough from the new faces I see, Gemini and Fourth I can't help but see that they are just acting out what was originally done.. and the depth behind their performances aren't there because of a simple reason. The direction and production shot them in the foot, and it isn't any of the acting at fault, it is the writing, the editing, directing, and everything but them. So the editing is extremely cheap and it tells me that whoever is in charge of this project simply didn't understand or care for the source. This drama was just a way to make a quick dollar, that is what it all tells me. They use shammy music and sound effects in ways that aren't effective and just a shame to be there in the first place.
With Fourth in particular. He is a fun person and is an amazing actor, and I know that from his leading role in My School President. The difference there is that he had room to act, instead here they shove sound effects to try and get an emotion of humor out of a scene. The original source material is a manga, and I can see this being done with animation, live action is completely different. The actor can stand alone by himself and I don't know.. act! Fourth is more than capable of holding a viewers attention in the humorous scenes, but instead they drag it out to its limit by stretching the camera and adding cheap sound effects which are what I said. They are cheap ways for the audience to go.. oh this is funny! It isn't, to me it is insulting. I know Thai dramas tend to do this, but they should've reeled it back. My School President was a fun show but also had its mellow moments, it was so well received and had heart because of the directing and care in every scene. In this drama there isn't any attention to detail other than call backs to any other source material. There is a whole lot of extra time in this drama, but it is wasted for cheap and phony reasons. This drama uses the leads and the source material as a way to market and doesn't do anything new by itself, it drowns the original concept to an abyss and I can't see it coming back from it.
Crucial parts that may seems small are taken out, with the Cinderella episode in particular being the worst and the point I realized this show just sucks. I really didn't want it to either. So Atom (who is played by Fourth) isn't even Cinderella, and that is fine by itself, but when you really think about it where is the logic? Originally he volunteered to do it, so the only reason I see that they didn't is because either Fourth didn't want to cross-dress (which is fine) or because this drama wanted to toss the coin in the pot of things they are progressing. That did the opposite, with Atom not being Cinderella it messes the whole identity of the stage itself as well as Atom's character. He does thing in spontaneous behavior, because it is just who he is. He is someone that thinks before he acts, and that is how it is in the original and not here. With Atom having time to think about it, get rejected, and then to do it again takes away a bit of that charm from him, and ultimately strips the dynamic between him and Kongthap (Ida). Ida is a guy who thinks carefully, and even too carefully. He doesn't even understand the concept of liking someone and it doesn't make much sense to him just based off a feeling alone, and Atom (Aoki) is the opposite. Aoki is the person who does things all of his feelings and without feeling, but just is a genuine person. So he subbed in for Cinderella not just because he liked her, but because it was just in his nature. His whole class had no problem and here? Well they refused until he had to and he did it by himself? He had no reinforcement and it made his behavior seem odd? Like Atom isn't the type of guy to do things off of a one moment decision, but they find it weird? So it was disingenuous even if they wanted to pull a homosexual relationship in the mix.
So the episode there became just the characters singing instead of developing their individual characters they sung songs for the play... If you want GemFouth to sing write another drama that has it make sense.. here it made no sense? It was another skip for me..
They screw up the main parts of the characters so badly and they seem a shell of themselves. Atom and Kongthap alike are stale and uninteresting. The ending of episode one wasn't nearly as impactful from the editing and because of the direction towards the portrayals. Kongthap is someone who in the end is also an extremely good person, and very thoughtful. Atom ended up actually liking him but not in any way that was serious or understandable, it was actually pretty confusing. I keep watching and hoping they just go to the source because that did nothing wrong, and if they change things then can they add? There is more than enough time to make this drama good or watchable, this drama just makes me think that I should just go back to watching the original. I really should, GMM shame on you. Shame on you for just shoving this out into the open for the money, where is the heart? Where is the passion? The comedic timing alone is enough to turn someone away from this, this isn't funny at all, not even in a so bad its good.
Taking away the little details.. especially the garbage scene.. oh boy.. that is just not needed. Taking those humor bits away show to me that whoever is in charge really doesn't understand the source material at all. It is just fan service and bad fanservie and is extremely dissapointing. Watch My School President again if you like Gem and Fourth, don't kid yourself into thinking this is good.
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This review may contain spoilers
unfortunately pretty much a failure
I went in this with not much expectation with that kind of plot and it ended being worst than expected.So, let starts with some positive points before my rant :
- I actually like a lot the costumes and styling
- acting was okay
- music was okay
- not really good, but still a happy ending
- the friendship between the ladies and the guys
- side couple : this romance was pretty good, I liked the flow of it, but not enough scenes in my opinion. they sometimes disappeared for episodes and they were some of the only interesting parts. How it started as arranged marriage, but affection, trust and love gradually came
- I like ML’s mom relationship with him and FL
so now the rant :
- SML and « Love triangle » : what a pain to watch and it lasted for more than 30 eps. SML was the literal third wheel and the leech that you can’t get ride off. he was the kind guy, but why did he had so many screentime and always appearing. At time, I was like finally a scene with the leads, but didn’t last long before he appeared. Don’t get the people who wanted FL to end up with him, she never liked him, she rejected him and he still wanted to try ? and he wasn’t minding his business. Him confronting ML and that like deal they made, so weird. ML accepting that was weird too. But no wonder some liked him better, he had a lot of screentime with FL and they made so little importance on the leads for a while. I was happy when he said to his aunt that it was a misunderstanding (the edict for marriage) and that he wanted to annul it, but the next scene of him talking to FL, after she said it wasn’t possible with ML, he started talking about her giving him a chance, etc… (I honestly fast-forwarded, don’t know what happened after). Can’t believe this guy🤦♀️🤦♀️. even if ML didn’t existed, she wouldn’t like you. when she had no memories, she wasn’t attracted to him or feeling, it was only friendship. he didn’t had much to the story at all, his only purpose was what, helping FL ? Something he did to help could have been done by someone else, like saving ML in prison, in the end the dad acted.
- The amnesia lasted way too long, more than 30 eps. And after that, the leads broke up and it was just annoying. I can understand a bit FL, but she was still annoying. I thought after knowing she wasn’t his sister the story would progress more, but not really
- way too long, this didn’t need to be 40 eps. Boring and not interesting for most of the drama. Feel like nothing was happening, filler and boring side plot to the detriment of the relationship between the leads that wasn’t well written and not enough scenes or whatever. They were playing brother and sister for too long and not enough build up for a good romance, just like The Rise of Ning in which the romance was disappointing. Should have cut out that whole love triangle with ML’s mom or the third couple who in the end gave nothing interesting. It was only kinda weird that whole thing with his mother, they even edited out their kissing scene. and some side plot along the way and SML. Feel like maybe not enough focus on the case of ML's mentor or FL's family massacrer in general
- feel like they could have had good chemistry, but it couldn’t shine brightly. Kissing scenes were okay at best. they got back together end of ep 37. so they were together for max 5 eps ? I skipped some parts, don’t remember but dating era was short lived before the breakup. they had some few scenes that succeeded at making me smiles and that weren’t too bad. Another drama marked as romance that has almost no romance
- the last few eps with the revenge, the prince trying to take the throne, etc… were nothing exciting
- Poor choices from the director. I read scenes between the leads were cut and even the side couple. Just like in the last episode. FL « the bride » is here to snatch ML, but they edited it out??? ML is talking to that guy and next is them in the bridal chamber after the wedding that was never shown. What a big disappointment. And then, they talk and she’s like someone is missing, your sister. That was unnecessary dialogue
the leads character were okay to me. Never really disliked the ML like some comments I saw.
this drama is one of the worst drama I watched this year. This is not a drama to binge watch, watching it while it was airing everyday and watching at 2x made it more watchable
anyway, don’t watch this if you are a romance lover and you plan to watch this for the romance
the thriller part and revenge wasn’t much better
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