180 Degree Longitude Passes Through Us
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intense, heartbreaking, beautiful
Overall: this series had me on the edge of my seat every single episode. Never have I been so invested in characters discussing lines. It's in a league of its own. Watched on Gagaoolala.Content Warnings: homophobia, grief about past death, alcoholism, past bullying discussed, age gap (this does not bother me in this instance)
What I Liked
- acting, you could cut tension with a knife at times
- metaphors (bridges, lines, etc)
- layers upon layers with figuring out what all happened, we actually did not learn exactly what all happened in the past and I'm okay with that
- Wang calling his mom out about her way of addressing her friend in episode 1, overall I loved Wang's character and how he was not afraid to be himself or fight for what he thought was right
- cinematography and overall production value
Room For Improvement
- how are there only 2 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms in that huge house?
- the OST was beautiful but it was really the only song played the same way over and over again
- should have removed the commercial breaks
- the blurring of the alcohol (this was likely done for Thai TV but wish they had unblurred it on gagaoolala)
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1This can be considered one of the best, if not the best, Korean BL serries ever setting a very high bar for all other KBLs to follow.
Lets be objective for a minute. The show didnt give us anything new -University themed BL, check! Enemy to lovers, big check! A questionably straight(!) guy suddenly falling for another seemingly straight guy, double check! Is there anything new, big X!
The camera work is your typical Korean - clean with an almost always early morning filter/vibe (you know, its like the main actors are always sparkling) The pacing was a little off for me and after a few episodes, it felt a little repeatitive. I even suspect that the budget is limited and everything was shot within just a few days.
However, despite the unassuming, overused plot, lies an entertaining, panty-dropping, 3 drops of pee and butterfly-in-the-stomach inducing execution that no matter how predictable the show is, you just cant help but long for the next episode. Actually, this may even be the most excited i felt for a Korean BL.
Its greatest strength, and lets also not kid oursleves, is the 2 actors. We stayed because they are absolutely gorgeous, and as cliche as it sounds, their chemistry is electric. Park Seo Ham played Jae Young perfectly and Park Jae Chan's newbie acting worked with what the show needed - his acting was so robotic I half-expected them to reveal that this is infact a scifi BL show and that Sang Woo is an android at the cusp of learning new things. Alas, he wasnt.
I would have liked to see their actual game working, i guess the budget and the time didnt allow for it.
Rewatch value, 9.5stars! It is so addicting ive seen each episode 3 times. Overall, its a 9.5!
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This review may contain spoilers
I dare to say this drama is perfect. And I was stupid enough to almost not watch it. The hype was just too strong and so off putting. WARNING: this is NOT a review for someone who has not seen the show. I just need to express all my thoughts somewhere.
So… Are you bored and tired of the “I’m not gay, I only like you” plot lines in BLs? How much do you wish some shows would address the hardship of coming out? The fear and confusion related to it? How much do you wish to see a well written, heartbreaking conflict that is not based on poorly written and ridiculous random jealousy? How much do you wish to see well written supporting female characters, whose whole arc is not just “I ship two cute boys together”? You get all of that and more in Like in the Movies.
The story revolves around the exploration of sexuality and identity. What makes us who we are? How much should we compromise between who we are, want to be and who others want us to be? How to react when you are both pulled back in line and pushed out of it by people you love and care about? How to make a relationship work when one person has already finished the race, but the other is not even on the track yet? Each character represents a different story, different perspective and different point of view. Their actions might make us angry, sad, heartbroken, happy or annoyed, but we see the reasoning behind what they do. We might disagree, but we understand. And this just proves how good of a writing quality Like in the Movies presents. There are no silly villains, nor over the top crazy exes or evil parents. There are just people. Real people with flaws, fears, hopes and dreams.
“Don’t be scared of the word. You can say it. I don’t mind”.
Vlad was an emotional fluff that spoke the truth and gave everyone some real lessons. I cried because of the words he had spoken. He showed how much being an educator can accomplish. Knowing Karl has no bad intentions, he was willing to explain everything to him, was patient, but firm about his views. As someone who would rather sit down and explain things over getting defensive and offended myself, I truly appreciated and loved that about Vlad. Of course, it was not his responsibility to guide Karl, but his understanding approach just impressed me. Communication is the key, not only in romantic relationships, but also any type of social interactions. He didn’t play mind games, spoke what he thought and felt and it was up to others to accept it or not.
His story is also truly heartbreaking. It shows how stigma and homophobia in a society can shape the way we see and interpret situations, especially at a young age. In the past, he associated every negative and bad action of people around him as a result of him being gay, even if it was not true. But the truth is often meaningless. It’s the perception that matters. It’s the perception that guides your thoughts and feelings. And, like in Vlad's case, it takes years to look at the situation from a different perspective. If society did not present being gay as something bad, Vlad would never assume his dad left because of that. He would never assume his mom was against his relationship because she did not want her son to be gay.
Vlad represents someone who fully accepted himself. Who is proud about his identity and does not want to hide it. Who, after facing so much hurt and struggle, does not waver. Who wants to proudly give and receive love. Who just wants to be happy.
“I don’t know if I’m like you. I don’t even know who I am”
Karl never had a chance to explore who he was. He lived for his brother. He lived as his brother. Getting away from the expectations put on him by his family, allowed him to slowly learn about himself. And it was scary. It was unfamiliar. It felt great when he didn’t think about it, but you cannot shut the thoughts out for eternity. You need to face them one day, but if that day comes too fast, if you are not ready… that can break you. Or push you even more into a corner. And that’s what happened with Karl. External circumstances forced him to face it when he was not ready, when he felt emotionally confused and vulnerable.
He was brave enough to tell his parents about his dream, about the goal of switching majors, about his will to chase his dreams. It was a tough decision to make and required a lot of strength. The aftermath of his decision was still unknown to him, and yet others expected him to do it again. To face the expectations of his parents. To rebuild the identity he had so far, to completely reevaluate how he thought about himself. No time to think, no time to accept, just expected to act accordingly. But he deserved that time. He deserved a minute to explore and get accustomed to who he was. Coming out should have been his decision, that he made on his own terms, in the time that he felt comfortable with.
“But I just don’t know how to get to you (...). I’m still navigating through this.”
Judit represents what happens when driven by guilt, you go from one extreme to the other. She is clearly close to being paranoid and definitely overprotective over Vlad. Taking into consideration the pain she caused him in the past with the words she said, now she does everything she can to save Vlad from disappointment and heartbreak. And she definitely crosses the line doing so.
She acts as a fake ally persona, which is closer to fujoshi. Not knowing the full story and observing her behavior in the first two episodes, one could assume she is another crazy female character without depth who just ships all the guys that are in close proximity (flashbacks to Zol and her “shipping my brother and writing stories about it” behavior). But then, with episode six we get a complete shift of the perspective and actual explanation for her action.
While I still didn’t like her overpowering and overbearing presence, I understood where it came from. As Judit said: she is still navigating through it. It’s obvious her and Vlad never seriously talked about the situation, the past and how to move forward. During that episode she faced her mistakes for the first time, she apologized for the first time. Before that she did what she thought was correct, not what actually would be helpful. As always kids, communication is the key. But even after that confrontation, she still does not completely change her ways. And it’s frustrating, but also realistic. You cannot just change who you were for years after one honest conversation. It takes time, it takes others pointing out your mistakes countless times. Talking with Vlad was a great start. But it was just a start. All the hard work is still ahead of her.
“I don’t want to blame her one day for all the time that I have lost for myself”.
One could say that statement and Anna “running away” from her child is selfish, but it’s the opposite of that. She is not giving up on her kid, but she is not willing to give up on herself too. She is a mother, a great one, who raised her child alone for years, but she is also just Anna, a woman that needs time for herself. Need time to chase her dream, to live and have fun. How could she make her child happy and encourage her to work hard if she gave up on herself? Words are not enough, you need to be a true model for your child. And that’s what she is doing. Feelings are not something we can control. She can love her child with all her heart, but still have these small “what ifs” creeping and poisoning the relationship and bond they have. What if I didn't have her? Where would I be? Who would I be? Would I be happier? Would I be more successful? What would my life look like? The thoughts that we have no control over. So yes, Anna is a badass person and an amazing mother. Even though she is just a supporting character, she also tells an important story that brings more value to the series itself.
Moving away from the characters, I have to admit something: this show slapped me across my dumbass face quite a few times and I’m glad it did. I like to think I’m not one to judge and jump to conclusions (especially negative ones) quickly, and this drama showed me I’m not quite there yet.
It started with the opening scene and my “glorious” thought “wow… way to start a BL with a cliche of 2 pretty guys dancing in random pretty location”. Boy, I was wrong, and when we finally got to see the full scene in episode five, I just felt stupid. It was not “just cliche”, it had powerful messages and quite an impact. “Maybe that’s why it’s such a big deal to me because it’s just a small thing and I still got deprived of it” is quite honestly one of my favorite lines, one of the most impactful, and one that represents well how twisted and wrong the world is.
Another moment that hit me hard was the Judit and Vlad’s conversation I already mentioned. I truly thought she was just hyped fujoshi and there is nothing more to it. And yet again, I have been wrong and I felt stupid for jumping to a conclusion when nothing was even presented to me to validate my position. Don’t know if these two moments say more about me or the BLs as part of the entertainment industry. I was fed poorly written female characters and cliche plot lines for so long, sometimes it’s hard to have higher expectations.
Another thing I loved about Like In The Movies: it had big brain energy. It has been just clever and not a second of screen time was wasted. All the small interactions and details were meaningful and I’m legit too dumb to even notice them all. I just loved how scenes, interactions, small behaviors connected and were explained at different parts of the story. Vlad not liking people touching his hair? Far more than “just because he doesn’t like it”. Small details like that, turned out to have so much emotions and depth for them. Vlad finishing a scary story with the “corpse in the closet” idea, and then he finds a photo of Karl’s brother in the closet, thinking it’s Karl. Truly big brain energy. There were many moments when I went ”damn… that’s why they showed it a few episodes ago”. Everything connects and everything has a meaning and I’m about to cry from happiness overwhelmed by this perfection.
Now, let’s talk about music. I am not an ost person. Unless the soundtrack is truly outstanding or truly bad, I don’t pay that much attention to it. Here we have the case of “truly outstanding”. Each song was beautiful. They were perfectly fitting for the moments and scenes they were playing for. The lyrics were just the cherry on top of this beautiful cake that brought me to tears. This is ALSO the case of big brain energy.
You know what else is big brain energy? The credit scenes! I’m amazed. Truly. You can tell how much care and thought was put into this show when they decided to even use the credits as a way to convey the message, describe the relationship and its progression. As I said, not a second was wasted. There were no fillers. No line wasted. Everything was crafted perfectly to give us this masterpiece, with quotes at the end of the episodes being the dot at the end of the sentence. Tying it all together, leaving us hopeful, emotional and grateful.
Though this will never be seen by anyone involved in the production, I just want to say thank you from the bottom of my heart. This was an amazing, emotional and engaging journey that will stay with me forever. I cared for the characters deeply, as if they were truly my friends. I cried, laughed and screamed with anger. Thank you for making me this emotional mess.
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I usually avoid historical. NO REGRETS. Personal All-time great drama.
Took a chance to watch this series because I'm a fan of Shin Hye Sun. Don't regret anything about it. I don't usually watch historical because I don't really find it that entertaining. But the fusion of modern-ish stuff, fantasy, and romantic-comedy made this well worth the watch. I watched this series with my brother who doesn't typically watch kdramas and he watched every episode with me. We watched as it was ongoing and waiting out every week for the new episodes. It's good enough that we're recommending it to our friends who watches kdramas.Acting was really good. As expected from Shin Hye Sun (female lead). Her unorthodox character is not easy to pull off. But pulled it off she did. Respect for all those scenes. Basically carried the show for all her scenes. I was embarrassed for her at times, it was that good. Kim Jung Hyun (male lead) did very well, was very funny and did very well on his action scenes. The rest of the main actors were superb as well. Their acting made it that much more immersive and the story engaging. Support characters had their own flair, their own story, and shouldn't be counted out. Just watch them. I liked (almost) every support character in their own way.
Story is very engaging and was spaced out pretty appropriately. It felt like no scene was a filler. Everything had a purpose. I had rewatched episode 1 at least 5 times because I watched it with friends, because I recommended the series to them. I didn't once get tired. I could watch this series again right now. Rewatching value 10/10. Applause to the writers. I know this series had some controversy because of the original work, but everything was done excellently, imo.
Music was mixed with contemporary music, and I gave this a 9.5 star because I've heard more memorable OSTs. This wasn't as memorable by itself, but they all fit the scenes very very well. Didn't take the attention away from the emotions of the scene, and added to it.
If you're on the fence about this series, I'd say give the first episode a go, because the first episode will determine how you like the series, as the first episode is as intense as any other episode in the drama. I've wasted a lot of time rewatching the episodes between the new episode releases, and it was worth it as well. I personally like this series, and is one that those who has avoided watched historical, should still consider. This series will go down as one of my all time greats!
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Now that's out of the way,
This movie contains some 'difficult to watch scenes' and explicit, yet realistic portrayals of sex.
''I want to know what women want, what they're thinking. If they could have ANYTHING, what do women really desire?''
When do our desires become perverse, what is perversion?
This movie seeks to explore not only human sexuality, but the disconnection from humanity that so much of today's youth experience.
We don't know how to connect, where to begin.
For some, sexual encounters are the ultimate disconnect we seek, for others it's the single point of connection.
This movie seeks to portray ''meaningless sexual encounters'' in their correct context, it will perhaps help YOU redefine your interpretation of meaningless sex.
Once this movie is finished, take a moment to ponder - what kind of sexual encounter was meaningless to him?
I have my own thoughts on that.
We follow a completely ordinary man, in an extraordinary occupation in which he ultimately finds solace, defeating loneliness by gaining his own version of ''great purpose''.
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I remember I had found out about this drama on YouTube when the trailer had showed up on my feed (https://youtu.be/GUV50QDDR-M). I was about to not click on it, but I'm glad I did. The trailer was soo cute and I really thought that the show was airing already. I immediately shared the trailer with my friend and she was hooked in! We began obsessing over when the show was going to air, and even counting down how many days until the first episode would release (lol). If you were following the drama on it's MDL page, you would know that the airing date was originally said to be November 30, but then it was updated to November 9! I think I've watched the trailer more than ten times now just to fill the time as I wait for new episodes to be released.
This drama is generally about a girl who is the childhood friend of the boy she likes. They go to school together, and eventually mutual feelings develop. While this happens, a new male student is introduced, and happens to become the male lead's rival (there is a female rival too, but she isn't a major part of the story). Although there is a love triangle, nothing overly dramatic or harsh happens between the male characters, except for a little jealousy here and there. This is mainly because they share the same friend circle, and the boys are pretty mature...although...the male lead gets jealous quite a lot XD. Also, the story secretly highlights some real issues people face in life, and that not everything in life goes as smoothly as planned (work, college, relationships). On a side note, the high school portion of the story does take up a majority of the drama (meaning there are more episodes focused on it), but nevertheless it is still a wonderful drama.
I also want to point out some key characteristics of the different people in this drama.
Chen Xiaoxi: She is a very easy-going, cute, innocent, and funny character. Although she isn't the brightest when it comes to her studies, sports, and other things, she shows determination regardless. I personally think she is the friend people wish they had during their childhood.
Jiang Chen: He is very smart, good-looking, and mature for his age. Unlike many other dramas, he does secretly like Xiaoxi back--though we constantly see him trying to pretend to not be interested in Xiaoxi--and isn't afraid to let her know later in the story. I love that his love for Xiaoxi never strays, and in his heart there is no room for anyone else but her.
Wu Bosong: He is a very thoughtful, sweet, and funny person. We often see him running back and forth to get things for Xiaoxi and make sure that she is okay. A lot of the things he does for Xiaoxi he hides it from her, and I especially loved the time where he told the store owner to say that everything was less expensive than it really was, for Xiaoxi. He is the guy that all girls wish they meet. He is honestly just soo caring!
Jing Jing: I absolutely love her, she is such a great friend to Xiaoxi, and stands up for her friends no matter one. She is smart, pretty, and strong as an individual.
Lu Yang: He is so cute and funny. Although he is very childish, he can be a very serious person. He is a person who does not take friendships lightly, and will always help out no matter what.
I personally found this drama very cute, funny, and light-hearted. It has just the right feel and even though it's supposed to be a romance drama, it didn't feel overwhelming. What I mean by that is the drama didn't have one scene after another that was solely focused on the main characters, at least in the beginning when they were still in high school. It didn't shout "ROMANCE" all the time. It was balanced, and focused in on other relationships too and the overall "story", if you get what I mean; which I think is something Chinese dramas excel in. For me, I prefer when dramas develop an exciting plot and not just an exciting romance story. As the story goes on, I noticed that towards the last few episodes where it is focusing on their adulthood, that the pace of the story picked up. Although it did not affect my experience in watching the drama, I wish the drama could have slowed down a little bit and been a little longer. There were multiple times where the story suddenly jumped through a period of time in their life ("one month later").
Overall, I would definitely recommend this drama. This is literally the drama I have been waiting for for my entire life. No other drama can compare. A Love So Beautiful has a simplistic storyline but such a powerful one too, conveying all sorts of emotions.
P.S. If you were wondering how tall Hu Yitian is he's 188cm, and Shen Yue is 160cm.
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"If obsession isn't love, then I have never loved before"
The film stars Kim Go eun as Jaehee, a bold and free-spirited woman, and Noh Sang hyun as Heungsoo, a young gay man struggling to accept his identity in conservative Seoul, navigating their unusual and unique friendship.Jaehee, who often misunderstood and misjudged by others, finds comfort in Heung-soo's company, while Heungsoo learns to embrace himself with Jaehee's help. The film beautifully balances heavy themes with lighthearted moments, all thanks to the strong chemistry between the leads.
>>Comparing the movie to the series:
The series showcased ML's bold lifestyle in different stages of life and his journey towards love, heartbreak and acceptance, on the other hand the movie emphasized one of his important part of life i.e his friendship with the FL, we did see a bit part of her in the series. Both versions stayed true to the main storyline but differ in their execution.
Both Lee Soo Kyung/Nam Yoon Su and Kim Go Eun/Noh Sang Hyun are different genre of same kind. Please don't try differentiate between the series and movie as both has its own charm. I enjoyed both of them very much.
Overall, it is a touching tale of friendship, self-discovery, and acceptance, making it a must-watch for fans of heartfelt romances.
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After almost a year in dramaland and close to 30 dramas, I've finally, finally found a bonafide favourite. A Korean favourite and an overall favourite. I've watched many dramas that I've liked & enjoyed, but none comes even close to how much I love Lovers!
Lovers is the kind of drama I've been waiting for since Oct 2012 when I first took up residence in dramaland. It was just what I needed to pull me out of a minor slump. I chose it at random because it's a combination of two of my favourite genres, gangster/crime and romance so I said what the heck, just watch one episode and see how it goes. I fully expected to be disappointed. Well, that one episode turned into 20 in less than 48hrs.
And damn … what can I say about Lovers except that this drama is really a wickedly delicious lesson in Sexual Tension.
I'm an avid fan of romance, but lately I’ve become rather disillusioned with Asian romance dramas. It's mostly because of all the recurring cliches: separation because of overseas work or study, random cancer diagnoses, stupid nonsensical love triangles etc but it's also, perhaps mostly, because I hate fake intimacy. A LOT.
I hate the fake kissing, the cheesiness, the characters' lack of sexuality and just the general feeling of watching two grown ass adults act like pre-teens stealing pecks from each other when no one is looking. I can understand that for younger and more conservative viewers this might fly, but at my age I want to see an authentic relationship between an adult man and woman. And let me tell you, this is exactly what I got in Lovers!
Sometimes great sexual tension is better than the actual thing. If most dramas of this genre were half as good at building that tension, as Lovers did, I’d die a happy watcher having never seen two people kiss.
The AMAZING build-up of passionate feeling between Kang Jæ and Mi Joo completely blew me away. Massive props to the director and actors who were able to play up an attraction so palpable that you experienced their every emotion. I loved the banter, alternately playful and frustrated, the subtle flirting, the stolen glances, the longing, the internal struggle, the denial … all of this served to create such mad chemistry you could easily catch your breath and forget to release it.
When they’re finally intimate … it’s like dessert, only more satisfying than the main course. Moreover, if you’re a child of Hollywood like me and you do not want too much left to the imagination, fret not … you can look forward to steamy, lip devouring kisses. Hey, a smoking, HOT red-blooded mob boss like Kang Jæ wouldn’t stand for anything less! Even better? Mi Joo doesn’t want him to! To me Lovers sets the tone of how a romance between adults should play out. The characters act their age in life and love. None of this silly, wide-eyed playground stuff. The typical drama cliches are kept to a minimum or they play out in a way that's logical, rather than frustrating as they tend to be in other dramas.
I’m just decidedly pleased with this drama overall. It’s well written, well executed and well acted.
Given that I like to attack life's struggles with a gangster's swagger, I love that the romance is set against the backdrop of Korean gangland. From the safety of my own living room, it’s a fascinating world to inhabit for 20hrs. Now you may have to suspend belief a little given the absurdity of certain scenes, for eg 2 bands of pipe wielding gangsters invading a hospital en masse and having a go at each other, but no one thinks to summon the police. LOL In spite of this, I love the machismo, the fight scenes, the car chases, the assassinations, the bromances, the loyalty, the code of ethics.
Best of all, the leads are amazing! Kang Jæ is totally badass. Tough as nails on the outside, but melt your heart soft and sweet on the inside. If you have a weakness for bad boys ...
By far one of THE coolest male leads I’ve ever encountered. He lives hard, play hard, fight hard, love hard. And is 100% sex on legs. No wonder Mi Joo calls him her Dimpled Gangster. Male audiences will hate or envy him ;) and female audiences will want … well, HIM! (ha!)
As for Mi Joo, for once I have no complaints about the female lead! I love her, she is awesome! She’s smart, silly and confident all in one nice little package. She’s a breath of fresh air from typical female leads who are annoyingly aloof, stubborn, mercurial and uncommunicative all in an attempt to portray a ‘strong’ woman (I’m looking at you, Joon Young from A World That They Live In, Soo-in from Love Story in Havard).
Her and Kang Jæ’s love is a delicious slow burn. They had no intention of falling in love, but basically grew on each other over time, as fate brings them together time and again, until they realize … wow, this person is really amazing. To me it felt very natural and organic, rather than constructed as say … when one or both characters are made to fall in love at first sight or there's some ridiculous childhood connection.
Story wise I think the show is golden. Badass mobster trying to go legit, but not being able to fully untangle himself from the dark side. Throw in romantic and familial complications and you’ve got yourself one captivating drama. And there are some hilarious, laugh out loud moments too.
There wasn’t any poor performances here either. I was pleased to finally meet the (in)famous mr. Kim Nam Gil, who delivered well as Kang Jæ’s dongsæng and left hand man. Basically every actor did an amazing job with their role. No one stood out as annoying or unconvincing, not even the child actors. Lee Seo-jin, as Kang Jæ, has netted himself another fangirl! To me he played his character just right. With just the right amount of emotion, or lack thereof, befitting a top gangster.
I can not relate to other reviewers who said this drama dragged. I personally never skipped a minute of any scene, a first for me. In fact I rewatched several scenes whilst in the process of watching the drama. The great sexual build-up and the machinations of the mob world kept things fast paced and action packed.
Even the music, which I normally don’t notice, captured my attention. It helped that the lyrics were translated so I knew what was being said, and as a result the score seemed very appropriate in amplifying the overall mood of the drama.
If I have to criticise anything about Lovers it would be the ending. It’s perhaps a tad rushed. If ever there was a drama that needed to be 21 episodes, this is it. That said, it works as it is and I LOVE the show regardless. I recommend it to anyone who’s looking for more than your average run of the mill romance. Something with a more mature spin, and a little danger thrown in for added excitement. As of now Lovers has taken the # 1 spot as my all time favourite Asian drama. It was a bit underrated when it first aired, but then … the best dramas usually are. :)
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This review may contain spoilers
I Love the Breeze
I am inlove with IQIYI right now. This production is heaven sent! I am so glad i found this.No need for recap, lets not waste time as you can read the summary from the main title.
What i love:
1. The very good looking leads; It seems like more and more KPOP idols are trying to venture into BLs, i hope its just not for gay business. Irregardless, Shin Jeong You did a good job. Woo Ji Han is also so lovely how could anyone resist that charm.
2. The very good pacing, i love that the story focused on the main leads and gave them the maximum exposure. THey really used the short time so well.
3. The very nice friends, not overexposed. Im also glad Seung Joo found his happy ending;
4. I love love love that they spent one whole finale episode to let us take in the sweetness of their newfound love. Some BLs show us the conflict at the penultimate episode and rush to wrap up things at the finale, im glad this show let us enjoy the main leads as a couple even for just one final episode.
What needs improvement - sorry i cant think of anything right now, im still in cloud 9 after watching this series. I dont think they even need to make it longer, its enough just as it is.
Overall its a 9.5. Speaking of insomnia, I found this drama after a sleepless night and at 7am. I thought Id try watching one episode ended up watching the whole series. Now i can rest. Reccommended for quick watching! Makes the subscription so worth it, IQIYI keep them coming!
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Masterpiece
Story: very good ;well written , comedy was smart while using very well the grotesque.
Soundtrack: very good ;
Not once i got bored by it, it helped the story perfectly.
Visuals: very good ;
Empathy to characters: very good;
It's not every drama these days that manage to get me attached to the characters.
In this one, i felt some attachment even for side characters.
Casting: very good ;
Everyone did well, but Shin Hye Sun stole the show, she is perfect.
P.S: Bae Jong Ok as queen dowager deserves an award.
Realisation + direction; very good ;
Pacing: Good
I'm not giving it 10, because i never give 10, but it came as close as possible.
I don't know why i waited so much to watch this.....
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The two leads form a splendidly unique mixture, providing unique heartbeat and appeal to the story
“The Kidnapping Day” is all about its two great protagonists. I'm tempted to say: it is about the female lead character. The actress is simply wonderful and perfect for this character. Nevertheless, in my opinion, in her eccentric role she comes into her own so brilliantly precisely because her adult counterpart: the Kidnapper, who is just the way he is – as a rather clumsy person, he is practically the antithesis of this cheeky eleven-year-old but highly intelligent know-it-all. Yet, he ist the one who is sort of seeing, liberating and nurturing her usually neglected self, that is hidden underneath her intellectual brilliance: First of all she is just a child with all needs that come along. So, he might be not as smart as the little girl, yet he is actually the true grown up, who is not letting him be mislead by her genius, but watching out for her and intuitively caring for the child she is, too. This splendid mixture provides the unique heartbeat and appeal. So together they form this edgy team, keeping the audience in a good mood.The plot offers a lot of humor and quite some comicalness of the situation, but there are also serious themes lingering. After all, there is an unsolved murder case. Furthermore, it is nevertheless a case of kidnapping, even if the prefix may change over time. Added to this is the sad fact that health is often a question of money. And ultimately, behind all of this, there is also the issue of abuse. “The Kidnapping Day” is also able to tackle the ever late-breaking topic of “education hype in South Korea” in an original new way, entangling it in an exciting crime thriller.
What initially starts as kidnapping quickly takes a completely different direction. The victim becomes the mastermind. The police, or at least one of the investigators, dares to think twice and appropriately take unusual paths according this unusual case. Good and evil, black and white, its blurred. Yet, there are still unscrupulous villains. We are also stumbling over complex enmeshments, lying way back in the past.
“The Kidnapping Day” knows how to deliver on a variety of levels. Accordingly, the number of viewers has more than doubled over those 12 episodes. The special charm of the two leads also got me and I was happy to stick with them. Mind you, this was basically because of the charming relationship dynamics of the two leads, and how the two shape the kidnapping scenario along the way in a pleasantly witty way, including the solving of the murder case and at last providing a solution .
P.S.
The two protagonists, their particular relationship, THAT is the clever strength and the endearing piquancy. The rest might at times come across rather careless and pallid. Obviously, this is (once more) the product of the new era that has dawned in the KDrama orbit. Numerous new networks are now happily playing along on the market, including ENA, former SKY, which has repositioned itself in 2022 in order to get involved with its own KDrama productions in the top Pay-TV segment. (ENA belongs to Korean Telekom and produced 22 series in 2023 already.)
In general, with Disney, Netflix and others, I´d say KDrama productions feel like having doubled in 2023 (I didn't count, though). But what seems like a blessing at first sight turns out to be a bit of a sham, too. Where are all the original ideas supposed to continuously come from? And if there is a promising plot idea, it is yet far from being thoroughly worked through... Quantity rarely automatically goes hand in hand with quality. And it doesn't work the other way around either. Accordingly, “The Kidnapping Day” also suffers from the ravages of time: negligence can be observed here and there. However, the main strength and driving force of this story - the strangely lovingly developing relationship of the two unconventional leads - luckily is awesome enough to carry and equilibrate.
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This review may contain spoilers
SPOILER FREE: This is a must for suspense/psychological drama lovers. The plot is quite intriguing and the acting was really good. Masaki Suda was amazing (again) and the plot is full of twists that keeps the viewer on the edge. This series was highly entertaining and it was easy to watch. The death of Reina is a mystery to all and the viewers try to understand what will happen next. It wasn't perfect, but it was still powerful.MAJOR SPOILERS!!!
From the beginning, this series shows the effect that social media have on our society. The drama gives us, each episode, a new clue about the main case and as viewers we try to uncover the crime/suicide of Kageyama Reina. The truth is slowly revealed and as a person who watched the show I expected a great conspiracy or something even if the actual reason is something that is shown -one way or another- in the first episodes.
This show was a message to everyone in a society that can't live without social media. Almost everyone has one account -or more- on sm and it takes away a part of our lives.
The ending was brilliantly filmed as Hiiragi talks on the camera, about who the real killers are pointing to everyone who is watching the series and therefore uses social media. A harmful word -intentional or not- can cause great damage to someone even if that person doesn't know us personally. The anonymity of social media gives everyone the opportunity to give their opinion no matter how harmful that can be. I loved the comments that Hiiragi received while he exposed the truth, as it was the most realistic reaction that could happen. It is not only that some can't accept the truth, but the most terrifying thing is the ones who don't understand that they did something wrong. It was great to show that the purpose wasn't to stop what we call cyber bullying, but being able to change even one person. As someone said if we want to change the world, first we must change ourselves.
To everyone who watched this - including myself - this is a great opportunity to double check before posting anything and thinking before talking, because our words can really be the knife on someone's hand.
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1I have read 50% of the novel and I can say that the production of this drama did a great job to make the story alive! There are some minor changes, but that did not affect the storyline. There are some scenes that I thought maybe can be done better because some of them were just kind of out of detail. I wish that they put more focus on the characters' personalities since I know the story can be developed more from that, but that's okay, I laughed a lot watching the FL and ML interact. The chemistry between the FL and ML is so good. Their acting is very natural, like real siblings. I have watched some of Miaoyi's dramas, and I also know Jun as an Idol, I know he was a child actor. This drama honestly surprised me because their acting is so good! I just know that they were actually having fun doing this project together.
I just hoped they put more songs into the drama, but maybe because it is a rom-com, the OST is more fun songs? Idk.
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Newyear (the one who interprets Pond, the main character of this series) auditioned for 2 Moons The Series (also a BL thai series) Wayo's role, and was rejected because he's wasn't "manly" enough. 2 Moons The Series director said that all the six gay men characters of 2Moons The Series MUST be interpreted by straight men.
I know maybe this isn't the best BL drama, not the best plot, characters lack in depht, we all know that. But i think it's pretty entertaining to watch, It's a cute boys love story, and although I know it isn't the best thing in the BL world, I can say I absolutely don't hate the 20 minutes per week I spend watching it. So well, that's all: I'm here to support Newyear, and all the others who also are amateur actors, I hope him to be able to get more thai dramas' roles in the future.
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Why is it worth a perfect score?
Story: I love this kind of stories. It's a story about people who have a very responsible and demanding job, who love that job and practically live for it. It's a really motivating drama, makes you wanna find your dream profession, pursue it and then do something meaningful in your life. The drama does not drag at any moment(well the beauty of jdramas- they have only 9-11 episodes and you're left wanting more). There is also a love story, though not a heart-wrecking romance as somebody observed, but as it normally happens - you meet someone you like, so you want to be with them and you wish all the best for them. There is also a great bromance,heart-warming family(Shinkai dad-GREAT!)and random hilarity (the girl next door-LOL) in it as well. Generally, all of the characters were very well crafted and you want to know more about them.
Cast: It's Kimutaku in his prime - with his boyish charm and in uniform ^_^. But all the cast members were great and their characters were complex and interesting.
Music: As it didn't attract my attention at all, I have nothing to say about it.
Rewatch: I already want to rewatch! Actually I even did a bit- the best scenes.. ;)
This drama is really outstanding in my opinion, so I highly recommend it.
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