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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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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1The Obsession Chronicles: Hua Yong Edition
I never thought I’d get so obsessed with pregnant men. I mean...what the actual hell?I enjoyed this show a lot. Like, way more than I expected to. It’s not just about the shock factor but the characters are so unhinged in their pursuits that I couldn't help but be invested. What really got me hooked was watching Hua Yong’s obsession unfold. This man is on a mission and his determination to get what he wants is both hilarious and kind of terrifying. I loved seeing the different facets of his fixation, how it starts as a calculated game then spirals into something sweet. No spoilers here but let’s just say his schemes had me glued to the screen, snickering at how far he’s willing to go.
The main couple made me giggle so damn hard. . Hua Yong’s infatuation with Shao You is so off-the-charts like IT IS EMBARASSING LMAO. That man would crawl across glass just to breathe the same air as Shao You. He’s so far gone. And our little Alpha on the other hand is the grumpiest menace alive, he is pretending he’s in control when he’s clearly drowning in it too. I to be honest don't know how to describe their dynamic but its like watching a god fall to his knees for someone who can barely handle being adored and I was eating it up like the sick fool I am, OKAY??
Now...the second couple Gao Tu and Shen Wenlang. I liked them too don’t get me wrong but holy shit, Shen Wenlang is dumb. Like. dumber than a bag of rocks. I love him okay I really do but this man has the emotional intelligence of a brick wall and the decision-making skills of a toddler on a sugar high. How does someone with that much power manage to be so clueless? It’s almost impressive how consistently he fumbles every single opportunity to not be an idiot. He’s a disaster and I’m obsessed with roasting him for it LMAO.
Anyway here’s the thing: I’m not even an Omegaverse fan. Like, at all. The whole concept usually makes me roll my eyes. And don’t get me started on mpreg....normally it’s an instant nope for me. I see it coming and I’m OUT. But China has this infuriating knack for making every BL drama perfect no matter how outlandish the themes are. They take these eyebrow-raising ideas and turn them into something beautifully executed. ‘Desire’ is no exception. They got me eating out of the palm of their hand. Oh and a tiny spoiler for those of you who get the ick from mpreg: it only happens at the end. So if that’s what’s holding you back just know you’ve got a whole lot of drama to enjoy before you have to deal with that particular plot twist. Give it a try, seriously. If I can get past my hang-ups, SO CAN YOU.
Now for those of you who are scratching your heads over the whole Omegaverse thing and wondering what the hell all these terms mean... I’ve got you covered. Below is a little breakdown of the class system in this show because you might need a cheat sheet.
Alpha: These are the top dogs. Dominant as hell, aggressive to a fault and VERY territorial. They’re usually the leaders and when they go into “rut,” their sex drive cranks up to eleven, making them very HORNY. In ‘Desire,’ you’ve got the S-class Alphas, the cream of the crop, rare as fuck and stupidly powerful. They’re like regular Alphas but stronger, smarter, sometimes with freaky-ass abilities that make them damn near unstoppable.
Beta: The boring middle ground. These poor saps are neutral, forgettable and about as fertile as I AM LMAO (0 chance). Tbh...most stories don’t even bother with them because who cares? They’re just… there. Yawn.
Omega: The submissive, baby-making machines of the bunch. They’re nurturing, emotional and fertile as fuck. Instead of periods, they’ve got “heat” this annoying phase where they’re horny and stink of pheromones to lure in mates. They can pop suppressants to keep that shit under control but good luck with that when an Alpha’s around. They are basically walking bait.
Enigma: Now this is where shit gets wild. Enigmas are rare... basically like unicorns in our world LMAO. They’re above Alphas, superior in every damn way and in ‘Desire,’ they’ve got this fucked-up power to tame even the toughest Alphas and turn them into whimpering Omegas. They can flip the script and break the hierarchy. They’re dangerous, manipulative and sexy as HELL. Ahem Ahem (Go take a look at HUA YONG)
There you go, that’s my explanation in a nutshell.
Warning: This is Omegaverse. Throw your morals, your dignity and maybe your sanity out the damn window. There are themes of dubcon, noncon, toxic relationships and all the messed-up shit you shouldn’t be rooting for but here we are. If that makes you clutch your pearls and cry, do yourself a favor: don’t watch it.
Edit : 9.0 the ending was rushed.
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So what exactly is the show about? I mean you have read the synopsis, and maybe would like to have another push towards why you should watch this incredible show. And believe me, when I say incredible I mean that in every way.
The show is most definitely about the relationship between a mother and a child, and how the two main characters tackle the trials they are given during the course of the show. So what makes it so good?
Maybe you could have guessed it, the character interactions. Ashide Mana and Matsuyuki Yasuko deliver a great performance regarding the interactions between a mother and a daughter. Their trials will make you laugh, cry or just smile weirdly because it's so cute *ahum*.
I mainly stated the two main characters here, but the supporting cast is great as well.
The story progresses in a well-written manner while never forgetting the realism they need to maintain during the course of the show. The story doesn't let you play ball, they throw the ball at you from the get-go, and you will keep following the ball until it finally reaches your glove. The pacing in the show may be slow to some, however incredibly fitting due to the shows Slice-of-life nature.
Because of the well-written storyline and the great acting, you will start rooting for the main two characters hoping they will get that final happy ending, because as you could’ve guessed, the story isn’t a light one. It’s about acceptance, Overcoming trials without giving up, family and so much more.
So why do you need to watch this? The well written story combined with great actors deliver a touching emotional story. This show will stay with you for a long time. It is one of those shows that makes you ponder for a bit while remembering the show, coming to the conclusion that it was a great watch.
So I heartily recommend it to anyone who doesn’t dislike slice-of-life shows. Because if you do watch it, you are in for a treat.
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This review may contain spoilers
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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Two smaller points I want to point out here because it does not really fit elsewhere. First, the camerawork creates some beautiful shots using the environment and open spaces (Who remembers Angel Ta Mi?). But, sometimes it butchers the emotional delivery of some scenes as it zooms and rotates into the actors’ faces. Second, the rich, experimental story immerses the viewer, and the PPL (product placement) becomes especially jarring as it breaks that deep immersion. Still, I will remember this drama for its highs, not lows, and easily recommend this to all drama viewers as a great example of a modern Korean drama.
Story:
The story is surprisingly refreshing given that the average age of its main characters skews older than the usual mini (16 ep kdrama). No young chaebol inheriting his director position from his grandfather, the women in Search: WWW clearly worked hard and sacrificed much to reach their positions. Given the main female leads’ maturity and high social position, it is a challenge to add believable conflicts, especially given its genre. Search: WWW overcomes this struggle and shows that everyone can grow, no matter how mature, and that there will always be a bigger fish, no matter how high you rise. So, its fallback to some typical kdrama conflicts is understandable and not a blemish.
I wish the same could be same about the main romance in the drama. I want to make a distinction between the content of the romance and the pacing of the romance. The pacing, like the overall story, is refreshing, and relationships grow and stumble at unique points. It weaves itself with the office plot to deliver entertainment in every episode, especially the secondary romances/relationships. However, the content of the main romance is a bit shallow upon closer examination. It attempts to highlight the age and ideological differences between the two leads, but they act like they are designed by the same aged person(s). Specifically, the male lead acts like how someone in their 30s/40s imagines someone in their 20s.
Ultimately, the main drivers of a slice-of-life drama is its characters and not its plot points nor romance. And I can go on and on about the depths and strengths of the entire crew of characters, even the slightly obnoxious Morgan. To keep this review a reasonable length, I will just say that the characters are 10/10, and I somehow found myself rooting for each one of them, protagonists and antagonists alike.
Acting:
Starting with the actresses, the leads are a minimum 9/10. I hate (read “love”) to nitpick but Jeon Hye Jin could have shown slightly more range, given the nuance of her character, beyond the serious/contemplative facet. Also, Lee Da Hee is one of my favorite actresses, but she is almost getting typecast into the rash archetype. The main female lead, Im Soo Jung, is faultless, but don’t get me wrong, all three are amazing in their own ways and carry the show together.
Out of their male counterparts, Lee Jae Wook is the most memorable, and I look forward to his potential growth (he’s 21 when shooting this drama!). I am also impressed with Ji Seung Hyun, who I underrated because his profile shows that he’s mostly been on support/guest roles. As you can tell, expectations do color my judgement, and my expectation for Jang Ki Yong did not get met, but he does have some redeeming moments near the end.
Music:
Search: WWW has one of the best OSTs I’ve listened to in recent kdramas. “Well-rounded”, “In sync”, and “Complementary” all perfectly describe the musical core of Search: WWW. It is impossible to not like at least one of the songs in the OST and very likely that you’ll love them all. I usually write very short reviews of the music, but I need to take the time to rave about the musical cast.
First, shout out to the fierce women of Mamamoo, extra for Moonbyul with her writing credits. Could not have picked a better kpop act to mirror the strong female characters of the drama. Second, Jang Beom-Jun bringing that husky Busker Busker voice that was extremely popular in the early 2010s. Sam Kim was also popular around the same time, but I am not as big of a fan. Kudos to Sam Kim, Elaine , and O3ohn, even though I do not know much about them. Third, huge props to Lee Da Hee for fearlessly busting out her singing chops. Fourth, OST veteran, Kim Na-Young, who has been killing the music charts with her latest single, “To be Honest”. She delivers another great performance for Search:WWW.
Take it how you will, but the music is the strongest aspect of this drama. I didn’t even skip the parental advisory, so I could sing along with “show you a bad girl”. The OST flawlessly supports the drama and keeps true the show’s topics and themes, and all the songs are still worthy of a listen without knowing anything about the drama.
Rewatch Value:
As high as the relisten value is for the OST, the rewatch falls a bit short, which I usually judge on story or cast. The story’s female-centricity is refreshing but no longer unique in kdramas. I find the women of “Because This is My First Life” more relatable and the women of “Sky Castle” to be more entertaining. In terms of cast, I’m a bigger fan of the previous works by the main cast, such as “Chicago Typewriter” and “Beauty Inside” (“Misty” is high on my “to watch” list). Jang Ki Young is equally mediocre in his past works (“Kill It” is low on my “to watch” list). Ji Seung Hyun mostly does support/guest roles. However, I do look forward to Lee Jae Wook’s next drama, “July Found by Chance”. So, it’ll be difficult to find time to rewatch Search: WWW.
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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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The actors are great. All of the acting is a little over the top...so don't expect it to be realistic. There are some great veteran actors in this drama. However, Lee Yoo Ri totally stole the show. She takes crazy to a new level as Min Jung. She wears this thick bright red lipstick that is just way too much which goes perfectly with her character. Her ending is better than the endings for most "bad guys". Everyone else is good in this too. Kim Ji Hoon plays a totally adorable Lee Jae Hwa that acts kind stupid, but isn't. I like that the romance between him and Jang Bo Ri (Oh Yeon Seo) is consistent once it starts. Strangely enough, Bo Ri isn't the center of the story to me although the drama is named after the character. My favorite relationship dynamic was between Moon Ji Sang (Sung Hyuk) and Bi Dan. Kim Ji Young is just the cutest little thing. I worried about Bi Dan from beginning to end.
The music is fine.
I probably won't rewatch this, but it is rewatchable.
I know some people don't like this kind of drama, but I enjoy them. If you like them, then JBR is definitely a must watch.
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24 eps seem too short for the first time!
"Our Secret" is a drama with a good plot, lovable characters and excellent acting. the actors in this drama aren't that famous (edit: this was before hidden love) but their acting is really good; definitely how a high schooler would behave, in my opinion. it's fast paced with little or no filler scenes so overall it was a good watch. it felt so nostalgic (even tho I haven't finished my high school yet).the ML was portrayed splendid, props to the actor. he wasn't oblivious but seemed to get along with people around him quite well unlike other leads who act like they are allergic to humans or whatever. no super rich high school 'chaebol' heir so it makes the viewers easy to empathize. the way he looks at the FL melts me uwu. he really set the bar high for a "boy in love".
the FL did an excellent job in expressing a desk-mate who gradually falls in love with someone who she never thought she would and thinks he doens't reciprocate her feelings. she portrayed a girl chasing her love in a charming way and we can't help but root for this cute couple pairing.
the side characters weren't annoying. they had their own story to tell, making us cheer for them even with the little screen time they had. I loved the friendship among all of them.
I really had fun watching this!! trust me, it's a really good watch/re-watch!! ♡. if only someone would look at me the way ML looks at FL... I should prolly stop dreaming *cries in Chinese*. jokes aside, this is definitely a drama that'll stay with me for a long time. I could literally feel the emotions conveyed in the story. wow, what a ride! best of luck to all the actors' future works! signing off.
I'm in love with Chen Zhe Yuan if it wasn't obvious already ♡
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The actors acted so well and the production was also so good.
I hope the hard work of the cast and the production crew in creating this masterpiece doesn’t go to waste. Thanks a lot, guys!
I watched half of the series without subtitles because I couldn’t stop myself from watching. Even if I couldn’t understand everything, at least I could feel it. Lots of thanks to the people who managed to download it before this masterpiece was deleted and to those who uploaded it for us to watch, as well as to the people who added subtitles. Thanks to everyone who was involved.
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This review may contain spoilers
A Love Story That Is Truly A Treasure
Love and Redemption summed up for people who don't want to read this long review:- Beautiful love story
- Misunderstandings could be frustrating for some
- Amazing acting from main and supporting leads
- Music with deep meaning and value
- Highly recommended for Xianxia romance lovers
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Love and Redemption is truly a treasure. You know that a drama is a treasure when you try to find that special word to describe it, but instead come up with many. Everything is so beautifully acted out and composed, and the ending result of the directors, actors, and others' hard work is a drama that will make you laugh and cry until you can't anymore. It really shows the importance of the three kinds of love: the love between lovers, love between friends, and love between your family. The setting and special effects all seem so real, and the costumes are just so intricate and beautiful, which makes this rare gem even better. And this drama is not only fun to watch, but it also teaches us life lessons on friendship, loyalty, and love. Over 200,000 people in China have rated this drama on Douban, and it is extremely popular.
Story: 9.5-
Love and Redemption was adapted from the Chinese novel The Glass Maiden （琉璃美人煞）, and has parts similar to those of Ashes of Love and Eternal Love, being a love story that lasts for quite a long time. (ten lifetimes, to be exact) The love story, like most, encounters various frustrating problems but is one that shows the beauty and sweetness of true love, and how we strive for it. Chu Xuanji and Yu Sifeng are truly a match made in heaven, but it just took them longer to find their happy ending.
Love and Redemption has become one of my favorite c-dramas, but the reason why I did not give the story 10 is that while the misunderstandings made the story more captivating and interesting, I felt like there might have been too many of them, which made it quite frustrating sometimes. If you’re a person who can’t stand long term misunderstandings, this may not be the perfect drama for you, but when the misunderstandings are slowly unraveled, it is certainly satisfying. Another smaller reason is the editing. The cinematography was gorgeous throughout the whole show, but some scenes (mostly the sweet ones in the last few episodes or so) had rather bad editing, which disappointed me, as I had seen the scene in the trailer but the one released was edited differently. Well, no drama is perfect.
This love story is certainly one that is very special and memorable. All male leads in romance dramas are willing to do things for the female lead, but Yu Sifeng takes this male lead image to a whole new level. I sometimes wonder how he can do so much for Xuanji even if he knows she may misunderstand him. In the first few episodes, Xuanji is portrayed as a clueless girl, which frustrated a large number of watchers. After she regains what she was deprived of, she turns into one of the strongest female leads I know, protecting her love at all loves. The ending was happy and very satisfying as the good were paid for the good they did and the evil received retribution. While 59 episodes may seem long for some, it is definitely worth your time. In fact, you might even think that 59 episodes is far from enough.
Acting/cast: 10-
Many of these actors and actresses can be found in other dramas as leading and supporting roles, and their performance here was outstanding, especially the two main leads. Everyone's characters and personalities contrast greatly, and the actors acted their parts so well that many characters are either extremely loved, or extremely hated. And although I just wanted to simply stab the evil characters to death, I really need to give them a round of applause. The evil characters have so much personality that without them, there would be no drama. And their stories are all captivating, even if they are evil people with no sympathy or heart, especially Hao Chen and Wu Tong. They were both acted exceptionally well, as the actors showed their emotions and evilness quite well. Those two were the two main antagonists, along with Tianxu Sect Master, but both Hao Chen and Wu Tong found peace at the end. I really liked how this story showed how the evil characters accepted their fate, and their closures was one that was fulfilling.
The main leads, Crystal Yuan as Chu Xuanji, and Cheng Yi as Yu Sifeng have amazing chemistry, and their acting can truly make us feel the character's happiness, sorrow, anger, and pain, and not help but shed a few tears here and then. I almost never ship actors and actresses, but I just couldn't stop this awesome ship in my head. In my opinion, both actors did amazingly well here and showed the characters' thoughts and feelings very well. I have heard quite a lot of people comment that Cheng Yi did better than Bingyan, but I believe that they both acted spectacular well. Cheng Yi did kind of pop out though, because his portrayal of Sifeng is so accurate and heartbreaking at times. Bingyan also did great at showing the change in Xuanji as time goes on, from a naive little girl to a woman of great strength and power. I was also quite amazed at their acting of different characters in ten different lives, they were all so different. Bravo to these two talented actors!
There is a second and third lead couple, and they made the drama more interesting as well, but I felt that the second lead, Linglong and Minyan, played by Zhang Yuxi and Li Junyi did not have much chemistry, and while it's cute that Minyan loves Linglong so much, his “sacrifice” seemed rather stupid to me. But Linglong and Minyan do make a very happy family together. In my opinion, the third lead, Purple Fox and Wu Zhiqi, have an amazing love story that lasted for a thousand years as well, and I cried a river when, well, I'll leave you to find that out.
And the other characters, such as the sect leaders and elders were acted out so well that I was laughing at their uselessness and stupidity. Man, these actors have talent. If you watch any behind the scene clips, you'll know that they're all pretty different or are literally the opposite of their character.
Music: 10-
All of the songs in this drama have such deep meaning lyrics that they could just tell the story with the music. I am Chinese, and listening to these songs honesty made me cry. The OST could easily go on my top five, and the song Thousand Years of Love （千年之恋）by Shuang Sheng is just so beautiful and sorrowful it brought tears to my eyes. The songs all are so special and suit all the different situations in the drama very well, and you could probably understand this love story even if there wasn’t any drama. (Okay, I may have exaggerated, but this music is, just, indescribable with words) There is a song for every occasion that is repeated. For example, Xuanji unleashing her powers always has that exciting music while Wu Zhiqi and Zi Hu always have the music that sounds like a sense of longing.
Rewatch value: 10 -
There are parts that I have rewatched multiple times, and just won't get tired of it. I also have a few episodes that are my favorites, either because they are so cute and sweet or because a misunderstanding was cleared. There are many satisfying parts that I keep watching over and over again. So yes, the rewatch value is high, unlike some dramas that just have cliche plots.
Overall, this drama is just amazing, from just the story itself to the diverse characters. You should definitely give it a shot, and discover the wonderful Xianxia world in the love story of Chu Xuanji and Yu Sifeng!
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Warm and Simple
As I grew older Its weird but I tend to like simple stories. The warmth and simplicity of the love story tends to affect me compared to those cliche plots with third party etc. i give this 10 because I always based my rating to chemistry no matter how good a story if the leads are not compatible its useless.And Based on previous Lin Yi dramas he is best suitable for modern romcom dramas than historical or he might be suitable for drmas like Wuxi a (eternal love cinematography ) .
I like dramas with not that much third party issues .
Simple and Warm drama
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It is cute all over, it doesn't bore you, it doesn't make you skip any parts, it enters your heart, grows inside and leaves happily.
I am neutral about the music, there was a german song in the beginning, it was quite fun to watch Daikichi's fantasy and the music fitted it but other than that one song i don't really remember others, means they don't really stand out.
the story is nice, i love Daikichi and Rin's relationship. they do no cuddling, no "i love you so much daddy" but you just feel the love. It is the success of both the story and the actors.
so if you want to have a change of your cliché someone-dying, someone-fighting-so-hard-for-love movies, take the shot, you won't regret it.
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A Fantastic Reinterpretation of the world of Parasyte
Parasyte the Grey somehow managed to tell a compelling story with great characters within a short six episodes. Every single scene moved the story forward. Exposition scenes were well done and did not overstay their welcome. Character introductions and motivations were precise. You're quickly told who everyone is and what they're here to do and the story starts running and never stops.The actors themselves did a terrific job. Especially Jeon Sonee as the lead. Her mannerisms and the inflection in her voice switched between two roles brilliantly. You quickly get attached to her character and want to see her be in her better place and show rewards you (breaks your heart too) for that. And it's not just lead who develops but the side characters as well. Particularly Koo Kyohwan and Lee Junghyun's characters.
I don't see this show as a horror but it definitely delivers on the action, sci-fi front. As to be expected with such a great director. The action is fast paced and well shot. The brief worldbuilding that we get is enough to get you invested in this changing world. The music was nothing special but definitely fit the atmosphere.
You definitely need no knowledge of the original manga or anime adaptation to watch this. It's a splendid story on its own. But it does excite them with that ending scene in the finale.
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