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Cute... but toxic?
Honestly, I was happy when it was announced that we will have a second season of Utsukushii Kare as I really enjoyed the first season. I believe that it is one of the best japanese bl series that we have up until today.CHARACTERS
In the series we follow the story of Kiyoi and Hira and their relationship. Hira (Hagiwara Riku) is now a senior university student and is still obsessed with Kiyoi, while Kiyoi (Yagi Yusei) is working hard with his acting career and is making small steps towards his goals. Both have the same master/slave relationship. Kiyoi is still shy towards Hira and his only way of coping with those feelings is to talk harshly to the other person (e.g. “You are gross”) or physically hurt him; while Hira is still following Kiyoi everywhere he goes and as the time goes by he is severely obsessed with the other person.
Kazuki (Takano Akira) is also a recurring character in this season who is doing his internship and is also the president at the photography club at the university. We can see that he and Hira have a friendly relationship and Kazuki even helps the other person with getting a part-time job. Even though it seems like Kazuki still has feelings for Hira, he doesn’t make any move on the other person; instead, he takes the role of the supporting friend. Moreover, we are introduced to a new character Anna (Nimura Sawa) who is a popular actress that works in the same company as Kiyoi. She and Kiyoi seem to be getting closer as they are experiencing similar love issues.
PLOT
The main plot of this series is the relationship between Kiyoi and Hira who are now living together. It is not stated in the series, but if we take into account that in the first season Hira was a second year (?) and now, he is a senior in university, they have been in a relationship for 2 or 3 years now. Kiyoi is working hard towards his ultimate goal on becoming an actor. On the other hand, Hira is still following Kiyoi whenever he goes and on his free time, he is watching the drama and special episodes that his boyfriend took part in. However, he is struck by reality when he sees that people around him are getting a job and they are working hard for their dreams.
Overthinking, overanalyzing, and not expressing themselves bring them in a tight spot. In the four episodes we see their attempts to adapt into the new environment and grow in their relationship.
MY OPINION
Honestly, this is a drama that is worth watching. It is a good continuation of the first season. However, if I must admit as I was watching the series, I was thinking that their relationship is toxic. Since they are together for some years now, I thought they would have already grown and become more confident in their relationship but in the drama, we see that Hira still considers himself lower than Kiyoi. I don’t know… I think that I am not fond with this approach.
I am not against when we see them act jealous and shy towards each other though. For example, in the first episode we see Kiyoi getting jealous when a girl hits on Hira. We have seen something similar on season 1 with Kazuki and Hira, but now Kiyoi stood his ground and showed to Hira his jealous side. I am onboard with this type of behavior. It’s cute. Kiyoi is self-aware that he likes Hira and is not afraid to act jealous in front of him.
My issue comes with Hira. I think that he hasn’t grown at all while they were together, and his life revolves only around Kiyoi. I do understand that Hira believes that there is a huge difference between them and that’s why he still addresses Kiyoi as a “King”, but shouldn’t he grow out of it?
Moreover, even though Hira tries to play the victim all the time by bringing this high wall between him and Kiyoi, I still feel that the one who has it worse is Kiyoi. Hira’s misunderstandings and misinterpretation of Kiyoi’s feelings and actions are very painful for Kiyoi. Even in season 1, even though he doesn’t say it verbally, I got the feeling that Kiyoi liked Hira more than Hira liked Kiyoi. Even though we are always seeing Hira going after Kiyoi, I still think that the one who feels more in this relationship is Kiyoi.
I don’t know how to explain it simpler or if you get what I mean. But, in episode 3 when the two people were talking about Hira’s parents, you could clearly see the fear, anxiousness, and nervousness of Kiyoi – but Hira, instead of making the other person in front of him feel more relaxed, said that Kiyoi will never meet his parents so there is no reason to worry about it. I just feel that Hira’s stupidness hurts Kiyoi a lot. He did the same thing in season 1. Instead of working together with Kiyoi, Hira still stays behind him and whenever Kiyoi wants to take a step forward Hira holds them back. When Kiyoi said “You prefer unrequired love, right? Then just stay there (…) I’m sorry that I like you”, I felt sad… Hira isn’t worthy of Kiyoi’s love.
But don’t get me wrong… It takes two to tango… Hira is not the only at fault! Kiyoi is at fault as well. The dynamics of this couple is not good. In one hand we have Hira who misunderstands everything and who believes that if he Kiyoi’s wishes would come true then the other person will never leave him. While, on the other hand we have Kiyoi who doesn’t speak his mind but at the same time is seeking his forever from Hira. How did they even manage to be together? Communication is key for every relationship and in this case, it doesn’t exist… However, we see Kiyoi making small steps and expressing his feelings to the other person, but Hira doesn’t receive the message and we have Kiyoi being sad and mad by himself…
Am I thinking too much regarding the relationship of two fictional characters? Yes, yes I am! What are your opinions? Is Hira’s behavior expected after all these years?
Anyway, this is a good drama to watch, SO WATCH IT! BYE!
P.S. In both seasons we have only seen a jealous Kiyoi. I would love to see a jealous Hira as well. But not from Hira the Fan, but rather from Hira the Boyfriend. I am assuming that as things are right now Hira will never get jealous of Kiyoi – not because he doesn’t like him, but because he would think that he is not a place to be jealous of Kiyoi. I hope that in the movie we will see an actively jealous Hira the Boyfriend and claim his boyfriend from the predators 😊
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This drama can make you feel happy inside. It's quite addictive so you find that the drama starts and finishes before you know it, like a movie. It was such a sweet story and it didn't have any unnecessary side stories going on. It focused on the storyline and ended with you loving everything about it! A must watch drama.
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Acting/Cast: Everyone acted well.
Music: Suitable.
Rewatch value: Not a candidate for re-watch though there are some scenes between the female lead and male lead that may be nice to go back to.
Overall: Watchable entertainment but with some lengthy scenes that could have been cut short. If they are aiming for a Season 3, I hope they will stop trying to drag the story out...but this is the Chinese we are talking about. They'll probably milk this cow and bleed it dry until it can no longer walk and the audience drop like flies as time passes! Compared to Whirlwind Girl 1, this drama is comparable but slightly on the lesser side.
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I love me some Kim Sang Joong. I have seen many of his dramas and enjoy his characters, but I have to say that Oh Goo Tak is my favorite. He perfectly combined strength and vulnerability. Park Hae Jin portrays Lee Jung Moon as a psychopath of which a person can't help but feel sympathy. Jo Dong Hyeok is beautiful as Jung Tae Soo. I love his character the most. Ma Dong Seok is so enjoyable to watch a Park Woong Cheol. I felt him. They are all attractive in their own way. The other actors are good too.
The music is appropriate.
I will probably rewatch this just before season 2 starts (wishful thinking).
I admit that if you are not into action/mystery dramas that you might not like this drama. However. It is so much more than just that. I recommend this drama to everyone.
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12 episodes could've easily cut down to 6. Casts weren't bad, cute enough and acting not terrible, but director & editors did a crappy job making most of what's already an unoriginal story. Still recommend watching it if you like BL. Concept is still cute and idea for BL couples, and who doesn't enjoy happy ending?
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What Is there to say,After ive seen the series "Ghost" i gave this one a chance where i would think nothing could be as strong as ghost,This series is TOTALLY OUTSTANDING GOOD!.
From episode 1 till 20 you are sitting on the edge of your seat in this series looking forward "OMG" Whats goin to happen next.Full with emotions i watched these series in 2 LONG nights.The actin/music is really well done and deserve awards.I doubt any North american series can come even close to the emotional "roller-ride"you get from this show.The love and romance is there abit where its needed but this is the ind of series where it doesnt matter at all,words and feelings are enough to tell whats goin on.The ending was really well done and they took there time to conclude the ending which is rare these days normally they RUSH last 5 minutes but here you get atleast a full 40m of a conclusion about what should happen in the future and leaves you with a smile in the end.
For me this is one of best series ive ever seen and the only thing what could miss is re-watch value bcuz i doubt you ever gonna forget this masterpiece :).
DONT ONLY READ THIS! WATCH IT!!!
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I just really got curious of what really happened to the plot of the story so I basically watch the movie one more time and I just found out what this movie is all about though. lol :p
IDK if most of the people who watch this film for the first time felt the same way I had which is confusion.
OVERALL: T'was a great and unique movie I could say since it made me feel curious and had my urge to re-watch this film.
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This review may contain spoilers
Was Love Worth It in the End?
Where do I even begin with this hot mess.The drama centers on Hao Yu (Lu Zhao Hua), the police commissioner's foster daughter, who goes undercover in the criminal underworld for revenge. Along the way, she gets romantically tangled with mafia heir Ji Zhi Jie (Fan Zhi Xin). Her ex-lover, police officer Zhou Zi Heng (Li Jia Bing), conveniently reappears to "help" her. Or so it seems.
First of all, Hao Yu is the worst undercover informant I have ever seen. The signs were practically glowing neon for Ji Zhi Jie--she was not on the "up and up" with him in any way. Her excuses were weak, lies were weaker, and anyone with common sense could see she wasn't telling the truth. But he chose to ignore all of it. Because he loved her that much.
Seriously. No matter what happened, he always took her side.
1. He gets beat down who knows how many times.
2. He gets whipped for her.
3. He crawls on his knees on broken glass to get a key and save her when she's kidnapped.
But of course, she has to "keep up pretenses." She even takes a bullet for him, which convinces him she's fully committed. The signs were there, but he ignored every one of them. Even his closest confidante told him Hao Yu couldn't be trusted. So many people warned him, but he kept choosing to believe her.
And the ridiculousness continues--Zhou Zi Heng is a dirty cop working both sides: feeding information to the police and to the mafia boss who raised both him and Ji Zhi Jie. Naturally, Ji Zhi Jie knows absolutely nothing about any of this. Shocking right?
Finally -- finally -- when his man brings him photos and proof of all Hao Yu has done; he completely breaks down. He kills Zhou Zi Heng, pushes away everyone close to him, and turns into this dark, hardened version of himself. You'd think Hao Yu would exit stage left at that point. Nope. She sticks around because now she wants to bring him down.
Hao Yu had me on my last, last nerve. I don't understand why he didn't just leave her alone. She was truly pathetic. Her infiltration attempts were laughable -- she always got caught, and he always had to save her. That whining, the crying, the clothes, those nails...I simply could not.
Now let's talk about Fan. I love me some Fan. He acted his heart out. But how many times did he grab her by the neck and threaten to kill her? Countless. And yet, he never followed through. He told everyone to leave him because he wanted to take down the councilman, and he begged her over and over: "Don't believe what others say. Trust me." She never did.
He was never the monster they thought he was. He just wanted to end everything so the people he loved could finally live freely. If only she had trusted him -- no matter what.
To finally end things, he chose to become a kingpin because he needed everyone to believe he had turned into the world's worst villain, even though he hated the lies and the cruelty. Behind the scenes, he was working with the cops to make things right. He even met one of the officers to coordinate with Hao Yu. Eventually, the truth came out, and she finally learned who he really was -- someone trying to do the right thing all along.
He gave her so many signs and gestures...but in the end, he still died, saving her. He left so much to her. All his properties. Swiss bank account with money for the children from the orphanage he created for them to go to college.
She did finally understand how much he loved her when she read a note that fell from a book.
"I've knelt three times. The first time, I begged him to let you live. The second time, I begged for the right to die by your hand. The third time, to give thanks for meeting you."
Fan needs to start choosing better scrips. Go back to those Lethal Man style dramas. These recent ones are not doing him any favors. His acting is always solid, but this FL brought nothing to the table for me.
The turbulence never stopped -- because this relationship was doomed from the start.
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Fahsai is incredibly cute. I fell in-love with her character.
Daniel is handsome and dangerous. Together they look beautiful.
I wish this lakorn was longer
I never skipped any parts.
LOVED the show.
But...
The only reason this lakorn is completely unbelievable
firstly fahsai is dating P'itt for 10 years and she after meet Daniel two days is completely in love with him
Am i the only one that found it weird that for a shot person Daniel did not show much emotion but I kind of understood him he was supposed to be this cold hearted Mafia leader but still pain is pain
another thing the episodes were rushed necessary character development for anyone but Fahsai was not included.
Daniel needed a good ass whooping.
We are never told wether daniel is in love with botan or Fahsai her shadow. Daniel never gave botan up the way he was ready to give Fahsai up to chen ming
He never fought for his love.
Daniel was a cold character but i guess it came with his character.
ChenMing was adorable his dimple made me all warm inside.
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The plot takes the idea of long distance romance to the extreme. It's written so well that the fantastic concept seems perfectly plausible. I loved how their shared moments were shown. The director did a great job of making sure the time difference never felt like a cheap gimmick. The movie is also visually stunning, especially the house itself ("il mare") which I absolutely loved. This movie is not fast paced, nor does it have cute moments full of chemistry/sexual tension. Instead, it's about watching two people become close although they can't be together. Showing that connection is hard, but I think the movie pulls it off well.
The American remake of this film is "The Lake House" staring Keanu Reeves, & Sandra Bullock. I actually liked the remake as well, but one doesn't cancel the other out in my opinion. At the very least, the korean house is MUCH cooler!
I think the key to this story's appeal is the question of whether or not they will ever meet in the future, and have a true romantic relationship. Once that mystery was resolved, rewatching was a little less exciting, but It is still very interesting to watch the story unfold while knowing the outcome. If possible, avoid reading the synopsis, which gives way too much of the story away. I also wouldn't be concerned with how old this movie is. Like the relationship between Eun Ju & Sung Hyun, this movie is timeless.
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The writing is smart and super funny. I love the banter between Su Mang and Zheng Chu, alternately playful and frustrated. The mad chemistry between these two leads leave you wanting more.
This is an easy watch (mostly). No maddening hateful characters that take over the entire show and leave you drained. The last third of the drama starts to get heavy and melo-like but overall it is a very well done romantic comedy with sprinkles of melo. Supporting characters and secondary OTPs complement the show well without overtaking the importance of the primary leads.
The show does have its share of scratch your head moments. For example, where's the baby bump Su Mang? And the ending to one of the characters is questionable but these are but minor quibbles.
Overall, very entertaining. And the OST is super catchy. Loved it.
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This review may contain spoilers
I don't get the hate.
I really don't get the hate for this drama. It wasn't the worst thing I watched, but it wasn't the best thing I watched. The plot is a little cheesy, but to the people bashing Seohyun for her acting abilities or Suelbi's characters, you have to realize that she was literally locked up for 20 years +. She's not supposed to be fucking mature. She is a kid who does kiddy things. She matures throughout the series and starts to realize the real world is tougher than it looks. I don't understand blaming Sookwang either. He never wanted a romantic relationship and didn't take advantage of her. Very "pedophilic" right? He just gave her home because he was a genuine person. If anybody should be blamed here, it is the chairman and everyone surrounding him. He later redeems himself, but this wouldn't have happened without his greed. It was also weird that Minju kept advancing onto her when he barely even knew her. At least with Sookwang, she spent time with each other. It's really not that deep.Was this review helpful to you?
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My expectations were not high when I started the drama. It was raised when I saw Hawick Lau's character as Bai Lang. Suave and smooth. I fell in love with the character. Tiffany Tan was described as brave, courageous, and kind--very naive. She was brave when she acted against Bai Lang and charged into enemy territory. Though it was stupid, it did suit her character. But that character disappeared half way through the show. She became another stereotypical damsel in dramas. Where did her courage and bravery go? Did she drop it? Well, she didn't bother to go find it cause the drama lost spark half way through the drama. The only thing that kept me going was Bai Lang. Suave.The second leads were bearable. I didn't like the thief, Xiao Han's character at first. Her character was only an annoyance and didn't really spice the drama. After going through more than a third of the episodes, her character was better. Her acting was explosive as an antagonist. Though, not to reveal many spoilers, her character description based on previous actions didn't really suit her later actions. Like the damsel, she dropped her character and forgot to pick it up.
The second male lead annoyed me the most. I may be biased towards Bai Lang because he was so hot but the second male lead only served as an annoyance. I didn't feel anything for him.
Overall, the script went stale after 20 episodes. The beginning kept me interested because Bai Lang and Jiang Xin's chemistry was too cute for my heart. But after that, it went stale and boring.
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1This review may contain spoilers
Why you may want to watch this drama?+ plot line is very sweet
+ ROSE IS AMAZING (You'll know when you watch)
+ BL
+ hot hot hot main male lead with amazing seduction/teasing skills
+ he also has great hair! (and a killer jaw)
+ even the second leads don't do much damage to the main leads' relationships
+ potential misunderstandings are discussed rather than acted harshly on.
What should you be cautious of?
+ the hero and heroine literally do the mating dance (per say) for a long long time before they finally end up finalizing their feelings.
+ the main male lead gives too much of his attention to his idiotic ex GF (aka second female lead)
+ the second male lead is an idiot. I repeat, an idiot.
SPOILER:
+ A happy ending.
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HPL is very special for me and it did teach me a lot. The main theme of a fangirl is something so close to many of our hearts. I especially loved how they chose an older heroine - this generation created the fan culture we know today, so that was a big bonus in my book. Also, I head no idea about the sasaeng world, that was a new experience.The drama starts out very strongly. First couple of episodes are phenomenal, the first half of the third episode made me fall in love with the drama like nothing else. The tempo was there, there was also a lot hinted at and besides one of the best romcom couples on screen, it was interesting to unwrap all the mysteries. Unfortunately, the writing became a bit weak in the second half of the drama, notably after episode 10 or so. Writers used a couple of shortcuts that did a bit of harm to the drama in my opinion.
Also, HPL has some of the best developed relationships between all of the side characters out there. It was a shame, that one of the shortcuts was not exploring these further. in the later episodes. Mostly because in this drama, the minor characters don't feel like props at the beginning, as they mostly do in this genre in other dramas, they come off strong from the start. It is just a shame that they did not keep pace with main couple.
Now, Deok Mi and Ryan are strongest part of HPL. Their relationship is so well done and explored through patience, kindness and nurture. Also, the chemistry is just mad - I kept thinking that my screen is going to burst into flames. almost every episode.
The music, colours and overall playfulness are also a huge strong point of HPL. I was pleasantly surprised that both PMY and KJW went for it fully in this one - some of the humorous scenes got me by surprise. They both balanced the emotions so well, a joy to look at.
I think that I will come back to HPL to look at my favourite parts. However, I don't think that I will rewatch it as a whole. It is worth your time, though. I looked forward to it every week.
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