Awesome watch to start my 2021
When I decided to watch this dorama I had no big expectations. I thought it would be fun and relaxing, and it was that but so much more.Not only it showed several cool locations for when I visit Tokyo, but it presented their history in a very compelling way. I think one of the best ways to inform someone on a subject they are not particular interested in, is by being honestly enthusiastic. And the main character are exactly like that. They seem like that friend that talks so positively and passionately about their hobby that you just pay attention.
I already am a fan of architecture and design, so this dorama fit my taste like a glove. But it is more than just simple visual "porn".
As peer usual in Japanese shows, they imbued each episode with a small and subtle message about how to live your best life. The main character also grow little by little, which is so good to see.
I recommend this to anyway. Just sit back and enjoy the show.
Was this review helpful to you?
The story was adorable and the two main leads had chemistry. The drama of the love story was quickly resolved and it didn't get tiring, fortunately, because, overall, that twist was too cliche. The love story was a bit cheesy, but the drama was short and cute, so it was more of a fluff, easy drama to watch, so you can't really ask for more. Also, the manga plot was nice and the idea of how they presented the main story, with the two povs was interesting.
However, there were two things that kind of didn't work for it, though they weren't deal breakers. First of all, the two pov thing, although entertaining and original, it also meant that there were some scenes that you get to rewatch even though you have just finished watching them. Also, the drama was a bit too short, probably needed either longer episodes and more episodes.
But, the performances were good and the story was nicely paced. So, overall, seven out of ten.
Was this review helpful to you?
Unlike most dramas that I've seen, all the characters are completely realistic, even the most bizarre. There is not much action in the drama. For me this was no problem because I was so caught up in the characters. The acting was superb especially Nakama Yukie and Kase Ryo.
The script is exquisite. Look for the scene where Kase explains Irish dancing to Nakama. So simple and innocent and such a powerful description of their lives!
This drama is worth watching again and again but one caution. If you need English subtitles make sure they are good. Some of the translations are so bad that it ruins the story. Look for subtitles by Momoflower, she did a wonderful job.
Was this review helpful to you?
The film starts out very simple; a bank robbery already took place and the three culprits are trying to divide the money amongst themselves. Things start to get fishy between the three partners as schemes and hidden motives start to surface. An endless game of trust begins to shatter their relationship. However, the plot doesn’t keep lingering on that narration pattern. After a while, we get countless of smartly inserted flashbacks which explain our main characters, the people who threatened them and their motives to commit a robbery.
Saibun no Ichi screenwriting is pretty clever at grabbing the audience attention. It kept adding a twist after the other and a development after another which had a strong effect to keep me glued to the screen. It even triggered a nice guessing game about the following events. However, the script wasn’t perfect by any mean. It failed at balancing comedy and crime. It’s obvious that those two genres are entirely different but it’s not supposed to be this confusing. At some time frame, it became painful to set my mind: am I supposed to laugh or feel the chills? Before I knew it, the scene passes by as if nothing happened. After all, it was some type of a crazy film. Those of you who are well familiar with the “weird Japanese cinema” will know what I am talking about.
Unlike most Japanese film, One Third had some exceptional conversations about Hollywood films, actors, directors and even similar settings. One of the main characters is an actress while the main character himself aimed to become a director just because he was fascinated with Quentin Tarantino’s filmmaking. I found it rather innovative to discuss those types of topics in a Japanese picture. It’s also ironic because the goofy references they mentioned worked so well in building many scripts and swindling games inside the story. It felt like the whole film was some kind of a big fat play.
Now, let’s talk about the acting. Honestly, I didn’t feel so good about the leading cast but they were surprisingly fine. I have some type of issues with Fujiwara’s overacting, he was originally a theatre actor and he doesn’t seem to set a clear barrier between the stage and the big screen. However, to do him credit; I noticed obvious improvement in some of his recent works. One Third’s leading role counts for his favour. He even made his character appealing enough, aided by the fine characterization of course. Then we have Tanaka Koki, I apologize to his fans but I never for once thought of him as a good actor. His character saved him though, he was interesting as the ruthless cool Koji, even the acrobatic and fighting scenes he had were pretty good.
Other notable actors are definitely Kubozuka Yosuke and Nakashima Mika; the first played a lizard-like complex character while the latter played a very convincing ex-actress. Both of them led pretty well-crafted performances with those odd characters. But then again, all of this film’s characters are a nice bunch of anti-heroes.
Actor turned to director Shinagawa Hiroshi did a fine job with directing and writing this piece, I especially liked the visuals, some of the little details in the background made this film rather special.
Watch if:
-You like different unconventional Japanese films.
Do not watch if:
-You don’t appreciate crazy/wild Japanese cinema.
-You dislike Japanese humour.
Sanbun no Ichi is a nice surprise that came at a whim. It might be too crazy for some tastes but I always had a soft spot for untraditional Japanese filmmaking. This is a very entertaining picture in my personal book.
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
The season of terrible writing/acting for one of the two leads
The show is dragged out way too long at 16 episodes, especially with all the interesting plot points that are wasted and goes nowhere and terrible ones that go on for ever. Kim Jung Hyun is doing a herculean job trying his best to act his way through this atrocious writing for Kokdu the character who has grown petty whims and tantrums during his long supernatural punishment after losing his memory or original personality to time. The worst part of his character is still anything to do with the forced romance between him and Gye Joel, both before and after they fall for each other. There's no spark between these two characters, it's just double the annoying scenes. There is no proper communication for most of the series either, with important information force revealed to one or both of them. His curse/promise to do literally anything she asks being used for comedic effect falls extremely flat to say the least and it cuts short the fascinating aspect of the other curse from the deity for him to hear the cries of victims to kill a specific person. He's shown to kill the scum of the earth that evade legal persecution, but he's also shown to hear the calls for the death of someone that's just based on made up hearsay by Gye Joel who he may more may not have killed if it wasn't the body he was currently occupying. He really is a serial killer with voices in his head telling him to kill and the plot where Gye Jeol's brother detective Han Chul tracks him down is way more interesting than romance storyline. There's also the storyline point where Kokdu's power was on the fritz and suddenly that's forgotten about and it was just fine. The part where he found the reincarnation of his younger brother who turns out to be ex-boyfriend Yi Deun who brutally dumped Gye Jeol albeit with a reason, was more exciting than anything with her. I wanted to see their new brotherly relationship explored more. More of Kokdu's original personality is scene in from the past with their reunion. It was actually sad seeing Kokdu's pain at being unable to protect Yi Deun from getting shanked whereas there is no feeling or stakes with anything between Kokdu and Gye Jeol. Unlike her Kokdu actually has his sentient moments and sees through people and makes interesting plans. It was clever of him to use his own end time in the mortal realm to set up his enemy as a murderer. Again it was a frustratingly dumb moment to see Gye Jeol just crying instead of using any of her ER doctor skills to even attempt to help him. She suddenly just wants to kill the guy like she's possessed by her past life instead of sticking to her morals about not killing.Do Jin Woo's character feels like a wasted opportunity. He was trying to expose corruption and the killing of his birth mom before he was surreptitiously murdered and his corpse possessed by a supernatural entity. He's really sharp and immediately figured out the supernatural situation he's in and wants to live. Exploring the dichotomy between doing what's right and playing it safe to live longer while going against both the earthly forces pursuing him as well as Kokdu could have been interesting, but the show dropped it like a hot potato. It's such a relief to see his level headedness shut down and not enable Gye Jeol's ridiculously childish behavior. It would have been fascinating to see his story play out, but instead he just dies again at the end of his 49 days after death.
The biggest weak point is both the writing and acting for the female lead character Gye Joel who pretty unsufferable the entire time. There was a moment of hope when she stood up for herself to block one hit from an unreasonable patient, the first and last point I wanted to root for her, but then it's just a series of her being a clumsy, man obsessed, childish, whiny, immature overreactions to everything, literally tripping over her own feet charicature. She literally trips down the stairs multiple times. The worst part is the drama points this out as a point of pride, she's intentionally made this way because they think it's cute. It's not. The worst is that she can never advocate for herself or for her patients. There is no point to her as a doctor characer. She does use her status as a doctor to threaten her brother to sabotage the witness's testimony if he ever brings witness who saw her boyfriend murder someone to trial. She's always the fool. Again the drama does it on purpose like they are doing something great. The acting doesn't do anything to elevate this kind of grating character. She's comparatively fine as Seol Hui who for the most part is allowed to act like a human being, actively taking agency for herself her entire life , but as the reincarnation of the character she drags down the story every time she appears and she half of the lead pairing. She's a pretty awful doctor too, not questioning how Do Jin Woo who is severely injured by falling off a whole highrise onto a car is just fine with some amnesia, taking advantage of an amnesiac to lie for her in a hearing, telling people she's his accomplished doctor boyfriend, the extremely irresponsible way she treats Do Jin Woo even though she thought Kokdu personality was a result of a disorder, etc. She doesn't notice all the weird powers he has, even when it's shown to her face while she believes things she has no proof for. She doesn't figure it out for TWELVE out of the 16 episodes when he literally had to teleport her and heal in front of her face. She some how managed to become a doctor, but her brother detective Han Chul got the brains of the family even though he supposedly has double digit IQ. Her forcing him to not take bigger cases is pretty selfish too, it's his job to investigate. Ahn Woo Yeon as Han Chul carries all the sibling scenes they have together and Han Chul can be professional at his job, but she can't handle it. Gye Jeol's must be in the negatives. His romance storyline is leagues better and more mature than hers as well, the difference better acting and strangely better writing as well. The writing lampshades her terrible traits, but that's not the same as breaking through them.
The costuming is also very garish for all the characters from lead to supporting. They literally give Han Chul a leather jacket with spikes during the scene he first meets Kokdu as his sister's boyfriend. It would be fine if it looked cool, how did they manage to find the worst cheap looking one. There are so many lower budget productions that do better in dressing the characters both for the story and just aesthetic wise. All of the jewlery looks so fake like toys except for the bog laurel ring and hair stick. The pink jeweled tiara and the matching necklace are the worst after the big ruby ring. It makes no sense because Ok Shin chaebol underling is filthy rich and could afford real jewels for her.
There is one thing the series surprisingly does right and that's actually planting the seeds for a plausible reason for the disappeared forever character to reappear again. Kokdu had his contract with Gye Jeol and also the prayers from her kokdu cult of patients that she makes pray for him in lieu of payment. Kokdu remains a entity with his underworld job and Gye Jeol continues her cycle of death and rebirth without the tragic death in this timeline like she has in every life. They just dropped that nugget last second without having established that info anytime in the 16 episodes. It's also a bummer there's no final reunion between Yi Deun who survived the stabbings but no line about whether he's in remission or not which he hopefully is after five years.
If you skipped to the end here, just skip this whole drama. There's better ones out there.
Was this review helpful to you?
Seriously , the first thing I would tell someone about this movie is : you'll get a HEARTATTACK !
I'm a fan of action and thriller movies and I've seen many of them both from Korea and USA but this one was surely one of the best action movies I've ever seen ! I wanna congrat the screenwriter first for having such a creative mind to put all these big events in order and only in 24 hours ! Also a special THANK to the great actor who SHINED even more in this movie : LEE SUN GYUN !
He amazingly played a careful detective who UNLUCKLY gets involved with the most challenging crime ever ! And does the things he could never imagine in his NIGHTMARES ! A HARDY DAY , as the name says , is maybe simply about a really hard day with really surprising events ... or It's maybe all about a WRONG TIMING or maybe even farther ... About the serious social problems of TODAY'S society !
But whatever It is ... It has something to talk about ! Something as important as one's life in A HARD DAY!
Make sure to watch it !
Uhh ! And I wanna thank Jo Jin Wook for showing his great acting skills as he always does !
Was this review helpful to you?
1This review may contain spoilers
Great reviews for this rare gem have already been written, but even without having anything new or original to add, I feel the uncontrollable need to come here and share the joy with whomever wants to read.This drama is brilliant. It's profoundly human, histerically funny, heartwarming, emotional, at times highly gratifying and - given the premises - surprisingly uplifting. Who would have thought I'd enter prison with gloomy anxiety and come out of it with a huge grin of satisfaction, almost wishing they would prolong my sentence and let me stay a little longer behind bars?
The strengh of the script is the wonderful ensamble of characters. They literally invade the viewer's life with their diverse personalities, background stories and antics. I laughed, despaired, feared, anxiously waited with them and never felt bored, even when the events taking place are paramount only for the characters and not for the script itself. It happens when the world of a drama or movie is so well outlined you forget it's fictional.
Fenomenal acting by everyone bar none. Alas, I can't fill up the page with ravings about each one of them: it would take too long, I'd end up being spoilerish somewhere and I'd bore those who haven't watched the drama yet to death. Suffice to say all the actors had the time and the means to shine, both individually as well as a group, proof of their talent but also of an awesome director's work.
Perfect score for the music too. This ost does not exist only to soundtrack the scenes, it also exists in the world of the characters, it's listened to by them, even sung by them, so that we have the weirdest blend of classical music, rap, old korean folk, opera and everything in between. There isn't the usual love ballad played at every turn, until it becomes haunting in a bad way. This soundtrack adds to the story, instead of simply working as a background to the written events. Genius.
Prison Playbook was warmly recommended to me. I'm deeply grateful to all my friends here who encouraged me to watch it and I hope this short review may have the same effect on others. Perhaps some of you are hesitating because of the setting: indeed, there's no glamour here, no super trendy clothes to show off with, no highly dramatic love story, and the goodlooking actors aren't here to simply beautify the set. This drama goes deeper than that, it will make you laugh a lot and it will make you cry, but rest assured you won't regret a single tear.
My only warning: the first episode. Now that I have completed the drama, I could rewatch it with a new perspective. The first time around however, that long pilot felt kind of hard to get through. Hang in there, please. It's worth the patience!
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
“And even if the door closes, open all the doors in the universe and return to me"
So I’m confused...why are we hating on this drama? I had to create a whole reddit post to ask people if I should watch this. Most people told me to save my time, but, against everyone’s better judgement, I went and watched it anyway. And I loved it? I’ve heard so many people say it’s a trainwreck, advertisement-saturated, no-charisma, rushed-romance, plot-holes-galore, confusing mess of a drama, but I must have missed something, because I didn’t really encounter any of those things when I was watching it. I may be a tad biased because Lee Min Ho and Kim Go Eun are some of my most favorite actors (Still can’t get over Goblin and Legend of the Blue Sea *sigh*) but I thought this drama was actually incredibly high quality. While I do admit that the romance could have been paced better, I understand that the author was just trying to allow for their affection to develop quicker for the sake of the plot. Because the main story was not about them falling in love; it was about their relationship across two separate worlds and their fight against a power hungry lunatic. It’s kind of hard to pull off that type of story unless the leads fall in love quicker than what we are used to. As for product placement, I honestly found it extremely entertaining. To be honest, I didn’t even really notice it at first until it dawned on me that usually kdramas blur out logos that they are not sponsored by. Nonetheless, I thought their chicken dates were absolutely adorable and helped move the plot forward rather than provide an unnecessary distraction from the main story. The charisma between the leads was off the charts, so I have no idea what y’all are talking about. This is one of my favorite kdrama couples ever, and I rarely give a 10 star rating to a drama, so color me impressed. I definitely hopped on that Woo Do Hwan bandwagon and loved him in every single scene that he was in. The man is a genius. To be honest, there’s so many things I want to say about this drama that made it amazing for me, but I just can’t put it into words. The character development was some of the best I had seen in a while. I expected the ending to be horrible judging by the reviews, but it was actually very easy to understand and accept. As I said in another review, science fiction dramas are bound to have some plot holes, and while I felt that there were some things that weren’t entirely explained to me, I’m content enough with the ending, and I don’t feel that the discrepancies actually matter as much as some people think they do. I thought the ending was absolutely perfect, and I appreciated how the drama spent the last 30 minutes tying up loose ends and showing us what happened after the leads finally reunited. Overall, if you don’t think too deeply about any of the science-fiction aspects of the drama, you have a wonderful drama on your hands. I loved every single character (Yes, even the Prime Minister. I thought she was freaking badass) and I definitely plan on rewatching this drama in the future because of the wonderful blend of romance, action, and science fiction that it had. Thank you, Kim Eun Sook, for blessing us with another incredible drama. I can’t wait to watch more of your works!Was this review helpful to you?
This is a biased review tbh
I jump into this without knowing the sypnosis of the special episode, so my disappointment is immeasurable and my day was ruined. I was expecting more scenes of the main couple as an actual couple cause we didn't get that in the first season but what we got was the backstory of the ex......Like sure its nice to know about it but to make it a special episode like really? It should have been included in the first season tbh. So that we can get a idea why Yu Zhen likes him so much. They made an entire episode dedicated to the ex and what enraged me more was that the ex and Yu Zhen had more chemistry and couple scenes than Yu Zhen and Lei Lei had in the entire series combined. Sure sure you can put the backstory of the ex but is there a need to make it a whole episode? 10 mins is more than enough and the rest of the time we should get Yu Zhen and Lei Lei as a couple. Honestly disappointed but tbh its a great story of the ex and Yu Zhen but still I don't want to see it. I fast forward it till the part of Lei Lei cause I was uncomfortable. So this is a biased review, this shouldn't affect you in any way from watching it. I just wanted to vent out.Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
Tropes: catboy (pet), cohabitation, indulgent bf, age gap
Adapted from the Korean manhwa (!) Hey, Your Ears Popped Out and interesting because Thailand doesn’t adapt from outside their own y-novel tradition very often. This is a pretty classic version of the catboy trope: a lonely orphan comic artist adopts a stray cat who suddenly turns into a human teaches him about love, chaos, and family.Initially, I liked this BL and found it sweet and VERY cute with surprising depth around concepts of loneliness (I loved that Meow could smell unhappiness), but I guess it was trying to be too Japanese manga about it (in a manwha way), because while the set up was all sweetness and Thai style BL, they fudged the ending. For me, that’s a fatal flaw.
Was this review helpful to you?
An End To An Era
All I really have to say about this is if you wanted slightly more context to the Playback film, watch this. If not and you were satisfied with that ending, this isn't completely necessary. I loved seeing these actors though in anything, so I watched it! I kinda wished we got even more context surrounding Kijimas character because he's so fascinating. But I guess if we did he wouldn't have that air of mystery to him. I liked seeing his family interacting with Kuzumi though more. Still don't like Kamoda's character though and never will lol. Dude's a creep.I'm going to miss this series a lot, because it is done so freaking well. However, I'm super satisfied with how it ended and I hope the cast and crew continue to do really well <3
Was this review helpful to you?
Story:
Like the original manga/Japanese drama, the center of the drama is the owner of a diner that only opens from midnight to 7am, and the stories revolve around his diner customers (some are regular, most just happen to pass by to tell their story, and life goes on). Every storyline features a specific dish, and usually lasts anywhere from 1 to 4 episodes.
One of the biggest issues that I have with this show is the inconsistent tone - and that may be directly connected to the way they use Master (played by Huang Lei). There are stories where he's like his Japanese counterpart and is merely a wise observer and supporter of the world around him. But there are other stories where he's basically inserted himself into his customer's lives that feels almost intrusive and very unlike the Master. Of course, if you haven't seen the source material, this may not be an issue, but Midnight Diner isn't supposed to be about the Master - it's supposed to be about the stories of its customers. I also read that because this was such a sprawling drama, the director ?of Black & White!) had to pull in some other directors to film certain episodes, which might also contribute to the inconsistency.
Due to this, there are certain stories that I think excelled more than others (and you can definitely pick the episodes you want to watch without missing anything) - and when the drama did it right, it did a phenomenal job of integrating social commentary, humanity, and sentiment. I didn't really care for the stories of the regulars though, who were mostly there for comic relief and played by unconvincing actors.
The standout stories, in my opinion, would of course feature the one starring Mark Zhao and Qi Wei, which also got the most publicity. The story of a deaf single father, his adorable five year old daughter, and the mother that comes back into their lives left me completely wrecked emotionally. It had a couple of weird plot holes, but was one of those stories that I can totally see standing alone as a movie and totally succeeding.
But my absolute favorite was the "Red Braised Pork" episodes - featuring a bitter, retired ex-surgeon who is paralyzed from the waist down, and his caretaker, a simple woman from the countryside who just wants to give her baby son a better life. This was such a realistic depiction of two Chinese social trends - the regard of the elderly as a burden on their offspring, and the sacrifices workers from the countryside have to make for a better tomorrow.
There's a couple of other cute stories in here - the one featuring Cherrie Ying, for example, was short and bittersweet, but very realistic. It really kind of shows that the snippets that we see via the show are just that - they're little moments in a person's life, but it's fleeting and temporary, and whatever situation they're going through eventually passes, and life goes on for everyone. It doesn't mean that we need to belittle whatever we feel in the moment, but instead appreciate that time, as cruel as it may seem, never stops.
Acting/Cast:
I'm 80% convinced that Huang Lei took this role (aside from the fact that he's a producer) just so he can cook. Those who follow Chinese reality shows know that he is especially known for his love of cooking. Because to be frank, I think he was miscast for this role (and the script didn't help in that regard). Huang Lei's not a subtle actor by any means - he emotes a lot with his eyes, and it was a little bit too much at times in this. It sometimes took me out of the scenes because he was basically hinting at emotions that probably weren't even supposed to be there.
As I mentioned earlier, the recurring actors were mostly annoying and used for comic relief (thought not well). The guest stars were usually much better, and were given much more nuanced stories as well.
If this was a movie, Mark Zhao would probably get an award of some kind (and he still might - there was a lot of buzz about his appearance) - that's how good he was with a surrounding cast that wasn't as strong. Mark aside, the little girl who plays his daughter was absolutely delightful and nailed her parts, and Qi Wei, who has not impressed me in most of her dramas, was surprisingly good and moved me to tears.
Jin Shi Jie and Liang Jing, the stars of the aforementioned "Red Braised Pork" story, were absolutely fantastic. Both seasoned actors renowned for their acting skills, they pulled off the banter and the emotional baggage of their characters with remarkable skill, and showed phenomenal chemistry as well.
Other standouts: Janine Chang's turn as an actress with a sad past was touching despite weak directing and a really weird performance by Huang Lei. Cherrie Ying is still great at bubbly, outgoing characters. And Liu Hao Ran is definitely in line for the next generation of leading actors - he was the saving grace of a story that was basically asking for your tears, and yet I was never compelled to give in until he started crying.
Music:
The music was absolutely perfect for this show - the songs were a nice mix of introspective, observing, bittersweet, and uplifting.
Overall:
Sometimes it's nice to watch a show that's just about life - all the ups and downs, the little moments and the life defining ones. Despite its flaws, the drama did what it was intended to - it makes you feel, and it makes you think about the stories of those around you. In a drama landscape that is filled with , spies/military intrigue, wuxia, family drama and fantasy, this was a breath of fresh air.
Was this review helpful to you?
Not Perfect But Great
When the mini series came out with En Of Love it was promising that people wanted this be created in a full series. I am so glad it was reconsidered because the result met my expectations.The chemistry of Yin and War is really good and both actors can act really well. The story captures the audience of how it was written well. I love the whole vibe of this series. The side characters are amazing too.
War Wanarat is a gem in this series. He’s perfect as Mark. Something in him just glows as Mark. His character is not perfect but likeable.
Yin as Vee is also perfect. I feel for his character. The only thing he knows is to love. First with Ploy yet he was cheated on. He fell for Mark yet he was misunderstood like almost all the time. He is sweet and knows how to make his partner feels good.
I like this drama so much like I am angry that we only get one episode each week and the waiting time to wait for Saturday is agonizing.
Was this review helpful to you?
Fifteen Years to Wait for Migratory Birds
17 people found this review helpful
What makes this drama so special, is definitely the group of four friends that we follow through their years at high school to college and their first job. All characters were well-written and as they struggle through life and face many obstacles, they slowly grow up, finding their own path in life. The female lead, Li Li, is one of the best female leads that I’ve seen so far. Pretty, smart, kind and strong, yet understanding and humble, she’s just the type of woman that guys would fall for and girls would want to be friends with. It’s really such a nice breath of fresh air to find such a lead aside from those annoying, noisy and clumsy leads that we see a lot in C-dramas. Since she’s very thoughtful and eloquent, her talks are filled with quotes and wisdom which actually makes all of her scenes a delight for the eyes and the mind.
The male lead, Pei Shang Xuan, is the kind of friend that every girl wants to have in her life: caring, reliable and loyal to the core. Though a little too confident and impulsive at the beginning, he grows up to be a wonderful person, wanting to succeed on his own and for the sake of the person that he cherished the most. Unlike most other dramas the second male lead in this drama is absolutely on par with the first lead. He cares for her, but also has his pride and wouldn’t follow her blindly if not needed. Both are very supportive of her, always wanting to bring out the best of her and wishing for her happiness. They would do anything for her, but never ask for anything in return, because they knew she would repay them ten times as it’s simply in her nature to do so.
I also liked all the side characters. They fitted perfectly in the storyline, even the changing love interests of our main leads were interesting personalities that you’ll find likable. There are no evil characters or whatever. Even if someone does something bad and regrettable, you know the reasons behind their actions and can understand them at some point. The only thing that actually bothered me was the ending. I also find it to be rather disappointing, not because of the outcome, but the way how the last episode was wrapped up.
All in all, it was still a very enjoyable watch. I would highly recommend it to all of you, who want to see a coming-of-age drama that has more depth than your usual fluffy high school rom-com with lots of eye candies, amazing dialogues and a lifetime friendship that goes under your skin.
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
Maybe I will fall in love without noticing....
What Airplane! did for disaster flicks...What Scary Movie did for scary movies, this witty Japanese confection does for the BL genre. Whether you translate the Japanese title as "Absolute BL" or as "A Man Who Defies the World of BL," this first-rate parody sends up the tricks of the trade. From enemies-to-lovers to secret crushes to falling into the arms of a drop-dead gorgeous guy who ambles past at precisely the right moment some other gorgeous guy needs to be caught, nearly every trope ever touted (or complained about) in a BL series finds its way into this project.Indeed, the premise of the production is itself one of those tropes. If you've ever come away from a BL marveling that nearly every male character with screen time turns out to be gay, this story pokes its finger right into that wound: the protagonist one day realizes he's a side character ("mobu") in a BL world where all the men around him keep falling into love with one another--a fate he ardently wishes to avoid. He naturally reads every BL novel he can find so that he can identify and recognize stereotypical situations before they sweep him into a same-sex relationship. This mobu is terrified of becoming a main character so recognizing the tropes is paramount. For example, declining an invitation from the handsome latecomer to a karaoke gathering--"want to get out of here?"--is a must because that scenario would inevitably lead to a coupling. Later, he steps over a passed out (and winsome) man on the street because proffering aid to the stricken would, in a BL world, surely lead to romance. Amusingly, many of our mobu's efforts to sidestep a BL fate result in the side characters becoming couples instead. As with any well-constructed parody, one would probably require multiple re-watches to spot every gag stuffed into the story.
Many reviewers refer to the show as a "series," probably because the production's internal structure is divided into about 8 chapters which last about 15 minutes each. Since that essentially equals the runtime of a full-length movie, I prefer to think of Absolute BL as a one-off, unified work. Indeed, Absolute BL can easily be consumed in a single sitting. (All chapters aired together, so a serial presentation it never was.) Each of the eight vignettes sends up a different characteristic of the BL genre. The program is well acted, and the side characters who keep falling for each other embody clear genre stereotypes without ever trending into mockery. Absolute BL is an absolutely fabulous parody made by and for those who enjoy the genre. In fact, the last spoken line of dialog is squarely aimed at BL fans who constantly beg for more: "Don't miss the Season 2....[dramatic pause] if there is one."
I have to close this review by giving special commendation to the "theme song," which itself both sends-up and honors TV theme songs. This one is soooooo cheesy, it goes all the way past cringey and circles back around to charming. The cheese begins with the cast's wardrobe for the song, culled from the cheesiest fashion decade of the 20th century--yes, the 1970s. If the wardrobe was a startling--but effective--choice, having the cast members sing the song apes not only many OST music videos from actual series but also in some ways parodies the ubiquity of boy bands. Even the lyrics take a swipe at BL cliches, as two of the singers have lyrics that assert "Sometimes I fall in love with someone" and "maybe I will fall in love without noticing." Surely, (don't call me Shirley!), nothing is more absolutely BL than characters falling in love without even noticing.
Was this review helpful to you?
