In the United States, that conflict which came to be called “The Korean War,” holds another designation besides: “The Forgotten War.” Several reasons exist for this, but chief among them is actually timing. Wedged between heroic World War II and hellish Vietnam, amassing fewer American casualties, and yielding little accomplishment, these hostilities are often overshadowed and thus rarely remembered (unless someone mentions M*A*S*H, of course). And yet for Koreans, that this war could be “forgotten” is unthinkable. Its effects are likened unto wounds that ache even today, dividing an entire people along the scar known as the DMZ.
So why stop to talk history? Because, when it comes to a powerful drama like Comrades, it just seems necessary. As many among us have come to know and love South Korea (and not just for excellent entertainment, but its culture and people also), we ought to be aware of the painful history which has molded it until now. After all, that sentiment seems to be at the heart of Comrades: the fervent wish for the viewer to understand.
What’s more, this drama helps one to do so in an entertaining and sincere manner, without the heavy-handed ideology, pointed fingers, or macho-man heroism which might muddy its message. The plot unfolds tightly, abandoning exposition and filler to allow characters and events to stand for themselves. The viewer is never spoon-fed or told what to think, and thus free to see Comrades as it is: a story of ordinary people thrust into extraordinary circumstances. That means that even soldiers from the North are portrayed humanely, whereas not everything in the South comes across as noble. A drama which pulls no punches with any aspect, and never insults the intelligence of its viewers is all too rare.
And so we see The Korean War from a uniquely Korean perspective, following various participants (from South and North Korean soldiers, to guerrilla fighters and even deserters). We learn their stories, each unique and fleshed out, and often come to feel for them no matter the “side.” Not only men are represented, either, with female combatants frequently appearing in the narrative (and well-handled, at that). Yet the best thing about Comrades might be the fabulous characters of 1st Squad, and the deep bonds which form between them. Viewers spend most time with these men, growing to adore them as they fight and survive together. The term “bromance” was invented for such touching male friendships, and I'll never use it lightly again.
Despite the fact battles often occur on screen and action plays an important part in Comrades, the involving and personal nature of the story is what will stick with viewers. Though it might make you cry from the gut, pump your fist triumphantly, or cover your mouth in disbelief, it’s a chance worth taking. For war film and history lovers, you’ll doubtlessly adore Comrades. But if you’re hesitating because this is not your usual type of show, stop! You’ll never see a drama quite like this again, as mature, well-made, and without fear. And the only regret you’ll have after? How pale it makes others seem in comparison.
Perhaps no better Korean ensemble cast yet exists than the one in Comrades. Ever-immaculate Choi Soo Jong headlines as devoted and fatherly Lee Hyun Joong, the sergeant in charge of 1st Squad. This character’s love and care for his men exceeds that of his own life. As I told a friend, Choi appears slight, yet his presence looms large and vibrant; more impressive is that he manages this with a surprising humanity and straightforwardness. I’m extremely attached to Sergeant Lee, even now: an incredible role for an incredible actor.
From Choi Soo Jong, it becomes difficult to single out anyone, but not because they flow together. On the contrary, each character is so well-defined and acted that should I stop to name everyone that stood apart, we’d be here for many more paragraphs. Instead, I’ll list some of the best: Kim Roe Ha (complicated Sergeant Park), Lee Seung Hyo (brash Private Jung), and Ryu Sang Wook (pious Medic Joo Yong). Kim Myung Soo and Jung Tae Woo are notable from the North Korean side, while Lee In Hye and Lee Tae Ran do the ladies proud.
Nothing is more delightful than finding a cinematic soundtrack in a drama. Well, being able to find every track with its title translated might be (as was possible with this one). Almost everything is memorable, with nary a false note to be heard from tense and exciting themes (“Kyrie”) to those equally quiet and painful (“Salute to the Deceased”). Many of my favored Korean dramas tend to include Insooni on the soundtrack, and here her soulful voice haunts the shattering ballad “I Will Come Back.” Among other important vocals are “Requiem for the Unknown Soldiers,” (Gloomy 30’s), and the enduring, folksy “Friends,” offered by Kim Jang Hoon—and on occasion, the boys of 1st Squad. After the final episodes, this is a song that might burrow its way into your heart forever.
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In this review, I will compare both versions but I will also review this film for its own merits to those who don’t want to bother with the original although I highly advice you to watch the 1962 version. I won’t talk about history since I already mentioned it in Seppuku’s review. You just need to know that Harakiri means a ritual suicide and an honorable death for the Samurai who has to literally disembowel himself and die.
While Kobayashi’s Seppuku (aka Harakiri) was a dark revenge human samurai story, Miike’s Ichimei (aka Hara-Kiri: Death of a Samurai) was more like a dramatic view of the Samurai honor that aims for emotional engagement. Just like Miike and his screenwriter Kikumi Yamagishi explained in the press conference, this film is based on the source material, so it’s not a nihilist revenge tale like the original. It’s more about what is the true essence of the samurai moral code. I was glad to find out that the screenplay was modified comparing to the original because that’s the whole point of remaking something; not to produce a replicate.
This remake was more melodramatic than the original, it focused on family relationships and struggles to survive more than Kobayashi’s version which made it feel dramatic and touchy; I don’t even know if it’s a good or a bad thing but as I mentioned above, I truly appreciated many modifications of the screenwriting, although I was a bit disappointed with others such as the flashbacks. In the original film, they were a key element and very intriguing to pick up and follow, not to mention the smart storytelling but in this version; it felt wrong at some points. Even the narration of Motome’s story by the retainer of the Iyi clan was also flawed but the story itself was very well-done especially the suicide part. I also appreciated the presence of intensity and conflicts even in a lesser amount.
If I talk about the film itself without comparing it to the original, I would say: do not expect another “13 Assassins”. This is Miike’s follow up to the latter but they’re totally different; Hara-kiri is a Jidaigeki (historical storytelling that doesn’t focus on action and uses it in small amounts) while 13 Assassins is a Chambara (Samurai bloody films that focus on action and swordplay) so do not anticipate to see heads rolling and arms chopped off. Although Miike can do gore so well and his bloody films are well received, he actually decided to drift away from his usual dish this time and try the human melodrama and Samurai codes of honor instead. He was successful even if many people were bothered by the non-13 Assassins setting. If you only liked the latter for the action part, then I am sure that Ichimei won’t be to your liking.
The acting was good. At first, I was afraid to see Ichikawa Ebizo play the role of Tsugumo Hanshiro and being an elder to actors that are only five to seven years younger than him but I was proved wrong on that side; he did a great job with his role especially with his tone but I still insist that Tsugumo Hanshiro’s character belongs to Nakdai Tatsuya only even if Ebizo did a great job with it. Other actors were also good; Eita and Mitsushima Hikari are currently one of the best actors in Japan. The casting for this film is very smart, it doesn’t leave you room to complain a lot about the acting even if the original was full of unbeatable figures.
The characterization was a bit exaggerated and flawed since Miike wanted to humanize his characters even more than they already are. The characters were very emotionally involved in a brutal way, maybe it can be considered as a good thing but the sensations of tragedy in the original were the right amount for this human Samurai story.
Hara-Kiri: Death of a Samurai is a beautiful, attention-grabbing film if we talk about visuals. Miike is such a professional director as where to place his cameras and how to take the shots. He’s also a perfectionist when it comes to using silence as a fierce way to create intensity. The cinematography was artistically eye-catching but that doesn’t deduct any points from Kobayashi’s Harakiri even if it was produced back in 1962.
The music wasn’t as compelling as in the original. It was noticeably absent at times.
Watch this if:
-You dislike Japanese Samurai classics and want to watch something recently produced instead. If not, then you really should give Kobayashi’s masterpiece a try as soon as possible.
-You like Samurai human stories that don’t focus on action (Jidaigeki).
-You like Takashi Miike but beware that this is quite different from his other films.
-You like touching somber stories.
Do not watch if:
-You’re not a fan of remakes; just stick with the original.
-You’re expecting another 13 Assassins.
-You dislike Samurai films.
Taken as a whole, Miike’s version of Kobayashi’s massive hit is a somewhat elegant, straightforward and a dramatically faithful manner of retelling the 1962 revenge tale. It’s watchable and enjoyable despite its flaws.
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Is about college in-name only. More like another pointless and meaningless high school drama
Don’t be mislead about the show’s premise. Expected a funny and lighthearted yet poignant college drama. Instead, got a drama where the characters live at a high school. No studying, exams or deadlines. No stressing out about future after graduation. Instead, the characters just sit around a home room (exactly like a high school, like what kind of college do you sit at a home room lol). Put Your Head on My Shoulder and Love O2O are great examples of dramas set in college. This is just a farce. The main female lead literally spends all her time in class planning some sort of antics instead of studying like wtf.The characters are okay but the premise was so incredibly misleading. The best B plot is with the lead and her roommates financial situation.
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" Hello, hello... hellooo"
Story- The story came from a western movie, 17 Again starring Zach Efron. Although it's not original, you can tell that this has more depth and focuses on family matters/issues. Just a reminder tho that you need a box of kleenex. lol. The flashbacks will make you bawl, it's heart wrenching but beautiful at the same time. I don't want to get into details 'coz I want the viewers to feels first hand all the emotions while watching.Acting- Mad RESPECT for LDH's acting it's SIMPLY FLAWLESS!!!I love him in HDL,he was able to capture the heart of many eventhough he was just given a little screentime, but here, he's on a different level. YSH is a veteran actor but he gave LDH the spotlight. All the side characters/actors did an excellent job, it's not only the main leads that makes this drama exceptional but every single one of them. The roles fit them perfectly, so kuddos also to casting director.
Music- Don't get me started with the OST's. Whenever I hear the " Hello, hello... hellooo" bgm coming, I would grab my box of kleenex, believe me you need one.lol
Rewatch- If only I don't have tons of cdramas/kdramas lined up I would definitely rewatch this gain and again (like torturing myself)! lol.
Overall- This drama is a must watch! Give it a try and you'll never regret!!! Hands down!
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Not me has it´s own unique charm but also lots of lost potential
It's really refreshing to have a series that is not set in the regular setting of a high school and is actually trying something different and new. That's really the reason why I'm giving it a much higher rating than it objectively deserves. And with that said, Not me is a series that bit a little bit more than it could chew.This show has very heavy premise about injustice in Thai society. It's a heavy topic to cover and this drama has a very childlike view of it, at least in the first half of the series. Like it's trying to tell you that society isn't black and white but in the show it kind of looks like there is good and bad and nothing in between.
But I'll admit I was being a little bit too hard on this show at the start because it's a Thai BL drama I can't really expect it to cover social issues in a believable way. Instead, Not me does it in its own, somehow charming way.
There's something very charming about this drama overall. I would say it is similar to the charm of Manner of death.
With that said, this series gets better and better with each episode. I wasn't sold on it the first few episodes, but then I got invested even through some setbacks in episode 7 and 8. Like when this show nails the scene, it nails it almost perfectly and for the last few episodes, this show has some really interesting moments that actually hooked me.
Story.
The story is good. It's interesting enough to make you interested but this show is very unfocused on what it wants to do. Like it's an mystery drama but at the same time it's a social critique drama and at the same time it's a romance drama. It tried to do so many different things and for that reason failed to execute them properly. The main plot point with the undercover twin and investigation of who hurt his brother, gets lost and almost doesn´t matter for the majority of the series.
I also feel like we are so preoccupied with the actual plot, that we can´t make much of the characters and environment and it all leaves us with so many questions. We see with White´s eyes, yet he never wonders why did Black do all those dangerous things or why his friends have no idea that he was almost killed even though he suspects them for hurting him in the first place. Where did Gumpa came from? Why does he do the things he does?
Characters
I had a lot of issues with the characters. Sometimes they do things that are unforgivable and the show likes to act like you have to forget them and move on. That was probably my biggest problem.
Sean is the worst example of this. I hated him but not for the type of character he is, but because his character doesn't make sense. He is a douchebag for the first half of the series. He is violent, reckless and just overall a bad person. But there is a turning point that comes out of nowhere when we learn about his past and yeah, while it's sad, it doesn't justify how he treats others but the show likes to act like it does. And all of a sudden, for the second half of the drama, Sean is caring, very sensitive, emotional and sometimes outright pathetic and dependent on White. He is a completely different character and we are supposed to just accept that.
I guess the show is trying to tell us that his love for White changed him but I don't think that's a really good message to give and it made their relationship not believable for me.
White is somewhat a boring character. I feel like they could do so much with his development but he felt underwhelming. They were trying to set him up as smart , but he did things that were not thought through and just dumb. His character flaws aren´t really flaws and they get fixed at the end of the series, like him not knowing how to parkour. At best, he was sweet and caring and little naive.
His twin though was something different. I actually enjoyed his character a lot even though he was a douchebag. This time around it was well portrayed. Black is not a good person, he's violent, selfish and reckless and he solves problems in a way that actually causes more problems to happen. His environment made him that way and it makes sense.
I have to just say that Gun is one of the most talented actors in BL because he managed to be two completely different characters and he did such a stellar performance with Black.
Yok and Dan, I actually really enjoyed their characters and romance more than the main couple. Their chemistry was just better and their story was somehow better executed even though it was sad. At first I hated the plot twist they made with them, but it wasn´t so bad I came to realize. They both were too nice for the series so I guess something just had to go wrong.
Sean and White
The second-worst thing about the show besides Sean, was the main couple. And I am really sad to say this because I feel like for the majority of people the fact that they are played by OffGun is enough, but it just isn't enough for me.
Just like Sean's character the relationship between White and Sean changed overnight and they went from hating each other to loving each other unconditionally in the span of one episode. I just kept on thinking what made Sean change his mind. It's a shame because you had one of the best chemistries between Off and Gun and it didn't do it for me. It just wasn't enough .I didn't enjoy their romance at all, it felt rushed and unnatural, which is a shame because it had so much potential. Like they are actually so sweet at the end but the way they got there doesn´t make sense.
Overall thoughts
But not to just criticize this show, it actually has some really good things going for it, first is the soundtrack. It's just really good, the music plays just at the right moment at the right time. It's 10 out of 10.
Another thing - the show doesn't look cheap. The locations are interesting, the camera work is actually sometimes really creative, costumes are great. You can see that it tries and yes, sometimes it tries TOO hard, but that's better than not trying at all. Some characters have their setbacks, but you can't really say that they are bland. I think you will be at least intrigued by their motivations and you have an interesting story backing it all up.
The main premise gets kinda lost in the noise of the show, there is lots of things going on, there are some logical errors BUT the finale is very satisfying and things end in a realistic way that was actually very mature. Which I wasn´t expecting starting this show. 8.5 = worth watching.
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Falling High School Girl and Irresponsible Teacher
24 people found this review helpful
Sakata Gintoki In Love?
This drama was really cute and fun and much better than I expected. The characters are likeable and not the type you usually come across in school romance. For only 9 episodes they felt pretty fleshed out and real and I think the development didn’t stray at any point. The male lead in particular really reminded me of Sakata Gintoki and the dark humor/deadpan comedy of the show was reminiscent of Gintama, so I would recommend this if you are a fan of the anime! This was my first time seeing any of the actors but it was very well acted throughout, also side note that the female lead is so pretty and has the most mesmerizing eyes.Bonus point: there is an adorable cat 🐈⬛
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Sweet Home, Where The True Monsters Reside With Your Head...
In the gory dystopian Japanese classic Battle Royale (2000), the style of ‘ fighting until the last survivor’ has created a lasting legacy upon numerous western franchises ( consider movies like the Hunger Games and Saw) and video games as well, whilst series like the American graphic - novel based and Zombie show the Walking Dead (2010-) have established an interest in contemporary dystopian dramas and franchises. Yet, as dramas go, Sweet Home doesn’t entirely stand out at first amongst the multitude of ‘ race- for- survival’ - style movies and dramas out there.
Most webtoon readers will probably argue, however, that the one thing which the drama does do well in regards to divulging away from past dystopian tropes in a similar manner to the eponymous webtoon , is being able to maintain the archetype that the monsters aren’t created by some pandemic or freaky lab accident, but the human psyche’s repressed fears and desires. This is one of the main focuses of the show and one of the main obstacles for the main protagonist Hyun ( Song Kang) in order to confront ( both literally and metaphorically) his own demons over the course of the drama.
On the other hand, whilst it is important to respect both a webtoon and “ based-upon” drama as standalone productions in their own rights, it is undeniable with the great legacy of the original webtoon to notice where the drama fell short of expectations at times. ( With all due respect the drama did maintain some of the impactful themes of the original webtoon such as mental health, murder, smoking and violence).
The greatest of the show’s flaws came from character development and interaction throughout the series.
For those who don’t know, one of the critically-acclaimed features of the original webtoon ( sans the fighting scenes) was the ability to show how the numerous characters of the webtoon with different personalities, backgrounds and beliefs were able to develop bonds, alliances and friendships throughout the events of Sweet Home. That’s not to say that the drama didn’t achieve this at all. To some extent, we got to see this interaction en par with the webtoon through the first meeting of Hyun and Lee Eun Yoo ( Go Min- Si) in episode 1 and their interactions over the course of the drama, as well as the humanity of the most unlikely character, the gangster Pyeon Sang-wook ( Lee Jin Wook) through his heart-rendering backstory in later episodes. Apart from this, there seemed to be little dedication in scenes to actually focus upon other and more intimate character interactions.
Yet whilst the show arguably does not have the time to cram in 142 chapters of character interactions into 10 episodes alone, there were still endless opportunities to explore and humanise other important characters in the drama in order to make their backstories and their events such as Yoon Ji- Soo ( Park Kyu-Young) and Jung Jae Hyeon ( Kim Nah Hee) more impactful by allowing them to grown upon viewers.
This ironically moves us onto the second problem of the drama; the CGI effects of the monsters.
As it happens there was something more sinister in some regards to the effects of Hyun’s eyes turning demonically- black in scenes than the bloodshot appearance in the webtoon, and the nightmarish forms of the “ Half- Headed” and “ Protein” Monsters will certainly leave goosebumps for viewers afterwards. What is hard to understand, however, is how lazy the CGI could be at times within this show, with several scenes such as the “ Seoul Apocalypse” appearing more like a 2000s cheap horror movie than a drama released this year. It seemed only adding to this effect was the single shot style frame typically employed for romance dramas which felt oddly out of a place in a horror drama where inventive styles ( even slow-motion) or the feeling of distortion ( which have been employed to portray Hyun’s nightmares) would have been better suited for theme of Sweet Home.Additionally one of the biggest of the drama had to be the OST. Whilst hearing Imagine Dragon’s Warriors during a fight scene or the ironic energetic K-Hip Hop artist BeWhy did add a level of pacing to the ending, it soon became repetitive and lost impact to hear these songs again and again without a change of pace. For a drama which has a main character as a musician, there was so much wasted potential to not have a wider range of genres, styles and (respectfully )more Korean and international mainstream and indie artists throughout the show.
Perhaps Sweet Home’s one saving grace had to be its varied and brilliant cast. By far several of the best casting choices of the show had to be between choosing Lee Jin Wook as a gruff gangster, Go Min- Si as a foul-mouthed teenager with a surprising streak of kindness and of course casting Kim Sang Ho as Han Du- Sik , the much needed comical relief of the drama.
Yet the casting choices of our main leads were by far the most surprising. Knowing that Song Kang( who played one of the cheerful leads in the romance hit-drama Love Alarm ) would be cast to play the suicidal and angst-ridden teen Hyun, seems a strange fact to grasp with for most viewers, yet, Kang’s portrayal added a surprisingly level of humanity to the irony of playing a character fighting for that very sake. In a similar manner, Lee Do Hyun was fairly unrecognisable in a guise of glasses and a more mature role as Lee- Eun Hyuk than a certain “ Ahjussi teenager “ in the romance- comedy 18 Again , yet like his costar, Do- Hyun was fairly good in the drama.
Overall, Sweet Home has certainly been one of the better dramas of 2020 with a fairly good and original concept ( although it does fall down on several factors), difficult themes (such as murder and suicide) being tackled in an appropriate manner and a stellar and diverse cast. My only other complaint is with the ending already trying to build its way to another season ( or leave on a “ dramatic” cliffhanger) and therefore consequently trying to stray away from the original storyline. Apart from this ( as we are still yet to see if there is another season or not) , Sweet Home ( although not flawless) is definitely worth a watch.
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This review may contain spoilers
I chanced upon this movie while browsing through the BL list of MDL and it got me curious. This is the first time that I’ve watched a BL movie that had an explicit scene from the very beginning and it wasn’t even blurred. Get ready to be shocked. At this point, you’d have an idea that the director did not spare any details at all. STORY: This, I think, is a rated NC-17 Adults only because of the extremely explicit sex scenes as well as a toxic ending. In the beginning, the plot was complex and a little hard to follow. First off, I didn’t understand why Yong-Joon was so mad with Jae-Sung. However, later in the movie, I found out that Jae-Sung got married. I guess that’s where the anger came from. The story is intriguing at the same time I felt that I wanted to scream at all of the characters and I’ll discuss why later on. The story talks about what Yong-Joon would do for Tae-Kyu. What extreme measures he took just to be able to take care of him. How in the middle of the movie Yong-Joon became conflicted when Jae-Sung suddenly appeared. I don’t like how the movie ended. The way Tae-Kyung blackmailed Yong-Joon by threatening him that he will end his life is something that I detest. As well as, how the half-blind student took matters into his hands resulting in an individual's death that caused another person's death. It was a succession of terrible events that stemmed from anger.
ACTING/CAST: The acting was so good. Kim Tae Hoon (Yong-Joon) was good in his portrayal. His emotions were out there. You would feel what he felt for every scene. The actor was so good that in a way I hated the character. How Yong-Joon was so inclined to do even the nastiest things just to make sure that Tae-Kyu will be okay. Shin Won-Ho (Tae-Kyu) also did a good job being the naughty, selfish kind of kid that he was. I didn’t like the character being so carefree that he didn’t even notice how troubled Yong-Joon was. That the only thing that he could think of was that he was a burden and would emotionally abuse Yong-Joon. If I were to analyze his personality, I would think that he has emotional and mental issues. Then there’s Choi Jae-Sung (Jae-Sung), the guy who suddenly appeared out of nowhere and was trying so hard to make-up with Yong-Joon. I feel that he could have done a little bit more when it comes to facial expressions.
REWATCH VALUE: If you have been diagnosed with depression, I would suggest that you don’t. But if you can take the scenes, the emotional entanglement, then go ahead.
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This review may contain spoilers
DON'T WATCH THIS if you hate cliffhangers! I mean HATE. The ending left me so frustrated and unsatisfied that I started googling about a Season 2 (there's no mention of it, for those who are curious). Warning Spoilers Ahead:
The plot was fairly alright, and I had no qualms about their acting. The story starts with a man being murdered. But since it was classed as an accident and since he had signed to have his organs up for donation, three high school students were the lucky recipients. They started having dreams of his murder, which led to them investigating into it. HOWEVER, just as they found a derisive clue as well as the suspect, he disappears, ENDING. THE. WEB. DRAMA. with the camera panning across the murderer standing outside their house.
HOW. IS. THAT. AN. ENDING.
It felt more like they ran out of budget and had to cut the drama halfway. It was incomplete, with many questions left unanswered.
Why did he murder the donor? Why did he also try to kill the donor's sister? Why has he been stalking the recipients enough to take on another identity to infiltrate their school as a staff? What was his motive behind all of this?
None. Were. Answered.
Also, on the romance part of it, it's very typical high school drama type of confusion, with the girl caught between two of her closest friends. She likes the one who is oblivious, the other one likes her, the oblivious one knows his heart reacts to her but doesn't know that he actually likes her, until he starts catching her hanging out a lot with the other one and starts to get jealous....
Which simply adds to ANOTHER loose end because of how the series ended.
For the sake of your own sanity, do not watch this. Urgh, ???.
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for this Drama. Because it deserves it!
I have always been a great fan of high-school-dramas, especially when they have
a "hero-like" main-lead :)
(maybe my addiction to them comes from Gokusen)
But for once I didn´t even plan to watch this Drama. By accident I clicked on it on a streaming website and I must say that this is one of the Dramas which are unexpected gems!
The plot was very well-done and it served it´s purpose. I was glued to the screen each time I was watching the episodes. I even put on-hold currently airing dramas such as "Kill me, heal me" only in order to watch a new episode of this Drama. Besides being a light watch, it involves a few darker themes as well (such as disappointment, bullying, betrayal etc). In my opinion it was the perfect mix of them. My favorite part weren´t only the held speeches but the presidents encouraging of her classmates, teachers etc in the middle of each episode were really touching as well.
I didn´t feel the need to stop to watch the Drama, like I tend to do with many melodramas.
But still it was enough to evoke excitement in me. Especially in the middle of the Drama.
As for the ending it didn´t quite satisfy me (no I won´t spoil it don´t worry) but then again it made me happy as well. You will see what I mean when you have watched it :=)
The female leading role (the president) seemed sweet and sincerly in her role. Her acting portrayed her innocence and ever growing strong will well, though I wouldn´t say that it was outstanding.
It was enough for me that I felt along with her and I really enjoyed her role a lot :)
The male main lead was more like a mysterious side-character who played a major role in achieving her dreams. At first I thought he would only play a gloomy, minor role but it turned out to be different.
I wouldn´t say that I will miss his role as much as from the sweet president, but I really enjoyed the interactions between him and her.
As for the other roles I personally really liked the "platinum" group, the student rulers of the school. I would have wished for even more of their screen time. Instead they more likely became side-characters.
There was no actor/actress whose acting I found to be "bad" and therefor I gave 9 points for the cast.
This definetely isn´t a cheesy drama as you might expect from the synopsis and I am glad that I came to watch it. I can assure you that most likely won´t regret giving it a try as well. It will be worth the time!
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I don't know what it is about C-dramas, but I accept their corniness and over the top acting more so than any others. It's like they're in on the joke with the viewers, so its ok by me. The story overall has a lot going on! There is LITERALLY something for everyone: Romance, friendship, action, fantasy, ALL the different time periods, vampires, werewolves, magicians... just to name a few. But the overall story is about a master and his disciples who time-travel into a person's past-life to fix a problem they are having in the present. It's a nice plot that introduces all sorts of mayhem and time jumping, and every time its a different story. So if you don't like the time period and plot in episodes 4-7, then maybe the plot and historic period in episodes 8-10 will do it for you. The common thread through it all is Ye Yin's meetings with past-lives of the people she knows and one very clingy vampire she keeps running in to. The awkwardness, the cuteness and pure comedy that follows will make you stick around just to see what happens next and how Ye Yin will get out of the problems she started in the 1st place!
Even though this doesn't have a romance tag (as of right now) there is some romance. An eternal love triangle to be exact. There are hints that there is some huge history between the two main men in Ye Yin's life, but we only get flashes here and there (probably saving it for season 2!)
The acting was over the top, and corny... but it fit the tone of the show and had me LOLing the entire series.
Like I said before, I was in a certain mood to really enjoy this series. So I understand that it may not be for everyone. But for getting me out of my drama slump, making me look forward to a 2nd season, and forcing me to watch some episodes RAW (bc I just couldn't wait for subs) this was near perfection IMHO.
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A silver lining on the Korean BL horizon
Semantic Error may not reinvent the wheel, but its authentic characters, convincing performances of the lead actors and charming storytelling make this one of the most entertaining BLs I've recently watched.The strongest aspect of Semantic Error are the characters and the palpable chemistry between the lead actors. Both Jaeyoung and Sangwoo are incredibly likeable characters, which is always a good thing in a romance drama. If I don't like one of the leads, it's just hard to get invested and root for their relationship. Our lead actors seemed to have fun playing these roles, and it felt like they genuinely wanted to tell this story. There was absolutely no awkwardness or apprehension between them, instead we got sizzling chemistry and gradual attraction that convincingly builds up the tension between our main couple. It's reminiscent of last years "To My Star" in terms of quality and chemistry between the leads.
Park Jaechan plays Chu Sangwoo an intelligent but emotionally distant computer science major. Sangwoo´s stubborn nature and obsession with rules could have made him come off as cold, but he was surprisingly sweet and funny. Through Park Jae Chans excellent portrayal, Sangwoo´s robotic tendencies come off as charming and endearing instead of unnerving.
Park Seoham plays Jang Jaeyoung a confident, popular and talented design major. Seoham is a social butterfly, seemingly getting along with everyone, he's the typical handsome cool kid. What makes him different from a lot of other leads of this stereotype is that he's actually a kind soul and rather self-reflective. Something I was very thankful for since Jaeyoung´s charming, caring and fun personality made it so easy to root for him.
The supporting cast may have not been fleshed out like our leads, but we got some memorable additions to the cast. Often when side characters show up in short dramas like this, it feels like they are taking away screen time from our main couple. That was absolutely not the case for Semantic Error, since we usually got fun banter or meaningful conversations whenever one of the side characters showed up. Apart from the characters, I really enjoyed the dialogues and humor in this show. It never felt forced and enhanced the lighthearted and fun atmosphere.
The cinematography gives you a cozy feeling with its fall setting and use of vibrant colors. I also want to point out the excellent soundtrack by Coldin. "Romantic Devil" is super catchy, while "Can you stay" is a soothing track that makes you feel all warm inside.
Personally, I was entertained from the first to the last episode, so there isn't much to criticize. You could argue it's rather uninventive with its university setting, enemies to lovers trope and the school rebel falls for nerd setting. All of these valid reasons to give this a pass since it's been done so many times before. If you aren't tired of it yet or if you're the type to be won over by good storytelling and endearing characters, I would give this one a chance nonetheless.
Semantic Error was able to not only establish incredibly likable characters, but also show the gradual affection between them. We see they're falling for each other and most importantly we understand why they are falling for each other. Frankly, that's something not all romance centered dramas accomplish. Although short, this show is very well paced, perfectly utilizing the amount of time they have without focusing on unnecessary fillers or rushing anything. It's a short and sweet youth drama which is the perfect comfort watch if you need something to warm your heart and make you smile. Definitely re-watch material.
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A warm, comforting hug on a rainy day
This drama is pure comfort in its sweetest, most nostalgic form and I absolutely loved it for that.Each episode had me smiling like an idiot while watching, desperately wanting more yet feeling so fulfilled and satisfied with each piece of the story. The two main leads, Jyun and Zhen Hao, have astounding chemistry. I was especially impressed to learn this is Zhen Hao's debut as an actor! His performance at times did not have the most depth, but he did great with the script he received. Jyun on the other hand, perfectly embodied the character of Qi Zhang. He is just such a beautifully open, warm and comforting person - watching him just made me want to give him the biggest hug. I loved that their characters were so different, and by interacting and getting to know each other, they both learned and grew in wonderful ways. Their interactions and the build of their relationship were so endearing!
The side ship, Ray and Ah Jian, was such a well-written contrast to the main couple. The two actors also had fantastic chemistry and their scenes, while at times feeling a little disjointed from the main story, were so well done that you can't help but root for them and enjoy their story. I don't feel it happens very often that I love all the ships in a drama but this one really hit it on the mark. The other additional characters all had depth and personalities that were great to see - I particularly loved Qi Zhang's band/friend group. The love and care they have for each other was just so good.
The story is nothing wild or crazy, but it isn't trying to be anything other than warm. That's the best way I can describe it - like getting a warm, comforting hug on a rainy day, when everything around you feels like it's falling apart, but the hug helps warm you up and keep you stitched together. There is fluff, there is angst, there is a lot of hurt and comfort. It portrays toxicity in family and relationship dynamics and promotes healing, learning who you are, what you want and how to stand up for your ideals. The OST is also fantastic! I've added both the intro and outro to my regular playlist.
This is definitely going to be a comfort series to re-watch for me!
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We Go FAST Through the Censorship Process...
This is one of those dramas where we witness how patriotism and propagande pretty much take away all the focus from the otherwise ok plot. A drama with some really good characters, friendships and relationships that just do not get the time they deserve to develop and give us our romance and fluff... Instead we keep on seeing how evil the foreign countries can be... How they just discard the Chinese engineering, and that China is better off fighting alone... or together with other Chinese people... putting trust in pretty much any one outside Chine is bad... and so on and so on... Between the moments of Go China we get to see opposites attract, trauma will confine you but love, trust and the mother land will set you free...The pacing for the couples is frustratingly slow, and on again off again at times even if most of the characters are lovely. I did find it hard to relate to their choices. The drama could have been 10 episodes or less if they just cut out the flashbacks, slow mo, and repetitive stuff.
That said I did find myself curious about how things will turn out, I was rooting for the couples, and the umbrellas in this drama where top, top, top!
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