Anyway apart from that I always loved Chinese historical movies the most so it's logical that I enjoy in Chinese dramas too. Lan Ling was easily one of the best historical dramas I've seen and I could gladly give even the higher score but those episodes from 20 to 26 or 27 I think, were too draggy and unnecessary with many illogical turn of events and I found the reactions some of the characters too unbelievable. Except for that everything else was FANTASTIC. LITERALLY. I think that the acting was outstanding and that even the side characters were brilliant and shined in some moments more than the leads.
Ariel as Xue Wu was perfect, she became my fav. female from historical dramas, so witty, smart, caring, funny, cool, brave and strong full of love to give to her man and all her friends, it's so rare to see a woman like her. I loved how she was such a support to Lan Ling and a true wise woman who deserved to be treated as a Queen, without her Lan Ling wouldn't succeed in anything, she was so psychically strong and in some scenes I loved how she showed balls like a real man. :P
William as Lan Ling- beautiful, wonderful, so freaking hot and grandiose man, a true leader who loved his people more than anything, who was willing to sacrifice himself in order to save the woman he loved and to save his soldiers and his country, I enjoyed in watching his brotherly love with Fifth Prince and how they shared their deepest thoughts together. And when he was a masked warrior oh well I was so in love with him, that role was even more suited for him. ;)
Yu Wen Yong-the way Chan Daniel has portrayed him was just magnificent, his expressions, gestures, his ability to be such a great Emperor and grand man, how he fell in love with Xue Wu and loved her until his last breath and who fought for her but to the point when it was possible, how he respected her, I enjoyed so much in their scenes together, I think they had incredible chemistry, they should make some other drama as a couple for real. ;) He broke my heart several times, I really fell hard for him and once more I had that second lead syndrome.
Amongst them all, there was one character I literally loved the most, it was Wei Qian Xiang as Xiao Dong, that guy was freaking brilliant and I have to say that without him, his helping and solving some things, nothing would be possible, he was of the crucial help for Xue Wu, Lan Ling and Yu Wen Yong. So spontaneous, free spirited, in love with life, a rebel who was by each step side by side with her, who supported and believed in her no matter what, who was also the most intelligent one- he saw before everyone else threats, who was evil and who's not, reminded me so much of Moon Jae Shin in SS which was fantastic. Above that he had so great chemistry with Ariel, both of them were such a splendid sight for the eyes, their scenes were the most funny and interesting ones. ;)
This drama also has such a great villains, the most hateful ones. I really found in Lan Ling the character I hate the most but really hate, she climbed up to my number one and most definitely she well deserves that place. Zheng Er- you who have seen this drama know why I'm saying this, you who haven't- go and watch. I've never seen some woman to be this evil to the core, to the tiniest bone in her body, twisted, nasty, terrible, disgusting, obsessively jealous, her smile is the most creepy one, I have goosebumps every time I think of her. The actress deserves and award for such a brilliant performance.
Music was beautiful and so wonderful, I like all the ballads, especially from Della "Shou Zhang Xin", it brought tears to my eyes.
I liked fighting scenes, cinematography was great, costumes astonishing, sceneries breathtaking, and the chemistry between the leads one of the best I've seen if not the very best one. They became one of my fav. couples in the whole world, their chemistry was too great, moments they shared were priceless, kisses, conversations, hugs, teasing, even fights were great, intimacy- one of the best I've seen, mindblowing for sure.
Every vivid fan of historical dramas should see Lan Ling, every fan of the actors in it should see Lan Ling, every fan of intelligent script should see Lan Ling and every fan of real passionate love and intimacy should see Lan Ling.
The bottom line is- Lan Ling is a great drama with its own flaws, holes and boring moments like almost every drama but hell it was worth watching every moment of it. And it has the most perfect ending. At least I found it to be so appropriate and logically wonderful.
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This review may contain spoilers
The nerd in me loves this drama in its entirety. The cast, the directing, the production, the storyline, the screenplay and even the multitude numbers of product placements which at one point simply became amusing...
I guess; it was very expensive to keep up with the Haute Couture fashion for the entire royal crew from the Kingdom of Corea. They needed those product placements.
Although I enjoy watching it to the very end; I feel rather unsatisfied with Lee Gon and Tae Eul‘s ending. Traveling into different parallel universes and time periods are all fun and game; however, I wanted to see a royal wedding, a royal queen coronation and a stable lifestyle... So to speak...
The scientist in me understands that it is against the rules to have both Luna as a detective and Tae Eul as the crowned queen living in the same universe.
Nonetheless, the irrational romantique in me wants Lee Gon and Tae Eul to be the royal couple that rules over the kingdom.
*All in all, both the scientist and the romantique in me adored this drama.
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The inherent feminism of being a shrewd woman!
Agatha Christie meets Jane Austen in this riveting historical romance-mystery. This show was a surprise favorite for me. A diamond in the rough, a show with seriously feminist aspirations and an unapologetic stance on its radical and rebellious views. And the pièce de resistance? It’s an originally written story that avoids 99% of cdrama cliché pitfalls!If you’re still not convinced that this show is worth a watch here are some more reasons:
1. Pride and Prejudice meets Mrs. Marple!
2. A headstrong, intelligent, and flawed female lead who had a steady personality and an unbreakable spirit
3. An intelligent, nuanced, and flawed male lead who grows and develops through the story with not a single jealous cell in his body…like WOW!
4. An actual good second male lead? With freaking personality and flaws?! Who isn’t a sticky gum and doesn’t scheme against the leads and doesn’t think he knows best for the FL, thus undermining her personhood whilst acting like he’s soooo nice?!?!?! Like...what?! He’s mine now! I have adopted him! He’s my child now, no one hurt this baby! He’s too pure for Cdramaland.
5. A villain who is not an idiot or a caricature who keeps the mains on their toes and is in return kept on his toes by the leads!
6. A truly enjoyable ensemble with interesting stories, arcs, and journeys.
7. A meta-commentary on women’s lives in the olden days
8. Actually good mystery cases
9. One of the best romances I have seen in historical dramas in a while
10. Enemies-to-lovers, slow burn, with “there was only one bed”!
11. Nice parents?!?!?!?! (Is this even a cdrama at this point? Where am I right now?)
12. And more!
Summary: Qiu Yan is the concubine-born daughter of the second master of Qiu family. Everyone in her family dislikes her except for her legal mother who loves her beyond anything. When Qiu Yan was young, she and her biological mother and brother are caught by bandits but a young man saves Qiu Yan and gives her a fan that becomes the symbol of Qiu Yan’s yearning to become educated and step above her station in her deeply misogynistic and biased society. The story follows Qiu Yan as she uses her wits, knowledge, street-savviness, and intelligence to survive and make her way in life. And the ML is Liang Yi. He's pretty cool, too!
Plot: I loved this show and mainly because it was so well-written. The characters make sense, the plot makes sense. The themes are clear and the writer knew exactly how they meant to explore them. No scene is unnecessary. Each character and event had a purpose. The tone is a good mix of romantic, comedic, emotional, and thought-provoking. It hardly has the usual stereotype pitfalls of historical dramas. I have to mention that the show has a very modern tone and the female lead’s opinions are beyond her era and time but the show somehow makes it work. On top of it all, the stories that are explored were stuff I had never seen in any other show which made this very refreshing for me. What was interesting was that I could recognize the plot as mentioned backstories in other shows but I had never seen a show that actually explored the plot, head-on. As for the romance, I loved it! The growth of their feelings felt natural and the progression of their relationship was super satisfying. No unnecessary misunderstandings or overly complicated melodrama.
Acting: I was very impressed by the leads. They had such amazing chemistry. Jeremy Tsui has an amazing voice and since everyone is using their own voice, the performances feel that much more real and authentic. I liked the supporting cast too. Minus one or two cannon fodders, I think everyone did a good job conveying their character and working together.
Music and Production: Music was okay; nothing too impressive. The production didn’t look expensive and it did leave some things to be desired. The cinematography was simple, the clothes and makeup were passable. Overall, this is the section the show might fall short but many of my favorite historical dramas have average or below average productions so I didn’t mind.
Rewatch: Right! Forgot about this! I never rewatch shows but this is a fun show so I would say it's worth it? Idk, watch new shows, why rewatch?!
Negative: There is a slight hiccup in storytelling in the very last episode. I have deduced that the reason is that the show did too good a job at closing all loose ends and just ended up with 20 extra minutes with nothing else happening there so they had to pull a last-minute twist to fill up the time. I didn’t care much for the twist but it didn’t affect the plot at all so I don’t care. What matters is that we got a happy ending and after watching such a good mystery show for 23 episodes, it was easy to see how the ending worked in the context of the whole show. (like I don't want to spoil but you could tell that the twist was super temporary)
Overall: I was expecting something like Jun Jiu Ling or Sword and the Brocade when I started this show but was pleasantly surprised when it turned out the way that it did. I almost dropped this! But I couldn't stop thinking about the characters so I went back and I am very happy with my decision. It was a joy for me to watch this. I laughed in every episode, I cheered for the main cast of characters to triumph and I was heartbroken for them when they suffered. This was one of the best watches I’ve had and though the show may not be perfect, the happiness it brought me made me decide to give it a 10. Because at the end of the day, we watch shows for enjoyment and that is what they should provide. The Autumn Ballad did just that. Highly recommended.
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This review may contain spoilers
I started Solomon Perjury with the intention of probably dropping it; school dramas usually bore me. Yet, i was hooked 5 minutes in. I loved this drama in the sense that it was very well written. There weren't many plot holes (that i could remember lol) and the writer stayed true to the previous episodes/overall plot rather than trying to manipulate and fool everyone at the end by introducing a whole different reason to why Sowoo died just to create an "illusion" of a major plot twist. Instead, the reason why Sowoo died kept you second guessing until the last episode but when the truth was revealed, it doesn't really take you by surprise either.
More than anything, I also loved the characters. For me in particular, even though Bae Joonyoung acts more of a side character, I believe he was very important to the story. In a way (not completely...but in a way) his story sort of mirrors that of Jihoon's and Sowoo's but with a more positive outcome. [SPOILER]: His almost suicide attempt, his crippling family and their mediation, and at one point his outlook on life. [END SPOILER] His character fighting through all that while the trial was still ongoing made me feel even more sympathetic towards the other two characters; it made it more real. That's just me though. Oh and the subtle romance between him and Seoyeon was a very nice addition!! It was the perfect relief to the bleakness of the drama. There wasn't much but it was cute.
I have more to say about the other characters but I'm lazy and this would turn into a 10 page review so I'll stop here.
Anyways, overall I give this drama a 9/10. I don't really have anything bad to say. Though one thing that got me a bit ????? is WHY is it so easy to gain entry into the school at like 11pm lol??? You have kids going up the roof top and into classrooms when it's pitch black. One way to decrease the number of student suicides on school grounds? Lock the school gates mayb. Also, I'll say this; although the reason for Sowoo's death didn't surprise me, I'm mad that he died that way. No, I'm not talking about the school. As much as I wanna rant about it, it's a major spoiler so I can't lol.
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Watch if you lack stress in life
I did not really want to post a review of this. Since I dropped it mid way around episode 20ish and just watched the final 2 episodes. For me the chemistry is low for this pairing too.Warning this is a very tiring, stressful and frustrating series to watch. Because the plot is so extreme with never ending issues. From the start of their relationship, its just non stop issues, issues and issues. The issues are so forced, ridiculous and extreme every other episode.
So if you want to pull your hair out, feels nauseating, experience cringe and dog blood. This series is for you. Happy ending in the end so if thats the goal, just watch a few early episodes and then skip to last 2 episode will make it a better experience.
But really there are better things to watch out there.
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Takumi-kun Series 5: That, Sunny Blue Sky
27 people found this review helpful
It's the same old Takumi you love, only this time it was a little more fleshed out. It seems like the same old Takumi problems, but for some reason it was much more interesting to watch. The music was, as always, wonderful and well used at appropriate times.
The story wasn't the best this time around but Daisuke and Hamao's acting really did make up for it, in my opinion.
The one thing that always bothered me in this series, this one included, are the flashbacks. They are oftentimes refilmed and rarely are you given any clue that what you are watching is a flashback. They could definitely execute them much better.
Other than that, I will greatly miss Daisuke and Hamao in this series! They certainly grew from the 2nd to 5th movies and you can see it for yourselves in this great film.
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The story isn't something that we haven't seen before, but it's well told. The first episode was fantastic but, sadly, the next few episodes don't live up to it. The second half is much more entertaining. As always, Sakamoto-sensei's dialogues are beautiful, and he's arguably the top screenwriter in Japan.
Most of the cast was great. Takahata Mitsuki's performance was probably the best, specially in the forth and fifth episodes. But I also need to comment on Arimura Kasumi's acting. I really don't understand why people dislike her so much. She did a GREAT job in this drama, she's probably the best after Takahata. Anyone who has seen this and Biri Gal knows that she's a pretty good actress when she has the right projects. Kora Kengo and Nishijima Takahiro were good too. I was really sad about Sakaguchi Kentaro and Morikawa Aoi, because most of their scenes felt like filler material, and they really didn't have much to do beside a few great scenes.
The music was solid, but not extraordinary or anything.
Overall, I think this is one of Sakamoto-sensei's weakeast dramas so far, but it's still better than most of the romantic dramas released nowadays, I recommend it to those looking for a slightly bittersweet slice-of-life romantic drama.
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I WANT A SEQUEL
This is the first ever chinese movie I watched. I didn't plan on it, but i really loved it. The storyline left me satisfied but feeling like there is more to come. All the actors did a really great job. The CGI was also not fake looking. It was really interesting and captired my attention from beginning to end. I dont want to write any more because I'll be tempted to spoil it. I recommend you check out this movie because it's action packed, with just enough emotional drama. I also peeped Henry's butt-cheek, lol...Was this review helpful to you?
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Expectations vs Reality
I know that I might be harsh with my rating for this series but please hear me out!The plot is a typical thai bl plot, a rich smart person and a not that smart and poor person. Leaving behind the main concept of this series, I would like to point out the slow paced story development. I do realise that we need some time to understand who the characters are and what their environments are; but seriously I don't think that we needed 7 episodes with them in high school. They could tell us their high school days in just 3 episodes. I felt that they were trying to expand their year as seniors for no reason. I mean you only have 12 episodes to tell me your story, do not spent 7 of them being in high school. But to be fair, when the university chapter began, the series became more interested.
Regarding the acting. Well, I don't know how to describe it and not sound like an asshole... The acting is bad! I believe that both Win and Marc have potential, but in this series they seem so stiff and awkward. I know that the script does not help them, but from the episodes that I have watched I feel that they have no chemistry. There are a lot of moments of silence between those two. Tbh, I do not see them as people who have feelings for each other; actually, I do not even get the vibes that they are friends.
On the other hand, Fiat is amazing here, I mean there are some scenes that are awkward for me, but still I feel that he is the best in this series. His bi role is implemented in the best possible way. Moreover, JJ is really good here. I like the friendship between Waan and Pure and how Waan values their friendship! Also, Aun has a great potential with acting. He is still young and he has a lot to learn but if he invests in acting classes then in the future he would be one of the best actors.
I have said it before about the product placements, and I know that it would be in vain pointing it out again; but please stop with those placements. I start to think that companies are producing bl series just to have product placements.
I feel that this series had really high expectations, as GMMtv was involved, and it was the first bl series that was aired after 2gether. Everyone, was, maybe, expecting something similar to 2gether and in the end we got something monotonous. Do not get me wrong, I think that 2gether had a lot of flaws and I did not really like it, but at least it was funny and had colourful scenes!
I feel that we would get another season as the script is so slow paced! Again this is my assumption, do not take it for granted!
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THE WORST MOST CRINGY AND EMBARRASSING SHOW EVER
Ok I can’t take it anymore. I usually only write reviews about shows that are incredible. I’ve never taken the time or the energy to write a review for a show that I didn’t like. But this show was just SOOOO INFURIATING that I needed to rant about it somewhere. But there are some good parts about this show I like and I will name those at the end>>THIS SHOW IS UNBEARABLE. UNBELIEVABLY CRINGY AND CHOCKED FULL OF EMBARRASSING SCENES EVERY DAMN MINUTE OF EVERY DAMN EPISODE. TOH IS SINGLE-HANDEDLY THE WORST CHARACTER I HAVE EVER WATCHED IN ANY TV SHOW IN MY ENTIRE LIFE. HE IS SOOOO INFURIATING IN EVERY SCENE HE IS IN. I. CANNOT. STRESS. THIS. ENOUGH. THE AMOUNT OF TIMES I ALMOST THREW MY PHONE AT THE WALL BECAUSE OF HIM ALONE, WAS A VERY HIGH AMOUNT OF TIMES. it’s just that NOBODY acts like that in real life. AND HE HAS THE MOST ANNOYING THAI VOICE I HAVE EVER HEARD. Never wanted to slap someone THIS BAD. They made him sooo annoying that it got to the point where even when he does act normal, I STILL AM FILLED WITH RAGE EVERY TIME I SEE HIM. EVEN HIS SMILE ANNOYS ME THE MOST. Yes sure it’s probably not the actor himself. But It’s JUST THE WAY THE WRITERS AND DIRECTORS MADE HIS CHARACTER AND ITS SIMPLY THE WORST. There were SO MANY SCENES I WISHED I COULD FAST FORWARD. I honestly wished I could have stopped watching it. But for some reason I had to keep watching for Nuea and Sky.
Now. Onto everyone else. NUEA IS THE MOST BEAUTIFUL PERFECT MAN EVER. After watching him he's definitely one of my FAVORITE BL actors. He’s stunningly gorgeous. He has a BEAUTIFUL personality. THE WAY HE TAKES CONTROL OF ALL THE ROMANCE SCENES. SOOOOO HOT. exactly what I want in a main BL lead. My only complaint abt him ofc is, THERE. IS. NO. WAY. HE WOULD FALL FOR TOH. THERES NO DAMN WAY ANYONE IN THE WORLD COULD FALL FOR THAT. Im not saying nobody could love someone that is shy, weird, insecure, or overly obsessed with their crush. That can all be fine. ITS JUST THEY MADE HIM SO UNREALISTIC CUZ NOBODY IS ACTUALLY THAT BAD OK?! TOH DOES NOTTT DESERVE NUEA. FOR THIS REASON THEY DO NOT GO WELL TOGETHER. I CANT STAND SEEING A BEAUTIFUL PERFECT MAN LIKE THAT WITH THE MOST INFURIATING PERSON I HAVE EVER SEEN. FOR THIS REASON THE WHOLE POTENTIAL OF THE SHOW IS RUINED. IT HAD SUCH GOOD POTENTIAL FOR CHEMISTRY. THE QUALITY. THE ACTORS. BUT THEY RUINED IT ALL. it could have been SUCH A BEAUTIFUL SHOW. THE ROMANCE SCENES COULD HAVE BEEN SOOOOOO GOOD. SUCH POTENTIAL GONE TO WASTE. I. WILL. NOT. STRESS. THIS. ENOUGH.
Onto another character. I LOVEEEEEE SKY. HES PERFECT IN EVERY WAY. He’s an ANGEL. That man has not done ONE wrong thing in this entire show. And Jao is super adorable. I LOVE them two together. Sky never gave up. Kept chasing him. Who doesn’t love that? The side couples are 100000 times better than the main couple. I have NO complaints about those two.
Now about Intouch. That MAN IS FINE OK? He is STUNNING. wish he got more screen time. Also. No issues at all with him or Daisy. I need a spin off series of just them two… withOUT Toh. Please.
Alright I doubt anyone actually read all of that^ but I just needed to get all that anger off my chest. I’ve watched a hundred Thai shows, and yes they ALL have so many cringy scenes. That’s undeniable. But this one was multiplied by A MILLION. Every damn minute Toh was there.
Anyhow. Ya. I think that’s most of it. I have never used caps lock so much before. BUT HE DESERVES IT.
The moral of this is: SAVE YOURSELF. DONT WATCH IT. ITS NOT WORTH IT. YES NUEA AND SKY ARE BEAUTIFUL BL CHARACTERS. BUT. ITS NOT WORTH THE PAIN.
Thanks for coming to my Ted Talk~ Dani.
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This review may contain spoilers
Why is the rating so high?
Don't get me wrong, I have nothing against the cast/actors. I think like most reviews here, the actors did the best they could with the script that they got.The story is crap.
Quick Plot Summary:
Nubsib has been in love with Gene since they were kids. Now he's grown up a bunch and is a BL actor, and he stars in the series The Bad Engineer which is written by Gene. Gene, for whatever reason, doesn't recognize Nubsib. Eventually, Gene finds out who he is, they begin dating, pictures are taken, and drama ensues when the shippers are angry that the writer of the drama and the main actor are together and not the two main actors. The company forces them to "break up," and then in the end they get back together.
Why it sucked:
1. Nubsib falls in love with Gene when he was around 5-6 and Gene is 5 years older putting him around 10-11 years of age. So basically a 1st grader falling in love with a 6th grader or middle schooler. Though Gene in the drama never admits he was in love with Nubsib at that time, it sure felt awkward the way they shot their scenes together as kids. With the age gap, they looked romantically involved, and it was made to seem that both of them had feelings for one another. So much so, that Gene's father questions their relationship and seems to send Gene away to separate the two. This felt weird and wrong. I could understand Nubsib falling in love for Gene, but I would have much rather liked them either being the same age, or a year apart. It would make sense in that situation for both of them to be mutually falling for one another, but yet still have that innocence of young kids not knowing why they have those feelings. That could have been explored, but instead we got a weird feeling of an older kid playing with a kid much younger than him, and essentially becoming best friends, and romantically in love. It just felt weird.
2. Nubsib recognizes and knows how Gene looks like, yet Gene never knew what Nubsib looked like after growing up. That also felt weird because their parents live next to one another (even though Gene moved away, his parents didn't. And neither did Nubsib's). Their moms are best friends. I can't imagine Gene going home for holidays and not seeing pictures of Nubsib, or going over to say hello to Auntie Orn, if their families are so close. Even if Nubsib was in the USA, there would be pictures of him everywhere. It just seems a bit strange and farfetched if you ask me. Also, I know people's faces change as they grow, but not enough to where they're completely unrecognizable (without surgery of course).
3. The company forcing them to "break up" was stupid because it wasn't even a break up. They just had to avoid being seen in public. They turned it into a huge deal like they had to cut ties completely. It made no sense. Even if that were the case, Nubsib made such a strong argument throughout the whole series that he had been in love with Gene since he was a kid, and that he could not love anyone else; yet, he let Gene decide that it was best for them to separate because of the faux drama. Both families are extremely rich, both Gene and Nubsib have multiple homes. Neither of them need the careers they have chosen. So obviously, if they loved each other that much, there was no logical motivation to break up. All they had to do was give everyone in that room a middle finger, stand up, and leave. The end. I think if they were both average living people or even poor, it would have caused more tension. Then, it would have been, this is their livelihood. This is their source of income and ability to live. Without these jobs, they can't support their families, they can't live freely. And then, the responsibility to earn that money, and push aside their love for one another would have been justified.
There are many other problems with the drama, and I don't want to nitpick it to death. I think these were the major 3 things that made me think, why did no one sit down with the writer and explain a basic plot diagram? The tension in dramas don't always have to be external, frivolous, sudden, outrageous BS. As a gay man, when I watch BL dramas, the thing that pulls me in the most is the internal struggle. It's scary coming out. It's scary admitting to yourself that you might be gay. It's scary thinking that you might lose everyone around you, and that your life might disappear. Even now, as a married man, my husband and I are scared sometimes to show affection in public (we live in the CA, USA). That's because of the fear associated with coming out. These are the topics that could have been explored in much depth in this drama. We know that a majority of BL actors are straight men, to appeal to the female readers who like shipping two men together. They're straight men who although do fan service by kissing other men, or pretending to be romantically in love with their counterpart, still project straightness to garner love from women. So in a drama like Lovely Writer, that was supposed to shed light on the problems within the BL community, they could have explored something as simple as, having a fear of really coming out and being a BL actor. There aren't that many openly gay BL Thai actors. (I'm not saying they need to come out if they are, but my point being that some people are still afraid of public perception). That could have been an internal struggle for Nubsib. Instead, we got a confident gay. Which is fine, but what happens is there was just no tension. Let's compare it to "I Told Sunset about You" where the main character Teh, is constantly struggling to acknowledge his true feelings.
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In a circle we run, away from a cheeky teenager.
If you are ready for a whole lot of frustration, running in a circle, kids being scary straightforward and adults acting like shy teenagers - this is a perfect watch for you.Here’s the thing - it was so exciting, fun and enjoyable at first. Being more or less the same age as Minato, I could easily understand his panic about starting to have feelings for a high schooler. Even the idea is scary. That said, I feel like they failed with Minato writing wise, since he just... existed and everything was happening around him. The guy did not try to process it at all and it left the viewers with repetitive scenes and plots, since nothing was changing character wise.
Shin was saving grace with his pro flirting, honesty and undying motivation to make Minato his. He was far more dynamic of a character, actually showing some change in his behavior depending on the situation and the circumstances.
There were also a few nice side characters like Sakurako and Asuka who added some wholesome platonic moments to this romance driven show.
Plot wise, we've got whole side plot of Sakuma Takayuki which was stretched so bad, taking too much screen time and becoming quite an annoying addition to the drama. The teacher might have been the sweetest dude ever, but that plot should have been resolved in 2 episodes max.
Performance wise I do not have any complaints. Kusakawa Takuya did his best with Akira - the character was just not it writing wise. Nishigaki Sho truly impressed me. He did quite well with some more subtle emotions and perfectly presented the angst related to the first big teenage love.
Production wise, it gave a high budget since of life webdrama vibes - which personally I truly love.
Overall, I am honestly not sure how I feel about it. On paper it works, but when I watched it, I was getting either frustrated or bored, and I was wishing for the show to finally end. I don’t regret watching, but I’m also not sure if I would recommend it for others to check out. I also crave second season or at least a special episode, because the payoff after all the running away was quite short-lived.
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Honestly It's NOT THAT BAD
People tend to read a lot of reviews and had a lot of judgement even before watching a show. But honestly this show is pretty good. Not to 10/10 kind of good but definitely deserve at least an 8/10.To be honest, I got affected a little by knowing they had a lot of controversies after airing the first two episodes which I think it's pretty sad for them to have such an unlucky start because honestly it deserves a better rating.
For those who were saying that JCW doesn't shine in this show, it's pretty wrong. I personally think he doesn't have the need to receive cool hero roles like Healer, Baek Dong Soo or K2 in order to shine; which he really shows his good acting here as well, alongside with Kim Yoo Jung. I'm always very impressed how she captures a lot of details while acting, every expression of hers are telling a story, honestly one of the actress who presented very natural and good acting skills despite being young.
Let's talk about story, simple yet entertaining. It gives you a great laugh time to time. It might not have a big WOW storyline but it was better than a normal story too. For those who think it is super boring, trust me, there are much more worse ones out there. But standing in an objective perspective, if you hardly know any of them or don't like the casts, you might not be able to watch to the end. Because I love the two main casts and I was waiting for the couple to get together so as long as there's a reason to watch then it's worth watching! The two main leads are pretty cute, and when both of them smiled together, the visuals just exploded hahaha! I believe the kiss scenes were being cut because of the controvery, that's a shame. That's why I think this drama is basically just unlucky but it's not bad!
Side note: I really enjoyed The Fiery Priest characters coming out here and there, so for those who haven't watch it you must be wondering who are those people, you have to watch that too as it is the same director!
No wonder I've been sensing a strong "fiery priest comedy" from the very first episode😂
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1This review may contain spoilers
If You Wish For It, Even The Rain Gives Way To The Sun..
This is one of the best dramas I have watched this year and I loved it.. I honestly can’t decide what I loved more, the actors or the story.. There’s just so much to appreciate here.. I would easily recommend this version over any of the other language adaptations.. The Korean version was good but it lacked someone like Satoh Takeru, a perfect actor who could carry the weight of the story alongside the FL.. Unfortunately I couldn’t finish the Korean version because I just couldn’t get past Na In Woo’s bland performance..Koshiba Fuka and Satoh Takeru delivered formidable performances.. Both vulnerable and magnetic.. Their chemistry is incredible, making us all root for their happiness.. Koshiba Fuka’s portrayal of Misa is especially captivating.. Showing her range as an actress and her ability to express so many emotions with subtlety.. It was honestly hard to believe it was the same person in the first episode.. Takeru’s portrayal of Wataru is equally remarkable.. A man determined to protect the person he loves when given a second chance..
One of the most memorable lines from the drama comes from the ML..
“I would be an unnamed extra… Not even in focus..
Just Student A, Interviewer B, Boss C..
A background extra with no lines..
I never would have been a part of her story...
Or so it seemed.. But on September 18, 2015, she jumped in out of nowhere.”
And he went from being an extra to the main character in her story..
I really wanted this drama to do well.. I was worried people might see it and think "Eh, just another remake / adaptation".. But it’s not that at all.. This is so much more and so much better.. This drama is elegant and there is a certain magic to the story.. I also liked that it got violent and bloody at the end.. After all they are fighting for her freedom, love and happiness..
It felt like the “Did my dad send you to me??” dialogue from The First Frost would have worked really well here.. They could have used it if you ask me..
The scene where the ML quietly takes her urn and leaves, just so he can take her to a place where she felt safe and loved, was heartbreaking.. The whole situation just made you feel so sad for the FL.. Her husband and best friend are arrested for her murder.. Her mother in law is being detained for insurance fraud and not a single person at the funeral stopped a literal stranger from walking away with her ashes.. How alone was she, really??
The supporting characters in this drama were excellent too.. Whether it was the sister or the colleague or even the friend.. They weren’t just there to elevate the main cast.. They also added so much to the story.. And Esaka Reina?? She was seriously obsessed and crossed some unsettling lines.. Splendid performance by Shiraishi Sei.. I also appreciated how nothing felt dragged out.. And there was no love triangle or unnecessary additions like the fiancee in the Korean version..
Overall, this drama had everything.. Even a satisfying, happy ending.. And I loved that ending.. Instead of the couple being portrayed as rich and powerful, we see the leads doing their best to live out their dreams.. Misa reopening her favorite dessert shop and Wataru going back to university.. They waited ten years to get married, probably because they were afraid of the side effects of altering the timeline too much.. Either way, I loved that proposal scene.. It was beautiful and showed two people truly in love..
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