Acting/Cast- The cast of this drama is relatively new, so I've not seen any of them before. However, each one of them left a remarkable mark on my memory. As a fan of the book, I admit I fantasized the leads to be more good looking as per the description of the characters. I was also disappointed with the cast before watching the drama, but boy did they change my perception. Both main actors were very good at their parts, played with such subtle chemistry and understanding and I totally bought their version of Luo Zhi and Sheng Huainan. Special mention to the guy who played Zheng Mingrui. He was so amazing at his role that I really felt for his character. Soo good. All other actors pretty much played their part really well.
Music- LOVED the music of this drama. Both the beginning and ending theme was amazing, especially the end song was really cute and captured the essence of youth so well.
Re-watch value- Definately gonna watch this drama again.
Overall- I might be biased because i already read the book few years ago but this drama is worth the shot and i hope more people watch it.
Was this review helpful to you?
please tell me this was a social experiment
you know those shows that you just never want to end? this was the complete opposite of that. I spent every single second watching this hoping, wishing, praying it would just end already. I put it on 2x speed and still felt myself growing older by the second, wasting away my precious minutes on this earth watching this trainwreck of a show.now you may ask, why did you finish it if you hated it this much? I have no answer for you. I myself am astonished by my own perseverance. I told myself I would see this show through to the bitter end and I can proudly say I DID IT! I withstood it all. the bad acting, horrible writing, boring cinematography, outrageous advertisement, obnoxious background music and I came out alive. I stand victorious against this show! It hasn’t broken me, but oh boy it certainly tried.
sometimes when I close my eyes I can still see it… the logo “Lodestar Productions” looming in front of me, mocking me. I wake up in the middle of the night, drenched in sweat after having found myself trapped in a nightmare where I, too, am sitting in that office. unable to escape the melodramatics of daonuea and nine. unable to even scream. someone hands me phone and asks me to book a flight using the AirAsia SuperApp™ I take it, my fingers numb, only able to wait for death to put an end to my suffering.
anyways this show was shit. and considering how many people it takes for the production of a drama I cannot believe that this was anything other than a social experiment. there is just no way that many people earnestly signed off on this idea thinking it was going to be a hit. I will not believe it. watch it if you’re looking for something to bore you death and haunt you in your nightmares.
Was this review helpful to you?
Story:
Typical josei romance plot (you'll appreciate this if you're a manga reader). Boy meets girl, the guy fell in love with her, then he pursues the girl. Actually the plot is just ordinary, except for a unique twist that the guy is a monk. The comedic dialogues are present which are good, and I guess that what makes this charming (for me anyway). But what I really liked about the story is honestly the guy's character. His personality is really charming in an enchanting way. I don't know but I developed a deep affection to the main lead not only because of his physical appearance but his character development as well. The girl is our typical josei woman (if you read josei manga, then you know what I mean).
Acting/Casting:
Such handsome and pretty people, I must admit. XD Well, I liked how the actors and actresses (esp the main leads) portrayed their respective roles. I haven't read the manga yet so I can't really say if they had portrayed it well but I can assure you they are really good. Good enough to make my emotions sway every damn episode easily. Ugh, I just so love them all.
Music:
BACK NUMBER IS THE BEST! XD YOU SHOULD LISTEN TO IT. YOU'LL DEFINITELY LOVE IT. HAHA Even though I look like I'm promoting, the OST "back number" really suits this show well. I fell in love with this song first before I fell in love with the show, so if you're still skeptical 'bout watching this, then I advise you to at least try listening to the OST. It made me appreciate the show more, maybe it could persuade you as well.
Overall:
I rated this 10/10 in MDL (personal taste hehe) but I'll go now with 9/10. It's really a good one. I rarely get feels when watching Japanese drama but I must say this is an exception. Maybe because I watched this during Christmas eve and Christmas day. HAHA Welp, I don't really know. But I really like the roller coaster of emotions this drama awakened in me. It made me realize that falling in love is not an easy thing. Again. It brings you pain, suffering, tears, frustrations (lololol hint: lots of drama at the end so beware) but as well as happiness, smiles, laughter, and hope. But at the end of the day, you'll still choose to fall in love despite of the pain it will bring in your heart. Because as they say, love can keep the sadness at bay. It will cure a painfully broken heart as well as warming a cold frozen heart buried with time.
Have a happy holidays. :)
Was this review helpful to you?
*BEST OF 2020* *JUST GIVE IT A TRY*
*IT JUST ENDED* T_T T_T T_TThis drama shows a side of Life which we don't see much on TV, the struggle of life.
I think there will be at least one character to which you will feel relatable...
*ASIDE FROM*: usual Action, Thriller, Rom-Com drama
THIS is a lot different and Great Show
~IN MY OPINION "THE BEST FAMILY SHOW I HAVE EVER SEEN."
~All the different characters and their issues and how each of their issues are solved throughout the drama is so satisfying, I Haven't seen it in a long time...
~ It Helps u gain confidence in your-self and convey advice about growing up, a life of adulthood, psychological issues, what life is in Reality...
YOU CRY even if you don't want too
YOU LAUGH even IF you don't want too
that's just how lighthearted this drama is...
~GONNA MISS IT BADLY how I Bought IQIYI VIP PASS for it and how I used to wait daily for the episodes air... T_T T_T
~I felt so relatable to Ling Xiao and Qi Ming Yue.....
~The Bond of the sibling shown is so Touching.
~A person like Li Ba should exist in our life as well
Father so supportive
Caring neighbor
Loving Friend
~Its been So long since I have watched such a heartwarming drama
~A Drama which made me cry so hard AT ITS LAST EPISODE Tear OF Happiness... TvT
~this drama contains so many feelings...
hats off to the writer who wrote such a beautiful story and so many touching dialogues.
~I hope whoever reads this Review will Watches this Drama
~*JUST WATCH* it till EP3 and if you liked it, then continue after EP3
~I PROMISE YOU, YOU WON'T REGRET IT ;)
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
I really don't know whether I can actually write a review for this without giving any spoilers. But I'll try, so here we go. This. Drama. Is. HILARIOUS. I mean, I know different people like different kinds of Humor but this one would definitely tickle your funny bone. Whether it's Hwang Tae Kyung's duck pout or Go Mi Nam's aunt's butt slapping or Jeremy's sexual orientation dilemmas or lots of other things that might get to you. But it'll surely make you laugh! The story is awesome and refreshing in the most cliche way. A girl dresses up as a guy and works with guys and falls for one of those guys. But out of all Gender-Bender stories, this one would definitely stay with you forever. I mean, I've literally had moments where I suddenly zone out and start thinking about random scenes from this drama and laugh hysterically, and then people eye me like, "Did you just have a crazy-woman episode?" and I can't explain it to them because they just won't watch the effing drama! I mean, come on, it's weird explaining.
Coming to acting. EVERY SINGLE PERSON IN THAT DRAMA IS EPIC. Like, seriously, all the characters, even Jung Yong Hwa (playing Shin Woo) who people keep dissing saying he's a horrible actor, is just EPIC in you're beautiful. The actors playing even the smallest characters are epic. The music is mind-blowing. Definitely on my top 5 Korean drama OST (and you know how much competition the K-drama OSTs have). "Without Words" by Park Shin Hye has so much meaning to it, it just gives me goosebumps. Whoever wrote that song, HATS OFF! I have watched this drama twice and keep searching funny clips on YouTube and rewatching them all the time.
So, in conclusion, everyone should watch this drama. It's a rite of passage for every Korean drama watcher. But I guess most of us have watched it already, but still. If you haven't, you should definitely put this one on your PTW list :)
Was this review helpful to you?
What I loved most about this drama is that the story just kept getting more and more extreme as it went on, and I just kept getting more and more sucked in! For 32 episodes I couldn't wait to see what crazy thing would happen next so, unlike other viewers, I was never really bored. I also liked that all of the major characters had a dark side, or were flawed, which made them a lot more interesting.
Lee Dong Wook's Jae Wan was a fun character to watch unfold, even though he was damn near robotic. This drama is basically his tragic story, and it's a doozy! At first I was turned off by how cold he was, but I liked him more and more as more of his story was revealed. Eventually his need to keep his composure seemed haunting.
Lee Da Hae as Ah Mo Nae was extremely annoying, even as she started to mature, but I thinks she was a great character. Kudos to the actress for making me want to smack her through the screen several times. I also really loved the forbidden romance between Jae Wan and Ah Mo Nae, especially early on when it was technically "very" forbidden. I think they had great chemistry, although they do much more crying than flirting.
Lee Duk Hwa as Lee Joong Goo had not a single ounce of redeeming quality in him, so It was fun to watch where his extreme evil would lead. Just when I thought he couldn't get more cutthroat he would surpass his last action tenfold. I thought he was excellent.
My favorite character by far was Kim Hae Sook as Baek Mi Nyeo. It took a lot of range to pull that character off. She was manipulative, mentoring, backstabbing, sympathetic, ruthless... she'd make me drop my jaw one minute and boo-hoo cry the next. Very few actresses can pull off a role that crazy, but she definitely did. It's not the most realistic character, but again, that's why this drama was so much fun.
There is nothing subtle about this drama, it is melodrama at it's finest. I loved the cast. I loved the music. The writing may not be perfect, but considering all this story tried to take on, I was impressed.
32 episodes is a huge commitment, but I didn't mind because I didn't want it to end. I would also watch all 32 episodes again, which should tell you how much I enjoyed it the first time. I definitely recommend this to any one who likes their dramas to be filled with DRAMA in ALL CAPS.
Was this review helpful to you?
This story is supposedly based on a true story and can I just say this is a complete tear jerker. My friends kept pushing me into watching this and even though it's sad, I am so glad I decided to watch it.
This movie is just an amazing story about ones first love. It teases you with so much happiness and then just stabs you in the heart with sadness. I think it hurts a little more inside when you realize this based off true events.
I loved the cast. I really liked Miura and Yui together. There were those awkward acting scenes but I've grown used to them after watching so many dramas. But their chemistry was pretty good. I liked the supporting cast as well. Their characters were shown just enough and all blended well together.
I would definitely recommend this to anyone and if you are still iffy about watching this, just watch it..with a box of tissues of course
Was this review helpful to you?
Mostly centered on the rise and fall of an unfixable friendship, it doesn't stretch out the same one plot for sixteen episodes risking to make it lame and repetitive. Different stories are told, just like different stories happen in one high school class. Each of these plots lead back to friendship in the end, but none of them is like the previous one, as they all touch a second different topic, reminding us we're never the only ones who suffer although not everyone has to face the same kind of hardship we're going through.
This drama is original, true, bitter, at times shocking, but also inspiring, hopeful and fun like the age of its protagonists.
I appreciate the complete absence of romance, not because i don't enjoy it but because it's a nice change in kdramas standards.
At times it seems ridiculous the ability this school has to find a reason to expell someone every other day, but nevertheless the screenplay keeps the suspence up until the very last minute.
And there's no reason to deny or hide it: the bromance will kill you over and over again.
This drama is a jewel.
Was this review helpful to you?
This drama has everything you would expect from and Asian drama AND more. It's all i thought about for days, I literally dreamt of the characters when i slept.
The story, although it is appears to be a stereotypical 'good girl meets bad boy' theme, is actually far more deeper then that. The girl wasn't always so reserved, and the boy wasn't always such a womanizer. It really touches upon the consuming physiological problems that tragedy can create. Its normal to see the male lead 'change' throughout the drama and become a better person while falling in love with the female lead, but it is extremely rare to see both characters changing so much; together.
The acting was amazing. That's to be expected with Barbie and Vic. I laughed and i cried with these characters. I felt their heartbreak as much as my own.
Its the rare kind of drama that gets better with each passing episode, and at the end you just wish you could watch it all over again with new eyes.
I would recommend this to anyone.
Was this review helpful to you?
Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned.
This excellent adaption of one of Gu Long's best known works 绝代双骄 is also known as peerless or legendary twins. The cringey English title is a shameless bid to advertise the main leads as eye candy idol actors. This delightful romp through jianghu is faithful to the original story and checks all the boxes in terms of what a true blue wuxia ought to be.This is a typical Gu Long plot structured around one overarching conspiracy that comes to light after the main protagonists encounter many adventures and solve a few smaller related mysteries. A woman scorned by unrequited love sets out to extract a terrible vengeance by separating twin brothers at birth and raising them to kill or be killed by each other. As the leader of the powerful Yihua Palace, she raises one of the brothers Hua Wuque (Hu Yitian) to be a stellar martial artist whose mission is to hunt down and personally kill the wicked Jiang Xiaoyu. Wuque is a handsome, refined and righteous but overly naive and reserved young man who is the spitting image of his father Jiang Feng.
Wuque's brother Jiang Xiaoyu (Chen Zheyuan) is rescued by Jiang Feng's sworn brother legendary swordsman Yan Nantian and grows up under the influence of the ten great villains of Wicked Canyon. He is renown for his intelligence (mostly due to self praise) and is a lively, charismatic and healthily skeptical young rogue. Less skilled than Wuque, he relies on his deviousness to squirm out of tight situations. He is a determined bachelor that evades several persistent young women before meeting his match in wit and resourcefulness. This embroils him in several romantic entanglements and triangles. During his many colorful adventures, his path crosses with Wuque and they become friends and allies. Together they tackle their main antagonist, the scheming Jiang Biehe and his son Jiang Yulang. Despite their disparate upbringings and appearing on surface to to be polar opposites, both brothers are innately good natured and have common values that bind them in a deep friendship. Nonetheless in accordance with jianghu code of conduct, they must fulfill their vow to face each other in a predestined duel to the death.
The plot and the many archetypal characters in this well known story may seem tropey and unoriginal but Gu Long was one of the pioneers of the modern wuxia genre. If this feels familiar or like something you have watched before, it is more likely those stories or characters were influenced by this rather than the other way around. It is easy to follow because the audience is usually one step ahead of both protagonists and antagonists and knows the big secret that they are brothers. It is a favorite of mine because the overused revenge trope is handled compassionately and does not devolve into simply just an eye for an eye. All of Gu Long's women are capable of being frighteningly single minded in love, unscrupulous, vindictive and utterly ruthless and unforgiving. One of these bad-ass ladies always gets the guy but this is from the 1950s so while there is romance, it is very chaste by today's standards.
I was really impressed by the cast. Many important roles were played by young and upcoming actors and this was very obvious in the first 4 episodes. After that, almost everyone got into character and it came together quite well. While Chen Zheyuan somewhat overacted Jiang Xiaoyu, he is a very versatile and charismatic young actor. He just needs to not try so hard, be a bit more nuanced and develop his own style. Similarly Hu Yitian's Hua Wuque was a bit too restrained or underacted initially. But they had great chemistry and really excelled at showing us how the brothers grew to become more alike as they got to know each other. I must also mention the awesome cat and mouse encounters between Jiang Yulang and Jiang Xiaoyu - what an excellent villain! I actually found this to be the best acted, most nuanced main role.
Finally in terms of what makes or breaks any wuxia it is the fight scenes. These really knocked the ball out of the park - they were truly awesome - excitingly and powerfully choreographed with the right balance between stills, slow motion and non-stop movement. And naturally it is Gu Long so it is a total feast in terms of the number of heart stopping lethal clashes between some very colorful, slightly eccentric martial arts champions with wildly improbable combat abilities. I love this stuff and immediately rewound and re-watched each epic clash.
What a fun, well paced, light heart-ed and engaging wuxia. I wish all adaptations of the classic, best loved Gu Long and Jin Yong wuxias get this kind of quality remake. Two thumbs up!
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
“The song that I madly, deeply wanted to sing... That song should've been mine.”It's been exactly 3 weeks since I completed this movie, and I've made sure that I'm not emotionally attached or blindingly giving full scores. I can't find any fault in this piece, still. I never had such a hard time trying to put my amazement into words. I hate to spoil or guide you to view this film in a certain way, but I believe that the synopsis and the trailer are already a huge spoiler, so here's my attempt to elaborate:
Let me tell you first that this is not a “journey to stardom” kind of music movie or a story about two girls pulling each other's hair and fighting over a guy. Of course it does revolve around the themes of music and jealousy, but there are more to this than just being another love triangle story between musicians.
There is an absolute charm to how its English title accurately describes what this film has to offer. “Love, Lies” speaks for its entire composition: 50% hope and 50% despair, and I don't say that lightly; this film boldly runs for 1 hour telling the story of love, friendship, hope and dreams while building up the tension, then, later at its 50% mark, turns into a story of lies, jealousy, betrayal and broken heart for another hour. It also wraps up with guilt and consequences at the end, leading you to fully sympathize with every decision made by the main character no matter how crooked she’s become.
The setting in 1943-1945, the very end of Japanese occupation era in Korea, was fully utilized here and it intertwined so well with the music theme. It was the last two years that “gisaengs” existed. It was the most modern period of those Japanese backdrops. Also, Korea's liberation at the end of the story plays a good part. Here is where it could become difficult for some people to give this film a high score; the movie does require a little understanding of “musician mindset”.
Music is a form of art, and by art, it means there's no correct answer. It’s very subjective and personal. One may view music as something suitable for high class, but on the other hand it’s never wrong to think that music should belong to people in every social status. This conflict will set lover conflicts in motion in the story. So, think: What if your musician lover prefers someone else’s voice rather than yours? It’s unfavorable, but it’s not wrong, right?
Because the man in question is a musician – a pop music composer, it somewhat allows his unfavorable choices to slip through. It’s quite a given that his mind does not (need to) function entirely logically. He makes choices based on his artistic hunch. When he, according to the synopsis, “falls in love” with his girlfriend’s best friend, I came to fully accept the fact, although I didn’t support his decision either. And that was just one of the many reasons I loved how thoroughly planned the writing for this film was.
The Korean title for this movie “Hae-eo-hwa” is another old term for “gisaeng”, women who received high education in music to perform in front of and entertain men of high social status. “Hwa” means flower, so “haeeohwa” also means “a flower that understands human’s words”. The term represents how women (gisaengs) were treated as social inferior. This “haeeohwa” theme plays a big part in the film more than just suggesting the leads’ profession. One woman is willing to follow the guidance of a man she loves, and another goes against her own beliefs and throws herself at another man to gain power to take back what she loves.
All of these are combined into great storytelling, and in the end, you will see for yourself whether it was the “artistic mindset”, the social derogation of women, a man’s swayed heart, a friend’s betrayal… or it was entirely something else that ruined it all.
“Why did ____ not know back then that it was good enough?”
Also, don’t forget to keep an eye on the minor character Kim Okhyang. She doesn’t appear often, but she’s another character that will leave you with many thoughts in the end.
--
I was stunned by Han Hyojoo’s acting as the sweet yet heartbroken Jung Soyul. Facial expressions were the key to this character’s portrayal, and she was utterly perfect. Casting Chun Woohee as Han Hyojoo’s best friend who needs to look and feel smaller and a bit inferior was also a great decision. Yoo Yeonseok’s laid-back demeanor was definitely suitable for his music composer role. He also deserves compliments for his months of effort in practicing piano just for this movie. Everyone including the supporting cast really made this movie come to life.
As for the music, there are plenty of music movies that fail to deliver an excellent result in the music department. This movie did not just reach my expectation but surpassed it to an exceptional level. Traditional “Jeongga” music and 1940’s trot are not what would appeal to everyone’s ears, but this movie made their music very sweet, easy to listen and memorable. For additional points, the two lead actresses performed every song themselves, and they were spectacular.
Lastly, the artistic department deserves great compliments. Locations, costumes and props were top-notch. Cinematography presented this film in vibrant colors, and the composition was beautiful from the beginning till the end. Everything was grand and aesthetically pleasing here.
I usually don’t rewatch, but I will definitely watch this one many times.
I absolutely recommend this film to everyone.
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
Beautiful xianxia drama that may have its flaws but overall is still worth the watch
Before I get into this, I would like to say that negative reviews have had no effect on me and I think Zhou Dong Yu looks the part.This story follows Shang Gu as she lives up to her role as the leader of the four immortals and takes responsibility for the realms.
The story starts out somewhat stereotypical: Shang Gu needs to get stronger so she trains under Bai Jue. However, the character development was nicely done in this: Shang Gu grows from a mischievous, useless goddess to a powerful, self-sacrificing leader. Bai Jue also begins to open up, and the chemistry between the two is adorable. Shang Gu is like a puppy dog of happiness whenever she's around Bai Jue! The plot also begins to pick up around 4 episodes too, and the story becomes very interesting.
The second life is also neat, but one of my only criticisms of the show comes here: Shang Gu(or Houchi in this life) becomes a bit wooden. Zhou Dong Yu still acts out Houchi like she was the strong female ruler she was, but after 30 episodes it starts to get a little stale and unbelievable. In Xianxia dramas (or any drama, really) I wish to see a lot of character development and growth. Shang Gu experienced emotional and physical growth, but I'm not sensing a lot of emotional growth from Houchi where it feels like there should be some. She still faces problems and reacts to things in exactly the same way for 20 episodes straight. I find it hard to believe that her personality will change drastically when she becomes Shang Gu again too. Despite this, I still enjoyed the second arc.
The third phase (starting from the return of Bai Jue) was both the best and the worst phase. It was the worst because in some places, there were some cheesy and unbelievable scenes, such as (no major spoilers) when everyone stood in a circle around Bai Jue and Jing Zhao and watched everything unfold without reacting. There were some pretty shocking things happening, so the vast majority just standing there like statues kind of took the emotional impact out of that moment for me. Another thing is Shang Gu interacting with Bai Jue during the period when they weren't on the best terms. They basically said the same things for three encounters. Xu Kai's acting saved the day because he has the best despairing gaze, but I feel like they needed to switch up their interactions a bit.
Now for the best parts (and these override the bad parts by miles ). I said above that I may not like Zhou Dong Yu's acting in the third arc, but I was pleasantly surprised. Her acting, like in the first arc, feels lively, spirited, and quick-witted. The second great thing is actually the villain's development. I want to give props to Jenny Zhang for portraying Wu Huan's character with such depth. Her desperation and resignation of fate led her to her actions, and I can even relate with her a bit. Her story was well written and her ending was justified. And that leads me to the third thing. Ancient Love Poetry has one of the best endings that I've seen. All the characters were written off nicely, everyone got what they deserved, and the ending was beautiful. Nothing felt rushed or unsatisfactory. The ending sealed the deal for this drama being a great drama overall.
About the main characters: I sometimes felt Zhou Dong Yu could've acted some parts with more emotion. She's awesome at the cheerful/intellectual/imposing scenes, but her sad scenes aren't totally there yet. Xu Kai is great; he goes from an emotionless True God to a hot-blooded immortal, and he's great at subtly showing his emotions in his third form. Like Zhou Dong Yu, his acting is also a bit wooden at times, but his emotional scenes hit me where it hurts. He's got some great acting abilities. Despite their individual acting, their chemistry was adorable. I also liked the fact that their relationship was not a stereotypical guy-is-the-best-at-everything relationship.
The side characters are a joy to watch in this show. I love them all, from the friends to the villains. They are multifaceted and compelling, and I'm as invested in their stories as I am in the main couples'. Wu Huan is a dislikeable but understandable villain, Yue Mi and Feng Ran are friends with interesting backstories, the other immortals are all people with flaws struggling to do their best, and the Demon Tribe is just another group with its own troubles and stories. Tian Qi is actually one of my favorite characters. They are part of what makes this show charming.
For the animation: the trailer was beyond beautiful, but making every little part look amazing is going to cost a lot of money, and this drama is already CGI heavy. However, this show is the best-edited among long-length xianxia dramas up to and during its air. It really is dazzling and gorgeous.
Overall, Ancient Love Poetry is definitely a drama worth watching, and despite my criticisms, the number of great scenes vastly outnumber them. Also, once you get deep into the story, you want to know what happens next!
Was this review helpful to you?
M A S T E R P I E C E
I find myself having a different taste than most users here on MDL so I would totally not recommend it if you can't handle slow type of movie especially this one which is 2 1/2 hours long. This movie also contains sex scenes so definitely not for everyone. People with attention span of a goldfish would hate this movie.Jongsu is an aspiring writer; he also works as a part time delivery man. One day while doing his delivery task he bumps into hae min, who is apparently his childhood friend. hae min said she is going to africa and ask jongsu to look after her cat. Hae min comes back along with mysterious guy named ben. One day ben and hae min visits jongsu, later on ben confessed to jongsu his secret hobby.
It is the definition of slow burn no pun intended, utilizing the time to explore the life of the lead character, his affection to Hae min, conflicts with his family and his view to korean society. The film is a character study and Jongsu is just our extension in the movie. The movie is very philosophical in which the central theme revolves around "little and great hunger"(what we want / what we need), it is also very metaphorical, simmering with ambiguity, it's the best example of less talk see it in action and it also loaded with symbolism throughout. Though being the film a slow burn and with its 2 1/2 hours running time, it is by no means a dull or boring movie. It is a hypnotic experience and throughout the movie you will use your brain a lot as mysteries after mysteries unfolds.
Cinematography is topnotch. It's beautifully shot, able to capture the eerie atmosphere on screen. I also love the shots at dawn, it's enigmatic yet mesmerizing. Music just makes this thriller movie 100x better. It is haunting, builds tension, underlines the mood and evokes characters emotion.
Acting is masterful, might be the best I've seen in years. Let's talk about the lead girl first. Jeon Jong Seo as a free spirited gypsy is just brilliant, the way she pantomime eating orange is very believable, the philosophical element of the movie plays here, that's why that scene is important in the movie. She also not just good looking but also has great screen presence. Yoo Ah In who played Jongsu is equally brilliant. The development of his character is handled really well especially during the later part when his character became obsessed. Steven Yeun is not just a guy from walking dead, the dude can really act. I love the way he made the character more mysterious through his facial expressions.
Perfectly crafted movie, you would feel the labor of love put by a director making movies like this. It's that type of movie that you would get something new every time you watch it. Definitely the best movie I've seen this year and the best korean film I've seen in a decade. This is a masterpiece.
If you enjoy the though provoking element and the whole ambiance in this movie I'm sure you would love to read some Haruki Murakami novels.
Check my Blog for other reviews & other JDramas stuffs. (｡◕‿‿◕｡)
https://thatjapanesedramaguy.blogspot.com/
Was this review helpful to you?
holy effing chemistry batman
Whoever decided to pair these two up knew exactly what they were doing, I was ready for this chemistry as soon as I saw who they cast for the roles. The show just ended and I have complicated feelings rating it.The story is simple enough, cocky boxer Yoryak (Great) meets his match outside the ring, a doctor who has no patience for his attitude, Dr. Wandee (Inn). He runs into our drunk, heartbroken doctor a few days later and takes him home, just for the doctor to drag him inside for some sexy fun. They hit it off a lot better than either of them expected, so when they they end up tangled up in bed again, they decide to strike up a deal.
These actors are much more than just pretty faces, the two leads have depth to them, and their chemistry is CHEMISTRYING. Their playful personalities make them loveable, and the romance that threatens to break into their FWB situationship is like a heavy sweet and innocent syrup they pour on top to fill the show with flavor.
Yoryak's brother and his boyfriend are adorable too, they bicker like an old husband and wife and im here for these wholesome vibes. I was also really interested to see our asexual best friend get into a cute and loving relationship, but to be honest they didn't do much with it and I was disappointed.
Production quality is good, it's GMMTV after all.
Heres the rub, they hit us with a SOLID first 7 episodes, great quality and gave you all the feels, and then the episodes after that were plain BORING. Not that there weren't some cute or sexy scenes sprinkled in, but the plot felt forced and the tension wasn't there. It went from a 8/9 stars for the first 7 episodes to 5 stars for the last 5. I'm going to go with a 7.5 overall because it will probably be easier to push through the boring now that all of the episodes are out, and the beginning was really worth the watch. Hopefully GMMTV will start focusing on the plot quality instead of pushing out so many of these "could have been incredible" BLs.
Was this review helpful to you?
I would very much like to review it in its own right, i.e. without comparing it to the original Korean version, but I found out it's impossible for more than one reason. First, because the majority of those who loved You're Beautiful were biased towards this remake from the look of the actors alone and didn't even give it a chance; second, because ironically my having watched the original made me appreciate this version a lot more. Therefore, I'll set my usual policy aside and write a comparative review.
I liked Ikemen Desu Ne more than You're Beautiful in many respects.
Despite having kept the plot almost untouched, the Japanese made some subtle changes to this drama which results in a completely different feel to it. This version has a younger look; although the Korean actors were in the same age range as the Japanese when You're Beautiful aired, the first looked somehow older. The aftereffect is that while Ikemen feels like kids playing kids, You're Beautiful is about adults being childish.
Because the Japanese remake lasts half the time as the Korean, they had to condense the original story and cut a good number of scenes. As it seems, they decided on cutting mostly on comedic scenes and secondary characters. I have missed some truly hilarious parts of the original, but at the same time I'm happy they skipped some and didn't linger on aunts, fans, managers and the like.
But what really made it for me is the female lead character. Mio is a sweet, generous girl out of her element, dealing with her firsts: first experience on stage, first friendship, first love. While in the beginning she unwittingly makes mistakes, she shows strength of will and some pride, which makes it easy to connect with her. Go Mi Nam was a über-humble klutz in the beginning and remained such till the very end, a trait which I personally found irritating to say the least. The fact that the biggest part of the comedy in YaB derived from Go Mi Nam's nth mishap made me very happy the Japanese decided to show a girl a little less frustrating and hen-pecked.
This leads me to the male lead. The difference is quite notable too. Ren starts as haughty and impatient, but shows his true colours very soon. He's a softie. The tormented relationship with his mother is stressed upon in this version, so that his yearning for affection and eventually falling for Mio comes out as very natural. Tae Kyung, on the other hand, is an arrogant young man who learns to think about others too. But we have to wait until the very last to see his transformation and even then he can't do without a couple of bravados or two.
This is why I loved Mio & Ren as a couple, while I barely tolerated Mi Nam and Tae Kyung.
The other "angels" grew on me. They may not be as good-looking as the Korean, but I believe they played their roles well and I refuse to start a debate on the most undebatable issue on earth: taste. As a group, the Japanese A.N.Jell look more like friends than their Korean counterparts. The relationship between Ren and Shu (Tae Kyung and Shin Woo in YaB) is better explored in IDN and I truly liked to watch them fight for the love of Mio.
I have a hard time rating the music. Some songs are the same as in the original, but in Japanese. I didn't care much for them and I think the Korean sang and executed them much better. On the other hand, I truly loved the instrumental music played in between songs. The piano piece is lovely, and used in just the right scenes.
This review has been long enough. I felt the need to write it because I think it's unfair to judge it without watching it to the end and I always get fired up when I read commentaries like "they are ugly" or "they can't compare". If you think you're an unbiased watcher and you like young dramas, give Ikemen Desu Ne a try. You may end up liking it more than expected.
Was this review helpful to you?
