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Spring is just the beginning
Totally, this marks the end of an era, although the story was completed with what we saw in the movie Pornographer: Playback, it seems to me that this short close perfectly with anything that could be left in the inkwell, to begin with, yes, the relationship between Kuzumi and Kijima it is still a long distance relationship but we see that their situation is much more consolidated than before and the most important thing is that for the first time, in the entire franchise, we see them openly happy in their relationship.One of the things that I appreciate about this epilogue is that we were able to see a little more convenience with the Kijima family and I appreciate how the relationship between Rio and Haruhiko became so natural to everyone, something rarely seen in cut productions LGBT Japanese, at least in which I have seen and although it was a brief moment, it was nice.
After that we have Kuzumi once again asking Rio to live with him and once more Rio putting buts (Rio is enough, don't make me suffer the baby, he's been waiting for a life), however this moment is interrupted when Kido asks him Rio to write the prologue for a new reprint of his Sensei Kamoda's latest work, to which he accesses.
After a talk about Kamoda's latest work and a visit to his grave, by Kuzumi and Rio, Rio reflects on everything he has experienced as a writer, his stormy relationship and subsequent friendship with Kido, his feelings towards his Sensei and finally having met Kuzumi on the way.
In the end, Rio and Kuzumi go to the latter's house, where Kuzumi asks him once more to live with him and stay be together forever to which Rio finally agrees, he asks him to never leave him and the two say they love each other.
Finally giving a conclusion to this story, although I think it is something that was already made quite clear in Playback, it was still nice to see the actors embody their characters one last time to say goodbye properly, giving a definitive conclusion where we see the main characters finally stay together after all they lived through.
In the end Rio achieves a redemption with the most important aspects of his past, writing, Kido and his sensei and it is what allows him to finally free himself to start a life with Kuzumi without so many fears, something it gave a lot of peace to my heart.
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WEBTOON VS WEBDRAMA
Just completed this WebDrama so dropping some of my thoughts here. FYI, this story is based on a popular Webtoon by MorangJi - Odd Girl Out. I really love the Webtoon and have been reading it for 3 years already. So I do have some high expectations about this adaptation. For me - if you read the Webtoon beforehand and expecting it to be as good as the original - please don't because WebDrama adaptation will get some adjustments to fit in the short period of the broadcasting. WebDrama is a simple version hence there are many important plots didn't get featured so please be considerate :)This webdrama is super cute. That's a bonus point for me. Regarding the actress , I shall say that I do have some problems to imagine Nari as a an ugly duckling because in my eyes - SHE'S THE PRETTIEST AMONG THEM. If you read the original Webtoon you'll understand why Nari looks so plain among her friends. So when there was a scene when Nari's boyfriend (sorry I forgot to his name 🙏) said this line : "ARE YOU KIDDING ME ??? HOW ON EARTH 2 UGLY PEOPLE LIKE US CAN BE TOGETHER ? "
And I was like.....whoa you guys are ugly ? Wait until you see me :p
And the part when Nari was treated as a laughing stock in her class because they said Nari is ugly - like gosh I can't imagine her as ugly cause she's the prettiest in her class (well hello ! We're talking about Arin from Oh My Girl. If you say that she's ugly - I don't know what am I 🤣
:p"
But yeah I do understand that it's a part of the storyline. In fact , Nari in the original Webtoon is actually quite decent but because her 3 others friends are way prettier than her making she looks like she's the "ugly duckling" in her group.
About their acting - because all of them are still quite new in acting so it's understandable but my personal favorite would be Yoona and Nari because there were many scenes where they needed to be sad , mad and happy. The part when Yoona sing for Nari - SPLENDID ! :p
But the ending - I wish it could be more impactful and could focuses on the four of them instead of Soobin's crisis and PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE READ THE ORIGINAL WEBTOON cause the original story is SPLENDID !!!!! More laughing , crying and emotional moments.
Thank you for reading this and sorry if I wrote something that may sounds offensive :)
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wow this was sad - and not as this had a bad ending, but watching the bullying and "getting" that this is reality for a lot of students (no matter where they live) is just sad! also watching "u" feel like the "actor's" r newbies (as the acting felt a bit robotic) and while the after credits run, the testimonies given by some of the victim's (that were acting) to their own bullying experience's - confirms my initial though that they new to acting. so depressing is the right feeling left after watching this - cause as much as the main being gay is supposedly the main plot-point - that really aint the main point. its the ostracizing and almost witch-hunt perpetrated by a group - against one weak individual, just cause they can.first off this not perfect - but as the main point was vividly conveyed - it doesn't matter. cause when Li Yang was just standing there and everyone else was encouraging him to jump - i suddenly got all those mass shootings done in the US but outcasts, and all those happily encouraging some one they tormented on the daily, to "jump" as if his life mean nothing, but added enjoyment to theirs - i kinda got what those other outcasts did, why they did. cause Li Yang or anyone giving their lives up to appease that bunch of human trash - wasn't justified (and sorry if i'm being mean, but that got under my skin like i donno what). as is those two girls at the start, making up sh*t about Li Yang's poor hard working mother, made me see red - so the more his bullying escalated, the more my wrath grew - hard to stay clam and collected watching this.
it was interesting and it feels more like an educational film for students, to get how much damage they r doing by their thoughtless words / actions - donno if this will stop bullying or help anyone in this situation. but the thought behind it is good...
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This 5 min drama will change your life! Everyone needs Higuma in their lives!
No one talked about this drama but somehow I came across it on twitter and after watching the first episode I fell in love with the cutest, most wonderful brown bear -- HIGUMA! We actually decided to watch it with our J-drama watch party club Bistro Kino and everyone enjoyed watching it so much! IEach episode is only 5 minutes long but believe me when I say that it feels like I'm watching a 90min long film. It's packed full of heartwarming, dramatic, happy and sad moments. You get basically everything with Higuma!
This drama is just so lovely and will brighten your day, every time you watch it.
Of course Shigeoka Daiki, his blending smile and expressions make this drama so much better! I can't imagine anyone else playing Higuma. Higuma enjoys and appreciates the small things in life, even though someone could say that he often has bad luck and even he struggles like us real humans :D I really hope they make a second season. I rarely come across such gems like Higuma and I hope everyone gives this special drama a chance!
HIGUMA I WILL MISS YOU!
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My favorite K-Drama of 2022!
Loved this psychological thriller, which is adaptation of the novel/film American Psycho.It has a nihilistic arthouse vibe that's more common in Japanese cinema/storytelling, but this is a K-Drama so it's got that K-Drama technical polish to it. It goes places that make Squid Game look tame. By far the most raw K-Drama release to date.
Acting, direction, cinematography and production quality are first class.
My favorite K-Drama of 2022 so far as it will stay with you after the credits roll.
Recommended for those with an open mind.
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summary: mini stories of memories of a group of friends.
I also love how the show was ordered, feelings kept on changing and the story was always moving. Things were always explained in the end.
It may be hard to find, you can find it on youtube : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LvbnI1wqkXM (all episodes together)
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Harder than iron and stronger than steel- Operation Blue Lightning team!
This is my first drama in military genre and I must say I thoroughly enjoyed my journey with this drama, so much that I am going to miss the Operation Blue Lightning team.
What/whom I liked:
Vengo Gao as Captain: Another actor added to never ending list of favourite actors. Of course he is 39 years old. So what!? The charm he has and his performance is amazing. He portrayed the role perfectly. He is strict but not cold. He is commanding type but understanding. I hated him when he gave intense training to the team, but as soon as he explained why it is needed, i just can't help but like him more.
He is very older to our female lead and is her superior so he needs to conceal his emotions and his love for her.
I just love the subtle change in his expressions when Ning Meng suggests the correct plan of action.
As much as he is serious during training, he is a jovial man at normal times and I love the way he argues with his superiors to support his team.
Hu Bing Qing as Ning Meng: She is my ideal type of main female lead. Absolutely loved her. She is sweet, warm, caring,smart, cute, smart and all.
Chemistry: Yesss. I could feel the chemistry right from beginning. Though he refuses her strongly about staying in the team, he cares for her secretly . I could feel butterflies in my tummy just when he talked to her in a caring manner.
Team spirit:It really took a very long time to develop the team spirit. But, once they are friends, they were ready to sacrifice even life for others.
Story/ Script writing: I must appreciate the screen writer for writing the script in a very intelligent way. The training they received was very immediately shown in action in the next mission . The story was very very well executed.
Visuals: The terrain where the team underwent training looked magnificent. I have preserved all the screenshots.
Technology: OMG!! I know that the technology is very advanced now, but looking at all the gadgets these people used, I am terrified. It is being misused by bad people.
OST: I felt that some times the OST was very good. So good that it can evoke patriotism in viewers of any nation.
Feeling of victory: I was so much involved in the story that I got goosebumps in the critical moments and felt very happy when they accomplished the given task.
Last episode: OMG!! So much blood shed and violence, but I loved it. I can't forget the sweet talks and looks they exchanged
What I didn't like:
1. I agree that the shadow left in Ning Meng's heart is really heart wrenching, but I felt that they dragged this issue for a long time.
2. In the initial episodes, many of the characters were annoying who didn't even give minimum respect to their comrade.
Re-watch: Definitely!! I have made a notes of all the sweet scenes and I am going to watch them again and again.
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The story is quite common, but the story around it isn't, I so loved the magical touch to this story, it made it really interesting! They managed to keep me hooked from the beginning trough the end of this movie. The surroundings were gorgeous, the clothing was beautifully made and the decor is interesting. There were some funny parts, that I found really enjoyable.
As someone that comes from Europe and has zero knowledge about the Dynasties in Korea I so find the usage of costumes so interesting!!
It would have gotten a full 10/10 if there was a bit more action, it had some but it was stuffed into 15 tiny minutes, I hoped they played that out a bit longer, it would have wrapped up the story a bit better in my opinion.
The actors did a splendid job, from the minor ones to the two leads, whoms connection I felt troughout the whole movie.
The music was perfectly chosen in the scenes and I surely will rewatch this movie.
Watch this if you like romance, magic, humor and historical movies.
Skip this if you like full on action, blood and dislike romance.
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This drama is like a baby taking its first steps…
a bit wobbly and can hardly be called walking, but it’s such a big achievement it’s worth celebrating.A straightforward criticism of the capitalistic world and social structures that exclude everyone not willing to act according to unfair rules. While some scenes might have felt preachy, the message was loud and clear, and sometimes this is exactly what is needed. You could feel the passion of youth in this project.
What the drama does phenomenally is making you care for this bunch of young people. Realistically speaking they should have been either dead or arrested by episode 4 at best, but against all logic, you just want to see them succeed and get out of it alive.
The acting! GMM truly decided to cast their best in this one. We all know Gun and Off have natural chemistry, but it was great to see them shine next to each other as individual characters, rather than just a couple. First was so good, at times I felt like he was too good for this script, or too good for this small part of Thai entertainment industry.
Production wise I loved quite a few shots. The use of different sources of light made some scenes extremely beautiful. Shots of two Guns were well edited - yes, if you know the actor well, you can see how the double used for some scene is different, but one has to be really nitpicky to make it an actual flaw.
All that said, the whole show was so serious and unserious at the same time, I’m not sure how I’m supposed to feel about it. Motivated to make a change and tackle social issues? Rolling on the floor laughing about poorly executed fighting scenes? How unrealistic the production was took away from how realistic and serious the issues they tried to present. How am I supposed to see baby faced Gun take down a few professionally trained highly specialized security guards of the millionaire villain? Him boxing once a week with his teen buddies must have been enough for training I guess.
Not to mention the frequent PPLs. I know the drama needs founding, but taking into consideration the anti-capitalistic themes in the show, it just stood out in a painfully negative way.
Then we have the flying parkour, Sing being completely miscast, the lack of closure - no, this is not how you are supposed to do an open ending or any ending. The power imbalance between the good and the bad guys that I was supposed to just accept as realistic, when it made little to no sense…
Overall, it’s hard not to like it. It gives all the right messages, delivers great entertainment, a variety of characters and point of views. Leaves enough space for the viewers to make their own mind. The acting was amazing, visually it was pleasant to the eye. It just did not feel polished enough - the passion should have been used a little bit for the good old planning, practice and production. Maybe some script rewrites here and there too.
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An enjoyable show until the last two episodes
I really enjoyed watching this show. Sure, it had a number of silly K-drama cliches and tropes but they all do. It had a cutesy story and I liked the chemistry between the male and female leads. The fact the mom from the rich family didn't do the usual "here's ten bucks, stop seeing my kid" was refreshing. It's the usual rich-guy meets "poor"-girl story and hilarity that ensues from the whole opposites attract thing. We learn through various story bits that Sun Gyoel's grandpa was not that nice of a guy, especially when it comes to his business dealings, which is why Sun Gyeol has, at best, a frosty relationship with him. The grandfather also had something to do with a tragedy in Oh Sol's life. So, of course, we all know what's going to happen,.And happen it does in episode 15 with the ol' "We can't be together because someone you're related to did something to me/my family, even though you have absolutely nothing to do with it" cliche. The fact that Sun Gyeol and his grandpa don't get along (and never really have) makes the crappy way Oh Sol and her family treat him when they find out even more maddening. He didn't deserve that treatment they gave him when they found out who his grandpa was. He didn't deserve not being told what he had done wrong to warrant the treatment he got from them (he didn't do anything wrong). He didn't deserve the cold shoulder he got from her when he went back to Korea after a trip to the US to get some help. She didn't deserve getting with him at the end. There is no way they should've gotten together after the way she and her family treated him.
The final two episodes ruined what was a nice, cheesy, and entertaining show. The first fourteen episodes were enjoyable, for the most part, but I can't recommend the show because of how terribly it ended.
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After seeing so many dramas, I've developed this sense of prediction what will happen next in most of those I've been watching and i assume many of you did as well. This drama is everything but predictable.
Many unexpected events occurred and it made me wonder what for God's sake I've just seen. It has a bit special sense of humor, so it might not suite everyone's taste, at the moments it gets even weird, but it definitely has its own seal. I have to admit, i haven't seen a lot of family dramas, but this one was totally my coup of tea. Although I enjoy watching comedies, it's really, really hard to make me laugh out loud. I didn't have this kind of problem while watching this one.
The story was really heartwarming and it gave me the feeling of family warmth, which is the purpose of family drama i guess. Characters were unique and well designed. The story gave enough of space for every character and a chance for us to meet them all and hear their stories. Actors were good as well, especially the kids. Kamiki Ryunosuke's acting was at the moments odd, but overall, it was great and he was a nice surprise. Tanabe Seiichi was amazing and i couldn't imagine anyone else in this role. I really liked the character he portrayed - a totally unusual father with a totally unusual actions. The supporting characters were also amazing and led us to many hilarious moments. I really liked that after each episode, family was growing bigger and bigger. Even the supernatural part with a ghost of late mother was very well matched and had a great meaning behind the funny scenes.
Music was also very good, especially the opening, and nothing in this drama was unnecessary.
As for rewatch, i'm a rewatcher, i usually rewatch dramas i've liked sometimes more than once and this one i'll surely see again!
Anyway, if you are the fan of Japanese dramas, i suggest you give this one a try - it has that Japanese touch and sense of reality - although in this drama you might find some parody elements as well.
I hope you'll enjoy watching it!
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An old concept portrayed in a creative way
The story is centred around CCW, a magician by profession. He is also predestined steward of great 2000 years old spirit. Endowed with ability to see spirits, he has become quite famous. He has learned to use ghosts (which obviously only he can see) in creative and ingenious ways to perform his acts.GSH is a hard-working, high empathy cop working to correct wrong done to people. In my opinion, Jin Ki Joo has improved her acting a lot compared to last KDrama I saw of her (Secret Life of my Secretary). I wish she goes on to become top league actress.
OST wise, it's nice. Just not noteworthy till now. Cinematography is quite good. As it's shows about magicians, of course, they would some eye-catching sequences.
Overall, a fun enjoyable drama. If you are fan of Park Have Jin, of course, you have to see. If you are looking for something moderate serious tone, please go ahead and watch.
It was a stellar show till episode 10. Post that it has become victim of predictability. The historical arc, I thought there would be more substance to it. But alas, it doesn't.
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Story: Most of the plot is just the main female character trying to get this cold CEO to fall for her and marry. It would have been more dramatic if the fight over the hotel happened during instead of at the end. Also, the romance between the 1st main couple is slowly built with most of the relationship (falling in love, breakup/angst all happening towards the last few episodes. In between though there is a revenge arc going on to keep you interested because you will want to find out the details. I actually liked the romance between the 2nd leads more because their messy relationship pulled me in making me root for them. The ending brings a welcomed twist for one of the characters.
Acting/Cast: The 4 leads did a great job actingwise. However, the actress that played Hong Mi Mi really made her character stand out more than the other female lead. She made me hate her character at times but also feel sympathetic for her at other times. I also feel like she had the most character development. For the actress that played the main female character, while she was great, I feel like anyone could have played her part and probably better. Same goes for the second male lead. When it comes to the main male lead, I wish the writers had started his character development a little sooner because it made it hard to like him for most of the drama. The supporting cast did a super job of making their characters stand out and made a lot of the scenes so enjoyable.
Music- It wasn’t that memorable but I can think of one song I liked (they repeated it over and over again in the latter half) enough to listen to outside of the show.
Rewatch- While not a must watch again, I liked the story enough to watch sometime in the future.
Overall, Can Love Become Money is not perfect and probably won’t appeal to the masses but it has a lot of things that hardcore drama lovers like myself would find enjoyable.
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