This review may contain spoilers
Had to Fast forward to finish it, the ML is the only saving grace
Zhang Si Nian (ML): The actor that portrays this character does very well with roles that feature him as a genius. But he was much better in Unforgettable Love (2021). The ML in the show was pretty nice but a bit slow on the uptake. Once he figured out that he was in love in the FL, he didn't play any games and tried his best to win her over.Yun Shu (FL):
The Bad:
Childish character with annoying voice. I had to clench my teeth to keep going, because i just needed to know the entire story. I don't mind it when a character is a little bubbly, it makes things interesting, but Yun Shu was kind of unbearable. The ML looked better with Yun Shu's sister when they were all together in a frame.
The Good:
She was a nice person overall and also didn't play any games. She even reminded me of Shim Chung / Seo Hwa from The Legend of the Blue Sea even before she actually put on a mermaid costume.
It was an okay drama. Not worth a rewatch though.
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Why watch Bad Genius the series?
At first, I was very skeptical to watch the series mainly because I thought there was no way the original Lin and Bank could ever be replaced. However, I couldn't be more thankful that I chose to watch the series nonetheless.If you love the movie, you'll definitely love the series. The writer added more depth to the story because obviously the duration of the whole series is way longer the movie.
Worthy to mention, the unsaid yet undeniable connection between Lin and Bank was even more defined in the series. Following are the friendship between Lin and Grace; the relationship between Grace and Pat; the cheating arrangements; but I need to stop here so as not to reveal any spoiler. The characters, no matter how evil they'd become, you cannot hate them because the reasons are logical enough that probably you'd do the same if you were in the same situation.
Every episode is more intense. You could literally hear your heart getting out your chest. Although, changes have been made from the movie but it's mainly because to justify more the actions done by the characters. The cast and the crew have done their respective parts incredibly. Lastly, the opening song is so good, you'd be having a hard time to skip it. To reiterate,the series has more depth than the movie!
Overall, the series deserved attention just as the movie, and personally, even more.
Check it out guys.
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Sooo good yet so draggy...
Once upon a time there was a lonely prince who lived in a palace where toxic masculinity and rivalry ruled... The women where abused and used as objects owned by men. Tradition was supposedly strong in the palace and any one male or female who tried to go up against it was tossed in to a marriage against their will, pretty much forced to commit suicide or ended up in prison. People where scheming plots all over the place...But one day the prince met a girl whom was warm, funny and loved food above anything. And while he could not make her his wife he made her is concubine... Which made for the start of a whole bunch of people working towards new lives... and yes A New Life Begins...
The drama has a lot of everything, maybe a bit to much of everything as nothing seems to get fully explored and both drags out for what seems like an eternity only to be wrapped up with a few lines here and there... maybe a slow mo scene of the result but the turns are fast and the process extremely inconsistent. Is this the result of poor writing, censorship or a writer who just wants to include a bit to much I do not know... But it did feel very off at times. Which is really sad because there is so much good in here.
Both leads are lovable, good actors, have great chemistry and lovely interactions with each other with some pretty steamy kisses. Unfortunately. their story does not get nearly enough screen time as all those other side plots take away from their time together. However I do have to say that this is a male lead who even though he grew up in the toxic palace actually seems to have some kind of respect for women and can both take no for an answer and seems to try to avoid forcing himself on the female lead even if they are supposed to try to consummate the guy seems to want to the girl to actually want to consummate before consummating. Showing some type of consent culture.
The food in this drama is mouth watering, making you hungry every single episode.
The side couples are mostly lovely and show a bunch of ways of power relations and personalities... As we get to see the difference between domestic violence practiced by people with power and violence in the relationship practiced by people with less power. Non are good but we do get to see a nuance done pretty well.
We also get to see a lot of women empowerment, sisterhood and a potential poly relationship that could have been so good if the drama was not so obsessed with monogamy vs concubine culture.... There is one truly annoying character but she grew on me after a while, but then she pretty much disappeared from the plot.
This drama is a good pick for those who like c-historical with many episodes and do not mind the draggy parts. For those who want to see 100 years of woman's rights battles cut down to about 3 or 4 years and are okay with getting pebbles of great romance between sisterhood, friendship, family relations, politics, food and pretty much everything in-between...
However if you are like me you will miss the pebbles and find it draggy and may find yourself struggling to finish it wanting to drop it yet still not being able to score it to low because it just has so many good parts in it...
Also the predictability is pretty high so do not expect to be kept on your toes, at all.
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Let me start by saying the synopsis here is absolutely not true! the synopsis is what made me set this drama aside for years, lead character being so evil to attain her ambitions? I guess the person who made the synopsis in this site never watched it. The main character is very beautiful, it can display innocence and it can show a scary look. She never killed or schemed someone because of her ambitions, she does not have ambitions to be an empress or empress dowager for her own interest. her evilness as the synopsis says is not even 1/5 of the other villains in the drama. All that prompted her to do what she did is a reaction to what the villains were doing to her, to protect herself, to avenge her lost love, to protect her children and herself, watch this, and even if you're fond of any drama genre, you will never put this down!
i've been watching so much asian dramas for the past 5 years or so to the point that I never have tot urn on the TV to watch anything else and I must tell you, this drama has been one of the most well made drama I have seen.
the plot is simple, very simple:
It's just some story of concubines and empress scheming, 76 episodes and the story only revolves within the harem. You have your emperor, empress and the concubines. Oh and it does have a love story
If you think of it, it does not deserve 76 episodes for such a simple plot. You might start wondering what they have done that it has to be 76 episodes, must be dragging, repetitive, boring.
let me tell you, I watched ten miles of peach blossom , SFD, Nirvana 1 & 2 , they're top notch when it comes to story line, plot and execution. since i watched these dramas, it has always been my standard if i should watch or drop a drama. I wqtched countless chinese historical, fanstasy cdrama, and many more kdramas, even thai dramas. I never had plan to watch Legend of Concubine Zhen Huan thou i've seen it many times when i search here what to watch next. I was watching Lgend of fuyao and i have to find somethign to kill the time while waiting for the next eps to be uploaded online. well guess what, I can stand not watching fuyaos eps till end of the week when all weekly eps were uploaded since i watched Legend of Concubine Zhen Huan.
must I say more?
let me compare it to top rated cdramas like TMOPB, ten miles has a very nice storyline + yang mi of course but it lacked luster when it comes to the most anticipated scenes like the fight scenes and the leads' supposedly moment of stardom. Fuyao has a great great storyline + yang mi, great costumes etc, name it, but let's admit it, it's toooooo draggy, too much reminiscing, crying scenes, in short, it has too much fillers it made the drama so bad that there are episodes that you ca skip entirely and still be on the loop. SFD, you can skip few mins. The only drama i can say that is at par with Legend of Concubine Zhen Huan is Nirvana 1, but Nirvana has it's advantage over Legend of Concubine Zhen Huan, its story revolves around so many people while Legend of Concubine Zhen Huan is only about the harem. while I was watching this drama, I thought about the talents of the writers and scriptwriters of this drama, the director, stage manager, idk but all that made it so beautifully executed I don't dare skip a scene,.. well i tried once but i ended up going back to what i skipped.
Legend of Concubine Zhen Huan is not your typical drama that follows every scene, it always conclude it. what i mean is, if a character asks her servent to get her a cup of tea, it no longer shows unnecessary scenes like servant bringing in the tea, if you know what i mean. this made the Legend of Concubine Zhen Huan one of its kind, fast paced but you'll not be left wondering unless you skip a scene. there's absolutely no boring moment and just like the other reviews and feedbacks, after you finish it, you will learn, you will learn how to be articulate with words, it grows in you while watching.
Nirvana has a very good rating here. I must say and Legend of Concubine Zhen Huan is very much at par it does not deserve 8.6 !!
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This review may contain spoilers
A story with several meanings
Although Tae-in reluctantly took in the young girl, Cho-hee, to stay at his place, they eventually started gaining trust and opening up to each other. To me, this shows symptoms of Stockholm syndrome, which is a psychological connection formed with their captors during captivity. Although Tae-in did not intend to abduct Cho-hee, ultimately he is still a kidnapper who hid her away from the public eye and stopped her escape attempts. Cho-hee bonded well with Tae-in’s younger sister, and at times, it indeed felt like she was truly happy there and did not want to leave the place. Although we don’t know much about her family, but it was brought up several times in the movie that her family obviously doted on the son more, and she was actually not the intended kidnap target as well, highlighting the issue of patriarchy in her family.However, at times the line between whether if Cho-hee is suffering from Stockholm syndrome or not is quite blurred, as both Tae-in and Cho-hee could not make up their minds on how they perceived each other. For Tae-in, he just wanted to quickly get the job done and send Cho-hee away, however he still had a conscience when he knew that Cho-hee’s life was in danger. As for Cho-hee, she couldn’t decide to trust Tae-in or not, but ultimately, she makes her decision at the ending, which I will not spoil here.
Since Yoo Ah In has no lines in the movie at all, his actions and body languages are quite obvious and easy to understand, without being too exaggerated. From his expressions, ranging from joy, to worry and desperation, his character, Tae-in was able to communicate well and relate his thoughts with the on-screen characters and with the audience watching the movie. In an interview, Yoo Ah In described his character as such, “Tae-in doesn’t speak. I don’t think he is unable to speak at all as he makes some noises sometimes. He refuses to communicate with the world for some reasons.”
Overall, this movie has various blurred lines, on the overarching theme of good and evil – for the audience to interpret in their own ways, such as the lead characters working in a job that is essentially a crime, but what they do could also be rationalised as okay; and if Tae-in and Chang-bok are actually good or bad, as they are kidnappers, albeit kind-hearted ones who actually looked after their abductee. The movie ending itself is something that we did not really expect, but it does match the overall theme well.
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The characters, if not all fully developed, were funny...often silly at times. Matsuda Shota as Dr. Kota was a juxtaposition of a bumbling lovestruck goofball with that of an efficient genius doctor. Matsuda is really such a versatile actor--he never fails to entertain me. Takei Emi as Mako also didn't disappoint. She was the opposite of Dr. Kota in personality and helped to ground his character whenever his eccentricities went overboard. I especially loved Dr. Kota and Mako's chats at the end of each episode--everytime Dr. Kota said anything inappropriate, Mako would mysteriously produce a "blue slipper" and smack him on the head with it. Hah. The supporting characters were also nice to watch--sometimes adding insightful words of wisdom; more often just providing comedic relief with their antics.
This show has a great song that was a perfect episode ender - Taiyou no Megami by Leo Ieiry. Very upbeat and optimistic, like the show.
I doubt I would re-watch this drama from start to finish. But I would definitely replay the funny parts where Matsuda is being geeky and adorkable.
Pros
With only 11 episodes (gotta love jdramas for this), you can easily marathon this in a couple of days. The other plus is its renzoku format--each episode concludes a storyline, so it's unnecessary to watch each episode to get the jist of the show. However, you may miss out on some of the storyline and character development that continues from episode to episode.
Cons
Some of the situations and events are a bit unrealistic in how they are addressed and/or resolved. And just about every episode is a cliche. But I think that's part of the show's charm. And I'll also admit to being guilty of fast-forwarding to the more entertaining parts whenever some of the episodes dragged along.
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Great reborn/revenge-plot production that contains a very different love story
This is a great reborn/revenge-plot costume production with really good actors and a storyline that contains a very different love story and revenge-plans that are meticulously executed.I did find it a bit long but I loved this capable/vindictive/adamant FL and cunning/clever/nice ML. This unlikely couple was endearing to watch, so I truly enjoyed this.
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a cut above your typical run of the mill boys over flowers reverse harem story
If you had told me that i would genuinely enjoy a reverse harem drama w four suitors, one of whom is basically a vampire, i would've never believed you.on principle i don't particularly enjoy love triangles unless like, there is a clear endgame and one of the options just exists for the main character to learn from (for ex. fuheng in yanxi palace). this is because usually they exist in dramas for melodrama and fantasy scenarios of what if these two different hot boys were into you lol. maybe i just haven't seen that many but i've just always written them off as understandably popular for a reason but generally silly and cringey dog blood.
lost you forever/chang xiang si was very immersive because it offered a similar reverse harem formula or structure, but the basis and core of WHY there are multiple options is a cut above the typical boys over flowers reverse harem story. it is not simply that xiaoyao is a stand in for the audience, and her options are a good boy and a bad boy please choose which one u like more, y'know? xiaoyao is a multi faceted character who has been deeply traumatized and has a host of abandonment issues that affect her relationships as an adult. her two main options, tushan jing and xiang liu, represent two different pathways for her to progress- and the reasons why she likes them are also informed by her trauma and experiences. tsj offers her kindness, softness and gentleness, unquestioned support and care, he represents way for her to truly heal and learn to trust other people again, to grow in a positive manner. while xl’s coldness, darkness and danger are attractive to her because he is a kindred spirit, and also what she knows and understands. xiang liu's love on the other hand doesn't push her personal growth, but rather supports who she is in the present. he abandons her, pushes her away, never allows her to know how he loves her, and puts the bigger political picture above her. he teaches her archery so that she can continue to stand alone without relying on others to protect her. but tsj will come to prove that she CAN rely on others (or should at least in s2). it makes complete sense why narratively tsj is endgame, but her storyline with xl is equally, if not more compelling exactly because it makes complete sense why they love each other, but ultimately won't be together. not even gonna touch on cx because he’s a non-option whose relationship with her represents the worst possible route you can go post trauma. congrats y’all actually got me to enjoy a love triangle!!!! sort of pentagonal!!
the strengths of the story are the character and relationship writing. the doomed trauma bonded siblings, xiaoyao and cangxuan are the core relationship of the story and both characters are nicely done. i particularly like cx, what an ambitious little freak who got his wires crossed and is too weird about his sister! zhang wanyi is really excellent, i enjoyed watching his acting SO much... his tight little smile that never reaches his eyes…LOL yang zi is also great and particularly committed, especially as wen xiaoliu. xl and tsj are generally well written too, as is chenrong xinyue, and even the minor support character sang tian'er was well written and so memorable (honestly her role as a former sex worker was more progressive than the entirely of a dream of splendor). However you can really tell the writer only cared about Some characters while others only exist to cause conflict, namely fangfeng yiying is just Evil for like no good reason, and tushan hou is similarly just senselessly evil. i think the writer definitely struggles with villains and they are pretty one dimensional. generally however, the characters are pretty good, and good character writing can really drive home the themes and take a story so far! AND YET......
the plot........ my absolute biggest gripe with cxs is the PLOT. i find the plot so incredibly inept at supporting its characters, and unable to push the narrative forward. the story is extremely character lead, to the point where most of the show is just conversations, with very little Events Happening. why does cx achieve the throne at the end? HOW does he even achieve the throne at the end? because grandpa said so. thats why. as an avid lover of political court dramas and little plots and schemes, this show was so disappointingly short of that. and like, i'm not asking for nirvana in fire or rise of phoenixes, because that would just be a different show, but like.... just a little bit of plotting please.... just more sense as to HOW cx is power hungry and ambitious, cunning and calculating instead of just telling us over and over again. mainly all i saw was him getting hooked on drugs and building good relationships with the right people. i wanted him to take down his uncles and enemies one by one!!! doing more and more dastardly things to do so!! it just felt like the crown was given to him instead of him having worked to achieve it. i get that the author seems to mainly just want cx to represent this kind of classic cold, ruthless, power hungry character, and doesn't actually care for politics itself but like i can't help but feel kind of cheated out of what was promised in the first episode and the premise of his character. china's political drama genre is very popular and there are plenty of sources to pull from!! the princes’ struggle for power is a classic! as a result the story feels flat and like the characters are just existing in a blurry aesthetic background. these parts are just SO weak. like i don’t know who cx is as a ruler, i don’t know what his relationship is like with the common people, has he done anything for them? a ruler doesn’t exist without citizens, idg why we aren’t shown the ways cx built up power and support from the people. literally it’s just him interacting w the same ass two nobles who are already committed to him. similarly, tsj’s family is literally CARTOONISHLY evil, from torture to rape they’ve fuckin done it all!! they exist to purely just be evil and it doesn’t even make sense, why are they forcing him to be clan leader and marry ffyy when tsh and ffyy want to KILL him so she can openly be w tsh and he can be clan leader. idk maybe it will be explained next season but so far it’s just weak and lazy story telling. there are ways to tell a story about an abusive family that uses confucian values like filial piety and duty to manipulate its members and make it resonate in a real way- the same way that xy’s fear of abandonment resonates. if the writing was stronger they would be able to explore how they keep tsj trapped in this toxic family without resorting to the most outlandishly evil dog blood tropes. and xl too!!! his relationship w the chenrong army is SO WEAK and poorly written. like everything is for his adopted dad, but it just doesn’t feel enough, esp when the army others him for being a yao. if they had more scenes that developed his relationship with them, his devotion would be so much more believable. a scene of them singing around some burning bodies does not communicate the strength of their bond or conviction. nobody in the army is even NAMED. like if we actually got to know them and hear their stories, see how xl came to bond with them, it would just be so much more believable. in general this is the issue with the scriptwriting. cx, tsj and xl are all pretty well written by themselves, but they don’t have support from the plot to make it all make sense.
Not only is the plot writing weak, at times it is pure dog blood trash. for example, the entire plot abt xy getting tortured and killed by some complete RANDOM. clearly this random guy who we have basically NEVER met or heard of was being influenced by 5 wang and 7 wang who wanted to get rid of xy to get at cx, but there was so little build up, so little development. when it happens it feels like it's out of nowhere, and just happens in order to plant the seed that she's chi chen's daughter and to compare how our three leading men will react. i wanted it to be much more clearer why xy is a target politically, instead of like, just this random guy's revenge. just felt SOOO out of nowhere, shitty writing, poor development, and really took the quality of the story down sooo much. even worse tsj’s rape and forced marriage.... i have too many frustrations, the way they handled the rape was so abysmal i don’t even wanna talk about it lmao.
i found everything more successful and enjoyable in the first arc when they were still in qingshui town and xy was wxl. honestly i am also just a sucker for stories about the common people with common every day problems so that also contributed, but it truly felt so much stronger. i think that when the stakes are lower, more grounded, the writer is much more adept at creating a plot that can support its characters. the little political things that happened felt reasonable and believable, rather than later on when the stage is bigger and stakes are higher. i loved wxl’s found family, his everyday problems, and his relationship with xl and tsj was already well developed and fully communicated the themes and messages of the story. once wxl becomes xy and we are now in princesses and nobility and palace world it loses so much of the heart and charm it had originally. also all of the gender stuff! i appreciate that tsj often takes a narratively feminine role, but nothin’s gonna come close to how fun and queer and trans the first arc was.
on the whole this show boasts some strong characters in a weak plot. a reverse harem being used to examine the different paths one can take after trauma gives this show substance that most reverse harems don’t have, if only everything could be backed up by a carefully cared for plot. excited to see how things develop season 2!
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Peak Time is what every idol show should be!
I have never watched a survival show because they all seemed really "reality-ish" and toxic which I hate and I only decided to give this a chance because I really like many of the judges and I have to say I love this. From the concept to the way the participants treat each other and how the production and judges seemed to treat them is all really amazing.The K-pop scene is a very cutthroat business and with so many idols debuting is really hard to make an impact, so what this show does is really amazing. Giving all these idols a second chance or a chance to be recognized is really amazing.
The first elimination was really heartbreaking but what the production did for the teams that did not make it is amazing! Giving them the songs/ choreography & clothes that they did not get to perform in is such a thoughtful gesture! Given that many of them come form really small agencies with little to no support, all those lessons they received can go a long way. I also noticed that they gave them the opportunity to showcase some of their talents and skills either by having to play some games, allowing some participants to MC something or participate in some outside segments. This will allow them to be noticed by some producers and maybe get casted in a variety show or maybe secure an MC position in a show further increasing their exposure in the future.
Peak Time really is what every idol show should be. It should put the idols first and give them all the necessary tools they need to succeed and make it!
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I loved all the cast, and characters. I loved that all of them were flawed in some way, and that even minor characters had depth, and were complicated. I especially loved the chemistry between Jo In Sung and Song Hye Kyo! From their very first scene together, I saw the spark of what would become my three day obsession. Jo In Sung's charm is undeniable, which makes him perfect as a womanizing conman, but he also has this incredible sweetness that makes viewers *swoon* (I know I did with every smirk). Song Hye Kyo seems to be typecast as irrationally stubborn and kinda conceited (qualities that make me want to punch her character in "Descendants of the Sun"), but in this role it makes complete sense, and makes her character seem strong, and not just a pitiful victim with a disability - and YAY lady Chaebol! Yeoung is smart, and often a step ahead, which I liked most about her. She also did a pretty good job convincing me she was blind. The normal melodramatic KDrama romance back and forth was much less frustrating than it usually is for me, because their romantic tension was seriously epic! I won't say why, because it's a large part of the story, but when two people with abandonment issues, who can't admit how they feel, start falling for each other, it's gonna cause epic tension. Sure, if you replaced the music with a horror soundtrack, the show could suddenly seem like a frightening tale about a guy seriously stalking a blind girl, but we all know stalking means saranghae in KDramaland. It also helps that they are quite easy on the eyes, and that she's tiny enough to carry (ok, maybe that could be creepy too).
There are too many great performances by minor characters to name them all, but I will name a few. Kim Bum is always great, and adorbs, so the fact that he's so good is no surprise. Jung Eun Ji grew on me, and I liked her spunk. Bae Jong Ok, as the secretary, was super chilling, and surprisingly empathetic. I don't necessarily like how her actions are dealt with in this drama, but that has nothing to do with her performance, which was great. Seo Hyo Rim's annoying face is perfectly cast as super cray cray. Her character is so unhinged, that it was borderline comedic, but she truly pulled the character off. And then there is Kim Tae Woo as Moo Cheol, who was my favorite kind of villain. He's the kind of villain who is not only empathetic, but I couldn't help but root for him a little, because he was so good at being bad. He also pulled off being bad@ss very well, considering the fact that he looks like asian Spock. I only lowered the score slightly for those extra over the top moments, but in this genre, that's acceptable.
I truly think the writer and director did an amazing job putting all the pieces together. Sometimes it was confusing keeping track of certain rivalries, so I lowered my story rating a little, but it eventually all became pretty clear. The writer & director are the same team that made "Padam Padam", another tragic love story with Kim Bum as an epic sidekick, and disappointing kiss scenes (Though TWTWB isn't nearly as bad with the kiss scenes). Both stories are sweet, intriguing, frustrating, heartbreaking, and inspiring. With this drama in particular, I loved the imaginative way they chose to show memories, and her blindness, which kept me guessing as a viewer without it feeling gimmicky. I was also very confused by the ending, at first, which could be interpreted as open-ended, but I think it was very beautifully done, and not as unresolved as others may think. I took a deep satisfying sigh after it was all done.
The music was great, and fit the story well, but the lyrics were so literal I think I actually laughed at a few of them. I still liked it, I just wouldn't add it to my KDrama OST playlist.
Would I watch it again? Definitely. The suspense made the episodes seem to fly by, and kept me watching waaaaaaay past my bedtime. It may lose some of that thrill on a second viewing, but the performances are worth watching again, and I may catch something in the plot I missed the first time.
Overall, I would definitely recommend this as a must see for fans of romance and melodrama. There is also some action, and suspense, with enough humor thrown in to stop it from being too depressing. You may want to have plenty of tissues handy, just in case. You also have to sometimes give in to "KDrama logic", but who watches melodramas for their realism?
TWTWB made me glad to be an only child - siblings have so many rules lol! It also made me think about forgiveness, holding grudges, and what really matters. In my search to find a show that could remind me I have feelings... mission accomplished! My favorite drama list just got a little longer too.
I know I will probably never be able to hear a tiny bell again without thinking about this show.
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At the beginning, you will find yourself getting confused but it all starts to make perfect sense and the story comes all together in the mid-way.
In terms of acting, the acting was done nicely by the actors. There's not much characters in the short film but the actors did really great with their given roles!
For music, it was pretty mellow and it complimented the scenes really well.
Therefore, this web film is pretty worth watching! I recommend it if you're looking for something short and heart-warming!
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However, one must be patient in watching in order to enjoy it fully. One major thing that made me love this drama was the chemistry of our main leads, Chu Yu Xun and Murong Yun Hai. No wonder Zhang Han and Zheng Shuang ended up dating in real life! In terms of acting, Zhang Han playing the Domyouji character really made my fangirl heart jump out of happiness. I believe he played it so well next to Jerry Yan's Dao Ming Si. I also can't believe that Zheng Shuang was just around 18 or maybe even younger when she acted in this drama and she was just really adorable and fierce at the same time. The only thing that I could complain about her was that she was just too pretty to play the Makino character but this is hardly even a complaint. I have always been a fan of Hanazawa Rui (both in MG and HYD) but the one here really disappointed me in terms of acting and looks (sorry for being shallow!) but he just grew on me as I continued watching. I also found the other F4 members really cute and they actually had decent storylines.
I gave the music section a perfect score because I really love the OSTs that I'm even listening to them now as I type this. My favorite ones are Love's Waltz, Let Me Sing A Song For You, I Want to Soar, etc and most of them were sang by the cast members! It was a chance for me to actually listen to their real voices as they were all dubbed in this drama.
I gave a low score to the rewatch value because I feel that it would be dragging to rewatch everything all over again. I would also be unfair and say that nothing can beat the rewatch value of Meteor Garden which is why I gave such a low score. My apologies for writing such a long review but it only means that I'm very passionate because I believe that more people should give this drama a chance. A bit of chance that would entail just enjoying the drama alone and forgetting the other adaptations even just for awhile!
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Definitely not something you'd expect in a regular drama!
Honestly my first reaction when I reads the synopsis for this drama was...….. WTF!!!!!??? Why? Because I've watched tons of drama and they've never been this direct and on the nose before. Especially one that is centered around high school kids. Other than that I really love the drama cause it realistically speaks on what any hs kid goes through/will go through. Having passed through this myself and looking back as adult I can laugh because even though some of the stuff are exaggerated for comedic purposes (like being able to see super long distance clearly when you quit masturbation for just a mere 5 days lol). I'm looking forward to this drama the acting is good. Storyline is interesting and the characters are fun. Definitely will recommendWas this review helpful to you?
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Finally got around to watching dramas again. Real life is so demanding sometimes, however I’m so pleased that I chose to continue and finish this drama. I had watched a few episodes while it was airing but like I said real life had gotten in my way and I wasn’t able to finish it till now. If you have read my reviews before, you know that I’m a huge melodrama fan, and though this isn’t strictly a melodrama..it had all the aspects I love about melodramatic dramas. I found myself crying in almost every episodes, and I love that. I love the fact that the writing in this drama actually made me care about the characters, all of them, and worry about what would happen in the end. I must say though, that I was a little worried about watching this drama in the first place. It seems I’m always a little cautious about drama with idols in them. I had never watched any other dramas where SNSD’s Sooyoung was the main female, so I was a little hesitant to say the least, since many of the SNSD girls have kind of disappointed me in their dramas.
Cellular Memory, the thought that maybe the organs donated by people may retain the memories and feelings of those who have passed, will be passed on to those who receive the transplant is a really interesting concept. I am no stranger to this, and have seen many movies, and read up on the subject. It is an interesting theory, and it depends on who you ask when they come to believe this. A drama set somewhat around this premise was something that really drew me to it. However, the drama is more about love, life, and death, and how donating can change a person’s life since it was stated in this drama that Korea has one of the lowest percentages of donors in the world. Though the drama starts with the nation of Cellular Memory and some hints of medical, we do stray away from those theories and medical related content for most of the drama, in my opinion. This drama leans way towards the romance aspect of its genre and there isn’t anything wrong with that. Romance between large age gaps, can sometimes be a complicated thing to film, and show especially since Sooyoung is a idol, but I thought they did it justice. They didn’t nee to me physical to show the love and emotions they had for each other, and it showed how they were connected on a much deeper level than just that, and I think it worked out so well for this drama.
I thought the acting in this drama was so good. I really appreciated the cast in this drama. They gave it their all, for the level they were up to acting wise, and I never thought to myself that they seemed awkward or out of place in the drama, which can happen from time to time in many dramas (even those that are good). Kam Woo Sung did a great job as the leading male, he was charming and he played the character well. I could see why someone would fall in love with him, his rustic charms came through perfectly in his portrayal of the character and he seemed realistic, and not fake and that could come from both his acting skills and the writing. Sooyoung surprised me a lot in this drama. I didn’t know how I would feel about her, but I think she fit the role perfectly. Is her acting mind-blowing, no, but she did the role justice and that’s all I can really ask of her for right now. She hasn’t been the MAIN in a drama that many times, and I think she did a great job for the character she was portraying. It was great to see Lee Jun Hyuk again, though he is second leading male and that makes me sad. I want him to be leading male so bad, because I think he is such a great actor and deserves it. I haven’t seen him in a drama where he was, so that kind of bothers me..not saying I have seen all his work..but from what I have seen he does a really good job and this drama is no exception. Though many people may not be on board with his actions, as a character, I think he had good intentions and he does actually care for Bom Yi..maybe not in a romantic way per-say but he does care for her. I thought he put on rather great emotional scene and he made me feel for him. I thought he fit perfectly in this role and I love seeing him in dramas. I may be a little bit of a fangirl..forgive me. I would love to talk more about the cast, however this review is getting a little long, but I thought the cast was amazing. They had some really talented actors and actresses in this drama that spans many ages and I enjoyed them all!
Overall I thought this drama was great. It really hit my heartstrings hard and tried to pull me apart. The OST and cinematography in this drama was beautiful and helped elevate the great writing and acting in this drama as well. The ending however, is up for debate on what actually happens. It is an open-ending and I know many people do not like that, however I do enjoy them. It is up to you to maybe put the pieces together and figure out what really happens in the end. However the answer is not set in stone, and many people like to point in a certain direction and say yes THIS IS what happened however, unless the write comes out and says “well this is actually what happened” I think its fair to say that you may interpret it however you want, just be aware that the ending may not satisfy everyone, though I was very much okay with it. I think this drama was beautiful and it had me in tears through most of it. If you enjoy romances, which this is such a sweet one, and melodrama (which are my life) I think you would most likely enjoy this drama. It may not be an outstanding melodramatic drama, no, but it gets the job done and I cant fault it for that because it did take me on a emotional journey and I will definitely remember it for that.
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