Was this review helpful to you?
An Emotionally Profound Seesaw of Aro/Ace Reality and Dreams
Despite what the previews for each episode tries to tell you, this drama was consistently a low-angst but emotionally profound story. And I'm unbelievably happy about the attention it's gotten since its release. Kodama and Takahashi are such well-written and well-performed examples of aroace individuals.It was a bit odd though. Because it was a tenuous seesaw between the reality of being aro/ace in a society that doesn't understand how that could possibly exist, and the optimistic dream of all aro/ace individuals of being surrounded by people who seek to understand and will accept you even if they can't. And in the effort to create this aro/ace dream from the reflections of reality, some actions were unreasonably forgotten as the story went on. And it left me, as a viewer, feeling guilty for not being able to move past these small offenses and worrisome transgressions as easily as our leads did.
But at the end of the day, all these encounters served as meaningful lessons in what aro/ace individuals are expected/asked of daily and how those expectations weigh us down and creates an unintentional force that alienates us and invalidates our feelings. And their resolutions speak to what family is supposed to be about, and the different ways familial and other societal bonds manifest.
And I absolutely love how well everything was communicated between the characters. On the surface, Kodama (a highly sociable and energetic extrovert) and Takahashi (a guarded and reserved introvert who's only really enthusiastic about food and plants) shouldn't get along. Especially by allo standards of lacking sexual and romantic attraction. But yet they do. Bonded by their shared experiences as alloace adults and resultant loneliness, they create such an adorable platonic family. It was quite awkward and rocky for quite a while as it formed, as it naturally would, but left me gushing over their small but meaningful moments of comradery. It leaves me hopeful.
I love how this drama progressed from Kodama just looking for answers online to an overall story about being aroace as working and independent adults. And how being aroace doesn't mean you don't want to have a life with someone. And the way that this drama addresses that being aro/ace is a spectrum with a lot of things to consider was just so fantastically done.
The writing, performances, and representation had me on the verge of tears on more than a handful of occassions.
Was this review helpful to you?
Was this review helpful to you?
What's up is one of this drama that makes me think : "So, I remember now why I keep losing myself in dramaland".
This is not funny, nor this is sad. It's a little bit of everything. It's just about life, and people who struggles to find themselves. This is about learning how to live with each others, how to use your passion to overcome your fears.
I especially cherish this drama, because it made me discover an artist that I now really appreciate, Kang Daesung. Unlike most of the people, I didn't know him before, and it honestly was a huge shock when I heard his voice during the first episode, singing "This is the moment". It made me thirsty for more.
Jo Jung Suk also impressed me a lot. His voice is awesome, and his acting is no joke.
The story and the characters are the strenghts of this drama. For my part, I liked every one of them. They all touched me in different ways. Nobody's completely nice, nor totally bad. They're young adults, and I loved them through this story.
If you're looking for something different, this is for you. Don't give up this drama. Maybe you'll end up loving it like me.
Excuse my english, and don't hesitate anymore : What's up is good. Very good.
Was this review helpful to you?
Short and thrilling competition for creative logical and number puzzles lovers
I enjoyed the logic and number puzzles here as it was interesting to see how they made simple concepts/ games into a complicated one (e.g. a rock scissors paper game into a game about memorization and object permance). The most interesting part for me was when the participants talk about their approaches, shortcut methods and tricks which makes me gasped at how their brain words like GENIUSES!! And also so that I can use these methods next time if I ever come across puzzles like this LOL (which is probably never). I also appreciated that theres NO games where they had the participants scheming against one another, like a mafia game, or alliances (where the weak participants team up to eliminate the smart ones that we want to see early in the game). As much as how the participants were geniuses, I must commend on how the writer is a genius for creating such creative games (but no surprise because the writer was The Genius's writer).I am also glad to see how well different teams work together, considering the fact that most of them met each other only through the show. I absolutely loved the dynamic of Team KU and SNU and felt that they have great teamwork.
Overall, I highly recommend this short and binge-able 8 episodes intelligence competition with geniuses competing with one another if you love puzzles and this type of reality shows!
Was this review helpful to you?
Things are missing....
Ignoring the acting, seeing as I only enjoyed the writers actor, and considering that this wasnt the worst thing I've ever seen by FAR! I still can't help but notice so many things that left me a bit "??". By that I mean the plotholes, or stuff that seems to be missing and it doesn't just happen once.Firstly, the plot seems to be all over the place... Like the cops appear there but then because they know each other they just go away ???? Hello ??? He was literally camping in a place the OWNER said not to like.. the writer told him multiple times to leave... But alas, that's just the beginning.
Let's talk about the hoodie. They focus a big part of why the writer left as to the hoodie, which was like a "heartbreak" impact sort of thing, but then they never told us what happened to it ? Did i miss something? Did someone stole it? And THEN when they're drinking outside the writer's house the director not even ONCE mentions that the writer was wearing the hoodie like........... ?
Another thing is that the director guessed the the house code, guessed the computer password and when the writer arrived he didn't even questioned him about it... Does that many ANY sense? Did he just think that was nornal? They haven't talked to eachother for YEARS and he just ignored that? Alright then...
It wasn't absolutely horrible seeing as I did finish it which never happens if I dislike something, but it was indeed lacking in several aspects that just make it all feel very incomplete.
Was this review helpful to you?
Now i remembered it and finally saw it. I really like revenge storys, so it was really exciting to see what will happen next.
A second aspect i like is, that you won´t hate charas only. You will love and hate charas at the same time as well as love and cry with them. The acting was great.
I didn´t like a few decisions from the charas, but it don´t interfere much with the overall result.
With 40 Episodes its a bit to long, but every minute its worth it.
Was this review helpful to you?
I love the idea of a game, where the whole MIT is involved, and they have to face up to their past. I did guess who was the ultimate mastermind behind the game, but some of the plot twists really surprised me. Guigui's character surprised me too.
I watched the show when it was airing in Taiwan at the same time, so it killed me everytime one episode ended! It's terrible when the case drags to the next episode because the wait, and even if the case has ended, the preview of the next case always left me cursing at the monitor.
Okay, I may be slightly biased, because I'm a fan of Aaron, but this is definitely my favourite Aaron-role:) I have a soft spot for cold characters with sad pasts, and Aaron looks really cute here. Plus, I love the Guilun chemistry, offscreen and onscreen. Cuteness overload! Alien Huang's role as 747 had me burst into laughter- he says the most retarded but cute things. Lu Ting Wei's 187 is a playboy that always leaves a smile on my face. And Guigui is just too cute:) She needs to brush up on her acting though.
The music really built up the tension, especially the last episode! The music was so apt! Not your usual soundtrack, of course, but appropriate for the show.
I've rewatched the show at least 5 times, and a particular episode 10 times because of the Guilun romance;)
Definitely worth watching.
Was this review helpful to you?
Everyone and their dog knows who the actress Yoon Eun Hye is. Usually, I love her. She has a vulnerability and depth that most actresses have trouble showing on screen. In this drama she plays a (spoiled) city girl Lee Ji Hyun whom I did NOT like. Lee Ji Hyun ends up loosing everything in one day. Once a clothing designer, now an unwilling farm worker. Her last few days in Seoul are the beginning of her turbulent relationship with Jang Taek Gi (played by lesser known actor Oh Man Suk). Because of her accusations Jang Taek Gi lands in jail for the night. The two reunite on the vineyard Lee Ji Hyun has to spend the year working. Guess who her teacher is?
The two characters are typical. Lee Ji Hyun is the city girl who doesn't know the first thing about working the land or the rewards of a simpler life. She just wants some coffee and sleep. Beneath all that laziness is a compassionate person. Or so we are told.
Jang Taek Gi is the hardworking, quietly affectionate rural man with a surprising layer underneath all the dirt. He creeps into your heart slowly. Their love is a slow burn. Something that builds slowly and steadily throughout the grape harvest. Too bad she's dating the second male lead (Kim Gyung Min played by Kim Gyung Min).
The story is Lee Ji Hyun's. We watch as she struggles to make her family happy, keep her dreams alive, and find love. Is love with the doctor and a secure future or with the infuriating but sweet friend working the vineyard with her? I liked that before they were lovers, they were friends. Awkward friends, but friends nonetheless.
This drama was free of drama, instead trucking along like life does. The acting is excellent. The supporting cast just as important as the main characters. The village's dynamic is like a family. They did a wonderful job of making life at the vineyard come alive on the screen. It's a character driven performance that is best viewed when you feel like falling in love slowly with lots of laughs along the way.
Was this review helpful to you?
Although the development and build-up was slow and at times, confusing, the last third of the movie really tied everything together and gave meaning to the characters’ actions. In the end, I think the writers ended up with a nice, cohesive story for the two characters where the focus was the depth of their feelings for each other rather than the mysterious action of time travel. A worthy watch for fans of the original drama or new watchers alike.
Was this review helpful to you?
Insanely good
I personally love this series a lot. Maybe my opinion is a bit biased because I am a fan of Neo Hou, but it's not just the acting. The writers did an insane job at the plot (seriously what did they smoke), and I am obsessed with the aesthetic of the world it's set in.The dynamic between the three leads makes a good comic relief among all the confusing mystery. It's not a show you can just casually watch as background noise or something.
I understand that it may not be for everyone, but I do really recommend it if you need something good to be invested in.
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
Some spoiler-free comments:This is great fun, it’s very addictive, and once you get started, you kind of have to finish it.
Credit goes to the actors, specifically Darren Chen as Tang Fan, Fu Mengbo as Sui Zhou and Liu Yaoyuan as Wang Zhi. Tang Fan is just adorable and annoying enough to be believable, Sui Zhou seems cold and unfeeling until you realise how much of that is PTSD, and Wang Zhi is just so layered as a character it’s amazing if you think that Liu Yaoyuan is just starting out in the business.
Special mention goes to Huangyang Tiantian as Dong'er, great performance.
The set design, costumes and cinematography are also out of this world – money was spent on this and it shows. I didn’t think for a moment I was looking at some sets until I saw some behind the scenes footage, because I really believed in the city I saw on the screen.
Basically, it’s a lot of fun, and I’m definitely going to rewatch parts of it.
SPOILERS FOLLOW
The good: I’ve already mentioned the actors, and truly, the actors are everything.
You really believe the growing friendship between Tang Fan and Sui Zhou, and Wang Zhi is endlessly fascinating. Dong’er isn’t as annoying as such child roles frequently are, and there are scenes of hers which I found really moving.
I appreciated that the boys did not get love-interests to distract from the gay, with Duo’erla ending up being a friend, Sui Zhou’s arranged marriage coming to nothing, and Tang Fan, bless him, being oblivious even when he’s in a brothel being felt up by a prostitute. I would have liked more focus on their relationship, but I’ll get into that when I discuss the cons.
It’s a pretty engaging story, for the most part and I liked most of the storylines and the mysteries . . . kind of.
The bad:
I frequently mention the problem of pacing in dramas, especially when there’s hardly any. Things drag on for a while then they gallop to a finish. I remember complaining about a stretch of episodes in The Untamed which seemed to go on forever – this is even worse than that.
Then there’s episodes here which end while Wang Zhi has barely finished speaking – seriously, I had to go back and check because I was still reading the subtitle when we faded to credits!
The reason for things dragging is that we also have a lack of stakes in certain storylines. For example, Duo’erla gets shot with a poison arrow. Ok, I kind of care, but not much. Then some episodes later, I find out why this happened, but I still don’t care. In the middle of this whole “we have to find the antidote” storyline, Tang Fan poisons himself – why? Who knows. That gives me even less stakes, because I KNOW one of the two male leads isn’t going to die halfway through the series!
There’s so much stuff like this in the series, where I’m sure I missed something because I skipped over chunks of episodes. I mean, I almost missed this amazing set piece in the brothel, because I was so tired of the entire “We are dying REALLY SLOWLY” storyline which was obviously going nowhere – then later I realized it was for the Arras/Ding Man storyline, but as I barely cared about that, it was kind of a waste of time.
And then THAT storyline ended up driving Sui Zhou and Tang Fan apart for a pretty long stretch, and I was almost done. I had to spoil myself to make sure it ended with them reconciled. Also, one of the things that will hurt me upon rewatch is the number of times I will have to hear characters talk about the BULONG and where is the BULONG and who has the BULONGS, and enough already.
The Arras/Ding Man storyline is the one with the most plot holes, in my opinion. You would think that with an eunuch who spent three years really close to the Emperor, that someone would have checked if he was, you know. Really a eunuch. Also, he could have killed the Emperor at literally any time in the last three years – instead he arsed around until a villainous businessman and a needlessly complicated plot presented itself, which failed. Good job, dude.
I honestly don’t know if any of the above is in the novel, because I’ve only read up till chapter 7 (waiting on a good translation). So for now I’m gonna blame the screenwriters for the plot-holes, as well as Consort Wan’s army of teen girls and Qing Ge the building-jumping prostitute assassin (the massive explosion is not a plot-hole or something anyone made up – it really happened, albeit a century or so later, and historians still don’t agree on what caused it).
Conclusion
Look, I did ultimately enjoy it. On a shallow note, most of the men were extremely good-looking (I refuse to believe that the Chenghua Emperor was so hot in real life) and there were some badass and cool female characters. On a less shallow note, all scenes between Darren Chen and Fu Mengbo are gold – the animated bit where Tang Fan explains why he couldn’t have murdered anyone has to be seen to be believed – and when you add Liu Yaoyuan to the mix, it just gets better.
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
Suspiciously addictive
I watch this without knowing about anything; whether the webtoon or any controversial issues. I was pleasantly surprised that I was hooked by the first episode. For me it's like a breath of fresh air. I've never met an antihero male lead in a kdrama that I couldn't help but to fall in love with. I root for him even though I know he is different. It's unusual for me to drawn to a character that screams as suspicious, cold, manipulative and conniving. His indifferent persona is really addictive.Story
YJ is simply a textbook sociopath with good-looks-rich-cold-but-nice that everybody wants to be associates with. While Seul is the next-door-girl-hardworking-student that is doing her best to graduate and just want a secure future. Love is the last thing on her mind. The story started pretty strong, as being told from Seul's point of view. How a senior starting to act differently towards her. From him being indifferent to suddenly show some care and interest. And as it progressed, it somehow fails to bring the depth of what YJ character really is. We get to know him through Seul's eyes, and sadly sometimes its not being explored fully.
YJ and In-ho dynamics was a great potential arc but gone amiss by the usual-boring-pointless love triangle trope. Again because it was told from Seul's point of view, I guess the writer can't help but to go down the unnecessary cliche. If only they explored on how both men can mend back their broken relationship. It would have been better in my book. But no.. the show just want to divide and conquer us. It's team YJ versus team In-ho. I hated that the writer butchered such a great potential outcome from these two characters.
Then the story revolved more on Seul's surrounding rather than focus more on her relationship with YJ. It's confusing at times; When a tiny issue like a lost keychain could be blown up into a highly-tensed-pulling-each-other's-hair drama, or when stealing other people's notes/belonging could be tolerable and forgiveable. I find its hard to relate as some of these actions did not resonates to me back when I was a student. It's fictional yes but it's too far fetched if you ask me.
The ending although somehow can be considered as a happy one, is a bit letdown. Again, as being told from Seul's point of view and her surrounding, the growth of YJ as a character was being neglected and treated as less important (He was the main lead for goodness sake). I wish that Seul could play a role in his growth to be a better person instead of just being the catalyst.
Cast
Park Hae-jin as YJ is brilliant. He really brings out the cold and suspicious vibe as the senior who can be manipulative but charming at the same time. His little devilish smile really gets me everytime. What a performance. I became his avid fan ever since.
Kim Go-eun as Seul is good but a bit annoying at times. She did brings out Seul's insecurities and curiosity but her immature-clueless demeanor sometimes puzzles me. I wish the character could be more consistent. If she can be so sensitive about YJ's behaviour shouldn't she be more sensitive about her surrounding and pull herself together.
In-ho is annoying to me. I didn't find him to be that interesting as a character or a better love prospect for Seul. I refused to be sucked into a pointless-unnecessary love triangle trope when his real issues with YJ were being ignored entirely by the writer. Same goes with In-ha. The manic and bizzare acting by her didn't connect to me at all. I am struggling to skip the scene each time I see her.
The overall cast are commendable and convicing enough whether as students, professors, parents and office workers.
Music
It's pretty good and the musical score really helps to bring the right mood of each scenes.
As always : Would I watch it all again?
Yes to YJ parts and skip the rest.
Was this review helpful to you?
When I first started this drama I actually did NOT like it. A lot of the humor is very wacky, comic book, slapstick. Which makes sense since it is based off a manga. It is definitely a drama that, at first, doesn't veer far from a manga style, unlike other live adaptations of manga that do not follow a graphic novel format.
I felt, while watching these early episodes, the style just wasn't for me. But as the episodes progressed there was tangible character growth. Especially from Nodame whose crazy, childish personality grated on me. As she grew and as I got to know the story and characters, that feeling diminished. The main leads and secondary characters all have growth! With the different concerts, orchestras forming and school year progressing, the plot moves along and doesn't stay stagnant. I didn't expect to come to like this but I did. Very Much!
Also, in spite of the cartoonish beginnings which lowered my expectation of content and writing, this also proved untrue. There are some scenes, especially in the latter half that have real depth and unexpectedly smart and mature dialog. I wish I could expound on this but let me just say the characters say and do things that are atypical of how dramas normally handle standard scenes and the relationships contained within.
The music is what this show is all about. Beautiful classical pieces are played through out and in the background making Nodame Cantabile pretty unique in the drama world. I gave the music a well deserved 10.
I am finished now with the 1st season and moving onto the first special. A week ago I almost dropped this. If you are like me and slapstick, comic style manga's aren't usually your thing, I recommend you stick with it and just maybe you will come to appreciate it like I did. If comic manga adapted dramas are your thing, Nodame Cantabile is Perfect for you!
Was this review helpful to you?
It really is both romance and horror! I got chills down my spine with the ghost scenes and your are drawn to feel the pain and loneliness of the female main character.
The comic scenes are... how can i say this... the chery on top of the cake! It's brilliante, hilarius, sweet, spooky, dramatic and at the same time... addictive.
Great soundtrack, great choice of actors, outstanding preformances, the supporting cast is amazing... TOTALLY want to watch it again (with proper subs, when i find them! XD)
Was this review helpful to you?
