May not be the best Japanese drama but is probably the most relatable one!
Life doesn't always go the way it is planned and there are going to be times when one is bound to fail. That time one may feel dejected and may also feel that they might have wasted their time, but as time passes they might move on. One might fail, but the experiences that they had garnered and the relations that they had build up throughout that time still stay, and these memories that they had made will be cherished by them throughout their lifetime. This is konto ga hajimaru's main theme.The drama has a simple but a relatable story and is carried by a stellar cast. All the 5 main characters Suda, Taiga, Kamiki, Kasumi and Kotone along with a strong supporting cast were wonderful. The acting felt so natural that there were times I forgot that they were acting.
This might not be the best Japanese drama out there but does have an ability to be cult classic. It is that drama that may want the viewers to come back and rewatch or recommend the drama to a person going through a hard time. This drama is just that awesome!
Watch it if you are a fan of slice of life dramas or you are a fan of the actors!
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The Uncanny Heroes
The Uncanny Counter tells the story of a crew of demon hunters who protect regular folks from malevolent spirits. These selfless and intrepid individuals, called Counters, have been bestowed with supernatural powers by the high council of the spiritual realm of Yung and are each partnered with a spiritual being who mentors and guides their every action in investigating and combating paranormal threats on Earth.Helmed by director-screenwriter Yoo Seon Dong, who is no stranger to the supernatural/ horror genre with previous works such as Vampire Prosecutor 2, Arahan, and Musudan. He currently directs the popular action-comedy Bad and Crazy. Adapted from the first season of the webtoon Amazing Rumour (경이로운 소문) by Jang Yi (장이) based on the screenplay by Yeo Ji Na (ep. 1-12), Kim Sae Bom (ep.14-16) and director Yoo Seon Dong himself for one episode (ep. 13). There was much speculation regarding the change in screenwriters during the drama’s run, the result of which may have impacted the fluctuations in the viewership ratings and audience feedback particularly towards episode 13. Nonetheless the director and original screenwriter Yeo Ji Na are slated to return for the sequel season, scheduled to be released in 2022. Kim Woo-geun served as music director and had composed the opening theme for the title sequence.
The Uncanny Counter has the distinction of being the highest rated OCN production in terms of viewership ratings, in the history of the TV channel (at the time of writing). In addition, actress Yeom Hye Ran won best supporting actress at the 57th Baeksang for her supporting role here. Originally planned for 12 episodes, 4 additional episodes were added due to the explosion in popularity of the drama, which also resulted in the drama being re-broadcasted by sister channel TVN as well as selected for distribution by Netflix upon the conclusion of its initial television broadcast. The sequel, The Uncanny Counter 2, will be based on the serialized second season of the webtoon which was recently published in June 2021. Principal photography took place mainly in Gyeonggi-do, with Neowiz Pangyo Tower and Haenggung Mansion cafe used as the filming locations for Taeshin Group HQ and Eonni’s Noodles restaurant respectively. The communications earpiece used by the Counters are Samsung Galaxy Buds series wireless earphones in mystic white.
What I Absolutely Loved
The premise of the drama, the overarching story, the interweaving plotlines, the respective character arcs and the fusion of diverse elements. Being an action packed supernatural mystery with themes of slice-of-life, melodrama, politics, chaebols, police investigation and corruption, this is one of the most enjoyable dramas that I’ve watched in recent memory. Although I have not read the webtoon, the basis of the setting is not overly complicated to comprehend. The concept of demons/ evil spirits, the heavenly/ spiritual realm and emergence of superpowered beings are presented in a coherent and straightforward manner within the context of multiple POV characters as well as complex plotlines that converge in due course.
The pace of the storytelling is brisk and engaging while the action and dialogue segments are balanced in proportion. I was never bored or confused throughout the entire series. Despite the original idea of fighting demons isn’t uniquely groundbreaking, how this drama distinguishes itself from others of the same genre is quite innovative. Think Ghostbusters and Taxi Driver with a tad of Bad Guys and Sell Your Haunted House, and perhaps even a wee bit of Karate Kid.
In terms of the production quality, I truly have to commend the action choreography and application of “wire-fu”. This may not be a wuxia but there’s a healthy amount of physics-defying stunts - breathtaking at times and a whole lot of fun most of the time. I noticed a combination of MMA moves and parkour stunts infused in the sequences as well, which adds to the variety for good measure. However, a forewarning for the squeamish - this drama contains a fair amount of blood and gore. The horror aspect isn’t nearly as terrifying or brutal as the depiction of violence, which can be disturbing for viewers who do not appreciate the sight of blood and brutality. The special effects are well rendered, particularly for the pyrotechnics involved, as well as the visual effects and CGI for certain “magical scenes” and the colourful “territorial shifts” that form part of the Counters’ unique abilities.
The well written main characters and the fantastic cast who brought them to life. When the source material is so intricately developed, it simply makes the worldbuilding that much easier to envision and execute. The characterisation is very nicely conceived which adds depth to the storytelling, dimensions to the plot and endear them to viewers in ways that enrich the whole production.
My second time seeing Cho Byeong Kyu immediately after Hot Stove League, I must first comment on his youthfulness. Portraying a highschool teenager here at the age of 25, he completely pulls it off, with or without the perm. Then there’s the acting. He showcases a lot more of his range in his role as the ML So Mun where he is undoubtedly the MVP of the show. Yeom Hye Ran is worthy of her Baeksang award because of her touching performance as the motherly Chu Mae Ok. Yoo Joon Sang and Kim Se Jeong round off the members of the Counters as Ga Mo Tak and Do Ha Na respectively. Each of them provides a compelling depiction of the gamut of emotions in their character development from the traumatic backstories to the present day where the entire team exudes so much camaraderie on display that they are simply a joy to behold.
Of the supporting cast, Ahn Suk Hwan is superb as the supportive and comedic Choi Jang Mool, the financier. Lee Hong Nae’s stoic portrayal of Ji Chung Shin is very intriguing and fits well with the persona of the antagonist of the narrative. Choi Kwang Il is just as riveting to watch here as he was in Hometown, this time playing the mayor Shin Myeong Hwi. His versatility is truly remarkable and he is convincing whether as a politician or as the head of a chaebol. Moon Sook plays the elderly Wi Gen, the ML’s spiritual partner who radiates the warm and loving goodness of a halmeoni. I feel that she and ML share the most interesting partnership among the Counters and their respective partners. Not forgetting as well Kim Eun Soo and Lee Ji Won as Kim Woong Min and Im Joo Yeon, the ML’s childhood BFFs, who provided some of the more touching moments in the show.
What I Didn’t Appreciate As Much
Highschool bullying is abundantly featured in this drama. It’s not a theme that I particularly enjoy watching and it does feel excessive especially during the first half of the story. This is not the garden variety bullying but falls into the highly brutal and savage category. That said, I do understand the necessity of enduring such hardships as part of the ML’s character building. However the graphic nature of the depiction eventually becomes a little too disturbing to stomach.
As far as the side characters are concerned, I would have loved to see more development for Choi Yoon Young’s Kim Jung Young. She’s clearly a decent actress but her role here is somewhat subdued and rather one-dimensional. Lee Chan Hyung’s Kwon Soo Ho is quite fascinating but lacks significant screen time that the character perhaps merits.
Regarding the change in screenwriters with the director taking over the writing for episode 13 that resulted in the backlash by the majority of viewers, I can see their point. Certain events that transpire in that episode do not seem to make a lot of sense, which unfortunately represent a blip in what has been exemplary writing for the most part. Aside from one frustrating major scene, a couple of plot points simply do not quite provide the required satisfaction to their conclusions. Fortunately the remaining 3 episodes reverts to normal service and delivers a stirring finale that this production deserves.
Final Thoughts
The Uncanny Counter comes highly recommended by many and I absolutely concur. It is deserving of the plaudits for being one of the highlights of 2021’s offering of K-dramas. There is much to enjoy and even love about this OCN production. And the good news? Season 2 is coming so hopefully we will get more of the same quality in technical execution and storytelling.
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"Because dreams can give people the strength to continue living." (Shindo Minato, Good Doctor ep 5)
One of the best Jdrama this season. From casts, storyline, setting until BGM music was flawless. My highlight of course the casts' acting skills, they are so natural. Especially the children roles, each of them portrayed so beautifully, they were so amazing, all of them, they made this version standout.STORYLINE :
This version focusing more into main lead's struggles to be a proper pediatric surgeon, his struggles to be accepted by others, and mostly about doctor-patient and patient-family relationship. So its more a human drama/ slice of life drama for me instead of usual medical drama. If you are looking for real medical drama with a lot of medical actions (like Code Blue, Doctor X or Black Pean), maybe this drama is not for you. But if you like a simple beautiful heartwarming drama, which told us more about moral values, life, dream, passion, tolerance, teamwork, friendship, hardworking, never give up, struggle, love, human and family relationship, i assured that you will love this drama. You know how great Japanese human dramas are.
ACTING :
As for 2 main leads, hats off to Kento and Juri for their acting skills as Shindo Minato and Seto Natsumi. Their chemistry in this drama was so natural, cute and sweet. I love their character development. They practice a lot for their roles. Before they started filming episode 1, they came to a certain pediatric ward hospital to learnt more about the reality of pediatric surgeon in Japan which is only 0,3% in the medical field. Kento also interviewed pediatric professors, visited a pediatric patient also learnt how to use medical equipment inside the operation room for his Shindo Minato role. Please remember that autistic is different in each person, thats why main lead in each version have their own way portraying their autistic role. And i am so proud because Kento also nailed it (his acting was so detail even his legs was acting, please pay attention to it *two thumbs up*)
SUMMARY :
Every version have their own approach to the storyline, depending on their target audience and their own culture. This version is so heartwarming, soft and delicate, and obviously targeting family or all ages audience. In the end, its based on the audience preference, which version suit your taste better. Like i said before, if you like slice of life drama (with Jdrama style), you will love this version.
And overall the storyline was to the point and the closure was like usual Jdrama, but to many coincidences in the last 3 episodes and a little bit too rushed, especially in the last episode, maybe because Jdrama usually only have 10 episodes, so they must create some storylines to fit it, but the story still so good tho. This drama really deserves a sequel (or SP at least), because honestly i am still not satisfied with ending.
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This film essentially broke me. I rejoiced, I cheered and then I cried – very hard – for half an hour. I was emotionally numb after this film to the point I literally just laid down and cried, it was all I could do.
This film is a masterpiece.
The acting, the cinematography, the editing, everything about this was just stunning. Honestly, it takes me by surprise I’m saying that – war films aren’t my forte, and I think the only one I’ve really seen is “Hacksaw Ridge” after the recognition and attention it received during the awards season.
There are two particular things I can think of that made this film just slightly more stellar and which piqued my interest:
1) The contrasts between the student soldiers and the more advanced, trained soldiers. There are numerous times where we see the student soldiers having a bit of a laugh and not taking things 100% seriously when they have down time – this is contrasted against seeing the more seasoned soldiers having a laugh but still being very on guard, cautious and taking things a little more seriously. This was… painful. It was such a clever trick on the directors’ part to remind us that these are children – the Jangsari soldiers were made up of 15, 16, 17 with reports of even 14 year olds being present on the beach. It’s painful, and it is such a well done small trick of the camera that just made my heart bleed.
2) At a few points in this film, the camera technique makes everything very disorientated during battles. The camera jerks as if it’s dodging a bullet or the butt of a gun, we can’t see through the fog, marring our views and we feel all round a little overwhelmed with the added sound editing of screaming and explosions. Usually, I would complain about a technique like this as they make me feel quite motion sick – “Jangsari” does this in a way that makes us feel like we’re on the field with these soldiers, not just viewing a movie as the scenes play out. I’ve never really seen this trick done in a way that doesn’t make me feel dizzy – with the added reasoning of not getting motion sick during these sequences, these scenes were absolutely stunning.
All of the cast played their roles with such respect and with such grace that it was hard not to see them as the actual people they’re representing. There were times I had to pause to sit and sniff and wipe my tears and remind myself ‘this is just acting’. I have such high respect for all the actors involved that created this stunning piece.
The final ten minutes were so beautifully stressful; I was stressed, I was panicked, but in the safety of my own home with no reason to be stressed or panicked – another brilliant job by Kwak Kyung Taek. The ending on Jangsari – not the full ending of the film – was utterly stunning, beautiful, and found me pausing to sit and cry.
I will say, my rewatch value is rated lower because, personally, I can’t see myself watching this again. It’s so emotional, it really hurt – I cried so hard, my dog had a panic attack trying to figure out what’s wrong – and I think a lot of the scenes would also have less enthusiasm a second time around.
All round, emotional, heart breaking but still so somewhat cheerful that really made me sit and think, “Jangsari” is my second film of 2020, but already I’m not entirely sure that something could beat it. A true masterpiece; half the actors have gained me as a fan and Kyung Taek has got my eyes focused on him and his films for a long while.
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This review may contain spoilers
The main characters are classmates (they don't seem to be roommates despite what the MDL synopsis says), and it's not clear how close they are at the start. But after Jack places his hand on Bank's thigh, they frequently go on school toilet trysts. How much of it is merely sexual desire and how much of it is mutual attraction or even love? We can't really tell, but the relationship is kept purely sexual for a while, with Jack barely speaking to Bank after the trysts. For Bank, it seems to be purely sex at first--he doesn't even consider himself gay (I guess what he means is that he hasn't considered a romantic relationship with another guy even if he enjoys sexual activity with one guy).
Despite Jack's aloofness, he seems to be the one who actually wants to be lover with Bank. Its also at this point where it becomes problematic to continue using the male pronoun for Jack because it is revealed that he is transgender. Despite having had sex with Jack, Bank claims that he isn't gay and tells Jack (dressed as a woman) to go away.
But perhaps the love was mutual. Eventually Bank realizes that he has lost someone he loves.
I must have seen mini series and short films that have more running time and yet end up telling much less of a story. Of course, My Friendship has its flaws. We learn too little of the characters too late to be more engaged. Yet, the actors have done surprisingly well in conveying the latent desire that the characters barely dare to reveal and their confusion while maintaining a relatively casual front to each other when they are not engaged in sexual activity. Oak, in particular, manages to portray Jack as someone who seems cold not because he is cold but because he fears revealing more of himself.
A sequel has been announced, but I'm not sure how the story is going to be linked, given that the Part 1 has already revealed the key events, including the death of one of the characters. I think a different cut can make things better, but I can't be sure about a sequel.
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I'm always careful with dramas that put soul-switching/multiple personalities (or whatever you may call it) on their front page, and it depends on the writer's skill whether I will like it or not. I have not yet seen Kill Me, Heal Me (but I want to), so the only other drama I can compare this to is Hyde, Jekyll and Me which has also some diverse opinions. I don't want to scare anybody away from this drama just because he/she didn't like Hyde, Jekyll and Me. There are not much similarities, I only felt slightly reminded of it in the beginning.
At long range Meloholic has its own charm. It starts as a rom-com with a silly student who doesn't care to feel embarrassed while confessing his love for his girlfriend in front of everyone - with the most cringy method ever. Of course it leads to the guy getting dumped. After an incident he achieves the ability to read the minds of women by touching their hand - ONLY woman that is. Later on he meets this girl that seems so different from everyone else he's met over the last years (of course there is no other girl that wears her heart on her sleeve - therefore as we all know it doesn't need further explanation how and why the leads will fall in love, right?). Crucial point about this girl though: She has two personalities and therefore doesn't want to date anyone.
It sounds kinda like your default premise, doesn't it? Well, I won't deny that. And throughout the drama you won't find any unique tropes at all. It's the same chair with just another covering. Even the crime case that suddenly pops up out of nowhere is nothing new anymore. BUT it spiced up the story quite nicely.
It was well connected to the romance plot and moved the story forward. It subtly gained more weight until the right time was near for it to come to the fore. The more you got to know about it, the more thrilling it became. There were only two things that bothered me. It always looked like they wanted to hide the culprit until the story was ready to expose him. But it was pretty obvious who it was since early on. That attempt to hide him was too strong to be trustworthy. The second issue was the finale. Some nonsensical decisions took place that marred the otherwise well done crime.
Because of the additional crime theme the psychological part of the romance and personality aspects is kept short and superficial, so don't expect any deep analyses of dissociative identity disorder or telepathy.
If I had to mention something positive, it would be the comedy. Seriously, I'm quite picky with that one, but I liked it in this drama. Even though it was pretty daring sometimes (yeah, call me a prude but some of them went overboard), it made me laugh out loud other times. And even though it's being used in every drama by now, I still can't get enough of that whiny puppy sound they play whenever a character is showing his puppy eyes.
Okay, let's get to the cast.
Kyung Soo Jin. I love her - like forever. The first time I saw her in was Shark. She was already in her mid-twenties but played a high school girl with so much confidence that it made me remember her for future projects. It's so nice to see her play adult roles because she's capable of so many versatile characters which I just confirmed with this drama again. She is playing two very different personalities stuck in one body. Believe me, you don't recognize the previous personality when they are switching. She's pulling off that role so well that even though the script doesn't allow her to deepen the character, she still manages to breath life into Han Ye Ri/Han Joo Ri. If it wasn't for her, this drama might have become one of the few I would have dropped eventually.
Why? Because whereas there were other entertaining traits, the male lead was a huge turn off. I can't exactly outline what bugged me. His acting was really strange sometimes and it felt awkward to watch him. Especially the kisses. Even though they became a little better towards the end, it was still not enough to satisfy me. There were times when I thought that he looked too much like pervert, although half of it was intentional for the comedy. Maybe... another part of my annoyance might also have been his character. Except for breaking promises he made to his girl, the biggest failure he kept doing was holding her hand to check her thoughts - whether she does say what she thinks or is lying. That's the biggest betrayal of trust you could actually do. If you truly care for your girlfriend, you have to trust her. And if you can't help but to touch her (of course you won't be able to hold back at some point in a relationship), wear some goddamn gloves (even more so tell her about your ability).
Other than that - although it might sound like a contradiction - the leads did have chemistry. I enjoyed their lovey-dovey behavior at times. It was cheesy and exaggerated, but still kinda cute.
Choi Dae Chul, who is playing a university prof and the non-related Hyung of the male lead, is my personal highlight in this drama. He was a pleasure to the eyes and I was fancying over him throughout the whole show. Can he get a lead role in an awesome drama, please?
As I already mentioned before, the finale was a real letdown. It had inconsistencies, stupid decisions, default dialogues, convenient accidents, more stupid behavior and one of the most common drama clichés ever. Even the villain became low-carb food in the last minute.
While my review started out quite positive, it became rather critical mid-way. I have to admit that I'm quite torn about this drama, but I also enjoyed it in some way. If it weren't for Kyung Soo Jin and Choi Dae Chul, my rating would definitely be lower. Half of the show only worked because of those two. And the crime. And the comedy. And the subtle waving between those two genres.
It's hard to say whether to recommend this or not. If you're into the male lead, then you will probably enjoy this alot. If not... phew, you have to decide for yourself whether you can cope with the male lead and still enjoy the things I highlighted ;)
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All allure with little depth!
Have you ever had a dessert that looks so visually stunning yet when you taste it, it's nothing more than mediocre. Still, even though it’s not the best thing out there, the overall vibe of it sticks with you, giving you a good one-time experience. This drama was that dessert for me.As someone who enjoyed the Korean version and was excited about the Japanese adaption, I have mixed feelings. This version felt less toxic as compared to the OG and leaned more on the philosophical side bringing out the classic Japanese slice-of-life story with shades of melancholia here and there. I would call rather call this "inspired by" rather than remake because alot of details differ.
The drama gestures towards the complexity of every character and their emotions but never lingers long enough to actually explore their depths.
With only 8 episodes, there was a lot to cover and while it does try to touch those aspects, it only scratched the surface. It felt like important details were glossed over. I feel like I understood more because I saw the detailed K-version and it was easy to relate and understand what was happening on the screen and what significance it is going to hold in the story further even though it may not be explicitly shown in the drama.
But all is not lost. The acting of the leads and supporting cast and the beautiful cinematography hits home, almost distracts from the story's shortcomings.
The visuals are stunning. I am not even exaggerating when I say the entire artistic atmosphere is beautifully crafted and well-shot! From the colours to the framing, everything was so thoughtfully designed that it felt like art in motion, truly a feast for the eyes.
The chemistry between the leads feels genuine yet awkward as it should, perfectly mirroring the complexity of their characters. There was always an unspoken tension and a subtle longing in their eyes as if they both were caught between desire and hesitation. A look where they each desperately need each other but just can't fully embrace.
Yokohama Ryusei in particular, was an absolute sight to behold. This might be a bit biased, but his presence elevated the entire watching experience. His expressive eyes and delicate gestures add layers to his character despite the narrative's flaws.
Overall, this doesn’t offer much in terms of narrative depth but visuals and the actors performances make it worth a one-time watch. Just don't expect to be fully satisfied with the plot.
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1) If you're watching this on Netflix, you're covered, because it lists this special as a 13th episode, so it won't play before the drama; but if you're following the descriptions on various sites calling this special a "prequel" and think you should watch it before the drama: DON'T. This is a prequel, of sorts, but it's meant to go AFTER you've seen the drama, otherwise you'll get massively spoiled.
2) If you think this will shed any light on the events of the main drama...yeah, no. It does tie some things together and sets the tone for some things the drama only describes, since it's set before the main conflicts leading to the drama take place, but it's not going to answer your questions, maybe generate more.
That being said, I don't think this special was really necessary, in the grand scheme of things, so I'm giving it a lower score than the drama, but if you have it available and saw the drama, give it a go anyway.
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I hated Yoo Il-Han at the beginning, and who wouldn't? He's vain and so desperately pretentious when there's nothing that would give reason to his vanity. I found it a little pitiful how he held on to that overblown pride of his as some defensive measure against his failure as a musical director. You can tell that he wants to make it so bad to the point where he forgoes his true self to do it. And that is exactly why he's a no-name--he forgot about his originality in the process.
So you can imagine how gratifying it is to see a character like this grow and be the better person at the cost of his ambition. It was humbling seeing him do that one act of selflessness.
Then there's Kim Young-Gwan, played by the cute Ji Dae-Han, who is a half-Korean, half-Filipino boy who is missing and looking for his Korean father. He feels like he doesn't belong and the people around him don't help.
In regards to that, I think the movie raised some interesting issues such as racism in Korea. People kept commenting on Young-Gwan's dark skin and how his heritage is an issue. He's a half boy and that's all they care about.
As for the music (since this is majorly a movie about making musicals), I thought the music itself was great and the dance routines were amazing (some performances gave me goosebumps). Yet I didn't like how incredibly autotuned the singing was. I know the kids singing in the movie are not professional singers or anything but the autotuning was too much and too obvious. It ruined the songs a little for me. However, not everyone would have a problem with this as it depends on personal opinion.
I recommend watching this movie overall~ I had so much fun watching it.
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4 Love stories in bite sized pieces!
This 8 episode BL anthology was short, sweet and honestly, pretty refreshing. Each story was wrapped up in two episodes, each around 20 minutes long. It wasn’t a lot of time, but it was enough to capture the vibe and give away those warm fuzzy feelings without dragging things out.What stood out to me the most was the overall tone of the stories. There was no unnecessary drama, no toxic love triangles, and thankfully, no cheating plots. It was simply a collection of heartwarming short stories about love. It felt refreshing to watch a drama that stayed light throughout without resorting to overused dramatic twists. Somehow it gave just enough time to catch all the different vibes of romance.
The acting was genuinely good. Every actor brought a lot of heart to their roles and it made it super easy to get attached to the stories, even with the limited screen time.
The production quality seemed pretty solid too- clean visuals, nice editing and it all felt put together really well for a mini-series. The storytelling stayed focused and didn't try to do much, which made it a really easy watch.
Obviously with such a short runtime, there was not much room for deep character development or heavy emotional storylines. The focus was more on capturing those fleeting moments like the start of a crush, the awkward excitement of first feelings rather than diving deep into the characters' lives. For what it set out to do, I think it pulled it off really well.
Overall, I thought this was a very well done mini-series, charming, easy to watch, and honestly better than many of the bigger, mainstream Korean BL dramas out there. If you are looking for something light and do not mind short episodes, I would definitely recommend this!
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The story is good, the characters are very well written. This is especially true here, because the characters stay true to their basic nature throughout the drama. There aren't any miraculous changes in nature or transformation from evil to good. It's more like,as the drama progresses, we learn more about who they are,the choices they make and come to accept them for it. I guess what I'm trying to say is, the drama/writers do not make or project any judgements about their characters, but leave them for us to accept,all the good and the not-so-good included.
The cast was equally good. Lee Dong Wook did not disappoint, Kim Hyun Joo was very endearing and every other cast fit in well.
Like I said before, the story moves along at a good pace, sustaining our interest with enough emotion,suspense and court room action.
The only thing I felt lacking in it, was probably the romance angle. Tae Jo and Eun Ho became great partners, but the underlying suggestion of romance which was always hinted at, remained just that- a possibility. Perhaps that's the way the writer/makers wanted it to be, but I was left wishing to see how it would have turned out.
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If I had to describe it with only a few words, I'd probably call it a Japanese version of Dexter. Yet at the same time, Joker manages to be something entirely different. If you're like me, then the whole 'law doesn't always prevail' storyline is like a rare jewel. There are other Dramas that touch upon the flaws in the law, as well as people taking the law into their own hands, but I don't think they do it as well as Joker does. It doesn't try to sugarcoat things, make excuses for the criminals or have some main character ranting about how "bad" killing criminals is. No; you are given the story of the characters, the criminals and the victims, and then you see justice served. No dancing around the subject, no pseudo-morality, just cold, hard justice. Joker doesn't hold back when it comes to showing you some of the worst sides of life and humanity in general, especially in regards to just how many people actually get away with what injustices that they do every single day.
Aside from the story itself, the acting is what really draws you in. The acting in this was absolutely flawless. I have seen some good Dramas in my time, but this.. wow, just wow. It's truly emotional and the characters just suck you right in with them. You feel for the victims of the crimes and you cheer when the criminal is finally given what they deserve. It's like watching it all unfold in real life; you can barely tell that they're just acting.
The music is also nice, and this is definitely the kind of Drama that I'd recommend to everyone and anyone. It doesn't matter what kind of Dramas you like, what kind of person you are, or whether you agree with this sort of thing or not. Joker is an utterly brilliant Drama and one of the very few of it's kind. I'd easily say that it was one of the top 5 Dramas out there. If you don't watch this, then you're seriously missing out.
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Never-ending pace
This drama was so good, I don't understand why hasn't been watched much.First I loved two characters, Lin Yuan Hao and Song Bai Yu. They are like day and night. They are opposite each other but at the same time, they are similar. I can also say that the actors did a great job. Especially in the last episode, Yuan Hao's expression while smiling at Jin Yi Tong made me hear the phrase 'You look so alike' throughout the drama in my mind again.
Secondly, the motivational sources of bad characters in detective series have always been important to me because I don't like 'pure villians', I prefer villains with a logical background and this series provides that.
I liked that the show didn't fool the viewers. They work things out step by step, and that's satisfying. I'd rather be suspicious of someone step by step, than someone I've never suspected turns out to be guilty.
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It could have been better if only there was no censorship…
This could have been a good story if only China does not censor time travel / going back in time genre.I understand that the director wanted the audience to understand that you cannot change your mistakes/past but instead of focusing on the fl dreams of wanting to change what her family did, it would have been better if she woke up earlier. She could have owned up to her mistakes and tried to be a better person (basically redemption arc) in real life.
Too many filler scenes and not enough time to build up the relationship between real ml and fl that you’ll end up questioning if it was really the ending. There were a lot of problems/issues that were not resolved because she only came back to her real world in the last episode. Its like they ended the drama right before the climax of the real story.
Final thoughts:
Not really a fan of dramas with female lead - 3 male leads because not enough screen time to wrap up everything (too many unnecessary scenes that could have been removed).
Actress playing ZY is really good, showed different emotions and interpreted her role well. Score 8/10
ZXW actor also good, he was able to play the role of unrequited love convincingly. He’s also very good looking with his manly face and broad shoulders (he does look like a lord / nobleman). Score 8/10
HRZ is cute like a puppy who fell in love for the first time and was willing to do anything for that person. Needs more practice / exposure to other genre. Score 7/10
ZYL actor okay-ish. To be fair, even in the novel he was cold, aloof and did not express his feelings much which he showed in the drama. He was always poker face even when he was supposed to be worried, angry etc. Score 5/10
MY actress is a disappointment. This is the first time I’ve seen her in a bigger drama project but girl, her expression from the start up until the finale is the same. I wanted to see anger, disappointment, jealousy etc but her face remained the same all throughout. She was the damsel in distress, the audience is supposed to understand her but I ended up liking the villain more. Her eyebrows and forehead do not even move when she’s conveying emotions huhu. More acting workshop for you girl, her role did not convince me at all. Score 3/10 (and this is me being generous).
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Then all of a sudden her life is being infiltrated by an annoying man... she learns to adore. The amateur photographer was kind of a mystery as to why he was like that towards her but the story develops towards the end.
Not to forget that there is also that mother (a definitely cool one) who tries to help her daughter in every way she can. I definitely love the way she showed her affection towards Mina and her sacrifices for her. This movie was not just a story about love between a man and a woman but it also shows the love between a mother and daughter.
What I like most about this movie is its subtlety in the dialogues and the small clues as what could happen in the end. I had this small notion that something was up with the guy or the mom, only I can't pin-point what until the very end of the film.
...ing is a very heart warming, tear-jerker movie that I have sworn not to watch for the duration of 2009. I tried to stir away from sad movies as much as I could, but what can I do? I'm just an addict to good story line films and this is definitely one of them. How can anyone pass it up? This film is a 2003 production but I only got hold of it 6 years after. It actually came out way before Kim Rae Won's "My Little Bride" with Moon Geum-Young. Here in this film, the leading actress looked so familiar, so when I looked her up that's when it clicked as to where I have seen her first. It was in "I'm a cyborg, But that's ok." her co-star in it was Rain.
Kim Rae Won never seize to amaze me when it comes to acting. He could be cool, he could make you smile and most of all, his crying definitely gets on to you. A very effective actor, that I am very sure of.
To finish this off, the cinematography was perfect. The music vaguely reminded me of the sound track from the drama series coffee prince, and it worked perfectly well with the movie. The actors were an A plus for their acting and the story line... as I have already mentioned above was one of the best stories I've liked so far.
I'm definitely giving my two thumbs up for people to watch this.
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