This review may contain spoilers
Surprisingly good on rewatch
When watching Thai Lakorn (if it’s not BL), people must realise it’s made for domestic audience, just like Indian over the top serials, Korean Makjang and Pakistani dramas. As such these programs will infuse a lot of local traditional beliefs, local biases. They could be more conservative for people or could be very non relatable for people. But International audience must realise that not everything is made for their consumption unlike big budget Korean dramas.My advice to drama writers and directors, try viewing in your drama in a serialised way just like how viewers watch it. Things which make sense if you binge watch it versus when you drip feed is very different. I have been binge watching now and it’s a much more enjoyable experience. If you don’t want to do what Netflix does which is release them all at once, you need to find a way to make each week interesting and not lump all story conclusions at the end. It puts people off.
When i rewatched this drama, so many things make sense. The sheer emptiness the female lead feels which is why she passively went along. The negativity shown shown by the mom towards the adopted child is a very realistic and honest portrayal about how women sometimes treat children who are not their own in traditional societies. Women have to bear the burnt of child raising and they project all their angers on undeserving children (according to the stepmoms). In the 1990s we had many Bollywood movies with the same concept the most famous being the very hit movie “Laadla”. Showing a mirror to a society in how people behave like the toxic mom in something in the rain or this step mother makes for a very uncomfortable watch but these things happen in real life.
I really like the little details which make this drama so likeable for me, like the shipping route shown in ep 3 from China to Poland etc. the production team and the writing team did their homework and it shows in the well constructed scenes and the sets around them.
Overall this drama retains some key hallmarks of a Thai Lakorn but it’s very watchable if you binge watch it… A solid 8.5 from me
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Alright, Jacquie...calm yo’self and chill. *Pauses to wrangle in my copious fangirling.* I gotta pull this spazzing down a level, and keep my raving to a minimum. Let me calmly explain to you why this drama is so flim-flammingly made of tasty awesome-sauce!
Firstly, it has all the right tropes to hook you: poor misfit unattractive heroine/rich Mr. Perfect hero. But, let me lay it all on the line because guys, these are just the building block tropes that NEVER turn into cliches! Rather than just being a dumpy, badly attired heroine in oversized glasses or whatever other weak-ass magic trick the wardrobe department typically pulls to make our lead "frumpy," this drama goes the extra mile without going the extra mile. Our heroine, Sam Soon, instead is legitimately overweight, without the "Let's Just Throw Her In A Fat Suit And Bad Clothes" trend. Nope, instead, we get a tall, Rubenesque female lead with frizzy-but-realistic hair and clothing that doesn't look like Barney's diarrhea.
Why am I going on and on about the wardrobe and physicality of Sam Soon? Because guys...do you REALIZE how nice it is to have a misfit heroine that isn't a walking joke?! Oh, and did I mention she totally has a spine? As in, this girl will ALWAYS stand up for herself, but simultaneously knows when to be reasonable at the appropriate moments and how to compromise AND negotiate. Basically she isn't a shrieking Too Stupid To Live female lead, and THANK YOU DRAMA GODS FOR THAT!
And as AWESOME as Sam Soon is, that's how equally kick-ass the rest of the entire cast of characters are! Yep, you read that right folks; literally every single character in this drama has individual personality with believable motivations, and there's not one evil antagonist rubbing their sinister hands together in the shadows. Every time this drama could have pulled a cliche, it didn't. Disapproving male lead's mother? Guess what, turns out she's multifaceted and nuanced! Contract dating? Guess what, turns out this acts as only the set-up rather than some angsty BS! Heroine falls in love with the hero first? Guess what, she doesn't morph into a doormat or mop bucket full of embarrassing bullshit! Hero is a cold fish who doesn't believe in love? Guess what, his evolution is well paced AND layered in backstory and frontstory!
Do you KNOW how amazing it was to be sucked so hard into a story that doesn't give-up out midway through like a deflated whoopie cushion?! Do you appreciate how spectacular it is for a drama to shrug its shoulders and go, "Hey, guess what! We're gonna put these two leads together through some bumpy trials that won't turn into melodramatic screaming-at-the-sky tribulations?" Thank you, My Lovely Sam Soon, THANK YOU! Thank you for showing that a couple can have disagreements and turbulence in their relationship without feeling the need to utilize diabolical parents, laughably stupid misunderstandings, random cancer, or amnesia!
You gave me a fun ride of a hero unwillingly falling in love with a heroine not his type, but kept it grounded and believable. You gave me comic relief that didn’t come at the expense of the heroine. You gave me some hella hot chemistry that was subtle but ever present. And, most importantly, you sucked me in with quality storytelling and amazing characters that had me finishing this 16 hour drama in two days. I honestly don't know if any other drama can compete with you, and I just wanna snuggle with you and your awesome characters, plot, pacing, comedy, drama, and cuteness!
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More focused on the characters
Unlike other zombie movies that I have watched, #Alive doesn't focus so much on the actual zombies. This movie's main focus is on the characters, especially Joon Woo since he's actually the only character we know of for a period of time. This makes the movie boring if you're more of an action interested person, but interesting if you focus the most on character personalities. It also doesn't focus on what caused the outbreak, nor on finding the cure. It's almost as if it's trying to teach us how to survive if something similar happens.Even though I've seen people hate on Park Shin Hye, which I feel like is unjustified. Both her and Yoo Ah In did a great job portraying the main characters. And the main characters aren't portrayed as this kind of superhumans that live without struggles, we see them struggle multiple times, and that's what makes them better.
The zombies, even though not shown as much as in other movies, were equally as scary as the ones in Train To Busan. But that's really the only thing that is similar between these two movies. If you're comparing the two, don't. If you want to watch this because you're expecting something like Train To Busan, maybe you shouldn't watch it because this movie is nothing like that.
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I guess to some this is lakorn really is overly dramatic, and I agree with that. The storyline takes many twists and turns, your mind is just going WHAT WHAT WHAT all the time. Sometimes you want to just tell Bow (Pinky) to calm down and just SEE WHAT SHE HAS IN FRONT OF HER! Then there Tos (Weir) who loves his sister a lot and would do ANYTHING for her. But then Bow comes along and he falls in love with her at first sight. He is the perfect P'ek (lead guy). Jealous, irrational, caveman and sweet as cotton. I'm not lying when I say he is CRAZY for Bow, really CRAZY. Some of the stuff he did to her I was not a happy viewer but at the end it was all good. I LOVED it when he smiled at her and calls her tee ruk (darling/my love) its so freaking adorable!
The side characters do get annoying. Some her there for comic relief and some are there to cause you so much HATRED and ANGER that you REALLY WANT TO GO INTO THAT SCREEN OF YOURS AND SLAP THE CRAP OUTTA THEM BECAUE THEIR SO ANNOYING!
It's a very entertaining drama to watch and definitely has all the elements of a thai lakorn. I would recommend you to watch a few episodes and give it a try, especially if your new to lakorns. The main soundtrack in this is STUNNING, when I heard it I literally played it on repeat for months.
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Realistic story of 2 souls who face Acceptance, Honesty and life…
[ STORY ]The movie starts with a simple scene where Zheng Yuxing(ML) is live on tik tok and Chen Chen (FL) can be seen at the back. They share with everyone that they will be going for a spontaneous trip and following that we went up to a long flashback of 1 hour of how they reached this moment……
As the story forwards, almost all things go predictable but still good enough to keep us engaged till the end… 2 lost souls who have there own issue come together not coincidentally but due to a planned lie of the female protagonist.
What can this movie give you? Changing emotions, how complicated it is for a child to face their parent's separation, how a lonely boy seeks light in the world of electronic music and loving a Girl who is actually very far from him and much more…… Moving on and acceptance is another issue portrayed here….
…Please don't look for logics here cause the movie is full of emotionally taken rash decisions…
[2 worthy statements that I found very realistic and relatable —
★ "When it comes to others, everything seems simple but what if it's about ourselves?"
★ "A lot of times we understand we're childish but we just can't help ourselves."]
[ CAST ]
•Leo Wu (role. Zheng Yuxing)— finally saw him in a more free and soulful role rather than the hugely responsible person. He's young and his personality suits this role also. Looking at the BTS from the making, he enjoyed himself while acting and that shows how he could easily portray this carefree role.
•Wendy Zhang(Chen Chen) — look at her cute face. She was perfect for this role. Playing the lost girl who has the ability but ends up taking rash decisions and faces reality at the end. Wendy did well acting up here as the confused little girl who just turned 18.
•Hao Lei (Chen Chen's mother) — Oops. She had a tough role here. This is the character that had the most no. of mood swings lol. Crying, irritated, angry, tensed, faking smiles she had to do them all. Poor her xD
……Except the crowd in background, there were a total of 7 characters who actually had to say anything in the movie (including main leads). Such a small cast list haha. Well, others weren't needed in the story either. They kept it simple with the cast….
[ MUSIC ]
Music was a major part as it represented the ML's field of interest… then all those club scenes can't be done without music…
Theme songs ~~
♪Upcoming Summer♪ — Mayday
♪Eternal summer♪ — resung by Wendy Zhang & Leo Wu (originally by Mayday)
[ REWATCH VALUE ]
Has a 40% chance of rewatch as it's a movie first so short… but going through the confused relationships again is a trouble for me lol. I can watch it someday just to see Leo Wu again lol
[ CONCLUSION ]
Give it a go if you're looking for a more realistic version of relationships. It's not the usual fairytale fluffy version that's common for high-school romance dramas. It's unique and more of a practical, friend-zoned movie. Acceptance and Being brave to reflect and be honest with yourself is the moral of the story.
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The show starts off strong but ultimately loses momentum as it progresses
On paper, this drama has everything I look for: a compelling story centered on character development, female relationships, and political intrigue rather than just romance. It starts off with great promise, drawing the viewer in with its strong foundation. However, as the story progresses, it becomes stalled by repetitive obstacles thrown in the protagonist's path, which ultimately saps the momentum from an otherwise intriguing narrative.The first few episodes were absolutely thrilling and deeply moving—they even brought me to tears. The show tackled heavy themes like sexual violence with sensitivity, delivering a female-focused narrative that made me root for the main character with all my heart. The developing friendships and romances were equally compelling, filled with chemistry and emotional depth.
I’ve always loved stories about women overcoming adversity to build their own businesses, as seen in New Life Begins. However, in this case, the story begins to lose its spark in the second half. The intrigue fizzles out as repetitive obstacles are thrown at the protagonist, making the narrative feel stagnant. The show would have greatly benefited from fewer episodes and tighter storytelling in its latter part.
By the time the tragic ending unfolded, my emotional connection to the characters had waned due to the overly drawn-out plot. Finishing the show felt like a chore, as each new conflict added little to the overall progression of the story. While it had incredible potential, the lack of narrative focus in the second half sadly undermined its impact.
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Waste of time!!
Stupid!! Waste of your time!So many issues that were not solved or handled by correctly....i do believe the story on it itself could have been really good, even extradinary!! but the story telling, screenplay was really bad!!! Ah lin said to xiao may she was once pregnany from hi ping....thatbissue is never handled... the ending is soo stupid i hate the fact that i actually invested sooo much time in this drama!!! Yoy cant even call it an "open ending" where you would expect a season 2 it's just reall really really stupid! I would NOT recommend this drama!!
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I love it!
I watched this without any expectations. So far I wasn't a fan of OffGun, because i watched Theory of Love and I couldn't even finish it, but then I saw the rating of Not Me and gave it another chance.... all I can say is, that I'm damn stunned of this masterpiece!Not only the story in general is good, I really like it that it's more brutal and that the acting of the gang really has a deep meaning, I also love the couples. I love the way Yok and Dan found each other.
This might be the only drama where I nearly shazamed every single song during the episodes. The music of this drama is so good! This is actually reason enough for me to rewatch it.
Every BL fan really has to watch this drama and I'm not even kidding!
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Nice slightly different mini-show
This is a very nice mini-show. I really liked how this differs from most of the similar themed shows out there. In this we get a FL who chooses to try and change her villain husband's opinion about her. A hard thing to do when ML is in love with someone else and the author fights against the changes.Character wise:
FL is a stubborn and kind woman who somehow enters the novel she just read and didn’t like the ending of. As the villain's wife she gets the chance to change the storyline. She soon falls in love with him.
ML is quite strong and cunning even though he is also warm and caring. He is the villain of the novel but can’t help falling in love with his wife, thereby taking a different path than he is supposed to.
Acting wise this might not be top shelf but the actors do their best within the limited time-frame.
So, if you like a good time-travel/novel-story that is interesting and sweet, this is well worth watching.
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Had so much potential, but fell short of my high expectations
This is a drama I’ve been waiting for a long time. There were rumors it wouldn’t air for another year, so I’m glad it finally came out. Song Weilong and Ju Jingyi are also two of my favorite actors. To be honest, after finishing it, I felt quite disappointed. If it weren’t for the last two episodes, my rating would have been even lower.The first part was pretty fun, but the middle to the later episodes were really boring. The female lead’s character is quite annoying — she’s gullible and overthinks everything. That said, I can understand her because the male lead keeps hiding things and doing stuff without telling her. However, the second male lead was the most annoying character in the entire drama for me. Song Weilong looks handsome and cool, and his acting is decent. Ju Jingyi is very beautiful and adorable, but her performance in this drama feels repetitive — like she plays the same character in every series. Still, I’m okay with it. Their chemistry is passable, but I secretly wished there were more romantic scenes between them. The editing is not very good; it feels messy and confusing at times. The visuals, CGI, and some costumes look quite dated, but I understand since it was filmed a long time ago. The supporting cast is fine. Personally, I really liked Liu Mengrui as Ge lin — her acting was cute and charming. I hope she gets to play a lead role soon. The last two episodes feel like a summary wrap-up. If the story had been handled like this from the beginning, there wouldn’t have been a need for 33 episodes lol.
Overall, If you’re a fan of Ju Jingyi or Song Weilong, I’d say go for it. Their presence definitely carries the drama and makes it more enjoyable. However, if you’re not particularly a fan of either, this one is pretty average and skippable. The story starts off strong with good potential, but it drags heavily in the middle, has pacing issues, and some annoying characters that might frustrate you. The last two episodes help tie things together nicely, but it still feels like it could have been much tighter. Watch it if you have time and don’t mind a slower-paced xianxia romance, but you definitely won’t miss anything groundbreaking if you skip it.
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This review may contain spoilers
Pink and Gray is my all time favorite film, when I heard Yukisada and Horai were teaming up again I was delighted, so keep in mind this review is a little biased.The first thing I noticed when the movie started is Yamazaki Kento's weight loss, which adds quite a bit to the visual representation of his mental health. The cinematography is delightful, the pacing is great, and the acting is superb.
As the tags and synopsis suggests, the story follows a toxic relationship which turns abusive fairly quick.
Nagata starts off as an enthusiastic play-writer, who lives for theater, but ditches his ambition for comfort. Constantly self conscious due to his procrastination, he makes attempts to test Saki's good nature, and belittles her.
Due to the ongoing abuse, the roles reverse and the unkept, homeless looking man we saw at the beginning of the movie, pursuing a beautiful model, turns into a once again seemingly ambitious man who dresses appropriately, and a depressed, shriveled version of now 27 year old Saki.
At a point of no return, Nagata realizes he's lost Saki, finally learning the consequences of his behavior. Saki 'escapes' Tokyo, and goes back to her parents to 'heal'.
It's a very good character study, really could not recommend this movie enough.
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Sweet reflection of season one
Almost every time cdrama's season 2 just fall down.But this one is exceptional.It has changed my perspective towards the continuation parts of sweet romance cdrama's . Exactly worth to wait.I can still feel the exact same strong chemistry between ML and FL ,the sweetness ,the fluffiness which we have missed for the last 3 years . This is super fluffy like the previous season.And the about actors,one word.Mindblowing.Especially Bie showed us a cuter version of Fang Leng in this season.I swear no matter how much characters Bie and Wan Peng will portray in the future these Fang Leng and Chai Xiaoq's character will always be remembered as their shadow in the their whole acting career. Both are borned to play Fang Leng and Chai Xiaoqi.As about Fang lie and Xiaobu another funny sweet secondary couple which we can't miss . These types of second seasons cdrama fans are actually looking for . While watching ongoing,I have feeling like it will be a much more better version season one.Both seasons are highly recommend for those people who want to see some sweet dramas having no boring moments.Fluffier than cotton candy.The plot is rich enough to caught your attention.The hilarious moments ,the craziness of the couple are exactly I have been looking for .
(Pardon my grammertical mistakes,
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KDrama Boyfriend
Babi is my dream boyfriend. Everything about him is something I wish for. I really wished Yumi would've ended up with him. I believe the conflict that ended their relationship in the beginning is something that should've been forgiven because not everything can be perfect. Especially since it was mainly the other girl that was pursuing.Besides the small change I wish happened in the plot, the production is amazing! I love the cells and how they reflect what's happening in their heads. I can't wait for season 3!
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slow, sweet, silly, sapphic.... superb!
Opened this one on a whim scrolling the Gaga homepage, and had such a lovely time. Tonally a workplace romcom, Ayaka is in Love with Hiroko encompasses an impressive breadth of lesbian community for such a short and simple series. Ayaka's seduction of her older, competent, and charming boss is so much fun to watch, while Hiroko's bittersweet experiences as a working, lesbian woman in a different generation provide an emotional foundation for the conflict. The acting is bright and lively, but never fails to deliver on softer story beats. It's really a gem of a show that I very much enjoyed.-The Full Review-
STORY:
This story is a little bit cliche--a young, optimistic, and open lesbian pursues an older woman who has guarded her heart as a result of homophobia and sexism faced in the workplace. Despite this, I think the story delivers very well on it's premise. Ayaka and Hiroko change each other and inspire each other to live courageously and freely. I particularly like how much it is emphasized that it is Hiroko's own work to create an inviting and encouraging workplace for her employees that allows the culture to move beyond traditional values.
One of the strongest elements of this story is the inclusion of a wider lesbian community. Akira's lesbian bar and the friendships and safety it offers provides an outlet for Ayaka's aggressive pursuit and Hiroko's reluctance to be open. I loved getting to see Hiroko in a different light with her brash and goofy friends. Likewise, I loved Ayaka and her friend's shared experience with discovering your sexuality and finding a confidence in your identity.
While some people will disagree with a coming out/stop being so cautious narrative, I think it was presented quite neutrally. Characters who choose to remain closeted (for any length of time) are given grace and understanding, and the resulting issues from conflicting desires is treated with proper weight. I understand being tired of this narrative, but I don't think it is done poorly at all. And I really enjoy these character's journeys.
ACTING:
I loved this cast. The choice to pursue an expressive and exaggerated acting style worked very well for these lively characters and their colorful world. As the series progressed and settled, the leads were allowed several long scenes of a more natural, emotional nature that raised the stakes of the story in a very satisfying way.
Kato Shiho's bright and bubbly personality pulled me into Ayaka's quest right away, and always kept her balanced on the correct side of pursuit over pushy. She was very good at pulling off the charming, innocent, and mischievous that made it so easy to understand why Hiroko liked her.
Mori Kanna's elastic expressions were likewise infectious. While they could potentially come off as "too much," I found her style contributed to the humor of the piece perfectly--especially when Ayaka leaves the room and her blank, boss expression morphs into pure lesbian panic and despair. I loved getting to see her flashbacks to a younger and more vulnerable time in her life as well.
For standout ensembles, I have to go with Naka Bambi and Seto Kazuya because, oh my god. I am but one little lesbian. But truly, everyone here worked well together and had such a joyful chemistry between them. I have a great fondness for every character in this show.
PRODUCTION:
I loved the color! I tend to think of JQL as having rather bleak, brutalist color grading but Ayaka's world is full of personality and color. I particularly loved the way different office spaces were used to capture Hiroko's reluctance--always drawing away in tradition, cold meeting rooms and finding common ground in the open-plan teamwork-centric main room (particularly when her scenes with Chinatsu were the opposite).
Of course, Ayaka's wardrobe is an absolute masterpiece and so, so cute! The progression from the clothing she is wearing for attention to clothing that sits more comfortably in her personal style is likewise very important to the story. I thought her finale outfit was particularly good at bridging the gap between her extremes.
INTIMACY:
There's always a production when they don't kiss until the end, but I really liked the body language happening between these characters. The use of space and casual touch was really curated throughout the story. When Ayaka moves in, you really feel how close and overwhelming her presence is, and her way of melting into Hiroko is very sweet. On Hiroko's side, the tension in her body tells stories and it's so wonderful to see in progress. I loved their chemistry.
In all, I really, really enjoyed this piece. Without discounting the weariness/wariness of some of the comments on this show, I think it has done a lot of work to go beyond the basic and deliver a more thoughtful and rounded story. To do that without losing the humor and joy of a romcom is quite special. I hope to rewatch this again soon.
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