Overall, if you've read the manga the story follows the most superficial part of it. Hokuto and Chiwa get into a contract relationship and live as a couple so you see their difficulties as they try to get by day after day. But if you've read the manga, you know this is not the only main story. Besides the R-Rated scenes that it contains (that of course they'd never do in a drama), there is also a story of revenge from Hokuto's part that here was put aside and they only showed a part of it and resolved it quickly. It was as if he was never fully convinced of what he was doing or perhaps it was the actor who didn't fully convince me as Hokuto. So while I appreciate they did some changes to fit the story into a drama line, I think they should have dug deeper and shown more character development. Hokuto should have issues, look complex. Here he looked like he had layers to his personality, but most of the time I couldn't see them, it was as if the actor who played him was static. Now I don't know his other works, but here he didn't make me feel a lot for his character because he seemed superficial and not mysterious like the manga!Hokuto. The same happened with Chiwa's character, but less. She was more like her manga counterpart, even if at times shallow. In general, if you're looking for a romantic story with not much drama to it but never read the manga, go for it. But don't expect a super masterpiece, just an enjoyable series with some over the top moments that honestly could have been avoided.
The music is pretty cool though.
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This review may contain spoilers
Potential Trigger Warning (explained in first paragraph of review) - Excellent Acting all around
Completed - 2/12/2022Trigger Warning/Spoiler - I didn’t see this mentioned in the reviews/comments and tags, so I figured I’ll mention this. In the last episode of the drama, there was an incident of sexual harassment on the bus. This is a very small part of the show (maybe only 5 minutes), and nothing too explicit (moving close, touching). But just in case, I would like to inform those who could be affected. It made me a little uncomfortable as I experienced something similar many years ago when I was a high schooler. It just brought back some memories. I know many women (and men) experience such atrocity in their daily lives. However, if you are OK, I hope it doesn’t deter you from watching this amazing drama.
Now, moving on to the real review.
Plot - When I first read about this drama, one thing that concerned me was the repetitiveness of the plot due to the time loop. In “Reset”, I feel that it started out with two very strong episodes. However, I do feel some repetitiveness in the subsequent episodes. Luckily, once we learn more of the passengers’ stories and police investigations, the drama’s pace is better and everything becomes more exciting. I think the drama finishes really strong with amazing episodes 12-15 and gives us a very satisfactory ending. I think Ep 12 is the most exciting and my favorite.
Acting/Characters - Great acting all around, from our leads to the minor supporting characters. I’ve seen Bai Jin Ting (ML) in a few other dramas, and am glad to see him branch out to have a different role. Playing the character as Xiao He Yun, a game developer who wasn’t an instant hero. Bai Jin Ting was able to portray some real emotions as someone who was scared to learn of the time loop, and didn’t want to have anything to do with it. Throughout the drama, he slowly grows into the hero that he is. This is my first drama of Zhao Jin Mai (FL) and I like her acting as well. Playing Li Shi Qing, a college student who is caring and innocent, but has a sense of justice. She is more of an instant heroine, compared to Xiao He Yun. With different personalities, our leads complement each other well and each brings something different to the table when solving the mystery of time loop. “Reset” also has an excellent supporting cast of young and veteran actors. I especially enjoy the acting of Liu Yin Jun (as Detective Zhang Cheng), Huang Jue (as bus driver Wang Xing De) and Liu Dang (as Tao Ying Hong). Other passengers or police officers might not have as much screen time but you can still differentiate them from each other as they have such individual charisma and acting. Additionally, I am so glad to see two female police officers who are intelligent and calm, and one of them is the boss!
Production - This has to be the first C-drama that gives me the most realistic color of blood! I know it sounds crazy that I talk about this, but in so many dramas, the color of blood is just not right. It’s either too bright red, too liquidy, too thick or too dark. But in “Reset”, it’s realistic, and especially the realistic injuries of a burn victim. If you look closely at the wounds of one of the major characters after the explosion, you can see smoke coming out of the burnt clothes and wounds. Such details! There is nothing glamorous about this drama, so one can’t judge its production value on nice clothes or nice set design. But you can see the detail in each of the scenes and how real everything is. There’s nothing flimsy or cheap. On the other hand, since it’s a time loop, the production company can save money on a large wardrobe budget. The characters just wear the same clothes everyday!
OST - The background music complemented the scenes very well, and you feel that it’s not forcing you to feel a certain way. There aren’t many songs played in the drama, but when Zhou Shen’s hauntingly beautiful song, “My Only” comes up, you can’t help but feel all the emotions. One of my pet peeves is when music is too loud that it drowns the dialogs. I am glad that it didn’t happen here. The few songs played are nice and I only notice them more towards the last half of the drama.
Other Observations:
1. This is the fanciest Internet Bar/Cafe/Motel I’ve seen in a drama. I think I want to stay in a room like that than in any hotel room!
2. C-dramas really like lovers wearing color-matching outfits. We see that in the last episode - white shirts and blue jeans.
3. No annoying character in this drama! Yay!
4. Slight romance is the correct tag. I would have liked to see a little more glances/hints throughout the drama. I don’t need much, just a little. I feel that either you take out the romance completely, or give it a little more care.
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You just don't know what you know.
This larger than life, universe parallel thing does not fit well in normal brain at first. But I love Lee Min Ho, so I kept on moving.
I can say the show has been written brilliantly. Performance by everyone is out of the world. And the Ost is also brilliant. But I am still doubting if I managed to digest the overall plot or do I need to check it again!
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This movie is a tearjerker. If you have a heart, you'll definitely weep or at least get teary. The story is nothing too grand, it's rather a very simple account of a spoiled city boy living with his rural dwelling grandmother. What follows is the kid's bratty behavior and a grandmother you just want to pull out of the screen and hug. She was really that cute and lovable. I swear I hated the kid so much till the end. He treats his grandmother like crap, and yet she never gets angry.
The overall pace is somewhat slow, but it has been shown very realistically. Both the kid and the grandmother didn't seem like they were acting at all! I'd give a full 10/10 to the direction. In fact I think the movie deserved a whole 10 if not the ending that I didn't quite like. I would have made it into a very fair ending if I could. Instead it remained as a somewhat sad end if you ask me.
I also loved the fact because it shows us how greedy people have become in today's world. There are many people in the world who come from rural side, get educated and then move to the city for their jobs and settle there. A lot of times they leave behind their parents, never looking twice how they are doing. The kid's mother is an example of such a person. She was downright awful if you ask me. She leaves her child with her mother and it was apparent they didn't have a good relation. Not just that, she's completely oblivious to the conditions her mute mother is living in. Any person with a heart would never do such a thing.
LOL, sorry about my little rant there. I couldn't help myself since the movie so accurately portrays real people that it kicked natural reactions out of me.
Anyway, the other things like the background score and the cinematography were also done well. I've heard that this movie was received well internationally also and now I can see why.
Honestly, if you let this pass up you're missing out something that is very fantastic. Watch this movie with your grandmother if you could. :)
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You have a little girl that can predict the future in her nightmares and a teacher who is a psychopath and finds herself having to help this little girl and the students in her class, even if reluctantly, since each dream normally concerns at least one of her students. But what makes this show so interesting is the mystery that surrounds each dream. As one would expect from a dream, things are not clear as water, and trying to find the meaning behind all symbolism and riddles keeps the mystery till the end of the episode.
But the mystery does not end in each episode. All the characters have a really intriguing personality and past story that will make you hooked. And here the acting is really important. I found Kitagawa’s acting to be the most memorable. Her character that started as a really cheerful teacher who was actually a pessimist unable to trust people suffered a drastic change in personality over the stories and she was really able to portray it. The little girl that played Yuiko also did a good job, although sometimes, especially in the beginning, I could not really feel her emotions, but maybe that was how it was supposed to be. Even Gackt, whom I had never seen in a drama, surprised me in a good way. The way I felt about his character changed so many times in the drama, and sometimes within the same episode, that I found myself confused. Well, at least the fact that you can drool at him never changes. :p
Even the ending left things really well wrapped up and you felt a sense of completion. However, I would not mind having at least a special, but I will not spoil that.
Overall this is really a heart-warming drama, with you feeling sympathy for the students themselves who all have a distinct personality, while also being a mystery drama that will always keep you wondering what will happen next. What else can they do to surprise you?
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Simply described, Welcome to Dongmakgol leaves the impression of a Studio Ghibli animation sprung to life. The similarities are numerous, felt from the fanciful bones of the premise, right down to vivid ambiance set by the cinematography. Even music lends itself to the comparison, having been contributed by legendary Joe Hisashi. Little events (such as the incredible, now-famous, popcorn scene) might have been directed by Miyazaki himself. This is all intentional of course, a sure credit to Director Park Kwang Hyun (a self-proclaimed fan of the studio).
As one might glean from the information above, the story maintains elements of fantasy. North and South Korean soldiers, as well as one stranded American, end up meeting in an idyllic little village during the Korean War. They learn that the village, Dongmakgol, has been isolated for so long the inhabitants have no knowledge of the war, or modern technologies in general. From here, it develops into a story of friendship without borders, of innocence that brings happiness and peace, and reconciliation despite old wounds. Sprinkle in a little comedy and a heart-rending scene or two, and you've basically got Welcome to Dongmakgol.
The cast is phenomenal, as are the characters. Veteran actors Jung Jae Young (as North Korean officer Su Hwa) and Shin Ha Kyun (haunted South Korean Lieutenant Pyo) light up the screen. Being able to see both of these talents work together is such a treat, and their interactions with others are simply magnificent. Kang Hye Jung, best known from the Korean classic Oldboy, lands another iconic role here as the innocent and child-like Yeo Il. Together with Ryu Deok Hwan, she rounds up the memorable figures in the cast.
Unfortunately, the western actors were shakier. Steve Taschler doesn’t derail the film as Neil Smith, but his performance is obviously weaker than those around him. His character still manages to be somewhat interesting, despite these issues being combined with limited screen time.
Earlier I mentioned Joe Hisashi; fans of his work will automatically connect this name with quality. Those unfamiliar among you, don’t worry. This is music that has to be heard to be believed. Without his incredible compositions, the effect of the film would be nowhere as strong.
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It's essentially the story of how one turns from being a money-hungry, materialistic monster into one who has been changed through true love and recognition of what is truly important in life. The transformation is something you'll see through the episodes gradually and you'll gnash your teeth when the male lead is thrown aside without a care in the world. But, you'll clap your hands and jump on the couch when the ending comes... but I'll leave that to you to see for yourselves as the story unfolds.
You won't regret watching this...go on, give it a whirl!
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This review may contain spoilers
A Worthy Psychological Crime Series
Me and my husband does not have any expectations on this series as it is something that we watch on the fly.We are happy with how the story progress as well as the twists on each episodes. We are discussing who are the killers or suspects and we also love that mental health is one of the biggest subject on the whole series.
Mental health is a taboo to many Asian countries but here, you can see how twisted and how a person can kill and even blames their victims along the process.
As for the characters, I love that they are also growing. Its not just Totonou who is solving things here, we have Garou who is also intelligent and wants to avenge his sister and Furomitsu.
I also love the fact that Totonou is looking into beibg just a regular college student but he is begrudgingly being tagged on each cases.
I am looking forward to the next season and I really hope that this is something that will happen late this year or early next year.
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1Age Gap Marriage
Toshi no Sakon, which translates to age gap marriage, struck me with its cinematography. It's beautifully shot, and I liked how vague the first five minutes were about the identity of Murakami Maiko's (Aoi Wakana) husband. I found some elements of the show refreshing, despite some other elements being a typical Japanese rom-com genre where a sheltered female who has never been in a relationship meets a handsome young man, falls in love, and the end of the story. Where Toshi no Sakon is different is that things happen in reverse. The sheltered girl is more or less forced to go to an arranged marriage matchmaking session. When she meets her match, she is instinctively attracted to him and his agreeable nature despite the huge age difference. Because Hanasato Harumi (Takezai Terunosuke) decides to only meet her to appease his client Murakami Genichiro (Fukikoshi Mitsuru), Maiko's father, is taken by her forwardness. Before we know it, they are married, which is intriguing about this story.I liked Maiko as a character, and Aoi Wakana for her ability to portray Makio in a way that made me believe in her sincerity, innocence and maturity despite her young age, and for boldly pursuing her heart's desire in a culture where one, especially a female, isn't always open about their emotions. She even initiates the first kiss before their third date, and practically proposes to him. But what I enjoyed most about her was her loudly expressing her inner voice, which probably endeared her to Harumi for being the complete opposite of him. As for Harumi, I admired his honesty and how amiable he was to Maiko despite being much older and more set in his ways, as well as how intrigued he was both physically and mentally. I can't even say it was simply opposites attracted. It was much more than that. It was like the old age meeting the new age and forming an intergenerational connection bound by the differences rather than pulled apart.
I think if Toshi no Sakon had just stopped at that, it would have been your average rom-com with an age gap. But the fact that it dived into the fears and insecurities Maiko faces in her inexperienced love versus Harumi experienced one, and his insecurity with his age and fear of not being able to compete, and the very realistic way the show addresses those insecurities from the Japanese presepctive, is what made Toshi no Sakon stand out even if from my cultural standpoint I may not have understood but that's okay since the show was not for my perspective I still liked and respected the options and directions it takes. The trail and tribulations Maiko and Harumi face as they attempt to measure up to what they each believe are their shortcomings, and the ways the drama tackles and addresses those trials in age, societal and cultural differences, terminology, not only from the perspective of an older man and younger woman, but also from the perspective of an older woman and younger man, and how the intergenerational gap experience despite being the same affects men and women of the same age differently.
The message Toshi no Sakon is so simple -- open dialogue is essential for experiencing, expressing, and fostering love in marriage. Despite men and women, be they younger or older, acting differently and communicating in different ways, be it in tone or attitude, the need to develop certain attitudes that express love and encourage authentic dialogue is key. Often, spouses, regardless of age, aren't necessarily looking for their other half to find a resolution; they want to know their partner is paying attention to them and acknowledges their fears and insecurities. And most importantly, not to let societal or cultural differences be they in age or otherwise, limit them or dictate their happiness, because the combination of two different ways of thinking, rather than hindering, can be the source that elevates them to the next level of their co-existence and ultimately their happiness. I highly recommend it. I enjoyed this short but very sweet drama.
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A Very Different Yet Inventive Variety Show
Very rarely, if ever do I review variety shows. I watched this one solely for LYN and the fact that I like the whodunnit factor. The show's 30 episodes were very well scripted and even when the cast went off script, it was great and funny. I won't rehash the synopsis because it's all there. I enjoyed it very much, from the mysteries themselves, how each character was somehow connected to each of the first 7 mysteries and then the rather twilight zone-ish last three weeks trying to find out who the mole was in the group. I loved how they all came together to solve the crimes and then at the end of each case the legal and psychology professor Dr. Ma was invited to speak about all of the legalities involved in each case from both that and the psychological perspective. It was quite fascinating (for me especially as law is one of my backgrounds and I like to see how other countries function legally). I would totally recommend this show, it's not scary in the slightest. It's fun and funny, with even some tear jerking moments towards the end. The only cons are that the subs are AI-generated and product placement with full speeches happen at least once an episode, otherwise a really great and fun show that I hope returns next year with the same cast; they really have a great connection together.Was this review helpful to you?
I actually like the drama. Ivy Shao and Chris Wu chemistry are not too bad. But I still prefer Ivy Shao and Marcus Chang in Back To 1989 (to you guys who never watch this, please, watch it NOW). The beginning started off nicely, and how I love love LOVE Xiao Bin so much. He was like the LIGHT of this drama. He's funny, cute, and the fact he's so loyal, LOVED HIM!
For Chris Wu fans, I think despite the draggy story, you can watch this for his passionate kiss (damn that kiss tho), his sincere smile, his funny and cute act. And the fact Ivy Shao is so pretty and charming as usual.
I also love the fact that the villain in this drama is not very annoying. All of their acts turned out is for someone's sake or someone's good make it all of their actions are very reasonable.
Overall, to me, they should've just stayed at their cooking theme instead of moving into rich people stuff that to me is soooo cliche. Do I still recommend you to watch it? Yes. Despite the draggy story and cliches, if you love Chris Wu or Ivy Shao, you'll definitely give this a try. This drama also gave me lots of butterflies, and some tears too, and the fact it's so funny and so entertaining. So, if you need a light funny and cute drama then maybe this is yours.
Will I rewatch this? Maybe I'll watch the first part. I surely very love the first part of the story where the couple first met and how they interact with each other, lovable!
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Potential good plot got diluted in love triangle but held on till the end.....
If you are someone who watches a drama without any external bias and are not affected by comments or social media then try this drama out. It started off with a really cheerful theme, with high potential, and had its fair share of angst and romance with some really really good music and dance sequences especially the OST "높이 (together)". As the episodes went by the main plot kind of was lost in the love triangle which more or less killed the vibe the earlier episodes created, well they recovered a bit around the last quarter of the show where there was some progress in the main plot but the impact was not that great. There were many obvious choices that would have actually made the drama much more engaging and not so frustrating until the last quarter but the writer I guess ignored all of them and messed up a really beautiful drama, which ended up being popular but could have been a lot lot better.But even in that If you are someone who is looking to watch a good drama this is still a great choice as you won't have to wait a lot for the episodes rather they are all out and available for you, so you will feel a lot refreshing and might even enjoy the plot a lot. The actors did a really great job in their respective roles the portrayer of the personalities remained quite consistent and uniform.
Trust me as someone in this drama said "Sometimes it will feel like all the work is useless, but there comes a moment which makes you forget all of that." 🔥🔥 You will surely like it just stick to the end.
Let's talk about the characters:
1. Do Hae Yi:- She is the kind of FL that you will surely start to like from the very start. She is responsible, caring, extremely funny, knows what she wants, and works for it. But we all know those qualities don't come easily as the price is the suffering they undergo to become like that. Her character was consistent in most parts of the show until a certain episode😶 which ended quite short😭 so don't worry. And had a really good and satisfying ending for her character really was soothing to the viewers.
2. Park Jung-woo:- Well my favorite character of the drama similar in a lot of sense to the FL, is also responsible, caring, not funny but a bit cute and geeky, and really the best captain which led Theia(the club) out from ruins to its formal glory. His only flaw is that he is way too protective of everyone especially the FL which kinda frustrated me😭😭 yet gave me a lot to learn about how actual love is like where the safety, respect, and trust in the other person is way more important than the fact that they are with you. But don't get confused he still slayed It in every respect and things took a good turn for him. Well, our captain changed completely for all the good reasons towards the last quarter of the show so look forward to it.
3. Jin Sun Ho:- It's not that I don't like his character but😅😅 I really had a lot of beef with how he did things in this drama. His role was the one that went through the most changes throughout the drama, at the start for all the bad reasons then things started going good towards the last quarter of the show. His background in the drama was most emphasized as compared to any character in the drama, but I wasn't able to sympathize with his flaws and problems because of how his action was in most of the drama. In terms of being a good guy for FL, he was also a really great choice but well the competition was fierce watch the drama to find out who wins. His ending was okay but they could have given him a better one🤣🤣.
4. Tae Cho Hee:- She had a really small screen time but was really impactful. The badass vice-captain Theia🔥🔥🔥, the best friend of our Captain accompanied him in his plans to save the club and fought alongside him till the end. Her ending was also really satisfying and trust me she was a really really cool character who took a stand for herself and everyone whenever necessary. I wish shows would have given her more scenes.
5. As for other characters, I if keep on writing like this I might end up writing an essay on this drama so I should stop and keep it brief. All the other supporting characters like Joo Sun Ja, Kim Min Jae, Ki Woon Chan, Choi So Yoon/Choi Ji Yoon, Lee Ha Jin, Bae Young Woong, And the families of all the characters were so so good you will definitely like them a lot each character had their fair share of problems but were all fighting to solve them and be happy and then found it, each one of them 🥺.
There are multiple couples in the drama which really piqued my interest in club activities I guess I should find and join one too😂😂😂😂. All the couples in this drama really feel natural and fitting, their complimentary personalities, their understanding of their partners, etc. I also looked forward to all of the club performances as that's where all the characters shined a lot, especially the FL and our always-highlighted Captain (that's where he really gave off most of the cool captain vibe 🔥🔥).
Disclaimer: - This drama started a war between kdrama communities right from the very earlier episode which lasted most than 2-3 months 😂😂 even I was a participant in that too.
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Story is very simple but endearing, moving and very romantic! Without too many unnecessary romance scenes this movie is classic romance! Well balanced with sad and joyful scenes but mostly it’s a movie that will make you smile. With the least amount of dialogues it felt very calm. Visuals were stunning and music was tranquil! Overall background was serene and only natural sounds were present but when the music played…it was just beautiful!
Another reason why I love this movie was the village setup and tradition of ‘The Way Home’. This movie reminded me of days of my life in village, whole setup was quite similar to the village in which I lived. Also the tradition of ‘The Way Home’ is exactly the same in my country; I was moved during those scenes.
Main attraction of the movie is Zhang Ziyi, brilliant in her debut movie. She’s not our usual sexy goddess and kick ass Zhang Ziyi but instead she played a very innocent, sweet, charming girl with pigtails! When she ran, when she smiled and when she spoke…everything made me smile!
…and at the end I was crying…
Notes:
Suitable and can be enjoyed by all ages.
Don’t watch it to pass the time.
This movie can be a good way to enter in the world of those ‘artsy’ movies.
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This review may contain spoilers
One of the Best Drama in 2021
it is rare for me to write a review for each drama that i watched so i'm gonna write a review for this one. first of all, let's talk about the acting and oh boys prob to Liang Jie and Steven Zhang for their phenomenal acting, they can portrayed each other's character out so well, even to the smallest detailed. the chemistry between the lead was amazing despite both of the actors are working together for the first time and i can feel "Couple Feel" from them and their kissing scene was intense as well.the story: the story is really great, it's about each of the character growth and they're portrayed it so well, i like how Jiang Yi come to term with his mother and finally embrace his mother again and i loved how Yu Sheng Sheng grow in this drama as well, and able to stay by Jiang Yi side and help Jiang Yi through his difficulty including his reconciliation with his mother. i'm a guy and that's scene nearly brought me to tear tbh.
Overall, i enjoyed this drama and i would rewatched it over and over again because that's how good it is. I hope that Liang Jie and Steven Zhang would get another project together again as a main lead, they're really good together.
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