This movie... where do I even begin... I forgot to breathe in so many parts! I was laughing and crying and just praying for dear life in this disaster film. You'll fall in love with so many characters and, just like many disaster films, you have to hope and pray your favorite characters do not die.
I highly recommend this movie. It is not the best but it is certainly one of my favorite disaster films right now.
Was this review helpful to you?
The storyline was good, it had be guessing at the murderer all the way through and wasn't obvious. The film was just right in length, short enough to keep the thrills up and long enough to tell the story without confusion.
Watch this if you love a good mystery but with a bit of comedy and doesn't take itself too seriously.
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
typical contract relationship story but with 0 chemistry
PLOT :the plot is pretty typical contract relationship with less drama than usual dramas like this. but the less drama doesn't mean that it's good imo it was quite boring & most of the time nothing interesting was happening. now usually in dramas like these we expect great chemistry between the characters so the boringness/lack of plot won't be that big of a problem (example put your head on my shoulder) but in here literally no one had any chemistry whatsoever. the main couple looked awkward as hell all the time even after they were apparently in love. the FL's best friends relationship was a mess too they were WAY too toxic and had no chemistry & FL's sister & ML's friend's relationship was the most forced relationship ever. and that old grandpa was one annoying ass dude idc he WAS annoying and the FL's cousin deserved jail. the only good thing was that they actually talked about their problems with each other unlike most drama's couples who keeps hiding their problems from their bf/gf.
ACTING/CAST :
FL : she just CAN'T act. her acting was really bad and one of the main reasons why there was 0 chemistry between the main couple. and her character was way too naive and that really annoyed me.
ML : his acting was not bad & his character was the typical cold career focused male lead but only difference was he was really calm & collected and never got mad at the FL which i liked
the rest of the characters are pretty annoying & their acting was bad to mediocre except for the lawyer ig but he was quite annoying at first too
MUSIC : there wasn't any song in this drama that caught my attention / fit my music taste.
REWATCH VALUE : would never in my sane mind rewatch this lmao
Was this review helpful to you?
Strong start but I fear it's losing steam!
I was absolutely hooked on the first six episodes of this drama, and I really loved it despite its cringe Wattpad moments, but the last two episodes have become a bit too much for me. I expected a bit of a lack of realism, but certain actions taken by characters are completely illogical and unrealistic (like against the laws of physics unrealistic) and some of the characters who are supposed to be likable have begun to irritate me with their demanding things from the FMC. The MMC is unlikeable and cruel at times, and really the second lead is why I still stick around because he is amazing. It's going to break my heart when she doesn't pick him though :(Overall, it's chaotic and fun, but also unrealistic and cringe at times and you have to turn your brain off a bit to enjoy it. I hope to raise my rating in future episodes as I'd originally rated this 8, but we shall see!
Was this review helpful to you?
The couple was cute. They had an immediate attraction, but they took their time becoming a couple. They never broke up over stupid reasons. They never took the Noble Idiot route. No one got amnesia. There weren’t any evil relatives or exes conspiring to split them apart. Even the second lead was adorable, but not an actual threat at any point. I mean, was this even a K drama?!
Why yes, yes it was. Because there was cute, there was drinking, and there was lots of Koreans speaking Korean. Plus, just because the relationship was a healthy one without plot devises messing them up, that doesn’t mean that there wasn’t drama.
There was lots of drama. Interesting drama that I was invested in. And I loved that it didn’t make me want top throw my phone across the room. (Ahem…Heirs)
Was this review helpful to you?
1
1Strong on character but short on plot.
A Lonely Hero's Journey is about a young man's brave and lonely resistance to Japanese occupation. It is set in Suzhuo in 1941, just four years before Japanese forces withdrew from China. At the time, Suzhuo was administered by the Wang Puppet Regime; which was formed by a faction of the KMT that defected to the Japanese. The Wang Regime called themselves peace seekers and didn't have much authority but are regarded as traitors in history. While Suzhou was not the epicenter of resistance against the Japanese, it is a gorgeous and culturally significant historical city in China. This drama highlights the scenery, architecture and culture of Suzhou, including authentic famous Suzhou ballads. Its not your typical highly trained spy vs spy espionage story but rather about the defiance of ordinary people.Gu Yizhong is a Western educated architect and the young master of the prominent and patriotic Gu family in Suzhou. On a rescue operation went awry, he gets framed as a Japanese traitor and is isolated and condemned by friends and family. He infiltrates the Suzhuo Secret Service station run by Zhou Zhifei to find out who the real traitor Cell 8 is. Zhifei of course knows who the real Cell 8 is and doesn't trust him for one moment. Zhifei and Yizhong are parallel characters that at a high level, share a common hatred for the Japanese. As individuals they are pushed to make difficult choices at pivotal moments of their lives. To survive they both have to be flexible; sacrificing a father, or a a son and their first love. Somewhere along the way Zhifei lost himself and became corrupt whereas Yizhong manages to hold on to his beliefs. In Yizhong, Zhifei sees the better man that he could have been but is not. In the guise of a mentor, Zifei goes after him like he is exorcising a ghost; destroying all that Yizhong values to bring about his moral downfall. Zhang Songwen is compelling as this selfish, dark and diabolical character, who occasionally allows glimpses of his lost humanity to shine through in his dealings with the two women he loves, his son and his mentor Mr Li.
This drama is very well cast and in addition to Zhang Songwen, is anchored by impressive portrayals by veteran actors Zhang Fengyi and Zhang Yao. In fact I think Zhang Fengyi's Gu Xixing stole the show. The drama starts to go downhill when Xixing exits and completely falls apart after Ou Xinping exits. The younger cast also delivers credible performances against the older actors. At times, Zeng Shunxi's portrayal lacks intensity and could be nuanced with inner conflict when it comes to how he feels about Haimo and Ruotong. Instead, he gives us nothing there so the way they ended left me scratching my head.
One of the best features of this story is how strong all of the women are in their own ways. Ou Xinping is not just a survivor, she is a killer with immovable convictions. Zhang Haimo is cool headed and calm, someone who is motivated by personal connections and loyalty rather than ideology. Unfortunately Haimo's character is destroyed after her walk away is walked back almost as an after thought to try to salvage the shipwreck of a storyline. This is Chen Duling's best role to date and I must commend her effort in even matching the lip movements of the very hard to sing Suzhou ballads. At sharp contrast is the passionate Xiao Ruotong who is far more emotional and willing to sacrifice for her ideals. Wang Yuwen's acting feels very genuine, evoking a moving picture of a young girl somewhat overwhelmed by the tide of history.
Despite wholehearted performances from the cast, this drama is strong on character but short on plot. The plot arcs lack logic and don't hold up well against close scrutiny. It is debatable whether Yizhong needed to make such immense sacrifices to isolate himself as a lonely boat that infiltrates the Suzou Bureau. His codename 孤舟/Gū Zhōu or Lonely Boat is too close a homonym to his surname Gù/顾 he may as well advertise that he is the CPC spy. The identity of Cell 8 is too obvious, diminishing the sense of suspense and is uncovered without much help from him. I was ready to fling my wine at the TV when the enemy simply allows Yizhong to walk away with the only key piece of military intelligence he obtained because he shamed his country for occupying China! After Japan lost WW2, it was absurd that Zhifei still stuck around simply to try to frame Yizhong rather than fleeing like the rat he is. But I guess in these kinds of stories the bad guy doesn't get to sail off into the sunset with his ill gotten gains. This is one of those dramas that can only be enjoyed if you watch the character stories and completely turn off your brain when it comes to the plot.
Even though this starts well and the acting is good, it starts going downhill just before the halfway point. I can only recommend watching this if you are a fan of any of the main actors or if you are interested in Suzhou culture. If not, there are too many better Republican spy dramas out there with tight and suspenseful plots. My overall rating 6.5/10.0.
Was this review helpful to you?
This drama is very interesting and worth looking forward to every week.
I always want to know about Suho's amazing acting development! This historical drama is very good and not draggy. The storyline offered is also interesting and always makes me curious. You must watch this drama and get addicted to the story presented. I like the story that is to the point and has a measured direction of the problem, not just mere speculation. Additionally, the chemistry built between the players is also fitting and not excessive. I am very much looking forward to the climax of this drama. Missing Crown Prince fighting!!Was this review helpful to you?
A forbidden love story with Lakorn choas and adults throwing temper tantrums!
Love in the moonlight is set in a fictional kingdom where secrets are traded as often as silk and adults who seem allergic to both sense and reason. The series starts with the classic formula - forbidden love wrapped in duty and deception. Prince Saenkaew, a gentle soul burdened by past trauma, crosses paths with Sasin, a hot-headed man, who happens to be the cousin of the bride Prince is arranged to. What follows is a slow-burn romance between trust, betrayal and over the top emotional whiplash. Add in scheming trash relatives, a gallop of political backstabbing and a suspiciously high number of evil adults and you have a 12-episode cocktail of chaos served with period-appropriate tears.If “I didn’t mean it, but I did” could walk and talk, it would probably be Sasin. He is the archetype of the impulsive hero...quick to anger, slow to think, yet somehow forgiven because his charm softens every misstep.Sometimes I wanted to shake the screen and snap at him and sometimes just tell him that it's gonna be okay! He brought a full spectrum of emotions out.
Saenkaew, our sweet rabbit on the other hand is more on the emotional side. Very soft-spoken, painfully pretty and haunted by more trauma than a palace should legally allow. His “sad doe eyes” do a lot of heavy lifting, but sometimes they overstay their welcome. It works beautifully when he is in pain, but during playful moments, that eternal melancholy feels slightly off. Still, his gentleness grounds the show.
Pin, bless her pastel-colored soul, starts off as the cinnamon roll everyone roots for. She was sweet, sincere and initially immune to the typical “female rival” curse of BL dramas. But by mid-series, she veers dangerously close to the edge of that trope cliff and well, let’s just say the sympathy meter crashes. Her later actions are frustrating, though her eventual redemption arc tries to clean up the mess(emphasis on TRIES).
Then there is Saenkaew’s father, the royal poster child for bad parenting and questionable decision-making. He was just I-N-S-U-F-F-E-R-A-B-L-E. The way he tried to gaslight himself, Saenkaew and others around him , that what he was doing is the right thing for his child and for the family was just baffling. This is the brand of love that ruins lives and then blames the child themselves. He had no redemption arc in my eyes. One has to be blind and delusional to ignore everything and move on just like that. Technically, he should be in jail if you ask me.
Again, nothing is non redeemable in fictional world, but atleast make it feel earned.
Now, the reason why I stuck around was Sasin and Saenkaew. From the first time they met at the train station, their relationship was painted with that deliciously forbidden shade of love. You know the kind of love , that will burn everything in its path including themselves but can't help reaching and giving in the temptation anyways.
Every time they share a frame, there was this unspoken pull. They didn't need words... just intense eye contact, half-smiles and that dangerous proximity that makes you yell at the screen, “Just kiss already!” Their banter, especially early on is gold. I loved the rabbit nickname story! Their connection felt very natural. Even before they understood their feelings, they moved around each other with ease. I enjoyed their banters and I loved how gently they handled each other.
But this isn’t without its storm clouds. For starters, the show is drowning in villains who just seem allergic to both joy and logic. It’s hard to enjoy the love story when more than half the supporting cast are just terrible adults with morals in the mud. I didn't like how people who took terrible and selfish decisions were just redeemed in a single episode. Even if I put on a rose colored lens, the evil caricature-ness behaviour is still visible! In the end, I just got tired with them throwing temper tantrums.
The pacing also wobbles in the second half. It felt a little draggy. I understand they had to give us the angst but this could easily have been 2 episodes shorter! Also, alot of things happened because for plot conveinence rather than actually making sense of it. You have your leads abandoned on a deserted island, miraculous recovery, the infamous everyone knows everything, yet no one knows anything, the last minute change of heart...all conveinence.
Acting was a mixed bag. Pearl as Sasin was very convincing. Both his sassy and emotional side shined through. But Peak as Saenkaew could have been better. I felt he was too stiff and a bit melancholic even in the playful scenes. Supporting casts were also decent like Pin, Sasin's friends but others veered too far into melodrama.
Production seemed decent and cinematography was beautiful, capturing that period drama essence very well.
Overall, it's the romance between the leads that carried the drama and somehow overshadowed the clunky subplots. It's a mess but a chaotic one and that's the part of the charm I guess.
Ohhh the drama can be frustrating ( I am not even exaggerating) and some characters deserve permanent exile, but when Sasin looks at Saenkaew like he is the only light left in the world, all those flaws kind of melt away.
It’s not perfect like few things drenched in moonlight ever are but it is entertaining. I will recommend it if you are okay with thai lakorn style storytelling (over the top, dramatic, soap opera-ish).
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
not a BL, thank you!
What a powerful story. While it may be confusing at times, everything will get clear the closer to the finale you get.The acting and cinematography was top notch, the story could be a bit more clear for the viewers even when you will understand it at the end.
This is not a BL, it's a drama, with gay characters. One who denies his past and his pain and the other one who is trying to help his love even when that not always works out as intended. They deliver an emotinal rollercoaster which makes you shed some tears but also depicts how hard a relationsship can be because of all the baggage you have collected in your past and how to communicate to clear the air, to solve misunderstandings, to overcome your faults and your past and make it so you will truly understand each other.
After "Love in the Big City" and "Gray Shelter" we have the third Korean series not fitting in the BL catagory. While BLs can be fun, I personally like realistic, complicated, sometimes painful gay dramas a lot more because they also educate the viewers, that nothing is black and white but shades of gray and that relationsships are complicated and not easy to do especially when your emotional baggage is huge and the world was never kind to you.
This is a must watch for everyone who can cope with painful stories and is willing to give a real drama a chance.
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
Through their eyes....
This movie is currently airing on local cinema in my country so that is why i already watched this movie. Gonna give the review with less spoiler as much as i can.Personally, i haven't watched the original aka Always so i wouldn't know the storyline at all when i watch your eyes tell. The storyline is really beautiful and i believe Always would be top notch movie even i haven't watched it. Ryusei and Yuriko really did their best to deliver heart-warming and sometime aching love story. Love with the acceptance of one another's flaws. Did i cry? Yes i did to the point i had to change my face mask since i wet it.
Through eyes both metaphorically (in case of Kaori, she could tell whatever Rui's do even though she suffers eyes impairment) and literally (in case of Rui whom could find warmth of love and affection in Kaori), you could see the meaning of what the love is.
OST ofc you know sung by BTS and it completes the movie. Worth watch for you who loves romance stories.
Was this review helpful to you?
painful and beautiful
I began watching this BL with no expectations. In the first episode, I encountered a character immersed in a dirty and disorderly environment, lacking the will to live. Surprisingly, he survived a close encounter with death, and a grumpy angel awaited him in his room after being discharged from the hospital.As the story unfolds, we are led through a peculiar journey between Koki and his angel. Over time, Koki notices subtle changes in his life. Revisiting all these episodes, I realized that the plot goes much beyond. I've been through the same situation as Koki, and, bro it's dreadful, but just as he found a reason to live and discovered that life isn't so bad after all, I realize that this is a true work of art.
The relationship between them deepens as the angel reveals its fragility: its wings fall when Koki is sad. This unique dynamic adds an emotional layer to the plot, emphasizing the importance of small joys in Koki's life.
As Koki rediscovers himself and finds meaning in seemingly trivial things, the drama's message becomes clear: life, despite its challenges, reserves precious moments.
This BL not only captivates with its unique narrative but also offers a sensitive reflection on the importance of finding joy in small things and valuing life, even in the most challenging moments.
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
Zhang Chi's begging eyes while saying "jiejie" is not for the weak
Zhang Chi and Yue Yuting are one of the CP's I can fully trust to deliver and they did it so brilliantly in this drama. I have only seen a few dramas of Zhang Chi's before and all of his characters I have seen were more of a restrained type. I knew he could act especially in his ancient drama where he was sick and sat in a wheelchair for the most of the story. He was very pitiful there especially when his sickness was acting up. But here, omg, the way his eyes change from a pitiful puppy to a predator was so exceptional. It's not a simple smiling then being blank face. There's something about his stare that really captivates you. . Before, I thought him and Yang Peng Cheng has a similar vibe but this drama definitely put him on a higher acting skills than Peng Cheng.Yue Yuting's versatility is one of the reasons she's one of my favorite short drama actress. She can switch from fragile to scheming to fierce effortlessly. While she's very beautiful, it doesn't take away the fact that she's truly a great actress and her performance in this story is a proof of that.
Onto the story, I gotta say I haven't seen this trope before. I love the dominant woman and submissive man trope but I don't think I've seen it done literally in a short drama before. The camerawork did great at making the mature scenes hot without making it feel like p0rn. At first, you'd think Jiang Xu is taking advantage of Lu Zhi but once you see the true nature of Lu Zhi, you'll realize they're just two unhinged people who are obsessed and need each other. I absolutely love how supportive Jiang Xu's family was to her despite her sickness. It definitely parallels how Lu Zhi's family shunned him because of his dad even though he himself wasn't sick. Rather, he just became ruthless because of he went through after being abandoned.
I'm not sure if I completely dig the antagonist. I won't write who it is but I can say it's definitely a different perspective.
Nothing can be said more about their chemistry. I love Jiang Xu and Lu Zhi's unwavering support of each other. Sure, they had a dysfunctional relationship at first BUT !!SPOILER!! Lu Zhi is actually into it. It's not that he's into sadomachism but he's into Jiang Xu!!SPOILER!! And the kisses omg they didn't held back at all. I noticed that they did a scene of the two lying opposite on a bed with their heads close together. They did a similar scene in their previous work of historical drama (where Zhang Chi is the emperor and Yue Yuting is a cannon fodder concubine) and if it's gonna be their CP signature scene then I'm loving it.
And applause to whoever chose and edited the bgm. I think this is the first short Chinese drama I gave a high score to music because the music for the steamy scenes added more flavor to those parts. I finally didn't have to hear "See The Light" and that bolbangan 4 song repeatedly in a drama.
Favorite scenes:
- the wax, the ice and oh my gosh the wax (iykyk)
- everytime Zhang Chi acts like a puppy begging for affection. Yue Yuting definitely has a stronger will than me because I would have given him my entire being.
Was this review helpful to you?
Artsy gay film with somber vibe
I watched this film yesterday at a special Q&A screening in Taipei. I was pretty stoked, since LGBT+ films, especially in Asia, are few and far between. I'm writing this review from the perspective of a gay guy who watches way too much BL, and not an indie film enthusiast, so if you are looking for an in-depth critique of the film, look elsewhere. I'd just like to give a short overview of what I watched to see if you would be interested in giving it a try.As the first major gay film released in Taiwan since Your Name Engraved, I couldn't help myself from wanting to compare the films. However, they couldn't be more different. Moneyboys is a character study, not a narrative-driven romantic film. Ko does an excellent job as the reserved, emotionally suppressed Fei.
The cinematography was beautiful, and a lot of thought went into the techniques and style of the film. The movie was set in southern China, but filmed in Taiwan, which might be jarring if you have been to Taiwan and recognize some of the filming locations. Additionally, some actors are Chinese, while others are Taiwanese; if you are familiar with Mandarin, you may notice the different dialects of Mandarin between the characters. Some of the mainland accents are faked, while others are real.
Should you watch the film? If you are a BL fan who just wants a cookie-cutter romantic film, then stay away. But if you enjoy artsy films, then I would definitely recommend it. I'm guessing people's opinions of this film will be pretty polarized. But it's worth giving it a shot. Personally, I felt like something was missing from the film, as many of the themes (rural vs urban life, Chinese family values, guilt and shame) are trite. But the lead actor's performance and his ability to make me sympathize with his character were enough to leave a positive opinion in my mind the next day.
I'm not sure if and when this will be released in other countries, but I think because it's a co-production with Austria, it should at least be shown in some European countries. Maybe it'll even appear on Netflix eventually. If you have any other questions about the film feel free to ask.
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
This was a total disappointment. I love Go Ahead. I have watched it so many times. Most Chinese dramas can’t bring out the emotions in you like most Korean dramas do.Episode 1 was going great. I thought this would be a good remake. But after 2nd episode it went downhill. In go ahead we can see how much importance a mother has in everyone’s life. Especially in the female lead’s life.
But this remake has not even a single scene of that.
I couldn’t see their siblings bond. We can see from the start that Juwon is biased towards Sanha. In go ahead both the male leads had each other's back when they were young. There were no unnecessary fights. The pain of being abandoned by their mother was understood by them. But here haejun was always fighting with Sanha.
I don’t like that.
The birthday scene where the aunt spoke nonsense and the father took a stand for the second lead was so perfectly portrayed in Go Ahead. But here it was not good.
I couldn’t understand Sanha’s mother's character as well. And according to me she never felt sorry for what she did. It was in the last episode where she cried when Sanha told her about his wounds. But I was accepting a sincere apology.
In 16 episodes they could have covered a lot of details from the original one but they didn’t.
I wanted more of Sanha’s trauma. When the female lead got to know about what he has been through I wanted more of that.
The writing of this drama is sometimes so lacking.
One thing I liked most about this drama is how amazingly the kids did their job in the first episodes, especially Sanha’s and Juwon’s Kid version.
Was this review helpful to you?
However with this one, it's different.
The story line is something we are quite familiar with. Youtubers goes to a scary place to film & ___ happens. Same with here. But what makes this movie different, is that it get on your nerves, in a good way.
I paused, so many times while watching, that I lost count. Not a lot of jumpcase, but a whole scene where you can see how its happening. That what makes it more scary. Loved that.
The way the story flows, specially the way the film is directed, it just sets it apart from the rest. Applause to the director.
The cast was perfect. I loved how they acted. All of them are good actors, so expected nothing less.
The music is low & it stretched, taking the whole scene with it. It wasn't over done, something that happens way too much in horror movies now days.
100% going to rewatch this. Probably not alone. With a friend - who haven't seen it- at night.
Please do give this a try if you love horror. It's an amazing movie!
Was this review helpful to you?
