It’s a mature and melancholic love story so worth the watch!
I adored the calming vibes, soft music, the poetic dialogues, the wonderful aesthetics and most importantly, our heartwarming main couple; Jin Woo and Mo Eun are both flawed and have their own struggles, so empathizing with them requires zero effort. Although the pacing is quite slow, it's never boring as their relationship develops in a very natural way.Of course, they have doubts and anxiety of not understanding each other, especially when they start seeing how different they are. Miscommunications in personal feelings, family matters... are unavoidable, but it never feels long-winded and frustrating. Watching them interact is just beautiful. Jin Woo conveys his emotions through impactful sign language and his thoughtfulness are shown through his care towards Mo Eun. Then, Mo Eun, even when she cannot exchange dialogues with Jin Woo due to her shortcomings in sign language, she makes efforts to comfort him. Their story gives me all the feels and that's all I could ask for. The drama overall left me feeling hopeful.
-Jan 2024, Yovita
Find me on Instagram: @kdramajudge
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Ohh to be seen and loved for what you are!
Depth of Field is one of those stories that creeps in slowly but wraps you neck deep in emotions before you know it. It was aching at times, but beautiful.The drama centres around Hayakawa, who has shut himself off from music and honestly, from feeling anything at all after a past that clearly wrecked him. And then there is Konno, who is camera-obsessed, a stoic, quiet individual who doesn't try to fix anyone but somehow holds a space in a way that changes everything.
What I enjoyed the most was that they didn't chase melodrama and didn't overexplain anything. The metaphors were so on point - music was for self-expression and photography for different perspectives.
Hayakawa's journey is very layered. He questions, self-pities, lashes out but also listens and evolves. Konno, on the other hand, feels like someone who has finally started to understand himself more and helps Hayakawa get back the parts of the past that are lost and buried. Hayakawa felt messy, raw and human and Konno was the contrast who was perfect with a clear plan in his head.
The tension between them is everything. It's admiration and jealousy in Haywaka's head while Konno stands there silently offering a kind of safety he doesn't himself know how to accept. He was like an anchor, just simply being there when everything else felt adrift. Their interactions aren't flashy but very tender and real. They had the kind of chemistry that doesn't explode but softens. Sometimes it wasn't about romance, but more about finally being "seen" for who they are and those long glances and silence that screamed "I got you" without any words.
Usually, the lack of communication bothers me a bit, but here it made sense considering the character's background.
The cinematography is literally poetry here. I really loved the terrace shots and all the unspoken confessions. The lighting is sad (where it needs to be) and subtle. Also, loved the ending shot, it felt like a complete circle...ending where it all began!
Acting-wise, I found Usa Takuma (Hayakawa) to be a bit stiff at times, but it didn't take away from the overall viewing experience. Hirano Koshu (Konno) played a very stoic character, and I thought he did a decent job as well.
Overall, this hit the sweet spot between emotional chaos and calm reflection that follows after. It's about being seen, finding courage and beginning again. Though the pace seems a bit fast, but considering the run time, it is excusable.
I would 100% recommend it!
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The plot is a surprise because it never goes in the direction one expected it to. Don't be fooled by an apparently superficial beginning: nothing in Stand Up!! is what it seems.
The cast is a surprise, because despite the very young age of the main leads, the acting is brilliant and gives the viewer a glimpse to the type of actors those young people would become.
The script is a surprise, as it deals with ordinary occurrences, teens fixations and the relationship between teens and adults in a sweet, mostly hilarious way.
You'll find yourself laughing out loud, giggling and, at times, remembering with a smile.
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Point of the point is...
...that there is no point.Food analogy: Underbaked lasagna
It literally had everything at it's disposable to make it a very gripping story and a great cast. What it lacked was execution. Shifting attention from one point to another without any real reason making the script feel loose.
I love stories that explore human beings as grey because, no one makes right decisions all the time, but still the bonds were poorly developed. It felt like they were keeping materials to themselves, so that they can make a second season purposefully.
Now, there really is genuine need of a second season because trust me when i say, none, not a single thread has been tied. It's a inconclusive loose end pro max ultra.
But nevertheless, the series is really short, watch if you have nothing else to do and want to tickle your mind slightly.
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Electric current can make love lol XD
It is a typical university students' love story drama, but FL is peculiar here with ability to carry electric current which can make ppl fall in love with ppl in front of them hahaa...Since ML is a swimmer, a lot of passionate swimming scenes here and it looks cool!!!
The chemistry between Mai Si Chong and Mei Wei Wei is so great and they look so cute when together...
So many funny misunderstanding things and lovely bounding between friends and family can be seen here...
Enjoy the drama and the sweet couple though the story is juz so so...
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The special effects were done very well, I was a bit worried at first that the special effects would be awful and it would ruin the drama entirely but thank goodness they were good and made the scenes very realistic! It had been a long while since a drama had made me sit on the edge of my seat in suspense and left me watching the next episode straight after until 6am ;'D
Yes there were unrealistic elements and plot holes in the story, some story parts felt a bit unnecessary and rushed, I wanted them to focus on the other minor character's growths, but we only touched on them, the main focus was put on the hospital which I think fair enough, it works but i think it would have worked even better if they had shifted their focus on other characters and their stories!
I hadnt seen Jung So Min in anything since Playful Kiss but she played her role exceptionally well and nailed the Busan accent! The chemistry between her and Kim Young Kwang was adorable, and the romance that we got was cute, I just wanted more! I know I know, its a disaster drama, obviously the medical side of things and saving lives is probably more important to focus on but ahhh they are both so cute! if we had that litttttlleee more i would have been satisfied!
The other actors did really well! They were actors that I hadnt really seen in anything else before and I'm reeled in and want to watch them in their dramas too!
The music was OK, it suited scenes and were soothing to listen to but they werent very memorable, I think i was too invested in watching the actual scenes to pay enough attention to the music!
I'm not sure if i would rewatch this again, it made me think alot about earthquakes and kept me up at night or entered my dreams about if it happened to me so i was a bit unsettled in that sense, maybe, maybe one day i would rewatch it but skip through it for the really good parts, im not sure if i can sit through it all again.
The antagonists in this were characters I hated watching! so i wouldnt want to rewatch their scenes!
I also wished that they had shifted the story so that Jung so min's character was the main focus rather than just Kim Young Kwang's character i think it could have been a much more powerful drama.
brb, whilst i go fangirl and watch all Kim Young Kwang's dramas!
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The movie starts off rather slow with Yoko Moriguchi (Takako Matsu), a middle school teacher, delivering a farewell speech to her students, declaring the day to be her last day at school. Her students, however, seem to be less concerned and engage themselves in gossips, arguments, texting and other activities. Moriguchi nonetheless continues with her speech, recounting her past— her affair with a teacher, how he contracted AIDS and passed away, her pregnancy, her decision to live as a single mother, and the tragic death of her dear daughter. It is only when she reveals something shattering that she manages to catch the attention of her students, leaving them gaping and utterly shocked. She tells them that she believes her daughter’s death was not just a mere accident as claimed by the police but rather a murder, and that the murderers are present in the very class among them. What’s more, she notifies them that she had injected HIV tainted blood into the milk that the murderers, her very own students, whom she has labeled as A and B previously drank. And this shocking declaration is enough to send chaos across the class, leaving A and B extremely panicky and terrified.
From the very beginning, this movie creates a mystifying atmosphere which gives us, the viewers, the hint of something very big and unpredictable lying ahead. And then as the story unfolds, we are taken to the world of the victims of the revenge and those related to them, and get a clear cut picture of the respective motives which drove A and B to commit something as dreadful as murder. The movie also depicts human emotions such as angst, fear, loneliness, hysteria, pride and horror in a very realistic manner and a very few movies achieve that, we all know.
Now coming to the cast, I’m speechless. Takako Matsu just blew me away with her superb acting. She played her role brilliantly, and now it’s difficult for me to imagine some other actress performing in her place as the character ‘Yoko Moriguchi’. I am looking forward to watching more movies starring her. The supporting characters also had done an amazing job. Each of them really got into their respective character.
They say what you see depends on what you’re looking for. I was looking for nothing much to begin with but the visuals blew me away. The visuals are what makes this movie effective and dynamic. Watch the movie and you will know what I mean.
Speaking of the OST, it is good. It is not something revolutionary but that’s all right. I don’t remember any particular song or music except the one that played in the beginning.
All in all, ‘Confessions’ is a brilliant piece of psychological thrill with a tinge of tragedy and drama. You ought to grab this one if you like psychological thrillers, and even if you don’t and want to have a taste of them, you may begin with this one.
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An “ Uncanny” Tale of Family , Friendship and The Supernatural...
Looking back retrospectively , Uncanny Counter has an undeniable amount of character progression since episode 1 for our main high-schooler hero Mun( Jo Byung Koo) as well as his fellow counters Mo Tak ( Yoo Joon Sang), Ha Na ( Kim Se Jeong) and of course Chu Mae Ok ( Yeom Hye Ran), yet, it’s crucial not to sugarcoat the fact that at times , the storyline felt a little inconsistent and slow- paced ( especially by the second-half )as well.
Of course it’s wrong to say that the scriptwriting was dire, as the story and characters were fairly well-written. Thanks to the collaboration of screenwriters Jung Do Yoon ( Witch’s Court, The Time We Were Not In Love), Yeo Ji Na ( Il Mare) and Kim Sae Bom ( Hello Schoolgirl), the wonderful talents of the cast and director Yoo Seon Dong ( respectively who has also worked as a screenwriter on productions such as Shoot My Heart),the show was interwoven with enough action and fights in episodes without falling down the trap of becoming a mindless and dull action show.
Uncanny Counter had an evident story plot with the Counters chasing after the “ big bad” antagonist of the series from episode 1, as well as learning more about themselves through becoming a surrogate family for one another in the process. This was an undeniably sweet progression for our characters , however , there was a little bit of repetitiveness before the half-way mark with the typical episode progression of the counters chasing after a / the “ big bad” spirit , a conflict or event gone wrong and one of the main characters beginning to doubt their abilities or recollection of events ( particularly for Mun).
As a consequence the show sometimes felt a little lagging in the second-half, consequently meaning that there were some undeniably inconsistent moments for our heroes as well as deeper questions about the other-side. Just some of these include; Mun’s presumable absences at school ( during certain missions) not being raised or alerted , Mo Tak’s slightly lacklustre reactions towards certain events in the storyline, the fate of Ha Na’s family ( and considering the final ending, if she could’ve have been granted the same wish) , the relationship between Mae Ok and her husband as well as questions about the other side( not least what happens to the guides when their Counter fades, who controls the guardians and what happens to the spirits of the Counters). Whilst some of these point are mainly minor , they do point out some slightly loose ties within the overall story arch.
Overall although not a flawless production ,Uncanny Counter was a good drama and its success has certainly been sealed by the unusual decision ( especially for OCN) to bring out a second season
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Superb casting, acting, script and directing
It’s available as VIP on YOUKU app. The money I spent for the last three episodes is well worth it. This series was well constructed and casted perfectly. The character and story development is smooth. Each actor brought their character to life with so much emotion and simple gestures.I’ve never cried so much. Each episode is so emotional, both happy and sad. 10/10 recommended
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With Hikuma-sensei on top, each of those characters captured my attention. Those guys who were like some little immature gangsters who deserved to be beaten up, ah those 5 guys, their growth through the drama was amazing, how they become mature, serious young people with dreams, will and persistence, how they opened up to each other and sensei, how they were inseparable as a team, their friendship is for sure one of the most beautiful I've seen.
So many funny moments, sad moments, heartbreaking and heartwarming, fluffy and hilarious, important and full of meaning, this drama simply is a full package. It gives you with such simple, ordinary and already seen plot, everything you need and want to see in one drama. Well except romance, here it just wasn't needed and I'm glad that there wasn't any romance going on cause it would only destroy those precious moments between students and teacher.
I'd like to mention this old man, this fantastic actor who I love since I've watched him in 'Professor's Beloved Equation'. He gives such natural vibe every time, it's like he is there with all his heart and mind, incredible. And in this drama he was marvelous, his portrayal of a teacher who came to school full of delinquents to help them form a brass band was really impressive. I totally wanted Hikuma sensei to be my teacher, to be my friend, I wanted so much to talk to him and be the part of a band, one lovely good man who believed in his students till the end, who fought and didn't give up, who taught them so many life lessons, who helped them and always was there, I don't think that in real life is some teacher like he was. And with Terao Akira Hikuma sensei completely came to life.
Other characters were very well written and developed specially our five main guys, in each episode there is a story about one of them, explaining how and why they're this way in the present and with each episode every one of them grows and matures.
With some really breathtaking sceneries and nice usage of colors, with melodies that will take you to some amazing classical event and bring you vivid imagination, with fantastic script, deep lessons and with great characters, Aegoba will become that kind of drama that will hold a special place in your heart. I know now already how much I'm gonna miss all of them and their world, that wide world Himua sensei showed to us.
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I enjoyed it but after a while it becomes so boring when the characters start to have the same conversations over and over and over again. After a while, all conversations felt like recaps of what had happened and scenes became a mixture of this, plus a bit of teasing about how things might work out next.
It felt like always waiting for things to happen, with strangely dull payoff. I think someone said in their review here that Dan Oh's role becomes just exclaiming 'Ha Ru!' towards the end, and they weren't wrong. A shame - there was so much opportunity! There were so many makings-of-good moments that were enough to keep you watching through the increasingly mundane scenes towards the end - I just wish it had more of these.
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This review may contain spoilers
War leads to misery
So I'm gonna review the first 10 episodes first. They were not so emotional or sad like song ran misunderstood li zan as shen bei's boyfriend that was not so serious . ML and FL first meet was kinda cute and unserious.Afterwards their second meet was also good but we could expect it easily. Whenever they both meets talks it was kinda fine also the supporting cast was great benjamin's entry was so cool sasin was so thoughtful he was also great Shen bei portrayed her character as enemy well even though she got less screen time but not less than dr pei like why they could have shown pei xiaonan and ben's interaction more anyways her character was also admirable.Then come episode 11 and it's trust out of nowhere and then trauma starts for ep 12 and the rest like OK li zan had PTSD he portrayed it very well. I guess it was a good plot though but what was the use of family shown there that was so random and confusing
When li zan and his friend luo zhan their interactions were also good but the screenwriter could do something more better
Their dating era i loved the most as that was only the part made me happy they could show it more afterwards the mother's illness it made the mother-daughter interaction to be loved. But after that when song ran told li zan not to talk to him anymore is she crazy or what she should understand him also he should tell her everything if not then why are they couples.
He ignores her totally can't she just apologise to him for her harsh words she knows he has PTSD still.
Their reunion was OK like I thought at this moment everything will be fine but no.
It's great cast like if you can cry while watching the scene it means the characters did great job benjamin and saxins interaction in ep 35 was heartfull and made me imagine them in the future.
IDK why but the character we loved the most got killed unnecessaryly like in ep 36-38 Ben died although he was only shot by gun he was also firing why the enemies didn't died and if li zan was alive even though he was covered in blood and was tortured mentally and physically can't ben survive.
the cutted fingers were also so extra and was not needed. the ending was good as they both know they were mentally dead they were just surviving for each other and for their illness they'd be criticized like in last ep the hospital scene they ended up peacefully together which was good.
Plus point for this drama was it's out which was so good like not only one or two songs but all the songs were good.
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Convoluted plots and too many side characters take away from the plot.
This is a show that to preface my review could have easily been great, but was bogged down by too many characters and subplots and a pretty bland main story line with mediocre revelations and underwhelming scheming.The story centers around Zhou Zi Shu and Wen Ke Xing. The story is unapologetic about the relationship between these two leads who have a deep and profound connection. It does not make attempts to stray from trying to show their connection which surprised me as I watched the show.
Unfortunately, other than the relationship between the two leads, they don’t particularly captivate me. The story introduces multiple different characters, and different subplots that really make the plot not as cohesive. They don’t particularly drive the story and ultimately just make it unnecessarily convoluted. As different subplots fought for my attention, I found myself caring less and less about the leads. There are different people fighting for power and this leads to some glaring plot holes and just underwhelming revelations. The main plot line never really captures my interest as it’s got too many elements involved that on deeper reflection just don’t make sense.
If you’re not accustomed to wuxia/xianxia dramas, the bad CGI and mediocre fight scenes are glaring. The sets are not particularly good, and a lot of the scenes are not set in a way that immerses you into them. I’m accustomed to the genre in terms of both dramas and the novels, so I know what to expect, but for those who don’t, the mediocre production does stick out. The fight scenes for me are also bizarre in that the canon fodder characters have better choreographed fight scenes than the leads. There’s genuinely so much slow motion fighting one can take. To this day, the most memorable fight scene in this drama for me does not involve the leads.
Where this drama shines is in its power to strangely tug at your heart strings. It could have easily gotten a far better grade if I’d cared about the characters a little more, but because there were too many convoluted subplots, I felt strangely apathetic towards the main characters. However, even if you can predict the emotional scenes, they do a great job at biting at your heart. There were many times I was tempted to drop this but I hang on due to some stellar emotional scenes. The problem of course is the memorable scenes for me do not involve the leads who are what should be driving the story.
Overall, a drama that could have shined if it had ironed out the main plot better, focused on the leads more and erased some of the complicated subplots that don’t add anything to the actual storyline.
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IT WAS AN HONOR TO WATCH THIS SHOW.
For those who are wondering and debating whether this show is worth it, it took me months to convince myself to watch this considering it's about middle aged men and i'm in my 20's and had no romance, sci fi, thriller tags. but how glad i am i finally did! So please watch this. This is a must watch. There is NO korean drama like this. It's the first of it's kind and i wish with all my heart this becomes the standard of korean dramas from now onwards. this is a therapeutic show in my eyes.
This show is all sorts of beautiful. This show is not about solutions, not about how life should be, not about closure or happy endings or sad endings or a directed story told in a few episodes. This show is a chunk of life shown of people at different stages of their life. This show is the most realest show i have ever watched. It made me laugh and cry. The storyline, the direction, cinematography, the music, everything was just perfect.
This show not once glorified life. It showed it how it is. That's the beauty of this show.
The emotions in this show are so overwhelming it's crazy. I felt so attached to the characters it's so sad this show ended but what an ending it was. It makes me believe. Makes me hope. It taught me so many life lessons. Seldom is a show this beautiful made that encapsulates life so beautifully by keeping it 100% real.
The love in this show is the most deepest i have ever seen in any. It is a show with the most meaningful love and it didn't even have to be a romantic drama. Everyone can interpret love differently for this show. I choose to interpret it as love between a man and a woman who felt their souls being attracted to each other. Without any skinship, any cheesy romantic words, this show was able to show the love that if one finds it in life, they have it all. The most purest of all loves. The two souls who met each other in their most broken states, healed, filled each other despite. Souls that helped each other grow. The love in this drama is unlike any other. Most deepest, most heartfelt, most relatable.
The cast was beautiful! absolutely perfect. the best acting i've seen. IU's role was so different than her previous ones and she proved how good of an actor she is. she was FANTASTIC. Lee Sun Gyun was a treat to watch. This was the first i saw of him ever since Coffee Prince and i knew instantly why back then i had a second lead syndrome. He was INCREDIBLE. His every nerve expressed emotions. His eyes spoke millions, his walk, his talk. He was a show stealer. Plus, he has the best voice ever. Calms your soul and his character with that voice just melted me. (considering i'm in my early 20's, Ahjussi, saranghae :P ) .
VERDICT: WATCH THIS SHOW. LEAVE EVERYTHING AND WATCH THIS SHOW. this show is LIFE!
Thankyou screenwriters, producers, directors, the entire cast, the entire team behind this show for making one of the best shows ever and thankyou for giving us this masterpiece that is full of life lessons. I repeat, it was an absolute HONOR to watch this show.
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Subtitles Are SO Bad
The subtitles are ridiculously bad. I mean, really REALLY bad. The acting is also pretty flat all around. I had zero buy-in with the MLs because they have no chemistry at all. Not even a redeemable hint of chemistry from the first meeting to the present. Also, there are inconsistencies throughout that should have been caught in the scriptwriting. For example, blood where blood shouldn’t be and absent where it should be; bruising absent when there should be; a 7-year flashback that doesn’t add up, etc…Really, the whole first episode was a mess. Dropped.
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