1Nothing is perfect, nor are we
At a first glance this drama looks simple : a love triangle trope meant to examine the choices of the leads- what people chose to do? why? which are their lingering regrets & to what their insecurities leads to.What is different is that this drama was not afraid to explore very realistic and complicated women. Nothing is shallow in it and sometimes only a complicated woman can truly understand another one.
The dialogue is one of most thought provoking I' ve ever seen ,even if sometimes funny it just hits home and it hits hard.
" Sometimes we think what we are chasing is happiness, but perhaps what we truly love is pain."
On top of the great writing , acting & music were splendid! Everything was perfectly connected from title, to OSTs lyrics and placement in the episodes.
10/1O ❤️
Ps: I do recommend this one to a mature audience because it hits the right spots if you are able to understand through experience the career or family relations of the leads.
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Upon first glance, this movie will seem like the most ridiculous thing you have ever seen. The trailer alone (Youtube it) may deter many from even watching it. With a title like Hentai Kamen (or to translate it in fancy way, The Masked Pervert), you know exactly what you're going to get. There are some things that are so absurd that you can't turn away. This is certainly one of them.
The cast is full of actors and actresses any prominent viewer of Japanese dramas will recognize. The main character is played by Suzuki Ryohei, who you may have seen in Hana Kimi and Mei-chan no Shitsuji, among many other dramas. The supporting cast is filled with many other familiar faces as well playing completely different than their usual drama fare. Despite the ridiculousness of the movie, I must say the actors did a great job portraying the roles. The villains in the movie are equivalent to those you see in campy superhero or horror movies; you can't take them seriously but they are convincing as the bad guys at the same time.
I must say that Suzuki Ryohei went above and beyond when portraying the role of Hentai Kamen. He certainly achieved a suitable physic for the role, which is easy on the eyes for the entire film. You will get a laugh or more from Hentai Kamen's erotic, ballet-inspired moves. At first, I was convinced that a stunt double or body double portrayed Hentai Kamen in masked form, but it is all portrayed by the same actor.
As far as the plot of the movie goes, it's typical fare. The superhero movie influence is heavy in this one as seen in the various Spiderman influenced scenes. One scene you will recognize straight from one of the Spiderman movies; Hentai Kamen's mask along with his techniques and movements have a prominent Spiderman influence as well. It follows the basic formula of boy loses parent(s), boy gets bullied in school, boy discovers girl he likes, boy must save girl and discovers new powers while doing so, boy becomes a crime fighting vigilante...you get the drift. While the plot is nothing original or amazing, the entertaining factor lies in how it is carried out. Despite the plot and premise, the movie takes itself very seriously. It could have easily went into the typical over-the-top humor category, but it remains at best a B grade superhero movie, which I think suited it perfectly.
However, the ending pretty much ruined what was otherwise an entertaining movie. The ending contains one of the most hated plot devices ever seen on screen. When you see it, you will know what I mean. It was completely unnecessary in my opinion, but I won't let it affect the score I am giving it too much.
You're obviously not going to be getting Oscar-worthy cinema here, but this movie is none the less entertaining for what's it's worth. I'd definitely recommend anyone who likes campy and absurd movies to give this one a watch.
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Bulldog
This drama is a japanese anime, japanese detectives style, if you know what i mean :)If you like comedy and crime genre give it a try :) but if you like romance i won't recommend this drama as you won't find any romance here :)
I think i'll go ahead and give this a 10, it was not absolutely perfect but to be honest when i am thinking about the reasons to give it less i can't find any! Story was good, acting was good, music was awesome.
Story:
I truly enjoyed it from beginning till end! I'd say this was mostly a character driven story. But the cases were really interesting, with several side cases and one last main case. All had this little twists that you could have guessed but may have thought you are overthinking it (like i thought xDD) still were nice/funny to see. I want to say hilarious twists but yeah it might not be appropriate xDD still even the last two ep twist was very funny/creepy xD really japanese anime style. :) The whole show was was kind of "cliche-not-very-cliche-and-funny-way" if i can describe it this way. Plus I loved the "try to be cool but not really cool" style of the show xD
Characters:
The characters were the highlight of this show! I loved how the characters didn't change at all. I LOVE how there was absolutely no crying, pity, revenge on the personal level and the usual stuff. I loved the comedy!
to give you a little sneak:
We have a show producer Kang Moo Young, who has a horse sound ringtone and not only (i want that ringtone, it's hilarious). She is very messy, reckless, doesn't think much when going straight into criminals lair, and cares mostly about her show's ratings, she can do anything for those ratings. We have seen many reckless characters but she was a bit different, she wasn't strong but her recklessness was justified by the whole comedy and her "obsession" with ratings. Plus she is strong-headed so she wasn't ever crying for real and waiting for her prince charming to save her.
We have also the other main character who is a police detective, trying to solve all the cases. All would have been quite "normal and usual" if not for his money! He is a detective but he is rich! he doesn't act like rich though so anyone looking at him will think he is homeless lol. He also has this little squad that helps him sometimes to solve cases, plus he is strong himself. He does have an old case that he wants to solve but it's not the usual revenge trope. Just a case that he couldn't solve and wants to solve as he knows who is who.
Now we have side characters and the highlights of this show! :)
Teddy Jeong! a small bar owner, with asthma, but extremely strong. He and his two cool employees were the real MVPs of this drama. I LOVED them. He was a very great character mostly seen in japanese animes/dramas xD Absolutely cool! you know when the coolness just pours out of a character. But it was not the forced coolness of a young handsome actor. He looked extremely funny so all the coolness was hilarious but it was real xD The extremely loyal, extremely strong Teddy!
I really liked Tak Won's character too! Another character straight out of a japanese anime/drama. A private detective profiler that wants to be cool and was cool long time ago, but is not really cool right now and is always trying to sell his items from his pyramidal organization. It's hilarious! He is very smart when it comes to profiling but is super week, loves cameras, and is trying to sell his teas to everyone he sees.
And last but not least, we have a mortician, who was once working as a forensic, examining bodies. Now he is just preparing bodies (putting makeup on them) for funerals. He loves dead bodies. And loves makeup... xD He also has a high school daughter who doesn't like him much. He can sleep in the fridge for bodies and his wide place for examination is a perfect place to gather and discuss cases. xD
The characters were perfectly acted!
And of course Music! ending songs were Perfect XDDD very funny! like i said, japanese anime style xD
It was really great! I'd love to see a second season with Team Bulldog! XD it was funny xD
P.S. I never rewatch dramas so i put a random number in there
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This review may contain spoilers
Justice served in the plate called "Violence"
Girl From Nowhere 2 is one of the best Thailand drama of 2021. Girl From Nowhere 2 brings justice to around, rape, bullying, sexuality, misogynies, capitalisms, beauty standards and more. Episode 1 is so powerful! Nanno gets a man pregnant, so he can see how much women have suffered because of this actions! James acting is insane. Girl From Nowhere 2, Episode 2 : The strict teacher tried building herself wall based on the societies standards of love, in the end Nanno shows, what really love is. It's not just man-woman but also woman-woman. The Emmy awards goes to Kitty Chicha Amatayakul for her role as Nanno, episode 3 and 4 is violent and disturbing! In the episode 4, Friendship is not some ATM card to use and throw. Nanno teaches three girls that! Despite Yuri sending two men to rape her two friends, in the end they raped the two girls and also raped her! Episode 5 is titled as Sotus and it will traumatize you! SOTUS episode is so powerful! If your ever bullied, raped or abused, NEVER EVER DO THAT SAME THING THAT HAPPENED TO YOU ON OTHERS. Nanno shows Bullying is a disease. The cinematography and editing of the "Liberation" episode is a masterpiece! My favorite line is "If things are black, white or colored.Who is right? Who is wrong? and who is better than their friend? Are we really the ones to judge in this greyscale world?". The last two episodes were my least favorite but I sure enjoyed Nanno teaching humans how to behave. The last scene was beautiful. I can't wait for season 3!!! We are also introduced to another devil like character "Yuri", she looks interesting!
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It have made me cry a bucket but it was all worth it. Having seen the show made my sense of Kdrama more diverse, since I tend to choose rom-com to genres like this. My heart is just weak like that, but this show made my threshold on tears much stronger… or so I thought until I saw Cinderella’s sister and 49 days. Heh.
This drama would always be dear in my heart because of the story line. It may sound unbelievable or ridiculous or even annoying for some because everything was such a mess. The main character’s past was so jumbled up that the future became dim for them. You would tend to watch and wait and watch some more, thinking, when would it ever stop?
Until one day, things would just fall into their proper places.
The ending wasn’t that satisfying for me but the whole journey of the drama was worth it. Once again, I got my mother crying out of this drama and she had to point her fingers at me "again" for doing so. I so love my mom when she does that but still continue on watching anyway.
Acting wise was superb, so maybe that’s what got me hooked after seeing the first episode.
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Ignoring the usual plot holes of a lakorn (direct communication between characters, for instance!), I was intrigued by this drama. How far is someone willing to go for revenge? Plot-wise, the story of Tawan Tor Saeng is quite believable although it starts out like a typical “meet cute but hot” rom-com drama. Horne Davika plays the lead role of Rasa very realistically. She obviously enjoys her work and her family. She is very caring to her adoptive parents but not a doormat. In the course of her work as an interior designer, she is hired to renovate a house belonging to Pakaphong, played by Lum Pakorn. She’s put off by his playboy lifestyle and they clash. Eventually, though, he is attracted by her warm family life and sincere personality and they begin to date.
Now, here’s the intriguing, almost awful part (and it is not a spoiler) - Pakaphong was an abandoned child and eventually, he discovers his mother is still alive. She refuses to acknowledge him and, in fact, her new family doesn’t even know she’d been married before. Pakaphong’s revenge? He plans to date his mother’s daughter, Prangthip, until his mom acknowledges him.
I think this is the part of the plot summary that turns people off. It just seems so - icky. How far can he take this? What is even worse is that his half-sister is really quite nice and even Rasa likes her, although she doesn’t understand why Pakaphong seems to be stringing them both along.
When Rasa finds out about Pakaphong’s plans for revenge, she is horrified. It is almost like watching a car accident happen in slow motion at this point - she sees him walk this path of revenge and tries her best to save him but he refuses. He’s basically sending himself to hell for this revenge and everyone in the know - his old nanny, his friends - understands this. It’s tough to watch! My only problem with this plot is that in this modern age of emails, texts and Instagram, no one steps up to let Prangthip, the unwitting victim of Pakaphong’s revenge, know about her brother. Like a whirlpool of revenge, Pakaphong pulls everyone down with him.
One good thing about this drama is all the side plots. Oftentimes, in lakorns, the side stories are very slapstick but these secondary actors do a fine job. There’s a troubling romance for innocent Pim, Rasa’s adoptive family’s sister, and a wonderful second lead for Rasa in Chewin. The back story of Pakaphong’s mother is also very well written.
Music wise, it’s fairly typical for a lakorn. There are no standout pieces but there aren’t any obviously innapropriate musical pieces as well.
Rewatching - I’d recommend it. I’m already thinking of doing this. I think I want to go back and see if I can catch some of the subtle cues that indicate the upcoming horrors of revenge. Did I miss how Pakaphong became so determined to hurt everyone, including himself?
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The running time seems very long, but the writer fills it with plenty of stories from daily life plucked from five best friends and their families in a little community in 1988. At first, it seems there are too many characters, but each are written extremely well. They all have distinct personalities, dreams and goals. These characters are very real and not too outlandish, which allows us to relate to them and care for them. The Reply series is known for its naturalistic tone, poignant and heartfelt moments and the cast were very committed and determined to bring us that same feeling. Except, they outshone their predecessors in the process.
I particularly enjoyed the relationships between our characters. Our three ajummas were the absolute best. They've been through everything together and were closer than family. They were often the stronghold of their family, and they made it look so easy. My favourite dynamic is Bora and her father. Both are very similar characters, both gruff and a little shrewd. But their moments together made me cry the most. Without a word, they are able to communicate their deep love and respect for each other. No matter how prickly their words are, they can always find the underlying meaning. The way the characters endlessly support each other through thick and thin is truly moving.
What touched me is the fact that communities like this rarely exist nowadays. In Ssangmundong, people are good-natured and unassuming. You treat your neighbours like family and you have faith in other people. I watched this series with my mother and she said the show is a true representation of the 80s - a simpler time when hearts were bigger than hands.
I admit I got sick of the husband mystery. I wish the writers did not try to bait us and trick us because it detracted from the story. I also think the last few episodes were rushed, but it efficiently let us see the kind of men and women our lovely five friends had become.
Reply 1988 is also about youth, an innocent golden time that we always reminisce about and mourn. After Deok Sun left her adolescence, she recognises that she is unable to return to that blissful time. It is a reminder for us to enjoy and cherish our younger days while we can.
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If you're squishy about blood and real world happenings - do not watch! Stunning actors who unfolded the storyline with ease and fun. Music was fine, never got in way and complimented the series. Overall, Netflix offered a gem with this series for a mature viewer needing more than the standard fare with a compelling
If you're into tattoos - watch this for sure.
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This drama is so full of cute I nearly died. The relationship between Tae Ri and Eun Dong is so adorable. They are both stuck at the age of fourteen; Tae Ri is still a lonely little girl who can't grow up, and Eun Dong is aching to become a man and protect the woman he loves.
Eun Dong and the coach were also sweet and the mushy bromance had me wiggling.
The story is really great, with the exception of the weird breakups that happed randomly and passively, and Choi Seung Jae. I don't know what is up with that guy. If his character had been more consistent, I would have given this drama a 10. But his bipolar disorder had me really confused.
BUT this drama is so sweet it will give you cavities. Full of heart and warm fuzzy feelings, I highly recommend it.
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This review may contain spoilers
It was okay, kind of meh...
A very medium series, here are my pros and cons:PROS
1) OFF'S ASS. I would love to see him in a speedo. Dang, I'll bet he could open a jar of pickles with that thing.
2) FOOD. Most of it looked really good!
3) SHORT. It was a fluffy, sweet series that didn't overstay its welcome.
CONS
1) OFFGUN "CHEMISTRY." Sorry, what chemistry? They've always given me good friend vibes and there was nothing here to make me feel differently. And Gun REALLY can't kiss. (Or won't.)
2) THEME SONG. Hated it with a passion! That baby crush song made me want to remove my own appendix with a knife and fork every time I heard it. The MC was in their thirties, for goodness' sake. "Baby crush?" Eww. They're not 12.
3) FIRE'S MOM. What a bitch. I wanted to slap her and didn't buy her complete 180 at the last minute. I thought she was an evil, bad seed who needed to be taken out with the trash.
4) WASTED OPPORTUNITY. You've got Dome Jawarat in the cast, who just happens to be one of THE best singers in Thailand, and his vocal talents were not utilized (even for the OST)? Shame.
A pleasant but forgettable series. It's a 6.0 from me.
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This is my first review so please be patient with me :)I have to say I was hesitant going into this series cause I'm a huge fan of the manga and I didn't want to be disappointed by a poor adaptation and shitty acting as is the case with many live-action adaptations
However I was hooked from episode one because the actors chosen for Takane and Hana actually played their parts so well. Takasugi Mahiro-san completely captured the essence of SaiabaraTakane and was able to beautifully portray his character perfectly. He completely captured Takane's narcissism and his exaggerated way of speaking and acting. Apart from his height, which was a bit short compared to Takane but hey you can't have everything, he was the perfect choice to play Takane. He was really able to showcase Takane's unique traits and also why I found him loveable in the manga. I'm happy to say that I honestly felt like I saw the real Takane come to life
Takeuchi Aisa-san did a wonderful job playing Nonomura Hana. She acted out Hana exactly as her manga counterpart and I never found her acting lacking. She completely captured Hana's spirit, determination, strong will and strength alongside Hana's low-key savage personality which I loved. As with the case of Takasugi-san, Takeuchi-san really brought out the best Hana she could and it totally fit with the character in the manga. Her interactions and relationship with Takane, her family, Luciano and her friends were really well done.
The supporting characters were all played really well too however I wish they had more screen time. My favourite of the rest of the cast in the manga is Luciano and Ito Asahi-san really played him how I wished he was played, he really captured Luci's playboy ways and how he interacted with Hana and Takane.
I also loved Okamo Souma's character. He was really well played and I really could feel his one-sided love for Hana in his actions. I loved how he handled the circumstances and the interruption into his peaceful world. Hana's two friends Ogawa Mizuki (short-haired one) and Fujiwara Hikaruko (megane-chan) were also portrayed well but didn't get enough screen time as to what they deserved.
<<<>>>
Especially Mizuki's relationship with Luciano. In the manga they have a lot more interactions and she falls in love with him, especially after a certain incident that happens, however that was totally skipped over in the drama. They honestly had some really cute moments together, it's a pity we didn't get to see that here
Speaking of the drama skipping over things, well boy did it skip a lot. In fact the last two episodes completely condensed 6 whole volumes (7-12) into two short episodes. Souma's confession which happened end of episode 7 doesn't actually happen till much later. In fact after Takane get's stripped of everything and made to live in that shoddy apartment a lot more stuff happens and it's actually a while before he gives Hana the key. Also with the key the first time Hana uses it is when the whole gang (Luciano, Souma, Mizuki, Hirakuro and even Yukari [Hana's older sister]) decide to throw a housewarming party for Takane and just barge into his place.
Man I have so much more to say but I don't want to spoil even more, however I will say this: Souma confesses to Hana after a certain major event takes place that disrupts the lives of Takane and Hana and her family again. In fact that event is the catalyst for his confession. I'm kinda bummed that they rushed it forward.
Also in the manga Hana does have a love rival (although Takane has no interest in her at all) but she's not too bad of a person, and actually adds depth to the storyline too
What can I say? It was a good adaptation, I loved the characters and the choices of actors but it was still a little too fast-paced for me. If only they had slowed it down a little, or added more or longer episodes, or even made room for a season 2, then it'd be great. Still a solid performance by our actors so a round of applause and a pat on the back to them
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First I have to say that music was awesome, that opening song was one of the best video interpretations I have ever seen. Fits so perfectly in the whole story.
Then the story itself was good, nothing too much but different from the other dramas. Scenery was so beautiful, I would have to say I was literally stunned by the beauty of the various scenes. It seemed like the majority of the scenes were directly outside or where you could see outside. I would say this is one of the best shot outdoor scenes I have ever seen.
Characters were fantastic, from him as a main lead to the little girl played by Suzuki Anne, the girl was just so brilliant, she was the light and the sun of the whole drama, I was mesmerized by her acting. Shibata Yoshimori has to be one of my favourite characters of all time. I don't know how Toyokawa Etsushi did it, but I'm in love. Tall and gentle, but strong... and silent. He moved and walked in a quiet space and it was so peaceful to watch him. He had such powerful chemistry with Suzuki Anne, who was serious a child prodigy; the way she drew you in and made you forget you were watching an actress and not a real person...I also liked the character of Kahori, she was like a bird, craving for freedom and wanted to love and to be loved as the purpose of her living. And she succeed in that. You could easily see how she was unhappy in that marriage and how she wasn't in love with her husband, he was more like her savior who helped her and her daughter in a tough time of their lives. I wouldn't say that she was bad because she seduced Shibata and made him to escape with them, she was only very lonely and suffering, you could see that through the end, especially in that most important scene in episode 7, and yet she showed her love for him. I don't agree with that kind of choice especially if you have a child who you love but she was too weak and her love was too strong to continue and accept to get back with her husband, that was something the worst for her and that's why she chose that kind of ending for her, in some way that was her freedom and in the same time she saved Shibata from being killed.
Dramas has two parts, the first part until the episode 7 where Shiori was a little kid, and the second part, after the episode 7 where she was a grown up young woman. First part was so touching, the three of them running and hiding, living a life like a real family, they had such an amazing chemistry. I was hypnotized by the first part of the drama. Also the first part was a true pure romance and the chemistry that Kahori and Shibata had was incredible, I would have to say that those kissing scenes between them went right on the top of my favourite and most passionate kisses. ;-)
And then some tragic happens, everything gets a different sadder, darker tone and you could see exactly all the struggle and emotions of the main characters in that times. I felt tormented and so emotional at the end of the show but I wouldn't have in any other way because that was it, the ending scene which shows you that there are real love that exist on this world and that there are freedom and happiness.
At that same time at the end of the drama, quite suddenly, you realize that the love story wasn't between Yoshimori and Kahori at all...
I would definitely recommend this for any person loving pure human dramas and not afraid of touching moments.
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Cast: my favorite character was Jiseok (Kwon Yool) - he looked best to me when his bangs stayed ON his forehead lol - all I wanted throughout this drama was for him to be happy. Seonyu (Yoon So Yi) annoyed me sometimes with the way her brain worked and the way she'd reason things out - but I liked her most of the time - she too looked best with her hair down. Jihui was a good person who deceived herself basically and I didn't like her for a short while but she redeemed herself in the end for me...I loved the grandma and Hyeonsu ;) Aran was pretty spiteful throughout most of the drama, as for Seonyu's aunt and uncle - her aunt was fine most of the time, her uncle though - those faces he would make - all I can say is "oh boy stop" - I loved her cousin Gijin - super handsome and cool ;)
Music: I don't remember anything except for the intro/outro ....
Re-watch: not likely - good for a one time watch though.
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ACTING/CAST/MUSIC/REWATCH VALUE: Meh.
OVERALL: At 8 minutes, meh. Still, that poster. :O)
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