It's complicated.
The plot twist is nice, and there wasn't a part of the 2 hours that was boring. It got everybody to feel all sorts of feelings throughout the movie. It was a bummer that one of the hottest cast wasn't the main, but it was overall a good story. Does have a little bit of violence but not as much to a point where you can't handle. It was really complicated. However, it was one of the best movies I've watched at the theatres. There were lots of ups and downs and the thing about the movie is that it shows a lot of action before they move onto the storyline. Like most of the storyline ended up being explained near the end, whilst the whole movie is just about someone making difficult decisions throughout it. It was also really fun because it was literally about 4 people, and then all these really famous people just being in the movie in and out a bit. Overall, great movie love it! REALLY recommend!Was this review helpful to you?
Started strong then lost steam
This started off wonderfully, with a fairly original plot and a lot of energy. I loved the interaction between Bai Lang, a restauranteur, and Xun An, a dentist. Bai Lang is terrified of dentists, and in fact suffers from serious PTSD. Until he doesn't.We also have Alex the bartender who is pursued by the much younger RJ, who also works at the restaurant. This is quite refreshing as RJ is adorable and yet he's rather aggressive with the much larger Alex.
The story was well-written, funny, fast-paced, and full of vitality and chemistry, with beautiful and taleted actors.
Then it deflated like a sad left-over balloon a week after a party. Xun An's ex shows up and chews up an enormous amount of screentime in a dull and cliched story, Bai Lang sheds his complex personality (and somehow his PTSD, which is never heard from again), and then on top of that, it turns out Xun An's father is an abusive homophobe who beats Xun An for weeks, which causes him to draw away from Bai Lang for two episodes, which leads nowhere because Dad easily welcomes Bai Lang into the family.
Likewise, RJ has to leave and is absent for 4 episodes, so that storyline ground to a halt, although we had plenty of time for Xun An's ex to woo Bai Lang's sister.
It felt like the director really didn't want to do a BL, so he tore the partners apart so there didn't have to be too much icky gay stuff, and inserted a straight couple, which added absolutely nothing to the story. This is underscored by the series ending with a heterosexual wedding. Why? Gay marriage is legal in Taiwan! How is that not homophobic?
From the tight and focused writing of the first half, the second is a sloppy and dull mess.
I'd give the first half a 9 and the second half a 6. Do I recommend it? I guess it won't kill you to watch it, and the beginning really is delightful and the cast one of the most attractive I've seen - but prepare to be disappointed by the descent into mediocrity.
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This review may contain spoilers
Maybe She Will Defrost on a Warm Day!
This is my first review!Watching Because Of Love was like going through a real-life experience in a short period of time.
I've watched many K/C/J/T dramas but none of these dramas affected me as much as Because of Love.
What was it about?
A young couple very much in love was forced to break up because the male lead's father wanted his son to be ready to take his place as CEO.
Because of this, the romance was severely stopped and from that point on the female lead had extreme anger against both the male lead and his father. This anger lasted almost until the end of the drama. To make the situation worse, the young couple got pregnant and a son was born, unbeknownst to the young man.
A lot of anger, revenge, sexual frustration, the feeling of unrequited love, and most importantly the lack of forgiveness on the part of the female lead was carried throughout the drama.
Both of the main leads suffered tremendously for seven years until finally the last episode #30, almost everything got solved and peace was made.
About the actors:
I feel that Wallace Chung essentially made this drama successful. I think his father did an excellent job on his part also. Of course, the child was adorable. I do have my doubts about the female lead - perhaps too stoic, too unforgiving, too uncommunicative. I felt that she didn't add too much to the drama and instead she subtracted from it. Her stoic facial expressions rarely changed throughout the drama.
Others had their own side stories with excellent acting on each of their parts.
As far as the story goes, it was excellent halfway but drowned on the beach toward the end. Ok, they were husband and wife at the end but no visual satisfaction for the viewer. Almost until the end, she had the same stoic face and he was still dependent on her love to make him happy. Good luck to him. Maybe she will defrost on a warm day!
I give this an 8 mainly because of Wallace Chung's excellent acting. One deeply felt his pain, his joy, and his sorrow.
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I can't help to compare the two versions against one another. Anyone who says they don't for any drama that has another version is a big ol' liar. Of course I had some problems with this version. I didn't mind the reality aspect of the drama at all, in fact i loved it. But I did have a problem with Da Jung. It's impossible to not compare her with Japanese version's Nao. In the Japanese version, the whole big deal with Nao is that she's just too honest for her own good. Too trusting. In the Korean version, Da Jung's whole thing is that she's just too kind. I thought this was incredibly stupid. Who's even heard of such a thing. And since when is being too kind a bad thing? I just didn't get it and thought it was completely stupid. Also, with Nao, even though she was completely naive and very stupid, the girl was genuine. I felt her sincerity in all her actions. She felt one of a kind. Da Jung does not feel unique at all. My problem is that there's nothing special about Da Jung that all these ppl are going out of their way to help her. What makes her so likable? She's not dislikable, but she's just there quite frankly, and I just didn't feel anything special with her other than her being the main character.
Also, the whole reasoning Da Jung has for sticking with the game is so stupid. I still don't even know why she just didn't get out when she had the chance. With Nao I understood and ttly respected her decision, but with Da Jung I'm just shaking my head.
I know it seems like I'm complaining a lot about this drama, but thats really the only big issue I have with Korean Liar Game. As I stated before, I loved the reality show aspect of it. Very original. I also love that the loan shark guy had Da Jung's back. And my favorite character of all, Ha Woo Jin. Loved him! I definitely love Japanese Akiyama more, but Woo Jin held his own. He was ttly likable, had swag, and I ttly ship him and Da Jung lol.
I also loved the ending. I think it was excellent, and this version definitely feels like more of a psychological thriller especially towards the end. It was especially creepy. I didn't like the games in this version. I loved the roulette game and the poker game in Liar Game 2, but this version definitely washed them down. Still Korean Liar Game definitely holds it's own against the japanese version. I just happen to personally prefer jdramas over kdramas. Anyways, since I just finished this drama, I want to write my review before I forgot my initial feelings. I'd say it's worth a watch. Definitely entertaining.
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This was by far the best Korean drama no scratch that the BEST Asian drama I ever seen to date. I mean it was so captivating sometimes I forgot to eat ( yeah that is how addicted I got :) ). The story line was inspiring, funny and captivating. The actors did a very well done job in conveying their emptions well with their acting. The music was just amazing, i could not get it out of my head even if i try to. Personally, despite being 60 episode, you will never get bored because, each episode has its own story line and a new adventure for Dong Yi and her fellow people.
As always there can never be a 100% perfect drama out there so here are a few pointers i found a bit annoying.
*To muchhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh bloody flashbacks, i will guarantee you there will be flashbacks every 5 min in each episode.
* The actors sometimes seem a bit lost while in the middle of filming, they just seem to stare out into space.
* sometimes it feels like the story line was a bit repeated.
*To be honest 60 episode was not needed they could have stopped at 50.
Overall, if you like Historical drams then this is the one to watch, it was witty, charming, charismatic and just lovely to watch.
Let me know what you think (",)
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Gonna give this 9/10 which is better grade than what I gave to the original (8/10).
Even though it dragged at some points in the middle, I liked how they made it different from original version. At some points especially in the beginning it seemed like an exact copy of the original.
The ending, the "double scene" (you know what I mean haha), them kiss scenes and the acting itself was better than in the original. Except that some characters *cough* Xin Yu and the reporter *cough* were way worse and not as natural or funny like in the original version.
What comes to the acting in general:
- I didn't like how Jiro Wang was missing the "Hwang Tae Kyung" style aka the facial expressions. They were in Japanese version so I was hoping them to be in this one too.
- Su Li Wen was annoying when she was playing Mei Nu playing to be her brother. But when she was playing Mei Nan himself she was kickass. I hope they would've showed more interactions between the twins haha
- As I mentioned above... Hwang In Deok playing Shin Woo / Xin Yu was awkward. A big minus from that. He was worse than Kim Hyun Joong in BOF (Don't kill me. I love KHJ btw)
- Evan Yo as Jeremy was super adorable yet he couldn't reach the level of the original Jeremy played by Lee Hong Ki.
There were no annoying characters in this one. I remember how I hated the mom in Korean version and the biach in Japanese version.
I liked the music in this one of course. I also like how they changed the "Otteokhajeo" to a completely new song. Points from that ~~
But the original one is the best one to me because it's the original and special to me.
Would I rewatch this? No.
Funny, because I can rewatch the original many many times and so far I've rewatched it like 3-4 times.
I guess there is some "magic" in the original one always hahaha XDD
By the way, the Japanese version got 6/10 from me. I can't even remember anything from it...
While I was watching this Taiwanese version I could see the Korean version in my head all the time. Which is why I was always surprised when they added some new things to this version ^^
I think that's all I have to say. Thanks for reading this ~
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Gong Yoo And Bae Doona Were My Main Reasons For Watching…
In all honesty I sort of feel as though opinions on this show are greatly divided and I can understand why.I’m a big Gong Yoo fan. I love his works and typically trust his project decisions just as Bae Doona is a brilliant actress and I’m often blown away by her performances. But I often struggled to warm up to their characters. The drama rarely gave us opportunities to really grow to any of the onscreen main leads and supporting cast? It’s hard to explain fully but there were never real moments which were particularly emotional or really made you fall in love with the characters.
As a non sci-fi fan I can’t really say that I’m overly familiar with this genre but I do know that a lot of the storyline did strike a slight chord with me as a bit same-old. I liked how the series helped to show you elements of the world that the series was set in but apart from that it did feel a bit boring.
The pacing was also very slow. I get that the intention was to make you wait and see what would happen but it did turn me off a little during scenes to actually engage in the storyline.
Overall I wouldn’t say this is a bad drama per say but mediocre. I know that South Korea is still pretty new to this kind of genre and I guess we have to take that on board as watchers, but I’ve certainly seen better takes on this genre by South-Korean directors in recent years.
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The Killer: A Girl Who Deserves to Die
22 people found this review helpful
Neo-noir martial arts goodness
From "Swordsman" to "The Killer", Jang Hyuk is unstoppable. He's quick in combat and charismatic in acting, his movement is super slick making him one of the best performers in Korean martial arts films. The action choreography here is refreshing as they implement a lot of guns with deep neo-noir tone, camera work is precise enough to present little details during fight scenes. The premise itself is great but it would be better if the transitions between storylines are more refined, still this marks one of the best Korean martial arts movies in the collection.Was this review helpful to you?
Loved it, and I’ll miss my weekly dose of these adorable idiots
I really enjoyed this drama. Yes, there are cliches. Yes, there are some issues with plot and logic here and there. But not enough to detract from the hilarious moments, the sweetness and the spectacular chemistry between the leads. I really loved their relationship.Will this drama deepen your philosophical understanding of the universe? Probably not. If you are looking for cognitive enhancement and to ponder deep themes and archetypes, this is not the drama for you. But it doesn’t pretend to be what it’s not.
Will it deliver on what it promises— joyful and (mostly) relaxing viewing? Absolutely. The writing is pretty good, and it doesn’t take itself too seriously. This is the drama for when you want to escape the stressors of life and enjoy something both light and earnest, a combination that often falls flat, but does not do so here.
For what it is, it’s a 10/10.
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My rating: 9.0
In Short: The first half of this drama was absolutely hysterical. As soon as the angst hit, the drama was a bit more middling, but still enjoyable. The Jang-couple chemistry was great.
Pros: A great cast, and a wonderful set of side characters. I particularly enjoyed Mi Young's mom, Secretary Tak and Dragon. I also quite liked the music.
Cons: Could have been trimmed down to 16 episodes with great effect. The noble idiocy was a bit too drawn out.
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This is the last straw, I m done with Chinese gay dramas unless the entire movie is completed and available.
Such a waste of time, not just for me watching, but everyone involved in making them.
And let me add one more thing... enough with the gay shaming, movie after movie of mothers and fathers falling ill because of their homophobic points of view, enough of the shaming of being gay, by family and so called friends, and classmates.
Though being gay, anywhere in the world can be difficult, there are equally as many men and women who have wonderfully accepting families, friends and communities.
Stop the shame!
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Utterly disrespectful to the original work
The worst cinematography and acting just added to the ruin the director/actors created by mischaracterising the complex characters by their misogynist and heteronormative/homophobic agenda. Heavily disrespectful to the complex world design, nuances and twists which made the best fantasy and psychological novel. EVERYONE , OMNISCIENT "READER'S" VIEWPOINT must only be read.Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
I do not like trashy soap opera style BLs....
This series has the same problem as "Love in the Moonlight", with the exception that it was not painful to watch, just cringe. The overdramatized bad guys/gals and the excessive pathos was still the same. And what also obvious, they can't do action right. While it looks nicely coreographed especially in the beginning, you see that the punches do not connect in the slightest. I won't write about the shooting scenes which were just embarrassing.The only positive I have to say is that DaouOffroad are very good when they act alone or in a serious setting, their chemistry just works. Also the other actors were not bad, but I don't like the overacting and over-dramatization. They could have done this in a serious more thriller-like setting and then the story would have had much more impact, But no, they went the thai way which in this case is bad way.
Spoiler:
The finale was also bad: Pheen has a plan and of course he does not tell his husband. We all know, he can't die, because a BL has to have a happy end (very few exeptions), so he left for a long time, hurting Than again (and again). The reason: Because he needed to change his name, so he can disappear. WTF? Is that, because he don't want to face the consequences of his actions? And he was already married, so he could have taken the name of his husband. And of course everyone dies, so there are no real consquences, no court session to exploit all the bad things the characters did. It's a lazy and cheap way of story-telling.
Edit: Of course the whole inheritance arc did not make any sense, because: if Pheem was decleared dead Than would have inherited the whole company with all the hospitals. Because he was the last legal heir before any uncles and cousins. So Pheem changing his name would not let him get away from his family background because his man would own EVERYTHING. And would be richer than he alone was. And because Than would then be famous Pheem could not be with him. So the writers had no clue what they wrote about and this makes no sense whatsoever.
End of Spoiler
So considering everything, this is not even a medicore show and I know many will hate me because I think so. But that's what I felt when I watched this and sadly this is also one of the shows I will never watch again, because it's a waste of my time.
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A must watch for any drama lover!!!
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There was food and whole lotta good shots of it which is basically catnip for every foodie out there and me being one, I did a happy dance inside every time I saw someone eating or cooking- which was A LOT.
There was some bromance, sismance, amazing chemistry between the leads and family bonding sprinkled all over it and last but not the least; the message it went out to portray was brilliant.
Despite the inevitablity of death, people can still find moments of happiness. It was beautiful and heart-warming to watch.
In the beginning, that is.
Despite being a slow burn in every sense of the word, the show did go pretty fast for me up to about 7 episodes. I was really really into it but then the monotony started setting in. It's the same K-drama tropes over and over again and soon enough you realize that there isn't much of a unique spin on it.
Call me heartless but when you show me the same sentimental shit and corny deep dialogues in literally every episode, I'll go from being touched to annoyed real fast. That's because over-doing emotion takes the sincerity out of it. Every case was more or less the same and that irked me a lot.
A lot of things were added as useless plot devices and left unexplored. It was almost criminal how little screentime the main couple got. You barely get to see them together till around 12th episodes and even then it's scarce and underwhelming.
I feel like the show dabbled in a lot of things but didn't truly go into depth for even one. And it's a shame truly, given the immense potential.
Towards the end, I just had to fast forward stuff- an urge I was physically restraining for about 14 episodes.
A reviewer said that it's a great drama for new watchers and I agree but if you have already seen these tropes a billion times and in their most basic form, this drama will end up being quite mediocre for you.
I'd rather watch 'Just Between Lovers' that took one of the issues also mentioned in this drama, went in depth with it and actually managed to portray sadness, heartbreak and loss in a way that was never over the top and yet, extremely impactful.
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