This review may contain spoilers
I was hesitant with good reason.
•ᴍʏ ʀᴀᴛɪɴɢ ꜱʏꜱᴛᴇᴍ: 4.5 = [ᴀʟᴍᴏꜱᴛ ᴅᴇꜰɪɴɪᴛᴇʟʏ ᴅʀᴏᴘᴘᴇᴅ ꜱᴏᴍᴇᴛɪᴍᴇꜱ ɴᴏᴛ ᴇᴠᴇɴ ᴀᴅᴅᴇᴅ ᴛᴏ ᴍʏ ᴡᴀᴛᴄʜʟɪꜱᴛ, ᴇɪᴛʜᴇʀ ɪᴛ'ꜱ ᴛᴏᴛᴀʟʟʏ ᴛʀᴀꜱʜ ᴏʀ ɪᴛ'ꜱ ᴛᴏᴛᴀʟʟʏ ʙᴏʀɪɴɢ.]I initially skipped this, then with some free time I decided to try it. Couldn't make it all the way through, skipped a lot in each episode. I'll break it down why starting with;
THE GOOD;
1. Visually appealing. Budget was obviously not bad for this.
2. Sky was (for the most part) a likeable and fairly grounded character.
3. The kissing scenes (only, and not including the very, very, veeeery long lean in shots leading up to most kisses) didn't feel forced, especially between and Sky and Prapai.
4. ...I can't think of anything else.
THE BAD;
1. Rain (as an overall character) was not likeable and his stupid, flakey, flip flopping and nonsensical hot cold 'wtf is going on' behavior was very tedious. I thought it was impossible to get worse, but then the writers drowned the character in cringeworthy tropes during the couple arc with Payu and wow, it was so awful. NB: only really bad writers make their characters declare out aloud to random people (and TOTALLY uncalled for) that only their boyfriend can screw them. That is terrible. And it's not sexy. Self respect is attractive! At least to me.
2. 'Badass' characters should be written in a 'less is more' vain please. I did not at all find any of the bikers, and certainly not Payu and Prapai to be badasses or badboys or whatever. I mean, they looked cool most of the time, but that was about it.
3. The editing. Abrupt cuts scenes and background music abound. There is no flow here. Just 'something happe- cut to a different scene, lose the atmosphere, carry on'. Feels like a rush job. There's an art in cutting a scene at the right moment or fading it out, the editing here didn't flow well in many scenes. Also using boom mics will fix that noisy mic jostling sound that is heard when the actors are making close physical contact.
4. TROPE TROPE TROPE and none executed particularly well, if at all. I am not against tropes, some can be fun and enjoyable if they're done nicely, but no. Just no.
5. So many people are just gay all the way, and in such tight circles. Not realistic. I'm a supporter of sexual fluidity, but if we're basing a show in a factual setting, let's try not to write out fangirl daydreams maybe.
THE UGLY;
1. I don't get why in many BL shows these days things have to be rapey or have unequal power dynamics being abused or enforced. It's not attractive, it's not appealing, it's cringe and it's ugly. I won't comment again on the disaster writing of Rain, but when it came to Sky, I think portraying him as being a little easy would have been better than portraying it as him sleeping with Prapai under some kind of duress. As for his history, well I guess they kind of tried to explain something with that but missed the mark. And making Prapai essentially a stalker was very weird too. Generally, that behaviour would lead to a retraining order guys.
FINAL THOUGHTS;
Over all, both main character pairings had underlying 'manipulated and coerced' vibes. Icky. I would not recc this. Go watch Semantic Error instead!
I don't blame the actors, they follow the script and the director!! I believe they tried their best!
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Judge it by yourself
People's are judging it pretty quickly. Initially I also didn't liked how the story. I thought it's gonna be classic trope of inner court family fighting drama. But now I wait for new episode everyday. The things I lked about this drama are :1. Leads are very understanding of each other. They support each other and don't get in each other's way.
2. Fml's character is consistent. She take good decisions, like in some dramas fml's are shown smart initially but as the episode progress fml starts relying on ml, but here it is not like that.
3. Some people might find fml voice annoying. I also found it annoying at start, but now it does not bother me at all. So as the story progress you will get used to it.
4. Both leads have their unique storyline & they don't overshadow other couple.
5. Leads resolve their misunderstanding quickly.
6. There is no sml syndrome. Fl straightly draw a line with sml although there is a reason why fml does it.
Please give it a try. You may skip initial 2 episodes if you don't like concubine trope.
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So, for the story: our beastly character - hot, handsome, powerful, and charming - is like a wounded bear who is rough with and hurts everyone around him because that is all he knows in his life. He is upstanding and revered in the community but despite commanding loyalty, I think many people don't get close to him because he is fearsome.
Then he suddenly has a family in the form of a little boy and the boy"s aunt. This was formed by force - because what the hero wants, he gets - and he hates the aunt due to some misconceptions (because slap and kiss lakorn). He treats her so badly that I'm surprised no one calls the police. Yet all his workers and his lawyer keep making excuses for him. I hated that part. Why must a woman put up with abuse because the man is lashing out from the scars of his past? Why did everyone keep making excuses for the abuse?
He really wanted the love of the little boy, but he didn't know how to get it, so in the process, made things worse. The boy and his aunt hated and feared him. So he was sad. Boo Hoo. Still no excuse. Despite all this, you can't help but be interested in this hero and his story. He is an outstanding character in every way.
But slowly, he changes and learns to let his little (forced) family in. The best parts to me (because I'm a romantic) were the many times he apologises to the MFL for treating her badly and hurting her. He does it tearfully and genuinely. When he falls in love, he accepts that love whole heartedly. For example, when she angers and betrays him, he is sad and disappointed, but he is not mad and does not hate her. He is rather open to her about his feelings.
And he pouts so adorably. especially at the end when he tells her he's mad at her but he can get un-mad at her. Lol. He was asking to be buttered up. By the end, he is a completely different person, changed by love and so very willing to accept that change and that love. That alone (and his hot bod) made this worth it.
My only problem - Why the 2nd leads got so much screen time? Their story was boring and useless to the plot. I skipped them the entire show.
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I literally made an account to review this lol
I just finished watching this drama, and i was wondering how other people felt about it.And WOW, i was suprised.
The other reviews for this drama left me in shock.
But I for one, think they didnt give hardly enough credit to this drama.
-Its not exactly the most creative, but all the cliches are done well
-the comedy is spot on, and gives it a nice, light, feel.
-some might argue that the romance takes too long, but i for one think its perfect
-there are a good amount of kiss scenes, and both actor and actress contribute to it
-the kiss scenes arent super...violent? Idk but there are so many kiss scenes in dramas where the couple looks likes they're having a seizure or something
-No evil mother/father in law
-the villains add an element of mystery that makes it really intersting, and helps keep the story going
-the chemistry between the couple is amazing
-the way they fall in love is actually pretty realistic and sweet
-the female lead isnt super dumb
(She can actually be quite crafty at times)
-Both leads are very likeable
-there is technically a second male lead and a female one, but they dont really FEEL like they are. If anything, theyre just side characters.
Anyway, i hope this helped!
I highly recommend it!
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I have a love-hate relationship with every one of these characters. And you know what, I kind of love it. Characters are supposed to have us believing that they are real people. And what's more real than people who aren't always perfect?
Yeo Reum is just a girl, standing in front of TWO boys, asking them BOTH to love her. And she kind of falls for both of them. But have you seen them?! I mean, who wouldn't fall for them both? Tae Ha is her ex-boyfriend and first love who tries to win her back and can be a jerk, but he has his reasons. Ha Jin is her current boyfriend who lies to her way too often, but he has his reasons too. The chemistry between both couples is so believable, but the tortured love between Tae Ha and Yeo Reum is off the charts, as is the tension between rivals Tae Ha and Ha Jin. That's where a lot of the intensity of this show exists.
I've never seen characters in a show that feel as real and alive as these. Their actions and motivations are so fully realized. Before the final two episodes aired, I went back and watched the entire previous 14 episodes again. As I rewatched, I realized that even at the very beginning the characters reveal so much, sometimes just subconsciously, about why they're doing what they're doing. Things that I wouldn't and couldn't have noticed the first time around. That is a real victory for the writers. I really loved how we learned and explored little bits and pieces of each characters psyche in one episode, then learned a little more in the next and even more in the one after that.
I'm in awe of the realism displayed by each character. They each have weaknesses and strengths. They all have flaws, flaws... and more flaws. They might not behave they way you think they should or even how they themselves think they should, but that's what makes them feel so real. I almost refuse to believe that these individuals don't exist somewhere in Korea. It wouldn't surprise me at all if this was someone's real story. That would also have some parallels with what happens in the last episode.
Even though I loved that my dream OTP got together, I kind of wished that they hadn't thrown in the whole Magic Year cliche. I wanted things to resolve right away. It seems like the tension would have been higher if that had been the case. Because it seems like nearly everything that happened could have believably happened immediately. But I am very happy with how things turned out, for all the characters.
Also, could Joon Ho and Sol BE any cuter?! Gah. I love them so much. I would definitely be down for a spin-off starring those two.
This show is definitely one for the ages. There are so many moments that I'll never forget. But if I do forget any, I will have absolutely zero qualms about watching this again. And I am not usually a rewatcher. Only my favorites get rewatches. This will go down as an all-time fav for me. But for now... Moving on to watch Que Sera Sera!
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Song Ji Hyo (Da In) pale in comparison! I think everyone who watched cared more about their relationship and that's simply because of chemistry. Sung Woong as Do Moon simply stood out to me throughout the drama as Da In's father's henchman. You wanted to hate him but simply couldn't help but love him and his beautiful (and real) mane of glory! I will remember his name for now on.
Overall, if you like the genre, it really is an easy drama to watch. Sure, the usual machinations of the royals and nobles but get past that, there are so many funny and fun moments to see and characters to fall in love with!!
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This review may contain spoilers
What made me watch The New World?1. Choi Min Sik (one of the best ajjeoshi actor in movie industry)
2. Read somewhere that this was inspired by the movie Infernal Affairs (Hongkong film) and The Godfather(Hollywood Film)
3. It gross big in korean cinema
(spoiler free)
When you saw the both movie i mentioned, you will get the idea on what to expect on the movie even though i think The New World isn't on par with those movies, it still has its own style that will make you wow on some parts and deliver some amazingness in your face =)
The movie isn't really confusing and it was easy to follow but needs some patience to understand whats going on and there's a twist here and there and it was solid with a tight plot.
Strong perfomance, no weak acting, nice build up with payoff and some brutalness but nothing to be afraid of.
Brilliant gangster movie .. Horray!! ^^
thanks for reading my quick short review \o/
note: (subject to edit for elaboration)
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This review may contain spoilers
A slow burn with a happy but unfinished finale...
While this is a short series, it started extremly slow to pick up pace in episode three. Then in culminated in drama, miscommunication, non-communication, angst and fear. The Finale is slow as well. For reasons unknown, the obvious side-couple don't get an happy end - would it have hurt to add an episode more or extend the finale by ten minutes? So, I'm a bit disappointed that they left that open even when everyone knows what is obvious...In typical KBL tradition, this was filmed really well, the actors did a superb job and made this an excellent series. They even have a quite long NC scene which is untypical for KBLs. Of course many of you will get frustrated with Jiwon who suffers from a traumatic past, which we only get to know about in passing. He does not talk to anyone about this and that makes him so hesistant to form a relationsship for three episodes that some may have questioned his motives. But being a "star" in Korea with a "scandal" about his harsh training and mental/verbal abuse by his trainer and the public itself, did leave a deep scar. So I get it why it's so hard for him, why he thinks about Jeongu and his carrer and why some of the viewers will not be that happy about the storyline. For me all that makes sense even when it slows down the progression.
Overall, it was a nice series with great acting, trying to be more realistic and not in fairytale land. If you have not watched this yet, you should, because it's one of the best this year had to offer.
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Promising Failure
Be warned, if you are expecting a movie similar to Hush (2016), turn around before you are disappointed.I went into this movie with somewhat high expectations, only to end disappointed. Having seen the trailer and that Wi Ha Joon starred as main role I won't lie, it caught my attention straight away. It had so much potential but ended up being flat, not the thriller I was expecting
The beginning is decent, but it only goes down hill from there. Pointless running through the city, usless police officers that are smitten by the serial killer lies. Apparently no one at the city can think for themselves and actually do something when they see a girl running away in fear while being chased by a guy. Don't worry, he will just tell everybody that it is her sister and everyone will believe him straight away without batting an eye. Oh and also, did I mention how unrealistic it is that even if there are so many cameras on the street and South Korea having one of the best security systems, it all ends up being usless?
I did enjoy the acting, specially from Jin Ki Joo and Kil Hae Yeon. Wi Ha Joon had so much potential but was done dirty by the poor writing.
Kudos to the sound editing, I liked the contrast at the beginning between the silenced world that Kim Kyung Mi experienced opposed to the rest of the world.
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I haven't watched the original version so I can't tell which one is better, but I still believe that the korean version is a must-watch.
The story was brilliant, it keeps you interested til the very end. It makes you curious about so many things - was it a dream? or was it real? Is it really a time-travel drama or it's just an illusion? It's hard to find an answer for this question and even in the final episode, you don't know what to believe. I had so many theories about the plot twists, but I still couldn't find the right answer.
The crime part of the show was somehow different from what I've usually seen in other kdramas. But different is a positive way. But where is this difference coming from? The unique characters is the right answer. Every character brings a different light of the show - Han Tae Joo with his serious, but still good personality, Kang Dong Cheol with his angry, but at the same time playful moods, Yoon Na Young with her calm and intelligent behavior, they were all really different and they also had a different way for catching criminals. But despite these differences between them, they were such a great team!
I don't have much to say about the cast. All the actors and actresses did a perfect job. Kudos to Jung Kyung Ho for his brilliant portaying of Han Tae Joo. I could feel what he feels when I just look at his face.
The music suited the atmosphere the show brings and the drama is definitely a rewatch material.
Overall, 'Life on Mars' is a crime drama with many hear-warming moments you can enjoy, so I definitely recommend it.
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I'm a huge and everlasting fan of prolific screenwriter Nojima Shinji and can't say enough how great and influential a writer he has been for Japanese TV in the 90s. While his initial claim to fame came in the way of writing somewhat conventional love stories and human-life "Trendy Dramas" such as "Hitotsu Yane No Shita" "Ai To Iu Nano Moto Ni" ,"Kimi ga Uso wo Tsuita", it was his later "darker" and more sublime dramas which really showcased how talented and brilliant a writer he was. Many people said that Nojima Shinji has a gift in writing words. His dramas might win and lose interests, but most of the times they’re worth to quote.
Kou Kou Kyoushi is one such drama, a very dark one and in fact it's considered a cult classic in the annals of Japanese TV Dramas. The story was unconventional to say the least, not only in the scope of its plot but also in the way that it was presented.
The drama revolved around the taboo romantic relationship between the meek and shy academic Hamaura Takao (played by amazing and of the most famous Asian stars Sanada Hiroyuki) and his hopelessly optimistic and cheery 17 year-old homeroom student Ninomiya Mayu (played by the incredibly cute Sakurai Sachiko). As the series progressed and Takao and Mayu's romance intensified and grew more deeper, the audience soon discovers that Mayu's carefree disposition is but a mask to hide a truely depressing history and an even darker personal secret. We feel the intense darkness as death is mentioned along the way. Despite that however, the soundtrack and the main characters’ heart are pure and innocent. The director himself mentioned in a commentary that Nojima Shinji was the one who decided to choose an innocent Mayu. Not that there aren’t Gals and other type of girls in 1993 society, but Nojima Shinji decided to create an innocent characters for his story. Whole characters development was fantastic, every one of them had their own story, secret, their own deepness and the actors were really great in portraying those characters.
The issues covered in Kou Kou Kyoushi are controversial (a rape by a teacher, an abortion, homosexuality, another relationship between a young teacher & student, incest, etc.) but these accurate depictions did much to bring such topics into public discussion in Japan during the 1990s. The situations portrayed here are quite realistic--Japanese teachers have a higher responsibility for their students than in many other countries, and unfortunately some have intentionally or unintentionally abused this trust.
It is said that Nojima structured "Kou Kou Kyoshi" almost like a classic Greek Tragedy. With its lurid themes of teacher-student romance, suicide, rape, incest and bullying, "Kou Kou Kyoushi" was heralded as a bold and controversial drama and generated huge viewership ratings at the time of its debut. In subsequent years it has become quite a cult drama series and it's shock ending is truly one of the most memorable in Japanese drama history.
Even after 22 years it has been made, even I have seen so many dark and really difficult dramas to digest, this one will for sure stay in my mind for a very very long time and despite all those controversial and depressed issues in it, I've enjoyed and was fascinated by depth of love of the two main leads and their pure, innocent hearts in all that hopelessness and abyss of heartless and harsh society.
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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
Wish for a better ending
I really love this drama because the plot and everything was well put together. I was so in love with this until the ending. No one died, but why did they decided to just split the two like that? Why do they end it like nothing ever happen between the lead. I would love to rewatch this drama again only if the ending was not like that. The ending traumatized me, I do not like and would want to forget that this drama ever exist because of that single ending. Hopefully there's a season 2 or else I would never going to come back and watch it like I want to.Was this review helpful to you?
