* A very nice and cute adaptation of an extremely popular online novel on the classic theme of teen love and school life, but with a little twist.
* First episode kinda' sucks but bear with it - it gets good.
* Honest and expressive acting by the leads
* Cute score and Music
* I love it.
So, to the longer version;
Let me start by saying that I absolutely adore this series, I love, love, love, love, love it.
Secondly, I am very prone to fangirling and therefore get all crazed up and squealing over most BL.
So I am biased, but I'll try to be as objective as possible.
And the thing is, this is not even BL. This is just about teens.
The plot is the average teen-love-school set thing, nothing original there. High schoolers are in love, fight, break up, get together, are jealous, get drunk - yada yada, you know the deal...
But - there's a twist. The main protagonists are both guys.
Tadaah - the classic BL melodrama is set for action.
But the other twist is, that it isn't. Because this differs from the other stuff.
This is not about being gay, societal issues connected to it, or even catering to fangirls.
(Ok, a little bit, then.)
This is something a little bit different. All of us BL-crazed, know that most stories in the genre are angsty, sad and usually ends tragically - after we've cried our eyes out over the forbidden love.
In Love Sick - it's not angsty, not very sad at all, no forbidden love and the whole athmosphere is a positive and happy one. This isn't a story about two gay guys in love, it's just a story about two teens who fall in love. The gender is not all that important in this case, the air is accepting and happy-go-lucky and it's SO refreshing. I love that the focus is not all that much about the two lovebirds both being guys, but rather that the trouble around them is created from other obstacles, which are universal and not related to gender nor sexuality.
The series is based on a very popular Thai online novel called; Love Sick - The chaotic lives of Blue Shorts Guys (Chunlamoon noom kang keng namgern) and very well adapted from the novel, with the difference that the two protagonists Phun and Noh aren't the only focus in the series - as they are in the novel. In the series, their friends and classmates have gotten their own storylines.
Which, in all honesty, aren't all that interesting IMO, but one or two characters have the presence to make us want to know more about them. But some of the side stories are really boring, actually.
Due to the novel being published first, the series had a huge fanbase already before it started airing and the pressure was huge to make it work.
The first episode - didn't. It's really bad as a whole and some people tell you to skip it entirely. I don't agree since there are some stuff in the end that are relevant and also, it's a good episode to go back and watch later on, when one knows the characters a bit better. But don't give up just because you'll probably find the first episode boring and pretty bad!
It gets better soon, promise.
Most of the actors in the series (if not all?) are total newbies and have never done any acting before.
And that's one thing that really impresses me since I wouldn't have guessed that. The first couple of episodes were a little bit awkward in the acting, probably the actors were getting to know their characters and getting settled in them. The two main characters, Phun and Noh, are a bit clumsy - especially Captain Chonlathorn, who plays Noh, who tends to overact in the first eps. I would imagine that it might be a little bit awkward settling into a fairly physical role with another person of the same sex in front of a camera, especially as Captain, at the making of the series, was only 16 (!!!) years old (soon to be 17 as of right now) and White Boonserm who plays Phun, is only slightly older, being 18.
But the two leads catch up quickly and turn into brightly shining little stars.
It's not that the are making ground breaking, dramatic performances worthy of a ton of awards,
but rather that they are so believable that one is completely convinced of their characters and the relationship between them. Their acting is incredibly honest and natural and their eyes and facial expressions tell whole stories in themselves.
The chemistry between them is absolute awesome and shoots sparks.
Captain is like an Energizer Bunny, all over the place, but in a way that makes one smile and fall completely in love with him. White is more calm and composed but manages to portray Phun excellently. The other actors also do a fairly good job although no as shining.
The characters and their storyline is very faithful to the original story, which is good.
The novel isn't in any way explicit, but the series are even more innocent. A lot is left for the viewer's imagination and to read between the lines.
The score and music is cute and mostly very good IMO. A couple of songs from the soundtrack I like very much, like Captain's (yes, he sings too and rather well, actually) - Khor rong, which I think is great. I also like the title song - Shake.
All the music is light and cute and stay true to the feeling of the series.
For me, the rewatch value is huge - since I've already watched through the whole thing many times...
I'm completely hooked and very engaged in the series. I follow the novel obsessively, eagerly waiting for every chapter to be translated into English by the eminent Kuda Lakorn at kudalakorn.com , who also translates and subs the fansubs of the series.
Both the novel and the series are... floaty, bubbly, shiny and light. Positive and extremely refreshing and innocent in their storytelling.
I think that most young people who like romantic stories could find the series entertaining, whether they are BL fans or not.
The series is not a masterpiece, but I will gladly rate it as an 8 overall - because I really, really love it and it has so many positive sides to it, even though it's not in any way a heavy weight.
Engaging, endearing and enjoyable are probably the keywords.
Season 2 is scheduled to air the 25;th of april 2015 - I will be benched, waiting for the translation!
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Life is about uncertainties, indeed!
I wasn't ready to expect anything from this. The most recent youth dramas, especially another drama of the exact same theme that came out last year, didn't let me to anticipate much out of this. The sole reason I wanted to watch was the cast and the "coming of age" tag to the profile. But, as I finished this, a sudden realization hit me, and I was left with awe. Will explain further.Created by Studio&NEW and broadcasted on Disney+, "Rookie Cops (너와 나의 경찰수업)" is written by Lee Ha-na and directed by Kim Byung-soo. The drama is one of the five debut projects of Walt Disney Korea, as the production giant follows the current trend of K-content.
It might not seem so at first, but "Rookie Cops" truly justifies the "coming of age" genre through it's storyline, screenplay and various elements. The young first-year freshmen at Korean National Police University (KNPU), who are passionate about their campus life, strive to grow and learn while facing challenges and tackling them together, in order to become full-fledged police officers. Keeping at centre, the lead couple, this show, in actual, puts a group of students on the pedestal, which the main couple are a part of. This should be enough to gist the story, I feel.
Given the genre and storyline, I don't think I should be writing detailed character description, as the show is hugely character-driven, emphasizing on individual growth. The group of best friends at the KNPU include Wi Seung Hyun (Kang Daniel), Ko Eun Kang (Chae Soo Bin), Kim Tak (Lee Shin Young), Gi Ha Na (Park Yoo Na), Woo Joo Young (Min Do Hee), Shin Ah Ri (Chun Young Min), Yoo Dae Il (Park Sung Joon) and Seo Bum Joo (Kim Woo Suk). The lead couple pairing is obvious but I suggest you should not guess the rest till the latet half of the show, haha. There are so many other familiar faces and mentioning them will take a while so I will just leave it upto you, to go check in the above section.
Plot development is the best thing about the drama. Let me tell you that the development is not steady, that is, it doesn't have a primary goal towards which the drama is leading; doesn't that what coming-of-age mean? The way new elements come into the scenario, get flourished and finally getting submerged into the overall essence, is what I loved about the show. The pacing was good and elements weren't really consistent, given that aspects like romance and thriller come into existence in different times and during later episodes. Nevertheless, I liked it from beginning to the end.
The freshers life in the campus, that too a specialized school like KNPU, was the primary topic, keeping senior-junior culture and school bullying at centre. As the students successfully bridge the generation gap and move forward, that's where the romancs starts, but even so, I'm glad, that part wasn't obviously showcased. The soft romance (sometimes wild, haha) was engaging and enjoyable. Also, there are more than one couple and all of the relationships depicted a healthy exchange of love, warmth and affection, including friendship and elderly as well as family aspects. Moving forward, as they throw light on academia and investigation, the thriller parts gradually start unfolding and becomes obvious much later in the second half, whilst, they had been throwing shades to it in the manner of laying a background, since the beginning of the show, if you could notice. These led to drastic events towards the ending (in the last 4 episodes). Through all these, the only thing that was constant, that was comedy; the fun elements were entertaining and it involved all the characters.
This is probably the time Lee Ha Na jakkanim sets out to continue creating amazing scripts like this. Given that she's been there for almost 8 years, this should be a breakthrough in her career. Her previous works were decent pieces but this, given to it's unique outcomes, should bring her recognition, I wish that truly from my heart. The storyline, the screenplay writing, the elements used, the character arcs and their development, and everything else has been drawn beautifully. It's a mixture of genres; romance, campus, youth, melo, thriller, family, mastery, etc. The most notable fact about the show is the appropriate proportion of different elements, placed at different portions of the story; like right thing at the right time. I feel, the writer should be praised and applauded for that.
Kim Byung Soo is a master director of the industry, having more than 10 popularly acclaimed dramas in over 15 years. All these have been reflected in this particular show, contributing to it's skills. The screenplay management, organization of elements, screen-editing, sequencing of events, cinematography, etc are well taken care of. The cinematography was apt for the campus story and slice-of-life elements with bright pallettes and shining hue. The camera work during monologues and peak moments, were of particular impression. The pacing was perfect.
Osts
What i liked...
# The slice-of-life elements...
# Breaking the barrier elements... The show introduced many elements and topic that are untypical of Kdrams, thereby initiating conversation, even so for a lil extent.
# Bromance... Not just between Seung Hyun and Kim Tak, even Daeil and Woo Seok were a part though the former were the main focus.
# Apt proportion of everything at right time... This is one of the best reasons for me which led me to like the entire show. The writer is greatly aware of what the audience wants.
# The campus romance
# The character development
# The equal emphasis on side characters
What I didn't like...
# The acting of the main culprit... I didn't like. It felt like he was overworking himself to fit into the typicality of a Kdrama psychopath business
# The one last event, which could have been avoided, it was so so so unnecessary. It doesn't really ruin the drama for me or anyone else but it's so sad, I wish that didn't happen.
# There are other things I didn't like but let's take them as immature decisions by the characters. We can't really blame the writer for those bcs those events could be one of the possibilities in real life too. So I would refrain from considering them while rating the show. (let me mention them in the later half of my review.
Final remarks... The "Rookie Cops" is overally a very good drama with perfect balance of everything, and should be watched everyone. The cast could be the primary reason you opt the show but I am sure you'll be encaptured by the story, the elements, the characters and most importantly the messages, because it's worth investing your time into. MUST WATCH.
SPOILERS AHEAD!
You can come back to read this once you're done with the show.
1) Daeil's death, something you'd imagine at the very least. It was actually unnecessary. I am happy his part of story was given proper exposure but just WHY?
2) Eunkang asking SH to handover the laptop to his Father.
3) I understand the video could not be shared but even the dumbest person will make a clip themselves from a playing video, wtf.
3) SH going to Hansol to warn him about getting him behind the bar. I didn't think he'd turn out to be this dumb.
4) Hansol inviting Kim Tak to tell him about Hyunsoo's death. It was rather funny.
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This review may contain spoilers
" BELIEVING IS MAGIC "
This is my first time writing a review so i guess it won't be that great .It's impossible to rewatch as you will remember this drama forever . This is the best kdrama of 2022 so farr . I cried in the last episode . This dramatells us about what we need is to believe in ourselves . This drama is taking us 2022 children and adults into consideration . We all must have dreamt of something in our childhood . But do we really complete that dream when we grow up ? Just getting a degree or becoming like your parents is not a qualification or a must . We need to think and see what makes us comfortable and happy and makes us worth living a lifetime . This drama has excellently potrayed everything about our current situations but using magic and how we should move forward by remembering our happiest memories .
" He had no choice " " At some point , the world became a place where people like you ( ) can't live in . because if you don't meet the set standarads , you are treated like a failure . ......................... I think I understand you now . Since when did this world became a place where dreams have to meet a standarad ? What kind of qualifications are needed to become a necessary adult ? I just need to be me . " - Ah yi (ep 6)
I don't have much to write . So i hope you'll watch it . My review won't be that good . This drama amazed me a lott and I have been thinking about this drama since 24 hrs . I loveee thisss
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This drama is in some ways your typical historical Chinese palace drama which as expected, revolves around rivalry between concubines and endless plots to take each other out of the picture. However, Yanxi Palace provides a less conformative story line with an independent and smart heroine who is loyal to those who genuinely help her and doesn't take BS from anyone (even the emperor). The plot twists within the drama were also unique and often unexpected, when watching I never knew what was going to happen next. It is these minor details that differ it from other palace dramas and make it worth a watch.
I'm sad this is over especially as who knows when I'll next find a drama that can match up to it but I wholeheartedly recommend this drama to anyone who doesn't mind seeing all the male characters with the half shaven head hairstyle (doesn't matter how many dramas I watch, still not a fan) and likes a sassy and smart heroine who stays true to herself.
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I'll try to explain why Legend of Concubines Zhen Huan is so special to me and why eventually it left me speechless but I know that won't be easy job, still I want to write about this drama cause I want to always remember all the things I experienced while watching it and remember how it was a real inspiration for me. First I need to say that it instantly became one of my ultimate favorite dramas, it was totally addicting, interesting, entertaining, and even more informative than any other Chinese historical dramas I've watched about Palace (palace intrigues and palace etiquette) especially about concubine ranks (from Daying to Huanghou), how they have to behave and follow the proper etiquette when meeting the Emperor, Empress, Empress Dowager or concubines with higher rank and even also how concubine's parents have to salute and address them very strict conduct. it's like I've learn lot of things only with that drama and made me want to read a lot more about Qing Dynasty. This drama impressed me on so many levels that I hardly have words to express the beauty of this piece as everything is simply perfect from the writting of characters and story to the costumes which are so exquisite, make up, sceneries, music, poetry … In my opinion the costumes and make up in this drama are the best I've seen, all the concubines look so graceful and sublime in all these different dresses with their make up and headpiece which make them so unique and different from each other, but of course for me the Queen of the Palace is Zhen Huan, she's so dazzling and the most beautiful woman the emperor ever has in his harem and somehow I totally understand why he fell for her, why he wanted to always be in her company and asked a lot about her opinion for private matters because of her superior education and great cleverness.
Now I'll write about Zhen Huan and her story just if you plan to watch this drama I don't really know if what's coming can be considered as a spoil so just in case do not read the next lines, only about Zhen Huan's part though), so it deals with her story and how from an innocent and pure hearted girl she becomes one of the most powerful and scary women in the harem. What I liked about her when she entered the palace is despite that she was very young she was not careless but very cautious, in the very beginning we can see that she does not want to gain the emperor's favor to stay away from all those schemes/plot and I have to say that it was her most peaceful moments, living in harmony with her two dearest friends. But of course it did not turn like she wanted it to be and after all the sad things that happened to her what she then did was not because she wanted fame and power or favor from the emperor but only to survive and protect the ones that are dear to her, parents and sister, her love, her children, her best friend. Even if people would say she became heartless and greedy I can't really agree with them and I can't hate Zhen Huan either, on the contrary I think she was so smart, strong and daring, all what a woman in the harem needs if she wants to live and survive. After finishing this drama I realise how I love Zhen Huan, she automatically became my favorite female character because she always manages to remain unscathed no matter what's happening to her not showing her true feelings to her opponent, I admire her so much for that, I also love her imposing character, her braveness, her heart and her scary face as well.
I've always liked Sun Li and found her incredibly talented but in this drama she showed another facet of her acting, in my opinion she delivered her most outstanding performance In LOCZH. A Stunning Actress indeed <3.
In this drama I generally like Zhen Huan's relationship with all other characters, I'll talk about some of them :
-Mei Zhuang her sister of heart, the only woman in the palace with whom she could be fully herself and tell all of her inner thoughts, I like so much their bonding and their conversations it was always so genuine and so adorable how they care for each other and help the other when necessary and I can't even count the number of time they tried to help each other in dire situation, her best friend and her best confidant in this awful palace.
-Jing Fei one of Zhen Huan's Jie Jie in the Palace who was always here for her, I love seeing them together and despite their age gap I found their friendship so beautiful, as much as Jing Fei did a lot for Zhen Huan, Zhen Huan always helped her in return and gave her one of her most precious thing in life, one of the most wonderful present ever.
-Duan Fei, I love so much those two, I don't really know why Duan Fei decided to go near Zhen Huan and approached her (maybe I'll understand more when I rewatch the drama) but for sure they have one of the most incredible friendship in this palace, I also love the way they always salute each other, and only both of them do that in the Palace making them look so cool and unique. Duan Fei is such a respectful and dignified woman and I'm glad I could see more of her in the second part of the drama.
-Hua Fei, ahaha what an incredible and hateful relationship they have those two, such a threatening woman Hua Fei is but Zhen Huan never showed her feelings towards her I mean she never ever showed her weakness and so it was so hard for Hua Fei to attack her and destroy Zhen Huan however she's for me one of the greatest villain I've seen in drama, Jiang Xin did a really great job in portraying the cruel and scheming Hua Fei, SUPERB !
-4th Prince, he is cute and very well educated I'm glad Zhen Huan paid attention to him and decided to take care of him and keeping him company.
-Ning Pin, this woman is so unpredictable and dangerous and we love her like that (at least I do), she never ever showed some attention about all those scheming in the palace nor for high position or favoritism cause after all she was like lost in an empty island , a place she was not meant to be and maybe I think that befriending Zhen Huan made her life a bit more positive and interesting, love love so much those two together and all the things she did for ZH . Definitely a character I will never forget since she made such a great impression on me when I first saw her.
Generally I liked all of the different characters even those I haven't cited above (Guo Jun Wang, Zhen Huan's maids especially Liu Zu and Jin Xi, Doctor Wen...)
Frankly speaking there's not a character I truly hated, I rather sympathize with some of them nevertheless there's one exception and that is the emperor whom I just couldn't like and totally hated all what he did to all the concubines, how he treated them like merchandises, shows favoritism to some of them and doesn't even look at the older ones arousing jealousy of each other. I particularly disliked that he couldn't trust them and believe his favorite women and not look for evidence and punish them whe he thought what he had before his eye were crucial proof. I won't say more but yeah that's pretty much what I think.
The Music also was so beautiful, another one of the aspect of the drama I truly enjoy and that's true that at first I did not really notice it I would even say that I did not like it either especially the op and end songs which I found pretty boring but honestly I realised after some time that they fitted perfectly with the tone of the drama and I even started to like them and enjoying listening to those songs that we can hear in some sad and memorable scenes in the drama. I also love so much the instrumentals.
Personally I enjoyed every second of this drama and I know the beginning is a little bit slow I would say the first 15 episodes but it was necessary for the comprehension of the story and the main characters. After that everything was so addicting and all I wanted was to watch the next eps and follow Zhen Huan's and her friend's adventures, how she will evolve throughout the drama and what would she do. I'll definitely rewatch this drama for sure, I'm not scared to rewatch the entire drama as it is one of those dramas we know no matter how much we rewatch them we won't be bored and at least maybe it'll give me the opportunity to understand more the characters and their difficulties.
without any doubt I would recommend it to everyone and especially for those who aren't afraid to watch a long drama and wants to learn more about palace etiquette and how it worked at that time.
This is one of those rare drama I knew I would love and yes it totally lived up to my expectation and even more than that since I loved it much much more than I expected.
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Jang Geum is not an ordinary drama because it was actually based in real life. In history, she is known to be a palace cook turned into royal physician but of course, like all history books made drama, producers has their ways in tweaking with the story line so a lot may have been changed. Setting that thought aside, I have enjoyed all 60 episodes of Jang Geum because in every episode, there are always different conflicts. In which will be solved on the next episode or the next. It keeps me on my toes and I just couldn’t help but get addicted to it. I like the thought that Jang Geum had great mentors so she could become the person whom the king trusted her to be. Then she also had different support systems: mainly King Jungjong, Capt. Min Jung Ho (the love interest), Yeon Saeng (her best friend), Lady Han Baek Young (her mentor) having this people around her she was able to survive the harsh world within the palace. Set things straight and become the Dae (meaning great) Jang Geum that she is known up to this date.
Oh and yeah, not to forget the romantic moments between Jang Geum and Jung Ho. Watching them in all those lovey-dovey moments was worth every tears I’ve shed for this drama.
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Worth the Wait
I’ve had a MDL account for years and watched hundreds of shows. I have never written a review. This is my first. I have been waiting for this show to premiere. Daou is such a multi talented young man and Offroad is quite good as well. Episode 1 did not disappoint. Both Daou and Offroad displayed excellent acting skills. The back story was heartbreaking and pulled you in right from the start, topping it off with music that fits the scenes so well. And as expected, the chemistry between these two is palpable. I am so excited to continue this series.Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
LORD KNOWS THE AMOUNT OF HOURS I SPENT LOVING THIS SERIES. IT HAS TAKEN SUCH A BIG ROLE IN MY LIFE THAT I'M CLUELESS OF WHAT TO DO NOW THAT IT'S FINALLY COME TO AN END. I WAS INTRODUCED TO THIS 2 WEEKS BEFORE IT WAS AIRED AND I AM FOREVER GRATEFUL THAT I CAME ACROSS THIS BEAUTIFUL MASTERPIECE. While others found Shaofei's character to be annoying in the first part of the series, I actually adored him to no end. He's so courageous and that's admirable. The fact that he doesn't hide his love for Tangyi is also truly amazing. This isn't no damn i-like-you-but-i-won't-say-anything-at-all. NO! This is the complete opposite. He's so loud about loving Tangyi and we seriously need more dramas like this. SHAOFEI FTW.
Tangyi is such an amazing, flawed character. Good gracious, he's the whole package. Tangyi's my favorite character out of everyone although he can be impulsive. He's such a good lover too.
Now moving onto their romance. THE LITTLE MOVEMENTS ARE JUST AS PRECIOUS AS THE KISS SCENES! I love the scenes where Tangyi is just caring for Shaofei and his little baby is just holding his hand, stating that he's God and nothing can kill him except for a canon ball. Like okay, Shaofei.
I really had no interest in the other two couples to be very honest so I have no opinion on them.
BUT, everyone has to watch this drama. It's packed with so much shit that you're swimming in your feels and yall don't even know it. Sure we were clowned most of the time but it's worth it.
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Miss Truth of the Art of Death.
I was excited by this drama because the backstory sounds like a Chinese version of a favorite mystery series "Mistress of the Art of Death" which is also about a medieval female crime solving coroner who teams up with a sexy man to solve cases. Like Miss Truth, the novel is about a strong and smart woman, ahead of her time in both forensic knowledge and life attitude. I was both disappointed and relieved that this drama does not dive into the forensic aspects of the cases with the chillingly thrilling gruesome detail of my beloved novels. Indeed all of the gory props are almost cartoonishly fake and any macarbe detail is rather cursorily handled. While set in Tang dynasty, the story-line barely acknowledges the main historical characters and events of the day. Nonetheless it is a short and very enjoyable watch that really stands out in its repudiation of common tropes.The drama is about a talented and adventurous young lady coroner's journey of self discovery. As she helps solve cases, unearths Marquis Sui's legendary pearl and unveils a grand conspiracy; she also finds herself and discovers the truth of her heart's desires. The drama starts with a bang by establishing Ran Yan's credentials as a brilliant forensic analyst as she is extorted to solve a murder by the criminal underworld in exchange for her shifu's gambling debts. This tosses her right into the crosshairs of both Xiao Song, a nobleman and the emperor's trusted investigator and fixer and Su Fu, a mysterious assassin who saves her life. They are both tasked by different masters to recover Marquis Sui's pearl, which is part of a larger conspiracy that is the drama's overarching plot. The drama maintains an exciting pace, with danger and intrigue lurking around every corner and builds to a strong finish on a high note with a surprise reveal. I was only able to identify the ultimate mastermind by elimination; there were not enough clues or hints along the way to figure out their identity or motives.
As a big fan of strong, smart female characters, I was baffled by how difficult I found it initially to like newbie Zhou Jieqiong's Ran Yan. She is almost immediately and recklessly infatuated with the thrillingly inscrutable Su Fu and is unquestioning of his motives. Yet this sharp tongued vixen is distrustful of and lashes out inexplicably and ungratefully at Xiao Song, who appreciates her talents immediately and employs her as his coroner. This gives her the means to escape an unwanted marriage arranged by her indifferent father and cliche evil stepmother and half-sister. She snidely calls him a merman in a tone that implies fish face or worse, dead fish and bristles when he affectionately refers to her as his foxy lady. Nonetheless they companionably squable their way through a number of well constructed cases and become a likable and effective crime solving team. While Ran Yan is the titular character, veteran actor Toby Lee's Xiao Song is the sleuth that puts all of the clues together and truly anchors all of the cases and the drama. His character was well written and masterfully portrayed - between his teasing banter, merciless goading, stern rebukes and unyielding support he managed the prickly Ran Yan perfectly. While he arguably cut her too much slack, he knows exactly how to get under her skin. He is no doormat either and knows when enough is enough. The surrounding characters are cleverly and realistically written in a way that reacts to the other characters' flaws; for example I could totally relate to the shrewd and loyal Bai Yin's dislike and ranchor toward Ran Yan for treating his master Xiao Song so poorly.
For once, I actually enjoyed the dreaded love triangle in this drama, something I normally have zero patience for. Initially I didn't like Ran Yan so I didn't really care if she made a bad decision. Ultimately she is a resilient, strong willed character who knows her own mind, is not just defined by love and can roll with the punches so there is no tragically wrong choice for her. It is completely in character for her to break all the rules, throw caution to the wind and indulge in a dangerous, exciting and most unsuitable man - something hopefully every woman gets to do at least once in a lifetime! So does she stay with the one who loves her or go back to the one she loves? All I will say is that the triangle was fittingly, somewhat poignantly and DECISIVELY resolved. She totally manned up and picked the one with the nicest chest (a purely subjective but well researched opinion)!
While I never got to like Ran Yan (she is deliberately written to be really not that nice) and didn't emphatize with her, I reluctantly admired and respected her. This drama really showed me, someone who pounds on the table for strong female leads, that I may have been more socialized to like and accept the conventional c-drama female lead than I would like to admit.
I think all things considered (production value was not that high) this drama should be a 7.5-8.0 but I gave it a 8.0 for being so different in the best of ways in terms of avoiding most (not all) cliches, very smartly written and unconventional characters, hot male leads, exciting pace and cases and ending at the climax.
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What a waste of time.
These are seven stories of seven best friends whose personalities are based on the Thai description of characters associated with a particular day of the week. Reviewing each installment individually~~~═ ∘♡༉∘ ═══════ Ep. 1,2
TUESDAY
• Chap as Tue
• Tae as Ake
ALSO SEE THEM IN: Tae will be starting in “You're my skyy”. Chap can be seen in a side role in Lovely Writer, and in the upcoming series, “The Tuxedo”.
RATING: 4.5/10
OTHER RECOMMENDATIONS: – If you're looking for a sports themed bl with coaching and all that, then I'd suggest Mr. Heart. If you're looking for enemies to lovers then I'd suggest My Gear and your gown, Love by chance (Tincan), Love by chance 2, Why RU?
STORY: Tue is an aspiring Muay Thai coach. On his very first day as an assistant coach he meets an old enemy and they have a faceoff. During their sports camp trio, the coach makes Tue and Ake room together to teach Tue patience so that he can be a better coach and to keep Ake in line
REVIEW: Script issues. In my honest opinion, the actors did the best they could with the storyline they were provided. There wasn't lack of chemistry and both the actors convinced me that they hated each other and were simultaneously attracted to each other. Given that two episodes of 1 hour each is not enough to deal with an entire relationship, the story could've been less of a mess if they hadn't tried to incorporate so many tropes into it.
*Spoiler alert*
They used a gazillion tropes in here: a single interaction wherein Ake cuts into line makes Tue hate him with such gusto. Sickness and the subsequent requisite white towel treatment (because it's a bl). Parental issues to bring the mcs closer to each other. Roommate drama.
Regarding the romance, you can if you're want to, justify every assholish thing done by Ake on the basis of 'attraction'. Ake even goes so far as to tell Tue that he was responsible for arousing him and henceforth must take care of his needs. Furthermore, for someone who vehemently begged the coach to allow him into the team (and also because Ake wants to fulfil his father's dreams), Ake’s behavior of purposefully skipping practice and investing leaves just to look like he has a fever do not comply with the story. Needless to say I couldn't get into their story. Sad because the actors were really trying.
Major plot hole: So Tue gets the chicken pox. Granting that I am not a Thai citizen but an Indian one, I believe that's one disease south east Asian countries are vaccinated against? Even if we allow room for the fact that the hadn't been vaccinated, it doesn't make sense that the entire team isn't down with the disease. Logic #101.
═ ∘♡༉∘ ═══════ Ep. 3,4
SUNDAY
• Max as Sun
• Nat as Nuea
ALSO SEE THEM IN: MaxNat are a side couple in “Why RU?” the series and in the upcoming projects by Mandee (nameless, “Cutie Pie” the series). They're also the main couple in episode 3 of “Close Friend”.
RATING: 4.5/10
OTHER RECOMMENDATIONS: Why RU?
REVIEW: Can we appreciate Nuea’s style in this? I don't like MaxNat per se, and I don't see the hype around them but their acting was pretty decent and considering that they were given a pretty average story, they carried the episodes well. Notable point, this is a healthy relationship. Not taking advantage of your drunk bf marks the beginnings of a healthy relationship.
═ ∘♡༉∘ ═══════ Ep. 5,6
MONDAY
• Korn as Mon
• Gung as Team
ALSO SEE THEM IN: Korn has a really funny supporting role in YYY the series. They haven't starred together in any other dramas.
RATING: 3.5/10
I have no idea what happened here, it hasn't been many weeks I suppose but that's exactly how forgettable it was. I just remember that there was a confession scene on stage and I could feel the second hand embarrassment through the screen and in my head I was like: somebody end my pain. Yet again, I feel the actors delivered pretty good (like a 6.5/10 for the acting), but the storyline was ridiculous. I also remember being irritated as hell with Team.
Notable mention: awkward pauses. Like longer than the one in kdrama confession scenes. The drawn out soulmate gazing and pauses were just lowering the score at 127 km/s.
═ ∘♡༉∘ ═══════ Ep. 7,8
THURSDAY
• Pi as Thurs
• Au as Pao/Pae
ALSO SEE THEM IN: Pi is part of the secondary couple in YYY the series. They haven't starred together in any other dramas.
RATING: 5.5/10
OTHER RECOMMENDATIONS: He’s coming to me, Hidden love as these are both bl dramas involving a ghost-seeing boy story ark.
No spoilers for these episodes because you have to watch this at least once. I have only seen Pee Peerawich Ploynumpol in his funny role in YYY and I wasn't sure what he was going to deliver here but he was really vibin’ with his role here! In some places he conveyed his reverence for his art and his feelings quite nicely. Also Pao is the cutest ghost I have ever seen. If you're deciding on which episodes to skip then DON'T SKIP EPISODE 7 & 8, it was probably the most wholesome episode here in terms of their relationship.
═ ∘♡༉∘ ═══════ Ep. 9,10
• Takizawa as Puth
• First as Kaeng
ALSO SEE THEM IN: Tae will be starting in “You're my skyy”. Chap can be seen in a side role in Lovely Writer, and in the upcoming series, “The Tuxedo”.
RATING: 6/10
OTHER RECOMMENDATIONS: En of Love: Love Mechanics, Side couple in My Gear and your Gown
This is where I pour out my feelings about these two. First of all, First playing Kaeng is impressive. He has a vast expression range: that suggestive smirk directed at Puth, that look of pure adoration when he's studying Puth, the joyous expression when he's around Puth, that kicked-in-the-gut sad puppy eyes he does to move Puth, that death glare he specifically reserves for Payo and lastly the crying scenes. This actor can go from 0 to 100 real quick. Same for Takizawa. He is cute at the right moments but he can be flirty and asshole and hot mean jerk just as well.
Secondly, the nc scenes. I let out a bleh when I saw how effusive fans were being about their nc scenes but they jumped the gun saying that the romance wasn't well developed. Well I beg to disagree. The actors had great chemistry, that's true, but the nc scenes weren't just that—it was the trust Puth had in Kaeng, the way he was letting himself be free with him. Kudos to them for bringing a proper friends-with-benefits relationship to the screen and turning it to something more.
When twenty minutes were left for episode 10 to end I was beginning to wonder how they were going to wrap up these threads at the very end. But it was ended well too! Turns out it wasn't just the audience who noticed how Kaeng was whipped for Puth, Puth isn't one of those typical oblivious characters. It took him time to understand his feelings but he did notice Kaeng’s gestures! The ending really touched me. *SPOILER* When Kaeng told Puth to stay with him for one last time, it was obvious that Puth wasn't sure about it but he cared enough for Kaeng as a friend to not leave him alone. And so he does grant his request which eventually lead him to realize his feelings.
Also, can we appreciate how perfect these two are for each other? Both are flirtatious jerks who are whipped for each other. When Kaeng starts shouting that he has a boyfriend Puth just laughs and urges him to say his name and then proceeds to shout that he has a boyfriend too. Like I cannot with these two—
This was so far my favorite in terms of acting, pacing and character development.
═ ∘♡༉∘ ═══════ Ep. 11,12
• Jaab as Sat
• Ton as Choke
ALSO SEE THEM IN: —
RATING: 5.0/10
OTHER RECOMMENDATIONS: I have no idea what bl drama to recommend which has similar fantasy-time travel-friendship themes as this one does.
STORY: Sat and Choke have been friends since childhood. Unlike Choke who was satisfied with his status and his chubby figure, Sat wants to be included into Top’s gang. Top is a older than them, plays football and is considered cool in the school. Prior to this, Choke had gifted Sat with a Gundam, a giant robot, which was supposedly magical and it proves its powers when Choke unknowingly presses the button which activates it and it fulfils his wish but this comes with a side effect: he can't be friends with Choke anymore because that's what it takes to be cool, he must cut off his connection from the 'fat' boy. Encouraged by Top, Sat punches him effectively severing their friendship.
Not only do, since Sat wished to be all grown up and part of Top’s gang, he wakes up in the future—mind you his memories are still of the past, the years in between are a gap in his head—and is surprised to find his head in Top’s lap. They are best friends now but Sat wonders why he isn't best friends with Choke, he has no idea that they aren't friends anymore and turns up at Choke’s house to remember his memories. Things spiral from there.
REVIEW: As I scrolled through the comments, I realized that this couple got overlooked a lot as people commented their opinions on the series. For me they were cute. Kind of forgettable maybe but cute.
I think the strongest message here was how our experiences shape us. Whatever choices Sat had or hadn't made had changed him from his innocent naive mentality to a person who played with others’ feelings and was uncaring.
This was quite obviously a rip-off (an adaptation, if you will), of the popular rom-com “13 Going on 30,” which delivered a lot more than this story did and in shorter time.
═ ∘♡༉∘ ═══════ Ep. 13, 14
I am honestly underwhelmed guys. I got some messages here AND a personal dm to complete this review. And here goes: underwhelmed with Yoon, Lay and Perth. Serious injustice to some of my favorite actors (in bl series I mean).
Rating: 6.5/10. See Perthlay in My Engineer and the hypothetical My Engineer 2. Also, Perth go taken out of Kinnporsche so yeah. Seen Yoonlay in YYY (one of my favorites), YYY special and Close friend (episode 4).
═ ∘♡༉∘ ═══════ Ep. 15
Shhitty ending. Everybody gets together. Hugs. Kisses. And they all live happily ever after except of course... you know if you know.
═ ∘♡༉∘ ═══════ OVERALL
Ranking episodes: [13, 14], [9&10], [7&8], [11&12], [3&4], [1&2], [5&6], [15]
These are some points I need to stress about this series.
AWESOME. COSTUMES. Like damn was I tired of the standard issue bl drama uniforms with the stark white shirts and black pants. Everybody here had a distinctive colourful style. Tue was pink, Ake was sporty and casual, Sun was a bit formal, Nuea was rocking the effeminate style (we need more such rep), Mon was sunflower, Team was masculine hot, Pi was a ghost summoner need, Pao was cute (too cute to be a ghost), Puth was sweater and Kaeng went all out with his striking red shirts and earrings.
The director seems to have his signature style. Music was pretty much on point. The actors mostly managed really well.
Overall rating 4.0/10 for an awesome waste of time.
Are you thinking of watching this series?
If you're looking for something mindless and pulpy to watch then go for it. Select the episodes you think you'd like best and watch those first, the stories are not interconnected. Happy watching!
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CHARACTERS: Let me just say that Yang Yang as Ye Xiu is the best thing ever. He really gave the character a lot of depth and I thoroughly enjoyed all of his expressions! Also for the rest of the characters, they brought their own color and twist to the characters. Honestly there were some parts of the drama that made me hate so many of the characters where I was literally yelling at the screen. So to the actors and actresses who made that happen, that is very commendable in my opinion. The only problem I would say I had is how fast the character development was for some of the characters. But then again it is only a 40 episode drama, each episode being 36- 45 minutes.
STORYLINE: Everything flowed well together, very very similar to how it is in the anime and light novel, but then there are some plot and development that only is shown here.
MUSIC: 100 out of 100, honestly I absolutely love all of the songs, they fit perfectly with the theme of the drama.
Once you start this drama you won't be able to put it down. It has deep and inspiring themes and the graphics are so captivating that if you even blink for a second, you will miss something. I really hope they do a season 2 of this drama! But if not, I am completely content.
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1
1
1Do Bong Soon is played by Park Bo Young, who was in one of my favorite dramas,"Oh My Ghostess", yet I didn't recognize her at all. With her super cute bob haircut, her amped up adorable personality, and her petite stature, it was exciting to see her character with this unexpected superhuman strength. I loved her character's origin story, and I'm always a fan of the anti-damsel in distress, so I was already interested in this drama from episode one. She really plays the sweet girl you don't want to mess with role extremely well.
She is matched with Park Hyung Shik as Ahn Min Hyeok, and I don't think I can accurately describe with words how charming, and just beautiful to look at he is in this role - it's *swoon* overload. He is not even my type, at all, but it's like they put a special perfection filter on him, and he played every scene in a way that made it impossible for me not to fall for him. Together their adorable couple rating is off the charts! Their chemistry is perfect, so perfect that the cheesiest scenes and moments still worked for me, and soooo many scenes were extra cheesy. He is also so supportive of her, which makes the traditional role reversal refreshing to watch. To me they came right up to the border of being obnoxious in their cuteness, but never crossed it, because they were such a good match.
The rest of the cast was mostly awesome too, considering all the genres that they had to cover. Ji Soo as In Gook Doo completes the love triangle, and plays his part really well, although I honestly couldn't stand how the actual character behaved. Gook Doo may inspire 2nd lead syndrome in some, but he was too controlling and self-righteous for me to really root for. I loved Bong Soon's family, BFF, and especially grandma. I also really liked the villain, who I think was played by the actor better than the character was actually written. He was creepy and sinister, yet kinda seductive and attractive, which I think is a recipe for an excellent villain/nemesis. Then there is the supporting cast MVP Kim Won Hae. I didn't love him in his first role, It was just too corny and gross for me, but his second role was hilarious in its absurdity. I applaud his ability to take both roles to such extremes. The cast is definitely full of memorable characters.
Part of the reason I deducted some acting points was because a lot of the comedy just wasn't my to my taste. Korean humor can get too silly for me sometimes, which was part of my issue with some of the performances. There is a whole gangster subplot that annoyed me. There is a Monk that is completely ridiculous. Then on a more serious note, Seol In Ah's role was pretty useless, and forgettable. There is also a family drama plot that I forgot all about until the end when it's obvious that they were missing. These criticisms are because of the writers, more than the acting, which is why i deducted even more points from the story. Don't get me wrong, I liked the story a lot, and loved watching Bong Soon become more confident and evolve into a Shero, but the story as a whole is all over the place. The thriller part is intriguing enough to drive her motivation, but it went from being seriously creepy to resolving with a more comic book feel. There are a lot of parts of the story that I felt were left without a real explanation, or resolved too quickly, but all of this was forgivable because of how much I still enjoyed watching every episode.
I also forgive the last episode, which had mostly filler, but I loved the very end (obvious but perfect), which made me very curious about what a second season would be like.
The OST was good, and matched the show well, especially the "Super Power Girl"Theme! However, I did not fall in love with any of the songs, not even Park Hyung Shik's ballad.
Now comes the highest score for me - rewatch value. I gave it a 9.5 because I could definitely see myself watching this more than once. With all it's flaws, and silliness, I just had so much fun watching, and couldn't wait to watch the next episode! I almost gave rewatch a 10 but I would definitely skip through some of the comedy scenes.
Overall, I would recommend this as a cute twist on a superhero story that encourages female empowerment, not in a subtle way... in a walnut hammer over the head way! I also love the message of not underestimating someone based on appearance, and helping others selflessly. I think it's best to just embrace that the plot is chaos, the comedy is ludicrous, and enjoy the fact that it may not always be coherent but it all supports this character's journey to her destiny (well, maybe not the stupid monk). I also highly recommend it to anyone who is on the lookout for a talented and crush-worthy actor, because I think Park Hyung Shik definitely fits the bill.
If you're looking for maturity, a substantive plot, characters with great depth, and no clichés or exploited stereotypes... back away from this drama slowly and don't come back to it until you're in a lighter mood.
This is the drama equivalent of a bag full of candy! Not every flavor in the bag will be good, but most of it is delicious, and the sugar high makes it all worth it!
Oh, and if there was a Bong Soon video game, I would totally be excited to play it!
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This review may contain spoilers
Vagabond is one of the best action Korean series that I've watched. It is also a must-watched series because its Lee Seung Gi and Suzy Bae's comeback team up in a series. Vagabond is full of action and has a very unpredictable scenes you will definitely get shocked with it's twists. You will get impressed on how Cha Dal Geon managed all his near death situations just to find justice on his nephew's death.
am not that satisfied with the ending because I wanted to get rid os Samael and what happennto to story of Cha Dal Geon and Go Hae Ri???
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This review may contain spoilers
This review is intended to be a personal opinion. I do not encourage or discourage people from watching what they like. It is intended to give you an idea of what to expect, but I always say, "watch and make your own judgement."IF you like a series that has drama and gives you a heartache as well as headache, this is the one for you. Be warned, you will find yourself wanting to go through the tv or computer screen (what ever device you are watching this from) and shake all of the characters and yell "snap out of it" (thank you Cher!) I for one enjoyed the story.
Why the warning? Because...
This series it's frustrating, it's not fluffy, it can be annoying at times, but it's also funny, it's engaging, it tears at your most basic needs when it comes to love and unrequited love. The characters are so flawed that most times we either cheer for them or boo them. While some may find the premise of the story annoying, I'm actually happy that we got to see a different side of relationships. Not all relationships are stable, not all relationships are rainbows and unicorns, sometimes they are a bit toxic or imbalance in the sense that someone gives more than 50% while the other takes more from it. It was a well acted drama nonetheless.
Khai is an unlikable character in the beginning of the story. He is narcissistic, arrogant, self-centered and a man-who*re. But he is a college student who lives his life as he sees fit, regardless of who he hurts so long as he gets what he wants. Those attributes are a turn off for many viewers, but Khai is a character that does exist in real life. By the middle of the series, we still don't see what's so great about him other than his looks, but we are told to believe that he has some great redeeming qualities. It is why Third is in love with him. Which brings me to another point, WHY IS HE in love with Khai? We never really get to know this. However, Khai does start to show some good qualities, such as when he tried to not interfere between Third and An when he believed them to be together.
Third in the beginning of the series was a character many people empathize with and wanted to protect, but from my point of view, he was equally to blame for his own misery. He had plenty of reason to move on from his love from Khai (specially when Khai treated him like crap) yet didn't. But, this type of character again, does exist in the real world and some people have a hard time learning to love themselves enough to say "I'm better than this and I can find someone better than him."
CAST:
Gun as always takes on the character's story and gives it life. He is able to portray the flaws of the character excellently and you believe him 100%.
Off's acting has improved quite a lot from his previous works, While many may be used to his comedic side, it's nice to see that he can have range in acting. He portrayed an unlikable character quite well, evident by how many viewers did not cheer for him.
White: His character was a great supportive friend to Third. At times I actually said, "Third go for Two"
The rest of the cast did really well in driving the story along and while I would have loved to see more of the side BL couple of Earth and White, it's typical of Thai BLs to never truly develop secondary couples.
onto the Technical stuff
Cinematography: Amazing use of color, wide-shots, close shots, Etc. The team took great care in the way they filmed this .Music: Amazing music and great use of it in the drama. Did not seem out of place at all.
Inspiration: I really enjoyed that the drama was centered around classic romc-coms and that each episode was titled after those movies.
Cons: I didn't like the trope of the teacher and student relationship. It wasn't organic and just belittled both characters in my opinion.
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Honey as Lube, GO WATCH IT
THIS IS SO GOOD. Like actually GOOD good, not “I watch for the pretty faces” good (although yes, the faces are stunning). But I mean well-written, emotionally intelligent, gorgeously acted good. The chemistry between the leads is off the charts and Im pretty sure they are not acting, they are in a whole relationship and forgot to tell us. (I am in fact delulu)Anyway the chemistry between jin and akin is ridiculous. These two accidentally invented a new form of communication via eye contact because GOD DAMN, the way they orbit each other?? the tension?? the softness?? it’s so natural it makes other shows look like staged table reads. (Ya I am shading some bl's so what) THE POINT IS...it’s warm. it’s intense. it’s addictive.
The writing is tight, thoughtful and they actually use the characters' personalities and histories to drive the story, not just to sprinkle in backstory when it's convenient. everything connects.
Ok now let’s get into why boom and smart are actual sorcerers.
Boom’s physical acting is a whole experience. like, the man acts from his spine, from his kneecaps, you can tell what his character is feeling from the way he slumps his shoulders or tightens his hands. He uses his body language so so well.
And Smart’s vocal acting is unreal. the way he shifts tone depending on who he’s talking to, what he wants, what he’s scared of...ugh it’s so precise and layered. Sometimes he says something soft and i’m like “oh no... oh NO he means that.” his voice will crack just a little and suddenly I am spiraling.
And their scenes together?? good god, all of it is magnetic. I was locked in. The range is INSANE. like one minute I was laughing because akin is being a lovable menace and the next I am pausing the show to just BREATHE.
And YES. yes. there is a certain infamous scene involving HONEY (I know ya'll came in here for that trending honey scene) which sounds unhinged (because it is) but it’s also deeply emotional and a whole metaphor for love and indulgence and knowing someone so well you can give them exactly what they crave. It’s symbolic and it’s sweet and yes jin knows what akin likes and wants to give him everything and that is beautiful. I was deeply moved and deeply stressed. Peak television. okay, I want to frame it and then power wash it.
I hope boom and smart get everything after this. I hope they win awards. I hope they get roles that challenge them and let them show all the layers they have clearly got stored up. And I hope everyone watches this show so they can scream about it with me.
WATCH IT, fall in love. and text your friends “YOU NEED TO WATCH THIS” every 5 minutes. (Because mine screamed at me after saying I will drop it at episode 1, I picked it up and I love it so give it more than one chance please)
You’re welcome.
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