This review may contain spoilers
Be Passionately in Love was a drama with a good core storyline but ruined by lazy writing, poor dialogues and disconnected screenplay.. Even the dubbing was bad.. The one redeeming factor was Wang An Yu.. The first half was very disappointing.. It just didn’t connect with me.. Once again the issue was lazy writing.. This drama could have been salvaged easily if the writer had simply done his job with a bit more effort.. The no kiss issue only added to the drama’s problems.. I heard Liu Hao Cun had a no kiss clause in her contract.. But there is no official confirmation yet.. If that’s true she honestly shouldn’t have been cast in this role.. What is she doing in a drama literally titled Be Passionately in Love if she can’t kiss?? It just felt inauthentic. It’s true that passion doesn’t necessarily require kissing or intimate scenes.. But this drama was already lacking and abrubtly cutting those moments didn’t help its case at all..
The second half was definitely stronger than the first and the last few episodes were genuinely good..
All that said.. I still liked the drama.. Yes, it fails in execution.. But I appreciated it for what it tried to be.. A story about two teens dealing with realistic problems.. Family issues, uncertain futures and misunderstandings caused by a lack of maturity.. Another highlight for me was the absence of the usual annoying SMLs, Creepy characters hitting on people already in relationships, forced breakups and last minute patch ups.. It was clear they didn’t want to rely on the typical overused tropes and I genuinely appreciated that.. It even had strong, well written supporting characters..
“What I want might be a bit greedy..
It’s a passionate and unwavering love.. One of a kind.
It has to be just me.”
Wang Anyu really needs to consider changing his agency or start being more selective with scripts himself.. Because this isn’t the way to build a solid career.. His last few dramas haven’t been particularly impressive and that’s unfortunate given his potential.. Hopefully his upcoming roles will reflect the kind of actor he is capable of being..
Overall, Its a good drama if you can look past the shortcomings in the writing and screenplay.. Like I said earlier, the absence of the usual overused tropes was refreshing and that alone makes it worth a watch for those tired of overly familiar cliches..
P.S.. I totally respect her choice but I hope Liu Hao Cun stays away from dramas with romance as the main plot..
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1This review may contain spoilers
SIDE STORIES>>
"Flowers don't bloom just for one butterfly" - Bit NaWaste of time, probably wasted 8 hours why NOT 11 hours you must think? Right? Because only the side stories are good but sadly they have less screen time :/ This drama is meaningless and will just make you frustrated.
The drama started off quite well, the realistic portrayal of modern college relationships was really relatable. The MAIN story is slow paced from the very start but at some point it became repetitive which made it boring. I have to admit that the plot was exaggerated, the drama should have been not more than 6-7 episodes honestly. But the way it continues is AWFUL and the word "realistic" is thrown out if the window and was replaced by fairy tale ending .
MAIN CHARACTERS
Nabi, honestly at first I thought Nabi AIN'T DUMB but she is. She is the dumbest character I have seen in my whole drama life. Her actions are really dumb, they can make you frustrated. I liked the way the writer portrayed Nabi's insecurities. Han So Hee really did a great job portraying the character as well.
Jae On, the walking red flag. If you're reading this please don't normalize Jae On's actions just because you're the actor's fan. Jae On's character is pretty much a playboy for whom love isn't a thing, it's just attraction. I never approved of his character. For him Nabi was also one of his butterflies. Song Kang did pretty well at first I couldn't get those playboy vibes from him but later he was a bit better.
Do Hyeok, the potato guy, he is the "cliche" good boy type character, one of those who still believe in true love. Sorry to say tho he was really nice but he was kinda pushy as well.
The main story is SO MEANINGLESS, what was the point of their story? If their was no moral of the story? this drama was a fairy tale, it definitely was. This drama is ridiculous just because the two leads had chemistry doesn't mean there toxic character had to end up together. It's not about which team you are team potato or red flag. I was legit team FL end up with nobody. Her character development where is it? FL really need self love classes.
SIDE STORIES
The only reason I didn't drop this, I won't go in detail because some of the ships were pretty unexpected. They're stories were short yet really beautiful. I'm really glad that the writer was brave enough to portray them!
MUSIC
This drama has beautiful OST lineup I swear, even if you don't watch the drama you can listen to the OST, one of my fav is "Love me like that" by Sam Kim.
OVERALL
I was glad that Korean dramas are trying something NEW than the cliche college romance drama BUT sorry this drama crashed real bad. Should you watch Nevertheless? No. Personally I won't recommend it. The outcome of drama was really disappointing. I would never recommend one to watch it.
Now this drama is definitely NOT for everyone. If you can't differentiate between what's toxic and what's not, please don't watch this.
IF YOU FOUND MY REVIEW HELPFUL PLEASE LEMME KNOW ^^
END :D
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Acting/Cast: What can I say? I fell in love with Jang Hyuk through this drama. He bears the mark of a true actor in his role as the angst-revenge driven Dae Gil. His was a very challenging character and he pulled it off PERFECTLY! He spoke with his eyes, his expressions and his intonations had thoroughly pulled me into his world of slave hunters and his misery of loving and yet being unable to love. Oh Ji Hoo as Tae Ha (righteous, dutiful, loyal) and Lee Dae Hae as Hye Won (meek, fearful and a woman with a secret) were also perfect choices. Even the dudes who acted as slave hunters, mountain brigands, slave rebels and evil ministers were wonderful in their roles. I seriously could not find any fault in the acting and cast of this drama.
Music: I absolutely love the OSTs in this drama. I listen to them frequently in my walkman. I think this in itself tells you how wonderful I think of them. What I absolutely love was how each OSTs are perfectly coordinated with the scenes and feelings in the drama. Whenever I listen to the OSTs, they reminded me of the drama and the unforgettable scenes in the drama.
Rewatch value: I had rewatched parts of this drama twice. I am not a fan of rewatching dramas as I am a very time poor person but for this drama, I actually rewatched a number of parts that I absolutely love. I must admit that I had never rewatched any dramas entirely, not because they are not worth rewatching (how I wish I have the time and luxury to rewatch dramas!).
Overall: This is my advice to you who had not watched this drama..... go and get a bag of chips or popcorn, a box of tissue and maybe a pillow (because it is quite addictive and you might just decide to skip sleep to finish this drama in one go) and just WATCH THIS DRAMA. You'll never regret it! :)
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Silly rom-com with bickering main leads & slow burn romance
The main leads Zhou Ye and Lin Yi definitely carried the drama. The script was lacking but their chemistry and strong on-screen presence made up for it. The drama is about the female lead who fakes her personality in order to catch the attention of the male lead. She confesses to him and he rejects her, only for him to find out that she is also the gaming girl he’s had a secret crush on. Their love story includes the gaming world, where they work together to create a new generation of gaming experience.The start of the drama is not the strongest. The female lead spends the first few episodes chasing the male lead with a fake personality and pretty much becoming a doormat for him. As soon as he rejects her at episode 7, the drama begins to get real good, with now the male lead chasing her and trying to win her back. The main lead’s bickering dynamic is top-notch and the highlight of this drama, as well as the many cute and silly interactions between them.
The drama fell short for me in the final episodes (19-24) that focused on unnecessary work problems instead of seeing the main leads go on romantic dates. The romance is slow burn which I usually love, however I feel the script didn’t allow for the audience to truly experience their dating era as they only became a couple in the last few episodes. Even though the main leads had many cute and romantic interactions between them throughout the drama, when they became a couple we didn’t see them go on an actual date or see any grand romantic gestures.
POSITIVE:
- Silly and light-hearted vibes.
- Top-notch bickering dynamic and fun comedy moments between the main leads.
- Zhou Ye and Lin Yi had natural on-screen chemistry with fantastic acting. They were the star of the drama and carried the whole show.
- Good push and pull dynamic between the leads.
- Cute/romantic scenes.
- No love triangles. The main leads only have eyes for each other. (Note, there are two love rivals that try to get with the female lead).
- No annoying side characters.
- Female lead acting like a delulu girl in the first episodes.
- Male lead chasing her for the longest time in the best way possible.
- Fun gaming scenes that didn’t take too much screen time.
- Work scenes in the first half of the drama provided good character development for the female lead.
- Approving and supportive parents (that’s a huge plus for me).
NEGATIVE:
- First 6 episodes were not strong.
- Ordinary plot. The script doesn’t bring anything new to the table.
- Not enough spark. I felt something was always missing in this drama.
- Dating era didn’t fully deliver. There was a lot of build up and yet the execution was lacking. We don’t see the main leads go on an actual date or have any grand romantic gestures.
- Episodes 19-24 felt underwhelming, the plot was draggy and the romance didn’t fully deliver.
OVERALL:
This is a silly and light-hearted rom-com with cute, bickering main leads. It’s perfect for those who want to watch a fun and entertaining drama after a long day to unwind.
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Boys Over Flowers was a nice drama. It has its sparks here and there but it never really caught my heart. The story line was good, the cast was just amazing and the soundtrack just makes you flutter.
But Hana Yori Dango/Boys Over Flowers, in my sense, was a story about a kind and brave girl who fell in love and changed a guy who longed for love among everyone else. A girl who did all she could to protect her loved ones and fight for herself. A guy trying to show to the girl he loves that she was the only one for him, with the help of his friends. A not-so-cliche couple, trying to prove to the world how much they treasure each other and how they can overcome all the hardships reality threw to them.
BOF gave viewers great visual on how the F4's lives were. But I never saw the friendship between them. They were good-looking as hell but, the closeness was not there. Jan Di was, sure, poor, but I don't think she would gobble down food like that.
Jun Pyo and Jan Di had sparks, just wasn't enough. Their chemistry just never caught my heart, unlike Domyouji (Matsumoto Jun) and Makino (Inoue Mao). Never got their version of the necklace either. Domyouji gave Makino the necklace as to let her know that she is his soul-mate, based on horoscope. Why the moon never escaping the star?
I guess every adaptation has its own twists and patterns to make it different from the others. Just so happens that this one, indeed caught me eye, but not my heart.
( Tho I love the fact that they made a side story to Ga Eul and Yi Jung, even tho it was not in the manga xDD )
I don't regret watching this. It was a nice drama. Lots of eye-candy and idol-ish faces. Just that, compared to the other versions, BOF was probably the one I like the least. I recommend this to those who have watched HYD or Meteor Garden, since if you're a real fan of this story, you definitely have to see this.
:D
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Hate to say this but Netflix doesn't disappoint
"I detest young offenders" - I somehow agree with it LOL. Although everyone deserves second chances but sometimes it just shows that you shouldn't be lenient with all minors just because they are minors, they will not learn their lessons and their mistakes and grow up to be monsters if you continue to let them go and let them think that "oh, so I can commit this crime and I won't get caught at all" and they will commit more and more crimes and each time it gets worse. Honestly got quite pissed when I saw the kids laughing away after killing people. Coming again with another well written series by Netflix. What I'm seeing now is that the show is criminally underrated for now, not many viewers are watching this, not sure whether more people will start watching this after a few days as this was just released few hours ago. But this show was really nice, it shows and depicts the many different social issues surrounding young offenders. Though it's not the first time a drama has done this but this one was quite well written. It was really entertaining and engaging so I binged it in one whole sitting. :) Kim Hye Soo done a great job as a Judge, likewise in Hyena as a lawyer. She really suits playing characters relating to law haha. GOOD SERIES OK TRUST ME!! Very good law drama and unique theme of young offenders, give it a try.Edit: It is now sitting at #1 spot for many countries on Netflix.
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This review may contain spoilers
Story - I must give two thumbs up for the screenwriter for not ruining the original storyline.. it's only about Wen Ning and Lan Sizhui's adventure and they didn't change anything major.. the story is pretty enjoyable as I love to watch mystery and adventure ^^ They made many references to The Untamed so we won't be lost and take it as a whole new movie.. Acting / Cast - As always, Yu Bin did a really good job! He is such a wonderful actor.. his acting never failed to amaze me.. I understand the need to change the character.. they can't make a naive and foolish boy as a main character of a mystery movie, right? XDD but I see their effort not to make Wen Ning too out of character.. it's still our Wen Ning who depends and trusts his Young Master Wei the most :""") the other actors aren't bad.. but idk because they changed the director or what, the acting isn't as good as The Untamed (even Zheng Fanxing).. I mean they aren't bad, but if you make The Untamed as comparasion, The Living Dead is a bit of lacking.. so I decided to take away the 0.5 star XD
Music - Since I'm already familiar with Yu Bin's Chi Zi, I enjoy the music very much.. I watched the ending credit until the song ended lol.. and I almost cry when I heard Wu Ji in the scene where Wei Wuxian appeared.. It really give the feeling of nostalgic~ I don't have any problem with the other music.. they are pretty good too..
Rewatch Value - Sure. This is a pretty good movie to kill time.. I will rewatch it when I have free time.. ^^
Overall - I highly recommend this for all The Untamed fans.. but I must take the 0.5 star because it stands behind The Untamed's shadow (and I decided not to give any drama 10 except The Untamed to appreciate the masterpiece X"D)
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Did I enjoy it? Yes. Some episodes more than others. Some characters were better written with more believable and relatable storyline, some were exaggerated and presented in a comedic way. With such a cast with a variety of truly different characters, I believe everyone will find someone whom they like and relate to.
Episodes focus on different problems all Tee's face and how they help each other overcome them. Not all tries end with success, but that's life. Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose, but you always have to keep striving for improvement.
I might have enjoyed it more if it was not for episode 7 and the last storyline explored. It made me slightly dislike some of the characters ("slightly dislike" might not be the correct statement, I was truly annoyed when I watched it). The ending was emotionally heavy, but since the set up for it was quite weak, it didn't hit me as hard as it should, taking into consideration the discussed subject.
The acting was good. As always, Gun takes the trophy for the best crying scene. I could see clear improvement from all the cast members (though Krist surprised me the most).
Overall, I would say die hard fans would love it, fans would enjoy it, others it's 50/50 chance of liking or being meh about it. I enjoyed it, but with every episode, my excitement kind of slowly died.
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I want to like this series, but I can't... She was a bad mother. Trigger warning parental abuse!
A single mother Young Sun raised her son Kang Ho with strict parenting despite her love for him. Kang Ho grew up and become a prosecutor while keeping his distance from his mother. An accident caused them to start a journey to heal their relationship together. The introduction with the cute pig running on a sunny day, is kind of misleading as to what was coming. I thought it was a very heartwarming cheerful family drama but it's not. Murder, trauma, and painful relationships.The best part of this series is Lee Do Hyun as Kang Ho, he gives so many layers to his role. He went from a soft cinnamon roll to a cold-hearted prosecutor. He’s an actor that I always enjoy even if the drama he's in does not work for me. I am heartbroken for him, and this is not the first time I cried for his character. His moments with the twins are super lovely and believable. I love when they bicker together 💜
The main problem that steals my enjoyment from watching is parental abuse. From the beginning, Young Sun really did horrible things to Kang Ho. She was strict, she was mean, with the intention of "I want you to be successful", or "I want you to be good in your school", She threw his food away before he finished eating because she thinks he'll get sleepy after eating. She threw his artwork away because he wasn't studying enough for her. Even after the accident, she still did horrible things. She knows that he's basically in a handicapped state like he can't even move his hand, but she left him to feed himself. I'm seeing Kang Ho... Oh, he’s so pitiful, he’s hungry and helpless, but she's so impatient, she took his food away when he can’t even hold his spoon. I truly believe that realistically, this will trigger an eating disorder. Also, she threw him into the river to force him to walk, again and again... and he was screaming for help from her. Why she learns no lesson at all? While I understand she just wants him to grow up well, I saw her behavior is abusive and hard to watch. What's worse is that the scenes are given bouncy funny music, but it's seriously not funny to me. I know it's fiction but the writer really went bad there. She really went back and forth, and the good part is not good enough to redeem herself, because what she's done is too much.
I was conflicted the whole time with the pig plot. Yes! Pig is such an integral part of the story. There's this narrative about how pigs are such clean animals, the only reason why they're dirty is how we treat them, they can only look down and not up and such... Young Sun was raising them lovingly, but I can’t deny the fact that these pigs are sold and slaughtered for food in the end, especially because they showed us when the pigs are going away from her farm several times. I feel uncomfortable about it.
Another thing that detached me from the series is the villagers. I don’t get what the villagers' roles are in the story, and there's a face mask lady who every time she appears on screen, annoys me. Lastly, I don't feel this drama stick to its' ending. They wrapped up everything but it was rushed and wrapped up really quickly.
-Aug 2023, Yovita
Find me on Instagram: @kdramajudge
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This review may contain spoilers
Falling for Innocence is one of those dramas that makes me feel conflicted when it comes to writing a review. Usually I am very clear how I feel about each drama. I am either ecstatic and can’t wait to share my excitement with everyone that cares to listen or it just doesn’t do anything for me. Or when a show has to make me work hard to like it, those are the ones I will ultimately drop.So did I enjoy this drama? Yes and No. There were a few times I was ready to walk away from it but it did have enough punch to keep me watching.
The number one reason I stayed through the end was due to the leads. The show’s strongest attributes were its casts. Jung Kyung Ho made me mad, made me laugh, made me sad, made me cringe, but ultimately he made me root for Min Ho. His performance was multifaceted and he was able to pull it off and made me a believer. I might have cringed at some of his expressions and showmanship if delivered by other lesser actors as it could easily have come across as contrived and childish.
The number of times his hair changed or got a makeover made me laughed too. To me, it seemed like the stylist paid more attention to his hair than So Yeon’s which had remained constant throughout the show.
So Yeon was stellar. Her performance was consistently good as the loving fiancee and prospective daughter in law. She did a great job portraying Sung Jung’s inner struggles between loyalty for Dong Wook versus her newfound love for Min Ho.
Hyun Min was as good as it gets for a villain. He made it easy for us to hate Joon Hee by delivering the emotions of a man scorned by his first and only love, someone treated like a dog with little to no respect from the Chairman; both of which ultimately led to his greed for power as the answer to all his woes.
Jo Eun Ji as Wendy and Lee Si-Un as Woo Sik were perfect supporting casts with a cute love line of their own.
I also enjoyed seeing strong female characters; Sung Jung was not afraid to speak her mind and followed her conviction and her heart. Same with Wendy for pushing for what she believed is right and just in a workplace dominated by powerful and corrupted men. Even the secretary pool of Yoo Mi and Mi Roo also depicted strong female traits rather than the conventional silly airheads of many kdramas.
What got me annoyed and almost made me gave up was the plot. I didn’t mind the premise of the corporate M&A theme but the constant re-use of the same plot devices got a bit tiring episode after episode. Instead of one main story arc spanning the entire 16 episodes, it felt like the same story arc got repeated over and over again albeit with slightly different ingredients thrown in. The writer did make us guess all the way to the end but all that angst culminated in one rather quick episode which also made it too tidy and a tad rushed.
The music is good and complements the show nicely but nothing to write home about.
For the above mentioned reasons, it is not a re-watch for me.
But overall, it is a decent drama. The romance is fun, cute and touching. I can’t say enough about Jung Kyung Ho. His performance made all the difference for me.
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This review may contain spoilers
Hello Stranger (2020): A Top-Tier Pinoy BL Series
At least 35 Filipino (Pinoy) boys’ love (BL) series have been announced for 2020. Three Pinoy BL series are “completed” (“Sakristan,” “Truly Very Your,” and “Hello Stranger”) while ten other series are currently “airing” (“Gameboys,” “In Between,” “Kumusta Bro?,” “Even After,” “Hook Up,” “Amore,” “My Day,” "Unexpected," “Safe Haven,” and “Oh My Sexual”). I watch and review all these series. Not all of these series are good but fortunately we have the likes of “Hello Stranger” which can be considered a top-tier Pinoy BL series. It’s not the best (“Gameboys” is still better) and it’s not perfect but it’s an excellent Pinoy BL series especially if you want to be entertained and feel romantic excitement.“Hello Stranger” had a simple plot/storyline about self-discovery, friendship, and finding love in a time of quarantine and lockdown. Friendship among the Young Padawans was highlighted which is probably what I liked most about this series. Interestingly, this series didn’t delve deeper into the characters’ relationship with their families which is usually a staple for a Pinoy series. While the overused enemies to lovers trope was employed, the context of the new normal brought something new to this series. But don't expect this series to confront larger societal issues related to identity politics and the pandemic though because this isn’t that type of Pinoy BL series (you can watch “Gameboys” instead for that). Even then, reference to the Stonewall riots (1969) is highly appreciated.
While there were a few corny and long lines here and there, the screenplay for the entire series was generally relatable. Featuring, interpreting, and dramatizing Benilda S. Santos' poem "Sa Kasintahang Nilimot Na" (For the Already Forgotten Lover) was also a nice touch.
Everyone in the cast, from the lead to the support cast can act, not particularly outstanding, but they're all good actors. Some of them, most noticeably Tony (undoubtedly the most popular Filipino actor to venture into Pinoy BL series), were underwhelming at times but Tony did have moments to shine especially in the finale. JC had the most improvement in acting throughout this series owing to the fact that Mico had the best character development. XavMi chemistry was ok in the end. All the male actors -- Tony, JC, Patrick, and Migs, are distractingly handsome and sexy. I super love Junjun! I would have wanted more for the female characters on this series especially Crystal but we take what we can get. At least their characterizations weren’t toxic. And Miss Tina Moran was definitely the mood!
Compared with other Pinoy BL series, “Hello Stranger” had the biggest budget and this showed in terms of the quality of production. Production design and camera work were generally very good. I had some issues with the pace and editing of the first few episodes but they eventually improved. The soundtrack "Kahit na Anong Sabihin ng Iba" (Regardless What Other People Say) performed by Seth Fedelin was also good. I also liked all the scenes wherein Tony sang. XavMi confessing each other's feelings by finishing each other's lines in a song and singing together during the finale was cheesy but was really romantic and sweet.
In summary, I would definitely recommend rewatching “Hello Stranger.” If you’re looking for a Pinoy BL series with a simple plot/storyline executed very well with good performance and production, “Hello Stranger” is the perfect series for you. And watch out for “Hello Stranger The Movie”! Maybe in the movie, we’ll get more than the very tamed pinky swear and hugs we got from the finale -- fingers crossed!
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A big disappointment
The teaser, the pilot, the trailer... they were all fantastic and hyped me up for the show.Then the show started and I felt sorry for Pat, poor soul was crying in the bathroom. Then he cried again... then he whined and pouted the entire episode. Now that I am done with that mess, I can honestly say that Pat is the most annoying characte of this year. Yeah I know it is only July, but there isnt any ex girlfriend with evil plans or homophobic dad that slaps everybody, that could be as annoying and irritating. Pat has great ideas, but he is always staring with his mouth slightly open, in silence...
The other characters are great, the ''villain'' becomes a cool lady, EVEN THE VILLAIN IS NICER THAN THE MALE LEAD!!
If you focus on the other characters, you will have fun. Unfortunately you will have to skip like 20 minutes of the male lead whining and like 10 min of him in silence, but those 15 minutes with Chot, Ae, Mr Jeng, Jaab, Jane, will be great!
I feel sorry for Ben. He deserved a better debut in acting. I will keep supporting his work. And his voice is beautiful.
If you feel like watching... then watch. It is a forgettable show with some good scenes.
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1A dull mess. Mostly a long ad for snack foods.
I hope you like insant noodles and factory-produced chocolate cakes with some white stuff inside.I was so excited for this, because after Bad Buddy I really wanted to see Jimmy star in a series, and I love the support cast. But what a huge disappointment.
First of all, the plot is barely existent. The gimmick is that people can get transported to an alternate universe when they die, but can get back to their own universe (apparently alive again) if you find your portkey, which is another person, but under circumstances that are not clear.
Jimmy and Sea are beautiful and they both look unusually good with their shirts off, or on, or a little of both, but that can't save this series.
Which is a thinly-veiled string of commercials for products. There is so much product placement, and not just people exaggeratedly enjoying a refreshing drink - it's endless. Episode 7, which finally killed any desire I have to waste time being victimized for my loyal BL viewership, had a good 20-minute streak where nothing happened except product placement. There's even a debate over whether KFC should be eaten with sauce or not. Apparently yes. Otherwise you're disrespecting whoever invented the sauce more than you are insulting whoever fried the chicken. (For the record, it's disrespecting whoever fried the chicken. It's already seasoned with spice.)
There is no chemistry between the leads. Part of the problem is that their personalities weren't introduced before the switch, so we never really got a sense of what their motivations are, and the show is crippled by "uke-ism", meaning the seme (Puen) comes on to the uke (Talay), who behaves like being kissed on the cheek is attempted rape and grimaces in disgust and pushes him away. When they hug, they're standing a meter apart and leaning in to touch shoulders, and their kisses are mechanical and the actors put in the minimum required to make it techically a kiss.
There is no point to this series. It doesn't explore any social issues, balancing career & personal life, the trials of showbusiness, or anything at all, despite the golden opportunity of an alternate universe that could have contrasted with ours in meaningful ways. The differences are all superficial and meaningless, like instead of birthday cake, you have birthday cotton candy (with candles in it. I wonder what the death rate in this universe is from accidental fires). All we get is 12 eps of chemistry-free fluff and snacks. None of the support characters serve any purpose except comic relief, and exposition, and the series doesn't even explore what it means for the person you love to suddenly have a different body. (Personally, if I were dating doughy Nanon, I'd stay in bed 25 hours a day if he were suddenly built like Jimmy, but I'm shallow. If I were dating Nanon I'd be just as happy but I'd make him sing a lot instead.) It could have been an opportunity to look at the difference between surface aspects of attraction and the deeper connection of love.
This deserves a 3, but the actors did as well they could in a tragic situation like this, and I feel bad for punishing them, so I gave it a 5. Most of the actors actually play and sing the music in this, which also earns some points. Nanon has a lovely voice - I wanted to hear more of it. The production is competent but uninspired.
I can't recommend it, unless you love fluff and cheesy lines. And snacks.
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If you're here purely for Kim Seon Ho, this drama isn't for you.
I've never written a review before, but bear with me here.I will focus less on going through everything about this story's plot and more about the fact that seems to have infuriated a lot of people, which is the fact that Kim Seon Ho's character isn't the main romantic lead. The reason why I decided to watch this drama is because I love Nam Joo Hyuk since I watched Weightlifting Fairy, and I had recently finished watching The School Nurse Files, where I absolutely adored him as well. I don't mind Kim Seon Ho as an actor, I neither like him nor dislike him (though I'll say I lean more into liking him than anything else) which is probably why my enjoyment of the show wasn't tinted by the fact that he wasn't the main love interest, and I was looking forward and throughly enjoyed the happy ending we got.
All of that being said— and you can call me biased because of this— I never really felt like Han Ji Pyung had any chance of being a real second love interest for Dal Mi. I don't think there was ever a love triangle; Dal Mi definitely was fixated on the boy from the letters but ultimately never really liked the Han Ji Pyung she met (romantically, that is), and the revelation that he was actually the one who wrote the letters changed nothing about those feelings— except maybe making her disappointed in the fact that it wasn't actually the real Do San who wrote them.
I think Dal Mi liked Do San from the moment she met him and the fact that she thought he was the boy from the letters was simply something that added to her initial attraction. She said it herself that the moments where Do San didn't seem to be the boy of the letters stirred something in her that she really liked.
I don't think there was ever any competition because like I said, there was never a love triangle. And I totally get people being disappointed that Ji Pyung didn't end up with Dal Mi, but a drama where that happened would have to have been a completely different story from the get go.
As I said in the headline, If you're here purely for Kim Seon Ho, this drama isn't for you. But if you're here for Nam Joo Hyuk, then it absolutely is.
It has emotional, funny, frustrating and intense moments that made it very enjoyable for me to watch, and after watching Record of Youth which left me feeling so utterly disappointed, this was a soothing balm for my soul.
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This review may contain spoilers
Another Mary Sue Drama~
Twelve Legends narrates the story of Jasper Liu, Jin Xing Jian, a stone deity who tries to resurrect her lover, Ye Ming, a night pearl played by Guli Nazha. The story started after Jin Xing Jian sealed Ye Ming’s memory and put her to sleep. As a stone deity, Jin Xing Jian has “seals/stone stamps” – which is his original form. It all started because Ye Ming defied heaven’s will against Yu Shao Bai's death, which causes a domino effect to Jin Xing Jian, Ye Ming, and others. The drama storyline then focuses on the journey of Jin Xing Jian finding his 8 scattered seals and Ye Ming trying to figure out her past.I gave this drama a 3.5 is because of its draggy storyline. There are a lot of side couples and stories in this drama. Almost every seal collected comes with a background story. The background story includes the right amount of suspense, action, emotion, and comedy. For instance, I find the nine-tailed fox side and xiao hu’s story touching. However, some of the side stories are presented longer than necessary, causing uneven pacing. As a fantasy/ supernatural drama it lacks lavish images, CGI and choreographed action scenes. But still, the choreographed action is still decent. From what I can see, this drama might have a high budget, and I can say that they allocated the budget well. Even though some of the CGI is terrible and fake (e.g. the mermaid, nine-tailed fox, dream eater). The CGI does not fit into the overall drama. And the transition was downright terrible. There are a lot of cuts, jumps and weird transitions and effects that looked like this whole drama is being edited on iMovie by a high school student.
In addition, the climax also lacks intensity. The protagonist and antagonist were killed easily. In the beginning till the end of the drama, the protagonist, Jing Xing Jian was shown as basically an unparalleled deity with strong superpowers. However, the reason for his death lacks logic and coherence. And Ye Ming did not have any character growth at all. She remains as weak and innocent or could I say dumb. Jin Xing Jian sacrificed so much for her, but she barely did anything. The only thing she did was reciprocate his love only by the last few episodes of the drama, she realized everything too late.
Jasper Liu did a tremendous job in portraying a cold and distant yet loyal and caring man. Meanwhile, Guli Nazha did an okay job. I watched some of her dramas before such as Weaving a Tale of Love, and her acting did not have any improvement. However, I gotta say that Guli Nazha looked very charming in this drama, she is very charming and beautiful especially when she is in a qipao!! but still, her characters evoke a 呆/ dumb vibe (Guli Nazha should pick a better script, almost every character that she acts evokes a 呆 vibe). But Jia Cheng and Zhi Ying did a great job as the second couple. I love seeing how they grow as a demon and a demon fighter to lovers. And there are also a few really awesome supporting cast, such as the Ye siblings.
Secondly, the costumes and set were pleasing to see. The republican era costumes such as the qipao, suits, dresses were very well made and detailed. The set such as the Hua Xue gallery was also well-made. And lastly, the OSTs were very fitting into the overall ambience, however, it is not catchy and memorable.
Overall, Twelve Legends is an average-bad drama. Some aspects of the drama are bad, however, if you watch it without thinking much, then it will probably be an okay drama. If you have a lot of extra time or if you are a fan of the actors, go ahead and watch it!!
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