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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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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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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I was satisfied with the plot as it was very well rounded and as there were no loose ends. I really appreciate the way it unfolded which was very neat. Everything fell right into place, this drama is one of those that make you feel at ease as there is no unnecessary dragging of the plot and complications that are out of place, everything is gradual and build up in a way that everything happening makes sense.
The characters apart from being well cast, they were all given attention and had a path laid out as they made progress in a heartwarming and natural way. All of the supporting characters were very endearing in unique ways and got to show a lot of their charm. For me, the most wonderful thing was friendship shining through with all of them on multiple occasion showing their shared desire to care for others. As for the mains I was very happy to see that none of their problems were created by misunderstandings or unpredictable happenings beyond their control which always puts me off, they were very considerate of each other and also acted like mature, healthy, functioning adults while their behavior and decisions were aligned with their character and that is a very big win for me. And I have to mention that the main female lead was very wonderfully written, showing a strong, kind, patient side and in so many ways a favorite with a delivery executed in a very graceful manner. Also the main couple was pretty cute without it ever being too much and the actors had chemistry.
Even though I am not the type to ever re-watch, if I ever felt down and wanted a safe bet for making myself feel better this drama would definitely manage to lift my mood without losing any of its qualities.
Over all I really enjoyed it as it didn't get too depressing but was also consistent and had a lot of beautiful moments. I would definitely recommend this to anyone wanting to watch something soft and fuzzy but also with a plot that gradually progresses in a light and neat way.
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But let's get the flaws out of the way first. The biggest problems were the directing and editing. There were so many scenes that could've been amazing if they had only been executed another way. The music was edited in awkwardly sometimes, too. And the fantasy aspect was underused as well as some characters (Jang Bin, Eum Ja, Hwa Soo, etc). As one of my friends put it "this show doesn't seem to know how good it is."
But let's talk about all the awesome that made up for the flaws. I think the cast was AMAZING. Lee Min Ho did an amazing job as Choi Young. (And I'm only saying that partially out of the fact that I think he's really attractive. ^_^) I think it's my favorite role that I've seen him do. Kim Hee Sun also did an awesome job as Eun Soo. She was funny and quirky and strong without being annoying. And she and LMH ended up having some AWESOME chemistry. The supporting cast was excellent as well. The king and queen, the Woodalchi boys, the baddies, everyone. I think this is one of the few K-dramas that I've watched where I wasn't annoyed with some bad actor.
The storyline was also really good. Not always executed well, but still really unique and interesting. There was a lot of really good character moments and character development. It was unpredictable, funny, touching, action-packed, political, romantic... not always in a well balanced way, but the moments themselves were good.
The music was really good, just not always used well. The costumes and sets were beautiful. So, basically, there's lots to like as long as you can get over the flaws. Faith is one of my new favorites.
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The action scenes were fun to watch and well executed but I was blown away by the comedic acting that Kim Soo Hyun presented. I never thought I'd be laughing so hard when I went to see this. Park Ki Woong was perfect in his role as a aspiring musician and also provided a lot of laughs. Lee Hyun Woo really was definitely the right choice for the role of the high school aged spy and his character's back-story was my personal favourite. Also the movie really showed the difference between idol actors and "real" actors in my opinion. I just can't imagine the movie being so good if they had used idols. The acting by these 3 rising stars was amazing and they just proved yet again how talented they really are.
Although I would have probably liked a different ending, I walked out of the theater happy. In fact, when the movie ended I was simply left wondering when it will be released on DVD because it has a huge rewatch value in my opinion - and is the type of movie that I would make everyone around me watch ^^
I'd recommend this movie to anyone looking for a good action film or a comedy. While there is a little bit of romance, it is definitely not an important/big part of the story.
Warning: this movie contains a lot of eye candy. not recommended for the weak at heart ;)
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This review may contain spoilers
MY STORY RELATING TO SKY CASTLE:This drama made me cry. I mean, ugly cry because a lot of the moments I watched throughout this drama related so much to many, if not all, moments in my own life.
I'm Korean but American-born. Though I wasn't reared in Korean society, my parents were still very much Korean traditional. It doesn't really matter where you grow up because your parents are the biggest influence you will ever encounter and will dictate a lot of what happens to you. I related really closely with Se-Ri though. Her story was basically my story. I'm an only child, no brothers or sisters. Me and my parents are the only ones in the States we can call family. I had a tough dad that always pushed me to think about the future. There were many many many times that he would force me to sit down at the kitchen table to lecture me hours on end past midnight about life lessons, how important getting an education is, and how hard and cruel life can be if I don't get it. I was only in middle school and he would go on to do this until I graduated high school. My mom was not a strong-willed person and often bent at the strong-arming of my dad.
I also lied for a time in my life about basically the same thing Seri because I feared disappointing my parents. The only difference is it wasn't Harvard but I did get accepted into a good university. I did OK during my first year, but because of certain reasons my grades started to slip and I eventually got expelled. I was no longer a student but I I couldn't bear to disappoint my parents and tell them that their daughter failed out of university and got expelled. I was also afraid of what my dad would do if he ever found out, just like how Se-Ri was fearful of what her father would do. So, instead of telling them the truth, I continued to pretend that I was going to school. I moved in with my friend after moving my stuff out of my dorm to continue the charade that I was still a student to my parents. My parents didn't know how to work social media and didn't really know their way around the internet but I would call them every now and then and tell them about my classes and friends on campus.
But eventually all lies surface in the end. They found out about my expulsion. I pretty much reacted the same way Seri did towards her parents. Of course I felt truly awful lying to them and knowing the kind of grief, sadness, and disappointment they would feel after finding out. But I was also at MY limit. I tried just as much as Seri did in her life to live up to the ridiculously high expectations her parents had for her. I remember a lot of moments in my life where it was suffocating living with my parents because there was no air to breath. But it was heart-breaking knowing that my parents probably didn't love who I was as a person, but loved me for being the kind of daughter who got good grades and did well in school. Anything less than an A was disappointing to them. Even when I got a B, they would always say "You could've gotten an A if you tried a little harder". What broke my heart even more though is that my parents probably couldn't tell me what my favorite color was, or what kind of music I listen to. They probably couldn't tell me what I liked and disliked. Because they never asked and probably didn't care if they knew or not. All they would ask me is "How was school?" or "Did you do good today?".
But anyways, a lot of things happened afterwards. It was a turning point in my life and changed me and how I approached life from then on. What had happened actually broke my family and I ended up moving out but after a year of being apart we were able to reconnect and pick up the pieces again. I think we were quite lucky to have come together because I know that lots of times when families break apart, it's unlikely that they ever have the chance to rebuild it, much less, want to. Me and my parents are together again now but we are still healing from the past and trying to change for the better. It's definitely not been an easy to do, but my parents have gotten much better at being the parents that I always needed them to be in the first place. So, more or less, it's a happy ending. But a bit bittersweet.
FIRST IMPRESSION: I put off watching this drama when it first came out because I judged the drama premise based on it's synopsis. Big mistake. It wasn't until later my curiosity of why everyone was making such a big deal out of this drama that I started watching it a month after it finished airing. This is by far one of the most realistic, gripping, human, relative, and controversial drama I've seen to date. The writing was superbly done with a good steady pace. The plot escalated when it needed to, and declined at the right moments. The cliff-hanger endings of every episode was done flawlessly. The depth of the characters and their development was spot on. The theme of the drama was perfect during these current times. Overall, basically perfect in every way.
STORY: The theme of the overall drama was well suited for how Korea handles the importance of education in their society. Many of the elements and plot points in this drama point to a very controversial yet unspoken side of how Korean citizens treat their children when it comes to rearing them. A lot of the moments told in this dramas related very closely, if not exactly the same, for a lot of children in the real world. Myself included. I got really emotional many times over during the whole span of the drama because a lot of the things that happen to these children, happened to me as well. It made me cry. Truly cry because the drama was not shy to show the rawness of situations like those. It didn't make the issues any more or less than what it really is. The plot itself was very well written.
ACTING/CAST: Honestly, I think this is the first time I'm watching most of these actors/actresses in any drama. There are a few I recognize but most of the main cast I saw for the first time for me. I can't praise enough how extraordinarily talented these actors/actresses were in this drama. It was provoking, touching, heart-wrenching, and amazing. The children cast in this drama also did a fantastic job! But I honestly have to sing gospel praise for Yum Jung-Ah (Han Suh-Jin / Kwak Mi-Hyang) and Lee Hyun-Jin (Coach Kim) for their incredible acting skills. But I have to say that everyone in this drama were just as spectacular with their acting. No matter how small the role, or how little the screen time, every actor/actress made the most of it and displayed their best acting skills forth.
MUSIC: I'm not picky about music and in most of my reviews I don't say more than a few words or a sentence but the music in this drama was well-picked and well composed. Especially the theme song for the drama. It's beautiful, dramatic, and relative to the theme of the drama itself too. The decision and usage of Erlkonig was perfect match to Coach Kim's theme song. The musical choices in this drama definitely sets itself apart from the typical musical choices typical dramas have in their soundtrack. Great job!
OVERALL: This drama was pretty cathartic for me but overall, objectively, I think it was perfect. I really can't poke any holes in it to be honest. Even about the last episode. Some people may have been a bit disgruntled of the lack of going-ons in episode 20 of SKY Castle, but I thought it was a wise decision and a refreshing one to write an easy going episode like that. I especially LOVED the contrast we see from the beginning and ending. This contrast we see from the first episode and the last episode was really beautiful and subtle moment. I appreciate how the writer was able to show us this.
Though the last episode wasn't really eventful it still held a purpose. When a drama ends, I think we can all imagine how everyone exhales after holding their breath for so long, but in most dramas the short sweet happy ending is short-lived and only serves it's purpose of showing smiles and exudes an "all is well" moment and ends the drama. After it's done, sometimes we get a sense of anxiety because after all, we invested 16-20 episodes in watching a situation escalate, then the drama reaches it's peak and drastically cuts down to a happy ending and then THE END. I think episode 20 of SKY Castle served more in the purpose to help the audience take a breather. To better adjust to how things ended. Yea, it's a happy ending but it's also important to know that even after a happy ending, life still goes on and when it does, it's pretty mundane. But usually, mundane moments in life are sometimes the happiest ones.
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standard university Thai BL
Overall: this is a classic Thai university BL, it's not going to win awards but I was entertained. 12 episodes about 40 minutes each (I watched on double speed) on YouTube, Viki and iQIYI (dependent upon country).Content Warnings: non con picture taking, manipulation, non con touching (asleep), see the comments with a spoiler about potentially something else, stalking, kick, dub/non con kiss (asleep), vomiting, domestic abuse/slap
What I Liked
- that Ai actually had a conversation about his love at first sight
- happy to see two queer actors Arm and Porsch (who are a real life couple) are in a BL
- several cute moments
- funny moments (but some were likely unintentionally funny)
- Nhai's dad
- I dislike the circumstances of that scene in episode 2 but this was the best handled out of all that I've seen with clear check ins, aftercare, etc.
- they communicate with one another/poor communication doesn't drag on (also they avoided the ep 11 curse)
Room For Improvement
- I liked the initial set up and thought we'd see Ai struggling with Nhai's flaws but instead Nhai became reluctant and petty with Ai head over heels in love for unknown reasons
- multiple side couples were tossed in but not developed
- cartoonish villain
- that finale was...a choice, open plot threads, kind of jumped from scene to scene (still had cute moments though)
- how the dads acted in that flashback was terrible (also not a clear flashback)
- nonsense things (Nhai is in aerospace engineering?, how they packed all that stuff camping, etc)
- subtitles on iQIYI had quite a few errors but I didn't take off points for it although I think it hurt the audience's understanding of the plot
- in ep 2 I wish they didn't have Nhai directly crying afterwards because it seemed like he didn't want to, however I actually don't think that's the case. It was a combo of reasons including Nhai worrying 1. he forced Ai, 2. he ruined their friendship and 3. he got in between Ai and Ai's crush (because Nhai hadn't figured it out yet lol)
Title Information - a wonderful person explained in the comments what Long in the title means: "Fall/drown in love in thai means "ttok long rak" , "long" is the short form of this so yea the title means the story of how Ai fall/drown in love with Nhai"
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I Hear Your Voice got me hooked right from day ONE due to its unique and original plot. There are quite a few cases in the drama, which is not surprising given its genre. However, the amazing part is how the scriptwriter manages to weave all these cases into a seamless drama comprises of elements of romance, comedy, suspense, thriller and friendship. There is never a single episode which is draggy and if not for my work commitment, I believe i could have marathon this show within 2 days.
Everyone acted superbly in the show and are truly lovable and realistic in their roles, even the villain has his own story (I won't reveal more on this though). The OSTs are excellent and catchy and they just make the whole experience of watching the drama even better.
I am sure I will rewatch this show in the future as it really warms your heart and makes your day. Give it a try and I am sure you won't regret the time spent, it is truly one of those rare breed among kdramas.
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1The Flower That Blooms In Adversity Is the Rarest One of All
The Legend of Ming Lan is a very complex and meaningful slice of life drama. My review is split into two parts: a summary and analysis.I. Summary
The synopsis is misleading. ‘Mistreatment’ is a very general statement. That can mean anything. The titular character suffers from neglect from her family; her grandmother fills that need: she loves her and cherishes her. The titular character is both sensible and practical: she acknowledges the reality of her situation and the world she lives in and chooses to be smart about it instead of letting it define her. The titular character makes the deliberate choice to blend into obscurity: her mission is to avoid attention because she learned at a very young age that standing out can invite danger and I think this is a way of taking back her control of her life in the best way she can. She presents herself as a submissive, dreamy person never interested in the things that make others scheme. As a result people think she is nonthreatening and even foolish for not wanting more i.e. 'ambitious'. Thus, about half of the drama instead focuses on her family and the personal actions of her relatives. Like a sponge she absorbs everything, learning about peoples behaviors, tricks, motivations and good/bad choices. On the other hand Gu Ting Ye (future husband) experiences a lot of abuse from his family, but his gender means he can’t take Ming Lan’s route—there are different expectations on him—and as a male, physical punishment is far more common. The second half then follows Ming Lan after she begins married life and how she works very hard to protect her family, support her husband, and finally step into the limelight as a formidable person who will fiercely protect the people around her and is unafraid to seek justice in an eye-for-an eye kind of way (for extreme crimes) instead of burying them. The second act really steps up the ante as Ming Lan has much bigger fires to put out and the stakes and risks are bigger, especially since her husband becomes important to emperor, and that carries a risk all on its own (i.e. the higher you rise, the harder you fall).
II. Analysis
I do not think everyone would agree with me that this drama is perfect because I strongly believe that whether you love, like, or hate it boils down to personal preference. For example, I did not like the drama Love 020 because it was not my style—too light—but it succeeded in what it intended to deliver very well so I ranked it an 8. In contrast, Perfect Couple was not only not my type but I think poorly executed so I gave it a low rating. This drama more than succeeds in what it wants to do and I loved it. With these examples I want the reader to know I am trying to be frank and fair with my review but I truly enjoyed the show so there may be some bias.
For you, the reader, I think there are some important things you may wish to know before making this 70+ episode commitment:
1) The titular character does not receive the majority of screen time in the first half (in my opinion). The titular character does not receive the majority of lines. The titular character is the focus of the show though.
2)The drama uses the rigid moral rules of the day as a source for conflict regularly. Filial piety, virtue, family reputation, and roles (being a good/bad daughter; good/bad wife; good/bad son; good/bad citizen)
3)The writers/directors (I think) attempt to tell a strongly character driven drama, meaning conflict is resolved through dialogue. Characters are consistent. Events don’t disappear from the story line, they stay with people for the rest of the show. Just like people, characters remember. Characters are impacted by choices other people make, sometimes in a life changing way. The last ten episodes are more action based as big end games begin to unravel and play out.
Conclusion:
I have a deep appreciation for this story. I think the acting was amazing, the writing and presentation, down to where people stand in a given scene, was done with remarkable attention to detail. Characters are intelligent and not easy to trick. The acting was extremely believable.
If you want a love story told on a grand scale (Ashes of Love, Eternal Love) this may not be for you because romance is just one of many aspects of this drama. In addition, if you want something light, I would steer clear. But this is not a palace drama (Empress of China) because the plotting is not anywhere near that level, and throughout all 70+ episodes, only a couple of people die—people are not dropping like flies.
For those looking for romance, I cans say that an important aspect of Ming Lan's character is she never wants to inconvenience anyone or rely on others. The male lead prove through his actions that he is someone she can inconvenience and rely on so their love story is sweet.
I think potential viewers should consider these points because often people start a drama and are frustrated with plot and speed. Others may call it a slow burner but it never felt that way to me. I eagerly await(ed) each new episode and the episodes flew by. I never fast forwarded. I don't know what to watch after this!
Finally,
I am making a project to review every episode, so if you have questions about plot you can find them there but just be warned these episode summaries contain massive spoilers. Because of a bug that has not been fixed yet, I can't have paragraph breaks so I have used the (.............) method to delineate breaks.
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This review may contain spoilers
Destiny is all about the choices we make and the chances we take
I never liking "The Main Guy" in any version of "Fated to Love You" before, but I have an exemption for Wang Xiyi.His character is more well-written, more lovable, and more sensible 一 so, I'm giving second chance to this drama.
I love how they modified this drama into a fresh one, and less-evil schemes and characters.
From the "Marriage by Accident" to "Accidentally Married," I got good laugh by this kind of accident.
Even tho it was turned to he is cheating his girlfriend, for me it was much better than cheating his wife later on.
As we are knew from previous remake and original story, the ML is supossed to drugged by FL's uncle(in law), and that was the ultimate reason why ML is sleeping with another girl, even thinking he was slept with his girlfriend.
I'm glad for this version, they are changed the whole about that night. So, the ML is reflect on his own mistakes, instead blaming someone else for the incident to happen.
And I like the way the FL is changed thru episodes.
You can see she start to change her apparance, her character, and her confidence.
I really love this part. She is willing to change because of ML not because she was hurted by ML.
Unconciously, Xiyi is always help her to boost her confidence and ask her to change a little for his sake too. So I found Xiyi is very doting as husband; even tho he always told himself that all was because he is Ximi's father.
I also like how Jia Xin is freely to choose what is she want to do, they didn't ask her to resign, but instead Xiyi is change her position and job to make her work less and being respected by other coworkers. Even tho Jia Xin is slowly resign, not because she was asked to but she want to.
I do pity Anna, in this version, she is the victim. But I don't really feel sorry because she always put herself first.
She is the most shameless person I've ever seen. I had enough of her bullshit and useless effort towards the end.
Actually I like how Xiyi slowly to draw line between them as time passes so Anna realize that Xiyi doesn't love her anymore.
Like other cdramas, we are always got secondary couple.
Anson's finally got a loveline!!! His life isn't revolved around his boss anymore.
I love Anson is always sarcastic and blatant-ly talking to Xiyi whenever he does mistakes.
His love-story with Jia Xin's friend, Siqi (Yes, our snail also finally has a loyal-friend), is quite cute. I love to see their bickering yet romantic even tho it just a contract relationship.
After the miscarriage incident, actually I cried a lot.
Ofc it'd hurt to anyone who experience this kind of thing, especially they are waiting the baby to born.
Both Xiyi and Jia Xin having hard time to face each other. Both of them are blaming themselves much.
It is understandble for Jia Xin to leave, she need times more than anything.
It's ended safely but I feel a little bit unsatisfied with how they solved the paper incident.
Anyway, this one is good and enjoyable to watch. Not a really tearjerker because I find Zhaolin's crying is funny to watch.
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* Story:
Ryuzaki Ikuo and Danno Tatsuya are two orphans who grew up in an orphanage called Mahoroba. When they were there the woman who took care of them and was like a mother to them got killed by someone before Ikuo's eyes. The were threatended by the police not to reveal anything and the case was mysteriously covered up. Determinded to take revenge for her death, 20 years later, Ikuo has become a detective and Tatsuya has risen to the ranks of Yakuza, in order to find the truth and expose her murderer.
(Based on the manga series "Ouroboros" by Kanzaki Yuuya)
It may sound cheesy, but believe me it's a lot more complicated and unpredictable than what it's expected to be, keeping you on edge up to the very end.
* Acting/cast
the two protagonists: they were both very realistic and convincing. When it comes to Oguri, everytime I see him in a drama/movie, I'm blown away by his acting skills and talent and this time was not an exception. Ikuta on the other hand, did a fantastic job as well. I always liked his acting, but I think now he has matured as an actor and he was absolutely flawless.
the rest of the cast was excellent too, especially Ueno Juri, who supported her role really superbly. So were the two sweet kids who played litte Ikuo and Danno.
* Music
One word : fantastic. The main OST "no one" by ENA and Sakura by Arashi fit perfectly to the drama's atmosphere and to characters's psychology, linking harmonically to the plot
* Overall
a fantastic drama with a great bromance, much suspence, a little bit of romance and plot twists, leading to an unexpected climax as it is progressing, that will draw you in feels.
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This review may contain spoilers
YESSS
this show reminded me of 2521 so much that i thought the ending would be bad, but personally the ending wasnt a bad ending since they didnt breakup which i find most important, but they didnt serve yk with that ending, but anyways this show would definitely be a good show to binge if thats what youre looking for, whilst watching it i wouldve wished someone told me it was a good ending so i didnt have to be so scared watching them fight or anything, i think 2521 left us with trust issues lmao, i definitely recommend this show btwWas this review helpful to you?
A Journey of Discovery
Growing up is a process of discovery. You discover what you like and what you don't, who you are, who you love….. A million questions asked. Some answered, some not. Hopefully with the few answered, you’re prepared to face the world. You may still be searching for answers throughout your life. And that’s how life goes. This is a story about three best friends growing up together in the same neighborhood, their friendship through high school, college and working life. This is one of the best youth dramas I have ever watched.The Chinese title Shàng Yóu means upstream, depicting also growing up is not easy, having to face challenges and making the right choices. The story is so well written, directed and acted - funny, cute, nostalgic - with characters elaborated with depth, from the main to the supporting leads. The attention to details is immaculate, capturing all the nuances of the era (Gameboy, concern of Y2K for computer systems, flip phones, huge bulky computers with floppy disks etc). The story has a span of 10 years from 1997 to 2007, starting from the characters’ final year in high school, throughout all 4 years of their life in college, and the final 2 episodes on their adult working life, marriages, relationship, each living a separate life. Nostalgic? This is life.
Xia Xiaoju (Hu Yixuan) has just moved into the neighborhood. She has no friends and hates her new home as she has to share a room and a bed with her little brother. She always feels her mother being unfair and always loves her little brother more (many Chinese families prefer boys to girls). Two boys from the same street quickly become her best friends as they help her adapt to her new environment and catch up with school work. One is gentle and kind, the other is rough and childish. Naturally Xia Xiaoju falls in love with the ‘nice’ boy. Little does she know that the other boy standing behind her, quietly doing everything for her, is the rightful one for her. Xia Xiaoju may be naïve and has overly low self-esteem at times, but she is determined and is always a friend one can count on.
I have liked Hu Yixuan’s acting. I find her very genuine and natural without having to try too hard. Her acting as a teenager in this drama is so impressive. I have always thought Tan Songyun (Seven Tan) the best actor who can look and act like a teenager. Here, Hu Yixuan is equally good if not better. As teenagers, Tan Songyun is tomboyish, whereas Hu Yixuan is a very convincing timid teenage girl who is not confident of herself and fearful of showing her inner feelings. I love her interactions with her friends and her family. Hu Yixuan has absolutely nailed the role.
Lu Shiyi (Richard Zhang), an aspiring doctor who is hemophobic (fear of blood), tall, good looking and intelligent, is playful when it comes to his childhood friends. He doesn’t miss an opportunity in teasing Xia Xiaoju whom he has a penchant in getting his satisfaction out of her misery by pulling her ponytail, palm-turning her head (watch this https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV1hP4y1a7Uc), bear-hugging her under his giant armpit, bickering with her and calling her names (like Pig); he simply ‘roughs’ her up all the time like treating a boy and the bickering is non-stop. How Lu Shiyi treats Xia Xiaoju would have been called out in today's cancel culture, but here, his actions are cute, innocent and heart-warming. To me, that's how people, especially good friends, should interact with each other, sincerely and lovingly.
Richard Zhang has a very unique look with almond shaped eyes. He may not even be considered as good looking by many viewers but he embodies youthfulness, energy, mischiefs, rebellion that fit perfectly into the Lu Shiyi character; he brings the character alive.
Cheng Lang (Chen Bo Hao) is the gentle boy with straight ‘A’s in class. He is kind to everyone especially to his best friends to whom he would give up anything for. He always tries to mitigate between Xia Xiaoju and Lu Shiyi when they brawl, and Xia Xiaoju has a crush on him since she first meets him. I have never watched any of Chen Bo Hao’s work, but here, he aces his role making the Cheng Lang character so lovable, a perfect white horse prince for any girls.
Even though the romance is not the focus, the dynamics of the main leads are remarkable. I love how the main leads are smart and caring for each other. Their utmost trust between each other throughout the drama does not falter. Having said that, there are some slight misunderstandings between Xia Xiaoju and Lu Shiyi that lead to their separation for a rather long period of time after college.
Official Soundtracks (OSTs)
Despite this drama produces a number of new soundtracks, none as memorable as the two oldies:
“Do You Know I’m Thinking of You?” (你知道我在想你吗) by Taiwanese singer/composer Chang Hung-Liang (张洪量) in 1997. This song stirs up a lot of memories for many viewers. It also captures our lead characters’ feelings during those growing up years, from teenage to adulthood. It’s fun to watch how our character struggles to learn singing the song so that she can perform it to the one she loves.
“Love You”(喜歡妳) by Hong Kong musician Wong Ka Kui (黄家驹) / Beyond in 1988. Sung in Cantonese throughout, this is another well-loved song that took Asia-Pacific by storm during the era. It appropriately expresses the adoration of our characters for each other and the moments they have together.
The use of harmonica and guitar to play the background music, simple and nostalgic, further captures the mood and conjures up memories of the time by-gone.
My Verdict
Growing up means changes. Things may not always turn out the way we plan, and our plans may not be as perfect as we have hoped them to be. We all need to learn to adapt to changes. Our characters change over time as they begin to understand life better. Not only they become stronger, they also become better for themselves and others.
Everyone can relate to this story one way or another. If you're a youth, you'd love this drama because you can relate to almost all the characters here - they can be your friends, your family, even yourself. Whoever you may be, you'd love this story too because it helps bring back all those memories of youth. Superb acting and captivating writing bring you back to those by-gone years of innocence.
I don’t usually watch youth dramas, but this one is a gem. Everything is so natural. It is so funny that I laugh so hard, and yet, I cry when I see my characters struggle. However, I have to point out that, like in most other Chinese dramas, lazy writing towards the ending spoils the whole otherwise wonderful drama. I wish the writers have been more thoughtful towards this end. It's such a pity because the whole drama has been so good. The last 2 episodes are just not keeping up with the initial momentum and quality. There are so many lost opportunities that the production team could have made this drama so stand out.
Despite from the "less than perfect" writing for the last 2 episodes, I still love this drama nonetheless. All the scenes are tastefully shot. I particularly love the scenes when Lu Shiyi rides a creaky bike taking Xia Xiaoju at the backseat. That beautiful screen shot encapsulates the whole story, Shàng Yóu.
Must watch! TWO THUMBS UP! BRAVO!
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The only alternative of MGIAA is MGIAA itself
MGIAA (My girlfriend is an alien) is one of the most popular Chinese modern dramas amongst the international fans . I really didn't have that much hopes for it cause most of the time second season can't beat season one.But this one did.Yes the storyline of season two is better than season one.Actors Bie ,Wan Peng,Wang You Jun all did an excellent job again.Especially Bie.The part he portrayed to show the sweeter part of Fang Leng alongside the cold part of that character just melted me.He has become more cuter .Second lead couple is not annoying at all . They are so adorable. Since this types of push and pull romance are one of my favorite genre so after watching first season about 3 years ago I have tried a lot of sweet rom com,but not a single rom com couldn't replace it . Finally season two replaced or suppressed it. Sweeter enough.The cinematography and visual effects were so much better than previous season.Feel the same chemistry between leads . This is a must for sweet rom com lover.A lot of scenes make me feel that the romance in this drama is nothing but magical .Not a single boring moment.Very heart warming, fluffy,funny. Just loved it.The main difference between first and second season ~ First season basically focused over Fang Leng's amensia and sweet romance.While second season basically focused over love, relationship, romance.This season give a lot of informations of relationships.This drama is a full package tips to get into a relationship .It is a must for current and future lovebirds to get some tips .And the good thing is second season didn't focus over Fang Leng's amensia part that much.It is a plus point for me. The only thing that bothered me in the whole drama is the new third wheel character "Jiang Shiyi". But his parts are not that much before the last 10 episodes so his irritating part is quite negligible.
Warning ~~~ The amount of sweetness is too much to handle for singles.
My one and only request that never judge this drama without completed it,you are gonna miss a lot of twists.
Ignore my grammertical mistakes please.
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