Main actor is too bad and uncaring to the women he claims to love and care for, with no remorse,yet doesn't suffer the consequences for his actions,
Every one manipulates everyone for personal gain even their loved ones, except for two lead females,
Second lead seamed to have a better ending but was all a lie ,she didn't deserve that terrible ending,
Finished with a cliffhanger, ending of a lot of casts not explained, the evil people had very good ending.
I don't recommended watching this drama, wastage of time.
From now you better review the ending and other comments before wasting your time to watch such a drama.
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This review may contain spoilers
I have never read the novel that this was based on, so I don't know how faithful it is in regards to the story.The story in the movie is good, interesting and although not a fast paced movie, the pace fits the story. This version seems a little darker than the drama series The Painter of the Wind.
The actors were mostly ok. Shin Yun Bok played by Kim Gyu Ri, was really well done. She managed to convey all the conflicting emotions of her character quite well. You could see within her the joy she had for painting, the pain and guilt she carried with her from her family, and the odd mixture of innocence and experience.
The other actors did well with their characters, but due to the limitations of time, most of the other characters were pretty flat.
I really disliked the portrayal of Kim Hong-Do, her mentor. Kim Nam-Gil had no subtlety in his portrayal. He went from nothing to all, out of no where (Sorry, I can't explain that more without spoilers). Park Shin Yang did a much better job with this role in the drama series The Painter of the Wind.
The music went very well with the movie, it swirled in the background like a brush on canvas.
I would also note that this movie is quite sexually explicit, and definitely not for younger viewers, though I thought that most of the sex scenes were relevant to the plot, so not completely gratuitous.
Overall, if you want to see this story I think I would recommend The Painter of the Wind as a better choice. The series is a piece of artwork in itself, with sweeping cinematography, breathtaking music, and outstanding works of art. The characters are richer and fuller, and the story is all encompassing and not quite as dark. However if you don't have time to commit to the drama and just want a quick movie, this is fine.
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This review may contain spoilers
Great Actors, Bad Writing
I want to start with that the show actually started out really strong but declined a lot because of bad writing and scene balancing. I understand that they wanted to emphasize on the victims and families and not the police work but the priorities and balancing of scenes were still very off. Like I was waiting for them to solve that main case and then we got no reunion in the end??? Instead we had so many boring and way too long scenes of side characters that added nothing to the overall story. Like sorry, but after the 10th times of watching the villain drinking his wine for literally minute after minute of precious screentime, I know by now that he is an alcoholic. Why don't give this time to the actual "main character" to give them more depth? And yes, I'm using quotes cuz both of them could have benfitted from way more screentime. I'm especially angry about how bad the interrogation scenes were handled writing wise. They were written by someone who did not do their homework about interrogations.... anyway...That being said, every actor was really good, despite the writing flaws!!! Especially Zhang Jian Xin.... just wow. I cried a few times because it was really touching. Just from watching the trailer and also seeing the cover, I had different expectations of the series. I was sad that Jin Shijia barely had screen time and that his character barely had any story. I guess coming from “Under the Skin” I had higher expectations, especially towards the story writing. But it was still lovely to see him, even if his character was mostly used as pretty background decoration T_T (like seriously guys, you cast him and then not use this brilliant actor? why?) When he had scenes though, he was brilliant as always. So yeah acting wise the show had a lot to offer, but the writing... oof. I also appreciated that there was no romance! We need more strong female leads with no romance story! (but give them more screentime!)
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This review may contain spoilers
Wish for a better ending
I really love this drama because the plot and everything was well put together. I was so in love with this until the ending. No one died, but why did they decided to just split the two like that? Why do they end it like nothing ever happen between the lead. I would love to rewatch this drama again only if the ending was not like that. The ending traumatized me, I do not like and would want to forget that this drama ever exist because of that single ending. Hopefully there's a season 2 or else I would never going to come back and watch it like I want to.Was this review helpful to you?
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以恶制恶 Yǐ è zhì è (Fight Evil with Evil)
The Chinese drama Riverside Code at Qingming Festival weaves a captivating tale of mystery, murder, and resistance against corruption, resonating with audiences worldwide. Its theme of "fighting evil with evil" brings to mind real-world incidents, such as the recent controversial U.S. case where the murder of a CEO—a powerful yet allegedly corrupt figure—drew public support for the killer. Similar to the drama, this highlights a broader societal frustration with the unchecked power of elites, offering a powerful parallel to the struggles depicted in the show.Historical Inspiration: Qingming Shanghe Tu
The drama is rooted in the famous Chinese painting Qingming Shanghe Tu (Along the River During the Qingming Festival) by Zhang Zeduan from the Northern Song period. This five-meter-long masterpiece is considered a national treasure for its vivid depiction of everyday life in Bianjing (modern-day Kaifeng). Unlike typical artworks of the era, which focused on aristocracy or nature, this painting showcases over 800 figures engaged in various crafts and daily activities.
The painting’s mysteries are as intriguing as its details. Scholars debate whether it symbolizes the kingdom's prosperity or foreshadows its decline. Even the title, “Qingming,” is ambiguous—does it reference the Qingming Festival, or does it literally mean "clear and bright"? This ambiguity adds layers of meaning, making it an ideal foundation for a fictional story.
The painting includes fascinating details: fortune tellers, flower sellers, barbers, teahouses, wine shops, bustling city gates, and even early equivalents of modern conveniences like food delivery. It paints a picture of a progressive society, alive with the vibrancy of urban life over 1,000 years ago. Against this rich backdrop, the drama reconstructs many of the painting’s scenes, breathing new life into its legacy.
Storyline
Riverside Code at Qingming Festival delivers a dark yet humor-infused tale of murder and justice. The plot revolves around the killings of corrupt officials and wealthy socialites despised by the common people. Drawing inspiration from The Da Vinci Code and its integration of historical art, the drama masterfully uses elements of Qingming Shanghe Tu to drive its suspenseful narrative.
What I Loved
֍ Historical Integration: The drama’s creative use of a historic painting brings the past alive. Iconic scenes, like the red bridge, are given intriguing backstories.
֍ Educational Value: Each episode ends with fascinating insights into Song dynasty inventions and culture, such as the construction of the red bridge (Hong Qiao) and the creation of moving horse lanterns (Zhou Ma Deng). These snippets enrich the viewer’s understanding of ancient Chinese ingenuity.
֍ Focus on Commoners: The absence of palace intrigue and the spotlight on everyday life is refreshing. The familial love and resilience of the characters shine without reliance on romantic subplots.
Areas for Improvement
֍ Acting: While the cast is commendable, Bai Baihe’s portrayal of the assassin could use more nuance. Her calm demeanor suits the role but lacks subtle emotional depth, which could have added realism, especially in private moments.
֍ Plot Holes: Key elements, such as how the vigilante obtained a diary containing a murdered official’s confession or his resources for elaborate schemes, are left unexplained. Filling these gaps would have made the story more cohesive.
֍ Ending: Though full of twists and turns, the final episode felt overly straightforward compared to the preceding suspense. A more layered conclusion could have been more satisfying.
Final Thoughts
I thoroughly enjoyed this drama’s unique premise, rich historical setting, and focus on commoners’ lives. It avoids overused tropes, offering an intellectually engaging narrative. Riverside Code at Qingming Festival not only entertained me but also inspired me to delve into the mysteries of Qingming Shanghe Tu. This series is a must-watch for anyone interested in history, art, and thrilling storytelling.
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Why on earth did I throw away 50+ hours of my life on this
Fist drama I watched after seeing clips on youtubeMy god please tell me all dramas are not like this
50+ hours of suffering for 10 minutes of happiness
Kind of like my wedding night.
I should have have done my due diligence
Kim Sa Kyung screenwriter has previous form
They literally threw everything at this drama
Amnesia tick
False identities tick
Pregnancies tick
Abandoned child tick
Amnesia (AGAIN FFS)
A FL who cried every episode or so it seemed
A ML who believes everything people tell him
Only saving grace for this dogs breakfast were the child actors
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Best charachter development ?
Really loved how this drama turned out. I really enjoyed the drama. The lessons we get to learn are very good.I'm also preparing for college entrance so I was feeling guilty that I'm watching dramas and not studying😅. But know I know how my teachers feel and also they are desperate for our success in the exam.
Lee Sina is such a good charachter, in the starting she went crazy when she knew she was going to die and was taking revenge on Noh Go Jin but when she came to her senses it was so emotional 😔 I really felt bad for her..
Noh Go Jin was really so rude in the start, I didn't like him but his character development is one of the best in kdramas.
In the end he turned out to be such an emotional person I really felt bad for him. Glad he found himself and started to open himself more with his surrounding people.
Lee Sina and Noh Go Jin are such a perfect match and sina is such a good gf she was always supportive of him and always believed in him.
Okhee was so cute, I always smiled whenever her scenes came and her relationship with sooho was so cute😭.
Almost every messed charachter got their own charachter development and I'm glad everyone went to the right path in the end.
Overall loved the drama Crazy Love ❤️
Really loved how this drama turned out. I really enjoyed the drama. The lessons we get to learn are very good
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Not my ORV
I've never saw a live action being this DISRESPECTFUL.If I could erase this movie from existence I would with no regret, I hope this sh*tty *ss director never dare to do a second movieThe story is literally not the same AT ALL ? the mischaracterisation ??
Yoo Sangah being a healer ? What the actual f*ck ?? Yoo Sangah is a strong woman who would not hesitate to kill if she has too
Bihyung being a labubu instead of a dokkaebi, justice for Bihyung
Lee Jihye holding a sniper ? In ORV it's clearly stated that gun or anything like that is USELESS in their apocalyptic world, the author even said it, swords are the most effective weapon in ORV
Kim Dokja being a bully?? Trashtalking TWSA the novel who saved his life ?? Kim Dokja being a writer when his name literally means " READER " ??? Kim Dokja having no Fourth Wall ? No Bookmark ? These are literally his most important skills ?? Kim Dokja communicating with TLS123 ?? Kim Dokja reviving Yoo Joonghyuk?? What is happening in this sh*itty movie ??
Jung Heewon being SA'd was not even mentioned, the just cut out the scene, it's disgusting
And the dialogue ?? Nothing is the same
This is just a trash movie who deserves nothing, a disappointment, a failure, a flop, a fiasco, catastrophic, good for nothing, a waste of time, garbage, a junk movie
If I could use all the synonyms of trash I would do it
I recommend reading the novel or the manwha of ORV to see of f*cked up this live action is
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My first thought when I watched the first episode of Hana Yori Dango was that Matsumoto Jun was so physically wrong for the part. But by the end of the first episode, he had captured the essential nature of Domyoji Tsukasa like nobody before or since; from the utter bad-boy prep school hauteur, to the barely hidden sociopathic tendencies springing from a need for love that he had never received whilst growing up. Is there anything sexier than a bad-boy that can be tamed by his one true love?
And speaking of that one true love, we now come to our lady protagonist, Inoue Mao as Makino Tsukushi. She IS Makino on every level, from her uncanny resemblance to the Manga character created way back in 1992 by Kamio Youko.
Special mention to Oguri Shun as Hanazawa Rui, a member of F4, and Domyoji's main rival for Makino's heart. His Rui is sexy and strong and he takes matters into his own hands when he begins to protect Makino.. Bravo for a job well done.
In comparison to Kkotboda Namja, the production values of Hana Yori Dango are clearly superior. Whilst the interiors of the various mansions in Boys over Flowers are clearly cheap sets, most of the interiors in Hana Yori Dango are filmed in actual palatial mansions, and the difference is obvious.
From the opening episode to the miraculous final shot of season 1, with Makino and Domyoji filmed in cameo against a setting sun as they embrace and Makino finally admits to Domyoji how she feels, this drama is special and remains to this day in my top 3 dramas of all time.
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⚔️ Unbreakable Bonds and Unforgettable Friendships: A 'Fox'-ceptional Sequel
It's rare for a second season to surpass the first, let alone do it in a way that doesn't compromise the canon set up by the original. Tale of the Nine Tailed 1938 does this exceptionally well. It manages to retain all the elements that made season one great: flawed. complex and intriguing main characters (Lee Yeon and Lee Rang) and their wounded but unbreakable bond, the rich fantasy world-building, and the deeply interwoven native folklores. However, it surpasses the original with improved pacing, a tighter plot, and significantly better villains and backstory.The original's biggest flaw was a weak villain and the vague backstory of FL's parents, which left us with unanswered questions and plot holes. With 1938, the villains are more coherent, although we are still left with some unanswered questions regarding one of them (presumably to be addressed in the third season?). The backstory of the villains is better fleshed out, adding to the compelling threat they pose. Despite being a fantasy where the outcome is fairly assured, the series manages to raise the stakes against our heroes and presents them with a daunting task.
Much of the enjoyment comes from the excellent chemistry between the characters. Beyond the remarkable camaraderie between the Lee brothers, the fellowship among the Mountain god trio is equally engaging. The humour is on point, with comedic situations and witty dialogue. The tone seamlessly shifts between humor and intrigue, poignant and thrilling. No moment is wasted, and even side characters and their stories are well-integrated into the overarching narrative.
I must admit that some of the flaws from the writer are still present in this season, mainly a tendency to leave a trail of apparent plot holes. While it's slightly less overt in season 2, it remains noticeable. In season 1, it mainly revolved around the parents' storyline and the reincarnation concept. In season 2, the lack of clear discussion over Moo Young's brother's atrocities is a glaring plot hole, especially considering the flashback showing him attacking Moo Young himself. It could have been addressed with a scene that demonstrates why Moo Young is confident in his brother's innocence.
The one main flaw of S1 was Lee Yeon and Ji Ah's relationship. It was perhaps a combination of weak writing (it relied too heavily on her past self rather than developing the relationship with the present character) and a lack of chemistry between them. (That being said, I was still able to enjoy their relationship because LDW is just that adorable.) S2 is better precisely because it stays true to S1, our nine-tailed fox loves for life, so his chemistry with Hong Joo make for an uncomplicated, witty and enjoyable friendship. Kim So Yeon steals every scene she's in, exhibiting great chemistry with all her co-stars. The treat was seeing Lee Rang's love story, although his surprise power raises more questions that will hopefully be addressed in Season 3.
As someone who was initially wary of a sequel, I was amazed by the quality of this season and now find myself longing for Season 3.
9.5/10
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Although this was shorter with only 5 episodes, it felt as heavy as the first season. The reason I gave Mozu no Sakebu Yoru a slack despite some displeasures was because the hope in the second season. The story was incomplete but alas, there’s a second season to make it up for it, the answers weren’t fully provided by TBS but WOWOW will do the job. That’s what most of viewers were thinking after finishing off the first part. It’s safe to say that they didn’t give answers, or better said not satisfying enough.
Mozu is one heck of a high-produced drama compared to other Japanese shows. It’s closer to films’ production value instead of TV dramas which unconsciously built tremendous expectations in viewers’ mind, thinking that this drama will actually change the concept of J-dramas’ making in the future. It’s neither the channels fault nor the audience fault either; it’s the freaking screenwriter’s mistake. This was adapted from novels’ series that were pretty famous so for the sake of dramatization, he could’ve just changed few details and everything would’ve been more than great. But no, he had his own philosophy that we were made to understand. I tried to cope along but that wasn’t fun at all.
Back to the second season, the plot took a major change but the lead’s chase after the truth was still the main point of the drama. A high-scale conspiracy again, a suspenseful race for the truth again, many questions again, too many suspicions again but the outcome was not satisfying…Again! When you play a mystery/suspense game with your audience then you have to put all your cards on the table by the end, this drama only revealed half of its cards by far. And the problem is, the revealed cards weren’t even a surprise. After watching the first season, it becomes so easy to predict the screenwriter’s pattern, which is quite irritating for the genre’s lovers. But thankfully, due to its short amount of episodes; the drama wasn’t slow like in the previous season. Or at least not unbearably slow.
The star-studded cast wasn’t put to its full use and I hate that! Come on, beside Nishijima and Ikematsu whose skills were used, Kagawa and Maki who were marked as main didn’t serve anything but the lead’s supporters. As if they were his cheerleaders or something. Give me a break! Such amazing actors could’ve been better used than that! Now let’s talk about characters, since the plot was too focused on revealing the truth, characters’ development was almost inexistent. Compared to the first season, Kuraki stayed the same without practically any change, Osugi is no different, Akebochi had the chance to change a little due to the events surrounding her but it wasn’t that obvious. Higashi became crazier and other added characters were absolutely useless most of the time.
The dark cinematography still captured me though, it was immensely used in this part and I completely appreciated it. The music note was no different from the first season.
Watch if:
-You liked the first season but don’t expect much.
Do not watch if:
-You didn’t like the first season. It’s a waste of time in that case.
I think a third season should be in the making for this drama, to provide explanation for unanswered questions that it. This season did answer some from the first part but it still left many things opened. Heck, it even added many others to the mysterious cloud.
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A disappointing waste of a spectacular premise
I don't write a lot of reviews, especially for shows that finished airing more than a couple months or so ago, but I felt compelled to write a review for Chimera because of how disappointing I found the show to be.This show starts off, in my opinion, really strong. The first couple episodes are gripping, and exactly what I (and what I imagine a lot of people) look for in a show whose two main genres are Thriller and Mystery. Unfortunately, the show gets wrapped up in trying to jerk the audience around and loses all of that great momentum. To me, the best thriller and mystery shows are the ones that, as viewers, surprise you first but later realize you should've seen coming. I.e there are opportunities to piece together the mystery along the way. Chimera lacks that in a lot of its aspects. While there are some plot points that are very predictable, there are others that are entirely unfounded, and to which we don't get the evidence until after the fact. To me, that was the most unforgivable let down of the show. Culprits emerge from seemingly nowhere, and plot twists that feel to be for nothing more than shock value are aplenty. Which of course, made the show frustrating to watch at times.
I doubt I'll ever rewatch this show, but if I do it will only be for the main character trio (Eugene, Cha Jae Hwan, and Lee Joong Yeop) whose dynamic with each other proved to be one of the only things I consistently liked about this show.
Don't get me wrong, I still (partially) enjoyed watching this show, especially in the first half. The acting is fantastic, the characters are fairly interesting (Lee Hee Joon's character is particularly compelling), and I love the scientific approach Chimera took to explaining the murders. It was a refreshing difference that set this show apart from many other murder mysteries. Unfortunately, the second half of this show killed practically all the enthusiasm I had for it, which is a shame because I really believe this show could have been spectacular. I left this show feeling unsatisfied, and I really wish it had gone a different direction, or at least kept the tone and pacing of the first couple episodes.
Perhaps my expectations for Chimera were too high, or perhaps I'm too picky when it comes to what I think makes a good thriller or mystery, but this show could've been so much better.
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