My guess is that Kim Sun Ah meant to play Jenny Jang as poker-faced and cold-blooded, but instead, she came across as robotic and with such an emotional backstory and such a fast-paced and plot-twisting story her being emotionless for the majority of the drama, besides a few restrained crying scenes, got old really quick. I felt like she was going for a similar vibe to Jang Hyuk as Pil Joo in "Money Flower" (which I LOVED) but he had so many emotions that were always noticeable right below the surface while Jenny Jang just seemed like she was on depression medication from the first episode until the very last episode only occasionally looking slightly shocked when something didn't go her way, or smirking and sneering slightly when pleased. Luckily so many of the other cast members are really exceptional and they are what kept me interested enough to keep watching.
If I had to choose a favorite character I would be torn between Jang Mi Hee and Park Hee Bon. Both of their characters are far from likable but their greed and ruthlessness were addictive to watch.
Jang Mi Hee is praiseworthy as the head of the Deo Group Kim Yeo Ok who puts success in her business before anything else, including her family. I loved watching her devious smile as she crossed lines no one would ever expect anyone but a sociopath to cross. Great villains are my favorite and she definitely falls into that category. If Jenny Jang had more of a personality and was less passive-aggressive their scenes could have been so much better but Yeo Ok's performance still shines. I also loved Park Jae Young as the Deo daughter Ye Nam. Her irrational greed and jealousy were so frustrating to watch that I wanted to reach through the screen several times and shake the hell out of her. I'm not used to seeing her as a villain type instead of the "quintessential bff" but she was perfect in this role. She didn't just play up her annoying and whiney characteristics but I also empathized. Even if I didn't like her I cared about her story and at times pitied her. I also loved her rivalry with Jenny even though she also carried the emotional weight in their scenes together too. I hope to see her in more roles as a main character.
The next characters that deserve praise are Kim Jae Young as Sun Woo who takes loyalty to the ultimate level, and the determined and strategic Go Min Shi as Lee Hyun Ji. I really loved their performances and complicated relationship. The scenes where they get to know each other better were some of my favorites in the whole drama. Jae Young nails Sun Woo's puppy-like loyalty but also his bad@ss qualities, and I found myself rooting for him much more than Jenny. I think that's because unlike Jenny he had moments where he was vulnerable and human, and that along with his backstory gave his character a lot more depth. I also loved that Hyun Ji was seemingly innocent and idealistic but usually one step ahead of everyone, and I liked watching her character evolve from being used to using others. I know Go Min Shi from one of my favorite dramas (The Smile Has Left Your Eyes) and I look forward to seeing her in more dramas. I think these two deserved way more screen time together, and their chemistry and storyline kept me interested when the rest of the plot lost some of it's spark. I wouldn't call the dynamic between these 3 a love triangle (or love square if you include Kim Tae Hoon
as Jung Hyuk) since there really isn't any romance in this drama, but it's more about devotion and support for each who they love with each character dealing with their own form of unrequited love.
The rest of the cast was good too but I wonder how much more I would have liked their performance if they got to play against a main character with more of a personality. The plot is also pretty fast-paced for the most part and has a good amount twists but as the drama went on things started to get more repetitive and less interesting until I was ultimately bored and no longer excited for the next episode to come out. Still, many of the twists are really well done, especially the first major backstory reveal which was jaw-dropping. And I didn't love the ending but the ending does make sense and wraps the story up pretty neatly, although it felt a little rushed even if I was definitely ready for it to finally be over.
Another petty complaint I have is that the "Secret Boutique" this drama refers to is mostly a glorified office and not worthy of inspiring the title name. I wish I could see more of the Boutique in action. Maybe that would have made the fact that Jenny built it with nothing more interesting too.
Would I watch this again? Maybe. I'm not sure if knowing what is going to happen would help me lower my expectations enough to like it more or just bore me for the second time. I would be curious to see if I missed anything since there are so many elements to this plot, but watching Kim Sun Ah's lackluster Jenny would probably be even less interesting the second time around. It also doesn't help that I didn't love the ending. Meanwhile, Yeo Ok is such a fascinatingly sinister character that it might be worth it just to watch her in action again. Who knew that stroking a cat and drinking tea could be so dramatic!
Overall this is a standard ruthless rich family power struggle makjang flavored with revenge that started off strong but just couldn't keep up the momentum. This really is the worst family ever on so many levels, which I found to be extremely entertaining, but because it centers around a female lead that I became indifferent to it's hard for me to recommend this drama without that warning. There's still enough to the story that I would recommend it to people who like rich family melodramas in general, it's still probably better than most in that genre in many ways, especially if you binge-watch instead of waiting on episodes as I did (which kept getting delayed). If you enjoy watching people casually do the most heinous things in the name of greed and power then there is plenty of that. I liked that I was never really sure who the good and bad guys in each situation were. It's also beautifully shot, like a film, with some scenes being visually stunning and haunting at the same time. As Aalia's Masquerade played for the final time I realized that this drama did deliver on what it was trying to do, even if I did still feel let down. Some viewers may also like Sun Ah's performance way more than I did, so it's definitely worth watching to judge for yourself. I think of this as Money Flower lite, which isn't a bad thing. It's also good to see such a female-dominated plot in general, with all of the men playing supportive roles to the women in this drama. This drama may be guilty of a few tropes but it being a female-centered drama around business and power is refreshing and unique. That alone may be enough of a reason to watch.
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Well-executed and acted roller coaster ride of emotions.
*re-posting from the movie/compilation version, since this has a lower rating and I actually watched the 6-ep version*Subjective Gut Rating: 9.25 (going to be generous and rounding this up to 9.5)
Wow.. I had zero expectation going into this as I haven’t watched “Unintentional Love Story”. I was just hearing good things about “The Time of Fever”. Am I glad I watched it! It’s been a very long time since a Korean BL made me feel all the different emotions. The last one was “To My Star” Season 2.
The plot is really simple. But what this drama excels in is its execution, acting and the range of emotions that it brought out of me. I was smiling, giggling and crying throughout these couple hours. It’s a rollercoaster ride of emotions.
The acting of the two main leads and their chemistry is electrifying. I can feel their innocence, confusion, shyness, happiness, sadness, desperation and hurt. The two kiss scenes were beautifully shot and full of tension. Go Ho Tae and Kim Dong Hee are like yin and yang, and complement each other so well. Ho Tae is outgoing and wears his feelings on his sleeves. He’s not afraid to push through the thick barriers that Dong Hee put up. Dong Hee is gentle and mature, but there are moments when his teenage self couldn’t resist the temptation of touch or a teeny bit of jealousy.
The ending leaves it up for viewers’ interpretation. I would have loved to believe that they finally expressed their honest feelings for each other in the future. I am not sure if “Unintentional Love” will provide me with more happiness from this pair, but this drama makes me want to check out the other story to see more of Ho Tae and Dong Hee.
I am rating this a high 9.25, from a subjective and objective point of view. If a drama makes me feel this way, it deserves at least an 8.5. Coupled with excellent execution, it deserves high ratings and rave reviews.
Completed: 9/22/2024 - Review #489
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It's about a song saving the world, about random events that can lead on to something great. Watching this movie is like zooming in with a photo lens,coming to the focus seeing everything around it. And it has a song, Fish Story. All I can say that it's the only Japanese song I listen to, makes you shout "punk is not dead!"
So, if you are waiting for something to blow your mind, this is it!
Ending with the opening verse of fish story,
"The story of my solitude,
If my solitude were a fish,
It would be so enormous, so militant,
A whale would get out of it."
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This review may contain spoilers
The Good:Kefei and Dawei are redeeming characters that offer perfect relief for the some of the more dense story lines.
The ending was funny, to see them all gossiping at such an inappropriate time made me laugh.
I loved that it wasn't a happy ever after story per se.
The Bad:
There were a lot of forced interactions and grabbiness in the first few episodes.
Ziyuan is a limpet. She's an unbearable character throughout the entire show.
Weiwei constantly flip flops between having a backbone and not having a backbone and it's exhausting to watch.
The Downright Ugly:
The writers use shock tactics and then never explain the point. For example Kehuan and Ziyuan broke up because she aborted his child. It's never explained why and it's said in such a matter of fact way. A second example is agreeing to sleep with Kehuan for a discount on the house, admittedly she didn't do it in the end but what was the point.
Also what was with the weird kinky handcuffed to a bed dating party in the first couple of episodes?
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The story line is basically the same as the original. There wasn't many boring moments; the story was executed very well. But, I think Mike's character is a lot better and more vulnerable than Rain's character from the original. I don't really remember the original version in details since I watched it many years ago. So I don't really wanna compare the two. Still, this drama added more fun and enjoyable moments between the two leads.
As for the acting, I like the two leads especially. Their acting is so realistic and they have so much chemistry together as well. Right now I am shipping them together.
The music in the drama is a very perfect match for the drama as well ,especially the theme song "Oh Baby I". I am impressed that Mike did all the work for the OSTs, just proved that he is so talented.
I am not sure about rewatching it for the story but I would rewatch it if I miss those two interacting together.
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Beautiful, moving series, with actors who deliver a fantastic performance
PLOT: The FL, raised by a master in isolation, runs away to the mountains and meets the ML (masked, at the head of a secret army). He is also a close advisor to the emperor and investigates "suspicious cases" (he wants to clear the name of his father, dead and unjustly accused of treason). His opponent (ML2) is a noble at the head of another army, and his mother is scheming for him to accede to the throne. The 2 MLs will get closer to the FL, fall in love with her and compete for her favors. They will also gradually discover the secrets of the past.+++ a bunch of great actors: Ren Jia Lun, masterful as always (ღ˘⌣˘ღ), Landi Li and Jeremy Tsui
+++ Coherent, realistic story, with a well-conducted plot.
+++ Flawless production: rhythm, sets, costumes, grandiose landscapes, beautiful fight and war scenes
+++ Great OST
# Sad ending (as Chinese screenwriters like, glorifying the death of heroes who sacrifice themselves) expected in the storyline, but... I don't personally like those. I'm not watching dramas to see/hear about depressing things, with a lot of suffering and no happy ending.
=> Very beautiful, moving series, with actors who deliver a fantastic performance. However because of the ending, I won't watch it again.
********************************************************************
PLOT: La FL, élevée par un maitre en isolement, fugue dans la montagne et rencontre le ML (masqué, à la tête d'1 armée secrète). Il est aussi un conseiller proche de l'empereur et enquête sur les "cas suspicieux" (il veut laver le nom de son père, mort et injustement accusé de trahison). Son adversaire (ML2) est un noble à la tête d'1 autre armée, et sa mère intrigue pour qu'il accède au trône. Les 2 ML vont se rapprocher de la FL, tomber amoureux et se disputer ses faveurs. Ils vont aussi peu à peu découvrir les secrets du passé.
+++ a bunch of great actors : Ren Jia Lun, magistral comme toujours (ღ˘⌣˘ღ) , Landi Li et Jeremy Tsui
+++ Story cohérente, réaliste, avec une intrigue bien menée.
+++ Réalis° sans défaut : rythme, décors, costumes, paysages grandioses, belles scènes de fight et de guerre
+++ Super OST
# Fin triste (comme les aiment les scénaristes chinois, glorifiant la mort des héros qui se sacrifient) attendue dans la storyline, mais ...
=> Très belle série, émouvante, avec des acteurs qui délivrent une performance formidable. Cependant à cause de la ending, je ne la regarderai pas à nouveau.
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Good and bad story at the same time
Let me start by saying that the ending surprised me and yes it did suck in terms of wrapping up the story line.It was well paced overall I would say but it does help that you can watch episodes back-to-back to keep the viewer in. Because it can bore you. But the idea that the affair and after result with the compensaiton seemed almsot like a buiness transaciton to me. Like there were no feelings on either side. He was just drifting and as a young men who to me seems like he was still a virgin, was given the chance to have sex with a beautiful women, he naviely took it wihtout thinking of the love he felt for his girflriend and it blew up in his face. While she is in an unhappy marriage, was craving as she said, affection and comfort from another and since her husband wasn't giving it to her and as any human would do in my opinion, looked towards someone else to fill that need.
I feel like it is what the Tokyo Tower storyline could've been if the FL was still with her husband as an endgame scenario. But while in this storyy the FL or second FL dependning how one sees it, is just expressing a basic human need which is what we as human beings crave, the attention and affection of another human. It's what made the story good for me is that, the affair itself refelcts both an embodiment of and what the reality of an ACTUAL affair is. Except perhaps the part of the ML compensating the wife's husband. That is a bit alien to me which is probably due to the fact that I am from the West and unlike in Japan where cheating is part of their culture alot more than in Canada, it seemed strange to me that the husband could measure his wife's infedelity in numbers.
Anyways....the ML was a barely out of high school graduate who just enetred the real world and thought he could handle it. But as we saw, he overestimated himself in his understanding of the world and he was consumed by it. He gave this sort of feeling, to quote a character form a video game "my soul was asleep but my body was moving". WHihc can sort reflect alot of men, like myself when I graduated high school nearly a decade ago and enter the big bad world, where you almost just let yourself float and go along with the current of life unitl you hit a wall of reality, causing to wake up and face the consequences of our actions. Which he faced and by the end, is still paying the price for it.
As for the FL(the wife, not the girlfriend) she was sad and she craved affection but did not get it from her husband so she went to an innocent young man (at the start of the drama) to get it. But it was just a means to an end and how she bascially made the whole affair, which seems more like a s*xual realtionship than anything else, since they didn't really do ANYTHING else besides sleep together look like a buiness deal with no reall atttachment except primal human desires.
And here is where I think the story is unique but also falls apart. the affair as mentioned before, was made to look like a transaction. The complete lack of emotions both during and after the affair was exposed gave this sort of fresh feeling that I have never really seen before, in the sense where you, as a viewer see the TRUE reality of what an affair is, but without the emotions attached to it and how yes its a bad horrible thing that damaged a marriage and ended a relationship. But people still have lives, they move on from it. But maybe it's becasue of this sort of cold resolution that made the ending lack a bit substance given the fact that after he payed back the husband, he moves on from the affair but is still stuck in the past where he writes to his ex hence he does not truly move on from the break-up which make the charatcer seem a bit pathethic and lacking "meat" so to speak and therefore lacks storytelling.
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Story: This drama focuses more on events rather than characters - at least that's the impression I got. It has its pros and cons - there are times you feel a character is dispensable and there are also times when you're not sad when a character dies coz you never felt one with him/her. It focuses on investigative Team Five - "We hide our identities to catch criminals. We don't exist in any records, not even police records." The concept is nothing new - it's been tried and tested over and over again. But its a worthwhile watch. There is a teeny-weeny bit of romance in the flashback scenes, but it doesn't interfere with the story. For those who think that with a young man and woman in the team, romance will bloom eventually - think again!
Acting/Cast: I like how equal importance is given to almost all of the team members. Frankly, I prefer this rather than the hero-worship of one or two persons with everyone else sidelined. I've seen most of the actors in some drama before (but hardly remember) and they did justice to their roles. Most of the times they are seen sporting stoic expressionless faces, so I'm not sure if my judgement is proper. I remember Lee Won Jong from The Girl Who Sees Smells and kinda miss his humor here.
Music: Great OST - loved it.
Rewatch: Why not!
Concluding Thoughts: Nothing new about the story, nothing new about the execution. But if you're a fan of spy/police/investigative dramas, you can try this once. It's better than many others I've seen in recent times.
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The best lakorn are the one when you least anticipate
Some things I want to point out first that I have a feeling people are going to have an issue with:1. Infidelity/polygamy: I wouldn't necessarily says the ML committed a polygamy relationship nor had an affair. Tai had an amnesia and was led on to think that him and Pin are a married couple. Let alone had this beautiful and romantic relationship which all only exist in Pin imagination. Did Tai chose to be in a relationship with Pin willingly? Naaah. I also don't think Tai was actually in love with Pin during the duration he was married to her. He thought he was married so of course he's going to act the part of a husband.
2. Amnesia: the thing about amnesia plot is you either like it or don't. The good thing is that Tai gradually recalled bit and pieces of his memories. With that said, he didn't get his memories back until episode 12. I personally didn't mind the amnesia, I enjoyed the time he had the amnesia and IMO the plot didn't feel like it was dragged due to the amnesia.
3. Please note this drama do include a sexual assault scene. This may be a trigger and sensitive to some. One thing I will say is that this production did a better job at covering SA than their previous one.
Puen and Chippy seriously have the best chemistry together, it is just on fire! I love how Puen portrayed both of his characters as Tai and Trai. You can definitely differentiate the two identities, Tai who is a hot headed person, cold and tough, someone who was betrayed, and want to avenge his father death. Trai who is calm, soft, understanding and loving. Puen really nailed this role, you can see how good of an actor he is just by how his facial expression and tone shift between the two identities. One thing I really appreciate/love about the ML in this lakorn is how much we can see Tai love for Pla through his actions and feelings. The longing of the lost moments, times and separation whenever he embraces Pla.
Chippy play her role really well too. I love the personality she put in her character as Pla in the beginning. However as the plot starts to develop I find her character quite irrational. How much more does Tai need to show and express that she's the only one he loved and care for. Pla only get dumber by each episode.
This is a lakorn that was done right to my liking. I usually have a lot of things to complain about Thai lakorn, but this is the first lakorn where I feel satisfied. The plot include the typical amnesia, revenge, ML and FL married, and a kid. However with that said I don't recalled a specific lakorn that remind me of Ratee Luang. The plot actually move at such a quick paced in the first few episodes. Tai have his amnesia early on. We barely get enough romantic time between Tai and Pla at the farm. But we did got plenty in the later episodes.
An accident led Tai to have amnesia, and this is when he become Trai. Pin and her aunt led Tai to believe that him and Pin are a married couple. Due to the new identity, Pin, the aunt and Ruj moved Tai to an isolated area away from everyone at the farm. Manager Ruj went along with this scheme because he is in love with Pin and cannot bared to see her in misery. I cannot see how Ruj even like Pin to begin with, there's nothing likeable about her character. They all pretty much isolated Tai from anyone who knew him so that he would not recall his memories and leave Pin.
Six years later Pla also have a child and yes the father is Tai. Destiny eventually brought Pla and Tai/Trai to meet each other when Pla took a job at the place Trai and Pin moved to. Trai start to vividly see moments of a woman in his vision but cannot connect who this mysterious woman is. Trai also feel deeply connected to Pla and often questioned her whether they have known each other before.
I really wish Pin character was written better and not such a crazy, obsession and jealous person.
I can't even like her character nor pity her after what she encountered because of her obsession before and after her incident. However, I fully blamed the aunt for how Pin is. The aunt pretty much enabled her and practically raised Pin to be exactly like her. The aunt is super annoying and I cannot even bring myself to like her as well. I feel like I'm supposed to pitied her after being left on her wedding day but naah she's the worst. The aunt is seriously the sick villian in this drama.
Manager Ruj, I will say I hated his weak character and the way he just go with the flow with the aunt and Pin. However there is still goodness in him. I will says he deem himself worthy toward the end.
If there's one thing for improvement is the editing. There were so many abrupt scene, editing was kind of choppy and it wasn't even just one or two episodes. Nonetheless, this is a lakorn I will rewatch. F.Y.I the last two episodes are kind of messy.
Overall let me just say this, when I want to watch something cute and fluffy I stick with kdrama. If I want something dramatic, nonsensical, complicated, and non-logical I know Thai lakorn is the way to go for this. P.S. the after credit scene are such bonuses when I was watching this on air. If you been watching lakorn for a while then you shouldn't have high expectation as you probably already know how lakorn are. Nonetheless, this is the first lakorn I have finished in 2022 and didn't dropped.
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Butchered adaptation. Rename show- do NOT call it "Boss + Me". Show saved by Push / Aom.
This adaptation is stressful and toxic. It's not sweet unlike original TV adaptation and book.*** SPOILERS ***
For those interested, these are the episodes for:
8- the corporate field trip
12- corporte party, almost kiss
15- main leads start and kiss
35- main leads reconcile and sleep together
After watching the original Chinese Boss + Me, then reading the book ...
forget it if you are expecting anything remotely as splendid as the original Chinese show and book.
Unlike other Thai adaptations (of sweet shows)-- this one is about 80% negativity!!
Frankly, this is a re-write of "Boss + Me".
This show is just like any of those Thai lakorns (the ones that are produced full of hatred, and poisonous and violent antagonists).
There are girls who want the MLs in both the C- and T-shows, but in the original C-version of Boss+Me, viewers will find "believable" jealousy, lies, harping, and mean girls. In contrast, the T-version barrages viewers with in an incessant string of problems by antagonists (girlssss and boys obsessing for the ML, FL, and the cousin). This lakorn is full of non-sense! Why bother calling it B+M when the original TV C-show and book were full of sweetness?
Thanks that we viewers did not have to endure amnesia nor a truck hitting one of the leads too…!!
Yet this T-version did add violence: blackmailing, kidnapingSSS, stabbing-pregnancy-killing, pushing down the stairs, drowning, comma, arson, 2 types of cancer, lies galore, verbal-mental-physical types of harassments/abuses/assaults, obsession, psychos (and attempted rapes? I skipped those scenes)… did I forget anything else?!?!??!! (By the way, I tried to add these tags to the description page to forewarn viewers, but all were declined by MDL. Had I seen these tags, I would have not watched this and sully my sweet memories of the original works.)
This Thai show uses "elements" of the original Chinese storyline, but it has way too many bad things going on. This T-drama could be named anything else… calling it “Boss & Me” is misleading.
If one wants to give this Thai version the "benefit of the doubt" and insists on calling this an “adaptation inspired” by the original show… one will end up annoyed, if not upset. One thing is to twist the plot here and there (for example, "You are my heartbeat" for "Fox's Summer")... another thing is to change and add so much that the new adaptation is writing another drama.
Unlike other excellent Thai adaptations (eg, You are my heartbeat for Fox's Summer, Kiss Me for Itazura Na Kiss, and Full House Thai for the Korean original version), this T-version of B+M was a royal disappointment. It was sad because I was looking forward to enjoying another T-adaptation.
(For the record-- No, I am not a fan of Aom and/or Mike Angelo. I feel that both happen to portray the best of 10 adaptations of Itazura Na Kiss… and the Thai version of Full House is sweeter than the original Korean version.) (I am not a fan of the main leads, but the Chinese FL did an excellent job portraying her character in the C-drama. In contrast, I liked Push, the ML in the Thai adaptation better than the Chinese ML in the original C-show.)
I enjoyed watching so much the original Chinese show that I read the book afterwards. I felt that the TV drama was significantly better than the English translated version of the actual novel. In the C-show, one can enjoy watching the FL’s journey as she develops her character/career/intellect, matures as a person, and learns to love/live with the person she falls for. Viewers also see a FL learning to adapt socio-EQ to her new status without losing her independence and sweetness. I did not feel much character advancement/development in the Thai FL version. Yes, the main couple goes through problems, but the Chinese drama simply radiates positivity.
The one good thing better in this Thai adaptation is that "the in-love Thai ML" is much sweeter than the Chinese ML in the original show. Also, watch this Thai version if you're interested in Push (ML) and/or Aom (FL).
THANK YOU VERY MUCH for the English TV subtitles!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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I really lived it! This showed us totally new side of our beloved idols. I have watched some series more than 5 times and every time I feel like they live and work much closer than expected.
Burn the stage shows us more than concert back stage it show us simply human hardship and relationships.
Every episode is with different highlight and points different difficulties during the wings tour.
I think this can be interesting and even heartwarming even for people who aren't into BTS and their music.
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A Heartbreaking & Incredible "I like you"
I was pulled into the story the moment I watched the trailers for this drama and it sure did not disappoint. It is a great time-traveling romance and suspense story that is brilliantly told. I went in thinking I knew what would happen but the story turned out quite different than I expected so don't go into the story with any judgment. The actors did an amazing job at bringing their characters to life and the soundtracks helped complete the story. They cast great actors for Wan Sen and Bei Xing because they were able to make the story touching but not pushy. There are definitely many drama cliches in this drama but they were used in a way that breaks your heart and makes you feel for the characters, Zhang Wan Sen and Lin Bei Xing. The romance between Wan Sen and Bei Xing is also written so beautifully tragic, which makes you can't help but keep watching them because you want a romance like that. You won't be able to stop yourself from hurting for Wan Sen and Bei Xing. Also, the script was written consistently despite the time-traveling element so there were no plot holes. The details of the main storyline did not change and you start to notice the smaller details. I totally fell in love with Wan Sen after watching this drama and now I feel empty and sad. There are certainly angsty moments in this drama and I cried a lot, but it is all worth it. The love story is an emotional journey that was worth watching how it unfolded. I would say enjoy the first half because the second half will break your heart. It hurts that a Wan Sen doesn't exist in real life. T_T But just enjoy the drama when you're watching because you'll be so sad when it's over. An "I like you" never hurt this bad. ALSO this drama is NOT DUBBED so all of the actors are using their real voices which is such a great thing because I hate it when a drama has a dubber who does not match the actor. So, I TOTALLY RECOMMEND this drama if you like time traveling and a cute romance! Once you fall into this drama, you won't be able to get out.Now, some points that I really liked and didn't like:
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Things I liked:
1. The cinematography- All of the scenes were filmed in a way to add emotions to what was going on. It makes the scene more tragic or happy. I couldn't help but screenshot some moments because it was filmed so nicely.
2. The acting!! - I have to compliment the actors who played Wan Sen and Bei Xing for their incredible job at playing the role. Wan Sen was so adorable and timid, which was only possible because Qu Chu Xiao did such a great job at embodying the character. Karlina Zhang was also just as amazing at playing Bei Xing and doing the emotional scenes so well. I can't imagine anyone else playing these roles because no one could have done it better.
3. the romance - Wan Sen and Bei Xing are so cute together. They are a cute dynamic that was fun to watch with cute scenes that were not too cheesy. My heart always fluttered watching Wan Sen be completely in love with Bei Xing and happy to do anything with her. Wan Sen's smile was so cute to watch. It's such a shame that Bei Xing took so long to notice him.
4. the music - the soundtracks were absolutely amazing! They all had lyrics that pertained to the story and characters. Noteably, the song titled "The World is Behind You" and "The World is Behind Me" and "Goodbye" were so heartbreaking to listen to. The first two of those songs were sung in different perspectives; one from Bei Xing and one from Wan Sen. When you listen to the lyrics, it'll make you feel even sadder for the characters if you weren't already. I have been playing these three songs on repeat because it just hurts so much.
5. Styling- I also liked how Wan Sen and Bei Xing always had different outfits when they were not wearing their school uniforms. This is the first time I have seen a drama do that which is nice to see. The outfits made Wan Sen more adorable.
Things I didn't like so much:
1. Supporting romance line- the romance between Gao Ge and Cao Yang was a bit boring and unrelated to the main storyline. so I skipped some of their scenes sometimes
2. Open ending- I wish that the drama could have ended with showing Wan Sen and Bei Xing meeting again and having some interactions because it ended so sadly.
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Cherry Magic! Thirty Years of Virginity Can Make You a Wizard?!
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"Perhaps I became a magic user so I can touch his heart"
Cherry Magic has to be the biggest surprise for me this 2020. When I first learned that a manga about a guy who gets magic powers when he turns 30 because he is still a virgin would get a drama adaptation, I felt extremely skeptical and wary about it. The title itself and the summary of the plot instantly raised so many red flags in my head; I couldn't help but think that the story was going to be very sexualized and would have a lot of the problematic and toxic tropes usually seen in BL dramas. Because of this, I wasn't sure if I wanted to watch it, however, after taking a look at the preview of the first episode and seeing that it seemed quite funny, I decided to give Cherry Magic a try. Though I was still a little worried about what would happen, as soon as I finished the first episode, I was surprised with how funny, adorable, and light hearted Cherry Magic was. This gave me the hope that maybe this drama was going to be the complete opposite of what I originally thought... and thank god that was the case.Cherry Magic is one of the most relatable, fluffiest, and heartwarming (BL) dramas I've ever watched. Every episode is less than 30 minutes long but despite that it is able to tell the story it wants without wasting any second. Though there is a "supernatural" element added to this drama, the story itself is very realistic because of types of problems that the characters face on their daily lives, such as the fear of following their dreams, the fear of disappointing others, and the struggle of loving themselves. That plus the fact that the characters are so well-written, to the point where you are able to sympathize with them even if you don't agree with all their decisions, makes you feel that they are real people.
Adachi and Kurosawa's relationship is one of the healthiest, most wholesome, and sweetest among all the (BL) couples that exist. Even if their personalities are somewhat different, they have things in common. They also support, respect, and admire each other so much that even when they are in the same place without doing anything in particular, you can notice how much they enjoy each other's company. And thanks to the unconditional love they feel for each other, both Adachi and Kurosawa are able to grow as individuals and slowly overcome their own personal struggles and the fears regarding their relationship.
Besides the main couple, there is also a secondary couple: Tsuge & Minato. The development of this couple is much more faster and chaotic but still endearing. Some fans are not that fond of this couple since they find Tsuge's behavior too over the top and, to some extent, cringey, but in my opinion, the way he act falls within the normal range of craziness that Japanese dramas (especially those adapted from manga and anime) have when it comes to comedy. So for me, this secondary couple is also very sweet and cute and I wish they had a little bit more of screen time.
Besides having great characters and dynamics between the characters, another thing that makes Cherry magic so special is the amount of care and thought was put into this drama. Even the smallest details are very important and can serve as symbolism, as representation of one of the characters (and their feelings), or as foreshadowing. The acting is also phenomenal and I cannot imagine anyone else playing these roles. Machida Keita was born to play Kurosawa, and Akaso Eiji was born to play Adachi. They truly understood their characters and even their micro expressions were on point. I'm very glad that Cherry Magic has become so successful and that because of it, both Akaso's and Machida's talent and skills as actors are getting more recognition.
As a final note, I just want to say that Cherry Magic is, in my opinion, the best BL of 2020 and my personal favorite of all time. I literally have no complaints and I know that I'll be re-watching it countless times because of how good it is.
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Who's to judge who's good and who's bad?!
Six students, one teacher, one word: SNAFU. System normal, all ***ked up.... Do you guys watch SHADES? If you do, you'd understand my giddy admiration for this series. If you don't, oh my goodness, WATCH IT like it's the last show you'd ever watch!! Binge-watch episodes 1-5 & you'll get it: Every aspect of this dang show is so dang great on every dang level! Every episode gets better and better and better.... The back-stories. The character development. The direction. The acting. The whole production is a testament to intelligent storytelling! It is never easy to balance things perfectly with an ensemble cast - SHADES makes it look like a walk in a park: A park with criss-crossed meandering roads that lead to a deviously delicious hodgepodge of complications and consequences! 11 stars out of 10.The deliciously chaotic, irresistibly wicked SHADES aired its cliffhanger of an episode 6, and apparently Season 2 would come out in 2027!🥲😅😂🤣
What an excruciatingly painful wait!! 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭🥰😍😘💯❤️🇹🇭
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