4 different stories with different vibes
Overall: the production value is good for what I assume is a very indie series (it got a .5 indie bump). Aired on GND Studio's YouTube channel https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL-UjFgW8TJEf0j62oTEJudvgjvIT1uTqc&si=VJ9NKGmGyWH6mMs2 GND also made My Damn Business and Fake Buddies.Content Warning: see my spoiler comment for a large one for episode 6
1st Story (Riding a Bicycle eps 1/2) - friends faced shifting feelings. Enjoyed the sweet/caring moments. The bike/trip may have been symbolism for things going differently from how you initially envisioned. Very much a slice of life story with an open ending.
2nd Story (Friendship Bracelet eps 3/4) - quirky vibe with a supernatural element. Wish they had let it play out sooner/had fewer times.
3rd Story (The Last Diary eps 5/6) - back to a somber/slice of life vibe with two strangers that start off on the wrong foot. Suggest stopping at episode 6, 7m25s
4th Story (Sunset Boulevard eps 7/8) - two guys reconnect at work after they knew each other in university. Wasn't a fan of the non con kiss in the past or non con touch at work, but I was happy with how it ended.
Was this review helpful to you?
Mind-blowing videography, visuals, OST, the list is un-ending!
Okay this is one of those dramas that just made me feel luxurious to watch. Like the cinematography deserves a french-kiss! The OST was so good! The background music at different scenes were just so well made. The shocking thing is that most were sung by the actors themselves!? This is a powerful combination!! The fashion statements each episode made were also really really good.Critics:
This entire combo made this drama indeed a very well shot series that is good to watch and I don't feel any guilt to have wasted my time on this masterpiece! It might be cheesy, few scenes repeated as shot in other languages but this thailand version had its own version of twists. I felt the acting could have been a little little bit better for a few actors in a few scenes. The connection between the leads did take time to reach me, but it was worth the wait not gonna lie.
In short:
Do give it a watch, I mean it was cute to watch, the jokes were wholesome in each episode and who's going to miss these amazing visuals! Feel the luxury, story with twists and beautiful choice of musical!!
Was this review helpful to you?
That being said this is one of the best dramas i've ever watched because of the perfect, symbolic and realistic characters as well as the quite fast paced and pragmatic plot. The premise is simple and is set around a woman who is in love with a married men and does everything in her power to get him. The drama focuses more on the 2 main female characters, the wife and the mistress, while the husband takes the 2nd wheel of this ill-fated love triangle.
Interestingly, it is a lot different than other similar themed adultery kdramas. Usually we get a sad backstory that tries to excuse and partly maybe even justify the actions of the adulterer. Here the story is a lot more brutal, there is no melodramatic backstory to drive any of the character, thus the drama is completely character-driven; while it does a splendid job delving into the mind of each and everyone of them.
What the drama wants to do is not glorify cheating or excuse the adulterers or even punish them or push viewers into a forgiving mentality towards them. On the contrary, i would stay, it stays neutral to all of that, it depends on the viewer's viewpoint whether to understand, hate, like or dislike the characters, and it depicts solely the repercussions of infidelity in the most cruel way possible.
Starting from the couple itself, how years and years of (superficial -obviously) happiness fall apart, questions, doubts about what went wrong, efforts to save something that has already died, screaming, violence, paranoia is just the beginning. Having kids in this situation will only worsen the process making it even more heartbreaking. Children hating their parents, accusing themselves for their broken family, not knowing how to react or deal with it. Continuing to the extented family that are just ready to jump in, judge and make everything worse (whether they want to help or not). What's more, it widens its spectrum to social everyday life and work place, showing that people are ready to judge hate and ridicule the situation and everyone involved.
Furthermore, we get a very good insight on what adultery means in the korean society. The drama is 10 years old, so i'm guessing (and hoping) there's a sea change in this department but i liked how the writer sneakily promoted the idea of equity when it comes to adultery. If, in a society in which cheating men are considered normal, then so should women. Hate one-hate both or accept both. But also loved how it showed that no matter how strong the bond between the mistress and the husband is, there will always be situations that will prove that the marital bond is just too strong to be broken that easily thus "love is not enough" the feeling that kept coming back throughout the drama.
Money of course wouldn't be possible to not have a prominent role in such a gritty drama. It shocked me how everything always revolved and apparently always will revolve around money. "Stay with him and accept his cheating and make him your personal atm machine for revenge", "If you stay with her, i'll disown you and you won't get any of the inheritance", "Quick get pregnant so you can demand some of the inheritance". Life is supposed to be about happiness, an affair happens because something in a marriage isn't working, bringing money to the topic just made the whole thing even more disgusting but that much more real too.
The drama is entirely character driven, hence it will be unappealing for most viewers. There is no backstory no shocking revealings nothing, just people meddling with adultery and the implications. The drama was ultimately a never ending fight between the characters -which woman will win- and a self-hating game of each character alone.
At this point i'd like to talk about the character since they were so significant. Each character represented something, fought for it until the end or let it consumed and eat him alive to his destruction. In the very end everything does happen in vain something that makes everything even more tragic and sad.
Hwa Young was the mistress, and she represented Greed. A sad person that was used by her family and decided that she'll do whatever it takes to be happy thinking nobody but herself for the first time in her life. However, for that one person she'd choose, she'll give her all, and she had nothing but her ego. She shreded that ego like it was nothing, she increasingly settled thinking this is what she wants and that she'll eventually be happy, but happiness comes from within. A greedy person who wanted someone else, someone empty, to give her everything and in return she'll give all of herself too. But it was not that simple. I appreciated her persisting personality, i appreciated her character up to a certain point, but everything in her life comes with a price. She was ready to change for 1 person, but she picked poorly, now she's gotta live with that. What she needed wasn't someone else to love her so she'll feel complete but she needed to love herself first in order to be complete.
Joon Pyo was the husband, and he represented Selfishness. A tad similar with the mistress at first glance but no. They were probably absolute opposites by the end. A person who loved deeply, but -plot twist- loved himself more than anything else, and he barely even realised it ever. 24 episodes and he couldn't make a simple choice, he many times felt like a tennis ball just being thrown here and there with no mind and will of its own. A complacent person, wanting it all till the end. But can you really hate and judge a person who is just too empty to even realise what is going on around him? Selfish people are usually selfish because they are empty.
Ji-Soo was a bit more difficult being the wife. One would expect she would be the easiest person to like and root for. Yet it took me several episodes to even bear her face. She represented those people-pleasers. Growing up as a cater for others, she barely even created a personality of her own. Being the pushover of her sister she never shaped a whole identity and all that came to bite her in the worst way possible. Such people need the personal time to get to know themselves first and cater for themselves before going on to form relationships.
All the characters were increadibly well-thought-out and well-written. I have to admit that i severely disliked them in the first half when there are barely any logical decisions made. I loved how there are shy, small steps made by all of them in terms of character development in the 2nd half, goes to show what dramatic situations do to all of us. And i was thoroughly shocked by how close i felt to all of them by the end. I wanted this to be over since episode 4, and by episode 24 i couldn't let them go.
In the very end i wouldn't call what happened "character development", real people don't change, they adjust. This is what happened here, the characters tried to adjust and i couldn't help but appreciate their authenticity and the marvelous writing. In the very end, it was nothing but themselves that kept them from happiness, the happiness they had been chasing since moment 1.
Lastly i'd like to mention the amazing deep messages we got about decisions and consequenses of our actions in this drama. In a very honest and rough way, situations like marriage decision, significant other choice, having kids, forgiving your spouce, your kid, your parent, life choices in general and a whole lot more were targeted and talked in a subtle but meaningful way.
The drama was full of symbols; beautiful but so so so difficult to watch.
The acting was luscious and spectacular by more or less the full cast. However, the real memorable acting here was by Kim Hee Ae who gave the performance of her life in every way. She was memorable, she conveyed the feelings and concerns of such a troubled, totally hateful character in the best way possible. I hated, i disapproved, i understood, i felt sorry, i rooted, i cheered, i felt sad, i cried. In episode 4 i would have never thought she would have made such a turn on me. Kim Hee Ae studied this character and made it hers.
Kim Sang Joon was brilliant too, i especially enjoyed his angry scenes, he was always rather quiet and remorseful, and his puppy eyes were on spot. Yet, he conveyed the mindset of his twisted character perfectly, acting like a victim when he was the sinner and really believing it. A wonderful ill-hated chemistry with Kim Hee Ae that basically made this drama work.
Bae Jong Ok was amazing as a person-pleaser, i have to admit during some conversations it felt like she was just uttering lives, i especially liked her paranoia scenes, she was shivering. I think there could have been better choices for this role, but she was not bad in any case.
I have to mention especially Ha Yoo Mi from the supporting cast, because she was flawless in her incredibly hateful and crazy sister role, hopefully i will never see her again lol.
Would i ever recommend this to anyone? No. Is this one of the best dramas i've ever watched? Yes. Confused much? XD
Problem here is, there is a very small amount of viewers that would enjoy this. Adultery is my favourite kdrama concept and out of all the dramas i've watched this was the most difficult one. There is no real comedy, there is no likeable or relateable character, you need to work hard to understand them. The episodes are big and in the very end you'll end up depressed plus this is a 10 year old drama. If you like the concept of adultery, you are mature enough to watch without judging too much (and it will be hard in this one) and you like serious, depressing dramas, give this a chance. I want to rewatch this in 10 or 20 years time, because i can feel there are a ton of things that i missed because of my age mostly and because i lack the expreriences this drama dealed with, but it won't anytime soon, this was difficult to get through just once.
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
pretty enjoyable and entertaining show???
tbh i read some of the reviews on here before watching the show so my expectations were below 0 when i started it ... but it was surprising how many of these reviews don't meet with the series i've watched??ofc there are some tropes which are not that enjoyable (miscommunication mostly! some annoying characters —phoon 💀— and stupid misconceptions) but overall the shows pretty entertaining and enjoyable?? it's not a difficult plot to follow, the characters haven't gone through hell (lol) but got their own backstories and own problems they've got to deal with.
the acting was not the best but it was okay for me, the chemistry between the leads seem to be better pre-relationship than after they get together?? or maybe it's because i usually like the pining more ?? LMAO
the ost is cool, the script is light and easy to follow, the characters are cute and lovable (most of them!!), there are some nonsensical scenes but mostly it's pretty okay :D
btw this is the first part of the star and sky series (i was losing my mind to find which one was first)
if you're looking for a light-hearted show, with a hs-uni theme, hard pining, light angst, and happy ending, this is perfect :)
Was this review helpful to you?
It Gives You Depression
I waited for this drama because both the male leads are in my top ten favorite actors. This drama is so slow that the little happiness you get it not worth it. After the 5th episode I began to hate this drama. I felt like the abuse wife that wont leave her situation because she is afraid to leave the abuser. There is more crying and deceiving in this drama then I ever have seen. It is so depressing until the bitter end that it was better to see the evening news then watch this. Our life has it's own misery every day and I don't want to watch it on T.V. I felt that I was in "Edger Allen Poe" poem "The Raven"Was this review helpful to you?
Was this review helpful to you?
I WAS SO SHOCKED.
First, I would like to apologize, I have not read the manga yet. But I love this movie, I was thinking not to read the manga already because it already reach my expectations for movie. I would not like to compare with the manga. It was so intense and mind blowing. It was super B. I already read some comments that it has other parts of the manga so I am looking forward to it. It was Mobious Arc. So definitely looking forward to other stories of it. The hype live up its record,.you won't regrets watchingit. Kudos.Was this review helpful to you?
The Most Underrated Drama
This drama will forever have a special place in my heart. Not only is it a joy to watch, but it contributes to a special moment in my life for my father and I’s relationship.When I first put this masterpiece on, it was like love at first sight; from the beautiful places in Taiwan, the emotional story of a one of a kind soul, and the endless life lessons and quotes that truly hit the heart so hard you rethink your entire life.
For any of us that are on this site, it’s probably because we love the dramatic plots, crazy twists, emotional roller coasters, and the unrealistic, yet beautiful love stories Asian dramas have to offer. Those kinds of dramas are always what we look for, but this drama is what we all need, but didn’t know we did. It’s an emotional, beautiful, heartfelt, and more realistic twist on an average drama that just somehow makes it that amazing. We still get the romance, the drama, the mystery, the twists, and the beautiful story, but it’s presented in a way that I’ve yet to see in a drama; a way that grasps your heart so hard it’s not easy to let go.
Plot:
The plot is a story about an insanely kind father’s death leaving behind 2 beautiful daughters with the mysteries of his life. We’re then taken on a beautiful train ride through the beautiful places in Taiwan experiencing the beauty, the people, the traditions, and the legacy left by the star of the story. We also get a look at his daughter’s growth and discoveries not only about their father, but themselves as well, along with the support of their lovers.
Cinematography:
The feel-good, calming, and emotional visuals truly made this story even more enjoyable to watch. It was never boring.
Why it’s so important to me?
My father and I don’t get to spend a lot of time together, but while I was just starting it, my dad came and sat in the living room. Keep in mind, he doesn’t ever watch with me, but this one made him put his phone down and watch and ask questions. The emotions on his face said it all, he really liked it and was feeling the emotions presented just as much as I did. I glanced back and forth at my dad and the tv and I remember tearing up and thinking, “I’m so lucky to have my father by my side always there for me”. I know a loving father isn’t something everyone has, but this drama truly made me realize the value of his presence in my life as well as give us the opportunity to spend time watching this beautiful story together.
This may sound cheesy, but I truly cannot express how therapeutic this drama is to watch. It’s definitely a slow-burn drama, but never boring. When you’re really in your feels, this is the best one to watch for sure!! I’ve never liked a Taiwanese drama, but this truly captured my heart.
Thanks for reading :)
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
I really enjoyed this Thai Drama, though I may be biased because the ML is so darn good looking ;-) It was cute & fluffy and filled with adorable moments and great side characters that though we didn't get to dive deeply into them as characters, they were still somehow memorable and great support for the lead cast. (honestly, shows with super complicated side character plots kind of annoy me in Thai dramas anyway because they are rarely well done/interesting enough for me not to want to just skip through. Personal Opinion.)
I (opposite of others, it seems) actually was not that convinced by the acting of the main antagonist, the evil step sister, so her role and how important it was to the plot/story was probably one of the only issues I had with this show. It felt off to me.
One other minor "issue" I had with the show was in a scene we see people deceive the FL to "test her feelings" which really hurt her, enough to call a BFF and cry. I felt this whole scene was played off way too easily and the ML should have really had to pay for this mistake and rethink what he was doing/how he made her feel by doing that. I think her insta-forgiveness (literally) was unbelievable and ticked me off as a woman/viewer. That kind of emotional manipulation is not OK and it could have been handled better in the show.
BUT, other than the two minor issues above, this show is lovely and I would DEF re-watch! I LOVE the cast and I LOVE the REAL kisses and REALISTIC emotions from the ML & FL. Adorable.
OH & an FYI. I started to watch this show with Eng Subs on a random website, but noticed in the first few minutes that the subs seemed "off". I found the show on YouTube and the subs there were GREAT, so I definitely suggest watching on YouTube for the better subbing experience :)
Was this review helpful to you?
In this version, there are three princes that make appearances. Crown Prince, 4th Prince and 14th Prince. The Crown Prince is seen as the villian for most of the movie and is determined to capture and kill Rue Xi for some reason, though I never could understand just what the motive was there. 4th Prince is a mash up of the 4th and 8th Princes in the original. Rue Xi is living with him, but again, this is never explained why, as there was no sister in this version. She was basically just living there, as a princess, though they were not married or related. Made no sense. 14th Prince is another mashup, this time of 13th and 14th Princes. He's the playmate and drinking buddy.
So, story wise, thoufh it does not follow the actual story like it claims, and though some of the reasoning and motives of certains aspects were not explained or did not make much sense, it was still pretty good on its own. However, because of the whole adaption thing and being that I am a fan of Scarlet Heart, I could not ignore the differences. Plus, there is a plot twist near the end that totally made me go WTF.
In conclusion, if you are looking for another version of Scarlet Heart because you love the story, you will be very disappointed with this version. On the other hand, if you have not seen Scarlet Heart and don't know the original story, you will probably be able to enjoy it.
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
This movie left me with a hole in my heart because I don't have the kinda friendship they have.
StoryI personally felt that the plot was a little bit fast faced and we were rushing to complete it. I know there is a drama version of this and haven't watched that yet, but I wish we could have this cast in the series instead because man I really loved the relationship of jae hee and heung su.
I got to know that this movie only covered the first part of the novel 'Love In The Big City' by park sang young(there was a little foreshadowing in the movie lol). And that made sense because we kinda got very less back story of jae hee and I will like to know it. I also wished to see more of jae hee's love story rather than directly jumping into the marriage.
I really wish they complete the other three part of the novel too.
Other than all this, loved the story. It was wholesome. Them fighting and then switching to caring each other, man that was so wholesome. I cried like a baby in the scene when jae hee was being assaulted by jae seok (that bastard) and how instantly heung suu knew what happened. The way both of them helped each other be truly themselves, loved it. After jae hee broke up with ji seok, she started to feel more like herself and went back to her carefree self because heung suu said so. Heung suu coming out because jae hee pushed him a bit. Loved all these moments. It was a comforting watch to see wholesome friendship moments.
Judging purely on the basis that it was a movie and might not have other parts, I will give it a 7.
Acting/Cast
Do I even need to say anything? Ugh, another kim go eun banger perfomance. I have been meaning to watch her whole filmography and this just makes me want to binge watch her. Steve noh was so good too. The cast was perfect, no complaints.
10/10 rating, without a doubt.
Music
Nothing much to say but the french songs were good to hear. So I will not use it to rate the movie.
Rewatch Value
I will definitely rewatch this! This movie left me with a hole in my heart to find a friendship like theirs, so pure and supporting. I will rewatch this just to cry that I lack a friendship like theirs for sure.
Oh a definite 10/10.
Was this review helpful to you?
Romance for the Perfect Couple
This drama is a sweet story of two people falling in love. The beautiful Park Min Young in another significant role. Whenever she does a drama, you get the impression that she was born to do that role. Her role as Sung Deok Mi, the curator of an art museum and a secret fangirl, was believable and cute. Kim Jae Wook portrayal of the stoic Ryan Gold, the director of the museum, was the perfect complement to their relationship. Together they had enough chemistry to satisfy any romantic junkie, like myself. It was refreshing to see a couple come together and compliment each other with their love and care.At times it will seen like a slow process of getting there, but make no mistake about it, this drama is a romance. There were distractions to create the necessary bumps in the road to happiness, but they survived it all. The girl interested in Ryan, a distraction. The brother who wants to be Deok Mi’s boyfriend, a distraction. Director Eom, a distraction.The entire fangirl thing, a distraction and even the comedy was a distraction. Be patient, unlike me, and you will take a journey with a couple oozing with chemistry.
There were plenty of emotional moments that will tug the heartstrings and there were lots of amazing kisses.
Was this review helpful to you?
This drama isn't for everybody, I can imagine the quirks and humour won't appeal to many. I, however, really thought they influenced the overall feel in a positive way. It isn't your typical drama, if you take everything too literally you will miss out on a lot of the symbolism and underlying messages. It's one of those drama you can keep coming back to, every time you re-watch you will notice something new, a small detail you missed the first time around. These little details, in my opinion, really show how wonderful both the plot and execution are.
Acting wise, no complaints there, they all did a fine job portraying their characters. As for the music, the choices really helped build up atmosphere and fit well with the drama's mysterious vibe.
All in all, a drama I highly recommend if you want something completely different to the majority of other drama out there.
Was this review helpful to you?
Favorite Thai Drama To Date!!!
This is an ongoing drama (at the time this was written)..., so I haven't seen the end yet. But I felt compelled to write a review of this drama from what I've seen so far. The male lead is absolutely amazing! He's so adorable, and as the drama goes on, you can see the look of love in his eyes when he sees the female lead. He is green flags everywhere. I love how accepting he is of the female lead despite her crazy family and weird personality. I absolutely love it. The female lead, I absolutely love her too! She's adorable, kind, funny, and brings out more goodness in the male lead. She also gives him love that he never received while growing up. They are such a perfect match for each other.The story line is impeccable. The cast is so well picked, and the characters are so funny! They just add to the story. If you are considering watching this, I definitely say, "GO FOR IT!" I can't wait to see how the story will end.
UPDATE:
I have officially finished the drama and let me tell you. This drama is worth watching. Most people say it's a slow burn romance, which... it is. But for me it didn't feel that way. It didn't feel that way because I was entertained the whole show. The main leads romance was cute and adorable, and I loved seeing how the ML fell first. Were there characters that got on my nerves? Sure. But there are always characters we don't like. I enjoyed pretty much the whole cast, and they did a splendid job with this drama. If you like romance with green flag main leads, which includes a cute and perky FL who helps the ML break out of his shell, with fun friends, coworkers, and family, this drama is definitely for you. Watch this drama, you won't regret it.
Was this review helpful to you?
It started off great then fell flat
I was very excited for this show because we were getting another story that wasn't highschool/college centred, and the BL genre needs more shows like that. Initially the series showed great potential but unfortunately it didn't fully deliver. The first half of the series was quite good. It was exciting, the characters were really intriguing and the chemistry between the main couple was excellent. There were some plot holes especially with the Singlehood rule, but they were things that could be looked past.What the show really struggled with was pacing. Initially the slow pacing worked well to tease the audience but eventually it began to drag and felt like the director and writers were trying to stretch 8 episodes of material into 12. The most frustrating part were the main characters, Jin Yu Zhen and Shi Lei who both repeatedly continued to not make a move on each other. It became severely frustrating. Then when the show became uninteresting around the 10th episode, the writers tried to add a new character which initially did bring some interest but the plot continued to get weaker and less interesting.
Okay, so back to what I actually liked about the show? Again Aaron and Hank's chemistry was good and they are both so good looking. The side couples were sort of interesting, but not enough to cover up my frustrations with the main couple. The straight couple didn't really get much screen time but I still liked them and they were funny sometimes. The acting for me was excellent and the production quality was top tier. So I must commend those who were responsible for that.
I believe this series may be more interesting if you binge it. Waiting every week for 25minutes and seeing basically no progress is almost torture.
Was this review helpful to you?
