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i haven't seen the Chinese version
I haven't seen the Chinese version, so I can't compare it. I look at the Korean version separately. It was beautiful, she showed her friendship very, very beautifully, but there were some problems. For me, there were places where it should have made an impression. It didn't make an impression. I don't understand the reason why the girl was wearing the boy's necklace. In some places, Kim Damie's character was too full, while she should be ashamed in front of her friend. . In some places, I did not understand the decisions of the characters, what was the reason, how did they feel when they made this decision. I didn't understand the reason why Kim Dami didn't tell the truth to the boy, but overall, I think it was a work worth seeing onceWas this review helpful to you?
Breathtakingly beautiful
This drama was just perfect, I rarely write reviewsbut I highly recommend this to everyone...
starting from the story line, to the characters performance, the music, the script and their monologues.. everything about this drama was on point.
This drama teaches you more than you know, it gets through you and takes you to brighter places slowly and beautifully,
if you are going through hard times, if your down, this starts its journey with you and ends up giving you hope in an inexplicable way, its more than just two people meeting each other, its understanding of the whole image and the characters, its not something to expect as overly dramatic and misunderstandings but pure mature people and conversations that you would love. At least personally that what it was for me !!
Its been a really long time since I felt this emotionally invested in a drama, I was absorbed, immersed and fully engrossed by the whole set.
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This movie has no romance and happy moments in it. It is tense when it begins and remains that way till the end. The direction of this movie is absolutely brilliant and the writing is top notch. The supporting cast was probably not as good as the main leads but both Jang Geun Suk and Jeong Jin Yeong were terrific in their performances. Jang Geun Suk was creepy and hot at the same time in this movie. This has to be his best performance till date.
Overall, it delivered excellently. In spite of being tragic and having a dark theme, it made me smile several times. There were great arguments and defenses put forth while the oppositions accused each other. It was IMPOSSIBLE to figure out the answer. I admire the prosecutors and defendants. I think we almost always forget how difficult their profession is and this movie reminds you just that.
I googled and was surprised to find out that after this came out, the victim's families actually appealed for a re-trial of the case. I can see why. It does provoke that thought in you. Kudos to the director!
I will most definitely watch this movie again because it was so enjoyable. It also has great score in the background. It has never a dull moment and remains consistent. Give this a try if it sounds like it's the genre for you. I totally one hundred percent recommend it.
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This movie isn't full of drama but it is not a light one either since it touches upon themes like violence, alcoholism and depression. However, all these themes are illustrated in a warm-hearted manner, not too realistically, and hope is definitely present all the time. This is certainly not too serious a movie, and that is largely because of the more or less twisted and dark humour that spices the story up and makes you laugh.
The overall plot goes onwards at a good pace and has some interesting twists that I was unable to predict, especially at the end. Shin Hyeon-Jun portraits in a very endearing way the professional killer Hyun-Jun who is a serious, warm hearted and troubled man questioning his profession and quietly looking for someone he could talk to. Kang Hye-Jeong's Jin-Young is a bit crazy, not an ordinary woman, but very adorable.
This movie has some very endearing and funny scenes and that is why I liked it so much. The main characters are very likeable as well. If you have two hours to spare, go and watch it, it isn't a waste of your time.
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ALL OF THE ACTORS SUITS THEIR ROLE ,ACCORDING TO THE SHAPE OR THE ACTING EFFORTS.
IF YOU ARE SEARCHING FOR LIGHT FUNNY SHOW AND FULL OF COMEDY SCENES AND HELARIOUS JOKES ,ALSO HAVE GREAT SERIOUS LOVE STORY AND LIFE DRAMA STORIES(OURAN DRAMA)DEFINITELY THE BEST CHOICE ,NOW I AM WAITING FOR THE REST TWO OR THREE FINAL EPISODES AND AM SURE THEY ARE GREAT LIKE THE REST OF THE EPISODES ,FINALLY FEEL HAPPY AND RELEIF AFTER WATCHING EVERY FUNNY GERAT EPISODE! ^_^
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I cannot, in good consciousness, recommend this show to anyone. I really wanted to. I was smitten with Nam Goong Min and Min Ah - those leads were the bright spot in the pile of poo this story became. (And incidentally, this is the first time I've seen either of them act. I've not seen NGM do his villainous roles, but I think comedy suits him.) The story is named after Gong Shim. However, the title character doesn't seem to be the focus of the show in the back half at all. And her sister, who is on the cover as a "main lead" - is relegated to an afterthought. Her story goes NOWHERE. Joon Soo, the other main lead, was likable, but mostly boring. The writers essentially did nothing with his character. The focus of the show ended up with Ahn Dan Tae. They described one story to us, and we got something completely different.
The ending was rushed and the last episode was completely and totally random and thrown together. I felt like they wanted to tie up a lot of loose ends, but they did not even do a good job of that. They had TWENTY episodes to finish this story. There was NO good reason that the ending should have been rushed. I feel sorry for the actors that were involved in this story. I would absolutely watch these actors do another show, and so wish that THIS story had been executed properly.
The Good:
The cast
The music
The comedic moments
The cuteness of the couple
The Bad:
The loose ends
The bait and switch story
The length
The unsatisfactory ending (happy ending, but not done correctly)
The Ugly:
Poorly executed storyline (throw it at the wall and see what sticks)
Characters backburnered and forgotten
Unending glares and stare-downs
What the Heck moments galore
I originally intended to give this drama a score of 7 because I WAS entertained and enjoyed ADT and GS so much. As my husband and I discussed it this morning, my rating dropped to a 6.5, and then by the end of our conversation I had to conclude that (as much as I hated to do it) that this story really only deserves, at best, a 5.5. Sorry show! I wanted to love you!
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1OMG! Why!!
Watching this series was torturous and you are essentially left with the question: OMG! Why? It really is that bad. It is bad from so many angles – too numerous to actually mention. From its infantile storyline to its mediocre acting to its awful and I do mean awful plot. This is yet again another cliché-driven trope-filled Bl that even if you have never seen a BL, one could figure out where the story is going. Oh, it had cute moments, but it unfortunately slipped into a standard formula that left no one guessing as to its plot, and frankly asking oneself why did I sit through this? Nothing was original in this story except perhaps the name of the vampire city which was named Thaiwlight City. Now that was cute!Was this review helpful to you?
Must watch
Because its a short drama, every scene is supposed to be important. With this drama, no scene was wasted. So far its one of the best I have ever watched that I want to rewatch it as soon as I was done watching it for the first time on the same day.The entire cast were made for their role. Even those who just walked around without dialogues were on point.
Our two leads chemistry was highly explosive. Hope they star as a couple in more dramas.
Wow!
It was a short, cute, and rewatchable great drama!
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This review may contain spoilers
Enemies, Lies, Amnesia Bring Forth A Formidable Power Couple with Great Tacit Fighting Skills
This went into my Watchlist because of ZWY; after seeing him in LYF, I was wondering if he could be versatile. I was pleasantly surprised here. I know WCR from various other series and this was such a great character for her as well. I knew some of the other CP's and supporting characters from other shows. But though according to novel readers, it deviated significantly from the novel, I still found it a good watch. It had a little bit of everything; enemies, lies, amnesia, fake identities, palace intrigue, that ultimately brought forth a formidable power couple with nearly psychic tacit understanding and fighting skills.Pros: I gotta say, that fight sequence in episode 40 with the leads in the jail against the antagonist's goons was my favorite part in the whole show. It showed that both flowed as one unit, uniting and parting; almost dancing together as they annihilated the enemy. The show originally stemmed from CXZ finding LMT who he thought was the leader enemy's concubine but in reality she was the actual leader of the enemy. But because after suffering a betrayal and severe injuries that left her with amnesia of her past 3 years of life, ML decided to use her as bait to draw out the rest of the enemy. This first arc, though it seemed to have gone on for far too long, was the calm before the storm and comedic at times. It made CXZ essentially and for real fall in love with her but each time he wanted to tell her the truth something got in the way. When her memories did return she of course was angry and betrayed and took it out on him. Though what he did wasn't right, who she really was and did before all that was worse so it made them even.
The other characters to love though all were flawed in their own way were ZY (who had a yen for LMT) but he was a morally grey protagonist. His story with the empress was absolutely the best and I think by the end it was clear he had feelings for her and let go of the past aka LMT like the empress told him to do which was beneficial for him. I loved how she finally stood up to her bullying family and greedy father who was also put in place by the emperor. Just those two couples, would have been enough. The third couple I'll mention below, though I liked ZQ on his own because he provided comedic relief and he didn't need to be part of a couple. Also Li Mama, Moru, the two maids, the shadow guard leader and the rest of them, were the best little family. CXZ's brother in the wheelchair was a great support system (and I'm glad that they didn't make him into the evil guy like in the book), mom needed to endure hardship to open her eyes to the real world and truth about those around her. But she too was a kind soul. Grand Empress Dowager was also a big plus especially towards the end. As were LMT's family like grandpa, uncle, and others. Also the CXZ's main guard and everyone who supported LMT as the "madam" of the house.
We knew who the ultimate antagonist was and it was just about getting rid of him that took the time because he had a lot of backers and corrupt officials under him but he was a believable villain throughout. The wedding was fun but too short in my opinion given how long the previous arc was. Should have been grander. Costumes, locations, and OSTs were all very good.
Cons: This series had the fastest palace coup in history; literally a black screen with words saying it happened and a new ruler aka ZY (heir to the throne as the late crown prince was his father) had taken the throne. This was one of several whiplashes I got from this show. The 2nd couple was probably one of the most unnecessary in any series; they had zilch chemistry and it seemed like they were forced together. Furthermore, the actress was miscast because she always plays highly intelligent, kind, and gentle roles but is never a pushover. Here she barely spoke up, created misunderstandings from her own incorrect deductions, pouted a lot, always had a long face and was too pompous for her own good though she was insecure as hell. I fast forwarded her as much as I could. They even stuck that CP randomly at the end of the series even though the way it was done stuck out like a sore thumb because after this massive event at the palace, without warning it cut to a scene of them in the woods digging for special soil and they announce wedding plans; another whiplash. They should have closed them out before that whole capital thing ever took place. Totally lacking in cohesion.
Next was probably the draggiest portion of the entire series where LMT was holding on to her grudge for way too long while CXZ did everything in his power to win her back. That arc took forever and everyone was exasperated by it because LMT though supposedly "softened" still treated him in a very harsh and cold way that had many of us cringing. Like get over it already! He has told you on multiple occasions that he sees you as his equal and will only marry you in this lifetime; what more do you need? She only panicked when her grandfather committed a faux pas and declined the engagement on her behalf. Once it was ironed out and they signed the wedding certificate she went from an ice cube to melted butter in five minutes and again it was incohesive. These transitions need to be smoother not whiplashing the audience around. It honestly made her look like she had multiple personalities while CXZ was being turned into a simp as he even got himself hurt for her to break off a stupid engagement (x2 in this series). I have no qualms about the actors themselves as they acted their hearts out but this is where novel material comes in real handy and screenwriters need to have their heads examined.
Two of the most unnecessary characters were the old bat aunt and cousin that was originally meant to marry CXZ. Only good thing about that old bat was that she finally made the Consort Dowager open her eyes to reality and stand up for her son and daughter in law. That was a very well deserved slap. Otherwise, they were a waste of space and time. The obsessed with ZY daughter of the villain, I couldn't stand but in the end her own obsession was their downfall so kudos to her for being that blind and dumb as a brick!
Would I recommend it? Yes; the cons notwithstanding, the acting was awesome, comedy just right, real love and connections as well as the amazing tacit understanding of the leads. That ending fight was one of the best choreographed in a drama that's not a Wuxia, I've seen. There it is!
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[spoilers]
i loved everything about this show except the ending..ok we all expected him to come back and not be dead but why couldnt it be 16 episodes with everything rather than probably waiting for season 2? everything else is amazing.
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No(n)sense...
Ok, before I start this review I have to say that yes, I did read the webtoon and yes, I was disappointed to find that they decided to go in an entirely new direction with the drama by only keeping one or two concepts from the webtoon itself. In saying that, I tried my utmost best to look at this drama separately.Out of all the aspects, casting and story progression is where my main focus for this review will be because they stood out to me the most:
Firstly, they decided to go for an older cast, which didn’t bother me at all, however, I do really wish that they would have given (all) the couples a few more mature themes in a sense of dealing with dating in your late 30s which is vastly different than dating in your 20s. (For those in the comments saying this drama had a mature dynamic, I’m still looking for it because, besides their age, there was none? Also, this is not me saying that people are not allowed to be cute after a certain age, I’m talking about making the characters relevant and possible for the audience to connect to them).
Secondly, hats off to Seo Ji Hye, who I absolutely loved watching. She had such a calming and regal sense to her acting that made it super hard to ignore and not fall for. I have thoroughly enjoyed her in everything I’ve watched of her so far and although her character was written to be very different from our lead in the webtoon, I think she did a great job with what she was given.
However, I really struggled to see the chemistry between Seo Ji Hye and Yoon Kye Sang and before you come for me in the comments, no, I’m not talking about his looks, I’m talking about the way the character was written and delivered. Something did not click well between them and I actually struggled to see anything between them being remotely believable, despite the steamy scenes we were given on replay in every episode. In fact, for the entire first episode, I didn’t realise he was the ML. The character in my opinion wasn’t a good fit for him. He did not seem comfortable in this role and quite frankly from what I’ve heard from moots who have seen him elsewhere, this wasn’t his best work. In saying that, I don’t think he had much to work with in terms of the way the character itself was written.
I do really wish that they would have taken more time with regards to the storyline and developing the characters, especially after having such a popular webtoon to back them. The last two episodes rounded things off in a very strange manner and completely changed the characteristics of the main leads. For such a short drama (only 12 episodes), there were some really unnecessary half-done fillers and loose ends that were added to progress the plot at the last minute, which the drama really didn’t need and could have done much more seamlessly with a well thought out plotline that ran completely separate from the webtoon itself. I'm not even going to get into that ending which was a train wreck in itself.
Overall, this drama was nothing particularly amazing and had made more noise with regards to people’s dissatisfaction over casting than the actual drama itself.
If you’re looking for an easy misfit watch, I say give it a try, but you have been warned about the lack of chemistry and lacklustre ending…
- foxx
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A most unexpectedly sweet gem
Not every day needs a 120 mph roller coaster or surfing thirty foot waves or dining at a 5 star Michelin restaurant or sporting the latest haute couture fashion. Somedays, a casual walk in a familiar neighborhood in sweatpants and a hoodie followed by a simple grilled cheese sandwich is just as enjoyable. At that’s the vibe of “Once Upon a Small Town” - a leisurely, pleasant sojourn on a warm day.No one will find anything remotely novel in the setup - a city denizen gets shipped somewhat against his will to a rural enclave. He initially recoils at everything unfamiliar but is won over not only by the community but also by a potential love interest.
And no one will discover any new angles on the romantic entanglements involving childhood relationships, ex-significant others, easily avoided misunderstandings, awkward confessions, friendzones and the like.
Nor will the vast majority of the supporting cast of rural inhabitants break any of the stereotypes from other slice of dramas.
In fact, mere minutes into the first episode of “Once Upon a Small Town”, the direction, destination, velocity and signposts on the journey are all readily apparent. But somehow that doesn’t diminish the ride. A short run of twelve episodes and runtimes of 30-40 minutes per episode deserve a decent amount of credit for keeping things moving without getting bogged down in secondary storylines and extended montages and endless rehashing of backstories. But there’s more to it. Director Kwon Seok Jang manages the pace of the storyline well, mixes in just enough interaction with supporting characters and doesn't let anything fog up the focus on the romance.
Choo Young Woo has a fairly light resume but he's got the basic attributes for carrying a lead role. The character of Dr. Han isn't particularly demanding - look pretty, feel awkward in uncomfortable surroundings and otherwise let everyone else around ham things up. And for this, Choo Young Woo hits all the marks (easy targets though they may be).
Meanwhile, Joy may find herself in as much demand as an actor as she has been as a singer. The Red Velvet singer has had two strong performances this year (the first as one of the very few bright spots in an otherwise rather dismal "The One and Only") and now to even greater effect here. A police officer would not be the instinctual direction for an ideal character for Joy, but this isn't a hardnosed violent crime detective. She's more everyone's little sister on the personal side and professional household problem solver. It may be a case of an actor and a role simply almost perfectly suited for each other, but as the show progresses and Ja Young becomes a more complex character, it seems less and less that "it's just Joy being herself" is what's happening here. Regardless, she's ebullient and extroverted and a delight at nearly every turn.
Props also to the sound editors who spare no opportunity to add all the buzzing insect noises in their inventory. Helps remind those viewers that might pull up stakes and head for the countryside in search of a dashing vet or comely policy officer that there are also less welcome inhabitants there too.
Recommended.
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A better Story synopsis: Ryo is a young man living in Tokyo, mourning the loss of his girlfriend, Yuri. 100 days after her death he goes to the Bar Houdini and receives a box from the former owner that he left earlier. With this box he remembers his girlfriend said a doppelganger of her lives in Hokkaido, and he seeks her out, learning magic along the way and unraveling a mysteries in love, doppelgangers, and the truth of the magician Ryo’s disappearance.
The summary does not fully do it justice since there is a LOT of material in this film. I was genuinely surprised given the weak summaries I have read elsewhere. I was surprised that Yuki has graduated from cheesy shoujo’s into this type of role, but very pleased with this development.
Additionally, the director of this film is Kwak Jae-yong best know for ‘My Sassy Girl’. Seeing this type of collaboration between Japanese actors and a Korean director was really interesting. It lead to a really unique type of filming and mood for the film that was fresh and interesting.
Acting/Cast: There are really only two main actors; Furukawa Yuki and Fujii Takemi. However, it is important to acknowledge the supporting cast. The supporting cast really helped flesh out the story, where the main actor were not the focus or we needed a break from them. With their help the story moved a lot more fluidly.
Fujii Takemi was a real gem. Her ‘duel’ characters as Aya and Yuki (I will leave it at that) was really stunning. There was a very eerie similarity but distinct difference between both characters and she pulled it off really well. I was not completely sold on every scene, but overall a very sold performance from her.
Furukawa Yuki stole the movie, and as the main character(s) he should. Even more striking, probably because of the bad mustache he had a true dualitiy between Ryu, and Ryo. Both characters have distinct motivations as the story opens but slowly they merge together in a wonderful and natural way. Not to mention he did all the scenes on his own, with minimal use of a stand in which, a lot of the later scenes, for sure takes a toll on the body. I sincerely applaud him in his progress and can’t wait to see what he does next.
Other Comments/Overall: I was a little taken aback by the use of English music in the film. I was expecting Japanese or Korean so at times on a personal note it was off putting. I really appreciate that the more mature themes were handled with dignity and respect. It was very appreciated. It was also really cool that most of it was shot on scene in Japan mostly Tokyo/Yokohama/Hokkaido. When this movie comes out, hopefully on Netflix or something, I would watch it again for sure. (And I rarely ever re-watch films) It was really well done and incredibly compelling.
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The acting by every single person in this show is amazing. From Goblin we already know that Kim Go Eun is a fantastic actress but she is absolutely brilliant as Jeong Tae Eul in King.
As Lee Min Ho's come back drama after being in the military, this was a great show to showcase his acting skills, in the heartbreaking moments, you cry with him and in the more light-hearted scenes you laugh and just want nothing but happiness for his character Lee Gon.
Woo Do Hwan as both Jo Yeong and Jo Eun Sop, was amazing, before this, I had only seen him in The Great Seducer, in which he was amazing but he truly shines in the double role here. Absolutely deserves all the praise he is getting and I am now going to look into more of his dramas.
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