Wow, that was as dull as dull can get.
This had a lot of good ingredients - it's well-shot, the central love story is reasonably coherent and realistic, and it's full of charismatic and beautiful actors. Regrettably, all except the main pair.Soh starts out well - he's strange and awkward, but he ends up more or less unlikeable for the ridiculous cliche he's saddled with to generate drama near the end of the series. Mon is dull and tiresome all the way through. The problem here is that when you put two depressed, introverted emotionally distant people together, there's really not a lot of chance of chemistry or any sparks at all.
The character of Saint is interesting and different, and played by the etherial and beautiful Offroad Kantapon, who I hope we see a lot of in the future, but I'm not sure what the point of the character was - but you could say that about almost all the characters.
The cast is gigantic, with characters coming in, taking up some time, then disappearing without ever accomplishing anything., and somehow led to not even one secondary couple, which was desperately needed to contrast with the almost supernaturlly dull main couple. One of Soh's bandmates, Q, has an interesting interaction with Mon's youngr brother Micky that had so much more chemistry than the main pair that I wanted them together badly, even though Micky's a bit too young to date a college student - I hope we see more of the actor, Copper Phuriwat, too. He's adorable and charming. The characters Poon, Q, and Tack also made impressions, but the caliber of the supporting actors was in general high.
The problem with this series is the pacing. Not the pacing of the plot, but the pacing of each scene, more specifically the dialog. They are way too long, with people taking 45-minute pauses between each phrase, a strange virus that's infected Thai BL lately. The acting style of the genre is already very understated - adding to that an incredibly slow line delivery is just fatal.
This also had the misfortune of airing on the heels of the much better You're My Sky, another basketball series. Why is basketball the only sport allowed in BL? It's not even in the Top 10 of popularity in Thailand - far behind volleyball and badminton. I guess because it wouldn't be the same if ukes got hit in the head with a shuttlecock whenever they stray near a badminton game.
Anyway, I can't recommend this. There's no payoff for the time invested, and it's so boring that it feels dull and slow even set on 2X speed.
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1The Romance Drama That Breaks the Usual Cliches
I started About Love expecting the same formula that many Chinese romance dramas usually follow. Most of the time it is sweet scenes repeated again and again, unnecessary misunderstandings, and characters acting unrealistically just to keep the story going. But this drama surprised me in a very good way.About Love is not the typical lovey lovey romance story. The relationship feels much more raw and realistic. The characters are flawed and emotional and sometimes even frustrating, but in a way that actually feels human. They make decisions based on pride, fear, and personal struggles instead of just following predictable drama logic.
One thing I appreciated a lot is that the writing respects the audience. The story does not drag the same misunderstanding forever and the conflicts move forward naturally. Conversations between the characters feel genuine and sometimes uncomfortable, which makes the emotional moments much stronger when they happen.
The acting also plays a big role in why the drama works so well. The chemistry between the leads does not feel forced or exaggerated. Instead it comes through quiet moments, tension, and small emotional reactions. It feels less like a scripted romance and more like watching two people trying to figure out their complicated feelings.
The pacing is also better than what we usually see in this genre. The drama focuses more on character development and emotional growth rather than repeating the same romantic clichés over and over again.
Brutally honest, this drama made me realize how average many romance c dramas actually are. About Love does not rely on the usual tricks and it is clearly trying to tell a more honest story about relationships.
It is not a perfect drama, but it is definitely refreshing. If someone is tired of the usual sweet and predictable romance stories, About Love is a drama that actually feels different and worth watching.
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James did an amazing job as Boo. I believed every second of his acting and it truly broke my heart. I could clearly see how vulnerable he was. How he fought, gave up and fought again. The few glimpses of hope he showed, how it motivated him to take action, but also the fear that paralyzed him at times. The whole arc of the character was amazing. The parallel between the beginning and ending scenes created this perfect, cohesive picture. Truth to be told, when I saw the ending sequence with Boo's narration I was shocked by how perfect it was. I would not change anything. The most satisfying ending I have ever seen in a drama. I could see that a lot of thought and planning was put into filming and writing it.
The good writing can also be seen with Bell's character. In the beginning the conversation she has with her superior about the connection and empathy she feels to her patients was foreshadowing of what's to come. She was an amazing friend to Boo, but she was truly not that good of a psychiatrist. And I am 100% fine with it, as it was well written for her character. Not only was she just an intern, so she did not have that much practical experience yet, she also picked that specific job because of emotional and personal reasons that made it hard for her to stay objective.
I love how the show tackled the issue of how depression can affect others around the patient and how hard it is for people who have never been depressed and have no psychological/psychiatric knowledge to understand it. Starting with the dad, who had a hard time accepting his son might have such a big problem, to Simon who might have had good intentions, but at times his actions were not fitting when dealing with someone struggling emotionally like Boo.
The show hints about many issues concerning mental health. One of the lines that is stuck in my head is "You think because he's depressed, he can't do anything wrong?" said by one of Simon's friends. Just this one line made me pause the show. I started to think, how much responsibility can a person with severe mental problems really take, how can a victim of their actions feel and react when they can't even truly blame anyone for what happened? Who should take the responsibility? There were many moments that just made you stop and think about the presented topic.
I also have to talk about the clever editing and them trying to visually present the symptoms of depression and Boo's feelings. I felt like they truly wanted to make sure the audience would understand the presented content. The perfection of the scene that was Bell explaining to Boo's dad the core idea of what depression is, was too perfect for me to describe. Her psychiatric approach and explanations intertwined with Boo describing how these symptoms express in him... wow. I literally clapped as I was watching this scene, because I was simply so impressed.
That said, even though in my eyes, this show is pure perfection, it's not for everyone. It's extremely graphic and at times emotionally exhausting. It presents the severe case of depression with all the symptoms of it (including self harm and suicide attempts). It might be too heavy for some.
I would recommend it for anyone who struggles with grasping the idea of mental health struggles and feels like it's hard to imagine how it can manifest in a daily behavior and what it truly means. The explanation does not get any better than here.
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This review may contain spoilers
TTEOTM compelled me to make my first MDL review
Till the End of the Moon (TTEOTM) was adapted from a DARK ROMANCE novel literally entitled, "Black Moonlight Guaranteed Bad Ending Script". Please let that clue you in but not deter you from watching the drama.The story mostly follows the plot of the source material. On the toxicity of the ML and FL, the drama does not even compare to how cruel these characters are to each other in the novel. I do not defend toxic relationships in real life but this fictional premise is set up for the characters to hate and love in equal measures. Li Susu, who saw the annihilation of the sects and the destruction caused by Devil God, was sent back to kill evil fetus Tantai Jin. While drama Tantai Jin is more sympathetic, it doesn't remove the fact that his existence means eventual destruction. Li Susu is ruthless because their love, hate, and personal desires are secondary compared to the saving of the Three Realms. The inherent conflict is already there.
Xianxias are influenced by the philosophies of Taoism and Buddhism thus showing concepts like Yin and Yang, severing worldly desires to attain immortality, and living in harmony with the universe.
These are overarching themes that go beyond the typical love story and the reason why the drama ended so.
I personally thought the editing of the first quarter of the drama was on point but suffered from occasional editing issues after that due to the regulation change. The Bo're Dream arc should have been shortened to flesh out the mortal and immortal arcs more. It would have been nice if more focus on the resolutions of different storylines was made, too. However, the story was mostly intact and comprehensible.
The acting of most of the cast is unassailable. Luo Yunxi and Bailu embodied the different characters they portrayed with such deftness. It was amazing to see the nuances in their behaviors and mannerisms so you can tell them apart not just because of the costumes.
Speaking of which, these are perhaps some of the most beautiful and impactful costumes I've seen. The designer drew inspiration from different Chinese cultural elements and really brought forth the resurgence of the Dunhuang style.
The CGI was outstanding especially in the battle scenes and the sceneries for the different realms. I do not know what standards people have for special effects but I have seen several xianxias and TTEOTM has one of the best.
The OST and scoring were fine but nothing to rave about. There were occasional jarring use of that romcom style song that I personally thought didn't suit the drama as a whole. I do recall two specific scenes that had perfect use of soundtrack - Black Bird for the Water Festival scene and the OST used for the farewell talk between TTJ and LSS in the last episode. Those gave me goosebumps.
As for the rewatch value, let me just say that in my years of drama watching, I have not rewatched any because I feel the time I have spent watching it once is enough already. However with TTEOTM, I have not only rewatched scenes but entire episodes so that I can fully appreciate the details. I am even planning to rewatch the entire thing from the first episode. LOL!
Many of us here watched TTEOTM and know that it has its highs and lows. We love it because, even with its flaws, it resonates with us. It is perfectly imperfect and it is one for the books.
P.S. Many of us still can't over it and if it is true for you too, please join us in our friendly forum community. 😊
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THE BEST LIGHT HEARTED DRAMA for people who looking for it
Its so disappointing to read other review .. such childish to just rate drama by just watching 3 episode where the female lead character not yet developing... but who cares.. because its reach 8000 bilion popularity and this morning result too being top 1 in certain social media platform... if you hate the female lead character to the core and have beef with "her" thats mean crystal yuan have successfully potray her character LOL .. that some of you being emotional like crystal yuan was really PRINCESS LIU LING lol 😂.
What i can said is.. this is LIGHT HEARTED drama if you looking for masterpiece drama go watch LOVE AND REDEMPTION.. ANCIENT LOVE POETRY... MY GENERAL AND I... STAND BY ME... this is not drama where you have to wreck your brain or being deadly serious... its fluffy.. romantic.. but still heart wrenching...
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What i can said crystal yuan and zheng ye cheng have good chemistry and both of them potray their character very well... congaratulation to them
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So i HIGHLY RECOMEND you to watch this drama if you looking for light hearted and fluffy drama.. but you need to continue watching it because the female character annoyed at first 5 episode then its slowly develop and you will know why her character made lole that.. and you can see the other side of the female lead...
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Its enjoyable drama for me... bring all the emotion .. sad.. happy...funny... romantic
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This review may contain spoilers
Dramas like these are tough to review. Really. It's not BAD so much as...lame. The story is lame, the acting is lame, EVERYTHING is lame. You could see that the director REALLY, REALLY wanted to paint this grandiose picture of the leads' life amidst the (admittedly beautiful) backdrop of the Shanghai skyline, but fell flat when a cold dose of reality set in: it isn't interesting enough. Had the story fallen into the hands of a talented writer, it could have been so much more. The potential was there. I could see brief glimpses of it when they tried narrating how exactly the female lead ended up getting amnesia and forgetting our male lead (this isn't a spoiler, btw, the description is just half done.) But after the first few minutes of the first episode- poof! We have to wait for MANY, MANY more episodes of unnecessary yammering and plot fillers to get to the actual point. And when it does- it still doesn't.
52 episodes for what could essentially be condensed into a 10 episode drama is excruciatingly painful. Each scene, each event and each action is stretched like a rubber band pulled far apart by nothing but prayer. Each episode was 40 minutes. 40-freaking-minutes. At one point early on in the show, the male lead tries persuading the female to join the contest (yeah, that's another thing they don't mention in the description) for 2 EPISODES! Hell, screw the writers, I would get massively unimaginative if I had to fill 52 episodes of this thing.
The acting is Terrible. The capital T was intentional. Is Ma Ke supposed to be attractive? I don't know. All the female supporting characters in the show seem to think so. He certainly wasn't a good (or even decent) actor. Guan Gabrielle was good as long as she didn't do anything because, in many ways, she was a worse actor than Ma Ke. The supporting characters are so utterly forgettable and recycled from other dramas they aren't even worth a mention.
Lastly, the female lead is supposed to be like, the best dancer (or something?) in the university she attended in California but SUCKS everytime we see an actual performance of hers. One of the judges instantly takes a liking to her because she reminds her of herself and (even though she ruthlessly denies it all the time) gives SO much leeway to the stupid shit our female lead does. Heck, even during this 'really important performance', she chooses the female lead's team that performed some boring shadow act with minimal dance over an actually decently choreographed, power-packed team in a DANCE COMPETITION. Why? Because the her team had actual "heart" and understood "the value of a team."
Yeah, give me a break.
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Why does Mouse have a brilliant plot? Why is Mouse a masterpiece?
**Spoiler free part**‘Mouse’ is a unique drama. It took some risks and avoided clichés. That’s why many people like it and many don't. It’s dark, raw with many murders, many killers and without any romantic aspect. If you’re more into romcoms or if you can’t bear something so dark, then maybe ‘Mouse’ isn't for you. Also, keep in mind that even though ‘Mouse’ is based on some scientific facts, it’s scientifically inaccurate (sci-fi). If that disturbs you, I'd advise you to not watch ‘Mouse’ as you’re not going to like it.
‘Mouse’ has a very complicated plot that’s a little difficult to keep up with. It’s a drama that you have to think about and not a light-watch drama. All the characters are related somehow with each other or with the main events and everything plays an important role for the plot. Thus, you have to pay attention to every detail otherwise you’ll end up being lost.
At first, you’ll have many questions and you won’t understand a thing, until the time comes and you’ll see that everything makes sense. And then, you’ll also realize that ‘Mouse’ doesn’t really have plot-twists. All the episodes were full of clues, from start to finish. Everything was predefined, but you couldn’t see it because you were blind.
Many people would think that the story is overdrawn with plot holes and maybe they drop the drama. In fact though, ‘Mouse’ doesn't have plot holes. It's a drama you have to definitely watch until the end to get all the answers and understand it, so don't drop it for this reason, keep going.
Now, to justify why ‘Mouse’ is brilliant, I’ll analyze the plot further . Those who have already watched ‘Mouse’ can keep reading. Those who haven’t can come back after they’ve finished.
*WARNING SLOILERS*
*READ THE ANALYSIS BELOW ON YOYR OWN RESPONISIBILITY*
~~~Mouse’s inspiration~~~
The writer of Mouse, Choi Ran, was inspired by the Incheon Elementary School Murder case in 2017. There, when the defendant was asked about her difficulties, she answered “The weather is nice but it’s the hardest for me to not see the blossoms”. She didn’t feel any remorse about her actions.
Writer Choi Ran wanted to write a story where a psychopath would gain emotions and feel remorse. In that way, the psychopath would be punished and atoned. Thus, ‘Mouse’ it’s not a usual crime thriller, “it’s a story about salvation”.
The defendant’s phrase was said by the Head Hunter in episode 20.
~~~The Hubris-Atis-Nemesis-Tisis form~~~
Our hero is not a typical main character. He’s not the perfect, flawless, kind guy who is fighting for justice. On the contrary, we can compare him to Homeric heroes of Iliad and Odyssey and review him according to the Hubris-Atis-Nemesis-Tisis form. With that in mind, we can separate ‘Mouse’ into 4 different parts.
1)Hubris- episodes 1-4
If someone behaves arrogantly and insultingly toward the physical, moral rules or the laws of the gods, he is considered to have committed “Hubris”. Our hero hated the Almighty. At first, he killed for revenge. But then, he killed again and again. This time though, he was considering his killings as a judgment and himself as the Almighty, above all humans and gods. He tried to transcend mortal nature, he committed Hubris.
2)Atis- episodes 4-5
Atis is the blurring and blindness of the mind. Our hero was out of control. He murdered on a live-broadcast and wrote “I am the Almighty” with the victim’s blood. That was the darkest and the most macabre part of the series. He showed to everyone how far his craziness can go.
3)Nemesis- episodes 6-7
Nemesis is a life-changer event that sets the ground for Τisis (the final punishment). Even though his plan was perfect he made one mistake. He thought he had got rid of the witness who saw him murdering but he was wrong. When he acknowledged it, it was too late. His encounter with the witness became his Nemesis.
4) a. preparing for Tisis- episodes 7-14
Tisis is the final punishment. After the brain transplant, he woke up with memory loss. During these episodes he believed that he wasn’t the serial killer but a national hero. He came face to face with killers/psychos like him. He started to hate people like them, people like him.
4)b. Tisis 15-20
And when he had hated himself enough, his memories came back. He remembered what he did, but he wasn’t proud anymore, he was full of regrets. In addition, when he committed the murders, an organization was above him, manipulating him. He was never the Almighty. His nemesis had told him “You think you’re a deity? You’re just a psychopath who was born with a mutated gene. We are lab-mice.”. Then was when he understanded those words. What an irony of fate.
Our hero had accepted the punishment and in the end he paid for his crimes and atoned.
~~~“What if we could identify psychos in advance?”~~~
If we could identify psychos in advance, then ‘Mouse’ would happen.
In ‘Mouse’ some people believed that if they could identify psychos in advance, they could create a world without psychopaths, without bad people. The OZ organization was created. They thought the end justifies the means so they killed many people. They thought they could change the world, but they killed more humans than the “psycho-gene human” did.
The “psycho-gene human” wasn’t the problem after all. It was the people’s lack of ethical compass. It was humans’ arrogance.
Did the passing of the law bring eternal peace? No. This isn’t shown directly in the drama, but it’s implied by some scenes (post-credit scene of episode 20 ~ continuation of human experiments~ violation of Bioethics laws, Mouse the Last~ assassination). That’s how ‘Mouse’ dispels the myth it created. It made us realize that being able to identify psychos in advance and eliminate them won’t make the crime disappear. Maybe a second season that deals directly with this issue would make this point even stronger.
At this point, we can make an analogy with the tale “The Wizard Of OZ”. At the end of the tale, it is revealed that the wizard of OZ, the powerful wizard who had founded and ruled the city, was an ordinary old man, a fraud. Respectively, the founder of OZ organization was a fraud, a predator and not a savior and the OZ organization is nothing more than a group of murderers and its beliefs a big scam.
~~~Why did people believe that anyone who has the psycho-gene is a killer?~~~
We know that psycho-genes exist in 'Mouse', but having them doesn’t necessarily make you a killer, only a psycho. We know that not all psychos are killers and not all killers are psychos. There's plenty of scientific research about how psychos' mindset is working in the real world and the writer tried to stay as accurate as she could to this. But despite this, history has also shown that people tend to believe in ridiculous ideas and do inhuman things. The people in the world of ‘Mouse’ aren’t any different.
From the story’s start, we see people believing that a murderer’s child is an evil monster, an upcoming murderer, that all psychopaths are crazy murderers. In other words, we see an easily manipulated crowd full of prejudiced people. Someone promised these people a utopian world without crime and they praised this idea.
~~~ “The Wizard Of OZ” and the main characters. ~~~
The OZ organization isn’t the only thing that reminds us of the tale “The Wizard Of OZ”. In fact, the main characters of ‘Mouse’ have a lot in common with the characters of the tale. Let’s take a close look and see why.
~~The Tin Man : Jung Ba Reum (JBR)
The Tin Man desired heart so he could feel emotions. JBR wanted to not be a monster. In the end, he got feelings and he wasn’t a monster anymore.
~~Dorothy Gale : Oh Bong Yi (OBY)
Dorothy was taken away from her family due to a cyclone. Thus, she began a journey to find her way back home. Likewise, OBY lost her only family. At first, she lost her grandmother and then JBR. In the end, she was alone. We can see her loneliness in the special ‘Mouse: the last’ in the lunch-time scene.
~~Scarecrow : Ko Moo Chi (KMC)
Scarecrow wanted a brain. KMC never had thought clearly after the Head Hunter accident. His mind was trapped on that day. After his interaction with JBR, his mind was free. Now he was a life-wise person and in peace.
~~The Cowardly Lion : Choi Hong So (CHS)
The Lion wanted to be brave. CHS was on the run all her life because she was afraid to face her parents. In the end she took the courage, reunited with her family and took responsibility for her actions.
~~Toto : The kitty
Toto is Dorothy’s dog and her only friend. Of course, Toto is here too, but as a little kitty. In episode 14, JBR’s nephew named the kitty JBR gave him Toto. What a funny coincidence…
~~~The dark reality of ‘Mouse’ and the meaning behind the title~~~
In ‘Mouse’ we see human cruelty in all its glory. We see vulnerable people. No one is perfect. We see good people die one after the other. We see people with good intentions killing their savior. We see mothers trying to kill their own kids. We see people dying in the name of science. We see people doing the same mistake and the story repeating itself.
‘Mouse’ is full of irony. It bothers us because, although it has the brain transplant, it feels very real. ‘Mouse’ is showing us that we are all victims of inhumanity, even a killer, even a psycho. Everyone is a “mouse”. Will we be able to escape from our inhumanity? Will we be able to avoid mistakes and not fall again like a rat in the trap? Are we sure about our actions? What if one day we wake up realizing everything we have done was wrong?
Conclusion
‘Mouse’ is one of the best K-Dramas for 2021. I won’t say that it's the best, because everyone has different preferences. What I’ll say though, is that ‘Mouse’ has the most unique story of 2021 K-Dramas. ‘Mouse’s story just hits differently and combined with the right direction, the marvelous interpretations and the on-point soundtrack created a powerful and intense Thriller.
Of course, ‘Mouse’ isn't flawless. At the end of the day, nothing is. But through ‘Mouse’ I saw hardworking people who loved their project and wanted to pass a message. I can’t ignore the details and the creativity that this show has. That’s why, for me, ‘Mouse’ is a masterpiece. Team-Mouse, thank you for not compromising the story for popularity and giving us this drama.
This was long so I want to thank everyone who took the time to read this review and I'm glad if some of you found it helpful.
If you want bonus/sources, see in the comments.
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Either way, a waste!
Having watched the original show “Jane the Virgin”, I was, at first, a bit hesitant because I liked that. But then I thought I should check out how the Kdrama essence changes it. And I am sadly (not really) declaring that they did fail and this was entirely a horrible attempt. It was obvious to compare this with the previous but then I thought I should actually consider it as a separate show because things must have changed with given circumstances, which did happen. Either way, it did disappoint.Developed by ‘Studio S’ & ‘Lifetime’ and produced by ‘Group 8”, “Woori the Virgin” is a comedy melodrama plus partly romcom drama, adopted from the American satire telenovela “Jane the Virgin”. Written by Jang Ah Mi and directed by Jung Jung Hwa, the drama was broadcasted on SBS TV and internationally distributed by “Viu” in limited countries. Notably, this is not a remake of the original show, rather an adaptation since all the 5 seasons from have been summed into a single season. Also, the show reunites Sung Hoon and Im Soo Hyang after 6 years who, again, happen to have debuted together 11 years ago.
Oh Woo Ri (Im Soo Hyang), daughter to a single mother and raised alongside her grandmother, is a woman in early 30s who has been virgin due to her religious beliefs. During a regular checkup, she gets pregnant due to medical malpractice at her OB-GYN clinic. To her surprise, the sperm owner turns out to be a man Rafael (Sung Hoon) with whom she had a momentary fling five years back. As she decides to keep the baby and the story follows the consequences and unfamiliar events she faces.
Lee Kang Jae (Shin Dong Wook) is Woori’s boyfriend and a detective. Other familiar faces in the story in various major roles were: Hong Eun Hee, Yun Won Kyung, Kim Soo Ro, Lee Do Yeon, Nam Mi Jung, Hong Ji Yoon, Joo Jin Mo and Yun Woon Kyung.
Plot development was the entire problem with the drama. The remake was a bad idea; they could have made a story based on the concept but they went for an adaptation, making foolish decisions. The pilot episode did its job of creating an impression at the end but the episode, as its own, was not very pleasant. However, the furtherance following that and the set of events became interesting with plenty of comic elements and revelations done for the major characters. To my disappointment, it didn’t last long; it seemed smooth till 5th but what happened in 6th and the way the episode ended, I was skeptical about the rest of the show, because it hadn’t even reached its interval.
With only the crime scandal and the main culprit left to be unveiled, everything else became stupid and not worth of watching as soon as the 7th episode started. I can’t say that the mystery plot and the investigation process kept me engaged, it’s just I wanted to know the culprit’s face even when the show had already fallen through, that’s it. It kept getting stupider and logic-less towards the ending and for my habit of not being able to leave anything unfinished, I watched 7th-14th at 3x, ngl.
Emphasizing on my opinion, once again, adaptation isn’t an easy job as it seems. Even if the audience doesn’t expect you to justify the originality, as a writer, you must be careful not to mislay the essence of what’s been presented earlier, which the debutant Jang Ah Mi jakka-nim clearly failed to accomplish. First of all, the idea to adapt a 5 seasoned show was stupid to begin with; secondly, it could have simply referred to the story and created one of their own; finally, bringing all the 5 seasons into one was where they stooped to rock-bottom.
With not being able to create something noteworthy in his almost 15 year caarrer, Jung Jung Hwa PD-nim has again failed to bring another drama to justice. The flow of direction was inconsistent, very much. Things like screenplay management, sound editing and screen editing might have been handled to par but the erratic pacing and irregular development come as annoyances. While the first half was smooth and worth the patience, the latter half becomes too rushed in order to include everything within the predetermined quota. Imo, they could have made to more episodes, minimizing the damage.
Composed by Choi Seung Kwon, the show has a total of 5 OSTs and my ‘Kdrama OST Sucker’ heart couldn’t bring itself to love any single of them. I would say ‘”I’m In Love” by Sin Ye Young was the only likable track which also fits to the drama. While “Gosh” by Jessi is a fabulous track individually, this has no particular essence to be contributed to the show. Other 3 tracks are: “Sunday to Monday” by Woody and “I’m goin’ crazy” which has both male & female versions, sung by Kim Bum Soo & Lee Young Hyun, respectively.
What I liked…
Nothing really
What I didn’t like…
# Sung Hoon’s acting doesn’t improve remarkably even though he has been acting for a while and his irregular casting should be the reason, but it’s obvious he isn’t getting many offers bcs there seems no will power to improve. He could utilize his time in taking classes. (Some of y’all will come at me foe this but fact never changes.)
# Character arcs for many were shoddy; not even the 3 leads had anything significance. Flaws make characters realistic but for a 14 episode fictional drama there were way too many flaws, provided they didn’t have a single fraction of development. In the second half, it wasn’t even funny rather ridiculous.
# Kang Jae’s character was horribly written with no particular sense. As a cop, he didn’t show any trait that would make him a good detective. The number of times he and his wit failed, implied his incompetency and also showed how incapable the police is. In short, this was so very unrealistic and had no logic.
# Chemistry between the 2 possible pairs were zero. While Im Soo Hyang did click with one showing little compatibility, pairing her up with the other was so useless and was presented with cliché elements as fillers only. The original show was convincing, but as the culture and essence have changed with the remake, the same felt extremely stupid here.
# The illogical plot devices were irritating in the sense that they did repeat few just to stall time and match the timelines of different subplots. Then, they used some just to fill the gaps created due to the removal of major events from the original show. Finally, the way of representation was choppy.
Final remarks... Overally, “Woori the Virgin” is not only a bad remake but also a poor quality show if you don’t take the original show into consoider. I came here knowing I might get bored but the stupidity and failures have made me mad. I understand the low budget is where the problems stem from but we have seen enough such cases, where makers have aced the race despite every hurdles. Since the show has way too many cons and almost no pro, I decline to acknowledge it as an average show, even. Don’t watch.
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2Did you ever dance with the devil in the pale moonlight?
Did you ever dance with the devil in the pale moonlight? What was it like? Did you leap into the abyss with wild abandon? Lose your heart, body and soul? Was it worth indulging in every lucious, forbidden moment? Find out all about it in Till the End of the Moon, a heart-stopping account of Li Susu and devil incarnate Tantai Jin's scorching entanglement of love, hate and misunderstanding that spans 500 years and multiple realms.In a desperate attempt to stave off the resurrection of the the devil god, a bunch of grey haired cultivators send an intrepid young cultivator Li Susu back 500 years in time to stop Tantai Jin from turning into the devil god. Yeah, you really have to hand it to these crusty old cultivators - when all else fails, they sacrifice a virgin and hope for the best! Susu assumes the identity of Ye Xiwu and is tasked to kill Tantai Jin after tempting him out of his... uhm... evil bone! I almost choked with laughter at the sheer audacity of such a naughty plot setup!
This angsty xianxia's unique premise is that the main protagonist Tantai Jin is a fiendishly compelling and tragically misunderstood character; literally a prince of darkness. Luo Yunxi is mesmerising in this role - his diabolical crooked smirk, the maleficent glare, the taunting cock of an eyebrow, the elegant devil-may-care gestures and the imperious snap of a finger. But it is his shatteringly wounded expression and how with a moment of stillness he screams silently with pain oozing from every pore that makes me root for the devil and to hell with the realms. My favorite part of this drama is how kindness and love gradually changes the dark, lonely and twisted Tantai Jin into a best yet still flawed version of himself. Bai Lu on the other hand could have delivered a more nuanced performance as Li Susu. Her Susu is so unwavering in her duty to the realms that I could not tell when she fell in love with Tantai Jin or if she ever really did. That said, there is an exceptional spark between the leads that results in both hilarious and smoking hot moments. I could see sparks fly in every direction during Ye Xiwu's seductive dance that tempts the devil in his liar. This drama's greatest hook is Luo Yunxi's portrayal that dimensions his character beyond the screenplay and his searing onscreen chemistry with Bai Lu.
There are four distinct arcs in this drama, the first of which is the strongest and most enthralling mortal arc. I loved everything about this arc and if this drama had held that level, I could have easily rated this over 9.0. By design, the second visually stunning dream arc also shines in many aspects but sags as a result of lazy writing and overuse of tired xianxia tropes. The third and fourth arcs recover somewhat but never quite hit the addictiveness of the first arc. Part of the problem is the second couple is poorly written, has no chemistry and is not empathetic. Their insipid story is overshadowed by that of foxy Pian Ran and unswerving Ye Qingyu's passionate and addictive love story, which ends way too soon. While all of the arcs have good moments, the plot is moved along almost solely by misunderstandings. This is the hallmark of indifferent screenwriting and it undermines the intelligence and agency of the main characters. With a little bit of effort, they could have gotten to the same place without undermining the characters and disengaging the audience.
In terms of production values, this is a big budget drama and it shows but not in the best ways. The make up was often over the top and not flattering. I am visually scarred by the excessive blood spitting that took it to the next level in terms of bloody teeth and the excessively bright contact lenses absolutely ruined many emotional moments for me. I did not at all enjoy the pantasmagorical CGI orgy game world that hijacked all of the clashes between good or evil including the beginning and ending scenes. The over-lit glare distracted from the emotion and the intensity of Tantai Jin and Li Susu's most pivotal scenes.
The way this drama ends is both fitting and inevitable in that both Tantai Jin and Li Susu fulfill their destiny. My problem is with how they get there. It could have been a lot more palatable if it were better written. But my biggest gripe with it is that the drama never convinces me that humanity or the realms are worth saving. Or that there is cosmic justice. After all, Tantai Jin was just jinxed from birth but he was hardly the worst, most evil character. What I resent most is that the hypocrisy of the moral sects is never exposed and that the truly evil characters get outcomes they don't deserve. The original works this drama was based on may have been very good but the adaptation is not. The screenwriters should all hide in shame and do all they can to try to erase their names from this adaptation. Nonetheless I rate this 8.5 because anything less would be an injustice to Luo Yunxi's devilish, simply irresistible and unforgettable portrayal of Tantai Jin.
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While there are still six months to go, the bar has been set extremely high with Abyss: a giant mess acted by a cast who really deserved better.
The annoying thing is, like last year's Worst Show of The Year (About Time), Abyss could have been fantastic. It has a great premise, a decent cast. It could have been an hilarious - almost farcical - comedy of mistaken identities, body swapping, and annoyed aliens. Instead what we got was a turgid, unfunny mess underpinned by a philosophy that was at times confused and at others actively offensive.
Ahn Hyo-seop has a lot of potential as an actor but he is still far too green to be given a leading role. With a good director, a good script and a good female lead he could have still produced something decent. But unfortunately he only got one of those in a criminally-underutilized Park Bo-young, - who really deserved better in her first lead show since the (sometimes equally as offensive) Strong Woman Do Bong-soon.
Both the lead roles were poorly written, with Ahn Hyo-seop's Cha Min changing from scene to scene depending on what the writer needed him to do - at times an uber genius, at others the dumbest male lead to ever appear on screen. Park Bo-young was given so little to work with for her character, Go Se-yeon, that she opted for cute - an interpretation that did not work with the character or the script.
Both these characters die and are brought back to life by a glowing alien marble. The unattractive Cha Min is suddenly gorgeous, while the stunning, willowy, Go Se-yeon is... Park Bo-young. Which is to say, she's a super adorable tiny person so the idea she's now "plain" is just ridiculous.
From beginning to end, Abyss had some profound things to say about image in our beauty-obsessed culture.
Like:
“you can’t love someone who’s ugly”
"what you look like is what your soul is like"
“plastic surgery gives you a better soul” and
“dieting makes your wedding day better”
Apart from the dumb, messy plot, the poor characterisation and the wall-to-wall stupidity of the characters, it's ultimately this utterly shallow and almost vacuous underpinning philosophy that makes Abyss truly awful.
Appearance is everything. Nothing else matters.
No thanks, Abyss. No thanks.
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a cinematographic thriller with an odd pacing
like most of us, i was hooked by the trailer of 'somebody'. i binged it the day of its release. a dark thriller, involving creepy serial killer kim young kwang and an intriguing kang hae lim ? could we ask for more ?the first episodes were interesting, the impeccable acting and visuals get you very engaged in the story-line. however, after a few episodes, the story arc gets a little dull. a slow paced thriller can be very good when well executed, but in my opinion, the pacing of the scenes in 'somebody' sometimes felt inadequate. some moments lasted too long, and others that we would want to dive deeper into ended abruptly. i also wish they went in more depth into backstories to improve character development. when finishing the drama, i was left with mixed feelings, and wanting to know more.
still, i need to praise all the actor's performances. they are the ones keeping the story compelling from start to finish. kim sum's character is chilling, and yun ho's scenes dreadful ! they really nailed it on their part.
overall, it's an aesthetically pleasing, very well produced (netflix) drama, with flawless acting, so it's still a rather enjoyable watch for anyone into slow thrillers. this drama had a lot of potential, but i feel like the visual quality took over the actual substance and depth of the story.
edit: removed the 'leaving us with many unanswered questions' from the title, as it seemed to confuse people into thinking this drama had an open ending!
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A Great KBL
I really enjoyed watching the series 💯. The series teaches the important of loving oneself properly and how friendship is a very integral part of life. A very realistic ending and a beautiful story but there were so many things I couldn’t understand.Why was his best friend not aware he had Kylie , where was she when he lost his mother and when he almost lost his life, she literally called him to hangout after not long after he lost his mother and we didn’t see her at the funeral . I didn’t really get his story with Habibi too . His friends deserved to know what he had been dealing with at least and they didn’t preach safe sex and how he was having relations with people while having Kylie , I feel like that should have been touched as well. But apart from that I loved it
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This show is fantastic; it's something new. This is among, if not the best, kdrama I have ever watched. Although I do have a few sentiments to share: (1) The show had an extremely strong beginning, however somewhere in the middle, it felt lukewarm. It did pick up again eventually. (2) I almost dropped it out of annoyance towards Yi Seo because of her obsessive tendencies and unnecessarily rude attitude. I had to continuously remind myself that she was sociopathic to rationalize the way that she was acting. One thing I cannot forget, however, is the scene where she kissed Saeroyi without his knowledge. That was creepy and unneeded. I would remove that, if I could. (3) There was a lack of romantic development between Yi Seo and Saeroyi. I wish the build up were shown more gradually and naturally because I never really figured out when Saeroyi started feeling differently. Was Saeroyi already lovestruck when Yi Seo confessed her feelings? If not, then when did he fall inlove? I don't know. I don't know if it was done purposely as romance is not the storyline's focus, but the romance between the two came out forced.Despite what I've said, I absolutely loved watching this. It was a wild ride, and it made me feel so intensely. It isn't surface level. It is above and beyond Saeroyi's relationship with Yi Seo. In fact, it tackles many aspects of being human exceptionally - the importance of bonds, the sturdiness we should possess in hardship, the search for meaning, the effort it takes to abide by our principles, the way that everything else gets clouded in pursuit of something, the effect of upbringing to one's viewpoints, self-interest, dehumanization. Not to mention it also touches societal issues such as racism, bullying, and the scorn that transgenders receive. It's just so well-made and well-executed. Moreover, the casting is simply outstanding, both the protagonists and antagonists are effective. They give full justice to their roles.
All the characters are flawed, and while they are unconventional, they are also substantial. They are oftentimes irritating, self-serving, and unreasonable - but that's what makes them all the more enthralling. While they undoubtedly manifest all these qualities, they continue to move forward, gasping, struggling, improving themselves in their own way, seeking for reasons to continue on, even if their reasons are repugnant, such is life.
The plot encapsulates being human in such a spectacular way, and I truly admire that. You would find yourself disagreeing with plenty of things. You would encounter absurd worldviews. You would question your own morals. And you won't even notice it, but you would find yourself engrossed and attached. The flow, the storytelling, the dialogues, the OSTs - everything is impeccable. The ending was pure satisfaction.
Needless to say, watching this has been a great pleasure to me. Give this show a chance to prove that it deserves the hype.
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One thing that caught my attention was Seo Joon's acting in certain scenes, which i thought he did a wonderful job with. On the other hand, Hwang Jung Eum, and Siwon. Usually in dramas when they try to act funny, it just doesn't work, but here, i think these two did amazing, because i actually found myself laughing at them occasionally.
All in all, if you're looking for a drama that's light to watch, has those funny side characters that make you laugh with them, and a pleasant atmosphere, this would be it!
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As this show finally came to the end today, after three months of following trainees journey, I thought I would share some of my thoughts and list some of the reasons why it's (in my opinion) the best of all Produce shows.
1. Production quality is really high
YWY is a competition but the production team doesn't make it look like the hunger games. The editing is not evil but actually made me burst out laughing many times and rather on creating unecessary drama, it focused on showing hard work and friendship between trainees and how much the girls supported each other.
The cameramen usually do a really good job and don't suddenly zoom into space or into the back of someone's head while filming.
Stage effects, outfits, makeup etc. (and of course talented trainees) make the performances look proffessional and impressive.
2. Mentors genuinely care about the trainees and give them useful advices
I think that the relationship between mentors and trainees is much closer than in different versions of the show.
It was a great decision to chose Cai Xukun as the main host. He knows what the trainees are going through, because he went through the same experience in Idol Producer so he's able to really empathize with the girls. Despite his young age, he already has admirable knowledge about music and performing and he tries to share this knowledge with the trainees.
Also, I think the panel with Alicia was one of the most useful panels for every trainee/rookie I've seen in Produce shows, because she actually addressed the struggles of 'celebrity life' without sugar-coating anything.
3. The contestants
First of all, the amount of talent the trainees have is insane and I was often impressed by the stage presence of some of the contestants.
The trainees really support each other and their friendships seem so genuine. There's not a single girl who's unlikable and you actually get attached to these girls and wish them best. The girls face hardships during their training but they're still able to keep their spirits up and lighten the mood.
The tone of the show is different from what I saw in Produce101. The contestants don't look like they're going to crumble under pressure. They are not afraid to express their opinion and even joke with their mentors.
4. The message
What I absolutely love about this show is the fact that it supports diversity and girl power. Rather than focusing on being cute and pretty, the girls show that you can be cool, you can have different image but most importantly you can be yourself and keep fighting for your dreams.
In my opinion, especially in Korean shows too much emphasis is put on the visuals.
Honestly I think it would be hard for a contestant with the image like Yu Zhang or Frhanm Shangguan to go far in the Korean Produce and I don't think it would be possible for a girl like Liu Yuxin to reach the top. But in Youth With You I was so happy to see girls who were not 'conventionally pretty', girls who had different styles and personalities.
To put it short: even if you're not interested in survival shows, I think you should give this one a chance.
YWY 2 is over now and I'm really gonna miss it. I wish all the contestans best of luck and of course I can't wait to see The Nine debut.
(Annotation: By using term 'Produce shows' in this review I refer to the shows which follow the same format as original Korean Produce101.)
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