Bad Buddy is the BL drama that WILL END ALL BL DRAMAS!!!
ALL ELSE BEING EQUAL, this is the BL drama that will end all BL dramas – PERIOD! No one or not everybody will agree with me but if you look again closely at all those previous (and watch future) “popular” BL dramas and compare them with Bad Buddy, you can tell the difference (truly no offense meant to the fans of other BL dramas). I thought Dark Blue Kiss was my all-time favorite UNTIL I watched Bad Buddy. Bad Buddy is unique by all accounts and I will not elaborate this because if you are truly a Bad Buddy fan, you know what I am referring to.You can start combing through any discussion threads/comments/etc. (in all social media) about Bad Buddy and 99% of all the comments are in unison having the same voices and sentiments THAT... (1) You can’t or don’t need to watch another BL drama after watching Bad Buddy because it will be very difficult for you to move one AND (2) You will need another BL drama that is “better” than Bad Buddy before you can get over Bad Buddy drama, but it’s highly unlikely. Bad Buddy drama has set the bar so high that you will not watch any other BL drama if its not as good as (or better than) Bad Buddy!
It might be too early to consider Bad Buddy drama as PEERLESS, but it will be!!!
All our lives, we thought the best things that Fridays can give us are rest and enjoyment (after studying or working hard) BUT Bad Buddy has totally, immensely, and overwhelmingly changed that!!!! Fridays will never be the same again after watching Bad Buddy drama!!!!!!!
Watching Bad Buddy is a marvelous way to end 2021 and start 2022…
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This review may contain spoilers
don’t waste your time
don’t waste your time on this for it shitty ending.It started well for me, but the plot went down hill at some point, the last 6 eps were disappointing.
The good :
- the acting was decent
- the music
- the third couple (who was not seen a lot) was cute, pretty good communications, healthy relationship. they solved their problems pretty fast
- I think all 3 couples have good chemistry
- some scenes impacted me emotionally, like ep 18 with the second couple or just scene related to first and second couple, I was almost crying
- I like the eps when the leads were with the kid
- the friendship
- this is a good and bad point, but I appreciate at first using mental illness of ML as a plot for problems/breakup, that felt real to some aspect and not like some cdrama where are think the breakup is pretty stupid or the use of a third party is annoying
- at some level, I liked the second couple, I loved their chemistry, but I don’t think their story was well written
- I enjoyed the romance between the leads (expect the last part of the drama)
the bad :
- dragging second couple getting together
- dragging the problems between the leads
- became somehow boring at some point, 36 eps was too much
- the worst ending possible that literally ruins everything. Doesn’t make any sense, rushed, nothing explained. FL is 100% hallucinating him, sad ending. And this is just nonsense. be clear damn it!! if he is dead, explain it, be clear about it. Why end with such horrible nonsense ending. Feel incomplete. Poor FL too, I hate it.
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You can't bring a sword to a gun fight.
Like many wuxia fans, I consider Jin Yong / Gum Yoong (Cantonese) the greatest wuxia writer of all time. Side Story of Fox Volant 飛狐外傳 is one of his early works. It was written shortly after The Flying Fox of Snowy Mountain 雪山飞狐, which is both a prequel and a sequel. Unlike many versions that combine both novels, Side Story of Fox Volant is adapted as a stand-alone story. Despite some meaningful changes, this adaptation captures the essence of the original story, the spirit of martial heroes or daxia/大侠 and the vagaries of jianghu/江湖.The drama is action packed with fast paced, intense, starkly violent and brilliantly choreographed combat sequences that will satisfy any hard core wuxia buff. Slow motion is used sparingly for maximum brutal impact. No one has magic qigong or special powers. The main fighters - Hu Yidao, Miao Renfeng, Hu Fei and Tian Guinong are swordsman with distinct combat styles and battle advantages. When they clash it is very muscular and lethally up close. The nimble Yuan Ziyi's weapon of choice is a whip, which minimizes close encounters to compensate for the physical disadvantage of being a woman. With each episode I think the action has to be as good as it gets but to my surprise and delight, the production keeps delivering into the final wulin arc. The wulin arc in terms of both plot design and action is the best I have seen. While Miao Renfeng and Hu Fei's martial teamwork in episode 22 may be the best of the best, the ending battle encounters are inventive, exhilarating and savagely satisfying. The action scenes are this drama's strongest point and are worthy of multiple thrilling re-watches.
I am not a fan of the trend of whitewashing characters, especially Jin Yong's characters. Jin Yong is the master of multi-faceted characters. His heroes are flawed. His villains have redeeming features. Nobody is perfect in the Jin Yong universe. So when writers have the audacity to tweak his characters, they usually muck it up. When it comes to earlier, less refined works like this, I don't mind so much as there is room for improvement. While this version does a good job with Yuan Ziyi, Hu Fei is disappointingly adapted beyond recognition. The attempt to make Tian Guinong and Nan Lan empathetic is nauseating and boring. This is one of the four don'ts Jin Yong specifically warned against in the preface to the latest edition of the novel.
This is one of the author's darker, more cynical works. Most of the characters love too well but not wisely - Hu Fei, Miao Renfeng, Cheng Lingsu, Ma Chunhua, and Nan Lan. The heart wants what the heart wants, consequences be damned. Nan Lan and Ma Chunhua are selfish and don't care who they hurt in the process while Cheng Lingsu, Hu Fei and Miao Renfeng are noble idiots. They all pay a terrible price for following their hearts. Yuan Ziyi is the only exception; she dares only to hate but not to love.
Yuan Ziyi is one of Jin Yong's most under appreciated and saddest heroines. She is the only heroine who is not an extension of the hero; she is on her own independent path to salvation. Born from an act of violence, she is consumed by self loathing; doomed by unkind karma to seek justice and then live a life of atonement for the sins of her father. In the context of her beliefs, if she breaks her solemn oath she will only prolong her bad karma. In the novel, she acts out and does very controversial things. These actions drown out her piteous backstory and make her a widely disliked character. This adaptation deftly writes out those events, enabling us to see her in a more empathetic light. Her shifu should have been left offscreen as her pressure obscures Ziyi's own resolve to keep her vow. I always feel terribly sorry for Ziyi; she never had free will. She is alive but she does not live. I am not sure that chanting sutras into oblivion is a better fate than death, which is final liberation from all suffering. I don't love Liang Jie's acting but her Ziyi impressed me. The slightest shadow of regret in her eyes in a stone cold face and her ability to convey so much beyond her words moved me to tears several times.
Even though Cheng Lingsu is a clever character, I never found her relatable because her entire reason for existence is Hu Fei. But to my surprise, I like Xing Fei's warm and personable rendition of Lingsu. Her Lingsu is devoted to Hu Fei without coming across as a doormat and she gets him out of many tight spots with her quick thinking. The complex entanglement between the three of them is well portrayed. Hu Fei's chemistry with Ziyi is tangibly different from his dynamics with Lingsu, making it immediately obvious who he loves and who loves him. He is much more of one heart with Ziyi and they instinctively act in unison with little need for communication or explanation. Whereas Lingsu is constantly reining Hu Fei in and giving him instructions that are at odds with his natural instincts. When he can't help disobeying, he appears reckless and unintelligent. This character flaw arguably contributes to what happens to Lingsu at the end. There are better ways to show that Hu Fei is less in sync with Lingsu without throwing his character under the bus.
Lin Yushen's Miao Renfeng steals the show in this drama. Criticism that his Miao Renfeng is too much like his Yang Xiao in Heaven Sword is fair but he is so cool and he pulls off the character's inner conflicts and emotions so well that I don't mind. This performance anchors the drama for he is the martial hero of this story, His code of honor demands that he does the right thing even when it is the wrong thing for himself and those he loves. I wouldn't object if they call this the Legend of Miao Renfeng because of this compelling portrayal of what it means to be a daxia. Even though he is movingly handsome when he is suffering, the story wallows in Miao Renfeng's betrayal and loss for too long. The tawdry Nan Lan/Tian Guinong arc is a boring extended digression. The opportunity missed is that Hu Fei and Miao Renfeng do not get enough scenes together. They have remarkable combined chemistry and their joint fight scene is the one of the drama's best.
As for the titular character Hu Fei 胡斐, (which is a homonym for fox volant or flying fox), I always loved his character design. Far from being infallible, he is a work in progress - young and smart with tons of potential but a bit hot headed and too idealistic. He is the people's hero; the guy who demands justice for the underdog regardless of the cost to himself. His best traits, this strong sense of righteousneous and his willingness to fight the unfair fight is dumbed down to recklessness and even stupidity in this adaptation. He is written off as a bull in the China shop whose hot headedness could wreck the Red Flower Society's mission to save wulin. He doesn't accomplish much on his own and without Ziyi and Lingsu, he'd have died many times. It does not help that despite his phenomenal acting, Qin Junjie looks a bit too mature to play an 18 year old.
Despite good pacing, the plot digresses into too many dull sub-plots and arcs. This is an issue with the original work, which this adaptation already cleans up considerably. The Nan Lan and Poison Valley disciple arcs are the least interesting and Hu Fei deserves to be less peripheral in the reveal of the conspiracy behind Hu Yidao's death. The wulin arc brings the story to a climax, one that exceeds that of the novel on some fronts but is a let down in other aspects. Good characters die in wuxias, it is par for the course. But their deaths must be worthy and not gratuitous. What I dislike most about the ending is that it unnecessarily sacrifices a knight errant after they capture the king. It is a futile sacrifice because you can't bring a sword to a gun fight. Sadly, the advent of guns heralds the demise of jianghu and martial heroes.
This is a good adaptation overall that is limited by original works that lack the finesse of Jin Yong's subsequent masterpieces. The novel is already too dark and unbalanced. It is not necessary to outdo Jin Yong in how incredibly cruel he is to Hu Fei. Despite its darkness, the novel still ends on a note of optimism because Hu Fei's journey continues. But in the drama Hu Fei seems to be left to live largely in the past with two women, one too old and too icky for him and another so young it would be too icky. Thus to me this is at best an 8.0 in terms of storytelling that I bump up to an 8.5 for the not to be missed fight scenes. Nonetheless, this wuxia takes you on a stirring and addictive journey that is well worth it - as long as you do not need a Disney ending.
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Guardian: The Lonely and Great God
69 people found this review helpful
by AigooMyLengthyParagraphs 
1 
1
1 1 THE HYPE FOR THIS DRAMA IS ALL TRUE!
AWESOME IN ALL CATEGORIES!The HYPE for this drama is all TRUE!
No doubt, Now, this is One of My All Time Favs!! :)
The Plot is Good and the Characters are Well Written. Every Character is Lovable.
Direction, Production, Cinematography, Visual effects, Acting, OST/BGM, Pacing, EVERYTHING IS DONE VERY WELL AND RIGHT TO THE POINT!
OST is the BEST.
Both the Couples are Lovely.
The Bromance of Kim Shin & Grim reaper is Cool .
These two along with Deok Hwa, the Trio is Funny 😂
But at times, it's just Repetitive or a Content filler, prolonging the number of episodes mindlessly.
(It's like an unnecessary REVISION to the Viewer, haha).
Without those repetitions, Could have wrapped up very well in 16 hours instead of 20+ hours.
***
Overall, THOROUGHLY ENJOYABLE! 👌🏻
My RATING is 9.5/10.
Without those so called revisions, it's 10/10 ! :)
P.S.1: That content filler repetitions KILLED ME but this OST HEALED ME! 😂
P.S.2: I can still hear the OST song , ringing in my head and hum, while writing this review, even after many years of watching this drama (BTW, it's my phone ringtone now :) )
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This review may contain spoilers
Cute!!!
This is such a cute drama, the kid alone makes it enjoyable to watch. The mains chemistry is great, their interactions are adorable. They are also quite natural with their roles. It is quite cliché but whatever, you will find yourself grinning. Extremely fluffy to say the least.The editing is crap tbh, the characters are not realistic at all. Such as the things they do concerning their occupation is beyond questionable. I'll just say that the Aunt is pain! I find it frustrating to watch couples break up after confessing, makes the ending feel rushed and unnecessary plot device. There are inconsistencies but other than that, it is a good watch. I suggest switching off your brain cells tho.
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It has the overused tropes that most kdramas always has; college setting, hate to love, opposite attract. But it's developed really well!
The acting was good
Tbh PJC's acting was kinda robotic at some parts, but i think it was part of his character so it doesn't bother me much. Main leads chemistry was amazing.
The pacing wasn't rushed like most kbl does. The cinematography were well done
Music was good, my favorite would be Romantic Devil by Coldin.
I don't usually rewatch dramas. But this one is an exception. There's not much episode, so i could finish it in one sitting.
Overall -
If you like to watch some light hearted romance with overused tropes, i recommend you this
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If you ever felt like degrading almost every drama you have watched so far only because of this one new show you just started, then welcome to Money Flower. Is it captivating? Yes. Does it have an amazing cast? Yes. Will the script blow your mind away? A definite YES.
Although I know that there will always be this one or two per cent who don’t enjoy a show and that there are also those dramas whose hype is just overrated, I’m sure that most of the people who watched this one, enjoyed it as much as I did – and probably felt the same (painful…) torture every week.
I haven't watched many dramas with Jang Hyuk yet, but the character he took on in this drama is by far and without doubt one of his best - if not THE best. I can't compare much but I also can't imagine how Jang Hyuk would top what he delivered here. He plays a typical anti-hero who wants to take revenge for something that happened a long time ago and therefore concocts a plan that takes action over a long period of time while needing a lot of patience. 'Strength lies in calmness' one would say, well damn, Kang Pil Joo (Jang Hyuk) created this line all anew. A first glance of him and his whole demeanor tells you to not approach him. He seems like a fox that transforms into a tiger later on. He's cold and manipulative, calculating and ambitious. It's incredible how scarce his facial expressions were and at the same time told so much about his inner thoughts and conflicts. It was also thrilling to watch him pursue his goals and root for him but also see whether he would be able to go all the way, cross boundaries or stay focused till the bitter end.
Jang Hyuk's acting is leading this drama effortlessly, even though he is not the only force and has some equal counterparts who delivered their stories just as well.
For example Jang Seung Jo who is portraying Jang Boo Cheon. He seems to be a clueless guy who doesn't have a serious plan for his future and therefore gets lead like a puppet by his mother. Deep down he is a good boy. He has many flaws, makes mistakes and even though he tries to do the right things or correct his mistakes, he ends up worsening them. Yes, he's not perfect and definitely no saint but his bromance with Kang Pil Joo was beautiful and painful to watch at the same time. Twists and turns will test him in every possible way - and while Kang Pil Joo's path seems rather clear, Jang Boo Cheon's character will be thrown into some fatal situations. You won't always agree with his behavior or his decisions, you might even get furious about them. But there are also some moments when you want to give him some slack, too. Out of them all he was the one who was the hardest to predict, especially in the second half.
His mother on the other hand is one despicable woman. Lee Mi Sook. Whenever I watch a drama with her, she makes me want to strangle her character - sometimes jokingly, sometimes with all my might. Jung Mal Ran, the woman she is impersonating, definitely belongs to my latter choice. Just the sight of her makes me furious. Yes, she had some hardships in her life and always had to fight for everything while constantly living with the fear of losing it all in the end. But the lengths she is willing to go to secure those things and totally ignoring what's really important, put her on a way that would be very hard to escape from. I wouldn't say that she's one of the best villains I've seen so far, but Lee Mi Sook put on an enjoyable show and her performance is worth the effort.
These three actors just received the MBC rewards for excellence performances in Money Flower. It's the first time that I actually agree on the winners because their acting was far above everyone else.
Park Se Young plays Na Mo Hyun, the innocent equivalent in this drama and someone who brings a little balance into this heavy revenge game. She gets caught in Kang Pil Joo's net of lies without realizing it. Even though she seemed to be the naive good girl, she never appeared weak in my eyes. She had to deal with some cruel situations but after falling down, she put herself together and fought back which was so important because otherwise she would have become insane. I appreciate her character very much. She did what was in her power while staying true to herself, getting stronger and raising her confidence. I like Park Se Young a lot, her acting might not have been as outstanding as the others, but she still did a wonderful job and on top of that had sizzling chemistry with Jang Hyuk. Yes, they kept me on tenterhooks like I have never been before... But beware, this drama focuses on Pil Joo's revenge and doesn't care for its viewers desires.
There are so many other characters and actors who nourish the story and should be mentioned. But I don't want to take away all the enjoyment. It's hard to praise and do justice to this drama without getting lost in the details and reveal too much. Everyone should experience this road for themselves.
The story is smooth like water, it doesn't have rugged edges, and the colors and the music feel like a well balanced frame, that carries a calm but sweeping tone - and you realize that something big is coming down. It's like one of those paintings you discover in old art museums. The more you look at it, the more you get sucked in - Money Flower is just like that. It makes you curious and excited. It leaves a hole in your heart whenever you have to pause it. Sometimes I wanted to hide my face but the drama wouldn't let me do that. I was too paralyzed to avoid my gaze. And of course, I didn't want to miss even one second. I started to anticipate the heat in my veins while getting furious or anxious or flustered.
Other times I found myself crying without realizing it, because the tears suddenly exploded in my eyes. I didn't cry much during this show and I didn't realize how deep my emotions got entangled until a certain moment. Then it suddenly hit me and one scene, one tear of Jang Hyuk and my rivers broke. Believe me when I say that it's that good - in every aspect possible.
I was worried and in doubt until the last minute whether they would be able to conclude the drama with a satisfying ending. But they certainly did. I might have some personal issues with one tiny thing (that is so not worth mentioning) but overall a deserving finale.
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This review may contain spoilers
Fan Service at its Best
First, let me warn you by saying don't look for these to strictly adhere to continuity. It's really fan-centric one-shots meant as a gift by the actors and producers. For example Byeong-In is in one episode as the captain of police at the same time Cheoljong is looking at the Queen's Dictionary which has notations about voting and gold/dirt spoons, which occurred later. In another segment, Hwan is sporting the sunglasses he first wears in episode 20 whereas all but the prequel seem to indicate the stories taking place right before or immediately after the banquet.Segment 1 - SY and CJ meeting for the first time as adults. More So Yong centric than Cheoljong. At least they did manage to flesh out her character just a little bit. The prequel is beautifully shot with CJ romanticized and looking like Prince Charming from a storybook to the Nth degree. It has a dreamy quality to it.
Segment 2 - An absolute hilarious acknowledgement of the fans' comments about the similarity in looks and build of Prince YP and Byeong-In.
Segment 3 - Focused on the flirtations of the Royal Chef and Lady Choi
Segment 4 - KDramas are known for several tropes, one of which is the jealous lover. Didn't fit into the narrative of Mr. Queen too much, though they did manage to fit in one small scene towards the end, so the producers created this one-shot that is jealous KDrama lover overload. Very, very funny and really showcases the comedic timing of Kim Jung Hyun.
Segment 5 - Card game gone extreme between the Kim powerhouse siblings with poor So Yong's father caught in the middle.
Segment 6 - The most enigmatic one. This segment had some moments of comedy, but it had a strange undercurrent of wistfulness and melancholy as well which is tied into the wishes each character makes upon seeing their first meteor shower.
Overall, it was just fun watching. The comedic elements were ramped up and more campy than usual. The segments were definitely poking fun at the characters and storylines while at the same time trying to give fans elements that they couldn't necessarily incorporate into the main drama.
Looking back, I also feel that it supports my reincarnation theory. Prequel hints at the idea of destiny, middle segment answers the question of where the love and attraction is stemming from, and the last gives us the promise of reunion for the soulmates.
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I want to start this off saying that the undeniable stars of this drama are the leads, played by Kwak Dong-Yeon and Park Se-Wan. Those two have some of the best chemistry together and they were the reason I started watching this drama in the first place.
That being said, while they were the reason I started, they weren't the only reason why I kept watching. There are two families at the center of this drama's plot. The first isn't a biological family unit, but one of circumstance. Several different individuals wind up staying at the Nakwon Inn (or Paradise Inn as it's translated to) and develop a tight-knit family of their own. The second, the Na family. They're a chaebol family consisted of some (mostly) egocentric individuals, and Hae Jun (he's the only one that doesn't suck royally, in fact, he's pretty cool). Both families filled me with a different set of emotions. The found family was beautiful, the love and support that they provided for each other is enough to give you the warm fuzzies. I was particularly a huge fan of the brother-sister relationship between Woo Jae and Bak Ha. The chaebol family, as expected, pissed me off quite frequently. What I wasn't expecting was to find all of them (well, almost all of them) to have charming aspects to themselves. This doesn't typically happen when I watch a chaebol family in a drama, so it was quite refreshing.
Now, let's talk romance. The central romance was definitely my favorite, but all (but one, Woo Jae and Hae Ri are my ultimate NOTP) of the other romances were also interesting to watch. They had so much chemistry and it was fun to watch their relationships gradually develop. For sure one of my favorite parts.
One of the cool things about this drama is that all of the characters' stories are linked. In the beginning most of the central characters were at the area where the prime conflict (the death of Bak Ha's husband) took place. What's also interesting is that each member of the Nakwon Inn family has some sort of bone to pick with members of the Na family.
Last, and not least, we have the other star of this show, an adorable baby named Yeol Mu. Yeol Mu manages to make everyone love and take care of him. He has an incredible charm that will make your heart melt.
Overall, it's a great drama filled with family, love, and growth. If you're good with longer format shows, it's worth giving a shot.
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Thanks for the miracle
Before you even start this drama, don't try to find an explanation for all this supernatural stuff, just let yourself be carried away by the strength of their chemistry. This drama really gives meaning to the word "love".The time between Mitsuri and Koichi is limited after the latter's accident. As a "living corpse", his future is uncertain and despite all that this implies, Mitsuru tries to remain as calm and rational as possible.
The contrast between the cheerful Koichi and the composed Mitsuru is one of the strengths of this story. It is clear why they fell in love with each other long before this event occurred that puts their story in perspective.
The drama will carry a sense of delicacy, discretion and melancholy throughout the episodes. Their relationship is one that doesn't need to be expressive to know that they love each other, their eye contact gives you butterflies, a feeling of sadness and happiness at the same time.
You will fall in love with Mitsuru's monologues which are poignant, sad, loving, he has such resilience. You will appreciate the message behind each dialogue, dialogues that make us accept grief, the grief of love, the grief of loss. When a simple conversation gives us hope, hope that there will be a tomorrow, hope that we will not be forgotten as long as our memory has a place in the heart of the beloved.
As a bonus, the OSTs are powerful, soft, catchy and accompany each scene very well.
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1The boundless promise.
Feng Ren is a Gushi/骨仕, an enigmatic, lethal sworn blade whose sole reason of existence is to protect the coveted Wuliang/无量/Boundless Heart Sutra. He intercepts a blind boy Po Xiao, who may just be a decoy or may be the true custodian of the Wuliang Heart Sutra and together, they flee the city. On their perilous journey they learn each others secrets. Underneath all the half-truths and deceptions between them, an inexplicable bond, an unspoken shared understanding and trust grows between then. For such a short length story, the actors' chemistry and the depth and complexity of emotions they conveyed shook me. Every twist deepens their bond and the boundless promise they make to each other. The important message of this story is that with great power, comes great responsibility. This is dark and heartbreaking wuxia but the break of dawn that pierces the darkness is blinding and immensely powerful.Everything about this movie smacks of Guo Jingming's fabulous taste and hallmark aesthetics. If like me, you watch this after My Journey To You, it is quite clear that the drama expands upon many ideas in terms of style, plot and character design from this 37-minute movie. Feng Ren makes me think of Han Yasi and Po Xiao of Xue Gongzi. The narrative also explores how best to deal with a weapon of unaparallelled power. Due to its short length, the plot is tight with no unnecessary digressions and everything comes to a full circle at the end. It perfectly illustrates the power of a short story in how it captures the heart and the imagination with all that is left unsaid and untold. This is a simple, well executed plot that is a must watch and one that I am happy to rate 8.5/10.
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Lesbian friendships at the forefront of this little show
Soo not Sue is back with another delightful show. I love the fact that even though there is a romantic storyline, this show is about people. It is about friends, it is about women who are together because they are lesbians, not romantically, but because community is important. This is about the place, Dickinson’s Room (love a good lesbian reference in the name of a place), and the people in it above all else.The main relationship is between Seol and her aunt Jung-won. They have always been close, but Jung-won never told Seol about the fact that she was gay and that she had left her job to open a women-only café/bar. Where Seol is bubbly, Jung-won is introverted and quiet. They are not that different in age, but they have very different outlooks on being out, being open, being in the public eye as a woman who loves women.
This show is about showing that neither way is better than the other, that sometimes, you might need to adjust, to be calmer or to be more open.
It’s also about how society and Korean society in particular acts towards wlw. Thanks to the several different lesbian characters, Soo not Sue shows us that there is not one way to be a lesbian in Korea today. That you can be an influencer and be a lesbian, but that you will be prevented from getting jobs by some homophobic people. That you can be out, but that some people are still too afraid for that and that it's okay and you should respect that. That places where you can be yourself exist, but that they’re often hidden away and you need to walk around the block three times before you see it.
It is about the friendship that is made between queer women (and the jokes that if you spend enough time in lesbian spaces, you will be meeting your exes a lot), about how lesbian relationships can be as toxic as straight ones and you really should dump once and for all your ex that keeps asking you to come back together before dumping you again. It is about the fact that friendship is so important and all too often in media, it is put aside in favour of pure romance.
She Makes My Heart Flutter shows us the reverse. A story about queer friendship and family with a healthy dose of a very cute romance on the side.
The cinematography and the production quality in general is tip top, as we have come to expect from Soo Not Sue and Korea in general. The actors did a good job with their characters, even those secondary ones that felt a bit more like stereotypes.
It is a short show, bit quite a bit longer than others when compared to other indie lesbian shows on YouTube. Contrary to some of the short K-BL we have seen in the past few years, this show manages its time quite well and even though I would have appreciated more time to develop the characters and their stories, it didn't feel too lacking because it knew to limit its stories to what fitted in its timeframe.
I had a really good time watching this show and I will be both rewatching it and recommending it to people. Sometimes in those reviews I recommend people watch it with the caveat that it is not very good, but beggars can’t be choosers and we should support wlw shows and short films to show there is interest. But no such caveat here, She Makes My Heart Flutter is good show with a good story, a good message, very high production value and at only 5x13 min, it is a quick watch.
Can someone with a lot of money give Soo Not Sue money to produce a long form drama with lesbians? Please and thank you.
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The beginning is kind of slow, so i found myself skipping most of the family oriented scenes & only wanted to see the relationship between the 2main leads. But after (i'd say around the 10th-15th episodes maybe?) those were my favorites scenes & i couldn't miss one. Indeed the interactions between all the characters (there are a lot!) are very fun to watch, the characters are lovable & really grow on you & it depicts a lot of aspects of Korean culture which i found really interesting.
One of the most important thing for me is that there aren't any frustrating or despicable characters. They're all amazing (especially Ah Damo, his father, Gongjoo & Sonja!). Even the "bad" ones (annoying jealous rara for instance) change & become nice. Characters getting on my nerves & whose behaviours are stupid, irrational to the point I wanna murder them are the main reason why i often cannot finish dramas (especially when they are the main leads). So the fact that the only person i hated in there has a bad ending, god i wanted to hug the writers!
On the romance side, great great great! Even though the story is somewhat far-fetched (well, it's a kdrama we're talking about), their relationship feels real & reaaaally passionate at the same time. Completely fell in love with Ah damo. (I usually don't fall that hard for a character haha) Dan Saran is also great & strong-willed ,of course she isn't perfect & can get kind of irritating sometimes (Not to me though)
=> If you want a mix of warm&hilarious; family-oriented scenes (Andreeeeeee) and a passionate romance, wrapped up in a nice setting (Gisaeng;)!), providing you're patient (52 episodes!) this is the drama for you !
PS:
I rated 7 for the story because it's good but kind of typical, it's actually the humor & the amazing acting that made the drama ! Rewatch value: i usually don't rewatch dramas, & especially not this one since it's so long, but i have found myself rewatching some parts here & there , still laughing.
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It wasn't extremely well done or flashy or a "you must watch this" kind of film. In fact I was hesitant because someone had suggested it looked like the young guy falls for older woman scenario. But that wasn't it at all.
It was simple, sweet, and about a woman trying to live the principles she was struggling to teach her daughter. In fact from the the male character's point of view I would describe this film as 'appreciate your mother because you don't know how long your going to have her' or as a 'your lucky to have a mother - if your not going to appreciate her than I'll take her'.
I loved how the story unfolded. I truly could feel him slowly growing attached to her - as a son, with every moment she spent with his family. You could feel how much he needed her influence in his life and than suddenly you saw him have an influence on hers. "Break down the door," he said and I cheered (because I completely agreed with him).
It is an all around a good story. Easy to watch. Easy to enjoy. And something I will watch again when I am in the mood for something slow pace.
Hope that helps.
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An absolute gem. One that flew under everyone's radar, and it would have flown under mine as well if it wasn't recommended to me by another Avengers Social Club fan.
Spring Turns to Spring is a very lighthearted comedy revolving around body swapping of two women and all the hilarity that ensues. The plot never takes itself too seriously, while also tackling issues such as corruption, infidelity, misogyny in a comedic fashion. We're also given an abundance of hilarious revenge schemes, quirky office humor and interactions, endearing sismance and mother-daughter bonding, and more. If you've seen Avengers Social Club and enjoyed it, I can almost guarantee you'll enjoy this drama as well.
The cast and acting were amazing, especially our two leads, Lee Yoo Ri and Uhm Ji Won.
What I never saw in this drama were the actresses Lee Yoo Ri and Uhm Ji Won--only the characters Kim Bomi and Lee Bom. The way both actresses portrayed characters was so breathtakingly convincing, I couldn't help but think to myself every episode as they changed personalities, "wow, these two are incredible at acting!" You could instantly recognize the change in character by the shift in facial expressions, voice, and body mannerisms. How each character was portrayed so seemingly accurate and similar by two different actresses was stunning, especially when you consider how contrasting Bomi and Bom's personalities were.
The rest of the cast were no slouch either.
Lee Jong Hyuk's interactions with Lee Yoo Ri were godsend regardless of which character she was currently in. Choi Byung Mo never fails to perfect the role of a world class douche of a husband and human. The Bom brothers by Kim Nam Hee and Ahn Se Ha were golden. I have to admit the broken English by Bom Il was disconcerting at first, but eventually grew on me as a comedy factor. Heck, even the foreign actors were a joy to watch, as the scenes were always pretty self aware that they were mostly to serve as comedy.
The OST was fitting and catchy; the songs never felt unnatural to their respective scenes. I also eventually found myself singing along to the intro of every episode with its "Yeh, yeh, yeh, yeh~". The main theme "Well come to the Bom" slowly grew on me throughout the show with it's upbeat, catchy tune and how it was always inserted at the perfect moments--I could always expect a welcome shift in mood whenever the song played.
Just an overall very feel good drama. A great watch if you're feeling a bit down, looking for nonsense comedy, or just want to turn your brain off and enjoy a K-drama.
And so, as Winter turns to Spring, I encourage those who haven't seen Spring Turns to Spring to give this gem a chance; you won't regret it!
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