A Movie That Lost Its Spark
At first, this movie was quite interesting, but it quickly became boring, leaving me feeling empty. I ended up skip it. I love both actors, but I was really disappointed in this one. It feels like there’s a deeper message hidden in the film, but it didn’t come through clearly. The storyline had potential, but it just didn’t deliver. It was supposed to be sad, but I couldn’t even cry because it was so dull. The ending felt sudden I was like, 'Wait, it’s over?' I’m not going to recommend this movie, but if you still want to watch it, go ahead.Was this review helpful to you?
I have no complaints about the cast at all. Viola Mi's character (Xiang Nan) was just beyond annoying as the antagonist but she is an amazing actress (this is the first drama I saw her in). Her emotional scenes were spot on and I could really feel her inner turmoil. Of course, many said Maggie Jiang was kind of cold and unemotional but I actually thought she nailed her role as a strong career woman and she had huge character development to change her previously cold exterior. Nothing needs to be said about Jerry. I always love him in dramas, but I thought this role fit him a lot more (he's really adorable when he acts immature). Last but not least, Ron Ng (I saw him in Cantonese movies before), but this is the first time I saw him in a drama, and unfortunately he was dubbed but anyone who has second lead syndrome would definitely fall in love with him. The rest of the cast were great as well. There are the accomplices, the hilarious (and gossipy) office staff, a supportive mother, a disapproving father, and two comedic reliefs in the form of Ban Jie and Da Luo!
Music was really nice, albeit a little repetitive. I liked how they used some of JJ Lin's old songs. That being said, I even downloaded the OST so I guess it's pretty catchy!
Overall, I really recommend it. Re-watch value is alright because at 42 episodes, it's long! However, maybe I would watch it again a few months later, but I would definitely re-watch some of my favorite episodes. If your taste is anything like mine (meaning you're used to 'draggy t-dramas'-see previous reviews) and you can stand that for the cute OTP, then you will definitely love this drama. Of course, if you're a Jerry fan like me, you can't miss out on this drama either! (9.25/8)
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I enjoyed the story of this drama and the writing script as well. The acting was ok, i love Maki's character the most and she did great here in my opinion, however, i got annoy by Yamada's character, i don't see a point to have this character in the drama at all. I think the script could be better because i have seen a drama about pilot before i think it was better than this one, however this one still a decent one to watch. There are some annoying part in the drama but still the acting of Maki help a lot and Kikuda' s character also help as well.
Even though, people want to see some romance in this drama but i don't think this inspiring kind of drama need the romance side within, if they are trying to push it in i think, it will lose it charm so this is reasonable to ditch some romance scene in this drama.
The music was great, i love the ending theme, it suits the drama.
The rewatch rate is low because this drama is one of those inspiring drama, you get those feeling right after you finish the drama, so you might need a break for a while to rewatch this kind of drama once again the get the same feeling. However, i think for a while it could possibly be inspiring once again for those who still cannot find a goal in your life yet, this drama could give you a way to find it and fight for it otherwise your life is such a waste.
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Welcome to the house of horrors
This drama is about Mio Meguro, who experiences an extremely bad turn in her life by being fired from her job, kicked out of her house, dumped by her boyfriend and harassed by debt collectors all at the same time. In the darkest moment of her life, she finds solace in a kind soul who offers her refuge in a quaint little traditional share house. But, not all is as it seems….As far as the usual J-Dorama eccentricity goes, this show is not even half as weird as most of the same genre. Although the premise centres around the “youkai” (mysterious creatures of Japanese myth and folklore), spiritual/ dark arts themes with (minimal) elements of horror, this is pretty much a light hearted, comedic and well-acted production.
Koshiba Fuka plays the FL, Mio Meguro and her performance fits the role to a tee. Much like her previous role in Tokusatsu Gagaga, she is adept at playing the shy, timid, soft spoken and unassuming character that makes you want to protect this poor unfortunate soul who gets trampled on by unscrupulous boyfriends, bosses, and basically all other bullies. In addition to the fragile wimpiness, she projects the perfect blend of dramatic acting and comedic timing, thus making her well-suited to such humorous roles.
The supporting cast of the various Youkai are equally fun and entertaining, with the fantastic monster makeup and get-up, which comes across as more adorable than terrifying, during the transformation segment of every episode. This motley crew comprises monsters from tales as old as time, with Oiwa-san, Shutendoji, Zaishikiwarashi, and Nurarihyon as the primary share house occupants. Guest appearances by their comrades in arms come in the form of Okiku, Yomotsushikome, Yamauba and Amabie. Witnessing each of them with their uniquely strange and awesome powers truly is hilarious and mind-blowing.
The OST is provided by Miwa (who guest stars as herself in the final episode) who composed the distinctive J-rock piece, Daitan (check out the MV, which was produced with a unique “Youkai” concept).
I was honestly caught by surprise at how entertaining this show was. The ending was astonishing but hugely satisfying as well. Youkai Sharehouse is a light and easy watch if you’re in the mood for some laughter and fun, with the added insight into traditional Japanese folklore and myth of how the Youkai came into being. Running at only 8 episodes, it won't take too much of your time to indulge and you'll be positively relishing every moment of it.
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Feeds your craving for chaebol drama and mess!
This show most definitely will not fail to intrigue it's viewers. I've already watched Sky Castle, The World Of The Married, and I'm waiting on Penthouse 3 to premiere, so you already have an idea of my taste in kdramas. I was waiting for another's drama like the ones mentioned above to come and my prayers were answered. This one is just as fascinating and with fleshed out characters to match. And a murder isn't a bad way to start off a show either.One thing I want to talk about is the overall feel of the show. It has an aura of mystery but one that affects how you view the characters and their actions. It's hard to articulate but it's like you know what's going on but at the same time you don't. Even if you think you grasp the characters and their motivations, there's this invisible fog that's clouding your judgement. That might've been purposeful on the writer's part but it only draws you in so you can find out more.
Each family member has secrets of their own and a storyline to go with them. The character I found most intriguing is Seo-hyun. She is the composed member of the family yet she is concealing the most damaging secret! Kang Ja Gyeong's backstory is crazy but the journey to finding out what led her to going up her son was really good. Hisoo is very likeable, which is good for dramas like this. In a world full of sinister characters you need someone to root for. My favorite storyline is that of Suhyeok and Yoo Yeon. They were quite minor but I'm a sucker for forbidden love and I just really found their dynamic interesting.
I definitely recommend this if you're a fan of the previously mentioned shows or if you just want to satisfy your craving for backstabbing rich families and dangerous secrets. 9/10
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This isn't really a horror movie or anything. You're able to see how two high schoolers who never spoken before discover they share the same interest. Death.
Story 10- The main characters unravels the mystery of a murder case in thier neighbourhood not to solve the case and catch the murderer, but to see the corpse themselves.
Acting 10- I thought the acting was brillient as I felt I could connect with the obession the characters have.
Music 9- The music genre fits wonderfully as it beats up the tension.
Rewatch 9- Again I enjoyed the movie, may have something to do with loving the manga so much.
Some people may not agree with me and I admit some parts were a little slow but it's definitely worth the watch. There isn't much blood, 'scary' disturbing scenes for a murder/crime movie, however overall I loved the movie.
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Basically, the drama follows a loving and warm family as they deal with the mother's illness and then her death and their life afterwards. Everything is handled quite delicately and the various storylines with all the many characters just mesh quite well together.
Kamiki Ryounosuke as Horo was a standout character in my opinion, as the narrator of the drama. His interactions with his family members and his friends were all so poignant.
Overall, a meaningful and deep family drama that addresses the depth of familial love.
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One of the best romantic comedies
I stayed up late to finish the final two episodes of this brilliant series, and I do think it's one of the best romantic comedies I've seen. However, this series is more of a romantic COMEDY than it is a ROMANTIC comedy.I love the humor of this show, because it is also referential. In Episode 11, it even hints at other recently-aired series such as My Liberation Notes ("revere me") and even alludes to Kill Me, Heal Me and many other popular K-dramas.
I have to say, it features romances that are refreshing because, again, the couples communicate well with each other. It's definitely not smooth-sailing all the time, but because they are able to converse with each other, they are able to deal with their problems well.
This is a rowdier, less sardonic Korean version of The Office, with smoldering romance at its center. The series is remarkably consistent in that even its kissing scenes are laugh-out-loud events: it's one of the few shows that feature kisses that are both hot and extremely funny at the same time.
Overall, this is definitely recommended. Intelligent, poignant, and yet boisterously funny, Gaus Electronics is one of the year's best series.
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Summer Lemongrass
I watched this movie at the 2024 Busan International Film Festival.After the screening, there was a guest session where the director, writer, and lead actors discussed the movie with the audience.
Overall, it's a youth romance movie, so the plot is fairly common—or I should say, very common.
However, the execution of the entire movie wasn’t bad. I liked it.
What I liked:
1. The male and female characters were portrayed as 'normal' high school students, without any over-the-top actions, childish voices, or exaggerated coolness.
2. The male and female leads spoke multiple languages—Taiwanese, English, Spanish, and French—throughout the movie. They’re polyglots, which made me envious!
3. The second male lead was also portrayed as a good character. His moment begging the vet to open the clinic to help the dog of the man the girl he loves cares about was his golden moment. He’s also talented in music.
4. The difficulty of long-distance relationships was realistically portrayed. They drifted apart slowly, breaking up without explicitly saying it.
5. In the reconciliation scene, some people might disapprove of the male lead’s actions, like saying the kiss was without consent, but I support it. His third wish came true. Sometimes, you don’t need explanations—actions can clear the grey areas.
6. The ending was cute.
What I disliked:
1. The title 'I Am the Secret in Your Heart' doesn’t seem fitting. 'Lemongrass of Our Youth' would be better. The English title doesn’t reflect the core of the story. Even by the end, the female lead didn’t know she was the male lead’s childhood friend. Or maybe the title implies that some secrets should remain secrets.
2. The movie’s focus on high school and college/work phases was roughly 2:1, which felt a bit unbalanced. Wanna see more of college-work era.
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"It´s the law of gravity" or the dilemma of failing in the second half.
I will make it short, it´s not a bad story and also the actors weren´t bad or at fault for any of the bad reactions. On the contrary, I think the cast did a pretty good job for a low budget series. With all my respect, it´s just simply this kind of rushed scenes, actions and endings that make web series like this not enjoyably enough to give it a high ranking.Moreover, some of the mistakes could have been resolved easily if the screenwriters had focused more on the quantity of the story than the quality of visual things. I understand that they very likely had a low budget, it´s just that these major mistakes could have been avoided if they had written it a bit more neutral. However, since homosexuality/ or attraction between men is still not accepted in many parts of China, I do partly understand they needed some interesting turning point to get some attention but that scene in episode 8 was definitely not the right choice.
The turn of things is also misleading and provides the wrong image of a healthy relationship/ love story. It would have been different if the focus of the story would have been less light in the overall series or Cheng Yi had been introduced as a bad character.
Apart from the "very toxic misbehaviour", it didn´t even match the pacing of the story. An honest dialogue was the main thing the story needed, not the impulsive kind of unnecessary action. This dilemma seems to be one of the main curses in the BL industry. Overall without the incident, it would have been a higher ranking with a more reasonable ending. Almost no rewatch value.
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Watched it in two days. Now I am actually sad I've finished it so quickly!
AAAH I LOVED IT. I would definitely rewatch it.
OCN never disappoints.
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There are essentially four Big Topics being put up for analysis in the drama: What it means to be a wife; what it means to be a mother/parent; the current state of education in primary/secondary schools in Korea; and the ramifications of both wanting a divorce and the consequences that come with having that wish granted. It’s difficult to hammer out each of these topics as a separate theme because they are all melded together through three interconnected families: The Hans, the Jos, and the Ohs. (It may be helpful to look up a family tree beforehand to get their relations straight).
The story as its most basic level centers around Yoon Seo Rae (Kim Hee Ae), a married woman with a son who is about to enter into secondary school. It is through Seo Rae that the drama questions what makes a person qualified to be a “Wife,” and to what extent that right extends to being a “Mother.” Does fitting all the qualifications of being a good wife automatically make Seo Rae a good mother, or does being a good mother to her son (adorably played by Im Je No) make her a good wife? In a society that stresses keeping up family appearances and keeping elders satisfied above all, can a “Wife” be more than a vehicle for her child’s success (and thus a mirror for her own parent’s efforts realized)? Can she still focus on herself occasionally and allow herself to feel like a woman - an individual - again? These are the questions the dramas asks through Yoon Seo Rae’s character; the questions with which she herself struggles time and time again as she is tested by her arrogant in-laws and as she grows through her interactions with Kim Tae Oh (Lee Sung Jae), who is the dentist from the description.
But that is only part of the equation that makes this drama wonderfully thought provoking. Through Kim Tae Oh’s wife, Hong Ji Sun (Lee Tae Ran), we see the privatized education craze from the eyes of someone profiting from it; profiting from housewives who will do anything to make sure their child comes out on top. On the other hand, we also see how a marriage crumbles in on itself through no fault of any particular party. Through the Han family, we see a product of the education craze all grown up - Grandparents who feel their society owes them the world for giving up everything to educate their children, and Grown Children who see themselves as the “Noblesse Oblige,” as Han Sang Jin (Jang Hyeon Seong) tells to his son, which is a result of his own perceived privilege. We also see what the idea of divorce does to a person’s mental state when it is out of their reach: Han Myung Jae (Choi Eun Kyung) is a character you’ll love to hate by the end of the drama, but some of her last scenes definitely make you sympathize what it is like to be stuck in a marriage because of filial obligations. While her situation may on a whole feel like Karma-induced retribution, it is also the drama giving us another portrayal of Wifehood in Korea.
There are so many more points I would like to give attention to in this drama. It is one of the best portrayals of character growth and subtle changes in characters I’ve ever seen depicted. Yoon Seo Rae and Kim Tae Oh’s journey throughout the drama is one of the sweetest, more realistic and mature illustrations of dealing with the prickly topic of adultery. Usually, we only get the perspective from the person who is cheated on, but this drama took care to give us both sides; not only that, but also reasons for the reactions of all the families involved, even when the viewer might not agree with those reactions.
I could go on and on, as you can probably tell, but I’ll also point out some things I felt the drama didn’t do enough with in order to make this review more balanced. It didn’t get a 10 from me for a couple of reasons. One, I felt that the topic of education and the impact it has on the kids involved could have been explored more. We get a child who does really well in school and a child who struggles, but we only know this through exposition, not with actually spending time with the child as a viewer. Two, there were some plotlines that were used solely as plot-drivers in the first half that were completely dropped and never mentioned again in the second (the situation with Yoon Seo Rae’s mother; Kim Tae Oh giving out free dental care, etc.) They’re little strings, but they still left some holes, at least in my mind.
I’ll stop here ’cause this review is getting monstrously long. If you couldn’t already tell, I enjoyed this drama immensely and would recommend it to anyone looking for a deeper, intriguing plot line in a drama. If you can stand slower paced stories (there are scenes where you spend a good 5 minutes just watching a person walking, or sitting, or lost in thought; I happen to really enjoy those types of scenes, especially with the wonderful camera work in this drama, but... I understand it’s not everyone’s cup of tea), and if you want to see how a typical family drama in Korea usually unfolds without having to devote yourself to the normal 50+ episodes, then give A Wife’s Credentials a try.
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Its so hard for me to review this movie, because you just need to watch this to understand. This is a real tearjerker and many more emotions you'll feel.
I really felt tired when I watched this movie because so many emotions where involved!
The actors & afcourse the dog were great, the story is amazing and is makes it more special because it really happened. The music made some scenes even more sad.
Def. rewatch and you'll have to see it to understand my review :)!
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This review may contain spoilers
Romance is super intense
I am quite amazed at how this lakorn turn out. First talking about James and Ice, I love love love, new pairing. I like seeing the development of each actor and actress when they are acting with others they haven't act with before. So as for pairing go, I did not have a problem.I really like this 'bad' boy/temper of James character. One thing I really like about Theeruth is that his character is not weak, nor dumb and gullible. Theeruth has a strong character as ML. Also, I really love James in that SWAT outfit, he look super hot. Hopefully we get to see him act in a lakorn of police work/detective.
I don't watch any of Ice lakorn but I will say I love how she is able to portray some of the hard emotions and feelings in some scenes. Especially on the episode when Rawee got kidnap. Everyone in that scene, their emotion were so raw.
Storyline, maybe I am bias but I love this type of plot. If you watch westerner movie, this gave me the vibe of Knives Out and A Murder Mystery. So of course I'm going to love this type of plot where there's multiple villain going after FL. I don't think I ever watch any Thai lakorn that is this type of genre, it is pack with action, mystery, comedy and romance. Although for the romance, there is not a lot of romance going on here. But, you can feel the love in the air between Theeruth and Rosita. Every time they are together you can gradually see the feelings they develop for one another. The way Theeruth caresses for Rosita when he save her from danger, the way he get frustrated when Rosita is being harmed by the villains. Trust me you did not need any kiss/intimate scene to feel the love they have. I love a lakorn where both ML and FL chemistry are so strong and noticeable that you are able to naturally see their love develop throughout each episode.
As for the other plot goes, I like that they definitely did not drag the storyline. They get to the point and no unanswered questions. This lakorn is definitely more action related. I love that the first episode pretty much got right to the plot, not building up unnecessary scene that doesn't make sense. I actually like how episode two was quite heavy with all the villain going after Rosita. You think you know who's the main villian but you really don't because each one have a different motive.
Overall, I genuinely feel like all the characters acted their role good. The characters story was well developed, I love the 'hate' relationship the leads have at the start.
Give this lakorn a try, it is so underrated. Just because its rating was not high or over the top does not mean it was a total flop. Rating is quite bias in my opinion.
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The Lost Tomb 2: Explore with the Note
14 people found this review helpful
Don't fret over the beginning
Before even starting this review, let me tell you: Do not judge this series by its beginning. The start of it is pretty horrific and I admit it does not get better until like episode 8 or 9. Also, this review is especially for people who watched other adaptations of the Daomubiji series of dramas.Story:
+ the story works well in itself and there are almost no plot-holes
- the story does not work well regarding its continuity to its prequel and sequel
Overall I have to say, I enjoyed the story, especially the later half of the drama. The story pace is quite steady, fast enough to not get bored, slow enough to enjoy scenes. There were some story parts (side story mainly) which I just could not enjoy though.
Some characters were re-casted, while others weren't and it is noticeable. The chemistry in the beginning is way off and you will feel like some of the actors first have to grow into their roles. Will they be your favorite casting of all the adaptations? Probably not. Are they doing a good job? Yes.
This drama also makes it one of its main missions to show you new perspectives to characters you might already know. If you expect your usual main protagonists, forget it. It is interesting though how some relationships are displayed in the drama, some totally new from what we have seen before, some just a new perspective. This goes from Wu Xie and his uncle to how Wu Xie deals with betrayals from his closest friends.
The music is actually really really good and I caught myself enjoying the intro and outro a lot. Regarding the special effects and CGI, I am quite sure all the money went into the last two episodes. You will notice green screen but if you blink your eyes a few times, it is not that bad.
Overall: I will probably end up re-watching some of it over time, as I did really enjoy the new character relationships and some of the scenes are really a small treasure. I will probably avoid re-watching all of it though. I totally recommend watching the show after some time has passed since watching the other adaptations, as what makes this series so hard to watch is mainly the comparison, and less the series itself.
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