Reviews

does this even have a plot?

the only thing that saves this is the main characters' chemestry because everything else makes me mad...

"plot" that could have been told in 10-12 eps (even better a movie but I guess 🤷🏻‍♀️),
first 15 eps that were basically an ad, side character with no purpose or personality at all if not adoring the main leads (their "best friends" changed to the writers liking in times of need for then disappear forever. her friends weren't even at the wedding? 🤨)

and most importantly the fact that the FL only purpose here was the romance and supporting the growth of the ML. i'm not even sure she talked about something else but him all season...

liked her a lot but she had neither character development nor real problems (too much times should have been removed from the propaganda/ad for that).
in the meantime countless (on the limit of boring) eps spent on making us understand the ML's doubts, his passion for his job, his colleagues life, his colleagues' partners doubts... and then again more specific stuff about his work...
while jingjing, even in the (rare) times where they showed her working, was busy longing for him. until the very end where she spent the whole. entire. LAST. episode. being the ✨perfect supportive wife✨

how the hell don't they have problems at all while seeing each other basically never for years? lmao

i also don't get the point of showing us weibo's opinions etc if never ever comes out of it
(oh right telling us how perfect he is🙃)

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I started watching Goemen without any particular expectations and what a pleasant surprise, I seriously love it when a film takes me by surprise.

To be able to enjoy this film, you first need to prepare yourself mentally, open your imagination, widen your horizons and forget about the usual filmmaking. If you’re unable to do that then it’s unnecessary to even think about watching this.

This film talks about one of the most famous Japanese folklore tales; Goemen who’s almost a splitting image of Robin Hood with some changes. This also takes historical events and figures from the 16th century into consideration but this should never be considered a reference to Japanese history because it’s inaccurate most of the time.

The film’s pace was really fast; sometimes it doesn’t even give you a chance to think twice. It’s action packed and quite bloody and violent. It’s a samurai/ninja tale so you can pretty much expect a lot of fighting, killing and blood splashes all over the place but it wasn’t overdone. Beside the martial arts and swords clanks, there were also bromance, humor and even some little romance moments so it doesn’t leave you room to complain about the extra-focus on action.

The casting of this film was spot on. Eguchi Yosuke is such a talented actor and one of the best older actors in Japan; he has a strong onscreen presence which made the role suit him very well. The other actors where quite good especially Osawa Takao; I really loved his interactions with Egushi.
The characters were also rather enjoyable with all of their interesting developments. It’s true that most of the characters in this film are real historical figures but that doesn’t specifically mean that every character development and destiny is historically accurate.

Now, let’s speak about the cores of this film which are: CGI, visuals and realism. This film is packed with CGI, it’s a fantasy alright but it’s not a Hollywood fantasy; this is made in Japan. I am not saying that as a bad thing, I actually mean it as a good thing because no one will dare to make or even give the green light for a similar film to be made in Hollywood. The CGI in this film was never meant to be real; it’s not only unreal but it’s also mythically surreal. Just think of it as if you’re playing a Samurai or a ninja video game or watching an animated book being made into a film; that’s the best way to get used and to accept the effects in this film. And yes, creativity has no limits; Kiriya Kazuaki deserves all the respect for taking his chances and making this film.

The visuals where eye-catching and the somewhat dark cinematography was very well done. Maybe the costumes used for this film aren’t historically accurate. Because after all, those armors aren’t what samurai lords and vassals used to wear but that’s trivial for the storyline’s flowing. And just for the record, this film was made with a low budget so it’s pointless to compare it with visually proclaimed Hollywood films when it doesn’t even get 10% of their budget.

Watch this if:
-You’re an action lover but as I mentioned, you should keep your imagination alert.
-You like Samurai and Ninja stories.
-You’re into somewhat weird Japanese cinema.
-You like to watch an impressive Japanese tale that resembles a fairytale without the exaggerated storytelling.

Do not watch if:
-You don’t appreciate creative filmmaking; it’s useless to waste your time on this.
-You dislike Japanese weird films and you find them strange and a waste of space.
-You think you can compare this to other films you’ve seen before.
-You like to watch historically accurate productions because this one isn’t.

Goemen is a film against standards; it has its own genre and needs its own viewers. Needless to say, this is absolutely not directed for everyone.

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Memories are a Powerful Tool

Should a person's memories be toyed with lightly?

Initially, I thought this drama was a carbon copy of He is a Psychometric (2019), but it is nothing like it. It takes us into a head-scratching world of a labyrinth of mazes with no escape. The first few episodes were a hurdle for me, and then it was a cat and mouse game until the end. I thoroughly enjoyed the story, but some subplots felt out of place, yet it somehow came full circle connecting the dots. Serial Killer dramas are a hit or miss sometimes easily predictable that the suspense falls flat. Many people will criticize this work as an overused, unoriginal plot, and too many cliches, but I did not think so. Memorist was not your typical Serial Killer Drama by no means, and it kept up the tension.

At first, I debated how the drama would reach sixteen episodes because of the wild ride we take as the viewer. Some people mentioned it the plot might have switched last second towards the backend of the drama. I was losing my patience with the first-time screenwriters, but I persevered through the hidden walls in the mazes the screenwriters set for us. I will miss this little gem. Dramas are without their faults. My biggest pet peeve was the Female Lead wearing heels when she went out in the field pursuing a suspect, but she put herself in those situations.

I had the privilege to see the growth of Lee Se Young and Yoo Seung Ho from child actors to the young actors today in my seventeen-year K-Drama journey and counting. Lee Se Young’s character is smart and resourceful, that makes you believe she knows her criminology. The character development is well-paced, but someone viewing should expect road bumps crafting a story. A little tip self-educate yourself if you did not so already: The caliber of the character you hunger is not flawless. You may enjoy few shows from a select few screenwriters.

Yoo Seung Ho did a phenomenal job as a person with supernatural powers. The Director and Screenwriter put their twist on the Supernatural genre that intrigued me to some degree. Dong Baek is a character drama lovers will come to love and hate because of the screenwriting. He had a strange aura about him that almost screams danger approaching. In my opinion, A tremendous supporting cast that held up pretty well throughout. The drama based on a webtoon that I have not read, so I can comment on how closely it follows the webtoon.

I did not love the music as sometimes the OST fell flat or was unnecessary in the early episodes and scattered, later on, but I did not mind it. I especially liked one of the songs at the end of one of the episodes I felt appropriate called, "The End of the Story." The cinematography was above par to very good at times that kept me engaged the whole time, but you should not focus too much on the cinematography. I say go for it. I mean it a lot, but do not expect too much, and you get rewarded at the end. Preserve through the first five episodes, and you might end up relishing this TVN show. The world would be a colorless place without criticism.

My Final Rating: 8.63
Rewatch Value: I rewatched this twice already. Maybe watch it when there is a chill in the air.

What would you do if you cannot remember your past, but have Supernatural Powers?

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For those of you that did not take the time to watch this drama, all I can say is you missed out.

I was curious. It did not take me long to fall in love with drama and the cast.  What makes a drama successful besides the story line, is the chemistry between each cast member.  That is what this drama had from beginning to the end.  I knew that in some parts it would be different because as most Chinese versions of dramas that I have seen they tend to go deeper into each character.  They did not disappoint me with this drama.  They not only kept the story line in tacked but they also dug deeper and brought more depth to it.  Now don't get me wrong, I loved Heal Me, Kill Me it was awesome and I have watch it several times.  But, Seven Of Me is also an awesome drama that will make you laugh and cry.  You will get lost in each episode.  I want to say so much more because I don't want to put spoilers in it.  

over all I give this drama 10 out 10  
side note the drama is 38 episodes not 34 

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I just marathon rewatched Secret Garden. I looked at my rating for this drama when I watched it back in 2011 and was not sure why I gave it an 8. I have watched a lot of drama since then. I would say this ranks as an outstanding drama. Sure Joo Won is a total jerk at the beginning of this drama, but he more than redeems himself by the end. Some may feel like Ra Im lets him walk all over her. I think she stands up for herself and finally can tell the difference between him being an ass and just stating facts in his own direct (sometimes harsh) way. I prefer harsh truth to kind lies...those lies would have hurt her worse. Plus this drama has one of the best endings ever.

The acting is, of course, off the chain. Hyun Bin and Ha Ji Won had great chemistry and they both played the body switch to perfection. I usually hate body switch stories, but because of the great acting, I really enjoyed it. Yoon Sang Hyun as Oska and Yoo In Na as Ah Young were also good and I loved their story. Lee Philip as Jong Soo is just too manly. I liked the other side characters also. I had forgotten just what kind of evil mom Park Joon Geum played as Joo Won's mom. Total crazy.

The music is good.

It is rewatchable. Obviously, since I just rewatched it.

I think every one should watch it.

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Im-Siwan giving another iconic character: Jang Byung Tae, the dogged warrior against bullying!

After the iconic Jang Gu-Rae (Misaeng), Si-wan has given us another legendary character as Jang Byung Tae. Words would not be enough to praise this idol-turned-actor for every diverse role he undertakes. At 35 years of age, he plays a high-school boy with such finesse which I doubt actors of that actual age would be able to deliver. His latest work, Boyhood, deserves to be added into his ever-growing list of amazing works & personally for me it has wrapped up my 2023 Drama-Year beautifully!

⭐ STORY SUMMARY:
In first half - we meet Jang Byung Tae, a meek school-boy, oppressed all his life by bullies, no matter how many school he changes. He has been "whooped" so much that he and his family assume it to be his destiny & he has no other meaning/dreams from his life. By a comedic chain of events - in his new school he is mistaken to be renowned bully/fighter than being someone who is bullied. He gets to live life on the other side - but all good things must come to an end, right?

The second half - reveals the truth & once again Byung Tae is miserable as bullies oppress him and his friends. He reaches his breaking point & when his friends/family make Jang Byung Tae realize that his life is meaningful & he is not someone that should just be bullied. He vows to fight the bullies to end this cycle of violence so that one day he and others can wake up to enjoy life as they should. But in face of the oppressor, can Byung Tae emerge victorious as a true Dragon Warrior?

❤️ BEST PARTS OF THIS DRAMA
In short - EVERYTHING! But let me break it into main TOP 3 (rest under detailed review)

1. Hitting the right notes of nostalgia through the music, cinematography, story & acting by all that made me experience 1989!
2. Balancing the serious issue of bullying with apt comedy, action, cute romance & friendship of youth!
3. Im-Siwan: he proves his acting chops again. Dialogue, face expressions, dancing - is there anything this man is not good at?

OVERALL:

Very rarely you come across dramas that remains true to its premise & expectations. Boyhood manages to deliver it through the acting, action, music, story, friendship and romance - making it one of the best dramas of 2023 for me! It wrapped up neatly in 10 episodes, which ensured no dull moments, even pace & satisfactory conclusion. While Si-wan is the highlight for me but the above factors intertwined with his character's journey beautifully making this a delight to watch.

Would highly recommend to watch, it would be worth your time & I am confident land up as a drama high-rated on your individual lists.

Im-Siwan, yet again has all my heart ❤️ what a talent! He already has recognition for his work, cannot wait for it to go to another level/global in his future work (especially counting it for Squid Games 2)

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❤️ DETAILED REVIEW - of parts that I loved in this drama

• The Dogged Spirit: Laughing in the face of bullies
Throughout the series, it delves on bullying & it's effects which we face head-on with Byung Tae & his friends. The gravity of the bullying will make you somber & is more prominent in the second half of the show. The seriousness is cut through with apt comedic situations, dialogues & acting - making it a perfect blend of comedy . The show will give a lump in our throats, misty eyes but loads of laughter!

• Im-Siwan as Jang Byung Tae:
In his role as Jang Byung Tae, Siwan is exemplary right from his dialogue delivery, his stances (as the bullied guy & then the change as he learns to fight), the pouting, the crying, the cute dances. Literally everything this man does is par excellence & a delight to watch. TBH, I would just ask the readers to simply go & watch the show only for Im Si-wan. He is one of those few talents that are rare and needs to be watched, re-watched, recommended at every opportunity we have.

• Soundtracks, Cinematography & Acting:
Without downplaying anyone - I consider Byung Tae as the only main cast & rest support him in his journey. The story of Byung Tae & his youth cannot be told unless sharing about the bullies, families & friends. The actors in these roles all bring in their A Game in execution, making us relive the 1989 rural life of Korea through their adventures. Their unique stories & characteristic quirks blend seamlessly in Byung Tae's personal journey from being bullied to fighting for justice! Aiding the acting is the right location, make-up, fashion, camerawork & props that is sure to hit the nostalgia button - as you watch their school life, places the gang hangs out in and the awesome fights!

The music is diverse: tracks that are plain fun, soulful renditions that define our relations of our youth - friendships & romance, & dance hits of 1980s K-POP. All the tracks may not be memorable, but each of them fits perfectly into the scene that is playing.

DOWNSIDE:

1. I wanted more romance between Byung Tae and Ji-Yeong:
They have a lot of sweet moments which are cute & so wholesome. But since we are used to K-dramas having a confession/kiss scene initiated by the ML, I blame this unconscious bias of mine for finding fault here. Right from the start we know they are tight & even without the drama explicitly showing it - I know where these two are headed in future, in terms of romance. But human me is unable to overlook this minor thing.

2, What is the ending for Jung Gyeong-Tae and Kang Seon-Hwa?
Given the evil forces they are - again I know where they could be headed, but I guess I would have liked it to be shown that being implicit/open-ended.

The above issues are very minor, personal opinions and it does not impact the overall magnificence of this drama. It still remains as one of the best dramas of 2023 for me! This drama had everything - good storyline, great acting, fitting soundtrack, beautiful cinematography - truly a hidden gem of this year & I cannot wait for more people to discover & enjoy it! ❤️

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What's the point of all of this?

I think it was cute and all, but also so boring! I had to push myself to finish it because it was just so boringggg... and at some point there was just nothing happening.
The main characters relationship was so forced! They had no chemistry at all (which surprised me because in bts they seemed really close), and their kissing scenes where so cringy and weird.

The other two characters also didn't had any chemestry.
I was a little disappointed overall, Hwang In Yeop is one of my fav actors and i felt that in this one he forgot how to act, im sorry...
6/10 because i've seen worse, i just had high hopes for this one :/

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A male princess and a female prince fall in love. What could sound stranger?! Well, it is strange, but oh, so romantic!

After reading about 5 volumes of the manga, I was ecstatic when I found out they were making a live action movie. I already expected that it would be different from the manga, less hormonally driven if you get my drift, and I was right.

They made a couple of changes that I didn't care for, like having a character that moved away in the manga be a main character in the movie. This kept Akira from fulfilling what I considered an important role. There were a couple of other changes too, but nothing so dramatic that it kept me from really, really liking the finished product.

I LOVED Karam as Akira, although it shocked me to learn that he's Korean. That boy speaks Japanese like a pro. Ito Ono as Mizuki was a little bit harder for me to connect to. I don't know, I think she was too pretty, too obviously cute. It always felt to me like Mizuki was cutest to Akira in ways that not everyone else understood. He was the blatantly cute, everyone mistakes him for a girl, one. With Ito Ono, you know she's a girl; it's obvious.

Still, the movie is adorable, and bizarre, and gender-bending, so know what you're getting into. Loving the manga as much as I do, I'm thrilled that I liked the movie. Cheers!

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I started this drama for James ..he is cute
This drama has good flow to it ...no dragging...though there is an evil character like any other Thai drama nothing over the top and surprisingly not really irritating..which is quite a fresh change
Everything is justified..and all characters got what they deserved by the end

I would definitely recommend this drama..
Both leads did well and looked pretty ..supporting characters r very good too ..esp the ones around the evil lady working as her assistants deserve an applause by the end

it's all about how female lead becomes better person with help of male lead !!
Oh btw the theme song for this drama is really good ????

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STORY: I really liked the cute, little moments that made up their lives, and that they were added throughout the film. It definitely conveyed the love they had for each other, that even in the middle of a crisis, they took time to reaffirm their love for one another. That's just so nice, something a lot of other BL dramas get wrong or miss out on.

ACTING/CAST: The fact that the kisses were cute and not two-straight-actors-making-kissing-look-awkward. It's something other series could learn from. It came across that they had been together for some time and weren't afraid to be intimate. (my big gripe against other shows that still make the boys all coy when it comes to intimacy)

MUSIC: There's a theme, but frankly I forgot it already.

REWATCH VALUE: I will watch it again, now that I know the ending was happy.

OVERALL: My only fault with the story is that it's so short. The ending is a bit abrupt and rushed. I would have liked to see a bit more of the brother's motives and coming around, instead of just the phone call. As always, please support the studio and watch their other stuff so they keep making the best Korean BL!

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Better than expected but still so predictable...

After "Love in the Moonlight" I did not expect much... but at least it was not painful to watch. It's still sooooooooooooo predictable, sooooooooo black/white characters and sooooo much forced drama. At least the pictures are pretty, even prettier compared to "Love in the Moonlight".

And because it is as it is, I have not much to say about it. To have a relationsship with the a man whos uncle killed his mom, seems a bit too ridicilous for me especially when his first move was to "steal" his scent and burned his village. For me, this whole story did not make much sense. Most of the time I felt bored out of my mind, because after episode 2 you can predict excactly what will happen.

Overall a medicore show framed in beautiful pictures but very shallow and very trashy. So if you want to watch it, be my guest, it's one of the better shows in the (two) month(s) of crap thai BL.

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62 days in - no signs of true romantic affection.

If you saw the show, you know what I mean. If you did not see, you can vaguely get what I mean. Can’t believe I’m saying it, but it would be so much better if it was not a BL.

Let’s start with some positives. I truly loved how everything here was rather selfish, even when they tried to do things for the other person. Good intentions are not always enough, and expecting gratitude just for the effort, when the result is not preferable is again - egocentric. And I loved it.

While the story might have been lackluster, the characters were actually well written and really consistent. No weird change of behaviors because the scene needed it, no quick character development that removed all the flaws and made the leads saints. Both the leads were frustrating (one more than the other), but they also made sense in their behavior - I might have been mad, but I understood where their behavior came from.

Sadly, the plot did not present the same level of cohesiveness. The first two episodes were great in terms of pacing - proper set up and characters’ introduction. Nothing felt rushed, and that’s what killed the show. Taking the sweet time in the first half forced the director to cram all the important plotlines in the last two episodes - just the highlights of a story, nothing gets truly resolved nor developed.

I don’t want to talk about chemistry. It was great when they were friends, but it stayed “friendly” till the end of the show. 2gether hi5 had more romance behind it, than whatever they tried to do there. I loved the low-key angst and the confusion that came from not realized jealousy, but all that buildup led to nothing.

The acting was decent, but got worse the closer to each other the characters got. The editing was fine, but got worse the closer to the end we’ve got. The directing was nice, but got worse each episode. You get what I mean - all went downhill real fast.

Overall, as much as I enjoyed the first 4 episodes, I truly disliked the next 4. Last two? I was just laughing. Conflicts came out of nowhere, none of the characters actually talked about the events and issues, as if they did not exist. We skipped through so much, it was all meaningless by the end.

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My Heroic Husband Season 1

I just completed Season 1 of My Heroic Husband.

The beginning of the story ties into the ending. Ning Yi's journey from becoming a Matrilocal husband to really falling in love with Tan Er is a sound love story. The importance of brotherhood and have one's back is shown throughout the story. If you understand Sun Tze's Art of War, you know all the tactics are deployed not only as a cloth merchant but also as a conquering Jing strategy. The weak crown Prince of Wu and his weak personality are shown. His Ministers and Generals' disrespect is why the previous Emperor doubts before he died to plan a Secret division and gave a secret eredict to Minister Qin.

Although the bandit arc is long and tedious, there's a great significance as to why it went that way. Corruption, disloyalty and even cunningness have always been in ancient Chinese literature. If you can understand this, you know why the bandit arc is of great significance to Ning Yi's story. He had to make a hard decision; let Lin'an fall or be killed for trying knowing that he at least tried. Xi Gua (watermelon) will be a significant support cast for Season 2, and I can see that she will either join Ning Yi or be killed off in Season 2.

The end is a cliffhanger and explained what happened to the person who betrayed Ning Yi initially. The ending is left with Ning Yi in Season 2 to be near the end for him, and it'll be interesting what his tactics are of conquering Jing.

I can't wait for Season 2.

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