Completed
The Kidnapping Day
14 people found this review helpful
Oct 25, 2023
12 of 12 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 10
Story 9.5
Acting/Cast 9.5
Music 10
Rewatch Value 10

"I have never been more free than the 20 days I was kidnapped"

Just finished watching this one and have enjoyed every moment of it.

Twelve episodes, neatly packed up and a story that wraps up perfectly, nothing unnecessary, and no long dwelling.

The cast were amazing, you were annoyed by the bad characters and cheered on the good characters, but most of all you just want to relish and enjoy the amazing chemistry between the Kidnapper and the girl. What an incredible story supported by some incredible acting.

I'm not going to say much more, to be honest you just need to go and watch it. The music is good but you'll be right with the characters most of the way. Binge this one, it's good for your heart.

Even though I rate this drama very highly - it's not the most important thing in the room to talk about here, Yuna. Wow she is probably one of the most talented actors i've seen in a kdrama in a long time and I don't just mean among the younger ages, she's absolutely brilliant. Different approaches to different aspects of her performance throughout from the start when she's trying to come to terms with this "father" she has no memory of to when she realises who she is and is easily, easily the smartest person in any room, to little playful moments with the back scratching stick where a giggle sneaks out and to that absolutely heart breaking moment at the end when she reads what's on the scratching stick and goes from smiley face to inconsolably in tears with a transition that is completely believable. How has someone so young got the ability to recreate these things so well? I have no idea, but without doubt Yuna is someone to watch for, she's going to light up our screens (if we're very very lucky) for years to come.

Special shout out to Yoon Kye Sang who played the kidnapper and was the perfect counterbalance to Yuna's stunning talent, superb chemistry and interplay between them.

100% recommend.

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Completed
Shinsengumi!
14 people found this review helpful
Jan 24, 2013
49 of 49 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 7.0
Story 7.0
Acting/Cast 7.0
Music 3.0
Rewatch Value 5.0
The story of Shinsengumi and some of its members have been on screen various times. I think it can be said this Taiga drama summarizes the whole incidents and characters pretty good. For those who have no idea about Shinsengumi I shall mention that Shinsengumi is a so called police force made of some ronin who protect Kyoto City in the name of Shogun during the chatoic and bloody 1850-1860's when there was almost a civil war between The Shogunate (and its supporting clans) and the Imperialist Clans.(Choshu,Tosa, later Satsuma)Well the incidents and politics are a lot more complicated and full of twist and turns but the incidenst that have happened that time are a mile stone of todays modern(western) Japan.

The story of the drama is being told from Shinsengumi's perspective, and I felt like it was pretty fair. The only bad comment could be the pace and character developments,which were a little slow. There are no breath taking action scenes or tear jerker twist and turns, because the story more likely focuses on the caracters as well as the incidents. The acting is fairly executed since all the actors are pretty well experienced and well known. The music on the other hand was simply no good. I think especially the intro music is a complete failure. I do understand that they wanted to do something militar and heroic but to me it was simply annoying. Lastly,I recommend this drama not to those who want to watch a japanese version of "sageuk" but to those who want to know more about Japan's history lead by good actors and a little fiction to be more fastmoving. If you are interested, the rewatch value is higher and if not,than probably lower. Overall it was a good executed Taiga, which was a little slow and in my opinion a little sugar coated,but not boring and very educative.

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Completed
I Promised You the Moon
14 people found this review helpful
Jun 24, 2021
5 of 5 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 10
Story 9.5
Acting/Cast 10
Music 10
Rewatch Value 9.0

" it has different mood, different storytelling, it's like a whole different colour " - billkin

This was deep and realistic. Personally i really liked part 2 cause it clearly showed the fact " the only thing constant in life is change " . Now points everyone should keep in mind before watching this
1. Don't compare it with ITSAY
2. " it has different, tone,storytelling... It's like two whole different colour " - billkin
3. It's not for kids and desperate ppl who are here for some cheesy/fantasy romance



* VERY VERY MINUTE SPOILER AHEAD*
THINGS I LOVED : 1. MUSIC : it is as amazing as ever starting from the osts to bg score i loved it.
2. END
3. OLD CASTS
4. story as a whole
5. PRODUCTION AND ACTING
THINGS I DIDN'T LIKED :
ep 3 end , yes that's it i don't like only this except that i love the rest.

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Completed
New Life Begins
14 people found this review helpful
Dec 10, 2022
40 of 40 episodes seen
Completed 2
Overall 9.5
Story 9.0
Acting/Cast 10
Music 10
Rewatch Value 9.0
This review may contain spoilers

A Little Bit of Everything on a Robust Menu

This drama didn't look like much from the get go; in fact they wrapped filming this year so was very surprised when it popped out. I was only watching because BJT is one of the people I follow and wanted to see how he fared in a costume drama. He definitely delivered the goods and so did the rest of the cast. This drama had literally a little bit of everything on a robust menu.

Pros: First time I saw BJT was in YAMH last year so I knew he could play fierce and comical characters; I wasn't sure if he could handle a costume drama where some mild fighting was needed. He very pleasantly surprised me though and his character YZ was my favorite. The facial expressions, in between lips talking, loyalty, drunk kissing etc made his character really stand out amongst the plethora of princes.

This is the second costume drama I've seen this year that very heavily focused on sisterhood and made even the most annoying female evolve into someone likable. The outstanding bonds that were grown between all of the women thanks primarily to the FL's ingenuity and grace, was quite beautiful to see. There was very little pettiness and infighting which is so common when there are multiple women involved in these dramas, that it made it very much like a breath of fresh air as there were a lot of women in this one. Same went with the men; though they divided themselves into two factions of good vs evil, the brotherhood of good was full of kind and talented men.

The comedy was the best part of the series. You were constantly laughing at the antics of literally everyone. The 3 antagonists were all handled appropriately and when the time came though at the beginning it did feel like the 2nd Prince got away with murder while YZ was either ignored or punished. What I liked was that every single character except him evolved during the duration of this series. Even the Emperor understood when he was wrong (though it took a bit of time) and grew to make his kingdom the most modern. Not a single character was without flaws and that made them even more realistic. But there were almost no cliches or tropes and misunderstandings were cleared up very quickly and in a smart manner where each character grew from their mistakes even the 2 last antagonists where it didn't feel like a redemption arc but actual evolution. The romance was subtle until the end and it made the right kind of sense for the leads.

The costumes, scenery, sets, OSTs were all stunning and fit what was needed. It was very obvious that this production team was in the upper tiers and knew what they were doing.

Cons: You'd think with so much positivity how could this drama not get a perfect score but it did have a few cons though they were minor. What I wish they didn't do was focus on the side couples so much, for starters. There were episodes in the beginning and middle that barely had the leads have onscreen time or together. One of the strangest was Song Wu, who I legit fast forwarded in the beginning because she was a spoiled annoying brat, but the way she got with her husband was way too fast. Here you had an entire show filled with princes and their wives slowly getting to know each other and deciding whether to stay together or not and she meets him in the street one day because they share a name and she's magically in love and so is he and after just two more episodes of them barely seeing each other, they're ready to get hitched. It just didn't fit the speed of the rest of the drama. Her evolution was the fastest out of the entire cast and also could have been slowed accordingly. It was like they spent so much time on the other side couples, they had no time left for her.

With all the talk and addition of food, this show needed a new title at first. In the beginning it was very annoying that the FL spent most of her time talking, working on, doing things with food. Like it didn't seem that there was more to her but thankfully as more palace intrigue took over, all of that was tapered and moderated. For many episodes, she was the human talking menu and it got old quick. Was very glad the character of Yuan Ying was brought in when she was because she was the perfect addition to the household and leveling that portion out. That's it. No more cons.

Would I recommend it? Do you even have to ask lol! 100% would. It's a feel good drama bringing comedy and modern thinking into ancient times. So if you want to laugh a lot, love great sisterhoods, brotherhoods, and strong family bonds (be they immediate or cultivated), this is the show for you!

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Completed
Please Remember Me
14 people found this review helpful
Sep 26, 2024
30 of 30 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 7.5
Story 8.0
Acting/Cast 8.5
Music 6.0
Rewatch Value 4.0

Excellent Start then Depressing and Left Question What and Why?

While not being EXACTLY the same in any way, it has a very similar trope and 3 act structure to Hard To Find which is makes it very difficult not to compare it itself to. No spoilers similarities have the story broken up into three acts: amnesia present, past, remembered present.

The strongest arc is "amnesia present" and could absolutely be watched as a stand-alone of people who don't remember each other falling in love. Their time together was glorious to watch, even with the knowledge that "something" more in the story happens in past and with (at that time) no knowledge of what happens after this "end scene". As a stand alone it would be unfinished but still solid enough you could fill in the blanks with what you think happened in the past /will happen in the future.

The next arc, The Past, takes you back to have more understanding. It was good but not "quite" to the degree of the first arc. It seemed as though the original romance in the past was "missing" something, mostly just time to show their feelings more slowly developing as well as lingering questions about the mythology surrounding what happens on the screen. That said, it was still GOOD overall. Part of the emotional investment comes from knowing what happens, having seen parts of it in first episode, and then watching every interaction with hidden knowledge of what's to come. It leaves you on the edge of your seat wanting to watch the screen through your fingers. The final end of this arc was rather abrupt and there was essentially NO transition between it and the final arc which was jarring. However, again, you could theoretically stop watching at this ending and fill in final blanks yourself and have a semi-satisfying ending.

Where everything falls apart is the last arc. Beginning with the no adequate transistion between arc 2 and arc 3 the entire editing process becomes a mess of trying to figure out what's happening on the screen and WHY. Conversations attempt to explain but feel like they refer to things you haven't watched, scenes are cut off and then the next scene begins causing you to rewind to make sure you didn't miss something, and characters start to have their "final thought transformations" so to speak (where they make up their mind to do one thing or another) but your left scratching your head on WHY they changed. As for the main leads, there are decisions that can only be said to be NOBLE IDIOCY on steroids. These decisions lead to an ending that makes you ask yourself AGAIN what just happened and fail when you try and see a bright side. It is very easy to say the last arc NEEDED at least 3-5 more episodes of scenes spread out to give every character the needed story wrap-up and follow-through to make the journey more satisfying and logical.

Aside from the editing issues with the story, I need to make note of the use of CGI and music.

While the actual music wasn't bad most of the time (pretty actually), it is VERY jarring to see someone playing a flute and HEAR a piano solo or piano/violin piece.

Secondly, the cgi was AWFUL. To the degree many scenes using it had the look that they could have been edited on one's phone using free editing software. For many scenes it was distracting but it didn't really get in the way and was good for an eye roll. There is one scene however where NO, it absolutely ruins the scene and I'm almost mad that such an emotional scene had such cheap effects slapped on top of it.

Act 1: 9/10
Act 2: 8/10
Act 3: 6/10
Final verdict 7.5/10

In the end I WILL recommend this but with a heavy warning of depressing themes and traumatic events playing out on the screen like watching a train wreck and that you WILL end the show with questions and probably not be satisfied with every characters individual arc ending.

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Completed
The Woodsman and the Rain
14 people found this review helpful
Sep 9, 2012
Completed 0
Overall 8.0
Story 8.0
Acting/Cast 10
Music 7.0
Rewatch Value 4.0
There’s nothing particularly glamorous about The Woodsman and the Rain. It’s not adventurous or exciting, and there’s no romance. There isn’t even a ton of symbolism (there is a little bit, though) or epic displays of friendship.

Even still, something about this movie made me smile. And although the movie is very, very quiet with slow pacing, I would often--and suddenly--laugh out loud at a small gesture or response from one of the characters. And as the credits rolled, I found myself feeling quite happy and hopeful.

Emotions and situations in this movie are expressed in the simplest of ways. There aren’t any long dialogs or monologs to articulate the characters feelings or relationships. But much is said in the smallest of actions or gestures, and I really loved that. It makes you perk up and pay more attention to the subtle details.

My takeaway from this movie is that you just never know. You never know what small surprises or circumstances life has in store for you. Even when you immediately asses a new situation as bad or unwanted, it may just be exactly what you needed. It may indeed be a blessing in disguise to clear up the rain clouds all around you that you’d forgotten were even there. I appreciate this message, as I have found it to be a certain truth about life. Change isn’t always a bad thing. As a matter of fact, it’s usually good!

That being said, this movie isn’t for everyone. And many will find it boring and probably drop it less than halfway through. I considered it, but I’m really glad I stuck with it.

It served as a pleasant reminder that even when there’s rain, the sky will clear up again, eventually.

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Completed
A Company Man
14 people found this review helpful
Feb 10, 2015
Completed 0
Overall 8.0
Story 8.0
Acting/Cast 9.0
Music 7.0
Rewatch Value 5.5
This movie is sleek and smooth, very polished from all ends, compact, simple and slow. It's hard to find anything to complain about, but there is nothing much to praise either. It's not a great movie, but it isn't a bad movie either. This is a good choice when you want to watch something entertaining, with hints of mystery and tragedy but nothing too serious. A Company Man is vague.

This is a story about a man and only about him, strictly from his perspective. It's as if the movie was written for So Ji Sub and if you are his fan this is a must see. But then again, if the main actor was someone else I would say the same thing. There is nothing special about the plot, but it's well thought with no holes or loose ends, the script and directing are flawless, acting is great too. There are no over the top bloody fighting scenes, no gore, no bloodbaths. Alongside the action there is a wonderful love story, it brings a certain balance.

The ending reminds me of a computer game, that's when I realized that this movie is soulless. It didn't stir any emotions in me, the plot is predictable and if you have watched enough Korean gangster movies you will guess the plot twist too. But as mentioned before, acting and scenery are superb so it's still worth watching just for the fun.

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Completed
F4 Thailand: Boys over Flowers
14 people found this review helpful
by Naiki_
Apr 9, 2022
16 of 16 episodes seen
Completed 1
Overall 10
Story 10
Acting/Cast 10
Music 10
Rewatch Value 10

Because love is the only thing that will help you become the adult you’re supposed to be.

I just finished watching this drama. It is rare for me to write a review but about this, I could not stop thinking so I am writing one.
Well! This was an amazing play. The best Thai drama I have watched so far. The cast was amazing, they played their characters perfectly. The drama honestly portrayed the era in which it was made, i.e., the cyber bullying concept and the outfits of f4. I have watched Korean version as well, but I liked this one more. Fortunately, contrary to prior versions, the FL's optimistic side was highlighted more than her poverty. Gladly, she didn't do anything embarrassing.
Bright was the reason that I started watching this drama. I saw few clips and couldn't resist watching it. I waited for each episode anxiously. The group f4 was very friendly and smart. This drama had me crying and laughing. I am sad that it ended. I might watch it again and indeed the ost and Fan made mvs for this drama are the best.

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Completed
Jang Ok Jung
14 people found this review helpful
Jun 26, 2013
24 of 24 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 7.0
Story 8.0
Acting/Cast 9.0
Music 8.0
Rewatch Value 6.0
I've just completed it and I'm just overwhelmed. The drama starring Yoo Ah In and Kim Tae Hee started of really romantic with the love story of the two which even began in their childhood. I really liked the beginning of the drama because it was something new that the main character in a saeguk drama is a 'fashion designer'.

Then her struggle as a concubine began and I finally remembered that in the drama 'Dong Yi' Jang Ok Jung was ordered to poisen herself after having done so many bad deeds. At that time Choi Dong Yi even entered the scene arousing my hatred for the writers.

I'm glad that I didn't drop the drama as I would have missed the great ending of the drama. (JOJ writers manse! JOJ writers manse! JOJ writers manse!)

To be honest I've started this drama only because of Kim Tae Hee as I'm not really a Saeguk fan nor was I a fan of Yoo Ah In since Fashion King. But both Kim Tae Hee and Yoo Ah In excelled themselves and did a wonderful job. It's by far the best drama of them I've watched.

The music was just perfectly used in the drama. Especially in the sad scenes (Don't why I liked these the most too...)

I would definitely recommend this drama for Saeguk, Dong Yi and romance fans. It's definitely a beautiful love story.

PS: Now I can forgive Yoo Ah In for Fashion King although I know it was more the writers fault than his...

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Completed
No Boundary Season 2
14 people found this review helpful
May 24, 2021
20 of 20 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 9.5
Story 10
Acting/Cast 9.0
Music 9.0
Rewatch Value 10

Absolutely No Rushed Ending Here

Do Not Watch This Without Watching Season 1. Nothing will make sense if you do.
STORY:
The story plot is what appealed to me the most if not the chemistry. The plot isn't predictable, unlike other dramas. i often find myself wondering how they are going to solve some cases or problems. I really hate rushed endings and as you can see above, there are no rushed endings in this drama.
ACTING:
I have to admit; sometimes, the acting can be a little cringy. But overall, the acting was fine. The chemistry between the two main leads is phenomenal.
MUSIC:
Talking about music, I actually have the theme song in my playlist. the OST really suits the scene that they play in also.
REWATCH VALUE:
Lastly, but not least, the rewatch value. I gave it a 10/10. I've always wanted a drama where the FL has a higher status than the ML and this drama gave me that. I hate where the dramas often have a weak female lead that can't even protect herself. Definitely go watch this drama.

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Completed
The Princess's Man
13 people found this review helpful
by Danya
Oct 19, 2013
24 of 24 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 10
Story 10
Acting/Cast 10
Music 10
Rewatch Value 10
This drama !!! Is the most beautiful thing my eyes ever saw *___* well from when can i begin the story is amazing it is like romeo and Juliet they loved each other after that he finds out that she is that person's daughter !!! And confused feelings !!!! The acting was awesome i mean in every drama there are those people who don't act well have some troubles with acting but this one's cast was soo awesome and they did a great job with the cast picking !!! And the music actually i liked all of the ost of the drama i think that it has 6 songs and i downloaded them all and i always listen to them and this drama talks about friendship,love,family,thriller and their love was ofcours amazing i had to repeat every scene between them until the one ep becomes magically two hours sooo overall this drama is perfect and it deserves 1000 not 10 and i am actually writing this review after i watched for the second time so it has a high rewatch value :) .

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Completed
The Imperial Coroner
14 people found this review helpful
by JulesL
May 23, 2021
36 of 36 episodes seen
Completed 3
Overall 9.0
Story 9.0
Acting/Cast 8.0
Music 9.0
Rewatch Value 7.0

Great Mystery with Some Romance & Comedy Wrapped in an Entertaining Package!

Unfortunately, some outstanding dramas like 'The Imperial Coroner' have slipped under the radar amidst other big-budget and star-studded ones. For those who have yet to see this show, it is a must-watch because this show is nothing short of stellar. Although crime mystery and political intrigue were the primary themes of this show, it had romance and comedy interwoven naturally and perfectly into it. Brilliant writing, excellent production, engaging characters, and well-chosen background music were among the many factors that make this show so golden.

*** Storyline
I truly enjoyed this drama for its entertaining mystery plot and where the detective part was genuinely well-done. The process of solving the cases was immersive for me, especially when the clues made sense and were not just red herrings to throw off the audience. I am impressed by the amount of research that went into the scriptwriting and how the individual cases all factored into the larger mystery. The overall plot was solid, and the ending was satisfactory, with no stones left unturned. However, I could not rate it a perfect 10 is because it did lose some steam towards the end with the main villain not being so smart in moments of panic. His actions were still understandable, but I felt that they lacked the usual thoughtfulness and strategic planning. Ultimately, I was left feeling that the writers wanted to wrap up the show nicely and hence went down that path.

The writers were thoughtful with the details introduced in the scenes. I greatly appreciated how the writers did not "dumb it down" for the audience. Many shows would have the characters explain the obvious details, wasting time and scenes. Not this one! Each element and dialogue moved the story along nicely, and the logic presented was coherent and sounded plausible. I liked the re-enactments by the FL and ML (and the skinship that usually came along with it). I thought that it was very creative with the illustrations during the autopsies, the visuals for the flashbacks, the code deciphering, and multiple interpretations of words and meanings.

For me, it is the cleverness of this show that makes it so likable for those in the mood for something thought-provoking.

Minor side note and spoiler: it was the first time I saw the tea brewing ceremony being performed by men. Perhaps I have not watched enough period dramas :-)

*** Characters & Cast
The storyline was not only well-written, but the characters were also relatable. No character was superfluous, and most characters thought, behaved and reacted like how we would in real life. The show devoted enough screen time to each character so that the audience could understand their intentions and actions. The execution and pacing were smooth and provided enough insight for us to connect the dots and predict upcoming events. That said, it was never predictable and certainly kept me entertained to the end.

Best of all, there was little use of cliches; no sibling rivalry over palace politics, no toxic behavior from the male leads, no tiresome love triangle, and annoying third parties. The romance was the icing on the cake, but it was not necessary to keep one engaged. Prince An/Xiao Jin Yu and Chu Chu were the main couple viewers followed, and it was a quirky but wonderful match. As Chu Chu's and Jin Yu's backgrounds were steadily revealed, the progression of their romance felt organic and suited the nature of their characters well. Despite romance being only a sub-plot, the show told their story well.

Other relationships were valued in this show and portrayed in a wholesome manner. Like the ML and his brother so protective of each other, the FL's family made up of all men being supportive of her, the secondary couple cutely and silently crushing on each other, and even the loving bickering between Minister Jing and his wife. One favourite quote: "Girls are supposed to protect girls". The sismance and bromance will grab your heart and endear you to the characters. I love the simplicity of these relationships. It seemed just right, juxtaposed against the complex political schemes and the power struggle between the eunuchs and ministers.

All five main characters were consistently intelligent and skilled in their ways. Together, they made a formidable team, and one can tell that the actors had a great rapport with each other. These actors were new to me, and their inexperience did show. In general, though, the acting was good, especially the main ML, Wang Zi Qi. His facial expressions were on-point, and he aptly displayed a myriad of emotions, especially in scenes with the FL, who evoked all sorts of feelings in his character. Su Xiao Tong as Chu Chu made me laugh whenever she displayed her wide-eyed expression during the WTF moments. However, she did carry this expression throughout the show, and there is room for improvement. Ultimately, Xiao Tong was still believable as a bright, talented, and observant person who was incredibly good at her job. Yet, she was still an innocent and naive girl who just came into age and got exposed to a world beyond her family and village. There was character development as Chu Chu displayed more maturity in the subsequent episodes. I like that, unlike other C-drama female leads, Chu Chu was always poking about or doing something useful instead of just standing around.

As far as villains go, Eunuch Qin had one of the best wicked auras that I have seen. Kudos to Mu Huai Hu for his portrayal. He was a complex and nuanced character - displaying signs of missing his masculinity, was as crazy-smart as the good guys, and was able to anticipate and react accordingly. I often waited for him to make his deductions and clear up my confusion :D For someone powerful whose intel was wide-reaching and first-class, he was undoubtedly surrounded by some pretty incompetent lackeys. A lot of the comic relief came from his bumbling minions.

*** Cinematography & Music
Overall, the show used its small budget efficiently to put together a great and unique story. The way the camera caught the facial expressions and gestures like a raised eyebrow or a paused hand, and the attention paid to small details like the way the candlelight fell on faces, the sweat on a character's face who was in pain, the tears and snot streaming down when one was truly crying - all of these added depth. The focus on other elements also made it feel stylistically different from other dramas, like the different opening credit scenes, the transition from one character to another when telling the epilogues, and the conservative use of actual songs to underscore poignant moments. It was only after the first 20 episodes when I heard an OST played during an emotional scene. Still, the background music and sound effects were fitting. The opening instrumental piece was nicely done and set the appropriate tone of seriousness. As for the featured songs which I liked a lot, I have listed them here for posterity.

- This Life Unfinished (此生未了) by Audio Monster , HITA (音频怪物/HITA)
- Parallel Worlds (平行世界) by Wang Ye (王野)
- Heart's Fate (心缘) by Wang Mo Han (王莫涵)
- The Rest of My Life (余生) by Chi Yue Han C.J (池约翰C.J)

Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=thzztiHVm0I

Side note: Having watched so many c-dramas, I am quite jaded to the dubbing choices for most shows, but I wished that they have picked a better voice for Chu Chu. The actress already looked appropriately innocent and naive, but her dubbed voice did not do her character any favour.

*** Romance
The sincere and straightforward romance between Jin Yu and Chu Chu totally captured my heart. Their love was adorably nerdy. Even their "love tokens" were practical and can be life-saving! Despite being new to love and still trying to work through their feelings, both did not shy away from sharing their thoughts with each other. Chu chu being guileless and pure was disarming to Jin Yu, who fell for her first. Jin Yu found his perfect half when they could speak anatomy and when Chu chu understood him even when no words were spoken. I found it charmingly funny that when one could not expect to squeeze an ounce of romance out of the most logical moments, Jin Yu can still be romantic.

I love how the drama used the supporting characters as devices to voice out the growing feelings of the leads. Little comments here and there helped the romance along for our fumbling main couple. Not only that, there were no grand gestures necessary; subtle acts like Jin Yu peeling grapes for Chu Chu or her unconsciously hanging onto his clothing for support were more effective in making my heart flutter.

The secondary couple, Jing Yi and Leng Yue were more emotionally knotted, secretly longing for each other but too proud to take the first serious step. Jing Yi was more obvious but assumed an air of rakishness so Leng Yue could not take him seriously. Fortunately, their roundabout way of getting together was not frustrating to watch and instead provided a nice contrast to our main couple.

It's been a good run with shows featuring non-toxic male leads, including this one. The men respected the women, and everyone appreciated each other for who they were and their talents. They have complete faith in one another, and their trust never wavered. I like that the characters did not do silly stuff, and they actually communicated openly. Jing Yu, for example, shared details with Chu Chu so that she became more cautious and more worldly. Instead of trying to keep her safe by separating from her, he kept her next to him, knowing that she was the safest being with him. Xiao Jin Li (Jing Yu's brother), Jing Yi, and Leng Yue tempered each other and kept each other from making rash decisions.

*** Overall
I do recommend this well-put-together show. It is seriously one of the most under-rated dramas on MDL, but hopefully, with an impressive Douban rating of 8.4 and through word of mouth/reviews on MDL, more fans will pick it up online and rave about it.

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Analog Squad
14 people found this review helpful
Dec 9, 2023
8 of 8 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 8.5
Story 8.5
Acting/Cast 8.0
Music 8.0
Rewatch Value 9.0
This review may contain spoilers

"Our mouths can tell lies, but our hearts don't believe it"

Analog Squad was a heartwarming made family and biological family drama that reached inside and touched me. Execution can make or break a story that’s been told before in different ways and this story nailed it. Without becoming maudlin the characters all faced secrets that they were keeping or were being kept from them.

“We lie to make other people happy”
Pond is a mysterious character when we meet him. He’s hired his ex-girlfriend to play his wife, a guy who works at a pager company to play his son, and a young woman whose family owns a video rental store to play his daughter. They head south to visit his dying father whom he hasn’t seen in over a decade. When his father makes a miraculous recovery the fake family has some tap dancing to do to keep the charade up.

“Everyone lies for their own sake”
Each of the family members is hiding a secret or several. Pond keeps secret why he left home, why his wife and children left him, and a host of other problems. Lilly/Mam is hiding a health problem. Keg/Mon hides the fact that his mom whom he adores is a nude model and that he’s going to the United States. His mom is hiding a whopper of a secret from him. Bung/Mag is hiding the fact that she’s a lesbian from her family, plus a family member is hiding a devastating secret from her. Pond’s biological daughter discovers a secret as she’s preparing to be married.

“Because when you compare it to death, anger is literally nothing”
The secrets could be overwhelming at times but most of them were dealt with a loving and forgiving hand as the characters worked through their complex feelings. This made family became deeply entwined with Pond’s parents and with each other. Just as real families struggle to communicate and confront complicated problems, the fake family found themselves dealing with many of the same issues. As they worked together and spent time with the “grandparents” they began to untangle some of the knotted challenges in their own lives.

“You have to accept that mistakes are a part of life and you deal with them”
The made family began to develop deep feelings for each other and the couple they were lying to, including love and guilt. The journey that took the longest to traverse was the one that had started the convoluted mess everyone found themselves in-Pond’s. Running away from the truth had caused him to make decisions that went from bad to worse over three decades and brought him to a place where he was ready to take his own life.

“Sometimes waiting is its own form of happiness”
For those of us old enough to remember the 1990’s and Y2K, this will bring back some memories. People were afraid that computers would stop working and planes would fall out of the sky. The fear was that it would be similar to an EMP blast that would cause technology to cease. Some of the technology on display included portable CD players (the darn skipping!), videos and video stores, and ancient looking computers that held less than your cell phone and were slow. Then there was the now almost obsolete technology of pagers and phone booths. Pond’s dad owned a photography studio and used cameras with film. They did a good job of taking us back to 1999 after the financial collapse and the devastation it caused people. By setting most of the story in a small village it was believable that it was 24 years ago. The best part of the cinematography were the shots of the gorgeous Thai scenery. The forests, water, and islands were stunning.

“There are no real or fake bonds. If we feel it, we feel it.”
This story of healing, reconciliation, forgiveness, and growth both in the family and made family was satisfying on several levels. Not every problem was neatly tied up in a bow, but most were resolved satisfactorily. Each member of the newly expanded family discovered something that filled an empty place in their heart. The family might have been fake but the love was real.

9 Dec 2023

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Completed
Takumi-kun Series: Drama
14 people found this review helpful
Sep 21, 2025
6 of 6 episodes seen
Completed 6
Overall 4.5
Story 2.5
Acting/Cast 8.0
Music 7.5
Rewatch Value 1.0
This review may contain spoilers

guys hurting each other

Overall: the writers needed to narrow the scope and make the protagonists more likable. Based on the book series "Takumi-kun Series" by Gotoh Shinobu (1992-2014) which I haven't read and the review is of this series only. 6 episodes about 25 minutes each aired on GagaOOLala https://www.gagaoolala.com/en/videos/5814/takumi-kun-series-drama-2025 (not available in Thailand, Taiwan, Japan or Korea).

Content Warning: dub/non con touching/kiss, sexual assault turned consensual, trauma, hit/punch/violence, blood, slaps, past: incest, molestation/sexual assault, rape?, death)

What I Liked
- visuals
- a straightforward rejection in episode 5
- good production value

Room For Improvement
- there were way too many characters introduced (and I've seen the older movies), I couldn't tell who the characters were, their relationships to each other, who loved who until several episodes in, multiple exposition dumps
- did not like any of the couples, the main couple had a guy say this to his sleeping boyfriend: "How can I move forward? Don't wake up. You say no with you mouth, I see, I'm done waiting" and sexually assaulted his boyfriend in order to cure him (by the way freeze and acquiesce are also sexual assault responses that the brain might make on its own) , another guy slapped his love interest who innocently asked about a past crush and the 3rd couple had one guy as a cold jerk
- recent flashbacks and farther back flashbacks added to the confusion (seemed as if they both expected people to know what was going on and also didn't think people would know what was going on)
- telling another person that they need to be responsible for his feelings, everyone is responsible for their own feelings
- poor communication trope

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Completed
Love Is Deep
14 people found this review helpful
Dec 12, 2020
40 of 40 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 1.5
Story 3.5
Acting/Cast 7.0
Music 9.5
Rewatch Value 1.0
This review may contain spoilers

Do not watch

I love the drama that the cast become a doctor so I watched this drama even though their rating was low. I’m okay with the first episode to the half of the episodes. Nearly ending, the drama became so bad! This is what I’m really really mad since the drama has 44 episodes which quite long and at the end of drama you’re found it so bad. I cursed so many times since I felt really dumbfounded. This is what I want to review about, second of the last episodes, ML wanted to go overseas to study more about his cancer treatment. He can bought one of his family member and consider to take FL with him since they’re couple. But FL refused to follow him because of some reasons. One of the reason is she do not want to leave her ex boyfriend which was hospitalized because of the accident and they’re no other people who waited for her ex at the hospital. The other reason is because her work about designing. I can accepted her reasoning to reject ML to follow him but I can’t accepted when ML need to fly and she was late because her ex was found missing at that time and she focused on finding her ex rather than go meet her boyfriend at the airport. When she arrived at airport and found out ML already departed, she didn’t even text him to say sorry for her mistake and waited for ML to text her first but ML do not text her for a long time ( when he at overseas for one year) since he angry with FL. It is acceptable because FL didn’t take any chances to say sorry to him. This is because, I’m really annoyed with FL character.

Second reason why I found it dumbfounded to watch which during ML at overseas, FL got a customer dm her to buy her items for several times and they became online friend. It’s was illogical to share your problem with customer that you contacted online which you’re never meet them outside. But FL can asked and shared her problem without hesitation. They have been contacted with each other and became friends. Rather than communicate with her boyfriend and apologize to him, she was contacted with stranger and get along with him. The writer did a bad job during this time and I can’t help to get annoyed.

The story was become so bad and annoying then I’m stopped watching immediately. Please do not watch it since it will annoyed you to maximum range.

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