Reviews

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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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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Lost You Forever as a live adaptation almost made it.

Lost You Forever as a live adaptation almost made it; it could have been perfect. All the elements that brought magic to the world of DaHuang—world-building, complex characters, cinematography, direction, film composition, and editing—were by far the most beautiful and complex I've seen in contemporary Chinese dramas. Based on Tong Hua's novel of the same name, it chronicles Xiao Yao's life and journey to a peaceful existence through entanglements, political upheavals, and depression.

World-building and complex characters were LYF's strongest feats. As a character-led story, we find ourselves moving through all the emotions as we watch our favorite characters succeed and fail, trip and fall, and get up and brush off, in a cycle of questionable decision-making, inability to take action, or willfulness confined in their psychological prisons against a backdrop of reverse harem romance. No character was free from flaws, and no character was inherently good or evil—a melting pot of antiheroes, antivillains, and villains.

Romance-wise, the story plays on multiple tropes present in every Chinese drama one can think of. From childhood promises, 15-year oaths and blood oaths, to piggyback rides, savior complexes, and underwater kisses, Lost You Forever is no exception. There are plenty of heart-inducing moments for all with four different suitors and relationships.

Plot-wise, the story is at its weakest, with Xiao Yao's only ambition in life being to have a life with the person who will always put her first and never abandon her, while Cang Xuan wants to rule the world so he can protect Xiao Yao. Sprinkled among these two plots are cheesy romances, assassination attempts, broken promises, underwater dates, and personal sacrifices (a majority coming from Xiang Liu).

In terms of characters, the drama attempted but failed to portray Xiao Yao's struggle with low self-esteem, self-worth, and depression. These character traits were most prominent in her and plagued her decisions and how she interacted with the people around her. Her feelings of isolation and misplaced identity among her noble peers were also not touched on, all of which were important to her character development (devolving) and her choices, and which would prominently reveal her relationship dynamics among her male leads.

Instead, the drama's attempt to skim over the thematics of trauma-guided decision-making in order to portray an empowered woman whose unwavering requirements for a lover (one who will always put her first and never abandon her) made her out to be a shallow, tunnel-visioned, and uncompromising character wallowing in self-pity. Her dissonance from her environment made her quite ignorant in many aspects. At least, in the novel, her depression can be attributed to her dissonance and disassociation. She desired no power but failed to see the costs of the peaceful life she desired. And without her understanding of those sacrifices, Xiao Yao, as a character like her novel counterpart, has very little character development. In the end, Xiao Yao as a protagonist fails to impress me as the empowered woman the drama had hoped to portray, which comes as such a pity, as XY's character had so much potential in the first act, the Qingshiu Town arc.

In terms of male leads, Cang Xuan's character development being chucked away as some kind of dream in the third act amounted to incredibly lazy writing and it takes away from his growth. From wanting to protect the one he loved the most, to losing her in the end due to his obsession, Cang Xuan emerges to be Xiao Yao's worst enemy, but his eventual self-admittance in defeat to his circumstances and finally realizing that loving Xiao Yao means to let her go comes back in a beautiful circle—that he had lost her once, and he'll lose her again. However, the drama downplaying his villainy took away the power of this narrative.

Jing as a character, ironically, remains true to his novel counterpart, written to fulfill Xiao Yao's requirements, to help bring XY's journey into closure. The drama did attempt to bring dimensionality to his character by giving him extra lines (some stolen from Xiang Liu's character) and extra scenes, attempting to make him more proactive in the plot. However, due to lack of character development and poor character setup, his stagnancy keeps him tied to XY as the plot device to her eventually getting what she had most wanted.

Xiang Liu, the novel readers' favorite character, continues to dominate the story and plot. Despite XL being criticized for several out-of-character scenes and for being too lovelorn, like his novel counterpart who never wasted a single word or page, XL commanded and captivated every minute in the drama. Even though the drama changed and omitted several key scenes and downplayed his relationship with Xiao Yao, XL remains a complete character with a complete arc.

Acting-wise, I believe it is Yangzi's best performance and I hope she continues to grow. She shines the most in her scenes with Tan Jianci, making their on-screen chemistry sizzle like no other. There are a few times where one can tell that Yangzi could have pushed her facial expressions more or that there's just one thing missing to make it a perfect portrayal of Xiao Yao.

Zhang Wangyi portrays Cang Xuan, managing to captivate and bring together a prince whose growing obsession over his love for XY is slowly chipping away his sanity. Zhang Wangyi does a beautiful job of projecting confined jealousy on his face, and these are the moments I live for.

Deng Wei portrays Tushan Jing and my critique of his acting is that he still seems to be very camera conscious, and that shows through his awkward performances. In contrast, Wang Hongyi brings together Chiusui Feng Long, portraying a young noble whose personality is filled with fond memories and optimistic ambitions.

However, it is Tan Jianci's portrayal of Xiang Liu that captivated me the most, as well as many audiences around the world. His immense repertoire for micro-expressions, line delivery, and control body movements brought a convincing Xiang Liu to life.

Among the pretty costumes and beautiful soundtrack, things start to fall at the seams, particularly in the writing of character arcs, conflict resolution, and plot closure. A limited budget also hindered the possibilities within DaHuang that the imagination didn't hold back. Despite strong characters, the adaptation shied away from delving deeper into the heaviest theme present in the novel: how trauma and psychological disorders cripple healthy decision-making.

When you have a world based on mythology, you expect to see a visual interpretation worthy of those myths, which the budget of the drama eventually failed to produce. Production design and CGI were lackluster, in some areas simply looking terrible, i.e., the blood faucet, Xiao Yao's mediocre cherry blossoms, Jade Lake, and Queen Mother's lotus are among the worst culprits. And then throwing in censorship, poor writing experience, and linear storytelling, LYF just couldn't move over the typical threshold that has been holding back Chinese storytelling on the small screen.

LYF had so much potential in the first half, but in the second half where the story starts to come together in closure, it utterly failed to encompass the world of DaHuang, as well as portray the poetry of Tong Hua's novel.

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My score is all over the place and so was this movie. From the beginning until the last 1/3; it was very, very good and this is where my high score comes from; however, somewhere, the story kind of lost me for a few frames and I wasn't sure where they were going with the story. However, the acting was great! A good actor works with what he has. I must say, thanks to this movie, I'll look at Kim Soo Hyun a lot closer now. When he was playing his Dong Gu , he was absolutely phenomenal! The rest paled in comparison. Park Ki Woong, was good but I just couldn't take my eyes off that freaking orange hair! Lee Hyun Woo as the youngest was badass from the beginning.

The action in this movie was well-orchestrated. Every action scene was definite and distinctly different. All of these actors should do more action movies or dramas; they really excelled. Again the biggest hole in the movie was the story towards the end. But be warned. If you are looking at this movie strictly for the actors, I think the ending might be a big disappointment for you but otherwise well worth the 2+ hours. BTW, starting to wonder if the Korean film industry just think SK police are stupid. Just saying.

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I THINK I LOVE YOU

Sometimes you watch something that leaves you feeling so much and yet not enough, this drama was one of such works. Plot wise, after the many high school bls, this story was exactly the something different I was looking for. Though, was it really something different? Cuz this is literally the current world situation, only difference is, it comes with a side of rainbow and it has its own background soundtrack.

Listen, before I start this review, I need to get this off my chest. No one but the people responsible are at fault for Victor's death. From how I saw it, nothing could have saved Victor that day, no matter what, he would have died. I saw a lot of people angry at Tanwa for not telling Trin until it was too late. People, did we watch the same thing? Did you not see the kind of character Victor was? That boy did not take no for an answer. How many times did Trin reject him and how many times did he keep insisting? And since Trin became their teacher, did he not constantly advice them against the protests, and did Victor and his friends listened to him? No, so did you think Victor would have listened to him this time? Victor was about to leave, and felt he owed it to his friends to stand with them one last time, there was nothing anyone would have said that he'd have listened. Even his mother said after his death, 'he died fighting for what he believed in,' so she knew it herself, Victor would have been at that rally no matter what.

Trin & Tanwa
So yes, I was angry when Trin took some of his anger on Tanwa for Victor's death. It hurt that after seeing the way Tanwa's father treated him, Trin hit him and then left him. Trin got Tanwa to stop running away and faced his emotions, to open his heart and love, and then, he left him, and ran back to France. And the moment he said he was leaving I dead ass went, 'Yes, ran away, of course running away is your speciality, you did it when your girlfriend died too.' So yes, I was in my feelings andwas like, yeah if those two don't end up together I'd be fine with it, let them heal and move on, Tanwa don't need to be around whatever quilt Trin is feeling. But.

But, but, I also understood Trin. It's in human nature to think we could have done something to make a difference when things like this happens. Would Trin had been able to talk Victor out of going this time, when he hadn't been able to talk him out of anything so far? Would he have reacted the way he did if he'd known Tanwa actually warned Victor, but Victor made him promised not to tell him? We'd never know. Cuz at that moment, giving the information he knew and the hurt he felt, he reacted accordingly, so I understood Trin, but it still hurt that at the end of the day, Tanwa was the one who was left behind again, cuz in trying to please two people at once, he ended up breaking a promise and losing the man he loved.

But Tanwa grew, and it was beautiful to see. We met him as this carefree hippie who didn't care about anything, just here to enjoy life and make paper cranes. But with Trin he changed and it was nice, but then everything fell apart for him again. First he broke, completely, but slowly, he put the pieces together and I was so happy for him. Thanks to his that one friend with the hair who never gave up on him. That father, all he did was be a father like he was supposed too, so he gets no thanks from me.

As for Trin he actually left France and came back home to make a difference, and he didn't sit on his arse, and actually worked on making change, though when the side he choose got hard he left again. Sure he said he could continue doing the work he was doing out of the country, and perhaps he could, a pebble thrown at one end of the ocean could make a tsunami at the other end of the world, so yes he could, but for half of the finale, I felt like he was running away, probably, he was doing both. And I don't blame him, this was the second time his pain was being written with the same ink and ending.

Personally, I think they'd both would have survived on their own if they hadn't ended up together again. But, I'm glad Tanwa learned to respect himself, choose himself, and grow before he decided to speak out and then go and try to make things right with Trin. They both needed that time to sort out their feelings and heal, and they were stronger for it when they got back together.

Krailert & Naran
I am surprised one of these two didn't die. I am not gonna lie, I watched this whole drama thinking Krailert was a coward and he was gonna die a useless death. Yes, I was cheering on him, happy when he was all in love and hating on clothes and playing piano, but my opinion of him was not much.

Cuz really, he was in a marriage he didn't want. He did what his superiors told him with little to no opposition, and most of the time his best effect was to wish the soldiers under him would listen to him, and make sure his nephew wasn't anywhere near whatever disaster was coming. Even the day that Victor died, yes he tried to save the students, even tried to send Trin out on some errand to save him, but in the end because he didn't really hold any respect or power in the army from his soldiers, after all this years, his men disobeyed him, and he ended up losing the one trusted man he had.

And it wasn't that he didn't try to do the right thing or speak up, it was just that he held so little power, that his voice and effects meant little to nothing in the long scheme of things. Yes, he did what he could, but it wasn't enough, which got me thinking with how much power his father in law held, how the eff did he end up with none but that dude with the cigar ended up with so much? Was it because he was too kind, too nice for a profession in politics when he'd rather be playing the piano naked? Either way with a family like his wife's backing him, him basically ending up a 'yes, sir' dude at work was unfortunate. Though his ending was an unhappy trophy husband, so really, short end of the straw.

So, I was so so so happy when in the finale he grew a pair and finally spoke out, though, what good it did him, he was immediately arrested and was about to die or imprisoned for life, until his wife came in to save him. But even so, I was so happy that he decided to speak up and to tell the truth, even knowing what consequence he would face. Both Naran and I were very proud of him.

Naran, spoke a big game of wanting change, of wanting to tell the public the truth, and for a while he was passionate about it and did it, but when he kept being silenced, he allowed himself to be silenced. Sure there wasn't much he could do with a boss like that, but thinking about it, he'd write, tried to push, be silenced and he'd let it go. He knew how horrible those politicians were, yet, he didn't really talked those student out of anything, just stood in the crowd with them with his camera, taking shoots and videos that never saw the light of day. Even Victor's father's book, in the end it was actually Krailert who called in that favour for him to get it published.

Yes, he had no power when against such powerful people, but the pen is mightier as they say, so... Anyway, I was glad he quit. And also, he could have had his own publication had he lied and stayed with his girlfriend, but it was good he didn't want to add to the pain by staying with her. I was happy he came clean and let her go, otherwise he'd have ended up in an unhappy, suffocating marriage like Lert did. Though, was a one way ticket to wherever he went any better? Probably.

Was their ending sad, yes, but again, I am still shocked not one of them died and they both made it alive. Though, are they even alive? He was forced to leave the country alone without even seeing the man he loved one last time, and Lert was threatened to remained in an unhappy, unwanted marriage as a live-in sperm donor. So, I say alive with huge question mark.

Secondary characters:
Dhevi :
I was not surprised one bit that Krailert's wife was pulling strings. Literally, her hair was never out of place no matter the time of the day, of course she was silently a force to be reckoned with. Woman to woman though, does forcing a man you know does not love you, plus in this case, wasn't even intimately interested in you, ever make this people happy? What did she get out of this? A husband who is dead inside? A baby? Bishes be crazy. Naran's girlfriend hit him with a shoe and moved on, what Krailert's wife did was just cruel. Girl why? And all that to save force cuz of social norms? What was the point?

Victor:
I liked that loser. He was so adorable when he was in love, and I'd admit, I was lowkey looking for drama and going, 'you know what, just one, one tiny kiss.' I know it would never happened cuz Trin saw Tanwa one time and was a goner rearranging his bookshelf in the middle of night, but still, I was delulu and wanted something, I'd have taken a very firm handshake even, In the end, he died for what he believed in, gone too soon, yes, but he left a mark on the friends he left behind and that counts for something.

Veera:
His death hit so hard, cuz at one point I was like, hmmm he loves the wife too much, you think he'd snitch? Shame on me for thinking bad of him, cuz he didn't. In the end whether for Dhevi or Krailert, he was loyal, and died protecting them. Poor boy didn't even get to attend his fake wedding. I still feel how sad and hard I cried during that episode where both him and Victor died, and with Mile singing Dawn in the background while everyone broke down in tears did not help. Damn that episode broke me.

Which brings us to why everyone on this cast needs to win an award, especially the four main leads. Everyone did so amazing with their characters and actually looked like they enjoyed coming to work and producing this amazing series for us. And it was an amazing series. I loved every moment of it. The plot was wonderfully executed, and everything from the cinematography, direction, editing, costumes, casting, script and the music made me like it more. Speaking of the music, the original soundtrack was amazing, I saved almost all the songs on the show to my playlist. Loved them!

I highly recommend this to all bl/drama lovers out there, cuz this is so much more than just a bl drama. The genre and topic might not be for everyone, but if you are looking for a drama with good plot, direction, acting and overall amazing production, give this one a chance, it's one of the best bls/dramas that I've seen that's come out of the Thailand. I am looking forward to more from the cast. BeOnCloud, thank you!

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Magical. Whenever someone talks to me about “fate” I think about bright stars, hearts, and sweet candy (not that this series doesn’t have none of the above)… needless to say I’m a skeptic about true romances, and that’s coming from a person whose guilty pleasure is romantic comedies. Perhaps I enjoy living outside of my slightly jaded reality by experiencing the made-up drama world? In any case, although in Fated to Love You (abbreviated to FTLY just for short term sake) sent me into a spiral of apprehensive, “did that just happen? How impossible is that!” moments, I love the fact that even the most coincidental meetings can send us on an unexpected life path, which is why literally fell in love with FTYL, every ounce of the jaded heart in me. Now, I will keep this review to a minimum, and I won’t spoil this series for anyone that hasn’t seen it because there's just too much to look forward to people, so if this genre is your cup of tea, then I'll try and convince you to at least watch FTLY because it is actually a pretty magical experience.

Sure, for some “fate” may be an elusive term, it may be non-existing in our time and space for others, and perhaps at the end of the day “fate” is for the wishy-washy people that can’t get out of a peculiar disillusionment of love (only viewing it as perfect) and would rather live dream-like state. Still, in this instance, I prefer living in a dream-like state while watching some drama’s, in this case, what FTLY you has is a combination of metaphors, life lessons, joys, emotional pains, and of course endless possibilities concerning the belief (and questioning) of true love/destiny.

STORY:
Although FTLY was adapted from the Taiwanese version, it definitely lived up to its expectations for being a lighter, more romantically charismatic series. From the beginning to the conclusion of the series, the melodramatic edge to the story filled up necessarily when needed for the plot development, and found that it didn’t drag along the story relentlessly, which was a positive aspect to this series. The humour/comedy in this series is one of the best entertaining factors in this series; I suggest that this is its strongest point for being funny even in times when there were serious moments.

CHARACTERS:
Lee Gun: You will always remember Gunnie. There are many reasons why, and I'm sure those that have seen it are probably going to agree. His bright, sometimes enigmatic appearance/expressions on screen right from the beginning brings this series into a often sweet, but charming edge. He is not the regular main lead trope that constantly berates/belittes the main lead girl. Gun is actually a decent human being. As a male lead he treats Mi Young with sympathy and respect, which I thought was commendable. Of course given the circumstances, all the characters express and act on certain things because of events, but Gun is admirable in his character. If anything, this makes this series redeemable because of the fact that Gun isn’t the stereotypical kind of male lead.

Kim Mi Young: Ahh, Mi Young, my heart bleeds for this woman. She indeed goes on an interesting journey of self discovery and independence, from a “post-it” girl to a wonderfully, talented girl that has the rest of the world ahead of her. Watching a character blossom into their own individuality, while grappling with emotional pains was visceral but also bittersweet. I really felt a “realness” with these characters, and Mi Young especially. The acting just felt natural, definitely not forced. I enjoyed Gun and Mi Young’s chemistry, so in addition to these interesting back histories of each character it was nice to see a couple on screen convince me of their bond.

Daniel: He was breath taking. His character is un-predictable, especially in correlation to Mi Young. Of course I couldn’t help myself by *fan girling* anytime I saw him or Gun on screen just smiling and of course, existing. But there was depth to his character, and I thought at least emotionally speaking, that there was nothing I didn’t like about his character. At the risk of spoiling any more details about these characters, I must say that there are plenty of reasons to watch this series. Aside from the good laughs, good cries, and overall good impressionable moments/dialogue; these characters are sure worth while watching over the course of time. I can go on and on about how wonderful they all are, but I’m pretty sure you get the gist!

SOUND/OST: Simply beautiful. I was already enjoying the music by the second episode. There was a combination of upbeat to melancholic music in terms of the atmosphere/mood of the series, which I thought was played out well. Most of all, the sound was memorable for certain moments in the series. You expected a certain theme/song for certain characters and then certain scenes with characters interacting. It was thoughtfully well done!

OVERALL IMPRESSION: From start to finish I fell in love with this series. It has a refreshing element to it in the sense that the humour and romance was balanced very well. I mean, I found myself bursting out in laughter for certain things Gun would say or do, and I'm sure if you have a funny bone that you'll enjoy it as well. Aside from the melodrama aspect to the drama, I do believe it did justice to audience members in keeping the story line engaging. I guess I was indeed fated to love this series even before it started because I still haven’t gotten over how wonderful it truly is.

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The royal Princess Ja Myung Go,an epic drama in korea, is not just a legend.. it is true story of how love blinded the crown princess of Nakrang La Hee and betrayed her own country for Gugeoryo's crown prince Hodong, she sold her country for love. In the koreanovela, they added the fictional character princess Ja Myung, the half sister of La Hee, who in the drama made as the girl who Ho Dong really loves. In fairness to Ho Dong, even though he is so hateful in the story for using La Hee in revenge for Ja Myung's turning back in their love, thus, wanting to get her country Nakrang, have suffered emotionally... having to be the one to kill Ja Myung's father and can't do something to save his wife La Hee from death, i believe that in spite of the truth that Ja Myung is the one he love, he must have in return cherished La Hee.. how painful it is for having no strength to move on.

Ja Myung loved nobody else but Ho Dong, like what she said, he weighs heavy in the scale of her heart, but she chose her people (it's like rather frightening to have one person powerful in your heart).. onthe other hand, he weighs lighter in the scale of La Hee's heart, yet she chose him coz it's the truth, a simple little truth that holds her happiness, so why ignore it?... Oh, how can love built one's hope and dreams yet ruins one's life at the same time,,, there was no happy ending at all, but if dying together (Ja Mung and Ho Dong) with one sword struck between them, for that last embrace, is the happy ending, and so be it.

I hated Ho Dong, but pitied him as well.. in any case, will the ending of the story change if Ja Myung stayed as Puku with Ho Dong, if La Hee didn't loved him so much or Ho Dong only lead an ordinarylife.

''does love needs to be greater than desires?
or desires' much greater than love?...''

''will you fight for your love or choose what is more good for the many?''

In the end, there's only one choice to make... and last chance to be with the same feelings again... until death. I suppose it's a story about fighting and letting go of those feelings, in different consequences... but theirs led to their own destruction.

I have to agree that the ending have disappointed some of it's viewers, especially knowing that the planned episodes were cut due to low ratings and they have to make the story short and the ending revised as usual, yet i can say that they won to make it all heartbreaking.

I think that it has a much better story than QSD, unlike the latter which revolves around the main character.. i liked it how JMG made a bird's eyeview of everything, everyone has it's own story to tell.

Not to mention it's OST's Love Is Not A Crime and By Myself.. Oh so lovely songs, so pensive indeed.

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Have you ever been to a Japanese sweet shop?

When I first came to Japan, I had no idea about their original sweets. Most of their media also focus mostly on western pastries (specially French). There was one particular shop I go to and they sell all kind of sweet stuffs, I picked up something that looked like a chocolate muffin one day. Little did I know what was waiting next! Rest assured, it was not a chocolate muffin. It was a wagashi Manju bun with red bean filling, a mouthful of surprise! Is it the best thing I've ever tested? Not sure but it was damn good, couple it with surprise effect, it was one of best experience! I go to that shop every other day to pick up a few of them :)

This drama was like a manju bun hidden among all these vanilla, chocolate pastries. I was just looking forward to kill a couple of hours with a rom-com, ended up spending two days straight in front of my laptop, with a leg cramp, dry eyes and a warm heart (in between, I managed to drag my thesis to hell, that's another story).

Moral of the drama:
'Love will come through, it's just waiting for you' - Travis

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卧虎藏龙 Crouching Tigers and Hidden Dragons – Witty, Humorous, Philosophical

I love this story. It is inundated with hidden talents that are unexpected, mysterious, interesting, complex and contrasting. Each character has distinct characteristics and is unforgettable. Adapted from a very popular web novel by the talented script writer Wang Juan who has also written for Joy of Life and Young Blood, this drama has a very similar vibe as Joy of Life which was also played by Zhang Ruo Yun as the main lead. Together with Hu Jun, this drama gives the viewers an unusual wuxia story with modern vibes.

Within the first episode, my interest was piqued: Why is the heir to the King (Lord) of Bei Liang displaced? He is like a beggar, dirty in rags, stealing food. Why are there assassination attempts on his life? In fact, seemingly insignificant, how would anyone know he’s the heir and track his whereabout? Why does his old hag of a horse servant run faster than him but not fending him when they are being chased? Why does he want everyone to think that he’s a good-for-nothing idiot? Why is his fearsome father so fearful of him? All these questions, and more, pop up in my head and urge me to continue.

Xu Fengnian (played by Zhang Ruoyun) is well known to be the number one useless playboy in the world. That’s what he wants others to think. Those who know him, including his own father, know he’s the most compassionate, intelligent and strategic person around. For Xu Fengnian, his philosophy of 不取舍, 不妥协 (Bù qǔshě, bù tuǒxié) -- never abandon (as in sacrificing), and never compromise -- brings him a fortunate stroke of serendipity with friends and followers that vow to protect him with their lives. It is this uncompromising conviction that his father, the fearsome General Xu Xiao (played by Hu Jun), thinks his son too naïve and need to be exposed to the reality and darkness of life. During Xu Fengnian’s quest, his father exposes his track to his enemies, at the same time, sends diehard top warriors to protect him. The actions are both ironic and hilarious.

Xu Xiao perhaps can be considered as an ideal father for any child: ruthless and fearsome for others but doting on, even to the extent of submissive to, his own children. He is like a tiger when facing his enemies, but immediately morphs into a little mouse when facing his own children. Unlike most ancient Chinese parents who demand absolute obedience, Xu Xiao doesn’t. In fact, seemingly letting Xu Fengnian having his own way, constantly Xu Xiao teaches him without the youngster even realizing it until very much later when things finally fall into place and reveal themselves. As a great chess player, Xu Xiao is always multiple steps ahead of everyone. Though disagree with the way his father handles things, Xu Fengnian comes to realize and respect his father for his foresightedness.

As romance is not the central theme to the story, as of season one anyway, nonetheless viewers do get a peek at Xu Fengnian’s possible love interest. As a princess of a by-gone kingdom which is conquered by Xu Xiao, Jiang Ni (played by Li Gengxi/Teresa Li) has a love-hate relationship with his family. On one hand, she understands that Xu Xiao has saved her, on the other, she is upset that Xu Xiao has taken her country and destroyed her family. She takes her torments out on Xu Fengnian by repeatedly assassinating him. Despite her continued laments that she is now a maid for Xu Fengnian, she is happy to dry his books for him under the sun.

Perhaps the most pitiful character is our antagonist, Zhao Kai (played by Liu Duanduan). His one-track mindedness to kill Xu Fengnian is both funny and pathetic.

Xu Fengnian’s relationship with all the characters has been very well developed, and from here, viewers can clearly see his values and baseline. He loves all his siblings and constantly want to protect them. He cares for all his people, including his maids and servants, and treat them like his own family.

Hu Jun has a commanding look. One look at him would conjure up images of ruthlessness, and in wrath, he could order to kill everyone that comes in his way. And yet, at a click of the fingers, Hu Jun can become the most affable grandfather any kids would love to cuddle up with. Hu Jun is simply amazing and has captured his character with flying colors. Zhang Ruoyun’s acting here is rather similar to that of Joy of Life with an apathetic look. His chemistry with Hu Jun is so great that most viewers do not have enough of their scenes together. Most of the criticism of choice of actors has perhaps fallen on Li Gengxi, who comparatively, is less attractive than the others and has less experience in acting. However, I find her acting acceptable and she has brought out the Jiang Ni character rather convincingly. Her chemistry with Zhang Ruoyun is good too.

My Verdict

This is not your normal kind of wuxia story. Every character has its story and each may carry a big mystery behind it. What each character says is not necessarily what it (the character) means, and its action not necessarily the actual motive. Everything is not what it seems and it is hard to fathom until the treacherous events brought forth to light.

Some of the actions can be illogical, and the logic can be so simple that it becomes illogical and unusual, making the whole thing hilarious. The use of analogies, double or hidden meaning in each sentence which consists of blunders layered on top of each other, making the dialogues extremely amusing. Every move and word from the characters is out of expectation. Though speaking with dialogues in ancient poetic verses, they are infused with modern vibes. The humors have come from the conflicting ideas and situations, in the satirical of human weaknesses. When it exaggerates, it doubles down. It is all these that make the whole story intriguing and captivating.

A lot of the criticism has come from viewers dissatisfy with the slow motion of martial art actions. Perhaps some viewers are expecting the type of martial art fighting scenes of the Hong Kong style of the old days when many of such actors were indeed martial art masters themselves. For me, I would have preferred the current style, as the director attempts very well to show the viewers the beauty of the fighters’ choreography and stance with hair flying and robes floating in the air. The current style of shooting emphasizes more on aesthetic values rather than the actual fighting itself. Therefore, this is a matter of taste, and should not be used to judge the quality of the drama.

Unlike the cliff hanger ending for Joy of Life, and despite the unresolved mysteries in this story, the ending here for season one is at a very appropriate point. This is a drama that makes you smile and feel warm from within.

Great drama! Recommended! Two thumbs up!

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1-The reason I watched this : I've already seen the anime therefore, I wanted to see the the live-action adaptation and so I end up watching this film.

2-Storyline/Plot : Almost the same from the anime though it was a bit rushed and lacked many important events which made it feel wrong sometimes. However, script writers managed to take the right path after a lot of struggle.
I watched the anime so the story was predictable to me. As for those who haven't seen the anime, this storyline may seem really absurd to watch.

3-Acting/Cast : Teppei was one of the main reasons I watched this since he's cute and *insert shallow feelings*.
Beside that, I don't believe that the acting department wasn't that amazing or appealing; it was acceptable overall.

4-Music : It was kind of a normal music not too special not too lame.

5-Rewatch value : Well, people who fell for it hardly would defenitely rewatch, others would think of it as a waste of time.

6-The ending : It was satisfying. it wasn't the type of ending that would make you jump of your seat so don't expect too much.

7-Overall : It wasn't that bad but it wasn't that great either. It could've been much better yet it wasn't a disappointing adaptation.

P.S : For those who watched the anime and liked it you may want to watch this without high expectations or prejudices; it will much better that way.

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One-Sided Chemistry

I thought the premise of the show was great. I loved that Kawi could not go back in time on subsequent trips to the same moments he'd already gone back to. He got one shot and had to live with whatever domino effect it caused.

Gawin did a great job as Pisaeng. It's so clear when his feelings for Kawi begin to develop. You watch him fall in love with Kawi so naturally. Never once did I doubt the feelings Pisaeng had for Kawi.

I'm not going to remark on Krist's acting because it's hard to determine how much is direction, writing and the actor's choices. What I will comment on is his character, Kawi. Kawi was, at times, very likable and easy to cheer on. However he was also so negative and self-defeating he often became exhausting to watch. Like Kawi, I frequently wondered why Pisaeng liked him. He could have done better, to be honest.

I wish Max got more screen time and more of a storyline of his own. I thought he was a really great character and at one point thought Pisaeng was going to end up dating him during one of the incarnations of the past. I liked that they talked about the political realities of being queer in Thailand with the current laws. My own teenage years in the US were similar to where Max was in the past timeline.

Pearmai was an interesting character. I think she could have been handled better in terms of her liking and sort of waiting for Pisaeng even though she knew he wasn't into her. It was also very poorly handled when she decided to give the guy she'd JUST rejected a shot once she was finally rejected herself. That didn't sit right with me. I really liked her development with her parents and the struggles she had going on there.

I really enjoyed the message of living in the present and choosing to live a life you don't wish to go back and "fix." Easier said than done off screen, of course. I really liked how the time jumps connected to the last moment Kawi was present in the past or future.

The thing that really brought down my rating was Kawi's side of the romance with Pisaeng. As I mentioned already, I never doubted for a moment that Pisaeng had fallen for Kawi. However, I never believed Kawi had genuinely fallen for Pisaeng, with the exception of the majority of the last episode. Instead of being together because he finally realizes he loves Pisaeng, to me it came off a lot more like Kawi had eliminated all the other options and what he was left with was a best friend who was indispensable but in love with him. So he decided to get into a relationship to keep this person in his life.

I know that's not the intent of the show but its how it came across to me. When they'd kiss Kawi didn't seem to want to be there or participating in it. He fell into a trope I hate in bl of the more passive partner dodging affection (what couple actively avoids kissing each other ALL the time even in private? this is the trope I'm referring to not specifically Kawi as he wasn't that bad but he had plenty of these moments). You wind up with Pisaeng basically begging for attention and affection and Kawi begrudgingly allowing it some of the time. This 100% came off as "I got the consolation prize but I really wanted the actual prize." (Pisaeng being the consolation for Kawi.)

I won't get into it too much, but the whole scene with Kawi being near-unconscious levels of drunk and kissing Pisaeng only for Pisaeng to continue while Kawi is unresponsive was incredibly unsettling. This felt very out of character for someone who had been very careful and considerate of Kawi during the rest of the series.

Gawin carried this show for me

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1) The reason I watched this:

I remember watching this film in a "Friends night", I wasn't the one who chose it but I appreciated the choice.

2) Storyline/Plot:

Generally speaking,the film's story wasn't original or great but the script writers knew how to get the audience intention.

Positive Points:

*This film is directed to any type of audience since it has the elements that would keep most of viewers attracted.

*Main Genres:

--->Humor: It made this film cool and light plus laughter scenes were so diversified and frequently present especially at the beginning. It's the type of humor that keeps you expecting more, the funny scenes were hilarious especially for those who like comedy because when you don't laugh, you would be smiling.
Even though this genre wasn't present in the middle or near the end but it's considered as highly satisfying.

--->Romance: Since it's a romantic comedy, the romance was fair enough to the film's genre. I wouldn't say it's the most attractive romantic story but it was acceptable enough to consider it as a positive point.

Negative Points:

*I will mention that some situations were badly expressed in a way that would make you think that story lacked something.
*There were some blank moments during the film.
*The story wasn't really that special nor very captivating, it's the humor that gave it charm.

Story: 7/10.

3) Acting/Cast:

*Kang Dong Won:

I am always amazed by this actor's skills, charisma and the way he portrays his roles. Here he was a little different from his other productions but I would say that this film proved his amazing acting skils since he can adjust to any character.
Speaking about the character, I would say that it has the kind of naive personality but it gave me good laughter moments. I wouldn't judge Choi Hee Cheol deeply because its actions were set by the story so I rather praising Kang Dong Won acting.

*Kim Ha Neul:

I am sort of used to her roles, this actress is predictable somehow. Here, it wasn't any different but her way of expressing the character was appreciated. However, I have to admit that her way in portraying the role was a little weird at first then as the film went on everything was set smoothly.
The character is one of those independent females. Ju Yeongju lies and professional pretens made the character appealing and enjoyable most of the time plus it was really convincing.

*Other cast: most of them were acceptable exept Ju Yeongju friends, they were really annoying to watch. I speacially liked the grandmother, she was really funny because of the line that she always say.

*Relationships:

--->Romance: I wouldn't say there was a great chemistry here but it's all due to the storyline.

--->The leads relationship with the family and the village members: it was really cool to watch; it was sort of heartwarming and great to see how everyone treats each other.

Cast: 7/10
Acting: 8.5/10

4) The ending:

It was predictable yet cool.

Then ending: 7/10

5) My impression (How did it affect me):

*I was giggling with my friends almost most of the time, it was fun.
*There weren't a lot of boring moments plus it was entertaining.

*Is this film memorable : If I will keep any memory of it, that would be because of the funny moments that I had while watching this film.

My impression: 8.5/10

6) Overall:

*If you like romantic comedies then you may want to watch this.
*If you would like to laugh then this is for you.
*If you're looking for an entertaining film to pass time with then watch this.

Overall: 7.5/10.

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