From a person who only watching this, not the original not the novel
I was scrolling on my Twitter when this pop up on my tl and a decided to give a try, I didn't expect much and didn't know nothing about it, just started because the actors look cute. But for me It was a pleasant surprise, the actors are very young and I believe this is the first series for the majority of them, but that doesn't mean they lack any acting skill, the series is very light, the acting feels fresh, the comedy it's on point. The two main leads have extremely good chemistry and make me very happy seem them together, the soundtrack is also really good. When I righting this it's only two episodes out and to be honest I can't wait to see the rest of the series, they had me sit for the first episode. I didn't watch the original or read the novel to compare, but what I can say is that this one really deserves a chance, it's a really sweet story until now.Was this review helpful to you?
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also, the characters are good looking too so thats really great thooo ;))
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The Most Entertaining Headache You'll Ever Have
Never has a show more made me stop and go: "I have absolutely NO idea what's happening right now, but I am INVESTED."Things that will put some people off regardless of anything else...
1. Some of the costumes and set pieces look like they came from Wish. I personally don't care as much about these things and even I noticed how low budget they looked.
2. The camera shakes in some scenes and may cause motion sickness or headaches.
3. CGI is standard very low budget effects.
This said, the show has an interesting premise of having the FL needing to face off against her past self, this time in the body of the "good" sister. There ends up being a LOT more to the story than just this initial set-up and for the most part everything is rather detailed without any dropped threads... but where it becomes a test of comprehension skills is that there are a LOT of flashbacks. Indeed, some flashbacks look so much like the current scene and last for so long it becomes easy to forget if you're watching something in the past or present.
Another issue becomes the storyline of the ML and his love for the sister and the FL in the past. With overlapping time lines there were multiple instances when I wished they would have made past it's own portion and THEN moved the show into the present instead of doing all the flashbacks.
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Poor Title But A Great Series!
Perhaps I am in a minority here, but I found this series to be quite good and watched it on a lark. The title was awful and that I think more than anything through people off and stopped the audience from watching. Yes, it is a 'ghost' story (duh) but it is quit good and the ghostly part of it really enhances the romance aspect of the story in a very adult way and not in an intended way. For a fantasy series, it was presented with reasonably expectations and felt 'real' if that makes sense. All the characters, including the 'ghosts' were likeable and relatable and were so ordinary that the scenes seemed so normal. Regrettably, I think this series was overlooked but it should be watched. I found it quite moving.Was this review helpful to you?
What an incredible performance
I'll start this off by saying I am a big Jackson Yee fan, so there may be some bias, but he performed so well, especially given how new he is to acting. This is also my first review, but I had to for my fave.The silent strength of both the leads never fails to impress me. The topic is very serious, and really quite heartbreaking at times. This shows some of the people who are outsiders in their social circles, but find each other and power through. The ending could be a bit confusing, but the emotions throughout the film really make it worth the entire watch. It's pretty sad, but still worth rewatching to see how well everyone does and see the happier moments.
I'm utterly impressed by how well the leads perform in this movie. Zhou Dongyu has incredible films, and this is no exception. I want to note that Jackson was not even 18 yet when he filmed this movie, and his mature aura is really incredible. It's totally different than his regular personality and its incredible to see how well he does.
Overall, this is an amazing movie, that makes me tear up even when I am watching the trailer. "You protect the world, I'll protect you".
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Hidden Love is a MUST Watch
Honestly one of my favorite dramas, ever! The 2 leads had amazing chemistry together and I also really enjoyed the dynamic with the female lead’s brother.Due to watching this drama, I’ve started reading the book and manhua.
If you are on the fence about watching the drama, I highly recommend it! If you love Zhao Lusi or have watched any of her other shows, you will really enjoy this one. It’s the first drama I’ve seen of the male lead and he did an amazing job - I’m looking forward to watching more dramas from him.
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Finally a normal gorgeous FL in a j drama
The FL is gorgeous............but more importantly she's portrayed as a smart, talented, professional woman. Well dressed for a change. Not wearing skimpy sexist shorts and Showing scrawny legs.Normal intelligent voice - not squeaky cutie pie babyish nonsense.
Story is predictable and so clichéd but she carries her role flawlessly. ML is okay....maybe a star regionally. The SML is cuter.
Please continue giving us smart adult young women and not treat them like you think is appealing to a sexist audience.
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Insight With Stimulus To New Perspectives On "BL" shows
Y this series surprised me: bravery in displaying what many want to be left unseen.While the portrayal of real issues isn´t something I´d necessarily "enjoy" watching, because it stirs guilt and doubts in me, the entire show should be considered a gift of insight to us. By making me question the industries, I also focus more on what I want to support in my feature, which is definitely not this type of working environment, hence, I will inform myself more of what I support with my views as a consumer. It is also nothing that should be left unspoken that is why I give the ...
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Story >> 8.5
... however, I still have some trouble looking past some coincidences and plot twists. Do they make sense? Definitely. Are they too much sometimes? Yes, but just a little. Portraying fates, that are close to what must have been happening behind the scenes of some shows, is a real challenge and I´m honest with you when I say they did an outstanding job. The excellency would have been if they kept their feet of realism firmly on the ground but they slipped into a more melodramatic direction, which is perfectly fine because it's a drama and not a documentary, I am just being a bit picky about that.
New Ship >> 9.0
The tragedy and dilemma of this story are not easy to bear but it´s definitely worth watching. It gives different POVs into the controversy behind the scenes of some Thai "BL" shows. And the truth hurts. A LOT.
The War of Manager>> 8.0
Similar to the first story, obviously because of the same environment, but also different in the base of the main characters and their significant differences in personality and behaviour compared to "New Ship". At some point, I was in denial that those kinds of greedy people exist in our world, but unfortunately for some actors/humans, they do.
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Acting / Cast >> 9.0
I really hope that Seng gets the credits he deserves for his acting, which was one of the best performances I have ever seen in my time as an Asian drama geek. His portrayal of Pan really hit me on many levels and I really can´t think of anything to criticise. Billy´s performance was also praiseworthy and I won´t forget about those two for some time. It´s just that all actor's performances combined I found some things I found somewhat irritating, thus giving Acting a 9.0.
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Music >> 7.0
I´ll leave it like this for now, because I am not really tempted by the music yet but I also don't find it disturbing or incorrectly matched/selected.
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Rewatch Value >> 4.5
This may not be easy to follow up after I highlighted how good I find the actors and most parts of the plot but because it is tough, me rewatching it will be unlikely. HOWEVER, this doesn´t change the fact that it is an incredibly executed series that I didn´t expect from a Y series, to be very honest.
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Overall >> 8.0
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it's a heartwarming movie that centres around a girl in her 20's and a child that she is forced to take care of while her sister(the mother of the child) goes on a business trip. I liked this movie because it centers around these two characters and their growth together, rather than wasting screen time on unnecessary love lines, although there still is a minor one. Their relationship builds throughout the film and you could really feel the chemistry with the two. the child is also extremely cute so beware of that. The movie builds the viewers emotions towards the two characters throughout the film, so you may need a tissue box. Overall, there is definitely a really great message that is sent with this movie that will touch anybody's hearts.
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I enjoyed this drama from the first episode and was a complete fan by the 6th or 7th. This is a must watch for people who enjoy family dramas. If you are more interested in romance and idols, then you may not enjoy it.
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To My Star Season 2: Our Untold Stories
11 people found this review helpful
Possibly the best BL I've watched
Very honest. The writers didn't hold back, and they gave us a painful, complicated, genuine, character-driven story to chew on. Unlike with (admittedly lovely) fluff, if there's a happy ending, it will be well-earned.The pacing was perfect, they didn't rely on any stupid editing gimmicks or forced drama, the acting was impeccable, the cinematographic choices made sense and added to the scenes, and the writers had a firm and loving grasp on all their characters.
This story is not easy, but it may help you grow as a person. I love it. Actually my first review got deleted, but I love this season so much I found the patience to rewrite it.
You can't know this, reader, but I'm excruciatingly critical. I have no complaints, though, so hopefully if you're on the fence, that helps you leap over it and dive right into this experience.
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I am Team Yumi because let us all choose ourselves
The drama continues from the previous season with a new ML- Babi (GOT7's Jinyoung) who was introduced in the previous season. The conflict of choice between Woong (ML from Season 1) and Babi really keeps you on the edge. You absolutely cannot predict who Yumi is going to end up with because both are equal rivals with their own strengths and flaws. As a viewer, I was torn between the two and both Jinyoung and Ahn Bo Hyun played their roles to perfection. Although, Yumi as a character has her own flaws, Kim Go Eun's portrayal of Yumi was sublime. The drama is filled with fluffy moments, funny situations and excellent chemistry.The story is interesting because of the cell village which is yet again, adorable. I really like that there were some aspects in grey area and left to the viewer to decide. Online forums are a testament to this which kept buzzing with speculations, observations and stans. The side characters make a bigger impact than previous season but yet again, cells take the center stage which works for the show. The show has it's moments of laughter, wholesomeness of being in love and the vulnerabilities that relationships bring to the table. It is also about Yumi's journey of taking a chance and finding herself in the process. Irrespective of whether she ends up with Woong or Babi, her choosing herself is what I always wanted. To some extent, that was fulfilled.
The production quality is excellent, the OST is delightful. I am truly waiting for another season and I will lose my mind if there is not a season 3 because there is enough material and sufficient potential.
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A little fantasy time-travel story
So this is how it went… it's a little movie of just 28 minutes. Nothing special or amazing here. But this isn't bad either…… Wasn't expecting much as it's so short and then it's not appreciated so much by others too… started watching it with no expectations and it just went medium like that… I loved the twist in middle. Was not expecting something like that would happen at all. I bet no one else could guess that too lol… I had a slight confusion in the beginning with a dialogue and I thought that's just a small error. But who expected it's actually well planned…This is good in terms of the time-travel theme cause so far at least I haven't seen a concept like that. Ending could have been better maybe (or what I was wishing for lol). Some people may not get this kind of ending tbh. So, it ended little confusingly… a thing that I can't help but notice was that girl's hand in the ending scene. Her hand was so red. Was it because she was nervous in acting or they made it look like that intentionally…
This story could be expanded I guess. This could form the base story for a long 2 hour movie. Maybe there's something like that already. No idea about that…
To conclude ~ Not bad. Give it a try if you're bored or in a mood for a small high school short film… Also, it's available in YouTube already with English Subtitles…
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Great action film: visually breathtaking, brutal, and explosively message-driven
Watch this if you:• love wartime action
• appreciate great cinematography
• want to check out some underwater wire fu
• are up for epic statements about inhumanity and war
• are willing to go with iconic characters and broad symbolism
• want to see Zhu Yi Long’s amazing acting and 9.5% body fat abs
• want to see Wu Lei's wonderful acting and his ability to embody goodness and justice
• want to watch Ni Ni's awesome acting and her character's role as a force for change
• are curious about why “propaganda” is not an insult in the Chinese filmmaking industry
Don’t watch this if you:
• can't take brutal violence
• prefer realism and naturalistic character development over powerful message delivery
• are never okay with demonizing villains
• are sadly insensitive to the awesomeness of Ni Ni, Zhu Yi Long and Wu Lei.
• always judge a film by the same standards as those of Oscars voters
• think “propaganda” is only and always a bad thing
This is a powerful action movie that made me cry buckets. It's a:
Stunning visual experience
Enraged condemnation of a Japanese war crime
Grueling, devastating ride
Hymn to justice and kindness
After seeing it, I needed a few days to move out of the loss and sadness.
A week or so later, I started getting curious about where Dongji Island's filmmaking style fits in Chinese filmmaking history. Because it's quite strongly message-driven. I mean, I usually notice ideological content in films and tv shows, whether that's a cultural stance in Hollywood products or political messaging in cdramas. And after some preliminary internet searching, I learned that being propaganda is not a movie flaw in China the way it would be in my country. It seems like within Chinese filmmaking, propaganda can be art.
Anyway, in my opinion, Dongji Island has elements of extremely well made propaganda, but overall it's great art.
Because of its propaganda side, though, I don't have much hope for it to become popular in the West. I think Oscars voters go for stories with realism, psychological growth and complexity that privilege the individual. Dongji Island is fueled more by the message than it is by psychological arcs. While its characters have individuality and uniqueness, their symbolic weight is emphasized. And the movie subordinates the individual to the collective.
What’s stayed with me the most are not only the deep emotional impact and the amazing visuals, but also the performances. Besides the leads, Wu Lei, Zhu Yi Long, and Ni Ni, who are all on fire, I keep remembering moments from supporting actors, especially Chen Ming Hao, Ni Da Hong and Yang Hao Yu.
I’m really grateful for the limited American release, because I was able to see this on the wide screen! The lowest score I gave it was for rewatch value, because I would have to take a lot of deep breaths before I walked into a theater to see this a second time. But it will remain with me from just the one experience.
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