A beautiful, intelligently written show
This series is so self-aware and intelligently written. All the way through there has been a realistic portrayal of love, and specifically queer love, and the acting and emotionality shown in combination with this makes it such a good show. It doesn't fall into the tropes we see constantly in other series, instead it's aware of these tropes and its navigation of them actually informs the story. It's also such a fascinating setting being in a BL show production and featuring a character whose job is to write BL novels - really cleverly done and subtly satirical/aware of itself and its setting.The main couple might have their communication problems but it doesn't make their story any less impactful and just lovely (pun not intended). Watching their relationship grow as they learn about themselves and grow in confidence and in love is beautiful, and I felt every emotion along with Gene, the main character.
It is one of my favourite shows ever and it will stay with me for a long time.
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Basically "Save Myself" plot but different in a pleasent way...
I am not a huge fan of Shen Hao Nan`s work since i find many of his dramas really lacking plot wise, but the man himself can act, kiss and just take my screen by storm by his gorgeous and deadly charisma! His co-star is absolutely lovely Wang Yun Yun (my first time seeing her on-screen) and these two really caught my laptop on fire with their quite steamy chemistry! I mean if looks could BURN,YUMMM!And i really enjoyed this story by the way, especially with the emotional depth it got near the end. It totally fed my romantic soul!'
It does start with our gorgeous ML witnessing a wedding, in this case he sees FL marrying another man. Her beauty does catch his eye, but alas she is a married lady now. Well until he stumbles upon her in the Hotel corridor and find her drunk in his embrace. SEDUCTION ON POINT, PEOPLE (Ah i live for this!!) Not only does he become her secret lover, but also her secret sword against her enemies who wants to steal her inheritance.
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Timing is Everything.
Season 2 does not give me the same feels and gone are the innocence and sweetness. All the characters seem to have grown up and are forced to face certain challenges in life. No longer can they hide their feelings but they all become more courageous and more honest with themselves.The talk of the town is probably Kou’s indecisiveness and going back-and-forth between Yoshioda and Narumi. One thing Kou said resonated with me. He wants to move on but he’s also afraid that he will forget. Therefore, being with Narumi in a way is a security blanket. If you have lost someone close to you, you can probably understand where Kou is coming from. But of course, logically we all know he needs to cut ties with Narumi and be honest with his feelings. I also do not agree with Narumi’s emotional blackmail, but I can sympathize with her actions.
I liked Yoshioda in season 1 and I continue to like her in this season. She continues to grow and I’m glad she tries to at least not be a pushover and really wants things with Toma to work out. Toma is a lovely guy but it’s just not the same when your first love is someone who’s broken, and you want to heal with him and be with him throughout the process.
These characters are young and they are not perfect. Going back on decisions is not the end of the world. Sometimes, we just need to be more forgiving of ourselves and know that we can’t always make the right choices at first try.
Yuri has a very small part in season 2. The love triangle between Murao/Kominato/Tanaka has a little more screen time. I would have liked to see more foreshadowing/scenes in Murao’s final choice of the guy she ends up with. There doesn’t seem to have enough transition from one to another.
Season 2 did not hit me the same way as Season 1. But I did have an enjoyable time watching this. I’m glad the acting is pretty good all-around and even though Narumi is a third wheel, she wasn’t that bad.
Completed: 2/25/2024 - Review #410
Season 1 review: https://mydramalist.com/profile/voicelesslove/reviews/342617
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Love on the clock, but don’t expect overtime! Short and sweet! !!
My Damn Business is a mini-series that blends light-hearted humour with a sweet office romance. Despite its short runtime of around 10 minutes per episode, the series does a good job of developing its two leads, Han Yu Jin and Yoon Su An and crafting an engaging story that kept me hooked every week.The chemistry between the leads is the highlight of the series for me. From the first episode, it was evident. Han Yu Jin is confident, assertive and just a bit dominant while Su An is reserved, shy and cautious. Their contrasting personalities created a fun and sort of affectionate push-and-pull dynamics.
The romance here is not in grand gestures but in small, meaningful moments, in those quiet glances, subtle touches and tender conversations over drinks.
However, I wish the episodes were a little longer. It would have allowed for more depth to the characters and the workplace setting and also made the pacing a lot smoother. Also, waiting for a single episode per week made the story feel a bit disjointed.
The cinematography and production were good that it felt much larger and more polished than you'd expect from a short format.
Also that ending shot was beautiful! <3
Overall, this mini-series was a guilty pleasure with a satisfying romantic comedy that delivered even though it has pacing issues considering its short run time. Hoping to see more dramas with longer runtime.
Recommended if you are looking for a light, sweet and feel-good romance. There is nothing groundbreaking or deep here but few cliche tropes that are done well.
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A complete review
MuTeLuv is definitely a series worth watching. A lot of the stories in this one is better than a lot of full series. Here is who every story would fit along with my own review and thoughts:"Hi" by My Luck: This fits everybody who have had/have a fear of failure, people who were/are the smart kid in school, people who just wanna have a good time.
This story is super fluffy, barely any angst or conflict. Basically all the characters are redeemed in the end. This story managed to find its place right into my heart in a period where I needed it the most.
WHO IT DOESN'T FIT: People who wants very serious stories, people who are tired of school stories
Not My Father: Simply put, if you enjoyed Peaceful Property (who's director also directed Not My Father!), you're probably gonna love this as well. If you haven't watched it, then if you love cults, comedy and relationships that hit right into the heart, then watch this. This reminded me so much of Peaceful Property and made me so happy.
WHO IT DOESN'T FIT: People who don't like scary dramas, people who take things very seriously
Diva Deva Meta: This fits people who are just there for a good time, who enjoys comedy. This story surprised me with it's emotional ending, and also in a way reminded me of Mean Girls, not the plot, just the vibes.
WHO IT DOESN'T FIT: People who wants a serious drama, people who wants real plot (and I mean that in the best way possible.)
Fist Foot Fusion: This fits people who likes the actors, thinks the premise sounds fun and doesn't care too much about deep relationships. I've heard many people say that this is the worst one, and I'm willing to agree, BUT I think it's mainly the relationship between the characters.
WHO IT DOESN'T FIT: People who wants the emotional relationships, people who wants all characters to be good
Hello, Is This Luck?: This fits anyone who likes the premise, people who have been/is currently struggling with mental health issues. This one surprised me with how much I liked it and how much I could relate to the characters.
WHO IT DOESN'T FIT: People who are easily triggered by mental health issues, people who don't like very contemporary stories
Love Lock: This fits people who believe in second chances in life, who like comedy and stories about exes making up. I'm gonna be honest and say that this story wasn't for me, but I truly believe it has its right audience somewhere.
WHO THIS DOESN'T FIT: People who believe in "once a bad person, always a bad person", people who might have delt with bad exes in the past.
Love Me if You Swear: This fits people who like the premise and who likes the small things. I really liked this one and I think it's a great one to close off with.
WHO IT DOESN'T FIT: People who don't like the premise, people who dislike slowburn
Overall, MuTeLuv is a great series and you don't have to watch them all, pick one that chooses your taste, cause I can asure you that you'll find at least one.
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STORY
While it started out as a fun rom-com with a campy mystery B-plot, it eventually bought into that campy B-plot completely, abandoning the rom-com aspects that were so strong in the beginning and trying (and mostly failing) to sell itself as a serious thriller drama.
While comparisons can be made to The Count of Monte Cristo, the show itself was more Jekyll and Hyde than anything. This irritating misdirection and mishandling of characters was punctuated by possibly the worst and most unnecessary Noble Idiocy I have yet come across in all of drama. While it's not as insulting as something like Angel Eyes, Birth of a Beauty is still guilty of turning its lead female into a bonehead in order to drum up cheap conflict without having to write something original.
That being said, the premise of the show itself is still not without merit. If you enjoyed The Count of Monte Cristo, you'll enjoy aspects of this as well. A normal, everyday woman is mistreated and, eventually, murdered by those she trusts. Except she survives, transforms herself, and returns to exact retribution on those who did her wrong. However, don't expect it to be as satisfying as Monte Cristo; while that classic slowly seeds his revenge over time and then reveals it mostly in the climax, Birth of a Beauty belabors the revenge plot early on and offers very little satisfying resolution over the course of time. By the time some of the villains have actually tasted justice, I barely noticed, since it was often handled with little dramatic impact and usually the effects of it were only temporary, seeing the villains shortly back to their misdeeds with almost no consequence. Expect to see lots of mustache-twirling here from the innumerable villains and, especially in the back half, multiple minutes per episode of people just looking dramatically at each other after nothing of consequence was said.
You're probably thinking "This sounds worse than a 7/10", but the reason it scored that high is because the romance plot was far superior to the revenge plot. While that, too, was mishandled (badly) in the back half, it was still good enough to keep my wife and I interested throughout. Most viewers will have little trouble buying into the romance here, as JSW and HYS have some SERIOUS chemistry with each other. Not only that, but despite how poorly written the back half is, the resolution and payoff is actually pretty good. While I would have preferred at least an entire episode dedicated to falling action and character send-offs, what you get is good enough.
If, however, you're someone who simply cannot tolerate main characters behaving stupidly, Han Ye Seul's character here will almost certainly have you dropping this before you reach Episode 15.
ACTING/CAST
I never thought I'd see the day where I give a Joo Sang Wook drama less than 8 in this category, but here we are. Not MUCH less than 8, of course, but still. Han Ye Seul is charming and fun, but from what I could see, comedy is her strength. She wasn't bad at all with the dramatic stuff, but I wouldn't say she was good either. Her face seems custom built to smile (literally, perhaps?), and when she is smiling, you could almost really believe that men would follow her around Korea like sheep with a shepherd. However, in her one melo scene, her face contorted so unnaturally that it took both me and my wife right out of the moment. Would definitely love to see more of her in a strictly comedic role. While the aforementioned JSW was, of course, great, even he started dripping into "dry" territory in the back half here. Not his fault; he really just didn't have much to work with in the script. That being said, he is at his comedic BEST in the front half. Many many hilarious moments, the absolute best being when he dresses up as a mariachi with a big fake handlebar mustache and sings (you just have to see it for yourself).
All of this, of course, leads me to our second leads. Wang Ji Hye was probably the second best actor in the show, talent-wise. She handled the subtleties of her character with ease. Again, though, she wasn't given a wide variety of things to do. On the other hand, this is the second drama with Jung Gyu Woon I've seen, and I don't think I've seen his facial expression change once in either drama. He's better here than in Oh My Venus, but only because his character is comically evil. Even with such an extreme character to play, don't expect much from him here.
As for the Supporting Cast, exactly two actors are worth mentioning:
Han Jin Hee plays a stern, loud buffoon for 19 and a half episodes. In his final scene, he is given a touching moment with one of the main characters and he ABSOLUTELY KILLS IT. His character is one of the more interesting and dynamic throughout the plot, despite having very little of consequence to do.
Kang Kyung Hun has the most honest acting moment in the whole show, a throwaway moment barely given time to shine and yet it drew a teardrop or two from both me and my wife.
MUSIC
Weird that I gave this highest marks, but really Wife and I were singing and humming so many different songs from this one. While the incidental music is forgettable, the vocal themes are consistently strong and memorable, especially the opening credits theme, "She" by SHINee. Very catchy.
REWATCH VALUE
The first half is immensely rewatchable, honestly. So many cute and fun moments. High-energy, lots of comedy, lots of intrigue. And the very first episode, particularly, is superbly shot and edited. But that back half of this drama.... ouch. It was hard to get through it once, so I can't imagine trying to watch it again. I remember laughing out loud once because there was one particular reaction shot that I think had to be over 60 seconds long. I'm not exaggerating. The camera just stayed on JSW for forever while he looked serious. I imagined JSW in his head thinking "Uh.... is someone gonna say 'cut'.... sometime?" And that right there is par for the course for the second half of Birth of a Beauty. Lots of reaction shots, lots of people staring at each other, lots of villains twirling their mustaches. Not a lot worth seeing beyond a few decent plot points and, of course, the resolution, which really does manage to satisfy and is worth watching a few times.
All in all, if you're in the mood for a good rom-com, exhaust your other options first. If you're in the mood for a thriller, look elsewhere. If you're in the mood for Joo Sang Wook and you've seen his other dramas, dive right in to this one! Despite my serious complaints, there is still an odd charm to the show; an intangible factor that can still hook a viewer. My wife complained about a lot of it, but at the end said "You know, I still liked this." I can't say I disagree. You may have the same reaction, so don't be afraid to give it a shot.
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If you're familiar with director Ninagawa Mika, you know that she’s all about playing with bright, loud colour, and she definitely isn’t afraid to do things outside the box. This drama is dazzling, hypnotic and oh so gorgeous. Every scene is a complete sensory overload. You can tell that this is a high-budget drama, not only because of the great cast, but because every episode is filmed like the most eye-catching Hollywood movie you’ve ever seen. The music, the costumes, the sets, everything is so well done.
To keep it simple, Followers is about women working in the entertainment business, an industry that both loves and hates successful women. This drama touches on a lot of hot button topics that you probably won’t find on network jdramas: there are multiple LGBTQ+ characters, a LOT of feminism, women of different ages being unabashedly open about their careers, sexuality, motherhood etc, and not so subtle societal critique thrown in as well. This isn't your average network jdrama, that's for sure!
My only complaint (and it’s kind of a big one) is that the drama has a lot of characters and probably tries to cover too many storylines in only 9 episodes. 2-3 more episodes to develop some characters and tie up lose ends would have been great. It just felt like there was a rush to end everyone's storyline just perfectly, even though some characters probably deserved a bit of imperfection.
Last but not least: KOM_I was a total scene stealer in this drama and I hope she continues to pursue acting!
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Hilarious, Good Acting and Great Chemistry - Shut down your brain to enjoy this Slapstick Comedy
In order to enjoy “Egg and Stone” or not to be disappointed, there are a few things you should know. Sometimes, It’s important to set your expectations and know what you are getting yourself into.1. This is a COMEDY first and foremost. Not just any comedy but stupid, crazy, over-the-top slapstick comedy.
2. Do not expect this to be a wuxia drama. The setting is in the pugilistic world/jiang wu, but wuxia elements are scarce and fight scenes are limited, and not very well-choreographed.
3. Romance is also a big focus, more so than mystery or investigation.
4. This is a low budget production - do not expect fancy costumes, sets or hair/make up.
5. You need to shut down your brain for some crazy fun.
If you are not OK with the above-mentioned points, then I will dissuade you from watching “Egg and Stone”. Unless you are a big fan of the actors, and are on a mission to watch every single one of their dramas.
Having said that, I lowered my expectations and waited for the right mood to watch this drama. I had a lot of fun watching it, and also laughed out loud at many moments. Of course, I rolled my eyes as well and wondered why established actors such as Xu Lu, Caesar Wu and Riley Wang signed up for such a project. Are they being blackmailed by their companies, or do they owe the director a big favor? Or maybe they just want something different and have some fun with friends?
I do applaud the actors for diving right into their roles and do not mind acting silly and ridiculous. I actually think the acting of the cast is a big strength of this drama. To be honest, there are quite a few sad and emotional scenes, and I was so touched that I actually shed a few tears. Less experienced actors might not be able to pull this off.
The drama follows the journey of female lead, Huo Xing Chen, and her dream of helping the weak in the pugilistic world. She doesn’t want to follow the traditional role of a woman, getting married and staying home. This is quite a feminist drama in a way. She was met with opposition from the men in her life at first, but she slowly persuaded them and also fell in love with someone who believed in her and supported her dream.
I enjoyed the romance between the leads quite a bit. Xu Lu and Caesar Wu have great chemistry and are so fun when they have scenes together. I like the development of their romance, not too fast and not too slow. Jiang Bu Ting has become one of my favorite male leads, especially in comedies. Not only is he good-looking, he’s smart, funny, and shy-cute. But most importantly, he’s the one who believes and persuades FL to follow her dreams. He supports her but doesn’t spoil her. He allows her to make mistakes and learn the hard way, but secretly protects her. There’s enough romance throughout the drama to keep me happy. I do wish they give me more than dead fish kisses. I’ve seen them in other dramas and they could both deliver! I blame the director.
Riley Wang really needs to pick other roles where he’s not the third wheel in a love triangle. I feel bad for him as an actor, and also the character. I was dreading the direction that his character is going, but was fine after knowing the whole backstory. The secondary romance is cute and adorable, but could have been better. Jiang Bu Ying is so dumb, cute and funny.
I think the weakness of this drama is the more serious plot. The mystery and investigation parts are not written very well, and this is mostly towards the second half of the drama. There are inconsistencies and plot holes, and a lot is told to the viewers and instead of shown. I actually got bored and was distracted.
Another weakness is the production quality. You can tell this is a low budget production. The same two songs are played all the time. The actors wear the same outfits in each scene. If you are a main character, you might have 2-4 outfits, otherwise, you wear the same thing every day. On the one hand, it’s a nice change to see actors not getting the smooth-faced, white filter treatment. You can clearly see the makeup not done perfectly or if anyone has unsmooth skin. On the other hand, in some close shots, I do wish the filter is on. Luckily, the actors dubbed their own voices. This makes the funny scenes even more fun. I think dubbing would mess with the comedic timing. However, I can’t stand the fake Cantonese-Mandarin accent of one supporting character. It bugs me quite a bit, since I speak Cantonese.
Overall, I had a lot of fun watching this drama. I can’t totally turn my brain off, thus, I can’t bring myself to give “Egg and Stone” higher than an 8.0. There are still things that bug me, but this is definitely a lot more fun than I thought. I am glad to re-discover Caesar Wu and I look forward to his future dramas. Xu Lu also surprises me and I can’t help but compare her to Li Qin in “Thousand Years for You” (Xu Lu is better). I will recommend this drama to you if you enjoy slapstick comedies and are looking for a stress-relief drama. Just shut down your brain and enjoy the craziness.
Completed: 1/14/2024 - Review #394
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Light romcom drama with a bit of a twist
yes, i came here for Seo Ji Hye after crash landing, I wanted more of her acting.the story was kinda normal, the only twist in the drama was that the mains ( Do Hee and Hae Kyung) were "Dinnermates" despite that the series was still enjoyable. all the characters were well portrayed, the cast was also exceptional. cinematography was on point. All in all the drama was wonderful. Wouldn't see myself rewatching it though.
Also wanted to add that "Ah-yeong" (played by Ye Ji-Won) was my favourite among all the characters, her presence in the drama was exceptional. All her scenes were really wholesome, Especially the scenes with Do Hee just watching their scenes together warms my heart.
This is extra but lol the scene where they went on a company trip, and had like this paint gun fight was so extra I was laughing the whole time. Plus everytime "Keanu" comes to the screen this specific like sound plays HAHAHAHA I cant- I just love it.
Anyways would recommend this to people who enjoy light romcom dramas with a bit of a twist.
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As another reviewer stated, for a show called Miss Lee, they truly don't focus on her that much. They don't even really make her the glue that holds things together. She mostly is kind of hopeless, and never really hits her stride like you expect. So you either want a comedy about a person who gets thrust in to a unique position and funny things happen, or you want a serious drama about the person figuring it out along the way through tough trial and error. Neither really happen here, and you are left wondering what the point of the main character even is.
The writers contradict themselves multiple times in the story. The characters are very gullible, and unlikable, with the exception of one or two. You know that cliche where everyone falls for someone's gossip story, but eventually they stop getting duped because they learn their lesson? Forget that. Everyone just believes everything they are told, and when they do question it, they are still eventually convinced by a quick rebuttal.
Not only does Miss Lee herself not get much attention. The second female lead also gets very little screen time and story development. I kind of want to do a spoiler review so I can point out the kabillion writing mistakes/contradictions, but I am not sure it's worth the time.
Verdict: This thing is a damn mess. I was kind of floored at how incoherent this was.
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There is not such a happy and funny basic feeling it is more serious and shows a Yukawa who is struggeling with his understanding of human emotions.
Even the classical Galileo structure is changed, there is no supernatural phenomenon in relation to a murder case which Yukawa analyses and solves but a more psychologic analysis of the suspects.
I am amazed how this japanese dorama series set another highlight showing a completely new perspective of the Galileo story. The movie is very good. It sends you through a rollercoaster ride of emotions and leads you to a much better understanding of the character of professor Yukawa Manabu.
If you like the Galileo series you must watch it! If you like psychologic movies or sad stories this movie is also the right choice for you!
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I don't usually like movies with multiple stories, but this one was just very well blended.
The acting was great, esp Miho Kanno. She's very convincing. The scenery was beautiful, the cinematography gave off surrealism style for me (thanks to its doll elements). The use of doll elements was great. If you (like me) think traditional Japanese dolls is eery, you will find the use of it here is eery as well, and that's one of what makes this movie special.
This movie seems to contain a lot of traditional Japanese culture symbolization, I wish I understand it more. This movie is not a movie to be watched over and over again. I guess you will not want to rewatch it, but it will stay in your memory for a long time.
A note for future watcher: this is a very very slow drama, without much dialogues. Not recommended if you can't stand this type of movie.
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Daddy Issues done wrong
I pretty much binged this. It was overall interesting, but it wasn't actually good.I started this already thinking that the premise was rather problematic. Therefore, understandably, my biggest concern was their age gap, and I was curious to see how they would try to convince the audience that yes, they are perfect for each other despite their age. However, they didn't convince. Not at all. In fact, it just proved me right. All my concerns about big age gap relationships where one of them is just barely legal were proven.
This guy (36) could've been her father, and I would've cared less if she (18) wasn't considered a minor in Thailand (adulthood at 20), and if she hadn't so often commented on his gestures that reminded her of her late father. Also, if he hadn't continuously referred to her as a kid/child and a good/bad girl. How was I supposed to not see how she only fell for him because she was young, innocent, naive and vulnerable, and that she literally projected her untargeted/floating love for her late father onto him???
Why he fell for her is a mystery in itself. She literally did nothing but be nice to his daughter and bring him coffee sometimes. How and why did his feelings of guilt for accidentally killing her father suddenly turn into love? Nobody knows.
Since there was no room for their relationship to really grow and blossom without making it problematic (because there is really almost no skinship - thank god), this is very slow. Like slow slow. The actual plot description only starts in about ep 5/6 and their one problem is left unresolved until it's finally addressed at the very end.
The lack of plot is a result of just bad character drafting. Both of them have nothing going on in their life.
She could finish school or rather start studying, or continue her internship at the kindergarten, but she doesn't. However, she stays at home and just plays babysitter-mom for his daughter.
He has no real work schedule, does he work from home or not? No ambition at work or in his private life.
They both don't have any goals, nothing that they aim to achieve.
This is what I find worrisome: In a storyline like this, where she's still underage and supposed to fall for a mature guy, they didn't even try to make her a strong character with her own thoughts, dreams and judgement. You'll think she's a strong character in the beginning, because she comes across as really feisty, but then they just left that part of her personality evaporate. So instead, they made her so vulnerable, so easy to manipulate, a mere pushover with big words: just very tamed and shy. I didn't dislike her, she had so little going on, there was nothing to like or dislike about her. She doesn't have a personality, but Moodka does a great job with her expressions, so it almost seems like she does have one sometimes.
Weir is handsome I guess, but with the glasses and old fashion compared to her very stylish and modern outfits ... it made him look so much more like a dad, that they just looked very off with each other as a couple. But most importantly, he acted like a dad. So much, that he sometimes talked to her like he did to his own daughter. It felt like incest to me sometimes, even though there technically was none.
The only moments I remember where he supposedly fell in love with her were when she didn't act up, when she showed "maturity" by being obedient - that's when he called her a good girl. She's only 18, but she shouldn't act like it, I guess.
I did like the side couple, they were cute, even if the 2nd male lead was very dumb, especially considering that they kept praising his amazing instincts that were supposed to make him a great police officer. I like their story until the second to last ep, when she had to be pregnant. It didn't even progress the story in any way.
The evil characters were good at being evil. There was off-screen rape, multiple rape attempts, attempted murder, attempted(?) sex trafficking, and it was all just left open. No real consequences. I guess it's not worth mentioning since all of it was just attempted.
Quote: "The guilt you'll have to live with for the rest of your life should be enough punishment."
and yes, you're allowed near the clueless victim. (????)
Conclusion: The storyline only worked because the FML was innocent and underage, that's why it's not good.
If they had aged her up, there would not have been any reason at all for them to get married. And since they both have no personality, there could've never been any chance for them to feel any kind of attraction towards each other. That's very sad considering I was supposed to root for them.
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Definitely a must watch for anyone's drama list
Now this was a mini dark series we all never knew we needed before until the first trailer came out and the drama aired.Midnight Motel held a dark humor series with a great cast, for 6 episode it did not entirely disappoint, because of it's clever cinematography shots and a few calculated steps. The way the story is told through the characters is also interesting to behold. It just hits differently than most, as it also engages with the viewer. Because it has serious and dangerous moments and then a few breaks in comedy that breaks the fourth wall entirely as it's meant to do. And the coloring used works so well here.
Sun and Kat's past and the glimpse of Mote's too helped with the complexity of their roles.
Overall in 6 episodes it wasn't bad. It was able to include comedy, drama, and slight "romance".
I've got to say that even when it was supposed to be darkest... the humor got to me good, like when Sun and Mote were bickering in these final episodes. Their unusual partnership at some given point was fun to see.
Surprisingly this is the type of series that we all wouldn't mind having a few more episodes, but at the same time we are left somehow satisfied with the outcome of certain events and with an open aftermath of possibilities. It's a mini series after all. Not everything has to be completely build up and delivered in a platter, somethings are made to make us the viewers think like the characters and create our own theories while collecting all the hints in the plot. The clues are obvious but it's also entertaining because of the actors playing it. Sure, I would also like to see June in a nice jumpsuit and behind a few bars to pay the price for her crimes... but the show always focused on Mote and the others, so where he goes, it's where it leads.
Really loved seeing Off as Mote, but Mond stole the whole show as the dark broken Sun, and Jan as Kat was able to prove once again her acting versatility. As for Louis as Doi is probably a favorite now, and Neo iconic appearance in two scenes will forever be remembered. Kudos to Victor, Pae, and Mew for their roles. The whole cast and production team deserve a praise.
The Ost and music through the episodes was okay, I really liked the intros and glitch theme vibes. The texts in the scenes could be deemed annoying in certain dramas but given the theme of this drama they worked in most parts, like when Mote explained his plans or the business app. But nothing tops the over the dead body conversation, that one was genius, CHEERS to that.
Well.... nothing besides the poker game that Mote had with June for the final deal.
That was a fun scene to see, it's these type of creative scenes are what makes this drama special.
Face this as a "light" mini drama to watch between your current on going dramas.
Don't take it too seriously it was never intent to be that way, I mean it's a parody.
Enjoy it for the cast, for the cinematography, for their plot holes and twists and dark vibes.
For all that and more, Midnight Motel is definitely a must watch for anyone's drama list (o゜▽゜)o☆
(￣y▽￣)╭ PS: And let's not forget for all of those who watched Not Me, in here Sean actually defeats Tawi xD
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This review may contain spoilers
Surrounded by scumbags could be an alternative title!
The acting is decent and all costumes look good as well. I can't really judge the ost cause I watched on youtube and it was mute on important parts. so I'll go with 6 judging by the remains of it.The first few episodes were a bit confusing, things were just happening out of nowhere, but then it got better after 4 or 5 episodes.
I'm glad each episode was less than 10 minutes or else I would've dropped it! There are so many unlikable characters! Being a short drama looks like it had the liberty of having the villains as vile as they could be.
Here is a list of horrible ones:
-The mother in law! & her maid!
-The ML
-Shang Guan
-Yu Yan's lover
it might make you feel better if I listed good characters, right?
-One maid is really good and loyal to FL, and I don't even remember her name!
-the guy with the maid, I don't remember his name either.
-2ML
The romance is so little that it gets lost in the fog of ruthlessness.
I can understand why this is listed in romance genre and I also understand those who have stated in the comments that this is no romance!
At the beginning we are actually as aware as the FL, meaning we only know what she knows. she got manipulated by Lu Gao Sheng thinking he loves her! until few episodes later that his vile self was revealed. from then on this drama is deprived of the romance. there is none. well, until 2ML appears but by the time he appeared FL is done with romance.
you bet I was looking forward to the REVENGE! but it wasn't as satisfying as expected.
In the end it wasn't about revenge. it was about saving her sister I guess.
it was an okay watch and I won't be re-watching it.
one more thing, If you are here for Dai Gao Zheng, he'll appear in ep17.
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