Reviews

BETTER THAN PART 1! A GOOD REMAKE

As a huge La Casa De Papel fan, i was both anxious and excided to watch the remake. Part 1 was okay i have already write a review about it, but part 2 was phenomenal.

I actually believe that not only it was a great remake but if you compare it with the original it had better flow and depth, characters had better development, many things that the original did wrong the remake did right, the most important is that the characters were better written and the plot didnt had holes. I truly thing that if this one had come first, everyone would love it. Many think that a remake can never be good but this drama is the exeption.

The plot was the same but with added things that fix problems the original had, the relationship between the professor and the inspector and the romance between Tokyo and Rio etc. They included details that were very important after all and handle some things different. I dont want to spoil anything but i am glad they didnt keep some stuff same.

99% of the characters were better written and i liked them more, the 1% is the professor... I am sad that the only bad thing i could find is the professor, an icon og character that was ruined, i really dont know if the actor couldnt pull this off or if the og is to hard to imitated. Everyone else was amazing. One of the best things the remake did was adding Seoul, one of the best characters and badass af, i think some traits the original Tokyo had were given to Seoul. I am not going to write my thoughts on every character ( i have already write a review about part 1 that talks about characters and the north vs south plot).

I have to say this is a great remake and you should watch it regardless if you have watch the og or not.

Read More

Superb movie!

I really love the movie, even more the second time I watched it. The acting was exquisite. The cinematography is gorgeous. I really like the play with the camera, how it sometimes goes from clear, distant third POV to a more intimate POV (like when we are left in the hallway at the parlor as some sort of driver in the getaway car). Kiritani’s downward spiral, the injustice around it, makes it a heart-wrenching watch on its own; the revelation later on is a kick to the feels. I was surprised by how thematically tight the movie is. Like many others, I was a bit disappointed by the ending, but after watching it again, I think I understand the ending better. With that said, I do hope there’s a creator’s commentary on the DVD where they explain some of their choices, with the ending being the center of it.

The movie was originally a manga, and overall they are very similar. Some changes, like the POV-change, were very well done and added to the narrative, in my opinion. For example, in the manga, we get a lot of the story from Kai through internal monologue whereas in the movie he is made a mystery to be figured out with lots of clues dropped along the way.

It seems like many people have watched the movie with little to no subs, and it’s a bit of a shame because you’ll miss out on a lot. There are a lot of clues and cues in the dialogue that pay off in the end and add to the angst and heartache. The importance of words and their meanings are even highlighted in the opening of the movie and then in the middle of it too.

It’s not a movie for everyone. It’s thematically dark with only glimmers of hope. The characters might not be to everyone’s taste either. But as I said, I love it, and will most likely watch it many more times.

Read More

Beautiful show and learned about ink in a predictable feel-good story

The Heir follows a familiar story pattern that is not new, but is as feel-good as ever. A cheerful, hardworking, fearless, [insert more positive adjectives] young woman of prodigal genius overcomes various obstacles to bring happiness to herself and everyone around her. Her protagonist halo glows so brightly that there isn’t much suspense; the show is mostly about cheering her on and feeling good when she succeeds.

I think this show’s high point is its production. You can tell a lot of effort was made to bring this time period (Ming Dynasty) and place (Huizhou) to life. Its portrayal is vivid and detailed, with beautiful settings and a lot of atmosphere. The streets teem with extras, the food looks delicious, the costumes get dirty, old people have freckles, the FL’s fingernails always have ink, etc. There are also so many little details surrounding the daily life, like all the little tasks they do, it creates a nice slice-of-life feel.

We also get to learn all about ink-making. Shows that focus on a single industry will really play it up and put it on a pedestal, which I never found that relatable (sorry, I just don’t share the passion for ink!). But we can still admire the devotion of the characters, and it’s a fun way to learn about a new topic and the culture embedded within it.

As for the story... Li Zhen, the FL, is both capable and likable, so it’s fun to watch her underdog successes. As she makes her way up the career ladder, she faces off against scheming competitors, mean-spirited family members, natural disasters, and the like. She sometimes gets discouraged and shows real emotions, which makes her relatable and adds some humanity to an otherwise overpowered character.

The ML is also likable and good support for her, but he definitely seems secondary. He is also just on his own mission separate from hers. The romance between them is a good level for people who want just a hint of romance but nothing too played up. The FL and ML don’t even interact that much for the first half of the show, which I didn’t mind and barely noticed. Their relationship grows naturally and subtly as they work together and develop a solid friendship. Later there is some noble idiocy on his part, but luckily she is the kind of brave FL who stays true to herself.

I was happy with the growing relationship, but it’s only one part of Li Zhen’s life. Of the scenes that really left an impression on me, most were Li Zhen with her mom or her grandfather, rather than anything with the ML. At one point when Li Zhen is struggling in the rain, I thought the ML would magically arrive like every other show, but instead it was her mom- made me tear up. (As a side note on the mother-daughter idea, the story arc with the Princess and her mother is also quite sweet).

Female empowerment is not an outright theme- except for occasionally throwing sexism at Li Zhen- but it’s still a show where the writers seem to like women. I especially like that the female side characters are generally well-written, having varying roles and degrees of power as well as different relationships with each other (often positive). Li Zhen herself also just overshadows the ML, often being the one to save him, and she handles without him what I think is the biggest conflict of the story.

Those are the things I liked. Unfortunately, I just also didn’t find the show that interesting.

The thing is, the plot is kind of repetitive and the conflicts do not feel meaningful. The FL has so much plot armor, there isn’t actually any REAL question about whether or not she will triumph. And the villains are rather one-dimensional and uninteresting, just cartoonishly bad people. Normally I like bad villains because it’s less emotional load, but these were just too excessive. Fourth Aunt, for example- poorly written but rather well acted- spews nonsense that makes no sense and nobody ever argues logic with her. And the most prominent villain simply gets more and more unhinged as the show goes on.

I just honestly did not find it that interesting to see over and over, villains acting super evil and Li Zhen coming up with ways to squash them, or win over hearts when she can. Even among the side characters, many are likable (“good people”), but there are only a few that I actually found interesting- and one is already gone within 6 episodes.

The entire foundation of the show is also weak, since the tragedy that anchors the show (the Tribute Ink scandal) is full of holes. Ink does not spontaneously combust; why did nobody look into who set the fire? Every time somebody directed more misplaced vitriol at Li Zhen, I could understand it as a plot device, but I still had to roll my eyes.

So in general, the show is not too stressful (not too many deaths either, beyond the first few episodes), but also not that interesting or meaningful. I watched most of it at 1.25X or 1.5X speed. I just don’t really need to spend THAT much time watching people curse the villain or praise Li Zhen.

For the acting, I think it’s really good. Both Yang Mi and Elvis Han had some great expressions and captured the right vibe. This show also has a lot of older characters, and I love watching older actors because they’re generally more experienced and quite good.

The production, as mentioned previously, is excellent, really bringing the show to life, as befitting a show that wants to educate its audience. The styling is nice and not over-done. I also really liked the music, especially the BGM which is used well for effect. I especially appreciate the playful BGM which let me know when I can take it easy, and the uplifting one that plays when good things are going to happen. The OST is also nice but is not over-used, probably because this show didn’t overdo it with the dramatic scenes.

Overall, although the show does many things well, it unfortunately suffers a fatal error of not having meaningful conflicts or just being that interesting overall. It seems mostly good for soaking in the setting and getting to know a time and place and industry. I’d give the story a 6 or so (somewhere between “not that into it” and “entertained but not masterpiece”), but +0.5 for great portrayal of female characters. And then the production is so good that I’ll rate the overall show higher than the story. ...I also happened to watch this when I was home sick, and discovered that it’s perfect for a dazed binge when you’re not feeling too good or thinking that clearly and just need something external to make you feel better.

ENDING – READ AHEAD ONLY IF YOU WANT TO KNOW, CONTAINS SPOILERS





The ending is... hm, I thought it was happy. How could it not be? Nobody who just spent 42 episodes watching an invincible protagonist win all her battles wants anything less than Happily Ever After... surely the scriptwriters know that.

The strange thing is, everything is working out and then with 5 minutes to go, the ML is suddenly sent off to battle. With one minute left he comes back, walking across a field towards the FL. Textover tells us that Li Zhen essentially retires after all this, no mention of the ML. It was so odd and unnecessary that I googled it, and it seems many people consider this an open ending a la The Double (ie the vision is implied to be an illusion because he died).

Well, I chose to take the ending literally, like he actually returned. But it is a strange bite-sized chunk of story that is easy to ignore if you prefer that method instead.

Read More

HeLi mo JinYu

It is very difficult to see them altogether in a drama, so the casting itself is 10/10 for me.

In this season, all casts are so relax, joke around each other everywhere and the chemistry between them is top notch.

The script for backstory of each character is written well,set design and styling are well done and love the message given at the end of each case.
(Here,Music=the reaction effects🤣)

Case No.
1.The Blood Stained Candy(Ep 1-2)
2.The Deadly Barrage(Ep 3-4)
3.The Curse of Immortal (Ep 5-6)
4. Bewitched (Ep 7-8)
5. The Dead Notice (Ep 9-10)
6. The Truth of Death Part-1 (Ep.11-12)
7. The Truth of Death Part-2 (Ep.13-14)
8. The Mysterious Paintings of Ancient House( Ep.15- 16)
9. Death happened in Public( Ep.17-18)
10.Breaking the Fog to find the Trace
(Ep. 19-20)

Have a nice day everyone ❤️
Love you💗🤗💗

Read More

A drama with no saint, please bring your brain here

Someone said to me, "Sometimes you need to leave your brain to enjoy a kdrama, just watch and enjoy bro!" That 'sometimes' is NOT this drama. Please bring your brain, you need that. Also bring your empathy. You will enjoy this more with both.

It's a drama with a very well written plot. It makes you guessing, make theories, broke your theories, give surprise, bring you to a journey of storytelling that is so refreshing and trilling. You can shrink the story of this drama into a sentence that describe a common fated love story, but it really more than that. It tackled the emotional side of you, also the brainy nerdy side of you.

The characters are lovable, but not in the way it usually are. If you're searching for 'green flag', 'rainforest' kind of characters, you'll find none here. What we have are complex flawed human that bring their own painful past. No heroes, no saint, no Gandalf. But if you watch it with caution and empathy, you'll get attached to all of them at the end. One reason why all of them are lovable, because every single of them get a trope that somehow disregarded by a lot of kdrama watchers these days: 'character development'. And like every part of this drama. The development written so well. Sometimes it written subtly, but never sudden flip.

This is a drama with no filler. The plot is packed, quite fast paced, but not rushed. No characters is forgotten, even until the end. It is that well planned.

The visual from setting, costume, make up, camera works, colouring, cinematography in general are top notch. I know Sky Castle is director's highest rated works. But I believe this is his masterpiece. And the soundtracks... award worthy! It consist of generally 3 songs. But all of them bring this drama alive and emotional. The magic they have... that can change emotions with every scenes. The composer you are Jung Jae Hyung...

And I'm forever thankful for director Jo Hyun Taek to bring me to Chun Woo Hee. The greatest actress of her generation. All actors in this drama act so good. Jang Ki Yong expression is no joke, he becomes better and better in his art. Whole Bok family and scammer family are full of great actors, both senior and junior actors. But among them, Park So Yi shining here. This girl has bright future in acting industry. Ten years from now we will see this drama again and reminiscing it as one of her great work among many.

And the whole comment section of this drama is MVP. It's so fun reading theories, making theories, debunked, get trivia. It's so fun. It's really really fun watch it on going. I'll never experience that again but I'll rewatch this drama again and again. You always can get new things after every rewatch. 💯

Btw, my first 10/10 kdrama, welcome to the club kiddo.

Read More

Unfortunately a failed gambit

Having not read the original novel that the drama is based on, I can judge based only on what I saw in watching this - and boy, was it a frustrating watch. There are elements of the story that could have been developed to become a truly trilling story, but the script decides to jump from plot to plot without respecting the characters, especially in the second half of the story. The best story line was between male lead Shen Zaiye, with a secret backstory and identity, and Mu Wuxia, the noble and upright 4th prince. If Mu Wuyin and Empress Lv's story were fleshed out more and the structure moved around a little, it probably would made for a more thrilling and compelling climax. But as it is presented, I feel nothing for Empress Lv, and Mu Wuyin is reduced to a strange, psychotic small-minded man.

The cast is certainly capable of better, and Liu Xueyi certainly does his best to make Shen Zaiye a living, breathing character. Unfortunately, there is not much to work with, and Meng Ziyi probably suffers more because the characterization of Jiang Taohua is very poorly done. The direction is also somewhat uninspired - lackluster action pieces and discordant music make this an overall unpalatable watch for those wanting a truly exciting political and romantic period piece. Still, the first half makes for a fun light watch, so if you are a fan of the any of the cast, it may still have something worth checking out.

Read More

This drama caught my attention after watching Sweet 18. I remember myself sitting in front of the TV laughing out loud because of the convoluted situation a husband and wife was put through.

Yoon Hye Chan is a 29 year old woman who wants to divorce her husband, due to an accident she lost all her memories and reverted to her old self as an 18 year old. This is where all hell was let loose and where her husband’s real trouble began. Kang Sang-Young is an actor who’s trying to mend his relationship with his wife Hye Chan but was unable to when she was in her 29 year old self. Now that his wife had amnesia, he had to go all through those silly high school details so their love with each other would be rekindled… but wait! There’s more! He has to toughen himself up because his competitor this time is a young lad who is 18 years old and very much willing to help out the 29 year old Hye Chan in her 18 year old mind.

What I liked about this drama was the humor, the silliness the characters had to go through and the flashbacks. I loved the flashbacks because that’s where the main details are. It shows what happened in the past that depicts what exactly was happening in the present and as to why it was taking place. Another bonus to the flashbacks is the young actors who were portraying Hye Chan and Sang Young 18 year old self, both were really cute and an eye candy to watch.

Music wise, there nothing note worthy about it, basically it's just there to give emphasis on what's happening but other than that it just zips right through your brain. Though all in all this is still a drama I would definitely recommend.

Read More

To maintain a 'watch-life balance', even thriller-suspense lover audience needs to watch light, refreshing drama like this one. I have seen several dramas on life of idols but this one felt different. This is because, even though the main story is the struggle of an idol group to regain their popularity after they face bashing for plagiarism, here the manager was in the focus, not the idols. Seo Eun Soo has pulled the role of a bit clumsy but determined manager perfectly. I liked different songs they have come up with in this drama also. As they have announced it would have another season, I don't have any complaint about the open ending. I felt the chemistry between the main leads is a bit clumsy but I think this might be intentional as this drama will have another season and the main leads probably will have more scope to show their chemistry. In a nutshell, enjoyed this drama thoroughly and will be waiting for the next season.

Read More

"A Royal Romance, A Timeless Classic - Feels Just Like First Love

Watching Goong (Princess Hours) felt like stepping into a modern-day fairytale,,,,but with a twist of reality and a whole lot of heart. From the very first episode, I was hooked by the unique idea of an ordinary high school girl suddenly becoming a crown princess. That simple girl, Shin Chae-kyeong, (My favourite ☺️) captured my heart with her innocence, goofy charm, and unshakable spirit. Her journey from confusion to courage inside the palace walls felt so real to me.

The story beautifully explores how two strangers ""Chae-kyeong ""and the cold, distant "Crown Prince Lee Shin" learn to understand each other after being forced into marriage. Their chemistry is slow-burning and heart fluttering but so worth the wait. Every stolen glance, every tiny moment of care between them made my heart flutter. I especially loved how their relationship shifted from annoyance to affection, full of emotional tension and tenderness.

Yoon Eun-hye whom I like very much was perfect as Chae-kyeong! Her emotions felt natural and relatable. And Joo Ji-hoon, as Lee Shin, carried that royal aura so well, but also showed vulnerability underneath his serious expression. Their performances made the love story believable and beautiful.

The cinematography was stunning the palace scenes were shot like paintings. Every frame felt elegant and dreamy, from the candle-lit corridors to the royal ceremonies. It honestly made me wish I could walk through those palace gardens myself.

And oh, the OST,,,,,it still plays in my head! The soft piano melodies and those emotional ballads added so much depth to the scenes. I could feel the sadness, the longing, the love... all through the music. It's one of the best parts of the drama.

Now... let’s talk about the second lead syndrome. Yes, I had it badly🥺! Yul (the second prince) was so sweet kind, caring, and supportive always looking out for Chae-kyeong. Sometimes I even wanted her to choose him. His eyes were full of silent pain, and I couldn’t help but feel for him😔

But nothing’s perfect ,,,,,there were moments I hated too. Some palace politics felt slow, and certain misunderstandings dragged for too long. Also, the Queen and the elders were so frustrating! I just wanted to scream, “Let them be happy!”

What I loved most was the emotional growth of the characters. They didn’t just fall in love,,,they earned it. Through misunderstandings, heartbreaks, and personal changes, their bond became strong and unshakable.

I’ve already watched Goong more than twice and I’m still not tired of it! Every time I re-watch, it feels just as magical and emotional as the first time. The characters, the love story, the palace setting… everything pulls me back in. It’s my most favorite drama, and no matter how many new ones I watch, Goong will always have a special place in my heart. I just don’t get bored of it,,,it’s like comfort food for my soul.


"" A fairytale that stays in your heart long after the credits roll"'

Read More

It’s worse than I expected

I unfortunately completed this drama but with the help of the fast forward ⏩. When you have to fast forward a drama with 15min run time then you already know it’s a terrible drama,
Funny enough it really could have been a decent enough drama even with the run time but I don’t even know how much a better developed plot could have saved this especially with how bad the acting from Mew was, I wanted to give the acting 1/10 but I ended up giving it 4/10 because the SML did a really decent enough job and shouldn’t be punished for the bad job the more experienced actor did.
If you haven’t watched this drama and thinking should I go for it just to see for myself, I sincerely employ you to not do it.
A lot of people in the comments accusing people of hating on the drama because of Gulf, do you think everyone is a delusional hormonal teenager without a brain like you?, if majority of people say something is bad, then there should be some modicum of truth in it?
There is no ifs and buts about this drama though, it’s really bad, a no plot drama with horrible acting. It was so painful to watch actually.
I obviously do not recommend

Read More

I have finished this drama today and I think it is necessary to write about it immediately.

This drama brings about a lot of emotions.

Crazy, angry, and boring sometimes and I do not know why I can finish this drama. Maybe because this drama is too crazy and it makes me want to know its ending.

This drama has potentials in the beginning, but go down rapidly, all characters in this drama can challenge audience's patience.

I do not know why the writer can write horrible story like this. Some people said that this story is meaningful and this drama helps us not to make mistakes like people in this drama.

However, I do not think so. The characters in this drama were not well-developed. These couples in this drama are unhealthy. Perhaps, this drama teaches us to live in unhealthy relationship and accept that.

Read More