Reviews

Love story in warlords-time Manchuria

First, let's clear away some misunderstandings. The story is not about a "last princess" or even a "fallen" noblewoman. It is about a couple of characters who fight for their own visions and aspirations, and who are somewhat fated to be together, despite hurdles and threats to their life.

I was quite satisfied by this drama, despite the sometimes-abrupt editing, which makes suspect parts are missing. But this is understandable since the history of this drama also was not really smooth. As some previous commenters pointed out, it was an adaptation of a novel and in the very long time since it was shot, it got reduced from 50 to 38 episodes, more or less put aside for almost three years, and finally released with little fanfare. Original title is Bu Yun Qu , 步雲衢 (Bù yún qú, which may translate as Crossroads under piling clouds). The original novel was not available to me.

Warning: this is a long review, with History reminders for those unfamiliar with the period. Those who are may of course skip these details.

"The Last Princess" is a historical romance drama set around 1911-1932 from the fall of the Qing dynasty until the end of the warlords’ period and the establishment of the Manchukuo puppet regime in 1931. Despite the grittiness of that Republican era period, it is often the theater for “romantic” movies and dramas using the models of real historical figures, while depicting imaginary characters who might remind of the adventurous ones from Alexander Dumas novels of the 19th century. So, this one is also not a docu-drama, but an imaginary “romantic” story using impressions of some historical characters and events.
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To start, some reminders about Chinese “Republican era “timeline and places may be useful:

* The Qing empire fell in October 1911. A provisional government was established in Nanjing the following year under Sun Yat-sen, who had returned from his long exile to lead the revolution. But the "southern" revolutionaries were not strong enough to defeat the Beiyang army of Yuan Shikai, in the north, who became the de facto dictator of China after the Xinhai Revolution established the Republic of China in 1912.
* The Warlord Era began in 1916 upon Yuan Shikai's death. It lasted until 1927.
* Two of the most powerful strongmen of the Warlord Era were the "Old Marshal" ZHANG ZUOLIN (warlord of Manchuria from 1916 to 1928) and WU PEIFU in Zhili, known as Hebei province, now. (Today, the C-shaped area of Hebei, surrounding Beijing and Tianjin municipalities, makes up the Jing-Jin-Ji megalopolis region bordering the Bohai sea, the Shandong peninsula to the south and the Dongbei north-east region to the north, which borders with the Changbai mountains and the Korean peninsula).
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The drama focuses on the story of a couple, who struggle to fulfill their dreams despite many oppositions

FL character Yurong may appear cold in the beginning, but she does not waver in her sentimental attachment once it is formed, although at times to the point of unreasonable clinging, while also being at times too eager to distance herself from her dangerous warlord. She manages not to appear too unbelievable despite her ever-impeccable hairdo and manicured nails, But her sacrifices for the “public good” are exaggerated and make her stand out sometimes irritatingly as a rigid and stubborn would-be martyr. But not as whiny and childish as another female character (the very irritating Jiaojiao).
28-year-old Rain Wang Herun王鹤润 (who played Yurong) has been acting in many dramas since 2017, including as FL in one (2019 Yanxi Palace: Princess adventures, a Yanxi Palace spinoff)), where she portrayed a determined Qing dynasty princess contending with palace intrigue and a vendetta against her family, while navigating the treacherous terrain of romance. Her portrayal of the conflicted Yurong is adequate. The former princess attempts to become an independent modern woman putting action before passion, sometimes recklessly and clumsily, while she at first remains bound by remnants of old-time family loyalty.

ML character Zhao Zhengnan ( played by 38-year-old singer and actor Ryan Zhang He张赫, who seems blessed with never aging physique) is both handsome and determined: a soldier intent on putting the state before his personal feelings, but still doing his best to protect his love whom he puts before his own life. He manages to reel Yurong in and contain her excesses several times, despite many heartaches.
This was my first time watching a drama featuring this actor born 1984 in Shenyang. A graduate of Shenyang Conservatory of Music, majoring in opera, he is also a singer, but does not sing in this drama. He made his acting debut in the 2009 film “Perfect Bride” and has since taken part in 7 movies and 19 dramas, of which 2 are upcoming. Among these, he was playing, together with Hu Yitian, the role of a war pilot in “Defying the Storm” (a drama set in the period from 1937, when Chinese air force was still in its infancy and relying on foreign planes, sometimes complete with foreign pilots, such as the famous Flying Tigers, an U.S. volunteer squad which operated 1941-1942). I was favorably impressed by his Zhengnan and may look up more of his work.

Special mention to Tao Yi Xi who plays Yurong in the first half of the first episode. She often plays child or support roles since 2013, but we don't know much more about her. She does stand out here, with her kitten!

Each character in The Last Princess represents a part of the turbulent History.

As the descendants of prince Chun did in actual History, the child “gege” (title of a Manchu princess) Yurong decided to cast aside her Aisin-gioro name linking her to the imperial clan, adopting the name Jin (金)instead. (The real-life descendants of prince Chun did the same and lived to become valued professionals and even civil servants in the PRC). From childhood already Yurong set forth to fulfil her dream of becoming a doctor to “help people”. She thus represents the New Women in the beginning of the 20th century.

Yurong was an idealist and stubborn young lady. But at first, she was saddled with a cumbersome family member in the person of Guri Bude, a feckless Manchu cousin to whom she had been betrothed in infancy. She never agreed to fully accept the arranged marriage, living instead as a student housemate or sister, in their Tianjin house near the university where she studied medicine. She was concerned about his numerous weaknesses but without more than a sense of family loyalty to him.
He knew she had a crush on a boy briefly met in her childhood, who might be in Tianjin, but Guri Bude failed to evaluate the importance of this. Guri Bude (played by Zheng Xiaodong) represents the clueless and weak people of the previous regime, who could not defend their spouses, their country or themselves, dreamed of restoration of the Qing empire, but only failed miserably and fell prey to a greedy woman and to opium, the evil drug that led to the downfall of the Qing and invasion of China by foreign powers.

This greedy woman, Baoxi (played by Ke Nai Yu), belonged to the antagonist Wu warlord clan, vying for control of mines and land in Manchuria. The Wu family represents the factions who, in Zhili (present-day Hebei) sided with government only for their own gain, with no sense of honor or of country. Their son Wu Pei (played by "Sean Zhang"/Zhang Liang) was a vicious murderer, ready to kill even his helpers and sell-out to the Japanese who would soon launch a full-fledged invasion after killing the main opponent to their schemes: the Zhao warlord of Manchuria. These were the traitors to the country.

On the other hand, the Zhao warlord was, if not exemplary, at least more likeable, and patriotic. The old marshal cared enough for his son Zhao Zhengnan, main protagonist, that he accepted to cancel another infant betrothal, so Zhengnan might marry his one and only flame. This despite having to forego the direly needed money from the Sheng tycoon family, and make an enemy of Sheng JiaoJiao (played by Chen Meng Qin), the rejected bride-to-be. She would never accept the situation and go to extraordinary lengths to “re-capture” her obsessive life-long interest, Zhengnan.
Meanwhile, beset by lack of funds, the Zhao clan struggled to keep their hold on Fengtian and its rich mining resources. (Fengtian was the name at the time of present-day Shenyang city, and of the province, known today as Liaoning province); another important Manchu name for Shenyang was Mukden, but the drama avoids referring to the game changing Mukden incident of 18 September 1931. It features instead the assassination of the warlord of Manchuria (loosely modeled on real-life Zhang Zuolin, who was murdered by Japanese agents on June4, 1928).

In "The Last Princess", Ryan Zhang /Zhang He plays the role of “Young Marshal” Zhao Zhengnan, loosely based on the historical ZHANG XUELIANG (1901-2001), the so-called "Young Marshal" who became both warlord of Manchuria and head of the Beiyang Government after the death of his father.

The constant power struggle, sometimes armed, between factions in Beijing (Nanjing was official capital in that period) is depicted in this drama. The Beiyang government was changeable and unstable: it had seven different heads of state and more than two dozen different ministries between 1916 and 1928 when China was partly reunified under the Nationalist banner. Foreign influence was important, as despite the capital being in Nanjing, foreign countries also recognized the Beiyang government, pressing it for advantages such as land deals and railroad building and operating. In the decade following 1928, Japanese aggression increased on the coast of Manchuria, which was gradually abandoned by the Guomindang Nationalists. The GMD was more concerned about eliminating their political rivals : the Gongchandang Communist party, following the doctrine of先安内, 后攘外 "first internal pacification, then external resistance" (=getting rid of communists, before fighting the Japanese).

I did not skip any part and was not bored. I will not go into too many details, but here's a bird's-eye view: Zooming to end after many twists and turns, after separations and reunions in cities, on railroads, in hospitals, and in the wild Changbai mountains close to Korea, with bandits! Happy end for the pair, although Jiaojiao got a frightful end, but she was so stupid anyway, that it was a wonder she still was around, and what did she mean, bragging to very end about all the dirt she had on people armed with guns? She really was asking for what she got.

Of course, Manchuria was not yet liberated at end of drama, but the survivors were envisioning peaceful futures. We were spared from gritty depictions of death camps; instead, the cell that held our GCD heroes was surprisingly airy and clean, and I was looking at those handcuffs which slender-wrist Yurong easily could have slid off, and her impeccable clean hairdo with the pearled hair tie... Mmmm looking good till the end! Fingernails always clean and well manicured. THE pin-up heroine! Only found in c-dramas.

Zhengnan also looked dashing in his military uniform, even grazed by bullets that mowed everyone except him. But of course, he still needed to be persuaded to join the Party since this was PRC produced.
(In reality, historical model Zhang Xueliang did not join it, just as he never married a Manchu princess of House Aisin-Gioro, nor a doctor or nurse, for that matter; his real-life personal story was quite eventful, but he was far from a romantic, very different from the Last Princess drama.)

All considered, it was a satisfying melodrama with a handsome cast and mostly OK acting, which I did not regret watching. Since it followed at least more or less the timeline and some features of the Zhang Xueliang historical model, it made me read more to accompany my watching, and I liked the incentive to dig deeper, including watching some documentaries and listening to some period songs, both famous romantic songs by singers like Li Xianglan, the “Liaoning nightingale” (1920-2014) and other ones. These are not featured in the drama, but the OST is soothing and pleasing, and the music is not overshadowing dialogues.
The most memorable song is the one featured on episode end credits: At a glance - 一眼之间 Yīyǎn zhī jiān (Zǐ Zhú 紫竹).
While looking at end credits, I also noticed that there was a musical cooperation with Thailand, including instrumental music directed by well-known Somtow Sucharitkul who is both a gifted writer of horror and science fiction, and a composer (he composed five symphonies and a ballet, a “Requiem: In Memoriam 9/11,” "commissioned by the government of Thailand and inspired by the poetry of Walt Whitman, Emily Dickinson, and T. S. Eliot. ").

You can watch the drama and listen to the complete OST on Youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nQ2b2Z8Kvi8&t=15s.

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Stunningly Acted and Shot Film

Egoist is in one word, heart-wrenching. It will pull at your heart strings and really reminds you how harsh reality can be but at the same time, it shows us how beautiful love can pull us from the depths of darkness. The acting from both Hio Miyazawa and Ryohei Suzuki is truly commendable. They gave their heart and soul into portraying these characters. Hio especially shone in this role, he was radiant, charming and beautifully vulnerable (definitely deserved those awards). The subtle gestures, tone of voice and the eyes really make their relationship believable and so poignant. Everything is said through action, not just words. The chemistry is also very palpable and incredibly shown on screen, especially in those love making scenes. But in the end, does Ryohei’s character stop being an egoist, is he purely motivated by self interest or something else? (That’s the real underlying question) Even after the man he loved passed. It’s showcasing the need to be needed, to push your ideals onto an individual to perhaps make yourself feel wanted or to feel better. So are his actions truly altruistic? Overall, a thoughtfully melancholic and moving film about loss, acceptance and the human condition.

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Enigma is real

where do I get the words to even describe this show like only 2 eps and soo much happened and everything seems sooo real , i really get scared
the acting IS PHENOMENAL LIKE NO DOUBTS EVER ON THIS win prim and Evey other person realated to this show has. done soo perfect .
I really hoped it has more eps then 4 😭😭 love them sooo much .
believing that black magic actually exsists it's just wow 😮 never thought gmm could give us something like this
the latest ep blew my mind that how the ameture ghost tricked them into thinking the curse is simple but actually she is a Daredevil
win looks sooo hot with the tattoos i really can't wait for other 2 eps 😭

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Everyone Needs a bit of Sexy in their Lives

How to begin this review? This drama wasn't on my radar at all until I saw the trailer and it stopped me in my tracks. Was this c-ent's version of 50 Shades? How were they going to make this possible? I was extremely curious; I'm totally unfamiliar with the entire cast save for the actor of Mr. Han who I saw last year in The Story of Xing Fu. Everything about this drama from the trailers gave off a totally different vibe than what I've previously seen in c-dramas. And for real, everyone does need a bit of sexy in their lives.

Pros: The Bohemian vibe, the rich color palette of the locations, just gave the series this extra richness and made every scene extremely alive as it awakened the senses to exotic surroundings and vibes. I never cared about the age gap as that's what the story is about and how the characters overcome to develop their own love story. The music was probably my favorite part of the series and that says something as usually OSTs are ok or good but not to the point where you want to hear them on repeat. Jerry Yan obviously has a very long and impressive résumé in both acting and music, here he knew when to be aloof, almost wooden and when to let his walls crumble and be taken over by emotion. The little nuisances that could be missed sometimes but were very important to viewers like the significance of the painting and the fact that he started out with a copy and ended up with the real thing.

I didn't understand the FL at first when she bailed on him twice when she started to relapse. In her mind, though she was sharp as a tack, she didn't want him to see her sick. She wanted him to see her happy and healthy. Though I don't understand the logic in it but I'll speak about it below. In her mind, she wanted to not present as weak for better or for worse. Because they focused so much on flowers, paintings, and animals; I'll use the latter as an example. Both cats and dogs do this, when they know they are in the last stages of their lives, they tend to leave their homes and owners, they just want to go on their own quietly. Of course as humans, we want to be there for them and say a proper goodbye. So in that sense, HR was like a cat running away so her human could remember her in her prime, while not really considering or understanding the human's or XH's need to be with her, nurture, and take care of her even when he had no idea what was going on. That's the best way I could describe how I felt about the two sets of breakups. Also though she broke up with him the second time, she still was ridiculously jealous of him even talking to another woman, which showed her internal tug of war with whether to tell him the truth or just keep pushing him away. Thankfully he solved that one for her.

The last two episodes, I think were very beautifully done. Though he had to put the puzzle pieces together himself and we don't actually know how much time passed between the gorgeous wedding he gave her in his hometown and her passing away in his arms in the snow. I'd like to think they had sometime together to live in between. I love how the mom smartened up and gave her blessing and finally just let go. The extra scene after the ending credits I think was his dream where they always meet in that field of his favorite flowers in front of the building he proposed in; it's forever their very special place. I know many people cried but to me death is just the next step that a soul takes in order to return home. And most importantly, she's now pain free and can come to XH in his dreams in the best of health. She's waiting for him now instead as before it was the opposite.

Their chemistry, for me didn't start right away. Though he claimed he already had feelings for her when they met, I didn't feel anything for real until their first intimate scene in Ep. 9. Even after, all the scenes, cut or not, I have to say that real love and the feeling of it came with the cut scene in 17 when he says the words. They cared for each other and the make out sessions were well placed, but it wasn't until he uttered the words himself that I understood, that he understood it himself. I put this in the pros instead of cons because I felt prior to that, it was more on a physical level of things; nothing wrong with that. And I liked the development of his understanding of his own feelings as it builds his character.

Other characters I liked were Mr. Han, Fatty, the hotel chick that was related to SML, I really liked SML, even HR's roommates. Not one person in the entire series made it an issue of the leads many differences and that was beyond refreshing. C-dramas are known to always point out differences like they're the plague and then create an entire show around how everyone has to learn to grow and accept them instead of just being like "yeah, so what?"

Cons: The secondary couple, they were definitely more of a filler as I never really felt from mom the same passion or longing as from SML. It seemed like he put all the effort into the relationship which even didn't quite feel completed at the end. Were they really necessary? This show didn't need to turn the original into an older woman/younger man thing just because that's a trope very frequently used. Should have left well enough alone.

Even though mom explained she suffered from insomnia and anxiety, her symptoms present as PTSD that induces the other two. I wish they explained that more as to the reason she was essentially the jailer of her own daughter in the beginning of the series. As someone who suffers from all three but for different reasons, if you're going to go with the diagnosis, at least do the proper research on it because what she was actually experiencing was totally different from her explanations. You've already got Leukemia in the picture, which I'm unsure they researched properly either, might as well be as realistic as possible.

I'll be honest, I wasn't a fan of the FL in the beginning at all, though she pursued ML like to the point of almost stalking, she didn't even act 20 but more like a high schooler; the baby voice at times, pouting in others, the way she walked and the things she said, just didn't jive with this very smart woman we saw as the show progressed. I really wish this was one trope they could permanently get rid of in c-dramas.

Why was the character of Han Yu even there? That dude lived in his own world literally until the last episode. It was quite funny that even his uncle was like "I don't like him" because he was this narcissistic, annoying as nails spoiled, delusional brat. I never felt sorry for him, I just wanted him to go away. He added a layer to this series it didn't need. I'd rather have the cut scenes over his entire character.

Personally not a fan of characters hiding health conditions from their loved ones and going as far as breaking up. That second break up, I completely skipped over. Some people may agree and that's fine but I don't because I've got a plethora of health issues, one of which if it would relapse most likely then not lead me to seeing my guardian angels early, I would never keep something like that from someone. While I don't want them to suffer, I would want them to have that choice since I decided to make them a part of my life (this could mean significant other, family, or close friends). The fact that she eradicates that choice for him the second time around given their strong love, is something I do not and cannot agree with.

Would I recommend it? Absolutely. Despite the sad ending, it's a drama that you would most likely see in the west not in c-drama land. Give it a chance, it deserves it. You're basically watching a work of art so don't just look at the surface details, because inside are where the real flowers bloom.

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Once again I was totally captivated by Iris. I think that although there are some reminiscent scenes in this sequel, there is also a great continued story line. My only complaint (really since this isn't a romance, it isn't like I can complain that much) is that I didn't feel anything between Yoo Gun and Soo Yeon. Well, at least from her end. However, the rest is action packed and suspenseful. I really thought it was interesting that from some characters point of view, they thought they were doing what was right for their country no matter what the action. Then there is Iris motivated by power and greed. Of course, I could see the ending coming a mile away (as I'm sure most people will), but it was fun to watch it play out. I have tons to say, but we can't post spoilers...so...

When it comes to acting, I believe Jang Hyuk has a gift. I laughed with him and I cried with him. His personality change was believable. I was fully invested in his character as Yoo Gun. Kim Yeong Cheol did another excellent job as Baek San. At this point I can't decide if I love him or hate him. His character is truly on of those that show there are two sides to everyone. I gave the acting a 10 for those actors alone. Lee Bum Soo is no joke as Yoo Joong Won. I really had no clue what his character was about for a while. Oh Yun Soo as Choi Min was also good, but nothing special. I felt like she was just a way to keep Yoo Gun in the story line and then she was gone. Lee Da Hae as Soo Yeon left a lot to be desired in my opinion. I felt nothing for her character except when Yoo Gun was upset. I thought Im Soo Hyang as Yun Hwa was a heck of a lot better. I can't give away the ending, but if there is an Iris 3 and she is in it, then I'm totally watching it. I also thought that Doo Joon from B2ST and Lee Joon from MBLAQ were good. This is the first time I have seen them act and they didn't suck.

OH...and watching the outtakes made me think that a lot of these actors did their own action scenes and were hurt. It looked brutal to me. So props to all of them for that!!!

The music was pretty good. GO and Mir singing "Foolish Me" is a really good song that you should check out even if you don't watch this drama.

I might rewatch this sometime.

If you like action and suspense, then this is a drama that you should watch. :-)

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160 Boys Held Hostage by Bad Editing

This was the worst season of Produce-type show in Korea so far. NOT because of the trainees, but because everything else in this production failed them.

I will talk about trainees only very briefly: The boys were gorgeous, skilled, entertaining, talented, fun, charming, hardworking, good looking individuals and none of the criticism in this review is directed to them. This is not a hate-piece aimed at trainees. Congratulation to winners, good luck to trainees who didnt make it to the final group. Most of you are super awesome. Best of luck to aldi, this seems like a solid lineup.

1. Storylines
This is the SEVENTH korean iteration of Mnets hit reality show of Produce format. The name might be changed, some gimmicks were added, but this is still Produce 101. Except they attempted this to be seventh and EIGHTH season. That's the first and actually the last straw that broke the camels back.
There were supposed to be two shows, two debuting groups (one for Korea, one for China), but due to some reasons, it fell through and two shows were merged into one. Even before audience voting, the number of trainees had to be suddenly halved. This lead to instant elimination of "personality" (and future "storyline") trainees. What happens to your show, if you eliminate the rowdy, no-filter personality hires and leave in well-behaved, media-trained, talented guys, desperate to debut and play it safe? Seemingly you get boring show. Except based on after-show testimonials, the remaining trainees were not trying to play it only safe, it was all the BAD EDITING.

2. Editing and Production
Someone call Korean Academy of Film Arts and ask them if their courses on tv production and editing are still open cause people who worked on editing of this show really need some more tutoring. Horrendous. Disappointing. Boring. Inconsistent. Unnecessarily serious. Bad. Not viewer friendly.
I understand and emphatize with production team, as they had really hard task of carrying out this big show that was falling apart in their hands. They had to patch up together 2 shows into one, were being probably told to come up with something new, something that never happened in previous seasons, something fresh… but they just couldn't and so we got terrible show instead. None of the gimmicks, none of the "classes", none of the "plot twists" worked. I wonder if this is a result of pure incompetency on so many levels of production or if there is something deeper.

3. "Rigging"
It shocks me to say this, but looking back, i enjoyed the rigged/fixed seasons much more than this one. At least in that case, the votes were rigged but the need for character assasination and visual erasure of "unwanted" trainees (by mnet) by the means of editing was not that big. The way some extremely prominent and early-promoted trainees were not shown later even in moments of their excellence was frustrating. Not in the prefered lineup? No storytelling for you, even if you got set up for a story in the begining.
It feels like at least in "fixed seasons" the editors were handheld by final result and they could build around it. But in this season, we had to be pushed very hard to "the right direction". I know this is not a "documentary" and the integrity to telling the truth and all the context is not that .... important. But with 180+ minutes long episodes, you really could give us more without it looking like this was badly hidden promo for 5-10 trainees.

4. Styling + songs
Maybe this is more of a proof of the state of kpop genre, rather than this show, but long gone are the days of "To my word", "NEVER", "Boyness", "Rumor" - top tier original songs given to participants. The selection of songs - original or already existing was lackluster and mostly unispired. The styling has been the worst i remember - with the strong emphasis on the "killing part" and "his backdancers" (i swear it didnt use to be like this!!). The styling for final performances was embarassing and must be an act of sabotage.

5. FINAL WORDS
I am still flabbergasted by how mid the finale was. Until last second, i was 9 members truther. The fact that no such surprise happened only cemented my disappointment from this season. 8 members is so little for show with 160 participants. Too little for debut group from Mnets show that is guarranteed success. You COULD afford it, you have so much power but not decide to use it, smh.
I am also enraged by the fact that, in the end, chinese version of the show went through and cplanet trainees get round 2 of this rodeo. I find this so offensive to all the guys who had to be cut early from kplanet only for merge to happen. (but best of luck to all the cboys who decided to participate).
This show sucked, but i am still happy i got to witness these talented guys. I just wish they could shine more in a good show.

PS. I'm sorry, Kang Woojin, you deserved better :(

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THE BEST BL I HAVE EVER WATCHED

I honestly don't have much to say other than watch this BL. It was SO GOOD. I was completely entranced every episode, I didn't want it to end. The acting, the music, the cinematography, the story it was all so good and I can't get it off my mind and literally no series hits the same anymore. Also like I loved every single side character and was invested in all their stories which is so rare for me. GRAM AND YOK AND DAN their stories like held their own but were also beautifully entwined with the main storyline. And don't even get me started on the level of acting Off and Gun brought to this show. the characters were all so complex and the actors DELIVERED. The soundtrack was so good I have OEOEOEOEOEOE playing on repeat on Spotify (if u kno u kno). Lit just rambling but that's how good the show is I can't even think straight. I can't wait to rewatch it. I'm praying for a season 2. WATCH IT!!!!

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THE ABSOLUTE MASTERPIECE BL WITH THE PLOT WE ALL WERE SECRETLY DREAMING OF

Let's start with the fact that I highly recommend to watch this drama to all BL fans because it's a gem of 2022 and probably the best BL of this year (sorry, KinnPorsche, I like you so much but this drama turned out even better). I wasn't going to watch Khun Chai because I thought it was a soapy opera without BL plot but just with the gay story (yeah, BL series and gay story are completely different). But I was curious about Film Thanapat who is a famous and popular actor and who had never played in BL before. So I started to watch and fell in love until the last episode!!! I can't explain how badly I waited for each episode, like a crazy! Let me explain why this series is such a masterpiece:
The plot. The most important thing in every series is the story itself! This plot is super interesting and intriguing; there were no boring episodes, none of boring minutes! Characters are well - written, unique and developed. The love story between Tian and Jiu is the story we haven't get for a long time in BL. Enough slow-burn, drama, sweet moments.. It looks like real love! Healthy love between two non-school boys, not students, it's so rare to have two grown up characters (even though they are about 21 y.o according to the plot). But this love is wonderful. It is risky, sweet, dangerous but still the purest love I've ever seen. We didn't have historical BLs before and this one is the first so we can see about forbidden relationships of two men in 1940, BUT it's not a tragedic tragedy! This is love which can stand any problems and survive. There is a great combination of the love story and plot. Jam and Film now is one of my favourite couples, their chemistry is out of the charts!! For me it's definitely the unique series and I added it to my favourites (which are only 6-7 among 100+ BLs I've watched) Just watch and enjoy the great love story!

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Holy fistpumping glory, this was even better than I expected it to be. This drama managed to fill 28 episodes with great character development, fantastic action and suspense. I was at the edge of my seat for a lot of it, and even the ending was satisfactory for me.

My Rating: 9.5

In Short: This drama was a really entertaining and suspenseful story of an unconventional hero. I thought after the first few episodes that Kang To was pretty much irredeemable, but the character development and acting was spot on for our complicated hero (and his equally complicated nemesis/bro).

Pros: Joo Won was a revelation in this. He really sold this complicated character and I look forward to seeing him in other things in the future. Also, the 30s is a very interesting era for a historical drama like this. I do not like sageuks very much, but this was right up my alley, with great sets and fabulous fashion.

Cons: Torture. Lots of torture. Some of this was hard to stomach. The female lead was a bit bland at times, but that fit the story well. I was also a bit apprehensive concerning the anti-japanese feel to the drama. Since I am not Korean, I do not carry a grudge against Japan, but I guess it can be compared to Germany in WWII, they sure are portrayed as evil in WWII movies, but I do not consider Germans today to be evil in any way.

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Wow, that was traumatic

Writing this quick review for my LGBTQ+ community because all the positive reviews did not prepare me at all. But like...this short series packs in an unnecessary amount of trauma and I wouldn't recommend it to other LGBTQ+ viewers unless they're up for that kind of thing. We've got gay bashing, run-of-the-mill homophobic school bullying (and authority figures failing to properly intervene because they are also homophobic), attempted suicide, a forced breakup due to the characters' sexuality not being acceptable to a parent, and a father literally pointing a gun at his gay son and threatening to kill him unless he agrees to marry a woman. There's a third character not involved with the main romance, Xu Yang, whose entire purpose in the story is to illustrate how much gay boys get bullied in school. He gets almost no characterization, and he's not even friends with the main boys (he's from a different class). Yet the story keeps cutting back to him so we can see how he's getting bullied and gay bashed now. Then he tries to commit suicide after reaching out for help to adults multiple times and getting ignored. The story thinks it gives him a happy ending, but even in the last scene we see him, the entire school laughs at him for dressing up as his favorite character (Sailor Moon). So that wasn't cathartic! Justice for Xu Yang!

And like, the romance isn't even worth all the trauma. The boys are great actors, but Xiang Wan kind of harasses Zhi Chen at times, and their only kiss is nonconsensual (with Zhi Chen trying to push Xiang Wan off him while Xiang Wan forces it. Zhi Chen does eventually give in, but that doesn't make Xiang Wan's actions okay.). After their forced breakup, they reunite after thirteen years and just ride off into the sunset together without talking much.

I feel like the show was trying to make a statement about how horrible homophobia is, but it went over the top without balancing the trauma with enough hope. Like, at least give poor Xu Yang scenes where we get to know what he's like as a person and not just a target for homophobes!

Also, I know not everyone is sensitive to this, but the story includes an arc about (high schooler) Xiang Wan getting out of a romantic relationship with his male teacher before he moves on to Zhi Chen, and the series doesn't portray the teacher/student relationship as predatory. If anything, it could be interpreted as portraying *Xiang Wan* as inappropriate for pursuing a married man, instead of acknowledging that his teacher is the one at fault for getting intimate with a minor in his care.

So like all around just not a lot of good vibes. Great acting and music though. Take care, y'all!

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My favourite show of all time!

I don’t even know where to begin with the series, I ADORE this series, it is my favourite K-Drama ever! From the minute I started the first episode to the end of this series.. it had hooked itself into my heart. The acting is some of the greatest I’ve seen, at times comedic but it shows the true character the actor is portraying. I love the different roles that each character plays and the dream team duo. It is one I have prayed for another series since! This series had me laughing and crying all at the same time, it had me feeling all emotions. It was a rollercoaster ride for sure, one I’d gladly go on time and time again. I’ve even managed to convert over friends to K-Dramas with this series ❤️ Goblin stole my heart and will definitely never be returning it to me

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Love that needs a little law and order ... A 26-year-old policeman commits himself to a 16-year-old girl, and his mother and father more or less follow it.
"Policeman and Me" ("P to JK") based on a manga sh?jo by Maki Miyoshi.
The film is therefore more inclined to romantic comedy than a serious drama about inadequate love for age, although Kota, his police hero played by pop idol Kazuya Kamenashi, is the soul of sincerity. And, as his teenage bride Kako happily observes.
There is more to the story than Kota's desire to ease his conscience and restore his male pride, but Nami Yoshikawa's script is short on explanations, at least initially. What is obvious, however, is Kako's delight in playing house with her husband in his house very large for a police officer's salary, although she swear the aforementioned friend to the deep and dark secret about the engagement.
Meanwhile, Kota behaves like a perfect gentleman with his teenage girlfriend. In their moments, they exchange little more than smiles and the occasional hug, initiated by a stunned Kako. However, this interlude of innocent happiness is short. Okami Mahiro Takasugi, the temperamental, blond-haired punk who accidentally put Kako in the emergency room, becomes Kota's nemesis, as well as his sickly friends.
In addition, the realities of being a wife to a guy often absent in a dangerous job begin to affect Kako's fantasy world. She gets jealous, fearful and dubious. Can Kota see her as another human being, rather than a burden he must protect? In other words, a good mellow movie but that could be perfect for a mature drama.

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Jin was a Jdrama I have been rooting for until the second season came out. I was slightly disappointed with how things ended, maybe it's me or rather the romantic side of me got ahead and decided this drama would not be listed as one of my favorite watch of all time.

Setting that aside though, I still enjoyed Jin 2 in all it's glorious details about the Tokugawa-Shogunate era in Edo. I loved the cinematography and the actors. These actors by the way aren't like the average newbies or jpop idols who could only pose on screen and look good. These actors are veterans who has a couple outstanding dramas and movies under their belts to boast of.

My favorite character would be Tachibana Saki acted by Ayase Haruka. What's so interesting about her character is the fact that she's the only female doctor who has chosen her own path, away from a samurai clan. This being said, women with strong aspirations in life gives lasting impressions.

Music wise, the drama had a good OST. The ballad on every dramatic scene was in perfect sync and feel. I also like the theme song Itoshiki Hibiyo by Hirai Ken, it felt like every time I would hear it, I would feel Minakata Jin's internal turmoil.

I may not watch this again, but I would highly recommend it to people who like Japanese History and is into sci-fi-medical drama and all the likes.

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