3 reasons to watch this series
I have one principle when I start watching a series: I don't expect anything, so at least I won't be disappointed. Then I give it three or four episodes to decide whether to watch it to the end or not, which usually takes at least an hour or so. This time it didn't even take ten minutes, because the total runtime is 70 minutes for 30 episodes. Was I disappointed? No, I was surprised.There are three reasons to watch this series: 1. Junior, 2. Kad, and 3. it's fun. It's fun because many of the things that make 'normal', i.e. longer, Thai series so hard to watch sometimes are simply not possible when there's less than 3 minutes per episode: no staring at each other for 10 minutes, no endless crying scenes (there are actually none at all!), no distracting side couples, no shrieking bl-fans, even the ex-girlfriend isn't toxic, and she doesn't get more than 2 minutes of screentime.
I won't spoil the plot, there isn't much to spoil anyway. The episodes display short scenes about two roommates who are different from each other, but there isn't the worn-out hater to lover trope. There are just 30 glimpses of two boys getting closer, and I find it surprising how well they are being characterized. Junior and Kad have a fantastic chemistry, and they obviously enjoy the opportunity to show their talent as comedians.
Cinematography is also surprisingly good for a tiktok series, as is the soundtrack.
The series is now available at youtube with English subtitles, all episodes put together without any commercial breaks, and if you have 70 minutes to spare, and if you want good, light entertainment, and if you like Junior and Kad, then this is exactly right for you.
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A sweet slice of life
This is a really special 2-part short film that has a much more realistic feel to it than we're used to, yet remains in the BL genre.Nobody is rich, the mother looks like a real person, and the setting is really beautiful without relying on the usual wealth and glamour - the director uses the natural setting to its best advantage.
The pacing is really good, managing friends to lovers in such a short span without feeling rushed or unnatural. The relationship is fluffy without being saccharine, and the chemistry between the two leads develops and feels real. The script is good, and a character's description of what it feels like to want someone is age appropriate and avoids the silly cliches like a kiss on the cheek is something shocking - these two want to touch each other, and the confused character is just the right amount of hesitant. Realistic dramatic tensions are not given overblown weight, and resolve in a natural way - it's refreshing.
The acting is superb - Mon has always been good, but Oak is really good in this and seems to improve with every project. And again, Mon performs the main theme.
I will certainly watch this again, and I'm looking forward to the next project.
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This review may contain spoilers
"The truth depends on who tells it best"
Copycat Killer was a copycat of numerous serial killer stories, set apart only by its relentless and gratuitous images of young women been tortured and murdered. Told in a time before social media, it tried to paint television news as bringing as much chaos to society as the brutal murders of imperfect victims.The drama utilized character types we’ve seen before. Chris Wu played the brilliant and moral prosecutor with a tragic past who is a thorn in everyone’s side for not tolerating any dishonesty and doggedly devoting his life to solving crimes. I found this confusing. Prosecutors in my country use the evidence police bring them to go to court and try the cases, they don’t dig up the evidence themselves. Cammy Chiang was the overly earnest young reporter disillusioned with the news media. The criminally underused Ko Chia Yen was Wu’s ex and a psychologist to help him make sense of the killers’ motivations. Ko is a gifted actress who had few scenes and none of which showed her range. Ruby Lin’s news anchor and producer had potential but the writing let her down as well. The villains ranged from mildly complex to laughable.
Copycat’s writing was uneven and the pacing slow. The first three episodes were more confusing than world building. Story lines that promised follow-ups were dropped. In the initial episode, a killer made the statement, “As long as the evil in your heart is triggered, anyone out there has the capacity to become a killer…Do you think there’s no evil in you?” The writing clumsily tried to push Wu’s prosecutor into that ethical corner. The news media was shown as morally bankrupt, uncaring of how much damage their coverage did to victims and their families as long as the ratings were high. Due to their race to air the most graphic or emotionally volatile content they became complicit in the killers’ crimes.
Aside from the writing and pacing issues, the main problem I had with this drama was its depiction of women. It tried to have it both ways-repeatedly show scantily clad women tortured and murdered in a titillating manner and then call out the media and society for blaming the victims. One character that was written for us to empathize with due to his loyalty and connection to main characters simply emphasized how unimportant young women’s lives were. The noble citizenry vilified the imperfect young women as being unworthy of justice and finding their killers a waste of tax payer money. The old myth of only the perfect victim, the chaste and obedient woman from a good family, being worthy of our sympathy or help was trotted out again and again. Perhaps Copycat was highlighting how victims and their families are often victimized as much by “righteous” people as the criminals who committed the heinous crimes but the lingering shots on chained women or extended scenes of gratuitously murdered women muddied those waters. The drama also briefly addressed the troubling old belief that the family of a perpetrator was as guilty as the criminal and not worthy of a happy life even if they had nothing to do with their relative’s actions.
Copycat Killer was a disturbing drama, not because it dealt with serial killers or had gory scenes, which it did, but because in trying to show society’s misogynistic and limited views of women they simply reinforced violence against women as a means of entertainment.
11/17/23
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Ts suchs ass
Honestly, the actions weren't even needed in the first place, JUST WHOSE IDEAS WAS THIS? this feels like a slap in the face to fans (like me) who have spent years emotionally invested in the story. It’s like the people behind the adaptation read a Wikipedia summary of ORV and thought, “hell yea ts tuff, let’s throw some monsters in there and call it a day.” The soul of the original is gone. Don’t even get me started on the pacing, they butcher the story structure so badly that important arcs are erased???? It feels like they tried to Frankenstein the entire first few volumes into a watchable product and just hoped we wouldn’t notice. But we noticed cus wtf!???AND LMAO the CGI suchs, like actually, like PS2 cutscene levels of bad and in a story where the entire world is falling apart, that matters. It’s supposed to feel terrifying and mythic, but instead it’s just... cheesy? Idk, and emotionally? It’s dead inside. They ripped out the internal narration, the constellation dialogue, the deep moral dilemmas all the stuff that made ORV different, and they replaced it with generic hero tropes and forced drama. It reeks of trying to please the general public instead of respecting the source material or the fans who carried this story for years. In the end, it’s not just a bad adaptation it’s a complete misrepresentation. It doesn’t just “suck.” It’s a hollow, corporate husk of something that once had heart, and the worst part is they think slapping on a familiar title is enough to make us like it. It’s not. It’s infuriating. I FUCKING HATE THIS.Was this review helpful to you?
Also, can I just say how much I want one of those translator ear pieces? Those were really cool.
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Now, after watching season one and patiently waiting for season two to be release soon. I regret judging the series from someone else's point of view because I really enjoyed watching it. It was hilarious, cute, and it had me going "WTF" from the first episode to the last. The original name of the series "What The *uck" really suits the show because the are lot of WTF moments that would leave you speechless. You know, the one that gets your fan-girl/boy heart melting down to the one that have you crying with tears.
Anyways, apart from that, the casting and music choice for this series was well thought out because everyone played their part perfectly. It was interesting to watch the relationship growth between the main couple and side couples. With every hug, fluff and kiss, my heart is at peace. I'm very happy to have given this series a try. The slow build and the cliffhanger at the end of the season is all worth it knowing season two is coming.
Please go try it out for yourself because you too will be going... WTF.
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Watch this show!
My first k-drama, and one I revisit periodically. The storyline is original - a man destined to continue living to atone for crimes in his past. I'd like to address the age difference - I can see why some people really had a problem with it, especially since she spent so much time in a high school uniform. However, the chemistry between Gong Yoo and Kim Go Eun was amazing. When watching Gong Yoo - his loneliness was almost palpable and was heartbreaking to see. Kim Go Eun was able to vacillate back and forth between her pitiful life and her vivacity as she gets to know Kim Shin (Yoo) better. The secondary love story between Lee Dong Wook and Eu In Na was lovely as well. There was a lot of humor (like when he told her his name was Kim Woo Bin!), but such sadness as well. The scenery is just beautiful when they are in Canada. The music is absolutely perfect. Each song fit perfectly where it was used and there was a haunting quality about a number of the songs. These songs are easily recognizable when you hear them outside of the show. But I think the thing that I love best about this show is the friendships between the characters, especially between Goblin and Reaper. If you look up the word Bromance in the dictionary, you should find their pictures there - what started out as hate, moved to grudging respect, and then finally brotherly love. Their scenes never failed to make me laugh. This is one of the few shows that I have watched multiple times, and have enjoyed it just as much each time.Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
Ok so i loved the story it was interested near the last two episode i was somewhat shock... i made a hypothesis in the beginning that all three boys know they were dating her but just pretended they didn’t and they choose to share so they don’t lose her but it turns out... Ya’ll know if you already watched it okay so here’s where the SPOILER is going to come! if this doesn’t make sense that means you didn’t watch it yet, come back and read this after you watch it! So at the end when she said “Why? You think you’ll be different?” Is actually dark to me because she wasn’t talking to gunwoo when she was saying that! She was talking to us viewer! That somewhat creeped me out lol but i still can’t be disgusted or angry with her! Cause knowing me i would’ve done that too... but i felt like i would’ve feel guilty from the beginning.. Anyways the ending and the whole story surprised me, more than feeling weird out or any negative emotions i actually felt amazed. Yeah that’s it i thought it was a great drama with beautiful casts. Was this review helpful to you?
Trash
I have no words left. Worst adaptation ever wait, no it’s not even close to an adaptation. It’s just a trash ugh. When the live action first was announced, I was so happy but the moment I saw the cast I lost the spark in my eyes it was DISASTER worse than my life tbh. I hoped atleast the plot would stay same but they changed everything. It just keep getting worse and worse. It’s completely different movie not our ORV.Please don’t waste your time watching it. Read the novel and manhwa. I genuinely hope this movie flops and disappears into the thin air. If you watch this movie this will be the worst experience ever in your life. Sorry my English is not good. Thank you!!
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too long & unsatisfactory
I'm starting to lose patience with these big, high production shows that prove to be nothing more than celebrity vehicles. So much so that I'll not bother with a detailed critique. If I have to sit through 40 episodes I'm going to have expectations. A long show calls for complexity and depth, and while Pearl Girl has the backdrop for these elements, the show itself basically doesn't rise much above this: a single arc of a love triangle, introduced early, following the 3 characters as they run into each other from town to town. The main couple discovers their briefly touched upon pasts are intertwined as they both get caught up in a whirlwind of revenge and the show then devolves into an endless bloodbath. By the half way point, I suddenly realize there's no real 2nd or 3rd F/M leads or arcs. The only significant secondary arc follows the embattled cross-dressing daugther of a competing merchant family, who is a villainous opponent but unfortunately not that smart. In the 2nd half of the show the ML who was so dominant in the beginning then takes a head-scratching back seat to the FL, until he literally fades away. Sloppy editing left loose ends as well.I think Zhao Lusi's career has been so much on fire for the last 2 years, to the point where I feel she is now over exposed. Her acting skill is limited, as is Liu YuNing's, and it's not interesting to watch them try to fulfill the same roles, the same way, over and over.
In looking back overall, the show had some entertaining moments but I basically sat through to the finish only out of curiousity for the ending.
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This review may contain spoilers
Spoilers ahead about the Manhwa and the adaptation
After finishing Heesu in class 2 I think it was clear that the creators of this adaptation wanted to have the BL audience that were fans of the Manhwa without saying that they only took inspiration and without really wanting to commit to display the relationship between them until 5 min till the end feel like we were in the early KBL days with censorship.Clear example of this Chanyoung bisexuality was erased in the show and he was such a supportive friend to Hessu helping them getting together with Jiyu there was nothing romantic between them.
They completely changed the narrative and even changed the relationships between the characters my main grip with this is that they decided to adapt a BL manhwa where the romance was the focus of the story and decided to add a lot of unnecessary storylines to make things more complicated for the couple to get together because if they was not obstacles they would have to show them early being a couple and showing affection and I think they wanted to avoid this so the couple only got together in ep 10 last minute showing really minimal affection and I feel the same with the fact that Seungwon moms exists but we did not see them as a couple in the adaption same for their classmate who has a girlfriend they exist as a queer characters but the show do not want to make them visible.
If they wanted to make a serie that concentrate on coming out and the pain of being in the closet they could have done this as an orignal story but they decided to capitalized on this Manhwa because it was popular and made a completely lackluster serie even if they wanted to make this like an ensemble work the screen time for both couple was certainly not equal if they do this and people defend it they are going to keep picking BLs Manhwa and do this making it palatable for the GP which is really unfortunate when KBL come so far Lost in The Big City being the latest example of the evolution of the genre.
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second leads that are incapable of accepting rejection
Rainkissed Fate starts off quickly by thrusting you into the messy relationship of Yuchen and Bu Yan as the pair sign a marriage contract for three months. From the start this drama is chaotic and passionate. Bu Yan approaches Yuchen and practically forces him into the marriage contract and it is revealed very early that Bu Yan's insistence is because Yuchen is the unknowing father of her 5 year old twins and she needs to conceive another child in order to save her son who has cancer. Yuchen agrees to the marriage for money and because his sick mother wants him to settle down.From the premise I already had a bad taste in my mouth with the idea that she was conceiving another child only to save her first. While I liked that Bu Yan is strong, independent, and fiercely protective of her children I also did not understand the point in keeping the parentage a secret for 5 years and still so after going back to Yuchen. Yuchen was another strong character with a chip on his shoulder but soft innards and a sense of loyalty. He comes off as mean and avoidant but not for very long.
To be honest any enjoyment you can get out of this series is from the chemistry of the main pair. This is their third porject together and do very well. But the characters that are crafted in this drama make it incredibly painful to try and get through. Both main characters may be strong and sure of themselves but are so easily manipulated repeatedly that by the end of the series you are just as annoyed with their stupidity as the plot that kept using the same devices. The second female and male lead are insufferable from the first episode all the way to the last. There is nothing redeeming about either one and at no point did I enjoy seeing them on screen. The SFL is the typical obsessed woman in a small town that laid a claim on a man that has had absolutely no interest in her and yet she continues to try and force him to want her over and over again. The SML is the returned ex that realized he made a mistake and wants her back but she no longer wants him so he tries to force her to need him/
The drama is messy and driven only through the main pair being constantly manipulated by every insufferable person around them. I think I only managed to get all the way through this drama because it was a mini and each episode was 10 minutes but the further I got the more I skipped just to see how much worse the plot could get. Do yourself a favor and skip this one. The chemistry and visuals will not save this one. There are so many other mini dramas that your time would be better spent on.
I am giving this a 5 purely because the show is styled very well, the acting is good even though the characters are poorly written, and the music is nice. So kudos to the crew. However the plot is a total miss for me.
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The cast was pretty good, but I felt like a lot of talent was wasted. Nam Sang Mi and Kim Jae Won had decent chemistry, but the romance story became subdued and even dull once the story focused more on the melodrama. Jae Won played up the smiley nice guy role so much that his portrayal of Dr. Han Gang Woo seemed very one-note and even at times uninteresting to me. However, it's the character of Ji Eun Han that'supposed to drive this story, and Nam Sang Mi's performance wasn't strong enough for me to do that. Lee Shi Ah's performance felt much more exciting so the shift to a more subdued Nam Sang Mi was a dramatic change. It was almost as if Sang Mi was just too chill to play such an emotionally complicated role. Especially a role where the character has and makes such drastic and contradictory reactions and choices. Also, despite them trying to imply that they were similar, these two actresses were just too drastically different to be considered the same person at all. No plastic surgery in the world is that magical.
One talent in particular that felt wasted was Lee Mi Sook, who knows how to make the most out of a melodramatic character, especially this kind of mother role, but her performance felt more interesting than her character was written to be. Detective Kim was similarly underutilized, and the story was less interesting when he was less involved. Jo Hyun Jae was good as well, even when his actions were written in a way that made him more laughable than emotional. Also, Han Eun Jung did her best to play up the drama of her character, as written, but that made her character seem laughingly ridiculous by the end, and hard to take seriously. I also think the cute banter between Jung Jin Woon and Lee Ho Jung is worth mentioning as cute but wasted filler. Many of the minor characters, including the kids, were good even if their character wasn't written well.
That takes me to my main issue with this drama, which is the writing. It's not that the story doesn't make sense, but it's sensationalizes everything so much that I couldn't take anything too seriously, or emotionally connect at all. The drama surrounding a cell phone and a song lasted for so many episodes, which made the story drag. The music was often sinister giving even mundane conversations an extra dramatic feel. It made it seem like they were trying to force a suspenseful feeling at all times, which backfired on me. I did think the "Save Me" song was pretty, and although it also felt extra dramatic during certain scenes, was fitting.
I'm doubtful I would watch this again, but maybe I would be more forgiving with a second viewing since I now know what the story is really about. My high expectations at the beginning made me more disappointed at what it turned out to be. Lower expectations during a second viewing may make me see this drama differently, and see earlier scenes differently. Maybe it would be less likely to bore me if I binge watched instead of waiting each week for new episodes, which I lost interest in keeping up with.
Overall, if you are interested in this drama based on the romantic mystery sounding synopsis, know that this is actually a wealthy family secrets centered melodrama that takes on a serious theme in a very senationalized way. Romance may drive the story, but it isn't the focus, so don't expect that part of the story to be very exciting, especially with two calm and repressed characters. The action feel during the early episodes doesn't last either, and that slowed down the pace for me too. Every question that arises in the story is eventually answered, and there's is a satisfying ending, but I still had a hard time with the pace of the drama, and with the story continuously holding my interest. Don't expect clever twists, even though many parts of the story aren't what they seem to be initially. If you have patience with the story everything pays off, but I'm just not certain that it was worth the price of watching. For a drama about amnesia, it is pretty forgettable.
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This review may contain spoilers
“But the eyes are blind. One must look with the heart.” (The Little Prince)
I must confess, my love for this series was not love at first sight. The first episode made me rather skeptical. Too slow, too overdramatic, the intro seemed to be taken directly from the 90s and then also the talking furniture.....Nevertheless, I gave this series a chance and experienced an unexpected masterpiece and a journey full of joy and tears because layer by layer the story as well as characters became deeper and more complex, showing this drama incredibly many facets and faces, be it a beautiful miracle, a deeply sad potrait about a dysfunctional family or a mystery story about an accident and deeply hidden secrets.
But most of all, it is the story of Nut, a struggling gay man in his late twenties. Punished with a homophobic and aggressive father, as well as a mentally ill mother who means well but doesn't have the strength in the past to support her son, it is his story that moves you deep inside like rarely before.
I have never been so close to a character, laughed with him, cried with him, been disgusted by him and then again wished him all the happiness in the world.
The story is not always nice and sweet and I can understand everyone who finds this drama too heavy and also the ending is more bitter sweet than happy.
But who finds the access to this story, will recognize behind all this suffering and pain true joy and beauty that makes you smile and believe in the good in humans.
All in all, Miracle of the Teddy bear is a milestone of an LGBT drama and shows without regret the heights and depths of a human life, with a power and an intimacy that I have never seen before and that will probably accompany me even longer
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24 episodes seems a lot for a romcom right? But no this drama is special. Yes a special kind of romcom. The plot is about love, relationship, choosing, complicated situation, life and the one that I appreciate the most is the career how they attack that field really strikes into me that I could totally relate. This drama is very hilarious! Believe me. Out of the dramas I've seen this is the funniest Lol...XD it would even make you confuse like am I supposed to laugh or not?lol
Acting: The characters were all played well beyond everything that is good. Jo Jung Suk is such a great actor, awesome and there's a bonus... his swag!!! so far this is the best drama of him. Gong Hyo Jin is always been awesome as usual. Supporting cast were all lovable too!
Let's talk about characters:
Lee Hwa Shin? Ofc in a dramaland it's given that male lead must be jerk. Yes he is. Out of the male lead jerk characters I've seen he's the best among them all, words are not enough to describe why. Hahanahha. XD No one can beat the overflowing confidence he have for himself. lol
Jeung Won? Yes the typical 2nd lead kind of guy that every girl would fall for.
Male lead and 2nd lead characters of it seems so typical in dramaland right? But what will happen if there's a twist? A change of situation like how it feels like for the second lead to get a taste of being male lead and vise versa. Are you curious now and interested? Now you'll get to know more of it and understand once you watch this drama.^^
Pyo Na Ri: a lovable female lead that is very persistent in everything I meant it in a positive way.
Aside from the main role I'll give shout out to Chi Yeol and Beom character they are my favorite^^
This drama is filled with triangles. Yes. With an "s" lots of triangle relationship that you have to look forward. All the characters are lovable and likeable, every kind of relationship.. wait... umm. some could be annoying at times but at the end of the day that annoyance will turn into like as always :)
Ost:
The ost perfectly suits to the situation like it could be hilarious, serious, sincere, love and sexy!!! XD
Rewatch: definitely!
Totally deserves a rating of 10.
You know what makes it special? Usually a genre that is filled with laughter or romance (yah romcom. lol) could give butterflies into our tummies, random feels but let's admit it most romcom, the foundation of the story of is kinda weak, lacking but Jealousy Incarnate manage to overcome that kind of struggle and relay a wonderful and genuine kind of message .
Best drama of 2016. Great way to watch it before the year ends^^
This is a kind of drama that you would not want to let go once you're close to the ending. I'll miss everything about it.
Ps: being jealous could not be bad you know. Wink
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