This review may contain spoilers
Charming, but the "all men are misogynist jerks" became a bit tiresome.
It's unusual that I have an entire day to spend watching a k-drama, but circumstances allowed today when it was released. The story is the standard enemies to lovers with "fake date" contract somewhere in the middle.ML and FL were entertaining, charming and enjoyable, and nothing cringey about supporting cast. I liked the
ML character (Nam Kang Ho) far more than the FL character (Yeo Mi Ran), and I think it's because he was the one that developed/evolved - she was pretty stuck in her original persona.
My one big negative - except for the ML and SML, most of the adult men were drunks or cheaters or silly or unprofessional or. . . .choose a stereotypical Korean male jerk and there were several of them in this movie. It was VERY tiresome. And, of course, most of the women were strong-willed, bold, fearless. The female lawyer was THE brilliant strategist (male lawyers not allowed to be smart - just jerks).
Netflix made the right decision to release all at once - if this was offered merely on a weekly basis, I would probably have stopped along Ep. 4 and not bothered to watch the series until all episodes were released. Unlike my current favorite "Crash Course in Romance" - I eagerly await next episodes.
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Actually, the movie seems like calm relation, but it's good story. I suppose I will watch it again someday.
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This review may contain spoilers
As an Asian woman around similar age as Wako(the main character), this was extremely frustrating to watch. Wako is a 32 year old who's got nothing (no backbone) but the hots for a 15 year old high schooler. I found her behavior in the beginning when she seduces Iko, very off putting. What a pedo. I know the actor IRL is an adult but he looks like a kid with peach fuzz still on his cheeks and I couldn't possibly imagine taking such intentional steps to seduce a boy like Wako did. Her behavior throughout the entire series is so annoying and infuriating to watch but I live in the US where gender and age discrimination isn't as prevalent as it is in Japan. However, I can't help but feel the series justifies her lies, cheating, and unassertiveness by blaming society and her partner. I really wish the series went on differently, with Wako alone as neither Iko nor Fu are right for her. Was this review helpful to you?
1This review may contain spoilers
Choice between Wonderland and A Cage named 'Royal Palace'
šOVERVIEW OF PLOT:-The plot looks promising and lived upto it.....
There's a kingdom named DaYu ruled by Li Family. The kingdom has three Great Generals: Sun Jing, Pei Xian and Cui Yi. Sun Jing rebelled against emperor and massacred Royal Family, Pei Xian is loyal to emperor, and Cui Yi is loyal to himself and country but not to emperor. All of them have their own army.
The story follows the seventeenth grandson of emperor LiNi (Xu Kai), who was nowhere near to become a heir for throne, and Cui Lin (Jing Tian), the sole daughter of Cui Yi.
LiNi lost his mother just after his birth, despised by his own father and grandfather because of his mother's humble background and exiled to borders to guard the country.
Cui Lin is a lieutenant in Cui Army renowned as 'Lieutenant He' and lost her mother while she was young in a war as her mother sacrificed herself while guarding the city with bravery.
šCHARACTERS:
šæLiNi (Xu Kai) : Also known as 'Shiqi Lang'. A clever, loyal, brave and free-spirited person. He is a kind, warm-hearted and emotional young man. He lead Zhenxi army to quell the rebellion of Sun Jing and intended to make world at peace by assigning throne to its real heir. Not an ambitious person and never wanted to return to the palace, let alone to be emperor. He just wanted a peaceful life (as he never had a loving and peaceful family) with his brothers in army, his wife and children, far away from royal court and politics. His intelligence, capabilities and war strategies are second to none. He loves Cui Lin with his whole heart and wishes to travel the Wonderland after marrying her.
šæCui Lin (Jing Tian) : Also known as 'Lieutenant He' and A'Ying. A cunning, strong, prideful, ruthless but a practical and warm-hearted lady. She is ambitious and wanted to rule the kingdom if there is not any suitable person to rule in the royal family. Her cunningness could be considered as a cut above LiNi's 'cause she knows how to manipulate someone and make use of them. As she lost her mother in war so her motivation of life is to make world at peace by stabilizing the court and end the sufferings of common people caused by continuous wars. One of the best female leads I've seen in dramas so far. The only person who can match upto her is LiNi and she loves him but wanted him to shoulder the responsibility of throne to make peace to the world.
šæLiu Chengfeng (Gao Han) : An orphan, raised by Cui Yi as his own son with the identity of Cui Lin (means he is the fake Cui Lin) to deceive the court (as he only has a daughter and court would not accept his daughter as leader of Cui Army). He grew up with Cui Lin and was obsessed with her. He wanted her to be by his side all the time. He turned into a toxic person and I lost all the sympathy I once had for him.... I wanted him dead throughout the drama.
šæGu Wan'Niang (Zhao Jia Min) : She is a shrewd lady, wants power and a powerful husband i.e., LiNi. I would have admired her character if she loved LiNi sincerely but she is on verge of becoming a toxic person who just wants her own good.
Other support characters like Xie Chang'er, TaoZi, Lao Bao and the people in Zhenxi army are decent characters, not very interesting but good ones. I hated LiNi's father the most.... He is the most stupid person in whole drama. LiNi's elder brothers are greedy and after their father and Liu ChangFang, they are the ones I hated.
šACTING AND CHEMISTRY:
Xu Kai is great as always... He did exceptionally beautiful job portraying his character. It's my first time watching Jing Tian's work and I'm impressed with her acting.... Their chemistry is on fire....the flirting and fighting, their bickering with support & love.... though it sometimes feel boring whenever they meet in Wonderland.
It's a long since I feel Xu Kai get a great deal. Their characters are a perfect match to each other in terms of intelligence and capabilities and as actors they also made a perfect match in appearance, acting abilities and everything else. There are a lot of sweet moments when you can't help yourself feeling butterflies in your stomach.... and emotional moments when you can't hold your tears back.
Other actors also did good job especially the old actors and I'm impressed with the actors who played Sun Jing and LiNi's father.
šOSTS AND COSTUMES
OSTs are good. I loved the costumes and armors of main leads when they are in army but the womanly costumes for female lead... I didn't like it much. Designers could have done more better in costumes of other actors too.
šPACE OF STORY:
It starts with an engaging plot and keep its pace maintained. Story drags a little in the midway but pick up the pace again after few episodes. The thing I have complain about is, makers made Cui Lin as a weak and dumb lady while dealing with Liu ChangFang and her actions didn't make sense despite her being a cunning person.
šENDING AND RECOMMENDATION:
After a lot of ups and downs its finally a happy ending. If you're considering to watch it then go for it without a second thought.... It's not perfect but definitely an amazing one....
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BEST SHORT HISTO ROMANCE !
What new can this drama bring to the K-histo landscape? This is the question I asked myself before launching it, because I know that even if we have fewer historical dramas than modern ones, most of them all look alike, because they belong to history in general.Here, we are fully in a fantasized vision of an uninhibited Joseon. Indeed, the use of a famous book containing very erotic illustrations seems to break the usual rules. It would almost be like in "Bridgerton" Korean version on some aspects. The tone is quickly set: here, we will not talk about politics, but about marriage! And even if often the two go hand in hand, the drama chooses to focus simply on the romantic aspect by exploiting the sexuality (and its discovery) of the women of the Royal Palace. Of course, at first, it's weird, but something keeps us in suspense right away: THE CASTING!
With a cast like this, the acting was superb, both from the point of view of emotions and the chemistry between the couples because of the close ages. Exit just the baby cries of Go Ara I will never get used to it I think lol but otherwise she totally has her place in history, she played so well! Chang RYUL I have no more words... He totally carried the drama with his charisma, his mysterious side; independent and his benevolence!
There is not much to say about this ten-episode drama, because it does not dwell on heavy issues such as wars or politics. We are here immersed in a gentle work, like a bold fairy tale, narrated with delicacy throughout the episodes. The story of the princess and her companions of the Palace is revealed little by little, revealing loves, friendships and deceptions that intertwave with finesse.
The story highlights women who, despite the marital constraints of the time, fight for their rights and independence. It is clear that the drama places the woman at the center of its plot, thus addressing an audience eager for stories that correspond to her. I spent a wonderful time in front of this series, seduced by the richness of each character, each of whom is distinguished by his own interest. The romances, all marked by their singular charm, intertaine while the main relationship is distinguished by a POWERFUL chemistry.
The visuals, on occasion, transport us, especially during memorable scenes, such as the hang gliding walk. In addition, the twists come at the right time, keeping the suspense brilliantly. I highly recommend this drama to those who appreciate light history and wish to take a break with too complex plots.
However: lightness does not mean heavy humor! Here we laugh at the right dose :)
Go for it because you will see what an UNCOMPLEXED and FREE history is!
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Strong start until ep6. Then things gradually go down.
The velocity of good start got me high until ep6. After I figured out that this story has no more element than a love story between two grudged exes, my curiosity and interest levels decreased. There's no more interesting conflict, so things are flattening down along the way. I had no more interest to watch this until the end after finishing ep12, esp. when being compared with Snowdrop that is on air during the same time and kind of competes for the audience's attention. I came to watch it until the end, though. After the last ep has broadcasted, I came to pay my due. And yeah... I was right, it isn't interesting anymore after ep12.In terms of acting, I don't feel the character of grown-up Yeon Soo in Dami. Grown-up Yeon Soo portrayed by Dami was intentionally stern and kind of melodramatic. I'm not very satisfied with Dami's acting. Come to think of it, she also felt off in Itaewon Class. Among the three main leads in Itaewon Class, Dami was the weakest (her character was more challenging to act than the 2nd female lead, though.) Anyway, naughty, young Yeon Soo in Our Beloved Summer was still fun and enjoyable to watch. Only the grown-up version that was lacking. For Choi Woo Shik here, his acting was also off from scene to scene. All in all, I don't feel the lover vibes between them. Toward the end, they started to kiss a lot, and I felt nothing in their kisses at all.
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(You'll only understand how deep this sentence is after you watch the drama yourself)
Honestly speaking, I was reluctant to watch this drama at first. Based on the trailer and summary, I half expected it to be an overwhelming drama, and not the good kind. I thought it will be a mess, and the plot would be all over the place because the theme of it sounded too complicated to be put together elegantly.
Boy oh boy was I wrong.
The drama not only captures you in, but makes you live as the characters. A lot of times, you will forget that you are a mere viewer. You will be so indulged into the story that it will make it hard not to think about the characters and feel sympathy or happiness for them. The fact that it is all an act will fly out the window. Why?
Hm.... where do I start?
Firstly, I must throw in a standing ovation for the cast. They played their role so believably that I'm still having a hard time not thinking this drama is actually their story. I am also mind-blown at how believable their crying is!! My heart would break into tiny little pieces and scatter all over the place just by seeing one of the characters cry. I would be surprised if they didn't end up with puffy eyes for a year after this drama. I would be surprised if I MYSELF didn't have puffy eyes for an entire year after this. (Nope, still hasn't checked the mirror. Not ready to face facts). You should also see the amount of folded napkins I have beside me right now. I am writing this review while my emotions are still fresh out of the oven.
Also, ji sung (CAN YOU BELIEVE THIS GUY IS 38???)... I have no words to describe this actor at the moment. I swear if he did not make the absolute amazing first impression on me, I would've shipped for the lead to end up with the other guy (whom I also fell in love with. But not saying who he is because I will spoil. You'll figure it out on your own and have your fair share of loving for him).
Seriously though, Ji sung's acting is so breathtakingly convincing. Every time his character took on a different personality, I completely believed it! I would no longer think "Oh this is just Cha do hyun doing this and that" Instead I'd be like "OH MY GOD WHAT IS THIS PERSON DOING" or "HAHAHA THIS IS JUST TOO PRECIOUS" or "LOL I JUST LOVE THIS PERSONALITY!" I fell inlove with Cha do hyun's different personalities as if they were played by other characters. I would view them as their own individuals, because the convincing acting made it obvious they were not the same person. Those different personalities will make you cry your eyes out, will make you laugh your head off and sometimes... even squeal at the utmost adorableness. Oh God I grin to myself just at the memory of certain situations.
Letting those personalities go..... it will kill you. Just for heads up.
The lead actress Hwang Jung-Eum is also amazing to say the least. She performed her part very very well. She's adorable really. You''ll instantly like her. It's hard not to! Her personality in the drama is downright DEABAK! (Meaning awesome haha). She's a strong willed, kind heart-ed person. And of course, she makes a good match for the lead. Sure, her screams can be deafening, but it just made her hilarious. She also handled the situations she was in really well. At least in my opinion.
As for Park Seo-Joon..... Oh my God that boy was just downright adorable. He would just kill me with personality. The problem with this person is, if I started stating my thoughts about his character, I will easily spoil a lot for you. And as much as I would LOVE to talk about him, I will restrain myself. However, I'm telling you for short. He is downright jaw-dropping.
The story, the characters, even the secondary ones are great. I am personally glad that although there was a bit of love triangles in this drama, they were handled good. They did not reach a point where you would absolutely hate a character for being annoying. Thankfully enough, there were no such complications.
Also, I have to say, I fell in love with the OST of this drama. I don't think I hated any song or instrumental at all. That's completely a first! I already have 3 songs of the OST downloaded on my phone, because even without them having anything to do with this drama, they are amazing songs.
All in all, before you watch this drama, make sure you're buckled up tight because you're up for a quite a ride. Be careful not to watch this drama in public though. There's no guarantee you will not seem like a lunatic for suddenly laughing out loud. Just saying :)
Oh! One more thing: Don't forget to have napkins at arm's reach. Trust me. You'll need them.
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I personally liked it but itās not everyoneās type
Tbh not a lot of people like this drama but I really liked it .it made me feel all kinds of emotions i cried so much .I loved the main couple and even the side couples .I like the fact that itās a relatable story and I love the fact that unlike other dramas they donāt make their relationship seem perfect like in fairy tales in the end they show that they fight for dumb stuff like couples in real like . I also really liked their chemistry and the ostās were so good . But it does depend on the type of drama u like usually Iām not a fan of these types of dramas but I really loved this oneWas this review helpful to you?
I like WOL a lot more upon its completion! Definitely, a must watch drama series for all seasons!
While I typically steer clear of costume dramas (not really my cup of tea), this particular WOL series has managed to captivate me in ways I didn't anticipate. It effortlessly earns its spot on the "must-watch" list with a compelling storyline that keeps viewers hooked to their seats. The pacing is well executed, complemented by breathtaking cinematography that adds an extra layer of richness to the story. For someone who's used to Kdramas 16 eps, finishing WOL's 40 eps is a personal feat to me now. Can't help it, I was hooked!The leads as well as the rest of the cast have delivered great performances. Each actor brought depth and authenticity to their characters. The chemistry between Xu Kai and Jing Tian is definitely excellent with energy that enhances both the dramatic and romantic elements of the drama. In fact, what sets this drama apart is the clever and often humorous banter exchanged between them which is truly delightful to watch. The wit, fun, romance, clashes of ideas, and political interplay keep me eagerly anticipating each new episode installment. And Xu Kai's natural yet deeply heartfelt acting especially in eps 30, 31, 38 & 39 is highly commendable. This gentleman is truly a versatile and top-notch artist, in a league of his own. I am so glad they gave us a very satisfying and worthy ending! It's definitely a super feel-good ending to me!
A huge thank you goes to the creators and actors for delivering such quality entertainment. Kudos for crafting a series that not only breaks the mold but also leaves viewers yearning for more. May the success of WOL lead to even more exceptional dramas especially for Xu Kai and Jing Tian in the future.
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A MUST WATCH IT!
This has turned to be one of my favorite drama! The characters are amazing and adorable, starting from Sang Zhi, Duan Jiaxu, Sang Yan, her close friends and his close coworker, even her parents! Itās my first time seeing the leads, both being so independent and mature in the relationship and their own. I cried really hard seeing Duan Jiaxu cry and seeing what he said. It touched me. The way he cherishes and takes care of Sang Zhi is so heartwarming, he has always attentive to her whether it being his little sister or his girlfriend. The age gap was little bit weird, but the relationship was built with a healthy connection between the two, both are loved and supported. She studied hard to go to Yihe to meet him and he left Yihe early to work hard back at Nanwu, just for her to come back to a stable environment and home. Every character and storyline was so amazing. The OSTs are amazing, iām listening to them as i try to get over them. The outfits were so PRETTY, i fell for Sang Zhi and Duan Jiaxu so FAST! Praises to everyone that worked hard for Hidden Love. Please give this drama a try, itās a heartfelt and exciting drama!Was this review helpful to you?
Horny zombies? Did we really need this movie to exist?
When I started the movie, I was ready to keep my finger on the skip button. I read so many people talking about how explicit it is. Even though I am not easily fazed, better safe than sorry. I also got my drink readyā¦ And oh boy I needed that drink double strong to survive this.This is basically a torture porn here to only deliver shock value content. I donāt know what the movie is supposed to be? Itās not the case of people just losing control over the primal urges, because violence is not one of them. We are literally wired as social creatures by nature. So while the zombies were not brainless, they were still zombies with little to no agency since the virus turned them into violence seeking assholes. So itās not like an amazingly fresh take on zombiesā¦
The only thing the movie has to offer is gore and, for some twisted people, content fitting their rape fantasis. Some of the gore was gross, some was so ridiculous I actually laughed out loud. One dude lost the amount of blood that no human can possess in their body. There is literally nothing worse than a movie that is both gross AND dumb. I gave up everything when the female lead just sat down in the staircase chilling and also took her shoes off. SHE TOOK HER SHOES OFF DURING ZOMBIE APOCALYPSE.
I give half a point for the acting and half the point for some gore. Thatās it. There is no plot, some violence scenes are painfully dumb, all rape scenes are gross. This movie literally serves nothing worth watching.
I want to be clear though, I have no issue with excessive violence in movies, but it has to serve a purpose. Violence for violence is just boring. When the credits rolled I am sure I just looked like a disappointed parent, when your child acts so stupid you have hardly anything to say and just leave the room.
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I am currently punishing myself for having surrendered to curiosity and approached it in a moment of bad impulse. It doesn't help that I had nothing better to do, because it managed to turn me from lazily content to furious.
The plot is a butchery of the original story. What they have done is take a very uncommon, extra-ordinary, even controversial plot and randomly cut it like Edward Scissorhands gone completely mad.
Let's have a look at who those characters should be - in the mind of the Japanese author: Sumire is a cold, measured, prim career woman who's incapable of opening to anyone. Her loneliness is so much a choice as it is her condemnation. Momo is a young man with talent who stopped loving himself, all instinct and childlike/petlike sweetness. The encounter of these two world-apart people is indeed that of an owner and her pet, while the epilogue is the growth of both as people. Kimi Wa Petto explained why and how Momo is the only one capable of drawing out Sumire's need to give love and why Sumire's the perfect choice to make him finally reconcile with who he is.
This movie takes out every trace of insightful characterization and leaves us with a badly edited huge fluff. It makes those who have seen the drama - like me - bitterly disappointed and those who haven't puzzled, when not disturbed by the concept of a barfing man.
The cast does not save the day. I wonder if they have taken the time to read the manga, or watch the drama to at least understand who these characters are. Perhaps it isn't fair to ascribe this to the actors, but I couldn't help comparing the sober elegance of Koyuki with the frilly style - so out of character - of Kim Ha Neul. And while Matsujun was a very convincing pet, Jang Geun Suk is an embarrassing pantomime of one. The dance is the icing on the cake: the beautiful, well danced modern ballet in KWP morphed here into a crazy grass-hopping. Humph.
In conclusion, I recommend this movie to nobody.
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Utterly boring
I get the age gap of the characters but the FL portrays as a very inconsistent character. One moment, she portrays a level of maturity the next, sheās throwing tantrums at her boyfriend due to ānot spending enough time with herā. ML has been giving in to her time and time again and honestly, he deserves better. He did try to justify as to why he chose her which I understand but it seems that they have a communication barrier. The Actors and Actresses and both very good in acting and Iāve been looking forward to this drama as Iām a huge fan of the both of them.Tried very hard to make through all the episodes. It was gruelling, to say the least. Donāt quite understand why they would get married cus they canāt even communicate, only banter.
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My favorite Kdrama
I loved this drama. I was sad when it ended. I loved every moment. I'm now starting to read the Manhwa of it because I loved it so much. Its cute, funny, and original. I love the lead actor in every kdrama I've seen him in and he plays his roll perfectly. This one goes down as a classic to me. The love triangle really gets you hooked. If your looking to start watching kdramas, this is a good first watch. If you've already watched this kdrama,I highly recommend reading the manhwa of it. There is a lot more to the story that wasn't in the kdrama.Was this review helpful to you?
Lee Sang Yoon, Kim So Eun and Shin Sung Rok are great as the main leads Woo Jin, Da Jung and Do Yeong respectively. However, the character and actor I enjoyed the most is Lee El as Jamie. She was too much fun. The other actors were good too.
The music is appropriate.
This is definitely rewatchable.
If you like psychological thrillers, then you will like this.
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