An amazingly CREATIVE APPROACH to a heartwarming slow burn romance ❣️❣️
If other dramas are like morning shower,this drama is a relaxing bubble bath!! It doesn't hit you immediately but the warm feeling stays with you like a good memory. That's a weird analogy for a drama but this is how I feel. It has a high rewatch value for me for this very reason.Plot - The plot is about two people who meet each other in a VR game and their lives get intertwined with each other.
The Gaming element was such a cool idea and the writer deserves credit for it.
Romance - Its mature, easygoing, slow but there's the right amount of ANGST and build up that makes the character and relationship growth seem realistic. I like that they have taken their time ❣️❣️. The couple's journey is soo natural and believable that you feel like they are next door neighbors.
The male lead is very charismatic with his maturity, professionalism, wisdom, the courage to stand alone for justice and...um...sleeveless tops.His quiet confidence never came across as ego to me. I can write an essay on his qualities but I wish for viewers to discover it themselves.
The female lead is quite a well written and well rounded character. She's caring enough to make sacrifices for her family in times of need but is also brave enough to take life altering decisions for what she wants for herself. Her drive for her goals and empathy for others has my respect.
Other characters- The actors playing the second couple, friend, villain and colleagues are all very convincing. The complex and layered storyline of the second couple and the bond between the FL and her friend is very heartwarming and enjoyable to watch ❣️Even the parents make you shed a tear or two.
The screenwriters deserve credit for taking a toxic and messed up 6/10 novel and making it a 10/10.
Overall, it has
1) Underdog FL who is talented, courageous,a bit mischievous and a romantic at heart
2) Overachiever, Calm, private, caring and secretive ML
3) Office romance
4) Cohabitation romance
5) Heartwarming friendships
6) Jealous enemies
7) Past family secrets and complicated family politics
Was this review helpful to you?
Anti-hero Dark Lord Meets Insufferably Stupid Fairy
I finally got through all the episodes. Phew, almost dropped it a few times.LIKES:
Beautiful sets and cinematography.
Special FX were good, same with CGI use.
Music was appropriate, but nothing stood out.
WRITING: The heavenly tribes aren’t as purely good as they seem. I liked that they showed the heavenly ones as being flawed. Also liked that the dark tribe/hell fire came across as stronger than the heavenly fire. Don’t see that often.
COSTUMES: Embroidery was nice, the dark/devil ML had a better costume than most.
ACTING: ML did very good and has matured as an actor. When they did the body switch parts, ML was good & FL did okay too. FL did best as the Goddess parts.
DISLIKES:
WRITING: Orchid Fairy (FL) is just too dumb and very whiney. It wasn’t like she’s just naive or innocent, more that she’s purely stupid. I found her ignorant too. (That all could be the actress’s fault or the directing, not sure which.) Typical tropes and cliches of this fantasy drama genre. Also the 2nd couple (Jie Li and Shang Que) wasn't necessary and the ending was disappointing. Also for all of the characters, other than Dongfang Qing Cang & his brother, there was no character growth.
PRODUCTION/EDITING: During flying moments or falling, it is so obvious that they are in harness with ropes.
FX: The swords all look like children’s halloween costume props. “Fight scenes” were very lame looking.
ACTING: FL was over the top cutesy and not in a good way. Some stand out performances, but the rest was just average. Even though ML & 2ML (Changheng) tried their best, there was just no chemistry with FL at all. FL (Orchid) had over the top cute fairy acting but just too much and got annoying fast. You can be sweet without a stupid voice, it was like a tooth ache eating cotton candy. Just terrible. From episode 12 and on I had to mute FL’s parts, because I just couldn’t take listening to her anymore. I read subtitles instead.
COSTUMES: The “crowns” or head gear looked laughably plastic. Not very creative in the costume department and if they hadn’t constantly told us she’s from the fairy realm, you wouldn’t know it. [Not by costumes, other than the pastel colours.]
OVERALL: So far very over rated, unless you are just starting out watching shows from this genre. As a starter Fantasy Drama I would recommend it, for those of us who have watched a lot of these types of dramas I don't recommend it (unless you are a child or a teenager). I watched it until the end, but was tempted to drop it often. Dylan Wang did a great job acting as Dongfang, enough for me to check out some of his other roles. (Originally I wasn't impressed but that was after watching Meteor Garden.) I'm glad this drama is over though.
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
Now that it's finished I'm rewriting this review so what you read now will be a little different than what you read before. This is because TharnType has flaws, man, serious flaws. And every attempt the writer made to overcome its flaws was hamstrung by either the source text or the dictates of Thai BL generally.At its core, the latest addition to Thai BL had a surprisingly intelligent script with nuanced characterisation. Tharn is ostensibly a confident and comfortably gay man while Type is traumatised by sexual abuse when he was young. They find themselves sharing a room where Tharn's overt sexuality clashes with Type's apparent homophobia.
Unfortunately, the script was given the full Thai BL treatment, especially in its first few episodes. Type tries to bully Tharn out of their shared dormitory, Tharn responds by aggressively sexually harassing and even assaulting the younger man. It's impossible to see either of these things as desirable or romantic behaviour, yet the producers seem determined for us to be titillated by the sexual violence and amused by the bullying. I had neither response and nearly dropped it, since the normalisation of sexual violence is a problem I have with Thai BL generally and Type is at all times a rude and bigoted asshole - a fact that Tharn himself acknowledges at one point.
it seemed weird at the time and even weirder in retrospect that Tharn would respond to a roommate who openly sees him as a sexual threat by sexual assaulting him. I cannot reconcile this behaviour either with the character as we come to know him or with simple logic. Both Type and Tharn's behaviour is wrong and unfortunately the time constraints of the series meant we leapt through necessary relationship progression and decisions to get to where we ended up. Show should have devoted this entire season to the two navigating their way into a relationship. Maybe then viewers wouldn't have needed to do all the cognitive work in explaining it.
One thing TharnType definitely has going for it is its acting. Mew is an excellent actor who portrayed Tharn with a natural subtlety that gives his character a lot of layers. While Gulf (Type) isn't quite as good, he is elevated by working off the more experienced actor and as a consequence this has some of the best acting I've seen in a BL. The acting is possibly one of the reasons I kept watching it when I would otherwise have dropped it. That and how the show began to develop as it moved past its first few episodes.
Once the show begins to settle into itself, it tries to break free of the dictates of the genre the script has unfortunately been forced into. Tharn is a lonely man, disappointed by love and terrified of rejection following the manipulative abuse of an older man when he was young, and Type is a very confused, very damaged one who has a long road to walk in terms of coming to terms with his identity. I take issue with the idea it's Tharn's job to fix Type but thankfully the script moves away from that sharply, dealing as much with the complexity of Tharn's psychological trauma as with the obvious trauma of Type's. Or at least that's what it seemed to be doing.
It would be unreasonable to expect a Thai BL to adequately grapple with the intersection of identity, social gender constructs, trauma and bigotry. And I certainly didn't. But I wanted to give the show credit for at least trying. Some of the show's decisions around portraying trauma and assault seemed nuanced and interesting, others seemed trite and tone deaf. But even while TharnType did a better job than expected, it dropped all these themes entirely at the end and went straight for full-bore Lakorn nonsense.
I'll be blunt - I don't care about Lhong. I don't care about his character, I don't care why he became a total psycho and I also didn't need a Machiavellian villain mastermind to pop his head up at the last minute. This couple has real issues to deal with and instead we get some second-female-lead garbage ripped from a soap opera. The fact this is a gay male instead of a woman doesn't make this whole thing better, it makes it worse. For a show with an actual real openly gay character, this show's representation of the gay community got worse and worse.
I get it, I get it THE NOVEL but the novel is clearly stupid because this is ripped straight out of a bad Thai Lakorn. Worse than that, by shifting to an external issue to solve, the show refused to solve this couple's real problems - Type's trauma and refusal to accept his homosexuality and Tharn's inability to be honest due to a fear of rejection. None of these issues were dealt with (what about poor Kom, still convinced his childhood best friend hates him for being gay?). And it's not as though the finale didn't have time, devoting screentime to an endless showdown with Lhong that I personally couldn't give a fig about.
Because of this the happy ending feels shallow, a common problem with Thai BL. It reminds us that for all its pretensions, this is just another BL. A quick flash forward to a timeline after its sequel and companion piece, Love By Chance*, shows us they have no intention of ever dealing with these issues. We'll never see Type being brave enough to come out to his school friends or his parents, among many other important character moments we needed.
To say that I'm disappointed in TharnType is to imply that I expected more of it. I didn't. But I did have hope and that hope was obviously not fulfilled.
*This show is a prequel and companion piece to Love By Chance, both being based on source novels by the same author and set in the same universe. It's a universe with a great deal of sexual violence and, while the show is grappling with these issues in the main OTP, it doesn't have as much success with other plotlines across both shows. Having seen Love By Chance it is difficult to watch, for example, Techno being a loving and supportive friend throughout the show knowing that his brother's friend is going to rape him. In fact, Techno's brother being complicit in the rape is mirrored in Thorn (Tharn's brother) being fine with his brother's abuser still being in his life too. It's a dynamic that's hard to watch in both shows and, I guess, that won't be resolved unless there's a second season of Love By Chance. I can only hope that when all plotlines are resolved, the show can come down heavily against sexual violence in whatever form it takes.
Was this review helpful to you?
The plot makes no sense. A rich guy finds his 3 dead son's sons and forces them to live in a fancy home together, even though they don't get along. His solution is to hire a weird poor girl to move in and trick them into getting along, just as long as she doesn't date them? What???!!! Obviously the premise is just a set up to put her in close proximity with 3 cute guys (4 if you count the hot secretary), and honestly I was willing to forgive the implausibility of it all just to watch that often repeated k-drama dynamic of "which cute guy do I choose?"- but unfortunately the show dared to introduce another female lead which literally killed any joy I found watching the show. Once they tried to force feed that story into the plot, the show lost it's charm, and that brought my attention to how dumb the rest of the plot really was. Oh, and the flashbacks... waaaaaaay too many flashbacks filling up the time. Each flashback seemed to say "remember that part that you liked" as a way to distract from how bad the current story was.
As for the cast, it took me a while to warm up to Park So Dam as Ha Won. She bored me at first, the same way she initially bored me in Beautiful Mind, but eventually I started to root for her. She's quirky, and kinda naive, yet outspoken, and honest. She was definitely giving me Jan Di from BoF flashbacks. She is matched with the 3 leads, and had cute chemistry with each of them. Playboy Hyun Min had great second lead potential in the beginning. I liked many of their early scenes together. Seo Woo is super sweet, and a cute match to watch throughout the show, although they spend less time together as the show progresses. Then of course there's Jung Il Woo as Ji Woon... the reason I kept watching. He has great charisma, and his smirk won me over early on. There were moments where he and Park So Dam looked like they really could be dating, that's how cute they were together. That's also what tricked me into sticking with this show... every time I was about to quit watching they would have a moment that sucked me back in. I should also mention the cute secretary (I guess he's prince #4) who's character, and storyline, seemed like an afterthought, but I really liked him a lot (I personally would have chosen him).
So if most of the main cast was pretty good, why such a low score? The answer is Son Na Eun as Hye Ji. She is not just bad, she is a ruiner of scenes. Not only is her character terribly written... they try to make you empathize with a crazy ex who can't let go, and it did not work for me... She is also just not a great actress at all. Her expressions were bland, her emotions felt fake (tears of the crocodile variety), and I'm not an A Pink fangirl so I don't get her appeal. I felt like groaning every time she was on screen, which was more and more as the show progressed. She ruined any love I had for the show, and by the end her scenes became moments to take bathroom breaks, or check messages or my email... I wish the show was half as long and omitted her entire storyline (which also made no sense, but I won't spoil it). A good rival should add to the plot, not make you want to never watch again. Grandpa CEO was also a terrible character, and frustrating to watch, but his acting wasn't terrible so it worked. Other parents were equally annoying, but still not as bad as Na Eun (and had much less screen time). The only character who annoyed me as much is Ja Yeong, the BFF of Ha Won. I guess I was supposed to find her creepy fangirl personality cute, but she annoyed me. The forced romance implications were also not working for me. Ahh, forced romance... that brings me to the end... ugh!
I honestly wanted to see how it would all be resolved, but the ending felt so forced, and overly romantic, that I would have rather had a tragic sappy ending where everyone died. The ending scene was so incredibly cheesy that I couldn't take it. The only thing I liked was the surprise (totally predictable) backstory between Ji Woon and Ha Won, that I wish was the main focus of the show in the first place. Of course they add unnecessary drama to the final moments too, but there are no surprises, so I don't recommend forcing yourself to stick it out to the end.
The soundtrack is not my favorite, but it's the best part of the show after the main kissing scenes.
Would I watch this again? Never. I'm still wondering why I didn't stop watching weeks ago!
Overall this show is bad... really bad, in spite the cute moments that I wish could be pieced together to form it's own mini show. If you start it, you will probably be tempted to keep watching, but let me assure you that once it starts going down hill it will only get worse. Just watch youtube clips of the best scenes from the show, and don't bother trying to make sense of the messy storyline, or care who the characters are... clearly the writer didn't care either. I can't believe this is based on a book, and I wonder how much this show misses the mark.
I wish I could go back in time and drop this drama. If you're wondering if it's better to watch and drop, or to never watch at all, I would say both choices are better than forcing yourself to watch the whole thing. I give the show a 4 - one point for each of the 4 prince cuties interactioning with the lead. That's basically all the show has to offer, and that's not enough to fill 16 episodes. With soooo many cinderella themed k-dramas out there, this literal one is the one you should miss.
Was this review helpful to you?
The biggest flaw of the show is the fact we truly know nothing about the characters. What are their motivations? Why do they do what they do? Why is Jung Woo working with Laura? What is his goal? Why is Do Gun so into keeping true to the basics and so against the innovations and new ideas? Why is he obsessed with working at Laura Dining? What is Laura’s deal? They did not explain anything. Literally not one thing. Who is Jung Woo anyway?
It’s also the first time I felt exactly zero romantic chemistry on screen between the main leads in BL. While I enjoyed their bickering and them having fun, their romantic scenes just made me feel slightly uncomfortable, because it felt like they were not that into it either.
The acting was good. Both Jang Eui Soo and Lee Chan Hyung have acting experience to back up their performance.
Production quality is what we usually get from k-bls: indie web drama vibes. Personally, I truly enjoy these aesthetics.
Overall, fine to watch when you are in between BLs and have nothing else to watch. Would not prioritize this over other shows though. It’s like a filler show.
Was this review helpful to you?
In terms of the story writing, I felt that the foundation of the series as to why each character behaves in such a way does not justify their actions. This is probably due to the poor script writing which ends up ruining such a good series that could have been the best K-series if done right. The most frustrating thing about the show is probably the fact that the "genius" male lead isn't a genius at all. He made alot of mistakes that could have been well avoided. The show kinda felt like it was trying to achieve the level of money heist where the protagonist is well liked by the people despite the wrong doing but yet due to the conservative thinking, they decide to fall back to its safety net where the show served as a lesson for us to think about how each mistake leads to a dire consequence and there is no turning back.
Despite the poor writing, I must commend the actors and actresses for their emotional and impactful acting. Their character were however, difficult to relate to which results in a lot of conflict trying to understand how each character felt and why they make certain decision.
Regardless, I managed to finish the series as it kept me on the edge with every episode and made me continue watching as I had to find out what will happen next.
Was this review helpful to you?
"In Space, No One Can Hear You Scream…"
Choi Han Yong’s ‘ The Silent Sea’ is a series which will like divide its audience demographic greatly. Notable A-listers such as Bae Doona and Gong Yoo will likely attract drama enthusiasts towards the drama’s cast lineup and involvement. However ‘The Silent Sea’’s amalgamation of different sci-fi stories and Han Yong’s attempted execution of these plot points may naturally lead to some divided opinions amongst drama enthusiasts and sci-fi aficionados alike.
The plot takes place in a dystopian alternative-future where the earth’s water coverage has been reduced by nearly forty -percent. In an attempt to govern humanity and ration supplies, citizens are assigned a “water grade” based on a hierarchy ranking system that determines how much of the liquid they’re allowed to access. So in an attempt to resolve problems humanity attempts to look for answers ( quite literally) in the stars.
Astrobiologist Dr. Song Ji-an ( Bae Doona )is sent on a salvage mission alongside gruff soldier Han Yoon-Jae ( Gong Yoo) in order to collect samples at the deserted Balhae moon station. With both characters having their own personal motives for taking on the assigned task the duo come across some startling and horrifying secrets as they begin their mission.
Netflix’s ‘The Silent Sea’ origins were admittedly still quite visionary by being based upon Han Yong’s notable short movie ‘ The Sea of Tranquillity’. Yet unlike the art-house-style influences of Yong’s original directed work, ‘ The Silent Sea’ notably markets itself to a wider audience demographic as a “ sci-fi and dystopian epic” with slow- burn mystery ; a mini-series that is likely to eagerly please and disappoint in equal measure.
The plot twists and turns that become apparent throughout ‘ The Silent Sea’ will likely divide those familiar with the sci-if genre; action sequences straight out of Ridley Scott’s ‘ Alien’, a suspenseful tone familiar to Christopher Nolan’s ‘ Interstellar’, bilingual exchanges paying an evident homage to Joss Whedon’s ‘ Firefly’( changed evidently to Korean and English ) , a key plot point nearly strikingly familiar to Jo Sung Hee’s ‘ Space Sweepers’, and an unsurprising likeliness to the water -themed 2009 British series’ ‘Doctor Who’ special ‘The Waters of Mars’, will possibly highlight the fine-line between paying homage and striking similarities to other notable works throughout the drama.
Of course whilst the familiarity of some of these plot twists does come into question when looking back at ‘ The Silent Sea’ it’s important to point out that the series does facilitate a solid pace with its revelations and twists right up till the last episode. However while the plot surprises are still interesting to some extent , ‘The Silent Sea’ could often neglect a crucial element to delivering its attempted tour de force moments: the cast and the characters.
Bae Doona and Gong Yoo are the undeniable star- attractions of the drama through their idiosyncratic performances offering a subtle touch of mystique and heartache as their onscreen counterparts.
Nevertheless given the evident potential for character depth in a series which explores the complexity of humanity, it will likely strike viewers as slightly unusual that ‘ The Silent Sea’ rarely diverged into using even initial exposition for establishing character personalities and adding a tweak of depth to their seemingly profound egocentric motives . Whilst later episodes place a quintessential limelight upon the characters’ roles to play in the events of the series and plot-drive, without baseline personalities ( aside from Doctor Song), notable main and important characters in the series could often slightly shallow and uninteresting .
The design of ‘The Silent Sea‘’s “ advanced” technological world and the cinematography are decent enough during viewings. There is an undeniable high reliance on CGI throughout the filming of the series; not out of the question for a series set in space, but also leading to some heavy artistic licensing by Han Yong. ( Astrophysicists, engineers and science experts may want to look away from these scenes as the logic is often devoid during these scenes .) The established setting is also not too preposterous for audiences ; several holographic displays subtly reminding the audience that this is series is set in the near-future every so often but admittedly not quite being awe-inspiring either.
‘The Silent Sea’ delivered a promising sci-fi mystery epic that brought together a myriad of sci-fi plot point twists to an original concept. With that said the series felt as though it could’ve had more episodes in order to actually flesh-out characters and the world-building of the series , leading to a mixture of mixed-reception with the final production. Viewers looking for a quick binge-watch investment with some familiar faces along the way may revel in the series’ end result . However fans of the sci-fi genre may be slightly disappointed by Netflix’s s high- budget extravaganza which whilst satisfactory for the most part did lack more of an impactful punch.
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
How this has more than 7 is beyond me
I am not sure how this drama has over 7.0 and that would be a very generous rating. I had high hopes for this drama as people around me praised how good it was and the production value seemed high, so I decided to give it a chance.At the start the drama had potential. The relationship between the male lead and his sister, and the mystery around his traceless mother. The female leads friends even had their own conflicts and I found that they were more interesting than the actual leads. The friends carried the entire comedy angle. The romance is mundane and nothing new. There are so many overused scenes like the male catching the falling female lead kind of bs. There's a lot of unnecessary and long awkward kissing scenes that could have been removed. I find that the male lead is often stupid and simply simping over the female, completely disregarding his goals to chase her around. The female lead doesn't seem all that special or unique either and I am unsure of her appeal.
The only interesting bits of the drama were rushed and haphazardly written in. The sibling rivarly was barely touched and basically unresolved. The missing mother was dangled like a carrot on a stick and then the male lead suddenly says he is no longer interested in pursuing her. The heck? Those who watched knows what happens after. There are so many reasons that this drama is mediocre at best.
Was this review helpful to you?
Love & Friendship Roasting On An Open Fire
Flourished Peony starts with He Wei Fan in an unwanted marriage of convenience. Circumstances led her to divorce her husband, Liu Chang, with the help of Jiang Chang Yang. And there begins a wonderful relationship. Circumstances kept bringing them together and they became partners in business and eventually good friends. They had a "tacit understanding as if they had known each other for years." What I like about Flourished Peony is how He Wei Fan and Chang Yang support and influence each other. Jiang Chang Yang doesn't try to overpower He Wei Fan. Instead, he steps back and delights in her skill at escaping difficult situations.The leads are entertaining in their interactions. And if you are not laughing at their banter, you will find yourself basking in the glow of their many moonlight companionship by the warmth of a crackling fire. Although the drama has the typical antagonists such as the evil ex-in-laws and self-centered princess to cause trouble for the female lead, this FL's perseverance to survive and cunning mind overcomes the frustration of watching the villains. Both leads are brilliant and strong-minded people skilled in their unique way. It felt natural from the start to see them as a couple even if it started on a business basis. Their personalities compliment each other. They simply fit. And this made for a wonderful chemistry between the leads.
The plot is not just romance. The romance simmers in the background while issues such as He Wei Fan's business goals and revenge plots are highlighted. But even though it is not romance-centered, each episode has moments where the couple interacts and slowly come to acknowledge a special friendship in which they trust, admire, and appreciate each other. For those of us who enjoyed those moonlit "dinner dates" the romance is slow burn over the sizzling fire. It is amusing to see how Chang Yang loves to tease Hei Wei Fan/ Mu Dan. And it is wonderful to see her understand his humor and reciprocate in light banter. And that look of admiration that crosses Chang Yang's face each time adds even more to these special moments. I love watching Li Xian in these scenes. His smiles make me smile! Both Yang Zi and Li Xian gave a perfect performance to show the development of their relationship. You will want more of their chemistry the more you watch.
In addition to the romance, the sisterly relationship between the women who bonded to work together is a positive aspect of this drama. The struggles they endured brought them closer together. This is another aspect that overcomes the frustration of watching the antagonists who will try your patience. Not to worry, they will come to a satisfactory end.
Flourished Peony is more than worth the watch. The only time I was tempted to fast-forward was during the scenes with Princess You Zhen, and Liu Chang. Luckily, this does not take over the drama. The combination of the slow-simmering romance, sisterly relationship, business ventures, quick-witted conversations, and humorous scenes kept me watching and wanting more. Flourished Peony shows the struggles for success in business, survival, perseverance, family and friendship, respect and empathy, love and ideals. It is a well-developed drama with a warm comforting sense of love that seems to encompass the whole drama. It is uplifting to see how people working together against evil and corruption can rise above the ones trying to put them down. Even better it ends well in anticipation of season 2! This will leave you feeling warm and fuzzy at the end. Now to wait for part 2.
Was this review helpful to you?
Good Premise but Bad Story Building
To be honest, I picked watching Happiness because both of the main actor, Park Hyung Shik and Han Hyo Joo. They have a great acting and I enjoy their past work. Though, I couldn't help but got disappointed by the stories and the character building this drama has.Happiness actually has a good unique premise. It is a zombie themed drama that pour slice of life scenarios into it. It has a great opening that is linked to our current pandemic situation. This drama started by how people overcome and get used to the virus and continued on their daily life. But, a good premise need a good execution.
A story need a character to let it flow. What disappointed me the most, how poor written the characters are. Happiness has two main lead that is a former highschool mates. Both Sae Bom and Yi Hyun are shown as a strong selfless characters with no weakness. Is it wrong for them to act like that? Of course not. But as a viewer, we never get a glimpse of understanding on how both the leads grow into the person they are. There is no introduction of their past and they just suddenly show both leads as a cool detective and officer. I actually expect the drama to give background stories for the leads even if for a bit so there can be a character development and we can connect to the character growth, but nothing until the last episode.
This goes for the supporting roles as well. Each resident have different background and that can be a great foundation for the stories. But again, there is no a scene of process of building the character with depth and they are shown as frustated selfish characters just because they are trapped in quarantine. They give us a poor written villain over other poor written villain over other else poor written villain and stuck them up in one place.
How about the apocalypse setting? At first I am truly interested with the setting and I actually link the virus outbreak in the drama with the title of 'Happiness'. I thought the 'Happiness' emotion might be related on how the infected could bear the virus, but again there is no explanation. They don't give any scenes about the virus, the illegal drug, or even the symptoms.
In fact, Happiness actually casted many great actor and actress that played well with the acting that can make you stay to watch and that is my reason to finish this series. But, there is a lot of scene that against the flow of logic established by the story's plot. If you are not bothered by illogical, unlikely or impossible events, you can begin watching this drama.
Was this review helpful to you?
Weak Hero Class 1
84 people found this review helpful
1Intense. Brutal. Yes, I recommend it. And with a heavy heart I am also considering it valuable
"Weak Hero Class 1" leaves me with mixed emotions. It is an intense KDrama, in which the young people are remarkably slow-paced, sort of numb, at times bordering on apathy. On the other hand, there are violent outbursts. Extreme. Brutal. A cruel parallel world that actually should have no place whatsoever in the everyday life of high school students!What kind of society do we live in? It is simply too much, what young people have to go through and deal with. KDrama didn't invent it. Neither does the webtoon, the story is based on. It is a sad and scandalous reality in many schools, in many classes, in South Korea and elsewhere.
"Weak Hero Class 1" doesn't sugarcoat anything.
And it ends just the way it is... no end in sight...
I admit, I was about to drop it. Too much frustration and violence - it actually goes on and on. (Even if the 'weak hero' develops cunning, inspiring recipes to fight back... it still remains a world of violence.)
But then the relationship dynamics between the boys (and girls) are quite intense and what they go through inside and out is touching. Ultimately, it doesn't help to look away - even if it's painful to look at. In fact, "Weak Hero Class 1" is a great, impressive production. It is a disturbing inventory - disturbing because the story leaves no perspective, no silver lining, no substantial room for hope. (At most marginal sparks of light here and there.)
The largely indifferent attitude towards life that prevails in posture and movement of the young people is one thing, the massive outbreaks of violence another. Each soul seems to have long since fled its young body, so that there are only roughly apathetic youths on the move who occasionally act as numb thugs who kick helpless bodies on the ground, or vice versa. It's actually unbearable. It's traumatizing on both sides. And yet it is everyday life. This creates a very unique flow in the world of the students. In this world, one may search in vain for serious, responsible, courageous adults. They are lacking. The kids are alone in this world and have to find their way to live in it, or rather: to survive. Which side will you be on? Perpetrator? Victim? Rescuer? Spectator?
What agitates me the most in connection with "Weak Hero Class 1" is the enormous enthusiasm among der age-group of 13-17, who with this story obviously feel seen right on. This may be 'only' a fictional story, but it obviously tells the story of the youth, we (adults) usually dont´t get. Many are thrilled. In fact, I'm NOT thrilled. I'm impressed by the intensity of the production, yes. But primarily appalled by the dominance of bullying and the severity of violence among peers in everyday school life today. I am also shocked by the documented, self-evident aimlessness and helplessness of the adults. Ultimately, I am frustrated by the lack of a positive outlook and affected by such a disillusioning world of experience of the young, growing up generation.
"Weak Hero Class 1" is based on the template of a web toon and has (via KDrama) by now reached an even wider audience, especially among the 'adults', regarding bullying among schoolchildren. I appreciate that. The KDrama was released on the young streaming platform Wavve and was thus able to give plenty of dramaturgical space to the violent excesses. Maybe more than necessary? Or just right? The KDrama has a simple mission: to show what 'we' tend not to see because 'we' (adults) have no place in this parallel world of schoolchildren. And as a matter of principle, the story does not provide any answers in terms of a way out. No.
In the contrary: 'we' adults are in the pillory... What have we done (and also missed) that it could have gotten this far! Where is this going to end? What can we do about it?
Anyway, bottom line: I recommend the series. And with a heavy heart I am also considering it valuable especially for all those who call themselves adults, parents, teachers, social workers, officials in youth welfare offices, police officers, etc....
Hello, wake up!
Was this review helpful to you?
I didn't think I'd need my tissues papers for this drama but oh well.....
The first 12 episodes had quite a few flaws but everything after that was chef's kiss! The fight scenes, the acting and more importantly the story got soooooooooooooooooo much better!!! I really really enjoyed it until the last two episodes which made me bawl my eyes out😭. But those two episodes were done so beautifully! I would've given it a 9 but the sad ending just upset me too much so it's an 8 for now.Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
The ship has sunk...
Be Mine Superstar or where the two leads are actually the two bickering managers who are having a senseless feud.In between childish scheming, we got a side actor moonlighting as a stalker who tries hard to get a doctor dude in bed and keeps roughly fucking him whenever he gets the chance. It is important to note that said doctor doesn't want him and drew a line in the sand, but oh well what are boundaries for in dramas?
Now when it comes to the leads, we got some very awkward and cringe-worthy puppy love that is more creepy than cute... when I thought that no one could top Toh from Secret Crush on You. Well, think again because Punn has outdone himself!
I should not forget the gigolo henchman whose abs I have seen way too often. Ken, I chose to remember you as Tum from Lovely Writer because this Bank character... they did you dirty.
I will continue to watch this as I can't seem to look away from this car crash. I thought no one could do worse than La Cuisine or Unforgotten Night, but I guess someone decided to outdo themselves.
If you haven't started this, save yourself the trouble. I know that 2023 hasn't been generous in good BLs but they're still better than this.
Was this review helpful to you?
별-똥-별 - quite a fitting description of the quality of this show.
Fun, entertaining, sometimes clever elements, with a crappy core.What’s good? What are the reasons I somehow finished watching it? Everything except for the love story of Han Byul and Tae Sung, and both plot lines surrounding male lead. None of these 3 things work well - poorly written, with ridiculous resolution and out of the blue miracle ways out of the problems.
The convoluted way they tried to tell us the story of Han Byul and Tae Sung was some next level of bad presentation. Rom-coms are not thrillers, you do not need 10 different plot twists to make it exciting. The worst part of it was the fact, this type of non-linear storytelling made it close to impossible to understand the characters at the beginning, which led to me simply not caring about them at all.
The three semi-mystery plot lines, with two being part of a larger picture? Extremely unnecessary. The setting was all that needed to happen for the show to be interesting. Everyone wants to know what the behind the scenes looks like. What type of problems the actors face. How much of that glamorous life is try? What about the ugly side? The “mundane” celebrities life is interesting enough, no need to add over the top plotlines.
Not to mention, they were simply not well integrated in the story. Instead of showing bits and pieces of it throughout the show, they dropped larger portions here and there and it messed up the pacing. I don’t even want to talk about that Disney resolution, or lack of any closure for some.
That said, I did enjoy the main couple when they interacted with other characters. Han Byul and her gossip time with Ho Yeong and Gi Peum? Fun. Her friendship and working relationship with Yoo Sung? Interesting. Tae Sung with his manager? Adorable. Him bickering with Soo Hyuk? Some of the best comedy bits of the show. It amazes me how well these two worked with everyone except each other.
I just feel like their relationship was too juvenile. They presented some middle school type of behavior I just did not connect with. And it’s not like it’s impossible to show a sweet, cute romance - they did it with the side couple. Yes, it was over the top cute, but that’s who the characters were from the start - adorable, so it fitted the overall picture.
They also showed a more mature and chill approach with another side couple - a lot better paced even though they had 1/10th of the screen time compared to the mains. All the supporting plots showed me there is a skill and good writing hidden in the show, but somehow they failed to use it for the most important aspects.
I definitely enjoyed the few small commentary bits on the entertainment industry. Some were presented in a more serious manner, some leaned towards comedy. Sh**ting Stars has also one of the best “breaking the 4th wall” scenes I have seen in dramas for ages. I replied that one scene many times - perfectly executed if you ask me.
Performance wise, it varies depending on the actor. Probably one of the worst performances in Lee Sung Kyung’s career. She delivered close to nothing. The lines felt flat, the crying scenes evoke zero emotions. She presented little to no variety in her facial expression. And I know for a fact she can do better, she did in her other dramas. She is not an amazing actress, but should be capable of leading a rom-com.
Kim Young Dae did fine. I enjoyed his more emotional scenes, he did a good job portraying the vulnerability of Tae Sung. At the same time Tae Sung was just a poorly written character, so it’s not easy to judge the performance of the actor.
Most characters did not have enough depth for the cast to truly showcase the skills they might have. Yes, Yoon Jong Hoon delivered the sweet hard working senior, Kim Yoon Hye was the cute and innocent junior, Park So Jin did an amazing job as a journalist with some internal conflicts and Lee Jung Shin was able to make the arrogant and distant lawyer more approachable and fun. But that’s it. The characters don’t really serve more than these short descriptions.
The production value was nice. Quite a number of scenes had an aesthetic appeal that supported whatever was happening on screen. Talking about the production, we cannot ignore the initial wave of criticism surrounding the uneducated and ignorant depiction of Africa. I still believe this just shows how lazy the writers are (honestly, the same problem happens in all countries, and is not limited to Korea). 15 minutes of google search is too much work for them. Finding a more appropriate way to present a specific plot line? Why waste time, when you can apologize later if it gathers some bad press.
Overall, it was painfully mediocre. I enjoyed following some side relationships (be it romantic or platonic) and plot lines, but close to nothing concerning the main two characters was good. They just put random events and ideas together, and did not spend enough time to figure out how to present them in a cohesive way. The show just did not flow well.
Was this review helpful to you?
“Be it hatred or resentment... learn to live with it. As long as it gives you the will to live."
Yeonmo is a poignant and heart-wrenching story about perseverance, love and sacrifices. It's centered around a little girl whose only fault is being born as a twin into the royal family, an ominous sign at the time. Her existence eventually leads to her twin brother's death. Trapped by the circumstances, she's then forced to secretly assume his identity and grow up under the watchful eyes of her maternal grandfather, the main culprit behind her brother's killing.What immediately drew me to this show is not only the cast and plot but also its gorgeous settings, clothes and OSTs. The child actors also did an incredible job in setting up the narrative, especially Choi Myung Bin playing both the young FL and the twin brother. Her versatility and expressiveness truly remind me of the young Kim Yoo Jung in Moon Embracing the Sun.
Park Eun Bin is giving me major girl crush vibes. One moment she's the handsome and fierce Crown Prince that makes me swoon so badly, then she turns into a gorgeous lake fairy in the next to blow me away. It's a complete makeover from her timid and reticent role in Do You Like Brahms. Eun Bin's androgynous portrayal of Lee Hwi makes the cross-dressing extremely convincing, especially the intense stare and low voice she would use when confronting someone which gives me the chills. But we also get to see the lonely and vulnerable side of Lee Hwi. A young girl who has to put up the facade of an "Ice Crown Prince" to survive the ruthless palace battle. She has to remain distrustful and vigilant of her own family members, who all seem to have a political agenda of their own.
And yes, we can't not mention Rowoon's historical debut. His acting has improved a lot from Extraordinary You and She Would Never Know. I love him as the playful and carefree Ji Woon. It was hilarious watching him falling head over heels for Lee Hwi, I mean who wouldn't? The leads' chemistry is just chef kiss here. The switch in power dynamics is definitely a refreshing twist on the classic gender-bender trope, with how Lee Hwi is put in charge and Jung Ji Woon is tailing along but not without the occasional witty comebacks. However, I do notice that Rowoon sometimes falls short on the more serious and emotional scenes that require a bit more desperation and refined articulations. But overall, I would still give him a solid A for effort.
The second-lead syndrome is real! Lee Hyun is such a sweetheart, I can't believe this is the same Nam Yoon Su who played the bully in Extracurricular. I immediately fell for his cute dimples and duality. He's extremely protective and devoted towards Lee Hwi. It's still a bit weird that they're distant cousins but I guess that's historical royalties for you. I think one of the best things about this drama is the vibrant side characters. We have the dashing yet mysterious bodyguard Kim Ga On, the funny and loyal Enuch Hong, and Court Lady Kim who's like a mother figure to Lee Hwi.
While the show has a very strong start, I feel like the middle part seems to drag a bit. It does pick up a lot near the end, but now they also run out of time to fix up some of the plot holes. I wish they've cut down 2-4 eps and kept the pacing consistent so that the story is more cohesive. It's also unnecessary to have the 2 side female love interests when their characters are not even fully fleshed out, especially when there's already a love triangle between the 3 main leads. It just makes the love line look messy. But that aside, I do like the complex relationships FL and ML have with their fathers. Both the King and Chief Jung deeply care for their children but have to hide it because they're also bound by their duties and political standings. This leads to even more misunderstandings to drift parent and child apart, until they inadvertently end up on opposing sides. It's touching but also bittersweet and somewhat tragic.
It's almost like an Easter egg hunt with the OSTs. We've got Super Junior's Shadow of You and I can already spot our OST queens, Lyn's One and Only in the opening and Baek Ji Young's If I. Plus, we can't miss the sweetness overdose in Hide and Seek by VROMANCE.
Overall, while there are some wasted potentials, it's still a well-made sageuk drama with fairly easy-to-follow plot and lovable characters. I think it has a good balance between romance and palace politics, intense at times but also fluffy when needed. I guess the ratio is really just based on personal preferences. It's a fun and interesting watch, as long as you don't nitpick on the details too much. Just sit back, relax and enjoy the journey.
FAVOURITE QUOTES:
“I have never lived my own life.” Lee Hwi
“On the day I was born, what did my father say? Did he also agree with those who wanted to terminate my life? That a girl was of no need and should be killed?” Lee Hwi
“I will not die. You know better than anyone what I have endured to come this far.” Lee Hwi
“The palace can be as dirty as the mud. Lotus flowers bloom in mud, but they can cleanse their surroundings. And the leaves have the ability to shake off murky water. There’s no trace of any dirt on them. Just like the lotus flowers that stay virtuous despite its dirty environment, I hope that you will become a strong king." Jung Ji Woon
“Like the good rain that falls when most needed, I will be someone you can count on. Just like you were to me when I needed you the most.” Jung Ji Woon
"Only people like you who are born into noble families had the chance to make decisions. This was the only path I was given. So I merely walked my path. Even if I were to go back, if this is the only path that remains, I would be here again.” Ji Woon’s father
“I got married when I was your [Lee Hwi's] age. I made a family at a young age. So I didn’t know how precious it was or how to protect it. So I failed to protect my family. But I didn’t want you to make the same mistake." the King (Lee Hwi's father)
Was this review helpful to you?
