Jack & Joker: U Steal My Heart! Special Episode
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This review may contain spoilers
It felt like a bad fanfic come to life - disappointing but I still want a season 2
I literally made an MDL account just to write this review because I am tweaking after watching this special. Unfortunately, this was a chaotic, non-cohesive, and awkward mess. It felt like the writers lost the original vision of Jack & Joker, leaving us with flat characters, a convoluted plot, and abysmal pacing. Somehow, despite being two hours long, it managed to feel both too long and too short. Another reviewer said: “...Their friend group is still going strong, although it seems everyone is poor and basically surviving off air.” LMAO it is true and also applies to the energy of this special—barely holding itself together.1. Disappointment Was Expected, but Not Like This:
Like most J&J fans, I saw the spoilers from the theatrical release and knew I wasn't going to walk away feeling amazing. I mentally prepared myself for disappointment, but even with lowered expectations, this special left me feeling incredibly off-put and cheated. I even PAID for an iQIYI subscription just for this, and the return on investment was painful.
Unfortunatley YinWar superiority was not popping off in this. Their acting in the first part was... rough... for example, When Jack proposed to Joke, neither of them cried or anything. Like this is a huge moment and they both just kinda looked at each other???? it was honestly an incredibly awkward scene to watch as both seemed to feel lukewarmly about the thought of getting married. The acting in the second part was better, they do well in emotionally charged scenes.
2. Who are these people???:
EVERYONE felt out of character. Jack and Joker’s relationship, which used to feel dynamic and natural, was suddenly overly affectionate to the point of feeling forced. The chemistry just wasn’t there the way it was in the series, and I genuinely don’t understand why T_T. They explored TattooAran and someone in the comments said one thing they really like about the movie was "Tattoo and Aran playing gay chicken. I wonder who would win." LMAO I agree it was fun bc like it was so unserious... but also... It felt more like an afterthought than meaningful development.
When they held the memorial for Joke, NO ONE CRIED LMAO LIKE NOT EVEN OUR GIRL TOITING... Joke's parents cried and so did Jack and Hoy, but no one else??? Really???? B for real guys...
3. What he heck did I just watch??:
The attempt to bring back the whole gang resulted in everyone being there, yet no one having enough screen time to feel substantial. Because of this, nothing felt properly developed and the pacing was super strange. Basically they have to break into a casino and steal a hard drive they go in with basically no plan and no forethought..Its like... did Joker lose his touch or did he stop giving ANY fucks?? Here are more things that made me do a double take:
---The tonal shifts were JARRING—the beginning was lighthearted, then it suddenly turned dark with no smooth transition.
---The fight scenes are now very stiff and fake looking.
---Bringing back Carbon as the villian was weird honestly I feel he is too stupid to make this plan himself so this whole set up felt OOC for him.
4. Now lets address the elephant in the room... The Wedding (we were pranked):
The biggest let down for sure since it was hyped in the trailer. It was one of the most uncomfortable moments of the film. Watching Jack break down was heartbreaking but it is offset by how stupid the 'wedding' was. The fact that they made a cardboard cutout-esque Joke to walk down the aisle at the fake wedding was both insane and tragic. Like.. it was sad but I couldnt focus on being sad and instead was like... logistically... wtf did the wedding guests see??? and why did everyone lowkey smile??? Erm.. did u guys like seeing Jack basically lose his mind in real time T_T?????????
5. The end (question mark?):
Then… that ending. I hate when shows pull this kind of cop-out. Joker is revealed to be alive, waking up in some unknown house with a shadowy figure looming over him. Based on his terrified expression, it has to be someone he knows—maybe Boss? Or someone he met in prison? While I’m glad they set up for Season 2, they could have done it so much better.
I don't wanna say everything was bad. The second part shined more than the first part for sure. Here are some special shoutouts:
---BONZ (Hoy) ACTED HIS ASS OFF LIKE BRO WAS HARD CARRYING THIS MOVIE HIS CRYING WAS IMPECCIBLE AND HIS ANGER WAS SO PALPABLE... Give that man an oscar RIGHT NOW
---JOKE'S 'final' goodbye to Jack on he pier was heartbreaking and I cried... War delivered it perfectly.
---Tattoo's tired and sassy eyes were back T_T they need to give bro a break fr his eyebags do be popping off and he looks done in every scene LOL
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My Mix-Up
**𝗨𝗽𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗥𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄**
𝗌𝗈 𝗂 𝖽𝖾𝖼𝗂𝖽𝖾𝖽 𝗇𝗈𝗍 𝗍𝗈 𝖽𝗋𝗈𝗉 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝗌𝖾𝗋𝗂𝖾𝗌 - 𝗂 𝗌𝗍𝗎𝖼𝗄 𝗐𝗂𝗍𝗁 𝗂𝗍 & 𝖿𝖾𝗅𝗅 𝗂𝗇 𝗅𝗈𝗏𝖾 𝗐𝗂𝗍𝗁 𝖼𝗁𝖺𝗋𝖺𝖼𝗍𝖾𝗋𝗌, 𝖠𝗍𝗈𝗆, 𝖪𝗈𝗇𝗀𝗍𝗁𝖺𝗉, 𝖧𝖺𝗅𝖿, & 𝖬𝗎𝖽𝗆𝖾𝖾. 𝖳𝗁𝖾 𝗌𝗍𝗈𝗋𝗒 𝗉𝗋𝗈𝗀𝗋𝖾𝗌𝗌𝖾𝖽 𝗀𝗋𝖺𝖽𝗎𝖺𝗅𝗅𝗒 & 𝗂𝗍 𝗆𝖺𝗒 𝗍𝖺𝗄𝖾 𝗌𝗈𝗆𝖾 𝗍𝗂𝗆𝖾 𝗍𝗈 𝖺𝖽𝗃𝗎𝗌𝗍 𝗍𝗈 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝗌𝗍𝗈𝗋𝗒/𝖼𝗁𝖺𝗋𝖺𝖼𝗍𝖾𝗋𝗌 𝗂𝖿 𝗒𝗈𝗎 𝗁𝖺𝗏𝖾 𝗇𝗈𝗍 𝗋𝖾𝖺𝖽 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝗆𝖺𝗇𝗀𝖺. 𝖨 𝖺𝗅𝗌𝗈 𝖾𝗇𝗃𝗈𝗒𝖾𝖽 𝗐𝖺𝗍𝖼𝗁𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝖼𝗁𝖺𝗋𝖺𝖼𝗍𝖾𝗋𝗌 𝗀𝗋𝗈𝗐 𝗍𝗈 𝗎𝗇𝖽𝖾𝗋𝗌𝗍𝖺𝗇𝖽 𝗈𝗇𝖾 𝖺𝗇𝗈𝗍𝗁𝖾𝗋. 𝖠𝗍𝗈𝗆/𝖬𝗎𝖽𝗆𝖾𝖾 𝗐𝖾𝗋𝖾 𝗌𝗎𝖼𝗁 𝖺 𝖼𝗎𝗍𝖾 𝖿𝗋𝗂𝖾𝗇𝖽𝗌𝗁𝗂𝗉, 𝖺𝗌 𝗐𝖺𝗌 𝖠𝗍𝗈𝗆 & 𝖧𝖺𝗅𝖿. 𝖨 𝖼𝖺𝗇𝗇𝗈𝗍 𝗌𝗍𝗋𝖾𝗌𝗌 𝗁𝗈𝗐 𝗆𝗎𝖼𝗁 𝗂 𝗆𝗂𝗌𝗃𝗎𝖽𝗀𝖾𝖽 𝗍𝗁𝗂𝗌 𝗌𝖾𝗋𝗂𝖾𝗌. 𝖭𝗈𝗐 𝗍𝗁𝖺𝗍 𝗂𝗍 𝖾𝗇𝖽𝗌 𝗍𝗈𝖽𝖺𝗒, 𝖨'𝗆 𝖻𝖾𝗒𝗈𝗇𝖽 𝗌𝖺𝖽 𝗍𝗈 𝗌𝖾𝖾 𝗂𝗍 𝗀𝗈. 𝖨 𝗁𝗈𝗇𝖾𝗌𝗍𝗅𝗒 𝗐𝗂𝗌𝗁 𝖨 𝗁𝖺𝖽 𝗆𝖺𝗒𝖻𝖾 𝟦 𝗈𝗋 𝟧 𝗆𝗈𝗋𝖾 𝖾𝗉𝗂𝗌𝗈𝖽𝖾𝗌 𝗐𝗂𝗍𝗁 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝟦 𝖼𝗁𝖺𝗋𝖺𝖼𝗍𝖾𝗋𝗌. 𝖮𝗁! 𝖺𝗇𝗈𝗍𝗁𝖾𝗋 𝗍𝗁𝗂𝗇𝗀, 𝗈𝗇𝖾 𝗈𝗍𝗁𝖾𝗋 𝗍𝗁𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝗂 𝗅𝗂𝗄𝖾𝖽 𝗐𝖺𝗌 𝗂𝗇 𝖾𝖺𝖼𝗁 𝗋𝖾𝗅𝖺𝗍𝗂𝗈𝗇𝗌𝗁𝗂𝗉, 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝗈𝗇𝗅𝗒 𝗈𝖻𝗌𝗍𝖺𝖼𝗅𝖾 𝗐𝖺𝗌 𝖾𝖺𝖼𝗁 𝗈𝗍𝗁𝖾𝗋. 𝗁𝖺𝗏𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝗍𝗈 𝗅𝖾𝖺𝗋𝗇 & 𝗎𝗇𝖽𝖾𝗋𝗌𝗍𝖺𝗇𝖽 𝗈𝗇𝖾 𝖺𝗇𝗈𝗍𝗁𝖾𝗋. 𝖭𝗈𝗍 𝖺 𝗅𝗈𝗏𝖾 𝗍𝗋𝗂𝖺𝗇𝗀𝗅𝖾. 𝗌𝗈𝗆𝖾 𝗐𝖾𝗂𝗋𝖽 & 𝗎𝗇𝗇𝖾𝖼𝖾𝗌𝗌𝖺𝗋𝗒 𝗅𝗈𝗏𝖾 𝗂𝗇𝗍𝖾𝗋𝖾𝗌𝗍𝗌. 𝗂𝖿 𝗒𝗈𝗎'𝗋𝖾 𝗍𝗁𝗂𝗇𝗄𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝖺𝖻𝗈𝗎𝗍 𝗐𝖺𝗍𝖼𝗁𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝗍𝗁𝗂𝗌 𝗌𝖾𝗋𝗂𝖾𝗌 - 𝗌𝗍𝗂𝖼𝗄 𝗐𝗂𝗍𝗁 𝗂𝗍 & 𝖺𝗅𝗅𝗈𝗐 𝗂𝗍 𝗍𝗈 𝖽𝖾𝗏𝖾𝗅𝗈𝗉. 𝖠𝗅𝗅𝗈𝗐 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝖼𝗁𝖺𝗋𝖺𝖼𝗍𝖾𝗋𝗌 𝗍𝗈 𝗀𝗋𝗈𝗐 𝗈𝗇 𝗒𝗈𝗎!
this is where i leave the camp & go back home.
i was pretty much looking forward to this show after each of the first 4 ep's.
i have no idea what happened during ep. 5. the acting sucked. the story sucked.
fourth/atom cannot confess his feelings. something dumb keeps happening. annoying.
long stares at nothing. long stares at each other. long stares daydreaming. just long stares.
at this point it feels as though they are trying to stretch a 5 ep show into 12. & there are 7 more.
there literally nothing left to tell of the story. we've seen it all. what else is there other than more staring?
i'm so confused as to why directors are doing this relentlessly. just tell the story and move on. if there's more, create a 2nd season. don't stretch a story out! viewers will grow annoyed with the show, the directors & possibly tune out a future product. the only ppl being punished here, other than the viewers, are the actors. fourth is incredibly talented and attractive, so it's difficult to give up on his acting. i'd for sure watch him in something other than this. i remember when Cooking Crush was released and ppl were livid because OffGun deserved better roles...a better storyline and they had proven themselves able to carry a more serious drama and not that particular kiddy drama. i actually enjoyed Cooking Crush, but now i understand what critics meant. there was so much this story could deliver with GeminiFourth...it just sucks the direction it's going. the comedy is not landing with me - well it's hit or miss and more miss than hit, i assure you. i may pick it back up when it's over and binge it all the way through for a different result, but as it stands now, this is only the 2nd BL i've every dropped. i dare not say what the other one was. thinking about the suffering makes me cringe all over again.
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Hard to Express my Disappointment with This Cringe Fest.
Since discovering Kdramas I had loved Shin Min ah, her beauty is so natural and gorgeous and her comedic touch in kdramas has been well established from my Girlfriend is Gumiho to Hometwon Cha Cha. Here paired up with a younger and extremely handsome ML the anticipation was high.Unfortunately what we got was a mish mash of a drama with totally uneven characters, development, character arcs and a script writer who seemed to think that focusing on sexual themes, lifestyles, and engaging in the odd time subtle but mainly the most stupid and crass sexual innuendo was the height of literary achievement.
The flashback scenes of the FL buying a gazillion condoms while shouting around the supermarket that her sex partner better do it more than twice tonight or admonishing some guy for his weak performance in bed were so cringe inducing and pathetic I was actually flabbergasted. I couldn't decide if this was aimed at 14yr olds or idiots or 14yr old idiots or people who hadn't had sex in 14yrs or people who never had sex.
And then the dildos ooh look our sexually liberated FL (okay we get it jesus we get it she has sex) has sex toys and masturbates, a univeral and generally private human activity but here glorified and held up as if ownership of them elevated her to a place of enlightenment and Liberation that sets her apart from the rest of us mere mortals. It reminded me of the innuendo filled British comedy of the 70s and 80s where anything sex related drew gasps and guffaws from the scandalised but knowing audience. The amount of cringey "oh my God I laughed so hard when I saw those dildos" comments I've read is oh whatever 🙄.
Then the more "serious" themes of views on marraige, family infidelity, polyamorous relationships and pregnancy. Again it was like the makers, in their desperate attempt to be edgy modern and join the dreaded race to the bottom of shittiness epitomised by shallow, amoral, sexualised characters in western TV, they just threw in a whole lot of ideas and developed none of them in any meaningful way. The supportive relationship between the three foster siblings was heartwarming but it was overshadowed by the unresolved and unfinished exploration of the nature of the FLs relationship with her mother vs everyone else's. The inherent unfairness of this seemed to be left to the FL right to the end.
The older foster sister having unprotected sex with multiple partners and not knowing or bothering to find out definitively who the real father of her child was, inadvertently highlighted some of the potential pitfalls of polygamy though the writer just seemed to be inserting it for "look at how edgy my script is". It really did not portray a meaningful rmessage apart from her BF being a selfish so and so. Like at least practise safe sex FFS. Again it seemed having the concept in the drama was more important than how it was actually dealt with.
The cheating ex faciltted by the FL the whole way through and the cheating dad of the CEO were just shittiness personified. The fact we are repeatedly shown and reminded that the FL is a morally fair and kind at heart person makes this worse as she loses all credibility here by blatantly betraying her exes wife who was generally kind to and supportive of her. And of course asshole ex gets a pass, ah well we might have that female character, along with the cheated on 2ML wife, portrayed as regressively as an early noughties Kdrama melo but we did have condoms and dildos and a polyamorous couple so it's okay we're edgy.
The infamous second couple were more typical of your Kdrama rom com cute couple but totally distracted from the main couple especialky toward the end, and his initial online attacks were pretty awful along with his weird mamas boy life but at least that plot line didn't seem to take itself too seriously.
Finally the .most irritating take I've repeatedly seen is how the FL is so cool unapologetic and iconic. I just can't get over how crass immature and painfully obviously trying to be cool this script is. It's like the member of your social group who because they're never actually getting any they never stop going on about sex in OTT ways to over compensate. it was pretty cringe tbh.
I don't want to get into the whole westernisation of Kdramas by the Streaming services but if this is anything to go by get ready for a serious decline.
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It started off interesting, if cliched (your typical Cinderella-esque story)
BUT, there were more characters and storylines than the writers or the cast really knew what to do with, and in trying to do justice to all they really did justice to none.
They dropped hints that they never picked up, and generally lead the viewer to believe there was more meaning than there ever ended up being. I think it was this promise of something that led so many people to the last episode, and the utter failure to deliver that has inspired so many negative reviews.
The ending was shocking, but in a better crafted drama it would have worked. It never pretended to be a rom-com, so a nice neat happy ending was unnecessary, but at the same time it only ever played at being the kind of dark drama it tried to become at the end. In this case it felt like a cop-out, like the writers simply couldn't find any other way out of the quagmire they'd created. Like they thought the shock value alone would make everyone forget all of the loose ends, and the fact that basically every character was stripped of any respect or redeeming character traits. Like the ending alone would somehow make it profound and thought provoking.
All it did, and not just the final minutes, but the absurd pacing of the entire final episode, was highlight the flaws up until that point. The drama was at the same time repetitive and inconsistent, unbearably long and at the same time rushed, a mess of contradictions that did not work in its favor.
In the end it tries to be too many things and succeeds at none.
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1I don’t even know what to say...
If I had 10 cents for every time I wanted to DNF this series, I'd have a thousand cents in my PayPal account!Sigh.
I feel some type of way…
I am disappointed.
Maybe it’s my mood?Maybe it’s work? Maybe it’s cause I’m thirsty?
I don’t even know.
This is like sitting down to eat the fruit salad I normally enjoy, but instead, I was served random ingredients mixed with cream and ice cream. I reluctantly ate it all because I knew my favorite fruits (strawberries) were in there somewhere, as long as I kept digging around for them.
I guess I should get to the series ha? Yeah, well that is something, and it can’t be denied that watching this is certainly an experience - Positive, negative, annoying, funny, stupid...somehow.
I’m waffling, thinking about fruit salad or whatever, but the truth is that I really don't have any strong opinions about this show. Mostly just bemused annoyances. I think I’m probably being too critical, because I didn’t even dislike this. Don’t get me wrong, it started well at first, but my enthusiasm quickly faded ( I want to listen to Faded...I'm faded, I'm faded. So lost, I'm faded, I'm faded.So lost, I'm faded).
Maybe I’m just annoyed because I thought the plot was doing one thing when actually just ended up doing another. I would say this was more of an romance serials sparkled with some very not hungry vampires.
I love vampire stories. I love romantic stories. I love vampires romantic stories. So, by the same logic, I should have liked show. If the universe was fair and rational, I would have loved it and given it ten stars. But it she is not fair.
But this series was not:
- funny
- scary
- compelling
- exciting
- populated by lovable characters (there was one and they killed him.)
It was:
- predictable
- the kind of clichés that feels like a trick
- centered the most boring one the romance I have ever watched
- sad yes, but mostly just exhausting
- this one was simply just too darn slow for me.
This is a sweet, hot, tiresome lengthy story.
Mark is basically a Rome god and Tong is basically Sleeping Beauty or something. OK, fine, one years ago, we all swoon for hot handsome engineers. Today, we swoon for hot vampire who have a personality and does not drink the golden blood.I guess my cynicism is showing.
Okay enought with the negative.
I'm a fan of the opening song. I love it. There is some sort of magic in this song. I am so obsessed with it. I could listen to it all day.
Тhis show just is not for me. But if this one has caught your eye, don't let my opinion sway you. So many people have loved this series and I’m just really sad I couldn’t. I started out expecting to love this story.
Final
The series started with a bang, but ended with a dang.Thank God it's over.
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Chaotic, angsty & hilarious satire of the cdrama industry. Enemies to lovers + slow burn.
Hands down one of the best 2025 cdramas! This drama is about the female lead, who is an actress hired to star in a new drama as the female lead. Unexpectedly, she gets transported into the script of the drama, and becomes the actual female lead of that world. Forced to re-enach iconic scenes (that would ultimately lead to her death), she sets on a path to change the script, avoid the villainous male lead, and stay alive until the end.POSITIVE:
- Handsome, strong and tragic male lead (scripts words, not mine haha). Liu Yu Ning does a perfect job at playing three different versions of his character. We get to see the male lead as a red flag villain, morally grey prince and soft-hearted martial artists.
- Brilliant satire of the cdrama industry. The best thing about the drama is that it uses the cliche tropes and scenes we are all painfully familiar with, but spins them into hilarious parodies. The drama totally makes fun of itself and mocks things like no-death during cliff falls, plot armour, save and beauty moments etc. I love that we get to see re-creation of some iconic scenes from popular dramas such as Till the End of the Moon, Love Like the Galaxy, A Journey to Love, One and Only, Story of Kunning Palace.
- Top-notch comedy. There is not a single episode where I wasn’t cracking up like crazy.
- Mix of comedy, politics, romance and sad/angsty moments. The drama blends to perfection the emotional highs and lows. One minute I would be crying buckets of tears or be extremely stressed, and then the next, cracking up like crazy.
- Enemies to lovers + slow burn romance + male chases female. The burn is slow, alright. It takes the female lead around 30 episodes to accept and reveal her feelings for the male lead. The romance is more angsty than fluffy.
- Complex script. The plot has so many layers I don’t even know where to begin with. Yes, the focus is the satire/parody, but at the same time, the drama delves into political intrigue, angsty family dynamics, as well as more abstract concepts like the butterfly dream (real vs fake world) and scriptwriting. The script is so well written that it’s amazing how it told us beforehand all the iconic scenes that were coming, and yet managed to create such unpredictable twists, it surprised us all. The most brilliant thing is that so many things didn’t make sense but at the same time, made perfect sense.
- Stunning production. From the setting designs, to costumes, action/fight scenes, cinematography. I especially love Li Shi Liu unique martial arts costumes.
- Great chemistry between the cast, especially the main leads. Everyone’s performance was brilliant. Liu Yu Ning shined the brightest in this role, his crying scenes were beautifully raw and he slayed the comedy timing too. His co-star, Li Yi Tong, did a phenomenal job too, it was my first time seeing her and I’m impressed. Noteworthy to mention is the Emperor’s scenes, that literally had me ready to throw rocks at my screen, fantastic performance.
- Great OST + BGM. Plus, the insert of A Journey to Love song was chef’s kiss.
- Ending. Brilliantly crafted. All character's arcs were wrapped up well and the transmigration portion was satisfying (considering the tight censorship).
NEGATIVE:
- I have to admit that in the middle of the drama there were a few things that annoyed me. First was the female lead’s prejudice. She kept rejecting the male lead and believing him to be the villain. She never wanted to hear him out or understand his pov. She had pre-conceive notions of how the script would play out, what he would do, and all this lasted for 30 episodes. She was stubborn and stuck in her ways. Also, she felt a bit undeveloped compared to the male lead, who was more fleshed out as a character. Second, the 18th Prince was slightly more irritating than funny. Third, the second couple felt like an odd pair, and I couldn’t ship them as much as I wanted to. HOWEVER, the last 8 episodes made all of these things better. The female lead shined bright when she finally trusted the male lead and started fighting alongside him. The 18th Prince development was fantastic and I even began to enjoy the second couple after their angsty scenes. So, although I was irritated in the middle, the final episodes made up for it!
OVERALL:
This IS the cdrama to watch if you are a cdrama lover. The satire of the whole cdrama industry is top notch and I feel like cdrama watchers will greatly appreciate it. A perfect blend of comedy, politics, angst and romance. The twists are too good to miss out on. This stunning production is extremely unique and brilliantly crafted. Best 2025 cdrama for me, I highly recommend it.
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Feels like this drama is going to be universally cherished, an instant 10!
I have rarely rated k-dramas as 10 because those kinds are truly top-tier and close to my heart. This one feels like one of them. The character is a lawyer and on the autism spectrum which the drama takes utmost care in addressing. As a psychology student myself, I can tell that its neurodiverse representation is done right in many ways, exploring many facets of ableism. (Also, it's got amazing LGBTQIAP+ rep!)The drama portrays how her co-workers are more or less 'accepting' of her but you may observe some forms of microaggressions towards the character even from their end. She receives pity and judgement in plenitude. Hence, it would be nice to see this show explore how people around her take efforts to address and overcome their prejudices in future episodes. The series even touches upon the capitalization of women's bodies in episode 2, so look forward to that because it highlights a great narrative on intellectual and body autonomy.
Love how each episode is dedicated to a new case. This format is crucial for addressing a wide range of social aspects and the show sets out to do exactly that. It leaves you to think about a lot of its themes, about the nuances and perspectives one can use to interpret certain scenes which are all equally valid.
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Very draggy
"Nabi" is my first lakorn. The first few episodes start off well. My only complaint in the beginning was the ML constantly grabbing the FL and dragging her everywhere. A few times would be okay, but I could've started a drinking game with the amount of times he did it. Towards the middle, the show quickly became draggy. The cause, I think, is likely the writing. They obviously had to stretch a simple storyline to 22 episodes and it was tiring at times. I didn't help that what happened to Nabi's sister and Kawin's mother was revealed so early on...So why did I stick around? Two reasons, really. Fah and Joss had great chemistry and I genuinely like the cast. They were all doing the best with the script they were given. Nat, especially, was able to carry most of the show. Unfortunately, she wasn't able to carry it through that terrible ending. I mean, are you kidding me? Half the characters took stupid pills towards the end and you cannot change my mind on that.
To improve "Nabi," I think the writers should've incorporated more flashback scenes. I really enjoyed the ones they did show and thought it added more depth to the characters. Nabi and Kawin's were particularly touching. Also, more time should've been given to Luke and Jan's characters who ended up being glorified extras. I guess that also goes for Wa and Sirin, who were basically forgotten, despite them being the mystery of the show.
I was entertained for the most part but I was not satisfied with the ending. I will likely never watch "Nabi" again, though I look forward to the cast's other projects.
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"Everything will be fine when the sun rises"
From the moment you see four white circles dancing over frosted tree tops you know you are watching a master at work. Director Zhang Yi Mou takes on the spy genre with the grace and flare he has refined over the decades.Four Chinese spies trained in the USSR drop into Japanese controlled Manchuria to rescue an escaped prisoner of the dreaded Beiyinhe camp, where prisoners were tortured, experimented on and killed. They want him to tell his story so that the world will know what is going on in those devilish camps. Unfortunately, from the moment they hit the snow covered ground and split up they find themselves in even greater danger because a traitor has revealed their mission to the enemy.
Xiang Chen partners with Lan as Team 1, while his wife, Yu, and Lan's lover Chu Liang form Team 2. Both teams run into subterfuge and lies dipped in murderous intent. The pace of the film moves ever forward with enough chases through the snow on foot, in trains, and in automobiles to keep things exciting. It's often a cat and mouse and cat and mole frantic affair. The script took a sentimental turn at the end, which frankly, I enjoyed because I'm a big softie at heart, even when watching a spy film. That's not to say there wasn't violence, fair warning for the squeamish, there were some utterly brutal torture scenes and deaths.
Zhang Yi Mou took a flawed script and made it gripping as each of the team members had to get by on their wits as well as their training. His trademark stunning shots and framing were in effect in every scene. This truly looked like a frigid world, emotionally and physically. The Republican Era costumes were sharp and spy approved black with plenty of Fedoras and fur-lined coats. Cho Young Wuk's music perfectly fit the scenes regardless of the mood. The closing song's melody was hauntingly beautiful. As a whole the film was stunningly put together.
Zhang Yi as the team leader did an admirable job playing the skilled and stoic spy. Yu He Wei as Zhou, the man dangerously straddling two worlds had me rooting for him and hoping I wasn't wrong. Unlike many Zhang Yi Mou films, the women's roles seemed less well defined though the two female spies held their own as they struggled to find a way out of the traps they were in.
Cliff Walkers wasn't a perfect film but I found it engaging nonetheless and a treat for the eyes and ears. Zhang Yi Mou has run afoul of the censors before so hopefully, this more patriotic film will give him more room to work in future endeavors. Having said that, he kept the political propaganda to a minimum focusing more on the individuals, their strategies to overcome the terrible odds and sacrifices that had to be made. I found it to be a well made spy thriller and worth checking out, especially if you enjoy this director's works.
9/24/22
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This was hot hot hot!
Revenge of Begonia did catch my eye while it aired but i decided to wait til summer to watch it. Its not for everyone`s taste, especially being a web short drama, and the cliche trope (though so deliciously done) and the very dark turn of events where the mainleads get so destructive in their relationship. I loved the mainleads so much. The Male Lead was this ruthless but neverthless good hearted warrior and our female lead totally ensnared him with her pure seduction and charm...and eventually stole his heart. I love romance so much and the romance between them was so very gawd hot and passionate!Was this review helpful to you?
MC needs BTS to tell her to "Love Yourself"
Okay, where do I even begin.I've read like 10 chapters of the webtoon itself, so I'm not sure how that ends, but I must say the drama itself is very confusing.
STORY:
It started off really strong as I've always been interested in "beauty" type dramas. Also, I love seeing transformation. However, DO NOT go into this drama w/ a True Beauty mindset because it is nothing like it (except MCs hiding under a fake persona??) I feel the progression of the drama got super messy because certain characters were thrown in without explanation. I felt viewers needed more background on the MC and her family but I guess you can't do that w/ such a short web drama. It's a very cliche story and a lot of the characters weren't even necessary but okay, director.
ACTING:
Okay, this is good. HOWEVER, some of the characters must've done a REAL good job because they pissed me off so much and I wanted to either a.) scream or b.) punch them through the screen. The MC is super super super super stubborn and she really needs to learn to speak up for herself... but of course, we can't expect much from a low self-esteem character. All the actors did a good job, especially the villian because they were annoying.
There are no special/specific OSTs so like... rip. But color toning of each episode was super aesthetic and I loved binging this drama because of the 25min per episode. Go into this drama w/ a clear mindset and just relax without thinking of anything. This is not a heavy drama, with just sprinkles of mystery and thriller. Do not count on romance to be the center of this drama.
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An adventure to find yourself
Her Fantastic Adventures is a drama that finally aired after finishing production, four years ago. This drama is an adaptation of the novel entitled The Crazy Adventures of Wu Gate by Ying Zhao. The main characters is played by Song Yiren as Qi Chun Jiao, Gu Qing Qiao and Guo Jun Chen as Duan Yu.Synopsis: This drama tells the story of a female athlete who accidentally travels to the past, when she was at the lowest point in her life.
Note: this is not the first Song Yiren's drama about time travel, although of the year it was produced, it is the first. The other one is Different Princess which has been broadcast first.
Plot:
The drama is set almost entirely in ancient times with occasional flashbacks to modern life. In ancient life, Qi Chun Jiao reunites with four men she knows in modern life, namely the man she likes, Duan Yu and his younger brother, Shaoyi, her best friend, Lu ZiZheng, and her team doctor, Ruan. With them, she underwent great challenges and adventures.
My opinion:
Even though recently there have been many dramas in this genre, it seems like The director was trying to take a different approach. If you don't mind spoilers, please keep reading.
The adventures she went through are like an escape from her heartache, disappointment, fear and despair. But is everything running smoothly? No, she must fight to survive and quickly return to real life.
When she finally comeback, they didn't go into more detail about what happened to Qi Chun Jiao's athlete career, but when she woke up from a coma, mother embraced her with love. And life goes on, as the story moves forward to five years later. It turned out that the five of them were still in close relationships with each other. And in my opinion, the main female character has moved on from all the feelings that shackled her and has become an independent businesswoman. However, it cannot be denied that this time Duan Yu and she have to face their unresolved feelings in the past.
In conclusion, everything that happened in ancient times was part of a dream that had no direct impact on real life because the people she met in ancient times did not experience or remember these dreams. It's just part of her inner struggle and personal growth process.
Closing:
This is definitely not Song Yiren's best drama but her acting never disappoints me. The main couple's chemistry isn't the best either, but their chemistry is better in modern life. Song Yiren, Guo Jun Chen and Li Jiu Lin show good acting, especially towards the end of the drama. The background music and songs are good and pleasant to listen to.
This drama could be an option for those of you who are fans of time travel, as well as a drama filler. Don't think too hard and don't expect too much.
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Bin Jip is silent. The actions speak more than those few words the actors say. So the acting, the talent of the actors, their facial expressions are more important than ever. And I have to say: the actors did their job excellently.
To the other side opf the world this movie could seem to be very odd. But if you look into a bit of the ways of korean society you'll find the answers to your questions.
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"Even before we entered the world we were marked by karma."
Lady Snowblood is the film that inspired Quentin Tarantino's Kill Bill films. Yuki's blood spewing revenge is a cautionary tale of feminine vengeance. Splendidly filmed with an impassioned OST, the unique style based on a manga, and the excellent acting make this film one worth seeking out if you enjoy this genre.Born to a dying mother in a prison on a snowy day, Yuki was charged with her family's vendetta against the villains who murdered her father and brother and viciously raped her mother. She grew up trained by a ruthless master to become the hand of death to the group that had decimated her family. One by one she hunts the villains down, in her lovely kimonos with a deadly umbrella to gracefully slash her way through the people who had inspired this life she'd never asked for. Beneath her beautiful veneer lay a dark and fiery need for payback for her dead family, one she had never known. Tasked with never feeling emotion, Yuki retains shreds of compassion as she interacts with those she comes across in her rampage. Ironically, she opens another cycle of vengeance by her actions.
The film lays the blood spewing on thick, every slash sends the gooey red paint flying everywhere. Puddles of blood enough for a slain army float around the unlucky bodies. As the story begins on a snowy day with a child born pure but commissioned with her first breaths with the bloody job of vengeance, so the ending scene leaves the beautiful assassin with her butterfly kimono covered in blood in the snow wondering if there is life after revenge.
There were some subtle and not so subtle political messages about corruption in the upper echelons of the military and government. And though the plight of the poor was pointed out, it dispelled the myth that the poor are always good hearted. I wish there had been more of an attempt to understand what a woman must feel growing up with brutal training and an unbreakable oath for people she had never met.
As many older martial arts films with swordplay tended to do, this one used the almost dance and slash technique. Best to not think too hard about the fight choreography from a realistic stance but to admire it for the stylistic forms.
Lady Snowblood was in many ways similar to other revenge fueled martial arts movies but elevated by the haunting music, colorful cinematography, and the stellar acting of Kaji Meiko. If eyes were knives, her targets would already be dead with the cold steely glare she honed in on them with. Kaji's expressive face and graceful moves enhanced the tension filled moments of her hunting her prey even when she had to settle for satisfaction instead of revenge.
If you are looking for a modern movie you may be disappointed. This is a film rich in character with old style effects. Revenge is a dish best served cold and Lady Snowblood served it on a silver blade.
"Forgive me! Spare me!"
"I shall do neither."
3/2/23
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