It exists . . . awkwardly
If I want to be generous, I can call this show a fluffy rom-com. However, that will be doing a disservice to the readers of this review. The premise of this show is a rom-com but what is delivered is subpar at every level.The main story line is awkward. Bits of cliche plots are cobbled together. It feels tired and predictable. You could call it a labour of love because a bunch of people certainly worked hard to deliver it even with all its problems. Unfortunately, the core concept is not particularly funny nor romantic. I get that they want to get some laughs out of the struggling dating show but you are more likely to gag than giggle. The pacing is also inconsistent. Some plots feel rushed while others just meander along.
This is not helped by the OTP having little chemistry. Their whole love line felts contrived. It was a bad case of puppy love when they were young teens but their feelings for each other is unchanged for 20 years. Ok, it is a bit of a stretch but this trope has worked in other shows so it can work here too, right?
Yes, it can work and they say that they have resolved their issues and they are all lovey-dovey. Yet the same issue caused them to breakup again before the love bite had time to fade. Have they learnt nothing? Are they 34 or 14? The fact that the issue can be resolved with some straight talking is totally ignored. Some of the later dialogue doesn't make much sense. It is the classic "Do as I say, not as I do". I know the happy ending is mandated but it is one audacious piece of writing.
In terms of acting, the FL is prone to overact because her character is quite exaggerated. I have to give her credit for acting like a fool at times just for laughs. The ML pulls his weight but he can't carry the whole show and his character is a bit nebulous. Support cast is patchy. Lots of one dimensional characters. It feels like they are trying to be a caricature of themselves.
To be honest, I am a bit numb after watching this show. It is not so bad that you want to throw things at the monitor nor is it good enough to be truly enjoyable. You keep watching while clinging onto the hope that it will get better. In your heart, you know the actors deserve better, the crew deserve better, WE deserve better!
It exists . . . awkwardly. Enough said. Peace out.
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Worth Your While
Well, I actually didn't expect it to be that good. I was delighted to see Zhou Ye not being the quirky kind of girl she so often portrays. I really liked her as the FL and she easily pulled that of, too. Makes me looking forward to what she will work on in the future. Of course Scent of Time is not flawless, but overall I highly recommend it.The strong point is the story telling, which is a weak point in far too many dramas. A really unusual, interesting premise and start (or at least one I haven't encountered before). Executed quite brilliantly. All leads are marvellous and a legion of well cast support characters makes it interesting and captivating. Especially as the characters are allowed to evolve which leads to some of the support characters exhibiting some unexpected, rather surprising, but believable behaviours which creates these little moments that make you really fall for a drama. Refreshingly (nearly) no unneccessary drama just for the sake of it. And I have to admit, I didn't see that twist coming. Not.At.All!
And never ever has the sight of a bowl of noodles make me cry that hard.
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This drama was one of the best I've ever watched, and every time I hear the music, a wave of nostalgia comes over me. So what if this drama doesn't adhere to the original BoF plotline? There have been so many versions of the same story already, and I think it's great that this Chinese version is bringing something new to the table!
I've watched the Korean version and this version, and honestly, I think they're both amazing (but I've watched Meteor Shower 2 many more times than BoF!) Zhang Han and Zheng Shuang who play the two main leads are a great on-screen couple, and you can really feel the emotion and love they share. The side characters are all great and many times entertaining. Duan Mu Lei, especially, was cast perfectly and his story is heartbreaking and inspiring--and in my opinion, he's much more attractive than Kim Hyn Joong in BoF :)
I loved this drama much more than the first one (Meteor Shower 1). All the actors are so much more attractive in Meteor Shower 2 and the storyline is more gripping. I think that if you want to get into this Chinese version of BoF, start with this sequel instead of from the beginning.
This drama is the perfect blend between light-heartedness and seriousness--it's not completely a sappy melodrama but it's also not a fluffy, light rom-com drama. It's a great watch for anyone who loves romantic dramas and Boys Over Flowers!
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This review may contain spoilers
"Bad things happen, but you can still live" - Joe Lamb, a schoolkid telling an alien how to move on in life; in the hollywood movie 'Super 8'.Well, 'Re-encounter' takes a step further and asks our lead actress to choose between moving on ahead in life to a better future or to mere exist in the world giving up on dreams and hopes. For her, its easier to just exist and you will understand her choice once you see her story in the early parts of the film. Or you can just read the plot on MDL. It's on you ! But I'll try to convince you to watch this beautiful film without giving any major spoilers.
The film doesn't open with her back story, the viewer gradually finds out soon after first few scenes. The back story is that she was totally abandoned when she was pregnant at 18 and also lost her child on birth. It was like the world closed down on her and there is no one accepting her. So how does one reply back? You would try to live on but it would be damn difficult. This film doesn't show you how our lead went through that phase. It shows you how she deals with the situation she confronts when her past comes back (re-encounter).
Any dog lovers around here? You all will love her. She currently works as a vet's assistant and in her free time goes around and rescues abandoned dogs. Her present life aptly describes how the society is divided. An abandoned woman rescuing abandoned dogs !
The story starts when she is 23 years old and has quietly settled down and her ex-boyfriend comes to visit her with a heart dropping fact. Yeah, FACT.
It's upon her to choose now whether to move on from her own comfort(negative) zone or to just destroy her ex's chance of redemption. Life has given her a chance to abandon him ! How does one respond? If you were in her shoes will you do a tit for tat? The film goes on till the very last scene where her choice is finally revealed. And that is one very good aspect where the writer-director has won my praise. Her action is aptly justified not only in the beginning but in the end as well. The viewer can never really understand what is going on in her mind. The director gives tiny little clues to us so that we could get into her mind and exactly know her state of play.
The plot is an intelligent, well written and displayed with realism. You won't feel as if anyone is acting. You will be in their world. There are fairly countable dialogues. The film is slow paced but it requires to be slow. It is the one of the best indie-films yet so far in my view.
As you watch, you will notice a that the performance given by the two leads only excavates the realism of the narrative. You will be able to understand the loss and pain suffered by each of them which ironically, both of them initially aren't aware of the depths of scars faced by themselves.
The film is a combination of human drama and 'tense' suspense which will make you follow the story until the climax reveals the meaning of how to live even when bad things keep on happening. The film shows metaphorically as to how to treat other's mistake.
If you like this movie, please message me. I guess that then you too will have liked the very last scene.
P.S - This is definitely not a 6-7 rating film. More people need to vote !
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This review may contain spoilers
It's been a few years since I've picked up a survival show and I didn't think I would be as hooked as I was before, but this was so worth it!! Even though the show wounded up in some controversies and the finale was canceled, I still think the rest of the show before it was still very enjoyable.I honestly didn't think any other seasons that followed Idol Producer would have such a unique and talented set of individuals on the show again but this season (at least) has proved me wrong. All the trainees are so talented!
The selection of music was fire despite what others may say. There had been some rumors saying iQiyi was running low on budget and that's why the song selections were a majority the mentor's songs. Personally I haven't heard many of the songs before so I found it entertaining. The way in which they created groups this season is interesting too. The first evaluation was position and they allowed trainees to select their own groups but also intervene with others selection, and kind of battle it out by persuading the trainee to join them. Then the second was split by age groups and it was based on who was able to snatch the song first rather than by rank (which I found was a bit unfair in the past for the lower classes). These are only a few examples of how they did song selections.
In terms of the editing, I would say its changed a bit but I still appreciate the extra clips they put in of the trainees. In comparison to Produce Camp (another survival show), there's a lot more content and screen time showing their practice sessions leading up to the stage day. The episodes are very oddly separated into parts, but I guess that only means more content! However, unless you are VIP there isn't much extra clips to watch, at least from my standpoint. It's also hard to navigate around the website for the studio recordings and performances especially since some aren't available on YouTube. There has been some talk about how this season isn't as entertaining as the past seasons in terms of editing and music performances but I disagree I thought that it was pretty entertaining. I do agree with some aspects such as the unequal distribution of screen time like during the press conference in the early episodes and also training time leading up to performances.
The mentor line up was also great! You could tell each mentor really cared about the trainees and were very respectful of everyone. They took their time speaking and did their best to help each person. Will Pan didn't get frustrated at all during his sessions with the trainees, he instead would pull those who weren't as comfortable or familiar with rapping aside, giving them advice and helping them figure out their parts. Then there is LISA who I'm not too familiar with but before, but I was always in awe seeing how she was able to so easily catch the problem with each groups' dances and point out how to make it better. I'd watch and be like "oHH yeah that looks SO much better woW!" And finally, Li Ronghao's class sessions would be in the recording studio and it's so funny and cute seeing him come out of the control room and into the recording booth to help out the trainees if they weren't getting a high note or something. Li Chun wasn't exactly a mentor, she was the MC for the most part of the show, but she never failed to show her care and generosity. She often asked about the trainees and would bring them food. The most memorable would probably be giving a Doreamon to Li Junhao (Rimiko).
Overall, the show was really really good! I just wished the finale had happened before the show ended, and Yu Jingtian (Tony) didn't get wrapped up in a controversy as well. Fan or not, I just felt bad and it was very unfortunate that it came right before the last episode was able to air. Same with the rest of the trainees, they worked so hard but in the end were not able to debut (especially Lian Huaiwei). However with that being said, it wasn't a *complete* waste because the trainees at least got some exposure and the show helped each and everyone of them grow in some aspect. We don't always get the ending we want, but we can always pick out at least one positive to hold onto.
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Draggy towards a happy ending
Title should've been Love of Irrational Beings. Spent almost half the show watching draggy scenes of irrational people go through the motion of falling in love.Starting with the FL's bestie; what's with her attitude towards relationships? Like it's should come with expiration date, end it before it expires...
Or the FL's irrational choice to choose to work for the ML's nemesis over and over again. Or the ML's decision to push the FL towards her dreams, even if it meant pushing her to work for his nemesis, it's sweet but a little to much..
Anyway actors were ok, OST too. And it has a happy ending so it's all good. Rewatch, not likely though.
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This review may contain spoilers
If you LOVED Sweet Home then you’ll LIKE this
Firstly I want to start off by saying that I finished this series in a day which is a first for me. It’s not a story that kept me at the edge of my seat but it’s still entertaining enough that I continued watching even when the characters pissed off, and many of them did.Our female lead Su In is actually such a sweet girl who went through a lot of traumatic events. She’s introverted, self loathing and lives a pretty mundane life. It was nice seeing her go from that to a mutant badass who fights for what she believes in and learns that she’s not unlovable, she was just around a lot of toxic people. Male lead was very unconventional for kdramas. I kind of liked his development from the cowardice and selfish gang member to the fearless, loyal and trusted companion. I won’t say much for the other characters because while they all had good development too, they annoyed me for 90% of the drama.
In comparison to Sweet Home this kdrama places less emphasis on its characters due to its shorter length of only six episodes. Instead, it delves deeper into the world of monsters, which I found refreshing. I appreciated the focus on the monsters forming their own organization, showcasing their intelligence and adaptability. Their dialogue is noteworthy, featuring engaging social and political commentary. It was intriguing to explore their perspective, although unlike SH there isn't much sympathy for them as they are *mostly* serial killers. The monsters who aren’t simply killers, are just like most humans, trying to survive and learning to navigate complex emotions.
To be honest the last episode was a bit underwhelming, but I can understand because this not a very climatic drama. The monster fight scenes were a little funny sometimes (they kinda look like giraffes fighting 😂). The cast’s performance, music and CGI (for a kdrama) was good too, no complaints in those departments. All in all, a good watch. Would’ve loved if it was longer. 8.5/10
PS: I did not read the manga!!
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Well crafted and underrated legal drama
"Out of Court" is a tightly woven legal drama with superb acting, directing and scriptwriting. Intricately crafted, the story unfolds in two chapters, both of which primarily centre around the legal procedings and investigations of three death penalty cases. The first part is six episodes and takes place over the span of 16 hours, while the second part is told over 14 episodes and takes place before and after the events of part one. Xia Yu's Lu Nan is the main protagonist in "Blind Spot", while Luo Jin's Qiao Shaoting and Jiao Junyan's Xiao Zhen are the main leads in "Drowning Man" ("The Last Straw" in English). Both male leads appear throughout parts one and two.Out of Court is more than a legal drama, however -- there are mysteries to solves, side cases to crack, and some action thrown in as well. While the story doesn't waste much time getting into the personal lives of the characters (except for perhaps Qiao Shaoting), the ensemble cast still somehow comes across rich and nuanced through their actions, anecdotes of their past, small details sprinkled throughout, and subtle scene elements that might convey anger, arrogance, indifference, compassion, etc. For the longest time, viewers are left guessing as to the motivations of some of the characters (in a good way) -- are they a villain? Ally? Somewhere in between?
As for Luo Jin fans, Qiao Shaoting is a great character, and he plays him with the coolness of Harvey Specter but with a lot more grittiness.
I also found the drama to be an interesting glimpse into China's modern legal system, which dates from the late 1970s following the Cultural Revolution, but really did not gain a footing until perhaps the mid-1980s. (Prior to that, during the Mao period after 1949, law schools and courts were all shut down, with lawyers out of a job.) The story makes references to when certain laws were passed, and at least one side case is inspired by true events. It is impossible for me to gauge how accurately everything is presented; at the same time, viewers should not judge its “accuracy” based on Western civil and criminal laws (as I saw in some of the comments), since even the broad strokes in some legal areas and roles may be quite different.
The drama has a well-deserved Douban rating of 7.7 (at the time of this writing); but by that scale, this really should at least be in the high 8s on MDL. I couldn't decide whether to give it an 8.5 or a 9, since I think it belongs somewhere in the middle, but I opted for 9 to counter the current 7.7 on MDL. (Albeit with just over two dozen ratings only so far, I am not giving too much weight to the score just yet. I will be interested in seeing where it lands once at least a few hundred viewers have weighed in.)
"Out of Court" is not a drama you can watch "in the background" -- I really needed to focus and pay attention to the great dialogue, and if I had more time (which I sadly don't) I would rewatch it again to catch everything I missed the first time.
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Pretty boring with a large cast of evil characters
I was looking forward to this because I loved Rosy Zhao in Dating in the Kitchen. I was so disappointed! This drama could have been greatly improved by cutting the number of stories and the number of episodes. It seemed to go on and on forever. They have GOT to work on the dubbing! The thing that I noticed most in this show was everyone's footsteps, whether they were wearing tennis shoes or dress shoes. Why? I have no idea.The concept for the story was cute, but it didn't feel cohesive to me. I understand that you have to have a "bad guy" in these shows to create drama and problems. Why were there so many in this show?
I didn't find the lead actor very attractive, but I loved the height difference between the two. There were some good kisses and some really bad kisses, but I didn't find the acting very good at all.
This was one of those dramas that, while I was watching it, I was wondering when it was ever going to end. And once it did, I was so glad!
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Story line: Nothing surprising or intriguing. I'd say it was rather boring. I won't spoil it, but the plot seemed interesting at first, but the plot just started slowing down and nothing was actually happening each episode.
Acting/Characters: I'd say everyone's acting was pretty decent, with Dilraba's being the weakest (I hope she continues growing as an actor though!). However, their characters were written in a way that didn't give them much to work with. For example, I think Zhang Bin Bin is a promising actor, but he was limited to the same, one-dimensional character during the whole drama. I was expecting the director to let him finally say/reveal something that would break my heart, but he really was like a stagnant river the whole drama (like, he was GOOD at the role he was given, but that role sucked!).
Idk. There was so much potential. Again, this is another example of a drama that could have really won the crowd over, if only it was a good drama in the first place.
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One of the better High School BL Dramas - cute and sweet
Completed - 12/18/2021I can see why this drama has so many good reviews. It's a somewhat realistic high school BL drama with a lot of cute and fluffy content. It's really short that you can binge watch in a few hours. It's a good palate cleanser in between more serious dramas. Let's start with what I don't like about this drama.
What I don't Like:
1. Over-dramatic acting - This is personal taste as I don't usually enjoy the over-dramatic manga/anime style of live acting. I felt that our male lead, Aoki, is a little too much and I get annoyed with him at times. I understand he's made out to be a contrast to our other male lead, Ida, who is a little more serious.
2. Repetitive doubting - For such a short drama, Aoki doubted his relationship with Ida too much. After his confession and they started "dating", every episode following that, he's been questioning whether Ida likes him or not, or if Ida really wants to date him. I understand the uncertainty but it feels repetitive after a while.
What I Like:
1. Ida - I enjoy Ida's character. It's nice to see a quieter and more serious character that is not the traditional cold and mean male lead. He's just different and expresses himself different. He's serious in considering his answer and cares about others. I enjoy watching his slow discovery and realization that he does like Aida. I like how he protects Aoki through quiet actions.
2. Ida + Aoki - They do make a very cute couple. Their contrast in personality makes for a very enjoying and fun experience (albeit the Aoki's overacting). You can't help but smile when you see the together and they have great chemistry.
3. Supportive Friends - How nice it is to have such supportive friends of their relationship. It's a stress-free drama where you don't have to worry about jealous and mean-spirited friends.
4. Realistic Concerns - Even though this is a sweet and fluffy drama, it also addresses the issues facing a young same-sex couple, esp. a couple who never thought they could be attracted to someone of the same sex. Aoki is concerned about others knowing they are together and that is very real, not just in high school but in life. We have a teacher who is conservative and doesn't know how to deal with the knowledge of Aoki being with Ida. All these issues were handled well in the drama.
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ML can't act but I adore him anyway!
Actually I adore both the ML and FL! As individual characters, they were likable but as a couple, they were endearing and inspired relationship goals. Also they were simply gorgeous to look at.Why Women Love is a May-December love story done right! It is not often that we get a romance between an older super capable manager and her young assistant (who was actually her boss' son), let alone a good one. If you are looking for something light, lovely, fun and fluffy, this show might just do the trick.
Honestly, there was no real plot, but there was character development. The FL learned to open up her heart, and become brave in facing the unknown of love, and the ML grew into a man who wanted to protect and give his love a blissful and happy home. I love that even though the ML became more matured, he did not lose sight of his dream of being a motorcycle racer. The best part is that he still reacted like someone in his twenties but carried himself well to be worthy of the FL.
Gina Jin is beautiful and she did well as Zhao Jiang Yue, a reserved, over-achieving manager. Absorbed with her work, always focused on doing her best, she was labeled as being incompetent in love. As she gradually fell in love with the ML, one can see her loosening up, and becoming more carefree.
Wang Zi Yi as Gu Jia Xin was a total idol in this show, with his avant-garde outfits, and being a newbie, could use more acting lessons. However, he was still able to pull off charismatic and lovable Jia Xin, and I truly enjoyed watching him charm his way into Jiang Yue's heart. Plus he can kiss!
There were 3 other side couples and I enjoyed watching 2 of those relationships progressed. As for the 3rd couple, I did not think that Xu Ning Yuan and Li Yan Ran were a good fit and there was no chemistry between them . Xu Ning Yuan was supposed to be the second male lead and was also Jiang Yue's first love.but he did not really put up much of a fight, other than being "compatible" with her.
Overall, the cast was great, and there was a fun rapport among them. I did find Li Yan Ran annoying and clingy but at least she could still separate her obsession with Jia Xin from doing the right thing.
The OST was awesome. I never skipped the intro because of the song, 'Love It' sung by Wang Zi Yi and Gina Jin. The closing song, True Love by Zhu Xingjie was catchy too. My favorite was Upside Down by Chen Xueran, the romantic song that heightened the emotional scenes for me. For posterity, I listed the song list at the end of this review.
Overall, do give this show a try - all you have to do is sit back and be prepared to smile and laugh as you gush over the cheesy, delightful and satisfying romantic journey of the main couple.
Track list: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLDkvOpX-XEAS7ux-N5WjgI5m6cKx3ngIt
Love it - 金晨 Gina Jin & 王子异 Wang Ziyi
True Love - 朱星杰 Zhu Xingjie
Upside Down - 陈雪燃 Chen Xueran
错了 Wronged - 曹杨 Cao Yang
中意他 Like Him - 彭雅琦 Peng Yaqi
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I have to say when I started watching this I had no idea about the plot and I'm glad that was the case because I feel it made everything more intriguing than it already was.
I'd only seen one of the actresses in a movie before but I have to say the entire cast is superb; they all give the right emotion and present each story flawlessly.
It hit all the right notes and since it's only an hour long I'll definitely watch it again because it's one of those dramas that gives you a lot to think about long after finishing it.
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THREE WORDS: "Boring But Interesting", you may be like "What? That doesn't make sense!" At first I was like that, but then I begin to get used to it. You'll get used to it.
STORY:
The story was pretty good, I enjoyed it. It was pretty brand new to me. There were some plot twist, revenge, romance, and etc. For the first few episode, it's going to focus on Miao Miao (Kitty) and then to everyone.
ACTING/CAST:
Honest, the whole reason why I watched this was because I wanted find new drama with new faces, i'm kinda tired of seeing the same actress and actor (I.e Aaron Yan, Chris Wang, Sonia Sui). That's why when I was scrolling, this drama caught my attention.
Nown on to acting:
They were pretty new to me, and they amaze me. To me I feel some of their acting (Kitty, Dragonfly, and etc.) I'm really looking forward to some of these actors's/actress's new drama.
MUSIC:
The MUSIC......... The first time I listened to it, it got me alright. But as I was watching, they keep putting music like always. I was pretty tired of hearing the same songs. The only notable and worth listening to was "Be Yourself" by Genie Chuo and I don't know the other one but it was catchy.
Sometimes though, the music will foreshadow what's going to happen next.
OVERALL:
Pros:
+New Faces
+Catchy song ( only 2 though for me)
+Story is interesting, kept me thinking and excited for the next episodes
+Plot twist got me like "WHAT.......?"
Cons:
-Dialog drag the story a bit, they talked for about 10-30 minute during some episode
-Some characters are darn annoying
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