Drama Special Season 13: Nineteen Otters
10 people found this review helpful
Gems hidden in a pile of rocks
I really liked some of the stories, especially the ones about characters who were living in desperate situation, and had to make desperate decisions to stay alive. The comedy episodes were unfortunately very boring. I didn’t find the behaviour of the characters funny at all. I am surprised that Silence of the Lambs won the contest because it didn’t really build up to any climax, and the story felt very flat to me. The Steam was probably the most complete story, with suspense and plot twist to keep me watching. Unfortunately, the idea has been done before. Perhaps my favourite is Strangers or 19 Otters. The plot lines were interesting and original.Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
I Only Watched This Because of Li Fei
First things first, I only watched this because of Li Fei. Big shocker, I know.Despite everything looking cheap and/or fake, the voices being a tad annoying, and the story being super simple, I liked that the episodes had continuum . I have watched other dramas with similar episode count and length per episode where they just jump all over the place and I am left wondering, "how did they get there?". This did not happen with this one. The acting was okay-ish and it's definitely not a masterpiece. However, if you are looking to pass the time, need something for background noise or so unserious you'll go from laughing to rolling your eyes, this is it. I know I had a few moments where I thought, "what the hell am I watching?" Also warning, it's an open ending and it says that it was season one at the end, but in September 13 it will mark three years since the drama ended and there is still no second season.
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High Expectations, Big Disappointment
Unfortunately, this drama was a disappointment for me. I had high expectations, especially because of Song Weilong. He was the reason I stayed until the end,even when I wanted to skip scenes. The script was my biggest issue: slow, inconsistent and often more silly than meaningful. The female lead didn’t work for me in this role, although liked her much more in The Veil of Shadows. In immortal cultivation dramas, I hope to find wisdom and deeper meaning, but here the story often felt simply sillyWas this review helpful to you?
PROS:
- amazing action scenes
- the perfect main couple
- cute side couples
- a lot of drama
- a little comedy as well
- keeps you interested up till the last episode
CONS:
- irritating villans
- creepy brother
- some missing parts to the story... a lot was said or done that was never really discussed later on
This lakorn is definitely a must watch for the main couple. After watching Kleun Cheewit I never thought I would ship Mark with someone other than Yaya but Kimberley and Mark are perfection as well! They give off the feeling of a couple thats been together for years, where you can feel the love just by the way they look at each other. I'll definitely be looking into other projects this couple has done together.
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Very educational, relatable and relistic
I live in South East Asia. Online bet, illegal online loans, love scams you name it, is an occurring problems an epidemic that really wreck havoc in many household. Like in this movie they showed an guy from an upper middle class, very well educated but got an online gambling problem. Meanwhile in my country this online betting disease is targeting lower class, this movie trying to say that online gambling will targeting at everyone regardless their economic background or social background. What's insane is that, China have a very strict internet control and online betting, scamming is still happening in the country. Imagine where the internet is not so regulated. Boom an epidemic. Also some of the workers who went to work in those "factory" are also victims of human trafficking. Some were aware that they're going to work in that kind of place because they have no other choice for work. Very sad.If you say this is a chinese propaganda kind of movie. I mean, the Chinese police really did and go to SEA to get these workers. It's all over the news.
The acting are sooo good.
Many people should watch this for educational purposes and awareness.
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Good revenge plot mini-show with a twist
This is actually a very good revenge mini-show. The storyline is quite simple, and yet not. What starts off as a revenge story turns out to be a sweet love story too. I liked that take on an otherwise rather normal cheating and revenging plot. There are a few plot holes and unanswered questions left after the show, but none that ruins it.Character wise we have a FL who due to a meteor storm switches souls. The new soul is a strong woman and she decides to take revenge for the body’s owner who was cheated on with her own sister. The ML who is self absorbed and disloyal if it suits him cheats on his wife.
There is also 2ML who is clever and considerate. He is the one who steps in and helps FL get her revenge. The 2FL (sister) is a cunning and low self esteemed woman who wants to destroy or take over everything her sister has.
Acting wise this is pretty good and the actors do a great job in the limited time-frame.
So, if you are into revenge-plot and a little romance, this is well worth watching.
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Until I Destroyed My Husband's Family
10 people found this review helpful
Revenge is a dish best served with green beans
Let's be real. Could I resist a series called " Until I Destroy my Husband's Family"? Nope, I couldn't.Otto no Katei wo Kowasu made may have been a low budget series and may have gotten a bit draggy towards the end, but no one can deny that it was entertaining.
Matsumoto Marika is splendidly overacting from beginning to end, as many of the actors and actresses in the series. I may have not read the manga, but the drama definitely had the right vibes. The plot itself was entertaining for the most part, even though there were some predictable moments, especially if you have watched similar series in the past. The ending was not that great, writing-wise, but it was good enough. Lastly, thumbs up to the people responsible for the music (♪ Galileo Galileiii ♪)!
In simple words, Until I Destroy my Husband's Family is an entertaining revenge drama, that would definitely benefit from less episodes, a higher budget and a better written ending.
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There were definitely some surprising elements in this drama which made it all the more interesting. And even though it was very similar in plot wise to Big, I found it to have a different feeling. I also loved the humor in this drama.
The music was great but it did not really stand out to me.
I would definitely watch this many times over in the same day if I could.
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Heart touching amazing performance-Must watch for Xiao
Xiao did a perfect awesome shot in one take for whole 4 minutes. His voice modulation and the expressions are soo realistic to watch . This is short and sweet movie about happiness, pain ,love and hope life gave us every day.iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii
This is a must watch performance from Xiao. Dont miss it
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This review may contain spoilers
Mixed feelings. Could have been good if it was shorter.
OK:- The first part with the set up of the characters. Fast paced, fun and intriguing. Many couples and potential couples look cute (main couple, Sheng brothers and their love interest, Han couple, Pirate man and the girl hitting on him). Good for nothing ML becomes a reliable son and a general. FL enters the palace as maid. Some actions and they find each other and loose each other again.
- The third and final part. The evil guys have to come into the light as they need to finalize their schemes. The plotline is clearer but it is full of plot holes as the finale is rushed. The end is not satisfactory but there are some enjoyable plot twists. The main villain's demise is too easy. The schemers who caused so many deaths get away with it because they suddenly turn good and they are royalty. But it is ok because the ML and FL mend their relationship while fighting the bad guys and they have their happy ending.
NOT OK:
- The second part full of atrocious or illogical moves and schemes from most Royals and people seeking revenge, influence or Love or a way to own someone... People start to be beaten for free,. They drop dead like flies for a word, a paper, an accusation, bad luck... Or they are saved by a scroll or by Deus ex machina .The main couple's relationship is nowhere as ML is relagated to an extra role. More schemes from people completely immature, perverted, evil with no other goal than to have your blood boil.
OVERALL:
The drama could have been a lot more enjoyable. It had numerous and interesting characters but passed their introduction, the plot becomes messy piling schemes on schemes by unsufferable characters for rotten purposes just to enrage the audience. It was annoying and destroying the entertaining quality of the drama. I had the feeling the writer piled outrageous situations just to add episodes and make money without trying to tell a comprehensive and consistent story using the characters. Some important parts of the story are obviously missing and make the drama even more erratic in his storyline.
RECOMMENDATION:
This drama seem to have been quite successful in China. I don't know how people can like this kind of drama. All these inhumane palace plots are just physically hard to tolerate. Maybe they are people to like these "palace plots" dramas.
Would I recommend this drama? No. Because:
- The leads have a too little part. It's a sham. It is not a drama about them. It is a drama about Royals and their court and palace schemes.
- There is a huge part of this drama which is only made of useless schemes, useless violence and deaths, outrageous rotten or completely dumb illogical people you can't sympathize with. At some point you just don't care about them anymore.
- Many people get away easily with their wrongdoings. The end is like : Everyone is suddenly nice nice people.
- 55 episodes but not many opportunities to laugh and cry with the leads. Surely I won't say : I spent a good time watching this.
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First, I loved the entire supernatural romance theme, that is exactly what pulled me into this drama.
Pros: I always love how the lyrics to the music matches the storyline in most lakorns and this soundtrack was beautiful. The romance and chemistry between the two leads were sizzling. Khun Hem has some mesmerizing come - hither eyes and I love how the actor portrayed his emotions at times without even saying a word.
Now I think, that is where my admiration for this drama ends, and it is time to get into what frustrated me so much while watching this wonderful falling Jenga tower of a show.
Cons: I'm not really one to complain about bad CGI, but the special effects reminded me somehow of an 80's video game. I almost laughed out loud on parts I knew were supposed to be serious. Khun Duen exacerbated me to no end. I loved how the writers made her out to be very headstrong, but that was a false picture. It seemed like they did not know whether they wanted her to be weak or strong, and then when you think she has gotten stronger, she goes and does something stupid again and then rely on Khun Hem to save her all the d*** time. She is so naive to the point of stupidity.
Okay, I know that my Cons rant might seem like I hated the show, but I didn't (I think it was those bedroom eyes of Khun Hem). The show was really good with all of its cheesy and damsel in distress moments. The show has a happy ending and I am quite satisfied with how they wrap everything up. It' s like they say come for the cheesy romance and stay for the man with the sexy eyes. The show gave me all the satisfaction I would get from watching a Jenga tower fall down as soon as someone removes a major piece. Consistency is what was removed from this show, but it was fun watching it all play out.
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This review may contain spoilers
Dreams Rekindled: A Story of Loss and New Beginnings
I watched a beautiful movie on Netflix, a co-production between Taiwan and Japan, starring Greg Hsu and Kaya Kiyohara. I would give the movie a solid 9/10.Let's start with the cinematography and camerawork. The film features stunning shots of Taiwan and Japan's scenery, with elegant camera angles that provide a breathtaking experience. It takes you through the bustling streets of Tainan and the snowy mountains of Japan. One of the most unforgettable scenes is when Jimmy meets a kindred spirit on a subway. They exit a long tunnel and find themselves in a snow-filled wonderland, leaving Jimmy in awe and imprinting the moment deeply in his mind. It’s the kind of experience that transcends simply taking a photo with a camera.
The characters are exceptional as well. We see Jimmy’s growth from a tardy but energetic youth with a bright future to a jaded game developer at a crossroads. Kiyohara's enigmatic charm shines as she dances around a karaoke bar, injecting life into the people around her.
The story is exceptionally well-paced and told, juxtaposing a vibrant and cute slice-of-life adventure in Taiwan with the tragic, melodramatic ending typical of J-dramas. When the reveal happens, you can’t help but feel a strong sense of loss and contemplation about what could have been. As the memories start unraveling from Kiyohara's perspective, I personally couldn’t help but bawl my eyes out.
In conclusion, I feel this movie is a masterpiece—a truly excellent love story that marries the best of both Taiwanese and Japanese cinema.
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The other stories are mere fillers, all following the time-tested formula of a single mother, a marital affair, an unrequited love and so on. After a while, the director seems to have lost track of the individual threads - with so many episodes focusing on particular characters and forgetting about the rest. There are so many unconvincing scenes, like when Xiao Fei says something like,"After we married, it seems like I make you angry so often", and I had to go back searching if I had missed any scenes, coz the only things I remembered were them quarreling a couple of times about watching TV and throwing socks on the floor. I think most of the actors did a good job, just that I didn't find their characters very interesting. Nothing exceptional about the music, but can listen to it a few times.
Rewatch value: 10 for the Crazy Dog and Yi Wan/Xiao Fei story, 5 for the Lian Qing story, 0 for the Xiao Xi story, 2 for the others.
If you like romantic stories, you must watch this for this one pair (you might like the others as well - I didn't). It has pretty much everything - the interesting first encounter, how they come to regard each other, one mom who tries to force them together, another who's opposed initially but comes around in the end, the interesting sidekicks and finally, no romantic triangle/ jealous lovers (there's a small one, but doesn't last long and had a graceful closure).
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Same old story,yet so new!
My first thought about this was "why the heck they decided a remake of this one?And with the same actors?Nah!Im not gonna watch it!"But i did watch it.And Surprise!I liked it.A lot!It was fresh and light and fluffy and sweet and...I don't have to apologize to anyone!I liked it!Lol!
Nothing new.Same good Bl University recipe.Cute characters.Angst.Jealousy.Same old good misunderstandings.The annoying girlfriend too.
So do not expect to watch anything you haven't already seen in the vast sea of BL World.
At first i was sceptical because of the length of each episode.Hourly eps are like a double blade knife.
Either you get bored easily,or you can't get enough of it.And the fact that i had to wait 2 days for the last episode to be translated, made me angry!
If you have already seen the old version iam sure you have definitely noticed the huge improvement and development in our MLs acting skills.I was amazed.I didn't expect this.From the awkward stiff and annoying acting to natural playful and enjoyable performances in this one.I felt like a proud mom bragging about her kids!!
Well done Yin & War! Susu Na!
There is no need to analyze it further.Tbh,theres not much to talk about.Simple story.Handsome actors.Many butterflies 🦋 in stomach too.Thats all you need.
And not forget to mention their shower scene and that kiss!Easily one of the best kisses of 2022 in Bls!
For this alone you must stop reading this and go watch it!
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Excellent Slice-of-Life Drama but very painful to watch
Completed - 11/24/2021Objective rating: 9.0
Subjective rating: 8.75
It is very difficult to review and rate "The Bond". Objectively speaking, this is an excellent drama. The acting is top notch - from the youngest actors to the most veteran actors. I have nothing to pick on. And because of the excellent acting of everyone, I come to hate so many of the supporting characters. I don't think I've ever hated characters from a drama this much, most notably Father Qiao. This piece of Sxxx of a father is the worst I've seen. The novel writer and the screenwriter are the same person, and I wonder if he has such a hard life that he would write something that gives me so much pain.
The drama revolves around the life of the Qiao family. The Qiao siblings grew up without a mother and their father emotionally and physically abused/neglected them. Big Brother Qiao YiCheng had to grow up fast to take care of his younger siblings. Throughout the drama, you see the hardships that each sibling has gone through from their childhood to their adult life. But the BOND between them is unbreakable. No matter how much they argue and fight with each other, they immediately drop everything to come to their sibling's rescue. And because they all suffer so much that I wish the best for each of them.
I thought of writing a little bit about each sibling's journey, but then my review will be super long and possibly very boring. Let's just say each has a very distinct personality and has amazing character growth in this drama. All of their marriages go through ups and downs. This is no fairytale, as happily-ever-after does not come easy to the Qiao family. When watching this drama, I have to pause and only watch a couple episodes a day. I cry and suffer with them, and it became intolerable to binge watch. I endured all this suffering because I pray that it has a happy ending. I wish there are more light and comedic moments in this drama, to balance out the tough moments.
Other Notes:
1. I am glad to watch another Bai Yu (Brother #1) drama after The Guardian. His acting is no joke. He's excellent in this drama.
2. This is my first drama of Zhang Wan Yi (Brother #2). I became a fan and look forward to seeing more of his dramas in the future. He's quite handsome :)
3. So glad to see Rachel Momo (Sister #3) in this very likable role. I really disliked her in "Princess Wei Young". But then, it also speaks to her great acting ability.
4. Song Zu Er (Sister #4) grew on me. I didn't like her and her character that much in the beginning, but she has the best character development in the drama. I look forward to her upcoming dramas.
5. I am so glad that the actors are using their own voices and it also sounded like live recording.
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