This is the first time I see a period drama (a Japanese period drama, that is). I learned so much. First, this character, Sakamoto Ryoma, who is one of Japan's hero (although you would not believe it in this show... he was more like a comedy relief, but I've read some text about him to be more informed). And then, their life styles. This is the 1862 year.
Top-notch things about this wonderful dorama:
- Cast: many familiar faces, but also some new ones. Ayase Haruka has never failed me. She is amazing in everything she does. I think I will like whatever she is in. She plays the daughter of an important family, and she wants to be a doctor (which was not possible in that time, for a woman). Needless to say, she looked gorgeous as Saki-sama, in her kimono and fancy hairdo. Her brother is Koide Keisuke, another actor that has never failed me. He may be a little to tamed here, but I liked him so much he could have said two words in the entire show and I would have still liked him. Other actor that I've recently started to like is Kiritani Kenta (as the doctor Saburi). He has such a funny face, and boy he can act! He was wonderful as the new doctor who practiced his studies with prostitutes. And then it is Nakatani Miki, as Miki and the courtesan Nokaze. WOW, what a pretty, elegant lady. I have seen her only in one movie ("Densha Otoko") and I wasn't impressed. She was too plain, in looks and in acting. Boy did I change my mind! She is beautiful, she moved me with her acting as both Nokaze and Miki. She was so elegant and lady-like as the courtesan. Everything, from her voice to her little movements, were majestic. OMG, even her little feet were elegant. I love her smile, I can't believe I once thought she was plain.
The new faces, for me, were first, Ozawa Takao as Jin. Excellent his role as the doctor. I don't think I will be able to see him in another role, he WAS Dr. Jin. He traveled in time, from present time to Edo time. It was not hard to put into his shoes. Everything he did -every life he saved, every person he met- could change history, and he was afraid of it. But more than anything, he was a doctor, so of course he changed perspectives; his and the people he met. I could understand why two strong females, like Saki and Nokaze, fall in love with him. He was just, he was kind, he was skillful. On the other hand, I could not take sides. I loved Saki, she was an independent woman who was interested in medicine. I loved Nokaze, who had a very sad past and wanted her freedom. I loved Miki, Nokaze's great-great-great-granddaughter and present girlfriend. I could understand why Jin was so aware of the little photograph he took with him (where he and Miki were posing. With every change he made into history, the photograph changed). I don't know how this will end... and although I hate love triangles -or love squares- I wish Jin all the happiness and wisdom to chose a woman among these wonderful women.
At first I thought the actor had a funny face... a bit weird, since his eyes are very apart. But with every laugh I liked him more. He had those tiny wrinkles that made him attractive, he has a nice body and nice teeth. On the other hand, he has a huge Adam's apple (is it weird to take notice of that??)
The actor who played Dr. Ogata was also wonderful. First time I see this man. He did a good job playing the most important doctor in this little town. I was moved by his tears. And I was convinced of his importance and intelligence.
The little boy... waaa, I had tears in my eyes when he was crying for his mother. At first I thought he was a bit annoying and not a good actor, but he proved me wrong with the scene with his mother.
Oh, and Kohinata Fumiyo has a small role as well! He was, of course, wonderful. WOW the number of roles he played so far! One of the most prolific Japanese actors.
The man who played Ryoma-san was good, first time I see him. I just did not like his role that much, mainly because of the way he talked, and also because I just couldn't make up my mind that a guy like him has been the most important guy in Japan history. He was just too... he took things like a joke, which is fine of course, but as Ryoma-san... not so much I guess.
- Setting: the backgrounds were beautiful. The houses -so Japanese-, the gardens! The little red district... the trees! Houses were wide and so clean.
- Costumes: Saki's kimonos and Nokaze's... O_O WOW, beyond gorgeous. Their hairstyles, Nokaze's high shoes, her make-up. I loved one of Saki's kimono which was pink. Or another that was blue with little flowers. Scratch that, I loved ALL her kimonos! From the top of their heads to their tiny feet... everything was pretty.
- The surgeries: I am one of those people that cannot see blood... and since Jin is a doctor who has to perform surgeries -brain surgery, skin surgery, breast surgery...- everything looked very real. I was like O_O OMG. And of course, praying that Jin could save his or her life. It did not always happen -obviously- but I was so happy when he did.
- Soundtrack: the ending song not so much. But the opening and the one that accompanied the most important scenes (by Takami Yu). It was sweet and a bit sad and just beautiful. I loved it and I am currently searching it to have it on my playlist. One of my favorite dorama songs.
Before I decided to watch it, I've read several reviews in order to decide. Most of the reviews said that the end was not good. I think it was good, a bit of a cliffhanger but not a life-or-death problem. It ended like it was supposed to end. Some get their happy ending, some get a HFN. A perfect way to continue a 2nd season, but for people who did not like it so much, it can also end here.
Rewatch value is 100% since I have watched it already twice.
Was this review helpful to you?
The acting was good and bad. As usual, the female cast was extremely weak and their characters lacking. I liked Mi Joo's story but Na Ra was really boring. She didn't have enough screen time either. From male cast, my favorite was Park Won Sang as Jong Goo, definitely my favorite character, he came alive on the screen and his story was the most interesting. Lee Bum Soo was great too but his character Heung Sam could have been more neurotic and special. He was kind of too ordinary. What comes to the main character Tae Ho, Joon Kye Sang was okay but Tae Ho was not that well written as a character. At first, he definitely was the main charter but later became dimmed by Heung Sam and Joon Go to the point I kind of stopped caring about him. He was too vague and at some point I wondered if he was working on a plan or if he was just turning bad and thinking about betraying everyone. I wish he was explained better in the story. He definitely changed and grew as a person, I enjoyed watching all the stages he went through but I really wish his character had been stronger.
Another one who really impressed me was Kim Hyung Kyu, he truly was a ruthless killing machine yet somewhere under all that cold surface he actually had a soul. I loved to watch him slightly change thanks to Tae Ho's influence. Somehow his character was really fascinating and also really well acted, I applause. Lee Chul Min made a good gangster too, he always looked like he had something on his mind and really stood out from all the rest. In the end, it seemed like he had learned something after all. I enjoyed watching his facial expressions.
I feel a bit conflicted about this drama. It was well executed and the plot was really polished. There was almost no repetition and everything was perfectly planned to the smallest detail. There were many interesting fighting scenes, the cinematography was good and the flashbacks were mostly different, they were like sneak peaks to the past displayed here and there to intrigue the viewer's interest. I was really amazed that for once they didn't display those same damn flashbacks again and again and again. The story was interesting even if there were slow moments, there wasn't much romance but I didn't miss it. Truthfully speaking, the chemistry was close to zero and I was glad there was more of plotting/gangster stuff. I guess, Last would have been a lot better if it was shorter and more compact, anyhow, it still became one of my favorite dramas.
I wish Tae Ho had been a better written character, I wish there had been more comradeship between him and his group of friends. I wish there had been some episodes about them bonding and I wish he had spent more time with them. I was left missing the friendship part, that part that I usually love about these kind of dramas. I also thing that Heung Sam trusted Tae Ho way too soon and too easy, but perhaps he was just too blinded by greed. After all, others warned him but he ignored.
But okay, this drama was a bit of distant, mellow, and somehow just really hard to approach. It's entertaining if you happen to love gangster stuff, plotting and scheming. And definitely this drama has a soul, it's very deep. There were no simply bad or good characters everyone had a reason to be what they were and that's what I really liked about Last. It makes you wonder about many things on a philosophical level. In fact, I guess the whole plot was not about Tae Ho but he was sort of thrown into a bigger picture and he was the driving force between the other characters like Heung Sam, Jong Goo and Mi Joo, their story was bittersweet and beautiful + it had that feel of the old dramas from 90's and early 2000, that bittersweet atmosphere which actually has the power to pull at your heartstrings. The title Last makes sense and I think it fits this drama PERFECTLY. Because when everyone else had numbers Tae Ho didn't. Why? He was the last one.
And the thing I liked the most about this show was that it didn't try to moralize or show what is right or what is wrong. Both Heung Sam and Te Ho only wanted to have their revenge but the point of the show was not to show that revenge is a bad thing, it only showed us how greed can destroy people. Who was once a good person could turn into a monster because of greed and one who was greedy in the beginning could turn into a human after abandoning that greed. Revenge, well that's all about the goal I guess. If greed is the driving force it could swallow and destroy you, if the goal is to save something precious then revenge could be the only thing that's worth to fight for.
Was this review helpful to you?
The drama is certainly engrossing... to a point. Gosh, where do I begin?
The writers successfully built the suspense, mostly by beating around the bush just so to stretch out the length of the drama. Some characters came - like the cute, awkward ex of the FL - and vanished; very frustrating and unnecessary. The cinematography was good, adding to the dark theme the writers intended, but it made me feel detached to the story. Furthermore, the painstakingly slow pace of the conversations with extended silences in between made me skip a few seconds. Perhaps my watching it in a day led me to be so impatient, so take my opinion on the pace with a grain of salt if you don't plan to binge-watch.
The music was good. It was hardly out-of-place and complemented the character of the drama. However, they could have added music to a few moments to add life to the story. Good music always enhances - this feature was slightly underused.
For acting, I will start with the positives: Park Sung-Woong and Seo In Guk did great as main leads (the side actors were good too). In Guk embodied Kim Moo-Young's character well enough for me to be creeped out by him. Personally, however, Sung-Woong stood out the most - he portrayed the various colors of Jin Gook amazingly. After his moment of insanity with Moo-Young, Jin Gook's internal numbness felt real; I felt for him despite my disappointment. Jung So-Min did not really convince me as Jin Kang, or perhaps she did (if the character was meant to be what I got from it). Her expressions were usually blank; for example, when Moo-Young mentioned her "gentle eyes" or "look of pity", I genuinely could not see it on her face. She usually gazed with curiosity or disbelief (the latter annoyed me greatly), and that's it. I feel like an exception since I'm unable to see how great of an actress she apparently was here.
The characters? Goodness, their antics made me want to rip my hair out, especially our FL. She pretended to be so morally upright, turning out to be the opposite in many ways. I wanted to grab her by the shoulders and shake her. She could accept situations easily and move on, which is certainly commendable, but, gosh, don't start sleeping with your late friend's boyfriend who was a total asshole to her. How she could be so disloyal to her friend is beyond me. While knowing that the ML was deceiving her, she kept quiet and let out an "Oh" as a warning, which clearly didn't do the job. Forever talked about ending aquaintancehship with the ML but never lived up to her words. It offended me how easily she forgot that her new boyfriend actually led her bestie to her death. The FL mentioned her older brother in a fond light, felt she owed much to him, but her actions were so selfish, it hurts. I was unable to empathize with her struggle with guilt over being a burden. I understood, but it never convinced me to root for the character. I won't even comment on the ML, since he was obviously not stable, but the poor writing apparently wanted him to be regarded as a misunderstood being. The brother seemed reasonable enough, not being swept by people's words, but certain actions of his in the end sometimes disappointed me. In my opinion, the writers tried too hard to paint the characters in grey, and it backfired. In my opinion, grey does not mean justifying wrong by narrating sob stories - grey means to see the reasoning behind actions and thought process, and letting the viewers empathize.
I genuinely wanted the toxic relationship between the ML and FL to be shown in an un-romantic light, but it seemed the writers wanted us to cry over the tragic end to their brief period of infatuation. I'll admit, some scenes were touching at times, but should that change the nature of the relationship?
The interactions I enjoyed were the brief moments of sibling bonding and healthy friendship - Jin Gook and Jin Kang had great banter; and Jin Gook and Tak / Cho Rong. The ML's false memory of his father being a policeman searching for him was bittersweet when it was revealed who he was actually thinking about.
The plot ties together well in the end. We get to see many things, after much wait, and some questions aren't answered, like the ML's motives with the first murder case (or maybe I missed it in my skipping spree near the end). The potential to greatness was there. The idea of "love conquers all" led to its downfall. They should have shown how, realistically speaking, such ideas play out in toxic relationships and sociopaths. If the writers intended to tell us that what was unfolding between the leads was poisonous, they did a poor job. What I saw a weak attempt at redeeming the ML and FL (her decisions, to be precise).
I just feel sad for the brother: he did not deserve this.
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
So i sat down on my toilet seat and started analyzing this show.When the show ended, i felt good, but there were lingering feelings of wanting more in the background but i didn't pay much attention to it. I finally did a thorough self reflection and found why that was.
THIS SHOW IS NOT 9.0+ MATERIAL
There are so many points in this show that make you think " why?! " but then you forget about it because the story moves on.
The show is great, do not misunderstand the review.
This show belongs in the 8.5-8.9 category at best.
The expectations generated by its 9.1 rating cause all its small inconsistencies to pop out more.
I am bad with Korean names, so i'll refer to characters are what i see them as.
The Pros.
The Comedy is good. At no point did it feel lame, everyone's character perfectly generates the comic relief you'd expect from them.
The acting was great. especially the main inmates. They portrayed emotions and reactions mostly as you'd expect someone in their situation would do.
The pacing of the overall timeline felt planned and well thought out.
Even if at times it felt like they were dragging the story with fillers, the events are connected well enough with the main story to make the 90 minute long episodes go by without being boring.
The flashbacks are something i really liked. especially Mister gangster's, when the whole screen goes into 4:3 mode lol
but there are issues here.
SECOND LEAD SYNDROME STRIKES AGAIN.
THE FRANKENSTEIN.
First and foremost the Main leads Romance.
WHY??? How did they screw up so bad i have no idea. At first it felt cute. Then the whole part started to feel like a chore to watch.
ML and FL meet, at the start they make it seem like they like each other.
Then they meet later, and ML starts to reject her, with the cliche "ᵢ dₒₙ'ₜ waₙₜ yₒᵤ ₜₒ ₛᵤffₑᵣ" mentality. He is a simple stupid character so i guess that's a bit excusable.
Then the FL starts rejecting him. The flashbacks keep showing how everything was good between them, other than him ghosting everyone when he loses, but here we are, she is just not giving a frick.
Then suddenly by the end, they miraculously get together. Without obvious events to trigger it.
There are events that happen that could have been triggers, but they happen way before in their arc. but by the end out of nowhere, they are back together.
i think the writers knew how weak their arc was so we barely see them together in the last few episodes.
Now the fellow inmates.............................
Jailbird was the exposition boy. Didn't see much more character out of him. ML saves him mom at the start, so he is a loyal fanboy now. We are led to believe he is good, but the he comes back to jail again. True to his name i guess. We get a glimpse of the HARD TO SWALLOW PILL when loony gives everyone in the audience the middle finger that some people don't change and jailbird is obviously one of those characters. In the end he is ML's Agent by the looks of it.
This char was the least impactful among all other inmates. But he ends up getting the one of the best outcomes.
Captain Demon baby. His arc felt well done, i would have loved a look at him after he was released, i have no idea why they couldn't do that.
Dr Petitioner. We go deep into his char, his backstory, his actions, and we hoped that we'll get a nice wrap up to his ark. NOPE. gets transferred out of the blue. Poor guy is never heard from again. We never know if he survives the other jail, gets out, emigrates to some other nation with his wife. He helped ML so much and that was a big slap to my face.
Mr Lispy Engineer. We don't go deep into his character till its time for the writers to yeet him from the show. However refreshing it was to see professor conman draining Lisp's wife, we never get a follow up. This part is not a big deal but knowing so little about his backstory or life, that was the only part we knew and cared about. Then they decided to take him out so a son pops up with a problem there goes one more inmate. Poor guy is never heard from again. Did he end up on good terms with his ex-wife atleast who knows. its not like the writers care.
The "Son" of Mr gangster. he was annoying, whenever he called himself the son, it was cringy and the betrayal was out of the blue. That would have been understandable if he stuck with the betrayal, but then he comes back for a cameo and we are supposed to like him again. He is mentioned when Gangster is being released and that's it.
HERE comes the biggest RED PILL of the show. Loony. They definitely did not plan his end properly. He was showing genuine signs of recovery. He was almost force fed drugs but he RESISTED. But when he gets out he gives in? His ending was felt rushed too. For most of the other inmates we see a send-off. Looney was close to plenty of people and a send-off should have happened but it just cuts to the restaurant and him being released. I don't know if the writers trolling and geniuses with his arc. One hand it feels wrong, on the other it shows a realistic depiction of addicts. But he was very capable of resisting and that was for sure. Did he sabotage his life out of anger for his mom? nothing is made clear and he is gone without mention forever. I expected to see reactions of the cursing lieutenant or the inmates but nope. GONE.
Then my favorite inmate, the reformed gangster. He sits in the background of the show much like the engineer, but at the end his story is picked up nicely. It was nice what happened with his daughter and all, but that's where it ends. where is his ending? the mother clearly likes him, she is single, he got out, but we never see any of it happening. WHY? Just why?!
So much more could have been done with this show. 16 90 minute episodes are effectively 24 1 hour episodes. That's a LOT. The camerawork is very slow at times , they could have cut some useless parts and gave meaningful endings, sad or happy to more inmates. but nope. Its all open to our imagination. There could have been short scenes with ML and what happens after a few months, maybe he tells everyone in an interview how his cellmate friends are doing. it was entirely possible but NOPE.
And what's up with those footsteps at the end of each episode? i thought they'd pay that off in the last episode showing someone walking after everything ends but naaaaa.
And did i talk about the setting of the whole show? Is this "Baseball star Fan club" or set in a prison? We get a glimpse of the real deal when cursing guard and non stop talking guard leave for a scene and this stern guard shows up. That goes NOWHERE. why was that scene in the show? to show us how ridiculous the setting is in the show? Who knows?
i can go on and on about small small issues, but ill stop now. this is what happens when expectations are HIGH. this show came out 2 years ago, has a 9.1 rating. Higher than Goblin, which i thought was the best K show of this decade. i haven't even seen it yet but now it makes me wonder if goblin's 9.0 was over-hyped as well or not.
there are plenty of shows with more problems than listed here but people do not complain as much, they are rated low and people have conservative expectations. but this show felt so convoluted.
I rate this show 8.5 because it is a good show. i didn't feel the boredom that made me quit halfway like a lot of shows give me, even if it was so long. The characters are well written even if their endings are not. The comedy is the best part of the show. I am not happy with this show more for its bad endings rather than the character decisions.
I really like the sister of ML and daughter of gangster characters, They breathed some life into this show.
Was this review helpful to you?
1Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
Non-spoiler review (If you wanna read my spoilerish review, it's in the comment section)So, I finished watching Gomen, Aishiteru. It was one of the most emotionally invested Japanese dramas I’ve ever seen. It has a lot of heart and warmth in it without saying so much. The simplicity in its storytelling was what drawn me to it.
I know that Japanese dramas like to emphasize on their characters’ and stories’ quirks. Sometimes a bit too much to the point of making no sense at all. Currently I’m watching Quartet and after a few minutes in, I was already bombarded with the characters talking incessantly about lemon and karage.
One more thing I noticed is that love stories in Japanese dramas nowadays seem so dry and detached. And they also tend to glorify extramarital affairs a lot lately. Gomen Aishiteru also has the extramarital affair bit but it has been handled well. And nothing good comes out of extramarital affairs.
In addition to that, Gomen Aishiteru has that 90’s - early 2000’s romance feel that I missed so much. Granted that it was a remake of Mianhada Saranghanda and they could have done it with Japanese drama’s quirkiness. But I’m glad that they actually remained faithful to the original version and interpreted it with Japanese drama’s sensibilities. Like Tomoya Nagase said, it was more of a tribute/homage to the original version of the drama. I also liked how the Japanese version treated the story differently. And I realized that Gomen Aishiteru was more about Ritsu’s journey and how the people around him affected by it rather than his destination.
Several changes have been made to the story which I think for the better. Its ambiguous ending is what makes Japanese dramas special. They didn’t give you the answer right away, instead they left it all to us to make our own interpretation because life is like that.
Moving on to the performances, the cast did a great job at playing their roles effortlessly. Chizuru Ikewaki was flawless as Kawai Wakana, Baijaku Nakamura as Mita Tsuneo was good, though there were moments where he was over the top which I think it’s necessary for the character. Ayaka Onishi made an impact as commitment-free Furusawa Touko.
Kentaro Sakaguchi shone as Ritsu’s privileged and pampered but terminally ill step-brother, Hyuga Satoru who was selfish at times that he had hurt Rinka emotionally because he was so obsessed with Touko.
Otake Shinobu as Hyuga Reiko was interesting as the ‘hateful’ person which I kinda empathize for her later on because yes, she made a huge mistake but at the same time she also suffered the consequences for what she had done and I think it’s unfair.
Riho Yoshioka as naive and faithful Mita Rinka was excellent. She was the anchor of Ritsu’s and Satoru’s lives. The difference is that Satoru manipulated her for his own security while Ritsu saw her as an equal. I also liked that Rinka was someone who in someway a strong character and had the courage to move on with her life when she needs to because she knew that Ritsu wanted her to be happy no matter what.
Last but definitely not the least, Tomoya Nagase. He was spectacular as Okazaki Ritsu. He has proved time and again that he’s one of the best actors in Japan and extremely underrated. Okazaki Ritsu is the best character that he has ever played. He was passionate, melancholic, emotional, vulnerable and awkward at times when it comes to love because he had never experienced it before Rinka came into his life. There was a lot of warmth and empathy for the people around him even though he himself was suffering and had gone through a lot of pain in his life. Apart from that, the way Tomoya portrayed Ritsu and emoted through his eyes and facial expressions without saying anything were incredible. His appearance in the drama was also different from that of Fragile, his previous drama. He was unkempt and rough in this drama which implied that he was not well taken care of with only a few clothes on his back when he arrived in Japan, looking for his mother. These subtle changes are what made Ritsu comes alive.
Another thing that I love about this drama was the characters development. It was subtle change in the characters’ behaviour that moved the plot seamlessly. The theme song “Forevermore” by Hikaru Utada could have been better and I wish it was more mellow. But good song nevertheless. The cinematography was top notch. It gave the drama a melancholic feel with its greyish and yellowish tones, and as the drama progressed, the colors became even more stark and gloomy as if they were depicting Ritsu’s pain and sadness.
The directors, Ishii Yasuharu, Mizuta Naruhide, Ueda Hisashi did fantastic jobs at making the story flowed so smoothly. And I love the background score of the drama.
Gomen Aishiteru has become one of my favourite Tomoya’s dramas of all time. I’d like to thank the people who casted him as Ritsu and tapped into his different range of emotions that are beyond his comedic ones. I can’t wait for Soratobu Tire to release this June 2018 and I’m sure he’s going to rock as Akamatsu Tokuro too.
Was this review helpful to you?
The Cast did a great job, though. The acting was done really well. Part of the reason I watched this was because of Jang Geun Seok haha, and he didn't disappoint. The other actors did really well, too.
The music was absolutely wonderful haha. I downloaded the soundtrack after watching this movie. I loved all the songs that he sang (:
As for rewatching...I'm not sure if I will rewatch it at the moment. I might, might not.
Overall, do I think it's worth watching? Yes, at least for the music and the acting. Well the story, too, just be prepared for some scenes to seem to come out of nowhere, especially towards the end.
Was this review helpful to you?
Disappointment of tomorrow
I originally started watching this because I'm a HUGE fan of namtam's acting. Also when I saw the pilot my expectations were high, maybe too high.The first few episodes of the series were good. The editing was kinda choppy but it's gmmtv so I kinda expected it.
What I liked: The casting/acting. The casting for this series was PERFECT. GIVE WHOEVER DID THE CASTING A RAISE. Sadly the acting was the only good thing abt this series...
What I didn't like: The music, editing, plot, writing... I can go on but for your sake I won't cause I don't think you'd want to read allat. I was so excited for the OST but when I heard it I almost shed a tear (Not happy tears btw). It's giving 5$ and a dream. Gmmtv really hates their actresses and they don't even try to hide it. Enough abt the music, the plot and writing was so bad that the characters and acting couldn't even save the series. They could've wrapped the series nicely in ep 8 or 9(?) but they just had to drag the plot out. Also PRIM PMO IN EP 10 AND 11 I HAD TO TAKE A LAP AROUND THE HOUSE CAUSE ATP SHE'S TRYING TO RAGEBAIT ME AND ITS WORKING, and don't even get me started on praew. STOP TRYING TO PREASSURE YOUR CRUSH/GIRLFRIEND INTO COMING OUT WHEN SHES CLEARLY NOT READY AND WHEN SHE TELLS YOU THAT SHES NOT READY DONT GET FCKING MAD YOU IMBECILE. lowk started crashing out writing this. mb chat.
ANYWAYS ONLY WATCH THIS IF YOU HAVE NOTHING TO DO AND WANT TO FEEL SOMETHING CAUSE THE CHARACTERS BE RAGEBAITING YOU 24/7.
Was this review helpful to you?
Heroes Not Afraid To Sacrifice
This is one of chinese action's series wrapped up properly that deserve the notice of drama lovers. The main story theme is about the terrorism. Not so many conflict in it but the conflicts happened stage by stage from the opening to the end.Watchers would starting by hating all the characters before really love each of them. Their teamwork and bonds are superb. They promise us to enjoy the story and characters developments that we won't get bored and thinking of dropping it.
The songs full of spirit and heart touching will got the watchers heartcore.
It's been a few drama I didn't write review for. But because this one made me burst in tears of how heart touching their bonds, I decide to write this. This series DESERVES MORE POPULARITY!!!
Was this review helpful to you?
The story is not original - a good and dogged cop chasing after an elusive villain. The characters themselves are not that original either. But the cast make this script an electrifying movie to watch. Hwang Jung Min is fantastic as an everyday-man kind of cop who is passionate about his job and genuinely cares about people. Yoo Ah-in pulls you in with his performance as a villain who you love to hate, yet can't help but find out more about. Yoo Hae-jin is a sidekick with a difference and he does a great job of it, as he does with all his other roles. Special shout-out to Jin Kyung, who puts in a great performance in any show she's cast in.
You can tell that the cast are having so much fun playing their characters, and it is infectious, because this show is a thoroughly entertaining ride. Yes, you are rooting for the good guys, but you are also excited to see what tricks the bad guys next pull out of their hats. For this reason, I think this show has a decent rewatch value.
Overall, greatly entertaining with outstanding performances by the cast.
Was this review helpful to you?
As I stated the mysteries were remedial. Very little comes in the way of twists and the red herrings were more like pale pink. It was almost like watching an episode of Columbo. You know whoever he bothers is the killer. The who is a given. The how is what it's about. Unlike Columbo there is an underlying mystery/force behind all the other mysteries. The writers skim the political surface of the British annexation, racism, and ruthlessness. I wish they would have delved further. At first I had remind myself that this is Chinese drama and there's only so much one can air. After a couple of episodes the thought never crossed my mind.
The acting was very good. I loved every scene with Hu and Zhang. They had great chemistry. Yan had to be taken with a grain of salt. She is a bully and childish. The character can be great one second and completely annoying the next. Aside from her wardrobe, there was really nothing likable about her. The supporting cast was good. As a whole they were solid.
Let me take a moment to mention the production which was superb. The sets and wardrobe were sublime. Admittedly, I adore the fashion of the 1930's and 40's. The music was also great. I caught 2 modern songs that were out of place. One character was humming a song and a 30s style arrangement of "Dancing In the Streets" was played in a club. It makes me wonder what else I may have missed. The opening and ending titles are extremely good CG accompanied by fantastic songs. The opening theme "Enigma" by Chinese rapper After Thought sets the tone for each episode, while Shu Si Ding's sexy "Awake" leaves you with a sense of wonder.
While I wish the writer was more daring, I did enjoy MRIAD completely from beginning to end. I don't know if I'd ever watch it again, but I'd definitely check out a sequel. I'd like to know what's next for the characters. Overall, I'd give it a 9-9.5.
Was this review helpful to you?
A Light and Fun Fluffy Drama
All I can say is I enjoyed watching this drama. It's a light heart drama. I'm a fan of both of them.I watch both of their drama's. LAR and SP. I also recommend for you guys to watch LOVE AND REDEMPTION and SLEEPLESS PRINCESS. I promise you'll fall inlove with them even more just like me lol.
I didn't expect that their chemistry is high. I mean it's overflowing. They look good with each other.
If your looking for a Fluffy Historical Drama then watch this. It's full of comedy. I promise you will enjoy watching this.
Was this review helpful to you?
THE GOOD AND THE AVERAGE:
Plot falls on usual trope of arranged marriage between two individuals that have never met (except they did). A young girl who has a motive to enter the Long family on the decreed of the royal family. A Qin 4th prince who poses a threat to the reigning emperor. Yet one couldnt choose who you fall in love with. It was fate who brought them together and its the heart that decides where it goes from there. On the political aspects theres secrets, multi parties and alot of chess playing.
The characters- Rather intelligent otps who have their own charms but also made some questionable decisions that you may or may not like but it does make them flawed yet human.
Male otp: Long Fei Ye as a man in position of power that comes with great responsibility. He is both revered and feared by many. Outwardly cold and reserved and man of few words. Described as a deep pool of water. A strategist, intelligent, shrewd and observant. He had a plethora of good traits that obviously drew Yun Xi to him.
Female otp: Han Yun Xi the first daughter of Han family who grew up without her father's attention and in search of her mother. Shes an optimist at her and tends to take life full frontal. She doesnt let things bring her down and while her words may have bite, shes a softie at heart. Her knowledge and skill of poison and their cures sets her apart. As does her vibrant personality and intelligence. She however does not hold a high self defence when it comes to people she accepted and trust. This is both a virtue and a flaw.
The other character i liked was the dependable Xi Feng, the prince's right hand man who was also an early supporter of the couple.
Acting- Ju Jing Yi as our heroine was fitting. Petite, pretty and energetic she brings out the sweet charms of Yun Xi. The actress was previously memorable in her supporting role in Novoland. Zhang Zhe Han looked the part of Long Fei Ye but i do have complains with some of his eye expressions. But together they do have great rapport and i was greatly entertained to watch them drift together.
THE WEAKNESS:
The plot itself has good parts as stated earlier but also typical in C dramas that middle part that lost some traction. The device plot to wedge between our otp came in the form of Bai Li Ming Xiang, the prince Childhood friend. While shes isnt as villainy as many other characters in the drama, i just didnt want to watch her scenes.
The other major person affecting otp was 2nd male lead Qu Qi Shao who although interesting at start but my interest waned over time and safe to say no Second lead syndrome for me
Many parties with their own ambition, plot and war over in palace politics. Some that i dont care that much about. Lots of self centred, power hungry people that when it comes to their decline i felt neither triumph or pity, just ambivalent.
For all these reasons its a solid 8.5 for me. It was entertaining to watch especially watching Yun xi able to thaw the ice and earned the prince attention and love. When the prince is attentive, acceptive of her and trust in her capabilities, he was really swoony. Those are the parts i would rewatch.
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
We Are Family
I love the type of shows where I go in with very low expectations because of what the trailers show and because I may not like one of the cast, but by the end, I am satisfied and feeling slightly nostalgic because the show and the watching experience were completely different from what I was expecting. Romance on the Farm is one of those shows. And to think I almost did not watch this because of the main lead actress.However, I decided to still give it a go because of Joseph Zeng. I became a fan after his role in Mysterious Lotus Casebook. I said to myself, “At worst, I would end up dropping it. At best, I would enjoy it and add it to my ever growing completed list.” I almost did end up dropping it like 8 minutes into episode 1 because I could not stand the family. But then Shen Nu came into the picture and I forgot all about dropping it. In fact, I enjoyed it.
This is probably the first drama I have watched with Tian Xi Wei where her character didn’t bother me to the point of yelling at the TV. I attribute this to the Lians. I was too busy hating all of them to even focus on her. They let them get away with too much because "they were family" and they just had made a "little mistake". The worst of them all were the grandma and Shouren's family, his wife, Madame Gu, and daughter, Hua'Er. If the transgressions these made were little mistakes (according to the grandfather) I would hate to see what they would have considered big ones. They were definitely an intense gaming experience.
Additionally, although the character the main female actress portrayed did lack some sense in some things, and the male lead kept coming to her rescue, it wasn’t as terribly lacking as the characters I have watched in previous dramas. I still feel she is typecasting herself, and wish she would take more challenging roles, but I managed to be moved by her in some parts of this show. Around the midway point of the show, the male lead leaves to take care of some things and I was somewhat bored without him around. I was battling myself to stay awake without the Lians being as prominent as they were in previous episodes. I thought I wouldn’t even say this, but I kind of missed their toxic existences.
Despite its title, there is not much romance but we have the pleasure of witnessing cute and heartwarming moments between different couples and on the occasions when the main leads kissed, they were REAL kisses. *wiggles eyebrows* I also loved the OST. Usually using contemporary sounds in a mostly period piece feel awkward and out of place, but not in this one. Plus, Joseph Zeng sang an OST and it fit the story and scenes perfectly.
Although the show doesn’t delve deeper into some issues post-game, as it ended almost immediately after she came out of the virtual experience, and I am still curious about how long she was in there, I am satisfied with all the endings, both the in-game one and real life one (even before the special) as I felt they were fitting. I can see myself rewatching this show, even the initial episodes when the Lians were stabby hand gesture worthy.
Was this review helpful to you?
Was this review helpful to you?
