The main characters are three women, friends since their school days, and we follow them during their work lives and private lives, for example at the restaurant where their friend Ma-kun works. This set of characters is, I believe, not unusual, but it is an interesting drama, if a little bit predictable.
It is a love story, sure, but even more than that, I think it is about what a Japanese woman can and cannot do, in the eyes of those around her. This topic is also not unique, but this drama deals with it seriously without too much silly nonsense. Living up to gender roles can be a burden; this drama doesn’t try to make a joke out of it. I liked that. One of the women learns that her position at work is directly related to her marital status. Another one is a housewife whose husband can’t understand that she longs to feel “a connection to society”. The last of the three friends isn’t married and everyone is worried because she’s already 39, and a woman’s “market value” decreases rapidly after 35. Because what you learn here (if you didn’t know already from other j-dramas) is that marriage is extremely important. On the other hand, there’s this idea about freedom, independence, personal choice and the right to decide for yourself what “happiness” means…
As for the romance in this drama, I like it! The main focus is on Ogata Satoko (Amami Yuki) and Okamura Keitaro (Fujiki Naohito), who are colleagues.
However, Ogata is a psychiatrist and Okamura is a younger psychologist… so they are different when it comes to social status, income and age. Okamura is also very much into ecology, to the point of being called “stingy” by workmates and ex girlfriends, and at first, it looks like he doesn’t have a lot going for him. They have this relationship where they are constantly irritated and bickering with each other, but in a “good” way. Because even if that guy can be very nit-picky about certain things, he’s honest, smart, caring and gentle, and he’s cute and he likes kids… The more I watched him, the more I liked him, and I enjoyed how their relationship played out.
If I would mention any weak point, then it would be that the “twists and turns” of the drama are a bit too simple and obvious (but I was never bored because I liked and cared about the characters), and also the lack of, well, passion. I’ve learned not to expect j-dramas to be “hot”, but still; a little bit more intensity and chemistry between the two leads (who are both hot and excellent in their own ways) shouldn’t be too much to ask for, and it was perhaps what was lacking for me to give this a higher rating. (I could give Fujiki Naohito a 10 for being impossibly cute when he smiles, but I don’t think that would be fair…)
I’ve got nothing to say about the music, it was okay I guess. And although I enjoyed watching this, I don’t think I would be interested in rewatching it.
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Decent Mini Drama
Sweet story about changing fate and time travel. The male and female lead have good chemistry and good kisses. The acting was good too. The costumes and sets were very well done for a mini drama. The story made sense, although I wish there had been a few more seconds spent on the ending.You could feel the FL character's desperation to change fate and have things return to how they should be, time and time again. When the FL first gets transported to the past it is supposed to be 7 years after they'd met and the ML was bitter because she'd vanished 7 years ago. The second time she appeared it was 7 years in past to where the met for the first time. Finally she gets transported to the past even further back when he was 7 years old and she saves his life. The ending is a bit ambiguous but not all bad.
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This review may contain spoilers
Such a great series! I really, really, really, really wish this had more episodes! There was so much more to explore, about the backgrounds and experiences of both Mimi and Tan. What I really loved was, the issues that they faced were so real, I am really glad they addressed that. I think the main problem Tan and Mimi faced between each other was expectations, because they had a mental image formed of the perfect person in their mind, the person in front of them became annoying, but that's not reality, and coming to terms with that was what was shown in this drama.
I really wish they would have explored the drama more.
Thinking back the premise is excellent, I don't have to think twice about what will drive the story forward. Although the DJ by night/rude classmate by day concept is kinda trope-ish the execution was so fresh and realistic!
Thinking back, the characters are really beautifully created, Mimi and Tan are different in so many different ways, Tan grew up lonely and unloved by family, while Mimi's family practically baby her unto this day, resulting in such contrast in their personalities, Tan is brash and can't look around at others to save his life, while Mimi is extremely sensitive and so affected by her surroundings.
But on the other hand similar too, they are both kinda loud when annoyed and both fall asleep in extremely similar ways, and I think (although its not explicitly shown in the drama) from the conversations they have over radio, they can really sit down and talk, which i think is a precious thing to share.
The execution was in a troll-ish/comedic vein, and I was practically smiling every second, but I seriously would not mind watching the same premise in a more serious light for 10-16 episodes.
Regardless, Thanks so much to the production team, for bringing such memorable characters to the screen for us.
And 10/10 acting by Singto and Jamie from beginning to end. 10/10 for the chemistry as well!
I smiled the whole way (And even squealed several times). Looking forward to their future work!??????
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the best drama 2023 so far
i love hidden love. i can say that this is the best drama 2023 and this this the first time i started to watch chinese drama. i can rewatch this drama more than 10 times until now. i can't move on from this drama. everything is excellent, the story, the acting/the cast, the ost everything is perfect. i love hidden love. i love hidden love. i love chen zhe yuan and zhaou lusi. they can play the role very well. With a total of 25 episodes, I think this Hidden Love drama is really light. The conflict is not too heavy that makes us stressed, instead it makes us smile and smile to see Sang Zhi and Duan Jia Xuso you guys have to watch hidden love. I'm sure you guys must love it as much as I do.
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This review may contain spoilers
Excellent except for a predictable ending
This drama scored well on many hygiene factors: beautiful costumes, spectacular special effects, an excellent cast, handsome male lead, pretty second female lead, a popular female lead, lovely music. The story was intriguing - it's was like an onion, you just keep peeling layers after layers to get to the core. Secrets were being revealed one at a time to finally give the complete picture. Aside from the mysteries and secrets, you got to see the typical dramatic spice-up - love triangle, jealousy, saving the damsel in distress... The main male and female lead were suspicious of each other but they eventually fell in love.However, the ending was somewhat predictable - all in line with today's trend. So if you watch enough of Chinese drama in recent years, you would know how it would end. In some way, it took the shine off the drama.
Bai Shuo was the second daughter to the Governor. When she was a child, her sister and she were almost killed by a demon and was saved by a god. She promised to repay him. Motivated by this, she strived to become an immortal. Mistaking Fan Yue who was the demon leader as an immortal, she sought his help to attain immortality. Chong Zhao was Bai Shuo's childhood fiance and was determined to protect his fiance from the demon leader. Together, they uncovered the secrets of the ancient gods, how they were related to them, and the divine responsibilities they were entrusted with.
The drama had some major flaws. A fraudster priestess was passed off as the personification of heaven law to bring the couple together. This was absurd, distasteful and unconvincing. There are already enough gullible people in this world without the screenwriter introducing such stupid ideas into people's head. A fraudster should stay a fraudster in the story - better still get punished accordingly.
And what is today's trend? The second lead/s die; the hero or heroine dies as well but get resurrected. That is typically how Chinese drama ends these days.
Overall, I say, this drama was still one of the best fantasy Chinese drama. Debating whether to give it a full 10 or 9.5, I decided to give it a 9.5. As with a lot of recent dramas, the drama had an excellent start but somehow tired out in the last couple of episodes. For that and the predictable ending, I took 0.5 points off.
If you are not a drama addict as I am and have not watched as many Chinese dramas as I have, this could be an excellent drama to follow.
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PLOT: Interesting start, but loses steam down the middle and ends with a crash.
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The premise of the show is refreshingly original: two babies --a boy and a girl-- are born on the same date and time to different families. Both suffer from unexplained periods of sickness, causing their parents to seek an explanation from a creepy Shaman. Coincidentally, the same Shaman sees both cases separately and reveals that their child has been born with half a fate. Which means, our protagonists are bound to "steal fortune" from each other in order to survive. So whenever one of them gets lucky, the other is met with misfortune.
Sounds pretty interesting, right? Well, it could've been had they focused on that aspect of the story. Unfortunately, the concept got lost and buried by ambitious writers who had neither the plan nor the talent to pull off their convoluted story.
The show suffers from a cast of characters that act and react in ridiculous ways to dire situations, rendering them borderline stupid. We also get a mob of undeveloped antagonists with questionable and vague motives, a painful dose of lack of chemistry between the main leads, dubious acting from most of the cast and a plot so convoluted, you don't know what's going on half the time. Not only do plot-points get abandoned without a reason, but tough decisions taken by characters lack logic and bear no consequences.
Despite all that, perhaps the BIGGEST flaw is the inability of the writers to commit to a tone. That's not to say the story can't be funny and heartwarming, or that horror and romance can't work together. There have been shows that have managed to pull off the change in tone flawlessly. But alas, it is not so with this one.
Though the story kicked out strong, using a dark undertone to build a sense of excitement, the atmosphere was soon broken and the narrative got twisted into a "parody", which turned the drama into one big joke.
So when the writers attempted to re-inject "horror" into the show, it failed to make an impact. Death was treated with so little consequence, it became meaningless. Antagonists where likewise hard to take seriously when the protagonists' reaction towards them was reminiscent of how Shaggy and Scooby-Doo acted when confronted with their own childish enemies... The conflicts were built up, but the resolution was weak and, therefore, wasn't a worthy payoff. Even the melodramatic scenes and romance were over-dramatic and hard to swallow.
Overall, the constant changes in tone were as subtle as a bull strolling through a china store...
MAIN CHARACTERS: A mixed bag
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Yoo Phillip (male lead played by Park Shi Hoo): He's introduced as an unlikable character and thus, it takes a long while to get used to him, let alone warm up to him. In a nutshell, he's extremely lucky, famous, cowardly, self-centered and selfish. Although we later learn that he's not a stranger to suffering and that, underneath his narcissistic nature, lays a man afraid to get hurt by those close to him, I can't promise that you'll like his character. I did find him tolerable after a while, but I think the biggest reason I disliked him had to do with his comical acting. I've seen Park Shi Hoo before, so I suspect the director is to blame. I also might've suffered from a bit of cultural shock because whoever did his makeup, had an incredibly heavy hand. Either that or he was sponsoring a lipstick company... which would explain A LOT.
Ji Eunl Soon (female lead played by Song Ji Hyo): She's something of a mixed bag. Although she's more likable than the male lead, that bar is pretty low. For most of the show, she's stuck in the role of the underdog. Given how much she's suffered, you can't help but root for her and wish her happiness. However, as the series progresses, she stopped making sense. Her actions and reactions took an "idealized" tone that I couldn't buy. Someone who's been through the things she had would naturally feel resentment, but not Eunl Soon... In the end, she's riddled with the same traits other k-drama female leads suffer from. She's insanely goodhearted, sacrificial in nature, suffers from a hefty dose of low self-worth (perfect for the male lead to swoop in and pull her out of her shell), turns passive when it matters and remains incapable of hating (or at least resenting) anyone, even when they most certainly deserve it... All in all, she started out as someone I wanted to root for but I ended up getting frustrated with her by the end.
Sung Joong (second male lead by Lee Gi Kwang): This series will give you second lead syndrome and with good reason. Sung Joong is the most relatable character and the one who makes the most sense. His motivations are clear, his emotions are properly conveyed and he acts and reacts as a normal person would. He's also active in the pursuit of what he wants and he's kind, mature and understanding... However, if push comes to shove he'll fight to protect those he cares about, even if he has to break his word or emotionally hurt them in the process. All in all, his character may not be the most original, but he is consistent. Ironically, that in and of itself makes him feel out of place. He's a sane character trapped in a universe populated by wacky characters. It's like he was conceived for another story but got stolen and forced into this narrative with a hammer. Sung Joong... you deserved much better!
ANTAGONISTS: Shallow, underdeveloped and too many
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As to avoid spoilers, I'll talk about them in general. The main issue I have is that there are way too many opponents for such a short story. However, there's no hierarchy to them, so it's hard to gauge their threat level or even focus on their motivations (or lack thereof). The result is a story that gets more confusing with each passing episode, with antagonists that bring little to the table. Some of them are mildly interesting, but most are quite generic and forgettable. How they end up being taken care of also leaves a lot to be desired in the imagination department.
Take note that confusion and intrigue are two different things, and this one suffered from the former.
PORTRAYAL OF ROMANCE: prepare for a cringe-fest
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I'm still uncertain of whether the romance was intentionally portrayed as a parody... or if the writers wanted to integrate a sweet story but failed spectacularly. The scenes that were supposed to be romantic were funny at best... but at worst, they rolled into the cringy zone and got stuck there. In fact, every painfully long kissing scene had me praying for it to end.
I don't think the story made proper room for romance. It might've been a lot more fun if the two leads had kept their relationship platonic and focused on building a friendship (or even a rivalry) instead.
Since I couldn't think of any highlights, here are some drawbacks of the romance:
-There's a lot of lying going on in their relationship, which translates in unmotivated lack of trust.
-It's never very clear why they got together. I felt neither chemistry nor real romance whenever they interacted. They just sort of... got together without rhyme or reason. Fate, maybe? (Interestingly enough, even the characters seem to question why they got together... so that says something).
-They had very little in common and no shared interest.
-Their interactions were often quite cringy.
-Second lead was much better but, to be frank, the main female lead didn't deserve him either. He was just too good for this show.
OVERALL: Good concept, terribly painful execution
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The main concept (sharing half a fate) had so much potential it hurts to see it wasted. Despite the original concept it promised, I can't in good conscience recommend this drama since it didn't deliver at least a decently structured story.
Though it started very strong, it lacked consistency which spelled its downfall. The romance felt cringy and out of place; the horror felt childish and cartoony, and the melodrama felt like a bad soap opera at best and like a ten-year old's first fanfiction at worst...
Honestly, I struggled not to drop this one and ended up muscling through the latter part of the story. If the show had focused on only two antagonists, then maybe the story might've been clearer (and cleaner)...
Then again, I would've focused only on the heart of the story --the protagonists sharing half a fate. That would've made for an interesting story without over-complicating it with ghosts, nightmares, possessions, psychopaths, frenemies, stalkers, dysfunctional families, abandonment issues, struggles with self-worth, competitive rivalries and all the other crap they threw our way.
This was a story that lost its way and shattered into mediocrity.
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Funny, fluffy, with some serious drama too...
This is such a sweet hidden gem, with drama, fluff, more drama and more fluff... Oh and some humour too.Though the main theme is a little bit out there, taking body swap just one step longer having two people in both bodies at once. Making way for som fun, fluffy, (yes I said fluffy again), and awkward situations with a focus on time zones instead of the oh so popular over used gender. giving us a lovely bickering couple who can bicker a lot without actually meeting each other... Watching these two use all kinds of self harm to fight each other is funnier than I thought it would be, and though there may be some slight second hand embarrassment that would otherwise bother me, it could be my mood, but it did not bother me at all.
Both leads are lovable, and there are no purely annoying characters as each supporting cast seems to do their role well, all are well casted, some I would say extremely well casted (Patrick Shih) and the movie is well written with good pacing keeping me curious and interested from start to finish.
I am willing to admit that some parts of the plot are a tad predictable, however they do have their own touch as well as great visuals and again fluff, fluffily, fluff... Ok there is also a guy in a coms, loneliness, a guy who crosses the line here and there, people being treated badly, lack of privacy and death... but it is well imbedded in fluffy cover of white snow... Making you forget all that stuff and only remembering the fluff... Just kidding... the pain and struggles are very much real and are well balanced by the fluff, how well is up to you to find out if you watch this movie.
If I should complain about one thing it is the idea of you must love yourself to be loved that is repeatedly mentioned here.... I say a person who truly cares will love you no matter how much you hate yourself... So forget pressure about having to love yourself or find yourself to be loved, that you can do regardless... So just take the love stuff out of the equation.
Definitely a movie I recommend, and it is even available with subs free and legally on you tube!
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Things happen here and there.
Some scenes scared me, there's a lot of jumpscare.
As the movie goes i started to understand what's going on. It was funny then scary then funny again then heartwarming. The plot twist were really unexpected!
The ost was really good! Especially the one playing at the end.
However the poster is misleading. It made me think that the pink hair girl is the FL, but she actually isn't.
This is a movie that needs to be watch few times so that i could understand. But i can't stand the scary scenes, i don't think i could ever rewatch it alone.
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A “ Bloodcurdingly” Dire Drama...
Upon paper, Blood actually has quite a good plot premise; vampires created in a “ I am Legend” - style way by infection (rather than the traditional manner in most vampire shows) , a protagonist infected since birth who wants to defy his fate and help others by becoming a doctor , as well as a female lead who actually had the potential to be a strong and independent asset within the show rather than just a mere love interest .Instead, there is a sense of discordance within the overall drama between Ahn Jae- Sung’s moping upon screen for nearly half the series around a hospital (which after the first few episodes no longer seem to have something called “ A and E” or a regular flow of surgery operations )and Gu Hye Seon raising her voice as she flouts about the hospital stalking Jae-Sung as Yoo Ri Ta, without a second glance at the fact she’s in a senior position and in reality would be inundated in a pool of work requests and submissions.
It isn’t that Jae-Sung is a bad actor as he’s proven his talents before in shows like The Beauty Inside (2018) as one of the suave Male leads who was comically charismatic . Yet there’s no sugarcoating that Jae-Sung ‘s performance as Park Ji Sang was not one of his best and for a major proportion of the show, Jae- Sung came off as rigid and tight. Similarly whilst Gu Hye Seon is renowned for her performance in Boys Over Flowers (2009), she channelled her character, Yoo Ri Ta through a mixture of a deliverance of yelling her lines and stoic expressions as well.
Admittedly this also a fault of the director, the story writing and characterisation of the overall drama as well. Rather than directors Lee Jae Hoon and Ki Min Soo pulling up Hye Seon and Jae- Sung’s performances over minor errors in earlier episodes to improve their performances and avoid later mistakes, they seemed to be too obsessed with the thought of trying to deliver a contemporary drama which they thought that Korean audiences would lap up after recent waves of western vampire franchises in Korea.
Yet the scriptwriters must also be put under the interrogation light here for their part as well in regards to the lack of characterisation and plot as well. Rather than Park Jae Bum actually allowing us to see Ji Sang’s own personal struggles as well as a sense of attachment towards Ri Ta’s own experiences as a development within their relationship, the scenes that viewers do see ‘ moments of the past’ are neither talked about or mentioned again leading to a very rigid “ romantic’’ ( if you can call it that ) relationship between both characters for a major proportion of the show. Perhaps the one saving performance of the show was Jin Hee who was actually fairly good within his performance, however, the same cannot be said for his character Lee Jae Wook who had the potentially to be possibly one of the most intriguing characters of the drama, yet typical to the cliches he was forced into a lacking sense of depth and purpose within the show.
For most of Blood, Jae Bum seems obsessed with trying to cram in a myriad of useless plot points amongst only a couple of useful ones before rushing to the action and ending by the finale. Rather than building or progressing the show over a course of sixteen episodes, there’s little explanation or reasoning behind a lot of the events of Blood; presumably Ji- sang not ageing at the same rate of humans ( and if this applies to all vampires in the show), the actual motives behind our antagonist and of course what was up with the ending as well.
It is wrong to say that Blood is entirely unwatchable as it did actually have some good points such as Kwon Hyung Sang as the much needed comical relief of the series ( for most of it at least) and an intriguing plot premise, yet rather than Blood being one of the best cult classic Korean dramas of all time, it’s a farce of itself with dire acting, directing and writing. Overall it’s fair to say that Blood is a perfect drama to binge watch if you’re bored and looking for something to watch, but it is certainly not worth investing time and effort towards.
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♡Truly Amazing♡
STORY:The plot of this show is absolutely incredible. It is very well developed for a cutsey romance show. It shows realistic themes and life-like situations along with heartfelt and romantic scenes to really give you a show that is entertaining and relatable for many in some ways.
ACTING/CAST:
The cast was well-chosen without a single doubt. Chen Zheyuan is an amazing actor along with Zhoa Lusi. They were able to play their characters with the perfect emotions and behaviors. The whole cast made the whole show an easy watch with their incredible acting.
MUSIC:
The OST of Hidden Love is absoutely perfect. I can't tell you how many times I've listened to the songs from this show because they are so good. My mom even listens to them even though she hasn't watched the show. They also perfectly match each mood of the show to give the watchers a better expierence.
REWATCH VALUE:
I rewatched this show with my sister who had not seen it yet not long after I watched it for the first time, and I payed attention to every single episode and always wanted to keep watching. The plot is not boring and enables past watchers to still enjoy watching it for a second, third, or even fourth time. This si also one of my go-to shows when I'm not fully paying attention and need some background noise or something I can look over and tune-in every couple of minutes. This show doesn't get old and is a perfect choice for a rewatch.
OVERALL:
Overall, Hidden Love is a pretty much perfect show (as you could probably tell from my rating). Every aspect of this show is amazing and, from my knowledge, it is one of the most recommended and loved Chinese dramas. This is definitely a show you should consider watching if you haven't already, or rewatching if you have!
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This review may contain spoilers
"Best Time" is a drama with many good points that deserved my score of 9, but some downsides that refrained me to give it a perfect score 10.The storyline I think, was wisely drew on a mixture of a workplace setting with a very complicated and melodramatic romance that keep you hooked in your seat despite of the 47 episodes length. At the contrary of other business related dramas this one never was boring neither disappointing but catches your interest and make you enjoy of the competition and challenges that comes up. In reference to the romance has something really good and that is the unexpected outcomes. It seems for a moment that the plot is so evident and is leading you to believe that the female lead would tilted to love a one person in particular but later you realise that maybe you were wrong. So you keep waiting for what would happen next. I must say that this drama is based on the novel "The most beautiful time" by Tong Hua.
The acting was generally good. Although, I didn't like much the character of Su Man's best friend. I was so please to see Chang Janine here (who has a main role in the new Chinese drama "You light up my star", starring with Cheng Joe). I think she is very good at melodramatic roles. Plus she has a good chemistry with Chung Wallace in this drama.
I liked the music, about all the opening song that repeats throughout the drama.
I gave a reasonable rewatch value because there are some episodes really touching that you wouldn't mind to watch again although maybe 47 episodes would be more difficult to digest twice.
I don't like to disclose the ending but I think there is something that has to be said as it is important to understand for what the sequel " Best Time Special" stand for. At the same time, is a fact already known by fans who have read articles about this drama, so it cannot be considered as a spoiler itself, neither rest any attractiveness to watch the drama...
...This drama has an open ending, this means that there are some loose ends. I believe the intention was to leave the viewers to get their own conclusions about how the romance should ends. So when you finish to watch the last episode you are given the chance to conclude the story there or if you feel disappointed or are really willing to see what happens next, then you might opt to watch the sequel, a 2 episodes specials in which you get a recollection of the whole story with two different endings.
This extension with alternative endings I think was a fans service for those who were hooked with the emotions and heartbreaking fates of the characters and unhappy with not knowing what happened to them. However, I particularly found this ambiguous conclusion and added endings quite a negative downside. My reasons are that the drama does not give you all what you want when they already spent 47 episodes for that; in addition, the special doesn't get under your skin as it did the whole story, maybe because it felt to forced or just as a thriller that in its more tense scene takes a break for some adds and then ruins the suspense. I would rather preferred they finished the story in one or other way at once without need to make the specials,
Anyway, I enjoyed much of this drama and I definitely recommend to watch it if you like romantic stories. The good think is that you can choose what ending you prefer and even see what would could happened otherwise.
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LUVVVVVVVV THIS SHOW
A few months back I watched the Netflix trailer for it but It didn't really seem to be my type of show until I finally came back to watching more c-dramas~! I regret not watching this sooner.. i watched this so quick and I regret that too I feel so empty ToT 100% recommend if you like romance, youth, age gap and high school! Can anyone find me very very similar dramas like this? I also watched WIFTY which I watched so quickly!Was this review helpful to you?
Novel formula boosted by some flawless contributions
"You Are My Spring" attempts to combine a rather grim murder mystery with a lighter romantic drama and it in large succeeds, though it is more due to how well some of the foundational components are executed than due to the freshness of the concept.First, the photography is stunning. The composition of the shots and the editing in this production are as good as any video since "Parasite". It's that good.
Second, the cast as an ensemble is without a weakness. From Seo Hyun Jin to the major supporting actors (Kim Ye Won, Kim Seo Kyung and Baek Hyun Joo are especially strong), to the brief appearances, there is not a single below the bar performance. But special commendation must go to Kim Dong Wook who simply astonishes as Joo Young Do. It is almost certainly the finest acting performance of 2021 and should be a case study in how to use subtlety and silence in creating a compelling character
And the writing is excellent as well. All of the main characters are complex and original and genuine. The dialogue is smart. There's very little of the standard cliches and when one big one appears, it's done so well that it can be forgiven. Particularly well done is the character of Ahn Ga Young played by Nam Gyu Ri. What at first appears to be a stock self-centered celebrity type is surprisingly comical and sympathetic and bright.
It's not without shortcomings. The dual storyline concept works well when the main duo are closely intertwined in the plot with Yoon Park and the police detectives. But as the romance drama coalesces, the crime drama dissipates and when it inevitably reappaers in the later episodes, it blends in awkwardly and the storyline gets incomplete closure so that a late blooming side couple can have a share of the spotlight. There's also a minor subplot that appears regularly before vanishing and leaving the involved cast members either relegated to props or eliminated altogether.
Any criticism of "You Are My Spring" for trying to do too much with two very differently toned storylines is legitimate. The show cannot keep the threads wound tightly together for the full sixteen episodes. However, the stretch of "You Are My Spring" from episode seven through thirteen is wonderful. This drama should be on any list of the finest productions of 2021 and most strongly recommended.
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This review may contain spoilers
The Penthouse 3: War in Review
I was insanely skeptical about watching the 3rd season because of the ratings and the backlash it was receiving but, I because I am a die-hard fan of the Penthouse so I got through my fear of let down and watched it, and here is my review:First, the pros, remarkable jobs creating such strong characters out of weak characters from seasons 1 and 2. An example of this is Bae Ro Na, who went from a person who couldn't even get anything her way to stealing Eun Byeol's spotlight completely. Another strong character was Seok-hoon who before couldn't even stop Joo Dan-Tae's abuse was now helping him receive the punishment he deserved.
Second is the incredible character development from some of the worst characters in the show such as Seok Kyung and Kang Ma-ri. Throughout seasons 1 and 2 Ma-ri treated Bae Ro Na like trash but later was able to steal the hearts of many viewers with her change of character filling in the role as Bae Ro Na's mother. Seok Hyung went from not even caring one bit about others to caring about an old man who she doesn't even know. She also became independent and worked without needing others. Her attitude towards others was a major character development that made viewers love her and her realization of all the bad things she's done.
Cons, the deaths... The deaths of major characters seemed too small. I felt like Joo Dan Tae's death was boring in a way that nobody really cared and it seemed like the death wasn't fit for his character because we all thought her would be the villain till the end. The same goes for Oh Yoon He and Yoon Cheol their deaths were made to lengthen the show but only let viewers down.
Next is the played-out deaths where they make viewers believe that characters die then bring them back to life as a way to wow the viewers or to please them. The ridiculous 'twin' trick played on for 3 people and it made it seem like the scripter writers just lost their touch. Every time a character dies viewers such as myself instantly think, "No they're not dead, It's the Penthouse after all."
Last is the ending. Such a cruel ending, Shim Su Ryeon killed herself for no good reason resulting in Logan also later killing himself. Finally they actually truly kill off a character but for the wrong reasons. Both their deaths were unnecessary, Seo-jin's cancer was also an unnecessary plot twist that didn't allow her to pay for her crimes because she was able to escape through death. The major deaths of all the parents with the exception of Kang Ma-ri and Min Hyeok's parents were all because of them wanting to leave a more peaceful living for their children and this can be seen in the way all of their children were living peacefully Bae Ro Na claimed her rightful place as a Soprano with Seok-hoon by her side, Jenny and Min Hyeok both lives peacefully by their parent's side and Seok Kyung was able to find peace in the simple life paying for all that she's done.
When Kang Ma-ri saw a figure that looked like Shim Su Ryeon I instantly went "see? She's not dead." I couldn't stop crying and was confused once the part where Bae Ro Na comes to Logan with flowers only to see a portrait and an empty chair different from the last scene. As the part played out we slowly start to figure why it was shown and this was one of the best but heart-breaking scenes from the show.
All in all this entire show as a whole was a rollercoaster with an incredible but sometimes ridiculous plot twist. I was able to watch and see such amazing actors and actresses. Sadly this is the last time we will all see them together. In my opinion, they should have ended at season 2 where all the key players get punished but I get why they sort of had to create and show what would happen once they are out of prison to ease the mind of people but all were wasted once they were killed off. The happy ending of this show was the most anticipated but we were only given 1/2 of it because of the main character's deaths. Though they die we are given a sense of peace once Logan and Shim Su Ryeon reunite with all their dead loved ones.
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