Reviews

Another masterpiece form Korea!!

I saw this movie when I was in early stage of exploration Korean movies. I didn't know what to expect from this. I watched this movie when my taste of movie was changing and it contributed very much in changing my movie taste. This is my favorite love story.

Failan has a very solid story. It’s a new kind of romance/drama story. At first glance it doesn’t look like a story which can grab you next to screen for 115 minutes and sometimes it is slow but believe me it has ability to grab you for almost 2 hours. It is a realistic story and after watching this movie many people will have a question about characters’ love.

The acting and cast is excellent. This movie is equipped with super talented Choi Min-Shik and Cecilia Cheung. Both are great and gave amazing performance.

And about ending…..I won’t say whether it is sad or happy but it’s one of the best endings I’ve seen so far. It is the most beautiful ending.

I’ve to say that this movie is not for everyone because it is really slow. But if you want to see a movie that truly touches your heart then this is the movie for you. This is really a great movie and any movie lover should watch this movie at-least once. This is highly recommended movie for those who seeks a different kind of story and new type of love story.

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This is my first time writing this kind of review. Im so desperate because this drama is underrated even though its such a great drama. I didnt watch it because some famous girl groups are the actors/actresses but rather the plot it has. *spoiler alert* At first, you would actually think its just a normal drama and I predicted that the teacher and the student has an affair or anything but ive been flipped off by my hypothesis, because I was wrong. The drama is great, the actors and actresses are great even though they are still young that time, the music was great you can almost feel their emotions because of its great ost. The main actor was handsome so as his girlfriend in the drama. Hope you'll watch it. There's no dull moment. It shows how cruel the society are and i dont even know if this is what really happens in Korea's society. :)

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I’m not an avid historicals watcher but the fact that it had a large main cast of actors I like definitely got me curious enough to try out the first couple eps…

Story: It was like I was watching three different dramas because the plot changed so much and there were many time jumps. The first part is about Ji Sang growing up meeting both his loves and discovering he is a Seer. The second part is romance, political war, and the journey of Lee Sung Gye to be come King. The last part is tragedy central and the eventual crowning of Lee Sung Gye. The ending is bittersweet so expect both sad and happy endings for our main characters.

Acting: I'm going to start with our 3 male leads since they got the most screen time compared to the gals. Ji Jin Hee mostly has played stiff characters from the dramas I’ve seen but I got to say you haven’t seen him play a character like Lee Sung Gye. His character development was so awesome as he starts off as what seems like a crazy lunatic eventually becoming what you’d expect from the King of Joseon. I’ve only seen Ji Sung in Protect the Boss but he plays a different character in this. He did a great job portraying his character that experiences different personality changes from playful to serious/dramatic due to circumstances. Song Chang Ui played the villain well and his chemistry with Lee Yoon Ji was so great that I was rooting for their characters to get together and find their own happiness. As for the 2 female leads, they were perfect, as I would expect from them. There were MANY supporting characters and they all were able to make their characters stand out because a lot of them came and went as the plot kept changing, I found myself wondering what happened to them or I felt bad when their character was killed off.

Music: What you would expect from a historical drama but nothing particularly memorable.

Rewatch: I wouldn’t mind watching this again cause the plot was fresh but not for a while cause the drama is long and it was kind of sad.

Overall whether you like historicals or not the Great Seer will not waste your time and it’s a very intriguing ride.

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what a bizarre marketing strategy

Overall: I cannot comprehend the writing behind this - it actually felt homophobic (see more below). 14 episodes about 4 minutes each. Aired on TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZP8YynoXG/

Episode 1 is in the present day get together, 2-4 het (some overlap with next story GL), 5-7 focus on GL, 8-10 focus on a het, 11-13 focus on BL, 14 is back in the present day

What I Liked
- acting
- pretty good production value for a vertical series
- the product placement isn't any more than most Thai series

Room For Improvement
- it made no sense to take a new acting couple but then have them not be endgame, the whole thing felt homophobic because we only got the m/f couple at the end, no f/f or m/m, also the cut away kiss between the guys and the 'barely a kiss' kiss was insulting
- multiple love triangles
- people seemed unusually chill at certain parts
- English subtitles were very small/difficult to read

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Season 1 was far better

Why I liked the drama?

- THE FEMALE CHARACTERS! Usagi, Kuina, and Ann. Honestly, they carried the whole show. Their relationships were interesting and each was independent and badass. They didn't need men to survive the games, in fact the men needed them. It's not everyday that you can find a survival story where the female characters took major controls.
- Chishiya! He's so interesting, more than the MC himself. His laid back personality was the opposite of his brain capabilities. Honestly, I'm glad he had his own screen times to finish two games. And he did it perfectly alone. Chishiya be like: Me, myself, and I.

Why I disliked the drama?
- Arisu's characterization. Suddenly, his characters got weaker than previous season. All of the time, he needed Usagi to take care of his ass because his mentality dropped down drastically. It's like he lost his confidence and never got it back lmao -.-
- Aguni and Heiya's relationship. It's disturbing that Heiya, a girl in high school (definitely underage, no?!), was head over heels to Aguni. Their age difference made me fume with madness. On the other hand, Aguni didn't seem to take it seriously, but who knows what the writers had in minds.
- Plot armor too visible. During the King of Spades', the main characters should've died multiple times, but no. They're invincible to the bullets, except the extras. Others got killed by ONE shot, our main characters could survive from ten thousands shoots to their bodies. Hooray to the armor!
- The ending. Such a shitty ending -,- people can make theories about the 'borderland' but I personally think the ending was not satisfying. On the Queen of Hearts' game, Arisu and Usagi made a whole speech to each other, but in the end, I was left with disappointment. This season's storyline was definitely too rushed.

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The first teaser of Wanted reminded me a little bit of God's Gift - 14 Days. Reading the synopsis it made me think about an American themed movie. Having piqued my interest, I was ready to give it a go. It starts out slow but you just have to endure it for a little while. You will probably not regret this as it picks up the pace in the coming episodes. That's where the good part starts.

After having her son kidnapped, top actress Jung Hye In (Kim Ah Joong) starts filming a reality show on the kidnapper's demands to save him. Every episode starts with a mission which she has to complete. As the story unfolds you, like Jung Hye In, will learn how everything is connected to each other. It's fair to say that every episode keeps you on the edge of the seat. As the search for Hyun Woo continues, you want to know what the kidnapper's motives are.

The cast is made up of a lot of familiar faces. You might know some of the actors/actresses from their previous work as they have acted in well received drama's. Kim Ah Joong plays Jung Hye In, a retiring top actress whose son get kidnapped. As someone with a public image, she has to go through ordeals to secure the safety of her child. It's not easy to put up a front as she's a top actress & worrying mother as well. The amount of emotions are portrayed very well by her. She acted out her character pretty good. Uhm Tae Woong does a good job playing Shin Dong Wook, a PD who is fired before he gets the chance to make an influential show. He gives off a stern & cold vibe that goes well with the character Shin Dong Wook. Ji Hyun Woo takes on the role of detective Cha Seung In. He surprised me with his acting. In 'Angry Mom' he played a righteous but somewhat pushover teacher. Didn't expect him to play a determined, righteous & kick ass detective but he pulls it of very well. Every character (even the support roles) has his/her background story that fits in with the development of the plot.

It's not very uncommon for thrillers to use anything beside ambiance background music. That being said, Wanted has a total of 4 OST's and the songs aren't that bad. It's a shame they couldn't be implemented someway (e.g, ending credits) so be sure to give them a listen. You don't want to miss out on a song like Yezi & Jung Chaeyeon's - Shadow.

Wanted is a thriller with a great cast, a steady pace and intriguing story. There are things that could have been done better to live up to it's "promising" plot. It's a pity but not too disturbing. The drama is somewhat thought provoking and the suspense only leaves you wanting more.

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When I decided to watch this film I already knew who Choi MinHo was. In fact, I decided to watch it because he was in it. But the thing I need to clarify before writing the rest of the review is this: I knew Choi MinHo through "To The Beautiful You", my first drama ever. At the time I knew NOTHING about him, or SHINee or even k-pop (in fact, I started listening to SHINee out of curiosity after watching the show and became addicted). Why is this important? Because I want to tell you that the reason why I actually liked this drama had nothing to do with MinHo being in there.

I read in several different places that people only enjoyed this film because MinHo was in it and that in fact the film was mediocre. Well, it is not a work of art, that's for sure. Especially since the editing of the film is a bit odd - this was made in 2010 but I felt like I was watching something from 2003 or something. And that, for me, is pretty much the worst thing in this drama.

The story isn't, again, an art work. We have two characters who are somewhat lost in their own routines. When they meet eachother is actually like a breath of fresh air. Overall, it's a pretty story, romantic and somewhat inspiring. It's about overcoming your own fears but also working hard for your dreams and even having those dreams - because everyone should be allowed to do so.

The cast consists mainly of five or six people, being the main ones MinHo and Ji Hye. Ji Hye's acting is good enough and convicing, without being exagerated or the opposite. The same goes for MinHo. As someone who watched "To The Beautiful You" and is currently watching "Medical Top Team", it's obvious this was MinHo's first work in acting, but I wasn't disappointed. In fact, I actually felt this character fitted him better than Tae Joon. So, overall you won't find any award winning performances but none of the main actors have bad acting either.

As for the music, that was my favourite part. Since this is all about pianos, the music was mainly classical ou neoclassical, which, curiosly enough (since I basically spend most of my time listening to pop nowadays), is right up my alley - and what could fit better in a film called "Pianist" than some piano pieces?

To complete, "Pianist" is a medium film that you'll enjoy accordingly to what you expect. If you decide to hate in this simply because MinHo is in there (because, yes, there are people in this world that hate famous people just... because!), you'll probably think the film is crap. If you decide to watch the film as the best thing ever, you'll also be overreacting. However, if you go as neutral as possible trying to see what will come out of this, you'll be able to enjoy it - and you'll see it's a pretty okay film.

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THE EMOTIONS ??

I don't know how to explain this but I cried a lot during this series and I loved it! The actors are fantastic and we have drama until the end!!! 💗💗💗 I know one day I'll watch it again! 💗💗💗
For me, the "icing on the cake" was the main protagonist. She knows exactly how to convey the emotions she's feeling and we feel the same with her. You laugh when she laughs and cry when she cries. I won't give any spoilers, but there is such a distressing moment and the actress conveys that emotion perfectly. I was constantly wiping my glasses with the cloth because of the tears. The title is a bit misleading and gives the impression that it won't be a very good series (at least that's what I felt) but it surprised me in a positive way!!!

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Dance is just a cover for watching hot men make out... and am I happy about it?

No, I am not.

Oh my god. I was so excited for this one.

When I saw the trailer, I immediately subscribed to the notification bell.

We have to start from somewhere so why not with the title. Why this title? The title was referring to the competition and it becomes increasingly irrelevant as the movie progresses. Not to miss pointing out that this competition does not take place by the end of the movie (is it spoiler? what am I spoiling exactly? we don't even know why the competition is not in the movie after which movie was named).

My frustration about evident laziness is reaching a boiling point

....what will take it there is not weakly developed main characters, female dancers portrayed as useless and expendable nor randomly placed blond plot twist which was not twisting...

it is that the trailer gave off this impression that dancing is their world and they manoeuver this intrinsic mystique, sensuality and dominance that dance possesses the best.... and that would lead to explosion when the two bests meet each other.

I ate it up and couldn't wait to see this clash. Because the only special thing about this movie is the DANCE aspect. That they are dancers. We have seen BLs with rivalry, bad upbringing etc. etc. but professional dancers from different sides falling in love? Not that I know of!

They instead exploited this intrinsic sensuality of professional dancing to hide lack of plot and cliche' characterisation. First of all, the dancing does not look clean or professional. I can tell you I was not convinced by their dancing at all.

Secondly, male leads are developed weirdly chauvinistic, both of them. Sugiki really was not likeable character at all. And all of his motivations scream chauvinism to me, that does not make sense that they serve dance narrative. Dance is sport with two parties that are essential to the other. The whole movie is portrayed in a bit of hmm discriminatory manner? It is paradoxical cos it is supposed to be breaking traditional role of couple in dance and life.

Then, I understand Suzuki is supposed to be polar opposite from Sugiki, but what is with this representation of hot/wild latinoamerican dancer? Too obvious my man, there is subtlety to everything. Like what is with those reactions in every dance and then literally wielding the female dancer as a tool? I am kind of also slightly offended that they used the concept of dancing in service of what? audience seeing hot men making out?

I thought the dance was the igniter to the fire, not the burned down object..which it ended up being.

I would still put it as a recommend to try out, but it is not a rewatch for me. It has a nice cinematography. Actors are okay. A lot of thirst traps. And some cringy plot wrapped in dance.

Thanks for reading. Bon appetit! :')

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A dark erotic Mess

Well, this isn’t the typical drama series and has to be seen more as an avantgardistic Art Project. And with art, people either love it or hate it, and both opinions have merit.

But what this series is not is definitely the typical BL. It's very EXPLICIT, dark and disturbing. So for all you fans of super cute guys who adore each other, this is not your series! Please stay away from it.
But if you're into blood, vomit, drugs, suicide and lots of NSFW-scenes, this might be your series.

That being said, the acting and cinematography are on a good level and I appreciate the physicality of the actors.
But if you're expecting a logical and engaging story, you'll probably be disappointed.

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A brother's visit disrupts an established couple's life

Overall: It's so refreshing to see an established couple instead of the pursuit part of a relationship. I wish this was a whole series (but that they don't pretend to be roommates for too long). The couple can become more spontaneous/carefree and the brother can learn to be more responsible/pick up after himself.

Content Warnings: none?*

What I Liked
- an established couple
- the sound effects and music enhanced the story
- I laughed at several parts like the suitcase falling down the stairs, the brother listening in at the door, etc.
- always happy to see supplies for safe sex :)

Room For Improvement/Questions
- disliked when the brother *slapped his brother, it's fine to be angry but don't punch/slap people and he didn't even apologize
- I wish the phone conversation at the end was a bit more clear, I think "couple" was supposed to be translated to "partner" or "boyfriend" (the later would have made things very clear)
- is a 1 bedroom apartment in Seoul only $420 USD per month? Or maybe Taeho is paying less than half? Or is it a subtitle error?
- did I miss the reference to another Strongberry film? I noticed that "Sweet Curse" has a reference to "Some More" which has a reference to "Long Time No See" which has a reference to the Strongberry website... It's always fun to spot the references.

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