A slow burn thriller filled with beautiful cinematography
After a few months of dropping dramas midway, this was the first one I completed. While the story has it's plot holes, it is extremely gripping and addictive. After every episode I was compelled to find time to watch another one. I actually liked that the airing schedule only had two episodes per week. The time in between helped to make me more invested in the drama rather than lose interest. This is a slow burn that you need to take slow.A wife is faced with her husband's death and left with a debt of 40 million yuan. Her signature was forged in the documents making her the underwriter (I have serious doubts about the legalities of this but let's not get into it). There are boat loads of people invested in finding out where the money is at. And there we have our thriller.
Is the husband dead? Does the widow have the money? Who is the lawyer that suddenly popped up from nowhere? What is the husband's assistant looking for? What's the best friend keeping from the widow?.......are only a few of the mysteries that surround us. And thankfully they all get answered over the course of 38 episodes.
There is a natural progression of mysteries as the show unfolds and the acting was at par with the intensity of the thrill. Both ML and FL are new actors for me and did a great job bringing their characters to life. I really liked the FL's character, though she is the main protagonist we never get to really understand what she is actually thinking inside. She is a very strong character and doesn't let the circumstances she has been dealt with get to her. While we see her breaking down multiple times as is natural but we also see her getting back up without depending on someone else to help her. She has a reason to doubt everyone around her as no one is telling the truth and everyone is interested in the money she supposedly has hidden. And also, I found her drop dead gorgeous. Her stills were just too beautiful.
The ML starts off as yet another despicable fellow who is trying to take advantage of the widow but gets better down the road. His motives remain shady for a while and we don't get to know him until quite later but whatever his personality, he did a great job bringing his questionable character to life.
The supporting characters are also fleshed out well and we get to know more about them as the story progresses. I appreciated that there were all kinds of characters in this drama. The good ones, the selfish ones, the silly ones and the bad ones. Many characters were grey and not fully evil which brought a very realistic element to the people side of things in this show. While there are two protagonists, the rest of the characters also got their time in the limelight so this felt more like a mature drama thriller with an added element of family relations.
The cinematography is just beautiful. I loved everything from the colour palette that was used to the artistic stills and soft touch ups. This show was a mood I wanted to immerse myself in and the melancholic music softly crept into my heart sprouting delicate leaves of naive expectation. I hoped for a satisfactory ending that would answer all the mysteries that kept piling up as the episodes went into double digits.
This is a slow burn that I unexpectedly enjoyed just like the grammatically incorrect but apt title. A 8.5/10, if only because it kept me engaged and stopped my dropping spree.
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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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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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A short healing episode...
MDL put a page for the special episode here... so I watched that nearly a month ago... What I noticed, it was a rushed production, because they had a lot of Sasaengs following them and they nearly did not film this at all. This is a nice healing episode which heals both of them.It seems they had problems getting a free location, so they had tourists looking at them while filming, but I'm happy enough, that they at least finished this short episode. So at least it feels more real with people gawking at them, because oh my god, two men are kissing on the beach! 🤣
This is a nice finale, so if you have watched the series, you should not skip it.
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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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Drama Special Series Season 2: Ordinary Love
12 people found this review helpful
I really loved the story and couldn't help but getting excited for just one single moment that the main characters acted as a couple. Their acting was extraordinary just like their ordinary love ;). The only thing that I really hated was the ending. Like really, Okay even though the ending was pretty bad I still recommend this drama. IT'S A MUST SEE.
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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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狗血!! Revenge! scheming drama
I can't believe i finished watching is. The chinese website i watched it on said 38 episodes but other places said 40 episodes is the end?Ya'll after watching this drama you need to breathe!!! OMG SO FREAKIN FRUSTRATING!!!WANT TO SCREAM and hit THE Beeps.... in the drama!It felt like i watched like 60 episodes. so much hatred. revenge, evil, scheming, bullying . take advantage of. This is one negative drama, its like torture on the female lead.
Like where do i begin?
Female lead is a super sweet, but takes everything in kinda girl, she is appreciative for the Li's corporation CEO for helping her get through school and into the fashion industry. She is also know as the shadow designer. Li's CEO has a daughter who basically grew up with the female lead. She is also known as a deisgner, but its just all her name. She cant design and has never designed, only using the female lead's design. Other people in the company dont know and think she is just a cleaning lady ( super sad right?)
Male lead is the son of the Chao fashion corp. Chao and Li are competitors.
The back story of why they are competitors... While Li was young, she knew Chao's wife. Chao's wife was in charge of a warehouse that caused fire and killed people and losing the clothes they made. Long story short, turns out it was Li who was behind it, causing Chao's wife to commit suicide because she couldnt pay back the workers. At that time the Chao's had a baby boy. Chao ended up losing contact with the family that took care of his son. Chao swore to take revenge for his dead wife and his lost son.
Fast Forward... So the male lead is the adoptive son of the Chao's and Chao made the male lead to thinking it was the Li's who was responsible for the death of this parents and also his missing sister too . Turns out it was Chao who locked his sister up and was trying to use the male lead to help him knock down the Li's.
I feel so bad for the female lead, she literally had to go through so much shit!!! Like first, thinking the Li's is a benefactor but it was just that so they could use the female lead's designer and let the Li daughter call it her own. I didnt understand why the daughter is not named after her. lol her daughter is named Tang Guo er.
2) the person she loved had to marriage her best friend.... and she just let it go like that.
3) Losing her child and her mother's also suicide. so much hurt is done to her..if i were her i would go crazy already... ( which later towards the end she was hospitalized for..
4) having her designed copied by another person ( who was someone she trusted that betrayed her)
Her daughter is such a despicable character, so rude, selfish, arrogant, spoiled full of her self !!! Literally wanna say all the swear words at her . She is a true bitch !!! Like she and the female lead were suppose to be best of friends.
In dramas I always love the male lead but this drama I hated him ! He went for his own interest in the sense that he just followed the orders of his adoptive dad. He loved the female lead but it was so limited. Like which side are you on? He even sided with the evil best friend, when he found out that the Li's was not the culprit behind his parents suicide. He was never really there for her and didnt support her enough...
Sorry this is more of a rant than a review haha!
watch at your own risk if you like revenge, scheme, bullying, torment ....
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Conditional vs. Unconditional Love
This drama should go by the title 'Pure Love Dissonance' and not just 'Love Dissonance'.The Japanese title 'Junai' translates to 'pure love', a specific type of love usually associated with Unconditional Love or Agape, also known as 'selfless love'.
Many forms of relationships and types of love exist in this drama. Relationships between lovers, friends, family, and not-quite enemies but definitely rivals. Various types of love are present in just about every form except for Erotic love. It could be a result of the innate censorship of the drama because of the rating or because it's from Japan a conservative country, but there are moments when the drama mentions Erotic love. However, it's just never mentioned about the main couple unless someone believes that that is the reason the main couple is together.
It's not. It's way deeper than that.
The main couple - in comparison to every other dynamic, pair, or relationship in the drama - represents selfless love. Unconditional love. The type of intimacy that is only present in those who have experienced 'infinite empathy' for another person.
Masaki and Sae met each other at one of their lowest moments in life and helped each other overcome their personal struggles and find comfort, support, and sanctuary with each other.
The explosive argument in the 7th episode between Manami and Masaki highlights that. She illustrates to Masaki that she would refer prefer Masaki and Sae just sleep together instead of emotionally cheating.
It was the first time I'd seen a portrayal of Emotional Infidelity. Very well done.
"What I can't stand is the heart! I can't stand the fact that you two are connected at the heart!"
Masaki and Sae have infinite empathy for each other that seems to last the test of time and circumstance. Despite almost everyone's attempt to break these two apart, even Masaki and Sae.
At times, the image of doves hounded by a circle of vultures comes to mind when I see more drama plied on to break the main couple apart. It was almost like they were the innocents and collateral damage to the world's expected forced expectations and eventually fallout for everyone.
The photo that ruined their reputation was of them consoling each other after a few days of constant emotional and mental exhaustion. Either from their toxic parents, inability to embark on achieving their dreams, or just from society pulling them away from each other for the sake of the status quo. No kisses, no sexts, no brazen behavior at school, and no explicit form of physical intimacy between them.
Just a 'shoulder-to-cry-on' mentality. Nothing more. However, the situation they're in is inappropriate. The backlash from the photo made the situation less ideal than it was in real life.
Sae is very candid, blunt, and level-headed. I adore Smart Leads because their actions have logical reasoning behind them and they usually acknowledge the consequences of their actions as well. Sae - in comparison to Masaki - is braver and more emotionally mature than her counterpart in the drama. Masaki may be the Sensei but he has much to learn from her when it comes to being true and honest to yourself, despite what life throws your way. She didn't 'fix' him though she did inspire change within him. He acknowledges that near the end of the drama too. Sae is the reason he's decided to treat himself better, be more honest, and live more honestly too. They bring out the best in each other simply the fact that they both just want to be happy living their dreams, together or not. Selfless love.
Manami represented obsessive love towards Masaki. All or majority of the parents were just Narcissists and toxic people. Treating their children as extensions of themselves and denying those children basic human rights like deciding their own path and their privacy rights.
When Sae's mother came to school to read her daughter's novel out loud, I was truly disgusted. Then, near the end of the drama, I choked up a little when her mother told her daughter to be different from her and therefore better than her. 'Go be with Masaki', she was saying in her own petty way. I laughed too but was happy that the mom was finally ready to not be selfish.
Another aspect of the drama that really hit home for me was the parent-child bonds. There's Masaki and his parents. Sae and her mom. And then, Manami and Hokuto with their father and Manami's mother play a part too. The type of love between parents and children should be Agape or Storge known as 'familiar love'. However Agape still trumps all other types of love.
Sae and Masaki's love reigns superior to everyone else's, especially at the beginning of the drama.
The other characters' relationships - between other people and within themselves - eventually and fortunately change for the better good near the end of the drama. Even the criminals in the show have a change of heart and/or redemption arc that I'm okay with. Everything that happens in this drama relates to someone's desire for love or in the name of love.
Masaki's statement to Manami's father in the last episode was profound and brutally honest. "So long as you shackle people with conditions, no one will become your family. Family comes at the price of no conditions, whatsoever." The difference between Conditional Love and Unconditional Love is how you love. Manami's father didn't understand until he lost just about everything, in every way.
I like the little details too. The music and sound design. The editing, cinematography, acting, and how this drama exceeded my expectations in every way. I love the time jump, the repeating topics of living without regrets, loving yourself before being able to accept love and knowing when to let go of what or who you love because you love them.
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