Sad and nice
This movie is not meant for everyone. There is so depth to this movie. You cannot skip scenes or else you won't understand anything. There are many which are so slow and pleasing. There are so many emotions and depth to each and every scene. Yes, I cried a little. It's a beautiful movie. I still don't understand the ending but it was beautiful. Very raw and nice. The locations of the movie are so beautiful. The river scenes are so beautiful. The cinematography and colors were really nice. Acting is really good tooWas this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
Romance Based in Historical Realism or Road to Nowhere?
I went into The Red Sleeve fully expecting to love it. I'd been waiting for Lee Jun Ho to be widely recognized as a phenomenal actor since Just Between Lovers, so I was happy to see the praise he received for his performance here. I'm a fan of sagueks too, whether they're the traditional kind or not, and I'm always down to watch an angsty romance between tragic-faced lovers. In a fit of drama-watching naivete, I thought, what could possibly go wrong?And, in the beginning, nothing did!
Lee Jun Ho brought his usual intensity and attention to detail, to say nothing of his aesthetics. Lee Se Young is convincing in any historical role, since she genuinely looks as if she's stepped out of a portrait from the past, while her poise and graceful bearing reinforce the ladylike impression. The supporting cast is similarly strong, the production quality was high, and the introductory episodes felt refreshingly grounded and realistic.
As the story progresses, real cracks emerged. The first issue is how self-aware this show is of itself as a "feminist" narrative, which would've been fine, if that theme had been handled with care and nuance. But it isn't. To boost its girl power credentials, it introduces a secret organization of female palace insiders, but almost immediately undoes its empowered message, by depicting the network as poorly led and one-dimensional in its villainy. Rather than showing women band together for a just cause, it pits the women against the (morally pure, more sympathetic) female lead. To add insult to injury, this outlandish women-fighting-women chapter is distracting and jarring against the tone of the rest of the drama, which had been, up until this point, based in historical realism.
But the biggest problem? The Red Sleeve chases two rabbits, catching neither. All along, the narrative has brought out wonderful tension in the juxtaposition between Sung Deok Im's quest for self-determining independence and her love for Yi San/King Jeongji, which would lead to her dependence on him, as well as strict confinement to the inner palace. The show insists, she must make a choice! [Please don't get me started on how clearly this mirrors the redundant dialogue around women having to choose between career achievement or motherhood. It's so tired, ugh.] By forcing its female lead to choose freedom or love, it also forces itself into a corner: will the story's conclusion confirm Sung Deok Im's self-liberation or her devotion to her lover? In the end, the answer is neither. If the point of this drama was to illustrate how terrible women's lives were in the past, I supposed it achieved its goal, but that's a disappointingly simplistic take on the historic experiences of real women, as well as a frustrating and futile endpoint for a drama that promised to be so much more.
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absolute male written garbage
this is the exact reason that men should not be allowed to directed, write, or produce gls.this movie is an absolute disgrace. it is an hour and a half of straight porn targeted at male audiences. heard of the “male gaze”? well this is a perfect example of that.
not only do the female characters get raped repeatedly with no justice, the indulge is downright disgusting and atrocious sexual fantasies such as period sex and literal necrophillia.
the age gap alone is enough to turn anybody off from this movie. it is the perfect male fantasy of an older woman and a schoolgirl, too bad everything in this movie is illegal and unrealistic.
horrible. the maker of this film should be ashamed of himself and quite frankly should be put on a list somewhere. xoxo
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UNDOUBTEDLY THE BEST BL OF 2023!
When you cast the right actors and put them with the right director and writers, YOU WILL GET A MASTERPIECE!Highly recommend this show if you are looking for the following:
• Impeccable Period Drama.
• Impressive characters development.
• All types of couple (Has BL, GL, and even Straight).
• Complex and unpredictable storyline.
• Excellent acting of the cast.
• Amazing chemistry of the three couples and the whole cast.
• Realistic and un-sugarcoated life during the 1920's.
• Angsty and heavy drama.
• Right amount and right timing of comedy.
• Excellent songs and background music that fits a period drama.
Anyone who loves BL and Period Drama should watch this show. Nonkul and Bright are both spectacular in giving life to their characters.
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Pretty good, although I did get bored and took me a year to watch the rest
Right as the title says, it was pretty good. But I did get bored around episode 13. Was watching when it was airing but completed it at the beginning of 2023 and I'm now writing this. Anyways it was a very nice K-drama, very funny the comedy wasn't too much it was the perfect amount (wish I could add emojis I sound incredibly dry rn). Now I wouldn't say that this series was boring, it really wasn't but I get bored too quickly. The acting was great and Kim Minjae really suited Mohak's character a lot lmaoo. And DALI WAS SOMETHING ELSE BRO I LOVED HER. She was so elegant all the time and so beautiful and should be the definition of a strong female lead. And Park Gyuyeong delivered that so perfectly. The plot was very interesting as well so we love thatttt. Tbh I don't think I'm gonna rewatch it anytime soon for now. And I'm sorry but the OST was straight up ASS, only one single song that I liked and it was a rap song. And I don't really focus on OSTs I only really notice if I like them or despise them, and sadly she got the wrong type of recognition. Although I did praise it a lot I didn't give it a very high rating, idk it just didn't feel right or honest to rate it higher, nor did it feel right to rate lower. So I think a 7 would be good enough. I think it's because they were dragging it on too much.Was this review helpful to you?
Justice is a dish served with chicken
There's no doubt about Shin's Project being one of the best and most underrated kdramas this year. I started it because of its comedic and unique premise but I ended up gaining much more than that.First and foremost, I'd like to praise the writers for bringing up such a clever script on the table. A story about a former negotiator who is the owner of a chicken restaurant and who fights injustice? Count me in! I became invested in Shin and his team from the get-go, the plot was so refreshing and the setting was shown to deliver what was expected.
The first half of the drama focused on different individual cases which Shin, Philip and Sion had to solve while the second half focused more on the case about Shin's son. The drama remained consistent, there were no boring episodes and every case contributed in the development of the story and the characters.
It was mildly amusing watching Shin negotiating with all of these people or even manipulating them in order to triumph against the ones who had wronged the victims. His philosophy regarding justice appeared to be peculiar on the surface but once you got to know his character, you'd understand where it derived from. Each case was handled in a different way, I wasn't able to predict Shin's next move and the process of his plan was always fascinating to observe.
Shin's Project handled the themes about justice and corruption very well. Even though this is a fictional work, every case felt painfully relevant. Unfortunately, there are many vicious people who take advantage of others and who are not afraid to go to great lengths in order to gain power. The law cannot always ensure the protection of the victims, nor punish their perpetrators. So when law fails to provide justice, what's left to do? To what extent is it ethical to take matters into our own hands and seek justice for ourselves? These are some of the questions that are raised while watching the drama and while it's not easy to answer them, one thing was certain: no matter what, Shin would do the job.
It was so refreshing to see Shin and the rest of the characters work as a team to help those in need. As someone who is fed up with all the corruption and injustice that takes place every day, watching them handle the cases and bring some comfort to the people gave me so much satisfaction. For one hour, I was able to relax and just observe Shin doing his job, without having to worry about his attempt being jeopardized.
But event hough it was nice to see Shin handling all these cases, the main point of the series is not that we need more "Shins" in our world. What needs to happen is to establish a system which will not favour those with power against common folks. Measures must be taken in order for lawyers to be diligent and help the victims in the best way possible. While that's a difficult task, small steps can bring us closer to a society that will be rightful. Yes, it would be nice if we had more people like Shin, people who are not afraid to call out those who abuse their power and who are determined to bring justice. But what we actually need is a rightful system so there would be no need for more "Shins".
Aside from these cases, the plot also resolves around Shin's son's death and who orchestrated it. Slowly but steadily, the setting is established in order to fully unveil this story. It was very exciting to try and guess the motives behind this murder and why the culprit did it. The writers handled this part very well, they didn't let it overshadow the other incidents and when it was time to bring light into this murder, it was done with caution.
Shin's Project blended many genres in such a clever way. Comedy and mystery are the strongest ones of course but there were some moments that added more emotional depth. The scenes about Shin mourning his son never failed to bring tears to my eyes, especially during the eleventh episode. There were always some funny parts to elevate the mood but they never diminished the cases, nor disregarded the victims' feelings. Everything was balanced and done with care and I must applaud the writers for shifting between the genres so effortlessly. Not to mention that the drama made me carve some chicken, hehe.
While I'm not a huge romance fan, especially when it comes to romance subplots in non-romance dramas, Philip and Sion's developing chemistry was cute. Philip was literally besotted by her and his reactions were always so funny to see, he was literally a lovesick puppy. The writers did a good job to show their developing feelings, they had some nice interactions and it felt natural for them to grow closer. It helped that both actors had good chemistry together.
The characterisation was another great aspect that made me love the drama. I'll start with Shin since he's one of the most complex characters in a kdrama this year. On the surface, Shin appeared to be carefree, always with a smile plastered on his face and always ready to help others. From the very first scene, we see how much empathy he holds for people who have been wronged and that he always helps without seeking fame or recognition. But the more we get to know him, the more we realise how much pain he holds inside him. He is a mourning father who blames himself for his son's death. The sick irony of saving Madame Ju's daughter while being unable to save his own son made me so much sad. Obviously Shin wouldn't be able to do something sooner. But he's drowning in his own guilt and he is desperate to atone by making sure that no other people will experience the same type of pain.
This was my first Han Suk Kyu project and it's needless to say that I couldn't have chosen a better drama to get introduced to him. He embodied so many different emotions and he literally transformed into Shin. Happiness, sadness, anger, determination, he displayed every aspect of Shin's personality so naturally. I loved the way he used his face (especially his eyes) to convey Shin's thoughts and feelings and his subtle maneuvers in some scenes added more depth to Shin's character. They couldn't have chosen a better actor, he made me warm up to Shin and feel close to him from the very first moment (dare I say the poster?) and he owned the role.
Philip, the lawyer who got appointed to work with Shin in his restaurant, was another well-written character, who underwent the biggest development too. At first, he was bewildered at having to work at a chicken restaurant instead of an actual law office or something related to his studies. I had a blast with his reactions and inner commentary but at the same time, I admired the fact that he was still willing to work with Shin instead of giving up.
The writers did a great job showcasing his inner conflict regarding what he knew about law and Shin's philosophy for justice. As a law student, Philip believed that justice could be served only through law. But the more he worked with Shin, the more he realised how easy it was to manipulate the law and how corrupted the system is. He questioned Shin's methods, which defied his perceptive of what it's "legal" but at the same time, he came to understand that sometimes it's necessary to jump into unorthodox methods in order to serve justice. I beamed seeing how far Philip came, he learned so much under Shin and he applied that in his cases.
Bae Hyun Jung was great in this role, he was charming, funny and loveable. He never came across as awkward or unconvincing while portraying Philip's embarrassment or awkwardness. He made the character so entertaining and he nailed Philip's softness. It goes without saying that he food is an actor whose works I want to watch more.
As for the third member of the main trio, Si On was a joy to watch. Fierce and yet so kind and caring towards the people she cared about. I adored her bond with Shin and how much she cared about him. Her relationship with Philip was very charming as I mentioned above, her teasing was fun to watch. Lee Ree was great as Si On, she delivered precisely what was required and she was great to see. I discovered that she started as a child actor so I'm looking forward to see more of her future projects.
From the very first episodes, the chemistry between Shin, Philip and Si On was undeniable. It's very important to establish the dynamics between the characters from early on and the writers passed with flying colors. I immediately became attached to the characters and their precious bond. I am a sucker for the found family trope and Shin's Project did not disappoint. Watching them work together as a team was very interesting and fun but I lived for the domestic moments when they showcased their deep love and gratitude towards each other. They had each other's back and that was so lovely to see.
The rest of the cast was equally great, every single actor nailed their role, no matter how big or small it was. Kim Sung Oh was great as Detective Choi, he portrayed Choi's guilt over Shin's son's death very well and I was looking forward to his scenes. Jung Eun Pyo as Kim Su Dong was so fun to watch, I liked how Shin trusted him and how much he cared for Shin in return. The villains were great, everyone nailed their role and made me hate them so much. And I want to give a special nod to Choi Dae Hoon, who made a guest appearance on episode 9. He ate up his 10 minutes of screen time.
There were some flaws that prevented me from rating Shin's Project higher. As much as I enjoyed Philip and Si On, I think that their characters could have been utilized even more. After a while, the romance subplot seemed to consume them, I do not complain but it was as if they couldn't exist outside of it. I wish we had seen more interactions between Si On and her family, to grasp even better the sacrifices she had to make and it would have also been nice if we had seen more of Philip's inner turmoil. Another minor setback was that sometimes, the story was less engaging, of course it held my attention but there were times when my interest was kinda low. Additionally, sometimes the comedy was a hit or miss and the final episode felt anticlimactic and drugged but overall, nothing was too bad in order to spoil my overall impression for this drama.
In conclusion, I had an amazing time watching Shin's Project. Itreally felt like a warm hug and it gave me hope for a better society, where people will look out after each other and justice will prevail no matter what. It had its bittersweet and comedic moments, nice mystery and stellar acting. I will miss these characters so much!
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This review may contain spoilers
*TAKES DEEP BREATH*
Final Verdict:7.5 Stars out of 10.
-1 Star for insane pacing.
-1 Star for the 1000 over-the-top villains & their ridiculously over-the-top personalities.
-1/2 Star for the time skips(not one but TWO of them), which are a personal hate factor for me.
I wanted to love this show, my complaint would be the pacing. If they put a little moderation in everything this show would be beyond brilliant. Instead everything is a wee bit over the top.
Bad Guys:
Princess is a psycho.
Queen is a psycho.
Almost-married-to-Prince is a definite psycho.
New concubine/princess/whatever? Yup. Fo Shizzle a Psycho.
The characters are too "much" to be believable. On top of that the sheer number of almost-got-murderized-but-didn't traps is dizzying.
Got caught in a trap. Prison. Almost died but didn't. Got caught in a new trap next episode. Got beat THEN sent to prison and almost died a traitor but didn't. Next episode got caught in a trap in order to trap someone else in a trap and got beat and sent to prison and released again in the nick of time.
*TAKES DEEP BREATH*
Anywho... my personal opinion is that if there was some build up & story-telling in between these 100+ traps, some more in depth character building rather than Characters 1-10 = Psychos, Character 11 & 12 = Good Guys, & Characters 13 & 14 random wishy-washy peeps, then this show would be at my top 5 of all time in C-Drama land. For now, it's enjoyable to pass the time, but too fast paced & too over the top with its characters to quite become something super special. But I'm still going to watch and enjoy this show for sure.
ETA 02/19/19:
Soooo I've been cheating and watching the raw videos in advance. I'm pretty far in and pretty sad about how things are going since I'm not a fan of "time skips" because I don't feel they're ever done well. Hao Lan has two time skips. 8 years and the next one soon after another (at least) 8+ years. I'm not a fan and from what I'm watching it's a LOT of heart ache in the show constantly without much to "look forward to" as a viewer. I'm going to watch it in its entirety, but I can tell already this will not (unfortunately) be leaving a good taste in my mouth. I hate that because it has everything that SHOULD make it amazing... but the most important thing and that is believable pacing and viewers connection/investment to & in the characters.
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This review may contain spoilers
The VIPs ruined it
Typical death game story. too predictable. Can't help compare to Alice in Borderland which was way better.Likes: Lee Jung Jae was excellent. HoYeon Jung was a refreshing new face. Big name cameos. Design was stylish. Only 9 eps
Dislikes: THE VIPs. Worst voiceovers EVER. Completely ruined the drama
Next time, do us viewers a favor and set aside some of the budget to hire decent foreign actors so that your drama doesn't become stupid because of horrible acting. Thank you, that is all.
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mini series that lacks focus
Overall: this had the vibe of a vertical micro series but thankfully had the horizontal orientation and episodes that were more than a minute long. I gave it an indie rating bump. 12 short episodes. Aired on YouTube https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL8QwMuXkPNuYkmlnFYDA78oV68V0crXk0&si=x-BV47wLAtZgVRiZ and PPeach app. Later aired on GagaOOLala verticals https://www.gagaoolala.com/en/verticals/8229/uncle-unknown-2024Content Warning: attempted drugging, drugging, dub con kiss, blackmail, non con picture taking/sharing, unwanted outing
What I Liked
- supportive friend
- the kiss
- sweet moments
- good a character didn't do something when another character was drugged though unfortunately he did something else
- in episode 11 they subverted a very common trope that I dislike
- music
Room For Improvement
- confused on the timeline and who characters were/their relationship to one another
- too many characters
- silly a character didn't explain something for so long, I'm sure he could have used social media, gone in person, etc.
- too many flashbacks, spending time on guys playing volleyball or video gaming instead of developing their relationship
- confusing release schedule, should have released all for members and then after a set time released them for free at least 1 a day for 12 days or if they had narrowed the focus of the plot/reduced characters then I wouldn't have been as confused watching 2 episodes per week
- mom did a 180 really fast
- 2 blocked kisses at the end (but despite what MDL says, this makes a little sense given the country it's actually from)
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"And if german guys ask you 'DO YOU WANT A BEER?',sprinkle hot sauce on them! "
Aghh,so this is how a good kdrama felt like...MY FIRST perfect 10 THIS YEAR. After watching the first episode i already knew i was going to love the story and i deeply wished to not be disappointed after a couple of episodes (like many other dramas)
And i definitely wasn't. The characters are very deep and you slowly get to understand each one more as the story progresses. Each one of them have their own unique characteristics that i won't be able to forget. For example,Jennifer. She's now on my list of fav characters. There's not one character i didn't love,that's how amazing the cast was.
And the plot of this drama speaks out to you in many different levels. In both comical and serious tones,i laughed most of the time but man,the last episodes were hard to get through without crying. I even cried because it ended. It was an amazing ride that i won't forget.
Conclusion: It doesn't take long before you get hooked on to this show. It's my personal top drama of the year. 100% recommend
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+/- Plot:
Is anyone feeling the trend of reincarnation this season? I mean the two most competing shows (in my opinion) of Winter '16-'17 both had this weaved throughout their storylines. I love the idea of reincarnation and how our fates are continually interwoven, especially how romanticized it is in the KDramaWorld. I also liked the fantasy aspect of the drama with Jeon Ji Hyeon as a mermaid, I could see there was a lot of mermaid theorizing that went on behind the scenes and I appreciated that as I felt that it was a nice touch. As for the actual storyline, it's main focus was the romance of course, but they also tried to add an element of suspense/thriller at some points and I felt that was the additional route they wanted to take they should have had a bit more background on Ma Dae Young's character and why he had such grievances against the world. Although they slightly touched on this in one of the last few episodes I wasn't completely satisfied.
As for the romance and the light-hearted areas of the plot I thought they were well planned out and came full circle at the end. I will say that there were some pretty funny/cute moments that make the drama memorable.
+/- Acting/Cast:
Jeon Ji Hyeon is the reason I actually started watching this show. I think she is amazingly beautiful and innocently comedic, a rare combination to come across. I love how she's not afraid of putting her beautiful image on the line to pull out some comedy. She's slightly reminiscent of Mary Tyler Moore, which I greatly admire. Not only does she have beauty, she's also very talented as an actress in my opinion. Although her character wasn't too complex, I think she played it very well and it was fitting.
I'm sorry to say it but I'm not a fan of Lee Min Ho, there's just some aspects of his acting which I find subpar. It felt like he was crying every other episode, and not that I object to a man crying (he had just reason to), it's just that I didn't feel the conviction or the heart throughout the scenes. I probably would've been more moved if they didn't have so many scenes of him bawling his eyes out making his make-up splotchy. And when he performs his 'cutesy' romantic scenes he just doesn't make me swoon like other actors, it just doesn't feel genuine.
Unfortunately, I wasn't a huge fan of the romance between Lee Min Ho and Jeon Ji Yeon. I felt that there was just something missing between the two, they didn't quite have the spark as some other small screen actors. I had much more favor for Ji Yeon and Soo Hyun in Love from Another Star.
As for the other characters, they did pretty well as a whole. I throughly enjoyed Lee Hee Joon and thought he played his part extremely well; he really kept me questioning him through the end. And Shin Won Ho was especially adorable throughout the show, although he didn't have many lines he still made me giddy with his smirks. (I admit, I was initially opposed to his ending, but I'll accept it since I wanted a happy ending for Cha Shi Ah too).
As for the bad guys, I will say that I was put off by Kang Seo Hee and Ma Dae Young, but I've had more burning hatred for other characters in different dramas before. They were fitting for the roles, however, I felt they could have taken it up a notch. And ultimately, I just felt sorry for Lee Ji Hoon's character. I wasn't in love with him, I just slightly felt for him and his circumstances. Sad to say on Lee Min Ho's part, but Ji Hoon's final moments in the show might have been one of the only times when I was even slightly close to tearing up.
+/- Music:
The music was decent, I mean there was nothing that stood out about it. I would say the only song that really stood out to me was Lee Sun Hee's track, which is because I'm a big fan of her. Other than that, there was nothing outstanding, but the OST did it's part in the drama.
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HOT ML ALERT!!! ROMANTIC KISSES AND MAKING OUT IN YOUR AREA!!!!
The plot revolves around our female lead (FL) and male lead (ML), and how they transitioned from being young and affectionate lovers to experiencing a tragic adult romance filled with misunderstandings. FL mistakenly believes that ML murdered her entire family when in reality, it was Z, a deceptive and unsuccessful man, who committed the crime. ML, on the other hand, misunderstands FL and her family, believing that her relatives were responsible for his parent's death and the ruin of his life.ML and FL find themselves entangled in a war of emotions, with FL frequently losing and regaining her memories. ML initially treats FL with a mixture of coldness and warmth, making their relationship tumultuous. As is common in many love dramas, after enduring various hardships (such as ML nearly being killed and FL partially saving him), ML and FL begin to appreciate, care for, and love each other more deeply.
Gradually, ML and FL genuinely develop romantic feelings for each other. However, FL loses her memories, prompting ML to be exceptionally kind and promise eternal love.
Eventually, ML kills Z, the person responsible for FL's family's tragedy. FL regains her memories and harbors immense hatred towards ML, leading her to shoot multiple bullets at him. She then attempts to end her own life but miraculously survives. Similarly, ML survives the attack. When ML encounters FL again on the battlefield, they exchange a loving smile. The story concludes on this note.
The male lead's actor is widely regarded as attractive - HOT HOT HOT 🥵 . The End.
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Great Acting, Great Writing
Don't let wild rumors about this being a propaganda to discourage you from watching. Otherwise you will miss such a good drama with great writing, presented by a great acting.Hirowareta Otoko is a slice-of-life, semi-fictional biography drama about Matsuo Satoru, the actor we see all over Jdramas but we don't bother to remember his name...LoL. In this drama we got to see his journey of becoming an actor as well as his psychological complex during childhood that later contributed to his sour relationship with his family members.
I don't know how good the original source material is, but the writing in this drama was presented in such an interesting way with many beautiful and smart dialogues. I liked how the writer used time jump and flashback effectively in the story telling without making viewers feel lost of the plot. The first half of the drama was full of comedy and coming of age naivety but be prepared for a more serious emotional ride in the second half if you ever choose to watch this.
The performance of the cast was another key factor that made this drama great. Nagano Taiga did an extraordinary job at portraying Matsuo Satoru in my opinion. We could clearly see that he gained few Kg of weight ahead of playing this role. He was versatile enough to easily changed from quirky to serious. As a main character he knows how to attract audiences sympathy.
Kusanagi Tsuyoshi, while doesn't get that many screen time really did well in conveying complex emotion of his mysterious character. He could have done better with his English conversation, but that's minor downside and we understand the difficulty of Japanese actors with foreign languages. I only wish they wrote a sentence that sounds more natural for a non-native speaker instead of "Cool American English" that can't be delivered (or understood).
Other actors also did well in carrying the whole drama and supporting the main character including the US cast. I would say the casting department really did a good job in this one If you're wondering about Ito Sairi, she did well too but her character was more of a supporting one than a main role (as oppose to what is stated in this MDL page).
All in all, Hirowareta Otoko was a wholesome drama that has the right amount of everything; laughter, anger, curiosity, sympathy, and sadness. It's about chasing happiness and self discovery with strong elements of family bonding and brotherhood as well as accepting one's fate whether it's good or bad. If you're looking for a slice of life drama with warm characters this is a must watch!!
About US propaganda mentioned by other reviewer.
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The following section may contain some spoilers
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Since this is a Jap-US joint production, there was an "American Arc" that's focusing on MC's stranded brother (Takeshi). Few US actors were added in the arc and it changed the feel of the drama a bit. I mean from Japan-mode to Western-mode overnight....yeah that kind of feeling. This could be a letdown for many viewers apart from the allegedly US propaganda thing that I will explain below.
However this arc wasn't as bad and still carrying important plot elements as MC got to learn the different side of his brother he didn't know before. He also got to solve the mystery surrounding his family for 15 years. The story of the kid (Sean) was also interesting and cute. It has more Japanese vibe than the western in my opinion.
And I DO NOT see Takeshi mentioning US as a peace place for diverse people as a PROPAGANDA. In fact it's an outdated concept of American Dream that's known by everyone already. Whether that dream is reality or just a dream is a subjective matter.
That statement by Takeshi was clearly his personal view and curiosity considering he was frustrated with their conservative Dad. Knowing that, Satoru candidly said "yeah you've found the place you're looking for". This could only be true in these brothers situation and does not apply to everyone. ...obviously!!
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Was It A Waste of Time? Yes.
Full disclosure: I actually really liked the first 8 episodes of this drama. I knew that it wasn’t the best thing out there and was fully aware of how dumb it was but still enjoyed it because of how entertaining it was.Until episode 11. For some reason all the joy and amusement I felt for this drama went out the door. I watched it as it aired but ended up dropping it for three months because of how annoyed I was. What exactly was I annoyed about? The plot, the FL, and the ML, SML, and (third male lead?). It’s pretty bad when you are more invested in the plot of two fourteen year olds, a minor character who owns a bar, the fourth male lead, and the FL’s mother. If it wasn’t for them (and the 2.5 speed button) I would of never finished this. I typically try to find the good in EVERY drama I watch because I understand that everyone has different tastes but this was atrocious. However, I’m not blaming the cast. The cast was wonderful in their roles as was the cinematography but the script was messy. I found myself wanting to reach through the screen to slap the every character besides the kids, dog, bar owner, fourth male lead, and the FL’s mother.
I feel so bad for the cast because obviously they have good acting chops but the characters they played and the script they were given was not good.
Anyways, I would have gave this drama a lower rating but I did enjoy like four characters + the OST which has a really beautiful cover of ‘Dreams’ by The Cranberries. Would I recommend this to anyone? No. Would I recommend this to people who like to hate watch dramas? 100%. It’s the perfect drama to hate watch if you are in a bad mood and want to yell at idiotic characters.
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This review may contain spoilers
Tough it out!
Some may say that this drama has some similar notes as Hometown Cha Cha Cha- For one, the story takes place in a small town wherein livelihood focuses on seafood
- The people are simple folks, who know each other's stories, and nothing quite escape their notice.
- One of the leads is in the medical profession.
However, this drama focused on a doctor who had anxiety due to his past experience. Being a doctor exempt him from being in an active duty, yet his assignment was not what he wanted nor expected. It also features the rest of the doctors and nurses with whom he has to work with. His presence somehow made a difference to the island folks as he placed treating people above liking or disliking. We see conflicts with a governor, yet he did not just bow to his wishes. In the end, he learned to tough it out as he matured, opened up his heart and be truer to himself. He may be anxious at sea, but his heart as a doctor remain intact. With the way the last episode ended, this can have a Season 2.
As for the actors, they all did a great job. The different characters bring flavor to the drama
- Lee Jae Wook - as Dr. Do played it well how awkward he was in trying to adapt in the island life
- Shin Ye Un as Hari is pretty, first time to watch a drama with her as main character. She is not a damsel in distress kind of character
- Hong Min Gi as Dr. Chiyeon, he played the 2nd guy who liked the lead just like in My Beloved Thief. I think his non-smiling face is good for that no-nonsense character. His character balances somehow the weakness of Dr. Do.
Overall, I give this drama a 7.5 score, perhaps the rewatch value pulled down my score. I like this drama as it touches the reality of depression, dealing with difficult people and learning to adapt in new environment. As I said in my other reviews, I watch dramas not just for entertainment purposes, but also to reflect on life, gain insights from other people and perhaps get some gems to live by. This is one drama that says that.
Aside from the story, I love the sceneries, the sunsets and sunrises, the forest walks. It is enough healing for one's soul.
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