This review may contain spoilers
The reason I found this K-Drama is because I was searching for the US version of Leverage and came found this remake. The original Leverage is one of my favorite TV shows of all time so I had to see what the Korean version would be like. My review may be biased because of my high hopes for this show. For the rest of the review I will be referring to the new Korean remake of Leverage as KLeverage and the original US version as just Leverage.First things first, the KLeverage shares the simplest plot elements with Leverage. Both shows feature a insurance investigator whose son dies. Both have a cast of five with roles of Mastermind, Grifter, Thief, Hacker, and Fighter. Both are based on a Robin Hood concept where the team tries to help the underdog in a fight against a corporation. That's where the similarities end. KLeverage's episodes are connected by the victims who are all related to the people that led to the main character's son's death. Leverage's episodes are isolated plots where each episode features a new victim whom the team helps. This is understandable because of the format of Korean vs Western TV shows. In 16 episodes, KLeverage cannot follow the same format that Leverage did. However, the story of KLeverage is uninspired with cookie cutter villains all willing to kill whoever bothers them.
KLeverage features an interesting group of characters who work well together. Without time to provide fully introduce each character's backstory, KLeverage is still able to show some growth. The actors also did a wonderful job as portraying each member of the team as likable in their own unique way. This is what I believe KLeverage did the best and what would keep me watching for a season 2.
In hindsight, KLeverage is exactly what it sets out to be. It is a Korean remake of an American show which means it is going to be similar to other Korean dramas. I should not have been surprised that it did not follow the same format as its 77 episode predecessor. As a casual watcher of Asian (and mostly love dramas at that), KLeverage did nothing to impress me. For someone who is more used to the Korean drama tropes, KLeverage may be an interesting crime show that can be finished in a short 16 episodes. I however, will stick to re-watching the original Leverage.
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slice of life mini series
Overall: this is a 20 minute short movie that was originally released in 2022 and was broken up into 3 mini episodes (first episode was 5 minutes without the credits). Aired on Strongberry's YouTube channel over 3 weeks (1 episode per week)What I Liked
- fighting over the diary
- realistic vibe
- production value
Room For Improvement
- beginning didn't hook me, and how I couldn't see the main character's face
- released such short episodes at 1 episode per week instead of all together
- the ending was open to interpretation with contradictory clues/evidence for each ending
- the title (just do an internet search on "happy ending slang" if you don't know what it means) but I didn't take off points
- the subtitles needed to stay a little longer on the screen as people read slower than when they are just listening (didn't take off points)
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I will not recommend this drama to watch if u have plenty of time than go for it.
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Must watch for Queer people
Its not a typical bl its a Gay 2 men love story with family and societyAmazing story and acting nowonder it own so many awards . Taiwan always prove they are quality over QUANTITY. Taiwan movies are really underrated hope people will check out more
This movie tell so many stories of their sides with suspense and mystry . Its been 3 hours i am still crying and my pain hasnt stop knowing if i fall for women with child . I will not have no right to call my baby cxe for world of eyes there is only Husband and Wife . Its really painful how real life is 100× more wrost of gay/queer people and how in 72 countries we are still illegal.
This story potery feelings of Mark , how regret is the most powerful thing ,Dad Mark II you are the best father and husband . You did nothing wrong it wasnt your fault .Hope people respect this movie as art and respect it
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This review may contain spoilers
I'm actually really conflicted on the rating.... I give my 10s easily, but I have this feeling that something was missing..I feel like this drama just tried to push the limits, and at a certain point they got caught up in their own plan of "how can we make this even more shocking". I kinda started to lose interest by ep12 ish, and I think that's when they tried too hard to add more conflict so the story doesn't end, but they didn't want a rushed ending so they made ep15 seem like a pre conclusion, but then they kept adding conflict after the resolution becasue they had 2 more hours to go.
like the "I'm sorry", "I'll kill you", "let's forget this", "I'll kill you" dance...
for one thing, I'm glad of how they handled Ye Rim and Je Hyuk, but just like the rest of the story I feel like they gave us too much buildup/middle ground and not enough cleanup/closure?
like they never talked about Hyun Seo or In Gyu again. so what? was it suicide? was it not? why did they play us to think it might be Yoon Gi?
and the son running away? then they didn't show his face at the end? why because he looked older or they couldn't film that scene with the real actor? becasue it was a last minute thought?
when Tae Oh tried to kill himself I got the desperation, but it was a slow street, even if the bus/truck hit him he'd have only broke a bone or two. it was not going that fast, but I was emotional when they revealed that he wasn't dead. otherwise I'd have given it a 1 ;)
also all of those scenes making it seem like they were going to kill the son? come on that was a cheap move..
which makes me wonder if the son running away was the writers "punishment" for Sun Woo, because at the end of the day she was not blameless in that mess
but I do admire them for breaking away from the revenge mold, usually it takes them 10eps to uncover the secret and 5eps of omg I can't believe, with 1 wrap up party..
the ost was great and I never rewatch stuff
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Disappoinment
Even the trailer made me upset. I don’t think I can watch the full movie. I really liked the original novel, but this adaptation does not do it justice. The story feels rushed, the characters don’t seem right, and the emotion is missing. It doesn’t feel like the same story at all. I was hoping for a faithful adaptation, but this was a big disappointment.Was this review helpful to you?
Music nothing special, and not very good re watch value. Once you know the tricks, it won't be as suspenseful anymore, because..... simply because you know the story. The story depends a lot on unpredictability.
So, anyone like suspense, action, mystery, supernatural/scifi, a must watch for you. just be ready for a lot of twists.
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This review may contain spoilers
I had no idea what to expect coming into this drama. As if Peking opera and WW2 aren't already very general public unfriendly, it is a BL adaptation of a novel most people have never heard of before; and it is one that BL fans would reject bc the main character is canonically married to a woman and the 2 leading actors are not young fresh actors but veterans in their 30s, 40s. Plus the controversial producer. I personally first started watching bc I already have some affinity towards Peking opera, but how do I even go about promoting this drama to the casual viewer? their first thought would be "it looks boring", which I get it, I thought so too.BUT if you’re reading this have some interest towards any of the topics presented in the this drama, I would strongly suggest giving it a try; it could subvert your expectations in a big way. The way this drama presented Peking opera is so vibrant, elegant, and romantic and it's so well incorporated into the story. Having background knowledge about the operas SXR sings really enhances the experience and actually motivated me to look at more Peking opera material (which I know is rather difficult without knowledge of Chinese, but again, narrow topic!). The sets, costumes, cinematography all just screams effort and quality. I don't think much need to be said about the acting. Anyone can see from the cast list that these are all the big guns. They're not gonna draw a crowd of fangirls, but you can expect on point acting from A to Z. The leads, the supporting actors, all did their job superbly. I do have to give special attention to Yin Zheng, bc Shang Xirui is a very difficult role; any role that involves a Peking opera singer will be, but SXR is extra crazy. tbh I found him unlikeable in the novel, but it was so fascinating to watch him grow and change. Yet Yin Zheng manages to express the duality of SXR's elegance as a opera singer and his rabid dog personality offstage. They aged the character up significantly (the immaturity of SXR makes more sense in the novel as he was only 17/18) but Yin Zheng somehow still made it work as an adult. And the fact that he is so visually gorgeous and mesmerizing in opera costume sobs.
For the aspects I'm not keen about, one is WW2 (which is a topic I don't think many drama viewers are keen about anyway lol). While I ate all the plotlines about opera right up, I did have to skip some military scenes. I know these 2 kinda have to go hand in hand bc history, but I'm glad the show kept a fine balance and the war stuff didn't feel too bogged down. I also felt like the "bad guys" could be more multifaceted and natural. I think they really tried with 2 annoying opera troupe boss coming around to SXR at the end and there's that ONE good Japanese person, but all those arcs felt too cheesy. I also don't dig the OST much, which is truly a personal preference. there are really amazing Peking opera fusion songs out there with perfect vibes for this drama, and they did use one for the opening song, but I just wanted more.
Lastly, I know a burning question people have is about the "bromance" or BL. Well the official answer is, it's there. They're the deepest of soulmates and there is no character in the drama that wouldn't acknowledge it by the end. ngl I was expecting just a true socialist bromance because of the synopsis: "Shang Xirui and Zhu Fengtai are moved to make sacrifices for their country". I can tell you now that's not what happened lol. Towards the end the plot moves solely by the constant sacrifices they made for each other. There is zero sexual motivation between them (which there was plenty of in the novel, and I know BL fans are at least looking for hints of that), but I felt like they encompassed the emotional depth of everything from romantic love, to familial love, to unconditional love etc. the kind of love that makes you free just by being in the presence of the other person. There are no daring fanservice scenes like kabedon or bathing scene or that much slowmo, but the script/dialogue is fantastic and if you really listen to what these 2 characters are saying to each other I promise you’ll get plenty of emotional fulfillment. I do admit that I don't think YZ and HXM have sparks flying chemistry, but it's enough and both of them are so good at acting that I'd eat up any relationship they want to portray.
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Hilarious, Tear Jerking, Endearing.
This one is truly a rollercoaster ride. Mainly due to its ability to make me laugh and cry simultaneously within the same episode.It reminded me strangely of Hikaru No Go, for some reason, though I have only watched the first few episodes of that one. Maybe the bromance and ‘Chu Ying’ being the keys?
Pu Yi Yong, a rowdy highschooler hailing from a family of well respected calligraphers fails to perform well at school and is constantly accused of bullying the star student, Cao Guan Yang. Discovering his talent for calligraphy while on detention, his principal and teachers encourage him to enter a contest.
Whilst on the way to the contest, the bus gets into a freak accident, severely injuring Yi Yong and plunging his family into misery. He wakes up after ‘a long time’ in coma to discover that he has somehow acquired the power of seeing the dead – or rather “things” that are invisible entities. With the help of a traffic cop Chu Ying and the most unlikely ally, his own nemesis Cao Guan Yang, he sets on a journey to piece together the puzzles that will eventually lead to the answers he is in search of.
What makes this drama a highlight of 2023 (for me) is the realistic portrayal of the various relationships in life.
Starting off right away with an inauspicious and ominous scene (although the drama has several funny moments) the major cases or “things” that Yi Yong come across are related to the dark or rather unpleasant aspects of human life. Some of them were genuinely heartbreaking and made me tear up.
There are about 5 or 6 different mysteries within the twelve episodes, and I appreciate how the scriptwriters and crew managed to almost deliver a satisfying conclusion to each one of them.
On the other hand, the shenanigans of Chu Ying, Cao Guan Yang and Yi Yong were to die for. They made a perfect mixture of realistic, dumb and wise all at once. Sprinkled in is also the bromance between Guang Yan and Yi Yong, which I adored. [There is no romance to focus on, so don’t you worry. Or you can imagine a budding romance by yourself.]
Yi Yong was definitely the character whom the writers spent more time and effort on. Guan Yang is much more reticent. Peng Cian You was “really” convincing as a highschooler and a sophomore who barely interacted with human beings. His performance in the final episode was gobsmacking.
I have to say, Tseng Jing Hua managed to convey Yi Yong’s dilemmas, fears and the comedy naturally and is easily a favorite. Aside from him, the supporting actors were terrific, particularly after EP4. The writers managed to somehow circumvent 'plot blockers' and utilize almost every character onscreen.
Even a random baker who appeared by chance had some impact in the story, but I'm not quite convinced by the way it proceeded as it felt out of place.
Yipa, aka Chu Ying was lively, but I felt that she had a more comedic role than Yi Yong. This is my second time watching Vivian Sung after “Our Times”, and it was good to see her back on screen, but for most part, she existed to help Yi Yong with his ‘cases’. We see that she has begun to view her job through a different light by the half mark.
Then, there were times I realized that she really is the elder one amongst them. Her colleagues at the department and Yi Yong’s two buddies were hilarious and never failed to make me laugh.
Setting that aside, several wise and haunting words in the drama are spoken by supporting characters.
Aside from all this, I loved the relationship between Yi Yong and Mom - who for once was a constant part of his life and made an attempt to genuinely encourage him despite his setbacks.
The OST was solid - there was only a single tune that was well emphasized with different renditions for each situation. Plus, a set of cartoonish BGMs were exclusive whenever the “Frenemies” came on screen.
My favorite is the closing song “Painful Hug” by Ozone. It perfectly encapsulates the core theme of the story.
From what I gathered so far, Taiwanese dramas tend to do a better job at plotting stories well if they have an idea.
I found the first two episodes quite slow in spite of all that happens, but I had experienced the same with another Taiwanese Drama, so I decided to stick around. The 'main' or rather the heart of the drama can be a bit predictable, however, it does not feel worn out and had a much more emotional impact.
I will rate this a 9.5/10. It had been a fun ride that I will definitely rewatch. I would not say no to a well developed second season, but sequels usually ruin the memories of it's predecessors. All in all, this was definitely an indelible drama worthy of my time.
I hope that Yi Yong and Guan Yang are still bickering somewhere and driving Chu Ying crazy and that every character finds their happy place.
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Am I the only one? Where's the sunshine?
What went wrong here, Scriptwriter?We started off at a seriously slow pace suggesting meticulous character development, although it wasn't the most interesting drama airing presently, I settled in to see what it had to offer. Annnd then the ex and boyfriend fought the MLs slanderers, next it was three years later (we figure this out from the dialogue), and boom! The end was slapped in our faces, leaving us with that 'wait, what the hell just happened and where is the rest of the story' feeling.
I feel like the director didn't enforce a particular standard and just told the leads to 'go with it naturally', and for a slice of life drama, the emotional scenes are surprisingly flat. I felt no chemistry between the leads but somehow I was okay with it. The two younger leads had better chem and repped their parts well. The scriptwriter could have given the MLs parents less domestic meltdown scenes in favour of actual plot pivotal events. Shelving this drama in the #TheDramaItCouldHaveBeen category. Wasted potential.
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The Romance with Potential That Lost Its Way
The Midnight Romance in Hagwon* sounded like it had everything to be a great drama. It started with a fun idea: Seo Hye-jin, a dedicated hagwon instructor, and Lee Joon-ho, her former student who comes back into her life after ten years, leading to a secret romance. I was excited to dive into this love story and explore the world of Korean cram schools.At first, the drama was really engaging. The chemistry between the leads was great, and I enjoyed learning about the hagwon system. The acting was top-notch, and the romance seemed promising. It was everything I hoped for in a romance drama.
But, as the episodes went on, things started to slow down. After about ten episodes, the show lost its charm. The pacing became uneven, and just when the story started to get interesting again towards the end, it wrapped up too quickly. It felt like the drama was building up for something big, only to end abruptly.
The show had a strong start with its themes of idealism and a touching romance, but it quickly turned preachy. Instead of delving deeper into the characters and their struggles, it became more about criticizing the education system in a repetitive way. The drama’s message felt more like a lecture than a part of the story.
As for the romance, it didn’t really shine. Lee Joon-ho, the charming student, had potential but didn’t develop much beyond being a catalyst for Seo Hye-jin’s growth. Seo Hye-jin started off as an interesting character but became a bit bland over time. The side characters were not very developed either, and their roles felt flat and one-dimensional.
The drama also leaned heavily into melodrama, with exaggerated conflicts and villains that seemed over-the-top. This overshadowed the real issues and made the show feel less genuine.
In the end, *The Midnight Romance in Hagwon* started strong but didn’t live up to its potential. If you enjoy dramas with a mix of romance and slice-of-life elements, you might find it worth a watch. But if you’re looking for a story that keeps its promise and delivers a satisfying ending, you might be left disappointed.
Overall, it’s a drama with a great premise but missed the mark in execution. It’s like a movie that starts off exciting but doesn’t quite hit the right notes by the end.
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DMD Friendship Reality, the Third Chapter
16 people found this review helpful
This review may contain spoilers
not really a dating show nor a casting show and for a fact not reality...
While most of the boys look cute to charming to handsome, this was the most scripted show I could imagine. First, five episodes of just the daily life and the "missions" are not nearly enough to do anything useful. When we know that everyone does not know each other, without one couples exception, it feels very unsecure and unsure. They are really young, have not much experience especially with what they want in a partner and there were not a lot of in depth talks.Patji & Ryujin were build up to be a couple, but even this show added unnecessary drama if they really go together or not - which felt so cringe. Of course they will be together, they know each other for about two years and both of them would not choose a stranger.
So, all in all it was a very scripted show, easy on the eyes but it felt not natural at all. They would have needed not a week but at least a month, they would have needed lots more episodes. Maybe there were in depth talks, but we did not see them and that would have been much more interesting. OK to watch, but not interesting at all.
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This review may contain spoilers
I was addicted to this drama from start to finish. There are NO skips necessary. Every episode engrosses you further into the story and there isn't one scene that is dull. THE PLOT was very interesting to me. Some may just dismiss this drama because of the "good girl meets bad boy" trope, but if you keep watching you'll see that it's not as black and white as it seems. The writing and dialogue were the two strongest points of this, hands down. This drama truly lives up to its title. As serious and melodramatic this is, there are still moments that are softening and endearing to watch, yet as fast as you smile, it will leave your face just as fast as it came. The main cast executed their scripts to a T! The portrayal of their characters really showed, and it definitely helped progress the story. THE PLOT TWISTS ARE UNPREDICTABLE and the final one left me so stunned I was literally SO SHOOK. I was so shocked as to how the story took many twists and turns in ways you never expected.
THE MAIN CHARACTERS were exceptional and outstanding at the same time. The dedication that Seo In Guk, Jung So Min, and Park Sung Woong put into their characters deserves just as much if not more praise for the drama itself. The chemistry between the leads was through the roof. You really believed they were a couple who was just going through the motions. There. were barely any scenes where I didn't believe the emotions that were being conveyed, except for some scenes with Jin Kang. I felt she was too lenient with the actions of her brother and Moo Young, but then again her character was made to be very forgiving. In a way you almost pity her for being so naive and failing to face the reality of things, but that's what made her character so human. Sometimes our love for others blinds us from seeing them for who they really are. Moo young was not a good person, even to her, at times, and the audience knows this, but Jin Kang is so convinced that Moo young is good and he can do no wrong, that he is the way he is simply because life has dealt him a bad hand of cards, and that is so earnestly human. Now I'm going to talk about Moo Young. What an amazing performance. EVERY TIME HE SMILED THERE WAS NO SMILE IN HIS EYES AND THAT WAS INCREDIBLE TO WATCH. you never knew if he was really being sincere with anyone, no matter how convincing he seemed. Seo In Guk delivered the best performance from a male lead in a drama I have seen thus far. I haven't seen him in anything besides this but I will for sure check out more shows with him in the future. What a complex character. Dangerous but somehow approachable at the same time. He is cold, arrogant, selfish, manipulative, and dismissive of other people he doesn't care about(he enjoys messing with people's emotions which kinda comes off as a sociopathic), but under the surface is a severely damaged young boy who is desperate to find his identity and learn the reason behind his suffering and tumultuous past. What's sad is he grew up believing that his past defined him, and how many people out there do the same exact thing? As for Yoo Jin Gook, he played the role of Jin Kang's brother very well. He is very protective of Jin Kang, but only because she's the only family he has. As annoying as it was watching him withhold the truth, he was the perfect example of what happens when you are not honest with your loved ones. I understand that he did not reveal Moo Young and Jin Kang's past because he wanted to protect them, but had he just said the truth early on, it would have prevented a lot of the events leading up to the finale from happening(I just find it wild that he really let his sister sleep with her brother like wow). However what makes him human is the fact that he really thought he was doing Jin Kang and Moo Young justice by withholding the truth from them when in actuality it worsened the situation of everyone involved. I'm sure there was a time where we didn't tell the truth to protect someone we cared about. My only real complaint about Park Sung Woong is I felt like he could have shown off more of an emotional range. A lot times he looked too stoic and lacked the emotion that a scene demanded. Although he is flawed you understand the actions he makes and the reasons behind them. As an orphan he did the best he could to raise Jin Kang and protect her at all costs.
THE MUSIC was so moving and fit the theme of emotion for every scene. Just perfect. The melody to "Lost" really stuck to me and I can't stop thinking about the scenes between Moo Young and Jin Kang.
Overall I give this drama a 10/10. I wouldn't rewatch cause I don't like rewatching things I've already seen even if I enjoyed it, but that doesn't mean it was anything less than amazing. The ending wasn't happy but given the tone of the drama, it wouldn't have felt right if Moo Young and Jin Kang got happily ever after. I felt a certain peace knowing that in the end, regardless of their intertwined pasts and mistakes, The two had fully accepted one another and were willing to face anything together-including death. One thing that stood out to me was that Moo Young was always self-aware of himself so he was never too far gone, and somehow Jin Kang was able to get through to him and convince him to change his ways. Had he had more time, I would like to believe that he would've become a better man. He had already started, but it was too late. It really is inevitable for a person's deeds to catch up to them. The end of their saga was beautiful and tragic at the same time, but I wouldn't end it any other way.
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This review may contain spoilers
It's Okay To Not Be Okay Is...Okay
I'm not a fan of romance whatsoever but I am a fan of great storytelling when it involves small doses of romance. That being said great storytelling also involves great screenwriting where the dialogue is clear and compelling and doesn't leave all the heavy lifting to the viewers. But what 'It's Okay To Not Be Okay' suffers from is its heavy reliance on flashbacks. It's okay when you're recapping episodes and if they are used sparingly for dramatic effect but if you have to continually remind viewers of certain plot points then it seems to indicate a lack of confidence in the story itself. The likelihood of a man with an autistic older brother falling in love with the daughter of the woman who murdered his mother is a hard sell. And even with some strong individual performances at times by the show's leads, I didn't buy it. I wasn't convinced of the motive that caused the mother to kill in the first place. I also thought the show did a very poor job of exploring the real-life stigma that people with mental health issues face.Was this review helpful to you?
