The female lead was extremely enjoyable, she played her role to the letter: a ditzy, emotionally immature, obedient teen that tries to make amends with both her family and her own choices in life, both professionally (through the music she chooses to play), and romantically ( by choosing a boy that her grandfather disapproves of).
The male lead appeared dull and emotionless, but that was due to the nature of his role, also: a young man that had been scared emotionally by the absence of his father, striving to make a name for himself by distancing from his mother's successful career.
Really enjoyable were also the supporting couple, the teachers of the two, which offered an interesting idea of how immature love has kept blossoming through the passing of time and how the silly reasons for breaking up had been resolved by the passing of time.
The supporting cast in the whole was excellent, loved the drummer boy and his ballerina, they acted really well and gave the show a much needed quirky romance.
The music was great, really enjoyed the Gayageum, which I discovered through the show ( I had only listened to the Chinese 'version' of the instrument), and the combination of pop-rock and string instruments was nice and innovative.
All in all, I found this drama very enjoyable, relaxing and not at all sluggish in evolution, and I think it is perfect for those looking for a silly, uncomplicated, music-bathed romance.
I could really compare this drama with the equally entertaining, if not more-so, Playful Kiss, which I absolutely recommend.
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So today after school I was really bored and looking for something to watch. I was planning to continue Lucky Seven but realized that I want to watch a Korean movie after a long time. And I haven't watched many K-movies either. This was my 4th K-movie.
THIS IS WHERE THE REAL REVIEW BEGINS :D
Anyhow, the plot of the movie was very good. Main reason why I decided to watch this was the plot. Mainly because it's really similar to my all-time fav j-drama 14-sai no Haha.
Acting was...well how could I say it. The main actor and actress were REALLY CUTE. They were so cute that I couldn't concentrate on the acting...Plus I always kept comparing the actress of Jenny to Shida Mirai's superb acting in 14-sai no Haha. So acting in this one didn't blow me out.
When the music started for the 1st time I thought it was really cute and catchy. Then while the movie went on the music stayed the same, only singers changed. So I got annoyed of the fact that the music was repeating and repeating again.
I think I won't be re-watching this. I usually don't re-watch series/movies unless they're something "special" to me or unless they blew my mind out while I watched them.
So overall this was a cute movie but nothing special. Thus I'll give this a 6.
Thanks for reading my review ^^
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Like others have stated, Spellbound is one of those movies that incorporates a lot of different genres. Horror and comedy? Can you really make a movie turn out good by using these two genres? This movie is proof of that. It had me laughing throughout more than half of it, but there were also those scenes that had me jumping from where I was sitting because I didn't expect something to happen. If you're someone who doesn't like scary movies, you might find a couple of these scenes to be scary. But there's also comedy that you wouldn't find in a typical horror flick. And romance on top of it! I'm not a big fan of horror films, I get jumpy easily and if I watch one at night before I go to bed - I can guarantee it'll take me hours to fall asleep unless I'm able to take my mind off of what I just saw. This movie is perfect for people who don't handle scary movies that well - because it leaves you not with a feeling of being scared but a feeling of calmness after it's all said and done.
The acting is great! I mentioned already that I briefly saw Lee Min Ki in Shut Up Flower Boy Band and loved him here. He's a really good actor, he has this certain charm about him - I feel he can pull off any look or character and still do well.
I haven't seen Son Ye Jin in anything, so I have nothing to compare it to. I feel she held her role here nicely. They both shared chemistry and the acting was done naturally.
The music didn't really stand out too much to me in this movie. There was one song I briefly remember that had a nice sound, but nothing I'd listen to outside of the movie.
I can definitely see myself watching this movie again. I loved it. It wasn't perfect, but it was done really well.
Overall, I think this movie is worth watching. If you're looking for something with comedy and romance with a dash of horror - you got it. No really, it's worth watching, it might seem odd, weird, but once you start watching you get pulled in. Give it a try (: There's some really funny scenes!
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A little bit of a throwback to my past, I went searching for a "GARO" review, found there was none, and decided to write it myself.
There is not much I can say for plot because the synopsis given pretty much tells you what the deal is (a but too much in my opinion, but meh) so I will just be jumping into my thoughts on the show.
Man I loved this show. First of all, creative director should get an award. I'd hate to compare this to Power Rangers because it'd be like comparing a slingshot to a gun, but this is like that genre for a more mature crowd. The "Horrors" are splendidly created with interesting diversity. I loved the mermaid episode costume, and the main boss near the end. Animation sequence could have been better where used but you get so wrapped up in the story that you forget/ignore it.
Konishi Hiroki as "Saejima Koga"... honestly I found him adorable in the broody-type-of-lead way. He didn't kill it and made "Koga" likable (trust me folks, harder than it sounds sometimes, this type of hero you tend to bore of). As Koga, you kind of like the fact that "Kaoru" (played by Hijii Mika) has that way of putting his knickers in a bunch. Her character surprises you towards the end.
"Rei" (Fujita Rei) was probably my favorite for character writing because they made him so bloody interesting right from the get-go. I actually liked Fujita Rei in this. I have seen him in other shows, but hadn't really taken a liking to him like I did in "GARO".
Character development wasn't too rushed, and they didn't flood us with angst.
Story, honestly, wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be going in. I had tried to watch Kamen Rider to no avail, and stumbled into this and got sucked into the story. It's an interesting ride as we see our Hero try to live up to expectations, stay true to his sense of right and wrong, and still do his duty as Garo within the span of the 25 episodes. Oh, and keep "Kaoru" alive.
Music.... ok well, the first opening... to put it gently got annoying fast, which is why when they switched the theme song for the second opening I was so glad.
As for re-watching, up until last year I was still re-watching the series. I don't know, there is just something about this show that gives this sense of nostalgia when remembering it that brings on the urge to re-watch.
So to conclude, Great show with a interesting take on the whole "magical/transforming armor" genre. Do not be detoured by the whole Transforming bit! It surprisingly gets under your skin for a great 25 episode run. Good story telling and great art make it worth the time.
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Story. I give it a solid ten. This was another drama I was hesitant to watch. Why? Historical drama. I was never really interested in those. In fact, it took me four months to get myself to watch it. What happened then? I finished it in two days. I couldn't stop myself. It was a great drama, and although it has the cliche storyline of two guys fighting for a girl, the context that it was put in made it simply amazing. Even more amazing, I actually thought that the ending pair actually deserved each other. In most dramas, it's either the girl who's not worthy, or the guy, but in this drama, they deserve each other, and their love for each other match. There are twists and turns, but then again, I sort of did expect everything that was going to happen. Was it because I watched Iljimae first? They have around the same storyline, and even the young actors were the same ^^ So, while I did guess the ending, and what was going to happen, the producers still managed to pull off another great drama, full of suspense, action, love, and betrayal.
Acting/Cast. Well, first off, let me just say that most of the dramas I watch, I watch because of the actors. I was just going to pass this drama while I was searching for a new drama to watch, but the actors held me back. I recognized Kim Soo Hyun from Dream High, and Jung Il Woo from Flower Boy Ramyun Shop (which I had just recently finished), and decided to give it a try. I set my standards very high for actors whose other dramas I've watched before, and I wasn't in the least disappointed by their acting. I admit that Prince Yang Myeong's transition from a teenager to an adult did take a while to get adjusted to, but Jung Il Woo hasn't disappointed me yet. And surprisingly, neither did the teenage actors. From what I could tell, they were amazingly mature for their acting, and
Music. Well, music is one of the smaller things I pay attention to when watching a drama, so I can't rate this category very well, but since the music always seemed to match the mood beautifully, I also give it a ten.
Rewatch value. I have rewatched very few dramas in my life. I have explained in my other reviews why, but I do not feel the need to explain it here. It was an outstanding drama, and I might watch it again in the future. If I have time, or if I get bored. I just want the impact of the full drama to stay with me when I watch it, and if I rewatch it, there's a chance the impact won't be as great.
Overall, I believe this drama deserves a ten.
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The story, I gave it a 7 because truthfully - it's a lot like the first season, but then it also drifts off into a lot of side stories with the supporting characters. Some were nice, but after a while I just wanted to see more with the main couple. Also there were parts that I felt they should've shown more with. Later on in the drama it kind of felt like some characters just disappeared and were forgotten about. I did enjoy it for the most part though.
I did love how Xiang Qin seems to grow up. She has a lot of silly and dumb moments just like the first one, but she does start to mature. Zhi Shu also grows up and you start to see his real feelings.
The acting between the leads was terrific! Ariel Lin and Joey Cheng really have wonderful chemistry, and they really pulled off their parts and especially the romance and love they were supposed to share. Some of the side characters though…they weren't as good at acting. Jiro was hilarious, I wish I had gotten to see more of him but he was only in about half the drama. I also loved the friends that Xiang Qin made later on, Qi Tai was my favorite. Christine was nice, but to be honest, the actress wasn't that good at acting.
I loved the music to the first season, and after a while the music for this drama grew on me. And I loved the upbeat songs they started playing in the later episodes. Really nice!
I can see myself rewatching both seasons of ISWAK someday, just probably not for a long time, haha. Too many dramas I want to watch.
Overall, if you liked the first season you'll most likely love this one as well. There's definitely a LOT more kisses and sweet moments than there is in the first season.
My one problem I started to have towards episode 15 is the fact that they change the actor for Yu Shu. I understand that time progressed in the drama and he had to get older, but the way they place the new actor in the drama is quite random, and I had a hard time adjusting to this random guy they changed him into.
Towards the end I did find myself skipping through some scenes to hurry up and finish it. The ending is nice, and they leave it unfinished just like the manga (which I haven't read). I don't know if they'll ever make a season 3 because of that, but I love how they paid respect to the original author of the story.
Anyways, fans of ISWAK you'll find yourself liking this version. To be honest I think I prefer the first season, but there's a lot that enjoyed the second season more, so give it a try yourself and see if you like it (:
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The plot follows a special team of detectives that work together to solve cases that only have a "10%" chance of being cracked. The cases are dark and twisted and wonderfully portrayed.
Each member of the team has an interesting backstory and is played to perfection. Joo Sang Wook was amazing as the "less than noble" team leader with the soulful eyes. My favorite character overall, was Kim Sang Ho's lazy bum-detective character who is actually quite clever.
TEN has amazing cinematography and visual effects ... it seems a lot more artistic than the usual cop drama. The music is also lovely. BREATHE by Mad Soul Child is a hauntingly amazing song.
Overall, a slick and exciting mystery series that features great acting. Can't wait for the movie that will conclude the cliffhanger at the end of episode 10.
;)
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Tian xia wu zei-Exciting and heartwarming!
the Story is a kind of road trip movie that changes the lives of the main characters.
on the one hand you have the couple that travels around china, who use their intelligence and skill to steal and trick anyone and everywhere they can. they are played by Andy Lau, one of the greatest chinese actors, and Rene Liu. I really like the development of their love-story through the movie. the emotions are played out very well.
on the other hand you have this really naive country-guy, Sha gen, played by Wang Baoqian, who is returning home from the big city after years of working with all his savings to find himself a wife. he is so innocent and truthful that you want to hit him for being so stupid, but you can't help but like him a lot.
the plot is mainly happening on the train all of them are travelling together. While the woman is slowly developing a friendship with Sha gen, there is another group of thieves who is trying to steal the money from him. so they have to protect him against those attacks. it always makes you wonder: will they be able to protect him or will they steal the money themselves in the end?
what i really like about the movie is that you can see many different places in china and learn about chinese culture. it shows a lot of things that are in my opinion typical about china.
even though there is some martial art action scenes, when the thieves are batteling, it's not too exaggerated. you still get the feeling that everything is real and that life could be happening like this in china. i think that's mostly due to the main characters. the story makes you feel there is something good in everyone and although the story is a little sad, after watching this movie I had a feeling of relief. like.. everything is good now the way it is. it's hard to explain for me.:D
but anyways if you want to learn about china and like movies that keep you thinking afterwards, i'll recommend you to watch this.
and if you like Andy Lau you MUST watch this!;P
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and I have to say, I am still rather confused.
The beginning makes absolutely no sense at all and is only connected to the later, main story, by the barest of strings. I understand why the included it, but still, rather useless and only adds confusion.
Story: Over all rather confusing. Interesting idea behind it, but not planned or expressed well.
Acting/Cast: Actually, the acting wasn't bad. Each actor portrayed their character as best they could, given the cheesy lines they spouted.
Music: The music also ups the overall score a bit. I really liked the piano version of the "familiar song"
Rewatch Value: The only reason I'd rewatch it is if I really feel like I'd understand it more the second time. I doubt it, though.
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If you are sick of girl-lead playing cute and goofy then try this one!.. c'mon a teenage chick still at high-school kicking serious butt and I mean seriously mad-fighting skills GUNS AND ALL!..You will fall in-love with her from ep1.. Dont expect romance up in here too, I mean there will be romance but only for 10 seconds or so!.. If you love "The Man from Nowhere" with all the actions, GUNS, AND MARTIAL ART but with a girl-lead then you will love this one...100% GUARANTEE!! ..ACTING WAS SUPERB FROM EVERYONE and hope to see HAN GROO in more movies/dramas!! SHE WAS BLOODY AWSOME!..
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-Some of the prizes/rewards got predictable, and by the 7th episode, I could guess what would happen (pertaining to the 'treasures' or 'prizes', at least).
-There are several deaths in this drama, but none are very graphic. (The 'example' imaginings with "X" are cute and funny)
-the antagonists are easy to guess in some of them, but rather obscure in others, it's episode/mystery dependent.
-That being said, you may need to be familiar with the language to truly follow along with this and keep up with the characters. References to kanji and radicals are in abundance.
-I didn't like the last episode, it didn't have an "end" feel to it at all. It left me rather unsatisfied.
Acting/Cast: The acting really saved this drama. The scheming girls make you want to hate them, the teacher is funny and oddly endearing, the boys are hilarious, and the relationships between all the characters seem to be very real. Even the background characters that appear for one episode are completely submerged in the perfect roles.
Sometimes the teacher can come across as being cheesy and fake, but those are mainly during the times her character calls for it.
Music: The background music during the drama was suiting and didn't stand out, so it was fitting and appropriate. I really don't focus on the music in dramas, because that's not the important part to me. If I don't notice it (yet don't notice the lack of it), it's doing its job perfect. I did feel anxious and jumpy during some parts of this drama (much like the feeling of a thriller/scary movie), and that was probably thanks to the music.
Rewatch: Might be worth it, to be able to focus more on the acting and relationships than the mysteries. Possibly seeing things previously missed that could be plot holes or something... But I'd rather watch something new with Yamamoto-san in it.
Overall: I liked it. It entertained me and ate about a day out of my life (just like a drama should). I feel it could have been better, somehow... but that could just be because the last episode is running through my head and I didn't like it much (again, no "end" feeling to it. Very open). I would say it's worth a try, if nothing else~
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