When I read the synopsis I thought it was a story of revenge on those who we saw The Equator Man or Queen of Ambition, however is slightly different.
Here we have a different protagonist, a true anti-hero. Also shows how his history is shaped, its relationship with the loan-shark and her daughter. The process of becoming a prosecutor. Learning from this, and how he can not use what he learned to what I really wanted, because the moral values ??that ought to have his benefactor.
The female protagonist is also perfect. I would say that is one of the core comic plot, and whenever she appeared I was laughing with his actions. Jae In is very hilarious.
Even the secondary couple is perfect. Memorable performances, with a villain who thinks he is righteous but has a past full of lies and money. A plot never stuck me as much as Incarnation of Money
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The Cool Part:
The games themselves are a logician’s masterwork. No twist is foreseeable, and no puzzle unsolvable to the brilliantly minded Akiyama-san. If you like sitting for half an hour – or two - in complete suspense wondering how on earth they will ever manage to win each round through sheer guile, biting your fingernails in anticipation of victory – well that might explain why it’s so highly marathonable. Matsuda Shota plays his part to perfection as the ultimate silent type: an analyst of humans, ever noting the depths of lies and secrets, and calculating every possible move ages before it happens. You’ll find yourself sitting in absolutely stillness waiting for his manipulations to become clear and work their magic.
The Boring Part:
You get the feeling after a while that Akiyama-san will always be there to save the day. And then, the suspense becomes merely repetitive. Having watched half the drama, the pattern for each match firmly memorized, and my brain starting to unravel to keep up with each game’s rules and intricacies, I found myself spacing out. Fortunately, the drama anticipates just such an outcome. Get lost trying to understand the all the players’ plots and maneuverings? No sweat! Before the game ends, there’ll be at least a 20 minute step by step account of how everything happened, and why.
The Real Crux of the Matter:
Games and plotting aside, there’s something very unique about Liar Game’s premise. The story isn’t merely about forcing poor innocent, indebted people to play a game, practically to the death, financial death. Liar Game instead strives to uncover the heart of human nature itself. As the game’s masterful creator intones: “Humans are willing to betray each other in order to survive. Therefore, what’s wrong with deceiving others from the start or living faithfully for your own desires? That’s being human.”
The world he paints in one of black and white, where the black-hearted will always win, and the weak and pitiful will always lose. It’s the cunning versus the trusting, and the pack against the loner, not necessarily evil versus good. To reach the top, humans should or will be capable of stepping on anyone and anything; survival of the smartest, when the risk is losing everything. You lie or you lose.
In Kanzaki Nao, we not only have the most gullible and trusting character ever written; she is an allegory of trust and honesty, absolutely incapable of lying. To the exasperation of the Liar Game Tournament office (or perhaps to their increasing interest), Nao refuses to adhere to their rules. She tries again and again to prove that with teamwork, everyone can win and advance to the next round, maybe not with a profit, but at least debt free. The catch is, if Nao wins, it will disprove everything our Liar Game creator believes in. But for how long Nao can keep the players working together is the only true unknown. It’s a question not even solved by the end of season 1.
Conclusion
It’s hard to fault Liar Game for any real plot holes, especially when it’s obvious that the entire story has purpose beyond plain entertainment, fun, games or romance. Are all the concepts expertly done? Not always. Is it a little cheesy and overly moralistic at times? Absolutely. Will this be my favorite drama of all times, or will I ever rewatch it? No, and most likely not.
But the characters are generally good, and well acted for their roles. Matsuda Shota is fantastic to watch, especially when he gets his game face on. I’d like to say that Erika Toda didn’t overly impress me with her acting, but when her character is an allegory, and mostly unrealistic – that’s something I just can’t make a case out of disliking. Did it detract a little bit from my enjoyment overall? Sure, but then it was a fun ride and eventually I will continue the story, and finish the game another day.
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This is such a sweet yet sad and beautiful yet heartbreaking story. It reminded me a lot of the American movie A Walk To Remember or the Japanese movie Tada Kimi Wo Ashiteru. In a nutshell the main girl meets the guy accidentally due to a mix-up and they start dating. The guy later discovers that she has cancer, and she breaks up with her even though he doesn't want to. In order to not completely spoil the end I won't go into more details, but essentially it's about living your life to the end with someone that you love.
This movie had me crying like crazy -even more than the drama/movie 1 Litre of Tears did- The story is so touching yet real that it caught me by surprise. I'm not a cryer and I didn't expect this movie to be as much of a tear jerker, so keep plenty of kleenex handy while watching!
Acting was great by all parties, but at the very beginning I found the main actress a little stiff in a way. However she found herself toward the middle and end, it made up for the bad beginning.
Music: I loved the ending song and there were some good songs throughout the movie. Nothing earth shattering amazing, but everything was ok.
Rewatch Value: I sure will rewatch this movie again.In my opinion it's a classic and will be a favorite of mine.
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If you are not very patient (like me), you could skip a few episodes in front and still be aware of the entire story line even towards the later half of the drama. As Eun Jae/Sohee carries out her revenge, you will see that it is related to the past events that has already happened in the earlier half of the drama which in my opinion, was too long (but not draggy, yet) for me.
Story 9/10
The story is a kind of cliche faithful wife who serves her husband's family despite their ill treatment... you kind of get the drift. But the excitement kicks in when Eun Jae/Sohee makes up her mind to return with a new identity for revenge after Gyo Bin pulled a failed attempt to murder her and her baby (only the baby is dead, but Gyo Bin doesn't know). Every single episode has you on the edge of your seat, relishing those moments where Ae Ri goes crazy as Gyo Bin cheats on her with his supposedly dead wife.
Acting/Cast 9/10
I deducted a point because of Ae Ri and the real Min Sohee. I simply cannot stand their characters and at some point I wish the scriptwriter will just kill them already. Then again, this goes to show how well every character portrays their role to have me as the viewer feel so much for them. Besides, all the awards that the actors swept due to this drama are enough to certify their skills.
Music 10/10
Can you not love the music? Enough said, every song has me hooked and I find myself replaying the songs even after I finished this drama. Can you believe it, I'm still not tired of the music after 129 episodes of it!
Rewatch Value 7/10
If you're asking me to rewatch episode 1 to 129... My answer would be a no, 129 episodes is simply too long. But I'll definitely be willing to revisit some episodes that were exciting for me.
Overall 9/10
If you have plenty of time on your hands (or if you simply crave some bad woman action), be sure to check out Temptation of Wife. It brings you through the most dramatic marriage life ever through Eun Jae's experiences and you simply cannot help but to feel sorry for her.
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Norwegian Wood has managed to touch me, as I have felt like each of these characters at some time in my life.
Turn the lights off, watch it alone and make sure you are not interrupted. It will slowly creep up on you, making you feel something not just about the movie, but about you and your past.
A must! even for you who have read the book!
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I'm not very good with reviews but I thought I had to write one anyway 'cause this is the best movie I have ever seen!
Watched this movie 'cause it is directed by Kim Jewoon and I have always liked his movies.
The story might not be original, but who get's tired of revenge stories?
Really, who does?
For you who likes great action scenes, amazing fighting and bloody tourture scenes mixed with beautiful soundtracks, this is really something for you!
The acting is superb, with two of the best actors I know of. Lee Byung Hun and Kim Yeong Cheol. (Some of you might know the two of them from the IRIS Drama where they have a similar relationship.) They do not act, they ARE their characters in my point of view. That is how good their acting is.
The music is great and really thought trough. Not just some b-class composers work.
I have rewatched this movie four times now and it is still my favorite!
So all in all, it's a huge piece of fantastic art!
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In terms of historical accuracy, Gohatto is right on the money for everything except the subject it's primarily dealing with.
In a way, it's modern-minded characters in a historical setting.
I won't give an entire Japanese history lesson here, but homosexuality was not fraught over as it is in the movie. For example, there is a lot of concern in the movie over who "swings that way" and who doesn't. In reality, shudo was considered a higher form of bonding and there was extremely little concern over who participated in such acts and who didn't. It's also important to note that sexuality was much less... fixed. It was not seen as such a solid concept as it is today.
Again, this could arguably be the intention of the director, handling a modern issue on a different platform.
Historical accuracy has never been huge for me, though. I do feel it's important to understand if something is or isn't.
A lot of this movie is left open to interpretation. If this is a big pet peeve of yours, I don't recommend this movie.
While artistically I understand why so many questions were left hanging in the air, a big part of me still wouldn't mind some filling in of the blanks.
Something I didn't hugely care for was that large chunks of time were "skipped over", explanations of what has occurred given textually. I just felt it didn't work for this film.
I do want to give due credit to the costume and set designs which were excellent. The swordsmanship was also well choreographed.
The music, on the other hand, just wasn't noteworthy.
The acting just didn't stand out to me. I felt the actors did their job and they did it well, but it wasn't anything more than that. It's difficult to tell if that is a reflection of their skills or a director's decision; I'm leaning towards the latter.
As a last little peeve, most of the actors keep a relatively flat affect the entire movie, especially Kano. While this can be chalked up to how samurai actually behaved at the time, my problem with it in this instance is that because so much of the plot is left up to how you interpret it, I was hoping for emotional cues to lead me in the right direction. So yes, I think the director made the right choice, but the selfish part of me wants to know what the characters actually felt.
I personally felt this movie was more about the corruption that goes with desire rather than homosexuality. Nonetheless, the director does a good job of presenting the issue in an interesting and relatively unique way.
Overall, it wasn't my favorite, but I do think Gohatto is worth watching.
Note: There's truly no sexually explicit scenes in this movie. There's only one that's even questionable. I do advise anyone who is squeamish of gore to proceed with caution, though.
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This review may contain spoilers
Most of the die-hard fans of this drama will hate me for this, but "Nice Guy" honestly isn't anything new in the world of revenge dramas. You have your typical hodgepodge of birth secrets, revenge stories, murders and amnesia- not just once, but twice. There are gaping plot holes, crazy scenarios and messed up character motivations, but if you abandon all reasoning and logical thinking, this drama can be one of the best you've seen.Story: I liked the idea that Ma-Ru at the beginning was a much darker character than we've seen in other revenge dramas. He wasn't afraid to use people and was okay with being used himself. What made him interesting was watching his transition from a shell of a human to someone who had something to lose. I also loved Eun-Gi's character in the beginning, she was passionate yet cold, bitchy but kind, and was an amazing mix of all these opposite traits. I didn't particularly like her personality transformation in the second half of the drama because I felt like the writers only changed her to fit the plot and she became a puppet to the rest of the show's whims, but she swung back in my favor later.
Actors: Let's face it. "Nice Guy" would not have been as popular if Song Joong-Ki hadn't played the main lead. Because he is an A-list actor, it drew in a crowd, since he is a good actor, this drama kept its crowd. That being said, Joong-Ki is the actor that holds this drama together. I'm not saying that Moon Chae-won and Park Si-Yeon were bad- they were actually surprisingly good in their roles- it's just that Joong-Ki stole the show.
Music: Nice and dramatic, it was used well to tie together certain scenes in the show.
Rewatch Value: Since this show was one of the more unpredictable ones, the second time around will not be as good, but it will be alright.
Overall: I feel like "Nice Guy" should come with a big neon sign that says: "All ye who enter, abandon all logic here". Because honestly, the only way you will enjoy this drama is if you don't think about it too much and just go with it.
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I never though I would have cried that much if I would have watch it but ths movie is really heart-warming.
You learn and you understand a lot of things:
- always live your life while you can
- don't judge people by their appearance
- be strong and smile
Despite, all this good advices, the most important subject is the MOTHER: "omma". After watching this movie, I think that my mother is the most beautiful person in the world.
A mother's love is eternal.
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The writing was the biggest issue I had, while being sometimes riveting there was too much back and forth, not a lot explained, wishy-washy feelings and just not enough clarity.
There were a few things touched on and left unexplained I thought - such as a certain gang leaders propensity to stare at the older sister like he couldn't believe she was really there. (There is a history there, it's quite interesting, I just wished it would have been fleshed out more.) I actually would have liked to have something romantic happen there, I think the older sister deserved it after what she had been through with the second male lead.
I thought So Ji Sub was brilliant and endearing, his character was probably the best written of the bunch and wonderfully played.
Kim Hyun Joo as the younger sister (Kim Yun Hee) was appropriately spunky in the beginning and she played her part moderately well - she and So Ji Sub had brilliant chemistry, however I began to roll my eyes at her character the minute she and second lead met. Her character had been good up until then. After that, as much as I liked Kim Hyun Joo - she couldn't really save the affection I once held for the character. I think it was more the writing than anything. As above I mention the wishy-washy feelings, this is where it is.
Kim Ji Ho as the older sister Kim Tae Hee, An okay character I felt, however she could have been so much more. Again - she was brought down by the writing in the latter part of the story, but she did have some stronger moments, more-so I think than Kim Hyun Joo. As above, I wished they had used that history I mentioned above and done something more for her, in the end she was more of a weak fourth wheel for the main love triangle and TBQH I think she deserved more.
Han Jae Suk as Jang Jae Hyul, it doesn't help my review in that I never cared for his character to begin with... I didn't really get him to be honest, there was no sincerity there for me (as a character) I just don't understand how he managed to have two girls (smart as they are meant to be) under his spell.
On the whole, I think there were parts that could have been done better, I liked the story - it kept me to my seat in general and I only fast-forwarded through a few bits.
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Acting/Cast 10/10: There are so many characters I liked in this drama. All the leads did a splendid job in portraying their roles, especially Lee Yoo Ri as Yeon Hwa who changed from a kind-hearted woman to a courageous and persistent person, Yoon Ah Jung as Yoo Ra who did an amazing job as the evil, proud and sometimes insane stepsister who can’t do anything else but keep on lying to cover up the sins she has committed, and also Min Ji Hyun as Soo Ae who is really lovable and lightens the story a little.
Music 10/10: I really love the songs from the OST and I’m also listening to one while writing this review. In my opinion, they perfectly fit the mood of the drama.
Rewatch Value 5/10: I’m not really the type to rewatch a drama especially when it has so many episodes, but maybe I’ll change my mind in a few years’ time ;D
Overall 9/10: I give this drama 9 points because it managed to stir my interest even though I’ve never been able to finish a drama that had more than 28 episodes before and because I loved the ending (it even made me cry).
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The cast was amazing every single actor/actress was so good on their role I really believed them. Kim Han Ah & Lee Jae Ha really made me root for them & their love. I felt every emotion, kiss, sadness & triumph they experienced. I am so glad I got to see their story. I cannot forget to mention Princess Lee Jae Sin & Eun Si Kyung. Their story was a great addition to the drama. Their love was touching, funny, tender & sad.
Music was incredible. I want to get the soundtrack. The clothes, scenery & sets were so well done I really believed they were real.
I will re-watch this drama many times. It was just that marvelous!
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I'm not really sure how I thought this movie would go before I started watching it, but I didn't really expect anything that happened. Not gonna lie, the ending kind of shocked me. All in all, I really liked it. The pace of the story may not appeal to everyone but I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it.
On a side note, the shootouts were actually pretty good. I find most cops in Asian dramas to be really lame and horribly portrayed and any kind of gun battle silly and very unrealistic but I was impressed by this movie. Good job!
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This dorama started off fantastic, fun, interesting. Quickly went serious and boring and predicable.
I hated Park Shin Hye's character and acting. She can do much better than that!
Cha Do Hwi can do us a favour and jump in front of a bus! I wanted to kill her so badly!
Enrique Guem was annoying and unattractive.
The music was okay to begin with but damn it's repetitive and gets very annoying!
The ending was predictable. Why do they ALWAYS do this '1 year later' crap?
Only good thing really was that Oh Jin Rak was attractive! but alas he didn't get the girl...
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