For the first impression in the first episode, I felt that it was a lot like jdrama ROOKIES. I mean, there are similarities like some students in the class distrust the adults/teachers, they even said mean things to their homeroom teacher. I thought that this jdrama going to be cliche, just another school drama. But then, when I reached the end of episode 1, I started to see this jdrama in a different view.
First of all, the students here are much younger than students in ROOKIES. They are all 14 years old. Innocent and cute. In this jdrama also, the plot seems to progress much faster than ROOKIES, which was a good thing. And the glimpse of the next episode at the ending, causing my curiosity grew which made me continue watching it. Plus, it was good to see some actors that you have watched previously in another jmovie/jdrama. For me, they are; Horikita Maki and Hongo Kanata (which also working together in jmovie Hinokio, which got YUI's song - Tomorrow's way as well!), Shirota Yu (in ROOKIES he acts as a student, here as a teacher, lol) and this is my first time seeing Uchiyama Rina acting.
Another thing that kept me going is..of course the ending song by YUI - My generation. In this jdrama also we get to hear the song being made as bgm (I think it is piano instrumental which you won't hear in YUI's single album).
Anyway, my point here, if you are a fan of a school drama, this jdrama is not a waste of time. They also got their morals and lessons. And it was very nice to see Japanese children in their 14s! hehe~ Kawaii desu.
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It's breezy and fun to watch. I enjoyed it very much and I think what I liked most is, everyone seemed so real. There were elements to each character that I certainly recognized in friends or loved ones in my life. They were fallable, made mistakes and wrong choices but then worked them out in a believable way.
I love Korean Dramas for their differences from American TV but it is nice once in a while to see a more realistic portrayal of modern romance and its difficulties. The questions that arise from a real romance. Will we get bored when the newness wares off? Can I forgive him if he cheats? Can I be okay with a more casual sexual love affair? How do I tell a man what I want or that I want more? These are only a few of the question that come up for the women. I am glad that every question isn't wrapped up in a neat little fantasyland bow. The plot lines are handled with a serious air but also a wry, truthful humor. This show made me smile and laugh.
I also loved that while the characters grew during the course of the plot, they didn't completely change their personalities. The love stories were fun and sexy too but still not blatent. The writing, acting and directing were all very solid. I very much enjoyed the narration of the lead character, giving us insight into her inner thoughts. I like the freeze frame stills interjected into the scenes to emphasize an emotion or mood. Fun!
Each episode is about 45 minutes or less and they do speed by pretty quickly. I attribute that to the smart writing and zippy story lines of each episode. I doesn't drag. I really liked the music as well.
This is a fun watch. Easy to invest your time in watching. It had me smiling, happy and waiting for the next episode. Pretty PG but with real kisses and frank sexual discussion. Always a plus in my book!
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Everything about it marks a shift from the usual Korean pattern: plot, lines, direction, editing, photography, ending.
I was hesitant at first because I read too many compare it to Sex & The City - not my cup of tea. But I soon found out that, although the premises are similar - three friends experiencing and openly discussing their love and sexual lives - the general feel of it is completely different. Less stress on glamour and a lot more on internal struggles and doubts, all spiced up with a clever sense of humour and surprisingly GOOD kisses.
I watched the whole show with a big grin on my face. It felt so much like my real friends and I meeting at a bar and talking about ourselves, gossiping about men and their idiosincracy, it was amazing. I love Korean dramas for their exotic touch, situations I would never experience myself because they are culturally too different from my reality; but this drama managed to depict "universal" characters and situations. It felt real, albeit comedic, and as a woman I identified with all of them, on one level or another.
And it's impossible to watch it without talking about it. "What would you do?", "who would you chose?", "did she make the right decision?". All questions one is almost compelled to discuss with someone.
Direction is refreshing too. I thought the use of captures, or episode stills was a very clever choice: expressions are encapsulated in a moment in time and stored away, like a photo album.
The pace is fast and the music soundtracks it with hilarious cohesion.
Overall, a funny, realistic, well characterized drama, which I recommend to every adult. It may not appeal to younger viewers; as for inappropriate scenes, I saw none, but keep in mind I speak as a European.
The final message of this drama is: cherish yourself and your true friends, they won't let you down.
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The male lead in Iris is "The Bad" in this movie & he does an excellent job of playing his character. "The Weird" is comes out to be more than u expect him to be in the end. "The Good" is the most accurate moving target shooter I have seen in any movie. I have never understood how they expect ppl to believe that u can hit a moving target when ur moving as much as the target. I can kinda understand if ur standing still, but moving like they do in this movie; I'm not so sure. But it is pretty cool to watch.
I enjoyed watching this movie, it made me laugh, it made me think, & it made me grossed out (cutting off body parts). I hope others enjoy it 2.
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cast - this was my first taiwanese drama AND my first time seeing a Kingone/Rainie/Mike drama, but i really liked them! Mike is now one of my favorite actors of all time! he is really charming and can make anyone laugh. Rainie is too cute and great at her character(her crying looked true). Plus, the chemistry between Rainie and Mike was HUGE! they look really good for them.
music - i really liked it but, for me, it wasn't the best part of the drama.
rewatch value - i would rewatch it, but i think you don't need to, because every bit of the story stays in your brain forever.
overall - this drama made me want to see the other drama the three of them made! so now i'm definitely going to see 'devil beside you'! i think everyone should see this, it's a good one ('why why love', not 'devil beside you') ^^
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I suppose that majority notice Natsu, but I'm interested in Ryuuji more. I don't know why, but he was amazing under this lamp and at the seaside.
As to LANDS' songs... I don't like this style, but it suits to the movie very much.
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First off, let me just say, this is no ordinary drama and it's one that will definately exceed your expectations. I guarantee this drama will keep you on the edge of your seat right from episode 1.
When I first started watching this drama, I honestly haven't a clue what it would be like and I thought this was just something to pass my time(and because of Lee Min Ho of course!! ^^). I was hooked after episode 1. Straight off the bat. I still haven't a clue how the drama would turn out. And that's what hooked me. It was so unpredictable, litrally anything could happen, not like your typical kdrama where there are episode where you feel like it wasn't even necessary. But City Hunter was different. Each episode revealed something that would be relevant to the plot. Each episode had a cliffhanger at the end, urging you to watch the next. So I can say I'm thankful I watched this when all the episodes were out, or I would've went crazy waiting!
Another thing that makes this drama so flawless is that there are no annoying secrets or misunderstandings that lasts long. It's not like other dramas where like 5 episodes are dedicated to a secret or misunderstanding that makes all the characters all sentimental and basically drive us all crazy. It was refreshing and a big surprise to me when so many secrets get revelead when you least expect it.
Another aspect that makes this drama so awesome is that the heroine is NOT DUMB!!! (for once!!) It's no surprise in kdrama land where you always get the klutzy, clueless female lead. But the heroine in this is so completely different from a typical female lead in kdrama land that seems like almost like a rule that they must be stupid. But Na Na(the female lead) kicks ass. Litrally. She says everything she wants she doesn't leave any room for misunderstandings and fights her own battles. As the drama progresses you will really appreciate how awesome and different she is from other kdrama female characters. I mean can you imagine some of the female characters from other kdramas having to put up with what she does?
This drama was a fun roller coster for me. It made me laugh, cry(litrally), scream at my computer, and countless moments that left me speechless and mouth wide open thinking to myself: "What the hell just happened" (in a good way!) I assure you this drama will not dissappoint! So give it a try!
Oh wow, I just forgot to mention the most important thing that is the cherry on top of this awesome drama, three words: Lee. Min. (hotpants)Ho. Be prepared to go kyaaaaa~ everytime you see him (which is alot! lol) He is just so ....... breathtaking! And the clothes he wears, with his tall figure, and that glorious mane of hair, and those eyes............. Ok yeah the boy is hot. Really hot. Even my mam said he was. And you get to see him kick some ass be a total badass. Now I'm off to find another drama that will be as awesome as this. Yeah that'll take awhile! ^^
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This review may contain spoilers
My Girl -(This contains spoilers. So those who have not seen,please read the first couple of paragraphs)This was the first Korean drama that I ever watched. I was lucky(or should I say unlucky, as this was the first drug that started my addiction) to have seen a Hong Sisters drama on my first attempt. Yes, for the the first time in my life, I felt like I should write more. These writers are amazing. Their scripts are not the racy, fast paced and keeps you on the edge kind. But, rather, my heart is about to burst from the overload of cuteness kind. However its not all fluffy either. They keep the plot gripping to make you want to know what happens to the characters.
Enough of my rambling about the writers, coming back to the drama, it was splendid. Not so awesome that it had no faults kind. But with all its faults, makes you want to watch it over and over again kind. Its negatives were: the over the top histrionics indulged frequently by Lee Da Hae, the bland reactions of Lee Dong Wook, the want to smash your face Park Si Yeon, and whats with your hairstyle and clothes Lee Jun Ki. To be concise, too many. But it more than kind of made up for all this with the amazing hwaiting from Lee Da Hae, the so gorgeous to look at Lee Dong Wook, the know it all and going to get my heart burnt Lee Jun Ki(who I actually liked a whole lot more than the usual second leads in Korean dramas) and the cool but simple twists and turns in the story.
The plot was quite simple: Ju Yoo Rin is a tour guide in Jeju who gets in to trouble with money lenders because of her father's gambling debts. Amazed by her wiliness and her ability to get out of tight spots, Seol Gong Chan, a rich Hotel Chairman's grandson(how convenient!) hires her to act as his fake cousin(sachon), who went missing in an earthquake in Japan, in order to resuscitate his grandfather from his illness and guilt. What was intended as a one time visit gets extended to a stay as the grandfather recovers and adores her. But things quickly go downhill with the appearance of Kim Seo Hyun, a world famous tennis star(all she knows are a couple of tennis shots, he he), who returns to Seol Gong Chan's side after having dumped him to deal with his parents death and run off to play tennis. It is Yoo Rin who gets them together but she realizes that she has fallen for Seol Gong Chan despite his surly ways. This, coupled with the fact that she is not the real cousin, is discovered by Seo Jung Woo, who happens to be best friends with Seol Gong Chan and whose family owns half of the hotel's shares. Yoo Rin knows that Jung Woo knows but he tells her that if she tells this to Seol Gong Chan, then he will blurt out the fact that she likes him as well. Since Yoo Rin desperately needs the money, she stays put and tries to act as the dutiful grand daughter to the family. What happens next is how they try so hard to keep up the pretense and how the lies build up and then fall apart. Like Yoo Rin says, lies are all about timing. You need to get out of it pretty quickly. So you can clearly see how that is not going to happen. Lol!
It is so much fun watching Gong Chan and Yoo Rin together that at odd times, they truly were like siblings. I could not detect any romantic tension or chemistry between them. This was a major flaw in the drama. Not that it deterred me from watching it. It was adorable to watch their interactions. Some of my favourite scenes in the drama were when she adorably tries to fool him in to believing silly stuff like "walking on the white stripes of the zebra crossings will bring good luck", "count till five and if the person you like appears before you, then you will love them", "hold your breath in the elevator and make a wish and it will come true". And when he naively tries them and when she laughs at him for believing it, I laughed along with her. Their scenes together were so cute that I often found myself bubbling up with sweetness. I also especially liked the fact that any misunderstanding they have(for instance, the fact that she pawns the gifts that she receives to get her dad out of jail) gets quickly resolved and does not drag on for episodes. And also he makes a clean break with Seo Hyun, the minute he confronts his feelings for Yoo Rin. And he holds on desperately to her even when she wants to leave and does not put on any noble idiocy act of letting her go.
Seo Jung Woo was an interesting character too. The opening he gets, waking up in bed with an Italian girl and getting chased by her husband was actually strangely cool and he is actually the first to fight for and protect Yoo Rin, when she gets attacked by money lenders. He is fascinated by Yoo Rin as he sees her in different situations and places that it is tough for him to actually figure out who she is. What starts out as curiosity makes him fall head over heels in love with her as he discovers her secret, the fact that she fights her feelings for Seol Gong Chan so hard(as he has a girlfriend and she cannot like him)and also tries his best to protect her in his own way. Yoo Rin initially thinks of him as a good friend and whenever he acts troubled, goes out to cheer him up. But the minute he confesses his feelings for her, she makes a clean break with him and tries to avoid him at all costs. I loved this because unlike most leads in dramas who tag the second leads along and dump them at the end cruelly, she always makes it plain and clear that she does not like him. Of course, that does not stop him from trying hard to get her. There is this one scene when the Seol family tries to set her up with him and he says, " Why dont we do this for real?" and Yoo Rin replies, "In your personal Olympics, having collected women from every country, you are trying to make me the Korean representative?" sarcastically to hint at his playboy ways and leaves. But when he replies, "In this Olympics, Korea will most definitely be the winner",it broke my heart a little. And when he officially proposes to her and asks her why she cant be with him, she says, "I cant be with you because then I ll have to face Seol Gong Chan everyday for the rest of my life", it made me gnash my teeth and exclaim, "girl!, Cant you be a little less cruel?". However, when Yoo Rin and Gong Chan officially get together,he gets desperate and tries to blackmail her in to coming with him to the US, I hated him for a brief time. But just for a brief time, hehe. Everytime Yoo Rin cries to him, claiming that she cannot bear the pain that she has in her heart of being near Gong Chan and having to pretend to be just his cousin, he says,"Remember this! You can only be this way with me! Because only I know the real you and you do not have to pretend in front of me!", it was so awesome and sad. There are many others like the scene where Yoo Rin pretends that the chilli that she ate was not very spicy and makes him eat it and then says, "This is how you must pretend. Pretend steadfastedly that you don't like them at all", it is done with humor and a tinge of sadness. However, all his scenes are not melodramatic. There are a few scenes, where the three of them(Yoo Rin, Gong Chan and Jung Woo) go to a movie and he says he is Gong Chan's husband and they laugh over it at Gong Chan's expense. And when Yoo Rin falls asleep watching an action film(thats so me!), he takes her head and rests it on his shoulder, making Gong Chan jealous. All in all, he was an interesting character. Now if only they had not made him look so androgynous, I would have probably loved him more. Yes, had to mention it. What was up with the so obviously girly hairstyle and clothes. Wonder why they did that!
There is however nothing much for me to say about the other second lead. Seo Hyun was not pretty and so annoying that there was hardly anything for me to even remotely respect her. I did not hate her for leaving Seol Gong Chan in the first place nor unashamedly coming back to him, but I did hate her for expecting things to be the same way as they were when she left him. I expected her to break the secret to the grandfather and thats what she did, so no surprise there. But when she hides the fact that Yoo Rin's father saved the real granddaughter from Gong Chan, that was the last straw for me. Her acting was so mediocre that at times, I felt like I was re-watching the same scene as she had the same kind of expressions on her face. A totally forgetful performance by Park Si Yeon. This dislike forbade me from watching Coffee House with her as the lead.I have not changed my mind and I still am debating on whether to watch it or not.
There are a few other characters and few funny incidents which are cute. Like the romance between Yoo Rin's friend's brother and Gong Chan's secretary and the over the top but hilarious romantic scenes between Gong Chan's aunt and the Seol family's caretaker(he is more like a butler), for example. And who can mention the granddaughter-adoring grandfather, who later turns out to be the scariest and meanest grandfather in the K-Drama landscape. Veteran, no other word.
This series pulled me in to the Korean Drama world in January 2010. I have still not got bored. Its almost like I discovered this whole new way of living. I have come a long way from January 2010 and I don't think that I will ever give up watching K-Dramas which has brought me so much fun. What with the oppas and eonnies and ajhummas and ajhussis and harabojis.. I am having so much fun, guys.. Like most people watching Korean drams, I do not understand Korean though I am making an effort at learning Korean. I would like to thank all the subbers out there who have made it possible for me to watch the dramas. Hopefully, I can sub dramas too, couple of years down the lane. In my next post, I will probably start my review of another series that I enjoyed. I would also like to mention Javabeans and Girlfriday and thank them for their posts and their awesome site dramabeans which motivated me to write about this . I can never be as devoted and good as they are. But this is my way of showing that I love korean dramas. Eonnis, kumawoyo. Aja! Aja! Hwaiting!
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Hmm.. Though, Endo made the best business at th end.
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There are some brutal scenes, but rather not to much. Aww.. and the most important! Film isn't disgusting, it means there aren't nasty scenes.
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Maybe, I will comback to this film someday, but now... I'm too sensitive.
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