Reviews

Ditsy Cradle Snatching Woman Falls for 18 Year Old Pretending to be her Boss

Yep folks, that's what this show is all about. Some guy pretends to be his elder brother and seems to be able to navigate between working at a company and going to high school and no-one wonders how he is able to manage either without doing bad at both. This show is beyond ridiculous and the whole premise is outrageous. The young guy falls for a contract employee whom he makes his secretary. He is 18 and she is 28 and the employee's sister is in love with him (they go to the same high school together). So not only does the FL go for a teenager, she also takes the guy whom her sister likes and does not seem to give a toss.

I don't know the moral standards of the writers but in the world I live in a 28 year old woman going after an 18 year old in High School be he Seo In Guk or some other popular actor is not very appropriate or acceptable. Plus, this child has not even had his brain develop into an adult (go read a biology text book if you doubt me).

The character played by Lee Soo-Hyuk and his background story was the most interesting and it was his performance that grabbed by attention and made me want to watch the show. I did feel for the misfortunes of the character Jung Soo Young (played by Lee Ha Na) but she was so unreal that she was practically comical instead of drawing on your empathy for her I would have liked to have seen the story evolve between these two characters - watch them grow and develop for the better - but the writers wanted the FL with a child. So if you're into love stories where older women go after children, this drama is perfect for you.

Addendum: May I add the show promotes sexual harassment as love and gives horrific examples of what the writers deem as love but are instead complete violations of the boss-employee relationship. We have an 18 year old forcing a kiss on the FL which she accepts without protest, and then he harasses her to like him which they call romance.

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Feels more like a documentary than a drama with a plot

I was very conflicted after watching this, because on one hand, I really liked the majority of the performances from the actors and the calm, understated vibe with lovely cinematography that is typical of most of the NHK yorudramas I've watched. I thought Fukuchi Momoko did great as the lead, and the Radio Star family had nice chemistry. I didn't know anything about the Noto peninsula or that it had a major earthquake, so I appreciated that the drama highlighted that.

However, I think therein also lies the problem with this drama for me - I feel like it focused *too* much on showcasing the region and unpacking the aftermath of the earthquake at the expense of its characters and story. Pretty much all the characters are defined in relation to their experience with the earthquake rather than actual personality traits or background, which made them flat and hard to connect with. Like yes, I have empathy for what they went through, but I have barely any idea who these people are, and the drama doesn't quite seem to know what to do with them either.

And not to try to shoehorn in a romance when that was clearly not the purpose of the drama, but I was reaaaaaalllly hoping they'd do something between Rikuto and Kanade because they had such amazing chemistry from the jump. Episode 11 was definitely my favorite, and the scene where they're at the coast at sunset drinking and talking over the wind was the highlight of the whole drama for me, so I was very disappointed that it didn't go anywhere.

Overall, there are lots of individual things to like about this drama and the vibes are strong, so I enjoyed myself even if it didn't really come together for me in the end as a story. I would recommend if you are looking for something cozy (although a bit melancholic) to watch or like any of the actors, but don't expect a gripping human drama with high emotional stakes.

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Uma história leveee

A Lenda do Soldado Cozinheiro é um dorama que mistura vida militar, culinária e comédia de uma forma bem diferente. O começo foi o que mais me prendeu, porque a proposta é criativa e os primeiros episódios conseguem despertar bastante curiosidade sobre a jornada do protagonista.
Conforme passa os episódios senti que a história ficou um pouco repetitiva dando preguiça de assistir. Não é um dorama com grandes acontecimentos, reviravoltas impactantes ou momentos extremamente emocionantes. Em alguns episódios, a sensação é de que a história anda em círculos. Apesar disso, os dois últimos episódios conseguiram recuperar meu interesse e trouxeram um desfecho legal.
Um ponto que preciso destacar é a parte das comidas. Sério, as cenas culinárias são um espetáculo à parte! Cada prato é apresentado de forma tão bonita e apetitosa que deu água na boca várias vezes. 🍜🥟🍖 Foi impossível assistir sem ficar com vontade de experimentar as receitas que apareciam.

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Gostei muito da sintonia do Yan Zi Xian e da Liu Jin

Hoje eu precisava de algo bem leve para assistir e não me interessei por nenhum lançamento, e ao entrar no Youtube vi o poster deste drama e lembrei-me de ter iniciado, mas desistido e quando tentei novamente os links haviam caído.
Dei play, e apesar do drama conter alguns clichês, eu achei a história tranquila para se acompanhar, mesmo quando chega a falsa noiva e a (pouca )interferência da mãe do ML.
Me emocionei quando o ML finalmente descobriu a razão pela qual a FL rejeitou seu pedido de casamento anos atrás. Gostei que ele tenha entendido o quão falho ele foi com ela, porque mesmo antes de entender e saber que ela havia ouvido tudo, ele já estava atrás dela quando se reencontraram.
Gostei muito da sintonia do Yan Zi Xian (finalmente em um drama moderno) e da Liu Jin, eles estavam lindos neste drama, e seus figurinos eram bem bonitos e valorizavam seus corpos, gostei bastante do caimento das roupas do ML. Gostei também da naturalidade das cenas deles juntos, e dos (poucos) beijos que tiveram.

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A down to earth delight

Historically, I've dreaded the tradition in Taiwanese Dramas for a massive makjang meltdown between halfway and three-quarters. This one had very little, thankfully.
I ended up raising its score significantly for the way the final episodes showed the outcome for every character's choices. It wasn't about karma or punishment for those who chose to use and hurt others. Instead it just showed that decisions and choices people make through life have consequences.
I love that in the very final episode, those people whose choices were negative, and for whom the consequences were similarly negative, barely featured at all. The entire last 20 minutes was a celebration of the outcome of making positive choices. And the real-life married couple who played the leads were outstanding together from beginning to end.

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It's bubblegum.

You chew it up till it has no flavor left and then you spit it out.

It's a transitory amusement, devoid of caloric content or nutritional value. Cheap, pleasant, and disposable.

It is MOSTLY as-advertised: Stylish, yet vapid and implausible on nearly every level, in a way that reminds me of BoF the K-version only somehow even dumber and more shallow. The J-tropes are there. Our FL has a rock bottom EQ and a martyrdom streak a mile wide. ML says he loves most about her: Her smile and her hard working attitude. Wowwww okay then.... But this statement just tickles the FL pink. So happy to be noticed for her grace under slavery! Awww.

The emotions of the viewer just are not evoked. Saved By The Bell is more emotionally engaging than this. I watched a documentary about a honeybadger that was more emotionally engaging than this. The music department held up it's end of the bargain, and did it's best to evoke emotion without clobbering the B-tier-at-best performances of the actors. The bgm was subtle, pretty, and probably the most emotionally intelligent aspect of the drama. Scriptwriter seems to have been on quite the cocktail of prescription meds to think this was something worth attaching their name to, and producer seems to have had one too many mimosas when agreeing to pick up said script.

All this is - if you watch j-dramas - basically surmisable by the thumbnail photo, title, and synopsis. Nothing there would be a surprise, you kind of already know what youre getting into.

BUT what is NOT as-advertised, is the TOTAL AND COMPLETE LACK OF SPICE. There is no romance, there is no kilig, there are no butterflies, there is no chemistry, and there sure as sh*t aint no spice. So with THAT being said, then WHAT THE F*CK IS THE POINT OF THIS SHOW. There is no point to this show. NONE.

Much like a piece of bubblegum.

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I never write reviews on MDL,but i had to,for this one only

I have watched it back in 2020 i think.and i have rewatched it so many times!!i have never rewatched a drama this many times!And i think what makes this drama so special is the slice of life part of the genre and it actually is a slice of life since this is the writer's own life story with her husband.and let me tell u,i am the eldest daughter of two daughters and i have never wanted an older brother,until i watched this drama and saw the bond between Zhao Qiaoyi and Zhao Guanchao!Zhao Guanchao was one heck of an older brother!This drama will never not get interesting.yeah,there will be silly and somehow predictable moments if u have been watching cdramas for a while.but it's still so much enjoyable.and idk why people are saying it gets downwards from 26-28 episodes.i enjoyed the last episodes even more, specially in the last 2 episodes after their marriage!i still find myself rewatching specific episodes for comfort from time to time!and that's a huge deal for me who doesn't rewatch if i remembers the story.so ignore the negative reviews and give it a try!it doesn't have super bright,high quality camera work and all but the story makes it worth it!

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UNDERRATED!!!! so many plots and twists

This will have you on your toes....so many plots and twists. I actually found this after watch Perfect Crown
I am not even sure where to start. I must say that the award for the most physical abuse goes to Min Yu Ra. LOL she couldn't get a break.
Everyone in that palace was conniving, like they are out for each other 😂
At some point, you don't know who is on whose side.
Every EP kept getting interesting and that is what I love about it.
For the ending, I had a feeling that they would abolish the hierarchy. Guess that is why they called it, the last empress.

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Action-packed but lack character depth

Blades of the Guardians, starring Wu Jing, with special appearances from Jet Li, Tony Leung Ka-fai, and others, along with direction and fight choreography by the legendary Yuen Woo-ping, has all the classic wuxia elements one could hope for. Adapted from the manhua and donghua of the same name, the film follows Do Ma (Wu Jing), a bounty hunter whose mission goes terribly wrong. After killing a governor, he sets off a chain of events that pulls him into a web of danger and conspiracy.

Set largely in the desert, the film delivers sweeping landscapes, thrilling horse chases, and layers of political intrigue. The action sequences are fast-paced and expertly choreographed, showcasing the martial arts pedigree behind the film.

Yet, while Blades of the Guardians is undeniably action-packed, it misses some of the core elements that made classic wuxia films true cinematic masterpieces and cult favorites.

Even in desert-themed wuxia films like Dragon Inn, New Dragon Gate Inn, and Ashes of Time, the desert becomes an important metaphor within the narrative. The characters’ journeys are explored through the framework of the jianghu, where ideals of heroism are questioned and personal values, loyalty, and patriotism are constantly tested.

What these films offer is more than exhilarating action; they use the martial world as a lens to explore the complexities of human nature. Blades of the Guardians, despite its impressive choreography and strong visual style, lacks the emotional depth, poetic storytelling, and philosophical weight that gave the great wuxia films of the past their enduring legacy.

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Not bad, but not perfect either.

I think my only problem with this series is that it feels like the filming was rushed. Like every scene feels like it was shot in one take and the actors weren't really given a chance to properly embody their characters and portray the emotions fully. Otherwise I really did like it. The cinematography and the setting were gorgeous, the plot was interesting enough and very different from other bls, the wardrobe was very pretty (I especially loved the outfits made for the Mudan tribe), and I think the actors did a decent job. I liked PearlPeak better in Moonlight, but this series is still a good watch. A solid 8/10 for me.

As an aside, I find it hilarious that all through Moonlight I kept thinking that Peak's character must have some sort of healing pheromone because anytime he was away all of the characters would be on death's door, but then would get magically better the moment he came back. And for this series his character actually does have special pheromones lmao, really manifested that one.

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Fluffy with Serious Chemistry

This is one of those fluffy romantic series that you watch in an oversized animal onesie with snacks, chocolate, and a yummy drink. The leads had great chemistry and both did a stellar job acting their respective roles. The moms were a bit intense (each for their own reasons) but also protective of their kids. I dont think the whole fake engagement side-plot was needed but I see why they put it there (aka to move the plot along). The ML has very expressive eyes that you can feel as if you can see into his soul. The FL also gives heavily emotionally charged performances. They make a great duo! (att casting directors: you do not have to pair them in the next 20 dramas you make!)

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