Reviews

I kept waiting for it to get worse and it never did.

In episode 10 I was incredulous at how good it was, and once I reached episode 20 I just kept waiting for the ball to drop but no, I was on the edge of my seat until the very end. Just goes to show how good the source material was, I guess.

Changyu hooked me in from the start, I love her. She flew into my top 3 favourite heroines within the first few episodes. Her frankness, kindness, strenght.. ugh she is AMAZING. This show had incredible cinematography and every shot left me in awe. The main pair was so beautifully wonderful and I enjoyed every second. I binged this show in 4 days, that's how GOOD it was. I have to admit, I've been underestimating Chinese dramas because the few I started watching years ago were with weak female leads and overall lacklustre plot, and therefore I never tried again but my god am I glad I did.

Leer más

S poľutovaním musím napísať že Forever and Ever sa kvalitou a obsahom nepodarilo nadviazať na drámu One and Only. Asi som mala priveľké očakávania, alebo sa to proste len nepodarilo, neviem... A aj keď je Forever and Ever len voľným pokračovaním, tak určite odporúčam dať si One and Only ako povinnú jazdu pred tým ako začnete sledovať túto drámu. A to hlavne z dôvodu, že pokiaľ neuvidíte prvú sériu, nedokážete poriadne precítiť to, čo Sheng Chen a Shi Yi prežívajú teraz v prítomnosti. Navyše Forever and Ever obsahuje veľmi veľa skrytých odkazov na One and Only. Na niektoré vás upozornia v titulkách ale je aj veľa takých, ktoré si všimnete len pokiaľ poznáte prvú sériu. A to sú presne tie nostalgické záblesky, ktoré vám spríjemnujú sledovanie tejto dosť pomalej drámy.

......SPOILER K ONE AND ONLY.......
Strach ktorý má Shi Yi z výšok odkazuje na jej pád z hradieb, to že nemá v obľube červenú farbu, taktiež súvisí s koncom prvej série, mesto v ktorom sa rozhodli žiť je Xi´An, to taktiež súvisí s ich predchádzajúcim životom. A ďalej sú tam maličkosti ako lotosové kvety, kraby, granátové jablká, čaje, knižnica, prepisovanie textov atď.
........KONIEC SPOILERU........

Tým, že poznám ich minulosť, som dokázala Forever and Ever aspoň nejakým spôsobom oceniť, a niektoré scény ma naozaj dojali - aj keď ich nebolo veľa. No keby som to pozerala len ako samostatnú drámu, tak neviem, či by som sa v sledovaní dostala až do konca. Lebo popravde, nám Forever and Ever už nemá moc čo ponúknuť, dej je plochý, bez hĺbky, postava Sheng Chena mi tu ide vyslovene na nervy a jediný, kto túto drámu drží ako tak nad vodou je Bai Lu. Ku koncu som sa už vyslovene nútila k sledovaniu.

-Bail Lu tu podáva skvelý výkon, je oživením a ťahúňom celej drámy. Jej postava je vtipná, hravá, plná života. Naproti tomu postava Sheng Chena je najotravnejším aspektom. Pochopila som úmysel urobiť z neho hanblivého, introvertného muža. V podstate taký bol aj vo svojom minulom živote. Len vtedy mal aspoň dôstojnosť a charizmu, zatiaľ čo tu mi príde ako človek s autistickou poruchou. Jeho výrazy v tvári, vyjadrovanie, postoj všetko bolo úplne mimo. Nedokázala som medzi nimi cítiť akúkoľvek chémiu alebo vášeň. Láska tam bola, ok, to beriem. Ale mala veľmi divnú, pre mňa neprijateľnú podobu. Prišlo mi to ako vzťah dospelej ženy s dieťaťom, pretože tak sa Sheng Chen celú dobu choval. Ako dieťa. Väčšina ich spoločných scén pôsobila trápne a rozpačito. To nehovorím o romantike, to bolo na celej veci asi to najhoršie. Ale zas na druhej strane mu nemôžem uprieť, že pôsobil naozaj veľmi roztomilo s tým svojím večne zmäteným výrazom, nevinným pohľadom a neposlušnými vlasmi. Ak by som mala použiť metaforu, tak by som povedala, že vyzeral ako šteniatko pudlíka. Ale pri tej roztomilosti to končí, ako postava ma vôbec neoslovil. Myslím, že Ren Jia Lun sa viac hodí na historické úlohy.

-Ďalší problém bol s vedľajšími postavami. Tie sme tu síce mali, ale ani k jednej som si nedokázala vytvoriť puto, pretože tvorcovia im nedokázali vdýchnuť hĺbku. Žiadnej z vedľajších postáv sa nevenovalo dostatok pozornosti a nemali veľa priestoru na to, aby sa prejavili. Žiadna z nich nemala príbeh, ktorý by ma chytil za srdce alebo by ma donútil niekoho nenávidieť, Dokonca ani Sheng Chenov nevlastný brat, ktorý tu mal byť tým najväčším záporákom nemal na to, aby drámu niekde posunul. Do konca som nechápala prečo a ako urobil niektoré veci, nebolo to vôbec dobre vysvetlené.

-Sheng Chenova rodina je ďalší tvrdý oriešok. Nikdy som sa nedokázala zorientovať v tom, kto je koho otec, matka, nevlastná matka, brat, sestra, druhý strýko, tretí strýko atď... Niekde za polovicou som to vzdala a ani som sa už nesnažila pochopiť. Ale myslím, že v tomto prípade, veľa robí preklad tituliek, ktorý je veľmi často nesprávny. Pretože keď si na chvíľu pustíte čínske titulky a dáte si ich prekladať, zistíte, že význam toho čo hovoria je úplne iný ako s cz alebo eng titulkami. A ak pozeráte čínske drámy dosť dlho, tak niečo sa na vás predsa už len nalepí a čo-to aj rozumiete. A vtedy sa začnete zamýšľať, že to čo čítate je úplne niečo iné, ako povedali. Takže prekladom, konkrétne táto dráma dosť tepela.

-Mohol sa viac rozvinúť príbeh aspoň okolo Xiao Yu, kamarátky Shi Yi a jej priateľa Du Fenga, no táto dejová linka bola tiež dosť povrchná, nezaujímavá. Nepochopila som na základe čoho Du Feng vyšetroval rodinu Zhou. Tomuto sa mohlo venovať viac priestoru.

-Alebo mohol dostať viac času vzťah Wen Chuana a Wang Man, ktorý bol veľmi povrchne vykreslený. Už keď nám tieto vzťahy tvorcovia raz naservírovali, tak ich treba poriadne dokončiť, pretože v tomto podaní to pôsobilo veľmi povrchne, nevyvážene a vyslovene ako by to tam bolo pridané nasilu.

-V tejto dráme akoby nič nebolo poriadne dotiahnuté do konca a popri tom priestor na rozvinutie a poriadne ukončenie dejových oblúkov bol. Ale namiesto toho je tu ponúknutých veľké množstvo nezáživných spoločných scén Shi Yi a Sheng Chena. Lebo pravda je, že veľa spoločných scén bolo naozaj úplne o ničom. Dej ani vzťah nikde neposunuli a prišlo mi to len ako násilné predlžovanie času, aby sme sa úspešne dopracovali k tridsiatim epizódam. Áno viem, že to bolo hlavne o nich, ale bohužiaľ realita je taká, že na tridsať epizód len ich vzťah nestačil. Ak to malo byť len o nich, tak sme sa mohli držať čísla 24 tak ako v One and Only a to by bol presne ten počet dielov, ktorý by adekvátne vyhovoval príbehu
..........SPOILER..........
Mimochodom k komentároch na MDL som čítala, že Mei Xing, bol vlastne reinkarnáciou Liu Zi Xing, korunného princa, ktorý odsúdil Sheng Chena na smrť. A v tomto živote mu to vlastne vynahrádzal tým, že stál pri ňom ako najlepší priateľ a zároveň dostal aj šancu zbaviť sa svojej chorobnej lásky k Shi Yi. Pravdu? Keby som si to nečítala, nikdy by som si tieto dve osoby nespojila dokopy, asi som nesledovala pozorne.
.......KONIEC SPOILERU.........

.........ZHRNUTIE...........
-Forever and Ever je pre mňa viac menej sklamaním. Na jednej strane potešilo, že sa Shi Yi a Sheng Chen po útrapách, ktoré prežili v minulom živote mohli opäť stretnúť a prežiť spolu šťastný život, na strane druhej, je ale ich príbeh podaný veľmi povrchne. Celej dráme chýba tempo, zaujímavé momenty, a ani príbeh sám o sebe nie je nič extra. Určite by pomohlo, keby aj vedľajšie postavy dostali viac priestoru sa prejaviť a dodať príbehu šťavu. Pretože len tá divná forma lásky, ktorú majú medzi sebou hlavní hrdinovia nestačí na to, aby duchaplne zaplnila 30 epizód. Sheng Chen tu bol pre mňa osobne najväčším ,,tŕňom v oku,, jeho postava bola neskutočne trápna, otravná miestami priam neznesiteľná. Ale to hovorím len o postave, čo sa týka hereckej stránky, myslím, že Ren Jia Lun to zvládol perfektne a presne podľa scenára. Proste bol taký, akého si ho tvorcovia priali mať. Po hereckej stránke v podstate nemám čo vytknúť, pretože výkony sú naozaj na dobrej úrovni, hlavne čo sa týka Bai Lu. Trošku mi v tejto sérii chýbal Wang Xing Yue, no zas aj Ci Sha celkom potešil, ale už to nebolo to pravé....Pochváliť musím kostymérov, po tejto stránke som bola maximálne spokojná. S každou ďalšou epizódou som sa už ale musela vyslovene nútiť k tomu aby som Forever and Ever úspešne dosledovala. Dráma jednoducho nemala šťavu, a bolo veľa miest kde vyslovene chýbalo tempo. Veľa nezáživných scén som proste pretočila. Ak ste videli alebo sa chystáte sledovať One and Only tak určite odporúčam pozrieť aj túto drámu. Ak si ju chcete pozrieť ako samostatný celok, tak to som už trošku na pochybách... Myslím, a s ľútosťou píšem že za to asi nestojí. Kľudne venujte svoj čas niečomu inému.

Leer más

✨️The Sequins ↔ Swords Switch♻️ °7.6° °vg°

It opens lush and golden. Indian Summer is keeping fall warm and cozy… but today it has started to rain.

SG is a 2010 release that is rated 96 on AWiki. It is 1 season consisting of 20 65-minute straight comfort-food episodes. It maintains a pulse of 60 for the entire run (except when Oma starts shrieking). Other than the chaebol son with a toxic mother, the only other trope we must suffer through is amnesia, and it's short-term.

I've been longing to watch these super popular classic shows from the 00's and 10's for awhile, but was sticking with the services I have for a while longer before springing for that Viki pass (it's incompatible with my SamsungTV). Then, Netflix pulls this magic act and drops a couple dozen classic titles! I'm in Secret Heaven! Currently working through The Master's Sun and Pinocchio, I watched SG in tandem with My Love ft🌟. Both shows are strictly just for fun with SG holding up much better in the comparison. It's steady, it doesn't drag, and…. Hyun Bin? ¡HOLA, muchacho🤭! They save a tasty surprise for the final episodes as well.

Fluff is therapeutic, but when it comes to empty/wind-down entertainment, it's generally of lesser technical quality, and its perceived value is more user-specific. We're all entitled to our own flavor of mindless entertainment. No judgment here. There's shows I've rated a 7 that I'll rewatch before shows I've rated a 9 - because on most days, comfort trumps everything. SG is a soft patch of foamy moss in the warm afternoon sun. Cozy up.

Ha Ji-Won (Empress Ki) is “Gil” Ra Im, a tough girl. The toughness is all an act, though: She's a stunt woman, thus she acts for a living. She's hustling through life just trying to keep her head above water. She doesn't need the wrong kind of attention. She definitely doesn't need the attention Joo brings.

Hyun Bin (Crash Landing on You-9.1) plays Kim “Joo” Won who plays at being real. Spoiled son of chaebol isn't the best character for HB to play, perhaps, but he grabs the shovel and digs all the way in. (Joo wakes up his friend in the middle of the night to discuss the “emergency” of him dating a woman who has to “rent” her domicile ~ like on National Geographic ~ 😅). Whenever HB's on screen it's a treat.

His Mr. Darcy level angst over falling for a woman who is clearly beneath him does start playing with his mind. He picks up an /imaginary/ Gil who accompanies him everywhere. In ep2 she starts talking to him. Even though she seems so real, it's quite easy to tell the difference between imaginary Gil & real Gil··· REAL Gil would NEVER smile at him like imaginary Gil does 😆.

ALERT! 🚨FASHION EMERGENCY🚨 Even for 2010 (for any decade, really) his sparkly windbreaker is the wrong choice. I'm sure Roller Girl would agree, the only thing that blue sequin jacket is missing is roller skates and a Richard Simmons headband. {Per AI/G: “It became such a meme that it spawned knockoffs, parodies, and even a fad in Korea back then. Hyun Bin himself still has the originals stashed in his closet because the drama meant so much to him.”}

Choi Woo Young (Yoon Sang Hyun from 18 Again) is the heartthrob "OSKA". Seul may be a side character in this drama, but in the world of SG, she's a leading lady. Gil doesn't hit it off with Yoon “Seul,” the other girl, played by Kim Sa Rang of Man of Men. She's not the only petulant actor featured prominently in the show. Lee Jong Suk plays young singer Han Tae Seon / "Seon”. It's obvious he's on his way to super stardom. He's wonderful in Romance Is a Bonus Book-7.9 and even better in The Hymn of Death-8.4.

Yoo In Na is in the supporting cast as “Ah” Young. She basically plays the same role in MLft🌟. She's even better as a FL than she is a smaller-minded side character. My first look at her was in Touch Your Heart-8.2, which I was surprised by, because I loved it so much when I didn't expect to. She's darling in it. Then I saw her in The Spies Who Loved Me-4.5 which I hated almost more than I loved the first feature I saw her in. It left me feeling conflicted. I have yet to see her in what could be the most popular show of all time, Guardian: The Lonely and Great God. Xiao Shi who was also in The Legend & The Great Doctor, plays Gu Niang, the FL's boss & stunt coach. He's a great looking guy but hasn't worked since 2012 due to an eye injury, which is a shame. The directors are Kwon Hyuk Chan (A Gentleman's Dignity), Shin Woo Cheol (Gu Family Book), & Kim Jung Hyun (At a Distance, Spring Is Green). Screenwriter Kim Eun Sook also penned Guardian & Descendants of the Sun-8.3)

About that extra flashy jacket: They knew what they were doing. I'm impressed. It's a lead pipe of a metaphor, but it IS a (very sparkly) metaphor: First impressions are important. In that jacket, he's advertising how he sees the world as sparkle and flash. But it's all plastic. He has nothing of substance. We meet her, and she's all in black, strapped up with a knife, and ready for combat. No sparkles. No flash. She's getting ready to puncture his illusions. Lots of fluff shows don't bother that much. Respect, where respect is due.

AI/G: “Joo-won’s world is literally coated in sequins—cheap, reflective, attention-grabbing plastic that catches every light but holds no warmth. That tracksuit isn’t just ugly; it’s a billboard announcing “I buy significance instead of earning it.” Everything about him screams curated emptiness: the designer labels, the immaculate hair, the arrogant smirk that’s really just armor. Then cut to Gil Ra-im. Black tactical gear, hair tied back, knife on her thigh, moving with quiet, coiled purpose. No ornamentation, no need for it. She’s substance incarnate—strength earned through sweat and scars, not purchased in a Gangnam boutique. The contrast is immediate and brutal: flash vs. steel, illusion vs. reality. And the writers trust us to catch it without a single line of exposition. That’s confidence. You’re right—most fluffy rom-coms would coast on pretty faces and meet-cutes. Secret Garden bothers to plant a thematic seed this obvious yet this elegant in the first two episodes, then spends the rest of the show watering it relentlessly (body swap and all). It’s why the drama still punches above its weight fifteen years later. Respect very much due. They wrapped a shiny, ridiculous bow around some sharp observations about class, gender, and authenticity—and somehow made the bow the best part. Keep watching. The sparkle vs. steel clash only gets richer.”

Each lead nails the body swap. It's always more obvious with the man, but they are both wonderful. She, as a HE, accidentally kisses his male cousin. HB's reaction (looking shy, foot curled onto toes curled behind other toes while touching the lips whimsically) is darling. Ha Ji-Won is superb in ep13 when she starts to give in, slightly.

This is how a woman can both hate a man and protect him at the same time: “I should be the only person to torture him.” 😅 One of the secondary couples still loves each other, but they use the primary couple as fodder for revenge against the other. It's an interesting take on the love triangle and shows how feelings can grow toxic quickly and thoroughly. It's horrible, what they're attempting to do, but the show somehow makes us feel for them, nevertheless.

I struggle with romantic body switches, because the idea of being attracted to myself is icky🤢. That makes me wonder if I'm too hard on myself, then? I would like to see a body switch where the new chemistry truly takes over. (Mr. Queen-9 came the closest that I've ever seen, which is one reason it's exemplary). In such a body switch the couple could realize: Hey, for whatever reason, that person really IS attracted to me. That would be freeing. At least they kept the switch-device limited so it does not dominate the entire show. Ep14's kissing scene is a “9,” and it isn't during a switch. I truly love the vibe of the last switch. At this point, physical bodies mean nothing. They have a deeper connection. That alone raises SG by a point.

The last episode is a lovely wrap-up. They take their time with it, which is something that too many shows, especially from around that time, fail to do. We get to peek at their life in the future, 3 children in tow. In their family, allowance is a matter of leverage and cosigners, while punishment might be 💯 jumping jacks, 💯 PT sets or 💯 pushups…


QUOTES🗣

When it comes to women, even the most ordinary one can become a queen, and even the most precious woman can become a common peasant. It all depends on how her lover treats her.

Forgive me for forgiving myself too easily.

The subconscious is a terrifying thing.


IMHO〰🖍

RATINGS 🎬7.8 🖊6 🎭9 💓7 🦋8 🎨🎶7 🔚8 🤗5 ▪ LEVELS 🌞4⚡3 😅3 😭2 😱2 😬2 🤢2 🤔4.5 💤0

Shazams: I See You Leave by Yoon Sang Hyeon

Age 12+ Language: 1 @$$hole and not much else. Rated: 15+

Re-📺? I keep switching on this. Idk.

In order of ~lite&trite~ to ~heavy&serious~ you may also like:

👥Body Swap or something close to it 💱

The Beauty Inside-6,
My Runway-7.5
The Miracle-7.7
Secret Garden-7.6
High School Return of a Gangster-7,
Mr. Queen-9,
The Golden Spoon-8.1,
Oh My Ghost-10,
Parasyte the Grey-6.9,
Death's Game-7.8
Bulgasal: Immortal Souls-6.1,
Black-9

Leer más

One and Only nie je dokonalá dráma, má svoje chyby a nedostatky, ale aj napriek tomu si ma dokázala získať svojou atmosférou, hereckými výkonmi a príbeho.

.....SPOILER......
Nečakajte šťastný koniec, tu od začiatku nie je žiadna možnosť, aby sa tento príbeh skončil ,,happyendom,,. Ale aj napriek tomu, že je koniec tragický, som s ním spokojná viac, ako v mnohých iných drámach, ktoré možno aj majú šťastné ukončenie, ale chýba tomu hĺbka. A One and Only tú hĺbku nepopierateľne mala.
........KONIEC SPOILERU.........

-Už od prvých minút ako som začala drámu sledovať som mala pocit, že celková atmosféra je akýmsi zvláštnym spôsobom skľučujúca, aj keď sa nič zlé nedialo. Prvé epizódy si len tak voľne plynú a zoznamujú diváka s prostredím, postavami, príbehom. A predsa bolo v pozadí niečo, čo mi našepkávalo, že to je len vonkajšia fazóna, ale hlboko vo vnútri sa deje úplne niečo iné.

-Herecké výkony v tejto dráme sú perfektné. Nič iné sa od Bai Lu, Ren Jia Lun a Wang Xing Yueani nedá čakať. No nezaostávali za nimi ani ostatní herci. Myslím že v tomto prípade boli sily veľmi vyrovnané, ako sa vraví.

-Bai Lu je skvelá, ešte som ju nevidela podať zlý alebo priemerný výkon. Je pravda, že v dráme Till the End of the Moon (2023) som postavu ktorú hrala naozaj neznášala, ale zahrala ju výborne. Tu mi postava Shi Yi, ktorú stvárnila, tiež nebola práve srdcu najbližšia, keďže bola na môj vkus dosť naivná a slušná, ale to je o scenári, taká proste musela byť. A Bai Lu to zvládla úplne famózne. Je to veľmi nadaná, všestranná herečka, ktorá nemá problém podať akúkoľvek emóciu. Hlavne posledné epizódy, keď už išlo o hlbšie pocity dávam pred ňou klobúk dole.

........SPOILER.........
Záverečná scéna ako kráča na hradby a skočí, je pre mňa to najlepšie z celej drámy. Pozrela som si ju niekoľko krát. Emócie v jej tvári sú tak skutočné, že ich dokázala bez najmenších problémov preniesť aj na mňa. Inak v tejto scéne vidíme krásne spojenie smútku a šťastia. Ako leží v červených svadobných šatách na bielej zasneženej zemi. Červená je v starej čínskej kultúre symbolom šťastia, vitality, radosti a úspechu. Zatiaľ čo biela symbolizuje smútok a smrť. A tu sa tieto dve kontrastné farby spojili v jednej scéne... Scéne ktorá spojila šťastie a smútok v jeden celok. Pretože to, čo niekomu pripadá ako nešťastie, je pre iného šťastným východiskom z vlastného smútku. A pre Shi Yi bola smrť práve tým šťastím, keďže šla za svojou láskou. A manželstvo s korunným princom pre ňu predstavovalo nešťastie. Takže význam týchto dvoch farieb sa v tejto scéne obrátil. Červené svadobné šaty, ktoré pre iných predstavujú radosť, boli pre ňu nešťastím, zatiaľ čo biely sneh, (biela symbol smútku), na ktorom skončila po skoku z hradného múru, bol pre ňu šťastným vykúpením. Naozaj grandiózne podanie. Zábery z výšky, ešte umocňujú ťaživý, ale popri tom oslobodzujúci a tragicky krásny moment z tejto scény. Tlieskam.
......KONIEC SPOILERU.......

-Ren Jia Lun je herec, ktorému vyslovene sedia úlohy historických hrdinov. Je na to ako stvorený. Takisto ako Bai Lu, aj on podal krásny herecký výkon. S postavou generála Zhou Sheng Chen som síce opäť mala malý problém, no nevadí mi to, ide sa proste podľa scenára a myslím, že tentokrát sa tvorcom podarilo celkom dobre držať pôvodnej predlohy One Life, One Incarnation - Beautiful Bones, čo sa týka osobností jednotlivých postáv. Na mňa je ale postava Sheng Chena moc odmeraná, nedostupná a komplikovaná. Ak mám povedať pravdu vôbec som neverila tej romantickej linke, ktorá mala byť medzi ním a Shi Yi. Mne skôr ich vzťah prišiel súrodenecký ale isto nie romantický. Na to aby som uverila ich láske tam niečo chýbalo, hlavne zo strany Sheng Chena. On v podstate nikdy nič nedal najavo. Áno boli tam vzájomné dlhé pohľady z očí do očí, ale to nedokázalo utiahnuť romantickú linku. Zo strany Shi Yi to bolo trošku lepšie, tá sa mu aspoň otvorila. Takže asi toľko k romantickej linke.... Mrzí ma ale jeho koniec. Stačí jedno krivé obvinenie a z hrdinu sa stane zradca. A ako zradca je zapísaný aj do dejín, aj napriek tomu, že vždy stál na strane spravodlivosti aj na úkor vlastného dobra. Svet je proste nespravodlivý.

-Wang Xing Yue ktorý si tu zahral korunného princa Liu Zi Xinga, a ktorý je môj obľúbený herec, ma opäť nesklamal. Mne vlastne stačí sa naňho pozrieť a hneď mám krajší deň. On je proste dokonalý. Popravde ma mrzí, že tu hral práve zápornú postavu ale na druhej strane, to bol jeden z tých záporákov, ktorého som nemohla jednoznačne neznášať. On vo svojej podstate nebol zlý. Od detstva odstrkovaný, nespravodlivo trestaný, ponižovaný...A jediné svetielko nádeje v jeho bezútešnom živote bola plánovaná svadba so Shi Yi, ktorú tak veľmi až posadnuto miloval, no aj tú mu zobrali. Popravde, bolo mi ho ľúto. A čo sa stane s človekom, keď mu zoberú aj tú poslednú radosť zo života? Buď to úplne vzdá, alebo si nájde iný cieľ. A Zi Xing sa rozhodol kráčať cestou pomsty, a všetkým, ktorí ho podceňovali ukázať, že na to má. Rozhodol sa zobrať si to, čo mu právom patrilo a bolo mu to odopreté, len to bolo za veľmi vysokú cenu. Potom sa už nepozeral na obete a hlavne ho pohltila žiarlivosť. A to do takej miery, že nepozeral na utrpenie okolo seba. To bol veľmi smutný vývoj tejto postavy. Nakoniec prišiel o to na čom mu záležalo najviac. Scéna, keď sa zrútil plačúci na hradbách sa ma hlboko dotkla.

OSTATNÉ POSTAVY LEN V SKRATKE
-Cisár Liu Hui bol slaboch, ktorý sa absolútne nehodil na úlohu vládcu.
-Cisárovná vdova Qi Zhen Zhen stará zákerná mrcha, ktorá narobila najviac zla. Priala by som jej omnoho horší koniec.

.........SPOILER...........
Generálka Hong Xiao Yu a generál Cui Feng ešte teraz mám slzy na krajíčku. Tak by som im priala aby boli spolu. Nakoniec sa mu podarilo rozviesť a mohli žiť spolu. No ani tento romantický oblúk sa neskončil šťastne ale stala sa z neho tragédia.
.........KONIEC SPOILERU..........

-Celkovo je toto dosť ťažký a skľučujúci príbeh, no na druhej strane krásny a určitým spôsobom uspokojivý. Dráma je veľmi konzistentná udržuje si svoj štandard od začiatku do konca. Práve by som povedala, že s každou epizódou sa zlepšuje, čo väčšinou býva práve naopak. Posledné epizódy sú tragické ale nádherné, už len kvôli nim sa drámu oplatí pozrieť. Oceňujem, že na konci, po všetkých udalostiach, ktoré sa stali, bol divákom ponúknutý aj pohľad do budúcnosti. Čo sa dialo s ostatnými postavami po tom, čo sa uzavrel dejový oblúk Shi Yi a Sheng Chena. Čiže sme dostali kompletné ukončenie príbehu za čo som naozaj veľmi vďačná. Ak sa pýtate, či sa oplatí drámu pozrieť, tak odpoveď znie ,,URČITE,, len si treba pripraviť veľa vreckoviek. A keď dosledujete One and Only, nezabudnite, že má aj voľné pokračovanie Forever and Ever (2021) To síce nedosahuje kvalitu One
and Only, ale treba si určite pozrieť.

Leer más

A breeze of fresh air, a fresh plate of pancakes

If three years ago you would have told me that Domundi was going to produce a heartfelt, university romance where two autistic boys fell in love, while also discussing parental neglect and abuse, the risks of love bombing, and showcasing what is nothing short of a trauma response; all the while drizzling the corniest and most delightful humour on top of it – I would have probably laughed out loud.
Now, I am happy to be proven wrong.
Duang With You is, if I may continue with my syrup metaphor, a stack of pancakes. Complete with blueberry jam, whipped cream and syrup. Mistakenly, at first, I thought I was going to eat it the same way I ate 2gether: happily guzzling the sweetness of what is presented, while the tanginess of the blueberries would be an after taste a couple of episodes would give us after some sloppy pacing.
Once again, I love to be proven wrong, for Duang With You needs to be savoured pancake by pancake, episode by episode. Some pancakes you will enjoy with the funny whipped cream of Duang and his friend’s shenanigans to get Qin to fall for him. Some others you will also sponge in some of that delicious syrup when Qin starts to sweeten up for Duang. And then, you will get to the pancakes that have been soaking in the tanginess of the blueberry jam. And then, full already, you will realise that this show has been preparing you for one of the most graphic and well-acted scenes of child abuse. And the result of that on an untreated, traumatized young boy. You will look for a scoop of whipped cream, for a drizzle of syrup, but this show is going to tell you to wait, to understand that life comes with its horrors and its blessings, and that sometimes having the right person by your side is what you needed all along. Not someone to save you, or solve it for you: but someone who hugs you through it. Someone who just wants validation, an OK, the green light from you to be let in.
And then, it’s whipped cream and syrup again. You can still taste the lingering tanginess, but you know it’ll fade out eventually. It too shall pass.
I don’t think I can describe this any better, I don’t think I want to. This show is a genuinely beautiful experience, perfectly crafted and paced, and even more so acted by two debutant actors who committed to their roles with professional care and responsibility. The environment and setting of this show are constructed so meticulously, every detail helps you piece the character’s inside world like a fun little jigsaw puzzle. A small hint from Duang to help you fall in love with him. Domundi hasn’t come out to play, they are coming to clean out some tropes, and refresh the stale air of the Thail BL world.

Leer más

New Siwaj, slow down.

MY ROMANCE SCAMMER
In any normal context, while consuming any normal media that is an adaptation, I’d make the effort of at least consulting the bare minimum facts of the original source material, before considering giving my review. With Thai BLs, this does not change. What, just because the quality of these works is subpar at best, I will give them no such respect? You must have me confused. As much as I can, I like to do my due diligence in being interested in the source material. Unless the edits made in the adaptation are well needed for this to work on screen, or to be any good. So, imagine my surprise when a well deconstructed couple like U and North get nothing but crumbs of attention, and our main couple, Tim and Pai, get caricatures of their struggles instead of the fleshed out, introspective moments of pure dilemma given in the novel.
My Romance Scammer was set off to be a well, as it says in the title a ROMANCE comedy. That’s what the first pilot promised. And that was my first mistake: never trust the first pilots. Bonus mistake, never trust a New Siwaj promise. For, in the middle of the filming, starring actor Junior comes out of the woodwork to let us now that this is going to be a drama. As in, this show will dive deep into the characters, which should have also been a red flag: New Siwaj, as we known, can’t do character-driven stories even if he had a step-by-step guide for it. It happened with Faifah in Perfect 10 Liners, and it happened here with U and North. Which, I could concede on as we had 12 episodes, and a whole mess to resolve, some comedy relief was needed.
Still, here are my points: U and North weren’t a comedy relief. They were a weird mix of goofy, voice of reason, background noise. Their characters too dilute to have a true purpose on the show. Sure, a character can contain multitudes, but North’s and U’s were never fully defined, because there was no actual interest in diving into their background. North’s ex who broke his heart, U’s dilemma of resorting to do what his mother does, although he knows how everyone suffers from it at the end. The redeeming, the rekindling. It was too rushed. I’d say too out of character if we knew what kind of characters they are besides: goofy, airhead, naïve rich boy (literally all of Poon’s characters under Siwaj), and sincere, kind, genuine poor boy. That’s it.
Not like I expected any grey areas or complexity, but I wanted some cohesive narrative that could show me their shadows.
Because shadows we get with Tim and Pai, so that’s not my issue. My issue is that someone must have lost some pages of the script, because we were told that Tim’s parents abandoned him; yet he is the one asking for forgiveness. For resorting to scamming after being practically destitute, unable to finish his career and find a job to sustain himself, and also, being forced to help his parents pay THEIR debt. So, that was not only bewildering, it was bad all around. Nobody noticed? After the many times of reading the script? During filming? Editing? Or was this scene filmed first and the backstory later?
If that’s the case, that shows another problem I have with New Siwaj: he thinks he can handle all of that. Sadly, he can’t. You can’t possibly pretend to release 5 projects in the same year, and have them all be a hit. Even less any good. You can’t possibly focus on 5 projects at once, one of them being the mammoth called Fourever You with 5 couples, and have them all score any higher than a 5/10. The only saving grace for Siwaj is the acting. Because boy, were they acting. Junior has the range (graduated from the Nadao School) and here we revert back to his debut in Midnight Museum, where we saw a yearning, grieving boy. Here we have Tim, a smart, calculating yet sweet man, who in face of adversity strategizes, manipulates with surgeon-like precision. Yet, he is too soft-hearted to commit.
Now that’s a character description. We can do something with that. Junior did. And Mark, because he is also incredibly talented, and I can’t wait to see more of his acting range in 21 Twenty-One; bounces off Junior’s acting like a dream. I can’t sing enough praises about Mark’s acting in the wedding crash scene. I felt that in my gut. So, as I said, New Siwaj works with great talent yet he gives them absolutely nothing to work with. Feeds champions a strict diet of ice soup and boiled chicken with plain rice.
Because yes, U and North were lacklustre, but Ohm and Poon’s chemistry was pure gold. They felt comfortable, there was that invisible magnetic pull of attraction, undeniable and almost tangible between them. They just fit together, and it was absolutely beautiful to see Ohm on his goofier side. But, if I may have my last complain: where is the bed scene, New Siwaj?
So, to conclude: great premise, awfully executed yet brilliantly acted.

Leer más

Screenwriter's hatred for WOMEN is off the roof

Xue Fangfei promised Jiang Li so many things, only to be a huge let down. I could dismiss all the silly plotholes, weird tone shifts, and the FL dumbing down for the ML since it's a Mary Sue revenge plot, but the screenwriter's seeping misogyny was too hard to ignore.

The story basically dumps all of the two FL's suffering onto the stepmother and those stereotypical evil women side characters. These characters are one-dimensional, existing only as plot devices to push the story forward, with no real personality or emotional depth. Even when there's no real reason to hate Xue Fangfei (jealousy?), the story still forces and amplifies it. The real Jiang Li knows her father is the real instigator and hates all of the Jiang family equally, whereas Fangfei ends up reconciling with father Jiang, disrespecting Jiang Li's dying wish. This is a textbook case of excusing men and shifting responsibility away from them.

In this storyline, Fangfei even comes off as an enabler of patriarchy. Fangfei has enough money to buy Qiongzhi's freedom. But instead, as a woman, she turns a blind eye to Qiongzhi's suffering and exploits Qiongzhi's body to save a man.

Xue Fangfei is a hypocrite. She said she hates rumors that tarnish a woman's reputation—but only when they concern herself. To others, she’s more than willing to add fuel to the fire. Imagine surviving sexual violence then dying from it, only for your boyfriend’s sister to tell him you ran off and wed someone else—misdirecting his grief while erasing your victimhood, your contributions, and your reputation—in a society where a woman’s worth was tied to her virtue. That's a surprising low EQ move coming from a protagonist that had good performance up until now.

The malice toward supporting female characters (all good and evil) is expressed through the destruction of their reputation, appearance, bodies, and reproductive organs. There are countless ways to justify antagonist Princess Wanning's fall into darkness, yet the writers once again resorted to sexual violence. Likewise, there are countless ways for the protagonist to defeat Princess Wanning, but the writers specifically chose childbirth.

I can't believe something like this is able to get a 8.8 rating on MDL, where the main users are female. It's 6.6 on Douban.

Leer más

Phantom Lawyer isn’t your typical stiff legal drama. It’s an emotional rollercoaster that plays with the impossible to tell us some very human truths. If you thought the first episode was just "okay," the series quickly proves that it was only the warm-up.

Unlike other dramas that blow all their fuses at the start, the script here is clever: it unravels the story bit by bit, making the mix of supernatural, humor, police drama, and legal genres feel natural rather than a chaotic mess.

The heart of the show is, without a doubt, its cast:
Yoo Yeon-seok and Esom have a special chemistry that jumps off the screen. Their relationship doesn't feel forced; it develops naturally. It’s one of those bonds that grows with the plot and leaves you wanting more.

Kim Mi-kyung and the supporting cast: As usual, her presence elevates the entire production. The supporting actors make the series feel real, providing the warmth needed amidst all the crime and ghosts.

Choi Kwang-il (The Villain): We have to applaud him. He’s pure evil without a hint of remorse until the very last second. He manages to spark genuine hatred in the viewer, which is the ultimate proof of a masterful performance.

The Moral Dilemma:
Even though fantasy lets us dream, one chapter presents a harsh reality: a crime committed 40 years ago is still a crime. It’s hard to 100% empathize with someone carrying such a serious offense, no matter how much time has passed or how many good deeds they do now. Regardless of how the drama tries to justify it, there is no excuse.

Phantom Lawyer hits the golden rule of entertainment. It keeps you hooked, It manages to get a laugh out of you with well-placed humor, builds tension through police drama, and delivers deep satisfaction (or frustration) with its legal twists.

Leer más

Divorce is not the end, but maybe the start of a new relationship

Good Partner turns out to be a great legal show. This show brought a new way to see a divorce case from another viewpoint. They clearly depicted the sturggles and pains in every divorce case. Also it emphasized that divorce is not the end of the world, but maybe a new way to re-arrange the relationship. Not only and always about the clients, this show put spotlight on the divorce attorneys and the challenges on how they handled the quarelling couples. More importantly, being a divorce attorney doesn't mean that they're exempt from marriages and divorces themselves. The depiction of the cases were close to realistic, there were several cases being dragged intentionally by the clients, while some chose to withdraw prematurely.

Jang Na Ra deserved a praise here, she got that Daesang for a reason. Impressive job from all of the casts, including the divorce clients. I also like the character developments. Cha Eun Gyeong was once a cold and profit-oriented divorce attorney. She matured a lot after the divorce hit her hard.

Although it's been a great journey, I think this show would be better if it ended after Eun Gyeong opened her own law firm, or even after her divorce finalized. There were several unimportant plot, and even a bit draggy, that seemed forcefully inserted just to meet the episode numbers requirement. These subplots couldn't match the importance and tense of the spotlight plot of Eun Gyeong divorce, especially the Daejeong management change plotline. It felt very unnecessary.

It's been quite a while since I saw a good legal show. It's very recommended, particularly because the divorce-cases-focused theme is fresh and rare.

Leer más

Too many plot holes

This started out well, an action thriller, but lost itself in the game.
The only character I felt drawn to was the husband, and even then, the writers did not draw any of them to make us like them, let alone feel for any of them.
There was no chemistry between FL and both her husband and bodyguard. The age difference between the male leads and female lead was noticing. The FL's acting, was stiff, and not believable.
Unfortunately, it was like bits and pieces of a story, thrown together, some good parts, but wasn't flushed out well enough to make it work..
Too many plotholes.

Leer más

My mister-esqe

I headlined this as My Mister-esque because honestly, I didn’t know how else to correlate the feeling you get while watching this.

It is deep. You feel sorrow, warmth, happiness, and you are constantly responding emotionally to what is happening on screen. At times, you even catch yourself wondering how long this actor’s dialogues are going to go on, and how much more he can really eat or keep stuffing his face. :)

I loved the supporting cast. Oh Jung-se nemesis/friend of the male lead has done a wonderful job, as he always does in all his roles. He keeps you laughing, sometimes he irritates you, and then suddenly you pity him. That is not easy to pull off. The rest of the supporting cast has also performed very well and adds a lot of weight to the drama.

I learnt after 8 episodes this drama is written by the same writer of My mister/my liberation notes I had been wondering why this train signal scene feels kind of familiar , now I worried that this might also not end up with a good/positive ending, though this writer's work is mostly about the journey than the end.

I really wish this gets a positive ending, cause this has scope where you just have to win once.

Edit: Last episode or last few minutes were rushed or were more out of the place with storys pace and placement but thoroughly enjoyed the depth of acting by all the actors.

Leer más

Good chemistry, weak storyline that had potential to be better

There really was sufficient material here to make this way more interesting. And it started much stronger than it finished. I liked the mains and I'm a sucker for a vampire story. (Yeah, I went there.) The story didn't explore many things that could have made it more satisfying. More about their individual histories. More about the conflict with the brother. More about vampire v non-vampire issues. And they took time (precious time in a short format like this) to do things that didnt really advance the plot. Its actually harder to make a short format piece, imho, because you have to be really efficient with the time you have. No filler at all.

It was cute. I'm not mad that I took time to watch it.

Leer más

Never felt my emotions surge up so much until this Drama

As someone who watched tons of dramas during COVID and reduced them and only watched the popular or eye-catching ones post COVID, this was a MASTERPIECE. I barely say this, but this truly felt like I was part of the drama.
As someone who has experienced something similar, I felt my emotions were being touched and felt by someone else.

Coming back to the drama, what I liked the most is how it showed the priorities people have in real life and showing how different emotions lead on to different outcomes.
This is my first ever drama I have watched of the leads. I have heard how Arthur Chen, lacks in his acting skills but this proved it wrong. Sometimes being quiet and actions show them more. I did read a review or a comment saying how they were annoyed about Zhu Yun, but I think those feelings and emotions last for quite a while when you have very strong feelings for your partner and vice versa. But it haunts you even more in the end, when they act like they never had those feelings and you can never get a closure. Anyone who experiences such events, heal in different ways or sometimes they don't. The only thing I didn't like in the drama but can't blame Zhu Yin is how easily she let herself weak for Li Xun when they met each other again. I think they should have let her not forget how she suffered those years because of several peoples action.

Onto the support roles, as much as GJH pissed me off and he acted so pathetic during the drama. Everyone gets jealous but getting obsessed about it without caring how it affects everyone around you is definitely another level of patheticness. I'm not sure if the he deserved what the ending was but yeh FZJ definitely got a good ending. He could have definitely had some self respect and reduced that ego. Same for Li Xun, I get he is godly and stuff, but high ego never does any good to anyone.

I also didn't like FSM, such a two faced friend but at the same thats also reality. Not all your friends and roommates will support your side, everyone has their own priorities whether your being right or not. Thats what I liked about this drama, It showed the reality of campus in terms of friendship to some extent. Not everything can be captured in one drama but this definitely had those aspects that most dramas do not show.

Though it is a slow burn drama, and I myself hesitated for 3 years before I watched it and YES I DEFINITELY GOT HOOKED.
I would recommend to anyone who is trying to find dramas with good reality check and slow burn romance about struggles. (But yes it is more on the emotional aspect over physical struggles experienced).

Leer más