Reviews

My least favorite of the series.

This drama is basically about Fai being manipulated by her aunt, turned adopted mother, into turning on Kaphrao, who her father adopts. While Fai is poisoned to see her as the enemy (and her father does nothing to help), she also is genuinely jealous of the bond between her father and Kaphrao. And with her aunt continously whispering harmful rumors in her ear nonstop, Fai is in a state of emotional turmoil, as her natural personality is the complete opposite of the act she feels to must portray in defense of her aunt and her feelings of jealousy. At first this struggle between how she clearly wants to act vs how she feels like she has to act is interesting, but quickly becomes repetitive and boring. Kaphrao, however, is a refreshing character, who wants a family and is quick to forgive, and always remembers the kindness Fai showed her even when masked under the pretense of hatred.
Aunt Nee really needed to have been given some mental health treatment way before the point she tried to kill herself and it was upsetting to see someone obviously spiraling, being given no support other than Fai who grew up with Aunt Nee being this way so doesn't know better.
Some positives:
1. Phrao has the forgiveness and patience of a saint. What a beautiful person.
2. Aunt Nee having a redemption arc after proper treatment and medication. Nice mental health representation.
3. Both Aunt Nee and the father admit to being terrible parents to Fai.
4. Fai and Kaphrao are actually a good couple with open, honest communication. You only see this in the last two episodes though.
Honestly this is the weakest drama of the 4 Elements series imo.

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Good But I Wanted More

I really liked Park Eun Bin’s character. I think she carried a large part of the story and managed to keep it going until the very end. I also enjoyed the male lead: there are moments when he makes you laugh a lot and others when he genuinely makes you emotional.

The two leads have good chemistry, although I think I was expecting a little more from their relationship.

I have to admit that the beginning bored me a little, but fortunately, the drama picked up with the following episodes and became much more enjoyable.

One thing that disappointed me a bit was that, at some point, the drama seemed to give more and more attention to the romance while forgetting about the ghosts. The supernatural aspect was one of the most interesting and central parts of the story, so I wish it had been explored more consistently.

And I have to mention the scene where he wakes up and immediately starts walking after being hit by a car… that was a little ridiculous. 😂
I know it’s a K-drama, but you still need to make the story you’re telling feel believable enough for the viewer to stay immersed.

Honorable mention to the OST, because I absolutely loved it. It was definitely one of my favorite parts of the drama.

As for the ending, I didn’t find it rushed or too fast. I actually liked it and thought it wrapped things up well.

Overall, it was a good and enjoyable drama. I just wish some aspects had been explored a little more and executed better.

My final rating: 8/10.

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Laboratory Rats

In Korean folklore, the rat is not merely a pest, and it is no coincidence that it occupies the first place in the zodiac. But the rat is also associated with the legend of the Impostor (The Cut Fingernail). According to this myth, if a person throws their nail or hair clippings on the ground instead of burning them or disposing of them properly, a rat may eat them. By ingesting these pieces of human body, the rat absorbs the person's vital essence and takes on their exact appearance. It then takes the victim's place within their own family, driving the real human being away and making them appear insane. This tale served as a warning to children, teaching them cleanliness, respect for the body (which, according to Confucian tradition, is inherited from one's parents), and caution about what they leave behind. But while the white rat is a symbol of divine blessing, our rat here is black, a symbol of malice. Like a Rat is a thriller adapted from Ludovico's webcomic, which draws inspiration from this legend and attempts to put it into practice. Like Song Kang-ho and Choi Min-sik, Sul Kyung-gu seems eager to have a little "fun," taking on ambitious projects that only Netflix and Disney can afford to offer him, and here he does so with Field Mouse. So, does this adaptation succeed or not?

Je Mun-Jae (Ryu Jun-Yeol) is a novelist who has been living as a recluse for the past three years. He communicates with the outside world only through his friend, who takes care of everything for him. But one day, his life suddenly falls apart: he can no longer unlock his phone or access his bank accounts… and his friend becomes unreachable overnight. He cannot even prove his own identity because nobody knows who he is. He no longer exists as Je Mun-Jae, because a "rat" has stolen everything from him. Worse still, the police are convinced that he has committed several crimes and offenses, so he has no choice but to go on the run. His only hope lies with No-Ja (Sul Kyung-Gu), a former crime boss who has reinvented himself as a loan shark. The problem is that No-Ja has been looking for Mun-Jae for more than three years because Mun-Jae owes him a large sum of money. Mun-Jae convinces him not to kill him and promises to repay everything he owes if No-Ja helps him find the man who has stolen his identity, much like a doppelgänger. Paranoid and schizophrenic, Mun-Jae must piece together fragments of his past in order to separate fact from fiction. Meanwhile, Lieutenant Park Sun-Yong (Lee Kyoo-Hyung), who has been after No-Ja for a long time, quickly connects the two cases and sets off in pursuit of them. But who is the cat and who is the mouse, or rather… the rat?**

Like a Rat is exactly the kind of thriller that immediately grabbed my attention, only to gradually leave me wanting more. From the very first minutes, the drama establishes a particularly dark and unsettling atmosphere. The story places us inside the mind of a character whom we can never be sure is the victim of a conspiracy or simply being deceived by his own paranoia. Mun-Jae takes medication for anxiety, seems to be losing his grip, and no longer knows what he can trust. For a while, every possibility seems plausible: impostor, twin, hallucination, manipulation… And for a large part of the series, the drama plays remarkably well with this ambiguity. The story becomes a genuine game of deception revolving around identities. We think we have figured out who the victim is, who the impostor is, who the Rat is… before the story regularly comes along and reshuffles the cards. The revelations about Mun-Jae's past, the different identities, and especially Seo Yu-min gradually turn the story into one gigantic game of "who is who?" The most successful aspect is that some clues were there from the very beginning. The habit of biting one's nails, in particular, takes on an entirely different meaning once the revelations are known. The drama had therefore properly laid the groundwork for some of its surprises and does not rely solely on twists pulled out of nowhere. The first six episodes are particularly well constructed, gripping and dense, both narratively and in terms of the action scenes.**

But the screenplay deteriorates during the final stretch. I really enjoyed the beginning and middle of the series, but the final two episodes cooled me down considerably. The twists become increasingly numerous, sometimes at the expense of credibility. Miraculous escapes, ambiguous flashbacks that reveal either too much or not enough, and characters suddenly switching sides sometimes give the impression that the screenplay is primarily looking for ways to move the plot forward. The problem is all the more noticeable because the series had established such a realistic, dark and particularly believable tone up to that point. These shortcuts therefore clash strongly with what had made it so effective. The same goes for some of the action scenes, including one of the final confrontations between No-Ja and Park Seung-Gyu… Yeah, no, actually. I'm deliberately exaggerating, but that's the idea: the series becomes less rigorous precisely when it should be reaching its climax. A thriller of this quality should normally go out with a bang. Here, the tension accumulated over several episodes gradually deflates just when it should have reached its peak. It is genuinely unfortunate that the momentum fizzles out toward the end, which is sadly the series' biggest weakness. But that should not overshadow everything that works, because the suspense remains omnipresent from beginning to end.**

Like a Rat is directed by Kim Hong-Sun, who is a genre specialist, so we're in for something substantial. The direction is probably one of the series' greatest strengths. The cinematography is superb, the atmosphere is particularly well crafted, and the whole production has a genuine cinematic quality. The action scenes are also very successful. The chase sequences are particularly convincing and genuinely feel like watching a movie sequence, while the fights do not shy away from violence. The score perfectly complements the dark atmosphere and contributes greatly to the series' identity. Finally, the cast is clearly up to the task. Ryu Jun-Yeol carries a large part of the series on his shoulders with a particularly demanding role, especially in the scenes where his character's identity becomes the very heart of the story. But Sul Kyung-Gu is impressive. At 58, he has a presence that immediately commands respect and gives No-Ja enormous credibility. Alongside Lee Kyoo-Hyung, they form a particularly convincing trio. Their dynamic as gangster and police officer works because all three actors play their characters with such naturalism that they feel completely believable. The almost exclusively male cast also fits the series' criminal world perfectly.**

In the end, Like a Rat leaves me with fairly mixed feelings. I genuinely enjoyed being led down the garden path by this story and trying, episode after episode, to understand what was hiding behind this succession of identities and manipulations. It is rare enough for a thriller to maintain so much mystery without making me give up along the way. But precisely because of that, after such a build-up, I expected much more from the resolution. The series had created a fascinating game of deception and an atmosphere that gave it everything it needed to deliver a knockout blow, but it gets a little lost along the way by trying to make its story increasingly complicated. What bothers me most in the end is that some questions seem to have been deliberately left unanswered, even though answering them would have given the whole thing considerably more coherence. As for the open ending, I find it rather pointless: leaving something ambiguous only works when that ambiguity adds something to the story or allows us to look back at it differently. Here, I mostly felt as though I was being asked to keep thinking about a story that, above all, needed a better conclusion. So we are left with a gripping and often highly successful thriller, but also one whose potential has been somewhat wasted. The Rat certainly led me on a wild chase, but what it really needed was to know where its own burrow was.

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The Early Spring

this drama is so captivating, well acted, well written , well directed and the acting is exceptional enough to have me start reading the book. It has a mature story line and is definitely not slow burn drama. I enjoy watching dramas that are centered in the work place and this one outdoes itself in keeping it fresh and new.
I have watched the episodes a few times each already and plan to watch the whole series again once is completed.
This is for amore mature audience and it fulfills my long last with that a work place romantic drama swoons my senses and emotions.
This cold hearted man already knows this time is different.
Excellent !! One of the best thus far after over 9 years of watching C dramas!!
Kudos to the producer, screenwriter , ML, FL, Support actors!!!

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Everything for Love

As far as short dramas go, this is definitely among the best I have ever watched.

Obviously, given the shorter format, it shares some of the issues all short drama inevitably have. There are some editing and pacing issues, but overall I wasn't really bothered by it, because it wasn't nearly as bad as I expected. The story is still coherent and easy to follow.

Visually, it is gorgeous. Beautiful costumes, sets and cinematography. The CGI was good too, except for the final fight between Ye Zhao and Hua Hui, which was a bit underwhelming.

I really liked the story and how it was all brought together in the end. It was very interesting, dramatic and intense with plenty of cute and funny scenes.

The writers cleverly focused on a small number of characters to follow. Given the shorter format, adding more characters would have had a negative impact.

The cast was also very well chosen. Yan Zi Xian doesn't disappoint. He was perfectly cast and did a great job embodying Ye Zhao. He has a very strong and charismatic screen presence, which was a great fit for this role. Wu Ri Li Ge was also impeccably cast. She did a great job portraying the different sides of He Xi/Chu Xi He as well as Hua Hui.

The supporting cast, while they had less screen time, also made their mark.

Overall, this was a very enjoyable short drama.

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Love moth character so much

I genuinely love Moth so much, and somehow I feel really relatable to him. There’s something so delicate and emotional about him that immediately pulled me in. And honestly, throughout the whole episode, I was completely hooked on Moth’s eyes. I don’t even know why, but I just couldn’t look away. 😭
Moth is so pretty, so soft, yet there’s this hidden depth and intensity in him that makes him incredibly captivating. And Est’s acting brought all of that out so beautifully. The way he portrayed Moth’s emotions, his vulnerability, his little expressions and especially his eyes… it made Moth feel so real.And can we PLEASE talk about Moth in that white shirt??? He looked absolutely gorgeous and dangerously seductive without even trying. 🤭Est really brought Moth to life, and I’m already so attached to this character.

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Silly, Old-School Rom-Com with a Love Triangle, Cringe and Fluttering Moments and Lots of Laughter

My Bias, My Boss is a very typical romcom with a love triangle, bubbly female lead, cold but soft male lead and a likeable second male lead. It has cringe funny moments, lots of second-hand embarrassments and a light, fluffy romance with awkward hand brushes and accidental kisses. The story is cliched and tropey and falls back into the pattern of tried and tested formulas, but somehow still works — yes, it's familiar but not entirely predictable. This drama may not be winning awards for its groundbreaking story or characters, but it doesn’t really have to. Some dramas can just simply be an enjoyable break from life.

I was on the fence about starting this drama initially but ended up binge-ing the first four eps because of how easy it was to watch. It pleasantly reminded me of the 2015-18s romcoms and I’m enjoyed that familiarity and humour.

Nam Dareum is your cute, naïve, bubbly female lead who can be unwittingly oblivious at times. Typically, an annoying combo but somehow Dareum didn't really come off as annoying to me which is a feat and Kim Hyejun deserves praise for pulling that off. I liked her dynamic with both the MLs and appreciate how they handled their relationships. Contrary to what you’d expect, the love triangle is surprisingly not that messy and after the initial confusion, she is pretty in tune with her feelings.

I really like how they portrayed her fanship and her relationship with her idol. To a non-fan, her behaviour may come off as childish or extreme but as a longtime kpop fan myself, I think her way of being a fan was quite matured for the most part. She indulged in her fanship and wanted to support and be close to her bias, but she did that in a practical way that made sense from her standing and understood the line that exists between a fan and their idol. This is important and while some dramas like Lovely Runner did handle it well, others *cough Idol I cough* not so much. Personally, I’m almost never in favour of a fan dating their idol because of how skewed the power dynamics become, and I was glad to see them addressing it here.

Kang Hagi is also your typical workaholic, cold CEO male lead who is kind-hearted and caring when you get to know him. While tropey, I don’t think he’s two dimensional and had ample amounts of quirks and personality which were subtly brought out in Kang Hoon’s acting. I loved his clumsiness and how despite being inexperienced when it came to feelings, he still handled them so maturely.

Among the main cast, Cha Woomin is the only actor I knew from before and I’m glad to see him get bigger roles as I liked him in his previous dramas. Lee Chan is an interesting character - charming, likeable and yet somewhat flawed. His past with his former group members was really intriguing and I liked how they handled the reunion. His idol-fan interactions with Dareum were also really cute and I generally liked him, even if I was a little taken aback with his readiness to get into a relationship with his fan. But he had his reasons which became more understandable as the story progressed and I really enjoyed his overall character development.

Production-wise, My Bias, My Boss seemed pretty unremarkable to me but that doesn’t mean it’s bad. This drama doesn’t work because of its unique ingredients but because of its brilliant execution. It takes tropey characters and plotline and serves it in a way that’s familiar but not boring and even surprisingly refreshing at times. So, if you’re wondering if you should start this drama, I’d say take a chance and go ahead! You might enjoy this more than you’d think.

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So good!!!

I have to be honest. I watched this episode because a lot of people were talking about it. And my oh my the story, the acting and the visuals are all outstanding. This is the first series where I’ve actually fallen for all 4 characters from the get go. But my I need to give a special mention to Est Supha, not only is that man drop dead gorgeous but his acting skills are exceptional. The way he portrays his emotions with his facial expressions is just 10/10. Plus the way he plays this cold aloof character but yet still show’s moments of vulnerability when he is with his friend Pun. I honestly can’t wait to discover his background story.

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A vertical drama for Alice in Borderland fans

Watched on the FOD Shorts app with English subtitles!

I think this is definitely worth a watch if the synopsis interests you, and it's best to go in completely blind, so I won't go in-depth in this review and just offer my recommendation!

This is tagged on the app as horror, which was a little worrying for me going in because I'm a total weenie when it comes to scary stuff, but it actually wasn't too bad. Aside from one moment with a slightly disturbing image (the end of ep 24 when they look at one of the character's camera) and maybe one or two very mild jumpscares (no loud sounds or anything, just the sudden appearance of the little kid), it was more than tolerable for me, although YMMV.

Kusakawa Takuya has a great disposition for horror, and it's funny that he and Sugai Yuuka were costars in a romance drama the year before this came out given the relationship their characters have here. I do have some unanswered questions and the parallels to parts of Alice in Borderland were quite apparent imo (iykyk), but I generally like what they did with the concept and enjoyed this quick watch!

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The Height of Japanese Spirit

I’ve seen this movie at least 3-4 times in the past 3 days. I adore this movie. What is it.. it has that Je Ne Sais Quoi that is the essence of everything I love about Japan and the spirit it embodies. It has all the beautiful aspects of spirit embodied in Japanese culture and aesthetic, that has its foundation in reverance for nature, all packaged in a heartwarming tale with comedy and heart all throughout. I don’t know any movie that ends with a long rendition of “You are my Sunshine but I realized it was the happiness of Spirit singing throughout the movie. Everything about it has so much soul. The picturesque sceneries are like paintings, and the music is otherworldly. I discovered this famous song “Ue o muite” from this movie as Chris Hart’s character sings in the bathhouse with his mother after being released from prison. Ahh I was a puddle of tears. I can feel so much heart and soul and the Spirit just speaking to my heart in every moment and I had so many moments of tears, and gratitude behind it all. This isn’t just a kiddie pool. Yudo, the way of the bath is as deep as it gets. And it touched the very bottom of my soul. Happiness is not pursued, it is realized!

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2.521 motivos para assistir....preparem os lencinhos...verdade com a vida é...

Vinte e cinco e Vinte e Um cheio de lições de vida. Sei que as pessoas têm discordado e decepcionado com a forma como foi o final. Mas eu acho que o final do Dorama cumpre a história original que eles estavam tentando transmitir. O apego emocional que desenvolvi a esse drama é inacreditável. Eu amo tudo, desde como os personagens se desenvolvem e vendo como eles florescem em sua vida adulta. Talvez seja porque agora sou um estudante universitário e é por isso que me relaciono muito com esse drama. Sim, é verdade que tomamos a vida escolar com muita facilidade e como garantida. Sim, é mais difícil encontrar-se com amigos agora que estamos velhos. Sim, as pessoas se separam e tudo bem. Sim, tudo bem, mesmo que você não encontre seus amigos com frequência. Contanto que vocês tenham um ao outro, vocês sempre encontrarão tempo, mesmo que isso signifique a cada 6 meses ou mais.

Acho que Vinte Cinco e Vinte Um estabeleceu os padrões para 2022 Kdramas. Sei que as classificações caíram devido ao final e entendo que as pessoas estão muito frustradas com o final. Mas eu definitivamente acho que não é apressado, e que se encaixa perfeitamente na narrativa geral da história.

Então, para aqueles que estão assistindo 2521, espero que vocês aprendam algumas lições e aprendam a aproveitar sua juventude. Uma boa visualização (talvez) e prepare alguns tecidos ao seu lado. Eu posso ou não ter um colapso assistindo o episódio 14 e enquanto escrevo esta resenha...

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