Reviews

So disappointed... "Overdo" is totally overrated ?

I just finished Overdo, and honestly, I'm so let down. Looking at what other people are saying online, it seems like I'm definitely not the only one.

They had a top-tier cast and a massive budget, but they completely wasted it. Because of all the obvious sponsoring, the show honestly felt more like a long commercial than an actual drama.

Here is what really ruined it for me (and a lot of other viewers):

The CGI is a joke: With that much money, how did the special effects look so cheap? It was hard to take seriously.

Too much overacting: I love this cast, but their acting was way too extravagant this time. It felt unnatural and kept pulling me right out of the story.

An exhausting plot: The story relied way too much on stupid misunderstandings. Just talk to each other! It got so frustrating to watch after a while.

That ending: After dragging us through all that stress, we get an open ending? It was so disappointing and left me feeling like I wasted my time.

Honestly, this drama is all hype and no substance. Save your time and skip it!

Leia Mais

The creative choices...INSANE

Like many others, this was one of my most highly anticipated of the year. And like many others, I ended up being really disappointed.

Let’s start with the good: the fashion looks great, and the physical sets look pretty immersive as well. We’ll get into bad CGI later, but when they’re actually filming around props and sets, everything looks decent. I really like the second chance romance and the revenge premise; there’s a really interesting story here, it’s just buried under all the other problems.

Now, for the bad. The acting is…questionable. I’ve seen both of these actors in other things and I know they’re capable of emoting, but the facial expressions and line delivery in this show feel unnecessarily dramatic and the dubbing never matches; dialogue is always delivered with the same loud, emotionless, intonation. There are moments where I can feel the chemistry between the leads (see Ep. 2 where ML sees FL for the first time) but other than that I wasn’t really sold on the romance at all due to the lack of build-up and wishy-washiness.

The plot is really choppy and the pacing is really weird; we’re jumping from one scene to the next without any sort of logical progression and without any time for the plot to breathe. There are time jumps all over the place and I’m never sure how long they are until they randomly say it in conversation. There is one big time jump in the last quarter of the show that introduces several tropes that I just dislike on principle, and it sort of just rehashes the exact same relationship dynamics all over again. The ending is confusing and unsatisfying.

Which brings me to the ugly; the editing choices in this show are just utterly BIZARRE. The rapid pacing and jumping from one scene to the next is emphasized by the fact that the music never stops. EVER. Seriously. There are moments where up to THREE different OSTs are strung together, back-to-back, sometimes within the same conversation. It’s insane. Sometimes the characters are just having a normal conversation and there is crazy violin playing going on the entire time.

Visually, the rapid zooms on character faces does the opposite of what’s intended, making scenes feel funny instead of serious and dramatic. There are some scenes that just should’ve been filmed from different angles to avoid weird reflections or cuts, or fights/slaps where we can clearly see that the characters were standing super far from each other and didn’t make contact at all. There are moments where the CGI is really bad and you can tell the actors aren’t interacting with their surroundings correctly. Zhang Ling-he is belly-flopping into a pond. Wang Chu-ran is floating vertically out of an airplane.

I feel like I also have to mention the AI intro. I’m glad they received enough backlash and changed it; it boggles my mind that they said it was supposed to “help viewers quickly grasp the protagonists' emotional backstory.” You had the actors on set and actual footage?? Put something together?? The new intro showed that they could and it would be even more effective storytelling. I hope IQIYI keeps receiving criticism for leaning into AI; I’m seeing more and more of it pop up in their drama intros, and viewers deserve better. My favorite, never-skip intros are the ones with adorable scenes, great songs, or really beautiful art.

In conclusion, I’m sad that this turned out the way it was because there’s a really interesting story here with actual high-stakes and consequences, and I grieve the show we could’ve gotten. “Provoke” is a similar premise and it’s a short drama, but it’s one I actually enjoyed if anyone is looking for something similar.

Leia Mais

Simple but charming typical Thai romance.

The film's biggest weakness is its time loop concept. The scientific explanation behind the loop feels inconsistent and lacks logical coherence. Rather than trying to justify it with weak science, the story would have benefited from leaving the time loop unexplained and simply treating it as a fantasy element. Since the romance is already the heart of the film, the unnecessary explanations only create more questions than answers.

Like many great Thai romance movie's, it balances heartfelt moments with light humor, making the characters feel warm and relatable. The cast also delivers strong performances, and their natural awkward interactions make the story even more engaging. Of course Thai romance movie's greatest strength is its lovable female lead character, who is always portrayed so beautifully that genuinely feels like a memorable first love.

They share the same fate, being trapped in a time loop. They search for hidden "Perfect Moments" throughout the day, and as they spend more time together, they gradually grow closer. Their journey is not just about romance but also about learning to embrace life's small imperfections and cherish every moment they have. This message gives the film a heartfelt emotional core that resonates long after it ends.

Conflicts within the ML family are also quite touching, relationships with family are getting better after realizing that life is not only about thinking about oneself. And the story's main premise, the cause of the time loop, FL's unwillingness to accept her mother's death, are also very touching.

Leia Mais

all's well that ends well,

If you like taxi driver 1/2/3 or study group or Brave Citizen, then you should definitely watch this drama—you'll enjoy it.
i like very much Jin Ki Joo character. I truly attach to the coordination and mutual connection among Choi Gang Seok ,Na Hwa Jin & Im Han Rim—the 'Grand Master', the 'Master', and the 'Disciple'. However, from a screenplay perspective, the romantic relationship between Han Rim and Giun Dai is not particularly praiseworthy. although I don't know what will happen in the upcoming season. Ultimately, all's well that ends well, and this is truly a good drama; the supporting characters performed exceptionally well despite their limited screen time.

Leia Mais

★The WonderPEAKS★

10 out of mf 10. I am so glad i started watching this, first of all lets give a round of applause to the director, the screenwriter and the whole production team because they were able to effortlessly gravitate between different genres throughout the series. This series also has a perfect ratio between action, fantasy, comedy, romance and drama (and by that i mean it has a favorable amount of each). This drama will make you laugh uncontrollably, be absolutely invested in the story and make you a little emotional in some parts which is why i love it because throughout 1 episode it effortlessly transitions through these emotions, for example if you just watched a really sad scene the next few scenes are absolutely hilarious that make you recover from that serious topic but the transition between those 2 are soooo goddamn smooth that it doesn't feel forced or like a "here damn". other than this all of the characters are so charming and amazing and wonderful they have so much depth and UGHHH i just love this drama and we realllllyyyyy need a new season. if this has been in your watch list for a while, JUST WATCH IT! you wont regret it at all i promise. the friendship dynamic in this made me feel very cozy and homely and their interactions just feel like one big hug to the viewer. i finished it yesterday and i miss it so much! (ALSO THE ACTING IN THIS IS ABSOLUTELY OUTSTANDING)

Leia Mais

De bons ingrédients, mais le four a cramé.

Je suis extrêmement déçue. Je n'ai pas pour habitude de noter et commenter des drama que je n'ai pas fini.
Le plus frustrant est que le drama avait tous les ingrédients pour réussir : un casting solide, un budget conséquent, un contexte républicain intéressant, une intrigue mêlant romance, espionnage et secrets familiaux, ainsi que des personnages dont le passé donnait envie d'en savoir plus.
Malheureusement, l'exécution est un échec à presque tous les niveaux. La réalisation est très faible, les effets spéciaux et les fonds verts cassent constamment l'immersion, la mise en scène est caricaturale, la musique est beaucoup trop appuyée et les scènes censées être intenses finissent souvent par paraître artificielles. Même le jeu d'acteurs, pourtant assuré par des acteurs que j'apprécie habituellement, m'a semblé desservi par la direction artistique.
Le scénario de base reste prometteur, notamment avec le réseau d'espionnes et le contexte politique, mais la forme prend constamment le dessus sur le fond. Au bout de cinq épisodes, je n'avais plus envie de découvrir la suite.

Bref pour qu'un drama me mette autant en colère c'est que le potentiel est gâché au dernier degré

Leia Mais

A story with strong themes, which didn't reach its full potential

The Judge Returns was a drama that caught my attention the moment I read its synopsis. I have developed a keen interest to series about law and judicial system so it goes without saying that I decided to give this one a go.

The series' start was very strong. The first two episodes were a very good setup for Han Young's backstory and eventual development. From the get-go, we get introduced to a cold judge, who delivers "justice" based on money instead of the law and ethics. We witness him at his lowest in terms of morality and yet, when his eventual death followed, I couldn't help but pity him and wish for his growth in the second chance he got to redeem himself.

This was the first time I watched Ji Sung and I can already tell that he's about to become one of my most favourite actors. He embodied Han Young and he made sure to steal the spotlight every time he appeared on the screen. You could see the fire in Han Young's eyes and his thirst for justice and fair punishment. Han Young's charismatic, charming and yet cunning personality was encapsulated perfectly by Ji Sung. I loved the way he changed his body language and the tone of his voice based on the characters Han Young interacted with, adding more layers to the various dynamics.

Park Hee Son as Kang Sin Jin was an absolute gem, from a visual and acting point. He owned this role and the authority he radiated in his scenes was unmatched. Sin Jin was a multilayered character and Hee Son did a magnificent job portraying his polarizing morality. His micro expressions andsubtle movements made Jin Sin more intimidating and unpredictable and it showed why he had so much influence. His chemistry with Ji Sung was one of the strongest aspects in the drama, emphasizing the ongoing silent battle between Han Young and Sin Jin, their scenes together were so exciting to watch and the build-up to their final confrontation made me eager to watch more.

The rest of the cast was very modest, some performances being more remarkable than others but overall, everyone delivered what was expected of them. I especially loved Tae Won Seok's role as Jeong Ho, Han Young's friend. I watched The Judge Returns before watching Bloodhounds and I couldn't believe that the ruthless bloodhound who made Woo Jin and Gun Woo's lives a hell shared the same actor with a kindhearted and supportive CEO. His versatility was very impressive and although his role wasn't very demanding in terms of emotional delivery, he stole the show whenever he would appear on screen, bringing a breath of fresh air.

The ongoing battle between good vs evil is the most prominent and yet the most complex theme in the drama. Instead of a simplified presentation of the judicial system, the writers highlighted the complexity that lays behind the scenes. There's the famous quote about justice being blind. Everyone is equal before the law and justice is ought to be served regardless of financial power, status or connections. While both sides in the drama strive for this, the means they utilize clash, resulting to a battle of deception.

On the one hand, Han Young, in search of atonment and redemption, is ready to do whatever is possible in order to ensure justice and apply the law fairly. On the other hand, Sin Jin, in pursuit of justice, bended the law and utilized power and money, thus betraying his initial goal for a justice system that will protect everyone equally. Both sides, in theory, fought for the same future, where no one will be treated unfairly. But the methods they used couldn't be any more different and thus, a great dilemma was present. Are we supposed to fight injustice with injustice? Or should we have faith in law?

While I appreciate the drama for its ambitious premise and although I recognise its qualities, unfortunately, once I was done with it, I realized that my feelings weren't as strong compared to my initial reception.

The first half always had me at the edge of my seat, I was looking forward to Han Young's redemption and his confrontation with Sin Jin. At the same time, I enjoyed the domestic moments between him and his friends, which toned down the hectic political aspects and left room for more humane interactions and bonds. The blend between comedy, action and slice-of-life was handled very well in the beginning and kept my interest more than alive.

Alas, in the middle of the road, my feelings for The Judge Returns started to change.

Once the series reached its second half, I noticed that my interest had started declining. I didn't rush to keep up with the released episodes and my attention was deteriorating in some parts. In the end, I decided to put the drama on hold and I put it off for 5 months. Now, putting a drama on hold is by no means an indicator of its quality, but once I resumed it, I understood why it failed to keep my attention.

I love slow paced stories. In fact, the majority of my favourite books, movies and series are slow paced. But while The Judge Return's pacing was not an issue for me at first, in the second half, I found the plot dragging to the point I almost considered skipping some scenes. There were some moments which felt like fillers to me and I wished that instead of them, we would get something that would contribute to the development of the characters and the story. One can handle only so many dialogues between corrupted men. The last two episodes in particular were very hard for me to watch and I almost felt relieved when I reached the end.

Aside from that, the scenes started to feel disjointed, which contributed to the slow pacing. One moment something dramatic would happen and then, the setting would change to something else. Which yes, it can work in terms of narrative but it became predictable and annoying because it ruined the flaw.

A pet peeve of mine regarding the technical aspects was the soundtrack. In thrillers, I prefer it when the soundtrack evokes some emotions and is used to create a suitable atmosphere. But in The Judge Returns, I found the usage of the main theme, particularly the opening, to be used in random moments, thus making the scenes less serious and anticlimactic. I am aware of the fact that soundtracks do not make or break a series but when it fails to deliver the best result, it can affect the viewing experience.

In addition, there were issues with the writing of some characters. Yoo See Hee started off strongly and I was looking forward to see her development both individualy and with Han Young, considering their relationship in their previous life. However, while the character was promising and while Oh Se Young did a good job portraying See Hee, the writing was underwhelming. I found her to be too dependent on Han Young and it would have been nice if the writers had explored her feelings outside of their relationship. There was room for more development and in the end, while I felt proud of her progression, I was left with a lackluster impression. Moreover, the subtle romance between See Hee and Han Young left me unmoved, I was eager to welcome it if done well but in the end, it was done poorly (not that I blame the actors, of course).

But my biggest grip was the way Kim Jina's character was written. Seriously, what was that? You have her being marketed as a main character and yet there were supporting characters which had more screen time than her. And no, I will not listen to any arguments about her being important to the story even with less screen time. A main character is supposed to be a main character and it's a shame she got sidelined. Won Jina was great and I'm sad I didn't get to see her full potential because of the way her character got treated by the script.

Another aspect that could have been handled better was Han Young and Sin Jin's relationship. It would have been interesting if we had seen more of them as "partners" because it would have added more impact to Han Young's betrayal and Sin Jin's broken trust. The scenes we got were definitely magnetic, albeit too few in my opinion. It would have also been nice if they had more exchanges of their different viewpoints (in a subtle way of course, since Han Young couldn't reveal his true beliefs). A bigger debate between them would have added more food for thought compared to what we got in the end.

The Judge Returns doesn't try to offer to the audience a utopian dream of a fair world and a justice system based on equality. Unfortunately, no justice system can be equal and accessible to everyone, at least with the current social standards. But it tries to show that it's still worth fighting for law no matter what. We shouldn't be what we sought to destroy in the name of "justice". What we should do is try to be better humans by helping those who are in need for help.

I definitely recommend The Judge Returns to people who like law series or Jisung's fans. But I don't think it's that profound to not miss it, if it's not under your randar. There are better series in my opinion which tackle similar themes in a better way, such as Pro Bono, a kdrama which became one of my favourites. I definitely do not regret watching The Judge Return but it's a pity it didn't reach its full potential in terms of writing.

Leia Mais

For Mature Audience

1. BEFORE I ADDRESS THE DRAMA, I JUST WANT TO PUT IT OUT THERE THAT PEOPLE CAN'T THINK FOR THEMSELVES: Why do people rely heavily on negative comments online instead of watching the drama first in order to judge it? Second, too many POJ shippers coming to bash the drama as well as people who wants to see POJ in a "republican drama." Very immature and delusional behaviors. You can't expect to see glitz and glamour as well as "easy to understand" characters in a republican story plot, therefore be mature enough to watch or don't watch PERIOD. I'm so tired of seeing all the immature rants and complaints. Third, if you think OVERDO is bad, then you haven't seen "republican dramas." This era had always been dramatic and heavy to watch because it is during war times and dark times. If you want me to recommend a drama worser, then go watch "War of Flames," loves the actors, but plot was messy and unbearable.

2. PRODUCTION, ACTING, & STORYLINE: There are definitely way worser production than OVERDO, so it was unnecessary for people to spread hate. Two, the acting was superb on all ends. No matter it was the main or supporting cast. I will dive into Wang Churan's character since she is getting the most hate. Ren Susu was never meant to be this happy, jolly, easygoing character, therefore I am lost at people wanting her to be expressive and lively. She is meant to be cold, mono, and expressionless because she only knows "revenge, pain, suffering, and misfortunes." As you can see, there are times she gave in to Qingyi because she wants to let go, and on the other hand, she has a duty to revenge her parents and everyone she loved. She's an orphan, guys, she literally doesn't have anyone other than Qingyi therefore her pain is immense. Which brings me to the next point, because she knows she can't let go of her revenge, she protects Qingyi from her dangerous life by pushing him away therefore he does not get caught in the misfortunes. Because that man loves her and WILL DIE FOR HER. Also did everyone forget the fact that Qingyu tried to separate Ren Susu from Qingyi by pushing her to kill Li Rhongzhang knowing she was on a suicide mission?? Yes exactly, that's why Ren Susu does not want Qingyi involved in her life, because Qingyu also wanted her dead and gone from Qingyi. Third, storyline was decently written, it was just fast paced therefore we didn't spend a lot of time watching character development. If you understood then you understood, if you didn't then go back and rewatch it. Also if you've watched the BTS, you can see that there was so much more acting and emotions done behind the scenes, but because of limited episodes, a lot of scenes were cut short. As for ZLH, he nailed his character as expected. Qingyi made every scene emotional and painful because he is so selfless when it comes to Ren Susu.

3. Overall, I think it's evident, we need another ZLH and WCR drama with a more loving storyline. Because these two are not only power visuals, but they need a better script to bring their potentials to the screen.

Leia Mais

Je ne m'attendais pas à autant rire devant ce drama...

Avec "Absolute Value of Romance", on suit Yeo Eui-Ju, une lycéenne qui mène une double vie 🥷. Le jour, c'est une élève tout ce qu'il y a de plus normale, mais la nuit, elle écrit des web-romans en secret... et plus précisément des histoires de BL 🤣 . Sauf que tout part complètement en vrille lorsque quatre nouveaux professeurs débarquent dans son lycée... Forcément, avec une imagination comme la sienne, chaque petit détail devient une nouvelle scène à écrire 🤩...

Je vais pas mentir... au bout de dix minutes, je me suis dit : "OK... ce drama est complètement barré." 😅 Et soit tu montes dans le train dès le départ, soit tu peux le drop tout de suite... Ici, il ne faut clairement pas chercher du réalisme. Le drama assume totalement son humour absurde, ses situations improbables et son côté "WTF". Personnellement, c'est exactement ce qui m'a plu. Je crois que ça faisait longtemps qu'une comédie ne m'avait pas autant fait rire.

Bon... petite confession 🤫, avec des profs comme ça, ma scolarité aurait clairement pris un autre tournant. Je détestais les maths à l'époque... mais avec Ga Woo-Su comme prof, je pense que j'aurais été beaucoup moins pressée que la sonnerie retentisse 🤭

Concernant les personnages, celle qui porte ce joyeux bazar sur ses épaules, c'est Kim Hyang-Gi 🫶🏻. C'était la première fois que je la voyais dans un drama, et franchement quelle bonne surprise !!! J'ai trouvé qu'elle avait une énergie très communicative, ses expressions sont hilarantes... franchement belle découverte. On sent qu'elle s'amuse dans son rôle... et du coup ben moi aussi 😜.

J'ai beaucoup apprécié les quatre professeurs aussi. Déjà parce qu'ils ont tous une personnalité bien différente, mais surtout parce qu'ils dégagent une vraie complicité ensemble 😍. Je ne sais pas pourquoi, mais ils m'ont plusieurs fois fait penser aux "F4" de "Meteor Garden". Chacun apporte son petit truc, mais celui qui m'a complètement conquise, c'est Ga Woo-Su 🫰🏻. Son côté ultra sérieux mélangé à une maladresse presque involontaire m'a fait rire plus d'une fois... Il a ce petit côté lunaire qui le rend vraiment attachant.

Mais... ce que j'ai vraiment le plus kiffé durant mon visionnage, c'est le décalage permanent entre ce qu'Eui-Ju s'imagine et ce qui se passe réellement... J'ai vraiment rigolé 😂

J'ai vu sur des groupes, etc, que certaines personnes étaient mal à l'aise avec le fait qu'Eui-Ju "fantasme" sur ses professeurs. Honnêtement, ça ne m'a pas dérangée... Qui n'a jamais eu un petit crush sur un prof au lycée ?!? 🤭 Bref, j'ai trouvé que le drama faisait attention à ne jamais franchir la limite. Les professeurs restent professionnels du début à la fin et n'alimentent jamais ses "fantasmes". Au final, c'est surtout son imagination qui crée toutes ces situations plus ou moins cocasses 🤗.

Par contre, j'ai un peu moins accroché à l'arc autour de Ha Su... Jusqu'à ce moment, le drama était juste là pour faire rire sans prise de tête, et j'ai trouvé que cette intrigue venait casser cette bonne humeur 😬... J'aurais préféré qu'il reste fidèle à sa vibe complètement déjantée jusqu'au bout. Même la fin m'a donné cette impression d'aller un peu trop vite... même si, au fond, ça reste assez cohérent avec le rythme du drama, j'aurais aimé savoir ce que chacun devient... 😞

Au final, j'ai vraiment passé un super moment devant "Absolute Value of Romance" 👍🏻. Alors oui, ce n'est clairement pas un drama qu'il faut prendre au sérieux, mais je pense que c'est justement ce qui fait tout son charme. Avec ses épisodes d'une trentaine de minutes, il se binge en un rien de temps et fait parfaitement le job quand on a juste envie de déconnecter et de rigoler un bon coup 🙂. Franchement, si vous acceptez son délire, il y a de grandes chances que vous vous laissiez embarquer vous aussi dans cette folie complètement assumée. ✌🏻

Leia Mais

Strong start and predictable ending

I thought The Shadow Sovereign was just okay. It started off strong but the story became predictable as the episodes went on and I found myself getting bored toward the end. If you are into passionate romance there are a few memorable kissing scenes, but after that, the relationship doesn't develop much further.

The biggest highlight for me was the chemistry between the female lead and the second male lead. Their interactions were far more captivating than the main couple's and I really wish they had been given more screen time and a deeper storyline. The OST music hit the spot.

It was heartbreaking to see how everything unfolded. The second male lead's death by suicide felt especially tragic because he never truly got the chance to reconcile with the female lead. I also felt that the female lead remained so focused on the first male lead and getting justice that their relationship never received the emotional closure it deserved. The emperor's downfall also felt like karma for what he had done to the female lead's mother.

The acting was solid, the chemistry between the second male lead and female lead kept me invested, but the predictable plot and underdeveloped relationships made it less memorable than I had hoped.

Leia Mais

Un Arc-en-Ciel de Nostalgie

La vie est parfois cruelle. Voir un nouveau GTO, 25 ans après le début de ma carrière de Great Teacher, me fait vraiment prendre un sacré coup de vieux.

Comme toute la génération X (oui, Burger King, c'est la génération X, pas les boomers, les années 80 !), j'ai découvert GTO à l'âge d'or des mangas en France, à la fin des années 90, début des années 2000. À cette époque, jeune professeur que j'étais, je cherchais de l'inspiration pour comprendre une jeunesse biberonnée à la PlayStation et aux Pokémons.

S'il y a une chose que GTO m'a apprise, c'est qu'un adolescent reste un adolescent et qu'un adulte reste un adulte. Ce dernier sera toujours en décalage, quelle que soit l'époque dans laquelle il enseigne ou la posture qu'il adopte pour tenter de leur ressembler. En revanche, s'il reste proche de ses élèves, s'il cherche à les comprendre, s'il s'intéresse à leurs envies, à leurs attentes et à leurs rêves, alors il sera malgré tout en phase avec eux.

Et voilà qu'à 50 ans, le bel âge, Onizuka reprend du service devant des lycéens le nez constamment plongé dans leurs tablettes et désormais coachés par l'intelligence artificielle. Pourtant, il conserve le même humour potache d'ancien yankee des années 90. Mais cet humour fait-il encore mouche aujourd'hui ?

Cela dépend beaucoup de votre état d'esprit. Il y a évidemment le facteur nostalgie, qui touchera avant tout les générations ayant grandi avec GTO. Sorimachi Takashi reprend son rôle à la perfection et n'a absolument rien perdu des mimiques qui lui ont permis d'incarner avec autant de fidélité le personnage du manga, et surtout celui de l'anime. Lorsqu'il se cache derrière un poteau, grimace ou tente maladroitement de rattraper un élève qui veut mettre fin à ses jours, tout est fidèle au matériau d'origine et rappelle une foule de souvenirs.

Comme beaucoup de Français au début des années 2000, je n'avais pas eu l'occasion de découvrir le drama, mais l'anime était déjà exceptionnel. Et ne pas avoir vu la série originale n'est finalement pas un problème : on comprend immédiatement qu'Onizuka a vécu heureux avec Fuyutsuki Azusa durant ces vingt-six dernières années, à l'écran comme dans la vraie vie.

En revanche, pour les générations plus jeunes, des millennials jusqu'à la génération Alpha, le personnage risque d'être plus clivant. Sa familiarité excessive, ses blagues lourdes, son besoin permanent de créer un lien avec ses élèves, tous ces comportements que l'on qualifierait aujourd'hui de... « hara ». Pourtant, GTO dénonçait déjà le harcèlement scolaire, l'éclatement de la cellule familiale ou encore les violences entre élèves et au sein des familles. Le manga abordait ces sujets avec une étonnante modernité alors que la société préférait encore détourner le regard.

Et le voici désormais dépassé par le monde qu'il a lui-même contribué à faire évoluer. Vous serez sans doute, comme moi, touché par son sentiment d'exclusion face à une société qu'il ne comprend plus totalement. Un peu à l'image de la série Extremely Inappropriate!, où la génération de l'ère Shōwa se sent déclassée avant de réaliser que, dans le fond, les êtres humains n'ont pas tant changé que cela.

Rien n'a véritablement changé non plus dans la mise en scène, et c'est peut-être la principale faiblesse de ce nekketsu sensei drama. Aujourd'hui, GTO ne souffre plus seulement de la comparaison avec son illustre prédécesseur, mais avec tous les dramas qui se sont inspirés de lui. Une classe qui le déteste, un élève différent à sauver à chaque épisode, une relation qui se construit progressivement jusqu'à faire de cet élève un allié d'Onizuka… Cette structure, quasiment inventée par Toru Fujisawa, peut désormais paraître bien trop classique, voir de l'âge de pierre.

Des œuvres comme 3 Nen A Gumi ou Assassination Classroom, pour ne citer que les plus célèbres de la décennie précédente, ont modernisé mainte fois cette formule. Face à elles, ce nouveau GTO semble parfois appartenir à une autre époque.

Mais c'est précisément cette volonté de retrouver l'esprit du GTO des années 90 qui rend la série si attachante. Oui, elle joue à fond la carte de la nostalgie, mais le contraste entre Onizuka et ses jeunes collègues est tellement marqué que chaque épisode devient un véritable plaisir. Mention spéciale à Nukumi Meru qui, dans le rôle d'une jeune enseignante de la génération Z, assume avec beaucoup d'autodérision tous les clichés de son époque.

Bien sûr, nous sommes face à une sitcom portée avant tout par ses acteurs et pas grand chose d'autre. Les adolescents sont attachants, l'ambiance rappelle énormément les sitcoms des années 80 et 90 que l'on regardait en rentrant du lycée, jusque dans le générique. J'ai surtout le sentiment que cette série a été produite avec énormément d'amour et de nostalgie, davantage pour rendre hommage à une œuvre culte et à une époque que dans un simple objectif commercial.

D'autres séries récentes exploitent aujourd'hui cette formule avec davantage de maîtrise et d'ambition, et je vous laisserai établir vous-même la liste. Mais, pour ceux qui ont grandi avec Onizuka, retrouver ce vieux professeur au grand cœur reste un plaisir difficile à bouder.

Leia Mais

A charming movie with small, meaningful moments

This is not a happy movie, however I often found myself smiling at the screen. There is something different about the atmosphere, about the music, the cinematography that really captivates you.

The highlight for me is the ML (Na Kou Chong, not Ted), he's a rain of sunshine, he's someone who brings the spark of magic that keeps this movie alive. One of the very few characters I completely rooted for from start to finish, and people like him really make the world a better place.

I gave the story an 8 - while it created and weaved so many small moments, towards the end everything became a bit fast-forwarded, forced and confusing. I feel like at points we were presented with the facts, the results rather than processes. I personally dislike how much the story shifted towards Ted in the later stages of the movie, I felt it was completely unecessary. Ted should have been left as the starting point of the plot, not used "as catalyst" in order to progress towards the end.

It might look that the small stories contained in the plot don't have much importance in the big picture. However, they show us how much happiness we can bring to people through our actions. Each of them brings a lesson, and their meaning is for us to decide.

Leia Mais

A Refreshing Changeup to Kdrama TV

A YT algorithm referring this Melo movie caught my attention. I reviewed the synopsis and the well known cast of Kdrama actors/ actresses hooked me in. A nice melodramatic tone to the story long and the twist connecting the characters kept it interesting. No shootings, no martial arts action, no fantasy with historical references involved. Just a slice of life story line with sweetness. To Lee Sang Yi as the supporting cast kept the drama lively and laughing considering his recent action kdramas he’s been involved in. The ML and FL did a great job and the cute interaction between each other left me smiling.

Leia Mais

Let's start with the abject truth, that I have already rewatched this several times or turned it on to go to sleep. It's already become a comfort food. lol

Now for the critical explanation:
1. The music choices are immaculate. The sound engineering also deserves praise with the subtle and detailed enhancement of the scenes. Even the title song is, imo, the best BL title song I've heard.
2. The story, while not exactly true to the novel, is perfectly told. I think the right choices were made as far as what to include, what to leave out and what to alter slightly. But nothing deviated from the original heart of the story, which is that two men fall in love while playing the roles of two men who fall in love. And our inability to tell what's real and what's not is exactly aligned with theirs as it progresses. The script is thoughtful and all of the characters feel believable, and in some ways likeable, even the "protagonists". The pacing is perfect. There's no fat on the story but it isn't rushed either. I found myself unable to predict as easily as I normally can with BLs what exactly was going to happen in the next episode.
3. The casting is A+, especially Zhang Zhun, Zhen Xin and Director Chen. Director Chen is hilarious and genuine. The main leads are beautiful and meticulous actors. The subtleties of the choices they made moving in and out of their "true selves" vs their characters was so well done. Side note: They are both pretty criers. And lastly, their chemistry was outstanding. Again it felt genuine and lived in, without needing to go to the extremes of nudity and saliva dripping off of their kisses, the implication of their intimacy was just as effective.

So with that, I really have no notes and this is currently ranked as my #1 BL. Bravo!
And in case you haven't looked, the director is only 27!

Leia Mais