Reviews

10/10 Breathtaking in the literal sense of the word

When I compiled the list of my 15 favourite BL series of 2022, I was astonished that only one Japanese show had made it into that list (Eien no kinou / Eternal Yesterday").
So when I wrote my review of the fantastic season 2 of
"Utsukushii Kare / My Beautiful Man" a few weeks ago, ! didn't expect there would soon come another Japanese BL series that could compete with it, but I was wrong. Today is the last day of the first quarter of 2023, and there have already been two more great Japanese series, "The End of the World with You", and now "Jack O'Frost" which in my subjective opinion may be the best BL series I have seen so far.
I won't spoil too much of the plot here, because for those who have already watched it, that won't be necessary, and to all those who haven't watched it, I would advise them to find out themselves, and I promise you that you won't be disappointed.
This is basically an "amnesia story", and by mere coincidence there are two series revolving around this topic airing at the same time - "Jack O'Frost" and the Thai series
"Love Syndrome III". Whereas the Thai series has bad writing, directing, and acting, and the only thing everybody is waiting for is Lee Long Shi taking off his shirt, the only thing I have to complain about when it comes to "Jack O'Frost" is the fact that we had to wait two long weeks for the final episode to air.
"Jack O'Frost" is the love story of two attracting opposite characters, creative and talented artist Ritsu (Honda Kyoya) and salesman Fumiya (Suzuki Kosuke). When Fumiya feels left behind in his relationship with Ritsu, he breaks up with him, and Ritsu has an accident the very same day which makes him lose his memory of Fumiya. Fumiya tries to help Ritsu regain his memory by taking him to familiar places, but he doesn't tell him about their relationship and break-up. So when they fall for each other again, their new love is based upon a lie which of course must go wrong. I'll only reveal one more thing about the plot here - there's a hanpy ending, but the way to
When I said that this may be the best BL series I've ever watched, it must be perfection or at least near perfection in any respect, and I think it really is. The writing is brilliant, because it cautiously displays the way these two very different characters become lovers. I usually don't like flashbacks, because all too often they are just there to fill some more minutes of screentime without taking the story ahead, but here it is different. There are many flashbacks which show the viewer bit by bit how Ritsu and Fumiya's relationship developed, and as the series is about Ritsu trying to regain his memory, it's logical not to tell the story chronologically, but showing glimpses of the past that finally make up the complete story.
The next perfect element is the acting which is closely connected to the directing of the show. I have rarely seen two actors who are able to express their characters' deep love of each other so naturally - sometimes there is so much love in Honda's eyes that they could make the arctic ice melt. But their quarrels appear equally realistic, actually so realistic that it hurts watching them. The scene that leads up to Fumiya's breaking up with Ritsu is maybe the most natural lovers' argument ever shown in a BL series.
There were scenes where I found myself holding my breath because I felt it would reveal to Ritsu and Fumiya that someone was watching them, and it would disturb them if I did breathe. Honda and Suzuki (I know this sounds funny, but, sorry, these are their names) succeeded in drawing the viewer into their story, so it felt like I was being part of what was going on on the screen.
Then there is the cinematography that makes this series a masterpiece. Many scenes are set in semi-darkness, or the vision even seems to be blurred, mirroring Ritsu's limited memory of the past. The most beautiful and at the same time most expressive scene comes towards the end of the final episode, when Ritsu is sitting in their favourite café after he has moved out of Fumiya's flat, and the window is iced over. Then the ice slowly melts, and we see Fumiya standing outside the café looking at Ritsu.
Even the title of this show is a brilliant choice. Jack O'Frost (or simply Jack Frost) is a personification of cold weather in ancient Scandinavian mythology, and is often seen as a bad character whose negative influence disappears in Spring when the weather gets warmer. The main plot of this show is set in winter, and the scene with the frost on the café's window mentioned above symbolizes the end of the cold period, and thus the new beginning of Ritsu and Fumiya's love.
The background music completes the perfection of this series, because it sensitively accompanies the action without ever being obtrusive.
All in all, Japan has given us another beautiful series which is proof once again that it doesn't need 13 episodes of 60 minutes to tell a complex story and make the viewer impatiently wait 7 long days for another short episode of 25 minutes to air.
Country: Japan
Episodes: 7 (à 25 mins.)
Directors: Yasukawa Yuka, Takahashi Natsuki Cast: Honda Kyoya, Suzuki Kosuke et al.

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8/10 Worth a watch!

I was hesitant to watch this series due to its low rating but, to be honest, this series was not that bad.
It had a nice story line with humor in between set in the Joseon era. It shows a typical family drama and sometimes will touch your heart.
The main actors played the role well, some characters including the one Jang Soo played, seemed a bit irrelevant.
Overall you can watch this mini series which is at least worth one time watch!
I think it's a good, innocent story with a simple plot like that could be expanded and have drama added but for a short bl story I think it was fun watching but if you want a detailed, long, and dramatic bl story I don't think this one is for you.
Although I don't think they ever kissed they did have touchy moments as well as cringy moments, I think the characters were good as well as the actors and there's nothing to trash on this show with. Although I can't trash on the Tv show I wouldn't consider it my top ten neither would I watch this again but i would recommend this to others who like stories like this.

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Excelente historia, adaptación regular.

Las actuaciones y las coreografías de batallas, una joya. Además de que los vestuarios y escenografías son divinos.
El defecto son el primer episodio y los últimos 5, lo acepto.
No es que sea un mal primer episodio, tampoco es solo la comparación con el libro, es que es confuso y la verdad es que yo tenía mucho hype porque amo a los actores y por eso no me importó, así que entiendo que no es lo mejor. Lo mismo con los últimos episodios, se sintieron apresurados como si tuvieran que cumplir con el triángulo amoroso cambiando la personalidad del segundo protagonista por antagonista de golpe, pero incluso con lo apresurado, cuando se reconciliaron fuí muy feliz y ame su traje de bodas, me dejó totalmente obsesionada, y la última escena donde se escapan a caballo es 👌👌👌👌👌
Aún así, creo que aunque Zhou Ye no se ve como una general extremadamente fuerte de forma física, sí captó muy bien la forma juguetona, alegre y optimista de He Yan, además su química con todo el cast hace que no pueda quejarme de ella, simplemente acepto que no es su fuerza física sino su técnica (pulida por años, porque eso no es distinto), su astucia y su resiliencia lo que hace que destaque, eso es importante en He Yan y eso es algo muy presente en la actuación dentro del drama.
Nadie tiene quejas, y si las tiene no las voy a ver, Cheng Lei es perfecto como Xiao Jue, y la química que tiene con su coprotagonista es inmejorable.
Así que sí, yo voy a defender esta adaptación con uñas y dientes (ignorando a Zilan, igual el del libro es más odioso, así que meh).

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10/10 I really in love with the whole series. I want more.

I was so damn excited to watch this ever since I heard about this, especially since it is sort of the first focused BL K-drama! Watched all the 8 episodes. And I can guarantee that this is one of the best kdrama series ever.The story is set up nicely and the characters, their relationship, possible obstacles and scenes are arranged in the most beautiful way.Since the series is quite short, thrusting us right into the middle of their relationship is smart. The production is on point and the cinematography is sharp and clean. The acting is also top-notch.i got in to Han Chi recently and I know how good he is. And Jang Eui is one my favourite characters in other drama he acted.i always wanted to see him as the lead.The chemistry/tension between the two leads is palpable and the ending is so damn beautiful and emotional.
I really hope that this series get the recognition it deserves.
If it does, then hopefully we'll get to see more BLk-dramas in future. I really want people to give this a try. The actors and the whole crew deserves the best for stepping up an new milestone in the Korean entertainment industry.

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10/10 Love or hate it. I adored it

As in many Japanese storytelling, this felt real, with many many layers and subtleties. In my experience Japan is never afraid to go outside the box with flawed characters and dark tropes, or tell a story others might not be brave enough to.
The acting is superb, and the character complexities are subtle. I can see why the boldness of narration in this story might trigger people to be mad and leave a lower rating, but sticking with this show to the end, looking behind a character's exterior to the emotions lying underneath each interaction, will bring all its light and beauty to the forefront.
As I read recently, you'd rather a piece of art provoke 1* and 10*s than all 5*s.
As with reality, people are flawed. There are
misunderstandings, nerves and social pressure getting in the way of honest communication, weird and creepy sides to us we rather others not see, insecurities and a lack of awareness of our own shortcomings. If you want an escape from reality with fluffy characters and story, this isn't it.
Personally I find happy stories off-putting unless there's a journey to get there. These are people you might be able to relate to that we can empathize with. Lighting, scenery, and settings all play a part in feeling enclosed within their story and evoking our senses. The subtleties behind the conversations, but also the tones of voice, the expressions - they stick with you to the point where I think rewatching you would pick up on so much more.
There's probably more I could say, but I hope you give it a go. It deserves the spotlight. I'm a sucker for subtle art, one that doesn't feel pressured to scream to the masses, one where the characters are followed through properly. 10/10, go watch it
Looking forward to the movie.

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If Emmanuel Macron was a kdrama

I'm just mad I wasted 8 hours of my life on this.

There is nothing good about it except de trailer and the editing 😭 Surprinsingly I actually watched it until the end because I didn't want to believe the story could go toward what I was thinking and that the main character could be as stupid as I thought. But yes at the end it was what I thought lol.

This drama is like Macron, he makes you think he is gonna do good things but is just useless af. You feel he is trying to make you mad just by watching him existing, and he makes you mad for senseless decisions.

worst kdrama I've ever seen, it was even worse that the dramas I dropped (~40).

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Nice romance-focused drama, female characters carry the show

Nice plot, interesting characters, good acting (minimum dub, which is spectacular), good humor, good cinematography, nice soundtracks.

Qiao Man is an excellent main character, I adored her and never blamed her for any decision, I will certainly cherish her as one of my favorite FMCs. Wei Shao is a good person and skilled general, but has the emotional intelligence of a teenage boy, partially understood due to his upbringing and PTSD, but it made half of the arguments between him and Manman being miscommunication and projection of his own fears and insecurities. They ended up being a happy couple, enjoyable to watch, but certainly irritating here and there, Manman had way more patience and understanding for his toddler tantrums than many other women in her position would've. Lady Yulou is an intriguing antagonist. The other two main couples were also lovely.

I would have liked to see more insight into Manman's family, since her father seemed to be a great person, but she'd rarely ever mention him and would only attribute her knowledge to her grandfather and uncle. We only got one nightmare of hers where she ever shows affection towards him, not a single other mention. The plot certainly follows some expected stereotypes and cliché, and the last two episodes were rushed. Lastly, this is a clear case of false advertising from the cdrama community - not proper enemies to lovers. The hatred only existed for Zhonglin and the Wein clan, not for Manman.

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10/10 I created an account just to leave this review.

The way this drama is hella underrated makes me want to gouge out my eyes. Literally. THIS A SOLID 10 fo
. Ugh I
love this series. Such a simple plot line and the chemistry between our two main leads is one of the best in a drama l've watched. I've done watched this series so much and it never gets old. I really cannot praise their acting enough.
They're so natural with each other. It's doesn't feel forced or scripted. Usually in dramas you get that second hand embarrassment and cringe ass lines/moments but honestly this is not one of those dramas. There's no cheesy Thor party coming in between the characters and there's no major "conflicts." Once again I'm going to keep talking about their chemistybbrcause it's crazy astronomical. This drama is visually pleasing, great acting, storyline is on point and a cute ass ending. What more could you want? In all seriousness this is one of the most underrated BLs this year.
Ugh I wish we could get more from them
G. Manifesting for
more from them or a season two.

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iQiyi solo me dejó ver hasta el 35

Bueno, ya que iQiyi lo dejó morir hace como 3 días, pues igual ya lo voy a dejar ir.
Creo que de los episodios 10 al 20-25 estaba bien, era decente, los actores no hacen un mal trabajo y el OST me distrae de la frustración, pero simplemente no pude seguir fingiendo que todo estaba bien después de eso, se volvió aburrido e incluso un poco frustrante.
Supongo que hay otras reseñas detallando los agujeros de guión, creo que de los más tristes son que la madre de Li Ce lo odiara aún cuando sabía que Li Yan es su hijo y estaba vivo, me parece muy desagradable, ya que ella ya había logrado mostrar una profundidad. Incluso lo de Li Yan igual fué algo estúpido, ¿Por qué mató a Li Ce si esperaba ser asesinado al poco tiempo? No parecía que lo hizo solo por impulso, sino como si estuviera seguro que eso es lo que tenía que hacer (?)
Si no lo quería matar, ¿cree que es una venganza?, Li Ce no mató a su mamá, él incluso lloró porque ya no la tenía aunque ella no lo amara. Fué el emperador quién la mató, y luego se murió por viejo y vicioso...
No me parece justo.
La parte en Ximeng fué aburrida, una vez que se convirtieron en reyes se notaba que estaban esperando a Yan Xun para hacer algo, y ese wey simplemente es absurdo al actuar como si todavía pudiera obtener algo.
Destrozaron también a mi Chun'er, ¿no podía evitar ser malvada?, ella no era así, tal vez vengativa e impulsiva, pero no estúpida.
Y ya, bai.

Pobres de todos los personajes, que intentaron hacer algo y el plot se volvió tonto para que no funcione.

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10/10 How did they do this?

10/10 How did they do this?
The story is based on a manhwa but in the drama they followed an almost different storyline but not different at the same time. In the manhwa there were no filming scene, no telling Siwon's life through a movie, no Dawoon telling his parents to select the movie and Dawoon's mother was a sweetheart. In the manhwa Siwon was bit more of an a$ $hole and Dawoon was a puppy running after him. In the drama Yoonjung never confessed to Siwon.
The rumour on the internet and Siwon's childhood photo getting leaked was more intense in the manhwa. They handled the situation more savagely. In short the manhwa was more of a them being savage and the drama covers the same thing but a sweet way. That is why they get all the positive feedback from me. The drama and the manhwa both are 10 on 10 in their own way. The awkwardness you can see in Siwon sometimes is because he is awkward in general.
They talk about his in the manhwa. It wasn't them being awkward while acting. When Dawoon dreamed about Siwon after their fight, you can clearly see Siwon being different, as in clingier. The actors did a great job here as well. 10 on 10 again. Also they didn't introduce two important characters which I assume leaves a door for second season.
Or should I say one? The guy singing at the beach is one of them. Siwon and Dawoon's friend Bawoo (the guy with glasses who saved Yoonjung form the stalker) was an out gay in the manhwa and the singer is his love interest. The other one is Dawoon's cousin. They had a lot of history. I'm highly anticipating a second season. They need to cover Dawoon's struggle too. Overall, hats off to the whole team.

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Dramatic and Suspenseful

It was clear from the structure and casting that this show was going to be more about the drama than trying to generate any deep lasting romantic relationships, and it that, it was quite effective.

The way the lies were handled certainly added to the drama by creating considerable suspense. The fact that some of the lies were much more serious than others was part of this, as viewers could never be sure if any particular lie was going to be a dealbreaker. It’s true most of these lies would not have been much an issue in my country (perhaps only Taeyang’s and Hanui’s). But I understand that South Korea is a much more conservative (and paternalistic) society and things like being a divorced mother are seen much more negatively.

It was clever of the show to end with a montage illustrating how most of the contestants ended up gravitating towards people who were the opposite of what they said they were looking for at the beginning.

It's true that many of the participants do not come off looking particularly good. I wasn’t much of a fan of Daon, but Taeyang, and particularly Hanu, were such complete jerks that in the end I couldn’t help but sympathize with her. Besides, she was just playing the game the way it was supposed to be played. Meanwhile, those two are the kind of smug stuck-up players who give guys a bad name. I’m glad the woman eventually figured this out.

The exception was of course Hanui, but I had to sympathise with her anyway, even if I question her insistence on chasing Hanu even after he made it more than clear (and quite rudely) that he didn’t consider her up to his standards. Perhaps she was trying to prove something to herself?

I didn’t particularly like the panel. There have been better panels on other shows.

Overall, when it comes to reality dating shows, I would rate Pink Lie a step above Single’s Inferno and both the Korean and Chinese versions of Heart Signal, but well below Nineteen to Twenty, EXchange/Transit (S1 and S2), and My Sibling’s Romance.

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"In this life, the next life, for all lifetimes, the two of us will always be entwined."

Honestly, I wasn’t even planning to watch this drama when I started it—I had another one lined up—but the hype was everywhere, and I just couldn’t resist. And yeah… the hype is 100% deserved. I already had a feeling I was going to like it, but it completely exceeded my expectations. The acting, the stunning cinematography, the OST, the chemistry between the characters—everything was so well done. I barely have any complaints, to be honest.

I absolutely love seeing my man Zhang Ling He finally getting the recognition he deserves. I’ve been following him for years, back when he wasn’t as popular, so seeing him blow up now makes me so happy. (ﾉ^^)ﾉ He never disappoints with his acting—he’s improved so much and really proved he’s way more than just a pretty face.

Also, I just added a new actress to my favorites list because Tian Xi Wei completely surprised me. I don’t remember seeing her in anything before (or maybe I did and just forgot), but she totally won me over in this drama. I’m definitely planning to check out more of her work.

Zhang Linghe and Tian Xi Wei together were just so cute together—I mean, their chemistry was incredible and so fun to watch. They balanced each other perfectly, making their relationship feel natural, engaging, and like a true, powerful couple. And if there’s one thing I absolutely love, it’s a man who yearns and is completely gone for the woman he loves—and our marquis was exactly that. >//< I loved the way he looked at her, how he took care of her, and how much he longed to be close to her. He definitely raised my standards even more. (/ω＼)

The villains were so good too—I loved them because I hated them, which just proves how amazing their acting was. I really hope to see them, and the rest of the cast, in more projects.

Overall, this drama delivered everything it promised and more. Now I’m dying to read the novel because we all know adaptations always change or leave things out, so my expectations for the original story are even higher. This drama is honestly a gem. 10/10. ✨

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