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Messing 9
I'm not sure how the drama intented to advertise itself when it was airing, but if it was aiming as the survival kind, it may have mislead a lot of people. And indeed, this is the kind of drama where your expectations are not going to be met.It's not even trying, in fact, and it's not exactly a bad thing : it's an author privilege to get his story take the path he dreamed of (assuming he's not under any useless external pressure). Considering this, only viewers that do not expect anything specifically will get a bit lucky watching this drama, and will be rewarded with something close to a light novel, a comedy/crime story of sort.
To me, this is where the drama falls a bit short : it was not crude enough, not serious enough, and way too focused to please a larger audience (which, as it regularly happens, could be more the production fault than the authors, obviously). While it made the drama easy to watch and understand, it can also create plot holes, unrealistic scenes, inappropriate filming and overall a whole lot of others mistakes. It's not that bad, actually, but again this is where expectations are going to be crushed for the sole benefice of a wider viewers reach.
And this drama had good and strong points too. But a bit strangely, there were not exactly pushed further and stronger.
Romance, while sweet and surprising, never exactly reaches a peak.
Suspense gets cut short, revealing way too many clues.
Dialogs were snappy, until dragged down with some mediocre punchlines...
So, basically, Missing 9 is a kind of a little mess. But it's also a kind of an enjoyable little mess. This drama is not going to be hard on you, but don't expect it to be exactly unforgettable either. To me, that's the major weakness of this drama : while there were some real efforts, for which I'm grateful, in making this drama, I feel like it didn't hit us hard enough. Thus, a 7.5 rating here in this review, with some encouragments to actually watch the show.
But come on, all drama creators ! You can do better. Fight for your stories, don't underestimate us. Hit us with all your might. We can withstand anything.
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There will be a lot of blood in the movie. If you are weak to such movies, then don't watch it (it has some brutal and disturbing scenes).
I like the fact that the lead has some flaw in his character. He is by no means a good cop. But by the end of the day he some good points and what happened to him is just some tragedy. One of the best Korean suspense and thriller movie.
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In the beginning, the story feels like being dragged and I can't find myself to like Sun Mi (I dislike her passive-aggressive nature it makes her lack any backbones). The romance was pretty off in the beginning and forced. I was also disappointed with the drama because I have my OWN expectations, especially the Sun Wo Kong's portrayal. In this drama, LSG did a good job in portraying the angry monkey king but he failed to add the monkey characteristic. (Maybe I'm being harshed because of my love of Journey to the West 1996 which has the best monkey king ever). LSG is too stoic here (even his previous act as Kang Chi in Gu Family Book is more lively). However, I can't put all the blame on LSG. I think the Hong sisters and the directors also have some share of faults here. Sun Wo Kong is strong, troublemaker and really really smart. He always able to find unusual solutions which I can't find here.
Another thing I don't like is the fact they put the usual CEO/Rich/Celebrity sprinkle in the drama. :(
What makes me continue:
After a while, I realize I should approach this drama from a different perspective. The Journey to the West original story is about a journey to go forward from many tribulations and used to teach children about kindness and perseverance. However, this drama is fully intended for romance. ROMANCE. YES>
Second, is my love for all the sides characters. Esp Ma Wang. He truly steals the show, for me. Cha Seung Won performance was brilliant. I can see the bull demon king character from him. His stubbornness especially! I also like Buja and PK story.
Third, Sun Mi finally shows more backbones and become a more loveable character after some character growth.
Last, the story does get more interesting after half of the story. Even if you already know the tale of Journey to the West and you are able to predict most of the story (like I did), you will still be hooked with the story about Sun Wo Kong's and Sun Mi's story end.
Overall, its a good drama. I will recommend this to anyone who loves fantasy romance.
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This review may contain spoilers
It's too short to really do a whole lot with its premise, and I didn't find myself particularly eager to watch each episode, but it's a fun and light-hearted story so long as you don't take it too seriously. I will admit that I found it difficult to pick a favorite suitor. With the exception of one potential love interest who feels shoe-horned into the story, the rest of the male leads are all fairly interesting and attractive. (And just like in an Otome game, there's someone for every viewer, lol.) Not all of the lovelines personally worked for me, but I did quite enjoy some of the others and totally could have seen them expanded into a much longer story.I guess the best word to describe this web drama is cute. Ultimately, I'm not going to recommend it, but I'm not going to discourage anyone from watching it either. It was a fun premise I would love to see expanded into something longer.
I want to put a warning here though for anyone who might be going into this expecting certain things from the romance(s). There isn't a definitive romantic ending. (Or alternatively, there are six, sort-of seven, of them. However you want to look at it, lol.) If you are going into this expecting her to ultimately pick one guy to be with, you are going to be disappointed, because it doesn't happen.
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This review may contain spoilers
It's based on a manga, so it's obviously over-the-top and a little ridiculous in terms of it's acting and storytelling style, but that's also what makes it so much fun. I was roaring with laughter throughout each and every episode. I loved our leads to bits and enjoyed every moment of interaction between them. I also found the story to be quite heartfelt and moving in how it dealt with family relationships and the pressures of Japanese school life. I did want more of a conclusion to the romance in the finale, but I guess that's just more incentive to read the manga the drama is based on. I already planned on reading it, but now I Really have to. If you are not a fan of the outlandish style of acting and storytelling Japanese dramas sometimes employ, this might not be the drama for you. But if that doesn't bother you, and you enjoy a good story centered around school life and innocent romance and family and friendship, then I can't recommend this enough. Was this review helpful to you?
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This review may contain spoilers
The biggest point for Sound Of Desert is that it has one of the most beautiful love stories I've ever seen in Chinese dramas for a long time (contemporary dramas excluded). A romantic story has that makes us happy, but the most important point is to feel connected. I do not mind crying an ocean on the journey of love, as long as I get a happy ending, or a tragedy full of love ... A great romantic story must be able to present us with a love so nearly impossible to find in real life . It should make us say wowow or even leave us amazed and dazzle us with its beauty.How about this masterpiece !!!
It's hard not to be envious of the female lead in the Sound of Desert. Seriously. How can a woman be as lucky as Xin Yue (Jin Yu)? How can men like Jiu Ye (Mo Xun) and Wei Wu Ji love a woman like Xin Yue? Sound of Desert and written by a woman so she has clearly different visions of how women are to be loved and what kind of man we deserve.
I hate spoilers, but for every drama I see, I need to know who the OTP is and if they will have a happy ending. In this drama is fundamental to avoid disappointment. The bad news is that both men in this drama are a love affair, apart from the good heart it has, two wonderful opposites.
A little about the male characters
Jiu Ye (Mo Xun)
With its world-wide beauty. So beautiful but untouchable. He is a mysterious man, and one of the richest and most successful entrepreneurs in Jian An having great power and influence. Although his reputation is known everywhere, only Jiu Ye seems not to know or in this case not wanting to know. He has no interest in anything but work. He even refuses the king's order to go to the palace to visit him. Your responsibilities are already quite high as we can see. He does not want to engage in intrigues with the king and the court. There is no room in your life for anything or anyone else. But as Wei Wu Ji, her interest falls on the wolf girl who dares to steal it in the Gobi desert. To be honest and a calm character of more and very reserved who let his condition and doubts, not be honest with loved .. this explains his loss
Wei Wu Ji
Second, we have Wei Wu Ji who may not have the extraordinary beauty of Jiu Ye, but owns tons of sex applea. It is absolutely HOT. No, he feels any attraction for beauties to prove it, and when he finally sees the most beautiful woman in the Kingdom that turns the King into his slave, he looks at her with sharp eyes that evaluate her and show her as they smile irrationally, completely immune to her feminine charms but fully aware of what her beauty is capable of. The only woman who captures your eyes and your cold heart is the wolf girl who saves you in the Gobi Desert. Let's say I fell in love with him the first maybe, for being a more direct and honest person with his feelings
Conclusion
This drama will make you stay up all day, will not stop consuming until you finish ... a wonderful love story.
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Sometimes the movie became confusing as there were many "sides" to this story. Also what I think that should have given this movie more power is to focus more on the act that happend itself and why. I am not too sure that it was that believe-able to put in so many country problems at the same time in the movie. . I am intrigued by the political standpoint it takes and I found that very interesting on the other hand. Still I liked the way the movie proceeded and the story did develop over time, but they should focus more on the main point instead side points.
Dont let Lee dong Suk Lure you in as "he is a pretty boy" and all that. In this movie he is not the flower boy, I despised him in this movie, so in fact he played his role perfectly. Him and the others acted very well in this movie. I liked that they gave Lee Dong Suk this role and they should do that more often.
The story is dark, not noir dark, but damn dark. This movie isn't for everyone because it includes loads of blood and no scene is blurred out, so be carefull.
Watch this movie if you are into gory, revenge seeking dark thrillers.
Don't watch this for Lee Dong Suk's pretty face and you won't find any trace of romance in here.
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Maybe it was also a very nice change for me BECAUSE I was watching so much romance..stuff.
This story actually reminds me of a mix of some US-series but it definitely has it's korean touch to it which made it very enjoyable.
I liked the whole plot setting and that it always develops towards one question and one issue that is present during the first season.
Some points are clear from the story but some really surprise you which made it not boring at all. Even if you're not a medical-stuff-love-freak, they made every aspect quite interesting and it IS interesing because it's about a group in a university lab which deals with rare deseases.
I loved the acting and the cast, because they balanced each other out pretty well.
At first I didn't like the female lead because sometimes she seemed to act a little tough for me, but during the series while she gets warm with her crew and Dr. Han she changes a little and that made me like her in the end.
Also I have to say that the antagonist of this whole story was pretty well played! I loved the mystery and the danger and also the craziness. I mean this is nothing for soft hearts for sure.
What I also really enjoyed were the talks Dr. Han had almost at every end of those episodes because they were so so human. Dr. Han is portrayed as pretty arrogant and he doesn't care what he says but at the end of each episode he asks his mentor about human nature and why people act how they sometimes do and that made him actually pretty human and likable and I think everyone can learn from those talks...getting philosophical here...(probably because I'm writing a paper for uni atm xD hahahaha)
sometimes I thought the music was a bit off or was cut off too fast at the and of a scene but it didn't bother me in the end.
Because this drama shows a lot of unpleasant stuff that could happen to you, I wouldn't rewatch it right away, but at some point I would.
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This review may contain spoilers
A decently entertaining drama despite its undeniable plot holes. The drama is the epitome of a drama where objectively, is probably not the greatest drama out there, but subjectively, could become your guilty pleasure. You should only check out/watch this drama if you:1) Are a fan of one or both of the lead actors (Yang Mi and Huang Zitao)
2)Like noona-dongsaeng romances
3) Are interested in a brainless drama to watch to pass your time (I used it as a brainless stress-reliever in between studying for midterms, which was fun)
Story:
It tells the story of Xie Xiaofei, a seemingly bratty, annoying and childish young man. However, he turns out to be someone with a good heart and certain opinions/ideas that you may agree with. However, he is quite bratty, although also likable, but also annoying. He's quite bipolar, and a very conflicting character. I had an intense like/hate relationship with his character. However, after the big thing with his family, he kind of starts to mature, so there is change. May not be the amount of change you’d wish he had, but decent enough.
Tong Wei, is a closed-off, serious, strict, career woman, whose life is turned upside down when Xiaofei enters and causes a series of funny and not funny mishaps in her life. However, the pair is very likable, and probably the only likable parts of the drama. I know that most people were kind of put off by the age gap, but they do mention it in the drama that the woman is older.
What I liked:
1. The main couple is very cute (until the last like 3 stressful episodes)! Especially if you like noona-dongsaeng romances.
2. The drama is pretty well-paced. Despite the plot holes, I still found myself wanting to watch the next episodes.
3. Yang Mi’s fashion/clothes in this drama is A+++!! Literally loved most of her outfits
4. That it kept itself together (for the most part) longer than Les Interpretes. It got extremely frustrating for the last 4-5 episodes, but hey, at least not the entire latter half of the drama like Les Interpretes
5. Tong Tiantian was annoying as hell in the begining but redeemed herself about halfway through
6. There were some decently funny parts!!
7. I really like the OST songs
What I disliked:
1. The supporting characters my goodness. Most of them were annoying for a large portion of the drama (although Tong Tiantian and Shang Bichen were more bearable as the drama progressed and Tong Wei's aunt had a reedamable moment LOL)
2. Tong Wei selling her house to make money to help pay Xie Xiaofei's mom's medical bills??? Like girl......I wouldn't do that if this wasn't dramaland
3. Lawyer dude Qin Tianyu was annoying as hell sometimes. Like Tong Wei told him quite a few times that she didn't like him, yet he was still so persistent LOL
4. Zhao Chenxi............my goodness where do I start with this annoying supporting character!!
5. The story did have its plotholes throughout, and were quite bearable most of the time. UNTIL the last like 5 episodes I was basically riding on the wildest rollercoaster ever I was so confused and frustrated lmao.
6. Tong Wei's best friend was such a hassle and obstruction sometimes LOL. Plus she is the kind of women I would NOT want to be.
7. The whole Tong Wei and Shan Shan's tragedy thing in the last few episodes.......I won't say more because that would be too spoiler-y
8. The drama is called "Negotiator" but there really wasn't THAT much negotiating LOL.......maybe they should change the name.
Acting:
So I would say that the overall acting was okay by the entire cast. Many of you may have seen Yang Mi in Ten Miles of Peach Blossoms, where she showcased brilliant acting. Her acting in this one was okay. The character itself is very serious and work-oriented, but her character livens a bit more as the drama progresses. I liked a lot of her crying scenes, but even those, she didn't cry like crazy because of how reserved her character was. I especially liked her crying scene when she was arguing with Xiaofei in front of Chen Xiaoxi's house, as well as that scene where she found out about Shan Shan's fate.
As for Tao, he posted on Weibo when the drama just started airing that this was the first drama he's ever filmed (even though his other drama aired earlier) and I feel that as a debut drama, he did pretty well. I do think his emotional/crying scenes were better than his angry scenes. He makes me laugh when he's angry LOL but his crying scenes were actually pretty good.
Setting aside how annoying their characters were, the supporting actors in this were actually okay too. I must say, Dylan Kuo being the only Taiwanese-accented person in the entire cast threw me off a lot at the very beginning because his pronunciation was SUPER obviously different LOL but I guess I eventually kind of grew used to it. The guy who plays Sun Hao......does not sound like he was dubbed.......his voice sounds really raspy(??) and kind of annoying LOL or maybe that's just me but he's not in the drama that much so it's okay.
Also you may be annoyed by dubbing at times (I thought it was fine since I love dubbing lol). They had issues passing SARFT the first time, so their characters were all dubbed after stuff was changed. The English dubbing might feel kind of whack too since the actors were saying Chinese and then they were dubbed over with English. But I mean......at least there wasn't TOO much of those parts, and it's not like the actors can speak English very well LOL.
Music:
The instrumental music was sometimes quite bothersome….they were kind of too loud at times (which is why I docked off some points)?? But the OST songs I really liked!!! I listen to a lot of Chinese music, so I really liked the opening and ending theme songs, as well as the other OST song sung by Yisa Yu. I have all 3 of these songs on my phone and have been listening to them quite often these days.
Rewatch:
I would rewatch the parts with the main leads!! I really thought they were cute, and I’ve already rewatched quite a few of their scenes. But nothing else aside from the main leads LOL I watched this drama because I’m a big fan of Yang Mi and I often times enjoy noona-dongsaeng romances (thus fulfilling the two bullet points I had listed at the beginning of this review).
Lastly:
I used to think Huang Zitao was kind of annoying (me being a semi-kpop fan and all) but throughout the past month of watching this drama and scrolling through Weibo, my view of him as turned from annoyance to neutrality and a bare liking. His Weibo stories of him watching the drama were quite funny.
I'm hoping Jaywalk Studio can pick better modern cdramas for Yang Mi and her talents in the future.......I feel like they always pick up awful modern cdramas LOL it really wastes the potentials of their talents!! ://
In essence, a guilty pleasure drama XD
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I liked the story, it's ok, and although sometimes it's previsible, I liked the idea of not knowing with whom the female lead was going to end.
What I didn't like so much was the female lead and her behaviour as a 3 years old kid. It seemed to over exagerated. At least, it was better after the 4 or 5 first episodes.
I liked the end and the surprises that the story holds (for example, that the female lead had a sister, the doctor future wife and they encounter for the first time...)
It you have time (and Netflix helps too), and you want to see a realistic drama, and to have nostalgia of the 90s (as it was for me), this is your drama.
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This drama reminded me the importance of storytelling: when you get immersed in a show, movie or book, if it is well done you get attached to the characters, have compassion for them and are left feeling like the experience somehow changed you. You either learnt something or simply grew love into your heart for that story and its characters. This is how I feel after watching Chicago Typewriter. It is a beautiful tale of friendship, love and the spirit of "carpe diem" (seize the day): no matter what era you live in, you will face struggles. What matters is what you do with your time and who you spend it with, and that is perfectly illustrated in this drama.
STORY
This drama is a beautiful piece of cinematography, but not just that. Even though it tells two different stories (Joseon era and present day), it felt like only one storyline to me. The different past and present events are really well put together and intertwined, thanks to the excellent writing and editing. I never got bored and it was really hard to not binge watch everything, as every episode left me wanting to see more and know more about the characters and their story.
CAST
The cast is absolutely fantastic. The three main leads are excellent actors, with good chemistry. Seeing the characters and their relationships evolve was really one of the best aspect of Chicago Typewriter.
Han Se Ju is a bit of a jerk and I thought it would really annoy me throughout all the drama, but he changed quite quickly and Yoo Ah In did a great job at portraying his sensitivity: you can tell almost from the start that he's not "just another a**hole male lead", but a man who does everything he can to protect himself from others and the possibility of getting hurt. In the past storyline, he is a badass character and just... so... freaking... attractive... (he defintely rocks that haircut).
I loved Im Soo Jung's character in both storylines. In present day Seoul, she is unafraid of showing her feelings and sensitivity, while also being strong and standing up for herself. In the past, she's both badass and cute, which was super satisfying to watch.
Go Kyung Pyo was amazing and he gave a very touching performance. His character is an adorable puppy and he will make you laugh and cry.
OST
Just perfect. It's all I can listen to after finishing this drama.
REWATCH
I am already rewatching my favorite scenes and will watch it again fully (probably multiple times).
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