It is simply a drama which has compelled me to reevaluate my standards, to reconsider a lot of the 9 and 10 ratings that I have been so easily giving to other dramas.
Some may consider my review a bit exaggerated or over-the-top, but to me this sensational drama, was a huge surprise on many levels. It’s a drama that has sucked me in and left a very deep impression on me just after watching the first episode, I was determined to watch the whole thing and confident I would love every second of it. And so it was.
On paper this drama may seem like it does not differ from many other detective and law dramas, but with a mystery woven with utmost precision, a thriller that keeps you on the edge of your seat, and a highly engaging battle for justice, all aided by a perfect cast and direction, this drama was anything but usual.
The drama's title was perfectly fitting to its premise, it delivers an intricate web of mystery and doubts, that just as advertised, anyone can be guilty. Watching this drama, you will constantly find yourself doubting a certain character, then trusting it, only to later harbor even stronger doubts toward him/her. The story was so smartly written, that it can so easily trick the smartest of viewers, sending fake signals; seemingly flags pointing to a certain character, only to later turn out to be a complete red-herring.
But one of the main strong points of this drama was, the perfectly executed characterization aided by the cast’s very strong and solid performance. Most of the characters, particularly the main ones, were multi-layered, with complicated backgrounds, some even deeply messed up. You could hardly label anyone “Protagonist” or “antagonist”, you find yourself liking and at the same time harboring doubts towards the same character. The characters are so believable and realistic, that however much their actions may seem unethical or outrageous, you still mysteriously relate to them, feel for them, and even sometimes love them.
But what really made such beautifully written story, script and characterization shine was the acting. There was not a single easy character to portray here, all thanks to the concept of the detective mystery; where you never know who’s not to trust and who’s to trust. The story also relied on a highly sophisticated script, which made use of a lot of blank sequences of silence with minimum or no monologues, but which still served to convey a ton of information and emotions.
All such aspects, required high acting techniques, where even the slightest look, change of expression or even lack of one, can make all the difference.
This is a drama that have time and again surprised me. Not because of all the obvious strong points that I mentioned above, but because it redefined even the small things, like what defines two characters’ chemistry, or what counts as a strong cliffhanger. Does chemistry have to be of a romantic type, involving gestures, confessions and skin-ship? Or is there another type of chemistry; a mental and emotional one, where two minds and souls so mysteriously and effortlessly relate, and share feelings of deep trust and respect. Such are the chemistries that do not require a major progress on a romantic level to attract and excite a viewer, but where a small gesture of courtesy, or an expression of high-regard, can leave you more satisfied than any other stomach butterflies.
With a very unique story, and an even more unique set of characters and events, this drama to me felt like I was rediscovering just how much perfect K-Dramas can be. Watching it, I felt so impressed, I sometimes thought how blessed I am to have been a K-Drama fan. I kept saying to myself, Hollywood should really learn one thing or two from Korean thrillers and detective dramas, feelings which made me all the more delighted to hear that it was actually airing on Netflix! It also posed as a reassurance, that this drama is receiving the attention and recognition it is worthy of.
I normally do not ship for sequels however much I love a drama (like Signal or Misaeng), but I found myself strongly wishing they’d consider producing a sequel for Stranger, preferably with the same cast. Keeping my fingers crossed that news circulating of an intention for a sequel is not a hoax.
Normally, I’d give different recommendations to different genre fans, like for instance if a certain drama lacks romance or comedy aspects, I’d advice a Rom-Com fan to approach with caution. But in this drama’s case, I send my strongest recommendations to every one! Including newcomers to K-Drama land. By all means, give the first episode I try and you won’t regret what happens afterwards.
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Story: I really liked the plot, even though I watched the movie without subtitles and barely understood what was being said, the plot was still good. There was action and thriller element in it. I might have flashforwarded quite a bit due to the fact that I did not understand what was being said, but the plot was really good! It especially got excited when she meets her other selves, and how Xia Tan becomes smarter and bolder each time she travles through time to save her son.
Acting: I´m not going to lie I watched this for Yang Mi, and she did not disappoint me, her acting was really great! Her characters desperation to save her son really hit me hard. And her action scenes were pretty cool too.
Huo Wallace just has something about his looks and the vibe that he gives off that makes it believable that he is a bad guy, so definitely a thumbs up to him!
Music: I didn´t particularly care or listen to it, so that´s why I´m giving it a score of 5.
Rewatch value: I would honestly watch it again, because the plot was intriguing and the acting was really good!
Overall: This was a really great movie, and if you´re bored you should definitely watch it! If you love the actors, then you should definitely watch it to catch their awesome action scenes and acting skills.
If you actually managed to read this horrible review, then thumbs up to you XD!
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A small clan based in Ii Valley, where Hamamatsu City is now. Hamamatsu is a city in Shizuoka prefecture, Kanto region. The Ii(s) are now based in Saga prefecture, where Ii Naomasa was relocated to when the Tokugawa Shogunate was established.
The Ii(s) as a samurai clan had a much longer traceable history than most of the major clans - the Takeda, Hojo, Matsudaira/Tokugawa etc - around them, with some estimates giving them a 1000 year old lineage. At the least, their ancestry could be traced back to the Kamakura era.
Two of the most famous Ii(s) included Ii Naomasa and Ii Naosuke.
Ii Naomasa was one of the Four Heavenly Generals under Tokugawa Ieyasu, and played a prominent role in the founding of the Tokugawa Shogunate and the revival of the Ii clan.
Naosuke was one of the foremost conservative influence during the ending period of the Shogunate, and his assassination paved the way for the establishment of the Meiji era under a new modernist regime.
As an historical person, Ii Naotora was shrouded in mystery and many uncertainties. Some historians assert that she was actually a man, and that Naotora and Naomasa’s adoptive mother were not the same person.
The Story
If you are looking for battle scenes and samurai fighting, you will be sorely disappointed. As the synopsis stated, the story started at a point of crisis for the Ii clan. Their continued survival was highly questionable, and the story reflected the uncertainties and helplessness of a clan on the verge of collapse.
What this drama did very well, and unlike most other Taigas before it - with the exception of Sanadamaru before it - was the focus on the small scale struggles and daily survival efforts of peripheral clans and the people in them. Hence, there are more villagers with names here than you will ever see in many of the Taigas from the last decade. The intimate and humanistic aspects of the drama were what piqued my interest in the first place. While always interesting and grandiose, the focus on all those major personalities got tiring after a while.
Here, we are reminded that ideally, all those political and armed struggles were meant to be for a greater purpose, to bring about peace and stability, not for the sole purpose of personal aggrandizement and megalomaniac-ambition.
The dialogue and messages in this drama were well-written and most often thought-provoking, if somewhat idealized.
In turns comical and heartwarming, it was also mostly just tear-inducing.
A story full of love - in all its myriad representations - and of stubborn people (or if you prefer, persistent and determined).
Characters
If there is to be only one reason to watch this drama, it would be for the character of Ono-Tajimanokami-Masatsugu.
He was a character that encompassed many virtues and ideals in the form of a man, but above all, it was love and devotion. Love for a woman, the family, friends, the homeland, the clan, of honour, duty, sacrifice and peace.
(And if you are a shipper and have the tendency to have Second-Male Lead-Syndrome, Ono Masatsugu will be the ultimate candidate to break your heart and provide tonnes of angst and ache).
On reflection - since there have been many, many fantastic second male lead characters before - what truly made Ono Masatsugu stood out from the fray, besides some good - if spotty - writing, was the fact that in the hands of Takahashi Issei, he was elevated to a sublime level of intensely stoic devotion and loving magnanimity. An unsurpassed potent combination.
Besides Masatsugu, I would dare venture that there are many lovable and admirable characters in this show. Whether you agree with their motivations or not, no one failed to live up to their ideals or limitations, of which there were numerous. While a weird way to state, whether the goal was mediocrity or self-sacrifice, most everybody tried their best.
Cast/Acting
Generally, the casting and acting were solid and competent, befitting a Taiga. Personally, however, I did not find all acting equally appealing. I did not particularly enjoy Shibasaki or Suda’s acting, as I thought they overexpressed at some parts. Still, they did very well in their roles.
Most of the secondary characters had very competent actors and actresses at the helm, and that had made for a marvelous watch.
Last but not least, another note on Takahashi Issei as Ono Masatsugu. His role here captured my imagination and made me a fan, so while biased, I have to once again comment on his amazing performance. He turned what was a run-of-the-mill-character into THE character to pay attention to. His presence made what was an average Taiga into one that engrossed the hearts and minds of fans. While not an especially popular Taiga (ratings were quite mediocre), Naotora might well turn into a cult-drama for the way it has engaged the emotions of fans, and Masatsugu had been one of the main reasons for this phenomena.
Music/Composition
A gorgeous soundtrack and background music accompanied this show and raised the level of emoting for the whole series. Simply breathtaking music.
Overall
While I have had problems with certain aspects of the development of the storyline and the relationships they portrayed, I could not complain that it was not already written into the story from the beginning (unlike some other stories/shows), though due to various factors, interpretations for the story deviated somewhat from the intentions of the scriptwriter. This is mostly an issue of personal expectations and subjective interpretation.
The story, however, devolved into semi-farcical comedy and ridiculousness at certain portions of the second half, and this detracted somewhat from the overall quality of the show.
While no-where-near-perfection, this series has been an interesting glimpse into a lesser known clan and world of the Sengoku era.
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Good Morning Call is, thus far, my favourite Asian drama. It is bittersweet, funny, romantic, and best of all - not a dark teenage series (so unlike hollywood or American TV series which reflects dark recesses of the soul). Congratulations! Please, please keep Good Morning Call alive.
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In terms of the music, I love it. They combine both korean and western music. However, frankly speaking, I may be biased in terms of the music because they used one of Henry's song and I am Henry's fan :p
Although I do enjoy watching this drama, it is not superb enough to make me want to rewatch it again. It does not really have a long-lasting impact. I may forget this drama after few weeks.
I do recommend this drama to those who want to kill time; quite good for a one-hour drama :)
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The story for the most part is okay. It did one important thing and it was to keep me on my toes, wondering what was going to happen next and for an action thriller deal, that's exactly what you want.
The pacing and action scenes were great and realistic although the CGI could've used some work. The characters involved all served their purpose albeit at the expense of a plausible story. More notably, the hero of the story almost in every scene has to prevent three supporting characters from getting hurt or killed which really exposes the thinly fabricated backstory of the villain and more importantly why the bad guy did what he had to do. They never really explained it and I doubt it will be ever be explained.
And on a bigger note, some of the scenes were just plain violent. This is not for the weak of heart. Lots of fire, smoke and extras caught in the crossfire. I think on a larger scale, these scenes helped me stay invested but at the end of film, it got me thinking. Wasn't it just overkill at that point?
Like I've mentioned watch it with an open mind, maybe with a cool beverage and a friend or two if they're around. So you can enjoy this thrilling movie and afterwards wonder, what the hell just happened?
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Kimura Fumino does a great performance as Kanbara Kiko, the out-of-place mother who's absolutely out of her depth in a school where other mothers are not only in completely different social spheres than she is (with the exception of her school friend Yuki, played by Kanjiya Shihori), they have very different values which she comes into conflict with constantly. As it's expected from this kind of drama, this will lead to her being the "breath of fresh air" in this environment, providing a real perspective and contrast to these women, and will be in the center of gossip, drama and a fair share of misunderstandings. Not unheard of in jdramas, not at all.
What I appreciated, though, was that every episode had a moment for Kiko to speak her mind. She wasn't a character to hold back when her values were threatened or when she saw someone in trouble, she didn't hold back when it came to defending children from their mothers, mothers from their husbands or standing up for her son at every moment it had to be done. The drama could have made her a victim, could have had her suffering for 9 episodes and a half, but it didn't, and I'm so very grateful for that.
The relationships that sprout between these ladies are a delight to watch. They all have different perspectives and even the ones that start being terrible have reasons behind them and no one is left unexplored. There are toxic marriages, there is depiction of domestic abuse, relatives with mental illness, harassment, neglect...and a lot of ladies learning and standing up for each other. At the end of the day, that's what I'm really here for, all jokes aside.
If you're into strong female characters, unapologetic leads and interesting stories of women above the age of 30, this is a good one to watch.
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I loved this drama because the cast is amazing and they are so good at getting into their character! This drama has stayed funny and humorous yet romantic until the end, and I love how they didn't make any of the main characters enemies. This drama is so pure and shows the struggles many young adults are having! The reason I said it was an 8.5 on rewatch value was because I don't know if I could still have the same joy and nervousness of not knowing who Baek Joon will end up with. But I will definitely hold this drama dearly to my heart for a long time! I DEFINITELY RECOMMEND THIS DRAMA!
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What this drama does is use the book as a sort of backbone to create the character of Ando Ranko (a great performance by Karina), a female detective with a complicated past and a life mission, whose way of living exemplifies, in a very extreme way, the lessons from the book. The conversations, which take place between Shige's character, Ooyama Toshio, and Shiina Kippei's character, Daimonji Tetsuto, frame this main character and provide more context to her actions. Which, while I was watching the show, I felt ok, but looking back and knowing the book's setting, makes me feel pleasantly surprised, because it isn't quite the same to preach this "act according to your own desires and not other people's and have the courage to be hated" to men, in Japanese culture at that, than to see it performed by a woman. I definitely need to give the drama kudos for that choice, especially casting Karina for it. My re-watch value went up when I understood the complexity and courage of this decision, and it got me interested to read the book and see it with the full context, which I'll surely do. The choice to use these two men as a frame and to embody the philosophy of the book on a female lead, a female lead who happens to be an unmarried 32-year-old woman who's stellar in a job mostly done by men in Japanese society deserves my attention.
The detective drama aspect of it, however, doesn't stray too far from what's been seen in jdramas very frequently: main detective is cold, calculating and incredibly smart, with an unparalleled instinct to solve mysteries; the sidekick is kind, emphatic, loyal and wears his heart on his sleeve, they complement each other in their partnership though it takes time for them to understand each other. You've seen it before, I've seen it before, there's no much going on there for originality. There's also the same theme of singular cases which have an underlying bigger case that relates to the protagonist in a personal level, which you've also seen before.
The cast of characters, though, is a delight to see, Sakurada Dori and Itsuki Sagara do a very good job especially; and all cases relate to elements from Adler's psychology which were a bit hard to follow at times for a non-Japanese speaker like myself, but it always explored interesting topics of self-knowledge and life in society that was interesting for a detective drama to have, especially when it was portrayed through female characters (and there are a lot of good ones in this).
If you're looking for a detective drama for the thrill, the mystery, the twists and turns, this one doesn't particularly stand out in comparison to others, it isn't the worst but it isn't the best. However, if psychology is your thing, if you like dramas that make you think and you're fond of strong female leads who are unapologetic about being great at what they do, this is a good one of those.
Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a book to find and a NEWS song to hear on repeat.
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This review may contain spoilers
I can't be biased because I stan exo, but here is my honest review:STORY:
I liked the plot and I thought it was very original. It was also carried out very well between the two leads. I found myself laughing and swooning at their character development. The only thing I didn't like was how rushed the ending felt. I wish they gave more time to allow the relationship to develop instead of rushing into a dramatic conflict. Overall, I was pleasantly surprised by this film.
ACTING/CAST:
Yuan ShanShan is one of my favorite C-Actresses and I think she did a wonderful job in her role. She gave her character a quirky personality that made her hard to dislike. Chanyeol was also very good considering the fact that he's an idol and not a professional actor. I could even understand the Chinese! Other than the two leads, the rest of the characters were rather static and boring. I won't give any spoilers, but something really cute happens towards the end that had me screaming.
MUSIC:
LOL was there any? If so I didn't notice.
REWATCH VALUE:
I gave this a 10 because it's one of those refreshing films you can watch again when you're bored.
OVERALL:
I really liked this film and there are so many cute and funny moments! You should give it a shot!
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STORY:
While it does follow the original storyline of both the manga and the anime, there is something lacking in the way the plot was carried out. When I read the manga my would squeal, scream, and even cry when something exciting happened. With this live action, I did none of that. It's not that it was bad, it was just pleasantly boring.
ACTING/CAST:
I have never seen two leads with less chemistry than the actors for Futaba and Kou. I liked the cast and I think they represented the characters well, but the actress for Futaba wasn't able to deliver that quirky spark that Futaba has. Overall, disappointed with the cast and the acting because it was so dry.
MUSIC:
The music will always be good because the BSR OST is the best hands down.
REWATCH VALUE:
Kind of low. I would only rewatch it if I was doing something that didn't require me to pay attention to it.
OVERALL:
I had very high expectations for this but unfortunately, it was not as good as I thought it was going to be.
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Besides the long drawn out drama, I really enjoyed the set of this movie (all the backdrop stuff) and the costumes. I believe I read online that the costume maker for Lord of the Rings worked on here, so there are very familiar hair pieces and ears.
It's a great fantasy drama, but as mentioned too long.
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I can't believe how wonderful Max and Tul are at playing their respective characters in this show, and they do such an excellent job of conveying how much Korn and Knock deeply care for each other. Nothing feels forced or uncomfortable with them at all. I'm gonna stop writing this review and go watch it again.
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Acting/Cast: You can obviously tell that there was a lack of actors. Whether that be due to funding issues or them not being able to find any more actors (most likely funding). It felt like the whole project was done by high school students that didn’t plan things out well. Almost as though they made it up as they went along. The way the cameras cut from clip to clip is sometimes unprofessional and choppy. there are times when the make-up artists should do more than just face make-up to make things look more realistic In my opinion, the best way to judge someone’s acting is to know their personality in real life and see how different it is from their character. The way the characters developed over time was also very well done. Waii and Apo were so cute together. Also, if they portray the character the way he/she was meant to be and newwie and earth did just that. To the point where I thought they were a couple in real life. They were very comfortable with each other especially during the later episodes. Sadly i have to take of points because of the cast. The acting was fine its just the assorted issues with things that happened in the background that if fixed would have made this series so much better.
Music: I don't have as much so say for music except that i love it! The intro seems very well done! I really like it when the songs of the actors are used in the series. The times when the songs were played were on point which allowed me to feel the emotion of the scene. i think what really held this series together was the music. The songs were very catchy i just could not get enough of them!
Re-watch Value: Really low for me. I tried to re-watch it and not only did i not have the time but i also didn't have the will to re-watch it. A BL cut of this series would be 9/10 amazing considering those scenes and how good they were. But like i said the story wasn't the best ESPECIALLY considering the fact that this was based off the movie. i don't want to say some of the cast/crew ruined the story because that's not entirely true. But they did prevent this series from being as amazing as it could've been.
Overall watch this series if you are out of BL to watch thats rated more than a 7.
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