Completed
Marry Me, or Not?
1 people found this review helpful
Nov 8, 2017
15 of 15 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 7.5
Story 8.0
Acting/Cast 9.5
Music 5.5
Rewatch Value 7.5
I finally finished a Taiwanese drama after so long and I am happy to have selected another good drama to watch. Actually, this drama was recommended to me and I picked it up because it has only 15 episodes. Taiwanese dramas are good but can get too long to bear as each episode spans mostly more than 70 minutes. I have been meaning to watch one specific T-drama for a while but have still not been able to watch it. Hope this drama breaks the jinx and I finally start watching it soon.
Coming to the review, Marry Me, or Not? (MMoN) is a rom-com with the central plot revolving around human pride. People often give up on things and people they love just to preserve their pride. In MMoN, Huan Zhen and Shen Nan have a misunderstanding and give up on their close friendship only because neither of the two wants to sort out their differences. This leads to years of enmity between the two former best friends. This drama is high on romance and comedy which is why I enjoyed watching it.  
Let’s weigh this funny romantic Taiwanese drama on our drama beam balance and see which side it weighs heavy with.

Good Weights
Roy Chiu: Roy is ‘seriously’ funny. He plays Hao Meng who wanted to be an environmental lawyer but is compelled to become a divorce lawyer due to lack of scope in environmental law. This man is hurt for not being able to achieve his dream. He lacks respect for marriage after seeing his parents fight all his life which is why he is glad to take up divorce cases. Roy maintains a poker face throughout the show that makes you crack up easily during comedy scenes. However, in scenes where he is required to show pain, sorrow or anger, he has done so like an ace. His acting is subtle and controlled. His occasional smile would make me swoon for him. His performance is sincere and flawless. He is the first male character I have seen crying so much in a drama.  

Alice Ke: Alice plays Huan Zheng who appears snooty and selfish on the outside but actually deals with a lot of insecurities. She camouflages her vulnerabilities with attitude and aloofness. She fears being abandoned which is why she easily breaks relations so that she does not feel hurt on being left by someone. Her ego often gets into her way to real happiness in life. Alice Ke does a splendid job in this drama. She looks fabulous in everything she wears on the show and her good acting helps make her character convincing. Also, she shares a great chemistry with Roy Chiu.

Brother-Sister Duo: I often applaud lead couple chemistry in my drama reviews and even though I liked the main couple chemistry, I personally preferred the brother-sister duo more. Sheng Nan and Hao Meng's crazy antics would make me want to see them more in the drama. This pair of menacing siblings looks painfully adorable.
 
Production Value: Taiwanese dramas are usually made on low budgets which affect the quality of a drama. But that wasn’t the case with MMoN. This drama was visually appealing. Even the wardrobe the two girls flaunted was chic and high-end. This drama certainly looked a lot better than the other T-dramas I have watched till now.
 
Bad Weights
Second-Lead: Don’t be surprised, I am not criticizing the second-lead here. The second-lead is a bad weight because I felt his character was not well-written. Harry Chang plays the role of Jiang Qian Yao (love the way Hao Meng addresses him as Qian ‘whatever’ Yao) and man he’s cute. He even resembles my favourite Korean actor, Lee Joon Gi. Initially, he appeared to be a very weak actor compared to the rest of the cast but as the episodes progressed, the man startled me with his evil-grin and easy charm. His acting was good but the character was rather weak. Qian Yao is perceived as a bad character who then seems to be good but later ends up becoming the bad guy. I’m am not sure if it is my love for second-leads that has me dissatisfied with the way Qian Yao’s character shaped up in the drama. I liked his chemistry with Sheng Nan and wanted to see more of them. Too bad, that does not happen and Qian Yao has to leave without any scope for redemption. Had his character been a little more developed, he surely could have redeemed himself later and I could have had the perfect ending for Sheng Nan. But the writers wanted to show something different and I will accept that.  
 
Marry Me, or Not? is loaded with good weights. You may find it frustrating each time the main leads break-up. Also, the drama does get draggy towards the end but those are just a few low-point for a rather good drama. This drama will surely make you laugh because it is high on comic quotient. I want to mention here that there is a special appearance by the uber-cute Chen Bolin (In Time With You) in episode 2 where he complains of having issues with his wife. He looks so cute that I missed watching him on-screen.  
 
Marry Me, or Not? is a very entertaining drama and I thoroughly enjoyed watching it. You have to watch it if romantic comedy is your favourite genre.  

Originally posted on www.alphagirl.in.
 


Read More

Was this review helpful to you?
Completed
Splash Splash LOVE
0 people found this review helpful
by Alli
Nov 8, 2017
2 of 2 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 8.5
Story 8.0
Acting/Cast 9.0
Music 7.5
Rewatch Value 10
Adorable and bittersweet; those are the two words that come to mind when I think of Splash Splash Love.

Highly entertaining, Splash Splash Love was one of my few forays into the historical genre. I liked how the drama brought the present to the past through Dan Bi and her technology. I liked how Dan Bi and the king started as friends before blossoming into something more. Everything felt natural and lighthearted, making it something I will definitely rewatch in the future. But it wasn't without its moments of drama - thankfully, said moments were done tactfully and had purpose. Nothing felt as thought it were merely being done to fill up time (something I find to be far too common in most k-dramas).

The characters were enjoyable - Dan Bi especially. She had very real worries and very real reactions, and her culture shock was adorable to watch in a way. But it was also great to watch her grow into someone who could face her problems head on, who was no longer as afraid of failure as she once was. Likewise, the King's character development through meeting Dan Bi was palpable and nice to see. He blossomed into someone better because of his relationship with her. The side characters were nice, although a little unmemorable. I wasn't as attached to them as I was to our leads.

Plot was confusing at times, but that may have been on account of the subs I had. Overall though it was fairly straight-forward, something you didn't have to wrack your brain to understand. A few little consistencies here and there - but again that may have been my subtitles. Really though, the plot wasn't all that important, the 2 hours of adorableness were more what I was focused on. 

The ending is bittersweet, so if you're a fan of entirely happy endings than this drama isn't for you. Although, I think it's important to remember that Dan Bi is 18, she had a family and life in the future. Not everyone meets their soulmate at 18 and decides to stick with them. It was much nicer to watch these two simply grow together and find a young love; it never needed to last forever. However, the little twist at the end was nice and open-ended, and I did spend a bit of time afterwards contemplating what would have happened next.

Overall, give this adorable drama short a watch. It's 2 hours of your life that you won't regret spending.

Read More

Was this review helpful to you?
Completed
Blue Spring Ride
2 people found this review helpful
by Mae Ri
Nov 8, 2017
Completed 0
Overall 7.5
Story 7.5
Acting/Cast 8.0
Music 6.0
Rewatch Value 7.0
This movie remind me of those movies I used to watch before these "asian movies and dramas" became popular.
It´s the typicall Japanese teenage movie set in a highschool with the girl who is cute but not that cute to be popular. And the boy who is mysterious and you are quite sure that he is hiding something that at the end of the movie you're gonna find out - if you didn´t find it sooner-
You know...it´s kind like Kimi Ni Todoke ( I´m talking and comparing about the live action movies not the anime). I enjoyed the movie, is a movie that I should watch again but not inmediatly. It made cry in some parts and smile with shyness in another ones.
The actors are all new for me so I feel ok with their acting, altough the main character remind me of Matsumoto Jun, he looks alike!
Anyway, it was a good movie :)

Read More

Was this review helpful to you?
Completed
Strong Woman Do Bong Soon
0 people found this review helpful
by Mae Ri
Nov 8, 2017
16 of 16 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 10
Story 10
Acting/Cast 10
Music 10
Rewatch Value 10
Ok how can I start with this drama? At first I didn´t want to see it cause it seemed very similiar to "Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok Joo" ...but let me tell you IT'S NOT.
I love Park Bo Young since many years ago, and in this drama she is so cute and natural. The story is very funny and it has this "funny sounds" that play when a character makes something fun.
And I have to admit that I became a huge fan of Park Hyung Shik, he is so funny, so handsome and cute. His role is so cheese, kinda gay but just in the way he behaves.
It has a lot of cute/cheese romance, but at the same time it keeps you in suspense (you have to see it to know what I´m talking about). There´ll be plenty of people you will love beisde the main roles. And last but not least the soundtrack is so catchy and perfect.
I wish there will be another season, they have enough material to do it , so....

You won´t regret it :) watch it

Read More

Was this review helpful to you?
Completed
Queen In Hyun's Man
1 people found this review helpful
by Alli
Nov 7, 2017
16 of 16 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 10
Story 9.0
Acting/Cast 9.5
Music 10
Rewatch Value 10
I don't like historical dramas. I get bored with them, the lack of technology, the struggles in communication. I don't like them. But, I saw a gif for Splash Splash Love and decided to watch it. And I fell in love.

So, post-Splash Splash Love, I needed to find a new drama to watch. Something similar, but perhaps with a more satisfying, happier ending. Along came Queen In Hyun's Man. I'd heard of QIHM before, had thought about watching it way back in the day but never did. I was a fan of Yoo In Na from the drama's The Secret Message and Goblin, so I decided why not. I didn't have anything to lose.

I loved it from the very first second. Not even one episode in and I knew QIHM was going to become one of my absolute favourite dramas. There was so much that I loved about it, that the little inconsistencies or plot holes didn't matter - it was so easy to look over them and just fall in love with these characters and their world.

Choi Hee Jin was a bit of a Mary Sue, but it didn't make me hate her like it's done with other characters in the past. Instead she's a breath of fresh air, fiery and spontaneous, fighting for what she believes in but struggling to see how smart she really is. Because she is NOT dumb, not in the slightest. She may lack some confidence, but she believes in herself. Even when her mind tells her something else, when everyone around her gives her a different story, Hee Jin trusts her instincts. Yoo In Na did a great job portraying her, she showed an excellent balance between Hee Jin's vulnerability and stubbornness,  her moments of heartbreak had me feeling like my heart was breaking too.

Kim Boong Do, I found to be just as wonderful as Hee Jin. Loyal to a fault, brave but also very afraid, a man who wants everything and in the end almost loses it all. Boong Do surprised me; at the start I thought he might be one of those stiff, rude characters who treats that girl as property, but all he ever wanted was the best for Hee Jin. All he ever wanted was the best for Queen In Hyun and Yoon Wol. He smiled A LOT which was such a nice change as men in kdrama's seem to always be the embodiment of a Byronic Hero. Also, watching his culture shock was so enjoyable; a Joseon scholar trying to survive in modern day Seoul led to many interesting and hilarious situations.

Together, Hee Jin and Boong Do were adorable. Definitely a couple to root for. They solved issues that they faced together, and always tried to do what was best for one another. And while sometimes they BOTH did stupid things, they didn't throw a fit. They understood, they talked it out. Nothing was over dramatic for them, they merely fell in love and they worked to figure it out. Thankfully, I didn't have to suffer through a horrible love triangle. It's just these two - but believe me, there are plenty of heartbreaking moments that will have you balling your eyes out because of them (*cough* the letter *cough* the hospital scene *cough*).

Finally, the plot. An interesting blend of historical and modern, QIHM successfully brings the past to the present. At times it can be confusing trying to keep track of the changing timelines and the butterfly effects. Other times, Boong Do's sudden switch from 2012 Seoul to the Joseon era can be confusing, but honestly it is 100% worth it. The split second moment of confusion is worth the drama and the acting as a whole. While the side characters were brutal (Han Dong Min I'm looking at you), it wasn't on behalf of the acting. Their characters were just so wretched, the way they treated Hee Jin at times was if she was merely a means to money or more fame. But hatred for the secondary characters aside, it's still worth it. Watching Hee Jin and Boong Do grow and fall in love, watching them find one another time and time again, will just fill your heart with a never ending feeling of joy.

Trust me when I say watch this drama. Give it a chance. It will honestly surprise you with how wonderful it is.

Read More

Was this review helpful to you?
Completed
Attention, Love!
31 people found this review helpful
Nov 7, 2017
15 of 15 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 8.5
Story 8.0
Acting/Cast 8.5
Music 9.0
Rewatch Value 7.5
To sum this drama up, it's a sweet, simple romance filled with lots of unrequited love.  While it neither intense nor original, it was still very delightful to watch. Surprisingly, the unrequited love was not unbearable to watch (unless you were seriously rooting for the second lead).  More importantly, the pacing was really good.  The drama hardly dragged, which has been a common occurrence for dramas coming out of Taiwan as of late.  It's hard to find one with a plot that hasn't been stretched thin.  The cast was pretty great.  Some of the supporting characters were a little flat, but the second couple was pretty well developed and entertaining to watch (not to mention stole the show).  I loved the soundtrack. Overall, a solid well balanced drama that I haven't seen coming out from Taiwan in awhile.

Read More

Was this review helpful to you?
Completed
Scarlet Heart
6 people found this review helpful
Nov 7, 2017
35 of 35 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 10
Story 9.5
Acting/Cast 10
Music 10
Rewatch Value 10
Definitely a solid 10 for me even tho I watched years ago when it came out but till now I still go back to watch this masterpiece. The hairstyle and quality might throw others off but it is a really great drama it’s very detailed and the relationships are played out well all characters acts are great you get to know them all it’s not like yeah I see you now bye. The great thing is that ruoxi is played magnificently my girl Cecilia knows how to act. For me this is the best version out there nothing can replace or even come close to it all the remakes are pretty eh.

Read More

Was this review helpful to you?
Completed
Attention, Love!
2 people found this review helpful
Nov 7, 2017
15 of 15 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 9.0
Story 8.0
Acting/Cast 9.0
Music 8.0
Rewatch Value 8.0
Omg just 15 episode, i want more episode cz i will miss Tseng Joanne n Chiu Prince.
they got about the chemistry
i just watch this drama today (0n Going), on going make me "argh" cz just wait one episode for next week.
but every episode i cant suggest it, n every episode i love every moment. i always per episode 2 times. cz my english very terrible .
I like about story make me smile, cry etc,
i realy like Tseng Joanne as Zhong Shao Xi acting really stunning,
you must watch this drama ^^,
Was this review helpful to you?
Completed
Nothing Gold Can Stay
9 people found this review helpful
Nov 7, 2017
74 of 74 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 6.5
Story 7.0
Acting/Cast 10
Music 6.0
Rewatch Value 6.0
Initially the story was interesting and some subtle comedy was involved.  Hence decided to continue watching the movie. However as it goes on it starts to get boring as the story is like a merry go round with "pei le ye" keep coming back. The whole story then gets in circle and more ridiculousness creeps in. I think yhr writer must be out of good idea to drag the story. Overall the story is just average but the acting by Sun Li good. Seriously a total of 74 episodes is just too long. In my opinion, 50 episode is more realistic as many irrelevant story can be just removed.

Read More

Was this review helpful to you?
Completed
Scarlet Heart
5 people found this review helpful
Nov 7, 2017
35 of 35 episodes seen
Completed 1
Overall 9.5
Story 10
Acting/Cast 9.0
Music 9.0
Rewatch Value 9.5
I watched Scarlet Heart (The Original Version) many, many years ago.  In fact it was one of my first ancient Chinese dramas.  I remember feeling overwhelmed by the drama and thought about it for weeks afterwards.  It was hard to part with the characters and the story.

It is now 2017 and many more people have watched the newer Korean version.  I implore you all to give the original drama a chance.  Yes, the CGI is shitty.  Yes the hairstyle looks weird...but if you stick it out to the very end, it will leave a strong impression on you.  

1. Watch for how Ruoxi (a strong willed and intelligent female lead) maneuvers her way through Qing Dynasty China. Despite being a modern women, she adapted immediately to her surroundings and it was a joy to watch her fall in love deeply with her 4th Prince, the future emperor.

2. Watch for non- one dimensional Princes (for a stark change from the Korean version) and how they came to associate with our heroine.

Happy watching!

Read More

Was this review helpful to you?
Completed
The Land of Rain Trees
3 people found this review helpful
Nov 7, 2017
Completed 0
Overall 7.0
Story 7.0
Acting/Cast 8.0
Music 7.0
Rewatch Value 5.0
This was so sweet ..
I loved Nobuyuki character how he approach a girl with a special problem , he did not judge her he accepted her for how she is .
I think it is a good movie to make people realize how they should accept everyone with their differences , people should stop bully others with special problems or the ones who have different hobbies or interests than them .
The ending was good but I wished it was a bit longer , I really wanted Hitomi parents to meet Nobuyuki :/
I liked the plot although it is not original , but I enjoyed it ~

Was this review helpful to you?
Completed
Daytime Shooting Star
1 people found this review helpful
Nov 7, 2017
Completed 6
Overall 9.5
Story 10
Acting/Cast 9.5
Music 9.5
Rewatch Value 9.5
I will definitely rewatch it. Overall, the story is excellent! Nagano Mei, was great in this movie.
I really have to recommend this movie. Hirunaka no Ry?sei is a Japanese sh?jo manga written and illustrated by Mika Yamamori. It ran in Margaret from 2011 to 2014. A live-action film of the same name was released in 2017. Suzume Yosano (Mei Nagano) is a first grade high school student. She lived in the countryside, but, due to her parents transferring overseas for work, Suzume now lives in Tokyo with her uncle (Ryuta Sato). Suzume has never had a boyfriend before, but she has feelings for her homeroom teacher Satsuki Shishio (Shohei Miura). Meanwhile, her classmate, Daiki Mamura (Aran Shirahama), becomes attracted to Suzume.

Read More

Was this review helpful to you?
Completed
Kill Me, Heal Me
1 people found this review helpful
Nov 7, 2017
20 of 20 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 9.5
Story 9.5
Acting/Cast 10
Music 9.5
Rewatch Value 10
Awesome story and amazing acting, there's so little bad things I can write about this drama as it managed to keep me at the edge of my seat and with a box of tissues near me the whole time. That been said, here's my review.

Story
Kill me, heal me is wonderfully written and keeps the mystery and melodrama of the story perfectly balanced with hilarious situations and scenes that will keep you entertained throughout the show. DID is a very controversial illness and there are many discussions about it but this drama manages to depict it perfectly and helps you understand the meaning and story behind each personality. One of the things I really liked about this drama is that it doesn't fall on the typical Kdrama cliché that can become boring or frustrating at times, the story is so rich and heartwrenching that there's no space for that. The storyline is full of suprprises that makes it hard for it to become predictable, even the antagonists have a totally different role throughout the story. The only "flaw" I found in the story  was that in my opinion it lacked some closure to some characters in the end.

Acting/Cast
The acting in general is amazing but overall I have to pay special attention to JiSung's acting. The multifaceted acting and ability to bring to life so many different personalities is amazing. This is the first time I see him in a drama and I have to say I'm definitely watching all this dramas/movies because he's just an amazing actor. The way he changes not only the tone of his voice but also the look in his eyes makes me think he's the best Korean actor I've seen so far!
Hwang Jung Eum's acting didn't convince me in the beginning because I felt it was too similar to her role in She Was Pretty but shortly after, she managed to captivate me as she became a great heroine and developed a heartwarming and funny personality.

Overall, I loved the chemistry between the main characters and how they matured with each episode plus the great bromance that develops between the male characters!!!

Music
Personally, I usually get a bit tired of some of the songs played in dramas. Maybe because I usually watch several episodes in one day and that has something to do with it. But on KMHM the music is amazing and was probably one of the reasons why this show managed to make me shred several tears. The main theme, "Hallucination" is the perfect combination of soft vocals and rap that fits perfectly with the heartwarming and painful experiences of the main characters. It managed to give me the chills every time it was played and even now, after watching the whole drama, I've been listening to it over and over again!

Rewatch Value
I will definitely watch it again!!!!!!

Overall
If you are looking for a different type of story with intrigues, romanticism, mystery and melodrama without falling in the typical Kdrama storyline, Kill Me, Heal Me is everything you are looking for!!!!

Read More

Was this review helpful to you?
Ongoing 204/257
2 Days & 1 Night Season 3
3 people found this review helpful
Nov 6, 2017
204 of 257 episodes seen
Ongoing 0
Overall 9.0
Story 9.0
Acting/Cast 10
Music 8.5
Rewatch Value 9.0
I love this show so much it's my favorite season , I love all the cast member they're funny & have a good relationship like real brothers .
Whenever I have a tough time I just look for any episode and watch it & laugh with them ...

Couple days ago one of the past member of season 3 had pass away " Kim JooHyuk " , I was so shocked & am still can't believe it TT I became his fan after I saw him here ...

I enjoyed watching him he show us a different side of him , I know when he left the show that was because he thought he's not funny and he was afraid that the show will be a fail because of him , he was supposed to be a fixed member for one year at the beginning but because he became so close with his dongseangs he decided to be with them for another year ...

2 Days 1 Night aired a special episode in the memory of Kim JooHyuk .. I just finished it and it was so emotional I start laughing at first then I realized he really has gone , then I just kept crying ...

Kim Joo hyuk is really a thoughtful guy , warm hearted & cute older brother .

At the end of the special episode when they add " Kim Joohyuk " singing voice with picture of him in  the show I couldn't stop crying specially with the picture when he surprised them after leaving the show wearing the costume outfit in the top of the hill , then when he waved at them saying goodbye and they were looking at him it just got me so hard ...

Goodbye to Our Gutaeng hyung you will be missed , 1N2D not gonna be the same TT    
Remember Each Member, Forever  ... 1N2D !!

Read More

Was this review helpful to you?
Completed
Akai Ito
1 people found this review helpful
Nov 6, 2017
Completed 0
Overall 7.5
Story 9.5
Acting/Cast 7.5
Music 8.0
Rewatch Value 6.5
Well, for starters I do not get the ending, AT ALL. And then I found out that there is a another version of this, a drama series, and that this is just like a summary of the series. I would PROBABLY watch the series just to see if it will be any different from the movie. Hopefully, it has a better ending.

Also, I felt like the actors are lacking something. A spark perhaps? I don’t feel that they are meant to be paired. It’s like the pairing was forced. No “kilig” factor or romantic excitement coming from them.

So, I’ve been telling you what I don’t like about it but there is actually one thing I like about this. And that is the fact that it is very realistic. The story is good, sad but good, and it’s something that you wouldn’t want to happen to you and your lover. It’s always a ‘so-near-yet-so-far” kind of ordeal. A “we’re-destined-but-we-can-never-be” kind of relationship. It’s very hard.



https://elijahmaliksmom.wordpress.com/2017/11/06/akai-ito/

Read More

Was this review helpful to you?