Reviews

I love the Once Upon A Time In China series but this one was just a mess. Tsui Hark  did return as the director to this movie but man this was not that good. Vincent Zhao is an underrated martial arts actor but they didn't use him for that here. Most of the time they just used guns to shoot each other and not martial arts but there is just too much guns in a martial arts film I didn't like that at all.

The story is kind of hard to understand. Its mostly Wong Fei Hung and his 4 students have to save the town from pirates.

The Cast looked good but wasn't used to its potential. I'm sure they could of thought of a different plot to do with this movie. The romance between Vincent Zhao and Rosamund Kwan has no chemistry. When your main actor Jet Li leaves the series and you continue it with a different actor that is a tough job. Vincent Zhao did fill in with the fight scenes but him to fill in for the romance part just didn't work out at all.

The Music was missing. The intros in the series are always good but in here it wasn't. It is Wong teaching his students martial arts but with a weird instrumental music. They barely used the Wong Fei Hung theme. The only good music in here was that they used the Jackie Chan version of singing the Once Upon A Time In China song at the end.

Re-watch: I don't recommend to rewatch it but sometimes I do for the laughter.

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I was very happy that they brought back Jet Li to portray as Wong Fei Hung again. Once upon a time in china and America is the last installment in the Once upon a time in china series. Movies like this back then were really good they had like  anything you would want in a movie. Drama, Martial Arts, Historical, Action, Comedy, and Romance. Its better than those fantasy drams and movies. The Martial Arts in the movies make it look more fun to watch and more competitive. It was a great movie to end the series and much better writing in this one than the previous 2.
The Acting was decent not a lot of popular actors but if you have Jet Li in it the movie will be good. The american actors were also surprisingly good. Jet Li and Rosamund Kwan have wonderful chemistry together.

In this movie the story has a much better plot to understand why they traveled to America. There is like 2 problems in the movie one in the beginning and another one in the end so its not just about Wong Fei Hung and his memory loss.

The Music in this movie  made me very surprised. While Jet Li was still portraying as Wong Fei Hung in the first 3 films the music in those films were the best. What surprised me was that the music they used in here was just instrumental. Usually they have a singer for their intro but they decided to go with instrumental music and it still sounded cool. Whenever Wong Fei Hung Fights he always has this bad ass music that fires him up.

Re-watch well I always love to re-watch my favorite movie series. Every time I watch them I always find something new each time. I recommend to re-watch this more and more.

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There are dramas that you just KNOW that you are going to love them, and  this was one of them. Pre-2006 dramas are so heartwarming. This is the  story of an arrogant, chauvinistic man who one day is unemployed, his  wife gets a job and he becomes a "at-home-dad", which is, a  househusband. In episode 1 I was laughing already, I didn't know this  was going to be a comedy.

Abe Hiroshi was, no surprise, amazing as Yamamura-san. He reminded me a little bit of Kusano from "Kekkon Dekinai Otoko" in his expressions, always sarcastic and with replies full of  arrogance. Of course this is the kind of drama I love to watch, when  this kind of guy learns how to depend on others, how to be kinder, and  to value the "demeaning" job of being a househusband. And also when a  man, who used to take women for granted, realizes being one is hard.

He had a wonderful chemistry with his wife (Shinohara Ryoko),  his neighbor who is a dedicated househusband, and her daughter. I think  I was hesitant to watch this because of Shinohara Ryoko. I don't know  why but I don't like this woman ^_^ I have never watched any of her  works, so my dislike is irrational. Nevertheless, she was excellent as  the nice, hardworking wife.

But the chemistry I liked the most was between him and the little girl, Rie (Sakura Ando).  They have many funny scenes, but also many tender ones. The little girl  was excellent, there were many times where she was looking at his  father with so much love. Or so much pride. Sometimes she was also  looking at him a little sad. It was so nice.

The little  neighborhood was cozy and their house looked like a candy-house. More  like a cookie-house. Anyway, their ladies neighbors were too noisy for  my taste, specially the "leader", but well, they all had a good heart.

I  loved how Yamamura-san struggled with being a househusband, a task he  took for granted. All the mess he did were so funny (starting in Ep.  1... Abe Hiroshi is SOOOOO good in comedy). Seems like the clean their  houses every day O_O

Music was ok, there was one I liked the most  because it suited Abe Hiroshi.. laid-back, funny and a bit silly. Kinda  like, again, KDO.

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This drama, my friends is a drama that shouldn't be kept in your "Plan to watch" list for more than a day. Coz seriously if it is, then it is a disgrace for this drama. I haven't reviewed any drama for quite some time, but this one forced me to write a review.

What I liked about this drama:
The story. The way it unfolds, it may seem like a typical one but trust me it's not. The way that all the actors had put their hearts into each character was heartwarming. From the kids/minor cast to the main casts, each role was portrayed beautifully. The leads had great chemistry, even the bro-romance was on spot XD.
This drama seriously gave me friendship goals and left me sated. Instead of being called  "Rebel: Thief Who Stole the People" it should be called "Rebel: Thief Who Stole People's Heart" coz Hong Gil Dong surely stole mine!

What I did not like:
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ABSOLUTELY NOTHING!

Saranghae Hong Gil Dong, you shall be missed! <3

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I watched this on VIU by accident because I had nothing to watch, and I got HOOK from the first episode!! I like it when the guy character is goofy and silly while the girl is the serious type (and she's smart not like the typical K-drama I watched) I think they are a match made in heaven xD!!

So the story is about a famous acupuncture doctor from the past (I forgot which dynasty), he somehow had the ability to travel to the future or go back to the past but he has to be dead first to be able to travel.... In the future, he met a modern girl doctor who happened to have a bad experience with acupuncture treatment (her family actually ran an acupuncture clinic) so his interactions with the girl at the beginning didn't go so well. However, they slowly understand each other and even help each other in crisis and OF COURSE, they slowly started to develop feelings for each other!!! then as usual conflicts happened and you have to watch this to see watch happened!! LOL

Highly recommended!!

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Motivational movie. It's a must watch for everyone who wants to accomplish something in life! As Einstein once said; "A person who never made a mistake never tried anything new." Just like in this movie - he tried many things until he came to a solution. It proves that if we really want something in life we will achieve it!

When the movie came to an ending scene I was so satisfied and I could breathe and feel the cold wind of accomplishment (tehee ~_^).

I love the actor, he's still in my heart from Hormones. When it comes to his acting, I didn't see any bigger mistakes.

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Likes
- Kim Se Jung is adorable and lovable in this. Very easy to root for her.
- Plot and mystery was intriguing and kept me wanting more.
- The friendships being built or rebuilt in this was heartwarming and gave many feel good scenes.
- The main romance was cute and heartwarming, with simple acts of love that made you feel the love.

Dislikes
- Music was not memorable. I cant remember a single song from the series.
- The motivations of antagonists in this reach super villain level of silliness.
- Too slow of a build up of the main romance in my opinion.

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Likes:
- Characters and relationships were great and lovable. Easy to care about the characters, and get invested.
- The music really hits you hard at the emotional parts of the series.
- Cinematography is mesmerizing and shot well. Everything is framed great, allowing you to enter their world.
- Jan Di and Ga Eul are both adorable and beautiful throughout.

Dislikes
- Story is a bit stretched. With things happening and not being addressed until and episode or two later.
- Woo Bin wasn't very fleshed out as a character. I wanted to see more of him than what we got.
- Although the music was awesome, the overuse of the main theme got a bit annoying by the end.
- The ridiculous ending arc was unnecessary and did nothing other than make the series a couple episodes longer.

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STORY: The whole show centers around Toey's experiences in a foreign country (Japan) while trying to get over his recent heartbreak and trying to figure out his feelings toward Oat, a fellow Thai, who rents the unit next to him. It's quite a long movie but evenly paced and never really felt slow. The ending is a bit disappointing but understandable in the context of the movie.

ACTING/CAST: The guys are cute and they have good chemistry. There are a number of sweet moments and they pull them off nicely.

MUSIC: I only seem to remember a piano in the background. It went well with the show but I remember little else.

REWATCH VALUE: Nah, while it was enjoyable once, no need to see it again.

OVERALL: This is a multilingual movie: Thai, Japanese, English.  It was fun to watch. Also it was sweet to watch Toey and Oat draw close to each other. But, as the details section states above, they have to disappointingly "return to the 'real world'." Also, lots of pretty scenery of Japan. Hope you like Natt?!

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So, I am gonna critique the movie based on the following parameters and justify my low score (No Spoilers)

1. Story: So the movie had 2 plots woven into one. The main story (The revenge tale) and then the story of Tae Soo (Lee Min Ki) and his family. It is the second plot is what makes the story worthwhile (Hence the 5.0 Score). The primary story on the other hand is dull as hell

2. Acting: Both Actors did a very good job portraying their respective characters. So, if you are simply a fan of the actors and don't care much of the plot; you are probably going to have a good time

3. Pacing: The movie was edited and cut in a very bizarre manner; and not in a good way. They chose to put in a lot of stuff that should have been left on the editing room. This made that whole movie a mess, and killed it for me

I came out very much disappointing with the movie. To me, this was a very poor showing of a fantastic premise and cast.

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Plot holes due to memory loss

I watched the entire drama of 36 episodes in 1 1/2 weeks.  The actors were interesting and good looking.  The setting, Lan City, is a perfect, beautiful, clean, spacious city, and the police station is high end.  This is a review of the entire drama; Seasons 1, 2 and 3.

Story:
The story begins in the current time, with some mysterious reference to five years prior. As the drama moves forward, we learn that the main characters have wide gaps in their memories of five years prior. No surprise! A number of Alphabet Villains are introduced strategically with every new crime in Lan City, and it is obvious that they were involved with those lost memories.

As the drama reaches the last stretch, the scriptwriter takes a flashback (aka time jump backward) to five years prior, to explain the Alphabet Villains’ megalomaniacal master plan.  This is spread over five or six episodes needlessly, when we just want to see the conclusion of the drama.

Acting:
The casting is very good.  Bai Yu is exceptional as Han Chen, who is a knight in shining armor.  Yong Rang is not exceptional as Bai Jin Xi/Su Mian. The character is obnoxious and egocentric, and chatty.  She also hits her subordinate throughout the drama, which is a form of violence in the workplace. She stops being obnoxious, but is still egocentric and chatty.  The three supporting actors who play the young and handsome supporting Black Shield detectives, are very efficient.  The teamwork of the Black Shield members and their supervisor is exceptional.  

The supporting actors who play the young and handsome Alphabet Villains are efficient. The teamwork of the villains falls apart.   The old adage, “ Too many cooks spoil the broth." comes to mind.

Music:
A very good O.S.T.!

Rewatch value:
Should I forget that I watched the drama, I might end up watching it again (...Lost memory! Muahahahaha!).

Overall:
The drama is praiseworthy. The production values are high, and all the actors deliver very good performances.  The plot is clever, but the script is confusing at times, as it randomly jumps backward in time, and the villains keep popping up at the oddest times.  The script would have been solid if the drama had started out the gate with the villains hatching their diabolical master plan, the main leads losing their memories, and the time jump to five years later, when the drama originally began.

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The Legend of Zhen Huan was a beautiful drama.  Just look at the photos of the sets, costumes and makeup...I do not think I've ever seen another period piece that paid this much painstaking attention to detail.  This drama elevated the Chinese period drama bar high after it's initial run on television and for good reason.

With that said, you need to be a person with a certain level of patience to finish this drama.  The story is well executed, the actors high caliber and the drama level high... however, it is very slow paced.  The focus is on the relationship between the leading ladies, the palace intrigue and the power struggles of the inner palace.  There are no gimmicks to entertain the audience.  Therefore, if you are someone who needs plot twists and action after every episode to keep you hooked, this drama is not for you.  

Personally, I loved watching Zhen Huan.  The acting was superb.  The costumes so beautiful.   It felt like I was watching a Chinese version of a Jane Austin novel played on screen.  While Jane Austin's female protagonists can feel a bit vanilla, Zhen Huan was a breath of fresh air.  It was a joy watching her change from a doe eyed, somewhat naive yet bright, young girl into a manipulative, jaded and vengeful Queen B.  She had the makeup and the acting chops to pull it off.  I also learned a lot about Chinese history with this drama.  My knowledge of female titles in the inner palace was limited to concubine and empress...who knew there was such a hierarchy?

All in all, this was a very beautifully executed, smart drama that felt real to its time and worth the journey.  I highly recommend it.

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The hands-down best things about this series are the actors. I can't get over how Kongpob can't help but smile like an idiot (that smile is just SO sweet) whenever Arthit is around and how the guy turns his charm up to 200% for Arthit. I can't get over how the actor of Arthit completely OWNED Arthit's tough-as-nail , don't f-with-me exterior and the awkward-ish, nervous, fidget-y  guy Arthit "really" is. The chemistry is insane. Off the charts. Out of this world. I can't describe their amazingness in words, you'll have to watch for yourself.  All I can say is, I don't even like school-flicks or drama but this is one of the BEST BL shows ever.

Okay.

The plot is not brilliant or super innovative. Didn't floor my chin anywhere, though I do like how everything was laid out. Although I am not complaining, I feel like certain parts can be better fleshed out. The "Capture The Flag" game didn't really worked for me; I feel like there were fillers sometimes (the show kind of stalled) and there were sometimes "drama for the sake of drama". Don't come here expecting to get your mind blown away by the plot, but WHO CARES when you'll be laughing and grinning the whole time :P Besides, there were plenty of sub-plots, symbolism, "circle of events" and etc that more than makes up for when the plot lapses a little. 

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I already wrote my review for the first part , I am happy to see Kamiki Ryunosuke character development , his acting was very good~ he did a good job portraying " Kiriyama Rei " .The story did focus more on his relationship with Kawamoto sisters and how that effect Kiriyama growth as a  Shogi player & as a person , I liked these part of the story and the Shogi match was very intense .The movie is really impressive with the directing , the visual amazing as will was the first part .What bothered me is that the movie seems more like a miniseries divided into two parts than a movie .... ! and the story focus a bit erratic , I wished that they filmed the last match am not sure if they'll do a third part but I don't think they'll , so the ending kinda an open ending ...Overall it was a good movie  .

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I'm writing this after my fourth or fifth time watching the drama, so just by that you KNOW it's good!

I don't know why, but people tend to really enjoy body-swap plots. Perhaps it satiates the common desire to be someone other than yourself. Perhaps it's an attest to the strength of identity and personality, even when the external has changed. Whatever the reason, body-swap plots is a time-tested tool to win over a viewership as can be seen here with Don Quixote.

Throw in side plots about trying to win a yakuza presidency and the different cases that arise at a child welfare centre, and you have an eclectic and colourful drama. I can guarantee you, there is not one boring or static moment. The story is relatively fast paced, dynamic, funny, poignant, and at times, sad.

Takahashi Katsumi and Matsuda Shota have INCREDIBLE chemistry. They play a crass Yakuza boss and a weedy child welfare worker respectively, only to have their roles switched in the first episode - and WOW, I was super impressed by how accurately and smoothly they were able to act out the transition.

Takahashi and Matsuda play off each other, horse around, clash, and generally have a strong bond that's often hard to find in dramaland. I gotta say, their bromance (if you can call it that??) is really what makes the show. Their quips and comedic scenes are my absolute favourite and I often find myself laughing out loud in the early hours of the morning, thus startling my sister in the other room lololol.

The other actors and characters are just as strong in their own way. Another notable relationship portrayed in the drama is the one between the director of the child center and Sachiko, the eldest child at the center. It's a bittersweet and loving relationship well portrayed by the actors. In fact, all of the secondary characters are loveable and you will soon feel like you're being drawn into a strange, large family, all working for similar goals by twist of fate.

And if there's one thing that us Japs do well, it's comedy!! The comedy in this drama is ON POINT, my dudes. It's a very easy and fast watch, and it's INCREDIBLY rewatchable. I've often been drawn back to it when I'm bored or feeling despondent and it's always managed to cheer me up. It's honest to god the drama version of a hot chocolate and a warm blanket. Or maybe a cold beer, if you'd prefer that.

CONCLUSION? JUST. WATCH. IT. You will 100% have NO REGRETS. Who doesn't want to see the willowy Matsuda Shota stomping around, saving children in need, with that terrible scowl, cowboy stride, and filthy mouth of his? And don't forget the stocky, kind-faced Takahashi Katsumi, anxiously (and a little resignedly) pattering alongside, reminisce of the noble Don Quixote and his faithful squire, Sancho Panza.

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