Reviews

The film is about a young man and a group friends connecting at university. The protagonist has fallen in love with one of his friends, a man, but the feelings don't seem to be reciprocated; a love triangle, and even a four-way love ensues. There are truly some genuine moments that express the deepest realities of LGBTQ people in this film, one example a scene on the roof unveiling the truth (I almost cried it was so real). This is a terrible story,  but a pretty good film none-the-less. The ending of this story, alas, is not a happy one. Essentially, our main character succumbs to the inner battle: man vs self, and hides in the depths of the quintessential "closet." We are left with an unsatisfying end, and possibly a sad truth that LBGTQ's in China or in the far East, and around the world face.

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A music movie with some cases to be solved but not any big mystery. Actually, this one is just so so. At first, it was kind of interesting to see what was going to happen with the music club. The girl was cute and funny and her relationship with her childhood friend was adorable. Things got a bit stuck towards the end, with the way too cliché turn of events and the girl's struggles to master her instrument that eventually led us to the very ending. There was no romance in the movie, though the whole music club members dynamics were good enough to keep you occupied. The scene, finally, at the practice room when everything went from normal to chaos was a bit too long. So, overall, 5 out of 10.

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Since there wasn't a review for this film at the time of writing this, I figured I'd give my thoughts.
Though I appreciate its sprawling shots and attention to detail (having literally hundreds of men dressed in armor,  the careful and deliberate shots of Shingen and those bowing to him, etc.), it was a fairly slow movie, and I don't feel I really got to know any of the characters. The actors did a good job, but one general in particular was prone to overacting (literally shouting his lines in an otherwise silent room, which seemed a bit much); the score was used mainly for battle scenes, and the songs fit thematically. Viewed from a historical fiction perspective, it was a satisfying epic that had several transitional periods in the movie, and its conclusion seemed fitting, but I wouldn't necessarily recommend it or rewatch it any time soon.

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I have read manga version.So I was quite excited about this one!!!

The movie starts with a slow pace though it picks up in the second half,I just feel many elements in the film were not satisfied.There were many scenes which were like warm and beautiful but seemed forced.Chemistry was not appealing.

Kazuya Kamenashi as Kouta shines in some scenes as a police officer and a dutiful husband but I feel his character could have been utilized more.Tao Tsuchiya as Kako seems lively throughout the movie.So I liked her more here.The supporting cast like Takasugi Mahiro as Okami was good.

Only a more crisp script could have made it more enjoyable and memorable!!!

Good for one time watch :-)

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The start of this show is shaky, with really in-your-face montages. The characterisation was pretty weird too. I mean, now I know what people talk about when they say inexperienced actors. But everyone gets better!

I enjoyed the strong sunbae culture and it was also nice to see the protagonists being the sunbaes instead of the hoobaes.

I like the show deals with mental health issues. And that people don’t just become depressed because they break up. It’s very rare for a heroine to have a breakdown over something or someone that isn’t the romantic line.

The character have sad back stories, but they just suck it up and deal with it simply without drama.

Random note: I like the different names of the characters, instead of ones that I’ve already known from other dramas.

Joon Hyung - male lead
Nam Joo Hyuk’s acting gets better. In the beginning, I really wasn’t sure what face he was trying to pull. He has some really great one-liners throughout the drama.

“People either really like me or hate me, y’know.”

He’s used to people being pissed at him that he’s come to the point that he just shuts it out.

“Relationships aren’t like sports. Effort does not guarantee success.”

“I’m yours, so I have to listen to you.”
 
I like that Joon Hyung was only a little adverse to therapy and it showed how he was challenged but he just got into it quite easily. He’s really a very gentle soul and the actor who played him when he was a kid was just perfect. Nam Joo Hyuk also has a very puppy dog vulnerable expression. I appreciated his shyness when it comes to emotions, but also how he is quite in touch with his.
Joon Hyung’s relationship with his bro is so funny. I like how well he knew his brother and wanted to support him. Joon Hyung has a very middle aged man personality actually.
I liked the way he acted towards his parents, maybe it’s because of his inexperience, but it felt like his character was also acting a certain way, putting on a show for his parents.
His stand out trait is his loyalty. I love how kind he is to lots of people but of course the way he cares for Bok Joo and is concerned for her is beautiful. He really goes out of his way to make sure she’s ok. And he thinks about how to approach her and puts thought into how to talk to her or make her feel better. He has some of the best moments of sincere gentleness and kindness that I’ve seen in dramaland.

I love the swimming pool analogy and what it means to Joon Hyung.
 
Bok Joo
I like that Bok Joo wears really unflattering clothes constantly.
Usually I would dislike a storyline where the heroine is in love with the wrong person for a majority of the show. But Joon Hyung’s gentle and kind support of her made it ok. It’s a bit funny how scared Joon Hyung is of her.
It’s unusual, for me to see a heroine really go for her misplaced love, and in a way it felt a bit more realistic that just because he’s not the hero of the show, doesn’t mean that it’s not hard to get over him.
I like that Bok Joo is so good at what she does. That Joon Hyung has to work hard to keep up with her athletic achievements in his own field.

Romance

“Is this a home shopping channel? That sounds ridiculous.”

I like that you can see that Joon Hyung is so polite to his family to the point that it’s stiff. So it’s really meaningful the way he can relax around Bok Joo.
Bok Joo’s way of comforting Joon Hyung is really genuine and I like that she avoids cliches, and is so real about what she says to him.

Best Friends
The best friends of both Bok Joo and Joon Hyung were borderline stereotypical. But they had some nice stand out moments.

“Did she eat ginseng or something? What’s wrong with her?”

And it was funny to see Joon Hyung’s best bud get involved with Bok Joo’s girl friends.

Female Role Models
Coach Choi was a great character and I loved the way she yelled at people like a lion. Not your usual high pitch barrage that you get with female characters but a very guttural roar haha.

Ah Young
“It’s good to love someone, but you need to be loved to boost your self-esteem.”

Si Ho
Also, I like that I got to love the crazy ex-girlfriend too. There’s something really cool about her.

Jae Yi
It was a bit funny to see the nice guy, “second lead syndrome” personality get a bad rap for hurting people with his consideration.

“Seriously, I had no idea that treating you well would create more distance between us. Agh, do I have a disorder?”

Jae Yi - “You were quite scary when you got angry. I thought you’d punch me.”
Joon Hyung - “I may seem sweet to you, but I can be quite tough.”

Cameos
We have some beautiful scene stealers! This show had the best cameos – all my favourite actors. LJS didn’t even try and act, but come on, it’s LJS. Ji Soo, however, put his whole heart into his little scenes. Love that guy! And had to squee when I saw Kim Seul Gi too.

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If you are expecting some great love story as promised, a love that defies all odds, held together by fate and karma , then be prepared to feel slightly underwhelmed. Viewers are better off treating it as the heroine's tale as she embarks on the mission of a lifetime (literally);  or a "second chance" type of journey - to undo the rather tragic outcome early on that set the main plot in motion

But the best part of this drama, is the visually pleasing production and costumes (for the most part).

Story (7/10)
  The director has a gift for tweaking changes to novels to tell the story much better than its original work. But despite efforts to flesh out each character or every plot development, it fails to build any real momentum to keep viewers interested or invested despite the length. Overall story is decent though boring... (yes I've said it!), and characters are balanced.  The main plot and focus of romance end up downplayed to make room for supporting elements and subplots, something they could do without, or at very least, cut out of a lot of. 

Acting (7/10)
 Chemistry between the leads is a real issue and one I fail to be convinced by. And more so when sold about a love so great each is defying odds to be together.  This lack of chemistry prevents any real emotional connection to the couple. Multiple times throughout the drama I didn't feel the leads were in love until they declared so, but this was more so in the earlier half.

 With all due respect to William Chan, his acting range is limited at best. If anything he has the visual presence to pull off alpha male prince and eyes that command charisma easily, if only he knew how. As a fan of Cecilia Liu, this is far from a standout performance and even disappointing, when you consider the kind of performances she is capable of.  
 
Xu Hai Qiao as the second lead Yuan Zhan is probably the best performance/actor, and between the main characters whose actions and feelings for the one he loves is at all believable.

Music (7/10): Music is good overall. Ending OST is nice

Rewatch (4/10):  premise more exciting than actual story,  and a whooping 56 episodes that failed to keep me interested the first time means an unlikely rewatch for me.

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Even if this drama was a sci-fi drama, I feel like it takes some things from the dystopian genre as well. .As in this drama uses certain things from both of those narratives. Like the technology and all of that from sci-fi, as well as the question of what makes us human and so on. And then a government that is somehow trying to make things look like they are great, but behind the scenes it really isn't.

I have to admit that I did not expect to find a new drama that would hook me this much this soon after Rebel Hong Gil Dong. And I didn‘t really expect much from this drama at all, because it sounded very confusing based on the synopsis. And the first episode was kinda confusing as well.

The drama is only 12 episodes so the story is really compact and it does not really stray away from the main story. There are not a lot of side-stories in this drama. Or non that take us away from the main story, as in there are not many filler scenes. They used their time really well and they cowered their ground pretty well with these 12 episodes. Everything that is shows to us serve some purpose and moves the story along the story in a way.

Each episode is divided into two parts, so the first half-hour is dedicated to the 2017 part of drama, and then the second half is in 2037. And each part ends in some exciting way, or on a cliffhanger, so you have to continue watching to get some answers. And drama was very keeping you at the edge of your seat.

At first I found this leap between different years, especially when each part ended on a very exciting note, a bit annoying. Especially when I had more fun watching what was happening in 2017. But later, the  2037 part started giving me all the answers, and these two parts started connecting a bit more that I became utterly hooked on this drama.

All I can really complain about is how many women were missing in this drama. And sure, Han Jung Yeon (and Byul) played a leading role, and it was such a great, interesting role that you really rooted for. She was great. And then Park Min Young and one other one, who was Human B’s assistant, were great supporting roles that brought something to the story.

But what I mean is that there were not a lot of women in the background of the show. I would have liked to see more women have more responsibility. Because you saw too much of men in such places, running around as body-guards, scientist or police-officers, but very few women.  And that’s not something I want to see in 2037.

That didn’t really ruin the drama for me, since I was very hooked on the fast-paced story that took place during these 12 episodes. It was just kinda annoying seeing mainly dudes running around.

Even if the show uses a lot of elements that you can find in a lot of other sci-fi shows, this show really manages to be its own story. It didn’t go overboard with the tropes, as I could not really figure out where the story was going. It kept me on my toes.

It kept me guessing. There was always something happening that I did not expect and made me feel excited about the next episode. And I just had a lot of fun watching it and I felt like they did a really good job, from the writing to the acting, in making this a damn good sci-fi drama.

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1st, the content. For most people, a 26 year old policeman marrying a 16 year old girl is cringe worthy material. Obviously one is too immature for the other, and all the problems that come along with dating an older person, not to mention the problems in marriage itself. However, before anyone complains - you know what you are getting into with the story because the synopsis is clear as day. The content should not manipulate your rating because... if you don't like the story, don't watch it. Also, the movie is a Japanese production - this kind of relationship is common place in Japan and not just in Japanese manga. Maybe not marriage, but dating between a 25 year old and a 16-18 year old is normal. Keep the culture of the setting (Japan) in mind when watching.

Now, the story ... The story was definitely disjointed and I only understood and enjoyed it because I read the manga years ago. Large chunks of the story was missing but I was able to connect it together because I remembered what happened between scenes. The actual story (in the manga) is too large and detailed to fit into a movie like this. However, if they had added it into the movie, the movie would have been too boring.

In the manga, most of the story was about
1) Kouta marrying her because he's an officer so he doesn't want to just date a 16 year old girl. He wants to make it all legal.
2) Kako waiting around for Kouta
3) A triangle with Okami
4) Kouta avoiding Kako so as not to sleep with her.
Hence, boring material.

Music etc ... I don't notice those things.

Acting... Well, it was fairly good acting given the story and plot. Not extremely good, but fairly good.

End scene : Happy, but what the hell was that last few seconds?

Watch at your own risk. I won't really recommend it to anyone given the content. You have to decide if you want to get into this. Leave your western perceptions at the door and acknowledge you are looking into a different culture - as we always do when watching another country's production.

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The key point of the series is the character's story and the cast. While the story of the series lies under one villain,[Reaper] it was sewn for substories. The underlying motif of the series "as crime" remained alarming throughout. The dialogue/lines from script requires patience for it's viewers. The scene is one-sided so the story is definitely dependent to the episode development.  Sometimes, the investigation could be dreary but the process of profiling, catching the criminal was entertaining. I personally quite pick up some informative terms.
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The series has it's depth and execution, the character-story is stronger than of it's other features. It surely failed on small connecting dots but , as whole, I think it hold more substance than any investigating teams out there in a series.

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Oh how much I wanted for this drama to be good. How much I missed a good Japanese drama in my life. I was so grateful for this drama it was unbelievable. It is basically a no romance drama, at least romance was not the main this,  Matsushita Nao and Ishihara Satomi were just wonderful. They had a great chemistry and their portrayal of two sisters with a mainly conflicted relationship and many life problems was spot on. I loved this drama for its sincerity, incorporation of real-life problems, humor with a hint of seriousness when needed and mainly for an impressive and very realistic portrayal of family bonds and the relationship among siblings. It was a drama that I the least expected to tear up while watching. This is definitely the drama I would recommend to every drama watched no matter the age and no matter if you are a romance only lover. This drama will make you rethink your life choices and your life path and open your eyes with it's truly wonderful, fulfilling and emotional ending.

Saruman loves and approves!

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I love me some good medical drama. That's probably just Grey's anatomy fever, but every time I watch a medical drama I have high expectations. Well, this one definitely reached my top level. I absolutely adored the story. It was not rushed, it was believable it had wonderful, realistic character and most importantly it was thrilling to watch and made my heart ache many many times.  It glued me to my Isengard throne until I finished. I admit I finished this drama in a day (so what everyone has a lazy day, my orcs can work by themselves). The star of this drama is definitely Kim Young Kwang, who portrayed his doctor character so fantastically well I daydreamed him for weeks. Jung So Min was a little less impressive, but still a decent leading lady. The couple definitely had lots of chemistry that's why I was so very much disappointed that the producer or screenwriters did not decide to explore or elaborate their relationship any further. I watched this drama twice now and I will watch it at least once more. I love it and I know you will love it too, so watch it.

Saruman approved!

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Oh what am I suppose to say for this drama it has a great cast everyone's acting is amazing. Literally all of the characters were written and acted so well that all of my emotions were brought out. Loved how Qing Chen was a feisty but reasonable character she wasn't obnoxious or anything she's just a girl who wants the best for everyone that she cares for. Oh god now onto Yuan Ling the amazing 4th prince that's so loving n great at fighting too lol loved how he was so devoted to Qing Chen there's no weird love triangle, overly cheesy moments, or bad cgi. Everything in of this drama was amazing definitely  recommend to watch this if you want something that not too crazy or has stupid characters then yes this is definitely it! Oh btw the side characters were played well too this is now one of my top dramas Cecilia n William has so much chemistry that I honestly want a season 2 or for them to collab again.

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One of the best things about Lookout is the thrill that gives, with the whole finding the culprit and making the bad guys pay theme blending well with the strong female protagonist and the high tech team. The cases are okay, though the main case with that criminal mastermind high school boy. Actually, that boy's performance was really good, playing the manipulating murderer who's still a minor. But, the other actors' performances were great as well, bringing a freshness to the whole drama. However, even though I did tried to really like this drama, something about it made me tired of watching it. Though the actions scenes were a handful, the actual plot was a bit of a series of bad people not getting the punishment they deserved and as a result people suffered. So, maybe the concept wasn't that well executed. Nevertheless, a good action drama, so 5 out of 10.

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This drama was not a random watch for me. I love the role of Lee Min Jung in Boys over flowers and I wanted to see more of here, so I ended up watching this lovely drama. The acting was great. Min Jung is capable of playing any role she is given and this was a fine role for her. Her character went through a roller coaster of emotions and she made it believable. Joo Sang Wook, although not my favorite actor, was a decent leading man and also put a spot on performance of a heartbroken, but now extremely successful man. They had an excellent chemistry and made the coupling believable.  The supporting cast is also wonderful. The story is interesting and follows a nice pace, which makes this drama a pleasant watching material. I definitely recommend this drama to all romance lovers, especially those who love a great romance story with a strong, independent leading lady which Min Jung in the role of Na Ae Ra most certainly is.

Saruman approves!

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