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I loved the cast. Yang Yang and his beautiful eyes and smile loved him. I truly believe there would have been more chemistry between him and Liu Crystal if it wasn't so rushed.
The graphics and the scenery was awesome. Love the music.
Would I watch it again. Yes
overall I give it a 9.0 because I love the cast and the story line even if it was rushed.
I found it on this site for anyone that wants to see it.
http://kissasian.ch/Drama/Once-Upon-a-Time/Movie?id=34736
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Good Enough
School 2017 disappoints in the way that is not as good as the rest of the school series. The concept is a bit different, yet it deals with bulling and corrupted school systems. But in this case, the emphasis is given mainly on the X student mystery and on the main character's relationship with her fellow classmates and the school director's son more specifically. The love triangle, moreover, was weak, barely there and didn't really effected the plot in the end. The lead actress was good in her role, even though I expected her to be more shy and restrained, being one of her first roles as an actress rather than a singer. So, she was a nice surprise. However, the rest of the story was dull and the whole series kind of lacked of interesting twists to keep it going.Was this review helpful to you?
The story, the tragic story at that, of Goblin, is really compelling. Kim Eun Sook is really a master storyteller. She writes characters and situations that make your heart skip a beat or even break. I found myself extremely emotionally invested in the love and friendship of the characters in this drama. However, I will be honest, I didn’t know if I actually liked our main female lead until about episode 11, I was on the fence about her, but in the end, I did really enjoy her. There were no characters that I thought were poorly written or not worth the emotional investment, I found each of them to be extremely well thought out and very realistic. Well, as realistic as you can get for a fantasy drama that is.
This drama had so much going for it. It was literally the most aesthetically pleasing drama I have ever watched. The cinematography, the lighting, the color correction, just everything was so beautiful. The way they made this drama look fit the fantasy aesthetic of the drama as well, everything seemed so dream and wonderland like. The original soundtrack for this drama did have me on the fence for a while as well. I was wondering if I really enjoyed the music for the drama or not, but in the end, I found myself humming and singing along to all the songs. They all fit the drama well and put a certain tone and mood to each scene which is what I always say I want. I love OSTs that can give me songs to sing later in life and that make the scene more impactful, and it gave me both.
The acting in this drama was fantastic for the most part, there was one part where I was iffy about it, but it was a really minor character crying so I will let that slide. Gong Yoo was fantastic, it is great to see him in another drama, not just movies, since BIG which was a total flop for me. I have always thought we were a great actor and that BIG was a bad choice on his part. Perhaps that is why he has strayed away from dramas for a few years, but I am glad to see him back in action. His sad smile and his eyes always filled with pain were really convincing and I hope I see him in more and more drama now that he is back in the drama game. It was my first time encountering Kim Go Eun, I know that her first drama was Cheese in the Trap which I know a lot of people loved, but I also heard the ending to the drama was pretty lame, so I have yet to go and see it. She is a young woman, my age (I’m trying to say I’m young at 26 lol). I did have questions about my liking for her character at times, but I thought she did a fantastic job either way. Lee Dong Wook never lets me down, he always brings his A game, and I was happy to see him again after my long drama hiatus. His character was possibly my favorite, I felt his pain and I loved the way his character developed throughout the entire drama itself. He was just great and there really isn’t more to say about that. Yoo In Na surprised me, I really liked her. The last drama I watched her in was You Who Came From The Stars which I actually don’t remember her in, so I don’t know what that says about her role. All I can remember is Queen In Hyun’s Man which I was really not that impressed with, so I’m kind of happy to be discovering her like she is fresh and new in my mind. Overall, the acting was just fantastic and everyone portrayed their characters well.
This drama was an emotional roller coaster. From laughs to tears within the same episode, this drama really had a way with playing with your emotions. You can get extremely invested in the characters of this drama and you hope and pray for a happy ending for them all, and I found myself truly infatuated with it. From the scenery to the story itself, and the music that will forever be ingrained in my mind, the drama was just plain old fantastic. This time, the hype train didn’t let me down, and I am proud of it for that. There is drama out there that are truly worth the hype. I would assume that everyone has already seen this drama. But, if you haven’t I hope that you will settle down for 16 episodes of pure fantasy, magic, and beauty that this drama has to offer. It is worth the watch and worth a re-watch while you are at it.
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Interesting plot, sometimes rather repetitive. Not as light hearted as i would have liked it.
Overall, the different plots of the different characters worked and were well linked to each other to form a comprehensive story. The plot often moved too slow for my tastes and didn't pick up enough on established emotional conflicts, unless related to a boyfriend-girlfriend situation. An Di's backstory should have been explored more, and I hope this will happen in season 2.
Acting/Cast:
Great acting especially from Liu Tao (An DI) and Ning Wentong (Lao Yan). Different acting styles from the different cast members made for a refreshing show. The all-female main cast worked very well.
Music:
Absolutely great. The OST was sung by the main cast. It was performed very well and usally fit to the scenes. Loved An Di's and Wei Wei's songs. The EDM in the club scenes was top notch, very enjoyable for me as a hobby DJ. There was stuff from Laidback Luke, Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike, MOGUAI, KSHMR, R3HAB, and the like. The Pink Floyd like soft rock vibes in the narration segments were very enjoyable.
Rewatch Value:
If there were not a season 2 to go to, i might just rewatch this in its entirety.
Bonus point:
Great references to Journey to the West, Romance of the Three Kingdoms, the Shijing, but also mentions of Dvorak, Shakespeare, etc made this even more enjoyable. I also liked the concept of having a narrator; the man's voice fit perfectly.
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The leads have absolutely no chemistry together, and it was painful to watch them. Shin Se Kyung was just mediocre, and Nam Joo Hyuk seriously has more talent than that.
Overall, the greatest disappointment of 2017.
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Lin Zi and Cheng Mei acted well enough for me to hate them from the bottom of my heart. Cheng Mei didn't have too many scenes, but whenever she did, she sure left an impact.
Shout out to North Physical's captain too. His little role was enough to make me like him.
After this drama, I ended up not watching K-dramas for a month, since I binge-watched on Taiwanese dramas.
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"Policeman and Me" ("P to JK") based on a manga sh?jo by Maki Miyoshi.
The film is therefore more inclined to romantic comedy than a serious drama about inadequate love for age, although Kota, his police hero played by pop idol Kazuya Kamenashi, is the soul of sincerity. And, as his teenage bride Kako happily observes.
There is more to the story than Kota's desire to ease his conscience and restore his male pride, but Nami Yoshikawa's script is short on explanations, at least initially. What is obvious, however, is Kako's delight in playing house with her husband in his house very large for a police officer's salary, although she swear the aforementioned friend to the deep and dark secret about the engagement.
Meanwhile, Kota behaves like a perfect gentleman with his teenage girlfriend. In their moments, they exchange little more than smiles and the occasional hug, initiated by a stunned Kako. However, this interlude of innocent happiness is short. Okami Mahiro Takasugi, the temperamental, blond-haired punk who accidentally put Kako in the emergency room, becomes Kota's nemesis, as well as his sickly friends.
In addition, the realities of being a wife to a guy often absent in a dangerous job begin to affect Kako's fantasy world. She gets jealous, fearful and dubious. Can Kota see her as another human being, rather than a burden he must protect? In other words, a good mellow movie but that could be perfect for a mature drama.
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Through a stormy and inner story and hypocrisy, the story of "Close-Knit" descends very linearly, concentrating on one side in the figure of Rinko who sees in his relationship with Tomo the possibility of testing his sense of motherhood and to "more about the awareness that perhaps society is not yet ready to fully accept the transgender figure, but above all it is Rinko's portrait of the thickness and depth of the film.
Based on picturesque representations, caricatures and sometimes vulgar, Rinko seems to be an unrecognizable person, with his certainties and fears, with the desire to feel a woman throughout the great test of maternity, although substitute. In fact, the LGBT theme is approached by looking more at the character than in his phenomenology, avoiding the melodrama thrilled and often turning his gaze to tones and atmospheres of comedy.
In short, when dealing with a not so light subject, he can always maintain his balance, coagulating the personal drama with comedy in an appreciable way, managing to create brilliant characters and, fortunately, much more in keeping with reality. The film allows us to see some of the cinematographic features the trend towards minimalism, the tones of peace that integrate harmoniously into a story that has its depth and which, although in its simplicity, thrills.
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Pieta in the Toilet is a mix of arthouse feature and an indie flick. Daishi Matsunaga crafts a beautifully poignant film that feels very raw and honest. He does this with simplicity. Forget dramatic sun flares or slow motions, the use of sound, dialogue and camera work makes the emotions overflow.
Noda and Sugisaki have an interesting dynamic much like their respective characters—a struggling painter and an angst-ridden teenager. In them, an unusual friendship forms. It's actually such a treat to see these two interact. Noda embodies a just-get-by character, soft spoken and at times, even delicate and Sugisaki counters that. Loud, headstrong and jarring, she delivers with such fluidity, it's lovely to watch her on screen.
Pieta in the Toilet doesn't patronize. In fact, it doesn't try too hard given its somewhat melodramatic plot. Instead, its characters are the highlight. I would have just probably wanted for the characters to be fleshed out more. And instead of speaking between the lines, it's much more better to be direct. I feel like that part leaves too much blanks to feel.
But nevertheless, the cinematography is to love. And the overall aesthetic and colors are very flat—embodying the film's very characters. Powerful ending.
To those who don't understand the title and say it has nothing to do with the film. Actually, it does. Especially in the final moments.
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Kim Hye-ja displays a reverse Oedipus complex, protective of her son. Bong's attention to detail is prevalent, using Kim's acupuncture needles as symbolism for males' genitals to reserve the male-female role. Do joon (Won Bin) also highlights a complicated male-female relationship when the murdered girl questions his masculinity, resembling when his friend questions if he has even been with a woman and replies in an outburst.
Much more daring in its use of violence compared to Bong’s similar films like Memories of Murder, Bong’s signature dark aesthetics and gritty tones is a plus in the film’s overall mood. Brutally endearing and heartfelt performances fill this feature.
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I really love Yukisada's use of light, color and tone here. And to me, that has always been a strength of his since serving as assistant director in April Story, Love Letter and Swallowtail Butterfly (yes, Shunji Iwai's films; hence, the similarity between the two's use of light and color).
Another signature of his is using timelines. He subtly uses that here too. He shows how characters develop, their experiences and how these changes them is a signature. Seeing that Pink and Gray is an adaptation from a novel, which bears similarity to his previous films as well. And finally, Yukisada likes to incorporate love and friendship in his narratives and make them focal points for his characters to develop. That is inevitably true here as well.
Needless to say, Yukisada stays true to his style. But also brings something new to the table. Here, the mystery element is something new. And say, even until the end, it's still mysterious. Not everything is answered. It's very...open-ended. His films to me, have a soft side to them and while the friendship aspect here is that, there's also this desire for answers. The second half of the film also has a daring decision he takes as a director. Is it effective? I think it depends on your cup of tea. It has a purpose to the overall story but it's metaphorical that in a way...seems unnecessary as well.
Perhaps applaud also goes to the great young actors here. Yuto Nakajima, an idol from Hey! Say! JUMP! and the film serves as his feature debut. It's easy to compare it to his co-star, Masaki Suda, a versatile actor with many features under his belt. But Nakajima shines as his own, playing dual characters with clarity: one being a pretty-face docile character and the other a more assertive one.
But since I have a personal bias towards Masaki Suda, my love still personally goes to him. Playing Riba-chan, an angry and even dark misfit is a role not foreign to Suda. In fact, roles like this are his best. Baring a charismatic and attractive demeanour, he also plays Naruse very well. That laugh while blood pours from his mouth is haunting. Kaho is very much the same. Playing a timid, quiet girl at first and then transforming to a seductive heiress. Love the addition of Yuya Yagira here too.
Besides the use of light, color and tone, I think that the score also makes the film feel much more sentimental. I really love how Yukisada played with the narrative here without dropping any hints whatsoever, the twist/reveal at the end makes it so much more satisfying.
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That's Cunning! Shijo Saidai no Sakusen
4 people found this review helpful
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