Reviews

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.

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“Goblin: The Lonely and Great God” which aired from December 02, 2016 to January 21, 2017, stars a very wide range of actors and actresses in its cast lineup. From the Original Soundtrack to the cast, to the way this drama was filmed, I could tell that this was going to be a hit from the moment I sat down to watch it. From the very first 5 minutes of this drama, I was already hooked and ready to ride it out. I remember I watched the first 9 episodes in 1 night. An addicting and emotional story of the Goblin, his bride, his friend, his enemy, his sister, and his family is an amazing drama that I really enjoyed with all my heart.

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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Story:
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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I was taking a break from K-dramas when I ended up coming across this one. I loved that the drama was simple at the same time refreshing, without too much hassle between the characters and not too much angst. The lead couple was cute, and I definitely found them lovable enough to keep watching. The second lead couple was absolutely ADORABLE. I never fall for second lead couples in any drama, but these two were just too cute to handle. Can someone just let me have Qui Rifeng?
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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Love that needs a little law and order ... A 26-year-old policeman commits himself to a 16-year-old girl, and his mother and father more or less follow it.
"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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"Close-Knit" is a minimalist film that is almost annoying but good is a work that shows us a mature author who is able to stay true to his style and at the same time tell a story full of interesting themes, with which he finally is confronted with social aspects and personal drama.
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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Hilariously titled, Pieta in the Toilet marks RADWIMPS frontman, Yoji Noda's acting debut. And what better debut than to work alongside rising young Japanese actress, Hana Sugisaki, who at her young age has been garnering awards including a best supporting actress at the Japan Academy Awards.

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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South Korean heartthrob, Won Bin and Kim Hye-ja, typecast as an archetypal mother figure star in this mystery-thriller drama. While its premise sets it up as a typical find-the-killer, the film focuses more on the dynamics of Bin and Kim’s complicated mother-son relationship.

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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Isao Yukisada made a cameo in his own film. He even had a line. Japanese idol turned writer, Shigeaki Kato who wrote the novel this film is based on as well. To describe Pink in Gray would be: a film within a film.

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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This is an example of "if it ain't broken, then why bother fixing?" Looking at you, storyline!

Super predictable plot, yet well executed, if all you are expecting is a cute rom-com. The rom-com moments had me laughing and smiling. Featuring a super adorable couple, you are rooting for them every step of the way. Great chemistry between the two main leads.

Namgoong Min is, of course, the MVP of the show. Ahn Dan Tae was a very well written character, and Min pulled off the character perfectly with his comedic acting. A little bit of swagger, a lot of heart and empathy. Gong Shim was also the perfectly written female lead. She's sweet, capable, and bold. Even though she has insecurities, she doesn't let her past hold her down and she pursues her dreams with vigor.

I almost didn't watch this because of Gong Mi's character, which is super annoying. She had no redeeming qualities, which is a waste on the writers' part. Joon Soo was a forgettable character, but thankfully his character did develop throughout the course of the drama.

Some other highlights beyond the adorable lead couple (they are seriously goals!), are: bromantic moments between the ahjusshis, great OST and sound effects, hilarious daydreams, and fun outfits worn by the cast.

I have mixed feelings on whether I liked the pace of the drama or not. On one hand, it dragged, especially towards the end. On the other hand, I loved all of the slice of life, fun moments from the main couple, which we were only able to see and enjoy because the drama is 20 episodes instead of 16.

All in all, don't have high expectations, and you will be pleasantly surprised and be able to fully enjoy this fun and lighthearted rom-com!

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After a few times watching Thailand drama series I became in love and hooked. This drama series I accidentally found it and it turns out all the top Thai actor / actress, Nadech Kugimiya one of my favorite actors. Yaya Urassaya, the first time I saw her, and she was beautiful. There's also Ice Preechaya, I've seen when playing in the ATM Error (movie) and ATM Error 2 (drama series). Not to miss Tor Thanapob, first saw him in Hormones The Series I immediately liked him. 4 big names of Thai stars make this drama worthy of being one of the dramas to be recommended to watch.

Story
For the story, I think this is not a remake drama from Korea. The idea of ??the story taken is very unique about the exchange of body or soul caused by the karma they brought from their previous life (red: renarnation). Combined with the sparkling life of a famous Thai actress who is a bad-tempered idol, as well as the life of a police officer from a special unit who works to eradicate all sorts of crimes, one is the drug problem. I think this drama gives us a lot of lessons, raising current issues in society. At the end of the episode (red: episode 10) there is a pretty deep quotes that is "Does not matter what gender we are but to have someone who loves us, understands the way that we are, and ready to stay beside us forever is enough". In addition we are also exposed from the exchange events of the bodies of Captain Ramin and Petra, that men or women have their respective obligations and rights. We must also respect them (if we are men, we should respect a woman who has sensitive thoughts and senses, and how not to wear them during menstruation and during childbirth, men should respect women and love them, and stop being a womanizer. And also if we women we should also respect men, understand their feelings and when men work we should appreciate what the job is, do not be childish, and another one, if we are a woman and want to cook for our spouse we must be true knowing our own capacity, whether our dishes are really good to eat or not, ex: when Petra cooks for Capt. Ramin and it turns out the food is bad, but because Capt. Ramin loves Petra, he still eats it.)

Act / Cats
For casts, this drama presents the top Thai actors / actresses (Especially for fans of Nadech Kugimiya.) For acting, this drama makes the audience feel up and down. First I was very happy to see Nadech and Yaya acting together as man and woman. But at once it made me feel a little strange when I saw Nadeh had to be a woman and Yaya became a man. When I've started to be comfortable with Nadech's role as a woman and Yaya as a man, this drama gets them into their original role (red: according to gender). And immediately re-exchanged their roles again. Make my feelings stir up. But, I'm also really amazed with Nadech is very good to play the figure of a woman (red: Petra). He acts very natural, although at the beginning when he became Petra I feel a little funny and keep laughing and a little bit weird. But Nadech proves that he is indeed a top Thai actor and can play any role. Ten fingers for Nadech's acting. For Yaya, it was the first time I saw her acting, and it turned out her acting was really good with her extraordinary beauty. Yaya's acting is also very natural, as well as when I see Nadech role as a woman I also feel a little strange when seeing Yaya role as a man (red: Capt. Ramin). Yaya can fight and use the rifle pretty well. Ten fingers for acting Yaya. And at the end of the episode I was made laughing when they swapped bodies again and it turns out that Petra is pregnant and who feels the pregnancy is Capt. Ramin and who felt the pain of giving birth. For acting Ice Preechaya as a gentle woman and very warm, successfully brought good. Different with the last time I saw her in the ATM Error 2 which acts as an independent woman. Tor Thanapob also quite succeeds in playing a good friend and junior, and at the same time being a fellow in love with his fiancé's best friend and senior.

Music
For music, this drama presents good backsong and is nice to hear.

Rewatch
To be honest I do not like the drama long enough but Leh Lub Salub Rarng presents a nice and entertaining spectacle. Make this drama worth a re-watch, but you should really prepare a lot of free time :)

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Although I think the idea of anime-manga screening is generally excellent. This was a bit of a bite for these actors!There were great moments, but it's simply not possible to make such a title with second-class actors. And if Tochihara Rakuto has a solid performance, he is totally shaded by a nice but empty NN main actress.
The story is not bad if you are in fetish, and in this case late teenagers are in an extremely innocent but sincere interest in SM. It is necessary to be open to look at this topic from several angles.
Personally, this is really a great story, but acting of main actress has bothered me the most, and turned the story off, and brought it in a bizarre kind of way!

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