Reviews

Why I liked it (without giving too much information that can spoil you):

1. Brings back youthful memories

Yeah, this movie certainly makes you remember all the things you and your school friends did years back–including those embarrassing memories you buried deep within your brain. LOL. Nice throwback trigger to the time you ecstatically cheered your crush on or helped your friend passed their love letters (or even your letter) or you cursed together your teacher from being too strict.

2. Remember Meteor Garden?

Since we are already doing the “throwback” game, who would have forgotten about Meteor Garden? A smash-hit Taiwanese TV series that centers around an ordinary girl Shancai and rich-and-handsome-but-arrogant boy Dao MingSi. They share the same feels. Hsu Taiyu and Dao Mingsi share the same personality, except that Hsu Taiyu was not really that rich like Dao MingSi and not really as dumb as him. Lin Chenshin is also not as openly revolting against Hsu Taiyu’s bullying but shares the same bravery when protecting their love ones.

3. Do you also remember That Thing Called Love?

This also shares familiarity with That Thing Called Love in a way where they both tried to help the other catch their crushes’ hearts. Fake smiles. Fake love. If only they have been honest from the start.

4. Inspires you to be someone that is not labeled based on anything but of who you are, because you deserve it.

One of the scenes that really get to me is the part where Lin Chenshin and their friends indirectly defended Hsu Taiyu in front of the whole school during their awarding ceremony, citing that they should not be labeled on how they fared their school exams or what grades they got.

5. Makes you love your friends more.

Yeah, it made me feel even more appreciative and loving towards my friends. This is a friendship movie, too, so it is just right enough to feel that after watching it. We cannot avoid falling but we should not be scared of it. Whatever decisions we make is our own responsibility and that we should not blame ourselves for other people’s decisions. We change ourselves to trap ourselves in that guilty prison or just to escape painful reality but we can always change back to who we really are… and we have our friends around to support us in our way.

This is also posted on my blog: https://woahbam.com/watch-times-taiwanese-movie/

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Overall: 9.0

Story: 9.0
The premise of the story is suspended on disbelief that a woman in this century can let a complete stranger into her house without knowing anything. Take that aside, you have yourself a story plot that is simply a romance film or a ‘Chick flick’. I don’t like that term, so we are going to call it Romance Film.
If you enjoy light hearted films, that mostly just revolve around two people and their relationship, this one is for you. It’s quite simple story plot of a man moving in with a woman, wins her over by cooking, and breaks her heart only to make it up for in the end. Though I wish at the end they could have added more drama to how she reacts to seeing him again, I think compared to other Japanese films dealing with romance it was a nice change from the dark and dreary endings.
The thing that made me fall for this film was the simplicity of it all, yet had deep meaning behind every word, every action. It was simple, yet dealt with real mature emotions such as going through a heartache, dealing with falling in love, jealousy, and love. Easily in one of my top 10 favorite Japanese films.

Acting/Casting: 9.0
I think the casting for this drama was great when it came to the two leads. We didn’t really get to see so much the supporting characters, they were mostly just used as sub plots in order to show the feelings of the two leads. But the choice of leads for this drama for me was spot on. This film relies heavily on chemistry, for me, I could see it. It had me giggling and laughing, crying and wishing to see more. Both actors did a fantastic job, though this is the only film I have seen either of them in, I thought it was very well put together acting wise.

Music: 9.5
I really, really, really, loved the fact that they didn’t use lyrics during the film. They only waited till the end to add music with lyrics. I find lyrics slightly distracting when they don’t fit with the film, and something such as this would have ruined the moment. The instrumental music helped make the film flow, and keep emotions high for the audience. I enjoyed the soft tones of the piano, and the way it fit with the overall scheme of simplicity of the film.

Rewatch Value: 8.5
For myself, because I love pure romance films with happy endings, I could find myself watching this again on a afternoon, or introducing it to a friend who loves romance films. Its one of those films that leaves you with happiness and a completed storyline, that will make your toes curl and you smile. A feel good film that is worth re watching over and over again.

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My first review, but this drama deserves it.
I haven't read the manga or watched the Japanese version, but I will because this drama is simply amazing. I don't know why I haven't watched this until now.
I'm a big fan of kdramas, but the acting in this drama is awesome. The cast is so good that it looks like the actors were made for this drama. It is one of the best dramas. I don't know if this drama has an award, but deserve one. I don't know what to say more because this drama played with my brain a lot. I fangirled so hard and there were so many plot twists. Underrated!!
I highly recommend this drama.

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Riveting. Grandiose. Impeccable.

Riveting in terms of story.

Grandiose in terms of cinematography.

Impeccable in terms of acting.

These three powerful features made Vanishing Time an absolute pleasure to watch. It’s in one word an ENIGMATIC JOURNEY.

The story was adapted from a book written by a child psychiatrist. Children are always imaginative and their mind is full of mischief, fantasy and limitless curiosity. The truism of Soo Rin’s story is questionable but even if it is purely based on her imagination, how amazing it is to see that her own world of fantasy is capable of creating such wonder. There was like a whole unknown planet inside her mind. When she interacted with another likeminded child of her age, Seong Min, both their imagination collided to create something magnificent.

Child psychology blended with fantasy is now my new penchant which I discovered after watching this movie. I have seen many fantasy movies but Vanishing time is just unparalleled with others. Getting confounded with the story is quite easy, nevertheless, the well maintained proper balance of quaint romantic emotions among the protagonists never let only the fantasy part fogging our brain. I could easily connect with their emotions. The magnanimity shown by the male protagonist till the end was simply endearing and the lapsed time would never allow their relationship to coincide which left a slight poignant feeling.

On another note, the cinematography of the movie is magical, dreamy and colourful suiting the tone of the movie. Acting was on par especially by the child actors. Always I prefer to see the children more than their adult version and what can I say ‘bout Kang Dong Wan. Any adjective to describe his acting ability would be an understatement. So I should refrain from that. I just want to say he’s a top notch classy actor. He knows what he’s doing and pour out his soul into his performance.

It is a well-directed, well scripted and well-acted movie though a bit equivocal in nature. I have few questions which are left unanswered. So instead of a full 10 I would give 9.

Don’t think twice about whether you should watch this movie or not. Just watch it if you’re a fantasy lover. Guaranteed you’ve never seen anything like this before.

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After reading lot of reviews I started watching this show. Only bcoz of push and Esther in this drama. All romantic scenes are awesome. And they do have a good chemistry with each other. I don't know why lot of Thai dramas have this same ending where the second female lead gets extremely violent and shoots someone. Here to the same scenes. First let me tell the good points and then the bad points of the drama.

1. Push and Esther acting
2. Their romantic scenes
3. Wimartin places and the cowboy type scenes.
4. Supporting characters acting and they all seems to be happy in doing it.
5. Hed ped boys ( they are adorable)

Bad points.
I don't want to count it. Bcoz lot of bad points for this drama

Push is good in acting. But he seems confused why his character in this drama is doing this or that.
Male lead character always trying to harm the female lead sexual abuse scenes.
I know he is a playboy in this drama but why u made him look like monster, bcoz he never understand her love and does those things which any girl would hate.
Even after seeing him with his ex spending the whole night our little innocent female lead forgives him and still loves him. I think this will be very difficult for girls in real.
Esther looks better as strong girl rather than crying for him.
Esther's father is definitely stupid to send her with the guy who hurt her.

Overall I think negative points is more than positive points in this drama. May be Thai culture is different and they don't think this show is bad. But for a Indian girl this is definitely not so good drama.

If u r push fan then look this show only for the good romantic scenes.
Rewatch value is definitely a no from me.

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If u are a teen drama fan , then this drama is definitely for you. As I can say most of the people like this type of school drama. This is my first drama with dj Push. And I m happy I found him through this drama bcoz he looks extremely handsome and cool. And nook is super cute as junita and she is the best for this role. And all other characters definitely catches our attention and stays in our mind for a long time.

Story is simple when a ugly girl starts liking a super handsome guy, she gets afraid of being ditched at anytime. So she keeps her love to herself and never conveys it to him. And the guy who is super handsome but extremely poor in status always try to win her heart but sometimes he gets possessive bcoz of seeing her with other guys. Her friends supports her to love P'Suea ( handsome male lead) but she stays away from him bcoz of her inferior complex of being ugly. After a lot of twists and turns they fall into love with each other and conveys it.

Good entertaining show with romance comedy and teen materials. I love push bcoz of this show. And bee is a cute supporting character in this drama. I can definitely rewatch this show if I m free from other dramas. Music is good and acting is best. Story is ok

Spoiler alert.
How the ugly duckling becomes the swan, here in this drama also she gets lucky by choosing the poor handsome guy, instead of rejecting him for his status. Look into the last episode to find what I m saying.

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Pinocchio was the first kdrama that I've ever watched and made me realize that I've been missing out all my life.
I have to admit that at first I had to get used to things a little bit but from the moment it happened I did nothing but enjoy the show. The characters were amazing and interesting. Some of them are still very high on my list of characters that i like the most. The characters were given some pretty nice development which I'm very greatful for. The story was amazing as well. Although It didn't explain everything that I'd have wanted to know but aside from that I can't really complain.
Not long after I finished it, I made a friend watch it with me. It was her first korean drama too so thanks to Pinocchio, both me and my friend became huge kdrama fans. I'd sincerely recommend this drama to anyone who finds the summary even a little bit interesting.

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This drama was a treat from the start. The pain felt by Ki Ha Myung’s family is vividly portrayed and so exceptionally done that you feel for them. The plot isn’t as simple as it appears and there are so many layers to the story, each of which is peeled off one by one as the story progresses. The cutthroat environment that is created by rivaling broadcast companies is played out for the viewers to understand the functioning of news channels and the crooked tactics that they sometimes employ to obtain a story. While the character of Song Cha Ok is very detestable, Jin Kyung does a wonderful job of acting. She is so convincing in her role that even though I hated her for most of the drama, towards the end I was very glad for her. Her character development would be one of the best for the show. I also liked how In Ha and Ha Myung got to know each other and the entire process from them being friends to a couple was rather adorable.

Even though the Pinocchio Syndrome that was used in the drama is fictional, it proved to be integral to the storyline. Initially In Ha faces a lot of flak for not being able to lie, which is somehow “important” to become a reporter. As the drama draws to a close, we see how she becomes an exemplary model of a reporter and teaches the others ideals and values to be upheld as a reporter. Being a media student myself, I loved this drama for its content and the morals that it showcased. While In Ha and Ha Myung were meant to be, I wished that Seo Bum Jo was given some importance. In fact he does serve a vital purpose in the drama and things do get resolved all due to him. But he is left behind with this unrequited love and for some reason I always wish that the main leads would pick the secondary characters. Moreover, I felt that In Ha’s behavior towards him was a little cold and she wasn’t as considerate of his as he was of her. Anyhow, the drama has been put together very well and some of the characters like Hwang Gyo Dong, Ahn Chan So were very endearing. All in all, I thoroughly enjoyed the drama and would recommend it to all.

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Shin Min Ah and So Ji Sub together in a drama? As main leads? Check and check. What more could I want out of a kdrama, especially when the plot is as heartwarming as this one. One could assume that the drama seems to advocate good looks as being essential to finding love (especially when Im Woo Sik breaks up with Joo Eun) or attaining success in one’s job but I think it places emphasis on the need for exercising and staying fit. It is a given that the two leads are meant to be but they got together rather quickly in the series and so you are left to wonder what more is in store for them. I was very apprehensive of the fact that their relationship may become draggy and extremely cheesy. But the conflicts that were introduced in the drama kept it going at a good pace and there were times when I was rooted to the spot, waiting to see what would happen. The drama has a good proportion of humor in the sense that some of the scenes are legit LOL-worthy.

The drama is an example of what motivation and support can do for a person. It proves to us that with the right dedication, one can overcome even the greatest of difficulties. Jang Joon Sung too deals with a troublesome childhood. But with the help of Yeong Ho, he goes onto become a boxing champion. Their brotherhood is shown to be unconditional. Woo Sik and Soo Jin’s relationship is very lovable. They complement each other well. Even though Soo Jin plays the anti-heroine, causing problems for Joo Eun, she is actually very sensitive. The end to Woo Sik & Soo Jin’s story was apt and I couldn’t think of a better way to wrap up things. One of the other things that stood out in this drama was Kim Ji Woong’s chirpy nature. His constant “Ma’am, Ma’am” was an absolute delight. The soundtrack of the show is too good and it mixes well with the scene to enhance the sentiments being enacted. This drama is simply amazing and has become one of my all time favorites. I would definitely recommend it to all.

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This drama, with its cross between fortunetelling and psychology, explores a unique idea. Sung Joon is a very convincing actor and plays the part of Choi Soo Hyun particularly well. We are persuaded of the fact that he is disbelieving about love and doesn’t really care for much else apart from his research experiment. Birth of a Beauty actress Han Ye Seul is our female protagonist and believably or not, she plays a mother. Although the show doesn’t focus on her daughter all that much, we are just made aware through photographs and phone calls how close their bond is. As mentioned before, the plotline is somewhat different from the usual kdrama, in the sense that its not about the Aegyo but showcases adults and the difficulties they face. However, being a psychology student myself, I felt that some of the information pertaining to psychology was a little misleading. Or maybe just that it wasn’t put across properly. I found that to be one of the minus points for the show.

This drama also plays around with some trite concepts like love triangles, unrequited love etc. But then again I suppose they are very much in keeping with real life experiences that people have so I guess in a way its justified. Choi Sung Chan and Won Ji Ho help Soo Hyun with his experiment and in doing so end up liking Hye Rim too. I found that a little hard to believe. I mean what are the chances that three men, who barely know this women; are meant to deceive her and yet fall for her? That being said, Ji Ho is a bit of a childish character and doesn’t really grasp what’s happening around him. He doesn't even get the fact that Yoo Rim has liked him for so long. The dialogues on the other hand are well written, entertaining with a dash of humor. Somehow I didn’t really like the chemistry between Hye Rim and Soo Hyun for a majority of the show. It felt a little forced and not real. Even though, supposedly, she actually liked him the whole time, I didn’t find it genuine up until the last few episodes. She helps him face the troubles of his past, and after that everything sort of falls in place. The soundtrack of this drama is decent – nothing outstanding though. All in all, its definitely an enjoyable drama but we’ve seen better from the lead actors and the writer.

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I loved this drama from the start. The obnoxious way that Suk Ho managed his responsibilities; the composed manner in which Ha Neul dealt with his probation and all of Jeong Geu Rin’s (Ha Neul’s namesake sister) supportive, mature sensibilities. The plot, although seemingly rather ordinary, is actually wonderful. It had a unique way of building each character’s story and carrying it forward so that towards the end, we’re satisfied with where each of the story lines ended. Ji Sung is fantastic playing both personalities of Suk Ho. In fact he is so skilled that Suk Ho’s brotherly relations with Jo Sung Hyun, Jo Ha Neul and Jinu were the highlights of the series, for me. Their attachment to each other is so heart warming.

One of the things I wished had been different was Ha Neul and Geu Rin’s equation. Although it was reasonable, it wasn’t necessary to the story. Another thing that irked me was the ending. Up until the 14th episode, the pace of the drama is brilliant. All plot lines are ticked off in due time. But then the last three episodes are so rushed, I felt that they tried to cram too much story in too little time. If they had included 2 more episodes, everything could have been beautifully explored and concluded. Lastly, Suk Ho and Geu Rin’s feelings lacked conviction, as in it remains stagnant, which bothered me a bit. But then again, all dramas don’t need to focus on love. So I guess, it’s alright.

Two of the songs on the OST are absolutely spellbinding – Go Ahead Cry by Jo Bok Rae and Lost Child by Han Seo Yoon. Lee Tae Sun who portrays the character Yun Soo does so very charmingly. I liked the fact that the drama incorporated the “single father” angle and played it out very well. Seldom, do you see such characterization. Jae Hoon and Kyle (other members of the band) were the “cool” ones with a difficult family background. They too gelled well in the story and helped create an enjoyable package. Quite a few times during the episodes, I was a blubbering mess. That is not to say it is entirely sad or sappy. It is equal parts funny and lamentable. This drama is definitely worth watching once. So do give it a try.

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I enjoyed watching the drama from the very beginning because it is funny and well shot. The magical component is made believable because of the good quality graphics and brilliant acting on the part of everyone. While this was my first drama with Yoon Si Yoon, I had previously watched High School Love On starring Kim Sae Ron. I hadn’t really liked her part in that drama and so I was pleasantly surprised at how well she fit the role. Some of the other characters were a little flat. Like that of Yo Gwang, Choi Hyun Seo and King Seon Jo – they weren’t brave enough to do what was required of them and were mostly dilly-dallying their way through the drama. Especially the King, not only is he a coward but also a very gullible person – hardly possessing the persona of a King. Queen Shim too acted very entitled, high and mighty whereas she herself had done so much wrong. I wished that Yeon Hee would have been more firm with her and not so submissive.

Yum Jung Ah’s portrayal of Hong Joo is fantastic. She does a very convincing job of enacting the corrupt shaman. I liked the plot and I wish the characters had been written more suitably. The whole “lighting 108 candles” concept was interesting. Some of the common themes that this drama explores are good vs evil, slavery, love triangles, mob psychology etc. Heo Joon’s storyline is one of the best, more realistic and genuine ones in the drama. Another plus point for the drama is that it has a good soundtrack. My favourite songs are – Love by Lush and Distressed by Lim Jeong Hee. The time leaps in the drama were okay. And the ending was not too great. But over all, it was entertaining, although I won’t be watching it again. So if you like black magic, stories about royal families, then perhaps you could try this.

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