Story:
For sure, this is a movie intended for fans rather than newcomers (even the Yorozuya lampshade it in typical Gintama-style). It's not a great way to introduce someone to the wonderful bizarre world that is Gintama - the setting and protagonists are introduced rather shortly and then we jump right into the story. If you're not familiar with the series then you may have a hard time following the story -- the movie's main plot aka the Beninzakura arc is interesting enough but can't really be appreciated nor understood by viewers who've only known the characters and setting for like 15 minutes (with a lot of context cut out).
That aside, the content is fine overall. The movie captures the series' famous wacky sense of humour very well eg. over-the-top slapstick, broken fourth walls, shameless body humour (including Japan's beloved idol Kanna Hashimoto picking her nose and vomiting, just to give you an idea), and shout-outs/parodies galore -- some so blatant you will crack up. The serious side of the story is nothing special but still enjoyable. The action is a mixed bag -- sometimes entertaining, other times rather basic. Editing/CGI is sometimes cringey but can be easily ignored. For fans curious about any scene changes or additions, there are quite a few but they're mostly well done so they shouldn't bother you. The climax/final fight (film-original) was the only scene I hated - without spoiling anything, it felt very forced and pointless.
Cast, characters:
The quirky likeable characters are the best thing about the series, hands down. There's unfortunately only so much a movie can show, but this film does a fairly good job at bringing the best out of everyone in its 2 hour run. Maybe my only disappointment is Takasugi -- in this film he's not a very interesting antagonist since they don't really flesh him out here (which is a shame, he's great in the original series).
The acting quality itself varies, but credit to everyone for making an effort to be in character. My biggest complaint was Nanao as Matako who was hella flat, I felt like all she did was shout stiffly and pose with her guns. Kanna as Kagura was a little meh sometimes but I think I enjoyed her a lot more than others did. She shined more in her comedy scenes, whether it be her casually being gross or her slapping Shinpachi epically in the face ("BAAAKA MEGANEEEE"). Everyone else was mostly good. Shun Oguri and Masaki Suda did well as the other 2/3 of the Yorozuya -- Gintoki's irritable and snarky yet caring nature is there, and awkward tsukkomi!Shinpachi is very much alive. My fave has to be Ryo Yoshizawa, who captured Sougo's casual deadpan character perfectly.
Music:
Not much I can say since I don't remember most of it but nothing bad. The guitar OST that plays during a certain scene is lovely! A plus for fans is that it's similar to the song played in the same scene in the anime :D UVERworld's promotional song for the movie ("DECIDED") is awesome, definitely stick around for the credits to give it a listen! Last but not least, big applause to the uh "song" Gintoki sings in the "opening", apparently made-up by Oguri himself. It is a hoot haha
Overall comments:
Don't expect a god-tier film or Gintama anime 2.0, because it isn't (nor was it meant to be). It's a cheesy fun movie that captures the Gintama spirit well and should be treated as such. New viewers may struggle to get through the film and I wouldn't blame you, but you may get something out of it. For fans, as long as your bias goggles are off, you'll be pretty entertained despite its flaws.
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WHAT DIDN'T WORK:
It had quite a number of flaws, many of them being on character development. There were a ton of flat and boring characters, who lacked clear motivations, and realistic boundaries in the series.
Starting of with the male lead, Hwang si Mok. He is known to have a personality disorder due to a brain surgery that removes his capability of feeling human emotions, most specifically empathy. There were a lot of scenes and minutes proving this. But those scenes I believe are meaningless, and just made the show draggy because it didn't in any way move the plot. There was no clear connection on how this disorder affects Hwang Si Mok's judgement or how he would have solved the mystery and why he was so determined to stop the corruption in the prosecution.
If he had been a normal person, or without having this disorder, would he have acted differently? Given how the series built his character, I believe he would have done the same thing. So why include this meaningless angle at all?
Han Yeo Jin, the female lead was also a dull character. She's a character that the series would just force everyone to accept that she's good just because she is. There are no developments on why she is acting the way she is, or why she's helping Hwang Si Mok. Also, come to think of it, there was no other background given in the series towards her identity, aside from that of her being a police officer.
Kim Jeong Bon, Hwang Si Mok's supposed middle school friend/classmate. There's no information at all given to their supposed "friendship" that should motivate him to help Hwang Si Mok in his endeavors. I found it a bit weird that he suddenly was so determined into helping Hwang Si Mok, who is barely an acquaintance, and who he just randomly met after 20 years.
I could say more flaws like these for many other characters. I think the only characters who had real depth in the series were probably Dong Jae Seo, and Chang Jun- Lee, but then their character development also came a bit late.
Aside from poor character development, the pace was unusually slow for the genre. I wouldn't say that 16 episodes were too much for the series' content, but some of the episodes could have been used to again, better character development, rather than just watching the leads stumble to dead end after dead end of the mystery they're solving. A lot of the scenes involving solving the mystery could be compressed further to give way to better content.
WHAT WORKED:
I think what's good about this drama is the fact that it had a clear focus, and never bent away from the plot. This is probably the main reason why the audience stayed with it until the end. (despite its many flaws) It developed a desire among the audience to know the end, and how the culprits would be caught.
The script was also something praise-worthy. Dialogues were very realistic and is based on actual spoken language, and not cheesy/heroic type of lines, especially those said by the leads. A lot of thrillers/action dramas or any drama for that matter fall into the pit of trying to make the leads act like superheroes or super cool characters by making them say unrealistic cheesy speeches as they capture the culprits, whilst heroic music plays in the background. Pretty sure we've all encountered this in one drama or another.
The acting, I'd say was good, in the sense it was realistic, and not overly done.
OVERALL:
The series could have been much better if it had paid more attention into creating more tangible and deeper figures amongst its leads. By doing this, it could have bettered its connection with its viewers. Only then would the audience have a deeper reason as to why to watch this series, other than just having the desire to know the show's end.
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I will say that this drama also produced one after my all time favorite OTP couples. Even 8 years later I am able to delve back into this drama and be entertained. However no matter how much I love it a couple things do bother me.
1. Jan Di can be a bit much at times. For a new drama fan she may be a turn off at some points in the show. I promise though if you get through it this becomes the gateway to drama land.
2. While I liked the ost I will be happy not to have "Almost Paradise" stuck in my head for days.
Overall this drama gets an 8/10 and should be a staple in any new drama fans list.
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The series has two timelines, one in present day in which a son goes to check on his grandmother in the hospital (essentially to collect money from her), and one in the 1950s/60s that follows two women, Ah Chun and Fu Pei Mei. These two women are drastically different (poor/rich) but their lives come together over a series of events. Each episode is split between the timelines, as the grandmother reminisces people and recipes of the past.
The story was always engaging, had beautiful cinematography, and had consistent pacing throughout. It was more on the slow-paced side, but that's also just the reality with Q series and nearly 1.5 hour long episodes. None of the characters were perfect, but each of them relatable. I thought the characters' diversity of backgrounds and interests reflected Taiwan's society from that time - a clash of old immigrants from Guangdong, new immigrants from Beijing, KMT soldiers, PRC sympathizers/sleeper agents... The back and forth dialogue with Mandarin and Taiwanese can be expected from Q series.
Though the drama was interesting, rewatch value (especially for me, who rarely rewatches dramas) is very low - it's a very well done drama with characters that were sweet but not something addicting.
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This drama deals with serious matters such as divorce, remarriage, single parenthood, family problems and so on, however everything is told in a really peaceful way and it's what makes this drama so interesting and appealing in my opinion, I kept thinking and questioning myself about all those issues that are generally hard to talk about and more importantly to handle. I always appreciate when a drama doesn't only give me entertainment but also intellectual nourishments.
Obviously what truly made me love this drama was the deep and powerful friendship between Luo Zi Jun and Tang Jing and also the growth of characters and they all evolved either from bad to good or good to bad, it was truly convicing and realistic.
Regarding Zi Jun/Tang Jing's friendship, I absolutely loved their poised, calm and mature personalities, they truly complement each other, Tang Jing is more emotive and full of pride while Zi Jun is more calm and strict but when they're together, they look so happy, jovial and relaxed. I have to say that Tang Jing left a big impression on me, she's such a true, selfless and sincere friend and she would absolutely do anything for her friend in need, she doesn't care about what others may think , she just does what she thinks is the best for Zi Jun, and always helps her even when she's extremely busy, that's how good she is. Their friendship to me feels so real and friends like Tang Jing are rare, it's just sad she's too proud. And this quote tells how Tang Jing in Zi Jun's heart means everything "I don't know what character or abilities I have that bestowed me such a great friend, who shares my happiness with me, carries my troubles for me. If in this world there are others who I can't be unworthy of, who I can't disappoint, then Tang Jing is certainly the most important one of all", it truly moved me.
Now I'll move on to the characters and I have to say they were all superbly beautifully presented, there are some I disliked obviously and they infuriated me so much but the actors did such an amazing job portraying them, I mostly think of Ling Ling, and JunSheng (though he wasn't really detestable) for example and anyway without them the drama wouldn't be this much stimulating and engaging. I can only praise all of them, I must admit that what got me truly interested in the drama was the atypical synopsis and the title really caught my attention too, but also seeing that Jin Dong was one of the leads was a great plus for me as I do really admire him as an actor, he was outstanding as always but I wasn't too fond of his character "He Han" though He Han is always full of great advice, so smart and rational, and someone we can rely on, but apart from that I didn't feel much for him but still it was another breathtaking performance by Jin Dong. However my revelations with this cast were Yuan Quan and Ma Yi Li and "The First Half of My Life" was my first drama with them and will definitely not be the last. They both played two fascinating characters but Zi Jun is the one that had a bigger impact on me, it was so beautiful seeing the Luo Zi Jun from the beginning who's a naive, frivolous, insecure, vulnerable woman growing into a responsible, independent and calm woman and at that a woman who doesn't show any of her insecurities/shortcomings in front of strangers and what I liked is that she knows how to seperate her private from her professional life. Ma Yi Li was simply mind-blowing as Zi Jun, truly gorgeous, classy and ravishing; such a delight *.*.
I'll briefly mention one character that made me smile a lot, I know that Zi Jun's mother is a little bit too nosy and annoying, I just couldn't help but like her, she's a pure bundle of energy and I think we do need people like her in our life, someone who'll cheer for us and bring only positive energy when we are so down, that's why I liked her so so much. The rest of the cast was nice as well, I particularly liked the interactions between Old Zhuo, the Jiang Zi's owner and He Han but I have nothing much to add about the rest, though they all had significant roles.
I won't add much about the drama nor the several topics it deals with as I think it's better to watch to see for yourself but one thing I loved in this drama is the realisation, it's so gorgeous and realistic and I particularly loved the flashbacks in black and white which in my opinion intensify some of the most powerful and touching scenes, the settings and sceneries (aaaw that Jiang Zi restaurant *.*) were also beautiful and I truly enjoy watching these dramas that take place in Shanghai, the views are always stunning.
A drama I fully recommend to everyone even to non Cdrama lovers as it deals with actual topics that might be interesting to others who are looking for something more realistic with a touch of slice of life.
As for the rating to be honest I was really hesitating between an 8.5 and a 9 because eventhough I loved this drama and I consider it to be the best drama of 2017 until now and definitely in my top 3 best Chinese modern dramas I was expecting something a little bit different for the second part of the drama but the ending was so satisfying that I decided to go for a 9 and anyway it was such a great show, seriously I already miss all of them, especially Zi Jun.
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Story:
This story is so unique and beautiful, I've never seen anything so creative. In the beginning, being in a relationship with someone that has a different face and body everyday sounds a little bit weird and also a little bit fun, but as the story and their relationship progresses you can really see the real struggles that these two have to face. Yi-soo's inner battle over this relationship is conveyed really well and you can really experience her pain with her over the fact that she will never be able to remember her lover's face. This story breaks down all the problems that come with having a relationship, but shows that love can conquer all and that it's not what's on the outside that matters but what's on the inside that really counts which is a lesson well taught in this movie. The only thing I disliked about the plot is the fact that Yi-soo's "sickness" that she gets isn't really explained all that well and I felt a bit confused as to why she was experiencing some symptoms. Another part of the story that I didn't understand that well is Woo Jin's Parents' Story, essentially this ties in with Yi-soo's condition so that whole part was just a little fuzzy for me and lacked the clarification I needed to fully understand Woo Jin's condition, but other than that everything else is explained and conveyed really well.
Acting/Cast:
I gave this a 10 mainly because Han Hyo-Joo does such an amazing job as the lead female. It's already hard as it is to make an on screen relationship look believable, but to do so with 20+ co-stars is amazing. Not only did she have to get used to working with practically different co-stars in each scene, but to also act in-love with each and every one of them no matter their age, gender or looks...I really tip my hat off to her. Not only was her acting amazing, but it was also quite fun to see famous actors here and there as well.
Music:
I loved the music, it really fitted well with the theme and cinematography of the movie, it just gives this movie the extra bump that makes it perfect. I liked the fact that they went with a more classical, acoustic feel to the music, it really ties everything together and makes you feel at ease while watching the movie.
Cinematography:
I just had to add this one in here. I was very impressed with how the movie was filmed. The scenes and shots were beautiful, the tones that they used were soft and very fitting and overall it was just very professionally and beautifully made.
I definitely recommend this to everyone, it's really a film that many types of people would enjoy and also makes you reflect a little bit on life and love and teaches you an important lesson in between.
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This review may contain spoilers
i really liked the story & The show is light & nice, cause the main story is the same as (just like heaven) the american movie but i've to say that there were a huge weak point at this drama , which was the several ghosts side stories which distract u alot from the main story & made the drama a little boring they put it just to fill the drama we already knew that (Ok Taec ) is a ghost hunter so y repeating the events with different side stories doesn't serve the drama at all from my point of view it would be much better if they made that ghosts stories related to main leads like giving (Ok Taec ) & (Kim So) a hint or help about their past lives or just reducing the no of ep. which 'll be much better & i saw also that lee david & kang lee over acting i knew that these r their roles but it turned from being funny to absurdity two things provoked me so cause they were illogical at all first (kim so) didn't help (ok taec) even once in cleaning or preparing food although she can hold things normally second how come that a ghost didn't has a place to stay in, COME ON she can stay any where at the most luxurious houses like the president palace ~.~ & how come she can sleep, eat or feel hungry , get sick , drown, wash her teeth & body or wearing clothes she is just a spirit these things are for bodies not souls may be this 'll be SPOILER there were many flaws like how did the evil spirit knew that the incantation was with (kim so) how did her mom knew that she was making a favor for a strange man how come (kim so) remember every thing but not anything while she was with (ok taec) a spirit if u could skip these points u'll really enjoy that drama For me it began to be really interested from ep.11 I really didn't like the end for (Kwon Yool) i feel so sorry for him cause he was a real victim T_T Was this review helpful to you?
Very bad acting and everything is pushed forward so fast.
I recomend you to go and watch "1 Litre no Namida (2005)" series. It's very good.
But this movie... don't waste your time on it.
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This review may contain spoilers
Don't be foolled by title... "1 litre of tears" fsss yeah right... more like fuckin bucket! Seriously you will cry every episode from very first one to the last one. So prepare tons of tissues.
But it's not just "ohh I feel so bad for her type of drama" it makes you think about life and it lets understand atleast a bit what some people going through.
"WHY ME?" I bet many people who got this dissease asks themselve this question.
I will not give you an answer. But I definetly got a theory after seing Aya's family and how relations between them were changing in every episode.
Is it enough to justify suffering of innocent girl? I don't think so. But I'm sure she was rewarded in afterlife for her goodnes and hope she gave to so many people she didn't even know.
Very sad but great story. I definetley reccomend it to everyone.
PS: I will not spoiler you anything but one scene in hospital when she reached out her hand... I really was expecting something else to happen there.. oh well maybe it's just me ^^ Let me know if you were dissapointed in that scene too.
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Everything would be ok if not this 0 skill actor who plays Uehara..
I fuckin hate him so much I can't watch this show anymore... I got 6 episodes to go but everytime I see his face I want to turn off TV
Where the fuck did they find this guy?! I understand his character is not "nice pretty boy" but his face has 0 expressions.. like WTF all the time the same look. This is really bad actor. Wooden block would play better.
Nao is great! She could play main character in School Rumble. She remindes me of Tenma so much.
Very cute girl and her acting is fine too.
This is first drama I will probably not finish... bleh ;/
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The storyline, particularly the character of The Gods are a bit strange, but still enjoyable to watch.
The main characters are having an adorable chemistry. Sometimes I feel that NJH's acting was a little bit weird, but I am still in love with him no matter what :p. SSK's acting was really good, natural and has meaningful expression, Idk why there is some people hate her acting, I just couldn't agree with them.
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In terms of acting, only the performance of Non and Chimon stood out. The other actors are dull and forgettable.
I applaud the music and scoring. Good job to the composer.
Will I rewatch this? Certainly and definitely not.
To GMM: Don't give false hopes and don't take advantage of fans and then disappoint them in the end.
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