Reviews

Wow. What can I say about this show? I finished it a while ago and have been sitting on writing a review because I loved it so very, very much. It has a great cast, wonderful atmosphere, and a really interesting story line. It's interwoven lives - past and present - and is set in both modern day and in 1930s Korea during the Japanese occupation. Yo Ah In plays Han Se Joo, a Stephen King-esque level writer in the modern day who finds himself struck with writer's block after a stalker almost kills him. He meets Im Soo Jung's Jeon Seol in the present life, a veterinarian and former Olympic level athlete in shooting, who is also his number one fan. Introduced to this is a ghostwriter Yoo Jin Oh (played by Go Kyung Pyo) who has a secret. The three (and most of the important people around them) are all linked by their past lives in the 1930s as resistance fighters during the Japanese occupation. The story kept me guessing quite a bit of the time, which is not always the case in k-dramas, and the atmosphere was spectacularly done. All the modern day characters have abodes that overflow with books, which was a visual touch that I found very appealing, while the historical segments brought that past era to life. There is love, intrigue, scheming, conflict, struggle, loss, and triumph. The music in this drama was also wonderful and engaging. I really can't recommend this drama highly enough.

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Gosh, no one has ventured to write a review on this show? Well, this comes a little bit late but better late than never, right? So here goes.

STORY (No spoilers)
It was only after I had completed watching this show that I later discovered that this was a re-make of an older and, at that time popular, Taiwanese show titled "Prince Turns Into A Frog". Having never seen that older show but afterwards read about its content, it would appear that the overall storyline for both shows essentially remains the same. So, for those of you who have seen "Prince Turns Into A Frog" and loved it, you might want to consider giving this re-make a try.

I think it is also worth mentioning that the overall vibe of this show is that of a cheesy, light-hearted, funny and rather silly show. This show does not take itself seriously at all and has a lot of cartoonish, slapstick funny moments liberally sprinkled with your over-the-top dramatic scenes which, in another show, would probably make you roll your eyes. Since this show doesn't take itself seriously, viewers intending to watch this should also leave your brain at the door and just sit back and enjoy this crazy ride.
If you enjoy a bit of fun and silliness, as well as willing to suspend belief and swallow the cheese as well as the salt as this show turns on the drama, this show is a great one to watch.

ACTING/ CHARACTERS
LIU XIAO BEI - Tiffany Tang plays the loud, cheeky and bubbly Liu Xiao Bei really well here. While the vibe of the show promotes cartoonish actions and caricature personalities, Tiffany gives Liu Xiao Bei enough of a personality to make her a bit more than just a one-dimensional character. I found her character to be actually cute and likeable in this show, despite its inherent silliness, and that speaks of Tiffany's ability to breathe more life into her. She also enjoys good chemistry with her co-actors, especially with the main male lead (no surprise as they were actually dating in real life at time of filming).

XIANG TIAN QI - Roy Qiu plays this cold, rich, genius CEO as well as can be, given the craziness of the show and what the character himself has to go through. The first round of memory loss brought an almost complete change of character personality to Xiang Tian Qi, and Roy did a good job in making that difference palpable, believable and utterly charming to boot. I thought he portrayed the various personalities and emotions of his character pretty well, especially considering the playful nature of this show.

The second leads, as well as the supporting characters in this show, were played by actors who didn't mind looking a little silly or participating in scenes that were extremely cheesy and almost cringe-worthy. Not all characters were one-dimensional or one-note all the time in this show. There were moments of poignancy and feeling which added depth to certain key scenes and moments in the show, but on the flip side, there were also moments where suspension of belief was required and you'd need to roll with the punches.

It is difficult to therefore rate the quality of acting in this show, simply because of its rather quirky and erratic nature.

MUSIC
In line with its let's-not-take-ourselves-seriously vibe, the music in this show varies from hip-hop and rap, to pop and rock, to love ballads. A truly eclectic mix of genres rolled into a show, but you know what, it works. I actually enjoyed the music a lot (if you are a fan of JJ Lin, a lot of his tracks are played on this show), and thought it added life and beat to the series.

RE-WATCH VALUE
I guess this is a love-it or hate-it kind of show so if you liked it, you probably would not mind re-watching some of the scenes over and over again, even if it was just for kicks, giggles and laughs.

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At first I didn't expect much...

I thought and felt like this was going to be a very depressing story full of politics or the drama will go down the path of super cheesy comedy/romance drama just to get more views and better ratings. While also being about one of the darkest times. But I was pleasently supraised. I could tell with each episode as the story progressed that it was written with passion and love. The drama unfolds slowly in the start but it really quickens its pace after 2-3 ep. I knew I was watching a drama but I also felt like I was reading book ... Its like a story unfolded withing a story... perfect balance between the past and present. It has it all... The word maybe perfect for this drama is heartwarming.
I have great respect for the writers,cast and crew. The music was great, the clothes, sets and everything was truely impressive. I'm sure or at least I hope... that this drama will win an award this year.
Unlike many drama this one I would love to rewatch a hundred time and more... It doesn't focus on romance as much as the sole feelings of the characters( all of them) towards eachother. I even cried a couple of times while watching. A big plus is that the characters are smart, they didn't give me headaches. The drama has so many good quotes I wrote them in a small note book and I plan to rewatch it soom maybe with hot chocolate in my hand during a rainy/snowy day... but since its summer I will settle with ice tea in my basement :-'(.

I recommend this drama.

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This is a review on both "Seven Days: Monday - Thursday", and "Seven Days: Friday - Sunday", because really, the two should be seen in conjunction with each other in order to get a complete viewing experience as both parts make up the whole.

STORY (No spoilers)
Actually, I read the manga (also helpfully entitled "Seven Days") on which this short 2 episode series is based on, long before I realised that they actually made a live-action version of it. Having enjoyed the short but sweet manga itself and having never seen a proper live-action Boy's Love series prior this one, I was curious enough to check it out.
I will get into the acting for this series in another section but story-wise, both episodes were amazingly faithful and accurate to the manga itself. Here is a short list of just how accurate it was:-
a) The manga itself consists of 2 volumes. The 1st volume being the Monday to Thursday sections, and the second volume having the remaining Friday to Sunday sections. The way the series is split is exactly the same way.
b) Dialogues from the characters are almost word-for-word from the manga.
c) Scenes and events that happen also mirror very closely to those in the manga.
d) What impressed me the most was that even the styling - from the hair, to the way they wear their school uniforms, to even their school bags and the way they carry them, mirrors that in the manga.
It was really as though the manga itself came to life - there were hardly any deviations of it in the live-action series. So, for those who read the manga and enjoyed the story, you would be surprisingly satisfied with this production.

Story-wise, the synopsis is a pretty good summary so I am not sure if I have anything further to add. It really is a simple premise of what started out as a high-school tease between 2 boys to date for a week (seven days), ended up creating feelings which neither were prepared for, and their various insecurities and misunderstandings arising from that. Like the sound of it? Then do watch. If not, then feel free to give this a pass.

Another thing to note is that the pacing of this live-action short series is rather deliberately slow. I believe that the production team and the director had in mind a pace that was meant to deliberately focus and pause onto the main characters, either to emphasise a scene or an emotion, because this is done consistently throughout the show. It's almost manga-like: you know, that scene where the 2 main leads stare at each other and the wind and leaves just keep blowing by... yeah, that kind of manga-like feel. If you're not prepared for it, it may sometimes appear as if the scene is being paused, but it's actually a deliberate drawing out of the scene. Some people might find this draggy or boring or weird, but I personally see it as an artistic approach and directorial style, and quite enjoy the slow, deliberate pacing of the show. Most Japanese series tend to be rather snappy and excitable so a mellow, calm-almost-to-stillness show is rather interesting and refreshing as a change.


ACTING/ CHARACTERS
I've mentioned how the whole setting, down to the styling and the outfits, were practically a mirror to that of the manga. Now how about the actual portrayal of the characters?

JAMES TAKESHI YAMADA as Shino Yuzuru - the senior whose cool looks apparently seem at odds with his playful and unpredictable personality. Looks-wise, I think James does have that cool look befitting the character but I had hoped that he could have acted a bit more "fly-away" or ditzy just to emphasise the dichotomy between his looks and his personality which many people around Shino keep banging on about. It would have made some of the comments from supporting characters a bit more believable and understandable. As it stood, I felt that we had to just accept what we are being told i.e. that Shino's personality is very different from the way he looks. More tell, rather than show, in this aspect, for me. Having said that, I thought the rest of how James portrayed Shino was well done. The curiosity, the internal dialogues, the progression of feelings and its by-products of uncertainty and jealousy - I thought these were all expressed pretty well by James in his role.
PS: I also liked the way he holds his bow and arrow, and his shooting stance. It did look very cool and natural.

TOMOKI HIROSE as Touji Seryou - the good-looking junior whose inner desire to find The One has led to an appearance of being indiscriminate when it comes to dating and partners. Looks-wise, I personally found Tomoki to look too old for the junior he should be portraying - and not a little older, but quite a lot older, which was was initially rather jarring when I first started watching. Looks aside, Tomoki did not do too bad a job in bringing out the emotions and the feelings of Touji onto the screen. His acting did not come across as natural or as at ease as James playing Shino, but neither was it so bad that it was too awkward to watch, so I would consider his portrayal to be serviceable for the role.
PS: Tomoki's shooting stance looked awkward, stiff and unnatural to me, compared to James and the supporting cast. Pity because he was supposed to be rather effortlessly good at archery and it does not really come across in this live-action adaptation. But this is a minor quibble.


MUSIC
Befitting the deliberately slow pace of this show, the background music is instrumental, mellow and rather poignant in tone. I thought it matched the mood and the pacing of the series well and personally found it to be a good enhancement to the scenes in bringing out the moment or the mood. Nice.


RE-WATCH VALUE
Seeing as it is a very short show of only 2 episodes or parts, this is easily re-watchable. Overall, it is quite a well done series, barring my minor quibbles outlined above. I can see myself viewing it again.

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My Two Bits:

Ever experienced something funny and painful at the same moment
The same thing is light and heavy at once
You love and hate the same person at the same time

He'll show you that it's not always a good thing to Learn From A Mistake. That 1 Mistake can carry a heavy price tag
She'll show you that Simplicity can also be very Seductive

Eric Moon can stand still, brooding, and make you swoon. Then occasionally he'll smile, and your fainted self will hyperventilate and giggle at the same time.
Jung Yoo Mi will patiently show you what Talent & Subtlety means.
The music is dark and delicious.
The ending.... makes you one day come back for it again.

The rest is just your personal preference after you've invested in at least 4 - 5 episodes of your life.

1 from my many Favorite Bits: You'll always remember to go to the bathroom before leaving home :D

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As Princess Agents is ongoing this review will be getting updated as I go through **

So far I love this drama it's characters are aces, plot progression though slow at times is well paced with information being told at good intervals. The OST's are amazing!!!! I love how everything is timed perfectly with each scene. Good action sequences and political aspects, strategic plans, scheming, inner and outer strength growing in our characters. Character growth is also really well done. Chemistry between all the characters is elegant, anticipated and well executed. The story line so far is absolutely one of my favorite C-Dramas up to date.

Okay that's where I'm at for now. Also even though I'm not finished I can say this with 100% certainty that I will be able to re-watch this series in the future as of today I have re-seen the first episode again.

If you want thoughts/reviews/slight recaps of episodes I have them up to episode 16.

WATCH THIS SHOW. It's in no way a regret. It may have a lot of episodes but the story and actors make it go by so fast :D Give it a try what do you have to lose? (An amazing experience of a show that's what lol)

Sara Rojas JUNE 30 2017

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Am finally more than 150 drama's old on this platform (taking a bow) and feel confident enuf to talk like I know ;)

My Two Bits:

This drama is all about Passion and Fire. Whether like His, it's fully aflame and all consuming or like Hers, slow burning but deep. It's raw emotions of wounded souls who fit perfectly together much to their own surprise and where they can offer absolutely no resistance to this odd attraction for each other.

The battles fought here are less so against the outsiders (plenty and insidious). Rather they are against inner demons and their fight to stay together despite these demons.

Early career performances by Barbie Hsu and Vic Chou, but they convince!

The rest is just your personal preference after you've invested in at least 4 - 5 episodes of your life.

An Ongoing Struggle: His hair tho' luscious, the style still makes me go hmmmm... I Don't Know!

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My Two Bits:

I love this drama. It's my personal pick-me-up on any given Blah-Day. Have already watched it over 5 times, so let me convince you on why you should try peeking in:

He's rich handsome gruff and super competent. She's a sweet naive bumpkin Cinderella (so original yeah :D)... who cares! It works like a charm.
The story telling and editing is crisp, means it won't drag.
The colour palette is comforting and cheerful, means it's all easy on the eyes.
They all are very good actors, means you won't be laughing at the wrong places (like haw haw haw).
And finally its sweetly painful and romantically charming in right doses. And the music is perfect for it all.

The rest is just your personal preference after you've invested in at least 4 - 5 episodes of your life.

1 from my many Favorite Bits: When she dreamily goes "hmmmmm"

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Like others have said before, this drama is not a drama of substance, but it's very cute.

It's INCREDIBLY CHEESY!!! Like really cheesy! and all the cliches of all the bad dramas you've ever watched are in there, but instead of turning out cringey, it turns out kinda cute. I rather enjoyed it. I think you have to be in a specific mood to enjoy this drama though. Like, you want to enjoy something light, fluffy and cute.

side note, the lead actor is RIDICULOUSLY good-looking. I had never seen him in anything else before and woah... he's hot. And the characters in the drama are pretty much all likeable... even the detestable ones.

of course it's not a great piece of cinematography or storytelling, but I enjoyed it, and would definitely recommend it if you like romance. It's a guilty-pleasure kinda drama.

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this is my first JD ever thank god it was really nice
i really liked the story although i don't believe in love from the first sight
but i loved his insisting to make her fall for him
BTW they should name it ( the impossible Kiss) or (inauspicious Kiss) LOL

only 3 things bothered me so

1st
(Yamashita Tomohisa) dead face expressions
2nd
they explain nothing about (Takada Hyoga) & why he was like that at the drama
3rd
i hated (Yamabuchi Momoe) character she is so childish till the limit of being vapid, trivial & shallow

there were v.nice chemistry between the 2 leads

& in total it was really nice & cute drama
watch if it's on ur list

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