Acting: The acting in this movie was pretty good. Some scenes seemed a little lackluster while others seemed a bit over the top. That being said, the actors suited their roles well and interacted very well on screen.
Music: The music and sound effects for the movie were what you would expect, nothing too standout. It fit the film well but did not build a whole lot of suspense. I found the lack of background music a little distracting personally.
Rewatch: I personally would not rewatch this. However, die-hard horror fans or Thai movie fans might rewatch this.
Overall: This was an okay movie, not the best and not the worst. I was able to sit through it without getting too bored and the ending was pretty worth it. I wouldn't watch it again, but it does have some rewatch value. It was alright to watch once.
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This drama is recommended to watch and to re-watch again and again and again...
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BUT the historical story was so great and so captivating!!!
I have loved watching Park Hyung Sik in this drama. He is actng very well. He is quite sexy in Hwarang clothes. Supporting roles are very refreshing.
I recommand this drama if you are looking for historical drama with sexy guys.
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It is fun from the start to the end..
it sort of reminded me Peter Sellers movies. Sort of Modern Pink Panther ( Imagine what happens if Pink Panther's son falls love with the daughter of Inspector Jacques Clouseau) yeah the parents here not like Inspector Jacques Clouseau ( not clumsy lol ) watch it thinking that way :D you'll have more fun : D
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Actually I liked Tae-Won his character is childlike and I do like that sort of men, that I can be a child with him. and tbh Min Woo does a superb job portraying Tae-Won as he also personally likes cute things and he shares those on his IG.
Yun Hak sort of reminds me of Jon Gi, mostly his eyes, the way he looks :) Jin Sung she was on the Bride of The Century and I liked her there but even on that drama her tone of voice was a bit loud.
For me Hye Rin (Hye Mi) & Min Woo ( Tae Won) should be the leading characters and Jin Sung ( Jin Na) Yun Hak ( Hee Chul) more compatible.
The problem is Min Woo is good at choosing the worst dramas for him
His character wasn't written properly he was ultra innocent more like 2-3 year old. Jin-Na is the master of the master of lies. She's doing everything to have a luxury life, in other words she's sort of gold digger
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I watched it again today to find out why I it was a so so movie for me before and checked if it will give me different feelings now.
Well, It's a good movie, but not a great one. It is still so so for me. Maybe because my expectations from a movie is the same as what Kdramas make me feel but for some reasons I just didn't feel that from watching this.
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I had some doubts when I first picked up this drama as reading the plot didn't really pull me into watching, but nonetheless I started watching because of some of the actors.
After watching a few episodes, the doubts I had in the beginning completely disappeared. This drama is by far one of my favourite dramas ever, probably in my top 5.
The plot line was well illustrated as well as the characters. The character development is 10/10 in this drama as it does not miss out on anyone and gives each character a chance to shine whether as the villain or the hero. I loved every second of it and felt a sense of victory when Chief Kim and the Business Operation team (and of course everyone else on their team) did well.
From beginning to end this drama was fully satisfying. Many dramas tend to not give a satisfying ending even with a well written plot but not this one, this ending was very satisfying while answering all our questions.
Well written, well produced, the plot was not rushed. Loved all the characters and the actors in this drama, definitely a round of applause for the whole cast.
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***The cinematography is absolutely beautiful for the film. There is no doubt that the location is meant to be a hidden wonderland in the real world.***
Acting: This is not the best acting on the parts of the main cast, but it was well suited for the script. I think the actors did their parts as well as they could with what was scripted. The chemistry that develops between Hong Jong Hyun and Jung So Min is a little fast, and it could have benefitted from a few more details but the ending ties up the loose ends well enough before leaving you slightly frustrated.
Musc/Sound Effects: Pretty great! The overall soundtrack, vocal and instrumental, is very nice. It is a soundtrack I would love to download if I could find it. The songs are well placed and even aid in the plot and relationships between characters. The sound effects are very well done. Everything amplifies the experience, creating moments of intense thrill and softer moments of melancholy. This is one of the best features of the film I think.
Rewatch: Honestly, I would rewatch this film multiple times because of everything you can experience and what you can take away each time. This is a film that contains enough hidden details and vague moments that you can understand more each time it is watched. If anything, you should at least watch it once.
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This drama forgoes all this and instead focuses on making Bong Soon Min Hyeok an otp to remember and top lists. I love those two (together and separately) to death! The process of them falling in love was such a lovely journey to be part of, and the way they looked at each other made my heart flutter. Especially Min Hyeok, who was so gone it wasn't even funny, just extremely enviable.
These two were simply adorable, and their personalities are really the strongest part of this drama. Bong Soon is a little ball of fire, and Min Hyeok becomes a teddy bear whenever he's around the peanut-sized king kong, even when he tries really hard to be mean (in a playful way). They were the whole package!
Now, I have absolutely no complaint about the entirety of their relationship, and again, I WOULD RECOMMEND this drama in a heartbeat, I really would. But at the end of the day, I couldn't give this drama full stars even though a part of me want to just for my otp. I think this is partly because I already watched Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok Joo which is kind of the perfect drama in my opinion and does what Strong Woman tries to do perfectly.
What do I mean? Whereas the romance is the definite strong suit of this drama, the side plots is where it falls. Because honestly, there was only one truly interesting side plot to this drama and about a dozen unnecessary ones.
And Strong Woman drags *all* of them.
(1)We have the serial killer, who was interesting and made me bite my nails but fell flat at the end. (2) The whole unrequited-maybe-required love situation. (3) I admit I liked the gang members...at first. Then I kind of wished someone would kill them just so I wouldn't need to hear another peep from them. (4)There was also Min Hyeok's family, wasn't there? or did I imagine it? (5) Can't forget Bong Soon's mom and her entire family (will I get stoned if I say I really liked her mom? Even those she's brash and abusive?) (6) Oh, and her game! (7) And there is that annoying sunbae Dong Byung and his whole part of the story, which was murder on my ears and just gah.
And those weren't all. Each one of them *could* have been interesting and had potential (okay, perhaps all but Dong Byung. AND the gang members should've quit while they were ahead). but at the end of the day, almost every one of the many stories this drama tried to tell beside the one of our lovely main couple ended up falling short. They were either too long, or too short, or just broke the flow of the entire drama or made me scratch my head wondering why they were needed in the first place.
I enjoyed the heck out of this drama, don't get me wrong, and I smiled nearly throughout the entirety of it, and I LIVE for portrayals of romance such as this one, with the full on heart-eyes and inability to contain the love. But I also feel like this *could* have been the perfect drama if you made it 12 episodes and cut off giant chunks of gang-member nonsense and idiocy and focused instead on just a few of the plotline and saw them through...
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The music was good. The acting was descent. Being a lover of supernatural horror there was no gore or blood. The general premise was interesting: first Aunt Shui goes missing. Returns. Grandma goes missing. Returns. Boyfriend goes missing. Next is the search in the mountains to see what is going on/the source.
What I didn't like:
I thought that the reason behind the disappearances was very weak. It isn't the legend but more like how they incorporated it into the storyline. There is no real reason for why this family would be targeted. It seemed completely random. If there was an explanation worked in, then I would consider it a better plot. But because they did not address that, it felt weak to me.
Would I recommend?
Yes, for people who are looking for a light horror (light because the ending is happy; no one dies).
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This review may contain spoilers
Amazing how well received this dorama was, both in Japan and in the rest of the world (for people who watch doramas). In my case, unfortunately, it was a case of "everybody loves it except me". To be honest, I wasn't that interested in it, but I decided to watch it because of the wonderful reviews, and of all the awards it took that year. And I also love historical fiction, especially Japanese historical fiction, so why not.*Story: it is basically about Akiyama Tokuzo, a short-tempered boy, who after many years, becomes the Emperor's cook. He married young, but he immediately took off to Tokyo to learn how to cook, leaving his wife. Of course his parents + his in-laws were angry at him, and eventually, the in-laws make his daughter divorced from him, but he didn't care, he just wanted to be a cook. Then he goes to France, meets a french girl, falls in love. Years later, he gets the invitation to be the Emperor's Cook, decides to come back to Japan but his french girlfriend wants to stay in France, so he comes back alone. In short time, he meets his ex-wife again, marries her, have children, all while he cooks for the Emperor. Then comes the war, he has some difficulties and the story ends with him retiring after 50 and some years later.
Yeah, yeah, all very good. I see that the dorama has a lot of heart, which I absolutely love. There is a lot of friendship (Akiyama with his older brother, RIP; Akiyama and Shintaro, Akiyama and his former rival Yamagami, Akiyama and his former lover, Akiyama and his mentor...), and that is precisaly why I couldn't like the story. This is supposed to be about fighting for your dreams (which he did) but in the process, he hurts Toshiko, his wife. He makes his family suffer, his poor parents, his poor brother... Akiyama doesn't struggle so much, since everything is served to him. His brother gets him his first job, his mentor helps him to become the Cook, he gets help from people around him... Honestly, he got all too easy.
I hated how much Toshiko suffered, only because she has to go and fall for this immature brat. And then, because fate say so, they remarry. I hate that the 3 people that root so much for him were the ones that suffered so much, because of him.
All his "adventures" to become a cook were kinda boring. I think I only liked all the scenes that involved Toshiko. Episode 11 specially made me a bit teary-eyed. The final episode was not good. I hate all the American scenes, all the bully and discrimination, and the blond bully was so bad at acting! Cringe-worthy.
*Cast: the cast is top-notch. My favorite was Kuroki Haru, hands down. She was so good, she makes a perfect docile Japanese girl. She made me teary-eyed many times. Her life was so unfair :( Usami-san was also good, this kind of acting I like best (quiet, kind) and there is also the doctor from JIN who is so good at being nice and quiet too. Kiritani Kenta will always be excellent for me, he plays a laid-back guy here, happy and a bit silly (he is so good at this kind of roles). And of course, Suzuki Ryohei, the sick older brother. Poor Shutaro! It was so sad to see him thinner and thinner in every episode. If that isn't commitment from the actor, I don't know what it is.
Regarding Sato Takeru... all those reviews praising him, but also, most of those reviews say "I am a big fan of him". Well, I am not, and I can see this more objectively. To me, he was the worst in the cast. Not that he was BAD, but he wasn't good. He can cry, I give you that. But I hated how he changed his voice... why make it deeper? It felt unnatural. Because he was a short-tempered guy, the actor overacted in most of his actions, it was like watching an anime. I love overacting in comedies but it was unnecessary in this dorama, which was so real.
There were a few others who were so bad, but who weren't important to the story. Like Araki-san, the bully at Akiyama's first job... GAWD, all that shouting. The French girl was just "too happy" and the American people were so bad it is not worth mentioning again.
*Music: the OST was nice but the ED was MEH. On the other hand, the OP was so cute! I loved the little drawings (so Japanese, but in France!) and the song was well-suited. Also, the cinematography was really nice, beautiful colors and the settings were clean, clear and fresh. I almost wanted to live there.
Maybe if Akiyama were more sympathetic I would have loved this more, because the cinematography, the clothes, the period time, the food, the settings, (most of) the actors, were all excellent.
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If the manga is a 10/10, the anime is 7/10. If the anime was not good enough, the dorama is even less.
What is good:
The actors. Nakama Yukie looks exactly as Yankumi, and when she needs to appear sweet, she does, but when she has to fight, she looks like a bad-ass. The actors have a lot of chemistry: among the students, between Yankumi and her students, between Yankumi and Shin... The best moments of the dorama were all the scenes where the guys were together. And some of them look so young! Oguri Shun, Matsumoto Jun.. even an unknown Matsuyama Kenichi (who barely opens his mouth).
What was bad:
It is like the scripwriter took only the characters from the manga and nothing else. Everything was different. It seems like a crime to change such a wonderful manga. What was changed:
- Fujiyama-sensei: she lacks personality in the dorama; she is a beauty and nothing else. And she is not even a friend to Yankumi; her closer friend is an invented nurse.
- Shinohara-sensei: in the dorama, he is a detective who is not even close to Yankumi. He is always right in the middle of every fight, festival, party, etc. It was like he was working for the school or something.
- The Ooedo clan: they were a merely comic background. And the Kumicho was just a therapist for Yankumi, always there to listen to his Granddaughter issues and to have sympathy for her problems. Kyo-san is non existent, and Tetsu is "in love" with Yankumi (WTH!).
- Yankumi wants to be a teacher and nothing else. She does not want to be the Kumicho and her Grandpa supports her decision (as if Yankumi would refuse her role!).
-Every student's story: Kuma and his dad; Uchi and his mom; Shin and "his sister"... everything was made up. Honestly, I did not care about Kuma and Uchi, but that special episode, where Shin tells Yankumi that he wouldn't go to college and instead, was going to South Africa! That was such a big crime I almost burst in tears. Since when Shin cares to be a missionary?! Shin, who only wanted to study law to be the lawyer of the Ooedo clan and be beside Yankumi forever.
- The fact that she was a Yakuza is barely important. It is only relevant for her language, nothing else.
- Yankumi: this is not the actress' fault, it was the script. She acted silly most of the times. People who have read the manga know she is somewhat childish and silly, but not all the times. She was also a bad-ass, temperamental. And dorama-Yankumi likes to give looong speeches, which were kind of MEH.
Although I have to admit I almost squeal like the Shinkumi fan I am when Shin reveals he is also a rival in the love for Yankumi =D
Ending song: "Feel the breeze" by V6. Catchy song that fits the dorama perfectly.
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