- Good cast: many good actors (Yamada Takayuki, Osamu Mukai, Shibasaki Kou), many popular actors (Fujiki Naohito, Mizuhara Kiko, Maeda Atsuko), good guest actors (Namase Katsuhisa, Nishida Toshiyuki) BUT, to me, only 3 were exceptionally good. They were Kaho, Osamu Mukai and Takahashi Issei. I may have cried a little bit with Kaho and Issei, their roles were touching and they were so good, with such a natural acting. I can't say the same for Oguri Shun as Saburo... he can't play a goofy guy without seem pathetic. It was like he was trying too hard. There was no chemistry between him and his wife; it was like they were more siblings like a married couple. Yamada Takayuki was too creepy (creepy smile, creepy role and creepy stalking). There were a lot of shouting; "donno!" this, "donno!" that; the guy who played Mori was laughably bad.
- Beautiful outfits, with a nice fabric and catching colors. BUT, they were hardly historical costumes. They were too modern. WTH with Nobunaga and his outfits that resembled pajamas? If I am correct, the dorama takes a span of at least 6-7 years (at the beginning Nobunaga's sister gets married and at the end, she has 3 daughters). Saburo goes to the Warring States period with a pair of grey socks. And by the end of the dorama, he still has the same pair? Because in no way he kept at least half a dozen of the same socks in his bag. He goes with a white hoodie, and in the 2nd episode he has ANOTHER white hoodie. I get that he has to have some outfits that make him HIM, a person from another time, but to have his clothes half in one fabric and half in another was too much...
- It has it touching moments, like the one with Oyuki and Ichi and her husband, BUT there were many corny scenes as well. I hate when the dorama shows the audience how nice and kind a person is, trying to sell us his/her good image just to kill that character later. Not that I liked the guy, he was so pathetic. I couldn't even watch his face, and every time he shouted "Donno!!", my, how annoying. His son was another pathetic character.
- I like time travel stories, BUT, it was never explained WHY or HOW Saburo traveled in time. And what about the others? And what happens in the present day? I guess I am comparing it to JIN, where all was well explained.
- I liked that Saburo, with his fresh personality, made his retainers to love him, BUT it was also kind of ridiculous and far from believable how he escaped several dangerous situations, how no one wondered about his clothes or weird behavior.
- Good OST, there was one sweet, quiet one. I liked the opening sequence + the opening song (it was like adventurous, rockish) and the ending song is one of Mr Children, whom I know now from Orange Days. It was a good song, BUT there was one soundtrack that didn't suit the story at all and it was used several times when it wasn't supposed to be used. Like, it was a serious scene but the OST was like a fun one.
- I did not like the end. Besides, from being an annoyed Nobunaga's loyal retainer ("You are not the real Nobunaga, go away please") he suddenly decides that "please, stay with us donno". Huh? Make up your mind Tsune-chan. I hate that I won't see a likable character anymore in the movie, and that a hateful one will still be there with that creepy smile.
I don't know, many things would have been OK if this was a comedy, but it wasn't. And it wasn't a JIN either.
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I watched cause saw many people saying "It's perfect! Was my first drama...! Just amazin! OMG, the F4".
So.. when I finished it, I could just think...OMG, how could this exist and have so many fans that loves it.
All the drama is just physical / mental / moral abuse.
In addition to the extreme romanticization of violence, and has a female leader who had everything to be strong, but they put a character to act always stupid and submissive.
This drama I do not indicate to watch nor out of curiosity.
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Due to his development, the ending disappoints. Considering that his development should have been closed at the end, this did not happen, and so disappoints.
It is worth watching for the curiosity of seeing all those beautiful and lonely men. You do not have to watch it again.
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STORY: 10/10
The main cast returns from the first season with a few new wonderful additions. The new supporting cast members help reinforce and close open-ended story-lines from the last season which helps launch this season into a whole new direction. Season 2 continues true to form, dealing with similar issues as season one, but also tackling new issues such as family, mixing business with pleasure, monogamy, and issues that same-sex couples have to deal with when starting lives together. This season is longer than the last, having 7 episodes with each one clocking in at almost 49 minutes. The writers of this show make use of the time given to again beautifully develop each character with intelligent writing, relatable scenarios, and thought-provoking dialogue.
ACTING: 10/10
Holy smokes! Some of the most realistic and emotional acting in any BL drama I have ever watched. Arm's character is yet again a standout as this season focuses on fleshing out his character and shows him as more than just a one-nightstand type of guy. Ten (who plays Arm) really gave his character a new profound depth that we saw a hint of in season one, but dives deeper into his past and insecurities. Nat's character stands out for me in this season as well, and I think he may have been my favorite character of the season. In season one, Nat's character was always very calm, patient, and understanding. this time we see Nat pushed to his emotional limits as certain events cause him to become unhinged. It was so fascinating to see that side of his character and he pulls it off well, nothing too extreme or character damaging. I also want to mention the new added actress who plays Satang's friend. She had very little to work with in terms of development and story-line but boy did she work with what she had! She blew me away and I wish there was more screen-time with her character (Here's hoping for season 3).
MUSIC: 9.5/10
The only reason this is getting a 9.5 is because I can't say I remember a lot of the music. Not to say that it was bad because it was great. But there was nothing that I would say I could point out as my favorite.
REWATCH VALUE: 10/10
I would watch this season again ten-times over. This season went above and beyond the first and I truly hope they continue with at least one more season
OVERALL: 10/10
A Masterpiece. I know most of you may think I am giving to much hype and praise for this series, but it truly deserves it, in my personal opinion. This season did a great job of fleshing out all the characters and showing how we sometimes make mistakes, but instead of regretting the past we use it to become better for the future. The ending of season 2 is again open-ended and I hope there will be a season 3. Usually the lifespan for a BL drama is 2 seasons but I hope this show will be an exception. I need at least one more season to curve my withdraws.
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Story:
A plot that speaks of an important subject, in a light, positive and relaxed way. I liked the fact that they fled aspects that appear very much in k-dramas: violent/abusive attitudes. Perhaps these are common features in Korean culture, but for someone on the other side of the world, slapping faces, humiliations (in public or not), bosses / family / partners who yell, pull on the arm, push ...is not good to watch (for me). THEN, I find it very cool that this drama doesn't have in its plot the typical line of the poor girl / naive / half dumb + the arrogant / abusive chaebol, nor have a super restrictive family that does everything not to leave the girl with the heir, and try to marry him at all costs with another ... things like that. In my opinion, the drama already deserves a very high score for this.
Negative point: Possibly, due to the Korean beauty pattern and the pressures of the society, the person can not "feel" beautiful and well, or be healthy, being chubby. I felt the story put it can only be healthy by losing weight. Of course there are cases and cases, but thinking about the side of someone who lives healthy and feel beautiful, and yet has the "big" body ... this person can get angry watching this, due to how the story deals with the theme .
Acting/Cast:
Just great! The chemistry between the main couple, and the secondary ones. Overall, it was quite natural.
Music:
To me, is the is the smallest score.Not that the OST was bad, just not remarkable. Writing this review, I cannot automatically remember any of the drama's music and that's the point. Other dramas, when I think of them, some of the songs soon begin to play in my mind. With that, it was not so..
Rewatch Value:
Worth it. When I am stressed, needing to see something that enlightens my spirit, and retake this drama ... I don't disappoint.
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I loved Hiramasa-san, he is the epitome of what I consider Japanese men to be. Quiet, well educated, cold-looking, awkward, hardworking, no interest in woman or having a relationship. Main interest is living a quiet, comfortable life. All of these changes once he makes a marriage contract with Mikuri-san. I like how their relationship evolved. We may not have seen much skinship and lovey-dovey things between them, but that was precisely the charm. Mikuri has to do all the work but with patience. A man like Hiramasa-san would be scared off otherwise, ha! I like how she came up with little things (like Tuesday's hugs) to be closer to each other. And just when you thought this Hiramasa was just too slow and wouldn't do anything to take things further, he surprises us with a kiss! (ok, I was not surprised since I was spoiled on Tumblr... and because when that kiss happened, the kiss in YOI also happened. Ha!)
I am not really a super fan of Gakki, but she had a wonderful character in this dorama. It was impossible not to cheer for her, not to root for her. It was lovely how she falls for this little guy (this is not a lie... Hoshino Gen is truly little!). I love her imagination and how the dorama shows us how her mind works! The little scenes of her imagination were always funny to watch.
The other characters were all likable. In the past, I used to be not a fan of relationship between a much older woman and a much younger man. But in this case, it wasn't possible to not root for Yuri-san and the Ikemen-guy. Yuri-san is such a beautiful woman! I couldn't believe she was 49 years old, so I had to look it up. I am surprised to say that she is 47! She looks like 40 or less, even if you can see her wrinkles, which makes her even more pretty, because she is all natural! The age gap is not that much in real life (it is 11 instead of 17 years), and Kazami was a lucky guy to have her at the end. I love her point of view regarding marriage and being single, and I teared up a little bit the time she cried.
Story: As mentioned before, I was very interested in this story because Hiramasa-san represents Japan male youth nowadays. But it is not only that, the dorama also focuses on work and being a housewife, and being a new-mother who has a husband in an affair (and prefers divorce instead of accepting said affair... as far as I know, because of what I have read, Japanese women prefer to ignore the affairs of their husbands), and there is also romantic relationship between an older woman with a younger man, and a bit about homosexuality and the pressure of a Japanese person to come back to Japan after having lived outside for so long. I mean, although this was a romantic comedy (more comedy than romantic, and to emphasize this, I have to say I laughed out loud in almost every episode), there were also many serious and contemporary issues. The main issue may be entirely Japanese (main male character is an herbivorous guy) but the other issues are worldwide. The only, let's say "twist", that wasn't too much of my liking was the one at the end with Numata-san. And that's because he is like 60 years old and the boy is like 20. Ew.
Music: Excellent OST. So fine, the OP isn't "OMG, I LOVE IT!", but it is cute and with a nice mood and fits the dorama perfectly. The soundtrack that goes along the dorama was soo good. Like Italian-like (with acchordeon), and it was almost in every laid-back scene. And of course, the ED "KOI" is so catchy! I thought I wouldn't be part of the fandom, but I was wrong! The dance is cute, Hoshino Gen certainly can sing on live, and it will always be part of the best months of 2016 for me. One, because I visited Japan, and two, because YOI was also broadcasted at the same time. So from now on, every time I listen to this song it will be a natsukasshii! feeling for me XD
I would totally rewatch this, no doubt. And would I recommend it? Heck yes! This may not -yet- be one of my favorite dorama (I can't say WHY exactly), but I can say that anyone who wants to watch a light but realistic dorama, to give this a try. There are no silly misunderstandings, no overacting, no stupid tears, so soap-opera-ish scenes... totally recommended.
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Sengyou Shufu Tantei ~Watashi wa Shadow
1 people found this review helpful
This kind of drama suits Fukada Kyoko so well. She is stunning, looks like a doll. Acts like a doll too, sometimes very wooden. And she loves to pout, but she does it so well! She is perfect for a simple-minded character. Recently I watched "Please love the useless me" (which was good, btw) and I said that Shunin was like Buchou, a little bit. And surprise! She has a dorama with Buchou, nonetheless.
I liked the show, otherwise I wouldn't have finished it in a couple of days. It was light, as light as a dorama about cheating husbands can be. Kiritani Kenta runs an agency that investigates extra-marital affairs. Serina comes to work for him, and in the meantime, disguises herself to be close to her husband in his office. So while she is in disguise most of the times, it was pretty much the same outfit, not all the variety that shows in the poster, which was a bit disappointing.
I hate love triangles, and even if the two guys are these 2 hotties, I couldn't like it. Besides, for the first time, I had a 2nd-lead-syndrome. Guy 1 is a jerk, does not appreciate Serina, takes her for granted, commits the biggest treason, does not deserve her love. Guy 2 has a lot more chemistry with her, is the only really likable character among punchable characters, and what is more, is not a jerk.
And Serina... my, I wanted to shake her so badly many times through the drama. All she says is "Fumi-kun, Fumi-kun". She is very in love with her husband, to the point where she looks obsessed. She is the sweetest, but also a stupid, weak, and too forgivable. She does nothing. This is supposed to be the journey of a dependable woman that becomes stronger, but if stronger means turning right... (???) Every day she is watching her husband with his boss, flirting or not, sharing a mascot charm strap, etc, etc, and she does nothing except mope. Gawd, it was infuriating.
Terrible ending. She does not change at all. Oh, and btw, her father is another big jerk! Can't recommend this to any feminist. The romance is super offensive. Taking aside that offensive fact, Serina in cover + some cases were amusing to watch.
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What I Liked
The film was an anthology and the quality was fairly good. I liked the idea of the writer who struggles with writing, and the other man who appears to 'help him' write. I don't want to spoil anything so I won't go into it but it was a fun idea. I also liked the homage paid to older horror films (Like The Shining) (or Frankenstein) and the weirdness of some of the stories--they were very surreal/a little strange at times. This I all appreciated.
What I disliked
As interesting of an idea as the story was, I did not like the execution. The first story I thought the acting wasn't so great and some things were a little odd (like the guy who watches the shining in the pitch black basement of a hospital?) and the second story was a little slow.
Overall,
It is an okay horror film but don't expect anything like Noroi The Curse or Ju-On. This isn't really a 'ghost' story China doesn't really allow the portrayal of ghosts in their films, I think, because of superstition and censorship laws. This is essentially a psychological horror featuring stories where circumstance or events kind of drives people to go crazy, a theme of the film. In terms of tone, the only type of film that I can think that relates to it is something like Creepshow (Stephen King) or Thirst (Korea) in terms of oddness but without the dark humor as it is a more serious film intended for an older audience. Just don't expect the same level of story telling.
I don't think I would re-watch it, which is huge for me, as I re-watch horror films constantly. There is blood but really no gore and of course this is nothing like the very dark violent films you might sometimes see coming out of Korea (I saw the Devil).
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STORY: 9/10
The story revolves around 6 gay men, with the main characters being Arm and Pom, two best friends who room together. Their lives, and the lives of the other characters, connect through a series of events that take place throughout the show. The writing and development for each character is well thought out and I grew attached to each character very quickly, despite it being a 5 episode series with each episode clocking in at around 29 minutes. What's really great about this show is the issues that it deals with are so taboo but yet eye opening and it was handled in such a smart and educational. As a gay man in my 20's I really appreciate this sort of series. It's all very realistic, maybe too realistic for those expecting a fluffy BL drama... this show is definitely not for kids and not for the close-minded. The romantic and kissing scenes are so on point. I don't know if the cast is LGBT+ in real life but they sure had me fooled.
ACTING: 9/10
The actors in this series are phenomenal. They truly were invested in their characters and each actor gave their respective role layers and depth. Highlight actors for me are the ones that play Arm and Nat, but every actor in Gay Ok Bangkok really gave Oscar worthy performances, in my personal opinion. Very raw and realistic performances.
MUSIC: 9/10
The sound track was super good and changed in each episode, but it still managed to maintain overall tone throughout. Fantastic!
REWATCH VALUE: 9/10
I would say this is an easy rewtach for me. Everything about this series impressed me and I did not want it to end OVERALL: 9/10 Excellent! The only reason I did not give this drama a 10 out of 10 is because it's only five episodes and I felt as though the last episode was a bit choppy, the way it ended. But they make all that up with season 2, which you should all watch if you have not!
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I like both lead characters. they done their job very well.
The historical storyline is good nor bad. But, I dont think rewatch again about the historical scene. I could rewatch just to watch their love story. For the ending, I like to see them hug each other. Overall, the cinematography could have been better.
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