The main three all have their own respective character flaws and complexes which make them all interesting and comical and engaging individual characters in their own ways. Performance-wise, these veteran actresses are fantastic and clearly very talented and household names for a reason, Takeuchi Yuko in particular *shining* during the bar scene (you'll know which when you get to it!).
The music is interesting in that it feels like just the one band in a small stage show creating all the musical sequences throughout. It works in its simplicity though - the classy jazz numbers, to the piano solos to that brilliant drum solo during the climax (that got me on the edge of my *seat*) - they feel very organic and doesn't bring the film out too far into the realm of melodrama.
The only unfortunate part is the very last closing scene. It's not particularly bad, it was just a little lacking in execution because of a rather weird creative decision on the writer's/director's part. Rewatch value is high though because I'm about to watch it again for the laughs and I would recommend it to others solely on the unique premise alone.
Was this review helpful to you?
I didn't expect it to be so good. The rating is so bad I almost didn't chose it :/
I thought I'd like it because it's one of these old Japanese movies that have that kind of special aura, and that it would be nice to distress a bit about my exams- but It really amazed me!
Acting- perfect. Flawless. Incredible.
The way it was filmed was really fantastic.
The story is very nice. It looks simple but it tackles so many political things - racism, presence of Koreans in Japan or even halfu Japanese-Koreans, difference between north and South Korea a few years ago...
Music: perfect.
Rewatch value: I think I, gonna watch it again tomorrow. There is some suspense but the way it's filmed is so amazing that I'd watch it just to see if I haven't missed any details ~
I really recommend this one :)
Sorry for my crappy English >
Was this review helpful to you?
- the romance. For 11 episodes it was so MEH. No chemistry between Sano and Mizuki. In fact, it was like he could not stand her (and he was right. She was too meddlesome). And who did not want Mizuki to end with Nakatsu? First time where the third one in the wheel is more appealing than the actual hero.
- less adults, more students. I disliked the nurse, especially because he was such a misogynist. He treated his ex-girlfriend like she was the pest. I hated his "blue" eyes, his hair, his character. Besides all the scenes that were Sano/Mizuki, I fast-forwarded the scenes with the creepy nurse the 2nd time I watched the dorama. But in the SP, his role is tiny! Yokattaaa And the SP was almost 100% about the boys and their silliness.
- Mizuki less focused in Sano. In the SP she realizes she loves her classmates and the school. It is not all about "Sano this, Sano that". It shows pieces of the 7th and 8 episodes, things that happened in between of what we watched it. She spends more time with the boys, creating more memories with them. So it is not untrue when, at the end, she gives her speech.
I love the SP, I like the OP song a lot (**Ikenai taiyou.. nanananana**), I love the actors, I like the OST in general, the setting, the clothes, the competitions and festivals... At the end, 1 hour and 45 minutes felt too short. One of the best shoujos doramas I've seen.
Was this review helpful to you?
The cast of characters is vast where it is sometimes difficult to keep track of all of them and their ever changing allegiances. This can sometimes make things confusing. I'm curious to how much is remedied by a second run though.
The music and score for Cruel City are remarkable and poignant. The ten track OST is phenomenal. This album flows amazingly well from one track to the next. While Wound, Butterfly and Everyday stand out as beautiful lyrical tracks, the instrumental pieces are surprisingly evocative and striking as individual tracks. My favorites are Memories of the Past, The Man, Undercover and The Night. Undercover reminds me so much of Time from Hans Zimmer's Inception.
Cruel City is an amazing creation where everything: the setting, the cinematography, the vibe, the tone and the score feed into the dark and surprisingly beautiful kill or be killed world. The characters are complex and have truly dynamic story arcs. The story telling is tight and well woven. Though the drama is dark and sometimes jarring, I think the story and cast of characters set it well above the rest. I can certainly understand why it is so highly revered as a beautiful, poetic and tragic story.
Was this review helpful to you?
But is it so hard to put a kiss scene? can't they put a drunk kiss or accident kiss or ? i'm here at the 14 episode no kiss yet.. bt they do care for each other in a cute way..
And the second couple is hella good..
You can see Ha Suk Jin's high quality trash moments here as well,,, these types of roles really suit him
It's worthy watching. i think you'll love it..
Was this review helpful to you?
The plot is pretty unique but feels too stretched, 16 episodes would have been way better. There are a few interesting plot twists, but it's just not enough to make this show outstanding on any level. If you are looking for something new and refreshing this drama is a good pick, but it's not that entertaining. The acting is only okay and the characters stay distant, most of the characters are not introduced that well. Overall it's a mediocre show. At first, it's even hooking because you want to find out what the heck is going on, but later that element gets dull because it's stretched for too long. The ending seems a bit rushed, they are building the atmosphere almost for the whole episode and everything happens during the last 10 mins.
Was this review helpful to you?
The story is about how Mel Be, a science geek gets dumped by her boy friend who is also a science geek. His reason for his break up was that they were too much alike.
Hippy witnesses the break up and comes to talk to Mel Be and asks for her Beatles T-shirt as he's a fan of the band. After that Mel Be decides that she wants to prove whether her ex-boy friend was right about dating similar people by asking Hippy, a singer who is quite the opposite of her, to date her for five days in exchange of the shirt.
This is a great story about falling in love with the 'seemingly wrong guy' in college.
The five days are full of trips and stories that is full of fun and drama that just touches your heart.
And the way they meet and fall in love is believable and touching.
The songs were actually really written and produced by Kun the main actor in real life which makes them even more meaningful.
Loved it!
Was this review helpful to you?
The cast - I've gotta give props to the actors. I think each member of the cast did a really good job of portraying their character and fulfilling the role that they were given. Even when their characters actions crossed far over the line of believability I thought that the good acting compensated fairly well for the areas of poor writing. I was specifically captivated by Joo Won's acting despite my frustrations with the way his character was written. His acting was really entertaining and I definitely think he did his best to salvage his character. But after about halfway or more into the drama his character became too frustratingly unrealistic and I felt like screaming at Ma Joon way more than a few times. Yoon Shi Yoon's character, Tak Goo, was like an adorable beam of light. His character's fun loving nature was captivating and encouraging when other characters had me climbing up a wall. But unfortunately there came a point when even precious Tak Goo became too dense/oblivious for me to handle. Eugene's character, Yu Kyung, was very interesting to watch and I enjoyed her character's journey throughout most of the drama even if I sometimes despised her. Lee Young Ah. Her character frustrates me only in the fact that I think she was extremely under developed and underused. She seemed to get left in the dust along with a few other side characters, but as she was a main cast that really bothered me. It almost felt like the writers forgot about her later on in the drama.
Story/plot - Honestly I thought it was a pretty interesting story but as I suspected when I saw the episode count, they simply drag it out too long. It starts out pretty strong and continues that way for quite awhile but not for long enough. I liked the issues this drama dealt with though, particularly favoritism and jealousy. This drama probably could have been vastly improved if just condensed to 20 episodes, or even 25 episodes would have been much better. After episode 25 I almost dropped it a few times, but I was so close that I stuck it out. Ma Joon and Yu Kyung's interactions were one of the main components of this drama that really kept my interest going though, even when I was all about done. After 20 episodes there were a lot more poorly written parts than well written parts. Many of the conflicts dragged on way longer than they should have and when they were about to be resolved, the characters suddenly/unrealistically flip flopped in their behavior and hence, the conflict was dragged on even longer. Sometimes kdrama characters can be exaggerated but for this drama many of the characters stepped outside the realm of believability for far too long.
Overall- In conclusion I enjoyed King of Baking, Kim Tak Goo, it's heartwarming and intense and it made me cry. So yes, I'd recommend it, but you'd better be prepared to pull your hair out a few times.
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
(spoiler parts of this review will be posted as a comment below)It's not a plot we've never seen before but once you get to the end you realise that it's executed in a way that feels fresh and doesn't follow the usual introduction-climax-final showdown-resolution formula that's often rehashed in this kind of film. There were a few things that I wish were expanded on and explained further but the film progressed in a way that made sense and I found the ending to be well-executed and satisfying enough. I think it's worth watching as long as you're not deadset on looking for fast action-packed sequences.
It employs the trademark Japanese-style filmography in that sequences are slow and drawn out with ample silences filling in gaps. In my opinion though, this style aids in building up the suspense and your own sense of uneasiness while it slowly unravels details that make for several "oh shit" moments that begin to crawl under your skin. For this, I think the lack of music is employed as an audial effect in itself, with minimal atmospheric background noise adding to the sense of discomfort.
The cast was brilliant, all veteran actors who know exactly what they're doing and are clear with their characters' intentions. Even the younger actresses and the other neighbour were great in portraying strange and unsociable people. I wish the writing had added a little more depth and dimension to Takeuchi's character other than "standard housewife", but she was great with that she was given.
Because it's not particularly frustrating nor is it too emotionally draining, I'd probably watch it again because I found it the right amount of tense, gripping and enjoyable to follow along with, and I would probably recommend it to others.
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
okay so... how do I even start ?Holy mother of God, this drama has everything I ever wanted but didn't know until now ?? As many dramas it might start a little slow but as the episodes progress and you get to know more the characters the story starts to develop.
If any synopsis has helped you figure out what Ms Perfect is about (because before I started watching nothing really helped me understand what it was about) just let me tell you it deals with obsessive love, and it applies so many different tropes to make the story even more interesting every time!!!
The characters are great! both the leads and the secondary ones, the antagonist is amazingly written and all the actors portray them amazingly.
I'm usually someone who dislikes endings (i've probably enjoyed 20% of all the different endings I've seen) and before watching the final episode I read some negative comments about this one; ngl I would had made some things different (things I obviously won't write because spoilers) but in my most humble opinion, I think this was a great drama from start to finish.
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
Be prepared to hold onto your horses and definitely don't close your eyes! Though this is a short Sageuk coming in at a measly 24 episodes (IKR!), it certainly has all the feels and annoyances and amazingness that makes up a typical Sageuk.Story (9.0):
I'm literally writing this as the last episode is finishing and I'm watching this last scene and getting goosebumps and shivers; what an amazing way to close the drama! I've heard some negative comments about this ending, but honestly it was the best way it could have ended in my opinion. And it's not even your typical Sageuk ending where everyone both good and bad beside the main character seems to die (only kind of joking); instead we see a beautiful finale that ties in with the first antics of our main couple and leaves you to wonder why all those other dramas focus on closure by successful revenge and conquering.
But don't get me wrong: the whole last half of this drama is mostly about trying to get revenge, and there are PLENTY of sorrowful and tearjerking scenes especially leading on from the 1/4 mark. If the beginning of the drama didn't clue you in, I don't know what would. This is a Romeo and Juliet style story (don't worry, it doesn't end quite the same).
There were a number of romantic couples in this drama, and while Se Ryeong and Seung Yu's was very fun to watch, especially in the very beginning and as the story came to a close, I found the love story between the Princess Kyung Hye and Jung Jong to be just as enticing and especially around the half way mark, even more fun to watch. Honestly, the Princess Kyung Hye was more interesting at times than our main character Se Ryeung (I guess I could call her Princess as well), and I loved seeing Kyung Hye's relationship both with her cousin Se Ryeung and her husband Jong morph and change over the course of the story.
I've painted this story in a highly positive light so far, but there were some parts I found excruciatingly aggravating. However, as I go through and enumerate, you'll probably see that it isn't isolated to only this Sageuk.
First off, most of my frustration from this story happened from the 1/4 mark the 1/2 way mark. Seriously, I watched the first 6-7 episodes in great joy, then draaaggged through those next 6-7 and then flew through to the end.
BEGIN RANT:
My problem with these episodes were these stupid choices and mistakes and misunderstandings and mishaps and all this gooblety gook drama that I really didn't want to see that I realize needed to happen for the rest of the drama and I'll admit made Se Ryeung's later actions so cheerworthy but in reality made me really want to skip scenes and indeed I found myself reading recaps to find the scenes I wanted to watch so I could get to a place I really wanted to see and I've lost sight of where I was going with this rant, but seriously, WHY! AGH!
END RANT.
Heh, the last half was worth all the drama though, and yes the drama was the basis of the whole story, but still, meh, Se Ryung was a bit annoying in these portions.
Acting/Cast (9.5):
Ahhh! So many crying scenes! I think most of the time Princess Kyung Hye was on the screen, she was crying!
But wow, Princess Kyung Hye blew me away, especially in the scene where she and Jong are tearfully looking at each-other... Actually, that whole episode was amazing on her part. Whenever her chin wobbles came into play... Dagger to the heart! ;(
The rest of the cast was mostly very good, though I found Song Jong Ho's (Myeon's) acting to be a bit over the top at times. Especially... nvm that's a spoiler.
There was also one scene that stuck in my head where there was an army of soldiers cheering that was sooo fake.
Beyond that, our main characters definitely didn't disappoint, and all the conniving and scheming and backstabbing politicians and their incompetent rivals were pretty well cast; I thought Se Ryung's father was very well cast especially whenever his character had semi-redeeming (who are you kidding, he can't be completely redeemed) moments like the last part of the finale.
The main couple was well cast and were very good together, but they definitely don't top my favorite couples list. Maybe 5th place. It's not totally their fault though because I've got some really strong couples on my list. Props to Woon and his Orabeoni girl love...
Final person I really need to commend would be the young King Dan-jong played by Noh Tae Yeob. Those sorrowful eyes of his can really strike the heart and helps his excellent portrayal of a young desperate king who feels trapped and useless.
Oh but wait, I can't forget Seung Yu's niece A Gang! She's the cutest thing ever... Loved the scene of her painting on Suk Joo's face! Haha.
Music (9.0):
The music was very good and also very typical of the Sageuk's I've scene with the mix of full orchestral and then a few male sung ballads and maybe some female singing throw in... I times I felt the main theme was played waaay tooo muuuch, but there was also this one haunting orchestral song with female bg vocals that gave me the chills. A good soundtrack, but not on my list of downloads.
Rewatch Value (8.0):
I will most definitely NOT be rewatching episodes 8-13 unless forced to watch the whole thing with a sibling or friend and if you don't understand why, go read my rant up in the story section. But the first 5-6 episodes, where our character relationships are being established were a joy to watch and will probably be on the top of my rewatch list. The last half of the drama was completed by yours truly in a blink (a day or two okay, give me three) and were very well done, but it is at times tearjerking enough that I don't think I'll be able to rewatch it as much as I would that first quarter of the drama.
Overall ( 9.0):
I've had this on my watchlist for ages and now that I've finally got around to finishing it, I can honestly say it wasn't a waste of time and I fully enjoyed myself. What a powerful love story!
For anyone who's watched the first few episodes, I also hope you caught my reference in the very first sentence of the review. Shame on you if you didn't.
If you are not a fan of Sageuks, I don't know how well this will resonate with you, but I've got such dramas as Empress Ki under my belt so this was a fairly easy and very pleasing undertaking for me.
P.S. I don't want to go through and fix my name spelling inconsistencies so figure it out yourselves.
P.P.S. I don't want to discourage anyone from watching this, so this is post scriptum, but I do feel like I'm being optimistic with this drama mainly because I didn't love it as much as I thought I would after reading some really good reviews of it and it didn't leave me half as a mess or in love as some other dramas (Empress Ki, Queen In Hyun's Man, etc). But it still deserves the 9 I guess. Maybe 8.875...
P.P.P.S. Is this my longest review yet? Maybe. It's like over 1200, almost 1300 words long. Here's to watching dramas when I should be writing essays and then going and writing drama reviews that are longer than my essay needs to be!
Was this review helpful to you?
This web drama is refreshing and totally witty in all aspects. It had me cover my mouth so I won't wake up my whole neighborhood while watching this.
It was totally hilarious.
Was this review helpful to you?
Was this review helpful to you?
I always think that I don't have enough time to warm up to the characters in movies because they are so short, so I prefer dramas where you spend time learning more about the characters. But this is different it gives you enough pull to make you more invested, I suggest just sitting down with a bowl of popcorn and binge-watch it till the end!
Was this review helpful to you?
Was this review helpful to you?
Recent Discussions
-
BL Drama Lovers Club7 minutes ago -
Love of Nirvana Characters' Analysis51 minutes ago -
-
Xiang Liu and Xiao Yao’s Story and Romance1 hour ago -
historical cdramas with realistic fights recs2 hours ago
