Reviews

I watched the Anime and decided to take a look at the live action motion picture that was produced. If you haven't watched the anime and you'd like to watch this movie, watch the movie first. That way, you can enjoy the anime and the movie much better. This movie was bad. I mean, really bad. I'm comparing this movie, to ANY MOVIE that you may want to watch. In the spirit of fairness, I will use the rating guidelines in MDL.

Story:
The story is paper-thin. It's a series of mixed vignettes from the anime and manga. When pieced together, it really doesn't make a lot of sense. The characters' motivations lack grounding. Their behaviors changed without much provocation, usually just taking one instance to dictate a change in behavior. The dialogue is really awkward. The scenes were badly thought out, and I can tell that the budget was low due to the poor production values and set quality. The explosion of colors will assault your senses. In the original anime and manga, they wore school uniforms. In the movie, we get ugly, ugly, unfashionable (because I'm reviewing it in 2017) clothes. If they used school uniforms, this movie wouldn't appear so dated if you watched it today.

Acting:
It was bad. I mean, really cheesy, over-acting, bad. I don't know if they wanted to reflect the wild, over-reactions that the anime executed perfectly, but you have to understand one thing: THOSE WERE DRAWINGS. Exaggeration in anime can be, and most often is, funny. If you try that with a real-life human being, the actor is gonna look stupid. The characters weren't fleshed-out and come across as either stupid, fickle and senseless. This includes the two leads. They flip-flop from one emotion to another without reason. In the anime, the characters were really fleshed-out because of the time that was given to them. It was understandable that they would feel those emotions and come to terms with their decisions. In this movie, it was a real mess. A lot of that is due to time constraints, but mostly, it's due to bad acting. I couldn't care less about these characters.

Music:
Forgettable

Re-watch Value:
If you want to suffer a stroke, go ahead and watch it again.

Over-all, this movie was bad. I can't help compare it to Ore Monogatari. Though not really a cinematic masterpiece in itself, the story was at least sevicable, and the actors were really invested in the performance. Again, this was a really bad movie. It was a bad adaptation of the anime and manga. It was just.... really... Horrible. Don't watch it.

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I FINALLY finished this drama!! I Hear Your Voice is a great story and drama. The story is deep and has a great premise where the male protagonist can hear people's thoughts if he looks into their eyes. I hear your voice spends a lot of time exploring the when and if it's always right to tell the truth. The lead couple has amazing chemistry. I am not normally a fan of noona dramas, but this drama is a bit of an exception. Where this drama loses out is its pacing. It may be the legal genre or just the way the story was weaved, but this drama has a leisurely pacing. If you tend to gravitate toward dramas that are fast paced, you may need a little dedication to finish. Hang in there though, this drama is worth it!

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This is the first Korean drama I ever watched and I credit it with making me obsessed with melodramas. There was a new plot twist every episode and yet still stayed cohesive to the storyline. Every episode added to the original mystery and once you had an answer you got two more questions

The romance was cute but not sickly cute. Both leads had a way of infusing characteristics of their younger versions into their adult selves. And it was so gratifying to have a drama where the romance was built on sticking together through thick and thin. Now as a seasoned drama connoisseur, I realize the random breakups of couples is overplayed (and stupid). SO I really loved them.

The supporting cast was great, everyone brought their A game. I can't recommend this show more. watch and you will fall in love too.

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This drama took me by surprise. I really thought the whole premise with dissociative identity disorder would be way to gimmicky for a drama in 2015, but Ji Sung does an amazing job with all the different roles and personalities he played. His acting in this drama really illustrates an amazing range. It's incredible how the viewer can fall in love with all of the protagonists personalities even ones that make limited appearances throughout the drama. Additionally, I loved the relationship between Oh Siblings, Oh Ri Jin and Oh Ri On. Their friendship is infectious and side split-tingly funny. Kill Me, Heal Me has a perfect balance between laugh out loud funny and uncontrollable tears. This story's pacing is FIRE!! If you like dramas that keep you clinging to your seat, you should definitely give this drama a try.

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Even with all the shameless, very obvious rip-offs from other teen rom-coms, and the overall predictability of the story, I have to say this was thoroughly enjoyable. I'm wondering if it's just because I was so bored and badly craving some/any drama, or whether there's more to it. So, to the point:

The cast was, I think, very solid. Everyone seemed to fit their roles which made the characters believable and nice to watch. Tang Danson is a beautiful man, and he does have sometime of the vampire in him. The character of George was the one I empathized with the most by the end, though - he was funny, quirky, and his plight of not being able to feel human emotions (while at the same time caring very much for Roy), was an enjoyable side story.

That said, the plot was a carbon copy of arrogant hot rich dude/vampire meets poor girl soulmate stories, except perhaps a bit more lighthearted, and funnily enough with less focus on the villain (one would think that vampires provide much more fodder for conflict and having genuinely evil guys, as opposed to the upper management of successful companies - seemingly not the case). That makes his appearance in the end of the show completely random and to be honest, it left a very bitter taste in my mouth. Had it not been for the last minute or so of the show, it would've gotten a higher mark, but as it depended on predictability for most of its 9 episodes, the shenanigan from the end was completely unnecessary and disrespectful to the viewer.

But, I'd still recommend to watch it and judge for yourself. It has provided me with half an evening + morning of pleasant leisure, nothing too smart or awesome, but still enjoyable.

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The story was a bit lacking, it was full of great ideas e.g. facilitators, but the story didn't really manage to pull everything off successfully and felt very rushed. For a first in its sort of genre, being a collaboration between viki and kdrama, it was better than I expected. It definitely is cheesy but had me laughing at all the tropes.

I do think the story could be redeemed by having a season 2, they definitely left room for the possibility. Then I believe their characters could be fleshed out a bit more and have more backstory. I felt you never really got to get close to the characters except for Claire.

This was definitely very funny to see the identifiable tropes in Kdrama and laugh at them, other than that it was a bit mediocre.

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What an emotional roller coaster! Having just finished, here is my review:

This story explores two primary romance plots with several sub plots woven in. The overall theme of the story is that of soul mates, and love surviving even death.

What I Liked:
I deeply enjoyed the layered relationships of BQ. The relationship with her mentor is central to the story as is her relationship with his twin, Ye Hua. Through these relationships the female lead explores many different levels of emotion. We see a youthful side when she is a student; then as an adult she becomes more closed off in order to guard her feelings. BQ is an extremely capable woman, the leader of the foxes as its queen, but she values relationships the most and struggles with forgiving wrongs. She is fair but also not one to suffer an insult; she dishes out double what is served to her. Ye Hua is obedient to his grandfather as he is the heir however his one act of defiance--falling in love with a mortal (BQ, forced to leave as a mortal with no memory of being a goddess) creates a ton of complicated problems. this story reflects their very complicated journey.

What I Loved:
the second love story features BQ's niece, Fengjiu, an impulsive and romantic red fox (the only one of her kind) who seeks to repay Donghua, a god as old as time with no parents (he just sprang into being). He also has no emptions and no interest in anyone or anything. I enjoyed their love story more than the main, perhaps because their obstacles seemed to be insurmountable. These two, it seems, have no fate together. Even BQ is fated to be with YH. Their story follows Fenjius efforts to gain Donghua's love and is just as complicated as BQ/YH.

What I also Liked:
This drama's villains are not as obvious as other shows. Yes there were living people but it seemed that one of the biggest villains in the show were things that you have no control over (fate) or things designed to protect others (rules). The rigid rules of the celestial court proved time and time again to undermine these people. And fate, well...who can go up against that?

My favorite living villain?
Undoubtedly Xuan Nu beause I thought she had a lot of depth.

What would I like to see:
If anyone sees my posts or discussion boards, or reads my episode views, they know that I am an enormous fan of DH/FJ. I have read this dramas sequel (the pillow book) and would be very happy if they made it into a show. If that doesn't happen, at least the novel exists.

Final Words (acting)
I think that the cast did a great job. Every actor was perfect in their role and I don't think anyone would have been better in their roles. I know a lot of people were drawn to YH but...the gent who played DH is my favorite. I do think, however, that the young woman who played BQ hands down wins for best actress and overall did a wonderful job as BQ. Of course, because I am biased, the actress who plays FJ is my favorite however her character, I think, might be easier to play.

I did not give this show a perfect 10 because some parts dragged, and some parts I sped through a little. But most of the show I watched. I recommend it to anyone interested in dramatic stories with great dialogue, great action, good acting, and a deep appreciation for the melodramatic (because this show uses almost every plot device that one might see in a daytime soap)

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One of the most interesting medical dramas to come out of the entire genre to say the least, east or west.

Likable:
The cast was superb, played as well as could be, considering the material. You actually got a feel that these people know one another and interact like this every day. The protagonists were well rounded and developed with just the right amount of flashbacks. You are not confused as to when a scene is in the past or present.
Medical terms were explained on screen in a non-obtrusive and non-condescending manner. The medical speak was just that: medical. There was no pandering to the audience. Jargon was spoken at that level, which felt more real, not broken down for the viewers.
The set-up for the story was great, the background was well developed.
The main set, Hyunsung Medical, was perfectly believable. You will actually be in the world of HSMC and not a sound stage. Again, the actors and extras made you believe they inhabited this space, not just thrown in for your gratification.
There were really no boring or throw-away scenes. The drama did keep my attention well in tune to what was happening. Makes me curious what else would have been in the 2 cut episodes.
The atmosphere music was perfect. That heart beating type of non-diegetic music was just perfect for the story.

Dislikable:
The stories just seem to barely intersect each-other. Yes, they did play a part in the overall arc but that was not the feeling. Things were revealed too quickly, or not really at the correct time, for any suspense or impact at times. The chaebol drama, for instance, of the owners could have played a bigger part from the beginning, or maybe none at all.
There was no real clear entry point. Yes, Dr Lee Yeong Oh returning to Korea was the starting point, or was it? Was the research the starting point? Was Gye Jin Sung the genesis? We need a starting point! (Perfect story with a starting point: Part Time: The Series.)

Some Thoughts:
There was confusion as to whose viewpoint the story hinged. If there was a clear lead as to a POV it may have gained more ratings, making it more relatable.
The comedy parts were quite good, the few there were. There should have been more light-heated scenes, if only to bring a sense of realness. The characters were there. The set-up was there. It was just a matter of a little comedic development.
With a little work this could have been one of Korea's best medical dramas. The idea behind it, a celebrated neurosurgeon with antisocial personality disorder, was just perfection. It offered all the right elements, but execution was just a tad sloppy.

Conclusion:
All in all well worth the watch. The story was interesting. It somewhat dived into the workings of Korea's chaebol system. It also quite well illustrated Korean culture for elders and rank. From a medical drama perspective the science worked. Just a little tightening-up by the writers and this may have spawned a few seasons.

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Maybe I'm a boring person, maybe I'm doing dramas wrong, maybe I got old, but I occasionally really enjoy watching dramas that focus on a profession, people doing their best and working towards a common goal and facing different challenges. Sometimes, I'm not interested in fast-paced action, cliche love triangles or suspenseful thrillers, sometimes I just want dramas about genuine people doing their jobs the best way they can. This is one of those.

You're not gonna get a whole lot of world-building here, you're not going to find star-crossed lovers or dreadful villains, but you'll find a lot of genuine characters and over-all good people trying to make others happy by providing the best work they can in a great hotel. Like there usually is in dramas of the kind, there's people with different perspectives of what's best for clients, there's personal issues getting involved in their jobs, there's clients that transcend the limits of what the crew can do, including, but not limited to: stalkers, overbearing parents, interns with severe social anxiety, kids trying to make their parents or grandparents happy, husbands being toxic and various other situations, always centered in human emotion and social links.

A great surprise and something I'd like to point out is that there's a character, played by Asari Yosuke, who uses sign language to communicate and him and Mariya's character use it back and forth pretty smoothly. This is something I rarely see in dramas, sadly (I hope one day we get a good live action drama of the Koe no Katachi manga, for example, because it's amazing), and I found it great that they not only did it in a recurring character, rather than a guest, but that it was also explored in an episode somewhat, when his uncle shows up.

Maybe, in comparison to other shows with the same theme, it's not the most original or well-written, some situations tend to go a bit in circles and there is, I believe, a bit of a lack of development for the lead character, because, even though I get what her importance is in the plot, I feel she doesn't get a very clear resolution in order for her development to be consistent throughout. It's not as strong as other job-centered shows, but it's not bad and it's well performed. I particularly enjoyed Watanabe Natsuna a lot in this.

So, long story short, if you want to see a drama that's relatively calm, heartwarming and not too much of a stress, but which does focus on human interaction and has some deep emotional scenes, this is a good one for you. It's probably not gonna keep you on the edge of your seat, but sometimes I'm not looking for that in a drama. Sometimes I just want nice people trying their best.

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Story: This movie has been in my watch list for a while. I've never read the book this is based off of, but I have seen the 2005 movie "The Fingersmith" before hand, so I had high hopes for this film. I enjoyed the version I had already seen, but this movie surpassed my expectations. The vibe in The Handmaiden was more dark and mature in comparison to The Fingersmith and I felt that it was much more put together. The plot consists of 3 story arcs; Sook Hees perspective, a second perspective, and then a satisfying conclusion with no loose ends. All of the arcs were interesting and the whole 2 hours I spent watching this flew by. I wasn't sure how they would fit the whole story in 2 hours because of how complicated the story gets, but it was well paced and it all felt natural. While I expected some erotic scenes, I was surprised to see that my definition of eroticism was much less than what the directors had in mind. There's an underlying BDSM theme to this as well as a couple of long sex scenes that weren't censored. While a lot of Korean movies and dramas can be pretty light in PDA, this is a mature film, so keep that in mind. I really enjoyed this Korean take on the story and I felt that this movie told it perfectly.

Acting/Cast: All of the main actors, especially the 2 female leads did a great job. I loved the relationship between Sook Hee and Hideko, I was excited to see how it would develop and I wouldn't have done had it any other way.

Music: I usually don't pay attention to the OST unless it's very special in particular. While there wasn't any memorable tunes, the soundtrack fit the show perfectly, and I loved the song in the ending credits.

Re-watch Value: I'm not one to re-watch a film or a show with such a complex plot, but I definitely wouldn't mind re-living the experience of this story all over again.

Overall: I honestly don't think there was anything wrong with this movie, I loved everything this film had to offer. I would recommend this to anyone willing to follow a complicated yet perverted story with a good plot twist.

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