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This is one of the series than I've watched more than 10 times. The story, the actors, the costumes, EVERYTHING is perfect & when I say perfect it's not an exaggeration but an understatement.
Although if you are looking for a lot of romance then this may not be the series for you. But this does not mean that the drama lacks "love" cause trust me it has, just not much
This is a must watch for someone who is looking for a mind boggling, exciting series.
Don't get discourage about the bloody first part, It's not that heavy on fighting.
A MUST WATCH SERIES!! You won't be disappointed!
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The hero is a rascal, but the heroine isn’t too far behind with her immaturity. They do kind of suit each other with the silly games they play to deal with their problems and get what they want.
It’s always interesting when the hero treats a heroine badly and then when they see another guy step on her, he feels like that’s not right.
Gae Hwa - “I think I would be really glad if you succeeded.”
Min Woo - “What’s so good about other people succeeding? You have to succeed yourself.”
For an ego-centric star, this is a nice turn around for Min Woo.
Chae Rim is a great actress. I loved how her tears were so natural and sincere. I really liked her personality. She was all the good and funny things about an ahjumma. Determined, motherly and practical. Also, Chae Rim is so cute. She’s direct, it’s lovely.
Min Woo is not the most charming of rascals, but when he tries to make things right, he does it well.
It’s quite unusual for a drama to make the hero go through a maturing process. The way he makes amends is so adorable. It was a real nice change to have the hero have to go through that development process.
I liked the whole dad vibe he ended up cultivating. It was so sweet and also weighty that this young guy who didn’t care about anything but himself started to care about his little family of females.
“What is this? They’re only having fun amongst themselves. Aigoo. Aigoo Aigoo.”
Kim Yoo Bin is so intensely cute.
Even Min Ji the daughter is really nice and clever.
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Total run-time about 75 minutes over 4 episodes.
STORY: If you have seen the Chinese Addicted web series, you've seen this. It's a super short version of the same story. It's still a good story but there's a lot of cliches in this one: polar opposites who spend a lot of time together, develop feelings, one boy chasing another, kid-sister-type who loves BL and thinks they should be together. You get the picture. Still good to watch though. This does have a HAPPY ending.
ACTING/CAST: Wow, the two guys in this are super HOT. There is also some good chemistry but I sure wish there were more intimate moments! Docked a star for that.
MUSIC: I don't speak it so it probably is a good selection but unmemorable otherwise.
REWATCH VALUE: I would watch it once more with a friend.
TL;DR: Taiwanese version of China's Addicted web series but not as good; also HAPPY ENDING!
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This is a 4-part series, roughly 75 minutes total run-time.
STORY: The first part is wacky and a tad confusing but stick with it because it settles down and reaches its stride rather quickly and carries it all the way to the through the end credit roll. There are also quite a few clichés but this has a HAPPY, even if a somewhat bittersweet, ending!
ACTING/CAST: The cast chemistry was great (well, only 3 people really get any real screen time). The main couple were fun to watch and there were a few hilarious bathroom scenes that as a guy I was cringing and laughing at the same time. Makes me wonder: do women really not know male bathroom etiquette? Well, watch the scenes and you'll see what i'm talking about.
MUSIC: The music was good though I don't speak the language. The sound quality had issues but this was most likely because I saw the English fan-subbed version.
REWATCH VALUE: Definitely will watch this again, next time with a good friend.
TL;DR: Starts out strange, quickly gets good, has some twists, and a happy ending!
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The story was quite new in the KDrama world, which I appreciated. And where else can you see the leads get married by the third episode? The first half of the drama was quite light, mostly centered on their romance while the second half had lots of angst and suspense. What this drama did well was weave the past, the present, and the future in which he traveled to into a clear and coherent storyline. Most of the show is actually foreshadowing, and finally in the last few episodes are the viewers exposed to what actually happened. It did build up suspense and intrigue, as you had no idea what would happen. It was unpredictable, but by doing that they lost a few people (and provoked lots of fan theories), but I promise if you stick with it, everything will build up to a satisfying end.
The acting was done really well on Lee Je Hoon's part. This was my first time watching any work of his and I was pleasantly surprised. I didn't particularly like Shin Min Ah's character, as sometimes I felt like she was unreasonable. Their chemistry was off the charts though, and perhaps because they were married early on in the series, we're given a ton of fanservice (aka steamy scenes). At first I was skeptical because the circumstances of which he married her wasn't the best, but soon you could really believe that they're in love. There isn't a moment where the music fades and the camera pans over their face in slow motion that tells you they've fallen for each other, but trust me you'll know.
I really loved the music. I think there were only about three main OSTs , significantly less than that of other dramas, but all of them fit the drama so well. They also played some beautiful piano instrumental tracks pretty often, which created a sort of gloomy mood befitting the storyline.
While I may not watch the entire drama over again, I would definitely rewatch some of the scenes.
Overall, I loved the way the story was told, despite the pace. I have to mention the color scheme again, because it was really genius and beautiful. Right off the bat, it helps you get into the solemn mood constantly reminding you of the overarching plot despite the cheesy happy scenes. I would recommend this drama for those who don't mind a slower storyline, because it's definitely worth the watch.
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Story: Full pageantry, scenery & costumes fit for gods - simply breathtaking. Ok, the story is a complicated love of two gods who are toss about time by any and all other gods-deities' (big-small). Lots of action, dialog, backstabbing, front-stabbing lust and greed. No wonder us mortals are kinda screwy when it comes to love, the gods are in the same boat. Wuxia galore - magically performed.
Acting/Cast: Hands down Mark Chao is mesmerizingly handsome in ALL his roles. He alone is worthy of the watch. The female lead Mi Yang had excellent chemistry with male lead and was cast perfectly as the white-9tail fox, silly, mischievous, cunning and smart. The other host of characters were cast ideally with some more memorable than others.
Music: Well done, nothing exceptional NOR bothersome. Well matched for Wuxia.
Re-watch? Not for awhile and selective eps only. Too long to RW in entirety.
Overall: Solid fantasy, romance, wuxia done well. Mark C is just lovely to watch onscreen. I believe he channeled that role as crown prince, God of War to perfection.
If you enjoyed Nirvana, give this one a try!
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[Story]
Quite unique story compared to the other time traveling dramas I've watched. At times this drama would confuse me as each episode progresses but it only made sense, well everything was explained in episode 15. So you've got a long way to go before you get there. No skipping! Every episode, I try to guess and make hypothesis in everything that's going on but in the end, the events they show us in the next episode were quite unexpected that it'll blow your mind.
[Acting/Cast]
I gave it an 8 out 10 because Shin Min Ah, my Queen. But I also love Lee Je Hoon, the time traveler expert since Signal. For me, there were fresh faces that I've only seen in this drama so far and I would love to see them in their future projects. Acting wise, it was good. Of course, Shin Min Ah and Lee Je Hoon are both amazing actors so I give them that. Even their chemistry was overflowing. That was actually very unexpected for me because I never imagined them to be paired up together. The other actors were also good and funny. Good job~
[Music]
I've got nothing much to say about their music because it didn't appeal to me much except the last OST they played at the last scene of episode 16. That was nice but if I were to download it, I wouldn't. Don't get me wrong, I love listening to Korean dramas OST but I'll pass with this one. You can try listening to it, we all have different taste anyway. :)
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Plot~
Overall I loved the plot! If I had to rate the beginning I would give it a 10. My rating only started to drop once they introduced certain people, and certain events happened. By the end my score was a 7-7.5. The ending felt unsatisfying. There were certain characters introduced earlier on that just disappeared. We have no idea what happened to them. The only person we see at the ending is 1 of the main characters. Basically other than him we have no idea what happened to every one else. They left a lot of things up in the air. This is the part that bothered me.
Characters~
Kim Kang Woo did a great job portraying his character, but sometimes I wanted to smack the crap out of him. For a cop he lacked common sense. Some of the things he did were questionable, and at certain times I was sure he idiot. He lets his emotions drive him a LOT, and for a man who has been a cop for years, that made me wonder. How has he survived this long? Kim Bum looked very dark, and very cute in his role! The only complaint I had is that for a guy who's always bleeding and coughing up blood he never goes to the hospital. The other characters such as the other detectives, and Kang Woo's superiors got on my nerves. They didn't act according to their job title, and they were always looking for ways to push the blame, and not accept responsibility. As first I thought they were relatable, but after a while I became confused. How can I relate to men that obviously don't know how to do their job? And who would go to these guys for help? All they care is about themselves!
Overall~
Would I re-watch this? No. It was good, but it was definitely a one-time watch. This is one of those movies where the suspense plays a big part. After you've watched it, it just doesn't have the same feeling.
Would I recommend this? Yes! It's a great movie, and I think anybody that enjoys thrillers or detective movies would agree that this is one of the best. I wish they had ended it better and given more detail but overall it was an enjoyable watch.
Read this review and more at: http://lovekoreana.blogspot.com/
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Story: I give it 9.5 because back then in 2004 this drama was so refreshing, entertaining and the story got high original value. Although so many people think the Thai version is better, I love the Korean version a lot more. This drama gave me so much feels in 2004, while when I watched the Thai version I found it kinda boring.
The casts are really good and I love the chemistry between Rain and Song Hye Kyo. They're so funny and sweet.
The music is just perfect!
I've watched this drama for so many times, the last one is two weeks ago, and I still found this drama so enjoyable. But I gotta admit that I cringe so much at the clothes they wore in this drama. They were so horrible right now.
Overall this drama was really good in its own era. If you watched this drama in 2004, it would probably become your favorite. But if you haven't watched it yet I'm not sure if you will like it or not. Maybe the Thai version is a better option for those who haven't watched any version of this drama.
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I'd say the first 1/2 of the film is really excellent. Lots of underground adventure - tombs, monsters, evil traps, etc. Then, the last 1/2 was vaguely understandable and cool. I mean, I understand what happened in the end - I'm just not quite sure about all the pieces and why things worked that way. Maybe it's just me?
Plenty of suspense and action. NOT however really much about tomb raiders at all. To me, the description was really misleading
My plot would be something like:
The 1900s were a time of discovery and new insight into the ancient past as more and more secrets are dug up from the ancient tombs. But sometimes one can dig too deep. When Hu Ba Yi steps up to explore a mysterious occurrence deep underneath the Kunlun Mountains, he could never have predicted the adventure that awaits him. In a desperate battle to save humanity from an ancient evil long buried, Hu Ba Yi and his friends will have to unravel the mystery behind what happened in the past and how to prevent it from repeating itself in the future.
To be honest, this was more of a mixture between some sort of 30% "lost world" / "Jurrasic Park" and 50% "Riddick" and 20% an Indiana Jones movie. It's got tombs and supernatural stuff and all that. Which was awesome - It really wasn't about tomb raiders or tomb raiding. Definitely no buried treasures and Certainly not comparable or similar to The Lost Tomb, Mystic Nine or the other dramas supposedly based on this book series.
Still a lot of historical background, mythology, action, and cool "underground" scenes. I'm not saying don't watch it, it's got merit on its own for what it is - just know the description doesn't really fit. The Candle in the Tomb, this is not. It wasn't meant to be - so I'm not sure why it is described like that.
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The Lovable aspects of SG:
1) Comedy
This is the most hilarious K-drama I have ever watched. Period.
For it almost caused me a wonderful death by laughter. Now, I know you're thinking that I'm being over-dramatic by saying that, but I assure that I truly am not. One fine midnight, I was lying on my bed, devouring popcorn and happily watching Secret Garden and before you know, utter hilarity ensued between the main characters for the umpteenth of time. Now, I, a mere mortal tried but failed to keep some semblance of calm and so chortle after chortle helplessly spewed out of my mouth. In all this mess, the poor popcorn tried to waddle along my esophagus but my spasmodic movements halted its journey and suddenly, I choked.
And I kid you not, it was surely a full-on deadly choke. My lungs were burning, I couldn't breathe, eyes were flooding and dread had encompassed my heart in a tight fist. Now, a less motivated Koreaboo would have given up on life there and then but I persevered for the ending was still there to finish and hence, became a survivor.
Moral of the story: Secret Garden is a life hazard. Keep oxygen masks nearby.
2) Acting
At this point, Ha-Ji Won can dress up in one of those cringey Teletubbies costumes and go around screaming Friday by Rebecca Black in her Korean accent and I would still be a die-hard fan. I really don't know how she does it. There is always so much sincerity in her acting and she can control her facial expressions in such a way that all that the character is feeling is openly displayed on her features. It's simply captivating to watch her in action.
Hyun Bin- Ah, one of those beautiful creatures who communicate with their eyes. He has such soulful eyes that half of the time, I deluded myself into thinking that President Kim and I were having a telepathic conversation through the screen.
Bottom line: Both of the actors brought their best to the table and I simply couldn't get enough of them.
3) Romance
There is such genuine and honest romance in this drama. It's filled with swoon worthy, butterflies in your tummy- dirt in your mind sweet yet burning moments that you can't help but fangirl throughout. The characters have deep understanding with each other and their chemistry is tangible. Every K-drama watcher probably cried in gratitude because of the make out sessions because finally, they had witnessed a couple who didn't kiss like dead entrails of catfish. The love story is so believable and authentic, that it's a must to root for them.
Bottom Line: You can't get a better ship than President Kim and Gil Ra Im, so get sailing.
The Not So Lovable Aspects:
1) Episode 17 and 18
Basically everything I didn't like happened in these two episodes. Examples:
a) Over-Crying:
Now this is a drama where there was so much love and merriment throughout, so if they were going to make it sad, they needed to be very careful in order to give maximum impact but I'm sorry to say they failed big time. Aside from that one part where President Kim gives his shoes and watches to OSKA, literally every other emotional scene fell flat. SG went from 0 to 100 real quick and I was caught bewildered in the midst of it all. Everybody suddenly started crying like a baby and doing it over and over again. Sure, give me sobs once or twice and I'll sob with you, but give me sobs a hundred of times and I'll want to shove a sock in your mouth to shut you up.
It was a horrible feeling because due to the excessive sobbing and lack of emotional connection, I started to develop a mild annoyance towards both of my beloved main characters and was consequently upset because of that fact.
b) Rise of the cliches:
Don't get me wrong, I have nothing against cliches. I firmly believe that if you yourself haven't used the idea then it isn't old. Some of my favorite film pieces are those where writers took an over-used plot, put their own spin on it and turned it into a unique masterpiece. SG's plot, while not something never-before seen was already pretty unique in itself. However, in these two episodes suddenly the cliches started piling up. It would've been okay if they were one at a time but bring them all in together and it's a hot mess.
The "I love you so I'll let you go" scene followed by that one jarring accident, followed by excessive crying, followed by the infamous coma, followed by the hero being the martyr, followed by some more crying, followed by amnesia and then finally a convenient plot device to make everything dandy and sunshine. Please no.
2) Im Jong Soo:
My God, I have wanted to repeatedly slap this dude in the face. I mean I get that he was just there as man candy, ready to flaunt his English speaking skills when ordered, portraying a supposedly cool love interest for Gil Ra Im but like, did they really have to cast someone who couldn't act to save his life? It's so painfully obvious that he's a model and not an actor because he literally posed and bullshitted his way through the show. Plus, he just had one of those faces that can annoy you with a mere glance.
One of the more interesting characters was Joo Won's mother. She's probably the worst mom in K-drama history; extremely cruel and selfish. The actress who played her did an excellent job and I loved how much she made me hate the character. No joke, I wanted to grind her into mince meat, barbecue over a scorching grill and then feed her to rodents.
The supporting characters brought their fair share of fun. OSKA, Yoon Seul, Secretary Kim, Secretary park, Han Tae Seon and Gil Ra Im's action school sunbaes were all simply hilarious. Even though I was more interested in the side character's interactions with the main leads instead of their own stories, I didn't think that the drama dragged on more than was necessary.
So yes, there were some downs that came with SG but the ups more than made up for them. This is a sweet and beautiful story and I recommend it as a refreshing dessert to some spicy and tragic tearjerker of a drama.
Enjoy!
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This review may contain spoilers
I watched Hatsukoi because of its interesting setup. Well, I was actually interested because Keisuke Koide is a fave of mine and he's actually a lead in this movie(a love interest too). But the 300 million robbery really seemed like it would be thrilling. A good heist movie is always fun.(SOME SPOILERS MAYBE PROBABLY)
I actually liked the movie a lot(beyond seeing Koide get quite a lot of screentime lol). But I can't really call it a good movie.
See, Hatsukoi felt like someone having an identity crisis. The plot made it seem like it would be a thrilling heist movie. But then the title screams romance. It also seemed like it would sorta be about confused youth. The movie is as indecisive as I am lols.
I think I liked it for the cast but the story fell flat. The robbery was based on real events so I can't really complain about it(but i still will haha). It felt too easy and the stakes weren't so high. And the romance.. err, didn't feel very romanc-y. I kinda liked it for that but I kind of feel like it might have not been more than platonic. I did want them to be together but their 'love' felt forced especially the letter at the end. The relationships of the club members weren't really developed. I hoped for more especially with the siblings but there wasn't much.
Overall, I felt like the movie wanted and tried to be many different things(but sorta failed). I failed to connect with it and I didn't really care for the characters. It was enjoyable and I don't regret watching but not something I would watch again or recommend highly.
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