This review may contain spoilers
Plot (Prequel to The Lost Tomb) - I only include this (No spoilers I promise) because I feel like the one they give is not enough info and slightly misleading - this is only about 30% about actual tomb stuff and less nine families and more about 3-4 families with a few others thrown in here and there. STILL A GREAT WATCH and adventure film!!!!Set in the early 1900s when China and Japan were caught up in the war of the century, nine families have risen to power in the famous city of Chang Sha. Their leader is the mysterious, but fearless Zhang Qi Shan. His origins may be a questionable but his brilliance, bravery, and power are there for the world to see. When a mysterious train comes to town absent a driver but full of the dead, it's clear something bad is coming to Chang Sha. Desperate to stay ahead of the Japanese and the traitors who help them, while trying to defend both his nation's history and its future, Zhang Qi Shan is in for the ride of his life. Joining him are his two closest friends and fellow members of the Nine Families - Er Ye (an opera singer and and heir to perhaps the most famous of the 9 families) and Ba Ye (a fortune teller with a knack for understanding the hearts of both the living and the dead, but also a nose for getting into trouble with a capital "T"). It's a story that will lead them through underground tombs, unfriendly villages, prison camps, spooky marshes, and more. Can Zhang Qi Shan and his friends overcome the obstacles that face them above and below ground while still keeping the people they love safe at home?
My Thoughts
So I originally found this drama because I fell in love with "The Lost Tomb" and was looking for something similar. When I found out it had a prequel - "Mystic Nine" - I was quick to put it on my 'To Watch' List. Definitely one of my favorites for 2016 and probably an all time favorite all-together!
MUSIC: To be honest, the intros were like 4 minutes, so I generally skipped to the show :P It was suspenseful when it needed to be suspenseful, exciting when it needed to be exciting. Nothing spectacular, but it fit - you know?
SPECIAL EFFECTS: The special effects for this show were really excellent. I think there were two or three scenes towards the end (when it went really tombsy and "supernaturally" that there were some effects issues that bothered me, but by and large I went through all 48 episodes and never felt like it was fake or manufatured. I mean we had tree coffins and giant temples and monstrous mazes that were just mind-boggling in the way they constructed them. I thought it was really well-done.
CHARACTERS / ACTING: OMG I loved all the main characters so much. Not the bad guys - I mostly found them A) annoying, B) not very well done, C) a little obvious, and D) not even close to matching up to the good guys in abilities. But the good guys - I just found them to be so much fun. All of the main leads were really well developed, they matched their characters extremely well, and they all played off of one another like it was a real relationship.
The friendship between Fo Ye, Er Ye, and Ba Ye was just extremely well done. You could feel how strongly they felt about one another. Their sadness when one was going through something difficult, the amused tolerance Fo Ye has when Ba Ye goes off about something "fortune tellery." They are strong, confidence, intelligent men - but the writers just made them very realistic. They were somehow both excellent heroes and really fun characters you would like to be friends with. Ba Ye and Lieutenant Zhang were just totally awesome - they definitely add to the re-watch value! Ba Ye brought just the right amount of humor into the film to let it be angsty and dramatic without going overboard. Even the women were excellent - and I tend to get annoyed by them more easily. I actually really enjoyed Zhang Qi Shan's relationship with Xin Yue, and really got into their plotline. Er Yue and his wife just brought out so many feels - it's seriously a love to transcend time.
LENGTH: This drama is long - and (the only really bad thing I'm going to say here) sometimes long-winded. There were a few times when the Bad Guys were plotting or the Good Guys were plotting and I just wanted to get back to the action scenes. So I'd maybe super-speed or skip through those parts. You'll pick the story up easy enough without them. But don't let that stop you from watching the drama though! The other parts more than made up for it.
PLOT: Not a lot of romance - It really was more of an action/adventure tale. I like that - it was way more focused on friendships and the adventure. As for that adventure, there were of course some plot holes. There was actually less "tomb" stuff than I expected given the title. A lot less. Tomb-things really only covered about 1/3 of the show imo. They meandered a lot (just when you thought everything was solved, something else would happen that started everything up again), but that gave it the "long adventure" feel. Spent a lot of nights drawn from episode to episode.
I know the ending of the bad guys felt a little anti-climactic, but it kind of worked. I think? Kinda? Still not sure how I feel about that.
Many people were upset with the final ending because it isn't particularly a happy ending. It leaves a lot of things unfinished. No questions were left unanswered - it just didn't leave everyone happy and safe at home in the end. But to be fair, I felt like this drama needed that. It left me feeling like their adventures and story would continue - like things weren't really over. Somewhere, Zhang Qi Shan and the nine families are still fighting against the enemy, still protecting China's heritage, and leading it into the future. Which is a perfect set-up for "The Lost Tomb" series which it prequeled. I don't actually like stories that "end" - I like my adventure series to finish with the next adventure awaiting. This did that for me!
FINAL THOUGHTS: Please check this drama out if you like adventure or fantasy kind of films. It really did give me the same ""feel" as "The Lost Tomb." It may not be the best-written show ever, but it certainly entertained me way more than most!
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Yes, it doesn't have a lot of action that some people are looking for that's why they say it's boring. For me it's not. This drama is talking about the characters' fates; that alone made me excited for new episodes all the time. It's fresh. It tells you about how much you should treasure the present, but it also makes you wonder — would it be better to know the future? Or should I be satisfied with the present? This drama will give you the answer.
There are so many emotions that can be felt when you watch this. You'll get annoyed and resent some characters. You will feel their depression, their longing, and their love. The chemistry between Shin Min Ah and Lee Je Hoon is REALLY great.
I think for me, this drama isn't all about the wow factor. It's there to give you lessons and make you realize things. It was somehow comforting for me.
There were immaturity at times which is the only thing that made me suffer while watching.
We are talking about life here. The characters timelines. I'm so sorry to those who found this drama boring.
I actually, truly enjoyed this.
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+/- Plot:
I wouldn't say that I was ever left on edge with this drama--there were no major cliff hangers that left me wanting more at the end of an episode, which may be a crucial fault as this drama was made to draw you in with its twists and turns in the plot. I will say that I was more often left confused than intrigued. I was really a fan of the first quarter of the drama, while I was bustling with questions they kept the plot line fairly light, due to the budding romance, and I wasn't too confused as to where the writers were trying to go with the show. However, about halfway through the writers began to focus more on how the show was going to conclude and building up the drama to the finale and that's where things began to fall apart and really drag for me. It felt like the lead couple was constantly fighting, making up, and fighting again. And since the writers were trying to keep the audience in the dark about the backstory the only thing holding this drama together was the romance--to which I have a few aggressions toward and will mention in the following section. Or when there were things revealed, it was done in a confusing fashion and left you even more in the dark then before--don't get me wrong if it's done in the right way then this is great for viewers, however I didn't feel that way about this plot line. The couple episodes leading up to the finale are where things start to pick up again and why I ended up giving this plot a higher score than I had originally intended. I felt that the writers got things back on track and made the story interesting and entertaining again and finally, almost all but one or two questions I had were answered by the final episode and I felt that they ended up doing justice to the show.
+/- Characters/Acting:
Lee Je Hoon and Shin Min Ah...I have so much confusion with this coupling. I was completely on board with them for the first few episodes and was shocked at how well they seemed to be hitting it off together. But then things got pretty steamy between the two and pretty much made me cringe. There were literally some scenes where I just couldn't watch because it was painfully embarrassing. Granted it may have just been the overtly cheesy lines and the constant flip-flopping (fighting then making up) that made me not enjoy the two more.
As for the two individually, I'm going to have to say that Lee Je Hoon outperformed Min Ah. I was a little disappointed as I had really high expectations having seen his outstanding role in Signal. However, he made you fall for his character even when you knew he was questionable and shouldn't like him, which is seemingly a hard thing to do. I think he did a fairly well job at displaying all the proper conviction and emotions during his scenes and did Yoon So Joon's character justice. Overall, I was left feeling pleased and satisfied with both his acting and character.
Moving on to Shin Min Ah...there's just something about her that I'm unsure about or dislike or something, but I can't quite put my finger on it. As an actress she has so much room for improvement. I could not ever get on board with her crying scenes and there were so many of them! They were terrible, completely outrageous. At some points I was convinced she was laughing until they showed her face. I will say that there were times when she played her role convincingly, but because of those crying scenes I have to say I'm just not a fan.
Baek Hyun Jin played an unusual villain; one that I'm not too sure I liked. His character while a little mental, simply was played out all too reserved in my opinion. It felt to me like the character was stifled and wasn't at it's fullest potential--I really love the actors that are able to perfectly depict the psychotic tendencies of a villain rather than, in this case, just escalated frustrations.
+/- Music:
I overall, really enjoyed the soundtrack for this drama and was one of the best things out of the whole thing. Almost all of the tracks were ballads, which I love, and were all beautiful in their own ways. My favorite songs had to be the ones by Seo In Guk and Sarah Lee. I was soooo shocked and delighted to hear Sarah's track as I have been following her even before she became a part of SuperstarK. She has such a great voice and thought that it went really well with the selected scenes.
Rewatch Value:
I would maybe consider rewatching this show, simply because I felt like I was left in the dark for the majority of it and may have missed a few things. However, after a fruitful debate of weighing the uncomfortable romance scenes, terrible crying scenes, and how the plot line strings you along, versus the questions and confusions I have...I would then make the decision that there are some other shows that I really enjoyed that I would prefer to rewatch. But at least I gave it some consideration!
***Shout out to the editing team that did a fantastic job of ensuring viewers weren't confused with when So Joon was in the future. I really appreciated the differential filters and the wide vs. full screen. At least I was never left wondering when it was the future and when it was the present!
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This series was short, 4 episodes around 75 minutes run-time, which if binged can be seen as one typical-length movie. HOWEVER, so much story is packed into that, with so many emotions and such a thought-provoking narrative. I couldn't help but think of my own past and kept asking myself if I would (or even could) make the same decisions the main character made.
The chemistry between the actors was fantastic and very believable. It was predictable in parts, and there's a strong seme/uke trope so I docked the story a star, but the title is Obsessed, so it lives up to its name. You will cry as there's both a lot of sad and sweet moments in this video. No screen time is wasted. The music was good too, fit the scenes. Definitely wanna re-watch this with a friend.
TL;DR: Would you give up on a tragic true love if you could change history? Think about it.
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This review may contain spoilers
If you like the exploration into corruption of power within people you're going to love this film. This was a very interesting film, it explores what happens to corrupted people and consequences made to those people, however, the main protagonist Tae-soo (Played by Jo In sung) contrasts from other corrupted characters you see in other movies and dramas.
This movie is definitely original and well created, it'll give you all different kinds of emotions (if you get emotional throughout good films/dramas like me)
Also, Doo il (Played by Ryu Jun yeol) d a m n b oi, he looks fine af as a gangster, if you're a fan of Ryu Jun yeol you'll be sitting there waiting for him to come on scene because daMN.
I highly recommend this film, it's hard to talk about it without giving away spoilers but you won't be disappointed, this is a great film.
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The movie is basically drenched in KERA magazine, so you'll see a lot of familiar faces and brands if you're a reader: AKIRA, Karam (from The Boss) and Misako Aoki, for example, and everyone's dressed as if we were entering an alternate reality where KERA fashion was the norm (I wouldn't be mad about that, honestly, but yeah, you're gonna have to suspend your disbelief with that one). Product placement in this movie is very heavy, even more so than in Runway Beat, so half of the movie is a giant KERA fashion spread. I'll make a little note before moving on, I'll refer to the actress AKIRA with all caps to differentiate her from the character Akira from the movie.
The story is based on a Mayu Shinjo manga of the same name, and I'm not a big fan of hers to be honest, I feel her stories are all very similar, her characters look the same, her plots are simple and rely on a consistent wish-fulfillment trope and sex rather than world building, character development and/or original content. So yeah, not a fan. This particular one was always one I stayed away from because I feel it uses gender as a tool for fanservice more than to explore it as a subject in itself: there's a guy who is very feminine looking and a girl who is very masculine looking, they fall in love and Mayu Shinjo level of flirting and spices ensue. Add to that two rival schools (an all-girls one and an all-boys one) and an all-girls rock band (in the movie Akira isn't in the band) and you have your plot. At the end of the day, they're a cis het guy and a cis het girl and their gender presentation never seemed to me to be necessarily a subject of bigger debate. If a mangaka like Ai Yazawa was doing this, for example, we would have another kind of narrative. But, I digress.
The movie is tamer than a Mayu Shinjo manga, but the issues of gender and sexual orientation are as plain as they can be. There’s girls attracted to girls and boys attracted to boys but, at the end of the day, it’s all seen as a game rather than an aspect of sexual attraction or gender identity. Akira, Karam’s character, insists on having Mizuki, Ito Ono’s character, girly clothing because he thinks she wants to look girly deep down because "all girls do" and "she's beautiful". Akira makes a point to shame his classmates for liking him because men liking men "is a no-go". It’s the same old story where these narratives are used for fanservice rather than actual representation. But it had the potential to go much further.
The thing is, the cast has some members whose careers and lives are marked by these things. AKIRA made a career of her boyish look and style and is one of KERA’s most successful models right now, and has been for a few years, so gender fluidity is a brand for her. Still, she admits in interviews to being concerned about her presentation and what’s expected of her in society. Most importantly than anyone else in this cast is Shuto Yoshihara, a trans man member of the all FtM trans boy band SECRET GUYZ, who was cast as a girl. These two people right here could have been the leads with ease. Their performances steal the show and it would have been a much more valuable narrative if AKIRA, a masculine female model whose career is based on gender fluidity (she plays male roles in theater for heaven’s sakes) played masculine-looking Mizuki and Shuto Yoshihara, whose career speaks about making his experience known as a trans male, played an actual male role, Akira. But no, we get Karam, who is trying but doesn’t quite make it, and Ito, who isn’t even trying at all. I'm not aware when exactly Shuto transitioned, but since his debut with SECRET GUYZ was in 2013, this could have been a major platform to start up with as a starring role.
All in all, the movie isn’t bad but it isn’t great. It shows that it’s a niche film made for the sub culture market in which it’s inscribed in but has a story that could have gone further if only it had allowed itself to get out there all the way. It has good moments and its intention is good, it definitely puts out there subjects of gender presentation vs identity and bonds between people despite preconceptions of gender, but it had the potential to go much further, and the performers to do so as well. I thank it, however, for including and casting people outside the norm and giving a platform in which this can expand.
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The plot of the drama is very meaningful and emotional. It deals with the subject of fate and destiny, and how sometimes there are things that are inevitable. There will be moments of frustration and annoyance that despite knowing the future, things still go a certain way, but it doesn't bog down the drama. The drama embraces the fact that some people tend to make the same kind of choices or refuse to change, but the characters and the plot adapt and keep the story rolling. In the end, it is a great reminder to be present, enjoy life's ups and downs, and to always be grateful, and all those other feel good life lessons. The drama also tackles issues like love and marriage, corporate greed and crime, family relationships, friendship and frenemies, and life's regret. Overall, I felt that the story had the appropriate pace and unfolded in accordance with it's vision and purpose.
The characters developed beautifully and I felt that as an audience member, I really got to know them and accept them for all their strengths and weaknesses. The changes in the characters were gradual and reflective of what they were going through in the story. The actors did a great job in their respective roles, and were really effective in conveying deep emotions in dramatic scenes, as well as comedy in those lighthearted moments. I also love how it didn't shy away from kisses and love scenes (though still very demure). The couples in the drama had electrifying chemistry with each other, and even the whole group as friends really had a natural feel to it.
The music was composed of more emotional slow songs and ballads. Understandable given the context of the drama, but I still really enjoyed them.
It's a great (re)watch and always gave me something to look forward to on the weekends. I hope people out there decide to watch it or at least give it a try.
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The Actors and Actresses were perfect for the role and Lead Actor and Actress was pretty pretty awesome!
Kudos to the whole team and cast!
I'd say, no matter how many times you've seen at watched this,... still you won't get enough of it! You'll definitely would want more!
I'd like to Congratulate everyone for the job well done! This is really the best among the best I've seen so far!
Thank you everyone for your hard work! Keep it up guys! Congratulstions! Cheers!
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This review may contain spoilers
From the first episode up until the last i cried, screamed, laughed and rejoiced with the main characters. every single scene was a masterpiece. Without any spoilers i can say the King 2 Hearts was mind-blowing! i dont know how else to recommend except GO AND WATCH IT NOW!!!! Was this review helpful to you?
Story:
The story is different from anything I'd ever watched. Usually, I'm not a fan of films or dramas set in a historical-like time period, because I tend to find them boring (and yet despite this I have like 3+ dramas of this kind on my 'To Watch' list lol), but the twist in this film made it so much more interesting. A girl agreeing to go work for an heiress under the pretence of helping her, but only to accomplish a plan set by a swindler to take the heiress' money. I mean, that alone got me hooked, but the layers in the story that will be revealed are fantastic.
Cast:
Honestly, a huge kudos to all the actors in this film because they were brilliant at all of their roles. Ha Jeong Woo was a convincing swindler, and honestly the comedic element at times for me. Kim Tae Ri played out her mental battle of acting the part of an honest handmaid and plotting to betray the heiress really well. Jo Jin Woong creeped the fuck out of me. Kim Min Hee made me question my sexuality. I mean, they were all fabulous.
Music:
If you've read my other reviews you might sense a pattern here.... I do not remember the music well lol. Actually, I watched this recently so I do remember bits, but nothing particular. I remember not hating it, so a 7 it is lol.
Overall:
Doesn't start off slow. You will genuinely want to skip parts because of the creep factor (I mean you won't, but the fact that you MIGHT means it's just that great). Kim Min Hee. A def must watch.
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Story:
I decided to watch this after watching season 1 of The Genius. I read in the comments that it was based on this drama, or something along those lines, so figured I'd enjoy the drama as well. I think the story is definitely the greatest aspect. It's interesting and right up my alley; it's a shame that the other elements of the drama prevented me from enjoying it.
Cast:
I don't know if this is the case with all Japanese dramas, but I found the acting weird. Like, I couldn't tell if the point was humour or not, which made it awkward to watch. I didn't know whether to laugh or feel the intensity of the scene. Basically, too awkward for me. The only character I kind of liked was Akiyama (I mean tbf, he was cool), but just not enough to keep watching this show.
Music:
I don't remember any particular tracks.
Overall:
It was just too awkward for to me continue. In all honesty, I hear that once they start playing the games, it's a lot more interesting, so I do feel compelled to continue it. However, not anytime soon, so it shall remain on my 'Dropped' list :(
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Story:
The story, in comparison to other zombie-themed films and series, isn't too unique. An outbreak occurs, pandemonium arises, shit gets real. That being said, that didn't make it boring or predictable, at least in my opinion. They added a few interesting elements to the characteristics of the zombies, which I liked. Also, they didn't try to sugarcoat what was happening, if that makes sense. A zombie apocalypse happens, that means almost nothing should go the characters' way, and the movie really sticks to that.
Cast:
8 points just for Gong Yoo, lol. Idk I love that man. The other cast members were also cool. I liked how the main characters, and even some side-characters, had their own story. It meant that you weren't just rooting for one person, but a group of people, to survive. Major props to the little girl, she is quite the actress considering some of the scenes she had.
Music:
I have such a bad memory when it comes to music lol. That's the only reason why I give it low scores. I don't remember any particular track, although I do remember ominous music, which is quite obvious. Anyway, it wasn't bad, but not good enough for me to recall anything much.
Overall:
Go watch asap. If you liked World War Z, you'll like this.
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Story:
I liked the story because it was different. Yes, there was romance, but it was also about the female lead realising her career goals and working to accomplish them. In fact, I was a bit surprised by how late the romance plot actually began. Also, I liked how it was set at a sports university. The problem I have with YA series set at some sort of school is that they're all quite similar. The fact that the story took place at a sports uni and we got to see the dynamics between different students within that setting made it interesting for me.
Cast:
I loved them! I didn't know any of them, but now I'm a fan of both Lee Sung Kyung and Nam Joo Hyuk! I hope to watch more of their work. I thought Lee Sung's acting was amazing. She really played her character well, and her facial expressions are both humorous and adorable. Nam Joo Hyuk is just as adorable haha, and he definitely gave me the warm fuzzies with his coy grins. Although these two were my favourites, I really liked Lee Joo Young as well. Mostly because I could relate to her character more, she was the voice of reason in their crew lol.
Music:
I watched this a while ago, so I don't particularly remember any of the songs. That's why I gave it a 7. Unlike other dramas like Goblin, whose OST I don't think I could ever forget, I think this OST didn't have any particular stand out songs. Then again, I may just have a terrible memory.
Overall:
Good characters! Good story! Very nice, heart-warming drama to watch! ^^
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Wu Esther was quite adorable and I actually really liked Gong Yi Teng he's adorable but Lee Dino was completely emotionless. Towards the start of the series I thought Dino might actually have something special about him but sadly, he became more and more robotic as the series continued. It was very sad and almost cringe worthy to watch his interactions with Esther. Of course, his character is supposed to be like that but compared to the way other actors portrayed Irie-kun, Dino's version was by far the worst and most disappointing.
Would I watch a series 2? Absolutely, because I have hopes that Dino will bring more to the role. But as a remake I expected much, much more from this version of Itazura na Kiss especially considering how legendary the original was. You'd think they would want to do better in honor of the original series and the fans who loved it.
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