Reviews

Status - Dropped: Ep 3
Okay so judge me for not giving this a whole hearted try but it was just too weak for me to carry on any longer.
As far as a watched this wasn't a complete disaster of a drama, it just gave off the feeling that it was a bit amateurish. Starting with the easiest subject, the music seemed muted and cheap. Take the nightclub scene for example: maybe Chinese nightclubs normally play the music quiet enough that you can actually hear people speak, but it just kinda underline the music guy had actually accidentally turned off half the track. The music sounded like cheap stock music you could download from the internet, not particularly impressive and rather repetitive.
The acting.. this show stars a bunch of newbie actors and it showed. Maybe the cliche and corny script didn't give them any favours either, but it just seemed to be rather weak acting. Don't get me started on the female lead. Not only did her train of thought seem to be very much padded in cotton wool but any noise she made which was not a word sounded like some sort of meek and mild erotica.. but then again the other lady who died also moaned like she was enjoying the pleasures of life... I think the sound effects general where terrible. In episode three a guy gets killed and he legit makes a squeaky toy noise, I cracked up for the rest of the episode.
I can't give a riveting review as I could not finish this drama, however I felt I should at least give the reasons of why I thought it was not very good and give a review up till where I ended. I'm sure a lot of effort was put into the making of this drama however my impression up till the point i dropped it was that this drama just felt weak. If you're into pansy female leads and weird obsessive vampires, allied up in a questionable plot line, this could be the drama for you!

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I have mixed feelings towards this show.
I think it is still one of the best live action out there but I can't bring myself to love it.
I have no problem with it overall.
The characterization is good. The actors does not only really fits the anime/manga characters but they are all good in acting too!
The music was on point. Unlike some production where the viewers hardly pay attention to the music, the show's music manages to make the viewers notice and appreciate it's value to every scene.
As for the story, it was good. I was open-minded to the plot's changes. I didn't mind the inconsistency it has with the original manga/anime story. I was even willing to let go the difference I noticed in the matches.
What makes me stop from loving this adaptation was how they portray Chihaya in the first part. The Chihaya I know and love would not do something like that. She would never be that selfish and narrow-minded. The Chihaya I know is greedy at fault. She want everything (win the team compitition, make Taichi an A-class, recruit new members, win each class individual matches, and more). I cannot bring myself to accept what happen at the first part that I was watching with poker watch the whole time (excet for the part of Tachi and Chihaya's EPIC high five.. I mean that seriously was a game changer!)

Anyway, it was worth the watch.
Since the beginning I have been shipping Chihaya-Tachi and Arata-Shinobu and with the chemistry I felt with the actors, I felt my ship getting stronger.. XD

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I started this drama like, I don't know, at the beginning of last year. Didn't really pull me in, then again at the time I had only just entered the world of asian dramas so I was multitasking the crap out of everything. I watched 20 minutes, thought 'meh, not really my style' and left it.

Holy mother Mary did I make a MISTAKE. This drama has emotionally killed me. Repeatedly. In a very violent manner. Let me tell you why.

Story:

One man has the hand of 'God', which can heal any illness or wound. Another has the hand of the 'Devil', which can kill with a single touch. What the real kicker here is that the ones who have the 'God' and 'Devil' hands are polar opposites of what they bestow. Think of it this way, Moriarty has the 'God' hand, while John Watson has the 'Devil' hand.

Seems like one big cosmic joke, doesn't it?

The show amazingly questions and answers morals of killing and healing. It shows the way power corrupts even the most innocent of people when offered the chance of life. I was often left with my jaw hanging on the floor at some parts. This show is so dark. I love it.

Acting/Cast:

Everyone did a brilliant job of portraying their respective characters, but the two male leads stood out.

Takizawa Hideaki especially nailed his character's detached way of looking at things and his twisted view on saving lives.

Music:

The music suited the drama so much, there wasn't an off moment.

Rewatch Value:

Maybe after a while, but definitely worth the rewatch.

Overall:

I cannot believe I found this drama dull the first time I saw it. Blasphemy! This has easily been added to my favorite drama list.

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IF YOU READ NOTHING ELSE: I can't put into words how taken aback I was by this drama. What put me off about this drama was the sports aspect, but don't let that stop you from watching this drama; there's so much more to it than that.

Summary: It had the perfect amount of sweet innocence of a first romance and inspiration to keep you coming back for more. The thing I loved about this drama was how relatable and applicable it is to the female audience, even though I'm sure not even 1% of the watchers were weightlifters.

[Side Note: I'm so sad this show had so much competition with other more popular dramas that garnered all the attention--Goblin and The Legend of the Blue Sea. I wish I had watched this sooner!]

+/- Plot:
The first few episodes of this drama are similar to most school dramas (the pervert, the mean girls, etc.), but don't let those be the deciding factors of continuing. This "school drama" is nothing like any other drama I've seen before. There was not a moment when I thought the writers were dragging the storyline or questioning the direction of the show. I don't think there's a thing I would change about it, and I can't tell you how many times I actually laughed out loud. My goodness, I can't express in words how cute the duo were as their friendship blossomed...?!
The themes throughout this drama were so relatable and were what made this drama so wonderful. The writers highlighted Bok Joo's struggle to find her identity as a woman and an individual, gaining self-esteem and confidence, and the importance of family and friends. I loved that even though Kim Bok Joo was a little eccentric, the writers still made her completely relatable to all maturing girls.
My favorite part of watching this show was seeing how the characters grew and developed. There really was something to learn from every character as they each dealt with their own struggles.

+/- Acting/Cast:
?????. Literally everyone in this show was so lovable, even if you were determined to dislike a character there was still someway you sympathized with them and some aspect that you fell in love with. And since I loved every single person I will only mention the main characters.
Lee Sung Kyung: She may be one of the most underrated up-and-coming actresses; in all of the roles I've seen her in (Cheese in the Trap and Doctors), I thought she did an excellent job. She portrayed Bok Joo's warm character impeccably. In all the ups and downs, the silly, cute, and loving moments, etc. there was not a moment that I questioned her character and acting abilities. From what I heard in an interview, she suffered from mild depression due to the weight gain for the role. However, I think she took those emotions and welded them into the character perfectly and am thoroughly impressed by all of her hard work.
Nam Joo Hyuk: I could literally fan girl about Joon Hyung, but I'll keep it to the bare minimum (those abs!!!!). Moving on to his actual acting, I was swept off of my feet. And, while I admit I'm an easy target for almost all main male characters, I couldn't believe how sweet and thoughtful Joon Hyung was. Joo Hyuk added the perfect amount of smirk to his jesting and teasing to make your heart flutter and fall for his charms. He played the character with confidence and I was really touched towards the end of the show. That's when I feel like his acting abilities were at its peak, he portrayed the struggles convincingly and that's what I loved.
And a special shout out to Bok Joo's two besties! Together, the trio were so cool and totally #squadgoals. SWAG!

+/- Music:
This soundtrack is perfect for this drama, every song is just as sweet and happy as this drama. It's like listening to a spring day--warm and reminiscent.
While this isn't part of the music, I have to make a shout out to all of the wonderful sound effects, my favorite was the "WHAAAATTTT???" every time there was something surprising.

Rewatch Value: This drama was such a feel good drama and I'm so sad to see it end. It's one of those that you can't seem to let go of. You know one of those you get slightly depressed that there will never be another drama that can fill the empty place in your heart? I will definitely be back to watch this show again.

[Side Note: I absolutely loved all of the references to other dramas and the character's they played. I thought it was a super cute touch added.]

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Although I personally do not like when Dramas or Movies do not follow the book from which thier scripts were adapted, in the General and I, I can make that exception. I surprised myself for actually seeing this entire drama through despite its slow beginning. Yes, some of the special effects were cheesy and a few actors really needed to improve their acting skills but overall, I actually enjoyed it.

I thought the chemistry between the two leads was very good and well directed. WC know how to use facial expressions especially his eyes to convey a lot of his emotions. Loved the costumes but not too keen about Ping Ting's. Her character wore the same type all the time and I had a hard time imaging her going through the forest as if she a bride on her way to a western wedding. Angelbaby got better as the series progressed. I do feel though that like the book, Chu bei ji should have been the one to seriously wound his adversary after all, he was known as the God of War. The ending could have been developed more with more of the characters present after all the drama that took place. Some of the flashback could have been shortened.

Overall, I can look at this series again and I have. But, if you think it will be like the novel then do not disappoint yourself. It has taken different elements from the novel and made a series that stands alone on its own. Looking forward to seeing the leads together in other works.

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okay I have to say that the concept of the drama is pretty unusual and kinda refreshing to see older lead, although I had a major problem during this and I don't know if I'm the only one, which is I didn't like how she was falling for someone as her grandson age.. now don't get me wrong I don't mind the age gap but I think this could be a bit too much..
and also I could get pass through that if things in the end wasn't as it was!
for me I wished if they changed that a bit.. and I couldn't get why did they made her older than the manga?

but other than that the drama is pretty innocent and sweet, it's very light and enjoyable to watch
I liked all the cast they're all awesome specially Rei >

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The Prince of Lan Ling is an excellent historical drama about a real life beautiful military man who ended up a legend because of his military acumen...and a dance that actually ended up being adapted by the Japanese (or so Wikipedia told me). The female character is entirely fictional I believe.

Pros:

The story is fast moving and solid with well developed secondary characters.

The actors are solid; every single one. There is no weak link.

The second male lead is one of my favorites of all time. Love how that story evolved.

Girl is spunky and doesn't take a lot of grief from anyone through most of the drama.

Chemistry is great with the two leads. I still think this is one of my favorite performances by Feng Shao Feng and the hair...love the hair.


Cons:

They did spend time developing the character of the standard psycho woman that we see in these dramas, which I appreciated. However, I think too much focus on that character slowed down the story and truthfully, I'm kind of over the crazy crazy women in these dramas.

A lot happens in this drama, and occasionally the story is a bit contrived/silly but I think for the episode count, it is still better than most.

Trope-wise, there is some noble idiocy...more than once.

It's not really a pro or con, but I thought the ending could have come together a little better.

Overall, I highly recommend this drama, and I do think it is a cut above a lot of the historicals. I think that this perhaps was produced by a Taiwanese company...not really sure, but it doesn't appear to be dubbed so I also think this is a plus. Generally, I don't re-watch some of these longer dramas, but I've actually checked this one out again.

One final note: for anyone experienced, you will know that spoilers abound in the beginning and ending music of these dramas. Watch the beginning if you must, but there are spoilers to end ALL spoilers in the ending music. It's a great song, but I promise you, you will regret watching it because there are HUGE HUGE spoilers in it. I mean, I can't believe they did it and still don't know what they were thinking.

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I needed a few days to rest my soul to write this review objectively as much as possible , because I swear, this drama is everything.

First things first, I'm not going to say I'm an expert on kdramas nor I've seen 100+ kdramas, so, take this from the newbie.

Reply 1988 just got a big big place in my heart. In fact, I watched the first two episodes and then held it for a month, not because they were bad, but because I was used to other kind of dramas, dramas with a lot of romance and illogical and ridiculous moments, I was not prepared for this realistic and slice of life (but still funny) kind of the dramas, but thank God I made the right decision.

The best thing (in a lot of EXCELLENT things): the characters ... they are so real and human, with flaws and good things.
In one hand there are these five main characters, who are teenagers experiencing their first love, living their youth and going through what life really is; and believe me, you will love them all. There are no good or bad characters, there are only humans (human teenagers). I thought it would be a problem with so many characters, but the drama manages to give them all protagonism, although one more than others.

On the other hand, there are secondary characters that do not lose in charisma and depth, who are basically the family of the teens, parents and brothers / sisters that made me fall in love, they are all so funny that I really can not believe that characters around their 50s made me pee in my pants of how funny they were, but above all, they were also human.

The plot is not the usual as we are accustomed to see: the characters are not trying to solve the mystery or defeat the bad man, it simply follows the life of a group of neighbors struggling through life, and this is one of the most amazing things: it may seem simple, but it makes you feel so many things. You cry, you laugh, and well, you also learn.

After finishing this drama, it gave me a feeling of nostalgia, and made me realize that life passes quickly and although I am in my twenties, I feel as if I already wasted it.

The bad: after thinking a lot, I would say the worst of the drama were the last episodes, they were so fast and they missed that special thing, the essence of the drama that made it extraordinary. I can not say they were bad-bad, they were just meh, they give me the feeling of losing the characters even before the drama ended, but to be honest, at that point you are madly in love with the story that it not longer matters If they are awful, you only keep going.

OOHHH, the other bad thing: will I ever get over the perfection of R88? I already tried with R97 (yes, I saw it in the wrong order) but i can't even compare them. My heart is tearing apart at the thought of not finding something as good as this in a long long time.

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Healer. Wow. This drama has been on my "To be watched" list for a long time, and it kept just being something I didn't want to start. Then I started watching The K2, which also stars the ridiculously charming (no, seriously, it's criminal how charming this man is) Ji Chang Wook. Unfortunately, just about every single character I encountered in six episodes I've seen so far of The K2 has been despicable. Which is not to say that it isn't a fine show, just that I can only take so many doses before I have to walk away for a while. Contrary to that, Healer is filled with delightful characters that really inspired me to care about what was happening to them. Did I mention that Ji Chang Wook is inhumanly charming? He embodies the character of Healer, a "night courier" who does shady work for high pay. It also has Park Min Young as the spunky girl reporter with a mysterious past (well, to be fair, most everyone in this show has a mysterious past) with whom he falls in love. This one is a lot of action, a lot of political drama, some family drama, and a bit of lovely romance thrown in to season it all with hope. Ji Chang Wook is a joy to watch in action scenes. And non actions scenes. And gratuitous shirt-less scenes. And cute falling in love scenes. And hot kissing scenes. And outraged black-hat-turns-white-hat (though really he was always more of a grey hat than a black hat) scenes. And devastating emotional loss scenes. He'd probably be a joy to watch in reading the phone book out loud scenes, truthfully. Throw into the mix Yoo Ji Tae as the intrepid, famous, successful investigative reporter and add some truly outstanding supporting cast members, such as the ever versatile Kim Mi Kyung as Healer's hacker ahjumma, and the outcome is a very engaging race to the finish line.

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After reading the reviews and seeing this drama literally everywhere, I decided to give it a go. To be honest, I had pretty low expectations from the first few episodes, but the series got better and better.
The main lead chemistry was unbelievable, but I still think that the 2nd lead love story was more interesting and I was rooting for them every episode. Also, the bromance! My god, they are adorable!
Can't get enough of every character on this show, especially the doctors and how unique every one of them are. Would love to see this series on television everywhere in the world because it definitely deserves all of the praise that it gets!

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