I liked the length of this drama; it wasn't too short nor was it too long. It seems more and more I tend to drift towards J-dramas because they're shorter than K-dramas and there's usually not too many "filler" episodes.
The characters were great! I really cared about them, although there were a couple of them were kind of annoying.
I also prefer "adult" romantic dramas over "school" dramas, so again this was a great drama in that respect.
One of the best things about this drama was that it kept me guessing. I couldn't figure out who Sakura was going to choose until the very end...this is so rare with most dramas.
Finally, the ending was perfect. It didn't leave me disappointed or wishing I hadn't wasted my time.
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After Love me, if you dare I was very excited for this drama. Not only because of the story but also because of Wang Kai. He is my favourite Chinese Actor, so it was a must to watch this drama.
Story: I like the story because it is a mix of crime, action and romance. This was an aspect for me to watch the drama. When I was watching I liked it even more...but why is the story not a 10? Because there is something I didn't like. It is the problem, which many chinese dramas have. The problem I mean is, that many chinese dramas are too draggy. When a Snail falls in Love is a very good drama and at the beginning it was promising. But there are some things I don't understand. I don't know the ending of the novel but I know the Ending of anothter Ding Mo novel (and there was a clear ending). I can live with cliffhangers at the end of every episode, but I don't like cliffhangers at the end of the last episode. Why can't Dramas have a clear ending? That is one of the problem of WaSfiL. I can't compare the drama adaption with the novel, but what I heart was, that there are some things missing. In my opinion there are some thing which are not clear. For example the viewer don't know how much time is between some scenes. I wish that they would have written it on the screen. And the episodes are too short. Maybe they should have had 45 Minutes or more than 21 Episodes.
This are the Main Reasons why I rated this drama not so high like Love me if you dare.
Acting: Like I wrote above, I am a big fan of Wang Kai. His performance in Love me, if you dare was excellent. And I liked him in Ode to Joy very much. So i was very excited for his performance as the male Lead. And he didn't disappoint me as the police officer Ji Bai. Captain Ji is a silent, attractive and smart person. Maybe a little bit arrogant in the beginning. But after he realises that Xu Xu isn't a normal psychologist, his personality in front of her changes. In my opinion (and after watching Wang Kai as a police officer twice) the performance of Wang Kai as an police officer is very good.
Wang Olivia as Xu Xu was very good, too. Honestly, in Ode to Joy I didn't liked her character, but her acting as Xu Xu, a snail like psychologist who falls in love for the first time is very good. Xu Xu and Ji Bai are a beautiful couple. They understand each other, they know each other and they know what the other of them is thinking. The chemistry is very good and I like the two of them together very much.
The supporting characters were very good, too. So I think I will check out more of their dramas. If it were not for the Acting skills of the Actors and Actresses I wouldn't rate this drama with a 9. But the Actors rescued it with the amazing performance.
Music: The Music is good. I like the opening theme very much and the Music which is played during the episodes ist good, too.
Rewatch Value: I don't know. Maybe, because the episodes are not an hour long, but it depends on my mood.
I would recommend it, if you didn't read the novel yet. Maybe is it better to read the novel after you watched the drama.
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The Story: Its a slice of life drama revolving around 5 twenty-something girls. I was pleasantly surprised by how relatable and realistic it was. And for a person who often googles "Realistic drama/manga/novel" you have nooo idea how pleased I was. I caught myself thinking " That is so me" many a times while watching AOY.
Here are some quotes from the drama to give you an idea of what a gem it is:
“Every time I have to face new situations, I have a nightmare. To me, new things make me anxious rather than excited.”
“Everyone has their own circumstances to deal with. And until you know the circumstances they’re in, you can’t tell people how to live their lives. I’m sure you have something like that about you, too. Something that others can’t understand about you, but you can’t help. That’s why you can’t judge people willy-nilly…”
The cast: Though I'm a bit biased towards crazy Ji Won, the entire cast did a phenomenal job and it's as if they were meant for their roles. Perfection!
Music: Butterfly!!!!
Rewatch value: This drama will never get old.
Overall: Brilliant. Praying for a season 2! Puh-leeeeeeeeeeeease!
Similar dramas: Reply 1988.
And that is all folks. Hope this review was helpful. Sooo, if you haven't watched this already, watch it NOW. Like right now....go on. Now!!
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Very typical/ classical, but it goes beyond that and asks some existential questions too...
I couldn't find all of the episodes subbed so I'm not sure if I understood it correctly.
The story starts with a young man being falsely accused of an attack, and a lawyer trying to help him. There is love too, and the drama depicts beautifully how the abandoned young people of the 90s were living. How you can be accused without being guilty only because you did something in the past.
It's not the best drama out there, but it's fun to watch.. And I think it has a lot of cliches, but probably because others drama were inspired by the story which isn't very innovative in itself either- but it's like a mix of everything you'd want in a drama. Even romance lovers would be able to watch it and be happy, suspense-action lovers too...
As for the music, there is a beautiful version of polyushka polye sang by origa that comes every episodes. It's a very beautiful songs and it fits the drama.
As for the rewatch value... Well, the acting was superb, and I'd probably watch it again if I could find the subs, or only to be sure I understood correctly everything. Maybe there was some plot holes too, but I can't be sure because of that...
This drama is a typical Japanese drama from the end of the 90s. You're immediately put in an ambiance from that time.
If you're a Japanese drama -young people's life- lover, it's a must-watch. Go watch it!
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The continuity of plot is almost amazing, not only presenting lives of Jimmy and Cherie, but also their friends and families. Puns and jokes are still in place, though the basic knowledge of Mainland and Cantonese popculture would definitely help.
Though it no longer revolves around the problem of smoking bans, the main story remains brilliantly written. Don't even get me started on the fantastic soundtrack. And the ending with the mysterious video revealed is a masterpiece. It leaves me wanting more. Both movies are on my instant rewatch list, and so they should.
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A beautiful, heartwarming drama that was able to do so much in only 3 episodes. Amazing. Page Turner was funny, sweet, emotional and it conveyed so much feeling and depth to me. The end had me smiling while crying, which is weird because I don't usually do the two together.
The characters were really great since each was different but in some way they were relatable (at least, to me they were). At first I was kind of annoyed at the main girl but I didn't hate her, but after a while I managed to understand her and even admire her. Cha Shik (sorry for spelling mistakes) was funny but also determined and energetic which I really liked, and the actor did a great job of naturally portraying this character.
The ending was nice, though I wanted just a tiny bit more. It was definitely a good ending compared to others (many) I've watched, but I feel like the directors (or whoever) should have just added a bit more of the story to completely wrap it up. Of course I understand that this is a 3 episode drama so it's totally fine with me.
I'd recommend this to anyone who wants to watch a short, funny and heartwarming drama as a break from those long and dramatic shows.
If you're going to give it a go, then do enjoy!
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Story: The plot was excellent, though in the first few episode, I found it boring and kind of predictable. But each cases were getting better and better. There was a mystery in a mystery. I mean, when you already thought they already resolved the case (and you'll be even think that you also made the right conclusion), there comes up another incident that will screw up every deductions that were made. What I also love in the story is how they relate the past incident to the present just to make it justifiable for these kids to handle and keeps on showing up on the crime to resolve it.
Acting/Cast: Casting was perfect. Each of them portrayed well the characters assigned to them. And I was glad that I am able to see Kamiki Ryonosuke as a protagonist and not as a villain. But I am not giving a perfect 10 to this as it seems that they are still conscious with the way they act. There were also scenes in which one of them was delivering the script and everyone was just awkwardly standing and looking. LOL. But the antagonists played very well and effective. Yeah, I really want to punch them on their faces ( especially Cerberus).
Music: I love the opening and the ending song. :) As for the SFX, I am expecting those sounds that will definitely annoy the hell out of me. I mean, sounds that will annoying 'cause it will add up on the tension of the current scene.
Rewatch value: This is a worth watching again, especially if you thought you missed a detail on how the case have been resolved. :)
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As it sounds, it's filled with expected situations: misunderstandings, girls hating the lead because two of the guys who are into her are from a "top 3 most handsome" in the whole school, the male lead hurting her because he "doesn't know how to express his feelings" and "he wants to protect her", the female lead losing a lot of her character once she starts having feelings for him. You know, that questionably somewhat toxic relationship dynamic that, if you're anything like me, makes you wonder why you're doing this to yourself again. There's also a situation between Uehara, the male lead, and his brother and said brother's girlfriend, much like in Please Love the Useless Me, but here it goes around in circles rather than really helping the development of the character. Actually, a lot of the things that happen go around in circles, the same situations happening over and over and the amount of episodes seeming too long for this story. But, like I said, it's not the worst I've seen, not even this year, so there's that.
The bunch of friends Nao, the female lead, acquires and has by her side make the story a bit more worthwhile: her unconditional friend Marina (played by Arai Moe), who is more upset about her friend not trusting her than about boy competitions and is openly interested in both boys and girls without batting an eyelash about it, the well-intentioned yet pretty clumsy Jun (played by Nagasawa Koya) who is rejected by girls on a daily basis yet doesn't become enraged or vengeful at all for it, and my favorite character, Nozomi Kitaura (played by Tezuka Mai), a "Girl Prince" type who isn't really there to become part of the love pentacle situation and offers a tough female perspective to the whole thing, giving a short but extremely memorable speech to Uehara at one point in defense of Nao's situation as a girl and calls him out for thinking that, as a man, he understands her position. Those characters are worth me giving this drama a higher score than I gave to Happy Marriage, although they aren't as prominent in the show for me to give it a higher score than the one I gave to Please Love The Useless Me. All in all, it's passable yet annoying at times, the performances are generally good and it is visually nice looking, plus, it's on Netflix.
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what a pity!
Jang Hyuk plays an academically brilliant yet emotionally defunct neurosurgeon who’s unable to feel emotions as a result of a frontal lobe injury, but that all starts to change as a murder mystery unfolds at the hospital.
The scenario is intriguing, creative and wonderful, the theme and atmosphere are well founded, we feel thoroughly in history. The game of characters is extraordinary and well mastered, especially for Jang Hyung, who embodied his role perfectly. I forgot the whole time that it's NOT actually a emotionally defunct person but just an actor xD
I love everything related to medical stuff, but it's not the only thing that made FALL IN LOVE with this drama!
Even the romance in this drama is light and very significant.. No dirt scenes, no stupidities..
It is really too bad it was cut short! but the writer managed to pull most plot lines together in ways that worked. I'm still shaking from the beauty of this drama!
N.B. : I have read Frankenstein but I don't find any BIG reference to it here.. bot a bad thing thing, though, because it was for me a huge surprise and a new thing to discover!
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The plot has been amazingly put together. There were no loose ends and the ending was simply beautiful. Everything flowed together and what really helped was that even though it was two very very common plots put together (rich guy, average girl and the marriage contract) you couldn't see each on its own because they were both seamlessly weaved. I'm not sure if that makes sense but I'll move on to the actors and characters now :)
The acting was SPLENDID. Absolutely amazing. The actors really helped bring the characters to life and allowed the beauty of each one to show through. The truth is, when I started the drama there were so many people saying that the male lead was so old and all, and that was kind of in my mind when watching the first few minutes but after that I was able to see him not as the actor but rather as Ji Hoon and that's what really made me love the show.
I loved Hye Soo. Honestly I just loved her from the bottom of my heart. She is such a beautiful person and the actress just made this beauty glow like a thousand stars. A lot of the time, female leads in K-dramas are not my favourite. Even though they might not be annoying or clingy, I don't exactly like them. but Hye Soo was a completely different story. She was kind and caring but not naive, and there was this aura around her that just had me captivated from the start. Maybe it was the way she was around her daughter but she was just a gem, truly. And even though she cried quite a number of times, it wasn't annoying and didn't make her look so vulnerable. Her crying made me want to cry, and I did. This review is taking too long so I'll cut it short.
All the other characters were also so great. I can't believe I'm saying this and right now I'm laughing because obviously the antagonist is very evil and unlikable, right? This is all owed to the plot and the actors who made my day (since I watched it in a day ;))
I recommend this to everyone because I think many people would enjoy this. The ending is totally satisfying and beautiful. That's all I can say. So if you're going to give MC a go, then have fun because you most definitely will and enjoy!
PS. Excuse any mistakes since this is my first review.
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This review may contain spoilers
Do not watch this drama thinking it will be like Prince of Lan Ling. That drama is focused on Lan Ling King himself while this drama is like part-fantasy of both kingdoms and who will conquer the world once they unlock the secret using the mirror and sword (forgot their names), and the female lead's love life.This drama started out quite interesting but after she met Lanling King, I think the plot became really repetitive. She became really indecisive between both men and went back and forth several times, which I thought was really unnecessary. They could have cut that down a bit so the drama wouldn't be so lengthy, too. Beware, this drama starts out *very* cliche and unrealistic. Just a warning, both love-lines are pretty cruel romances and the sweet moments don't last long.
As for the characters, you have the typical cold-hearted main male lead (Yu Wenyong) who slowly warms up and is very protective, and you have the typical kind second male lead (Lanling King) who's always there to save the day. The main female lead is also the typical girl who doesn't lose to anyone easily and plays around to annoy you. Yu Wenyong has quick character development, followed by the main female lead; however, I didn't see much development for Lanling King. Going on a tangent, I think Lanling King's role was poorly written in this drama because he's known for being smart and strategic, but here he seems to be weak in planning and always listens to whatever everyone else suggests. He doesn't have a stance and can't do anything on his own will.
The acting was alright overall. I think some crying scenes were a bit forced and cringe-worthy, but otherwise it was bearable. Nothing was super unnatural or out of frame. The music is very nice and suits the scenes. There's pretty much just the opening theme and ending theme; the former used more with Yu Wenyong and the latter used primarily with Lanling King--it's like their personal songs. Overall, I personally like Yu Wenyong more so if I were to rewatch, I would just skip to his scenes because it's really heartwarming to see a cold playboy turn into a loving and protective man.
TLDR; This drama is watchable but does get long and draggy in the middle. There were lots of unnecessary parts of the plot and cliches, but I think it is still a pretty good watch. This drama is definitely not for you if you want to see the female lead end up with one guy quick (because she's wishy-washy).
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Now, I know 41 episode might scare you away, HOWEVER, it was really well formulated and the scriptwriters did a great job at making each episodes exciting and entertaining. I wasn't bored at all during it (which sometimes did happen with others dramas this long). Most of the scenes were relevant to development of the story, and keeps you at the edge of your seat.
What I really liked about this drama was the whole development of each character, how they grew throughout the story and the changes that they experienced. The interaction between characters was also great to see!
I have to give kuddos to the production team, LOVED the sets and all the different outfits! Really felt like i just jumped back in time into the republican area.
I definitely recommend this drama! It is really entertaining and has a great plot, not to mention all the great actors in it! Give it a try, you won't regret it!
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The pairing is a little weird in my opinion and I don't think they had any chemistry at all. I guess that's one of the main handicaps in the story. I actually had a strong case of second male lead in this one, to be honest. In fact, there are many other more interesting and funnier couples in the drama, like Kwak Dong Yeon/Han Joo Hyeon, or Seo Dong Won/Jung Shi Ah. These two were really funny and I actually enjoyed Seo Dong Won's performance a lot.
Also, I liked AOA Mina's performance. I admit I don't usually expect much from idols's acting, but I think her role suited her and she was funny.
I think the drama is overall well casted.
One of the strongest points of the drama, in my opinion, are the female characters. They are pretty unusual female characters for a drama: a single mom, a swindler, an ex-unfaithful girlfriend, an idol... even a non-Asian wife. Even if in the end the same usual clichés end up resurfacing in the plot, and Han Bo Reum's character, for example, becomes the typical annoying second female lead.
Also I found the plot original for a drama, and I appreciate that it's not set in Seoul, for a change, and that it doesn't involve the typical chaebol/working class hero or heroine romance/s.
The humour... well it might not be everybody's taste, since it's a bit coarse at times, but it's pretty funny all in all.
As for the soundtrack, I don't usually like it when dramas use cuts from non-Korean songs, because they overuse the same songs drama after drama. It sounds too patched up to me. I prefer it when soundtracks are original and recorded purposely for the drama. I understand that at times they wanted to create an especific atmosphere since the plot is about a rock band, but either way, the choices could be much more original.
The plot development is sometimes uneven and it doesn't focus too much in romance, but either way it's an endearing story with quite endearing characters and I recommend it.
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