Excellent film and it is incredibly good. Love the cast and the directing.
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I strongly recommend this Japanese Drama. It is excellent 10/10 from me (5 stars out of 5 stars)
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Yoon Kye Sang has to be one of the most underrated actors. This is the second time that I have seen him since Beyond the Clouds and he just blew me away again with the intensity of his performance. Just Outstanding. As for Lee Bum Soo, he always knocks it out of the park every time. What more can I say besides perfection? It was very hard to dislike his character, Gwak Heung Sam. Bum Soo gave so much depth to him that you couldn't help but sympathize with his life story. Now don't get me wrong, understanding turned to hate real quick LOL! but he made it a wonderful ride. Last but not least, Park Won Sang. I have to quote Odilettante, author of the recaps on Dramabeans when she described Won Sang's character, Jong-Gu. "his amazing hair and fabulous cheekbones" He was most certainly that along with being the epitome of good in a place that revolved around so much evil and corruption. This may have been the reason I was fangirling so hard:) In short, Jong-Gu turned out to be the character I invested my time in. He was my main reason for binge watching. The rest of the cast was exceptional. The story couldn't have moved without the awesome acting of each one one the one. The main supporting cast gave plenty of comic relief, tears, anger, revenge, etc etc. They are the ones that made this drama story worth watching.
There is a major complaint that keeps me from giving this drama a 10 rating. It fell a bit short in the rap up of certain character story lines. It doesn't hurt the finale but it would have been good to know what happened to certain characters that had a tremendous impact rather big or small. It's left to your imagination. I think it would have been good to have an extra episode to make it that odd 17 but that's just me being greedy.
The music was good. I gave it a 5 rating. There were only 2 songs that caught my attention but the instrumental for the action segments did them justice. I rarely pay attention to the music unless a vocal song off of the OST catches my attention so the music value will always rate a bit low not because the OST is not good but blame my attention span.
I have yet to rewatch a drama in my 4-5 years of watching Asian Dramas so it's always a 50/50 chance because I have a few on my mind.
I definitely recommend LAST as being one to watch. If you don't watch for anything else, watch it for Lee Bum Soo. That short man can wear a suit:)
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This review may contain spoilers
I don't think I spoil anything but there are potential hints to spoilers. I watched it for the interesting premise (and was looking forward to the dynamic between the main character and her cousin), and I was expecting a fairly high quality movie in all aspects... and was unfortunately disappointed.
The character development was largely abysmal, with the main characters not being really fleshed out into round characters throughout the movie, with the exception of the cousin growing on me (I liked that they tried to get the audience to sympathise with her however there was a point where it seemed almost too far). Several characters have rather cliched story arcs, and the movie itself having parts which were largely predictable.
The story itself was also a little easy to guess, they didn't really go to "new places" or try. I also have issue with the way the movie was filmed - a lot of techniques seemed very unnecessary and didn't add to the story, instead making the viewer extremely aware they were disconnected from the story, which I believe isn't what the director was really trying to do. Perhaps you'll enjoy it a lot more if you go in with an open mind. Overall, it had its enjoyable and comedic and satisfying aspects, but there were too many "flat" characters, not just a few of the main, but also the (relatively) side characters.
The acting was alright and probably one of the stronger points. Some (like imo the main character) weren't good, but to be fair they weren't given that much to work with either.
The music wasn't necessarily bad but some of it seemed really inappropriate and not fitting to the SITUATION.
And I wouldn't rewatch it but I rarely rewatch movies unless they're pretty good or chill so I won't take this too much into account honestly.
Tl;dr: don't go in expecting an award-winning movie. Just chill out, lower your expectations, watch it for the amusement and family drama.
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Set in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan, "Cold Case" follows Yuri Ishikawa (Yo Yoshida) and her team as they try to crack unresolved cold cases.
Drama: Cold Case
Romaji: Korudo Kesu: Shinjitsu no Tobira
Japanese: ?????????????
Director: Takafumi Hatano
Writer: Takahisa Zeze, Yasuhiro Yoshida
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Sidenote i was surprise to google it was Olivia. Same gal in Ode to Joy and When a snail falls in love. Looks so diff with the change in harstyle.
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First, I have very mixed feeling about the lead. I actually liked her in the beginning, but slowly she started to annoy me, and then her character stopped making sense at all. IU was great when if came to flirting with and challenging all the Princes, but once the role became more serious, her acting seemed more and more lacking. Then add to that the fact that the character's actions made no sense, and I could no longer stand her, or her visions. She was a very frustrating character to try to root for.
To me, the real stars are two of the Princes, Prince Hottie (#8) Kang Ha Neul, and Prince Bad@ss (#4) Lee Joon Gi. They are the ones who kept me watching. They were definitely the most complicated of all the characters, and they both had great chemistry with IU in the beginning. Unfortunately, as the story progressed they both went from being complicated characters I could empathize with, to characters that were very hard to defend or like. I know in some ways that this is a tragedy, but leaving me with only characters I don't like left to root for makes it hard to want to keep watching.
There were also some good villain characters, which I can appreciate. One of the worst mom's in the history of dramas, the worst sister, the worst father, and of course the worst brother (or two, or three...), but once almost everyone left seemed to be evil, the villains were a lot less fun to hate. I just started to dislike everyone instead.
That brings me to the story. There were so many characters, and some really great dramatic stories to follow, with a great supporting cast to make it all work. The problem is that after building up each story, where it eventually all lead to was very disappointing. The way characters suddenly completely switched personalities made no sense. The main romances started to feel forced and fake. The tragedy aspect of the story started to get extreme, almost like they threw every terrible thing they could think of in... with even the cute romantic scenes starting to seem rapey. Still I was more frustrated than sad, and also totally confused. The conclusion, and why she was there in the first place seemed thrown together, and I felt cheated. Many of the supporting characters had better plots, and stronger performances, than the lead. It almost seems like a waste of a great ensemble cast.
One good thing was that the soundtrack was good, with a few songs being worthy of my KDrama OST playlist.
Would I watch this again? Probably not, but part of me still remembers what I loved in the beginning, which may be worth revisiting. However, 20 episodes did feel way too long once the story started to fall apart. If I could go back in time I would probably tell myself to watch it again, but with lower expectations, and maybe skipping through most of the last few episodes.
Overall, this is a hard one to recommend unless you are a true sageuk fan, or a fangirl for any of the Princes. Part of me is curious to see what the Chinese version is like, but I doubt I will ever watch it. This was my first time watching 2 on air sageuks, and If I had to choose the best one with "moon" in the title, this one wouldn't be it.
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And I have to be honest and say the story left me feeling very disappointed.
Maybe I'm just stupid, but I didn't get the vibe from this drama that it was going to be the type of story that didn't give you a romantic ending. I watched with bated breath to see which suitor our female lead would ultimately choose, knowing in my heart it had to be her co-worker, because they were so clearly right for each other.
And then she chose no one.
I didn't get it. I didn't understand. The female lead had such strong chemistry and compatibility with her co-worker. They were so clearly in it deep for each other. And she had spent the majority of the drama wishing to find someone she could be with. The trajectory was clear.
What compounded my frustration was how uninterested and uninvested in the other female leads stories and love lives I was. I pushed through their parts of the drama, not because I really cared all that much about what happened to them but in dedication to the main couple. And then at the last minute, the female lead decides she wants to be a 'cool single lady' instead of finally find love?
I didn't invest all that time and energy into the drama for an ending like that.
Blegh, I say. Just blegh.
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I do not include Re-Watch value in the over-all grade of the series, since Re-Watch value is a divided issue on how important it is to determining how good a show is.
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This review may contain spoilers
Lovely, understated movie. All the actors are appealing and play their parts well. It must be very difficult to act an emotionally traumatized role. Not a movie for those looking for a lot of action but well worth viewing if you like well developed characters and a good story. My only slight criticism is that the denouement is a bit too neat - unless we are to understand that manager Sawashiro deliberately picked out a remote unpromising hotel to manage because of past events. Maybe - but it's certainly not spelt out and you need to exercise your imagination pretty hard before you come to that realisation. I can't say more without making a spoiler. Watch it and you'll understand. Would certainly watch again myself. Was this review helpful to you?
Story: It's about a big family of 3 generations and everything that "happens" to them in their life.
Cast: Wang Ji Hye as Yuri - probably the most different portrayal of a character you've seen her play yet lol - most know that she usually plays a snobby rich woman who sometimes lurks on men or is just plain stuck up - but in this drama she is a quirky clumsy delightful fun loving girl who is a bit ignorant and speaks her mind even when she shouldn't lol - I found her character to be adorably cute! She was my 2nd favorite character in the drama (or maybe I should say she was my favorite character by herself - whilst another character was my favorite inside her relationship) ;)
Yoon So Yi as Se Hee - my favorite character inside her relationship with her husband ^^ She is strong and resilient and loves her husband so much - I really enjoyed their relationship and the "turmoil" it went through b/c of a secret - she went to the bottom and rose back up to the top and I love her for that.
Kim Young Hoon as Hyun Woo - my absolute FAVORITE man in this drama - despite his "faults" (and they were BIG) but he was the only character in the drama I could have seen myself marrying - he (despite the wrong) was the most ideal husband. Loving, kind, warm-hearted and very sincere. I loved him and I really enjoyed his relationship with his wife Se Hee ^_^ Best couple of the year award from me!
Jo Han Sun as Se Hyun - He was a decent guy but too cold for my taste but he was a perfect match for Yuri - they were adorable - or maybe I should say she made him adorable? ^^ He was a doctor and followed in his fathers footsteps. His faults were looking down on his siblings even though he cared about them.
Jung Hae In as Se Joon - the maknae of the family and was enjoyable to watch - he was too stubborn and serious at times but I enjoyed seeing his heart get whisked away by a girl :) A guy who dreams about traveling.
Shin So Yool as So Hee - She's a nurse who doesn't trust men and isn't sure if she'll ever marry when she finally decides to go on blind dates - man it was hilarious to watch even though I felt bad for her luck lol - her character was nice and sweet to watch.
Nam Gyu Ri as Na Young - she is a cheerful girl who doesn't have much luck in landing roles in dramas and mostly does modeling work b/c of her mom - she starts hanging out with Se Joon a lot and gets swooped up in the air of love lol
Seo Ji Hye as Ji Sun - She is Na Young's older sister and lost her husband only 15days after marriage and her mother-in-law shortly after (I went into this drama for her but she has very little screen time - I swear she's just a side character). She works as a Teacher (English teacher I think) Lecturer or something - It's hard figuring out all their jobs lol
The grandparents were funny and nice, the aunt was a big mouth but also lonely, Min Ho was a quiet and reserved bear who has a bad drunk habit and who lost his wife and son too soon, Kyung Ho is a very rude hot tempered guy who never learns to be nice to his wife (worst husband material ever) His wife is very put down by him daily, Jae Ho is a doctor and lives with his parents wife and kids (best son of the grandparents) his wife runs the house and is very nice (of course I love all of Kim Hae Sook's character roles lol).
Music: I didn't notice much there was a song or two played here and there that I liked but they weren't part of the actual OST... I mainly liked the funny music that came on when Yuri was on screen lol
Rewatch value: ... I probably won't re-watch this but others may like it more than I did...
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I started watching it because maybe I was bored in this moment with my life, and this drama seemed to be interesting... Actually it was my first ongoing drama - usually I hate this, I need it all and now:) And for this drama wait for a next week was really torture! I also want say, that I'm not a person who likes those heavy dramas and movies, with peope dying or just shows you reality of shitty life...It has to be very good for me to watch something sad! For me watching dramas is the opposite - escaping from reality.. But I also like watch something that gets to your heart and makes you think! And SHR is exactly the case!
Actually it starts very lightly and for a first episodes you feel that you're watching romantic comedy with elements of time travelling and lots of eye candies :) Who wouldn't watch this? :) But even in these moments you can feel a very good story coming! From the start you are intrigued with the characters, especially a 4th prince, of course, who just stilling the show from the very first ( and I would say, very last moment)!
And then, with every coming episode, drama starts to get more serious, but not heavy serious - just ... growing up :) And even if it feels harsh sometimes, you are already so into this, so you don't want to leave it, you're totally addicted and everything just feels right! I think the secret ingredient in SHR, and is the first time I felt it so strong in K drama, is that the characters are portrayed so real, that you start thinking about them as you were know them in a real life! And we are talking about HISTORICAL FANTASY DRAMA! But the characters are so damn real!..
OK, the love story... I don't understand how some people say that there wasn't enough chemistry between them?? Common - have you seen the number of fan fiction and videos in youtube about this couple? And most of them were done before this drama even came to the middle! there can be a lot of opinions about everything, but I think one thing is for sure - the couple with no chemistry would never provoke such a storm and make people literately loose their minds:) I am one of them, so I permite myself to say it :) For me, it was the most powerfull love story, at least in K- drama! Before SHR it wasThe Princess Man, and I still love this drama, and maybe it wins SHR in some points, but the leads in SHR.. just stole it! I mean they are two completely opposites who complete each other in such perfection! Everyone of them has a strong character, totally different, and you can just feel the interaction and how they affect each other, it's just amazing! They look beautiful together, and you also like them apart! Their love is not some cheesy fairy tale, witch I hate, this actually perfect written story about two people starting to know each other,with their flows, they become closer and it takes them some time to get together, but the chemistry is so strong that you can't wait for this! You just have to watch it to see what these two do to you! Prepare for some tears, but you won't regret it! It've been more then two weeks since the drama ended, and I was on the trip, but I am still thinking about them, and when I hear a good love song, they are the first who come to my mind! :)
The overall story - it doesn't give you a minute to rest! Maybe you not realise it in the first episodes, but everything in this drama is very well connected! Nothing happens because it just happens, even the most silly moment, you will find it in deja vu later! Everything will find their closure. It has it all, and in proportions - an action, a drama, a comedy, a romance, a tragedy... Everything has it moment, like in the real life...
And another thing I really liked - you can actually see the characters develope and grow up with the time!
The acting - for me everybody were good in their roles, someones were brilliant, but I want to mention just Lee Jun Ki, who slayed it, killed it, and left all of us on the flour! Wang So is amazing, stunning, attractive, and he is most real of all the characters! I felt so related to him sometimes, with his loneliness, his wish to be loved, and and everything he does, he does to the end-be it love or hate! If he loves you, he will die for you, and if he hates you, you better step aside! :) He is outsider, but not loser, his willpower is amazing, you can see him sad, but never giving up, he starts in the shadows, but finishes overshining them all! Even if it only because of him, this drama is worth watching!
Well, I think, I said enough allready, maybe it was overreacted sometimes, but they are my feelings, I'd say just part of them:) If I'd write my every emotion for this drama, one review won't be enough:)
So, if you looking for a drama with a good story, beautiful scenery, touching love story, some action, some laugh, some tears and tones of emotions, watch Scarlett Heart Ryeo!
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This review may contain spoilers
First, if you are expecting a happy ending, then this movie is not for you. This movie is on a different level. We are so much used to movies or dramas where the MC suffers from memory lost or amnesia, but this one is the other way around. The people around Azusa forgets about her in a couple or hours or just the next day. But Takashi was different, he was able to remember her, until...
(Well I will just let you watch to find out what really happened)
Like I said, it was very different, I don't know if I have encountered or watched a live action drama or movie like this yet. If I may compare it for similar situations, I can say it's from Boku Dake ga Inai Machi. But in Boku Dake, people only forgot about him as a result or consequences for his attempt to change his past. But here, people just forgets her after a day of meeting her, even her family.
I think it is really hard to be in that situation. It is a different story if you're the one who forgets, but how about if you are the one being forgotten? Even your own parents? And even if you try to live on your own and be independent and find a job, how? People might just even forget hiring you.
I still have a lot of questions in my mind right now, asking myself how will I able to surpass that? The last scene gave me a lot of emotions, I can't explain which of this emotions I should really feel. I was on tears, not much, but my heart is crying, for Takashi & Azusa. Like why? They were so sweet in the videos Takashi watched in his laptop. I want to say a lot of that scene, but it would have been spoiler.
The actors did well in their portrayal of the characters, abd the plot is somewhat different, or at least the situation for the lead characters to me, but the flow of the story was just simple and light. It is watchable, at least good enough if you're not the type to always go for happy-ending.
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