Completed
Koe Koi
6 people found this review helpful
Oct 4, 2016
12 of 12 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 7.5
Story 7.5
Acting/Cast 8.5
Music 9.5
Rewatch Value 8.0
Koe koi aka voice love is a drama based on a shojo manga with the same name. The drama moves around a high school girl (yuiko) who gets sick one day and stays in bed, she gets a call from the class president (matsubara) and she gets attracted to his kind and gentle voice , when she goes to school there is something fishy since she can't see his face, he is wearing a paper bag xD
Ryosei Ryo and sakurada dori are part of the cast, I found that cute because they both were acting in the movie orange too.
The drama is a typical shojo adaptation but this one was so heartlifting and pure that I had to give it a good rating, the acting was good and emotions were clearly presented by the cast, even the paper bag senpai, while the good thing about the drama is that it will engage you in the story and you'll want to know the reasons behind why we can't see his face , so you'll watch it till the end.
The ending was sweet and satisfying even though I feel like a huge idiot but I liked the overall feeling.
It's 25 minutes x 12 episodes totally worth it
7.3/10 the shampoo rates
http://kissasian.com/Drama/Koe-Koi

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Completed
Majo no Jouken
5 people found this review helpful
by Rissa
Oct 3, 2016
11 of 11 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 5.0
Story 4.0
Acting/Cast 8.0
Music 9.0
Rewatch Value 2.0
Before I start this review, I must say I love shows, movies, animes, mangas, books, etc that involve teacher student relationships or any type of relationship that involves ages gaps or things that would be considered taboo, so you knew I was eager to watch this show but it ended up disappointing. It's not a bad show but it could of been way better!
Before I talk about the problems with the show, I want to discuss the good. At the end of each episode I was always wondering "Oh my god! What will happen next!", the fact it had my eyes glued to screen means it was doing something right. I was never bored. The acting was on point! The actors were really convincing with the characters that they were trying to portray, and please don't get me started on the soundtrack the music left ear worms in my ears and really did suit the theme of the show.
Now let's get into what's wrong with the show. The first thing the bugs me about this show has to be how I can really see how hard the actors are trying and see that some effort went into this, but I can't ignore some of the issues this show has.
I couldn't stand the teacher in the show because she was soo stupid if you ask me! If she is soo uncertain of her love for her boyfriend why is she with him? Why did she accept his proposal in the first place? If she doesn't like the pressure her father is giving her, why not move out? She is clearly an adult who has a career she can totally leave! Also a lot of the crap that came out of her mouth and a lot of the things she does is stupid, irresponsible, and down right questionable! I wish I could say what those things were but that would be spoiling the show, which is a no,no!
Another problem I had has to be how the chemistry between this teacher, student couple felt kinda forced and rushed. Another problem I had with their relationship was how unrealistic and dumb they were in that relationship. They did the worst possible and dumbest things anyone in their situation could do. The story wouldn't of been so heart-wrenching if the couple had been smarter about their relationship. I was face palming at almost every episode because I was confused by this couple.
And the amount of whining this couple did about their lives was annoying! It's like some of their non relationship problems they were facing weren't all that bad and were problems some people wished they had! Watching people who are good looking and living privileged lives complain about their lives is annoying to sit through!
I wish I could give this show a higher rating but this couple annoyed me to the core. This show was entertaining but made me want to rip my hair out. I don't know how a show could have good moments and be very entertaining but make me angry at the same time, which kills me because this show could of been much better.

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Completed
The Doll Master
0 people found this review helpful
Oct 3, 2016
Completed 0
Overall 7.0
Story 8.0
Acting/Cast 5.5
Music 1.0
Rewatch Value 3.5
To be quite honest, even though this movie is marketed as one in the horror genre, you will not find too much horror here. Granted, while there were a few jumpscares and borderline gruesome moments, this movie lacked the right mix of elements to make it truly scary.

For example, the music is usually a key part in horror films, it keeps the suspense up and to keep to nerves on edge. Silence can also be a powerful tool, but they opted for more silence than any music which I personally find sad.

The best thing about this film was its storyline. It had so much potential, the story was very much like a fairytale and had a similar feel to the stories that have been written by the Brother's Grimm or Hans Christian Anderson. (In my personal opinion.)
I felt so much for the character Minna, she was truly a likable character, but the story lacked proper execution, which caused a lack of feelings and a sense of detachment from most of the characters. Which can either be seen as good because of certain deaths or bad as it didn't leave enough of an emotional impact for it to be scary or to cause the viewer to be worried about which character is in danger next.

When you mix several lacking elements with mediocre acting and scenes that are trying way too hard to be scary, you end up with a film that has an interesting storyline but leaves you unimpressed and detached. Usually you feel a sense of relief as a horror movie ends; knowing the character has successfully conquered the horrible experienses or it ends leaving questions and suspense causing you to question what would happen next; imprinting the movie into your memory.

Sadly, this movie is one I will most likely soon forget.
I wouldn't necessarily say it was a waste of time, it was lighter for those who can't handle full blown horror, but I will never recommend this movie to anyone who is a fan of the genre of horror.

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Completed
That Winter, the Wind Blows
0 people found this review helpful
Oct 3, 2016
16 of 16 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 9.5
Story 9.0
Acting/Cast 10
Music 10
Rewatch Value 9.0
Another superb acting from Jo In Sung. And Song Hye Kyo did a great job playing a blind character. The end was quite confusing to me but what made it good was that it kind of gave me my own conclusion as to how the story ended. The cinematography was outstanding and the score was perfect. I loved the symphony and the orchestra playing on the background. There are lots of surprises in this story.
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Completed
What Happened in Bali
4 people found this review helpful
Oct 3, 2016
20 of 20 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 9.5
Story 10
Acting/Cast 10
Music 8.0
Rewatch Value 9.0
Memories of Bali is quite an interesting story. For me it was like a love story gone wrong. The 4 main characters was vulnerable. Fear, doubts, insecurities played a big role in each character.

Personally, I can relate to Jung Jae Min's character. He was the kind of person who was passionate yet scared in so many forms. He was the most vulnerable among the characters. He was arrogant and rude but I felt like that's how he dealt with his struggles. He had a hard time admitting to himself that he did fall hard to Lee So Jung. He was a rebel with fears that if he pursue the person that makes him feel better he will lose everything.

I was moved by the scene when he finally admitted to So Jung that he fell for her and that he wanted to be the only guy that she sees and that he wanted to make her feel good and that he's the only to make her laugh, but in reality it was the opposite. He was rude, arrogant and a bastard towards So Jung. Adding insult to the injury was that the people surrounded him always threaten and beat So Jung badly like blaming her for Jae Min's actions.

Towards the end, he's ready to lose everything behind as long as he can pursue So Jung. By that act, it only means that money isn't everything in the world. What's important is the happiness Jae Min feels when So Jung is around.

But with twist of fate, everything went wrong with a shocking ending.

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Completed
The Assassin
17 people found this review helpful
Oct 3, 2016
Completed 2
Overall 9.0
Story 6.0
Acting/Cast 8.0
Music 7.0
Rewatch Value 8.0
Before I give my opinion on this I should probably add a little more insight on what this film is about due to the.. non-descript synopsis. Stolen from Wikipedia:
The Assassin is loosely based on the late 9th century martial arts story "Nie Yinniang" by Pei Xing, a core text in Chinese swordsmanship and wuxia fiction.The film is set in 8th century China during last years of the Tang Dynasty. The film centers on Nie Yinniang (played by Shu Qi), an assassin who is directed to slay corrupt government officials by her master, Jiaxin, a nun who raised her from the age of ten. When Yinniang displays mercy by failing to kill during her duties, Jiaxin punishes her with a ruthless assignment designed to test Yinniang’s resolve: she is sent to the distant province/circuit of Weibo in northern China to kill its military governor Tian Ji'an — her cousin to whom she had once been betrothed. I hope that made things clearer for you, cause it helped me.

The story begins in black and white, showing off the skills of our female assassin. She is ruthless and cuts the guys head off in one clean shot – quite impressive. But it’s done so quickly and smoothly that it takes a second or two for us the audience to go ‘Oh he’s dead.’ We then get shown a second side of the assassin where she is ordered to kill a man but refuses to after she finds her target and his son together after spending the day playing with each other. Her refusal to follow an order due to her ‘humanness’ means she gets sent of to kill Tian Ji’an. We then go in to colour, but still maintain a kind of… ‘old’ feel to the movie.

For anyone who is too lazy to read 2 pages worth of writing here’s a basic summary – slow story but pretty things.

First of all I must make it clear that this movie is not one which I can judge as a ‘good’ or ‘bad’ movie. If this movies hadn’t been recommended by a lecturer I met at a university (I’m planning to do Film Studies at uni next year) then I would never had watched, let alone finished this movie. Why? Well mainly – the low ratings are low for a reason. This film is incredibly slow. I don’t mean it drags, I mean it’s REALLY slow. Firstly would probably be the lack of action. With a title such as ‘The Assassin’ one would expect lots of ninja-badass fighting scenes and lots of killing people and stuff. Yeah there isn’t that much of this, I think maybe only 3 or 4 fight scenes in the whole film – not very many in comparison to other action movies. Especially if you think that quite a few of these fight scenes were shot from far distances, giving you a wider scope of the action in contrast to getting up close and personal to the actors – which is the method normally favoured by modern directors. In addition within the fighting which we do see, it’s more like graceful dancing then brutal fighting. If you watch wuxia for the bloodshed and violence, you won’t find it here. Sorry.
There are many long scenes with little talking, I would say that only about 50% of the film is talking, maybe? In addition there is basically no background music, with the director relying on background noises of water, walking, wind, etc. The only music used in this film which has nothing to do with the scene is at the end credits. It’s a good piece of music, but it is quite solitary. With all of these in mind, it does make for quite a boring story. I won’t lie, I got bored. Half way through I did eat my dinner, brush my teeth, and then started researching background information on the movie to see if there was anything interesting I could use to add to this review. There was a little bit. To be honest, I didn’t understand some of the story line – I’m guessing I just missed the crucial parts where they were actually talking or something. I’m reassured when I read reviews on other sites which state that they didn’t understand the story either. I mean, at least I understood what was basically going on.
And then of course we end on a rather anti-climatic ending thinking ‘Now what?’, but I won’t spoil it for you.

But..
Yes there is a but; a big but.
What makes this film good is not the acting or the story, but the cinematography. This film is f***ing gorgeous. I’m not surprised that Hou Hsiao-Hsien, the director, won a ‘Best Director Prize’ for it. Not only do they make large use of Chinas beautiful landscapes, but they also use a lot of techniques seen in ‘old’ films. I’m not sure whether or not that is a legitimate ‘style’ but there are a lot of similarities.
Here are the reasons I like this film/find this film interesting:
1) The landscapes – obviously. There are many lingering shots of the landscapes all around rural areas of China, Mongolia and such. Director Hou (What am I meant to address him as?) has said in interviews and such that they aimed to shoot at high altitudes because there was no civilisation there. This of course means that you get to see beautiful rolling fog and ever changing weather. I believe that the weather and such was not planned for and they just went along and filmed with what whatever weather was happening at the time. I thought that this made it much more natural, compared to the controlled and precise movies of today.
2) The fight scenes are believable. Unlike most Wuxia films we don’t have people legitimately flying left right and centre. Not gonna lie – I hate that style. In this movie I think I saw only one or two instances where he uses this, but prominently the shots and choreography is either at a far view point or… not as close as most modern fight scenes… but near enough that we get a jist. We see interaction and faces, which we don’t normally see in the ‘quick-cut’ action scenes we’re used to. It’s nice.
3) The child actors – bless them. I’m convinced that they didn’t hire any children actors and those that were featured were accidentally brought to the set one day and somehow got dragged into it. They kids just sit, play and run around as if there are no cameras. It’s awesome. Plus it looks very natural.
4) The lighting. Director Hou tried to make the lighting as natural as possible (seeing a theme here yet?). If it was day time he would try and use the outside light, if it was night time then he would make it look as much like candle light as possible. This use of natural lighting resulted in a lot of warm colours, which made me happy inside.
5) Long scenes. But isn’t that a bad thing?! Yeah. Probably. Kind of. Some scenes go on for too long, but it works in some cases. There was one scene were we see tree tops for about 20 seconds. Time yourself and stare at a wall for 20 seconds, it’s a long time. It does work better when he lets us star at rural scenes in a village for a while, or the landscape shots – they’re pretty. In addition the long scenes do also mean we aren’t cutting every 5 seconds when ever a new person talks, which brings me to the next point.
6) Composition. One of the keys to a good movie is composition. And boy does this film have some sweet composition in its frames. In some cases we get shots of a setting and then go straight into talking – this means we don’t have to have as much talking and can carry on looking at pretty things. Or we have the scenes were the camera is handheld and moves around the set from one speaker to the next – no cutting (I love this so much). We have symmetry, symbolism, thirds, etc. It’s just gorgeous. It makes me want to sit down and screen shot frames to analyses what’s in them and what it could mean, my inner English student is trying to escape!
7) The last thing which made this film so interesting is movement. In most scenes there is something moving. There are curtains, wind, fog, birds, servants, candles, even the characters themselves shift and move to make them selves comfy. I feel like maybe Director Hou has gained inspiration from Akira Kurosawa, a Japanese director. I saw this movie but I couldn’t stop thinking about the fact that they share this quality. It’s such a good idea. It makes it so that your eye is distracted and entertained whilst nothing happens in a scene. Absolute genius! I love it!

Ahh. I hope you can see why I found it so hard to evaluate whether this movie was good or bad! Yes it’s a bit dull but it’s so well made! I would say that I probably wouldn’t recommend this to anyone looking for a good story. However, if you are interesting in movies as an art, or can appreciate a well made movie then this is a good movie for you! If you think you can struggle through the slow pace then you are welcome to try it, as long as you can realise that it’s not a bad film. It’s just that the main focus is not on the story itself but the presentation of the story. The idea that the director is trying to convey. I truly think that the rating of the movie at the moment (6.2) is a bad representation of the movie. This movie is all about subtleness, be it in the detail, symbolism or the music.
I don’t know. Try it yourself and see what you think. Just watch it with a pinch of salt.

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Ongoing 50/56
Singing All Along
29 people found this review helpful
Oct 3, 2016
50 of 56 episodes seen
Ongoing 4
Overall 8.0
Story 8.5
Acting/Cast 8.5
Music 9.0
Rewatch Value 7.5
I've actually finished this drama 10 days ago but somehow I wasn't able to let it go, I wanted it to stay longer in my currently watching list. And that's because I completely loved it. Yes I did. With all its holes, stupid, unnecessary and illogically evil Guo family, with less screen time of the Yin's who were the most important folks in this drama, with some rushed moments that looked like they were cut and with very uninteresting villains. And still it was an amazing journey. Because of those details I couldn't give more but I seriously fell in love with this drama.

The plot seemed very intriguing and engaging right from the start and we follow Liu Xiu's and Lihua's journey through the whole drama, from the moment they find each other after long time through many fights together against the current Emperor and for the people till he finally became an Emperor himself and then with classic palace intrigues, we live the life in palace with them. I wanted to learn and find more about this part of Chinese history as I was interested to hear more about her, about that woman who was a true companion for her man and who became an Empress with humble and pure heart. And it did live up to my expectations.



Let me tell you something about the leads and characters they played. Honestly you don't get to see such fantastic leads often in some drama, who carried the heaviest roles, who acted so believable to the point I literally wanted to wipe off their tears, kiss their foreheads, hug them tightly and smile with them when they were happy, they really engraved in my heart for a lifetime. Lihua and Liu Xiu deserve the title of the best couple ever in whole historical dramaland. I simply couldn't take my eyes off of them. Their relationship that is built on ultimate trust and honesty above all, so strong that nothing could destroy it. I really appreciate that between the couples. I became to feel respect for Liu Xiu cause he treated Lihua with such love and care, with such relaxing and positive attitude, he didn't care when she pretended to be a guy as he didn't care when she stopped pretending because for him she was one and only Lihua who he loved since he was a kid, he loved his men all equally and he trusted them, he wasn't jealous when Lihua was alone with them, the only woman between men and still he had real trust in all of them. For me that was the biggest strength of this drama, one big comradeship, men who fight for one cause and who built such powerful friendship along the way. Really worth seeing and experiencing that.

Not to mention chemistry between our leads, it was electrifying, you could feel it in your bones from their every move and I came to wonder how it's possible that Ruby and Justin are only friends? Amazing actors indeed. Justin has been my favourite Chinese actor since Scarlet Heart but Ruby, I didn't think she was this good, the woman is outstanding actress, that's for sure. Her gracious figure when she was a Lady Yin in the palace, her coldness and calmness when it was needed, her passion and courage in battles, her endless love for her family, she was the actual hero of this drama and she carried all of it. I don't think I've seen till now female character like hers, that much educated, smart, brave, loyal, tomboyish yet feminine, strong yet fragile, lovable yet very strict and someone who was selfless when it came to her family and closest people she loved. The one woman I'll admire forever. Yes in some scenes she exaggerated, all of the sudden she acted weird and not like before, that's when I thought that this drama has some flaws but most of the time I could totally relate to her and understand her.



This drama is also very good cause of the females, you get to see many intelligent and strong women who were most of the times more brave and smart than men which is a rare thing to experience in dramaland. Hu Po, Ding Rou I completely loved, those two girls were such support to our heroine and the ones who were beside her all the time never abandoning her. They are supporting characters but they mean so much, without them this drama wouldn't be the same. I enjoyed in their love stories too, one with Lihua's brother who was such adorable and wonderful guy, and the other one with Gongsun, Liu Xiu's best friend and most loyal general.



What was one of the biggest strength of SaA is family. Bonding between members of a family, between Liu Xui and his brothers, sister and mother, between Lihua and her brothers and mother, between them and Deng's, it was such wonderful sight, watching so many family members being so close and taking care of each other. For me Lihua and her family were the ones that captured me, they gave me feelings of warmness, coziness, feeling of home, I really fell in love with them and their relationship, every one of them had important role and each one of them simply crawls under your skin. I cried so hard when some of them died, I felt like my heart was ripping apart when some events happened and the way they happened, I really think that my heart died a few times during this drama and that's when I knew that this drama will become one of my all time favourite.



Many scenes were so real, battles were done in very good way, effects pretty realistic, sceneries breathtaking with beautiful usage of colours-red, blue and green, astonishing costumes, I wanted so much to try at least one of those dresses, everything seemed really on high level with high budget. For that part I don't have complaints.

Also music, opening and ending songs are so beautiful, the lyrics are among the most powerful I've heard and they have such deep meaning, every time I listened to them I get goosebumps. They fit perfectly with the drama and its plot.



I think I said everything I wanted to say, I think SaA is definitely a drama worth watching cause you don't get to see lead characters like that every day. And you don't get to see relationship building like that every day nor such comradeship and brotherhood. Those things are for sure the ones that will win you and keep you interested to watch it till the end. Despite all the plot holes and some really stupid characters and happenings. I would love for more dramas like this one, please.

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Completed
Tag
12 people found this review helpful
by Esme
Oct 3, 2016
Completed 0
Overall 8.0
Story 7.5
Acting/Cast 9.0
Music 7.5
Rewatch Value 8.5
Honestly, this film is very deep.

I do believe that it can be interpreted in many ways but I think the way it was intended to be interpreted was as a story depicting how young girls are "used" (I do not mean to offend in any way, this is just how I interpreted the film, sorry!). To quote Mitsuko from the end,"stop using us like toys" is what she says, and very much the message that I think was trying to be portrayed.

The story was very.. wild. lol. Jokes aside, it really drew me in, although it did get a little confusing at times. The beginning was very "wtf is going on" but I think the film definitely improves as it progresses, so keep watching!!

Excellent cast in this film, the main 3 girls and Aki were just brilliant. Aki was a very believable character, probably the most believable of all. She really brought a sense of realism into the film, and whenever she was calming Mitsuko, it felt like she was bringing me back to earth too. The side characters (ily Sur!!) kept me interested and the antagonists were.. questionable, at most.. but I suppose they were doing their job if it was keeping the audience's focus on the main characters.

The music was tense when it needed to be, and suited the mood pretty much all the time. I think the music definitely helped induce my hysterical sobbing halfway through the film (pillow fight by the lake T-T ) Others might notice that at the very start of the film, the music is the same as The Walking Dead! Honestly, I think it fits! The end credits are worryingly soothing but OH BOY that didn't stop my crying.

This film left me doing ugly hysterical sobbing.. yet I would still choose to watch it again (and I've seen it twice now) although I'm not sure if everyone is the same as me because this film was just very "up my alley"!

I'm no film expert, this is just my opinion. But if you choose to watch the film, I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did!!

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Completed
Healer
2 people found this review helpful
by Jory
Oct 3, 2016
20 of 20 episodes seen
Completed 1
Overall 10
Story 10
Acting/Cast 10
Music 10
Rewatch Value 10
The best. The absolute best. I thank god everyday since I watched this drama that I had the chance to watch it, and enjoy every second of it. Because this drama is pefect, and I was one of the lucky ones to to know about it. You'll never regret a second watching it.
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Completed
Love O2O
0 people found this review helpful
by Sayu
Oct 3, 2016
30 of 30 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 8.0
Story 8.5
Acting/Cast 8.0
Music 8.0
Rewatch Value 7.5
As much as I try to stay away from Chinese dramas, this drama lured me in at last. For one, the synopsis of this show has really caught my attention. Second, I have decided its time to break my shell and expand my horizons on Asian dramas. (This is my first Chinese drama btw)

I completed this show without negative feelings or frustrations, (though I did cry a little, but that is so because they're tears of joy) so it is quite hard for me to critique this one (well I'm not a critique in the first place)

It is particularly straight forward and simple in their approach in everything. No conflicts, no dramas, no plot twists. It is really easy to watch, so don't complicate yourself when you do watch it.

This show particularly attracted me because I have involved myself in a love kinda like this (basically story of my life-ish). The type of love shown in the show is not the kind of love most people often see in mainstream shows--or even in real life. I call it an introvert's love.

I agree, this show doesn't feel realistic and it is overly cliche but we all like to feel them butterflies in the stomach right? If that is so, this show won't disappoint you.

As for the actors and actresses, I love them. I am not so focused in their delivery of the skill (acting) but Its just really refreshing to see them act with their beautiful faces and quirky antics.

Overall, this show gives me a new feeling. Part of it is because I am not too familiar with Chinese culture and also because--well that's what mostly it is. So, I can say that would be a good watch! (especially if you are a(n) girl, introvert, gamer, nerd or human for that matter)

Final note: The story may disappoint you, or maybe the language, or maybe the number of episodes will, but Yang yang definitely won't. That's all. ^^

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Dropped 16/16
Cinderella and the Four Knights
7 people found this review helpful
Oct 3, 2016
16 of 16 episodes seen
Dropped 0
Overall 6.0
Story 5.0
Acting/Cast 5.0
Music 7.0
Rewatch Value 1.0
Let's make this short and sweet.

The drama had a good premise. Once in a while we all crave for the cliche, typical korean drama. One cute , poor girl. A couple of rich, handsome guys. Interesting interactions, jealousies etc. The side girl to hate, the second lead guy to swoon over and so on.

However while this drama started out on good grounds. Our Cinderella had a wonderful start with both the main and side guy, it somehow just crashed midway. I am not sure what happened but the drama just died at episode 6.

All the characters are two dimensional and the interactions between them are just as boring. There is little sense behind the characters behavior. They will act one way through out the show, and then just suddenly change and do a 180 for no damn reason.

The music is somewhat okay.

Rewatch value ? I would like to say 0. Yes zero. Once was painful enough.

I would not recommend this drama to anyone. Watching the last five episodes was hell, which I only got through so I could write a review over what a train wreck this show was.

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Completed
Oh My Venus
0 people found this review helpful
Oct 3, 2016
16 of 16 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 10
Story 10
Acting/Cast 10
Music 10
Rewatch Value 10
The best unique proposal in history,both did a very good job that we forgot they were acting. The chemistry of the two main character is amazing. You will fall in love with their love. The sexy body of so ji sub makes all the women drool and so with shi min nah she is perfect for him. Hope these two will have more and more drama to come. The story will teach the viewers how to watch our health appropriately with happiness in our hearts. And to feel how many patients in the world suffers pain from an illness. But the most lesson I have learn from watching this drama, is never judge the look of a person. And be helpful at all times. Enjoy watching it and feel the love of the two amazing so ji sub and shi min nah.

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Completed
Cinderella and the Four Knights
62 people found this review helpful
by DoHani
Oct 3, 2016
16 of 16 episodes seen
Completed 3
Overall 9.0
Story 8.5
Acting/Cast 7.0
Music 9.0
Rewatch Value 5.0
Let's be fair and judge the show for what it is, shall we? Cinderella and Four Knights is nothing but another typical rom-com with the once again typical Cinderella story (You don't say!). Well... the title already makes that very clear so what were you expecting? Clichés and repetition happen with all dramas and I don't get why this one would have to suffer because of them.

I started this because of Jung Il Woo. I've seen him for the first time in High End Crush (go watch that!) and fell in love with his natural acting and expressions so I can say I had no expectations about the show to be frustrated.
It was beautifully executed (apart from the slow motion scenes that had me rolling my eyes all the time) and everything that makes this overdramatic (imo) are the headcanons of the Cinderella concept - evil step-mother and step-sister, absent father, diseased mother and a helpless little princess... wait. Helpless? Not so much and that's what I love about Eun Ha Won. Despite of her heart being too good for her own good, she's positive instead of victimizing herself, she goes get it, she stands up for herself and doesn't get oversensitive over things. She hangs it in there alright.
As for the male leads, Seo Woo was kinda cute (never seen an idol with that much free time! lol), Hyun Min is adorable (typical spoiled and arrogant brat we love to not hate) and Ji Woon... ah... now that it's over I kinda wish I had him to myself. At first he really annoyed me but as soon as he started smiling I was sold. Guess that has Il Woo's to blame, though. But honestly, his character is kind, protective, righteous and also stands up for himself and though he has a strong sense of pride, he didn't let it get in the way of his relationship with Ha Won (like it usually goes).
The side characters are appealing too... all but Hye Ji. (And that annoying fangirl but I really can't stand Cho Hye Jung's face so I think that's completely biased, ignore that). Perhaps she would be appealing too if Naeun COULD act at all but she's worse than a paper doll. Very much like Korea's very own Kristen Stewart right there, lol. I'm beyond pissed because she seemed to be doing alright in Twenty Again but in this show... is she perhaps Jaehyun's fangirl? That's why she got so affected? I could understand that...
Jokes aside, I kept telling my cousin how Cinderella and The Four Knights was a guilty pleasure of mine. Not so guilty anymore now. The ending was spot on, it wasn't intense as the others use to be and everything got solved and worked on. I felt completely fulfilled by it. Then again, the show starts out great, I was hooked from the very first episode but it takes a displeasing U turn on the second half that had me postponing it for a bit but the ending completely made up for it so much I had to come here and write a review.
This show isn't anything exceptional, not at all. But people tend to compare shows is different categories and that's unacceptable! If I was to give it a grade based on everything I've watched so far it would get... what?... a 5, perhaps a 6. But that wouldn't be fair at all - or right, for that matter. Cinderella and The Four Knights is a ROM-COM and AS SUCH it did such a WONDERFUL job. It's funny, good paced, has some elements you wish weren't there (but that's a given) and the chemistry between the leads is A M A Z I N G to say the least. I was in love with their chemistry because... I don't know if it's Il Woo's fault again but he generally seems very relaxed in scene. And they look really playful together, it's almost as if I'm seeing through it, as if he's just being spontaneous and surprising So Dam with things his character wasn't supposed to do. It's like I can see them having fun BTS, you know? And that... I really love that because.... even if it's unprofessional, it makes everything look natural and convincing.
And their kiss scenes... ooooooh boy. I don't know about the previous ones (except the drunk smooches that were the cutest I've ever witnessed *-*) but those on the couple last episodes are BREATHTAKING! I was squealing like a fangirl wishing I was So Dam bc damn, lol. Love the attitude and the natural look they have unlike any other kiss in every drama I've watched so far - all of them. *sighs* I wish I could kiss Il Woo too. hahahahaha I'm so sorry, don't mind me. x_x

Anywayz... I would SO recommend this drama if you're into rom-coms. Nothing new for sure neither did it intend to be (I'm guessing that from the title lol), but totally worth watching. ^-^

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Completed
Mother
8 people found this review helpful
Oct 3, 2016
Completed 0
Overall 8.5
Story 8.5
Acting/Cast 10
Music 8.0
Rewatch Value 7.0
Mother is Korean crime/thriller movie staring won bin (the man from nowhere) a mentality disabled man who is charged with murdering a highschool girl, his widowed mother Kim hye ja (dear my friends) tries every thing to prove her sons innocence. Jin goo (DOTs) plays won bins friend.
All actors did an excellent job portraying their characters, it was an enjoyable suspense thriller.
Kim hye ja was the star of the movie, with Oscar worthy performance as the mother, overprotective and would do anything to prove her beloved son innocent.
The movie is thoroughly engaging with a solid plot point and many original twists,
All the details were well presented, a mothers sacrifice and how far she will take it will make you get gripped and you'll find the 2 hour movie engaging you won't even notice time.
8.6/10 this shampoo loved it
Movie quotes:
"It was revenge"
"Don't call your son an idiot!"
http://kissasian.com/Drama/Mother-2009/Movie?id=17368

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Completed
Bride of the Century
0 people found this review helpful
by Hayley
Oct 3, 2016
16 of 16 episodes seen
Completed 2
Overall 8.0
Story 8.0
Acting/Cast 8.5
Music 8.0
Rewatch Value 7.0
Long story short: Though not the most original story, I really enjoyed this drama a lot. It's definitely a good watch.

Story
When you get really simple about it, the story is nothing really original. Two rich families and one poor family. Their lives become entangled and the usual cliches happen where the rich people try to outsmart each other. Add a bit of supernatural to give one family a darker past and there you have it.

However - I liked the story a lot. It may not be an original plot, but it doesn't always have to be. I think the drama was well written when it comes to pacing. I was never annoyed by the plot. I was expecting a chaebol story and I got it. I couldn't have asked for more. :)

But this was the first time I suffered Second-lead-syndrome. My heart was hurting so much for the second lead (Sung Hyuk/Jang Yi Hyun). I have never felt it this strongly before and to be honest - I was rooting more for the second lead then the main lead (Hongki/Kang).


Acting/Cast
The actors were great in their respective rolls. They felt real and I believed the characters they acted out. When I at first started watching, I have to admit I kept seeing Hongki instead of Kang Joo, but at some point I realised I had completely forgotten about Hongki and was seeing only the character he played. This is a compliment to him, as I normally don't easily manage to let go of an image I already have. I really enjoyed his acting. (Though I'm still rooting for his co-lead Sung Hyuk/Jang Yi Hyun.)

Most of my praise has to go to Yang Jin Sung (Na Doo Rim / Jang Yi Kyung) as she had to play two totally opposite roles. She did amazingly well. Despite knowing it was the same actress, she managed to make the two characters feel absolutely different. I hardly could believe she was truly the same person! I'm really impressed by her acting as that surely couldn't have been an easy feat.

The only thing that annoyed me a bit was the screaming during the last episodes. So if you have sensitive ears, you've been warned ahead. (Luckily, it's not a crazy amount. But it was enough to annoy me at times.)

OH! And can I just add how much I loved Na Doo Rim's grandmother?! Amazing woman and she made me miss my own grandmother so very much. I really enjoyed Nam Jeong Hui's acting.

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