Reviews

FL didn't work for me & Yet I can't stop watching for Jang Seung Jo....

Predictable story + failed FL casting but I can't drop the show either...

I've seen enough of Kim Ha Neul's works, she's not terrible but she's never been amazing either. Even with the skin smoothing, she looks too old to be paired up with the 2 MLs. I am definitely not against mature actresses; I just want proper pairing. Either pair her up with more mature looking male actors (like reunite her with Jang Hyuk) or use another actress. Still the biggest issue is her character portrayal of this smart tough reporter isn't convincing. When scenes of the MLs express their hurt and love for the FL, you can feel their heart aches and then the FL just looks like she's trying to react, but her facial expressions just so lacking.

9 EPs in the MLs are carrying the series for me. Jang Seung Jo (The husband) especially is amazing. One minute he looks like the loving husband with puppy dog eyes then the next minute he delivers that psycho killer vibe -- Hot & Deadly! He's painful crying scenes make you feel like someone close to you just died. Gut Wrenching so good!!! He's just one amazing actor.

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Cute and fluffy!

This was a cute and fluffy watch! It had some of my fav elements, like a nice slow burn, a couple that actually gets to know each other before dating and has something in common or shared passion / common goal that they can work towards together, which I think just adds so much to the chemistry and believability of the pairing. Zhang Miao Yi was really good, I haven't watched either lead in anything before but she was fun to watch, chemistry queen in this drama, and I thought she was great at portraying the happy/light moments too! Xie Bin Bin and her had good chemistry which is what I look for in a romance drama. The pacing and plot in terms of the romance I really loved, people shouldn't go into it thinking it's a high budget drama but I think it's quite sweet and genuine

I could tell from the get-go that I didn't take the alliance stuff too seriously, the concept and plot are more a frame to carry the romance and personal relationships around it, also I thought the corporation plotting bits that arose later on in the drama were actually fun. It's a tv show - I look for something that will entertain me and also remind me of all the cute bits of romance, which it definitely did! And props to the actors for acting each character on point, very believable and I'm happy I watched it! :)

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Special moments

This wasn't perfect, I found the soundtrack very odd and the 2nd couple didn't get enough screen time. The story wasn't very original and there were parts that were drawn out and didn't make sense..
BUT
There was something special about this drama. The cast, I thought, were great. Fluke and Junior had amazing chemistry and I would really love to see them in another BL together. Dr Ji was a fiesty sweetheart and I fell in love with him from the start, he was just gorgeous.
The biggest reason for a higher score than I would have normally given it was that there were some really special moments. They were heartfelt and artistic and had me clutching my chest. The emotions portrayed were delivered beautifully. The NC scenes had me feeling wistful.
I would rewatch and I encourage most people to give it a chance.

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Great NC scenes

As most of u already states the series is BAD. It is the worst I watched? No. But it is along with the worst.
Disclaimer: I'll use the actors name instead of the characters.
Ja is infantilazed. Yes, He is younger than First. They never state how much bur lets say 2 or 3 Years. It is not that much for the way he acted. They want him cute... I understand but it was not necessary.
First it's a cold blooded guy who fall for the goof one. But he never had anything but smiles for Ja and suddenly he loves Ja. Weird.
We have math problems. They met l, according to Ja 9 years ago but he is 20, that means they met when he was 11. Ehm doesn't make sense.
The plot could be way way better. The writing is bad. The acting is OK.
The second couple is HOT AF. Their NC scenes are Fire. Their plot it is a little bit better but it is not as good as writing as it should be.
The chemistry between JaFirst it's barely there. U can see they have good chemistry cuz the NC scenes are amazing. Butnin the acting sometimes u think u will feel it but then u don't.
To shorten in Watch the NC scenes... ARE worth this nightmare? Maybe not but they are so good and SO SO SO SOOOOOO realistic. Like u can belive they are having sex. With all the perks and noises of people having sex. It is not worshiping the other and just taking off shirts.
It is overall a 4.5. And 3 points of that are the NC scenes.
It is like a teenager with no experience writing, wrote the plot for Wattpad and then a porn writer wrote the NC scenes.

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Best modern drama of 2024. yang zi and xu kai's chemistry is chefs kiss♡

Watching this ongoing drama is killing me because waiting for the next episodes is a different kind of pain. Anyway, I waited so long for this drama to air, and now that it's finally here, I'm in love!
Not kidding, this drama is going so well. Let's talk about a few things first:

■ ACTING: 9.5/10
Yang Zi and Xu Kai: I guess I don't have to mention how good their acting is. Yang Zi portrayed her character very well, and Xu Kai, as the cold boss, nailed his role. Also, their chemistry is chef's kiss ?❤️ Other actors are also good at their jobs.

■ STORY: I like family romance dramas, and the plot of this drama is well-written. I like the way they showed the struggles of a middle-class family. There were scenes that actually made me tear up a bit, but the FL and her brother are so hardworking that I feel proud of them. This drama shows the reality of modern society and struggles. The romance aspect of this drama is also good. It's not your typical rich CEO-poor girl drama. The FL is intelligent, wise, and kind-hearted. Though the ML seems cold, he cares about people in his own way (at least he's learning, lol). As I said, Yang Zi and Xu Kai's chemistry is no joke. They have my heart. ❤️✨️ Overall, I'm loving this drama, and I know it's going to be on my favorite list.

If you love a good modern romance drama, then I definitely recommend giving it a shot!

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Obsession

I don't understand why the drama was made. What was the purpose of creating such a storyline? It revolves around three boys, with the beginning showing one fleeing from a place where he grew up due to rumors about his master's sexual preferences. The master, another boy, becomes obsessed with him and refuses to let him go. Seeking refuge, the boy disguises himself as a woman and begins living with the third boy as his wife. However, as time passes, secrets unravel. The ending was unsatisfactory; it should have been as impactful as "The Untamed" drama's conclusion.
Only like acting of all three boys .

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Surprise~

This show delivered the most unsuspecting twist I've seen recently... Completely blindsided me!


However, in all honesty, at the beginning, it was hard to fully get into. Through no fault of the cast though; the cast assembled was fantastic! Watching their special skills and unique talents come into play was almost tangible throughout each episode. While this story did have some familiarity with other Japanese detective/crime/police/mystery stories or plot lines, this show really stood alone on its own two feet quite well!


I would have liked to of seen more back story in to a few characters, and because this show and its characters were incredible to watch, it also would have been nice to see a few more episodes before the big dramatic ending. I have to say the finale was a little anticlimactic, but the cliffhanger most definitely left me with an emphasized feeling of wanting more.


Each character really held their own individuality with pride and it was almost like they were showing off. Watching them all work alone but towards the finale come together like perfect puzzle pieces to create such an extraordinary story was fascinating to watch! Made me wish there was more story for Miki Clinic; it was very obvious that the show was created with a lot of respect and care.


I never could have guessed the final though. I definitely thought the "criminal mastermind" was someone else, though the "big trouble" was kind of generic to other stories, it sort of felt like they were going one way with the story and then said "ah yes, we'll just add this in right here and over there", not as a last minute they forgot feeling, but more so they weren't sure how to add it in or where to begin with the mysterious "big trouble". I hope that mind sense!


I know my reviews aren't the most literary or movie perfection, but maybe my more simple reviews help someone out there. This show really does have a fantastic story, so I hope you'll give it a chance!

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Just a Dream?

TBC was full of very attractive people that made the series very easy on the eye. Junior's smile is just so distracting it's not funny. It was lovely to see Poppy again - he's always good for comedic value, and such a sweetheart. I don't often comment on female actresses as they don't usually grab my attention, unless, as in typical Asian fashion they're two-faced, evil, or just downright possessive, but I must say that I found Enjoy, who played Dr Song, a delight to watch, and she is one of the most attractive actresses I've seen in recent times. I'd be happy to watch her play any role. I remember Baan from Room Alone S2 and U-Prince, way back in 2015/2016, so it feels like he's been around for years. Now whilst there is only 4 years difference between him and Franky, I felt he was a little out of place, maybe because Franky looks so young. This is just a personal opinion and as such, shouldn't make anyone think negatively of Baan, but I did feel he was not quite right for the role. Speaking of Franky, it was such a delight to see Billy's younger brother step into the BL limelight. He looked comfortable - it was a shame he and Baan had a very vanilla relationship. I hope we get to see Franky play more BL roles in the future. It was also nice to see Leo, but it was barely more than a cameo - we never found out what happened to his character. I absolutely loved Tui as Teacher Ratri - shame we didn't get to see her on the farm.
I loved Fluke's role in My Dream, and was very disappointed when we didn't get the promised S2. Not sure what he's had done to his face, but I found it very distracting. The only time I saw the 'old' Fluke was when he smiled and we got to see those gorgeous dimples. The rest of the time was literally spent trying to work out exactly what's he's had done. I feel quite sad about this because it seems to be that so many actors and actresses are having work done, and whilst it may be a personal choice to 'fix' what they see as imperfections, it seems that certain companies have so many of their artists who've had enhancements, plastic surgery, or dental work done, and it seems as if it's almost a requirement. I do hope that artists are not being forced to have these procedures done. I'm sad because it seems that so many artists seem to be unhappy with how they look, but what they fail to realise is that there was never anything wrong with how they look in the first place, and secondly, they're erasing the very features that made them unique in the first place. If everyone is having the same things done, they're all just going to look like clones. I find it really hard to watch some series, only to find that I spend the whole time remembering how the stars used to look. I have no issue with anyone making a personal choice to improve or correct things they find lacking, but how can it possibly be that almost every actor finds so many faults with themselves? Their self-esteem must be so low. I used to think that Studio Wabi Sabi had an abundance of artists who were on a self-improvement kick, but hands down, GMMTV is leading the way - I reckon they must have arranged groups discounts for their artists! Anyway, that opinion aside, I felt that the 'reunion' was far too rushed. Having spent so much time on their back story, suddenly there's this whole new situation, and I'll be honest, I did not feel the chemistry - in fact, Fluke and Junior felt a little awkward to me. There really wasn't anything about Achi's life over the last 10 years, and Achi/Mona's story wasn't really covered very well either... there were lots of plot-holes throughout. I did think that Coin's story, which I thought was simply a consistent mistranslation, was a cute plot-twist however.
The story itself wasn't bad, but lacked substance. Not sure why Mandee is having so much trouble with their series lately - I'm only talking about the storyline here. It may be that they're trying to break down what could easily be a 12-epsiode story into only 8 eps, and they lose sight of what is, and what's less important. TBC reminded me very much of Why R U? which was affected by COVID. We ended up with contracted, and incomplete storylines - it felt that we were missing so much, which of course, we were. Is this simply a screenwriting issue, a directorial issue, or a company issue? I don't know, but it needs to be fixed. I've always thought of Mandee as leaders in BL, but if they don't look at the issues, they're going to start to lose credibility very soon. We now have 3 generations of Domundi Boys, but I'm beginning to think that's it's far too many. Even the First gen actors rarely seem to have anything more than a cameo role, yet they're trying to push out a whole bunch of newbies. I wish they'd utilised the actors they already had before introducing even more. This way, no one gets to shine.
The music was okay, but I didn't think much of the costumes, especially Achi's - his clothes usually looked to big, too baggy, or too short.
Was it worth watching - yes. Would I re-watch it - probably. Would I recommend it - yes.

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The profound loneliness that homosexuals experience in heteronormative societies

'Sad Temptation' (슬픈 유혹 / Seulpeun Yuhok) reflects on the deep loneliness that homosexuals experience in conservative and heteronormative societies, through the extreme disconnection with another society, the homosexual one, and seeks to find a way to communicate beyond that disconnection. Likewise, it explores the breakdown of communication.
Its plot takes us to South Korea in 1999 and follows a middle-aged man named Jung Moon Gi (Kim Gab Soo), who has distanced himself from Suh Jung Hye (Kim Mi Sook), his wife, and meets a young man. homosexual employee, Shin Joon Young (Joo Jin Mo), with whom he falls in love. Both are victims of the lack of understanding of their families and the violent and discriminatory society that excludes homosexuals. Although the two men try to take refuge in their own world, They inevitably end up falling in love with each other.
Aware that film and television content reproduces the socially and culturally idealized sexual and gender approach and that these are aimed at the consumption of the heterosexual community, Pyo Min Soo, the director, seeks with 'Sad Temptation' to make a society in need reflect. to advance against heteropatriarchal logic.
To film the first South Korean public television drama that profoundly depicted love between men, the filmmaker relied on the script by Noh Hee Kyung, a television scriptwriter and essayist, who has earned a solid reputation for his realistic, visceral portraits. and profound insights into the lives and relationships of ordinary people, captured in many family dramas and urban melodramas that have received critical acclaim and won many awards for Best Screenplay and Best Drama Writer, such as the Baeksang Arts Awards, Korean Drama Awards, MBC and KBS Drama Awards.
From the KBS network, and the third time in which the director and screenwriter work together, the audiovisual breaks with the patriarchal approach of society that still today permeates the scripts of the majority of films, series and television programs, aimed at the consumption of the heterosexual community and, in which LGBT+ people remain in the background, and are generally stigmatized and stereotyped.
Its protagonists are three people who live in solitude. The loneliness of Jung Moon Gi, a precarious man in his 40s who worked to achieve success all his life but has now been expelled from the company's management, comes from the fact that he will never be able to tell his family that he is homosexual and has to carry this burden alone.
Shin Joon Young, a man in his 20s who seems confident and ambitious in the eyes of everyone, feels the loneliness that comes with living as a homosexual in a society dominated by heterosexuals and suffering from the lack of understanding from everyone, even his family. Joon Young was hurt by all the men he loved, but they didn't love him just because he was a man.
His loneliness is contained in these heartbreaking words, addressed to Jung Moon Gi: "Coward! Men like you have no right to love or be comforted! Do you know what love is? If you feel alone, say that you are alone , and if you are going through a difficult time, say that you are having a hard time! Love is trusting and hugging each other! Like you, like my brother, suffering alone, not talking, separating from everything is not love. I wanted to touch you! I didn't ask you to have sex! I just wanted to love you! To comfort each other when we feel alone! I wanted to comfort you. If I could, I wanted to help you. live in this difficult world?"
For her part, Suh Jung Hye is the wife who, despite being a professional and with a university degree, which would give her economic independence, has been forced to spend 20 years of her life in a failed marriage watching her husband's back. . That is why he will ask you: "We are one as a couple. Isn't it true that we are separated as husband and wife?"
Why is the connection established between the man who little by little is losing his place in the world after a business failure and estrangement from his wife, and the young man who dances and drinks in bars, and in the street shouts without paying attention? pay attention to the glances of passers-by? What are the reasons for the connection between the somewhat elderly manager whom Jung Yong calls frustrated, and the free-spirited worker?
Moon Gi can see himself in his youth while looking at Jung Young, and Jung Young discovers in Moon Gi the lonely support of his older brother who, like Moon Gi, is selfish and only thinks of himself, even in the moment. of his death, or of Moon Gi's dismissal after his failure at work, which in this case would be the same, since he does not tell his wife what happened.
Jun Yuong, who enters Moon Gi's empty, routine and disconnected life with an irresistible attraction, and whether out of love or pity, falls in love with him. Moon Gi also has feelings that he cannot admit to himself, but one day he discovers himself when he sees Jun Yuong's naked torso, drunk, on his bed, and reacts by fleeing from his presence. But he is surprised when, without stopping thinking about the young man, he finds himself, the next day, wandering in front of his house.
And how does Jeong Hye come into this equation? She is curious about the worker who frequently, in her presence, names her husband, who is not interested in anything but the company. When Jun Yuong visits the couple's house and drinks tea with her, in the absence of Moon Gi, the wife discovers in the handsome young man an image of her husband of two decades.
The simple writing, but with a strong and direct tone, and the delicate and calm direction, are a perfect combination to tell the internal struggle that the two men are experiencing and the relationship between them.
In the one-act play, Moon Gi asks Jun Young, "Why did you become homosexual?" and Jun Young responds, "Why did you become heterosexual?" He then explains, "It's a question I can't answer, any more than you can answer it."
In a society that at the end of the 20th century was as homophobic and intolerant as it continues to be today, the phrase that contains the essence of the film is: "Did you marry your wife because she was a woman? It's not that I loved a man. It's just that the person I loved was a man."
With a photograph marked with dark tones that tries to demonstrate the state of mind of young homosexual love in times of so many conflicts and denials, a pertinent use of the camera and movements that accompany its intensity, make this drama a must-see for story lovers. deep and heartbreaking.
For years before, the idea of ​​filming 'Sad Temptation' had been in the minds of Noh Hee-kyung and Pyo Min-soo. After finishing 'Lies', putting the project into action gained momentum, but they encountered numerous obstacles in translating the text on such a transgressive and unconventional topic into images. From homophobic attacks with hate speech in digital chats and messaging groups, mostly directed at the two male protagonists; Calls for censorship and non-commercialization of the audiovisual product by conservative elements of the South Korean Catholic Church, refusals by cultural institutions to grant monetary funds for the process of writing, filming, post-production and exhibition, marked the work from its beginning.
It was even difficult for the casting, as it was not easy for the actors to accept the emotions of the script, which includes a kiss between Moon Gi and Jun Young.
Pyo Min-soo later acknowledged that in particular, "the entire staff had to take a short break before filming the kiss scene. However, the actors, who were worried before filming, thinking: "Can't the kiss be given a little on the forehead or cheeks?", when the signal was given, they were caught up in the emotion and acted naturally. . Furthermore, the effort put into preparing in a short period of time is evident throughout the work.
The pressures and obstacles could not prevent the viewer from enjoying one of the most tormented passions between two men, nor could they prevent the yellow ginkgo leaves from decorating the path of the Seosamneung stud farm, where Moon Gi and Jun Young, while they walk hand in hand, they give us, at the end of the film, one of the most beautiful romantic breakups in the history of film and television.
In addition to the bittersweet taste, 'Sad Temptation' leaves us with hope, as the creators emphasize throughout the entire film that instead of suffering alone, human beings must work together to overcome loneliness, sweeping away everything that promotes it, thus denouncing to heteronormative, patriarchal and conservative societies. Not turning our backs and fleeing by withdrawing into ourselves, but defending the right to live in accordance with our dreams and passions, the sexual and loving among them, as long as they do not harm others.

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Again and again and again...really fun!

Wow, just wow! What a fun film this was! I hear "time loop" and I am buying it immediately.

The story takes place in an inn somewhere around Kyoto (apparently a very well-known area!) in the winter. All of a sudden, the whole area finds itself inside a 2min time loop. After the first incredulity and shock, the staff and the guests quickly get used to the looping and bear it calmly. Until they don't. Until they do...

The film portrays magnificently people slowly realizing what is important, finally talking to each other and being honest with what they want. There is Mikoto who is angry that her boyfriend, the inn chef, wants to go to France to study cooking. She takes this opportunity to tell him honestly what she thinks of it but at the same time, while trying to figure out the reasons for the time loop, they talk more, laugh together more, come to understand each other better. There are guests of the inn: a writer with a writing block using this opportunity to rest, relax and think at peace which turns out to be very effective. There is a pair of old friends reconnecting who end up arguing and telling finally the truth, stop pretending..;

The time loop serves as a motivation behind the character growth. People are very polite and do not dare break society convention; the time loop liberates them and they become stronger and finally truthful about their hopes and wishes.

The film is funny. I loved the cool attitude the characters held. It was fun to watch one conversaton continue through multiple loops. Everyone was in the loop, retaking the same start position every time but doing different things during each loop.

One problem though which was never explained properly; the weather. They did go through many loops and since it was only local, the weather kept changing but how likely is the weather to turn from winter with 10cm of snow to spring to winter and snowing again literally from one loop to the next. I think there is a serious continuity problem here hence the rating...Other than that, highly recommended!

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