Reviews

A Rebellion, A Monster and a Weak Love Story

A mission to find a government official’s side piece leads down a rabbit hole of horrific human experiments, a rebellion against the Japanese occupation and of course love.

I generally liked the leads in this but am on the fence about whether PSJ was the right actor for the ML role. He wasn’t bad in the role but I think there are other actors out there who could’ve really owned the part. His acting is good but I don’t think he’s the embodiment of who Jang Tae-sang should be.

The monster being created by the Japanese was a creative way of referencing the history of the experiments they conducted on Koreans during the war and its horribke impact on those individuals. However, how the monster worked within the story wasn’t always consistent. Some managed to fight off the monster and escape its attack unscathed while others were completely eviscerated by it. This was driven more by plot than logic. Same with the anthrax attacks.

The action on this show was pretty good, but what engaged me the most was the human stories of those impacted by the war and the Japanese occupation as well as those working in the rebellion in an attempt to fight back.

The implied feelings developing between the leads was not believable because they have no romantic chemistry and the development of those feelings was random. Having the ML join the rebellion due to his feelings for the FL made no sense for the previously mentioned reasons. There was more than enough going on in his life to drive his change of heart without the FL being the reason.

The production value was superb, save for the CGI of the monster which was hit or miss. The episodes were a little too long, but overall the acting was good and the show entertaining.

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I really enjoyed this drama about a highly skilled female assassin who has mostly been alone, and a very intelligent leader who values his relationships with his subordinates above all else. The plot is well-developed and multilayered, and although I've watched very dramas in this genre of power struggles, political intrigue, and battling kingdoms, it didn't feel predictable or boring. Liu Shi Shi is fierce, elegant, and absolutely magnetic. Liu Yu Ning is solid; I've yet to see enough of his work but he holds his own here with Liu Shi Shi, which is not easy.

The biggest surprise for me was the humor and how much I loved the supporting characters. Ning Yuan Zhou's team of Yuan Lu, Sun Lang, Qian Zhao, and Yu Shisan are absolute treasures. (In the scene where they first assemble and walk out together surrounding Ning Yuan Zhou, I called them Journey's F4, haha.) Fang Yilun (Alen Fang) as Yu Shisan is this drama's biggest scene stealer--I've seen him in several other dramas and he's never been as memorable as he is here, even when he's played the lead. His comedic delivery is impeccable but he also nails the emotional scenes. Yang Ying has another memorable character arc, although I didn't completely vibe with He Lan Dou's portrayal. Chu Yue is another surprising gem of a character; another female character who bravely pursues what she wants and defies the expectation to simply become someone's wife.

My only gripe is that although every other character is well-developed, someone really dropped the ball on Li Tongguang. Li Tongguang is a central character in the drama, yet his character arc is constantly one step forward, three steps back. Just when you think he's finally overcome his obsession, he does WHAT??? It completely took me out of the story because it felt so out of place. His last story arc also made no sense?! Chang Hua Sen played the role well though and is certainly on my radar now.

As for the ending, I'm fine with it but perplexed by the character they decided to focus on in the final scene.

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Go Ahead and watch it.

I really enjoyed this series from beginning to mostly the end. Not that I didn't like the end, it was just a little drawn out. I liked all the characters. Everyone thinks the Ling Dad is the stronger one because he is a police officer but he is continuously bullied by Li Dad. Their arguments are so funny.
The plot was predictable but I still liked watching it.
I think Ling Xiao has PTSD from his sister's death and the subsequent imploding of his mother. I don't like the fact that it was never resolved and he sort of uses JianJian as a crutch or a lifesaver for when he goes through episodes.
I hated his mother from the very first episode and I hated her to the end. She was so selfish.

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Compelling story about a village of widows and single women in war ravaged 1950s Korea

Compelling story about a village of widows and single women scratching out an existence in war ravaged 1950s Korea when one of the widows stumbles across a deserter in a nearby bamboo forest. The movie avoids taking sides in the war--there is barely any mention of North or South. Instead it focuses on the desperate plight of those left behind after their husbands and sons have gone off to war and the anxiousness of not knowing--and possibly never knowing--whether they are alive or dead. In one interesting sequence, the deserter daydreams in color about the school teacher's life he lived before the war. This was one of 10 movies that Kim Soo-yong cranked out in 1967 and despite the obviously low dollar production value, it is worth a watch.

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Watch it for FirstKhao

I don't really know how to rate this one. I initially dropped this show 2x bcause I find it hard to watch past the 1st few episodes, but I kept coming back coz I'm not giving up on FirstKhao lol

I ended up skipping quite a fair bit, until around episode 5 or 6. When their relationship starts to take off, I find there's traction and this keep me going. It starts getting more interesting here on.

Now, as far as the plot/story goes, it's really not my favorite. I guess, I'm just bored with yet another school setting, no matter what twist/spin they put on it...That said, it doesn't mean it's bad, it's actually pretty good. Just not my preference. That aside, everything else is great

Casting is amazing. I'm so proud to see FirstKhao leading this series. Their acting is so good, especially nailing the crying scene, especially First. I think he shed more tears than I did this year in this one show LOL

Their chemistry is on point and they are so good together. Not cringe or awkward moments, as you'd find in some acting. They are the couple we wanna see more and more of.

I especially love how Khao is flirtying with First, whether in this series or OnlyFriends. There's just sth about the way he flirts that makes it so lovely to watch them. I also love their song!!! They sound so good together.

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A loved premise but feeding nothing than toxic fetish... for those with an inkling for it

A well loved premise on how the least popular boy (1st lead) becomes the love interest of the most beautiful and popular student in school (2nd lead). But this premise gone wrong wrong.

The depiction of the popular guy as the god and the king in the eyes of the muttering mess of a first lead... like why god?

First of all, how could anyone fall in love with the 1sr lead? I mean the guy has zero interest in anything except the 2nd lead. What is the appeal? And he goes into servitude (I am not exaggerating) mode after being called disgusting so many times, willingly. Socially inept, stuttering, depressed, quasi autistic. Is he supposed to be disabled without knowing? if this is how a person with disabilities depicted, bish I am offended. What in the weird fetish is all of this? And not really entertained cos everything boiled down to the damn 2nd lead, so if the 2nd lead is causing all of those characteristics above, I find my watching time even more pointless. Cos that is really not it.

Which brings me to the 2nd lead, Kiyoi. I mean dude you may be beautiful or whatever but his behavior is absolute shit. Excuse my muse. Like I can see a glimpse of an attempt at portraying him as abandoned child and therefore having his inner child calmed by an obsessive 1st lead.

I love a bit of push and pull between characters in a drama and the fact there is a person behind every "untouchable" character but I have seen none here. I know it is entertainment and does not have to serve meaning but I do feel it serves

propaganda for toxic relationship based in each of them feeding their traumas by using that relationship as a coping mechanism.

And that is me interpreting. Not like the drama said anything of depth.

Ah.

I've said what I said.

Not gonna entertain S2.

Unfortunately I did not see the brilliance other reviewers have. Myb it is something in the air over here.

Thanks for reading.

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Great performance of Nam Joo Hyuk that could not save the drama from script and pacing flaws

The premise of this drama is super interesting. I loved they decided to go for a very dark tone to explore the vigilante concept. I was positively surprised how far they went into the violence and the choices made by the "hero". The introduction of the story hooked me but I was unfortunately very disappointed by the pace and the writing overall. It felt strangely slow and not as gripping as I would have wished.

The writing did not convinced me. Maybe it is because the series was too short but I found the side characters lacking development and the way the events unfolded felt rather predictable. The hero was a bit too omniscient but without enough details to support the fact he was so ahead most of the time. Some of the relationships he built along the way were pretty compelling but would have benefited from much more screentime to make their bonds believable.

The casting is pretty good overall. I was really impressed by the performance of Nam Joo Hyuk: he was really frightening in Vigilante mode...His gaze shifting from his "regular" persona at the police academy to his vigilante mode was amazing. I also appreciated a lot the other male main roles: Yoo Ji Tae and Lee Joon Hyuk. All three are excellent, even when I felt the scenario give them not enough to work with, they somewhat gave it their all. Unfortunately, I really disliked the sole female character of the series, played by Kim So Jin. I am not sure who is the most at fault here: the screenwriter or the actress, but clearly that character was horrendous.

The production value of the series is high. There are a lot of well-executed fighting scenes. It is very comics-like with the good guys being outnumbered by the villains but still making it through...and those sequences are very enjoyable to follow. The soundtrack was okay but not memorable to me.

I would not recommend this to people unless you like one of the main actors or the source material (which I have not read). The idea is good but the writing does not support it properly and the pacing felt oddly sluggish given the low number of episodes. Though if you are a fan of Nam Joo Hyuk, you need to watch this drama because he is brilliant in it. Be mindful if you have any trigger, it is very violent.

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Like a sampler... just a foot in the water is fine

I don't have too much to say as I ultimately dropped this drama since the pacing was a little slow/I didn't really care for the story. Nevertheless, I do understand its merit and think that there is a population that will enjoy this drama. If you care for mature, realistic, slow-burn romances, this one is probably for you. If you care for great acting, this is for you too.

I came mostly to just talk about the acting a little. It's fantastic for what it's worth. Xiao Zhan has improved tremendously since I last saw him (I've seen him in, 'The Untamed' and 'The Oath of Love') . His acting has become more and more natural, and it's a pleasure to watch a promising young actor like him. Nothing seems forced, everything seems done right to where it needs to be... it's really wonderful because there's a vitality and spring to it that's difficult to see elsewhere. Just to watch his acting, I'd take a brief look into this show. Bai Baihe was really the star- it's the first time I've seen her, and she's tremendous. Natural, organic, and inspired in her acting, she's definitely the best female lead I've ever seen I daresay. Though she didn't have dramatic scenes, I don't think she needed them for the acting to work; simply micro expressions and her eyes would do.

The acting is really the thing that made me come here : ) Just take a look and you'd see it too. As for whether you like it or not, I think it's rather subjective.

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Looking for a happy, cheerful time? Don't watch this then.

But actually DO watch this because it's really good and worth the suffering.

I don't rate things 10 very often but this immediately drew me in. I like a good time travel story anyway but this one was particularly well written and well acted. I would say that the BL in this is kind of ...on the side, if that makes sense. While the relationship between Jae Woo and Ji Hoon does make the ending that much more painful, this could have easily been written with the two leads being best friends so if you're looking for some heavy sexual tension and steamy stuff, it's not really here. That being said, the story is great and the actors are top notch in their portrayals. The slightly sidelined romantic side of the story does not in any way detract from the overall story.

Here there be more indepth spoilers




As I said in the headline, this is not a fun, good-time, happy story. I suppose there may be some bittersweetness about it but it's heartwrenching in the best (and therefore worst) possible way. Though I am complaining about it being very sad, the fact that there isn't a particularly happy ending is what makes this story. There is hope. And the bittersweetness comes in the form of realising Ji Hoon and Jae Woo will meet over and over and over again but for me that's also incredibly sad. Little Jae Woo will always suffer from the PTSD of what he went through. Ji Hoon's path is set, and while part of you really wants for them to break out of this cycle, I think that would somehow cheapen the story.

The other supporting cast members are great in their roles. Little Jae Woo is adorable. Hyung Jin is charming and funny without being over-the-top goofy sidekick-ish. And the Boss lady in charge of the ...study dorm hall thing gives off just enough otherwordliness to make you question whether she's perhaps god and will step in to rectify stuff (she doesn't. And for the story to flow as it does, shouldn't).

Apart from all the heartwrenching (I'm not crying, YOU'RE crying), the music is really good. Often times I find music in BLs distracting or annoying or just...don't notice it but this one has a good theme and incidental music.

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Desire, jealousy/envy, unspoken words, touchstarving, confusion, acceptance.

Back in 2021, I was really confused about everything in this show (ngl). Still, I was able to like and feel a lot of things while watching it. I watched it like anything else and moved on, until this year (2023/2024) when I decided to rewatch the show. Now, I can relate a lot to the characters; the restrained desire is something that happens in almost all teenage love, especially when you don't really know yourself anymore.

"What if he likes me? I really like them?
" What would happen if we stayed together?"

The physical touch needing. At the same time, Teh wants; he's so confused about his feelings and thinking a lot of things. He's scared and worried because he's never felt this way before. He doesn't say anything because, in the end, he doesn't even know. The journey is kinda about them trying to figure out themselves (totally normal for young people). But these feelings end up hurting people around him too. "Confusing people ends up hurting amazing people," that phrase perfectly matches. Oh Aew is secure about himself and loved him with all his heart; both did the only thing is that Teh didn't want to accept. I got so happy at the end, it's perfect for all they went through. Teh's character grew so much, all he wanted was to not disappoint his mother. A lot of pressure was put on him due to his brother and in the end he handled it very well. I think what really helped him was opening up. This way, he could understand himself better.
"We are so strong." - Oh Aew

The actors portrayed the characters so well. Even though they were young, they did a really great job. We can feel everything they want to express. And the BGM helps a lot too. I LOVED the OST; it's hard for me to pay attention to BGM, but this one perfectly matches the series. It's beautiful; everything in here is beautiful. This is my 2nd time rewatching, but I feel I could go for more 2. We can see how hard everyone worked on this show, the whole team. They managed to pull everything together in a magnificent way. I can't say more.
The way the scenes were put together, the silent moments, the melancholic cinematography, omg.

Such a simple story came out in such an interesting and profound way.

ALSO, TARN, BAS, AND HOON, YOU ARE THE BEST CHARACTERS. Especially Bas and Tarn; everything they went through because of Teh, and they are still the sweetest people on this show.

The underwater scene. The conversation they had when they were floating symbolizes a lot of things (at least this was my interpretation).

"I love when the seawater touches my back; I feel like something is holding me up." - Teh
"But you need to hold your breath all the way with this posture; sometimes it gets uncomfortable." - Oh Aew
For me, this means the feelings that Teh suppresses when they are "above the earth," when everyone is seeing and expecting something from him. And then the next dialogue happens.
"And when I don't want to control anything, I release my breath and let myself sink." - Oh Aew
At that time, they both go underwater and simply let themselves feel each other. The place where they don't control anything, where they don't care about anything. The place where Teh lets himself go completely, and everything he feels comes out.

There are a lot of other scenes like this too; I feel like everything has meanings, and we can't catch up with all of them in just one viewing. I identify with Teh lol, both with touch starvation and the way he suppresses his feelings.

Now it's time to watch I Promise You The Moon!!!!

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Defies all expectations

When this drama first came out, many thought it would fall flat with its leads. Little did they know, this is both Dylan's and Esther's magnum opus, topping iQiyi's charts. It's a beautifully thought-out romance with great acting, endearing characters, and a compelling pacing. That being said, I might be doing some comparisons with 'Til the End of the Moon' here simply because both have a similar concept in terms of characters : )

Defying all expectations just like this drama (very cringy, I know), I'm going to start by writing about the OST. This is probably the single best OST that's ever graced a C-drama. There's been good ones, for example 'The Long Ballad', 'The Untamed', and 'Til the End of the Moon,' but oh my. This one is beautifully done, with the songs representing the characters' emotions and thoughts in all the right ways. The lyrics are touching and the melodies are achingly beautiful; considering I'm a classical musician (violinist who appreciates mostly classics), I was surprised to find myself enjoying an OST as I almost never do (I just start off with a base of 7 as the OST score). I didn't even skip the starting and ending of the episodes just to listen to the OST many times- it's that good.

I guess where this drama really did hit it out of the park is the acting. From the body swaps (must be very difficult to portray... the characters are completely opposite in terms of personality and demeanor) to the characters in dramatic scenes (Orchid dies the first time, etc.), everything is perfectly portrayed. While Esther Yu played her roles nicely, I did not find anything too special about it... Dylan Wang however really surprised me. The subtle facial expressions, changes in demeanor, and substantial nuances in his performance were effective and vital to really bringing Dongfang Qingcang alive (which he did). You cried for this character, laughed for this character, and cheered for him if you watched this drama. The only performance in a C-drama that I think beats this by a tad is Luo Yunxi in 'Til the End of the Moon', mostly because that one's incredible when it comes to portraying the multiple facets and fates of a single character. Additionally, the demon king in this one is more romance-focused while the other drama is more story-focused overall. If you're looking for a romance drama, I'd definitely recommend this one. If you're looking for an epic fantasy, I'd probably recommend the other one : )

I think the story is where this drama loses a little bit of its appeal for me. It's definitely a great story and worth watching, with fewer plot holes than my favorites and also including the most compelling romance of all. Yet, I do think the plot sacrifices some of its complexity for the sake of the romance, and there aren't as many arcs/ideas as I typically enjoy. Nevertheless, it's one of the best Xianxia's out there. I'd compare this plot to maybe 'the Untamed' in terms of how much it explores iykwim- it's not completely idea-jam-packed but definitely has enough of them to keep you watching. However, the romance is the best executed I've seen, so for the fantasy-romance lovers, you'll enjoy this. Like many others, I did find the ending rushed, but I guess the directors had ten minutes to serve up something happy for the sweet romance lovers...

Either way, this is a beautiful and well-rounded drama overall. It's enjoyable for I'd think all audiences and definitely takes you on a rollercoaster of emotions (WARNING: also fries your brain for maybe a week).

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Um dos melhores bls de 2023

No geral foi uma boa série. Acompanhei o lançamento dos episódios toda semana mas demorei pra escrever uma review.

Achei a ideia diferente do que costumo ver em bls, plots de suspense e ação chamam a minha atenção por isso. O foco da história é a investigação do assassinato da sobrinha do Tinn, mas a trama tem muito mais a mostrar. O romance e a tensão crescente entre os protagonistas está presente junto com todo o desenrolar do caso. Gosto quando a série junta várias elementos junto com o romance.

Para mim, o destaque desse bl é a reflexão que ele traz sobre justiça e vingança. O personagem do Charn mostra muito bem essa dualidade, conhecemos as dores que ele carrega por causa de seu passado e como isso afetou sua fé na justiça. Ficamos o tempo todo apreensivos, sem saber o que esperar das atitudes do Charn, é literalmente uma relação de amor e ódio com ele durante todos os episódios. A atuação do Film nesse papel foi excelente, entregou um personagem icônico.

Também gostei muito do Tinn e sua busca por respostas. É inspirador ver como ele acredita na justiça e não deixa de ser bondoso, mesmo sabendo que o mundo nem sempre é justo. O contraste entre a realidade do Tinn e do Charn só aumenta ainda mais a química desse casal.

O casal secundário foi bom, não tiveram muito destaque mas entregaram bastante química. Gostei dos outros personagens secundários, principalmente a avó do Tinn que é uma fofa, e também a Rose e a Maya que foram perfeitas.

Um ponto negativo pra mim são os efeitos especiais, principalmente nas cenas de ação, eu esperava um pouco mais, alguns foram bem ruins. Tiveram outros erros de edição e continuidade que ficaram perceptíveis, isso atrapalha um pouco a experiência da série mas felizmente não foi nada muito grave e que estrague totalmente. Como são apenas 8 episódios, a história não ficou arrastada, e na minha opinião tudo aconteceu no tempo certo. A série tem mais pontos positivos que negativos.

Concluindo, laws of attraction foi uma boa surpresa e se destacou bastante entre os lançamentos de 2023. Entregaram romance, suspense, ação, drama e até comédia, tudo bem equilibrado. Recomendo demais!

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Lust, Lies and confusion about Love

Between Lust, Lies and Love there is a very troubled man or three... Saying such words as ah ah... and he put his... with a calm and soothing voice as if they where reading a news paper or some kind of text book.

This is the type of drama you watch either with a finger close to the mute button or far, far away from others ears. The romance in this is everything but healthy and the psychological parts are indeed psychological... There is some partial nudity and a whole lot of talk and show of people getting it off... but I* dare say that that part is mostly tastefully zoomed in or out and has a side of cold humour between the parts that should be classified as sexual assault. As you may guess this is not a drama that will make you fall in love but it may have you wondering what lust is and may make you curious about erotic books as well as ponder about stuff... So if you are prepared for all that it is a decent watch but there is a reason or ten for it being rated 18 +

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