Reviews

When just cuteness isn't enough

Excessively childish story, there is no kiss from any of the couples, there is no chemistry between any of them either.

The main character's wig is simply ridiculous and unnecessary.

The story has no foot or head.

Both the relationship between the main pair and the relationship between the two women is only hinted at as being about something other than friendship, while the other relationship between the two boys conveys zero emotions as one of them, due to an illness, is unable to smile or facially express emotions. .

If you're hoping to watch an overly cute children's story without any kisses, go ahead

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Irritating start, great rest of story

Just wanna say that I am probably more emotionless than most people who’ve watched (or plan to watch) this but I’ll just say that if you’ve watched other tragedy drama from the time (ex. Koukou Kyoushi 1993) then you probably won’t find it all that sad like what currently every other commend and review is hyping it up to be, still depressing don’t get me wrong, but it’s not crying gut wrenching sad, or to me at least, probably because of things I will discuss but I digress.
This was a very good watch, definitely in the current top 5 most tragic dramas I’ve watched (currently I haven’t seen many but if I include anime then still in the top 10 at least). Pretty much every single episode had some tragic happening whether that be as small as someone failing at regaining their footing in life or as big as someone dying, this drama had it all, but the way it originally set things up for the main couple (Maria and Shiro) was kinda forced in my opinion, like what person on earth would purposely take the unnecessarily hard route to leaving his old life behind instead of the simple option? I guess Shiro would. But after that arc (which was the first two episodes if memory serves me right) the happenings regarding their relationship more or less feel believable including the more irrational decisions taken by the two (don’t want to spoil it so I used a very vague word). The story had me rather invested the entire time, something that I certainly wasn’t expecting to happen in the first two episodes plus the fact that it’s very dramatic (a theme I ironically don’t enjoy much). The reason why this gets only an 8.0 though is partially related to the first two episode problem and partially related to that last point: It at times felt dramatic for the sake of being dramatic. Every last character in the story managed to at one point or another get the short end of the stick, and literally only two characters after 12 episodes managed to seem happy (Jun and Nana, will speak more later) this was a trope I identified pretty much in the first episode, so it did kinda take the joy out of watching some of the scenes because I just expected that to happen, I knew it wouldn’t turn out well.
Between the two main relationships in the show, Maria-Shido and Nana-Jun, the latter of the two I found a lot more enjoyable to watch; Nana being blind and Jun having his own legal and mental troubles somehow made their side relationship a lot more engaging than Maria-Shido’s but knowing me. This almost certainly stems from the fact that I could sense a happier ending with them but it is also probably because Nana was a lot brighter of a character (because of her disability) who never really dwelled on issues of the past and Jun just wanted happiness for her, so you could see it would be either a satisfying or happy ending. Not saying Maria-Shido’s was bad no, just it was obviously made out to be more depressing and also used more plot devices to achieve that goal (the last episode).
Technical things in the show were at the standard of 90s J-Drama: terrible lighting, decent cinematography, great music (the main theme song is up there with “Bokutachi no Shippai”), good acting and effects, etc. Only complaint isn’t related to the official production but the subs; they’re from a group that I’ve seen before, they are very lazy when it comes to timing lines and tend to drop words that they should have kept, but it didn’t really take away from the story.
Overall a good watch, I recommend this to any J-Drama enjoyer

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Had me in the first half, ngl

Only slight spoilers ahead.

I've been watching this while it was airing and now that it's over, I have to say I'm a little disappointed. Let me start off by saying the cast nailed its job - everyone brought their characters alive, made them believable, and the chemistry (not only between the main leads) was great. That's not where my problem with the show lies.

The story starts very strongly. We have Sailom, a boy whose family is poor and who has to work alongside going to school, yet he never complains and we even see him be very grateful and happy with what he already has. Then we have Kang, who is a spoilt rich brat and who takes out his own personal issues on others by bullying them. Their paths cross and I love, LOVE how Sailom never gives in to Kang, how he stands strong, his chin up, even making Kang seem like a fool and giving him a taste of his own medicine. Then, after a certain incident, these two are forced to work together - aka Sailom tutoring Kang as a sort of punishment from his grandmother.

The first half of the show is really nice. We see the boys growing closer, one falling sooner than the other, and before they realize it they're fighting the world together. We learn how it really is with Kang and why he is the way he is, we see him work on his past mistakes and growing into a better person. Stuff happens, misunderstandings happen, love triangle happens - all of those things I was still thrilled to watch. (I saw people complaining about how fast Sailom fell for Kang considering all the nasty sht he's done to him, and to be honest, I kinda agree, but I think this was largely messed up by the pacing of the show and time jumps.)

Then, towards the end, things start to escalate and somehow I'm starting to question what happened to the original plot? We're fighting mafia now? Like I know it's called "Dangerous Romance" but I guess I misunderstood where the danger part lies on the equation. And on top of that, characters now start to act differently than where their development was leading up to - Kang switches emotions and opinions left and right, Saifah throws all his love for his brother out of the window, like where did this come from?

I like that pretty much every issue that occurred in the series was solved very quickly and it didn't drag. However, some things seemed a little rushed. Sometimes it felt like there must've been some scenes cut from the broadcast or the time jumped without notice, making me question "Okay but didn't you have a different opinion on this 10 minutes ago?". It became messy and inconsistent in some parts, which was a shame.

Another two issues I had were flashbacks and the use of music. About the first one... Did we really need any of them? Serious question. Like ok.. if you give me a flashback in ep 10 about something that happened in ep 2, I'm perfectly ok with that. But is it necessary to show me something I saw in the last episode or even a few minutes ago? Come on. Perth and Chimon are both skillful enough to convey needed emotions without the editors making 100% sure we remember that Kang had given Sailom his beloved blue umbrella three times in one hour. And about the latter, I actually want to clarify that I'm a huge fan of the OST for this show, it's just the way they used it that bothers me. The main song, "Wind" (sang by Chimon), stole my heart before I even started watching the show, but they definitely overused it. Sad scene, funny scene, romantic scene, you name it, they played it there. Idk, it just took away the magic and purpose of it for me. Sometimes there was a character sad and we got a rather cheerful music over it - now what is that, why don't you fuel my sorrow and make me bawl my eyes out more? Somebody in the production team messed this up and I need them fired.

I would say.. sometimes the scenes just didn't hit the way they were supposed to. I'm not sure what was the main reason, whether the pacing, the music, or whatever.

Now that the rant is over, let's get back to positives.
I wasn't part of the "will Perth and Chimon work well on camera as a couple?" train cs tbh, I had no idea they were gonna play together until DR was announced, but as soon as I saw them I had no doubt they would nail this. I love them both as individuals and as actors, and I had no doubt about their chemistry. (And if you didn't enjoy their kissing scenes cs they weren't hot enough according to your standards, I guess ask yourself what you watch each show for and if it's able to provide it to you.)
Guy and Nawa, oh dear, they were awesome. I enjoyed their story so much, from enemies to friends (in question) to love interests, I ate their scenes and felt hungry whenever they ended. I'm thrilled to see these two work together in the future.
Pimfah, although she's been done dirty later on, she was awesome. Actual good human being, luckily not just a love interest to stirr things up but a good friend to both Kang and Sailom. She was great, along with the real powerhouse of the series, the GRANDMA.
Saifah, although they butchered his character towards the end as well, I loved his moments at Kang's house where he showed how deeply he cared for his brother. It must've been hard for him as well, taking care of both himself and Sailom, from relatively early age.
All school friends of both main leads were great and I loved how we saw them - with kind of pressure, haha - hang out together even when KangSailom weren't present. Even through they started off as enemies, they were able to maturely leave past in the past and move on.

It started off as a 10 for me but ended up falling down to 6-7. I still enjoyed it but I wish it was written better. It shouldn't have been called Dangerous Romance... If they cut the "dangerous" part and focused more on Kang's character development from bully to Sailom's bf and their relationship overall, I think it would be much better. Although it has its flaws, It's still a show worth watching.

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Worst BL I've ever seen in my life

The text is horrible, full of flaws, completely implausible and childish.

Filling the episodes with slow motion scenes and the characters' internal whispers and giggles are very irritating.

Using people with disabilities (episodes 5 and 6) and trans people to make jokes is a terrible thing in 2023.

I feel sorry for Frank and Long Lee, good actors in a bad series.

I gave one star out of pity for both of them.

Frank's character spends the entire story obeying all of his bosses' absurd orders (like being naked in front of them) as if he were a slave for the simple reason that he finds Long Lee's character hot, which in my opinion goes beyond fiction .

He spends his time looking for a necklace because a fortune teller psychic advised him to do so, even giving up his own family to do so, which proves to be extremely implausible.

What's more, this fortune teller hasn't changed her appearance at all over the decades, being exactly the same when she attended to Frank's character's mother when he was a child and then when he was an adult.

A story that conveys zero emotions, I started watching it for Long Lee and Frank, but it's a total waste of time.

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Good Drama but needs Trigger Warnings

Side note: Going into this drama, I didn’t expect how deep and dark this drama was meant to be. I think neither the poster nor the trailer did justice to how heavy the topics discussed in the drama were. I feel like some sort of trigger warning should’ve been put out prior to releasing the drama.

Pros: I honestly really liked the romance between the leads. The ML was very understanding and I thought his presence was a good diversion from the topics discussed. I also thought the cinematography (e.g. colorful psych ward, sunlight shining through, clouds when depressed, the FL house/neighborhood, etc.) was beautifully done.

Cons: I didn’t understand how the second romance plot line contributed to the whole picture about mental illness. It was interesting to watch the nurse gain her freedom and find herself by the end of the drama, but I feel like I would’ve liked more from their story line. Additionally, imo the story would’ve benefitted from 4 more episodes? More detailed discussions/examples of mental illnesses would have truly added to the emotional sensitivity and understanding the writer wanted to portray.

Overall: This was a beautifully done story with an emotional depth that would take a while to fully encode. I probably will not be rewatching this drama in the near future, if ever. At this point in time in my life, considering my mental health, I sought out for an escape, instead I was engulfed in a sensitive storyline requiring a lot of venerability.

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A Romantic Tale That Gave Birth To A Masterpiece.

I have a lot of things that I want to say about this phenomenal show, but I’ll try my best to make it as concise and spoiler-free as possible.

The majestic cinematography is one of the strongest points in the series, be it in the modern day or the 1927 era. The filter or the soft bokeh effect that they put in the 1927 era gave the show an ethereal feel as if we were watching a movie set in a dreamworld, which in my opinion is a smart decision since it is told mostly from Jom’s perspective, cause literally, everyone in that time is already a ghost in the present day except Jom. It’s like putting the character’s lenses through our screen. This alone is already a brilliant way of visual storytelling!

The characters are all interesting and well-written. The acting? Outstanding! Nonkul and Bright did an astonishing job as Jom and Yai. In the first episode, we can already see Nonkul’s spectacular acting chops! His eyes alone speak of those devastating emotions that he is experiencing. In the succeeding episodes, you can feel those tantalizing romantic shivers that he feels every time Yai speaks poetry of his love to him. I would not be surprised if he wins an award for his performance as Jom. Bright’s big moments were in the later part of the story. But what amazes me is his versatility in portraying different versions of Yai. The non-verbal and verbal that he did is distinct from the other versions of the character. He did his homework excellently.

I also have to commend the supporting actors for a splendid performance! It’s great that the supporting cast had their own moments and was not left behind by the amazing leads. And did I mention that aside from the main gay couple, we also have a lesbian and straight couple? Yes, this series shows all kinds of love.

The series holds no bars in showing the ruthless treatment of the servants and women in that period. Its fearless portrayal of what happened in the past makes me realize that the series that I’m watching is a bold, unfiltered, and fiercely beautiful work of art. Despite that, it also shows that the abused and the oppressed CAN claim their power and stand up for themselves! Which makes it one of the most powerful scenes in the show.

The music and original soundtrack are magical. For some, it might not be radio-friendly, but the way the music was arranged fits the drama perfectly! Even the lyrics of the four songs featured in the show voiced the perspective and emotions of our main leads. Each note and instrument was meticulously placed to fit the scenes of the drama.

The show as a whole is heartfelt and hopeful. Especially the last few episodes which are excruciatingly beautiful, it made me dehydrated from wailing. Each second that goes by is a slow agony of the inevitable separation. The last scene makes some people confused, unless you read the novel, you will understand it. But I think it was left that way in the series to open the possibility of a 2nd Season, after all, there is so much more to tell.

The love story of Yai and Jom can be considered a one-of-a-kind timeless, classic, romantic tale that gave birth to a masterpiece.

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A Romantic Tale That Gave Birth To A Masterpiece.

I have a lot of things that I want to say about this phenomenal show, but I’ll try my best to make it as concise and spoiler-free as possible.

The majestic cinematography is one of the strongest points in the series, be it in the modern day or the 1927 era. The filter or the soft bokeh effect that they put in the 1927 era gave the show an ethereal feel as if we were watching a movie set in a dreamworld, which in my opinion is a smart decision since it is told mostly from Jom’s perspective, cause literally, everyone in that time is already a ghost in the present day except Jom. It’s like putting the character’s lenses through our screen. This alone is already a brilliant way of visual storytelling!

The characters are all interesting and well-written. The acting? Outstanding! Nonkul and Bright did an astonishing job as Jom and Yai. In the first episode, we can already see Nonkul’s spectacular acting chops! His eyes alone speak of those devastating emotions that he is experiencing. In the succeeding episodes, you can feel those tantalizing romantic shivers that he feels every time Yai speaks poetry of his love to him. I would not be surprised if he wins an award for his performance as Jom. Bright’s big moments were in the later part of the story. But what amazes me is his versatility in portraying different versions of Yai. The non-verbal and verbal that he did is distinct from the other versions of the character. He did his homework excellently.

I also have to commend the supporting actors for a splendid performance! It’s great that the supporting cast had their own moments and was not left behind by the amazing leads. And did I mention that aside from the main gay couple, we also have a lesbian and straight couple? Yes, this series shows all kinds of love.

The series holds no bars in showing the ruthless treatment of the servants and women in that period. Its fearless portrayal of what happened in the past makes me realize that the series that I’m watching is a bold, unfiltered, and fiercely beautiful work of art. Despite that, it also shows that the abused and the oppressed CAN claim their power and stand up for themselves! Which makes it one of the most powerful scenes in the show.

The music and original soundtrack are magical. For some, it might not be radio-friendly, but the way the music was arranged fits the drama perfectly! Even the lyrics of the four songs featured in the show voiced the perspective and emotions of our main leads. Each note and instrument was meticulously placed to fit the scenes of the drama.

The show as a whole is heartfelt and hopeful. Especially the last few episodes which are excruciatingly beautiful, it made me dehydrated from wailing. Each second that goes by is a slow agony of the inevitable separation. The last scene makes some people confused, unless you read the novel, you will understand it. But I think it was left that way in the series to open the possibility of a 2nd Season, after all, there is so much more to tell.

The love story of Yai and Jom can be considered a one-of-a-kind timeless, classic, romantic tale that gave birth to a masterpiece.

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Criminally underrated

Ok, I usually don't write reviews for anything but it just made my heart ache that this drama has such a low rating. I know it's not the typical romcom people are used to but it's much more realistic than most kdramas out there.

I think they managed to depict the raw type of human relationships in a very beautiful way. The main focus was on this on and off relationship between Na-bi and Jae-eon that could very easily be seen as toxic in real life. But let's talk about how amazing their interaction was. They didn't talk much but you could feel the sexual tension through the screen. I've watched over 50 dramas and none of them gave me that feeling. A very important factor here was the bgm. I absolutely loved each and every OST. I think they chose the perfect melody for every scene. It made me feel somehow cozy.

I know a lot of people said there was no character development or that the pace was too slow but the drama itself is short so just because the last 4 episodes were not as exciting doesn't make the drama bad. And again, Na-bi is a very normal average girl who is torned and confused and might need more time to make a decision but that doesn't make her dumb. I am actually happy she decided to give Jae-eon another chance because life can be like that sometimes. It illustrates the idea of living life without overthinking it.

Overall, I think it's a really beautiful drama but I also understand why some might find it difficult to watch without skipping through it. I would say, just give it a chance! It might surprise you~

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Great graphics, great act, but unsatisfying end

We can see tremendous amount of money spent all over this drama. The visual effects and costumes were fabulous.

I was highly anticipated this drama because Luo Yunxi, Bai Lu, and the teaser looked promising. Sadly, i was a bit disappointed.

Both lead had great acting skill & top notch chemistry that we expected in a twisted couple.
I think of all the supporting roles, I would say Ye Bingchang delivered the best play.

Now, the bad part:
1. Story plot were "untidy".
I had to watched almost 4-5 episodes just for story gave explanation about things, which some of it could be done in a short time of one episode. So, the writing were ineffective.

2. To much complicated love story.
Yet the side love stories were not interesting enough to be watched. Waste of time.

3. Problems keep on coming.
Yet, the story was ended abruptly & unsatisfying. The final episode showed the lead had a daughter from her husband but that was that. How could a love story that ran through thousand of years ended so lightly that it felt abandoned by the writer?
It felt like this drama wanted to show that the good people do not deserve happiness in their lifetime. Seemed like the producer wanted to play God by making everyone miserable at first then in the end no one would get a really sweet & happy life.

I have a suggestion for producer like this: if you want to play God, don't make drama!
People already knew what real life is, so next time you really want to make a drama, give the suffering people a lot of happy moments too! That what drama is for, to entertain people hearts, not make them desperate!

4. The motion songs were not catchy enough by nowadays drama OST standard.
Sounds like song from old classic drama remade to modern song.
I thought Zhang Bichen & Liu Yuning were guaranteed for great motion songs, turned out it were not.

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ITS A MUST WATCH!

This was my first mini series and I am quite impressed how it’s straight to the point and it’s not boring at all! This series was very enjoyable to watch with plenty of great laughs and most importantly I love the chemistry between the ML & FL. I love how they were not afraid to show affection - they know what they want and got it. The ML was definitely a strong ML he made me fall in love with him with his cute little gap between his teeth. The FL is just absolutely gorgeous! I kinda wish there would be a couple more episodes with them getting married it would’ve topped it all off for me.

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Masterpiece cast in silky noir.

The ultra-violence of the revenge trilogy feels distant when the Korean visionary Park Chan Wook serves delicious romance of the absolute highest class.

The irresistible scent of classic noir hangs like a dense fog over Park Chan Wook's latest opus. Decision to Leave (2022) undeniably has films like Double Indemnity (1944) and Vertigo (1958) to thank, but at the same time, Park Chan Wook is refreshingly unique in his filmmaking and voice as usual. It is not long before what is initially very "Hitchcockian" and familiar is taken in completely unexpected directions.

The story begins in an accident investigation led by the chronically melancholic police officer Jang Hae Joon (Park Hae Il). A middle-aged climber appears to have fallen from the mountain he was climbing and died instantly when he hit the ground. Most of Hae Joon's colleagues shrug their shoulders and want to shrug it off as quickly as possible, while he himself begins to turn the magnifying glass on the deceased's mysterious widow, Chinese Song Seo Rae (Tang Wei). Her cold nonchalance about what happened and her murky background means that Hae Joon is no longer so sure that her fate was an accident. The instant chemistry that develops between the two further complicates the case.

So far it feels like movies I've seen before but every minute of playtime me further away from them. What could steer towards a conventional investigative thriller instead becomes something far more dreamy and sublime. What generally results in something cold and hard instead turns into something warm and silky. With each passing scene, it becomes increasingly clear that the murder mystery and its "whodunit" question is completely subordinate to the central relationship and that it is a love story unfolding on the big screen, albeit a strange one. The corpses that keep turning up are just icing on a cake of passion and longing. Park Chan Wook's transformation into bloody romantic (something already noticed in 2016's The Handmaiden) is total, and I love it.

Given that's the direction Park Chan Wook chooses, it's Tang Wei and Park Hae Il that everything hinges on, because if you don't buy their almost Phantom Thread twisted romance, everything else falls like a house of cards. Fortunately, there are sparks about them from the first frame they share and it is with ease that one capitulates to their restrained "courtship" of each other. Hae Il's portrayal of someone stuck on autopilot in career and marriage only to gently thaw back to life is utterly devastating, and Tang Wei's multi-layered, vulnerable and utterly unique femme fatale interpretation will carry with me for a long time.

As always with Park Chan Wook's filmmaking, he maximizes the visual potential of every frame. Here he is more playful than in his previous works and allows everything from smartphones to GPSs to merge with the visual language and the result feels as hypermodern as it does classic. Aesthetically, he continues on the trail he opened with 2018's The Little Drummer Girl, allowing both set design and costuming to rise far beyond realism. There are strong reds, strong blues and strong greens, almost to the point that Pedro Almodóvar feels like a possible source of inspiration. Few filmmakers can pull off a visual feast of this breathtaking caliber.

When the incredible finale (incidentally the obvious peak of a film that conquers the epithet masterpiece in every scene) is over and the credits roll, I can't help but think of Michael Gambon's narration in the Coen brothers' Hail, Caesar! (2016) and how he describes a film- "A potion of balm for the ache of a toiling mankind". That's exactly what Decision to Leave is, a soft and healing balm for the heart, brain and soul.

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Beautiful vegetarian propaganda.

A grand fantasy adventure that is fantastically entertaining and beautiful. Okja is a charming, funny and thought-provoking family film which, however, is not directly suitable for the youngest, but will amuse many others.

The fact that the Netflix-produced film Okja competed in Cannes raised a few eyebrows among the traditionalists. However, you have to think outside the box when you turn 70, and that's what the festival did in 2017.

The South Korean Bong Joon Ho, the man behind films like The Host and Snowpiercer, has written and directed this cute and visually spectacular fairy tale, with very dark tones between the lines.
The film is not easy to categorize as within its framework there is about as much comedy and farce as deep-seated drama and action. It is precisely this that gives the film extra points for innovative thinking, but at the same time risks making it somewhat difficult to grasp for parts of the audience, and above all it becomes difficult to say who its intended target group actually is.

The film is a kind of platonic love story between a girl and her pet.
Okja is one of all genetically engineered superpigs larger than a hippopotamus and has grown up with Mija, a little girl who lives up in the Korean mountains with her grandfather. Mija and Okja are best friends and really stick together through thick and thin. One day, however, everything changes when the Mirando Corporation, which once created Okja to become cheap food for the people, comes to bring her "home". But Mija is not one to give up on her friend so easily and encouraged by an animal rights group, she travels to the other side of the globe to save her life partner.

Essentially, then, the film is about unlikely but oh-so-strong friendship and takes place with the corrupt and sleazy (on more than one level) meat industry as a background. At the same time, the film conveys important messages about how the resources on earth should be distributed and urges us consumers to think. This is unusual in a film for younger people but all the more important for us all to take part.

A pale and easygoing Tilda Swinton plays the cool and calculating Lucy Mirando who is the CEO of the heartless company intent on mass producing cheap meat. And of course she is perfect in the role. Her colleague, the eccentric zoologist Dr. Johnny Wilcox is played by an energetic Jake Gyllenhaal who is quite funny, although perhaps not as convincing. Admittedly, it's a lot of fun to see him doing slapstick and rampaging around like I've never seen him do before, but it's grossly overplayed and not always justified. To some extent, it is certainly forgivable to stretch the expressions, as both his and Tilda Swinton's characters are caricatures, although it feels like Jake Gyllenhaal is sometimes almost having a little too much fun himself, at the expense of a lot of credibility.
Other roles include the always-watchable Paul Dano, Steven Yeun and Lily Collins. Young talent Ahn Seo-Hyun plays Mija and succeeds in an unexpectedly convincing way in creating a relationship with a giant animal that is mostly computer-animated.

Okja is a different and very nice film that absolutely deserves its audience. It's a bit uneven between turns and I sometimes feel that the humor should have been turned up a bit, only to suddenly feel that it could have been toned down. This ambivalence is a little disruptive to the overall experience and I would have liked Bong Joon Ho to decide to take it either way.

In the end, despite some flaws, this is a very lovely and heartwarming film that I undoubtedly enjoy very much.

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Best BL ever!

I Feel You Linger in the Air is the best bl I've ever watched. Everything from the plot to acting to music is A++. The lanthom ost always makes me cry and the jomkwan ost is so sweet.
I think this show has the best acting I've seen in a BL. I knew Nonkul was good actor already but was skeptical about Bright. Now Bright Rapheephong has become one of my all time favs. His microexpressions are so good and so believable as a 20 year old boy living in the 1920s.
I feel like this show would get more popular if it aired at a different time. Most people were too invested in only friends and dangerous romance airing around the same time. Could also be because of Youku being the streaming platform. For interfans (other than the US) the series is available for free on youtube - Uncut and TV version. Please go make this series more popular so that we can get a season 2 TT

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