Reviews

The potential was huge

I started watching whilst it was ongoing like on ep 4 and loved it.
It started with a fresh feel, cinematography on point and it was very cute.
Yes it had tropes but a lot felt new or not explored in kbl before, more open awareness of attraction and the scent thing. I'd of loved if there was more exploration of that, i mean their jobs involved scents it was perfect.
Chemistry was on fire, i couldn't get enough.
The idol backstory/sideplot was interesting, I'd of even liked seeing more so it weighed more.
To be honest several things i thought could've been better or explored more would warrant a longer series, there felt like very little time to take in what there was already.
Three guys were implied to like the main but i wasn't sure how real it was or if it was just to take up time and give tension.
In the end it felt kinda rushed, i wanted people to find out they were together but no. Side couple didn't become a couple either.
I was left feeling like the quality or maybe the right word is potential i was feeling at the beginning phased out into the usual kbl. Bit disappointing storywise.
Not as ground-breaking as i wanted but still better then some of the past kbl mini dramas.
Still loved the main couple, just wanted more.

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Good Chinese Drama until it wasn’t

I usually shy away from Chinese dramas but I thought I would give this one a try. The storyline and acting were very good, that is until it really wasn’t. What a shame that once again this drama just proved to be a vehicle for Chinese propaganda. It makes me feel like I will never really see the real China. The scene where China takes over Hong Kong was nauseating. All the characters, whether good or bad, forgive each other and they turn around to be upstanding citizens and embraced by all. There is no honesty. The ML’s parents and sibling are all users and ride on the back of their son. He is their cash cow. They mistreat him and yet he is ruled by these horrendous parents. Yet, all end up succeeding and I was waiting for them to start singing “Kumbaya my Lord, kumbaya” any second. They become well off and then share their wealth with all their neighbors. It was laughable. The second female lead is villainous throughout and deserts the man she supposedly loves when he needs her the most. Somehow she becomes this heroic figure and is forgiven for all her past sins. The ML and the FL are so perfect except in their own relationship. He spends more time with the SFL then his own wife and son but his wife is sooooo forgiving, so understanding, so pure and good and kind. The lessons here in this drama are so sweet, tidy and tied up with a bow and not realistic at all. I think I’m just mad that I watched every single episode and feel like it was a waste. The only lesson I learned from this drama is to stick to kdramas.

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Second couple is the best part of the series :)

The major fault of this series was the story about the main leads in the first 20 ep, was not engaging enough coupled with other things (chemistry, acting) that made the viewers ran away after the the first week. The messy storyline in the second half was mainly due to the desperate attempts by the writer to save the rating. Admit it or not, the first half of this drama was the cause of the downfall of KBS weekender, it's unfortunate because it got the decent start with 20% rating.

Anyway, mainly watched for Kim So eun, despite of messy storyline it's so nice to see her screentime increased in the second half even though the writing was bad. Unfortunately she ended up as the punching bag for the female lead's fans who were not satisfied with her screentime and with both her and Kim Seung soo also got the Best Couple award instead of the main couple 😅

Rooted for Im Ju hwan to get his main lead role after Ugly Alert but this was just not it, although his performance actually stood out in the second half.

Lastly, won't really recommend this except if you are really a fan of any of four leads

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BWH&H 1: The Beginning

I can't believe there are no review of this here yet.

I'm a huge Yakuza/Like A Dragon video game fan, and have been for many, many years. That's essentially how I stumbled across this series of movies, as many consider it to be a sort of blueprint for those stories. I wasn't disappointed.

I'm not going to run through all of my loves and gripes from this entry. Instead, I'm going to give tips on how to watch these. The first thing you need to know is that these are best viewed back to back, at least within a short period of time. If you don't, you'll lose track of who is who, who is sworn to who and which gang, what their backstories and relationships are, etc. This is how I watched these five films the first time around, and I did the exact same thing recently for my second viewing of them. If you like this film, the others are pretty similar, and flow really well together.

As for this particular first film, it's an amazing start. It only scratches the surface of the yakuza world the series builds, but it's a serviceable starting point with a lot going on, and possesses a great cast of characters to follow. It moves a t a really fast pace and utilizes shaky cam, complete with all the poor choreographing you'd expect from a Japanese film from this period. If you can get by all that, you'll love it. If you can't, you're gonna hate it. It's broken up with historical narrative bits too, so you have to pay careful attention all throughout. It's a very involving plot, but ultimately it proves very rewarding in the end.

I'm giving it a 9 because it was just as entertaining on my re-watch as it was the first time around. If you like mafia-esque stories then you owe it to yourself to at least give this one a try.

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Jane Austin would roll her eyes

I wonder why the writters/directors still believe that the general public is not ready for modern storylines, strong FLs and mature MLs. Because in spite of excellent photography and acting, this drama is still based on a 'Naive Everygirl and abusive, but handsome Chaebol'.
Jane Austin's Elizabeth said to such a guy, some 210 years ago: '...And I might as well enquire why, with so evident a design of insulting me, you chose to tell me that you liked me against your better judgment.' - That is the best description for Mr. Jang as well, a man who did not grow up enough to own his feelings so he puts all the responsibility on the FL, and she is nice (stupid?) enough to pick it up every time.
Eliza had a change of heart only when Fitzwilliam prooved he matured enough to be her equal (seeing his large estate was, ehmmm, welcome addition to his personal change). Let's see what proof will Ms. Hong-Jo reqire.

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Started out good but the end was not satisfying

So the first I'd say half of the series were good, it was kind of a mystery trying to solve all the bad things happening. Also, you went on this journey with the main female character while she tries to remember her past all the while dealing with ghosts, a mysterious man (the King of ghosts) that quite literally fell out of the sky who seems to know her but then tries to act like he doesn't. Then you get to about the middle and all the sudden she gets whacked by a ghost and he ends up giving her all her memories of who she was back turns out she's a god and he's a god. The original malicious spirit ends up just being a dad who was murdered before he could take revenge for his daughter, but then you find out there's a bigger evil being that was behind all they mysteries and the malicious spirit figuring out how to return to the mortal world. By about episode 15 I knew who the bigger evil being was even though they kept trying to reflect suspicion from him. I hate saying anything bad about the actors because I couldn't do their jobs but maybe in other shows and other roles he's great in this one he was horrible. Every time he had to be really evil his eyes would get real big almost bug eyed, his mouth would open wide to show of his teeth (seriously reminded me of horse teeth) he'd do these stupid I guess supposed to be evil laughs, and he'd get one ridiculous demon hand with the long black nails that were red at the skin I guess so you think they grew out of it so they were bloody maybe, but literally just one hand. His arm can also just grow long so he can reach out and touch you across the room. Then he'd try to make his voice I guess sound like what he thinks a demon would but he sounded stupid. It was seriously bad over acting. By the 16th episode I was over seeing his face completely. The whole time you're watching from about episode 12- 16 or 17 you can't help but wonder if these characters are all stupid because it's so obvious who the bad guy is. Oh and he's a bad guy because 1000 years ago the lead female dared to love someone else and not him and chose to die instead of be with him. Like get over it. Even in modern day she still wants nothing to do with him, and he's obsessed. Yet at one point she acts like if she stays with him he'll magically just get over his obsession. From episode 17-19 there's a whole lot of sitting around just waiting. Finally you get to the last episode and you think okay now there can be this showdown how will the beat this "big evil" and literally there is the worst little battle and then the guy literally disintegrates and gets sucked into the sky with no explanation of where he went, is he gone for good, is he dead? Who knows they never again mention it. The main female leads friend who through the entire show is tormented and put under and evil spell but only ends up holding onto a small amount of humanity due to this guy that falls for her ends up losing him because he dies protecting her, though we find out later that they a couple that each time the reincarnate will end up back together. You think the main female dies because it's never fully explained that when she gets her memories of her original life 1000 years ago she loses her god status and her soul starts to dissipate. They never explain why she loses her god status but the King of ghosts was able to remember 1000 years ago and his past life with her. It ends up that Queen of I believe the underworld uses a loophole so that she doesn't disappear for good and gains back her status of a god but under a different person like everyone is stupid and doesn't think oh she looks just like the god that got sucked down to earth. Just by far so many holes in the story and just unsatisfying. It could have been a great story but the acting wasn't that good and parts were predictable. Then just left with no real satisfying kill of the bad guy, he just poofs into the sky and who knows where he went. 10/10 don't recommend wasting the time to watch this.

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You watch the whole series because of only one actor.

I rarely make a review that low. I usually don't comment what I don't like. Yes, Yang Joon Mo is the only reason to watch the drama. He is the cutest guy, and also an excellent actor. His cuteness reminded me of Cho Byeong Kyu in Uncanny counter part 1.
The story is... well, inexistant. Two friends separated when they were young, reunited as young adults and fall in love. So nothing in term of originality. The only "drama" was the two other men running after him and that was "flat".
They could have done so much more, and the ending wouldn't fell like an after thought.
The "fiancé" has not role in it. With or without her, the story would have been the same because there is No Drama there either. So, I wonder. Is it just a way for Korea to introduce the new actor Yang Joon Mo or they really just wanted to make a BL?

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"What is the meaning of those days?"

The Days focused on the immediate aftermath of the March 11, 2011 earthquake and tsunami and their catastrophic effects on the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station. The events were shown from the side of the workers and their heroic efforts and the political side which was hindered by personal stakes, ineptness, and evasion of responsibility. The performances were engaging and nuanced and by far the strength of this drama based on the tragic real-world calamity.

"Mistake or destiny?"

When the earthquake and tsunami devastated the electrical grid, the power plant was left without electricity relying on back-up generators to keep the safety measures going. Never dreaming that a tsunami would reach the heights it did, the generators were ruined by seawater. Men in the control room were in the dark both literally and in relation to what was going on in the deadly monsters they were in charge of. Maejima was assisted by veterans Furuya and Osugi as well as younger operators who sought to do what they could only aided by flashlights.

"Forlorn hope"

Manager Yoshida Masao set up headquarters in the Seismic Safe Room to assess the damage and brainstorm responses to the critical issues. Hampered by a loss of almost all communication after the tsunami and largely cut off from the rest of the world the plant operators had to use what they had to try and determine the status of the four units. They resorted to using car batteries to attempt to open vital valves. Things went from bad to worse with aftershocks and hydrogen explosions. Yoshida sought to protect his workers as best he could even while knowing they risked their lives as they attempted to gain information by traveling into the belly of the radioactive beasts and for the workers who fought to remove radioactive debris to bring the fire trucks and the hoses needed to supply water to cool and de-pressure the escalating situations. Eventually, he made the hard decision of who would stay as he ordered the evacuation of most of the workers, knowing that those who remained might die if the worst happened.

"Our company has lost its mind."

On the political side of things, Prime Minister Yan was not advised by nuclear power experts but often those who seemed to be political appointees-who needs an economist during a nuclear disaster? The management at TEPCO was completely unprepared for such a disaster and the manuals gave no guidelines. Both the political and business advisors seemed to be more concerned about giving unpleasant news or being held accountable. They also worried about looking bad to the public and never mentioned the nuclear meltdowns by name. Their ineffectual echo chamber could have led to even more devastation if Yoshida had listened to them. Yan at one point belittled the heroes' efforts. While the people safe from harm worried about plausible deniability, they failed to supply the plucky workers with the basic supplies they needed.

"We don't have a guide, we're in it to the end."

Yakusho Koji gave a powerful performance as Yoshida. Without histrionics he conveyed the calmness and strength of the man in charge of saving the nation with his decisions. Yakusho expressed grief, horror, resoluteness, and exasperation with his face and body movements and provided a stalwart character for the others to trust in and lean on. He showed Yoshida's defiance with deftness and even humor. It has been a long time since I have been so engaged by an actor's performance. Takenouchi Yutaka, Kobayashi Kaoru, and Musaka Naomasa played the operator warriors in the dark control room who braved the dangers so close to the deadly radiation. Though their faces were often covered by protective equipment and respirators the veteran actors' performance came through. These men portrayed, like Yoshida, knew their chances of surviving were slim to none and yet they did whatever was necessary for the greater good.

"I can no longer leave here alive."

The drama displayed the events and actions almost hour by gripping hour. I was always shocked by how much the operators had accomplished when the time clock was shown. Yoshida came across as the hero of this story and the faithful men who risked their lives to cool down and calm the radioactive beast that had the power to leave a third of Japan uninhabitable for decades. The actors who played the fearless Daiichi workers gave understated and formidable performances that were compelling and emotional. The Days was a cautionary tale of human hubris in the face of nature and yet how there are still heroes among us. It is a drama well worth the time for viewing.

9/7/23

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A harmless bit of fluff

There's no depth here, just a cute BL with lots of silly jealous moments. I base my rating on how good a show is at being the kind of show it set out to be, i.e. not going to judge this one in the same category as Not Me or KinnPorsche. The pacing is a bit weird, things don't really pick up until the 5th episode or so. I wasn't sold on the lead actors chemistry at first, but by the end of the show I felt it worked really well. The spicy factor is pretty low, but were some ACTUAL kissing scenes, which can be few and far between in Korean BLs. The visuals, as one would expect, are off the charts. If you're looking for a mindless fluffy BL to watch that doesn't require a lot of brain cells, this is a good pick.

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A true hidden love with patience ♡

I didn't know it was base on a true story the first time I was watching it.
After the last episode I encouraged my best friend to watch it by saying "Its details are so touchable that it seems like the writer fell in love just like this and then wrote it down".
I was searching on the Internet about the cast and suddenly I figured out it is a real story! This is one of the biggest strengths of " hidden love" storyline.
I must say this drama made me a Cdrama fan and I'm looking for a drama with this beautiful scenes and chemistry and dialogues between the cast.
I sincerely recommend it.
❥ Watch it with your heart, not just your eyes ❥

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not that good

WARNING : SPOILERS AND A VERY BAD/MESSY REVIEW
If ken isn't getting choked then he's crying
there's a random guy who can read minds
mr lue can change clothes at the speed of light
noone can shoot mr lue no matter how close he stands
ken is superduper delulu king.
ken is a bit creepy and has pictures of din everywhere in his flat. there's not a single milimeter of space that isnt covered with dins face

i didnt love the fact that din was mr lue. i knew it since the begginning as it was very predictable but i still disliked it. and also, how the hell couldnt delulu king ken tell that it was Din? I get that he's had like hundreds of plastic surgery sessions but his personality and idk body would still be the same. Had potetntial but i was wasted. I feel bad for the real mr lue who dide in a carcrash. he didnt sign up for any papers saying that they could use his face,name and identity....casting wasnt amazing either mr lue and din didnt look alike AT ALL..
i didnt like the ending either...... 5.5 stars is generous,

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Niche comedy drama

If you only enjoy idol costume drama you'll just need to avoid this one. This is a niche comedy drama probably only Chinese speakers can understand.
The whole cast has a local accent, not like an imitated one but natural sounding heavy accent.

Story starts out with Chang Zai, a timid cook (ML) just want a wife. He end up standing in for his Twin brother Chang Hai as the legendary sect leader navigating his way through the world of martial arts. I don't think there's really a directional plot because most of the episodes are just silly every day happenings.

Most of the comedy pokes fun of the martial arts world and not everyone will find it funny. I personally enjoyed it on the side and thought it was pretty entertaining.

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A very entertaining watch :D

I really liked watching this drama. The first and last episodes were, to me, ridiculously over-the-top in a very « cheap lakorn » way (featuring overdramatic BGM, disjointed, jarring editing, cheap cinematography) but the in-between ones were really good, hitting a perfect balance between action and emotion, realism and romanticization.

The show had many strengths, first of which its main couple. Charn and Tinn were really compelling characters and both their individual development and their relationship progress was organic and rewarding. The acting elevated everything and the chemistry was incredible. The supporting characters orbiting around Charn and Tinn were all brilliant: Grandma, Rose, Maya, Nawin -, a performance of acting and writing which made love all of them individually and watch for them just as much as I did for Tinn and Charn. The main plot-line was engaging (baring some glaring plotholes) and the well-handled pace kept it interesting.

The second love line was, in my opinion, unnecessary, and lacking in writing and acting. None of the characters on the Thatthep side of the story managed to catch my interest, despite Thaenthai’s initial potential as a complex, multi-layered character, but that did not impede my enjoyment of the series in the slightest.

A recommended watch!

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Hmmmm...I don't know

So the idea was cute about two childhood friends rekindling and starting to get closer but the execution wasn't that good.

I'll start with the good aspects of the series, namely the cuteness and handsomeness factor. You can't deny that the cast is to die for. The acting was okay but of course it could have been better. I also liked that they actually kissed and not just your average KBL kiss. I also liked the weird conversations because you don't really talk about you know what getting bigger and bigger in a KBL. I almost died of laughter at that point.

However, there were too many missing links. I was missing a lot of backstory about the idol life, the love life, the fiancé that added nothing to the plot... I wanted less of the back story so the actual love story would be believable because ...when and how did they fall in love? I don't see it.

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