Completed
Hidamari ga Kikoeru
0 people found this review helpful
5 days ago
12 of 12 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 8.0
Story 7.5
Acting/Cast 9.0
Music 8.5
Rewatch Value 7.5
This review may contain spoilers

I had high hopes for this series

Before I jump into this, I’m just gonna say that I really did enjoy this drama and it was an entertaining watch. There was not a single episode that felt too boring for me either.
I’m gonna start with the good things:
The actors/acting of everyone - This story’s acting felt so genuine practically the whole time. Just by the way the leads looked at each other conveyed so many emotions without them saying a word. Something about this factor made the series more compelling and realistic (I’ll talk more on realism in a sec).
The plot - The premise of the story was very good! I really liked how the characters disabilities were portrayed. Not once did it occur to me that these actors can in fact hear because the way both Kohei and Maya acted was so convincing.

Now, here’s where things kinda fell off for me:
What romance? - Come on now, the faked camera angle?! I thought Japan was progressing and yet the actors can’t kiss? I know in the manga the kiss wasn’t exactly shown, but that’s because it’s a damn manga, not a TV series lol! I’m sorry but the actors could not convince me that they were really in love with each other.. not with that awkward hug scene too ?. They looked more like close friends who cared about each other rather than lovers (just my opinion though)
Next, yes the plot was good, but I’m a bit confused. Like wasn’t Kohei’s hearing declining? Why did it suddenly stop declining? I was really interested to know what was happening to him, but everything seemed to lead up to nothing since I still don’t understand.
I wished they had given more clarity on Kohei’s situation.

Either way, it was still a decent series and I would recommend!

Read More

Was this review helpful to you?
Completed
Marry My Husband
0 people found this review helpful
5 days ago
16 of 16 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 10
Story 10
Acting/Cast 10
Music 8.0
Rewatch Value 6.5

Amei Assistir ?

?????????

Eu realmente adorei a forma como o drama foi capaz de prender minha atenção e me fez ter um desejo incessante de assistir cada episódio até chegar ao final. Eu apenas desgostei um pouco do fim, mas aí é pessoal.
Num geral é incrível e os atores realmente conseguiram fazer bem os seus devidos papéis.

Principalmente a atriz que faz a Soo min que teve que interpretar uma personagem que constantemente muda sua forma de agir e se comportar... Foi realmente espetacular.

??????????
Was this review helpful to you?
Completed
Sugar Dog Life
4 people found this review helpful
by sjay
5 days ago
9 of 9 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 10
Story 10
Acting/Cast 10
Music 8.5
Rewatch Value 10
This review may contain spoilers

A Classic Fluffy Japanese BL Drama

Honestly, this is a perfect show to watch when you're tired from watching plot-heavy and intense dramas. It's just so light and fluffy (like cotton candy) that it calms you down. It also doesn't require you to pay too much attention. It has all the aspects of a Japanese fluffy bl, which is = food, age gap, one terribly clumsy cook + one wonderful cook, a simple story, adorable music, supportive friends, and tiny bit of parental problems. The way the main characters process their feelings is just so mature and well-done that you don't get to have any moments of frustration. This show might seem cliche and boring to some people since the story is so simple. However, the execution is done so perfectly that even this simple story seems so beautiful.

To the people who plan to watch this, the only thing I'd say is "expect a simple story and that's what you'll get". If you go in with high expectations about the plot, then you're bound to get disappointed. Happy watching!

Read More

Was this review helpful to you?
Completed
Cinderella at 2 AM
1 people found this review helpful
5 days ago
10 of 10 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 7.5
Story 7.5
Acting/Cast 7.5
Music 9.0
Rewatch Value 6.0
This review may contain spoilers

Better than the other Cinderella kdrama but I wish for more depth

I needed something light & romantic to watch after finishing Again My Life. Moon Sang Min's face was heavily promoted on Viu so I chose this drama. Cinderella at 2 AM is light touch romance drama with moments of seriousness.

What I liked:
1) Moon Sang Min - He has this sweet, kind face. This is my first time watching his work and I enjoyed it. For a leading man with this characteristic, he's alright.
2) Yun Seo chracterisation - It's great that her past was shown to the audience because then I understand why she is the way she is - fiercely independent woman who is focused on raising her younger brother. I cried when scenes of her childhood was revealed - I did not expect that at all.
3) Si Won characterisation - I also enjoyed knowing Si Won outside of work. Such a quirky but sensitive character.
4) Seong Min - At first I find his character creepy but later on he turned out to be a great guy. I wish he formed a tighter friendship with Yun Seo because they have a lot in common.
5) Yi Rae & her Uncle - Great support system for Yun Seo and Ji Seok. Plus I love that they brew their own maekgeolli.
6) Music - I love most of the songs featured in this drama, which is quite rare for me. Love the 80s vibe of the OST. Standout songs are Sweet Drama and Boyfriend.

What I disliked:
1) Romance - The romance between Yun Seo and Ju Won was sweet but I wasn't convinced at the end and I sided with Ju Won. I don't know why they needed a wedding when Yun Seo doesn't seem to be ready. I also wanted more of Si Won and Mi Jin's romance. They were so adorable but only got together in episode 7 if I am not mistaken.
2) Si Won and Ju Won's mother - She is selfish because she acts more like a chairwoman than a mother. I still don't understand why she opposed Ju Won's relationship with Yun Seo. Overall I find her character poorly written.

Favourite scene
Yun Seo's childhood because I see the love she has for her brother.

Read More

Was this review helpful to you?
Completed
Be Your Knight
1 people found this review helpful
5 days ago
29 of 29 episodes seen
Completed 1
Overall 6.0
Story 6.5
Acting/Cast 7.0
Music 1.0
Rewatch Value 4.0

Visually beautiful production and charismatic ML but terrible editing, pacing, and sound editing.

This drama is very aesthetically appealing. Settings, lighting, camera direction and acting all came together to create a gorgeousness that feels immersive, dark-sexy and intriguing. The production values are somewhat higher end for a short length. I love this ML, ive seen him in other things and hes great.

Romance was more tame than I expected, and it was sort of presented as a side-dish to an overly complicated plot about drugs, power, secrets, and scheming.

The real problem was completely bad editing and pacing. It slows down way too slow, then speeds up way too fast with flashback scenes presented in disjointed ways and lots of skipping around from one thing to another.

The writing and directing werent the best either, there was an awul lot of cringe moments flying around here and there.

The bgm/ost were so "off" to me... nothing struck a note that matched the tone of the scene. It was all this accoustic femmy music with a dynamic range imbalance problem, that just killed any sexy and drove me to hit mute. Very loud in comparison to the drama, and distracting/detracting. Some people really like the songs. I dont.. this is not my kind of music. But aside from that, the music didnt match the tone of the show at all. You have a very dark aesthetic, lots of use of black and dimly lit interiors, and rainy nights, the ML has a very dark, smoldering quality to his looks, hes supposed to be a badass, protecting his ballerina girl from blood, bullets, drugs, and crime bosses. That just doesnt call for sentimental accoustic female ballad songs. It calls for something that sounds dark and smoky. The juxtaposition of music to show was imo jarring and detracted from the overall tone they were trying to create.

Supporting casts acting was neither great nor terrible. But since this romance was very short on actual romance, and my focus was challenged by the drama and not gripped by it, i give it a 6. Imo a wast of time, not totally worth the watch.

Read More

Was this review helpful to you?
Completed
The On1y One
0 people found this review helpful
5 days ago
12 of 12 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 8.0
Story 8.0
Acting/Cast 8.5
Music 6.5
Rewatch Value 8.5
This review may contain spoilers

Spectacular series, awfully wrapped up... unless they are messing with us.

Please, someone helps me out here to understand what the fck of a finale I have just watched!

What the hell happened? I mean, is this the finale for real? 
Cos honestly, it doesn't make any sense: you, screenwriter/s, create a gay series just to end up suggesting that it's better to nip things in the bud and put distance in order to forget that you like your own genre friend?! OMG! 
This ending could be easily the most anti-LGBT thing I have ever seen in my whole life! 
Not even the Pope himself or Mohammed could think of such a strategy of reverse psychology, Wow! LOL
Basically, you spent 12 episodes in view of teaching how to give up the one you love and how to renounce and avoid temptations, trying to correct yourself like if it were a possible choice for a gay person?! Are you fking kiddin' me?! 
Except for the very end where you give us the ridiculous sop of "Pass the next exam"/"Okay" thing?! Whaaaaaaat?

So, now: I get it all wrong, right? RIGHT? Tell me I got it completely wrong, because unfortunately that is the message I received from the finale of the series and right now I am astonished! I cannot believe what I have just seen, I must be drunk or stoned without even knowing.

Though, if I got it wrong as I hope, then my production's friends, you really don't know how to create, write and film a season finale, and I am talking about the presentation and the form of the narrative development, not about the content of the plot. So again, the fault is yours. LOL
Because what the hell happened to the male teacher couple?!
We got a confession (as if it were ever needed, I mean, your mate has just kissed you on your mouth 2 days before and you, for real, ask him now if he does like the female teacher? How stupid and slow you must be! What did you need? Two meters of his tongue in your throat to get the message? I am shouting this to the screenwriter, of course).
And then nothing else?!  SERIOUSLY?!  It is just finished this way! How is that even possible?

What happened to the boys' parents? What about the Granpa?
And also... what is the use of failing the exam for splitting up if you are still in the same freaking room as him?! Didn't it occur to the writers to let the audience know that maybe Sheng Wang was about to go back home, for example?! You know, just for adding a little bit of logical sense to this foolish end!

We are not talking here about some sort of open ending, this is not, cos there is no end of any kind here! Not a chance.
This finale just cuts abruptly a storyline and it is not for debate: if you stop the story-telling at its peak, on its climax, you just kill the story itself, and you can't even call this a cliffhanger, cos generally in this industry you get a cliffhanger AFTER the main narrative arch is concluded, for introducing a new plot that is super interesting and breathtaking; or you can have nice cliffhangers between episodes, for instance. But that, again, is not the case here! 
So, WHAT IS WRONG WITH THIS PRODUCTION?!
DiD YOU GET BORED TO FILM ALL OF A SUDDEN? LOL

UNLESS —and here is where I have been waiting for you since the start— you did all of that cos you guys had already signed this project for 2 or 3 seasons.
If that is the case, then stop being ridiculous and just announce it to the desperate public. Anyway, there you should have put well-designed and smart cliffhangers instead of cuts and walls all over the place. You make yourself clear through your filming that a second season will follow.

But, otherwise, IF you are NOT SURE you can pull it through, if you just casually took the shot without having a clue if the series would get a renewal for a second season, then shame on you! We have seen this attitude already countless times in old western TV series and in current Japanese anime, so... WTF!
Therefore this finale is simply bad from a film technical standpoint: awful structure, absurd chapters division for the lack of time balance (you were on drugs while creating the storyboard) and in conclusion, apart from the main leads, all the other characters simply disappear from the end of the story and basically they can go suck it; I dunno what else I may add! 
Pros should never work this way; they should always have a decent respect for the audience, if not, make ourselves a favor: keep the half story for yourself if you are not able to tell one entirely and let others have the job done. Thank You.

I am pissed off as hell, cos I give a super vote to this fantastic series, one of the best gay series on TV of the last 30 years worldwide, both Asian and western TVs; I am dead serious.
It is marvelous: realistic, believable, sensitive and deep, amusing and poor of clichè. All the characters are very well characterized and defined, 3D persons; all the actors, and i mean it, are great: the entire cast plays spontaneously, never overacting.
The dialogues between Little Chili and Gao Tian Yang are superbly written and their back-and-forth exchanges are amazingly performed by the actors. Andy Chen really did a splendid performance throughout the whole series: his naturalness in playing that role makes me think of him as any of my old classmates still beside me.
Beautiful directing, nice editing, maybe not original or innovating but still very good, cos the pace of narration is amazing: great rhythm, peaks and pauses that create a beautiful dynamic in the story-telling speed, with the result of having you addicted, greedy and eager for every tiny detail in every episode.
The attunement and the chemistry between the leads are really good, so much that they totally remind you of "Your name engraved herein" (Taiwanese cinema docet indeed) with several contact points. The building up of their bond and their attachment is really well thought out; it follows natural and realistic steps, giving this way real substance to their story.

In short, literally everything was great and stunning... until... the finale arrived... my goodness...
It is just neither a proper series finale nor a season finale. No matter how you put it, cinematically speaking, it just sucks. 
If someone had told me yesterday, I would never believe that I would have managed to find a worse TV-show finale than the "Game of Thrones" one! LOL

Damn you, TV's contracts, you create prostitutes amongst authors... sigh.

Read More

Was this review helpful to you?
Ongoing 14/16
Love Next Door
8 people found this review helpful
by P_A_N
5 days ago
14 of 16 episodes seen
Ongoing 0
Overall 9.0
Story 9.0
Acting/Cast 10
Music 9.0
Rewatch Value 10
This review may contain spoilers

Comforting Drama, will rewatch in the future

Story : I think people who complain/gave low rating are expecting more rom/com especially romance. Every Eps really make my mood swing, sad, funny, happiness, stress and fruster, so I guess that's also the reason why people don't like (and I respect them). This drama is the same with other 16Eps kdrama, some dragging scene, slow, scene without main cast. However, I admitted that there are some boring scenes, but overall how they keep show us the portrayals of every characters is already well written, they even make both Exs green flag (unbelievable). They show us what conflict of each character and they solve and justify them very well. When I watching 16Eps kdrama, I usually skip dragging scene or the scene that there are no main characters, but I find that dragging scene in this drama is interesting and include some plot unlike other drama.

Acting : I don't get why some people finds the chemistry between main lead lacking. The chemistry between them is like just get marry in real life already, they are so comfortable together, the eye contacts, how they adlibs and bickering. I'm very enjoy it. Every actor/actress in this series are so well act for real especially parents and kids. They all deserves the credit.

Music : I think music in this series are still "a bit" lacking compared to many kdramas, but if not comparing, It's already decent and I enjoy it. I already downloaded 2 of them and looping.

Rewatch? : I've watched many kdramas including famous drama everyone is talking about (can look at my watchlist) but believe me, In my entire life, I only rewatch Alchemy of Souls like 7-8 times, because this is my first life 2-3 times, and I believe that this drama will be the next one that I will be come back to rewatch again, It's so comforting and the chemistry of main leads are tooooooo good, I'v never see any kdramas those have this much chemistry.

So Overall, this will be in my top4 kdrama for sure (1.AOS 2.moving 3.pyramid game) you can skip some part if you're bored but believe me, this drama and cast is very good and worth to keep it in your heart.

Read More

Was this review helpful to you?
Completed
Blossoms in Adversity
1 people found this review helpful
5 days ago
40 of 40 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 8.5
Story 9.0
Acting/Cast 9.0
Music 8.5
Rewatch Value 8.5

Women empowerment!!

Before starting the review,I am glad that I watched a wonderful drama which is very inspiring,has values,morals and principles and teaches us to be determined and never get depressed even in the gravest situations of our life.I am really impressed with the way the drama was handled without any boring moment.
Now going into the story,the Hua family faces the wrath of the emperor,after which all the men above 10years old,are exiled to the north,while the women and children are forced out of the city to a house in the outskirts where the facilities are lacking.Tgey don't have food,money,even blankets with them.
Here comes our female lead,Hua zhi,played by Zhang Jingyi, the eldest granddaughter of the Hua family,who never loses her confidence,is determined to earn money,provide food and bed for her women family and bring the men of their household back from exile and rebuilt their lost house.
Though she faces criticisms from the rest of the women in her family, gradually she gains the support of her grandmother and becomes the head of the family.As the head in charge of the family,she comes with a lot of ideas to earn money and never minds what others think of her.Gradually she gains the support of her family,and in course,all the women and children become very close and affectionate with each other.
She falls in love with Gu Yanxi,played by Hu Yitian,who is the commander of the security bureau and also a prince.
I liked his constant support to her in all her endeavours and their romance track was decent.
All the actors excelled in their roles and the plot is very good.
The concept of not losing confidence,not getting depressed even when life becomes upside down, determination to live,ideas to earn money were all depicted well.
What I liked the most was the character developments of each and every family member(women)as the story progresses and how they stood for each other by the end of the drama.
Also,I liked how the Hua family,despite their circumstances,still helped many people who were in distress like them and made them a part of their family,be it Shaoyao,or the teacher,or the sixth prince.
Also,the Hua family women protect their kith and kin and even go a large extent for them just like their second aunt.
Finally,I highly recommend this drama.It is worth watching.
Bottom line-an inspiring and warm drama.!!

Read More

Was this review helpful to you?
Completed
Han River Police
0 people found this review helpful
5 days ago
6 of 6 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 7.0
Story 7.0
Acting/Cast 8.0
Music 6.0
Rewatch Value 5.0

River Cops Red Smoke & Golden Ferrys °7.4° °VG°

HRP it's a cop drama that not only stays afloat, but it actually sails at times. It opens like a typical police action thriller. The bad guys, their big guns out, bust up a cruise and take hostages. Where's the police when you need them? Trust me, the police are all over this one.

There's nothing atypical in HRP, but coming up with entirely new things with any regularity is getting to be largely undoable. So we must look at the execution, and the execution is competent. Nothing more, nothing less. If you enjoy cop dramas, you should like this one. HRP is a 2023 release that is rated 83 on AWiki. It is 1 season consisting of a mere 6 55-minute episodes. It's miniscule compared to most Asian dramas that typically go on for 20+ hours.

Here's our misfit heroes:

Kwon Sang Woo (Why Her?-8, Queen of Mystery) is officer Han Du Jin. He's a specimen and a dedicated officer. He's tasty enough to inspire a crush or two.

Bae Da Bin (It's Beautiful Now, Do You Like Brahms?) plays “weirdo” Do Na Hee. She's tough. She did military service. She can fight. She's a man's man, but she's a woman. She's also head over trotters for Han Du-Jin. He acts like he doesn't like it, but… She's awesome - the very best thing about the show.

Kim Hee Won (Misaeng: Incomplete Life-9.1, Moving) plays Lee Chun Suk, a River officer who can't swim ~ the only one of his kind. He isn't one to seek out danger or extra work, either. When the time comes, we see that he will get the job done. Shin Hyun Seung (So Not Worth it, Be My Boyfriend) is Kim Ji Soo, the fresh faced kid on the force.

The prolific Sung Dong Il is Chief Do Won Il. He has a special relationship with Na Hee. I like the guy. So Far I've seen him in 200 Pounds Beauty-6.5, Along With the Gods 2: The Last 49 Days-6.7, Reply 1988 (still working on it) The K2-8, The Legend of the Blue Sea-7.2, The Cursed-8.3, Hospital Playlist-9, & Sisyphus: The Myth-8. The only show in which he felt slightly out of place is The Cursed. In everything else he shines.

On team villain we have:

Lee Sang Yi (Once Again, Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha, When the Camellia Blooms-8) is the overly privileged bad guy, Go Ki Seok. He's a tad cartoonish, not that people like that don't really exist. The actor is with a prostitute in one scene and acts out having an orgasm - something I've not yet seen in a Kdrama. Like everything else the character does, he is all-in. It's a very convincing and intense climax. The scene is not gratuitous as it underscores his pathetic loneliness. He's also a baseball fan. I like that about him…

Jung Young-Joo (Move to Heaven-8.4, Lovely Runner) is the scary Madam Choi, another excellent character for which this actress is perfect. Total Dragon Lady. Choi Moo-Sung (Stranger S2, Prison Playbook, The Good Bad Mother, Reply 1988) is top villain, Hwang Man-Dae. I've only seen him in Reply, and he'll always be a big cuddly bear to me. Even as a bad guy, he's teddy-felon. Screenwriter & director Kim Sang Cheol (The Forgotten Bag) is primarily responsible for this show.

This is a simple but competent crime thriller and it is solid for the subset. The characters are fleshed out well enough and the tensions are mostly credible. There's great action and moments of brutal violence. One very cool underwater scuba fight is reminiscent of Sea Hunt and other 70's adventure shows. There's also a fantastic fight in a cramped car. HRP probably won't convert anyone to this genre, however. It serves to feed an established appetite.


〰? IMHO

?7.4 ?7 ?8 ?5.5 ?5 ?7 ?/?6 ?8 ▪ ?4.5 ⚡7.6 ?3 ?3 ?4 ?2 ?5.5 ?3 ?0

Directing 7.4
Writing 7
Acting 8
Romance 5.5
Flutters 5
Art 7
Sound & music 6
Ending 8

LEVELS
Warmth 4.5
Action 7.6
Laughs 3
Tears 3
Fright 4
Tension / Anxiety 2
Gore 5.5
Thought provocation 3
Snores 0


Age 16+
Sex depicted - even without nudity it is graphic.
Language: $h!+ dhead, F? @$$h0le, but it is sparse.

Rated
TV-15/TV-MA

Re-?? Probably not, but it is worth seeing once. I wouldn't miss a S2.

In order of ~lite&trite~ to ~heavy&serious~ you may also like:

Modern Day -
Love to Hate You 8.9,
Crash Landing On You 9.1,
Oh My Ghost 10,
It's Okay Not To Be Okay 9,

Action/Crime/Sci-fi -
Descendants Of The Sun-8.3,
Inspector Koo-8.4,
Vagabond-8,
When the Camellia Blooms-8,
Law School -8,

K2 8,
Private Lives 8.1,
Sisyphus 8,
Tunnel 8.5,
Signal 8.6,
Blood Free-8.5
D.P. -8.4,

The Cursed 8.3,
The Wailing-8.8,

Flower of Evil 8.9,
The Man from Nowhere 8.9,
Black 9,
Squid Game 8.4,
Kingdom 8.3,
Sweet Home 8.4


Read More

Was this review helpful to you?
Completed
7 First Kisses
0 people found this review helpful
5 days ago
8 of 8 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 10
Story 10
Acting/Cast 10
Music 10
Rewatch Value 2.0

Adorably cute

Watched this 8 years after it came out and I'm only 2 years in to K-dramas
I loved it, finished it all at once since it's so short!
Of course all the actors in it got me to watch it, just a light adorably cute non-sense series.
And.... I'll watch anything with Ji Chang Wook in it!

I rated low on rewatch since I do not rewatch series. Too many new ones to see!
Was this review helpful to you?
Completed
The Time of Fever
4 people found this review helpful
5 days ago
6 of 6 episodes seen
Completed 1
Overall 9.5
Story 9.0
Acting/Cast 10
Music 9.0
Rewatch Value 9.0

Well-executed and acted roller coaster ride of emotions.

*re-posting from the movie/compilation version, since this has a lower rating and I actually watched the 6-ep version*

Subjective Gut Rating: 9.25 (going to be generous and rounding this up to 9.5)

Wow.. I had zero expectation going into this as I haven’t watched “Unintentional Love Story”. I was just hearing good things about “The Time of Fever”. Am I glad I watched it! It’s been a very long time since a Korean BL made me feel all the different emotions. The last one was “To My Star” Season 2.

The plot is really simple. But what this drama excels in is its execution, acting and the range of emotions that it brought out of me. I was smiling, giggling and crying throughout these couple hours. It’s a rollercoaster ride of emotions.

The acting of the two main leads and their chemistry is electrifying. I can feel their innocence, confusion, shyness, happiness, sadness, desperation and hurt. The two kiss scenes were beautifully shot and full of tension. Go Ho Tae and Kim Dong Hee are like yin and yang, and complement each other so well. Ho Tae is outgoing and wears his feelings on his sleeves. He’s not afraid to push through the thick barriers that Dong Hee put up. Dong Hee is gentle and mature, but there are moments when his teenage self couldn’t resist the temptation of touch or a teeny bit of jealousy.

The ending leaves it up for viewers’ interpretation. I would have loved to believe that they finally expressed their honest feelings for each other in the future. I am not sure if “Unintentional Love” will provide me with more happiness from this pair, but this drama makes me want to check out the other story to see more of Ho Tae and Dong Hee.

I am rating this a high 9.25, from a subjective and objective point of view. If a drama makes me feel this way, it deserves at least an 8.5. Coupled with excellent execution, it deserves high ratings and rave reviews.



Completed: 9/22/2024 - Review #489

Read More

Was this review helpful to you?
Completed
Unchained Love
0 people found this review helpful
5 days ago
36 of 36 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 9.0
Story 8.0
Acting/Cast 10
Music 8.5
Rewatch Value 8.5

Well Worth the Watch

**This is just my opinion. I truly appreciate all of the hard work and dedication that went into the production of this drama. Thank you.**

I'm going to do my best not to include any spoilers.

This really was a very good drama and is well worth watching. The cast and acting are outstanding. I thought that Dylan Wang did a fantastic job as Xiao Duo, especially in the action scenes. I was surprised and impressed by just how good Chen Yu Qi, who played Bu Yin Lou, was. She really brought her character to life. Peter Ho was great as the emperor we grow to abhor more moment to moment. Guan Chang shone as Murong Wanwan aka Princess Hede (I could have Hede wrong, I don't remember and I can't see where to look it up). Wang Yue Xin, who played Cao Chung Ang, and Li Dong He, who played Yu Qi Lang, were terrific as well. I really enjoyed the action and martial arts scenes. They would have been even better if the fantastical jump/flying thing they added wasn't included but it wasn't as over the top as I've seen in other dramas.

I'm still torn as to how I feel about the two main characters. Initially I thought that Xiao Duo was very aloof (for good reason, no doubt), intelligent, ruthless and clear headed. About halfway through the story, he's completely changed. He no longer displays the clear headed judgement or caution that he would have previously. While I was happy to see things going better for him and to see his softer side, I was disappointed that he didn't use the skills he had when he could have. (I'm trying very hard not to give away anything.) Yin Lou, on the other hand, while a bit bratty and self indulgent in the beginning is infinitely more likeable than who she is at the end.

The story started off well. I was intrigued by the characters and their stories. It had some very funny moments and both the action and drama were done very well. Towards the middle though, I thought that the characters were acting "out of character". More and more of the suspense came from seeing them making very poor/unsafe decisions and waiting to see, with bated breath, if they would suffer the consequences. That isn't the kind of suspense that I like to see.

I think that the soundtrack has some very pretty songs on it. I don't speak Chinese but they do sound pretty and the lyrics are good as well.

The wardrobe and production departments did a good job too.

This didn't turn out to be short after all but I think I managed to leave out all spoilers. As I said, this drama is well worth the watch. The story can be a bit frustrating at times but it keeps your attention. The actors are what drew me to it and kept me watching.

Read More

Was this review helpful to you?
Ongoing 14/16
Love Next Door
4 people found this review helpful
5 days ago
14 of 16 episodes seen
Ongoing 0
Overall 1.0
Story 5.0
Acting/Cast 5.0
Music 1.0
Rewatch Value 1.0

biggest disappointment of the year 2024

Jung Hae-in is one of my favorite actors - One Spring Night and Something in the Rain are still my favorites. But this one is a biggest disappointment of the year for me. The more episodes I watch the harder it gets. By now I cant get rid of the feeling that all the FL and ML do is reading the script, without even looking at each other. Cast is great, story is not amazing but not bad, supposed to be an awesome show, but what a disaster...
Was this review helpful to you?
Completed
When I Fly Towards You
0 people found this review helpful
5 days ago
24 of 24 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 9.0
Story 8.5
Acting/Cast 8.5
Music 9.5
Rewatch Value 9.0
This review may contain spoilers

New and Refreshing

I don't watch many straight shows or cdrama/kdramas very often because of length and slow burns being too slow and all that shit but I really enjoyed this show. I thought it was really refreshing although from the outside it might seem like just any other
high school romance drama with the loud, bubbly MFL and the cold, smart, quiet MML, this show really has differences that allows it to stand out.

Starting off with the blatant difference with the female lead actually being smart in a subject. Most dramas will make the female lead the stupidest person on the planet but there is no on the low misogyny with her character. She excels in one subject over others, and she is quite emotionally intelligent and aware. Her personality really meshes well with the main male character who is more of the quiet type, but not all at rude or obnoxious. He excels in math but falls short in English and both the characters are able to help one another in their respective subjects, not only that but they're so communicative. When there's an issue they talk about it. There is jealousy, because that is a natural human response to something, but they don't drag it on, they don't make it a whole big issue. And I just love how Zai Zai is allowed to stand up for herself, she doesn't need Rang to save her.

I think this dynamic is 100x better than any other when it comes to school dramas. I really enjoyed the development of their feelings, even if Zai Zai liked him from the beginning, the way she begins to further understand her emotions was portrayed very nicely.
Even after getting together, they show a lot of their relationship afterwards, even after marriage, speaking on taboo topics such as: workplace harassment and even pregnancy afterwards.

All of this and i haven't even gotten to the side couple and the relationships as a whole.
Side couple: i think just like the main couple progression of their relationship is really cute. They have a silly, bickering couple dynamic and I absolutely feel in love with it. The second male lead is actually my favorite, his reactions to the side girl and the way he realizes he likes her is just my favorite, waiting for her, willing to keep his feelings a secret from her to remain friends, kill me omfg.

Now, onto the friend group entirely. This is just such a refreshing friend group. They are so supportive of one another, not just the girls to each other but also the boys. The other male character has an amazing relationship with his grandmother, and I love it. This show doesn't dive extremely deep into the complexities of being a high school student, but it doesn't shy away completely to issues.

Overall, this show is fucking amazing, love it omg.

Read More

Was this review helpful to you?
Completed
You Are My Secret
0 people found this review helpful
by sam
5 days ago
32 of 32 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 9.5
Story 9.0
Acting/Cast 10
Music 10
Rewatch Value 9.0
This review may contain spoilers

Te amo yuheng!!

Fazia tempo que eu não ficava tão obcecada por algo, mds eu te amo yuheng e a atuação do miles, principalmente no ep 21, simplesmente omg!!!!!

Umas das minhas coisas favoritas aqui foi a construção do relacionamento deles e do amor da xiaoning pelo yuheng, além de não ter ficado chato ou repetitivo enfiando brigas sem sentido do nada, eles aprenderam a se comunicar e separar o trabalho do pessoal mt mt bem. Foi muito bom simplesmente acompanhar eles vivendo se amando.

Chorei tanto com a morte da mãe do yuheng nossa, senti a dor deles de uma forma absurda e ele desabando depois caraca me matou muito???

A jing e o zhao lindos demais, fiquei mt mt feliz que ela conseguiu se libertar desse medo de se apaixonar e descobriu que poderia ser muito amada. A weiyi e o qiyu o q tenho haver?? kkkkkkkkkk

Assistiria sem nenhum problema mais uns 30 eps!!!

Read More

Was this review helpful to you?

Recent Discussions