Reviews

I blame the writer.

The best thing about this was the bad guy. Namkoong Min was chilling and brilliant in this role.

I also liked the humor of the cops, sometimes they weren't very bright, but ultimately, they worked well together and solved the crime.

This drama felt very drawn out to me.
-It took forever for the crime to finally be solved (he was caught, he escaped, his body wasn't found, they closed the case, what?!)
-If the characters would just talk to each other, things would have been figured out much sooner.
-She knows that someone is after her, yet she's wandering around on her own.
-Her sense of smell is thwarted by rain. They were close to finding an entrance, and didn't bother to look around, just stood around trying to come up with a solution.
-She knew someone was after her but never bothered to lock her front door.
-They are getting married and she still called him Detective Choi.

As for the actors. I really liked the ML.
The FL, she cried in almost every scene. She had mannerisms quite often like she was blind. Blank stares, not looking at who she's talking to, etc.
Some of the actors with smaller parts were overacting.

So, overall, I guess it was okay, but the most positive thing I can say is I finally get to remove it from my "to be watched" list.

Read More

The drama that pulled me out of my historical cdrama Slump!

Logging back in to rate this drama that pulled me out of my historical cdrama slump. I went in with zero expectations, and I’m so glad I avoided reviews beforehand. It made the experience even more enjoyable.

What really made me love Pursuit of Jade is the female lead. She’s incredibly lovable, a true kickass heroine and a real fighter. At this point in my life, I genuinely enjoy watching female characters who can take down strong opponents without relying on the male lead.

To be honest, I wasn’t initially interested, but the actress completely drew me in. Tian Xiwei’s performance as Chang Yu was so natural and emotionally convincing, something quite rare to see from such a young actress. I’m new to her, but she absolutely delivered, and I’ll definitely be checking out her future projects. The same goes for Zhang Linghe. I knew him from Maiden Holmes and Love Between Fairy and Devil, but POJ really made me appreciate his visuals even more.

If Tian Xiwei and Zhang Linghe ever lead another drama together, I’ll definitely be tuning in. Their chemistry in Pursuit of Jade is top-notch!

Read More

Spicy but lacked taste

This KBL had an interesting plot and had all the things to make it a good series but it lack certain elements to make it good. First of all, the acting. Gawd that was the most awful acting that I have seen in a while. Ja Woon needs to stop serving face and serve acting lessons first. He literally had the same expression on his face the entire series that it was starting to become funny and the dialog delivery was just as awful. It was so obviously when it was time for an emotional scene. It made me uncomfortable rather than sad. Next, the plot. This series had a interesting premise imo. But the execution was so awful. Especially in the last few episodes. Because tell how does it make sense for Sae Byeok to just put these 'secrete letters' that ruin their relation in the first place to put it out in the open. Mind you this has happened two times. Also the force angst of the main characters. Tell me what will Ha Neul achieve by self isolating himself. He wasn't even threatened or had any misunderstandings. He just did that for shits and giggles. The stalker wasn't even out mind you. She was in jail. So yeah they could have gone about it in a better way. Now the chemistry was good. I like the NC scenes. I am always happy to see good kisses and not kisses where it seems like two dead fishes are making out. So yeah. Ultimately, I only stayed cuz of that. If not this would have gotten an even worse rating from me.

Read More

not my best

I was excited for this drama ever since the trailer came out. it's like the plot picked up it's pace and actual became interesting in the in-between episodes but definetly not in the initial and final episodes.

I felt like it was always Jiang Mu who tried to pursuade Jin Zhao and I was pretty annoyed that Jin Zhao never made the first move. he'd always pull his facade of how he's not good enough for her and wants to be a better man for her bla bla.

I definitely did not expect Mike Angelo there since Esther and him worked together is my amazing boyfriend S2 and I honestly wanted them to end up together (sorry not sorry).

On the brighter side, I want to steal Jiang Mu's wardrobe. Also Jin Zhao's smile is to die for I'm not gonna lie. Wish I could've gotten to see Sanlai and Nana together

Read More

It is one of the few female-centric mini cdramas and it has no romance.

If you love the revenge and suspense genres, then this one is for you. The costumes, sets, aesthetic, everything is so big-budget mainstream drama coded.

Here, 2ML is obsessed with FL, but in a good way. He is more useful and honest than the ML. You will hate the ML for his behavior. He has 7 wives, and he spends time with all of them. I can’t understand, despite enjoying time with so many wives, how he can still say that he only loves FL and is sincere with her! In modern language, he is a playboy lol. His wives are smarter than he is. Additionally, every side character is annoying as hell. Even the maids are evil. FL teaches them lessons every time in a very satisfying way.

And I loved the FL for being stubborn and having a clear mind and goal. She played very well in the first 28 episodes. But I think she lost her momentum in the last 4 episodes. She became emotionally weaker than before. I didn't want that last kiss scene(which was also their 1st kiss scene). I just wanted her to be free from the palace. Also, it doesn't need a second season. If they want to make another season, then they should make it focusing on their love story in the modern world.

Read More

Il n'est en art qu'une chose qui vaille, celle qu'on ne peut expliquer...

There comes a point in Seijun Suzuki’s career when one begins to suspect that something has simply broken. Not in a dramatic sense, nor in any ‘artistic’ way that we are accustomed to describing it.
More simply — and perhaps for that very reason more radically — it is as if, after years spent making three or four films a year within the Nikkatsu production machine, Suzuki had looked at the mechanism for what it was: a perfectly functioning structure… and one that was completely exhausted.

At that point, instead of resisting or walking away (at least of his own accord), he seems to do something much simpler. The mechanism… He picks it up. He opens it… And stops putting it back together.

“Branded to Kill” (for the record, the only Suzuki film regularly distributed in Italy at the time) stems precisely from that: not as a dramatic break with convention, but as an internal short circuit, a moment when the genre movie — specifically the yakuza noir — carries on by inertia, even though something, in the meantime, has stopped working.

It’s not that there’s a specific scene or a passage you can pinpoint; it’s just that, as you watch it, at a certain moment you seem to sense it. The film is still there. The story… not quite in the same way.

Suzuki breaks the structure down into fragments, allowing them to coexist without forcing a return to wholeness. A gesture reminiscent of Cubism: not an alternative reality, but the same reality viewed from incompatible, simultaneous angles that cannot be pieced back together. Not a narrative that unfolds but a surface that shatters.

The protagonist, the hitman Hanada, is not a character in the traditional sense; he is a top-tier professional, ranked number 3 in a hierarchy that seems more like a mental obsession than a real system. It is unclear whether he is merely a victim of events, tries to navigate them, or simply reflects them.

It’s almost like a loop. He has these incredible obsessions – the smell of rice in particular, and relationships with the opposite sex – and moves through a world – real!? Imaginary!? Inevitable!? – which, really, resembles a noir film, at least on the surface, perhaps from a distance. Up close, however, it is as if everything had been taken apart and put back together badly, as if a deliberate decision had been made to sabotage the very concept of continuity (logical!? Narrative!?)

It is therefore pointless to try to piece the picture back together: the fragments were never meant to fit together. It is from this acceptance — rather than from any interpretation — that “Branded to Kill” reveals its most elusive nature. It functions like a trance: actions repeat themselves, distorted; situations slip into one another without ever truly meshing. Hanada moves within this flow as if following an automatism he does not control.

It is a kind of strange, almost ‘flawed’ hypnosis that always seems to leave a crack, a tiny gap that prevents one from letting go – and, evidently, from understanding (?). Yet rather than being a dream to be deciphered, it is a reality that has ceased to function.

Despite everything, beneath this unstable surface, the structure is still (more or less) recognisable.
There’s a killer. There are assignments, organisations, hierarchies. There are enigmatic women, betrayals, shoot-outs. Everything needed to build a good noir. Except that here, every element seems to arrive after its own meaning. The tension doesn’t seem to build so much as to dissipate.

Vague dialogue that distracts rather than clarifies, and violence that borders on abstraction in its slavish and, in some respects, illogical repetition. The incredible soundtrack, a blend of jazz and avant-garde (the pink vinyl edition is beautiful!) The noir genre hollowed out from within, leaving only the shell—though far from inert… But this is no parody or cinephile’s mockery playing with arthouse cinema; it is something stranger: a noir that hasn’t realised it’s finished.

And in this friction — between what we recognise and what no longer works — Suzuki finds his greatest freedom. He does not destroy the genre but lets it go. The director takes the noir/yakuza film as his starting point, distorting it until it becomes unrecognisable yet not abstract, moving away from pure avant-garde to arrive at a form of pop (art?) under extreme stress…

If we were to imagine the Nikkatsu executives sitting in the projection room watching "Branded to Kill", we would probably be faced with a scene reminiscent of Jean-Luc Godard’s "Le Mépris", where Jerry Prokosch, the producer played by Jack Palance, literally flings – like a frisbee or discus throw – the film cans of Fritz Lang’s film, for an adaptation of Homer’s “Odyssey” that isn’t exactly “commercial”, in his view…

But Suzuki is not a ‘rebel’, rather, he is an insider saboteur. The romantic narrative of ‘the director versus Nikkatsu’ is true but limiting. Suzuki is more interesting – and complex – if we read him as a craftsman who realised that the system had run out of substance, and that it was better to ‘stuff’ the form until it burst.

If, in "Branded to Kill", sex becomes almost a “fetishistic compulsion inextricably linked to death and violence” (quoted) and if Suzuki “deconstructs genres and conventions”, drawing on a non-conformist spirit and a taste for social satire (already quite evident in his first “personal” works), then, rather than associating him with the American Samuel Fuller, as is often suggested, one is inclined to link him more closely to a director seemingly worlds apart, such as the Italian Marco Ferreri, whose iconoclastic vision is almost identical.

At this point, seeking a conclusion in the traditional sense seems almost out of place.
“Branded to Kill” doesn’t really come to a closure. It doesn’t tie up loose ends or restore order. It simply… fizzles out.
As if, having pushed the mechanism to its limits, Suzuki had decided it was no longer worth fixing. That the meaning, if there was any, had already been exhausted along the way.
And that all that remained was this collection of fragments, images, gestures — still in motion, but now disconnected from any notion of wholeness.

And the viewer, at that point, is not asked to understand, but rather to simply stand before those fragments. To lose himself, if necessary. Or even just to accept that the pieces will never come back together. Because perhaps this is precisely the film’s most radical act: not breaking the rules, not rewriting them, but letting them go — and observing what remains when we stop holding them together.

“Branded To Kill” is unlike anything else, even today when we’re used to everything. It’s short, fast-paced and full of images that stick in your mind. Ultimately, if you like, it’s even entertaining — but in that slightly strange way that leaves you feeling as though you’ve understood something… without knowing exactly what.

And in that moment, between a shot that slips away and a cut that doesn’t quite land, you almost find yourself picturing him once more:
Suzuki. A step back. A quick glance. A half-smile.
As if he were saying to you: “It used to work great, you know?
But in this way it’s much more interesting.”

9 ½ / 10

Read More

We need to talk about this ML

I had written a review that I *thought* encompassed all my thoughts on this drama. But the more I thought about it, the more I realized I needed to scrap it and start over. This drama is lo-budget in so many ways, and the natural compulsion is to be kind of dismissive, and I had written "what an excellent cheap thrill". WHICH IT IS. But it's more than that. So I think it deserves a more serious review. So let me get serious.

First off, stylist needs to be fired. Let's just get that out of the way. And that is probably the main weak link in the show. It should have been styled by whoever did Fake It Till You Make It. But it wasn't. So to appreciate this drama, you have to kind of look past the stylist's choices more often than is comfortable, and it makes this watch awkward. So, immediately, points off. At least nobody had their hair wrecked. The hair is good. Idk bout yall, but for me this is kind of a real factor in show enjoyment. It shouldn't be, I mean that's silly. But it is. Bad hair can just destroy a show's spark. Fortunately hair here is good, or at least plenty good enough. At least the bad styling choices err on the side of caution, and nobody is wearing a dress shirt covered in mini stuffed teddy bears, or a leather polo shirt, or a belt that looks like a literal alien designed it.

Also music person needs to be fired. It's annoying and out of step, imo. But that's neither here nor there, because you just turn it down when it gets intrusive for a few mins, and it's fine. The crappiness of it didn't destroy the show or anything, it's just that it's not good. It didn't ADD to anything. It's mainly ignorable, and that's the best I can say about it.

With different styling and music this could have been very EITDN-level hot, but coulda woulda shoulda... that part is a fail imo. And is the reason for the points-off on the score.

With that having been said.

What I really want to talk about, that to me is the highlight of this drama, is the ML character himself. First off, this actor - Zhang Fei Ran - just poofed into existence out of thin air like some ML genie. Go look at his page. There's nothing on it. He just started his acting career. This performance he gave here, was GOOD. Really good. The character he plays doesn't have a lot of range, or at least not yet by ep 17. So we don't know what all Fei Ran is capable of yet, or what all his strengths are as an actor. But I am very encouraged by what I see so far.

Here, he plays a total red-flag character. But it's not your typical red-flag. This character is kind of borderline psycho, not even kidding. Kind of stalker-like around the edges. Possessive and obsessive. Huge power imbalance between he and FL. He's kind of coercive. But ALL this is played so so low key. The ML and the way the director frames him, makes him seem innocent and sweet and safe and harmless. And in a way he is.

So this is classic Luo Zheng CEO vibes, where the dark humor and dark intentions of the ML are wrapped up up in ribbons and sweet bows like "haha haha this behavior is fine because I'm wearing a pink sweatshirt and holding a puppy." And I know this is the exact behavior that alarms feminists, but personally I love the strange and twisted, and I love this brand of red-flag. It reminds me of Dia di los Muertos art, it's cute and innocent mixed with sinister and unsettling.

So take Luo Zheng, and give him less pretty-boy looks and more boy-next-door looks. And make him a closet scorpio --> cool, aloof and self-possessed but secretly an unbridled s*x maniac who's into monogamy due to total obsession with one woman.

The way Fei Ran plays this character is wicked hot. He manages to exude down to earth humility and shyness, and complete confidence and self-assurance at the same time. It is swoonworthy. He doesn't overact. If anything your gripe after watching might be that he is a little bit "wood plank". I like it when actors stay calm, grounded and subtle in their performances, because it makes it easier to watch tiny shifts to their expressions happen, it makes you watch people's faces closely. So I loved it. I liked how his acting was understated but still really confident. Giving kind of Arthur Chen/Elvis Chan vibes... because he doesn't come off as serious necessarily (like Deng Wei, Deng Kai or Leo Wu), he just comes off as quiet and calm with a self-assurance that's really sexayyy, with a tendency to err on the side of underacting instead of overacting. And yet still lets himself be emotionally vulnerable to the camera ---> goofy smiles and puppy dog pouting are not off the table for him.

So as long as you can appreciate a true red-flag ML, I'd say this is a do-not-miss in the realm of short-lengths, just for that alone.

The story is SIMPLE, and feels elegant and purist in a way, precisely because it is so pared down. It is unapologetic about the fact that it's tropey. It doesn't try to pretend it's super creative or that it has some unique twist. It is only trying to be the best version of itself. And that was refreshing to me. The facepalm moments are kept to an absolute minimum. The director and producer work within their budget to give you a smooth, fresh-feeling story. The pacing is nice. The FL is a seasoned FL who knows how to lead a show, and she's really beautiful and very believable, and she did great here. She could probably carry a hi-budget production and bring good performances out of A-lister co-stars. I love her brand of pretty. She's strikingly pretty, and her smile is so vulnerable and sweet, so is her crying. I mean her crying could use a little work, but she at least makes it so that when she cries, you empathize with her.

The supporting cast are all pretty/handsome in their own right, and solid actors in their own right. Maybe not top-shelf, sure. But really easy on your eyes and on your mind. Well-cast, thoughtfully cast.

THE SPICE IS HERE, folks. It is here. It is so so good.... and there's even good kilig in this one, which is hard to come by, especially in spicy short-lengths ---> something about spice and kilig usually don't mix. Usually kilig moments happen better in angsty romances, slo-burn romances, frustrated love or forbidden, repressed kinds of romance. But surprisingly there is some here. And ML has some really hot lines, kind of like in a similar way to how EITDN and Koi To Dangan had ML delivering some HOT lines of dialogue. We get some of this too. This show just spoils you rotten with romance. But you HAVE to like it dark to appreciate it. If you lean green-flag, the chances of this ML's brand of loving a woman making you uncomfortable are really high, consider this your second warning. You've now been double-warned. If you can't handle creepy CEO Luo Zheng, you won't be able to handle this guy either. He is a shameless manipulator, and his fixation on her is.... probably unhealthy.

This drama is deceptively cheap, deceptively simple. But really LOOK at it. Don't write it off right away. Its actually effin good, for it's genre. It's seriously a case of the stylist murdering the potential of the show. Do you know how much more boring and stupid EITDN or Fake It Till You Make It or Love And Bid Farewell would have been if they'd had sh*tty stylists? Also the director needs more practice and experience... he's not the worst but not the greatest. But overall, this is seriously a really decent cheap-thrills watch. I would recc this to any red-flag spice lover.

I really wonder what Fei Ran will do with his career, and he's got me interested.

Like... I hope you get what I'm telling you.... that there now exists in our universe, a Luo Zheng CEO only minus plastic surgery, and plus twisted, and plus SPICE. That's sort of lowkey holy sh*t u guys this is awesome.

Read More

Liked it!

This show definitely didn't need to be this long, but it was still good! I usually have a hard time focusing on the political parts of C-dramas because I just don’t care enough to listen to old men talk, but weirdly enough, I didn’t mind it here.

I love it when both the male and female leads are sharp and strong; it’s such a pleasure to watch because it’s not frustrating, and I hate being frustrated. While the chemistry wasn’t the best, it also wasn't bad enough for me to drop the show. The only parts I skipped religiously were the little sister's scenes. I know some people liked her story, but she just seemed annoying at first. By the time her plot actually got interesting, I’d skipped so much that I didn't fully grasp what was happening and I was too lazy to go back!

Read More

Can’t do it!

I got lazy with this one. As soon as I saw the episode count, I realized I just didn't like the show enough to stick with it. I never thought Zhao Lusi and Liu Yuning looked good together, not even in The Long Ballad, so even the main couple couldn't save this drama for me.

I am not forcing myself through 40 episodes.

Even though the costumes and production were overall okay, it felt a bit sloppy at times but maybe that’s just me! If a show is that long, it really needs to be high-quality to keep me interested till the end because then I start to see the flaws more clearly!

Read More