Reviews

Falling off a roof vs. Falling (being groomed by) ones teacher?

This is is a slightly confusing drama that tries to ask some pretty bizarre questions and puts things in to all kinds of interesting contexts, playing with perspectives and the viewers minds,

Are they playing with or trying to blur the lines between what we see as right and and wrong ? Or are they actually trying to say something about society? Is this a drama about keeping- braking rules? Or is it trying to teach us how the best ways to die or maybe how to save a person from jumping? Are they trying to make the viewers uncomfortable? Or am I reading to much in to this as they are just trying to make us laugh while we look at pretty faces and banter?

Honestly I do not know... What I do know is that the dynamics between the leads is phenomenal. The characters are complex (slightly confusing) but extreamly enjoyable to watch. I love the leads, I truly do both characters hot n cold types. ANd even though the female lead is supposed to be this week low self asteam typical I just want x to be happy... soldering the worlds problams... she does not come of as pathetic at all she is even the mature one of the two and kind of bad ass cold. Both have a whole lot of amazing lines and oh such self aware dialog with dark humour for as far as the eyes can see... This was a pleasure to watch and indeed very highly entertaining.

I am however bothered by the last episode as it feels unfinished, left me with a bunch of theories in my mind and made me desparetly want a season 2, and I hate it when they split things up in to multiple seasons.

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so good it hurts

"i wanted to find my own universe. in my once dark heart, i now have one little star shining so bright. i have found my universe with all our stories."

i wasn’t prepared how raw and painful this was going to be. it was completely different from how sweet and wholesome the first season was.

first off, seojoon. i was genuinely hurting for this man. i wanted to go inside the screen just to hug him and tell him he didn't do anything wrong to deserve the kind of treatment from the person he thought he'd spend his life with. i was like his best friend throughout the show because i wanted to hit him just to make sense out of him. face palming myself when he kept coming back just to get the worst treatment back. it was genuinely heartbreaking to see someone who has so much love to give even when he didn't grew up nor surrounded with it willingly endure all that. personally, wouldn't dare to think for a second to take someone back after getting that treatment the first time around.

second, jiwoo,it wasn't exactly easy to understand this man but i do, only to an extent on what he felt during the relationship. his feelings at that time were valid. he had his own problems and fears and those fears tend to come out in the worst way possible which lead us to make the worst decisions ever but what i don't understand was how he treated seojoon after. i've come to know him in S1 as someone who might seem reserved but is actually a very warm person and to see him treat seojoon like that, the one person he always protected even in the smallest things, was maddening. what was even worst was he was doing it intentionally, he did everything to make seojoon hurt, to push him away. not knowing that was actually his worst fear, seojoon finally giving up on him because how lucky you are to have someone unconditionally love you in spite of your flaws, faults, and weaknesses and yet be so cruel to have that someone swallow their pride to beg for your love and take every worst treatment from you just to have you back in their life even if you're not the least bit deserving.

lastly, i don't entirely agree on the writer's view of how one person needs to be more giving in order for the relationship to work but i do agree with the line "in this world, there's no perfect man nor the perfect form of love. it's just a matter of understanding and adapting to each other through love. it's about learning to speak one's mind rather than put one's pride ahead" because what is love if not learning and growing to be better individuals to each other. as much as i love how sweet and easy the S1 were, i love how depth S2’s story got because i was able to relate with each character and i get to be invested with them; to feel for them, to hurt and learned from them.

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Unique and different in a incredibly beautiful way

This drama serves as evidence that grandiose scenes, big names, magnificent costumes, and outstanding OST are not essential. Instead, the only thing you need is a genuinely touching and marvelous story brought to life by capable actors, proving the timeless truth behind the old saying 'less is more'.

Story: 10.0 *** THE SPOILERS AHEAD ***
A truly beautiful and highly unique story, presented in a manner distinct from any others I've encountered so far. Despite its moments of profound sadness, it remains incredibly touching, especially approaching the end, at the end of the 13th episode I've felt that deep emotion of sadness when you are about to lose someone, when you are aware that you're not going to see that person anymore, the one you love so much but you can't do anything about it, they did an excellent job of bringing it to the screen.
The last episode attempts to console the audience, but in my opinion, they didn't even need to do it. The understanding, the love between them, I already sensed that deeply, and if the drama had ended at the 13th episode, it would have been enough, at least for me.

Acting: 9.5
Overall acting is good enough and with excellent job of main leads I give it 9.5, especially the main actress, she is the star of this drama, if you re-watch the episode with his first time travel and their last meeting, you can see her caring love for him and sadness intertwined, just great.
*** THE END OF THE SPOILERS ***

Music: 9.0
It's very good, maybe my rating is a bit high but because of overall impression, I must give it 9.0

Re-watch: 10.0
Constructed in this manner, it leaves ample room for exploring this amazing story through multiple viewings, perhaps even in a non-linear order, and being such a wonderfully written love story, the re-watching value of this one is through the roof.

Conclusion:
My ratings here are purely based on the love story, other things are not so important in this case, maybe some people will find a lot of problematic things with the plot, and maybe they are right, but I ignored all possible time traveling issues and everything that comes with it, only thing that matters here is the love story between them.

So if you enjoy love story and romance without all the unnecessary drama (misunderstandings, love triangles etc.) in it but told in very unusual and unique way, then I highly recommend it.

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It's not as bad as what others seem to project based on my preferences

I stayed away from the drama because of the first cover photo but I did start watching the drama about 4 or 6 episodes already out. The story is pretty good in my opinion. It has the fantasy genre but I liked it more than I thought I would because I already had quite low expectations to the drama in the first place. I really felt the emotions, and the love between the leads.

The actors and actresses in the drama are great. I love them all, my favorite would be Pyo Ye Jin as Young Hwa the female lead. She is really great and she delivered her role so well. Kim Young Dae on the other hand, is quite familiar or I guess he always chose the same roles but it's fine with me.

I did understand the ending, so I liked it but I was hoping for something different but I'm fine with it. I did cry in the last episode. My journey watching this drama ongoing is great.

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Hey there! So, I recently watched the live-action adaptation of Ao Haru Ride Season 1, and let me tell you, it was absolutely fantastic! As a fan of the anime version, I was thrilled to see how well they brought the story to life on the screen.

The casting was spot-on, with the actors perfectly capturing the essence of the characters. I was particularly impressed with how well they portrayed the complex emotions and growth of the main characters, Futaba and Kou. Their chemistry was so good, and it made their journey all the more captivating.

The visuals were stunning, with beautiful cinematography that captured the essence of the anime. The settings were vibrant and added to the overall atmosphere of the story. The production team did an amazing job in creating a visually appealing and immersive experience.

One thing that stood out to me was the way this live-action adaptation stayed true to the heart and soul of the original story.

So overall, I highly recommend this live-action adaptation of Ao Haru Ride Season 1. Whether you're a fan of the anime or new to the series, it's definitely worth watching. Get ready to be swept away by the heartfelt story, the talented cast, and the visually stunning world of Ao Haru Ride ♡.

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Utterly Childish.

I only watched this because I really liked Tan Jianci in Lost You Forever. I wish I hadn't bothered. Absolutely ridiculous story. A doctor with so much time on his hands that he can do voice dubbing and seemingly take time off whenever he likes! Also, the main leads are supposed to be 29 and 22 years old, but after officially dating for weeks she's still afraid to apply anti-mosquito bite cream to his arm. Please!
Now let's talk about the eating. The female lead is supposed to be a foodie. The male lead is also a first-class chef (as well as being a cardio doctor and a "god" of voice dubbing, so they eat, and eat, and eat. But she's still as skinnier than most cdrama stars are (and that's saying something) and never gains a kilo. The whole story is absolutely unbelievable. After LYF, I can't believe TJC would do something as awful as this.
Do not watch this series if you are older than 13.

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what did it want to be?

I'll preface my review by stating the obvious, in the hopes that no one gets hateful, this is just my personal opinion. Please take it or leave it alone, agree or disagree, but please respect the opinions of others (and I'm kind of irritated that I even have to say this).

There was a lot to like about this show:
Acting. Everyone was really good. Park Eun Bin as Mok Ha was wonderful. I think there were certain mannerisms that we saw that she displayed in Extraordinary Attorney Woo and I think are just part of her DNA, because I've seen them in other shows of hers. However, they absolutely worked here. She was charming and likeable, driven, yet devoted to those she loved. All of the other actors were excellent as well. I especially loved the younger actors, they were the standouts for me. Also, Kim Joo Heon playing a morally gray character, and both Lee Seung Joon as Ki Ho's father and Lee Yoo Joon as Mok Ha's father were surprising. We are so used to seeing them in the role of good guys, their transformations were amazing.

Music. As you'd expect, the OST was wonderful. Eun Bin's voice is sublime. I could literally listen to her all day.

My problem came in with the writing and the way the story was put together. On the surface, or maybe because of the trailers, this was an original premise, with strong possibilities of feeling all the feels. My struggle was this drama couldn't decide if it wanted to be a romance, a drama, a comedy, light or dark. For me, the extremes were too great. I wasn't expecting it to be fluffy, but the darkness was too dark for the rest of the drama, and the flipping back and forth wasn't allowing me to flow with the story. I didn't feel that there was enough of her on the island (a whole episode would have been nice) and the whole thing just seemed too implausible - she was that close to civilization all that time? Then, her reintegration was just too easy. First of all, the voice is a muscle. She would have needed to get used to using her voice again. Add to that, her early life was just trauma. So, she's traumatized as a child and then has the trauma of having been on an island by herself for 15 years, but she comes home and there appear to be no after-effects, just that she's glad to be back home and she immediately gets back on the track of wanting to meet her idol. It would have been so much better if we'd been able to see/feel her struggles with reassimilating into society -- that would have really improved the flow and made it more realistic.

I'd say, if you've actually read this far and are wondering whether to give this show a try, you should, definitely. Just because I'm one of the few outlier people that didn't fall in love with it, you may (and probably will) have a different reaction to it.

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We probably all have at least one sweet crush when we were young. Some materialized into a relationship, some might just be that one crush that you wish likes you back. Hidden Love is about that one sweet crush when you were little. Watching this show sort of brings back memories to when you were a little girl and has that butterfly in your stomach feeling every time this person is near, but he may not know you exist of have the same feeling as you. I was smiling and blushing at the same time at some of the scenes. This is one "feel good" drama that I really enjoyed. It has no major conflict, it's just a simple and sweet romance drama. I thought Zhao Lusi suited this role and played it well. She can be a spoiled brat and sweet at the same time. If you like fluffy romance that makes your heart flutters, you should definitely watch this drama.

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OST IS PERFECT ⭐

Tbh...I started watching this drama because of BTS JIN'S OST YOURS..

However, I found out that this KDrama has amazing plot and storyline that keeps you hooked!

Very well drafted and nice OST by Jin! (Yours)

I liked every episode..it wasn't like the other kdramas, no unnecessary drama, every scene had a meaningful essence! I like it a lot!

Thanks to BTS Jin for introducing me to this KDrama..

Jun Ji Hyun's acting also amazed me.. I wish to see BTS Jin someday in a Kdrama like this...

Very well scripted.. I'm happy with the outcome!

Give a listen to Jin's ost Yours please!

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Best Taiwanese BL seen so far

Although Taiwan doesn't produce that much BLs than Thailand, they do get it right.
This scenario has a high school student getting involved with a gangster.
The 2 mains show a good chemistry and throughout the serie have some nice intimate moments.
The story does contain plot twists and have the characters evolve, where in the beginning you might doubt they're good fit, they do make a convincing couple by the end.
Occasionally a moment of humor with them getting close to sleep and wake up with some "cockcrow".
I liked the cameo of several previous BL actors / couples and think back on what serie they were.
About the side couple, mostly one way love, eventually Ai Di succeeds in winning Chen over and we have to wait until last episode for some convincing love making.
'An Jung Peng' had more of a role to play here and not a cameo, known for his main part in history 4.
Besides some smaller details this serie was for me the best in the (about) dozen I've seen.

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TL;DR: Doom at my verdict, but completed out of goodwill towards the actors.

What captivated me was the unique concept of personifying life and death. Seo In Guk's portrayal of the attractive and mysterious Doom, and Park Bo Young who (starts off) as the unexpected Dong Kyung, she appears brave and considerate and clever. The world-building is visually stunning, and what I like most is the way it is illustrating the beauty of everyday scenes like leaves falling or flowers blooming. One of the OST is a stand-out "Breaking Down."

I also appreciate the lead’s character development, seeing Doom realizes the purpose of life through love, and seeing Dong Kyung starts to express emotions and talking to someone about them, realizing that problems can be solved together. Sadly, their chemistry seemed to suffer by the end, along with the overall storyline. While they could've done amazing things with all kinds of exciting plot twists and such, the climatic reveal occurred too early, and then it lost momentum till the end, and the show never recovers from this slump. The couple was being too emotional on ruminating in the name of love and it just bored me so much. I also don't think the love triangle brings anything useful to the story. I have more things I don’t enjoy about it but I don’t need to talk bad about it further… I think there's enough negative reviews for this one.

-Dec 2023, Yovita
Find me on Instagram: @kdramajudge

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love & friendship

What I like about it:
1) The participants are not shy / open to talk about some deep & heavy topics like bullying, love life etc. There are a lot of crying. I found myself feeling closer to them more than the participants in His Man.

2) The intimacy. Like Gino hugging Guanyu or Gino helping Guanyu tucking in his shirt 🙈 or Gino groping Guangyu's butt or even his penis or Gino mentioning how big Guanyu's penis is hahahah. Even though they didn't show him groping (only through what was mentioned by either Guanyu or Gino) but I think this interactions are very natural for people who like each other. They're boys after all. I'm glad the show is not being too prude. And that kiss in the tent? 🫣 Tbh watching His Man 2, I know it's a Korean gay dating show, but I can't help occasionally feeling like they're straight guys acting as gay guys for a show 🤣

3) The friendships shared between all of them. I just love the bonds between them especially between Eri and Bobo. Can't believe they can be so close in such a short period of time.

4) Speaking of time, I hope season 2 would be at least 8 - 10 days.

5) The diversity of the participants. For example, Nio identified as bisexual. Some others though not identified as bi, have dated girls before. Eri, who identified himself as he/him/his pronouns despite being so pretty having long hair and wearing makeup.

What I don't like / What could be improved:
1) I really don't like the voting to leave or stay. This is a dating show. Not some kind of survival show 💀 It's really hard to watch that part. I hope there's no such thing like that in season 2.

2) I know this is His Man inspired but at least do it properly. I don't see the point of making a secret phone call when the call is made to a phone in a room shared by four people and the conversation is heard by other people in the room?? Each of them have a mobile phone. So the call should be made to the mobile phone instead. Anyway, hope you can come up with a better concept in the next season.

3) The kind of topics that can or can't be discussed. For example, the role in the bedroom topic raised by Jia Hang. Obviously it caused quite a stir and some tense in the room because some people are not comfortable to discuss about it openly. I mean who would? The show is watched by people all over the world. Why would strangers from the opposite part of Taiwan learn what is their role in the bed? 🙄

Final words, Nio ma boy, reminds me a lot of Seonwoo from HM2. Like boy can't decide who he actually likes until the very end, he chose Bobo. I mean what? Besides when he confessed to Guanyu that he likes him, it was already too late because Guanyu already fell hard for Gino. Anyway I'm rooting for Guanyu Gino couple. I hope they can overcome the challenges they faced, the one that they fought during the last two days of the show, and officially become a couple once Guanyu moves to Taipei :) I got a feeling that Gino is someone who prefer to live together with his boyfriend. So I hope they can work it out somehow.

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The teacher that brings hope to the special 5

The end of ep 1 reminds me of this video I saw many years ago: Social Inequalities Explained in a $100 Race. Where you start in life may be out of your control but how hard you race in life is up to you.

Since I don't particular like heavy content so I wouldn't have started this if weren't for the cast.
Zhang Ruo Yun is always a solid actor in all his roles. In recent years he took on more serious roles. Here he plays someone who looks a lot older than his actual age with a painful past he tried to escape from.

The students: played by actors Zhang Cheng and Wang Qiang did a great job in the drama "Cross Fire" (One of my unexpected favorites) Here they are part of that special 5 students and play completely different characters.

Story starts with Lei Ming (ML) returning to be a teacher. He wants to assemble a special class of 5 out to prove his unconventional teaching methods can help these kids make it to the top college.

The special 5 + the troubled Shen Yao:
1. Li Ran, an orphan living in the basement where his grandma works as a housekeeper. The son of the owner is the top student (Shen Yao) in the same grade but with a sick twisted mind. Li Ran fix electronics on the side to help with the bills.
2. Cheng Yu Shan, her mom remarries to a guy who only cares or his biological son. On the outside she's fearless and fends off all the unwanted boy's attention. One day she finds hidden cameras, she trembles in fear. She sits in her small room looking outside of her small window feeling completely trapped. The camera work was so well done for that scene.
3. Yu Yang, he's the bully target of many kids including the twisted top student.
4. Zeng You Zhen, she may not be living in poverty but she's constantly trying to please the girls pretending to be accepted. She has a secret she's trying to hide.
5. Jiang Qing Lang, he comes from successful parents in an unhealthy relationship, clearly not happy despite all that success. The overbearing mom character clearly that you'll want to skip through is his ultimate source of torment.
6. Shen Yao, he is not part of the 5 but he is such an interesting character. Outside he is the perfect student, but you see his anger brewing inside expressed in self-harm and doing bad things to others. His story finally unfolds in ep 23. This is the 1st time I've seen Li Ming De in a serious emotional scene, and he did a great job.

The content is not overly heavy but definitely meaningful. It touches upon self-harm, parental abuse, suicide, depression, teacher student dynamics & so on....

Only thing I don't like is ep 30 with the older version of the kids. Not relatable at all. They used the same actors for the teachers might as well use the same actors for the students. But they didn't and it was just not good.

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