However, I rated it low because it was just not my thing. I watched it, but I thought it dragged in some sections, especially after ep10. The co-orporate espionage thing was underexplained at times, and over done at others. I didn't care for it. Then the leads... all of them were pretty harsh towards each other - except our poor spineless, apologising victim of a female lead. First she was betrayed (after making a stupid decision to take the fall), then she was tormented by the lead. I understand how she developed that woe-is-me, I'm-to-blame-for-all-the-problems-in-the-world mindset, but it became annoying. It still wasn't brain friendly to watch. I wanted her to bitchslap and/or publicly shame some of the people who wronged her at least.
The torture and the stalking... no words. I was looking for a possessive male lead to watch though, and this fit the bill in an unfortunate fashion. I didn't like MH's decisions, especially regarding the 2nd female lead. The four leads behaved bizarrely towards each other. I found myself thinking over and over "So you all hate each other? Why the hell are you trying to hold on to each other." I'm not even going to get into character analysis. When I reached ep 13 or 14, I found myself thinking... "Why am I wasting my life watching this?" That's a bad thought for a drama. However, Ji Sung is a draw so I completed it. Upon review of the show however, I found I didn't like the story or characters at all.
The poor rating is personal preference. I like romantic romantic dramas with leads who show they care and who can't be torn apart by any 2nd leads. Secret was a bit too dark for me. Ji Sung was wonderful to watch though. His possessive, protective, chaebol character was just right... if it was toned down and in another setting lol. I want to see MH's character totally devote himself to another lead in another show (without the torture). But the story is what it is so I must say objectively that Secret was well executed, excellently acted by all the actors, and the story was a genius of a thing for people who like that kind of story. Objectively, I'd give it a 10. Personally, I'd not rate it so high. Confusing.
Music: On spot. One of the best OSTs and the music fit the scenes they were played in.
Rewatch: No, because it's not my kind of story.
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Acting/Cast: If you want to know what is professional, solid, honest-to-goodness acting, watch this. The actors and actresses will make you feel as if you are watching history unfold before your screen. They will put all those idol actors to complete shame! Everything was to the dot - from settings, costumes, etiquette to speech...they all accurately depicted the correct era in Chinese history.
Music: If you are expecting great OSTs, you will be disappointed. But if you are expecting music that accurately reflects the music of the era in the 'Three Kingdoms', you will be delighted. During those days, ppl compose music to be sung as a poem with accompaniments from traditional Chinese musical instruments. The words sung are very meaningful. Even the OST at the start of each episode adequately summed the entire novel in eloquent words. This is a story about war, the end of a dynasty, ambitious men, heroism, political plots and personal struggles set in an era known as one of the bloodiest in Chinese history.
Rewatch value: I set the re-watch value as low because of the 95 episodes. However, most ppl I know who had watched this series would usually re-watch the parts they like; eg: Diaochan's plot to bring down Dong Zhuo through Lu Bu, the appearance of Zhuge Liang (Kongming), the battle of the Red Cliff, Liu Bei's marriage to Sun XiaoMei and the ensuing struggle to establish his own hegemony at the south, Zhuge Liang vs. Zhou Yu, Zhuge Liang vs. Sima Yi etc. It also helps that wikipedia breaks down the series' episode based on the book chapters it covers - making selective re-watching easier.
Overall: A perfect series with perfect actors and actresses. A must watch for lovers of chinese history and literature. The only complain I have is the length but then again, it cannot be helped considering how this series follows the novel closely.
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Speaking of Akiyama, with each episode he seems to get more and more arrogant. I roll my eyes at the fact that Akiyama always has to one-up everyone, like his grudge against Katsuragi Ryou. I actually kind of felt bad for her. Also, right when I thought Nao finally beat Akiyama to an insight, Akiyama had, of course, "already thought of that." Fine, don't praise her for finally thinking for herself. Which brings me to my next point: if Akiyama is getting more and more cocky with every episode, Nao is getting less and less annoying/stupid/naive. She finally becomes a stronger player, which makes her goodwill even more endearing.
The games were as risky as usual, and the psychological battles even more intense. No longer is the game obviously Akiyama's. Oh, no... he has a competent rival - the only person ever to defeat him, Katsuragi Ryou. One thing I loved were the touching stories! Although I had quite a few complaints, it was overall a great sequel.
I do recommend this after watching the first season, but please don't stop here as the movie is a must-see! I also highly recommend the manga, which differs a bit from the drama in an intriguing way.
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The only thing I disliked is that half of the time, I found myself wanting to slap the characters. Nao especially, for not learning or thinking for herself. For example, in the revival round: "Akiyama's not here to save me so guess I'll just give up..." Really Nao?!
I found that the main antagonists had the typical pathetic bad guy syndrome, being too cocky and revealing their plans. Combine that with the annoying evil laughter, and...
The few exceptions were: Akiyama, Eto Koichi, Ishida Rie, and coordinator Eri. Although I had seen Matsuda Shota in Hana Yori Dango, his role as Akiyama made me a fan. It was acted perfectly. Akiyama is a genius and the most entertaining part of the drama is trying to figure out what he will do next.
I loved the main theme music and still enjoy listening to it.
I highly recommend this to everyone, especially those who like psychological dramas. It was suspenseful throughout and was a great brain teaser. I'll also warn that the special episode is partly recap, with some new scenes in between and at the end, so you can skip the recap parts.
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I was a little wary about watching it at first, because I had read that the characters were overacted, something I can't stand. However, I disagree. I think the acting was quite appropriate for the drama; the characters are supposed to be a bit exaggerated.
I easily connected the characters from the manga/anime to the drama. Which brings me to casting. I had a problem with Tamaki. The acting was spot-on, and I loved Yamamoto Yusuke in Hana Kimi - his character was one of my favorites. However, I couldn't get past his face, which didn't match up with my vision of how Tamaki should look. I also originally had a problem with Honey-senpai, but I grew to like his character a lot. Daito Shunsuke was perfect as Kyouya, who was my favorite character in the drama. Mori and the twins were great too. The drama is very short, and each episode is always something fresh and somewhat independent. It's hilarious and adorable.
I would highly recommend this, especially to anyone who has read the manga or watched the anime.
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Park Shin Hye was great as both the fake and real Go Mi Nam. Her expressions were on point and she's great at emotional scenes as well.
I, like many, fell in love with adorkable Jeremy.
As much as I love Jung Yonghwa, his role felt a bit too lifeless. I think the fact that he was new to acting showed a bit. However, I liked Shin Woo over Hwang Tae Kyung. Although Jang Keun Suk's acting was perfect, the character was far from it. I felt that he was too harsh and I didn't like him a lot as a person.
However, all of the characters did have their moments.
I was also a little unsatisfied with the ending. I feel that if they had cut it off a few scenes earlier, it would have been perfect.
The music was another highlight, and the only thing that got a perfect score from me. It's been years, but I still sing some of the music from this drama - something very rare for me.
As much as I have criticized... The funny parts were hilarious. The melodrama wasn't too lengthy. The romance was cute. If only we could have seen more of the "real" Go Mi Nam.
I definitely recommend it if you want a lighthearted and sweet drama.
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At first, I was skeptical of casting Yoochun as Lee Gak, but now that I've seen it, I wouldn't have picked anyone else. And although there's great chemistry between the leads, I think the ones who take it away are Lee Gak's special 3-man team. They add bits of pep and adorableness that keep the drama from becoming too overwhelming. I personally loved Chi San's cheerfulness and Yong Sool's loyalty and compassion (and soft spot for Park Ha). The ending stunned me and is probably my favorite ending in a drama.
I also love that the story actually connects to a historical legend. It was well-thought-out and well-balanced. Not too much melodrama, yay!
Go watch it now.
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Overall: This is one of the most intense, heartbreaking, addicting dramas I've watched. All in all, a truly amazing drama.
Story/Acting: I usually dislike too much melodrama, but this drama is on a whole different level.
Be warned: this is a tearjearker! I honestly don't cry much at most dramas, so if I tear up more than once, it usually guarantees waterfalls for others. Heck, my own mother only watched half an episode and she was bawling within 10 minutes. The realistic, yet surprising script, along with Kakazu Issei's fantastic acting are really what pull this along. He outshined the adult actors in this movie. I don't often find endings that satisfy me, but this one was great.
Watch it, everyone! I recommend this drama because it is very sobering. Among the many lessons this drama teaches, it helps you to re-examine the relationships in your family, and helps you realize that there is a story behind everything.
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Story/Acting: A pretty typical and sweet story about pursuing one's dreams.
Honestly, I watched this drama for Han Geng. The best part - what really saved it for me - was the relationship between the characters. Although most of them were a little bland for me, three really stood out: adorable Bo Ah, Xia Lei's stubborn daddy, and cocky but semi-decent guy Ding Xiao. Not to mention the scenes between Xia Lei and Momo. But if you're looking for romance, this is not the drama for you. The story occasionally bored me, and the ending was a bit flat. But it was a cute story about how dreams can be acheived through perseverance.
Music: Didn't stand out too much to me personally, but wasn't distracting either!
Rewatch Value: I don't usually rewatch dramas - especially average ones - so my score reflects that.
Would I recommend this? For Han Geng fans and people who have a strong dreams they are working toward, this might be an inspirational drama to watch. Otherwise, I wouldn't prioritize it.
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most recommended to all :D
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Meteor Garden was the first Asian drama i have totally followed and watched and have loved the cast/actors. And at first, I was really hesitant to watch this drama back then when it was shown in my country. Since i was curious how it will be compared to MG, I said I will give a try at the first episode. But after the first episode, dang! I was really blown! I loved it already! it was interesting up to last episode.
They may not as good looking at first compared to MG actors and BoF but the cast have their charms to lure you to continue to watch. And every actor is like tailor-fit for the characters in the story. Each character convinces you or actually never made you think they were just acting out each scene.
I am really convinced the characters were meant for them.
Inoue Mao is by far the best for Makino role and Jun Matsumoto for Domiyouji role. They have the best chemistry compared to other versions. No wonder up until now rumours about them still come up from time to time. The other F4 members too, I believe had it been other actors to be put in that role, the story and it's charm will be different.
This is the best Asian drama for me now. And will always be in my heart. I have lost count already how many times I have watched this drama and the 2nd second season as well as the movie. And I am still for sure, going to watch it again when I feel like to.
I will always recommend it to first-timers to Asian or Japanese dramas.
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It broke my heart several times. I connected with it and found the relationships between the characters to be perfect for showing how everyone has their walls and boundaries. The things they keep hidden and the sides they want to show. I watched this years ago, loved the soundtrack and still listen to it today. I absolutely love the actors and their work in this show and if I could find a copy of the drama to buy I would own it!
A lot of people complain about how shows end and not being how they expect it to or want it to. I always enjoy a show for what it is and understand that this is how the producers wanted it to turn out. The ending to me was fun and light in comparison to some of the more serious aspects that went on during the show.
Overall, give it a try. I find it to be a wonderful gem in the taiwanese drama market. If you take into consideration that a lot of shows that make it to international audiences bank of the comedy aspect, this has so of that too.
Please enjoy!!
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The thing is that l liked this particular drama; a lot. I liked the actors performances ( Yamashita was interesting in the role of the naive, goofy but honest detective Saionji while the "just as you are, just as you are" phrase of Hiratsuka stuck in my mind for days) and i enjoyed the plots of every episode.
Was it the best detective drama out there? Probably not but it was very interesting, smart, at times quite funny and not boring at all. I would in fact look forward to the next episode and missed it when it ended.
If i had to rate this particular drama, i would give it an 8 in total and i would really recommend it. Other than that it all comes down to personal preferences. For me, it was a nice show ( taking into account that it is a japanese drama)
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