Good start, but failed to keep me hooked
I watched until episode 7, but I didn’t catch up in time, so even that episode I watched with some delay lol. I did like it until that point, but people complaining about further development and plot points made me decide to DNF. I didn’t want to see miscommunication, heartbreaks, etc. Episode 1-7 were good, but I don’t want to bother to finish this. I enjoyed the acting, especially Jung Woo Sung's. You can tell that he is an experienced actor, his eye acting and subtle expressions were perfect. The music and cinematography were also very beautiful and complimented the drama well. But again, I don't want to invest in the drama if we get too much *drama* instead of healing vibes lol. I am also currently watching other shows that are able to keep me hooked much easier than this one, unfortunately.Was this review helpful to you?
NOT RECOMMENDED
This casting had so much potential. The writing was very much complicated and messy. I wanted to see more focus on the main couple, but their love story was forced and dry (it lacked chemistry). Loved 2 of the couples (doori+shiyeol & soongoo+samsoon). They deserved more screen time than the main couple. Still their stories were left undeveloped. Not even going to talk about the age difference between Hana & Crown Prince. I don’t care if it’s a period drama, this shouldn’t have been portrayed as well as normalized. Hana was a 24 year old adult marrying a 14 year old crown prince. Their marriage was literally supported by everyone and no one thought it was weird. Can’t imagine how awkward it must have been for actors. Their age gap irl was even bigger. Unfortunately I do not recommend watching this show. The ending was one of the most disappointing endings in kdrama history.Was this review helpful to you?
Interesting genre-bending premise but ultimately gives way to tropes... and romance
First of all, I love k dramas that blend genres, and most of the time they succeed. Unfortunately, this is not one of them.The production value is high, and the cast is high caliber, the premise is intriguing, I also love this time period for dramas, and there's decent action between the long stretches of dialogue.
So herein lies the issue. The tags are Action, Thriller, Historical, and Sci-Fi. I love all those genres. The main genre is actually a Romance. It should be its main tag. It should be at the front of the line. Everything eventually is just about the Romance between the 2 protagonists. Despite having so many other interesting avenues of plot and storylines, it ultimately devolves into a love story. Which doesn't sound terrible but when it takes place in a gritty historical setting with war, atrocities, and monsters, it sticks out like a sore thumb.
It's especially jarring when the ML is a white knight that constantly sweeps in to save the FL despite the FL establishing she is a very competent and capable badass. But then he sweeps in like a male Rey Skywalker in every scene, being good and perfect at everything. Our ML is a Gary Stu (male Mary Sue). He is the best businessman, he's also the handsomest, he's also the best fighter, the best shooter, he knows everyone and everything, he out rebels the rebels and out sleuths the sleuths. At one point he even teleports. I kid you not. He is physically on one level and magically teleports to where the story needs him to be. And all the characters (and I mean ALL the characters) seem to be trying to help the ML get with the FL, all while on the run from soldiers and monsters. It's insane.
And at one point someone seemingly dies. Then they totally do not. What is this!? A MAKJANG???!!! And things like this happen quite a few times.
But in the end, I did enjoy it overall. It's a good production, the action scenes are on point, I'm still a sucker for this time period, and the Sci-Fi and horror aspects I found intriguing. I just didn't expect romance to be the driving plot of the whole story. And the plot logic is all over the place. Just be prepared to suspend your disbelief for a LOT of it and enjoy the ride.
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Good drama if you like Dylan Wang.
I will say, the action scenes in this show are not done as well as the Taiwanese adaptation. I like Shan Cai's character development throughout this series, though. The Korean and Japanese dramas don't show too much character development with their main heroine.The music was better than all three KN, JP, and TW adaptations. With one of the popular American produced song, "Say Something'. It's a decent drama. Just the editing is a bit cheesy, but quite a few Chinese dramas have noticeable special effects. Panning to the same shots more than 4-5 times is a little bit... meh? Still, good show to watch. Dylan Wang is an amazing actor and a great choice to have him play as the male lead. I've seen his other works, I have to say, this one is a favorite of mine.
(Watched on: NETFLIX US)
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Amazing POV of being in a male group in the entertainment industry.
Most people (who I know) that are into Korean POP bands don't dabble in Japanese POP bands or artists. They mostly listen to anime OSTs' and call it a day. More power to you; however, this series does explore what it is like to be in a male group, riding to the top in the entertainment industry. While the show seems romantic, and it can be. That isn't it's main focus. I appreciate the message the director, writers, and producers set out to make with this series.Being in that industry is tough on anyone and I'm sure in Korea, BTS; Stray Kids; BIG BANG; and GOT7, things aren't too far off from being the same. The physical, mental, and emotional tolls these idols have to go through... While also showing sportsmanship in a way when supporting each other, hyping each other up. It's just, chef's kiss.
This series is actually REALLY good and I HIGHLY RECOMMEND watching it. I watched this on Netflix, but you could probably find it online on Dramacool or KissAsian.
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This review may contain spoilers
Formidable. Awesome. Thrilling
Judging by the high score of this drama (8.8), I knew this was probably going to be good. I did not expect this perfection.Since the FL is Bai Lu, who is my favorite Chinese actress, her perfect acting was no surprise. What makes the acting score a 10/10 is that all other actors seem to attempt to outshine her and almost succeed! all of them are performing at the top of their ability. Amazing performances from ML Zhang LiHe, Wang XinHue (who's only 22) and Zhou JunWei (who looks a little like Xiao Zhan). Every character is well thought out and given an actual story.
I don't know how the writer(s) did it, but the story is completely solid, despite the intricate intrigue, different interests, tribes, servants, aliasses etcetera. Extremely well done without any obvious plot holes.
Despite this being a romance, it's a very slow burn. First kiss happens when you've all but given up hope it will ever happen. These two people are both flawed, broken and battered and recognize this in each other early on. But it only leads to love later and to romance even later than that. That does not mean we as viewers are left without fluttering hearts. O. No. Sir. The chemistry is fantastic. Not just the one between the leads, but also between FL and her other suitors, so we are left guessing who will "get the girl"for a long time. ML is a formidable man. Very serious, very domineering, very smart, very charismatic. He's a lot. FL is a great match for him with her feistyness and defiance and at least as smart. Also smart is the fact that in this drama, the story is leading, not the romance. We feel it's there, but it does not overpower the strength of the drama, it just adds to it..
I was unable to look away from this for 38.5 eps. long. Totally epic, best c-drama ever.
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Better Than Meteor Garden, Up There With 花より男子.
This adaptation of 花より男子 is more enjoyable to watch because it has more fighting than it's predecessors. The fighting scenes actually look more realistic and less melodramatic than Meteor Garden and 花より男子.The music (OST) was not really my favorite. Not sure why, it just never struck the right cord for me. Making the score of some scenes a little off in my opinion. I do, though, love the acting. The cast swept the board compared to the other adaptations. Which follows into the production which was very well-done.
(Watched: DRAMACOOL)
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This review may contain spoilers
Potential drama, but lacks of subtlety and connection between details
I feel like this drama focuses on the family member affection more than two couples' relationship. You can notice all four main characters (eventually) beceme orphan in different ways, and the story included not only the unexpectedly sudden "leave" of Hai Yi's dad, but also Zhe Ni's grandma in an unbelievably unfortunate situation. So imo, this would be suitable if the drama metaphors the recent epidemic, like you've seen its impact to our life. The few last episodes should bring out the comfort, luck and cherish actually.For the plot scenes, low communication and lacks of pot subtlety / connection should be improved. For example: Zhe Ni got familiar way too fast to modern gadgets; Wen Sen got so easy and direct to know Huai En was in great danger; Huai En and Zhe Ni tried not to admit their own relationship to each other, but later then both communicated like admitted already; or the "legal" boxing attack in the training room. Furthermore, the minus is most key scenes were in-order shown rapidly at last episodes instead of scattered from the middle to end. Welp, at least they brings the quick transition factor between online and face-to-face conversation for video call scenes.
However, what got me bad impression is the controversial couple from HIS4. Yes, their acting is great, but I don't think they can be mentors in terms of relationship advises, like their relationship was really toxic in the beginning.
And personally, I prefer the side couple's visual and chemistry although Wen Sen character behavior doesn't seem to be relevant for a general director role imo.
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This review may contain spoilers
Even with the weird curse it was a fun and intriguing.
When the show first came out, I didn't know it would turn out to be so good. Even though I'm not someone crazy about dogs, this was so sweet. It started out fun, became a bit intriguing, and ended on a good note. I had hoped that the low-key third couple whose fate the show revolved around would also end up together but that didn't happen.I have watched two drams featuring Cha Eun Woo, one is this one and the other is True Beauty. While he did okay in True Beauty, this character suited him even better. The gentle non-toxic green flag of a guy. Park Gyu Young was so fun to watch, especially when she continued inviting him for soju. Cha Eun Woo tried to imitate it but sadly couldn't match it, but it was fun to watch. The chemistry between the 2 was bomb! The kissing scenes, one of the best I have seen in Kdrama so far.
All characters were great, well-written. I do wonder if Choi Yool was Jin Ah's husband in the past life. Since she said good bye to the mountain spirit maybe they'll get together. I like both Lee Bo Gyum and Choi Yool for her, no doubt they would be good to her, but they have some growing up to do.
It is worth the watch.
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This review may contain spoilers
REALLY A SERIES THAT IS WORTHY OF GAZE MUCH LIKE A MOONLIGHT
Here, I'll leave it here already: ANOTHER TOP-NOTCH MINI SERIES!!Everytime EarthMix is in the series, it makes it better but to add Gem4th is just too much for me to handle ahahgjfhd!!!!! This series captured my heart. It wasn't lackluster at all, not a lovey-dovey. Ngl I was expecting more to unfold from this mini series in Midnight Series. The cinematography is just chef's kiss. It felt like it used the cinematographical feature from I Told Sunset About You which is nostalgic yet beautiful. The shots here and there are greeted with another praise from this ho.
The story is realistic about life. I really thought the plot is well-thought of and the cast really did their thing. There's so much to unpack here.
Okay the first scene, well the One Night is damn convincing enough for me that EarthMix are a versatile couple. They really proven themselves over and over again. Mix really did that, being flirtatious to justify his character. I also love how Li Ming is emphasized. His longing for a better life working abroad albeit a minor. The hardships felt real. The diner closing down bcuz of the owner, loan, misbehaving nephew and more. It all really rained down on me. Mind u, I don't felt forced to be fed with those as I let myself immerse in the story.
The rest of the cast are good but the bestsellers in my heart being EarthMix and Gem4th really had me enjoying the series even more. Bruh I swear I never remembered Heart being deaf. All I could remember from the trailer is that One Night scene of EarthMix lol!!!
Anyways, it felt unique to have one of the leads being disabled which makes it something to enjoy watching considering I've never have seen a couple like this. The sign languages and the heartfelt convos between Gem4th really sold me.
This series really just unfolded many further situations that are really hard to face in real life. Unwanted early pregnancy, death of a relative (which happened on 7th ep), loveless relationship that needs to end, confronting the fact that your ex had family and his sudden death to Li Ming's issue with her long lost mother.
I thought my issue was it's only 8 eps and I thought FirstKhao should have their characters develop with each other more. But I'm still glad that most of the problems were settled properly within 8 eps. I think there's not much anything to say. The writing for this series is simply great. GMM should create another one of this. I've never watched any other Midnight Series along with it but I can safely assume this to be the best among the rest!
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Intriguing story, multicultural settings
Initially, I picked this show because of Yamapi. It turned out to be good, so much better than I anticipated.It is an adaptation of a manga with the same title, but if you read the manga you'd probably be disappointed because the characters and story in the show are quite different from the manga.
In terms of the story, there are some manga-like tropes that are unescapable here. I mean, if you've read a lot of manga or watched a lot of anime, you could probably guess the outcome of each tests in the story. Still, it is quite an entertaining and heart-warming story overall.
Acting and cast are excellent. I think the multi-language and accents are quite additional charms to this series.
I don't think there is any notable OST that clings to my mind, and while it was enjoyable, one-time watching is quite enough for me----nothing quite appealing for a rewatch.
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This review may contain spoilers
Okay
First, there were so many loopholes in this drama that reviewing them all would take forever so I will just ignore them. Despite the loopholes and unresolved matters, the drama was somewhat enjoyable.Although, the feelings between the main two were clear for everyone to see, they were never addressed by the two. Still, it was fun to watch them.
If you go into this drama expecting perfection, you will be greatly disappointed. However, if you just want to be entertained, you will like this drama.
Overall, it is worth watching.
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ugly
剧情难看，演员毫无演技，太难看了剧情难看，演员毫无演技，太难看了
剧情难看，演员毫无演技，太难看了
剧情难看，演员毫无演技，太难看了
剧情难看，演员毫无演技，太难看了
评论要写500字才能提交，这是剧方多么不自信啊！
太丑陋了
剧情难看，演员毫无演技，太难看了
剧情难看，演员毫无演技，太难看了
剧情难看，演员毫无演技，太难看了
剧情难看，演员毫无演技，太难看了
剧情难看，演员毫无演技，太难看了
评论要写500字才能提交，这是剧方多么不自信啊！
太丑陋了
剧情难看，演员毫无演技，太难看了
剧情难看，演员毫无演技，太难看了
剧情难看，演员毫无演技，太难看了
剧情难看，演员毫无演技，太难看了
剧情难看，演员毫无演技，太难看了
评论要写500字才能提交，这是剧方多么不自信啊！
太丑陋了
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THE MOST COMFY CDRAMA
my favorite cdrama.... and the only drama with 24 eps i watch for less than 24hrs T______T i love how healthy their relationship..... even tho zaizai at jiangyi & rangrang at suyang, they still have a healthy relationship with no conflict daaaamn..... i rlly love this type of drama, rhe complications in this drama are not too serious and the plot continues to run smoothly and well. i also like their friendship, it's really my dream friendship :< also i cried when jiang attended zaizai & rangrang's wedding, i really felt their journey together..... from jiang, who had accompanied zaizai from the start which is when zaizai liked rangrang, until he attend their wedding. and side couple in this drama IS MY FAVORITE SIDE COUPLE OF ALL THE DRAMAS!!!! (gu ran and jiang :pp) I RLLY HOPE GURAN AND JIANG WILL HAVE THEIR OWN DRAMA LOOOL t______tWas this review helpful to you?
Good Enough
Korean Drama '' Vigilante '' is a webtoon-based action drama.The theme of the drama is quite interesting, and there are a lot of crime cases that are dark and intense. The antihero twist was also nicely handled, and the performances of the main leads were strong enough to support the plot.
However, the drama suffered from its short length. Halfway through, things started getting rushed and the story didn't develop as smoothly as it should. At least the action scenes were enjoyable.
So, overall, six out of ten for the Korean Drama '' Vigilante ''.
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