Reviews

Too much drama in a drama

Was this supposed to be all about actors crying? I should have paid more attention to the title cause the sobbing was sooooo unnecessary omg please stop making Kim Soo Hyun cry for the love of all that is dear!

There is something truly twisted going on in the directors heads because plot and script were all over the place no moderation whatsoever! The ML started out as a man who does not care if his wife died (is a human so unfeeling they wouldn't care if a person close to them died?) and then did a 360 spin in his personality and became the perfect loving husband? Right I get it.

And why all the misery???? There is a thing called balance and some people prefer to just add everything incoherently in a script leaving the viewer perplexed and tired. I feel tired.

AND NO KISS IN THE LAST EPISODE? WHY? WHERE IS THE ATMOSPHERE? Oh I know where perhaps it was lost somewhere between the tombstones...

Kim Soo Hyun tried really tried but the script and direction did not allow for much. He is -no matter how infinitely unrealistic- the perfect husband and we swoon. (He is the reason I give this an overall 8 + the solid production cause we did see some pretty outfits and nice scenery).

Park Sung Hoon's role was wronged by the script because they simply portrayed him as evil when he was just desperate for affection. He was as always great.

Kwak Dong Yeon + Lee Joo Bin were PHENOMENAL as a side couple, like I would love to see them somewhere together again amazing work, loved their scenes!

Also loved the scened where the two families got together so I guess the side moments were entertaining. Ah so tired.

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August: A Journey of Redemption and Resilience

"August" is not only a documentary about cycling in Tibet, but also a testimony to the indomitable human spirit embodied by director Zhang Zhehan. Through Zhang Zhehan's lens, this film not only shows the magnificence of nature, but also interweaves the director's interactions with various people he met on the journey. Director Zhang Zhehan suffered severe cyber violence in August three years ago because of a cherry blossom viewing photo. His career and life were shattered by false information and malicious distortions on the Internet, and his life fell to the bottom. However, he was not defeated. Instead, he picked himself up and stood up tenaciously. In August two years later, he cycled to Tibet again, discovering himself, proving himself, and exploring himself during the ride. "August" is the best testimony to Zhang Zhehan's firm determination to catch up and move forward in the face of adversity.

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This is a heart-warming and healing documentary.

Zhang Zhehan suffered huge rumors and slander online violence in August 2021, which led to the interruption of his acting career and his life has fallen into hell. In August 2022 and 2023, he went cycling to see the world, people, scenery, and all the beautiful things. He was saving himself and people who were also hurt.
Even though he suffered huge online violence, Zhang Zhehan still appreciates the beautiful things in the world with a beautiful eye. In this documentary, he showed his broad-mindedness, strength, optimism, and courage to move forward.
I think people who have also suffered from online violence can find strength from this documentary. This is a heart-warming and healing documentary.

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Great transition to afterlife drama

There have been several similar transition to afterlife stories. I liked the formula of this drama - they have a case of the week that our team has to solve and bring closure to the deceased. That kept the delivery each episode interesting. The 'rules of engagement' (ie rules governing how they operate together eg safe zone, Dae Ri jumping into a human host for 10 minutes at a time, etc) were established early on and stayed consistent, unlike some dramas that bent the rules just to fit the plot or to create dramatic tension or because they didn't know how else to conclude the drama.

In terms of negatives, perhaps the weakest point was the romance between the main leads. There was no chemistry whatsoever and they looked awkward together especially when they had to call each other cutesy names, or kiss or hug. The second couple had far better chemistry (at least no awkwardness) but I'd rather the drama just focus on the cases! Second, the last few episodes were especially draggy when they were trying to develop the romantic relationships rather than resolving things. Third, the OST was boring - they had one song and used that to death for everything - sad, happy, dramatic, etc. I'm not expecting a highly listenable soundtrack like CLOY or DOTS, but we're basically going back to the early 90s with Autumn in My Heart and their one song-one-hit-repetitive-wonders.

In contrast, the chemistry between the four 'team members' was enjoyable to watch. I enjoyed how they worked together with a mix of humour, teamwork, and goodwill to overcome the villians. Overall, it was entertaining and I enjoyed watching it but I wouldn't call it the best drama of the year or even of the genre, not even close.

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Practically perfect.

This is one of the most interesting concepts for a BL that I have come across. It took the typical high school setting and flipped it right on its ear with this twist akin to "alternate reality." The idea that Myung Ha could be sucked into a to-be-made game based on a work-in-progress story where he had a few ideas on how to change it was interesting enough. But add to it the subtle (almost hidden) aspect of his depression and the fact that Yeo Woon was based on Myung Ha's life added so much emotional depth to the story. While it may seem like a BL on the surface, underneath it was more like a "learning to love yourself" story.

There were hints from the very beginning, what with Myung Ha said he would change Yeo Woon's story because it was "too much like my own," hinting at the regret he felt for his own personal discontent. Everything the game made him do was a way to validate Yeo Woon's life in a way that Myung Ha thought his own life was lacking. Then the game began to glitch when Yeo Woon was beginning to have romantic feelings toward Myung Ha because the objective was simply to make himself happy and love himself, not necessarily have romantic feelings. But then this is where the fun, BL aspect comes in and I personally think it worked well.

The only downside to this series was the short amount of time they had to tell such an in-depth and complicated story. In the first half of the series, I was impressed with the pacing and thought this series was probably the best I'd seen at making things clear and moving things along at a pace that made sense. (The "likeness meter" was a big help with that.) Then, somewhere around the middle, things were happening where I though to myself, "Did I skip or miss an episode?" And then there were a few things introduced or mentioned that never really were explored that was a shame since they were interesting plot points to me. (Kyung Hoon mentioning his BF and how he was supposedly coming for a visit soon; Sang Won getting into that fight while no one seemed to notice.. to name a couple of examples.)

While I understand and appreciate that they did not try to have a secondary couple with the limited amount of time they had to resolve the main one, I do also wish the two primary side characters got more screentime/storyline because they were done really well, both in writing and acting. I also wish the ending was a bit more clearer (did Myung Ha die and was given a second life or maybe the game was a form of afterlife? Who was Myung Ha's senior, really? )

But, overall, still a very solid series and, minus the few questions left unanswered, it was a satisfying and thought-provoking story. I would definitely watch it again and recommend it to any BL fan.

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Mixed feelings

It would have been better if this drama was not marketed as romance. To realize some episodes later that it is more of a family/life drama left me with a lesser impression by that time because the matriarch figure already annoyed me to no end by that time. I would say it is also partly my own fault; however when I started paying more attention to the credits song and understood the lyrics, it made more sense.

Honestly the “leads’” pairing kept me (barely) invested. I started watching because I wanted to see the Xu Kai/Yang Zi pairing. Jokes on me…The real leads are Yang Zi and He Sai Fei (the latter played the matriarch figure). Some episodes (many..) it felt like He Sai Fei is the only lead, especially the last few.

He Sai Fei’s character was overbearing, over-meddling, could be seen as self-centred at times but it also hit too close to home for many who could identify many traits in one of their parents. This could only turn out to be a disaster watch or some good drama.

At times, it felt like there was too much manufactured angst, especially towards the end.

If you noticed, I only mentioned Xu Kai once..this was by design, I thought the character he played felt like a prop at times, it was a real waste.

I added 1/2 star to the rating for the whiff of romance between the two “leads”.

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fashion industry romance with a side m/m couple

Overall: I enjoyed the fashion industry setting, but it became very soap opera like in parts and dragged at times. 10 episodes broken into 2 parts for 50 minutes per episode total. Aired on WeTV https://wetv.vip/en/play/honrgjq1uhtv8gn-Intern%20In%20My%20Heart

Information for the age gap: first met when he was 8 and she was 21ish, in the present he is 20 and she is 33, based on how this played out I didn't include it as a content warning
Content Warnings: near suicide, non con touching, bullying, non con picture taking/sharing

BL Relevant Scenes
1a 9:45-11
2b 17:15-end
3a 5:15-6 & 19:30-21
4a 14-16:30
4b 6:30-7:40 & 14:10-15
5a 12:30-14:15 & 18-20
5b beginning-2:15 & 13-18:10
6a 5-6:10, 8:40-10 & 18-19:30
6b 8:50-10:30, & 12:10-13:40
8a 21:30-23 & 32-end
8b beginning to 3 & 8-13:30
9a beginning-6:30, 8:20-12, 20:30-23:30, 26-end
9b 21-26
10b 18-18:40 & 20-21

What I Liked
- sweet moments
- friendships (though he shouldn't have touched the guy when the guy didn't want him to)
- character growth

Room For Improvement
- exposition dump
- comedy sound effects
- cliche see something and don't clarify what it is
- stupid decisions/unrealistic actions

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DISAPPOINTED

I have watched many of the movies Chen plays in and I will say, this one I was upset with thru most of the episodes. And if this had of been the first. "Chen " drama film I had seen. I most likely wouldn't of watched anymore of anything he was in. It may of been better for me if the ending wasn't so cut short . And allowed them really to make it up to her.
Bowen was to heartless towards a childhood friend, that was pretty much his family. It was okay to be helpful. But why was it so okay to see the hurt in (Chizi) face every day like that, just to be on call 24hrs a day to an outside girl (Yu) Who clearly was using anything in any way that she could to cause such . Even after awhile it wasn't even about getting info on Ms Li anymore. Clearly Yu had turned it into something personal as to where she just wanted to be able to call Bowen and keep him away from Chizi whenever she wanted to do so and Bowen would go running. And he know it wasnt right, because he would even lie or not answer when Chizi would ask him about such , why is it that she (Yu) couldn't tell Chizi her secret? even if Chizi couldn't share his secret? Chizi was a good friend to them both, and they both took her through ALOT of useless pain and not even give her some type understanding !!! and yet she still remained such a good friend for Chizi (even tho she tried to distance herslf) and when she did speak out or act out Chizi whom was supposed to be like a brother to her made sure she to kick her for it while continuing to allow Yu to cause pain with her antics as well, Yea this is the most upsetting film I have seen of " Chen" films. Honestly, I fast forward thru alot of the episodes, because I didn't want to see how they were continuing to cause Chizi all that pain, for no real good reasons at all. Tho I did want to see Chizi get to be alright at some point, and how she got to be okay, is why I skip thru and just get to the end. And then to go thru all of that and pretty much get to the end and make it better with a kiss....smdh

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A treat for the eyes, if you like Lin Gengxin and Zhao Liying

This is the first Xianxia I ever finished and I mean finished without using the FF button. I have no such interest in this genre so when I heard ZLY and LGX were returning with this genre, I didn't have too much hope. Boy! Did they prove me wrong! The story was quite engaging. I was completely sucked in after 4 episodes and didn't stop until the end. A popular fact now: LGX and ZLY was AMAZING together. They literally set our screens on fire with the chemistry they have. It is rare to star together in a new project and hit jackpot twice for previous onscreen couples, but I think LGX and ZLY just proved they did with Shen Li. I will not spoil the story for anyone, all I can say is, believe in the chemistry LGX and ZLY holds, you will experience the three celestial realms and you will be mesmerized. :)

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nostalgic, funny and emotional

I finished Twenty Five Twenty One in March, but totally forgot to write a review. However, I'm watching the K-drama again because my parents are watching it (I recommended it) so I remembered to write my review.

To start, the story is magnificent, I've never felt so comfortable watching a drama. Even though the ending bothered me, the story itself is very refreshing. The characters are well-built, to the point that I loved them all. Even Ko Yu-rim, who I swore I wouldn't like even if she turned to be a good person, lol look at me now? I love her.

The actors are amazing, they played their roles with magnificence. I really enjoyed getting to know Nam Joo-hyuk (Baek Yi-jin) and Kim Tae-ri (Na Hee-Do). They are so funny together, they made a great duo (and couple, but too bad they didn't ended up together haha ???).
Choi Hyun-wook, whom I already knew, had a cool role, but I think his character (Moon Ji-ung) didn't get enough screen time... or a bigger impact. Lee Joo-myung (Ji Seung-wang) had a big impact until the middle of the K-drama, but right after the case with the professor, she was pushed aside (in my opinion).

Ending the review about the story, I hated the fact that they didn't show how each one (except Na Hee-do) from the quintet ended up after the years passed. I was really looking forward to find out how they were years later and who Na Hee-do married, but we were left with a question mark, since they didn't show it. (I don't know why, for me there's no reason ?)


Now, the OST and soundtrack. Wow. Flawless, wonderful, incredible. I've never loved the soundtrack of a K-drama so much to the point that I saved the playlist on my Spotify.

To conclude, I really wish everyone who watches K-dramas would give Twenty Five Twenty One a chance. It took me 2 years to watch it and I regret taking so long. Watch it, it's really good and emotional

*Plus, an extra

this phrase made me CRYYYY MY EYES OUUUUT I PROMISE

"That's my definition of our relationship. Also known as a rainbow. Wait, you said it wasn't a rainbow. You still haven't said what it was if not a rainbow."
"Love. It's love. I love you, Hee-do. I don't need a rainbow."

DAAAAAAAMN BAEK YI-JIN MARRY MEEEEEEEE?

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Unlikable female lead, boring cases, missing chemistry and plot is full of holes

7/10 is my rating. This is a 2024 South Korean Legal Romance drama with 12, 61-68 minute episodes.

First I provide a unique synopsis then review.

Synopsis

Kim Sa ra (Lee Ji ah) was leading a good life as the wife of a chaebol son, Noh Yul seong (Oh Min suk) and head of a legal empire. The mother-in-law, and matriarch of the legal empire, Cha Hee won (Na Young Hee) decides Sara is not the woman she wanted for her son as she has too much of a mind of her own so they frame her for illegal emission of her son and he divorces her. She starts a law firm centered around gaining justice for women in unjust circumstances. With a talented former prosecutor, Dong Ki joon (Kang Ki young) as a partner will they be able to bring down Sara’s exes legal empire and help others along the way?

Review

This was a mediocre, at best, legal romance. I found many of the legal cases boring and was very distracted as some of the cases were very mundane. So I wouldn’t rewatch it to see compelling legal drama. I also did not see a lot of chemistry or romance between Ki joon and the Sa ra. So much of the series was spent with her in various stages of interaction with her husband then ex husband then husband that there was little time for anything to be developed between the Sa ra and Ki joon. It was disappointing as the potential for a really great romance was there but the writers took it in other directions. I would not say this is unwatchable but it is not even close to a top choice. I cannot see myself rewatching it and would likely not stay around to watch it if someone else was.

 

Spoilers

The Sa ra was a bad ass martial artist in the beginning and there were several opportunities for her to show her stuff.  In the later episodes, she did not show that side as much and, in fact, was taken down physically several times. I would have enjoyed it more if there had been more opportunity for her to kick butt on the bad guys and if she had done it through the series. The martial arts scenes were one of the only things that kept it flowing in terms of excitement and interest.

 

There was a huge back story I don’t think we ever got fully told about her marrying Yul seong It seemed like she was going out with Ki joon and then somehow got pregnant with Yul song’s child and that was the reason for her breaking it off so abruptly with Ki joon.  Or it could be I was so bored I missed something. But that was my impression. I was like, but wait, that is not common in that culture for someone to be essentially having two physical relationships with two men so that she was with one guy but pregnant by another. Some reviewers said she came across as a gold digger, only interested in Yul seong’s money. But I only recall the part where she had a positive pregnancy test. More back story on her relationship and how she came to marry someone like him would have helped in understanding why she put up with him early on like she did.

 

There was not any chemistry between Sa ra and Ki joon primarily because she spent the better part of the show giving him the cold shoulder and trampling his feelings. I felt sorry for him. Sa ra was just straight up cruel to Ki joon in her coldness and indifference. She knew he had feelings for her but she never gave any consideration to his thoughts or opinions. If she wanted to do something a certain way she did it. In fact she didn’t care who thought otherwise. I thought that was a serious character flaw. That she didn’t listen to anybody in the way she approached “solutions.” When she decided to remarry her husband to take him down from the inside, I was super disappointed in her character. It was hurtful to Ki joon to have her remarry her husband when it seemed she was finally going to accept him.  But she didn’t care what anyone thought.  Her solution was her solution.  They could have played up the fact she wanted her child more, that might have been a better justification, but they really made it seem about revenge for her mother.  It made her an unlikable character to not care about the thoughts and feelings if thise around her. To add insult to injury, her decisions rarely bore the best results. It would be different if she went her own way and that turned out to be the best way but so often things did not go well. 

I wasn’t a fan of the wardrobe.  She had all kinds of weird drab outfits that seemed to carry over to her son.  Those big weird collars, I am not a fan. But her clothes were unappealing a lot of times.

So her husband and mother in law falsely frame her for a fraudulent application, she gets sent to prison, loses her child, he divorces her and she loses her law license but she is ok with that? In all the evidence she gathered and confessions she had them make she had no interest in clearing up that false crime? Will she ever get her license back?: That seemed like an important plot point to resolve. And just, nothing?

And what about the mother in law? She just gets to falsely imprison her, keep her son from her and then find out her iwn son was a compoete tool amd that is just it? She disappears from the story line and just nothing?

 

Ki joon’s efforts to befriend Sa ra’s son were just weird. If my parents new partner was over the top fakey trying to be my friend I would withdraw. I mean his dad did a lot of bad things but he still had a dad. Most children would not buddy up to someone seemingly trying to replace their oarent. Children are better approached slowly and genuinely.  Someone didn’t know how to write a good step parent relationship.  Those exchanges were just weird.  Almost creepy.

 

I don’t know what this having the second couple marry but not the first one trend is but I don’t like it.  It’s okay if they marry and we see it but that is only if the main couple is married.  Otherwise why do I care about the 2nd couples’ wedding?  Several I have watched recently have ended like that.  I don’t get why they are doing that but it is a trend I am not a fan of. 

 

The ending was “happy” I guess. The second couple get married. But that just turned out to be odd. While you could see them slowly getting more and more interested in each other and together, it did not feel like they had reached the marriage stage. Sa ra’s speech at the 2nd couples wedding was awkward and I experienced a lot of second hand embarrassment. Way to kill the mood.  And then the lead couple doesn’t get married.  They kind of sort of get engaged with her having some weird we will be together in five year increments requirement. Because she is a divorce lawyer? Well, she didn’t have that issue when marrying her 1st husband. And she seemed to divorce him easily enough. Her stating that meant she had no confidence in their relationship and since there wasn’t a lot to make the viewer confident in Ki joon and Sa ra’s relationship I thought that was a very odd way to have them come together.  It seemed hurtful, yet again, for the Ki joon that she did not care about him enough to properly accept his proposal.

 

I wasn’t a fan of the wardrobe.  She had all kinds of weird drab outfits that seemed to carry over to her son.  Those big weird collars, I am not a fan. But her clothes were unappealing a lot of times.

 

Ki joon’s efforts to befriend Sa ra’s son were just weird. If my parents new partner was over the top fakey trying to be my friend I would withdraw. I mean his dad did a lot of bad things but he still had a dad. Most children would not buddy up to someone seemingly trying to replace their oarent. Children are better approached slowly and genuinely.  Someone didn’t know how to write a good step parent relationship.  Those exchanges were just weird.  Almost creepy.

 

I don’t know what this having the second couple marry but not the first one trend is but I don’t like it.  It’s okay if they marry and we see it but that is only if the main couple is married.  Otherwise why do I care about the 2nd couples’ wedding?  Several I have watched recently have ended like that.  I don’t get why they are doing that but it is a trend I am not a fan of. 

#QueenofDivorce #LeeJiAh #KangKiYoung #OhMinSuk #NaYoungHee #NaYoungHee

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It is good but not that good!

As someone how has watched kdrama's since 2016 and has watched over a 120 kdrama's and 40 kmovies. I think it is safe to say that I know what I'm tallking a about.
It is good but not that good!
Don't watch it because of the viewer rating:
https://mydramalist.com/article/queen-of-tears-officially-surpasses-the-ratings-of-crash-landing-on-you

Crash Landing is better, if it came out this year instead of 2020 it would have had a much higher rating. A lot has changed in the last years, kdrama's are way popular now then only a few years back.
Back in the day we only had a couple kdrama's a year and a lot where very good, but now there are just too many which also gives us a lot of bad ones.
I mean come on! Who remenbes the days of amazing Kdrama's like "My Mister", "What's Wrong with Secretary Kim", "Mother", "It's Okay to Not Be Okay", "Prison Playbook", "True Beauty", "Mr. Sunshine", "18 Again", "Mr. Queen", "Descendants of the Sun", ...
Seriously the industry felt a lot more honest back then, now it feels like it's all about the money. They are anouncing a new kdrama every hour now its ridiculous now.
I will even go as far as saying that : assuming that a kdrama is better based on percentage of viewer rating is a insult to the industrie and to all the master pieces and the people worked on them really hard.
Queen of Tears is good but not as good as Crash Landing, just because something has a higher viewer rating doesn't mean it is better.
If you are a real kdrama fan you should watch the classics even if they are a couple of years old, instead of watching the hyped up ones.

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Je to hezký, ale velmi krátký příběh.

Film se mi docela líbil, vše má hezkou atmosféru, ale občas mi při sledování přišlo, že je děj místy vymyšlený na koleni a není promyšlený tak do hloubky, jak by mohl být. Zvolení herci i jejich samotné hraní bylo velmi příjemné a přirozené. Zhlédnutí filmu mě nepohoršilo, ale nejspíše bych se na to znovu nepodívala.

Závěrem: myslím, že režisér a scénárista odvedli na filmu dobrou práci, jediná škoda je nedostatečně propracovaný děj příběhu a taktéž délka. Z myšlenky filmu by se dalo vytvořit něco delšího a možná i zábavnějšího a zajímavějšího.

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What a perfect K-Drama!

It wasn't just a drama; it was a rollercoaster of emotions with just the right amount of humor and a perfect cast.

Kim Soo Hyun and Kim Ji Won were the perfect leads for the drama and the best couple; they deserve an award for their acting. I wouldn't even be surprised if they announced that they were a couple because their chemistry was soooo good.
Park Sung Hoon perfectly portrayed THE anti-hero; I think everybody hated him just because his character was so detestable (It just proves that his acting is good and I agree).
QOT was so well-written; every little thing had consequences, and the screenwriters really played with us!
And the OST... even after finishing the drama, I just want to rewatch it; please take me back to Queens Mall!

There's nothing negative to say about this drama; I completely understand why it had such a large audience.

I might have wanted a bit more explanation on certain things (such as Mo Seul Hee's origins and motivations on the Queens family, etc...) and especially more scenes on the different couples like Hong Beom Ja and Young Song, or even on the spouses of the ML’s brother and sister...

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still thinking about it

huh...so how can i start?
i finished watching the drama today and i just feel empty ?

first, i was loving Gwon Seon-yul and Eun Soo-hyun, but then hated (not much) Gwon Seon-yul THEN i was disliking BOTH and THEN ENDED UP LOVING THEM SO MUCH. congrats to the scriptwriters for giving us so many plots!

one thing is that i wish they ended up being in a relationship of mom and son ? by the end i noticed that they never hugged each other...really wanted this to happen so muchhhh!!

now the story was, how can i say, not confusing but very complicated. at least everything got connected, even tho it was a bit complicated (can't deny that i liked, i love mysteries)

aaaah, i can't stop talking about Eun Soo-hyun and Gwon Seon-yul...they suffered the whole drama, i was getting crazy cause everything bad was happening to them and their family! ?
I'm sad that they didn't ended up really close 6 years later, both of them kind of completed each other somehow

focusing on acting, CHA EUNWOO!!! MY BOY PROVED (EVEN THO HE DIDN'T NEED IT TO) HOW HE IS SUCH A GOOD ACTOR!! he was a.m.a.z.i.n.g, can't belive he made me hate (then love) his character. Kim Nam-Joo, wow, her acting is impeccable, never saw her before but now I'm totally gonna follow her work! she made me feel the emotions that Eun Soo-hyun was feeling :(
Kim Kang-wo and Im Se-mi were really good too. I knew Im Se-mi from true beauty and she's wonderful.

ost, soundtrack: 10/10 love it.

just two things that i didn't liked much: i wish they could show how Kim Joon ended up like. what happened to him 6 years after? like, he was the villain, why they didn't show then? plus, i couldn't understand much how Kim Joon's secretary accepted to stay on Gwon Seon-yul side...the explanation was so...poor?

anyways, to finish this review, the protest made me so emotional, it reminded me of a real case from korea. Kim Nam-Joo represented the courage of a mother that never gives up! I definitely won't forget about Eun Soo-hyun and her hard story, she suffered a lot. not only because the death of her son, but also her mother's amnesia, her husband Kang Su-ho betrayal with her sister Han Yoo-ri and all the consequences of her actions (killing Gwon Seon-yul's dad, etc)

i will definitely recommend to someone! now, i need to watch more dramas like Wonderful World ?

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