Reviews

"Love" and "desire" are two different things. ~ Tachibana Noa

Where to watch : "You Want Me To Steal You" on Viki

I had to watch it because of the poster (always appreciate such aesthetic/symbolism), and I knew it was going to be of quality, but what unfolded was deeper than I had anticipated. Although I have to say this was way too short, and I can only imagine how greater the manga must be, in terms of psychological analysis and emotional build-up. Actually, I finished it in one sitting and was left amazed. I did not expect the actors, etc. to be so good either. I was hooked from the start with Noa's scheming; a female lead like her felt so refreshingly unique. But the story truly captivated me during the confrontation between the husband and his wife. The acting, dialogue, and tension, enhanced by the camera movements, made the scene feel so real and raw, it was so well written. It was a turning point that confirmed this wasn't just about entertainment. I found myself feeling more than I expected, and not all of those emotions were positive. While I mostly enjoyed it, the experience is undeniably toxic and becomes quite messy in a serious way, so I can understand why some might not appreciate it. However, among the many cheap Japanese dramas with a similar duration (whether they involve cheating or not), this is a little gem.

(The drama is labeled as a thriller due to Noa, but it's more of a melodrama, so don't expect too much.)

Despite my apprehension, given how short manga adaptations typically turn out, the ending was perfect, beautifully tying everything together with a touch of irony: there are the fools, and then there is the winner. Was the winner truly the one at fault here? The answer is both yes and no. If anything, Noa ended up helping Kana and Naoya. The drama offers a subtle critique of Japanese society, touching on themes like work culture, marriage, infidelity, sex taboos, harassment (though no actual harassment occurs, the topic is frequently mentioned), and more. The workplace, portrayed as supposedly healthy with its opposition to overtime and harassment, ironically devolves into chaos where authority is undermined, and the team leader becomes an undeserving scapegoat. Another subtly addressed topic was the challenge of broaching the question of whether to have children, often brought up quite late, alongside the impact of work culture on marriage and the role of infidelity in Japanese society.

Compared to a workplace affair drama like Perfect Crime, this one stands out as a far superior production. While Perfect Crime offers a lightweight, barely engaging storyline paired with mediocre acting (not blaming the actors necessarily, there was probably only so much they could do and Dori Sakurada was really good in Kuzu no Honkai and Alice in Borderland) and low production values, Anata wa Watashi ni Otosaretai manages to excel despite its short format. Its compelling narrative, better performances, and higher overall quality set it apart as a much more satisfying viewing experience.

The main characters are sad, complex, flawed individuals. They make you wonder or want to scream at them. Noa, in particular, is fascinating. I really wanted to see more of her, the actress made her so captivating to watch. Thankfully, by the end of the drama, I was satisfied with the characters arcs. Although it is true that Noa remains more of an evil, enigmatic character, this is also why she becomes the main reason why you want to read the manga.

It's an excellent introduction to the manga, and I'm really hoping someone translates the manga soon. The most impressive is that they still managed to complete the story, even though the original source material was unfinished at the time of release (with maybe 10 volumes?). I wonder how much was changed. There's only so much you can do to nicely adapt a long story into such a short format anyway. However, it's still unfortunate that I didn't quite understand everything. Maybe it was just me?

To sum up, this is a unique and compelling story that explores themes of infidelity. Even if the subject matter is uncomfortable, it’s handled here in a mature and honest way.

I'm not too fond of the opening song, but I love the visuals, and I keep listening to the ending song. Interestingly fitting lyrics too. There is even a classical piece at the end of the last episode, bonus points for me. Generally liked the atmosphere and the soundtrack, especially with Noa's scenes.

P.S: Do check the covers of the manga!!! So pretty. They are all on Nautiljon (a french site but you should be able to access it) + different versions here : https://www.reddit.com/r/manga/comments/1czafb9/slrequest_anata_wa_watashi_ni_otosaretai/#lightbox

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Write-up of the love square + extras :

Tachibana Noa : Smart, malicious, manipulative. Shows no feelings towards Naoya. Apparently sleeps with people for a gain. Is interested in human nature, not men. Unsure if she knew about Naoya being married (her asking is not enough of a proof). Her approach towards Naoya can be either for a gain, because she is interested in human nature or both. Plans the events at the beginning, but since no more of her POV is shown, like she said, we assume she gave up and what happens at the end is a coincidence (yet I'm still questioning it...). No idea if she was supposed to sleep with the man we see at the end, even though it is possible given her phone call with him in Episode 1. Ends up going to the USA instead of Hirano. Either she was chosen or she made a request herself. Really wish we had more of her POV, definitely the best character.

(Do correct me if I'm not remembering correctly, and if you have any other theories, feel free to share.)

Hirano Kyosuke : Likes cheating. Smart. Doesn't get caught. Gets outsmarted by Noa and gets caught. He had a wife... I guess he's still with her, no idea if he goes with her to the countryside. Didn't he say he wasn't having sex anymore with his wife at the beginning? Or that was Naoya? Anyway, not an actual bad guy despite the fact that he cheats. Self-aware and mature reaction at the end. I like him.

Aizawa Naoya : Loyal, naive, bad at communicating. Confirms he hasn't had sex with his wife for 2 years but it's her fault. Honestly a better person than his wife (not saying that she's "bad", she's the most pitiful out of them all but it's also mainly her fault)... Ends up falling in love with Noa.

Minaki Aoi : Admirative of his boss but also truly in love. I don't think he only desired her because she was married and because she's her boss. He wanted her happiness but she was a mess and even if he still loved her, she only changed for the worse.

Aizawa Kana : Distanced herself from her husband physically and emotionally, work being her only purpose in life. Ends up falling in love with Misaki but she becomes dependent of him. Insecure, competitive, selfish (not so much initially but she becomes more and more, especially greedy with Minaki, gets jealous too and becomes obsessed by him, understandable though, I was too), bad at communicating, shows culpability even though she didn't do anything bad to her employees (shows culpability later on too because she can't work well), hates them for it too but does get affected by it (I can imagine how it would be hard to stay professional with these two), doesn't get any better (actually gets much worse) with her private life becoming a mess and her being unable to separate it from her professional life, emphasized by the comeback of her old boss (whom she seemed to have a good relationship with) who highlights her lacking skills as an employee and as a team leader (at some point, she wasn't wrong anymore...). Noa really annoyed her (at the worst time possible too), and the fact that she did so much better than her with the 50 millions instead of 30 must not have helped when she understood that there was something going on between her and her husband.

The two female employees under Kana's subordination : One of the two films Kana and Minaki because she hates her boss and because she thinks Minaki is a victim. I obviously don't like them at all but I can't say it's not understandable... Kana was in the wrong there. (I don't care about the relationship in itself, I actually rooted for them (her relationship with Naoya was draining and I love the dynamic with Minaki), but doing all that at work, and not listening to him at all but only herself?)

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Lots of Potential, but Fell Flat because of it's Too Gloomy

•❅✧❅✦ Story ✦❅✧❅•

Smells Like Green Spirit had the potential to be a really thought-provoking drama with all of the themes it decided to tackle, but it really fell flat with its gloomy atmosphere and rushed ending.

The drama tackles the theme of sexuality in the 90s. They also sprinkled in some of the usual troupes of bullying, societal pressure through neighborhood gossip, and coming out. There was also a little bit of sexual assault thrown in the mix as well. Just by reading all of the themes, you can tell they are not happy themes at all. It’s all doom and gloom, and with only 8 episodes it’s hard to insert many happy moments. It seems like Mishima is constantly facing some sort of gloomy trouble that he can never catch a break to be happy. And this is what is missing from the drama.

Every episode seems to be gloomy with no happiness that we end up feeling bad for Mishima. Even the ending, which is supposed to show Mishima being happy, no longer struggling with his sexuality, is rushed and crammed into the last few minutes. Even his cross-dressing nature is lost that when Mishima is shown as a drag queen model, we don’t even know if it is actually him or not. It’s sad, since this could have been a good coming of age drama!

•❅✧❅✦ Themes ✦❅✧❅•

Smells Like Green Spirit tackles many themes including sexuality in the 90s, bullying, societal pressure, neighborhood gossip, coming out, and sexual assault. The most prevalent is the reality of sexuality in the 90s and societal pressure through neighborhood gossip.

The drama focuses on each theme they try to tackle though gossip from the neighborhood. We then learn about the truth of the situation through the characters they are gossiping about. It’s really sad because on more than one occasion, the characters change their course of action after hearing the neighborhood gossip. Kirino can’t even live his life freely because his mother bends to the pressure of society and he doesn’t want to disappoint her. He even went as far as trying to run away, only to be pulled back because the neighborhood gossip hit his mother and she collapsed.

I could go on and on about each theme, but the neighborhood gossip really pissed me off while watching because it was so accurate to how the Japanese bend to the pressure of their social image, even in this day and age!

•❅✧❅✦ Overall ✦❅✧❅•

Smells Like Green Spirit could have been a thought-provoking drama, but it kind of fell flat for me with it’s doom and gloom. Other people really seem to give it high regards, so I guess it’s good. Maybe I just have really high standards. Or I just found it too gloomy to see the positives of this drama.

Either way, I think the drama was nice, but it’s not something I would ever watch again. I honestly don’t even feel like reading the manga since it’s more gloomy than happy. Overall, it’s a decent coming of age story, but it’s really not for me.

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A Small Commentary on Working in a Black Company in Japan

•❅✧❅✦ Story ✦❅✧❅•

The drama itself wasn’t too special, it’s actually very forgettable. However, topic of being overworked in your job is what makes this drama more memorable than it should be.

Hiro and Kai are also very forgettable characters. There’s nothing great about them compared to other characters out there. Even the plot and execution is bland. However, since Japan has a problem with overworking businessmen and women, the topic is more memorable. Having a “knight in shining armor” come in to help you regain the humanity that was sucked out of your soul at work is a dream come true for most people who are slaves to their jobs.

The drama's storyline is literally about Hirokuni learning to regain his humanity through Kai and vice versa. It's a decent watch, but nothing is memorable at all. Maybe if we got to see more of the character's human sides, like Hirokuni and Kai being more lovey with each other., it would have been different. We don't get any of that until the end, when we get to see more of Kai and Hirokuni’s humanity and them acting more like a couple. otherwise it's just boring. Most of the drama is heavy with the dark subject matter on black companies, so a little more love and humanity would have made it so much better.

•❅✧❅✦ Manga vs Film ✦❅✧❅•

The plot of the manga is very similar to the drama. The drama fleshes out the more essential scenes, like Hiro and Kai’s childhood, but the manga gives more context to the overall story and other minor scenes. There really are no big changes to the story overall.

While both the manga and drama are quite equal, I’d have to say the manga was better. In the manga, Kai feels human, while in the drama he seems emotionless. Kai was a normal guy with childhood trauma in the manga, while in the drama he seemed to be like a cardboard cutout with very little emotions. Kai is supposed to be cool when he reunites with Hiro, but he lacks emotion in the drama so he’s not that “cool” when he comes back.

•❅✧❅✦ Overall ✦❅✧❅•

Perfect Propose wasn’t as perfect as it could have been. In fact, the “propose” aspect was lacking. Kai coming back saying they are engaged was great, but there was no grand proposal at the end to bring it full circle. Yes, Kai mentions that what Hiro says at the end sounds like a proposal, but there is no grandiose proposal to call perfect. Overall, the drama was actually kind of bland and the acting didn’t help make it better. It wasn’t terrible, but it’s not a drama I’ll have on repeat anytime soon.

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Tried to Have a Conversation about Using the Gay Concept in Kpop, but Failed

First of all, let me say this, the drama was fun to watch and decently good. However, the main theme of the story, as stated by the characters themselves, is the "Gay Concept." As the theme is a big part of the drama, that can't be overlooked when reviewing this drama.
Furthermore, we have an actual Kpop group that may or may not be using the "Gay Concept" to promote themselves, participating and acting as all of the characters in the drama. This is why, the review will be a little harsher than it would be if we're just reviewing the drama based on the story itself.

•❅✧❅✦ Story ✦❅✧❅•

The story is about two idols using the "Gay Concept" for their promotion. The two end up falling in love as they promote together.

The story itself isn't too unusual, but it was a fun watch. I was looking forward to each episode and looking forward to when they would fall in love and get together. However, the story did feel rushed, but that doesn't take away much from the drama. What does take away from the drama is the fact that we have members of the Kpop group OnlyOneOf (OOO) acting as all of the characters in the drama. OOO is known for supporting the LGBT community, but since none of the members have come out as part of the community, many people see them as using the "Gay Concept" to promote... Which is what this entire drama and manhwa is about.

It seems like the drama was trying to criticize the use of the gay concept in Kpop, however, the drama was way too short to actually achieve any of their goals. There were way too many plot-holes and not enough time to actually get to know the characters or their motivations. All I really got out of this drama was idols falling in love(?) after doing the gay concept... We didn't actually get a happy ending either, just a confession.

•❅✧❅✦ Gay Business Performance, aka "Gay Concept" ✦❅✧❅•

Lately the Kpop industry is dealing with an influx of groups using the gay concept to push their popularity. While not outright making it their concept, Kpop groups still use gay fanservice to promote themselves. Even the actors, all members of idol group OnlyOneOf, use this concept; although, OOO seems to be more supportive of the LGBT community than the other groups that are just using the concept to fanservice.

It seems like the drama wanted to discuss the issue of using the gay concept in Kpop, but there was too many plots (and plot-holes), and not enough time to actually talk about the gay concept in Kpop. It's very briefly touched upon by Eden, who is reluctant to do the concept, and even the twitter comments in the drama refer to Lion Heart as using the concept for money; but there is no real discussion on the matter. Not talking about the gay concept in Kpop is really big waste of potential since it's a topic that is relevant and brought up on the internet every day.

Also, having the members of OOO do a drama on the gay concept is a little risky. OOO are avid supporters of the LGBT community. A lot of their music and music videos are about controversial topics like sex, inclusion, and sexuality, etc. While I think it's good that they participated in a BL drama, I'm not sure if a drama focusing on the gay concept in Kpop is a good choice for them, especially because it failed to deliver on the theme of gay concepts.

This drama could have been a very good conversation piece on the gay concept, but because the drama failed to deliver an actual conversation on the topic and just used it as a background, the members of OOO are kind of dissing themselves by participating in this drama. Maybe if a member or two came out as a member of the LGBT community then things would be different, but as it stands, none of them have, and the drama failed to deliver a conversation on the gay concept in Kpop. It's kind of hard for the members of OOO to defend themselves against using the concept if none of them are part of the community.

Please don't get me wrong, I think OnlyOneOf is amazing by focusing on topics that are highly underrepresented, but if someone who doesn't know OOO comes across this drama, they will assume OOO is being hypocritical.

•❅✧❅✦ Manga vs Film ✦❅✧❅•

While the I haven’t been able to finish reading the webtoon yet, from what I read so far it’s good. It far exceeds the drama. The plot is the same as the drama, but there are no major plot-holes as of where I stopped reading. I will come back to rewrite this portion of the review if I ever get around to finishing the webtoon, but right now the English translation has stopped, so I can’t finish it.

However, I can say that the Webtoon is so much better than the drama. The drama is filled with so many plot-holes.

1. Jihoon's backstory and his scandals are not explained properly. We know he had dating scandals, but how is his ex-partner Hyunbin related to that. (They used to date.)

2. Jihoon and Eden don't really fall in love. They say they love each other, but we don't really get to see it on screen. We see more interaction between Jihoon and Hyunbin, more than we see Jihoon and Eden, so how they fell in love so quickly is confusing.

There are many more plot-holes in the drama, but these are the major ones in the drama

•❅✧❅✦ Overall ✦❅✧❅•

Putting aside the "gay concept" aspect of the drama, I really enjoyed Bump Up Business, but was too short! I feel like I have to go read the webtoon to understand the story completely. There is only 8 episodes and each episode is about 20 minutes long. It's way too short. I really liked the concept of idols falling in love, but also exploring the world of idols using Gay Business Performance. Lately lots of idols are focusing on ships and gay fanservice, so I thought the drama would focus on that.

I would love to see a season 2 of this drama not just because I want them to finish the story of the webtoon, but also because I think the members of OnlyOneOf are great actors and I want to see more of them. .. Okay, another reason is that I want to see how they handle the Gay Business Performance aspect of the drama. OOO is known for pushing the limits and representing the LGBTQ+ community, so I want them to be able to finish this drama and use it as a stepping stone in their careers and in their representation of the LGBTQ+ Community.

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The heartwarming story struggles with its delivery, lacking clear direction

The drama’s main storyline is revealed episode by episode, which makes it difficult for a cohesive narrative arc of suspense to develop. It relies on the audience's attachment to the characters and their growing relationship, only to ultimately leave these elements underdeveloped. Unfortunately, the main relationship never fully blossoms into a love story—at least not on screen. The anticipated emotional revelations and romantic moments are more implied than explicitly shown, which I find to be a very odd creative choice. Even the dramatic revelations about Mu Shengs real identity, Liu Fuyi's guilt and Mu Yao's possession barely have any emotional impact. The rest of the plot simply isn’t strong enough to carry the series on its own, so as the finale approaches, the show regrettably becomes increasingly dull (but is still rather sweet).
The chemistry between the main cast is decent and effectively supports both comedic and dramatic scenes. Despite its flaws, this is the first drama in a while that I’ve actually managed to finish!

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This is a very nice romance miniseries. Eric Zhang/Zhang Yun Tao( as Fu Han Sheng) and Bai Yan (as Tan Wan Xing) are the leading couple on this drama. The cast did a good job bringing their characters to life but the leading couple was really the ones that made the drama worth it. There is a case of mistaken identity, overuse of aphrodisiacs to try to control the ML and the leading couple doesn’t know the truth until the very end. The leading couple has great chemistry and they both will do what they can to protect one another. The realization of their true feelings for one another develops slowly throughout the drama’s duration but it is done well and nice to see. The one reason that is not rated higher was the ending; it’s a good ending but too rushed.

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The Unseen Complexities of Human Relationships

Please go watch this drama before reading the reviews.
This is one of those dramas that every person will have their own different opinion based on the type of life they are currently living. If your life is all sunshine and rainbows, you might have a hard time relating to some of these characters.

•❅✧❅✦ Story ✦❅✧❅•

At a glance, the premise of the drama is very simple, a meteorite is coming, so two exes reunite to spend their last days together. But the reality is different. Every character and their backgrounds add an extra layer of complexity that makes the plot even better. Masumi’s inner battle against his love for Ritsu, while Ritsu faces his past fills the main bulk of the plot. Ritsu’s issues with Meguru and Madoka fill up the rest, but the meteorite is really just a backdrop.

Ritsu learning to open up about his complicated past with his family makes us learn to enjoy his character that we all hated at the beginning of the series.

This drama is really about the complexities of human relationships that can’t be seen by the human eye. If you don't want to sit down and think about every character or every scenario that each other these characters face and read between the lines of what they are doing or saying, then maybe this drama is a little to psychological for you.

•❅✧❅✦ Manga vs Drama ✦❅✧❅•

The manga was very wholesome. It has basically the same plot as the drama but adds additional details to certain parts of the story. For example, when Ritsu and Masumi return from Hamamatsu, they discover the library was burnt down. Also, in the epilogue, the meteorite was blown away by USA and European missiles (but they still think Yuma did it.) They keep in contact with Meguru and Yuma (who is shocked that Meguru is a boy.) Ritsu gave up his business and bought a fixer-upper house in the countryside. He runs a youtube channel showing his progress on the house. He explains that he bought the house to prove to his loved one that he can stay loyal. Masumi quits his job to move in with Ritsu, once the house is done. The manga ties up all loose ends creating a complete story

The drama does a really good job adapting the source material. The drama took out all of the irrelevant scenes, while expanding on some of the scenes that needed more info. The drama handled Ritsu’s history with Madoka a lot better than the manga. However, the manga did better wrapping up the ending. The drama leaves the fate of everyone unknown with only hints that Yuma blew the meteorite away, but the manga expands on it, giving us a proper ending

•❅✧❅✦ Acting ✦❅✧❅•

All of the actors did an amazing job with there characters. While the main leads were amazing in their own right, each of the supporting cast members could hold their own and are just as memorable. Honestly, my favorite character is Meguru, and he is only a supporting character. That is how much impact he had on the story.

•❅✧❅✦ Overall ✦❅✧❅•

Bokura no Micro na Shuumatsu is a thought provoking drama. You’re going to either love it or hate it. At a glance, there is a slice-of-life element to it that makes the drama seem kind of slow at times. But there are also some sci-fi-esc scenes that make you question what genre you are watching. However, the heart of the story is the characters and their backstories.

If you’re not a fan of slow-paced and character driven films, then this drama may not be for you. However, if you love to dig into the backstories of each character, you’ll love this drama.

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A Hilarious Must Watch!

Skip the review and just watch it!!! Seriously!

•❅✧❅✦ Review ✦❅✧❅•

BL Drama no Shuen is an amazing RomCom. While the premise isn’t exactly the most original out there, the chemistry of the actors, as well as their comedic timing is nice. Abe Alan, who plays Akafuji, is really an amazing RomCom actor. He can be serious and romantic, yet hilarious and aloof all at the same time, without going too overboard with the comedy. While many actors may have gone too far with the body humor, turning it into slapstick, Abe stops just short of that, so Akafuji feels so relatable and human.

Also, Akutsu, who plays Aoyanagi is also an amazing actor. He plays Aoyanagi, so that he is not too depressing to watch, yet is interesting enough to be curious about.

Lastly, as a RomCom there isn’t many smoky scenes, but the two managers really brough that to us. Dropping hints about their relationship, without revealing anything at all is cruel! All we know in that last scene they were both shirtless in bed and Yukari was definitely on top of Kijima. OMG!!! Reveal their relationship please!!!

•❅✧❅✦ Overall ✦❅✧❅•

BL Drama no Shuen ni Narimashita: Crank Up Hen was very fun to watch. The plot was nice and both leads were very entertaining. I may have a bias towards Akafuji since he was the source of the comedy, but overall it was still a nice drama. Nothing too dramatic and serious, all just light-hearted love. Can’t wait for a spin off with the managers though.

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Just your Average Cooking Romance

Sugar Dog Life is one of the many dramas Japan has put out about “grabbing the heart of someone through cooking.” The best thing about this drama is Isumi's acting.

•❅✧❅✦ Story ✦❅✧❅•

While not the best cooking romance drama out there, it is one of the better ones. The acting is quite good and the story, while not the most original, is nice. However, this drama is part of the slice of life genre, so it is “bland” – for a lack of better words. It’s very slow paced and there isn’t any real “action” to keep the story interesting. Isumi and Amasawa get together without any real roadblocks in their relationship, so it might be boring to some people.

•❅✧❅✦ Acting ✦❅✧❅•

The story might be bland, the acting is quite nice. Tanaka, Isumi’s actor, really stole the show. He acts very masculine and manly for someone who is the “uke” in the relationship, and also for someone who loves cooking. At a glance, you might think he should be in a hetero romance, based on the stereotypes the “uke” is usually put into, but Isumi does none of that. Tanaka gives us a great performance as Isumi, that his talent is wasted on this type of slice of life drama. It would have been nice to see more sides of his acting, but slice of life is a bland drama genre, so it can’t be helped.

While Amasawa’s actor, Tawada, did a great job, it would have been nice to see Tanaka paired with an actor that can bring more out of his character. They have nice chemistry, but Tawada’s acting feels a bit stiff compared to Tanaka’s. It’s not too bad though, but it does make Amasawa seem like a manga character rather than a real life human.

•❅✧❅✦ Overall ✦❅✧❅•

While I really enjoyed Isumi’s actor, I really didn’t enjoy the drama as much as I would have liked. The drama isn’t bad, but it is bland. There are other cooking romance dramas that have done better than this one. However, that doesn’t mean this drama is bad. It’s one of the better cooking romance dramas that I have seen, but sadly it’s not the best.

If you’re looking for a filler BL, or a new actor to watch, I would recommend this drama. As a filler drama it’s a very good watch, and Tanaka Koki, Isumi’s actor, is a very nice actor. I would like to see more of his work. That’s pretty much all I can say about this drama though. There wasn’t anything too outstanding, nor too terrible about the drama. Still a decent drama though.

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A Good Drama Based on a Not so Good Manga!

Takara no Vidro is a little of a hit or miss drama simply because it's based on a really bad manga. The manga actually won a reward which is why it was made into a drama, but it shouldn't have been. The plot isn't the best and doesn't give the actors much to work with, but the actors did good for what they got. Also, the drama made so many positive changes to the manga's storyline, that while it's not the best drama out there I enjoyed it.

Also. before you start going on about how Taishin is like a stalker, read my review. It will make sense!

•❅✧❅✦ Review ✦❅✧❅•

Takara no Vidro is an interesting drama. While not the best drama out there, it’s a decent watch. At a glance, there is very little chemistry between Takara and Taishin, and it seems that Takara’s actor is stiff. But when you rewatch the drama and read the source material, you actually can see that it’s more of the characters and storyline that gives this drama problems. It’s not the actors at all!

Takara and Taishin's actors actually have really good chemistry together, but maybe it’s the naïve and slow, positive boy going after the quiet, stoic, handsome boy combination that makes the chemistry difficult to see. Taishin is very slow to react, while Takara doesn’t speak his mind at all. This makes it seem like their communication isn’t that good, or that Takara doesn’t actually care for Taishin. But when you take a closer look, you can see that Takara is always looking and reacting to Taishin. Watch Takara's body language and eyes very closely.

Similarly, because Takara is quiet, calm and cool, he doesn’t speak his mind or react to every comment. These stoic characters are difficult to portray, and Iwase, Takara’s actor, does it quite well. However, because Taishin is supposed to be slow and naïve, his character doesn’t pick up Takara’s cues often, leading the audience to think that Iwase is stiff or that they don’t have good chemistry together. But if you take a good look, Iwase’s acting is very natural and he is good at acting without speaking.

•❅✧❅✦ Manga vs Film ✦❅✧❅•

The manga was only 1 volume or around 7 chapters, and they tried to cram everything from Taishin’s background with Takara, to Takara’s backstory with his parents and grandfather. All of that backstory plus their romance! It was very rushed and not very good. It seemed like Taishin was stupid and obsessed with Takara, while Takara was just going along with the flow and dating Taishin because he was the first person that understood him. This kind of makes sense because the author’s original draft was about Taishin being Takara’s stalker and their relationship being toxic, but that was shut down by the editor and changed into a romance for the final draft, but everything felt weird and rushed.

The manga is something I would never read again. From the characters to the plot, it’s really bad. However, the drama improved the manga’s plot so much. Taishin was changed from being stupid and stalkerish to being naïve and well intentioned. Takara was given lots of time to expand on his backstory and was also given time to fall in love with Taishin.

In the drama, you can see Takara being very hesitant to fall in love with Taishin. However, you can also see how Taishin’s actions make Takara fall in love with him. You can also see how much Takara is also in love with Taishin. You couldn’t see any of that in the manga!

Because of all the extra time given and all of the extra scenes added, you can now actually see Takara and Taishin fall in love with each other. It’s not rushed, so there is no misunderstanding about why or how they fell in love. The romance in the manga was so rushed and toxic, but in the drama, you can see them actually fall in love.

•❅✧❅✦ Overall ✦❅✧❅•

Takara no Vidro is a nice drama. While it might not be the best drama in terms of its plot and originality, it is still a nice watch.

Takara and Taishin’s love might not be for everyone. And some might even find Taishin’s actions stalkerish, or Takara’s love as disingenuous. But if you watch their interactions closely, you’ll see that Taishi truly means well and loves Takara. He doesn’t push Takara when Takara sets boundaries and expresses discomfort. Similarly, while Takara doesn’t say much, he does use body language to express his love for Taishi. Takara’s eyes are always following Taishi and he’s always taking care of him. Takara also always gives Taishi the chance to make decisions for himself and pull away from their relationship, despite being jealous and wanting to stay by his side forever. Takara knows he’s being selfish by asking Taishi to follow him everywhere while he alone goes traveling and fulfills his own dreams. But that’s why Takra gives Taishi the space and opportunities to break off their relationship, even though he doesn’t want to.

If you think about it negatively and forget that Takara and Taishin are actually trying to think about each other first, they are toxic to each other. One’s stalkerish and the other is selfish and possessive. Their still perfect for each other in a toxic way too.

Overall, Takara no Vidro is a nice drama. Takara and Taishin are perfect for each other.

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Falling for Gong Yoo <3

"Coffee Prince" it's a drama about Eun Chan, she's the breadwinner of her family and because of that, she doesn't have time to care about her looks, so everyone thinks she's a man and since she needs to make a living, Eun Chan sometimes uses that in her favor. One day she meets Han Kyul, he immediately thinks of her as a man and the two begin a friendship, that turns into a "forbidden love" since Han Kyul thinks Eun Chan is a man and she doesn't have the courage to tell the truth, fearing of being rejected.

I totally understood why it took so long for Eun Chan to tell the truth, nobody saw her as a woman, so it was better to be just another guy friend, than trying to confess and be heartbroken. The problem is her feelings for Han Kyul just grew stronger and she couldn't keep it hidden anymore. The scene where Han Kyul finds out Eun Chan's a girl it's really impressive, he felt betrayed, specially because it took a lot of courage in him to confess his feelings thinking Eun Chan was a man, but at the same time, Eun Chan had the courage to tell she's a woman... but it was too late and Han Kyul finds out from another person.

This was the drama that made me fall in love with Gong Yoo. It's a perfect drama in every sense, specially because it's an older one and the romance is beautiful, the way the writers put the relationship of Eun Chan and Han Kyul was really good, it's like a BL, until the moment Eun Chan's identity is out.
It's a must see if you like Korean dramas, it's one of the best that I had ever watched.

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Sweet and short advertising drama

I like the ML a lot. After the impressively second Lead in "in blossom" I searched for another drama with him and found this.
This is a sweet and short show about a girl, which found herself as player in a computer game. The first encounter in this play was the villain and the rest is cliché. This show is indeed not logical but there are a lot of kissing scenes. I don't like the FL (why I think she looks like a duck), but that should not influence my rating.
Overall it's a nice 7, naturally not one of the best but not bad either.

But: give this actor a nice ML in a great show please 🥰

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A middle-aged woman rock band that really rocks!

"I Am Legend" it's a story about Seol Hee, a middle aged woman who has a fake perfect life. She's mistreated by her husband and her mother-in-law, always keeping her dream to play music in secret. Her life takes a turning point when her sister is diagnosed with cancer and her husband's family doesn't want her to be a donor to save her sister's life, so Seol Hee decides to get divorce and finally be free to live on her own.

In the process, Seol Hee learns that her husband was actually cheating on her this whole time with his co-worker and how he doesn't want a divorce, he does a lot of terrible things and even frames Seol Hee for being the reason for the divorce. There's even a moment which her mother-in-law is crying in the courthouse, doing the acting of her life. HAHAHA'

Seol Hee and her friends make a band named "Comeback Madonna" and go to chase their dream. They are really good singers, but people have a lot of prejudice over a band with middle-aged woman playing rock. It's amazing to be able to see the girls changing people's minds.

There's a hint of romance between Seol Hee and Tae Hyun, but both of them weren't in a place to be together, so I thought it was right of the drama not to make a couple out of them. Seol Hee just got divorced and she wanted to live her life as herself, since she was always pleasing other people and never just being happy alone and Tae Hyun has his young son to worry about, it's not so easy to begin a new relationship having a child. It was nice to see him helping Seol Hee turns a new leaf and become a singer.

It's a really good drama, the story is interesting and the songs are addicted. I had already watched in 2010 and watching again now, it's still as good <3

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An Apocalyptic Fanfiction Come to Life!

Love in the Apocalypse is a fun one time watch. You might love it or hate it, but it's still an interesting one time watch.

•❅✧❅✦ Story ✦❅✧❅•

Love in the Apocalypse is a love it or hate it type of drama. It’s very fast paced with lots of wishful thinking storylines. For example, Ujin quickly becomes attached to Heesu, gets kidnapped, Ujin saves him, Ujin confesses his love to Heesu, Heesu’s ex comes back, the ex kidnaps Heesu, Heesu escapes, Heesu and Ujin start dating, the ex comes back again with a knife trying to kill Ujin, the meteor starts to descend towards them, they kiss, the end. It’s very fast.

Also, there are a few plot points that are a little unreal, such as both of Heesu’s kidnappings. The biggest unrealistic plot point, is Ujin not having experienced family, friends, or happiness. I have yet to meet someone living a robotic lifestyle in this day and age.

Despite everything, it was an interesting watch. It’s not something I’ll remember or rewatch, but it was an interesting filler drama. The plot was all over the place with its gay apocalyptic fantasies, but the acting was nice, and the two leads had decent chemistry.

•❅✧❅✦ Acting ✦❅✧❅•

The two male leads have lots of chemistry. Both actors are great at making their characters believable. Even though the storyline isn't great, the two actors are very good at acting! I'd love to watch more of their dramas.

•❅✧❅✦ Overall ✦❅✧❅•

Love in the Apocalypse was an interesting watch. I’m not sure whether I liked it or not, but I think it’s a nice filler drama. There’s nothing too bad about it to hate, but there is nothing good about it either.
I guess it’s a good drama to watch if you’re bored, but that’s about it.

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One of the best cdramas I have ever watched

"The Legend of Shen Li" follows the forbidden love story of Shen Li and Xing Zhi.
Shen Li is an immortal general who gets hurt and falls into the Mortal Realm in her animal form. She is rescued by Xing Yun, a human who takes care of her and helps her recover from her injuries. With time, Shen Li falls in love with him but she already has an arranged marriage, she comes back home and thinks Xing Yun is dead.
Xing Yun is actually the ancient god Xing Zhi, the last of his kind. They reunite again, but can't be together, since Xing Zhi can't fall in love, always putting the world's needs first.

This was one of the things that really upset me. They are a beautiful couple, but it takes a long time for them to really be together. Xing Zhi always controlled his feelings for her, because he had responsibilities, but in the moment that Xing Zhi thought Shen Li was gone, he couldn't control himself anymore, he goes enraged and freezes the entire sea looking for her.
After that, the two have a sweet time together, like in the beginning when they first met.

The chemistry between Xing Zhi and Shen Li is amazing and I'm not only talking about the romance, but the action scenes and the funny moments, the characters ares really in sinc. It was really fantastic to be able to see Zhao Li Ying and Lin Geng Xin working together again after "Princess Agents" and finally being a real couple, with a happy ending <3

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