Reviews

The wait is all worth it

Just finished watching. I cannot believe it, from the day lusi & zheyuan was announced as the leads, when I was waiting for reuters previews of them filming and now the show is finished and I have watched the whole show. I am very happy, it is all worth it.

I just wanna talk about how Lusi and Zheyuan portrayed their characters greatly. I've been saying & commenting on zheyuan dramas that why he's one of my top chn actor is because he is an 'Effective Actor', he makes sure to convey his character's feelings through the camera. If he's happy we feel it, if he's in love we see it on his face/his nuances, when he's sad we feel his pain. I really like how he cry, actually this might be weird, but I've said it before since Our Secrets, he cries so naturally you know that? Like he's not afraid to show the 'Real' crying face of a man, setting aside his manly features, he cries and we see the character's hurt in his face. He's also an eye candy (oh god), the camera love his face.

And my girl, Zhao Lusi. She did it again. She nailed another great character. I like how Zhi is a mix of timid-quirky girl. The show in the first half let us see the world through the lens of a girl who has enough love to give. She's kind and smart. I love how all through the episodes we get to see that she's a strong person, that she can also protect her loved ones. Lusi gives us the perfect portrayal of the transition that happened to Zhi from being a highschool kid to a lady.

I cannot praise this show enough, the other characters are also great esp Sangyan. The OST is top tier and the script is also good. I wish I could see Lusi & Zheyuan in another drama again because their chemistry is off the roof. They really made a fan's (me) heart really happy. I'm gonna miss them so much? But for now i hope Zhi & Jiaxu is happy in dramaland.

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Fluff at it's Finest

This is the first review I've written, and it seems a bit silly to be writing it for a drama that's been out for seven years as of now, but after just finishing Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok Joo, I felt like I had to write one to share just how much I loved this drama, from start to finish.

First and foremost, if you're looking for a sitting-on-the-edge-of-your-seat, high-suspense thriller, this is not the drama for you. There is no major villain plotting to destroy the lives of the main characters; there is no life-or-death threat looming over our heroes. Instead, this is a slice of life drama. Everything and everyone the viewers are introduced to in Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok Joo is real. Chances are you know people just like them in your own life.

The characters are not caricatures and the plot is not unrealistic. They are not motivated by unrealistic things, and the results of their efforts are not unrealistic either. There are no chabeols popping up out of the woodwork throwing money at everything and everyone, no bouts of amnesia, and no forbidden love affairs. It's just young people trying to navigate and figure out adulthood. It's first loves, unrequited crushes, broken hearts, self-doubt, self-esteem issues, and lots of second-guessing. It's trying to figure out if what you're good at is something you love, or if you love something that's just not good for you.

For me, there was no bad episode. Usually, by the time a drama is done, I can name half a dozen plots that were unnecessary and made it drag, but that wasn't the case with this one. Every episode felt poignant and relevant to the story being told. I never felt like the story or plot was dragging. Honestly, I'd have loved even more episodes. I wasn't ready to say goodbye to the characters by the time the drama came to a close, which is truly the mark of a good drama for me.

I can admit to being a bit of a crier when it comes to K-dramas, but this one got me in places even I was surprised by. Some of the most deeply emotional scenes for me are found in the titular Kim Bok Joo's experience with unrequited love and being a woman that the world doesn't see or treat as a woman. It was touching and relatable and again, so very real, that I almost felt like some of my own pain was healed through her journey. There's no bigger compliment I can give to the series and the acting than that. Maybe this series wouldn't resonate for anyone who was devoid of an awkward phase or who never had an unrealistic crush on an unattainable person, but for anyone who has, this will hit all the right spots.

Knowing anything about weightlifting is entirely unnecessary. I went in completely ignorant and was never left feeling like I didn't understand what was going on with the weightlifters or what they were doing. Everything is either explained or more or less just there. You don't need to really -know- anything at all about the sport in order to follow the plot.

The acting is perfection. Every actor and actress delivers on what the script gives them. There's not a lot of inconsistency in the performances. Everyone is believable in their roles. Lee Sung Kyung and Nam Joo Hyuk as Kim Bok Joo and Jung Joon Hyung respectively are especially consistent and committed to their roles to the point I plan on seeking out additional dramas with them in it. The supporting cast is just as solid.

I am used to a pretty solid score/OST in my dramas, and that was something Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok Joo actually lacked. For me, the score should be a character in the drama as well, but you don't really get that here. There's not a lot of music, and what is there really doesn't feature so much as just occasionally play in the background. It's not distracting though and what is there fits the narrative. I will be getting the soundtrack, but I would've liked the music to be a bit more prevalent.

The rewatch factor for this series is limitless for me. I am going to rewatch this one regularly, I just know it. It's just so feel good and comforting, that it will now be my go-to for something that's going to brighten my mood and take me away from life's worries for a little while. I've only just finished it, but I'm already thinking I'll give it a rewatch in the very near future, it was that good for me.

If you're looking for something to make you smile while you cuddle under a blanket and eat some popcorn, this is the drama for you. I cannot recommend it enough.

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an enquiry full of surprises

pros: I just watched this drama by chance and didn't put too much thoughts in it. I really liked the story from the very beginning, this drama is easy to dive in. I loved that so many things were feeling odd and that in the end you get to understand why that is. and everything makes sens. I loved that the story evolves while you are watching it, and things that happened in 1987 aren't the same anymore.
I feel like I could eventually rewatch the show because the story is very tricky, I certainly missed some things. and also, knowing the truth, it can be very interesting to watch the scenes with new eyes.

cons: I didn't feel hooked and managed to watch a couple of episodes a day. it didn't matter as I liked the story anyway. I wasn't convinced by the love story. the two characters had no chemistry for me. they could have been very good friends for example and the story would have felt better. I had a clue about the perpetrator, but it was surprised anyway.
as fun as it was, I didn't score more than 7 because I know I will forget it easily. for me it's a good show, but not a priority.

when to watch: even if it isn't the main event, there is a lot of violence (harsh feelings, harsh words, and physical violence), I wouldn't recommend for under 18.
watch with friends on week-ends, it's also a good show to help relax yourself after work.
it's a solid 7, so have fun!

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The discoverer of alcohol was not an Arab, but an Iranian, and his name is Zakaria Razi

The series is very beautiful and you liked it. I like it very much, but I would like to say that the discoverer of alcohol is not an Arab but an Iranian person, and his name is Zakaria Razi, and I hope that the history and civilization of Iran will be mentioned correctly in the next series . Unlike others who rate the series 1 with historical distortions, I only mention this so that others know, and I hope that in the future I will see the civilization of my country in the Korean series that I watch a lot, and I hope that the Korean series and movies of the day become more and more famous in the world. My comment was not that long, but because I should have written at least 500 words, I wrote this. Thank you for reading my comment. I hope you have a good life and love yourself. (: <3 (Sorry if you see illegible words in my writings, I have used a translator)

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Probably the most entertaining tokusatsu for those who don’t usually watch it!

The story is very unique and the concept is super well implemented. Unlike countless Kamen rider shows I have watched, Kamen Rider Ryuki knows how interesting its concept is and doesn’t drift away from it into total chaos unlike many others of the same franchise that I watched.

I don't usually watch tokusatsu but since my brother loves them I decided to go ve them a chance and I can say with confidence this one was the most entertaining from all the ones I tried so far. If you are new to tokusatsu and want to start somewhere then I can say with confidence that you should start with Kamen Rider Ryuki!

What especially captivated my interest and respect for this show is that no character is truly good nor evil. If you think about any of the characters’ perspectives, you will realize that their actions are for a reason. Only a few characters are an exception to the morally gray concept though. No further elaboration because it will be a spoiler.


Absolutely recommend it!

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OK drama and very boring at times

I've finished this one. I have to say, I wasn't a fan.
I love the FL in touch your heart but here she spent the first 6 episodes crying and obsessed over her ex, who also cheated on her, she caught him by episode 2. Then she spent the next 5 episodes crying over him, got drunk and even went to his house and begged him to take her back.
I understand this is a drama however, I just don't see how she would be fine being with someone who betrayed her trust. Not only that, he didn't even feel bad about it. She's supposed to be a love couch and she knew damn well he's not sorry.
She had to move on.
If they were trying to have a realistic break up, this wasn't the way to do it.
She later on even went out and had dinner with him and he tried to propose to the FL, just to have the woman who. he was cheating with showed up there.
I really had a lot of issues with this show.
At times also, it is very boring and very slow.
There aren't too many good characters.
The FL is great as always and the ML is just OK. I don't think this dude is a great actor. He's not bad either but he's can't really display much range or emotions.
There is a real couple in this show though.
FL best friend. She's married and their relationship is the best part of the show. Because it feels like a real couple. They had their ups and downs through out the show and it felt really genuine.

Also, there's also an inappropriate couple as well. A young intern with the ML best friend( the boss)
I'm surprised he didn't turn the whole thing down when he found him she like him but instead they doubled down. She looks very young like mid 20s and he looks 40 at least.
I didn't care for the relationship since it was very manner but still weird.
One thing I liked about the show is how it opened.
With a guy and girl who bumped into each other. You'd think it was gonna be the main leads right? but no
Just ML with his soon to be ex.
It was a good red herring.
Because these drama, they always have the leads be like they met when they were little or something

He actually first met the FL at a random wedding. Which I liked better.
Will I remember this show tomorrow? Probably not.
I didn't hate anyone and I didn't really like or care anyone either.
I decided to finish it since I started it
Hope the FL picks better projects going forward. I think she shines more when her casts and people around her have good chemistry and charisma

Oh btw, the writers forgot that she got scammed lol she was supposed to get back 48 million won. Around 36k American dollars.
But the writers forgot about this plot ????

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this is the first Chinese drama that I rewatch each episode 2 or 3 times, Yang Yang and Wang Chu have very good chemistry with each other. One of the most captivating aspects of this drama is how every member of the cast delivers exceptional acting. Each character is portrayed with nuance and skill, bringing their individual storylines to life. The well-executed performances contribute to the overall quality of the drama and further engage the audience. However, there is one aspect of the drama that left the user disappointed. Vin Zhang, a talented actor, exited the drama early on. I really wanted to see his own love storyline too.

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perfeito

Achei que seria só mais uma história sem graça e fui surpreendida positivamente

a princesa é uma das melhores lideranças femininas que vi nos cdramas e a forma que o romance de desenrola é instigante

Tudo nesse drama gritava que ele merecia ser projeto de grande orçamento. História com potencial, personagens interessantes, desenvolvimento forte e química arrebatadora

espero que os protagonistas recebam oportunidade de assumir papel de liderança em uma série longa no futuro

até o momento é um dos meus casais favorito no minidrama que mais curti.

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Light and Fun but Suddenly WTF

I don't like the categories for rating on here. My 4 categories are Acting/Cast, Writing, Direction/SFX/Music, Entertainment Value.

If I were to rate the 1st half of this drama and the 2nd half separately, the ratings would be very different. Let's just go through the categories and I'll explain:

Acting/Cast: Easily the best thing about this drama. In the beginning, I was iffy about some of the characters. However, well before the end of the drama, I liked every character and enjoyed all of their roles. 1st half=6/10 ; 2nd half 10/10

Writing: This category can be broken into 2 parts - character writing/dialogue and story writing. Throughout the drama, the character writing was well done. Everyone had very distinct personalities that felt real. I easily became attached to multiple characters. That being said, I felt the male lead was the weakest in this department, especially in the 2nd half. His character felt like he had the least development. I knew the other characters so well, but the male lead remained fairly mysterious. Although, I also realize this was intentional, but I still didn't like it. Now for story writing...great in the 1st half. I loved the light and fun vibe of the 1st half. It was very charming. My only gripe was the writer's overuse of red herrings to the point of slight annoyance. I also thought the cliche stalker plot point didn't fit in well with the feel of the drama. It was also quickly glazed over like it never even happened, which made it feel even more out-of-place. In the 2nd half, the overuse of red herrings became obnoxiously ridiculous and those cliche out-of-place plot points were, unfortunately, here to stay. How can I put this simply? The story became confusing, unrealistic, and I haven't been so pissed of about an ending since Black. The ending ruined the entire drama for me, just like what happened with Black (which, oddly enough, stars the same female lead). It's as though the writers didn't know how to end the drama and they were fighting with each other and changing their minds every episode. But, what makes it worse, the writers were foreshadowing the ending from much earlier in the drama. It makes me believe that this mess was completely intentional and I'm shocked. And what's even worse, I feel betrayed, emotionally manipulated, violated even -- similar to how the characters in the drama SHOULD have felt about the whole situation. 1st half=9/10 ; 2nd half=1/10

Direction/SFX/Music: Almost no complaints here. However, I am reminded of that one scene...the piano on the beach. I was so confused. Very out-of-place scene. Was it a dream, was it a fantasy? I hope so. Regarding the music/OST part, the OST is nothing special; not my cup of tea; it neither caught my attention nor annoyed me. However, the piano music was great. 8/10

Entertainment Value: I got through this drama fairly quick because it was fun and had likeable characters. In the 2nd half when crazy random things were happening, I'm not going to lie, I was entertained and the cliff hangers got me through the drama even faster in the 2nd half. I was extremely curious about how the writers were going to play out this ending. I was hoping the male lead's mom would get some kind of redemption arc. I was hoping everything would come together and make sense. It seemed like it was heading that was until suddenly -- the writers forgot how to write and my hopes were shattered. 1st half=4/10 ; 2nd half=6/10

Overall, this drama would get an unweighted score of 6.5/10, technically speaking. But since the ending was drama-ruining, my weighted score would be 3.5/10.

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Possibly intriguing premise marred by a silly twist

Perhaps I should start by spoiling the series because it can be quite confusing to talk about the series without spoilers, though spoilers might just show how messy it us instead of lessening the confusion.

The premise is fairly interesting: a cafe that grants a wish miserable people. Of course, as with all stories about wish-granting, you can expect something to go wrong with the wishes made.

It is heavily suggested (though not confirmed till later) that the woman in the cafe, who facilitates the wish-granting stuff, is the woman in the scenes where a young woman gets pregnant only to be ditched by her irresponsible boyfriend. It seems that after wishing for a better life for her son, she is stuck to granting wishes in the cafe. (Again, it is not clear why this would be so until the final episode because the other people having their wishes granted do not seem to have to replace her role in the cafe.)

One thing I didn't like about the woman in the cafe that mysteriously appears is how the woman (now much older than the time she is pregnant) gives an evil laughter and an evil smile. In a way, the cafe does not have to be a sinister thing. This seems like a cheap way of adding tension to the story. After all, the cafe is largely a neutral wish-granting entity, and it is not like it is deliberately causing things to go wrong after granting wishes.

Here's the biggest spoiler (if the series is not already "spoiled"): The main story has two parallel sets of characters that turn out to the be same set of characters at different stages of their lives. The series feels at first like many BL series that shifts from the story of one couple to the story of another despite the lack of any connection between them except that the characters are roughly in the same place. Nonetheless, for me, the series does give a sense that the two sets of characters are the same people--so much so that it tries to get us to think otherwise with a supermarket scene that seems to feature Ryou and Phathit (Patis?) in the place at the same time although they are supposed to be younger and older versions of themselves respectively. There is no reason for using a filming/editing style shows the younger version and older version of a character in the same scene, so it's probably there just to tell us a lie that Ryou and Phatit are different people.

To make matters worse, Phatit seems surprised when he finds out that his friend, Naphat, likes him. If Phatit is indeed Ryou, then he should not be surprised that Naphat is in love with him because the same friend confessed to him years ago.

OK, let's not care for a moment about the wishes or the plot "twist" revealing that the two sets of character are actually one and just think of the series as BL.

The story of Ryou and Mai isn't very special though it can be likable in many ways. The love triangle (Nack is in love with Ryou too) isn't very intriguing . Things don't get better when the love triangle turns out to be love square ... basically everyone is in love with Ryou: Mai, Nac, and their female friend, Dena.

The story of Phatit and Thana also isn't very special though it is a tad more realistic. They obviously love each other, but Thana has issues about being not good enough for Phatit whereas Phatit is so busy with his work as a doctor that he does not have enough time for Thana. However, I don't seem why Thana would hide from Phatit the fact that he has resigned from his job (partly to get the severance money to help his mother financially. Also, why would Thana cheat on Phatit with another guy (I think he is high on drugs, but even then, event feels forcefully written into the story.)

The wishes, though, screw up the story even more.

First, Thana's wish: he wishes for a job. Lol. I'm not sure how that would solve his problem since he has had a job previously and has been feeling (or has been made by others to feel) like Phatit is too perfect for him. Why not wish for status, wealth, equality, a life of happiness with Phatit, etc? (Perhaps we can have a Season 2 in which another plot twist reveals that they cake and beverage the characters have to eat before making the wish has the effect of lowering their intelligence drastically.)

Next, Nack's wish. He wishes he can kiss Ryou. LOL! He's not wishing that Ryou would love him back or if that doesn't sound ethical, how about wishing that he would not be in love with someone who does not love him back? Anyway, this guy only gets his wish granted many years later when Ryou is no longer Ryou but Phatit.

Then it's revealed that Phatit has also made a wish (when he is still Ryou). His wish is for Mai to love him wholeheartedly, and he gets it. But does Mai even not truly love him to begin with? Mai is under pressure to behave in a certain way and is in denial. Anyway, Mai, who is leaving for another province with his parents, suddenly goes back to Ryou after the wish is made. I think Ryou has more than what he has asked for because Mai can simply love him wholeheartedly and leave for another province.

And finally, the most bizarre wish of all is Dena's. Just what on earth is going on in her mind? It seems that she cannot wish for Ryou to love her (why not, if Ryou can wish for Mai to love him?) and so she wishes for the four of them in the love square to be remembered not as Ryou, Mai, Nack and Dena, but as Darin, Phatit, Thana, and Naphat. Wait, what???? Is she wishing to rename everyone? Is she, in some sinister and sadistic way, wishing to write everyone's fates? (The dark twist in her character, in the revelation that she is the one who locks Mai up in the locker room despite seeming like a supportive friend to all the other three characters is probably is most interesting twist. So maybe she is capable of something truly sinister.

Did someone manage to find the cafe in real life and make a wish to get away with making a BL series that does not make any sense?

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Just being alive is the greatest thing!

What an amazing drama! Highly predictable, full of clichés and yet gripping and thought provoking and it concerns each and every one of us!

The main topic is depression and teens and how the parental and/or societal expectations can ruin someone's self-esteem and ultimately the will to live. This is a story of Boo, who faced with his own shortcomings compared to his brilliant father thinks seriously about suicide. But a chance encounter with a group of skateboarders, make him fine a new will to live. His father, still completely oblivious to his sons misery, tries to steer him in the direction he wants him to go, whether Boo is happy about it or not. The penny drops for the father when he realizes he has no recent photos of his son: the latest one being from primary school.

The mental health representation in this drama is perfect. The kid's unhappiness, the reasons for it, how to deal with it and what the depression is, are excellently explained and shown. The most important fact here ,that they stressed repeatedly, is that the path to well being is long and difficult, the patients need to be surrounded by well meaning and caring family and friends who need to be vigilant because of possible setbacks! The actor playing Boo is incredible: he manages to show Boo's deep feelings of unhappiness by subtle mannerisms, posture and facial microexpressions. Perfect!

Other characters are the usual suspects!
The father too busy to notice anything is wrong and quick to criticize and demand excellence and blind obeissance.
A young shrink projecting onto Boo her own family trauma in order to help him but getting into it too deep.
An older youth, a skateboarding master who becomes Boo's idol and who takes no nonsense from anyone and talks like that as well.
The youth's sister who plays with Boo's heart and unwittingly provokes a life changing accident.

All of the characters change, learn and mature during the drama and by the end of it, they all have learned important life lessons. The ending is a bit sappy and too fluffy for my taste but it is feelgood and just what the doctor ordered.

Cinematography is excellent, especially in episodes 6 & 7 when certain scenes are monochrome: pink, green, red etc. to go with the moods of suffering characters. Music is just the right amount of rock to go with skateboarding and ominous background score for the depression.

This is an amazing drama which, in spite of its serious subject matter and the cliché characters, grabs your attention from the get go and keeps it until the last moment of the last short episode! The length of the drama is perfect: 8 short episodes are just enough to tell a comprehensive story without it losing momentum by introducing secondary characters' stories!

I am surprised that it is not watched more! It should be! It gives us all a valuable lesson about life which we often seem to forget!

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Eight minute episodes? I'm in!

I've hit a wall trying to find a good romance that isn't long and drawn out, with so much filler that all I do is fast forward through most of it. I found this on Prime. 24 episodes of about 8-15 minutes each. I figured I could commit to this, and if it was terrible, not too much of my life was wasted.

I was pleasantly surprised. It's a cute storyline (but uniforms in college, is that a thing?).

Aside from the problems I had with it:
-It contained not one, but two girls that were willing to do anything to get the guy.
-an overbearing father.
-an arranged engagement.
-acting by most of the adults was bad. The way they talked, the way they moved, just not good.
-the male lead, Ma Hao Dong, had one expression, and when he talked, he talked like he had lockjaw.
-a couple of very poorly executed kisses
-typical tropes like only one hotel room, one mattress when they go camping, you know the drill.

There were things that I really liked:
-Liu Nian as Chu Xia (FL) is adorable, I mean seriously! I loved watching her.
-the main couple together was so cute. She's outgoing, he's stoic. He keeps asking his friend and his housekeeper for advice.
-I love when there's a height disparity between the leads. She was so tiny.
-I loved his mother. Rather than what we normally see, here we have a mom wanting what her son wants. She was very sweet and was so caring of both her son and Chu Xia.
-one of the irritating girls that wants the ML redeems herself
-I was able to put my remote down and give the fast forward button a rest
-I found myself smiling, a lot, while watching this

So, if you have a few hours to spare, want to just enjoy yourself and turn off your brain for a while, you might enjoy this.

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