Reviews

Cuteness with tried and true

When I first began the show, like many others in its genre, it started off with a similar basic premise, which stood out due to the fun acting brought out by the main cast. However, as it reached closer to its end, it rushed through the plotlines and left me with an unsatisfied and unfinished taste in my mouth. The ending being the lid to its coffin in my eyes. The change in bodies and past emperor plotlines are not fleshed out in ways that can past initial scrutiny. However I would love to go through the initial watches again. If the beginning was given a bit more thought and with better writers, I believe this could have been a more intriguing story. Overall not bad and quite lighthearted and fun. It's main cast truly are the shining gem of it all.

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Well it was what it was and I don't regret watching it

I don't even remember why this was in my plan to watch list but hey here I am. Now I don't think this is gonna win any awards. Didn't really break new ground either. It was its very own thing and just did what it had to do to drive the story. It felt a little cluttered at times but still somehow squished in all these storylines into six episodes. it was wholesome and healthy, a bit ridiculous but in a good way. It was a show about the life of teenagers going through teenage stuff and dealing with difficult feelings and it doesn't pretend to be anything different or grander.

Was it fantastic? Nah. Was it an enjoyable sweet watch? Yeah I'd say so. I wasn't bored at any point and always wanted to keep going to see what happens next.

Recommended for if you need some down time or just something to put on and relax.

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Most underrated drama but it's 2020's best one!

I have little expectation of this drama and thought it would be boring. I watched this with little interest but this drama adaptation turns out to exceed my expectations!

Although the casts aren't well-known, but they portrayed their characters well. My favorite would be Chu Ying! The character development of the characters are also satisfying.

There is no romance in this drama (w/c i liked!) but bromance u can get enouf of it. The friendship and bond is strong .. they value their relationship and help each other to not give up.

I dare say, this made my 2020 complete! As someone who's sceptical from live action dramas adapted from anime, it's totally unexpected and worth watching!

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Couples Apparently Only Take One to Meet the Other Halfway

All right, just so you know, because of how long this got, I’ll continue in the comments. Yes, I kind of went off on a tangent. No, I’m not sorry. I had some things to say.

Don’t get me wrong, I liked this adaptation. Hell, I looked forward to it because I thought it was promising despite my initial reservations about the leading actors. Admittedly, I did have high standards since I watched the South Korean drama first. However, please note the usage of the past tense ‘liked’. In fact, I might even go so far as to say I loved it. IN the first half. Er, most of the show until the big reveal.

Now, I understand that comparing the South Korean original drama and the Filipino adaptation is highly irrelevant and unwarranted, however, I justify a comparison by the effects of one party. With the message that this adaptation is sending, I now have a reason to see the differences and which I prefer between the two.

You know what, I’ll start off with the good stuff and then slowly rip the bandaid off because that’s what it felt like the show was doing. After they ripped the bandaid off, they smashed salt against my wounds. Why do I use this analogy? Because slowly, the show became excruciating to watch. The episodes began to drain me and I just found myself wanting to watch the South Korean one because I felt it gave me that feeling of payoff I was searching for here.

Okay, here, I’ll actually start with the good stuff now. I love that this adaptation changed and made certain aspects their own. Like, instead of a corporation group like Yumyung Group in the South Korean drama, it’s a pharmaceutical company called Prime Alpha. Instead of Brandon being oblivious to Kim’s pollen allergy, Brandon is aware and it actually looks like he doesn’t want her anywhere near flowers (e.g. when Kim willingly went out to get flowers for Brandon’s ‘girlfriend’). Do you see what I’m trying to get at? They changed a couple of things that I ended up liking and added new elements I also liked. The addition of Jordy and Steph’s relationship and the creation of Sir Walter’s character are some examples.

However, with these changes, it teeters between remarkable or, to put it bluntly, ridiculous. Overdramatised, if you will, or unrealistic. And yes, I understand that it’s fiction and fiction can be unrealistic but I’ll explain why this is a big deal to me later when I get there. The production changed the fundamentals of the kidnapping. In the South Korean drama, Young-joon and Mi-so were kidnapped by a woman who was the mistress of some random man, got pregnant, lost her baby, and had a mental breakdown. That’s just it. No ulterior motive. Here, Brandon and Kim were kidnapped because a woman had a mental breakdown after Prime Alpha fired her husband, had a heart attack, and died. Because of this, she targeted Brandon and kidnapped him as revenge.

Here’s my problem with this: the South Korean drama’s version didn’t involve some revenge plot. Young-joon and Mi-so were just two unfortunate children who were kidnapped. No reason whatsoever. It wasn’t because of Young-joon’s wealth or some history with his family’s company. The woman just saw these children, kidnapped them, and made them ‘her children’ while also confusing them for her lover’s children. I say it’s realistic because it’s something that could very well happen in real life which then made me raise my eyebrows at this adaptation’s version. Sure, I was entertained but it’s because I think that’s just the Filipino in me who grew up watching these teleseryes that had catfights and revenge plots and everything we liked to see but acknowledged might never happen in the real world.

That leads me to my next point: The Troy Sebastian subplot was unnecessary. I don’t think he served much purpose because after his purpose had been fulfilled, he was gone. In the South Korean drama, Park Byung-eun was just Mi-so’s blind date. Here, she has known Troy Sebastian since childhood. The South Korean drama and Filipino adaptation share the plotline that Mi-so and Kim asked Byung-eun and Troy for help in looking into their kidnapping. However, this drama has a tendency of overdramatising what is originally a simple plotline. What is a normal, if slightly awkward but cordial relationship between Mi-so and Byung-eun was turned into this unfair, cruel relationship with Kim and Troy. The show introduced Troy as a goofy, lanky, almost comic relief character whose armpits are always dripping with sweat until it began to antagonise him, painting him out to be a cutthroat, determined reporter who would stop at nothing to get his scoop. Don’t get me wrong, I liked that but eventually, the antagonisation became too blatant, almost telling us that we shouldn’t like him because of what he’s doing.

Eventually, Troy does expose a big secret of Brandon’s family and he loses his job. After that, we no longer hear from him. Was all of this really necessary? What was so wrong with a cordial relationship and a guy who just willingly helped a friend who asked that they thought it was better to complicate things?

Watching this was a fairly smooth ride. Of course, there were a few bumps along the way but those bumps were tolerable. When I got to the big reveal of the kidnapping, everything went downhill from there. There’s a reason I’m always willing to go through so many hour-long episodes just to get to this reveal in the South Korean drama. Because after waiting that long, guessing and wondering, we get the big payoff, this feeling of satisfaction. Like, “Finally, after we see Sung-yeon treating Young-joon like crap, we finally get to see him get angry at him and no one would be there telling him to stop” and “Finally, we see Mi-so, Chairman Lee, and Madam Choi telling Young-joon he isn’t alone after years of enduring his trauma alone”. It’s a lot of finallys that I waited for so long to say and I always have this satisfaction when saying it.

Clearly, it wasn’t the same experience. Kim completely invalidated Brandon’s trauma after she discovered he lied about being Ninja Boy, telling him that he deceived her. She told everyone that he deceived her which, in itself, isn’t a lie but the problem lies in the fact that she totally overlooked his reason for doing it. She jumped over him saying he suffers from PTSD, anxiety, and insomnia and he doesn’t want that for her and immediately told him to leave. The end doesn’t justify the means and, yes, despite his intentions, she was still hurt. I’m not saying she should just ignore all of that. What I’m saying is to understand why he did it. What I found worse than that was, after accepting him into their family, Kim’s family turned their backs on him so quickly, going all, “You have the nerve to show up here!” when Brandon stayed with Kim at the hospital after she fainted. And I just sat there, thinking about how this all seemed like an overreaction, that if they took the time to understand why he lied to her, maybe they’d shut up. Instead of the big payoff, I was just drained and a little betrayed.

That isn’t the only time they invalidated his feelings by the way. Kim has comforted Cyrus for his mistakes, telling him he should stop blaming himself but when it comes to Brandon, she pushes him away because he tried to protect her. She took the time to listen to Cyrus while she didn’t want to hear Brandon out. How unfair could this get?

Oh God, Cyrus. I haven’t even talked about him. I don’t know which one was worse: Sung-yeon or Cyrus. Okay, no, at least Sung-yeon mixed up his memories with Young-joon out of extreme guilt for what he’d done. Meanwhile, Cyrus, out of jealousy because everyone was paying attention to Brandon (rightfully so, I mean, the kid was kidnapped), wrote an essay about how HE was the one who was kidnapped.

All right, fine, they reconciled. We pick up from there. It’s all fine, going okay, until the damn wedding planning happens. Because of a job offer she got, Kim decides she wants to meet Gladys Mallari, the daughter of her kidnapper Dina. Brandon goes with her but he is reluctant because, well, the woman traumatised him. He sees her picture which triggers him and he runs out in a panic. Kim doesn’t chase after him. When she does finally go out, she just stands there, watching sadly while he full-on sobs. Okay, why didn’t you just go to him immediately? Why stand there? If you love someone, surely you wouldn’t be able to handle seeing them break down. You’d comfort them instantly. And in this wretched scene, the show decided the best message would be: “I have to go through this myself” and that is wrong and harmful in many ways. You go through difficult situations with a support system because if you go through them alone, you’ll be walking down a road that leads to self-destruction. Not only that but they’re pushing another lesson: “Forgive them because it will only make things harder for you.”

Because of Cyrus and Dina Mallari and the Filipino people’s insistence on family and forgiveness no matter what, Cyrus is at the forefront of the lesson taught to us since childhood: “Forgive them no matter what they did because they’re still family.” On the other hand, Dina represents “Forgive them no matter what they did, otherwise, it will weigh on your conscience.” No one can take the moralistic high ground on this. We shouldn’t force forgiveness on people because that’s their choice to make. Who’s to say forgiveness will even help them? Forcing forgiveness won’t fix a situation, it might even make things worse. Forgiveness is done willingly but it isn’t mandatory.

That isn’t just it. That’s not everything. Brandon always does things for her but she never does anything for him. He gives her the option to postpone their wedding because she’s stressed out but what about him? He was stressed too. He chose to elope with her because she wanted a simple wedding but what about what he wants? It’s his wedding too. He chooses to move to Korea with her because she got a job offer there but what about his life? He has a life in the Philippines with a job that demands priority. I know, I know she’s cooked for him and other things because he wanted to but I’m talking about the big things. Relocation, weddings, those things are big and requires input from both parties. As far as I remember, Kim hasn’t done anything big for Brandon. We can argue that she spent nine years as his secretary but that’s a professional relationship and there’s a difference between that and a romantic one. A relationship takes two but in this case, I suppose it only takes one end pouring in all the effort. Sense the passive aggression? Yeah, sorry, I can’t help it.

CONTINUED IN COMMENTS.

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Action-packed and the chemistry so strong! Must watch series!

Would give this 10/10!
Ultimate Note is the sequel of The Sound of Providence. However, compared to it, this one is action-packed and the chemistry so strong.

XYL did the best in acting as ZQL! He portrayed ZQL's character so well it leaves me in awe everytime I rewatch the clips.
One thing to note is the choice of casts. From the casts of Wuxie and Zhang Qiling to Hei Ye and Xiao Hua, the visual impact leaves me wanting more of their screen time.

The bromance is solid as well. Their friendship is strong and it's one of the best that got me attached to this series.

Overall, it's a must watch drama and i recommend this w/ the rewatch value of 10! You'll never regret watching it!

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Short & Fun

I don’t have much to say about this one. It was a cute little drama that was fun watching. While the episode count says 42, the episodes are less than 30 minutes, so it’s also a fast watch. This makes it perfect to watch when you are commuting to and from work or when you want to watch something which doesn’t require using much brain power.

The show was interesting and funny, I did not fall asleep while watching this one and I didn’t even have to multitask. I enjoyed all the characters and they all had great chemistry with each other. The main couple was adorable and they had some good kisses. I think my favorite part of the story is that there were some gender reversal elements, like the men were the ones carried on the sedans and who covered their faces with a fan on the wedding day ceremony. While many were probably swooning over Muyang and I don’t blame you, he is a man who is able to protect you and still look prettier than you while doing it, I would prefer someone like Lai. He can be my stay-at-home hunny and mend my clothes, clean my house, run my errands, and cook my food.

The show was not without its flaws, the ending was typical of censored transmigration dramas, and I wouldn’t call it a masterpiece, but it certainly hit the right spot. I enjoyed the relationship dynamics of the cast, the romances, the story, and the ost.

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Highs and Lows

I love this drama so much. It is going on my rewatch list immediately. Now, that that's out of the way, let's get into the review.

I titled my review "Highs and Lows" because that is exactly what my emotions were when I watched this. I was constantly at the edge of my seat, tweeting about plot points or how I thought certain characters would react. I cried a lot, laughed a lot and even made some new friends while watching this drama. It has been such a fun and enjoyable experience to get to learn more about each character in the story, why they act the way they do, the relationships that they have, and the growth that they experience as the story goes on. This story is more than just a revenge drama, it is a story about finding one's self and overcoming.

Now that I have gotten some of the highlights out of the way, let's discuss some potential lowlights. Some of the plot points are a bit... far-fetched. But if you come into this drama with an open mind and intend to enjoy yourself, then it becomes bearable/you will be able to look past it. Additionally, some of the shots chosen in certain scenes could have been done differently.

All in all, I give this drama a 9.5/10 due to how much fun I had and the chemistry between each of the characters.

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Mixed Feelings

I don't give a damn about other reviews but you see the drama's first few handful of episodes are really thrilling and exciting to watch but after ep 4 Or 5 I guess, the drama really starts getting to suck. I mean I absolutely disappointed about the actors acting and the story plot. How tf the ending was good? It was abruptly ended without explaing about the borderland and shit. how come Arisu a smart ass be fooled by the psychological trap of last ep.. I mean it was a bit confusing too. At last I wll not explain about the show in details because I ain't got time for this. But after watching many K-C-J Dramas I can alert you in advance that watch this at your own risk.. The plot is really gimmicky. A solid 5.5 trash from me. Not gonna watch S3

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A good watch but dwindles near the end

Satisfying character arcs, amazing acting, no complaints here except the ending, more on that later.

Special shoutout to the princess for an absolutely fantastic character and writing. It's difficult to have an actress that portrays a shy, cowardly character that gains charisma but she DELIVERS.

More things I liked:
- I love Ren Xin's whole aesthetic. Very satisfying to watch her fight.
- I like how Ren Xin's...problematic obsession with having a child is part of her trauma that she works through because ngl watching her force herself on NYZ was not comfortable. Thank god that wasn't just part of her 'strong and fierce' personality..
- I like the whole cast of NYZ and friends. Very wholesome.

Complaints (mainly the ending)
- Li Tong Guang's Ren Xin obsession: honestly not a badly written setup, but I hated that it was an actual ROMANTIC obsession. I hate mentor-student couples by default, and watching LTG try to force someone he supposedly respects to marry him is just so many levels of gross. This isn't necessarily bad as an antagonist, but a 'reformed' LTG is written to have a father-son dynamic with NYZ, Ren Xin's actual lover, as if his attempt to force a marriage was just a child's tantrum that his new father figure has to talk him out of. Ew....
- NYZ's friends dropping like flies. Some of the deaths were valid for the plot and themes, I guess. But...come on, make all of their deaths count, please, because at some point it's just a nebulous blend of 'all is lost' created to drum up emotions for the finale.
- Ren Xin just stops doing much in the last quarter of the show after her huge arc with the scarlet guards is over. This is very valid, since she has been injured and re-injured without proper healing in between, but it becomes kind of meh with her taken out.
- Much of the show is built on both strategising and also existential conversations so I was disappointed to see them thinking screw it and just winging it after enough of their friends gets killed.
- Strange ending scene? what is going on there?

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Good chemistry, cute couple but slower pace in the second half

“25 Ji, Akasaka de” is a 10-episode drama that I think could have been shorter. The first half of the drama is fun. It was great watching two people who are clearly attracted to each other play fake boyfriend/boyfriend. The chemistry is great and their scenes together are sweet and cute. However, in the second half, the pace slows down, especially when the misunderstanding happens. Not a whole lot happened.

The acting is pretty good and not overly dramatic. Komagine Kiita is attractive enough for me to believe that Hayama Asami is a very popular idol. Initially, I thought Shirasaki Yuki is just another passive and shy male lead (similar to Adachi in “Cherry Magic” or Hira in “Utsukushii Kare”). I am pleasantly surprised that though shy, Shiaraski does speak up and take initiative to pursue what he wants. He’s not as passive as I feared. The earlier kisses were meh but the last ones are a little better and their intimate scene was sexy and sensual.

I enjoyed the ending. The scene of Hayama Asami chasing after Shiaraski Yuki, worrying he did something wrong after their night together, was sweet and satisfying. I finally see some emotions from him, and he’s not holding back in expressing his feelings. Finally!! It did take 10 episodes for that to happen.

This is a sweet, nice watch, especially if you like faking relationships (though this one is not that fake) and the guessing-if-he-likes-me trope.

Completed: 6/22/2024 - Review #453

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What I really appreciated was how any computer/technology use in this show was very accurate

The opening episode was so utterly amazing, so well shot, and where interesting storylines abounded. But then there was a lull where it wasn't going anywhere for a short while.

I'm glad I stuck with it though because it got a lot better after this short-lived lull.

It's kind of the way it goes with Kdrama in my experience; either they get you, or they don't, so it makes for a polarizing appreciation after-the-fact. Since they're generally all-in on the interpersonal parts and the character relationships, when you're not invested it suddenly starts to fall apart. Yet, when it does work, it's a unique watch experience that you can't really reproduce easily with other media from other countries, at least in my humble opinion. It's why I watch them (also makes for a nice change of pace from other genres).

So what about this? What I really appreciated was how any computer/technology use in this show was very accurate. Everything looks legit. I'm somewhat savvy with computers and it often drives me crazy how computers/hacking is portrayed in films and TV shows. It's always a farce just how ridiculous and not realistic it is, while here it's actually quite accurate. Maybe not as accurate as Mr. Robot, but real close. Real effort was put into portraying actual technology usage and the way it works, how developers actually work, like with Windows for instance, etc., so that was nice.

However, there is a huge problem with this show: It's got a bit of an acute case of capitalist propaganda (I say this only half-jokingly), and… they get bought out for $3 million. Sure they are sad because their dream has been taken from them, but at the same time… $3 million. You can do a lot with this. It's hard to relate to them when you know they just received a $3 million payout, even if it means they are separated. It opens up a lot of doors! So here we have a rather extreme example of a first world problem I would say.

Nonetheless, this drama has interesting story writing and character evolution that both manage to push its story forward in ways that are surprising and creative. Plus, the characters are a fun bunch to follow even though the whole thing is emotionally manipulative at times. Add to that a killer OST by Red Velvet (Future is stuck in my head).

Recommended!

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Not All that Glitters Is Gold

Fox Spirit Matchmaker: Red Moon Pact wows viewers with rich, vibrant colors, gorgeous CGI, an emotional and addicting OST, a beautiful cast, and…that’s it.

While I was hesitant to start this installment because I am not a fan of Gong Jun’s acting, I was highly anticipating the Fox Spirit Matchmaker series as a whole since many of my favorites are part of the cast across all three installments. Who would have thought Gong Jun was going to be the least of my problems when it comes to this show? Certainly not me. The story is slow and tedious to get through. I had serious issues staying awake through most of the episodes unless I was multitasking. The villains were a joke. Their actions are repetitive and tiring. I hated them not because of their villainous nature, I love extra villainous villains, but because I was tired of watching them.

While the side couples oozed chemistry even in the background, the main couple’s love story fell flat. I do not care that Yuechu was a sweet baby angel when he met the much older Tushan Hong Hong. Both Yuechu, and herself, never saw her as a mother figure. So, if I don’t have an issue with ancient gods who are thousands of years old falling head over heels over a human with their short lifespans, I did not have an issue with this. However, they lacked that addictive chemistry I love so much which makes me yearn for love even when I don’t really want it in real life. There were no real fighting scenes, it was all “hand choreography” as some members called it. Dull “hand choreography” at that. Even the last showdown was so… spiritless that it did not feel like there was ever a real build up or climax. In fact, I recently saw a lower budget drama and their fight scenes, while not the best, were still significantly better than Fox Spirit’s. The story simply lacked depth in every aspect, whether it was the plot, the characters, and relationships.

I’m hoping that because this installment flopped, despite it being highly anticipated and featuring many popular and highly coveted actors, it does not affect whether the other two will see the light of day or not. However, I hope it does serve as a learning lesson; not all that glitters is gold.

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