Reviews

The alternate ending i wanted

After everything completed junmo divorce his wife and left the police job and went to hong kong to free of everything. There he meets bibi coincidentally and a conversation happens that goes like this....
Bibi: are you here to arrest me..?
Junmo: (takes out the cigarette and lights) i stopped working for police.
Bibi: although you betrayed everyone...i believe you.so why did u leave...i thought the department will give you promotion and you will be happy with your wife
Junmo: the job made me lose a lot of things and wife...haa i think i lost her when i started going undercover.
Bibi: so why did you come to me..?
Junmo: to say thank you and sorry...thank you for loving me even after knowing me...sorry for betraying you...
Bibi: so since you said what you want ...do you leave...
Junmo: i was planning to leave after see you live happily but even you have everything and being free ypu are not happy...why?
Bibi: you want to make me happy....then be with me. I am not a stupid person i know even after everything, you tried to protect me and jincheol. Will you continue to be my side and protect me...?
Junmo: if i want to leave will you let me go..?
Bibi: i would but i don't want to
Junmo:(smiling ) looks like i don't have any choice. Lets repent what we did and enjoy what we can.

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Big Bet 2? Big Yes 2!

Big Bet carries the greatness of the first season over to this second season. Big Bet Season 2 has a fantastic story which was structured almost perfectly (a few complex points which were a little difficult to understand), an amazing unpredictably story that kept this thick mystery in every episode, some great acting performances alongside editing, cinematography and directing. Again, with the first season, every episode felt like a blockbuster. The one glaring downside I think for this season was the repetitive dialogue, especially with the first half of episodes. The SFX was very hit-or-miss, too.

Even though I loved all the episodes, I feel like the second half of episodes were stronger than the first. The bromance between certain characters was a joy to see, and it was also nice to see, in my opinion, a phenomenal final episode, which I think was a perfect ending.

I suggest everyone to watch Big Bet Season 2. Of course you should watch the first season before this one, just in case anyone asks that!

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a drama to watch when you need something fresh and adorable

i honestly didnt like the first few eps but later it got better. If you want a drama that is cute, fluffy, highschool and friends to lovers trope, this may be the right one for you. The second couple is also very cute and funny. Watchers can learn a lot from watching this cdrama.i love how both of them have flaws and they help each other to fix it. Such as ZLR is weak in english and SZZ is weak in math. The male lead and the second lead are also such green flags. When I Fly Towards You is the perfect example of the typical saying " she fell first, but he fell harder " after Hidden Love. Overall, i will highly recommend this drama for new cdramabies.

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Ending Explained

Why does Jun Mo shoot before Gi-Cheul does?

Most importantly – Jun Mo does this to spare Eui-Jeong. In his bitterness and despair, Gi-Cheul threatens to remain as a tormenting memory for Jun Mo and Eui-Jeong. In that last moment, Jun Mo perceives that the only remaining “good” outcome is to take the blame for the betrayal entirely on himself. We infer that Eui-Jeong is able mourn and let go of Gi-Cheul peacefully as she has left the necklace at his gravesite.

Secondly – Jun Mo resolves Gi-Cheul’s dilemma. Gi-Cheul has now decided to escape the gang and live a normal life. But Jun Mo explains there has to be a consequence for his sins, a price to satisfy justice. At the train-crossing, Gi-Cheul realises the price is too high: he has lost his dream, his crew, and his hyung (Seungho). In desperation, he places his hope in a future with Eui-Jeong on the run, but when that falls flat, he no longer has the courage to go on. Now he wants to die, even with the shame of suicide. But before he can do so, Jun Mo grants Gi-Cheul one last favour: an “honourable” death: a gangter in defiance, shot by a cop. by Vinh B

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a gem of a show, if you have the patience

I almost dropped this show after 6 eps, not because it was bad, but because the pacing was so slow I didn't think I was in the mood. There's a strong 1930's feel in the whole production. The mostly static camera work makes it feel like watching a stage play or an old black & white movie. The music score and the slightly over-the-top Classical Hollywood style acting all combine to produce a complete 1930's vibe. This old-movie style isn't to my taste, but eventually I appreciated the strong performances from all the cast. I recognized many cast that were also in Arsenal Military Academy & Court Lady, & I feel some of the musical score was reused in all 3 shows; it all sounded so similar. In fact, these 3 shows share the same directors.

Shang Xi Rui is an opera singer specializing in dan (femaie) roles. He's a naive & eccentric prima dona. But when the troupe hits hard times, he pulls through to lead with compassion, humility, & sincerity (in between the prima dona tantrums). He remains true to his art & his genius as he inspires & motivates his troupe to become the leading opera troupe in Beiping. I'm sure the singing is dubbed but Yin Zheng's mannerisms while in full opera costume are very impressive & he very deftly portrays SXR's growth & setbacks as he encouters new hardships without losing his core values.

2nd Master Cheng FengTai becomes SXR's friend & benefactor after SXR's performance awakens a hidden passion for opera. No idle aristocrat, he actively runs a distribution business (including weapons) & organizes culteral preservation projects. He tries to maintain his marriage by never arguing with his unacknowledged wife, which only feeds her insecurity. Ultimately, she comes through as the backbone of the family. The Cheng household is a busy one with many extended family members connecting 2nd Master to a huge network of government & military officials. This network provides the infrastructure for the complex interplay of family, politics, art, & war throughout the drama. Also, many characters aren't what they seem.

Since watching Lost You Forever S1 I've become a Tan JianCi fan & he was actually the reason I started this show (I didn't realize he was also in Court Lady!). But if you watch just for him, he won't show until Ep11 & is present in fewer than 10 eps. His role may have been very small, but his acting talent is equal to the rest.

Although this show isn't completely my cup of tea, what kept me watching was the character of SXR: intelligent, self-centred but with a heart of gold at the same time, how he could push through the strict boundaries of his art & be successful. The cast was very good at portraying multi-dimensional characters. I also liked the glimpse into the world of Beijing opera & I'm now curious about the stories & what makes a good performance. However, the pacing was either slow or slower, with loose ends left at the end in spite of all the time it took to get there.

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Who is the Worst of the Evil?

I really enjoyed this drama. It was full of suspense, and excitement, and each episode kept me on my toes.
I like how complex the main lead characters are, like for JM I couldn't tell if he really was going to turn to the dark side???

I like the dynamic friendship between Jun Mo and Gi Chul. They became good friends, and I believe that Jun Mo viewed Gi Chul as his friend, while he was undercover. Like JM can see GC is not a bad person, but he makes poor choices and chooses a bad life. When Jun Mo lets GC go in the last episode, I can see that Jun Mo cares for Gi Chul.

Most of the side characters were good, and I liked their performance as well.

I think the ending was good and satisfying. There really wasn't anything bad I can think about it like GC needs to pay for his crime, and he did that by wanting to kill himself, but JunMo killed him instead. Also, I think the wife was conflicted between Jun Mo and Gi Chul. I think she still holds some nostalgic feelings towards GiChul, which could explain why she never threw away the cross necklace that GiChul gave to her.

In the end, Jun Mo and his wife ended their relationship; kind of sad about it; but there's just too much so I guess divorce is best for them.

I like Haeryung and her bodyguard. He is loyal and committed to protecting HR. I wish they could have ended up together.

In the end, Junmo gets promoted and successfully completes his undercover task, but in the end; he is left with no wife and loneliness. He ended up befriending with GiChul, and in the end, he lost his friend as well as his wife.

So who is really the worst of the evil?????? Or maybe it's no one, that's for you to figure out :).

Overall 8/10. 9/10 for JCW and WHJ's bromance :)!!!!

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Came for FirstKhao & GemFourth...

... Stayed for FirstKhao & GemFourth.

Right from the get-go, I didn't like the main-est lead, Jim, as a character. I can't tell you exactly what it is about him, but throughout the series, I grew to dislike him more. This series has been my first encounter with both Earth and Mix, and I can't say Earth left a good impression on me. Mix's character, Wen, wasn't as instinctively dislikeable to me, but the show never hooked me on their romance--"romance", I say, in quotation marks.

Meanwhile, GemFourth were just the loveliest. Heart and Li Ming were absolutely adorable, and Second Couple Syndrome struck me hard. Every time they, Gaipa, and/or Alan appeared on screen, I was wholly invested and glued to the screen. These four are all that keep me from rating MC 5 stars. Especially after the 4th episode, whenever Jim appeared on screen I wished they'd hurry up and move back to Li Ming and Heart.

If the series had been about them with FirstKhao as a secondary couple, I would've undoubtedly given this series 10 stars, because the production value is there. Disclaimer, though; FirstKhao has only some vague implications in the last episode, so don't interpret my selfish wish of FirstKhao being anything substantial in MC as them having anything romantic going on in the series. They didn't, to my utter disappointment. Just a heads-up.

But my god, I was so bored with Jim/Wen! I don't think they're very interesting characters. Jim especially felt like a lifeless character, and maybe some of it was meant to be given his backstory, but they went overboard--or underboard, I suppose, given that he has almost no personality, and was rarely likable to me, if ever. The thing is though, the plot itself is mostly pretty good, and I loved the vibes and atmosphere of the setting, but Jim/Wen felt unnecessary and a waste of time. And sadly, they take up most screen time.

As the headline says, I was interested in watching MC because I adore FirstKhao, and both them and GemFourth were subsequently what pulled me through to the end. Would I recommend anyone watch Moonlight Chicken? Only if you're an EarthMix stan who'll enjoy them being on screen together no matter what. I wasn't, I came in wholly blind to them and their acting skills and was thoroughly disappointed.

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Worth watching!!

So… I started watching this drama because of Kim Taehyung. I came in with zero expectations since I didn’t know any of the other actors on the show (wasn’t a k-drama fan at the time) and only had a vague idea of the plot.

Let me tell you, I thoroughly enjoyed this drama! It was a bit more violent than I was expecting (I was expecting a romcom for some reason!) but I thought all the actors did a brilliant job. I was highly engaged throughout. I liked the way the Hwarangs matured, grew closer to each other and developed a tight bond. You can’t help but fall in love with all of them!

I watched the series again after bingeing through a few other KDramas and I enjoyed it the second time too. It was good to hone in on the finer details that I missed the first time I watched it.

Overall, a pleasant surprise and a drama that I not only highly recommend, but also will certainly watch again in the future!

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A Typical Romantic story(major spoiler ahead)

Well.. I am person who usually don't give much higher rating to most of the drama. And i am even lazy to write review. Still, i just can't help but write a review. This series is good. I won't say, its perfect but was a cute and simple story about Ramin and Lukchup.

If you are looking for a cute romantic story, then this is for you. They are one of the cutest couple i watched. Both have that pure love around them. The moment when the both mc started to like each other and the interaction they had when facing each other were really good. Its just how a person usually act in front of the crush or loved one. Mik played Lukchup character very well. Innocent and a cute character who everyone will fall in love with. They didn't have that playful or flirty feeling that we usually get when we watch a campus romance, like we will feel that their relationship isn't serious and a small misunderstanding can break them. Even when there was a chance when Ram can misunderstand LukChup , when the photo of Lukchup kissing Lukchin came out, instead of doubting Lukchup, Ram was worried about his lover. In that time he didn't even knew that Lukchup and Lukchin are brothers. Even the way Ram get jealous was cute. And the family and the friends in this drama was very good. I like both characters family, specifically angel, Ram's little sister.
I love the chemistry of main characters. And the background music used in it was so good that i wat to make it my mobile ringtone...

If i am writing a review, i should also involve negative points.
Such us, 13 episode, it too long for this series. They should have reduced the number of episode or should have add more content into it. If you are looking for an exiting bl with lot of romance, then this ia nor for ya.
From the beginning, i was able to predict how the series is going to be. The villainess was very typical villain we usually see, with a crazy crush. And they wasted so much time on the villain and the gossip group. In last few episode, i felt like they are trying to fill the gap by adding more focus on villain. And i just can't understand how they dragged this story till 13 episode's when the content is very small. And i was so disappointed that, i could only watch a kiss scene at the end of the last episode. And the kiss scene was somewhat passive. And i wanted to watch the development of Sky and Paitong relationship and all i got was the 2 min at the end of the episode rewinding all the scene they had together. Don't even know how they got together. If they added much more scene for these two, then the 13 episode would have worth watching it. I think they spend most time on bullying. And some scene where so long, which should have been able to cut short. And sometime the passive attitude of Ram towards Namning irked me. He should have keep her distance from 0 her when his frds clearly told him that she is bad. Some scenes, i felt a connection break. Like when Lukchup misunderstood Namning as Ram's girlfriend, but still went out with Ram, like a 3rd party, which is very unsuitable for Lukchup's character setting. But i can understand, he is shy and can't reject anyone especially his crush and the end when they got together, Lukchip still didn't get a direct answer from Ram about his relationship with Namning. May be he just realised it somehow.
(But truth to be told, i don't like too innocent mc, well being cute is one thing and being a cry baby is another matter.)

Overall the series is good, the family, the chemistry, the friends, everything was good. Mik and Pop portrayed the character of Lukchup and Ram very well. And the acting of all other actors where good too. But after watching the whole episode and then thinking back, i feel like their wasn't much content worth of spending 45 min per episode for 13 episode. I watched many bl where they have deep story content and only spend 30 minute per episode for max of 4 episode in total. So, giving 45x13 minute wasnt worth. But if you ask me to rewatch it, yes, i will. Because it's worh watching again when i am down. Well, i will skip many episode and will only take 1 hour for completely watching the series though.

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A confused happy heart

The gradual unfolding of the love story of the 2 leads provided time for character development. The pace was slow but the beautiful ost filled in any gaps and kept the story moving.

The ending was ambiguous. I choose to be positive. Xiao Han was willing to wait how ever long He Ran needed. So many things pointed to a possible good outcome. The symbolism with the two fish and the special plant opening and the 2 cups with toothbrushes implied waiting and then that they would be together. The abundant fields of pink flowers implied that when all other blooms were dormant, these would bloom late. Xiao Han was pensive but then again he had a quiet considering personality.

Others may see the ending in a sadder perspective. I, however, choose to see that year separation as a time of healing. The slow smile and the embrace in the fields of flowers indicates that their love was meant to last.

There is a mention of a season 2. Frankly, I would prefer it be more focused on He Ran's mother and Zhang's relationship. This romantic melodrama didn't really strike me as "a slice of life" genre. But, their relationship seems to be conflicted yet passionate. It has room for development.

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WATCH THIS SHOW NOW!!!!

I feel you linger in the air is definitely one of the best bl releases this year. Everything from the acting, the characters, the plot, the music and the cinematography is stunning. Here is my in depth opinion about each point.

1- Acting
I'm usual not the best at recognising good acting (although I can tell when it's bad) but the acting in this series is truly something else. I've never felt like a scene was dull or not well executed because of the actors. Also, a big round of applause for nonkul because his acting in episode 1 was truly phenomenal. I actually felt chills during every minute of that episode. Not only is each actor amazing individually, but the chemistry and intimacy in between the two leads is truly breath taking. Every moment the protagonists shared from sad to heartwarming was very well done by the two.

2- Characters
I'm a big sucker for well written characters in shows, and in this one, well... Yai is a good character! As for Jom... he's ok. I feel his personality to be a little flat at some times and I definitely think he lacks internal dialogue. Like, he literally time traveled and yet he's barely questioning anything?? How did he adapt so quickly?? Anyway, I wish he had a little more "oomph" but I did like him in the latest episodes. As for Yai, I really like him. I think the difference is that we know more about Yai's backstory, and therefore viewers can resonate and sympathize with him more. I also like the whole family situation, I think it adds a lot to his character and the plot. I also love how endearing he is with Jom. Don't worry, I didn't forget about Maey and Ueangphueng. Oh. My. Days. A wlw couple??? My Spidey senses were tingling since the beginning but I'm actually so glad to know they're a thing. I love them so much, they have such a passionate and dedicated relationship, and I find that beautiful. I'm very happy to see more wlw representation.

3- Plot
Im actually a huge fan of historical/fantasy bl shows, because there's something else to focus on other than the couple. I really like the overall idea and plot, but I can't judge it too much right now since it's it hasn't finished airing. I just REALLY hope there isn't a sad ending. I'm very intrigued by Jom's situation in the later episodes, I think that's a very interesting turn to the plot. Overall, it's good, but I can't say much just yet.

4- Music!!!
As you could tell by my excitement, the music in this show is just spectacular. I love the implementation of classical music and traditional music from that era. I just think it suits the vibes of the show perfectly.

5- Cinematography
I'm not sure what else to say other than S.T.U.N.N.I.N.G. Every single frame is worth being hung in a museum. The coloring, the editing, the directing, everything is utter perfection.

In conclusion, WATCH. THIS. SHOW!!! YOU WONT REGRET IT!!!

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Emotionally Disappointing

All of those Netflix episodes… 39 to bee an t and the series turned out to be open-ended; very frustrating. I understand there is a movie that followed that ties up those loose ends but it is not offered on Netflix so I may never see it; 2023 is close to ending.

The series was well crafted and the characters were well developed; had me emotionally sucked into it. . The story had me yelling out loud at the husband, “Don’t do it. you idiot,” and yelling at Chris Wang’s character, “Say something, tell her how you feel. Don’t just think it.” In the USA we would assume that the husband was just thinking with his “dick” but we learn that he didn’t let that happen before the divorce. I suspected that Chris Wang’s character was interested in the wife when he first encountered her early on and I felt he had a real chance at the end. I loved the scene at the lounge where the brother and sister-in- law were celebrating the s-i-l’s birthday. Chris Wang’s character and the ex-wife were so happy and animated, thoroughly enjoying each other’s company;. However, as I said earlier I may never know if they ever kissed or committed to each other, and I feel really cheated and unsatisfied about the ending.

I’ve been through divorce and I understand the complexities of loss of self pride and self-esteem ; trusting again, particularly with a with a younger man; having to consider and evaluate the possibility of introducing your child into your new relationship while not endangering their relationship with their father; and the established adjustment to life after divorce; becoming a breadwinner. Most movies tend to gloss over those issues without much sensitivity in favor of saving production costs..

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I must confess I started watching this "Iyashi no Otonari-san ni wa Himitsu ga aru" only out of my love for Tanabe Momoko, who's my #1 fave of the current generation of Japanese actresses (and considering that she has some fierce competition there, that's saying quite a lot, isn't it?). And indeed she was once again perfect to a "T", gorgeous and tremendously talented as always.
On the other hand, I didn't have any expectation at all about the drama itself: I was actually expecting the Nth crappy hollywoodian story of "the good guy next door seems nice but actually is a psycho, so beware of other people, stay alone and unhappy 'cause that's how we want you to be"...but it ended up being, much to my surprise, quite the other way around!
The writers aren't keeping from us that the ML is a "psycho"; I mean, seriously, they portray him right from the beginning with a demented grin on his face, and on top of that, humming the European Union anthem! Hard to be crazier than that, right? >___<
(...yeah, I know it's Beethoven's "Ode to the Joy", but the EU using it has ruined that completely for me, sorry...)
Back to what I was saying (and more seriously!), what the writers did here was to actually orchestrate an intricate "double play": on the surface, we have the FL finding out, slowly but surely, that the ML ain't what he seems...but on a deeper level, we viewers take just the opposite path, finding out precisely that he's not as crazy (nor as "stalkerish") as we initially thought him to be! So in the end the message is a completely non-hollywoodian "the next person might be a lot better than you think, so open up and be happy", which is pretty damn nice, coming to think about it!
The music is good, the "packaging" too, the scenography great (I want an apartment like that! Of course as long as I could share the balcony with Momoko-chan, LOL).
But the absolute best part is the acting. ALL the cast did marvelously, with virtual standing ovations for both leads!
The only reason I'm not grading this as a "Perfect 10" (SPOILER ahead) is that I've found the stabbing scene with the subsequent endless monologue really forced and overall annoyingly clichéd; had they done that more nicely, it would've been perfect. But it got close.

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Mediocre but could be worse

Overall I think that this series is incredibly mediocre, there's nothing unique to this that I can't find in another Thai BL series. I had watched Hidden Agenda as it came out and honestly enjoyed it, though that series wasn't that much different than this one but I think it just had more too it overall. Neither main character was compelling at all I think they're both pretty generic BL characters.
Favorite episode was 8 for sure. Khabkluen wore a shirt that said "Farmer Snake" which is absolutely amazing and had to make it the best. Other than that.... I still think its my favorite its a very sweet and romantic episode that I think could just be the series in one short episode. Bring in some flash backs and some of the argument and bam it would be the whole plot in an hours time.

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