Reviews

At first Night Doctor started with the focus on the emergency cases and you might think that this is an action filled case-by-case type medical drama. But as the story progresses, you will be taken to another side of the night doctors which has their own personal struggles and also faced with the unpleasant judgements from others. As we dive into each of the main leads' problems, we are gently being reminded that doctors are also humans which are not perfect and also have things to do outside the hospital.

The stories are well prepared and you can see the growth of each of the Night Doctors as an individual (especially Fukazawa). Unfortunately, for me it did not manage to capture the emotions to the level that I expected. I don't really feel like it is super touching or any strong emotions in most of them. I felt the same thing when watching Unsung Cinderella, where they have many personal stories but they were just 'Good' and that's it.

Regarding the acting, you don't really have anything to doubt from the star studded casts. Haru, Kei Tanaka, and Ikki Sawamura are solid as usual. Sae Okazaki might be the one who is overlooked in this drama, but she did very well here. Kishi in here is just Kishi with medical knowledge (side-effect of watching him too much in varieties I suppose), but hey his facial expressions are the main highlight here. Takumi Kitamura also nailed his role as a man who seems to be happy and always positive but actually have many secrets. Also shout out to Zen Kajihara as the 'main antagonist' in the hospital.

They have many insert songs here and I liked all of them. Might end up in my playlist soon.

So to sum it up, if you wanted to watch a medical drama which focuses on the character story or personal growth, then this is the right one for you.

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Not your typical romantic BL but comedic value as expected of Japanese shows

First Japanese BL I watched! Interesting plot and comedy value as expected from Japan. Don't expect any kiss scenes from this movie but again not very necessary considering the plot.

The story discovers the supernatural myth of how 30 year old virgins get a special power to read other people's minds when they touch another person. And the way to lose this special power, the person has to lose his/her virginity.

Unexpected twist occurred when the main character realised a popular, good looking colleague of his actually has a crush on him. However, he is afraid of abusing the special power he received but has used his powers wisely to help many of his friends.

Second couple's story felt a bit lackluster and not much emphasis on and somewhat rushed.

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The appearance of an unexpected character changes the life of a quiet, introverted young chef

To My Star: Best Korean BL in my opinion. A pity that it's so short but even still, everything fits just right and both actors are really talented and played their characters very well. Their interactions are really cute and the best part is there isn't a second couple so all the story is focused on them and them only, hence a very well developed plot with little to no loopholes.
Perhaps a bit of bias on my side but I would always prefer if a series just focuses on one couple only so the plot can be more fulfilling.

Back to the main point, this series shows how a quiet and introverted young chef opens himself up to the character that suddenly appeared in his life. And then somehow the actor first fell in love with the chef, but the chef was being unsure and insecure but eventually accepted the actor.

Perhaps the only thing lacking in this series is how they actually fell for each other in the first place. I was hoping they could include parts where they explain how they actually feel for each other rather than just 'time' that brought them together

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Such an Astonishing Story and filled with Excellent Actors and Actresses

This drama is one of the most SUPERB Drama project this 2021 joining The Long Ballad, the story was just amazing, very well balanced and its one of a kind drama (For me:) ).Besides from the good story this drama has their very Superb Actors Starting from the main leads down to the supporting casts, guests and extras they are all really really good all of them played their parts very well, so Salute to the ones that have done the casting.

The story is very balanced, systematically arranged and well spiced. The story may have all the things that you have been looking for, Romance with great chemistry, Friendship, Life, Dreams, About social issues, government and has a little bit of comedy sometimes and many more.
One of the things that I was impressed of this drama was that how every single character developed, and you can see the character progress and how they changed from the 1st episode to the last, just like how Yi Zhi and Li Zi's Character.

I cried for some of the scene but the one that I cried the most was because of the reason that we've lost a lot of really good characters in this drama, their deaths really caught me off-guard, and how I wish that they could have make it to the end of the drama but then well as they say everything happens for a reason and their death made a big part on the story.

If you're wondering if there is a Love triangle I cannot say exactly say its a love triangle but I'll just term it as a Love interest there are people that are going to have interest to them, both ML and FL, but the feelings of ML and FL still remains for each other.

As soon as I have finished the drama I miss them all so much that I went back to the 1st episode and started re-watching it again.
I RECOMMNED this drama so much and If you're thinking if you should watch this or not all I can say is that_ "STOP scrolling and reading comments and spoilers and JUMP-in to the drama NOW and go find it out yourself I promise this drama is WORTH WATCHING." ;-)

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I Never thought.......

I would love this drama as much as I did. For as long as I have been a viewer of c-dramas I have always had an issue with skipping several scenes and even whole episodes ahead. I haven't been able to come across a drama that has hooked me from start to finish, until now.

If you are a lover of fantasy, humor, healthy relationships, lots of fluff with a dash of mystery, then I can confidently say this one might be for you!

The general plot of this drama focuses on a semi-reclusive young man named, Yu Chi Yan who writes for a living and manages a bookstore too. He is an animal lover, with a particular interest in cats. One day he saves a white cat that happens to be a girl from an alternate world. Together they go on a humorous journey, discovering things about themselves they never knew.

What I loved:

-The acting from the ML and FL, was wonderful. Their chemistry was spot on and their interactions were never lacking. I loved how they complimented each other, shy and broody male and spritely/cheerful female. I looked forward to every episode mainly because of this.

-Main leads friendship and later relationship was built on a foundation of trust and communication. There was hardly, if any, serious misunderstandings caused by lack of communication with each other. They told each other pretty much everything and talked their issues out in a timely manner. This was refreshing to watch, because many dramas opt for the toxic back and forth problem solving which is tiring and makes me too bored to fully pay attention.

-The cinematography was spectacular, the neighborhood, the bookstore, and the ML's home was all, so pretty and pleasant to look at. Although the characters didn't move to many new places, it was shot with skill making everything interesting to look at and to take in each time it was presented.

- One of my guilty pleasure, drama tropes, is "FL learning about the modern world," its a very specific storyline characteristic that I seldom can find expressed exactly how I like it, which is partially why this drama was such a gem to find for me. Because the FL was from a cat planet she had to learn how humans live on earth which was hilarious to watch coupled with the ML's frustration and bewilderment at her.

-Second ML and FL were so cute, loved that it was a pairing of a chic female and more goofy male, I have seen this type of coupling before but it added nice comic relief and really their story could be watched separately if you wanted to. While they did assist as side characters they had their own plot line a part from the main ML and FL so that was quite engaging.

What I hated: (Despite rating this drama highly, there are still things I cocked my eyebrow at, so bare with me)

SPOILER BEWARE!!!!!

-The mystery part was a little too obvious and the fact that the ML took too long to figure it out irked me to death. He was too caught up in reconnecting with his old pal, he didn't realize the one responsible for all the death and tragedy was right in front of him. Luckly this didn't cause a huge rift between him and the FL.

-THE AMNESIA OF IT ALL. When I tell you I was just about ready to snapppp my phone in half watching the last few episodes! I hated that they added this story arch, I hate this plot line in ALL dramas, its so stupid and really irritated me in this drama A LOT! Despite this, however, the ending was still so adorable and happy, so I still love this drama.

-Cat planet (insert sad face), I wish they added more visual information about it, the fantasy was there in every episode (cuz the girl turned into a cat obvi) but it didn't delve into overly specific details, which I felt were needed in some areas. I wanted to know more about what cat life on planet cat was like, but there was more focus on the human world, and the building of the ML and FL's relationship which for the record I didn't mind all that much. This was more of a romcom drama than fantasy drama in my opinion. This for me doesn't deduct points it just felt like it didn't "give" in the areas where it should have, namely the sister's storyline and demise....



Conclusion:

All in all , not a perfect drama but the perfect form of escapism with its non-stressful plot, humorous main lead relationship, refreshing couple dynamic and cute fantasy mystery trope. I would watch it all over again in a heart beat, (I'm in the process of forgetting it so that I can come back and rediscover it!) it relieved all my worries and transported me to a pleasant place full of absolute fluff and intrigue. I cannot recommend this drama more. It was not a 10/10 on a technical scale, but if you're looking for a pleasant distraction, its a must watch!

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Ridiculous

What a waste of good actors. I kept waiting for the story to get serious. How can a strong female lead role be so shallow and silly and be taken seriously? How can a strong male lead role be taken seriously if he's portrayed like a spoiled child? 10 episodes in, with no hope of either of these characters growing up and getting really fed up with the corny comedy and the awful music score, it's hard to see how Mu & Yang could turn out to be great war strategists and military leaders. I love Chinese dramas, this one is a serious letdown. I'm giving up after this episode.

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Cute love story but......

I discovered this series after finishing Go Go Squid (amazing drama). I was intrigued with gaming/computer themes as it’s a bit different than my usual fantasy shows that I like to watch.

Acting: 7
The male lead Xiao Nai (Yang Yang} was amazing. I loved his acting so much. He alone carried the show tbh. It’s really sad that I didn’t feel any chemistry between him and the female lead Bei Wei Wei (Zheng Shuang). As for Zheng Shuang, she was so great with her scenes with the other actors/actresses but she was so stiff with Yang Yang it was hard to watch. Also, she’s so thin it was concerning watching her tbh. People think she’s dealing with anorexia which isn’t a farfetched speculation.

Music: 5
Not that great but acceptable.

Rewatch value: 0
I don’t think I’ll watch it again. Once is enough for me

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Decent romance but the show spent too much time treading water

TL;DR: Decent rom-com with a sports theme but draggy and a bit claustrophobic.
Most shows are like a jigsaw puzzle. It is made up of lots of pieces and when the pieces fall naturally into place you get a good drama, when the pieces don't fit well, you get half formed picture that tells a confused story.
This show started well. The swim team members are handsome and they have a strong bond with a healthy dose of macho bromance. The FL seemed to have a good heart and strong moral compass even though she is only an intern. It was quite obvious who the anointed OTP is and they do look cute together. Their meet-cute was tropey but it worked. Another positive aspect is the swimming competition, They were shot skilfully with great action scenes. The daily grind of a swim team is also front and centre rather than just gamify the subject like some other sport based drama. However, not all the jigsaw piece are fitting in nicely, there are missing pieces and others jammed in and felt out of place.
One of the problem is the portrayal of 2ML (Lin Zi). He just came across as creepy and an unlikeable character. He was obsessed with the FL and is revengeful against the ML. The whole plot with him worming himself in her workplace as her assistant is just unrealistic. How can an intern gain an assistant? Have the writer heard of office politics? What did the other interns think, let alone other reporters and senior staff? At one stage, he also set up a "love nest" for the FL and decorated it all by himself (while holding onto a spare key?). It is just as well that that subplot came to a dead-end or we'd have a psycho thriller on our hands instead of a rom-com. Regardless, I feel icky watching a lot of his early scenes.
The development of the FL is also lacking until the end. In the beginning, she was shown to be intelligent and headstrong but as the show progressed, she seemed to go backwards. With her first encounter of the 2ML, she'd labelled him a weirdo but then once he entered the company, she was easily manipulated by him and just seemed to missed all the clues to his shenanigans. In fact, she didn't clue in to his subterfuge until her best friend told her late in the story.
This bring us to my biggest gripe, the show is draggy. 36 episodes was too long. Even though it is obvious who the OTP is (and the 2OTP for that matter) and everyone around them all clearly of the same opinion, they spend half the show denying there is anything between them. Even after the ML confessed to the FL (only after seeing the 2ML confessed first) she was still going around doing the "I am confused/I should sacrifice myself for your career" trope for several more episodes to the general detriment of all concerned. Even after the 1OTP situation settled down, the 2OTP took up the baton and went on to denying their growing attractions. I was getting tired of hearing "No, no, that's impossible!" shouted by the leads every time someone asked whether they are dating or liked each other.
This slow plot progression is not helped when the competition subplot proved to be quite claustrophobic. It all centred around the fictional Dream Cup college championship and the races were largely against the same people over and over. The show hyped up the competitors as if they were national celebrities but I'm not sure how a college swim team can attain such high profile. If anything, I wished the show was set at a higher level so that the competition offer higher stakes than just the South campus matched against the North campus and some no-name competitors. I felt the show was just treading water for 2/3 of the show.
If you think the show was going to settle down to some quality CP time on the home straight then you will be mistaken. It changed tone again and went full on melo. Surprisingly, that actually had a positive effect on the show. Whilst there were a lot more angst and confusions, it ultimately acted as a cathartic release of penned up emotions and brought clarify to our protagonists. I'm glad it happened or it would be a happy ending that was not earned.
The group of young actors did what they can with their roles. I won't say that the acting was great but acceptable. I think the female actors gave more nuanced performances while the guys had too much machismo and only showed moments of vulnerability. The ML's mum was a gem. She is a real scene stealer. What a shame that she disappeared just when the show gained momentum.
To be frank, It was a struggle to sit through some of the episodes until the 2/3 mark, the fast forward button helped. It picked up after ep.27 and really gathered steam around ep.30. As expected, the ending was uplifting and satisfying. I actually felt better about the show after I finished it. It wasn't a bad show overall but it was patchy.
The OST was quite good. The score were well matched to the scenes and well produced.

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I loved the series! Great friends to lovers story

I always loved history series and 4's are my favourite right now. I really think that this bl captures you very quick and has a great quality. I see a lot of comments about the side couple (they are like main couple too but anw) and i got uncomfortable about them too but i chose to ignore that and focus on my main couple cause they are super cute. Especially first 10 epsides were great for me after that yeah it get a little chiche but i would like to see them in another series together. And the series resembled a little Tharn Type, and one of the main characters looks like Gulf too so lol.As a T&T fan i loved that. I would recommend the series .
But yeah the last episodes should have been more focused to the couple people love and should have been more stick to the characters and stuff caue it turned out a little classic romance.

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More than just a regular Rom-Com

10/5/2021

I randomly came across this drama while browsing a MDL Friend's watch list. I have never heard of this drama nor see any promotion of it. When you just look at the poster, this is probably not something I would watch, as it seems like just a regular rom-com about boy bands and cutesy/fluffy romance. This is by no means a perfect drama, but it's enjoyable (to me) and I enjoy the romance, plot twists and mystery.

What I Like:

1. Smart and strong female characters: Both of our female leads are smart in their own ways, and pretty much kept their brains throughout the drama. We oftentimes encounter female leads that started off as smart, but then make dumb decisions and lose their intelligence as the show progresses. Jiang KeLe is street smart. She can talk her way out of any situation and still be lovable. Guan QianYa is more mature and business smart and in critical thinking. The both of them are a highlight of the show, especially their strong friendship.

2. Secondary romance: I enjoy the romance between Guan QianYa and XuNian more than the main romance between Jiang KeLe and Lu Xiao. The Guan/Xu romance is a little more mature and it's developed more logically. I believe how their feelings are developed through their special 1:1 interaction in the game, and love their conversations. They communicate their feelings honestly with just the right amount of physical affection and kisses. I've seen better kisses from Zhang Ling He/Xu Nian in "Maiden Holmes" though. =)

3. Plot: As I said, there's more to this drama than a regular romantic comedy. There are surprising plot twists that I didn't see coming. The drama is not all rosy and light, but touches on the darker side of the game/business and the background stories of the 4 male characters. However, there are just enough comedic moments and one-liners that made me chuckle, esp. from our villains, without being over-the-top.

4. OST: I enjoy all the songs in this drama. Music is used appropriately without annoying, overplayed songs. One of my pet peeves is the volume of the BGM and I am happy that the music does not drown out the dialogs. I tried to find the OST on Spotify, but couldn't locate them. Too bad.

5. Acting: The acting is surprisingly decent for such a young cast. I've seen Zhang Ling He in his debut drama "Maiden Holmes", and he has definitely improved since then. I've seen Dai Lu Wa in "When we were young" and "Cross fire" and I think this is her best performance out of the 3 dramas. Her character here has more range the other two, and does not cross my personal line of being overly annoying and cutesy. This is my first time watching He Luo Luo and Fan Shuan Qi, and I think their acting is not bad either. He Luo Luo is definitely good-looking and portrayed the different personalities of his character well. I really like Fan Shuan Qi and will look out for more of her dramas in the future.

Minor things I don't like:

1. Minor illogical incidents: I am never a fan of C-dramas and CPR. They are never done correctly and can kill someone than save someone. Why are the compressions done on the heart? I also don't think having a fever and going to visit someone in the ICU is a good idea. Our 2FL has no money and can still afford to buy our FL a scooter?

2. Ending: I like a happy ending, but giving the 3rd and 4th male leads (Luo Ke and Qi Chuan) girlfriends in the last episode seems somewhat forced and rushed. If the drama wants to give everyone a happily-ever-after ending, maybe the two romance storylines should have started a little sooner to give it more credibility. The drama could have gone into their background stories a little more as well.

Other observations:
* The air balloon rides are a great idea, but the CGI is awful.
* Still have accidental kisses and slow-motion romantic shots with the sun behind the characters
* Hard to imagine the two female leads are of the same age.
* Can they really fight so well? Able to escape each and every time without getting caught?

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My 3rd psychometric Male Lead..

Story wise, not so fresh. This is already my 3rd TV series with pyschometric ML.

The police profiler (sort of) and the crime beat reporter is also not so new. Whats really fresh is the ML who wanted to be a doctor but cannot, due to his psychometric abilities. And the FL with a dual personality due to ptsd.

Acting wise, it was good but i think the actors playing ML bestfriend and FL bestfriend acts better than our Lead Stars. But thats only my untrained personal opinion. Characters development is straight cut. Even early on, we know whos the good guys and whos the not so good ones. And when the villain is revealed at middle part, it didnt change until the end. No more twist and turns.

This RomCom series didnt make me laugh or cry. For a crime/mystery series, it didnt kept me on the edge of my seat or cower with the brutality of the angonist. But this one can also make my heart sigh. The loyalty of their friends, the sacrifices of a parent for an offspring. People always trying to be a better person. Finding love even though you think you're a freak. It has happy ending for everyone so thats enough reason for it to be worth the watch.

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This version has a better story than the 2007 version

... things make sense, likely because they follow the original plot. So no out of place subplots had to be added to build Manpyou Teppei into a sympathetic hero fit to be played by KimuTaku. But only if you look at it as a writer or a very cool-headed watcher.

However, as a mere consumer, I enjoy the 2007 version better (esp the rewatch as I rediscovered forgotten or misremembered scenes). Even though I already knew the ending and am aware how badly written it is as a story... I can only say it is a personal bias - I dislike most of the actors in the 2021 version except for Nakai Kiichi and I like ALL of the actors in the 2021 version, even the side characters (whether original or invented for the 2007 version) except for Aibu Saki. Rokkaku might have been excellent as Watanuki, but he can never compare with Tsurube Shofukutei. (I wonder if it is traditional to cast a comedian in this bad guy role...)

This is the key difference that resonates throughout the whole series. Because Teppei is not the hero, there is NO hero in the 2021 version. No one is remotely likeable, not even Daisuke. The Daisuke played by Kotani Kinya was classy Lawful Evil, the one Nakai Kiichi gave us is a kind of Neutral Evil old tanuki.

Everyone is a little bit tainted - the Teppei in this version has his faults.

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Heavy psychologically, creepy and dark.

There is something uneasy that makes me put this note. I really liked the psychological approach to the drama. I personally understood what was happening with the character on the second part (episode 7 or 8 approximately) but ANYWAY. The environment, the settings, the music are the perfect combination that makes you feel bad. Add to that the play of all the actors and it works ! I wouldn't put a 10 because I think it's a series that needs to be seen in a good frame of mind. I'm not a sensitive person, but I released it ten minutes ago and I feel like I need to see something less dark, with butterflies and flowers ^^. despite everything its a must-watch (at least once !)

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