Reviews

Stunning On All Levels, A Must Watch Romance

I have rewatched the series and telemovie at least twice. This is a wonderful love story, that so many people will relate to. Akaso Eiji is one of those actors who can speak with eyes, and express emotions without saying a word, and has fantastic physical comedy ability; Keita Machida says so much with just a smile or simple movement. Several of the support actors really shine in the smallest moments. It should be made available on Netflix as it is such a fantastic, modern dramedy that begs for a huge audience. A do not miss ! Although it is highly restrained (the kisses are few and are disguised by elevator doors etc), the chemistry and love of the two MLs is obvious and you will watch with a smile on your face.

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Somebody in Hollywood Hire Satoh, Already!

"An Incurable Case of Love" owes much to Satoh Takeru's stellar performance as a surgeon; his magnetic presence, depth and charisma carries the series. It's a fun series when you need to pass time, relax and switch off your brain.
As one of Japan's most acclaimed actors, Satoh Takeru is known for his meticulous selection of roles — he established his own talent agency — and all of his performances are compelling. It is always astonishing to remember that Satoh is only 35 years old, has been acting 18 years, and is already considered a craftsman in his field. He is actually quite an engaging and amusing personality; he regularly appears on his Youtube in absolutely hilarious content and very sarcastic commentary. His "2023 Awards" video, where he decides best movie, music, etc, had me laughing till my cheeks hurt!
A good actor can elevate a lacklustre production Here, Satoh's surgeon is characterised by a stoic demeanor and minimal dialogue and his harsh exterior masks deep repressed emotion. There is also undeniable sex appeal that adds intrigue to an otherwise thin narrative. Viewers are encouraged to overlook plot stretches, age differences and unrealistic workplace behaviours. Skip the first 4 episodes if you're impatient.
We sincerely hope Satoh achieves global recognition and roles of greater depth that further showcase his complex appeal and acting prowess. And surely that's not far off: on Youtube in early 2024, he mentioned that he had met with a leading Hollywood talent agency in late 2023.
*** THANK YOU FOR READING! "Follow" to enjoy my other reviews and discover more exceptional Asian dramas. Thank you. ~Fumiyawagi

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Long and overcomplicate

Too, too long and exaggeratedly complicated (but why, what was the point!?) The initial cue is really excellent in addition to the criticism about a country that is at the very first places for plastic surgery, but then everything begins to crumble and disperse into heavy delays, unnecessary subplots and all those moments between the couple at home with him that keeps repeating ahjumma ahjumma (but enough!). It almost seems that they wanted to take all the possible clichés of Korean drama -the ridiculous family of him, gigantic offices where the protagonists do nothing except sit in an armchair for revenge and conspiracies, restaurants open without a why, a surgeon who doesn’t work and doesn’t even recognize his patient, just to say - and they pushed them to the paroxysm, with a sense of the ridiculous that peeps around the corner. The Count of Monte Cristo, quoted and badly served, is in itself the most glaring example of construction of melodrama - machination, revenge, shame, class relations, final twist - but, thanks God, there is really better around... Han Ye-seul is a really brilliant actress, excellent dowry for such a beautiful woman, but it must be said, here, apart from the very first episodes with the spy-story situation to hook the ex, has never been particularly valued 6,5/10 ...

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A walk in a Summer Evening

Always beautiful and exciting, this gem of a romance that has not lost its lustre over time, I find it refreshing and pleasant, like certain late summer evenings of yesteryear (nowadays perhaps with the climate warming it is a bit more difficult...)
It may be due to the relatively short duration of the episodes, to the flowing of the situations without lengthy or overly complicated situations, but it is certainly in the extraordinary chemistry of the couple that the key to its innumerable merits is to be found (from a male perspective, it is impossible not to love a creature like Jeon So-Min.).
The minimalism often achieves the best possible result without overdoing it, but with that emotional crescendo that is demanded of a romantic comedy in which everything flows in the right way, even the silences and meditative pauses. But there is one aspect that I would like to highlight, and that is the great sensuality that pervades the whole drama. It is hard to believe that the classic 'spark' has never been ignited between the couple, thanks also to the very warm effusions exchanged, a far distant from certain cold kisses in other similar productions... Perhaps the last episode claims to settle every last detail, or various couple concatenations, but it is just a trifle, and it remains an 8.5/10 drama recommended to everyone

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LIGHTHEARTED ROMANCE and BEAUTIFUL STORY

Let me just share that I watched this after a year when I finished it's first part teh Joong and Dunk Part ! And yeah maybe its the perfect timen for me to watch it so anyways, lets go to my review.
This is a feel good drama that we need after watching the disastrous, painful drama out there like this drama is a good balancer, this has a light heart story that if you look and understand it, it has a depth when it comes to dealing with relationships, and your own personality and choices in life. This drama is easy to love and easy ri understand like I think even it will be not everyone but more people will say that they liked this drama than of those who did not, the concept of a drunkard workaholic doctor and a volunteer teacher met and found love was so amazing, also the going to the countryside for a mission or something away from the city, away from every stress in Urban, like I like those concepts because I myself wanted to do that like I wish I could also just go to the provinces without getting worried about money and find love !
I like Prince and Koufah's love story, the realization part and the part where Fah thought that he cannot take care of Prince just like how he was not able to take care of his ex who was married already like , when he finally thought that he can change and he can really take care of Prince , it was so amazing , I mean I have seen so many movies and love story with this kinds of concepts but this will be one of the best of those, I love their chemistry, the joke and funny moments are not too much, my heart felt light and lovely after watching this
About the kiss I guess they could've done it properly but its okay for me, the production was simple but beautiful, few casts, and we can see that this was not as like prepared as the oter gmmtv dramas but there was no lacking for me for 8 episodes, it was complete and perfect for the number of episodes and the run time, love also the friends of Fah and the kids that support their love story. There was no stressful thing in this drama, I was actually surprised I would love this like this !
Mark and Mek have so much chemistry, I thought when I was first watching it, maybe this was a ship test or something, too bad that Mek has departed GMMTV already, I mean he has stayed there for a long time anyways so I'll just hope for a more success in his career, but personally they could've be one of the ships of GMMTV
All in all this drama is lighthearted, with a beautiful story, I think I would re watch this one again some other time !

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Watchable not rewatchable.

Good premise, good story, GOOD ACTORS, not bad acting. But lacks that story telling method. Many unnecessary pauses, dialogues and fight scenes. ML and FL were good at there job, but not best. Supporting characters were better than leads. It seemed like FL was not that good when it comes to emotional scenes. I've seen many k dramas where when an actor/actress is portraying 2 characters in same series, they do a better job compared to this.
But overall I RECOMMEND you watch this series of you love fantasy genre and finished all the best ones and looking for good ones.

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10 out of 10

In the midst of a snowy setting, the beginning unfolded slowly. The narrative carried a sense of continuity, pace, or pattern within a specific context. The initial encounter left me puzzled – was it their first meeting or did they already know each other? His watchful gaze, the drink offered, and her reaction initially hinted at familiarity, yet as the story unfolded, her messaging conveyed a sense of them being strangers to each other.
After watching the second episode, it became apparent that the narrative had commenced with a flashback. It seemed as though she was recounting their story to someone, adding a layer of intrigue to the unfolding tale.
Without revealing too much, about their relationship status that they were either be strangers or have known each other before.
Must watch it if you ship the love story .
I like Wang Xing Yue character though he got less screen but he looked cool all the time . I really hope that his love story also accomplish . So for this I think director should plan with season 2

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Fast, Fun, and Full of Surprising Characters

From the trailer and promo images, you would think this was a bit of comedy fluff but it's actually a dystopian thriller full of character development disguised as a rom-com.

The story is simple on the surface: for some reason there are hardly any men in the world, so the government gathered them all into a place called The Farm and basically raffles a few off every year through a reality competition show called Ready, Set, Love. Our leads are all involved in this show as competitors and production staff, and it becomes clear very quickly that the game is not only rigged, but also hiding some really, really dark truths.

In the middle of this game we have our leads, Day and Son, who trace the path of dislike to friendship to love quickly but with real sweetness. There's several drama tropes thrown at them, but the actors and the story make it all work in an adorable fashion.

Alongside Day we have her best friend, Va, who is working on the show with an ulterior motive. I loved her character and her family's story, sad as it was. Day also deals with two rival competitors, Chanel and Bovy. These two are great - just when I was worried they'd become the typical villainess and airhead friend, they surprised me with complexity and emotional depth. Chanel's story was, to me, especially touching and I was so glad when she got to make her own choice and thrilled by the decision she went with.

Son's friends are the other men who are the prizes in the game show, and three of them (Paper, Almond, and Max) have really interesting stories of their own. It's impossible to praise them much more without major spoilers, but each one had a personal journey that was well written and acted. They each broke my heart a little and their brotherhood was lovely.

My favourite character, though, was Jenny. She's the show runner for the reality game and her story, her relationship with her wife, and her choices throughout the series had me completely entranced. I love, love, love Jenny.

There production values of the show were insane - particularly the reality show competition elements, which were so elaborate. I don't watch that kind of show so I found some of those sequences kind of bizarre, but I appreciated them in how the showcased the characters. I am also new to Thai dramas, so the occasional exaggerated acting was jarring for me but it wasn't too frequent.

I will happily rewatch this show in the future, presumably ahead of the second season that was teased in a little mid-credit scene.

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Certainly not overrated as people believe it to be.

Twinkling Watermelon had a bit of everything. It was one of those dramas that would definitely stay with me for all my life. It had a lot of funny moments, it made me shed a lot of tears, but most importantly, it made me love and understand my parents a bit more. There were a lot of relationships that I was rooting for throughout the show, but my favourite was the father-son bond between yi chan and eun gyeol. The way despite his upbringing and lack of a father figure Ha Yi Chan became an ideal father to his sons, and how Eun Gyeon despite witnessing how childish yi chan was in the past went over and beyond to find a way to give yi chan the 'twinkling youth' he wanted for himself is absolutely heartwarming.

I don't understand why people call this show overrated when there are plotless chichéd shows like My Demon and Marry My Husband rated so high. Many of the comments here compare the show to Weak Hero, maybe because of Hyun Wook. But as much as I liked Weak hero, it is no match to Twinkling Watermelon. Weak hero had a weak storyline (pun intended), it was character driven where the protagonist faces bullies, starting from highschool level to literal gangs. That's it. And yet there is hardly anyone calling it overrated with a 9.1. If this show was an action thriller, none would have a problem.

It is a youth drama with a simple plotline and some plot holes for sure, but the emotions and the message behind all the fun scenes are so deep that I believe all the action-maniacs fail to understand. It was a simple show for sure, but it had some of the most complex storylines and characters I've come across in any drama until now. Thrillers are easier to write, creating stories and character that touch your heart and make you root for them without the characters having some forced past trauma is hard. Twinkling Watermelon is not overrated. It is the second best kdrama I've watched in a long time, the first being Itaewon Class.

Despite all that rant, I understand there were tons of minor and major plotholes in the show. It's okay to have different opinions, it's okay to not like something. I've seen comments saying people rate this show based on their emotions, but it's that the main purpose of any show? If there is a story good enough that compels the audience to be irrational enough to ignore all the plotholes, I believe it definitely deserves a 10, because it's never about how good it is, and always about how it made you feel during and after.

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Perfection, even if season 1 ends dramatically.

Yeah, yeah, another fan is writing a review and rambling about it. lol

ETA: this review was written before season 2 was aired.

*Story*

I was thoroughly engrossed in this drama. The storyline was captivating, and its ability to hold my attention was unparalleled. Each episode was masterfully crafted to add mystery and intensity to the plot, leaving me on the edge of my seat, eagerly anticipating what would happen next. I was so invested in the characters and the story that I binge-watched all 46 episodes in one go, completely glued to my screen.

This drama is a true masterpiece, encompassing all the necessary elements to make it a thrilling experience. From the complex and intriguing plot to the romantic subplots that will leave you breathless, from the gripping drama that will keep you on the edge of your seat to the humorous moments that will lighten up the atmosphere - this drama has it all. It is a perfect blend of various emotions and genres that will keep you hooked and entertained from start to finish.

*memorable scene*

- 100 Poems Night ep 27

*Casting*

ML was fantastic! His acting skills were undeniably remarkable, and he portrayed his character with wit, humour, intelligence, and an overall lovable personality. All the other actors and actresses were equally impressive, but I must give a special mention to the Emperor, who was simply outstanding. From the beginning, I knew that he was undoubtedly the protagonist's father, and his objectives were to test him to be his successor. That's my take on Season 2 anyway, and I can't wait to see how the story unfolds. I must also highlight the exceptional performance of the child who played the lead role. Wow. Just wow.

Season 1 of "Joy of Life" was broadcast in 2019, the same year as "The Untamed," which starred Xiao Zhan. Although I adored him in "The Untamed," I must say that I wasn't as impressed with his character in "Joy of Life." Perhaps it's because his role didn't allow him to shine as much, and his supporting role as a villain didn't help matters either. His character never allowed him to smile, and we know his smile is his trademark. Rumours are he has been replaced for Season 2, but we'll have to wait and see.

*Director, production*

An exceptional drama encompasses a variety of important factors. First and foremost, a great script is essential to hook the audience and keep them engaged throughout the storyline. The right actors and actresses are also crucial, as they bring the characters to life and add depth to the drama. A budget that allows for wow factors such as stunning costumes, an impressive movie set, special effects, lot of extras and martial arts choreography can also elevate the drama to the next level.

However, even with all of these elements in place, the drama can still fall flat without a clear vision from the director. The director's vision must be cohesive and consistent throughout the drama to ensure that everything comes together seamlessly. Additionally, edits must be done with precision and skill to avoid any jarring or disjointed transitions. With all of these factors working in harmony, an exceptional drama can be created that captivates and enthralls its audience.

*Love story*

The drama's plot does not revolve around romance, but the main lead (ML) falls in love with a beautiful young girl at first sight. After a few misunderstandings, they get engaged. Amidst political challenges, the girl becomes part of a small circle of people that ML trusts. However, hints dropped in season 1 suggest that the story will not have a happy ending and that the martial artist QI girl (Haintang) will play a significant role in the romantic aspect of the drama. This is my interpretation, but nothing is confirmed. It is obvious to me that the emperor of Qi is a woman. I am wondering the story behind this. Rumors say there is more to her and ML.

This drama is not centred around love. Love is only a political accessory. So, it will be interesting to see this part unfold in the next three seasons, which is a trilogy.

*music*

Once in a while, a drama produces music that I become obsessed with. It happened with “Eternal Love”, “Faith”, “Love like the Galaxy”… and “Timeless” sung by Xiao Zhan. I had no idea the images were from Joy of Life. This clip video is a masterpiece, plain and simple.

*cons, inconsistencies*

In my opinion, the modern-day part where the guy explains his story and the last part when we are back to the modern days were completely unnecessary and added nothing to the storyline. His character is already established as an anomaly due to his mother coming from an advanced technology society. Therefore, his genius intelligence, his knowledge to be out of time and place and photographic memory can be easily explained.

*special effects, martial arts choreography*

The drama was aesthetically pleasing and visually engaging. However, I noticed that there were instances where the edits were not perfectly synchronized, and it seemed like multiple takes were needed to achieve the desired outcome. Despite this, I still believe the overall production was very well executed and enjoyable to watch.

The sheer magnitude of the budget allocated to this drama is evident in every frame. The attention to detail is impeccable, and nothing seems to be done in a rushed or haphazard manner. The presence of numerous extras in almost every scene adds to the authenticity of the drama and makes it feel more genuine and immersive. Overall, it is a testament to the high production values and the filmmakers' commitment to delivering a top-notch viewing experience.

*how I understand the story but primarily questions*

The clues are scattered and plentiful, enough to keep me on edge and make me wonder about what, when, how, and who.

**His mother: how and why did she leave her world? I assume she escaped something or somebody. She went with a destructive firearm of mass destruction. Why? Why did she leave to find the blind martial artist? She seems to know the past and future. Who killed her? Was she captured by her own world people?

**Blind martial artist: he lost his memory, but everything in him looks like a robot. Is he from his mother's world? Who is he?

**Clues: His mother's book allows people to become grandmasters, the highest level a martial practitioner can reach. Where is this book? His mother explained the Ice Age and the circle of life with the return of the feudal era. How did ML know all these poems? Where did he read them? How did he get all the past knowledge?

**Divine temple: how does the wheeling chair villain know this place? What was his relationship with his mother? Did he kill her and why?

**3 amigos: emperor, wheelchair villain and adopting father… they seemed very close friends in their youth, then his mother married the prince next to be emperor. They seemed to have made a pact of silence

*Conclusion*

I recently watched the trailer for the second season, and we are in for another great ride. However, I also anticipate another bittersweet ending that will lead to the third season (nothing confirmed yet, my own assumption ). Despite my preference for happy endings, I am willing to make an exception for this show, which I consider a true masterpiece.

As someone who recently watched the first season of this drama, I consider myself lucky that I did not have to wait for five long years for the second season. According to rumours, the second season is set to be aired in mid-2024, which is quite a long time from now. However, I can confidently say that this drama is one of the best out there and is worth the wait. The plot, the characters, and the overall production are all top-notch, making it memorable and highly recommended for anyone who loves dramas. In fact, I would even say it's a must-watch and rewatch for anyone who enjoys good storytelling and quality entertainment.

If you want to read my review about season 2: https://mydramalist.com/54083-joy-of-life-season-2

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Watch for second leads and the twists!

The second leads in the drama are so amazing, and the plot is really, really inventive. Just when you think you've figured it out there's another crazy twist, so don't trust anything you see! If you like intrigue, a bit of angst, and a mature, healthy, supportive relationship, this one's for you.

I will admit up front that this review is based entirely on the second leads and the adventure plot, because I got so sick of the 'main' couple after four or five episodes that I just fast forwarded through their scenes to get to the (in my opinion) good stuff. The lead characters are actually pretty annoying, and the actors are mediocre at best, but their relationship and backstory scenes can easily be skipped without missing anything important to the really interesting plot and heart-fluttering second couple's story.

The second leads - Xu Nian (ZLH) and Quin Ya (FSQ) - in the drama are *everything.* Their relationship is beautiful and heart-warming, they are at the center of the intrigue plot, and the two actors carry the show on their capable (and gorgeous) shoulders. I think the creative team realized this as the drama was being made, because by the halfway point this pair pretty much became the main leads. Once that switch happened, I was glued to the screen!

The rest of the characters are okay - many of them are more like caricatures than people, and some of the acting is iffy. I liked the secondary members of the boy band, who were charming but not deep. The villain was completely over the top, which occasionally became annoying, but he was balanced out by his aunt, who was great.

For a drama about a boy band, the music wasn't particularly memorable. The production quality was pretty good, though, especially considering that there was a lot of virtual reality involved.

As for rewatching, I've already watched the whole second leads story and escape plot twice. Even knowing the twists, it's good enough to enjoy multiple times.

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Should definitely watch once!

The plot or the story of the drama is unlike other chinese dramas. Its not only about the romance between Jiang jie and Li nai. It gives you an insight to the chinese cuisine and how hard chefs work. Not spoiling too much, it makes one go through an emotional rollercoaster. The actor who played the role Jiang jie was excellent. He was the one who stood out among all for me. The only thing which i didnot like was the romance development between the main leads. It was clear that jiang jie liked li nai from the very beginning but through most of the episodes it felt as if li nai treated jiang jie just as a friend. So sudden confession was felt a bit off. Them being in a relationship was very sweet and pure. Kiss scenes were hot. Over all, truly worth it to watch once!

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