asflowersfade

I loved this drama’s take on the Beauty and the Beast theme and I loved that it turned the whole trope on its head. Here, it was the woman, Jang Man Wol, who was bloodthirsty and vengeful and… stabby, and the man, Goo Chan Sung, who was soft and sweet and gentle. I love to see gender stereotypes switched.

I also loved one of the secondary pairing, Lee Mi Ra and Det. Park Young Soo (BTW, the actors both had supporting parts in My ID Is Gangnam Beauty!). I loved them because they were similar to Jang Man Wol and Goo Chan Sung: she was like a porcupine and he was just the softest…

So yes, I loved that. But around ep 13 it started to feel off. I guess it all began with the very bland ending of the vengeful spirit storyline. They built it up to this seemingly huge plot and then… a whimper, not a bang. I had a similar feeling with pretty much every subplot afterwards. Yes, all the loose ends were tied but, well, they were tied and re-tied and then tied again for a good measure, so much so that I couldn’t help but feel that the last two eps dragged - they were both 90 min. long.

Don’t get me wrong, I cried during the finale but at the end, instead of feeling satisfied and pumping my fist all, “Yes!” and “I don’t want it to end!” I felt more like, “Okay. Onward.” The best part of the final ep was the very last scene, the introduction of the new hotel owner. That was well done.

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This one was good. Set in the "old world", during the series, it centers on the representatives of the three Japanese states and who they are and what plans they are brewing. Their target? Kamen Rider Build!

I loved Sento in this movie, when everyone forgot about him, when everyone - literally! - tried to kill him, mind-controlled by the aliens, and he had to find a way out of this mess completely alone because even Banjo and Misora were against him. And on top of that, he had to listen to Takumi's constant needling about how it was impossible to "fix" Banjo etc. and so on.

Speaking of Takumi, I love the "mind palace" where Sento keeps meeting his other self, all the doors, mirrors and stairs and whatnot. The CGI is perfect and visually, the "room" is stunning!

Also, AFAIR, Sento never told anyone about this, did he? That his personality literally split into Takumi - the him from before - and Sento - the him now. That he has actual conversations with himself, that he can hear and see his other self.

Gosh, Sento... he keeps so many secrets from the others, always shouldering everything, blaming himself for everything. And yet, instead of being all doom and gloom about his guilt, he fights for "Love and Peace". What an amazing character!

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Choi Woo Shik is honestly the cutest. And such an amazing actor! I think my favorite moments in this drama were his "quirky" reactions to pretty much anything. But the best part? Woong and his parents. There was so much love and affection and respect and I think theirs was the best family dynamic I've seen in a long time.

I must admit, though, that I liked the first half of this drama better than the second one. IMO, it was funnier and it kept me on the edge of my seat, the push and pull between Woong and Yeon Soo, the will they won't they was polished to perfection. Once they got together, though, it just... lost something. It was still very good, don't get me wrong, and the actors were keeping the standard high but some of the, well, spark was gone.

Some of my favorite moments were when Woong was sick and laid his head in his mother's lap. Or when she and Woong talked about Woong knowing about his past at the end. Or the genuine care that Woong showed to Ji Woong when Ji Woong was sick. Or... well, like I said, pretty much all Choi Woo Shik's scenes, what can I say. He's a truly marvelous actor!

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This Korean BL drama maybe became too sugary sweet at the very end but I still liked it very much because it was funny, the characters were interesting and the story well-developed - and overall? It simply put a big smile on my face. I wanted to pinch everyone's cheeks, they were so cute!

The funny thing? My favorite character in this drama was actually the not-gay one: Namgoong. He was the friend everyone wishes to have: incredibly funny, very loyal and always having his friends' back. And his regular fisticuffs with Lee Sohee, the sole female character, were just awesome!

I'm honestly loving this Kdrama trend of well written BL series with good production values and actually talented actors. Korea is truly starting to give Thailand a run for its money when it comes to BL stuff. If Thailand wants to keep ahead, it needs to up the ante - and not just by making their dramas explicit but actually writing them well!

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I readily admit that this drama had its issues with pacing. The editing was chaotic - especially in the beginning - and some of the jumps in logic were mind-boggling, as if certain parts were simply cut so you were left rather confuzzled. But!

But the characters made up for it. I loved all the firefighters at Huo Yan's (Gong Jun's) station and his relationship with Yan Lan was just precious. The actors obviously had a lot of fun with their parts which helped immensely. Another thing that I simply adored? The parents. All of them. Every single set was kind and loving and they all simply wanted their kids to be happy and safe. Not a bad parent in sight, what a marvel!

The best part for me, though, was the friendship that developed between Huo Yan and Luo Jie. They started as rivals, both in their profession and for Yan Lan's heart , but they got past that rather quickly and then? Then they became besties! Gosh, that was so awesome. And it made me so happy!

Also, this drama is, first and foremost, an ode to the fire rescue of China. You have to accept that to enjoy it. It's Independence Day... just about Chinese firefighters instead of American soldiers. If you get easily annoyed by eloquent proclamations and hero worship, then this drama is definitely not for you.

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Lotsa Fun!

A very, very sweet comedy about how two young people met, fell in love, finished school, started a career, got married etc. It was really nice that we saw all the stages of their relationship because most stories end with the confession and then it’s an implied HEA, that’s it. Here, we saw what happened afterwards, too.

The actors had a fantastic chemistry and they played off each other perfectly. I loved all the funny noises that accompanied their reactions which made their comedic timing even better. I also loved how they used the fact that Gu Wei Yi was huge and Si Tu Mo was tiny for humorous set-ups, especially in the latter half of the drama.

Yes, around the middle, the drama started to drag a bit but once the lead characters became an item, it picked up again. Besides, the humor helped in places where the story might’ve fallen dull otherwise.

So, overall, a great story and, for a Chinese production, rather short with just 24 episodes. It’s available on Netflix and I can highly recommend it!

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This was a very sweet story of reincarnation, deep love and deep regret. It was sad, touching, soft and loving with great actors and great cinematography.

Personally, though, I found the story a bit too slow and I think it would’ve really benefited from being shorter, the usual 12 episodes and not 17. To me it felt as if almost all the scenes and all the pauses between the characters’ reactions were a beat too long, it felt slo-mo without the use of slo-mo.

My favorite pairing was the secondary - tertiary? - one, WinTeam, because their back-n-forth felt more lively than the main pairs’. And my favorite character was Dean, hands down. His guilt he felt over what he had done in his previous life, his devotion to Pharm… it was wonderful.

I definitely plan on following Ohm Thitiwat and Boun Noppanut’s further series, they were THE discoveries of this drama for me. I’m very curious about their future career!

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I freely admit that I watched this drama mainly for the TeeFuse pairing and skipped pretty much everything else. Yes, FrameBook was also interesting but I felt that their storyline dragged a bit? Not that TeeFuse’s didn’t have its dull bits, too, sure. I think that 14 episodes was way, way too many and it should’ve been slashed to 10, 12 tops.

What fascinated me the most was Tee. He always seemed so… melancholy. He never got mad at Fuse, not even when Fuse decided to stay with Jean, he even promised to remain friends with Fuse, given a little time. And he never talked to anyone about how he felt, about his mother’s much younger and cheating lover, about Seed and his advances, about the whole Fuse situation, he kept it all in. I don’t know what it was about the actor playing Tee, Boom Krittapak, but to me he felt almost… ethereal here. Guest starring as Tee in WRU this year, he felt much, much more solid, real.

But regarding FrameBook, I truly adored the last scene with them, when Frame made the video to remind himself of what was really important in life: protecting the one he loved. That was incredibly sweet. And also natural, considering all that happened to Book in MIR2!

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This series had 3 main couples: PhaYo, MingKit and ForthBeam (see pic). My problem was that I didn’t really feel PhaYo - the main pairing - until the very last ep, only then did it get interesting for me. Before… not so much because Wayo was too immature, and even though I didn’t like the way Phana acted at first, he then got much, much better whereas Wayo devolved until it reached a point for me when I started thinking that Phana deserved better. It was only after Phana called him out on his behavior that Wayo changed.

MingKit and ForthBeam, on the other hand, I was behind them from the start. I don’t even know why but their stories, they simply clicked with me. MingKit was cute and ForthBeam was hot. I loved Kit’s family issues and Beam’s depression (though it was only hinted at), and that Ming and Forth, respectively, accepted them the way they were, with all their baggage…

Also, another awesome thing was the ride or die friendship among Phana, Kit and Beam. The way they took care of each other, genuinely, affectionately, that was another wonderful part about this drama.

And I’m so happy to hear that there will be season 3! From what I heard, Pavel Phoom (Forth) confirmed it on his IG. I can only hope that, considering the BTS issues, it won’t end up being another Love By Chance, that would… irk me.

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This was my first drama with Ahn Bo Hyun and I've definitely become a fan.

My favorite thing was, I think, the message that you can mess up, even badly so, but in most cases - murder excluded, of course - you can turn your life around, make amends and become a good person in the end.

I really liked the fine balance between funny banter/kick-ass scenes and very serious issues, especially when it came to mistreatment in the military. The drama knew when to pull back, when not to try and be funny.

Another great thing was the unexpected pairing that was Doberman's boss and his cop aunt. They were hilarious. And so sweet at the same time. And the fact that Doberman was very, very happy for them was the cherry on top for me because I expected the drama to go down the usual route of the ML not wanting his aunt to be in a relationship with his boss. So, thank you for that.

I must say that the role of a soldier really fits Ahn Bo Hyun. He's just the right type to play a guy in a uniform, he has the perfect presence for that. I very much approve!

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This was cute. A top university swimmer and a human Pikachu fall in love. After many obstacles, of course. And after he stops being a jerk to her. It's his journey, from a big a-hole to the best boyfriend under the sun. I felt very single after the final episode 😔

But really, it's honestly quite the sweet drama. He stops pulling her pigtails rather quickly, once he realizes that he might do everything in his powers to annoy her, true, but he hates it when other people hurt her. And he even enlists his mom to help her. BTW, his mother? Quite an awesome lady, also quite enamored with her son's new lady friend. No bad parents for this main pairing.

He truly is all ride or die for her. At one point, he's even ready to drop swimming, his lifelong dream, simply to protect her. Because if push came to shove, he would always choose her. Who would not love a love like that?

And she! Quite mistrusting of his affections at first, for obvious reasons, considering her powers. But slowly, she lets him in and she lets herself believe that his feelings are genuine and then... then she simply adores him. Their love is so soft and so honest. Once they get together, there are no big fights, no misunderstandings, only love and the need to protect the other from any harm.

I liked this one a lot!

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Oh, this was lovely! A sci-fi romp masquerading as a cutesy VR love story. And featuring Zhang Linghe in one of the main roles. Pleasure!

It took me some time to get into the drama because at first, it rather heavily focused on the main pairing, Lu Xie & Jiang Kele, but once the secondary pairing, Guan Qianya & Xu Nian, met, the drama really took off. Why?

Because the main pairing was the usual funny girl/bad boy pairing just, you know, with VR. But the secondary pairing was what really fascinated me: female CEO/"VR character" ordered by his boss to seduce her. I mean, wow.

And the reveals and twists! Like very sci-fi twists with a matrix-like game and androids and holograms and stuff like that. And all that wrapped up in a love story of a rich and powerful female CEO and a young man who's never left an underground facility and who loved her the way she deserved.

I must say, this drama pushed all my buttons and I couldn't get enough. I gobbled it with a spoon and I watched all 36 episodes in the span of only a few days, I just couldn't stop. Because the story was great, the CGI fantastic - and Zhang Linghe playing Xu Nian simply... *chef's kiss*

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This was such a great series, one of the best Cdramas I've seen so far. The characters were great, the relationships touching, the cases they solved always interesting and the main arc so well-plotted!

What I adored was that both Su Ci and Prince Qi were smart! They were intelligent and cunning and resourceful and lovely, kind people. But mainly, they were Smart(TM)! Both of them! And it was perfectly portrayed in how they both solved the final case, the main arc case, though they approached it from different sides: Su Ci by following clues, Prince Qi by trusting and working with people, winning them over.

Another thing that I loved was that Prince Qi suffered from PTSD caused by that one disastrous battle where he lost all the men under his command for which he never forgave himself even though it was not his fault but the work of a traitor.

Another thing that I loved #2 was how how much everyone loved Prince Qi: his brother (the Emperor himself), the Empress Dowager (even though Prince Qi was the son of her husband's concubine), all the prince's men (every single one of them would've died for him)... Because he was honest to gosh good people and everyone knew it.

I also loved how the relationship between Su Ci and Prince Qi developed, that he always supported her and ever since he found out that she was a woman, he did all that was in his power to change the laws so that she could officially work as an official. That was simply amazing.

Oh, and the ending was perfect. I loved it when found families stick together!

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This is a movie about Mei, a closed-off loner girl, and about Yamato, the most popular boy at her school who falls for her after she kicks him down the stairs, mistaking him for a pervert.

It's also a movie about bullying. Mei was a victim of it in elementary school and Yamato didn't stop others from bullying his best friend, also in elementary school, for which he feels guilty to this day.

It's also a movie about gossip and the damage it can easily cause. There's gossip about Mei, the ugly duckling who nabbed the most popular boy, and there's gossip about Yamato because all the girls want him and most guys hate him for it, even some of his friends, and envy turns people ugly.

Mei considers herself ugly and she doesn't understand why Yamato would date someone like her. Yamato doesn't understand why Mei would think like that when she's so cute and strong and she makes him smile.

What I love about this movie is that Yamato dated before and he kissed many girls and he slept with some of them - but he doesn't consider it something to be ashamed of. Yes, it happened and it's a part of him but it's not bad or wrong. He's always kind to everyone, even to his exes, and he treats them sweetly and cares about them and he has no regrets.

I also love that Yamato doesn't really give Mei a reason to be jealous, he doesn't cheat on her, it never even crosses his mind. Yes, he's nice to other girls but they're simply his friends and he never feels even slightly tempted to cheat. All the conflict stems from Mei feeling insecure about being his girlfriend - until she doesn't.

Overall, this is really sweet. I love the whole "Why me?" vs. "Why not you?"

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It felt like the budget for this drama was minuscule but it didn't really matter because the main couple carried the story with pride. Boy, did they carry it! After Her Royal Highness, this was the most sensual Cdrama I've seen till this day. Wow, just wow.

It was also the first drama that I've seen with Zheng Yecheng. And I am smitten, my friends! Another Cactor to follow, nice! Pretty, great at acting - and incredibly sensual. Gosh, his kisses were... err, well-acted *fans herself*

I really loved the push and pull between the main couple, their courting was a true game of equals. She was determined to get him and he was determined to resist - until he wasn't. And then it turned really interesting, you never knew who had the upper hand. Perfect.

Also, I loved the friendship between the princess and the lady-in-waiting, and the relationship between the Shen brothers. Both the girls and the brothers were willing to lay down their lives for each other. But whereas the friendship between the girls was very open and there for everyone to see, the brothers mostly acted like they didn't care but when push came to shove they both knew that the other would be there, be it for a jail break or spying on a rebellion.

Also #2, I really loved the main theme song. It was so pretty...

Unfortunately, the last few eps felt rather rushed, there were fast-forward time jumps, fade-out scenes, obvious shortcuts. But, yeah, budget, I guess. Oh well...

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