Dance is just a cover for watching hot men make out... and am I happy about it?
No, I am not.Oh my god. I was so excited for this one.
When I saw the trailer, I immediately subscribed to the notification bell.
We have to start from somewhere so why not with the title. Why this title? The title was referring to the competition and it becomes increasingly irrelevant as the movie progresses. Not to miss pointing out that this competition does not take place by the end of the movie (is it spoiler? what am I spoiling exactly? we don't even know why the competition is not in the movie after which movie was named).
My frustration about evident laziness is reaching a boiling point
....what will take it there is not weakly developed main characters, female dancers portrayed as useless and expendable nor randomly placed blond plot twist which was not twisting...
it is that the trailer gave off this impression that dancing is their world and they manoeuver this intrinsic mystique, sensuality and dominance that dance possesses the best.... and that would lead to explosion when the two bests meet each other.
I ate it up and couldn't wait to see this clash. Because the only special thing about this movie is the DANCE aspect. That they are dancers. We have seen BLs with rivalry, bad upbringing etc. etc. but professional dancers from different sides falling in love? Not that I know of!
They instead exploited this intrinsic sensuality of professional dancing to hide lack of plot and cliche' characterisation. First of all, the dancing does not look clean or professional. I can tell you I was not convinced by their dancing at all.
Secondly, male leads are developed weirdly chauvinistic, both of them. Sugiki really was not likeable character at all. And all of his motivations scream chauvinism to me, that does not make sense that they serve dance narrative. Dance is sport with two parties that are essential to the other. The whole movie is portrayed in a bit of hmm discriminatory manner? It is paradoxical cos it is supposed to be breaking traditional role of couple in dance and life.
Then, I understand Suzuki is supposed to be polar opposite from Sugiki, but what is with this representation of hot/wild latinoamerican dancer? Too obvious my man, there is subtlety to everything. Like what is with those reactions in every dance and then literally wielding the female dancer as a tool? I am kind of also slightly offended that they used the concept of dancing in service of what? audience seeing hot men making out?
I thought the dance was the igniter to the fire, not the burned down object..which it ended up being.
I would still put it as a recommend to try out, but it is not a rewatch for me. It has a nice cinematography. Actors are okay. A lot of thirst traps. And some cringy plot wrapped in dance.
Thanks for reading. Bon appetit! :')
Was this review helpful to you?
Takara is a snack, and makes this whole viewing experience not a complete waste of time
I have been bedazzled by the appearance of Takara. He gives off strong Cha Eunwoo vibe to me. I just waited for his scenes all the time. Nothing spectacular in the way the young actor delivered his role, but he seemed in tune with Takara, and his acting was natural for the most part; better said, it was fitting of his role. He was even funny in certain instances.I can say that the whole drama was more focused on Takara than on supposed protagonist, Taishin.
As for Taishin, I am frustrated beyond understanding. I don't know what it is about my Japanese drama choices that whichever one I pick up there is a whimpy, extra dependant stuttering second lead. Why write script like that? Is there truly an audience that loves this? The darkness falls onto my eyes thinking that this "exploitation of the other as love" is a real fetish but this is a second drama I watched perpetuating the trope.
And why does Takara start liking Taishin? Ok, the eyes and the glass connection, ok I get it, and the sense of full control, I get it. But everyone likes Takara, so why choose Taishin in particular for that purpose? Really poor character development for Taishin. And their chemistry was, well not terrible and disruptive, but certainy lacking.
Takara's tiny reveal of his character being like his mother's was gold and I wished it was explored more because that would make this drama more meaningful.. if that is possible at all.
I mean, only for Takara I am recommending this one because he is easy on the eyes. Otherwise, skip and you will miss nothing.
Thanks for reading,
Was this review helpful to you?
Only this dream of a cast can carry such underwhelming plot
I cannot stop thinking about it. What a stellar cast was assembled in S2. It makes absolute sense that in S2, arguably the most famous Korean show, gets onboard the most phenomenal Korean actors of our time. How did they get them all is beyond me? And all those brilliant actors competed for viewer's attention. How delicious and exciting! Keep reading to see who won over mine...One right move was to bring S1 actors in a different light. Time has passed and they changed. Lee Jung Jae as Gi Hun was a different character from S1, physically and mentally. Although his decision to not board that plane...was the wrong one, indeed. Then Gong Yoo in his convincing comeback as the salesman. He was well loved for his short cameo in S1 and I was so happy to see him back with some development. Then Lee Byung Hun as In Ho... tbh him joining the characters in such manner was unexpected and intriguing. Although he lost me throughout and if his story was to be the center, the mission was not accomplished as S2 was so scattered. Wi Ha Joon as Jun Ho did not shine at all, the focus was not on him, and the plot placed him nowhere.
As for the newcomers -- the producer brought their A game with all that cash from S1. What an ensemble!!! Probably 70% of my favorite Korean actors came together in S2. We got Kang Ha Neul as Dae Ho, who delivered perfectly his golden-wimpy convincing character. Then we got Park SungHoon. Please tell me how many words are enough to explain the brilliant performance he gave as Hyeon Ju. He is definitely the best performance of S2. There I said it, he won the competition of the attention. And the mere fact people are now taking this away from him, trying to bury him as if he is hateful towards transgender people -- please, why would he be ACTING as one. And everyone, I mean EVERYONE was pleasantly surprised by his performance. Stop cancelling Korean actors for everything for God's sake. We are losing art over here and they are losing their careers.
...And finally, my increasingly fave actor Yim Si Wan. You gotta make the best out of Siwan, he truly can give every movie award potential. He is a great actor and needed a stronger role. But I understand he is not as established as some of the others. I hope more complex character arc is coming in S3.
I mean all three of them really: Ha Neul, Sunghoon and Si Wan can carry the heavy role so give them sufficient backstory. S2 was disappointing in such sense.
There is no point in missing it if you watched S1, but it seems like a trap for S3, because nothing really happened.
Thanks for reading.
Was this review helpful to you?
Did we watch a different drama? Special premise and that is all
I am wondering what am I missing. Can someone enlighten me please. What was 'the best drama I ever watched' about this?Myeong-ha was definitely a great character and props to the actor behind him. Caring. Responsible. His writing was interesting. I liked Sangwon too, I thought his position was very unusual and appealing for a BL, but also underdeveloped. He had a lot of potential.
As for Yeo-woon, I did not believe the character one sec. The chemistry between the leads was lacking left and right. I cannot with that really. He was very one dimensional for me.
Perhaps it is about somewhat misplaced casting, too few episodes for the meaning to prevail or not great writing.
Sometimes cute, sometimes engaging most times left me quite unmoved - meh. It is 8 x 40min, so not too long. The story is unique and Tae Myung-ha is crush worthy so up for you to decide.
Thanks for reading.
Was this review helpful to you?
Believable up to a point... with side characters carrying this drama
I enjoyed this drama but cannot say that I was captivated by it like everyone else. The story lost me as we approached the end, and the love story between the leads did not have most natural transition or justification."Only them understand each other fully" - ok, and?
The initial premise of getting a second chance was emphasized in the beginning, and almost completely abandoned as the show approached the end. Both Jiang Ning and Xie Wei were not strong enough as leads in my opinion.
Also while we are talking about inconsistencies -- I just did not realize why would Ning liked the partners she did. Like for instance Zhang Zhe... itis beyond my understanding, she liked him because he was a righteous man? Is that it?
As for positives, Yan Lin is definitely my favorite. He was gracious and consistent and brave and courageous, and handsome. Then Xie Wei's retinue: Dao Qin and Jian Shu, Lu Xian and Dingfei.. they were so loyal and faithful that I loved seeing their genuine encounters and friendship. Also princess Le Yang, she did a wonderful job to be impactful in few scenes she had.
Gotta say, a lot of charm of this drama comes from the supporting characters. Watch it if you like historical dramas but it will likely not be your favorite one, like Rise of the Phoenix was for me.
Thank you for reading.
Was this review helpful to you?
Well... nothing happened really... except some fluff
What was great about this one is that it told three different stories.And Kim An's back story seemed interesting and complex. But writers quickly abandoned his development.
However, despite moving on quickly the show dragged its short 10 episodes.
It was hard to invest oneself into any of three relationship because these were superficially covered. I though the actor who was Hyun did a great job. Him and Kim An sort of had some development and backstory. However Minwoo and Maru, who put them together? Also Minwoo's behavior strongly suggested something was not exactly right with him and since it did not get revealed I just get a strange vibe altogether.
Acting really was not strong in this one.
It is 10x20min episodes but it is a pass from me.
There are much better fluffy options with great plot, acting, chemistry. if interested check out my fluff playlist as I cannot remember exact names of dramas.
If you decide to watch it, enjoy...
And Thanks for reading!
Was this review helpful to you?
Weak script inflated x 10 by superb acting
Well, first of all, they are not blood related brothers, so it does not get as weird as the premise suggests.Secondly, I thought the acting was one of the best I have seen in a while. That being said the script and storyline is disappointing.
The actor who did Wei Qian did an amazing job in the first leg of episodes. His reactions made everything realistic and more punchy. And for Yuan, again the actor did well, but his character was thin as paper. Plot meh. The understanding as to why his feeling emerge were, well, obvious but then not really justified, iykwim -- then every adopted child would turn out with the same decisions.
Well, as we get to the breakthrough, they funnily enough lose rationale (why Wei Qian changed his mind?) but the chemistry between the actors was good if not amazing. More realistic hookup I yet have to see.
I would say the story is disappointing and rather weak, acting and chemistry is great, truly. Give it a chance.
Thanks for reading.
RP
Was this review helpful to you?
What is the role of the abnormal? While lacking, certainly thought-provoking
Most of the movie I was in a state of -- Ok, ok, interesting, boring, typical, oh ok, obsession, ok. what is with this pacing. Ah. come again. boring, typical, hm. Then?As you follow the movie you notice an interesting pattern. All the characters had a specific pattern in their thinking. Tragedy - Unbearable pain - Justification - New behaviour. How do they turn a neutral stimulus into an explanation? Then into conviction, into justification.
The last quarter of the movie, one of the characters said quite a profound thing:
"You think it's all your fault.
He blamed his tragedy on the monster.
The third on, God's revelation.
You blame yourself.
These sound different but they're actually the same.
You all fixated on one thing as the cause of a situation.
Most tragedies are caused by a combination of circumstances we can't control.
Devil, monsters and the like, they are created by people seeking justification."
It kind of shook me because indeed seems plausible.
What if our anxieties are justifications for something?
Overall, a worthwhile psychological breakdown. Last 15 minutes saved this movie. Even though production was lacking, the story was intriguing and thought-provoking.
A recommend.
Was this review helpful to you?
What it promises, it delivers -- nothing more and nothing less! But is there more to promise?
In ten episodes, I do not think so. This output perfectly captures this drama -- what it promises, it delivers -- nothing more and nothing less!The actors this a fantastic job with their roles. I believed each one of them, from the most annoying to most desparate one.
The premise of the drama was blatantly clear, and was bluntly beated into viewer's forehead from episode to episode. Repeat after me: "Hierarchies are fundamental part of social fabric from the childhood to adulthood... And you cannot escape them." There are always ways to trap you into a layer where the powerful want you to be. And often times to climb voluntarily social ladder one sacrifices integrity and sense of morality. Because the pyramid, you see, it is not theirs. But of someone else, and in this drama it belongs to one character.
Ok, got it. Next? Oh not much really, from episode 1-10 this is the take home message. Which for a short drama I do consider a message being delivered. Mission completed and all that.
Another great theme tackled at the end of the drama was the concept of bystander.
There are almost no bad standouts to point out. The manipulation strategies of the main antagonist over the adults were slightly, to put it kindly, unrealistic. For the rest, it serves the story and very well could've reflected the reality.
Not particularly entertaining watch, I am not moved or anything but I cannot find wrong things with the project. If you do like these dramas that reflect on social issues, this might be a great one for you.
Thanks for reading.
Was this review helpful to you?
Seems heavy but thin as a paper
This mini drama left me quite unmoved.Soo Hyuk and Yoon Dae -- I thought the two leads had zero chemistry. The whole plot exposes the themes of abandonment and love for people that exploit us and how that generally disables you from growing in life. Okay, and? It only left those themes on the table and you soon question what are you even watching and is it gonna go anywhere.
That being said Yoon Dae was a leech and I have no other thoughts about him. Soo Hyuk is a sad boy with repressed emotions. Both leads are unlikeable and show zero development throughout drama. The ending is not significant at all.
Not a single theme in this drama was treated with care and respect. They seemed there just to justify (albeit ineffectively) actions of the characters.
Unfortunately not a recommend from me.
Thanks for reading
Was this review helpful to you?
Efficient and throws a meaningful punch at quite a few topics
There was not a single thing unnecessary in this drama.No dragging. No ridiculous subplots. Zero useless characters. Each one was developed.
Superb chemistry. Real emotion. Believable progression.
You can see where I am going with this. One word is efficient in all of its goals which were hefty for this drama.
The topics treated in this drama went beyond relationship and sexuality. They touched upon power structures (they even inserted Orwell in there), revenge, love across ages, depression... what touched me the most: the unconditional friendship. The prefect trio were really perfect friends to each other, admirable in the consistency of their support.
Soundtrack gives me Troye Sivan vibes and it is memorable. Not many hot scenes. More on the character development typa bl. I was not emotionally moved by cinematography or story but I cannot see any minuses really.
If it was not obvious..An absolute recommend.
Was this review helpful to you?
180 Degree Longitude Passes Through Us
1 people found this review helpful
deceitful with incomplete execution...or...perhaps because of it
What is this? Tension replacing chemistry?I was underwhelmed by this drama. Let me get it straight, the reviewers, you guys, I trust you and you really sold this one to me. 😂 I was ready to give money that's how well this drama was hyped. 💸
It was a slow drama that hardly kept my attention. Son and a father and a friend of a father and mother. It is very messy and in my understanding, ultimately none of it feels real. Or healthy.
Love? Hell, they are traumatized, all trying to heal themselves in another.
How do I feel about that? Not well. I cannot but feel some ick when heavy topics are badly executed to seem real and genuine for the sake of entertainment. It did not even feel real. I mean how did Wang fell in love so quickly with Inthawut? Trauma, I tell you, he said himself that In fills the gap in him.
And do not think I did not notice all the attempts to simulate Call Me By Your Name. From the music to characterization to scenery to way their bond is portrayed. Really? Wang has my props as an actor, despite bad writing of his character. Wait, let me go give him some flowers...
Ok, I am back. Wang did quite well, mother was not bad either. Inthawut was lacking for me, he was like a shell.
The chemistry between the leads is only in intense staring. Their convos held zero chemistry despite heavy topics I was bored out of hell. And what is In falling in love with, again? Immature and impulsive emotionally neglected son of his friend. Why would he though? Unresolved trauma.
You may say, JXP, this one is not about love but healing. But honestly I do not know these characters. And I never got to know them. This was irrational punch that was supposed to be intense but ended up boring. Again props to Pond, he did a wonderful job as a young actor.
Ah.. perhaps it was well intentioned project but for me...deceitful with incomplete execution...or...perhaps deceitful because of incomplete execution.
Was this review helpful to you?
Unbelievably real and hardworking drama... Love was put in this project and I wholeheartedly felt it
A true ode to psychiatric professions with imo perfect execution... that gives brightness and dignity to heavy topics.How needed was it...I did not even realize. not just for Korea but the rest of the international audience. It is just strange execution. Very careful, I would say.
Viewers are constantly made to be switching perspectives. First you are a sufferer, then caregiver, and then parent or a loved one, and then friend of a sufferer. Too many! And regardless, each perspective was never superficial, exaggerated or careless take on the topic.
About lessons...
In one memorable episode, in bouts of frustration, a depressed patient expressed their rejection of diagnosis to their bipolar neighbour. And in response, the bipolar patient said how "when our ear hurts we trust ENT doctor to know what to do. When we get stabbed we trust surgeon to know what to do. Why don't we trust psychiatrist to know what to do when our mind is sick. We are not objective about ourselves. That is why we trust them." -- Something along these lines -- I absolutely loved these peaks of non pretentious wisdom.
I am proud of the director.
Also the male lead was absolutely refreshing and charming in his quirky ways. (i might have changed my husband preferences)
Want S2 for relationship development.
Do not miss. Despite heavy topic, you leave with important lessons and light spirit.
--How privileged is to be a neurotypical and how much more empathy we can offer!
Thanks for reading!
Was this review helpful to you?
This show motivates to-- Get off your bed--and kick some a**!
I love this drama.It is kind of oldish and the story has some cringy moments but the core, that the bad girl goes to become neurosurgeon is there.
This backbone is so inspiring.
How the Hye-jung was not stubborn and convinced in her teenage delusion but when she saw better opportunity for her life she took it and embraced it.
What a character. Persistent and loyal. Knows how to fight, is the most promising female neurosurgeon and gets the cocky doctor/teacher as a partner. Decade long friendship with a quirky friend who is her total opposite. Wow. My cozy drama for sure. Rewatched 3x. It is easy to digest.
Now to think about him. They had solid chemistry and his character had a playful writing. But meh I feel some other actor would have been fine in this role. Also teacher-student relationship was not a thing despite audience having a feeling that they are into each other in high school. Tad bit strange cos he really looks older than her. The main actress was the heart and soul of this drama. The antagonist, actress Biblee, phenomenal as usual.
Story is nice, sometimes cringe but always ultimately uplifting. I loved how honestly the main lead fell in love with medicine and how she repurposed her strength and anger with her upbringing.
If you like medical tv shows, after Hospital Playlist go for this one.
Funny, badass and sometimes even meaningful. But uplifting. Always uplifting.
Thanks for reading.
Was this review helpful to you?
Innocent and even carrying some lessons
One of the regular sport drama premises: there is a psychological wall that keeps the lead from progressing in their performance. Then another lead shows up and instigates the change.Thank God this drama fulfilled the premise. The shorter lead, the instigator really gave this drama memorable quality despite the plot being short and having holes. He was cast well.
Also, I liked how naturally their relationship developed. I trusted their relationship which speaks to the skill of actors.
I do miss something, not sure what. Nothing explicit in here, but it was not as missed. As some other reviewers mentioned it was obvious that something was brewing. Spice could have been added but it is fine like this too. I wished they developed more the backstory but then I am not sure how it would have added anything.
Simply said, they chose a specific sized and shaped glass and filled it to its brim. Whether it is the best glass for the beverage 🤷♀️
Continuing my inability to remember their names the taller lead showcased maturity in his behavior and decisions. The shorter lead was very charming, expressive and charismatic. Even though the taller one is more my type physically the shorter one really mesmerized me with his performance. Showcase how masculine and feminine qualities are not reserved for particular physical characteristics.
All in all -- Wonderful acting. Both leads had different personalities that helped each other to change and grow. And the thing uniting them was shooting.
I am happily ending my day, satisfied that I cleansed my eyes from the disaster that another show caused.
Oh well, life.
A quick watch, nothing complex or tiring but will leave you with a feeling of lightness. I watched it while studying. Not a regret because it is one of the feel good typa drama. Also picked up a wonderful lesson:
You can endure your hardship by focusing on the end-goal, simply imagine something that makes you happy in your head.
Very true (and needed reminder).
Thanks for reading.
Was this review helpful to you?
