Overrated, Repetitive, Cute
DISLIKES:Production: shaky camera syndrome, zooming in way too close
Writing: very repetitive: the continuous looping of the same thing without any growth. It should’ve been shorter, because it became redundant and boring fast, making me not care about ANY of the characters the more I watched. Too many plot holes and such a mess. It felt like the script writer had become lost within the concept that was created. Which meant by episode 8 I became annoyed with the repetition, the constant crying of Dan-oh and her yelling Haru! Also the actress used an over the top cutesy voice that was very irritating.
LIKES:
Cinematography, lighting, colour pallet, locations
FX: also done well (the scar on the palm looked real), the green vortex, the floating elements, all blended in well and seamlessly. And moments between EGO/STAGE sessions were well edited and fx for it fine.
Acting well done by Rowoon and Lee Jae Wook.
Writing: the satirical take on the usual trope and cliches (concept of making fun of manga’s & anime & dramas.). I liked that the focus was the supporting characters. I liked how they showed the transition from comic character that’s written to the real character or “Ego”. The beginning episodes were good.
Music: I didn’t really notice it much, which meant it blended in seamlessly.
OVERALL:
I ended up finishing it only because of Rowan and Lee Jae Wook’s acting. I do not recommend it and will NEVER watch it again, as after the first 5 episodes it’s boring and a waste of time.
Was this review helpful to you?
Sweet Boy Chemistry
LIKES:They showcased very real talents of the Male Leads: Jeff's singing and guitar playing + Gameplay's chef skills.
Excellent chemistry and teasing between Jeff & Gameplay as Win and Tops.
No heavy drama or over the top sex scenes.
Cuteness of the cat and the baby/very young child with Top and Win.
DISLIKES:
Production:
Mic placement; seemed to be in their collars so if the actors touched anywhere near you could hear the impact of the mic being hit. It also cause dialog to be muffled at times too or breathing moments way too loud. For some scenes they could've used a boom mic.
Shaky camera syndrome + zoom in too close (see up noses isn't good & cutting off their heads).
Pacing was very slow.
Directing:
The actors had some very delayed reactions. A few more kisses would've been nice, especially drunk moments and xmas (why no mistletoe moment?), missed opportunities. Even if it was a neck kiss, we would've taken anything.
OVERALL:
It moved very slowly, but really showed us what "boy love" is and how chemistry between actors can really make a show work, without over sexualizing everything as most dramas in this genre do. Also nothing abusive or traumatic needed, which was refreshing. I would recommend this to anyone who wanted to hear Jeff sing and for those just starting to watch BL shows and movies. Because episodes aren't long, it's a quick easy watch and could be rewatched just as fast. However I was left wanting just a little more; more intimacy, more character development for both MLs, more of what happens in the future.
Was this review helpful to you?
Graphic Violence + Sexy Man Love + Comedy= KinnPorsche
LIKE:Cinematography, location settings, lighting, all better than average.
Porsche riding a motorcycle (advertising for Ducatti).
The building of the relationship between KinnPorsche, even with the soft core porn, was more realistic than some of the other Man Love dramas. I say “man love”, because Kinn and Porsche are not boys in any way.
Vegas spoke the best English and I found it interesting that so much of it was used.
Music was well chosen and really tried to make some moments seem more dangerous than they were. The music played up the mafia theme.
The comedy provided by Porsche’s character had me laughing out loud sometimes.
FX: the makeup artist for the wounds did a fantastic job making it look real.
Actors were well chosen to play their respective characters and they all did great.
DISLIKE:
Production: Shaky camera syndrome, stupid filming moving the camera around at all angles is not artistic or heightening anything, it’s annoying AF!!!! Especially during fight scenes (gun and hand to hand)!
Writing:
Porsche is a bartender and doesn’t know about drugged drinks or about controlling his alcohol intake?
Porsche is financially struggling but can afford to ride a Ducatti (expensive motorcycle)?
Porsche is supposed to be smart, but gives an expensive watch to be pawned by his Uncle which he knows has a gambling addiction?
The Italian Mafia Don guy, his Italian and his English, sucked! Even his Italian swear words, (I can definitely give him some pointers on that!).
Glorifying Stockholm syndrome is one thing, but they didn’t have to make it over the top graphic on the abuse side. WTF is wrong with the writer/script person?!!
Also not satisfied with the ending, felt very rushed, unless there’s a spin off show for Porchay and Kim, plus Porchay’s family.
OVERALL: Story line was okay, if you take out the abusive parts. The sexuality of it is on par with What The Duck Series, so nothing shocking. If you like crime dramas with Man Love theme and a good dose of comedy, then you will like this show and that’s the type of viewer I would recommend it to. I might rewatch certain parts, but not the whole thing.
Was this review helpful to you?
First Half Great. Good Friendship story.
This is based off the show itself, I never read the manga, but have seen Meteor Garden Chinese adaptation and the Korean version of F4.LIKES:
Cast all of them had good acting and fit their characters well. Sure there was room for improvement, but they all did well with showing a range of emotion.
Writing: first half of the series, their adaptation was good, changing some of the angst and betrayal/lies moments. These four seemed closer as teenagers, without having to relay on too many past childhood memories to show that. The reason of the 4 being so elite was shown without being over the top. The element of humour was well handled too. I didn’t mind how Ren and Gorya’s relationship developed in terms of their friendship, compared to other versions of F4 B.O.F.
Also I liked how Thyme handled the bullying portion and the retribution for it. And Gorya’s parents weren’t as annoying and over the top with their acting, like in the Korean version.
Loved the chosen locations and general cinematography, especially for the most part film stabilizers were used. The colour palette was good too.
Wardrobe was for the most part well chosen to suit each character, and I liked it much better than the Korean version, especially for Kavin.
Music was good, didn’t over power the actor/actress voices and was appropriate. The theme song wasn’t over played like it was in the Korean version, and it if was played a lot, I didn’t notice it.
DISLIKES:
WRITING:
Some of the storyline was cut out, which made for certain moments to be less impactful as they should’ve been, especially when it came to Thyme’s “evil” mother. Thyme’s sister really wasn’t used well, compared to the Korean version and really didn’t even need to be shown in the drama, aside from the one business related screen that allowed Thyme to leave to handle another situation. Ren was portrayed as a loner and artistic, but not as in depth of a character as the Korean Boys Over Flowers version of that member of F4. MJ being the Mafia Boss’s son, seemed to blur between him and Kavin. Almost as if their script was mixed up. Even in the end with the Iris moment, once more Kavin seemed more like the Mafia Boss’s son. Also the second half of the series seemed more rushed and timing or pacing became an issue to get the whole story across within the 16 episode limit. Would’ve been better if there had been 20 or 25 episodes, especially to show each character’s growth and conclude their individual storylines better. Also missed that Gorya’s best friend, wasn’t involved more. Even Kaning’s own love story, especially in second half of the drama, was very down played or lacking. Finally in regards to what the main characters grew up to become, was very vague except for Thyme. In the Korean version we saw what jobs/careers they’d chosen as adults.
There was more violence it seemed between the characters in this version, especially against the girls, than in the Korean one or Meteor Garden.
DIRECTING:
Some times the character’s reactions were way too slow. Too much time spent on driving and running around.
WARDROBE: They sucked at choosing clothing for Kaning, to the point of being tasteless. Sometimes for Ren’s character, it was like they forgot he’s supposed to be rich.
Product Placement: The IRIS moments were fine, but as is the norm in Thailand the constant product endorsement became annoying.
OVERALL: It took me a while to finish watching this show, because I wasn’t as invested in the characters as I was in other versions. I have yet to watch the Japanese version, so I’m hoping that will be the best one. It’s a decent watch, but better in the first half of episodes. I would recommend it to people who like this genre. The romance was VERY low key and I found it more about friendship and loyalty than about love and romance. I won’t watch it again and no scenes stood out, that I want to revisit.
Was this review helpful to you?
Great Acting coupled with Good Production and Story
LIKES:The theme throughout being consistent.
Decently developed plot, with some character development for all the main characters and some of the supporting characters too.
The chemistry between the 2 main characters and their whole dynamic.
Comedic relief/ humour did bring a lighter feel to the crime drama.
No romantic involvement with female characters, like the female captain and her house mate.
Colour palate, scene lighting and action was all well filmed.
Directing for the most part was good.
Early episode moments had an impact on later episodes.
I also liked how the tackled certain social issues, such as racism and prejudice of migrant workers or fake internet news, etc.
This show has an excellent scriptwriter.
Actors/actresses were well selected and were very good at portraying their characters.
FX were decent, but nothing truly amazing.
DISLIKES:
MUSIC: too loud sometimes and you couldn’t hear what the actor/actress was saying.
PRODUCTION: sometimes it was so obvious that streets had been cleared for filming.
WRITING: The ending was a little rushed and the capture of the master mind wasn’t as interesting or satisfying as it normally would be. Also too many times cases were solved do to coincidences and if that was done on purpose, it doesn’t respect the hard work that police detectives do. So perhaps the writer meant to have this whole show be a satire.
FX: some of the camera work gave me a headache, (but at least they mostly used film stabilizers).
OVERALL: I did enjoy this show, humour included. I didn’t binge watch it, but I was into each episode and watched all of them. I would recommend this to anyone who likes crime or police type dramas, especially those that have good teamwork. I’m not sure if I will watch it again, but I am satisfied with the show.
Was this review helpful to you?
Friends to BF/GF
LIKES:Music was decent, although the same violin bits became less impactful, because of how often it was shown.
Scenery and Cinematography were great.
Chemistry of FL Kitagawa Keiko & ML Yamashita Tomohisa, could be felt by the viewer, especially during the friendship phaze.
The great physique shots: The shirtless basketball guys didn't disappoint.
Them showing how much training the guys who play basketball do. Also the action part was good with the basketball games and the parts trying to beat the buzzer. It was interesting and not over done, so the games were never boring.
2nd romance of Mai (Kanjiya Shihori) and Shuji (Mizobata Junpei) was decent.
Good character development between FL & ML, no other characters seemed to have growth, but that’s because they were so under developed.
Acting done by FL & ML and the 2 couple of Mai & Shuji, were spot on.
DISLIKES
The male chauvinistic moments were over the top.
Production, some scenes were so obviously cut by editing. Also lots of shaking camera moments, which didn’t add drama and were just annoying, especially when it was a basketball game moment.
The last few episodes seem thrown together to complete the story and supporting actor storylines. There were moments throughout the show, where too much time was spent on things that weren’t needed and not enough time on what was (romance aspect)
No character growth other than FL & ML
A little more romance or at least kissing could’ve happened between the main couples, especially since they’re 23 and older, it was way less than even teen/ high school dramas
Love triangles for FL & ML; FL and the coach was cringe worthy. ML and Cheerleading Squad Captain , was okay, but Director didn't do the reveal moment with enough impact.
OVERALL:
I won’t rewatch except maybe a few scenes from FL & ML, but hopefully someone does a clip montage on youtube, so I don’t have to find the episodes I liked. If you like basketball or sports dramas and child like romance, then I do recommend you watch it.
Was this review helpful to you?
Juvenile Crime Drama with Adult Undertones
LIKES: The production was well done, no shaking camera moments to add drama because the acting was pretty good. Good zoom ins, camera angles, etc. Directing was also well done for the most part. There were some evening and dark area scenes, that had just the right amount of lighting, which made me applaud the director. Acting was well done for the most part and some of the supporting characters in each episode could outshine the main leads. The OST was suitable and not too loud or overbearing. Also while this crime/court drama did show some of the procedures, the good and bad of laws, it didn't get too bogged down by that. The first 5 episodes were really good, but the last 5 seemed a little less engaging. I wasn't as excited about the next episode, like I was in the first half of the series. For the most part I really liked how Kim Hye Soo delivered the character of Judge Shim Eun Seok.DISLIKES: Some over-acting when doing emotional scenes, but no one too annoying or too often doing that. The second half of the episodes and conclusion, weren't as interesting as the strong beginning. I didn't feel like there was true character growth for any of the leads, but that might be due to the limited episodes and hence time. Also when trying to give the back story of Eun Seok, the drama of the ex-husband and his mother (parts) really weren't necessary.
Over all it was a decent story, interesting and I watched the whole thing in one sitting. I would recommend watching it and rewatching it, because it makes us think about our choices and actions in respects to how it can effect others. A solid 7/10.
Was this review helpful to you?
An Easy Watch No Depth
LIKES:I really liked the production, cinematography, beautiful location/scenery shots. I also found the music to be pleasant and appropriate, although nothing truly stood out. Filming was well done, no shaky camera video and zoom ins were done correctly. I didn't notice any special FX to speak of. I did like that they showed the Team 1 workers doing their job, especially with Ha Ri working on recipes. Often office romances don't show the FL or ML actually focusing on their tasks. The comedic parts were okay and thankfully not too frequent, so they didn't become annoying. I liked Young Seo as Ha Ri's friend, the actress Seol In Ah was great. It was an okay ending, just barely acceptable.
DISLIKES:
They rushed the ending, but that I expected because it was only 12 episodes long. As usual there were the typical and over used cliches that South Korean dramas are known to follow. The product placements/endorsements were almost funny with how they were done, not smooth at all. I found the ML and FL didn't have much chemistry, however I did like the FL's character. Min Gue's character Sung Hoon needed more development, but as a 2ML he was okay. I don't know the webtoon that this was made from, so my review is solely based on the show. However I find a lot of people are over-rating it. A lot of this story felt like they ripped off parts from Boys Over Flowers (you'll know which parts if you watch it). There didn't seem to be any character growth from the ML, FL, 2ML, but there was a little bit for 2FL (Young Seo). The supporting characters and their romances were not needed and they could've used the time for the main role characters. It's a very PG kind of romance drama.
OVERALL:
It's a fun watch, easy to follow and not anxiety inducing because of the trials and tribulations of the characters. I would recommend watching it if you like the typical S.Korean drama formula. I wont bother watching it again.
Was this review helpful to you?
Overrated and Disappointing
LIKES:FX:
decent amount of realism to scratches and wounds.
CAST:
well chosen, great acting from ML Park Ji Hoon and Choi Hyun Wook. Liked Shin Seung Ho in this role, as Seok-Dae.
Cinematography, locations and sets were well done.
Female presence not really doing much in terms of romance, but provided some addition to storyline.
DIRECTOR:
some of the fight scenes were okay, but could’ve had better choreography.
MUSIC:
was appropriate for the scenes and theme song not overly played.
DISLIKES:
FX:
bruised and damaged knuckles from punching was overlooked. CGI/green screen used during car driving scenes was very bad, so noticeable.
WRITING:
Adult abuse never had consequences; the father got away with everything & nothing got concluded about it. They should’ve just left it out, because it was over the top violent.
No character growth for anyone, except maybe the one “bad guy” played by actor Shin Seung Ho .
Conclusion felt rushed and incomplete, almost like there were more episodes needed.
They could’ve left out the female friend part, because she had little under developed reason to stay with the main leads. Similarly the writer didn’t conclude the fentanyl issue.
Typical tropes and cliches used, which made it a bit boring and overly predictable.
No explanation why Beom-Seok did what he did and that is totally lazy writing.
The main character Shi-Eun in the end didn’t use his brain as his character was described or made to use in beginning, it was more brainless braun. It felt like the writer didn’t know how to create the ending with that foundation still intact.
The important characters, main leads, Soo-ho & Shi-Eun had no backstory, which could’ve been done with short flashbacks, while too much of it was given for Beom-Seok.
The reason for the three friends to spit up was badly executed.
Too much violence used for the abuse inflicted by the father (the kid would’ve been hospitalized, instead of showing up to school the next day).
PRODUCTION:
shaky camera syndrome and the fight scenes had too many camera angles and zoom in parts. No truly good fight scenes, like in TONG: Memories (2016), which had a similar concept. Pacing issues for everything other than the fights.
OVERALL:
This was VERY overrated. The good acting and music, couldn’t save it from bad writing and execution.
Recommend TONG: Memories or Bokutachi ga Yarimashita (Fugitive Boys/We Did It) or Age of Rebellion (2018), instead of watching this mess. No fight scenes were so good I would rewatch it. I don’t recommend this show, but might read the manga to see if it’s better. If they do come out with a second season, depending on the cast, I check it out, but with VERY low expectations.
Was this review helpful to you?
Money Heist: Korea - Joint Economic Area - Part 2
3 people found this review helpful
Not As Good As Original Version, but a decent watch
LIKES:Cinematography, locations, colour palette.
Music content didn't stand out, but wasn't bad either.
Cast for the most part was well chosen.
Better writing than in the first part of this show.
Plot, although not really original other than the North & South Korea parts, got better in part 2.
FX for the most part were well done; wounds, blood, explosions, etc.
More character backstory for part 2, compared to part 3, but little character growth (however wasn't expecting much due to it being an action movie).
Fight sequences for the most part looked fluid and were good.
DISLIKES:
Production, as per usual with most dramas done in Korea, no film stabilizer was used, causing the camera to shake a lot, when it wasn't necessary and made watching difficult sometimes.
Director made reaction times of the cast overly delayed and not in a good, suspenseful way. Not sure if was just how the actress did some scenes, but she seemed to overact for Woo Jin's character.
Acting: kissing scenes were gross; the guys ate the face of their partner.
Music often too loud and you just couldn't hear what the actors/actresses were saying. Even during narration parts, you couldn't hear it due to the music playing. I had to switch to reading subtitles to understand what they said.
Editing: more so in part 2, than in part 1, were the use of cables. Sometimes it was overly obvious. CGI for some driving scenes was terrible too.
OVERALL: It was a fast, easy watch and got better in part 2 (more backstory on the characters, more action, attempt at story twists). The acting was okay. They made it easy to root for the criminals and want to learn more about their backstories. Not the best written or produced in this genre but acceptable. I would recommend watching this if you don't have high expectations or are a fan of an actor or actress. I wont be rewatching and there were no truly memorable scenes. The ending was satisfactory.
Was this review helpful to you?
Too Long + Low Key Romance= Okay
LIKE:Good: sets, locations, scenery, lighting, food images, artwork, (carvings all excellent).
Cinematography & music all good.
Writing: very low key romance, even a middle school watcher can handle seeing the couples in this show. The family that wasn’t blood related, but still very close was endearing. The friendships were strong and a nice touch to the drama.
Acting/Cast: well chosen cast and the acting was for the most part was good.
DISLIKE:
Production: zoom in too close, shaky camera syndrome (lack of film stabilizer was maddening). Pacing issues due to repeating the same concepts over and over again.
Writing: ML’s mother was a sociopath, Actress’s mother was a narcissist, all the adult females or parents, came across as mentally disturbed, overbearing and self absorbed. Even the neighbourhood parents were like that. This show could’ve been resolved faster and got strung out to 40 episodes. I became a fan of fast forward button. Last episode crammed a lot of content in and resolutions too, but it was okay. Not much character growth at the end either. Typical tropes too, nothing new.
OVERALL:
Low key romance, but nice story about family and friendships. I recommend it if you have a lot of time to waste. No scene was particularly memorable and there's no need to watch it again.
Was this review helpful to you?
Lacked Good Writing, Saved by Acting
LIKES:Beautiful Location moments like the cherry blossoms, Doom’s house and the ocean.
The music was appropriate and didn’t over power the actor/actress voices, but nothing truly remarkable.
FXs for when Doom made time stand still, etc., were well done.
I like the concept of who the Beginning Deity was.
Production was decent and same for the Editing.
DISLIKES:
Writing: No character growth for ML & FL, everyone around them had more growth. How slow the romances moved. Very basic romance; hand holding and walking around, like what we would do in grade school, before becoming teenagers). There was no romantic connection or real chemistry with any of the characters, except maybe a little between Joo Ik and Ji Na. As usual K-drama stuck to the formula of hardships make stronger relationships trope, but was used way too much to create interest and drama in a show that shouldn’t have had so many episodes.
Pacing: Sometimes the episode didn’t move forward in terms of what was happening with the Main characters, that for the second half of the episodes I used fast forward to find the other storylines.
FX: a few scenes the CGI and green screen were way too obvious.
OVERALL:
Like other reviewers have said, this had the potential to be something new and interesting, but lazy screenwriting made it fall short. The cast is start studded and I finished this solely because of Lee Soo Hyuk’s character and acting. I would watch it at least for the first half of the drama and some parts I might even watch again, but definitely not all of it. There are better dramas out there that aren’t as boring. It’s an easy watch and an okay introduction to this genre.
Was this review helpful to you?
A Total Waste
LIKES:Costumes, colours, cinematography and locations, were all well done. Music was okay, but nothing memorable.
I loved the opening graphics of the little white "snake", it was super cute. First 2 or 3 episodes were good.
Inconstancy was a problem throughout. The FL doesn't initially save the "snake," it was her Lady that suggested it.
Second couple: Lonely Star and Blue Bird were the only reason I watch every episode of this garbage.
The actress playing the Blue Bird, was spot on even when in human form (constantly chattering away, very vain, always moving quickly from one place to the next, etc.)
All the reviews talking about the second couple are correct.
Plenty of immortal/magical moments as expected in a fantasy type drama.
Some of the special effects were good, but considering it's 2021 when it aired, it's pretty lame for the most part.
FX: the fireflies and wounds were well done, but the rest was cheesy or worse.
The cat demon's makeup was good and the actress is very pretty.
The hair for all the women was also well crafted, especially the cat ears.
DISLIKES:
WRITING
The writer started out with a good concept (pretty girl heals animals, they are demons and become loyal to her) and then the writer got drunk and wrecked the rest of the writing. And instead of calling the animals (both real and mystical) demons, it would have been better to call them spirts (good and evil) and why heavens immortals are friends with them. Too repetitive with the reincarnation lives, two maybe done well would have been plenty, but instead the writer muddles through multiple ones. Total crap. Even fairy tales have more kisses than this "romance" historical drama. Even the ending was stupid; just pick a concept already!
All they eat is pastries? Weird.
The "villain" is so obvious and gives a hint right in the beginning of the drama.
WAY TOO SLOW paced for the romance parts, thankfully there is fast forward.
Why start off making the FL a strong character and then trash all that over and over?
FX
The dragon's face when it became large looked like a cross between a fox and the dragon from Never Ending Story (American movie). The makeup and hair on the male lead was terribly done. The set design when it came to the rocks or rock formations was terrible. The fighting scenes, even with swords are not well choreographed and their swords look like rubber.
PRODUCTION
So many choppy parts, where editing was a fail. At least they didn't have shaky camera syndrome and used film stabilizer, but that's the only good thing about it. The CGI was terrible, as if their budget was limited, yet they made 36 episodes? UGH
Directing was bad too, huge lag when a character was supposed to react immediately, lack of showing the romance and chemistry, etc. Time management was a huge problem which was so obvious with how it dragged on.
ACTING
They did the best with what they were given. Dylan Wang was okay in this role, but they didn't direct him properly. Zhu Xu Dan was okay in the beginning, but became annoying later, but again I think this is due to the writer and director stuffing it up.
Deng Wei was surprisingly really good in his role as Lord of Luofeng Pavillion and showed good chemistry with Pan Mei Ye. Pan Mei Ye's acting was superb, especially acting bird like as her human/elf moments.
OVERALL it's a waste of time. The 2nd couple carried the drama, but still wasn't given enough time for a proper build of their chemistry and romance. I won't recommend it, unless you just watch a scene compilation on Youtube. I definitely won't rewatch.
Was this review helpful to you?
The Silent Sea is Binge worthy
Lee Joon is phenomenal in this drama. Also the storyline is probable and interesting, although the end is predictable to some extent. Great production. Believable story, with lots of suspense and guessing of who on the crew is a bad person. Visuals are really well done too; the moon scape. In some spots there was too much time spent on characters roaming around. It was done to create suspense, but felt more like a time filler. There was good character development for some of them and backstory was just enough without getting annoying. It's not a 10/10 for me, because there were some VERY cheesy gore/thriller moments that could've been done better. Also I wish we knew a little more about some of the characters, like the one played by Lee Joon. However it's a great watch and I binged it!Was this review helpful to you?
Better Than Expected
LIKES:CAST: all well selected for their respective roles/characters.
Cinematography, colour palette, all perfect.
Sets, filming locations, all suited the episodes.
Wardrobe & set pieces were well done, even paying attention to the weirder things in the anime like the snail phones.
Production: had the budget to give the viewer the feel of the manga/anime.
Music/sound: all of it appropriate, added to the scenes. Voices of the actors never overpowered by the surrounding sounds or the music.
FX: creating Luffy’s stretch ability, blending the green screen into the settings, even simple blood from wounds all looked great.
Writing/Plot: the past of each crew member of the Straw Hats was well accomplished, even using flashbacks. I like how Sanji’s womanizing ways were more subtle, so he didn’t come across as creepy.
Directing:
Fighting choreography was great, including Usopp’s bombs.
DISLIKES:
Production:
Zooming in way too close to character faces, when it wasn’t necessary; to the point I could see their clogged pores from the makeup, etc.
Writing:
They crammed a lot of story arcs and incidents into just 8 episodes, causing some of the impact to be lost. It doesn’t follow the manga/anime format for everything, but managed not to stray too far from the main plot. Some of the characteristics of certain characters were left out, (probably due to time management and pacing), maybe it will show up in future episodes (Season 2).
Acting: not the best, but it will do, especially if you haven’t watched the anime or read the manga. [I have learned not to have high expectations for live adaptions.]
FX: I miss Usopp’s nose and Sanji’s eyebrow, both which could easily have been done. 'Lots of blood loss' wasn't really shown, probably so the children can watch it. Makeup was normally well done, but they caked it on a little thick for Nami sometimes. When they zoomed in too close on her, it was so obvious.
OVERALL:
I was pleasantly surprised at how well they made this adaption to live action and I’m glad they had the budget to pull it off. The cast was perfectly selected. I followed the manga, watched the anime and was initially biased, but now I want to see season 2. It will be a while before we get more, so I will definitely rewatch this. I recommend it, even to other One Piece fans, give it a chance. Anyone can watch it. It has made it as my second favourite live action adaption!
Was this review helpful to you?
