
This review may contain spoilers
Another HXX amazing performance in a heartwarming sports drama again!!
This show is truly lovely. At first I checked it out cos the premise sounded okay but mostly for HXX (whose acting I totally love from HNG) but the story ended up charming me. At some point in ep 4 I thought I'd drop the show but then I figured I wasn't watching the show, just one person so I decided to genuinely watch the entire thing. And I loved it.I had no expectations whatsoever and hadn't even glimpsed the movie it's based on but it was such a simple yet exciting story and though I'd wondered what drama they could squeeze out of a car racing story, not only did they have a story, it was organic. Never felt forced or ridiculous to me.
The car races looked real and exciting and I kept wondering if they had actual cars and racers in this locations. It was not a cheap looking thing at all. Infact it looked less real when they were supposed to be driving like regular civilians on the road 🤣
I'm glad I watched this show. HXX's acting is still one of the best I've seen across all the Asian dramas I've watched. There's a realness to his characters that I enjoy. There were times I thought he was a better Zhang Chi than the original (who I felt was more quiet and more like LZD). Ep 23: the treadmill scene was sooo good from an acting perspective.
Manager Ye is a close second in favorite characters, he was so warm and caring that he was hard not to love.
The entire team was sweet too. And I liked how they handled ZC's and Xiaohe's relationship.. I skipped some of it but it didn't feel inorganic at any moment for me. I just didn't need to watch it but I approved.
There were truly funny moments and warm moments and also sad ones that brought tears to my eyes.
Side note: It's funny but what broke me down was when ZC did the sweeping thing for LZD with Ye by his side in ep 27. I don't know why, but something about that sacrifice was what finally had me crying 🥺.
For a show I almost dropped, it has turned into a 9/10 for me. It wasn't perfect and HNG still has my heart but they told they story they wanted to tell, dropped me off at a place where I feel satisfied and happy I got to inhabit their world and get to know them for a little while and that is something no show has done for me in a while.
So thanks to all who worked on this, they should be proud. I watched this exclusively for 3weeks and all I have is respect and ♥️. Questions might come later but for now, I'm basking in the love.
Looking forward to HXX's next project Tientsin Mystic.
Was this review helpful to you?

This review may contain spoilers
Slow and Gentle, that became Meandering.
At its best, show was heartwarming, emotional and a think piece on the impact of the consistent everyday kindness on even the most hopeless and that was when I loved it best. For the first 11-13 episodes, I enjoyed what I was given though sometimes I just wanted it to move. They started miserable and a bit pitiful and they ended better??Spoilers below!!!
Honestly I don't think the end was satisfying.
What happened with PDH and his wife? Are they still together? Is there hope? Is it over??
What happened with eldest brother and his wife? Do we just assume he will pay the loan and it's all good??
Why is mom always apologizing and sorry to PDH's wife like she has it rough for being a working helping wife? Old school mindset?
Spoilers ended!!!
I don't think I liked any character in the show. Maybe just the youngest brother, he was straightforward and refreshing in a show I felt many had the same note.
At its worst, it stretched beyond what was needed, almost too much crying and I just wanted to see it end.
Maybe I watched it at the wrong moment because I really like the slice of life without romance genre very much. I'd saved it since 2021 after hearing amazing things about it and I think I can see how it's so beloved but at the time I watched it, by ep 13, I started working while it ran in the background and didn't care to see what I'd missed cos it just felt repetitive and dragged..
Sometimes I really liked it but I never loved it.
Was this review helpful to you?

How to Make Millions before Grandma Dies
0 people found this review helpful
Heartwarming, down-to-earth and beautiful
I watched my first Thai drama 4yrs ago and disliked it so much that I hadn't gone back to Thai dramaland since and it so when I saw this in Netflix I wrote it off but the story was really right up my lane and based on a true story and wouldn't just stay out of my mind, so I decided to try it out and I'm glad to say that I did not regret doing so at all!I love this movie. It is a beautiful depiction of the imperfection of family, and loving each other regardless of those imperfections. It's not a groundbreaking story or new but it's human and I loved that. I loved the down-to-earth acting and feel of the story.
I loved watching the story unfold and watching the normalcy of their lives and also seeing what little I could of the Thai culture.
I think the actors did a great job even the little granddaughter Rainbow. No one was hateful or unbelievable, I loved it. The Grandma-grandson duo obviously carried it and they carried it well!
I especially loved the grandma so so much, she was my favorite character. Reminded me of my grandma, all sass and character and strong-willed 'I can do it all myself thank you very much', and I bless God for each day of her continued good health.
I'm giving this show a 9.5 solely because of some editing issues that occured a few times like in the scene where he's talking to his uncle. It was few but it felt like something was cut out and I noticed it about 3 times. It was a tiny thing but I unfortunately kept noticing it. Other than that, this is a really beautifully shot movie, I'm glad I watched it, I'm happy to try out Thai media again and I'll love to rewatch this someday.
High rewatch value for just the lovely story and gentle depiction.
I noticed and loved the music and it added to the movie. Sometimes I don't notice the BGM or OST of what I'm watching and I usually don't mind because it means, at least it wasn't bad but sometimes I do notice and it's usually cos it's great or terrible. Here it was really good, a light and sweet BGM that added to the story and I liked hearing it.
Please if anyone has any recommendations in this vein, from Thai or anywhere else, please share with me.
Was this review helpful to you?

This review may contain spoilers
Solid story with a great cast
I started this drama cos the story was unique and nothing like I'd yet watched and I'm happy I gave it a try. I didn't have a single problem with the cast and asides from the first episode, the BGM never gave me any problems and I really liked the opening song, listened to it every single time.The idea was good and I learned a bit about M&A, like it's not as emotionless and cold as I used to imagine. There's actually a lot of feelings and considerations when it comes to selling or giving up an asset even if it'll enrich you. I think Yoon's team did a good job of being considerate, infact it was far more than I'd expected but ultimately not unreasonable to me as a novice to such things.
Eps 7&8 were my favorite episodes of them all and really the peak as I didn't enjoy the final four very much.
I'm not really a fan of the revenge theme. I do understand the idea of an overarching story but I wasn't expecting it and didn't love it. I really liked the idea of a company in trouble bringing the best in his field to help them out and the resultant friction that could cause within a company such as that but the whole 'ex-employee revenge thing' just tired me out and I ended up watching the last two episodes in disjointed bits.
Its still a solid show and I might even check it out if it gets a second season because when the show was good it was really interesting and engaging and if you don't mind the revenge thing then you might enjoy it all the way to the end. (But I doubt I'll be rewatching this one again.)
Special shout-out to the production crew, the show was lovely to look out.
Professional looking people within a very polished and beautiful world (great cinematography.)
Chairman Song was an interesting character and I think the actor did a great job.
Lee Je Hoon was just a joy to the eyes. I loved the white hair, he looked ethereal atimes and his acting was good but I have to say my favorite character was O Sun Yeong whenever he was around, he looked so effortless and gentle especially his eyes and his voice is so soft and I guess I just liked him.
Was this review helpful to you?

Applause!!!
It's been a long time since I watched a procedural cop show.. I was burned badly by like 4 diff dramas in quick succession (tho all Korean) and it just took me out of my love for crime and cop dramas especially in the Asian sphere but on a whim, I saw this on Netflix and decided to give it a try and was surprised how much I enjoyed it.It wasn't trying to be anything new but what it did, it did well. The cast was one of the best part of it all for me. They were fun, dynamic and interesting. I enjoyed the acting from everyone but especially from Ibuki, Shima and Kuzumi. The cases were interesting and well written.
Some episodes really made me laugh too so that's a bonus.
I don't really remember the song but it didn't detract from the show so that's okay.
I think I could rewatch this sometime in the future.
One thing to note is Ibuki could get comically loud sometimes and tho this is something I don't enjoy in most dramas, but I just found him so charming that I kept forgiving him and I genuinely think he's a great actor.
Was this review helpful to you?

Bad Case of the Wrong Audience (maybe..)
Maybe it's cos I'm not a young adult anymore or about to write an important exam or was never a teenager or something... I'm not so sure why but this drama didn't resonate with me at all. Infact I found it quite uninteresting. It's sad cos I was really looking forward to enjoying this as it reminded me of a movie I enjoyed, titled Coach Carter, which had the same premise of a teacher taking special interest in a "bad class" and working with them to give them options in life.I respect good teachers and education as a resource for personal growth but I got tired very fast of the preachy way things were said especially by the teacher alllll of the time and unfortunately none of the kids stories struck any cord in me. I dropped by ep 11, skimmed from 12 to 16 to see if it got better and finally couldn't go on.
The acting was not the strongest for me from the students. Especially with Gao Yuan. Was not the worst but no standouts.
I barely remember the music but I remember not hating it so..
I understand that they're trying to encourage the youth to stay in school but it seemed that's all the drama was ultimately about and I don't think this was made for me at all.
Was this review helpful to you?