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This review may contain spoilers
stayed in my mind
I really liked this very formulaic drama - Thai college students go through love angst due to inability to express honestly.Dunk Natachai Boonprasert/Dao Nuea is in his first starring role and does an excellent job of being appealingly cute and naive.
Joong Archen Aydin/Khab Khluen has a more nuanced role. He has been apparently dating Gai since high school and this effectively means no one else has pursued him except for Nuea's ongoing unrequited feelings. As the plot unfolds we get to realise he has zero experience of love and his 'girlfriend' relationship was really as a close family friend.
When our two main leads meet up again Nuea is embarrassed by his past confession so cuts off any attempt by Khluen to start anything. He remains in the 'safer' unrequited mode pining for his love and any attempts by Khluen are seen as not genuine.
We all realise that had Khluen cleared up the non girlfriend issue there would have been more chance to show us how sweet they are together, unfortunately the writers persisted with the misunderstandings for way too long thus dragging down the momentum.
Lots of negative comments about the non C kiss when Khluen is drunk but I think it is in character with this shy person who is hopeless at words and just has everything going on internally. He admits he is dumb at love and this is true in both senses of not knowing and unable to speak.
His mother plays a lovely role and we can tell that she has twigged his feelings for Nuea and tries to encourage him to not keep everything inside himself. He also has supportive friends as does Nuea. Nuea's brother, Mek Jirakit Thawornwong/Khua Fah is the more obviously experienced actor and has a strong screen presence.
Overall I enjoyed this drama and am looking forward to the sequel with Fah as the ML.
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Top Drama
I just finished watching the Goblin Special (lots of behind the scenes moments and bloopers) it reminded me how much I loved this drama so I felt compelled to write a review.This drama was outstanding for me. It was directed by the talented Lee Eung Bok and it has a level of plot complexity that really appealed. I was hooked right from the start the music and cinematography brought the standard to a high level. In the early episodes the laugh out loud moments were wonderful and the ML's especially good at the deadpan, fast delivery and comic timing.
Special mention: Goblin has the most perfect OST ever!
The script writing is excellent apart from the humour there are also some esoteric ideas that are handled well.
I felt the pace of the episodes was steady, not too rushed and allowed me to care about what was happening. I felt for the characters and cried buckets over the painful parts.
Gong Yoo makes this drama outstanding (yes I am biased towards every role he has ever played) Kim Shin endures so much and does it with dignity (and a great wardrobe) he has lived over 900 years and never been in love so some of his reactions to the FL are quite clumsy and youthful. He has been focused on his plan without a thought for the 'goblin bride's involvement so initially comes across as very unfeeling.
Kim Go Eun is a brilliant actress and as Ji Eun Tak meets Kim Shin when she is a high school student studying to get into uni. She has led a very sad life with almost no support since aged 9 when her mother died. She is very believable playing this 19 year old who has been told repeatedly she is to become the goblin's bride so she latches onto him very strongly when they meet. Later she plays her own age of 29 and this transition is also well developed.
The Grim Reaper (Lee Dong Wook) builds a close friendship with Kim Shin and their antics as flatmates, together with Yoo Duk Hwa (Yook Sung Jae) add some of the cutest and lighter humorous elements and assist later when some of the darker history is revealed.
The rest of the cast are also stand-out for me.
I do think I will rewatch at a later time because there is so much to take in and I must make a special mention that the baddie Park Jung Hun is particularly scary.
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Whistleblowers dilemma
I really like this drama. It has layers and depth because we are not spoon fed all the issues and have to wait for the reveals. Leo's role is intriguing and a warning for anyone that wants to be rescued as he shows he needs Jung Woo to fail so he can keep this role.The premise of being a whistleblower for corruption in the publishing world and the severe backlash he suffers is very real. ***
Jung Woo is a timid introverted character who uses his writing to express himself but after the whistleblower incident he retreats into the arms of Leo, his professed protector.
After years of isolation from his craft Jung Woo meets the sunny optimistic publisher Tae Young and he begins to heal and believe in himself again.
The reveals are done well and outcomes were not predictable as all invested parties could be swayed. I liked that the plotline was the focus more than the relationships.
The acting was okay but could have been more animated with greater use of micro facial expressions and definitely some coaching around the DFK. The BL aspects were somewhat wooden, however, in context with all three main actors having very little acting experience I think they did okay.
NB
The director was also a producer on the drama "Kissable Lips" that suffered the same issues.
Well worth watching.
***A quick search and I found;
"South Korean whistleblower Kim Yong-chul, who has written a book about his efforts to expose alleged corruption and greed at Samsung, faces censure and isolation.
The former Moon Jae-in administration announced in June last year a series of measures to help protect whistleblowers by stressing the importance of such people in making society better. But now the government has gone on to sue Shin (Shin Jae-min, 32, who identified himself as a former deputy director of South Korea’s Ministry of Economy and Finance), for leaking classified information. The irony is self-evident."
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Dream like quality
After watching this beautiful film I was blown away by the fact that this was Kim Go Eun's first ever acting role. Playing a younger (she is 21) role as a schoolgirl, Han Eun Gyo, she is incredibly natural and at ease in the part. Park Ha ll creates the elderly 'grandpa' figure Lee Juk Yo but is actually a revered poet laureate who has mentored a bitter, jealous Seo Ji Woo played convincingly by Jim Mu Yeol.The chance meeting of the ML and FL is a catalyst as they create a relationship based on unspoken needs. For Han Eun Gyo, lacking affection at home, the 'grandfather' allows her to express her kindness and makes her happy and a little bit competitive with Seo Ji Woo to gain Le Juk Yo's affection. For Le Juk Yo he is transported back to a more youthful time and creates a romantic fantasy that he then channels into a beautiful story.
The plot is about art and literary posturing. It is about how, even when we age, the mind remembers our youthful selves. It is for each character about yearning.
Yes there is a sex scene. The depiction is summed up by the rhetoric question, mid coitus, by Han Eun Gyo "do you know why teenage girls have sex? It is because we are lonely". Reflecting back to Seo Ji Woo his own words and summarising it is just sex.
Loneliness is an underlying theme but the creative fantasy of the poet for the young girl is set in a dreamlike idyll and captures feelings of lost love.
Note to the wowsers; The female is a character, written by a writer, produced by a producer, directed by a director, acted by an actor.
If the part played by her offends you check your own moral compass. The role of Seo Ji Woo is quite despicable but his actions are not questioned. Sexism is alive and kicking - mostly females.
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Strong female killer finds romance
This is a fast paced action romance with plenty of smiles and laughs.I liked that our strong FL decides he is the one for her and pursues him. They are both hiding their secret identities so the decision to marry carries some danger and they both need to hide deceive the other.
Our FL is a very competent businesswoman and used to giving orders and sidelines as a very good assassin.
Our ML looks like a sweet gentleman and is a clever doctor who sidelines as a bodyguard.
Their marriage interactions are funny as the FL tries (often unsuccessfully) to appear as a demure and agreeable lady.
The action scenes are good and the overall look is well done for a budget drama and it has fast paced action to fit in the short series of episodes.
The FL's sister is given the added interest of blindness and her protector is very sweet to her.
This is entertaining and easy to watch - perfect as a foil to the more angst inducing Wuxia dramas.
It would be nice to have a second season as I don't think our heroes can maintain domesticity for too long.
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Love can be messy
The two main leads have a lot of complexity written into their characters and they portray mixed emotions very well. My take on the drama;I see Mark as a person who knows he can love wholeheartedly and when he is disappointed in not winning his intended love interest he backs off and tries to deal with the aftermath of feelings by drinking and looking for random hook-ups. The scene of drunken mistaken identity is more a fanciful wish on his part and gives Mark the chance to act out the passionate love scene he has missed out on.
Vee is in a long term committed relationship with his girlfriend and has a strong need to be helpful and have others like him. He assists the very inebriated Mark and when Mark throws himself at him he finds himself turned on and reciprocates. This sexual encounter affects both of them badly. Mark is angry and hates Vee for the encounter. Vee is confused and begins to realise he is sexually attracted to Mark and then the story unfolds.
Youth in university exploring their sexuality without yet fully understanding what is required to maintain a relationship. Friends adding their own input to the confusion. Jelousy, judgements, sacrifice and selfishness overlaid with raging hormones and insecurities.
The parents add some interesting dynamics to the mix and the two male leads are influenced by their attitudes.
As a love story it has fulfilled this role. The two MLs have a strong chemistry and they are sufficiently different to add the angsty thought that maybe they won't be able to stay together.
Very watchable and rewatchable.
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a short, refreshing palate cleanser
Very short episodes, however, also fast paced and loads of fun.Our heroine is fixed on the fact that this is her storyline so is unable to comprehend the constant changes and has the added plight that she will suffer dire circumstances if she does not complete the tasks allotted to her.
The ML is forced into this marriage and trying to manage an imminent war so he is very distrusting. The sudden ability to hear the FL thoughts adds to the confusion and humour.
Cute couple hate to love trope done well.
I also saw ML in “The Killer is also Romantic” this kind of role is where he shines.
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This Guy Is the Biggest Mistake in My Life
4 people found this review helpful
A satire about stalking
I cracked up laughing and I could tell the politically correct part of my brain was trying to get offended but the acting is comedy so as in all good comedy taboo subjects can be lampooned.The Fl has some awesome, nifty martial arts moves and is constantly flooring her boss.
The ML is suitably in awe and finds everything she does is wonderful and fuels his adoration more.
The two second lead actors are okay too not too nasty and adding to the plotline.
If you can embrace the comedy and want a laugh I recommend this for the 'non precious' audience who don't mind when borders are crossed in aid of entertainment.
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This review may contain spoilers
Exploring the aftermath of affairs
There are some parts to this drama that had me gnashing my teeth and shouting at the screen so of that was the scriptwriters intention it worked.The sweet married couple that discover each other and what it feels like to be in love and loved were mesmerising. Both passive people pleaser types that had allowed themselves to be disrespected by their spouses and carrying major guilt for illicit love. Try counting the amount of times "sorry" is said - sheesh.
The alternative couple are startlingly different, almost. We have an attractive woman who has become a classic trophy wife so she takes casual lovers to spice up her need to be loved. An artist who enjoys his own company and is somewhat jaded about relationships who is still friends with his ex wife due to business connections.
The dynamics here are more complex. There are children, an overbearing husband and a manipulative ex wife, plus random ex lovers.
The action is always mesmerising and frustrating and edge of the seat stuff that also manages to touch your heart in unexpected ways. Some of the cinematography, depicting the love is gorgeous
I kept expecting tragedy as payback but they managed to edge past that cliche. Our poor main leads are the last to find closure and that takes place in the final moments so fast forward if you must but go to the end for final sweetness.
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Lost romance
This is the 3rd season, however, I think the production team were different because the focus was not on dating and new romance but conflict and uncertainty.I feel that in this culture the issue of someone's age is important therefore all contestants should have been chosen within a 5 year range of each other. There was a definite shift in interest when large age gaps were revealed drastically reducing the potential romantic partners for the contestants.
An ex-boyfriend was introduced and his unresolved issues were acted out and he later admitted he had tormented him, this friction was felt by the others and could have been avoided or edited out.
Some of these decisions may have been deliberate to create tension but for me this is not a kdrama it is real people in a pressure cooker environment hoping to make a romantic connection.
I preferred the Boyfriend format of support and friendship.
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Mature audiences
Dark, manipulative, toxic behaviour from a well drawn character, Fan Xiao, who is frighteningly void of empathy. His target, You Shu Lang, a sweet gay man, in a simple, caring relationship. What ensues is an edge of the seat gripping story. Every reveal more disturbing and I, as the audience, was in fear for our sweet Shu Lang character. He is no soft, spineless pushover and his struggles as a child have imbued his character with compassion and strength; the white Yin to Xiao's Yang darkness.The intensity of their relationship is breathtaking and obsessive. Both men have need of some component of their partnering even though Shu Lang realises earlier both start to recognise the unbalanced nature of their passion and the blurring of healthy boundaries that are destroying them both.
The actors are mesmerising and although Xiao has the strongest role the quiet strength and dignity of Shu Lang balances out some of the extremes.
I want to see more tales like this that do not rely solely on the BL nature of a relationship. Plot, intrigue, character development and redemption make this an excellent drama. The lighting, camera angles, settings etc etc are polished and help to portray the story brilliantly.
So take a deep breath of your black, slimline cigarette you are in for a bumpy ride.
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A modern twisted fairytale with great humour.
For me this was, unexpectedly, a laugh out loud Rom Com. The absurdist humour was very good at poking fun of fairy tale romances. The setting is modern day Cinderella with the FL living with her step mom and step sisters with the twist that they are not bullying our cinders.FL has realised, through a hint from her deceased father, that instead of trying to succeed in business she may as well nab herself a wealthy prince charming. this naive worldview is the basis for the drama. In reality it proves to be much harder to execute.
The ML is very quirky and also has a naive worldview "follow your Joy" is his catch phrase, however, as the plot unfolds we realise he has hidden emotional scars and is really hiding behind his wealthy lifestyle, including a fake fiance to keep husband hunters at bay.
Despite the light hearted frivolity and steamy kisses, real and imagined, the two leads do have good chemistry together.
I liked the twist where our FL decides to not wait to be rescued by prince charming but embraces her earlier memories of boldness and uses this to help heal the ML and win him over.
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A wholesome BL
This slow burn romance could not have been sweeter. The two main actors are very attractive and display opposite character traits. Takara Shun has a reserved manner and expression yet is often straight forward in his speech. Taichi Amagi is naive and childish with a strong insecurity because of his experiences as a child. This sense of less worthiness adds some of the storylines tension but it is mild and the two continue to tentatively explore this secretive romance.The story is not rushed and there are no distracting sub plots so it fits the short timeline.
Others have mentioned the cringe factor perhaps in relation too Taichi Amagi being overly animated I however think it is in character with a young, self conscious person who is trying hard to attract someone. I liked the use of internal dialogue to display the inner turmoil of these two shy teenagers. Overall I liked the respect shown by the more experienced ML and also the support of the friend of the shy Taichi Amagi character.
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This review may contain spoilers
I felt the acting was mostly awkward and not nuanced.
The premise of this story is interesting the execution was lack lustre.A supposedly introverted student (with very dyed hair) tries to not be noticed?
A jock type student who loves loud extroverted friends and sport falls for his neighbour after a brief glimpse and a few conversations?
Issues of how these two extreme types make for a good relationship are attempted, however, the power dynamics are uneven and despite all the 'green flag' behaviour of God he overplays the benevolent protector to the point of nearly creating a 'Daddy' personna.
Luckily this is curtailed. I felt the jump to intimacy was premature, they had so little time together beforehand so this trip away and shared tent scenario seemed rushed, especially as we are led to believe Diew does not reveal much about his past or feelings.
The grandfather is terrific offering the whole hearted support in place of the dead father. The Mother is well depicted because her harsh expectations are what has added to her sensitive son's inability to voice his needs and to feel not 'normal' enough. The ex boyfriend reveal is a good explanation of what can occur when first love feelings get trampled on. Diew has already absorbed the not normal message from his mother and now it is repeated exposing his greatest fears. So the little turtle shrinks back into his shell.
The turtle metaphor is apt but like other viewers I wanted both Diew and the turtle to have more freedom.
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This drama showed me that the 'perfect' partner is the one you need.
The two main characters are from very different family dynamics.The ML, Pennueng, is a respected heart surgeon who has had to constantly try to be the best to win his controlling father's respect and his mother plays a passive acceptance to keep the peace.
The FL, Matalada, is a free spirited graphic designer, somewhat clumsy and accident prone but with a huge heart. Her parenting came from her divorced gay father, known as Aunty Grace, he is living his life true to himself and has always paid great attention to Matalada's emotional well being.
Both main characters have their support clique and we get to see how their pairing alters their actions as each accepts the others differences. It is a lovely warm romance and despite all the family ugliness (from the doctors side) and the over the top gayness and drama (from the designers side) they remain steadfastly true to each other to overcome family prejudices.
When they are together onscreen their sweet interactions are very natural and believable. Terrific fun yet delivering a lot of truisms about the ill affects of family influencers.
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