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Weirdly wonderful
A lesson in good directing (Kim Hee Won) of how to take a somewhat obnoxious, yet romantic wealthy male lead and pair him with a mousy, people pleasing doormat style female and have you believe they are fated to be together.Jang Na Ra and Jang Hyuk turned a fairly standard plot into a very watchable drama, Their ability to act transforms what could have been 'cardboard cut-out characters' into real people that I could relate to, Each actor has added their own nuances to their roles that in another's hands could just be annoying and turned it into endearing The development of each role during this drama allows their weaknesses to become their strengths.
I laughed and cried and binge-watched my way through this drama and was cheering for them to be able to be a couple. The only let down was the wrap up at the end it felt forced and less authentic.
Well worth the investment of time,
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Fragility and beauty
This is a gentle and poignant reminder to savour life and our own frailties.The story plotline is sad and I shed a tear at the end, however, I recommend this drama for the beautiful production and telling of this sad story. I did not feel that there was any exploitation between the couple as his desire to be useful morphs into caring then love for this intelligent and beautiful older woman. The cinematography and dialogue alone make this very watchable. If you love books and writing then you will appreciate how the unfolding novel is like a metaphor for the inevitable sad ending of their relationship.
Showing Matsumura Ryouko's ex husbands stern and practical nature is a good counterpoint to her young lover So Chan Hae's more nurturing personna. At 50 she is attractive, intelligent and a respected teacher facing a known disease that will rob her of her humanity.
The creation of the random library is an act of love and displays how in tune So Chan Hae is with her. The fact that this library survives in its original form leaving a legacy of their love is one of the plot twists that I loved.
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Friendship and going against the odds.
You know you have a vested interest in a drama when a couple sit down to eat a bowl of noodles and I find myself crying.This is a drama I will rewatch in the future because there is a lot of depth to the characters. It has a storyline that depicts the passion of youthful dreams, the friendships that help move and motivate them towards their goals, pathos and humour.
The gaming element is handled well such that people like myself can become fully immersed in the competition outcomes.
The two main leads meet through a cosmic glitch and their interconnectedness is the main thread of the plot.
A well written script that has a lot of depth.
This has so much going for it that I hope many more people take the opportunity to watch it.
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Loved every minute of this racy movie.
Okay fair warning there is sex, vulgar language, hot kisses and nudity.From the opening scene we are primed to be ready for the R rated content. It is a fun, sexy, romp of a movie and the FL Yoon Jung (Kim Ah Joong) totally owns this role. The comedic timing is terrific and her portrayal as a modern, sexually expressive woman is refreshing. The ML Hyun Seung (Ji Sung) is not afraid to own his emotions and vulnerability. He later displays impulsive bravado with equal verve.
For me the movie touched on; what women do to spice up a relationship, how women react when a relationship sours and the role of relationship in women's lives - and it is fun.
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Online harassment is pervasive
I like the fact that the women in this story are smart (mostly) and supportive of each other.The drama deals with quite serious relationship issues of sexism at work, misuse of technology to spy on relationships, stalking ex boyfriend, females emotional support for their close girlfriends and bullying public opinion based on social media - all in 10 episodes so sometimes it is not polished but handles the topics well.
Seo Ji-seong (Song Ha-yoon) is a clever AI programmer and she is curious about a glitch in her Fridge AI that has access to a great deal of personal data. This data reveals her fiance is basically a sleaze who has posted 'non consensual' photos to his sexist buddies and made inappropriate comments in their group chat. I love that Ji-seong ditches him and does not back down in her condemnation of his behaviour. Her mum is very supportive of her, there is a terrific scene where the would be mother in law is given a thorough telling off by Ji-seong's mum.
Jung Gook Hee (played by Lee Jun Young, (loved him in Love and Leashes) is younger than Ji-seong appealingly straightforward and avoids technology. They cross paths frequently and a romance blossoms. Gook Hee has chosen to become a firefighter due to misplaced guilt over an incident when he was young. This guilt has emotionally scarred him and creates the back story.
The two girlfriends of Ji-seong are quite different personalities and are having difficulties in their own relationships yet always find time to offer their friendship.
The only jarring note for me was when Ji-seong was crying and hitting the fridge in a very childish and emotional outburst. I felt it was overacted. The rest of the time I enjoyed the ensemble and the plot.
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Art is the theme
I really enjoyed how this fantasy drama was portrayed.The emphasis on painting and the different styles and interpretations of how to depict a theme was very entertaining and educational.
The FL is caring for her artist father who has been driven mad. We later discover how and who was involved. Meanwhile his daughter is following in his footsteps. The back story of how she was blind and then became sighted is also part of the flashbacks that weaves together elements to bring us to the dramatic latter half.
The actors did a great job with special mention of the young actor playing the tiger demon. The ML, Ahn Hyo Seop, has different characters to play and is excellent in each.
As the blind scholar Ha, astrology advisor favored and funded by the king, he portrays a quiet dignity and elegance very appropriate to this role.
As the mysterious masked Ilwolseong he has built a network of spies and informants so is able to sell information to the wealthy.
As the Demon (Mawhang) and the use of CGI, he becomes a dangerously strong mythical creature.
The FL is a plucky character who is devoted to her father and desperately seeking a way to cure his mental illness. Her attraction to scholar Ha is very sweet and believable. She displays astounding ability to paint and to copy masters. This is her fate so that she can be chosen as the divine painter tasked with creating the portrait needed to use in a ritual to capture MaWhang the demon.
Visuals and attention to colour palette help to create the atmospheres of painting, love and crisis. The costumes and settings are done well and will be appreciated by anyone who enjoys costume dramas, The traditional Korean paintings a re a bonus.
If you are still hesitating about watching have a look at the extensive picture gallery.
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Will trigger strong reactions ......
Due to censorship laws Revenged Love is not officially airing on mainland Chinese platforms. Produced by Vision Moments Media Ltd., a registered production company based in Singapore, they have managed to circumvent this restriction and I am so glad they did.I was turned off by the implied brutality in episode 1, however, I continued and I will be ever grateful I did. The relationship between the two male leads is like a masterclass of acting. their use of body language, micro expressions and tonality gave masterful and subtle acting skills. I became totally invested in this production. I stalked the BTS clips waiting for the next episode. I became super fearful China would step in and ban the series, I was also concerned at the invasive Chinese fans who stalked the two stars.
There are scenes that broke me. Hats off to the director and the reinterpretation of the original drama and story-line. There are flaws, of course but the pace and immersive experience pushed me along so that they didn't detract from my immense appreciation of this drama. Some scenes obviously tampered with to get through censorship and too many issues for this short drama to make sense of.
All is well and the series finished on a fairly mild note after the emotional wringer I was put through. This has raised the bar in BL, no damn it in drama per se.
I wish these two actors heaps of success and I will watch anything that pairs them again as a love interest or not.
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A super BL story that is about love and uses comedy to touch our hearts.
I fell in love with this drama the story telling is top notch. The pacing is perfectly suited for the culture and age range.I felt a little embarrassed during the first episodes Noey soon won me over. His wannabe persona of glamorous, vintage, gangster, heartthrob is comedic genius. He switches demeanour in the blink of an eye. Bullying gangster always ready for a fight to crooning singer backed by his ever faithful gang singing and dancing to impress is crush, Pam.
His outrageous outfits, hair gel and cockiness overlay a teenage boy who wants his own 'special' person. Thi, initially, gets reluctantly roped in to assist him in his love quest mission and too attempt tutoring this wilful young student.
The joy of the production is watching the two protagonists change to realise they love one another.
There is a 5 year age gap that has Thi and his parents putting up barriers. Noey's sheer confident belief that Thi has fallen for him allows him to ignore all knock backs and keep forging forward towards his goal.
One of the most heartfelt scenes is in Chang-Mai when Noey displays his vulnerabilities and wins over Thi.
Watch the ending credits for the dance scenes and I dare you to not hum along. :>)
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Dystopian view of future contractual marriages
What made this experience for me more riveting than most viewers was having read the book. It does not follow the storyline exactly and the script writers selected different aspects to highlight this dark drama. The premise of renting marriage partners for a 1 year contract with the ability to cancel and divorce with or without fault was briefly sketched but not well disclosed.The ML, played by Gong Yoo, gives a nuanced performance of a person scarred by first his mother's suicide then his pregnant wife's attempted suicide and subsequent death of their unborn child.
His current relationship is due to a contract marriage and when he begins to show too much attachment to the FL, played by Seo Hyun-jin, she abruptly ends it leaving him grieving.
His ex wife, although now also in a contract marriage, is shown to be still obsessed with him and deranged enough to install cameras in his home, threaten suicide and plant suicide pills in his studio.
Add to the mix another stalker who is a psychopath and also obsessed with the FL threatening to kill the ML and boasting about having already killed someone and the tensions are running high.
The trunk theme is based on the importance of the two trunks in the story.
One belongs to the ex-wife and is stolen by the psychopath convinced he will find damming evidence about the organisation and be able to expose them for putting him in a mental institute.
The second trunk belongs to the ex-wife and it too contains emotionally damming items.
The tension is slow paced, dark, brooding and oppressive a lot like how the relationships are featured. Use of lighting, music and atmospheric sounds keep the noir aspect.
The ending is hopeful and open ended.
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This was annoying.
I mostly blame the writers, especially the ending scenes.Yang Mi's character is a lawyer. I disliked her voice intensely it wavered between bossy school mistress to baby lisp. I could not imagine her being in court and we are not show any scenes, despite the premise she is a top lawyer. In the script I can accept that she has no desire to marry and play second fiddle to a husbands needs. I suspect she is possibly asexual because the lack of intimacy and passion shown and her overall stiffness. Always needing to be an alpha - top dog - her actions towards her fake husband (even after deciding she loves him) is often dismissive and she is competitive to her co workers.
Yang Hua's character is a genius stock trader, who, at only 22 gets set up as the fall guy and this crushes him. He is a bit of a loner and always wants to do things to the best of his (considerable) abilities so this set back drives him home and into a 4 year reclusive lifestyle.
His mother is quite controlling and his father thoughtful and compliant so his choosing a similar situation in the contract marriage is not surprising.
The 2nd ML plays his role well. He does not grasp the concept of misogyny even when the reason for the fake marriage is spelled out. He assumes the FL will come to him and is quite obnoxious when drunk. He also refuses to assist a female worker being sexually harassed by a client and tells his coworker to film the evidence and then does not report the incidence even knowing it is vital for a conviction.
The 2FL is young and doted on by her parents and feels very privileged. She perceives her fiance's renewed interest in the FL and her youth and jealousy cause her to create scenes.
The woman in charge of the Law office and the other lead female lawyer have strong roles. Neither is written too sympathetically and some of their dialogue is borderline offensive yet is not challenged.
It has an interesting plot framework that jarred with me on many levels.
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Be patient
I loved the two main characters and I felt invested in their outcome. The reason I lowered the score has to be the directing.A lot of the shots are muted, almost as though gauze has been added to the screen and like the opening scenes of shadows the story is not too clear.
Yes there is an easily understood revenge from a girl who was heart broken when her father left the family for another woman. Her pain is exacerbated when she tries a confrontation at his funeral and then, as details are revealed, she becomes obsessed with payback revenge.
Unfortunately her target is the woman's son and the story gives a good build up to how he is being targeted by her and a very viciously jealous ex boss.
The complex cultural need to lump a families wrong doing onto other members of the family is hard for me to fathom. The gap of a year before her sister lets drop the information that the man our FL has fallen in love with has actually been accepted by her mother beggars belief. On that note why does the ML also not share this gem of information but instead wanders off for a year?
I was exhausted by the last episode as the director dragged out the slo-mo movements and ML leaving then coming back with flowers. It felt too contrived and less logical.
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Alchemy of Souls Season 2: Light and Shadow
1 people found this review helpful
Pay attention
In the 1 st series we have a female warrior/master who pretends to be a maidservant. Her pupil is besotted and through great effort gains sufficient skills to be praised by her and along the way falls in love.In this 2nd season our two lovers (due to plot contrivance) do not recognise each other for the majority of the 10 sessions. ML is now a bad ass with unlimited power and FL is a weakened female locked away by her self-serving mother.
Characters from 1st series abound and there is a thread of humour peppered throughout that was not part of the 1st series. Special mention of the black turtle and Park Jin's cooking. Lots of CGI special effects and a great many characters all acting in their own best interests to the extent that from a Wuxia drama it became a melodrama.
What also stood out for me was how the modern element crept in. From short hair to some language idioms, and the Fl was was definitely channeling a modern woman at times.
I found this entertaining and if I ever rewatch the 1st series I will probably rewatch this as well.
Actors all did a great job and production was very elaborate but I feel the Hong sisters needed to keep the themes and flavour of their brilliant 1st series.
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loving one meal at a time
A heartwarming tale of two lonely people who have a slow burn romance.Tanaka Koki in his role as Sakuraba Isumi imparts a gentle earnestness to his role as a student with a passion and talent for cooking. He has a strong supportive friend, however, after meeting the local policeman, Tawada Hideya playing Amasawa Kyosuke, he starts to find ways to be with him. Cooking and feeding Amasawa becomes a pleasure he looks forward to and visits his home often. He begins to realise the depth of his attachment and budding romantic feelings and this causes him some inner doubts.
It is sweet to note his friend Yohei already new about his sexual orientation before he did.
Both ML roles have gentle masculinity and the story avoids the usual trope of differentiation into top or bottom characterisation. They also are naive in relationship experience and it takes a confession from Isumi for Kyosuke to finally view him as a potential romantic partner,
This is a sweet tale, light on romance with the food highlighting the giving of love aspect.
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Green flags abound
No fillers, jealousies or manufactured misunderstandings together with well paced action and beautiful main couple whats not to like?The general, Ling Chang Feng. is a walking green flag. I loved this character he displays courage and loyalty and is willing to go against the rules and his father to protect his wife. His attitude, when she is pregnant, is exemplary and the empathy he portrays is heartwarming.
His wife, Tang Qian Yue, also displays wonderful traits. She is willing to undergo a dreadful 'cure' to remain by his side and chooses to risk her life to enable their child to be born.
Watching their daily interactions and the concern they feel for each other cements their marriage as a true love match.
Of course the story is not just about their sweetness and with the supernatural element, clever dreamlike visuals, great cinematography and SFX create an otherworldly atmosphere. Their is an interesting second couple, great support characters and a complementary OST.
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This amazing fantasy drama was very surprising, constantly!
Not the usual genre that I would choose, however, I am glad I did.The characters are well written and acted. My favourites were; Zhang Chu Lan who often looks nonchalant whilst tackling his fears, (listen to his words some of his insights are text book psychology and have huge impact on others), Feng Bao Bao her fierce martial art skills and the duality of innocence are wonderfully captured, Wang Ye maintains his aloof monkness but is shaken by visions of a hurtling train full of dead people and Zhan Chu Lan about to approach a catastrophic danger. his role is to try to influence Zhan Chu Lan to give up his quest for past answers.
There is a lot packed into each episode and yet is never felt rushed. The story line is sometimes hard to follow because so much is being revealed but I also like that we as the audience are not underestimated.
Sufficient detail is given to each characters super chi powers and the choreography, cgi and sfx were great.
At the heart I enjoyed this youthful drama because of the friendship and kindness shown amongst the badass action.
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