Chatriel

Simple but enjoyable

I enjoyed watching this drama. It is suitable for those around the ages of around 12 and up. The drama setting is a school, and it doesn't have any foul language or situations that would be considered unsuitable for the younger crowd. It does have some fighting but it's honestly more exhibition style fighting than actual violence.

The show is based on Yu Na and her new-found friends, working together to retrieve the 7 phantoms that have been released into the world. The phantoms are basically the embodiment of human sins or emotions, such as greed, fear, anger, etc., which take over their classmates one by one. It has to show itself in order for them find and capture it. There is a question as to why they were released in the first place, and whether the good guys are actually the good guys, but it's obviously left open for another season to answer those questions.

It was pretty simplistic and easy to watch. Of course there were plot holes, but I think the writers were trying hard to fill in the major ones without giving the entire story away in the first season. The interaction between the characters was good, and there weren't any cringe moments, which is always a plus. I saw in the comments where people were talking about how cringey some situations were, but I didn't have that reaction anywhere in the show. I just thought it was cute, and I was happy for a break from the angst, lack of communication, and Drama (with a capital D) of other shows.

I am looking forward to season 2....mostly because I want to know if that one-sided crush gets resolved. =)

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Episodes 1-9 were great.....

*Sigh*

I was all about this series until the final episode.

I loved the way the story started.....looking for the missing museum pieces. I very much enjoyed seeing so many of my favorite GMMTV actors playing their roles. Tor, Gun, Foi, Namtan, and especially Nanon and Tay Tawan. They absolutely KILLED it! (I'll be honest, Tay was never at the top of my list until this role, neither in acting nor visuals. But him as the bad guy made my jaw drop to the floor. He was definitely cast in the right role.) But all of the other actors in this show did exceptionally well also. And props to the directing and editing teams for bringing the fantasy to life. (Some people had problems with the CGI but I thought it was well done.) Oh, and the writing team had to have some extreme imagination to come up with some of these episodes.

I did have a problem with the amount of times that Dome was unconscious throughout the series. But I could live with that.

The last episode, however, was a total letdown for me. It wasn't meant to have a season 2, and I don't think it really needed one, but it did need another episode or 2 in order to wrap things up neatly. If GMMTV listens to the fans, there actually may be a season 2 though, because even the director has stated that it's up to the company, so they know what's being asked of them. But in my opinion, there are too many unanswered questions, plot holes, and open ends for episode 10 to be the finale. I am really good at filling in the blanks with my own assumptions and imagination, but not this time. I am dissatisfied. And that sucks considering how much I have raved about the acting in this series.

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Excellent series

From Me To You-2023 (12 episodes) version, adapted from a manga of the same name.

This is an understated ‘coming into yourself’ type of romantic drama. It is a high school story about a naive girl named Sawako learning to love and appreciate herself, and learning how to be loved and appreciated by others. It showcases the trust and communication of friends and family without being too heavy on the sadness, but enough to make you want to cheer for a good outcome for all of the characters. The pacing is just right, the cinematography was good, and the characters were well-acted.

I appreciate that there wasn't a bunch scenes where characters get flustered and start yelling in military fashion, as is common in many of the Japanese manga adaptations. The acting in this drama is much more natural than many Japanese dramas that I've seen. As a matter of fact, there are some characters and scenes in this that I want to label as 'not believable,' but in reality, there is nothing in this drama that couldn't actually happen in the right circumstances.

I gave episode 1 a rating of 10 stars when I started watching, and never had to change my rating for the subsequent episodes because they were all so good. It's not action packed, but the story consistently moves forward without letting you get bored if you are into the school romance genre.

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Final thoughts

Between Us is the offshoot story of Until We Meet Again that many have waited for. It's taken almost 3 years to get here, and I think that due to the build-up in people's minds, a lot are disappointed. I only watched UWMA about 9 months ago, so I didn't have as much of a wait as some. Despite that, I honestly liked UWMA more because of the action. Between Us was more introspective, didn't have the mystery elements, and was a much simpler story. And I liked it. Matter of fact, I loved it in many places. It made me laugh out loud. It made me cry. It broke my heart a time or two. Do I think it lived up to the hype? Eh...probably not, even for me. It still wasn't a bad story.

Since this story timeline occurred at the same time as UWMA, there were some scenes that overlapped. Within those scenes, there may or may not have been some minor changes. I didn't mind the changes within the scenes. What I did mind was the change in attitude. It would have been a little more exciting if Win had kept his bad-boy attitude. That didn't stop him from having some bad-boy moments, and I did appreciate his introspection at times. Still, there was somehow a difference in the way Win (or maybe Boun) projected his energy. Even then, I can chalk it up to this being a completely different drama. But I missed that energy.

There were things that people were annoyed with, such as Boun's hair. Due to shooting the scenes out of order, sometimes Boun's dark roots were showing through his blond hair more than other times. This didn't bother me. Santa's hair did bother me, as his then current blond was covered with colored hairspray or something similar, making his hair a distraction from his acting. Luckily it wasn't that way in every episode. And poor Benz needed less makeup and more treatment. Some of us are more naturally prone to acne, but trying to cover it with pancake makeup is not the solution. His skin just looked smothered.

Another thing that people complained about were the side characters. Sorry, but I loved the side characters. All of them. I was sorry to see Sammy's overacting though. She's a better actress than that. I know her character is OTT but I thought her directions should have been to tone it down rather than to ramp it up. But I loved that Pleum still loved her. I also loved the "ABC" gang so much! I'm in the minority in that, but I think they gave us a good break from Team's angst. And the Waan/Tul ending kinda left me with my mouth hanging open...

I love the fact that, although there was a 3-ish year wait, they still went through with the production. Boun and Prem were kept relevant with stages and interviews, v-lives, and even some adorable short (5-8min) Between Us Special episodes that you can catch on YouTube. Those special episodes were the best marketing ploys ever!

Boun and Prem, having been together for so long, have no problems acting together. I think they did a great job with the script. Actually, the only one I who's acting I was actually truly unhappy with was Win's father. I still wish they'd kept the same energy as in UWMA, but overall this wasn't a bad drama. I'm glad to have watched it.

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Pretty good drama

This was a pretty good drama. It wasn't my favorite, but it was different and evoked more emotion that I expected. The few kisses were clumsy, and I'm not sure if it was the lack of acting experience or the height difference (or even the lack of kissing experience) but it just wasn't good. The second lead couple was really good in their acting, but the story lacked the passion that I thought would be coming and never did. The third couple (the college couple) was adorable but didn't get enough screen time in my opinion. Also....I had a love/hate relationship with the mother.

And why did they think it was a good idea to introduce Xiao Wu Di as Mao Xiao Jun to the audience? Did they change his name for identity purposes? Were the "real" parts of the drama also part of the novel? That last few minutes of the drama were so confusing to me. I thought they did a good job with explaining a lot of the story, but that part made me question the whole thing.

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Amazing acting!

I'm trying to figure out how to write this review, because I've just finished it and have taken a few minutes to collect myself....

Park Jihoon and Choi Hyunwook, and honestly all of the other actors, are incredible in this! Park Jihoon's acting is award-worthy in this, as is the entire drama.

The drama has 8 episodes, which were all released at the same time. I've seen comments saying that this is because it's meant to be binged, which is understandable, as you could lose the emotional buildup between episodes if you had to wait to watch each next episode. But also, they could have done this to get it aired by the end of 2022 so that it was available to be considered for the current year's awards. (Or possibly, they just didn't have a time slot, but I doubt that's the case.)

For some reason, a lot of people are unaware that Park Jihoon has been acting for about 15 years, so he's an actor-turned-idol, not the other way around. He's not one of these green "noobs" (I hate that word) with no experience under his belt. He's had stage and television experience, plus the experience with Wanna One and his solo singing career. So I would have expected for him to do well, but he went beyond my expectations and blew me away with this drama, as well as At A Distance, Spring Is Green (which I also recommend.)

Choi Hyunwook is younger and less experienced, but still not new to the acting world. He was my favorite character on Twenty-Five, Twenty-One because he has such charisma, and I had the same thoughts as I watched him in Weak Hero Class 1. He has that strong but confident personality that is cool and captivating.

Also I want to mention that Shin Seung Ho had me mesmerized with his calm and cool exterior....

So anyway, the drama...it was violent. I usually shy away from such things as violence and bullying, because if I hide my face, they don't exist, right? No. They do, but I know (hope to goodness) they don't exist at this level in S. Korean high schools. I was fully immersed, and had to pause occasionally to remind myself that it was a drama and no one really got hurt. It was good enough that I never thought of dropping it, and even interested in watching season 2.

I'm sure there are triggers for some people, and it's probably not for everyone, but if you can watch it, it's definitely worth every 10 rating that it got.

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Good story but tired clichés

Great acting, great set design and production. Good story. But tired clichés.

I can accept the gangsters being good guys, the cowards being brave, and the geniuses instinctively knowing how to solve the puzzles and technical problems. But the flawed characters suddenly being understanding and accepting after a short morality speech, especially when the actual problems aren't addressed, is so frustrating. Add a few plot holes and a cliffhanger for a second season that's probably never going to be made, and.... Smh Sometimes I really wonder what the writers are doing.

Honestly, other than that, I really liked the story. It was easier to suspend belief and accept the situations due to the majority of the story being within a virtual game. So things didn't have to make sense. Unfortunately, the story/mini-games made more sense than "reality" a lot of the time. But I'd say more than half of the story was in-game, and the actors did everything they could to pull off believable characters, and I appreciated that.

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Noteworthy Acting

Moonlight Chicken is an eight-episode drama that includes some incredible actors doing the most amazing acting. Gemini and Fourth, being new actors at the time, did a great job pulling off the teenage angst and problems that so many go through. Earth and Mix know each other so well already that they played these characters with ease. Khaotung, First, and Mark were shining examples of how actors should play roles.

I want to especially praise a few of the actors, although all of them did a wonderful job. Khaotung did a fantastic job portraying the grief of Gaipa losing his mother right after having his heart broken. I wonder if his scenes didn't cause some real tears while filming. First is such a versatile actor, and he impresses me more with every drama. Mark, however, really stood out to me for the first time, although I've seen him act before. He pulled off different types of scenes without making them cringey. Mark's character Leng was comic relief at times and serious at other times. While he played a smaller role within this drama, his role was very important in preventing the show from taking itself too seriously. At the same time, Leng was also dealing with his own personal drama that many will be able to relate to, and I personally was proud of the character's growth and maturity within the situation. I doubt that many other actors could have portrayed the complexity of this character as well as Mark did.

My favorite character, however, was Wen. I think that Mix's ability to emote love, care, affection, pain, confusion, determination, etc. makes Wen a truly lovable character. Adding his skills with, in my opinion, his beautiful eyes and outstanding visuals, Mix is the one that I came back for with each episode release. There is true affection between him and Earth already, but he made Wen a beacon of light in a serious drama.

I wasn't sure if I would like this when the trailers first came out, but by the end of the drama I was 100% invested.

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Character growth wins over angst

Not to start off on a negative note, but:

I absolutely despise this type of series. It makes me cringe with it's over-the-top displays of angst.

That being said, I powered my way through it because I actually liked the story, and the character growth was satisfactory. I also enjoyed watching the bits of manga drawing, simply because that type of talent fascinates me. The story itself is unrealistic and would never have had a happy ending irl, but it's not real life. It's an escape. It's silly. And sad. (I actually shed a tear.) But it has a happy ending, which we all love. And the acting wasn't bad at all. The characters displayed what they needed to. And the female best friend was something that we all need in our lives, and he was lucky to have her.

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Worth watching

I waited to watch this, fully intending on skipping it altogether because I wasn't a fan of EarthMix. My mistake. When I ran out of dramas that I wanted to watch, I decided to give it a try. And I'll be honest, the one thing that drew me in was Earth's concern when Mix actually fainted while trying to do a heavy scene. (You can see this in the behind-the-scenes or as I originally did, in a YouTube short.) Earth stayed in character for a second, calling out "Tian?" and then immediately started calling out Mix's name, which alerted the crew that something was actually wrong. Mix is so understated that I never would have thought he'd put so much pressure on himself, but that pressure, along with the elements, exhaustion, and other things caused his body to simply give up for a few minutes. It all goes to show how hard Earth and Mix tried while making this series. I applaud them and the director/cast/crew for all the effort that went into making this a worthwhile series to watch.

It was a little frustrating that neither one of the lead characters ever made any confessions, so when Tian had a 'what about us' moment, I wondered the same thing. What about them?? Is there a them? Also, if you're going to have a lack of intimate contact throughout the entire drama....which I was completely fine with as it wasn't needed....why are you going to put a nude Earth on the screen??? It was great camera angling, and with the mirror, showed just enough for you to know that he was probably completely naked, but simply being shirtless would have sufficed. I didn't see the reasoning behind putting the actor through that.

I think that all of the side characters and supporting cast did a fabulous job. Especially the kids. And probably my favorite character was Dr. Nam, being such a supportive friend and not-so lowkey matchmaker. LOL.

This was a very good drama, and I'm glad I finally got around to watching it.

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I've just finished the series and come to the comments to find.....this is a remake of "Something In The Rain"????? No. Maybe it started that way, but this is completely different, imho.

Mainly, what I want to say is that the acting was phenomenal! And wasn't I surprised to find out that the ML was a former member of Wanna One??!! I never paid attention to the members of that group, except for Kang Daniel, one of my fav K-pop idols....but I just watched 2 of Park Jihoon's 2022 dramas (Worth it!) and I was like, cool, now I am familiar with 2 of the members! But now I'm watching a C-drama....and oooh, isn't he such a good actor, let's find out more about him......uh huh, Produce 101....season 2....hey, that's when Wanna One was created......OMG how did I happen upon another member??? And how is he ALSO such a great actor?? LOL. (Yeah, I know. My kids also call me a dork. It's fine. Haha) (Edit: I totally forgot about Daehwi! Oops! So Lai Kuan Lin makes my FOURTH Wanna One member! ROFL! I'm learning, slowly but surely!)

But I digress...

Seriously, I looked and looked for the leads to be out of character or awkward with their lines and acting and NEVER found it. That's especially interesting since they are so far apart in actual age. But honestly, I give props to all of the actors. They all did such a fantastic job. And, though this wasn't the most exciting of shows, it was good. Funny at times, heartwarming at times, unbelievably sweet....

My only complaint was the end. It just ended. I was watching the episode, then I was watching the actor interviews. I kept waiting for a final scene. And maybe they planned it that way, to say that this love doesn't end....but that's corny even for me. (Much as I hate that word, it is what it is.) Regardless, I enjoyed this drama and I fell in love with quite a few of the characters.

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Things to consider

I spent more time debating on whether to write the review than I will on the actual review. But I didn't see a whole lot of things that would have helped me, if I'd looked, so this is a heads up.

There are 3(?) different timelines going on here. I can only see 3, anyway. Knowing this prevents confusion later on.

Rei talks to Nana like he does for multiple reasons, the main one being that she would totally not be responsive to him if he talked to her any other way. It gives her someone to express her negativity with, without shutting down. It was their own personal "love language" to the point that it was almost uncomfortable to watch him smile at her. So while it may seem abusive or like bullying, its actually his way of connecting to her.

Do not plan to get out of this movie without tissues. When I got to the "Oh GOD!" part of the movie, I thought that I could breathe my way through it without tears. But I literally felt like something was pulling the tears/emotions out of me as the rest of the movie played.

The emergency line is built into the phone irl. Please use it if needed. That said, the character would not have been happy living in a state that required dependence on others.

Finally.....there needs to be a trigger warning on this movie, as it deals with some real-life problems. There are kids dealing with depression, bullying, low self-esteem, cutting, etc.

I thought I was in for an afternoon movie. I didn't expect to be traumatized. It was 100% worth it though.

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The never-ending drama

I enjoyed many things about this drama. ..but it should have ended at 26 or 28 episodes. By the end, I was so over watching the same things happening again and again. A good story does not usually need to have it's characters coming back to life one after another. In the last few episodes, I was actually happy if a character actually died, and then stayed dead. And honestly, I only finished the drama because of the actors. They were great in my opinion. That being said, I personally didn't see any chemistry between any of the couples, which was disappointing. The FL had better chemistry with her keeper than with her ML. But that's nothing against the acting. And the story isn't even complete, but I don't see there being a second season since the timelines for story completion and actors ages won't match up. Which, of course, is fine, I wouldn't come back to this story. I will follow up with the actors though.

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Good acting and good characters

I never really connected with the characters in this rom-com, so it wasn't my favorite. However, I do think that the actors displayed their talents by making the 1-dimensional, over-the-top characters come to life. So for that, I give them props. And the story itself wasn't bad, and the ridiculousness wasn't so great that I ever thought about dropping it.

I think my favorite character was probably Gam Oh Jung, the firefighting partner of Jung Kook Hee. This character was written and portrayed well, and was often pivotal in the decisions of the other characters. He was silly but insightful, responsible yet care-free, and supportive without stepping on toes. I admired his tenacity, but also his ability to let go when needed. I also enjoyed his comic relief, which was delivered without resorting to slapstick actions or reactions.

The show did have many elements that I didn't expect, such as suspense, hidden agendas, and mild mystery and danger, without losing the comedy and romance portions of the rom-com. Also, I think the writers did well wrapping up the show, as it felt "finished" but not rushed at the end. I would definitely recommend this as a show to pass the time, and if someone were to watch this without any expectations, I think they would enjoy it.

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This is an excellent drama. It was action packed, but also had its slower moments so the audience has time to catch it's breath. The rush to tie up the storyline in the final episode was it's only drawback, in my opinion. Other than that, the story was thorough, well scripted, and well acted.

I love that neither mains are weak characters. (For instance, the strong ML isn't always having to rescue the weak FL.) Both are strong, physically and mentally, fighting against the bad guys WITH each other instead of one always fighting to save the other. When one goes out alone, the other pities their opponents. Yes, they do protect each other, but they also trust in each other's skills. [The takedown of the pastor is the best physical (wrestling? martial arts?) move I have ever seen....I rewatched that, like, 8ish times!]

I also love that the drama didn't depend on tropes in order to portray the mains falling for each other. There was no awkwardness, only a clear and obvious friendship that allowed itself to deepen naturally as time passed. (Granted, the ML developed feelings 10 years earlier, but his one-sided love was willing to wait for her.)

I was surprised that they never called the infection zombie-like. There was never one mention of zombies. But the infected people's actions and appearance was clearly within the zombie universe. I'm personally fine with that, as I like zombie stories, even though I am not the biggest fan of gore. Ya can't have one without the other though.

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