Freespirit1221

An important medical drama

Fast-paced, straightforward, intense, and full of comedy and action. It also has some emotional moments and the ending is perfect. The important major message is well-conveyed throughout the series. I hope that the series can help to change the world’s medical system for the better.

There are some parts which I find illogical and unrealistic but it’s fine. I think it’s the director’s intention. The main lead is built with the image of a superhero doctor with a great passion for saving his patients no matter what and with the best surgical skills, so it’s understandable that a few things about him are exaggerated. The only thing that annoys me a little bit is that they don’t wear helmets when riding a motorbike. And it doesn’t happen once. Call me a nitpicker, but as someone who rides motorbike every day, I would say it’s actually very dangerous to do that, not as cool as it looks.

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The miracle of love

"The miracle of love."

A gentle, calm and heartwarming story. I loved it. Romantic love is just a side plot of this movie, in my opinion. It's an April Story but very suitable to watch in December for some coziness. Matsu Takano looked so young and beautiful in this movie, and her voice was just so soft and soothing!

My rating might be a little biased, because the 1990s is one of my favorite eras, and I always love stories about shy introverted characters, with lots of books, and a local bookstore hidden in the corner. April is also my birth month. Plus, that introverted character loves sitting on a park bench reading a book, and riding a bicycle around the neighborhood? Perfection.

I may write a longer review later.

By the way, I might also fall for a smart guy who works at a hidden bookstore. :)

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So sweet and adorable!

This is such a sweet, soft, gentle, heart-warming and adorable romance series. I enjoyed every minute from the beginning till the end. The chemistry between the characters is so natural and amazing even though there are not really any intimate scenes. I also love every character in this series so much. All of them are beautiful human beings.

OMG I need a season 2 asap! I need many seasons of the 2 couples. I need to see the wedding of Fumiko and Fukami, and more scenes about the future of all of the characters. 10 episodes are just too short!

Also, I noticed that in other dramas, usually only one person in a couple is adorable, and it’s often the girl. But in this drama, both of the leads are so just as lovely as each other! I love them so much.

I may write a longer review later.

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This is the best live-action musical series I have watched so far!

I always have a soft spot for musical films, especially films with classical music. I love classical music, and love the piano the most. So "Nodame Cantabile" is a perfect series for me. It makes me fall in love with classical music one more time and also gave me the motivation to start practicing the piano again. As a piano learner, I'm kind of like Nodame who does not read the music sheet very well. Of course I'm not as talented as Nodame. My level is quite basic. I just learnt it to play for fun, but paused for a long time because I don't have a piano with me, and the teacher forced me too much that made me stressed. So this time I'll buy a small piano and try to practice on my own while maybe looking for a more suitable piano teacher.

Anyway, "Nodame Cantabile" is so special and precious to me. I love every music performance throughout the series. I can feel the love for music in every character in the series. I love most of the characters, except the foreign Maestro character. He's just a perverted old man to me. The way he treats women is horrible, and I don't like his fake foreign look and accent either. I felt annoyed every time he appeared. However, as this is an old Japanese drama and as I love everything else and the music just touched my soul every single time, "Nodame Cantabile" is still a 100/10 series for me. I will re-watch it from time to time.

Besides music, this series is also special because of other reasons. I love our girl Nodame so much and also love her beloved senpai Chiaki. Nodame is so adorable, innocent but definitely not a stupid girl. She's a talented piano genius in disguise because of childhood traumas. Chiaki is also a genius with childhood traumas. I enjoyed watching Nodame and Chiaki's character development through each episode, and I loved the way they helped and supported each other in overcoming their own fears to find their real selves and discover their talents. Their romance is so pure, beautiful, and supportive, and it starts out of the love for music. I specially love the scene in the last episode where Nodame was talking about her dream of performing on the same stage with her senpai as a golden pair with full of excitement. Nodame is just too sweet and adorable! No wonder Chiaki hugs her from the back!

Also, they are so hilarious together. I enjoyed watching Chiaki's reactions and his facial expressions every time he's with Nodame lol. I laughed so much while watching them together. Of course I don't take the violence seriously. I understand that's the slapstick comedy style, as this series is adapted from a comedy manga.

Besides the leads, other characters are also very loveable. My other favorite characters are Mine and Kiyora. I love them as an individual character and love them as a couple as well. Their romance is also pure, beautiful and supportive and starts out of the love for music. Not only a wild and sensitive artist, Mine is also the best boyfriend and also the best buddy! While Kiyora is a strong ambitious and brave woman who dares to dream big and work hard to chase after her dream. She’s also a kind and supportive friend. It’s always nice to see this type of female character in a Japanese series.

Another thing that makes "Nodame Cantabile" so special to me is that there is no drama, no villain, no toxic love triangle, and no misunderstanding throughout the series. I just feel the absolute love for music from every character, as well as their desire and dreams, and their struggles while chasing their dreams. I can see myself in every character's struggle, and they also encourage me to face my fears to find my real self and follow my dreams. As how much Chiaki is grateful to his orchestra at the end of the series, I'm also grateful to "Nodame Cantabile" in the same way. I also feel like it's time to end a part of my life, and feel like it's the start of something new. I will move forward to a new journey and discover myself more in that journey. Although there are still fears, but I will stop doubting myself and start to believe in myself more. :)

There are still many more things to talk about this series but I'll stop now. I'm not sure if anyone will ever read this review but I wrote it to myself as the main purpose. Maybe it's a bit lengthy and boring to others. :)

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Unbearable

I put this one on-hold for years, after watching one third of it as a kid on TV, as I couldn’t find which platform to continue. Finally finished it and I must say the only good thing in this drama is the little kid. She’s very adorable. The child actress is amazing. Jung Da Bin was literally so cute and talented as a child actress. She’s still very talented now.

Except for the little kid, the plot and all of other the characters are unbearable. Although this is considered a childhood drama of mine and I discovered Lee Min Ki through it, I couldn’t rate it high. This drama is very problematic. Nothing is connected with each other. It was very tiring and irritating to watch.

I started this drama because Eugene was my favorite actress back then, but I couldn’t stand her character for just a little bit. By the way, Eugene is still one of my beloved actress now.

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I love spicy food but didn't enjoy it much

I know this is supposed to be an inspiring series for office workers to try their best and work hard at their job, but what's so wrong with wanting a work-life balance? To be honest, no one really wants to work. We work mostly for the money and the benefits it brings to us, right?

The character Ryusuke might appear as a lazy young person according to the propaganda all the companies have told us, but I think that's a wise thing to live like him. As long as I fulfill my tasks at work properly, I'm free to relax and live my life how I want to and nobody has the right to ask me such questions as 'what do you go to work for?'. Obviously it's because of money! Anyone who tells you that it's not is a hypocrite, and they are trying to gaslight and manipulate you to make you work harder than you should. If it's outside working hours, that's my business and please mind your own business and stop teaching me how to be more passionate about work. You don't live to work, but it's the opposite. I've been there and it's exhausted both my physical body and soul. I want to be more like Ryusuke and enjoy my life more. I'm trying to create a work-life balance for myself but it's not so easy. Seriously, I think it's one of the hardest things to do. Not many people can do that.

Another big thing I couldn't stand in this series is how it's propagated that carbohydrates are unhealthy to our body and bad for diets. That's kind of an eating disorder that might mislead a lot of people, especially young ladies, who want to stay skinny and think that's healthy.

As a person who loves spicy food, the only thing I like in this series is the spicy food and the philosophy behind why people are eating them. It sounds interesting and it makes sense, although I'm not sure if it's true in my case. Maybe it's true at some point, and it does feel refreshing after eating spicy food. However, I have to admit the food in the show doesn't look so spicy to me. Tabasco is not spicy at all and the food looks kind of pale. It still looks delicious though, and the way the characters eat even makes the food look tastier, but it just doesn't look spicy. I heard from a friend who's been living in Japan for a while that Japanese people can't really handle spicy food, and hot sauce in Japan tastes like ketchup. I hope I will visit Japan someday to try some spicy food there and clarify that. :)

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Kahoko and Hajime are really cute, but I don't like the concept of family in this drama

The only two things I love in this series are Kahoko and Hajime, and them as a couple is the cutest thing ever! Unfortunately, they didn't get enough screentime, as this is a family drama, and that's what I dislike about this drama.

Except for those two, I find all of other characters so annoying, especially Kahoko's mom. I couldn't stand her and there were too many scenes of her!

I don't like the concept of "family is family, we should stick together no matter what". As a person who grew up in a dysfunctional family, I think it's not really that necessary to stick to your family members if they hurt you, and it's totally fine to cut off with toxic blood-related family members.

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Messy plot, but the daughter and her mate is too cute, and great mother-daughter relationship

The show is a mess. There are a lot of things I dislike about the plot and a lot of unnecessary annoying characters. Maybe I’ll write about them later, or maybe not. 😆

But I love Hikaru and Sora so much! Omg, their relationship is just too sweet and adorable. They’re the light of the show. Hiraku is truly a gentleman, a cutie, a green forest! Ugh, they should have focused on their story instead of those silly unnecessary disgusting plot and characters.

I also enjoyed the mother-daughter relationship in this series.

Btw, the title should be changed to “Date My Mother” because the main plot is around the mother’s story and her romance, which I have very little to no interest at all.

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Silly plot and illegal romance

I gave this 5.5 out of 10, because I love the main cast. Also, most of the supporting characters are quite good and enjoyable people, except for the Geisha lady and the cheating husband. I specially like the grandmother and the male housekeeper, and the female employee who is close to the female lead.

I’m okay with the 10 year age gap but please at least make the male lead 1 or 2 years older. He’s underage and immature. The romance in this series is illegal lol. If anyone disliked them and reported them to the police, the female lead would be arrested. Also, the plot is dumb and annoying too.

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The cast’s acting is impressive but the plot is such a shame

Not a good movie to be honest, but the acting from the cast is phenomenal, especially Park So Dam. Kang Dong Won is the reason I knew about this movie in the first place and he also nailed the role. His appearance makes my viewing experience more enjoyable.

Unfortunately, the plot is a such waste of the actors’ talent. I find it boring and dragging, especially in the first half. The second half is better, but also mainly because of the cast’s acting. This is supposed to be a horror movie but the scary parts are too few and mild. 

Kim Yun-seok’s character is also very annoying with his rude behavior. He plays a Priest and keeps insulting his deacon, Kang Dong Won’s character. Do they really think that would make him a cool or funny guy? Because I don’t find that cool or funny at all. That’s bullying.

Not to mention that they sacrifice the piglet. Poor little creature! And that’s the deal breaker for me. 


5.5 out of 10 for the cast’s efforts.

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A fun action drama, with good bromance and slight side romance

After years of watching Kdramas, the plot of this series is quite predictable. I can easily tell who is the real villain from the beginning, the plot twists aren’t very surprising, the villains aren’t evil and smart enough, and there are a few things that feel a little bit inconsistent to the characters’ personality. However, in general, it’s a good series. It has good action and comedy, and the slight side romance is fun and adorable. I enjoyed the interaction between the 2 brothers.

What makes this series good is the acting. It is perfectly casted. Everyone did great with their job in bringing the story to life. Yeo Hwa is the kind of female character that perfectly fits Honey Lee. Also, except for the villains, most of the characters are quite likable. There are a few supporting characters I like besides the leads: Bi Chan, Suho’s boss and his youngest daughter, Suho’s brother, Yeon Sun, the business lady, the little girl, the husband, and the business lady’s male employee.

The character that let me down the most throughout the series is the King. I think he’s quite a coward and just like Yeo Hwa said, he hasn’t tried to do anything for the poor suffering people but only waited for 15 years. He also doesn’t do anything to repay what Yeo Hwa and her deceased brother have done for the country.

And the years are also way too long. If it were reduced to 10 years or even below, I think it would make more sense and fit the characters’ personality more.

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A heartwarming slice of life series - Hiroto and Michito are the best brothers ever!

A great slice of life series to start off the year of the snake. Happy New Year!

I really love the bonding between the two brothers and how their life has changed for the better after Lion comes to live with them. The ending is just perfect. I’m so happy for all of them, after all the hardships they’ve been through. Seeing how Hiroto and Michito move forward with their life for their own happiness and not for others anymore, I feel like a proud mom. :)

There are only a few I don’t like about this series:

+ They say lions being caged in the zoo is better for them than letting them live freely in the wild. I disagree with this idea, but it’s understandable as many people think that way. Maybe I’m the weird one to think that a free lion is happier than a caged one.

+ How the stepsister (Lion’s mother) and Lion treat Hiroto (the older brother):

I think the stepsister is very selfish to do what she does in the series, at least to her stepbrothers. Hiroto is too kind-hearted and think too much about other people, and sometimes it’s a little bit annoying to see him like that. I feel like the stepsister knows that and takes advantage of her stepbrother, who only lives with her for a few years in childhood, then one day she suddenly cut off with the whole family. I think she should be more grateful that Hiroto and Michito accept her as a family member after all the things she has done to them, not take it for the granted. I believe that not because someone is your blood-related family, you’re allowed to treat him however you want. I don’t agree with the idea of “family is family”.

On the other hand, in my opinion, Lion is very rude to Hiroto. He shouts at Hiroto when Hiroto tries to speak to him very gently. I understand that he’s a kid and that he’s physically abused by his father, but still his mother should tell him to behave more nicely to the people who treat him nicely. Again, this is due to his mom’s ungrateful mindset. She never tells her son to be good to his uncle, she just takes it for granted that his uncle should take a good care of her kid.

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Full of cliché but I quite enjoyed it. It’s my guilty pleasure!

Full of cliché tropes and the plot is so cringe but I quite enjoyed it, mostly because of Satoh Takeru’s acting. I want to see more of him as Tendou-sensei! 😭 I love both his cold-hearted and soft side while being around the female lead, as well as his side as a dedicated doctor.

I also love the kind-hearted people in the hospital and their heartwarming stories.

I want to see more of Kisugi and Sakai’s romance too. I wish they had more scenes together, instead of the subplot between Tendou’s older sister and the young nurse guy. To be honest, I don’t really care about their story.

The great acting and chemistry is what makes me enjoyed this drama, not the plot. As I have stated above, the plot is full of cliché and cringe moments, but it’s as expected from a series adapted from manga. I don’t think I would support this romance if it happens in real life. The female lead is an idiot and doesn’t have any self-respect for herself. She’s just following around a grumpy man all day expressing love for him. I don’t really like this idea. She should have her own value and love herself more, instead of trying to convince a man to love her. Not to mention there are other annoying things, for example, suddenly the dead ex’s twin sister appears and confesses to the male lead, or the ridiculous rich kid patient that falls for the female lead? 🤡

Anyway, I still enjoyed this drama and it’s my guilty pleasure.

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A great Sci-fi Action Movie

First movie of 2025.

Overall it’s a great sci-fi action movie. I enjoyed it. I haven’t read the manga or watched the anime, but I heard that it’s quite a solid adaptation as well. The plot was great overall, and the acting was excellent.

There were a very few things I didn’t like about this movie. The first thing is the relationship between our superhero lead with his family. I’m not satisfied with how it progressed throughout the movie and how it ended as well.

The second thing is the relationship between our teenage villain and his loved ones, and the ending of them. Why did they have to kill everyone around him? I really pitied him and I think he didn’t think he had an ending he deserved. Of course what he did is wrong, no one can deny that. However, I think the real villain in this movie isn’t him, but the society. Those people around him, except for his loved ones but they were also too miserable, are the one who turned a kindhearted lost soul into a monster. I think the movie should point out that at least.

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