32
118
3
3
1
1
1
4
1
1
1
2
2
2
I was expecting more from the production
This survival show is quite forgettable in itself even if I'm quite happy with the outcome as my faves made it into the final group. In terms of production value, it is pretty flawed : poor editing, low budget, putting non stop the participants into traumatic events for seemingly the single purpose of making them cry, unmemorable stages... There is not a lot of grace to be found about this show if it is not the participants themselves.It is more on the lower budget / self produced by the company itself type of survival show. Indeed, it is a lot more like the ones that led to Stray Kids, Nexz, &TEAM, TREASURE than the ones that led to ENHYPEN, ZEROBASEONE, ALPHA DRIVE ONE, CLOSE YOUR EYES, AHOF... In itself this is not an issue because some of those lower budget survival were better than some of the ones produced by TV companies. However, this is not the case here. It truly seems that Hybe Japan put less care into this one that the one that launched &TEAM.
Despite binging the show pretty quickly, it is not one I would recommend given the poor production value and overall forgettable stages. It is quite a short watch (comparatively to other survival shows) and the overall final line up made perfect sense, even if it is frustrating how they traumatized all these boys repeatedly but without ultra rewarding moments. Knowing that it is under Hybe big umbrella, you could / should expect more from the production and making.
Was this review helpful to you?
WTF ? Super entertaining and unhinged !!! Worth it despite a flunked ending
This drama is simply a fever dream : a lot of ideas all meshed together in an unhinged way. If the last arc was a bit a downer, with the hero becoming too tame, all the road to get there was highly entertaining, and worth the wild ride the series take you on. Maybe the writer throw a bit too much on the paper for everything to stick, but it was for sure a memorable drama !!! I truly think that trying bold choices with sometimes mixed results is much better than producing a tepid and moderate already seen middle-of-the road show.The romance was central to the bonker plot, with some hot and gripping moments between the leads and a great secondary romance. Both had moments that took my breath away as well as brought me a lot of emotions. Overall the cast did a good job, even if the main actress could have done better at portraying some of the most emotional scenes.
Production value was a mixed bag, I wished the main roles had better haircut and makeup, and that the edit was less all over the place. The drama had seemingly quite a pretty limited budget, with some scenes that were so poorly excecuted that it was (unwantedly) funny. However, it was overall good enough to depicts most of the crazy ideas featured in the script and even impressed me at times.
I would recommend this to people that are looking for an unhinged and deeply entertaining hot romance. It is crazy and never boring, even if its last arc does not hold a candle to the remaining of the series because of the way the main relationship evolves, making it less exciting. Despite the production doing a commendable job at executing the bonker plot, I wish that they had a bigger budget because I would have love to see a more fully fleshed making of some of their ideas. I would also have loved to see the core concept of the series with the Ren / Yin relationship even more explored because of how interesting it was.
Was this review helpful to you?
Good bromance, messy writing : a lot of muscles, not so much brain power
This action drama is very Netflix thriller coded : it has a gritty and dark making, some good production value, and the episode all ends in some kind of cliffhanger, in order to entice the viewer to press play on the next episode.However, I must admit that past a quite gripping while also pretty classic introduction, featuring gangsters, slush fund and good guys with heart wanting to save scammed poor people, I was not blown away by the story. Indeed, the scenario fell apart with a messy writing, characters having a lot muscles but not a lot of brain. The poor writing might also be explained by the way the female lead was awkwardly edited out of the series, which was a downer for sure.
The cast did a great job, with the bromance between the characters of Woo Do Hwan and Lee Sang Yi being the best part of the series. Huh Joon Ho, Park Sung Woong, Kim Sae Ron and overall the whole ensemble cast did a good job. All of them were pretty convincing in all the fight scenes.
I would recommend this to people looking for a quite classic action drama or that love Woo Do Hwan and Lee Sang Yi. Seeing them fighting shirtless and skillfully at multiple times did certainly improve my watching experience, which was tempered by the overall poor writing with characters making numerous bad decisions. I am still happy to have watched it and I might even give a try to season 2 because the characters and their dynamics have a lot of potential.
Was this review helpful to you?
So much better than season 3 and 4 !!!
Even if Paradise feels still a bit underwhelming and Inferno could be made much tougher, I truly think the production team did an incredible job at casting this season participants as well as putting together the various storylines. There were a good variety among the cast, not just models and CEOs of their own company (with only 1 employee -aka themselves), some people providing really good TV, without those feeling over-produced. There were some production hijincks but honestly it was done quite skillfully to amp the angst and create a little bit of thrills...The challenges were overall quite exciting and fun, even if sometimes quite (maybe even a bit too much) aggressive. Once again the panelists elevated the watching experience with their relatable reactions.I would recommend this to people looking for an exciting dating show. The production did a great job at correcting the flaws from previous seasons, and provided some memorable TV moments. I screamed and laughed at the screen, I swooned, I theorized and had many discussions on it. Even if the finale was very predictable to me, I had such fun time and I will for sure be looking forward the next season.
Was this review helpful to you?
Underwhelming romance despite an interesting angle
This drama is about the romance between a top actress and an interpretor as they travel together in the context of filming a travelling and dating variety show. Or is it really ? Soon enough the series take a turn which I found interesting on an intelectual point of view but which failed to really captivate me. I had real trouble to remain invested in the romance as well as the other aspects of the series, and I am quite frustrated at how the ending handled off screen one of the most important storyline point. The pacing felt sluggish to me and the plot overall repetitive.The acting was quite good and if I really like both main leads : Kim Seon Ho and Go Youn Jung, I found their chemistry quite underwhelming...I was never as invested in the romance between their characters as I would have wanted, partially because the characters were written quite unlikable to me, partially because of the lack of chemistry. The secondary romance was much better on both aspects. I also really enjoyed the character played by Fukushi Sota, a great discovery.
I would recommend this to people that are looking for a psychological kind of romance. It is not really a rom-com, not really a psychological thriller or a slice-of-life. It is a bit of a mix and doing so, it missed the mark for me but I still think there are quite a bit to love. I personally really enjoyed the travel vlog aspect , the various countries and languages, the dating show set up, as well as the introduction and the production value. Too bad that romance was a miss for me and that the resolution felt rushed despite the overall sluggish pace of the drama.
Was this review helpful to you?
Artsy, dark vibes, oozing toxicity and bad decisions...And frustrating!
This Thai BL features a trio of characters that meet in a bar and are trapped into ultra toxic relationships (professional and romantic) inspite of themselves. The series can feel highly frustrating because of the waste of potential, however, there are also quite a lot I appreciated. Do I regret spending time on it ? No, certainly not because it made me think a lot. Unfortunately the attempt at social commentary regarding Art and AI fell apart with the conclusion, which was truly disappointing.Cast is one of the strong point of this series but also one of the downside. Indeed Gun, Off and Dew are doing a very good job at acting out those broken human beings. The tension scenes with the intimate moments or the painful moments were also very well acted. However, the way couple pairing are working in Thailand clearly removed part of the interest / turmoil of the series as the ending seemed predictable because of the CP but was not convincing because of the plot itself.
I would recommend this drama to people looking for an artsy BL featuring a fare share of angst and pain. It is for sure not without flaws because of its odd and too slow pacing, unconvincing ending and frustrating because of the waste of potential. But it is also a very different kind of story, truly thoughts provoking, with a captivating muse-artist relationship. Even if it unfortunately does not hold its promises, the actors and the very good production value with some truly impactful and memorable scenes, make it worth the watch.
Was this review helpful to you?
Icky romance but kind of entertaining
This Japanese movie is centred around the romance between a young highschool yakuza family heiress and her adult bodyguard disguising himself to protect her at school. If I did not find it boring, I for sure also found the romance icky from start to finish...I certainly can watch and enjoy a wide variety of romances : from very cute and fluffy to ultra dark and taboo... However, unfortunately it did not work for me here. The romance took the regular shojo road of pretending that problematic stuff are adorable and charming when in fact they were just not. I have nothing against age gap story per se, but here the following combination :
- 10 years gap between the main lead (26 years old) and the female lead (hypothesis of 16 years old as she is in her first year of high school)
- grooming
- overpowering main lead yakuza
was a bit much to sell as "cute". The fact the male lead is also a real jerk sleeping around while pining for the heroine certainly also did not help...Overal that's a lot to take in for the viewer to root for them !!!
Acting was overall average, with male lead being simply a big block of wood! Honestly, if I found him more handsome maybe I would be less severe but well, he is not exactly my style so better acting chops would definitely have helped. Female lead is better but nothing extraordinary...and definitely looking too old for the highschooler role... However, given the plot, I guess it is for the best because otherwise the romance would have felt even more unpalatable.
I would not recommend this to people as I feel there are better high school romance movie out there. In order to work better, the storytelling should either have remove the gap age aspect, either the tone of the movie should have be much darker without the classic shojo style to showcase properly the relationship, the gaslighting, the imbalance in power.
Was this review helpful to you?
Less good than Season 1 but still a lot of mouthwatering food.
Not gonna lie, this second season is less good to me than S1. Maybe because the novelty factor is not there anymore...But also because the production team made some doubtful choices during the elimination process, they could have found a better balance between the white spoons and the black spoons chefs to make it more interesting.Still, even despite the disparity in screentime, I got attached to a couple of candidates and there were enough variety in the casting to features a wide range of food and cooking style. The editing lacked subtlety, it was pretty obvious from one point which candidates were going to make it into the finale which felt pretty anticlimactic.
I would recommend this to people that enjoy cooking show. It features a wide range of cooking that will definitely make you hungry. Editing and production choices could have been better, as it clearly reduced the suspense and thrills of the competition, feeling overall pretty predictable.
Was this review helpful to you?
"Us, meeting like we did, wasn't a coincidence. It was inevitable."
This movie took me in a totally unexpected journey. I expected a cute romance featuring an artist but I got so much more than that. I grew very attached to both characters and what they were going through. The fact that their love for Art intertwined with their relationship was amazing. Visually there were some beautiful moments as flowers were an essential points for the romance : the symbolism was super powerful.The acting was very solid and brought me a lot of feelings...It was my first time watching the leads (Nagase Ren and Deguchi Natsuki) and they really impressed me. It felt very sincere and pure, without overacting but rather appropriately measured.
I would recommend this to people looking for an impactful romance, very sweet and cathartic. It is both light and heavy, and it will take you on a very emotional journey. It broke me but at the same time was healing.
Was this review helpful to you?
You'll protect the world. I'll protect you.
This movie features the relationship of two broken teens that find solace in each other in very dark moments in their life. The way they care for each other and how their bond was formed through trauma was both heartbreaking and amazing. It is a dark and heavy watch which still had some welcome (while unexpected) moments of hope and light shining through the pain.The cinematography was great : there a lot of striking scenes that left me a memorable impression. The way the director managed to bring to screen the tension felt by young people going through exams and social pressure at that crucial moment of time was excellent. The way the few moments of freedom and carefreeness shown among the heavy burden carried by the leads was very moving.
The cast did overall an excellent job with Zhou Dong Yu and Jackson Yee being incredible. I did not know Zhou Dong Yu and but I already knew that Jackson Yee was amazing...Here they both impressed me so much that I for sure plan to watch more of their filmography. The way their eyes bore so much weight and pain and care : simply striking !
I would strongly recommend this to people that are looking for a well-written story supported by excellent acting. There are some minor flaws regarding its pacing and the fact I would have loved to see even more deepened some elements but overall it took me on an intense journey that I will not forget.
Was this review helpful to you?
Tepid romance but great friendships and some compelling storylines
Far from a regular rom-com, this cozzy drama is foremost a slice-of-life ensemble series featuring quite tedious legal cases. If the romance felt very underwhelming, I was impressed by how they established and further developed the frienships and professional relationships. I also liked the approach taken regarding the different cases : rather than focusing on big thrills in court, they really showed the hefty background research work and preparation done to defend their clients. I loved the huge amount of time dedicated to watching the 5 lawyers eat delicious meals and speak about very mundane things.The acting was solid overall but the romantic chemistry felt lacking between Lee Jong Suk and Mun Ka Young. They also hold less interesting roles than Kang You Seok, Ryu Hye Young and Im Sung who each had very interesting and compelling storylines in comparison to them. Their romantic relationship definitely felt more like an afterthought than anything else.
The drama esthetics was also a very strong point and compelling aspect of the series. Like the storytelling, it was quite subdue all in sepia/greyish tones showcasing the dull and tiring office life while still having a lot of mouthwatering foods shoots and enjoyable bits of OST forming a cohesive picture.
I would recommend this to people that are looking for a legal slice-of-life series. It never felt boring to me, but it is clearly a series that might not be for everyone given its anticlimactic pacing. If you want ultra dynamic trials or swoony romance, this will likely not be very satisfying and even feel pretty slow because the series takes its time. But if you enjoy relationships build up and characters growth, as well as heartfelt friendships, this could be worth a try.
Was this review helpful to you?
Lackluster ending which spoiled the drama for me
I truly enjoyed the beginning of this BL : the plot highs and lows could be seen from miles away but despite the lack of surprises, it was a really compelling watch because the characters were so cute together with a touch of angst and twisted start that I loved. Unfortunately, pacing was a huge issue as main conflicts were resolved halfway through the series and that the plot felt pretty void after than with a very lackluster finale.I would recommend this to people looking for a cute BL. Despite the issues in pacing and storytelling that felt less compelling in its second half, it is just a very soft and sweet watch (while pretty forgettable).
Was this review helpful to you?
Every shojo trope, everywhere, all at once
This drama was bonkers : it was entertaining in a way because of all the cheesy and over-the-top storylines. But it also felt very rushed, as you literally jump from one issue to another, most of them being quite nonsensical, without ever really deepening the characters and the romance. What the relationship is in episode 1 stays identical by the end of the drama.Acting was also a mixed bags but I will not fault too much the cast as the scenario does not leave a lot of room for acting range. The characters are really stereotypes and one note, with the actors and actress committing but never really convincing. Despite the overall plot stupidity, I salute Sakurada Dori committment to the super cheesy lines, without him, I might not have found a lot of interest to the drama. Despite him being super hot, I found his chemistry with Fukuhara Haruka not as good as I would have expected. Maybe it is linked to the heroine role, which was truly a bland character.
I would not recommend this to people unless you are looking for some palate cleanser drama, to refresh (or annihilate) your brain cells before moving to another title. It is somewhat entertaining but also very repetitive with little evolution in the characters dynamics and multitudes of cliche storylines.
Was this review helpful to you?
FirstOne / Tle good chemistry could not save trashy series...But props to them for committing!
This short BL series made of 81 episodes of 2 minutes, clearly low budget and badly edited, was overall quite entertaining thanks to the excellent chemistry of FirstOne and Tle. It was their BL acting debut and they for sure did not disappoint me, despite the low quality of the series itself.The scenario was really bonkers but also very entertaining as it features two "fake brothers" forbidden love with a touch of cohabitation and a lot of obsession for each other. Their relationship was very toxic and really trashy. Other than FirstOne and Tle having solid chemistry and doing quite a good at saying their lines despite the crazy script...unfortunately, nothing worked. The editing and subtitles, the acting of the remainder of the cast, the limited soundtrack with violin coming from nowhere : everything was really poor quality.
I would not recommend this to people unless you're a fan of Tle and/or FirstOne and if you don't mind trashy show with nonsensical and over-the-top scenario. It was definitely an entertaining mess with a mediocre story, poor subtitles and editing, in addition to a very limiting format.
Was this review helpful to you?
Quite symbolic encounter between two slightly odd human beings
I liked this indie film with the image of the rake, it really made me think. Are you erasing your past ? Are you erasing yourself? If this central question of the story is interesting, pacing could definitely have been better, even for a short film.The soundtrack was ok but nothing really memorable, and I also felt the acting was very green. It is very understandable why the characters gravitate towards each other, but the attraction factor was missing from the acting. While those elements felt lacking, filmmaking was good, with some striking moments illustrating the questioning of the movie.
Overall, I was pretty impressed by the meta aspect as the film, featuring students of an Art school while the movie is really made by aspiring filmmakers from the Film School of Tokyo.
I would recommend this to people that enjoy indie movie . It has a subdue atmosphere and feels almost phylosophical in its meta aspect and the constant questionning made by the characters.
Was this review helpful to you?
