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Averagely acted and directed addictive BL story with weather metaphors and steamy scenes
A BL series showcasing 2 duo of characters who are playing cat and mouse with each other, with a lot of chasing around, some angst and pining for. The first half of the show focus mainly on one couple while the second half centers around the second relationship. I found this narrative choice a bit odd and I think both storylines would have benefited to be spread and mixed together all along the drama rather than having such a big separation.There was some noticeable issues with the sound in a lot of scenes. Most of the sound effect, ambiance and background noises were done quite clumsily: for example, when some characters were speaking on the phone you could hear that the text was being read post production and set too loud, and the mix between some background noise and the music was most of the time super awkward.
The acting was quite average and unequal with a main cast made of inexperienced actors. There were not all at the same level and depending on the scenes they had to play were rather able to convey in a suitable manner the emotions they were portraying (especially the more playful and sexy ones). However, there was also quite a bit of overacting and some of the most angsty and traumatic scenes felt a bit flat to me.
Despite this, it was still a thoroughly fun and enjoyable watch with some really steamy moments that give you all the feels. There were a lot of cute interactions between the protagonists and the story was pretty addictive to follow. The episodes were overall well-paced (with the exception of the ending which felt a bit rushed given what the characters had to deal with). Even if they were a bit on the nose, I also highly appreciated the weather metaphors highlighting the various stages of the romance all along the episodes.
I would recommend this to people looking for some steamy story with a lot of chasing around, who do not mind some all over-the-top elements and that are not triggered by scenes portraying rape and abusive relationship.
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A disappointing adaptation of an already quite average shojo manga.
A flawed film which did not manage to improve on its basic source material. The script was full of -sometimes fun, even though quite toxic/outdated- clichés (the tsundere hero, the naïve heroine, the pretend dating trope,...) but done in a quite boring and frustrating way. One of the key element being that the main female lead is subservient to the male character, it can quickly become annoying to see her being trampled over all the time. The secondary characters were not developed enough in terms of background or relationship with the main leads to allow some emotional investment regarding the story told.The acting was subpar and the actors were not helped at all by the movie direction with some strange choices regarding its creative vision. For instance, the camera framing was often set very far away from the characters' faces during critical scenes, preventing the viewers to see and feel their emotions. Another example would be the way to drag out the display of protagonists running, hindering the pacing of the story for no seemingly valid reason. The OST was pretty good but again not really an appropriate match suitable for the poor narrative.
I would not recommend this movie to people unless they are looking for the usual high school romantic trope and/or they loved reading the manga 'Wolf Girl and Black Prince" from which this has been adapted.
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Bodyguard x Boss BL story mixed with a lot of pining for?! Sign me in !
A satisfying mini-series showcasing a nice BL story between a rich spoiled young heir and his bodyguard / childhood friend. This trope leads to a lot of pining from both characters and to some exciting conflict as jealousy arise.It was a quite short show so the intrigue and the few secondary characters were not that deep or developed but there was still some pleasant growth to follow between the 2 main leads.
The chemistry between the 2 leading actors was overall great as well as the acting: there was not a lot of steamy scenes but still some satisfying skinship, especially during their judo bouts which were literally oozing sexual tension.
I would recommend this to people looking for a dose of fluffy stuff with good looking guys fighting their feeling and longing for each other.
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Easy to follow time travel story: short and sweet
A short film with an interesting and quite original script for a youth romance.Given the short length of the movie and the likely low budget, I'm rather impressed with the production and how well the crew managed to convey the story. The acting was suitable (even if not exceptional) and the plot was well paced and simple to follow (which is not always a given with time travel concept).
I would recommend this to people who liked to watch series like Proposal Daisakusen (or Operation proposal its Korean remake), or liked to read manga such as "Analog Drop" or "SOS Love" (also called in Japanese "Konna Mirai wa kittenai").
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Cute BL story with a fantasy twist. Could have been better.
I loved the idea of the colour rush and the concept of "mono" people seeing everything in grayscale and each one needing a specific, almost fated person called "probe" to make them able to see the colours. I feel that such a strong concept would have benefited of a better worldbuilding, in particular everything related to the mystery and investigation aspects of the drama. Here, it was a bit brushed off and it seems like a missed opportunity to increase the stakes of the story.Overall, unfortunately the execution was quite poor. The realisation was super cheap (specifically when the colours were rushing through the eyes of the main character). The lines were also quite cheesy and the acting could also have been better. The actors did the best they could but it felt a bit lacking in terms of chemistry and emotions even though the skinship elements were adorable.
Despite all of this, the show was addictive with some cute moments between the main leads. I appreciated a lot the romance and found super interesting the psychological side of their relationship with the idea of obsession that was developed all thorough the show. I would have loved to see more of it.
I would recommend this to people who are in need of some heart-warming quick binge-watch with no deep-meaning.
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Forgettable but sweet rom-com, ending + relationship dynamic could have been improved
I truly had a lot of fun watching this rom-com : it had all the feel of a classic romantic drama featuring rich heir and hardworking poor heroine trope, combined with a dash of noona romance. Some recipes never grow old on me... Having said that, there are certainly a couple of things that I would have like to see handled differently in the story.I mostly regret the overall trajectory of the grand-mother and the direction the scenario decided to take that character towards the end of the series. It made no sense and felt really too easy and unrealistic. It is not necessarily realism that matter the most for a colorful rom-com adapted from a webtoon...But the way the script handled the situation with the grand-mother was ultra frustrating to me. And while I loved and found very cute the relationships between the main characters from enemies-to-lovers, I would have liked to see more variety in their dynamic. The heroine is very caring with the main male lead, but sometimes it felt a bit exaggerated how she treated him like a child. The characterization of the male lead is definitely in line with the numerous childish / needy / traumatized chaebol encountered in rom-coms...But honestly, even if I found a lot of their moments very cute as the heroine was healing the inner child of the hero, I would not have minded more variety, maturity and nuance in some scenes.
Despite those few flaws, there are a lot to love in the series. Not only the main romance is super cute, but I was also very much into the secondary romance. I also truly appreciated the overall production value, with the colorful sets featuring the hobbies of the hero. I enjoyed quite a lot the OST, especially the rock band songs: it was such a fun and youthful vibe. I started it for its main cast and they did not disappoint : Choi Hyun Wook did an excellent job with his character who is utterly adorable in his love with Mun Ka Young's character. Her acting is solid as well as her character remains very endearing all along the story. Among the cast, I was also very impressed by Go Chang Seok who plays the father of the heroine, as he was able to touch me with very little dialog and scenes. Truly, one of the best aspect of the show!
I would recommend this to people looking for a cute, relatively classical rom-com. It is using the very well-know recipe from many drama, with the rich Chaebol and the hardworking heroine, with a touch of noona romance and of pop culture with the geek aspects. I regret some narrative choice for the ending and wished for more variety in the dynamic of the main couple but overall it was matching my expectations in terms of cute rom-com.
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Campy rom-com & deeply flawed storytelling: frustrating writing issues despite loving the cast
Watching this series is like driving on a bumpy road : there are so many elements I disliked for a good chunk of the drama but at the same time, I cannot deny the fact that it remained all along quite entertaining. I must also admit that I have mixed feelings because the overall series never really matched my expectations : I wanted a dark and gritty thriller when I should have settled for a campy rom-com with clunky action scenes. There were also a lot of writing issues that frustrated me : even actors with amazing chemistry could not salvage completely the messy plot.Against all odds, it was almost impossible for me to root for the romance of one of my fave duo of actors in Thai BL drama (First and Khaotung). I strongly disliked the character of Kant (played by First) and found his growth arc really unrealistic, preventing me to adhere to the romance for most of the series. I'm fully blaming the script and not the actors because First and Khaotung chemistry was very good and their acting was on point. Especially Khaotung who played Bison: he had some incredible emotional scenes that once again impressed me so much ! He is definitely an acting force the world need to recognize even more !
Next to this iconic pair of actors, the drama gave me the opportunity to discover a new duo : Joong and Dunk . My opinion on their acting and their romance (as Fadel and Style) is quite the opposite as the one mentioned above. I supported so much more their love story : it was very compelling and made sense. It was my first time watching those two and I will be looking forward to their next series despite the imbalance in acting skills. Indeed, if Joong fully convinced me, I still have reserve regarding Dunk acting which felt a bit too green. He played my fave character of the series (Style) but he was sometimes so unconvincing that it felt parodic to me (in particular in the most dramatic scenes). However, I felt he had improved by the end of the show.
Surprisingly enough, despite my expectations having been tampered quite a lot by the deeply flawed storytelling, I enjoyed the ending. Indeed, I expected to keep disliking one of the main relationship until the end but in some way the script managed to get me onboard at the last minute. It still feels like "too little too late" because it is pretty dumb to have one of the central romance only make sense at the end while it remained totally unconvincing for almost the full duration of the show.
Regarding the production value, there are also some high and lows. Despite me wishing for a darker and grittier story, I loved the colorful set, the costumes and the campy vibe. It felt very stylish and purposeful. I also found the sexy moments and the intimate scenes very well done for most part. I quite enjoyed the OST (especially the opening song by Khaotung) and the opening/ending generic design. It felt camp and over-the-top but in the best way. However, the actions scenes were ridiculous and the editing was maladroit and all over-the-place. The music layout on the scenes was also done in a too awkward and abrupt manner.
I would recommend the series mainly for the cast. Despite all the flaws I point out, the biggest being the writing, I still feel it is an entertaining watch. It frustrated me a lot at some point but ended on a right note. It is a bit of a shame that one of the romance felt totally unconvincing for most part of the series despite being played by very good actors with amazing chemistry. I want to scream at the writers/director/editors for that! If you watch it with the right expectations (as a campy light rom-com rather than as a dark story featuring carefully crafted characters), you will enjoy it more for sure.
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Dark and well acted, but storytelling did not manage to keep my interest
I think I was expecting too much from this movie...The cast and the poster with its dark vibe picked my interest: on those aspects I was not disappointed. The whole misfits family aspect is my fave part of the film but the storytelling felt flatter than I would have expected given the context in which the characters are evolving. The beginning was ultra gripping but then strangely enough as the action was ramping up, the pacing felt more and more sluggish to me.The whole cast does a very good job. Especially the two main actresses with Kim Hye Soo and Kim Go Eun nailing the dark and twisted dynamic between them. The production value was good, the atmosphere is really gritty and dirty. The viewer can truly feel how rough it is for the characters.
I would recommend this movie for people that like dark and twisted movie. If you enjoy story like "Hwayi: A Monster Boy", I think you could enjoy it. I personnaly liked "Hwayi: A Monster Boy" much much more but I can definitely see some interesting parallel between those two movies with the common thematic of found family evolving in the darkness (with dire consequences as they are part of criminal activities). It is definitely the most gripping aspect of the "Coin Locker Girl" with also the great cast. Too bad the pace and the storytelling did not hold up to its dark premise.
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Not worth the watch - felt unfinished
This short BL had an amusing meet-and-cute with its two main characters meeting because of a checkered shirt. One is an ingeneering student, the other a bartender and there are some interesting aspects around self discovery that are approached by the series as well as some realistic aspects of the dating culture (the bar hunting, the cocktail names innuendo, the mandatory military service duty impact...). Unfortunately past the introduction, the story felt very bland and clearly lacked of a proper ending.The acting was alright but lacked chemistry. There are some nice kisses but overall I did feel that some passion and heat were missing. The series had clearly a limited budget but it is foremost editing issues (between scenes and sometimes in-between episodes) in addition of the overtly too present and repetitive OST that were the main problems. It is unfortunate that subtitles were also not good.
I would not recommend this to people as I feel there are better bite-size university BL out there. The introduction is interesting but past the premise, the scenario goes nowhere and the series end on a frustrating open ending. Right at the start of what could have been a compelling conflict for the relationship. That said, if a season 2 is produced, I will watch it to hopefully have a proper conclusion to the story.
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Too short to really exploit the potential of the story
This very short BL movie (only 11 minutes) depicts the unexpected hookup of a guy with the twin brother of his ex. Does it sound messy ? Yes. Does it sound interesting ? Yes (-at least to me). Unfortunately, despite me finding the idea interesting, there is not enough time to really exploit it. The short movie has an interesting twist as well but again, it is too short to really make something ultra impactful of it.The acting was relatively average, nothing really outstanding but I think it might be due to the format. The actor playing the twins managed to create two characters that felt distinct enough but it could have been better. That's said the script was minimalist enough to not have that much to play with. Production value felt limited, not a lot to see there but suitable for the format. Music was also not memorable at all.
I would not necessarily recommend this to people unless you are looking for a short BL with a messy premise. I'm left to wonder if a slightly longer format would have help amping the stakes and emotions for the characters.
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Not for me...I found it boring and difficult to connect with the story
Unfortunately, I was disappointed by this movie. It is for sure pretty slow and does not commit to one obvious genre. It is not really a BL, not really a queer coming of age story, neither a thrilling horror film...It is not really a default to be ambivalent in terms of genre but here really it is super strange and I'm still not sure what I have seen or if I really understood the intentions of the screenwriter.It does not help also that the film has a really contemplative feel with the camera really taking its time...It feel super slow and I think it takes 40 minutes for something midly interesting to happen. It has a strong indie feel but not necessarily in a good way: the characters are litteraly living through miserable sets: the decors for sure have a purpose in the context of the story but their poverty really does not entice more the viewer...
The casting was okay overall. I watched this movie for Gun and he is good in it. Not as great as in some of the later series I saw him in but it is already very clear how skilled he is. His presence elevates for sure the movie. I would have loved to see even more from him (especially in the more frightening scenes) but he does a good job. I was not particularly impressed nor dissatisfied by the acting of his counterpart.
I would not recommend this to people. Maybe if you are in the right mood or if you are a fan of Gun, it can be interesting to watch it...I also think that a second watch might really help to understand some of the layers of the scenario and better grasp the intentions of the screenwriter. However, even if that is the case, I will likely never watch it a second time because clearly the entertaining factor was totally missing for me...
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Incredibly well-acted meaningful story + impressive action scenes = Instant Favourite !
This series is an aggregation of what I love the most: attaching characters, deeply moving storylines intersecting in interesting way over time period and various settings, impressive and riveting action sequences with purposeful cinematographic choices and amazing acting by the whole ensemble cast...The pace of the story was very good: it is divided in three narrative arcs which have in a way their own flavour and still manage to form a cohesive great piece. I was super invested and watched the complete drama in two days: that shows how good the whole watching experience was to me.
The characters were amazing and portrayed by very skilled actors. There are a lot of faces that I love among the casting which helped even more making this series such a perfect one to me. Han Hyo Joo and Zo In Sung (who is totally dreamy in this role) are two actors that I like a lot and they once again proof how great they are here. The chemistry between them was impeccable. All the main "parents" roles were great and went beyond my expectations over the course of the show. I'm grateful for the drama to made me discover Ryu Seung Ryong and to have featured is such an outstanding way the excellent Kim Sung Kyun who I love so much in each of the drama I saw him in.
Go Youn Jung who I discovered in "Alchemy of Souls" keeps to continuously impressed me and I will be looking for her new shows as well as for Lee Jung Ha who was the revelation of the drama to me. His character is the heart of the show: he was such an adorable cutie pie, full of green flags and the actor played him so candidly that it became immediately my favourite part of the drama.
I really enjoyed the show so much that I can really forgive its sole default (at least to me) which is linked to its last arc and ending being a bit too quick and with some relatively unnecessary flashbacks. I would actually not have minded to have a couple more episodes to develop even better the end...But I still enjoyed it so so much that I am pretty sure I am just being greedy here.
The filmmaking truly deserves a lot of praise. The director managed to be really creative in the numerous actions sequences. I was never bored and he made some seemingly mundane scenes feel very innovative and fresh. The soundtrack was not overly present but was pretty good in setting the mood and pushing me to watch the next episode.
I would recommend this to people looking for an action series with some slice-of-life elements, impressive cast, superheroes vibe and amazing cinematography. It is quite graphic in the violence depicted so you might want to skip it if you are triggered by that. If you enjoyed series such as Heroes (only looking at its very good *season 1*), I would strongly advise to give a chance to "Moving".
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Even if it broke me in little pieces, totally worth it !
I loved this drama : it is an incredible multilayered story that I binge watched over the course of a week-end. It brought me a lot of emotions as well as of thinking as the scenario unfolded and I was trying to figure things out following the clues laid out by the writing. I am greedy so I wish that they had more episodes to explore the lore and all they hinted in the last episode. Having said that, the ending was satisfying and the doors opened in the last episode are rather fun than frustrating.This drama is an adaptation of the webtoon "Shop of the Lamp" by Kang Full. After Moving, his collaboration with Disney proves once again to be super successful : he is definitely a screenwriter upcoming star I want to keep following closely. In addition to a strong writing, this drama features a gallery of characters portrayed by a very good ensemble cast. There were definitely some outstanding performances (such as the one of Ju Ji Hoon that I will not forget) but overall acting is constantly good on all the parts.
The production was very good: there are a few scenes and images that will remain I feel in my memory for a very long time. The special effects were excellent and there was an interesting unnerving tension in the way the scenes were filmed. The soundtrack was perfectly fitting the heavy atmosphere. The making really participated in the feeling of oppression I felt while watching the show. I think the editing though could have been improved between some of the episodes. Some great cliffhangers were often followed not directly which was a bit anticlimactic in the moment, even if it was often done for very good reason in terms of storytelling.
I would recommend this to people that are looking for a thrilling series with a great gallery of grey and interesting characters. It is not for the tender hearts as I feel there are some horrific elements that can be tough to go through and you may want to check the triggers if you have any. I really think it is a worthy watch that will take the viewer on an emotional rollercoaster. It might need a bit of time for the viewer to connect all the pieces of the puzzle together, but once you got there, it is immensely rewarding.
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Could an investigation ever feel more sluggish and inefficient ? I don't think so.
This drama follows the investigation of a series of murders targeting a group of friends while making them play a very sadistic game of truth or dare. On paper, this sounds like a great idea but the writing was so bad that the police work and resolution of the mystery cannot be taken seriously. Dialog and plot points felt absurd with a lot of flirting and bantering in the midst of a pile of bodies.However, I must admit that if the crime aspect and the police work was as unconvicing as it could be, the over-the-top flirty scenes between the leads brought me a lot of giggles and entertainement. Indeed, while the fight scenes were awkward, I enjoyed a lot the chemistry between Joong and Dunk. While I was fully sold on the hot scenes between the leads, the gap in acting skills was very pronounced here. Indeed, while Joong is quite good (and super hot), Dunk was a beautiful statue painfully bland, who cannot deliver and emote any kind of angst. Maybe if their roles were reversed, it would have been preferable given their respective skills because Dunk might have executed better a "lighter" character, like his role in "The Hear Killers".
I would not recommend this because of the writing being a real dumpster fire. However, I cannot denied to be entertained by some of the cheesy moments, the flirty scenes between the leads, who are living their romance in the middle of poorly investigating crimes.
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Well-written and acted, very entertaining : an enjoyable and emotional ride !
This movie is centered around Lee Jung Do who becomes Martial Arts Officer for the Electronic Monitoring Division of the South Korean Police, partnering with Police officers to monitor probationers. It is a topic that I never really see approached in South Korean fictions, so I found the story pretty innovative and super interesting.The main character is ultra endearing and touching. I love Kim Woo Bin and I never saw him playing that kind of role, requiring such purity and levity : it was extremely well-done and very nuanced. Next to him, Kim Sung Kyun which might be one of my favorite South Korean actor is doing amazing in the role of the probation officer, partnering with the hero. Their mentor-mentee relationship was one of the best part of the scenario. The secondary cast was very good and supported by good writing: frightening bad guys that are serious and credible threats for the nice guys, in addition to believable friendships and family circle.
The filmmaking was very good with very convincing fight scenes which made my heart fasten as it was pretty brutal and worrisome for the parties involved. The soundtrack was pretty good overall in setting the mood during the action sequences, not that memorable but fitting without overpowering.
I would recommend this to people that are looking for a great and entertaining police movie featuring the department that supervises the probationers. In addition to great acting and filmmaking, there are humor, thrills, emotions and character growth. Be mindful of the tags if you have any trigger, it is pretty violent with sex crimes and crimes against children being part of the storytelling.
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