
Literally went in not expecting much but from the very first scene you'll get involved.
Its simple, and pure, just like the characters.
It will give you the best laughs, and it will also destroy you.
Acting all around was excellent and the characters were not shallow so you feel for all of them. Sometimes the things that break us might seem trivial to others.
You want love to last forever but it's not always possible. Even if you're ready to sacrifice everything the ending might not be happy.
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Basically they start out being all edgy and dark and I was thinking hell yes, till a couple of episodes and then the so called narcissistic male lead starts acting all cute and funny, like what? Instead of being a crime mystery drama with a romance sub plot it turned into a romance drama with a crime sub plot. I kept watching because the male lead is just gorgeous and I was really intrigued by the crime plot and already invested.
And then things got worse when the show became super misogynistic, and the hero kept spouting lines like 'women are like this, men are that' wtf? All the stereotypes of males and females that the civilized society has tried to make obsolete, started showing up and the fact that he treats her like a servant and an all around maid while being shitty and borderline abusive. Look, there are some dramas like lakorns that show slap and kiss but treat it like a fetish and it's for guilty pleasure. No one is supposed to take those seriously and despite being slap and kiss most of those lakorns like Hua Jai Sila don't treat female characters like this, and still break stereotypes and show a hero who is not misogynistic.
The problem with a show like Love Me If You Dare is that it is supposed to be taken seriously. Like even if you're trying to portray the male lead with faults that's fine, but it's not just him! His best friend and even the main female lead constantly spout this kind of nonsense. And I even ignored it hoping there would be a growth in that respect, but the very last couple episodes still had bs dialog like 'women are whiny'
And the love story was really juvenile. I mean there were times when a serious crime is going on and these are murders okay, and the two leads were joking around and being cute! There is a way to do humor in dark situations and dark humor but this is not that kind of mature content. Everything is just kind of shallow including the characters so when the female lead starts crying it feels forced, not to mention, you're also reminded by some male character that she's crying because she's a woman lol I'm not joking!
But credit goes to the camera work and the story arc with the actual villain was done pretty well, and definitely what kept me watching.
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If he's being a jerk its because he was trying to protect her or making her think he's dangerous so she wouldn't get involved with him but loves her almost obsessively. That's what you need in a slap kiss guilty pleasure, obsessive love and I really hated cheating in some drama because the characters feel selfish but in this one the cheating is done in a way that he doesn't do it to hurt her but to hurt someone else in his rage. There's no rape everything is with consent and the slap kiss is treated more as a fetish and the main lead never physically harms her if anything he's the one getting slapped XD
Anyway, their chemistry was excellent! Believable. Neither of them was selfish. The whole bit with the sister got a little annoying and I would have preferred if they gave Tor's step brother a bit more back story, characterization instead of making him a one dimensional villain, but still all thingsconsidered it was engaging, exciting, full of drama and angst and suspense and the skin ship is just one of the best I've seen!
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This was my first foray into Asian cinema back when I was sick of Hollywood and only watching European movies. Back when I didn't even know who Kim Jaejoong was and can you imagine he was legit my first Asian celebrity crush! Naturally I fell for tvxq and JYJ both ultimately.
So I don't know, maybe I'm biased but the way this film captures raw human experience and makes you think, it's meaningful and sad but also extremely hopeful.
And like I said, it's timeless and still very much still relevant! After watching many, many times.
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This film starts out a little weird but doesn't take long to get into high gear and the minute Hyun Woo appears things are already starting to heat up. We see these three North Korean spies living their boring lives in South Korea.
Kim Soo Hyun has been playing the role of a "pabo" (fool) and tries hard every day so his cover isn't blown but he's already been there for two years without receiving a mission. It makes him feel dejected but when his fellow spy Park Ki Woong enters the same neighborhood they start being friends again.
Ki Woong is under the guise of a musician who has to enter an idol rock contest and even though he tries hard to be in his guard and act tough and rude to everyone, it's apparent there's more to his character and also that he does love music and really wants to win the competition.
While these two are still just figuring things out another spy enters the picture. Lee Hyun Woo, the kid Soo Hyun saved a long time ago, has also been trained as a spy now and is way more intense and brings so much dark humor to the scene! I love how they kept having to mention "don't kill him ok" because clearly that's how he's been raised. It's like they say once their unit was trained like that, for them to become animals.
So, yes , there is a lot of dark humor, and EPIC dialog, and EPIC cinematography, and EPIC soundtrack so whatever happens feels so REAL that's the only way to explain it. Expect a lot of blood, gritty scenes, and darkness. That last fight seriously I have no words to describe it. It's so so BEAUTIFUL just, it will mess with your head.
The dynamic between the three main leads where Hyun Woo idolizes Soo Hyun and how Ki Woong and Soo Hyun pretty much act like parents to the trigger happy much younger Hyun Woo, sigh I just fell in love with them so bad.
The way they fight their own selves, having conflicting feelings about honor, loyalty to the country, and their innocent love for each other, it will make you insanely happy and also make you cry.
Seriously all the actors did their job phenomenally. The writing it's heartbreaking and sincere. Kudos to the creators for making such an amazing film.
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But there is a next season so hopefully somewhere in the future we'll see more of him. Anyway, tbh I want this series to have many more seasons! Also, this show is way more um "naughty" ^_^ to use a polite term, than anything in Bad Romance or anything else Asian, so there's that.
Seriously the skin ship will make you blush and want for more, I love that :') Also, there is no comparison to Bad Romance production value wise and content wise. Where Bad Romance is more guilty pleasure fun this one is really deep and the dialog Bad Romance had its moments no doubt but this one is all epic moments.
As for the main characters I totally enjoy Yihwah and her antics. She and Cho made me totally root for them in Bad Romance. Since this a prequel and the focus is more on Knock and Korn you get more of their story. Asian romance can get dark without breaking out of the rom com feel and honestly it totally works for me.
What I love about Knock and Korn is that despite Knock being confused about his sexuality, because he feels love for Korn without reason you can never say that Korn is loving him pointlessly. It's not a shallow relationship from either side.
They both love each other and can't be without one another. It was so amazing to watch them go through the highs and lows of their happiness and heartbreak without ever hating the other person. The way they knew everything about the other person and how they missed them when they weren't around.
Seriously, just go watch. It's amazing.
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