Forgotten_Soul

And way down we go

This started considerably well. Chaotic and nonsensical from the beginning, it was so light, cute and sometimes hilarious that I really liked it. The filming locations were shot very nicely and everything looked aesthetically pleasing, the OST was decent, the setting had a couple interesting twists to it, so this was my favourite thing to watch Friday nights to end the work week - until it wasn't. It had the potential to be a good "brain off" drama, but it would've needed a lobotomy to not notice how this drastically declined. You absolutely can't binge this unless you like to get things over with once you realize it's bad. Although then maybe you won't notice how nothing's really happening.

The acting sways between good and massively lacking and the plot is absolutely random. I imagine the writers had two spinning wheels in their offices, one for first or second couple, the other with random typical BL tropes. Whatever the wheels showed would be the next scene. This lead to scenes between both couples being widely unbalanced and the plot not having a single stringent line. Despite having a "happy end", it was all loose ends. Every scene that allowed for a bit of emotionality was either cut strangely short or presented in a way that was more cringe than anything.

The bed scenes were okay, but unneccessary. I assume the overall runtime of these was at least one full episode that the plot desperately would have needed for the relationships to actually develop to reach that point. After all, it seemed they decided to prioritize a tropey mess that decided to leave its potential untouched for a deep dive into fanservice.

Will you like it? If you find randomness and the most out of nowhere plottwists to be entertaining, I absolutely recommend watching. For a proper story, please use your preferred exit to go back to the main page and try to find something different to watch.

Read More

"His presence alone will make you feel safe" - Predictability has never been so comforting

Have you ever wanted to see an NIS agent become a babysitter? I never thought I did until I saw a clip and wanted more.
If you expect a neatly knitted masterpiece RomCom with some solid action plot, you will be disappointed. However, if you want some solid light entertainment with a sprinkle of excitement, this might be just your cup of tea.

Things similar dramas fail at that I loved here:
+ steady pacing
+ almost no filler scenes
+ no character is perfect
+ proper side characters and useful side quests
+ attention to detail
+ low on misunderstandings
+ satisfying ending

Things that might make you hate the drama:
- the plot (more below)
- lack of realism, depth and meaning
- almost no romance

I actually loved the lack of romance as it didn't feel fitting to have it with the given setting, but I know many people who do.

While none of the characters is very deep or developed, they are clearly characterised.
Kim Bon as the ML isn't portrayed as the perfect NIS agent but simply as a human being skilled at what he was trained to do. He's hard-working, reliable, concerned for the safety and wellbeing of those around him - and good with kids.
FL is a married mother with twins trying to make it through life, giving everything for her family and getting herself into trouble a couple times too often. What at first seems to be mere comedy or a plot device soon turns out to be one of her biggest strenghts. Her change from weakness to strength is best proof for the character development that was slight, but steady, which made it more believable.
It took me more than five full episodes to develop a liking for FL, but she did manage to gain my respect after all. In that regard, her character is the weakest point of the whole drama.

Side characters are more than plot devices and clearly distinguishable. Even guest and support roles don't get forgotten until the very last episode. Considering how many top tier-class dramas can't do solid side characters or will go out of character for the plot, I was highly impressed. Obviously, the kids were hella cute, too.
That being said, I didn't like many of the side characters' personalities, especially when they overacted for comedic purposes. It is a comedy drama after all, though, and their scenes often were meant to provide relief after tension, so I didn't expect any less.
The music, although not special, was used well and ended up in my playlist for good mood.

Now here's the one thing you HAVE to overlook to enjoy the drama: The plot
The entire plot is 100% predictable, but I didn't care, because it was solid. Side quests made sense and were tightly connected to the red string that knitted the whole drama together. Every plot point was dealt with quickly so you could feel progress with every watched episode. In that regard, the original 32-episode airing format might have helped set the pace. Tiny details that seemed meaningless and included only for comedy or tension were picked up many episodes later.
Forget the unneccessary drama, the endlessly accumulating troubles all leading to a grand finale where everything is blown up just for characters to hastily mend together what's left of their plot to quickly improvise a forced happy ending. Things happened because the characters followed their goals and saw the consequences of it. The ending wasn't a matter of luck, the authors' sheer will or the characters' stellar competence, but the accumulated result of work put into previous episodes.

Where the plot fell flat was at...almost everything else. You will have to wave off characters acting the most stupid (not for comedic purposes) and the most convenient coincidences to make up large parts of what drives the story. You also have to stop thinking about the entire galaxy of plotholes presented in neon colours on a silver plate. At least in that, the plot was very consistent, too.
Nobody tried to give characters deep meaning and back story, develop a unique and tightly fitted crime plot or take it all seriously. So if you do, you lose.

But listen, this was a drama I watched for entertainment purposes only. I wanted nothing but something to keep me glued to my desk while I have to work and it exceeded my expectations in that regard. It did so many things right that I've been missing in K-Dramas for so long it probably cured my K-Drama slump.

If you're looking for easy entertainment, watch it! If you're looking for your next thrilling masterpiece with twists and turns and deep meaning...why are you still reading?

Read More

Nothing out of the ordinary can still leave you satisfied

I got positively surprised. Don't expect the unexpected with this and you might be, too. It's a short drama going through quite a lot of clichéd plot in a rather short amount of time, ticking a lot of the standard J-drama boxes. But although it has nothing unique to it, it's still worth watching for several highlights, including the perspectives on family, revenge and standing up for yourself.

Let me start in reverse: The ending was wrapped up pretty nicely despite being a bit rushed and I didn't expect to feel the amount of satisfaction I do now that I finished watching. We get a few life lessons, nothing new, but definitely heartwarming. We also get to see character development, although due to lack of time it was a bit rushed. There's barely any angst, issues are resolved quickly and the drama is more on the calm side. Let me use the word rushed for the last time to say that the overall pace was steady, but fast, and didn't allow for everything to actually mend together. You will have to do that yourself.

Other than that, the FL is calm and chooses her words wisely, which makes it a bit harder to relate to her. But it also becomes pretty obvious that she's a genuinely good person, making you root for her happiness nonetheless. ML and especially his reasoning is a bit...over the top at times, I'll be blaming them having to cut things short. But his character development and self-reflection did show after all.
Chemistry-wise I personally didn't feel it, but in typical Japanese drama manner they had both of them act reserved with one another throughout the relationship which makes it hard to actually judge. I found their overall relationship believable enough without the chemistry.
Almost all characters felt rather one-dimensional and I would have loved a deeper insight into each person's reasoning behind their actions, but it is very rare of such short dramas to accomplish that so I'm not deducting points here.

The acting isn't overly great, but believable enough to follow along with the story. It's not a highly emotional plot anyways, although I bet many viewers wished it was.

All in all, this is not a grand love story but rather a quick breeze through drama clichés, topped with a couple nice words and wrapped up to leave you satisfied enough to not regret watching. Before watching the last two episodes, I would have rated this a 6.5, but I expected a lot more unneccessary drama resolved last-minute and got a nice wrap-up with some wise words instead, so 7.5 it is.

Read More

Let's keep it brief and spoiler-free - This isn't for everyone

I swear I expected nothing as I went into this and still got vastly disappointed. Until the end I wasn't sure if the drama even knew what it wanted to be - after finishing, I am almost sure it never wanted to know. Watching weekly, you couldn't know what you'd get, so we all had to speculate, only for some of us to be vastly let down. But now that it's aired, you won't have to guess, so here's what this really is:

1) It's slow paced. Very slow-paced. But slow pace can be nice too, right?
2) It's repetitive. While at first I figured it was for more details or atmosphere, I now have to conclude they either thought viewers are dumb or needed to fill screen time. If you can still enjoy something after seeing the same scene for the n-th time, you might not mind.
3) It's atmospheric and sad. If you like that, go ahead. But all the mystery and suspense is coming from the bad things you are anticipating to happen, not the actual mystery.
4) Said mystery as to why these things happen will never get solved. If from the description you expect to see a story where a guy uses statistics to find a realistic reason why things happen to a girl he knows, you will be so disappointed.
5) He uses statistics. But they (and the whole logic) are so damn faulty and flawed and pitted like swiss cheese, if you just use your brain once or know a bit about statistics, it will be hard not to notice. Will you mind? I can't tell, but it annoyed the hell out of me.
6) It's not a grand romance. In fact, ML is a big red flag for so many reasons - which, to be fair, the series notices itself to some extent- , and the romance only is included towards the end as the characters barely interact.
7) That, on the other hand, means the focus will be almost entirely on the main characters from various perspectives and times, so if you really like taking a deep dive into single character's lives, this might be for you - but don't stumble over all the plotholes.
8) If you don't like the first episodes, you might still like it towards the end, as the overall feeling, atmosphere and context change vastly. When it comes to showcasing just how life-changing the characters' research was for them, they actually did a great job. That being said, if you don't enjoy the middle or want something entirely logical, good luck hanging on. The last episodes did make up for some of my issues as I enjoyed the change in storytelling, but it wasn't worth it for me.

In conclusion, this is a series about a guy who is hellishly determined to solve a problem and incredibly great with collecting and anaylsing data. With the small flaw that his analysis is...not using the statistics my professors taught me. As this is the whole point of the plot, it fell apart entirely for me. Maybe I am one of the very few people who actually believe data, statistics and research can be fun, interesting and exciting and I was never the target audience to begin with. The storytelling, the angles, the focus on data, it all relies heavily on the one point that lacks execution the most. That's the one big issue I have with narrowly-focused, detailed series - if you don't get your details straight, it's an immediate failure, because people are more likely to actually take a closer look themselves. Let me warn you: Don't look. And if you can't - don't watch.

Read More

Empty calories - how an easy watch became hard to swallow

After almost dropping after episode 2, my conclusion is this: I don't regret not dropping it. But I wouldn't have missed out if I had. Many of the good aspects I found during the first couple episodes vanished until the last ten, making it harder and harder to finish.

Plot: Highly predictable and barely there. Despite every episode being packed with drama, the overall pacing is slow. Bad thing after bad things happens that the characters just try to make do with. Good things don't feel as if they're the result of the characters' own actions or skills, but pure luck.
If you enjoy various plotlines to happen at the same time, side characters to have great relevance for the plot and constant drama, this plot might suit your taste. I got frustrated at the lack of progress after around episode 15.

Characters: Both MLs were likeable, FL was okay, the rest felt like filling material. The antagonist to create all the drama was a bit over the top. What made me more mad than said character was the other characters' reactions to it, especially since it was never explained why they put up with that the way they did.
Every conflict felt shallow and could have been resolved in under a minute, which is why nothing ever hit deep or felt relatable. Instead, characters are empty vessels carrying the plot with no development at all. There was a lot "all tell no show" - 'we are all family' - but you never treated each other as such, 'I trust you' - how did that trust develop, why aren't you showing that, 'you changed my life' - you're literally right where you left off, what exactly changed?
As the plot progressed, more and more side characters got swept under the carpet, hence not bringing all opened plotlines to a closure.

Relationships: The bromance is barely there as 2ML is barely present (but when it's there, it's wholesome). The whole restaurant team never felt like family or friends with all the trust issues, betrayals and secrets going on. If you're hoping for a nice story about people meeting at their lowest and helping each other out, forming great bonds along the way, you couldn't choose a worse drama to watch.
The romance part was cute, despite a lack of chemistry, their relationship surprisingly open and healthy (apart from some bigger secrets that were brushed over way too quickly).

The cooking: For a drama called Wok of Love there's a big lack of actual cooking. It does get better during later episodes, but by then, I wanted them to solve their damn issues instead of holding monologues about how to butcher those poor lobsters.

Admittedly, they probably never wanted to be anything other than an easily digestible drama, and I went into it expecting just that. I wanted just one nice element that I'd enjoy to give it a higher rating.
The only hope I had was an easy watch about people growing as a team after their circumstances forced them to work together in a kitchen with tasty food as the side character.
In the end, the dishes looked tasty, but what they served lacked spice.

Read More

The elephant in the room got too big to ignore

This movie had the potential to be really great. Visually stunning with great camerawork that really emphasizes the good acting, it uses music and visuals to create a calm atmosphere with shifting nuances of release or tension. The criminal case it presented was very predictable, but interesting enough in its details.

However, I always have to deduct points en masse when movies don't excel at the one thing they are based on. In this case, that's the depiction of autism*. Let this be your warning that this attempted to be a heartwarming movie about a struggling lawer and a girl with a mental disability rather than a crime thriller.

If I was being mean, I'd suggest the writers were autistic themselves, since they apparently liked ticking off boxes on lists so meticously. We have all the stereotypes you could imagine, added a couple of typical crime plots and topped it off with throwing realism out the window whenever inconvenient.

(Disclaimer: I am autistic myself)
The elephant in the room - Autism:
The main character has Asperger's, obviously, because there's no other forms of autism. She has trouble understanding her surroundings so much that she is barely able to interact with other people unless they make a grand effort to get through to her. That is realistic, as everyone knows autistic people live in their own world, can't use emphasis when speaking and struggle reading facial expressions. They don't understand irony or sarcasm and can't lie. BUT they make up for all their "deficits" by having superpower-like abilities in mathematics, language or hypersensitivity that end up saving the day. *irony off*
Let's add some ableist language like talking away issues, using generalising phrases or pretending to know better, advocating for people who didn't ask to be advocated for.
I already knew it was utopic to wish to feel represented by a movie this heavily focused on autistic struggles, but this movie really ticked all the boxes on how to NOT approach the topic. It's not especially bad compared to other media, but it's also not better than them in the slightest. It's not like nobody with autism acts like the FL does, hence you could say it was realistic - down to the ableist approaches everyone took at her. Still, the disability is a mere plot device and handled with the same care as all other plot devices employed. As someone sensitized to the topic, I couldn't help but feel annoyed whenever I was able to cross off another stereotype or trope on my mental checklist. I'm tired of getting served the same old three streotypes in a "heartwarming bonding" trenchcoat.

What everyone else looks at - Plot:
Now, if you don't mind breezing through a couple of standards in good quality and don't specifically care about considerate portrayal of disabilities, this is still a good movie. But... is it?
Plot-wise, they attempted too little in too few time. We have the crime to solve, obviously, that then also has to be negotiated in court. On top of that, our main lead lawyer has to deal with a bunch of issues at home whilst facing a crisis at his job, leading him to also lose his closest friend (whose problems are hinted at as well), all while trying to befriend a girl with autism which he knows nothing about. Said girl obviously has her own struggles, too, which we also get insight into. While all these aspects are connected with each other quite skillfully, the balance between them didn't sit right to me. Neither the crime plot nor the development of the relationship between the two mains got the emphasis they deserved.
If this movie had focused just a little less on portraying something they obviously didn't know how to handle properly, it could have been a great plot with complexity and thoroughly characterised characters.

Tl;Dr - Conclusion:
This was still a good movie, and until approximately the last 20 minutes, I was able to focus fully on what was happening on screen. The way it was filmed and edited really helped to protray atmosphere and emotionality, hence gripping and holding my interest. Whether you will feel the main characters actually form a bond or stay somewhat distant will be up to you. What it's not is a good crime movie or a good representation of disabilities. If you leave your inner detective at home where you also store away your courtroom knowledge, chances are you'll highly enjoy watching.

*PS: I don't hold any firm view on the disability-first vs. person-first debate, hence I used both versions as I saw fit.

Read More

This took me months to finish and I don't know why

Is this finally a high-quality mini drama that's actually not just brainrot? Yes.
Did I like it? Nope.

Only watch this if you mainly want
- short episodes
- an aesthetically pleasing show with pretty costumes and filming locations
- steamy scenes
- few angst
- a plot not ridden with plotholes

The drama was way too long for the story it had to tell. We had a lot of back and forth between characters, the problems they had to face got repetitive. Especially in the latter half, the couple spent more time away from each other than together. So if you're only coming for relationship and steam, the second half will have you grit your teeth.

FL was a really good character and I liked the way she dealt with what was trown her way, but ML was that genuinely good guy dumbfounded by her perfection who brought nothing to the table but his military abilities. That being said, all the action scenes and the scheming were exciting and well-executed. Just way too slow for my taste, too easily solved and too similar to each other. Sitting there with an itch to hit the skip-button for most of the drama only for the ending to end up rushed led me to substract further points in my rating.

With only few screentime, decisions have to be made on where to make cuts and here, they decided to cut a little bit of everything. For many, this might be what gives it its quality, while for me that means every single aspect is lacking that last detail to get me hooked. I wasn't rooting for the characters, I never considered them a couple and before I could get hooked on any issue it was solved already.
Overall, this drama has a lot of good elements, but none of them were able to catch me.

Read More

Solid throughout, addicting to watch - TL, DR below

I really wish I could give this a higher rating as it was hard not to binge through at once. But apart from a lot of minor issues and the fact that I am mad there's not more episodes, my expectations were a bit let down, too.

First things first: Since only the first season is available on viki as of now and the second hence might not be available to all viewers, let me assure you that you can absolutely watch season 1 without ever needing to watch season 2 to get closure. (That is, if you don't get insanely hooked and addicted for more.)

The plot: It's a crime series that is rather episodical with a hinted main plot that occasionally comes up and has its final arch towards the end. The cases take longer to solve which allows for suspense and more attention to detail, making it stand out from all those western crime dramas that mostly solve one case in one episode. We get drawn into the victims' and culprits' lives, discovering their motives and going through every little detail of their actions. While this makes it stand out, it also means you might like some cases more than others, depending on how much the backstories stir your interest. The final arch, despite not being anything unique and solved rather quickly, was as solid as everything else, but with the cases stretching over several episodes we got to see rather few normal cases before the finale.

The few episodes also allow for many details to be missed: When does a painter, who suddenly joins the police, learn all the things he certainly has to learn to be allowed to visit crime scenes, catch culprits and solve cases? We rarely get to see his professional development, he is sort of displayed as someone who's almost genius-like.

Individuality/USP: In general, this is nothing new. The concept of catching killers with a pen is, but everything else is the A to Z of crime dramas. But it's solid and well-made and by far not entirely foreseeable. Don't expect everything to be realistic, and you'll be fine. Also, of course MLs brilliance will be the preferred excuse to explain how he is able to do things that realistically probably wouldn't be possible (but I'm neither an artist nor a genius so what do I know). I do wish for the series to go a bit more beyond the standards and dare to be a bit more unique. The core idea of solving crimes with drawings was used througout the series but could have played an even bigger role, hence I can't give it a higher rating. I know I am nitpicking, but with so much potential already fulfilled, seeing the series leave the last bits to become a masterpiece untouched bugs me.
The limited screen time was this series' biggest issue, way beyond the "it was so good I want more episodes" problem I have right now (as that will be hopefully fixed with season 2).

The characters: I liked all characters but the main leads especially. We see character development and growth, although it's not huge, and changes in dynamics that were displayed really well and satisfying to watch. Side characters aren't left alone and forgotten but continuously interact with each other and play important roles throughout the story.

Acting: I am not good at rating acting, but the main leads did a great job. While both main characters are supposed to be rather reserved and hard to see through, their personalities obviously differed and had their own unique traits. They were proof for all those romance dramas out there that quiet and reserved ML does not equal stone face.

Also worth mentioning:
Despite being a crime drama with a couple of action or emotionally heavy scenes, there's so few screaming and yelling. Shen Yi's personality also had a very calming effect, not only on the viewers, but also those around him. It was awesome. It also isn't very violent, graphic or cruel, so it's safe to binge through in the middle of the night.
The art pieces were actually beautiful and Shen Yi does have his very unique style, making his drawings seem very authentic and easily recognizable. A lot of professionalism and thought went into displaying his art.
I actually learned more interesting facts about art and even got a bit of life advice out of it that I then tried on other people (who were impressed by my wisdom).

TL, DR: When do I NOT recommend watching:
- You are tired of typical crime series and their tropes
- You want a series about one single case that is investigated in detail
- You don't want anything complex at all, only episodical short cases
- You want to see detective work only, not know more about the characters

Other than that, give it a try!

Read More

If it doesn't speak to you, you won't like this

Objective rating 7/10, subjective rating 8.5/10

This story is:
- a vibe (atmospheric)
- heartbreaking
- slow-paced and drawing you in slowly
- glorifying romantic relationships
- not about healthy relationships either
- delivering on all your dramaland fantasies

Storytelling:
We get thrown right into the very confusing relationship between both, no explanations given. Heartbreaking music wants to convince us that every single scene is utterly dramatic, yet what we see looks like a random dramaland breakup scene. Skipping between past, present and trauma, we only get to know each character painfully slowly. What do they like, what is their life like - all we get is melancholic slow-motion with heartwrenching music while watching the characters live their life. Something clearly is off, but what is it?

Tiny pieces of Wen Yifan's past - the only thing that initiates and drives the plot - are thrown out to make up your own mind about it. For me, it was too little too late, but the atmosphere still had me hooked. Until these scenes became too repetitive as we never saw any of them from a different angle or adding a different detail - nothing changes. While at first that felt realistic, it later felt like buying screen time. As we saw Wen Yifan grow in character, so should have her interpretation of her past.

The plot:
There isn't much plot apart from the relationships forming. I really liked how they showed the couple do the most mundane daily tasks together and although it was slow-paced, the build up was made very well.
The family drama was realistic, its closure very anticlimactic. Wen Yifan's story ended up feeling a bit rushed, over the top and lost its relatability when they tried to make it even more dramatic later on. I wish they would have stayed closer to reality instead of one-upping it unneccessarily. For me, that sent the wrong message and the topic could have been handled with a bit more sensitivity, especially after they dealt well with it for the most of it.
Certain archs were understandable, but I still strongly disliked them and wish the drama had explored their neccessity for the characters in a bit more depth. And of course, nobody ever goes to therapy.

The couples:
This story should have centered entirely around the main couple or at least have portrayed the friendships they had a bit stronger. Instead, we got a second couple thrown in that I personally fully could have done without. Their story lacked depth, and as individual characters they got so few screentime that it was almost impossible for me to root for them. They barely had any relevance to the story and seemed to barely impact the main couple's life. It felt like they were meant to include some story about the true meaning of life and love without considering if that was actually the atmosphere this show was going for.

The second couple felt like that one person hitting the light switch after you've gotten cozy in a dark room. You get sucked into the pretty yet cruel world of the main couple, heartwrenching music, warm colours and soft imagery everywhere, just to then get thrown into bright, crystal clear images with standard music, standard bickering and standard "cute petite happy-go-lucky woman". Others might have found that relieving, I almost skipped their parts as I found them too disruptive.

Characters:
Wen Yifan was the star of the show and actually the only one with clear characterisation and character development. She had things she loved doing, a work life, a past and clear issues to resolve. Sang Yan revolved so much around her, he seemed to not have a life of his own. I don't mind romantic dedication, carrying the damsel in distress to her happy end, but he barely had any personality to him. Instead, we had a green flag guy with a big red flag called stalking. No hobbies, no work life, no past aside from her, no issue beside trying to win her over. The side characters in Wen Yifans life all worked towards giving us an impression of her life, adding outside perspectives of her, while everyone else seemed like an NPC without a real purpose.

Acting:
Zhang Ruo Nan did an amazing job at portraing that strong-willed yet always wary character, trying to be stronger than the past that kept haunting her. Her story spoke to me on more levels than it should. Bai Jing Ting did a great job at portraying his character with the few personality traits he was given. His facial expressions were the only reason he didn't come off as the guy with no personality who doesn't really care about the FL either. At least he visibly cared. Apart from that, I am very convinced they tried to pull the face-card with their cast to enhance the atmosphere they were trying to create.

OST:
The music was beautiful, but as mentioned above, seemed a bit over the top not knowing all that had happened. Slowly increasing its intensity through the course of the episodes instead of throwing it at the viewers right away could have helped build and maintain suspense even with the slow pace. The repetitiveness left an impression too, but I wish they used it more selectively. And sometimes, silence can create a lot more tension than any soundtrack could. 10/10 for the music, 6/10 for its use.

Final conclusion: This drama lived from the atmosphere it created, the mysterious depressing aura around Wen Yifan and the viewer's despair to see her have her well-deserved happy end. If you look behind its incredibly beautiful facade, you will find that this drama actually leaves a lot to be desired. But then again, a beautiful fairytale from time to time won't hurt. As I slowly grew to like the silent and calm beauty of it all, Wen Yifan's story deeply spoke to me. I never knew I could fall in love with heartache like this.

PS: I still can't get over the clock in the background of the living room always showing the exact same time.

Read More

Because this is...disappointment

There is a reason this series is taking first places in several "underrated drama" lists. After having put it on hold a couple years ago, I now decided to pick it up again and absolutely loved it. Until... I didn't.

When do I recommend watching this:
- You want to see something slow-paced and calm
- You want to see something different
- You like series feeling relatable or down-to-earth
- You don't expect great chemistry, a grand love or swoon-worthy romance (but realism)
- You still can enjoy a series even when the ending is messed-up / you're disappointment-proof
- You don't mind clichés, especially misunderstandings and back and forths
- You don't expect the series to actually challenge your way of thinking, but simply approve of what you already know in a creative way

This had everything to finally be different. It was slow and thoughtful, it showed the characters challenging societal standards, addressed common issues, and many topics were shown very directly and openly without palliating. It felt incredibly relatable. They showed that love isn't the only thing neccessary for relationships to work and proved that even romantic K-Dramas can do without clichés - until they didn't. Suddenly we have all those clichés coming around the corner, love is bigger than everything and issues are solved in ways I'd call irresponsible. You can admit this is your first life to show kindness and understanding towards your own (or other people`s) decisions. Or you can use it as an excuse. During the course of the episodes, the characters' actions and mindsets seemed to turn from one to the other.

As one person mentioned below in the comments, the FL's personality changes drastically when with ML. She suddenly appears so self-conscious and timid and the amount of things left unsaid between both of them started to massively bother me after the first half. FL is pulling the hardest series of back and forth-movements I have ever seen in a character. She is presented as a person who thinks everything through carefully - but she never really follows through. Towards the end I wanted to yell at the characters "being grown-up doesn't mean you never make mistakes - it means you deal with their consequences, so please, finally deal with them". For all the mistakes they make, I never saw an open conversation or a proper apology. In fact, character development was slow and barely existent, and most side characters almost disappeared towards the end.

What also should be mentioned here is the lack of chemistry between the characters. Actually, amongst all the life, relationship and marriage philosophy and the societal critique, we learn so few about the characters that it is really hard to like them for who they are. Which leaves the question - what do their partners like about them? We never find out.

I don't remember the last time I was so annoyed by a series' wasted potential. This promised to finally be different and I give them credit for that, but its messages seem to have turned into their opposites towards the end and that was a huge let-down.

Read More

Can a comedy be serious? (Tl;dr below)

When it first aired on Netflix, I had barely watched any C-Dramas before and wasn't familiar with the culture at all, so I dropped it rather quickly. Years and many C-Dramas later, I found an entirely different perspective.

Take my Brother Away is based on the movie Go, Brother! and while I think the general message in the movie was a lot clearer, I like the drama's execution more.

It's a light slice of life drama that was easy to breeze through without feeling empty. The siblings' relationship was acutally wholesome, the side characters more than just plot devices. They actually not only had relationships with the main characters but also had their own dynamics with everyone around them.
Despite appearing to be a generic comedy show, the exaggerations held a lot of room for interpretation and deeper meaning, not shying away from occasionally bringing said meaning to surface. The tonal shifts were actually impressive.

Being based on a comic, exaggeration and lack of true realism were omnipresent. It took me a while to get used to seeing it in a live action drama, but once you're able to accept that things won't be realistic on the surface, it becomes even more apparent just how realistic the underlying issues and messages are.

While I struggled relating to the characters' school drama, I deeply felt for ML in his role as an older brother trying to solve everyone's problems while making it seem easy. As much as I could relate, I also wished to have an older sibling like him. I could learn a lot from his ability to improvise on the spot and face problems head-on.

What I found the most challenging was FL, who sometimes just acted too spoiled and whose character growth came way too late. Admittedly, I also had a hard time with the supposed comedy and overexaggeration of literally everything and despite being able to overlook it never truly got to like it.

Tl;dr:
Don't watch this if you:
- don't like comedy
- don't like overexaggeration/overacting
- don't relate to sibling's relationships or school drama
- are new to Chinese dramas or the Chinese culture

Do watch if you:
- want to see some good sibling chemistry
- want something easy to watch (i.e for dinner or when you need to pass some time)
- enjoy comedy employing a lot of overexaggeration

I will miss seeing the siblings' home, their bickering as well as the other side characters.

Read More

A very nice distraction - I need a second part

As I was scrolling through iQIYI shorts, questioning my own sanity, stumbling upon this drama was like finding a dollar on an empty street. I was so close to putting my phone away a moment before just to end up almost binging this one.

Let's stick to the facts: This is a mini, vertically filmed drama with a runtime of around 2h and that's exactly the quality you'll get. Forget relationships establishing slowly, characters developing and the plot to be anything less than foreseeable and you're good to walk into this with your eyes wide open.

The acting didn't surprise me. They had facial expressions, but all of them were widely exaggerated. The music was hilarious at times, disturbing at others, but didn't make my ears bleed either (you can tell how high my expectations were here).

What really surprised me positively was the plot's quality. It was fully cliché and unrealistic at best, but all the plot lines they opened never contradicted each other. It would've been even better had they resolved all of them, but with the runtime they had, they actually put them together very nicely and without any (obvious) plotholes.
The chemistry was there, although with so many plot archs and loose ends we barely got to experience both together as a couple.
They made up for that with the comedy they brought in with almost every episode that was actually funny and not cringe at all (for me, at least).

It was good enough for me to want a second part.

I laughed, I frowned, I laughed some more, I killed the time I had to kill. If you're bored or have to wait somewhere, I highly recommend watching.

Read More

Exactly what I needed

As I was looking for a light-hearted, diverting yet not overly cliché ridden BL-drama to watch, I stumbled upon "See your Love" quite early, and am so glad I found it. I don't have much experience with LA BL-dramas yet, but feel like this was definitely on the better side of things - if a light-hearted drama where you can leave your brain at home yet feel with the characters is what you're looking for.

Most important to keep in mind is that, despite having around 13 Episodes, each only lasts 20-25 minutes, so there isn't much screentime to work with. That considered, I loved the depth the characters, especially the main characters, got, as well as their character development. I was not prepared for that.
Then again, I was prepared for the "plot" and all the side characters to be lacking screen time and hence "proper" development. While I understand the attempt to further elaborate certain sides of the character's personalities, I am sure that could've been achieved differently - especially towards the end, where a couple things did feel a bit rushed and over the top.

The music did not feel too fitting and especially in a series with one character being deaf would have better been left out at times. It wasn't particularily bad, just not used skillfully.

The disability is displayed comparably well, considerate and empathetic, but most certainly not entirely realistic (the amount of lip-reading superpowers involved alone was questionable...). I advise to appreciate the effort put into a realistic demonstration of being deaf, while not taking it as real-life advice in that regard.

The comic elements might as well be seen as over the top, but it was exactly what made it hilarious and easy to watch amidst big emotions. The chemistry between the characters was great and didn't suffer from the comedy at all. I would have prefered more screen time for the plot and characters instead of fanservice and showing skin, but as these scences were done well too and the chemistry didn't get lost, I didn't mind it either. Instead, I got exactly what I needed. Something to laugh about loudly, something to smile, something to emphasize and something I could quickly watch in between or binge for an evening to relieve some stress.

Read More

Consistent (lack of) quality

I forced myself to watch the entirety of 20 episodes and want to advise you this: If there's something positive to say about this drama, it's that its overall quality stays very consistent throughout. Hence, if you like the first episodes, you also will like the rest, but if you don't - drop it and don't look back.

I can see the high production value that went into this. Visuals, music and acting were stellar. Additionally, even knowing not much about South Korean society, the social commentary got across. The main plot was brutal, but thrilling, the antagonist's moves making you wonder what means they would use next to counter their opponent.

This drama tried to have it all - exhilarating action, grippingly brutal violence, comedy to lighten the mood and romance as well as emotional backstories to engage the heart. However, I found the tonal shifts to be too harsh to allow for setting a general atmosphere, the mixture a stack of blocks rather than a neatly fitted puzzle piece.

Characterisations didn't go beyond the cardboard cutouts needed for the plot, which made it almost impossible for me to care about any of them. Character development can't be found except for one side character. Even with Vincenzo staying the morally grey antagonist who doesn't waver in his principles, we should have seen him further grow into these. Characters were too consistent, proof that the plot's events didn't have the impact they should have had.
Here, the violence's brutality meant to shock viewers did not match the lack of f*s the characters gave about what happened to them.

Where the initial setting could have offered a lot of tacit, well-orchestrated moves of two antagonists outsmarting each other on their way towards a bigger goal, the plot ended up being entirely repetitive and only secondarily caters to the main purpose. If I had to summarise what happened in the course of 20 episodes, it could easily fit onto one page.

I won't even elaborate on the ton of convenient coincidences and the characters' almost superpowers that, again, weren't learned but already installed in them from the beginning. Nobody in this series improved their skills or mindset, they all magically had them, because they were needed by the plot.

All the Geumga Plaza fillers annoyed me. Their characters felt like caricatures of the archetype they were meant to represent.
Almost everything had some sort of overexaggeration to it. The comedy and characters as well as the overall plotline.
Together with the hidden side quest plot stretching it out for 20 episodes, watching felt like a huge waste of my time, the enjoyment of seeing each party counteract each other's moves a weak payoff for the time invested.

I've been told various times now that the whole drama is a metaphor, mocking classical Hollywood and K-drama tropes. But with that goal, you either make it hilarious and over the top entirely as an open parody, or draw in the viewers to only at the end confront them with their own gullibility. The mixture of both really threw off my brain every time I wanted to begin getting into it.

If you watch for entertainment purposes only and like the dynamics of the first episodes, absolutely start watching. I certainly couldn't stop overlooking this drama's flaws enough to see them as anything but faulty production choices.

Read More

How to like this drama

Had I known about the ratings before starting this show, I probably never would have, but I am glad I watched this. Not because I particularily enjoyed this, but simply because I didn't hate it either. I was so indifferent with this that it was actually a nice relaxing watch in-between.

So, here's a guide on how to like it:
First, look for something calm, but not light-hearted. Not to say there was no message or strong emotions, but they are mostly implicit. In that regard, music, cinematography etc. all blend well into each other.
Second, look for a green flag (but young & inexperienced) ML.
Third, do not mind the FL to be a big red flag. This is not a pretty, beautiful romance story and never was supposed to be.
I really didn't feel the relationship at all and my only thought was "I hope he learns to run fast and far and she finally gets some therapy." Which stirs up the question whether someone is a green flag if they stay in a relationship with a red flag, a question I haven't found an answer to. The relationship does change in dynamics and, depending on your perspective, fosters character development, I just don't think I'd call it character "growth".

Fourth, don't expect the side characters to be more than NPCs, the focus is almost entirely on the progression of the relationship.

Fifth, expect backgrounds and backstories to be implicit, too. I have seen more than a handful of short series so far and some really impressed me with how much depth, understanding and context they were able to provide for several characters in a short amount of screentime. Here, the focus is almost entirely on the present with just small hints on what happened to get both characters where they are now. That also makes it really hard to gain "secure" insight into their motives and you need to use your own logic to connect the loose ends. Still, I wouldn't say the series needs a lot of brain cells, although the very open narration style does leave a lot of space to fill if you feel like it.

Sixth, you really like or really care about idol industry, their lives and the consequences it has to live like they do. The message there is clear, strong and probably all too real.

Last but not least, you don't expect a real "plot" as you are used to, but really just want to follow two people along their way of a relationship that probably never should have happend but takes place around the world on a daily basis.

Overall, this drama is probably very close to reality, although the execution might not appeal to everyone. For me, it just didn't manage to stir any interest, and I do like short and calm, slow dramas with lots of implications and a message. But as I don't care much about idols and have had my fair share of red flags already, it wasn't a message meant for me to hear.

Read More