That said, I have to say that the drama plot was quite balanced. And I love how a lot of things regarding Tabito's curiosities towards Youko, the relationships of the people from the detective agencies as well as Tabito's dark secrets were written in a way that was natural and not forceful. Like as much as some might argue that the focus on Tabito and Youko's relationship was unnecessary, Youko's presence was essential in the drama. As hinted by the yakuza doctor from the SP, surely enough Youko's influence was key towards Tabito's recovery to regaining the rest of his senses. Also, the very fact that in every episode there were subtle hints about Tabito's past alongside the other cases provide reasons as to why you would want to rewatch the series from the beginning to pick up all of the subtle hints.
All in all, as much as a lot of the elements in the drama was written in a parody-like setting, it's still an enjoyable watch for people who love mystery/detective genres dramas in a not so serious way.
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I cried lololol
Finally I finished watching this movie omg and I love it. While the story wasn’t really THAT unique if you wanna compare to like many other space scifi movies that came before, it's really an impressive movie. Not to mention it was the first made by Koreans and starring Korean casts.Never really expect a story about some junk scavengers would spiral into a race to save the Earth but there ya go. I really love how the back stories of the main characters were gradually revealed... not to mention how Taeho turned out to be like Yoo Sijin in space lol. I had lots of tears of sads and happiness throughout the movie I never thought I'd get hit with so much feels in this movie!
And another aspects that I really love in this movie was how much multilingual this movie is like everyone of different ethnicities were a lot of times communicates using their own languages and everyone could understand each other using a universal translation gadgets that they all have. That was really rare to see in even Hollywood movies. I had so much fun watching this movie, I really love it so much!
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Interesting story... but wished it's longer
Found out about this drama by chance and really liking what I'm watching. Plus there's Kim Namgil as one of the main leads so that's one plus point. Plot reminds me of many anime series that involved demon slaying with people creating half-demon warriors in order to gain advantage over the enemy.Overall, the plot is interesting and the pacing is okay. While I could see some argue that the pacing was slow, I didn't really have any trouble with that. The pacing right now was fine to allow people to know the basic setting and establishing the characters. That said, I do wish that this first part was a bit longer. While the plot between Van and Miho was so far pretty solid, I feel like the writer kinda neglecting Johan's character a bit. As in, a lot of time he was shown to be doing something in the background and we didn't really know anything about it until the last two episodes. And it felt that the involvement of the Vatican (?) exorcists was like a side plot to the main story since Van was the one mostly dealing with the lust demon while Johan not really functioning much aside from trying to oust Van from his protector role. While I do appreciate the occassional flashback to explain the origin on how Van end up being a half-demon, I do wish that there was a scene in the present where they address the issue. Especially when Van didn't become a half-demon by choice. And I wish the writers actually spend more time to explain to us what exactly is the lust demons and what it has to do with the opening line in the first episode. So far it does look like the show was making a lot of reference to Jejudo's own mythology, it felt like a shame that we don't really quite get enough worldbuilding over it.
Anyway, I like the casting. While Eunwoo was pretty cute as an exorcist priest, my attention was mostly on Kim Namgil as the emo half-demon Van. Gotta say that Van was giving off a bit of Bidam vibe that it felt somewhat nostalgic. Lee Dahee is pretty okay as Won Miho/Wonjeong. Since her character was a reincarnated person who was supposed to be a key person for fixing the barrier to seal the lust demons from running free, it was pretty understandable to see her in panic and in confusion when she end up being targeted by all these monsters. Frankly she's doing well playing a character who was suddenly thrust into an unbelievable situation. And boy, she's really good at running on high heels a lot ❤
Since I'm used to watching tokusatsu shows, I'm fine with seeing all the CGI at work in the drama. And the monster makeup were quite decently made. I have to praise the action coordination as it really pumps you up when watching the fight sequence. I like the ost track as well esp the main theme with the haunting and sorrowful vibe.
I usually tend to get distracted while watching dramas when a show try to info dump too much on the first episodes or drag the plot on unnecessary things but I didn't get sidetracked on other things while watching this drama. So I gotta say that so far the writer was doing a good job on keeping my attention on the show. I'll be looking forward to see the part 2 once it release next month.
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Because of that, I had a renewed interest in this drama. Since it is an interesting scenario where someone could have developed such illness due to some extreme conditions and how one could try to heal someone from it. In that sense, it was actually logical to think that having an android that looked like a real person could help someone who could easily die from a simple touch. It's also an interesting scenario on how AI and robotics could be use to help people in need of help.
I really love Yoo Seungho in this drama. It really felt like he's a perfect fit to play Minkyu and it's hard to imagine someone else who could do this better. And Seungho was really good at playing socially awkward characters to the point of fondness. You just can't help being drawn to his character and sympathising at the kind of lonely life he had endured. And I like how his progress in getting better was written in a way that it was believable and wasn't sudden. I also love how it was depicted like a modern fairy tale on how love helps in healing an illness that was influenced by the mind.
Chae Soobin was really great in this drama, playing the human Ji-A, alongside the android Aji-3. Like you can really tell the difference when she was playing a person and when she's playing a robot. Uhm Kijoon was great as the scientist who created Aji-3, Dr Hong. Since he tend to end up playing villain roles a lot more times than he plays good characters, I really appreciate him not being a villain in this drama lol.
Have to say that as much as the corporate plot was secondary compared to the main romance plot, the former didn't feel like pasted on as some irrelevant background setting. Both of the story plot was pretty balanced and enjoyable.
For those who love the science fiction theme on how robots and AI would want to learn more about humans, this drama was a fascinating watch. As much as the android Aji-3 didn't really do much in the drama, the android was still shown to still be able to learn through the input given by Ji-a, who pretended to be Aji-3. It was interesting to see how all of the accumulated data that Aji-3 then leads to it deciding by herself to choose to return to its rightful home instead of allowing itself to be taken by bad businessman who seek to use her technology for military purposes.
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I really love this series so much!The first impression I got from this drama was that this show was about a vigilante taxi driver out to serve justice to the bad guys as revenge. And then after watching the drama this is like the Korean version of Knight Rider lol. That said, I went to look at the webtoon that was what the drama was based on. Though have to say that the only thing that was similar between the original webtoon and drama was the concept of the revenge taxi service and Rainbow Taxi. Though to be fair, that was fine with me as the webtoon was more violent and gory and had fewer actual taxi battles. I love how the drama incorporates the whole Knight Rider feel to the whole revenge taxi thing. That was cool. And I love the fact that the drama had Prosecutor Kang Hana's character, which didn't exist in the webtoon but adds an even more depth into the story to include the narrative from the side of the law enforcement people.
Loved the ost and the bg music. The Eurobeat tracks really fit in with the show's movie-like atmosphere. And I love how Kim Dogi and Kang Hana's character being written. And I really love the dynamics between Lee Jehoon and Esom in the drama.
I noticed how halfway through the series the writer was changed to a different person though I'm glad that the change in writers didn't feel so noticeable in the drama. For one, I like how Kang Hana's character started becoming more prominent and become as important as Kim Dogi. Because it'd be a shame if her character becomes underused despite Esom being the main female lead.
I really love how the writing not quite romanticising the idea of vigilante activities yet also admitting that the law might not be fully perfect, to which one might have a need for some kind of vigilante 'hero' to fix the flaw in the law. The overall tone was hopeful and healing and I love the journey from the beginning to end. This is one of the webtoon adaptations that I'm glad that it took a different narrative and give us a great story in return.
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Considering the events in Ishi no Mayu and Suishou no Kodou, we as a viewer had been given lots of glimpse into Masato's past and the case that changed his life forever. Given that kind of past and complicated relationship with Kisaragi Toko, there was still a lot of things that were not known about Masato. Not to mention that despite his criminal ways, Masato still retained some kind of values and had stuck with it throughout the last two series. And I'm glad to have Aku no Hado revealed the events that occurred a year prior that jumpstarted the path that he ended up taking during the course of Ishi no Mayu.
If there's anything I'm dissatisfied about this series would be, I wished there'd be more callbacks to some of the key events in Ishi no Mayu. As well as what ended up happening after the 2014 serial murder was solved and how the case was handled that would have elevated the distrust Masato already have towards the police force.
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Dream Journey 4: Biography of the Demon
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So this time, the gang meets the 7 spider sisters. But before that, we get to see Wukong and Tang Seng have yet another argument which end up with them switching each other's powers as well as making a bet for who would be to most successful in transcending the demons they'd encounter afterwards in seven days. Whoever thought up this idea for this is a genius. Tang Seng with Wukong's powers and simple mind ended up being very unruly and overconfident. Wukong with Tang Seng's intellect ended up being very talkative and thoughtful, and while he lost his invincible powers for a while... he still had his fighting skill but have weak body. You have no idea how funny these scenarios are.
I ended up seeing quite a number of familiar faces, who gonna end up acting together with Xie Miao again in Great God Monkey drama. So that explains why their chemistry with each other was so very good. So yeah, if you're looking for some very good laugh... this movie is for you. I seriously recommend this movie a lot. I somehow end up laughing my backpain away after watching this.
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So far, this Dream Journey was my least favourite. Not just because Xie Miao wasn't in this... but also because the writing and overall show wasn't as funny or enjoyable as the first two DJs. The actor playing Tang Seng got changed again but at least he's younger than in DJ2. And it felt like this time the burden of being the comical presence seem to only fall on the monk, though the joke were so unfunny. The romance plot was also a bit awkward and the final villain was also too cringy. I'd tolerate the previous Fox King more compared to this guy.
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I could've sworn that things couldn't get any funnier after the first movie, but I was wrong. I really started to like the writing and direction in this movie, like all the comedic timing was very on point. For some reason, unlike the first movie... Tang Seng this time was played by an older actor, which was a stark contrast Zhang He's portrayal of Tang Seng in the first movie. But I suppose that's what makes the whole interaction between Tang Seng and the amnesiac Sun Wukong even funnier.
Like the first movie, there would be the occasional fourth wall breaking. And we get to see a how the relationship between Princess Iron Fan and Sun Wukong could've progressed in a different setting.
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But first, the description of this movie was a bit off. Because the synopsis was actually from the Dream Journey 3, in which it was mislabeled as the first movie on the iQiyi site. And Xie Miao wasn't part of the DJ3.
Anyway, this movie started with a battle between Sun Wukong and White Bone Demon, before which they were suddenly sucked into a magical portal and transported into the present time. Wukong landed in the home of Tang Xiaojian, who resembled his master while White Bone Demon ended up in a nightclub. After another clash with each other, both of them decided on a truce while trying to figure out a way to head back to where they belong.
I didn't realize that Xie Miao had a few other movies where he played as Sun Wukong before Great God Monkey, so I might as well rectify that. This is a pretty interesting take on the JTTW lore, to integrate a modern retelling of the story while also including isekai. And there's also romance included in the movie, aside from comedy... and I have to say that this is the first Sun Wukong romcom I've ever seen!
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So instead this time, rather than seeing the misadventures of Li Hongqi, we get served with a different police story featuring a female officer who may be as fiery and volatile as Li Hongqi.
The plot was pretty interesting, as we had a villain who was a bit too superstitious and ending up committing multiple crimes because of it. Qiu Yizhou was also an interesting character as well, who may be a bit tomboyish but still a very capable police officer who wouldn't lose against her fellow male counterparts. Though to be fair, I kinda wished that Hongqi's cameo lasted a bit longer since it would've been interesting to see Hongqi and Yizhou fight alongside each other as partners. But I guess it's not possible in this movie since Hongqi wasn't on vacation this time.
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Although this movie was the second in the series, it actually served as a prequel to the previous one. So technically, this was the story of Li Hongqi before he met his girlfriend, Taozi. The movie starts with a scene from one of the blind dates Hongqi was set up with, which ended in an incident where he was almost cheated by his date and the shop owner. Since he was fresh from undercover work, he didn't have his badge on him, and he ended up in a brawl with the shop owner and some thugs. After such an experience, anyone would have wanted to swear off going on blind dates, but when you had colleagues who wouldn't stop pestering you to find a girlfriend... how can you refuse? But because of that Hongqi ended up meeting Ma Qiang, a very wealthy man, even though the man was not involved in any legal business.
This movie was a great addition to the series, as we got to find out more about who Li Hongqi was. And it did explain the reason why in the first movie, Hongqi was a bit sensitive about being filmed in plain clothes, since he often works undercover. We also got to see a glimpse of his 'family' from his orphanage and find out why, despite calling them his family, Hongqi seek to find a deeper connection through Taozi's family. But back to this movie, Li Hongqi once again gets involved in a case while he is still on leave from work. And to make it worse, the case also involved one of his brothers from his orphanage! So just like in the first movie, Hongqi had to yet bust another criminal activity while also having someone he knew be part of it.
There were quite a lot of action scenes in this movie, which was expected in this kind of genre, and viewers won't be disappointed in seeing how Xie Miao brings the role of Li Hongqi to life. If you're looking for a good police action movie with a lot of action and drama, check out this movie as well as the previous one.
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If you're expecting this movie to just be an impactful action movie, you may end up being disappointed since there were quite a number of slow scenes... as well as some interludes of several historical events that happened in between the story. There were some parts that weren't quite satisfying to me, as there wasn't much focus on Ip Man's relationship with his wife and son and how his status as a martial artist affects them indirectly, which made the latter scene that's supposed to be emotional, feel a bit lacking. And the movie seemed to be unable to decide between being a story about Ip Man or being a documentary about the life during the period Ip Man lived in. If you're used to high-impact action movies like those directed by Tsui Hark, you may find this movie a bit boring for most of its duration. But if you don't mind all that, you may give this movie a try.
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In this movie, Xie Miao plays a young Ip Man who at the moment was studying in Hong Kong. By chance, he encountered a mugging incident... and while he came over to lend a hand, he happened to reunite with an old friend. While spending time with his fellow martial arts student, Man came to witness a kidnapping attempt by some men working for a British company and proceeded to rescue the kidnapped women. What started as one simple incident ended up blowing up as the thugs from the company involved with the human trafficking business started to retaliate, and people around Man started to get hurt. As Ip Man began to reawaken his sense of justice and learn that righteousness must also be followed by wisdom, he sought to confront the British and make right the wrongs that had been done.
Considering that I dived into the story blind, I have no bias toward which actor played Ip Man better. But what I can say is... Xie Miao really brought out a sense of youthfulness and bright energy in his portrayal of young Ip Man. It was really refreshing, seeing him portray a prominent Kungfu master and it's really exciting to see him portray Ip Man from an early point in his life.
If there was anything that I really disliked about any characters in the movie, it would be the man villain MR Stark.Whether it was intentional or not... the character really gave the impression of a very corrupt old Imperial officer with all the many allusions about the Chinese culture that they often speak. Which was really offputting, seeing it coming from a foreigner who appeared to be cosplaying as this 'native' Chinese mob leader. But I suppose, since he's a villain, it's expected for Stark to be a hated character and it really does feel satisfying seeing Man take them down. I'm not sure there were any more plans for future movies featuring Xie Miao as Ip Man, but I would've loved to see more if possible. Xie Miao really did well portraying a Wing Chun master~
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