It's a rare thing to be able to say a remake is better than the original version of something. But "The Shapes of Love," a Japanese remake of the Korean series, "Nonetheless," is absolutely better than the Korean original.
Not only were the Japanese actors and the script for "Shapes of Love" more mature and nuanced about their relationship, but it just had a completely different atmosphere than the Korean version, which always felt like the relationship between the two main characters was full of red flags.
And the entire soundtrack for "Shapes of Love" was amazing. (To be fair, the music in the Korean version was pretty good, too.)
Why did Junior keep insisting he wanted to go to the North Pole to find penguins? It's the South Pole that has penguins, not the North Pole, and I remember at some point one of the other characters did explain the difference to him.
But even until the last episode, he kept talking about going to the North Pole. Why didn't the script writers change that?
I worked in a brain injury rehab facility, and I got to see first hand much of what is portrayed in the movie.
The aftermath of the brain injury, the hope that stays strong for a while that their loved one will get better and return to normal, the gradual realization that their magical thinking isn't reality, the acceptance of their loved one's condition, the comprehension that this will be their new "normal" and that it will be that way for years to come, the way the relationships around the patient change, the way the relationships WITH the patient change......
Very, very rarely do ppl with severe brain injuries wake up one day and return to their former lives with no detectable side effects. That part of the movie was very unrealistic, to me, but I understand it was necessary in the movie as a plot point.
Other than that, I liked the movie very much. The acting, especially, was on point.
Hanmin (listed on this site as Kim Yo Ho), I enjoyed watching you on His Man 3.
But this.....oh dear.
Please don't do another series like this. And I know actors have to start somewhere, but please get more comfortable with acting before you appear in ANY other series.
For now I'll just hold onto the memory of you in His Man 3 and hope things improve for you.
I REALLY hope more people watch this great and well-acted series.
PLEASE don't take the low rating at face value. PLEASE give it a chance because it's actually more complex than a lot of commenters would lead you to believe.
Sadly, I think many of them gave up and missed out on the most important parts of the story as well as the fleshing out of the character development and story line.
You pretty much need a flow chart to keep track of all of the twists and turns. It's a little off-putting, TBH.
Between the main couple and the side couple, the side couple (Korn / Tonkla) was much more interesting and had **INCREDIBLE** chemistry. Those two actors really need their own series where they are the leads. I think they would not only act well, but melt viewers' eyeballs with their NC scenes.
If Kan had only euthanized Wasan's mom and no one else, do you think Wasan would have let Kan go?
The reason I ask is......at the end it seems like Wasan understood why Kan helped his Mom like that. Especially knowing how Kan brushed her hair and adorned it with the flower, and especially after he listened to Kan describe how his mother had only wanted the best for Wasan, wanting him to succeed, find someone to love and he happy.
I just sensed Wasan softening toward Kan after he heard all of that.
So again.....I just wondered if Wasan would have let Kan go, if she was the only one.
One thing that drives me IN. SANE. in any drama - BL or otherwise - is when the characters talk about "secret" things IN PUBLIC with people all around them!! Like in restaurants, etc.
HOW, on WHAT PLANET, does that make sense?
Hitmen talking about their next job.......people who are spying on the hitmen talking about what they're going to do next to get more dirt on them......or in other non-Heart Killers series.......corporate or family secrets......with other people only a foot or three away. Sometimes at the next table in a cafe, sometimes in the next hospital bed (with only a curtain between them), sometimes in the next bathroom stall......wherever.
And yet.......and yet......somehow NONE of those other people overhear anything. OMFG it drives me crazy.
The two main actors are so good - which is surprising for how little experience they have.
Their acting AND their chemistry together are both off the charts. Seriously. Their chemistry is just.....unreal. WOW.
And I absolutely love how warm and accepting Shaopeng's family is. When he said his family was also Zixiang's family I almost melted at how sincere he was, and how deeply that touched Zixiang's heart.
Only a few episodes left, and I can already tell I'm going to miss this couple after the series is over.
I really enjoyed this series. There is enough quirkiness to keep it lighthearted, while still being engaging and at times, heart-fluttering. I love the lead actors.
According to their MDL profiles, none of the main male actors (Jin Gun, Jeon Chang Ha and Kim Jeong Seok) in First Love Again has acted in anything since the series ended in 2022.
They're all good actors and handsome, too, so I'm wondering why?
ummmm...I think we're SUPPOSED to be bracing ourselves...
What I mean is.....in some love scenes, it's common for the viewer to get caught up in that moment we're watching on screen and feel all swoony or hot and bothered. It's very immersive.
But I think I've just watched so many shows where the characters are not allowed to enjoy the moment, but instead end up getting caught, and so I, as the viewer, can't fully get into those scenes. Instead I'm like....."Well THIS isn't going to last long because someone's going to walk in at any moment and ruin everything. So I can't enjoy it, either."
Wowser - the end of that ep was something else. The chemistry! Wow.
Seriously, with both of the ML actors not having much acting experience, they are knocking it out of the park. Intense chemistry between them and really GOOD acting.
But.....
When scenes like that happen, does anyone else start bracing themselves for the characters to be caught in the act?? I mean, they are in Shaopeng's parents' house!
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But if it was more about the place than the penguins, I guess the North Pole thing makes more sense.
It's a rare thing to be able to say a remake is better than the original version of something. But "The Shapes of Love," a Japanese remake of the Korean series, "Nonetheless," is absolutely better than the Korean original.
Not only were the Japanese actors and the script for "Shapes of Love" more mature and nuanced about their relationship, but it just had a completely different atmosphere than the Korean version, which always felt like the relationship between the two main characters was full of red flags.
And the entire soundtrack for "Shapes of Love" was amazing. (To be fair, the music in the Korean version was pretty good, too.)
I highly recommend "Shapes of Love."
But even until the last episode, he kept talking about going to the North Pole. Why didn't the script writers change that?
The aftermath of the brain injury, the hope that stays strong for a while that their loved one will get better and return to normal, the gradual realization that their magical thinking isn't reality, the acceptance of their loved one's condition, the comprehension that this will be their new "normal" and that it will be that way for years to come, the way the relationships around the patient change, the way the relationships WITH the patient change......
Very, very rarely do ppl with severe brain injuries wake up one day and return to their former lives with no detectable side effects. That part of the movie was very unrealistic, to me, but I understand it was necessary in the movie as a plot point.
Other than that, I liked the movie very much. The acting, especially, was on point.
But this.....oh dear.
Please don't do another series like this. And I know actors have to start somewhere, but please get more comfortable with acting before you appear in ANY other series.
For now I'll just hold onto the memory of you in His Man 3 and hope things improve for you.
PLEASE don't take the low rating at face value. PLEASE give it a chance because it's actually more complex than a lot of commenters would lead you to believe.
Sadly, I think many of them gave up and missed out on the most important parts of the story as well as the fleshing out of the character development and story line.
This series is actually a gem.
Between the main couple and the side couple, the side couple (Korn / Tonkla) was much more interesting and had **INCREDIBLE** chemistry. Those two actors really need their own series where they are the leads. I think they would not only act well, but melt viewers' eyeballs with their NC scenes.
If Kan had only euthanized Wasan's mom and no one else, do you think Wasan would have let Kan go?
The reason I ask is......at the end it seems like Wasan understood why Kan helped his Mom like that. Especially knowing how Kan brushed her hair and adorned it with the flower, and especially after he listened to Kan describe how his mother had only wanted the best for Wasan, wanting him to succeed, find someone to love and he happy.
I just sensed Wasan softening toward Kan after he heard all of that.
So again.....I just wondered if Wasan would have let Kan go, if she was the only one.
HOW, on WHAT PLANET, does that make sense?
Hitmen talking about their next job.......people who are spying on the hitmen talking about what they're going to do next to get more dirt on them......or in other non-Heart Killers series.......corporate or family secrets......with other people only a foot or three away. Sometimes at the next table in a cafe, sometimes in the next hospital bed (with only a curtain between them), sometimes in the next bathroom stall......wherever.
And yet.......and yet......somehow NONE of those other people overhear anything. OMFG it drives me crazy.
And episode 8 wrecked me. Just....wow.
Their acting AND their chemistry together are both off the charts. Seriously. Their chemistry is just.....unreal. WOW.
And I absolutely love how warm and accepting Shaopeng's family is. When he said his family was also Zixiang's family I almost melted at how sincere he was, and how deeply that touched Zixiang's heart.
Only a few episodes left, and I can already tell I'm going to miss this couple after the series is over.
They're all good actors and handsome, too, so I'm wondering why?
But I think I've just watched so many shows where the characters are not allowed to enjoy the moment, but instead end up getting caught, and so I, as the viewer, can't fully get into those scenes. Instead I'm like....."Well THIS isn't going to last long because someone's going to walk in at any moment and ruin everything. So I can't enjoy it, either."
Seriously, with both of the ML actors not having much acting experience, they are knocking it out of the park. Intense chemistry between them and really GOOD acting.
But.....
When scenes like that happen, does anyone else start bracing themselves for the characters to be caught in the act?? I mean, they are in Shaopeng's parents' house!