i hate this about the release time that korea sees first and rest of the WORLD should wait for it and also still…
Except China does WEB releases so that actually doesn't count. Often a drama available online is only going to be aired on TV WEEKS later hence the reason why it comes out at the same time for everyone since for Chinese people as well, the drama is often ONLY available online.
The only exceptions to these rules are dramas produced by Chinese channels such as Mango TV, in this instance, it's the same for everyone, TV release and then WEB release after it has already aired on TV.
So nope, China doesn't do it different. The biggest difference is that in SK, Platform produced dramas are a minority ( think anything produced by TVING and even then these shows are often also aired on tvN so it's a bit of a mixed bag) whereas in China, iQiyi, We-Tv and Youku produces the shows which are then sold by them to national channels to be aired on TV and not the opposite.
In Korea, the system is dramas being mostly channel produced with eventually some foreign money and then agreements with OTTs for international release.
So as much as I understand the complain... It's not valid here sorry.
This show is... Weird? I can't help but think this is certainly one of the worst shows I've seen in my life yet these cliffhangers always make me click for the next episode... Also, they've interspaced quite a lot of AI generated sequences that just make my eyes bleed... but I understand... it's a WEB drama, the budget is lower than low... I'm on episode 12 and there's a very short scene where a car is passing through some type of western looking city... Except ( and I used the backward arrow to be sure) the background is just some kind of playtoys. There's 3 looking cowboys but it's pretty obvious that these are dolls not real people. I mean why? Why don't you use your AI generated background here? I don't get it. Also the music is some type of arabian souding stuff but we're in a Western type setting? Just WTF?
AH SORRY.
I used my brain today and forgot to put it in my cupboard before resuming the show. My bad.
That whole Affinity Ren-Yin Virus B- Virus A concept is basically a reinterpretation of the whole Alpha-Omega concept that you see in BLs... except for straight couples. Basically an excuse to see two attractive people making love like rabbits and being so consumed by desire that they can barely hold on to their sanity in each other's presence ( at least in BLs).
Well on episode 3... As asked... I've left my brain at the entrance ( I mean the first episode was ludicrous already, even without being told I knew I had to switch off my brain to enjoy the nonsense)... No opinion at the moment... They've already packed so much in 3 episodes that I have absolutely no idea where they are going with this.
I'm just hoping it's HOT as I've heard it's supposed to be... Otherwise I'll be thoroughly dissapointed.
I mean I tend to stay away from WEB dramas entirely but that insane review my monstersnroses could have convinced even a non-cdrama watcher to check it out.
Just a genuine question (0 hate) : i understand his domestic popularity for shows like heirs, boys over flowers…
The hallyu wave doesn't date back from Squid Game. It actually started in 2002 with the hit K drama Winter Sonata in Japan. From that point on it spread out in all of Asia. Squid Game is the drama that brought it to "mainstream audience" but anybody who has been into anything Asian, whether anime, Jpop, K drama or K Pop or C dramas has known how popular K dramas have been for over 25 years now.
Lee Min Ho got famous with Boys over Flowers in 2009 and you could say it sort of the "second hallyu wave" so to speak. It was already there, but it got even more popular then. Lee Min Ho was all the rage.
Also... based on your comment, I'm assuming you must be pretty young. Fast internet connexion spread widly from the early 2000s... It wasn't fast enough for streaming... but it sure was fast enough for basic download and piracy. Of course, instead of downloading a whole episode in 1 mn, it would take up to 20 mn to 1 hour depending on your connexion, but my generation ( early Millenial) had no choice but piracy since these shows weren't legally available in our countries let alone aired on TV.
Popularity of anime, dramas and the likes never came from OTT. It came from fans, uploading it online to spread their passion to the world. The anime industry, K drama industry etc. would not be as well known as they are now if it wasn't for these fans who made translations for free. It's only when they noticed how popular these shows were underground, that these OTT decided to put in the money for them to be available legally on their platform.
And Lee Min Ho with his insane popularity also made it available... Although as far as I'm concerned, he got too comfy with it and thought it would last forever. Well obviously not.
If you've watched the German series DARK, ALL the plot twists can be guessed by the beginning of episode 4... which just spoils all the fun... If it wasn't for that, I'd probably have rated this higher... but since the whole drama is capitalizing on the surprise factor, all the interest I had just vanished once I could pretty much guess everything... Which is sad, because honestly the series was pretty good.
On a side note, Panida was a truly terrible person through and through though I won't rant about how evil she is here to avoid spoilers. All I can say is that she got off easy given what she did and I pity every single person who ever had the bad luck of having to interact with this selfish woman.
Currently rewatching this one... My advice: Just watch it without caring for comments...
As for me... I discovered Liar Game through this drama... which I LOVE.
After that I never watched the J drama so I can't really judge. I read the full manga though... And I personally like the changes that were made in the Korean drama which is way less cartoonish compared to its manga counterpart. The manga lasted a bit too long and the quality really dropped after half of the series, the games becoming too overly complicated for their own good. Not to say the manga wasn't good... but as with any popular series, they milked it to the point of no return and I was left extremely disappointed by its ending.
The K drama keeps its stellar beginning with some changes and made it more K-drama styled. I really don't get the comments about it being more Japanese than Korean or about this drama being boring... Honestly I find these comments pretty ridiculous. It feels like we watched different shows.
Anyway bottom line... this version has its own flavor and doesn't stick strictly to its source material ( but it doesn't go as far away from the source as other K drama adaptations from the same period... such as City Hunter for instance) but honestly, to me for that particular genre, Squid Game doesn't hold a candle to it, in spite of this show being now almost 15 years old.
Give it a try, I don't think you'll be disappointed but avoid comparison with the manga... The core story and vision behind are just completely different.
Currently on episode 5 and really enjoying it so far... Also because it's been a while I haven't watched a wuxia, and I've been craving one.
Though I think the real identity of one character is pretty predictable. I'll literally eat my hat if this character doesn't turn out to be who I think it is. This also means lots of heartache for said character ahead, though I dunno when the reveal will happen as I've stayed away from any comment or reviews to this day.
Anyway it's off to a very good start for me. Let's see if they keep it up 😎
I don't remember the last scene happening in the manga... It's been years since I read it and the last volume that came out in my country is volume 5, so I know it's a bit behind the Japanese publication.
Anyway, I understand some people might be disappointed by the ending but it somewhat gives an openly satisfying ending to the movie... If there's a sequel, that's great... but as there probably none coming, this probably is the best compromise they could reach given how the manga is still published and my GOD these two's relationship is even more tense and complicated in there. They're nowhere close to be together no matter how crazy about each other they are.
The acting was truly terrific. Both leads truly outdid themselves. The intimate scenes were really passionate and raw, something to really highlight here because Japan is not that good at them most of the time, but here?
They were just PERFECT. Just again... Takeuchi Ryoma and Machida Keita just WOW 🥰🥰🥰
Anyway, as said, the end is the bit of a let down so I'm removing 0.5 for that... but honestly, they was just no time to do better which is also why I'm not holding it against the movie.
Currently on episode 4... Honestly I don't mind the nephew being in love with this result-obsessed girl... If he wants to fail his exams to please her, that's stupid but whatever...
However plotting to make all of your team lose just to please said girl is another story. That's selfish and really annoying to see. I hope he doesn't keep that idiotic mindset to the end because I can't root for his character otherwise. In fact, I currently like him less than even the girl. Right now, he's just a walking doormat and nope, that's not cute, that's just plain stupid. Keep it up and she will be walking all over you your whole life.
I'm not a huge fan of this girl (which just goes to show you can get away with lots of things when you've got a pretty face) but I like the nephew even less for sucking up to her.
Rant:This is been a problem with kdrama for a while. I had kdrama fever for two years until about 6 months back.Then…
Lol it's a whole other debate but I'm a long K drama viewer... We're talking more than 20 years here... There's always good and bad shows, but the success of Squid Game has let to an overall drop in the quality of K dramas. They have never looked better yet lots of these stories feel flat now. Anyway, there's a really good video about it by Asian Boss here:
As for reviews... It's just a matter of practice. On MDL, anything with an overall rating of 7.5 or below is to be avoided... I would even argue anything below 8. That's just the practice on this website.
For most people a good show is 8 or above a mid show between 6 and 7.5 and anything below sucks.
I wouldn't trust any review though... whichever the website. I personally really loved Jupiter Ascending and John Carter, both film tanked from what I know, Jupiter Ascending getting a huge amount of terrible reviews, yet rewatching it I still don't understand why this film was so critisized.
Anyway whether it's about bashing or praising a drama, just really reading the review should tell you if the review is honest or not... I'd say most reviews on MDL are honest, but you do have to be careful about certain actors and actresses, such as Lee Min Ho, Kim Soo Hyun, Esther Yu, Zhao Lu Si etc., whose fans and anti-fans are busy polluting the space with copy-paste reviews and comments.
The most severe case of that being currently Kim Soo Hyun... Never in my life have I seen how much stoopid people can get about a random actor they'll never meet, yet these people are barking like mad about any critic made even it's only about the drama and not the actor in question. Talk about lacking brain cells.
Anyway, stopping here. I don't want this comment to turn into a long rant against fanatics but also done with that lot.
Unlike what she claims, she doesn't lose weight for her roles.
She has a serious issue with food and is also probably suffering from body dysmorphia. It's been a couple of years that she honestly look sick in every drama she acts in and it's getting worse each time. I don't understand why SK is still making articles and speaking of actresses losing weight as if it's something great when most of them are already abnormally thin.
Park Min Young is on whole other level though... Even with all the makeup and filter, she can't fake the healthy apparence because there's literally close to no meat on these bones. That's what all that pressure is doing to some of these women... I'm not sure the fame and glory is worth torturing oneself to that degree
I really hope she gets some help because no way in hell is this ok even considering how actresses are supposed to look "good" by being slim.
I started the first novel over a month ago and I'm currently watching the Donghua... It's so much more romantic compared to The Untamed. It's so good... So I used the search bar to see if a drama had been made...
I mean the casting for Xie Lian and Hua Cheng is perfect. WHY OH WHY this will NEVER AIR????
I think people like it mostly because of the humor. It’s a cliche, over dramatic, the plot isn’t even jaw…
I sort of get it for the first episode because I honestly thought it was hilarious but then they toned it down a lot and the story itself was too empty to keep me there, but good for you if you've enjoyed it.
why Thai prediction don't do more effort for straight couple, i watch bl because the production, scenes, actors,…
Actually I'm not really sure your comment is accurate. BLs might be more popular abroad but that's not necessarily the case for Lakorns in general which are pretty popular in Thailand.
How many Thai BL actors would like to switch to straight shows yet very few have managed. Most of them get stuck in BLs and honestly... Yeah, sure, there are some good BLs out there but plot wise, traditional lakorns are overall way above. It's just that since they're not translated in English as much as BLs, they're not as popular overseas.
It's also a matter of public. The BL audience is overall way younger, when you go for straight shows, you get a way broader audience but as mentioned by the previous commentor you also have to compete with other Asian productions notably Chinese and Korean which are the most popular.
Doesn't mean it's impossible though. There's a public for every story but catering to an overseas audience doesn't seem to be their priority for straight shows at least.
I'm not a movie person and let's be honest Sci-Fi is really not my cup of tea most of the time.
However I did enjoy this movie. Found it entertaining for a one time watch. The CGIs were great and I teared up quite a bit. Scientists or people a bit more savvy about science in general probably thought this film was a huge joke but as somebody who doesn't know sh*** , it was pretty cool.
The only thing that I just found very funny during the whole movie is humanity uniting to save the Earth from the Sun blowing up when we are currently destroying it and all our great leaders don't give a fudge.
Honestly, our impending doom already announced in the 1960s doesn't worry any of these people in power, so I doubt humanity would even manage to get to survive long enough to witness our Sun blowing up but I disgress.
Anyway, I had to switch off my cynical brain about the state of our current planet to enjoy this.
Most of our main characters survived by some weird last minute miracle and the end was a bit too rushed for my taste but ok.
Your comment sounds so relatable to me! I have the same problem as you with dropping shows. I'm learning, though.
Thanks! I actually dropped two shows today ^^The Untamed and Me and Thee. Both with very high ratings... Glad I did... I'm getting better. Dunno what to start but I've just started a 2 hours movie so I'll finish that first and I'll see later which long drama I start ^^
Yeah well sorry to rain on the parade but after 4 episodes, I'm throwing the towel... It's yet another GMMTV Mid show.
Fear not the haters' police though, my negative opinion won't affect the overall ratings since I don't rate shows I dropped. I could elaborate, but there's already a few reviews out there that speak of these issues and I feel the same GMMTV problems pop up everytime so I won't bother.
This is just for you lone soul who is wondering if you're the only one struggling in spite of the very high rating, and to you, I say you're not alone and it's fine.
Your comment sounds so relatable to me! I have the same problem as you with dropping shows. I'm learning, though.
Well... Just for the record... I've decided to drop it AGAIN. I'm back from holidays and I just don't have that much free time so I'd rather invest the time in a show I'm really drawn into instead of a show I struggle with... Maybe this show is just not for me and I have to make peace with it...
I also looked very very hard in the review sections of the untamed and found a couple of rants.... That helped 😎
1
1
The only exceptions to these rules are dramas produced by Chinese channels such as Mango TV, in this instance, it's the same for everyone, TV release and then WEB release after it has already aired on TV.
So nope, China doesn't do it different. The biggest difference is that in SK, Platform produced dramas are a minority ( think anything produced by TVING and even then these shows are often also aired on tvN so it's a bit of a mixed bag) whereas in China, iQiyi, We-Tv and Youku produces the shows which are then sold by them to national channels to be aired on TV and not the opposite.
In Korea, the system is dramas being mostly channel produced with eventually some foreign money and then agreements with OTTs for international release.
So as much as I understand the complain... It's not valid here sorry.
AH SORRY.
I used my brain today and forgot to put it in my cupboard before resuming the show. My bad.
Well on episode 3... As asked... I've left my brain at the entrance ( I mean the first episode was ludicrous already, even without being told I knew I had to switch off my brain to enjoy the nonsense)... No opinion at the moment... They've already packed so much in 3 episodes that I have absolutely no idea where they are going with this.
I'm just hoping it's HOT as I've heard it's supposed to be... Otherwise I'll be thoroughly dissapointed.
I mean I tend to stay away from WEB dramas entirely but that insane review my monstersnroses could have convinced even a non-cdrama watcher to check it out.
Lee Min Ho got famous with Boys over Flowers in 2009 and you could say it sort of the "second hallyu wave" so to speak. It was already there, but it got even more popular then. Lee Min Ho was all the rage.
Also... based on your comment, I'm assuming you must be pretty young. Fast internet connexion spread widly from the early 2000s... It wasn't fast enough for streaming... but it sure was fast enough for basic download and piracy. Of course, instead of downloading a whole episode in 1 mn, it would take up to 20 mn to 1 hour depending on your connexion, but my generation ( early Millenial) had no choice but piracy since these shows weren't legally available in our countries let alone aired on TV.
Popularity of anime, dramas and the likes never came from OTT. It came from fans, uploading it online to spread their passion to the world. The anime industry, K drama industry etc. would not be as well known as they are now if it wasn't for these fans who made translations for free. It's only when they noticed how popular these shows were underground, that these OTT decided to put in the money for them to be available legally on their platform.
And Lee Min Ho with his insane popularity also made it available... Although as far as I'm concerned, he got too comfy with it and thought it would last forever. Well obviously not.
On a side note, Panida was a truly terrible person through and through though I won't rant about how evil she is here to avoid spoilers. All I can say is that she got off easy given what she did and I pity every single person who ever had the bad luck of having to interact with this selfish woman.
As for me... I discovered Liar Game through this drama... which I LOVE.
After that I never watched the J drama so I can't really judge. I read the full manga though... And I personally like the changes that were made in the Korean drama which is way less cartoonish compared to its manga counterpart. The manga lasted a bit too long and the quality really dropped after half of the series, the games becoming too overly complicated for their own good. Not to say the manga wasn't good... but as with any popular series, they milked it to the point of no return and I was left extremely disappointed by its ending.
The K drama keeps its stellar beginning with some changes and made it more K-drama styled. I really don't get the comments about it being more Japanese than Korean or about this drama being boring... Honestly I find these comments pretty ridiculous. It feels like we watched different shows.
Anyway bottom line... this version has its own flavor and doesn't stick strictly to its source material ( but it doesn't go as far away from the source as other K drama adaptations from the same period... such as City Hunter for instance) but honestly, to me for that particular genre, Squid Game doesn't hold a candle to it, in spite of this show being now almost 15 years old.
Give it a try, I don't think you'll be disappointed but avoid comparison with the manga... The core story and vision behind are just completely different.
Though I think the real identity of one character is pretty predictable. I'll literally eat my hat if this character doesn't turn out to be who I think it is.
This also means lots of heartache for said character ahead, though I dunno when the reveal will happen as I've stayed away from any comment or reviews to this day.
Anyway it's off to a very good start for me. Let's see if they keep it up 😎
I don't remember the last scene happening in the manga... It's been years since I read it and the last volume that came out in my country is volume 5, so I know it's a bit behind the Japanese publication.
Anyway, I understand some people might be disappointed by the ending but it somewhat gives an openly satisfying ending to the movie...
If there's a sequel, that's great... but as there probably none coming, this probably is the best compromise they could reach given how the manga is still published and my GOD these two's relationship is even more tense and complicated in there. They're nowhere close to be together no matter how crazy about each other they are.
The acting was truly terrific. Both leads truly outdid themselves. The intimate scenes were really passionate and raw, something to really highlight here because Japan is not that good at them most of the time, but here?
They were just PERFECT.
Just again... Takeuchi Ryoma and Machida Keita just WOW 🥰🥰🥰
Anyway, as said, the end is the bit of a let down so I'm removing 0.5 for that... but honestly, they was just no time to do better which is also why I'm not holding it against the movie.
Well done, very well done Japan👍🏾👍🏾👍🏾
Honestly I don't mind the nephew being in love with this result-obsessed girl... If he wants to fail his exams to please her, that's stupid but whatever...
However plotting to make all of your team lose just to please said girl is another story. That's selfish and really annoying to see. I hope he doesn't keep that idiotic mindset to the end because I can't root for his character otherwise. In fact, I currently like him less than even the girl.
Right now, he's just a walking doormat and nope, that's not cute, that's just plain stupid. Keep it up and she will be walking all over you your whole life.
I'm not a huge fan of this girl (which just goes to show you can get away with lots of things when you've got a pretty face) but I like the nephew even less for sucking up to her.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p1_j6izmEX4
As for reviews... It's just a matter of practice. On MDL, anything with an overall rating of 7.5 or below is to be avoided... I would even argue anything below 8. That's just the practice on this website.
For most people a good show is 8 or above a mid show between 6 and 7.5 and anything below sucks.
I wouldn't trust any review though... whichever the website. I personally really loved Jupiter Ascending and John Carter, both film tanked from what I know, Jupiter Ascending getting a huge amount of terrible reviews, yet rewatching it I still don't understand why this film was so critisized.
Anyway whether it's about bashing or praising a drama, just really reading the review should tell you if the review is honest or not...
I'd say most reviews on MDL are honest, but you do have to be careful about certain actors and actresses, such as Lee Min Ho, Kim Soo Hyun, Esther Yu, Zhao Lu Si etc., whose fans and anti-fans are busy polluting the space with copy-paste reviews and comments.
The most severe case of that being currently Kim Soo Hyun... Never in my life have I seen how much stoopid people can get about a random actor they'll never meet, yet these people are barking like mad about any critic made even it's only about the drama and not the actor in question. Talk about lacking brain cells.
Anyway, stopping here. I don't want this comment to turn into a long rant against fanatics but also done with that lot.
She has a serious issue with food and is also probably suffering from body dysmorphia. It's been a couple of years that she honestly look sick in every drama she acts in and it's getting worse each time. I don't understand why SK is still making articles and speaking of actresses losing weight as if it's something great when most of them are already abnormally thin.
Park Min Young is on whole other level though... Even with all the makeup and filter, she can't fake the healthy apparence because there's literally close to no meat on these bones.
That's what all that pressure is doing to some of these women... I'm not sure the fame and glory is worth torturing oneself to that degree
I really hope she gets some help because no way in hell is this ok even considering how actresses are supposed to look "good" by being slim.
I mean the casting for Xie Lian and Hua Cheng is perfect. WHY OH WHY this will NEVER AIR????
I refuse to accept this.
How many Thai BL actors would like to switch to straight shows yet very few have managed. Most of them get stuck in BLs and honestly... Yeah, sure, there are some good BLs out there but plot wise, traditional lakorns are overall way above.
It's just that since they're not translated in English as much as BLs, they're not as popular overseas.
It's also a matter of public. The BL audience is overall way younger, when you go for straight shows, you get a way broader audience but as mentioned by the previous commentor you also have to compete with other Asian productions notably Chinese and Korean which are the most popular.
Doesn't mean it's impossible though. There's a public for every story but catering to an overseas audience doesn't seem to be their priority for straight shows at least.
However I did enjoy this movie. Found it entertaining for a one time watch. The CGIs were great and I teared up quite a bit.
Scientists or people a bit more savvy about science in general probably thought this film was a huge joke but as somebody who doesn't know sh*** , it was pretty cool.
The only thing that I just found very funny during the whole movie is humanity uniting to save the Earth from the Sun blowing up when we are currently destroying it and all our great leaders don't give a fudge.
Honestly, our impending doom already announced in the 1960s doesn't worry any of these people in power, so I doubt humanity would even manage to get to survive long enough to witness our Sun blowing up but I disgress.
Anyway, I had to switch off my cynical brain about the state of our current planet to enjoy this.
Most of our main characters survived by some weird last minute miracle and the end was a bit too rushed for my taste but ok.
Fear not the haters' police though, my negative opinion won't affect the overall ratings since I don't rate shows I dropped.
I could elaborate, but there's already a few reviews out there that speak of these issues and I feel the same GMMTV problems pop up everytime so I won't bother.
This is just for you lone soul who is wondering if you're the only one struggling in spite of the very high rating, and to you, I say you're not alone and it's fine.
I've decided to drop it AGAIN.
I'm back from holidays and I just don't have that much free time so I'd rather invest the time in a show I'm really drawn into instead of a show I struggle with... Maybe this show is just not for me and I have to make peace with it...
I also looked very very hard in the review sections of the untamed and found a couple of rants.... That helped 😎