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A bizarre Love Story
For me, this was such a unique, bizarre & mysterious series. I think anyone that went into this thinking it was going to be a horror or suspenseful thriller, because of the title, would be highly disappointed ...That being said, this was a drama that truly captivated me from episode 1, simple because you couldn't figure out where this story was heading. Episode after episode Dong Jin tries to explain the events surrounding Mi Jeong, but falls short to any conclusion other than she's a witch. You know that can't be the case, so you continue to watch, hoping for some reasonable explanation. It's along wait, but I didn't mind.
Early on, I think it's fantastic how they show us different points of view of the same situation. You get to see the different interpretations, depending on who is telling the story. Jin Young is so great portraying Dong Jin, a great character throughout the drama and he does such a wonderful job at showing us how not to give up on something you believe in. There are so many touching moments with him and his mom, played by Hye Jin. If you don't find yourself tearing up, there's something definitely wrong with you.
As we move through the later part of the series, so many things begin to come into focus. I think the biggest revelation comes when Mi Jeong explains how she knew of Dong Jin all along. He thought he was being so inconspicuous watching her, but she noticed all the time. Truly a great part of the story.
As you approach the final episode, the mystery continues, especially since the main protagonist is completely absent. It's taken down to the final minutes, but we finally understand most of what's happening. There's a few things left unexplained, but that's life after all.
There's a line said by Dong Jin's mom that really hit home with this entire series ... "The people we are destined to meet will surely come, as it is meant to be". ....
A very enjoyable series.
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unexpectedly great!
I started this thinking this would be a typical high school story, nerdy kid getting bullied, getting involved with the girlfriend of the kid that was doing the bullying ...It was a mouth dropping moment when you realize the actually story you're watching. Nothing like you expected to happen. This drama is so fantastic, because as you try to guess the direction everything is heading, you guessed wrong, right to the very last episode ... actually, to the very last couple of minutes in the series.
Dong Hee does a great job at making his character mysterious in many way. Ji Soo , although not to likable for many reasons early on, you can understand his family history as to what made him the way he is. You do feel for him and really root for him as the series continues on.
Ju Hyun also gives a great performance playing another unlikable character, I mean, truly unlikable after the first two episodes, but that changes as you get deeper into the drama. She goes from villain to hero in a short period of time.
There's also several antagonists throughout the story ... but the one that tops the list for me would be Ki Tae, portrayed by Yoon Su. Since I have seen him play good guys in other roles, he really gave us a great "bad guy" performance. Definitely someone to hate in this drama.
As everything begins to come to an explosive conclusion in the final episode, we're still lead in different directions then what's actually going to happen. It's written beautifully, so you really are caught by surprise with the last few minutes.
I think the only thing that I found annoying was the ending. There were several pieces of the story left up to us to decide the final conclusion. I think I would have preferred a more solid ending, letting us see what actually happened to our protagonists. However, overall a fantastic series ... one that you can watch in a binge without hesitation!
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The Story of Bi Hyeong: Enchanted Master of the Goblin
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A difficult watch
It seemed like it was going to be an interesting BL at first glance, but I found myself totally lost after episode 1. Trying not to give up on it, because it seemed like a really original story, I stuck with it, which I was kind of glad I did. You need to put some time and effort into this series for things to begin to make sense. By the middle of the series there is somewhat of a turn around in the quality of the story. It really wasn't until episode 7 when I found things finally become interesting. We started to see several twists in the plot and the actors started to gel together.Nothing against the cast, each added something to the drama, but I think there couldn't have been more depth with the past lives they shared. Jae Wook & Cha Min didn't seem to have the chemistry needed to hold things together early on, but eventually found something on screen toward the end, unfortunately for me, it took a bit too long for that to happen. I found Taek Jun and his character of Gwi to be the most interesting. I kind of wish he had a larger role in the series. I think it would have added a lot more to the drama.
Overall, it was a good watch, especially the second half, I just think it had the potential to be so much more.
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A True Love Story
This is definitely a bizarre series in the way the premise is set up, giving up her five senses one by one to save the person she loves. Naturally, you expect that the two most important senses for her to lose last would be sight & sound ... but this drama shows how important the remaining three are as well. Mei Nagano does a great job at showing us just that.For me, this series gets to be extremely frustrating to watch by episode 4. The direction the story takes becomes quite annoying. It was to a point that I almost stopped watching it. Ame rejects Taiyo because of her love for him, not wanting him to see her in such pain. That's very admirable of her, but it's taken a bit too far when she pretends to be in love with Tsukasa, a mutual friend. It really devastates Tayio, making him endure her with someone else.
HOWEVER, if you can get through those few middle episodes, stick it out, you'll be glad you did. The story indeed turns into a true love story, and the sacrifices one makes for another in the name of love.
At times this drama is very depressing and extremely emotional. The two protagonists give such an outstanding performance, especially Yuki Yamada. He is amazing to watch in the last few episodes, showing an outstanding acting ability. It's what kept me tuned in to the very end. The way the story ends up, it truly makes you think about the power of fate, and how some things are out of our control.
Keep tissues nearby when watching!!!
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Such a "Feel Good" Series
This series will put a smile on your face from the first few minutes, and you will not lose it right through episode 12. The story is extremely entertaining, not to mention the acting from Leo Matsumoto is brilliant in this role as a woman. I've watched him in several supporting roles over the last few years, and he was always entertaining ... but this lead role was done with perfection. I have a feeling you'll be seeing him in more main roles in the future.Haruka Fukunaga & Keisuke Kurotaki balance out the rest of the cast and both add a pure innocence to the story. They made a great trio, with a brief love triangle early on.
I guess if you want to find fault with anything, it would be there really isn't one antagonist through the entire series. You could say there's no one to root against throughout this comedy/drama. Usually there's one or two that try to ruin it for everyone else, but not here. That's what kept the feel good emotions coming in each and every episode. Had there been a negative storyline running parallel to the main story, it probably could have lengthened the series a bit more. It seemed to go too quickly from start to finish.
A great story with happy endings for all.
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Almost as good as season 2
I'm sure I'm in the minority on this, but I found season 3 an excellent season. If I rated all three, I would put season 2 the best with 3 coming in a close second. The story was great picking up were season 2 left off and the games were more "squid game like", showing a bit gruesome ... it definitely added a plus to the story.Kento Yamazaki shows a much more mature side this time around, all grown up, trying to save his wife, Tao Tsuchiya. They're a good chemistry couple, unfortunately half of the series they're trying to find each other, so they're not working too much together with the games in play.
The antagonists are another big plus in this final season. They give you several reasons to hate them, and even more reasons to want to see them dead.
I didn't find too many questions left unanswered, as people were complaining about. I mean not everything was explained, and some left to our imagination ... but I think they do a job job at wrapping everything up toward the end of episode 6.
I think it was great how everyone that survived through season 2 makes a cameo toward the end of the series in the last few minutes, just giving us a glimpse into their lives ... showing us they're still around.
"Why is life worth living?" is asked at the very end ... and they pick the perfect character, Chishiya, to respond .."Even if you don't know the answer, it's not so bad, is it?"
Sorry to see it end!!
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Enjoyable to watch
This was the kind of series that grabbed me from the very beginning. The characters main characters were mostly likable, and if they were not, you got to like them as the series continued. Hyo Seop and Se Jeong have a great blend of chemistry in watching their strange relationship develop and become strong in the second half of the drama.The supporting cast fits rather well, but I did find some annoyance in the character of Yeong Seo. No criticism of In Ah, she plays her part well and is a perfect fit with Min Gue. In fact, their relationship is even more believable than the main characters.
The overall story is rather good, surrounded by a little mystery. As usual, there are a few antagonists they do their best to keep everyone apart.
Deok Hwa always plays a part you hate, but also enjoy at the same time. He never disappoints at being the thorn in the side of a happy story. Thankfully, even he isn't as bad as he could have been.
I think my only complaint is the series is that it was rushed at the end. The last episode you kind of get whiplash with them skipping ahead two years and not really showing the stories come together. You kind of wanted to see Da Gu give his blessing to his grandson's marriage, as well as showing his respect toward Ha Ri, but you never see him again after he goes to the United States for medical treatment. It just seems it could have been a bit more with everyone together, even showing them actually get married ... but it doesn't happen.
Other than that, it still is extremely enjoyable and gives a happy ending to all who deserves it. Great acting with a great story to match.
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Great to bad ...
I started watching this series and was instantly hooked on it. I'm not sure why, but it was just so intriguing, wondering how this relationship of an ordinary man would get involved and attached to a well known singing star idol. If you would have asked me to rate this series after the first six episodes, I would have given 10's across the board. It was just that great ...But seriously, I have no idea what happened. The last three episodes were just horrible. I hate to use that word, horrible, and I've never used that word before in a review, but that's the only word I can think of.
Nothing against the acting or the actors, in fact, they were fantastic. Se Jong and Suzy did a great job at giving us two great performances, Ha Young, too ... but the story just fell apart in episodes 8 & 9.
By the time the last episode played out, I was just counting the minutes until it was over, hoping for a great finish. I wanted to see some conclusion that would leave me feeling like I did after the first six episodes ... but it didn't happen.
..... And the ending? I didn't get the ending at all. I watched the last 10 minutes twice, thinking I missed something, but I still didn't get it. Complete confusion as the credits rolled, along with total disappointment.
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Comedy / Drama / Suspense rolled together
This truly was a great series from the very beginning right through the end. I'm always a fan of Kyung Ho and he did not disappoint in his unique role as Chi Yeol. He and Do Yeon make great entertainment together in this sometimes drama, sometimes comedy. I don't get the craziness everyone has for an advanced math tutor, the trillion dollar man, but once I get beyond that, this was extremely enjoyable to watch.There's much more comedic situations early on, gradually changing into a much more dramatic format blending with some definite suspense tones later. From episode 11 on, everything really takes an enormous change of direction. The shocking revelations that take place in the later part of the series makes for some fantastic entertainment.
Eui Shik & Jae Ha, seeing them in other roles, you really appreciate their performances in this drama. Truly impressive.
The rest of the supporting cast, Chae Min, Yoon Seo & Min Jae really complete the puzzle in making this a great series to rewatch a second time.
I think what stopped me from giving out a 10 as an overall rating was the final two episodes. I really didn't get the long lost mother showing up from Japan, creating a new drama story that really wasn't needed. Not only showing up, but her departure in the final episode was so casually accepted, it was hardly spoken of after her exit. We were still reeling from the shocking chain of events that occurred in the previous two episodes, it was not necessary at all to add that in.
That being said, this is definitely a series to enjoy. Great entertainment!!!
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Wrong Place at the Wrong Time
If ever the motto wrong place wrong time can be used, it would be here!This was a movie that unexpectedly caught me off guard. I had no idea what the movie was about when I stumbled across it, but one I started watching it I couldn't stop.
This is a very dark and extremely unhappy ending of not just the movie, but the lives of four best friends completely destroyed because of deception and misunderstanding.
The four protagonists in this drama go through such a transformation in such a short period of time. innocent teenagers to criminals in a few short minutes.
The acting is fantastic from the all the main players in this drama. Ji Soo is exceptional with his performance. You wish you could step into the tv to help him and his friends out, but no such luck.
I think the only negative I found was the way it ended. It is true in life that sometimes the bad guys get away and the good guys take the fall ... but you really don't like to see it happen, especially the way it did in this story.
Nevertheless, it is an extremely powerful movie, but definitely not one to watch if you're looking for something to make you feel good or cheer you up. It's dark and extremely depressing and eventually you pass a point of no return.
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How Misunderstandings Can Change Someone's Life Forever
After the first episode I really had a strong dislike for Jin Hwan, but I have to say, watching the next few episodes, I was never so wrong about a protagonist like I was about this character. Without giving too much away, don't judge the early relationship of Jin Hwan & Min Jun without seeing all the facts play out in later episodes. It shows how misunderstandings can lead to so much unnecessary despair.Having a complete change of heart toward Seung Ha's character, I honestly felt he was the best thing to ever happen to Min Jun. He truly had a deep love toward him. Jong Hyeok does a great job at being miserable, but it does get a bit tedious watching him in agony episode after episode. His reasoning for not allowing Jin Hwan back into his life becomes annoying. Thankfully, the persistence of Jin Hwan proves beneficial to make a happy ending. The special episode 7 wasn't too necessary, considering how episode 6 ended, but it does cement a satisfying relationship with these two characters.
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Very Underrated Series
This starts out as a classic story of boy loves best friend and best friend has no clue, but everyone else does. I wasn't expecting too much out of this series ... I came away completely surprised how entertaining this turned out. Through the first few episodes the story kept improving. It did take a few twists and a little far fetched plots in the middle of the drama, but overall it was much better than expected.All the protagonists in this story are great, fitting a perfect puzzle to each other. The acting, especially by Ryusei Fukada is excellent. The final episode started to lose points with me a bit, BUT ... what saved this series as far as I'm concerned was the extremely POWERFUL & REALISTIC last five or so minutes at the end. I think the final scene between Ryo & Hikaru is absolutely amazing. You should watch that one scene maybe three times over to get the complete explanation and feel of the total understanding these two characters have toward each other. Hikaru shows us he's not as clueless as you think, and Ryo gives us the insight of how their friendship will go forward. Definitely a must watch.
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Adorable coming of age ...
You can see immediately the two protagonists Akari & Izumi are perfect together from the first minute they meet. Jyutaro does a great job at showing his character with such innocents. It's really adorable how these two start off together. Naturally, like any of these stories, other people are going to change things along the way. What makes this story a bit awkward is the fact Akari's past boyfriend turns out to be Yamato, the brother of Izumi. It's an interesting concept. What you can't do while watching the early episodes is jump to any conclusions towards good guy bad guy. Right away you definitely despise Yamato, at least I did, and for good reason. He shows several bad judgement moves throughout this drama, but toward the end he isn't as horrible as first thought. The title may be a bit deceiving, because nothing was done with bad intentions at the onset ... everything was pure coincidence.When all is send and done, there is a happy ending just the way you hoped for. All in all, it was enjoyable to watch. A few bumps a long the way, but that's life, especially when it's a coming of age drama.
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An excellent story & cast
This extremely long series is worth ever minute of every episode to devote your time to.The first couple of episodes are to be followed in detail, because it can be a little confusing as they set the foundation to the story line, but getting beyond that, this turns out to be an absolutely outstanding "epic" drama.
Hyun-Joong gives an incredible performance. He's practically unrecognizable from his past acting dramas due to his physical transformation for fighting ... and he does a lot of it throughout. He takes a beating and gives them out as well in almost every episode. It's actually exhausting to watch at times.
Ok Ryeon & Gaya both pair up great with Jeong Tae. The supporting cast is equally fantastic, producing some really evil characters that you just counted the minutes to see them get their demise. I loved Mo Il Hwa played by Jae Rim. He was great at adding drama, fighting & comedy when needed ... was great at the side of Jeong Tae. They start out as enemies, but quickly form a bond of needed friendship & support.
Despite the length of the series, it goes rather quickly ... in fact, in the end you kind of want it to continue because of the attachment you get to seeing these characters.
One of Hyun-Joong's best by far!!!!!
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Very Unique BL Story
This was a really good drama with a few twists throughout the episodes that make for a very interesting story. Both Ritsu & Fumiya and extremely likeable characters in this and you really want things to work out after the accident, which causes the unusual memory loss.You kind of are expecting something bad to expose what Fumiya has been doing in keeping the past a secret to Ritsu, but you really can't figure out how that's going to play out.
Once everything is exposed, you really hope, but are not sure how things will be corrected. Kyoya Honda & Suzuki Kosuke both do a great job on screen struggling to bring things together again. It's enjoyable to watch them work it out.
I really liked the ending. I thought it was a great finish to a unique BL story.
Definitely worth watching.
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