QAS

Almost flawless reality show

Excellent casting of Youn Yuh Jung, Lee Seo Jin, Jung Yu Mi, Park Seo Joon and Choi Woo Shik! This was one of the best examples of teamwork and collaboration. Language has no barriers. Many visitors from many countries came to Youn's Stay for a meal, laughter and fresh air. Thanks for the delicious foods and entertainment. Jung Yu Mi's portrait should be hung in the Museum of Modern Art.

This drama filmed before Youn Yuh Jung won the Academy Award. The B&B guests must have shouted with joy when they heard the news. First time in their life, meeting an Oscar winner.

The only flaw was the extraneous, intrusive loud singing and loud BGM in 90% of every episode. It became jarring and ear-splitting. How do Korean people function in their daily lives?

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Welcome to Dysfunctional Family aka Centimeter of Love.

Scenes with ML Xu Qing Feng and FL Guan Yu Ping together were enjoyable. Their love story was charming, but their interactions with family members were aggravating. Several satellite characters were annoying, clingy, irritating, selfish, self-centered, manipulative, domineering, devious, conniving.

The gap between parent and child is apparent in the Xu and Guan household, as the matriarch Xu Xiu Lan and patriarch Guan rule the respective roosts. They have obsessive love for their sons, Xu Qing Feng and Guan Zhen Lei respectively, controlling and manipulating every free moment of their lives. Mrs Xu and Mr Guan are the autocratic dictators of their households.

Madam Xu gets up every morning, cooks breakfast, and takes it to her son’s home or office. She is possessive, obsessive, suffocating, stifling. She cooks, cleans, makes his bed, shops for his groceries and clothing. She picks up women for him to marry, and gives these leeches the key to his apartment. That boy is too timid and passive around her. She walks all over him.

Mr Guan coddles his thirty years’ old son who cries like a baby, and always runs to his father for comfort. This is the most pathetic part of the drama. Mr Guan, seventy years’ old with a heart condition, treats his son like he is a baby, and shelters him. Mr Guan shows no love or appreciation for his second daughter, a successful professional. She is the bank, financing the Guan family members. He demands that Guan Yu Ping give her money to the lazy good-for-nothing brother, and denigrates her frequently. Zhen Lei, in turn, denigrates his older sister throughout the drama. There were times I wanted to shake Guan Yu Ping, and tell her to get the hell out of the Guan family, change her name, and leave no forwarding address.

Madam Xu, Mr Guan, Zhen Lei, Lin Jie, Female Doctor dominate the plot with their obsessive, possessive, aggressive, maniacal, lunatic, clingy behavior. While these five actors displayed a wide acting range, and deserve the Maniacal Lunatic Award, they shifted focus from the lovers’ story.

Tong Da Wei is a likeable actor, but his permanent smirk and lack of emotion, made him look like a puppet actor and puppet character. Tong Li Ya is a charismatic actress, and her portrayal of Captain Guan is stellar.

The final episode, which included a very nice wedding with no food service, turned into propaganda film for the country and the fight against COVID-19. The statement adds realism to the plot, but the flag flying and political allegiance were overdone. The production company might have used this crutch, to get the drama past the censorship board.

The version I watched on YT has no opening credits on the episodes, and the singing is suppressed. May God bless the people who did this miracle. The directing, acting, editing, wardrobe, set design, music were very good. This is the first drama that I watched, where I cannot complain about the editing, extraneous flashbacks, excessive loud singing or loud BGM.

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Revenge is the new K-drama trope.

Revenge drama has become the new K-drama trope, and this production company uses eccentric characters and eccentric fashions in an attempt to differentiate it from the competition.

The plot and subplots were predictable, and the characters were predictable, over the top or blasé. The two female leads dominated the entire plot with their eccentricities, mood swings and fashions. Fifty percent of the women's fashions were fugly or over the top. EVE evolved into a revenge fashion romance melodrama drama.

As usual, the director and film editor chopped up the flow of the episodes with extraneous flashback filler, or flashbacking scenes to clarify actions after the fact. The flashbacking scene seemed relevant to the plot, and should have been presented in chronological order of the story. The director threw Fluidity and Lucidity out the window.

Ra El was passive, So Ra was bipolar aggressive, Kang was passive, Lawyer Seo was passive. The main and supporting cast were very good at stare acting. The director was not really directing, he was telling them when to stare blankly at the camera. This type of emotion does not emote on film, and looks like ... stare acting. The lunatic characters did a very good job acting like lunatics. There were many filler villains. So Ra was Queen Lunatic Villain.

The final episode was deflating. As the episode was winding down, I concluded that Kang might be alive, and in a witness protection program, and that So Ra might be pretending she was mad, so she would not be charged with the multiple murders of her father Prime Minister and other individuals, and the attempted murder of Ra El.

Overall ratings
Revenge 6 - planning and execution were flawed and mediocre.
Fashion 5 - do the rich really dress in the daytime, as if they are going to an awards show?
Romance 3 - boring stare acting and boring sex by Ra El and Kang. XD
Stare acting 9 - several award winning performances
Music 5 - repetitive singing
Ending 6 - predictable
Violence 8 - excessive
Teamwork - 2

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Alternate title: Ballad of Yuhui

Slowmoving plot about Lin Yuhui and her extended family! It could easily have been related in 30 episodes. Very good production values in the directing, editing, acting, writing, music composition, costume design and set design departments. Hair and makeup were average. The open credits are virtually invisible which is a good sign, and flashbacks are used in the final episode only, which is also good filmmaking.

The underdog villain ML, Gao Jinbang, seemed to have too much screen time. Yuhui might be one of the saddest FL drama characters. She broke a smile occasionally. The senior actors did a good job.

Footnote: For a strange reason, the MDL cast list, as well as Dramawiki and IMDB are bare bones, missing about a dozen or more supporting actor credits.

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A love story

I bingewatched this entire drama in four days, completing it today. Overall, the drama has very good production values, except for the overly ambitious music editor running the loud BGM and loud singing continuously. The flashbacks finally kicked in toward the last half dozen episodes, pulling down the pace of the plot. There is story drag, as Xiao Qui pines after her lost love, but that reflects the pace of real life emotional conflict of the heart. I watched the young Godfrey Gao, and felt that this role was a premonition of his fate in 2019. What if they had written a happy ending, would he be alive today?

I watched this drama with the same anticipation of the Kdrama, Winter Sonata. In short, Remembering LiChuan is the equivalent of Winter Sonata, in terms of the fated loved story between the main couple of the two dramas. The female leads' first love went far away unexpectedly, and they pined away for the soulmate. Years later, the first love reappeared, and the reunion was slow and agonizing. Leading up to the conclusion, the first love went away again, due to illness.

The casting was perfect for the primary couple (Godfrey Gao/Wang LiChuan and Jiao Jun Yan/ Xiao Qui) and the secondary couple (Andrew Lien/Wang Ji Chuan and Wang Ruo Xin/Ye Jing Wen). The supporting cast performed well at their jobs.

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Flashbacks in Shanghai

I came to the party 1 1/2 years after the initial TV broadcast.  I was searching for C-dramas with English subs, that are hard to find. I found it by accident on YT, and watched the whole drama, with some fast forwarding, over eight consecutive days.

Story:
The plot was plausible, but long-winded, and packed with unnecessary, redundant, superfluous flashbacks.  At least six episodes would have been shaved off, if they had resisted the flashback route.  Drama could have been renamed "Flashbacks in Shanghai" or "I Hate You, I Love You!"; a romance, conspiracy, crime, musical, pre-war drama set in Shanghai.  

Acting/Cast:
Huang Xiao Ming was impressive with his height, acting and fighting skills and his steadfast character. Zou Zhen was overzealous about Jingxui. Joe Chen’s acting was average.  Her character Jinxui is a very confused, easily manipulated woman, who flows like the river, and latches onto any man in her periphery.  At least six men were in various stages of like/love/obsession, which was a stretch.

Qiao Kimi gave a very good acting performance as SLS Ying Dong.  His character was easy going but conflicted.  Lu Kelsey was the most beautiful actor in the cast. Her acting range was greater than Joe Chen's. Qi Ji was the tall, handsome, dastardly evil villain Maeda. Maeda's false charm and charisma were over the top, and should have been dialed back. The supporting actors did very good professional acting jobs. The puppy was the best character.

Music:
I was very impressed with the opening song,  the BGM and the closing song.

Rewatch Value:
Once is enough, even if Huang Xiao Ming were to ask me to watch it again.

Overall:
Acting-very good
Directing-good, but could have been better if he had laid off the Flashback Management Team. 
Cinematography-very good 
Costume design-very good 
Set design-very good 
Editing-good, but could have been better if he had refused to load all the inane flashbacks. A  painted scene of Shanghai would flash monotonously across the screen numerous times in every episode, as if we did not already know that the city is Shanghai.

Memo to production companies; If we see a building or landmark once, we do not have to see it 100 times.

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Mystery Theatre at its best

Qin, Medical Examiner is a very tense drama, with suspense and sporadic comedic dialog to alleviate the tension. The autopsy scenes are very graphic.

Zhang Ruo Yun, Jiao Jun Yan and Li Xian created the best forensic TV drama team. Every case was tense, as the subplot unfolded. The supporting actors also did a very good job.

Directing and editing were done well, except for the constant shaky camera that caused motion sickness. The director could have invested a few budget dollars in a tripod for the cameraman. Music was very good, and fit the mood of the scenes. Overall, a well done drama, similar in style to the British detective dramas!

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Melodrama of the Month Award winner

It was painstaking watching the main characters being tortured emotionally or physically for thirty-nine episodes. I am just relieved that it is over, and that the characters are out of sight, out of mind. Cheng Yi and Zhang Yu Xi kept the drama flowing, even when it dragged with the singing and evilness on screen. Cheng Yi is the official Melodrama King. Yunshen suffered physically and emotionally, and cried in two-thirds of the drama, Fu Yunshen would have lived a happy life with a different mother. Zhang Yu Xi is Main Lead Queen of the Month. Zhu Jiu put up with a lot of sh^& from Mother Jiang Shu Ning.

This should be labeled as a musical melodrama. The singing was extraneous, overt and repetitive. If the director wanted so much singing, he should have told the actors to sing these songs, instead of using phantom singers. Otherwise the BGM was very good.

It was no surprise that the two pathetic villains, Fu Xi Zhou and Jiang Shu Ning, had their redemption at the end. They were unscrupulous, vindictive, manipulative. They should have died instead of the nicer people, Grandpa, Dr Ji, Aunty Dr Addy, Grandma, Zhu Jiu's Mother and Father. I was cringing when Ruan Ruan and Xi Zhou reunited at the end, and had babies.

The singing diluted the emotion on screen. If they had trimmed the singing and some of the episodic content, it would have been very effective as a 30 episode drama.

This drama reminds me of the Kdramas with the drama plot and incessant singing and the song quality. In particular, Yunshen and Zhu Jiu reminded me of Winter Sonata's YuJin and Joon Sang, with their emotional torture and the manipulative mothers.

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Adventure with Xiao Se

Martial arts team drama is not my usual genre, but the group members were not students at the academy, learning as they go... except for Motor Mouth Lei Wei Ji. Many times he would not shut up, but he did have exceptional sword skills, and he was loyal to his companions. He and the annoying eunuch Jinyan were the only actors who showed their acting range, and deserve the award for OTP acting. They were wired every day on set. There are many good looking actors in the cast, btw.

The final stretch was non-stop action and intrigue. Xiao Se Chu He is the first C=drama prince to walk away from the throne. He passed it to older brother Bai Chong (#2 prince). They were technically, the last two princes standing.

Bad Prince Yu Chi took the easy way out, and stabbed himself in the heart. I never felt sorry for him. He was wound too tight. 🤯🤯🤯 He was a quirky looking actor, who might be handsome in real life. He reminded me of Oh Ji Oh and Villain Prince in Scarlet Heart Ryeo.

Yu and Wuxin's birth mother had three men in love with her in the past...I guess. I am not sure if Emperor was in love with her, and sired Yu Chi, just to fill the lineage chart. The last man, #1 Handsome Swordman, took Consort Xuan away from Tianqi City at the end. 

Rating 8

0.5 deduction for the extraneous use of BGM overlaying dialog. I depend on subtitles, but I like to hear the actors talking their native language. Someone, send a petition to the production companies... Stop the loud BGM and loud singing!

0.5 deduction for choppy scene splicing by the film editor. Conversations were disjointed when the character in the alternate scene completed the sentence from the previous scene.

1.0 deduction of putting Wuxin and Tang Lian on the shelf most of the drama. They were the two most enigmatic and skilled characters, and the actors were handsome, too.

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Beautiful period drama

DAMO was one of the most beautiful dramatic dramas, with the main actors, Ha Ji Won, Lee Seo Jin and Kim Min Jun, giving compelling acting performances. The story was very interesting and engrossing, and the emotions were high.

This drama had continuity flaws with the adult Chae Ok never looking the same throughout the drama. It seemed as if four different actresses played the role. To date, that is the most perplexing aspect of the drama. Chae Ok, Hwangbo Yun and Jang Sung Baek were immortals of Joseon. They would be injured severely and almost fatally, but they revived by the next episode; another perplexing aspect. Despite the occasional inexperienced acting, the three actors used their charms on the viewer.

The final episode was nonstop heartbreaking, heart-wrenching and torturous for the viewer. I was crying like a banshee during Hwang Bo Yun and Chae Ok's final goodbye, and the Chae Ok and Jang Sung Baek's final goodbye in the very last scene.

The flashbacks and flashbacking were very distracting. Korean directors and writers have been falling back on filler and flashback and flashbacking in telling their stories, instead of making the story cohesive with events shown in chronological order. Despite the flaws in the martial arts sequences, DAMO was endearing.

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Detective in love

Snail... was the best detective drama that I watched in 2016. The writing and production format were the equivalent of a British detective drama. The plot is very intricate, and it is best to binge-watch the drama, to maintain the continuity and focus. The detective team demonstrated the true meaning of teamwork and loyalty. Ji Bai represents the true team leader; pragmatic, unemotional, inspiring.



All the actors did a very good job with their character roles. The drama villains were the Ye extended family members. Wang Kai/Ji Bai's action scenes were flawless.

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Funny and entertaining short drama

A well-written, well-done short series! I watched the twenty episodes, laughing hysterically and smiling non-stop. Jung Il-Woo and Jin Se-Yun made the perfect TV couple. Lee Shi-Un stole every scene, bouncing off Sae-Hoon's charming megalomania and hilarious mood-swings. The supporting actors did a fine job, moving the story forward. This is the second series with Il Woo, that I have seen to-date, and his comedic acting was genius level. I enjoyed the short K-drama format, but I wanted to watch more episodes. Rather than repeating five minutes of the previous episode, the director and writer could have filled in five minutes of new material, extending the storyline.

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Showbiz is not what it is cracked up to be.

I watched this movie with casual interest. I watched it for Andy Lau, who I have loved for twenty years. It is a typical showbiz plot with self-absorbed talent aspiring for greatness, and achieving a deflated ego in the end. The movie received some positive feedback from western media for its satirical look at Showbiz, but it bombed at the box office in China. It was released during 2024 Chinese New year, which was shortsighted by the producers. You don't release a feel bad movie during the highest holiday in China.. The dark side of showbiz is universal and superficial. The movie transcended the barriers of culture, language and casting. Andy Lau took a gamble on the project.

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Heartfelt story about a dog and his Master

I was searching for the dog who acted in Si Jin and Mysterious Lotus Casebook, and discovered he made a movie, Hachiko. It is a remake of the Japanese movie that I watched several years ago. I cried watching that movie.

Botang was a warrior, from puppy to end of life. He knew that Professor Chen was his one true love and father. He waited every night for his return from work. That loyalty lived beyond his father's death. For ten years, Botang, now a stray dog, searched far and wide, and waited every night at the train station for his master's return, until his heart stopped beating one day. I am sad that Batong was homeless for ten years. He survived so long, growing old and emaciated. In the end his father returned, and took the puppy Botang with him on the tram to Heaven. The ending is beautiful but sad.

The production company made a dog movie that showed compassion, empathy, loyalty and endurance. The many dogs that portrayed Botang, from puppy to adult dog, ultimately stole the show.

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Dysfunctional families

This is my first time watching both Yang Zi and Xu Kai in a contemporary drama. Their acting was convincing, and kept the plot going. In general, the supporting actors also did a credible job.

Ranking;
#1 Dysfunctional Family Mai... Mother
#2 Dysfunctional Family Xin ... Son, Daughter, Father, Mother
#3 Dysfunctional Family Yao ... Father

MAI family
Mother Liu Wanyu was overbearing and controlling, but she was emphatic and kindhearted occasionally. She was the nucleus of the Mai family. Her husband Mai, son Zao and daughter Huan were her satellites. The drama should have been named Story of Wanyu since she seemed to dominate the plot. The actress should have been attributed a Main Lead designation.

XIN family
A privileged family of four, lacking in ethics, but full of arrogance and condescension. Son was too clingy, trying to manipulate Mai Cheng Huan. Daughter was psychotic and condescending. Mother and Father were calculating.

YAO family
Ex-convict Mr Yao had his fifteen minutes of fame. The day he grew a conscience, was the day he died. That was cold, Scriptwriter! Yao should have lived, reside permanently at Xing Anli, and work as a host. Son Yao Zhiming realized too late that his father had redemption.

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