Loving this new wave!
There is a saying in this drama in the first episode that had me quite gobsmacked and it comes from Hikaru : "after 20, being ugly is a choice! Don't get the wrong idea, I am not talking about your appearance. A self-deprecating smile isn't cute."Like??????? hello????? this is iconic AND so needed??????
This drama has quite everything imho when it comes to a self-discovery/acceptance story...it has strong characters, each more unique than the other and yet they somehow feel quite casual and common and I believe the strenght of the story reside in that. In how their uniqueness and differences feel so normal and comfortable because the characters ARE confident (or learn to be more confident) and so as an audience, we can just feel great and positive about it all even if it might be foreign. It even pushes you to question yourself soemtimes. Cinderella closet is, to me, the embodiment of self-worth and confidence, portraying characters that loves themselves, that are proud of who they are and characters that learns to be more confident and embrace their pecularities, acknowledging that they are their strenghts!
I love the respect they have toward make-up in this where it is seen as a tool, a magic trick to enhance your outer appearance and yet it is not portrayed as a way to hide yourself but rather just to make you feel prettier, so much so, you end up acccepting yourself more, with AND without make-up! Like, It's okay to love pretty clothes and make-up and it's okay to have short hair and be a tall woman and still wear high heels if you want or be a man that cross-dress because he loves feeeling pretty because at the end of the day, what makes you really beautiful isn't all that but your confidence and self-love. Make-up, fashion, hairstyles are just means and paths to get there!
I love how accepting Haruka's mother was of Hikaru, embracing both of his side just like her daughter did <3
This drama is, imho, much more deep than what it seems and I gotta admit that I'm very happy with this new wave in jpn dramas that depict without shame various people that are parts of our societies but I also appreciate how they do not forget to highlight and celerate the various type of loves out there, all leading to a more open and accepting world and isn't art all about that??? Pushing the limits.
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Everyone has the right to a second chance!
I started this drama randomly and I have to admit that I am glad I did. I went into this without any expectations which probably helped me embrace the work as it came.One of the strenght of Leanring to love is definitely its 4D and interesting characters! They all seem to be provided with a backstory which makes them instantly more approachable and tangible. Besides, they also have indivual storylines that cleverly interlink with one another to make the main plot move forward. The acting is great and each actors portray their characters pretty well imho. I'm not particularly fond of aged gap relationship but I truly did not care at all and I absolutely love the idea that Mamami helps Taiga learn how to read and write, which brings me to my favourite point of this drama, meaning the depiction of someone who never had the chance to properly learn how to read and write and how, through love, they are able to envolve, learn and grow.
Illitrate people unfortunately come in all genders and ages but they usually appear in TV as mostly older women or children so it's very refreshing and important to show someone as active and young as Taiga depicted as such in a drama and even more when said drama focuses on the concept that it is never too late to learn, to change trajectory and become someone different. I like how both the ML learn from each other and pushes each other to be more truthful about their dreams and their visions of life. I feel like they make each other seek for the best versions of themselves and I appreciate that.
Now, some parts of the drama are a bit questionnable or lightly mid but the overall work is great and I like the message of it a lot! Moreover, it depicts and highlights very different people and ideas (a host and night life in general, being friend with the woman your husband cheated on you, religious school, stalking etc and most importantly EDUCATION) which is noteworthy!
Highly recommend!
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A sweet throuple!
This show is very fun! I genuinely looked forward to the episodes each week.The plot is instantly interesting as it begins as some sort of study about marriage, relationships and what it means for a society, for its people and how diverse versions of union are now appearing! Very in tune with our world, which i appreciated.
Now, for the story, I enjoyed how, for each characters, as the throuple relationship progresses, we had the chance to explore their background and insecurities without never putting one of them as being "wrong". We could learn about their motivations, their fears, their obstacles and it showed that at the end of the day it is all about perspectives, that it is obviously very subjective and what matters is communication, time and being able to embrace your partners (which they always end up doing). Even the moms, after being shocked, end up accepting their love and this is SO important. In a way, it was a rather genuine depiction of a throuple, slightly comedic but very humane and sincere!
I think it lacks a bit of that queer lense, essentially in the writing . It almost feels like someone who never experienced queer love or even imagined being in a throuple decided to make a series about a queer poly relationship...BUT i'm not mad at it bcs it is made with care, respect and again sincerity so imho, it's fine!
Overall, Sannin Fufu was a lovely project, a bit funny on the edges, sometimes sweet and warm, not necessarily deep but it told a real story. A story of people finding and embracing each other, people being in love in the way that feels right to them and I think that is important in itself and enough!
It’s either the three of us or none of us <3
Little mention for the narration from the pet rabbit, Pakhun, which was an absolutely sweet nod hehe
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Talk about a well put espionnage drama!
The first episode of this drama is one of the best episode in the genre i've seen in a while. It had me hooked instantly, highly grasped my interest that I had to watch episode 2. Not only the story is interesting and awakes a certain curiosity, the acting is SUPERB, the chemistry is electrifying and I found myself rooting for the ML as soon as he appeared. Something about him is very humane and he's so great that you can't help root for him and see how insanely well he's gonna do in this world he finds himself thrown in without his consent.I appreciate the way this drama portrayed friendships, which I think is one of the most (if so not THE most) prohiminent subject across the drama. It was fascinating to see how because or thanks to friendship, the characters moved forward, discovered a bit more of whom they were, wether that is positive or negative for the said friendship. Essentially, friends changes us, makes us grow, question the world around us and quite literally opens new paths for us to take (or not) and this work perfectly painted that. Now, put this into an espionnage main plot focused on wars and different political views and opposites groups and you get something as heartwrenching, raw, and exciting as The guardians.
Not even one boring seconds. Everything was so fascinating and entracing. Major kudos for the three mains leads but also kudos to all the other actors that delivred stunning performances! This show deserves so much more recognition, i definitely invite you to give it a try, you won't be disappointed!
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When fantasy meets comedy!
This movie is GREAT.It's hilarious, touching, funny, aesthetically pleasing, cute and again....very cringy in the bestest way. I loved every seconds of it and it had been a while since I genuinely laughed like that. I'm definitely the target audience to such quirky jpn comedic show (+ it's about vampires and i'm kinda a connoisseur when it comes to that) so babanbabanban vampire is to me, the perfect match between fantastic ghotic horror and comedy.
There is a main plot that starts the entire movie and until the end of it, the goal remains the same. However, the focus isn't really on that aim that much but rather on how to maintain the possibility of it becoming reality and here comes all the horrendous situations, the peak comical misunderstandings, the touching deeper moments, the slice of life, the family, the friends, the past knocking back against the surface. This is the movie, all of these scenes and dialogues and of course, it is SUPER funny and unserious but there are mutliple scenes that hits deeper, that brings up more significant topics whereas it's about the humans or the vampires. In that, there is some sort of balance, like you will be able to catch up some instances that definitely makes the characters way more 4D, although 90% of the movie is still pure good vibes and funny moments. It reminded me of a series I watched in the past named "what we do in the shadows", definitely has the same energy!
It's easy to watch, the acting is superb, also super interesting to learn about the vampire lore they chose or not to use, that was a treat to me hehe. Either way, this film is very good and I highly recommend it if you search for a good easy time. Also, I've got to say, I absolutely LOVED the music bits, like what a way to introduce your character and life in a quirky, fun and memorable manner. I was obsessed with those songs bits ngl.... Genuinely such a nice and unique idea!
Babanbabanban vampire! Go for it 🧛
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Think green flag? Yeah, now multiply it by infinity!
Finally took the time to watch this drama and what a little gem! What can I say, from the story, to the pacing, by way of acting and cinematgraphy, this drama doesn't miss!!!!! It is an absolute blass, such a romantic and innocent piece of art that portrays a beautiful queer story.Now, i LOVED how unapolagetically queer Amane is and sure he has his fears and he laughs a lot and jokes to protect his heart BUT he never rejects his queerness and i LOVED that. His insecurities doesn't push him to lie to himself or to people he cares about who he is even if it means they might reject him which is rare to see in Jpn BLs and BL in general! He's just a cute young gay man with all the insecurities that comes from being a teenager and because of that he felt very 4D!
Let's talk about Ryuji or should I say the greenest flag ever made in jpn BL media and i'm not even joking, tears in my eyes, he is PERFECT. This man is EVERYTHING and to think he's just as young as Amane is insane!! He's mature, kind, beautiful soul, stunning smile and so open and warm. He is simply the green flag multiplied by infinity and i am SO happy he embraces Amane who is a literal sunshine and lowkey a diva hehe
Also, I loved the pacing of the story and the depiction of such an innocent and warmhearted queer teenager love story. I think it is important to have such reprensetation of genuine pure love between people of the same sex and showing that in such a refined manner was nice and very much appreciated. Besides, the fact that this is only 5 episodes didn't bother me at all and I didn't feel like it was lacking and instead quite perfect as the story flows just at the right pace!
So yeah, if you haven't watched this, go for it, i believe that you won't be disappointed...in fact I already miss them a lot and I wonder what adventures they are having right now~
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Binge watch worthy!
I'm usually not that much of a fan of this high school drama genre but as I read the webtoon years ago, I decided to give it a try and I do not regret it one bit. It follows the webtoon quite well & I think the casting was really great! It has its deeper stories, very enjoyable action scenes & nice chemistry.I have to talk about how great Kim Dowan and Lee Jungha are as Yungi and Euigyeom though...they could portray the complexicity of their relationship perfectly. The looks, the eyes, so many times were more than enough to express whatever was going on in their mind and i absolutely loved it. They really brought the characters to life!
Overall, this a great drama that i will miss, definitely binge watch worthy :) A season 2 seems to be hinted at the end of the drama, which is as scary as exciting to me, so i'm looking for it~
Nice, nice!!!!
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Iconic queer couple going after cheaters? Hell yeah!
A japanese drama about cheaters & divorces ? I know that's damn right. First of all, kudos all around for this drama for taking the risk and being absolutely unhinged and real at highligthing a very problematic issue in the jpn society meaning cheaters heheNow, I love how this show provides, until now, what seems to be 2 episodes per cases as it gives us (and them) time to develop relationships and comes up with much more interesting cheating stories & therefore investigations. I enjoy the fact that on top of the divorce cases, we get to follow some sort of adjacent plots regarding the main characters aka the iconic, very cool & super healthy queer couple and what goes on in their lives. I particularly appreciate the fact that the queerness of this couple isn't the main point of it all but rather something utterly natural and given! It is also interesting to see how each of their cases impacts their realtionship and seems to highlight certain issues.
Very excited for the rest, stay tuned~~
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When fantasy meets life! Go for it!
This drama was an absolute blast! I went into it without expecting much other than the fact that i'm rather a fan of fantasy centered work and oh boy was I served! The acting, the stories, the vfx, everything was great!It was quite nice that the stories aren't that complicated, they're simple but still very much engaging by how common and humane they tended to be. The special effects, especially with the ink and red strings were nice and added something dark to the drama, reminding us that this is a fantasy/occult work. Imho, they did such a good job at balancing comedy, slice of life, fantasy and drama, that's why I titled this when fantasy meets life. It is, after all, just a bunch of stories about people and their feelings and the lessons about life and sometimes all of that can be magical.
The trio took a bit of time to form but every scene with the three of them was incredible, their tiki taka and friendship was nice to witness and to see grow to what it was by the end. It was lively and you could feel it trhough the screen. Besides, i loved that we had the chance to have a storyline for each of these characters outside their friendship. It made them more 4D.
THE CAMEOS!!!!!!! I was so surprised and happy to see familair faces, definitely made my watching more enjoyable!
Finally, i don't why this hasn't got a season 2 until now because the potentiel of these characters and their story is HUGE and it would definitely work. Hoping to meet them again!
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I Became the Main Role of a BL Drama Season 2
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Nice follow up to Season 1
This season 2 is as comedic as the first one which i appreciate a lot. I laughed and smile throughout the episodes and the acting is always really good and extravagant. A bit overwhelmed with the no communication/jealousy plot they went for but they still cute and funny and i just want them to be super duper happy which they end up being by the end! Very easy to watch!Was this review helpful to you?
China's BL comeback and we're not disappointed!
First of all, i'd like to state that i'm familiar with the original work, meaning the novel and despite the fact that it has its good and its REAL bad, I still wanted to give this a try, not only because I was curious to see how they would adpat that specific story BUT also because this is China's BL comeback and I had to be here!What can I say, this was REALLY good??? Better than I could ever imagined. The chemistry had me gagged & whenever I thought the tension could not get anymore than this, a new episode dropped. Also, I have to admit that it had been a while since I genuinely laughed and smiled while watching a BL...i'm a fan of cringe/funny stuff and oh boy do they serve so I was glad that they kept the comedic aspect and the dramatic vibe of the novel! However, don't get me wrong, it has its more serious and intense moments as well, dare i say it is, imho, a perfectly balance between drama, romance and comedy and I just keep wanting more and more !
The story is developped nicely and follows the novel quite well, marking the important arcs but I think we plummeted a little at some point or maybe dragged a few storylines for far too long which didn't allow to develop the latter part of the story, making the last few episodes rushed imho but maybe that is due to the fact that I am aware of the novel. Either way, I can only praise the acting, the chemistry and direction of this drama, they did an excellent job and removed some of the very problematic content found in the novel!
What can I say...It was very nice to be able to watch a story I had read and not feel utterly disappointed with its adaptation, quite the opposite even. The crew and the actors did a great job and I could not hope for a better Wu sowei and Chi cheng than these two! This is also such an important work as it might re-open the door for some mainland China BLs adaptations so give it some love!
If you like fun, romance, friendship, cringe, sexy and drama, revenged love is for you!
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I just know this gonna break my heart...but isn't life like that sometimes?
The premise isn't that original and yet this drama still grasped my interest thanks to the top tier acting and the palpable chemistry. It's a bit slow but the cinematography is beautiful. I LOVED the cam recorder snippets, the different use of cinematography practices, such as the black and white silence movie sequence, the 360° under the rain kissing scene. It all certainly adds to the nostaligic aspect of it all and enhanced the importance of memories and how, with the love, they are all that is left behind. It also feels like a acclamation to the seventh art, some sort of story into the story, which I appreciate a lot. Some interesting pictures too!!Stunning music throughout the drama that definitely highlights the emotions and dialogues that seemed to be an hymn to love and life. My heart ached and broke but there was this utterly warm feeling too, because of Lee Daeum and how she lives her life and all those people gathering and moving forward together.
I believe, this was a beautiful tribute to cinema, to these people working in that industry, putting their life at risk but also a testimony of the medical staff that sometimes feels like family and of course an homage to love, romantic, familial and friendship.
Our movie is a warmhearted stunning piece that almost grasped the entirety of what life is and can be and I hope as you watch, you will remember that you are not lonely <3 Highly recommend!
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A narrow aperture to their story that gives you a deep depth of field!
As expected, Depth of Field has stunning pictures, some of the most beautiful shots i've seen in a while, with sharp colours and this sense of mystic reality. It is emphasised a lot in the scenes on the rooftop that feels surreal by how breathtaking they look and yet....they are real.While the story lacks a bit and defintely feels somewhat rushed, especially in the second part of the drama (but that is expected as to the number of episodes) the acting which was really good and the visually pleasing sceneries makes up for it, at least to me! The story started well and although the characters might feel a little hollow per moments, there was an underlying message throughout the entire drama that I appreciated a lot : stop hiding and punishing yourself for who you are and what you love, just do it and be true to yourself!
A narrow aperture in photography tend to give you the deepest depth of field, meaning everything becomes sharper and in focus and I feel like this kinda summarises their story! I think Konno helped Hayakawa regain focus on what really matters to him and that helped him fully accept his love for music and that regardless of the past, music will always be IT for him just like photography will always be IT for Konno. And in between all these self-discoveries, they found themselves and fell in love and i'd lie if i said i was 100% fine with how it all went down but considering the little 5 eps they got, i think they did a good job.
Overall, Depth of Field is a nice short drama with scenes that will leave you gobsmacked by how pretty they are...look at it as an array of quick snapshots of Kono and Hayakawa's lives.
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An almost Hannibalesque thriller yet so unique!
Nine Puzzles is a well written crime drama with an interesting plot & from the teaser, it reminded me of Hannibal the series. Now, it was really fun to speculate on who was the killer and whom to trust and the reveal, despite not being that much of a surprise to me, happened to be very charged emotionnally, which was different but still very much enjoyable. The only thing that's a bit meh, a plot hole some might say, is that we didn't get to see how the murders actually occured through the eyes of the killer.However, this drama, instead of being focused on the extreme plot twist aspect of a thriller story, it is rather centered on characters and actually subtly alludes to some social issues (power, money, corruption, bonus point for the lavender marriage mention) so kudos for that! I also need to mention the absolute mouth gaping cameos, the great music and imagery, the atypicality/neurodivergence of the two main leads that felt fresh and fitted perfectly for the story and ofc the addicting chemistry between Kim Dami and Son Sukku.
Overall, it's a nice thriller drama, definitely perfect for binge watchers! Apprently, there is no season 2 planned but i'm fine with it as i'm very much satisfied with the ending!
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A bunch of firsts...and a bunch of love.
First Friends. First Love. First heartbreak. First dreams and first encounter with the harsh reality of the world. A hundred memories is the perfect representation of firsts in life and how fate and destiny impact your surrounding and your feelings, all set in a stunning and somewhat heartwarming 80s background. It follow Youngrye, Jonghee and Jaepil throughout the years and highlights the changes in their relationship but also emphasises how somehow not much has changed since the first time they met.I like this drama because imho it was able to capture perfectly some notions such as the innocence and intensity of a first crush/love, the absolute excitment and power at finding a best friend for the first time but also all the heartbreaks that comes with growing up and dealing with all those emotions. There is, all over the drama, a study about fate and destiny and how these two concepts play a big part in the life of the FML Youngrye and what I appreciate is that it is about her loves, her friendships but also her family . At the end of the day, it is all about fate, destiny and timing...sometimes your first love is not the last, sometimes your first friend will forever be your friend, sometimes your borther gets to study and you don't, it's fate, it's timing, it's all being at the mercy of life and time.
The acting is really great and they all seemed to have grasped their characters well. Again the setting and all the side characters are SO good and makes the drama 10 times more enjoyable.
Now, It has its frustrating moments, especially with the obvious triangle that never is just a romantic triangle but rather a bigger thing. It can be extremely annoying but it's really not the case for me as I try to look beyond the first layer of their relationship, meaning the romantic aspect of it. I try to see further, because they are friends, because they all love each other, because they all are their firsts and each of their meeting were fate and destiny and so it can be hard to let go of these people that quite literally expanded your entire view on life. Therefore, if these types of tropes pisses you off, I don't think A hundred memories is for you, for others, please give it a try, i think it's great!
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