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Korean Drama "Crime Puzzle" is a dark tale of a deep secret.The drama starts off on a mysterious note, with the main case being introduced. And truly, there were really dark moments, twists, and intriguing scenes as the mystery was unfolded. However, things were bleak after the first episodes. It seemed like things were happening a bit on the overtone in order to bring out the shocking factor rather than aid the plot. In addition, the story kept ending characters, getting more and more complicated and confusing.
On the other hand, the performances were pretty great, especially by the main leads.
So, overall, 3.5 out of 10.
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Korean Drama "School 2021" was definitely not like the rest of the school series dramas.It actually feels more like the other web school dramas, with a first love romance, friendship and some school drama that was more or less boring, though the love story was cute and the love triangle interesting and it had potential. Also, the second couple often stole the thunder from the main one, especially when the latter started getting tiring and cheesy. However, the mystery wasn't there, the school politics weren't something original, and the only thing that often saved the episode was the youthful mood that was at its best.
The performances, finally, were pretty good by everyone in the cast.
So, overall, 5 out of 10.
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Korean Drama "User Not Found" is a korean web drama with an interesting plot about two girls with the same name, changing identities.The drama starts off strong, with the introduction of the characters and the slow build up of the friendship between the girls. The story progresses smoothly, with few twists and intrigues, focusing rather on the characters, their feelings and their actions. However, the drama started getting boring and more hectic towards the ending. The conclusion was rushed, and it was anticlimactic and pretty much a letdown. And, in the end, the main character proved to be a boring one, with no personality and just those tiring damsel in distress vibes. The romance was cute, on the other hand, but did not mature nicely.
So, overall, 4 out of 10.
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Japanese Drama "Super Rich" is a business drama with a romantic twist.The drama deals with the themes of human relations, and people's beliefs when it comes to money and business, as it is seen through the leading lady's interaction with those whom she thought were close to her up until she got bankrupted. Unfortunately, the main focus tended to be the romance, which was lukewarm, as it was the love triangle that did create some friction to the couple's story, but was predictable nevertheless. Also, the story, and even though it started strongly, with an intriguing intro, an interesting directing choice, and a strong female lead, got repetitive. The company kept getting bankrupted, or the boss got betrayed more than once, and that was a loop that got tiring, along with the time skips that were, at times, unnecessary. Thus, the drama got boring and the story had few things to offer.
At least, the performances were excellent and the chemistry between the characters was enjoyable.
So, overall, 3 out of 10.
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Chinese Mini Movie "Wuliang" is a short fantasy film that manages to squize in just half an hour a new fantasy storyline, present the characters and give them a journey quest together.The drama has a pretty interesting fantasy element which would have been better presented in a longer movie or even a series. Still, the CGI were good, the costumes perfect and the setting just right for the story.
The performances were pretty intense as well, and well handled. The main leads did a great job with their characters and displayed a plethora of emotions.
However, the ending was a bit just meh compared to the rest of the movie and kind of cringey. However, the rest of the movie was spot on.
So, overall, 7 out of 10.
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Korean Historical Drama "The Red Sleeve" is a drama that chronographs the stories two dominant characters.First of all, the story doesn't overdo it with the romance. It doesn't add any unnecessary love triangle, doesn't alter the historical aspect of the drama to feat the romance's needs, it doesn't get boring or has cheesy tropes. It is a sensitive, subtle, often chaotic, love story that helps to have the two characters move forward and prompts their actions when it is needed.
That is evident by Deok Im's (the female lead) way of thinking. She is an independent woman who loves her freedom and fears that the prince's love will alter her life and her own self as well. She is afraid to lose who she is, and, as she puts it "The prince's life is precious, but my life more precious (to me)". All these, along with her aloof personality, strong energy, reckless behavior, fearless actions, and clever thinking, set her apart from the rest of the silly female characters that lose their own footing when they fell in love with the male lead.
The rest of the characters were delightful as well. Strong and often tragic, they were all great elements to a masterfully created puzzle. The performances were all great as well, and all the actors and actresses had interesting dynamics that worked to the drama's advantage.
As for the cinematography, it was brilliant and feated the drama perfectly. The first part was lighter, with brighter color and many funny scenes. The second part, on the other hand, was darker, with dimmer lights, murkier color palettes and more dramatic events that focused more on the political aspect of the story. The final part, however, was the weaker. It was hasty and didn't present the story as smoothly as it should, though the ending was fitting the mood of the drama.
So, overall, 9 out of 10.
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Korean Drama "Dark Hole" is indeed a dark drama with a thrilling story.The main plot is about a mysterious dark hole that appears in the middle of a forest, from where a ghostly creature turns everyone into zombie like creatures, while communicating with some of them. The base of the disease is mainly fear, especially the fear of your own demons, while the pandemonium that the new crisis creates is what provides the drama with the horror element. The dynamics of the local communities are tested and the two main heroes shine due to their efforts to bring everyone together.
Unfortunately, and though the drama had plenty of touching and emotional moments, while providing solid backgrounds for every character that appeared in the story, the ending was too sci fi -ish and didn't feat the mood of the drama at all, although that final scene was the touch that was just perfect for a suspenseful thriller like Dark Hole. Still, that ending, along with the CGI, needed to be better.
Other than that, the performances were great by everyone in the cast and the action scenes were perfectly executed. The dark atmosphere was also nailed and suited the story completely.
So, overall, 8 out of 10.
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Korean Drama "Hellbound" is an atmospheric drama with a dark story and masterful direction.The drama has an interesting story to offer. exploring the nature of men when an unexpected new element appears, changing the way we lived so far and spreading fear. Fear that is the common factor that everyone uses in order to achieve their goals. And the ending was masterfully handled as well, with a huge cliffhanger to prepare the audience for what is to come next.
However, and apart from those, the drama felt hectic and partial. The pace was all over the place, with events following one another in a way that wasn't either smooth nor served the drama well. In addition, the drama was disjointed, as its parts didn't blend in together nor followed each other nicely.
Finally, the CGI were not great, but the performances were masterful by everyone in the cast.
So, overall, 5 out of 10.
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Japanese Drama "Muchuu-sa, Kimi ni" had one thing not going for it, its length.It follows two main stories that try to blend together, but hardly do so, eventually leading to an open ending for the second one, and an okay one for the main one. However, and there being two plotlines to follow, the drama does not manage to present the stories well enough and it is obvious that there is need for more time for a better outcome.
As for the stories, the main one was pretty cute, with the short adventures of the main character. who was has a unique personality and an upbeat mood. On the other hand, the second story is more towards the joys of a rising friendship between two unlikely characters. And there was a lot of potential in it, however, it ended up with an open ending. As for the characters, and even though the cast did a great job with the performances, they were not well explored.
So, overall, 5 out of 10.
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Korean mini drama "Love and Wish" is a short drama that starts in a cheesy, rom com note and then takes a turn towards the darker parts of school life.The main problem of this drama is its length. It robs the drama of a smooth progress and a strong impact of what was happening, as everything kept happening too fast. The start was pretty cliche too, as well as the ending that used the trope of time leap which was kind of a letdown. Nevertheless, the middle part was really good and the performances really shined in that part. The back and forth was well handled as well. But it would have been nice if they had explained the main lead's family situation in a more explicit way.
So, overall, 6.5 out of 10.
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Surprisingly, Korean Drama "Romanced" is pretty enjoyable and well constructed. It creates the right atmosphere and has interesting cinematography and camera work right from the start.First of all, the story has a predictable plot, however, it was well made and enjoyable. The leads had chemistry and they worked well together. Unfortunately, the ending was rushed and needed more time to be properly handled. Nevertheless, the drama had the right pace and the cinematography was interesting too. That gave an edge to the story and created a fresh atmosphere.
Finally, the performances were enjoyable by everyone in the cast.
So, overall, 7.5 out of 10.
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Japanese Drama 'Black Cinderella' gives a new twist to the school romance dramas.The story centers around the main character and her struggles to keep her smile when everything is falling down around her. Her determination and her journey to find herself and love herself were pretty much the highlights of the drama. Especially since the female lead was a well-constructed character. The love triangle was a nice touch too, cute and sweet. However, the main romance was predictable, adorable though. The male lead was not handled with that much care, however. The wicked second lead was a generic character who had a rushed character development and showed only specs of what was going on in her life.
Finally, the performances were pretty good by everyone in the cast.
So, overall, 7 out of 10.
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Korean Drama 'High Class' is a suspenseful drama that keeps things interesting in every episode. However, the main mystery was a let down.First of all, the drama has good performances. Even the kids in the cast did a good job with their characters. The drama also did a good job keeping things thrilling and having the viewer anticipate what is coming next. However, the main story was, in the end, predictable and pretty much had a lukewarm ending. The family drama was messy and badly handled. The bad rich people of the drama were, in addition, generic and stereotypes of all the bad rich people in the dramas. They didn't even have solid background stories to support their mean attitude. Also, the indication of a romance was unnecessary.
So, overall, six out of ten.
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Korean Drama 'Secret Royal Inspector' had an interesting plot prompt, but ended up following the old well traveled path.The drama starts pretty strong, with the introduction of the characters, the main story, and the main mystery. The first case the Royal Inspector and his team take sets the foundation of their friendship and their dynamics as a team while presenting to the viewer what is yet to come. And yet, the story is pretty generic after that, with a bad guy who was neither intriguing nor original.
The romance was also a bit of a let down, as it had a messy pace, but, at least, it didn't overtake the story and played the role of filling the gaps. Unfortunately, the side romance and the trop of past love interest coming back to create drama was well used, probably a bit too much at times. At least the bromance was quite strong and refreshing.
The performances, finally, were pretty great for everyone, especially the leads, though the leading lady needs more screen time to improve her skills.
So, overall, 5.5 out of 10.
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Korean Drama "Hospital Playlist Season 2" is heartwarming and cozy, just like the first season.But this one had more medical cases, that were pretty interesting and emotional, as well as well constructed. There was screen time for the interns as well. The romances, on the other hand, some were enjoyable and some not so much. Some of the songs weren't as fun as there were in the first season. And the ending was rushed.
Nevertheless, the pace was relaxing and the drama is a good slice of life with lots of emotions and subtle notions.
Finally, the performances were great from everyone in the cast.
So, overall, 6.5 out of 10.
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