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Leaves you wanting more
Overall, I enjoyed this miniseries. Really loved the black comedy vibes.That being said, a lot of background and foundational info was missing from the story that I would have liked and that ending sent me! Rarely do I say a show needs more episodes but this is the 2nd one I've watched this year that maybe needed 10 eps. Hopefully, there is a 2nd season.
I thought it was an interesting take on the child solider being trained assassins trope. And I understood Yeong Su's motivations and how she wanted a "normal family". It's a terrible thing to grow up they way they did. Then we find that out at the end and I was like OMFG!!! WHAT!! She did that to Cheol Hui....GOODNESS!! I liked the twins as well and that Ji Woo developed as a character. She understood why they had to sacrifice so much.
The best thing though, for me, was that all those horrible people got some of the best punishments being doled out in a series that I have ever seen.
I have never see Bae Doo Na in anything else but she was so good in this that I will seek her other work out.
5/10/25
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Ugh!! Incompetent
Another half-baked show I completed this week.An incompetent, pointless plot. Why the hell did the series have to revolve around Je I's insane father??? I was more interested in a true friendly rivalry between the girls. All the girls really. I thought the series started off strong and the acting from the main cast was great but the series got bogged down in too many unnecessary plots to destroy Je I's father. Plots to sell drugs. Plots to one up some one. Plots to figure out why Seul Gi's father was killed. Plots to be the number 1 student. FFS enough will all these useless plots. Terrible parents and horrible students. What a waste.
The only plus of the series is the acting from the 4 main leads.
4/13/25
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The series has an interesting premise and each episode made me want to see what will happen next. I couldn't believe they would be able to wrap this up in 10 short eps. But the shortness of eps helps the series. No fillers or unnecessary subplots. Tetsuo and Kyoichi being togther for most of the series leads to the palpable tension created by the situation. I loved too that Kasen was all in with her husband. Quite the dynamic duo! I enjoyed the series even with some of the quick solutions that Tetsuo came up with. I also liked that the the crime organization were not stupid/dumb criminals.
The last episode was hilarious but also heartbreaking. Totally worth the watch.
4/13/24
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I liked the first half of this series. I thought the 1st 8 episodes were really good but then the makjang set in and it was all down hill after that. What started off as an interesting story of a world renowned, orchestra conductor returning to Korea to tie up familia looss ends becomes just another drama that falters in the end b/c of an unnecessary makjang storyline. Those elements didn't elevate the story. It was just drama for drama's sake. I mean I guess the writer thought this series needed a murder and a surpise twist murderer to be good but I'm telling you none of that was necessary!The best thing about this series is actress Lee Young Ae as Cha Seeum. I loved that the character was strong, confident and not here for your bullshit. She was annoying at times but this was a great female character overall. I also liked actor Lee Moo Saeng as Yoo Jeong Jae, Cha Seeum's 1st love who never really got over her. The chemistry between these to was excellent. Totally believed he got on her nerves but he was the only one that truly got her. No greater evidence than the scenes in episode 9. This was my favorite epsiode
Kim Jung Kwon's direction in this series was brlliant. He also directed Love to Hate You which was my favorite Kromcom last year.
1/18/24
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Ugh!
This show is not that great. I do like the Van and Mi-Ho characters but the Johan character is annoying AF. I get that he's supposed to be the cool, hip, young, unorthodox priest but his antics are annoying and childish for a person in his position. His charcater did show some grace in the last episode though. This was 6 episodes that barely made any sense and the CGI is terrrible to boot! I did like the tree monster scenes though, that was actually really well done.I hate that they split this series into 2 parts b/c it makes no sense. It doesn't even build up to a decent 1st half of a series either. Eveything was disjointed and all we got was some flashbacks, a monster of the week type villian each ep and some so called prophecy that will be the main point of the rest of the show I guess. I will watch the 2nd half though hopefully it's better!
1/7/24
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For the most part this was a really enjoyable series. Fantastic cast with some excellent fight scenes. The last epsiode was kind of a let down and very anti-climatic. I wanted Myeong Gil to get more punishment than he got. The man was ruthless and way too many good people died b/c of him. Park Sung Woong deserves all the awards for his portrayal of Myeong Gil! Episode 6th effing pissed me off so bad! It was so nonsensical and made my blood boil. The actions of the characters was so illogical. After that I thought episode 7 was really good and then episode 8 was a let down. It just felt rushed.
I loved the bromance between Woo Do Hwan and Lee Sang Yi.
12/31/23
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Cute
This very short movie is nothing to write home about but it's really cute and sweet. Both the FL and the ML are very charming and had great chemistry together. Its a simple story of mistaken identity and falling in love and then having it all blow up in your face.What I really liked though, is that it was a straight forward movie with no pushback. I also loved the scene where the ML was dancing in the mirror at his house. It was a copy of the scene from the movie What a Girl Wants, staring Amanda Bynes and Colin Firth. The scene where Colin Firth's character does the same thing after spending time with his daughter.
It's a cute movie to watch once and it's only 66 minutes long.
12/17/23
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This is such a good movie. Donnie Yen is top notch as usually. I may be biased as he is one of my favorite Hong Kong actions stars of his or any other generation honestly. Just love this man. He's great here as a man who accidently kills a rival who challenged him. He then goes to jail (I assume manslaughter). He's never forgiven himself for the killing and works hard to not engage in fighting. A martial arts fanatic decides he wants to fight all the best martial artist in their given expertise and kill them in a fight to the death and has he eyes set on Wu Xia Hou, Donnie Yen's character. Excellent fight choreography, great cast and nice throwbacks to some of Hong Kong's greatest martial arts collaborators.
12/9/23
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WHAT WAS THAT ENDING???
The show is not as good as it could have been. However, I will say that each episode at least, builds off the next and it's a coherent story. Episode 6 is by far the best episode in the series and could have ended there IMO. But NO!! we have to deal with these 11th hour shenanigans of who actually did what. PISH TOSH!!I must be the only one annoyed by the the treacle ending. Eveyone lives happliy ever after; I call BS. I am also pissed that Makiko did not get the comeuppance I wanted or needed. They tried to make Makiko sympathetic too. NO!!! Anyway, not terrble but a total let down.
The pluses of the series are the lead actresses are really good and I loved the young actress playing Anzu. I also, like the Claire character; she was a good friend.
11/25/23
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The CGI is terrible too. Lately, I feel like new CGI is worse than old CGI. IMO old CGI was more seamless now it just looks cartoonish. This is very visible in the fight between Saiya and Nero. Mackenyu is really the only reason I watched and he can't save this stupid plot or make it interesting enough to stick around for a sequel!
11/19/23
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Left Wanting More
This was the start of a good movie but it's just not a fully completed story it's a runtime of 77 minutes and there could have been a succint story in that time and maybe they tried but for me it was too many things left unresolved. Makes me wonder if a sequel was thought about or planned but never took off.The cast is really good though and I really liked Mimoto Masanori as Takashi and of course Nagase Tasuku was good here.
I thought the fight choreo was spectacular though and it was filmed well. You could see all of the movements and counter movements. Loved that. Sonomura Kensuke, the martial arts director did an excellent job.
9/4/23
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Falters in the Last few Episodes
I was super excited about this series. I came for Ma Dong Suk b/c who wouldn't and he was great here, even thogh his character Woong Cheol was annoying. I also loved Jo Dong Hyuk as Tae Soo. He was fantastic and overall, my favorite character.The Jung Moon character was supposed to be a genius but was constantly being bested by everyone and getting beat up and nearly killed in every epsiode; however, his character is truly sympathetic. Goo Tak, the main character, anti-hero who the audience is supposed to root for was an idiotic mess and so unlikeable. He got on my last nerve.
Unfortunately, this show went from excellent to nonsensical in a matter of the last few episodes; the writing went from pretty entertaining to completely illogical. Starting in epsiode 8, for some inexplicable reason, the characters are, unlike their prior selves, with stupid actions and reactions to information. Made no damn sense.
The last episode was a little better that the last few but I simply stopped caring. Also, wished the fight with Tae Su and Moon Ki had been filmed slower. The choreography was actually pretty good but the action was moving too fast for me to truely enjoy it.
9/1/23
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Overall a sweet movie to watch for a Saturday or Sunday matinee. Nothing special but I did like the cast and characters. PSJ was really good as Hong Dae. I really liked the relationship between Hyo Bong and his daughter Eun Hye and how they showed that just b/c he was homeless he loved his daughter and wasn't a deadbeat and she loved him too.
I liked how it was about redemption for some of the team members and wanting to belong for some of the other team members. That's what sports do. They bring people together. Especially, big sporting, international team events. It's the collective rooting for the home team or the underdogs that we all really love.
8/26/23
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Romance for Days!
This was mostly enjoyable and this just made me realize how much Park Min Young is stellar. The whole cast was good but she is a star for a reason. She is efforlessly, funny, sweet, and likeable. Kim Jae Wook was pefectly cast as the Korean born American raised Ryan Gold. He and PMY have some of the best chemistry I've seen on screen. Their scenes together were funny and fire! The other standout in the acting category is Kim Sun Young she played director Ohm brillantly. I have never scene her in anything else but this made me a total fan. I also love the wardrobe departments bold choices for her character.What this drama did right for me is that there was not too much drama or push and pull and it was the better for it. The leads worked thru their issues by talking instead of shutting down. I mean Duk Mi did do something stupid but it was wrapped up quickly so I'm forgiving her stupidy. They also, nail the obnoxious fan behavior to a T.
What I did not like was the unnecessary childhood trauma to an already traumatic situation re the leads. It didn't elevate the story at all; it didn't even make effing sense. But overall this series was just what I wanted and needed in the romance department!
8/22/23
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This year marks the 50th anniversary of Enter the Dragon, arguably the most well known of the Bruce Lee movies. Especially, for western audiences. I'll take Big Boss and Fist of Fury over this. I have seen this multiple times. We watched a lot of martial art movies when I was a kid and Bruce Lee was always everyone's favorite. I just watched tonight on the big screen. It was my first time seeing on the big screen. It's the standard revenge story with a little espionage thrown in for good measure. It was the 70's afterall. It's definitely, a dated movie but It's still was enjoyable. Young me really like the movie. Old me thinks it's just ok; but Bruce Lee is a legend for a reason. His charisma and martial arts are top notch. He was also the fight choreographer on this film. The cast if pretty good and a young Angela Mao has a small role as Bruce Lee's sister.
8/16/23
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