Thebluescraze

Textbook Reference on Live Action Adaptation Done Right - Need Sequel

Easily the best version of the manga adaptation, it's incredible how it stayed true to the original source that fans of the manga definitely approved despite some changes. People unfamiliar with the manga would still enjoy this drama very much.

Story: Rated 9/10 because I wish it was longer. And sometimes due to time constraint, the pace felt quite rushed. While the drama had a strong cast, due to the pace, not much attention was paid to the members of the Ninth. Also, the CG effects were nothing outstanding, like the car explosion or the helicopter (budget reasons I'm sure). But on the plus side, the drama didn't just deal with crime-solving, they added so much depth to the story and characters that you questioned the ethical part of their work, that you emphatised with the villains, that made you think about the grey areas and how not everything is easily categorised as right and wrong.

Cast: 10/10. On top of being strong actors, Rihito and Yuto perfectly matched their character descriptions from the manga. Strong supporting cast especially for the roles of Okabe and Kainuma.

One of the drama's main success factors is the cast members. Rihito was incredibly effective as Maki, the heart of this drama. His portrayal of Maki as the strong leader despite his small stature really left a strong mark. Impressive that at his young age, he was able to embody the complicated emotions and struggles of Maki so effectively it made us root for Maki.

Yuto was impressive as both Aoki and Suzuki. The decision to make Yuto play both characters proved a good one as Aoki and Suzuki felt like different characters, not just from hairstyle change and glasses. Even when Yuto portrayed the exact same scene as Aoki and Suzuki, it still felt like different characters. He also nailed the emotional scenes. The scene of Aoki dazed and distraught at discovering his murdered sister and her husband, holding on to his orphaned niece, as well as their funeral, was gut-wrenching.

Okabe as the comic relief yet heartwarming character acting as Maki's guardian angel made him a fan favourite. Kainuma as the main villain was bone-chilling. Yukiko was effective as the formidable pathologist and the source of romantic conflict among Suzuki, Aoki/Maki.

Special mention: Yuto and Rihito's chemistry. Yes, there was that BL undertone, which was present in the manga. The two leads had awesome chemistry with each other, which translated from their real-life dynamic. They managed to portray their characters' feelings for one another, romantic or otherwise. It was so effective that such feelings could be evoked from what was supposed to be a crime drama.

Overall, really hope they have a sequel, since the manga is ongoing. From how they ended the drama, the production probably left it open for a sequel too. We need more Maki, Aoki, and the Ninth! Easily one of the best J-dramas released in 2025. I hope Rihito and Yuto continue to get a lot of exposure from this drama. They are too talented. Rihito is a young talent for sure and Yuto is definitely up there in terms of his acting talent as an idol-actor.

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Brilliant Yuto Nakajima Carries This Enjoyable One-Man Show

Story:
The concept of survival a la 127 hours, Buried Alive, etc is nothing new but this movie manages to stay fresh with the incorporation of social media element as well as doing away with some cliches. The pace is good too as within the first 5 mins, the protagonist Shunsuke is already down the manhole and so many things happen that it doesn't feel draggy. It is written in a way that makes you feel uncomfortable but full of anticipation at what is going to happen next as Shunsuke tries to get himself out. It's not too gory but there are parts that makes you want to turn your eyes away or wince in your seat. There is a nice twist that you do not see happening even if you read other reviews of this movie and consider yourself somewhat spoiled.

Acting/Cast:
Yuto Nakajima carries the movie as he fills the screen 90% of the time and he absolutely delivers. You can see his transformation from being the victim just trying to get out in time for his wedding, to feeling despair, and even unhinged. It is not an easy task to carry a movie alone while confined to the tiny space that is a manhole but he delivers. The ludicrous twist at the end works mainly because of his solid portrayal. Nao doesnt physically appear in the movie but has a large presence herself as the ex gf willing to help track Shunsuke. She did great for a voice acting appearance.

Overall: 9/10 . Solid acting performance, good storyline and pacing, that twist at the end.

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Actors Saved the Drama

First of all, I don't speak Thai but I have seen maybe 90% of all eps - with subs. This review has been edited since I managed to watch more scenes and eps with subs.

Pros:
1) Acting. I thought everyone did great in their roles. Kudos to the six main actors. Even the villains really made you despise them. My MVP would be Ko Vasin, followed by Pinkploy. If they had given her better materials, it would have gone to PP. Ko did good considering his scenes involved action (seriously he's always getting in fights), drama, romance, and humor. Which he nailed 'em all. The scene in the last ep where he teared up from missing his wife as he looked at her picture moved me because one of the criticisms of his character is he moved on really quickly after her death. Ko is also someone with a great sense of humor irl so he naturally nailed being goofy. As for romance, Ko-Pp had a really strong chemistry. It seemed like it just got better now compared to their first drama. Which is why it was a shame they didn't capitalise on this as much.

As for PP, she did really great differentiating her portrayal of 3 characters. She nailed the emotional scenes well, just that the writers did her dirty with how Praidao was written. As the drama went on, Praidao seemed to become more annoying than anything. I really loved how Siangwaan was written though. Pp is definitely one to watch in the future and she seems to have good chemistry with anyone she pairs up with and is a great versatile actress.

Special mention, Amp as Denis/Sia. You'd get annoyed at his villainy, woman-beating role for sure, which meant he did great at his portrayal.

I also think Maggi and Aof did great in their roles. But again, materials could've been better especially for Maggi. I like that Sri's character is a strong woman with a backbone and a great friend but it could've been explored more. As for Aof, he did great portraying the double agent trying to maintain an image as Sia's trusted man, but as much as possible trying to protect the sisters and the conflict at having to go to war with the woman he actually loved. Action roles really suit Aof too, and he did well for the lighthearted scenes.

Grace did great as Deun. Felt bad for her character but she was one beautiful woman and did great with the emotional scenes. Her scenes really involved a lot of emotions and she did the crying scenes so well. Unfortunately read that she didn't renew with Ch7 but I want to see more of her in perhaps a main role.

2) Location. Suk Sritrang Farm was so beautiful. Techit's house in Bangkok overlooking the River was also beautiful.

3) Outfit, Hair and Make up. On point all the time as much as I could remember. They did great with PP's hair and make up. The glow up from the last drama I watched her in was so amazing. I loved Dao's outfits from beginning to end.

4) Music. Just one OST. It was just ok to me in the beginning but definitely grew on me towards the end. We know Ko is also a musician so they capitalised on that greatly by having him sing the OST and even kept on having him play the song on the piano at the resort. Good example of how to incorporate a cast member's skill into the drama. The lyrics captured Techit's feelings.

Cons:
1) Editing. I gave it the benefit of a doubt that due to Covid breaks, the production was affected but not so much. The production would release all these pics from the drama which ended up not even making the final cut. The worst for me was a lot of these cut scenes just made it into the drama as a flashback in the last ep. It felt like an afterthought to me and highlighted the jarring issue of how they probably cut out scenes that they shouldve retained and retained some unnecessary scenes instead.

2) Pacing. Up to ep 8 was great. Went downhill after Dao woke up from her coma. Too much focus on Ketsara that it made little sense. Ketsara was portrayed as a vengeful spirit, but she remained so even after they exhumed her body and properly buried her. She was a victim but also became a villain when she started haunting Dao's body. They writers should've have just made her tell Techit who killed her so they could wrap up her storyline faster. It was too much of going back and forth with her plot.

Also, the lack of focus on romance. I mean, the drama was also a romantic drama and they could've focused a bit more in here. Glaring was the lack of development on Paul-Sritrang's romance other than they still had feelings for each other despite breaking up in college. I honestly did not buy that Paul and Sri had feelings for each other due to their lack of screentime together. Such a shame, i thought Maggi and Aof had good chemistry too.

The writers also failed to capitalise on Ko-PP's chemistry. They definitely filmed more but those scenes were cut out. They made Dao so annoying I just felt bad for Te and was rooting for him to just marry his bestie Sri instead. (Really enjoyed Ko-Maggi scenes a lot). The whole plot point post-Dao waking up was Dao couldn't remember Techit and Techit pining after her. They could've built up on this more so that when they reunited, it would be satisfying.
Their reunion was disappointing to me. Waited for so long for them to profess their love for each other, especially from Dao, and for Dao to confess she remembered Techit (never happened). Their farewell was done great, both saying goodbye and visibly upset at the prospect of each other marrying other people, fake-wishing each other's happiness, so the buildup was there. There should've been a scene where Paul told Techit to go after Dao since Paul was not in love with her, imo. Would make more sense since Techit at one point already gave up on her, he did say he wouldn't go after his friend's girl. So for him to suddenly sneak in her room and act all lovey dovey toward her felt jarring. Similarly with Dao, she was shown pining for him but kept him at bay because he was "engaged" to Sri. Suddenly she gave in to her feelings during the rain scene without as much as a proper conversation between them so I felt the disconnect there. We never saw anyone explain to her the engagement was a ruse, or that she confessed she remembered him and loved him. Or even any apologies from her for treating him like crap for so long. Their reunion is one of the major highlights of this drama and should've been done better, especially with all the sad and angsty build up over many eps.

So in conclusion, it's an average drama with so much potential to be better. The premise was great but the production did not edit it better especially in choosing which scenes to cut. Too much focus on the drama, too much focus on a certain plot line that other plot lines suffered for airing time. The saving grace was the performance of the actors so it would appeal to you especially if you're watching to root for your faves. It was also touted as Ko-Pp reunion drama so Ko-PP's fans would be delighted for sure, especially since Ch7 also pushed them to do a lot of appearances together to promote the drama. Rewatch value? It's ok i guess. It did great rating-wise. Consistently the no 1 drama of its slot during its run and ended with the highest rating of 5.5, which is the fifth most-watched drama of 2022 so far. For Ch7 and Didavideo, im sure they're happy with the success this drama received.

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A Tearjerker Beautifully Done

A beautiful movie that touches the heart thanks to a well-executed plot supported by the amazing cast. Definitely a Tearjerker. This movie is for you if you love slice-of-live, romance, family movies. Bonus, makes you want to visit Okinawa and eat sata andagi.

The cast members were amazing in their roles but Nakajima Yuto as the second male lead Ryusei and Inagaki Kurumi as Himari in my opinion, really stole the show. Ryusei's scenes towards the end, one with Himari and one with Miu made me cry the most. In fact, you could also consider this movie as a family movie, about the love between father-daughter and how you don't have to be blood-related to be a true family.

The story involved multiple time jumps. There were three eras, the leads as high school students, the leads as young working adults, and all the way to the current time - in 2024 in their mid-late 30s. So you might need to pay attention to follow the movie. It is still relatively easy to follow.

On the downside, other than the time jump, I would say there really should be more scenes with Ryusei because he would be a fan favorite character. In fact, the character seemed a tad too flawless because of his capacity to love Miu no matter how much time passed and despite the circumstances. Anyone would want a Ryusei in their life too.

Other than that, the house Miu and Minato lived in in Tokyo seemed too expensive for two young adults who recently moved to the city for work, with one remaining unemployed.

And as much as the illness plot is cliche, it is used two times in the movie. It is still OK and I guess that's how the writers wanted to tie the story together. I understand Minato falling sick because his mother also had the same illness. But making Miu sick just to unearth their past is a bit questionable to me - especially because we were told Miu was really sick, might not have much time to live but they really only made her look super pale, she wasn't hooked up on the machines or anything and there was no explanation on what illness she had.

The movie is based on HY's song 366 days but there were other songs used too. They were all beautiful and the lyrics were beautiful. No complaints on this whatsoever.

All in all, I understand why this movie was a surprise box office hit in Japan. It wasn't just a Tearjerker or pure romance, it had so many elements so many people could relate themselves to, and it left you feeling warm. Either you're a student dealing with your parents and young love, a job seeker trying to find your place in the world, having a one-sided crush, facing the impending loss of a loved one, there's something for everyone.

Truly, there were no bad characters and you would emphatise the decisions they made even if you disagree with them. I hope this movie wins awards, especially on the acting parts.

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Flawed but Surprisingly Enjoyable and Addicting. Marital Rape Might Throw People Off

Discovered this drama this year, and right off the bat, I can list down many flaws already BUT somehow the story grew on me and for whatever reasons I'm obsessed and have rewatched it multiple times.

OK, this is a remake of the 2006 drama. Unfortunately can't find the 2006 drama online anymore (let me know where I can find it) so would love to watch the original. And huge thanks to Neko Meow Meow for subbing. 34 eps, that was a huge undertaking. Now let's get to the review.

Pros: 1) Acting. I am obsessed with Ko-pinkploy pairing. They did great with their materials here. Yes, the female lead is very feisty and Pinkploy did great exhibiting all of Nit's characteristics - feisty, emotional, sweet, etc. You can tell she was rather green here though as I definitely think she's improved now. As for Ko, many pointed out about his looks. He's cute imo and very fair - and even in Thai media they called him Red Mouth for his red lips. I believe Ko is definitely main lead material, I read some comments saying his looks made him unsuitable to be the hero and politely disagree. That aside, he nailed this subtle in-love looks very well. So even though the main couple bickered too much, those subtle looks of him really signalled Pawee's changing feelings for Nit. Also, the mom. I'm not her biggest fan character wise but she definitely stood out. I guess the over-the-top portrayal worked based on how the character was written. Finally, the villainous characters, you'll hate them all so they did a good job. Especially Nong Phen, she did so well playing the distressed and obsessed ex Gf.

2) Good plot with strong supporting characters. So many supporting characters in the drama which helped move the plot along. Whether it's Mae Chee always giving them good advices, Nit's awesome co-workers and boss (literally Pat moved in with Nit's sister to look after her). Even the antagonistic supporting characters did well. Special mention to Nong Phen's mom and BFF P'Ben who just kept coming up with schemes to break Pawee and Nit.

3) Good chemistry. Ko-pinkploy naturally have great chemistry. I hope they can reunite for a 3rd drama. I love their interactions on and off cam. Mom and Dad's chemistry also really good. I know they reunited again in another drama but haven't watched it.

Cons:
1) Standard lakorn theme - Marital rape. Now, let's address the biggest problem. Drama had marital rape plot line. It's not unheard of in lakorn unfortunately. I have a different tolerance level when it comes to lakorn though but I can see why people got upset.
Other problematic themes - physical assault. I lost count how many times Nit slapped Pawee. Did he deserve it? Maybe, but not for all. Also forced kiss scenes, definitely normal in lakorn but I dont enjoy it.

2) Male lead's mom. Okay, she's portrayed in an over-the-top manner and also for comedic effects but her character is the root cause of so many issues. She kept threatening everyone with going to the mental hospital to force them to follow along with her wishes. That's manipulative behavior. She forced her son to break up with his gf despite Knowing they've been together for long and were in love with each other. She forced her son and Nit to get married (Nit not even her real family) despite knowing how Pawee and Nit couldn't stand each other, simply because she wanted Nit as a daughter in law, not because of her sons best interest. Wee cheated on Nit the night before the wedding, continued his relationship with his gf and even supposedly knocked her up and even then Mom wouldn't let them divorce. Her manipulative actions caused suffering for everyone but herself.

3) audio and make up. Some scenes, the actor's voice would echo and become unclear. And make up, wasn't flattering especially for Pinkploy. Many scenes she just looked yellow. Pinkploy is naturally tanned, makeup could've been done better. She's very beautiful though. There's this BGM that for me was tad overused. Rather loud and would pop up during confrontations or heated conversations. Annoyed me a little bui

So in conclusion, not a perfect drama but enjoyable nonetheless. Lakorns in general aren't perfect anyway so watch it keeping in mind youre watching a lakorn. That always works for me. Rewatch value? I'd say 7/10 because I've rewatched it many times. If you like arranged marriage trope, and enemies turned to lovers, this is for you

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