Disturbing, yet meaningful. The movie was really dark and I had a hard time finishing it, but the cinematography…
is it as tough to watch as Snake and Earrings? That was a tough watch in places, especially as I'm really not into S&M. But it was also meaningful as it was deeply disturbing. It had it's own darkness and the tragedy (not as you'd expect) was really haunting. It stuck with me for a few hours after I'd watched it and I admit it's not one I could watch again (as it was I ended up watching it in 3 pieces with a few days between each attempt to finish it). So I'm wondering if Helter Skelter is as disturbing, intriguing and haunting as Snake and Earrings. I have to admit if it's more so I may not go there.....advice would be gratefully received. :)
> But if you want a TERRIBLE version try the US version of Death Note on Netflix; there is NO word in the English…
tleaf - no I'll definitely won't expect too much, but so long as it's better than Death Note, Boys Before Friends (though watching paint dry is better than that) and Possession, it'll still be good.
But thanks so much for the feedback, I'm feeling more confident about watching it and not wanting to scratch my eyes out like with the others. Though, in Possession's defence, if they'd released it with the same ending as the original, which was on the dvd and was really good, the film would've been so much better.
I tend to watch the main film until the alternate ending takes over and then switch to that. :)
There's three I'm fuming about - the most is Meryem (based on 'Secret' with the always wonderful duo of Ji Sung and Hwang Jung Eum. Who are surely South Korea's Spencer Tracy and Katherine Hepburn?)
This was a really good drama and one I've re-watched often. I sincerely doubt, looking at the cast and having a google of them on the world wide interweb, that they will be able to recreate the wonderfulness of this drama. I'm usually a HUGE fan of Ji Sung, but in the early episodes I wanted to kill him such was his skill and the same goes for Bae Soo Bin - I have NEVER anyone to suffer a slow lingering and extraordinarily painful death as the character he portrayed.
Another one I'm annoyed about is Maral (based on Panda and Hedgehog) . The South Korean version was a diamond in the rough and I was surprised at how good it was (the poster and synopsis didn't really give too much away). I laughed and cried, gasped and booed and followed the cute couple and their complicated lives closely, right to the end. I sincerely doubt the chemistry between the lead couple will be here as it was in the original.
Finally and the one that makes me almost as annoyed as Meryem (Secret') is No: 309 (using 'Fated to Love You' as it's based). Now both the originals - South Korean and Taiwanese - kept to the story which was....poor, UGLY girl has one night stand with rich, handsome douche - subsequent hilarity, tears and romance ensue. Though I loved them both, the laugh of Jang Hyuk in the Korean one drove me NUTS. I would literally mute the sound as soon as he started in the end because otherwise my eye would start to twitch and I'd involuntarily snarl....scary, right? However, the ending was happy, despite me crying buckets of tears in the run up to it.
The ONE message I adored the most with both versions was that LOOKS do NOT matter - in both cases the lead fell for her even though she was originally dowdy and plain and even later on isn't as stunning as his ex fiancee. She was pretty, had a warm heart, kind and thoughtful and it was the LATTER two attributes that he really fell for.
However the Turkish version (No:309) has a clearly stunning woman from the get go playing the island girl from the original - which immediately REMOVES the MOST important part of the story.
There's one I WILL watch (if I can - thankfully Netflix UK has Turkish dramas as well as South Korean, Chinese and other Asian ones so they might turn up there), Seviyor Sevmiyor (based on 'She was Pretty' - I can't believe they'll screw it up worse than the Chinese version did by casting Sheng Peter as the lead love interest 'Bai Hao Yu').
But I'll probably watch the ones that annoy me most - I want to say it's because I'm fair minded and want to give them a chance to prove me wrong. But, if my honest, it's more that then I can feel justified in my rage. lol!
Oh my! How did I miss an American remake of Boys over Flowers? Seems like I dodged a bullet there. Yes, I think…
amourexdile -- you didn't just dodge a bullet, you dodged a whole machine gun magazine! Yup agreed, I tend to watch each Asian countries version of dramas, not least Itazura na Kiss, as it really gives you an insight into the country's attitudes to couples, love, romance and family life. :) But I often avoid western versions, still hearing others say how good the Good Doctor US version is means I will probably watch this one.
> But if you want a TERRIBLE version try the US version of Death Note on Netflix; there is NO word in the English…
tleaf -->Watch this review: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dl6btU2QgHI < - I am definitely going to watch that review. Hopefully they can invent words for the badness of Netflix's Death Note. I usually ADORE Netflix UK because they put so many East Asian dramas on for us - but that crime against anime and manga could NOT be forgiven....lol!
>Good Doctor< We won't be getting the US version here in the UK until 18th October, but seeing the comments here gives me faith this is one drama they won't wreck. :)
>1% dramas< I agree that the music for the remake was out of context a lot - which is a shame as the East Asian dramas have some really good ORIGINAL music in them. Most notably (for me anyway) was Goblin....just wonderful music. I liked the original as I felt the actors just made their portrayals that bit more believable than the remake actors did. Just my opinion though. :)
[quote]Whilst he appears cold and calculating on the outside[/quote] - oh please fluffy bunnies can NEVER be 'cold and calculating' in ANY way. lol! ????
I liked the article and it proved my own thoughts - usually the original is better. But if you want a TERRIBLE version try the US version of Death Note on Netflix; there is NO word in the English language that adequately describes how bad it is. I'm also awaiting the US version of Good Doctor (US version has the same name) with some trepidation because every time the West takes an East Asian drama/movie and remakes it, it's usually dire.
I mean let's not forget the US version of Boys over Flowers (called Boys Before Friends) and the US Possession (remake of the Korean movie Addicted). The latter was turned into a SLASHER horror movie, despite them filming the original ending; apparently the director decided it was 'too nice and safe'.....I just wish there was a face palm emoji.
But I do disagree with the 1% dramas; I still preferred the original there too. However all the remakes were pretty good and I would recommend a watch.
I loved him in Fantastic (and cried a river tears) and actually ended up feeling sorry for him in My Love Eun-Dong......I would argue that the lead couple were not in lust but did genuinely love each other and what he did to separate them and take on the baby as his (though he did genuinely love him) was wrong. He's an awesome actor and so handsome too!
You're My Destiny, A Chinese Odyssey: Love of Eternity will both be brilliant - Love of Eternity has Z.Tao who is always excellent so not to worry there. Oh My Ghostess, Coffee Prince and Meteor Garden are all going to be hard acts to follow for their remakes. You Who Came From the Stars and Summer's Desire are unlikely to overtake their originals. Both were marmite dramas - you either ADORED them or you LOATHED them (I personally loved them). Mediocre won't cut for remakes either - we'll have to feel the same.
Train to Busan was really GOOD, as in the type of good that many other zombie dramas just aspire to be (I'm talking to you Z Nation). Princess Jellyfish is the best on this list - Suda Masaki as the transvestite Koibuchi Kuranosuke was so brilliant. He can walk in heels better than I can and looks better as a woman than I ever will! His acting as Koibuchi was so wonderful and has actually made me seek out more of his work (and I wasn't disappointed.) However, I can safely say Mischange was the WORST drama I've seen and I've sat through all 120 episodes of Potato Star 2013QR3.......
I cannot accept that as an ending I need part 3 for clean this mess :(
Hey Jake, that's what I was told by a Chinese pal - the censors were responding to accusations that too many of the allowed BL dramas were forced to have sad endings and so decided that the ending part 2 had was good enough (in as much that Xiao Chen woke up and we didn't SEE Lu Feng die). He said he was really sad as we should really have got to see the happy ending and Lu Feng going all out to redeem himself as he did in the book.
But thanks so much for the feedback, I'm feeling more confident about watching it and not wanting to scratch my eyes out like with the others. Though, in Possession's defence, if they'd released it with the same ending as the original, which was on the dvd and was really good, the film would've been so much better.
I tend to watch the main film until the alternate ending takes over and then switch to that. :)
This was a really good drama and one I've re-watched often. I sincerely doubt, looking at the cast and having a google of them on the world wide interweb, that they will be able to recreate the wonderfulness of this drama. I'm usually a HUGE fan of Ji Sung, but in the early episodes I wanted to kill him such was his skill and the same goes for Bae Soo Bin - I have NEVER anyone to suffer a slow lingering and extraordinarily painful death as the character he portrayed.
Another one I'm annoyed about is Maral (based on Panda and Hedgehog) . The South Korean version was a diamond in the rough and I was surprised at how good it was (the poster and synopsis didn't really give too much away). I laughed and cried, gasped and booed and followed the cute couple and their complicated lives closely, right to the end. I sincerely doubt the chemistry between the lead couple will be here as it was in the original.
Finally and the one that makes me almost as annoyed as Meryem (Secret') is No: 309 (using 'Fated to Love You' as it's based). Now both the originals - South Korean and Taiwanese - kept to the story which was....poor, UGLY girl has one night stand with rich, handsome douche - subsequent hilarity, tears and romance ensue. Though I loved them both, the laugh of Jang Hyuk in the Korean one drove me NUTS. I would literally mute the sound as soon as he started in the end because otherwise my eye would start to twitch and I'd involuntarily snarl....scary, right? However, the ending was happy, despite me crying buckets of tears in the run up to it.
The ONE message I adored the most with both versions was that LOOKS do NOT matter - in both cases the lead fell for her even though she was originally dowdy and plain and even later on isn't as stunning as his ex fiancee. She was pretty, had a warm heart, kind and thoughtful and it was the LATTER two attributes that he really fell for.
However the Turkish version (No:309) has a clearly stunning woman from the get go playing the island girl from the original - which immediately REMOVES the MOST important part of the story.
There's one I WILL watch (if I can - thankfully Netflix UK has Turkish dramas as well as South Korean, Chinese and other Asian ones so they might turn up there), Seviyor Sevmiyor (based on 'She was Pretty' - I can't believe they'll screw it up worse than the Chinese version did by casting Sheng Peter as the lead love interest 'Bai Hao Yu').
But I'll probably watch the ones that annoy me most - I want to say it's because I'm fair minded and want to give them a chance to prove me wrong. But, if my honest, it's more that then I can feel justified in my rage. lol!
I am definitely going to watch that review. Hopefully they can invent words for the badness of Netflix's Death Note. I usually ADORE Netflix UK because they put so many East Asian dramas on for us - but that crime against anime and manga could NOT be forgiven....lol!
>Good Doctor<
We won't be getting the US version here in the UK until 18th October, but seeing the comments here gives me faith this is one drama they won't wreck. :)
>1% dramas<
I agree that the music for the remake was out of context a lot - which is a shame as the East Asian dramas have some really good ORIGINAL music in them. Most notably (for me anyway) was Goblin....just wonderful music.
I liked the original as I felt the actors just made their portrayals that bit more believable than the remake actors did. Just my opinion though. :)
I mean let's not forget the US version of Boys over Flowers (called Boys Before Friends) and the US Possession (remake of the Korean movie Addicted). The latter was turned into a SLASHER horror movie, despite them filming the original ending; apparently the director decided it was 'too nice and safe'.....I just wish there was a face palm emoji.
But I do disagree with the 1% dramas; I still preferred the original there too. However all the remakes were pretty good and I would recommend a watch.