How many episodes - someone said there's 7 (and that's what listed here), but kissasian only has 5. Anyone know for sure? Arigato! It's just there's no point watching it if the last 2 episodes are missing..... :(
I've watched a few of these and my all time favourite was 'Cruel Romance' - acting was a bit OTT in places, but it really had the spirit of the 30s era movies as well as being set in that era. I thought the 'antiheroes' were exceptionally well done and you were really rooting for them - along with the (very) bad guys who you were desperate to see die; preferably with great pain and suffering.
Huang Xiao Ming was absolutely brilliant as Zou Zhen; his utterly focused and unwavering love for Rong Jin Xiu was breathtaking (especially as she as an utter moron when it came to her own safety and those who meant her harm). It had a few slow moments, but overall I thoroughly enjoyed it and will be watching it more than once I can guarantee - in fact if I can find a region free, English subbed DVD I will also be buying it! I'd give a 9.5/10.
'Battle for Changsha' was my next favourite - I'm a sucker for Huo Wallace and usually find if he's in it then it's usually pretty good. Once again I was not disappointed. This didn't really have the old time elegance and plot of 'Cruel Romance' - it was more like an historical 'docudrama' and so could be quite slow in places. But the characters were believable, the setting suitably bleak and the story more than watchable. I'd give it 8/10.
As for the others - Hawick Lau steals the whole show in 'The Cage of Love' - I'd give it 7/10 because it seemed more obsessed with (admittedly gorgeous) cinematography than the plot which meant the latter lagged a lot in places.
As for 'Too Late to Say I Love You' - Wallace Chung once again excels as the obsessively in love main lead; although this time his character is much darker and much less sympathetic than the one he played in 'My Sunshine'. Overall it had many 'oh my!' moments and not a few 'bl**dy hell!' ones too. But the shock factor doesn't always make something good, so I give it 7/10.
The ONLY reason I didn't give this a whole 10 is because of the ending. The whole two parter was really good -…
Oh that would be so brilliant - this just left me wanting more and wailing at the unfinished ending. So if there is a movie DVD release I will be very happy, as I LOVED the manga and would really love the live action to follow it to the end. :)
I am a 50 year old woman and I literally screamed out loud when I saw this!!! Fujioka Dean as Roy Mustang is a great idea. I think that the rest of the casting with Edward and Doctor Marco is pretty good.....Doctor Marco and Maes Hughes even looks like their anime characters. But I would like to know who plays Alphonse Elric; King Bradley; Van Hoenheim; Catherine Armstrong and her brother.....these were pivotal characters in the Brotherhood series.
The ONLY reason I didn't give this a whole 10 is because of the ending. The whole two parter was really good - but I think the ending was really lacking; it really needed a conclusion; as it is it should have either a follow up movie/2 parter or a series. But to leave it hanging like that (especially when we know the manga doesn't) is cruel. Nakajima Kento was the best out of the cast as Kurosaki Haruto - he really made this character likeable in a dark kind of way. Either way you're really rooting for him, trust me. Though, admittedly, NOT to start with. So for me - the theme, the acting and the good 'bad' guy (who I hope one day becomes the main lead and NOT the second one, as I think his story is a good one) and the bad 'good' guy (don't be fooled by his 'niceness') score this a solid 9/10.
I've watched the following and here's my 5 p'enneth worth of views on them:
37.5°C NO NAMIDA - it was very good, though the young girl who can't really smile has a HORRIBLE family history which later explains the reason for her inability to show real happiness. I would say watch the last few episodes with the girl's mother involved with a couple of tissues handy. 8.5/10
TAIYOU NO UTA - this version is shockingly annoying. The other version with the same name is about a young girl who can never go in the sun falling in love with a surfer. But this version the ending WILL have you screaming at her by the end she is so selfish and annoying. I LOVED the other version and cried BUCKETS at it. But this version just left me furious and not at all sad - except for her boyfriend and family who had their feelings completely ignored by her as she chased her 'dream'. 2/10
FULL HOUSE (Thai version) - This was really good and it's no bad thing to the lead couple's chemistry that they're dating in real life. The ice-cream scene will leave you blushing and you'll certainly never look at a cornet the same way! XD I've re-watched this more than once; which is always a good sign for me. They've also done a version of Itzanura na Kiss and are currently filming the second season; they're still dating so it's fair to say the chemistry you'll see here is still going strong. It has it's funny moments (intentional) and you'll get annoyed at the lead male - but you'll also be rooting for them to stick together and find a way through. 10/10
LOVE RELATIONSHIP - Just finished watching this. Have to say Akira (the female lead) drove me NUTS. She played total mind games with the two male leads and kept them both dangling longer than she really needed to - but that's dramaland for you. In the real world women like that get a certain name - but here in dramaland of course the guys are vying for her and proclaiming their love. However whilst you might want Shota so dead that you're willing to make your own voodoo doll to try and make it happen (and one for Akira too); it IS an engaging story, well acted, well portrayed and well put together. The fact that you DO want Shota dead and you DO want to punch Akira so hard her ancestors will be spitting her teeth out AND that you WILL want to hug Aio a lot of the time shows just how good this drama actually is. Purely because of my overwhelming need to inflict voodoo death on Shota and physical violence on Akira I'll give it a 9.2/10
SPROUT - This was the last one the list I've actually seen; it was really good.. Well acted, sad, happy and entertaining.The ending was happy and that's a win for me, after watching so many that had me sobbing like a waterfall in flood mode and with a truckload of tissues on order. I'd say it's definitely worth a look; sums up teens worldwide - how confusing their emotions can be, how things can change almost daily and how their lives can seem to be unassailable mountains of doom to them, only for them to be given a smile by their crush and suddenly the world is perfect. :) We've all been there and we've all lived this life through our own teens; or might even be suffering through it too. The twist that the lead couple are sharing a house, due to a train of circumstances, just adds to the confusion, emotional upheaval and mood swings that all teenagers face. I'd say I'd give this a fairly solid 8.3/10.
Based on all this, this is how I would recommend them in order of how good I thought they were ----- 1.(Thai) FULL HOUSE - just BRILLIANT and is a must watch (follow it up with (Thai) KISS ME. 2. 37.5 NO NAMIDA - don't expect all sunshine, lollipops and rainbows just because kids are involved; but it is SO good you should NOT miss it. 3. LOVE RELATIONSHIP - This is really worth watching and you can get through the annoying bits by hurling abuse at the responsible parties. 4. SPROUT - well worth watching even if, like me, you're teens were many, MANY moons ago (I'm 50). It's just a nice drama. Now as for TAIYOU NO UTA - I would actually recommend the OTHER version on KissAsian and NOT this one. This one had the female lead played in such a way that you just want to slap her and tell her to stop being stupid.
I thought he was excellent in his segment of April Fool's. I also read he's going to be Kaneki Ken in the live action version of Tokyo Ghoul, as he was the best part about the Death Note TV series I bet he'll be great.
The last picture looks like the 'She Was Pretty' line up - (LEFT) Ji Seong Joon (Park Seo Joon), (MIDDLE) Kim Hye Jin/'Jackson' (Hwang Jung Eum - without the 'mad hair') and (RIGHT) Kim Shin Hyeok (Choi Shi Won).......the latter was the one who broke my heart in this. I kind of swung to the lead couple in 'She Was Pretty' by the end - but I still cried for Kim Shin Hyeok. I wonder if this will be as good?
In 'Kill Me, Heal Me' I was actually rooting for Se-gi; I felt a person who defended a scared child and, as a man in control of the body, he got revenge for the young girl and did his best to protect the female lead, he was not all bad. Ji Sung actually seriously hurt my heart as Se-gi - he wanted so desperately to be loved; to be considered a real person that my heart actually bled for him.
I cried so much for him, even in parts that weren't that sad - like in the beginning when Oh Ri-jin tells him to look down and not watch her. It was meant to be a comedic moment, but he looked sad for second before smirking and looking down - it really hurt me. But then my husband tells me I'm the Patron Saint of Lost Causes; I reply they're not lost, they're taking the scenic route and I'm their tour guide! :) Maybe no one else will agree with me, but Se-gi was probably the most heartbreaking character I've seen in a drama, possibly without even meaning to be, and he just broke my heart. Ji Sung is probably one of my most favourite Korean actors, and he certainly nailed this character to my broken and bloody heart for a long time to come. So much so I bought the dvd.
I watched 'She was Pretty' and really wanted Kim Hye JIn to end up with Kim Shin Hyeok as I had a very serious case of 'Second Lead Syndrome' through most of the series (especially at the sacrifice he made - I was crying at that point). However by the end I was rooting for the main lead once he stopped being a complete jerk to poor Kim Hye Jin.
Saw the first episode - oh dear GOD, it was beyond AWFUL. Like 'where can I wash my brain?' bad - it wasn't even 'so bad it was funny'. The acting was terrible and it just did not work on ANY level. I won't be watching any more - my brain, small as it is, was sitting rocking in a corner by the time this episode was finished; I can't risk it leaving me and asking for a divorce if I force it to sit through more.
Huang Xiao Ming was absolutely brilliant as Zou Zhen; his utterly focused and unwavering love for Rong Jin Xiu was breathtaking (especially as she as an utter moron when it came to her own safety and those who meant her harm). It had a few slow moments, but overall I thoroughly enjoyed it and will be watching it more than once I can guarantee - in fact if I can find a region free, English subbed DVD I will also be buying it! I'd give a 9.5/10.
'Battle for Changsha' was my next favourite - I'm a sucker for Huo Wallace and usually find if he's in it then it's usually pretty good. Once again I was not disappointed. This didn't really have the old time elegance and plot of 'Cruel Romance' - it was more like an historical 'docudrama' and so could be quite slow in places. But the characters were believable, the setting suitably bleak and the story more than watchable. I'd give it 8/10.
As for the others - Hawick Lau steals the whole show in 'The Cage of Love' - I'd give it 7/10 because it seemed more obsessed with (admittedly gorgeous) cinematography than the plot which meant the latter lagged a lot in places.
As for 'Too Late to Say I Love You' - Wallace Chung once again excels as the obsessively in love main lead; although this time his character is much darker and much less sympathetic than the one he played in 'My Sunshine'. Overall it had many 'oh my!' moments and not a few 'bl**dy hell!' ones too. But the shock factor doesn't always make something good, so I give it 7/10.
37.5°C NO NAMIDA - it was very good, though the young girl who can't really smile has a HORRIBLE family history which later explains the reason for her inability to show real happiness. I would say watch the last few episodes with the girl's mother involved with a couple of tissues handy. 8.5/10
TAIYOU NO UTA - this version is shockingly annoying. The other version with the same name is about a young girl who can never go in the sun falling in love with a surfer. But this version the ending WILL have you screaming at her by the end she is so selfish and annoying. I LOVED the other version and cried BUCKETS at it. But this version just left me furious and not at all sad - except for her boyfriend and family who had their feelings completely ignored by her as she chased her 'dream'. 2/10
FULL HOUSE (Thai version) - This was really good and it's no bad thing to the lead couple's chemistry that they're dating in real life. The ice-cream scene will leave you blushing and you'll certainly never look at a cornet the same way! XD I've re-watched this more than once; which is always a good sign for me. They've also done a version of Itzanura na Kiss and are currently filming the second season; they're still dating so it's fair to say the chemistry you'll see here is still going strong. It has it's funny moments (intentional) and you'll get annoyed at the lead male - but you'll also be rooting for them to stick together and find a way through. 10/10
LOVE RELATIONSHIP - Just finished watching this. Have to say Akira (the female lead) drove me NUTS. She played total mind games with the two male leads and kept them both dangling longer than she really needed to - but that's dramaland for you. In the real world women like that get a certain name - but here in dramaland of course the guys are vying for her and proclaiming their love. However whilst you might want Shota so dead that you're willing to make your own voodoo doll to try and make it happen (and one for Akira too); it IS an engaging story, well acted, well portrayed and well put together. The fact that you DO want Shota dead and you DO want to punch Akira so hard her ancestors will be spitting her teeth out AND that you WILL want to hug Aio a lot of the time shows just how good this drama actually is. Purely because of my overwhelming need to inflict voodoo death on Shota and physical violence on Akira I'll give it a 9.2/10
SPROUT - This was the last one the list I've actually seen; it was really good.. Well acted, sad, happy and entertaining.The ending was happy and that's a win for me, after watching so many that had me sobbing like a waterfall in flood mode and with a truckload of tissues on order. I'd say it's definitely worth a look; sums up teens worldwide - how confusing their emotions can be, how things can change almost daily and how their lives can seem to be unassailable mountains of doom to them, only for them to be given a smile by their crush and suddenly the world is perfect. :) We've all been there and we've all lived this life through our own teens; or might even be suffering through it too. The twist that the lead couple are sharing a house, due to a train of circumstances, just adds to the confusion, emotional upheaval and mood swings that all teenagers face. I'd say I'd give this a fairly solid 8.3/10.
Based on all this, this is how I would recommend them in order of how good I thought they were ----- 1.(Thai) FULL HOUSE - just BRILLIANT and is a must watch (follow it up with (Thai) KISS ME. 2. 37.5 NO NAMIDA - don't expect all sunshine, lollipops and rainbows just because kids are involved; but it is SO good you should NOT miss it. 3. LOVE RELATIONSHIP - This is really worth watching and you can get through the annoying bits by hurling abuse at the responsible parties. 4. SPROUT - well worth watching even if, like me, you're teens were many, MANY moons ago (I'm 50). It's just a nice drama. Now as for TAIYOU NO UTA - I would actually recommend the OTHER version on KissAsian and NOT this one. This one had the female lead played in such a way that you just want to slap her and tell her to stop being stupid.
I cried so much for him, even in parts that weren't that sad - like in the beginning when Oh Ri-jin tells him to look down and not watch her. It was meant to be a comedic moment, but he looked sad for second before smirking and looking down - it really hurt me. But then my husband tells me I'm the Patron Saint of Lost Causes; I reply they're not lost, they're taking the scenic route and I'm their tour guide! :) Maybe no one else will agree with me, but Se-gi was probably the most heartbreaking character I've seen in a drama, possibly without even meaning to be, and he just broke my heart. Ji Sung is probably one of my most favourite Korean actors, and he certainly nailed this character to my broken and bloody heart for a long time to come. So much so I bought the dvd.
I watched 'She was Pretty' and really wanted Kim Hye JIn to end up with Kim Shin Hyeok as I had a very serious case of 'Second Lead Syndrome' through most of the series (especially at the sacrifice he made - I was crying at that point). However by the end I was rooting for the main lead once he stopped being a complete jerk to poor Kim Hye Jin.