Weirdest review ever, I'm so sorry.
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This review may contain spoilers
(20190407-20190419)I finished watching this show a few days ago but it took me a while to get over the fact that it was really over. It was the first time I watched a drama this long in less than two weeks. I couldn't stop watching!! It definitely has something special about it, which I will discuss in this review.
Boys Over Flowers (Korean version of this story) was my first drama ever. I gave it 7.5 stars because the nostalgia is real. When Meteor Garden aired I was like... this story isn't the most passionate so I'll watch this later. Looking back now I wish I had watched it sooner!
There might be some spoilers from now on so read this review at your own risk!
Plot/Story: ...so draggy. It dragged and it dragged and it dragged. Every two episodes they would break up then get back together then two episodes later they were breaking up again and so on. But for some reason I still enjoyed it??? This story is clearly the queen of the clichés but it's so charming at the same time. That's why there are so many versions. And I do like the changes in Meteor Garden 2018 because they had to adapt it to modern days, and it was done well. The humour was great and there were some breathtaking scenes in this show. Some of my favourites:
-Huaze Lei and Shancai at the beach (lol who am I joking, every scene with Huaze Lei in it is GOLD. But I could see the pain in his eyes in that scene and it hurt but it was beautiful)
-The cooking competition making Daoming Si almost have a heart attack. That scene with him trying to get Shancai's attention with that big poster... such a meme.
-The goodbye scene at the Tower Bridge. I cried my eyes out for HOURS. And not that related but the jacket Daoming Si was wearing was my absolute favourite. Those scenes of them visiting London look so good... that jacket gave him the perfect boyfriend look.
-F4 reuniting to help Meizuo make Caina feel like she was young again and that train trip hahaha Lei and Si were hilarious.
-Ximen and Xiaoyou... ah some good stuff.
-Daoming Si and Shancai's father talk when he asks her to marry him. He was so humble!
-Bed scene with Lei and Si. You know what I'm talking about.
-Si and Shancai sleeping together at Si's rented apartment next to hers.
-Lei eating Si's cookies Shancai had made for his birthday.
-Every scene with Lei and Shancai on the rooftop.
-F4 walking together. Every. Time.
-Meizuo being a mature af man and letting Caina go.
-And finally, my most favourite scene, THE BEACH PARTY SCENE WHERE JING HELPS SHANCAI GET READY AND THEN SHE SHOWS UP LOOKING EVEN MORE STUNNING THAN USUAL AND SHE'S LOOKING AT LEI WHO IS TALKING TO JING AND THEN THERE'S DAOMING SI LOOKING AT HER WITH HEART EYES LIKE LITERAL RAINBOWS AND HEARTS AND PINK AND SWEETNESS AND LOVE IN HIS EYES AND THAT'S THE MOMENT I FELL FOR DYLAN WANG.
I have to admit the ending was too weird for me. I wish they had just gotten engaged. Them not eating because of his mother and then Shancai fainted and then she went home, apparently, and then she was kind of kidnapped to attend her own wedding and ah Si's sister was there dancing... it was too strange for me. I wish they had found a different way to end the show but oh well, at least it looked good.
What a rollercoaster these 49 episodes were!
Characters/Cast/Acting: While I was watching BOF, I remember being soooo frustrated at Jandee because to me it was obvious Jihoo was a much better option than JoonPyo. Jihoo was a better character and a better match for her. However, I didn't have the same problem with Meteor Garden 2018. Huaze Lei is still my favourite character in the show (Darren Chen aka Kuan Hong stole my heart since the first scene he was in) BUT I do think Shancai and Daoming Si are just great together. A lot of people might disagree with me on this but, in my opinion, Daoming Si is a very endearing character. Certainly a very flawed human being, but still endearing. I was rooting for him since the beginning and I was so proud of him throughout the show because his development was amazing.
I have to say this F4 was way better than I was expecting. I liked every single one of them. Maybe because they weren't as douchebaggy as in the other version I watched. And, obviously, they are four of the most handsome men in the history of television, you guys know it's true. Their friendship is EVERYTHING. Honestly, couldn't have loved that part more. I also liked Shancai way better this time because even though she was flawed too, I think she wasn't as... dumb. She did kind of annoy me sometimes because she wouldn't say "I like you" when it was obvious that she did like him; but then I remembered that Daoming Si was actually very pushy and wanted to be with her while she was crushing on Lei. She might have feel conflicted too, and afraid to attach herself to him by admitting her feelings out loud, because of all the drama going on involving his family. Nevertheless, I think ShenYue did an amazing job. Her expressions are so convincing and her crying scenes were the best. And I don't know about you guys but to me she is absolutely stunning. I know some people didn't like her that much as Shancai because of her looks but... hello??? The girl is beautiful! Dylan aka Wang Hedi did a great job too; he made me love a character so flawed and that I previously didn't really like, and that means a lot to me. In episode three, during the beach party... That whole scene of her looking at Huaze Lei and Daoming Si looking at her was... majestic. Ah, Kuan Hong. I have found the love of my life through this drama. If you knew how many screenshots I have of him smiling... I have never seen anyone like him, I swear. All the other characters were great, as well as the acting. Meizuo and Ximen, XiaoYou, Jing, Shancai's parents and friends, Daoming Si's mother and sister... Couldn't have loved them more. But I have to say I wish they had worked more on Si's mother. Okay, we know she was greedy and she hated Shancai and wanted to protect her company but it was to a point where Si was dying in his bedroom and she was like "nope, I'm not giving up" and then she sees a video of him saying some BASIC BUSINESS RULES to innovate the company and suddenly she was sleeping peacefully with her oldest daughter (whose life she basically ruined) next to her??????????????????????????????????????????? Give me some character development please. Don't make her look like the literal ice queen of dramaland who doesn't let her son be happy and then break at a simple video.
Music: I. Love. Every. Single. Song. In. This. Soundtrack. River? ICONIC. Don't even have to think about it? Stunning (IT TURNS OUT THAT TRUE LOVE, TEARS ARE FALLING DOWN, YOUR LOVE UNRAVELS ALL REGRETS). ForYou? I would never skip the intro! Love Exists? The best song (If it weren't because of you, I wouldn't be crying and smiling like a child--- shut up I'm crYING).
Rewatch Value: I'm thinking about rewatching it right now hahaha.......help.
To conclude, I finished the show and thought "Okay, I love this but since I have to review it seriously I'll probably give it 8.5 stars because of all the flaws and draggy plot.". Then a few days went by and I created a fan account for the show lmao, meteor garden trash right here. Today, I rated the drama before writing the review and ended up giving it 9.5 stars because giving it 10 stars is giving it the same rating as my all time favourites, such as Weighlifting Fairy Kim Bok Joo. But as I was writing this review, I decided to give it 10 stars anyway because I love this so much! I even created a fan account like... this is serious (by the way, follow me on twitter lol @kuannhongg). Even if it has flaws, even if it's dubbed (the sad life of c-dramas), even if it's a remake, even if it's full of clichés and impossible scenarios... I still love it and I'm absolutely in love with the cast. So if you're thinking wether you should watch it even if you didn't like the other versions, my honest answer is: obviously.
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Anyways, I watched both seasons of Puppy Love in less than two days even though I had school and work. So if you’re interested in it, go watch it! It’s really short and doesn’t have that much angst (even though this season was more... complicated). Don’t expect a lot and you’ll like it.
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I actually watched two or three episodes of this drama right after it came out because a friend of mine really liked it. I was enjoying it but because I had to travel that Summer I stopped watching and never finished. Almost two years later I decided to watch it. And that was probably one of the smartest decisions of my life. I'm not hard to please when it comes to dramas because I haven't watched a hundred of them to be THAT critical but I can say, from the bottom of my heart, that Weightlifting Fairy Kim Boy Joo will forever stay at the top as one of my favorites, no matter how many I watch. It's so perfect that it's hard to write a fair review so I'll talk about each aspect individually. From now on there will be spoilers so please don't read the rest!! If you're wondering if you should watch it: YES! yes yes yes yes, please do.
Plot/Story- Even though it's not the most complex of the plots, I think this story is absolutely fascinating just as it is. Its simpleness shines throughout the whole series and the scenes make your heart skip multiple beats. Even though it's a very lighthearted story, there are some more deep and emotional moments, like Joonhyung's relationship with his mother (which made me cry so hard I couldn't fall asleep after that episode). Unlike many other dramas I've watched, none of the relationships feel forced here because they're perfectly constructed. The friendships warmed my heart and I almost died of laughter in every single episode. I also discovered new things about sport teams and teamwork and how everything happens inside the competition world which is pretty cool, in my opinion, especially because swimming is my favorite sport and I would love to join a swimming team. It was never boring and each episode made us want more. I don't know if I've ever given 10 whole stars to a plot before but WFKBJ totally deserves them (and more).
Characters/Cast/Acting- The characters are PHENOMENAL. So so so so good. Even the "villains" were likeable because you could truly feel for them. Everyone grew throughout the show which surprised me because there are only 16 episodes. The cast was perfect, they fit their roles so well that I wonder if it's not their real personality after all. Their chemistry... GOOSEBUMPS. The kissing scenes? Jesus Christ, I literally cried in every kissing scene, I just can't deal. This drama made me fall in love with Joohyuk (like everyone else on this planet) and my goal for 2019 is to watch all of his shows. Watch me follow the whole cast on Instagram and love them for the rest of my life.
Music- I loved loved loved the soundtrack, I think it fit perfectly.
Rewatch Value- I'll rewatch this show at least two times a year until I die. Yep, that is it. Life mission right there. But seriously, I'm 1000% sure I'll never get tired of it. I could watch ten other seasons like this one that it wouldn't get boring. I guess I just love watching sports dramas and animes. Does anyone have any recommendation??
Conclusion- As of January 2019 this is my favorite drama of all time and I think it will stay this way for a long long long time. This was also my first review of the year and I'm really proud of it haha I'm so happy with this drama, I have no words. Well, I do have ONE word.
...
SWAG
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I am not very critical; usually, if the story makes me feel something (even if the plot sucks) I can't be too harsh but when I compare this to other bl series I've watched (and there aren't a lot of them) I can't help but think about its flaws. I obviously ALMOST loved it, otherwise I wouldn't have given it 8 stars, but again, I am NOT a harsh critic and pretty much everything is fine with me.
STORY: Yes, it was cute. It made sense and it allowed us to understand the characters. But it could have been so much better! It was like they were putting everything a bl fan loves in one show but that doesn't work because it becomes cheesy after a while. They could have made it a little bit more interesting, even if it was different from the book. And when it could have gotten better, it just didn't (I'm referring to the "love triangle" thing, which should have been developed or not there at all!).
CHARACTERS/ACTING/CAST: The acting was just fine, in my opinion. I don't think there was a lot the actors could do with that script. And as I've already said, I love the cast, especially God and Kimmon. But there were some characters that started annoying me after a while. I'm sorry but Yo shouldn't have been the main character. He was so uninteresting that I couldn't make myself like the main couple as much as I could have. He was innocent but that didn't have to make him boring. I liked Pha much better. Beam and Forth were kind of just there? They didn't really contribute to the plot, in my opinion, even though I liked both of them. Kit and Ming had the best dynamic but lacked development. The side characters were good enough.
MUSIC: I just didn't care for it.
REWATCH? This may sound contradictory but I would rewatch this series. It's a fun show, at the end of the day.
CONCLUSION: They shouldn't have tried to make a "perfect show" with all the "attractive elements" because that's what ruined it a little for me. I'm anxiously waiting for season 2 though! But I've heard God won't be in it, is that true? That makes me really sad because I really liked Pha. Oh well, I hope it's better than the first one!
Don't be afraid to watch this series, you will probably like it a lot ^^
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This review may contain spoilers
This movie has been around since 2016. I remember there was a huge buzz around it but I'm someone who simply can't watch scary movies. Horror horrifies me lmao. So I put it off even though though everyone was saying good things about this movie. But this year I watched Goblin (this is the year I gave hyped shows a chance hahaha) and I absolutely fell in love with Gong Yoo so I knew I would eventually happen someday. Well, today was the day. I came across the script for this movie online (very random, I know) and all of a sudden I felt like watching it. I couldn't have made a better choice! Even though it broke my heart into tiny little pieces. I'll get into that later. For now I'll review each section of the drama and try to explain why I gave it 10 stars. //FROM NOW ON THERE WILL BE SPOILERS//
Plot/Story: This is a prime example of a simple yet impactful story. The title made total sense and even though the zombies were VERY scary (amazing graphics, by the way), I do think this is more of a tragedy story with more of a human touch than a horror story full of scientific details to explain why the whole thing was happening. And I usually prefer when we have a full background story on how, when and why everything is happening but in this movie we only know it was somehow related to the main character's company and honestly, that was enough. And a sequel was announced so I'm sure we will find more about it when it comes out. But what we got was satisfactory and somehow genius. I don't remember crying this much over ANY movie, let alone a zombie movie hahaha. The screen writer and the director did a phenomenal job with the whole concept and totally deserve these 10 stars.
Cast/Acting/Characters: I knew what Gong You was capable of. But I was not expecting THAT. His character's development was amazing and his acting... wow. I don't have words to describe. When his character told his daughter "You have to look after yourself." but throughout the movie we see him helping others too... AAHHHHH WHY DID HE HAVE TO DIE *cries for two more hours*. I wasn't expecting him to die. But I have to admit it made the end even more impactful and heartbreaking. When the girl sings the song she was supposed to sing to her father at the beginning of the movie and that's how the soldiers know they're human.. I was fascinated with the little girl. Korean kids seem to have a lot of talent. But every main actor, as well as the support ones, did a fantastic job. It's really hard to describe what I'm feeling right now but usually, when you watch a horror or disaster movie, you're glad you aren't there, right? But this time, I caught myself thinking "What would I do if I was there? I would definitely throw that assh*le of a man out of that train's window!!! I wish I could be there to help them." which is, in the very least, extremely strange. The scariest parts didn't even have to do with the zombies (who were great, by the way!) but with the lack of humanity in some of the characters. While some progressed, others simply refused to change. And even though our main characters died, his death made him justice. It was beautiful. I want to watch every drama and movie with these actors in now!
Music: It fit SO well. I usually don't notice the music in movies but this time I couldn't help but think "Wow, this looks AND sounds pretty epic". Since I don't have anything to point out, I'll just give it 10 stars as well.
Rewatch value: I finished this 30 minutes ago and I already want to watch it again. I don't know what it is, but it makes you want to watch it, and watch it, and watch it... Even though my eyes are still wet from all the crying.
Yeah, this was 10000% the best horror movie I've even watched, and it's on my top 10 favorite movies of all times. I'm not a huge fan of movies (nor non-asian tv shows) but this one proved I sometimes should give it a go because it might surprise me. Truly amazing.
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I have to admit I started watching it because of T & LJJ. But I ended up falling in love with every single character on the show. The storylines are all interesting because they're all dealing with different things. I thought I would be bored while waiting for the boys' scenes but I was wrong. It totally surpassed my expectations. That made me love this drama even more. The actors are amazing, their chemistry is so natural and real, it was like I was watching people in real life! The concept is soooo original and interesting because they all live in the same building and interact with each other but their struggles are different. I want to rewatch this drama as soon as I have time.
If you're like me (someone who adores bl dramas) then you'll enjoy this one, even the straight couples.
This is my strongest recommendation for a drama!
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