3
Now off to the main event, I wasn't really a fan of flashbacks to give substance to the stories. Flashbacks feel like cheating... so after those flashback from the main characters story I felt cheated but setting that aside, I love Yeo-wool's character. She was a bad ass woman with skills, the downer for me here is the consistency of her being bad ass. Initially she started off as being Kang-chi's protector then as the story progressed little by little Yeo-wool was turning into a damsel in distress. That annoyed me. If she was a bad assed chic who dress up as a man and could fight equally as a man, why didn't the writer own up to that character? I have this inkling the writer was trying to feminize Yeo-wool in way that would not over shadow Kang-chi's strength. My take on that? It was a lame move. Yeo-wool could still have supported Kang-chi even if she was strong.
As for Kang-chi's character, I like the way he progressed from being recklessly clueless about his real identity up the part when he has evolved to who he really is to the very last episode. I love how he decides on his own and the trail of thoughts that runs inside his half gumiho head. It shows how pure his heart really is. That's the kind of solid character I wanted in a drama I watch.
Of course if there are the good guys, there are also the bad guys. Jo Kwan-woong was the ultimate baddie in this drama and I just loved to hate the guy. I was already plotting my revenge on him inside my head because he has been killing off wonderful characters or marring their image to a point of no return. That's how affected I am with his character.
There were also several character that I liked:
Gon, he was that kind of guy who doesn't say too much but gives off all the vibes in his facial expressions and physical gesture. My favorite expression on his face is the I-like-you-lady-yeo-wool-but-I-could-never-have-you-because-I'm-only-here-to-protect-you-and-your-heart-already-belongs-to-someone-else.
Choon Soo-ryun the gisaeng head mistress because she's level headed and her principles are way beyond being desperate and lastly she's awesome with the five drum beat.
Finally there's Head servant Mr. Choi, Kang-chi's second dad. His character was consistent all throughout. Never wavers not even when he gets beaten up multiple times, he was one of the underrated characters which I would have cried if he got killed off.
The music score was lovely, I like the song they have used especially during the pilot episode for the mom and dad. It was cute, romantic and timely.
I would highly recommend this drama for those who are into sageuk fantasy. Its not too light but its also not too heavy as a kdrama. I'll have to say it's just the right mix. I just wish they make a second season out of this because I'm pretty much looking forward to it already.
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Music wise, there's not much to boast about since the music is more prominent before and after the movie but to make up to it, both lead characters sings through the duration of the film that I could say it's good enough as a sound track. The movie's motif on music is more on the sound of everyday surroundings because it is a vital element for the whole film.
The plot line is slow and yet everything is in it. Since I'm a sucker for good endings, this hits the spot. Okada Junichi is one hell of an actor if he wanted to be one. He's cute, sassy and has that great smile. While Kumiko Aso is a dead ringer look alike for Arakagai Yui! (That is, if you place the Camera farther away to keep her profile to not focus enough on her face. lolz) Then again that's not the sole reason why I like her. Her acting is pretty good and her voice, its so cute when she sings and hums to herself.
Over all the movie has lots to offer. What I liked most about the film was how they started the story from a simple coincidence to an awesome ending.
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The story was very typical. Rich boy falls in love with poor girl and vice versa. So what made this interesting to watch? Well honestly it's not the story line because that had me lost in the middle of the series. What actually made me continue on watching was the characters. I was very much interested in the character development of the actors that I couldn't help but finish the drama because of them. Yes the male lead Kim Tan was a mopey teenager with so much daddy issues while our female lead did nothing but cry her eyes out on all the bad things that has ever happened to her. And so I waited for their progress, thinking that maybe something drastic would happen in their lives and their characters would evolve on that awaited change but unfortunately - Heirs failed me big time.
But!!! One thing that this drama did right for me was casting Kim Woo-bin. It was my first time to see him in a drama and I fell in love with the bad boy image of his character that I had a hard time moving on from his role. I had a bad dose of second lead syndrome because of him.
Music wise, there was nothing note worthy but it did add to the onscreen chemistry, so I have nothing against it. I would recommend this drama for the Lee Min Ho and Kim Woo-bin fans out there. But over all... this isn't going to be in my list of must watch drama of 2013.
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Reply 1997 was a drama which conveyed a part of my past and that's why it probably hit me right on spot. This drama... I love, for so many reasons.
The story line was very much unique from all the drama's I have watched. It did have a full on Rom-Com taste in it (like all the usual Rom-Com Kdrama), but the funny... the funny never stops in every episode, even though I was already tearfully crying out because of a heart breaking scene or because of a heart warming moment; the comedy never stops. Cliches were still used but I should say the writers have done that in a very creative way. I like the fact that they have used a bunch of odd personalities and put them together in a kind of relationship that would bond them as friends for life, then add their family members into it... TADA! You get a really great story to tell. Since all of these characters are peculiar, even from a deep to shallow background of each person I never got tired of watching each one's side of the story. That's how they make the fun come out.
For the main characters, I couldn't really pick my favorite. Even though we have the "very main" characters within the story, I still couldn't really put them as my favorite. Maybe I would put bias on Yoon Yoon Jae because of his good looks, but other than that I still equally loved every character. I also personally think that their accents were cute, it was real and was not irritating (since they are all from Busan it would eventually seem natural, right?). Then there were the consistencies in their characters which I am so happy for, because not even one actor deviated from their role.
To pinpoint the specific characteristics of each cast, I liked: Shi-won's boisterous attitude, Yoon Jae's undying love and loyalty, Yoo Joong's inconsistencies, Joon Hee's secrets, Hak Chan's annoyingness, Sung Jae's eccentricity, Tae Woong's indifference to money/fame and lastly Shi-won's parents; her dad who bickers a lot and her mom who cooks mountain of food for some apparent reason.
Music wise, it added impact on the drama but it wasn't something that really got into my head for me to remember much.
This drama is re-watchable, very much... but a vital segment in the story makes this unappealing for a re-play and that is the mystery part. That actually perked my interest into finishing the drama in the first place - "the guess who and what happened to whom?" guessing game was one of the important thing in this drama. But once you are over that, this drama would not be as interesting as it was the first time. I re-watch this for the sole reason of feeling giddy over the love triangles and the petty arguments. Those scenes were still awesome even for the second time around.
Over all Reply 1997 made it to my Top 10 best drama's and I would definitely recommend this to everyone. But this drama would most suit those who had lived in the 90's, got addicted in boy bands and lived life with loyal friends.
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Although Lee Jun Ki and Aoi Miyazaki (a favorite korean actor and japanese actress of mine) were the main characters it still didn't make into my MUST watch and recommended movies.
The story was more in the line of innocent love, or love at first sight and has many sweet moments. A girl would love to be treated like how Jun Ki treated Aoi here. It was just so sweet... but then again the character build up was slow (although amazingly it doesn't have TOO many draggy moments as i have expected it to be) and the whole story lacked a bit more heart clenching moments as it should have.
The music was well done as both Japanese and Korean musicians incorporated their scores through out the film, it had a great outcome. It's one of the things that perked me up in this movie. Then add the cinematography in it, the movie simple became more than bearable. The colorful views and touches in clothes, back drops and even the things that they hold... it was pure pleasure to watch. Seeing Korea and Japan in one movie is simply adorable.
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I think I enjoyed Solanin because of the fact that I was able to read the manga in the first place and was able to appreciate it more due to the involvement of music. Seeing Aoi Miyazaki sing her heart out on the stage was quite amazing to watch. This was the first time I've ever seen her sing like that and a rock genre nonetheless. I just hope that wasn't a voice over or else I might tear my hair out because I find her singing really cool.
The pacing of the story was alright, it wasn't slow nor too fast, but you had to understand the dialogue to appreciate it for what it is. There is so much meaning to the title Solanin and the movie would explain it well. There were funny moments on simple actions and tear jerking moments in unexpected scenes.
One last thing I have to really comment on, they were able to produce Meiko's t-shirt from the manga for the Live Action movie. That one, I really liked because it meant that they were really going through with details. Do check out the manga drawing in parallel with the Movie cover and you'll understand what I mean.
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What I would like to point out about this drama is not the story line, since THAT seems a bit of a cliché in all areas of the series. To make a short summary out of it though, the story is about a troubled young woman named Sano Sakura who falls in love with a middle aged guy named Kohei Kamishiro who was formerly a musician and producer but currently working as a doctor. Now insert the friends of both these main characters, the story starts to unfold and becomes more meaningful than the main plot.
Now off to where I want to focus, Sano Sakura. She is such a beautiful character, I love how lively she is despite being different from everyone else. I am debating with my inner self whether to indicate here what exactly her problem is, but I decided not to. Since this is supposed to be an element of surprise which the viewer needs some getting used to. Aside that, the people surrounding Sakura are her genuine best friends because they are the only people who were able to accept her as she is and this is what hit a special place in my heart. This kind of involvement with selected people can be related in actual life. It gave me this sense of realization and I got to question myself, “Do I really have people like this in my life?” because in this day and age of socialization, it is too hard to discern who is legitimate or not. Sakura on the other hand alienated herself from other people because she was afraid and embarrassed of her condition. Due to her troubles, she met Kohei Kamishiro by chance and because of this, her world expanded. Music was introduced to her and gave her a new reason for living, at the same time other people slowly became part of her small circle of friends which gave her more courage to live the way she wanted to. There’s also this line that Kamishiro told her, “It only takes seven seconds of courage. If you could get your courage up for those seven seconds then your world will change.” Those words left Sakura with such a huge impression.
The other sub characters in the drama are all vital because without them, Sakura and Kamishiro will not be able to move forward and grow out of their own shells. I would like to specifically mention Mami, Sakura’s best friend. This girl who used to be a bar hostess had all the spunk a woman can have. She’s brave, smart, loving and she is the perfect fit for Sakura as a friend. To complete the circle there is also Soraichi, the troubled guy best friend who in my opinion is such a loud ass. Sorry for the choice of word, but he is really loud in this drama. However, despite that, he is loyal and he would do everything for the people he love. Thus this would have completed Sakura’s life even if music did not come around.
Acting wise, everyone was great and they were able to portray their characters so well that I cried a lot on specific scenes when my heart was too moved to even smile. Another noteworthy thing in this drama is the voice of Fujiwara Sakura, I find it amusing that they also used her real name as her character’s name. It’s unbelievable that this is her debut drama since her acting and voice is so legitimate and amazing. The songs for the drama were so beautiful that it really fit the whole theme of the series.
I’m definitely recommending this to people who are looking for a drama with a different perspective about life, love and music.
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I have this penchant for liking Romantic Comedy genres, so this caught my interest. The pacing of the story was alright for a light rom-com genre. The humor was placed in all episodes but dwindled in the latter part, which happens to almost all Kdrama rom-com, where the show’s atmosphere turns into a more serious note then suddenly pulls back into comedy right before it ends. I would say I continued on watching this because of all the cute. Since I was still a teenager back then, I had this whimsical feeling of falling in love with a man 10 times older than me. This is the drama where I also first discovered the actress Lee Dae Hae who played as Moon Ga-young, Hyuk-joon’s ex- girl friend. Having watched this drama made me appreciate Han Ji-Hye and Lee Dong Gun’s tandem. The music was definitely a plus point in here, I love the back ground melody, opening and closing theme songs which I could still remember in my head until today.
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What’s so good about a transgender rom-com? It’s good when it’s Eun Hye who’s being transgenderized (if that’s even a word), it felt like the role was made for her and she wasn’t afraid to step up and get her hair all chopped up for the role. That’s one thing about Eun Hye that I like, she takes strange roles that is full of comedy. I have yet to see her in a melodrama. Maybe somewhere in the near future she will.
As for the story, Coffee Prince is about Go Eun Chan (Eun Hye), a hard working girl who is always always being mistaken as a guy. Then fate made her meet Choi Hang Kyul (Yoo) in a misunderstanding. After which they come to an agreement to help each other out and eventually, she ended up lying about her gender so she could work as a waiter in Gong Yoo’s coffee shop.
The drama was hilarious in all angle, there is no realism in this one because it is obvious that Eun Chan is A GIRL if you look closely at her chest. So let not your head go swimming that this is not realistic enough to be watched. It may not be like that but the storyline would definitely blow you away with all the characters involved. The princes (namely the waiters in the coffee prince shop) and the OST had me hooked as well.
Check out the title “Go Go Chan!”
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This drama's story line is original, the characters are very interesting and although plot lines are freaking full of cliches as what the Hong Sister's usually do with their drama's, but the heck! It doesn't matter, because they use the cliche in its full potential.
Episode 1 was a strong entry for this drama and for a sucker of romcom, it hooked me so much I had to watch episode per episode, week by week. Which is very unusual of me because I usually watch a drama when it's done airing and all episode/subtitles are out. The last time I did that was when Hana Yori Dango was aired in Japan. So this drama is dear to my heart because I felt the potential from episode 1 and it never disappointed me (until episode 16) which sort of felt like a filler of an episode that's why I had to rate it an over all 9/10. BUT! Episode 17 made up for it so their's no point in worrying for just one episode.
The characters were very solid, I loved the mannerism Ji-sub came up for his character Joo Jong-won. He had that hand gestures which I find rather appealing for the type of guy he was portraying. An egoistic rich guy who had less to care for in the world. As for Hyo-jin, she was very convincing and really catchy as Tae Gong-shil. Although within the drama there were sudden shifts in her character. I am not referring to the times she was possessed, I'm talking about when she's being really the strong/angry type of Taeyang and not the seemingly Sweet-Naive-Candy type of Taeyang. There were sudden shifts and it was annoying me because she was sort of getting out of character. I think I had to find that fault in the writers or director, it was annoying. Because if her character was the soft one - it has to be consistent. If they were going to make her strong... that personality had to stick-like in what they did to episodes 16 and 17. But when her character shifted to a strong one in around episode 11 then revert to her old self at episode 12, it was like she had to act within her acting. If you get what I mean... and because of that I had to give another 9/10 for the story because the character is based on that.
Now that being said and done, I have to give compliments for the music, because it was catchy and unforgettable. It's like nostalgia sticks to the music and as for the re-watch value, I say... HELL YEAH! I am going to watch it over and over again, never mind those ghost infested scenes-they aren't really scary if I don't think too much about it.
If you are a fan of romcom and of the Hong Sister's writing style, you'll love this. You won't be disappointed with this. YOU BETTER WATCH THIS.
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Music isn’t memorable, cinematography is so-so, cg for the mystical stuff was obvious and annoyed the hell out of me. The story was also supposed to be filled with action scenes because it’s supposed to be about a school that trains high school kids martial arts. But that’s not the case, this drama had more talk than action sequences and if the fights do come in, they are so badly choreographed. It made me cringe while I watched. I really feel bad for the casting of this drama, there were some actors in this series whose talents were wasted. I’ve seen some of them in other dramas and they were really good, while the other young ones had budding potentials. It's really sad that they ended with a botched up drama like this but I guess I also have KBS production to blame for the subpar quality. It didn’t have the capacity to make this a top notch action packed drama that I expected.
After my ranting, I’m obviously not going to re-watch this drama for everything else I’ve mentioned, so why did I include it in my reviews? It’s so you won’t have to waste 16 hours of your life on such an unfulfilling drama. If you still do watch it, don’t blame me. I’ve done my part.
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This review may contain spoilers
It's been a while since I've watched a Japanese movie themed with crime investigation and psychological battles but that doesn’t mean I’ve forgotten to enjoy the genre. What I specifically liked about this film even with its lack or rather non-existent action scenes was how the main character came into being. I marvel at the main lead being an antagonist and protagonist at the same time. Movies like this should be appreciated for the scriptwriter's wit, along with the actor's perfect role execution. Have I mentioned that the main actor Ikuta Toma who acted as Gates is one of my favorite Japanese actors? Well, it’s not that relevant but the guy certainly knows how to act all kinds of character, from a depressed artist to being a stage comedian, he does his roles extremely well. I'm not saying this because he is my bias, but because this is how his portfolio and credentials say so.Now that being said, I’m going to dive into more details about the film without the spoilers.
The whole story line is about one unfortunate guy who tries to make a difference with the use of the World Wide Web and the perks of anonymity that comes with it. This guy remains anonymous because he wears a newspaper to cover his face while he stirs up the police, the government and most of all the netizens. The film will show some graphic and violent things done in the internet using live streaming and might be disturbing, but don’t let this get too much inside your head because this is not about the rated PG stuff, this is about something more, it is about a message being sent and interpreted by different people. Besides the icky stuff would only last for a couple of seconds in intermittent scenes. The film may seem slow and frustrating at times but the fact that you have to watch it until the end to appreciate whatever is currently happening, makes all 1 hour and 59 minutes of screen time worth it.
Music wise, it wasn’t as memorable to me since I was too engrossed with the story and what was happening for me to mind the background music much. Cinematography wise, there’s nothing much to be appreciated since most of the scenes took place in a room or being projected via the internet. Sub characters though are worth mentioning. I give my kudos to Toda Erika for being such a hard ass detective in this film even though she didn’t do much running or fighting, I still liked her. Heh. The fact that she’s still a tough nut in the middle of a male dominated environment, this did not deter her from doing her job. Then there are these other guys, the friends of the main character. I want to pinpoint my favorite among the three, but I can’t. I liked all guys equally because they had their own charm. Suzuki Ryohei as Kansai with his tall stocky looking body but with a heart of gold, while Arakawa Yoshiyoshi named Metabo is the fat bellied guy who seems too timid when it comes to authority figures but definitely can retaliate when needed and lastly Hamada Gaku as Nobita with his eye glasses and his dream to have girlfriend. I find that dream kind of cute and yet endearing making him the most vulnerable looking guy in the bunch. But overall, I think I liked each of them on the get go.
I recommend this film to those who would want to watch something with a more interesting story line.
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Back in 2012 I initially chose this drama due to Inoue Mao just because she's my bias but after watching the first episode, I felt disappointed because I can't seem to appreciate it for what it is-a typical Renzoku drama that depicts human life and the love for animals. I was not able to enjoy the series for two major reasons: It wasn't a Rom- com and I had no Pet , adding to this was the fact that I wasn't really that attached with animals.
Then 2013 came and I happen to be in costudy of a cross breed pit bull/american bull dog. That's when I attempted to watch the drama again and finally changed my opinion about it.
The thing I liked most about this show was the main characters. Oguri Shun as Dr. Totori was kind of awesome. He may have that rotten-eccentric personality, but he is the best vet in the story and on top of that he has so much insight as a person. Inoue Mao's character in here was sort of a dumb novice who was too kind and too emotional. Although her character is like this, I still admired her naivety to people's true intentions and compassion to animals. Then there is Hiroki Narimiya as the charismatic vet who could not perform a surgery even if his life depended on it due to a previous trauma. His character adds color to the two main characters. I thought he was the antagonist in the story but I was wrong. There is a good history between his character and Oguri Shun's.
Music wise it wasn't really that memorable, but it has that slight nostalgia in me whenever I hear the sound track. It sort of reminds me of peaceful moments or happy beginnings.
I may not re-watch this show again but I am definitely recommending it to animal lovers of all sorts.
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My Love Pattzi or My Love Cindy was a Korean drama breakthrough for me. The drama was about a girl who was tomboyish, ferocious and a total klutz. Then like every cliche in dramas the girl falls in love, hard. She then sets her heart out on a chase to the guy she thinks is the man of her dreams yet she didn’t realize there’s that guy who’s been looking at the sidelines, wishing and wanting to capture her attention as well. Thus the love triangle and mishap takes place in this 10 episode drama series.
It was quirky, Jang nara was still young in this drama but it was fun to watch especially Kim Rae Won. This was the first drama I've seen him in and his acting caught my attention. The story line was fun and in a really fast paced, though the conclusion sort of disappointed me since it's an open-ended kind of finally.
Music wise, it was all cute but nothing really note worthy. All in all it was an OKAY drama to watch but it would be more worth it if you're a Jang Nara/Kim Rae Won fan like me.
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The storyline… it kept me hanging on until the very end.
If you are a very curious person like me when it comes to mind-boggling stuff, you are definitely one to hang on till the last scene even though this movie has a lot of draggy moments. The camera tends to focus on everything and anything, but then at the end of the movie, I got to understand the significance of those lens focuses.
The cast was great, I like Miyazaki's character as Mari, I thought the characters in this movie did not seem complicated but I got that all wrong. The lead actor was a bit too good for this movie though, I felt that he could have done better on other films, his acting here was a bit wasted. But still, he was awesome and brought his own character to life. He was able to pull off the kind of role for a person who sees different perspectives in simple stuff and yet trying to live a normal life.
The ending confused me a lot and there are also scenarios where I had to analyze or think too much to actually understand what was going on but overall this movie is a good watch once I came to terms with the fact that there were a lot of meanings on the different scenes that were shown.
This film made me watch it twice so just I could re-analyze and understand everything that actually happened. The soundtrack was okay, but what really got me listening was the ending song entitled "Gerbera" in the last scene. That song gave me the meaning of synesthesia altogether. It was a significant title once I was able to understand the whole meaning of the film.
Giving this 8/10 for everything I have mentioned and recommending it to those who don't mind draggy stuff and would love to have their brains twisted into analyzing the film.
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