Zogitt

Easy to watch show with some serious story telling issues

While this drama was easy to watch, it has some serious story telling issues. Yes, the OTP has chemistry and are good looking but it is not raw passion. The romance is a slooow burn with every bit of push-pull and misunderstanding style tropes thrown in just to prolong the journey. The final confession didn't happen until ep20 and the FL was still trying to wiggle out of admitting her feelings for the ML. Seriously, if they drag this out any longer, I would have dropped the show right there and then. Thankfully, they did acknowledge their love for each other and we get a few episodes where they were a happy couple. Of course, the well worn path of Chinese drama haunt us and we get the nasty plots to break them up and the forced separation. The annoying thing is that the writer seemed to start off writing one show and ended with another. The original setting of the school was fairly fresh and generated a lot of funny moments in the first 10 episodes or so. The interactions were easy and a role switch with all the female characters being strong and determined, welcoming. But by mid show, the story line is firmly back in well established romance/melo drama territory. Early set ups and back stories faded into the generic plot pool. The middle part of the show was so focused on the OTP's messy relationship that key events (like the tournament that was SO important) ended up going nowhere and had little impact. By the last third of the show, the writers seemed to have run out of steam on the OTP and a lot of screen time went to the support casts. It is not a bad thing as those relationships (we ended up with 3 more pairs!) is actually more interesting than the OTP by then. Their plot lines felt more real and organic in comparison. The down side to that is that it served to highlight how contrived and forced the main story line has become. Seriously, the last quarter of the show was a mess. Weak writing and awkward editing resulted in very odd tonal shifts. When they wheeled out the "Death Strike" as a deus ex machina plot device in ep33, I knew the writer(s) are in trouble. The lazy plotting also extended to how amazingly easy for the OTP to be manipulated to engineer their breakup. We did get an eleventh hour happy ending, no surprise there! I would have been a lot happier if they cut out a lot of the "will they, won't they" shenanigans in the last episode, get the OTP back together quickly and let the ensemble cast have some happy scenes together. That would have been a nice fan service. In the end, the show had a promising start but lost momentum mid way and it ended as a meh show. I was only going to rate it 6 but the support casts (love the cute kids) deserved a point for their efforts.

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A sweet, old school rom-com

Please allow me to state this up front, this show is refreshingly watchable and enjoyable.

There can be no doubt this is a rom-com. Both the 'rom' and the 'com' are front and centre. There is a token amount of angst and no evil antagonist. We can talk about the handsome ML and the chemistry of the OTP, but I'd be just paraphrasing my other reviews.

From the start, the ML is portrayed as a simple, thuggish person. His reputation precedes him. The FL being a new teacher in town is in no position to judge. Everything points to a difficult relationship if one is even possible.

Their romantic journey is this show's foundation. There are minor side plots, but they are of little consequence. In most cases, they fold back into the A-plot.

In that sense, the show is as straightforward as a k-drama can get. Other than a bit of push-pull, their love line is on rails. Is this a bad thing? When you consider walking home after dark can be fraught in other k-dramas, it is a breath of fresh air.

Once their misunderstanding is cleared up there is literally One True Way. To be fair, their romance is swoon worthy. There is a decent amount of skinship that looks natural. Our OTP do look good together. I can't complain.

The poor SML doesn't stand a chance. He had a go and realised he stood zero chance with the FL and bowed out gracefully. If anything, his bromance with the ML feels stronger! Maybe I'll give him the Second Lead Syndrome as the consolation prize. ;)

BTW, there are two other CP's. They consume some screentime and provided minor distractions.

Beneath the surface, this drama is quite moralistic. It doesn't hold back when it comes to life lessons. People make mistakes, learn from it. Don't judge a book by its cover, etc, etc. It is quite old school in that way. It is not quite preachy, but the messages are unmistakable.

In the end, this series is angst lite, sweet and easily digestible. Production value is good, OST is fine. Acting is solid. Most actors are in their comfort zone. It is the perfect tonic for our troubled times. Its highs and lows are well modulated. Unfortunately, it will also melt quickly from our consciousness like hailstones in a summer storm. Enjoy it while you can. Peace.

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Soulless rom-com that was a house of tropes and clichés

There are times when you live in hope that a show will turn the corner and get good. Well, after 13 episodes of this drama. I cannot see any light at the end of this tunnel so I dropped it. I have no doubt it is on course for a happy ending because it has to but it did not earn it.

First of all, there is next to no plot. There is the much hyped animosity between two top idol/actors and that pretty much drove the story along. One idol will try to sabotage the ML and he will hit back with something. It is all about competing to be the top dog and play dirty to get there. As a villain, the other idol is laughable. He tried to act like some kind of evil mastermind but he is just not up to it (acting and plot wise). So the show is basically moments and scenarios being thrown together one after another. A change of scene, a cliché moment, maybe a gag accompanied by funny sound effects (just in case we missed it). Rinse and repeat. Most of it centred around feeble attempt by the ML to impress the FL. All the tropes and clichés are piled on top of each other in place of any real story telling. You can forget about PC or moral, this stuff roamed with the dinosaurs.

It is unavoidable that we have to talk about the acting. It is meh to bad. The longer I watched the antics of the ML, the more I'm convinced that he should stick to his day job as a singer. He is meant to be a famously handsome idol/actor and some of his scenes made me groan out loud, especially when he is supposed to be acting on sets of real dramas. The FL was ok but there is really little scope for her to act. There are also too many side characters and most of them are stereotypes of little consequence. There is so much overacting from the ensemble.

To be fair, I was actually entertained for a few episodes because all the acting was over the top so that it was like a parody but then after a dozen episodes, I realised that this is IT. This is all we are going to get. It was depressing.

Now we can talk about character growth. There is none (so far). Most of the characters are one dimensional. The FL is supposed to be well educated but she is a doormat and a wall flower (tough gig). She was blackmailed to become a slave, tutor and mother to the ML. The ML was a man-child who is rude, crude and insensitive (what else can he be?!). Yes, he did sort of changed a little because he wanted the FL to like him but this is not growth. He bounces all over the place with his desperate need to please the FL only to turn around and bark harshly when he is challenged about his feelings for the FL. Even after his "confession" he was so awkward to be around as the FL didn't even took him seriously and I don't blame her. I already talked about the villain(s). You have to either laugh or cry.

There is a little bit of skinship so far but I don't feel much chemistry between the leads. Yes, the Show pulled out all the tricks to push them together but I feel sorry for the FL for having to put up with the childish antics of the ML. I don't ship the CP and that is the kiss of death for any romantic drama in my book.

So please don't waste your time on this unless you are doing a case study or feel the need to suffer. For a moment I thought it might be so bad that it will become a cult classic but alas, no. May be it was created as a vehicle for someone or to fill a void in scheduling, in either case, a waste of resources. Peace out.

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Easy to watch palate cleanser

There is no point in comparing this little production to a mega hit. It is only 8 X 20 mins episodes. The simple love story is delivered competently as you'd expect from a Japanese production. Other than a hint of a SML and a touch of sibling rivalry, there is little resistance to the blossoming romance of our leads.

If I'm honest, everything is understated. The love story and the setting are all standard issue. The meet-cute centred around "cold hands, warm heart" is just a low hanging fruit.

Acting is decent, ditto the production. The small amount of skinship is done by the book. It is fluffy and easy to binge. Nothing will disturb your inner peace. A palate cleanser before you jump into the next makjang extravaganza. Peace.

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It all comes full circle

Catfishing is all too common in today's online world. Some are unintentional while others are malicious. In this case, the FL took it really badly even though the ML's intention was pure. She carries that wound with her to this day.

Fast forward several years and our leads meet again in an work environment without recognising each other, at least initially. The A-plot is largely based their romantic and healing journey.

As romantic story goes, there is a decent amount of swoon worthy moments in the middle 1/3 of the series. The ML is handsome, savvy and a hopeless romantic. Unfortunately, he is a total noob to dating. It is a blast to watch him deal with his secret life as well as try to win over the FL. Their chemistry is undeniable which gave us some nice skinship.

On the other hand, the FL is all business and a perfectionist. She will speak up against her superiors and has quite a reputation for hanging them by their own petard. Even though she is not looking for love, it came looking.

It is this slightly awkward but delicious tug-of-war of the hearts that sustains much of the run. However, it is not without issues.

The biggest one is the grandma being used as the antagonist. She is a strong willed and stubborn businesswoman. She blames the death of the ML's loving parents squarely on the young ML. It was unjust and very harmful to the little boy, her sole remaining family. Nevertheless, she sustains the resentment for years. In fact, she is the reason why the ML has created a secret life/persona just so that he can escape from the strait-laced upbringing, if only for a few hours at a time.

Unfortunately, she is a poor antagonist. Yes, she did a lot of harm, but she was not evil. It is hard to like her, but it is even harder to hate her. She carries her pain in silence as well. It just needed an external force to reset their orbits. The FL is in a perfect position to do just that. However, when the reconciliation came, while cathartic, is a bit flat because there was no big revelation or grand gesture. It just took a bit of stating the bleeding obvious. I'll take the win, but it was less than impressive.

This brings us to some general observations of the last few eps. Everything came full circle. Fate has spoken. The HEA ending was never in doubt. There was a hint of tension towards the end but it never reached a zenith and before you know it, we are cruising to the finish line. The last EP is largely fan service but in a gentle way. No grand romantic gestures or meltingly hot scenes. Everything falls into place and on with the B-rolls.

Oh, I almost forgot, the 2CP is quite engaging. The characters are flawed but they have interesting backstories. Their journey is fraught but when it clicks, it is smoking. I like them, not enough to ask for their own show but they are a cut above the usual dial-a-2CP mob.

Production value is good. OST is fine. Not quite good enough for my coveted rewatch list but a highlight reel will be more than acceptable. Peace.

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Good try but too long

Full disclosure, I watched the K-drama original awhile ago so I do have a frame of reference for this review. I suppose the simple one sentence review is that it is not as good as the original. Why? That is a lot more complex and I'll try not to constantly refer to the original but some comparisons are unavoidable. LHZ's family as a whole was a missed opportunity. They could have done so much more with their characters. I do feel sorry for the 2ML, in this drama, he had the most emotional depth but the writers decided that the FL is going to reject him from day 1 and on to the bitter end. I'm ok if there is no wavering but there is so much opportunity for cute, witty banters but every encounter from the 2ML was brushed aside as a joke (that would make it the longest running gag for any drama!). I'm not sure what is the instruction the director gave to Peter Sheng but for most of the show, he was expressionless whether he was happy, angry or sad (maybe a little smile or a little frown). Most of the time, Just a stony face. I see so many ML played like that in c-dramas. They are handsome guys but you almost think that they are told not to emote so not to distract from the perfect model shot. Now the elephant in the room, Dilraba Dilmurat is a good actress but LHZ is a no win for her. The FL is suppose to be funny, competent but a bit awkward and she just came across as borderline annoying, a lot of it has to do with her speech pattern. In this version, she speaks very fast but rambles on about nothing most of the time which is distracting and tiring to watch. She should have been seen as a smart, bubbly person but a bit naive and trusting. There are glimpses of that but most are lost in her endless bumbling and rambling. Also, after the transformation, she did look beautiful in some scenes but a lot of the time she looked tired and she still has that posture where she is trying to look shorter/smaller. The chemistry between the OTP is ok and we are told endlessly that they are THE OTP but they just don't have the sparks flying. Speaking of chemistry, the bromance between the ML and the 2ML in the original was a joy to watch and so funny but in this case, there was just a hint but went nowhere. In a sense, that is this c-drama in a nutshell. The plot focus has shifted heavily towards saving the magazine and a lot of the nuisances became muted or lost. When you consider the original k-drama was only 16 episodes and packed in more humour, more drama and more growth, you know there are lots of empty space in the 40 episodes of this version. It is totally watchable but it could have been better. Finally, I actually really liked the editor-in-chief character in this version. She mixed eccentricity with sage like presence so well. I look forward to her appearance every time.

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To be transported into a book is a Chinese curse

I'll be honest, I wasn't going to write an review initially but the later eps and the ending is worthy of a few choice words. So here goes . .

The first half is actually quite good. A lot of that is attributed to the ML. His character is morally ambiguous and definitely dark and brooding. I think this type of role suits him better. The FL has mastered the cutesy, bubbly girl role. She plays it to perfection here. It helps that the script injects just enough modern references to milk the odd wink-wink jokes without labouring the point.

The A-plot is the usual good vs evil/save the world xianxia trope. Nothing new but totally serviceable. Everything fit nicely up to the point of the ultimate confrontation. If you were expecting a final push then you will be disappointed. The story did a detour and our two CP’s goes on separate grand tours to make peace with their inner demons. The pace and feel changed significantly for several eps. They did resolve their backstories but the amount of effort expended feels disproportionate.

Regardless, the A-team reassembles for the final confrontation. It was suitably epic but it feels rushed as so much time was spend on their backstories. If you think that is the signal for some decent fan service then you are wrong (again).

If anything, the last ep was a narrative mess. The show throws everything into the pot and prayed. It has fate, time traveling, fourth wall breaking and leaps between the book world and the real world.

It is not the first time this type of drama has to realigned with the real world because of censorship issues. We are basically told what we just enjoyed and immersed in for many hours are just a figment of our imagination and we need to get a (real) life. Nice.

Most writer will try to play the fate card so that our leads will still fall in love in RL. Usually within a couple of scenes. In this case, it was particularly ham-fisted. It links our leads all the way back to junior high. But this only confirmed that the ML has a crush on the FL for years but she was totally unaware. Even with all the dream state confessions, she woke up with only a vague hint of what transpired. We got the HEA ending but it felt contrived. It is the ending we have to have.

BTW, the skinship quota for the series is fairly low. The 2CP did all the heavy lifting but their interactions are a bit wooden. The OTP finally has a “kiss” in the final seconds of the end credit of the last ep. Is this a joke?

This is where the show left me scratching my head. The bulk of the show is decent and enjoyable. It does flag towards the end but the ending is an awkward scramble to make sense of their tenuous link. One time watch for me.

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Why are people so unkind?

Writing this review is difficult. It is not because this is a bad show, far from it. However, it does deal with some serious mental health issues. Hence, we must deal with two sides of the same coin. How well does it do as a drama vs how does it handle the portrayal of mental disorders, their manifestations and ramifications.

Let’s tackle the easier objective stuff first. In terms of acting, the show is great. This is particularly true of the cadre of nurses and some of the patients under their care. Their characters are well nuanced, and has depth. I’m “happy” that all the nurses are shown to have RL challenges beyond their professional ones. They are human after all. Of course, there are some cliché characters, but they are on the periphery. Surprisingly, most of the doctors are quite bland and one dimensional.

Production quality is high. We are told that the show created the set based on a real hospital ward. The attention to detail is unmistakeable. However, I am perplexed by the use of glossy and slippery tiles in some public areas and thoroughfares. The FL slipped and hurt her wrist in ep.1 because of them. How could that pass a hospital’s OH&S guidelines?

Let’s move on to the tricky part. Mental health related show is always going to be a challenge to make. Is it drama or reality? This show walks a fine line. I do find it a challenging watch at times, but I’m totally invested. This is largely due to the acting of the key ensemble actors and the rollercoaster storylines. I’m not going to lie, some of the subplots are tropey and can be like a smorgasbord of chapter headings from a textbook. For me, they didn’t appear to have over trivialised the conditions for our entertainment. If anything, the show focused on several serious disorders which resulted in actual suicide, self-harm, deep depression plus other life altering indications. Some scenes are gut wrenching and very impactful. The show is not shy of triggers. Please be aware and exercise caution.

Needless to say, those of us who have not experienced such disorders either directly or indirectly can truly appreciate what the patients are going through and how it impacts on their friends and loved ones. I think the show made an earnest attempt. However, it is still a dramatisation. At some point, the sun must come out and illuminate the way out of the darkest pit of despair so that we can have a decent ending (yes, I know, there have been shows that have gone completely rogue). There is even 2 low key romances that helps to bring the mood to a more even keel. There is little to no skinship though which was a bit disappointing. Don't be fooled by the Netflix promotion. This is not a rom com.

As I mentioned before, I like this show and appreciate its core message. Not all cases will have a positive outcome. A daily dose of sunshine and unwavering support will help a great deal in the treatment and recovery process. There is no panacea. It will be a long and bruising journey. This is a very subjective subject so your personal experience and view will weight far more heavily than my words. Peace out.

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How do you repack an opened Pandora’s box? . . . With great difficulties!

This show is hard to score. Not in terms of the acting or the production value but how its fundamental world building is mishandled.

Let’s take a step back. The star of the show is the FL. She has the titular role, and she is all singing and all dancing from start to finish. She has a demanding role and she has to dig deep. On the other hand, the ML feels muted for the longest time and while I understand that he is traumatised since an early age, his performance is quite stilted or maybe it was just the way his role is written. You just don’t feel much energy coming from him. This is the opposite compared to the FL who is on overdrive most of the time. Another issue is the chemistry between the leads is not strong. There are sparks but, on the whole, it feels more scripted than spontaneous. There are also some questionable behaviours by the FL earlier on which just feels awkward.

Surprisingly, I was more invested in the 2CP's romance. It was the usual rich girl/poor man trope but it is more earnest and heartfelt. It felt more organic than the OTP's.

What bothers me more is the way the writer-nims went about building a set of fairly convoluted narrative logic. We see actions and reactions that are attributed to the FL's unique circumstances but the how's and the why's are rarely explained. The internal logic is opaque and obtuse. Their applications are not consistent. It is immersion breaking, but more importantly, makes you question everything you see and hear within the story. The writer-nims are holding all the cards.

Yes, I understand it is a fantasy and certain narrative “flexibility” is to be expected, but I cannot shake the feeling that the storytelling has been twisted into a pretzel.

The puzzle pieces finally click into place in the last episode. I have to say that the final reveal is somewhat underwhelming. There is some much meat in all her previous lives but they are served up as little more than random (emotive) scenes. I wish there is more substance to those recollections.

While her first life held all the keys, its treatment is perfunctory at best. Nevertheless, this episode is still the best of the lot. All the key side plots are tied up with pink bows. The reverse meet-cute is very meta but nicely done and is so sweet. However, the finale is also the last straw for me.

The whole premise of the FL forgetting her past lives is a good idea if there is to be closure but what is presented to us is broken logic and plot holes. It is a Hail Mary moment that didn't quite work.

The FL appears to have lost a few week's memory and went back to her old job but how is that possible? What about her co-workers? They waved her off to start a new job and she is back as if nothing happened. I suppose the CEO can pull some strings. . .

An even bigger hole is her life after running away from her abusive father. Kim Ae-Kyung raised her from early teen to now. What happened there? I can accept she won't remember Ms. Kim when they meet again but who raised her? This is a different reality?

The show can make her forget some memories, but the show didn't alter history/reality en masse. The ML, Ms. Kim and Cho-Won all remembers her so there is no gap in their collective memories. Ms. Kim lived with the FL for years. Theoretically, her room is still out the back of the shop. My head is spinning.

Ditto, why did the ML’s mother remember her past life as well? Was she cursed? That was never explained. So many loose ends if you pause and think about it. All these are just put into the Too Hard Basket™ and buried in a very deep hole.

In the end, the show is watchable and swoon worthy at times. Taken in parts, it is a decent watch. Alas, as a complete package, it is quite vexing. Fans of the stars can roll with it, but it is a challenge if you are not. With that in mind, I cannot recommend this show wholeheartedly. If you want to watch it, please make sure to put on some industrial strength rose tinted glasses and give your left brain a day off. ;)

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Face/Off ancient Chinese style

I shall start with a mea culpa. I know it is unfair to compare two shows directly but because of its subject matter and lineage, I can’t help it. In fact, it is because of this lineage that I was excited to have found this drama.

The other show in question is The Killer is Also Romantic. It has the same director, period setting and short episodic structure. I have to say that I was quite impressed by TKiAR so I have high hopes for A Familiar Stranger.

To be honest, this Show is good, but it is not great. The issues are manageable but when taken as a whole, it is problematic.
Let’s look at the positives first. I do like the short format as it distilled a lot of the typical wuxia themes down to the fundamentals without all the draggy side plots or distractions. I really appreciate the Viki presentation because it thoughtfully combined the short 16x10mins episodes into 8 longer episodes ranging from 20mins to over 30 mins. It is still bingeable but more practical.

The central pillar of the show is the love line between the leads. That is very well done. The progress is logical and angst lite. It helps that the Show has a laser focus on the leads, and you can sense their longings and feel their love. The “daughter” is cute and wise beyond her age.

Now the issues. The plot is functional rather than well crafted. The theme is tropey and the writer didn’t push any boundaries. While the initial face change device looks promising and fantastical, it was an one trick pony. It came down to soulmates will always recognise each other no matter what. Other wuxia/xianxia dramas have taken this trope further.

The romance of the 2OTP starts out fine. Toxic and manipulative which is de rigueur of the palace intrigue genre. However, the show’s progression feels self-serving. It went the way it did because the plot mandates it rather than being sensical. It felt old school and contrived. Speaking of palace intrigue, once the Show gets going, there is very little actual intrigue. Just some snippets of dialogs and a bit of simple scheming.

This brings us to a key issue. The antagonist is meant to be an evil mastermind but while he is a bit of a homicidal manic, he is no mastermind. If anything, he turned into a weak and pitiful character. This took the wind out of its sail from that quarter.

I binge watch the whole drama in one sitting and I enjoyed it even with the caveats. The swoon worthy romance saved the show. A lot of its problems comes down to not looking after the secondary plots and characters. Almost as soon as the leads are off camera, you start to see plot holes and inconsistencies. A show of such short duration should be tighter and more impactful. It is still a worthwhile binge but not high on my rewatch list.

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24 episodes of fan service and 6 episodes of fillers

There are basically two ways to watch this show. Either as a fan of One and Only or a casual viewer. If you are in the first category then this is the best show ever and it will bring you joy and make you swoon again and again. If you are in the later group then you will not understand what all the fuss is about. You might enjoyed it as a romantic melodrama but you will more likely to find it slow, stilted and some scenes do not make much sense. A bit meh, to be honest.

But credit where credit is due, the show is good. It is beautifully shot and definitely a high quality production. The sets, costumes, lighting designs are all top notch. Acting was great from the ensemble cast. However, to truly appreciate the plots, sentiments and nuisances of this show, you will need to have watched One and Only or at a minimum a decent knowledge of the backstory.

The reason is that the story is full of direct but more often, obscure references to the prequel. There are literally dozens of them. From names, locations, scenes, music, paintings, poems, food, everything. Yes, you can still enjoy the show without any of that knowledge but it will be like visiting a house full of people who are constantly telling in-jokes and laughing among themselves. You can still enjoy the drama as is but your enjoyment will increase ten folds if you are in on the jokes.

This reference spotting also extends to character spotting. Almost every named characters in the prequel have their counterpart in the present. Some have similar roles while others have their alignment flipped. The show even go as far as stating that the ML seemed to be surrounded by people who owed him a debt from their past lives (an old Chinese saying and quite true in this case).

This brings up an interesting point, the reason why the original book was split into two separate dramas is because it is a no-no to use reincarnation as a plot device in c-drama and this is how the Show got around this "problem". Dreams and references to One and Only is now fine because the FL worked on its dubbing (clever and done well) and the modern ML's is a descendant of the historical ML's clan. So everything is squared away and fated.

Honestly, fate is almost too weak a term to describe their romantic journey. We are talking divine intervention level stuff. From their meet-cute to their growing love for each other, it is all preordained. There is no doubt that our leads are in love. They only have eyes for each other and cannot live without each other once their paths are crossed. This made the rest of the plot seemed superficial. Ditto the 2OTP, they are a nice CP but barely made a splash compared to our leads.

In that sense, the FL is the star of the show. She actually provided the glue between all the subplots in both shows. Even in her modern incarnation, she still subconsciously kept a lot of her qualities from her past life. Her likes and dislikes are all reflecting her past life. Her poise is always graceful, a little ethereal and nothing faze her. She is decisive and forthright when it comes to their relationship. She is sweet and playful with the ML and the ML only. She basically lived two lives without realising it. Ditto for the ML but more subtly.

I suppose it is unavoidable that there would be at least one antagonist and I'm afraid he was not up to the task. He was really a sad and tortured soul who made mistakes and did stupid things which ended up hurting his loved ones more than the OTP. You can't really hate him but a weak, pitiful villain is only marginally better than not having one at all.

If a lot of dramas use the last episode as a reward for their loyal viewers and load it up with fan service, this Show went the whole nine yards and it is filled to the brim with fan service (and Easter eggs) from start to finish. It gave the fans everything the prequel could not. PDA, skinship, loved-up banters and everything swoon worthy. The last episode is particularly egregious but a fan wouldn't care less and is thankful. 

OST was good but I think it was a bit overused as there were so many sweet moments that the love ballads were on constant rotation.

I would rewatch some of the sweet CP moments but skip the family dramas.

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A sandbox movie with a deep and dark rabbit hole in the middle

This "review" is unlike any I have written before because this movie is not about just watching the movie. It is much more than that. A back-of-a-napkin review will read like this; beautifully acted, beautifully shot, artsy, slow, a bit quirky but there doesn't appear to be a lot to it.

Wait, don't tune out yet! :) This is why I called this a sandbox movie. I believe that there are 2 phases to this experience. Phase 1 is just watching the movie. Phase 2 is taking your time to digest the clues, images, metaphors, etc. You have to play in that sandbox with the pieces given to you and look beyond the obvious.

Because of this, I can understand why this movie would get a lower rating. If you stop at Phase 1 then it is an artsy, quirky movie (see short review above). Some may just dismiss it as an indulgence especially if you are not in the mood to dive back into the movie after the end credits rolled.

However, if you get into Phase 2 then it is a Pandora's box! There are multiple layers and POV's. There are clues, messages (such as the hopelessness of their youths vs the Korean Gatsby's) and more. They point to different experiences, intersecting plots and even alternative realities! I have my own theory on what happened to the protagonists but I'm not going to discuss it here because a) spoilers b) I could be utterly wrong and c) you need to go down that dark and twisted rabbit hole yourself. Have fun!

In the end, I would compare this movie to a modern art installation. I appreciated the superb acting, evocative cinematography, multi-layered script and skilful directions but I don't fully understand it. It got me to think about it (and lost sleep). It will leave an indelible mark in my mind.

So while I can't say that I loved the movie because it is not a genre I normally gravitate towards (thanks LM for the recommendation), I can definitely express a deep appreciation tinged with a sense of awe and discombobulation!

Now I need a stiff drink and a good lie down. ;)

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It is more than an e-sport drama

TL;DR version: This is an amazing drama. A must watch. One caveat; if you hate gaming or e-sport then give it a miss.
The long version: this drama combined two fully realised dramas into one. What is even more impressive is that it was an ensemble cast of well over ten leading characters. All those characters were three dimensional and acting was great and on point.
With such a complex and interwoven plot there were definitely issues but the show just took you on such a rollercoaster ride that you just hung on tight and enjoyed it.
The promise of the main plot is some kind of temporal anomaly that linked the lives of two crossfire game players, one lived in 2008 while the other in 2020. To help identify the two parallel plots, I'll refer to one as -08 while the other as -20.
First we must address the elephant in the room. If you are concerned about the butterfly effect or time paradox then be assured that the show took a bazooka to them and walked all over their ashes. The show used the time anomaly as a convenient plot device whenever they see fit. All kinds of time shenanigans happened but they all seemed to have minimal impact to the timelines or the world as a whole. Just tell your cognitive functions to go on a paid vacation.
As I mentioned earlier, with such a complex plot(s), there were issues which you can either take umbrage or just shrug your shoulders. The perfect example was the recovery of ML-08 from a prolonged illness. Totally unrealistic but they had to take that route or the show will grind to a halt. Ditto, 2ML-20 which was all nicely set up as a love triangle for OTP-20 and he just disappeared after a couple of episodes. See memo re cognitive functions.
On the whole the 2008 timeline was better written and acted. It just felt more raw and gritty. It started fast and furious and didn't let up until the halfway mark. The 2020 storyline was more like a youth drama with a hint of "The King's Avatar". It could have formed the basis of a standalone c-drama if they wanted. It was well told and well acted but paled in comparison with the 2008 storyline. The 2020 ensemble was still strong but felt a bit cookie cutter (the cosplayer was a standout).  
Around the 20's episodes mark, it did turn very dark and the various plots took a breather while the writer sort things out so that the two timeline can meld into one stream in 2021. A lot of the personal relationships were resolved and cemented around then.
Speaking of relationships, there are three key pairings, one in '08 and two in 2020. They all grew organically and didn't steal the limelight from the main plots. Unsurprisingly, I found the romance of 2OTP-20 was more engaging and funny and they were allowed more latitude with their courtship with several really funny moments while in game. However, having said that, the kiss of the OTP-08 in ep.33 was one of the best c-drama kiss, ever. The penned up longing and passion was overflowing and it was so natural. Swoon.
Speaking of funny moments, it was very clever of the show to use a mix of in-game graphics but more importantly, have the real actors dress up as their game characters and do the fight scenes. There were some tense moments but some of the funniest scenes were done in that alternative game world. Look for ML-08 teaching the FL-08 the game and the bromance scenes later on. Classic, totally classic. I won't be surprised if they recreated some championship games as they were really good matches.
The villain of the piece was also done well. I am a bit tired of the tropey hidden mastermind or Psycho killer with questionable motives. The show's villain suffered a chain of events that got him deeper and deeper into trouble. He was nasty and despicable in the end but you went on that dark ride with him and can empathise.
Kudos also goes to the writer for putting ML-20 in a wheelchair. As a gamer myself, I have been fascinated by the idea that online games are the ultimate leveller when a disabled person can live a full life in a virtual world without hindrance nor discriminations. Ditto giving real gamers cameos and showing photos of past greats in the end credit.
One small gripe is the last 7 mins of the show skipped ahead 5 years but you don't feel anything has changed and there was no obvious character developments. The show hinted is that everyone just cruised along for 5 years which is unrealistic (not even their hairstyle?). After making so much effort to make the timelines feel authentic, those last few minutes just felt out of place. If they have done a 1 year skip and gave us an update on the team/individuals then it would have been a more satisfying conclusion and gave us closures.
OST was good. A mix of battle music, love songs and incidental music. High production value all round.
In conclusion, I suppose I am a bit biased but even if you tone down the gaming side, it is still a good drama. Definitely recommended.

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More depth than the first series but still prone to overacting

I watched the two shows back to back and while I enjoyed this one a bit more than the first series, I do find the first half of this show a bit annoying. Don't get me wrong, it is a fun watch and there is more lovey-dovey stuff than LiT1 but I don't like how the story kept setting Kotoko up to fail to get some laughs. That coupled with the overacting made some scenes cringeworthy. You saw it coming and she pulls all the faces and contorts her pose to put on even more emphasis. Seriously, she is suppose to be in her twenties and training to be a professional and her performance in college and in her work place is just so poor that how can they not dismiss her. It is not like she makes one mistake but it is the total opposite. She fails constantly but comes good for 1 test and she passed?! Both their families are so nice and loving.
I did find the secondary plots along the way to be more engaging at times.

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Sweet little rom-com with a fair share of clichés

This is a very easy to watch show with low angst and simple plot. However, this puts a lot of weight on the actors and interaction/chemistry to lift this beyond average. Unfortunately, I don't think they quite pulled it off. It is not bad and there were definitely cute moments and skinship (a bit wooden until the end stretch) but a lot of it feels very scripted. Honestly, the dorky ML genius has been used a few times and The Love Equations did it better. The acting from the ML here seems to be stuck in aloof or quietly happy mode but not much in between. All the tropes are present and quite obvious. The trope of the genius being bad at something then put all his efforts into research and then practice it (in private) until he get good at it is over used. The worse part of this approach is that it telegraphs the sub-plots all the time, including a VERY important plot development towards the end of the show which I won't spoil but it was definitely a facepalm moment (just how naïve and inexperienced can they be?!). In fact there are a number of facepalm moments which serious took points off in my view. The whole confession business was dragged out for too long and it became frustrating. I really wanted to slap him a few times and tell him to just say "I LIKE YOU!". Secondary characters were introduced and integrated over several episodes. Just when you think that they were there to spice up the story line, they disappeared or did nothing consequential, whatever. So there you have it, a nice, sweet, simple college romance drama with angst lite and minimal plot twists.

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