5
How To Seek For Happiness.
I might be the 0.1% of the audience who do not feel as attached to the drama as I should've been. It's not because the drama is bad, no, no. It's one of the most heartwarming productions I've seen. I would suggest Hometown Cha-Cha to anyone looking for an escape from real life, yet deciding to learn something about reality while doing it.☆ If I could summarise it, it would be:
A young dentist Hye-Jin, has a wake up call on the harsh reality of life after moving to the seaside village of Gongjin.
I had a love hate relationship with her character during the first eight episodes that I saw. It's ironic because I'm as closed off as her in real life with very few friends. I related to her woes of moving from a huge city to a little known town where you suddenly discover that many of the items you used to buy are nowhere to be found, people are more nosy and everyone are an overly friendly bunch who inadvertently put you in an uncomfortable position. I loved how she tried to mask her difficulties and attemped to change herself. Her character growth was gradual and a delight to watch.
☆ But, Hye-Jin needed a lot of growth during the first half of the drama. And thankfully, Chief Hong existed to throw a pail of ice cold water on her biased views about people and life. I absolutely hated how she referred to herself as someone on the 'upper elite' despite being clearly in a difficult situation and there were several instances that her own best friend (who grew up in similar conditions as hers) seemed much more perceptive about the people around her. This stark contrast between those two stood out to me and I still do not know if that was purposefully meant to be that way.
☆ I have to mention the one character whom I deeply respect: Chief Hong, the male lead and the love interest to Hye-Jin. While clearly portrayed as empathetic and a jack-of-all trades, two qualities that earn him the nickname "Chief", we see him call out Hye-Jin several times for her prejudices towards the 'common folk' and her stubbornness and refusal to understand the minds and workings of a local close knit community. While I 100% agree with her actions, I admire Chief Hong for his confidence in himself and flr striving to change her views. I wasn't deeply invested in their romance, which is definitely leaning towards the slow burn arc, but I loved how strong their connection was. I loved his openness and the efforts he made to make the people of the small town happy.
☆ The little town has a handful of characters whom we closely follow throughout all the episodes. They are the basement of the drama. We get to know their grievances and secrets, and see them slowly warming up to Hye-Jin in turn. I loved her interactions with them. I admit, I'm eight episodes in, but I'm still unable to recall anyone of their names perfectly. (In my mind some of them: Mr. Americano + Singer and his daughter Ju-Ri; Restaurant Chief who is divorced with a son, the Restaurant Chief's divorced husband who is the head of the small town, The Shop Gang, The Three Grandmas, Pyo Mi-Seong, Police Dude…
Another aspect that I loved about the show was how they stuck true to the genre. It's not just the leads whom we learn in depth about, but the supporting characters as well. I have to say, I enjoyed the bittersweet parts of the drama a lot more than the lighter scenes. I've heard that it gets quite tearful during the last half.
☆ Although I'm sometimes annoyed with Hye-Jin, none of the characters got on my nerves. There were no pressure inducing misunderstandings and most of the arguments would be smoothened out in a calm manner. There was something magical about how the most simple things in life can bring us immense joy and pain. At one point, it made think of quitting everything and living a life like Chief Hong's. Yeah… haha.
☆ The OST was fitting and had a cottage core ambience that perfectly fit Gongjin's theme. The locations were really scenic and watching the blue ocean itself left me really satisfied.
☆ As to why I dropped this. Slice-of-life dramas are not ones that I usually binge. (It took me three months to complete Reply 1988.) But, I also realized that I'm more attached to slice-of-life dramas that I could somehow personally relate to. While this drama has all the right emotions that are meant to tug at our heartstrings, I don't feel the urge or curiosity to know what happens next and did not have a strong attachment to anyone. (This might be because of how disconnected I felt to the daily life of the people. I found their struggles relatable though.) And the hour long episodes of focus on the daily life of the villagers and Hye-Jin pushed my patience. (I was exhausted watching two episodes a day and tend to fast forward a lot.)
Somethings that are meant to happen, would eventually happen. Just like how the drama portrays life as: Unpredictable and sometimes bitter. I can see why so many people love the slice-of-life genre a lot and this one definitely deserves to be among one of the best in that genre.
I bid a hearty farewell to you, Hometown Cha-Cha. Maybe, somewhere in the future, I might pick you up once again to bring me back the calmness and contentment that I felt while I initially watched you.
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Neither Good or Bad.
Boy.... I missed watching according to the schedule and completely feel unmotivated to continue after EP11. The more I thinkabout the spoilers and the way the story wove into a labyrinth for the sake of filling the episodes, the less inclined I feel to know what happens in the future. Maybe I'll pick it up sometime, bit it's definitely a Dropped from me for now. I'd recommed this show if you don't care much about plot or if you are a strong fan of the leads. I'd suggest turning off the "logic+understanding" and switching on the "only for enjoyment" button on before starting. Otherwise, I feel like so many talented actors (who did their job well) were wasted in this one. The script/story lacks direction and runs around in circles with the Deity system itself remaining ambiguos and difficult to portray. It could've been solved in 10 or 12 episodes, but dragged on for no good reason.
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I'm going to rate it a 5/10 for the first 11 episodes of the drama. 5 is me focussing on the plot alone and the overall way it impacts the pace and anticipation for the story as a whole.
What bothers me is that the writer seems to know where the story has to go, but did not do a smooth portrayal of it. We are at the 10th episode, and the only plotline that is actually in motion is the mundane love triangle of Tak Dong Kyung's friend Ji Na... which I am not interested in. The main couple's "throw-the-ball-to-the-other" keeps going on. In an episode spanning an hour long we get 10 minutes of important points about the leads, particularly from Doom and the deity. It is clear that he has a plan, but the story has yet to reveal what he is actually upto. The only character who makes logical statements is the female deity, but she seems to be someone cleverly inserted to give the main couple a happy/neutral/bitter ending. Unless you are a fan of slow plots and is patient enough to watch sweet scenes with the leads, I highly doubt that this drama is "binge watch worthy". From what I see, Tak Dong Kyung can choose to just take the surgery and live with what time she has, making the 100 day contract invalid. But, judging from EP11's teaser, we are going to get pulled into another maze of intricate ball throwing and decisions, so let's see where it goes.
I can see why it has so many polarized ratings - for a fantasy KDrama with predecessors such as Goblin and Hotel del Luna, the anticipation and expectation is really high. Once we set all that aside, DAYS is indeed a different drama with a an interesting plotline. Doom himself is personified as a living being and the concept of the cycle of life is something I'm seeing for the first time.
Fantasy dramas are either a hit or miss and I can tell that this one has a lot of potential to take either road. EP8 was slightly satisfying as it managed to cover a few important foreshadowings that could have been done much earlier. There are characters and conversations that are actually interesting: like the young teenage girl and Myul Mung. We get a mysterious vibe.
The main couple is ship worthy, but the erratic "toss-the-ball-to-the-other" plot has been a bit repetative and makes it seem boring. Another thing that I noticed is that there might be time skips - the drama begins with her having only three months left to live and then in the recent episode she tells that she has about two months left.
The acting of the cast fills up all the missing parts, but once we try to summarize an episode... there's not much going on there. I don't feel the urge to binge the new ones every week. I also feel that the addition of the friend's complicated love life is a filler of some sort, but if they had not been there, the drama would be pretty boring.
It has enough mystery and potential to keep me curious and I want to see whether the ending is going to be a thrilling, yet logical one or if the writers decide to do a cope out.
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Where the Waves Take You.
What happens when your carefully planned life comes crashing down? And you are terrified of disappointing your family?Well, Asagi Soramame knows the truth. With her grandma and relatives preparing for her wedding which is set to occur within a month, an enthusiastic Soramame visits her boyfriend in Tokyo -- only to be met with the truth that he was no longer going to marry her, or even uphold the promise of installing an elevator at her home for her grandmother.
Scared of revealing the truth, she decides to stay over at Tokyo and find a job with the help of Umino Oto, a struggling musician. Fate works its threads and both of them find themselves in a boarding house run by a rich, wise old lady, Kyoko-san.
While Oto and Soramame attempt to find their own successful paths, they develop a deep understanding of one another along the way.
*The overall theme of the drama as well as the aesthetics had a very calming and cottagecore atmosphere which did not tire me. This is more about the growth of all the characters rather than the romance. Every one of the cast embodied their characters well. I particularly liked Hiroze Suzu's portrayal of Soramame.
It was very easy to feel for such a character -- from the get-go, it is evident that she had been pampered by her family. When the rug of comfort is suddenly pulled from under her feet, she is forced to confront her future. She was fearless and daring, but she was also honest and vulnerable.
Oto was another subdued character of Nagase Ren's. He wasn't emotional, but his empathy was evident till the very end.
The slowly developing feelings between the two as well as their banter with Kyoko-san were some of the most touching moments. The drama also gave me an insight on how the fashion as well as the music world works.
The final episode was bittersweet, particularly when it comes to Soramame. She seems to be happy with the outcome, though, so I'll rate this one a 7.5/10. 0.5 points docked cause I was too lazy and distracted during some scenes.
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"Demon Hunters Tell No Tales."
Demon Hunter’s Romance or Wu You Du is the first serious Chinese fantasy drama based on a novel that I’ve watched since Lost You Forever back in 2022. Frankly, the mass release of episodes and all the fast track nonsense makes it impossible to enjoy CDramas, personally from my side.I began this on a whim – I am familiar with both the leading actors’ works and this one had been floating about since 2022.
In a nutshell, this is a work that had some significant effort put into the writing and directing department. It’s not flashy, but can hold your attention if you are curious.
Also, I’m happy to know that inspite of my short hiatus from the “official” CDramaland, the writers and creators still do not fail to disappoint me in the ‘Disappointment Department’.
I’ll dive right into my jumbled thoughts.
★ The Story:
Duan Ban Xia, the young daughter from a prestigious family has a secret – she is able to see demons with one eye following a freak accident that occured after she had been abducted when she was twelve. Her ‘accident’ is brushed off by her family as a dream and her visions are purported to be a mental health issue. Following several visits to Physicians and calming balms, her wits come to an end when she realizes that her newly wed cousin’s wife was a demon.
However, fate comes in the form of Jin Xuan Ye, a mysterious demon hunter.
What was supposed to be a transient meeting becomes a tangle of fate when Ban Xia’s father is found dead under mysterious circumstances and she has no choice, but to seek someone who would help her uncover the truth.
— The story is almost well paced and engaging. It mostly dealt with three major demonic mysteries that the team, consisting of Xuan Ye, Ban Xia, and the rabbit demon Chi Xue, came across on their search for truth.
The end of EP2 and the beginning of EP35 is one of the most beautiful scenes I’ve seen in a CDrama, particularly with the lighting and the music.
Why did I mention the word “almost”? If I could divide the drama into three halves, it definitely loses its steam in the middle half, where I personally felt that a case that could've been wrapped up in three episodes got dragged around a lot. If I’m being honest, the trailer focussed on major pivotal scenes that take place in the final bits of the drama, yet it never really took a central role and seems to have been stuffed at the end. Especially considering that its native title translates to Worry Free Ferry, yet we are never really shown much about it except at the final arch and one voice-over conversation.
More about the ending below.
★ The Characters and Relationships:
… are the heart and soul of the story. Not to mention, every actor on screen knew how to do their job well. Ban Xia is not exactly the most powerful female lead, but she was never annoying. Her relationship with her cousin, Ting Zhou (her maid) and Jin Xuanye are the highlights. I had seen Song Zu Er previously as the leading character in Legally Romance and I as not let down by her performance here.
Xuanye was a very subdued character (Ren Jialun seems to pick less animated roles and floats with the power of facial expressions alone) with his fair share of mysteries, but he was honest about his emotions. Their romance was very, very palatable and I found myself grinning like a fool in several instances. At points where I felt to fast forward or drop the drama, it was the characters who made me stick till the end.
The supporting cast was powerful as well. Particularly Wen Jian, Chief Chu Youhuang, and Commissioner Sima Liying. I really liked how natural the rapport felt between the characters. Even the demons had a past and personality of their own rather than being hastily assembled skeletons.
Particular note for the actress, Zhang Zi Xin from Reunion Inn who sounded like Esther Yu. I hope that most of her scenes were done in single or double takes because the amount of neck movements she was performing gave me a crick.
★ Costumes and CGI:
Costumes were unremarkable. But, I did like a few of Ban Xia’s outfits at the end of the drama – they had a cottage core aesthetic and simple patterns without being too flashy. Xuan Ye’s outfits didn’t have any patterns, but they were my favorite out of everyone.
CGI is passable, not too great, but just what I expected from a drama with such an atmosphere.
★ Soundtrack:
My instant favorites:
---- 大梦不醒 - Jason Zhang. [This was just ethereal when combined with the right scenes.]
--- 心之渡 - Sun Yun Ying.
--- 予你人间 by Song Zu Er slowly grew on me too.
The background music was not too memorable, but the instrumental renditions of various songs were beautiful.
★ The Ending:
I am honestly surprised that viewers are surprised by the ending – which is a very, very typical Chinese Fantasy drama cliché ending. I mentioned the Disappointment Department, didn’t I? Well, this is one of the features that the production team ticked off.
Take literally any Xinxia or Wuxia dramas and you get a plethora of half baked endings. So much that people are surprised to even get a proper denouement.
I’ve become accustomed to such finales that I do not care about anything anymore and feel zero emotions when characters are killed off/separated. Because this is lazy writing at its finest. Having such endings once or twice is fine, or even if the author intended the original source to have wrapped up in that way. But, when the same pattern is repeated multiple times, it loses all meaning. Which is exactly what I feel for this drama as well. I titled my review with a hint of what it reminded me of. Is it hopeful? Yes.
But, the entire way how the episode ended abruptly enraged me-- it looked as if they hastily put together scenes and conversations two minutes before the air time.
★ From the Writer's Desk:
An 8.5/10 from me for now, as the rewatch value is personally, not too high. But, this is the first Chinese fantasy drama in a long time that managed to hold my attention and care for the characters. 3.5/5 if it was Douban or a 7/10 if I am being critical, but then I’ll have to revamp my entire dramalist to reflect the change in outlook, but in a site such as this where subjective reviews overtake objective ones, I’ll attempt to bury my bitterness and let this one go.
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Bitter Nectar.
Surprisingly, Futtara Doshaburi is a rather calm drama to watch and relies solely on the characters to carry the story. It deals with mature topics regarding intimacy and communication.Hagiwara seemingly leads a perfect life with his longtime girlfriend Kaori - with the intimate aspect missing.
Sei's situation was different -- he was forever stuck in a twisted friendzone with Fujisawa, who claims to take care of him forever, yet doesn't allow Sei to lay a finger on him.
An accidental email had these two developing a rapport, which strengthens after they discover that they are coworkers.
I don't condone cheating, and there were alternate choices that these characters could've made, but they've (or rather Hagiwara) had been suppressed and confused for too long that he simply lost his composure and did what he did in the spur of the moment.
I could understand why certain mishaps happened, but it would've ended the exact way, even sans the cheating. But, this is a drama and we have a story to tell.
The OST was really good -- both the opening and the closing themes, along with the BGM, were apt for the theme. (The opening song is Bitter Nectar by One Love One Heart, which is the title of my review.)
In terms of acting and characters, everyone were able to convincingly portray their roles well -- but one highlight would be Muto Jun close to the end of EP5.
I was able to sympathize with them.
All in all, such a drama is a first for me, but I don't regret the time I spent on this.
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A Monster Calls.
The only Godzilla movie I have watched is that 1998 which, I would later learn, was universally panned by critics. So, this is my second Godzilla movie. (Or rather the first one from Japan.)What I liked about this is not the monster or the CGI, which without saying, was stunning enough to land an Oscar.
In the backdrop of a war torn Japan, a kamikaze pilot, Shikishima Koichi, who, instead of going to fight a losing war, evades it by lying that his plane had mechanical troubles. The island in which he had landed for repair is soon attacked by a dinosaur like creature and when he is asked to shoot at it using his plane, he becomes frozen with fear, resulting in the death of the mechanics who worked there.
He returns home grief stricken, only to find out that his family was wiped out in the air raids. Now, slowly struggling to make ends meet, he accidentally picks up a lady, Noriko and a child whom she had rescued.
However, he is plagued with guilt and endless nightmares which hinders him from moving forward. Fate comes in the form of Godzilla, which had now become even more indestructible. Shikishima decides to set things right once and for all.
As usual, Japanese movies make simple events seem touching and this one was no exception. It dealt with grief, guilt, loss and the courage to move forward inspite of that all. Noriko, who has just lost everything as he had, had a much more positive disposition whereas Shikishima's inner monsters a him mad.
I liked the simple banter he shared with his co-workers. The movie stressed along on human feelings. All the cast members were excellent and managed to invoke the necessary emotions without overdoing it.
The Godzilla was plain scary. The way it crushed and destroyed everything on it's path was terrifying. I mean, some of the dog's barking as it approached and people screaming and fleeing is the stuff that triggers your worst nightmares. And the radioactivity thingy coming out whenever it was pissed was beautiful, yet, frightening.
All in all, I really enjoyed the experience. It's one of the few rewatch worthy movies I've seen in recent years and it's definitely worth a try.
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Second Chances.
I think it's time to admit that some types of mature romances aren't just for me. This was the case with this show.Miyata Akihiro, a sincere and diligent editor of a business magazine by chance gets to meet his first love, Iwanaga Takashi while working on an article. However, he is still haunted by his previous experience as a teenager with the untouchable Iwanaga sensei, who had bet on their love. Now, as adults, Iwanaga once again expresses his interest in Miyata-san, who is determined not to fall for the easy-going Iwanaga-sensei again.
The characters, particularly Miyata-san is the reason I held on until the end. He was careful and cautious with his words and actions. I was never once annoyed or angered by his choices.
As for Iwanaga sensei... I have no idea about him even after the end. There was so much more to him than what was being shown, but I just couldn't feel anything for his character at all.
I enjoyed the flashbacks, but they seemed incomplete to the story, inspite of giving some glimpse into their past, particularly Miyata-san.
Both the actors nailed their roles, and the overall atmosphere of the drama was pleasant.
It seems to be one of those dramas, which I feel had a lot of potential, but somehow managed to miss me.
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Soothing and Memorable.
The trope of childhood friends falling in love is definitely out of vogue and dramas with recurring themes (often including the same scenarios) fail to impress, and rather irritate viewers instead.Kimi Ni Wa Todokanai falls in the same league, but with that magical Japanese touch of making the simple seem the most beautiful, this has become one of my favorite dramas ever.
The seemingly quintessential, popular and well loved, yet introverted Ohara Yamato has a deep secret: he is head over heels for his less bright and extroverted childhood friend, Ashiya Kakeru.
He refrains from confessing, but when Kakeru expresses his wish for ‘having someone special’ and actively seeks company along with his friends, Yamato begins to lose control of his carefully guarded feelings.
The shift in tone of their friendship confuses Kakeru and the two best friends are forced to grapple with their emotions.
The trope might be a cliché, but I loved every single episode.
Its concise storytelling, excellent performances and chemistry from both the leading actors, coupled with adequate runtime made this a simple, yet memorable watch.
Also, the BGMs which were ridiculously spot on, aesthetics and a sprinkle of comedy, friendships and sibling relationships made this wholesome.
All in all, I will be definitely revisiting this little journey with the characters once again.
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The Midnight Library.
I was fooled into thinking that this was some isekai style comedy drama, but oh no. It sits right up there with 'Oh no! Here Comes Trouble!' -- dramas which are disguised as comedy when in reality, they hold a much deeper meaning.The drama opens with a despondent 29-year-old Myung Ha (Lee Tae Vin) in a bar, reading his senior's soon-to-be-turned-to-a-game novel about a couple who finally get their happy ending. He is dismissive about the HE, and points out that Cha Yeo Woon, a supporting character with no 'happily-ever-after' is the one whom he pays attention to. His senior asks Myung Ha whether he would be the one to give him a happy ending -- Myung Ha soon falls asleep drunk and wakes up as his vibrant 19-year-old self... right in the middle of the said game.
His task? Save Yeo Woon within 300 (?) days or face death.
As Myung Ha tries his best to bring a suicidal and lonely Yeo Woon back to life, we slowly begin to learn about who Myung Ha is.
The gaming aspect is strongly welded to Love for Love's Sake -- there is not a moment where I forgot that Myung Ha was not even from the gaming world. What is intriguing is how we discover small snippets of his life through various incidents. Yes, Myung Ha's ultimate task is to unpeel Yeo Woon's various layers and make him choose the things he genuinely cares about. But, what does it ultimately bring for Myung Ha, who doesn't even exist in the first place? And what will happen, when Yeo Woon starts to develop feelings for him?
The answers to several questions were slammed down on my head in the penultimate and final episode, and I still do not know whether to be happy or sad. It was a bitter experience, watching them.
Myung Ha must've been one tough character to play because out of everyone portrayed, he had the most secrets. Kudos to Lee Tae Vin, particularly for the last three episodes because no one call pull of that feeling without understanding the character.
Cha Joo Wan convincingly played the role of a cold tough guy to an honest and strong individual quite well. I liked his sincerity and straightforwardness.
Myung Ha's two other friends and the little sister brought a sense of normalness and 'familial' feeling to what would otherwise have been a rather lonely drama. His relatiobship with his grandmother was what I liked the most -- she was the link which existed in Myung Ha's life, both the virtual and the real one.
[The Midnight Library is a book by Matt Haig by the way. Love for Love's sake, despite it's flowery title reminded me of this book.]
I think for one has to watch this drama by self to experience it -- pretty sure that this is the type of story that is either a hit or miss. Either you understand it or you just don't. It strikes a deep cord and might not resonate with many, but ultimately it definitely is a different story for such a short drama.
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"Follow Your Heart."
Despite the ratings, I think this is one of my favorite short dramas from Japan. I can see why it appeals to only a limited audience -- the leading characters are definitely not the conventional ones. While I'm pretty much accustomed to seeing the 'popular smarty pants' and an introverted silent/chaotic mess, its the first time I'm coming across characters who are both calm and composed. And the overall aura of this series is surprisingly dark/unhappy.Takizawa Kazuma has just returned from overseas and landed a job in the HR department of an advertising firm. To his surprise, he runs into his former best friend and first love Ishihara Ren, whom he had lost connection with when Kazuma had fallen ill in high school. However, the Ren he knows now refuses to indulge about his past and has changed his surname. They fall back into their old habits and Kazuma keeps his feelings for Ren a secret, even resorting to a friend-with-benefit arrangement, to keep it hidden. But, Ren seems to be hiding something much more bigger than he imagined.
The story has a plot, particularly dealing with workplace harassment. But, the entire journey is worth only for the characters alone -- if they grow on you, per se.
Saotome Ren/Ishihara Ren is one character whom I respect. Not because of how loyal he was to everyone he came across, but how pure he was in his intentions. I can practically hear my parents telling me why I should never fall in love at a young age because that's exactly what happens to Ren.
I enjoyed Kazuma's sunshine like personality; but, I do think that he a bit too naïve when he was young.
[It's lucky that Ren's instincts were correct, otherwise this would be a certain tragedy. ]
I have to say, I was satisfied with both the actors' portrayal of their roles, even if Ren's crying scenes did not have actual tears. But, then again, was it intentional?
The supporting characters such as Ryunosoke and Hide weren't just there to exist, but provided insights about the remaining characters. I liked how we were shown how both Ren and Kazuma saw each other through their own lens'.
The pacing was surprisingly good. The flashbacks from childhood that were interspersed with the current timeline managed to capture my attention and pique my curiosity. Both the child actors were excellent and well casted. I hope to see both of them in bigger roles in the future. [Loved the ending song, One Day, which seems to be more suitable for the darker theme rather than the sunny opening.]
I'm writing this review after quite a long break, so it's already a win that I'm able to recall both the characters' names and their stories. It might not be for everyone, but this was just an almost perfect watch for me.
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Bite Sized Slice of Life Series for Peace.
Following the tradition of those adequately paced, capsule sized, fluffy BLs, Love Tractor is not groundbreaking by any means. However, its charm lies within the characterisation and aesthetics, which were beautifully planned.Within the first two episodes, it's evident that Yun Sul, an excellent law student, has absolutely zero interest in pursuing law. He rebels against his father's wishes and escapes to his grandfather's village. There he meets the humble and honest Ye Chan, who despite leading a simple life of farming, is happier than most people.
The story has romance as one of its main elements, but what caught my attention was how every character, including the cameo-like In Seong, had a personality and aura of their own. They have a life outside of the bubble, which also plays an important part in shaping who they are.
Yun Seol, perhaps was the most calm, struggling and composed character out of everyone. We see the half of the show from his perspective, while the other half is from Ye Chan's point of view, which was plain hilarious.
Open as a book and innocent as a child, he was smart, but an emotional and confused mess of a kid half the time. An easily likable character.
The comedic timing of everyone in the village was awesome; the village head, Ye Chan and his mom specifically.
In terms of acting, everyone seemed faultless to me. In a manhwa like manner of course! I know there were complaints against the village head, but even he seemed okay to me. The Soundtrack was beautiful - particularly 'Rainbow' by Coldin. (He sang the OST of Semantic Error, last year's breakthrough KBL.)
Mind you, it's kind of a long drama; every episode increases in duration and the final ones were almost half an hour long. I appreciate the team responsible for this as the runtime was sufficient enough to at least attempt to convincingly portray Ye Chan's budding romance. (Ham was more mature and closed off, so I am not sure where and when he fell for Ye Chan.)
The last one I saw, Starstruck, had everything tightly packed into 'exactly' 15 minutes and it was deeply disappointing to see all that potential wasted. Sigh..
All in all, Love Tractor is a beautiful and peaceful watch to cool off your mind.
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The High School for Villains.
This is a 10 episode ride of total insanity, where I witnessed some of the most innocent and meanest students choose the worst decisions in the world in an attempt to overturn their immediate future.What I liked about this? The characters. I admit, I hated almost every single one during the first three episodes, but slowly began to get accustomed to their ways. Every single one of the students at the school are abhorrent in their own unique manner and I would love to meet their parents.
Oh Ji Soo aka Oji, a paradigm outstanding student has a secret: he is abandoned by both his parents. And to make ends meet, he designs a service... which provides "compensated dating" with a catch -- the clients receive exclusive security if things take a dark turn. However, his secret is discovered by his classmate, Baek Gyuri, destroying his careful routine.
Now, let me start off by telling that I had absolutely no idea what was happening in the first two episodes. I just knew that some really shady business had to be going on based on the users' comments that I had read a long time ago.
But, this might be where the drama's strength lies: it's ambiguity.
Ji Soo might either be the worst or the best character based on how you view him. How is he good?
** He accepts clients who sign up and give them protection along with a blacklist of people who are potentially dangerous. He never forces anything upon them if they are hesitant.
How is he bad?
** He is a pimp. Plain and simple. But, he was also, one of the most careless characters I have seen to date. Dude, if you are doing underworld activities, at least be good at it!
I understood his desperation and urgency. Viewing the world through his eyes, he is doing what he could to survive. Except that resorting to crime is not exactly what I would call the best avenue.
Kim Ji Hoon delivered an absolutely strong performance. I couldn't help feeling bad for him at times.
Baek Gyuri... the infamous female lead as someone mentioned in the comments. She has to be one of the most entitled "brats" I have seen onscreen. Why do I say so? Because purposefully messing up with someone's personal life is heinous. I hear the word being "human" and "real" being mentioned. I accept that statement to an extent, but there is a stark difference between being plain bad and committing something bad in a spur of the moment.
She is one of the well written characters. Out of every single one of them, it was she who was the most calculative and manipulative. But, the little cracks that we see through her brave girl façade couldn't convince me 'why' she had to seek out to be a part of this dangerous job. In the end, I felt that she was deceiving herself to maintain her sanity. The manner in which she handled issues was almost flawless and I liked the strange relationship between her and Oji.
The supporting characters, including Minhee and Kitae, were plain horrible. I grew to like Minhee by the end, once she had actually stopped snapping all the time. I adored her friendship with Mr. Lee Wang Chul (He was my favorite character.) It was one of those moments in this series where I felt that genuine care and affection existed. All the remaining relationships portrayed where plain unhealthy or ambiguous.
I couldn't find a single student in the school who was likeable. At least, whoever had screentime anyway. Is it possible that the whole school was full of bullies and gossip mongers? Why were there no genuine friendships? In the end, it was the home-room teacher, the police woman and the dean who has to deal with all this mess.
The soundtrack was awesome. I loved the main theme "Speak for Yourself".
I do not know how much of the events depicted in this is possible in real life. But, an elder sister I knew did tell me about a thing like this in college where students solicited for money-- often leading to awkward and unpleasant encounters when they encounter their own kind.
I would suggest this to anyone looking for some thrill -- it was slightly dragging and slow upto episode 5, then managed to hold my interest during the last few episodes. Unfortunately, I had high hopes for this one, but I found it a tad bit predictable, considering that the characters kept digging holes the size of Mariana Trench every other episode. The ending was quite fitting, personally. A second season might ruin the effect of the first, which I felt, wrapped up quite nicely.
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This was directed to promote members of TNT - Teens in Times, and they did a fairly convincing job. (To me at least.) It was cute, though I don't know what's up with the English title when the native one is a simple "Let's Wait for the Rain to Stop".
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Too Much Sweet With No Salt.
Aah... the age gap returns. Or did it really?After inheriting his Grandfather's local coin laundry, Minato Akira leads a simple and happy life. His life takes a turn when he encounters Katsuyaki Shin, a 17 year old high school student, who happens to have an intense crush on him. His straightforward advances and innocence enamors Akira, but also digs up unpleasant memories.
Honestly, I really liked the first two episodes, but it sort of descended into boring land very soon. Both the characters of Shin and Akira were beautifully written - everyone had their own fears and setbacks. I loved how straightforward Shin-chan was in particular and it was hilarious to see Akira-san's scandalized reactions. All the actors played their roles well.
Setting that apart, it did have other aspects of friendship, study life and even a sprinkle of Shin-Chan's sister and a few passerby's. Hanabusa Akusa was my favorite, unfortunately. He had a vibe and story that seemed more intriguing to me.
This drama is not a complete waste of time. But, for some reason all that sweetness and tug of war exhausted me and I found myself skipping through the episodes to make it to the end.
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Disgustingly Cute.
That's what I felt about this mini drama. Everything was just so cute.During his highschool graduation, Lee Wan surprisingly confesses to his bestfriend Kim Shi Tae. Only to run away and disappear without hearing Shi Tae's response. Seven years later, Wan is forced to face Shi Tae at work.
I loved Lee Wan's character a lot, but Eddie (Shi Tae) sort of stole the show in the last two episodes. Lee Wan's justified awkwardness combined with Eddie's witty comebacks was satisfying to watch, but I couldn't help but feel sorry for Wan several times.
Office settings are not my thing unfortunately, and about 90% of this drama is set in the office, which weirdly reminded me of Strangers From Hell.
Another thing? I thought Lee Wan was still in school at the beginning, and Eddie seemed to have been styled in reverse. He looked more like a highschooler in his adult life than in his school days. The actors were definitely convincing in their performance. Even the supporting boss and Sunny.
This is a bit of entertainment I would recommed for anyone who just wants to smile for sometime. Nothing new. Nothing deep.
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