Makes your heart fluff
I love how this Cdrama is all sunshine with a bit of rain on the sides. If you’re tired of a typical romcom with a load of stress and conflicts, this one is a breather. It’s refreshing to watch, the cheesy romance is seraphic. Although Mr. Green flag and Ms. Bubbly with an age gap are too good to be true, this drama takes a turn away from tropy cold male lead with a trauma and an overthinker clumsy girl. The sweet conversations and the relationships of characters among friends, workmates, and family members are all relatable and were portrayed very well. Plus, the chemistry between the main leads is over the top! They just look good together, you don’t even have to read the captions lol and the close up shots really worked its magic!The development of both the plot and the main characters is a slow-burn but magnetic enough to keep the viewers invested on every episode.
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A Story to Read When You First Fall in Love
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Gokusen but cheesier
More than the cheesy teacher-student relationship, I like how the story focused more on showing how Japanese education looked like. How people prepare and value it which impacts their moral compass. I find it very interesting and inspiring. As for the romantic side, the characters were dynamic and the love among the main leads slowly developed. It came out naturally and not forced. The actors just have that top tier chemistry despite the age gap in real life. I have watched a few Japanese dramas of the same theme and this is the most refreshing of all. Scenese were not depressing while situations were logically relatable. I like how it was able to balance the romance and the educational content. It’s like Gokusen but more cheesy and has lots of exams ❤️Was this review helpful to you?
cute but cliched
I only watched this because of Miles Wei and the current 8.4 rating here on MDL. The story was entertaining and cute but very predictable. The twists and turns were a bit forced, side couples took too much screentime which is totally unnecessary. They’re not even moving any butterflies anywhere so I think giving them too much spotlight was a waste of time. The ending is not exciting as well, I actually finished the whole thing waiting for something magical to happen in the end. But much to my disappointment, the last episode is “forgettable” as its title. Funny how the title is very generic, too! Overall, it’s still recommendable for wholesome viewing having a cute kid as part of the lead cast. Main themes explored building a family, pursuing one’s dreams, with psychological shenanigans on the side. Watchable but not rewatchable.Was this review helpful to you?
A drama breather, my favorite Chinese drama so far
I was randomly searching for Jdramas with age gap trope and this suddenly appeared on my screen. Upon seeing episode 1, I got automatically hooked on the storyline. Everything about it is almost cliche-- teacher-student relationship, living together, contract marriage, and the age gap. However, there's something in it that made me so curious to know how the story will unfold. I was hoping to see how the story would be different from the rest of the same tropes in the drama galaxy. And voila! I wasn't disappointed at all, it's worth to binge watch. Also, the chemistry of the characters is super legit. I have read the web novel as well, and I really can't imagine other actors to be playing them. This drama was like my oasis in the midst of so many good but stressful dramas. I was just on cloud nine all throughout the 24 episodes. No need to imbibe the toxicity and stress of the storyline just to find a show engaging. Super wholesome, you won't be bothered posting about it and recommending it to all ages. The only heartache I had was when I finished watching it and knowing that it doesn't have season 2.Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
Slow paced but nice
College life. Dorm life. Friendship. First love, heartbreaks and family relationships. Choosing a career path. Age gap…If you’re looking for these themes then give this drama a watch. The story is a slow burn but gives enough feels to resonate with each character. The side stories took up a lot of exposure but I guess this is common in Chinese dramas. The ending is surprising but not at all disappointing. Plus, there’s the three special episodes to satisfy you if you want to see second chances and the end of a love triangle.
I love how Chinese university life has been highlighted in this drama and I find it very interesting. The actors acted out quite well too given that the characters they portrayed were very diverse and scenese required them to show dynamic emotions.
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Stressful but you’ll keep wanting more
In my spare time, I lowkey write reviews in some secret websites just to express as-of-the-moment hyped emotions. As I always tell my students, its best to capture it raw. Lol.So My thoughts are all over the place and I don’t really have much time to write a decent review si I’m just going to leave here my fascination of The Red Sleeve. This may be a mess as I don’t have all the time in the world anymore to organize my thoughts 😂
First off, iIm borrowing 500 days of Summer’s tagline— this is not a love story. This is a story about love. This is a historical fiction based on the novel of the same name. I might read the novel if time permits since I usually love comparing text and media. Anyway, I won’t spoil those who havent it watched it yet. So I’m merely sharing my thoughts on this masterpiece but wont be going over the details. Again, it’s certainly not a romcom and I don’t know why in the world Netflix tagged it under kilig. Some bits yes, but as a whole, nah. I grieved. What absorbed me the most is the thought provoking message of the themes presented kn the story. There’s actually a lot to talk about. The fl to begin with is such a revolutionary role. And again, she’s a real person. She really existed and was rightfully glorified by the script. There’s also a lot of action in it, politics, rebellion, friendship, culture, ideals, and many more. But what drives the whole story is the steong depiction of The push and pull of love and duty. If fairytales taught us that love conquers all, TRS showed the bittersweet reality of choosing love and the consequences that come with it. Most dramas with boss-servant couple easily taught us that to be swayed by the former is the ultimate goal, as if it’s where all the good stuff will start happening. but here it’s quite the contrary, It acknowledges the ugly truth of being chosen by the prince charming is not that charming after all. The story also questions man’s capacity to exhaust all means to get a hold of love despite knowing well that that there’s an eternity of doubt and sacrifices that follow. There are so many questions to ask after the last episode. Was it all a dream or a memory? Did the main characters gain or lose? And going back to “love”, which face of love is the strongest of all? Is it the love for oneself? Filial love? Patriotism? Loyalty to the system? Did love change them or they manipulated love as they wish? it ended ambiguously. It wasn’t happy nor sad, but borderline depressing. lol.
I’ve watched a lot since my pregnancy to either keep me awake or lull me to sleep, from anime to movies, c, K, and JDramas, jumping from one genre to another. I’ve seen a lot and I would say this is my number 1 drama this year. They specifically call this type of kdrama saeguk. I’ve seen classics of my time like Jewel in the Palace, Jumonh and Hwang Jininbut didnt really like the platform back then since I’m too young for some serious stuff. I like watching hollywood period dramas though just not Korean in particular so I would say this is a first taste for me. I’m more familiar with the Japanese, planning to watch at least one Chinese if I feel like going after their standard 30+ eps, but I like to have them three compared soon.
So I dnt know if Saeguks are really riveting as as this one since they hold the magic of true historical events. But I hate how the show haunts me more now that I’ve finished it. The plot, the characters’ portrayal, their character development and the conversations they carried out, they all linger. The exchange of lines also got me so hooked and I was always waiting for the caption, thinking about how would each character uniquely deliver their words. I recall one review from MDL, the last few episodes are more on tell than show and I find it truly captivating as if I’m reading from a novel. I have read many reviews on Tumblr too and I like how there are so many angles it could be viewed from. I’m four years late to react so I’m also afraid that my thoughts might appear copied elsewhere. I could have joined reddit discussion too if time’s being gracious. Anyway, what I just want to finally do is to bring this in the classroom to end my TRS fever. I wonder how many of the students I’m about to meet in my class are already or would be interested to discuss the elements of this drama. I hope they would be reminded that love is not all about chocolates, roses, butterflies and kilig— it’s more like rose water abs and will DearDiary you. Char. Got those from a Tumblr review haha. So many hilarious remarks over there than MDL but what’s funnier is that I’m crying bc this is just so messy 😭 typed all these while breastfeeding my little one haha
don’t know why in the world Netflix tagged it under kilig.
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The best medicine for a happy heart
I found this drama interesting when I first read its synopsis online. And as I expected, I was hooked just after watching the first episode. I like how Cdrama is always opening new worlds to me, and this is actually the first one related to medicine. I now admire TCM, and much love for the story for making it the central theme.I was also very much absorbed to read the medicinal plant introduced in each episode. The story isn’t all about butterflies but truly about valuing the stomach that will house the butterflies. 😁 I suddenly felt healthier after finding out so much about TCM.
I like both actors too! watch the girl from Casual & Perfect then the boy form Our Generation. I super love the former while I got bored on the latter. Still, both are very attractive and they fit right in romcoms. Their chemistry is undeniable, they look so good together that it hurts! 😭
As for the romantic flow of events, I also like how the story portrayed adult relationships. High school romance is timeless and will always make us giddy, but this one also successfully made me fall in love with matured people being responsible in their love life as they balance it with work and family commitments. And again, health issues on the side— very adult haha.
all in all, I really love The Best Thing. It’s refreshing, light and super feel-good! A perfect watch after a stressful Kdrama with heavy scenes. This will probably be my new fave Cdrama after Perfect & Casual and Hidden Love. ❤️
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not just another superhero on tv
I like how cliche everything was but at the same time, the scenes were surprisingly unpredictable. You know how things go with the good vs the bad, but each episode offers more twists and turns. It’s not just your regular superhero story since it presented how super powers can be a pain in the ass very early, that’s why it will keep you guessing deeper conflicts despite a slow and boring start. The cast was amazing as well, took me a long time to choose who’s hotter between Chae Min & Jun Ho 😍well, of course, it’s always Jun Ho!Was this review helpful to you?
NAKATSU FOREVER
I suddenly felt like I need to have a good laugh and so I rewatched Hana Kimi (Japanese) after 16 looong years. And guess what? I was still surprised with the over-the-top humor. The comical level is so malala, it’s still incomparable to any romcoms. Oh no, I feel nostalgic rn 🥹 This piece actually ignited my love for Japanese dramas. Having been heavily influenced by its absurdity, I have also penned a few scripts in college inserting the said kind of comedic tone but at the same time balancing it with local wits and kabaliwan of Bob Ong (Whom I’m also a fan of). Well, that’s a fun throwback for me! Hmmm I’m just starting to question my maturity and sense of humor now that I’m 30. Oh crap! 😂 Hey, no judgments to any manga reading and anime loving adults here! 😏Was this review helpful to you?
I rewatched after 14 years
I was a fan of the anime first and then I tried to read some parts of the manga before I discovered that there’s also this live action adaptation. After more than a decade, I felt stressed watching dramas rife with tropes so I tried rewatching comedic dramas I loved in high school. I started with Hana Kimi (Japan) and then I finally had time to rewatch Yamato. And I wasn’t disappointed. The laughs I had were very refreshing!I was surprised to still find it very entertaining (anime’s more hilarious because of more nonsensical elements) and funny how I think I understand the themes explored this time compared to how I viewed it before. Loving oneself, being honest with self and friends, expressing feelings, treasuring friendship, embracing indifferences, discovering love, and others were some of the themes shed light on. More than the hilarious acts, I also liked how the show balanced it with the drama and the serious dialogues.
The opening song was so absorbing that I never skipped it, not even once. For years, I kept it in my playlist. Same goes for the anime’s OST. As for the cast, they were perfectly chosen for the role. I love how Kazuya brought grumpy Kyohei into life. Just perfect! While the actress who played Sunako acted it out well too. For the setting, the entire setup is cozy- from the mansion to the cafe. I don’t know but Japanese dramas always have this effect on me. I always feel at home in their locations. Setups were always emphasized in episodes and the camera would always focus on the whole environment. The places shown in the show just gave me another dose of nostlagia.
Watching Yamato Nadeshiko once again, made me feel super nostalgic. It holds a special place in my heart and knowing that it has the same impact to me just means that it’s such an amazing drama. Plus, it’s a wholesome watch! 🖤
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