smoky_topaz

Two tricksters becoming the ultimate couple to ride or die together

How to review a drama, that left you more than a little star struck, because it was just that good?
Where to begin?
A central part of my elation about the show is based on the excellent acting shown by both main leads but also their supporting cast. HMH often gets prejudged because of his extraordinary handsome face. Yes, he’s good looking. But so are most of his acting colleagues.
And there is a reason, he more often than not outshines the leads, if he is only cast as a supporting act in a production.
He gives his all while acting, and acts through his eyes, his mimics, gestures, body language. And can switch between a decadent lascivious persona, a ruthless calculating cold or a warm loving personality seemingly effortless. It is a joy to watch when he unfolds his skills on screen.
And our female lead LYX was a match for him in acting skills and chemistry!
Add the performances of the supporting cast into the mix and it deserves well 10/10.
The storyline and the multiple character developments made sense and progressed at a good individual pace well balanced between main and supporting characters without delay from start to finish. I loved, how they connected vital moments during their journeys in replays to either show the development and final conclusions or their steadiness in feelings and positions.
The CGI was a mix with moments I would have loved to see on a big screen in a cinema, and parts, where the deeper background reminded me of older animated movies. LOL. But these were negligible flaws in my book.
Overall the visuals were stunning and beautiful to watch.

** Potential spoiler **

A word about the final villain:
He might not be the most charismatic villain in drama history, but his story arc was well written and executed. So no loss I my opinion.
While I increasingly despised his character with a passion and was satisfied with his ending, I still appreciated the moments of grace shown towards his character by our main leads, especially by the female lead. It was deeply human and honorable and a wholesome part of the storyline. Thank you, writers.

Read More

Abundance with a literally whipped power couple

Currently I am rewatching the drama for the first time since it aired.
Time, to take in all the details I missed the first time around. Especially when another drama aired nearly the same time and had one in its emotional clutches.

FH is visually stunning. The costumes, the decorations, the actors, the supporting cast - everything is beautiful and color saturated down to the last detail. Add the amazing OST, and the first word, which comes to mind when describing this show is abundance.

From the cast the ML was the only one I knew beforehand from the drama “Hidden Love”. There I didn’t found his acting bad, but I wasn’t overly impressed either. But the whole drama HL was lukewarm imo.
Now here in FH?
CZY and CL aced their roles together with their supporting cast. No complaints. No notes.
The only one, whose acting needs some serious additional work is Chen He Yi. Dude, show us some emotions! Yes, you play a calculating, suppressed character. But where is the suppressed rage or grief or regret? Where are the micro expressions, the small gestures, the expressions in your eyes?
And yes, weirdly enough, I surprised myself, when towards the end of the drama I enjoyed the parts with the unhinged emperor of the opposing country the most.

Which brings me to the script and the writing.
Praise and compliments to the writers for the emperor character JingYan! Most fascinating role for sure and the actor nailed it.
The rest of the - again, LOL - abundance of villains could have used some more logic to their villain behavior. Their reasoning felt flat most of the time and more like a plot device. But overall the main story with its subplots was well written and played out at a good pace. It kept me engaged and entertained until the end.
The body count in this drama is high. Don’t start a drinking game to the words “k*** him”, because you will otherwise end up under the table in no time. 😅
The chemistry and romance between our main couple was there and believable. They spared each other in the beginning nothing. Including the whipping. The enemy to lovers trope was well written. Thankfully the FL remained a badass until the finish line.
Rewatch value?
Definitely. Grab your popcorn and enjoy the entertainment provided.

Read More

Sadly not sold on this one

It is one of the most mentioned dramas, when it comes to recommendations.

Now, after watching it finally, my impressions about this show are … well … mixed.
At the beginning it has gotten some additional love from me just for reminding me of my favorite MM book trilogy Missing Pieces by N.R. Walker.
There the couple needs to navigate the new and changed realities after a traumatic brain injury.
Gladly in this drama the injury wasn’t nearly that serious and resulted “only” in a partial amnesia.

I liked the cast and their acting was good most of the time. The MC conveyed chemistry and the shown intimacy - emotional and physical - was convincing most of the time. The only bummer here was the bedroom scene: if the actors don’t feel comfortable showing physical desire and pleasure in front of a camera, close the door on the scene earlier. Writing and directing should have found a workaround here. That part was awkward.
But that was still only a minuscule blip on my judgement radar.

I had my bigger issues, with how the story was told. It felt choppy and hasty most of the time with important parts missing.
Within 8 or 10 episodes the plot could have been given more depth, which could’ve brought more insights into the characters and their intentions behind their actions and decisions.
Especially the fact, that they had issues as a couple on a level, that they were on the brink of a breakup at the beginning, got nearly completely abandoned in the end.
These issues should have been addressed.
Yes, they were reunited at the end. But without resolving their underlying problems it is a HE without a solid ground to stand on.
That leaves us viewers behind with mixed feelings.

Read More

The freedom and strength in being yourself

I liked it, that we got to see ZLS in a more mature role for change.
The drama itself is well made.
It starts with a more cool and calculating vibe, matching the mental state of our main characters, who put up quite the front in the beginning for understandable reasons.
That changes with the divorce era. At the level, at which the masks are falling apart and lies are revealed the vibe of the drama changes accordingly. There is even a really silly part put in the middle of the show, which threw some viewers off.
But in my opinion - when we are in love, vulnerable, and off balance, because the relationship is changing and we need to adjust without putting up a front - we tend to be uncomfortable awkward and sometimes a bit silly while finding our footings in changed conditions. We are imperfect humans after all.
But the drama kept its pacing well maintained, and how the couple resolved their issues between them and the difficulties thrown their way by outsiders was worthwhile to watch.
I don’t want to say more because I don’t want to spoil the outcome.
I liked the drama and found it wholesome.
The casting for the roles was on point. The actors delivered. And the characters had layers and were all human with flaws

Read More

Not sold on this one

I am still on a teen movie streak, LOL.
But sadly this one fell short for me.

Since they are not blood related, I had no issues with them growing up as siblings.
But with the rest.

Zero chemistry between the lead actors.
As a viewer you should be able to perceive some level of pull toward each other and yearning between these two (it’s a romance after all), but there was none.
The ML characterization didn’t make much sense either:
Seemingly stoic and no issues with using random girls to distract him from his love to his stepsister, but a softie and an instant cryer during that break up scene with fake Mina. Huh?!
The 2ML was subtle creepy most of the time with his swarminess. 😐 When niceness comes with an agenda. Eww.
The only positive point in this movie was the female lead and the best friends.

The fl actress did a good job. And while Minato’s actions aren’t exactly stellar, they were relatable and without malicious intentions.
Which brings us to the story.
I have no high expectations regarding storyline, when watching a teen romance. But that doesn’t mean, the plot should be without any depth. There are movies out there, which are easy and fluffy, but are still wholesome and carry some kind of underlying meaning.
Not this one. Why was the cleaning quirk of the fl not a touch more explored and as a healing process more woven into the story? It clearly related to her brother.
No.
No recommendation from my side. There are better options out there to watch.

Read More

A Message On A Desk, A Love Mix Up - and the best surprise of a teen movie!

I am currently on a Japanese teen movie streak. It started out from a moment of nostalgia but obviously now I am traveling down the rabbit hole. Momentum still ongoing. Huh. 🤷🏻‍♀️ 🤣🤣🤣
And I am a bit giddy at the moment by how good this movie was! (The level of wow reminds me of “10 Things, I Hate About You”)

Yes. It has all the stereotypical elements of a run of the mill teenage romance.
But perfectly executed with warmth, depth and wit. The main characters are all flawed but oh so relatable and easy to love.
While predictable, the storyline still has some unexpected twists towards the ending and delivers some underlying wisdom without being in the face about it.
Fluffy. Wholesome. Entertaining. Likable. Excellent music choices to strengthen the vibe of the story part or even bring the plot to the next stage. How the songs got used reminded me of “Perks of Being A Wallflower” (Great movie, too).

This teen romance deserves its high rating.
Highly recommended! 🍿🍿🍿🍿🍿

Read More

A movie, which leaves an impact without making any noise

I am not really in review mode at the moment, so I won’t write much about the movie.
But I didn’t want to leave only rating numbers, either.
So, here I am. Hmm.

A citation from the movie, which I think tells a lot:
“My thoughts about the night:
It’s always the darkest before dawn. …
I think, humans have always felt some kind of hope in the dawn.
Without the morning, many life forms would’ve never been born.
But without the night, we would have never noticed the world outside earth.
Thanks to the night we’re able to envision the vastness beyond the darkness.
Sometimes I wish, that the night continues for ever, so I can keep gazing at the night sky.
Darkness and silence keep me connected to this world.
Maybe someone in another town is unable to fall asleep and waits for the morning to come.
But regardless of our thoughts and feelings this world continues to move.
As long as the earth keeps rotating at 1.700 km/hour, night and morning come equally to everyone.
As long as it orbits around the sun at 110.000 km per hour, there will never be a same night or a same morning.
Darkness and light, that exist only in that moment. Everything continues to change.
One scientific truth - ….”

I hope, it made you interested enough to give it a try.
Beforehand I was in a weird mood and afterwards I feel calmed down and in a better mental state. LOL
Recommended movie therapy 😅

Read More

A feast for our senses

10 minutes into the movie I felt regret already about not being able to enjoy it in a cinema setting.
This movie would’ve deserved it. Big time!

The cinematography? No notes. 10/10
The depiction of two quite different but equally difficult complex characters and their unique courtship?
Amazingly portrayed in all their multilayered personas by Takeuchi Ryoma and Machida Keita. The chemistry could melt any screen.
As viewer I got captivated by their performance from the start and didn’t get released before the rolling credits.

The story.
For me there were no weak moments or missing points. We got shown an essential major part of their journey with enough background story strewn in to illustrate their respective mindsets. Worked for me.
And we got released at at point of their storyline, where their courtship and dance goals are not finished and fulfilled yet, but an important step, which felt and was monumental in itself, was taken towards each other and their goals.
So I am satisfied with it.
(But wouldn’t mind a sequel on bit! Please, please, please!)
Their dance at the end - a statement couldn’t be more beautifully made.

Japan. You did it again! 👏👏👏👏👏
I hope, this movie gets the attention and recognition on an international scale, it deserves.
I was either smiling or cutting onions the whole time by the sheer beauty of this movie and my joy, to watch it finally.

Read More

Wasted a lot of potential

It was great to revisit our beloved couple TharnType. Therefore 7 stars.
TT 2 had good story parts where typical issues came up one has in a relationship.
Also a reason for the 7⭐️.

But it came with an overload of thrown in fan service elements und a bunch of side characters/couples I couldn’t get interested in.
It would’ve worked much better, if the production had invested more energy in the storyline and storytelling. More focus on a well told story arc about the main couple, a better music background (music at the TLC scenes were corny to the extreme and made these scenes a parody), less screentime for all these other couples (give them their own season or a special) and the wedding not as a special episode, but rather as the typical final episode and it could have been a pure joy to watch!

*** SPOILER ALERT ***

A great element in itself (interesting titbit of Thai culture) and as part of Type’s character growth during their relationship, was the shown ceremony to get ordained as a Buddhist monk👏👍 Thank you, writers, for including this.
The difference of how Type was at the start and this serene guy now - wow.
Will I rewatch this season? Yes. Already did. LOL. But with major skipping of some parts.
(Review from 2021/11/08)

Read More

Story could’ve been better with 8 or 10 episodes

Overall I liked the drama and got drawn into the story. I can even see myself watch it again at one point in the future.
But is it perfect?
No.
The acting was okay for me, the chemistry matched the plot (more sparks within the last 2 episodes).

What leaves me a little disgruntled are two points.
The first is the rushed storytelling overall.
Hayakawa’s messed up psyche and him sexually assaulting Konno could’ve been fleshed out better and should’ve been addressed more, than the glossing over with just a heartfelt apology (and an additional non consented kiss!) we got to watch.
Konno should have confronted him about it and cleared it up.
My second point of annoyance is a missing good ending. A kind of epilogue, which shows us how they’re doing as a couple in the future. A proper send of.
Hence my opinion, this drama could’ve been better with some additional episodes and storytelling.
So, all in all, since I liked it despite my criticism, 9/10 it is.

Read More

Messy, but it hit the metaphorical spot as an emotional rebound drama

After watching 3 costume dramas in a row I needed a change of scenery on screen.
And since LITC got me heavily emotional invested I was looking for a suitable show for the recovery phase. 😅
Stumbled upon a TT about Double Love, looked it up, gave it a try.
Luckily I read through the comments and reviews before starting it. That adjusted my expectations and I was prepared for a probable disaster.
Is the drama a mess regarding storytelling and editing? Definitely.
It’s has multiple plot holes, where we as viewers have to fill in gaps on our own. Thankfully some users have looked for and added links and a translation for the most crucial missing scene in the drama. You can look it up in the discussion section below.
BUT. But, but, but.
After I settled in for a bumpy watching session I surprised myself by liking the drama despite its obvious flaws.
A cute MC with a spunky FL plus very charming supporting characters embodied by a cast, who did a good job. As an easy, fluffy romance tale with cute and funny moments (munching watermelon as a running gag, whenever someone had juicy news to share) - the show had a lot of good and promising points too!
Only to end up being botched afterwards while edited.
It made me feel bad for the actors and the crew, who did a good job and brought great ideas and the chemistry into their work.
That drama wasted a lot of its potential.
But I liked it despite the flaws. And - like my headline said already - it hit the spot, got me hooked and I more or less binge watched it in the end.

My mind compared it with nutrition as an analogy:
I love my daily diet of healthy food, but sometimes you just crave some greasy fast food.

Back to the drama: I even see myself watch it again after some time.
Hence the reason I give it a 8/10.

Read More

Nearly more bromance than romance LOL

If you start this show with the expectation to watch a drama about a firefighter brigade and some medical ER personnel in a hospital and their work life and occupational struggles plus some slow moving romantic plot on the side, this drama is for you.

If you expect a show about the second chance romance about a firefighter and a doctor with their respective jobs only as background plot, you will get the dilemma either to skip parts of the show or to fight the urge to abandon it altogether.

Because the rescue missions are more or less the show. The romance? Within the first half of the drama nothing notable happens on their relationship part. Some encounters between all the rescues, but not much more. That time is used by the FL character to undergo some important internal growth. But it happens nearly unnoticeable for most viewers.

The romance plot takes more or less center stage during the second half of the drama. The rescues keep coming but it doesn’t overpower the romantic story anymore.

Overall - besides the odd pacing regarding the central romantic story I liked the drama, felt with the characters and smiled a lot.
The acting, the multilayered characters - no complaints from my side. I enjoyed the bromance and the friendships within these firefighters. Skipped a lot through these rescue scenes. That stuff is not really my thing.

That drama is wholesome. Give it a try.

Read More