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Japan really knows how to do age-gap romance. This light-hearted drama, albeit formulaic, has its angsty moments. Bratty, spoiled high-schooler, meets a recently divorced woman who is down on her luck. Despite suddenly finding herself homeless and penniless, Hayame still is tenacious when it comes to doing what’s right and wrong. However, because of her unintentional destruction of someone else’s property, Hayama concedes to Issei’s dice game of life. Although Hayame is reluctant to play along with the outrageous requests, she sees no way out until she’s able to pay off her debt. To no one’s surprise, Issei becomes enamored with the resilient Hayame. But so does Issei’s brother, to the consternation of many others fangirling over the inn’s young master. Though love triangles or love trains abound, we know who the end game will be. Although, I would have been equally fine if Seigo and Hayame end up together.
His love for Hayame spurred Issei’s character development, and there’s nothing cringey about wanting to become better (more responsible, more mature) in order to gain her affections. Issei’s grandmother and butler are adorable as supporting characters. Aside from the obvious references to the Cinderella-trope, this drama is a delightful, easy watch.
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If you are expecting a Prince Charming and a Cinderella-story from this drama, don’t count on it. I get it that not all heroes wear capes, because this one just flicks a lighter but doesn’t smoke. Yes, Li Xun is a genius in his own right, but he could be less cocky and I would have been fine with it. Right at his heels, Zhu Yun attempts to tame this golden retriever by chasing after him, like she’s herself a dog that won’t let go of a bone. The pacing is choppy, but manageable to watch. Cinematography and choice of music are good. The cast is diverse, so are the secondary characters, but all these good points do not negate the fact that I struggled to finish the show due to various factors. For instance, the inconsistent re-introduction of some characters who show up at odd times in the drama. I feel some characters are even under utilized (ahem, Tian Xiu Zhu) and just serve as props to the main leads, which is a sad fact because other stories could have been more developed.
For example, I would have been interested in how Ren Di’s band went from obscurity to popularity, or how her relationship with Xiao Liu evolved. Or even how Shu Miao took a legal path in her career, when she was a major part of Zhu Yun’s college days. Instead, we see such as useless POS like Zhi Jing be part of L&P board of directors and living prosperously, as if he weren’t the one tormenting Li Xun and Zhu Yun in their early days. Instead, Li Xun and his group were prohibited from joining competitions for years, while Zhi Jing could still pull strings despite being exposed in public.
Another case in point is that both male and female protagonists are unfailingly stubborn, sometimes to the point of infuriating, hardly giving leeway to anybody except to each other. They do this awkward dance where they are hot/cold towards each other, but with other people, they are self-righteous, if not selfish. I get it that Li Xun had a tough childhood, and Zhu Yun an over-protected one, but I wasn’t buying the cool-aid that because of their backstory, they expect the world to owe them something.
Yes, tenacity is good, ambitions are even better, but there’s a limit to which these things are met where it doesn’t adversely affect other people. Good news is, both Li Xun and Zhu Yun learned their lessons, over the course of their journey, to be more forgiving of others. Whereas Jian Hong failed, and in a karmic joke, life serves him an eff you, but Li Na, to her credit, stood by his side despite being given a reason to run for the hills.
Another case that baffled me is the fact that, Zhu Yun’s helicoptering mother, for all her scrutiny and apparently above-exceptional monitoring skills, failed to learn how her daughter ditched to study/work abroad to be with Li Xun, not once but twice is beyond me. I am not saying that I agree that the mother should control a full-grown adult who has her own right to choose, but I find this comically inconsistent. And how Zhu Yun, who is normally pushy when it comes to her boyfriend’s welfare, is suddenly timid at the sight of her mother. Also, the way Zhu Yun manipulates Tian Xiu Zhu to cover her whereabouts, without the latter getting anything in return but a “thank you”, wasn’t really supposed to be how “an innocent young lady” behaves.
The ending for me was anti-climactic, especially in the case of Zhi Jing. Are we supposed to forget how his behavior drove his ex-girlfriend to suicide? How his deplorable actions indirectly caused the death of Li Xun’s sister? Though granted, he did not inflict the final blow, and her death was more a result of a string of coincidental events. Still, he had malicious intent and his lack of remorse didn’t justify the punishment he got, but fully deserved.
For all its flaws, the drama isn’t bad, but not that great either. I only finished this show because of the rave reviews, but I didn’t love it as much as I probably should have.
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I should have known from the poster alone that this will not be some great masterpiece. But did I expect this one to be? Certainly not. I’m just curious how such a large age-gap romance will play out on the screen. Well, the sinister but ill-timed sound track certainly was a letdown many times where I anticipated a stabbing or two to take place. So all that foreboding knife-wielding was really there just for show. Much like the various ASMR of gurgling and brushing of teeth were actually people just practicing oral hygiene and did not carry some sort of symbolism.
At one point, I even expected the romance between Shinobu and Chiaki to go south. And I am so okay with that, as they later both took on separate paths and lived without each other for years. But aside from Yuta the son, and maybe Okano the Magazine editor, the rest of the characters were frankly unlikeable. From the misogynistic ex-husband to Chiaki’s mother, both battling each other out for “The Worst Parent of the Decade” award.
Then, towards the end, where each of these characters started their own monologue to tell their own backstory, but more like an excuse for their shitty behavior, I almost lost it.
But like some other rubberneckers, I can’t help but be glued to the screen watching this train wreck of a romance go by.
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Falling High School Girl and Irresponsible Teacher
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Though the relationship between teacher and student serves as its backdrop, it is not the taboo aspect that should stand out, nor does this drama romanticize grooming as some may be inclined to believe. They handled the triggering subject of suicide with care and caution, with the insistence that there is so much to live for, despite what one might think as a life-ending suffering. Mikoto felt that there was no more future for her after she was rejected by her first love when she encounters her teacher on the rooftop. Haibi Jin distracts Mikoto with absurd requests or plies Mikoto with off-hand comments to distract her from her goal. We learn that Haiba Jin was also once in what he deemed as dire strait, when his mentor tried to dissuade him from ending his own life. And it was because of this life-changing moment that Haibi Jin paid it forward and gave Mikoto a purpose. When Mikoto learns nothing is worth dying for, she develops genuine feelings for Jin.
There are many things in this drama that some people may find problematic, but the show is cognizant of these situations, for example, when Haibi Jin can be considered as stalking Mikoto around town, all he was really doing is ensuring she does not make another attempt at her own life. The show also mocks itself by injecting dry humor and reminds us not to take this drama at its face value.
At its core, this drama highlights the importance of the will to live for oneself, as much as for others, without trivializing the hardships that one may encounter as no more than experiences that one must go through in life in order to be stronger.
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The drama started out strong, with a formidable female character who is as resourceful as she is kindhearted. I enjoyed Song Yi as Liu Yu Ru and initially assumed that she will be a pushover due to her dainty appearance, but she held her own despite the circumstances surrounding her family. With a twist of fate, Yu Ru got herself hitched to the male lead, despite her fervent adoration for another man. For his part, Bai Jing Ting portrays Gu Jiu Si with all the playfulness when he was a delinquent and with all the seriousness when he became a high-ranking official. The two leads ooze enough chemistry to make their sham marriage believable. However, I almost gave up mid-way through this drama as it dragged through politics but I was interested enough in Gu Jiu Si's character development to continue.
I also liked the secondary characters, especially the brotherhood between the two kings and the friendship among the young group who were supportive of each other despite past grievances. Jiu Si and Yuru's benevolence knows no bounds, that it sometimes becomes a detriment to the show. Perhaps the message is to forgive those who wronged you, and people who make mistakes can get a second or a third chance. But just because it's a noble thing to do, doesn't mean that people should get away with murder and still be able to live their lives without consequences.
I feel that the final episodes were a bit anti-climactic for me and the drama lost some of its steam as it tries to wrap up some loose ends. But all in all, a decent offering, if you take a break or two,
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But before I digress further, I must say that this drama grew on me. I wasn't really expecting much from a cast mainly comprised of K-pop idols, but they are decent and you can see they are trying their best portraying their roles that are not too far from their profession. I enjoyed the parts where they were being idols: the practicing, the dancing, the music, the on-stage presence is as expected but nothing further given that they don't have much to work with.
A drama that tries to expose the dark side of the K-pop industry seemed good on paper but how it was executed was not. It is like the drama is trying to do so many things at once that it failed to excel in any one area. It is also trying to do a David vs Goliath story with a small entertainment company going against a conglomerate, but the end fell flat as nothing much was done except an article by a lone journalist that will most likely be forgotten by the next juicy gossip.
The plot suffered from the uneven, choppy writing as it tries its damned hardest to pair off couples that have no chemistry except for convenience's sake. But if you are willing to overlook all these weak points, and just focus on the feel good story of people reaching their dreams in spite of obstacles, then "Imitation" is not so bad as it seems.
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There was no character that really stood out for me as they each had their own strengths and weaknesses, but I have to admit that Xiao Wu became annoying after causing Tang San so much trouble because of her insistence to tag along wherever he goes. I was cringing every time she flutters her eyelashes at the oblivious Tang San. Surprisingly, I liked Lan De and Xiao Gang as the Founder and Grandmaster of Shrek Academy, how their teachings greatly influenced the "Seven Devils" in their quest for knowledge. Doulou Continent is not just a fantasy drama about spirit cultivation, but about found family and lasting friendships.
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Aside from the FL, ML, and the eye-candy Ci Sha as Mei Xing, the rest of the characters were pretty bland to me, if not ingratiating. The ML's mother was spineless against her ambitious son Wen Chuan, coddling him even when does despicable things. For her part Qin Wan treats Shi Yi like she's a nobody and a fly who hovers around her step-son. But it is actually Tong Jia Ren who buzzes around Sheng Chen despite being married to his brother, who is in turn chasing his ex-girlfriend around. There are too many family entanglements in this drama for me to keep the relations straight. There are some funny moments, a lot of sad moments, but this drama lasted forever and ever that I couldn't wait for it to finish.
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There is Shun who lived minimally after a set-back, despite aspiring to have his own restaurant. Then there's Ryuhei who gives advice to everyone but does not do well managing his own love life. There's Ayaka, the dream chaser, who does not know that it's okay if things don't turn out as they planned. Then there's Sachi the boss, who realizes too late, that somebody who is always at his side, does not mean she will be there forever. There's also the landlady, Kuoko, who does not cater to traditional views and become complacent in her situation when the absentee husband is nowhere to be found until after their marriage dissolved.
This drama turned out to be much more meaningful than just a light-hearted rom-com. It imparted life lessons on how we should live our life to the fullest, but also learn how to stop and smell the roses.
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Acting/Cast: Nothing remarkable to note.
Music: Nothing remarkable to note.
Rewatch Value: Maybe if only to clarify some of the scenes that suffered from poor editing or script writing.
Overall: The short film attempts to deconstruct gender stereotypes, by imagining a world where we can choose our gender as a part of a standard program, where identifying with another gender that you are born with, will be the norm, but the execution falls short of its aim.
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Acting/Cast: Surprisingly good acting coming from the titular character, naturally-talented kid.
Music: Somber and soulful and yet not overpowering.
Rewatch Value: Highly recommended.
Overall: Nothing remarkable if you only go by the premise of the story, especially for a short film, but the combination of all above elements makes it worthwhile.
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This review may contain spoilers
Story: Seems simple enough. Ex-lovers reunite in this short film. One has a family and the other getting married. Both men who I presume were torn apart due familial or societal expectations or maybe some other reason we will never know. Acting/Cast: Surprisingly not bad, but not great either.
Music: White noise.
Rewatch Value: You get the moral lesson of the story, is that you cannot regret or reverse the decisions that you made in the past and you have to live with that said decision.
Overall: This short film is trying its best to be poignant but falls a lot short from the goal. My only question is why would you invite your ex-lover to eat with your family, when you are so clearly afraid that your wife may find out what you were to each other before?
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What a disappointment! The trailer looked promising but the drama did not do it justice. The use of fake-marriage slash noona romance trope was wasted on this one. There a very few things I liked - and they mostly involved the lawyer-y stuff, but the rest is abysmal. What I liked: Though Yang Hua's mother is meddlesome, her uncanny ways of trying to outwit his son I find quite funny. And even more funny is how Qin Shi manages to foil the traps laid out by Mrs. Yang. I also liked the friendship between Yang Hua and Cai Liang, how odd their dynamic is, especially when Cai Liang tries to give the emotionally-stunted Yang Hua some relationship advice. How the rivalry between Li Dai and Qin Shi turned out to be a mutual understanding of each other's ambitious dreams. And there are the things that I didn't like: How Mei Mei is such a pushover to keep going back to her cheating scumbag of a husband. How annoying Wu Fei turned out to be. How Tang Yi manipulates Qin Shi despite being her employer/friend, just so Qin Shi could be her little lap dog. How the drama throws in so many conflicts that are conveniently resolved. Or unresolved. How the show tried to solve all life's philosophical questions by jamming in so much rhetoric about inequality, fairness, justice, relationship, you name it, they talked about it enough to fill up a year's worth of Sunday sermons. How incredulous that a top law agency would solicit somebody's husband as an expert without vetting his credentials, and as if Yang Hua was the only available source for financial advice. How Qin Shi's lies about her marital status weren't exposed sooner, even with such glaring inconsistencies. How the drama had so many filler scenes and dragged so long that I am glad that they invented the Fast Forward button on the remote, which I certainly put to good use while watching this trainwreck.
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Drama-wise, I must say that I liked the mystery-solving here so much better than the forced romance. Although there's a lot of skinship between the ML & FL, I didn't feel their chemistry. It looks like they are just going through the motions (especially on the FL's part). The secondary couple was worse and their acting quite atrocious. But aside from this, the plot isn't that convoluted and easy to follow (so easy in fact to guess who the suspects are right from the get-go).
The drama also tries to convince you that the evidence they produce aren't purposefully planted that only their merry band of investigators could find them. You would have to suspend your disbelief as well that the Prince walking around as freely as he pleases without much anyone recognizing him is possible. Aside from these convenient loop holes, this drama was a decent watch.
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THIS REVIEW IS FOR BOTH PART 1&2.I almost passed on this drama because I thought it would be gory and senseless like "My Name," which I dropped, but I'm glad I didn't. Although I did not find this "super amazing" like most people, The Glory, as a story of revenge and redemption, was quite good. I had trouble stomaching the violence that was shown in the first few episodes, and the scenes where Moon Dong Eun was subjected to a curling iron, but this made me so angry that I really wanted to see the comeuppance due to the perpetrators.
Song Hye Kyo is great as the long-suffering victim who is intent on bringing hell on Park Yeon In and her band of bullies. It was oddly satisfying to see how the FL calculates through her revenge plot, not by directly going after the bullies, but by infiltrating those who are around them for years. We see Dong Eun's practiced patience as she waits for opportunities like she does in the game of Go. But sometimes, this waiting gives way to frustration, especially when her plans are thwarted by the very people who are supposed to have your back (ahem, your mother-phuker).
As a thriller, melodrama, The Glory delivers, but if you are expecting romance, it falls flat. Despite the presence of Lee Do Hyun as a romantic partner for Song Hye Kyo's character, Joo Yeo Jung is at most a love-sick puppy following after the woman of his dreams. They are only lumped together for convenience's sake and their kiss was underwhelming. Moon Dong Eun had better chemistry with Yeon Jin's husband, Ha Do Young, but of course, the plotline won't allow such a scandalous pairing. In the end, the perpetrators' supposedly got their just deserts, but I can't help feeling that somewhere down the line, the vicious cycle of revenge will continue again.
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