Kate

The set, the scenes, the dialogues - it all felt empty and painfully staged. The story itself was rather simple, but fun to follow. Fish out of water scenario makes it easy to create some comedic elements, and Jun more than delivers in the role of Eun Ho with his facial expressions and natural line delivery, making the show worth the watch.

Seeing how the drama has a fantasy element and the whole background of it to explain, they truly wasted a lot of time on Lee Heon and his storyline. Who is there to kill him and why - truly unnecessary. Him being the abandoned Crown Prince that needs to hide to save his life is enough information.

Then, there is also the issue of Eun Ho just gives up on trying to find out why he traveled to a painting and finding a way out. Good few episodes he has been just chillin with the prince and his glam bodyguard, without making any effort to figure out what was going on. A few too many times I said to myself “What is going on?” for me to conclude the story was well paced and presented.

Not gonna lie, I did finish the show purely for Jun and his portrayal of Eun Ho. He was great with his funny, but realistic reactions and it was worth spending these 12 minutes a week on the rest of this rather mediocre project. Yoo Hyun Woo was fine during the soft and calm scenes, sadly, his delivery in more emotional ones failed to evoke any emotions in me. Kim Tae Jung was just there. With the way Go Geum was written, I don’t think he had that much work to do.

Overall, I believe this show would flow better as a movie. Watching it two episodes per week was a mistake. I am also not quite happy with the explanation of why it all happened - I feel like all we’ve got was “coz why not?”. Go for it, if you can binge watch all the episodes like a movie. You won’t be amazed, but it will give you a few entertaining bits here and there.

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(┛ಠ_ಠ)┛彡┻━┻

I think it’s fair to say I felt insulted while watching, for a few different reasons. First episode I did love and it made me extremely excited, but it went downhill from there. At first I kind of enjoyed it as a hate watch, but later it was just too boring, repetitive and not crazy enough to laugh about. Before you read the review know, that there are paragraphs talking about sexual harassment and rape (TW).

First of all, the focus on sex and impotence and magic potions that will make male slaves’ lower parts useless was just weird. The number of times it was mentioned and presented as the worst type of fate one can deal with… priorities I guess. I’d say, being tortured for years would be worse. They also had a potion that made Chang Ah horny, and it was used as a torture… yeah.

The lack of strong villains was also disappointing. What were the main characters exactly fighting against? More often than not, the bad guys and ladies had valid points. And what exactly were the motivations of the villains? My favorite part was how pressed was Cha Luo about not being able to do the do with her slave man. Like damn, the lady had some major problems.

The worst part of the show was for sure the female lead - Wan Mei. She had no solid personality nor brain. After the first episode I was hoping to see a physically weak, but strong willed and smart character slowly grow, take revenge on the bad people and fight for the good. I wasn't even hoping for an interesting gray character, because I knew this ain’t happening. What I’ve got was a dumb girl who had massive problems with understanding the information other tell her. How many times she was told it’s an assassin organization - and yet she was like “I ain’t killin anyone”. SHE WAS TRAINING TO BE ASSASSIN!

How many times she was told and shown what happens when you disobey the orders, and yet she was like: nah, ain’t doing that. And then she was surprised when the consequences hit her. She was smart when the plot needed it, brainless when it was convenient. She was weak at times, and really good at fighting at other times. I mean, when her targets literally commit suicide to help her, because she is not capable of killing them, it tells you what type of show it is. Truth to be told, FL has no real personality. She is what the scene needs her to be: she is smart AND dumb, she is cunning AND naive... I am confident, this show would be so much better without her.

The love that makes no sense. I’m still trying to figure out why both the main lead and second lead fell for Wan Mei. Fair enough, let's say Chang Ah did spend enough time with her for some kind of affection to bloom. Gong Zi tho literally started to like her because she was pretty and the first person he saw after gaining his sight back. His obsession over her never made sense. Him willing to sacrifice so much to keep her alive, even his own life? Bish why? He was willing to eat a soup made of a maid’s cooked face to hide the fact he is not blind anymore, but a few scenes later he just tells Wan Mei like it’s not important. His IQ dropped so much whenever Wan Mei was close. To be honest, she lowered the IQ of everyone that was close to her - that’s the true power she had.

Another aspect that at some point just started to make me angry was how fake woke this show is. They show this society where the females are the masters, and men are the slaves. Women are making the decisions and have all the power, and the guys are just supposed to serve them - the 180 to the usual historical styled shows, where the women are the voiceless ones. This ain’t good though. This is not empowering at all. Not to mention, with all the women over men rhetoric, male characters were still far superior and better written than female ones.

Female villain going crazy because she can’t have sex with the dude? Playing into women being unstable, unreasonable and overemotional I guess. The fact they literally said the scar on Wan Mei’s face is THE WORST thing that could happen to her was laughable. Yes, it’s worse than her being tortured for days, worse than her possibly dying, worse than her being almost raped twice. Or how Chang Ah was more concerned about that small cut on her face than the fact SHE WAS MUTE! Love the message here: a beautiful woman without any scars is more valuable than one who can speak. Because beauty is what’s important.

And then there is also the whole love for sexual assault. The show opens with Wan Mei being sold to a brothel and almost raped. This did not bother me that much. It was supposed to be tragic, showing how weak and vulnerable she is at the moment. Could they do without it? Yes. But it still made sense plot wise. The thing that annoyed me was the fact she was also almost sexually assaulted by Gong Zi - and people still shipped them. There were comments saying he just loved her so much he could not stop himself. Some even said it was hot. Don't know what is more gross, that scene or people’s reaction to it.

Then, there is a whole sub plot of a CHILD being sold to a brothel and being raped god knows how many times to the point of stopping her mental development. Years later, after being saved, she is gang raped AGAIN, while mentally being a 11 years old child. I guess the writers wanted to be dramatic and edgy. So basically, for 2 years assholes took her virgin blood coz it has some awesome "magical" youth qualities. And when she was oLd eNoUgH (13), they started to rape her. And now at the age 19, after all that trauma, she gets raped again. And literally none of this, and definitely to that extent, was necessary plot wise.

So… does this drama have any good points? Yes. The acting was truly nice - I am impressed with Li Yi Tong for delivering a good performance even though the character she was playing was poorly written and made little sense. Another good aspect was the soundtrack. A Lifetime Waiting For You easily became one of my favorite OSTs. Last thing worth mentioning is - the show is just really pretty. I took almost 300 screenshots.

Overall, I would use it to torture people.

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Love is two souls dwelling in one body…

And when two matching pieces meet, the audience dies. For dance you need the restraint of passion. Sugiki Shinya had restraint and control, Suzuki Shinya had passion and expression, together they completed each other.

Why did my 30+ years old self felt like a teenage girl when I was watching it? All these proper and perfectly delivered romance themes just melted my brain. The tension, the chemistry, the perfect pacing - what more could I ask for (maybe better editing for the opening and ending, but that’s later to complain about)? They gave me all and more.

First of all, I went into the movie with an idea of who the characters are and the movie slowly destroyed my misconception. What I thought I was getting is the free-spirited man slowly breaking the walls of the stoic and restrained one. Boy I was wrong. Who was breaking whom, when and why and to what extent is a whole big part of the storytelling that held my mind captive for two hours. The one broken by the end was me.

The dynamic between the leads was just enticing. The question of who was in control - be it of the external factors, the other person, or their own feelings. The tension was tensioning so hard I might have pulled a muscle or two. Suzuki Shinya was the unrestrained seduction that set the screen on fire, while Sugiki Shinya was the domineering force that grabbed all the attention.

With the limited screentime it’s an amazing romance with interesting internal dilemmas. I was so entertained and fascinated by Sugiki Shinya’s character that I could write a psychoanalysis of him. There was so much more depth in both lead characters - I went into it for well delivered cliches, but was surprised by some twists and turns on that insanely captivating journey.

For the acting - damn. For everyone who is traumatized by closing elevators after Cherry Magic!, fear not - we for sure do not face the same issue here. They both committed. Putting the romance aside, the thing that I appreciate the most was the depiction of hesitation and fear. In the context of the movie it had to be obvious for the audience, but clear to be something they wanted to hide and they both performed it perfectly.

I cannot speak on the actual dancing, because I know less about it than the actors themselves. All I can say is - I enjoyed watching the dancing scenes and for a clueless person like me, they were beautifully shot and delivered. For the music though - I wish they went less “cliche” with their choices. I am sorry, but River Flows in You should be banned from being used in any cinematic project till the end of the universe - it has Twilight copywritten in the brains of millions.

Visually speaking - they knew exactly what they were doing. This movie for sure does not give cheap vibes, even if they use “cheap” moves - I do appreciate the abs on the forefront with hips not lying. Somehow they still made it feel expensive and tasteful. Maybe because they truly did take their time to build that tension and they were not rushing any scenes.

For the complaints I think my biggest issues were the editing for the opening and ending scene - the clear cut to the title screen just punched me in the face for no reason. The hard cut did not really fit the pace of the overall story. And as I already mentioned - the music. Could have gone a little bit more creative.

Overall, I feel blessed. That was the holy experience I needed before Christmas. We truly do not get movies and dramas that are so unapologetically focused on the romance, tension and connection between the characters.

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Setting that was impossible to execute well.

I want to start with the disclaimer that it's a completely personal and subjective review. For some strange reason the first two episodes just made me feel extremely uncomfortable and I cannot even explain why, but I was barely able to finish them.

My biggest problem was the set up for the two main characters which led to a questionable power difference that needs good writing and enough screen time to execute well. We didn't have it here. With that, the dynamics between Shi On and Hong Seok felt off. Everything was rushed and I could not stop myself from saying: this would never ever happen in reality. This is just ridiculous.

Many actions done by the characters were there simply as a lead up for cute moments and interactions or for the plot to progress, but from a logical standpoint, they should not exist.

I would be lying if I said I didn't like anything about the show. Some scenes were truly adorable and I found the chemistry between the two main actors quite nice. Sadly, all of that was surrounded by too fast of a pace with not enough content to make it make sense. The plot wasn't even fast-forwarded to ridiculous speed. We literally jumped through time and space and plot points.

The character that made the least sense to me was Cha Soo Ryeon. She flip-flopped and did some massive 180s here and there, and nothing was organic, cohesive and fitting the story.

The acting was nice. Fanny enough, my favorite performance award goes to Lex, who played Jung Hoon - Shi On's dance classmate. The few scenes he had, he has done justice to. I also enjoyed Chu Young Woo's performance in the last episode.

Overall, it's just a nonsensical show. The performances were nice, the editing was ok, but the writing and directing just left a lot to be desired. If you watch it for the two main leads and their fluffy scenes you will most likely enjoy it, but if you look for anything that has a good structure of the story and characters - this will fail your expectations.

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I have the artistic sensibility of a raw potato…

and yet I still enjoyed the drama a lot. I can only imagine how much of a cinematic experience it would be for someone who deeply feels the arts and experiences it on a more spiritual level.

Jokes on me because I neither like the music style presented in the drama, nor this tortured obsessed artist persona Naoki had, and yet I loved every song here and even if I would avoid someone like Naoki in real life, I appreciated him a lot as a character. That’s this title's charm - it makes you feel emotionally involved and connected, even if usually you are more of a pop-girlie.

The music was the forefront of the show, the characters' motivations, the center of some of their existence. Can I relate? Hell no. Personally I find the ultimate obsession over your passion quite sad, hence it was at times painful to watch Naoki so deeply affected and connected to music. There was a level of selfishness under his love for music that I could not stomach. But that’s also what made him an interesting character and it gave me the ultimate question I had while watching Glass Heart - will he touch the grass or nah?

Personally I for sure gravitate towards more mundane and “normal” characters. While eccentric personas can be entertaining, it can also easily become exhausting. Luckily Glass Heart understood potential dangers that come with centering the show around “pure genius” and softened the dynamics with all the people surrounding Naoki.

Akane was not a ray of sunshine, she was the sun flare that demanded ultimate attention with her positive energy and determination that grounded Naoki and helped him get out of the artistic daze and focus. I loved this girl with all my heart and she was easily my favorite character.

Side note, but why was this girl so shippable? I shipped her with 4 different people and all of these seem legit and reasonable choices.

While Akane felt like the force that kept them going, Takaoka Sho was more of a pillar that made them stable during their journey. There is no denying he understood Naoki the best and had the patience of a saint. For all the bromance fans - this pairing will not disappoint you.

And then we have Kazushi who determined the structure and was the silent supporter willing to sacrifice his own goals and desires for people whom he cared about. As a soft potato myself I appreciated him a lot. He led me into the ghost ship that was destined to crush like titanic and I’m not even mad about it.

I have to mention Toya, because I need someone to explain to me why I even liked this rude ass? That styling was also a lot to take, and I did not even recognize Suda Masaki in episode one. Is this man for real? His ability to completely transform into various characters is honestly magical.

As much as I want to focus on the positive and uplifting aspects of the show like - chasing your dreams, found family trope, passion for music, caring for people around you, there was also some underlying sadness in it that drew me more.

The idea that your brilliance might be the downfall for people around you - whenever intentional or not. How deep insecurity and comparing yourself to others can kill whatever talent you have. How co-dependency in any form kills creativity and cages you with the thoughts of self-doubt. The hyperfocus on your passion that you are unable to see other aspects of life worth living for. The obsession is so deep you cannot even take a break - you rather risk dying with it, than live without it.

I truly appreciate how I was able to see the more dark and sad aspect of creative endeavors and how deep sensibility can create beauty while slowly ruining the creator himself. At the same time it highlights the importance of a support system and how slowing down, but being surrounded by like-minded people can be more rewarding than sprinting to your goal all alone.

Production wise this is beyond the typical high quality Netflix gives - here it felt far more intentional. It wasn’t pretty and flashy without restraints. They knew exactly what moments should be highlighted, what directing choices will make the viewers focus on the important aspects of the storytelling, characters dynamics and developments. And what’s most important - they knew how to use visuals to enhance the music. Also all, and I truly mean all producers and directors need to sit down and take notes on how to open a drama, because that drumming in the rain scene was a cinematic experience that perfectly set the tone for the whole show.

At the same time there were some choices I slightly questioned. All the guys saving Akane from trouble Boys Over Flower style. Or when Yukino started to sing at random moments - we get it, singing is your life, but you can in fact use spoken words to communicate too.

Now the music - slays. I love how much focus we had on drums here. Whenever the camera focused on Akane playing I wanted to jump from my seat - the excitement she experienced playing was perfectly translated to screen and infectious. It’s surprising how many dramas that focus on bands and music do not actually have good music in it. TENBLANK is basically a real band with real high quality music and I can 100% believe their songs would top charts.

I have zero notes on acting, because I feel like I’m not in the position to judge the perfection I witnessed. Name me one bad performance. You can’t.

Overall, this was an experience I did not fully relate to on a logical level, but connected on an emotional one.

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Why were they even friends?

There was exactly one normal person in this whole show and I hope no one is surprised it was a woman - Chueam. It was a mess, everyone needs individual therapy and couple therapy to barely exist, but damn it was also extremely entertaining. On paper none of the characters was exaggerated or unrealistic, but to put them all together is just a circus no one would survive long term.

Starting from the most boring pairing - Top and Mew. Playboy tamed by a virgin is such a cliche story I don’t even think it’s possible to make it refreshing. No matter how you tweak it, it has been done, and probably done better. Top was basically an idiot and Mew was painfully immature. His confidence backed up by zero experience was at times fun to watch, but more often than not just frustrating. The acting was also not it. Force truly needs to stop using smirk as a comma, and Book

Then we have Boston and Nick - the ship that opens the hell gates. Filled with pain and annoyance, but also a surprisingly good conclusion. Personally I believe Boston needs therapy the most, because he does not even truly know there is something wrong with him. I do not believe he is just this playboy who would have sex with a wall if he could. Dude is self-sabotaging without knowing while obviously craving actual connection. Nick was just a pure child who got himself into a mess, but came out of it so much wiser and stronger. Good for him.

And then we have fans favorites - Sand and Ray. Sand pretended to be normal and almost fooled me - that did make it a bit more fun. Ray though, as cute as he was, he also had the most serious internal issues that led him to more bad choices in one show than I did in my whole life. The guilt, abandonment issues, constant need for acceptance. Amazing performance from Khaotung, which should not surprise anyone, but I actually liked First’s performance more. Whichever someone preferred, they were both great.

Except for the “established” BL couples we had some mixes and mashups here and there, that felt like unsatisfying tease. Now I want drama with First and Force, which will never happen. Why show me the possibility when you will never deliver?

Truth to be told, I think I expected something even more crazy? I think the lack of any consequences washed down the story a lot. There was a lot of “what you did could lead to that”, but then it never did. I mean, the way they were literally doing crack (or some other hard drug), but no one was actually shown to be addicted. How lucky they must be?

Overall, it was fun and brainless entertainment. All the characters were awful, I would never want any of them as my friend, and I’m surprised they stayed as friends after all that happened. They don’t even have that much in common. Will I watch season 2? Definitely not lol

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“Just let your instinct guide you. That way you won’t get lost.

The moment you throw yourself into the unknown, you’re not adrift anymore. You become a drifter. ”

Imagine you are having a truly awful day, nothing works out, you feel like crying and giving up... and then you hear a really dark joke that is like a final blow to your misery, but somehow it feels liberating - this is how this drama made me feel.

I didn’t really like much about it, but it was a strangely appreciated experience. The characters were well written, but also awful for the most part. We are left with them taking the first steps to self-improvement and it’s unsatisfying , but hopeful at the same time. And yes, that includes Eo Heung, who also had a lot of issues he had to figure out.

The romance was a mess, the characters were a mess, the plot was a mess and it perfectly captures the essence of the drama and it makes sense. Why? Because more often than not life makes no sense and we are just powering through complicated emotions pretending like we know what we are doing, making awful choices and trying to handle the consequences.

That said, I for sure liked the second half of the show more. I liked how the characters started to create one cohesive picture instead of everyone doing their own thing. Wish we’ve got more scenes between Hae Jo and Eo Heung - these were for sure some of my favorites and probably some of the more impactful ones. I guess I would love to see Eo Heung catch up to them faster - less chasing, more bonding.

A lot of plotlines were left on a truly uncomfortable end for me. Especially in terms of the leads’ parents. It did feel like a deliberate choice though, not a “we ran out of screen time” type of a deal. These endings were unsatisfying for a drama, but understandable for real life. I guess if someone watches dramas just for the pure escapism, this show would slap them in the face with reality.

For the performances - Woo Do Hwan and Oh Jung Se for sure shined the most. Both performances were rather raw when needed, but witty and uplifting when the scenes required. I am honestly amazed how Oh Jung Se could portray the character that by all means would be seen as a country pumpkin, clueless and naive idiot, but with this performance he was so much for depth, warmth and drive to him.

Funny how I was the most excited about Lee You Mi as Jo Jae Mi, but with every episode I started to lose more and more interest in her. I feel like all the characters had clear motivations except for her. Till the end Jae Mi was shown as a character put in the context of other characters, and not once as an actual individual.

I don’t think I have that much to say about the production quality - it’s your typical Netflix production that looks pretty, but nothing really stands out that much.

Overall, I feel like it is mostly a show about overcoming your fears, whatever they might be. I might need to discuss it a bit with friends to form more in depth opinions about the themes, but I have to admit, it’s a drama that invites reflection.

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This drama is like a baby taking its first steps…

a bit wobbly and can hardly be called walking, but it’s such a big achievement it’s worth celebrating.

A straightforward criticism of the capitalistic world and social structures that exclude everyone not willing to act according to unfair rules. While some scenes might have felt preachy, the message was loud and clear, and sometimes this is exactly what is needed. You could feel the passion of youth in this project.

What the drama does phenomenally is making you care for this bunch of young people. Realistically speaking they should have been either dead or arrested by episode 4 at best, but against all logic, you just want to see them succeed and get out of it alive.

The acting! GMM truly decided to cast their best in this one. We all know Gun and Off have natural chemistry, but it was great to see them shine next to each other as individual characters, rather than just a couple. First was so good, at times I felt like he was too good for this script, or too good for this small part of Thai entertainment industry.

Production wise I loved quite a few shots. The use of different sources of light made some scenes extremely beautiful. Shots of two Guns were well edited - yes, if you know the actor well, you can see how the double used for some scene is different, but one has to be really nitpicky to make it an actual flaw.

All that said, the whole show was so serious and unserious at the same time, I’m not sure how I’m supposed to feel about it. Motivated to make a change and tackle social issues? Rolling on the floor laughing about poorly executed fighting scenes? How unrealistic the production was took away from how realistic and serious the issues they tried to present. How am I supposed to see baby faced Gun take down a few professionally trained highly specialized security guards of the millionaire villain? Him boxing once a week with his teen buddies must have been enough for training I guess.

Not to mention the frequent PPLs. I know the drama needs founding, but taking into consideration the anti-capitalistic themes in the show, it just stood out in a painfully negative way.

Then we have the flying parkour, Sing being completely miscast, the lack of closure - no, this is not how you are supposed to do an open ending or any ending. The power imbalance between the good and the bad guys that I was supposed to just accept as realistic, when it made little to no sense…

Overall, it’s hard not to like it. It gives all the right messages, delivers great entertainment, a variety of characters and point of views. Leaves enough space for the viewers to make their own mind. The acting was amazing, visually it was pleasant to the eye. It just did not feel polished enough - the passion should have been used a little bit for the good old planning, practice and production. Maybe some script rewrites here and there too.

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Went into it for a sweet romance and it’s mostly what I’ve got. Natural development of feelings between the leads and beautiful friendships were for sure the highlights. The issue was the second half of the show and all the overdramatic plotlines added. It worked the best as a chill slice of life, why add more?

The first half of the show is everything one might want from high school romance: playful, smart, caring male lead. Smart, positive and driven female lead. Friends with good comedic timing delivering a fun side romance. Plot touching on internal struggles like not knowing what you want to do in your life, wanting to both please your family, but also do what feels right for you. The chemistry between all the cast was amazing, the innocent jealousy, the bickering - butterflies in the stomach mode on.

But then something happened in the second half that made me lose a bit of my interest. The plot surrounding Zhou Si Yue’s family and how it made him hesitate and take a step back was literally enough to fill all the remaining episodes. Why add more to it? Why focus on the 2nd male lead after such a long time? Why add the whole “crime and business” related aspects? A lot of random plotlines were introduced and concluded in 2-3 episodes, so why even bother making them happen if they did not plan to develop them in a proper manner?

All that considered, I still enjoyed Our Secret for fluffy romance, heartwarming friendships and great performance from the cast. Honestly, can we talk about Chen Zhe Yuan? Because he aced the role. I am completely in love with this man right now. He was so natural in his performance. He made me want to go back to my high school days, and that was for sure not the best and most exciting part of my life…

Meng Jie Xu also did a great job with the presentation of Ding Xian. I wish some of her emotional scenes were a bit more… emotional? I don’t think the character was written in a way she would try to restrain her feelings, but that’s the vibe I’ve got a few times.

Overall, a high end of the decent high school romances. Surprisingly not cheesy, not leaving you with second hand embarrassment.

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Would I be able to see the person behind the crime?

It took me 3 days to finish this movie, it simply made me uncomfortable - not because of the content presented, but rather my thoughts, ideas and values. It made me think about a lot of issues and reexamine some of my opinions.

Many of us like to pretend the rehabilitation of the criminals is the goal, that the justice system should strive to make sure they can reenter society and live normal lives. At the same time, we don’t really treat said people in the way that would support what we think. The punishment for their crimes does not really end with their release from prison - they only face obstacles after obstacles even after regaining even partial freedom. How can they start living like humans, when they are not treated as such?

And that’s what the movie focuses on. What is more important - punishment or rehabilitation? How long should criminals pay for their crimes? Agawa Kayo tries to see the best in people, she believes people deserve 2nd chances and that they need support to live an honest life. And that’s what she strives to do working as a probation officer - be that one person support system. We observe her interaction with different parolees, how these interactions change both her and the people around her.

Arimura Kasumi and Morita Go delivered amazing performances that could break one's heart. The amount of pain, fear, but also hope - all so natural and clearly visible through their acting.

Overall, it’s not an easy watch if you watch it while reflecting on your ideas and values.

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One could mistake it for a censored romance.

I want to start by saying this review is written by an extremely casual viewer of the Tomb series. One that does not care for the release nor chronological order and never even attempted to try to grasp and follow the overall story. I watch it for a fun, easy to binge watch adventure, nothing more, nothing less.

What I liked about the drama? The characters and the dynamics between them. While this Wuxie did not seem enough “Wuxie” to me (compared to other Tomb shows I have seen), he did grow on me and his interactions with other characters were some of my favorites.

Zhang Qi Ling, or as I call him Emo Boi, was the visual cherry on top. Let’s get real - the character has not much to offer in terms of depth. Even if his story is interesting and complex, because the character himself does not really show much reaction to it, or to almost anything around him, what we are left with his looks, fun fighting scene and the (bro)mance with Wuxie. I am not complaining though - because of his extreme personality, his interactions with character are always fun to watch.

Hei Yan Jing and Xie Yu Chen were the other heavy bromance duo - at times their bromance seemed more like a romance even when compared to Wuxie and the Emo Boi. This dynamic was one of the most enjoyable to follow. They were both confident and skilled, which made them true aces of the drama. Not to mention the perfect compatibility of one wanting money and the other having enough to spend.

I do believe they did Ah Ning and Xiu Xiu dirty, and they could have been a more vital and important part of the plot and the story. Technically we know they are capable, but somehow they were always put on the sidelines…

On the good aspects - quite an improvement in terms of CGI. Not gonna lie, I actually like the bad special effects in earlier Tomb shows, but getting a bit more visually pleasing ones this time is a nice change. Especially appreciate the mixing of practical and special effects - this is the best way to get good results.

I can’t really talk about the plot in terms of good or bad, because I honestly did not pay enough attention. Wu Xie was looking for the uncle and following the clues, while at the same time trying to discover the past of his (boy)friend Zhang Qi Ling. Others getting involved, because they are either loyal, want money, get dragged into it or are searching for immortality. Basically the same story all Tomb dramas have. It is one long journey, so it makes sense.

That said, I know close to nothing about all the details about each Tomb and the importance of specific journeys. Did it bother me? No. I simply gave up trying to follow the story for various reasons (change of the cast makes it hard to remember the characters, the shows drop not in chronological order, some shows overlap timeline and it makes it hard to understand what happened when) and just enjoy each of these dramas as a stand alone ride.

The acting was good. Zeng Shun Xi did great, especially with more emotional scenes. The chemistry between the whole cast was top notch. I did at times feel like Xiao Yu Liang was a few times quite close to losing it and at least smiling, during the more funny scenes - the disadvantages of playing an extremely stoic and detached character.

Directing was one of the most spoiled ones I have seen in Tomb shows so far. I enjoyed the way they presented the lore with the drawing like animation and I’m sure I would appreciate it even more if I actually cared about it.

Overall, it was a fun ride. Ultimate Note can be easily watched as a stand alone show, and I’m sure it holds even more entertainment value if someone grasps the Grave Robbers universe as a whole, at least on some basic levels.

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Fairytale quality with disappointing reveal.

I have to say, I enjoyed the whole movie quite a bit, up until the end. Love the mysterious aura the movie had, the complex and hard to grasp relationships and interactions between the ladies, the obvious ominous undertones. And yet, the ending was disappointing.

What started as an atmospheric drama with horror elements that could potentially evolve into a fantasy dread, ended up underwhelmingly cheap. It’s like eating in a fancy restaurant, but for dessert they give you plain bread.

Saying it gives a censored romance vibe would be correct. Whatever was going on between Joo Ran and Yeon Deok definitely was more than just friendship - be it romantic feelings or just codependency.

The moment they started to explain all the “behind the scenes” and the cause of all the unexplained events, the movie started to get worse. When the villain has to almost spell their motivation with the dialogue, it means you did a poor job with showing the viewers what they want in a natural and gradual way.

I still enjoyed it though. The performances were truly strong. Not the last time Park Bo Young played a timid character - she gets the roles for a reason, she aced them.

Overall - beautiful visuals, decent scares, though number could be higher, great performance and well built characters. Sadly - weak ending.

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Was it a nice romance show with bits of slice of life? Yes. It had some awesome characters, even pacing, good messages and fun moments - it was just not tight enough.

I have no idea why writers still like to pretend shows like that can be 40 episodes long and it makes sense - especially if the episodic elements of the plot ain’t that good to carry the show in-between the main plot moving forward.

I greatly liked the relationship between Mika and Ke Lei - before and after they got together. It’s rare to see a couple in a drama actually act like a couple, being silly, joking around, all the great and fun domestic business. The show did lose some spark after they officially started dating, but that’s because the writers kept keeping them apart. All the scenes they actually shared were great.

That said, do I think Mika and Ke Lei are good as individual characters? Not really. Mika is a saint - the good, moral, hard working, forgiving, flawless. I truly cannot think of one bad trait she had that would allow for some nice character development. She was truly boringly perfect.

Ke Lei was a bit better in that aspect. Still ridiculously good, but at least he showed lack of assertiveness when dealing with people he knew… a few times.

On the other hand, I had exactly the opposite issue with the second and third couple - they did not work that well together, but they were more interesting individually. Qing Xia was fun and a little bit spoiled, Wen Bo was an honest and reliable guy, also clueless af. Ke Yao and Dr. Shao felt the most realistic out of all the characters, but their interactions together were also the most boring.

Truth to be told 2 duos I like the best to watch were Ke Lei and Ke Yao, and Mika and Dr. Shao. Positive family relations and uplifting mentor-mentee pairs are some of my favorite aspects of the shows.

There were also some annoying side characters that deserve no redemption, and yet it was given.

For the plot, except for the romances blooming left and right and some nice slice of life elements, the show does not really offer that much. Majority of the work related plots and scenes were either boring, or poorly developed - sadly they took quite a bit of the screen time.

Everyone delivered in terms of acting. I did question some crying scenes from Ma Si Chun, but it was not bad enough to complain about. Wang Yang was my favorite - I am biased though, I love this man so much. He is just natural and he makes every role he plays a worthy performance.

Production value was nice - surprisingly many aesthetically pleasing shows. Editing was also nice. Liked the set design, even if at times it felt ridiculous how these people can afford the places they are staying at. For the soundtrack, I honestly do not remember one song from the show.

Overall, it’s a decent show. Nothing amazing, but serves as a good chill after work watch.

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Your enjoyment will strongly depend on how much you will buy into the atmosphere the movie tries to create. Sadly, I did not buy it.

The 8th Night has this simplistic, sharp, cold, grainy texture to it, which you’ll either like or dislike. At times it might even feel borderline cartoonish or gimmicky. The directing and editing style does not fit my preferences, hence I did not connect well with what was happening on screen. It seems to cater to a specific type of audience, and for those who like this type of styling, it will for sure be an interesting and entertaining ride.

The opening narration serves as an exposition, but crosses the line of telling us the general plot of what’s to happen. Later, as we follow the main characters, the story gets expanded and the details are added.

Surprisingly, I chuckled a few times as I was watching. Some scenes were clearly intended to be funny, some were unintentionally hilarious. I might be desensitized to horror, which leads me to have rather unexpected reactions to scary or disturbing scenes, so keep that in mind.

Even though it was a miss for me, I have to appreciate the fact they stuck to the vision and ideas they had, without trying to please everyone.

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That was an exciting and at times sad journey with talented trainees chasing their dreams.

⇢ Cast aka the contestants
Chuang 2021 is probably the most culturally diverse survival show I have seen so far. Not only were there trainees from many different counties, but they also were on the run for the place in the debut team - they weren't there just to fill the spot and get international attention.

There were quite a few professionals in their field, bringing many amazing performances that left me speechless. I could see many trainees grow, not only in terms of music related skills, but also maturity, perspective and personalities. I must say, this is my favorite part of these shows.

⇢ Music aka the the performances
Sadly, I have to say that not all performances were good. Some were even bad, but that's kind of how these shows go. Few I loved, one I am obsessed with and watch daily. The biggest disappointment were the vocal performances of Vocal Group A during the finale. Most of the solo stages were of questionable quality. Lucky, the dance stages that followed brought back the hype and good quality.

⇢ Story aka the production
I have my criticism on this part. Because the show was quite short (only 10 episodes), the production felt rushed and not polished. I feel like we never got enough time to watch the trainees actually practice the songs and interact with mentors.

As for the mentors, sad but true some of them were pretty useless, at least in terms of skill they were supposed to mentor trainees in. I love Amber and she is a GREAT performer, but she is not a professional dancer, dancing is not her specialty and she is not known for it. There were too many trainees far better than her in the field. It was evident she was not much of help in terms of dancing, when all her mentor classes were about the feels and emotional delivery and not actually dancing.

Then we have Vin Zhou... again, a talented guy, but he does not have enough rapping experience to be mentoring other trainees.
I have no idea what Ning Jing's purpose in the show was. All she did was react to performances exactly like the normal audience did. None of her comments were insightful and it was stuff a random fangirl would say: "you looked so handsome on stage" or "you improved so much"... How about giving some helpful advice?

God bless Charlie Zhou, since he was the only person who truly tried to help the trainees improve. His vocal classes were full of useful tips and exercises. He was able to "diagnose" the problems contestants had and help fix them.
Overall, I feel like the trainees were left to figure out most things alone, and not much mentoring was going on.

Another small thing that could be improved and would make a huge difference for the international audience is adding in the subtitles the name of the person who is currently talking. They did that in editing for the Chinese subs, but not for English. It's harder for international fans to remember the names, so I see no logic in not adding the names to the subs.

There were some technical aspects during the finale that I was not impressed with: the backing tracks were way too loud, so at times it was hard to actually hear the trainees' singing and rapping. The audio quality overall was not the best.

One last thing I want to talk about was Lelush. Poor boy. People love to talk about how cruel these types of shows are, but then the same people pull a stunt like they did with Lelush up till finale. Many people who voted for him gave some ridiculous excuses, but at the end of the day they simply did not respect his wishes and treated him like a child who needed to have his life dictated by fans.

Overall, it was a fun watch. I am curious about some trainees and their future project, will be checking out INTO1 works. The best part of the show were trainees, the worst: fans and the production. I'm not completely happy with the top 11, but that's how the shows roll, it's impossible to make everyone happy.

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