Kate

I have no issue with pure fluff dramas, but they have no issue being this long.

I think this show is actually kind of like Chinese medicine - you won’t get spectacular results, but it will sooth your mind and heart. But it also somehow left a bitter aftertaste in my mouth.

I do think this is a rather nicely delivered and healthy romance and great chemistry. The progression of feelings between Su Ye and Xi Fan had such the right pace. I enjoyed Xi Fan’s friends. Loved her family. Even though I am not convinced with the practice of traditional Chinese medicine, I think they did an amazing job with balancing it with western medicine - showing the pros and cons of both in the larger picture (and not claiming TCM can cure cancer or something). And if the drama was truly just them falling in love and some background progression at work, with less characters, that would in fact be a great drama for me.

Sadly, I think my biggest issue was the fact it was not really a pure fluff feel-good type of a show. Both leads had to deal with truly serious issues that were negatively impacting their lives, but these issues were introduced, not developed and then had a quick closure. So I could neither just chill watching the drama, nor I could get in depth about the themes they were introducing. Because they never truly explored these conflicts and issues and just glossed over them, the whole show just felt flat.

Then we have the difference in quality of writing between Su Ye and Xi Fan. One was a layered character with real flaws, real struggles and nice development (Xi Fan), one was stagnant with no versatility, too perfect to exist (Su Ye). By all means he felt like a supporting character for Xi Fan’s story. And while I was also in love with him at first, at some point I wanted to see a little bit more.

The acting was great. I wouldn’t say I was especially amazed by any of the performances (it’s not the best of the year type of situation), but they for sure satisfied me. The chemistry between Zhang Ling He and Xu Ruo Han was refreshingly natural.

Production wise, I for sure loved the little addition of herbs description at the beginning of each episode - took screenshots of every one of them. I do think they overdone the slow motion candy sweet romance styling for some scenes though.

Overall, I know many people loved it, so did I at first. But the drama lost me somewhere in the middle and I never got back on the hype train.

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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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Too safe and too commercial.

There was nothing outstanding about the show. I’m not gonna remember any scenes from it in a month, because everything was just lukewarm and bland. And it truly pains me to say that.

I think my biggest issue is how for many scenes I did not feel like I’m watching Atom and Kongthap, but rather Fourth and Gemini. The further into the show we’ve got, the characters seemed less similar to how they were initially introduced. Atom was not really timid and clumsy and Kongthap went from not understanding what love is, to being pro in a relationship. I was watching Fourth and Gemini have fun playing around and flirting on screen, rather than two fictional characters and their story. And it completely took me out of the show.

Don’t kill me, but the whole drama I kept thinking: where did Fourth and Gemini’s acting skill go? Took a break? Deserved vacation? I loved them in the previous dramas, but here everything seemed… forced, some lines robotic. That said, Some of this seems to be the editing issue - leaving too much pause between lines made some dialogues sound unnatural. There were scenes that were great, but if I had to talk overall, it was more ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Since I kept seeing the actors behind these characters, I could not connect to the presented story at all. I stopped caring for their romance and individual journeys, even with how relatable they might have been on paper.

And the drama does tackle a lot of issues and concerns of youth. One that I especially appreciate is the conflict between following your friends and loved ones and following your passions and dreams. Should you pick a school that would let you cherish the closed ones and spend more time with them, or the school that would be best for your individual goals and improvement? How will you approach that dilemma? How will you deal with the aftermath of whatever choice you make?

What’s more to like? I did enjoy the second couple quite a lot. I found them to be more refreshing, cute and funny. Their scenes for sure stood out more.

Production wise it was good if we are talking about set design, directing. I have one question though - how low are the payments for PPLs for them to need so many? I felt like I was watching ad after ad, as if the show was created around different advertisements rather than these product placements being smoothly incorporated into the plot. You already have 4-5 different ads before each part starts…

Overall, I think we are passed the “nothing was wrong” standard and we can expect more and this show just simply did not meet my expectations.

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When the victim becomes the perpetrator.

Can trauma and growing up in a toxic environment excuse someone’s awful actions? If yes, then no one is guilty in this show. From my perspective, this show quite well presents how a person can be both the victim and the perpetrator and society should make sure not to ignore their tragic past while also acknowledging their horrific actions in the present and punishing them for them.

This is not a story about righteous characters - there are no heroes. With how dramatic and excessive everyone’s actions were, it’s hard to even call them gray. It’s a journey into madness. It presents an interesting dilemma - up till which point a person is a victim that needs help, and when exactly can we see them as perpetrators that need to be stopped and punished? Can you still be called a victim if you yourself create more victims?

Not gonna lie, what started as a “fun revenge story”, ended on a bitter note, and I’m not mad about it. I thought it’s going to be a “put morality on the shelf, turn off your brain and enjoy some bullies getting their punishment” type of a deal, but the further into the story I went, the more it made me think about it and how complex of an issue bullying is. Bullies themselves are often victims of either bullying by upper classmates or abuse at home. So here’s the question - if their actions were not excused in the drama based on their circumstances, why would we excuse what the main character did?

One thing to keep in mind - the ending might leave a bad taste in your mouth, but I think it’s fitting the story, even though it fills me with rage. And the literally last sequence of scenes broke my heart.

It’s a story of the friends trio - Kyungmin, Jong Suk and Cheol. All complex, all raw and interesting. And then there is Jin Ah. Why she exists in the show is beyond me. Clearly the story could have been told without adding her, as she is not a character in the original animation. Her being the good cop, moral one just does not fit the mood of the drama. Not to mention, the whole investigation plot line was simply ridiculous and boring. I found her to be rather obnoxious, flip flopping between following the rules and playing the proper cop, to ignoring the rules when the show needed that, but still acting like a voice of reason.

All the supporting characters were rather one dimensional, but they played their roles well and created the cohesive picture of the world presented. That said, one of the issues I had with the show was how extreme it went. It’s not exactly a realistic portrayal of school bullies as adults - everyone was either awful or went on a guilt trip that dominated their whole life. I guess the closest to a more typical story was the first victim/bully, which for me was the most questionable.

The acting was great. The two performances that stood out for me the most were Kim Sung Gyu and Choi Hyun Jin. Hyun Jin, this child - he has a bright future ahead of him. His performance also led to Cheol being my favorite character. The actor is only 14, but I could feel the pain, desperation, sadness, glimpses of hope and happiness in him. It was all so well delivered, I will for sure check any of his future projects.

Production wise, I appreciate how they did not shy away from creating truly gory scenes (yes, they were blurred, but with all the horrors I have seen, my imagination kicks in fast). Some of the pictures created were just hitting hard emotionally. The pig and wolf masks were truly detailed and creepy. Honestly speaking, I have zero complaints about the production. Maybe sometimes the scenes were a little bit too dark, so it was hard to see what was actually happening.

Overall, it’s a great drama that could have been amazing if they did not decide to add Kang Jin Ah and her whole investigation side of the plot. Still, I was interested till the end and in a strange way, I was satisfied with the ending, even though it felt a little bit half assed.

Trigger warnings: school bullying, abuse, sexual harassment, blood, gore, psychological abuse, animal abuse, and probably many more. I would not call it a safe drama for the majority of people, so be warned.

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So when are we getting a spin-off focusing on Xiao Sheng and Lan Jiang?

Expectations can ruin this drama. They definitely made me enjoy it less than I could have. With the angsty set up, I did expect the show to be a bit more dark, the stakes to be higher and the leads to be in constant danger. What I’ve got was a light version of that.

The tone of the show was probably what I found the most disappointing. The number of times the plot hit the point when they could have easily leaned into a more serious and angsty story, yet more often than not it was used for comedic undertones. Why?

What’s more, I honestly did not care that much about the “big picture”. Separate cases were interesting, well written and engaging, but the overall plot and the mystery I could not care less about. They kept the bad guy in the dark for too long so when he was finally revealed I was like “okay” and then shortly after that the drama ended. Last episode was basically an underwhelming podcast - all talking, no action.

The separate investigations were interesting, told in an easy to follow, but engaging manner. With every story we’ve got some info about the overall plot too. They were setting it up close to perfection. Loved how they were morally not clear - the victims being perpetrators, the abusers becoming victims. They left a lot of room for reflection and many uneasy feelings. Sadly it’s like having great materials, but the final design needs improvement. Separate stories were great, the final main plot was mediocre.

Then we have the romance, which was fine, but not really enticing. Surprisingly more in the background than I expected. I don’t mind, since it was the weakest part of the whole drama. If it was in the front and center, I’d probably drop the show mid way through. I think the moment that Pan Yue started to develop feelings for Cai Wei with her new face is unclear and questionable. They did hint at him being confused about his feelings and starting to develop them before he found out the truth and it honestly bothered me. He was devoted to one girl from his childhood, but now shortly after what he thought was her death, he starts to warm up to a girl whom he remembered to be an awful human being and had zero interest in? Even with her reminding him of his lover, it still did not make much sense for me.

Casting wise… you do not put the stronger actress to first portrayal the character that will be replaced by the actual leading actress. It took me around 15 episodes to truly warm up to Ju Jing Yi. I felt like there was no communication between her and Zheng He Hui Zi about who the female lead is and how she should be played. Cai Wei from the first two episodes is not the Cai Wei we see in the rest of the show.

I don’t really have much to say about Liu Xue Yi. He looked extremely fine throughout the drama, but Pan Yue was such a mid character with not many ups and downs I was getting bored. On the other hand Li Ge Yang completely stole my heart as Zhuo Lan Jiang. The way I wished him and Wu Jia Yi were the leads, the way I found their story to be more engaging and interesting. They were criminally underused.

Visually speaking, I enjoyed it a lot. I’ve seen a few dramas that tried to make every shot visually stimulating, and it does get exhausting. Here they kept it well balanced - highlighting specific moments with more grand visuals, while keeping the rest pleasant to the eye, but not overwhelming.

Overall, it was a fine show. The first half was for sure better than the second. The more they focused on the main mystery, the more boring it became.

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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 had so much 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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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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When lack of communication skills is your whole personality.

This is not a sweet rom-com. This is a frustrating journey that will test your patient, and I have no idea why I enjoyed it.

It’s a story of two people who love jumping to conclusions and never verbalizing their feelings and issues. Female lead was slightly less frustrating than male lead - she was at least aware of her own feelings, which cannot be said about the other half of this infuriating couple.

All these miscommunications were blast to watch though. Why? Thanks to all the supporting characters, who had some of the best and most reasonable reactions to all the childish shenanigans going on. I appreciate how it was established that it’s not the writing that is stupid, it’s the main duo only, and it’s done on purpose. I can go on board with it.

Female lead had little self-esteem, male lead had no self-awareness, I had no business using my brain watching it. Love triangle of poor character traits - best relationship between the drama and the viewer.

The performances were great. Seino Nana somehow made Akiha a character worth rooting for and Sakaguchi Kentaro was able to calm my distress caused by Shu’s character with his cuteness. I also love Kursahina Kana and her portrayal of Miharu - probably one of my favorite characters in the whole show.

Production wise - this is your typical rom-com. Nothing bad, nothing good. Standard quality, nothing to complain about. Bless them for having the cat though, he was amazing.

Overall, this was entertaining for all the wrong reasons.

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Feel-good sports slice of life that made me feel old.

What did this show have? Great characters, beautiful bonds and friendships, motivational messages, well delivered comedy, great acting, beautiful visuals. So why did so much of it feel like fillers? If I skipped the majority of the villagers' stories, it would be an easy 10.

The heart of the story are the Racket Boys and their friendship. It’s undeniable that they were the best part of the drama. Personally, I just loved the reckless Hae Kang and mentally adopted him as my son. His personality was so vibrant and even if at times annoying, he was still extremely adorable and endearing. That said, even though I had my favorite, each and every boy was lovable and brought their own unique personality to the table to give me this fun and enjoyable ride.

Some of the dynamics I liked the most were Hae Kang and In Sol, Woo Chan and Yong Tae and Yoon Dam and Han Sol. What’s more, I appreciate how the drama showed how you can be both rivals in sports and loyal friends outside of it. Many times we have seen different teams enjoying their times together between the competitions - I love his healthy portrayal of rivalry.

Sadly, I was truly not that invested in most of the adults’ stories. I wouldn’t say I disliked them, I was just completely not interested. I think the issue was the initial presentation of the characters - most if not all were introduced in rather negative light so it was hard to connect to their stories as the drama progressed. This small “plot twist” where the characters are not what they seem like at first is a great touch, but not when it is applied to all the characters - then it becomes exhausting.

The only side story outside of the teens that I cared about was the new married couple in town and Phil Ja and Song Hee’s development of friendship.

About the acting, I have nothing, but compliments to say. The young cast did a phenomenal job. I’m extremely impressed with Kim Kang Hoon - such a young boy, but was able to deliver a lot of depth and raw emotions in his performance. I’m a little bit on the fence about Choi Hyun Wook though. Did he do a great job here? Yes. But it’s the 3rd extremely similar role I have seen him in, so I hope he is not an actor of one role.

I’m also impressed with their badminton skills. Do I know anything about the sport? No. I am sure though, that even an inexperienced person can tell when someone really sucks at a sport they are supposed to be good at. I’m certain there was a lot of work put into the training before the filming which contributed to the believable matches, but I also have to compliment the filming and editing.

It’s always hard to talk about production value in kdramas. Why? Because most big studio productions have more or less the same high quality, and most kdrama do not stand out either in positive or negative ways. The standard quality is just that high. It’s the same case with Racker Boys - great scenery, great directing, great editing, great set designs. Everything is great, just like the majority of SBS shows.

Overall, amazing watch, but would have been perfect if it was 4 episodes shorter and only focusing on the kids.

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It's 4 episodes if you skip all the walking.

This show left me in a state of complete confusion. What happened? How did it happen? Who approved it? At some point I was 5 episodes in and I could not comprehend how there are 3 episodes left. How dumb will they make the characters to fill that screen time?

I’m not kidding when I say nothing made sense. The investigation was laughable - the worst I have ever seen in any drama. The killer was just mediocre and was able to kill for so long only because everyone else was so imcompetant The male lead… I don’t even want to talk about him. Each and every choice he made was making me question my sanity. Not to mention Bae Tae Jin who was there to add “spice” to the typical story, but failed to do so.

I am honestly impressed by how bad this show was. It can fool you during the first 2 episodes - they are generic, but not tragic. How fast it changes though. The longer you watch, the dumber it gets. Protect your brain, don’t watch it. And if you like to suffer like me, at least don’t binge watch it. Your brain could fry.

The characters don’t even share one brain cell. There are no brain cells being used by anyone in this show. Zero brain cells. Negative brain cells energy. Basically a black hole for brain cells.

Sure, the acting was goodish, the production itself was not bad. But no amount of technical aspects being done well can save this project.

Overall, why does it exist?

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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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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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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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