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It's not the best opening for a series of dramas. Plot wise, we are just left with no answers and more questions than we can handle. As I was watching, I was waiting for the info and the lore, the whole background for the characters to be slowly explained. I wanted to understand the world presented, so when I decide to watch the next installments, I would have a grasp on the background and the relationships/connection between the characters and could fully focus on the plot. Nah... ain't gonna happen. There has been just too much info introduced, but not explored.
I definitely enjoyed some characters. Main lead, Wu Xie, had his dumb moments (quite a lot... probably more than the smart ones), but was still fun and easy to root for. Zhang Qi Ling is the biggest question mark of the show. We know nothing about him. He obviously, for some strange reason, cares for the ML, but it's never explained. I love his overdramatic emo ass and the fun fighting scenes.
Some characters annoyed me more than ever. Wang Pang Zi? Needs to chill. He was too unreasonable and awful with any type of social interactions. The more I saw him, the more I could not stand him.
The biggest problem (which by the end of the day became the reason I enjoyed the watch so much) was the lack of logic behind characters actions. I was just sitting in front of my laptop and asking myself: but why?, every time someone made some dumb or unrealistic decision.
The production value was... questionable at best, but docent in some scenes. Scenes heavy on CGI could make people cry though. Feel warned.
I think this is the case of a show that is bad and confusing, but that's what makes it an enjoyable ride. I truly loved the watch and it was simply a lot of fun. Since there was no point in figuring out what is happening and why characters do what they do, I could just focus on whatever mess was happening on screen and laugh about it. There is just something weirdly endearing about The Lost Tomb.
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The idea of this adult guy going back to school to take revenge on his old friend is quite unrealistic, to say the least. Maybe if I was able to turn off my brain as I was watching, I would enjoy it more. And if the characters were any better.
Kang Bok Soo - the underdog hero with amazing brains (but not really), and some unrealistically good investigation skills. Was Seung Ho cute? Sure. Was the character interesting? No.
Female lead? Amazingly useless. At first she was there to tip the scale and get the misfortune rolling in Bok Soo’s life. After that, she was nothing more than a love interest. Quite frankly, you could remove her character from the drama and not much would change. She is also a prime example why I believe sometimes chasing your dreams is not a good idea, especially when you ain’t that good at the activity. Keep it as a hobby, because at times, you, somehow achieving your dreams, might hurt people you interact with.
Se Ho was an interesting character, but even he failed me by the end, bringing no nuance to the plot. Not to mention his mother has been just your typical mother-villain.
I have to say, I enjoyed the supporting characters far more than any of the leads. My heart broke a few times for Park Dong Jun, I was rooting like crazy for Park Sung Woo, and I wanted to help Lee Chae Min.
The acting was overall good. I am not the biggest fan of Jo Bo Ah, since she kind of acts the same in all her roles. By the end, I was also a bit tired of Kim Yeo Jin’s overacting, but then I cannot be sure how much of it was her decision and how much was she instructed by the director to go for such a delivery of the lines.
The production value was good except for the makeup. I would put better make up on the cast. What was that weird brown smokey eye, they did on Kwak Dong Yeon? Why did Yoo Seung and Ho Jo Bo Ah’s lipstick look as if they had kept it on their lips for 10 years until their lips looked so chapped it pained me to look at them? Someone explain, because I do not understand...
As for the ending, I don’t think it was possible to make it more of a cliche.
I get that this show has some nice wholesome and heartwarming messages, but there are so many better school dramas with the same messages, I see no reason why anyone should try this one. I would recommend watching anything else.
Overall? It would probably be better if I left it on my drop list.
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So how were the plot and characters? The whole team is full of silly little potatoes. The decision making would probably be better and more logical if they flipped a coin. They were all supposed to be professionals and specialists in their fields, or at least close to being them. How could Son Ye Rim just walk around like it’s not a big deal after being exposed to an unknown substance? How come in such a small team so many people have ulterior motives that can at times endanger other team members? How come they truly do not care about any military regulations 90% of the time? I think them being such idiots added to the entertainment value. Who doesn’t like watching people make stupid decisions?
That said, even though the dumbassness was frustrating, I enjoyed the characters themselves. The dynamics were fun to watch and slowly discovering any potential connections kept me more focused on what is going on on the screen.
I appreciated how they didn’t dump a massive exposition in episode one explaining all the details, but they also didn’t leave me in the dark till the last moment. Clues, hints and puzzle pieces have been dropped throughout the show, slowly forming a whole picture. In the process I flipped from loving to hating to loving again many characters.
Let’s talk about CGI. Thank god the crazy dogs only happened at the beginning, because they were laughably bad. I always believed that sometimes not showing the monster is better than showing it with the use of shitty CGI. People are creative, they will fill the gaps.
The pacing was well done, I didn't really feel bored during any episode. Keeping them an hour long (compared to the 1 h 30 min. we get lately) and only 10 episodes was a wise choice. This plot is definitely not something that could have been successfully stretched to 16 episodes. The biggest flop was episode 3, which for some strange reason, did not follow linear storytelling, and we jumped around the timeline like crazy. This made little sense.
Overall, it’s not a smart show. I have no military knowledge, but some of the decisions that have been made were simply illogical, even for me. And yet, I liked it. For some strange reason. It was probably because of the characters and the cast. I wasn’t that interested in Dong Jin and Ye Rim, but all the rest truly caught my attention. A girl needs to appreciate the real stakes too, even though it was painful to watch and it broke my heart a few times.
Also, mad respect for including pictures of dogs with other actors in the end credits of the last episode. Let's all appreciate their hard work.
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It works, so why didn't it fully work for me?
I honestly don’t know how I truly feel about this drama. Many things worked, I enjoyed the chemistry, the bickering, the vulnerability of the situation the characters put themselves in, and yet… I feel strangely emotionally detached from it all.Instead of the usual enemies to lovers, we get the rivals to lovers, with both the most ridiculous, but also somehow fitting the characters bet - who will make the other fall in love faster. It’s ridiculous by design, not by mistake. Both Zen and Ryo, at least to some extent, understand that it makes no sense, but it’s also the only way that feels safe to explore the potential of the romantic relationship - to dip into it without no way back into friendship. Obviously, as an audience we know from the start where the bet leads, but it’s fun to watch the characters figure it out themselves.
For the relationship that blooms from the false pretense there is surprisingly a lot of proper communication and vulnerability. It all changes when the emotions start to feel more real - the more you care, the more you want to hide things that could threaten what you have. Were these short lived miscommunications frustrating? Yes. But did they make sense? Also yes.
One thing that did bother me quite a lot was how uneven this relationship felt from the beginning till the end. Slowly they tried to present moments that were hinting things are more equal than it might seem, but I was never truly convinced.
While the main leads were rather well developed, the setting of the drama was not. Except for Futami Yuya I do not really remember any other co-worker. I don’t remember any project they worked on - everything was just bland and feeling the space since the romance cannot happen in a complete vacuum. And this might be the reason I was never really sold - it never felt real. And if it does not feel real, I don’t fully connect to the story.
Still, I did love the characters. Shito Zen was this cute hamster that honestly needed to chill. I felt burned out from work just watching him. Yotsuya Ryo was the puppy who needed a hug - all that emotional labor he did… And Futami Yuya was the true chaos I wish they introduced earlier in the plot.
All three actors (and the young actor playing teen leads) did a good job with the roles. I was for sure the most impressed with Hori Kaito - personal preference, but I love when actors can present so much angst and vulnerability with just their eyes and no lines spoken.
For the production - I like the visuals, I question the sounds. That soundtrack was ridiculous. This telenovela music needs to go.
Overall, I enjoyed it, but I also expected to enjoy it more.
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Glad I gave short dramas a shot, but never again.
I had an inkling short dramas like that are not my thing, but you never know unless you try right? I tried, and I was bored to death. I could have followed my gut feeling, but as a person who enjoys scientific method, I rather test it.Rainkissed Fate is pure entertainment with no depth, no logic, lots of abs and kisses. Sadly the lack of substance is what made me want to fall asleep. I’m one of the people who needs to care for the characters to enjoy the drama, and I could not care less for leads here. Bu Yan was honestly awful and immoral. The whole premise of her wanting to get pregnant just to use her new kid as spare parts for the one she already had grossed me out so much I did not exactly wish her well… oops.
I don’t really have much to say about He Yu Chen, kind of gave me nothing, but the abs. I know, I know - this is why we watch these dramas. But it’s just not enough for me. Abs and shower scenes should be the cherry on top of the dessert, not the whole meal.
The chemistry was amazing, that’s a fact. The kissing scenes were great. The few slapping scenes were even better (I love a good slap in a drama). The villain was dumb, but entertaining in a frustrating way.
Honestly, the most fun part of the drama was how they kept referring to kickboxing as boxing. And saying male lead is a boxer, as he fly kicks his opponents in the ring. That’s the true entertainment of this title. I found this mistake in naming especially funny, because the writer actually got a few medical aspects right - half assing the research? One would think finding out you cannot in fact kick in boxing would be easier than the details of leukemia treatment.
No thoughts on acting, this is not a show that is carried by the acting. It’s a show that’s carried by the abs and kisses.
Overall, glad I watched even if I did not enjoy it. This is just truly not my genre.
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Some curses age well and Ring stands the test of time.
After all these years and countless rewatches, it's still such a fun movie. It can work as both an entertaining horror flick to watch with friends and the tense psychological horror to watch alone in a dark room.From the opening scene and setting up the mystery of the killing tape, to the gradual reveal and investigation, up till the final moments - it keeps you guessing what comes next and how the story will conclude. The pacing was just perfect.
What’s more, Ring hits the good balance between building the tension through storytelling and scaring the viewers with good old jump scares. The scares are solid and not constant - you don't get tired from them. What older horror movies understood were the limitations put on the makers based on the technology they used - that’s why so many of the well known titles from the era do not really feel that dated. Knowing how much you can show, how much should be left for the viewers to assume and interpret, and what’s most important - the use of practical effects.
Surprisingly, as much as I find the movie atmospheric and entertaining, the perceived at the time message does not quite land anymore. The fear of the new media and technology is just not something a modern viewer would associate with the movie. I was honestly surprised to know that was the interpretation by many when Ring was released in 1998. The themes always seemed more general for me - the fear of the unknown and the larger consequences of it.
Overall, Ring for sure stands the test of time and I can confidently say it will most likely be this way for at least next 10 years if not more.
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Thus Spoke Kishibe Rohan: At a Confessional
3 people found this review helpful
Expected more bizarre horror.
After that synopsis I think I expected something more wacky. As someone who went into the lore clueless, with no prior knowledge of the source material, maybe my expectations were misplaced.They dropped the masterpiece of popcorn with pigeons scenes so early on, everything that followed seemed so… mid. That said, the concept of the curse was extremely interesting - a curse that does not necessarily bring you pain and misfortune, but makes you actively avoid happiness.
The performances were great. Somehow even the overacted moments perfectly fitted whatever scene was happening on the screen.
For the production - while the movie looks stunning, I cannot move past the fact that at least partially the soundtrack was “composed” by AI.
Overall, I guess I expected more? It for sure leaned more towards slow paced dark fantasy, rather than exaggerated horror.
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Having a social life and friends can save your life.
And with that I am convinced leads from this movie had none. I cannot believe they’ve been gone for days without anyone having any contact with them. Not one person who was concerned? All it would take was one person, it’s not like they were on some secret mission. People knew where they were seen the last time. They would be found on day 3 if just one person cared.Putting the mindless set up aside, it was both decent and bad at the same time. I actually really like the idea of a person being trapped in a place with no contact and no way out. If just the execution was better. It would make the movie more tense and less frustrating.
The performances were fine. The production was fine. The pacing was fine. Nothing really stood out, be it positively nor negatively. The beast was not beasting a lot, mostly chilling in the corner. I don’t think the “no animal was hurt during filming” note at the beginning was necessary, since it was clearly visible when the dog was fake and when it was real.
Overall, I’m not mad about how bad it was, I was more bored. When I think about the plot of this movie, it is scary. But when I actually watched it, I felt nothing, but mild frustration.
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Why did it feel so cheap?
From writing, directing, filming to acting and editing - everything felt cheap and mediocre. Which is somehow surprising, since the cast is actually rather good, filled with well known supporting actors.The plot was extremely basic and predictable. I'm confident halfway through the majority of the viewers will understand the mystery behind the house. The structure of the plot was also extremely messy. The opening scene logically makes sense, but the way it was "blended" to the story just felt off.
Not one character was well developed and that includes So Hui. Detective Nam should not even exist, since he did not bring anything to the table. In Gyeom's introduction was good, but the way his connection was explained was not. Hye Ran was there to fill the screen.
Overall, I was rather bored. I did chuckle a few times, but for completely wrong reasons.
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Impressive level of blandness.
There isn’t anything wrong with the drama, but there is nothing truly right? No highs, no lows, nothing to truly grab my attention. Such a smooth flight, one might actually fall asleep.I loved the idea behind the drama - seeing different professions that are related to airports. Usually we see the “glamorous lives” of flight attendants and pilots, but here we saw a greeted variety of jobs. So how come it did not work out?
I think the biggest issue was how all the issues and conflicts got resolved within five minutes of screen time. There was no suspense, no stakes. What’s more, while I understand they wanted to stay true to reality, sometimes cutting short the realistic depiction of procedures is not a bad thing - at the end of the day I am watching a drama, not a manual.
I did like all the characters, but I also disliked how most of them did not need any character development. They were smart, great, kind, and the “bad traits” were simply miscommunication. Nothing to work on. And because of that Kawahara Kasumi became my favorite character - she was the most dynamic in writing - both in external presentation and internal growth.
The production was fine. As most things in the drama. But fine is such a mid level of entertainment.
One thing to appreciate was for sure the acting. The whole cast did an amazing job.
Overall, I will probably forget this drama exists in a month.
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By the end I was filled with a feeling of emptiness…
And I honestly do not know how to explain what it means. I just wanted to feel a little bit more, understand the characters a little bit better, connect to the story a little bit deeper, but it all stopped right before it hit the spot.How to put it… every new revelation made me disconnect from the plot more and more. Soramame started as an amazing and relatable character, but then was stripped from that mundane context that made me love her so much. Oto stayed frustratingly consistent throughout the show, but by the end some of his choices just made me roll my eyes - why so dramatic? Why can’t you act like a normal adult?
While I enjoyed the mutual pining and I have no issue with slow pace plots, the fact they were able to build misunderstanding on already existing misunderstanding was one step too far. The story focusing on chasing their dreams also lost its charm the moment we found out both leads some really unique skills that most people do not have. Not exactly motivational storytelling if you ask me.
I liked the show a lot, but I also liked it a little bit less with each episode I watched, and by episode 10 I had too many conflicting feelings about it.
Writing aside, the acting was great. I loved how the whole cast was able to deliver such unique and vibrant characters in such an approachable way. Hirose Suzu did an amazing job especially during the more emotional scenes. With that performance you can truly relate to the saying sometimes some of the happiest people are hurting the most.
Directing and editing was great. Loved all the shots during the sunset/dusk and how warm the tones were during them. The set designs were also to die for, made me want to live in the house with the leads, enjoying each day and anticipating what the next one will bring.
Overall, it was an enjoyable drama, but I cannot stop myself from feeling like something was missing.
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It became this weird mix of horror, slice of life about unfulfilled dreams and mellow romance. And nothing matched well together. I understand that they needed to set up a proper motivation for Yamano Yamame to even move into these problematic houses, but so much focus on these failed dreams was not needed - it made the initial exposition too long and too boring.
Then we have the romantic undertones between Yamame and Azusa and honey, no one watches horrors for romance. Not one person. It never happened. It’s unnecessary.
And the worst aspect? No development nor closure for any of the actual ghost cases. The actual screen time they spent in these “hunted” locations is laughably short.
The worst crime though? Nao’s acting. She truly needs to tone it down. I have not seen someone this animated and over the top in a horror movie in a while. Girl was determined to use every muscle on her face in every scary shot, even if barely anything was happening to validate such a strong reaction.
Overall, poorly constructed plot, decent editing, mediocre directing, questionable acting.
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One too many twists.
Honestly speaking, I don’t even think the story was bad. the directing though, missed a lot of basic elements.The scenes simply do not transition in a smooth way. Everything feels so out of place. Random private naked yoga classes turned into kamasutra scenes, a random detective story, which technically makes sense (people are dying after all), but never matches well with the main story. It honestly felt like they stitched scenes together without actually taking into consideration if they create a cohesive picture and explain the story well.
By the end of the movie they present one too many twists so rather than an interesting (though slightly overused) turn of events, it all becomes confusing.
The acting was bad. Lee Chae Young easily did the best, but all the rest of the cast was questionable at best. Felt like the actresses were cast for their bodies and not their acting skills.
Overall, skip, don’t bother watching.
(more about the directing fail in the comment below)
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Starting from the things I liked.
Iron Triangle as one of the best trios ever created. A typical case of characters representing a heart, body and brain, but it never felt limiting in how they were interacting with each other. All of their scenes together were easily the best in the whole show.
Likable female characters with their own goals and ideas. We all know how limited in that aspect are Tomb dramas. Here we got a variety of women with unique personalities and perspectives.
The acting was great. I think Chen Ming Hao is my favorite Wang Pang Zi at the moment. This character is always hit or miss - I either like them, or hate them. Here, he was probably one of my favorites.
Another positive thing was proper lighting. Big props to the team for making the caves/warehouses/underwater scenes look dim, but not ridiculously dark when the viewers can’t see anything. A few more candles or flashlights as the light source is all it takes for the viewers to not question how bright some places might look. The whole production quality was great - the set designs, costumes (excluding Glasses, I just cannot deal with that outfit), camera angles - all working well to create nice pictures.
To the less enjoyable things.
First and second half of the show felt like completely different dramas. Not only did the plot seem too loosely connected, the main cast completely changed. We literally cut from the show the characters we followed at first.
While I appreciate the female characters, I am also a bit sad how all of them were put in the context of being romantic interests. No one watches the Tomb series for romance, this is really unnecessary.
Second half was painfully repetitive and failed to make me care about the plot progression and even the characters safety. I am sorry, but how many times can I watch Wuxie do exactly the same thing over and over again in more or less the same manner in a boring environment, surrounded by barely established characters?
Wuxie being sick. Oh god, too many times it felt like watching a wuxia with male lead being poisoned and coughing blood - so dramatic for no reason, because we all know he is not going to die. My issue was how they presented it as something dangerous, but it never felt really limiting. All the potential issues always showed up after he was done with whatever task he had to accomplish.
While I do believe everyone in the cast did an amazing job, I am also a bit bored with Zhu Yi Long (don’t kill me). There is not enough variety in the roles he takes and his portrayal of them. Sure, I only saw a few of his dramas, but it always feels like a similar character just put in a different context.
Overall, it was not bad, but felt too “all over the place”.
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Philosophical flick with questionable details.
Jung_E is great as a starter for some interesting conversations, but it does not really dive too deep into the topics itself. What could have been a great movie that ends on a question mark, became a bit too mindless and random closer to the end, trying to give a “reasonable” ending that lacks reason.What worked? It opened the door for many interesting topics to be explored and reflected on - what is free will, can you put a price on it, what makes us human. What I appreciated the most, even though it was not the focus part of the plot, was the conversation about human rights, and how much does it cost to have them - since, even though on less “dramatic” and smaller scale, it’s a sad reality we live in right now.
The acting - amazing. I wanted to hug Jung Yi, slap Sang Hoon and both hug and slap Seo Hyun. Kang Soo Yeon did an amazing job at showing all the strong, but concealed emotions the character felt. Kim Hyun Joo’s performance was simply raw and I loved every second of it - well, every second the character actually showed emotions.
Jung_E was also a visual feast. I am one to always complain about CGI, but here they truly ace it. The robots looked greeted, the CGI created environments were amazing, the blend of special and practical effects was perfect.
All the scenes that focused on the morality of the whole scenario were wonderful. Every time they focused more on the philosophical and psychological aspect of it - great, and I wish the movie kept that going till the end. But no, we need some brainless fighting scenes at the end, because they had to flex special effects. Last 20 minutes truly made so little sense the movie went from 9 to 7.5.
Then we have Kim Sang Hoon and how painfully underdeveloped and underused he was. This character had such a potential to present so much depth. The set up was perfect, the potential emotional reaction could have been great, the dilemma he could have felt. What did the writer do? Said “screw it and put it in the trash” as they delivered some of the most random development for this character, that they tried to justify with one line of dialogue…
I also wish they explored some of the rules a little bit more. They gave a few lines and hints how the world works, but I wanted more to make it more believable. Some small details just don’t make much sense to me, the longer I think about them.
That said, it was still a truly enjoyable watch. First hour I was just glued to the screen. I am a bit biased, because I love the topics concerning free will, ethics and morality. It was a rather slow paced, character focused story that tackled a few too many issues while also trying to entertain people with the unnecessary action.
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