Daisuke

great K-drama mystery drama with original theme

Intense gripping, superb drama in the best traditions of K-drama： keeps you guessing from each dramatic episode cliffhanger to the next： Han So Fun、 brilliantly played by Moon Geun Young (have not heard of her before)、 is like a fierce terrier dog who will not let go in her quest for the truth until the end。 there were so many different strands to this drama and the family relationships were so complex it was really difficult to keep up with them all as well as the two big stories of Han So Yoon's sister Hye Jin and the serial killer story, apart from all the sub-plots and character development、 and I wondered how they would all be sewn together at the end but this was done superbly〜 my only slight disappointment was the uncertainty regarding the fate of the super-obnoxious Seo Chang Gwon, very well played by Jung Sung Mo and how the "chairman” came to be there at the end I assume Park Woo Jae with his "detective instinct"、again brilliantly realised character played by Yook Sung Jae、intervened。It is good to see him develop so well as an actor in a lead role from his support part in Goblin although the fresh bright character type is the same。Choi Jae Woong must also be mentioned for his portrayal of the "Young Lady" Kang Pil Sum. however I can not think of a character who was not good in this drama.

From earlier review as I watched:
not exactly the beginning I was expecting 〜the heroine seems pretty neurotic but if I discovered a corpse I suppose I would be too(๑⃙⃘°̧̧̧ㅿ°̧̧̧๑⃙⃘) meanwhile it's the usual bubbling cauldron of K-drama mystery including ruthless local businessman・politician、 alienated wife、rookie junior policeman providing the light relief、spooky village gossips and weirdos、obnoxious school students and teachers、 casual romance 〜riveting so far plenty to hook me into seeing how it develops though at 16 episodes I wonder if it can retain interest？yes it is keeping me waiting for the next episode seems to be classic mystery K-drama〜I decided to try this because of yook sung jae and as expected I like his character best！

yes, it obviously did keep my interest www〜and was one of the few dramas I finished in very short time two episodes at a time sidelining other dramas I am watching could not recommend too highly〜 will look out for this writer and actors
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　╭( ･ㅂ･)و ̑̑ ˂ᵒ͜͡ᵏᵎ⁾✩

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Heartwarming romantic drama

Lovely heartwarming drama set in beautiful hotel and surroundings with eccentric quirky characters and nice stories： any romantic like me will like this〜after first few episodes about revival of the hotel there mainly very good episodes on individual themes which worked quite well and enough variety to maintain interest but I think it was the characters and their development which provided the main interest 〜〜where is this hotel I would really like to stay there I must reserach！theme music by American singer only thing I don't like but give 5 for other waltz music〜

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fantastic in every way！！

rollercoaster of bizarre mix of tragic and comic but charming〜 only K-drama seems able to capture this mix of comic and tragic, light and serious in each episode。as it goes on it goes far from original idea of going into dreams with all kinds of scenarios crossing between afterlife and life and the back stories of main characters and their soul relations that adds interest〜what a fantastic finale:I had to watch last two episodes together and really did not see all that coming and I am happy with the ending〜and unlike some K-drama this was very well-judged length not too drawn out to lose the tension and fascination with the drama 〜I thought I saw Yook Sung Jae's cute face before and of course it was in Goblin！look forward to more by these lead actors *(*´∀｀*)☆

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absorbing TV drama

テレビミステリードラマ：content of this drama shocking and depressing in many ways 〜！but very good drama。 I struggled to know the main focus in the start as it kept flashing back and forward between youth and adult but the puzzle fit in the end〜 to summarise I think it was good when setting the background and characters in the first few episodes and builds up tension very well in last episodes but it was spun out rather too much and became slow in the middle maybe to fit 10 episode serial format〜 every character here was conflicted so the drama was as much about character as plot maybe like Greek drama each producing his/her struggle〜bitter-sweet ending。still well worth watching but as I know the plot not a drama I will rewatch I think〜

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brilliant surreal school drama

凄いだよ〜a school story with total violence breaking out in first episode but manages to be funny with it〜 incredible mixture but it mainly works, but although always serious issues are introduced some of the resolutions are weak。 school drama like this I think would never be allowed as school drama in 2021〜I do not agree this is at all typical of Japanese school drama now。 Nakai and Matsumoto are surreal anti-heroes in an education system ruined by political correctness。the ending is also surreal with the actors observing themselves from outside and therefore in context very clever。classic〜definitely re-watchable.

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heartwarming

well finally finally reached the end of this marathon and happy the right guy won！！I really really liked you in comedy mode though sometimes the sad parts became very overpowering to work through。not to say I was not affected deeply by some of the stories to the point of tears ｡･ﾟヾ(✦థ ｪ థ)ﾉ｡ﾟ･｡this drama was very good initially with more comic emphasis〜 or at least better balance between light and serious sides〜and took off in the final 5 or 6 episodes with good dramatic action and unexpected twists and turns that had me watching 3 episodes straight、however for me it became very, very slow mid way and bogged down and the balance between comedy and serious drama veered far too much to the serious side to the point of depression! I almost gave up at ep 22! for me 24 episodes max would have made this a better dramaーmaybe they wanted to spin out a popular program？so I can not give it straight ten but still very good drama if you like them long〜〜　 if you like Lee Min Ki in this you will maybe like him also in 「evasive inquiry agency」

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For me perfect (even if nothing is really perfect)

I like this just as story but I think under the surface the mono-probe theme is really metaphor for minority identity and alienation and with the BL setting specifically alienation and search for identity of lgbt sexual orientation with one boy in school ”society” masking his colors and his full self and the other needing him to unmask to also unmask his own full spectrum of identity forced into monochrome by dominant society (not just mono benefits both need each other)〜I like the episode with the ”rainbow” prism being revealed to the mono 〜and I think the resistance of the mono boy fearing the probe's advances = refusal to accept your sexual identity because pressured to conform to dominant assumptions and attitudes for me this is a very original take。actually this is from my personal experience maybe others interpret otherwise。 if some aspects of surface story stay unclear this is not so important for me 〜maybe this is because life is unclear and we also have to read in to the story to create our own vision
First rewatch 21/July

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follow the wormhole

one of those dramas that I wanted to watch an episode every day、but not all at once、 so as to draw out the enjoyment。 very suspenseful and with good tempo and movement between different strands of the story so no time to get bored〜however this was not a true sci-fi time travel drama more the idea of circular lives。 some aspects I dislike： the huge change in atmosphere between the next to last and final episodes I found strange and the ending is clever and intriguing but not totally satisfactory because it does not fit convincingly with the pretty definite ending to the previous episode； the relationship between ML and FLー I did not like his treatment of her or her taking it： I guess it is meant to be funny but for me verges on SM and falls flat： luckily for most of the drama the romance theme was in the background so did not affect the overall enjoyment I suppose they must have love interest to keep the audience ratings。still a very good drama〜 when K drama gets it right it is really good。

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gleams of light wipe away the clouds

I decided to watch this to see how Miura handles a serious drama。initially I found it hard to understand or believe his character seducing a girl・ but even after the story became clearer I still found his character difficult to figure outーactually I found all the characters and their actions difficult to figure out! I guess I could see the Japanese social norms more than non-Japanese but even so really old fashioned〜 my main criticism is I found the ”martyr” feature in all the main characters was overdone 〜felt like shaking Miura sometimes

finally however I think I see how all this has been woven into a heart-warming story： I guess the story is love means loving someone for who they are even if part of who he/she is also means having a caring heart for othersー maybe not so original but story constructed very well （with my one criticism above） and well played。 Miura was a great actor and the female leads were also sensitively played by Toda and Takei。

this is a heavy drama but with wonderful gleams of brightness to light the way and stay with you〜 it may be hard for some to follow and some may find it sentimental rather than uplifting but it is worth sticking to it。

worst thing for me is truly bad and intrusive English incidental music about talking to the presidentー maybe intends to be uplifting but for me it was like a headache every time there is a tender moment （the theme and some other OST was OK）。

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At first I was rather bored by this show and irritated by Kim Go Eun's character, however as it progressed I really came to enjoy it and watch it every day. The story at the start and especially how Park Hae Jin's feelings for Kim Go Eun changed for me was quite bizarre and how the change happened not fully understood. Perhaps he had feelinggs all along? but initially twisted, unable to relate to or trust people normally? The conclusion as is often the case in these dramas annoyingly used the fairy wand time-shift device and was nice and neat but not very credible in some respects. However for me a very watchable drama. I liked Seo Kang Joon the best. Lee Sung Kyung provided some comic moments but with some not-so-comic flaws in her character [well-acted I think]. Park Hae Jin's. character was interesting and I liked the development from the aloof, calculating persona [whichPark Hae Jin plays very well] to his character at the end. Kim Go Eun was sweet, but one of those characters I feel like shaking into life, to react instead of letting things happen to her. It seems everything happened around her with her passively at the centre. She played that character well if that is what it was supposed to be. I also liked the supports. Really good drama once it took off from the slow start. May rewatch again but not soon.

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Sci fi thriller with enough novelty, twists and intrigue to keep me watching- no loss of interest in the middle. Sci-fi meets power melodrama with a slice of comedy. Good looking leads. The story really grows in meaning and it does raise (for anyone thinking beyond the story-line) important existential issues like where does the human "machine" end and consciousness and identity begin. Also how to reconcile the good and bad sides of human nature or is that even possible? or what do good and bad mean? and how far are we or human society prepared to go to ensure the "good" side prevails? who decides what is good? It passed my test of getting towards the end and putting off finishing it because I did not want it to end. Although the whole story was done very well and the plot well worked-out with twists at the end, I must say I found the first half or so, which focused more on the "non-human", better and more appealing than the second half. Without giving a spoiler, those who have watched may know what I mean. Music did have an impact. Re-watch - maybe at some time in the future. Overall must be another 10/10.

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Brilliant, even the OTT parts - Ituka Toma always taking off running somewhere at 80m.p.h - agonised looks of remorse etc - the glint in the eye as wicked Naruse carries off another dastardly deed - are endearing. It's an old revenge plot but in a fresh form, with a nice occult theme tied in, and the twists and turns keep you wanting to know what comes next. Plus two very handsome leads. What's not to like? Having watched both, I think this is better than Lucifer - it's more compact, the right length to carry the story, whereas Lucifer slows down and continues for too long. leading to loss of interest.

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