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Orange Marmalade
1 people found this review helpful
Apr 1, 2019
12 of 12 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 7.5
Story 7.0
Acting/Cast 7.0
Music 10
Rewatch Value 5.0
I started this because I like school drama but ended up liking the the middle story much better than the modern school one. I wondered where Orange Marmalade came from but found out in episode 3. the school story, with the band I thought was a bit cliched, though the music was good. The idea of the outcast minority fighting for acceptance was very brave, which made it different from the usual school bullying trope. I am generous with scores, otherwise I think this may only have rated around a 6.5 but the middle part pushed it up, while the school part was not so good. For me, I like Han Shi Hoo (Lee Jong Hyun) better than the lead. Now that all the vampires are coming out, perhaps all those shy gay and bi K pop and K drama stars might consider trusting their fan base will not evaporate just because of who they are and start following their lead?

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Sungkyunkwan Scandal
1 people found this review helpful
Jan 14, 2019
20 of 20 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 10
Story 10
Acting/Cast 10
Music 10
Rewatch Value 8.0
Confused at start but as it went on I really liked it. Allowing for different customs according to the time, it seems not much changes in schools over the centuries. Is set in late 1700s during rule of Jeongjo one of best Korean kings and the Sungkyunkwan was real academy. This is a great drama series and the build up was gripping but for me began to lose interest after episode 15 as it turned into just another straight romance, but that's personal to me I suppose. Also not in love with the ending, but difficult to give totally satisfying ending. Still give it 10/10. Music was great also. I almost never rewatch but may watch this again for characters, background, beautiful costumes, as for me plot not so important.

I like Yoo Chun's and Ah In's characters in this but why is it I can never find another drama where the same actors (not just these) have different roles I like? Despite him being villain here, very sad to hear of Jeon Tae Soo passing away.

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Circle
1 people found this review helpful
Dec 24, 2018
12 of 12 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 8.5
Story 8.5
Acting/Cast 10
Music 8.0
Rewatch Value 5.0
I quite liked part one when it started, but not impressed by part 2. The 2037 background is not very convincing. It gets quite confusing. Which one is Bum Gyun and Joon Hyuk? The 2 part formula is interesting idea but relation between two parts quite unclear. Now over the half way mark and the title is very appropriate, as I think it is going round in circles and becoming quite a struggle to watch. Towards the end picked up again, more action and story coming together. But what happened? Was she taken back? I think it could have been less episodes. 8.7 rating is around right.

Male lead part 2 quite handsome. Bromance between brothers but otherwise very slight. IMO real bromance is between non-related persons. Not one I would re-watch.

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Secret Campus
1 people found this review helpful
Nov 9, 2018
24 of 24 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 10
Story 10
Acting/Cast 10
Music 7.0
Rewatch Value 10
Although it is old fashioned I am liking this drama. It seems to get better as it goes on and I feel interested in the characters and what will happen to them. Yoon Se In (Kim Dae Woo) seems to have a leading part so I don't understand why he's listed as support role. I like his character a lot. I found the episodes centring on Seung Jae from about 9 becoming quite heavy, rather than just seeing the school life, but it was necessary to provide a story and it really developed into a good mystery towards the end. It confronts some quite serious issues, but not quite so violent as parts of School 2013. I shall miss the characters. It's a pity that some of them do not seem to have had any real or lasting follow up in their acting careers. It's really difficult to pick any stand outs as they were all good in their way. Jin Woo's (Sul Sung Min) character was the good guy most of us would like to be but can't! Anyone who likes school dramas, watch this. It was a lovely series and characters . Oh what shall I do now it's ended? Wait a bit and then watch it again.

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Master of Study
1 people found this review helpful
Jul 23, 2018
16 of 16 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 10
Story 9.0
Acting/Cast 10
Music 6.0
Rewatch Value 5.0
Good drama, better than expected, full of real characters [teachers and students] you feel are genuine people and you really want to know what happens to them. What a sweet temperament Lee Hyun Woo has. Ep. 10/11 - so far as math's concerned you could say this one went off at a complete tangent. I suppose you have to have "plot development" but the romance angle frankly bores me and I went off watching - back now and it seems to be picking up. On the + side, that director woman is wonderful - the way she can pack so much comedy into just saying "Bo???" is priceless. Ep. 14 and the floodgates of emotion burst open as the high point of the drama approaches. Overall, despite losing its way a bit in the middle, this has been a good drama, good idea, with personal stories interweaving in a mostly not too intrusive way. Probably more episodes than could carry the weight of the idea - I usually feel that conclusion when I stop watching for a while, interest flags but picks up when you watch again - well. I did and they were really tugging at your heartstrings with non-stop emotion and tears in eps 15 and 16. It was not a totally predictable ending. It was wrapped up pretty well with everyone staying in character (including Chan Doo's dad). You felt for and lived with these characters by the end. If that's the test of a good drama, it passes with honours. Very hard to mark this one as there were flaws but overall it caught you up in the story and characters.

Story - the premise is not that original, though in this case it was done very well and the way it was told and the characters (especially teachers) were original. Rare for me to watch two episodes one hour long in a row but I did here. The bit right at the end brightens you up after a lot of emotion.

Characters - brilliant

Music - some of it got on my nerves tbh, especially the folksy music and "fighting" music.

Re-watch - A hard slog this course of study to through again. Also, when you know how it comes out it loses the dramatic tension towards the end. Not one to re-watch for me but recommended for others, it's worth sticking with. My overall rating may seem illogical given the others are sometimes low, but reflects the good parts that really got you involved - the sum of its parts were better than the individual categories.

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Bad Boys J The Movie
1 people found this review helpful
Jul 19, 2018
Completed 0
Overall 7.0
Story 7.0
Acting/Cast 9.0
Music 6.0
Rewatch Value 5.0
Defying brain damage, dislocated limbs and ruptured spleens our heroes led by Tsukasa aka Nakajimo Kento come out on top with brilliant teeth intact, hair barely ruffled and knuckles remarkably ungrazed seeing as they had just been smashing people's faces in for the last 90 minutes. All good macho fun, so OTT as to become comedic. I love the idea of a few boys weighing 65 kilos and standing 1.7m toughing it out against battalions of supersize godzillas. If only. Obviously these appeal or there wouldn't be a market for them. Maybe it feeds into the samurai instincts (without the refinements). The best part was Tsukasa caught in the act of "teaching Yoji (I think) how to kiss" - well they would say that, wouldn't they? Nice boys really. 9/10 for the handsome guys, no re-watch value though.

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Moorim School
1 people found this review helpful
May 25, 2018
16 of 16 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 8.5
Story 8.0
Acting/Cast 9.5
Music 5.0
Rewatch Value 5.0
This had the most bizarre opening episode - highly unattractive male characters and "celeb"/rich kid background but the cute female saved it. Then you got curiously drawn in to see what happened next, so continued watching. Up to episode 5 - good, despite an uncertain start (I mean are rich/celeb kids really that openly awful) and some predictable plot, boy-girl etc I hoped it would not lose momentum over so many episodes, but was drawn in then, though. Some nice comic turns from Seo Ji's step-mother. EDIT. As at ep 8 this keeps taking unpredicted turns which takes it to a new level of excitement and interest, not just a bunch of kids flopping around in a martial arts school (yawn), though I'm beginning to find the M/F romance angle all very trying and detracts from the story. Too much intrusive music. ep. 11 more s/natural interest, too much martial arts for me. Like the lipstick, boys. This gets better. Just don't understand KangHae's review, but each to his taste. I am now on ep.14 and the soppy romance is really getting in the way of the action while doing nothing for the emotions (this person's anyway). I also continue to find the music intrusive - that's not to say it's not good or appropriate, just why must there be overwrought singing to virtually every scene, literally drowning out what the characters are saying and what's going on ? But Lee Hyun Woo saves it for me, he's a good actor. Ep. 15 things hotting up again, looks like a good ending in prospect. I'll be glad to say "Goodbye" to that song, though, it's like a headache. Ep.16 - good finish, it was certainly a "cliffhanger" :) - everything neatly wrapped up (too neatly for my taste). Predictable in outline if not in all the details. I'm still not sure what's supposed to have happened in that moment of high drama. It was a real pity the bromance angle receded so much during most of the series. And why the h*** did Yoon Shi Woo change from blonde to dark half way through?? Certainly did him no favors. I did not find the ending, where the writers seem to have wanted everyone to literally have everything, convincing. It seems the writers opted for safety and their conventional audience. Then we have the strong bromantic love suddenly hitting us in the very last scene! which suggests to me this was supposed to matter even more than their blissful wedded partners. Hope it did. But the whole thing was very confusing. So it was good enough to stay the course - which for me is an achievement over 16 episodes - but for me sagged a bit in places, so had to have faith. Should have been shorter in my humble opinion. For me the lack of bromance after the earlier episodes did not help. They just managed to come up with some plot twists and action often enough to keep the flame burning. I'd say 10 in places, 6.5 in others but 8.5 overall. I'm not marking down the overall due to lousy music and indifferent re-watch value, though. It's the story and acting that count. Did not quite live up to my initial expectations or the excitement and bromance built up in some episodes . Very unlikely to re-watch.

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Grasshopper
1 people found this review helpful
Sep 15, 2017
Completed 0
Overall 8.0
Story 8.0
Acting/Cast 9.0
Music 8.0
Rewatch Value 7.5
Weird, but it sort of comes together in the end, Ituka's metamorphosis into this geeky, gawky,seemingly clueless, nonentity is amazing. What happened, oh pretty, fizzy one? But the big turn-off for me was too much blood and violence. I was starting to like that Semi…and then he spoils it all, pulling a knife, ugh! gory!
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Completed
Brain Man
1 people found this review helpful
Sep 15, 2017
Completed 0
Overall 9.5
Story 9.5
Acting/Cast 10
Music 8.5
Rewatch Value 10
Another Ituka Toma hit. He is an excellent, versatile actor, how he gets into the skin (literally and metaphorically) of all these weird characters constantly amazes me. Just watched Grasshopper too, an even stranger transformation. Even if you don't know what's going on half the time you're sort of hypnotically pulled in. Not just a pretty face but I'd like to see more where that's also in evidence too:)
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Completed
Nobuta wo Produce
1 people found this review helpful
Sep 3, 2017
10 of 10 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 10
Story 10
Acting/Cast 10
Music 10
Rewatch Value 10
Straight 10s for me. Wondrous, I kept thinking this must get less good, like most of the drama series, however it brought out the characters perfectly while bringing in a few different ideas, so it was never boring. I was putting off watching the last episode for some time as I did not want it to end. I suppose there's always exploitation that's why Nobuta could not choose between the boys as her most important person - she knew the real relationship was between Shuiji and Akira. Great performances, great drama. Will re-watch some time soon.
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Takumi-kun Series 2: Rainbow Colored Glass
1 people found this review helpful
Nov 19, 2016
Completed 0
Overall 8.5
Story 8.0
Acting/Cast 9.0
Music 8.0
Rewatch Value 7.0
Sad…but beautiful. Rather confused at the start as to where the story was going, but the sensitive ending more than made up for it. The story-line is not original but the BL angle is and I am happy gay relationships are given equally good treatment with straight romance. If only the same were true in Europe! Not one I would probably hurry to re-watch as it's very emotional but well worth seeing for anyone who has not.
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Mr. X and I Season 2
1 people found this review helpful
Oct 10, 2016
6 of 6 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 7.0
Story 7.0
Acting/Cast 8.0
Music 8.5
Rewatch Value 6.0
This was a good drama with some very emotional, but also heartwarming moments. It also got a serious message across about the problems of growing up part of a gay minority - prejudice, bullying, alienation, just making connections so you can live your life. Pity it was spoilt for me by the tacky ending. I mean, come on, there's a limit to how far you can make up with a guy and his girlfriend/wife who trampled all over your deepest feelings. You can only move on by leaving the unrequited love interest behind! Zhengxi acted the part well, he also has a very sweet expression! I also liked his childhood girlfriend and the guy he finally hooked up with (much better looks than Tao Ye). The Tao Ye character I didn't like at all in the latter part. A true friend would have left Zhengxi alone to get on with his life.

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Ai no Kotodama
1 people found this review helpful
Sep 20, 2016
Completed 0
Overall 9.5
Story 9.5
Acting/Cast 9.5
Music 9.5
Rewatch Value 10
Really great feel-good movie, just what you need to raise your spirits on a gloomy winter day. For me this movie was made by the gorgeous, sultry Tokuyama Hidenori (Ootani) playing the moody, jealous partner of flighty, upbeat, "everybody's favourite friend", Tachibana (Saito Yasuka). Tokuyama's spoilt brat reactions when MIsuzawa (Matsuoka Rinako) puts in an appearance are priceless. The more serious turn into which this leads the relationship and the way the sensitivities of all three protagonists are resolved is nicely done and gives a bit more depth to the movie without detracting from the happy feel of the movie. For me, almost a perfect score for a movie of its type.

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Begins Youth
2 people found this review helpful
May 25, 2024
12 of 12 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 9.0
Story 9.0
Acting/Cast 10
Music 6.0
Rewatch Value 7.0
This review may contain spoilers

over the edge

my final judgment on this : it was a failure
yes it was a gripping drama to watch but 、went completely off the rails with episode 11 totally over romanticised shading into melodrama and episode 12 just bad melodrama with I assume the triumph of evil embodied in Kim Changjun and the principal and of social advantage ー
but then there are the unresolved questions starting with the end of episode 11 and Kim Hwan on the edge.......of what? a watery grave. ? bizarrely we do not find out specifically in episode 12 where the one actually taking the plunge is Jeon though the very end maybe can be viewed as implying he joins the other ghosts (but no not all of them actually died or at least bodily)
I am still not clear if Cein's mother was responsible for her own fate or raped and murdered by Kim Changjun though given his later easy turn to murder to attain his ends and hints from the principal' s contributions in the drama including the flashback to the young Changjun I tend to the latter view but the writer really leaves it hopelessly muddled
you can take this as an invitation for your imagination to fill in the gaps or a failure of the writer to properly resolve the drama: I am quite willing to let my imagination run but if so it will not be because the writer [webtoon or screenwriter] encouraged me to do so in a positive way but because I have to make up for their inadequacy

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What's Wrong with Secretary Kim
2 people found this review helpful
Apr 25, 2019
16 of 16 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 10
Story 9.0
Acting/Cast 10
Music 9.0
Rewatch Value 9.0

Quirky romantic comedy

I love the fashion values - and he has two Maseratis in different colors. As at ep. 2 more like "What's becoming of Mr Lee" ? As it develops, the reason the leads come together is highly far-fetched . Apart from that, which is contradictory to the light tone of the drama, this is a good mix of romance, comedy and mystery. It is not just the leads but all the characters in this show contribute to a great mix, really cheers me up. The romance towards the end still has original moments but for me gets boring. Could have been 2 or 3 episodes less imo, but the final episode was beautiful. Music very good. I could re-watch this in future, at least the first half.

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