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Several years ago I didn't know about the korean market, dramas, movies etc. I wasn't into that stuff yet. I just randomly bought some japanese horror movies (at least that's what I thought, lol). I didn't even notice that this one was korean. Well, I liked the story (watched it twice) and then forgot about it.
Now, after almost 15 years and to complete my drama list I digged it up again, and while reading the contents I had to laugh out loud after recognizing so many actors I didn't know of back then. (Like: 'She's from Angry Mom and Faith!' and 'He's from The Greatest Love and You're all Surrounded!' and 'That one's from The King's Face!'...)
The Story itself is really nice and interesting but since this movie is from 1999 the special effects are (of course) not as good as today. Low budget and all included. Doesn't mean it's bad though. The atmosphere is just like those old Godzilla movies. The acting itself is average. It fits the movie but nothing special. The only strange thing was how the scenes were assembled and edited. Hard to explain.
I have to admit after being spoiled by all those great dramas these days this movie could get a bit strange and maybe a little bit boring. Nevertheless, I enjoyed it because of the romance part, although it's like: 'Oh, and now they like each other!' It's not the best but hell, I liked it anyway.
Back then I watched the movie with German dubbing. Maybe some of you know what I'm talking about when I say western dubbing on asian movies doesn't fit most times (It's the same with animes, btw). This time I watched it in Korean and Aigoo!, it made a huge difference (although the German subtitles sucked alot - listening to the Korean language for several years now makes you notice).
Music... not much to judge here but I really like the ending song.
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It sounds cliché but when I worked at a restaurant I met so many bosses who had married their secretaries that it felt actually quite strange. But it's a matter of fact and the funniest things happen in real life, right? So, it was even more enjoyable to watch. Also, it's been a while since I last watched a pure romance drama, so it was even more relaxing to marathon this one.
Park Min Young's and Park Seo Joon's scenes were well balanced and had really good dynamics. There was perfect timing in their facial expressions and small gestures/reactions were well tuned. It's hard to describe, but I hope you'll know what I'm talking about when you watch it yourselves.
What I especially liked in the beginning was that perfect teamwork between the both of them. It showed so well, how important it is to have a competent, supportive co-worker next to you when it comes to managing such scales. It's a bit sad that they showed less of that team-play as the drama went on. What I also liked was the transition from the newbie to that perfect secretary.
PSJ's acting performance was satisfying, as expected. The narcissistic treats of his character were well shown, even though they surfaced less often in the later episodes, which is a bit sad, imo.
I'm not a fan of kitsch, so... let's just say that the drama could have done perfectly fine without it. I don't even know how SK came up with this kind of image of a relationship in the first place, when they started to produce rom-coms in the past.
I adored all the side-characters. Lee Young Joon's parents were great. Hilariously great. Also, Kim Mi So's sisters (fresh faces who make me want to see them more often in dramas) and of course her dad, lol. And in that sense the surprise cameo. Won't say more though!
Special shout-out to the child actors. So, so cute but also so impressively well done when you think about those scenes they had to play.
And then there's Kang Ki Young. You can't help but enjoy all his roles. He has this comedic talent to make a scene look serious, yet funny without overdoing it.
Overall a well done rom-com with a few points of criticism. The acting is really good, the office life relatively close to reality (sometimes). Only the last few episodes became a bit dragging about two issues and some things were just "too much". It doesn't diminish the overall enjoyment, and with the adding of someone's hidden past you even get some suspense on the side-lines. Enjoyment level alone: 8.5.
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Picturesque, Breathtaking, Devilishly Good~
So, here I am, after finishing Till The End of The Moon, flabbergasted by that abrupt ending. I'm not saying that it was rushed. The finale was indeed well paced and worth being called "finale". I was just so into the story, that I actually expected some more "after effects" after the finale. But it suddenly ended and left me with some unfinished emotions as well as some unanswered questions, i.e. was the last big misunderstanding clarified to the world? That will probably be my only drop of bitterness when I reminisce about this drama.The story itself was a great journey, full of sadness, hatred, jealousy, bitterness but also love (but I guess you can apply that to every Xianxia). It feels like ages since I watched the first episodes (even though it has only been 2 weeks), so it's kinda hard to recollect every moment (guess I have to watch again, lol).
I was able to connect quite well with the characters very early on, even though Luo Yun Xi's character Tantei Jin was hard to grasp at the beginning because his image from Ashes of Love was still dominant in my mind. But he convinced me in no time and before I could even think about it, I was already convinced by his new character. And now, remembering the very first episode with him, I have to say that he introduced a phenomenal, cruel Devil God to the world.
I was always worried that the slow changes in his attitude and mindset caused by Ye Xiwu (FL) would be destroyed again, everytime someone betrayed him. It was completely understandable that he remained so insecure for 2/3 of the story when you think about the way he grew up, although I'm a bit sad that he didn't investigate enough and didn't give the benefit of the doubt at the end of the human realm arc. Same goes for Ye Xiwu. It took her a very long time to actually believe in him. Even the slightest "seemingly" evil deed done by Tantei Jin would throw her back into believing he would never change and always be the Devil God she feared so much.
What the story was also good at was showing how fast people and immortals were to prejudge and find a first obvious culprit without much investigation, instead of believing the truth they should know deep down. At least the immortals should have been a better judge of character. I was also most frustrated with the accused ones to never explain the whole thing or at least enough, always pausing in their sentences, and the accusers to just assume their own truth with only fractions of the circumstantials. So many things could have been prevented.
Regarding the love triangles, I'm glad they didn't give much weight to that part. They were there, yes. They caused some trouble, yes. But they vanished quite fast, too. Much to my liking, since I hate that trope the most.
It's been a day after finishing the drama and the music is still lingering in my head as well as those stunning costumes and breathtaking scenes. You just never want to look away but absorb every single image. Don't know how to get it out, don't want to either. I want to restart it, yet I don't want to. Xianxia always leave me with a weird feeling.
If you look for something similar to Ashes of Love or Love Between Fairy and Devil, then feel free to watch this as well. It won't disappoint, I promise.
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And in that way the drama tells a phenomenal story. Although I wasn't hooked by its first episodes right away, I grew to love it to bits even though the basic summary doesn't differ much from other revenge dramas.
What makes this so special are its characters and the construction of their stories - and the bond between them. Like the plot is built up in layers, so are its partakers. Every detail is played out so well that you're stunned when you reminisce about it. It makes you excited to watch each twist unfold, to guess and to see whether your predictions come true or not. And it never lets you rest. Each turn of events is shocking, moves you to tears or riles up your emotions to an unknown degree.
What I loved so much in the acting of the characters were those subtle, tiny expressions, almost too small to notice but you DO notice them. There is no one who is truly good or bad. Everyone has their flaws and inner fights and struggles, and sometimes the selfish desire wins over. It shows how good this drama is, that it makes you focus automatically, so you won't miss anything. One big strength of this drama is that it makes you try to imagine to be in their shoes. You might think that you will never extort to their lengths and methods but deep down you have to admit that you can't be hundred percent clear about that either. Human instincts are one big mystery and only if you face such situations yourself, you'll learn some new truths about yourself.
Thinking of the cast makes me seriously happy because everyone, and I mean everyone, did such a good job with each and every role they were given. It made you enjoy all their interactions, either good or bad. A big shout-out at the young teenage actors, too, because they were utterly amazing! Also one of the best villains I've seen in a drama. I always prefer the calm, smart ones over the impulsive stereotypes they use so often. And Lookout has one intriguing badass whose gaze gives you the chills because he's just so incalculable. He's like fog where you can't see far enough.
Though all of them were amazing, the one who gets the biggest bouquet of flowers is Kim Young Kwang. He is simply surpassing every role he's done so far. His character was so well written and his performance was mind-blowing. And I'm not even exaggerating. He played Jang Do Han with such perfection and perception that I can't wait to see more of his acting in future roles with likewise impressive characters. I don't even want to talk about this too much, just watch it yourself and let yourself be mesmerized.
Also, Lee Shi Young. I was five minutes into the drama, and she already knocked me off my socks. She's such a badass female lead who makes you root for her almost all the way through. She is strong and no matter what happens stays to her beliefs. And although it might become a lonely fight, she never willingly depends on others but takes matters in her own hand.
I did have some issues with the last episodes which is why I can't give this drama a full 10. But I was still very satisfied with its wrap up, and to know that it's over now, makes me shed a tear or two.
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In the beginning I wasn't really interested in this and then people started to compare it to Signal, calling it a cheap copy of it. That made me curious though and I wanted to see it for myself. Now I thank everyone for indirectly making me watch it - because it's nothing like Signal except the time slip theme.
At first glance the synopsis doesn't appeal very interesting, especially since there are so many time traveling dramas out there recently. But once you give it some time and don't reject it right away, the story will definitely trigger something inside you. That's at least how I felt about this. I started with low to average expectations and ended up with fulfilling satisfaction.
The acting in this started really ordinary. It wasn't bad, but it didn't make me drop my jaw either. It solidly carried the story, as you might say. Choi Jin Hyuk started off quite indifferent, for example. But as episodes went by, he slowly managed to grow on me and make me sympathize with his character alot, especially in the second half. The same goes for Yoon Hyun Min and Lee Yoo Young. Both of them are actors I haven't seen before. I think it's alot more difficult to convince viewers who don't know about a respective cast of a drama and therefore don't crazily fangirl over them. In this case I didn't know about the leads and they were still able to convince me and make me enjoy this drama more than I had hoped for. The more I went into the story, the more I got entangled with its figures - in a good way.
Without telling too much, this drama also has an interesting villain who might not be someone new, but surely piques your interest and makes you excited about his character.
Objectively speaking, I would actually give Tunnel a rating of 8.5. But due to my surprise and personal entertainment I added 0.5 points to it. Hell, this drama is not free from flaws, I admit that. There were some things in the script and about some behaviors, I got angry about because it was flat-out unrealistic or stupid (excluding the time traveling thing, of course :P).
Then again, despite those minor matters, there were other things I happily accepted and which made me overlook the deficits. For example satisfying police work. Hard working officers, most times logical procedures and well done investigations. And the most important thing: No corruption! (a trope I got so tired of). It was also great at connecting and balancing crime and drama, the reason why I got so emotional many, many times while watching.
Other things I really loved were the side love stories that captured my emotions and the background music which was used so well and adjusted so perfectly that you even notice the improvement of the scenes through music while watching and listening.
There are of course also surprises up its sleeves. Some people might be able to foresee them but I also think that the drama did a good job at revealing certain already known or predicted things to its characters. And it did a good job at confusing (at least) me quite well, too. Or let's say it managed to make me think too much about possible turn of events. And no matter the outcome, that feature added completely to my enjoyment.
Cinematography did a really good job many times as well as scene flow and editing/cut. There were moments where I thought "Oh, nice! Well done!".
Conclusion of this one: Tunnel is definitely worth the watch if you are able to overlook some minor flaws. There are still many things to enjoy and be excited about. And one thing: This has one of the best final episodes I've seen so far.
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The story is a common plot among all those revenge dramas out there. Han Yi Soo takes on a new identity after his father was murdered. After years he comes back to Korea with a fully prepared plan in his mind. In order to get the one responsible for his past misery he is determined to use that one's granddaughter Jo Hae Woo, his past first love from his teenage days.
What makes this drama so perfect in my eyes is that every detail harmonizes with the other entirely. The story, the twists, the actors, the music, the cinematography.
Although the basic plot is not an unusual one, it still keeps you chained to your seat. The way the scenes are merging and continuing so smoothly makes you more curious with each passing minute.
But the story itself wouldn't work without those remarkable actors who put so much life in their characters. At this point the first ones who are to be mentioned are Yun Joon Suk and Kyung Soo Jin who portrayed the young versions of both leads. Without them it would have only been half a joy watching this drama. Their chemistry was overwhelming and laid a great foundation for their adult co-actors (Kim Nam Gil & Son Ye Jin) who did an equally amazing job in showing that deep special bond their characters shared from the first minute they'd met. All those moments/scenes where they were together was in a striking contrast to the rest of the story and kinda felt like floating in the air. Their encounters always left a deep impression on me.
What strikes me most is Kim Nam Gil. I've never seen anything with him before, therefore I had no idea what I was getting myself into. But after watching this drama I'm completely convinced by his talent. Not many actors are capable of showing sparse facial expressions and still manage to deliver everything the viewer needs to feel the character's pain, suffering, inner turmoil and determination, or whatever he's feeling.
The most beautiful part of Shark (next to those wonderful tragically romantic moments of the leads) is its unique, outstanding OST. All those well placed songs just complemented this already brilliant drama.
Believe me if you've ever contemplated to watch this, don't hesitate any longer. Just start it.
Like I mentioned at the beginning many people were not satisfied or disappointed with the end. In my opinion it was the most fitting finish I've ever seen in a k-drama. If you pay enough attention right from the first moment, you would see it coming. Throughout the whole story are so many small details that point towards it - like a red thread. You'll see that any other ending wouldn't cope with the rest of the story as well as the actual one did. Not at all.
I for one have fallen in love with this gem. I hope you guys will enjoy this ride as well.
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I love Jo Jung Suk's acting ever since King2Hearts. There's no denying that he can pull off a far fetching diversity of characters and he will always be one big reason for me to pick a drama. That's why I watched Two Cops, although opinions were definitely not in favor. But as you can see with my rating, the drama still managed to disappoint me big time.
First though, let me tell you what I liked about it (since the list won't be long):
The bromance between Soo Chang (KSH) and Dong Tak (JJS) was blooming slowly, but once they accepted each other, they had some really nice moments together. Chemistry was there and at some point I was even sad that they didn't have more scenes together. There was still a lot of possibilities that could have been used to deepen their bond more.
The criminal sidekicks who were supporting our leads. I loved their scenes and their antics, because it was funny but not exaggerating. Especially the thug leader (Lee Shi Eon) grew on me, as well as the female pickpocket. I enjoyed her story (including her love line) and her attitude towards certain police officers.
One of the bigger villains (played by Lee Jae Won) had an equally interesting part in the drama. His character and the actor's performance made me care for his story, what was all I needed. The main villains were not outstanding, they remained somewhat stereotype-y, but they were still good and their evilness was convincing.
But what I didn't like:
First of all the romance. Seriously, they could have done without it. Zero chemistry between the leads, instead their scenes took away important time that could have been used on the case. Furthermore Hyeri. I haven't seen much with her yet, but this drama definitely didn't make me want to watch something else with her either. Not only was her character annoying, but also the acting didn't reach me even once. Her kisses with the main lead were actually good, but since I didn't care for the romance at all, their "passion" was a waste of time altogether. And another point that made me wince even more was that JJS's character felt all grown up while the female lead acted like a nosy, clueless brat.
Then there was this confusing point about the Korean law here. Most of the crime dramas I watched until now, were always telling me that relatives are not allowed to investigate or prosecute family members. This drama kind of threw that rule over? It's not the only drama with that kind of law display but it made me wonder again...
I was not able to build a bond with the good guys aka the police squad the lead was part of. The characters were average at best. Nobody stood out, it was your usual bunch of lousy officers, one of them rather a model than a law enforcer who did his bit to make the team look like a joke even more. Especially regarding the main case. This one could have been solved so much faster but since the drama wanted to extent the hunt and because their way of investigation had a lot of nonsensical turns, it took them quite a while to assemble the puzzle. And only at the very end they seemed to have gotten some intelligence input, so they were able to create a plan to catch the bad buys. (I do admit that I was a bit surprised about the actual truth that was revealed at the far end)
One of the major flaws in my eyes was how they used their possibilities regarding the core point of the drama. Soo Chang was a ghost and not bound to anything. He was free to go anywhere without being held back by some kind of ghost rule. Therefore he could have listened in to so many suspicious people. He was rather clueless in the beginning (he annoyed the hell out of me) and he was more interested in chasing his useless love interest instead of finding a way to go back to his normal self. Only later on when he got closer to Dong Tak and after he had fixated his mind on catching the culprits, he became a little smarter and grew on me.
The overall construction of story telling was very slow and draggy. Even the finale didn't speed up but was acted out rather calmly. It's such a shame for the drama, it could have been so much better. Miscast, a script with lacking suspense, superficial characters and wasted opportunities put this drama in the lower ranks of crime shows.
Recommending? Well, rather not. Only if you're a hardcore Jo Jung Suk and bromance fan.
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If there's one word that describes this drama the best, it would be "family", closely followed by "bromance". Right from the beginning but even clearer the more you trail the story.
I always prefer those shows that don't seem like something special and later on start to emerge from their cocoon. Even tough I wouldn't say that Mad Dog is a stroke of genius regarding the plot, I'd still claim that the writers were genius enough to make a common plot with clichés into an enjoyable evening pastime.
The summary doesn't reveal much of the actual story and some of you might be slightly disturbed by the starting event later on because of its obviousness to a certain real-time happening some years ago - I certainly was because the drama did link with my country. And I didn't really know how to feel about it. I still don't know how to feel about it after watching the drama and the way it dealt with that issue. But I can say for sure that they handled it the Korean drama way which actually soothed my uneasiness a little, even though it was such a trope.
If I discard that one point, everything else looks like the usual crime drama - and then again it's not really an only crime show. There is more to its charm, more humor, more romance, more shrewdness than necessary. Maybe even a little too much cleverness. It's your common plot of push and pull between the good and the bad. Nothing you haven't seen before already.
But still.
What makes this drama so much fun are the actors and their characters. Conspicuous individuals who look unique (even though they are not). More closely viewed they are actually very predictable and stereotype. But I didn't really pay attention to that because I enjoyed them so much. What's so special about those guys are their team dynamics. I don't even know how to describe it best. They had great chemistry from start to end, and yes, sometimes their actions seemed a little overboard. I still couldn't care less.
If I had to tell who my favorite was out of them all, I'd say Jo Jae Yun. Seriously, that guy is a genius. He can pull so many different characters, making them his own, give them his unique touch, and bait his audience. And I'm so glad that he got the opportunity to show some rarer sides of his skills in this drama. Not always only the joking guy, but also someone who gets really serious about things and people. I want to see him in a romance drama - a serious one, not a comedy.
Of course I liked the other ones as well. Woo Do Wan is definitely next in line (not only because of his sweet attempts at talking German~). I haven't seen anything with him yet, but I'll definitely catch up on that gap. He delivered his role with impressive finesse.
Yoo Ji Tae... The only other drama I watched him in was Healer, and even though I'm not the right one to judge him yet, I think I can still say that I got what I expected of him. As one of the (younger) veterans he knows how to capture the viewers with confidence.
Same applies for the rest of the cast - though I must also say that you either love or hate certain kinds of people. I for myself was entertained quite well by the bad guys as well. It even turned out that the one I disliked the most in the beginning, became my favorite in the end. Hell yeah, he was an annoying guy and that never changed. But he also knew how to counter-attack when it was needed. There was a nice dissonance within that group of evil guys and I found it enjoyable how they always tried to turn on each other.
If I had to name a disappointment, it would be Hong Soo Hyun. I don't know why but her character stayed the same throughout the whole show. Very bland and unmoving. Always the same expression, always the same repetitive acting.
I think what surprised me the most was the romance that suddenly bloomed out of nowhere. Okay, not totally out of the blue. It appeared in small steps early on but never seemed real, so I certainly didn't expect it to become more serious. Maybe I'm the only dumb one on this though, I don't know. Even though I did notice it, I thought the writers were only teasing me. Thank god they didn't... I really liked the development in the end. It fitted the moments, was never too prominent and took its sweet time.
I know this show has some faults and clichés and whatnot. But sometimes you just need something flawed that makes you fall in love with it to remember that there's no such thing as perfect on this earth.
Definitely recommended~
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And that should say something since I didn't get bored until the end.
The summary says it's about two sisters and two men. Well, two men, yes. Two sisters, not really. Well, yes, they are different in looks and success but that's just part of the basic setting, necessary for Gong Shim's story. So, the main story is about Gong Shim, her struggling in the world of work because of her unique appearance, and two totally different men entering her world. Suk Joon Soo, charming and rich, and Ahn Dan Tae, a childish, strange coot who also appears to be a lawyer.
Would you reduce the story to its basic structure there would be nothing new. All characteristics that are needed for your average Korean drama rom-com.
The story still managed to entertain me to the end. Its characters were charming and lovely. It was fun watching them grow fond of each other, following the romance development and even more the bromance in this drama.
But your average k-drama wouldn't be perfect without a family secret that has its roots in the past. And I think next to those charming characters it was that dark family story and the way is was unraveling that made the drama exciting and kept me watching.
Of course, you have your intrigues, your silly dialogues and your stupid behaviors (no matter how much you rejoice, as a grown woman you would still watch out for cars before you run across the street, seriously). But all the characters made up for it. Not only the leads but also the supporting ones. The parents, the grandmother etc.
The acting was really good, esp. both male leads. The female lead was a bit behind but not so bad either.
I wouldn't watch it twice, but it was still an enjoyable ride and I don't regret watching it.
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Park Shi Ho is one of my favorite actors, so watching this movie was a must. And although I didn't really know what I was getting myself into back then, in the end I was convinced to the the fullest. Story, actors and cinematography. I wasn't worried about Park Shi Ho. He's a great actor. But all the other cast members also did an awesome job. They went very well together. And that was one of the most important parts in this movie because at the end it drops a midsize bombshell, putting everything in a new light. There was not one moment where I suspected such an ending. I knew something wasn't right but my suspicions didn't even get close to that solving. The movie definitely surprises with some nice ideas.
Cinematography and scene editing: Thumbs up! No rushing, no stalling.
There's nothing to criticize on my part. The overall package is self-consistent. Lots of action and many thrilling moments, surprising turns and even some humorous parts that doesn't seem out of place. Stunt choreography was brilliant and never looked posed.
I for myself was wholeheartedly satisfied with this one.
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Some things a bit overboard, some things a bit too convenient, some things/characters too predictable, and it's definitely not some profound dystopian drama. But it definitely scratched the surface and had quite some nice starting points worth thinking about IF something like that would ever happen. How would women rule the world, what about birth rate and birth control, how to secure mankind's survival, etc.
It's probably just me taking attention to that, but even though it was maybe just randomly put into the story, it's actually quite logical that waaaaay more female relationships would exist in that environment and feel soooo normal. I hope, you know, what I mean. Another normal than what we have in our sociaty right now (where's still fighting for acceptance in many parts of the world).
Though I'm almost sure they wouldn't "sell" men like that if they are that valuable to the world.
The setting kind of resembled Squid Game, only without the death threat. I quite enjoyed the games, they really put some thoughts into those. Also, nice music and such beautiful shots here and there <3
And I was totally surprised by the good acting of the whole cast. I was esp. fond of the supposed evil SFL. I liked her performance, her facial expressions and gestures quite a lot.
I also liked the main couple, but I hated the hairspray hairstyle of the ML and his overly careful way of running his hand "through" his hair, lol.
Overall, a somewhat basic stereotype kind of character setting, but they still put together a really enjoyable story with only 8 episodes and even left room for a 2nd maybe deeper season. I would totally go for that since there's a lot more to tell about just everything. Potential's there. Hope, they use it wisely if they decide to it.
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The story was well woven and well told. It was capable of chaining me to my seat and making me binge this in no time. There were minor and major key scenes all the time, that kept me guessing what could happen next and made me unable to stop. They also built up a captivating amount of tension before every event. To say that certain things were predictable might be right. But it's not meant to sound negatively. It's more like you fear what would happen and wait in anxiety.
The acting of almost everyone was soooo good, I enjoyed it alot (except for SML's mother... that was really bad). What I appreciate the most is that the leads never led me down. Not even once. Maybe they didn't always do things to my liking, but it was always reasonable and just the effect of past events. They stayed true to themselves (as far as that was possible considering the Yun Elixir). They touched me with their love, passion and made me feel their pain and suffering, as well.
The side cast did their job well in supporting the leads and the story. Especially the snake, the fox and the phoenix's guard were my favorites. And what I liked about the ending was that every character, good or bad, got one that fit in regard to past happenings. There's no mysterious incomprehensible happy ending for everyone.
What a ride... I'll definitely re-watch this some day!
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Sometimes, esp. in the beginning I contemplated about the rating while I watched this show, because I kept remembering all the things that annoy me in crime k-dramas. But the more I watched the more I forgot about those, and therefore enjoyed this a lot more. There's just no way you can compare this one to a k-drama.
The story is perfectly mixing comedy, crime, mystery, friendship and a bit of romance as well (without focusing on it too much). And I even got all my favorite tropes~.
I usually tend to roll my eyes on dramas that try too hard to be serious and cut to the next comedy scene without a warning. Bitter Blood though managed to smoothly walk that bridge without looking too idiotic. Of course, the cases are somewhat exaggerated and nonsensical, even more so the way the team is handling them. But that's not because of the situations itself - those were actually quite interesting - but more because of the characters. They are however the reason why it makes the whole thing great again.
With their unwavering friendship and unusual teamwork they achieved the most important thing in a drama: Getting the viewer attached. Every single member of the squad team felt unique and showed enough substance to make me care for them.
Most of all Sahara Natsuki and Shimao Akimura. Natsuki with his somewhat clumsy, yet determined way was the perfect fit for the eccentric and fashionable Akimura, and together they formed a great team that supported each other. They were completely different in manners and yet totally alike. No surprise at all since they are connected through a bitter past and share the same blood. I loved their interactions. It showed affection and respect for each other whether they admitted to it or not. Their constant bickering just made it clearer every time.
The finale was something I haven't seen for a long time. There are some basic things you can probably vaguely guess but the actual event(s) totally surprised me, some of it because of little details I didn't see coming, other things because of how they proceed towards a certain... moment where all the threads come together.
The main villain was nuts, insane as you would expect. A stereotypical psycho. I found it funny that they used the opera "Erlkönig" as his distinguishing feature. But if you know what it's about, it actually fits his objective which he was so ambitiously working towards. If I had to complain about one thing it would be the his back story. You get some hints but you never get the actual story.
I might have started this because of Sato Takeru but I stayed because of so many more reasons - most of all because I could loosen up and wholeheartedly enjoy this little gem.
So whether you're already into J-dramas or not. This is a definite recommendation to all of you ;)
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What a ride
Rating this gave me a hard time. That's probably because I didn't see as many baseball scenes in this drama as I'd wished for. I do get that it's more about the people's growth and how things might work in that industry. But seeing some more games to let me root for the players I've grown to like so much would have been nice.Nonetheless, it was still a great drama with an awesome cast and plot. You can somewhat guess, where the story is going after watching the first episodes. A sports team, that loses all the time. Of course there must be some heavy problems, right? Baek Seung Soo (NGM) starts to root out the foul branches one by one. He persuades you that it can really work and you start to cheer for the team to get up again. But well, it's a drama afterall, so don't fool yourself. There are the higher ups who don't want him to succeed, no matter what. And so additional obstacles are spread just when you think everything runs fine.
Nam Goong Min is without doubt a terrifying actor. I always prefer the silent roles because they show the actors' real capability. Baek Seung Soo (NGM) was one kind of a silent character. He seems apathetic, not caring much but still determined to achieve his goal. By no means is he cold though. He has that little brother he's living with who is tied to a wheelchair, and you can see that Baek Seung Soo does care for his family. He's also smart, perceptive and cunning. I've only seen a few other characters who were as calculative as him and I'm happy that the writing and NGM's acting convinced me of these traits through and through. For example, whenever his character came up with his next move, he was of course faced with anger and a strong headwind. But he fought his battles with calmness and evidence based reasoning.
He takes most blows without complaint, instead he works on other ways to still get the results he needs. But when he's really, really pissed (or cornered or just overwhelmed), his nonchalant demeanor breaks for like two seconds and you discover his well hidden emotions. It might be glimpses, but NGM gives them a deep impact. It almost scares you how much he can bottle up and then release.
In the early episodes it seems as if he's just doing a job. Well, that might be true. But as time goes by, he realizes that there are other people, who are as determined as he is, and in a subtle way, he unintentionally creates bonds without knowing it. I kinda suspected from the beginning how his character would be wrapped up work-wise. Even though I might not have suspected anything at all about his growth as a person, something was expected nevertheless. Otherwise the drama would have failed its purpose.
The rest of the cast did good jobs themselves, they supported the leads very well. There was always enough back story to make their characters three-dimensional without giving too much side info. It was enough to either reassure you, so you can name your league of good people, or deceive you, to make surprising twists possible.
The alleged villain... Oh, well. You start from liking him to disliking to hating to... Let's say he's a difficult one. Of course, it gets explained why he's doing what he's doing. You just wish for him to break that damn cage, he's gotten himself into. He definitely grew as a person ultimately, but he still has a long road ahead.
What I found hard at times was to follow the technical jargon. I like baseball but I'm not an expert. While it makes sense for them to talk like that when they are surrounded by their people, it would have been nice if they had somehow made their evaluations more comprehensible. I want to cheer them on so badly, but how can I do that, when I only understand half of it.
The few baseball scenes were like honey. Even though there weren't that many, they did those really well and managed to show off a bit. I enjoyed them so much because they were a nice change of scenery (and I'm always in for a nice game).
Conclusion:
An overall powerful drama about a lone 'ranger', who stands tall, no matter what, who meets a defective baseball team that's in a real mess but opposes the unusual methods of their new general manager. Both sides surprise you in unexpected ways and will sweep you away with a new found team spirit.
So, don't miss out on this one ;)
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I can't believe it's over. I want to watch mooore...
I actually wanted to write a review about Leh Nangfah some days ago. But then I started this drama and got so absorbed into the story that it pushed my feelings for the bird's story aside. And now I'm so obsessed with Kleun Cheewit that I would almost rewatch it right away.Of course I liked the story, otherwise I wouldn't have started it at all. Even though it's filled with clichés and over the top situations, nonsensical jealousy, tight-lipped yet provoking characters and unfounded assumptions.
But still. The time it took to tell the story and the path it went, plus the outstanding acting of the cast made this an extraordinary drama that knows how to convince. If I had to choose between the Korean "Secret" which follows a quite similar plot, and Kleun Cheewit, I'd choose the Thai one ten times over, even though I liked "Secret" alot as well.
The main leads were the driving force. There was harmony and balance, not one edgy moment. The back and forth, the unwanted situations they were put into, and the slow progress of their relationship with all the hardships that came along, was what glued me to the screen. Nothing felt forced by the writing, it always made sense within the borders of a lakorn.
Yaya's (Jee) crying skills were so authentic, it flooded my own emotions and made me cry along every single time! And it was not only her crying but the emotions she carried with it. I always knew whether she was angry or sad or happy. Mark (Thit) on the other hand had a very subtle way of showing the feelings of his character. He didn't cry as much and especially in the beginning till the middle the anger and hate ruled over Thit's actions. I also wasn't convinced of Mark right away, it only started later on. But I also felt that he grew with his character and got alot better with each episode, which is why I am quite happy with him as the male lead in the end. Yaya and Mark built two really strong characters who are filled with flaws but help each other heal.
The second leads were enjoyable as well. For real. Usually I get bored after some time with them, because their story doesn't capture my attention anymore. But these two, Chaiyan and Piak were an equally interesting couple, even though they brought along alot of drama for Jee, too. But I liked the friendship between Jee and Chaiyan and that they didn't waver because of Piak's jealousy. Of course, Piak was understandable, but at some point it reached a level that questioned the love they actually had for each other and turned it into a tightrope act. They could have saved alot of trouble and tears, if they had just TALKED to each other reasonably.
And that was an actually problem of the drama. Either people assumed things because of certain situations they "saw" and thought they knew what was going on. Or whenever a problem arose, they never, NEVER talked it out. There was either crying or slapping or cursing or fighting OR silently leaving (but oh well, we all know about those things from almost every drama, right). They never really said what needed to be said. Only a few situations occurred (after the volcano had already erupted, you could say), when misunderstandings were finally cleared. It made me happy again because it was overdue a long time ago, and made me forget all the complaints I had before. The reason why especially this drama heated my emotions so much is because all the characters felt so alive. I saw and felt their yearning for understanding.
Because of this I wanted to deducted half a point but... nope, I got too invested in the story and the characters and was never disappointed (unnerved sometimes, yes, but never once did I thought it was a waste of time). It deserves my 10 and a place on my precious drama list.
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