Reviews

Dance is just a cover for watching hot men make out... and am I happy about it?

No, I am not.

Oh my god. I was so excited for this one.

When I saw the trailer, I immediately subscribed to the notification bell.

We have to start from somewhere so why not with the title. Why this title? The title was referring to the competition and it becomes increasingly irrelevant as the movie progresses. Not to miss pointing out that this competition does not take place by the end of the movie (is it spoiler? what am I spoiling exactly? we don't even know why the competition is not in the movie after which movie was named).

My frustration about evident laziness is reaching a boiling point

....what will take it there is not weakly developed main characters, female dancers portrayed as useless and expendable nor randomly placed blond plot twist which was not twisting...

it is that the trailer gave off this impression that dancing is their world and they manoeuver this intrinsic mystique, sensuality and dominance that dance possesses the best.... and that would lead to explosion when the two bests meet each other.

I ate it up and couldn't wait to see this clash. Because the only special thing about this movie is the DANCE aspect. That they are dancers. We have seen BLs with rivalry, bad upbringing etc. etc. but professional dancers from different sides falling in love? Not that I know of!

They instead exploited this intrinsic sensuality of professional dancing to hide lack of plot and cliche' characterisation. First of all, the dancing does not look clean or professional. I can tell you I was not convinced by their dancing at all.

Secondly, male leads are developed weirdly chauvinistic, both of them. Sugiki really was not likeable character at all. And all of his motivations scream chauvinism to me, that does not make sense that they serve dance narrative. Dance is sport with two parties that are essential to the other. The whole movie is portrayed in a bit of hmm discriminatory manner? It is paradoxical cos it is supposed to be breaking traditional role of couple in dance and life.

Then, I understand Suzuki is supposed to be polar opposite from Sugiki, but what is with this representation of hot/wild latinoamerican dancer? Too obvious my man, there is subtlety to everything. Like what is with those reactions in every dance and then literally wielding the female dancer as a tool? I am kind of also slightly offended that they used the concept of dancing in service of what? audience seeing hot men making out?

I thought the dance was the igniter to the fire, not the burned down object..which it ended up being.

I would still put it as a recommend to try out, but it is not a rewatch for me. It has a nice cinematography. Actors are okay. A lot of thirst traps. And some cringy plot wrapped in dance.

Thanks for reading. Bon appetit! :')

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A dark erotic Mess

Well, this isn’t the typical drama series and has to be seen more as an avantgardistic Art Project. And with art, people either love it or hate it, and both opinions have merit.

But what this series is not is definitely the typical BL. It's very EXPLICIT, dark and disturbing. So for all you fans of super cute guys who adore each other, this is not your series! Please stay away from it.
But if you're into blood, vomit, drugs, suicide and lots of NSFW-scenes, this might be your series.

That being said, the acting and cinematography are on a good level and I appreciate the physicality of the actors.
But if you're expecting a logical and engaging story, you'll probably be disappointed.

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A brother's visit disrupts an established couple's life

Overall: It's so refreshing to see an established couple instead of the pursuit part of a relationship. I wish this was a whole series (but that they don't pretend to be roommates for too long). The couple can become more spontaneous/carefree and the brother can learn to be more responsible/pick up after himself.

Content Warnings: none?*

What I Liked
- an established couple
- the sound effects and music enhanced the story
- I laughed at several parts like the suitcase falling down the stairs, the brother listening in at the door, etc.
- always happy to see supplies for safe sex :)

Room For Improvement/Questions
- disliked when the brother *slapped his brother, it's fine to be angry but don't punch/slap people and he didn't even apologize
- I wish the phone conversation at the end was a bit more clear, I think "couple" was supposed to be translated to "partner" or "boyfriend" (the later would have made things very clear)
- is a 1 bedroom apartment in Seoul only $420 USD per month? Or maybe Taeho is paying less than half? Or is it a subtitle error?
- did I miss the reference to another Strongberry film? I noticed that "Sweet Curse" has a reference to "Some More" which has a reference to "Long Time No See" which has a reference to the Strongberry website... It's always fun to spot the references.

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狗血!! Revenge! scheming drama

I can't believe i finished watching is. The chinese website i watched it on said 38 episodes but other places said 40 episodes is the end?

Ya'll after watching this drama you need to breathe!!! OMG SO FREAKIN FRUSTRATING!!!WANT TO SCREAM and hit THE Beeps.... in the drama!It felt like i watched like 60 episodes. so much hatred. revenge, evil, scheming, bullying . take advantage of. This is one negative drama, its like torture on the female lead.

Like where do i begin?
Female lead is a super sweet, but takes everything in kinda girl, she is appreciative for the Li's corporation CEO for helping her get through school and into the fashion industry. She is also know as the shadow designer. Li's CEO has a daughter who basically grew up with the female lead. She is also known as a deisgner, but its just all her name. She cant design and has never designed, only using the female lead's design. Other people in the company dont know and think she is just a cleaning lady ( super sad right?)
Male lead is the son of the Chao fashion corp. Chao and Li are competitors.

The back story of why they are competitors... While Li was young, she knew Chao's wife. Chao's wife was in charge of a warehouse that caused fire and killed people and losing the clothes they made. Long story short, turns out it was Li who was behind it, causing Chao's wife to commit suicide because she couldnt pay back the workers. At that time the Chao's had a baby boy. Chao ended up losing contact with the family that took care of his son. Chao swore to take revenge for his dead wife and his lost son.

Fast Forward... So the male lead is the adoptive son of the Chao's and Chao made the male lead to thinking it was the Li's who was responsible for the death of this parents and also his missing sister too . Turns out it was Chao who locked his sister up and was trying to use the male lead to help him knock down the Li's.

I feel so bad for the female lead, she literally had to go through so much shit!!! Like first, thinking the Li's is a benefactor but it was just that so they could use the female lead's designer and let the Li daughter call it her own. I didnt understand why the daughter is not named after her. lol her daughter is named Tang Guo er.
2) the person she loved had to marriage her best friend.... and she just let it go like that.
3) Losing her child and her mother's also suicide. so much hurt is done to her..if i were her i would go crazy already... ( which later towards the end she was hospitalized for..
4) having her designed copied by another person ( who was someone she trusted that betrayed her)

Her daughter is such a despicable character, so rude, selfish, arrogant, spoiled full of her self !!! Literally wanna say all the swear words at her . She is a true bitch !!! Like she and the female lead were suppose to be best of friends.

In dramas I always love the male lead but this drama I hated him ! He went for his own interest in the sense that he just followed the orders of his adoptive dad. He loved the female lead but it was so limited. Like which side are you on? He even sided with the evil best friend, when he found out that the Li's was not the culprit behind his parents suicide. He was never really there for her and didnt support her enough...

Sorry this is more of a rant than a review haha!

watch at your own risk if you like revenge, scheme, bullying, torment ....

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Conditional vs. Unconditional Love

This drama should go by the title 'Pure Love Dissonance' and not just 'Love Dissonance'.

The Japanese title 'Junai' translates to 'pure love', a specific type of love usually associated with Unconditional Love or Agape, also known as 'selfless love'.

Many forms of relationships and types of love exist in this drama. Relationships between lovers, friends, family, and not-quite enemies but definitely rivals. Various types of love are present in just about every form except for Erotic love. It could be a result of the innate censorship of the drama because of the rating or because it's from Japan a conservative country, but there are moments when the drama mentions Erotic love. However, it's just never mentioned about the main couple unless someone believes that that is the reason the main couple is together.

It's not. It's way deeper than that.

The main couple - in comparison to every other dynamic, pair, or relationship in the drama - represents selfless love. Unconditional love. The type of intimacy that is only present in those who have experienced 'infinite empathy' for another person.

Masaki and Sae met each other at one of their lowest moments in life and helped each other overcome their personal struggles and find comfort, support, and sanctuary with each other.

The explosive argument in the 7th episode between Manami and Masaki highlights that. She illustrates to Masaki that she would refer prefer Masaki and Sae just sleep together instead of emotionally cheating.

It was the first time I'd seen a portrayal of Emotional Infidelity. Very well done.

"What I can't stand is the heart! I can't stand the fact that you two are connected at the heart!"

Masaki and Sae have infinite empathy for each other that seems to last the test of time and circumstance. Despite almost everyone's attempt to break these two apart, even Masaki and Sae.

At times, the image of doves hounded by a circle of vultures comes to mind when I see more drama plied on to break the main couple apart. It was almost like they were the innocents and collateral damage to the world's expected forced expectations and eventually fallout for everyone.

The photo that ruined their reputation was of them consoling each other after a few days of constant emotional and mental exhaustion. Either from their toxic parents, inability to embark on achieving their dreams, or just from society pulling them away from each other for the sake of the status quo. No kisses, no sexts, no brazen behavior at school, and no explicit form of physical intimacy between them.

Just a 'shoulder-to-cry-on' mentality. Nothing more. However, the situation they're in is inappropriate. The backlash from the photo made the situation less ideal than it was in real life.

Sae is very candid, blunt, and level-headed. I adore Smart Leads because their actions have logical reasoning behind them and they usually acknowledge the consequences of their actions as well. Sae - in comparison to Masaki - is braver and more emotionally mature than her counterpart in the drama. Masaki may be the Sensei but he has much to learn from her when it comes to being true and honest to yourself, despite what life throws your way. She didn't 'fix' him though she did inspire change within him. He acknowledges that near the end of the drama too. Sae is the reason he's decided to treat himself better, be more honest, and live more honestly too. They bring out the best in each other simply the fact that they both just want to be happy living their dreams, together or not. Selfless love.

Manami represented obsessive love towards Masaki. All or majority of the parents were just Narcissists and toxic people. Treating their children as extensions of themselves and denying those children basic human rights like deciding their own path and their privacy rights.

When Sae's mother came to school to read her daughter's novel out loud, I was truly disgusted. Then, near the end of the drama, I choked up a little when her mother told her daughter to be different from her and therefore better than her. 'Go be with Masaki', she was saying in her own petty way. I laughed too but was happy that the mom was finally ready to not be selfish.

Another aspect of the drama that really hit home for me was the parent-child bonds. There's Masaki and his parents. Sae and her mom. And then, Manami and Hokuto with their father and Manami's mother play a part too. The type of love between parents and children should be Agape or Storge known as 'familiar love'. However Agape still trumps all other types of love.

Sae and Masaki's love reigns superior to everyone else's, especially at the beginning of the drama.

The other characters' relationships - between other people and within themselves - eventually and fortunately change for the better good near the end of the drama. Even the criminals in the show have a change of heart and/or redemption arc that I'm okay with. Everything that happens in this drama relates to someone's desire for love or in the name of love.

Masaki's statement to Manami's father in the last episode was profound and brutally honest. "So long as you shackle people with conditions, no one will become your family. Family comes at the price of no conditions, whatsoever." The difference between Conditional Love and Unconditional Love is how you love. Manami's father didn't understand until he lost just about everything, in every way.

I like the little details too. The music and sound design. The editing, cinematography, acting, and how this drama exceeded my expectations in every way. I love the time jump, the repeating topics of living without regrets, loving yourself before being able to accept love and knowing when to let go of what or who you love because you love them.

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Great story. Great acting. This was so intense. I have to admit that while the synopsis may be true it’s a little more complex than what’s stated. It’s not merely he was cheating and her world was over. This was hard truth that came but was hidden. This is a mistake that grew. This is passion vs real love, second chances and letting go, revenge of the sweetest kind and finding peace. Imagine having a feeling that somethings not right but the feeling being denied. Man I never wanted to smack someone so much. Great series with a fair ending however I wish it was a lot sweeter considering the build up and the internal struggles they experienced. Again would have loved a joyful ending for the female lead. All that grief needed some.

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Does not have any plot holes

Flower of evil is one of my favourite dramas.. A good cast and good acting. The story is awesome and it was well taken from the start. The climax was well shown. I watched this drama due to the cast and teh reviews. Naturally i Expected a lot and this drama fulfilled me.. I usually drop the drama if its boring in between but this drama made me want to watch it till the end. I recommend this drama a lot..
The thing i liked the most is that this drama does not have plot holes and it is really amazing..
(Lol, this review was for the drama but I have given it here by mistake XD)

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This had no business being this good....

I went in with a chip on my shoulder, as the short vertical BL's I've watched in the past have been bland at best. It also wasn't an auspicious start, Top Reels dropped 5 for free, then the rest you needed to watch ads to get the coins, or just outright by the coins to finish. I ended up doing the ads for the free watch for about 5 days, then finally folded and paid to watch the last episodes last night.

No regrets.

For anyone who watches vertical cdramas with janky subs, you will be pleasantly surprised with the coherency of the subs, as well as the production value in the series (they had multiple sets of clothing!)

This had absolutely no business being as cute as it was, and having a plot? What was that? It had a coherent narrative, was not expecting that at all. It would have been better if they hadn't telegraphed the twist so eairly, but for what it was and what it did I'm honestly impressed with the production value, and the acting.

I wish it'd had a full release on a platform, I think the format and the labour/cost of watching will deter a lot of viewers.

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Totally Loved it!

I really loved it because the main actors were superb! They both behaved like adults unlike most c dramas where adults behave like teenagers most of the time! Here the situations were very much real and their reactions too. Just minus 1 point for uninteresting secondary couple. Just skip their scenes!
If you like mature drama with ML and FL having a really healthy balanced relationship who actually take time for each other and clear any misunderstanding they might have the very next moment it happens, then here is the show you are looking for!

Music was awesome too! Especially the starting song!

9/10 from me! Highly recommended!

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A permanent tattoo of your destiny's name in your body? Where do I sign in?

The context of being permanently marked with the name of your destiny is both terrifying and exciting. Terrifying in a sense that you are forever trapped in a tie with a person you supposedly destined to be, what if that person is not who you think it is? what if his a serial killer or someone you would never thought you would end up with. scary but there is still an exciting side to it, knowing that out there someone is waiting for you. Someone perfectly matched for you, to be your partner for the rest of your life.

Story (8/10)

The premise of the story is sooooo good and reading the synopsis, it got me hooked. The premise of the "nameverse", where your destined is permanently etched in your body was good and both Yoo Jae Ha and Jung Ji Woo's character is like the cherry on top. Their story is unique and funny and so was Sae Rom and Sung min's story. It was cute that he thought she was a boy, even I could see that she was a girl but hey, that's what the writer wanted it, not gonna argue (lol)

It wasn't exactly an extravagant drama since it was a web series but sometimes web series has better content than 16-20 episode dramas and this just proves that.

Acting/cast (7/10)

Love the casting for this except for Yoo Jae Ha which was played by B1A4 Gongchan. Don't get me wrong I LOVE B1A4, love me some beautiful target and baby good night but I just wished it was played by a different actor. Personally, I think he was too stiff and robotic (don't hate, its a personal opinion) but hey nobody is perfect in their first times right? aside from that, everybody is great.

Music (8/10)

OSTs are not really my cup of tea and I don't often notice them. BGM's were really cute as expected in romcom kdramas or webseries.

Rewatch Value (7/10)

hhmm.. I can watch it again since i love the idea for the "nameverse" but to be honest? I don't feel like watching again after 3 times. But this is definitely one of those, you have to watch even if just once.

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This is officially the longest drama I have watched till now. And probably had the most fun watching too. I tend to shy away from dramas having 20+ episodes, but took a great risk and watched this one. I tried watching the Korean version months back and ended up dropping it after 2 episodes. But after finishing this, I want to try that one out too. Anyway, let's move on to the important parts.

This drama is silly and full of nonsense. But it's breezy and very light to watch. It's one of those dramas that you can watch without thinking much and enjoy it. I laughed hard at something every other episode. The first few episodes were absolutely hilarious. I think this drama did a fantastic job of not boring me till the last 4-5 episodes (parts of which you can easily skip). But I found the story and its characters very colourful. Members of both the family and even its secondary characters are all likable. I wasn't annoyed by a single person in it! The main guy- Zhi Shu is a genius with more brains than actual emotions. But we realize as the story goes on that he isn't that bad anyway. I have to say I liked him better than Xiang Qin's character. I tried my hardest to not criticize her actions and thoughts and that was the only way I could end up liking this drama.

As for the cast- I have become a fan of Joe Cheng and Jiro Wang. I was familiar with Ariel Lin but here she is the true star of the show. She made all the cutesy expressions and pouts in the world and still shined. She was way too cute and managed to win me over in the first episode itself. This drama has loads of cuteness in it. And the main leads have amazing chemistry. I was sort of disappointed with lots of times because whenever they were together, I found myself wanting for them to kiss. The last 2 episodes more or less made up for this part. Oh and should I mention one scene which stood out among the rest? This show has one of the best confession-in-the-rain scenes I have ever seen! I can't believe how well it was shot and with great dialogues. And the wait that builds up in the viewer till then makes it all worth it.

And I want to address this particular issue on people complaining that Zhi Shu was too "cold". I say no- he wasn't cold. The way he acted was to show the contrast between his and Xiang Qin's personalities. Where she is impulsive, he is smart and carefully thinks before acting. But I loved how he keeps smiling to himself whenever Xiang Qin's stalking him or trying to please him. I probably only didn't like his need to be constantly chased. There were times he didn't take enough pity on her but then I understand why he didn't. That's all I can say without spoiling it. Anyway, both characters are too flawed and yet likable.

This drama was a thorough entertainer. It doesn't have melodrama which is probably one of the strongest points. It's more of a family cum romance genre. And I loved the ending even if it was a bit silly. It left me wanting for more so I'd definitely watch the second season. Its rewatch value is decent. I think it's a drama that can be seen again just to remember the good parts.

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It knocked me out of my socks and for good this time! It's not your usual scary movie, however I'll warn you that you're in it for some toss 'n turns, confusion, and unexpected scenes. This film isn't a film to be watched only once. In order to comprehend it well, it must be watched for a second time. Pay close attention to clues, scene details, and make sure you know how to connect the scenes together in order to unravel the actual storyline.

By the time the end arrives, your brain will result in confusion, however you'll find the film hits a full circle. You'll know this when you see it!

Storyline: Mysterious, dark, and disturbing. The house well sets the setting of the story with its old style furniture and flowery wallpaper.

Acting/Cast: Remarkable applause to the acting of the stepmother. Very convincing! The sisters' relationship is well portrayed. The father adds the extra which he is quite significant.

Music: The OST fits smoothly with certain parts of the story and well done with the spooky and horrific effects!

Since I never watched 'The Uninvited', this is my first horror film done by the South Koreans and I believe the original are always the best! If you're a true horror fan and enjoy stories with a psychological twist, take this movie for a whirlwind ride...

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The more i rewatch it the better it gets

I found this drama after watching Star and Sky. Initially i skipped it cz the poster gave serious vibes but then i saw edits on style and cz i loved JD From SnS i gave this a go only for them and I loved it. The 1st time i watched it ngl i skipped all FirstKhao scenes cz i didn't find their story interesting n was not much into their pairing. O was here for FadelStyle. People in the comments say Dunk sucked as Style but i totally disagree. He's the most perfect style we can get. His character is a mechanic he's supposed to be a little rough round the edges but also he's supposed to be a little feminine abd beautiful which dunk delivered. I feel this is probably the most beautiful dunk character I've seen off the 4 dramas. His acting had definitely improved when compared to SnS i liked every bit of FadelStyle. I might be too emotional but i cried when Style tries to stop Fadel from killing people indirectly, the way he handles the ex's death, them talking about being burried together and when he followed fadel knowing he was gonna die, n when he cried in that hotel😭. Style is probably the greenest bottom I've seen in the history of BL. He's kinda cocky and weird but he loved Fadel a lot❤️. The drama was just soo beautiful and perfect.

Months later i just had an urge to rewatch this gem obviously for FadelStyle but also cz we dont have many dramas with this kinda plot where it involves mafia and hitmen but is also comical and romantic and also cz now i also was into FirstKhao ship and this time i rewatched the whole thing without skipping and i loved it even more. I think a drama deserves a 10 if you're going back to rewatch it. So I'm gonna give it a 10 cz ik im gonna be rewatching it over and over again.

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