Reviews

Window into the life of a Star who only wanted the chance to be herself

I can't say I knew Sulli or was even much of a fan, but her death deeply saddened me. She was everything the Korean entertainment industry needed for a positive, if not better, change. She became the change she wanted to see but sadly gave up on that change to the people who made her famous and who were also the ones who pulled her down to the lowest point that she felt the only escape was to leave it all to them. Given the opportunity, I truly believe she would have been the beginning of the change needed in the industry, making this documentary is proof of that. It is so hard to watch at times. For us fans, everything looks so glamorous watching from our TV screens. I can't fathom the hardship, discrimination, control, mental, physical, and even sexual abuse many of the stars we adore suffer to bring us the phantom joy we live in for a few hours or weeks.

More than the short film, the interview was hard to watch, at least for me, hearing and in some instance feeling her pain, imagining the hardship, and ultimately, picturing the decline in mental health is truly heartbreaking. I wish she knew she had other options, but it is easy for me to say this now. I wish the people around her helped her realize there were other choices, including her management company. They must have witnessed her pain first hand. I genuinely believe the entertainment industry itself bears a lot of responsibility for her suicide and the many others like her. They treat celebrities like commodities from whom a few powerful agencies can squeeze as much income in as short a time as possible. They strip them of any semblance of a normal life, letting the fans go too far in their obsessions and sometimes giving into their demands of not allowing idols to be in relationships or even marry.

The crazy fans who obsessed over Sulli's life choices are also to blame for her death and the death of many gone too soon in this industry. I realize the many celebrity suicide deaths in the past decade or so have brought the issue of suicide and mental health to the forefront, as Korea has the highest rates among developed countries among civilians, and is attributed to academic and work pressure, the stigma around mental health, among others. I can't even begin to know the solution, but I would guess an open and honest dialogue like this one is a great start. Rest in peace, Sulli and the many others who left this earth too soon. I highly recommend giving this a try. Sulli earned at least that. I only gave the rewatch value an 8 because it was just too hard to watch at times.

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Opening 2022 with a boom!

Just finished this drama a minute ago, having basically binging it in a few days. I’d say this drama is a delightful surprise for me. I just basically come across this in youtube while surfing around after finishing A Girl Like Me, directionless. The first episode started with a boom, and me, being a special force enthusiast, am efficiently hooked even from the first episode.

Plot: I like that this is almost 85% pure armed force stuffs and only 15% other plot/romance. And it doesnt hurt that the 85% was really quite well done imo. The cast/production/directing really do it beautifully. All the trainings/special mission/equipments/artillery are very impressive and engaging. Well done! I enjoyed all the episodes, just maybe a little less on the arc of FL’s PTSD, those few episodes are quite draggy.

Characters: Almost half of the characters who are in Blue Lightning Commando get their own highlights and not only the ML and FL. Applaud the scriptwriter. 👏🏻 I know that it makes sense that in such a high risk job, you just cannot run away from death. And from the start, i dunno why, but i’ve always have the gut feeling that the most understanding, selfless kindest guy will bear the brunt of being the one who died, and lo and behold, i spent the entire ep 30 bawling my eyes out and basically 2 episodes after that intermittently crying. Thanks to all the cast, my whole face and eyes are swollen with all the eyebags and panda eyes for an entire night of marathoning. I havent seen any drama of Vengo previously (yes i know!) and he did quite well in this, balancing between being a thanos whilst having a good heart deep inside, and also kind of giving me a feelings of an ex delinquent having to grow up but still a brat deep down lol. The FL is also a nice surprise. Although not quite as tall as the ML, i didnt get the height difference vibe from them because she just appears ‘taller’ with her confidence and self esteem presence. Other supporting casts as the Blue Lightning Commandos are a gem, each of them has their own strength. I truly admire the comradeship of theirs and as i said previously, everytime each of them shed tears while trying to be strong at the same time, my heart broke with them. Aishhhh Lin Yi!!!! (Still cant get over it! Lol. And did i mention, Lin Yi’s final sacrifice scene is beautiful? Lol)

Music: very appropriate to the plot/general military vibe.

Subtitle: this is basically my pet peeves of an otherwise very delightful experience. I spent almost 13episodes watching this on youtube with questionable subtitle and then changed to weTV app. However, the subs are also a disappointment there. Luckily the 20plus years of watching chinese dramas come in handy for sub self correction. Lol. Hopefully someone somewhere will amend this in near future because such a gem should be able to be enjoyed by more viewers.

All in all, i have always love a good thrilling military drama, and this one, really delivers it! 👏🏻

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I finished this ~10 minutes ago so I have to be realy carefull to not spoil this for you.
So, firstly I have to say that this is an amazing movie. Realy. At the moments it's funny, other times it's romantic and kinda dramatic. The whole story is amazing. Even though it can make you feel sad but the sadness is not depressing. I even think it's amazing.

Secondly : the actors did a wonderful job portraying their characters. Tamaki Hiroshi (Makoto)showed all the feelings you can wish. Silly laugh he does when he's with 'Shizuru' is funny and his tears look very sad.
And about Miyazaki Aoi (Shizuru) - I think she was even more amazing. Even as a girl myself I can say that she's a realy beautiful model and yet she succeeded in portraying a girl who looks like elementary school student. So I think that she did a great job with both : outside and emotions.

Lastly I'll just say this - this movie is amazing no matter if you watch it with your lover, friend or even alone. It leaves you kinda sad but not depressed and even. . warm ^^

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The calming pace of Archery with some romance kicking in high gear and almost too intense at times. It's been pointed out that the male lead's actions really aren't portrayed in a sympathetic way and I agree, the character could've used some more work but with full length film, things don't always work out that way sadly. The story itself was very self explanatory and not complicated in the least. Sorta a call back to the quote, 'We accept the love we think we deserve.' Both leads acted beautifully but the rewatch factor just isn't there because it wasn't exciting or memorable in that sense from other films available. An okay movie with not much going for it which I think was intended.

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Game over... Best short drama during the first three weeks of 2024

If you go to this drama thinking that it will be like other death game series, such as Squid Game and Night Has Come, then you are wrong, and you will not find what you expect if you are a fan of this genre. However, this show will attract you because it stays in the genre of games with many genres mixed together in a perfect way, it is a mixture of school drama that sharpens its plot with bullying scenes intersected in the style of a drama (2019's Class of Lies) and follows the atmosphere and direction of 2023 Bitch X Rich and Weak. Hero Class 2022.
But the basic premise of this game is out of the ordinary and does not place itself in those dramatic circles because of its depth, and each episode contains a new discovery and battles of intelligence provoked by some games for social survival that quickly escalate into an intense psychological war.

It is a 10-hour lesson for all bullies and bystanders that looks at the hierarchy of societies in a school setting as a microcosm, noting in this triangle that exists in all societies that it is the provocation of the upper classes that creates class conflict, and the existence of bullying between classes is nothing but a reflection of slavery.
I also appreciate the way they cast a ray of hope. Not only is it a dark or painful story, but its poignancy is softened as camaraderie blossoms between the girls, meaning “friendships can be made that transcend the boundaries of class and status.”

Aside from the content, the best thing about this drama is the cast. Every actress was amazing and every character made it exciting and unpredictable. Although there are many, each one contributes to advancing the plot and raising the level of tension by depicting the nature of the relationships between them. It keeps viewers guessing not only how the game will be destroyed but also the nature, background and behavior of each one.
The music is also one of the drama's best points and the OST in particular is great, making every moment intense as if sending the message, "A dangerous battle of wits will take place."
Summary of the statement...
The drama (Pyramid Game) is wonderful and entertaining from beginning to end. It was a tightly directed story whose facts and characters were unpredictable and ended satisfactorily. It was also characterized by an ideal crew and excellent acting with a perfect rhythm.
Therefore, as a high-level production, it succeeded in arousing global interest
As the only Korean content among the selections of the Series Mania 2024 festival, which is the largest event in Europe dedicated to TV series to recognize the best works.
Therefore, add the pyramid game to your list, but do not play it in your social life. Rather, try to break it whenever you find yourself trapped in such a situation, because what is certain is that this hierarchy will remain in place as long as human society continues, and this is relatively what the conclusion represents.

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I have mixed opinions about this show. I didn’t dislike it....but I will never understand 8.7 rating. By now it’s understandable that on MDL, BL shows tend to garner better ratings.....probably because BL genre has limited audience and production in comparison to mainstream shows (though it’s gradually changing now)....so audiences can be lenient while rating. Having said that.....I don’t get the hype around this show. Without being too bias I’ll try to review (spoiler free).

What worked for me ?!!

1) Story- I think all the wow factor of this show rests on its story. The story is definitely unique from BL standpoint. Such supernatural themes aren’t common in BL universe, so this was a pleasant change.
2) Acting- I felt actors were good if not great. I especially liked Ohm. He has improved leaps and bound since Make it Right series. Even Singto did a good job, considering the show revolves around his character. The supporting cast were very entertaining and brought out the fun element of the script.
3) Production- The show is well produced. It wasn’t tacky or under budgeted in any way. Usually BL productions fail to acquire funding but this wasn’t the case for this one. Stable writing and good budget helped in establishing a nice atmosphere for the show.

What I didn’t like??

1) Chemistry- This might shock some but this couple did not work for me. Sorry. I like both these actors individually but somehow as a couple they couldn’t convince me. And I don’t think that’s the fault of the actors, it’s probably because of weak direction. In no way I’m stressing that they needed more skinship. Chemistry and skinship are two different things. Couples that don’t get hot and heavy can have very good chemistry.....SOTUS is a prime example of that.
2) The ending- That was blatant fan service. I was left puzzled and couldn’t stop saying What for 5 minutes after I finished watching the show. It did not make any sense to me and left me so freaking unsatisfied. All the build up let to that (massive face palm....also can’t say more cos then it will be considered as a spoiler)!! As a viewer I want the couple to get a happy ending but with a logical and justifiable story arc....which wasn’t the case here.

All in all do I hate this show ?! No
Do I like this show? Eh....it’s okay....but I don’t see the hype around it. It’s definitely a one time watch. The story is different and it does provide the viewers with a mushy BL tale. But it’s not memorable unlike many other shows from the BL universe.

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A good premise with a disappointing execution.

The synopsis of the show really drew me in. I like pieces of romance media where the love interest isn't actually set in stone. The idea of there being multiple possible love interests and watching the main character trying to find out which one he's looking for sounded really interesting. But they seriously fumbled it. It was obvious from the start who it was. I don't want to spoil too much but they literally could not have shoved it further down our throats. The ending was extremely anti-climactic. I feel like if they actually used the element of mystery that they hinted at it would be a good show, but it's hard to rank a show high on my list when they didn't meat the expectations that they set.

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I know this movie has all the great reviews it deserves, but thought I'd put in my two cents any way.

I was kind of doubtful whether I would like it or not because this movie is SO highly talked about. I realized my doubts were wrong. Sunny is a great tale of friendship. I love stories which focus on the bond between females rather than just bromance. It was nice to watch a movie dominantly on the power of female friendship.

I know I am not that old yet but it still made me think of my school days. This movies very deeply brings back memories of school, the first crush, friends and mostly- the time of our lives. It was so relatable. A lot of aspects of it were so realistic that I couldn't help but giggle.

I assure you, you will be wanting to have a posse like them by the end and you would want to be with them the same the way they are in the movie. Their love for each other only proves how it doesn't really matter how much time has passed. Friendship really is a forever thing.

I loved the way they handled the ending because it was almost sad but then you're reminded of the awesomeness the females possess and they are dancing till the end anyway. Daebak!

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Here's my attempt at writing an informative review without spoilers:

First off, I really, really liked this drama. I had been kind of put off dramas around the time this drama was released (last half of 2016) so I'm surprised I actually gave this a shot - but I am so glad that I did.

I would like to point out that I didn't have high expectations for it because Tang Yan's roles in her other dramas at the time were making me apprehensive towards her ability to make her characters at least likeable (ahem - Diamond Lovers, anybody?). Anyway, this drama totally reminded me why I used to love Tang Yan - she does an exceptional job bringing historical dramas to life! Everything about her character in this drama was on point; her strong personality that made her an independent woman, combined with her generosity, loyalty, empathy and grace, sucked all the drama's best men towards her - a typical, yet always enjoyable plot-essential in Chinese dramas.

The story itself was really unique for a Chinese historical drama - usually they reuse and repeat the same clichéd plot involving a palace, the Emperor, and most likely more than a couple Empresses, but this time they introduced a strong female lead, only disguised as a princess in distress in the first episode. I loved how smart she was, because this made her a heroine who the audience would actually feel proud of when she accomplished things.

The drama progressed at a good pace for me; it wasn't too slow (except maybe at the end, but it could be a lot worse) or too fast, and the chain of events were linked really well so it all flowed and there was no room for confusion (which I find can happen quite a lot in historical dramas, as they tend to fit in complicated plots and it ends up clashing or being left unfinished because it doesn't fit with the overall storyline).

The best part about this drama was probably the characters. Each actor/actress seemed to be handpicked to fit their role perfectly, and I feel like every character (even the evil ones) was able to grow on me by the end.

The costuming and design were all amazingly done and looked realistic - definitely essential for a high quality drama.

Although the tag says "tragedy," the story itself is entirely open to interpretation on whether or not it is a tragedy (as all dramas are), so definitely don't be scared by this! Tragedy itself comes in all forms, and it doesn't just mean the story is super depressing and tear-triggering (I can assure you, there are plenty of cute, heartwarming romance scenes between the two main characters.)

All in all, everyone should give this great romance/historical drama a try. If you love a strong, smart, yet loving heroine, good plots, evil characters who do grow on you, amazing character relationships, and visually appealing/eye-worthy images, then this is the drama for you.

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This movie if amazing for people who love bloody movies

At first, I put this movie a side and to be honest I don't even know why ...
But let me start of by saying this movie is by far the best movie I've seen in awhile and to be honest is my favourite movie at the moment. All the characters portrayed their character perfectly. I also love the way this movie is set out like a book:
-Prologue
- Chapter 1
-Chapter 2
-Chapter 3
- Chapter 4
-Epilouge
This movie is full of blood and there are scenes where I hid under my cover (not becuase of how scary, but because of how disgusting it was).I think this movie showed a lot of what goes on behind what the citizens know and see. One thing that got me was the fact that the Government Officials and Police were fighting over who got him first - which I think is completly disgusting and annoying.

What I find really incredible about this movie is the fact that Kim Gwang Il (played by Lee Jong Suk) didn't shudder one single bit and smirked everytime he was getting integrogated. Like even as a serial killer it's completely like... wtf he just murdered poor, innocent, young girls and he has the audacity to go smirking/flaunting about it. He played a sick physcopath who played with the minds of the politics and police. I personally didn't want him to die at the end but.... I guess there are lots of people who wanted him dead. The way he killed all the girls was absloutelty disgusting (especially the first girl in thr movie). Normally, Lee Jong Suk plays the romantic guy but in this drama he acts completely different and he played it magnificently. Personally, I think he should play more roles like this.

Chae Yi Do (played by Kim Myung Min) was also another amazing actor. After getting suspended and almost killed by Kim Gwang Il, he still did everything in his power to make sure he got rid of Kim Gwang Il. At the same time, I'm still wondering how he survived three gun shots and loosing lots of blood. At one point, I really wanted Ri Dae Bum to die but...

Ri Dae Bum played by (Park Hee Soon) was also brilliant. He portayed his character to the fullest. As a North Korean working for Bureau 35 and then kicked out because he was searching the case of the young girl that Kim Gwang Il. He was also like Chae Yi Do, in the way he didn't give up looking for Kim Gwang Il. Also in the movie Paul Grey says," Ri Dae Bum is like the North Korean version of Chae Yi Do."

At the end of the movie, I was left with loads of emotions. Personally, I didn't want Kim Gwang Il to die and actually I wanted him to be loose and cause more murders (so then the second movie would come out). There is a lot of asearing in this drama and a lot of 16+ scenes. This movie ,though, is good for people who love grotesque scenes and murder mystery type movies.

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Kill me, love me, just don't bore me

I knew nothing about Kill Me Love Me when I started it. The beginning intrigued me with a black-hearted prince and a tough as nails female assassin. It didn’t take long to figure out that they were both working on the same side in the first episode. If you are a fan of red flag male leads, you’ll be disappointed. If you are a fan of badass assassin female leads you’ll be even more disappointed. Honestly, this is the type of drama that I normally wouldn’t write a review for, but I promised myself this year I’d review everything I watched, so here goes.

What I liked/disliked:

I’ve liked Liu Xue Yi since Ancient Love Poetry and Wu Jin Yan since The Story of Yanxi Palace. The two had a nice chemistry whether adversaries or lovers. I’m not a fan of red flag leads, but have seen that most of the time they are a bait and switch and rarely stay villainous so I expected him to lose his fangs. I’m also used to badass female leads being defanged but was still disappointed when Mei Lin became pretty window dressing.

Baron Chen is a fave and even with his chocolate cupcake frosting hair, he was still handsome. The Crown Prince came across more whiny than menacing though.

I’m a sucker for bodyguards and Qing Yan was the pretty, loyal bodyguard I’ve come to expect. He proved his loyalty in an explosive manner moving him closer to the front of the line of dutiful bodyguards. No notes on him.

Speaking of baddass females, I had high hopes for General Yin, but found her to lack the gravitas and stage presence such a role required. Her one facial expression regardless of the situation began to wear thin. Also, her 180 on her love interest defied logic as well as her devotion to him. Apparently, getting laid made her lose not only her sense of independence but also her reason-at least for a time.

I didn’t mind the romping through the countryside for Jing He and Mei Lin but when the badly dubbed side characters later started taking center stage, my fast forward button or mute button came into frequent use.

The Xiyan characters were mostly useless. Prince Yue Qin could not have been more bland. The kooky Xiyan royal family and retainers were mind numbingly boring to me. Zi Gu looked and acted very, very young which made her relationship with grandpa Yan Emperor creepier than sweetly romantic.

The story went off the rails with the detour through Xiyan when the characters became bogged down in border trade talks after the natural ending to the drama. The writers vastly overestimated my attention span for ancient economics.

In the end, I did find around two-thirds of this drama entertaining, mainly because I enjoyed the performances of LXY and WJY. Despite the red flag transforming into a white flag and the assassin turning into a baker. 7.25 rounded up to 7.50

14 November 2024
SPOILER NOTES:



The most disappointing part to me was Mei Lin. She suffered and trained for 10 years to have her revenge. When the time came, she was shuttled off screen. This happens too many times in dramas. If anyone deserved to deal the final blow, it was her. Also, “If this is the price I have to pay for meeting you, I have no regrets.” Really?? Jing He poisoned Mei Lin with a poison that had no antidote. Who does that? Everyone knows the Puppet Master for assassins holds the antidote for compliancy. Especially a guy trying to prove he’s not a monster. So, she’s dying, suffered brutality for 10 years, didn’t get to take part in bringing down the Big Bad, and she has no regrets. Girl, no matter how rich or good looking he is, I’d have a list of regrets. When they took away her martial arts ability, I just rolled my eyes. Why can’t badass female leads stay badass to the end? And apply their lipstick only to their lips and not in the dip above them? If she was reduced to baking cakes and offering moral support she should have had time to check her lipstick in a mirror. But I’m not bitter. lol

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Don't Bother Even Switching On!

This is not even worth the watch in my opinion. Dai Gao Zheng who EVERYONE knows I love this man should have just said no to this drama. What a jumble mess. The storyline. Ok, what storyline to be honest. You have no idea what is going on.

I'll try to break it down. The Time caster, Dai Gao Zheng aka Luo Jie accidentally is transported into the body of a tycoon's illegitimate son, Lang because he gets killed. A time pocket watch cast the Time caster into Lang's body upon his death. Being in the body of Lang, he is now Luo Jie. He decides to uncover the truth behind Lang’s mysterious death. All the while, he becomes entangled in the Qian Gang's power struggles, crosses paths with Inspector Ye Si Jia and martial arts expert Qi. Follow all that.

In the end, Luo Jie is hunted down by multiple factions. Has powers he discovers. The pocket watch gets lost and recovered. People close to him die left and right. Evil girl tries to steal the power he has. He then gets transported back to the time realm where he meets his other self of 24 years ago. That self explains to him that he had reached the level of 'intent" which no one else could. He reached this level due to his loved ones dying. He then caused disaster and chaos. So, his self of 24 years is trying to stop this from occurring.

He goes back into his body after having that talk with his self. Oh, did I mention there was a fight going on where the rest of his loved ones died. But having this ''intent" power he was able to save Qi. A light comes and he goes back to the realm. Music plays then we see Lang who was killed in the beginning wake up on the ground. Is that Lang or Luo Jie. Who knows? And honestly, I did not care at this point. I was wondering why I continued to even watch this.

I was exhausted to say the least. Trust me this is NOT a typical Dai drama. No showing of his fine body, no romance, no kissing. No hotness at all!! I guess they wanted to change things up, so they jacked up his hair to look like Peng Yu Chang (I Am Nobody) or Bam Bam's hair from Fred Flintstone.

Seriously, do not do it to yourself. If you have seen his other dramas "switch" back to watching one of those. You will be happy you did.

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Even though many people seem to find this movie boring, i loved it. It was really touching and the acting was awesome. I really like watching movies based on real story, because it makes it so much more meaningful, and makes you think about the problems of the society.

I feel like this isn't THE movie for everyone, but if you have gone through any of the things in the movie, it will have a big impact on you. Even though I loved it I feel like it's one time movie. But not sure though, may watch it again in few years. I really recommend everyone to atleast watch the first 15 minutes of it.

PS. the OST was aweeeesome!

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