- Good looking actors with great acting skills.
- Perfect romance.
- Wonderful story line.
- Hilarious comedy.
- Tearful situations.
- Great music.
But most important of all, this drama gives me happiness. it expresses so much emotions and feelings that when i watch, i forgot that i'm watching a drama. i feel it completely- what is actually happening on the screen. I laughed so much, i cried so hard, i felt so happy watching this and to be short, I ENJOYED IT SO MUCH. this may not appear to be great to some but i'm sure that most will enjoy it just like i do.
Strongly recommend it to any one at any age.
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This review may contain spoilers
ambivalence
"Oasis". Hm. I've thought whether I should continue watching or drop the series... I've also considered more than once whether I want to write something about it... My feelings about this KDrama are ambivalent. However, the ´why is this?´ , is why I actually consider it worth mentioning.Sure, there were bumpy details, like the boys' artificial skin tanning when they were young, but I don't want to dwell on those.
>> The decisive factor for me, not rooting so much for this show, was and is that I really do NOT care so much for ANYBODY in this story. I understand, yes. There is empathy, yes. But sympathy? I couldn't care less. I've never had that before. I actually didn’t care. Neither the love story, nor the incorrigible rival, nor the girl wanting to bring back her father's cinema – this all and more only had limited impact on me. That's why I was tempted to turn my back on the story. Yet, I don't want to deny the actors' ability. I would do them injustice. They did their job fairly well. There are a number of strong moments. But still, maybe they were not the perfect cast? In any case, I would argue that in “OASIS” the character portraits were simply NOT drawn that well. ...In my view, that's obviously NOT the strength of the script...
Then there is the historical context of the series – the rollercoaster ride of the 80's and 90's. In South Korea, they are the neuralgic interface between dictatorship and democracy. But I don't want to dwell on this either.
>> What was decisive for me was that the STORY of the KDrama really mattered to me – whatever triggered the dynamics, the twists and turns. Intertwined with it were indeed countless moments that touched me deeply. Starting with the seed that underlies the whole drama: the fatal loyalty of the former slave not only to his deceased master, who had fought for independence, but also to his son, whom he now still serves as a free man. And then also the fruits that came out of this seed. Plus a lot more. The circumstances, the constraints, the social context that shines through in how it shapes (or had shaped) people, all of this really had me .
The way these forces of time and history run along in the background as a matter of course and keep stirring up the lives of the protagonists at crucial points, I think the script did THAT quite well. (However, I don't know whether it would have worked that way if I hadn't already known something about the political and social context back then.)
Maybe I could summarize: The portrait of how the historical dynamics are intertwined with personal destinies is well done in "Oasis". The character portrait of the comparatively stale protagonists, on the other hand, is less so. This discrepancy, resulting in my rather indifferent experience of the main characters on the one hand, and the emotional force with which the story keeps lashing out on the other hand, is a phenomenon that I have never experienced in a KDrama before. (But I don't necessarily assume that this has to be the same for others as it is for me.)
Eventually, despite the ambivalence, I watched to the end and was always curious to see what would be next. I can't say I regret watching either. But then I wasn´t all that happy in the end - even though I was partially impressed by the showdown, (yet, again, only partially.)
----------------------- Tiny side note: -------------------------------------
Re: 80's and 90's:
In connection with e.g. the KDramas "Sandglass" and "Giant" I have already given some of the political coulors of the 1980s and 1990s. Much of this applies to the historical context of "Oasis" as well. (you might want to check there.) Here, though, the dubious role of the secret service comes more into focus.
Re. Movie theatre:
The dictatorship was characterized by censorship. In addition, there was no freedom to travel. Accordingly, the cinema was like a window to the rest of the world, and generally offered a canvas to dream away from one's own misery, at least for a while. That may be more or less true wherever you look on this planet. But in South Korea at that time certainly more than i.e. in Europe. The role of the ´cinema´ in "Oasis" not only coincidentally represents liberation (struggle - especially of the female protagonist).
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Ps.:
Because of this KDrama I stumbled over another one - same title, 20 years older: "Oasis (2003) " or "Desert Spring".
I am grateful for this discovery thanks to the name-connection. Actually I liked that older one (despite the specific doing of that time) even more...
Nevertheless I consider "Oasis" (2023) having its moments, too...
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This review may contain spoilers
This drama is somewhat relateable aside from the love lines.First off, its a typical youth C-drama, female lead loves the popular, smart and handsome male lead.
The character development in this drama is great especially with the female lead, Xia Miao Miao. She was initially a timid and shy girl but grew into a brave, confident, and independent girl because of her friends and because of her beloved Liang You Nian.
Liang You Nian is the male lead of the drama. He's your typical c-drama male lead. He's sweet and nice to everyone except those who ticks him off or trying to get with his girl. You can totally see his glare when someone gets too close to Miao Miao. IT WAS ADORABLE! Back to the story at hand, You Nian is someone who sticks to what he wants to do and this trait of his helped Miao Miao switch her major to something that SHE herself really wanted to do from the beginning. That sparked the change in Miao Miao and how hard working she is in achieving her dreams.
The relationship between the two leads started later because Miao Miao had a crush on You Nian since high school and (spoiler alert) Liang You Nian did as well, however he didn't exactly confirm this until later in university. It was cute when they got together, they held hands, hugged, not much kissing but other than that its adorable seeing them together and working together, etc.
The drama also focused on other couples Lin Kai Tuo, You Nian's younger step brother (its funny because the actor playing Kai Tuo is way older than Kuan Lin(actor playing Liang You Nian). XD Kai Tuo was coupled with He Xin (Liang You Nian's cousin.) I call them the temper couple cause they both have anger issues/temper. hhahaha Another character is Wang Yi Chao and same-grade female character I forgot the name of albeit sh initially liked You Nian.
Furthermore, the drama focused on family issues such as Liang You Nian's family. His father married Kai Tuo's mother. For a while this caused a disruption in the friend between Kai Tuo and You Nian. One misses their birth mother, and the other misses their birth father. As said before, this drama mentioned individual choices -such as majors in universities- if your family wants you to take this major, but your hearts wants something else then follow it cause thats what Miao Miao ended up doing.
Lets just say, You Nian influenced a lot of Miao Miao's choices which eventually lead to an argument I thought was pointless. Anyways, You Nian also said Miao Miao inspired him as well in ways that she never knew she could because she thought he's "too high" for her. It just tells us that You Nian doesn't care if you're not the best looking person, its all about the personality and your actions and what you do with it.
The acting in this drama is not amazing. I just want to say Kuan Lin is not an actor even though he technically acted. He just didn't seem natural whatsoever. His expressions are stone cold aside from his smile - which is adorable but other than that his expressions in acting is terrible. Even the crying part was awkward - it had no feeling to me. The female lead who played XIa Miao Miao did an okay, passable job.
Overall, if you like youth dramas dealing with fashion design, architect, drawing, college life, family drama, friendship then this is for you. :)
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Original, heartwarming, thoughtful, hilarious with quiet a few really amazing characters
I absolutely adored this saeguk. I binged it in almost 3 days. The concept is fascinatingly original, the characters and plot deliciously mature, I'd say there's almost no part of this show that was unnecessary (something very rare in Kdramas). I practically started watching bcz everyone was hating it despite the unusual plot summary (I have no idea why'd people not admire a well-made project like this). It has some veteran actors in their best forms playing some of the best developed characters. The king and the mother-in-law of the Jo family were flawless.In fact, it has one of the finest negative characters I've seen in a while. And she's a smart, wise, plotting woman who is infinitely complex as a character to simply be a villain. I loved that dialogue when she said, "Must you disappoint me till the end?" She literally savored the death of her husband! And Rowoon's character improved with every episode. I loved how frank Jung Woo is. He confessed multiple times, and with such heart! It's a beautiful, thoughtful drama. The exaggerated comedy complemented the dark assassination plots. I actually enjoyed how childlike our hero is, his innocence never undermined his courage. And Sun Duk is such a mature character, I loved how she listened to the encounter of the princess and Jung Woo, I don't think the expression of love can get any more profound. I loved how Jung Woo mentioned his remark to his father as cruel. Those are bits of life. The matchmaking of lady Yoeju too was fine in its deductive finesse, it was a display of strategy at its finest. Lady Sam Soon was a literal delight. I wasn't fond of all the pairings (I'd have liked the farmer to fall for Doo Ri, it was so predetermined I wished they'd show that people don't always fall in love with who they're supposed to be with. The 14-year-old prince and 24-year-old lady Ha Na was another daring move. I don't know if 14-year-old kids actually fall for older women like this or vice versa especially considering how grown-up Ha Na is and how mature her taste is) but at this point I'd rather not complain (and it all worked out in the end like pieces coming together in a puzzle).
Could not find a single plot hole in the drama till the end. And I have to mention the playful music and stunning visuals. The interiors were especially detailed. The pingfengs (folding screens) in every room were so pretty and distinct (I especially liked the mother-in-law's minimalist and the princess's maximalist flower-patterned screens). In a way they reflected the personality of the inhabitants. There were also indicative cinematography, pretty visuals and nice locations (probably common in every high budget saeguk, so I digress).
The ending was fitting, wise, not shocking but reassuring and very proper. I loved it. I think the last I contemplated rating a Kdrama 9 was 'Flower of Evil' and even that didn't have a perfect ending. This was a well written, well-acted and well executed drama, which managed to strike the right balance between light and dark and remained warm till the end.
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Orange Marmalade has an interesting take on an amalgamation of cliches - you have high school romance, Joseon era romance, love triangles, love squares, vampires falling for humans and vice versa, accident-followed-by-amnesia - anything and everything cliched is here. And yet, it's got an impressive take on things. Issues like discrimination, friendship, acceptance and maturity show up frequently here.
Story:
As many have said before, the drama can be split into 3 parts: High School Part 1 (HS1), Joseon Era (JE) and High School Part 2 (HS2). I liked HS2 a lot more than HS1, because HS1 seemed more rushed to me than HS2, if that's even possible! JE was actually enjoyable to me, believe it or not. I liked watching it but more so because of the relationship between Jaemin and Shihoo. In the HS2 part, I have a certain weakness for Ara - maybe it's because I find her relatable? The HS parts, both 1 and 2 could have been developed more and tied in better with the JE section and we could have had more character development - mostly Shihoo and Ara!
Acting/Cast:
Unfortunately, the show really takes hits here. I gave it a 6, because it's barely above average to me. Yeo Jingoo does well in his role, however his restraint comes through as bland, which is definitely a problem. Still, I think it was good and he did well. Unfortunately, Seolhyun was really weak in her role and it really takes much away from the drama when the lead is not on a good level. Her visuals were perfect but her acting left much to be desired.
Onto better things! Lee Jonghyun - what can you not do, seriously?? Even though I came in here as a Boice and expected to be biased, Jonghyun really did almost meet my expectations. He wasn't spectacular but he did well in portraying traits which I felt defined Shihoo - the delinquent bad boy brashness and aloofness which later translates to a reticence and maybe even awkwardness? Gil Eunhye is gorgeous as Ara and she really does justice to the role - ah, why do I like Ara so much...? I also enjoyed Park Guntae's character a lot - he kind of looks like BTOB's Lee Changsub to me? Or is it just me? Seriously, the supporting cast really made me watch on!
Music:
Cute but not memorable. The main song that Orange Marmalade performs sounds very much like an anime OST and honestly, I don't remember much else about the drama's music. Though, special mention to the flute piece that played in the JE part - I loved that!
Rewatch Value:
Once is enough for me.
Overall:
While it wasn't utterly disappointing, it wasn't quite the best, either. The reason the rating went down was because of a lack of character development and partially due to weak acting. I think most of the epiosdes were hit-or-miss for me but with the last episode being a total hit - I'm glad I went through with it!
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Romantic movie when you need one
There is nothing new here- the storyline has been done before many times. But what makes it really work is the actors’ sweet, intensely romantic performances. The two leads have excellent chemistry. The music suits the movie, the sets work well, the supporting actors have little screen time but handle what time they have with ease. If you need something to remind you about the importance of treating our lovers with great care and romance here it is. Highly recommended for those snowy or rainy days to lose yourself in the feeling of being swept away watching a depth of love we all want to find and keep.Was this review helpful to you?
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A coming of age & slice-of-life masterpiece that I will never forget
My review will contain spoilers, but I'll warn before spoiling, so you can read the safe parts before watching the show! Also, be ready, this is going to be long, but this drama is so excellent that it's hard to stop myself lolIf you look into my profile, you will know how many korean and chinese dramas I have watched. I rarely write reviews, but I feel like I need to write one for Northward (and also I've been obsessed with this drama since day 1 so I hope writing it all out will help me think of something else lmao).
If you're hesitating to watch this drama : go ahead and try it. This is a masterpiece. But you need to know two things before going : first, this drama was made to be realistic, no character is perfect ; second, while watching, you must analyze the characters yourself through their dialogues and actions and not let characters tell you how A or B is (even when they're talking about themselves). If you're confused about my second advice, here is what I can tell you : in life, you don't necessarily understand your decisions or other people's decisions. You can misinterpret other people, and misinterpret yourself, especially when you're young. So if a character tells you he did this for Y reason, or he thinks X, that doesn't mean it's true. You need to look at what they do and what they say when confronted to the situation to actually know how they feel about something. So, while watching this show, you musn't take everything at face value, you have to analyze their actions and dialogues to actually know the truth If you don't, you're likely to misunderstand them.
This is actually the reason why I loved this drama so much, and why I say it's a masterpiece. Weirdly, my favorite scenes are almost only scenes where characters fight or confront each other, because that's the moments when you actually understand the characters motivations and sufferings. Otherwise, they don't talk about it, just like we don't spend our time talking about what we feel or why motivate us to do X ou Y. We only talk about it in specific contexts.
I know a lot of people hated on Wanghe sometimes, and I get it, but he's definitely my favorite character here. He is so complex and realistic and a mess (just like 4D people are). He was a delight to analyze. I've been supporting him since the beggining and seeing his growth was such a pleasure.
Every character is interesting, very well written and complex, even the less important ones. I admire the screenwriters for how they managed to create such deep and realistic characters.
The cinematography is exceptional ; I was already a big fan of Yao Xiao Feng after seeing Tender Light, and his work here is just as wonderful. I am very peaky regarding the cinematography of the shows that I watch, so when I compliment it, it means it really is great.
I wrote an analysis of the first 28 episodes a few days ago ; you can find it here : https://kisskh.at/740015-bei-shang#comment-21293186 .
--- SPOILERS AHEAD ---
I am SO glad it wasn't a sad ending. I was scared they would end it with Fenghua dying because she deserved so much better, and I felt like Wanghe had gone through enough deads. First Siyi's grandma, then Siyi's little brother, then his employee. And he blames himself for each of them. I can't imagine how much he would have blame himself if Fenghua died. He would've thought he should've made a move on her sooner to enjoy her presence more.
But thanks god : it did not happen. Everyone got the happy ending they deserved.
I am glad the drama didn't push the Siyi/Wanghe agenda too much. As I said in my previous analysis, for me, Wanghe never truly loved Siyi (as a woman). And I don't think Siyi feelings for Wanghe were very deep either. They probably were more linked to her fear of being abandoned, and she may have felt like Wanghe was "abandoning her" everytime she saw him with Fenghua (which made sense, because Wanghe never planned his future with Siyi, outside of his promises to "take care of her", that were, to me, the proof he had a savior syndrome with her). At the end, when they're all watching footages of the younger them and we see Wanghe and Fenghua's interactions, it's so obvious that Wanghe already had romantic feelings for her (even the friends make fun of them and say they're "having a date on the balcony").
I loved LOVED every Wanghe/Xingchi confrontation. As an anti-capitalist myself, I saw my own ideals in Xingchi's, and yet I sided with Wanghe, especially in the fight episode 31. To me, Xingchi thought too high of himself. He thought only his values were important, and that his employees were stupid to put their lives on the line just to get money. It was easy for him to dismiss Wanghe and them by saying they're "evil capitalist". But, in my opinion, it only sounded like a selfish character who imposed his values on other people. I would even say... he sounded like a priviliged character. Just like Wanghe said, it's easy to say money isn't important when you're not hungry ; but when you need money to survive and support your family, money IS (sadly) important. Aknowledging that doesn't make Wanghe the evil capitalist everyone thought he was (including Fenghua). On the opposite, he understood better than anyone that the true problem was political. People shouldn't have to put their life on the line to survive, but the truth is, they sometimes have to, and he could only make sure they would get correctly paid for it. What Xingchi did was foolish and selfish, and not truly for his employee's wellbeing, but he was too immature to understand it. If he wanted to fight for what was right, he either had to climb in a waaay higher position, or make an union with his employees and protest against the politics, or make his own business with his own rules (like Fenghua). Instead of thinking he knew better his employee's needs than themselves, he should have asked himself why they were ready to put their life in danger just for money. And he should have understood their distress, instead of dismissing it and stopping them from making the money the needed. To me, that fight showed that, despite Xingchi's sad background, he was still a boy who knew he had parents and friends who were ready to provide for him if needed. Not even once did he try to understand why people were desperate for money.
Wanghe, on the other side, definitely made mistakes, but he was trying to actually change things in a way higher scale than Xingchi. The scene where Xingchi sees his ex employees eat outside and screams about how unfair it is that the cafetaria got shut down, meanwhile Wanghe actually takes action with his boss to provide correct meals to the employees, shows exactly that - Xingchi was all talk, Wanghe tried to take actions. He's definitely the most misundertsood character in this show : he was not cold-blooded, he just believed he could actually change things from the inside, even if it meant making sacrifices by doing things that did not align with his values and tiring himself out.
One of my favorite scene of the show is when the company refuses to pay compensations for He's death. The way his heart hurts, and he loses balances, and he feels sick, how he throws up in the toilets and curls himself up, all of that filmed as if it was a horror movie : to me, that's when Wanghe realized how much his efforts were in vain, and how evil the world was. He was in so much pain it literally made him sick, but no one knows about that. He doesn't talk about it. And he will forever be seen as the "shark that thrives in Beijing" (to quote Xingchi's lines to describe him).
Wanghe was never thriving in Beijing. He had failures after failures, and a huge pressure on his shoulders. Remember how he was told by his father, as a child, to succeed in life to make him proud? How many promises he made to everyone, that he would succeed and be there for them? And how he thought he needed to be rich to deserve Fenghua? He was not thriving, he was dying inside trying to succeed. In a dialogue with Fenghua, he says himself he can never show his vulnerable side (which shows that he is already suffering) ; later, he says to Haikuo how tired he is in Beijing (and yet he chooses to stay there for the funerals). In Beijing, the easy-going and (apparently) confident Wanghe was so stressed out he had stomach issues (they're mentionned in the beginning of the adult era, as something recurrent for him). But no one aknowledges that because Wanghe just never complains.
Another of my favorite scenes (I think it's my top 1) is the fight between Fenghua and Wanghe in episode 24. That's when Wanghe needed a wake-up call, because he was making ruthless decisions. Xingchi and Haikuo both tried to confront him about it and both only managed to make him angry. The only character who knows how to handle Wanghe is Fenghua : he goes to her already pissed off about his fight with his friends, persuaded he's in the right. Fenghua knows it's useless to scream or attack him. She begins by complimenting him, making him dream of the future he so desperately wants (him being successful). When he takes the bait, and starts seeing himself in this success and tells her he will make her as famous as him, she slaps him with the hard truth : "that day will never come, because I need to stay away from a company who doesn't treat well their employees". BAM. And then she calls him cold-bloooded. DOUBLE BAM. I loooved this scene so much because you can see just how hurt he is. He didn't question himself before that, and if that worked, it's not only because it's Fenghua (of all people) who tells him that, but also because she handled him just right. She's such a smart girl, and the only one who actually gets him and knows how to get to him.
To conclude this (way too long) review, I need to talk about Chen Rui and Haikuo. I loved, loved Haikuo. He was a sensitive lost boy and a certified lover boy. He took so much after his father, and I mean it in the best way, because Yan Lin was the best father of the show (imo). Chen Rui was my second favorite character after Wang He (Fenghua is not in this ranking because she's so much better than the other characters). His crave for his mother's akwnoledgment was so touching. I just love his confrontation with his mother in episode 27 ("the boy who is worthless in the eyes of the world will be recognized by his family. all he needs is just a little trust.").
So, this review is way too long, but hopefully there are people as obsessed by Northward as me who are willing to read all of this. The fact that I have to make myself stop here because I could talk about the details of this drama for hours just shows how good this show is!
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1This review may contain spoilers
'I can stand him, not loving me; I can't stand him, loving her.' ~Lang Leav
This series is so good , our power couple is back , after " Moonlight Chicken " I was waiting for their comeback and finally they came with a great series .Disclaimer - This is my own review according to my own feelings , this review may contain spoilers , Go On .
Story - This is an adaptation from a very popular show " Ossans Love " ( Japanese) . After the succession of the Japanese one , I had a high hope for this Thai One ( no 1 reason was EarthMixx ) and I am impressed a lot . The love triangle is not toxic but actually funny and cute , the way Mo ( Mix ) and Boss fought over Heng ( Earth ) is really so funny and cute . Earth is doing a completely different character from his previous shows ( Moonlight Chicken and A tale of Thousand Stars ) and he impressed me 100 % . Talking about Mixx , hands down , he is a great actor . He has some magic in his eyes , the way he expresses his emotions through his eyes, is really so natural and realistic . Mr Krit ( Boss ) is a professional actor , he nailed his role completely , the way he did everything so perfectly , is so good .
Cinematography and Visuals - I liked Mixx's fluffy hair so much , he was looking like a visual king , his coolness fits perfectly with his style . Cinematography was excellent .
My Opinion - I liked this drama a lot , after watching so many bad shows in 2024 , this is my healing pill in 2025 . So happy that my new year started with a great show , for me this shows is 9.5 /10 .
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Strangely amazing
I really came into this not expecting much. The description sounded enticing, so I decided to try it out. After finishing, I can honestly say I'm quite dumbfounded. It was awesome in its own weird way, and I don't think I've ever watched a show that has made me laugh in confusion and disbelief more than this show has (in a good way).Liked:
- Great acting by everyone in this show! Especially loved SGH has Yeo Reum, as he played his character very convincingly. Not to say everyone else didn't do an equally great job, it's just that he stood out to me the most with his crazy character.
- Well done action shots and fighting scenes, I was really impressed that it was this good for a miniseries. And the guns weren't blurred! Yay!
- Quirky music that felt out of place, but fit really well given what the drama is going for. It lightened the mood, even in the darkest situations.
- Dark comedy is done really well! I enjoyed that aspect of the show greatly.
- Great intensity in the second half!
- Just the overall quirky vibe mixed with action/thriller was something right up my alley.
Disliked:
- A certain common trope was used, which I didn't really care for. It didn't matter too much, but it was just a little annoying/unnecessary. That's the only really tropey thing in this show though.
- I won't dive into this spoiler, but I was really confused/annoyed by a certain part of the show in the second half. Like I'm not sure what really happened there, but if it didn't happen, things could've ended up drastically different.
- First half definitely pales in comparison to the second half.
As for this show's rewatch value, I'd say it's very rewatchable! It's pretty short, so I'm looking forward to rewatching it later with better quality subs.
Overall, I would definitely recommend this show if you want to watch a great quirky teen action show. I do wish it was longer so that we could find out everyone's backgrounds a little more, but given the length of this show, I'm very satisfied. If you were looking for a more romance-centered show, this may not be the show for you, as romance was definitely not a focus of the drama (the romance is there but it's not your typical lovey-dovey romance drama). Well, that was my first review, so I hope it was helpful for you. Adios!
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Burn the wicked rich with 95% vodka, literally
This film takes we, the audience on a journey to witness something grotesquely beautiful.It goes from one train wreck to another train wreck and a couple more incoming.
This film spares no one, not even the kids.
Kiritani was a man who abided the law and bounded by societal expectations.
A man who had a stable job, a normal marriage, a lost ambition and few other secrets kept from his spouse.
He became a man who was once fear of his vulnerability - then shines the most when he weaponised his fear and vulnerability.
Through the eyes of Kiritani who was a victim, survivor, then offender - was his act of revenge justifiable?
This is up to the audience to think.
A dead man can no longer think; well at least someone had a good time in the woods. Heh.
The story plot, cinematography, actors’ performances made this film feel both disgustingly raw and beautifully organic.
Rap scenes and film soundtracks are mesmerising and worth to rewatch.
As an audience, I felt as involved as a bystander.
A bystander who is waiting for everything to collapse, observing a person self-destruct and a madness ensures.
That is how this psychologically complex film felt.
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Tissue Rate (aka how much I cried); 1.5 out of 5 (this was mostly out of anger/irritation)To start off, I've NEVER EVER have been so annoyed/irritated watching a drama. This drama shouldn't even be 50 episodes. It's like BS adding on BS... One after another. Like please, I just want the two main characters to be happy without so much BS.
The storyline is not bad, its just the characters that are just annoying. But still I felt like this drama should've been at least 30 episodes, not 50 episodes... A lot of the scenes were very unnecessary and problematic, it felt as if the writers had it in mind that they wanted 50 episodes but after half way of the drama, they ran out of ideas to keep it going so they just added BS plots points until it got to episode 40...
Character thoughts; Ah Li (second female lead) is just so annoying and she really needs to stop trying to win He Ping's heart, like girl you know he has feelings for someone else. It's annoying to see her get jealous of Qiao Man over smallest things. Ah Li claims that she helped him a lot when he had nothing and she just wants him to like her back in return. But he has told her MULTIPLE times that he thinks of her as a older sister and would never date her. Everytime I see a scene with her in it involving Yang Lan (her assistant) in it, I feel disgusted with their actions smh... I hate people who are just so manipulative and just wants everything to go there way and is always playing the victim.
After episode 24, I was like "omg Qiao Man and He Ping can finally be happy together." But no, I was wrong. Of course, there were going to be more BS on top of BS. I just wish all everyone can just respect Qiao Man's choice with being with He Ping. Everyone just thinks they know what's best for Qiao Man, like she is a WHOLE adult and she can make decisions for herself. And they should also consider her feelings, if she is happy then let her be and let live her life.
This is a decent drama overall, it just gave me a few hundred headaches but anyways I would recommend this drama, if you want to be extremely stress and want your head to blow up lmao.
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THE BEST ASIAN BL EVER MADE
THE GODS THEMSELVES BLESSED HER. F*CKKKK, WHO TAUGHT SAMMON (writer of Triage) HOW TO WRITE.Triage absolutely caught me unawares. Now, I have watched BLs for 8 years (since 2014) and in that period I have watched over 370+ BLs, BLs from every area of life, from different countries and genres. I can proudly say that Triage is my best BL ever made or released (followed closely by The Untamed at number 2).
I was not ready for the phenomenon that is Triage, like I started this series and it was kind of slow in episode 1 and 2 but I am not the type of person that usually drops a show if I don't like the first few episodes and I can say that was the best decision of my life with regards to BLs, I absolutely love how well knit this series is and how realistic it is, the social issues that it handles and addresses and how it does this without being cliche or boring.
But what amazes me the most is how this woman managed to tie the entirety of Triage to Manner of Death, like her brilliance in all of this, I don't know how I will ever lower my standards for Thai BLs. THIS SERIES WILL NEVER BE DEFEATED IN THAILAND
Anyways, let me get to the review proper.
If you have read my reviews in the past, I review series in 8 standard areas/categories.
1. Introduction
2. General Review, Themes and Specific Issues
3. Story Arc and Storylines
4. Characters and Casting
5. Acting
6. Misses
7. Production
8. Rewatch Value
Introduction
In summary, this series is more about how interconnected the lives of different characters in the series can be without them knowing, it is about an abuse of a position of power and trust, it is about the complexities of love, it is about the desperations of life and how life can hand us such a bad set of cards, it is about the weaponization of poor disparity to keep the oppressed in an oppressed position. Along the line of all these things, we get to witness two men fall in love, in what might be one of the purest forms of love, a love that nurtures and guides, a love that doesn't judge, a love that grows us and develops us.
If I say this series took me by surprise which was what made it all that more pleasant to watch because I had ZERO expectations from it, but it absolutely SMASHED!!!! every possible barrier. Like when this series was being made, all the gods of earth were in the room with them because that is the only thing that can explain the execution I got from this series. I saw one of the videos on twitter, they literally had doctors on set with them to teach them what certain procedures should look like, the precise places to perform a surgery etc and I had a medical student as well as a doctor who watched the series who said their medical procedures were really spot on.
The series was so mature in how they handled their storylines, their concepts and issues, they did not make caricatures of any characters, they did not attempt to villainize any of the characters out of stereotypes (I was particularly worried they would do that to Mai, but the mature way the addressed Mai, Heart and Tol's relationship in the series).
LIKE FUCKKKKKKKK, these people really gave me such a good time in the series, that just thinking about it makes me smile like a child and giggle. I am almost tempted to say this series had no flaws but I won't lie the slow start in episode 1 and 2 is kind of a flaw because it may dissuade the impatient viewer from continuing with the show and making them miss the gem that they will get in the rest of the series.
Alright I know I am sounding like a broken record, so it's time for me to move to the next segment.
General Review, Themes and Specific Issues
For a general review, Triage is a sleeper hit, because Triage was such a refreshing breath to me, I had intended to give up watching BLs in October of 2022 (I don't know why I had a specific date) but the series just had the IT FACTOR, it was refreshing to see detail in that sense, as well as the amount of detail paid to medical terms, autopsy, surgery etc.
I was pleased with the level of suspense they left us with after each episode, like they dropped tidbits of knowledge that make you eager to learn more by the next week, and there was a certain level of complexity with the amount of attention devoted to the mystery. Knowing each character's driving forces and having the utmost suspicion for each one
I loved the series for so many things, they always made me laugh and roll over with laughter with how in love Tol was with Tin, how much of a bxtch Tin was to Tol, sadness with Rit when he discovered his information, sadness for Tin when Tol and Fukfang both died. This series made me feel all the emotions possible, joy, happiness, sadness, rage etc.
Now to the themes and issues addressed, there were so many real-life issues addressed in the show that if I decided to touch on everyone, I would exhaust my word limit on the review, because Sammon is just that good of a writer, she knows how to handle issues, but here are a few that I have identified and picked out:
1. Medical Malpractice and Organ Harvesting - Seeing a BL cover an issue as serious as this and as underrepresented in mainstream media was so exciting because this is a real-life issue we battle in the real world. From the improper administration of drugs to patients to the illegal removal of patient's organs, the series touched on an epidemic that has plagued the lives of so many persons who have had a need to use health facilities especially where the person cannot afford the most expensive of facilities. People don't understand the pain that comes with having your organ stolen but the series handles this pain so beautifully it could not have been better.
2. Relationships that build each other - I think in Thai media and media at large, we have been exposed so much to a love that is always toxic and destructive, that we have started to adapt to this as a form of "healthy" relationship. One thing I loved in the series was the fact that Tin never once judged Tol for his actions, instead he worked with him to try and do better, which is more important than most in a relationship that you are developing each other. Another angle in which I saw this was with Tol to Mai, we can all clearly see that Tol loved Mai in the previous loops (else why would he always die because of her), but I love how much when he found out about the reason why she was dating him, he didn't become bitter or vow to destroy her, no he understood why she did what she did and helped to ensure her mother got the appropriate care she needed, this is what I mean by having relationships when you edify each other.
3. The Effect of each of our actions: This is best portrayed in Tin and Tol and the drunk guy that was saved in the last episode. The effect of choices, every decision we make, no matter how remote or isolated it is, has an adverse effect on tons of lives, take an example, Tol saving that man's life now, impacts not just the man, but his family as well, who only God knows might be the sole bread winner of the family.
Tol said that is in-line with this -"Because someone doesn't love his life, doesn't mean there aren't those they love and that love them back. Saving a guy's life can make a lot of people happy "
It goes to the fact Tin was so blinded in rage about his sister that he forgot one of his core oaths as a doctor, DO NO HARM, his actions hurt someone, whether or not he sees them or not. Tol just talks about making them happy but me, my thoughts take it farther, not just their happiness but the overall impacts on their life
4. Wealth Gap and Oppression of the Poor - One of the most important themes of this series is how the voice of the poor is often robbed from them, we see Rit who initially commits suicide is led to those actions because his rich and more powerful friends' asides treating him like shit, steal his ideas and get away with it because the society is built to favour the rich and powerful. We also get this in Mai, who basically forced to enter a relationship she does not want to be in because it can pay her mother's bills, again portraying how expensive the health system is but also how it oppresses the poor from getting vital healthcare.
5. Mental Health: I felt almost foolish at the finale for hating Doi all through the series, the way she handled Doi's mental health, she didn't do something that writers and the world likes to do often and that is treating mental health as a crime. I always asked myself what Doi's motivators were and I wouldn't lie, I hated him for his interference in the series but I must say, when it was unveiled that he has mental health issues with him in the psych ward, damn, I was so happy with the writer becasue she shows often times, what these people need is the appropriate help not hatred
6. Senseless Injustices - Another prevalent issue or theme in this is the uncontrollable nature of injustice, asides Rit and Mai whom I have spoken about in number 4, we see uncontrollable injustice with Tin's sister and I think this specific theme is important because I understand how bad it can get when some of these injustices happens.
7. Forgiveness because there was a lot of forgiveness going around, from Tol towards Mai, Rit to Tol etc.
8. Bribery and Corruption - Honestly on this theme, I don't think I will go so much into it
So that is everything on general review, themes and specific issues.
Characters/Story Arc and Storyline
1. Tin, for Tin we see Tin have to come out of his shell, his dislike for humans and his judgemental high grounds to actually develop a conscience, fall in love and try saving people. At the start of the series, we meet an already broken person in Tin without realizing that he is broken, although we get a first hint of this where he is being kinda bitchy about treating a drunk person but the story arc of Tin has him maturing, seeing that life is not always what it seems to be especially with him discovering that Tol was not actually drunk and he had judged him too much. From his attempt to save Tol, we see Tin slowly change as a person on a whole he becomes softer not to only Tol, but those around him as well. His character development was really great to see. Seeing the efforts Tin put in on his side to being there for Tol broke me😭😭😭😭, man legit studied a course he has no background in, just to stop Tol from cheating.... This is why I always say, it's the tiny things that matter.... This is such a positive example of passing across what a healthy relationship should look like.... Working to build each other up.
Also Tin being an ER doctor makes sense, when you explain it like this, he is an ER doctor, prolong their lives long enough to see other doctors. Because his personality doesn't mix well with other humans, and as an ER doctor, most patients are not in a state to be able to talk.
2. Tol is a rich boy, who it pretty and has always gotten what he wants, this of course makes him a spoilt brat who doesn't appreciate anything beside him. It makes him ruin his friendships with people without realizing that he is doing so, it makes him lazy and naive (the attempt to cheat in the anti-fraud exam.... the irony of cheating on anti-fraud). I mentioned it earlier but I love how his dynamic with Tin through the series, why did I particularly love this because Tin corrected Tol with love rather than judgement, he took his time to teach and explain why each of the imperfections and flaws. I think we get to see Tol develop from this immature self to ultimately being the one that has to save everyone in this final loop. If that is not character development, I don't know what is.
But can we take a moment to acknowledge how cursed Tol is with love, I mean my guy, women are using him for his money and the man is cursed to either watch him die or he watches the man die, like my dude should just give it up. But Tol was so in love
3. Jinta, our ultimate hookup master, lol, this man needs to be taught what privacy laws, because the way he just drops in it is funny, Tol trying to cover his eyes from seeing him and Tin do the deed got me. Jinta's hookup service is extreme because it is literally do or die, either you get him to be with you or he dies and you never get him back, the terms of his deal are simple, which is hillarious to see him stress Tol like that
4. Heart and Mai, surprisingly, I did not hate Heart and Mai, I love the clarity that the series gave to them both, Heart was not made to be some deadbeat guy who was using his girlfriend to defraud someone, instead you could see him actively trying to be better and available for her and Mai couldn't be blamed either, society put her in the position of having to trick Tol for the sake of her mother's life.
5. Gap and Sing were just adorable, watching Gap get jealous all the time was so funny to see because he was sulky about it. I liked how in this current loop; they are already together.
6. I hated Sak and his Lackey
Now on a general, I love how they tied their stories together and created parallels
1. If you followed the memories carefully, you would notice that the Tol and Mai fight, where he throws her and she gets cut, it's a replica of Heart and Mai fight, so since in the previous loop, he is in the knowledge of everything and he is already with Tin, balance is struck by having Heart and Mai have the fight instead.
2. Similar to how Tin also died at 10:55pm July 18th similar to Tol's time of death in the loop. Notice the cause of death is always linked to a party? Since the first cause of death was him chasing after Mai at the party, he threw to appease her, Tin's death was at Tol's party for his accomplishment because in this loop, Mai's party couldn't exist and be the cause of death... So now it's Tol's party that has replaced it and is the cause of death
3. The crossing of the loop with Tol seeing the memories, thus why Tol was physical in one of Tin's loops just made so much fucking sense, because in Tol's view, he is seeing how far Tin went for him, literally battling days of no sleep, just to have a way to save him and if you link if to the previous episode 4, it is shown to be a driving motivation for Tin... if you go back to episode 4 where the OG Tin seeing Tol scene happened, the music is the same as the music in episode 11, the conversations are also the same... Word for word.... The scene also makes sense now, on why Tol was so intimate with him in the scene when they didn't have a relationship yet.... Also, if you noticed, Tin "woke up" in episode 4, right when Jinta switched the memories in episode 11... LIKE THE FUCKING ATTENTION TO DETAILS!!!!!!!!!!!
4. Using their parents to get to each other
5. There was no scene that was left unexplained, every part was carried fully
Casting and Acting.
1. Tee Thanapon Jarujitranon is a FUCKING ACTOR!!!!!! The way he portrayed one important factor in his search for Jinta, so he can bring back Tin.... It's very important because Tin has had a cool and measured approach because he started trying to save Tol when he had no feelings for Tol, but subsequently those feelings developed and that's why his death in episode 6 pained him more.... But with Tol, we see that he is already in love with Tin when Tin dies, so the way they portrayed his anxiety to get his lover back is so great and realistic...... Like the utter desperation he displayed to Jinta as well as when he was still in his ghost form at the beginning of the memories and Tin was trying to save his life.... His reactions 🥺🥺🥺🥺, when he is back to the past, we can see the desperation with which he tries to reunite with Tin, including faking the medical emergency (to a literal doctor), Tee is able to embody all of this, including the great love for Tin, which is beautiful
2. Tae was absolutely awesome as well as Dr. Tin, he gave the sassy and bitchy vibes completely well, his sequence in episode 6 after the deaths of Tol and Fang was so painful to watch, the tears and all. His gentle smile when he sees Tin. He absolutely delivered his scenes as well. His struggle to save Tol was palatable to me, I felt his frustrations in episode 1 and 2, I felt every disappointment of his because he was communicating it so well. I love how he characterizes Tin as a flawed human who was also in need of fixing.
3. The entire burial scene of Tin was really good acting from the cast, it felt like someone really died, the tears and crying didn't seem forced
Misses (There are none to me, so here are funny bits instead)
1. Tol assaulting Tin in his sleep (joking), so he can get him to remember him
2. Tol trying to block Jinta's eyes from him and Tin
3. Tin saying Nosy/Rosy
4. Tol trying to fake drowning (a medical incident to a doctor)
5. Gap thinking sing wanted to have sex in the medical room
Production
On production this series definitely put total thought into all aspects that they needed to make sure they are a 100% and they did their assignment on that, from the medical scenes to the acting etc. Like the open heart surgery, it was way too real, the irony of that scene was that right before they showed it, I was dragging them that they won't show it, they would just skip the scene and show us hours later, next thing I saw a blade cutting someone's skin and blood gushing out and I was like "alright, too realistic for me" but yes, scenes like that accentuated the series for me.
Rewatch Value
Heck I am rewatching this show this night
Again, I must say I absolutely love this show. It is the Best Thai BL ever
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phenomenal
This drama is historical and I've been seeing a lot of complaints towards the genre as a whole, saying it's boring. I haven't looked too into the review for this one, but I can say my opinions towards it are very positive.To start off, I think it is incredibly underrated. The production of the drama is insane, and it is beautiful in every shot. Every shot is detailed and adds to the premise of the story, and none of what is shown is filler. It comes down to even the little moments that focus on hands, rain, etc. The cinematography is stellar and from a directing standpoint this drama is nothing less than that. What comes down to making this drama really good is all of the elements coming together. A lot of shows can have a good cast with a bad script, or a bad cast with a good script. This one pulls together what it had so well and is not overdone. The cast is pretty much star-studded, quite literally as you have SF9's Chani included as well. I have seen some complaints about the secondary characters not being acted as well and that the main lead Kim Hye Soo is carrying the show, and to that I will explain. Kim Hye Soo is a veteran actress who has been doing this for years, and she is by far the best actress here. I can see that she may overshadow, but it is all the credit to her. She is just one of the best actresses out there and her co stars are young and haven't done it as long. What I am getting at is that she is amazing and the other acting isn't bad at all, she is just so so so good at acting that you might compare her to her co-stars.
With that being said... I am pleasantly surprised by all the acting efforts of the whole entire cast. With some new faces that I haven't ever seen personally in a drama, none of them are over or underacting at all. The story is pretty easy to follow, a Queen's ambition for one of her sons to succeed and become a crown prince. The story may be simple, but every character is picked apart and that makes it very interesting.
Each prince has their talents and things they are good at, but they are all very flawed. Each flaw gets its turn to shine, and each talent does as well. You can sympathize with even the princes that aren't directly the Queen's son. Every young person in this drama has a lot of weight held over them and they don't take the situation they are in lightly. The drama starts off lighthearted, but it descends to be deeper and more emotional. It's a story about family and survival, and a beautiful one at that.
There are a lot of characters in this show and you would think I would forget a few or get lost. I haven't gotten lost at all, instead I grow further intrigued by each episode and scene with every character.
The only complaints I have is the Queen Dowager... I hate bad people just thinking they are superior without having anything to back them up. She feels superior having put the King in his position. She wants to have everyone wrapped around her finger.. I dislike that woman so much honestly but that can't really be a complaint. It is credit to the drama for doing its job to make me dislike her.
To wrap it up this drama is so good and I recommend for someone that wants a heartbreaking, heart-racing watch.
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Mr. Unlucky Has No Choice but to Kiss!
46 people found this review helpful
This review may contain spoilers
One For the Books
I can't explain how much I was moved by the series to the point where I stayed up at the ass crack of dawn to binge-watch. Then to be told that episode 8 would be another few hours hurt to hear, but I waited and waited, and finally, it came out, and my heart is overjoyed with something that I haven't felt for many Japanese BLs. Mr.Unlucky is an extraordinary series full of happiness, speculating luck, and a heartwarming romance.Let's Dive In.
Mr. Unlucky Has No Choice But to Kiss is the story of Kota, a boy born unlucky who has unfortunate circumstances happen to him every day, from falling ceilings to stepping in dog shit, he has to endure it 24/7. Until he meets Naoya, a boy born lucky, who has the best things happen to him anytime he wants them. When Kota finds himself around Naoya, he sees how his bad luck fades away, and he can have a good time. Through a misunderstanding, they both become boyfriends and their lives are forever changed. What initially drew me in was this wacky synopsis that I was curious to see play out on screen. I was a little skeptical at first, going into this with only the synopsis and that's it, but this was a gem. A bright bright gem that I'm so thankful I ventured to. While most of this series was everything I needed and more, there was a key aspect that dimmed my overall joy, but for the most part, this series was as close to perfect as perfect can get.
One thing that Japanese series can do is either be extremely vulgar or super clean and from my understanding, there is no in-between. Even looking at Cherry Magic, a story based around a virgin, was as innocent as ever, and so was Kieta Hatsukoi, with neither shows even showing a kiss between leads, and yet, I still loved them to my fullest potential. Mr. Unlucky happens to fall in the super clean category. Part of me doesn't mind that intimacy doesn't play a big role here, because they were still able to evoke strong feelings out of me without that aspect, but gosh, does it suck not to see the climax of something the writers did so well at building up. Kota and Naoya have built such incredible sensual tension that it's almost infuriating with every passing second Kota avoids kissing Naoya or doing anything else. This series is so prude in itself that it draws back its own ability to be even greater than before, and it sucks. I wish there would've been a moment where Kota finally felt ready to kiss Naoya, and instead, we never get that. Besides a very chaste kiss in the beginning, we the audience are left to fend for our own and make up the rest of their story as it ends.
And while I do complain that intimacy should've played a bigger role here, I can't help but applaud how respectful and patient Naoya was. He kissed Kota in the beginning because that's what his past girlfriends had liked, but he realized Kota was different and was willing to wait to kiss him again until he was ready. Although that moment never happens, it's heartwarming to watch Naoya be so sensual and yet hold himself back for the one that matters to him the most. Consent was superb here, and I will deathly miss it.
Now, getting into their romance, of course, because of it being a misunderstanding, the connection isn't as strong in the beginning as it is in the end. But we get to watch with every passing moment it build and build until we're desperate for more. Getting to watch Kota be happy and do things that he normally keeps himself away from because of his bad luck is another level of rewarding. His smile, the way his eyes light up, his skips and jumps and cheers, it's all very gratifying to see. To see that Naoya is able to bring him something he hasn't had in years. Anytime they were together, my heart was aghast to watch them grow in chemistry and understanding. I was sure that Naoya would have a similar situation as Kota: using him so that his good luck isn't always there and people can stop relying on him. But nope, that's not the case. Naoya just loved Kota from the very second he saw him, and it only grew from there. That is fucking precious. I will miss seeing these two on my screen, only if it were for a day.
Onto the side characters, who were a lot less memorable, but they played helpful roles in getting the leads to where they needed to be. The two best friends were valuable attributes to Naoya who saw them as his real friends and not people needing him for his luck. I was more so intrigued with Miki's story who seemed as positive as ever about love, and Anna, who seemed very negative about love. I have my speculations that the bracelet Miki was wearing somehow stopped her from forming relationships instead of being in one, and once it broke, she seemingly started to realize her feelings for Anna, and it's quite an adventure to take part in. I wish they had more screen time after Miki subtly (but not so subtly) admits her feelings to Anna.
Ratings:
Story: 9 - It's the strongest aspect of the series. It was able to keep me entertained throughout without any skips or FF. The romance is well done, and so is the explanation and the play out of luck and sharing it. I'll only take a star off since I think the romance could've taken that one step further, and instead, the writers hold us back.
Acting: 9.5 - Great! Literally! Sota (Kota) does a fascinating job, playing up the extraness and expressional person that his character was. Sato I learned is a Japanese idol, and in some parts of his acting, it's not as strong as it could be, but still, he does a good job at getting the message of his character across. All the side characters did excellent as well.
Music: 7 - the theme song was good to me! Other than that, I didn't really pay too much attention to it.
Rewatch value: 6 - I could see myself rewatching this whenever I need my heart to flutter for whatever reason.
I don't usually ask for second seasons, cause it's unnecessary and not needed, but I severely hope this gets a second season to wrap up that endearing part of Kota and Noaya that we don't see. I still think there is a story there to tell, and I need it immediately. This had shot up to being my new all-time favorite Japanese BL, and not too far from making an appearance as my top 10 favorite BLs. I will cherish this for as long as I can. I heavily recommend this for anyone interested. If you can take yourself out of the real world and watch this fantastical series that will make you feel every emotion in the book, then give this one a shot.
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