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Honestly, my consideration for watching Secret Garden was the two main characters Ha Ji Won and Hyun Bin..
But after that I found the story was amazing..
I was hooked and finished this only in 2 days.. until my eyes being swollen at that time..
It makes me laughed and cried at the same time.. The storyline made me curios to watch this until the end..
Both Ha Ji Won and Hyun Bin plays the role very well.. Especially when their bodies switched.. The chemistry between them looks so real..
The music also very good.. the placement for the ost at every scene can play our emotion..
For me, it’s one of the best K-drama.. Love it so much!!!
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This review may contain spoilers
I pushed my way through the entire series because there were some sweet moments that made it really worth watching, yet I still feel like I'm writing this review to criticize more than compliment.But let's start with a compliment:
I enjoyed the lead female character. This kind of nice, independent, no-nonsense lead female character has been a rare item in the Korean drama industry. I'm saying she's strong as in not TOO comically strong or bratty as well. Eun Hawon character is really likable, and it's the only part that makes sense why this kind of reverse harem plot works. The boys in the house genuinely like her, and I accept it. Most of the Korean dramas that go for either this generic reverse harem plot or the strong lead girl plot usually fail to deliver them naturally. I grew fond of her the most and her character made me stick around.
Another good point that somehow kept me around was the sweet moments and the chemistry between the lead characters. I could feel that they really care for each other. Nothing was forced. The love story wasn't rushed. I enjoyed it. Sometimes the sub plots dragged on for too long and their sweet moments would restore my faith for this show.
Now onto the bad part:
From the title: Cinderella and Four Knights, there are no four knights at all. They're trying to sell that this is a reverse harem kind of story, with one lead girl and four lead guys and such, but it only lasted probably up to the first few episodes. The first few episodes promised you a love triangle which was cliche but still entertaining.
From somewhere early in the series, however, out of *four* knights: 1) one of them loses complete interest in the lead female and goes back to the second lead female he ditched long ago for unexplained reasons, 2) one of them grows to like the lead female yet takes care of the second lead female to an unreasonable extent, 3) one of them likes the lead female genuinely but, of course, the plot won't allow them to even meet and talk properly, 4) and the last one of them leaves the *knight* title ever so quickly and branches out to his own super cliche sub plot although he has so much potential in everything from acting to his looks to his chemistry with the lead female.
It felt so much like the writers lured us into such F4 - Boys Over Flowers kind of settings, then ditched us to an extremely cliche plot that revolved more around the second lead female – who I have to use the word "annoyingly boring" to describe. I like Son Naeun as a member of A Pink, but I believe her acting is very bad – or this character does not shine a light on her as an actress at all. Her character is an "I-only-look-at-you" kind of pitiful(?) girl, but somehow the story (or her acting) made her evil. I thought she was going to grow into a likable second female lead because she was one of a few second leads that don't act evil towards the lead female character. However, her damsel-in-distress situations only turned her into a "I don't care if I look evil, I just want to own one of these rich guys" kind of character.
She has the looks and she's from a well-raised background. She was also incredibly stubborn for (literally) unsaid reasons while she could just go out and have a happy life while forgetting these main guys. Plus, her interest in fashion design seemed useless. It played no part in the plot, and I wish writers would stop stereotyping fashion design major as a "high class" thing. Beautiful barbie-like female characters don't need to like fashion to look sophisticated. Try harder.
Likewise, I didn't enjoy the stereotypes in this story at all. Jung Ilwoo's character (Kang Jiwoon) was built around a quiet, rebellious guy with a troubled past, so they gave him a street-racer persona while in the story it was just him fidgeting with his toy cars from time to time. It didn't look cool and rebellious. It looked pathetic.
Ahn Jaehyun's character (Kang Hyunmin) – the playboy successor of Haneul Group – can he be even more cliche than this? I mean, playboy chaebols are fun to have in a story, but this characteristic of him progressed to nowhere. He was out with random girls for only 2 or 3 episodes at the beginning. At the same time, he's a supposed successor of their family business, but I see him lazing around inside the mansion the *entire* series. In fact, he doesn't seem very aloof. He has a heart, but they didn't make use of it at all.
Lee Jungshin's character (Kang Seowoo) is a musician. Why? There's no back story to his characteristics. He's popular and is a good singer and he's very nice. Rich and romantic, yet he seemed the most unattached to the entire chaebol family. Again, there's nothing bad about this, I just feel like this musician character is very stereotypical. And again, for a chaebol grandson who's *finally* nice and decent, he's out of the picture from the first half of the series. He likes the main girl alone, feels sad alone, and lets her go alone. His music plays almost no part in putting his character together with the main girl or other guys, and despite that, there's no explanation in why he fails to convey his love to the main girl at all. (Oh, wait, why? Because the writer doesn't want that. Then WHY did they even make his character up at all?)
I still forced my way through the end purely because of the lead female character. She was the only decent one in the entire series. The "missions" and "part-time job" that put her in these guys' mansion made me cringe though. And although she's naturally kindhearted, genuinely wanting the boys to reunite as a family was a bit odd, given that she hasn't been raised in a warm *family* as well.
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Really good series but why it isn’t that popular – an analysis!
I want to be clear from the start so I am going to tell you that Tae Darvid is my ultimate Thai person, so I will try to be as objective as I can. However, if you feel that I am playing favourites with him please let me know! Now, let me take you on a journey. I am going to review the series and point out some mistakes that didn’t help the series to be more popular and have more people talking about it. But before that, we must acknowledge the elephant in the room, and sorry for the following microaggression, but…Can we all agree that the so-called rooster was a fuc***g CHICKEN? Like wtf? Do I not know animals? Is this an intended joke? Why didn’t they use a rooster? Plz help me… Don’t get me wrong I love Teriyaki (the chicken-rooster) but it must have an identity crisis. Here is what I think Teriyaki is thinking 24/7:
«Phap says that I am a rooster that knows how to have a slow-life and crows at 10 in the morning to wake everyone up”, Teriyaki thought. “But at the same time, they are eating the eggs that I lay”, Teriyaki continued his thinking and started to question its own existence. «Am I a rooster, or am I a chicken? »
CHARACTERS
Our main couple is Maze and Phap. Maze is the president of his company, is a money motivated person, and mainly uses his head to make choices. As his social status suggests, he has an extravagant lifestyle, wearing expensive clothes, living in a luxurious apartment, and driving a costly car. In addition to other rich BL characters (from other BL series), he is greedy with money and will do anything to have a bigger profit. He doesn’t carelessly spend money, and most importantly he will take advantage of every situation in order to gain anything. On the other hand, Phap is a carefree artist that specializes to abstract paintings. He is the exact opposite of Maze and uses his heart to make decisions. He is not rich, he believes in himself and his capabilities, and he loves nature and animals. He loves animals so much that he has three animals’ pals, Poco – a lizard, Steven – a cockroach (yeah, you read that correctly), and Teriyaki – a chicken-rooster with identity crisis.
The second lead couple is Nueng and Tharn. Tharn is an actor and Maze’s best friend (along with Nae). He cares for his friend’s emotions and is rather mature, soft spoken, and kind-hearted person. He is the balance between Maze and Nae. While Nueng is… Is it too soon to make this spoiler? Well, I am not going to tell you who is Nueng right now because it’s a massive spoiler, and you might not want to know that. However, if you keep reading my review you will eventually learn who he is. YOU WERE WARNED! Anyway, for now I will tell you that Nueng is a handsome actor, with a calm aura that everyone is jealous of.
The other supporting characters are the “As You Wish” gang, the employees in Maze’s company. The leader of the pack is Nae, Maze’s and Tharn’s best friend. She is not a company’s employee, but she is sth like an investor – or vice president, according to her – who helped the company when they were in need. Next, we have Noona, the mother of the gang; she has a colourful personality and is loud (“I am soooo confuseeeed”); Ruj, the workaholic one, who is complaining that has too much work, but always delivers on time; Kuea, the talkative one, and Elle, the quiet one, who becomes talkative when drunk.
Last but not least, we have the managers. Phueak is Nueng’s manager, and Pookky is Tharn’s manager. Between these two a “hate” relationship exists, as both do their best to promote their talent. However, Pookky uses “dirty” ways to get Tharn more famous. I loved and laughed with every scene with the managers.
PLOT
In the series we follow the storyline between our main and secondary couple. After a weird event sequence, Phap (played by Tae), the carefree artist, ends up being in debt to Maze (played by Singto), and to pay back his debt he is hired in the company. However, their polar opposite personalities and lifestyles, make their everyday friction difficult… at first! The aversion for each other could be seen, as they don’t address each other by their name, and they don’t use the honorifics “P” or “Nong”. Instead, they mainly use the informal way of saying “You” in Thai.
In the series we get to see how Phap is the first one to open up to Maze and how he does everything that he can to get the other person’s attention. Maze and Phap throughout the series learn more about and from each other. The artist teaches the young boss that relaxing is mandatory, that relying on other people is not that bad, and that living in the moment is important. However, the most crucial thing that Phap helps Maze with, is Nueng (more for that on “My opinion” section).
ACTING
I would like to start with Singto. To be honest, I don’t follow Singto that much. I have only watched SOTUS and SOTUS S with him (fun fact SOTUS was my first Thai BL series). In SOTUS, I was fascinated by his ability to use his facial expressions, and boy was I not disappointed in Paint with Love. For me, this series bring out the best of Singto and with the combination of funny scenes we have an amazing result. I know that I might not be in the position to say this because this is only the third series that I have watched with Singto, but this is my favourite series with him. He was sassy, angry, confused, mad, sad, and desperate when he needed to be, and trust me when I tell you that I believed him in every scene.
Moving on with Tae, I know that I said that he is my ultimate Thai person, but dude I am not a royal fan. The only series that I have watched with Tae is 2moons the series. DON’T CALL ME A HYPOCRITE! I really like his personality in real life that is why he is my ultimate. I was really happy when I learned that he would finally have a lead role, and I was not disappointed. In the series he plays a character that is quite different from him in real life, and I must admit that I really enjoyed his acting here. He portraits a handsome, goofy, confident, and a straightforward character, in a comedic way, which I loved. However, there were a few scenes in which his character was sad, and I was like “TELL ME WHO HURT YOU BABY!!!!”.
Regarding the second lead actors, everyone did an amazing job. Yoon and Yacht were able to captivate me in their story and you could see them grow together, be more open about their true feelings, and try to distinguish their work and personal life. You could see and feel Tharn’s (Yacht) internal dilemma on whether he should be honest to Maze about his feelings for Nueng, but not wanting to hurt his friend… Yacht did an amazing job there!!! As for Yoon, he was able to share his worries, concerns, and feelings for both Maze and Tharn. To be honest, I felt that everyone had a great chemistry with each other in the series, which is amazing! I think that my favourite for the other cast was Maengmum. Honestly, I love her! Her acting skills are off the roof, and she deserves every award ever! PLEASE GIVE HER A SERIES ALREADY!
MY OPINION AND THE MISTAKES THAT KEPT THIS SERIES FROM POPULARITY!
As an overall, I have a positive opinion for this series. The first thing that I really liked (beside the casting), was the fact that the story wasn’t developed in a university. I don’t understand why the majority of Thai BLs need to be in university, but I really enjoyed the change of environment. Now the second thing that I really liked, was the fact that even though Maze was rich, he was actually greedy and didn’t belittle the value of money, in addition to other series where usually the rich person doesn’t care about money at all. While another thing that I really liked was the lack of product placements! You don’t understand how much I despise straightforward product placements in series; however, here we have none of it, which I loveeeeeed!!!!
Another thing that I really liked, was the real interaction between the main couple. You know, something that I disliked in the other BLs is that they present false expectations on how two people flirt. The other series portray the couples in a cool way, and they only show us the handsome, jealous, confident, side of the characters, while in reality this is not true. In addition, in Paint with Love, we get to see how an emotional and touching scene could be “changed” by one of the characters. For instance, there is a scene in which Phap and Maze are talking about squids, and you hear Phap saying something deep regarding catching squid and how he does not enjoy doing that. For a moment you can see Maze softening up to Phap and looking at him with puppy eyes, but when Maze gets to say something to Phap, the later eats a squid and destroys the moment and atmosphere between them. Don’t get me wrong, but I love it. I feel that this behaviour is closer to reality, and I love it when it is shown in series. Take your always right, and correct behavioured characters, I will stay with the truer moments. Furthermore, you could see the dilemma that Maze had. He really liked Phap but he believed that the artist was someone lame, who wasn’t at the same social status as him. That is why he couldn’t openly say that he liked Phap and that he wanted to be him. Occasionally, he would bring up a wall between them and making more difficult for Phap to bring down that wall. In my opinion, Singto’s acting was on point in every scene. You could see his emotions through his eyes. He is an exceptional actor. Well done!
As for something that I didn’t like, was the story changes. I must admit that I haven’t read the whole novel, because I couldn’t find it anywhere with an English translation, but I must say that there is a huge difference in the novel and the series storyline. Before I elaborate more on the difference between these two, let me make the huge SPOILER right now. Nueng and Maze are stepbrothers since they were young boys, after Maze’s father married Nueng’s mother. That was the spoiler. Honestly, at first, when I was only watching the series, I thought that Nueng and Maze were ex-lovers, but I was wrong.
Now, let me go back to the main difference in the novel and the series. In the series, the two brothers fight with each other at an older age (when Nueng is trying to apply to university), while in the novel the brothers fight at a younger age, when Nueng was in Junior High School, after his mother’s death, for which he blamed Maze for. I feel that they should had followed the original approach and show us the true fight between the brothers, because this would explain Maze’s acting in front of Nueng in their adult years. In the novel it was stated that the two brothers were very close, and they cared for each other. Especially Maze, he adored Nueng, and he loved spending time with him; so, when Nueng blamed him for his mother death (whom Maze loved like his real mother), he is devastated and due to his really young age he cannot entirely understand what happens.
As someone with an older sister, I can tell you that I understand Maze’s actions in his adulthood. He is awkward, goofy, and trying too hard to be liked and acknowledged by Nueng. His true feelings come to surface when he is drunk, and he asks for Nueng’s approval and attention. Those are true actions. I remember when I was younger, I was doing the same thing and I was trying desperately to get my older sister’s attention. That is why I feel that they should have kept the original fight reason between them.
Now the second thing that I didn’t like was the lack of accessibility to the series. Actually, in my humble opinion, I feel that this reason was the root cause of why this series wasn’t that popular. You could only watch the series in GagaOOLala, by having a subscription, or in illegal websites where the episodes were uploaded in a few hours. However, there were cases in which an episode could take up to 4 days to be uploaded in any site with English subtitles. All of you know for which episode I am talking about! Episode 6…. It took approximately 5 days for the episode to be uploaded in Dram***ol. That didn’t help the series to build a momentum and have a loyal fanbase. Now, don’t get me wrong, but when I learned that the series are only available to a subscribed website, I knew that it wouldn’t be popular. I don’t want to use other Networks or Companies names, but it is important to look at what your competitors are doing in order to create your business and strategic plan. I believe that in this case this step wasn’t implemented. The majority of BL series that are currently on air, are offered for free on the official Youtube channel of the company that created the series (e.g. Bad Buddy was available with English subtitles, every Friday, on GMMTV’s youtube channel); while Paint with Love required a subscription. That was mistake No. 1.
Mistake No.2 was the lack of promotion. Pffffff… This series could have so much potential! The company could have created a promotion campaign to make this series more popular and to have fans to anticipate for it. They could use social media on their advantage, and arrange live streams with the actors and interact with the fans, or they could create funny compilations with behind the scenes videos (at first they did upload a few behind the film videos but they were too short), or they could have the actors appear to multiple shows (TV shows, radio shows, or social media shows) to make the series more known to the public.
Lastly, mistake No.3 was the inconsistency in the English translation. Before judging me and telling me that I should be grateful that we even have translation for the series, I will tell you that I know, and I am grateful for that. But please don’t underestimate the power that international fans hold. If I don’t perform research on the target audience on the BL series, I won’t be able to know for sure where the watchers are coming from; but from small research in the comment section of different BL series that are posted on youtube, the majority of watchers seems to be international fans. While watching Paint with Love, I felt that there were many scenes that didn’t make any scene, due to the poorly translation, and that kept me from fully understanding a point. I am not sure if I am the only one who had this issue with the English translation, but again something was not feeling right.
BONUS MISTAKE: I am not sure if any of you felt that way, but there were some scenes that didn’t make any sense because there was no built up. I just felt like they said, “Okay this is what we wanted to say in this scene, now cut!”. For example, in the business trip were Nueng was injured, we see that Phap was also injured but he didn’t say anything to anyone. And that’s it... There was no outcome from this incident. Why didn’t he say anything to Maze? Why was he so sad that day? He was the one who helped Maze make it up with Nueng. Did eventually Maze learn about his injury? WE DON’T KNOW!!!! And that’s bothering me! Another example is when Phap took a bunch of bananas to the office, and he handed them to Nae. THAT’S IT!!! NOBODY ADDRESSED THE BANANAS EVER AGAIN! WAS IT IMPORTANT FOR THE PLOT? WE DON’T KNOW! DID THEY EAT THE BANANAS? WE DON’T KNOW! For me a scene should have a purpose; an introduction, a climax, and a connection to future scenes! Anyway…
That’s it! Please let me know if I missed something, or if you disagree with my review! It is a shame, but this series could have been more popular than any other BL series that were aired at the same time!
P.S. GIVE THE STYLIST A RAISE!!!! EVERYONE’S OUTFITS WERE ON POINT AND I LOVED EVERYTHING! THANK YOU P’STYLIST!!!
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JoongDunk Stole the Spotlight in The Heart Killers
Now that The Heart Killers has ended, I have to admit… I was really only watching for Fadel and Style. Going into this, I already loved both FirstKhao and JoongDunk. FirstKhao has always been one of my absolute favorite pairings, and I’ve enjoyed JoongDunk too, but they weren’t at the top of my list—until now.To be honest, Kant and Bison’s storyline just didn’t pull me in the way I hoped. I still love First and Khao, but their dynamic in this show didn’t hit as hard for me. Meanwhile, JoongDunk completely stole my heart. Their chemistry, their emotional depth, the way their characters just clicked—I was obsessed. They were the highlight of the entire series for me, and now I love them so much more than I did before.
So yeah, The Heart Killers had its moments, but for me? It was the joondunk show all the way.
Looking back, I think one of the reasons JoongDunk didn’t impress me as much in their previous BLs was because the stories didn’t really suit them. It’s not that they were bad, but I feel like those roles didn’t bring out the best in them. But with The Heart Killers, Fadel and Style felt made for them. Their dynamic, the way they balanced each other out—it just worked so well.
As for Dunk’s acting, I actually think he’s good and has improved a lot. Of course, there’s always room for growth, but I honestly don’t get the hate he gets. He has a naturally relaxed face, which can make some expressions harder to convey, but you can tell he’s putting in the effort. And I respect that. Seeing him in this role made me appreciate him even more.
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1This review may contain spoilers
Head 2 Head? More Like Living Rent-Free in My Head
This series honestly sneaks up on you. What starts off feeling like sharp banter, rivalry, and chaos slowly turns into something way heavier and endearing. I didn't even realize when it happened- one moment I was entertained, the next I was deeply and emotionally invested. My only complaint is how short the episodes are and the occasional abrupt scene cuts which actually did not bother me as much, because JeromeJinn, they make it completely worth it.Jerome and Jinn are pure chaos in the best way. They started off as rivals who were constantly at each other's throats- insults, glares, nonstop competition but let's be real, that was just them flirting in denial. Every argument, every petty moment, every attempt to one-up the other was just unresolved feelings screaming for attention. Their chemistry is insane. The trailer calls them each other's nightmare, but all I see is them being each other's world. These two walk into a room and the gravity literally shifts. Their entire world just... orbits around each other. Unintentionally, intentionally- doesn't matter. Whether they are racing, arguing, or simply existing in the same space, it's always them against each other and them with each other, basically always them together.
Spoilers Alert!!
What really elevates the story is how it handles the darker elements. The dreams, visions, and accidents don't exist just for shock value, they slowly change the tone of everything. There's this constant sense that something bad is coming, and J's decision to not tell Jinn becomes its own source of tension. I understand why he does it, but watching him carry that weight alone is painful. The fear is quiet, personal, and suffocating, which makes it hit harder than any dramatic twist. Also, I get why some people feel the dreams are repetitive but isn't that the entire point of the series? Every dream sequence builds on the last. They're not just repeating for the sake of it; they're accumulating. Each one adds a new layer, getting heavier, more serious, and disturbingly real.
I have a lot of favorite moments- like a lot, every episode it just adds up. If I had to mention one of my absolute top favorite then one is Jerome's realization. J admitting he never hated Jinn and that he does not want to forget about the diary- oh my god, that whole scene. The way it played out, the atmosphere, the tension, the way they looked at each other, every word he spoke... and especially the vision of the future that followed, where they softly held each other's hand in the air as they looked at each other- that felt like a promise, like something they didn't have to say out loud because it was already written between them and to top it all off, "Not a Crush?" playing in the background blended so perfectly with the moment- it was perfect. My heart genuinely could not handle it. It was raw, it was beautiful, it was them. Every single second of that moment just cemented why I am completely, hopelessly obsessed with this series.
Also, I cannot not mention the hospital scene after Jinn's head injury. It's painfully beautiful. J is drowning in guilt, convinced the accident is his fault, while Jinn sees it as life being unpredictable and refuses to let J carry the weight of fate itself. What breaks me is realizing Jinn’s biggest fear isn't death- it's J slowly destroying himself with guilt. Even the suggestion of breaking up isn't cruelty; it's desperation. And that kiss? Not romantic... pure panic. A wordless don't say that. Then the line, "But if something happens to me one day, I'll believe you did your best."
This... this has my heart. Jinn isn't asking J to stop caring- he's asking him to stop hurting himself. I have so many more favorite moments and scenes that if I start listing them, I might actually fill every single page of that diary- you know the one that was first Jinn’s and now belongs to Jerome >_<
And then there's FarmVan- a whole different flavor of emotional chaos. Van hijacks Farm's space, steals his snacks, takes his bed like it's his own. And Farm, my sweet, soft, painfully in love Farm. He lets him. Every. Single. Time. Their chemistry is explosive and so is the tension between them. Every glance, every touch, every little flirt makes my heart do somersaults. But here's the thing- Van's insecurity is real, and he's constantly sabotaging himself. He tries, at least with Farm but it's never enough to stop him from hurting Farm in the process. And Farm... my sweet, soft, endlessly patient Farm. He loves Van so fully it hurts.
Also, I never could hate Van. He made me furious, but he also made me care, and that balance is hard to pull off. I understood what he was doing and why he was doing it, even when I couldn't agree with his choices. And honestly, that's what makes this series so strong- it's incredibly consistent with its characters. No one suddenly acts a certain way just to push the plot forward. Every messy decision, every bad call, still feels rooted in who they are. Nothing feels out of character, and that's what makes all the emotional beats hit so much harder.
Also, shout out to Mai who has been third wheeling, actually no fifth wheeling so hard I am convinced he deserves financial compensation and also a partner at this point. He has really suffered enough. I adore his friendship with them. And while we're at it, I absolutely love the mums and their friendship too- warm, grounding, and quietly perfect.
And I am in love with the OST, especially "Turns Out It's You". I have had it on loop for months. The lines- "I told myself no, but turns out it's you. I told myself don't, but you are the one." that is literally J and Jinn in TWO LINES. It screams them. In fact the song bleeds them. I don't think this is ever getting out of my playlist. Also, "Secret Crush" is just as good and this is J's POV. And "Not a Crush?" is Jinn's POV. I love all the osts including Friend Next Door and all those unknown background music which I still don't know the names of.
This series might not be perfect, and I am sure it has it's flaws, but for me, it's nothing short of perfect. It has a way of pulling me in and making every moment feel unforgettable. I'm so damn in love with this series. This series made me a fan of SeaKeen and now I am absolutely smitten by them. Highly Recommended!!!
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I marathoned it straight for first 12 hours, and man, I was in love.
I am not a critic and am sure this is not a perfect drama in any means, but my heart loved it!
Maybe it was because of my mood or whatever it maybe, I just kept swooning.
Hungry for a rom-com after long while, just wanna see something that makes you smile and your heart go aw, pick it up :)
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Find a spouse with same value
So here a bit review on each character, please be noted the drama version is bit different from novel. The drama ver is for fans of Ding Yuxi the actor to gain more fans. Haha.1. Ning Yuxuan NYX:
Outside: a cold, heartless man
Inside: a puppy heart
A good govt officer, has 2 wives but touch no one. Haha.
2. Nie Sangyu NSY:
Outside and inside: heartless woman
Spoiled since a little, loved to torture maids. Even until last breath still not instrospect her wrongdoings. She created her own bad karma. What a stupid evil lady.
3. Ji Man JM:
Outside: business maker, money lover
Inside: pursue everlasting love
NSY separated since baby, twin sister. She treated everyone either as potential customers, shareholders, or professional employees. Kind, funny.
4. Gui Bai GB:
Inside outside is just like his master NYX. Even copy his master when pursuing a girl and take an oath to love her one and only forever. Lol.
5. Wen Wan WW:
Outside: kind and soft
Inside: evil
Fooled NYX as if she was abducted and raped, so when NYX found her he got no choice but to take her as concubine. WW is evil but too stupid so we can relax.
Later she worked together with enemy against NYX but was betrayed and executed, so she kinda too late to realize her mistakes.
6. Ling Xingjian LXJ:
Outside: coward and evil
Inside: just want to surpass his childhood buddy NYX
Well at least he realized his mistakes and corrects them, so his head is safe from execution.
7. Yuan Lang YL:
Outside: kind hearted bandit
Inside: also a puppy heart
Together with JM and NYX bring down enemy and decided to let go hatred of their parents, as long as they could work together for people.
8. Emperor:
Inside and outside: a god of matchmaker, treated NYX dearly.
You know, just like King Wendy in drama Love Like The Galaxy, he supported 100% NYX and become a matchmaker for our female and male lead.
Conclusions:
1. Sweet moments NYX and JM, ladies, just imagine yourself is JM. Happy watching.
2. Remember to find a spouse with same value, same morality kindness, so you will be willingly share each other burdens.
That's all,
I will be more than happy to watch the drama repeatedly.
Loveeee~
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The One Who Can Stay With Her Forever
The chemistry of all the three male leads with Xiaoyao begins with... "because I was once all alone and abandoned and you stayed with me. And even if the world hates my dark side, is after my royal position, you like me for me..." Be it Cang Xuan or Tushan Jing or Xiang Liu, all three first found a great companion in Xiaoyao for their loneliness. While Xiaoyao herself, was on the search of someone who would accompany her till the end.Lost You forever is a compelling, intriguing narrative spanning over hundreds of years set in kingdom Dahuang where deities are struggling over power and these ambitious or least-interested-in-power characters are struggling to stay alive or do as they like among the harsh palace and wordly walls.
Half of the plot is about how these main characters have merely one percent control over there own lives and that's what made them selfish, desperate and cold. Ngl their struggles never end and no single soul has happiness in the whole Dahuang. More than liking or hate I've a truckload of pity for them... The male protagonists only see the leading lady Xiaoyao as their light of hope and Xiaoyao who is almost numb to the world, sceptical, she wants a man who can be kind to her forever without breaking her heart or promises... the rest half plot is about some fast paced politics where Cang Xuan is trying to make a name for himself.
Lost you forever has to be the most fast paced, polished, top tier production quality palace drama I've watched this year. The direction and acting are worthy of praises. Tbh I was reluctant to start this earlier but Yang Zi's performance here surprised me eminently. Scattered scenes like her visiting her father in Haoling after long, getting injured by thousands of incoming petals and her staring at stairs looking back at what she has been through, all these scenes made me as heartbroken as she was. Would dare to say that this might be her best work as an actress where she got to show her range in her craft.
Being a historical where female lead stays as a 'Male' for half of the drama, Yang Zi was far impressive in her part. her Wen Xiao Liu was so convincing that it took me some episodes to digest that she's a woman now. I often saw a man in her face after she transformed xDDD... But this was the reason Xiaoyao got along well with all four male leads in the first place (expect Fenglong who fell at first sight for her feminine side, but he later admitted how comfortable he was with her as a buddy indicating that he also liked her straightforward cool-bro nature)
Let me introduce you to the options, Princess of Haoling, Haoling Jiu Yao (Xiaoyao) has —
1. Cang Xuan (I'm far ambitious but I'm doing this so that I'm powerful enough to protect her. I'm so in love with her that I don't mind being her brother for life if I get to stay by her side)... Zhang Wanyi has crazy eyes that have accurate longing and helplessness this complex role needs. He's both a psycho and a heartwarming brother favored by ladies. He was so impressive that I kinda want him in more darker roles in future.
2. Tushan Jing (I like her but I'm also too kind, I'm good at strategies but I still fail in life becoz I'm too gentle for this world)... Deng Wei's face suits the nice male lead trope but he felt a bit off in some scenes. Maybe its about experience that he will gain slowly, even so he was good. his chemistry with FL is all mushy and cute type where they talk and paint and I'm blushing hahaha
3. Xiang Liu (yes I'm that white haired guy most of you were swooning over. I would kill and not kill for her. I wander the world in white robes but go back to tease or bite her once every episode)... Picking Tan Jianci for Xiang Liu is epic!!!!!!!! (He looks great( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)) He's scheming, maybe an extremist but damnnn his deep talks, nonsense bickering, drowning in water has hell lot of chemistry with Xiaoyao.
4. Chishui Fenglong (I met her late but I've power I can promise to stay with her for longer so who knows?)... In front of the three above, he obviously seemed less charming and like a supporting character instead but I'm excited to see his growth in S2.
While almost all the viewers have already picked up their ships and started rooting for them, I'm more like Xiaoyao and just enjoying it with the flow lol (maybe I'm heartless too :))... I was once all into Jing's puppy love, then I got swayed by TCJ's Xiang Liu and now I'm not choosing anymore haha. Just excited for season 2 and can they please release it tomorrow? Like waiting for 6 months means I'll lose this emotional build up I've for this drama right now.
The song I loved the most from the huge OST list has to be the theme song ♪Nothing Can Be Compared to You♪ (万物不如你) sung by Zhang Jie.
To sum it up, lost you forever is an addictive, thought provoking, melancholic romantic historical that keeps you entertained for sure. The exceptional setup and dramatic music is something you get in handy.
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If you like comedy drama, this is quite funny, but there are more dramas out there that can make you laugh louder.
If you like happily-ever-after-ending drama, this will let you down, don't expect too much.
If you like sad drama, this is not enough to make your tears come out
If you like action drama, you're not supposed to end up here reading the review :p
But,
If you look for different taste of Kdrama,
If you look for great performances,
If you look for beautiful soundtracks,
This is the one that worth to watch!!
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This review may contain spoilers
Never, ever watch this drama, ever
This is maybe the WORST daily drama I have ever watched. I have never written a review before, but I just had to for this drama, For me, daily dramas are cathartic. You know that the good people will get a happy ending and the bad people will get punished. Yes, some daily dramas go off script and the ending can be less than satisfying, but this is the first drama I found enraging. The worst character of the entire series, the one that caused the most heartache and literally had someone murdered, doesn’t go to jail or receive any punishment. She is forgiven, for murder!!! And, the most selfless person in the entire show gets terminal cancer. The romantic plot line was all over the place. First the female lead looks like she is interested in a childhood friend, even though he is a selfish cold prick, IMO. Then, she gets over the friend and is interested in her guardian, the man that raised her since she was six. Okay, that was gross and weird, but I tried to look past it. But then, she doesn’t even end up with him because again, he dies at the end of the drama of cancer. So, the female lead marries the childhood best friend, who she doesn’t even love, to make her pseudo father happy. What???? The whole series was terrible from start to finish and I only finished it because I wanted to see how this train wreck would end. Ultimately, this was the least satisfying daily drama I have ever watched and I would never recommend anyone else watch it.Was this review helpful to you?
It moved along at a nice speed for me. It seemed to slow up a little bit when they got their extension from 16 to 18 episodes, and all of the added flashbacks made it a tad boring at times, but nothing that I couldn't ignore.
Acting/Cast: Loved them. Loved all of them. This would definitely be one of my favorite casts in a drama.
I'd never seen anything with Kim Myung Min before, and this drama definitely made me regret it. He played his bad-boy-the-gets-nicer role perfectly. He always had this air of total confidence, and it was just really awesome to watch in action.
This was the second time I'd watched anything with Jung Ryeo Won in it, and while I wasn't really a fan of her in that, I loved her in this.
Siwon though. That man just made this drama for me. Whenever he was on the screen, I could always count on laughing. Always. He was hilarious, he was adorable, and he was hilarious (yep, I'm saying that twice). And he had this laugh that was completely infectious. If you could watch this, listen to him laugh, and not find yourself smiling, I'd be shocked.
This was also a first for Oh Ji Eun for me. She didn't make her entrance into the show until almost the halfway mark, but that didn't stop me from loving her all the same.
When they were all together, for me, the chemistry was undeniable. Even the actors in the smaller roles of this show were amazing for me.
Music: I loved the OST for this show. That's really all I can say about that.
Rewatch Value: With the cast and the story being different than a lot of other dramas out there, I could definitely see myself watching this more than once in the future. Hell, I could see myself rewatching it multiple times just for Siwon's laugh.
Overall: Overall, I gave the show a 10. Like I said, it had some cliche obstacles, but it was fun (for me) to watch the main characters trample over them when they happened.
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It is heavy opera. Nothing light-weight about it. And a rather outrageous (national) affront, too
"The Last Princess" is about Princess Deokhye, the youngest daughter of the 26th and last King Gojong of the Joseon Dynasty. The (sad) story is told in haunting images.
----------------------- SIDE NOTE: --- Historical context of Princess Deokhye ---
Under pressure from Japan, in 1907 the King had to abdicate in favor of prince Sunjong. Princess Deokhye herself wasn´t born at that time, but five years later, in 1912. The former king was then already 60-year-old. Being the daughter of his concubine, Deokhye initially received no official status as a princess. Yet she was very much loved by her father. However, the still young princess had to leave her parents and country at the age of 13 and grew up as a hostage in Japanese exile...
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In taking on the princess´ story, the KMovie is simultaneously portraing a truly gloomy chapter in Korean history. Thus the movie itself makes you feel not only sad but even angry at times. One could say, the plot is about ´makjang´, written by history itself.
Although the historical facts are mixed up with a bit of poetic freedom, this (in my opinion) doesn't detract from the authentic circumstances of the Korean people being oppressed by the Japanese at that time. The producers of the KMovie have been accused of portraying the princess (despite her mental instability) in an overly sympathetic attitude towards the Resistance. Additionally her supposed engagement obviously was fictionally romanticized and falsified for the smoothness of the plot - on the other hand historiography doesn't know everything and why not fill the gaps with life by your own imagination und thus get a lively look&feel of almost forgotten times...
In any case, via the horrified eyes of the princess you will experience what colonialization might have felt like. There is plenty of heart and soul, as Son Ye-jin splendidly brings the tragedy of the princess back to life - with all her traumatization by the numerous personal blows of fate and forced by the historical circumstances of her time. Eventually, the movie brings this traumatic past vividly back to memory for those who experienced it themselves, and closer into the consciousness of today's society as well.
In short: It is heavy opera. Nothing light-weight about it. Nowhere. It is confronting the audience with a rather outrageous national affront. The movie want´s you to make a stand. And it actually succeeds in emotionally catching your compassion.
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Better than expected
I'm on a modern Chinese drama run and they're all flawed in their own way. This did remind of me Kill Me Heal Me. However the split personality aspect is really weird. How that single incident where a boy accidentally scarred a little girl, left such a traumatic impression on 3 individual is kinda far fetched. Not only that, the way her split personality work is kinda weird....she essentially manifest personality every time she's stress...on the spot. He goes out of his way to deal help the FL lead every time she changed personality is also pretty weird. I mean, at one point, he essentially let her run his company...lol...a person with no experience running any company. Oh yes...the FL is very Mary Sue ish btw. She just excel in everything she does despite have no prior experience in this field. Also for him, the way he almost essentially threw away a girl he love when he thought the girl he had injured was another woman...was just weird. Even if you find someone you'd wrong and want to make up for it...how is that supposed to affect your current love life? Oh yes, so the ML is supposed to be a genius heir of a conglomerate that excel in a lot of investment beside his make up company. He sure acts like an idiot at times. He's a miser to a fault and acts more like a kid than a successful businessman. So the point is...people here in this drama operates in extremely weird logics. Also, one of the biggest plot point was her scar. A scar, in which she had successfully concealed with makeup...so how is that such a big issue is weird. I'm telling you...this drama operates in wacky logic.But if you suspend all of the bad logic in the story, and its true of a lot of these Chinese drama, it's a rather enjoyable experience. I do like the FL's character and personality. The ML's is in his way quirky and cute. The doctor has a really good bromance with the ML. Lots of feel good, cute, and funny moments.
Pros:
- Fun cute romance with lots of cute scene.
- Do enjoy some of main couple.
- Do like the secondary couple with the ML's assistant and the FL's friend/therapist.
- The doctor and the ML's ex coupling is alright but never cared for that pairing. I prefer the bromance between the doctor and the ML.
- The ML's parent...though initially disapprove of their relationship are surprisingly supportive of them later on. Even going along with one of her personality change.
Cons
-As mention terrible logic everywhere. Every time she changes personality, people around her help her by trying to find a way to fulfill her desire. It's an interestingly plot device but the extent they're willing to go along with this...is...just weird if you think about. And EVERYONE plays along.
- Antagonist is alway bad: main one is the obsessive co-ceo of his makeup company I guess. Initally it was the ML's ex but she became her bff after she sacrifice her chance to fix her scar so she can fix her nose.
Despite how much I rant on this drama, I actually enjoyed it quite of bit. And one of the main reason is that they find ways to keep things interesting despite how far-fetch a lot of this scenario is . And they probably played a major role on how much I enjoyed this drama. It's not boring and they main leads are a like-able couple.
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A most beautiful journey into the unknown
This review will be short, because I'm not going to spoil the plot here. Only this much about the story: It is mysterious, philosophical, confusing, absolutely unique, and it is not being told in a linear way, but even if you don't understand what's going on in the earlier episodes, it will glue you to your screen. At the end of every episode it felt like torture having to wait a whole week before getting more hints – this series is a masterpiece of suspense.Like the three ”Once in memory” short films which were produced by the same production company, MindTrio, ”On Cloud Nine” is another example of what a small company can achieve with creativity and dedication.
What makes this series so outstanding is the fact that all elements are amazing. The cinematography is just great, the writing excellent, the directing very good, the editing with only very few flaws, the settings in Chiang Mai and the mountains of Northern Thailand are breathtaking sometimes, and the atmosphere which is created by images and music has made me indescribably happy like no other Bl series before.
And then there are the actors. Rossi Nonthakorn as Mon/Mork is simply brilliant – other actors won't be able to express with all their body and face what he can express with his eyes. Meen Nattakrit as Tiew comes across a little superficial in the beginning, but that is deliberate, because he shows his full acting skills in the later episodes. New Saharat as Wise, the angel-like character, plays his part so convincingly that he gave me goosebumps.
If you want to watch another BL series similar to the dozens or hundreds of high school or college drama you've watched before, this is not a series you'll enjoy. But if you are willing to open your mind, to be surprised, to wonder, to look for hints, and to let a completely unusual Bl series put a spell on you, you will experience a most beautiful journey into the unknown, and the happiest sad ending of all times.
Mind Trio have announced that there may be a season 2 if they find sponsors. I hope and pray they will.
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This drama has everything a time travel drama should have: good plot, good script, good casting and good meanings.
The plot is full of twist, emotions, changes and it takes you to another world, the world the main character is experiencing.
Because it is a drama that rounds around the main character: even if the others are important, the feeling you have is that Sun Woo is fighting alone with his own story, because he wants to change something he cannot change anymore.
I found this drama awesome because he makes you think about life.
"Changing something bad in the past maybe cannot bring you happyness."
If something bad happens you have to work alone on your own happyness, not trying to change your past or your fate.
This is the meaning of this drama in my opinion, and it is a good meaning.
I think this drama is amazing. Even if it doesn't allow you to understand everything (but this is part of the script), it makes you think of everyday life while the plot is a time travel so a 'fantastic' one.
I absolutely loved this drama and I am planning to rewatch it.
I reccomend this.
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