Great potential and fairly decent execution, yet suffering from unnecessary complexity.
Let me elaborate.Acting Performances:
The majority of the cast consisted of newcomers. All of them, old and new faces, did great! Ta, Mio and Us particularly stood out but it was Barcode who truly stole the show. He was a cutie in KinnPorsche. However, here he was as complex as a character could be and he performed it perfectly.
Storytelling:
The beginning:
The few episodes after the first one were hella boring and confusing. There was a missing part that wasn't hinted adequately to the viewer. While somewhat passable, this highlights the need for better-written hints and suspense in future mystery projects to enhance the stories.
The middle:
You’ll find the most interesting events of the series here. The moment Non came to the screen, the narrative underwent a significant evolution. I couldn’t help myself but to root for Non’s character, even when he was doing things that I’m usually very against. There was a decision of his I wouldn’t understand if I missed WHY he would do it. I feel clarifying the reason behind this decision could have enhanced the understanding of character motivations and justified Phee's future actions more effectively.
The ending:
While the last few episodes were interesting, the shock value could have been dialed back. Certain elements felt unnecessary and overly complicated, leaving loose ends and unanswered questions. The final episode felt rushed, and boy, I would have loved an alternative to it.
Chemistry between Characters:
Plenty. At one point I didn’t know who I was supposed to ship with whom, because every pairing had quite the tension between them. There were some really good spicy scenes too. Unfortunately, almost none of them were plot driven, but were there for... Well... You know.
Overall Impressions:
Despite its flaws, this series clearly aimed for a level of effort and quality often lacking in Thai BLs. The dedication of the actors, screenwriters, directors, and crew is evident throughout. This seems to be the beginning of a new era for Thai BL series, with higher standards and more refined storytelling. BoC's willingness to push boundaries is something I appreciate greatly, and I would love to see what else they can give us, especially with Sammon on board (*cough* 4 minutes *cough*).
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One of the points that makes it a substantial drama is its characters. Kokoro is your typical happy-go-lucky girl, a point mentioned throughout the drama as a joke. What makes her different though is that she never imposes her solution on others. Her job in the drama is to watch the people around her, as we the viewers do until the characters find their own solution. This brings us to another great point in the drama, where even though it seems we have a weekly lesson learned, problems are ongoing and don't get magically solved by the end of the episode it got introduced. We do get the episodic focus, but issues do get revisited later as we see where the characters are headed. This gives us better-paced character development, as the characters make decisions about their work and their lives. Another element I'd like to mention is the way the drama peaks into the characters' lives'. We don't get a full explanation and detailed background about them, we just get enough to know how this is affecting their current lives, views, and work. We only know what we usually know as we get closer to our colleagues at work. To this end, this is a drama about work and career.
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I feel this drama represents not only how publishing works in Japan, but how the entertainment industry works there overall. It is what makes Japan produce these artistic works while hand-in-hand producing the usual predictable easy-to-sell works. The episode focused on Yasuda Ken's character Yasui-san emphasizes it most, but we do explore that theme more than once. I won't go into detail as to what it is exactly, I will leave it for the viewers to discover. I'd just like to add the way the drama itself is produced is representative of that idea. As I mentioned earlier, it looks and sounds like those typical dramas, but just by peeling that layer off, you find something deeper, as each episode goes by.
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I have to mention how much I loved all the characters here; Takahata, Yasui, Numata, Wada-san, Mikurayama, Koizumi the lovely Iokibe to name a few, and the cast did an outstanding job no matter how much or how little we saw of them, but my most favourite by far Nakata Haku the disturbed aspiring manga artist. Nagayama Kento played him to perfection. The whole cast did an outstanding job, but I just love how that character was handled. I wish we had seen more of Narita, the character played by Kaname Jun.
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Do give the drama a try, and give it at least 3-4 episodes and you will understand the gem I'm talking about. If anything the eye-candy in here will sure keep you entertained ;)
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Secrets Happened on the Litchi Island
39 people found this review helpful
beautiful cinematography & filled with symbolism
Overall: I would call this a coming of age story. It hurt at times, was beautiful at times and worth it in the end (ending spoiler in the comments). 7 episodes that varied between 12 and 23 minutes long. Aired on YouTube https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL-CWu74qAe0yVW9kUOx_UDuBzYdQl4fZ3&si=t4oKRorq2rzxDprd (note that the playlist is not in correct viewing order)Content Warning: bullying, homophobia, vomiting, slaps
What I Liked
- acting
- production value (cinematography especially)
- symbolism (how blue/red represented each of them, with the artwork and putting/moving that black patterned overlay)
Room For Improvement
- not totally clear on the timeline/how much time passed
- who was the other guy in episode 7
- the beginning voice over was not subtitled and the hard coded subtitles were extremely small/difficult to read though I do appreciate there being subtitles
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Bad try...
The main issue with this drama is that it really wants to be deeper than it is. It’s like that one friend who insists on wearing sunglasses indoors to seem mysterious, but in reality, just bumps into furniture. In an attempt to be as enigmatic and "artsy" as possible, the show throws the viewer straight into the middle of the plot without a map or even a vague sense of direction. Explanations? Pfft, who needs those? Character introductions or motivations? Absolutely not—figure it out yourself by squinting at cryptic expressions and awkward pauses, and maybe, just maybe, you’ll piece it all together.We’re presented with three main characters, and the storyline juggles between them with the grace of a toddler trying to juggle flaming torches. Add in some random time skips, and you’ve got yourself a thoroughly confusing start. But surely, you think, surely the middle part will make everything clearer, right? Wrong.
Take, for instance, the mysterious "crime" that Cha Jung Woo committed to be banned from writing under his own name. Everyone in the drama talks about it with such cryptic vagueness, you start to wonder if even the scriptwriters know what happened. The more you think about it, the less sense it makes. In the age of digital printing and self-publishing, this whole "banned writer" storyline crumbles under the weight of its own illogic. What’s stopping him from publishing a blog? Or an e-book? The drama seems to think that being vague equals depth, but really, it’s just confusing.
And as for the romance—well, let’s just say you can forget about that entirely. One day, they wake up and decide, "Hey, I think I want to be with that person," and poof, we’re supposed to believe there’s a grand romantic connection. But there’s no build-up, no sparks—just two people suddenly deciding they’re in love because, well, the script says so. It’s about as romantic as accidentally grabbing the wrong person's hand in a crowded elevator.
There’s nothing particularly memorable about this drama—except, perhaps, for that one song they use repeatedly, which might just get stuck in your head whether you like it or not.
Overall, I’ve seen worse dramas, but I’ve definitely seen better ones too. If this show didn’t spend so much time pretending to be more profound than it actually is, it might have been a far more enjoyable experience. As it stands, it’s like a shallow pool trying to convince you it’s the ocean—just don’t dive in expecting depth.
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GOT7 is a musical group, so obviously their acting skills are not superb, but I think they did a great job despite the fact that they're singers. JB obviously has experience, but still.
The music was pretty much just all of GOT7's hits and a few others, so I already knew most of them. It was nice to have their songs playing in the background though, made it more enjoyable.
I don't really rewatch dramas/movies/etc, but since this was such a short and sweet series I'll probably watch it again if I have free time.
Although it seemed like I had nothing to say, I enjoyed the this mini-series. The only reason I gave it a 7.5 is because if I gave it a 8+ it would be like comparing it to big shot dramas out there like MLFTS, Healer, Kill Me Heal Me, Pinocchio, etc etc. Don't hate me. If you're bored and there's nothing to watch, this cute mini series will be perfect for you. :)
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An unexpected gem.
I expected to like this because I had love at first sight for Tee Khunakorn and sat through Cupid Coach for him. But I didn't think I'd like this because it's really good, which it is.This isn't a particularly original story - high school students with their blue shirts and all the rest - but there are some unusual aspects and some interesting variations on the usual bag of tricks. It's very G-rated, and cute from beginning to end without ever being cloying.
One refreshing aspect is that both boys are unambiguously gay, and identify as such. Another is that homophobia is not magically absent. It's magically a lot weaker than in real life, but it's presented with more complexity than usual - Q's mother is afraid her son is gay, and at first is resistant, which made the audience hate her, but her motivations are realistic - she's afraid his life will be harder and that people won't accept him, like she saw happen with her heavily-muscled gay brother who I want to climb. Likewise, Q's two best friends are shocked when they find out, which is also normal and realistic, but everyone in the end accepts him without reservation for who he is.
There are no horrible people in this - both female characters are unrelentingly positive and supportive, with one not even having a problem with her prom date bailing to go help their friends. Everyone is capable of distinguishing between what's important and what's not.
All the dialog is excellent and well-thought out, and the humor is actually quite funny.
But most important, the central theme is about communication, and how when there is a misunderstanding, you have to talk it through, not jump to conclusions. The writing skillfully brings all the misunderstandings together in an intrrelated way that reinforce each other without being repetitive, tiresome or (overly) preachy (it's a little preachy).
The twist on the "food on your face" trope is so well-executed and cute that I nearly squealed, and tropes usually make me roll my eyes so hard that I can see behind me.
And best of all, no seme & uke. Both of them are just guys who like each other. They can be individuals instead of being boxed in by articial roles. I think that's part of the success of the couple.
The cast is absolutely stellar. All the actors are charming and have wonderful chemistry with each other, down to Q's friends with his mother and uncle. Tee was good in Cupid Coach, but he's much improved here, with a greater range and more sincere delivery. Bever as X is charming and adorable, and he and Tee have a lot of potential as a couple - I really hope we see them together again. If you've seen Cupid Coach, you know Tee has no problem showing skin or engaging in intimacy.
The actors are all so charming that I even invested in the straight storylines - Toy and Mook are so cute, and the resolution of the awkward Frank & Mild storyline is well-handled and reinforces the don't-jump-to-conclusions theme with a contrasting situation. (It's also subtly suggested that Mild is a lesbian, which is kind of nice but not stepped on or exploited, and makes you think the misunderstanding is one thing when it's another).
It's clear that a lot of love went into this project - I think you'll feel it too and you'll love it right back. But go into it understanding it's 4 episodes. A lot of people had a problem with the length, but sometimes less is more. The pacing is efficient and unrushed, and although there is the get-together-in-the-last-10-seconds thing, the boys have essentially been boyfriends and interacted as such for some time, so it doesn't feel like the letdown that such an ending usually is. I highly recommend this.
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I kinda prefer it to the anime XD
the actors were amazing and made the characters really believable
I gave this 10/10 because it is truly an amazing drama
lots of love for the story, acting, music and characters :D
Definitely recommend to anyone!! :D
It made me laugh and cry and is hilarious at points :3
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What to expect: a festival of backstabbing.
Don't watch it if you despise convenient plot points, because almost every single twist and turn here is exactly this.
Imagine a storyboard, an intricate and tensed network of possible outcomes. As the story flows, it forces some lines to close down. Some chess pieces are bound on their positions, limiting the movement of others. Some are taken down (destroying evidence is a recurring theme of the first half or so - which, realistically speaking isn't a wisest move on a characters' part, but it's necessary for the plot to move forward; once a deal is finished, it's impossible to restore the former status (but hey, there's a twist on this too!)).
The first episode is a gateway of sorts, filtering out the viewers who aren't for this kind of story (the controversial part is even in the official trailer). A journalist gets killed, his friend framed for it, and a judge known for his integrity blackmailed to announce him guilty. Framed man's daughter seeks the judge's help, but feels betrayed in the end and sets him up, trying to create a pressure point on him. He ends ups tangled between Taebaek law firm's all-reaching influences and her blackmail, facing an impossible choice. Sprinkle with hints of latest political scandals from real life and you have a Taebaekgate of your own.
WORLDBUILDING
There are no right choices here. It's a bleak and ruthless world in which power overcomes truth and justice can be bought. Everyone important knows each other and sits in Taebaek pocket. The law firm serves as a symbol here: it recruits its employees from the elite lawyers, prosecutors and judges by orchestrating their downfall from behind and generously offering them a place to stay. Then it feeds on their former reputation and abilities.
Many people complained that a hero introducted as just and incorruptible breaks so easily and turns shattered and 'spineless' during first few eps, but that's the point. 'Whisper' suceeds in creating a sense of encirlement, hopelessness and inevitability.
CHESS PIECES
Characters' cunnery manifests in being in right places at right time with right people and smirking knowingly. They're smart enough to forsee one or more moves of the opponent ahead, but it doesn't mean they don't lower their guard from time to time. And yes, deadpan and smirk (and furrowed brows…) are dominant expressions, but first, I don't think it was actors choice, two, there's much more to it (a honourable mention for Hyung Mook, let's hope to see more of him in the dramas).
There's no clear, progressic character development, only people being poked from different angles and reacting accordingly. In a sense, it's not about Dong Joon and Yeong Joo substantially changing at all, because those two (especially she) were badass from the start, only their means were limited. For them, it's about achieving their goals. They come to their original point, only stronger and calmer. What changes the most is everyone around them losing their comfort, realising that the rotten world they know so well affects them too, that they too could also fall prey of a betrayal, not just stage it for others, and that people they trust and love won't always put their good first. All the sense of comradery in crime falls apart.
ROMANCE TAG
There's a love line and it stopped me for some time from even starting this. (Two, actually, but I don't want to completely rob you out of feeling smart and perceptive in a first few eps.) Its existence may or may not feel a little forced. It develops gradually and for the better part of the show consists mainly of male lead spacing out watching female lead being awesome, his gaze tinted with guilt. If you don't feel like watching a drama with a romance tag, you can safely ignore that for the first 12 episodes or so and pretend they're just partners with a hostile start, reaching an adorable intimacy later [here would be a gif of Dong Joon stealing a bite of Yeong Joo's salad from her plate].
However, the important part is: they both have agency during the show, can act separately and aren't overly protective. In the end, them developing feelings for each other serves as just another pressure point.
I could say there's a 'strong female lead' (and it applies to both to various extent), but the thing is, not a single character is gender-limited to begin with. They aren't forced to act or behave like males or females at all.
Also - the poster is right. It's not about main couple and their vengance only, all four characters are equally important. I'd even argue that the other two carry the story once the things between the former are roughly settled.
What it doesn't depicts, are four fathers. There's a rivalry and resentment between Choi Il Hwan and Kang Yoo Taek and it cast a shadow on their children. Lee Dong Joon has family issues too. But all of this is treated as a mean to a purpuse.
17 HOURS OF YOUR LIFE
I tend to avoid crime/law/suspense/mystery/… dramas longer than 10-12 episodes, because stretching it further calls for people running in circles like a headless chickens and creating misunderstandings that could have been easily avoided if they just stopped and used their brains for once. Not a case here. On the contrary, obstacles come from constant betrayals on every front and people trying to protect oneself on other's expense. The pacing is fine. It takes some time to dismantle stalemates within stalemates and get enough power to force the truth. When this drama does prolong some event or a threat, it does it in such a manner to close all exits but one. For example, you can see someone soon-to-be framed for something at the beginning of the episode, but it takes some preparations to make sure that person will have little to no possibility to get out, and if s/he was taken sooner, s/he could save him/herself much easier (enters a fire destoying what little evidence have left). It's logical and kinda mechanical.
Anyway. I didn't skip a scene, which is something to brag for me these days. There was a week-long break forced with the presidental election coverage, but it's not noticeable. Recaps and flashbacks are minimal if any during the better part of the show, but there's more towards the end, because it was originally written as a 16 episode drama.
It's not super realistic in details, but uncanny in essence. The story is cleared out of all the accidental clutter and wholly focuses on the main plot and connected subplots showcasing the main players. Don't expect much of legal cases or police investigation. They do work, but it mostly serves as a setting since they don't meet mundane problems or unrelated cases. If something comes up, it's used as an exposure point, to reveal something from the past or to create a new problem that can be used against someone. Characters have only skeletal backstories - and for me it works. For many it doesn't.
Generally speaking, if you don't feel an urge to cheer for your characters, but rather shake them, throw on an arena and see who'll last, you've found yourself something to watch.
MUSIC
Tolerable and sparsely used for a kdrama standards, mostly instrumentals and background noises (clock ticking etc). Main theme is a latin chorus (with a hint to an early plot point), but it's nowhere near as pretentious as say, K2.
VISUALS
That's the biggest forte for me. First, it's stylish, two, it's fitting. It heavily relies on contrasts. Taebaek resides in a fortress-like building, a huge grey cube with slot-like windows. (Of course it has an open roof for dramatic conversations in the wind, duh.) It's interior is all glass, chromium, highly polished marble and some rough stone on the walls. Tight, dimly lit corridor leading to the owner's office ends with an anti-chamber filled with a terra cotta army and two hostess taking away all electronic devices from the guests. It's an example, but there are many locations and they all match the common theme. Interior decorations items are used within the plot. People mostly wear elegantly matte fabrics and everyone is coordinated for the sake of coherent screencaps. Even PPL doesn't hurt the eyes that much. The lighting is cold, blueish and artificial and it bonds all the scenes for the scale I haven't seen before in a kdrama. It's on par with Cruel City's grittiness and darkness or W clear division between two worlds when it comes to a coherent worldbuilding.
HUMOUR SAMPLE
'My father is not here today, they are having a praying meeting in their community, so the embezzlement of the temple funds won't be found out.'
Pros:
- Highly motivated, flawed, charismatic characters
- Reasonably smart intrigue (forming alliances and shuttering it, finding weak points and exploiting it)
- Good acting
- Even pacing, engaging power struggles, focused storytelling, clear and somewhat elegant structure
- Visually pleasing (and it's an integral part of the worldbuilding)
- Comic relief isn't overused, neither is the story too dry and serious
- not makjang.
Neutrals/cons:
- Convenience everywhere. Some things that never have any business be written take tangible form.
- Music fits the mood and action, although it ranges from forgettable to 'dear lord, not K2 again'
- Romance feels forced an unneeded.
- Not very engaging on an emotional level (there's a lame attempt of holding the viewer hostage with making one character badly sick in the middle, but I still don't really care for anyone or anything). It brings out repulsion, pity maybe, a satisfaction from people meeting their end and justice triumphing, but that's it.
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1This review may contain spoilers
Who is Your Destiny?
Originally I thought I would give this series an 8.5 but what changed my mind to score higher was the fact that even though it had many flaws of characters and script, it was a delight to watch and made me enjoy it more then the other two series I was/am watching. This made me laugh so much and later it made me cry. I left this series to watch last or save the best for last each day. I'll be finishing the other two today and Tuesday and starting three new ones but this show has gone into my permanent watchlist for rewatching. Let's get into this, shall we? Who is your destiny?Pros: Favorite character other than Ping'an was the ML or JSC. It was my first time watching William Chan in anything so I had been looking forward to it. I knew he would be dubbed over because of his heavy accent from the get go but it didn't take away from his acting in the slightest and those dimples; each time he smiled, it made you smile. Who knew William was the biggest goofball on set? The BTS were night and day from his character. But I still really enjoyed the evolution of his character. He had to go from an ice cube, to a man in love who didn't understand it, to going through an existential crisis, being there for his girlfriend's, losing another friend and coworker, and being in a coma for x amount of months (wish they gave us the length of each time jump), after which he proposed in an awesome way and got married. Seemed the timeline was about a year within the show but so much happened to just him it was really fascinating to watch. It took the existential crisis and the coma to make him realize he wasn't superhuman but an ordinary person that had to still be able to lead and allow himself to be led and protected by others. William did a great job with all of the evolutions and challenges. I look forward to watching more things from him.
Other favorite characters were FL or XL; granted her gorilla glue attitude for the first 6 episodes made me cringe a lot, what impressed me about her was that she never gave up until her own existential crisis which JSC helped her through. She wasn't your typical FL that's a damsel in distress. She spoke her mind and knew what she wanted from day 1 in everything. She always stood up for others and never allowed herself to be bullied. It was quite refreshing to see. I'm tired of the "woe is me" FLs in c-dramas. XL in her little body was determined to do what was right and if she was at fault, she understood it and apologized. Though she loved JSC since he rescued her 10 years ago, technically they knew each other since they were kids. People can say that she was obsessed with him and that's partially true but he also inspired her to be an international dog trainer for rescue operations as well as a journalist. He gave her a lot of strength even before they met each other again.
Others were the second leads who were just too cute in general. But ZQ when it came to others always preached the truth. Her timely and honest responses to literally everyone was also so empowering. I thought it was awesome that though LFQ was always chasing after her like a kid after candy, when it came to his own crisis--and kudos to the writers and production team for accurately portraying what PTSD looks like as well as how there are different methods to treat it--she was there for him and Ren Hao who played him (redeemed himself in my eyes for a hot mess character from two years ago lol) did a phenomenal job at portraying someone with PTSD. I have PTSD so I know what it looks like; to address something properly like that in this rom-com of sorts was pretty amazing. It also was a reason for the raised score. When health issues I have or know well are accurately portrayed in a cdrama (which isn't often), that'll get an automatic pros mention.
The rest of the fire brigade were awesome and absolutely hysterical because they were like gossipy women. Them teasing each other or other antics in episodes had me roaring with laughter and quickly rewinding to watch again. The death of LX which was foreshadowed very obviously for a while, even though the CGI wasn't great, it had a very "Backdraft final scene" vibe (a classic movie w/Kurt Russell and William Baldwin from 1991), his final video message which was supposed to be for the team when he retired had me in tears as well as JSC waking up from the multi-month coma after that incident and everyone's reactions.
Other favorites were grandpa of JSC, mom and dad of XL (mom was nuts at first but thankfully evolved), chief of the fire brigade as well as of the tv station, and Shishi. I know her voice was irritating but when she appeared and started doing to the TML what he spent 29 episodes doing to FL, I loved her! She was childish but at the same time she knew her own worth and it proved to help a lot with TML. Their open ended ending as the 3rd couple was actually appropriate. The videographer intern was a mini antagonist until he returned to his original self and I liked that about him. OSTs (except in the proposal dance scene where the first song should have stayed) costumes, sets, locations were all on point.
Cons: TML! Dear lord, why just why? For 29 out of 36 episodes, this plum fool and his obsession with FL had everyone in the comments just ready to bury him alive. I've seen the actor before in a much better role but I felt sorry for him here. This shouldn't have gone on for as long as it did. He nearly got FL killed at least once. The script had a lot of problems; this was one of the biggest. Another was the propaganda inserted in the most random of places; you just don't stick that crap into a rom-com. Yes, this series was about firefighters as the main occupation and journalists but the speeches that came out of random characters in the most ridiculous of moments or those that didn't make sense would just knock the scene out of whack.
Making FL seem like essentially gorilla glue in the beginning was just weird. The crazy woman at the tv station was very much an unneeded antagonist. You already had so much going on, she was literally extra. But since she was added, she should have been arrested way before episode 31. It was a bad call on the part of writers and producers; 36 episodes for so much, they need to understand when less really is more.
The unnecessary plot of the FL's existential crisis to get her and ML to the place he rescued her just to be able to stick another natural disaster in. There are other ways to do that. And then having TML go to the disaster area in a suit? How is that even remotely plausible? Because of yet another rejection by FL and Shishi getting hurt, he out of nowhere snapped out of his obsession. It happened too fast. Given what we had seen, there was so much incohesion in all of this. It was a very messy part of the story.
The ridiculous pre-teen kisses amongst the leads were eye roll worthy each time. Only 3 were normal; it made no sense. Even if they were inexperienced, given their ages, it shouldn't have looked so unnatural because they had great chemistry. Though there is a 9 year age difference between the actors, that shouldn't be the reason for such flat kissing in a drama where they act closer in age.
Would I recommend? Despite a varying number of voices, I absolutely would. It was a great escape into silliness and cuteness for me everyday. The pros definitely outweigh the cons. Just enjoy all of it; cringing is ok too. But I promise laughter and some tears. All well worth it.
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Tearjerker
As usual, Roy Chiu delivers! This movie is about a softhearted debt collector that has fallen in love with his debtor.The storyline revolves around his life as a collector and his life with the woman he fell for. The movie has a very authentic feel to it. Very good cinematography of the poor, urban life-- very realistic to say the least.
Roy Chiu, a vibrant actor brought it and will make you cry in the last 10 minutes of the movie. Apparently, Roy won the Best Actor awards for his role in this film including the female lead Ann Hsu.
I may not want to rewatch this movie as it was painful to do so. But hey, Man In Love is definitely worth your time.
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Script Full of Details with Unique & Creative Storytelling (Ending Explained)
''Seeing you is like seeing another me. My heart has been crushed, never healed. You are a protagonist and so am I. Souls with the same color. Finally, a light shines upon me. In the dark corners, accompany me in breaking free from the shackles.''This is a question that I always struggle with myself on whether I want to watch my favorite actors/actresses with a hit drama that is popular or a drama with quality script. And everytime, my answer will always be the latter and this drama is a perfect example of this. I truly love this drama to pieces. I love how it is full of depth and details, have substance and full of complicated and layered characters. And the greatest thing about this drama is the script. I have never come across this kind of creative scriptwriting before. The drama from the surface just look like a normal slice of life or romance drama but the elements and depth that the script possessed makes it unique that managed to stand in a class of its own.
Due to this, I will only explore the substance that the script possessed in my review:
FORESHADOWING ELEMENTS IN SHAN SHAN'S SCRIPTS
It is actually clues to us, the audiences on who is the villains and who is the real nice people in his life. We should know the plot twist in the Shan Shan’s police script ‘Pursuit’ since the same character has started to show his fangs in his life as early as Episode 2. There will be unknown faces that makes cameos in his script and this is all clues on their motives when they finally appear in his life. My favorite is the big guy; Brother Kuan from basketball and when he finally appears in Shan Shan’s life, I knew instantly that he will be on his side. I never seen this kind of creative writing from any dramas before. I thought it is very refreshing -- how the foreshadowing for future events are told from his stories.
SUBSTANTIVE PLOTS WITH DEPTH
I like the fact that in the first glance, we thought the leads are just normal people since they hide it so well with all the smiles and their out-going personalities -- then the story start shedding their tragic past one by one and you can see how these two characters are broken people and are connected since they are 'Souls with the same color' just like the OST lyrics indicated. In fact, the whole theme song is a reflection of their relationship in a nutshell.
COMPLEX CHARACTERS WITH LAYERS & SUBTLE DETAILS
The scene where Shan Shan watched a movie and Liu Xia said it is okay to raise the sound even more but he told her that he already did when you can barely hear the sound. Only a person who has been hurt will act as guarded like that. Or the scenes where Grandma gave him the chicken soup and she offered him a drumstick as an add on but he just said ‘No need’ as he is too happy just receiving the soup only. Now all these scenes make more sense. Or the fact, all Brother Kuan did is feed him and offer him a small kindness but he went all up and beyond to write him a script for free with no credit. This guy just wants to be loved and appreciated. Taking all the small kindness he received at heart and gives more in return. The abandonment issues that Shan Shan’s suffers truly made him as ‘People Pleaser’ and as guarded to everyone despite the bright out-going personality that he has on the outside. All these cracks in his personality are excellent, subtle and were revealed slowly as the drama progressed. Same can be seen with Liu Xia on how she always smile yet, she never truly happy. Her BFF always like 'Why I'm always happier than you when something great happen to you?' as she always ready to receive all these bad things that keeps happening to her, like she was expecting all of it, deserving everything, like she used to never catch a break in her life. All these little hints from the characters are like puzzle that made perfect sense in the end on why they behave as they did in the drama.
HEALING SCRIPT
I love how the leads’ tragic past didn’t make them feel bitter about the world or make them treat other people badly -- but they are really good people, with very beautiful souls. I love all the conversations they have with each other, they have the same views and values on what's important, and they also view the world with the same kindness -- it is a realistic portrayal of how two people falls in love -- the similarity, the calmness and the tranquility that they found with each other. They had this tacit understanding like 'soulmate' kind of relationship which is really beautiful to watch. Like all shits are happening outside for them, then they come home, see each other and feel happy with each other's company; 'Us Against Them' mentality. I love how Ren Jialun has amazing amazing chemistry with Angelababy. They were captivating to watch on screen and their scenes emits the peaceful aura and vibe that is so healing to the soul.
BALANCE WRITING
This drama mastered the arts of balance writing which I personally think should be the case for any dramas out there. In many episodes, you will find yourself shed tears for the characters and feel bad for them -- the dark past they are hiding in their heart, the bad things that keep happening to them but in the same episode, there will be healing scenes that makes you feel heal and happy. The balance that this drama achieved is one of the reasons why this drama is really fantastic in my book. Good deeds’ rewards are shown in many forms. We are used to see characters suffers in dramas but here, it is shown even though evil people are making the leads’ life miserable, there are many good people out there that will look out for them and ‘punish’ this bad guys FOR THEM (karma). I rarely seen this in dramas but it is so satisfying to watch. It shows all your actions has consequences and the universe will reward you for your good hearts and deeds.
SCRIPT WITH RESEARCH
The whole psychology matters in the script was handled delicately. I love how since early in the episode, the drama made clear the different between psychologist and psychiatrist -- so patients that required doctor’s diagnosis and medication, Lui Xia told them she cant help them since it’s beyond her expertise. Then the breathing technique is one of the most important thing in this profession and we can see how it is being used constantly in the drama. And how depression is not a taboo illness but something that we can seek treatment. Then we have Shan Shan as the scriptwriter – the different between writer VS scriptwriter, his dilemma of writing original script VS following what the client wants, focusing on plot VS romance plot, to writing tighter script VS writing script filled with filler scenes and overall the toxic environment on set and the exhaustion he faced in trying to meet the deadline.
REALISTIC SCRIPT
Many details that other dramas always overlook was taken into great consideration here. Like after finding out that they were online friends, instead of romanticize the encounter, Liu Xia was weary on whether their whole meeting was planned like other normal person would. Or to transfer large amount of money, need a token and can’t be done online on the spot. Then how Shan Shan has asthma and it can be seen how he fainted after he carried Liu Xia on his back. Then the hospital scene, despite after waking up, all Liu Xia wants is to sleep again since that is normal due to medication in her body. This kind of small details always being taken for granted but this drama didn’t which make me appreciate it very much.
THOUGHT-PROVOKING WRITING
This drama has so so many memorable phrases! I love how it makes you think and change your outlook and perspective on life. Like the one that Liu Xia told Shan Shan; ‘Memories don’t make people sad. It’s sad because people always perceive things from only one perspective. But if you change your perspective, it might not be that sad.’ Or one of my favorites; ‘I told you to step on the brakes to wake up and get back on track. Not to make you give-up entirely.’ Or the best one in the drama which is ‘Life is like a stage where the light/goodness shines on it. And it only took one step to cross over to the dark side.’ This one is the best yet as many people disregard on how easy it is to cross-over to the darkness and once you cross that, you can never go back to where things were. And I believe the most famous one from the drama would be; ‘When you unexpectedly encounter someone as radiant as a rainbow, everyone else is just a passing clouds’ which first comes out in the third episode of the drama yet you know this phrase is to foreshadow the leads’ relationship in the future.
NON-PRETENTIOUS OUTTAKES ON LIFE
There is no right or wrong in certain life’s situation and I’m glad for certain dilemma, the writer didn’t force to us on what he think is the right way. Like who should the Drama Producer listen to? The words of award-winning scriptwriter or an experienced director? Then you throw in the bits that when the last time this experienced director had a hit movies/dramas? There is no right answer to this question and I love how the drama didn’t force it to our face on the moral compass in this type of situation.
UNCONVENTIONAL BAD GUYS
This drama has different type of bad people. First, the one that is outright evil and show no attempt to hide it. Second, the worst kind of enemies which is the ones hiding in a blanket. And the last one spectator that watch the evil deeds being done and remains silent about it. The slow progression of toxic behaviors are explored to the fullest here. It started from small things such as not being honest about a simple car purchase, then the 'acting' mad in a manipulation attempt to get what they want then the gifting part to make the other party feels happy -- all of this can be passed as something small but this is actually seed of red flags of a toxic relationship. Then add the sprinkles of how people keep asking Shan Shan 'Is he always treat you like this?' 'Why are you taking this job?' 'Did he always do this to you?' to show to us how everyone can see how wrong it is but Shan Shan, just passed it as something normal since he is used to these small abuses. This kind of toxic relationship did not happen in just love relationship but as well between friends and someone close to you.
EVERYTHING COMING INTO A PERFECT CIRCLE IN THE END
Shan Shan’s police script ‘Pursuit’ is actually the exact depiction of every person in his life. You don’t realize this before but it all comes to a perfect circle when the story reached its climate ending -- from his Police character to Yuan Yuan's character in the story. Also, this drama ‘Twilight’ as a whole is actually the last script that Shan Shan wrote which tells the story about him and Liu Xia. All this coming seamlessly into a perfect circle at the end. This part is strongly foreshadowed during the scene when he asked Jia Zhen’s help with a script where Jia Zhen described Shan Shan’s script with depth and full of details on characterizations -– exactly like this drama itself -– a foreshadow that this drama that we watched, is a script written by him. Then the hot pot date scene happened where Shan Shan described to Liu Xia the reason behind why the chose ‘Twilight’ as the name of their story which further cemented this theory. And pay attention to the bedsheet -- all scripts that Shan Shan wrote has the same bedsheet as his bedsheet to show how this drama 'Twilight', is also his script. Its not a matter of production budget since we can see Liu Xia changed bedsheet a few times but not him. The attention to detail in this drama is just amazing!
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THOUGHT-PROVOKING ENDING
On the surface, the ending of this drama can be interpreted with these three possible endings:
1) All things happened just like in the drama.
or
2) It’s all fractions of imagination in Shan Shan’s mind.
or
3) This whole story is written by someone else.
All these 3 endings makes sense and is supported by various clues such as cars' plate number and etc.. However, when you look at the drama as a whole, it pointed more towards the first ending since if you look at the script in details, its more towards the fact that it indeed happened as this drama 'Twilight' that we watched is the last script that Shan Shan wrote, which is the story about him and Liu Xia. Since it is his script, that's why it becomes a comic strip at the end. But where his script inspiration comes to be? From his real life -- from his life experience with Liu Xia -- this is their story. Its a play within a play and within a play -- School love story (which has penpal element) IN Twilight (the drama that we watched) IN Shan Shan's real life story with Liu Xia. One might argue that the fashion has changed for Shan Shan in the last scene but remember the scene where Shan Shan went shopping for new clothes and Liu Xia said she will style him in the future? The clothes that Shan Shan wore in the last scene is totally what Liu Xia might style him -- the smart and clean look that she explained in the same scene.
Also, when they play the full second verse of the theme song before the ending credit, then you realized that the one sentence in the lyrics ‘YOU ARE THE ME who broke free from the shackles. Living the life of freedom, basking in the sunshine.’ is the actual message of this whole drama. The theme song is actually can be interpret into 2 meanings -– that the leads indeed healed each other’s hearts BUT when it comes to the outcome, it can only be achieved when the person itself wanted to change as well. The drama ended with Shan Shan telling Brother Kuan on the phone that he has 2 endings for the script that he wrote. At first, you can just pass it as something insignificant but then you realized how all this has been foreshowed since early in the drama. You have his school romance script with 2 endings. Then his crime script 'Pursuit' ended with a shot with no real hint who fire it which indicate that the good or bad guys could possibly win at the end. Then you have his last script ‘Twilight’ with 2 possible endings as well. This is to show that at the end, it all depends on your choice – on whether you want to choose light or darkness in your life.
And these 2 choices have been emphasis in many different scenes in the last 2 episodes of the drama as well:
1) How Mr. Cao told Coco that Shan Shan needs to settle his ‘brother’ matters on his own despite no matter how much they help him, he is the only one can make that decision for his life.
2) Liu Xia teacher saying that how Liu Xia going to overcome her PTSD is all depends on her on whether she wants to confront it or remains in the dark forever.
3) The slap Yuan Yuan gave to herself –- on how she is responsible for her own life and its finally the time for her to wake up from being a bystander and see Jia Zhen on who he truly is.
4) The inner thought of Jia Zhen when he read ‘Pursuit’ ending as in his version, he is the one who making the shot (bad guy won) and in the end, we can see which choice he chose to make in his life as well.
This kind of ending is indeed rare and very creative, so when you understood the reason behind it, then every little hints in the drama makes sense. The ending really elevated the whole story. Due to all this, 9.5 is the only appropriate rating that this drama deserved. I have no idea when I can come across with this type of script again but I’m so glad to find this gem among all the airing dramas right now.
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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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STORY
===========================
When three unrelated strangers, Shin, Neo and Miw, were forced to run together from a gang due an unexpected incident occurred. Is it luck that one of the three is the son of the gang leader (Shin) that is after them? Or will the other two (Neo and Miw) take advantage of the son of the gang leader to gain the upper hand? That seems to be the consistent theme all through out that will make you think, is the son will betray his new found "friends" to gain his father's approval? Or will he help his friends to eventually escape the gang who is after them? So how unrelated the three truly are when you learn that there is one person among the three that is common to the other two. Is it really that fate that jokingly put them together, or it is just a matter of time that the paths of the three will eventually crossed?
On the surface this would be a typical gang-related series that you took one of ours, then you should be eliminated. But that is not the case here. You will realize that each of the 3 has a past that is somehow connected to a family member that led to their current state of "misery". And as the saying goes, "misery loves company". All of them has this unspoken goal: to prove to the world that I am more of what is my past. It is through this misery that they find comfort and sees each other eye to eye. But will this bond be enough to get themselves out of the hole they are in? Or will this gathering will be their demise?
Truly, this is a series of crime committed after the other and seemingly unending violence, loyalty and standing your friends, making up for the mistakes you made with your family and achieving a dream. All of those inter-woven in a seemingly complicated plot. But once you were able to figure out what and where it needs to go, you will see perfectly created canvass of real life SURVIVAL.
After the violence and deaths that had happened, will there still be a happy ending for anyone? And will anyone be truly free from their past to build a new future? This what you have to find out.
I deliberately left out the sexual relationship among the 3 as for me, it is not that important than what was formed among them. And that is what I want for the viewers to focus on. The sexual tension is just an icing on top. To mellow down your adrenaline pump and redirect it into something equally exciting. Can it be left out? NO. As it serves the catalyst of the whole story, beginning for series of unfortunate events.
ACTING/CAST
===========================
Let me start the review of the cast and their acting from MY most favorite to the least.
JENNIE as MAE - this is definitely a breath of fresh air. For the longest time I have been watching Thai series, may it BL, straight or mixed, this is a first that humanizes a trans-woman and gave some sense of dignity. Unlike what I watched before that a trans woman often gets ridiculed, a butt of jokes, mocked and treated like lower than a second class citizen. Here, you can see that a trans woman also have a dream, gets hurt, struggles, fight back when pushed against a wall... just... like... any... other... human. Jennie gave life to Mae, her chasing an identity she had dream for so long, the pursuit of what she thinks can make her happy, pay back the kindness of the people that shown it to her. Her character is one of the most develop in this series. She starts of with a meager job and when the unfortunate happened, she "man" up. As the series progress, she becomes tougher and tougher, often times at conflict with morality where is currently placed herself in. Can she attain "justice" by inflicting injustice to others, this the main theme of her character. And she has the most important role here! For that, kudos to the team behind this!
GUNsmile as TER - Is another character that transitioned well. From playing Prem in SOTUS with anger management issue, to a wacky ghost friend in He's Coming To Me, he is turning into one versatile actor. What helped his role here as Ter is his role as Prem. A no non-sense guy that is willing to do anything and everything to complete the task he was given. And how he takes care of Mae here, reminds me of how he treated Wad (Fluke of SOTUS) after both of them were engage in a fist fight. It started as a promise with a friend that eventually led to something more. His role turned a mere "baby-sitter" to protector to a support buddy. You can clearly see as well how he changed from a strong-willed gang member that nobody can changes his mind if he sets his mind to it, to being influenced in thinking things through with logic and sense of responsibility. And he is so handsome in the last episode, Gunsmile should smile more!
TAY as SHIN - If you have been following him, you most probably know that he is connected to New. And perhaps you seen his acting developed from to Kiss Me Again, to the Our Skyy special, truly he can deliver what is required in acting in a romantic role. But this time around, it is way different. Here, you can see a nerdy looking, naive, detest violence and to a degree, a gullible guy. If you watched him first here then watch him paired up with New, all of the characteristics of his role here is the exact opposite. And that speaks volume on how good an actor he is. Shin character here is torn between friends and a father. Often times you can see him struggles and even second guesses his decisions. One can also see the situation he is in, a normal life or a life of a gangster. Early part of the show, it is establish who he will chose between the two. But towards the end, you might think otherwise. It is only in the last episode that was clearly shown who he choose between his friend or his father.
MILD as MIW - I watched this girl first in Kiss Me Again as Sandee, you can see her assertiveness in getting a thing done. Bossy at times. But lack of airtime can make you wonder, "Is that all she got?". Then I watched "Happy Birthday the series". Oh boy! I was impressed how she transitioned her character from Sandee to Tharnnam. From then on, I know she is a versatile actress that dares not to be stereotype as far as a character that she can play. Her role here as Miw is an edgy, sassy and you can see also a vulnerable side of the character which she gives justice. Now as she reprise her role in "Dark Blue Kiss", personally, she sets up a high bar that she needs to overcome; but I don't mind being the good old friendly Sandee to Pete and Kao. It will speak the consistency of her acting. Miw here is constantly veering away from an ugly past, trying to prove to others that she more than what she was used to be. Often times, you would see her "battle" through to prove her worth, and in the end, she did. With her looks here is inconsistent in what she is trying to be. It is a demon that she is constantly trying to get rid off. Nothing but praises for Mild's portrayal of Miw.
JOSS as NEO - To be honest, this is the first series/movie I watched him act. And I am impressed as well. His acting as the leader of the group was done with credibility as he shows when to stand by his decision, when to level with his friends, when to be soft and caring. He is the perfect lead role an action themed series or movies as he got the looks of this bad boy image, the body and his height suits that kind of character. I hope to see him more acting with a similar theme like this one. What I like also about the production team is how they make Joss looks like, with little or no make-up at all. You can see numerous close-up scenes the blemishes on his face which makes the character more credible like who wears make-up in a gun fight, right?
TOPTAP as PP - For two series I watched him appeared, Water Boyy the series and SOTUS, you will develop a feeling of disliking the character. That is no different from this one. BUT WAIT! There is definitely more than being disliked. and sure enough, he can be adorable too! When a role demands to be hate, like Joffrey Baratheon, and viewers hate you, then you are doing a great job. But his angelic face does not really suits a role of an antagonist or to be disliked. He needs more role of a bubbly, adorable roles that when he smiles, one can melt easily.
PRAME as LUANG - When he appeared as Nack in The Gifted the series, it felt that he could have shown his acting more, only if he was given more airtime. But given what he has in that series, he was able to show a couple different side of the character. But for Luang, it is just a one layer character, it lacks diversity in his emotions even a back story is not that solid. Even when Luang is one of the important character that helped the 3 extensively.
MUSIC
===========================
I really don't expect a memorable music or song from an action series, after all, the show needs to pump as much as adrenaline into your body and not a second to waste mellowing down, smelling the flowers on the roadside. However, how I wish they production team put more of the heartbeating background sounds that will leave you at the edge of you seat waiting what will happen next. There were a lot of gun pointing scenes, as expected from this genre of show, but you know already what will happen next since it lacks the suspense factor of a background sounds.
REWATCH VALUE
===========================
It is really hard to rewatch something that there is a definite ending. All lose ends are tied up and when mystery that was set early was completely resolved. BUT, it doesn't mean that you will be wasting your time watching this.
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The story obviously isn't original- this drama is made with all our favourite drama tropes in mind- but the format made it very entertaining. I'm actually really surprised this doesn't have higher views on here, how many times have we watched a drama and had second male lead syndrome? Well with this drama that's impossible, as you can make your own ending.
Will she go with the cute underclass-man, the childhood friend who would do anything for her, the cool school sports star, or the protective bad boy? You decide!I watched all the possibilities but my heart is with Jooho as I'm a sucker for the bad boy type.
Random dance numbers aside, Click your Heart is a well put together drama. It's short, sweet and easy to watch. I really hope there are more like this in the future.
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Story: While it's your standard normal-guy-turns-hero-to-save-the-world tale, each character's history and individual story arcs are noteworthy. This drama is very character-driven, which makes for very passionate touching scenes, but also very whimsical humorous scenes. Be prepared to laugh and cry with the entire cast. I repeat: Laugh. Cry.
I'm a sap so I might be the only person to cry, but the brotherhood, loyalty, and romance in this drama had me in tears. The number of reincarnations takes a little getting used to, though. There may only be a few characters, but there will be twice as many names...
Acting/Cast: This is my first time watching Hu Ge in action, and I now understand why he's so popular. It's not just because he's fairly good looking, but because he can ACT. How 'bout that? Not only that, I feel that the entire cast was picked well. They all fit their roles, and executed them so nicely...
Music: Just one sentence: I watched the drama because I came across the soundtrack. (One more sentence: With a soundtrack that good, there's no way CP3 would be bad.)
Rewatch Value: Not that high, because at some points it feels elongated. Fight scenes get lengthy, serious talks get stretched out, misunderstandings between characters wastes some time...But I'd rewatch it if it meant I got to skim through all those things.
Overall: Some characters and their respective arcs get a little too much attention, while others hardly get the screen time they deserve, so I'm a little sad about that, but within that short time you really get to appreciate their character. The slightly-weird CGI may be an initial turn-off, but stick with it and you won't be disappointed.
PS: There may be some plotholes that make you scream "YOU IDIOT, JUST ____ ALREADY!" but thinking that won't change things (unfortunately), so take the plot as it is. It was based off a video game so you might have to give it a little slack when it comes to patching up plotholes... =_=;
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