This review may contain spoilers
Anti-heroes. Down to earth. Authentic. Harsh. Compassionate. No Cinderella story, yet a love story.
I stumbled across this comparatively 'old' KDrama (2002) because of actress Gong Hyo-Jin. But actually here particularly Lee Na-young and Yang Dong-geun impressed me with their strong and down-to-earth performance. Once again I discovered a little gem of early KDrama art.Rather tranquil. True to life. Authentic. No fairy tale. No Cinderella story. No power games of the mighty, but simple everyday life of anti-heroes. Yes, down to earth. Very. I was delighted. This KDrama - like "My Mister" or "When the Camellia Blooms" - is centred around a quite authentic, ordinary world. Not spectacular. Neither in action, nor in scenery. The story is also not about the rich, beautiful, successful people that are always welcome, but about those who are less noticed (in the media): about ordinary people who didn´t have an excellent education, yet earn their money somehow. It is about a world comparably most people unfortunately live in - about their worries, hardships and, if it can´t be avoided, illnesses, too.
In its centre: a young, inconsiderate, unwieldy pickpocket who is confronted with the diagnosis of brain tumor. It is about the people in his immediate environment: family, friends, girlfriends, police. About a love traingle. About choices in life. Reconsideration, too. That's not really 'exciting'. But touching. Unspectacularly impressive. A mirror of compassion and humanity.
"Ruler of your own World" dates back to the early days of KWave. At the time, this KDrama was not as successful (also internationally) as i.e. the productions of the "Endless Love Series". However, it was highly valued and appreciated in its own country for the authentic story (with comparably hardly in KDrama otherwise frequently elaborated makjang). "Ruler of your own World" is considered the ´best´ serial production of 2002 (vs. "Winter Sonata" as the most ´successful´ of the same year.)
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Great Story, Fine Acting
Step into the enchanting world of "Divine Destiny," a captivating romance between Zhang Yinyin (played by Yang Ying aka Angelababy) and Ji Ruochen (played by Ma Tianyu). Their love knows no bounds as they face incredible challenges, even risking their own lives for each other. Together, they become stronger with their increasing supernatural abilities, fighting for love, for their fellow cultivators, and for the salvation of the three worlds. In the realm of fantasy, the gods are thought to reign supreme with goodness, and the demons and devils wicked and bad. In reality, it's precisely the opposite.Zhang Yinyin shines as an intelligent, chivalrous, headstrong and spirited character who is adored as the big sister of her sect. She may be authoritative and explosive at times, but that's what makes her so endearing. Yang Ying's acting brings a lovable charm to the fiery Zhang Yinyin, even with a few moments of imperfection. And her stunning transformation into the foxy fox devil - the CGI work is top-notch!
Zhang Yinyin meets and falls in love with Ji Ruochen who has a mysterious background which adds intrigue to the story. From operating a black shop to a mistaken identity, his journey is filled with twists and turns. With a burst of enthusiasm, Zhang Yinyin simply couldn't resist bringing Ji Ruochen home to her sect, and that's where his amazing cultivator journey begins, and the sparks of love start to fly between him and Zhang Yinyin. Ma Tianyu does a commendable job portraying the seemingly clueless and obedient Ji Ruochen, and later, the powerful demon lord.
A compelling story wouldn't be complete without its fair share of antagonists. In this tale, we encounter several outright obnoxious characters and some with shades of gray. Among them, the most vexing is the consort to the crown prince with that distinctive sneer and high-pitched voice. Alongside the cunning prime minister, they plot and scheme to gain control. But their journey takes a twist, leading to a resolution that brings relief.
Among the more complex characters are the disgraced gods, whose actions stem from obsession and vengeance. Thankfully, they eventually come to their senses and reflect on their deeds. It's a journey of redemption for them, adding depth to the story.
My Verdict
While "Divine Destiny" may have some plot holes and logic flaws, it's a delightful drama that keeps the viewers entertained. It's a pleasure to see familiar faces and enjoy the chemistry between the main leads. So if you're looking for some romantic fantasy fun while waiting for new releases, "Divine Destiny" deserves a chance.
Recommended!
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This review may contain spoilers
This drama tested every last bit of my patience.Everything in it was done at the most shallow, surface level possible. We were given no insight into why our characters made the decisions they made, no deeper look into their inner struggles and desires and motivations; no emotionally revealing conversations between the characters or internal dialogue to bring us into their inner worlds; no explanation for what our female leads ultimate goal was or if she even had one; just a bare bones story trying real hard to be devoid of any substance. Which is all the more frustrating as it had so much potential for substance. The bones of a good story were there. The writers just never put any meat on them.
Understand that none of this is the fault of the actors or actresses. They did the best with what was given to them. (Although I truthfully wasn't impressed with Yong Jun Hyung at all.) I quite liked both female leads and am more angry For them for what a crappy story they were handed than I could ever be At them. Chae Seo Jin is aces as Oh Go Woon, and that's the main reason I didn't end up hating her or her character. They're both too lovable. But while Kim Min Young is clearly just as good of an actress, and Lee Seul Bi had some really solid character moments in the first handful of episodes and in the finale, neither of them were ever given a chance to shine. Chae Seo Jin/Oh Go Woon get all the screentime, and eventually, you begin to think the posters and teasers were all just an elaborate lie, and Lee Seul Bi isn't the main character after all.
I will say that there is a lot to enjoy about the finale. The first half ties up a number of plot points in ways that are genuinely satisfying. It also offers up some deeper explanations and explorations of the drama's theme that the story was sorely lacking before that point. Honestly, episode 12 has more story development than all 11 other episodes combined, and it dulled some of the frustration I had going into it. But the second half of the episode is a total waste, and the episode as a whole brings up some really fascinating ideas that the drama Could have explored and Should have explored but Didn't explore, so it ultimately just leaves you feeling frustrated again.
Should you watch Coffee, Do Me A Favor? No. Coffee, Do Me A Favor is not a good drama, and you should not watch it.
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Acting/Cast: Perfect! Good chemistry for the main characters. I didn't expect Yoobi to have good chemistry with Minho but they did.
Music: I like that the music also complemented the web drama (Follow Me Down OST from Alice in Wonderland).
Rewatch value: I watched a few episodes again. It's not a long story and not dragging so I can watch it over and over until I figure how to connect the epilogues to the episodes.
Overall, a must watch for those who love light drama with slice of life, school life, time travel genre. I expected a longer episode 10 though but, as with a few of the Kdramas I've seen, most endings seem to make me feel like there are missing elements to conclude the story.
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This review may contain spoilers
Even though what happened is unfathomable, despite all the tragedy, the deeper focus is on hope
A true story. Not the only one of this kind, unfortunately. This one took place in South Korea in 2008 and was filmed in the KMovie "Hope" in 2013. (In the original: "Wish" - the meaning of "Sowon", the name of the eight-year-old protagonist.)This film production, which was shown in neighboring Asian cinemas, too, achieved great success largely through word of mouth. The story is shocking and touching, while the film adaptation laid its focus less on exploiting the crime itself, than on sensitively dealing with how it affected the little girl, her family, friends of family and classmates. It's less about the incredibly unscrupulous, brutal act than about the family's struggle to continue to come to terms with the unfathomable and the consequences on a wide variety of levels - psychological, physical, social, financial, legal, media-related and everyday practical.
“Hope” received quite some film awards. Despite all the heartbreaking tragedy, the KMovie deliberately intents to touch people in a positive sense. The KMovie wants to open up an, nevertheless, optimistic perspective towards a life 'after'. This, obviously, is tough and challenging. Surely it takes time and even more patience. Heart-rending in this context, for example, is the wonderfully authentic portrayal of the massively threatened father-daughter relationship. Unexpectedly, though, some light comes into the darkness. Sol Kyung-gu - in the role of a desperate father, whose daughter is in danger of slipping away from him due to her terrible experiences – apparently did not take off his distinctive costume throughout the entire shoot in order to maintain high contact with the emotions and their intensity the whole time. And Lee Re, in her debut on the big screen as an eight-year-old daughter, also touches the heart, as does Uhm Ji-won, who initially apparently didn't have the courage to take on her role of the mother. She is also deeply touching with her convincing acting that gets right under your skin.
Even though, what happened is and remains unfathomable, despite all the tragedy, the KMovie explicitly focuses on hope. This way, throughout those 122 stirring minutes it is not all grim all the time.
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SIDE NOTE: --- The Cho Doo-soon case ---
The story refers to a rape case from 2008, when a drunken 57-year-old man brutally raped an eight-year-old girl in a public toilet in Ansan. Being as brutal as he was, the girl suffered permanent damage. However, the man (who before had already been convicted of rape, among other things) got away with only 12 years in prison. He consequently kept up his mantra, that being so drunk that day he couldn´t remember anything. This had already helped him in previous cases. Here too, he was given mitigating circumstances due to his age, the influence of alcohol and his mental state.
The rape in Asan was extremely gruesome. (The details were not in so much details explicit in the KMovie and I also do not want to waste any letter for them here, either.) Suffering from her internal and external injuries, the girl was hospitalized for eight months. She took an artificial anus back home. Medical treatment was followed by psychiatric treatment. A year later she was at least stabilized enough to go back to school. But even several years later in 2020, she apparently can handle harmless cartoons on TV only, avoids any news and tough topics, i.e. she is still extremely fragile and unstable when it comes to the issues involving any violence at all.
The investigation and trial in this case from 2008 didn´t get covered in glory. On the contrary. The public outcry was great and extended, among other things, to a petition to the Blue House for retrial. The case also led to a number of legislative proposals being submitted by the Democrats, which would, for example, suggest to imprison repeat offenders of sexual offenses against minors in special facilities for life, or e.g. concern the legal handling of sexual offenses committed under the influence of alcohol. But in the end they didn't go through, nor did various petitions.
Instead, the electronic ankle bracelet was the method of choice when Cho Doo-soon was released in 2020. The cost of continuous monitoring of Cho Do-soon's electronic ankle bracelet during the first 4 months after release only, was estimated by the Ministry of Justice at over 200 million won (over 140,000 euros). In addition, apparently 71 security cameras were set up specifically to protect Ansan's residents from Cho, who still has his wife and his home there…
By the way, the infamous Cho Doo-soon case was also topic in the K-dramas "Taxi Driver 2", "Voice 4" and "Vigilante".
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It's short, full of emotions and fun to watch. I really loved the story. I love this old-school themed stories, so it was for me. It's based on 1979 time period and I love that time set in here. Plus the Deagu dialect is really nice to hear, something different from Seoul dialect we are used to.
It has 'Reply series' vibe to it - probably heard that from a lot of people - which is true (I started to watch the Reply series because of this drama).
This is a text book story of coming to age and first love and crushes. And it truly is about girl generation - but not that Girl Generation - we can see Jung Hee and Hee Joo who are in their teens, her mother, Auntie, number 3 all this woman, in different age group of that time fighting their own problems and facing them. And it is about girls in different generation coming together.
The boys are here, but they help to make the girls look more stronger, not the other way around. Though it doesn't stop being just about the characters either. It shows - glimpse of it at least - how the people used to live that time, things that shaped our culture into something that we see now. And you can see how much we have changed. And how much we haven't.
Plus you can ship anyone with anyone. You can try the drama, just to see if your's makes to the end or not. (Mine did!).
The actors are all new to me. But I liked Bona. She made Lee Jung Hee more relatable to me. Love Chae Seo Jin. Have a crush on Lee Jong Hyun. I don't know about others but I really liked Do Hee's performance as Shim Ae Sook. To see her character grow like that, it was really satisfying. I really liked that.
The OST's in it's self are nice. But it has some of the top 1970's song in it, both Korean and English. And it makes you feel that old time vibe. Love that.
Some of the moments in this drama are my favorite, so I'm going to re-watch those and probably the whole thing too. Cause why not? It's a nice drama. It's short but the story end's perfectly with it's self.
In the end it gives 'complete' feeling. And I can imagine the rest of the story in my mind. It's a really cool drama. Do watch it!! #HopingForAnotherSeason
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This review may contain spoilers
In my opinion, Kaitou Tantei Yamaneko is a truly excellent drama! I thoroughly enjoyed every episode the characters and acting being a high point. The story didn't go in the direction I was expecting - that's for sure, but nevertheless if you want comedy perfectly matched with drama, action, and suspense with real edged-of-your-seat and knot-in-your-throat moments you'll enjoy this! The Story:
Firstly I've got to say DON'T READ SPOILERS! Don't scroll down to the comments or look for screenshots! You'll thank me later! Some of the best moments come from the crazy twists this drama throws at you. That's partly why the story didn't go in the direction I was expecting.
Episode to episode it's not as over-arching-plot driven as most mysteries. Some may call some KTY episodes 'filler' as it's focus is rarely it's over arching plot. It's focus is instead on it's fantastic characters. You will fall in love with every one of them I guarantee it. No character is cheaply written, every character has real heart behind them and when the mystery does pick up speed in episode 8 you really care about who these people are and what's happening to them.
The Acting:
The acting is phenomenal. Kamenashi really gives it his all and clearly had a blast playing Yamaneko. He goes from goofy comedy, to heat wrenching drama, to back-flippin' action with ease and is supported by a fantastic cast. Narimya perfectly plays the put-upon and abused Katsumura and later in the series really pulls out all the stops. Hirose went way beyond my expectations almost immediately. Sasaki's comic timing is perfect, Otsuka and Nanao also made me love them, and Ikeuchi was perfect. In fact, all these actors and the other supporting/guest actors were so perfectly cast it's astounding!
The Music:
It's certainly not your average jdrama score. The way the orchestral theme music came in every time, either comically or seriously, was perfect and really sets you up for this slightly bizarre drama. The rest of the music throughout the episode is also brilliantly scored, the composer really outdid himself! UNLOCK by KAT-TUN, apart from being one of their best singles (imo), fits nicely into this drama and is never misplaced only ever coming in at the end and never drowns anything out.
Rewatch Value:
While this drama was coming out I was watching every episode two or three times! It's hilarious, cute, and Kame is a lovely bit of eye-candy when he's not acting like a doofus (and sometimes when he is). However as with any mystery once you know then ending and all the twists - watching it from episode one again is a completely different experience. So it's hard to say this is completely rewatchable but I certainly will come back to it in a month or so as it is quite episodic.
Other thoughts:
The ending has been a problem for some people and I can see where they are coming from. When I first watched it I was a bit taken aback. It's not that things are left hanging (though there is room for a sequel). As I said, you really end up loving these characters and to see what happens to them... it's not unsatisfying it's just unexpected. Once I had finally digested the events of the last three episodes I actually think I ended up respecting the show more. As with any show that has twists, things don't always go the way you were expecting.
Speaking of expectations - this drama had far more comedy than I was first l thought it would!
Overall:
This drama really packs a punch. From episode one to ten I was 100% on board loving every second. As a Kame fan I must admit that I sometimes do the very bad thing of skipping every scene Kame is not in. However, with this series I had literally no desire to do that. Every character is well acted and the story is very compelling. I highly recommend this series to anyone be they a Kame fan or not!
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A Romantic and Quick Historical Watch — If You Can Handle the Ending
There is one main reason I started watching this drama, and it’s because our (perpetually) second lead male actor Mi Re/Merxat is finally in one of his first leading roles. After completing this drama, I truly have a lot of mixed and bittersweet feelings. Overall (without spoiling anything) I believe this show's strengths include the performances and the overarching plot, although some viewers may take issues with the ending of the series.Some aspects viewers may like about the drama include:
♡ An Overbearing Yet Powerless King: Merxat does a really great job making Yuwen Yong possessive and quite “black belly,” while also showing how vulnerable he is. You see from the beginning how he is physically and emotionally suffering even though he holds the position of Emperor, and also how few people he has around him that truly care for him. I think this makes the plot itself quite interesting, especially since part of the storyline is not only focused on the romance, but also how he and Liu Jing/Jing'er navigate an environment that is literally and figuratively poisoning him. I have to say that Merxat's portrayal of the ML was very well done, especially with both the emotional and romantic scenes.
♡ A Smart, Mischievous, and Talented FL: Probably one of the best aspects of this drama is its portrayal of women. The female lead Jing'er has her own dreams and aspirations, which do contribute to her romance with Yuwen Yong, but also give her agency and personality separate from their love together. Jing'er not only uses her abilities to help Yuwen Yong, but also works hard to improve herself in order to achieve her own dreams. Most of all, her skills often end up either saving her or the Emperor, and often come in handy whether it be to protect herself or to uncover some of the broader political conspiracies in the palace.
♡ A Romance That Stands the Test of Conflicts: While Yuwen Yong often does some things that can be problematic, such as threatening to make sure Jing'er never leaves, in fact he deeply worries about her and the drama makes it clear that he falls for Jing'er first. I love how in a way their romance and chemistry felt a lot more adult, even if they start off by bickering and misunderstanding each other’s feelings. Merxat does a great job at being a devoted ML, and the drama also shows how both Jing'er and Yuwen Yong are lovers who are mutually equal in competence, despite their differences in status. They work together to solve problems, navigate the political conflicts that arise within the palace, and to support each other with their individual strengths in such a dangerous environment.
♡ Loveable Side Casts: Yuwen Zong plays an adorable and naive little brother, and I found it refreshing that he and Yuwen Yong had an overall supportive and loving relationship in the series. Many of the side casts, from the eunuch to Liu Jing's maid, are also not only close friends and confidantes, but support the main characters together as they go through different challenges. I also surprisingly really loved the tragic love story between the enemies Dugu Cheng and Tang Wan, and felt that they had great chemistry together, and that their screen time was tastefully done and well integrated into the overarching drama. While there are definitely characters that are more hateful, including some of Yuwen Yong’s concubines, I liked how some of the side characters were truly friends with the main cast.
♡ Short Length: The show is not draggy, and I think it really benefited from being a relatively short length as well as adapted from a novel. It’s overall very easy to watch and digestible, especially if you want a historical drama that has a balance of politics and romance without being too complex. I was able to follow the overarching political schemes of the drama without getting bored, and I think the number of episodes is very suitable for the storyline.
However, there are also some things that may be an issue or less enjoyable for viewers:
♥ Casting: I think there was some miscasting going on, or at least I was a little confused about some of the cast choices in this show. Gong Mi looks a little more mature than some of her castmates, and I wished they had simply incorporated this into the script (i.e. made her older than Yuwen Yong) instead of giving her a personality of a young and innocent girl who is still unaware of the world. I think it’s refreshing to have more mature and older women cast as female leads, and therefore I wished that they had just made this into part of the drama. Not to mention that much of the supporting cast, especially Yuwen Zong, looked significantly younger than the main cast. In other words, I think because of the casting sometimes I couldn’t tell whether this show was deciding to go into a youth romance drama territory, or wanted to delve into a more adult historical romance.
♥ Ending: Without revealing too much about the ending, what I will say is to be prepared for a conclusion that may potentially not satisfy you, and also closes off the possibility of a second season. I personally found it a bit strange that the directors decided to take the drama in this direction, because this drama fits a certain niche (light and romantic historical romcom) where this type of ending has not yet been done. At the same time, I emphasize that I was spoiled about the ending before I made the decision to watch this drama, and likely if I had known that this would be the outcome I may not have committed as much time to watching this show. I highly recommend you check out some of the spoilers to prepare yourself if you are considering watching this.
♥ Genre: Again, this is related to the ending, but I felt as if the drama couldn't decide whether it wanted to be a lighter and fluffier romantic drama, or if it wanted to be more introspective and angsty. There are many parts that are fluffy and sweet, but as we get to the latter stretch of the drama it navigates into serious tragedy territory. In other words, I feel as if this drama targeted an audience that may be looking for fluff, but then I warn to prepare yourself for the last five episodes, which deviate quite a lot from the sweetness of the earlier episodes.
♥ Production Value: It’s pretty clear that this is really low budget, even amongst the other dramas that fit the niche of short historical romcom. Some similar dramas that also are part of this genre include Oops the King is in Love (2020), Dr. Cutie (2019), My Dear Destiny (2020), The Love by Hypnotic (2019), and Love Better Than Immortality (2019). And I have to say that out of all these dramas, in this drama the sets and clothes were by far much less high-quality compared to the titles I’ve listed. You can sometimes see very clearly where the longer wig pieces attach to the back of the head, as well as how the majority of the costuming and backdrops are made out of cheaper materials. I also didn’t find much of the music or OST very memorable, which I found to be quite rare for a historical drama. While this is a matter of taste, I also note that the drama went for a more saturated and darker colouring, compared to the usual more pastel tone of shows in this genre.
This was a watch that I found to be relatively good for passing the time, especially while waiting in-between for other shows that were airing. It doesn’t drag much because of the episode length, has solid acting, and I really liked seeing Merxat on screen after such a long time as the male lead. At the same time, however, I would caution viewers about the ending, as well as some of the limits of the series with the lower production value. If you have the time and are interested in a binge-able romantic historical drama, then I would recommend you try this out while taking cautious note of some of its issues.
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The main couple has really good chemistry. They suit each other well and their scenes are good. The angst in this romance is about them actually not supposed to be together, it was never meant to be. The butterfly effect has consequences. The second couple are also sweet and the romance plot is a tad angsty, I found myself worrying about the future I knew and wishing for a new future for them.
I have not noticed any big inconsistencies with this taking place in 1989. Even though the brands shown are of later date, I don't look at the brand names but rather the fashion style. I remember well all these horrible clothes, old technology and I feel myself being immersed. I am sure that if you really want to you can rip this show to bits finding loads of errors. I'm just not that kind of viewer. So far it feels like the 1989 that I remember.
All in all a well done drama, with the usual Taiwanese issues (low audio quality and at least one clown character). The extremely cheesy moments didn't bother me at all, I enjoyed them, squealed and cried my way through this very sweet story.
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In My Own Opinion
I love watching this show because the Cell Village literally gives visual justice to everyone's thinking and emotions. The story is very realistic and relatable. Of all the dramas that I've watch, (Cdrama, Jdrama and Kdrama) (minus the cell village part) the plot of this story is closest to reality. It shows the different types of relationships a man and a woman can have The Toxic Type, The Long Distance Type, The Friends Attracted to Each Other Type, The Affectionate Type, The Meant to be Type, The One Sided Type and so on. It also shows the ups and downs of man-woman relationship that it's not always rainbow you see and that the reality is no man or woman is overly dedicated to the person they like. Sometimes relationships experiences storm and dealing with it head on is the best solution. Temptation is always there, so GOODLUCK with those one man- woman persona of most of the ML in drama as this one sets a new standard. " THE REALITY STANDARD." I also like that it uncovers the different types of people you will meet and deal with in the work place. It also exhibits the different relationships with other people. The Confidant Relationship, The Colleague Only Relationship, The Like-Hate Relationship, The Superior- Subordinate Relationship, ect. Watching this drama in a deeper perspective, you will find that there is no way the story is light and fluffy. The story of this drama is base on the real experiences of day to day life of real people and that real people I am pertaining to is US. And what's going on our brain and how it thinks, reacts and functions was visually represented by the cute dimensional characters in the drama.Was this review helpful to you?
At the time, I watched many stupid romantic comedies so I needed something different from those usual dumb stories and so I found this drama somewhere. I read the synopsis that seemed appealing enough to give it a go with a medium level of expectations.
2) Storyline/Plot:
*Generally speaking this is a rom-com with a psychological aspect. The drama contains several twists that makes the storyline catching.
Positive Points:
*At the beginning (First 15 minutes), everything started really slow that I began to lose interest yet the writers were clever enough to take the story into another different level that attracted my intention.
*The story was captivating all the way through, it was short, psychologically romantic and most of all funny that’s why it hadn’t any dragging or slow moments.
*Main genres:
--->Romance: The romantic aspect in this drama is different from any other romantic comedies that I’ve seen before; there were mature feelings in this drama, the kind of feelings that go deeper and deeper each episode yet it doesn’t fall into the melodrama level since there were childish moments to make it light. I have to give the script writers credit for many "Wait, what happened?" moments while following the romantic development, many plot changes were really surprising and added a great taste to the storyline.
--->Humor: This drama’s funny scenes were smartly written, it was light and enjoyable. Like other Japanese dramas, it was ridiculously fun with all the weird situations.
--->Psychology: The romantic psychology was fairly interesting; there were many strange and sweet situations related to many great philosophic minds in this drama. The psychological cliffhangers were simply amazing, writers managed to keep all the twists captivating by inserting psychology into it.
Negative Points:
*I can’t possibly think about a negative point in this drama’s storyline; it was really great.
Story: 9.5/10.
3) Acting/Cast:
*Actors made it really believable and enjoyable; they knew how to deliver feelings even when they are trying to be funny. Matsuda Shota and Akira are the most talented actors here; I will add Tanihara Shosuke who portrayed the psychiatrist role perfectly.
Other actors were good too but I wasn’t touched by their acting skills like the three mentioned above.
*As for characters, you would get invested in every character since they always showed interesting developments into their personalities.
Ai-Ai was a great character that portrayed a strong woman personality while having the feminine feelings when she needed too: I would say that her character can represent woman power.
--->O-Chan was a character that would make you want to see him more on screen; it was really nicely done with good personality developments.
--->Kiku-rin was the strongest character in this drama, it manages to make you love him, hate him then love him again: It was a challenging character that added a great storyline development.
--->Usami was a weak character (basing on the storyline so it has nothing to do with Tamaki Hiroshi’s acting skills), it had many flaws but it managed to get through near the end.
Other characters were either average or annoying (……)
*Appreciated character: I was attracted by Kairi’s darkness especially near the end; it was a very appealing character to me.
*Relationships:
--->Romance: Since it’s a shuffle we can’t talk about specific couples yet there were chemistry all over the drama with all those intriguing feelings.
--->Friendship: It was present in a good way here, ever since the first episodes there were many signs of good friendship which made characters appear in a great harmony even if there were problems every once in a while.
*Favorite line: Uso da to itte yo, Joe!
Cast: 9/10.
Acting: 9/10.
4) The ending:
Well, it seemed a little unnatural but that doesn’t mean it was bad. Anyway, this drama had a good ending overall.
The ending: 8/10.
5) My impression (How did it affect me):
*Watching this drama was really fun, I got to see a mature drama after a long time so I had great feels about it.
*Is this drama memorable: Yes, It is! Who wouldn’t remember watching a great mature drama with superb actors and awesome characters? This drama touched me in a good way, an unforgettable production indeed.
My impression: 8.75/10.
6) Overall:
*If you’re looking for a mature drama then you should watch this.
*If you’re looking for a great romantic J-drama then you may like this.
*Love Shuffle is a short light drama without any shallow feelings. It’s one of those dramas that are directed to the mature audience out there.
Overall: 9/10.
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Definitely not what I expected
When I first found out about ‘He Won’t Kill, She Won’t Die’, the summary made me think ‘oh, just another edgy teenage romance huh’. But I loved what a delightful surprise this was.The plot of this movie isn’t anything extraordinary. The film followed three stories— an unfriendly guy who always tells others to die and a suicidal girl, a girl struggling with boyfriends who never actually seem to like her for who she really is and her friendship with a studious girl, and a determined girl who never gets tired of confessing to her crush despite the fact that she always gets rejected by him. Sounds uninteresting? Well, sometimes a film doesn’t need to have an outstanding story in order for it to be good, and this one is an example.
With a mesmerising cinematography, what this film does capture most correctly is the emotions and the feels of each scene. What makes this film so special is how it managed to execute this simple plot with in-depth characters and a great storytelling. The acting is really good too. This film surely reminded me of why I actually loved watching Japanese films the most.
Overall, a solid 9.0/10 for me. The rewatch value is low because it’s not really the kind of film that’s rewatchable, but not all good movies are worth a rewatch as the first times tend to give you feels that you might not feel the time you re-watch it. Thus, I highly recommend this film to everyone :)
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BETTER THAN EXPECTED, I WANT MORE
I love short series - if its good then your lucky, if its not then you wont feel like you wasted too much of your time. Im happy to say that this time I was pleasantly surprised with the whole series and i end up wishing there were more episodes cause i was intrigued and I wanted to see more.There were things the show got right - from the execution of the simple plot, to the entire bunch of the cute and capable cast. There is also a perfect amount of titillation of the viewers.
Should you watch it? YES. Its just about 20 min long each (give or take the opening and end credits). Its just like watching a normal full length movie. I wished there was a continuation cause when it ended I waasnt ready to let go of them yet.
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The thing with these 'Avenging Hero' type dramas/stories is the love story orbiting the hero is always a frustrating dance. Perhaps he has been deeply scarred and/or his mission is antithetic to the love that unexpectedly blossoms between the antihero and heroine. Kurosagi is classic in this respect.
Each episode unfolds with Kurosagi swindling a different kind of swindler and it's fun to watch him get into character and pull off his clever cons. I couldn't help but compare this just a bit to Liar Game, in that you have to use your brain and the hero has to work around the trick of the con. I really liked Kurosagi's little personality quirks and his different 'con' personalities.
Having sung it's praises, I still came away from Kurosagi feeling something was missing. It took a little while to put my finger on just why I can't give this drama a 10 but I've figured it out. It feels incomplete. Usually as I watch and then rate Jdramas, the fact they usually only take 9 to 11 episodes to tell the story makes me enjoy them immensely. This speedy and more concise story telling in turn raises the rating for me. But somehow this was not the case with Kurosagi. I felt this story needed more time, more story and I am left unsatisfied.
The acting was great for the most part. Yamashita Tomohisa has impressed me again. I've watched 4 of his dramas now and I really like when he plays more "character" parts like this rather than straight lead (See Buzzer Beat, which I did love). Somehow even with his handsome leading man looks, he feels more like a character actor to me. I liked the lead actress. Some of the secondary characters fell flat for me.
A word about Katsuragi: He is the most original character I've come across in a long time. He was at once; chilling, pathetic, gross, pitiful and scary. He left an impression with me, that is for sure.
The intro song didn't really thrill me but the background song which I will call Kurosagi's 'theme song' was cool. I really dug it.
I am giving the re-watch value a 7 because I think people will want to watch this again. There are already parts I have gone back and watched again.
I recommend this. It's worth your 11 hours. It's fun and if you get into manga turned into live action, I think you will like this.
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I have to start this out by laughing.This drama is hilarious from the first episode i got caught.
The main actor was excellent one of his best. This really showed his ability and diversity in acting when compared to his previous drama. His acting was flawless. My love for Lee Dong Wook has grown tremendously.
The main actress...........Lee Si Young was amazing.(nods) I have to give her her props she got the whole tomboy tough-girl bodyguard role perfectly even her gestures were right on target, even when she had to show her weak side it was just amazing.
The plot i must say was very good,and the climax was a nice twist.I also looked forward to the smaller stories of the supporting characters, each of which really added to the essence of the whole thing. It was the first time I seeing Kang Dong-Ho in a drama but he really caught my attention.And as a plus there were a lot of eye-candy in the is drama. lol I grade you with an A+++.
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