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 :)
Was this review helpful to you?
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.
Was this review helpful to you?
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.
Was this review helpful to you?
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+++.
Was this review helpful to you?
In this second season of the drama, the story continues. It is just as cute and funny as the first season, but in this one we get to see even more interactions of the main characters.
I have to say that I absolutely love all the characters. They were very cute and so funny! One thing that annoyed me was the funny, but irrelevant episode where they played the mafia game, trying to guess the killer and all that.
Overall, the story is about two childhood friends who come realize that they mean much more to each other than they had ever imagined. By the end of the season, we can see that the female lead has matured, and the male lead has figured out some things; such as that one's way of living cannot be claimed as better than another person's way of living. Meaning, Liao Danyi's lifestyle choices are not the same as Ye Muxi, and they do not have to be. Therefore, Liao Danyi realizes that his perfect life is not a standard for Ye Muxi is follow.
The ending is a happy ending for sure, but it cannot be considered as the best ending. Not because there was no romance but because it left me wishing there was more beef to the ending. Plus this web drama had explicitly stated that it isn't focused on romance from the very beginning, so do not expect anything romantic to happen in this second season.
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
Gangsta FL, Cozy Vibes ✨
This turned out to be a surprisingly solid drama! Classic rebirth-and-revenge setup, but the FL? Total gangsta queen. She clapped back at anyone who dared to stir trouble, and I was living for it.The romance was also a treat. No dumb misunderstandings, no dragged-out breakups — just two leads being adorable together. Always a win in my book. 💕
Now, confession time: I devoured the first 13 episodes (they were all out already) and had the best time. But once I had to switch to the one-ep-per-day grind, my interest dipped a bit. Still not sure if it was just the slower pacing or me losing momentum—but lesson learned: I’m saving minis for when they’re fully released.
Overall? A cozy, satisfying watch with a cute romance and a happy ending. Simple, fun, and totally worth the binge.
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
A movie that had great potential and wasted it all
NO SPOILER FOR THE FIRST PART OF THIS REVIEWThe fact that some people are rating this movie higher than a 6.5 is honestly baffling to me. I don't write reviews that often but I had the urge to do it for Midnight because of how big of a letdown it was. So, here's my review of a movie that had amazing potential and could've been a really good thriller, but unfortunately ended up being a barely decent enough movie.
Midnight is good at first; the plot is promising and there's a heavy atmosphere efficiently set thanks to the scenography and brilliant acting. Many good stress-inducing mechanics are introduced to make us feel the anxiety and distress caused by the main character's, Kim Kyung Mi, deafness (e.g. audio detection devices, lights reacting to sound).
However, despite the potential and innovative ideas it all crumbles down very early on. Sure, I was quite excited when I started watching Midnight, and was even truly enjoying it. But if you have a good time during the first twenty minutes or so of the movie, you'll slowly become too frustrated to think about anything except how dumb these characters all are, completely ruining the thrill.
Every stressful situation is built upon questionable/idiotic decisions that no human being would ever make, even under that kind of pressure, because it simply goes against what survival instinct and common sense dictate. I'm sure there were ways to have the characters be gifted with intelligence and keep an interesting story still.
Overall, the movie is not completely bad and still enjoyable to a degree, simply thanks to the fact that it is entertaining enough to watch until the end. Still, it doesn't mean it's a good movie. The beginning is great, the ending is fine and everything in-between is... sort of a mess. If you were curious about it I'd still advise you watch it but be aware that your expectations will probably not be met, and if you won't be bored, you'll definitely be annoyed.
SECOND PART OF THE REVIEW, BEWARE OF SPOILERS BELOW
First of all, I'd like to mention that I'm usually not particularly nitpicky. I'll accept a lot of things when watching TV shows and movies, I won't necessarily notice every single detail or plot hole. That being said, even taking this into account and letting my suspension of disbelief play its part, it wasn't enough. This review is not me exaggerating for the sake of it. So let's now dive into it and detail the things that bothered me.
Let's start with the outsiders, aka everyone that's not a main character.
Okay, fine. I'll accept that the police might have some prejudice against disabled people and that they can be utterly incompetent. It honestly wouldn't be that surprising or unheard of. It is frustrating, but not in a 100% unrealistic way.
Fine, I won't argue that it is possible for a crowd to not help someone in distress. Bystander effect, confusion, fear or simply not knowing what to do/how to react can all factor in on this. These people don't have the full story like we do, they just see a panicked girl who is not explaining what the problem is.
Sure, the military personnel bringing back Kyung Mi to Do Shik, thinking they're helping her "brother"... that's barely acceptable, but you know what? Now we're reaching but I'll let it slide because similar things can happen in a very unfortunate turn of events.
Since all these characters are outsiders to the story and only get snippets of what we see, with which they have to piece everything together, I'll be lenient. It's all exaggerated for the sake of the plot anyway.
I won't even mention Do Shik's irrational and erratic behavior too much, for the obvious reason that he is a killer with, more likely than not, many many issues. Him being overconfident, thinking he can outsmart everyone (not like they're making it hard) even when being so careless, and get away with it scot free, is actually not that crazy or unbelievable.
But Jong Tak, this dude! My brother in christ, give me a break. He is by far the most frustrating and dumbest character in this entire movie. Here you have a grown man who has the ability to communicate freely, who knows exactly what's happening, but decides that calling the police is apparently overrated. Granted, they have proved they were dumb and incompetent, but still?
Or maybe that poor guy suffers from a disorder preventing him from doing two things at the same time and I'm just being very mean, who knows? Or well, maybe he can't use his brain, my two cents. I mean, seriously. Why can't he just run to Kyung Mi's house AND call the police at the same time? Same thing when he gives up on her after Do Shik "reveals" where his sister is.
And for the love of god, why does he take narrow little streets when trying to catch up with Do Shik, risking to lose his track, instead of properly following him? How is he even able to not lose sight of him that way? Or maybe he knows the area so well he has a mental map stuck in his head and can predict exactly where the killer and his victim will run to, even without seeing them. But you won't have me actually believe that lol.
Then towards the end of the movie, he fights Do Shik in a back alley but looks away from him TWICE despite having been tricked into thinking he had fainted the first time already (after a 2 seconds chokehold, that is). Brilliant. You might also wonder why he doesn't try to scream/get back to the main avenue to draw people's attention? Well no one knows. It's not as though Kyung Mi can do it for him. If I were that poor girl, I'd rather be stabbed in that alley and just end it already instead of having to be "saved" by someone so useless.
Also, why does no one ever stay together? I lost count of how many times that happened but it was way too much. I don't really get why Kyung Mi and Jong Tak's sister had to split. They were right next to the place where they can press a button that turns on every light in existence and blasts an alarm waking up the entire neighborhood, then puts them in direct communication with the police!
Later Kyung Mi's mother and Jong Tak also split up, and after that him and her daughter did too. And for what? You tell me because I have no damn clue. Could've been a running gag if it wasn't just poor writing.
There are other details I'll skim over because this review is already too long:
-Right at the beginning of the movie, a woman (completely alone outside, at night) is approached by a guy being weirdly insistent about her getting in his car. Nevertheless, she walks to his suspiciously "deserted" van, that totally does not look like a set-up, a few minutes after? I assure you, no woman would ever behave like that. At least call someone at the same time, just to be safe;
-When Do Shik and Jong Tak were fighting in the police station, why did it take so long for Kim Kyung Mi and her mother to bring back the officers inside? It definitely shouldn't have taken this much time as they were standing quite literally 5 meters away from the entrance;
-How did said officers not hear the commotion inside?;
-After that incident, why were none of the characters kept under police protection, at least for the next 24 hours?;
-When Do Shik infiltrates Kyung Mi's house, he knocks many heavy things on the ground... that girl is deaf, not completely numb to the world. She would definitely feel the vibrations or something. I'm pretty sure your other senses are sharpened when you're lacking one;
-I believe most countries have a special number for deaf & mute people to contact the police through text messages. I might be wrong, but I doubt there's nothing like that in South Korea. Kyung Mi and her mother would definitely know about such a thing. Even when panicking, I'm sure that would still come to your mind.
There are still many things I could mention, or some criticism I don't necessarily agree with, but I think you got the rough idea already. Ultimately, I am angry not because of all the inconsistencies themselves. I spend my time watching shows that are full of them and still manage to have a good time. I am mad because this movie could have been something greater. It had so much potential, and seeing it all go to waste like that right in front of my eyes feels like betrayal. This movie has some good in it, but the bad easily overtakes it. Midnight would barely deserve a 5, if not for the atmosphere and acting. And if I'm being honest, I'm betting my life that if Wi Ha Joon wasn't in this movie (but was replaced by an equally talented yet less attractive actor), the ratings would be way lower.
Was this review helpful to you?
Story- An excellent plot which will always keep you on your feet. There's always something happening and it will constantly keep you guessing. I really loved the main characters relation with her children. She went to great lengths to try and protect her family.
Acting- The actors were very well picked! From the main characters to the minor ones, I must say- they really had a BIG impact. The little girl who didn't have the ability to speak, she portrayed her character really well with her little but clever brain and actions.
Music- The music fit every scene and made me feel like I was actually there, lurking around and trying to hide from the psycho! At the very intense moments, the music gradually changed to a very strong track. It suited and flowed with the storyline. AND OF COURSE- the ending credits song! It reflects and goes with the entire movie. I really liked how the film ended with this amazing instrumental. The guitar made me feel this sadness..
Rewatch Value- I think I'd watch this again since it's really amazing. Normally I don't rewatch films but for this one, I'll make an exception. :)
Overall this movie was absolutely breath taking! I just happened to stumble across this one but I'm really glad I did. This is one of the few movies which will stay on my mind long after I've watched it! I really love how it ended, especially the last sentence from the heroine.
I highly recommend this to those who are looking for a movie that will keep your eyes glued to the screen, people who love thriller and suspense. Even if you aren't, I'd say give it a go! I'm sure 8/10 people would DEFINITELY like it.
It made a great impression on me and I give it a.. dak dak dak.. :) 10/10!
Was this review helpful to you?
1
1"We live and we die"
Shogun is based on the popular novel by James Clavell which in turn was very loosely based on historical events from Japan around 1600 C.E. I devoured the book years ago and watched the original mini-series starring Richard Chamberlain and Mifune Toshiro. I have been both excitedly and trepidatiously waiting for this updated version to come out. There were some improvements and also disappointments with the latest rendition.“Why is it those who have never been in battle are so eager to be in one?”
English pilot John Blackthorne is one of a handful of survivors aboard the Dutch ship Erasmus that lands in a Japanese fishing harbor. He and his men are taken prisoner by the village’s manager, Omi. Elsewhere, Lord Toranaga is called to the Osaka castle to meet with the other four regents of the Taiko’s heir who are bent on taking him down. He tells them he has no intentions of starting hostilities with them, but they intend to force him to commit seppuku. Back at Ajiro, Omi and his uncle and lord, Yabushige, decide the ship and its weapons might help them to make allies when the war starts. Though they are vassals of Toranaga they believe him to be a dead man. Before they can put any plan into action Toranaga’s right hand man, Hiromatsu, shows up laying claiming to the ship and its contents for Lord Toranaga, including Blackthorne. Toranaga has Mariko serve as Blackthorne’s interpreter as they can both speak Portuguese. All three, Toranaga, Blackthorne, and Mariko will face death and deception on numerous occasions and will have to use all of their abilities to change the fates laid out before them. The Portuguese and changing alliances of the regents and the heir’s mother’s influence are a powder keg of explosive political desires.
“A woman must stare without fear into the cruel eyes of fate and make herself seen”
Blackthorne was disappointing in this version of Shogun. Gone was the inquisitive and crafty personality along with the better relationship with Toranaga. As played by Cosmo Jarvis, he came across as a punch-drunk prize fighter. The slow build up in the book to understanding the language and world around him seemed fast tracked. Also, the key moment when his mental shift went from English to Japanese in the book was disappointingly left out. The scene would also have bookended Mariko’s emotional scene in the 9th episode. That key scene was also what caused the bonding between him and his interpreter. Shoving it in near the end of the drama felt awkward. Another awkward development was that it took a moment to figure out that when people were speaking English, it was supposed to be understood as Portuguese. In the book Latin, English, and Spanish were also spoken, so I suppose it simplified things for the actors and writers, and especially for English speaking audiences and making it more accessible to them to use just the one language. Okay, rant over. Mariko was more severe in this interpretation of her character, but she was as always highly capable and intelligent, understanding the political undercurrents of people’s actions. In fact, Mariko’s actions were as important and vital to Toranaga’s mission as any man’s, maybe more so. Like Toranaga, she was thankfully introduced earlier in this drama than in the book. There were other women who played important roles—Fuji (Fujiko) the reluctant but devoted consort, Kiku the courtesan, and Ochiba the heir’s plotting mother.
“She hides herself in the sun. Conserves her energy, waiting for her moment. You might never know she is there.”
What was well done was that they didn’t just show the story from the Englishman's perspective as an introduction to Japanese society and history. Much of the drama was in Japanese and though the political maneuverings were narrowed down for the small screen, many of the primary characters were fleshed out. Sanada Hiroyuki as Lord Toranaga gave a quietly powerful performance as the most cunning man in Japan. Toranaga was introduced early and used often to exploit his screen presence. Outwardly, Toranaga proclaimed he had no desire to be Shogun, but he used his extensive network of spies to lay in place a long-term plan to do just that. As a falconer, he broke many men to his fist. Everyone was a possible enemy and he kept his plans in his secretive heart. He even manipulated disasters to his benefit, always knowing when to use his human chess pieces and when to sacrifice them. The English pilot, Anjin, came at the right time, a chess piece that might prove valuable. Sanada’s scene with Nishioka Tokuma as Hiromatsu when all seemed lost was one of the best and most touching of the drama. The two actors traded deep feelings with flickers of their eyes and micro expressions that conveyed the depth of their friendship, loss, and commitment.
“Some are born under a banner of greatness, others must claim it”
The sets and costumes were luxurious. I wish they hadn’t been so committed to using blue filters because it looked as if the land of the rising sun was perpetually in twilight and fog. There was gore, but more for the shock value of the realistic violence without being overly gratuitous. There were scenes of sexual intimacy that also didn’t delve into gratuity. But fair warning, the writers weren’t afraid to use Clavell’s salty language.
“Loyalty does not have an end”
Despite some of my reservations about Blackthorne’s character and actor, and a few of the changes made to the story, I enjoyed this drama. The production values were of a high quality for television. Clavell had a great regard for Japan despite having been a POW during WWII. It was clear he felt Blackthorne was indeed the barbarian in need of civilizing as evidenced when the pilot met his crew later in the drama. The original mini-series didn’t subtitle the Japanese dialogue so that the audience would be as lost as Blackthorne. This time, we were treated to what was going on with the different characters as they made allies, betrayed each other, and played a dangerous game to have their man become the next Shogun or as in the case of the Portuguese, do whatever was necessary to maintain their monopoly in the region. And there were those like Yabushiga constantly trying to play both sides against the middle to survive the coming storm. Having read the book and watched the original mini-series when I was much younger, I am favorably biased toward this story. This was not a white savior tale, the book and the drama tell you who was pulling all the strings. As did the historical figure he was based upon, Blackthorne had his uses, but ultimately this was Toranaga’s journey to becoming Shogun.
“If I could use words
Like scattering flowers and
Falling leaves
What a bonfire my poems
Would make”
-Mariko
23 April 2024
Was this review helpful to you?
Has you on the edge of your seat.
Its places you into the action right from the beginning and takes you on a journey that is full tilt from start to finish. I was lucky to see this in a cinema in New Zealand so if you can see it on the big screen I recommend you do so, its certainly just that much more immersive and impressive surrounded by a sea of strangers. There's some powerhouse performances from all the leads, I love Lee Do Hyun, so him and the subject matter was what drew me to the film. I think for me the only downside was this story seems like it could have been fleshed out more in a series rather then a movie, it felt like it was wrapped up too quickly for me at least. They hinted at the background of the main characters but you never felt completely invested in the horror they were facing because you weren't given enough information about them. The soundtrack is masterful and the cinematography sublime. I still very much recommend this film.Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
"Never Risk Your Future in a Man's Heart" (Song Bei Jing, English sub)
I was interested in watching this drama when I saw the trailer and read the synopsis. Once you pass the quirky sentence of the synopsis: "Song Mi Duo who's been single since birth..." (and she is only 18 turns 19, lol), the phrase "unique sleeping arrangement" will definitely catch your attention. So the start sounds promising with unique plot and catchy trailer... not so for the content of the drama though, and I definitely blame it on the directing and editing. Overall it is a light-hearted romcom without paying attention to the quality of production.Like:
- The why and how the 'unique sleeping arrangement' happen are actually pretty reasonable once you watch a few beginning episodes to understand.
- Prologues of in the beginning of next episodes explain what actually happen during the previous episodes
- The strong friendship between Mi Do, Xiao Mi, and Yi You is one to be envied for, as they go through thick and thin with Mi Do relating to the famous Xi Song.
- The drama does not end with the girl following the boy. I love Mi Do's parents objection and advice to their daughter (hence the title of my review above).
- I am satisfied with the 'fate' written for the supporting characters (Xiao Mi, Yi You, and Su Li).
- Xi Song giving house keys to Mi Do symbolizes trust in relationship
- Good acting of actress Chen Yi Xin as the cutie pie and childish Song Mi Do. Despite dislike comment on her appearance, I think red curly hair is quite rare for Asian female movie/drama roles but it's unique and fits very well with Mi Do.
- Good acting of actor Wang Zi Xin as the aloof yet sincere Xi Song. You may think Zi Xin act is stiff, but it fits the role he played. Once you know about Xi Song's background and condition, you understand his childlike traits and why he does not have the amenities other people do. Also, the same reasons why Liang Ge and the housekeeper overprotect him.
- Good acting of both actress Yang Ke as sassy Xiao Mi with big sister heart, and actor Xue Cheng as the lovelorn yet loyal Yi You.
- Great acting of Mi Do's parents. The chemistry between Xi Song and Mi Do is good, but the chemistry between Mi Do's parents is sizzling! Her parents are hilarious and shows PDA everywhere. The actor/actress who play the parents acted comfortably with each other, probably due to them having more experiences in acting than the young cast.
- Mi Do's gorgeous mom
- Mi Do's cute accessories and stuffed animals
Dislike:
- Bad directing and editing as I mentioned above. Probably bad screen writing too, but I cannot really tell due the the English sub
- For a modern day drama has unrealistic scenes that may make you cringe, just give you some examples:
1) A famous pianist is treated like a pop/rock idol star by the young college kids and public??? Not that I look down on classical music or classical musician's fame, but Xi Song is treated as some sort of deity to worship that Mi Do is harassed and bullied because of him.
2) Mi Do's parents do not care at all on their daughter's whereabouts after her birthday party??? Despite her best friend Yi You urging them to call the police. And Mi Do's does not call her parents informing that she will be late...
3) Xi Song's dad pinches Mi Do's cheek at their first meeting??? While she and her parents does not know who he is and the housekeeper does not even greet him...
- Some draggy conversations and filler scenes, typical Chinese dramas.
- The drama does not tell you about Mi Do's accomplishment in writing novel, only a brief mentioning during Xi Song and Mi Do's conversation in the last episode.
- The choice of wardrobe for Xi Song ( martial art-type of clothing)
Lastly, kudo to Yulia Chan from Youtube for completely subbed this drama. Although Mandarin and English are not her native languages, her sub is not bad as we get to understand the story-line and she took time to make a praise-worthy effort.
Was this review helpful to you?
Clichéd But Hilarious, Sweet and Delightful
This drama is by no means revolutionary or original, but having said that, it is also light-hearted, somewhat "modernised", and comforting. It's a given that the main leads would end up together, but despite knowing the obvious, I couldn't stop watching, plus the laughs and pinching heartaches I felt (in a good way) were incredibly addicting.STORY
This is a story about a manhua character, Xia Yu Bing, changing the lives of other manhua characters in her world through maintaining high readership ratings and preventing the manhua from getting axed (thus preserving her own life). She does this by employing various familiar business models that are frequently used in the real, modern world. The manhua artist's initial story had a dark beginning, but as she made changes to her storyline, Xia Yu Bing also independently changed her fate in her world. Everything about the drama is riddled with traditional tropes - corny fall-and-catch shoujo moments, the obligatory rain scene (lots), show-your-love-through-cooking, including the initial dislike the main leads had for each other before eventually falling in love, and yet the joy encompassed is in all of these things. What is a romance drama without some villainous plot and angst? Other than romance and friendship (Xu Zi Yan and Ye Wen Zhao are best friends), I also love the dynamic Xu Zi Yan had with his father, Xu Guang Ling. The scenes of this father and son pair were definitely some of my favourite. Xu Senior is not only loving father to his son, but also to his daughter-in-law. Each time father and son bicker playfully with each other, knowing they both care deeply for the other gave me a warm and fuzzy feeling. Plot holes notwithstanding, all of that still makes for an entertaining watch and I could ignore the implausibility of certain parts in the script. Lastly, although the official Viki synopsis says the male lead was "determined to wipe her (female lead) out and conduct experiments on her body", this is grossly misleading and inaccurate.
MUSIC
I love the songs they selected for this drama. The non-vocal OP is upbeat, catchy and suits the overall theme of the drama. The ED theme, 人生一回合, translated as "One Round of Life" is sung by Ye Wen Zhao's actor in the drama, Xu Bing Chao. The other song used during interludes, the more romantic 落雨纷, translated as "The Scattering Falling Rain" is sung by Qing Sang. This song is my favourite.
ACTING
What I say may sound generic, but it's true. Everyone did a wonderful job in this drama. Dong Si Yi was wonderful to watch. She was funny, expressive, smart, girly, and cute as Xia Yu Bing. I especially love whenever she behaved coquettishly towards Xu Zi Yan. Watching him crumble under her charms was really rewarding for me. I can't imagine anyone but her in this role. I was quite surprised by Lee Ge Yang's performance, seeing that he's relatively green in the industry. While his character, Xu Zi Yan, didn't have much room for expressive navigations at first for being the cold, emotionless genius, he nevertheless performed quite well at portraying the desperation and despair Xu Zi Yan felt in the later half of the series.
OVERALL
I started this drama with zero expectations, as I only happened to see it aired on the day of its release. Suddenly, I found myself marathoning this throughout the night, and the next two days after. And after finishing the series, I looked up on videos and short interviews the main leads gave soon after the show. In one clip, when asked to describe their characters, Lee Ge Yang called Xu Zi Yan a medical genius who is a "wife-doting maniac", but Dong Si Yi responded, "He's okay..." in a slightly dead-panned manner lol. This exchange just made me feel they're really perfectly cast as the characters they played. The drama overall has left me with nothing but a lasting good impression - and I will surely watch this again for the comedy and romance.
Was this review helpful to you?
The Gray Area
Crime Crackdown (扫黑风暴) is a crime drama, where the narrative revolves around Li Chengyang (Sun Honglei). Li Chengyang was a policeman, however, he was accused of taking bribes, therefore his reputation was ruined and he was expelled from the police force. After being expelled from the police force, he then becomes involved in the mafia group. The drama then continues on with a group of officials who were sent to Lv Teng to clean up the mess in Lv Teng (crimes that have been in Lv Teng for years - such as illegal gambling, high loans, and so forth). Then cold cases started to get cracked and so on, which will lead to the big ultimate case.What made this drama particularly appealing is the stellar cast and the directing. The cast of this drama is outstanding! For people who have been watching Chinese drama for a long time, I'm sure that you'll be familiar with the faces in this drama. With all the amazing casts, the acting is perfect!! From the main role to the supporting role, every character is portrayed very well done. And Lay did a really outstanding job in this drama, he had a huge improvement in his acting! Secondly, this drama is directed by Wu Bai, I loved his directing in Evil Minds, therefore, I was particularly looking forward to this drama.
The crime cases in this drama are okay. Some were interesting as several cases shown in this drama are based on real-life cases that happened in China. This drama is kinda draggy and it's a slow burn drama - it hints at you about the main goal from the smaller achievements they achieved. However, the small details are not attractive enough to keep you watch it and you might get kinda exhausted in the middle of watching it. In the middle of the drama, you might feel that you are not going anywhere, the story is stagnant. Therefore, it might be kinda taxing to watch it.
This drama production is not the best, but not the worst too. I really enjoyed the colour scheme and grading, with it's prominent shadows and textures. However, the cinematography, directing and editing is just average, there is nothing new and appealing.
As a crime drama, Crime Crackdown is a very good drama in terms of its acting and production. However, the weak and slow-burning narrative makes this drama fall short.
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
A surprising gem that delivers a cohesive story and clever characters
I came out of this pleasantly surprised, intrigued and overall satisfied. Fall in Love manages to humbly balance the light-hearted romance with heavier and darker themes of politics, war and strategy. First and foremost, I’m a sucker for Chinese Republican era drama (see Arsenal Military Academy and Rookie Agent Rouge) and so this naturally fell on my radar. The first few episodes are a bit cringe and feel super staged (and a bit confusing as we work out our bearings), but keep at it and as the story progresses, you’ll soon find how much of a hidden gem this one is.STORY
The story follows our male lead, Tan Xuan Lin and female lead, Mu Wan Qing who happen to meet under unfortunate circumstances and this leads to a series of misunderstandings. Cleared up quite quick, they appreciate each other’s strengths and wits and from there on out work together as partners (and later on something more) as they navigate through the tumultuous times in Shanghai.
Within 36 episodes, the story is well written, well-rounded and cohesive. I found the episodes breezy to watch, not much filler, but more story progression and kept me wanting to watch the next. The story flows well, divided into three distinct sections: 1) Wan Qing’s internal family drama, 2) Xuan Lin’s political strategy 3) At war. The last section fell away a bit, which is why I can’t give it a perfect rating I’m sorry. The ending episodes felt a bit confuddled (like introducing new villains?), it felt like they were rushing to the finish line but wanted to tie up all these loose ends.
I will flag the story comes front and centre, and the romance sometimes fades to the background, particularly the latter half of the drama. Which is a shame, because I love seeing our two leads get all romantic because the chemistry is so there.
Things I liked within the story:
+ Reference and referral back to key themes, conversations and symbols. See amulet, number switch, this idea of trust/belief in each other
+ The overall craft of constant misdirection and deception. Loved how our characters were three steps ahead of us and everyone gets played. This feeling of being blindsided is such a rush
+ This idea of new vs older generation (the father and son dynamics) leading the future
+ The exploration of each of the character’s history/backstory, uncovering the truth, and setting everything in its rightful place
CHARACTERS and ACTING
Brilliant and again unexpectedly good. Where has Chen Xing Xu been all my life, and how am I just finding out about him? What superb acting, he outshone everyone to be honest. He managed to capture so many complex emotions and feelings within the one expression. His character was flirty and playful, never taking anything serious. But that feels like a façade for what he is: a highly intelligent, cunning and slightly devious, fiercely loyal and courageous, natural born leader. He manages to shift into so many facets of his character effortlessly, from dark, looming and aggressive when he’s threatening someone to super light and jokey when he’s bantering with Wan Qing.
Props to our female lead, she did so well and I loved her characterisation. It’s rare (typically we see naïve and pure female leads as the go to in Chinese dramas), but here Wan Qing is equally intelligent, so switched on, possesses vision and foresight, merciful but not a door mat. I loved how she could hold her own (see ep29 as evidence), was rational and reasonable and unfazed by anyone standing in her way.
Both were complex characters with tragic backstories, and we see how this has shaped who they are. The pair were matched really well, in mind and body, and together were an incomparable force to be reckoned with. Yes they were open with each other and had this unwavering belief in each other. But I did get frustrated when Xuan Lin hid things from her or lied to her in the name of protecting her. She could obviously handle whatever came her way, so I would have liked him to be more truthful with her.
Our array of side characters and their journeys were given enough time to develop alongside the story and worked well. Evan Lin as Xu Guang Yao was your typical supportive second male lead, for me his acting needs a little work, but his character development was on point. We really see him come out from his sheltered father to his own person with will, fighting spirit and new belief. We were also given optimistic and persistent youth’s pursuit of love (Tan Sang Yu) and also a more mature, realistic and accepting blossoming relationship (Gu Yue Shuang).
MUSIC and REWATCH
The music grows on you and fits well with the emotional scenes. Though I usually don’t rewatch dramas, I would actually rewatch this one again. It was filled with surprises and kept me on edge throughout. Like I mentioned, it is well crafted and the story flows on from one episode to the next smoothly.
WATCH FOR:
+ Lead interaction, banter, chemistry and teamwork. They are by far one of most perfectly matched couples that you can’t help but root for. I loved seeing them team up seriously to face challenges, where they lean on and confide in each other, and somehow pick up on these hidden cues they share between them
+ Clever characters. I love how they outsmart everyone, the cons they pull, their ability to predict the future. They know what’s up and more often than not they keep the audience in the dark until their reveal. A lot of ah-ha moments that were like little surprise easter eggs that gave me this feeling of pure delight
+ Tight script writing, witty banter and conversation, cohesive story that delves into the backstories, histories and present lives of our characters. 36 episodes doesn’t feel long, and to be honest thought they should have added some more episodes to the concluding section so it didn’t feel too rushed
WATCH OUT FOR:
- Staged production. I wouldn’t say cheap, but the production does feel unrealistic at times, so I wasn’t entirely immersed into the Republican era world. They definitely fused a lot of contemporary aspects in costume, design, speech and what not.
- The trailer was a bit deceptive in categorising it as a light romantic comedy. In fact, when you actually start to watch, it gets hella serious and dark at times. There’s a lot of war strategising and talk, battle and fighting scenes, a lot of time is given to how the Warlords manage their affairs, soldiers and territories. So the romance and their relationship is neatly interwoven within the story
- The ending 4 or so episodes. It does lose its way, starts to get a bit muddled and messy. They jam packed so many new characters and new plot lines, that it felt a bit unnecessary and unfounded. But I understand they wanted to have this big climax and promote the whole national pride thing, but it meant the romance takes a backburner.
Overall, I’m so glad to have picked this one up and stuck with it. Left me pleasantly surprised and exceeded my expectations. There’s a lot to like with this one, so give it a go and let me know what you think!
Was this review helpful to you?
Set in a mental institution, this movie doesn't hold back on the crazy. The cast of characters is so delightfully nuts. Don't get me wrong, I don't take insanity lightly. There is always a sad undercurrent to insanity because the reality is the reason behind a person's mental breakdown. Those reasons usually being a horrible event or events from one's past or the unfortunate breakdown of the intricate workings of the mind or a chemical imbalance in the human brain. I have a close connection with someone with Schizophrenia and I can't imagine the struggle, the fight, the torture that goes on inside their own mind.
But this movie isn't really about the reality or the clinical aspect of mental illness. It's about the characters and their point of view of the world, how they cope and survive. Off kilter is an understatement. But at the same time it can be delightful. Especially the fantastical sequences that literally put you in the mind of the characters. You get to see what they think and feel; usually through their particular idiosyncracy. The one thing I took away from this movie was the Will to Survive.
Also I loved the way the two leads came together in their own crazy way. The way they sought out ways to accept each other. They weren't portrayed as stupid. They simply saw the world in a different way than you or I. I loved the way Il Soon protected Young Goon and made an effort to learn how she thought so he could keep her safe. He may have been crazy but so wise within that context. I loved that.
I am recommending this movie but really for those who have a great capacity for whimsy. Who may like a little weird with a side of fantasy and looking to watch something very different.
Was this review helpful to you?
