This review may contain spoilers
Sensitive and at the same time ruthless portrayal of child abuse and its traumatizing effect
"Miss Baek" is a KMovie about child abuse. Sensitively, cautiously and at the same time ruthlessly, it portrays the example of two 'victims' - a young girl and a grown up woman (actually also a man). It shows how the system prefers to helplessly look the other way, leaving the children alone in their family hell. It also illustrates how this traumatization affects their future lives, remaining trapped in their frightening dark history, still vividly present for the rest of their lifes.Han Si-mi has received multiple awards for her performance as Miss Baek. But also Kim Si-a in the role of little Ji-eun is just incredible. And the rest of the cast and production, too. Also thank you for the consistently tranquil, unexcited simplicity as well as a to the point, no-frills narration.
Highly valuable. By the way, the story is based on a true event.
------------------------- SIDE NOTE: --- Child abuse in South Korea ---
The cane in schools has been officially banned in South Korea since 2010. However, thrashing at home is another issue. Among the cases of child abuse confirmed by the police, more than 80 percent can be traced back to the biological parents as the perpetrators. To this, add the dark figure. Accurate statistics on the prevalence and frequency of violence against children are difficult to obtain, since the police, ministries, child protection centres, independent agencies, etc. each compile their own statistics, which are based on estimated numbers.
Many South Korean parents grew up like that themselves ... and still belief that children are the extended selves of the parents, kind of - not individual separate beings. Social focus is not on the rights of the children, but more so on those of the parents. Upbringing is primarily the private affair of parents and not a matter of legal jurisdiction. In this context there is often talk of the "stick of love". In fact, many parents believe that thrashing strengthens their children's character while showing them how much they are loved.
In many European countries this no less than abuse. And fortunately there is a growing awareness of this in South Korea as well. In media representation again and again one encounters scenes of child abuse, e.g. in KDrama and KMovie. It is common. However, fortunately, it starts to be more and more common, too, that this kind of violence is being socially confronted as part of the storytelling... Statstically, the number of cases with serious domestic abuse being investigated by the police is increasing. Including cases in which parents abuse their children to death. This does not imply that child abuse is increasing, rather that more cases are being reported. An encouraging sign. It gives hope that the dominance of traditional (and often abusing) parenting concepts is slowly crumbling.
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I often tell my friends that if you want to learn more about Japanese culture don't watch anime but watch Japanese movies instead and this film is the very best example of that. Watching this movie will open your eyes about this kind of culture in Japan and on how they cut trees. The act is treated with respect (respect to the forest and forest god) and not just cut a tree then plant after which what I was only aware before watching this movie. The last part of the film is holy freaking moment, a combination of epic and comedy gold.
I watch this film because I am a fan of Shota Sometani and I was not disappointed and though the film's strength is the story it still one of his most important role to date. His performance here is not on par with his performance in Himizu but in this movie he proves he can also do comedic roles, his timing is just great. This film is in my opinion his best film to date and yes even better than Himizu. As for Ito Hideaki, the last film I've seen from him was Lesson of Evil which is such an epic movie. If you love Battle Royale and blood in your movies I highly recommend it. He had a great performance in Lesson of evil but I was more impressed with his performance here, he is such a badass and this movie is not even an action or a Yakuza film, it's a coming of age/slice of life movie lol. The chemistry between them is just great they are the total opposites, one is rugged type dirty guy and the other is like a girl and totally weak but once both of them are on screen there is such a magnetic force between them. You will enjoy Sometani's character development here. Given this film has two great actors and combined it with awesome chemistry makes this movie one hell of a ride.
Overall a great coming of age movie, relaxing to eyes visually and relaxing to ears with its music. A great movie if you want to learn more about Japanese Culture. If you love Departures, The Great Passage, Waterboys, Linda Linda etc. this movie is similar and has a similar vibe.
Check my Blog for other reviews & other JDramas stuffs. (｡◕‿‿◕｡)
https://thatjapanesedramaguy.blogspot.com/
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This review may contain spoilers
It is about Sisterhood - with a deep connection transcending age and nation. Yet in a man´s world.
When watching KMovies, one stumbles across productions that are surprisingly quiet and told with comparatively few words. "Moonlit Winter" is one of them. A quiet road movie of a mother an her daughter enriched with pictorial symbols and allegories. Like a long cold winter night.It's about the unhappy love between two young girls that wasn't allowed to be. (SIDE NOTE: To this day, homosexual love is socially outlawed in South Korea. Starting with the younger generation, a little more tolerance is creeping into society, but only at a snail's pace they are starting to find something like solid ground under their feet.)
It is about the (need for) reconciliation with the past. About shame, guilt and forgiveness. And about choosing yourself first. Self love. And then, strengthened in that, one can choose anything, including a relationship... even if it's a homosexual one that still is socially undesirable...
Intense! The list of awards is correspondingly long. However: The intensity could easily be missed, because the quiet, long winter nights are what they are: Long. Dark. Cold. If you don't discover the magic of the diffuse moonlight for yourself, then time can get pretty dreary and gloomy.
The cast fits the show. They are all radiating and keeping the intensity in minimalistic terms.
It is about women with a deep connection transcending age and nation. About Sisterhood!
Tender. True. Yet in a man´s world.
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I found this drama as I was looking for a teacher-student love story. I quite liked it. The beginning was very funny and romantic, and as usual in this kind of plot the middle part was really heart-breaking. (I'll let you discover the end by yourself :p) I would have rated it higher than that (maybe even 9/10) if their teacher-student relationship was their only obstacle. In my opinion, adding family issues was a mistake as it could have been a plot for an altogether different drama about impossible love. Nonetheless, it's still a pretty good show and I enjoyed it.
Edit : I rased my rating to 8 in my personal watch-list (7 before) since this drama grew onto me after a few rewatches, mainly the beginning of the drama.
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This review may contain spoilers
Confusing mess
OK, my reviews of Thai BL series are starting to sound so repetitive, but once again, series like "Top Secret Together" show how small companies really face a lot of issues when creating any type of story, not just BL. Low budgets, inexperienced actors, poor directing, confusing writing/plots, nothing original in the storyline, among other things, caused this series to be well below standards and nearly forgettable.First, let's set the main characters...
Simai, Phob and MaiEak are friends who study together and have to finish an internship at a non-descript company. Phob is in love with MaiEak but he is oblivious to it. Simai meets Lukmo who is his supervisor and immediately likes him and tries to make him open up as Lukmo is super uptight and annoyed with the extroverted Simai.
Nampu and Copy are two university students. Copy is in the engineering faculty and I'm not sure where Nampu studies but he visits Copy at, yes, you guessed it, a copy shop he runs with his father and openly tells him he likes him and starts flirting with him despite Copy resisting all the time worried about what his father might think.
Plawaan plays basketball and wants to attend a competition hoping to be selected. In all this long process he is followed by a high school student named Suea (at least from what I assumed from his school uniform in episode 15) who motivates him and helps him train even if he misses classes (making his mother angry). However, Plawaan runs into Top, a rival, who wants to play a game and whoever loses will actually quit basketball. Plawaan loses and he is depressed but Suea is there to make him feel better.
Both and Newyear act nearly as themselves, both are a real life couple and here take roles as café owners who act like parents to all the younger characters who come to the café and give them advice.
Ok, those are the characters... now the confusing mess that was the plot, especially for the main couple and the MaiEak, Phob, Namo love triangle.
Oh boy, where to start?! I'll separate it according to each couple or it might get even more confusing.
Simai starts falling for Lukmo despite his cold demeanor and constant rejections. Lukmo starts opening up and warming up to Simai. They spend time together at work and also in Simai's house because Simai's mother loves Lukmo. Then, Simai's father arrives as he was working abroad and recognizes Lukmo as Kao, his biological son from a previous marriage (plot mess #1). Simai is mad because now that Lukmo is his half-brother he can't date him (plot mess #2... I will never understand Asian BLs that are obsessed with half-brothers or stepbrothers being in love as we've seen in "History 2: Crossing the Line" and "History 4: Close to You" from Taiwan; "Brothers", "My Bromance", "My Bromance 2: 5 Years Later" and "Love by Chance" from Thailand; and the cancelled "Addicted" from China). Lukmo/Kao is mad at him because Simai's father abandoned him and his mother for Simai's mother, then his mother died later due to cancer so he was all alone (plot mess #3). The father opposes to Simai and Lukmo being together (as usual in some Thai BLs) but then, suddenly, appears in Lukmo's office to tell him that is ok to date Simai because Simai is not his biological son (plot mess #4) so they are not really half-brothers only stepbrothers. Simai always thinks he is Lukmo's half-brother because the father forbids Lukmo from telling Simai the truth as "he is too sensitive to handle it" (plot mess #5). Then, Simai tells Lukmo he is going abroad with the father, leaving Lukmo all alone again for no apparent or valid reason (plot mess #6). They say goodbye in episode 15, Simai tries to kiss Lukmo but he rejects him and then falls asleep in 2 seconds. Then, near the end of the episode, Simai appears in his office but I still can't tell if he is real or if Lukmo is hallucinating (plot mess #7) because Simai has a different hairstyle in episode 14, he leaves as we hear an airplane in episode 15 and suddenly shows up at the office with his old hairstyle in the last part of episode 15 without any indication that some time has passed... we get a hint because Lukmo has a new hairstyle in that scene but in the behind-the-scenes we hear one of the assistants tell Kanok (who plays Simai) that he doesn't even appear on the scene as he is at the door frame so Mix (who plays Lukmo) can focus on something for the camera to shoot, so more plot mess.
The other main characters have Phob deeply in love with MaiEak and MaiEak being an idiot who can't recognize Phob's feelings and only uses Phob to do most his work during the internship and almost everywhere else in reality. In the middle episodes, Phob confesses his feelings for MaiEak only to be rejected which causes a change in Phob who becomes more distant as he is angry at MaiEak. Then, around episode 10 (I think), a younger guy named Namo visits the café and sees Phob and immediately likes him and tries to chat with him. This is when MaiEak gets jealous and begins to change which then becomes yet another storyline/plot mess when he tries to interfere in what is developing as a Phob-Namo relationship. All of a sudden, he confesses his feelings for Phob and tries to stop him from seeing Namo. He even tells Simai that he let Phob do most of the things for him because he wanted to see if he was special to Phob... I mean, what? after he confessed his love, you still make him do things for you? MaiEak has to be one of the most arrogant and selfish characters I've seen in a Thai BL because he calls Namo to brag about the time he spent talking to Phob (Namo later does the same but he really likes Phob from the beginning), he calls Phob all the time and tells him he loves him and calls him "babe", he tells Phob they will eventually end up together but I don't know if he is driven by love, driven by jealousy of seeing Phob being happy with someone else, driven by his desire to have Phob around to help him do everything, or a combination of all of the above. Sorry, but Phob is too good for you MaiEak... luckily, the writers decide the same thing and Phob gives a Namo a chance and end up together while MaiEak reflects by writing a boring letter to himself and hoping he ends up with Phob one day.
The other couples are not as confusing but don't show many interesting things.
Nampu chases Copy like a puppy all around campus, the copy store, the café, everywhere. Copy starts to slowly fall in love with Nampu and has a nice chat with his father who supports him 100% no matter who he decides to like (yay for the usual Thai BL clichés with the parents that either completely approve their son being gay or do the most ridiculous things when they are against it, but there never is any middle ground with parents in Thai BLs). That gives Copy confidence so he becomes Nampu's boyfriend. The story of this couple is dull and boring and they go through all the usual phases of a BL with the flirting, denial, rejection, jealousy, fighting, etc., etc. and Nampu is a bit too annoying with his actions at the beginning when he is almost forcing Copy to like him.
Plawaan and Suea see each other a lot at first with all the basketball practice but then Suea's mother tells him to study and grounds him so they don't spend much time together. In the end, Top tells Plawaan that he wasn't selected in the competition so Plawaan should try because the bet from the earlier episodes was a joke (yet another plot mess). Plawaan meets with Suea in his school and they go together somewhere but nothing else happens.
Both and Newyear are a couple. Both proposes in episode 12-13 while on vacation at the beach and they own a café. That's it... nothing memorable to tell.
The thing that bothered me in this series is that we see the couples, but aside from the moments with Both and Newyear in the café, at Neywear's party and the beach trip, they don't interact with each other. Simai-Phob-MaiEak are friends but I don't know how do they know Plawaan-Suea or Nampu-Copy aside from the friendship they share with Both-Newyear. And the other actors, like the guy who keeps trying to sabotage Lukmo's work and telling the girl in the office to do something or he will lose Lukmo, the 2 older women at the office, the company CEO, the café worker, even Simai's parents, do not provide any depth to the story, they don't bring anything interesting or do much... so I have no clue why were they were included in this series other than to have some airtime to fill.
The acting is a bit of an issue but is not as bad as other series (like Gun Napat in "Golden Blood" for example). Newyear and Aof (who plays Phob) have more experience than the rest with Newyear appearing in "I am your King Season 1" and "What the Duck 2" and Aof appearing in "Make it Right" and "Make it Right 2" while Tiger (who plays Plawaan) had a guest role in "My Engineer" as the annoying guy who flirted and tried to kiss Cooper.
The rest are newbies to acting... Kanok (who plays Simai) and Mix (who plays Lukmo) had good chemistry. There are some behind the scenes at the end of each episode and there is a scene with Kanok crying after discovering that he might be Lukmo's half-brother, when the director yells "cut", he keeps crying and is Mix who comes to console him, which was nice to see. The acting wasn't solid by any means, but they delivered decent moments when they had to. I believe directing and writing is what let them down in this series.
In the end, a series that was longer than what it should have been, that had some major plot issues and that didn't provide a satisfying end to the main couple caused by all those plot issues is what makes "Top Secret Together" another forgettable BL series. Also, anyone knows why there is a scared cat in the series poster? Makes absolutely no sense.
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Her being 31/32 and him being 15- I think that's the youngest age gap I've seen and at this point I'm not even put off by it anymore lol
There are so many movies/ dramas with an older guy and younger girl and never do I ever hear any complaints but switch the roles and everybody is up in arms. The pattern I'm seeing with these kinds of stories is that even though the guy is young, the girl is emotionally stinted; so in that aspect they are both the same age. In one episode Yumeaki tells Wako to stop acting like a child and that line genuinely took me off guard lol The child telling the adult to stop acting like a child even though his character... let's just say he has his issues.
Personally I think there is nothing wrong with a genuine friendship but lets leave the romantic stuff until they are at least adult enough to handle/ understand their emotions a bit.
I would recommend this but only for those who are mature enough to handle it. (netflix)
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Saikou no Jinsei no Owarikata - Ending Planner
29 people found this review helpful
Story 10/10: As odd as the plot sounded, this drama actually has a good amount of everything(except action...unless you count Yamapi running with music playing in the background as action.) The plot is fantastic, but I think the biggest obstacle to it's success was the fact that it deals with death(every single episode), and most people would rather not watch anything that has such a heavy subject in it. Personally, I didn't mind and rather enjoyed that unorthodox aspect of it.
Acting 10/10: Flawless and usual. Every single cast member was perfect. Yamapi, Eikura Nana, the actors who play the family members, and everyone else did an amazing job.
Music 7/10: I think I remember only one song or maybe they just had one song played over and over again. I can't remember. The one song was actually pretty good (Yamapi was the singer), but the lack of their being more memorable variety is what made me give it a 7/10.
Rewatch Value 6/10: I don't usually rewatch dramas but since the success of this drama doesn't really hinge on surprise, I would give this a 6 for rewatch (which is very high for me.)
Overall 10/10: I looked forward to new episodes of this drama every single week and that is rare for me. For people who haven't seen it yet, I would say at least watch the first episode and give it a chance. I'd even go as far as saying it's a masterpiece drama that deserves more fans.
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A unique story that is full of comedy and drama.
At first, I didn’t get the humor of this series, so I put it on my hold list. But strangely enough, I started watching Angel’s Last Mission Love, and I was mesmerized by Shin Hye Sun’s performance as a ballerina. From a ballerina to a man sent back in time as a woman. She is flawless in her performance of both. Finally, I returned to watch Mr. Queen, and I was treated to one of the most entertaining series I’ve ever watched. Please don’t miss this one.If you want a unique love story, this one is hard to top. Playing a woman with the lingering thoughts and mannerisms of a man is not easy. However, Hye Sun pulled it off with the grace of the amazing actress she is. I am not a huge fan of historical dramas with non-stop political infighting, but this one had more than that. The comedy was funny, and the drama was real, plus it had a perfect ending.
The supporting roles were well thought out, and each had its own identity. It is always a treat when you can enjoy the side stories as much as the main. That takes a writing talent which I think showed in this series. The music was also spot on and didn’t override the conversation or the story.
And finally, although I don’t know how many people read this far down, the subtitles were perfect. Good subtitles are critical to someone who doesn’t speak the language and are often taken for granted. I’ve mastered the art of reading and watching at the same time. What makes a subtitle good is when you feel they match the emotion on the screen. Thank you to the great subtitle people at Viki.
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What a story line. A MUST WATCH !
Mr. Queen is so special to my heart. I was hesitant to watch it at first. I thought oh another romcom with a body swap. I was bored with romcoms actually. But the Mr. Queen trailer kept following me everywhere on Instagram, So I decided to give it a go. And I'm fully satisfied with the desicion.The first episode was kind of overdone. The visual effects was kinda bad and the comedy was too simple and easy to predict at the first episode.(but please don't underestimate the drama, you'll miss a lot.) I mean you can imagine the comedy in body swap.But it was enjoyable. I don't lie about that. You can laugh out loud. So I thought the comedy would be the main part of the drama.
And actually the OST "Bong Hwan Aaaa" was really good. That OST was ringing inside my head for weeks when the drama started. Other OSTs of the drama are pretty damn good as well. Specially the OST " Here I am ".
As the drama progressed, the genre started to change. I thought the drama would be pure comedy. But it was not. It had so many other aspects to it. That's when the drama showed it's true colours.The drama has so many plot twists as well. So you'll enjoy it more.
I mean the queen's character development is unbelievable. I felt like Queen is completely different when I started rewatching from the beginning. The romance was great. The politics were great. And her cooking skills were even greater. It felt like comedy version of "Dae Jang Guem" at times.
The chemistry between the actors were great. I mean they deserve the recognition.Everyone really pulled it off. I'm so satisfied with their acting. I really wish they win so many awards for the drama.
And the cinematography is so nice. I mean every shot of the drama is so beautiful. So pleasing to the eye. Nice post production. Loved each and every scene. Drama was so beautiful from the beginning to end. Of course you can see the photos from MDL photos section and admire the beauty.
The Korean remake was miles better than the China original version.The ending of the drama is pretty neutral. At the end you'll think a lot about human nature and who we really are. The drama is so worth watching. What ever happens it will be beautiful.
2020 was a good year for kdrama fans. So many good drama were aired. And I rank Mr. Queen in the top 3.
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When I say this drama is crazy it's not an overstatement, Truly undefinable.
As I said above I didn't really expect anything from this drama indeed I did find the beginning a bit slow, the first 10 eps were good but something was missing for me to fully enjoy it, I was still curious about Lu Yuan and Jiang Lai and wanted to continue for them as I loved their interactions and their chemistry and found them so intriguing. Also I was very fascinated by the Ost, the colours and the cinematography : the reason why I continued and we can clearly see it's a high budget drama and they did so much effort which are very noticeable if we pay a close attention to every little detail. And slowly I fell in love with Lu Yuan and I think it's around ep 11 when Lu Yuan ordered a Wellington Steak in a restaurant that I realised I was already under his spell and I then I told myself '' this man has clearly nothing to lose, he is special and he has something that no other male leads have, he is strange, full of tricks, fearless and hilarious'' this instant I knew this drama had an offbeat feel and that it would suit my current mood.
This is a story about a man, Lu Yuan who lost everything in the United States and decides to come back to his motherland with his friend's ashes, he is then his friend's daughter guardian and has the duty to take care of her until she becomes an adult. We will follow each and every of his adventure in China, his reunion with his past friends (mostly his ex girlfriend) and his meeting with one enigmatic and fickle woman, Jiang Lai. It looks simple reading it like that but that's all what transported me for 42 eps.
Undeniably Lu Yuan was the highlight of the show and he was truly the only shining star for me though I loved Jiang Lai and Lau Tai Tai (Da Hai's mother) a lot. Lu Yuan is not a character he is more than that, simply too real and too charismatic to be unreal (in my world), that's how much I love and admire this man, we all need a Lu Yuan in our life to illuminate our days.
Of course I need to mention the gorgeous Jian Shu Ying, who completely stole my heart here with her beautiful smile, her mannerisms, capricious and lovely personality, simply I fell in love with her charisma, I think she has a peculiar beauty but all those traits make her so elegant and lovely. She made a great pair with our main actor Sun HongLei and I love every one of their scene together. Da Hai's mother was the sweetest and loveliest character in the drama, so caring, she's also the only one who made me cry here, some of her scenes are too powerful. Of course I loved the little cutie Xiao Cai who truly loves and admires Lu Yuan for who he is, never judging him and accepting him the way he is, without conditions. They both made me smile so much. I did like the other characters, Jia He could be very adorable and understanding but I didn't like how she always wanted to control Lu Yuan's life, she could easily become irritating at times. Don't have much to say about Jiang Haokun and Gan Jing, they clearly don't inspire me!
There are 42 eps but I can tell you that when I was already at the end I wish there were more waiting for me. ><
Now the Ost, I immediately fell in love with this music, I mean the first thing that attracted me in this drama is the opening so enchanting and beautiful, both musically and visually and it's the best I ever heard/seen. The songs and pieces of music here fitted perfectly with the atmosphere of the drama and were well chosen for certain scenes. I love the ending song "Lu Yuan" so so so much, aww.
I think this drama is definitely not for everyone, though it's very special to me and it means a lot as it brought me so many laughter and enjoyment. I'd recommend it more to people who are looking for mature, delirious, not typical and realistic stories though it has a bit of fantasy* (EDIT: eventhough* it felt weird and inappropriate at times it didn't bother me too much hence I change my 9.5 into a 10).
THIS DRAMA IS TERRIBLY UNDERRATED, hope it eventually gets the attention it deserves.
Last but not least I love this quote : "True love is actually very simple and plain, whenever I sit next to him just by the look in his eyes, the tone in his voice I feel strongly that we could both read each other's minds. Some people might never come across such a feeling." Lu Yuan truly deserves to be loved.
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This review may contain spoilers
Take Care of the Young Lady/My Fair Lady is one of those dramas that begin on a funny/light hearted note and end with a melo/romantic note. The plot revolves around Dongchan, a former gigolo who owes a ridiculous amount of money to three loan sharks (whom I dub as the Three Stooges because they are honestly more comical than threatening). He plans his way to pay the debt by becoming the personal butler of the extremely wealthy and egotistical Kang Hyena.
It surprises me how some people were not able to see the chemistry between the two main leads. Yoon Sang Hyun and Yoon Eun Hye won the Best Couple Award for this drama. So, its safe to say that the duo won't disappoint you. In the beginning episodes you'll probably not like Hyena. For one, she's verbally insensitive to those around her and has no qualms with being quick with the hands. Then along comes Dongchan who quickly puts Hyena in her place... though he suffers for it both verbally and physically.
Now you all are probably saying to yourselves "How can I get behind this romance when one is abusive?!" Well I'm here to tell you that that abuse doesn't last very long. I wish I could do a more in depth review but since this site has a "No spoilers" policy then I'll try my best to keep shut with certain points. As the story progresses, you realize and see for yourself that Hyena is not a bad person by any means. All she is is just spoiled. Lets take a look at Hyena. Hyena was born with a sliver spoon in her mouth. She's filthy rich and with a snap of her fingers she gets what she wants.
When you watch the drama, you realize that she doesn't have any real, TRUE friends. Why? You could say it is because of her personality and that she has an air of superiority around her but try and look at it from her perspective. Hyena doesn't trust anyone. Why? She's rich and because of that fact she FEELS like she can't trust anyone. Hyena has that little voice in the back of her mind telling her that the only reason a person will ever get close to her is because of her money. I'm not rich but as I watched this drama I could see why Hyena would close herself off and be distrusting of others.
When it comes to Dongchan, he's a down to earth kind of guy who has made some tough decisions in his past. Your heart will ache a bit for him when you learn the real reason why he became a gigolo and ended up in so much debt. His relationship with Hyena has many funny and touching moments. Dongchan too realizes that Hyena is just a spoiled brat and instead of becoming her enemy, as he had planned, he becomes her friend. Their friendship gets to the point where Hyena feels she can't even go a day without him by her side. And from there you know the usual K-Drama formula of the two eventually falling in love with each other.
What I loved the most about this drama was the relationship between the two leads and how they truly fell in love. Dongchan is very hesitant since many would view him as a poor man with a shady past. He is willing to give up his love if it means that Hyena will be happy. Hyena on the other hand refuses to let go and pretty much says screw what other people think.
What I disliked about the drama... though not exactly relevant to the main plot, there are a few parts where characters mention Hyena's ex-boyfriend and its kinda left up in the air for the viewer to figure out what happened. Overall I'd say its just a nitpick.
Also, the supporting characters Eui Joo and Taeyun are great as well. I always chuckled a bit whenever Eui Joo would say or do something funny and in turn would make Taeyun smile or laugh.
The music is great and meshes well with many of the scenes. Fun fact: Yoon Sang Hyun sang two of the songs in the soundtrack. One of them is a duet with Yoon Eun Hye. Both of them have beautiful singing voices.
I would recommend to those that are interested in this awesome drama is to give it a chance. When I start something, I finish it. Maybe I won't finish a drama right away but eventually I will. Hope you all enjoyed reading this review and take the time to check out this drama.
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Am I exaggerating? Sure. However, this drama surely exceeded my expectations! What a refreshing drama! Action, Comedy, Crime, Investigation, Amazing female lead... It's a great package! This drama became something I looked forward to every week.
The acting.. Seol Ok and Wan Seung's chemistry was over the top! It'snot even romantic! I love how they argue, their personalities and roles collide, the (flirty) banter! They're my parents and I love them so much no one can stop me. Supporting characters are amazing! They definitely make the drama colorful and flavorful. I love Seol Ok's smart, witty and brave yet clumsy at the same time.
There are cases that were dragged a little too long... Especially in the first episodes, I honestly didn't mind since I was enjoying everything so much. However, there are certain I wished they went more in depth.
I am seriously expecting a season two. I'm not hoping, I am expecting. Divorce must be done(Ok, I'm hoping this)....Overall, a fun drama! It's stress relieving. If you like comedy and crime or a fun drama in general, give this drama a try!
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Brilliant
Apparently this was shot on location in the far Northwest, in 90 days, last autumn while the pandemic was still going strong. We already know how much magic a terrific cast can infuse a crappy script with power (I'm looking at you, Guardian), but when the script is as brilliant as the actors, you get sheer magic.The production company is known for some outstanding shows, Nirvana in Fire being one. They seem drawn to stories of heroism in increasingly realistic settings, a combination I find bewitching. The story concerns a dirt-poor village being resettled in the Gobi desert, which is in the process of being converted to arable land.
For me, the best part of Like a Flowing River, which I also loved, was the story of a small town as they went from virtual medieval backwardness, imposed by the Cultural Revolution, into the modernity of the eighties. In a way it seems to have been practice for this series, which nominally centers around the Ma family, but everyone is important. We get the lives of teens, and middle-aged people, and elderly. Men and women.
It's clear that this series was produced for the upcoming political celebration, with its uplifting message extolling hard work and integrity, but the substrate is a reminder of the inimical aftereffects of corrupt government officials. It is all demonstrated through small, entirely human stories, filled with tragic and triumph, love and sacrifice, joy and celebration, with a steadying thread of irony.
If I had any complaints it would be the very tightness of the story, that leaves certain emotional changes to the imagination. There is a lot of story conveyed in 23 episodes, over twenty years of time. I think--I wish--that it had been 25, or even 30 episodes. But we have what we have, containing many exquisite moments of perfect characterization begging rewatch. I can't say enough about every single performance, even people with no more than half a dozen lines (like a certain person's disabled husband). Sandwiched between two really lovely pieces of music.
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This show, apart from being full of gender stereotypes, also has a sexist and abuse-normalizing storyline. Ling Yi Zhou is controlling, oppressive, obsessive, selfish, psychotic man who basically blackmailed and tricked a woman into marrying him and yet he is always portrayed as the perfect dreamy husband! Also Xia Lin went from being a dynamic young woman trying to make it in the entertainment industry to a stay-at-home obedient wife whose ONLY purpose is to support her toxic husband. Also Xia Lin’s reaction of her finding out Yi Zhou’s scam was absolutely terrifying. Instead of freaking out about the fact that she was being watched for months and forced to marry him, she was only upset because she had been lied to about her being ill. The issue of Ling Yi Zhou trapping her into that marriage is never tackled, while Yi Zhou hiring guards to keep her inside the house (so basically kidnapping her) after finding out that his scheme was uncovered is also a toxic behavior worth mentioning. All in all well intended love is about a toxic relationship that is everything but well intended and I definitely do not recommend to anyone to further support it. At the same time I hope everyone who has already watched it could understand how wrong and unacceptable it is for a show like this to air in 2019.. Horrifying. Was this review helpful to you?
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