1Epic Romance and Outstanding OST
Don't be deceived by the negative comments and reviews from these haters. Their complaints stem solely from the fact that the plot didn't align with their desired expectations. If the storyline were too predictable, it would result in a dull and unengaging experience.1500 years of yearning, yet love's embers still glow. That's the spellbinding essence of this drama, where a man's devotion to his lost lover transcends time itself. It's a testament to pure love, beautiful in its rawness and heart-wrenching in its longing. Tears welled in my eyes more than once, especially during Han Ri Ta's hauntingly poignant flashbacks.
But the magic extends beyond the visuals. The soundtrack is a masterpiece, a tapestry of melancholy and yearning that perfectly echoes the story's bittersweet resonance, and its emotional impact is undeniable. It's easily one of the best this year, every note is a whisper of the characters' unspoken desires.
And the acting? Both leads deliver performances that are simply breathtaking, their raw vulnerability tugging at your heartstrings with every scene.
This isn't just a romance; it's an experience. If you're searching for a drama that will sweep you away on a tidal wave of emotion, look no further. This is a must-watch, a testament to the enduring power of love.
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ACTING/CAST: All great actors, so nice to see many of them come together from different series.
MUSIC: Great music.
REWATCH VALUE: Yeah, just the parts with Rome and Pick.
OVERALL: I am kinda sad to see the warm, sweet charm of Season 1 disappear. They definitely went in a different direction. Porsche is very moody and not as charismatic as before. Adding more cast has added much more tension. It feels like the innocence was lost between seasons.
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It was better than I though, but kind of worse, too.
Just finished it, and it was better than what I expected. 8.5 is a little strong, and maybe it does deserve an 8 or even a 7.5, but this drama IS charming and sweet. And it wasn't boring!Story :
The drama in 3 parts, to me: the bad one, the transition, and the good one.
The bad one: the first few episodes (the first 2 especially). It was too much, unfortunately. I was disappointed in the visual of the heroine, not about the actress, but the way they made her look. Like her bangs or the way she was filmed.
In the movie, they really tried to make us feel that she was creepy, with her heavy bangs always in front of her eyes and her face looking down. Here, I really don't understand what is so scary about her.
They were so focused on making her pretty, that we are supposed to just watch some normal guys be horrified about a... pretty girl with bangs? It's not that complicated to make her hair fall a little more on her face and make the actress keep her head lower. It's kind of the basics of your job. T^T
I know it's only details, but those details kind of ruined the first few episodes for me. Sawako is, in the beginning, a really nice girl, but also creepy, awkward, and doesn't know what to do with her face. Here, she's just a quiet girl, and people's reactions to her feel over the top (of course, it's over the top in the movie/manga, too, but she IS scary in there).
Then we have the transition, which is when she becomes more confident, it's better, because there are no scenes where she's "supposed" to be creepy, so it works. We just follow the story of a quiet pretty girl and her friends.
That's what saved the drama, for me: Kazehaya, Yano, Chizu, Ryu, Pin, and even Kurumi. They walked out of the manga and were really faithful to the source material. The story was nice, too.
This part is better, though some weakness in acting goes in the way of emotional scenes. But I don't really care as it is a high school drama, and I like watching green actors, too.
Then we have the story that continues where the anime stopped. It's where it gets good. Maybe because there were no adaptations of it to compare to, so it was more easygoing. I really enjoyed it from here!
The acting :
When I first heard about Suzuka Ouji playing Kazehaya, I felt like he didn't suit the role at all. The trailer prove me wrong so I wasn't surprised about the really good job he did here!
Nakamura Riho and Sakurai Kaito were really good, too. She feels less experienced as him (weirdly), but the chemistry was working. :)
At first, Kumada Rinka didn't feel as strong as expected for Yano, but it got better and better through the drama.
Miura Shohei was super charming as Pin, Nothing but good things to say.
Suzuki Jin is... Hmm. Kento is a difficult character 'cause he's too much. I think the actor did what he could. It was a very Suzuki-like acting. I know a lot of people like him, it's unfortunately not my case, but maybe one day!
Kanon as Kurumi was okay. She did a good job as an actress, I just didn't feel the charm of the character through her. But she didn't do a bad job, maybe it's just a problem of chemistry because most of her scenes are with Sawako.
Minami Sara as Sawako was.... disappointing. As I said, the styling wasn't on her side, but the acting wasn't amazing either. I didn't expect a lot. The acting in the drama is VERY green, and it's not amazing, but I don't really care for high school shows, usually. Here it did get to me because I just feel that she wants to look pretty. Pretty tears, pretty smile, pretty when she's supposed to be scary, pretty when she's supposed to make a weird face... I don't know if the director wanted it, her company wanted it, or the actress just do that without thinking.
For me, the fault lies with the director, as he should have told her to do more and to let go of her image. It's a shame because I didn't feel that in the other dramas I saw from her, where she plays stronger characters (from the ones I saw).
The music (and directing?) :
Nothing that especially triggered me, but nothing that I care about either.
Same thing about the directing of the show, which is kind of disappointing because the anime did add something that only anime could. I thought the drama would do that, too, but no.
Rewatch value :
Not really. Maybe some episodes here and there.
Here it is for me! Still an enjoyable show if you go through the first part!
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It's perfect for a break from emotion-filled dramas, or for a weekly/daily 45 minutes of pure distraction.
As already pointed out by other reviewers, each episode is built upon a fix pattern, with a brief presentation of each locked-room case in which the improbable investigative trio gives us hints to solve the riddle. If you aren't a fan of serial doramas, you may find the repetition boring. Personally, now and then I like the familiarity created by schemes and patterns: it's... reassuring, and relaxing.
The actors do a great job. Sato Koichi's antics are hilarious, Ohno Satoshi's robotic ways surreal but very effective in creating a familiar character and yet leaving that trace of mystery which keeps the interest of the viewer alive. I'm partial to Toda Erika because every time I see her on screen she is different. This time it took me almost half an episode to truly recognize her; I once read that she's one of the few drama actresses, if not the only one, who is ready to act with no make-up at all. Her clothes are so discouraging it's evident she does not want to impress for her looks, but for her acting skills.
The editing of this show is original: it cuts scenes and music abruptly. In the beginning I thought it was a mistake by the segmenters, but I later realized it's a direction choice. While I wouldn't recommend this kind of style for every drama I watch, I think it works well here, where no room is left open for unnecessary detail and economy prevails over flowery narration.
The music is brilliant and works perfectly for the show. It combines some elements of the traditional detective/mystery serie a' la Ellery Queen with the contemporary pace and rhythm.
It can be rewatched, given some time has passed and you've forgotten
the intricacies of how the culprit did what (s)he did. I didn't mind the ending at all, I thought it was very much in line with the rest of the show. Suitable and therefore recommended to any type of viewer of every age.
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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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School Trip: Joined a Group I’m Not Close To After Story
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again cuteness overload...
That was a nice conclusion, but I'm a bit pissed they said two episodes and not two half episodes...Also the steamy hot scene was in the first half and the second half lacked that. So while it was nice to watch the pacing was reversed. They should have done the serious talk first and then the hot steamy scene last.
So I feel they tuned it down and after the "first" episode I would have expected more. But overall this is a small disappointment but the overall vibe and seriousness was a highlight. It gave the whole special more meaning compared to so many other specials which only serve as fanservice.
Overall it's not perfect, so it gets some deduction, but compared to most special episodes this is a very good one.
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She's not as cute as she thinks she is
A lot of people love this show, and a few people hate it. I think these polarized reactions have to do with some very different opinions on the Little Orchid character.I personally did not like Little Orchid, and I did not like the show that much. Little Orchid is supposed to be young, naïve, and innocent. I admit my personal preferences are factoring in here, but still I think my issue is less with this premise and more with how she is presented.
Orchid’s presentation is very childlike. There are other ways to present such a character that are less over-the-top cutesy. To me, it came across as a cute act, which I found quite annoying. If she were actually 5 years old, I may be less annoyed, but unfortunately she doesn’t look like a child, and even with fairy-time-warped age I think her mental state should be past the toddler phase.
People also complain about her voice. To me, it’s less her voice than the way she uses it. Her tones and cadence are drawn out to match the cute act. I’ve heard Esther’s voice in other contexts and had no problems with it. Just for some reason she is talking like a young child here, I don't understand why she can't just talk like a normal human.
I’ve come to realize that this style is fairly typical of Esther, and as people say, “if you don’t like her then don’t watch her shows”. Actually, when she is not doing the cute act (eg in the body swap or Xilan goddess contexts of this show) I think she is fine. Also nothing against Esther herself, she seems like a lovely person outside the show. I just am not a fan of the cutesy acting style. Maybe it’s what they were going for with the Little Orchid character, in which case, I don’t like this character.
I found that, because I did not like Little Orchid, I couldn’t really get behind anything in this show. I couldn’t understand why two guys were so obsessed with her, and unfortunately this meant I spent a lot of the show rolling my eyes. I also couldn’t get behind her CP because I never saw what DFCQ liked about her. If you take out rooting for them and fawning over them, there isn’t that much left to keep a person interested. There were side characters with their own stories, some of them interesting enough, but they weren’t developed enough to carry the show.
Add to this a good deal of nonsense. Sloppiness in xianxia is not new, but this one is on the more extreme end of having a lot of unexplained plot devices that seem like they should be important. What’s going on with those destiny books, why do they require fixing, why are they so important, how exactly does “fate” work in this show, what even is a goddess, what is this primordial spirit thing, on and on… I’ll admit I might have just missed it, I didn’t analyze that carefully. But I’m the audience, world building shouldn’t be MY homework.
It wasn’t quite a visual feast, either. It wasn’t all bad, some pretty shots and good CGI, but also quite a few scenes relying on bad CGI. I felt sorry for actors having to pretend, e.g. like they’re struggling against a strong force. If the force didn’t look so fake, I wouldn’t be sitting here thinking about how they’re filmed.
I watched this show despite knowing it might not be my thing, because I wanted to see what all the fuss was about. I finished it because it wasn’t quite bad enough to drop, and it really does have a lot of hype. It was entertaining enough, but I think it’s hard to really get into a show when you can’t make yourself care about the characters. I just sort of slogged through it. In some senses it was nice because I got more sleep and took care of the rest of my life better, relative to when I’m watching a show I really like and stay up too late binging.
ENDING – READ AHEAD ONLY IF YOU WANT TO KNOW, CONTAINS SPOILERS
It has a happy ending, but it’s not satisfying enough for many fans, because you only get to see the happy part for about 10 seconds. Typical Cdrama. For me, I thought it was so deus ex machina, like I could not see how it would ever work out for our characters and then the scriptwriters just pulled a random miracle out of nowhere- it was a bit lame.
They do attempt to tie up some of the side stories by showing what happens to a few of the more prominent side characters. This is better than nothing, but as I cared about these characters more, I still felt unsatisfied by their half-baked resolutions.
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Love confidently, a sweeter & lighter version of its original story
Before I begin my actual review, yes, FL & ML are non blood related step siblings. Though FL & ML knew each other as kids, they didn't grow up being raised together. It seems as if the parents married much later while the ML was abroad for many years. Even when he returns, it doesn't feel like a family dynamic. There are no family pictures with him at home nor does he have a room in the household. He speaks to FL's father, his mom's husband, like a neighborhood uncle & vice versa just like FL speaks to ML's mother as an auntie rather than a mom. Regardless, I know that it can still be weird for some (& I too would've preferred they didn't have that connection) so I wanted to clear that up for those that would feel uncomfortable watching.When I first saw that this was a SITR remake, I wanted to stop watching as that drama left a bad taste on my mouth & I was worried this drama would do the same. However, though certain plot points were the same or similar, the feeling was entirely different. The tone of this drama stayed light, even when conflict was happening, and made this drama easy to watch. I think part of the reason was because of how the leads communicated & solved problems together rather than lying & attempting to do things on their own, like in SITR. Another reason is because of the way this drama was directed - it didn't have that dragging & dull feeling that SITR had nor unnecessary scenes of scenery & such. There were a couple of transitions from scenes that were choppy but nothing too jarring. As for the music, while it's nothing that I will go out of my way to make a playlist for, it sounded nice, there was different songs used, & they actually fit the scenes/drama. Basically, what I disliked about SITR was fixed here. The only thing that was better in SITR was the acting & the passion of the relationship, though I would say it actually works better here that they kept the relationship sweet instead. (Also, I'm only comparing it to SITR for those that are wondering how is this different from it.)
I was dreading having an overbearing horrible character like the SITR mother but, thankfully, there was none! While FL's father made me roll my eyes with his comments about her work & marriage & he crossed boundaries, he actually cared about FL & thought he was helping her. (No, that is not to excuse his actions but rather I was noting how I didn't get that feeling from the SITR mother.) His wife made a comment that his bark was worse than his bite & that accurately sums him up. He has reasonable reasons for objecting to her relationship but they have a heart to heart & he listens to her words & respects her decision. As for ML's mother, she was always on FL's side & supportive so that was great to see.
However I feel about the relationship, I liked that once FL made up her mind that she wanted to be with him (which didn't take too long) she stuck to her decision & didn't waver. (In SITR, even though they were loved up, FL gave the feeling of seeming not to be too sure or really not being on the same page as ML.) Their relationship made her trust in herself, as well as in him of course. She didn't hide things from him but was honest with him. Though they helped each other solve their individual problems, it never came across as them doing so because the other was helpless. They genuinely respected and believed in each other, which was a reason why they were able to stay strong, not breakup, & convince others of their love (her father really being the only one that they needed to convince.)
While the leads were cute, I will admit that I liked FL's friend, Yi Ran, & ML's boss, Chen Ye, more. I wish we would've gotten more screen time for them (they should've got Xiao Mian & Yi Bo's screen time). I think their story had potential to better be developed but it was okay as is & I quite liked seeing them together, especially with Chen Ye's son. As for the other couple, Xiao Mian was so annoying & a useless character so I didn't like her with Yi Bo. Yi Bo didn't need her as a lover when they could've only focused on his livestreaming career. Their scenes together were ones that I didn't care to watch.
Once the majority of conflict was solved, the last 6 episodes did begin to feel a bit like filler episodes - like they needed conflict to have content. It wasn't necessarily bad, nor was I bored, because that's when we got Yi Ran & Chen Ye together. I would say the only thing I didn't like that happened in those episodes was how they lowkey tried giving FL's ex a small redemption arc, but I didn't buy it & it didn't last long so it was whatever. Fans who loved SITR may feel a type of way that others like this version more but some of us prefer something that isn't as intense, doesn't have an unbearable parent character that brings down the show, & has an end that is more satisfying. So, if you didn't like SITR or dropped it, then I would say don't let that stop you from watching this version. I won't say this drama is the best but I think it's a drama worth giving a try if you have time & want something that is an easy binge watch. (In case you're wondering about my ratings regarding the acting/cast & the rewatch value, overall the acting wasn't excellent but it was okay enough for the characters they were playing & I rarely rewatch dramas so that's my standard score, unless I love/hate a drama then it will be higher/lower.)
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FINALLY A CRAZY TENSE CRIME GL!!!!!!
I have to admit that despite being a lesbian I can't get into gls. I think gls are still developing, so seeing a series of this quality (among many recent others) is always great. This series is a nice change of pace from your standard, almost telenovela-like gls. I also *love* crime thrillers so I have a bias and a much higher tolerance for shows like these. From the trailer, I was skeptical of the prison setting but man does it create a super tense environment!The show does a good job hooking the viewer in. It immediately starts with tense scenes and once you finish one of the earlier episodes, you're left craving that adrenaline you felt. Kae's actor, Kemisara Paladesh, does a great job in the first episode emoting too positively, like someone on the verge of insanity. Fits the character. The production quality, lighting and surroundings are well done and I'd like to give a moment of appreciation to the team behind that. It's something that stays consistent in the show and keeps people watching. They do end credit transitions too well, my favourite being when the camera zoomed out while Claire was grieving and the credits started rolling. From the 3Ds gang, Dao draws me in the most, even if she takes the backseat in later episodes. Bell is painfully innocent throughout the show which might seem like a harsh contrast to the general tone, especially when Claire and Bell get together and have their honeymoon phases. She is the main lead but I like other characters way more than her, such as Kae and Claire. Episode 2 had quite the nuance in my opinion and revealed the lore and gave depth to many characters. Made me sympathise with Dao and Top while not agreeing with certain actions of theirs. Speaking of Top, my interest in his character started to die down in the middle episodes. I was starting to get bored of him but episode 6 revived that interest in him after an extremely entertaining drunk performance of the character done by Pond Ponlawit Ketprapakorn alongside great camera work. I like Claire's case as well because I love a good sibling relationship, even if at the end you're like "damn, so she didn't have to do all that". Episode 4 and 5 were mostly romance episodes so it's good for romance-focused viewers but I'd understand if story/action-focused viewers may find it boring. I loved the imagined wedding scene between Claire and Bell, seeing scenes like that makes me happy without fail because same sex marriage (let alone being queer) is not legal where I am, so it means a lot, especially during a time where hope for it being legalised is there in the light of Thailand legalising it. Some people might say that I'm making it too political but I think I'm extracting all the meaning I can out of it. Not to mention how beautifully it was filmed and done! Their relationship is well done and makes me smile without fail whenever they're being romantic. If they ever had a major argument, my heart wouldn't be able to handle it. 2 major deaths also happen in the same episode, episode 3, which is also surprisingly early. Honestly, 3 episodes later, I completely forgot about those people. I was just reminded when I was reading back my Episode-by-Episode review to compile it into this shorter summary. Maybe their deaths could've had a bigger impact but I'm not sure how the show would do that. It does hit in the moment, so be prepared to at the very least get depressed over their deaths. The small acknowledgement of both deceased characters in the last episode was nice too. Episode 6 is my favourite. If you had to demonstrate what this show is about, this episode would be a good choice. It has everything, from Claire threatening people (my fav being her cutting Kae after she acted carelessly), Kae being officially evil, Bell getting beaten up, Top going crazy over Bell's case to Claire's back story. You name the main developments of previous episodes and this episode has the results of it. Kae stands out the most and I love her despite her being a pretty bad person. She is just so interesting, I want to study her brain. Episode 7 was the most sentimental episode, I dare say it's even more than episode 3 where 2 deaths happened. Here, the characters I actually like and have watched develop have bad things happen to them, it brings out a far more emotional response than the deaths of characters we've barely seen. If I wasn't watching it in a room with other people, trust me, I'd be sobbing.
Honestly, as much as I love this show, I have to admit that a few things felt rushed. I've watched other Thai shows before and I'm used to them being max 13 episodes, so I was surprised to see this one with only 8! So I'm not surprised some things felt rushed because I definitely expected it. I feel like just one more episode would've helped flesh out Top, Kae and the 3Ds more. For starters, Top felt very nuanced to me and out of all "villains" I sympathised the most with him. Honestly Bell's case still has me internally debating my morals. Top should go to jail for supplying the drugs but he didn't plan on stuffing the drugs into Bell's bag. I also took pity on him because his father is horrible and he just felt so... lonely? I also feel bad for anyone with a drug/drinking addiction even if they don't try to get out of those situations. It felt like he was boiled down to a bad rich guy by the end. I think the show antagonised characters too quickly and in the case of the 3Ds, redeemed them too quickly. I understand Dao stepping down because she's got a whole kid but Didi? I get that maybe Dao convinced her and Duen to stop being violent after the 3 years but before that time skip it felt odd for her to suddenly be so nice. I was surprised to see her rushing alongside Bell and being concerned for her. As far as I remember, they never really made up. In my head, their rivalry was calm but if something bad happened to Bell she wouldn't have a reason to care really and might even make a mocking comment about it. Like I get that Bell is dying, but why was it framed like Didi and her were old friends? Maybe I misinterpreted something about their relationship. Part of me also felt bad for Kae (specifically when she got beat up by the people she was supposed to be collecting debts from which is ironic lol) but she's the shows main villain. I think they could've had Kae be more evil or give more screen time and expand on her business and how it affected so many other prisoners negatively. It was satisfying to see her get beat up by Claire one last time but even I was like damn she's gonna die calm down Claire. The scene where she rooms with a rude inmate that made her clip her nails and was just bossing her around felt like very stereotypical villain consequences, like something I was supposed to go "you deserve that haha" to but I just didn't feel anything. I enjoyed her switch in personality and all the bad stuff she did because it made her so interesting, too bad it was a short period. I also wanted her goals to be spelled out so bad; was she sick of being bullied at prison? Was she going to try and get Bell "back"? Was it both? But at the end of the day, it was something along the lines of greed and selfishness I guess.
Overall, a show I don't regret watching. I might not rewatch it much but that's because it's very story and at times emotionally heavy. It's a serious show and I think my mental health would be fried if I went through that again, which is a testament as to how it really gets through to the viewer! The actors are great and even if it's quite short it still supplies the main plots very well. I can tell that the team behind this show put so much effort in so send some love to them as well :)
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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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More than a sport, Racket boys is a community
This is a very charming story of underdogs finding their feet A father who lost his self esteem finds that he never actually lost his skill, a family that was separated comes back together and heals broken relationships, a tiny knew rural community makes itself known and grows somewhat together, and each individual character, all ages, shapes, sizes changes over the course of 16 episodes.It touches on a number of difficult issues seen elsewhere - bullying and misuse of influence among others, but these are resolved in ways I found novel.
There are many moments to laugh at, and some nice use of sound effects. There are many deeply touching moments, and yes, tissues.
I really enjoyed this. It is cleverly and kindly written and directed. The observation of people and communities is acute. The acting is as always perfect.
Watch it.
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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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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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