Reviews

One that loved not wisely but too well.

Once upon a time in Beili, there lived a woman who was simply too beautiful 倾国倾城/qīng guó qīngchéng; she could fell a city with one look and fell a kingdom with a second look. This kind of woman is a menace to mankind that can only be locked out of sight in a gilded cage. This is the cautionary tale of a brave man, one that loved not wisely but too well who dared to set her free. And his one true friend who tried to help him do the right thing.

Dashing Youth 少年白马醉春风 or Young White Horse Drunk in the Spring Breeze is the highly anticipated prequel to 2022's dark horse hit high fantasy martial arts drama The Blood of Youth 少年哥行. Like its predecessor, it is a youthful coming of age story about friendship, adventure and the spirited idealism of youth. Even though Baili Dongjun is the titular character, it is equally his best friend Ye Yun's villain origin story. They are parallel characters; both innate martial artists and scions of the Beili empire's founding families. As boys, they vowed to storm the martial world together when they grew up; Yun as the Sword Deity and Dongjun as the Liquor Deity. After the Ye family's downfall, they are destined to go down opposite paths. Dongjun lives a charmed life; making a name for himself as Li Changsheng's final disciple at the prestigious Jixia Academy; surrounded by new friends like Sikong Changfeng and Beili's Eight Talented Gentlemen. He reunites briefly with Ye Yun, who now calls himself Ye Dingzhi. In sharp contrast, Ye Dingzhi's path is a lonely one, full of obstacles, inequities, betrayals and brief snatches of happiness.

At its core, this is quite a straightforward story that is cluttered in the storytelling. There are too many digressions into the Who's Who of the martial world and and its pretentious rankings. While the fan service is terrific, such a dazzling array of too hot to handle swordsmen put my exploding ovaries in danger of apoplexy. The surfeit of hot filler characters with shallow side stories distract from the main arcs. For all their fancy swords and pompous rankings, all we see are a few showy poses and twirls before the CGI takes over and screen explodes in a gory orgy of light and digital creatures. While the CGI is well done, it is a big let-down not to see a few well choreographed live action fight sequences.

I was happy to see Hou Minghao dub himself as Baili Dongjun. It makes a big difference in how the character comes to life. While his acting is still a work in progress, he plays a character he can relate to and it shows. Ye Dingzhi is a more complex and intense role, one that He Yu pulls off charismatically. Even though he does questionable things, I empathized with him every step of the way. It would have been nice to see more of Xia Zhiguang's Sikong Changfeng. The humor and camaraderie between all the dashing youths is one of the drama's highlights. Even though the romances are not convincingly written or well developed, I liked all of the couples enough to root for them. The role of Yi Wenjun should have been more sympathetically portrayed instead of just as helpless, selfish and willful. The lovely Ye Yao is only Dongjun's muse, her character doesn't get to do much.

The irreverent Li Changsheng/Nangong Chunshui is the funniest, best acted and most engaging character in this story. Even though his arcs don't tie well with the main plot, the narrative visibly sags after his exit. His parting words to his disciples 凭心而动/píng xīn ér dòng or "act according to your heart" captures the spirit and idealism of youth that is Dongjun's lifelong mantra; one that years later, he passes on to his disciple Tang Lian. He helps Dingzhi steal the bride because Wenjun was not willing and therefor it is wrong to force her. It is the simple, absolute truth that trumps the cynical calculations driven by politics and expedience. He never wavers from this belief. It is true that Wenjun is a selfish, weak and dislikable character who makes terrible decisions with devastating consequences. But she was still wronged in the first place. Thus like Dongjun, I understood, even tried to empathize with her until she was too easily manipulated into returning to Tianqi. That was not only a stupid decision, it showed that she simply did not trust and love Dingzhi enough to wait for him. Poor Dingzhi, he never got any breaks. Even the love of his life failed him at the end. Through sick and sin, it was always and only Dongjun who remained his one true friend.

There is little new in the political plot that wasn't revealed in dialogue and flashbacks in TBOY. Which would be fine if they fleshed out the character stories and the succession struggle instead. But those are dealt with cursorily with Ruojin left as a blank cartoon character and the relationship between the brothers not explored. TBOY romanticizes Prince Langya as a tragic hero, the noble uncrowned king of Beili. In this prequel, he is the character that disappointed me most. He tore up his father's will out of misplaced loyalty and his own selfish desire to live an unrestrained life. He never made the case for why Ruojin was more worthy, supported him unconditionally and in the case of Wenjun, enabled him even though he knew it was wrong. There was never a so called greater good or do or die reason why Wenjun had to marry Ruojin, it was simply a matter of imperial privilege and entitlement. They could have escaped with his help and everything could have been so different. But I don't hold him solely responsible; there were so many malign forces at play and bad decisions that there is plenty of blame to go around.

The ending to this story leaves that bitter after taste that the bad guys won. It makes too convincing a case that a too beautiful woman who can topple kingdoms must be safely locked out of sight so she can do no harm. Both Wenjun and Dingzhi paid a high price for their mistakes but too many people who pushed Dingzhi down the dark path got off unscathed. In the novel, Dongjun has an epiphany about his own dào/道 or convictions in the middle of his fight with Dingzhi. He switches sides and punches the daylights out of the emperor instead. He scolds him: "She does not like you, why force her to marry you? She has escaped and is living a happy life, why lock her up again? You are the emperor with a harem of 3000. My brother only loves one person. Live and let live. Learn from your brother, he can even let you have the throne, why can't you let my brother have one wife?" Even though it changed nothing it was something that had to be said. Without this scene, Ruojin is never called out or held accountable for his role in starting a war over a woman. Instead it is Dingzhi who is destroyed and villainized for trying to hold on to a grass hut in a tiny corner of the world where he was happy. It is very hard to feel good about a story that ends like this.

This messy and disappointing prequel was in some ways limited by what was already canon in TBOY but still could have been better on multiple fronts, Nonetheless it is a chock full of eye candy and a fun watch if you don't look too hard at it and ignore the inconsistencies with TBOY. Even though this is a critical review I enjoyed the drama. I am just mad because it had the potential to be almost as good as TBOY. But it wasn't and so I can only rate this 8/10. I am still happy to recommend it , especially if you loved TBOY. If you liked Wuxin before, you will love him more after knowing his parent's story.

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I'm going to be that one person who wasn't hyped about this drama... just kidding?

I loved the first couple episodes. They were exciting and unpredictable (most of the time). But after the eighth ep, it slowed down a lot, so I got bored. Why did I stick with it till the end? I was already halfway through, so I stayed for the romance (haha, this isn't the first time something like this has happened) ;-)

Try this drama if you love light school dramas with a bit of mystery. I was really impressed by the acting of the cast, especially rookie actors Kim Se Jung and Kim Jung Hyun. Their chemistry is over the roof. I found myself skipping through episodes just to get to their scenes. The side storylines were incorporated well. Like sunah said, School 2013 has the best bromance, School 2015 has the best second lead syndrome (rip), and School 2017 has the best male lead. I personally enjoyed School 2015 the most out of all the School series (except for that last episode), but go ahead and give School 2017 a try. It might be your type of drama. :-) It was a fun kdrama, even if it lost steam in the second half.

The final verdict: watch if you enjoy predictable fluffy dramas

Check out:
- Sassy Go Go
- Reply 1988
- Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok Joo

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I really wasn't expecting to fall in love with this drama as I tend to watch dramas with absolutely NO expectations but then the countdown began and I started to get excited the more trailers and previews I watched which all grabbed my attention. I am happy to say that I wasn't let down.

I absolutely loved the drama from beginning to end especially the romance. It didn't matter to me that Nam Shin III was infact a robot as I've seen other robot dramas with human/robot romances so its not anything weird to me. So as sci-fi with romance dramas go what else would I expect from it? I felt the leads had great chemistry especially as the drama progressed. I liked the fact that whilst there is indeed a second lead who I very much loved he wasn't your "typical" second lead. This drama made me fall for Seo Kang Joon, NS3 as well as NS. I think he did amazingly well portraying both NS and NS3. I also loved Kang So Bong's character, mostly because I saw a lot of her in her MOLS character. After the amazing character development, I loved her even more if that's at all possible.

The music for me fits perfectly with this drama, I love each and every song especially Kang Joon's one.
This drama is definitely rewatchable for me seeing as I've already rewatched it 12 times....not that I'm obsessed or anything. lol :D

I recommend this drama to those who enjoy robot/human romances because its been brought to my attention that a lot of people weren't happy about this but we each have our own individual preferences. Next, if you enjoy sci-fi, action, comedy then this drama is for you. Just make sure you have tissue because I honestly couldn't control myself.

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CEO loses his memory and learns to experience emotions !

This drama is your somewhat cliche drama of the male lead losing his memory and the female lead pretends to be the financee, regaining memory . I must say the first half is quite slow and not very interesting!

Female lead use to be the student of the male lead( He was her instructor). He eventually becomes an investor of a company basically a CEO. The male lead is special because he doesnt experience any types of emotion. People think he is stone cold but doesnt know that his personality was due to trauma family incident. His ex fiancee couldnt get pass that he doesnt love her. Also in male lead's company the vice president/vice ceo tries to do the male lead dirty by trying to get hi injured in a car accident in Thailand.

Female lead is the secretary of her good friend's company. She is the one that deals with the business which so happens that the male lead's company is also interested. She follows him in Thailand to find him in an car accident. Male lead loses memory and the female lead takes care of him. During this time she knows there are still people after him , so she protects him !She lies and makes up stories about her relationship with the male lead. Honestly those episodes were quite boring. There was also flash backs to when she was a child and the interactions she had with her mom.

I stuck around because I wanted to see the cute lovey dovey kissing scenes!Honestly the intro song shouldnt put all the cute scenes in! It was a lot better when the female lead finally fell in love with the male lead. Man... where there some steamy kisses! Their relationship is super cute!

The storyline picked up fast after he regained his memory! It went in a good direction and a lot of the story flowed well! It was hilarious to see the ceo male lead kinda take revenge on the female lead for lying to him. It was cute that she helped cure him of his not being able to sense emotion! He fell in love with her again! So cute.

There were some side characters that was also the evil/annoying characters, but they didnt have too much screen time!Which is good, too much and this drama would of been complicated. However I felt some characters were kinda unnecessary, like her dad and older brother. I mean her dad was a cute dad who loved the daughter. They dont really have a good relationship until up to the very end.

I would recommend this drama but be ready to skip/forward the first half/ >_<

Love their chemistry, relationship , their kisses !

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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 a disappointing conclusion to the 1st season, not through any fault of the actors or the production, but due to the omnipresence of censorship. It's aggravating to see such an awesome drama forced to re-write the entire last segment so that it would make at least some sort of sense after CC-scissorhand went through it. We can clearly see and hear where it had its scissor on. From mid-part onward, words started to not match the lip movement. A clearly sign the dialogs were re-recorded. The story flow suddenly became choppy. One scene didn't logically lead to another. Important clues seemed to fizzle away to oblivion. All were signs of re-editing existing footage to remove certain "offending" plot line.

I give the production kudos for effort, especially the special effects. They were awesome! They look so real, they merged seamlessly with the real world. I can honest believe that their world is real with all those stuffs in it.

Acting wise, 10/ 10. They cannot pick a better cast.

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More than just the simple BL it appears to be

Story:
Wow, although I know that there have been various BL series where the couple adopt a son, this series took that theme to another level. I think it’s important that this is a Taiwanese series as Taiwan is the first and so far only (not counting Israel) Asian country to legalise same sex marriage and allow partial adoption for same sex couples. This series deals with some serious and prevalent issues that unfortunately many LGBT couples still face to this day, including homophobia, child bullying, and adoption as prime examples of this. It’s clear both Jerry and Damian don’t have supportive parents due to the simple fact that they are hiding their marriage and adoption from their families, and in episode 2 and 3 I understood why that was when watching Jerry’s mum. I’m honestly really happy to see LGBT dramas portray such realistic aspects of gay relationships, such as societal pressure and trying to come to a consensus with something both Jerry and Damian can agree on (in this case it’s having children). I love the fact that they dug deep into Kai’s confusion with having 2 dads instead of a mum and a dad, because it really shows the heteronormative society we live in where children are expected to have a mum and dad despite this fact not affecting anyone else except the family. Episode 5 was by far my favourite because it does such an amazing job to present the fear of coming out, especially to conservative parents which I’ve definitely had a lot of experience with. It was so heartwarming that their love could be accepted and I nearly cried at the final scene. Unfortunately episode 6 was when everything went downhill and they left it with a cliffhanger which will cause a lot of drama if a second season is made. I’m hoping that people uploading episodes illegally won’t affect the production from season 2, because I really need to know what’s going to happen now.

Acting/Cast:
—Melvin Sia as “Damian”- Melvin was such a great, natural actor. He has fantastic expression management and his acting is so natural and realistic, which I’m not surprised about knowing he’s already won several awards for his acting prior to this series. His interactions with his “son” and with Mike are so natural I could hardly believe this was the first drama where he played a gay character.
—Mike Lin as “Jerry”- Jerry is another amazing actor whose acting has such a natural feel to it and really draws you in. Jerry is definitely a very relatable character who just wants to travel the world and has such high aspirations yet, with a supportive partner, is still able to settle down while doing whatever he wants. In episode 5 he did an amazing job portraying the fears that those in the LGBT community still face to this day when coming out to close family members and friends. With Melvin I wasn’t surprised to see he was already a successful actor, but I was shocked that Mike is still so new to the industry, having only acted in 1 other series and 2 movies prior to this. Despite being so new he did an amazing job and I really hope to see him in future series too.

Music:
Other than the opening and ending there is nothing particularly memorable about it.

Overall:
A definite 9.5/10 for me. This may only be a short series, but despite its length there is a very strong portrayal of a married gay couple and their adoption, versus how those around them and society as a whole reacts to these connections. It’s definitely worth a watch but I would recommend avoiding the last episode until news of season 2 is officially announced, otherwise it’s going to be a very inconsequential watch.

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Abs-olutely Fabulous!

I rarely watch modern romance dramas but the lure of a mystery piqued my attention. And within minutes, I was sold at the first eyeful of Tsao Yuning's absolutely fabulous abs. Yes, this is one of those dramas that makes me embrace my shallow self. Because this dude is one sexy beast with the kind of tanned, toned, intensely masculine smoking hotness that reduces me to a speechless, foolishly grinning, puddle of drool.

Five years ago, aspiring actress Ruan Nianchu is at the wrong place at the wrong time and falls headlong into a hairy situation. She falls for a dangerous stranger who saves her life, evidently at the cost of his own. A hopeless romantic and optimist, she can't forget him and looks for him in countless blind dates. He reappears with a hidden agenda as Li Teng, as mysterious, intimidating and possessive as ever. The air literally sizzles between this couple who are now my gold standard for onscreen chemistry. There is no mistaking the intense longing and physical attraction between the two. The slow build up to the kiss scenes that usually starts with him invading her personal space and circling her is very hot. And yes, they go all in for the kisses, there are no birds involved. Its a good thing this is only 16 episodes cause my TV was in danger of burning out from the heat even with my air-con cranked up to the max.

I really like the way each episode opens with a flashback that reveals a bit more of the backstory. It is very effective in establishing the depth and substance of the feelings between Li Teng and Ruan Nianchu very early on and it adds to the sense of intrigue around what happened 5 years ago. Underneath it all, the plot is simple but fast paced and interesting even though it does have an its been done before feeling. The villains have rather boring motives and the final villain is revealed the moment they are dropped into the plot which is a bit clumsy.

I found the second couple to be a sheer delight. At surface they are a bit cliche but the kid is hilarious and mixes up their story in a good way. And Li Teng's camaraderie and loyalty to his sexy Men in Black like team of operatives is both cool and heartwarming at the same time.

Overall I rate this very entertaining watch an 7.5 even though its unlikely to turn me into a fan of this genre. I must confess that if Tsao Yuning flaunted his magnificent chest and fab abs just a few more times, I would have abandoned all standards and slapped one of my rare 10.0s on this one. If nothing else, I had several lbs of water weight loss from all that drooling.

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Low expectations lead to thorough enjoyment

I think this show is the perfect example of how hype and anticipation ruined the experience.

I've been holding out watching this drama because of all the negative reviews but decided to give it a shot, and I can honestly say I was HOOKED. I'm so glad I watched it because I actually really enjoyed how complicated the story was because it left me wanting more. I found myself trying to connect the dots between the little details sprinkled into each episode to figure out what would happen next, and that's usually what makes me stick with a drama till the end. I feel like there were a lot of twists added to the stories that I just did not expect at all, and though some of the twists revealed sort of fell flat, I still found it exciting enough to keep going. To me, it was really the overall story driving the show rather than the characters (if that makes sense at all).

The acting was okay, I expected more from Lee Min Ho as I knew how much everyone loved him and this is the first drama I've watched with him in it! I thought that Woo Do Hwan's acting was absolutely breathtaking in this drama. He did such a good job that I was genuinely convinced Yeong and Eun Sap were different people. I expected a bit more chemistry between the main couple but I just loved the story so much that I overlooked this part.

I can understand the criticisms for this drama as there is definitely a lot left unsaid, but it's just one of those dramas that I expected so little from but ended up absolutely loving it. I would recommend everyone give it a chance despite the reviews! It may not be everyone's cup of tea but it quickly became one of my favorites by far.

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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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whoever decided on the pacing should be left behind and cut... jk not jk

production: i don't think the production looks low budget at all. even if it is, i didn't mind it and thought it was fitting for the storyline they had in mind.

story: this is where they messed up. the plot can be engaging but the screenplay is the worst. the pacing is terrible, i don't know what's happening, and the end was clearly rushed. they could build the relationship more and tell the backstories much more but i ended but not satisfied... they need to invest on better screenplays because this is not it.

acting: the other two actors were good for bl standards, the actors that played yeong woo and yi bin. the other one that played ki jin is clearly a rookie and it showed especially on the "emotional" scene. but the acting didn't bother me it's the pacing that ruined this show for me. kudos on the kissing scene tho! they did a great job and it's not a dead fish kiss. like that's how you do a kissing scene!

ost: the ost is so good. i keep repeating the "wish upon the stars", it's a top 3 bl ost of all time for me

rewatch value: i won't be rewatching the whole show maybe some scenes like their date scene and the kissing scenes.. because that's the only good parts like why would i rewatch a show that has a terrible pacing.

overall: so much potential but they dropped the ball so hard... like the first few episodes are good but then they cannot make stories that feel fleshed out and not rushed. i feel like at this point, kbl need to focus on the story, because that's the reason some of us are watching. the kissing scene saved this bl for me, otherwise, it would've gotten an even lower score.

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Since, there are already a plethora of reviews dedicated to this show, I'm going to keep this short and simple. The best thing about Pinocchio is how unique and original its premise is. This is a show about the dark underbelly of media, how fickle public opinion is and the power that lies with the awareness of things. It shines light on the essence of being a reporter, raising your voice for the right matters and choices that can completely make or break a person.

The first time I ever saw Lee Jong Suk was in Secret Garden and I remember thinking, 'this man has the looks to make it big'. Ofcourse, at that time I wasn't aware that he had already made it pretty damn big. Seeing him in Pinocchio, there's no denying that he has a talent for acting, combine that with his heavenly looks and you get an almost perfect package.

Even though the name of the drama is based on the female lead, it's obvious that Dal Po is the star of the show. The plot revolves around him and despite the fact that the side characters bring their own charisma, they are ultimately in his orbit.

Park-Shin Hye came to be a pleasant surprise. I'm not going to lie, I disliked her in almost every show she appeared in previously and due to my bad experience with her acting, I had developed a sort of negative bias for her. However, it's always amazing when an actor or a show surprises you and surpasses your expectations. PSH somehow managed to make In Ha a sweet and likable character who the viewers constantly rooted for. The fact that she has to hiccup repeatedly came out as adorable instead of annoying and I couldn't believe myself when I started to feel affection for her.

A lot of people were even happy that she finally improved her kissing techniques. That, I think is pushing it a little bit because if you look at it closely, her movements are as non-existent as ever, but due to some skillful camera work, Lee Jong Suk's kissing prowess is incredibly highlighted which makes it somehow appear as if she's a proficient partner too. But oh well- technicalities.

However, for me the biggest flaw of the show was that the protagonists were not on equal footing. Dal Po clearly over-powers In Ha in the relationship and he comes out as far less commited and invested in the love story. Which is why the romance factor didn't do much for me. They do the right things, say the right words, their union makes complete sense and yet, there is no emotional connection whatsoever.
In Ha makes so many sacrifices for Dal Po, her affection is completely genuine and she let's him take the spotlight from her time and time again whereas Dal Po seems almost detached when it comes to her.

Ultimately, this unequality between the leads was something that started to rub me the wrong way. There were moments where I wanted In Ha to shine individually and to be given more credit for everything she does. Essentially, she's such a huge part of the show and if we ponder about it; she's the backbone behind Dal Po's success and yet, she's never valued enough. The moment she does something substantial is followed by Dal-Po countering it with something more and it always manages to downplay her importance. This is the reason why they are both outstanding and lovable personas in their own right but their co-existence is rather stiff and unnatural.

So, in my opinion the best way to watch Pinocchio is to think of romance as just a subplot and focus on the main story. I had so much love for almost every single character in the show and they are so thoroughly well-developed that I could write a lengthy character sketch on all of them. The drama is filled with small, utterly poignant moments that move you. The script is excellently written and the story flows with a smooth efficiency. The antagonists are three-dimensional and I never truly disliked any of them. Pinocchio thrives on the emotional interactions between its characters and it shows exactly how powerful familial love is.

Over-all this drama, with its brilliant acting, consistent story-line and satisfying ending, manages to bring forth a current of continous entertainment from beginning to end.

Indeed, a good watch.

Enjoy!

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This review is going to be shorter than the first for obvious reasons.

Liar Game 2 is a continuation of the first and all the same elements of the 1st Liar Game are in play in this second installment.

The premise is the same but the games are different. I liked that for Nao, the stakes are higher. She gets involved with the games for a purpose and her over the top hope for finding the truth and honesty in humanity becomes a real part of the plot. Again, the relationship between her and Akiyama further solidifies as the games go on. There is character development. Not just for the leads but other character/s as well.

I actually liked the games in this one better; higher stakes, bigger losses, twistier games. All good things!

If you like Liar Game than Liar Game 2 is a natural progression. Why stop at the first when you get a chance to re-enter this strange world? I highly recommend this sequel.

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Definitely worth watching! A painfully beautiful film.

/ Long personal interpretation of everything that played out, explain (?) / details will be further below.

Everything was just stunning: cinematography, the acting, locations, to the sound in the film. It's a queer, sapphic coming-of-age story that's complex, heart-wrenching, and realistic. Shows the complexitiy of life, people, uncertainty of adolescence, what it means to grow up in the police flat and the societal aspects of it. (Covers topic from self-image, identity, love, dreams, social class and opportunity differences, unjust police system to difficult family/financial circumstances.

A tear-jerker filled with details to catch.
FLAT girls left a huge impression with how it was delivered. I absolutely loved how impressively detailed and layered the characters and film is for us to uncover. Every scene & dialogue mean something to the characters and it honestly felt like I was watching real people and trying to understand them through their lens and circumstances. The film leaves room for you to think, interpret and judge for yourself adding emotional depth and feels "human" in a way. There are reasons behind every actions, emotions and words which may hold a deeper meaning. Meanwhile, when feelings are kept with words left unsaid without clarification, it's easy for misunderstandings and assumptions to occur– much like in real life.

The more I went back, the more I understood the characters, their reasons and the possibilities– making the film memorable although it wasn't difficult to watch. Despite the layers of struggles, dilemmas, uncertainty, and the harsh circumstances beyond their control, there was still warmth, kindness, love, dreams, and resilience. I felt for the characters but also gained a lot from them. I think how the film goes may differ with different takeaways but it's extremely well done.

The actresses chemistry was so natural and endearing while the acting by the casts was incredible. Watching it on the big screen was such an experience that I kept going back to appreciate it although it had me bawling, empty and filled with thoughts. Another great film by GDH, and it easily became my favourite. A movie that lingers.
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****spoilers starts here****
(personal interpretation, but to each their own way of interpreting!)
/// Please do not read if you haven't watched it!*
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/ Feelings:
Ann has feelings for Jane. When Jane felt nothing & wasn't sure how to interpret their kiss, Ann went along. Ann confirmed her feelings and her sadness thinking it wasn't mutual. Ann could have put her feelings first but she reassured Jane for her confusion and hid her feelings instead. Ann is clear about her wants and likes, but that's not that case for Jane.

Jane's figuring out and might not know how loving someone feels like especially intimacy with how young she is, but Ann means a lot to her. Jane's happy around Ann but felt nothing kissing her– as she got close to Tong, it got her questioning. Everything switched once Jane thought Ann & Tong were a thing. Every scene with Jane upset, was because of Ann.

/ Identity:
- In an early scene, Ann casually tells Jane, “The clean one is in another bag.” (chest binder) Does Ann wear it too (?) but Ann helps Jane with laundry to keep it a secret. (Jane switched the clean one with the dirty one, made sure her dad was asleep before removing it and told Tong not to tell her mom.)
- Even Jane's parents doesn't know, but Ann knows Jane.
- Jane “It's nothing, I won't wear it anymore” to Tong / to cover it up initally
- But, Tong reassured her, Jane continued wearing it. Someone else who understands Jane.
- Jane may have thought she wasn't a tomboy after feeling nothing with Ann / removed the binder.
- Jane's finding herself. (Girls school / Flat with many traditional families)


/ Alleged relationship between Ann and Tong:
Personally, the entire relationship between Tong & Ann was built on a series of misunderstandings. Considering Tong's actions, Ann's feelings for Jane and importantly my perspective of Ann & her determination. Tong had been caring, but Ann had always worked hard for money. (Laundry/Selling food/Wanting to teach English).

Some scenes/dialogues had no clear basis & felt out of place (because the characters isn't telling us).
Any interpretation lacks overall clarity as some dialogues/scenes matches with it, while others don't.
(*intentionally so, to draw our own conclusions?*)

/ Scene of Ann taking her phone at Tong's.
- Uncomfortably in Jane's perspective.
- Had Ann seen Jane inside, she would've misunderstood as well.
What did or didn't happen—up to interpretation.

Put on his shirt before letting Ann in (mannerism) = Removed when she left.

(Phone on the bed): Tong lets Ann sleep there instead of the couch? Returned after she left? Did Ann even stay over?

(Checked outside): Perhaps to avoid any potential misunderstandings? But Jane was inside. The environment is tight; it’s easy for neighbours to see & misunderstand.

- Ann didn't want to go home.
- That same night, Tong comforted Ann with her dilemmas about giving up her dreams for her family to have a home. Given her young age and all the responsibilities weighing on her, his words "You can be something much better," "You don't have to be a big sister all the time," & "It's okay"–
He mentioned, *"If you need help with anything, you can always tell me."*

Before, Tong was warm to the kids and treated Jane like his child because of their similarities.
- The sudden switch in the characters/dynamic was too abrupt to follow along without any doubts.
- The sequence didn't make sense.
- If anything else, I am assuming.


/ Jane and Ann's misunderstanding (bench)
There was tension before anything. But Ann doesn't know what Jane had seen. Instead, Ann did see Tong and Jane being close, and Jane, vice versa.
(What I do know is, Ann thinks that Jane likes Tong, while Jane is here thinking that Ann & Tong have some relationship.)
> Jane staring at her extra racket > She's thinking of Ann, not Tong.
> Ann meets Jane, while holding a new badminton racket from Tong, "knowing" that Jane likes him.
> Jane meets Ann, "confirms" their relationship after seeing Ann with a new racket from Tong.
- Ann never took anything or the racket from Jane.
- Ann thinks that Jane is upset because of Tong.
- Jane got upset & ran off; Ann chased after her.

/ More of Jane and Ann's misunderstanding (stairs)
Jane: "I thought you wouldn't date a cop?
(Does Jane know why she's upset?)
Ann: "Well, he gives me money" (he probably did)
I honestly think that Ann was masking her feelings & going off based on Jane's assumptions.
Jane: "Do you know anything about love?" (Jane, who doesn't know what love is)
Ann: "Love only matters to those with money." (Jane, Tong, or both),
"How can a person like me dare to love someone?" which Jane didn't catch.

Couldn't link Ann's replies to "for money". Instead Ann was talking about herself and how she's unworthy to love Jane.
- This was after Ann realises their differences during the phone call & her witnessing Jane "having feelings" for Tong / comparison
- "Well, he gives me money" could be a figure-of-speech to how Ann thinks that only those with money to give like Tong, can love not meaning that they're dating. Also, I truly wonder if Ann thinking that Jane "likes" Tong played a role in that reply.

/ Jane's mom noticed Ann with money
Jane: "She receives it from Tong because they're together."
Her mom: **"But he doesn't have money and even borrows from me."** ( *"All good cops has no money"* + was Ann's money solely from Tong?)

/ Jane collecting money from Tong.
*Ann's family is in need, he's happy to help make ANN's life a bit easier, just like how he's happy when he's able to take care of JANE.* (This highlighted he's helping Ann & Jane's misunderstanding)
But, Tong's helping Ann yet Jane is upset (?)
1. She think Ann and Tong are dating.
2. While Ann had never accepted any of Jane's help, she is receiving help from Tong who is struggling.
(Ann probably doesn't know about Tong's struggles while Jane always wanted to help Ann)

/ Tong gets emotional after Jane leaves; It could be his reality.
He doesn't have money for himself, let alone anyone else, not even his child. He's doing everything but it's incomparable to her stepdad who's rich. "Couldn't come because he had no money."
- But he "can do something" for the kids at the flat.
- He mentioned to Jane "They have a new family" “it’s better that way”.
(How he treats the kids, spend time & calls Jane warmly would make sense, he can't do the same for his child who's away in another province.)
- He likely have his own family/financial circumstances and reasons.

/ The interaction between Tong & Ann wasn't awkward (court)
- Tong mentioned he plans to study law for a promotion & wanted to learn English from Ann
(If Ann did receive help from him, pretty sure this is how Ann would give back)
- The pan-out scene with neighbours gossiping about Ann and Tong from above the court
(Looked like they were spreading rumours. Ann looked uncomfortable while Tong was questioning)

/ The rumours of Tong and Ann dating spread because of Jane.
- Ann exploded at Jane because her mom is now tying her already bleak situation down with marriage to Tong for money.
- It didn't feel like they got "caught".

(In a interview, the director mentioned about how women who lived in the flat tend to grow up believing the need to rely on men and that they're incapable to earn) But,

/ Ann didn't want to be like her friend, tied to the flat after marriage.
She mentioned: she's afraid that she'd be unable to leave; Her friend's life seemed to have stopped at the flat, unable to go to university or even come out for a game of badminton.

/ Jane chasing Ann, who ran away to the pier
Jane: "You won't marry him, right?" (misunderstanding)
Ann: "Do you really like him that much?" (misunderstanding)
Jane: "I don't know, but he's not good enough for you to stop your life for him."
- Jane's piority > Ann.
- Jane tells Ann she believes in her (even though Ann is doubtful)
- Jane comforting and apologising to Ann for spreading the "news"

/ Tong & Ann, pier scene.
- Tong telling Ann to bring the kids tomorrow; he'll bring them all to the cruise. (He brought it up out of nowhere instead of clearing up their "situation". I think he knew Ann was hurting with everything and wanted to make her happy)

- Ann tells Tong she'll live with him immediately if he could give her 10m baht (Ann wouldn't have asked if they already had some sort of relationship / Her mom pressured her: "So what did Tong say about the money". )

Ann asked that for her family = giving up her way of life. Her mom still blamed her for everything in a later scene.

/ How Tong looked at Ann. He probably felt terrible for her having to bring that up and knew that she's thinking of leaving.

- Tong said something like "Don't leave me ( in Thai, it doesn't indicate 'me' ); I'm trying my best, and I need time,"
/ Tong's response could stem from his complex situation.

He knew that she wanted to leave, doesn't have the money for her to stay, wanting to help but unable to. With his situation, whereby his family left (why?) , how he's unable to provide for his child as much as he wanted despite covering shifts and really "trying his best" (in a corrupted workforce), it could trigger those replies / Ann asked for money

With Ann's "I can't wait long" / she's gonna leave.

/He switched/ & gave her assurance instead. Told her that *"She could earn as much money as she wanted.* (Also, maybe like the importance of Ann to Jane in the flat, the kids' presence was significant to Tong. He wanted to help Ann stay, but knew that with her family situation, being stucked here wasn’t what she wanted)
- Ann: "I know" (Her determination after the reassurance from Tong, and Jane.)

/ *Ann saying they broke up to her mom* (The only indicator of a 'relationship")
But with her body language, it seemed like she didn’t want to explain. No point in it— her mom wouldn't listen anyway. A way to end her mom’s ideas of pushing her to a man for money.

/ Jane & Nice painted all the names on the wall, including Tong.
(That made him seem significant. He got emotional seeing the names with all the changes at the end. If he's a bad person, they wouldn't have painted his name & why did he get emotional?)

ENDING! (aside from everything else)

- Ann's ending > hopeful or the worst.
I believe that Ann ran away to chase her dream. (She almost hung the scarf but let it free.)
I believe she is "stronger". The cruise scene symbolised how she didn't want to return to her life at the flat perfectly. To make sense, I just think she hid somewhere on the cruise avoiding Jane, as it was far out. I believe she'll manage and achieve anything once she sets her mind to it, like how she was determined to leave and did so. It is not selfish of her. I hope she's happy.

- *Jane holding the paper hat (Part time/Full Time), the map at the end.
- "I hope we bump into each other on a plane, because you have to take me to first class," indicating that Ann is around.
- Ann's family and Jane weren't that "sad" either, although Jane was.

1. Who hung the packet of food outside Jane's flat?
2. Tong started hanging out with other cops after the kids left. (The dialogue is honestly questionable... but I don't know the context. I want to believe in him & that promotion)
3. Ann mom, please change– Although it seems unlikely with Ann's sister taking over her role.
4. Amy grew up! (Ann's sis) Showed some time had passed with Jane's mom having the money to move out. Ann's mom debt / paid off? who did?)
5. What were Jane's actual feelings for Ann?
Was it just Ann's unrequited love? or halfway, Jane was hiding it from Ann as well? or does Jane have feelings all along but realises it after Ann left? (Based on imdb synopsis, Jane liked Ann.)
Hope Jane still appreciates simple happiness & slowly figures it out. Hope her mom will communicate with her more.
6. Will Ann and Jane meet again?
Ann and Jane misunderstood each other and their feelings until the very end. "Love is more important than money" to "Love only matters to those with money". Although Ann almost wanted to give up everything for her family, she ended up running away to chase her dream for a change. I do feel that Ann will return once she's in a better position, at least to Jane.
7. Ann did fulfil her promise to Jane about going on the boat.

Anyway I only wish all of them well :')

- summary of Ann, Jane and Tong
/ In the comments under this review if interested! / exceeded the word count here..

Definitely rewatch it again in your perspective of the characters!

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