Reviews

I will be making small comparisons between Age of Youth and Age of Youth 2 in this review.  We see two departures in season 2.  Ryu Hwa Young intermittently appears in the drama as a support character. The reason for this is because she was busy filming another drama. Secondly  Park Hye Soo left the show and was replaced by Ji Woo to play Yoo Eun Jae. We see the addition of the character Jo Eun as the new 5th roommate.  Overall I was not as impressed with season 2 as I was with season 1.  That's not to say that Age of Youth 2 was bad. I simply liked Age of Youth  (1) better.

Story:  [8.0/10.0]
Age of Youth 2 starts out with the group going on a hilarious little trip to airport to pick up Han Ye Ri. They proceed to get lost and another hilarious encounter ensues. I laughed so much in the first few episodes. Soon Kang Yi Na moves out of the house and the group proceeds to find a new roommate. Soon we see Seo Jang Hoon enter the scene. She initially enters the house to investigate a strange letter. Ooooooo what's going on??? Anyways most of this drama focuses on Song Ji Won trying to investigate what had happened during her childhood. We also Yoon Jin Myung get aquainted with her job. A nice portion of this series revolves around her and her job as well. Of course we see some nice house antics between roommates in this season as well. However, I must admit that I feel like Season 2 took a more darker approach to the story. I really liked Season 1 for it's freshness and how it was very realistic. Season 2 seemed realistic in terms of their college life as well, but the ending was kind of anti-climatic. Maybe it's just me, but I don't really like dark slice-of-life shows. It just makes the show seem like a melodrama.

Acting/Cast: [8.0/10]
Overall I can't say that I really liked or really disliked the acting. It was okay in my opinion. I more so had a probablem with Ryu Hwa Young leaving. Personally I felt like Ryu Hwa Young  and her Kang Yi Na character really made this show a lot more funnier and light-hearted as apparently seen with the first few episodes. I felt like the show tried to replace that comedy bit by emphasizing Song Ji Won's sex life (or lack of sex) to make up for it. I wasn't sure if they were trying to make us laugh or not by including those bits, but they definitely weren't funny. Otherwise the acting and cast is pretty consistent compared to the first season.

Music: [8.0/10]
An 8.0 is generally the score I give to most show's music score. I don't usually give 9s or 10s unless the show is a music-based drama that had great music and OSTs.

Rewatch Value: [7.5/10]
Overall this show has middle of the pack rewatch value for me. It'd probably be a long time before I watch this again since I've completed 150+ dramas already (lol I have no social life). I will probably watch the first season again before I watch this one.

All in all, this was a decent follow-up to the first season of Age Youth.  I'm sure you all noticed this, but I do have a slight bias to the first season. I honestly always multi task when I'm watching Korean dramas or my anime shows. This often means that I pay less attention to shows if I find them boring. I generally don't watch slice-of-life dramas as well. This show gets a thumbs up because it kept my attention the whole time even though it was a slice-of-life drama. I hope they make a season 3 and that Ryu Hwa Young comes back.

Thanks for reading my review! Please hit the yes button if this review was helpful to you!

Read More

This was such a Heart wrenching drama. It made me cry even when they were still young until they grew up. The cast are perfect, Hyekyo is very natural when she acts and ChaeYoung here really made me hate her but that's what made this drama even more outstanding. Cast are so outstanding in my opinion, but if you ask why it's nine in the Rewatch value, I haven't watched it again because it was too sad to watch, that would make me cry and hate more. The music is very affectionate, may be sad or not, the singers and instruments are awesome. The story itself is very eye-catching,I love it! Perfect. I totally recommend this. There was no episode where I didn't cry.

Read More

NOT YOUR TYPICAL THAI BL

STORY
================
When SUPERNATURAL meets BL this series is what you will have. Despite just having 3 episode. each one will definitely make you stay at the edge of your seat. May it be you're expecting for a jump-scare or anticipating what will happen next, for sure, you will be asking for more. Unfortunately, 3 episodes is just too short. However, that works in the favor of the story itself as it did not have any filler scenes or unnecessary characters and side story. But do I hope for a longer one? Definitely yes, because this is a unique story comparing to the 99% of Thai BL's. No school/uni scene(s) and the fact that is can be categorized as supernatural as well.

What I really like about the story that it does not follow a linear time line. It does not spoon feed you and will make you think despite that this is a love story. Yes, thinking is more for the mystery type of story; but somehow, the mystery side of the plot is what will make you hooked. True enough, what was shown in the Episode 1 will definitely leave you scratching your head until you watch Episode 2 and realize what Episode 1 is the effect of Episode 2.

Episode 3 is the most emotionally packed one. Grief, anger, sadness, pain and letting go. I am actually surprised that a 16 minute long episode would contain so much of emotion. A 16-minute emotion roller coaster ride indeed. The very last scene, the most ironic "lines"... Kinda reminds me of the song "Punchline" by Aidan Martin because the word 'punchline' was said on the stage.

And as the video darkens, is also the time my heart dropped.

Story-wise if you want to have a sense of the order of the episode based on their timeline, what happened first is Episode 2. It is your choice which will follow next if it is going to be Episode 1 or 3. But I prefer Ep 2 -> 1 -> 3 as it has a sense of acceptance.

ACTING/CAST
================
Jeff and Gameplay are relatively newcomers in the Thai entertainment industry. BUT, they are already showing an awesome acting skill!

Jeff's characters as Mike (in this mini-series) and Marwin (Ingredients) have the same vibes; HOWEVER, in this mini-series, Jeff have already shown multiple of emotions. I must admit, I have watched the first 7 episodes of "Ingredients" before watching this one, after all, it was not complete until today. I like his character as Marwin and I have thought that it suits his looks, charming and cute and is working for him. Then I have watched this. Oh Boy! This guy have a lot of potential and can be on the level of the actors under GMMTV and Nadao Bangkok.

Gameplay, I really like his rugged looks here, and in the series Ingredients, is more neat and organized. Similarly with Jeff, he shows a number of emotions already as to his character "Tops" in "Ingredients". It really hard not to fall in low with Tops when he smiles, but in this, I really want to hug to comfort him as he has been through a lot. If you watch closely, you can see him shows hint of emotion in a number of scenes. It is actually hard for any actor to do that than to show the full emotion. Think about this, a smirk could mean a lot of things; but Gameplay show that facial expression and immediately, you know what he is trying to make you feel.

MUSIC
================
Two iconic songs that definitely put the watching experience in a different level.
1st is MOMENT: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vT993S1FDNM
Jeff and Gameplay singing an excerpt of the song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wJwJuBq5y6U

2nd is COMEDY: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kuKy6aQvcrs , from Jeff's YouTube channel
with hardcoded lyrics: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8IFmh2nvo00

Both were sung by Mike (Jeff Satur). Coincidentally, Moment is also featured in another BL series which feature both Jeff and Gameplay.

Jeff is fast becoming my favorite Thai Actor-Singer-Intrumentalist.

REWATCH VALUE
================
As almost all series I have watched I rarely rewatch a series or a movie and this is definitely not one of those that I will rewatch.

Read More

The main focus is not primarily on the action but the intervals. Intimate play. Highly committed.

The story is told quite sensitively, calmly, just a few dialogues. It is almost studio theatre that relies on the two main protagonists and thus on the haunting performance of Bae Yong-joon and Son Ye-jin.

´He' is typical male, who feels like he owns the world - and now being confronted with his pride being hurt , whereas 'she' represents everything that makes a "good" wife: devoted, caring and - in case of doubt - convinced that she herself is to blame. However, for both of them as their former worlds fall apart their encounter sets processes in motion. They start questioning their lives. Quietly the chance for new orientation, for a new self-image and changed standards when it comes to relationships open up.

The title "April Snow" refers to the fact that the two protagonists love different seasons: he loves winter and she loves spring. Snow in April thus symbolizes a bridge that leads the two together. In the original, however, the title reads something like "Excursion" and refers to 'his' wife and 'her' husband who, as part of their affair, go on a secret trip on which their serious car accident brings everything to light...

(At first the story somehow reminded me a bit of the US movie "Random Hearts" from 1999. The KMovie "April Snow" from 2005, however, is not a remake, just a similar story.)

Yes, it is not a funny movie. Yes, it is intimate play on high studio theatre level. No effects. Just intense play. The main focus is not primarily on the action but the intervals in between. It´s different. Highly committed. Intense.

Read More

You're wonderful just as you are regardless of what planet you come from

Call Me Chihiro reminded me of Mary Poppins, if Mary Poppins had been an ex-sex worker. Like a warm breeze on a cloudy day, Chihiro brought kindness and healing to the people she came across whether it was a mischievous little boy or an ant helpless on its back. Short on plot and long on healing human interactions this film is one you experience with your heart, not your mind.

Chihiro works at a Bento shop handing out warmth and food often with a gentle sense of humor. She makes friends with a small boy whose mother works nights, a high school girl whose father is at a minimum verbally abusive, a homeless man, and the blind woman married to the Bento boss. Despite her work background she never hides it from any of the people she helps. We don't know much about her except that she had a painful childhood and a traumatic experience that caused her to flee her massage parlor job.

Even though Chihiro helps the abused and downtrodden, she cannot always feel the warmth she gives. Without a second thought she buries the dead-both human and animal-afterwards taking a shower and then eating ramen. With her trans friend she explains that if love is about owning and being owned she wants no part of it. She reaches out to others yet cannot bring herself to truly feel and be open.

This film was filled with sweet, touching moments showing how kindness and healing are passed on. As the circle of people she has thrown a life vest of acceptance to begin to interact and support each, the story feels stronger and more interconnected. Yet as profoundly as Chihiro touched others she was filled with an "air of loneliness" and trying hard to run away from it; though near the end, the sun began to break through the clouds in her eyes.

One of my favorite parts of this movie is when Chihiro tells the high schooler about a client she had. He believed that people were actually aliens in human suits. The reason people don't get along is because everyone is from different planets. She and the high schooler always have their eyes open for someone who might be from their planet. What she really wants is for someone to validate her feelings and see her worth. When she thinks she's finally found someone from her planet it clearly touches her that this person thinks she is wonderful just as she is, even if she can't see that in herself.

Call Me Chihiro is a film for when you need a feel good story that doesn't require much brain power. Watching these disparate people begin to find a sense of belonging and someone who cares about them was heartwarming. It may also motivate you to see others beyond their physical appearance and faults and to discover how far one good deed can spread.

2/23/23

Read More

DOYA-JAA!!!! drama of the year for sure...

My opinion on sato takeru change from a so so actor to good capable actor and this was his best performance I must say and he deserves the best actor role on this. IF he continue do performance like this then he might join the ranks of those top class japanese actors. Haru kuroki is one of the best young japanese dramatic actress today and perhaps she is the best. Her acting here is like silent-but-deadly and she never overact and thats the best thing i notice on her.

The story is very engaging definitely one of the most inspiring drama's I saw and i love how they dramatize tokuzo akiyama who is a real person, his antics, his movements...I love it. I also like the way they manage those time skips it didnt feel rushed. The acting here was phenomenal even the foreign actors did well specially that french girl and I wanted to know what happen to her after. This wont become that much inspiring if not of this drama's music....they inserts right music at the right moment. I notice this in every episodes they will build up you emotion, just as you thought that was it but there still a final kicker at the end then BAM.

I didnt cry while watching this but i do feel like I wanna work more harder after. Watch it you wont regret it.

Check my Blog for other reviews & other JDramas stuffs. (｡◕‿‿◕｡)
https://thatjapanesedramaguy.blogspot.com/

Read More

A moment might be short but it's strong enough to illuminate a lifetime

Lie to Love is a contemporary rom-com which starts with many elements of revenge, amnesia, a cool FL and mysterious ML and soon takes you on a romantic voyage.

What I liked (Pros) —
➢ It has the right amount of mystery and everyone plays it cool, like they know each other's secrets but everyone is good at pretending

➢ The whole tree, camping and rock climbing concept was something I really liked… that could be made into a whole different drama and it would be so fun to watch that… I was enjoying the couple's flashbacks more than their current romance…
➢ The main leads, Li Ze Ziang and Su Xie Yi's chemistry stands out differently…

➢ The OSTs, even Luo Yunxi sang one song but Cheng Xiao also has good vocals, no idea why they didn't give her any song… or maybe those songs didn't suit her style…

➢ Oscar, Ohh! Such a nice friend and he is such a sweet character and "Chestnut" is the cutest part of this drama… he deserved some more screen time

➢ Acting was well done by the main important characters ~ Luo Yunxi, Cheng Xiao, Gao Han, Tian Yi Yong, Zhao Zheng and Wang Zi Yun…


What I didn't liked (Cons) —
⚘ FL's character was so confusing for me… they raised my bar too high with the first episode, she was flipping her clothes on air like that, it looked damn cool… but what to do with the great start as later Xie Yi loses her charm… like you went there with a big task… with this and that plans… but you end up depending on the male lead totally… thankfully her role got a little better towards the end again…

⚘ I feel sad for those people (including me) who came in this drama for "pretended amnesia" plot… cause that stayed for very less episodes only…

⚘ I feel like this base story (which is given as sypnosis here in MDL) had so much potential but what they actually showed in the drama had spoiled it… if they gave little less importance to Romance, this would have been more better…

⚘ there comes a span of boring episodes in between, around 15-24 where I was skipping most of the things…


Music/OSTs
❆ ♪Circle Of love♪ — Tien Chong (loved this song! )
❆ ♪Because of you♪ — Luo Yunxi (the song is filled with over sweetness. With this song in Yunxi's voice, I was getting "Love is Sweet" drama vibes… )
❆ ♪Memory of last life♪ — Curley Gao ( her high notes seem so natural, she sings every song in such a mysterious way )
❆ ♪Your moon♪ — Ariel Ann
❆ ♪How are you♪ — Wang Sulong
❆ ♪there is light in the tree hole♪ — Li Runqi
❆ ♪Venus♪ — By2 ( another pretty song with pretty lyrics and pretty voices… one of the singers was giving me "Frozen" vibes )
❆ ♪My sun♪ — Si Nan

… this drama really had many songs… and these songs really saved many points from me… "Circle of love" and "Venus" are my favorites out of these…

I enjoyed watching this at some points while I got bored at some… won't be rewatching this… So, overall, a mysterious drama that will reveal things to you on the surface but hang on, there's more to the story… it's mixed, sometimes very good and sometimes just a watchable drama…

Read More

Chasing Our Individual Dreams, Together

I can’t emphasize enough how heartwarming, realistic, and human The Best of You in My Mind is. This is a modern-day college drama that focuses on how the female lead Lin Xichi and male lead Xu Fang start from being childhood friends and eventually end up as lovers. Yet it is also about the journey of youth and the struggles we face in pursuit of our dreams as we become adults. Not only is it a very satisfying watch with a great happy ending, but our characters also navigate incredibly relatable and touching issues.

I'd highly recommend having a watch if you like these tropes:

♡ A Romantic Couple With Incredible Chemistry: Iriene Song and Gala Zhang have so much chemistry together — both actors depicted the transition from childhood friends to romantic interests very naturally. Most importantly, both Xichi and Xu Fang seek each other out during their hardest times, such as their struggles with their careers and achieving their dreams. They have such a healthy relationship where even though in the beginning they are always bickering and fighting, they are also always communicating openly with each other. Both not only share in the sweetness of their successes, but also support each other through their difficult times.

♡ A Male Lead Whose Charm is His Insecurity: Xu Fang is not a cold and domineering male lead, but instead he is incredibly insecure, doubts himself, and constantly reflects on his own limitations. One of the things I admire the most is how refreshing his character is, and how Gala Zhang’s acting was excellent in depicting Xu Fang’s personal growth. Xu Fang begins as unwilling to be a leader and as reluctant to take the top position in the university archery team, to achieving great competitive success. The drama did a great job showing his fears as well as his mental struggles and setbacks which often self-sabotage his own opportunities. Yet Xu Fang is also incredibly loyal, devoted, and willing to recognize how others such as Xichi are his greatest support. The fact that the male lead is not only afraid to cry and openly reflect on his weaknesses, but also loves wholeheartedly, made him very admirable and unique as a character.

♡ Likeable Main and Side Cast: I liked all of the side couples (both of Xichi’s roommates have love lines.) I also loved the eventual bromance and bonding that developed amongst the archery team. Characters such as the coach, who initially began as being very hard on Xu Fang, turned out to be one of his biggest supporters. I also feel like the time given to each couple was well-paced, and I didn’t feel like our main couple was sidelined for the narratives of the side couples, which I often find occurs in other dramas.

♡ Solid Story With Little Filler: There is little filler, and I appreciated how the drama showed different phases of the lives between the main characters. The majority of the show focuses on their college years, while the later parts of the drama (after episode 20) transition to post-graduation. While I think the first half is stronger and more tightly written, I liked how we could see the growth between our main couple, and also the mental challenges they both faced as they reconciled with making their dreams a reality.

However, there are also some things you might not like about the drama:

♥ The Family Drama: Part of the story is about how Xichi deals with the breakdown of the ideal family that she had envisioned and dreamed of. This is not a family situation that ends in utter tragedy (i.e. death), but without spoiling too much it impacted Xichi greatly. I personally really didn’t like this storyline, even though it (ironically) is what begins the drama and what you see from Episode 1. I was very disappointed with how illogically her parents handled the situation, and caused a lot of grief towards Xichi and her younger brother in particular. I admit that much of the drama does focus on Xichi finding her mom and coming to terms with her family situation, and for me personally this was not a fun part of the drama to watch.

♥ Strange & Irrelevant Use of Second Leads: Ye Shaowen is the second lead male who falls for Xichi. While I appreciated how he didn’t try to actively meddle with Xu Feng and Xichi’s relationship, he goes from being an important character in the beginning to nearly dropping out completely in the middle to late stretch of the drama. Additionally, one of Xichi’s roommates falls for Xu Feng, even though Xu Feng doesn’t notice her at all. I liked how she didn’t end up being a malicious female lead (even though the drama itself makes some strange edits to lead the viewer to think that she is). I think that the way that both second leads were incorporated were rather irrelevant and unnecessary, and didn’t really do much for the story itself.

♥ Break Ups: Without spoiling too much, there is a break up in this drama that occurs in the latter half. I personally liked it because it wasn’t stretched out, and it really was used in a manner that emphasized just how strong the relationship between Xichen and Xue Fang was. I also thought that the break up itself was very realistically handled and occurred for good reason (not because of external meddling, but because of internal mentalities and struggles) but I know that some viewers may be frustrated by seeing a couple go through the break-up process.

I'd highly recommend you watch this if you liked dramas that have fluffy romance, while also being a great slice-of-life drama that touches on many relevant issues. This show not only had great production value, but also had actors that did an incredible job making the characters likeable and relatable, and showing not only the successes they achieved but also the struggles and disappointments they faced. Most notably, this drama touched on realistic mental and psychological difficulties of trying to achieve your dreams, which is something I think is often missed out on in youth dramas. If you’re looking for a drama that depicts day-to-day life on campus and childhood lovers to adults romance, this is a good one to pick up for easy watching!

Read More

oof… where to begin. The premise of the show is borderline offensive. The scene where a guy pretending to be gay lectures an actual gay man on gay rights and coming out made me want to dig a hole and bury myself alive.

It’s obviously a straight story, but they were pushing the “gay love line” so badly. The scenes between ML and SL were more romantic and shot in a more “typical for romance” way than the ones between the actual main couple. As if they wanted brownie points for being “progressive”, but they were not willing to actually give us a gay couple, just bait us with stuff like we had here.

So, let’s talk about the characters, because there is quite a lot to unpack.

Park Jin Sung is a disaster of a character. I love me some flawed ones, but he had no redeeming qualities. While I can empathize with his initial decision to join the pilot episode of the show to get money for his dad’s surgery, the fact he kept going with this lie later on was laughable. Why? His reasoning for not dropping the show was: it will hurt my crush. What was in the brain of that dude? He became so amazingly preachy, I wanted to teleport myself into a drama and slap him at least a few times. This whole mess happened, because he did not think about anyone else except what Ah Jin thought and felt. What’s even more frustrating? He didn’t really lose anything in the end. He got his happy ending and we didn't see that much backlash happen directed at him. None of the characters were even that angry with him. Karma ain’t real here ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Kim Ah Jin… well. I like to think there are two types of naive female leads - nice naive and dumb naive. She is the latter one. When people questioned her on the reasons for the “gay chef” show, she had no real answer. She said she wanted to show how gay people are normal and not different from others, but that’s dumb, since the main focus of the show and its promotion was that it’s a GAY chef as if this was the most important description of him as a human being. She had NO IDEA what she was producing. It shows when she gets so amazingly shocked about these 3 people protesting and asking for the cancellation. “Their eyes were full of hatred” YES HONEY, THERE ARE HOMOPHOBIC PEOPLE.

As someone who was willing to make a whole show focused on the fact your host is gay, you should do some research to know what you are getting yourself and said person into. So you can prepare. So when homophobes show up, no one needs to protect you and make you feel better. It’s you who should stand strong and defend your host and the program you are creating. Her whole character was so amazingly useless and no true development happened.

Luckily we were graced with Kang Tae Wan, the true star of the drama. First, I want to say Lee Hak Joo is an amazing actor and I believed every line he delivered. When he was happy, I was giggling like an idiot, when he was sad I wanted to fight whomever made him sad. Thanks to that awesome performance I was able to engage in his part of the story more. I also appreciate that they avoided going with stereotypes and making the gay character “less manly” with over exaggerated movements, way of speaking and fashion. Tae Wan was none of that. I loved to watch his emotional journey and how he slowly learned how to smile and get close to people around him. I loved the closure he was given and his scene with the dad in the last episode.

The plot had so much potential and could have offered us so much, but for some strange reason they decided to not do it. Why did they give us the typical side couple? They could use that time to explore Park Jin Woo’s character more. Deliver more scenes of Park Jin Sung cooking while they film the show, with some nice messages and a calming mood. Dive deep into the struggles of LGBTQ community. Let Jin Sung taste it a bit, so when he finds out Tae Wan is actually gay, it would truly hit him how much of a bullshit what he did was. Truth to be told, the whole 12 episodes felt like the beginning of the drama, just an introduction. What happened to the characters’ development? We only got Tae Wan opening to people a bit and Gyu Jang being slightly less of an asshole. That’s it.

Not to mention the random journalist which was used in the show two times, when the plot needed it. They should simply incorporate him more into the plot. Otherwise, him being so invested when we saw him only twice makes no sense. Then there is the last episode. They legit got the main couple to break up 20 minutes before the ending, then we jumped to the future and the last scene they met again… wow. hOw oRiGiNaL! In the last scene, I was hoping we will get all three main characters live their lives and move on, taking different paths and not seeing each other anymore. With that I would consider giving it 7.

That said, I might have disliked the story, but I truly liked the directing. How at times the camera focused on smaller details and not the faces of the actors as they were talking about emotional topics. Or when the screen turned to black as the important lines were delivered. This allowed me to truly focus on what was being said and how it was being said. How the whole drama was not overly produced and had this cozy feel to it. Not to mention that bop of ost. I need it all on my laptop asap.

Overall, I would truly not recommend watching. Sure, Tae Wan was amazing, but the amount of frustration I had to deal with as I was watching the rest of the characters was unimaginable. If you decide to watch it, don’t get invested in any character in hopes of seeing them improve and have some nice development - it ain’t gonna happen.

Read More

Fluff sprinkled with emotional dread - best combination.

Probably the most surprising and refreshing concept and execution of it we have seen in any k-bl so far. The seamless transition between the cute romance and borderline psychological horror was masterfully crafted, making me crave for a longer and more developed version of the same story.

Not gonna lie, the show peaked during episode 6, and the ending fell a little bit short of my expectations, but even with that. I am quite satisfied with the overall progression. Yes, it does face the usual issues as a result of a short drama limitations, like underdeveloped side characters, less detailed world building, lack of side plots to make the story seem more full.

But the good was so good, you kind of don’t care about the rest.

First of all, Tae Myung Ha was a surprisingly complex character forced into an unusual situation that made him face both internal and external struggles, leading to well executed character development. And honestly? He was also simply extremely fun. His cheeky one-liners and confidence of an adult in a teen “drama” was a blast to watch. Lee Tae Vin’s performance just made the character so much better. Easily one of the best performances from k-bls, especially when the actual emotional stakes start to make their entrance.

Cha Yeo Woon was adorable. I do think this character had less to offer compared to Myung Ha (to be fair, it also might be the result of me focuing more on Myung Ha compared to Yeo Woon), but it was also impossible not to care for him with his surprisingly well balanced mix of cat and puppy energy, which Cha Joo Wan aced in his delivery.

Still, out of all the characters, Chun Sang Won was the one that stole my heart. What an iconic character, one that deserves a spotlight and his own drama for sure - especially since we’ve been hinted about his own personal struggles. Fun, driven, confident, but also compassionate and perceptive. Oh Min Su better get his main role project soon, or I will riot.

While the drama is for sure not character driven, and you won’t get any elaborate commentary on social and personal issues, it still torches some topics close to many people's hearts, being a good opener for personal reflections: What happiness means to you? How to open your heart to others? How to allow others to help you, care for you? How to well balance your own needs and the needs of people you care about?

All that said, I think the biggest highlight for me was the execution of the concept with a “nice” twist. Instead of going full silly rom-com, they used the game scenario to add some depth to the characters and some painful thrills. Undoubtedly the director had a clear vision of what and how they wanted to present and thanks to that thoughtful approach, the contrasting atmospheres fitted well together. You think you know how the show will progress, but then you get a massive error and all your expectations fall apart.

What’s more, using the game scenario also allowed the director to deal with the usual issue of “time skips” and not enough screen time to showcase the whole time progression. I need to appreciate when directors and writers use their own set up to their advantage when dealing with potential issues and shortcomings. All the confusion and the feeling of “randomness” was clearly intentional, and for me, matched perfectly with the story.

Overall, extremely enjoyable, well produced, beautifully directed, perfectly acted (especially Lee Tae Vin), with nice and cute chemistry, fun jokes and less fun, but just as enticing stakes.

Read More

The cook, the eunuch and the chowhound - a crime solving menage a trois.

This comedic drama features a wildly imaginative yet oddly fitting crime fighting menage a trois comprising of a low (sixth) ranked magistrate (Tang Fan), a high-ranked embroidered guard (jingyi wei; Sui Zhou) and an influential eunuch (Wang Zhi) with the emperor's ear. Their paths intersect on cases with national security implications and while they have different agendas and masters, their synergistic and mutually beneficial collaborations blossom into friendship. The three main characters are well written - their bromance, hilarious antics and interactions are this drama's greatest strength.

With an irrepressible grin and a wicked gleam in his eyes, Darren Chen really hams it up with his cheeky, flirtatious and sometimes deliberately irritating characterisation of the titular Tang Fan, an idealistic young magistrate who is more of a chowhound than a sleuthhound. The talented and willowy Tang Fan is a very pretty boy with delicate and vivacious features who embraces his feminine side with abandon and is passionate, emotional, naggy, petulant, petty and vengeful. This outrageously funny character writes erotic novels to supplement his puny income, lives to eat, seems extremely well acquainted with the how to but yet can't cook to save his life. He happily moves in with the gorgeously taciturn, moody, much more masculine and deadly Sui Zhou who steals Tang Fan's heart with his ability to cook a mean meal. There is enough in their interactions and suggestive domestic arrangement to get the BL fans all hot and bothered without running afoul of Chinese censorship. And then of course there is Wang Zhi, the most morally grey and dangerous of the three. He approaches relationships transaction ally - "you scratch my back I'll scratch yours" and is unambiguous about his first loyalty to king and country. Newcomer Liu Yaoyuan's portrayal of the ruthless, calculating and yet inexplicably likable Wang Zhi nicely rounds out this kinky threesome. Between them, they are able to marshal resources from the lowest to highest reaches of society to solve their cases.

Set at the heart of the capital during the Chenghua reign of Ming Dynasty, the important characters and events of the period are nicely tied into the overall plot-lines. The surrounding characters were somewhat cliche but mostly well done from the "adopted daughter" Dong'er, the miracle doctor, the Oirats, Wang Zhi's beggar informants and the rare treat of a smart and hot emperor. The cases run the gamut from crimes of passion, corruption, larceny, terrorism and climaxes in a dangerous conspiracy reaching the highest ranks of government. Most surrounding characters including the villains have recurring roles in subsequent cases which gives them dimension and avoids the confusion of excessive character introductions with each new case. The cases shouldn't be taken too seriously; while they are fun and quite interesting, they are not that original or that difficult to solve and have some logic holes and are thus unlikely to satisfy a serious crime or mystery buff. The rhythm of the investigations frequently digress into inane and somewhat childish hit or miss comedic sketches that can go on for too long. There is a slight misogynist undertone to this drama - even the likable women have unflattering traits (stupid, noisy, whiny, irrational), or worse are power hungry, traitors, extremists or come to a bad end.

The tightly choreographed action scenes are signature Jackie Chan - lethal, gripping, high impact, extremely acrobatic and fluid poetry in motion. They are not excessive, do not drag on for too long and avoid the mid-combat slapstick moments he used to be so fond of; all good changes. The camerawork is stunning and very artistic, approaching movie quality. They obviously spared no expense with this and it shows.

For those who grew up on Jackie Chan, the Sleuth of Ming Dynasty is a fun romp down memory lane. There is a bit of the artistic Jackie Chan, the wacky whack-y Jackie Chan, the comedic Jackie Chan, the high testosterone Jackie Chan, the innovative Jackie Chan, the crass Jackie Chan and finally and pleasingly, the mature Jackie Chan. I outgrew his flicks ages ago - after awhile I found the hair rising stunts, high speed chases and exaggerated comedic routines repetitive, shallow and draining. So I am pleasantly surprised to see in this drama that maturity has toned down and balanced some (not all) of his more extreme inclinations while still remaining essentially Jackie Chan. It is also nice to see the uniquely Jackie Chan inspired Hong Kong wu da pan (武打片) sub-genre with its chauvinistic, contradictory, cynical, sarcastic yet sentimental and idealistic spirit has evolved for the better but is still innately the same.

This is highly entertaining and enjoyable if you don't look too hard at it or seek profound meaning. It is not always my sense of humor and the cases are solid but not exceptional so I rate it an 8.5 but I can see why others would call it a 9.0 or better.

Read More

Pyramid Game: A look at society's hierarchy

The pyramid, a geometric wonder and a potent symbol, has pervaded human civilization since time immemorial. Our societal fabric is interlaced with the indomitable threads of the pyramid. Consider, if you will, the tripartite classification of society: the fortunate upper class reigning over the means of production, acting as the high priests of industry, commanding the ebb and flow of capital as a maestro conducts a symphony; the middle class, a hardy troupe of professionals, small business owners, and mid-level overseers; and, finally, the lower class toiling in less-rewarding occupations and grappling with the specter of poverty

Enter the tale of "Pyramid Game," a microcosmic representation of societal stratification within the crucible of a classroom setting and beyond. The students are pitted against each other in a pursuit of popularity. The popularity contest results in a pyramid, where "Grade A" aristocracy perch triumphantly at the zenith, luxuriating in their coveted status, and "Grade F" hoi polloi languish at the nadir, bearing the full weight of ostracism and ignominy

The tale is not all doom and gloom. Amid the savage social melee, a rose blossoms between the thorns. We bear witness to the blossoming of camaraderie and tender romance between the girls. Most notably, the unions of Bona (Soo Ji) and Da In (Ja Eun), Na Eon (Ye Rim) and Ju Yeon (Eun Jung), sail billow with the winds of shared understanding and make the poignant statement that a heart can forge connections transcending the confines of class and status

Read More

Firstly I would like to start by saying I have officially watched 13 episodes with subs, but have skimmed all episode without subs. Secondly I would like to add that I have come from watching Korean dramas, and recently branched out to Thai and Chinese shows in the last 6 months.

What I have come to notice when watching C-dramas is the lack of women being represented as strong or accomplished. They always seem to be so senseless, and honestly I can't handle watching female leads portrayed as stupid. This is just my personal experience though. However I can gladly say that the female lead is strong, sticks to her values, has clear goals, but at the same time is relatable and likeable. She is not easily manipulated allowing the audience to experience the great chemistry with the male lead, while also bringing light hearted moments. They feed off each other and it makes great viewing. They deliver the angst, the drama and the romance. The chemistry between the two main leads is incredible.

Not only do the leads have a great story and chemistry, but the supporting actors also deliver quality side stories and pairings. Most of the time when I watch a drama I either like the side story with the supporting actors, or the main leads story. With About Is Love, I'm equally invested in all 3 pairings and their individual stories. The chemistry between all the actors is stunning, and you can't not get invested in the story.

Though the overall theme of the show a CEO with OCD has been told many times, I think that the cast is what is really making this drama stand out and not be considered cliche. I have watched a few episodes of Want To See You Smile with the same themes of the male lead having OCD and unable to have physical contact with anyone, but I could never get into it. The chemistry between the actors wasn't there for me. The relationship of all the characters and the chemistry is really what makes "About is Love" great for me.

Read More