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I'm just disappointed at this point
The way this drama pissed me off so much I'm writing a review to save innocent souls from wasting their free will on this mess. Consider this your warning: Penthouse 3 is pure chaos. High-level spoiler alert ahead, but honestly? I don’t even care. Maybe you need to witness the madness yourself to truly understand.That ending made the least sense in all the nonsense of this season. One, Logan's dead was defo tacked on for no reason, if his cancer came back, Seok Hyung could have donated her stem cell just like Seol A did before since they are twin so she would be a match. But I get that he might not have wanted to keep living cause Sim Su Ryeon was dead, but according to his character, he would have tried to survive to take care of the Seok 'twins' and Bae Ro Na or something.
Sim Su Ryeon basically killing herself is so unlike her character, I get that she lost a lot but she had a lot to live for, mainly her children, especially after finding out that Seok Hyun was her biological daughter, and her 'fake' other daughter in USA (that was forgotten about), also Seok Hoon and Logan and Bae Rona. Stupid death in my opinion.
Also I fully believed that the wedding/engagement was purposely planned to catch Ju Dan Tae, it didn't make sense that they would have such a big event and not expect him to show up and sabotage it. Logan even saw him before he went up to see Su Ryeon but then he magically forgot about him and was shocked when he was there. What kind of trash security did they have! And who picks up a call on their wedding/engagement walking down the aisle.
To even talk about Oh Yoon Hee's death, makes my brain hurt, excuse me but when did Penthouse turn to a Marvel movie, Yoon Hee was pushing back her car at the edge of a cliff while another car with a brick on the accelerator is pushing on her car, how? What kinda Super solider serum, Hulk ass power does she have? Before she got to the back of the car, she opened the door where Eun Byeol was unconscious and was shouting at her to wake up, instead of dragging her out like Seo Jin did later on. It was just so dumb.
Lastly, Ju Dan Tae, his man, for the amount of stress and hatred I felt in my body for his guy, his death was not it. It did not satisfy me at all, the amount of evil he's done and gotten away with it, he should have dead way worse, a bullet to the head and falling from the Penthouse onto the statue. DEAD. I wanted Vincenzo level of torture and death, he deserved that. Remember how he tried to kill Bae Ro Na by stabbing her in the brain, ruthlessly and returning like he did nothing. No, that man is truly evil and he deserved more pain in his death. Same goes for Cheon Seo Jin, she did too much to end up killing herself, I get that she's remorseful after what her daughter said in the court room and her ex told Su Ryeon to not kill her but NO, she should have lived a long life in prison, paying for her punishment.
Also, I agree with people who said that this season shouldn't have happened if they were just gonna kill the main 2 good guys, Su Ryeon and Logan, cause in season 1, it was Su Ryeon that 'died' then season 2, it was Logan. Might as well have finished it at season 2 cause Logan coming back was not needed. Lowkey, Su Ryeon could have done all of this by herself with the help of the other people.
I feel like the writers were very inconsistent about the characters, one minute, Su Ryeon and Logan are super smart and they thought of every possibility and planned for it. Other times, they are super dumb and fall for everything. Same with Ju Dan Tae, to be honest, Ju Dan Tae's character, he would have survived season 3 (not the part where he was shot but before that when people were coming to him to ask for money for the copy of him/Seo Jin killing Oh Yoon Hee. He would have just planned to kill them like he normally does, but this time he folds and gives them money til he was broke? Just feel like his character got really dumb at the end just so they can kill him and end it all. So to me it's unsatisfying.
Also what happened to Alex and his black bodyguards?
What happened to Sim Su Ryeon's fake daughter?
What happened to Jennie's Dad?
And the real Ju Dan Tae?
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ACTION: There are few plot holes but regardless, the drama is pretty decent. The action scenes are not that powerful like any other sageuk drama but still good. I love the turning kick, flying kick, the punches. The fact that Kim Myungsoo trained for weeks to do the stunts alone without having a double, I’m giving him that credit. Good job.
ROMANCE: There was no Romance tag before the promotion of this drama. To those who keep asking if there will be romance or not, the first episode will give you hints (so better watch it).
CHEMISTRY: Some says that ML and FL has no chemistry, and that Kwon Nara looks older for him. Let me give you a fact. They were both born on March 13 but Kwon Nara was born in 1991 and Kim Myungsoo is a ’92 liner. So Yes, Kwon Nara is 1 year older. And maybe, you still can’t move on with Danyeon Couple – know what I mean (I’m one of them). I’m telling you, Yi-gyeom and Da-in chemistry (ship) is smoothly sailing. The way they give concerns to each other, then later on bickers, will give you butterflies. Also, Yi-Gyeom and Chunsam’s chemistry is so funny.
PRODUCTION: If you think that the drama is a low budget because their wardrobe is not as fancy as other saguek drama, well for me, it’s a No. The story is not about the Royal Family. The ML is not a KING or a PRINCE. He’s just an ordinary man working at the palace with a pretty good position so don’t expect him to wear that fancy thing. Their attire fits perfectly for each character and for every situation they are in. Though sometimes Da-in’s lipstick is kinda flashy when she’s wearing man’s clothes. The cinematography is not dull as what others think. Check your phone and laptop or tv. They have different vibrance, lol. :-D
ACTING: Though I still have hang-over with Kim Myungsoo’s character as KIM DAN, I’m loving his character now as Sung Yi-gyeom. He delivers the character well. His facial expression is like emojis. Kwon Nara on the other side is also doing a good job portraying as Hong Dain. Though I say, in the last scene of episode 4, it’s kinda awkward. Lee Yi-Kyung, as always… he makes me laugh in every scene that he has.
OST: So far, we only have 1 OST for the 5 episodes. They haven’t released the full version yet but N.Flying’s OST I’ll Find You is such a bop. KBS please released it soon.
So, for those who are having doubts whether to watch or not, give it a try. It’s a pretty good drama. See for yourself. We do have our own taste buds you know.
I’ll update my review soon
NOTE: Comparing this to MR. QUEEN is lame because they are of different genre and plot. Also, if you think the drama is underrated, well it’s not. The fact that the ratings for each episode is in 5% range despite having a strong contender (I know you know it) even before the drama airs, I must say it’s not underrated. So far, I'm enjoying this drama.
UPDATE: I won't say much. But I just want to tell you all that the story of this drama keeps getting better and exciting. Every episode is a must watch -- The blossoming romance between FL and ML, the complicated relationship between ML and his half brother. The problems that they have to deal with - corruption, murder and more.
UPDATE: I'm only giving this a 9.5 rating as I badly want season 2 for this drama. This drama ended with 14% for the last episode (such an achievement for KBS because it has been long (2018) since they achieved a double digit rating in Mon-tues drama timeslot. Too bad many viewers are sleeping on this masterpiece. It deserves recognition and hype too.
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1Those who seek revenge dig two graves.
This is a heartbreaking and sobering revenge drama about an ancient Me Too movenment by nine commoners seeking justice. The two main protagonists, Rulan and Meng Wan are apprentices at Yanyu Tower, whose exquisite embroidery are prized by the imperial palace. Underneath his polished and elegant facade, Yanyu Tower's proprietor and master embroiderer Wu Lian is the worst kind of predator; one who uses his power and privilege to repeatedly manipulate and abuse the young women working for him. When Rulan has the audacity and tenacity to seek legal redress, most including her bestie Meng Wan hesitate to help her; knowing how stacked the system is against them. Ultimately her plight and her conviction inspires nine people to devote their entire reason for existence to taking Wu Lian down and obtaining justice for Rulan and in some cases themselves. There are no fairytales in this drama; their stories are utterly devastating; alternately moving me to tears and making my teeth clench and my blood boil.This drama is not for the faint hearted and comes with a ton of trigger warnings. It is ruthless and brutal in terms of its scathing depiction of the unbalanced power dynamics between the powerful and the powerless. It convincingly articulates why regardless of consequences, Rulan, Meng Wan and their friends decide to take a stand against a clever, powerful and ruthless opponent. Their efforts are stymied at almost every turn and many of them pay the dear cost of justice. Wu Lian is almost too smart a villain and too well resourced. It is dismaying to see these nine avengers fall for the same traps over and over. In desperation, some of them take unnecessary risks and make terrible sacrifices with scant payoff in their attempt to gather enough evidence to indict him.
This is a large cast with consequential roles that deliver all around strong performances. Hu Yixuan's portrayal of Rulan's disillusionment, agony, bravery and forlorn quest for justice is harrowing, piteous and ultimately tragic. Wu Qian also impresses as the icily soft spoken, resolute avenging angel and mastermind of the revenge plot. As for Wu Lian, it is rare to encounter such an intelligent and downright despicable villain, masterfully acted by Qiao Zhenyu. All of the support roles come together well to paint a picture of common people from all walks of life with dreams and goals that get disrupted as they come together to get justice. The thief Li Chunfeng and the embroideress Jue Ming charmed and moved me into rooting for them most.
This kind of drama that tackles such a difficult subject matter is unlikely to appeal broad audiences. It is well executed for the most part but tends to be unnecessarily melodramatic in the later arcs. The villain origin backstory left me unmoved and is not convincing. I would expect Wu Lian's father's concubine to have impacted him in a more positive way. While this story ends in a realistic way, I am not satisfied. Wu Lian's enablers who covered for him repeatedly get off way too lightly. Finally the way this wraps up sends too strong a message that those who seek revenge dig two graves. Revenge becomes their sole purpose and end game to the extent that I wonder - did they really win? There is just too much collateral damage and sacrifice even though Humpty Dumpty can not be put together again. Maybe it would have been better to just live well. I needed to see at least one of the victims recover from this and go on to have a good life. The final What If episode 25 made me feel worse not better. I struggle with how to rate this. As much as I applaud the topic, the acting and how emotionally invested I got in the story, it left me with a hollow feeling after the ending arcs. It is still a good, thought provoking watch but I can only rate this a 7.5/10.0.
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Pluses and Minuses
Overall: I enjoyed how we had working adults (I think these are the first lawyer characters that I've seen). Unfortunately a very cliche plot point towards the end was unnecessary and disappointing but the numerous cameos (especially the enjoyable final episode) knocked my score up to 8.5. Watched on Gagaolala/Viki.Content Warnings: 2 slaps (kind of acting), fight scene
What I Liked
- the opposite personalities, Fu is more serious and careful, Zheng is more goofy/player and carefree (but I did like that they showed he isn't always super happy go lucky because in real life even really positive people have times when they are sad/angry)
- that they have less common drama jobs (lawyers, laundromat owner, bartender)
- how Zheng apologized to his dad
- the acting, especially you can see how Fu is conflicted and not sure what to think/react
- good production value
- episode 12 moved quickly but was great
- the daughter did a good job and the story she read in episode 12 was adorable
Room For Improvement
- that the sister was recording them
- the cliche of forgetting doing a certain something when drunk
- the cliche plot point at the end especially after Fu talked to Zheng about never doing that (and what terrible timing too)
- the female bartender's cliche plot point
- sometimes the pacing was too slow
- the side couple didn't really hook me, I didn't like the aggressive pursuit/attraction for virtually no reason
- some nonsense things, like tons of lights when camping, lounging around at home in suits
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I didn't watch the Japanese version, but I felt that this drama with its storyline alone was good enough. The plot was spot on, it didn't go too makjang overly dramatic, nor too bland and therefore Love Affairs in the Afternoon was just the way I liked it! The little sweet/ romantic moments thrown into this drama made it even more worth the watch!
The first episode alone was very precise with the introduction of characters of Son Jieun as a quiet and average woman who felt trapped and lonely with her routinary life, and Choi Soo-ah a woman who never felt love but is constantly seeking for it through meeting other men. The cinematography, setting, and even the OST's used also added to why this drama is worth the watch. It helped give us a vivid view of the mood and theme of the drama which is light and romantic however sad.
In addition, what drew me in the most with this drama is the bittersweet storyline of the lead characters.
Jungwoo and Ji Eun were both quiet and seemingly honest characters. They knew being in an affair is not the right thing to do, especially Ji Eun so she tried her best to avoid him but when they are with each other, it seems like their world has fallen into place. Together they were able to express themselves better, were happy, and was able to experience that heart shattering love that they couldn't with their partners. Jung Woo and Ji Eun, because they were too kind to others to be selfish they got married to their other halves too hastly, leading to their pitful lives. So if you like star-crossed lovers type of drama this one might also be for you!
I also love the chemistry and acting of Park Ha Sun and Lee Sang Yeob here! Whoever casting director you are, you deserve a raise. They seem to both fit the introvert type of role, they were able to deliver their characters well, and both are hella good looking! They make a good couple. ^^
Overall, Love Affairs in the Afternoon was worth the watch! The love shown in this drama was so romantic it made me wish I could find a sweet and nice guy like Jungwoo. It also made my big fat crush on Lee Sangyeob even fatter. T_T It was a good deviation from all the murder-mystery Korean dramas that are being released nowadays. The good conclusion or ending is an even added bonus!
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This review may contain spoilers
The Witch Without A Twist
I am a fan of the The Witch Pt. 1 so I have been waiting the sequel for years. I am happy I finally had a chance to watch it on big screen! I followed the production journey and as the team had a copyright issue with their previous film distributor ( Warner Bros. Korea ), they had to butcher up their original The Witch stories with Jayoon as main character. Hence why I lowered my expectation for this part 2.First of all, story wise. They basically have almost showed everything in the trailer except the ending. It is those common stories of lab victim run away, find good ally, enemies catch them, but they win after their loved one got hurt. The acting wasn't my taste, instead of embracing the characters personalities- some of their acting feels staged to me. They tried so hard to look cool. There are english dialogue in it, but it sounds so awkward. I'm sorry I am not really familiar with chinese language so I couldnt judge it. Positive side, I like a lot how they open the story and I didn't expect them to start it like that. The unique "countrified" vibe is shown again in it. The opening and the ending would be a main key for the whole franchise. Please stay until after credit, because they show post credit scenes like those marvel movies!
They casted a ton of people for side characters and cameos but they are all like a copy to each other. I was thinking "Is it on purpose they look similiar as it is a cloning stories?". I also feel like there are quite a lot unnecessary scenes, with the jokes and comedic-like scenes. I wish them to show more the bonding between "The Girl" and Kyung Hee-Dae Gil sibling. That is what I have been waiting as I read the director explaining the differences between her and previous witch, Jayoon.
I have to be honest, I am kinda disappointed with the characters building for the new witch. The director went with repeated heroine route we could find in those human experiment stories. Emotionless, no personality ( yet ), fascinated to outside world like a baby bird, and once again overpowered. But after watching, I do feel curious how he would come up with the next part and how he build her character in the future. "The Girl" is still like a white paper to me.
Action Sequences. There are quite a lot of cool awesome battle scenes and it still has that anime-like battle touch in it. They definitely improved it with their big budget. There is one fight with beautiful billboard lighting, and that is my favorite one. Unfortunately, if you are a slow watcher, you would be troubled with pt 2 fighting style because all the characters are so powerful and their fighting is so fast- blip blip - shoot - blip - slash neck - that is my description. Warning, the rating is 18+ so the killing wound part is quite explicit.
Overall, I gave it a 7.5. I think new audiences would enjoy it so much, but the previous part 1 fans like me- would be in love and hate relationship with the sequel.
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"Will it be fun?"
Officer Black Belt takes the viewer into the world of parole officers who deal with ex-offenders who are still being monitored with ankle bracelets. In South Korea they have martial arts officers who are the muscle for the parole officers when things go wrong. Kim Woo Bin packed on 8 kg/17.5 pounds to look more imposing for his role as a directionless man who finds his direction helping to protect the parole officers and citizens of Seoul.Lee Jung Do spends his life doing what is fun. Fun for him is martial arts training where he holds third dan black belts in Taekwondo, Judo, and Kenpo. When he’s not fighting for fun he plays video games with his best buds. He also delivers fried chicken for his dad’s restaurant. On the way home one night he comes across a martial arts officer wounded in a fight and takes down the criminal. After receiving an award Parole officer Kim Sun Min offers him a temporary job while the officer recovers. Jung Do soon finds he has a natural affinity for being a martial arts officer and helping people.
Officer Black Belt had action and humor in a film dealing with a terrible subject-sexual assault and child exploitation films. Like Jung Do, most of us will want to taser certain parts off of the perpetrators’ bodies. The film went from a case of the week to an overarching villainous gang and uber-villain. Kang Ki Jung had sexually assaulted 15 children and only received 20 years in prison (that’s a little over a year per child-what is the criminal justice system thinking!!!) Jung Do and Sun Min would have to use all of their skills and put their lives on the line to prevent more children from becoming victims after he was released.
This was one of Kim Woo Bin’s stronger roles as he displayed a range of emotions as the friendly fighter who grew to enjoy the responsibilities of his job. Kim Sung Kyun as Kim Sun Min brought the bro in bromance as he guided Jung Do in his new career. Lee Hyun Geol was creepily effective as the enormous Big Bad villain. There were some continuity issues as day turned into night in a matter of seconds in several scenes. I enjoyed the first half of the film more when the officers went more by the book. In the second half they recklessly went into dangerous situations without calling for back-up. Jung Do relied on his Scooby Gang instead of looping the cops into the evidence they found which seemed irresponsible and put their lives in danger. While Taekwondo is a great competition martial art, Jung Do really needed some additional training in how to hit the vulnerable spots-eyes, ears, neck, knees-if he was going to continue fighting gangs of bad guys or with one-on-one fighting with well-trained bad guys.
Overall, Officer Black Belt was entertaining and Kim Woo Bin’s performance was engaging. There was plenty of action and the fights were well choreographed. The film didn’t break any new ground in the action arena but I did like that they attempted to shine a ray of light into the darkness. When strength was called for, they brought it, and when compassion was called for they brought that, too. To answer Lee Jung Do's question "Will it be fun?" at his interview--yes, it will be fun. When it's not terrifying.
13 September 2024
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Beautiful Production, Puzzling Plot
The Rise of Phoenixes kept me hooked from start to finish, and for me this is a serious act of binge watching, but... I tend to disagree with fans on the internet comparing this show to Nirvana in Fire, or even Game of Thrones. This show wasn't up to par compared to those two. I think what mesmerized me were the stunningly filmed scenes and actors. I just love to look at beautiful faces and places. The leading couple took my breath away sometimes. Although Ni Ni was forced to play a Mary Sue, completely different from her character in the original novel, I easily forgot all this by just looking at her. The same can be said about Chen Kun. He sometimes fell into the trap of emotional, hammy playing, with eyeball rolling and all, but compensated this with good scenes that made him a true anti-hero. I loved their flirting scenes and their love scene beneath a water surface. Also the supporting cast did a good job, especially the old emperor.So why do I feel unsatisfied after 70 episodes? I think it was the script. With historical drama there’s usually the choice between (a) the “man meets woman/they fall in love/they have difficulties/their love survives or not”- storyline or (b) the “man meets woman/they support each other/one of them choose to break up for the common good”- storyline. I guess this production didn’t make this choice. It started as a love story, and abruptly hopped off to version (b). I wonder why, because we didn’t see the suffering of the common people at all, they were absent during all scenes.
There was also an inconsistency in characters. Normally there are outright heroes, villains, and anti-heroes in a show. Ning Yi is the anti-hero type, who should have become more defined as the story fleshed out. It didn’t happen. In the original novel his life experiences made him another man. In the end he dares to choose for his personal happines. In this production however, although he’s portrayed as a highly intelligent man, Ning Yi only wants to win the throne above all other things, turning him into a Macbeth type. This makes his character difficult to portray. How can this prince be a romantic anti-hero, a highly treacherous schemer, and an intelligent person at the same time? The same goes for Feng Zhiwei. She’s the protagonist/heroine of the story. She’s young, intelligent and she becomes an imperial adviser, she doesn’t know her origins and is highly naive, although she can be plucky and daring at the same time. The moment she knew about the fate of several people who gave their life for the sake of her heritage and dynasty, she should have thought about her purpose, her goal in life. It would have been a call to action for her type of character. This happened in the novel. In this production however, after a few revengeful thoughts, she became like many heroines in other c-drama: a brokenhearted, passive love interest.
This production could have been a complicated love story. In stead it became the story of many people whose lives became intertwined. They just happened to meet at the same place, at the same time under difficult circumstances, namely the struggle for power at the imperial palace. All actors did their very best, this makes it worth your time. There are many questions left about certain events, and characters, so it feels that even 70 episodes is not enough. Perhaps a remake will meet the challenge.
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"A person is born between two people. It's impossible to live alone"
Umi no Hajimari is a drama that asks only one thing from its audience: to pay attention to the struggles of its characters.Those who are young, inexperienced, or simply haven’t developed a strong sense of empathy yet for fictional characters might look at this drama as being black and white. Meaning, they’ll perceive there being good characters and bad characters, but nothing in between. However, those of us who prefer characters and situations that mirror real life will likely have an easier time watching and understanding the complex motivations of each character.
I’ve been following this drama from week to week and noticed the different themes throughout this beautiful story so I'd thought I'd share some of them.
You Can't Do it Alone
Every flashback scene with Mizuki raising Umi highlights the struggles single parents go through. But through all the struggle, all the hardships, there's one key thing that stood out amongst these scenes: Mistsuki wasn't alone. She had a support system. Yes, she was emotionally distant with them, but still had people to lean on.
Flawed Characters Faced With Big Decisions
Mizuki’s Flaw - Fiercely independent, made decisions on the fly without talking to other people, was willing to struggle alone as opposed to asking for help.
Natsu’s Flaw - Indecisive, a follower, doesn’t express his own thoughts and feelings well.
Yayoi’s Flaw - Too agreeable, feels she is not important, doesn’t consider her own thoughts and feelings.
Each of these flawed characters were forced to make tough choices. For Mitsuki, she was torn between telling Natsu about his child or allow him to continue to live his life. For Natsu, his choice was to step up and be a father for Umi or continue to figure out what is the right thing to do. Lastly, Yayoi was confronted with a decision on whether or not she should play an active role in Natsu and Umi’s lives or leave them entirely.
These thoughts and choices all shape how this drama unfolds. Seeing such flawed yet relatable characters navigate around life’s hardest choices adds a realistic element to the story. As an adult and avid drama watcher, these types of portrayals is invaluable. For younger viewers, this should show you that not everything in life is black and white. Every story doesn’t have a hero and villain, but rather regular flawed people trying their best to make ends meet.
Grief - “Everyone’s so nice but suffering too”
Grief plays an integral role throughout this drama.
It weaves itself in and out of almost every dialogue. At times It’s subtle and poignant. Inescapable. Then there are moments where the grief becomes loud and present - demanding your attention. Urging you to understand the great loss the characters are going through.
For Mizuki's parents, the grief was almost unbearable to see play out. It caused them to unfairly criticize Natsu and even invoked anger towards him (At least on the moms part). Even Natsu himself wasn't immune to the effects of grief.
In Episode 8, Natsu has a conversation with his estranged dad. Actually, it was more like a venting session where Natsu spills out things that he bottled up inside, but that’s besides the point. Natsu said something along the lines of everyone is so nice but suffering too. He then mentioned, like he did before, how he feels like it’s not his right to feel sad because everyone was with her for seven years and he wasn’t. He then said that doesn’t change the fact that he’s sad as well.
Natsu was doing the common thing most grieving people do: quantifying sadness. Quantifying sadness, in simplest terms, is when you place an undetermined numerical value or weight to sadness when comparing it with others. It’s like saying he’s competing in the “Pain Olympics” with everyone who were closer to Mizuki than he was.
Grief doesn’t care about the duration of knowing someone. On the surface, it seemed like Natsu was catching up with everyone's grief, but in reality, he was in pain just like those closest to her. There are no levels of grief. Grief just is.
There are more themes but I didn't want to drag this review on longer lol. Overall, Umi no Hajimari will most certainly have a special place in my heart.
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The first thing you should know about this show is that it's a sitcom. It's basis is humor. Different types of humor don't apply to everyone so its really a hit-or-miss with each individual. I myself wasn't sure about it in the first couple of episodes. However, as I continued to watch, I found myself liking it more and more as the characters and plots developed. The story follows the paths of many characters who all intersect with each other dealing with a variety of things like school, work, family, and romance. I thought it was great it all aspects including the music, acting, and story line. Though I love it to pieces, I gave it a five for rewatch value. Not to say it isn't good though. I gave it a five because of the amount of episodes. I wouldn't sit down and rewatch all 123 episodes, but I would catch an episode or two if it came on. That's the great thing about sitcoms, if you're familiar with the characters and story line, you can technically pick up anywhere to rewatch!
I haven't seen "Unstoppable High Kick" or "High Kick Through the Roof!" yet so I'm not sure how it compares to them. However, if you're a fan of comedies/sitcoms, I'd definitely recommend giving this show a go. :D
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Good Start, but it Just Shattered
The Furthest Distance is a drama which tries to convey that in the world between life and death, neither is separated from each other but love is still a constant.Qin Yun Sheng (ML – Leon Zhang) is an emergency doctor, who has a glass house that needs to be renovated and Su Ying was the initial interior designer. They meet again because of their participation in a house renovation reality tv show. Feelings gradually begin, especially for Su Ying and her once closed heart opens up to Qin Yun Sheng. But was he still missing his girlfriend, Mi Su that had passed away? How could Su Ying bridge the seemingly furthest distance between them.
Yes, an exciting love story which I felt was giving us a second chance of love. Such high hopes especially after Qin Yun Sheng's love confession to Su Ying in episode 10, my heart just melted.
The confession:
Qin Yun Sheng: “Su Ying. Maybe I’m not good with words. I don’t know how to confess to you. I’ve thought of many ways. But when I am looking at your eyes, my mind is blank. I couldn’t say any love words. I just know. I want to see you. I want to see you every day. In these days with you, I always say thank you. But what I want to say the most now is--I like you. I like you more day by day. It’s not love words. It’s from the heart. Even though the world has given me a lot of pain, I’m not afraid. If it’s you, I will muster the courage. I want to make our future days a bit more romantic. Will you join me?”
To see the romance between them after Qin Yun Sheng's confession was magical. They were so in love. You enjoyed watching the shy doctor come out of his shell and openly show his affection of Su Ying. He showed her so much love that he felt he wasn't able to express in words but deeds. He did everything to captivate her. Letting her know she was his beginning and end. He wanted nothing more. They felt it was time to tell their friends and colleagues who were elated to finally see this "perfectly match couple" post a picture of themselves in their Moments page with the caption – “Love is a happy thing.” One person who was not happy about this love--Yang Zheng Wen. After seeing this post, he began his all-out campaign to win Su Ying back.
Yang Zheng Wen was Su Ying’s ex-boyfriend who now was the GM of Tiandi Building Materials Corporation. Seeing the interaction of Yang Zheng Wen gave Qin Yun Sheng the courage to finally put his feelings in the forefront with Su Ying hence his confession. But happiness was short-lived because we had to add another piece to this love story so enters the identical twin sister of Mi Su—Mi Bai. Yes, Qin Yun Sheng’s ex-girlfriend who died had an identical twin sister. Not only that, but she also studied cardiology and out of all the hospitals she ended up in the same one as Qin Yun Sheng as a medical director.
Of course, we had to have the infiltrator, to help both the ex-boyfriend and twin sister so we have Tian Mei who quit her previous design firm and began working at Su Ying’s firm. Su Ying thought she was sincere in working for her and made her feel like family just like her other employees. But ambition got the better of her and Yang Zheng Wen “whispering in her ear” that he would give her, her own design firm didn't help but made her become Su Ying's enemy.
We began to see the cracks of the relationship with the endlessly onslaught of tricks played by the trio of Yang Zheng Wen, Mi Bai and Tian Mei. They went from trying to destroy the glass house, changing dates of events, posting malicious email about the firm, changing materials for client's jobs and finally learning that Mi Su's confession under the rainbow was actually Mi Bai.
Everything finally shattered when Su Ying's mother was put in the hospital due to an aneurysm and Qin Yun Sheng knew and didn't tell her. That led to her breaking up with him. Which then open the door for both Yang Zheng Wen and Mi Bai to step in and get the partner they had sought for so long. But what they didn't understand, even if they did break up, they were not going back to either of them.
Su Ying's mother did recover and told her that she misunderstood Qin Yun Sheng, but it was too late, he had made the decision to go abroad for three years. This caught Su Ying off guard, and she never relented to tell him that she wanted him to stay. He left...or did he?
Qin Yun Sheng felt in order to solidify their relationship he had to make Su Ying admit her feelings to not only to him but to herself that she wanted, needed and loved him. Everyone was in on the deception of Qin Yun Sheng not leaving. It all came out when Su Ying went to the glass house. Qin Yun Sheng went to the glass house as well because he could no longer deceive her at this point, he felt he was hurting her. Love was restored between the couple. The glass house was donated for rehabilitation patients.
Qin Yun Sheng went to other countries to volunteer but Su Ying never left his side and traveled with him.
Xu Ming Shi who was the right-hand of Su Ying at the design firm and Du Hui Xuan who was Su Ying's best friend finally got together as a couple.
Mi Bai finally gave up on Qin Yun Sheng and went abroad to work.
Tian Mei did eventually get her design firm and gave kudos to Su Ying for keeping her truthfully to the craft of design.
In all hindsight, I felt we should have been seeing more of how Qin Yun Sheng and Su Ying did come the farthest distance to get to the love that we all seek, not led down a rabbit hole of cliches especially using an ex-boyfriend and an identical twin. Such a great opportunity that I believe was missed. They shattered a beautiful love story of a second chance of love.
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Angst stemmed from a society that shuns
The entire movie was a cry for help, it is about two boys handling their inner demons in very different ways, one taking to recklessness and the other latching on to even the slightest bit of affection, so much so that it turns to obsession...It was heartbreaking to see one having only himself to talk to and him recording those conversations on his camcorder, while the other was seemingly popular but he knew that no one cared much for him and rather he garnered respect by evoking fear in others...The way they met and how it piqued their interest of wanting to get to know each other was quite precious but was made out to be something so much more complicated, leading to them being ridiculed by many...This caused him to distance himself from the friendship, which the other couldn't seem to handle...he turned aloof, while he turned more and more obsessive...his last desperate cry to his mother was so pitiable and painful, yet no one helped him through that and he ends up doing something which I will probably never understand, but with that he surely destroyed his last chance of keeping himself sane...Overall it was disturbingly real and although I cannot condone his final decision, I do not have the right to judge him for it...
The direction was seamless and as a cinematic experience it was thought provoking and quite wholesome...It made me feel terrible for ever having judged someone without knowing their circumstances, since we rise by lifting others and not by pulling them down...
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Now, on to the review.
Firstly, I wanted to write a review because i saw that there are not many reviews and more importantly I think this drama was a little overlooked. Maybe because of the subs that came out so late and are still not so "good".
Story: It's a complex story, that many drama fans may have seen. A scary case that happened a long time ago, a new case that triggered the memories of the old one nowadays, and people who start to investigate it. However this drama is not so simple. Why? Because the story can't go on without characters that start to build it. That is why I want to talk about characters here. Out female lead is a strong policewoman. She is tomboyish and lives happily with her father, but we start the drama already knowing her past. I will not talk about the past but it's super creepy and scary. What is important here is that she can see people's death. well actually not only. She has a fortune telling power from her grandmother. On the other hand we have chic elite detective. His favorite phrase is "do you like science?". As you can guess from it he is someone who believes in science, is great in deduction and may other stuff. So these two get together and try to solve scary mysteries. As the detective says as a joke, she shoots a fantasy and he shoots a scientific crime drama. But together it become super great!Here I want to say a bit about Black it may sound similar. However it is not similar at all. I didn't think about Black even a single moment while watching this drama. Black had a very complex story and even the people who made it messed up in the end because of it. The girl was crying till the end. And the story lost it's logical thread, but had a promising start. Here, everything is different. The female officer is strong. she doesn't cry all the time. If something tragic happens she overcomes it and fight bravely. she is also physically strong and can beat many men. The male lead is also strong physically. (capable police :D) And she doesn't think she is cursed. She accepted her power. She is sad, that she can't save some, but she still tries. She is also smart! And as I said the male lead is somewhat a genius. And more importantly the story is logical till the end. Her powers only grow, and she uses them well. Male Lead also Uses his brain very well, and the story comes to a logical conclusion. So If you didn't like black, Doesn't mean you will not like this one. And visa versa. I can't leave out the second lead who played prosecutor. As he said himself you can't figure out he is good or bad, which makes you curious to see more of him. A man who strong and soft at the same time. You can't really tell what is he. But of course later you start to see other sides of him. The villain character where also interesting. Especially the "small" villains that go used by others. The story starts of as really creepy (like Save me) it gets creepier as the main leads visit a strange island. Later you get used to it and the entangled information slowly reveals itself more and more. Also the little homeless squad :D Honestly I totally loved them!! they played some big roles in this story and they were also a nice breath of fresh air.
Acting: The acting was great! I was seeing the female lead for the first time but she was great!! I was so tired of this super cute, weak ladies who always get in the way and cry. She played very well and her voice was great especially when she was telling the prophesies. The actor of male lead also pulled of smart, cheeky, genius, scientific, sad, angry, serious, stupid character lol. he was annoying at first, for me, but he was great later. The prosecutor (second lead). I saw this actor for the first time in Rebel and I loved him! Here I loved him even more. He pulled off all those complex emotions the character was having - guilt, heart scars from tragic childhood, fear, loyalty, willpower, desire to live, anger, love and more. The villains were good as expected, the veteran actors always end up getting all the hate XD
the "small" villains also did great. They had to show many other emotions and pulled it off fantastically. The homeless squad and other policemen also acted well.
Music: Creepy stuff owes it's creepiness mostly to music. XD well there is also camerawork. But you know those sounds that are usually in scary movies. they help to build the atmosphere here. But thank God it's not much. so It's ok. If you don't like scary stuff like me, don't worry it's not scary (it's like Save me).
This drama has adult cast. These actors are not young. But actually that is a plus for this drama. All the actors were great in it. And the plot actually captured me from the first scenes, because of it's creepiness. xDD
The cons, I think, are the subs!
This drama wasn't subbed when it was airing, maybe this is the reason it was overlooked at that time. Now it is subbed, but at the time a I am writing this the subs are a mess. I mean on the website where I watched it, the subs finally appeared, but they are very very bad. So I guess many people tried to watch it, but the subs were so out of the context that are very difficult to understand. I understand a little bit Korean, but there were parts I couldn't understand and the subs weren't of help. The genders are mixed, women are men and visa versa. From one point all the names started to appear in Chinese. Later that female lead's name Kim Dan was appearing as "altar" "small altar" or "gold altar" lol and there were part were the subs just told whatever. especially on the last episode. in all the important scenes there was written a nonsense. xD
What I was trying to say is don't give up on this drama because of the subs. :)
Overall it was a good drama, worth watching. I don't regret one bit. If you are wonder to watch it or no, I suggest giving it a try. The actual story begins two years from the events happening on the first two episodes. So try to keep on at least until that. Around 3rd or 4th ep. :)
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This review may contain spoilers
Note: My suspicion on why this drama is underrated because there are sooo many time-travel dramas out there that maybe better so viewers are overwhelmed thus skip this sweet romcom. Moreover, people may leave bad ratings not because of the content but because they cannot find the subtitle. But I found this little gem by accident (it has never been in my PTW list) and it caught my interest to watch it right away, though I have another time travel Cdrama in my CWL. FYI, if you read this review in the month of October, the episode on the Ghost Market can be a great idea for your Halloween party! Pretty creepy and gory.
I binge watched and completed it in a day, the story is simple and straightforward yet it allured me to watch more until it ends. So easy to watch: 12 episodes short for a typical Cdrama, no cringy scenes, no need of a box of tissue, only one villain with one goal to overtake the power, no love triangle, no Second Lead Syndrome, no jealousy, no bitches or jerks, no deaths of good characters, no twists on the plot. Sounds boring? Read more...
Actress Yang An Qi played her first main role as the kind, calm, smart, and graceful resident physician Ji Xian Yun who was transported into the past China as the ancient Ji Xian Yun who committed suicide. Using her intelligence, our girl's sole purpose is to return to her real world that include: finding an item connected to the time travel and getting out of the arranged marriage with the handsome but sick and bedridden Qi Ling Xiao. He is the favorite son of the current Emperor, played quite well by actor student Sheng Ying Hao despite this is his first role. Adding to Xian Yun's goal is the arising issues in adjusting to the ancient personal and professional life, the danger of being the wife of a political figure, and the professional duty to care and cure of a patient none other than her husband. Her mind is so occupied with all these things that she does not realize that her husband already falls for her at the first slice (of knife aka scalpel). Clearly our heroine does not listen to gossips around the household that even outsiders but her know about her husband's feelings. So how do they finally get together then? None other than thru subtle attention and gesture, and care given to each other along the poison and recuperation, attempted murders, enemy's traps and political schemes. You will not see forced kiss, stalking, marriage consummation, or any rough dealings, just sweet and gentle chemistry between the leads. Although I should add that the outdoor kissing scene may be too hot for the ancient public to see (and not a stiff cardboard kiss either)
Adding to the praises are the well-done cinematography as seen by dramatic camera angles and panning, dramatic effect, adequate CGI, setting color and ambiance choice, costume selection (I swear I saw many times the main couple wear the same/similar color matching costume other than their wedding outfits). Not too bad for a low budget drama. The OST songs are also sweet and melodious.
Finally, I applaud Lan Lan who subbed this simple but lovely drama meticulously and informed us viewers who are not familiar with the Chinese language and culture, as she explained some words and phrases that are from the era. As a viewer I was educated thus was able to understand and appreciate the beauty of this story.
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From Hilarious Heartwarming to Fire Chaos Sibling's Show
It starts off as family sitcom show to romance and end as chaotic drama.The concept is one of a kind, the casts are all unique and charming. We can see the cast's trueself once they talk to their sibling. It has comedic relief in the beginning and moving family stories. But as there is nothing more to show from the siblings, it leans toward dramatic dating show in the second half. I must admit, the sibling's concept is what made me stay, it is so fun we get to see variety of sibling relationship and their dynamic. Their "Blind Date" game/mission is also exciting as we can see the sibling become their own sibling's biggest supporter, ally, or even... use each other for their benefit?
One more good thing I want to mention is the panelists! They are all so funny and have witty comment. I feel like watching with friends while listening to their views. Also, despite the chaotic drama towards the ending, I still enjoy the show nevertheless. If you are looking for refreshing dating show with uncommon theme, come to watch this series but dont forget to create a room for disappointment in some casts ;)
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