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I wish I could watch it again for the first time ?????
I don't know where to start because I am still crying. This is why you must have a clean heart and always be helpful because you don't know when you will be blessed. Shen Jia Lan was blessed to be alive and lived as Lan Xiang. Lan Xiang's parents (Xu Wan Quan and Xue Gui Hua) were blessed to have Lan Xiang as their daughter.They went through hardships and small wins together.
Being kind can be good and can be bad but I am glad it was for the good because Lan Xiang and other maids were all about sisterhood, woman power, don't settle for less, be you and be happy....that type of vibe.
The relationship Lan Xiang' had with her in laws was so beautiful. I also like seeing when a FL is strong in dramas and I also like character development and that was the case with Lin Xiu Ru (I really like how strong she became and could defend herself).
There are so many others to talk about but I can cover everyone.
The chemistry between Lin Jin Qi and Lan Xiang ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️ Love made him into a chatterbox LOL he was just happy and I know we all were happy. Though they didn't start off on good terms, everything just worked out and fell into place.
I won't even talk about the villains......
As you are watching, you are actually watching each character grow in years....it was so touching and made me feel sad seeing some of them get old...the grey hair, etc....
I am always a sucker for those type of ending, where you get married, start a family, kids are grown on their own and the couple also gets old and eventually, you know.....IT WILL ALWAYS MAKE ME CRY BUT IT IS SO BEAUTIFUL.
That red string scene, very very touching.
I wish I could watch it again for the first time.
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It pains me beautifully
This is the second time I write a review.No one can explain about the supernatural thing happened in Eternal Yesterday, so I will just believe that the "miracle" that has never been used by Mitchan is working once he wished for having Koichi by his side. My friend called it "The Power of Love". I stick with that terms. Mitchan's affection moved Koichi. The man come back alive from dead because Mitchan, whose love is overflowing for him, had not ready yet to be left behind.
Everytime Mitchan called Koichi "a living corpse", I know that this young man realized that his boyfriend is dead because Mitchan is a smart kid, has quite proper knowledge about medical stuffs, but he could not accept it yet. For him, as long as Koichi is with him, it doesn't matter.
Wrapped with unusual supernatural phenomenon, the story itself is like a metaphor about grief: denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. We can clearly see Mitchan's denial-depression phase. He tried to keep Koichi that is supposed to be no longer there anymore. This consumed him, made him feel uncomfortable, anxious, overprotective, restless, all the negative emotions. Until he accepted it.
Sigh. I was waiting for Mitchan to cry his heart out, to grief, to mourn for his loss, and he finally did it. I believe that Mitchan needs it to let go.
When we lost our loved one and finally accepted it, it doesn't mean we are not sad anymore. That's what Mitchan's Father trying to say: "You don't need to force yourself to heal". And Mitchan learned to live with his sadness.
The background story about how the two teenagers are actually longing for being loved the most by people around them, and find it in each other are so beautiful. We need one, only one, who loves us the most. And yes, it's a miracle when the feeling are mutual.
I have watched Komiya Rio's works before (Cinderella Complex; Takara & Amagi). He nailed this one! He doesn't let us think about him as his previous characters. Koichi is gentle, patient, cheerful, but he can blow up once he is frustrated and Rio performed this emotion very well.
This is the first time I've seen Inoue Sora on screen seriously. Before, I watched him in Abema, but that show is, you know ಠಿ_ಠ. Let me remind you to pay attention to his eyes while watching Eternal Yesterday everytime his inner voice takes part. His eyes are brilliant! It shows Mitchan's emotion clearly without words (because Mitchan is rarely talked, most of his emotional dynamics is told from his POV's narration).
When I thought the story is already sad enough, I was wrong. Wait until you listened to the music scores, also... The OP and ED soundtrack. Added with the drama's title, it is actually a full package of spoiler :')
I give the rewatch value 9.5/10 because I already rewatched it for more than 5 times already and still crying over it. I'll keep rewatching in my free time until I can not cry anymore.
Anyway, since this drama stimulates sadness and grief, if you think you cannot handle it, it's better not to even try reading any spoiler. From my experience, the comments on social media about the story of this drama series are also full of emotions. So, please understand your limit.
I had a good 8 weeks following this series. For all the tears that have rolled down my cheeks while watching this, I must say that this series will stick with me for a long time.
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In terms of the cast they picked and their acting, nothing else need be said as I don't find it lacking on any part.
What I also enjoyed about this series are the amazing production set they used in terms of the houses, rooms, etc of the characters.
If you are however not really that invested in minor details when watching then you may find the story quite confusing. For me, I found it really entertaining as I do appreciate the extra effort of really getting into more on the details.
In all honesty I'd rewatched this series usually on a cold and rainy weather as I feel that it will really compliment the feels and aesthetic of the series.
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The scripts were fantastically written. So many babies!! Each episode has a new storyline (a birth) as its central theme, so you get a complete "story" in each episode. Then, there is the cast. Such great acting! As the drama unfolded, I got to learn about many of the characters' back stories, so, over time, I started to care about them. The actors themselves did an amazing job and complemented each other well. What can I say about the main actor, Ayano Go? Not enough good things! I didn't know much about this actor (apparently, he's had small parts in some of my other dramas), but his acting in this drama was superb! As Dr. Kounodori/Baby, he was believable, and I developed a lot of empathy for him as a person...not to mention the way he treated his patients--like I said this character was very real, and very approachable. I look forward to watching more of his dramas, and those of other cast members.
The music was another wonderful aspect of this drama. Not only was the drama music soothing, the piano playing was amazing as well. This is one of those dramas where I would really like to own the OST--it'd be worth it.
Very important: There is a bit of a mystery in the last episode...something where I needed to do a bit of research. A cute piece of information I was able to discern by having eagle eyes. Good luck!
Lastly, and this is a biggie, be prepared to shed tears. This is a drama in a true sense of the word, with so many heart-breaking and heart-warming moments--sometimes both in each episode! I needed tissues for all 10 episodes! Really, this drama brings up so many emotions; it's just an overall feel-good series.
Keeping my fingers crossed for a second season!!!!
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My dark horse thriller of 2025
In the last days of 2025, three different thrillers aired, and after a rough personal year in the genre, I wasn’t craving anything extraordinary - just good dramas. And, as with many things in life, the positive surprise came from the least expected. That’s how **The Truth Within** turned out to be my dark horse thriller of 2025 - *The Hunt* remains my favourite.Without diving too much to avoid spoilers, this is a five-case thriller with an underlying mystery (the sixth case), where case-solving and criminal procedures, with a strong emphasis on the forensic aspect, take center stage, very much in the vein of the best era of CSI: Las Vegas. Here, there’s no room for cops’ family affairs, personal life matters, the old master-apprentice trope, or the social commentary we usually see in the genre.
It’s a stylized tense drama, far away from a gritty vibe but also from the overly artistic aesthetic that’s becoming the opposite trend in the Chinese entertainment landscape since last year.
The two Taiwanese directors - there’s also a third, Chinese one who collaborates with them - have a renowned portfolio in thrillers, and you can tell. I love the storytelling here and how they enhance a solid script. The lighting, the overall cinematography, where the framing and the use of the camera help create the atmosphere, together with neat and efficient dialogue, give this project a distinctive and fresh personality that I deeply appreciate. Silence and unsaid words are also protagonists, but again, used with precision.
The straight, clean, and plain focus on the case-solving process feels refreshing. Although short cases aren’t my preferred jam in any genre or format - and that was one of my two main gripes about it - they have the right amount of length and flow, are interesting, and even tackle a theme I never expected to see in C-dramaland. The underlying mystery is well interconnected too, and the viewer accompanies the investigation team as the clues unfold. Overall, the pace feels right: neither slow nor rushed.
Production is excellent despite it not being a super-budget drama, and my other gripe with this type of series luckily didn’t become a nightmare: procedures don’t have major flaws that make you roll your eyes, and they managed to introduce the main role of the forensic doctor quite logically within the team dynamics and stories, resulting in balanced and fair screen time among the main team, as it should be.
I liked how they presented the dynamics between the characters. I appreciate that every team member has a distinct personality, and that they didn’t go over the top or force comic relief with any of them. Despite the precise approach to cases, you find yourself getting attached to all of them when danger arises - proof of a good script, solid execution, and good acting from the entire cast, not only the main leads (by the way, not the usual suspects in these dramas either).
If I have to remark on the things that bothered me, the one that sticks out the most is the three or four images that were unnecessarily censored around the middle of the drama, once it gained more views.
There were other minor issues that didn’t ruin the overall tone of the show: a subtle (edit: perhaps more than subtle for the trained eye) drop in quality in episodes 14 and 15 - I guess they left the direction to a director’s assistant/apprentice? - and a few inconsistencies toward the last two episodes, where the story changes the vibe a little due to the logical progression of it. Luckily, the uniqueness returns in the last 15 minutes in all its glory, and the show ends on a high note.
**The Truth Within** is not a gritty drama, nor one that delves deeply into social topics and leaves you ruminating after it ends, but rather one that keeps you on the edge of your seat, eager to press play on the next episode.
For those who like this type of thriller and want a project with personality, it’s a very tight drama.
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Decent script but still lacked in many ways…
The drama goes through 3 stages —
✦ the silly, funny and fluffy stage
✦ the main magical politics & the love triangles and squares…
✦ the finale full of politics and melodrama…
In the beginning, all I saw was a silly innocent girl approaching an idle Lord and he doesn't seem like avoiding her either… there's still much politics going on but what catches the right attention was the fluff. The female lead turning into a rabbit and male lead becoming a white little fox were the cutest parts… first half was Great, at least better than the later half…
And then comes the Mystery stage, when politics and magic finally comes into light. That's when you realize you're in a "Xuanhuan" drama after all. The drama features two areas, one is where the main city palace exists and which is the centre for all the politics, known as Qiyuan Continent and the other is No Magic Valley where people with no magical powers i.e. simple human beings live… Now that I think more, the concept of "No Magic Valley" & "Magic girl" was actually pretty interesting… I should have taken the politics more seriously from the start lol…
Lu Qingqing ( Cheng Xiao ) — she's just Naive Af, like the queen of naive characters. But how do you expect a girl who has never gone out of the house to be clever or learn rules of society, etiquettes etc… So, her stupidity or silliness do not annoys us. Infact, it's very cute to see that she is so simple-minded. The only thing she wishes for is freedom. So, she wishes to get magical powers to go out. I loved her innocence. She got some character development thankfully…
Nangong Yixin ( Jason Gu ) — Nangong is an idle Lord who is very carefree and kinda like a rich, spoiled prince who wanders and travels around the world. Though he has great magical powers, he stays away from official matters of palace. He plays the cool guy outside but is actually a very warm and shy man. It's very funny when Qingqing approaches him by many ways and he can't help but fall for her innocence.
Now, some CONS which took away 2.5★ from it ⸺
➤ from technical point of view, the editing and CGI was kinda messed up in some scenes… like the monster that was meant to be scary was so funny, behaving like a pet dog… but considering it's a low budget production, so that's all we get…
➤ Then, acting was not special… no matter how good a script is, it requires actors who can portray those emotions especially towards the finale when there were more intense scenes (from crying to big revelations), I am not saying they are all bad actors but I think maybe these characters don't suit them and there are some other actors more suitable for it… In the whole drama, Lady Yunxi acted by Wang Yi Fei was the only role that felt real and I could connect to it… all in all, I wanted a better cast here…
➤ then, this drama is indeed little slow paced…
➤ they missed out some great scenes where they can show more fantasy but they completed those scenes in one go…
➤ Since, I was not convinced with the acting, I cannot feel the main lead's chemistry either…
Despite these lackings, I loved the last two episodes, they were perfect.
Rewatch value… I am not the type to rewatch things easily… so obviously not rewatching it.
Overall, a decent historical Rom-Com which comes along with a mix of Xuanhuan and magic. I would rather say, that it tried to deliver something different.
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objectively, this isn't a masterpiece... but the chemistry, editing and direction would make you fall in love with it!Story :
the movie is cut down in various time leaps where you get to see these two characters meet and depart numerous times, because of unavoidable circumstances. even though this could have gotten repetitive and tiring, it doesn't. it's quite believable and it really rises your anticipation for them to finally get together for good. except for the last time they "broke up" but i'll get to it later in the spoilers section.
however, it isn't a unique story. this isn't something that has never been done before, especially in korean cinema. we have seen multiple such stories where a couple makes up and breaks up in span of years. so that's why i wouldn't rate it very high on story.
Acting/Cast :
This. This is what made the movie special. at least, for me. The cast is wonderful. The chemistry between the leads is so amazing you'll giggle along with their cute moments, their shy glances and their subtle and slow advances. It's so beautiful to watch and it's so well done. They feel so natural that you wouldn't for a second think you're watching two actors act.
shout out to their first kiss (if you can even call it that lmao) — it was SOOO PRECIOUS!
jung hae in is such a comfort for eyes. and, no i'm not talking about his visuals. any drama, any scene, any character he is in, you just get enchanted by his performance. and i believe he has literally mastered the art of the sub-genre that is 'slow burns'. his performance was beautiful, but then i expect nothing less from him.
kim go eun was a SURPRISE! i have only watched her in Goblin and then now in The King : Eternal Monarch. both shows that i don't really like, in fact i dropped the latter. so to see her here was refreshing. she was very natural and believable in her performance.
Also, special mention to the direction and editing of this movie. the way it was done, this felt so much more personal instead of watching a movie. it felt like i'm taking a small dive into the personal lives of these two characters and i'm there with them, seeing them experience these emotions and conflicts. so kudos to that!
Issues (spoilers) :
Now to the negatives. I'll just point them out in a list, cuz i'm tired of typing and this already feels TOOOOOOO long!
— the last break up felt so unnecessary. there was no reason why the FL would leave him out of the blue when literally a scene ago she wanted him to stay with her and not visit that family anymore. it felt like this was done just to create drama for the final climax.
— the villainization in the last twenty minutes felt really out of the blue. served literally zero purpose to the story and also ruined the beautiful friendship the FL had with him.
— i wished they had explained more about what the friend meant when he said "only the ML was forgiven" for the mistake.
so, all in all, i am giving it a nine, even after all these issues, because this really was my cup of tea. i loved it bc i'm a very character-driven stories lover. it had the characters, it had the chemistry. i was sold!
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Overall it’s a decent drama that wraps up everything decently well. To me, the drama happened in three arc: 1. Beginning - hired as a stay-home pretend girlfriend, 2. Middle - her becoming lead actress at his company, 3: End - romance and their wrap up. Honestlys, I think the first half is more interesting than the second half. I think I enjoyed the stay-at-home nurse/maid/pretend girlfriend portion of the drama more. The biggest problem with the drama is its overuse of tropes and cliches. It’s not just a few sprinkled here and there, it’s literally the whole story. The entire story is build on tropes and cliches. I mean I can stomach quite a few of them but at a certain point it became tiresome. What I like
- Actually I like a lot of the couples in the show. I thought most of the are adorable and had pretty decent chemistry
-A lot of likeable supporting characters: ML’s mom, FL’s manager, ML’s cousin, director,
-A lot of nice feel good moments
-It wrapped things up decently I guess
What I don’t like:
-Some terrible characters: rapey director, terrible manager, annoying exes everywhere…lol. I’m fine with good well developed antagonists…but most of them are just shallow and one-dimensional
-Tons of cliches and tropes. I actually like a decent dose of cliches…but only in moderation and only if it adds entertainment value to the storyline. However, it’s just a little to much here and I feel like it takes away from the drama and sometimes just unnecessary
-Some over the top scenario and weird unnatural behavior from characters. Like you can't be a competent CEO of a media and hired a random girl who's acting you're not familiar to become a top star.
-There's so much repeated exposition, my god. Exposition is fine and use a lot times in detective drama. Here let me give you an example. At one point the evil ex who was a big star finally realize her behavior and thinking was wrong. It goes like this, she has a dialogue with her assistant/manager explaining why her behavior is wrong. She then had a scene with the ML's mom explaining why what she's doing is wrong. Then next episode, she had another monologue explaining why what she's doing is wrong (as a self-reflection) I guess. Look I get...she finally realized her behavior was wrong...but do we need to spend so much time and scenes on this?
Couples:
-Main couple - like the female lead and she’s a pretty good character overall. I liked how she handle her situation from the beginning to the end and how she handled her romance and life. Though she is Mary-sue-ish at times but it’s not overbearing. The male is decent most of the time but sometimes borderline annoying but overall I thought he’s tolerable. Their romance is sometimes cutes, sometimes romantic, and mostly reasonable. The biggest problem with them there constant pull and push on whether they like each other or not. It’s ok to have a bit of that but sometimes it’s just too much.
The secondary couple between ML’s friend and FL’s friend. They’re a very sweet and cute couple together and they’re both very likable character. The biggest problem I have with them is their story. There are constant overused cliches employed in their story: bad romantic history, bad rapey producer, misunderstanding…again and again, random fiance, disapproval mother, different class and social status. Imagine if you brainstorm a bunch of romantic couple cliches…that’s literally their entire story. Otherwise they’re extremely cute together, moreso than the lead.
The third couple is the director and the FL’s manager. Not a lot of screen time but I find their romance but be more subtle, simple, and cuter.
The ex boyfriend and his gf/fiancee. They play thei
Just some thoughts:
I’m on a modern Chinese drama binging run. Most of these light hearted romantic comedy drama is full of cheese, over-the-top behavior, and weird scenario so for most part I’m ok with it as long is it blends well together in a decent package. For this drama the two random ML and FL throw together in a fake relationship is a standard trope. One that I enjoy for most part, it’s ok here but not as well developed as it could’ve been. That there pretty much sums up what I feel about this drama by the end. It’s all just a bunch of popular tropes thrown together. If you wanna focus on standard tropes, I think the best is to have an interesting take on it. However, this drama seem to written by a committee of people brainstorming popular trope and using everything they can think of in it.
I love the characters but the story just isn’t there. And when the story is not well developed, 36 episode seems like a slog. Would I recommend it? Only if you’re a fan of these type of drama.
Some rant I have [MAJOR SPOILERS]
- That whole ML's obsession with finding out the girl with butterfly tattoo who I think he mistaken as a birthmark is just borderline weird. It's fine to try to find the person who saves your life and thank her. But to hinge that as the pivotal drive to your lovelife...is just weird. I mean the guy clearly never know her since he didn't even know how she actually looks like. This is one of the most important point that drove the entire drama. It's what led him to his ex and it's what caught the ML's attention on the female lead. And here's the twist, which is clear even since the beginning. Let me just spoiled it for you. Turns out, the FL is the women who saved him. That tattoo/birthmark was a temporary tattoo she had drawn on her based on a picture of the his ex (cause I guess she was a big fan of her....who at the time should have been a totally unknown...but let's not get too caught up on that). It's just thats such a weird crucial plot point.
- Is that cancer fakeout really necessary? It was just so abrupt and random.
- The way they wrap up all the antagonist is just weird. Pretty much they all come to the realization that they've been acting like jerks. It's find but the way they did it is so abrupt...AND it happened all at the same time. It's like the writers suddenly realized we're near time end so abruptly make sure the character repent and apologize for their behavior. They did that and gave all them all that and their personality just changed completely. Note that this all happened back to back to back. First, ML's ex realize she's wrong...and then FL's ex realized he was wrong...and then FL's exes fiancee realized shes wrong...:/
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Okay, so this is one of those drama which could be thoroughly enjoyed when you're binge watching it. As it was aired only once a week, the story may seem a little dragy if you were following it from start. But as a binge watcher I immensely enjoyed the straight 15 hours of this little slow placed but a fairly written drama. The setting was lovable, story was good enough to keep the interest on, character developments were good and man do i love the inner monologue of the main female protagonist? The way she expressed the growth of her first love through her thoughts with such subtlety was nicely written. The story may seem to go around the circle when it comes to male protagonist, but you would forgive the writers by the end for it. Over all i think it was surprisingly well written drama, given I was not planning to watch it at all in the beginning.
Acting/Cast:
I personally think that all the main characters except for few minor ones did a very good job with their roles. Kudos to Joanne Tang and Prince Chiu for amazing performance. I really enjoyed Shao Xi's character. She calmed down alot in the later part of the drama, her expressions were on point, initially I thought that I would be annoyed by her but then I really ended up rooting for her love for Yen Li Zheng. Li Zheng on the other hand killed it at his role. His trauma, insecurity, confusion, jealousy and acceptance- everything was portrayed well by Prince Chiu. One could really see his struggle for the quest of love and the pain of not being able to accept his own feelings. He also turned into Yoo Jung from 'Cheese in thr Trap" from time to time. I swear he gives me such chilly Yoo Jung vibes. The second leads were really nice too. I found the second lead guy very annoying at first but the curse got me at the end and i even shed a tear or two for him. On the other habd Angelina or the second lead girl was a gem. She might annoy the hell out of you at first but then you would grow to love her character. She was the real QUEEN!
Music:
I loved the music. All the songs were really really nice specially the intro and the ending themes. And ofcourse the special mention goes to the song "Close to you". It was soo catchy and pleasing to hear.
Re-watch value:
I would really like to see it again in future when i am bored or if i am missing few characters. This drama was really the character's show.
Ovwrall:
Overall I think it was a really nice drama. I never expected to watch it. I only started watching it because there was nothing else to watch and soon I was on episode 10. It literally took me only one and a half day to fish it. Go watch it guys, you won't regret it!
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Healthy relationships and communication all around!
This drama is very cute. One thing I especially love is how it evolves around the two main characters' relationship - even after they got together! I really missed a drama where the actual realtionship had screen time, since many dramas end at the getting-together part, so thank you for that.Also, the mc's relationship is so pure and supportive, they respect each other, listen, talk honestly. Although the story may build on many clichés, I don't mind, as all the characters were so nice and wholesome and amazing. The story has many hidden gems in the characters' backstories, and it all comes together in the end. Truly a happy ending for all.
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Too light for a dramaland in general and but Jdrama fan. Please check this one out!
What should I say first?- Story is as thin as a recycled paper but somehow enjoyable to me. ML is really REALLY HOT (not talking about his wooden acting). I like Mook Worranit but she's so stiff on this show. What happened to your wonderful acting skill girl?
- The most interesting character who went from a villain to a cool, low-key comedic character is Mark. He's more well-rounded than FL and ML combined together with his little screen time. Kudos to Foei Patara. Excited to see him playing bisexual character in his next drama.
- I like the song especially when Mook(FL) sings it herself.
- Not bad but not so good, It's in the middle to me. If you enjoy doramas like Coffee And Vanilla or Love Phantom. Give this one a try!
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I have divided my review into 6 sections looking at the similarities between the original and the remake, the characters, the influence of Korean society on how this kind of story is re-told, cast and OST, finish off with an overall summary.
I hope this will help with understanding why this drama is built the way it is and do you want to watch it yourself or not.
1) Why the Korean remake can't deliver the same things the US original does?
When comparing to the US original, we do have to remember that there completely different norms of what is okay in what environment in Korea, what is taboo and what can be broadcasted or discussed. Lately these borders are getting broader, however, there are still limits.
Explicit violence, extremely gruesome scenes etc. are not okay. In many cases even larger amounts of blood are censored, so are knives and other kinds of blades. The relations in the work environment are different too. Strictly hierarchical structure depending on age, status and years spent in a certain place. Also, the way how people dress and act is dictated by these norms. Similarly, the understanding of the general audience when it comes to mental illnesses and crimes committed because of them.
All mentioned above has a huge influence on the characters (described in point 2) and thus influencing the whole plot and the story. If we compare the original and the remake, simply because of the specifics of society in each of them we cannot expect the same result. For fans of the original, this might be a disappointing factor, however, this show should be viewed not only as a remake but also as its own thing.
2) Characters and their similarities
Some of the main cast characters are molded after the liking of the original, but I must admit they are lacking in the sharpness of originals. The following is a comparison of the characters in both and things missing in the remake, which might be one of the disappointments.
-The role of media specialist JJ in the remake is given to Yoo MinYoung (played by LeeSunBin). The character lack sharpness and determination JJ possessed. It's still a compassionate and brave character when needed, but it didn't feel complete.
-IT wizard Penelope has become Nana (Played by YooSun). The original is very quirky and a very definite odd-ball. As mentioned in 1), there are certain norms that prevent this character to express the same qualities. She can't have colored hear or ridiculous outfits, even though she wears colors brighter than others. She can't have excessive make-up or a whole arsenal of weirdness around her. The social norms of the setting dictated differences in this character.
-Genius Dr.Spencer Reid (who is my favorite in the original series) here has become Lee Han (played by Go Yoon). Even though in the first episodes his higher intellect is mentioned as is his knowledge, it is not utilized as Reid's in the original. Throughout the whole show, his brain power appears very little and is a lost plot point that could have been very useful and interesting. The quirks the original character had have disappeared as well.
-The leaders - Gideon, Hotchner and Rossi have all melted into Kang KiHyung (Played by Son HyunJoo). The character is a good mix of all three but perhaps lacks some depth. From the list, this would be the best match to the original.
-Others I could not pinpoint exactly, as even if they were meant to be doubles of the main original cast, their similarities were very vague or not there at all.
3) Plot - what's good and what's lacking?
My biggest positive is that unlike other k-dramas this does not try to push any romance between the main cast. Before such great dramas like IRIS and Athena of a similar genre have gone pretty downhill exactly because of the romance and emotions. So big plus for that.
The cases explored are interesting and captivating, some being similar to the ones solved in the original series but with a Korean twist in all of them. Sadly, the way how each case is divided into episodes might be the biggest turn-off. Most of them start mid-way one episode and ends mid-way the next one, messing with the viewer a bit. That could be a reason why watching can get tiring.
The two cases that were still active throughout the whole series was an interesting point. However, one was ended a bit too quickly and the other was not represented enough during the mid part of the show.
During the whole series, we find out very little about the investigator team. In the original, we get to know bits and pieces about the team through many seasons, so perhaps one season is not enough to explore it. We do get a chance to know in depth about Kim HyunJoon (played by Lee JoonGi), a glimpse of Kang KiHyung (Played by Son HyunJoo) and just a bit of other, leaving a lot of holes that are just random mentions or filler shots that are never explained.
The team is shown bonding several times through very Korean activities like outings in the park, drinking and others. However, that might seem not enough. As mentioned before the lack of so-called chemistry between characters might be written off on the fact there was not enough time in one season.
The original often delivered at least a small dose of humor even though the show is very serious and dark as well as many heartwarming scenes. Here the humor is, unfortunately, no existent which makes it a bit too serious and a bit too dry at times.
4) Cast - was there a problem?
First of all, the actors playing the criminals need a round of applause. All of them were brilliant and engaging, believable and captivating, which is a BIG plus in the series.
Secondly, two standouts in the main cast for me are Son HyunJoo and Lee JoonGi. I believe we could see more of their acting and appreciate their skill, their art because they play the two characters we find out the most about. This allowed them to stand a bit higher in the acting rating and drag the average of this section up.
However, I would not entirely blame the cast for some lackluster moments, but rather think about the directing and the script they had. Perhaps with a different approach, they would be able to shine too.
5) OST
OST is one of the best things about this drama. Two solid vocal tracks and suspenseful instrumentals matching the genre perfectly. I just wish there were more tracks for different vibes.
6) Overall thoughts
Even though in comparison to the original I can find a lot of flaws, I still enjoyed the show. I found it interesting, suspenseful and good for a remake of legendary investigation series.
Would I like a season 2 with improvements and to perhaps know more about the rest of the characters in this version? Definitely. Can I live without it? I can.
I would recommend watching it with an open mind and just enjoy a bit different investigation show coming from Korea.
P.S those who might watch this for Lee JoonGi, you are not LJG trash if you enjoy it, as there are no "main" characters here and he is not the constant center. So no worries. ;)
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This review may contain spoilers
Much more mature than anyone could have expected...
In typical GMMTV manner, they neglected their own show, meaning they did not promote it. But Aston comes to the rescue and he promoted the shit of his series, some videos of him got viral. And in this case, every promotion would have been justified. It's the first series in a long time which is not stupid, not childish from the first second of the series.While the new actors are young and can play highschool students (and I hope, they will not play in a highschool or university till they turn 30, which is a trait of being a GMMTV actor), they did so in a refreshing way. It's also the first time in a long time, that the script was actually very well written. Of course this is a light-hearted, fluffy show, but nevertheless the people in this show talked with each other - and I mean they had really useful conversation. The only shitty part was the principal in ep 11 where Tan gets his promotion. That was a serious downer for me. But besides that, all the couples talk out their problems and find a solution. Of course not everything is perfect, but for a GMMTV production it feels perfect.
So this show as a joy to watch and if you want see something fluffy but not stupid, this is the show for you!
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If you have lots of patience then you should watch it.
It was good but just good for me cause I'm not fan of slow paced dramas they quite a lot irritate me sometimes and I hate misunderstandings and miscommunication I guess that's why I didn't liked this drama that much.But I do loved the friendship between them! I felt that it could have been executed in the better way, I liked FL's character she was independent and hard working but I didn't liked some of her decisions that's why I was annoyed by it sometimes. But I felt it was kind of realistic that we all do some mistakes in life and we should know when to backoff and correct them .... even if it's late. Aww and I really liked ML I mean he was such a gem and did many things without any expectations.
It's not normal length jdrama it's quite long... but you'll enjoy journey even sometimes it's get irritating but you'll like it's ending... sometimes ending is memorable than the journey itself.
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The drama changed the characters to be more lovable, relatable, and endearing and the plot was not slow or draggy at all to me. Yankee to Megane is one of those dramas that has a manga/anime-esque feel to it, and by that I mean that the whole story revolves around small events, like Hana Kimi. It's not going to be a show with a gripping plot that'll keep you at the edge of your chair or anything because it has a different style. So I disagree with the previous reviewer that the events are out of place, because that's how these dramas are stylized to be and the way the drama portrays it is actually a lot more coherent then the manga.
The drama is a great light and funny story, but also has heart and good points of friendship. The acting is also great. The main leads were fantastic and I love how the actors portrayed the characters. The supporting cast, was average, but unimportant to the focus of the main characters.
As I am stil reading the manga currently, it makes me miss the slight differences in the characters and even though I just finished watching this drama a couple days ago, i already feel like watching it again.
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