SHORT AND SWEET
Four (technically five) short easy to watch, fun and sweet episodes.I enjoyed every minute with Sky and James although i have to say that the time spent with the girl characters to provide comic relief were all wasted - time that could have been better spent in further developing the 2 leads' love story.
However with that said, even though i am left wanting to see more, i still feel like the story of James and Sky is complete enough and i am glad they didnt leave any unfinished story. This is a good series and i felt like my heart was lifted after the last episode.
Kudos to the team and to the actors. Overall rating 8.0.
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1"Is it really happiness for women like us to live without making waves?"
I have struggled to put a review together for and rate Asura aka Ashura no Gotoku. The acting and production values were quite high for this slice of life about four grown sisters in 1979. Given that I’ve seen dramas set in the present with similar marital issues, I’m not sure why it was set in the past. The outcomes were still the same. If you are sensitive to infidelity, there was an abundance of it in this drama. The sisters’ relationships were almost strong enough for me to overlook the lack of pertinent social commentary on women’s roles 45 years ago. Almost.Widow Tsunako is the eldest daughter followed by married Makiko who has two teenage children. Takiko is single and works in a library. Makiko is the youngest and a firebrand living with a boxer. Takiko calls them together with proof that their father has been having an affair for years. Tsunako disapproves but given that she is having an affair with a married man, not in the best place to judge. Makiko is sure her husband is having an affair and believes that ignorance is bliss. Takiko is distraught, never thinking her father would be capable of deceiving their mother. Makiko’s husband is of the opinion that boys will be boys and they need to have a little fun after working so hard. Each of the sisters will have to deal with the infidelity playing out in their lives in their own ways.
The drama showed the pain that the men’s affairs had on the women, yet also glossed over the pain in other areas. The women had no choice but to put up with it. The drama failed to specify why. Maybe because their audience already knew the answers. The women had few career opportunities and divorce for a middle-aged woman would have been financially devastating as well as socially. The men were also skilled at gaslighting and brainwashing the women. I’m not condoning infidelity but in the drama’s context would the men have been so lackadaisical about sex outside of marriage if the women had the right to do so as well? Perhaps birth control wasn’t readily available for the women not in menopause, or being stuck in the house most of the day, they didn’t have opportunities to meet men to have their own stress relief. How I desperately wanted for Grandma to be having a torrid affair with the tofu delivery man while Grandpa was out with his second family.
Disappointingly, the widowed sister carrying on an affair had no thought for the betrayed wife. While I could see her not wanting to get married as she had her own income, her decision caused pain for someone else. Marriage would have been a step down for her as she would have reverted to being a servant instead of lover.
My favorite relationship is the one I hoped lasted and maintained their monogamous commitment. Awkward potatoes Takiko and Katsumata were adorable. Youngest sister Sakiko’s bravado could be wearing as she desperately wanted to prove her older sisters wrong about her boyfriend Jinnai. She had the most emotional growth when tragedy hit her marriage.
Because all of the excuses for the men became irritating, I feel like I have gone on too much about the infidelity aspects of this drama. What I loved were the sisters’ relationships with each other. The two youngest bickered in typical sibling rivalry. The two oldest sisters were bonded by age and years together. The younger sisters also knew that the reason they existed was that their father had hoped for a son each time. Despite their anger at the father for his extra-marital relationships, the sisters still helped him when he needed it. The women might have fought and criticized, but when one hurt, they all did. Regardless of the situation, they supported each other fiercely. If not for their sisterly contact some of these women would have been living in a socially limited world.
This family drama was well acted. The sisters were unique, with their own strengths and quirks. Their relationships with each other were believable and realistic. As for the affairs, there were no satisfying resolutions. Each generation taught the next to bury their hatred and resentment because speaking out just made the situation worse. They learned to live in the shallow end of conversations, never delving too deep. The relationships built on unequal power and status, left at least two of the wives trapped and unable to fully live. Where was their excitement, meaningful companionship, and desire? Trust and loyalty resided more in the sisterly bonds than in the marital ones.
11 January 2025
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Best K-POP variety show
Going Seventeen has been my source of happiness since 2017. From just the behind-the-scenes videos to a legend variety show. Nothing can beat this show. Thank you for an amazing year. It has been a really fun and wonderful year with you, GOING SEVENTEEN! If any of you reading this, you guys probably hesitate whether it is a good idea to start it but for me personally, if you ever find yourself into SEVENTEEN or just want something entertaining to watch, GOING SEVENTEEN, is the way to go. I really highly recommend this. Fyi, you don't have to be a SEVENTEEN's fan to watch the series. Seventeen have two separate fandom which is Cubic a.k.a just regular viewers of Going Seventeen, so don't feel burdened you can get to know them slowly one by one as you watch it. So have fun binge-watching these. I hope you can discover new happiness while watching it.Was this review helpful to you?
Please don't disappear from me again.
I just can't believe how much this story touched my heart. I wouldn't have ever changed anything from it, not even a single bit. Every character is beautifully written and portrayed, from Ohaew to Kai to even Teh and Hoon's mom. Please, from the very top of my soul, watch this, it has everything anyone could want; love like a storm, friendship, coming to terms with your sexuality, disagreements, understandings, and a coming of age. I Told Sunset About You has embraced me and became a comfort, something I could hold on and vent all my feelings too, even the smallest things of it are now engraved in me. I've shed a lot of tears, but it's been worth it.Was this review helpful to you?
Tofu exists to tell us that miracles (rarely) happen
A fantasy show that explicit real-life matters in the most accurate way. The kind of drama who uplifts, inform, educate, and enlighten the general public about the world of a person falling in love with the same sex. It was reported to be the first-ever Lakorn BL that aired on a national television channel in Thailand. Which took the chance to build a new bridge on bringing out the difficulties, barriers, and emotional distress that criticism works on gay people. Exhibiting that generation gap is one of the biggest factors why most older people are homophobic. They are against seeing two male individuals being in love simply because of how society told them to be. In contrast to the people who borned in the earlier generations, who are more introduced to the freedom of choices that allows them to identify their own gender by themselves. Yet, LGBTQ+ community is far away from living in a world without experiencing a brutal approach, discrimination, and hate-crime from these anti-gay people.A perfect portrayal of this is Nut’s unhealed wounds from the past that he carries all throughout his life, not until his miracle happens. Living in a dysfunctional family, he surely suffers a lot. His father is a prideful man with toxic masculinity who physically and verbally abuses him. However, it's also frustrating that the one he considers to be the closest to, his mother, pushes that his son is like any other normal boy out there. Disregarding the child’s much-needed acceptance and support. Leading Nut to hold grudges and distance himself from his mother.
Fortunately, the appearance of Tofu slowly calms down the chaos from the house and closes the gap between the sour history of the mother-and-son. All thanks to the fantasy that I never expected to be this great, with the rarity of showcasing fresh ideas that I never yet seen from others. The level of imagination in creating talking objects from the strong emotions coming from humans. A well-appreciated flow of mysteries that is both entertaining and sentimental.
Tofu being one of the most selfless characters and cutest human-teddy in the history. His willingness to be hurt and sacrifice himself for the sake of the happiness from the people he loves is annoyingly making me all tear up. When Tofu put up with any kind of pain, I wholeheartedly wish that he became selfish for once.
Phenomenal acting on every dramatic and confrontation scene coming from Mrs. Na and Nut. You can feel the tension of their emotions ranging in their hearts by only looking at their eyes. We witness the importance of conversing in one’s life. The exchange of words and being honest can help to release the uneasy emotion that keeps dwelling inside. There’s nothing more touching than to finally witness Nut and his Mom embracing a new start in life. Tears can’t stop from flowing, especially the scene where they took a family picture. The journey towards reconciliation took so long but all’s well that ends well.
Theories are all over your mind once you start watching this. The drama that makes you feel excited for more since it triggers your brain on the possible outcome that the story may end. However, during the last few episodes, plots are predictable but who cares as long as they consistently display a fine job executing the storyline.
It also delivers a variation of big emotions. A feeling of warmth and comfort from Gen’s family. An open-minded parents letting their son decide for his own path in life. Their entire family conversation is extra-sweet and loveable; a real gem. The feeling of happiness on seeing the appended hole between Song and his Dad. The eighteen year old boy comparing himself to his deceased brother is sadly unavoidable. Perceiving favoritism is what makes Song unhappy as for the reason that his dad remembers a lot more things from Neung more than his living son. The realization of the dad was a joyful conclusion of their character development. Song and Gen’s family picture at the finale, draws a curving smile on my face.
Kuenchai is hailed as the cutest, fluffiest, and most intelligent dog in Lakorn. He outshone real human actors with his excellent acting skills as a supporting character. A bright ray of sunshine and the couple’s number one third wheel. His whole existence contributes a lot from the show, most especially his relationship with Tofu. Even when Tofu came back to his original form, Kuenchai wanted to play with him and keep him company from time to time. Tarn on the other hand is the person who colors the gloomy world of Nut. The bittersweet high school love story is a good memory. Nut lives in a depressing world at his house before but Tarn makes him feel the exact opposite.
The actress playing as Jan deserves praise as well. She did well on being firm to her character as the obsessed love antagonist. Saen as the greatest pretender was somehow expected since they didn’t have enough characters to be suspected for the crimes he did. It just felt so weird that Sean and Jan blamed each other before for Tarn’s incident and they ended up being the suspect.
The show also emphasizes that marriage is a life-time choice; marrying someone you truly love. Along with it, the artistic writing technique and the uses of idioms in life is an effective and affectionate way of storytelling.
In Sarin duality from this show is insane. Him as Tofu is full of cuteness while Nueng is full of manliness. You can easily differentiate the two from having distinct vibes. Also, I’m living my best life by seeing a lot of skinships and skin exposure from the series. It may not contain heated bed scenes but it is more than enough to say that the main leads are bathing in sexiness.
And yes! The episodes prior to the last, tried to prepare the viewers for the tragedy. I anticipated this ending but it still hurts me a lot. Conveying the message that fairy tales don’t exist and we will eventually end up going back to reality. I break down when Nut and Tarn bring back the tragic romance they had before while Tofu is happy enough to see Nut in a good situation.
This drama inspires and pushes me to start writing my own novel and I’m currently having a fun time doing it. I love that the show doesn’t only center in a love story but talks about various topics surrounding societal problems that mostly revolve around the family.
Tofu, your whole existence to the show doesn't end in a tragedy. The best version of yourself remains in everyone’s memories. Thank you for allowing us to witness a miracle in life. You deserve the whole world. You deserve a Tofu in life too.
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This review may contain spoilers
This time travel/parallel universe drama started badly, the FL lead's character seems annoyingly distracting at first. I would have dropped it at episode 1 but I'm a fan of Li Hongyi so I continued to watch it.I found that was not the case later on. The FL was sensible, smart, patient and cute in interacting with the ML. I normally don't like older women-younger men relationship stories but I find their interactions to be amazing and funny until I was rooting for the FL and ML .
Less points for the ending. Though it's a happy one, a lot of details seemed overlooked...
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Inconsistant day to be a dog...
Is it really a good day to be a dog? I do not think so as this show teaches us that being a dog can be really scary, being a human by day dog by night can get you in to a whole lot of trouble... not to mention mess things up for a bunch of people...This drama has some good parts some cringe, some annoying elements, some fun, some more or less predictable twist or should I say side stories within the story with the side stories that are messed up... but at timed interestingly intwined...
The selling points of this drama are the eye candy and fluff!
Our male lead Cha Eun Woo is probably one of dreamlands sweetest, best looking and the over all most interesting personalities and whose use of lip gloss can only be beat by Park Hyung Sik in Strong Woman Do Bong Soon. Though there are parts that are a bit odd... He was a pleasure to watch thruout the show.
The female lead Park Gyu Young (and her sister) had a few to many moments of oh come on, oh the cringe, baby voice... Luckily they dd not last long enough to completely ruin the show but where enough to drag down the score by a bunch of points. To be honest she is actually 80% adorable, with great acting both as a dog and human however those 20% where so bad I almost dropped the show, and had it not been for Chae Eun Woos (well everything) I probably would have...
The villain and side characters also range between oh my please stop the cringe/annoying parts to great amazing, lovable, I want to adopt that kid... sometimes in the same person, same lifetime, different lifetimes.. As this is another one of those drams where the writers figured most of the childhood connections where already done and could not be beaten so they had to add the past life connection to show the depth of the connection between the cast.
Other perks with this show are the huge amount of fluffy, sweet, slightly mean, cute dogs, with or without transformation. So to sum it up, the drama is messy, inconsistent, annoying at times cute most of the time and extremely fluffy
So: Story as a whole 8,5 ⭐️
Male lead: 12 stars (out of 10) ⭐️
Deduction for annoying elements: -4 stars 👎
Fluff: 10 stars ⭐️
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7 years ago STH was my first journey into dramaland and even now when I hear "Bogoshipda", there's a quick bittersweet tinge of feeling. A must watch! Just select lighter fare after STH.
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Aside from the plot being quite well put together, the last episode was extremely good by Kdrama standards (and if you watch a lot of Kdramas you know what I mean about their endings often being a trainwreck). And this also belies the plot being well-thought out.
I also liked the actors. I didn't see great chemistry between the leads but it was enough to find them a cute couple and individually I liked their characters a lot. In particular I liked (and was surprised by) a decision made by the female lead near the end that I really didn't expect, and how that decision bolstered the theme of the entire show. The theme and "lesson" of the show regarding the nature of marriage/romantic relationships. I'm not going to say what the theme was, but suffice it to say it was strung together throughout the whole drama in a nice way and they never deviated from it, which is why the plot feels so cohesive.
All in all, this was never "must watch" for me, but on the other hand, I really appreciate that it did some things right regarding theme and plot that so many dramas fail to do.
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1Slow delicious burning love drama
"Only for Love" is a captivating Chinese drama that held my attention effortlessly. The actors were outstanding. There were some tropes/ cliches such as three couples with the typical relationships viz. one sprightly independent innocent woman, another very young pretty young girl just on the cusp of womanhood and another player / seasoned woman and their respective others who match them perfectly. Yet, originality is not necessary when a tale oft told is told with flow, grace and beauty.The main leads have this wonderful chemistry that is palpable, adding a layer of believability to the unfolding love story. They manage to hold the tension all through till the end. The push and pull between them, the situational humour and witty dialogues, (though I suspect I only caught some of the nuance in the translations) made for delightful viewing. More importantly I loved the gender dynamics between the leads. At no point was either subservient to the other, there was respect and love and friendship among them as they progressed in their relationship over time. And each would always support the other when needed. Goals!
The other two couples have less screen time but still manage to hold my attention. There was beautiful progression in the relationships. The character development in the drama is commendable, as each protagonist is carefully crafted with depth and complexity. The actors deliver stellar performances, capturing the essence of their roles with authenticity.
Even the backdrop of hi tech industry, the lead's focus on technology than production in his long term strategy and forward thinking were subtle ways to explain his superiority over fellow beings. The narrative unfolds with a delicate balance of romance, humour and cultural nuances, creating a compelling viewing experience.
The storyline, while centered around love, delves into societal and familial dynamics, offering viewers a glimpse into the complexities of modern relationships in a Chinese context. The pacing of the drama is well-executed, keeping the audience engaged throughout the episodes.
Visually, "Only for Love" is a feast for the eyes. The cinematography beautifully captures the vibrant cityscapes, enhancing the overall aesthetic appeal of the show. The costume and set design are meticulous, transporting viewers into the world of the characters. The fashion and style of all the characters are art ! Every costume is beautiful and fits the personality.
There is heat in their kisses, their glances, body language and the love making scenes are tasteful and sweet. There is tenderness and a sweet mellowness in the build up of each relationship - and none of the scenes are ever offensive. The couples are well matched.
Some viewers may find certain plot twists predictable, and at times, the pacing may seem a bit slow. However, for me, these were not flaws - as I do not expect original storylines for every book or drama or movie.
It is good story telling that I am interested in and that was delivered in spades. And for me the pacing was just right. At 36.5 episodes (don't miss the bonus episode with their wedding), with the medium pace, and well drawn out characters, a slow burn love affair, the drama was a well designed feast for the senses. The music was good and has actually grown on me over time... that probably happens if you watch a drama a thousand times on repeat.. lol.
I noticed a few themes in people who disliked this drama ... they did not enjoy the business talk and they found the FL unbelievable. I found the strategy being the business aspect of this drama fascinating and interesting. Shi Yan came across as strong, courageous, visionary and selfless. And the FL Shu Yi made perfect sense to me. She is someone who is incredibly bright at work but has zero interpersonal skills or ability to understand men. I have seen a few people like that so to me she was believable and rather endearing. I can see why some people would be annoyed though - this kind of character is rare in real life so many might have not come across such people.
Overall, it is a must-watch for those who appreciate a thoughtful and visually appealing portrayal of love in a contemporary Chinese setting. Most importantly if you do decide to watch, I recommend you do not multi task. The pace is just right and each scene brings something important to your overall enjoyment so sit back and relax and enjoy every moment of this perfect romance.
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NOT a cliché catastrophic love story but in fact a marvellous jewel.
I have never been a fan of “love stories” or any dramas that have been set up in 1970/1980s. I prefer modern or extreme historic dramas but this one is so different then many other that I’ve watched.
Story/Plot:
Youth of May- the name itself signifies the story of the leads. It’s a love story taking place in Gwangju during the 1980s in the midst of the democracy movement. The main love story isn’t directly connected to the movement but plays a big role in the story. The basic plot of the story depicts Hwang Hee Tae, who comes from a well off and well known family but hasn’t lived the best life. On the other hand, we have Kim Myung Hee a kind and selfless nurse who although is very strong, tries her best to not show her weak side. Although many might find the story a little slow paced, I in fact adored how beautifully we could see the chemistry of our leads grow scene after scene. There are many life lessons of this drama that truly did catch my attention in many ways.
While focusing on the leads, I loved how the support cast was had their fair share in the story and none of the support characters were “useless”. All the characters played an important role and made the story what it is.
Acting/Cast: (EXCELLENT AND OUTSTANDING)
Each and every cast member did an outstanding job in portraying their roles. The most notable actors for me were lee do hyun- I’ve seen him in many dramas playing totally different roles in all and he has scored each and every one of em’! He’s definitely one of the most remarkable actors of the generation. Go min si- I’m shook at how versatile she is. From love alarm to sweet home and now THIS- they are all completely different roles and yet she’s portrayed them flawlessly!
Geum Sae Rok- this is my first drama with her and man I’m in love with her skills! It doesn’t look like she’s acting and that’s how real she is. In fact she’s definitely my favourite character!
Choi seung hoon- I’ve followed this little man in a few dramas and man he’s good. He depicts the emotions of his character extremely well! He’s pretty talented!
Characters: (of imp roles)
Hwang Hee Tae: I think it’s safe to say that he was MADLY in love with Myung Hee, which is why he could be considered somewhat selfish. I mean love does make one selfish- which is why his top priority had always been to make sure that Him and Myung Hee were safe and together. I loved how he was EXTREMELY respectful and gentle. Genuinely, he’s not a man anyone world wanna lose. He’s playful yet sad- he’s perfect with all his imperfections!
Myung Hee: I love her. She’s tries her best to live with honesty and her selflessness is very attractive. She’s the kinda person who’ll risk herself to help a stranger. Although she does have a hard life, she’ll never show herself being sad in-front of the people who care for her. She’s an extremely strong woman, which is why I respect her.
Soo Ryun: I started from strongly disliking her to absolutely loving her. In the beginning, she was selfish and not the most honest person- but I get where that came from. As episodes passed, I understood her more and I absolutely loved and adored how she didn’t give a damn about her love life and dedicated herself to her country and citizens. She’s extremely strong and doesn’t need anyone to take care of her, which is why she’s my favourite!
Hwang Gi Nam (Hee Tae’s dad): Annoying, hateful, cunning, merciless, disloyal and if I could- I would love to kill him myself.
Overall: Truly a masterpiece and definitely worth a one time watch. It has it’s own fair share of tears (a river or maybe a sea) and happiness! I recommend this to everyone if your looking to watch a drama that’s of high quality and amazing presence.
Rewatch Value: If your strong enough, then yea go for it! Watch it again! I personally wouldn’t rewatch it except for a few scenes!
Edit: Yayyy! I’ve been analysing and writing this review since episode 1 and now I’m finally here!
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This review may contain spoilers
Disappointed
Very disappointed in the lack of conclusion to Leon/Pob. Can't believe I was rooked into paying $9 to watch this and it was a waste. The Leo/Fiat story was great, as always but the last 20 mins of credits, photos and behind the scenes, not worth it. I was really hoping that Leon and Pob would see each other and have a happy ending. So sad about this. Don't waste your money people. There is a pretty steamy love scene with Leo and Fiat but that is about all, certainly not paying to see, however. Don't waste your time or money people.Was this review helpful to you?
But whatever works because I enjoyed the movie just as much as the first two series. If you want to read more detailed thoughts into this series; how much I liked the look and feel, how I feel about Akiyama and Nao, and mostly what I feel about the mind twisty games and great writing, then feel free to go back and read my reviews if you care to.
I will say this: I enjoyed that Nao had further character development in this movie but without losing her essential personality. I know a lot of people have problems with Nao and I was one of them in the beginning. She's so overly trusting and honest to the point where most in our society look at her and just see "stupid" written across her forehead. But I got used to her...I came to actually like her and by the movie's end...I was proud of her. And even more importantly..you can see that Akiyama is proud of her too. Don't underestimate the truly honest!
Also, I loved the ending of this movie. It made me warm and fuzzy all over. Perfect end to a great series. Have fun watching!
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The story revolves around the Dugu Clan, specifically the three sisters: Dugu Banruo (eldest), Dugu Mantuo (second oldest) and Dugu Jialuo (Youngest).
Initially I did not expect much sisterly love between any of the sisters because most sisters in traditional dramas hate each other for no reason. However, Banruo loves the youngest, Jialuo dearly because she practically raised her.It was so touching to see her do anything she can to save her sister. I loved their relationship the most. Banruo is played by one of my top favorite Taiwanese actress, Ady An. She did a WONDERFUL job with her role. Although her role was obsessed with having her "Dugu tian xia" - so obsessed to the point that she's betrays someone quite close to her. Unlike Mantuo, she puts her family safety above all others. Until the end, she knew which side to be on and what really mattered.
Second sister, Mantuo, is the antagonist of this drama. She's VERY VERY VERY annoying. She's also OBSESSED with the Dugu Tian Xia legend but she thinks everyone is against her when really its the other way around. She's willing to betray and back stab (and kill) her family. She fake cries to get her way around and get what she wants. Mantuo may be smart but she doesn't know that everyone else is even smarter and that those people knows who she really is and what she's up to. Yet, she continues to bat her eyelashes as if she's innocent in her wrongdoings. It's hialrious and irritating at the same time. I hate that the actress keeps pouting her lips, its ridiculous. In the end, she was still a pain in the ass. I still can't tell if the actress is good at her role or not because the pouting, baby talking, innocent act were very irritating to me. Like I wanted to slap her. :]
Youngest Jialuo was very carefree and did not let anyone boss her around.. She knows what she wants and its not "Dugu Tian Xia." She, like Banruo, holds her family above anything else. Which means she is willing to follow her father's orders despite protest against marrying ..someone. She and Mantuo is always fighting because Mantuo is a B****. Banruo is always on Jialuo side because she knows how cunning Mantuo is.
Main couple: Jialuo and Yang Jian were very cute once they warmed up to each other. I grew to love them when Yang Jian finally figured out Mantuo was a lying piece of ****..:]
Overall story is all about lies, betrayal, sisterhood, fight for the throne and high ranks in the palace, friendship, family, and love.
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