This review may contain spoilers
A Thriller/Comedy with a touch of warmth short drama
This is by far one the best T-drama I've watched in years. It has a touch of comedy, thrilling adventures, warmth feeling and life lesson all in 12 episodes.I watch this without any expectation and got me hooked from the 1st episode.
The writer of this drama did a great job in depicting each story in all of the episodes.
I love how the characters developments for all 3 main characters were portrayed nicely.
Every actors and actresses portrayed their character very well.
(SPOILER)
I’m surprise that Derek Chang can play a villain as he has that good boy look and often play a good character (boy next door kind).
I love how they made Pu Yi Yong (PYY) become more mature as the story progresses and how he mastered the skill he was given after waking from his coma skillfully. His empathy towards others made him to be a great person despite all the lack of education. He was deemed as hooligans because of this. But he was actually a great person.
As for Cao Guang Yan (CGY) and Chen Chu Ying (CCY), they both became his faithful companion and sidekick ready to defend him anytime.
PYY's mom and CGY's dad were hilarious and make the drama fun to watch too. (of course other side characters were good as well, too many to mention).
Here are some life lessons can be taken from this drama (and maybe apply it in real life):
1. “You are most important” (this is an advice PYY’s Dad gave at the last episode). Although many will interpret this as being selfish, I actually think the dad wants PYY to love himself despite all the weaknesses in his life. One’s compassion and empathy are not a weakness rather it’s a skill that many people lack these days. I love how wise the dad actually is despite his silly actions.
2. “Never give up” This is what I also get from all the “creatures” that PYY help through his writing. Although they are not human but their persistence help them to move on.
3. “Obsession holds others down” This is why most “creatures” PYY encounter existed. A human obsession can be a scary thing just like hatred and jealousy. People blinded from all of these often can’t see or appreciate the things they have in life and beside them.
If you still hesitate to watch, don’t… just go and watch it without expectation. You’ll enjoy it much more. Every episode keeps you on edge (like I did). I’m totally gonna miss this drama every Saturday. I’ve gone attached to Pu Yi Yong character. I will definitely rewatch this drama later on.
Hope there’ll be a second season although Taiwanese drama seldom do more than 1 season.
Wishing other fan of this drama enjoy the drama as much as I did. ^^
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Brutal, Logical, True to Itself.
Hard to Find, indeed. The only flaw I can point out right from the get go is the music which sometimes sounds too loud, and the rules of Lin Chuan's ancient tree, which I personally found unclear in some instances. This might have also taken the ‘impact’ away from the final episodes as I was trying to make sense of the character's actions and trying to link events and laws.Alrighty, now that I've got out these *cold pricklies* away from my mind, I'll dive straight into why I think this drama is far better than many other throwaway idol dramas released per year.
Also - thank you to whoever selected the English title and designed the opening credits. If it was some big budget drama out there, we'd probably be stuck with some title such as ‘Love Lasts Forever/Forever Love’ or the word which is currently in vogue - ‘Blossom’.
When Master He Lian Xi of the divine Lin Chuan clan married Princess Feng Yuan, a marriage with a foreigner after almost a century, he expected to live a quiet life with his wife and the rest of his tribe away from the turbulent world as always. What he did not know was that Feng Yuan was purposefully sent to him with a motive far bigger than what his tribe could've handled. The fatal marriage results in an unprecedented bloodshed in which his entire tribe is wiped out and Lin Chuan falls into ruins, forgotten by all.
Three years later, he returns with vengeance to seek for answers and find the divine artifact that can bring back his clan, which belongs to Feng Yuan, the person who initiated the tragedy.
The drama runs for around 19 to 20 minutes and it does not dawdle around unnecessary plot points and ‘twirly’ swirly dramatics.
It's one of the most brutal ones I've seen in terms of CDramaland with plenty of knife cuts and torture. The entire aura of the story is dark right from the start. Not to mention, the very ominous all-black end credits.
The Characters in particular are given plenty of background and depth. I could see why they made the choices they did, their anger and despair. I felt particularly sad for the Lin Chuan clan – they were pure souls who did not deserve the fate that had befallen them. Props to Zhao Yi Qin in particular. He is definitely one of the best actors in CDramaland and it's a shame that he is not given an opportunity to showcase his talent in some full length drama. Or maybe it's safe that he is away from toxic fandoms.
Shen Yu Jie was not behind at all, but for some reason, I kept getting distracted by her well manicured nails, which seemed out of place in certain situations. [There were close up shots of her hand.]
Her emotional scenes were convincing enough, and I liked how strong her character was.
Also, two familiar faces: Feng Yin and Hua'e. Though, I have to tell that I liked Feng Yin better in A Familiar Stranger. His character was more challenging here, and kudos to the actor, particularly in the final episodes.
With supporting characters such as Shu Yin, Qing Sang and Xiu Jiu, the ultimate finale seemed more hopeful.
The costumes were beautiful without being overdone, leaning more towards darker shades without any splash of color for Feng Yuan and He Lian Xi.
Though, I have to say, the outfit designs for Xi Jiu were the most eye-catching to me.
Music was hauntingly beautiful. But, it was overpowering at times. Also, the background score was to die for, particularly the one in EP16 and EP27. I hope they release every single track.
I'd suggest this to anyone who wants a break from filler-stuffed long dramas and seek a solid plot with excellent performances and chemistry. This is the second time I was relieved that a drama was over, (the first being Goodbye, My Princess) both for myself and the leading couple. They deserved a break after all that mayhem.
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I watched this a long time ago when I was a little girl who knows nothing about K-dramas. My grandmother was watching it so I tagged along.
2)Storyline/Plot:
I still remember it clearly even though it was a long time, the story was interestig to watch an at that time since I haven't seen stories like this before.
Positive points:
*Learning about family and responsibility while trying to to hold into your loved one was a good theme to follow.
*The events were nicely made; you can find romance and some action moments (since the lead actor is a prosecutor) plus there were some moments were the drama took interesting turns.
*The romace wasn't excessive, it's the light type of romance: Not too deep, not too clumsy.
Negative points:
*The storyline felt pushed sometimes which made it lose its natural aspect.
*Some parts felt unnecessary while others felt missing.
*It could've been much better if the events were more exciting.
Story: 6.5/10
3) Acting/Cast:
*The lead actress was clumsy and sometimes funny, I liked her perseverance and her great willpower to make her husband happy and all but I can't say that she's a great actress since you would feel like she's pushing herself to act: that was really annoying to watch.
*The lead actor was the mature type with a manly character plus he has to handel his little bride.
*The chemistry between leads was good but not great; it could have been much better if they pushed it a little.
*Supporting roles were somehow annoying but they didn't ruin the general concept.
Cast: 6/10
Acting: 5.5/10
4) The ending:
It was acceptable and likeable while being normal.
The ending: 7/10.
5) My impression (How did it affect me):
*It can be considered as an old drama since it was one of my first watched K-dramas so no hard judges over it.
*I was entertained while I watched it so no regrets plus I was sort of attracted by the drama at the time.
My impression: 8/10
6) Overall:
*If you like old/young relationships then this is for you.
*If you like rom-coms then you may like this.
*If you like clumsy lead females then you may want to give this a try.
Overall: 7/10.
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This review may contain spoilers
STORY: Based off the NOIR version of the film, which is supposed to be the true, intended ending. This is about what happens when things go terribly wrong and a guy resorts to selling his body in the underground of Japan. There are so many sex scenes, kissing scenes, it might as well be pornographic. I'd describe this movie as: very dark, disturbing, horrific, sweet, happy, sad, hilarious, freaky, creepy, crazy, insane, erotic, and so much more.ACTING: These actors made it look real, the sex, the kissing, even if no private parts were shown. They were not squeamish in the slightest when it came to the many scenes. I spend half the time marveling at what the actors must have been feeling during these make-out scenes. For Riku Mukai, he virtually had sex with the entire cast onscreen--I mean this must have been HOURS and HOURS of takes, getting everything right, all the kissing, rubbing, touching, wow.
MUSIC: I liked the main piano piece, the main theme, but really either there wasn't much or it was so much in the background I didn't hear it.
REWATCH VALUE: I will probably watch the BLANC version next time when I'm in the mood to revisit this, to see how the last 15 minutes differs.
OVERALL: I liked the movie, but it's not a sweet BL by ANY stretch of the imagination. It's much darker, insane WTF movie with a lot of sinister people in it. Not usually my taste, but worth the ride.
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There is 0 romance in this drama. So if you're at the moment looking for romance, I suggest you look elsewhere because this drama doesn't have that ok. Ok?
Now, the second thing you should know is that I actually surprisingly did not go into this drama as a fan of Lee Jun Ki. I know shocking. So everything that I say here is not me being biased it is me being pleasantly surprised.
Ok, now to the review:
The story- the story was like a roller coaster ride. You never knew what would happen next. You were kept on the edge of your seat till the very end. Even when it seemed like everything was ok, you would still wonder if someone was going to pop out of nowhere and ruin everything.
The Acting- Perfect. As I said above, I did not go into this drama as a fan of Lee Jun Ki, but I sure did come out as a fan. The emotions in the drama felt raw and real. Every cast member played their role perfectly and when I say perfectly, I mean as though the character felt real.
Even with the villains, there were times when I could understand why they did what they did which is unusual for a Korean drama. Usually you hate the villains, but for some reason, there where a few evil characters which I just couldn't get myself to hate. Such as "Glue Stick" who you will find out about later..
Music- The music just fit with the drama. It matched well with all the action scenes and the adorable scenes with his daughter.
Re-watch-Would I re-watch this drama? I think that I would maybe later. It's hard to forget this drama so I would wait a little while.
Overall- I found this drama quite enjoyable. I would recommend this drama to anyone who likes suspense, thrillers filled with action or if your a fan of Lee Jun Ki.
I'm not saying this drama is for everyone but I would say if you liked "City Hunter" or "The time between dog and wolf". I would say watch this drama! You will enjoy it!!
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This review may contain spoilers
What a show
!!Recommended!!!It bothers me that this didnt get the hype it deserves. I came watching with zero expectations and then I got hooked. I'm shook about the quality of the show. Everything is top notch, the direction, acting, production and even the plot. The writers actually used their brain cells. The characters are actually smart. Like what??? Everyone is layered, I don't trust whatever word comes out of their mouth. The acting is off the charts, there aren't any cringy parts. There is no dull scene, absolutely love the chemistry between the cast. Lee Young Ae doing wonders as always! Truly a great actress. Was hoping to learn more about her background and how she ended up the way she did.
Love the female leads, their battle is intriguing both similar yet different especially with the paths the chose. Loved their fight in ep6, just hilarious. Kim Hye Joon is truly underrated like her acting surprised me. I'm disappointed that I only heard of her now. The way she is able to execute K's "emotions" are great. K is a psychopath to say the least. Santa is hiding something, he knows more than he leads on. He is such a wildcard, i can barely firgue out what his plan is or who he is. The ending didnt help as there were still questions...frustrated about that. I definitely did not trust the Chief.
The comedy not bad, got me laughing a couple of times. The comedic timing quite good. The OST is fire, it is great. Definitely not a show that should be ignored. Keeping me engaged and entertained, can't wait for the next episodes. The episodes just kept getting better. Just when I thought they have outdone themselves, the twists just kept coming. Each episode grew more intense.
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Yes, the concept is pretty silly in general. A woman convincing a man that she's a robot is not exactly original, or believable, but with these characters, and a story told so well, I was completely sold on it from the beginning. Every single episode was so good, without needing to be too complicated. The episodes also always flew by, and it was torture waiting for the next ones, especially with some of the cliff hanger endings, so I can imagine that this would be super easy to binge watch.
Honestly, It's the characters that really make this story work so well, and I loved every single one of them.
Of course a lot of credit has to be given to Chae Soo Bin, pulling off idealistic Jo Ji Ah and the actual robot Aji-3. She was also super charming which made the story work well, and I think she was perfectly matched with Yoo Seung Ho. As Kim Min Kyu he really pulls off the sympathetic jerk storyline, and even at his worst I couldn't help but like him. Just watching them cheese smile at each other was actually enjoyable, but I loved their chemistry whether they were fighting, crying, or falling/being in love. As cheesy as the situations may have been, their relationship always felt very real. There's no weird and painful to watch lips touching here either... their kisses looked very real too.
As much as I loved the romance, I also loved the Santa Maria research team just as much. They may have been technically supporting characters, but each of them were memorable and felt important to the story. I liked that they all had their own awkwardness, which made them feel like real people. They were more than just comic relief, and became characters who I genuinely cared about. I feel like they all deserve main character status as well. The rest of the cast was great too, with no weak links... Well, maybe some of the villains were a bit one dimensional, but they still played their role well.
What was really endearing about the story to me revolved around Min Kyu's allergy to humans. I almost didn't want to mention it, but I don't consider it a spoiler, and it's what is behind the major themes of trust and connections in the story. I also loved that all of the characters seemed to have their own awkwardness or distance with people (Like, what kind of person turns their ex into a robot???!!!). It made me think a lot about how scary relationships can be, even without an allergy, and I loved watching so many of the characters make their own realizations about that, and learning to connect outside of their comfort zone.
The only part of the plot that I wasn't into was the business rivalry. It wasn't boring, but it just wasn't as interesting as the rest of the show. Watching people fight over who will take over a business is probably one of the most overused plots in kdrama-land, so that's the only part of the story that felt really mediocre, but luckily it doesn't take up much of the episode time.
Would I watch it again? Definitely! It's one of those dramas where missing the characters may make me rewatch this sooner than later (possibly as soon as I finish typing this). And although I didn't really want the drama to end, I think it ended at the perfect place before overstaying it's welcome, or losing it's charm. The ending left me satisfied, even with the few questions I may still have, so I would rather just experience it all again.
I also liked the soundtrack. It's my favorite kind of OST. The kind that brings back the feeling you had while watching.
Even though I think this drama was practically perfect, that should come with a warning. If you don't like cute romance you will probably be ready to drop this early on. If you hate convenient coincidences in dramas, just know that this story is FILLED with them. This drama is mostly super lighthearted, with lots of laughs, though I admit that I cried several times, but don't expect anything too heavy. I also think it can get away with a lot of tropes that other dramas would be criticized for because its so good.
Overall, There's no doubt this drama will be high on my favorites list. Something about this "I am not a Robot" feels classic, and reminds me of some of my old school favorite dramas. These quirky characters will stay with me for a long time, including Aji-3. It just goes to show that a story doesn't have to be intense to leave a strong impression.
Now someone needs to get me those heart lamps, and that silly umbrella!
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This review may contain spoilers
I really like it
If you watched Pornographer, you “must” watch Playback and Spring Life Continued. I posted before, according to the Twitter of the production company, the correct order to watch is Pornographer, Mood Indigo, Spring Life, Playback and Spring Life Continued. I didn’t know this and watched SLC first before Playback because SLC was available. Not a big deal but watching SLC the last will definitely give you a better feeling of completion. I have to admit I haven’t watched Indigo because Kido creeps me out. I will probably watch it eventually.Now about Playback, I love this better than Pornographer. This dives deeper into the personality of Rio and the development of their relationship. I think the whole series is a 9 for me. But bear in mind this is a movie, so compared to the series, everything here is a little rushed. I still think it showed everything needed to be told. I don’t really think I have spoiler in this review but I checked that anyway. ☺️
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If you're in the mood for drama and romance then that's great because that's all you get! There's no mystery, or action, or anything like that. It's just two people quickly falling in love and then finding it hard to stick together due to outsiders and their own different ideals.
Now for the long explanation!
It's got a bit of a trashy-romance-novel vibe about it but in a totally good way. It's storyline is not very realistic so it plays out like a fantasy of a 30+ year old woman rather than a serious take on relationships. I think this is part of the reason why it's got so much re-watch value. It's short, very easy to plough through for a second time and to just not pay attention to the so-so story but then look up when Kame is taking his shirt off (I’m sorry/not-sorry). Even though I say that you'll still have a knot in your throat at moments.
I was surprised to see comments saying the sex scenes were bad! I don't think they are bad at all. They're certainly more... modest than your western dramas (no bare butts, no *cough* thrusting) just passionate kissing, semi-naked cuddling, and post sex spooning - which I guess must be risqué for a show aimed at Japanese women! The acting is very well done and, though Kame is a little too short and muscular to be a dancer, and Fukada is far too beautiful and alluring to be that innocent, I think they fit their characters well and look really good together.
To be honest it was quite fun to see Kame acting in a role where he isn't so sweet, perfect, and adorable. This role felt pretty different to other characters he plays. Even though he is playing a good-looking and hard-working boyfriend which pretty standard when it comes to Kame, however, Kei is not nearly as sweet, caring, and innocent as his pervious characters. Kei is single minded, has a much more natural appearance (as aposed to Kame's idol look), and less traditional with relationships - not interested in marriage or children. Kame's dancing is amazing (I have a dancing background) and for those saying he has a stunt double doing all his difficult moves should remember that he is a Johnny's idol and started his career as a backing dancer. He is perfectly capable of doing flips, one handed cartwheels, and things like that.
The music was a bit of a low point for me. None of the music itself was bad but I felt that it often was misplaced. As a KAT-TUN fan it hurts me to say this but KISS KISS KISS does not fit this drama at all. The song is far too bombastic and is used in scenes which really needed something much more subdued. It really took me out of some scenes and ruined really good moments. However the rest of the music in Second Love is great and fits the drama perfectly.
Overall I gave this drama a 8 which for some might seem a little high. However I truly enjoyed this drama. Yes the plot is pretty unbelievable and some side characters (though well acted) I found distracting and annoying, but it was fun, sexy, and I could 100% re-watch this again. I would defiantly recommend it but don't go in with high expectations - go in to have a bit of fun!
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Strong female lead
I started this drama because i like seeing strong woman in historical dramas working hard for her position.Half the drama is exactly this. So what differs dramatically from others drama of this kind is, that the main girl is not totally good. I hate this part in most historical dramas, that the main girl always saves the bad people and don´t get justice herself. In this drama she will take her revenge and doesn´t prevent that the evil will be punished.
The other half of the drama is the love between her and the prince. Don´t let you misguide from the synopsis. The drama is full of romatic scenes between them.
The story was not really unique. Many things were like in all that other dramas i watched, but there were a few scenes that surprised me. I couldn´t stop myself and watched this drama in only a few days.
I would recommend this drama everyone who likes romance with a strong female lead that goes her own way.
If you think 59 episodes are too much, i need to say here that the runtime of each episode differs. It started with 40-45 min per episode, then it got to 30-35 min and the last few episodes were only 20 min long. It was really easy to watch this drama.
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1
1This review may contain spoilers
PecBros, or, Peccentric Bromance
This is how I imagine the pitch meeting for this show went:WRITERS: So, we have a proposal for a new BL. One that is radical and fresh and new and innovative...
PRODUCERS: What is it?
WRITERS: It’s a Thai BL crossed with a Korean BL.
PRODUCERS: Brilliant!! Go nuts!
WRITERS: Great! How much money do we get?
PRODUCERS: Nothing.
DIRECTOR: Hang on... (To the writers:) Talk us through it.
WRITERS: Well, there's this Thai dude who comes to study at Korea, and he's best friends with this Korean dude because they grew up together, and...
PRODUCERS: In the same country?
WRITERS: Yes.
PRODUCERS: Which one? Thailand or Korea?
WRITERS: Exactly.
DIRECTOR: Well, which is it?
WRITERS: Which isn't it?
PRODUCERS: O... kay...
WRITERS: Anyway, the Thai dude goes to the same university as his buddy, and they decide to share the same room. Will they be more than friends? That's the story.
(Everyone sighs.)
CASTING DIRECTOR: So, I'm guessing we’ll need to find a Korean actor who speaks Thai, and a Thai actor who speaks Korean?
PRODUCERS: Who are also willing to be in a BL? Forget it. Too expensive.
WRITERS: What do we do then?
PRODUCERS: We get around it.
DIRECTOR: How? By giving them a few language lessons?
PRODUCERS: Of course not. Let's just have the Thai guy speak Thai, and the Korean guy speak Korean. Easy.
WRITERS: But…
PRODUCERS: But what?
WRITERS: If the Thai actor cannot speak Korean, and the show is set in Korea, how will he interact with all the other Korean characters in the show?
PRODUCERS: What characters?
WRITERS (shuffling through their papers): Well, so far, we have a couple of university students, a gym teacher, and of course, a fujoshi.
CASTING DIRECTOR: That would be a problem.
PRODUCERS: Hmmm... Well, why don't we just say that all the students are majoring in Thai, that the gym teacher loves Thai culture, and the fujoshi… well, can’t she just love Thai food?
WRITERS: Yet none of them can speak a word of Thai?
DIRECTOR: Well, what are the boys supposed to be studying at college?
WRITERS: I think they’re studying… (They talk among themselves and fumble through the pages.) Ummm... something physical education-y.
PRODUCERS: In other words, something that gets them to the gym in order for us to see them topless.
(The writers remain silent.)
PRODUCERS: Then why the fuck does any of it matter? Just throw them in the gym, take a few thirst traps, and give it a theme tune. Done.
DIRECTOR: Ummm… Not to be a wet blanket or anything. But is there a plot somewhere around the corner?
WRITERS: We’re still working on it.
DIRECTOR: What do you mean "working on it"?
WRITERS: We have an element of mystery. We think the gym teacher might be involved in a murder.
DIRECTOR: Might be? Surely you, as writers, should know what happens?
PRODUCERS: You a rookie? He's just a hunk of meat. (To the writers): Isn't he?
DIRECTOR: Well, you’re not helping matters. If we have good actors, or better scriptwriters... no offence...
WRITERS: None taken.
DIRECTOR: What am I supposed to do now?
PRODUCERS: Relax. This is BL 101. You need arms, pecs, abs, and ass. You need some “angst”, whatever the fuck that means, and you need a happy ending. Don’t tell me the girls won’t eat this up.
WRITERS: They have a point.
PRODUCERS (clapping their hands twice): Get to it, then. Make us some money.
CASTING DIRECTOR: This is going to be a fun couple of months.
DIRECTOR: What could possibly go wrong?
And this is how I imagine the post-production meeting went:
PRODUCERS: Remind us, which one of you was the editor on this project? (A hesitant hand goes up.) You're fired. And who did the cinematography? You’re fired too. Now, who did the music? (Another hesitant hand goes up.) Give the man a raise. He knows how to trap that thirst.
(A long pause.)
Now, where are the screenwriters?
WRITERS: Here.
PRODUCERS: Tell me, have you ever considered writing for gay porn? Because your talents are wasted here.
WRITERS: Oh! Wait... what?
PRODUCERS (sighing): It's one thing to have no plot. Which is what you came to us with in the first place. But now, you have given us a murder mystery in which the real villain was... drumrolls please...
CASTING DIRECTOR: Oh, you want us to do the actual drumroll?
DIRECTOR: Interesting.
PRODUCERS: The fat guy! The fat guy!! You know, the one who steals other people's food, who can't control himself or his feelings, and who therefore deserves to die? Him. This is what you were going for. In 2024.
(The writers are silent.)
PRODUCERS: Tell me, was he meant to be gay as well? Not that we acknowledge the existence of gays in KBLs, of course. Or did you make that vague on purpose, so that your audience wouldn't have to think of him as a sexual being?
WRITERS: No... It's just...
PRODUCERS: You do realise you've managed to write a show in which a YouTube influencer is *not* the worst person in the world? Now that’s an accomplishment.
DIRECTOR: What are you so mad at them for? You green-lit the project!
PRODUCERS: Yes, back when we thought it was about two cute boys hitting the gym, bonding over Thai food, and lip reading in different languages. We didn't expect a bibimbap of anti-fat prejudices and pro-protein-shake propaganda. Didn't we have enough of that in Blueming?
DIRECTOR: What do you want us to do then? Pull the project?
PRODUCERS: No, of course not. (Sighs.) When you've been in the business for as long as we have, you'll realise that people will watch anything. Most BL is queer-bait-and-switch anyway.
DIRECTOR: What then?
PRODUCERS: Send it to focus group -- but make sure there's no one gay, fat, or above 40 in it -- and see how often they say 'fluffy' or 'cute'. If it's more than 50%, release it.
WRITERS: So you want us to release something that you yourself hate?
PRODUCERS: Of course. Haven't you seen the Producers?
Reader's (Google Translated) Digest:
DO SAY: Krub, C̄hạn rạk khuṇ, Annyeonghaseyo, Salanghaeyo.
DON'T SAY: H̄yud ley. Kkeojyeo.
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Dating show with k-drama plot quality.
The show was weirdly addicting, even though it was far softer compared to western dating shows. The focus on the feelings and not just sexual attraction made the stakes higher, even though I knew it’s all over the top behavior. They knew each other for 8 days, how much in love can they truly be?The aspect that was for me as interesting as the show itself was the audience reaction. The double standards we had were strong, and it has been just hilarious to watch. JiA playing all the guys? Queen. Jin Taek showing interest in someone else, because he was not sure about the feelings for his first pick? Trash. So Yeon being true to her feelings and saying what she wants to say: honest and caring. Se Hoon being true to his feelings and saying what he wants to say: egoistic and selfish. And the same story happened with a lot of male and female contestants.
Truth is, the female contestants are not unproblematic queens that deserve better. They were all just normal people, who barely knew each other and had no obligation to stay loyal to anyone just because they picked them once. They guys were not trash, there were no red flags, we are all just hypersensitive about the most basic and normal behavior.
As entertaining as the show was, I had few complaints. First, it was way too short. I would say adding at least 2 more episodes would be better. Keep the 8 days format, but getting 2 episodes per day would be ideal. It would make it easier to understand the relations between contestants and understand their choices. I feel like sometimes we just missed the context, because it was never shown on screen.
Another thing was adding new contestants so late. If they decided to stir the pot, they should have added them after the first date - long term it would create more tension that they wanted, and not last minute cheap “twists”. Not to mention the idiocy of casting Cha Hyun Seung, when he knew few contestants, which goes against everything these shows are about (and the “not knowing each other's age and profession).
Overall, I had a lot of fun. My favorite person was An Ye Wow - the only one who took the show for what it was: a little bit of fun adventure. Everyone was so serious, as if they were about to get married the moment the program ended, while she was just having fun meeting new people and enjoying herself. The best chemistry for me was between Hyun Joong, So Yeon and Se Hoon - these three were such an underrated comedic trio who radiated best friends vibe, I wish we could just watch them chilling and joking around a bit more. Best thing was: I did not really feel bad for anyone. Picking extremely good looking, popular, successful people makes me take their love hardships less seriously. “Oh no, this hot dude in his mid 20’ just got rejected for the first time in his life, what a tragedy”.
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Excellent Production
[Note to fans of Yanxi Palace: Please treat this drama as a separate story from Yanxi. If you have seen production spoilers on the internet, please ignore them. It's best to view this drama FRESH.]The story takes place around the end of the Warring States Period in China (475-221BC) and it highlights the conflicts between the Qin and Zhao States. The three main characters enter the story as Li Hao Lan (born to the imperial censor in Zhao) is banished from home and sold to the merchant Lǚ Bu Wei. Later, they meet the prince from Qin who is kept as a hostage in Zhao, Ying Yi Ren. With their help, Ying Yi Ren escapes Zhao, becomes the King of Qin, and later passes the throne to his son and heir, Ying Zheng (later known as Qin Shi Huang -- the first Emperor to unify China). Li Hao Lan is Ying Zheng's mother and she later becomes the Empress Dowager.
This drama is high-quality and unique: story, cast, costume, setting, music, etc. The characters are complex and have layers/depth. The story is for members in the audience who enjoy thinking about the story and characters , long after the episodes reach their conclusion. This drama has several complex hidden messages for the viewers. Each main and supporting character has their own lessons to share. The main story and its deeper meanings are clear for everyone in the audience to interpret in their own way...
There are many memorable characters in this drama -- main and supporting roles. Their story lines and subplots are highly enjoyable!
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This review may contain spoilers
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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Im happy to report the opening two episodes i was swept away. The opening theme is one of the best ive heard in awhile (its a trademark sound similar to CSI) and the cinematography was so nicely done. Those drawings adorable and gorgeous. Finally i now couldnt imagine Ji Bai as none other than Wang Kai and Xuxu none other than Olivia. They both suited the roles to a T.
Yet there is a but after putting out these praises. Of all the 3 novels from Ding Mo i find the love relationship in When Snail falls in love to be the cutest and sweetest. And just the right balance with the crime solving bit. But the production crew in this drama has opted to tip that balance and scale down the romance. I understand roles get magnify or diminish and plots do change in adaptation. But i cant really agree its for the better with some of the changes. Nevermind that its more centric on police detective skills, crime solving and profiling and character growth for Xuxu.
Just to name a few: Xuxu's pursuer was scraped off. Xuxu as the solo disciple to Master Ji scrap off. The JiBai pursue first got a 180degree treatment. The reason why JiBai went to Myanmar changed. Yao meng character changed but since its for the better im ok with that.
Lets just say cause i read the novel there were certain things i was waiting for and came up empty waiting and watching from beginning to ep 15. Nothing. Then we go from nothing to suddenly 75% in their romance development. I get it thats its snail" but that sudden development didnt have time in earlier episodes to plant and bloom properly.
Then episodes 18 to 21 was so epically good and bolstered up by such commendable acting from both our leads.
This drama could have been a solid 10. All the more cause we know the chemistry between our leads is powerful and that i felt was not fully unleashed. Ive been left in vain wanting that bit more for our lion and his snail. To the point i wish theres a special episode to see more of them as an item.
Il definitely miss Wang Kai as a detective n that man rocks the white shirt blue jeans look. Again want to note awesome casting of him n Olivia. This among the best C dramas have to offer in 2016. DO WATCH and if you love more romance development Do READ the novel.
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