This review may contain spoilers
OK I am not 1 that goes all 10's on any drama. There is usually something that I don't like, but this drama just hit my top 10. I was so blown away by how it kept me guessing the whole time. It was amazing. I loved every part about it. The acting totally killed, the music was exactly right, loved the story, & I will watch it again just b/c it was that good! There is a big red tip here that says not to post spoilers. So I won't, but man let me tell u I was soooooo not disappointed by any part of this drama. I enjoyed all the main actors & loved the ending. It was exactly how I would have ended it. I think that even if u don't like melodrama's that this 1 would change how u think about them. It was totally killer.
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ACTION: There are few plot holes but regardless, the drama is pretty decent. The action scenes are not that powerful like any other sageuk drama but still good. I love the turning kick, flying kick, the punches. The fact that Kim Myungsoo trained for weeks to do the stunts alone without having a double, I’m giving him that credit. Good job.
ROMANCE: There was no Romance tag before the promotion of this drama. To those who keep asking if there will be romance or not, the first episode will give you hints (so better watch it).
CHEMISTRY: Some says that ML and FL has no chemistry, and that Kwon Nara looks older for him. Let me give you a fact. They were both born on March 13 but Kwon Nara was born in 1991 and Kim Myungsoo is a ’92 liner. So Yes, Kwon Nara is 1 year older. And maybe, you still can’t move on with Danyeon Couple – know what I mean (I’m one of them). I’m telling you, Yi-gyeom and Da-in chemistry (ship) is smoothly sailing. The way they give concerns to each other, then later on bickers, will give you butterflies. Also, Yi-Gyeom and Chunsam’s chemistry is so funny.
PRODUCTION: If you think that the drama is a low budget because their wardrobe is not as fancy as other saguek drama, well for me, it’s a No. The story is not about the Royal Family. The ML is not a KING or a PRINCE. He’s just an ordinary man working at the palace with a pretty good position so don’t expect him to wear that fancy thing. Their attire fits perfectly for each character and for every situation they are in. Though sometimes Da-in’s lipstick is kinda flashy when she’s wearing man’s clothes. The cinematography is not dull as what others think. Check your phone and laptop or tv. They have different vibrance, lol. :-D
ACTING: Though I still have hang-over with Kim Myungsoo’s character as KIM DAN, I’m loving his character now as Sung Yi-gyeom. He delivers the character well. His facial expression is like emojis. Kwon Nara on the other side is also doing a good job portraying as Hong Dain. Though I say, in the last scene of episode 4, it’s kinda awkward. Lee Yi-Kyung, as always… he makes me laugh in every scene that he has.
OST: So far, we only have 1 OST for the 5 episodes. They haven’t released the full version yet but N.Flying’s OST I’ll Find You is such a bop. KBS please released it soon.
So, for those who are having doubts whether to watch or not, give it a try. It’s a pretty good drama. See for yourself. We do have our own taste buds you know.
I’ll update my review soon
NOTE: Comparing this to MR. QUEEN is lame because they are of different genre and plot. Also, if you think the drama is underrated, well it’s not. The fact that the ratings for each episode is in 5% range despite having a strong contender (I know you know it) even before the drama airs, I must say it’s not underrated. So far, I'm enjoying this drama.
UPDATE: I won't say much. But I just want to tell you all that the story of this drama keeps getting better and exciting. Every episode is a must watch -- The blossoming romance between FL and ML, the complicated relationship between ML and his half brother. The problems that they have to deal with - corruption, murder and more.
UPDATE: I'm only giving this a 9.5 rating as I badly want season 2 for this drama. This drama ended with 14% for the last episode (such an achievement for KBS because it has been long (2018) since they achieved a double digit rating in Mon-tues drama timeslot. Too bad many viewers are sleeping on this masterpiece. It deserves recognition and hype too.
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Meh
Plot: First half had me guessing, like what actually happened and it had some mystery and horror aura but then felt flat on the last 30 minutes of the movie. Many unanswered questions that will make you confuse as to why was the ending like that, especially to the victim. Didn’t make sense to me, honestly. He was supposed to have this strong personality plus he had to go through all the trouble just to find out the truth but then ‘bam’. Would have been nice if they added something to the ending apart from their ‘supposed’ destiny. It was supposed to be the icing on the cake but turned out to be a styrofoam.Acting: All did great and convincing.
Music: Pretty appropriate and creepy especially on the first half of the movie.
Rewatch value: I don’t think there’s something to rewatch.
Overall: 5 for acting and great suspense of first half. They didn’t maintain the momentum and ended up with a disappointing ending despite the so-called ‘twist’. It wasn’t predictable but it didn’t have the ‘wow’ factor too. I guess I watched and read too many psychological/mystery dramas and movies already.
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This review may contain spoilers
promising start that fell apart
Overall: I laughed several times in the first episode but the plot just fell apart as it went on. This is based on a web comic (of which I read the beginning). Aired on Viki and GagaOOLala (SE Asia). Eight episodes total, about 15 minutes each.Content Warnings: manipulation, non con kiss
What I Liked
- the sense of humor and funny moments
- good intro credits
- the female editor was funny and I was okay with the fiancee as well
- that they re-cast the glasses guy and re-shot stuff
Room For Improvement
- they changed something from the web comic and it makes no sense here, why would the assistant make all those demands if he really wanted to work for the artist??? Wouldn't he have zero demands and just agree to whatever working conditions the artist wanted? Why would him acting cold make the artist fall in love with him???
- way too much of the short screen time was spent on the "friend" with glasses (who can't recognize his feelings for 10 years??) speaking of dumb dumbs
- that assistant was super stupid, why didn't he ask the artist what his relationship was with the editor? Even after she was giving them finger hearts and left them alone he thought they were dating????
- in episode 7 the whole confession felt really stiff and the artist was looking in the wrong direction
- bad kissing (aka dead fish lip presses)
- they were dating, since when? the final episode really jumped/skipped around
- I dislike silent simp characters so that letter actually made me mad
- the stereotypical effeminate/trans character at the bar in the beginning (this did not add to the story at all and they could have used that time elsewhere)
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The plot is heavy so I did doubt if the writers could wrap this up well. And oh boy they did. Every problem was taken care of and they really did give justice to every character. I was only planning to watch this until the main guy figures out that she’s not the real Lookaew (because as I’ve said, I’m not ready for too much drama). But guess who got hooked and can’t stop instead???
What I like about this the most is how we got a super smart lead who literally talks about everything to his dad (this is something we don’t usually see in a drama, because parents tend to be those villains who contradicts their children). I like the dad-son combo and how they teamed up to connect all the puzzles together. There’s so many twists that I can’t even predict what’s going to happen next.
Overall, Nakark Kaew is an addicting masterpiece that you can’t stop watching. This drama hits all the good parts. Just when I thought something's going to happen next, it continued to surprise me and gave me a better scenario instead. I must say the plot is EXCEPTIONALLY GOOD! Yes, it has a heavyyyyy plot but I love how everything fits together and how it got solved in the end. I am usually for the romance, but in this one, I got hooked with both the storyline and romance. I didn’t even skip one bit and towards the end, I was always at the edge of my seat. Highly Recommended!!
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I like how fast paced the drama is, or at least the first half. When I watched the first two first episodes, I wasn't really into it but as I continued watching I began loving it. Each episode ends with a cliffhanger and it makes you want to watch more. I still wasn't the biggest fan of the last few episodes -- I think some things could have been resolved without getting too dramatic which could have prevented the drama dragging out too much. Well, 12 episodes are not too many and I think they would have been perfect for the drama if they focused more on some things and avoid others.
I wanted to see more romantic scenes between Nan Do and So Yun. Yeah, you probably think I'm a romance enthusiast and I watch dramas only for the romance, but no, it's not like that. But with a drama that has a mediocre plot, the romance should be there to save the day. I really loved Nan Do and So Yun's chemistry, as well as Holo and So Yun's. I'm glad that they made ''both'' main leads likeable even though they were completely opposite. The second couple was also very cute and I enjoy watching their scenes. I wanted to see more interactions between Nan Do and Holo too, I loved their conversations.
The ending was satisfying for sure, especially the last scene! It was very cute and it made me glad that I watched the drama.
The acting was quite decent. I like Hyun Min and he did a good job with portraying two characters, but he can do better for sure. Go Sung Hee was amazing as Han So Yun, I believe this role perfectly suits her.
So overall, ''My Holo Love'' is a nice drama and I recommend it if you want to kill time. It's perfect for binge-watching as I already said, it's cliche but it's well-done -- with good CGI, decent acting, some cute romantic scenes and amazing OSTs.
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Money Heist: Korea - Joint Economic Area - Part 1
44 people found this review helpful
Korea´s socio-political North-South dynamics suspensefully catapulted into mass consciousness
"Money Heist: Korea - Joint Economic Area" is a remake of the Spanish Netflix production "La casa de papel". As with "Designated Survivor: 60 Days", "Suits" or "The Good Wife", this South Korean remake also sticks closely to the original. Many viewers may work through what is better, whether it is necessary, etc. - Not me, though. Rather, what fascinates me is how specifically Korean socio-political dynamics have been woven into the present story and suspensefully catapulted into a global consciousness.Against this background, the series is truly brilliant. Most viewers might probably miss this or could care less, and thus don't even pay attention to it. Nevertheless, this or that might eventually fall in places, unconsciously. Be as it may be...
"Money Heist: Korea - Joint Economic Area" takes place in a fictional economically united Korea. This premise as a setting alone is ingeniously visionary, because it conveys into the mass consciousness such a not sooo unrealistic agreement scenario for the stuck situation between the two countries: An economic union that could be profitable and attractive for all sides... Yet, immediately the potential stumbling blocks are swimming in the wake... Exploitation, fraud, abuse! The promise of freedom and unlimited opportunity turns out to be just more profit and opportunities for those who are already living in the fast lane. The promising scenario for peace and prosperity for everybody might be one side of the coin, a raised index finger is pointing to the other side already: Attention! Wiheom! Danger!
"Money Heist: Korea - Joint Economic Area" is provoking with a dramaturgical "Hello-Wake-Up!" - On the one hand these potential capitalist dynamics could make a promising peace scenario possible, but on the other hand, in the same breath, would also torpedo it. This is where the big plan of the 'professor' comes in. He wants to counteract the machinations of the powerful, who are busy filling their already full pockets, regardless of those, who pay the price. Thus he comes up with a spectacle that will shake up the public (and their decision-makers). In the end this might ultimately force the system to be more mindful and aware in approaching a true joint venture in order to make it work for the people (not only the CEOs and the powerful).
In this context, the characteristic difficulties between Koreans from North and South are successfully demonstrated again and again: the deep distrust that has been actively cultivated for so long. The fear that the war, which has officially not ended yet, will openly continue. The constant spying. The contempt for the other system. All of this was politically tirelessly staged for more than half a century. Families were being torn apart almost at random back then (1950s) - like in Germany after the Second World War. At a time X, some were on one side of the boundary line and others were on the other. Coincidence. Fate. What followed after that was propaganda, both here and there. Building up an enemy image. And what was done back then, even if the framework conditions for rapprochement might been created, has to heal over time first. (This can be learned by the experience in Germany: having reunited for more than three decades, still in society the 'wall' between ´Ossis´ and ´Wessis´ has not yet been truly overcome...)
"Money Heist: Korea - Joint Economic Area" succeeds in weaving a realistic future scenario for a united Korea into an exciting story. With all difficulties and opportunities. In this respect I consider this KDrama a strong production. In doing so, the KDrama brings this possibility of a Korean peace closer into the mass consciousness - first of all for the South Korean society, which is extremely sensitive to this topic, but ultimately also for the rest of the world.
I also have criticism.
This is neither concerning the story nor the actors, on the contrary. And it is not about the fact that connoisseurs of "La casa de papel" will be strongly reminded of the original (including the names of the characters). No. I rather have a more general complaint regarding many Korean Netflix productions (vs. the national KDrama TV productions).
-First, there is the spice up of the narrative style for an international (rather male) eye that is generally used to a good portion of sex & crime and a higher pacing. Well, I don´t need it.
-Second: Why not really telling the story to the end? Yes, it could be "worth" one or more seasons, but nevertheless. They even split the first season into part 1 and 2. I don´t like it.
-Third: The sensitive emotional momentum, that is so crucial for KDramas, is reduced to the max. Yet, the strength of a KDrama, in my experience, is that we are emotionally drawn inside, that we identify ourselves, feel empathetic, and get very close to the protagonists, get involved into their world. International Style on the other hand is rather characterized by keeping a critical distance. Here the audience is watching from the outside. The story and acting may grab you, but you stay outside and watch. You don't necessarily get emotionally involved. What is happening will be and will remain the story of others. In this particular case as well. So unfortunately once again a central KDrama unique selling point was abandoned for the standards of international Netflix world. This is not necessarily bad, yet different. I would say the experience of watching is less intense compared to other KDramas.
Luckily, the KDrama in general has more than one crucial strength and can instead show off some of those others. So does "Money Heist: Korea - Joint Economic Area"...
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1
1This review may contain spoilers
“I had to be flawless not to be looked down on.”
One’s in love and one is clueless - probably my second favorite trope right after enemies to lovers. Both create many opportunities for funny scenes and interesting interactions with the proper amount of angst to spice things up without breaking my heart.The plot is rather simple, giving a nice slice of life sentiment, tackling various issues young people might face, while also telling a compelling love story of two interesting characters with wildly different backgrounds, pasts, personalities and behaviors.
Cha Si Won was a deeply insecure boy who needed a lot of external validation. From the start we get a good glimpse into who he is - craving the attention, enjoying people praising his looks. He takes appropriate steps to make people look in his direction. He feels anxious when there is someone equally attractive as he is - feeling the need to work even harder to stay at the top of that social ladder.
On the other hand Hyeong Da Un seems to be born with good looks and does not need to work hard to get the attention Si Won wants so much. That said, from the start I could clearly sense loneliness and sadness about him. That emo vibes creeping in. We did not get to understand who he is from the start, but the writer dropped hints that his life might not be as sweet and perfect as Si Won assumed, for example when his smile dropped after hearing the door from his house opening. To quote Shrek - Da Un is like an onion and the writer was slowly peeling off the layers of his personality and struggles as the drama progressed, showing who he is as a character and making me cry the tears of pain in the process.
So how did their relationship start? Cha Si Won just had no idea how to act around Da Un. He wanted to make sure Da Un knows he is this confident guy, but it turned rather awkward, and the small lie he told to create that persona was exposed rather quickly and concluded with one simple “맛있게 먹고”.
At the same time Da Un tried to get close to Si Won, joking around and showing real interest in him - which was at first taken as teasing and a sign of him acting superior. Poor boy, to be this misunderstood by your crush, when he just wanted to spend time with him and get to know him better.
Si Won’s whole drunk monologue in episode 2 was a new level of 2nd hand embarrassment, and yet Da Un thought it was endearing and funny. Si Won was literally trashing him saying there was something fishy about him, and Da un was just smiling about it - he was already gone into the love land by that time.
Si Won’s insecurities led to misunderstandings, but thanks to the god of kdramas, these two boys were forced to work on different assignments together, which created many opportunities for Si Won to see how his initial judgment might have been just a misconception. And the sweet love story slowly developed.
The plot line that got me extremely interested was the contest and the aftermath of it. From the start Si Won was not confident in his writing and the script, not to mention the work was autobiographical which would mean being vulnerable about your past in front of many people.
He feared it’s not strong enough to be picked, so even though he was tempted by the opportunity, he alone wouldn't take it. After his sister did it for him, resulting in him winning the first place he felt conflicted. From the start he believed the rumors that he only won thanks to Da Un’s involvement, but at the end he decided to believe in Da Un’s denying it. His words of assurance that the scenario was good and worth the award gave Si Won the confidence to share it with the class…
…and then he found out it was all a lie - the fear of not being good enough became a reality. At that point though, his priority and what he cared about changed. He loved Da Un, he was more angry about him not being honest than the actual contest.
It’s also interesting from Da Un’s perfective. From the start he had an instinct of taking care of, helping and protecting Si Won. From serving him food on the night out with other students, taking him home when he was drunk, going after him after he ran away from the book cafe. His priority was making sure Si Won is fine. Hence when he found out Si Won submitted his work for the contest, he feared not winning would hurt his confidence even more - he wanted to protect him from that disappointment. His good intentions led to misguided actions and awful aftermath. He feared Si Won would be disappointed in himself after losing, but at the end he led to Si Won being disappointed in him.
Except for the personal internal issues the male leads have and their relationship, the drama does quite a good job at showing how bad parenting can hurt the child - be it putting too many expectations on them, or neglecting them assuming they will do well on their own. Both can create trauma and scars that are hard to heal and can carry to adulthood. Both leads struggled because of their family relations and it influenced how they behave now - one feeling the constant need to prove himself, and the other struggling with truly opening to others.
Presentation wise, I loved how Si Won’s family issues were often present in the background - we could hear his mother badmouth their father to Si Yeong, questioning if she likes her father, guilt tripping her into admitting she does not.
Another interesting side plot was Yun Jeong and how she had to deal with the sexist senior - from inconsiderate remarks about her looks to situations where she truly felt uncomfortable and even threatened.
It would be a crime not to mention Si Won’s sister Si Yeong and her adorable crush on Yun Jeong. The cuteness that the character radiated was just amazing.
The acting? Really good. Jo Hyuk Joon just broke my heart with his sad puppy emo eyes, and Kang Eun Bin made me want to die from embarrassment quite a few time with his perfectly delivered lines based on his misconceptions and misunderstandings of people and situations - he was so confident about all the things he was wrong about. At the same time he managed to deliver the more emotional scenes. The scene that impressed me the most was his argument with the mother and them crying in each other's arms - the pain was real.
Production quality for such a small show was great. I also liked the directing that emphasized the characters current situation. For example, how they showed Da Un sitting with his back to the camera when his family was mentioned. It gave an even stronger impression how lonely he is, how he is unable to show his pain to others and he deals with it alone. And then, to add by the end of the show a shot of his and Si Won’s back, sitting next to each other telling us, he is not alone anymore.
Another great example would be how in episode 5 during one of the classes the lecturer talks about the magic/golden hour in photography “This magic hour is called the time between dog and wolf. When seeing a man walking toward you at that time of a day, you’re not sure if it’s a dog by your side or the wolf of your enemy”. Then in episode 6, after Si Won asks Do Un if his parents had anything to do with him winning, we can see a shot of Do Un filmed in that “magic hour” which could be seen as foreshadowing his involvement in the contest behind Si Won’s back. And then later, the whole episode 10 was titled “The time between dog and wolf” when the truth came to light. I appreciated how some references were coming back in different forms and times to tell the story.
Was the production perfect? No. Some scenes were dubbed (if the characters were sitting or walking far away), but it was still clearly visible the sound did not match what the actors were saying. Sometimes some shots seemed blurred and the colors were not sharp enough compared to the previous scene, but honestly, all of these things I only noticed while rewatching the drama.
Surprisingly, this show gets better on the second viewing. Some lines just hit differently when you know the whole story and context. For example Si Won telling Da Un “you were born with everything at the tip of your hands and loved by your parents so much” in episode 2, which could not be further from the truth with how he grew up emotionally neglected, receiving close to no love and attention from his parents who were always busy with work.
Overall, not sure why this show feels so special to me, but it does. The second viewing made me love and appreciate it even more. I would recommend it to everyone, as it delivers nicely written characters that are easy to sympathize with and relate to, soft commentary on some personal issues we might face in our lives and a truly sweet romance with great chemistry that will make you feel lonely like never before.
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Story: Though it may seem your typical 16 ep romantic comedy k drama but it's really not, it is definitely not a typical K drama and that's one of the reasons why I loved it. For once no evil characters no crazy insanely jealous characters no annoying love triangle and clingy characters... The story points out something very important in Korea "contract workers" and work environment... though the topic is serious they brought it out in a very comical way this drama was so funny I couldn't stop laughing not a single episode was boring... it's my first time finishing a romantic comedy drama in just two days because I watched none stop. They presented the story in a way that you understand how hard work environment while also laughing it out. I loved how they put it in a really funny amusing way I'm not a person who laughs so easily but this drama never failed to make me laugh out loud in each and every episode.
Acting: I'm totally in love with Miss Kim (Kim Hye Soo)... I've never seen this actress before but let me just say she really deserved the 1st place in critics evaluation for best actors... Miss Kim is my favorite female character ever made in K drama !! FOR ONCE not a push over weakling and a doormat for everyone character but rather strong, independent and super cool female character. This just proves that Queen of The Office is really not your typical K drama and Kim Hye Soo (Miss Kim) is worthy of your time trust me !!
Finally I would say it's a complete loss to anyone who haven't watched it yet and I do mean every word !!
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I didn't watch the Japanese version, but I felt that this drama with its storyline alone was good enough. The plot was spot on, it didn't go too makjang overly dramatic, nor too bland and therefore Love Affairs in the Afternoon was just the way I liked it! The little sweet/ romantic moments thrown into this drama made it even more worth the watch!
The first episode alone was very precise with the introduction of characters of Son Jieun as a quiet and average woman who felt trapped and lonely with her routinary life, and Choi Soo-ah a woman who never felt love but is constantly seeking for it through meeting other men. The cinematography, setting, and even the OST's used also added to why this drama is worth the watch. It helped give us a vivid view of the mood and theme of the drama which is light and romantic however sad.
In addition, what drew me in the most with this drama is the bittersweet storyline of the lead characters.
Jungwoo and Ji Eun were both quiet and seemingly honest characters. They knew being in an affair is not the right thing to do, especially Ji Eun so she tried her best to avoid him but when they are with each other, it seems like their world has fallen into place. Together they were able to express themselves better, were happy, and was able to experience that heart shattering love that they couldn't with their partners. Jung Woo and Ji Eun, because they were too kind to others to be selfish they got married to their other halves too hastly, leading to their pitful lives. So if you like star-crossed lovers type of drama this one might also be for you!
I also love the chemistry and acting of Park Ha Sun and Lee Sang Yeob here! Whoever casting director you are, you deserve a raise. They seem to both fit the introvert type of role, they were able to deliver their characters well, and both are hella good looking! They make a good couple. ^^
Overall, Love Affairs in the Afternoon was worth the watch! The love shown in this drama was so romantic it made me wish I could find a sweet and nice guy like Jungwoo. It also made my big fat crush on Lee Sangyeob even fatter. T_T It was a good deviation from all the murder-mystery Korean dramas that are being released nowadays. The good conclusion or ending is an even added bonus!
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1"Will it be fun?"
Officer Black Belt takes the viewer into the world of parole officers who deal with ex-offenders who are still being monitored with ankle bracelets. In South Korea they have martial arts officers who are the muscle for the parole officers when things go wrong. Kim Woo Bin packed on 8 kg/17.5 pounds to look more imposing for his role as a directionless man who finds his direction helping to protect the parole officers and citizens of Seoul.Lee Jung Do spends his life doing what is fun. Fun for him is martial arts training where he holds third dan black belts in Taekwondo, Judo, and Kenpo. When he’s not fighting for fun he plays video games with his best buds. He also delivers fried chicken for his dad’s restaurant. On the way home one night he comes across a martial arts officer wounded in a fight and takes down the criminal. After receiving an award Parole officer Kim Sun Min offers him a temporary job while the officer recovers. Jung Do soon finds he has a natural affinity for being a martial arts officer and helping people.
Officer Black Belt had action and humor in a film dealing with a terrible subject-sexual assault and child exploitation films. Like Jung Do, most of us will want to taser certain parts off of the perpetrators’ bodies. The film went from a case of the week to an overarching villainous gang and uber-villain. Kang Ki Jung had sexually assaulted 15 children and only received 20 years in prison (that’s a little over a year per child-what is the criminal justice system thinking!!!) Jung Do and Sun Min would have to use all of their skills and put their lives on the line to prevent more children from becoming victims after he was released.
This was one of Kim Woo Bin’s stronger roles as he displayed a range of emotions as the friendly fighter who grew to enjoy the responsibilities of his job. Kim Sung Kyun as Kim Sun Min brought the bro in bromance as he guided Jung Do in his new career. Lee Hyun Geol was creepily effective as the enormous Big Bad villain. There were some continuity issues as day turned into night in a matter of seconds in several scenes. I enjoyed the first half of the film more when the officers went more by the book. In the second half they recklessly went into dangerous situations without calling for back-up. Jung Do relied on his Scooby Gang instead of looping the cops into the evidence they found which seemed irresponsible and put their lives in danger. While Taekwondo is a great competition martial art, Jung Do really needed some additional training in how to hit the vulnerable spots-eyes, ears, neck, knees-if he was going to continue fighting gangs of bad guys or with one-on-one fighting with well-trained bad guys.
Overall, Officer Black Belt was entertaining and Kim Woo Bin’s performance was engaging. There was plenty of action and the fights were well choreographed. The film didn’t break any new ground in the action arena but I did like that they attempted to shine a ray of light into the darkness. When strength was called for, they brought it, and when compassion was called for they brought that, too. To answer Lee Jung Do's question "Will it be fun?" at his interview--yes, it will be fun. When it's not terrifying.
13 September 2024
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This review may contain spoilers
"A person is born between two people. It's impossible to live alone"
Umi no Hajimari is a drama that asks only one thing from its audience: to pay attention to the struggles of its characters.Those who are young, inexperienced, or simply haven’t developed a strong sense of empathy yet for fictional characters might look at this drama as being black and white. Meaning, they’ll perceive there being good characters and bad characters, but nothing in between. However, those of us who prefer characters and situations that mirror real life will likely have an easier time watching and understanding the complex motivations of each character.
I’ve been following this drama from week to week and noticed the different themes throughout this beautiful story so I'd thought I'd share some of them.
You Can't Do it Alone
Every flashback scene with Mizuki raising Umi highlights the struggles single parents go through. But through all the struggle, all the hardships, there's one key thing that stood out amongst these scenes: Mistsuki wasn't alone. She had a support system. Yes, she was emotionally distant with them, but still had people to lean on.
Flawed Characters Faced With Big Decisions
Mizuki’s Flaw - Fiercely independent, made decisions on the fly without talking to other people, was willing to struggle alone as opposed to asking for help.
Natsu’s Flaw - Indecisive, a follower, doesn’t express his own thoughts and feelings well.
Yayoi’s Flaw - Too agreeable, feels she is not important, doesn’t consider her own thoughts and feelings.
Each of these flawed characters were forced to make tough choices. For Mitsuki, she was torn between telling Natsu about his child or allow him to continue to live his life. For Natsu, his choice was to step up and be a father for Umi or continue to figure out what is the right thing to do. Lastly, Yayoi was confronted with a decision on whether or not she should play an active role in Natsu and Umi’s lives or leave them entirely.
These thoughts and choices all shape how this drama unfolds. Seeing such flawed yet relatable characters navigate around life’s hardest choices adds a realistic element to the story. As an adult and avid drama watcher, these types of portrayals is invaluable. For younger viewers, this should show you that not everything in life is black and white. Every story doesn’t have a hero and villain, but rather regular flawed people trying their best to make ends meet.
Grief - “Everyone’s so nice but suffering too”
Grief plays an integral role throughout this drama.
It weaves itself in and out of almost every dialogue. At times It’s subtle and poignant. Inescapable. Then there are moments where the grief becomes loud and present - demanding your attention. Urging you to understand the great loss the characters are going through.
For Mizuki's parents, the grief was almost unbearable to see play out. It caused them to unfairly criticize Natsu and even invoked anger towards him (At least on the moms part). Even Natsu himself wasn't immune to the effects of grief.
In Episode 8, Natsu has a conversation with his estranged dad. Actually, it was more like a venting session where Natsu spills out things that he bottled up inside, but that’s besides the point. Natsu said something along the lines of everyone is so nice but suffering too. He then mentioned, like he did before, how he feels like it’s not his right to feel sad because everyone was with her for seven years and he wasn’t. He then said that doesn’t change the fact that he’s sad as well.
Natsu was doing the common thing most grieving people do: quantifying sadness. Quantifying sadness, in simplest terms, is when you place an undetermined numerical value or weight to sadness when comparing it with others. It’s like saying he’s competing in the “Pain Olympics” with everyone who were closer to Mizuki than he was.
Grief doesn’t care about the duration of knowing someone. On the surface, it seemed like Natsu was catching up with everyone's grief, but in reality, he was in pain just like those closest to her. There are no levels of grief. Grief just is.
There are more themes but I didn't want to drag this review on longer lol. Overall, Umi no Hajimari will most certainly have a special place in my heart.
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An entertaining drama for someone who is unfamiliar with the story
First I want to say I'm coming to this drama without prior knowledge of the donhua or novel. So I am coming to this drama with a fresh pair of eyes and no preconceived ideas what the story should be like.I actually very much enjoyed the drama. I was a little worried at first because there was so much complaints from those who have read the source material complaining it wasn't true to the source and I found the first episode was all over the place. I admit almost dropped it after ep1, but by ep 5/6 I was thoroughly enjoying it. So my advice to give it a few eps before making a judgement.
In terms of the story line, it is very much about Tang San's journey to "level up" and the friendships he makes on the way. I found the pacing was good, the acting decent, and good enough character development that I truly cared about each of the main characters. The dynamic of the shrek seven and their head masters had some serious comedic moments that had me laughing out loud. And for all my worries about the ending knowing there was a second season I have to say I was satisfied with how it ended. I found it was a rather natural conclusion (like the end of a chapter) as opposed to something that felt rushed or like the writers didn't sloppily put together, nothing too jarring.
My only real complaint is I didn't really like the audio. Oftentimes there was a lot of unnecessary background noise, or suddenly the actors voices /volume would change. For those Xiao Zhan fans expecting him to sound like his character in the untamed, get ready for a shock! His voice is much deeper here, and it took a little getting used to, but he did do his own dubbing in this drama so that's commendable. And his voice's tone and timber gets way more natural by the midway point (again I blame this more on the sound director).
Overall I found this to be a very enjoyable drama, I hope it gets the greenlight for that season two and they can invite the original actors back. I am looking forward to seeing more of TS and his journey.
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The story sets off in the future and then we come to learn of this miss "sassy girl" who takes over Gyun Woo's life after they meet. The story had me laughing from the beginning. I wasn't sure where the story would wind up turning until the end of it where it comes full circle and ends with a cute ending (: It's definitely one of the best romantic comedies I've seen. Miss "sassy girl" , you never learn her name, but her character is original. And poor Gyun Woo, you can't help but feel sorry for the unfortunate events that continue to happen to him in the movie - at the same time laughing.
The acting is terrific - I have no complaints at all about any of the actors in this movie.
As for music - there really wasn't any main song to this movie. The only song that sticks out is the instrumental "Pachelbel Canon" by George Winston - if you don't recognize this name I'm sure you'll recognize it upon hearing it in the movie (:
My rewatch value is high - I'll definitely watch this movie again - I really enjoyed watching it!
Overall - I think this is indeed a "Classic" and if you're someone who enjoys romantic comedies I think it's something you need to watch (: So if you have some time and looking for something to watch I recommend this movie! So - watch it (:
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This review may contain spoilers
This drama.. Ohhh boy.. It is very good. It talks about things and topics that needs more attention. In this drama there were enough of serious and comedic scenes non of them overpowered each other, what made the watching more enjoyable. Story:
I liked how the story doesn’t have focus on romance but to the problems that any person can live through in their lives.
Characters:
I loved the fact that L finally got a main role in this drama and he proved his talent in acting. He had to play a serious and close- hearted character whom he did great! He was so cute that sometimes my UWU screamed so loud that I was even surprised.
Go Ah Ra’s character was the reason I fell in love with this drama. And how later on in drama her past was told and what she did go through as a teen.
Chemistry between characters was good too. How everyone tried to understand and help each other.
What I appreciated was the fact that Im Ba Reun confessing his feelings to Par Cho Oh Reum didn’t make things awkward between the characters, but let them understand the situation that is happening and bordering the characters.
Second lead character relationship was adorable too. How they interacted to each other.
I felt attached to every character in this drama.
Music:
OST was REALLY good. It didn't bother to stay focused on the scenes, but it felt more like the music completed them. It gave the right feeling to the scenes.
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