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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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
A Love NOT So Beautiful
First of all is it even a remake of A Love So Beautiful drama because it doesn't seem like it at all. Well little changes are definitely fine but they literally changed the whole story. The original drama and also the Korean remake starts with the female lead confessing her love to the male lead and when she gets rejected instead of being heartbroken she decides to win him over. This scene shows that the female lead wants the male lead to know that she loves him right? In this drama I never once felt that Som-O loves Chadjen. Som-O didn't want Chadjen to know that she likes him. Like she was screaming at him for no reason, getting mad, behaving as if she's his best friend. And blah blah blahThey messed up the original characters so much like bruh you won't even believe it. Jiang Chen is a cold male lead and in my opinion one of the best cold male lead in dramaland but is Jiang Chen a emotionally unavailable when you need him. The answer is no. Yes he doesn't express his feelings that much. But he still cares about Xiao Xi, his friends and sibling a lot. He is a kind hearted person, he is smart, he is mature. On the other hand they first showed that Chadjen as a clumsy person in his early childhood, then a famous student in his teenage years and an emotionally unavailable person in his adulthood. Yes the male lead is a smart guy, he is a topper but in the original he was a normal student NOT A CELEBRITY. Chadjen was like a celebrity, like a real one. Many girls were approaching to him and he didn't know how to say no, Jiang Chen knew how to say no. Also Chadjen was a really good swimmer in the first two to three episodes but after that the swimmer Chadjen just disappeared. Why did they even had to add this swimming Chadjen thing. Was the male lead a swimmer in the original drama? No, he wasn't, only the second male lead was a swimmer. I bet they didn't do any kind of research before making this drama. There were so many things wrong with the character of male lead.
Xiao Xi is a bit childish but she's responsible enough about most of the things. In the original the female lead becomes an independent woman. And watching her character development, felt like a beautiful journey. Xiao Xi made so many efforts for Jiang Chen, like waking up early, cooking for him, trying to be a better student, trying to get his attention and so on. Som-O is not Xiao Xi at all, she cooked for him once and then nothing else. She is so stupid but then she wanted to be a doctor like seriously!!!! Then when she failed her admission examination and she wanted Chadjen to tutor her. Why he should help you? Don't you have any self respect? Som-O is the most annoying character ever. I didn't like her at all.
Neo did justice to Wu Bo Song's character as Tao but still something was missing. Neo is a good actor and that's why Tao was likable. But the writing kinda messed up lots of things. Lin Jing Xiao was tough and cool but she was cute and kind at the same time. Emma was the right choice for this role but she wasn't anything like Lin Jing Xiao, she tried to act tough and cool but failed miserably. Lu Yang our chinese Nobita was so cute and funny but New was kinda annoying.
Xiao Xi's father supported her in everything, this father daughter duo was on same team in their little family. But in this version what's wrong with the father? He's so irritating, controlling his daughter, being overprotective for nothing. Your daughter Som-O isn't even that pretty or smart. I don't know why but I didn't like Som-O's mother too.
They messed up the main plots, this 5 students are friends, they like and care for each other a lot. They had bonding and their those chaotic, sad or cute moments was everything but we got nothing. In this version they just met up became friends instantly, no development at all. The poem Jiang Chen had written for his father literally made me cry but what the hell Chadjen wrote? Jiang Chen had a reason, strong desire to be a doctor but it was never shown in Chadjen's character. After admission examination failure Xiao Xi became mature, she made herself better in terms of many things. Don't let me get started on that stage play thing.
AND why the hell they turned the School Doctor to a senior student? I wanted to see the doctor student cute interactions again T_T
Every single thing about this drama is nonsense to me. I hate this drama a looooooooooooooot.
Dew is a horrible actor. Prim is below average. Some people were saying that she is a good actress but she acts good only in thriller dramas. I mean does that even make any sense. If she was a good actor, she would have acted well in every genre.
GMMTV used to be a company who used to make good adaptions or at least watchable one's. I don't know what happened to them after F4 Thailand: Boys Over Flowers, they started doing a poor job adapting new remake dramas. In GMMTV 2023 they announced 6 remakes project and all of them failed miserably when it comes to storyline. I knew the same was gonna happen to this one too after watching Faceless Love, Cherry Magic, Find Yourself and Beauty Newbie, still these dramas were watchable for the first half but A Love So Beautiful was a NIGHTMARE. I am so glad my nightmare finally ended!
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I began the movie thinking I already had the plot figured out. While watching the movie I still thought that this isn't such a great movie maybe. By the end I was choked up and bawling my eyes out. The story takes such an unexpected turn towards the end that you just never see it coming. It was a beautifully woven tale about the love stories of a mother and daughter. In fact, as far as unrequited love stories go, this has got to be my favorite one. Usually at the end of those, I'm cursing the characters for their foolishness but this time, I was awestruck by the sheer power of sentiments and reality when it comes to loving someone you cannot be with. The strongest part of the movie, as well as the best, is the story.
The actors were all truly amazing. Son Ye Jin is one of my favorite actors and she never fails to impress me. She did a great job playing both the roles and brought credibility to the screen. Jo Seung Woo was brilliant from the first scene he appeared in, you just love the guy by the end. Jo In Sung and Lee Ki Woo had smaller roles but were pretty good in their own respect.
I never usually notice the music in a movie because there's not much time, not much focus on it. But the music of this movie was heartbreaking and heartwarming-ly beautiful. The instrumental theme of the movie made me feel bittersweet, like an unrequited love.
I could definitely watch this movie again but maybe in a little while, not in the near future. I'd like to see it again when the effect of this tie wears off and I need to be reminded that yes not all the love stories get their happy ends but life moves on nevertheless.
A must watch movie for everybody. Steer clear if you don't like too of much emotional hooha. But I'd still recommend it anyway because it's just that brilliant!
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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?
1
1“I see you clearly”, and I saw it all very clearly.
“I see you clearly”, and as I sat down and started watching this show, I saw it all very clearly.I saw the beauty of nature, the breathtaking environment, the cultural heritage of the herders, the kind and warm-hearted Kazakh people and the ever changing times.
It’s a simple plot, but it’s beautifully told, with sympathetic depictions of the common minority folk and richly nostalgic evocations of rural life.
What a wonderful slow, character-driven story with its dreamlike quality, yet so detailed and personal that it captures and connects stunningly with so many lives.
I still have the lingering feeling of being intimately acquainted with the people living in the isolated yet beautiful landscapes of Altay.
The music score was just perfect and poignant; on more than one occasion I found myself shedding tears for the beauty of it.
I highly recommend this, and I am extremely grateful to the person who suggested it to me, as it is deserving of recognition and praise.
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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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From the opening scene you are drawn into the main protagonist's life and where he comes from. N' Ngern draws you in with the back story and total likability of his portrayal of Mong. The gritty realness of his moving from home and trying to make a new life is just simply portrayed perfectly.
As the story progresses you can't help but love the cast. As relationships develop the realness is felt. The daily struggles, the forged friendships, the problems balancing school and outside life, especially sleep! This is truly University life!
What's interesting is although Mong is the genesis he is not the only focus as the world expands. All the characters are given their fair share of development so you don't really feel boxed-in or linear. Kinda rare in dramas, especially with such a large cast.
The music score is more an upbeat, dreamy, and story-book-telling like. Adds quite an atmosphere to the series!
The directing is simply perfection! Camera angles, capturing faces, always on-point!
You don't feel like a spectator. You don't feel like you're intruding. You don't feel like you're spying. You don't feel like an outsider! You get to know the characters, their ambitions, their wants, their needs, their emotions! It just feels like you are there going through life with them!
All in all a wonderful drama that comes really close to mimicking true life as it could get! Thai television coming of age and really maturing in this genre!
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Honestly, we're all just Anna sometimes.
This drama takes us through the life of Anna wherein we discover how little lies along the way can cause irreparable damage and steal your real identity away.The best thing I loved about this is how it started during the early part of Anna's life and continued through the years as she grew up. The highlights and important events in her life gave me a sense of the nature and development of her character and her personality and in turn, made me understand why she made the decisions she made and why she did the things she did. I'm not justifying her actions, but I do understand.
This started out really strong but I felt like it fell flat in the middle. Anna used to be this unstoppable force in the beginning and in the middle, she was just...there. It was actually something that I can make sense of. She was trying so hard and of course, there will always be that point when you get too exhausted and just don't want to try anymore. However, I don't think this circumstance was carried out in a way that the essence of the message will reach the general audience. It felt close to boring.
Everything kind of fell into place but the ending was unremarkable given the potential. There was this big incident in the ending and I just thought they didn't take the tension and suspense to their advantage because after that, the next events were just "meh". They actually could've ended it with that incident and it would have been exceptional, to be honest.
I know there had been a dispute over this between the director and the streaming platform that aired it but the version I've watched is the director's cut, which is the extended version, so I can't compare.
Suzy is one of my favorite Korean actresses and I do admit that she's not that phenomenal in acting but she delivered such an astounding performance in this! The shift and range in her emotions through her eyes alone, literally breathtaking! She has brought Anna to life and she did a damn good job that's why I really connected with the character. I felt her hope, her sadness, her anger, I felt Anna. The music also added colors to the story and fit the mood.
Honestly, we're all just Anna sometimes. When things don't work out no matter how hard we try, we lie a little sometimes, not only to others, but especially to ourselves. It's easier than admitting that you failed, because we are not only failing ourselves, but those who believe in us. We kept justifying the failures with lies and we kept justifying the lies brought by the failures. This drama has made me realize that if you resist and refuse to admit failure, you will never experience success. Humbling yourself and accepting that you failed is the first step to find your way to success again.
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L'air du temps - The Flow of Time
The movie is Japan-Taiwan co-production that takes us on a journey of Jimmy who after experiencing failures in his adult life embarks on a soul-searching quest to rediscover and meet the love of his youth.While the story itself may not be groundbreaking and unique, the narration is compelling and engaging. From the afterglow of that first love to the monotony of being a 36 year old guy, the movie effectively captures it all.
The movie explores the theme of self discovery and the importance of taking a break. Sometimes taking a break can provide clarity and a fresh perspective on life. Also sometimes detours can lead us to where we need to be!
The color contrast made it easier to differentiate between present and past scenes. The flashback scenes color tones have certain warmth to it reflecting happy memories while the present scenes were more sombre and grey to fit the melancholy vibe.
The cast delivers believable performances. Greg Hsu as Jimmy, a lost soul who evokes sympathy at times and then his energy in the flashbacks to his youth is convincing. Kiyohara Kaya as Ami does a decent job, though she could have been a bit more expressive. Michieda Shunsuke, as Koji, captures the chaotic spirit of an 18-year-old that is both charming and inspiring in his own way!
The cinematography is stunning. Some locations are so beautifully shot that they make me want to take a trip to Japan soon.
While the ending is somewhat predictable, it still has enough engaging elements to keep you sailing through.
Overall, this was a visual treat with few valuable life lessons on the way along .
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Boys are in love... and they actually "talk" talk!
This drama was peak serotonin for me. A sweet, high school coming-of-age romcom, full of puppy love and fluff with no melodrama or forced angst. Also, this is an example of what happens when actual teenagers play teenagers. It added a layer of authenticity that helped me root for the characters.What really stood out to me is how all the couples handled communication. Misunderstandings happen, but here they were not milked for the drama and dragged on forever. They actually talked, listened and sorted it out with no unnecessary angst, no soap opera twists, but just a bunch of teenagers who accepted and acknowledged their flaws and moved on happily.
Our two main couples :
Shane & Kit were giving the textbook opposites Attract. Shane was more of a dependable, observant and academically driven type who always had a plan in his head for his future. While Kit was spontaneous, flirty and more emotionally transparent than Shane.
They both balanced each other. Kit taught Shane to loosen up a bit and Kit discovers the comfort of being seen. They did argue and stumble but that is what made their dynamics feel real. It was just two flawed people trying to figure each other out and meet in the messy middle. These two absolutely have my heart! <3
Kim & Mon, on the other hand, felt like they were cut from the same cloth and got along well from the start. The romance between them felt sweet, soft and very gentle. Kim was such a spark with his earnestness and openness and while Mon, though initially a little reserved, gradually let down his guard. They were more fluffy and fairytale-ish compared to Kit and Shane.
All four of them have their own insecurities as they should and I think the drama did a good job of expressing that. It might not be the most mature way to handle things when I view it through an adult lens, but as teenagers, their small disagreements and emotional responses made sense.
While the drama gets a lot right, it’s not without flaws. Some of the conflict especially toward the later episodes started to feel a bit repetitive and recycled. They did quickly resolve the issues but it was always the same. If I had to give an example, it would be how Kim struggled to express his feelings or communicate his thoughts to Mon, which ended up causing tension and misunderstandings between them. If they wanted to me to root for them, I needed more.
Another issue I had was that we didn't need a fourth couple here. Tar and Per looked absolutely forced to me on the romantic front. I always saw them as best friends who teased and irritated each other but at no point did I look at them and think, “Ah yes, romance is brewing". It felt like the writers just threw them in like, “Why not? Everyone gets a love line!”
While I wasn't too sure about the teacher's romance, but they completely grew on me. They were surprisingly wholesome together. With Tan's awkwardness and Nat's understanding, their bond felt very sweet and you could see they respected each other a lot.
Acting-wise, I feel everyone did a good job across the board. The younger cast members in particular, were impressive and I really hope they’re given more substantial roles in the future to fully showcase their talents.
Overall, this was much better than I expected. It was like a sweet blueprint of teens navigating their life with love, dreams and changes around. While the script is nothing out of the ordinary and it does feel like it plays a little safe but the charm here is that it never loses its tone or tries to be something it's not.
I would definitely recommend it if you are looking for something angst-free and fluffy.
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Humorous, bold, educational, raw and empowering
This is a show full of flawed but ultimately lovable characters and their struggles in fields of love, sex, health and friendships. It's unlike any other Thai production I've seen and it feels fresh in themes and execution, each episode introducing something new and unexpected. Praise goes to the actors too as this series doesn't lack daring and difficult scenes. The plot is well-constructed and all storylines intertwine nicely without feeling forced and unnatural, each of them carrying a different important message. Even when it's as subtle as a brick, show's heart is in the right place and its straightforward manner is a part of the charm. I highly recommend this series to everyone!Was this review helpful to you?
It was so dramatic the storyline the events were all perfectly done .
- But in case you've read the novel , I heard that they changed the storyline & the ending .
The lead actress Ren Min " Yi Yao" was AMAZING ! everything about her facial expression her gaze really i was so impressed .
Gu Sen Xi was an amazing supporter for Yi Yao , I liked his character .
The whole production the story the acting the cinematography is well done , but if only they made the movie a bit longer like to show the bullying scenes not just flashes of what happened to her and also so we know what happened at the end after all these events .. but still it has a decent ending .
I am really excited for the drama version am not sure if they will follow the novel or not .
Anyway , I highly recommend watching the movie , for me it is the best movie of this year .
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a road trip of character development
Perseverance is what is needed for this drama. Just know that everything works out in the end. This is a drama that you will feel pain through angst and toxicity in the moment; but when you reflect back, you realize that it was just realistic. It takes a lot of work from others and self to turn a toxic bottomless pit into a productive/contributing/positive member of society.I would have rated "story" higher (maybe a 9 or 9.5) because of its well constructed character development (also the FL and ML are mature but cute...nothing dumb about their love story), but I had to penalize for the internal pain the toxic characters caused me.
And while the story does live up to the "drama" genre, I don't think anything is exaggerated. If anything, maybe just the concentration of toxicity of several characters seems too coincidental.
As a warning, I wouldn't attempt to binge this drama in one go. You might accidentally punch your computer. But if you have patience and appreciate a realistic drama with believable character development, sit back and enjoy in small doses.
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