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While the original Gokusen had popular names such as Matsumoto Jun and Oguri Shun, Gokusen 2 has Kamenashi Kazuya, Akanishi Jin, Hayami Mokomichi, and Koike Teppei. For those who've seen the first Gokusen you'll find familiar faces also among the cast - and a return of Kuma! One of my favorites from the first season, I was happy to see him return in Gokusen 2!
The acting was great, I loved the entire cast!
The music wasn't anything special - the theme song changed from "Feel Your Breeze" to "No More Cry" at the end which wasn't a bad song. I loved Kamenashi Kazuya's "Kizuna" that was played during the drama, though (:
I can see myself rewatching this drama sometime, but probably not for a long time.
Overall - I enjoyed it just as much as the first season. For those of you who have seen the first season - you won't be disappointed with this one. For those who haven't seen any of the seasons yet but are curious because you like the cast - watch it! (:
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But for the drama I can say that the actors were really well picked. Itoh Atsushi was definitely my favorite character and he really portrayed it well, the normal otaku one would imagine. But what I liked the most about Yamada was the way he felt towards Hermes and how he expressed it. From the first time they met and especially when he had to reveal his true self. I just found it so cute.
Itoh Misaki was also great. At first I thought she was a bit stiff, but I guess that’s how the character is supposed to be and she kind of started to grew on me, since they actually made a really cute couple.
And, of course, all the user of the internet thread made the story a lot more interesting, I just loved their conversations, their unique ways to react and their sometimes laughable sometimes useful advice that went accordingly to their internet characters. There were times when I couldn’t stop laughing.
Definitely a must watch. : D
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This drama is very refreshing, very well written and highly entertaining. The synopsis might not really attract you, but just watch it, you'll get drawn into the series in no time at all.
Hiroshi Abe is definitely at his BEST here! He plays Kuwano-san, an accomplished architect who is rather quirky and sarcastic and definitely not a people's person. And I gotta say... Abe did a BRILLIANT job portraying this character. His acting here is SUPERB, really. His character is a mix between Jack Nicholson in "As Good As It Gets" and Hugh Laurie of "House M.D."
It is very interesting to see how Abe's character tries to interact with other people in different kind of situations as portrayed throughout the series. I especially love the interaction between him and Ken-chan, the neighbour's dog. If you haven't seen it, I'm telling you, you'll fall in love with Ken-chan, because he is the cutest thing ever!
The actress that plays Hayasaka-san is also amazing. She's able to "balance" Abe's Kuwano and they succesfully created a perfect on-screen chemistry together.
This drama is totally a must see!
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I started watching it by accident, because I noticed Park Jung Min's name in the cast list. Since I'm an SS501 fan and I have a particular attachment to Jung Min... I started watching it JUST for him, but it wasn't long until I got hooked on the actual drama. Beware though, for the first few episodes you will have to put up with an overload of sweetness and some pretty bad acting from Jung Min. Since he was the only reason for watching at first, I didn't have high expectations at all and just wanted to see him, so of course I kept watching. But if you're not a crazy Jung Min fan and are easily turned off by overly sweet moments, don't drop the drama after the first few episodes! You won't know what you're missing! Jung Min's acting improves considerably over the next few episodes and they gradually lessen the sugar a little bit :P but you will probably get used to it anyway.
To sum it up in a few words, this show has a very sweet and comical kind of romance accentuated by the playful character of Jung Min, good chemistry between the leads, some amusing bits and even some controlled drama. With emphasis on CONTROLLED. It's truly controlled in this one. They don't go overboard with it. It's just enough to keep the story going. I admit I cried at one point during the show (exactly halfway through) but that was the most emotional bit of the entire drama. Nothing exceeds that intensity afterwards. What I particularly like about this one is that there's no evil witch interfering with the main leads! She's actually interfering in the wrong couple, the other side of the love triangle, which only pushes Mi En more towards Xi Huan (Jung Min), so in other words the evil witch in this show actually... somehow... helps the leads to get closer. Which would've been beyond my wildest dreams for Asian dramas *-*
I just can't keep it short, I'm sorry. I'm trying though... There's something else I need to add about it: it's a very soothing drama. I think that's the word that fits it best. More than it is romantic and more than it is humorous, it is soothing. I enjoyed every second of it. I was always eager to watch another episode knowing it will put me in a good mood, because I could expect nothing bad from it. It is that kind of light drama that you can actually connect to and get attached to without risking to stir up a tornado of emotions inside of you. I especially appreciate how they handled the ending. In all the dramas I've watched so far, the ending disappointed me, even if just a bit. But this show's ending was just perfect. I could not have asked for a better ending. And it's not just the ending actually, they managed to handle all the romantic moments brilliantly. Most of the time, dramas have a hard time portraying key moments like confessions, proposals, endings etc. Because for the sake of emphasising the romance and importance of the moment they end up diverting a bit too much from the characters' personality and make the moment overly-romantic and awkward. I'm happy to say Fondant Garden had absolutely no awkward moment like that. I'm very appreciative of the fact that they managed to make all the romantic moments and especially the ending, fit to their personalities.
Music: Very fitting for this drama's style. It complements the mood of every scene perfectly. There are a few songs that will forever be stuck in my head: The intro song, the one Jung Min sings (he's got a remarkable voice!) and So Good by Kimberly Chen which was my absolute favourite from the entire show.
Acting: As I said above, it is lacking in the beginning on Park Jung Min's character, but it gets a lot better as the show progresses. The rest of them impersonated their characters flawlessly. Though some may say Jian Man Shu wasn't very believable at first. To me she was ok, except on very few scenes, maybe.
Give this drama a go! You have nothing to lose. You will either fall in love with it or just end up not connecting to it if it's not your style. In any case, it's not a waste of time, at the very least there will be some sweet moments that will remain in your mind :)
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Glorious dreams, strong women and their 100/10 chemistry
A dream of splendor is adapted from the opera "Zhao Pan Er Feng Yue Jiu Feng Chen" (赵盼儿风月救风尘) written by Guan Han Qing.Characters and Plot —
The drama revolves around three ladies Zhao Pan'er, Sun Sunniang, Song Yinzhang and the "living devil" Gu Qianfan. Zhao Pan'er is the strong backbone of their friendship who is intelligent and good in tea art. She uses her dancing skills to serve tea and her wit and ways of creativity wonders everyone. Sanniang is her close friend whose cooking skills are inferior to none while Yinzhang is a talented girl who will be seen carrying a pipa around often. Her pipa music is as magical as Sunniang's pastries. And Gu Qianfan is the cruel yet nice commander of capital security office.
A Dream of Splendor radiates women empowerment, women teamwork, a woman's self respect and how women can excel in everything. Our leading ladies aren't easy to be fooled, they have their strengths/weaknesses and they go through thick and thin together. They have self respect and just because she was once a "pariah" doesn't mean she doesn't deserve respect and is not capable.
(Pariah – a low status of woman back in ancient China who were performers or prostitutes who were looked down on by everyone)
Their sisterhood is another delightful thing to watch here. I can't forget to mention Zhaodi, she entered late in the group but I like her supportive character. So, if I have to rate the female centered plot, it's 9.5/10, almost everything I expected.
Along with this we have a good political plot going on which is more like a side topic, not too complicated, rather light and less angsty. Of course except that one mean guy I wish I could kill him in the starting. He's just so despicable, absolutely selfish.
Their Chemistry —
Zhao Pan'er and Gu Qianfan together are like two people who will give up anything for each other. Their concept of using yellow flowers to express "I miss you", their eye gazes, their longing, their protection for each other and just them being is love is everything. Small moments between them fill you up like a scene where he is applying medicine on her face (even I felt like a third wheel between them let alone other characters xD)
Humour —
We have Chi Pan who is amusingly naughty with lame, childish acts but his words and expressions often bring fun in the drama. And he's such a cute crybaby haha.
Cast/Acting —
• Liu Yifei – I came to this drama for her as she was returning to dramas after a long time and I am still impressed with her acting. Also isn't she so gorgeous in every frame. Her eyes, body language and this aura is strong just like Zhao Pan'er.
• Chen Xiao – Gu Qianfan is a great character and Chen Xiao also looks great in this role. His styling or I don't know what but he often reminded me of Prince An (Wang Ziqi) in the Imperial Coroner.
• Ada Liu – Sun Sunniang is such a cheerful lady with strong hands. Ada Liu suits for this role. All her strong moments like throwing someone in the river or showing off some butcher skills came out perfectly.
• Jelly Lin – I never had a good experience with Lin's dramas, most of them are like dropped after some episodes but somehow I liked her here. When she played pipa as Yinzhang, she looked so cool and her cute dimples work for me!
• Dai Xu – Finally! Chi Pan is my second favorite character after Zhao Pan'er. Just the comedy he adds and Dai Xu's expressions are out of this world. Would love to see more of his works in future.
OSTs —
1. Jane Zhang (张靓颖) - ♪Spare No Time♪ (不惜时光) …a slow and sublime song that ends every episode beautifully.
2. Liu Yuning (刘宇宁) - ♪Meng Hua♪ (梦华) …with the spirit of fighting all the troubles together and Liu Yuning's voice makes this song more special.
3. Sunnee (杨芸晴) - ♪What Year Is Today♪ (今夕是何年)
4. Kiki Wei (魏奇奇) - ♪Nian Nian♪ (念念)
5. Rachel (银临) - ♪The Red Apricot Branch Is Full Of Spring♪ (红杏枝头春意闹) …the song representing their ups and downs and the longing for hope.
To conclude, what's worth watching the most in this drama —
⛧ character development of three ladies starting from scratch
⛧ strong female characters
⛧ the chemistry between Gu Qianfan and Zhao Pan'er
⛧ great supporting characters and friendship/sisterhood/companionship
⛧ Chi Pan (Dai Xu) as a comedy factor.
~ A Dream of Splendor is recommended!
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This review may contain spoilers
The first good point about the story, it's the fact that it really start at the first minute of the first episode. Don't say : "I'll watch the first 10 minutes now and then I'll watch the rest after work if I find it interesting", because you'll end up skipping work...Then, you get to know the characters, and each and every one of them have a real personality, so you can be sure you will be moved by at least one of them. All the characters are slowly evolving during the drama, in a quite subtle way. I gave the story a 9 because I felt it was sometimes a little too slow.
Personally, I was really impressed by the two lead's acting performance, as well as the second male lead (while the second female lead's acting was so average it made me drop a point in my review). Thanks to their acting, you really beleive in the story, and in the characters.
Finally, I'll talk about the music : I just love it. My special award is for the song "Gu Rae Do"(Nevertheless) by Soo Ji, and its instrumental version which were so beautiful and unique they became a real plus to the drama.
Oh and, no spoiler, but I love the ending. I won't say if it's a bad or good one, but I just think this story deserved that kind of ending.
This drama is really worth watching, and I hope you'll enjoy it too!
That's the end of my review, hope it's been helpful.^^
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Put the remote down and walk away...
First off, let me say that I LOVE Dilraba - she's probably my all-time favorite Chinese actress! This series was so tough for me to watch and stay interested. I lost interest half way though as the storyline became stale and blah. The 4.5 stars are mostly for the Jay Walk Studio actors. The chemistry between Dilraba and Vic Chou was horrific, and often times unbearable to watch - I think it may be due to the age difference (and Vic Chou is too old and too feminine to play a lead male role with younger cast - IMO). I'd take back the 50 hours spent watching this if I could.Was this review helpful to you?
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WTF was that ending?
I feel bamboozled, I paid for the Iqiyi subscription to watch this show and I feel like they played with me.I feel like the story was building to something it never reached. During the story the Viewer is taken on a journey with the male lead who is trying to design a robot and the female lead is a streamer working towards a big competition. The issue is we never see them reach their goals. This show could've had 32 episodes so that the viewer could've seen the leads achieve their goals. Instead, they decided to abruptly end at episode 24 without any real conclusion. Yeah the leads are together but the story is unfinished, did the FL make it to the competition? Does the male lead ever reach his goal with the robot? All I can take from this drama is the leads were cute and had a healthy relationship there is no angst or drama just a cute story. Don't look for this story to have a resolution or complete ending because it doesn't, it's so weird.
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“ Youth starts with ─ a taxi, telescope, and supermoon.
I wasn't familiar with any of the actors, so watching this movie was a fresh experience for me as a viewer. I haven't even seen the trailer of it before and only got curious after watching a beautiful edit on YouTube.I must say, there is this calm and almost nostalgic vibe in this movie that made it somehow peaceful. The genre or the story is not something unique or not seen before, but delivery of the cast was beautiful. The characters were genuine with their perfections and flaws, nothing so complicated ─ it was as if someone was mentioning their youth memories, and you just listened and noticed how every generation could find something relatable in it.
The ending, especially, was quite adorable. Throughout the whole movie, you think he fell first, and he fell harder as it took her some time to notice her feelings. Then, they show a unique twist and summarise the scenes that have been forgotten in shadows from her point of view.
I also liked how it took one invitation from her for them to see each other again ─ as if they haven't been away for a while. This, I guess, shows they are each others' best friends [and sometimes rivals] first before lovers.
Overall, I enjoyed watching this movie and am planning to check other works of the cast as soon as there is an opportunity.
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Once in a very long while, the stars align to create truly transcendent art on screen. "Goblin" is an example of this, as the maturation of talented writer Kim Eun-Sook blends with nuanced directing, breathtaking cinematography and the formidable acting skills of Gong Yoo and the rest of the stellar cast.
This is great art and great television, regardless of the country of origin. That is not to minimize the South Korean expertise that created it, but simply to avoid the sometimes- backhanded compliment of "great...for a KDrama." It's just great TV, full stop.
I've watched KDramas for about a decade, and this one is the best I've seen. Highly recommended, not just for drama fans, but for all fans of quality cinematic art around the world.
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A Cute Drama That Can Easily Be Missed From The First Several Episodes
Let me start off by saying that this is not one of those dramas that will lure you in with the beginning episodes. Other than being funny for a lot of the beginning episodes, it can be pretty confusing as well, as you don't really have a sense of where this drama is going until you reached a certain episode.That being said, let me state a couple of things and you can decide if you want to watch it.
* If you mostly just care about the romance and the other stuff doesn't matter for you, then I think this drama could be for you.
* This is a FANTASY drama. So, throw out all of the comparison relating to real life.
* Plot mostly revolves around the novel world so nothing will make sense.
* If you can make it to Episode 8, that's when the drama gets really good and where you'll start to understand what's going on. I think the reason for the low rating is some viewers dropped this drama somewhere within the first 7 episodes.
* Most importantly, it's a happy ending
Story: While there is an overall goal for our lead characters, because it focuses mostly on the plot of the novel world, it can be pretty random. There's really no set direction when it comes to the novel world's plot so that's why for story it only gets 3 stars from me.
The cast: The characters of the main leads were good enough for me, however it felt more like the FL's character is not so smart while the ML's character is the brains in all of this. He always seems to be one step ahead. Great second leads as they are not annoying and have their own love interest with each other and good side character friendships and assistants.
Not much music here other than the ending credit ost being played a lot but I do like that song though. A potential rewatch for me but probably starting it from Episode 8 instead of the beginning.
Overall, another good drama to watch to pass time. Not too short or long episode length wise. It may not be an amazing or standout drama, but I still liked it. Ending was great and nothing felt rushed. I'm satisfied with this drama.
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Dethrones Love O2O and Put Your Head On My Shoulder as my favorite RomCom!
I almost didn't watch this drama based on some negative comments and also the first 2 episodes had a rocky start, but once episode 3 hit and our leads finally interact via the game I was hooked. This drama is one of the funniest ones I've watched in recent memory. I was cackling nearly every single episode. I loved Lu Jing's roommates. Not a single brain cell between them and I love them for it. The gaming scenes were my favorite. Great CGI and funny interactions between our two leads. It made me excited to see what would happen when Lu Jing realizes who he's been gaming with. One thing I did not expect going into this was our main cp's chemistry. When I tell you that it was SCORCHING HOLY SHIT. Lin Yi has such a baby face but he amped up the sexual tension once he and Liang Chen finally meet in person. WHO TAUGHT THIS XIAO DIDI HOW TO KISS LIKE THAT??? He looked like he wanted to gobble Liang Chen during every scene. I was literally hiding behind my hands and giggling because I couldn't handle how sensual it was. Their first kiss had me in hysterics. Their first time in bed had me on the floor. I would say this drama is a must watch based on the two lead's chemistry alone. It's well worth it. I loved most of the supporting characters. The only things I didn't like were Jia Yun and the Ma Shan Shan/Taro relationship. Jia Yun creeped me out. He wasn't crossing any boundaries but the way he would try and reign in Liang Chen at times just put me off. I wish the writer's had axed this love triangle because he is way too old for her. His style of dress and speaking doesn't help either. Ma Shan Shan I also had issues with. I get she suffers depression due to her past relationship but she was so damn boring. I fast forwarded through most her scenes. And don't even get me started on her relationship with Taro. He really creeped me out in the beginning, too. He never respected her boundaries, borderline stalking her, wouldn't take no for an answer, etc. I wasn't rooting for them at all. They did grow on me a smidge at the end, but I wasn't invested in them at all. Over all, this drama is simple, romantic, and makes you smile. The plot isn't complicated, the leads shine with every scene they're in, and it's hilarious. No miscommunications or petty breakups for drama in the relationship, which I appreciated. The drama has a slow start and some may find the constant near misses of Liang Chen and Lu Jing frustrating, but if you can look past that and just buckle up for a fun ride, then it's well worth the time to watch.Was this review helpful to you?
If you want to watch a historical drama with many funny moments and no tragedy then this is a good watch. I liked the dialogues in this movie, worth reflecting on.
Not many romantic scenes, but enough to keep you happy.
The whole cast did a great job! Lee Seungi was perfect as usual <3
I liked the interaction between Lee Seungi & the other astrologer lol it was hilarious
I especially liked the progress of the story, was well balanced. Even though I have watched many historical dramas I could enjoy it because of its interesting storyline.
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In a word, Switch is exceptional and definitely the biggest surprise of 2018. I normally do not write reviews, but I want other K-drama fans to see this show so that it can get the attention and viewership that it deserves. The writing, acting, and cinematography are phenomenal. I would recommend this drama to everyone who enjoys an intelligent, exciting, and creative show that will keep you guessing until the very end.
But let’s start with what I didn’t like. You have to suspend your disbelief during certain parts, and a couple of the plot devices are not 100% airtight. Also, there seemed to be more names to keep track of than in most shows. That is about it for the negatives.
While no script is perfect, the highlight of this drama is the writing. The plot is like a fast-paced chess game. I love shows that are plot-driven and have great characters, and Switch does not disappoint. The plot is unpredictable, and deception abounds. I can tell that the writer is smart because the script is thoughtful and shows attention to detail. In fact, some of the plot twists and cons are simply brilliant. I typically expect dramas to begin to lag around episode 12 or so, but Switch had excellent pacing and never lost my interest. The ending was so good that it gave me chills.
The awesome and memorable cast of characters was another key part of this drama’s success. It was a joy to watch the interactions between the crafty Sa Do Chan and the upright, driven Prosecutor Oh Ha Ra. The protagonists were people I really wanted to root for, but the antagonists were also impressive thanks to their brains and resources. Heroes and villains were well-matched, and it was hard at times to know who had the upper hand. The con team deserves a special mention for being hilarious and providing lots of light moments throughout the show.
I was unfamiliar with most of the cast before starting Switch, but I was blown away by the acting. They got the facial expressions, demeanor, and emotions exactly right. Han Ye Ri is perfect for her part, as is Jung Woong In. Jung Woong In was great in I Hear Your Voice and My Sassy Girl, but Switch is his strongest performance. Jang Geun Seok similarly did very well in his demanding role, and he had excellent on-screen chemistry with Han Ye Ri.
As for the overall production, I liked the camerawork and editing. I have no idea how they shot some of the more complex scenes (you’ll see what I mean if you watch the show), but I was seriously impressed. The scoring is also perfect. The OST features a range of instrumental and vocal tracks, including some that would be right at home in a spy film. Switch is one of the few dramas where I would listen to the entire soundtrack on its own.
In short, a wonderful and endlessly entertaining show. Switch is a truly exceptional production that should not be missed.
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