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1The thundercloud that growled but only drizzled...
A promising beginning which concluded with a lackluster ending.When this drama started, the first four episodes were super intense and exciting. But as it proceeded towards the second half of the drama, it lost the angsty essence and circled around a vague story that was only full of misunderstandings, miscommunications and ego problems. Personally, Jeonghan's character seemed very interesting to me but not Iljo. And shout out to Iljo's best friend Suho, who never expected anything in return but stayed by his side when Iljo was nothing.
Some characters spiked my blood pressure, some only made me roll my eyes, so overall it's a decent drama that you can binge on as a one-time watch, but it won't leave any long-lasting impression on your brain (only the important scenes like— well iykyk 🤭)
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Yoon Sang Hoon did a best job in a character of a detective. For me, he tried his best and totally succeeded in it.
Ah, Sung Dong Il ahjussi... it's always a pleasure to watch him with a no exception this time too!
Overall I enjoyed this drama, but I think if they packed it all in 16 episodes this drama would have a higher rating and it would be a better watch. l've liked Lee Joon's character, even though he was bad, but there was something great about him and his mind. His craziness was driving me crazy too!
OSTs were really good, especially main song and all those kinds of instrumental played in this drama giving you a thrilling and exciting feeling.
For those who love thriller and suspense genre with a many twisted characters that at some point you want to go into their heads and understand what they're thinking, is totally not to miss!
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Experimental Science
Intriguing plot… innovative concept… poor execution… but great music. This sums up for me the entire experience of watching this drama and why I rated it a 7. For more details, please read on…LUCA: The Beginning is based on the premise of scientists creating a new species of mankind by integrating the DNA of several different animals that makes this breed of humans stronger, faster, more resilient to the ravages of time and nature, along with superpowers to boot. These experiments are backed by a shadowy entity, called “The Establishment”, with seemingly unlimited resources and broad influence that stretches far and wide into the upper echelons of government and subsidiaries in various industries. One such subsidiary fronts itself as a “Church” where its mysterious cult following is headed by a villainous woman who styles herself as the prophet for the second coming of “Messiah” – the new human hybrid. Enter Zi-O, the first of such hybrids.
The drama chronicles Zi-O’s journey from being a lab experiment to escaping the clutches of this cult while adapting and finally learning what it truly means to be human. Along the way, he encounters the intrepid policewoman Gu Reum, with whom he shares a connection to their past. Armed with the knowledge of the synopsis and having seen the captivating trailer, I started this show fully expecting a similar approach to Scarlett Johansson’s Lucy. It turned out rather differently, with mixed results.
The drama is decently-produced, reasonably well acted for the most part, but the plot and characters are quite inconsistently and illogically written. The special effects are nothing to write home about but generally well-rendered, in a minimalist manner, and mainly used to depict Zi-O’s electricity-charged superpower, and pyrotechnics for certain scenes. The production team is led by the hugely experienced director Kim Hong Seon, no stranger to dark thrillers, who helmed notable shows such as The Guest, Pied Piper, and Voice. The screenplay is written by Chun Sung Il, who mainly specialises in comedy with Chuno being the sole non-comedy tagged production in his repertoire of works. The cast contains a number of familiar faces the likes of Kim Rae Won, Kim Sung Oh, Kim Sang Ho, Park Hyuk Kwon, Ahn Nae Sang, and Jin Kyung. Look out for memorable guest appearances in the form of Lee Won Jong at the very beginning and Jung Eun Chae who had a more prominent role towards the end.
The drama starts out brightly at an engaging pace that’s filled with sporadic moments of thrills and intensity. Both leads’ backstories and shared connection are revealed little by little in every episode via numerous flashbacks. The tags for this show are spot on, where here we have mystery, melodrama, and romance in addition to the science-fiction and action. Watching this turned out to be quite an attritional viewing experience from around episode 3 onward and a pretty wild ride overall in what has been an emotional roller coaster, beyond what I had initially anticipated. It’s the kind of show where the good guys persistently get outwitted, take the (numerous) hits, fall down, get back up and repeat. Over and over again, like the wash cycle of a washing machine.
The scenario of our leads being incessantly chased by the same team of bad guys and the FL consistently getting beaten up and having her head bashed against the wall does get tedious up to the halfway point. As it turns out, for a normal female human without the additional exotic DNA, her skeletal structure is in no way less durable compared to the human hybrids because she emerges unscathed every time with nothing more than superficial wounds. As for the ML, given his inexperience in combat and lack of control over his superpowers, he ends up being constantly overpowered by the battle-hardened and ruthless professionally trained villains.
The pace slows down for three quarters of an episode just past the midway point where the FL temporarily ceases to suffer needlessly and, together with the ML, attain some much-deserved rest, among other questionable events that transpired. The momentum picks up again soon after and reached its zenith in the business end of the show where action, tragedy and more plot twists blended to produce the impetus for a thrillingly breath-taking and bitter conclusion to Zi-O and Gu Reum’s story arc as well as the overarching plot. Many viewers felt that the ending is an open one with a possibility of a second season but personally for me, it represented adequate closure where we allow ourselves to write our own epilogue to this whole affair.
I feel that the storytelling would have been more compelling with less episodes. The backstories and the plot set up dragged out more than was necessary, and included too much of the ceaseless running around and fighting (getting beaten up, more like) and meaningless sub-plots with unfulfilled romance undertones. Even with 12 episodes, certain character arcs remained unexplained and plot holes were littered throughout.
As far as the acting is concerned, Kim Rae Won and Lee Da Hee each gave a commendable portrayal of the main characters which were quite poorly conceived, in my opinion. The individual character development, (excessive) pain, and agony along with superfluous misunderstandings between them were frustrating. In particular the FL Ha Neul Ae Gu Reum (why they came up with such a long fictional name in the first place is beyond me) was written to be infuriatingly lacking in any common sense, or even the street-smarts as befits a police detective of her experience. This character continuously places her life and the lives of others in danger, and favours brawn over brains. The depiction of her taking on swarms of villains alone in unarmed combat throughout the entire show is utter nonsense and unrealistic.
The villains are an eclectic mix of characters. For me, Park Hyuk Kwon nailed it with his version of the unscrupulous and conniving NIS official Kim Cheol Soo. Whether as a protagonist or antagonist, he’s always enjoyable to watch due to his versatility and range. The award-winning Kim Sang Ho, as usual, is one of the best supporting actors in the industry. His characters are always layered and brilliantly portrayed, as is the case recently in Sweet Home and now here in this drama as the conflicted cop, Choi Jin Hwan. Jin Kyung’s cold blooded false prophet, Hwang Jung Ah, is rather theatrical and OTT at times but quite convincing especially when spouting sermons from the pulpit. Ahn Nae Sang’s role this time is a little more understated, as the lead scientist Ryu Joong Kwon. Kim Sung Oh’s Lee Son is largely one-dimensional with the stoic and cold exterior, except for that singular moment of tragic loss, a clichéd plot device, that he experiences towards the tail end of the show. Other than that, his main role is simply to inflict physical pain on others. Jung Eun Chae’s Attorney Jung is a scene-stealer, despite her limited guest role, and is actually rather fun to watch.
One of the very few pleasing aspects of this show which is done right, is the soundtrack. I thoroughly enjoyed every song in the album, in particular both the original and acoustic versions of the hauntingly evocative song, Your Eyes. Track listing as follows:
1. Sun Woo Jung A - Your Eyes
2. Jemma - LUCA
3. Lee Da Hee - Your Eyes (Acoustic)
4. KLANG - Gone
This show had so much potential to begin with, being based on a concept that is both innovative and refreshing. The entertaining and riveting start was unfortunately proven to be a false dawn. The production is hampered by the lack of quality screenplay and the resulting downward spiral of the storytelling finally culminated in a hugely incredulous and dissatisfying end.
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The story is just basically simple but enough to keep you interested and make your heart go doki-doki (flutter) with every cute scenes. I was actually envious of Mirei (or Misaki's character) for having the opportunity to live with the brothers, such a lucky situation, plus they adore her and almost fall for her.
Some may think that some of the acting or portrayal of the actors are way too exaggerated or over-the-top, but as a more jdrama fan (specially a live-action adaptation), I am more used to it, or just kinda expected that to happen, and for me, that adds more charm to the drama.
I think Yamazaki Kento's acting keeps on improving as he takes more roles nowadays. Shuhei Nomura, as Touma - the youngest one is my favorite character in this story. He is so free-spirited, playboy, and tactless, but somehow his words makes sense. And I love how he is so supportive of Misaki, even if he have a little crush on her.
Another reason to watch this drama is the food, specially those mouthwatering display of desserts!
Though as much as I wished that this drama have more episodes or at least reached until 12 episodes, I am satisfied how it went till the final end. It didn't left me feeling something missing, it just went how it should be. I only want it to last long because I still want to see them all together because I love how each of the actors played their characters, meaning they have a very good chemistry working together.
The soundtrack is also good. I haven't checked out the meaning of the lyrics, but it is nice to listen to.
I would watch it again, in fact I may be watching it this weekend. Please watch it too, and hope you enjoy!
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2The Most Formidable Bromance of 2021 that will bring you to your knees
Where do I even begin? This is the best detective thriller drama I have ever watched. There, I said it.How many of you have grown tired of watching crime shows that just don't feel exciting anymore?
So many times, crime dramas get lost in the 'next big moment' and finding the thrill factor that they stop connecting with the watcher.
Beyond Evil is a beautiful mix of emotion and supense. It's a blend of heartbreakingly slow, full of feeling moments and bone chilling darkness. It's not a super fast show. It takes its time as it unravels, develops and comes to fruition gorgeously- like a well simmered pot of stew.
The drama's biggest strength is its unforgettable characters and the mindblowing acting by the cast.
In the beginning it induces your trust issues in a gut punching manner by introducing its two seemingly morally grey and unreliable protagonists and then slowly but surely brings to light one of the best friendships the Korean cinema has ever seen.
Both the main leads are phenomenal, each holding their own and being a massive force to be reckoned with.
Shin Ha Kyun put out acting worthy of a Daesang. His reckless, passionate, wildly fearless and courageous detective with the biggest smile and eyes full of pain doesn't take long to cement his place in your heart.
Yeo Jin Goo, on the other hand, while young, owned his role phenomenally. His character Han Joo Won, a prickly, seemingly cold catlike man with heart of platinum and a strong sense of justice is extremely easy to fawn over.
Together, these two are a storm- infinitely badass with balls of steel; a dynamic team that you can't help but fall in love in with.
Aside from the two, all the supporting characters bring their own flavour to the screen. While their little self-proclaimed 'Avengers' police team brings instant warmth to your heart, the antagonists are blood boiling-ly good in equal measure.
The music is fantastic- sombre and dark at times; sometimes cheeky and playful and other times enough to wreck you. There are a lot of stunning shots and the drama is both extremely well written and directed.
The character development is amazing and the bonds these characters form among each other is a powerful thing to witness. There's so much nuance in these relationships and it's hard not to catch feelings and let go of your heart when it comes to a show like this.
Honestly, for me a good psychological thriller is hard to come by and this was by far one of the best. I was so invested in it that some of the scenes made me bawl my eyes out, while others made me laugh, giggle, swoon and shout HOLY FUCK at the top of my lungs.
They nailed both the emotion and the 'whodunnit' aspect in a way that's very unique to the genre.
It was a wild, crazy, full of thrill and heart ride that I almost don't want to get off of.
Surely, a must-watch. Highly reccomended for fans of psychological thrillers who like their dramas with a little extra oomph!
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Sweet and Fluffy Romance
Honestly, I don’t understand the other ratings cause everyone seems to have a problem with the plot although it was pretty clear what it was. Me personally, I’m a fan of these kind of clichés where the ML falls first and FL realises later. If you don’t like this kind of plot then watch something else rather than expecting something different. Then again, it’s just 1 ep so we don’t know how things might change. So far the main leads have really good chemistry and they’re some of my favourite actors so I’m not disappointed. Also, it was nice to see the guy from My Lovely Liar here as the second lead lmao😭iykykLooking forward to the rest of the episodes 👍
Okay, so I finished watching so I can give the full review. Honestly, for me it was good. If you’re looking for a sort of laid back drama with cute scenes then yeah watch it. To be honest, some scenes were a bit dragged and some stuff were going really slow but it’s fine considering it was 8 episodes. Cause normally most rom coms lose the plot after the first half so it’s good they kept it short.
Might not be for everyone but give it a try.
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The drama that never was. A fiery and promising start that died out too quickly.
This drama was absolutely brilliant in the first three episodes but lost its spark with each one, and after episode 24, it completely went to the trash bin. We were promised: a red-flag male lead, a badass assassin female lead, enemies-to-lovers, bloody revenge, and intricate politics. What we got: fail, fail, fail. This drama turned out to be a typical historical story about domestic love, sibling rivalry, and simple court politics.POSITIVES:
- The main leads. They had amazing on-screen presence and brilliant acting.
- Enjoyable OST. At least that one sad song stayed stuck in my head.
- Story wise, an ok watch till episode 24.
NEGATIVES:
- The male lead starts off as a badass, unhinged red flag Gege but after episode 4, he’s reduced to a green flag, vulnerable, broken Gege. Worse, by the end, he’s mostly just a moping, lovesick boy, with the only charming quality felt being his handsome face.
- The female lead is supposedly a deadly assassin who’s spent ten years training for her revenge, and yet she never actually takes it. Worse, she’s off-screen when it finally happens! Aside from a few cool fight scenes, she’s basically reduced to a damsel in distress.
- Enemies-to-what-now. The sexy fire between the leads dies down quickly and their village arc is mostly domestic fluff.
- Village arc. Pure filler for me, It added next to nothing as the leads were interacting almost the same way as they did at the start (after episode 4, since episodes 1-3 feel like a fever dream).
- Meh side characters. A bunch of nothingness really. Ain’t nobody cared about the second love interest (the Prince). The Princess was cute but her getting pregnant by the Grandfather was totally disgusting and literally nobody wanted to see that. The second male lead was just there, doing his best but ultimately forgettable. The second female lead was the epitome of expressionless, and her metamorphosis of being in love with the male lead to suddenly loving the second lead was bizarre.
- Plot. Nothing groundbreaking aside from the plot holes that were definitely there. It was a simple revenge with zero plot twists or surprises. The biggest fail for me is that the writers decide to literally reveal everything, including all the mysteries, in the first three episodes. The main focus was the love story, which felt boring. There were some nice parts where you could see the main leads were healing their traumas together but the domestic and cutesy romance fluff never really hit me.
- The ending. For me, the story ended at episode 24 when the main conflict was resolved and the villain defeated. Everything afterwards was a total waste with a ridiculous breakup and pointless love triangle. I literally ff/skipped through the last eight episodes and still understood the whole story.
- The true ending. Episode 32’s ending was surprisingly well done, emotional and thoughtful. It actually touched me, considering that I didn’t care much about the characters or the story at that point.
OVERALL:
The premise and trailer promised murderous, sexy and angsty vibes with sickly, scheming prince + his vindictive female assassin, and yet the drama delivered NOTHING. It’s like the writers had this grandiose idea, wrote the script for the first three episodes and then scratched it and decided it was ‘better’ to continue with a typical historical cdrama about domestic love, sibling rivalry and simple court politics. Kill Me Love Me? More like Kill Me Snooze Me (to death).
FAVOURITE QUOTE:
"Once a dead chess piece becomes alive, the game has changed."
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Ep 1 to 20 was just so good. You watch effortlessly seeing the sparks fly between Jia Yang and Qiao Fei. The ingenuous ways he come up to make her life miserable and try to make her quit as trainee in the field of French interpreter. They clash and butt heads but Fei was resilent and refuse to give up her dream.
Then all that mess from the brother being the old flame and has a obessive nature when it comes to Fei. To the second female lead who was a tad pathethic in her love for Jia Ming but then retracted to wanting to be with Jia Yang.. mess and more mess
Then comes the mother who does extreme things like ruining her own son just to break up Jia Yang and Fei. Who does that? And to such extreme. It felt like this drama plot purposefully over inflate itself to generate angst, to fill in episodes? To drag it to pass 40episodes?
I felt like a masochist sticking with this drama to the end. Ep 28 to 36 was so hard to watch. Like 45mins of episode and only 10minutes or less worth watching.
I tell myself i need to see off Jia Yang and Fei's ending so i stuck with it til the ending . but oh boy instead of being awarded with my patience (which really is painful and teeth grinding). The last episode (heads up) isnt satisfying. It was rushed, cramped and jumbled. Didnt flow well and they try to make it dramatic but not believable. Its hard to believe the ending episode is rushed when the last 15or so episodes were so draggy. I still believ the first half that was good was written by another team of writers. If there are the same people then someone must have zap out commonsense from their heads. Like they run out of ideas what to do with the second half of the drama.
If you are wandering to watch or not. I recommend no for several reasons.
The last 1/3 compeltely deviates from the original story of being interpreters
The cliche part of being sick and the high noble road of sparing your loved ones from grief was not written well. Yes alot of dramas commit the same mistake but the way Fei did it just felt wrong. I felt it create needless grief for Jia Yang. Personally i think its selfish when you run away from your loved ones without sharing the truth and deliberately lets him misunderstand you. Her love didnt respect Jia Yang and made that decision for both of them without his knowledge.
Jia Yang's character actually went backwards in terms of growth. Yes it was nice to see him being less demonic and so loving to Fei. But then he became unprofessional when it comes to his work and career. And it was also annoying that he kept saying their love can survive it but i didnt see real actions to solve the problems. Your girlfriend keeps saying there's a big gap between them and that he didnt understand her difficulties.but he carries on as is and with regards to xiao hua and her dad. Although yes his words that their love can withstand it all, there was no action ... It was like him allowing the realtionship to fail eventually.
Jia ming, xiao hua and the guy he married. All characters i dont care for.
Qiao Fei bestfriend was ok but her love line was also not properly developed. Theres too much childish behaviour and they left it too late to the end to show changes.
If you do want to give this a try because the truth is Huang Xuan was really good and engaging as Jia Yang and sparks do fly when he sparrs with Yang Mi's Qiao Fei. Then i recommend you watch the front half of the drama up until he confess and they start dating. The second half will only make you scratch and then bang your head in frustation. So please dont suffer as i did..
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This review may contain spoilers
Good Efort Making the Fighting Choreography, but Lazy Writing
1. At the back of my mind, I always thought this entire show could have been avoided easily if someone talked to her about her dad or took care of her. Instead, she had a crap childhood and was bullied because of her dad's job and was even harassed by cops. Why was she not put under witness protection or something of similar nature? Several parts of the stort felt like it happened just for the plot. Such as: how the crime boss is supposed to be smart and out manoeuvred the police many times, but didn't predict the guy whose face he disfigured would come back for revenge. He let him go instead of killing him by following the chinese saying: "to cut weeds and eliminate the roots."2. It was shown he easily killed people that betrayed him. Why was the female lead's dad so memorable that he got all sentimental at the end, just because he was an early member, who fought with him and was nice to him? His character is kind of all over the place, both psychopathic and willing to murder people in cold blood; willing to use anyone and everything to stay out of jail and continue his drug business which he cares about. But he is also sentimental and seems to care about the female lead? In the end, he was basically willing to die for her, taking bullets out of his gun. Or maybe he went full on Johan Liebert, in order to see if she would become like him and kill him and become a monster? If he really wanted the female lead to become someone who would never betray him, he should have just went after the police himself and provided her with full on fabricated evidence that the police chief did it instead of using her and risk being found out. That would have been the biggest revenge against her dad's betrayal , having his daughter view her her father's murderer as a friend or guardian, instead of using her as a mole and easily risking her finding out the truth.
3. The female lead is perfect at fighting, and never looses a single fight. I like a strong female lead, but when it's shown she is hardly buff or muscular at all, very pretty and feminine looking, and wrestles and takes down hallways of well trained men armed with swords while not wearing any sort of protective gear is rather unrealistic. Her acting is very good, and the action scenes are very detailed if not very realistic. I felt as if many parts of the plots happened just for the fight scenes and action and final climax, instead of the other way around. Like, the director wanted as many exciting fight scenes as possible.
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WHAT EVEN WAS THIS?
Fun first act, trainwreck second act, saved only by the pretty people.You know what’s worse than a bad drama? A drama that could have been fun but decided to trip over its own feet halfway through. The First Night with the Duke started off like a cheeky, isekai-flavored romcom with a modern girl stirring up Joseon life (cocktail bombs! bold flirting! brains and sass!). And then… it forgot all that and wandered off into fifteen other genres.
By the end, I honestly didn’t know what I was watching. Romcom? Political sageuk? Magical fantasy? Tragedy with evil kings and sad childhood backstories? Whatever it was, it definitely wasn’t cohesive.
Taecyeon did what Taecyeon does best: looked great in hanbok, swung a sword like he meant it, and oozed just enough charm to make you forget the script was falling apart. The female lead? She started strong as modern, clever, unbothered by all the prim-and-proper nonsense. But the second half turned her into a crying, rescue-me prop. Where did my bold heroine go? Did she swap souls with some other boring court lady when I wasn’t looking?
Let’s talk about that plot. The three brothers? Wasted. The second male lead? Might as well have been written out, only to reappear in the last five minutes like, “Surprise! I exist!” Eun-ae’s arc? Nonsensical, she did terrible things and got a happy ending anyway, no redemption needed, apparently. And don’t even get me started on the “OG” heroine slipping into modern life like she’s been shopping at Zara her whole existence. Computers, short skirts, and WiFi? No problem, she’s basically Gen Z now!
And then, twelve kids. TWELVE. KIDS. Look, I know it was meant to be “haha, cute, happy ending,” but all I could think was, “Girl, blink twice if you need help.”
If this show had leaned into being a silly, self-aware fusion sageuk, I would have rolled with it. If it had gone full romcom? Fun. But it wanted to do everything and ended up doing nothing. No theme, no proper character growth, no payoff for the chaos it created. It was like watching someone throw darts at three different boards and hitting none.
Watch it for the leads if you’re curious, or for Taecyeon looking devastatingly good with a sword. But don’t expect sense, consistency, or a satisfying ending. By episode 11, I was hate-watching just to see how much wilder it could get.
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BEST THAI BL 2023
Did GMMTV save the best series for the last months this year cos Last Twilight is realllyy giiivvviiinnggg.If Last Twilight can be this good, then I have no doubt Cherry Magic Th and Cooking Crush will also be good.
This drama has restored all hope that I had already lost from GMMTV this year.
A soft drama with no complex plot and story. Every emotion is being felt down to the soul. The story, the acting, the ost, everything is just so on point. The chemistry between Mhok and Day is just too real to be ignored.
I am so glad I get to watch this and if you’re thinking about watching it, think no further, just start. It’s sooo good
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This review may contain spoilers
Huge failure in the writing
WHAT I LIKED:-Ra Ra : little princess lost in the world. She is naïve but optimistic and she would tell you bluntly what is ok and what is not. She has an adorable cheerful personality and she slowly shows a mature side of herself.
-Jun: a mysterious but kind guy who does his best to survive by himself but also to help everyone around him.
- The great chemistry between Ra Ra and Jun
- Ha Young and Seung Gi : usual friends who become lovers. They are cute and friendly people
- The women at the hair saloon: crazy women but warm and funny people
- Grandpa: a kind person who helps them all openly and also secretly. I liked his background story
- The head of detective agency : the most fun of them all.
- Dr Cha : I really had a problem with him at first as he was weird with Ra Ra and tried to woo her. He became more likeable though.
WHAT I DID NOT LIKE:
The writer managed to portray very endearing characters with their interactions describing a lot of love and care from one to the others. It made the general athmosphere nice, fun and heartwarming. But the problem is that the writer never knew where to head to. There is no clear plotline and it navigates from a situation to another situation which are either cute (grandpa story, Jae min's story) or confusing (Ra Ra's father's death, stalker story), or irritating (fake cancer, fake wedding) until the final episodes with silly useless revelations and a ridiculous ending.
The writer basically never managed to tell a story and was mostly leading on the audience to manipulate it and extort emotions from it. Lame.
MUSIC: It was ok
REWATCH: Why rewatch? Don't even watch.
OVERALL : 10 for the main characters. 2 for the story. Overall: 6. I clearly don't recommend this drama. It is a waste of time.
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The family that slays together stays together!
House of Ninjas was an entertaining mix of action, humor, and conspiracies with a little romance thrown in for good measure. Three generations living in the same house can be a source of stress on any family, especially for one that has a dark secret.After a mishap on a mission six years before, a family of ninjas may live in the same house, but they are all going in their own direction. Dad Soichi runs the failing family sake brewery and wants his family to lead a normal life. Mom Yoko is a bored stay at home mom and shoplifts in her spare time. Daughter Nagi is frustrated and puts her own spin on theft. Like his dad, son Haru wants a normal life and spends his nights refilling vending machines and having dinner in the same place so that he can be near the young woman who has her daily meal there. Retired Grandma Ninja keeps an eye on everyone, especially the youngest, Riku. The ninja code puts a crimp in Haru's love life when he is reminded that he’s not allowed to date just anyone, especially a comely reporter. When a rival ninja family reappears, the family will have to pull together to help save the nation.
House of Ninjas had a good balance of humor, romance, and bloody fight scenes. The ninja battles were entertaining and well choreographed if you don’t look too closely. The grannie-on-grannie ninja action was a hoot. The characters could make some inexplicably poor decisions at times. Apparently, ninja families are bad at interpersonal communication. When the going got tough, the family did pull together and have each others’ backs-literally. Each of the actors portrayed their characters well, glum Haru, mischievous Nagi, inquisitive Riku, and two parents who got their groove back. Throw in a deranged cult leader who thought he was god and you have everything you need for a fun ninja, excuse me, shinobi ride.
If you’re looking for a completely serious and blood-soaked drama, this isn’t it. If you are looking for a funny satire of ninjas, this isn’t it. If you are looking for a full-blown romance, this isn’t it. If you are looking for a ninja drama with high stakes, some light and dark humor, family drama exasperated by the ninja code, and a nice little romance, this could be worth a try. I found it compelling and entertaining, with some flaws.
15 February 2024
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This review may contain spoilers
My Day (2020): A Messy Yet Popular Pinoy BL Series
“My Day” isn’t for everyone. There are those who hate the series and there are those who like it. It was campy, it was farcical. Actually, it was a mess. And yet, because of the exciting chemistry between the lead actors and the exquisite kissing and making love scenes, “My Day” has become one of the most popular Filipino (Pinoy) boys’ love (BL) series worldwide.“My Day” had a formulaic plot/storyline revolving around the love story of Sky, a determined culinary arts intern and his demanding food company boss named Ace. The overused enemies to lovers trope, rich and poor/middle class characters falling in love with each other trope, and Freudian excuse trope were employed on this series. “My Day” tried to show how the two boys struggled with and triumphed over personal and relational challenges. Ace had his daddy and mommy issues while Sky had his gender identity and sexual orientation questions. But among the many problems of this series were depictions of crude characterizations and ludicrously improbable situations. There were stereotypical portrayals of a bitchy (ex-)girlfriend and comic relief effeminate gays. Other than the sexist explanation that she’s a bitch, no character background was provided to help explain Moira’s criminal behavior. As for the gays, the issue was that they were limited to being a comic relief without character depth. An example of an unconvincing situation was the entire dognapping fiasco which was ridiculous and silly. There were abrupt character changes and illogical character developments. These were especially true for Ace, Ace’s father, Sky’s bully classmates, Moira, etc. There were no proper build-ups. Relationship developments, including those of Ace and Sky, Ace and his father, Ace and his mother, Sky and his father, etc., were also rushed.
Screenplay had cringy, long, repetitive, and unrealistic lines. There were also some objectionable dialogues (e.g. Jelai flirting with Jam that bordered on sexual harassment, Jelai castigating Marianne for wearing short skirt, etc.). But I do commend “My Day” for showcasing Filipino languages other than the Filipino Tagalog language.
Acting was generally uneven. There were supporting cast members who were good but there were those who were horrendous. While there were scenes wherein Aki and Miko were ok, there were also scenes wherein they made unnatural vocal, physical, and emotional acting choices. They need to work on their vocal intonations and facial expressions. There were too much shouting and ugly crying. They were often betrayed by the lack of authentic emotions from their eyes. But since they’re still newbies in acting, these shortcomings were understandable. And besides, their exciting chemistry compensated for these weaknesses. They didn’t have good dramatic scenes together but they did have great romantic, sexy, and steamy scenes together. The kissing and making love scenes of these handsome lead actors were hot and sexy. I liked that they’re normalizing guys kissing and making love intensely and passionately in Pinoy BL series.
Budget-wise, “My Day” was almost akin to Filipino drama series (teleserye) and Thai BL series. A lot of expensive-looking set designs, numerous product placements, and the long list of people in the post-credits illustrated just how well-funded this series was. Production design was largely ok. Set designs during the premiere and Ace’s birthday were quite good. But there were also some missteps. The set designs for the supposedly prestigious international cake competition looked cheap. And production design during the finale was just average. Although simple techniques were used, cinematography was mostly decent. Editing was uneven. The soundtracks especially “Hindi Ako Bibitaw” (I Will Not Let Go) by Paul Ramirez were ok.
All in all, I would only recommend “My Day” to those who love exciting chemistry between the lead actors as well as exquisite kissing and making love scenes, who don’t mind if overall, the series is a (hot and sexy) mess.
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