“Don’t judge a book by its cover.” We’ve probably all heard that line at some point. Likewise, you should NEVER judge a drama by its synopsis.
When I first read the synopsis, I didn’t think the drama seemed worth my time. I mean, okay, so there’s two completely different cops, milkshake-drinking killers who are twins and an abnormal President and local triad. So what?
However, once I actually starting watching (due to a phase of boredom), this drama absolutely blew my mind!
The cast was great; everyone played their role well and I thought that Vic (as Chen Zai Tian) and Mark (as Wu Ying Xiong) were very strong foils of each other. Indeed, they were “different as day and night.”
All the characters had their own reasons and their own stories which caused them to be who they were and act the way they did.
The music was very fitting, especially the opening and ending themes. They were very “powerful” and I thought that suited the mood of the whole drama.
In general, this drama can only be described by “there’s more to it than meets the eye.” It’s not just about two very different police officers or anything as ‘simple and plain’ as that. As the English title says, it’s (about) “Black & White.”
For me, everything seemed to happen so subtly that by the time I realized it, it had already hit me in the face. The minute I thought I had everything more or less figured out, I was shown pretty quickly that I was wrong. Dead wrong.
I wasn’t expecting anything when I started watching it but by the time I finished watching it, I didn’t know what to expect anymore. That’s probably why I liked it so much – it’s just so different. It’s also not much of a romance-drama possibly because focusing too much on the romance would’ve reduced the impact of their REAL message, but that in a way kept the whole series at a ‘practical’ level because it didn’t have to take time out to build and establish romantic-fantasies on the side. I absolutely loved the themes, ideas, concepts that this drama presented to me. To say any more would just give everything away.
(After watching, I thought “maybe that’s why the synopsis was so bad. To say any more would have suggested something about the true intentions of this drama.”)
So in the end, all I can say is this:
This drama isn’t just about that little handful of characters mentioned in the synopsis. Rather, I felt that it was about much, much more.
The most important part of it for me were definitely the underlying themes that came out of it all, but that’s really just something you have to see and figure out on your own. It had a huge impact on the way I think, but it may or may not do the same for you.
It’s about “Black & White.” But what do you think this “Black & White” is about?
-Please keep in mind that this is all based on personal opinion.-
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Burning is a slow-paced mystery drama that revolves around 3 main characters, all 3 very different human beings, Jong-su is a shy, soft-spoken guy who keeps to himself, Hae-mi is an outgoing, wild and idealistic girl, Ben, on the other hand, is a well-put together, charming and charismatic man, with a psychotic edge, almost alike Christian Bale in American Psycho. This film succeeds in merging 3 extremely different personalities into scenes perfectly, the attention to detail is sublime in Lee Chang-dong’s film. The personalities complements each other in different ways even though they are such distinct individuals, and that’s all up to Lee’s brilliant direction and marvelous script.
Burning is beautiful, the cinematography and the calmness within this film is something to behold. The metaphorical excellence that presents throughout as the film progresses is brilliantly executed. Burning leaves you with questions, and doesn’t feel the needs to explain. It wants the audience to find clues by themselves in small details, through Ben’s facial expressions, through small events that happen throughout the film, and by the end, you are left mostly impressed and also dumbfounded.
I sat in the theatre wondering what was gonna happen next, for such a slow-paced drama to keep me on the edge of my seat like a thriller is an amazing feat.
Burning is no doubt a masterpiece, and the style is very alike Edward Yang’s The Terrorizers, and to a small extent, A Brighter Summer Day. Burning, is no doubt, one of the best of the year so far.
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This review may contain spoilers
OMG...the writers totally ruined this drama with the extension. I was ranking this around an 8 until episode 13ish. I love melodramas, but occasionally I like fluffy romance dramas. I chose this drama because I thought it would be a lovely romance. I was so disappointed. It starts with a little bickering between the leads that quickly changes to sweet slow romance. Then left turn to stupid. Then there is all the inconsequential side stories. I also hate that at the end they used the narrator voice instead of using the last "extended" episodes to actually develop the characters and story. Anyway, I can't go into it with out spoilers. The actors are good. George as Zhou Zhen and Annie as Xiao Shu are good actors and have great chemistry together. Too bad it was wasted. The other actors are ok too.
The song was good at first, but slowly started to get on my nerves.
I won't rewatch this.
If you watch this, then I recommend only watching to episode 13. Just pretend that was the end of the drama.
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Each character was crafted carefully - from visual to the inner world and reasoning behind their actions and decisions they make. Why an assassin is and assassin, why a gangster is a gangster, why a psycho became one and most importantly - why they all want to become human again, after being beasts for so long. Each and every actor fit their character flawlessly and it seemed that all of them still have a lot of stories to tell and that, to my mind, is important - that a character seems so rich, so full that you have a feeling it can tell even more than the scriptwriter has presented.
The subtle (and not so subtle) connections between the said characters that allowed the story to grow and evolve, filled each episode with suspense and anticipation for what will happen next. Who has killed who and why? How is he connected to him? Did he really do it? All those questions run at least through my head and I received an answer in each following episode, getting more questions as an addition.
Apart from the way that the drama made me think, I also loved the idea that even beasts want to be and can be human, that some beasts are only circumstantial and might not even be the ones that should be feared, that people we trust might be scarier than a beast hiding in the dark. No beast is ever as scary as human - human is the scariest person on earth no matter how we look at it.
The plot playing with monsters and humans, who turn to be the true beast, was captivating and I literally couldn't stop watching. The investigation done in extraordinary way, the perfectly choreographed action scenes, the raw and realistic feelings of friendship and trust that grow, get stumbled upon and the re-emerge, and, my favorite, basically no romance that would interfere with the story.
This is joining my top favorite dramas and in all honestly I need a season 2 with the same cast, same characters and new human-monsters to catch.
Give this drama a try - I guarantee you won't regret it.
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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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The Escape of the Seven: Resurrection
36 people found this review helpful
Fake news, questionable morality, and troublesome technology
"The Escape of the Seven" was an organized mess that had all the "charm" of a sinking ship. There were plenty of moments that threatened to send me scrambling for the nearest escape route (the poor character development, repetitive conflict, pseudo-romantic encounters, rushed redemption arc), and plenty of others that managed to serve up food for thought on the human conditionOne moment of revelation was the ill-fated character "K," who was swapped at birth and brought up in a wealthy household. After discovering his origins, he was discarded by his once-doting family. K's words, "noone can be family unless you're related by blood" (episode 12, 32:34) and "since I was young, I was the one to entertain and serve Father, why am I the fake son?" (episode 12, 39:25), invite us to question society's obsession with "biological lineage." Far too often, adoptive families or children are seen as "less worthy." The pursuit of a biological "mini-me" takes precedence, as if blood were the determinant of familial bonds. This skewed perception belittles the love, commitment, and joy found in adoptive families
Another moment was the dichotomy between "the real and the fake" (episode 12, 39:00). The drama reminds us that no matter how convincingly something mimics reality, there will always be a distinction. Even if it looks like a duck, swims like a duck, and quacks like a duck, it might not be a duck
The drama considers our unhealthy relationship with technology and the ramifications of unchecked technological advancements. It draws attention to humanity's "vulnerability" to the influence of fake news (episode 12, 15:16), a significant issue in the modern, tech-driven society
In conclusion, "The Escape of the Seven" was a blend of misguided, cringe-worthy storytelling and surprising insight. It had both irredeemable and redeeming qualities
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1One of the best Thai series/drama I have ever watched!
I can’t even describe how good this series/drama was... It was spooky, scary, interesting, magical, spectacular, powerful and many many more! It just left me speechless … I could feel the same tension from the beginning until the very last second. Acting was incredible and music, sounds, special effects, just every little detail was on point here.One thing I regret is that I can’t give it more than 10 stars here…
I totally recommend it to anyone that likes supernatural type of series with a little bit of romance in the background, you won’t be disappointed. I’m hoping for season 2 of this masterpiece.
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Actually pulled it off well...
Developed by 'Studio Dragon' and produced by 'Beyond J', "Killer's Shopping List (살인자의 쇼핑목록) [2022]" is comedy cum mystery thriller drama, adapted from the novel of the same title authored by Kang Ji Young. Directed by Lee Eon Hee, Han Ji Wan has done the screenwriting and the show was broadcasted on tvN.The story follows three people investigating about a serial murder case that has been happening in their neighbourhood , in the attempt to save the reputation of their supermarket, and all they have to rely on is the information of the items purchased by their customers. Together, they try to put an end to the miserable incidents happening to people they are familiar with, while they themselves are brought under the scanner of suspicion.
Ahn Dae Sung (Lee Kwang Soo) is a highly intelligent guy though he's lost his charm and has been failing exams for years, currently unemployed and working in MS mart, owned by his mother Jung Myung Sook (Jin Hee Kyung). It's the combined efforts and determination of the mother-son duo, that has helped them grow and prosper over years. Do Ah Hee (Kim Seol Hyun) is a police officer at the local substation and Dae Sung's girlfriend of 20 years. As the first murder takes place and the blame is shifted to Dae Sung, both him and Ah Hee begin to secretly investigate the case, soon followed by Myung Sook, and their spectrum of suspicion widens, making things messed up.
The other familiar faces you see in the drama are: Park Ji Bin, Shin Sung Woo, Oh Hye Won, Jo Aram (GGD), Moon Hee Kyung, Lee Yeon Hee, Ryu Eon Seok, Kwon Soo Hyun (4M), Bae Myung Jin, Jang Won Young and Park Chul Min. Special mention to Ahn Se Bin, the child actress playing the role of Seo Yul, who has impressed the audience so much with her satisfying skills.
Plot development is nice. The pilot episode throws light upon the story of Kwang Soo, his mother and their journey from managing a small store to a huge supermart. It's simply funny till that point the murder takes place and the investigation begins. The furtherance throughout is good, as the bring in and eliminate person by person. The final outcome was satisfying.
Writer Han Ji Wan jakkanim has a fair share of experience in screenwriting, to be able to turn a novel into a live-action adaptation, which is not always an easy job. The comedy elements incorporated into serious mystery and the shift of moods is very well drawn. The incipient establishment of ground in the first episode was decent, if not very impressive. The development is good, with several peaks, the unveiling of past consequences in bit-by-bit manner was a good idea. The final outcomes were likable.
Director Lee Eon Hee PDnim, with experiences in both direction and screenwriting has been able to make wise utilization of her skills. The scenario setup, the screenplay management, the screenediting and the cinematography of modern suburb context. The pacing is perfect, the peak moments of frequent chasing, accompanied with adrenaline-inducing background songs.
Composed by Hwang Chan Hee, there are a total of 3 released OSTs in the drama. "Why, Why, Why, Why?" by 6band is a high-beat and fast-paced rock track that's indeed heart-rushing. "Orange Dream" by Nokdu is a melancholic reminiscences to glorious past and has the vibes of a Korean indie R&B; my most favourite of the three, very well composed. "Nothing" by KOONTA is a pop and rap track about the mystery of the show.
What I liked...
# Kwang soo.. yes Kwang Soo himself is the reason you should always look forward to anything he partakes in. He def isn't someone who picks on anything, and to say that, this might not be your mind-blowing crime thriller but it's made with a lot of sense and that shows. His personal sense of humour has been reflected in his character and acting and his comic expressions are alleviating as always.
# I think I haven't watched many comic thrillers, but I loved it as experiencing something new and the comedy elements built in are entertaining and engaging. I found myself laughing out loud and rolling on the floor at instances. In short, it might seem like a simple comedy drama at first but towards the end, you end up realizing how good it was.
# The character development of Kwang Soo with contributions from all the supporting characters is surely likable. The same for Ah Hee was also nice, even so subtle, and at first seemed only like Daesung's love interest, later turning out to be a key character. In fact, the background drawn for the supporting characters is well-narrated in a short span of time, enough to create opinions about them.
# The way of unveiling of mystery is somehow natural and amusingly intriguing. The makers are so clever to let you figure out things so soon, so what they do is divert your attention to a wide range of people, making you suspect the possibility of them being involved. For me, it was quite predictable about who the most potential suspect could be, they have given plenty of hints, and yet keep making the audience pleased about the involvement of another.
# There are very few instances of accurate and meaningful lgbtqia+ representation in Kdramas, and that too trans representation. It makes me so happy that this stands out as an exemplary piece in successfully pulling off the job, in an amazing way, when there are only 8 episodes; along with creating some awareness about the identity and choices of people. In short, it was sensible enough to be talked about and applauded.
What I didn't like...
# I guess me hating on characters like 5dollar and the main detective has nothing to do with the quality of the show but yeah, they made me so angry with their stupidity and nuisance. It could be fair judging from their perspective but it was v v annoying to me, personally. Plus, the way the detective interrogates was unethical though I understand the situations were like that to have him suspect people unnecessarily, but still.
Final Remarks... Overally, "The Killer's Shopping List" is a hilariously funny yet intriguing crime thriller, made with great sagacity and insight, making a decent delivery from beginning to the ending. It was light-hearted yet engaging and you should give it a try, for sure. Watch it for Kwangsoo at least.
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A Warm and Feel Good Slice of Life
An ordinary story told in an extraordinary way. That’s what Yumi’s cells is. Beautiful Beautiful Drama. Recommended for those that love slice of life that is more sweet than bitter. I love love Yumi. She feels like a friend I have come to care for and in all her ventures I am rooting for her. I love how the drama focuses so much on relationships and real life issues. Such a feel good drama. The Actors and Actresses are eye-candies as well. I REALLY REALLY WANT SEASON 3 ?? ITS A MASTERPIECE OF A DRAMA ✨!!!Was this review helpful to you?
It's a mix of everything, but be warned it is bloody! When the movie started they all ready had me sucked into it. I had questions, was intrigued by the format and loved it all the way.
Why? It had serious dark vibes, I love movies that make you think and wonder, questioning the main leads every move. the scenery was well done, the build up was even better, but I do think they lost some of it during a too long scene in the movie which was quite bloody.
I do find that they have picked very well fitted actors for the roles, nobody seemed too out of place and I loved Kim Da Mi and this movie might be a step up for more roles for her, she did great!
What also helped the movie was the well fitted music. It was building the tension immensely!
Watch this: if you like thriller/action movie with a dark tone and a twist here and there.
Skip this: Only if you don't like blood, if not, just give it a try.
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This is a must watch! The action, the mystery and the acting was just superb. Everyone must watch it even though it's a little scary, I am the biggest scaredy cat and i still finished it. It might not even be scary to you, so watch it. I Love love love this movie. Tebak:0
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A little stretched but fine.
As you're already aware of, Undercover is a remake of the popular UK series of the same name, the makers have also done immense changes in many plots giving extra essence to the major characters. This is rather a political thriller that feels like a tragedy throughout the entire thing and makes you feel sad. Absuse of power, authoritative ruling, corruption, dirty politics, etc. without the consideration of how it affects a common man's life and people's emotions are parts of this drama.Undercover is set up in a premise where a familyman tries to save his lovale family from getting ruined by his own tragic past that he has been hiding all his life out of insecurity that the revelation can break his dear ones apart. To save your time here I suggest you read the plot in the synopsis so that I can jump to my review, haha.
Have you watched the Lee Joon Gi starrer tragic thriller drama Flower of Evil: FoE (2020) which even got multiple nominations at the 57th Baeksang? Well then, Undercover is established on somewhat similar (I would say 30%) premise. Only difference is that the given situations in both the dramas are different but also lead to a tragic result where there seems no door to get out of.
Undercover is emotionally stirring and the brewing conflict between the leads even when they're unware of eacg other's flaws, is what you call the main attraction of the drama. The emotions and beliefs of the leads will leave you worried about the fate to befall on them and their happy family. The greatest message it gives is, even in a regular and perfectly normal relationshp, situation of discovering inadvertent lies, is something hard to overcome and reconcile.
Talking about acting and cast, the cast felt so good though I personally think it could have been better; the children of the lead couple and some people at the NIS as well as in the police force and the Blue House could be better actors. But the lead duo Ji Jin Hee and Kim Hyun Joo were so powerful throughout the series and their chemistry was remarkable though it's the second time playing a couple but it was different given that the characters were intense. Ji Jin Hee has always proved his versatility by playing a number of challenging characters but in my opinion this role is the most difficult. I felt the same when he played the same character in "Move to Heaven" even though he was there in a guest role.
The core concept of this drama is the same as Flower of Evil, sometimes it felt a bit slow but manageable. Back to back tragedies are a bit triggering which might make you angry; at a point everything goes wrong back to back things happening lose the way back to their places that makes one suffocating.
There was a huge character development for both the lead characters and the way it was presented by intertwining and connecting the present time with their individual as well as united pasts. That is one job that intrigued me tbh. The story has been well written and the direction and screenplay has been done nice but let me tell you that you shouldn't expect a lot from it for we have seen similar plots before and all the political tragedies are not new to us either. It's just a story with different elements and a different way of execution that makes it interesting and kept me going.
Overally, it's not a bad show but worth a one time watch. Please give it a watch before you judge. Scoring a gravitating pitch, UNDERCOVER vaunted a solid narrative right off the bat. Coupled with a good cast, it invites you to brace yourselves for the parade of confrontations, betrayals, and conspiracies spicing up its initial displayed story.
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The worst drama I have ever seen.
This is the worst drama I have ever watched.The ending was really the dumbest thing ever.
It looks like woori married Kang jae just to have s*x.
It portrayed that woori is a 30 year old and after 30 she did all types of things just to have s*x.
She is just a s**t.
She is so selfish and dumbest person ever.
She never thought of the baby.
But she kissed her father because of a f**king dream.
She did all sort of things to make Raphael feel for her and dumped at last .
She is soo f***king irritating.
This drama is soo meaning less.
I don't even know what the writer was thinking while writing the last episode.
I don't know what the sh*t was going in their mind while writing the last episode.
The last episode sucks.
THE DRAMA SUCKS.
DON'T WATCH IT.
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