Reviews

The Virtuous Husband.

In this witty satire, a modern business man finds himself in ancient China where he is Ning Yi, a soon to be zhui xu/赘婿 or matrilocal husband to Su Tan'er, the heiress of a wealthy cloth merchant. Using modern business methods, he hilariously wins his Tan'er's heart and mind as they take down internal and external rivals together and he proves his worth beyond being a useless kept man.

The wicked role reversals as Ning Yi and Tan'er navigate their marriage made my shoulders quiver with laughter, especially the darned Academy of Male Virtue. I love the way Ning Yi is written in this drama - he is cunning, compassionate, innovative, ruthless and far from the virtuous husband, he is the academy's most farcically subversive element. Guo Qilin and Song Yi sparkled together, transitioning seamlessly between brilliant comic timing and repartee, heart stopping action and moving emotional moments. The colorful ensemble characters, friend and foe alike are well dimensioned and written and acted with verve and audacity. The humble Guard Geng with a big heart and big dreams is my favorite supporting character.

I thoroughly enjoyed the first half of this drama, which is easily a 9.0+, the second half is noticeably loses its mojo and is at best a 7.5/8.0. The decision to back burner both Tan'er and Guard Geng would have been fine if comparable new characters stepped up to fill the void. Unfortunately while Xigua starts out as a powerful and interesting character, she becomes pathetic. It does not help that while she is lovely and likable, the actress Jiang Yiyi is miscast here - she not funny and has little chemistry with Ning Yi/Guo Qilin. Ditto for his shifu and the creepy Lou Shuwan; I didn't really see the point of either character. The drama only picks up again when Guard Geng and Tan'er re-emerge and our power couple is reunited. This makes it obvious that despite Guo Qilin's undeniable talent, he cannot pull off these uproarious moments when he is not lined up with the right team.

Similarly, the antagonists in the first arc are very comical but in the bandit arc, the villains were mostly trying too hard to be humorous caricatures. The attempts at comedy are also often at odds with the heavily political and increasingly complicated plot line, one that leaves scarce room for Ning Yi the maverick to save the day. The story also takes a darker and more cynical turn and even though Guo Qilin impresses with his ability to make me feel the weight of his loss and cry alongside him, the drama ends in a way that does not leave me thirsty for the heavily hinted season 2.

Overall I rate this a 8.0. I would recommend dropping after completing the much more outstanding first arc.

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Ok... Don't freak out... and don't kill me... but i think... i think i like this version more than the 2007 Japanese one (I don't count the 2011 version... ever... so let's just pretend that it didn't happen, ok?). DON'T KILL ME! It's going to be ok! Everything is gonna be fine... Don't get me wrong, i LOVE the Japanese version... but to me Horikita Maki just couldn't pass as a dude... Ever... and that is not because i have a strange female crush on her (Ok it might be just a little bit, but you've gotta admit...she is ridiculously adorable). Ella on the other hand... if I didn't already know... i would've never guessed that she was a chick. I mean sure she has got some female features, but overall she is very boyish in this drama (and it works for her, because she is still pretty).

The story is actually very good, and very different to the Japanese version, which makes it easier to watch. You don't feel like you are watching the same drama at all, and that is nice because then it is easier not to compare the two. even though it is not a spoiler really i'm stil gonna write this SPOILER!!! SPOILER!!! The ending is shit. which bums it a bit in my book... I know that there was supposed to be like a seaon two or something but still...

The acting: Again, as i said, Ella was a really good choice for the role. A lot of people bash it for being too over exaggerated, and i can kinda see where they come from, but personally i don't mind it at all... i think it kinda adds to the charm of the whole show. and as for the guys acting... let me just get this out of the way... HotHotHotHotHotHotHot!!! oh and their acting is good too, but it's kinda hard to concentrate on... Did i mention that they are really hot??

Music:I LOVED the intro tune... but aside from that... can't remember any other songs... But the intro... So good!

Overall i really liked the show it was cute and funny and all that jazz, but it is very much a chick drama. And if you're like me and you love that sort of thing i would recommend you go check it out... In the very least it is a laugh.

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For starters, I am very picky with my dramas and I'm hardly able to sit through most of them if they don't have my fancy. However I do checkout a lot of new dramas and when I read the story and cast for Catch the Ghost, I immediately knew I would binge watch the whole show in a few days. And that is exactly what happened lmao. I waited for the show to be completely aired so that i could watch it in one go but couldn't help myself so I started watching it when only 2 eps were left to be aired in Korea. Somehow I still ended up having to wait for the last two eps as I watched the 14 eps in 2 days. The wait killed me...
Now for my review-
So the things I absolutely love about this drama:

Acting: Kim Seon Ho and Moon Geun Young!
I was so happy with both of their performances. Kim Seon Ho is such a good actor and he had my fancy ever since I saw his mini drama called You drive me crazy (another amazing drama) and he did complete justice to his character of a man who always tries to stay out of trouble, but finds his sense of duty after meeting Yoo Ryung.
Do I even need to say anything about one of Koreas most prestigious and critically acclaimed actress's, Moon Geun Young. She plays both Yoo Ryung and Yoo Jin really well and sometimes you'd feel like theyre actually being played by different actresses because of her versatility in both roles. The chemistry between KSH and MGY both in reel and real life is out of the charts for me, I had a LOT of butterflies, however dont expect a lot of skinship because there ISN'T a lot. (Side note: watch their interviews and the BTS of the drama, they're really cute uwu) The other subway officers are hilarious too. The "villains" acted well too and had us fooled for a good amount of time.

Story: For me the writing did get a little shabby at times and was sometimes stretched, but i find that to be the case for most investigative dramas. Catch the ghost is a breath of fresh air in terms of crime and investigative dramas as humour is also a huge part of it. Even if you're not impressed by the story, you'll forgive it as the humour makes up for it and doesn't leave you bored at any point. There are a lot of twists and turns so it's never monotonous at any point. The drama is very gripping towards the beginning and the end, although the few eps in the middle feel a little dragged

Music: The ost's are pretty good although none of them leave a huge impact on you. In saying this I dont mean theyre not good songs, I have a few of them in my music playlists too, for a matter of fact. The bgm isnt over the top which is also good.

Rewatch value: I would watch it again but maybe not for the story as the cats already out of the bag and I know the killer, but for the acting, humour and the chemistry between the leads.

Things I didnt like too much: The side characters like Ma Ri, Woo Hyuk and Won Chul (the PR rep of police) never caught my interest and were really good at making me annoyed. I didn't care for Ma Ri and her side story and was not able to sympathise with her. Sometimes, the characters did really stupid things and had the suspects escape multiple times becuase of their foolishness, which was very annoying. The metro team in general was so incompetent and it seemed like they were only able to crack the case because of Yoo Ryung. In the 2 years they solved the subway ghost case, they didnt have ANY strong leads and quite frankly did absolutely nothing towards the case, while the subway team solved it in just a week...

But overall I will recommend it to anyone looking for something entertaining with good acting and a new story. 9.5/10

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Mathematical and human

DISCLAIMER: I'll be extremely biased here and foresee any flaws because I didn't even felt them, that's how much I loved this drama.

I don't think I have enough words to describe how close to my heart this drama got. I'm a mathematician myself, so of course I was immediately drawn into it, and it needs to be said that the way they portrayed math gives it justice: the beauty we can find in it, the joy and relief of reaching an answer, the frustration and sometimes even the pain of pursuing a proof when it seems too far away. And I definitely think the journey of our leads in proving Ji Yoonsu's innocence is a parallel of that of finding a mathematical proof (no wonder the last episode ends with a blank square, one of the usual symbols indicating the end of a proof).

Well, the parallel with math in itself is already beautiful, but the beauty doesn't end quite there. I found it delightful how multidimensional all characters are, even the antagonists. Their actions, thoughts and transformations are all results of their experiences and life examples, and for some of the characters, we catch a glimpse in detail of how their present self came to be - Baek Seungyoo and Song Yerin are my personal favorite example of that, and gosh, BSY’s growth throughout the years is fantastic.

About the relationship between BSY and JYS: for me it is soooo well constructed. Their bond is purely intellectual at first, and a mentor-student one; BSY ends up falling for her but that's it. JYS helps BSY to
reconnect with math and with himself, which is essential for him to escape the darkness he was in. Four years later, after losing everything, JYS is the one living in darkness, and the emotional roles invert: now is BSY who tries to help her to find herself (although I do think he crosses some lines by following her around, but I guess it is a reflection of how worried he was). That’s when they start to connect and care for each other on a more (two-sided) personal level, and it is all so subtle: stares, small actions, worries, words of respect and belief. It is not even clear to me where the romance starts. But wherever it is, it does so in a natural and extremely subtle way, and I enjoyed this development.

The utmost focus is in the corruption going around the school and how the leads try to reveal it, which was thrilling to me and easy to understand (I often get lost in plots like this). But for me the highlight is how the characters move and receive everything around them, which seems to reflect how well written the characters are - they move the story and make us believe in them without the need of a flashy plot. Side note: mathematicians are usually stubborn and prideful when it comes to mathematical truths (we see that when JYS challenges the student who solved the problem to come forward and BSY immediately does so), and I think BSY is so incredibly desperate to prove JYS's innocence not only because he cares, but also because his mathematical stubbornness merges with his sense of justice and makes him unable to NOT do his everything to reveal the truth. And that makes the entire story move.

Well, there sure is a lot more to talk about (like the lovely Choi Sian and Prof. Ji), but I'll stop here. My huge thanks to all the actors and production staff, thank you so much for making such a beautiful drama and for representing math and mathematicians in such a positive and realistic light. Melancholia made me feel all the feels and I’ll definitely go back to it many times.

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Father + daughter challenged in the face of presenile Alzheimer

Cassiopeia has already won the Korean Association of Film Critics Awards 2022.
I would recommend it, too.

The KMovie Cassiopeia tackles an unpleasent subject: presenile Alzheimer's dementia. In an increasingly aging society, dementia will become more and more present and more common within the personal environment of all of us. Most cases occur at ages 65+. However, a small percentage is also affected at a younger age. This can even occur very early due to hereditary factors - as documented sensitively and unforgettable in the KMovie "A Moment to Remember". But this can also have many other causes. Dementia is a shocking diagnosis at any age, because with your eyes wide open, your own life inevitably slips away... faster than you imagine, you will no longer be able to recognize your own children, partners, friends or parents, while also the bodily functions will do their own thing.

"Cassiopeia" is about a woman in her 40s who is overwhelmed by presenile Alzheimer's dementia. However, the narration is slightly different than in "A Moment to Remember". "A Moment to Remember" captures the strong emotionality of the mental degeneration process practically from within - in touching scenes and sensitive relationship dynamics and tells the story of how memories in her head are erased as a painful loss for everyone involved. In "Cassiopeia", on the other hand, the audience follows the accumulating social moments in a comparatively objective manner, in which the exponentially progressing decay of the nerve cells is expressed - simply stating, so to speak. (Just as the protagonist initially presents herself as an objective, sober and rather sever person.) Emotionality is not dramaturgically staged in this KMovie, but results from the sum of soberly observed situations of individual loss of control and Su-jin's familiar world broken in two - one in which clarity still reigns and one in which everyone, even she herself is a stranger. From the emotionality thus involved - fear of failure, helplessness, shame, being at the mercy of others and much more - one cannot withdraw oneself. Rather, this emotionality develops an increasingly peculiar driving force (just as the protagonist's psychological/physical development process picks up speed). Eventually, the KMovie goes straight to the heart and makes people think.

In "A Moment to Remember" the focus was on the relationship dynamics with the beloved husband, here it is the portrait between daughter and father. In this case, the father tries to do better in old age what he could not do when he was younger, as he was not around.

In "A Moment to Remember" the protagonist is still at the very beginning of her young, promising life. In "Cassiopeia" Su-jin has achieved quite a lot: she is a mother, a successful lawyer, and also divorced. The daughter is about to move to her father in the USA. Significantly, the life of the protagonist, as it was up to now, ends in several respects with the departure of her daughter. It becomes difficult even for the star constellation Cassiopeia to give life perspective and orientation...

(By the way: the KMovie builds on a nice analogy between Cassiopeia and family. Both the star constellation pointing to the North Star and one's own family cannot help you, finding your path and your own way with life. Yet, we can rely on them if we got lost along the way: as some place to look out for/reach out for, regarding perspective/support).

Emotive. Especially by those often deliberatly soberly, calmly captured situations in which both the orderly and deformed worlds meet and finally merge. The helplessness and coldness of the social environment enfolds in all its unvarnished harshness - by its objective narrative style and camera perspective it is subtly thrown back at us. We are emotionally drawn into what is happening in two respects: regarding our empathy with Su-jin, which we cannot escape in the progress of the story, as well as regarding our identification with people/strangers Su-jin meets along the way - because that is what we are, too. How do WE actually deal with people who have obviously lost control of their lives or are about to lose it? Can WE stand this? Can WE lend a helping hand with this? Be of support? Even (or especially) if it's just a casual encounter on the street, an acquaintance in the neighborhood, or a colleague at work?

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I wanted to chime in with my review as I am seeing some really odd reviews of this show that paint a very different picture of this show. I had previously watched this show when it first came out in 2015 and completely forgot the plot. While browsing Weir's page, I wanted to rewatch this show as all the reviews made it seem like such a good lakorn, and having previously watched it, I was baffled that I couldn't remember anything about the show, and I questioned myself as to why I could forget this show if it was so good?
So I started watching the show in 2.2x speed as I always speed watch when I am rewatching anything, and after 7 or so hours of watching this show to the end, I can now say with certainty as to why this show was so forgettable for me.

This show is a crazy assortment of plot holes, overacting and littered with nutty characters that belong in an asylum for the mentally deficient/crazed.

The FL is TSTL from the first episode. She has the mental capacity of a turtle. Her goody-two-shoes attitude is so over the top that I wanted her to become a nun by the end of the show as that seems to be the best occupation for people of such high morals and innocence. She is so one-dimensional to the point that everyone in the show calls her stupid for being so kind at least once to her face, and I am not exaggerating.
Now, I know many of you might be wondering why being kind is so bad, and why I'm harping about this, so please let me explain: The FL runs away from ML in the first 1/4 of the show because of misunderstanding that he is an awful thug who is conspiring to bring her family down (understandable as he kind of is conspiring against her family, but I will touch on this later when I talk about the ML). She also happens to have the evil mother talk with the second lead's mother who asks her to pretend to be a money-grabbing witch so that he can leave the country without taking her with him as he loves her. She agrees (obviously since she is the missing daughter of Mother Teresa). Thus, she isolated herself from both the ML's and 5 years pass by, in which she lives in literal poverty and gets reduced to selling vegetables on the side of the road. All this time, while she was scrapping for money, she somehow still does not learn anything about the real world, and her mentality is still stuck in the pubescent stage. I cannot for the life of me understand how someone survived such tragic circumstances without learning anything? She still falls for every evil person who tries to trick her into doing stupid acts and time and time again she fails to have any sort of comprehension that people in this world are not all truth-tellers and some people are not to be trusted.

Anywho, let's move on to the ML (read Mr. Pervert from here on out). We first meet him and he seems like such a likeable character who is flamboyant and interesting as a gangster turned businessman who is smart and savvy. However, even Weir's charisma as smexy as he is can't pull off a cradle robber character that was the ML in this lakorn. The FL is around 17-18 years old when she first meets the ML and somehow, the decade older ML falls for this underage girl, and tell her he wants to marry her in a year?! He tries to make her father fall into his hands by pushing him into possible bankruptcy (although to be fair to the ML, the FLs father is stupid enough on his own to end up in this stage, the ML only helped bring about this outcome faster). Mr. Pervert, as it so happens also has a live-in mistress who is obsessed with the ML and is some thirsty piece of work to boot. She left her career as a model/actress to be the ML's secret mistress. She finds out her man is interested in some two-bit high-school girl and is realistically shocked that she has a competitor who is not even legal LOL. It's even funnier as many random characters in the show refer to Mr. Pervert as the FLs father or guardian on many occasions poking fun of the age gap, even the ML calls himself her guardian at times (the drama made it seem like funny haha moments, but lets be honest, no-one can laugh at a grown man trying to smex a child, he even kisses her when she's sleeping and that's child molestation, not cute as the drama was trying to portray). I found this aspect of the show beyond cringy. I can understand age-gaps, however, in this show, it was kind of borderline gross since the mental capacity of the FL was that of a child who has never learned that the world has evil and she probably believes in Santa Clause. For the ML to pursue her as a love interest felt wrong on so many levels, that even after the 5 year time skip, I could not see them as equals who are mentally on the same page. To me, it almost seemed like he was trying to get with her when she was undeveloped mentally so he can shape her to be the way he wants. Many times he calls the women he sleeps with dolls, and how he loses interest once the 'dolls' want more from the relationship than just sex and money. So, based on these things, him trying to get with an under-age girl seemed like the action of a paedophile, especially in light of the fact that we all know our FL is mentally deficient and has the mental capability of a child.

Moreover, there are a plethora of crazy characters who are obsessed with the ML or FL. The ML has a female business partner/friend who is probably the most interesting character in the show. She loves the ML in an obsessive way (at this point, you know every other character is either obsessed with the ML or FL in either a romantic or revenge way in this show).

The FLs father is another character that I was completely baffled by. By the end of the show, the man has eight children, from four wives. Who will ever know if there are more wives and children running around that he's fathered but abandoned as that seems to be his modus operandi seeing as he abandoned his first and third wives (his second wife and Ton's mother is some sort of mystery cause we never find out about who she is, why she left/died) children to run from debt, and somehow found a fourth wife on the island he took refuge on and went on to father 2 children there in the five years he was missing. Talk about the prolific sperm this guy packs eh? The show ends with his two remaining wives and all his children sitting and eating like a happy family. This made me gag, just a bit.

I won't go into the details of the plot as that's too long to dissect, just know that every possible misunderstanding, stupid cliche plot twist and multiple rape attempts made the story so over the top and disastrous, it's a wonder that I forgot about all of it after watching it the first time around. The only excuse I can think of is that I wanted to forget that I might have lost some IQ points after watching this show and was too embarrassed to want to remember what lead to that happening so I erased the show from my mind. The lost IQ points eventually came back to haunt me as I watched the show a second time around. Now, I will like to say one thing in defence of the show and for myself, as I have completed the show twice now, and after bashing it so bad, you might be wondering why I didn't just stop watching the show. So here it is, the show is also highly addictive because it's so crazy. You get glued to each episode because it's so over the top that it boggles the mind how any of the stupidity that went on in this show can be resolved. So you keep watching, hoping against odds that the FL might get smarter, the ML stops behaving like an idiot who believes everyone's slander against the FL and actually listens to her. This hope gets you going and somehow, it's the last episode and you watch as the ML also runs away to the same island that the serial sperm dad of the FL ran to. The FL has to hunt him down in order to be reunited with the ML and gets surprised by a bonus. Her father + new step-mother + 2 new step-siblings are also at the same island as her runaway ML, WOHOO!

I hope this long essay will deter anyone who plans on watching this show, hoping to see an amazing story, good writing and character development. However, if you like crazy plots with no direction, over-bearing MLs, TSTL FLs, and a truck-load of crazy characters, then this show might be right up your alley. I also write this review to remind myself to never rewatch this show ever again if I happen to forget what the show was about.

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There's just one word for this drama: Awesome.
I really didn't want to watch it because the summary sounded boring and the picture wasn't that great, either - But I'm so glad I did!
Everything about this was perfect. You will know after having watched the first episode. Each of the episodes could just as well be a movie, they are amazing.
The acting was incredible, especially the dogs'. Anyway, the dogs were the stars of this drama. I have no idea how they got them to act like they did, but it was amazing. Okay, sometimes it was a little too human to be realistic, but to be honest that's what people want to see..
The scenery looked real, too. It was very interesting to see everything happening without all the new technology.
The music was as dramatic as the drama itself, the opening and ending song was wonderful and fitting.
I think I never cried as much because of a drama as I did while I watched this one. Not even 1 Litre of Tears.
Even if you don't want to, at least watch the first episode! It will change your mind.

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Vampire Drama Gone Horribly Wrong, Could Have Been Better

Song Meu Ru, born with special blood has classmates Son Yeon Seo, Yoon Chi Woo who are vampires. Also Do Hyun Jae, a werewolf managing their school store.
To start neither the story or acting was strong enough. Maybe expecting logic is foolish in fantasy genre. But this had no explanation or anything. The plot was too weak and seemed tacky. You can't accept this in 2021. If it was 10-20 years back, it would be somehow acceptable. Storytelling and direction was weak too. Only the OST's were nice.
The cast was fresh. Most of them just debuted. Only Kim Ji Woong as Yoon Chi Woo did a noticeable job despite that over the top vampire makeup and matrix coat look. Others were barely noticeable.
If you have absolutely nothing to watch. Just want to skim through any drama. This is it, a lite version of Vampire Diaries.

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Familiar Faces , Fading Plot But still seated for Haiba Jin's extra charm!

The consistency from season 1 to season 2 was there ! Haiba Jin was still unhinged and charming and Mikoto retained her endearing awkwardness!
The romance was again handled delicately but took bolder steps this season while still maintaining "that" boundary. I did enjoy their interactions and the ensuing frustration.
One of my favourite moments were when Mikoto put Haiba Jin in his place whenever he had saucy ideas. *grins*

But that's it! Lesson 2 felt stagnant. Nothing much was explored!
The characters were still the same as last season! While the story did progress it felt like it was treading familiar ground!!
I do see Haiba Jin being vulnerable in front of Mikoto but it was very briefly touched upon. Maybe I expected a deeper exploration.

Also the side characters storylines were completely undeveloped ! Mikoto's brother's story arc felt completely incomplete and rushed. Honestly I couldn't make myself care for any them.

For me , season 2 felt like a fan service , a follow up to high standards that was set by 1st season!

That said, I loved the acting of both the leads and was totally digging their undeniable chemistry!
The intro song was very catchy!! Also I felt the quality of shots was improved!

Overall , the season 2 is still enjoyable and binge-worthy but when you put it beside season 1 , it sort of loses its shine!
Would still recommend it 100%!

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Definitely a Gem.

This series was surprisingly good. It is a bit slow paced but it was consistently endearing. I’ve watched many Jdrama’s and this one is by far one of the best I’ve ever seen. Aside from the initial awkward moment, it’s genuinely a well written series. No supremely weak and and easily manipulated females. No forced dating. No weird triangles. Just good friendships, communication and humor. I loved how supportive the friends were towards each other and how they treated each other like family. It was a very warm series. There were some sad moments but so many heartfelt and funny moments too. I highly recommend this and will most certainly put it on my rewatch list.

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Not as great as Taiwan's best BLs, but still OK

Falling in love with a friend can be terrifying but exhilarating.

Ligong can’t be sure that Zeshou would even want to commit to anyone romantically, let alone him. And yet, their relationship always teeters on the edge of something more, a delicious sexual tension in the air as they begin to tip dangerously into the territory of more-than-friends. For me, this is really the best part of the show (the pair is just so whipped for each other).

As expected, their relationship goes through a rollercoaster of ups and downs but the show remains rather predictable at most turns with family and relationship drama. I would say that the first half of the series was more watchable than the second half, where the conflict proved to be silly and frustrating.

The side couple’s relationship, while noticeably fluffier, was a little shallow, but that is perhaps to be expected since they don’t have as much screentime as the main guys. As a laundromat owner and a bartender, I must say they make for an interesting couple, though.

Plus & Minus is not in the same league as Taiwan's best BLs but is still an all right watch.

Full review: https://asianblreviews.wordpress.com/2022/06/25/plus-and-minus-2022-bl/

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Worth your time

(Minor spoilers)

What got me to start this was knowing the ML from another drama and enjoying his performance as well as the absolutely gorgeous poster. I went in with average expectations, and I was not disappointed. It was even better than I imagined.

Watching Kieta Hatsukoi and this back to back was an interesting experience. This featured a fairly masochistic character, some unhealthy relationship dynamics, and ominous music and shots. It's also somewhat dark but honest about it, with characters who are at times morally grey. But, believe it or not, you can enjoy this and Kieta Hatsukoi.

This was an addictive drama that always made me curious enough to go back and rewatch the recently released episode about six times before the next one was released. I had to pay attention to see what I may have missed. And there are quite a few small details that can be missed.

It was also wonderfully shot, had moments that promised something dangerous, and the music in particular really lended to the eerie/uncomfortable atmosphere at times. The light masochism was also quite interesting to watch. Not to mention they did a great job at building tension between Hira and Kiyoi. You feel those stares.

The way this was shot in particular really lended itself to the idea that Hira views Kiyoi as a King/God. They did an amazing job of making us see him the way he did too. On a pedestal. Above him. Some untouchable ethereal person. He comes into the classroom and a light shines on him while petals fall gracefully around him. He turns to the camera and gives us one smile and our heart stops. Or with symbolic moments such as Hira getting down on one knee to kiss his hand and even that small touch is so precious and he feels unworthy for receiving it from his King.

One last compliment:

The ending shot literally looks like a painting based on ancient times. They literally look like art pieces. I want to capture it and frame it on my wall. Just... Hats off to the person who directed this and the people who filmed it.

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This is the next drama to be adapted based on a trilogy of books centered on the students at Zhen Hua High School. Considering how much I loved "With You,"
I was eager to see what the other classes at Zhen Hua High School were up to. At the beginning of the drama, we are introduced to a large roster of new characters and I have to admit initially I was a bit worried that they bit off more than they could chew. However, I should have known better than to doubt this production team.

What I love most about both "With You" and "My Huckleberry Friends" is the attention and time they afford to each character whether main or supporting. As the drama says, every person is the main lead of their own story. That means all the characters will experience highs and lows. No matter how "big" or "small" the issue, all of their problems were treated with the respect they deserved. As a result, even when characters that weren't featured heavily throughout the drama had a moment of success/triumph, I couldn't help but be moved as well. Similarly, some characters also experienced setbacks and failures and I was able to sympathize with them. But these hardships/struggles also serve as learning experiences so that we can better ourselves. No one can predict if our past struggles will net us the result we want in the end. However, in the process, we will become better versions of ourselves with fond memories that we can look back on. As a result, we should cherish our past not mourn it.

I also like how Zhen Hua feels like a community made up of individuals that genuinely care about one another. Even though Zhen Hua is an elite school, students go out of their way to help each other if they see someone is struggling even if that means a student might surpass them in ranking. The students try to be inclusive and take notice of each other's strengths in order to help each other achieve their dreams. Sometimes we forget that school isn't just about learning different subjects/earning grades but also learning how to socialize/interact with people who may have different personalities, interests, dreams and so on. Ideally, you shouldn't have to choose a major/university only because you think you'll get a good job from it and your job/career shouldn't solely define who you are as a person. Instead, you should be able to pursue something that genuinely interests you so that you'll be more invested in what you're learning. Unfortunately, this isn't a realistic option for most people. But there will be a courageous (and lucky) few who will buck the trend and go after their dreams however impossible they may seem because when you're young, the possibilities of what you can be seem endless.

One of the main messages that both "With You" and "My Huckleberry Friends" promotes is being yourself. This also means discovering who you are in the process. For some people, high school is the time when you start to think about your place in society and how you'll contribute to it. Some of the characters in both dramas, select their majors because their friends/crush have chosen that major or have been pushed into choosing it by their parents. It's important to explore a variety of options to find what suits you the most. That is how you'll contribute to society but your interactions with other students/teachers/parents and how you conduct yourselves will determine who you are as a person. If you want other students to be more kind, to be more understanding/empathetic, you should lead by example. Be the change you want to see. I think it's great that the teachers are portrayed encouraging this type of behavior and that they understand the youth are the future.

One of the main differences between "With You" and "My Huckleberry Friends" is the greater emphasis placed on the students life outside of the school's walls in MHF and how those factors inform what kind of student they are at school. Social status, high expectations from parents, personal trauma are just some of the issues that are examined in this drama. We also see the students bond over shared interests such as Anime/manga, basketball, music, movies as a way for them to relieve their stress and temporarily escape the harshness of their current realities. Those interests will bring them together but their shared experiences will bond them for a lifetime.

Honestly, if I had to choose between "With You" and "My Huckleberry Friends", I wouldn't be able to. I feel that they both complement one another so well and together should be counted as one of the definitive representations of youth and the growing pains associated with it.

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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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