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Jpn dramas are the best when it comes to human stories
If it wasn't because a regular subber started working on this sub, I wouldn't have picked it. Boy, am I glad I watched this! One of my favorite dramas of this season. It was sweet, with a wonderful cast, soothing OST, and amazing script. Like Kounodori S.1. Medical dramas in the pediatrician department is usually more moving, and it always depend on the scriptwriter to not make it corny, and it worked with GD.I have to apologize to Yamazaki Kento, since when I've read he was going to be the lead, I wasn't interested. He is OK, but that's all for me. But he was amazing as Minato-sensei, since the very first episode. Portrayed wonderfully a sweet guy with Autism and Savant Syndrome (I've read that he did a research over the subject, so he was well prepared). I have not seen Freddie Highmore's version so I can't compare.
Of course, to me the MVP was Ueno Juri, such an amazing actress. Very natural, and looked very comfortable working with YamaKen.
I think I shed tears in every episode. I loved each one of them. Every episode was heartwarming, emotional and to the point.
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why? just why?
the first act is enjoyable, a decent story, some significant hole in the plot but I thought, "eh, whatever, its a short drama, it seems like fun". the second act sloooooooowwwwssss down and keeps you waiting for any character development and plot beyond the leads, "okay, not the best show, but it's not trying to be so hopefully the ending will wrap it up nicely and this will be a classic mid tier show". WRONG! SO F****** WRONG! the third act is where the show totally falls off. you only continue watching just to see the moms domestic abuse and criminal activity come out of the shadows, but it's only one 80 second scene, why? or maybe you were sticking around waiting for more conflict resolution with the older sister and the leads all together, wrong, there is none. instead we get a BS, 'oh, everything is resolved with our respective careers, we both love each other, neither holds blame or guilt for the accident as children, we acknowledged dead dads blessing from heaven, we have both healed, evil mom is taken care off, but oh wait, we can never be together, why?, cuz my older alcoholic sister is throwing a 30 year tantrum and neglecting her child. OH WAIT!!! JK! one year time skip, sister is magically healed of all trauma, attachment, mental instability, is a perfect mom, and a highly accomplished artist beaming with joy[all with ZERO explanation, screen time, plot, not-a]........soooooooooo, it's okay, now you two can wistfully meet again in a field of flowers and give each other blank stares.I thought the actors, production, and editing teams did a pretty good job. the writing and directing is Trash. for once a k-drama doesnt have 16 episodes with endless drag on time, a blessing to be able to write and direct a nice, fun, emotional shorter story that is satisfying and rounds off in the end; they missed the opportunity. it's like this drama was originally written for 12-14 episodes and in the middle of filming episode 6 they got cut to 8 episodes, and said "F***, we'll wing it and force it closed".
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Even better than the movie!!
As a fan of the movie and BNK48, I was really excited for this remake (the lead actress is from a Thai idol group, BNK48). There are two main reasons why remakes fail; either it's too simple or it told a completely different story.Bad Genius (2020) was able to retell the story that we love without being redundant. That's what makes it so good.
I personally think the series was able to give justice to the characters more compared to the movie. The movie had a lot of elements which were jam-packed into the limited movie runtime. The series was able to expound on those elements which I really appreciate. The characters were given more time to develop and it's not simply an exam cheating story; it's a story about friendship, family, betrayal and many more.
There are many unexpected twists and turns which keeps me interested. The intensity of this drama is on another level. I would say, the ending broke me. I was mad, but a part of me feels like I don't have the right to get mad. I was also happy. I don't really know how to explain since I don't want to spoil the story.
This series is a must-watch! Actors are really great, Plearnpichaya Komalarajun (Lin) and Sawanya Paisarnpayak (Grace) really stood out. Great cast, great story, great series. I will definitely rewatch this someday!
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When Cute is not Enough
Over five years ago, “Lovesick - the Series” and it’s sequel “Lovesick 2” paved the way for the Thai BL genre. It opened the door for main stream young gay characters where the focal point of the story is their love relationship. Before “Lovesick” gay relationships were were often relegated to a secondary role. “Lovesick’s” success is due to a simple storyline, two lovable lead actors, straightforward interactions between secondary characters, and an iconic OST in “Shake” which is the best song from any Thai series regardless of genre. “Lovesick” made the slew of BL series, movies, and short films that followed possible as it showed high interest level for the genre. You know you’ve arrived when you’re one of the few series with a BL theme that’s playing on Netflix in the US.“Thank God it’s Friday” (TGIF) is supposed to carry on the “Lovesick” franchise as it takes place five/six years after the Seniors from “Lovesick” graduated. The Friday College Music Club is again in financial difficulty. Because of their lack of appreciable success and maybe actually music playing ability, they enlist the help of the music club at their sister school in Chaing Mai for assistance. Although their initial meeting was rocky, the two groups bond and relationships (both platonic and otherwise) occur.
TGIF is directed by Andy Kusolkulsiri the same director as the both the “Lovesick” series'. Unfortunately, the only connections between “Lovesick” and TGIF are the school’s name (Friday College), the music club that the two groups are involved in, and a brief exchange between Jump and Yong in episode 1 where Jump refers to Noh as his idol and Yong asking Jump if he knew the rumor of Phun and Noh being in a relationship. Let’s forget about the weird suggestion at the end.
Although the three main couple storylines were fairly straightforward, where TGIF fails is that the storyline was muddled, had unnecessary side stories that we’re confusing, poor character development, random intrigue between characters that don’t make sense, and a main plot line of the Bangkok music club getting help getting completely lost. Could these guys actually play or not? I was often left wondering if I missed a half episode in between episodes because I couldn’t figure out what was going on for awhile at the start of each episode, it took a while to settle into an episode.
I felt like the overall story was being made up as they went along. Let’s start with the premise of saving the music club. That isn’t working so let’s focus on the budding relationship between Home and Jump. That’s turning out bland so let’s focus on the Por and Yong and the Lun and Nana relationships but fail to give it real substance because they’re not the main characters. The lack of storyline focus was confusing especially when they added the other side stories and characters without enough development. How long can you run a minor storyline of a missing condom from a bag?
I did find that the story and characters matured from episode to episode - to a point. That point was pretty much at the middle of the series when the three couples end-up at the dam. After their return back to Chaing Mai everything, with the exception of the Lun and Nana story, regressed.
The young female actors were actually not bad but unfortunately the performances of the male actors were all over the place. This is a failure in casting where it appears they favored cute over substance. The main characters of Jump and Home we’re so wooden it was sometimes painful to watch. Their acting did get better as the series progressed but as their bangs got longer their acting again got worse. The second couple of Por and Yong were fine but, their storyline could have been streamlined with better developed conflicts and character struggles. The best developed and acted relationship was the third one between Lun and Nana. Their storyline and acting felt genuine due to the two actor’s having good chemistry and ability, which was lacking with the rest of the actors and couples.
The soundtrack of TGIF also seemed to get better as the series progressed - again to a point. The main soundtrack is cute and catchy. It’s no where near the level of “Shake” but pretty good. The Jump and Home relationship song at the dam was also pretty good. But just like the majority of the series, the music fell apart in the second half of the series with some awful music tracks sung by the actors in the series. Pluggy has a very unique voice, not sure of anyone else in the series has lead vocal quality, so if he was in the song it was fine.
Why I really come down hard on this series is because I’m watching this concurrently with a number of far better Thai series. The producers of TGIF chose to release it at the same time of the end of “Theory of Love” and “3 Will be Free” and the start of “TharnType”, “Dark Blue Kiss”, “I am your King 2”, and “Until We Meet Again.” Yikes! That’s crazy bad timing! How can you go up against those heavy hitters with green actors and a poor script? The quality of the storyline and acting of TGIF pales in comparison to any of those series. I rate each of the aforementioned series between a 9.5 and 8, while I give TGIF a generous 6. Maybe if I watched TGIF during a period where no BL series running I would be more forgiving,
Five years have passed since the groundbreaking “Lovesick” series. The Thai BL genre has evolved so much in those five years that just having a cute series is not enough. I think that audiences are expecting more coherent and developed storylines, better writing and frankly better acting from their series, regardless of genre. I did stick around and watched all 12 episodes of TGIF so cute may have a place?
PS - Had to go to another site to watch the last episode as it’s been over a month and the producers of TGIF have yet to translate the last episode on YouTube, which they had diligently done a week or less post-release of an episode. Did they also give-up on the series?
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From bully to lover...
That was an unusual JBL. While we know how bullies are, our protagonist (Naoya) is not the bully in a normal way. Of course the victim (Takaaki) is also unusual because he has fallen for him since before we see. It's not a violent bullying btw, but they did not show us how it all started.The reason of course was his dominant father. Over time their relationsship changes. Our bully recognizes his faults and changes for the better, improving himself and his life while the victim who would like to keep him in a golden cage recognizes that a strong partner is not bad either.
As usual the finale disappoints. It felt rushed, the "revenge" arc was handled in 2 minutes by just telling what happened and that left me a bit disappointed. This series would have needed two more episodes to make that struggle more visible and while there were flashbacks to explain their relationship, there was none which showed how it all began. This is a let down in my book. To let change the dad in his final scene was of course a fairy tale, because someone like him would not change in a heartbeat. At least we will get a special but that's of course just a nice end for this show.
Highlight of the show was the strong companionship in the restaurant where everyone supports everyone, that was a nice touch. And of course the development of the main couple which gradually changed in a mature way without pressure or drama. Naoya also manages to encourage his brother Yuma who looked very weak in the beginning and grew up during the show. Of course this series is not a fluffy feel-well series, it started with a strange couple but over time it is easy to understand their motivations. A show worth watching imho.
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Definitely not for the ones who want to watch romance.
This drama i feel keeps going back and forth and there is too much sorrow in it. Espically with Ye Ji. She's going through so much and towards the end it feels like she didnt actually even love Jin. Hwan's feels were understandable but Ye Ji, to some extent kept leading him on. This drama started off good and smooth but then it started taking too many leaps and I felt like it was running somewhere. The actors have done a brillant job. Espically Jin's was a difficult one to potray because of his leg conditiin but Seok Jin did a wonderful job in convincing the audience.Was this review helpful to you?
This is the only KDrama that I have watched the entire series at least 4 times, True Story. And would watch again if I can learn to stomach his selfish co-workers, but no, I cant forgive them. The story so sweet that I'm crying as I'm writing this review, *I need a tissue.*
This is the drama to watch if you are looking for a simple love story that is not based on "star-cross lovers", or pre-destined love or fate; but a love that forms from the realistic development of feelings and affection, combined with a character so unreal that he challenges you to examine yourself. With familiar classic components of a romantic KDrama, that thankfully did not overshadowed or ruined the performance delivered by a great actor.
I, 100% recommend this to anyone.
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It actually operates on a conceit that's fairly common these days; the non-linear yet interconnected vignettes that coalesce into an overarching plot. Oftentimes, in these types of films, the actual story is less interesting than the way it's assembled. Take for instance, Christopher Nolan's Memento (2000), which was fascinating for its accurate and chilling portrayal of the nature of retrograde amnesia but would have been merely a middling crime thriller if assembled in chronological order. However, other films use this plot technique in order to symbolically resonate with the themes presented in the story, such as Marc Webb's charming (if a bit precious) (500) Days of Summer (2009). Fish Story definitely falls into the latter category and (at least for me personally) does even a little bit more.
I love the Butterfly Effect. Not the crap film starring Ashton Kutcher but the actual phenomenon. It's something that, when portrayed right, can be smart and gripping. Fish Story uses the medium of urban legend to give some physical form to the theory and to trace the evolution of a myth and its implications for the fate of humanity. It sounds a bit ludicrous and melodramatic, but the film is so self-assured that you really can't doubt its intentions, ones that become more and more believable as the film progresses. And, if all of that sounds lacking in proper gravitas (which it sort of does, on paper), the film also has a recurring theme of resilient underdogs who emerge triumphant or at least at peace at the end of the day. As such, even if the main story doesn't float your boat, there will be definitely something to appreciate in the smaller arcs.
Lest that all might seem a bit stuffy, the film actually has a good sense of humor. One that's a little self-deprecating and rife with situational irony. It might not be a laugh out loud comedy, but it will definitely elicit a wry chuckle or too here and there at the expense of some of the more hapless characters. Which, come to think of it, is essential in a film like this. It's not hard to become pretentious when using this particular film-making conceit, but Fish Story so easily circumvents this pitfall because it knows how to laugh at itself.
Is it the best film ever? No. It's probably not even the best film in its niche genre, but it's definitely safe to say that it stands in the top ranking for being the most fun and the most exhilarating. And also for having a great song. If you're into punk or j-rock, Fish Story (the song) is a satisfying reason enough to give this film a spin.
Tl;dr? Watch it for some intelligent fun, an interesting storytelling format, and a kickass song.
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Reasons to watch-Wanna cry ,this is your drama.it will make you cry an ocean of tears.Grim reaper-my favorite character .he is one of the reasons why it made you cried, fantasy ,best second-lead couple, awesome ost, humor-it makes you laugh as much as it cries, every single character portrayed beautifully ,happy ending
enjoy watching
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Is this a series made to cure BL addiction?
It is already common enough for BLs to suffer from the problem of character overload, but at least sometimes the part for the main couple is done well or there is enough cuteness and sweetness in the side couples to make us overlook the flaws. In Love Area Part 2, however, the part for the main couple (actually the other parts as well) is botched up so badly that it has got to be the work of some evil genius. It definitely takes talent to be able to screw things up this badly with the material started in Part 1.I recall Part 1 being quite bearable despite its flaws like random digressions to side stories that lack development. But at least we see in Part 1 the conflict between Valen and Kaitoon at the start and how their relationship changes over time, and the promise of a romance between them at the end. Part 1 seems to be going somewhere. I was hoping that Part 2 would avoid the flaws of Part 1. However, the flaws are accumulated and magnified instead.
In Part 2, there are even more barely related characters; love triangles become squares or some other polygon. The worst part of the story is the "development" of the relationship between Valen and Kaitoon. They become a couple and enjoy some sweet moments, but there really isn't much of a story to speak of here. Perhaps to add spice to the thing that isn't much of a story, the evil genius lurking around decided that the love triangle with Valen, Kaitoon and Non (someone with a crush on Kaitoon) should be turned into some bizarre love polygon. So while Valen is in love with Kaitoon and getting jealous of Non for childish reasons, he inexplicably also gives some girl flowers, behaving like a shy teen with a crush. (Huh?)
But of course that is not enough "conflict" for the evil genius hiding in the production team. There must be a misunderstanding between Valen and Kaitoon that leads to a break-up before the series ends, right? This is predictable fare except that the evil genius makes Valen's behavior totally illogical. Valen sees Kaitoon's group mate (Sean) being a third party in King and Pete's relationship (King is Valen's friend) and somehow assumes that Kaitoon is in cahoots with his group mate to give Pete a chance to cheat on King. (HUH?)
Speaking of King and Pete, Pete's behavior is about as absurd as it can possibly get. First, his jealousy when he sees King with another guy is practically at psychopathic levels, suggesting an unhealthy obsessiveness. Next, his claim that he has suddenly disappeared and left King suddenly (Part 1) because of his struggles with depression is exposed to be bogus. Even by the end of the series, the reason he has simply disappeared is unknown, just like his reasons for suddenly wanting to make up with King again. Yes, he has been in a relationship with another guy during the disappearance, but is this other guy the reason for his disappearance? Couldn't he have simply broken up with King if he had fallen in love with someone else? And if he is such a jerk, why does he seem genuinely sorry for what he has done?
And, trust me, there is more in all the main characters' behaviors in Episode 7 that will leave you stupefied--if you don't fall asleep watching scenes that look like some advertisement for a tour or the work of a travel vlogger. (They are actually visually appealing but not exactly interesting.) I don't have the ability to describe the mess without using a few hundred words more, and I'm just too lazy to do it.
There is also the addition of at least two more love triangles just so that the scenes can jump purposelessly from one love polygon to another and alienate viewers. The introduction of June, Bill and Sonya into the series appears to be devoid of purpose. (And also: more illogical behavior thrown in.) Then there is also a (straight) love triangle involving Valen's sister that gets added in without development or resolution because -- why not? We are trying to make the series as bad as possible, right? And maybe there can even be a Part 3, right?
By Episode 7, it is clear that even if Episode 8 (the final episode) salvages things a little, it cannot make up for the experience of watching Episodes 1 - 7, which is by turns boring and infuriating. Indeed, Episode provides a bit of a closure. I bet the evil genius behind the mess was disappointed that he could not continue having fun. Do Valen and Kaitoon make up? I would love to give a spoiler, but I can't really tell. It is not because we have an open ending. It's just that I can't be sure if the "ending" is just another daydreaming/imagination scene (like Kaitoon and Non's at the end of Episode 7).
It's sad that Part 2 destroys: (i) the King/Pete pairing when there is potential for a much more moving story for them, and (ii) the character development of Valen in Part 1. It's also saddening that things don't end well for Non, who is a likable person and possibly the only sensibly portrayed character of any importance. Maybe Love Area is secretly The Tragedy of Non. While heartbroken King has friends who care (and even a possible new love interest) and June has someone to cry to, our poor Non does not even seem to have a friend around to console him.
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1This drama is truly a blessing. It made me feel so happy and I haven't been really happy lately. It made me forget my irl problems for a second which is always hard. It gives you such a warm feeling, it's so beautiful. The fact that Korea managed to create such a good BL drama is awesome, I hope we can expect more good projects in the future. Well, I can't tell if they'll be better than To My Star, but even if it's half as good it'll be acceptable.
They managed to create a good, coherent storyline with well-doveloped and interesting characters and they did it within only 9 short episodes. It's honestly admirable. The writing is decent, there's actually a good plot going on and it ACTUALLY makes sense. And the directing... oh, god, the directing. It was simple yet brilliant. Every scene was amazingly shot. And the food shots... I wish we had more of them.
The chemistry between the leads was turly good, every scene with them made my heart skip a beat. The acting is unexpectedly good, if we consider the fact that the actors are young and don't have much experience. I fell in love with Son Woo Hyun and I have no regrets. His acting was so natural, I felt happy while watching him.
Overall, one of the best BLs I've seen and of course it's now one of my favourites. Would highly recommend it!
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Unique, interesting & inspirational
This drama is unique in a lot of ways. It has a very original storyline of a woman's struggle to become a pilot and the man who wants to change how airlines are run. They both have a lot of obstacles and challenges along the way that make this drama both educational and interesting.
The Storyline
As I said earlier, the basic storyline is both unique and interesting. I also like that there aren’t a lot of cliches here (except for the male lead being an arrogant CEO.) In addition, the female leads step sister isn’t spoiled and mean like you would expect, she’s actually very sweet and sympathetic towards the female lead, which is quite refreshing. Another thing they did right here is to show what pilots, upper management and flight attendants have to deal with in the industry. The storyline is one of the best I’ve seen in a long time so I have no complaints here.
The Acting
The acting was quite good. I especially liked the male leads facial expressions when he was going through a difficult time, you could feel his pain. And the female lead portrayed her joy in flying quite well. She really shined when she was in the sky piloting an airplane. None of the actors overacted or was stiff in their roles. I thoroughly enjoyed all of the acting in this drama.
The Romance
The romance was quite good in this drama, it was very natural, happened organically over time and was well portrayed. The main leads had great chemistry with phenomenal kissing scenes too. There’s back hugs, cuddles, long romantic kisses, princess carrying, and some steamy scenes too. I also like that they had a couple of secondary romances too. I give the romance aspect of this drama top marks.
The Cinematography
The cinematography was quite good, they really made you feel like you were in the cockpit of an airliner as it was soaring through the clouds. Every scene of the airplane flying was very realistic and well done. The airport was huge and very true to life too. You can tell they had a big budget for this drama.
What I Didn’t Like
I didn’t like how ambiguous the drama was with the timeline. One minute the main leads are together and the next minute they’ve been together for a couple of years. Then it jumps to their fifth anniversary with no warning. And not telling us what happened to the female leads best friend’s boyfriend bothered me, I wanted more details. But my biggest gripe is when the leads breakup for no good reason other than noble idiocy and the female leads tendency to push others away. I’m not against a breakup in a drama if it’s warranted and there’s a legitimate reason for it. But this breakup was obviously done solely to add more angst to the drama and move the plot along. When writers are lazy and don’t feel like coming up with a good reason they just throw in the noble idiocy breakup. I really dislike dramas that do that.
My Overall Thoughts
Even though I disliked the noble idiocy breakup and the ambiguous timeline, I still thoroughly enjoyed this drama. It has a very unique storyline, the acting is very good, the cinematography is amazing and the main leads have great chemistry. I would definitely recommend watching it.
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At the time, I didn't have time to watch dramas so I only watched films. This was appealing enough to give it a try.
2) Storyline/Plot:
This film's story seemed somehow special and different from any other idol or rom-com film that's why it felt appealing.
Positive points:
*The story was smooth since it combined great events and feelings together.
*The mini-stories intoduced during the film were a nice touch to avoid slow moments.
*The love story was light to the point that it would make you think that this isn't a romantic film yet the important feelings were there plus it felt like the right thing to do.
*Considering the fact that it was almost a musical film, I would say that the music was cool; not great, not bad.
Negative points:
*There was something missing in this film. They should've pushed it a little far in the middle since the story's development felt incomplete.
Story: 7.5/10
3) Acting/Cast:
*Lee Min Jung : I really loved that actress here; she knew how to deliever feelings and make good expressions. She portrayed her role well and gave a good impression as the lead lady plus she's pretty.
*Lee Jung Jin : I liked his character too, he was so mature and manly in many ways , he did his role in a good way.
*I loved the relationship between leads whether in fighting or in romance; good chemistry.
*I liked other cast plus there acting was satisfying.
Cast: 8/10
Acting: 8.5/10
4) The ending:
Even though it was a typical rom-com ending but I end up enjoying it and closing the screen with a happy face.
The ending: 7.5/10
5) My impression (How did it affect me):
*I was entertained, it was fun to watch.
*I was a little surprised since I hadn't much expectations for this but I end up liking it. I just love it when a film/drama surprise me (in a good way of course)
*I wasn't bored which is enough to make me satisfied.
My impression 8.5/10
6) Overall:
*If you like rom-coms then you would like this.
*If you like musical films then you may appreciate this.
*If you like light love stories then this is for you.
Overall: 7.5/10.
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what are you doing if you're not watching hyemileechaepa?!?
if you want a sign to watch this show, then this is it. nothing brings me more joy than watching these girls struggle to play games and carry out challenges. we see them clash, argue, fight, and bicker over anything and everything, all while they aim to work as one team. funniest sh't ever. whoever put these girls together did THAT.Was this review helpful to you?
