Reviews

Stupid Plan

*sigh* I don't know why I was hoping this would be a decent drama given that MAME is the writer. I will give her credit that she is good at creating stories that are surface level attractive, that being said, don't try to go any deeper or you'll be sorely disappointed. Wedding Plan is no exception. It's filled with attractive actors/actresses, decent music, lovely camerawork/visuals, and beautiful sets and costuming, but the characters themselves are lacking as is the plot. A good portion of the story hinges on unnecessary drama and while the initial concept isn't bad, it quickly comes crashing down.

The story centers around Namnuea, a wedding planner, and his client, groom Sailom. Nuea is supposed to be planning Lom's wedding to Yiwa, but there's a catch; neither Lom nor Yiwa is straight. The "plan" is for the two of them to get married so that Yiwa can be with her girlfriend, Marine, and get away from her conservative family. She and Lom have been friends for over a decade so he agrees to this arrangement. But having seen Nuea at a friend's wedding, Lom falls in love at first sight and decides to pursue him. Now I had zero issues with Yiwa and Lom's plan. I can certainly sympathize with their situation and how they didn't see another way out. They both had conservative families who wouldn't accept their sexuality and were forced to do something extreme to escape and gain their freedom. That was all fine and dandy. Lom's plan, however, was incredibly stupid and was the one that caused all the issues, because he starts to pursue Nuea without telling him about his and Yiwa's arrangement. And Nuea has pretty much fallen for him at first sight so Nuea is put into the situation of trying to hide his feelings initially and then once Lom starts actively pursuing him, fight those feelings. It's incredibly unfair to him because a brief conversation with Lom explaining things would have cleared everything up. But then this drama would be 3 or 4 episodes instead of 7. So instead, this situation gets dragged out with Nuea feeling more and more guilty and anxious as Lom continues to pursue him, almost forcing himself on him at times, until Nuea finally gives into his feelings. I truly feel bad for Nuea because Lom forced him into a corner, physically and morally. Nuea doesn't know that Lom isn't actually taken, so naturally, he feels incredibly guilty that he has, in his mind, cheated with the groom. He runs home, Lom follows and they eventually get everything worked out. The wedding moves ahead as planned until on their wedding day when it turns out Yiwa has eloped with Marine and left the country. Not only does this give her and Marine the freedom to be together and get married, but it also allows Lom to slowly bring his relationship with Nuea out into the open. I also didn't have an issue with Yiwa's plan here because while I know some people think it's unfair that she shouldered all the blame and Lom got away scot-free, that was her intention. So the fact that she planned it that way and that's what she wanted, I was fine with it. Honestly, typing this out, it sounds more interesting than it actually was.

Besides the stupidity of Lom's plan, there are a myriad of other issues here. There are plenty of unnecessary scenes that affect the pacing and make it drag. A prime example was all the wakeboarding scenes towards the beginning. Did it look cool? Yes. Was it necessary? No. Those scenes could have been significantly cut down and absolutely nothing would have been lost. The repetitive scenes of Nuea moping and his boss and co-workers trying to eke out of him what was going on could also have been cut. And that after credit scene with Lom and Nuea as children was equally unnecessary. I was afraid they were going to pull something like that where they actually met as children when Lom commented he thought he'd been there as a kid, but was hoping they wouldn't do it because it's just so cliche. Unfortunately, they did and aside from being sort of cute, it served absolutely no purpose. There were more, but I'll stick with those couple. Similarly a lot of the dialogue was repetitive and did nothing to move the plot along. And while the moms could be entertaining, particularly with the music that played whenever they entered, the fight between them at the wedding went on far longer than was necessary. And speaking of the wedding, weren't there supposed to be like 600 people? I mean, I understand logistically with filming that simply wasn't possible, but it didn't look like there were even 100 people there and there were ways they could have been consistent without actually having 600 people on set. And while I don't find fault with Lom and Yiwa's plan to get married in and of itself, the logistics of it did not seem well thought out for the long run. What exactly were they going to do when their mothers wanted grandkids? How did they plan to keep their lives separate while also being married to each other? Living in the same building made things easier, but if one of their mothers decided to drop by unannounced as happened with Yiwa's mother, that had the potential to cause issues. Frankly, I think the strain of carrying on such a farce would have eventually led to trouble in their respective relationships. Their plan would have solved one problem, but caused numerous others. As a final note here, I also didn't appreciate the way they tried to use repetitive shots of a half naked Lom as a way to distract from the lack of plot. I hate when dramas do that, it's so cheap, and while the man is attractive, I'd rather have a cohesive and entertaining plot. But that's just me.

I did enjoy getting to see Payu, Rain, Prapai and Sky of Love in the Air again. While I thought Prapai and Sky speaking English at their wedding was odd, it was still a sweet moment and Payu's proposal to Rain was beautifully done. Their appearance in particular made it believable that time had passed since the drama which I appreciated, but they were also still very much themselves.

Besides the plot and writing being less than great, the characters, similarly, were nothing special.
-Lom, while not necessarily toxic, was at best an idiot and at worst a total ass. My biggest problem with him was his decision to remain silent and all the damage he did by doing so. By pursuing Nuea while still planning a wedding with Yiwa, he put Nuea in a moral dilemma which was incredibly cruel and unfair to him. I still do not fully understand why he didn't tell Nuea from the get go. I could understand potentially being afraid of coming out to someone when he'd kept it such a secret, but considering the fact that he made it very clear that he wanted Nuea, I don't understand his reticence in telling him what was going on. It was ironic that he was friends with Love in the Air's Prapai because he reminded me of him to some degree with his stalking of Nuea, manipulation, and deception. On the flip side, he could also be incredibly caring and sweet. I did believe he loved Nuea, I just didn't care for the way he went about it.
-Nuea was supposed to be this very put together wedding planner who excelled at his job and yet his lack of professionalism when dealing with Lom didn't give me that impression. I work in customer service, I understand clients getting under your skin and irritating the crap out of you. However, I have never lost my composure with them and gone off on any of them, no matter how tempting. Nuea had to have faced challenging clients before, so the fact that he lost his cool so easily seemed weird to me. And while I can't justify his actions with Lom, I can understand them. I felt his struggle regarding his feelings for Lom were relatable and human. He actively tries to resist, he even reminds Lom that he's getting married, but he does eventually cave. It's not right, but again, I could understand how he reached that point because resisting someone who's pursuing you that hard has to be incredibly difficult. He could have done more to separate himself from the situation and I do feel like he put himself in the path of temptation, but I appreciated he realized his mistake and owned up to it and then worked to make sure it wouldn't happen again until Lom finally explained everything to him.
-Yiwa and Marine were our girl couple and while I found them to be kind of sweet, I didn't find them to be particularly interesting which was disappointing because I felt they could have been utilized much better. Despite the fact that their relationship was given some background, they still felt fairly shallow and a lot of their interactions felt repetitive. Marine came across as sweet and empathetic, however, she was also a bit bland. She lacked energy and she seemed very hesitant when Yiwa initiated any kind of physical intimacy which was odd since they were supposed to have been together for 2ish years. Yiwa was the more outgoing and bubbly of the two. I liked her personality and I liked her friendship with Lom. They definitely gave a brother/sister vibe. I also appreciated the conundrum she was facing with wanting to try to balance her familial obligations while remaining true to herself. I thought it was incredibly gracious and brave of her to take the brunt of the backlash regarding her and Lom's failed wedding. And I was glad that she and Marine got their happily ever after.
-I liked Nuea's family. They were all so incredibly supportive of him and their protectiveness of him was equal parts amusing and endearing depending on the situation.

The acting was tolerable but nothing special. Sunny and Pak weren't consistent with their chemistry. Sometimes I felt it, other times it was lacking. Both felt pretty green which was understandable considering their lack of experience. Pak seemed more versatile, his expressions and actions were more varied. Sunny's acting lacked that extra nuance. Aya and Kate really seemed to struggle with their chemistry. Kate in particular just seemed uncomfortable when they were kissing and it made it hard to believe they were an established couple. Individually I found Aya more interesting to watch. There was a sameness to her expressions, but she brought more energy. Kate lacked that energy and seemed a little too reserved and perfect. I felt like she could have done more with the character, but given this was her first acting role, she wasn't awful.

The production value is excellent. The camerawork, the lighting, the sets, etc. were all high quality and very well done. I loved the costumes. I particularly liked how each character had their own distinct style that was maintained throughout the drama. The music was also pretty good, but not particularly memorable.

I ultimately found myself disappointed in Wedding Plan. I wasn't expecting anything spectacular, but I hoped it would at least be a fun and fluffy diversion. Instead we got MAME's trademark of a lack in communication causing more issues than were necessary which lead to more drama/angst and less fluff. So, if you're looking for an actual plot and decent characters, I would skip this one, you won't be missing much. But if your cup of tea is some steamy scenes and attractive, shirtless men, you might enjoy this.

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1) The reason I watched this:

At the time, I needed something cliche to watch so this seemed to be the right option.

2) Storyline/Plot:

Well, it wasn't that special or original, it's one of the common rom-com stories that you can find anywhere but it wasn't boring.

Positive points:

*Funny moments mixed with romantic moments along with serious moments made this film appealing somehow.
*The seduction element was somehow hilarious and childish which excludes blank moments during the story's development.

Negative points:

*This is your usual rom-com so don't expect anything special from it since it had all the cheesy-cliche moments that you probably saw before.

Story: 5.5/10

3) Acting/Cast:

*Henney Daniel: his presence made this film very interesting to watch plus he was speaking good English not the sort of English that would hurt your ears. I am going to be subjective about his acting because all I saw there was only looks and *inser shallow feelings*.

*Uhm Jung Hwa's peformance wasn't bad but the role didn't fit her age, there were serious age probems in this film.
*Anyway, the chemistry was acceptable so no hard feelings about the acting department.

Cast: 6/10
Acting: 4.5/10

4) The ending:

This was your typical rom-com ending but I have to say that I didn't appreciate the final scene.

The ending: 7.5/10

5) My impression (How did it affect me):

*I had fun while watching this film mainly because of Daniel which means my shallow feelings took over while watching this plus it's one of the fewest rom-com films that I rewatch sometimes only for my shallow feelings.

My impression: 8.5/10

6)Overall:

*If u like rom-coms then you would like this.
*If you want to watch a good looking male lead then this is for you.

Overall: 6.5/10

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Ok it's 1 AM i have school tomorow but i have just finished it and i need to express my feelings.
First i have to say to everyone who don't want to watch it because of the 100+ episodes, just watch it ! Each episode lasts 30min so it's really fast. But i have to admit that i watched this drama in one year ! Why ? Just because it's the type of drama you want to watch when you need to laugh, don't have a lot of time ( for exemple during exam ) and you need some fresh air. Every episode have a different story but it has a link and every charachter has his "highligh" moment. This drama made me laugh ( like reaaaaally ), cry, had goosehumps ! I loved every single charachter and i am very sad to say goodbye, but well after a year it was time i think :)
Anyway, I have so much more to say about it but i am just gonna say : watch it, it totally worth it

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When I started to watch this Drama, I didn't have high expectations, since a lot of people don't like it.

In the beginning, I was totally annoyed by Anna's personality. She was just some high society lady, never satisfied with anything, always greedy. Oh Yoo was friendlier and more sympatic. But as the story continued, I noticed how special Anna is.
You may think she is just like all those spoiled young women that appear in a lot of shows and Anna really is. But somehow she has grown dear to me. I can't really say why. Her character developes during this Drama, but still she is very unfriendly to everyone. She experienced so much already, so she can't change this much anymore.
After completeing the Drama, I'm really missing the Anna who was always yelling and complaining. Just like Chul Soo's love to her my affection to her also grew. I just love the way she developed but still remained the same.

Even thought Anna was the main character and carried nearly all of the story by herself, the side stories were very amusing as well. They made me laugh several times, but still they fit in well since they had some dramatical scenes as well. I was disapointed because there were one or two scenes where the comedy part didn't quite fit.
Over all I think the comedy and drama parts were well timed and well balanced.

The music was also fitting very well, I seldomly enjoy an OST this much. I'm even listening to it at the moment (:

Overall I'd highly recommend this Drama. I'm sure it won't fit everyones taste, but to me it seemed very well balanced, except some scenes of a side story. Still I liked the whole cast, especially Anna and Kang Ja (her friend). The main story was enjoyable, so I'm considering watching the original movie, even thought I'm afraid that it might be a bit disappointing...

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finally completed this series. first of all, i never thought i would randomly start watching this on a tuesday afternoon and end up finishing it immediately. after how season 1 made me feel, i honestly didn’t expect myself to continue this fast. but somehow, here i am, already done with it.

this series was genuinely so good. it perfectly portrayed toxic relationships, manipulation, misunderstandings, reconciliation, emotional baggage, and the way people hurt each other when they are overwhelmed by their own emotions. there were friendship betrayals, unresolved feelings, selfish decisions, and so much emotional damage throughout the story. every single character made mistakes, and honestly, all of their feelings were valid in their own ways. what disappointed me the most was how they handled those emotions and situations, but that is also what made the series feel realistic. people are not always rational when they are hurting. sometimes they become unfair, selfish, impulsive, and destructive, and this series captured that perfectly.

first, jack. he is a good person, yes. his feelings were valid and he had every right to be angry at dean. however, the way he handled everything was completely wrong. he treated raffy like a replacement whenever things were not okay between him and dean, and that was honestly selfish because he knew raffy would always come running whenever he called. he took advantage of that vulnerability. jack did not just hurt dean, he hurt raffy too. what made it even worse was how emotionally confusing everything became because he kept holding onto people while simultaneously hurting them. thankfully, he eventually realized the damage he caused and took accountability for his actions. i appreciated that the series did not try to paint him as perfect because it showed that even good people can make terrible decisions when they are emotionally lost.

next, raffy. he was honestly bratty at times and reminded me of boston in some ways. i was especially frustrated during the part where he wanted to ruin jack and dean’s relationship because that was completely wrong. i am not going to defend him for that. there were moments where he allowed his emotions to consume him and became too selfish. however, despite all of that, i still understood him. i am glad he eventually realized that he did not want to become someone like dean. his character development was honestly one of the best parts of the series for me. i understood the pressure he carried as the son of a well-known actress because constantly living under expectations must have been exhausting. he grew up craving validation and affection, which explains why he became emotionally reckless at times. despite all his flaws, he is actually a good person, and i am happy he slowly learned how to grow and become better. seeing him become more self-aware made me appreciate his character even more.

third, rome. i genuinely love him so much. he was completely down bad for raffy, but at the same time, he knew his worth and understood that there is a limit to how long he should wait for someone. that is what i admired most about him. he and raffy honestly deserve each other because they truly understand one another in ways other people cannot. rome can get on your nerves sometimes, but he never crosses the line and he still genuinely cares. he is the type of person who stays honest even when the truth hurts. i also loved how emotionally mature he was compared to everyone else. he knew when to stay, when to wait, and when to protect himself too. i am really thankful raffy had someone he could finally be vulnerable and honest with because raffy clearly needed someone who would understand him without immediately judging him.

fourth, timmy. i am so proud of him because he became everyone’s pillar throughout the series. whenever there was chaos or conflict, he was always the first person trying to calm things down and help others. he is the type of person you can always rely on and depend on no matter what happens. he was such a great friend and producer to all of them. what i admired most about him was how emotionally present he was for everyone even when things became messy. he never made situations about himself. he genuinely tried to understand people and help them fix things instead of making everything worse. every friend group honestly needs someone like timmy.

fifth, arnold. i liked him from the very beginning. he is calm, comforting, and always there whenever tua needed someone. what i love most about him is that he actually communicates with his boyfriend whenever they have problems instead of avoiding difficult conversations. he listens, reassures, and tries to understand instead of immediately reacting emotionally. i genuinely love this character because he brought stability into the story. amidst all the chaos happening around them, arnold remained emotionally grounded.

sixth, tua. no words can explain how much i love his character. he is just too kind that it hurts sometimes. there is something so comforting and genuine about him that makes you want to protect him. he honestly does not deserve to be hurt by anyone. however, despite how kind he is, he is still human, and that is why his flaws felt realistic too. i really did not like the way he acted toward dean after the video of arnold and dean got leaked. they were best friends, and i wished tua had listened to dean first before reacting emotionally. i cannot justify the things he said because he truly hurt dean with his words. at the same time, i know tua never genuinely intended to destroy him. he was hurt too, and emotions got the best of him. that entire fight honestly broke me because you could feel how much love and pain existed between them. seeing friendships fall apart because of misunderstandings and emotional reactions is one of the saddest things ever.

lastly, dean. honestly, i do not even know where to begin. as much as i wanted to stay angry at him because of how he acted, i just could not. deep down, i understood why he did those things. he was hurting so much and trying to figure everything out on his own. dean felt like someone who constantly carried emotional weight by himself while pretending he was okay. what completely broke my heart was the fight between him and tua. i genuinely cried when tua said those things to dean because you could already see how broken dean was even before that moment. it felt like he had reached a point where everything around him was slowly falling apart. the world was honestly so cruel to him. all i wanted was for someone to finally understand him and be kinder to him for once. despite his mistakes, i never saw him as evil. i saw someone who was emotionally lost and desperately trying to survive his own feelings.

overall, i really loved this series. tua and dean’s friendship means so much to me, and i am so happy they eventually talked things out and reconciled. friendship heartbreaks are honestly one of the most painful things in the world because losing someone you considered home hurts differently. romantic heartbreaks hurt, yes, but friendship heartbreaks leave a different kind of emptiness because those are the people who know every version of you.

also, i genuinely did not expect nick to appear, but seeing him there made me realize how much boston had changed. boston used to be such a terrible person, and even he became aware of that. i honestly did not expect nick and boston to end things peacefully this season, so i am thankful they were finally able to communicate properly, even if it was only for one last time. i am especially proud of nick for finally choosing himself over everything else because he deserves so much better. honestly, so does boston. yes, he hurt many people before, but at least he grew and became self-aware. growth does not erase the pain someone caused, but it is still important to acknowledge when someone genuinely changes and reflects on their actions.

everyone in this series deserves so much better. they all deserved love, understanding, healing, and people who would genuinely choose them. one line from the series that really stayed with me was: “choose someone who chooses you.” that line hit so hard because it is true. people should never have to beg for consistency, reassurance, love, or basic respect.

please never lower your standards just because you are afraid of losing someone. know your worth. you are enough, and you deserve people who will never make you question that. never settle for someone who constantly makes you feel unloved, unwanted, or difficult to choose.

also, huge kudos to all the actors who portrayed their roles so well. all of you did such an incredible job and made every emotion feel real and natural. the acting honestly made the entire series even more impactful because you could genuinely feel the pain, tension, comfort, heartbreak, and vulnerability in every scene. nothing felt forced. every character felt alive because of how well the actors carried their roles.

special mention to MIX SAHAPHAP because wow. i honestly never expected to see you in this type of series, but you completely surprised me in the best way possible. your acting was genuinely amazing and emotionally convincing. you portrayed your character with so much depth, and there were scenes where your emotions alone were enough to break my heart. this role honestly showed a different side of you as an actor, and i am genuinely proud of how well you did.

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So STAND UP! is one of my favorite jdramas ever. So please pardon my gushy feelings in this review.

One, I loved the message that the drama brings to the table, which I elaborate on further below.
And Two, it was fun to see some leading jdrama actors (Oguri Shun, Narimiya Hiroki, Yamapi, and Ninomiya) before they hit their peaks of popularity.

STORY-
The drama is about a group of 4 high school friends and all the crazy things that they get into in the process of losing their virginity.
They also reunite with their childhood friend Chie (Suzuki Anne), who seems to have her own reasons for coming back into their neighborhood.
The story is written well, with a perfect balance of comedy and touching moments between friends and family. The plot twists are interesting and I was quite invested in the characters. I usually hate love triangles with a passion, but this drama managed to do a believable and sweet love triangle that I actually connected with emotionally.
At its heart, STAND UP! is a coming of age drama with a focus on sex and friendship.

ACTING/CAST-
Great acting all across the board. Tons of character development and fun minor characters.
Ninomiya really impressed me with his portrayal of Sho: he played insecure, naive, and adorkable very well
Also, Suzuki Anne took the Chie's character and made her into a sweet and endearing female lead.

MUSIC-
Pretty decent soundtrack featuring Arashi.


LAST THOUGHTS-
Though this is a teen sex comedy, there is a good amount of character development, so it's worthwhile to watch. There are also positive messages throughout the drama which reinforce that love is more better than sex. And not to fall into peer pressures. And that sex has consequences. And friends are awesome!

One of my favorite j dramas for its laughs and for its heart.

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It took 2 years for this project to get out of paper and the wait was worth it! Everything: osts, storyline, production, cast, was made close to flawlessly. This director is my favorite from gmmtv and Mix delivered a spectacular acting, rookie of the year if you ask me. Earth was amazing, I'm so happy he got a character that allows him to show the best of his acting, well done! EarthMix chemistry is amazing, the scenes were so cute, I'm in love with their love story.
I strongly recommend this, a love story that makes you flutter and cheer so much for the happy ending. One of my favorites for sure!

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Scriptwriter is Mad, Crazy Good

This scriptwriter is mad, crazy good -- they say a mark of a remarkable script writer can draw in the audience despite the story’s complexity. To slowly but swiftly and persistently keep an audience engaged, guessing, and wholly invested in each character, the heroes and villains, takes a lot of talent. This writer’s ability to spin the web of the story extends further and more profound than what’s visible on the surface, and that’s why despite being confused at times, I remain engaged without judgment for the haze of confusion to clear away that effectively happens at the opening of each episode. I love this writing style. But as good as this writer is, the actors, director, and editing team interpreting the script are even better. Kang Ha Neul and his cast of friends and foes leave me wanting for more each time. One of the better thrillers out there that is deliberate with the choices it makes, heightening and amplifying the cohesive and focused story goal with a consistent and escalating related conflict that is exciting as it is complex.

I I truly enjoyed this intensely complicated yet surprisingly fulfilling journey that Insider laid out. I want to give a massive shout-out to Lee Yoo Young for how well she plays Oh Soo Yeon. I never truly appreciated her acting until this one. Given the right part, I believed she could deliver even better, and she's proved me right. Every character plays a key role, especially the villains in Heo Dong Won as Yang Jun and Jung Man Shik as Yang Hwa, they are worthy of praise. It's easy to be slighted when playing against Kang Ha Neul, who is golden as the very complicated yet brilliant Yo Han. Still, Kang Young Seok in the role of Jang Seon Oh and the ever-so-engaging Choi Dae Hoon as No Seung Hwan definitely held their own and deserve to be recognized for their brilliant acting. Insider must not have been an easy drama to write. Kudos to the writer, the director, and the production team. I hope this drama gets awards as it's up there with some of the best of 2022.

One of the better written, directed, acted, and edited dramas I have seen since My Mister. Undoubtedly one of the best of 2022. I loved how complicated yet engaging this drama was; the writer threw a lot at us, and sometimes I felt like I was drowning but not once was I bored. On the contrary, I couldn't wait for the next episode, especially the first three to five minutes that connected all the missing dots. I will miss the whole cast; everybody played a crucial role in making this drama the success it became. As I wrote yesterday, everyone is deserving of an award. But especially the writer for penning such an intricately complex story that, in its complexity, made all the sense possible, Kang Ha Neul, Lee Yoo Young, Kang Young Seok, and Choi Dae Hoon, who has a special place in my heart.

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Almost perfect short movie, dealing sensitively with both the problems faced by the hearing impaired in building a bridge to others to express their deepest feelings and BL. Very brave to tackle both subjects in one movie. Very well acted, timing almost perfect. I was not clear whether each had the same depth of feelings for the other at the end of the movie, but perhaps this was left purposely ambivalent. The Japanese seem to be able to produce these very accomplished movies with a refinement of feeling and mood which is difficult to find elsewhere, though both the Japanese and Korean film industries are imho far ahead of those in other Asian countries in terms of production values. Will definitely re-watch in the future.

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Although detective and investigation dramas are quite popular in Japan, straight action dramas don’t share the same fate. S - Saigo no Keikan is a good example of how Japanese do action productions.

The drama is based on a manga that I haven’t read so I can’t compare but from the overview, I am sure this story can make a fine anime if that’s ever planned. I always said that Japanese tend to pick interesting and different plots for their dramas; this is definitely one of those intriguing topics that invade Japanese seasons each year. The plot may seem a little heavy due to some episodic procedures but it’s smartly written to overtake certain sensitivity against the episodic pattern.

S - Saigo no Keikan (aka S - The Last Policeman) is about Special Forces in the Japanese police organization and their way of handling terrorist attacks or situations. The main focus of the drama is NPS, a new special force that gathers the qualities of two older Special Forces SAT and SIT. NPS’s purpose is to secure criminals without killing them, that’s the main belief of the force, its members and our main lead. The operations’ build-up feels quite real although the final outcome can be fairly dramatized for the sake of emotions.

Despite being a straightforward action drama with lots of gun shooting and explosions, the drama’s main focus was the ethics and the feelings behind each case. It’s indisputably not brainless action for the sake of entertainment, it’s also not action games for the sake of thrills, military techniques or the suspense; it’s action for the sake of human emotions and relationships. It was an interesting take of the police, its higher-ups and the power struggle between Special Forces.

Acting wise, this drama’s producers knew how to choose their leads, supporting roles and even guest stars. Mukai Osamu and Ayano Go had a good chemistry as opposites in the same line of work. Although Ichigo’s character would sound a little cheesy with his over-concentration on not killing any criminal but he managed to keep the character interesting until the very last end. However, Ayano’s Soga was more penetrating with a cold character and a detailed back story. Another interesting character must be Odagiri Joe’s Masaki Keigo, the actor does crazy roles so well; I am glad I will be seeing lots of him this year. If we talk about acting then we shouldn’t forget the veteran Omori Nao and other cast members that delivered so well no matter how small the role was.

The action department was quite intriguing at times, even though shooting and bombs’ explosions weren’t present each episode but the Special Forces techniques and operations’ codes were believably made. The OST and cinematography were also pretty fitting for the drama.

Watch if:
-You’re looking for a good Japanese action drama.
-You like dramas that focus on special themes.
-You’re looking for a good casting line-up.

Do not watch if:
-You can’t stand the episodic pattern.
-You dislike the Japanese way of making action dramas.
-You’re looking for romance.

S - Saigo no Keikan is an entertaining drama with lots of action to keep you entertained mixed with dramatic moments to stimulate emotions. I will be impatiently waiting for the film!

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A cacophony of crows.

The Story of Minglan is a leisurely and meandering account of how with patience and cunning, Sheng Minglan, the low born daughter of a concubine triumphs over many challenges to achieve both personal and social success. Minglan's father is a middling court official who over indulges his favorite concubine and allows her to turn his household upside down. The petty tyranny of harem rivalry leads to tragedy and Minglan ends up being raised under her grandmother's wing. Minglan's great misfortune has a giant silver lining because this formidable old lady is a force to be reckoned with. She sees to it that Minglan is well schooled and helps her navigate the many pitfalls of harem politics. Minglan blossoms into a quietly underestimated young lady who catches the eye of the most eligible bachelors despite her low status.

This drama digs deep into what lurks beneath the genteel façade of Confucian propriety among the status conscious Song dynasty nobility. The deceptively sedate, mundane, humdrum of women living lives of quiet desperation, occasionally broken by shrill outbursts that crescendo horrifyingly in a cacophony of crows. My eardrums barely survived the assault of this panoply of nasty, caterwauling women. The early arcs on Minglan's childhood and coming of age are the best, most empowering ones. The drama climaxes at her vengeance arc, where I found her quiet scheming and utter ruthlessness chilling and impressive. After that the domestic bliss arcs drag on far too long with the couple dealing with repetitive villains with all too similar modus operandi. We really did not need to see version 2.0, 3.0 etc of essentially the same not very smart wicked women archetypes that are too handily dealt with by our power couple.

Zhao Liying delivers a credible portrayal of a docile, Song dynasty noblewoman with hidden depths. The way she digs into you with her eyes, the fleeting cunning smirk and brief flash of fury in her placid gaze foreshadows her evolution into a full-on temper tantrum throwing wife! That said, Zhao Liying is still best at fierce roles rather than as a docile still waters run deep kind of character. Zhao Liying and Feng Shaofeng paint the perfect picture of domestic bliss.Their chemistry is that of a long married couple in harmony and less of the sizzling kind that flared up between her and Lin Gengxin in Princess Agents. It is rare to see Zhu Yilong in a costume drama and I felt real sorry for his Qi Heng who unlike both Gu Tengye and Sheng Minglan, has no free will as he is unable to free himself from the social strictures of his time. The cast overall is very strong with many veteran actors that deliver comical parodies of the ridiculous pretensions of the Song aristocracy.

I am afraid I did not enjoy this very well made drama as much as many other people did. The 70+ episode narrative goes on for too long, conveying an unnecessarily realistic impression of how suffocating it was to be a Song dynasty woman. Considering Gu Tingye's incredibly modern attitudes with respect to polygamy and empowering his wife, I am convinced it was impossible to be a Sheng Minglan in those times. Some of the early arcs are worth 8.5 but the story climaxes too early and is bogged down by repetitive plots in the latter half. This weighs my overall rating down to 8.0. This is a drama that patient viewers with robust eardrums will enjoy more.

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loved everything about it except ending

In the last few episodes, they showed all happy moments then I understood something bad is going to happen in the ending, as expected I didn't like the last two episodes. The last two episodes ruined my overall experience of watching this show, felt like 15hrs that invested in this show went waste. I was too involved in drama throughout, maybe that's why I feel this much disappointment. I absolutely loved all characters, that's why the last two episodes were like hell for me. goshhh i wish I could change that part of the story.

anyways for talking about positives, ML is super cute, the characters that you may dislike in the beginning will make you fall in love with them eventually. people who just watch for entertainment and don't get much involved in the story can enjoy this show as one time watch.

I know no writer or director is going to consider my review but still wanna mention that 90% of the audience like happy endings. for god's sake don't play with audience emotions towards the end of the show. many awesome fantasy dramas keep us involved in the story but breaks our heart towards the end, I know for writers its creative work, and they have their own imagination and understanding of the story and what they want to deliver to the audience but we would appreciate if they keep in mind that we watch dramas/shows for entertainment, so please don't spoil endings for us, just let us leave with a smile of our face after finishing watching it. don't ruin our overall experience with overdramatic endings.

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The sparks and the spices

This dating reality show is so enjoyable. There are sparks but at the same time spices as well. The whole concept of the dating show is interesting especially the phone call to express the feeling part. The phone calls kept me at edge. Like I could never predict who each of the contestant would call. It was interesting and at the same time agonizing especially the phone calls involving the love triangles.

WARNING: Major spoilers ahead!!

Honestly Junseong and Sungho are the best part of the show for me. I rooted for them since the very first phone call. "Roommate, hi" was what got me into the show and I fell deeper and deeper episode by episode. I couldn't help but cheer for Junseong. He was so sure about who he wanted and the way he expressed his feelings in the most sincere way whenever he got the chance to, every second of it was absolutely worth witnessing. On the other hand Sungho was sure about his feelings towards Seonwoo until he wasn't. He wavered ever since the first call from JS. From "friendship 100% love zero" to "Beside Junseong, others are like friends or colleagues to me", he came a long way. And damn their dates were an absolute delight to see especially the one after call match. The sparks were flying everywhere. They really stole the whole show for me,

Moving on to Seonwoo, I won't lie at first it really felt like he was leading everyone on and I wasn't quite a fan of it but as I watched more of him, he grew on me. And the love triangle of Hyun Joon, Minsung and Hyun Jin, it was a bit of a mess. For most of the part except Hyun Joon, the other two seemed confused. They were certain one moment and the next moment they were not. It was honestly agonizing to see but I do get it that none of them were actually at fault. However, I liked Min Sung and Hyun Joon together. Their date was cute. But it's commendable how Hyun Joon stood up for himself. Also, Yunghee damn he was so consistent and his efforts towards SW melted me. And Jeongwook this guy deserves nothing but happiness. He is such a softball mahn. I wish each one of them a happy life. I hope they live it to their best and also find the one they love and who loves them back too.

Overall an enjoyable show that kept me awake one whole night and even after I caught up to the recent episodes I could not stop myself from binge watching it. Highly recommended!!

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Normally I am not into dramas like this. I'm so glad I made an exception and watched this drama. TSDOML is a emotionally fulfilling drama that made me somehow hopeful and happy through all the crying. The story isn't anything new or exceptional, but that is what makes it so great. The simplicity of the story is the charm or it all. The writer introduces characters that everyone can relate to if you are a parent, child or lover. It is beautifully portrayed even though some of it is long and there are more flashbacks than are necessary. I didn't give it a perfect score, because I sometimes felt like the director should just let the viewer feel with out the flashbacks. Other than that the drama was really good.

The acting is excellent. Unexpectedly the chemistry between Kam Woo Sung as Dong Ha and Choi Soo Young as Bom Yi is palpable. The age difference between them in the drama is 18 years and in real life is 20 years. I think some people might have a problem with it. However, Bom Yi is the kind of person in whom everyone would fall in love. Bom Yi's personality is well written and portrayed. Choi Soo Young is beautiful and seamlessly kept balance between optimism and depression I have totally fallen for Kam Woo Sung. His portrayal of loving strength is perfect. I would definitely want to be in a relationship with that kind of person. I am now going to find time to watch every thing he has done. The other actors are good too, but I came to not care much about anyone other than the main leads and the children,

The music is beautiful.

I won't rewatch this, but I can see someone might want to rewatch it.

I highly recommend this drama.

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